bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting intelligence from brain gray matter volume
Authors: Hilger Kirsten , Winter Nils R. , Leenings Ramona , Sassenhagen Jona , Hahn Tim , Basten Ulrike , Fiebach Christian J.
Published: July 2020

A positive association between brain size and intelligence is firmly established, but whether region-specific anatomical differences contribute to general intelligence remains an open question. Results from voxel-based morphometry (VBM) - one of the most widely used morphometric methods - have remained inconclusive so far. Here, we applied cross-validated machine learning-based predictive modeling to test whether out-of-sample prediction of individual intelligence scores is possible on the basis of voxel-wise gray matter volume. Features were derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging data (N = 308) using (a) a purely data-driven method (principal component analysis) and (b) a domain knowledge-based approach (atlas parcellation). When using relative gray matter (corrected for total brain size), only the atlas-based approach provided significant prediction, while absolute gray matter (uncorrected) allowed for above-chance prediction with both approaches. Importantly, in all significant predictions, the absolute error was relatively high, i.e., greater than ten IQ points, and in the atlas-based models, the predicted IQ scores varied closely around the sample mean. This renders the practical value even of statistically significant prediction results questionable. Analyses based on the gray matter of functional brain networks yielded significant predictions for the fronto-parietal network and the cerebellum. However, the mean absolute errors were not reduced in contrast to the global models, suggesting that general intelligence may be related more to global than region-specific differences in gray matter volume. More generally, our study highlights the importance of predictive statistical analysis approaches for clarifying the neurobiological bases of intelligence and provides important suggestions for future research using predictive modeling.
Seismic performance of RC frame buildings accounting for the out-of-plane behavior of masonry infills
Authors: Gesualdi G. , Viggiani L. R. S. , Cardone D.
Published: July 2020

Past earthquakes have repeatedly shown that damage to masonry infills can produce large economic losses and even jeopardize human lives. Nevertheless, in current design practice masonry infills are ignored, while available macro-models for nonlinear analysis focus the attention on the In-Plane (IP) behavior of masonry infills only, while neglecting the Out-Of-Plane (OOP) collapse mechanism. The main objective of this study is to investigate the seismic performance of RC frame buildings accounting for the interaction between IP and OOP behavior of masonry infills. To this end, a suitable nonlinear model, able to capture the IP stiffness and strength reduction due to the OOP displacement demand (and vice versa) is implemented. The selected model incorporates a routine that removes infills from the structural model when either IP or OOP collapse occurs. Different building models, representative of typical residential buildings, realized in Italy (and other European countries) from 50’s to 90’s, are examined through nonlinear response-time history analysis at different earthquake intensity levels, with return period ranging from 30 to 5000 years. Two alternative infill configurations (single layer and double layer with inner cavity) are considered, in accordance with the construction practice of the time. The comparison between the models with and without IP/OOP interaction points out the relevance of the OOP behavior towards an accurate evaluation of the seismic performance of RC frame buildings. A set of fragility curves is tentatively proposed, for different building performance levels, ranging from immediate occupancy to life safety.
Asymptotics of Nahm sums at roots of unity
Authors: Garoufalidis Stavros , Zagier Don
Published: July 2020

We give a formula for the radial asymptotics to all orders of the special q-hypergeometric series known as Nahm sums at complex roots of unity. This result is used in Calegari et al. (Bloch groups, algebraic K-theory, units and Nahm’s conjecture. arXiv:1712.04887, 2017) to prove Nahm’s conjecture relating the modularity of Nahm sums to the vanishing of a certain invariant in K-theory. The power series occurring in our asymptotic formula are identical to the conjectured asymptotics of the Kashaev invariant of a knot once we convert Neumann–Zagier data into Nahm data, suggesting a deep connection between asymptotics of quantum knot invariants and asymptotics of Nahm sums that will be discussed further in a subsequent publication.
Power Struggle or Strengthening the Party: Perspectives on Xi Jinping’s Anticorruption Campaign
Authors: Kautz Carolin
Published: July 2020

This review essay analyzes the literature dealing with Xi Jinping’s anticorruption campaign. It identifies two major debates in the literature that see the campaign either as an inner-Party power struggle or as a genuine attempt to deal with the problem of corruption and organizational issues the Party is facing. In a second step, the review essay links these two understandings to larger trends in the understanding of the Chinese Communist Party in the literature. These understandings focus either on elite politics and theories of factionalism or connect to the larger debate on the decline versus resilience of the Party. It concludes that different understandings of Xi’s campaign are not mutually exclusive but adopt different points of focus and are rooted in different debates on the Chinese Communist Party.
Entwicklung eines Fragebogens für softwareentwickelnde Unternehmen zur internen Bestimmung des agilen Reifegrads
Authors: Jungnickel Katharina , Minge Michael , Thüring Manfred
Published: July 2020

In diesem Beitrag der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) wird die Entwicklung und Validierung eines Fragebogens zur Ermittlung des agilen Reifegrads eines Softwareunternehmens auf Basis der Einschätzung seiner Mitarbeitenden vorgestellt. Agilität ist mittlerweile ein zentrales Thema für viele Firmen, insbesondere in der Softwarebranche. Die Gründe hierfür liegen in der hohen Volatilität der Märkte, der weltweit fortschreitenden Digitalisierung, der globalen Vernetzung der Wertschöpfungsketten und dem Zwang zu kürzeren Innovationszyklen. Dieser Entwicklung kann man mit den herkömmlichen, kaskadierenden Entwicklungsmethoden nicht mehr Rechnung tragen, so dass sie zunehmend durch agile Ansätze abgelöst werden. Agile Vorgehensweisen ermöglichen es, komplexe Anforderungen zu bearbeiten und flexibel auf Veränderungen zu reagieren. Trotz ihrer Vorteile stellt die Umsetzung agiler Prinzipien viele Unternehmen allerdings vor große Herausforderungen. Entscheidend für den Erfolg von Agilität ist nicht nur die Einführung bestimmter Methoden und Techniken, sondern insbesondere auch deren Wahrnehmung und subjektive Bewertung durch die Mitarbeitenden. Um subjektive Sichtweisen und Urteile erfassen zu können, ein Fragebogen vorgestellt, der von Mitarbeitenden ausgefüllt werden kann und der den intern wahrgenommenen agilen Reifegrad des Unternehmens repräsentiert. Da er über Abteilungen und Hierarchieebenen hinweg einsetzbar ist, liefert er ein differenziertes Bild zu geteilten Werten aber auch zu Unterschieden in der Belegschaft. Hiervon ausgehend lassen sich Maßnahmen konzipieren, die die Agilisierung des Unternehmens weiter vorantreiben. Die Anforderungen an den Fragebogen wurden aus Publikationen zu agilen Reifegradmodellen und dem Agilen Manifest abgeleitet. Darauf aufbauend wurde ein Itempool von zunächst 128 Items generiert. Nach Interviews mit sechs Fachexpert*innen wurde dieser Pool auf 53 Items reduziert. Im Rahmen einer Online-Umfrage sind diese 53 Items auf einer jeweils 7‑stufigen Likert-Skala durch 200 Personen beantwortet worden. Durch eine Hauptkomponentenanalyse mit Varimax-Rotation ist eine fünfdimensionale Variante mit 26 Items entstanden, die für eine interne Einschätzung des agilen Reifegrades verwendet werden kann. Zukünftige Arbeiten gelten der weiteren Optimierung des Instruments.
Applications of metaplectic cohomology and global-local contact holonomy
Authors: Schempp Walter J.
Published: July 2020

The purpose of the paper is to elucidate by global-dual contact holonomy why one might expect the Foucault spherical pendulum’s spin echo-stabilized, symplectic swing-plane through the rotation axis of the spinning earth to follow a parallel vector field as time passes at a velocity depending on the latitude of the swivel’s location. The spinor geometric foundations of the paradigmatic Foucault spherical pendulum experiment of global-local contact holonomy exploit Hopf–Rinow type minimizing geodesic trajectories which appear as inertial traces designed by swing-planes on the terrestrial circular floor panel which is situated beneath the covariant motion of the oscillating pendulum device and where the linear traces are designing diameters of the spin structure induced Poincaré conformal hyperbolic open disc model. The quantum field theoretical evidence of the existence and uniqueness of categorizing parallel vector fields around smooth loops follows in terms of the open-book foliation with Hilbert space structures placed on the covariant pages.
Slope Management Survey by Comparative Study of the Anbalagan and SAS Methods in Precinct 20, Putrajaya, Malaysia
Authors: Mukhlisin Muhammad , Zainal Nur Syahira
Published: July 2020

A landslide occurred on 22 March 2007 in Precinct 9, Putrajaya, Malaysia, burying 27 cars and forcing the evacuation of about 1,200 people. There are some slopes in Putrajaya area that need to be observed to ensure the safety value of the slope. This study was performed in order to ensure the safety of the slope in Precinct 20, Putrajaya, because the location of the slope is quite close to an area of apartments and housing. The main purpose of this slope evaluation comparison of the Anbalagan and SAS (Slope Assessment System) methods in Precinct 20, Putrajaya, is to find the effectiveness of the slope evaluation method and to observe the changes of the slopes in 2012. A slope and landslide inventory system is established to help the team responsible for enhancing the slope management in Putrajaya especially for future development. The five slopes in Precinct 20, Putrajaya, were visited to detect slope distress, which is the major potential of landslide. Aerial photos were collected and an airborne survey was carried out to provide basic information for the slope and landslide inventory as well as to produce a base map and spatial layers for the slope hazard analysis. Therefore, geological and geotechnical studies and observation were done at the chosen sites to compare the data results from the Anbalagan method and the SAS method to find out their effectiveness and relevant that is applicable to this area. The results show that the SAS and Anbalagan methods can be used to evaluate the same slope although these methods use different approaches. The parameters for the SAS method are more related to the geometry of the slope while the Anbalagan parameters are more related to geological factors.
Integrated Hydrogeological and Hydrochemical Studies in an Agri-horticulture Intensive Watershed at Narkhed, Nagpur, Maharashtra and Pandhurna, Chindwara, Madhya Pradesh - A Case Study from Central India
Authors: Quamar Rafat , Mishra Ashutosh Kumar , Janipella Ramesh , Pujari Paras R. , Padmakar Chintalapudi , Balwant Pandurang , Dhyani Shalini , Deshpande Leena , Verma Parikshit , Jyothi Veligeti
Published: July 2020

The present study is an attempt to investigate the impact of intensive agriculture and horticulture activities on the hydrogeological and hydrochemical regime in a watershed in Central India. The study area covers 137 km2 and the land use land cover (LULC) study shows that 39.72% area is agri-horticulture land, and 29.78% of the land is covered with other vegetation. Groundwater budgeting is aimed to estimate stage of groundwater development and to examine the contribution of different competing users (domestic, agriculture and industries) on groundwater usage. The groundwater budgeting results show that the stage of groundwater development is 100.26%, thus the study area falls under the over-exploited category as per GEC 2015 norms. The groundwater quality indicates the elevated concentration of nitrate (>45 mg/L) in 41% samples of pre-monsoon season and 80% samples in the post-monsoon season. The elevated concentration of nitrate in groundwater samples of the post-monsoon season indicates the contamination due to the non-point sources like excessive use of fertilizers in horti-agriculture. The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values indicate that groundwater is suitable for irrigation. However, physico-chemical water quality results show that 74% samples of pre-monsoon and 85% samples of the post-monsoon season are found unsuitable for drinking as compared to acceptable limits of drinking water specification BIS 10500:2012.

The study area needs intervention measures both on the supply side and demand side to bring the development stage and water quality to safer limits. Long term mitigation strategies for the revival of the natural streams should also be adopted to increase water availability in the study area. Precision agriculture, promotion of organic farming, minimization of water use, soil amendments for soil moisture retention and prevention of the runoff must be included in the management practices to improve the health of the watershed and for the long term sustainability.
A Methodology for Runtime Detection and Extraction of Threat Patterns
Authors: Bellas Christos , Naskos Athanasios , Kougka Georgia , Vlahavas George , Gounaris Anastasios , Vakali Athena , Papadopoulos Apostolos , Biliri Evmorfia , Bountouni Nefeli , Granadillo Gustavo Gonzalez
Published: July 2020

As the confidentiality and integrity of modern health infrastructures is threatened by intrusions and real-time attacks related to privacy and cyber-security, there is a need for proposing novel methodologies to predict future incidents and identify new threat patterns. The main scope of this article is to propose an advanced extension to current Intrusion Detection System (IDS) solutions, which (i) harvests the knowledge out of health data sources or network monitoring to construct models for new threat patterns and (ii) encompasses methods for detecting threat patterns utilizing also advanced unsupervised machine learning data analytic methodologies. Although the work is motivated by the health sector, it is developed in a manner that is directly applicable to other domains.
Quasi-Adiabatic SRAM Based Silicon Physical Unclonable Function
Authors: Takahashi Yasuhiro , Koyasu Hiroki , Kumar S. Dinesh , Thapliyal Himanshu
Published: July 2020

Silicon Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) is a general hardware security primitive for security vulnerabilities. Recently, Quasi-adiabatic logic based physical unclonable function (QUALPUF) has ultra low-power dissipation; hence it is suitable to implement in low-power portable electronic devices such radio frequency identification (RFID) and wireless sensor networks (WSN), etc. In this paper, we present a design of 4-bit QUALPUF which is based on static random access memory (SRAM) for low-power portable electronic devices and then shows the post-layout simulation and measurement results. To evaluate the uniqueness and reliability, the 4-bit QUALPUF is implemented in 0.18 $$\upmu$$
μ
m standard CMOS process with 1.8 V supply voltage. The 4-bit QUALPUF occupies 58.7$$\times$$
×
15.7 $$\upmu \mathrm {m}^{2}$$

μ

m

2

of layout area. The post-layout simulation results illustrate that the uniqueness calculated from the inter-die HDs of the 4-bit QUALPUF is 47.58%, the average reliability is 95.10%, and the the energy dissipation is 29.73 fJ/cycle/bit. The functional measurement results of the fabricated chip are the same as the post-layout simulation results.
The impact of atorvastatin on cardiometabolic risk factors in brothers of women with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Krysiak Robert , Szkróbka Witold , Okopień Bogusław
Published: July 2020

Background

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are characterized by increased cardiometabolic risk. The aim of the current study was to compare the impact of atorvastatin on plasma levels of cardiometabolic risk factors between men whose sisters had either PCOS or were unaffected.

Methods

The study population consisted of two age-, fat-free mass index-, blood pressure- and plasma lipid-matched groups of men with elevated total and LDL cholesterol levels: 20 brothers of PCOS probands (group 1) and 20 brothers of healthy women (group 2). Both groups were then treated with atorvastatin (40 mg daily) for the following 6 months. At the beginning and at the end of the study, we assessed plasma lipid levels, glucose homeostasis markers and levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, testosterone, bioavailable testosterone, uric acid, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), homocysteine, fibrinogen and 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

Results

At the beginning of the study, both treatment arms differed in the degree of insulin resistance, calculated bioavailable testosterone, as well as in plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, uric acid, hsCRP and 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Although atorvastatin reduced total and LDL cholesterol levels, this effect was stronger in group 2 than group 1. In group 2, atorvastatin exerted also a more potent impact on hsCRP, fibrinogen and homocysteine. An unfavorable impact on insulin sensitivity was observed only in group 1; while, statistically significant changes in uric acid and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were found only in group 2.

Conclusion

The obtained results suggest that cardiometabolic effects of atorvastatin are less pronounced in male siblings of PCOS probands than in brothers of unaffected women.
Rupture of the Short Head of the Biceps Brachii Muscle Belly Caused by a Rock-Climbing Accident
Authors: Simon Michael , Lutter Christoph , Schöffl Volker
Published: July 2020

The case of a 42-y-old rock climber who sustained a complete, isolated rupture of the short head of the biceps brachii muscle after falling onto his upper arm while bouldering is presented. This is the first description of this rare injury after a climbing accident. Moreover, there is no definitive consensus on whether and when surgical intervention is necessary in such a case. We performed a direct end-to-end suture of the muscle belly through an open surgical approach. Postoperatively, we performed a detailed follow-up, including clinical examinations and sonography and magnetic resonance imaging to check the integrity of the suture. After 6 mo, our patient had regained a full range of motion without functional complaints or pain. Concerning the sports-specific outcome, we only found a slight decrease in rock-climbing abilities (Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme Scale of Difficulty grade VII+ postsurgery compared to VIII preinjury). In conclusion, we suggest that early surgical reapproximation of the muscle belly might be the best treatment option for this severe but rare injury in athletes.
Cosmopolitan Radicalism
Authors: Maasri Zeina
Published: July 2020

Exploring the intersections of visual culture, design and politics in Beirut from the late 1950s to the mid-1970s, this compelling interdisciplinary study critically examines a global conjuncture in Lebanon's history, marked by anticolonial struggle and complicated by a Cold War order. Against a celebratory reminiscence of the 'golden years', Beirut's long 1960s is conceived of as a liminal juncture, an anxious time and space when the city held out promises at once politically radical and radically cosmopolitan. Zeina Maasri examines the transnational circuits that animated Arab modernist pursuits, shedding light on key cultural transformations that saw Beirut develop as a Mediterranean site of tourism and leisure, a nexus between modern art and pan-Arab publishing and, through the rise of the Palestinian Resistance, a node in revolutionary anti-imperialism. Drawing on uncharted archives of printed media this book expands the scope of historical analysis of the postcolonial Arab East.
Informal Networks: Dark Sides, Bright Sides, and Unexplored Dimensions
Authors: Horak Sven , Afiouni Fida , Bian Yanjie , Ledeneva Alena , Muratbekova-Touron Maral , Fey Carl F.
Published: July 2020

Informal networking can be seen as a positive activity with beneficial outcomes for individuals, firms, and society as a whole, but informal networking can also lead to collusion, cliques, nepotism, and other forms of unethical or corrupt conduct – largely related to research on emerging markets. To date, the construction of informal networks and their cultural intertwinement and development have not been a focus of international management and organization studies, a gap that this special issue seeks to address. This special issue contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics of informal networks and their ambivalence, in which the same networks have different modes of operation and have positive and negative sides intermittently or simultaneously. We demonstrate the context in which informal networks operate, highlight their complexity, and encourage dialogue among scholars studying informal networks in a variety of countries. Using a context-based and comparative perspective allows us to conceptualize informal networks in a more integrated and balanced way. Understanding the workings of informal networking – known variously asguanxi, yongo, jentinho, wasta,andblat– in culturally specific settings, places Western values, social structures, and ideals of behavior in perspective and tests Western-centered assumptions, narratives, and theories. Because informal networking is a conventional way of conducting business in many countries, as depicted in this special issue, defining the bright (positive) and the dark (negative) sides of informal networks is critical for responsible management and business success at multinational corporations.
A monotonicity result under symmetry and Morse index constraints in the plane
Authors: Gladiali Francesca
Published: July 2020

This paper deals with solutions of semilinear elliptic equations of the type
\[ \left\{\begin{array}{@{}ll} -\Delta u = f(|x|, u) \qquad & \text{ in } \Omega, \\ u= 0 & \text{ on } \partial \Omega, \end{array} \right. \]
where Ω is a radially symmetric domain of the plane that can be bounded or unbounded. We consider solutions u that are invariant by rotations of a certain angle θ and which have a bound on their Morse index in spaces of functions invariant by these rotations. We can prove that or u is radial, or, else, there exists a direction $e\in \mathcal {S}$ such that u is symmetric with respect to e and it is strictly monotone in the angular variable in a sector of angle θ/2. The result applies to least-energy and nodal least-energy solutions in spaces of functions invariant by rotations and produces multiplicity results.
Hardy type inequalities on closed manifolds via Ricci curvature
Authors: Meng Canjun , Wang Han , Zhao Wei
Published: July 2020

The article is devoted to Hardy type inequalities on closed manifolds. By means of various weighted Ricci curvatures, we establish several sharp Hardy type inequalities on closed weighted Riemannian manifolds. Our results complement in several aspects those obtained recently in the non-compact Riemannian setting.
Who Governs? A New Global Dataset on Members of Cabinets
Authors: NYRUP JACOB , BRAMWELL STUART
Published: July 2020

Who governs? This is one of the most fundamental questions in political science. Despite its importance, there is currently no global dataset on governing elites over a long period. This article presents a novel dataset, WhoGov, which contains yearly data on members of cabinets in 177 countries during the period 1966–2016, making it the largest of its kind. We first present how the dataset was created and validate it by matching this data against existing data. We then demonstrate how the data can be used to gain new insights into diverse fields such as the study of autocracies, gender studies, the study of regime types, and government formation. We expect that this dataset will be an invaluable resource for both comparativists and country experts.
On the primitive ideals of nest algebras
Authors: Orr John Lindsay
Published: July 2020

We show that Ringrose's diagonal ideals are primitive ideals in a nest algebra (subject to the continuum hypothesis). This answers an old question of Lance and provides for the first time concrete descriptions of enough primitive ideals to obtain the Jacobson radical as their intersection. Separately, we provide a standard form for all left ideals of a nest algebra, which leads to insights into the maximal left ideals. In the case of atomic nest algebras, we show how primitive ideals can be categorized by their behaviour on the diagonal and provide concrete examples of all types.
Cohomology of fiber-bunched twisted cocycles over hyperbolic systems
Authors: Backes Lucas
Published: July 2020

A twisted cocycle taking values on a Lie group G is a cocycle that is twisted by an automorphism of G in each step. In the case where G = GL(d, ℝ), we prove that if two Hölder continuous twisted cocycles satisfying the so-called fiber-bunching condition have the same periodic data then they are cohomologous.
Self-perceived general health among community-dwelling Portuguese older adults: do men and women differ?
Authors: Alarcão Violeta , Costa Joana , Madeira Teresa , Peixoto-Plácido Catarina , Fernandes Elisabete , Sousa-Santos Nuno , Santos Osvaldo , Nicola Paulo Jorge , Lopes Carla , Gorjão-Clara João
Published: July 2020

Evidence on how gender intersects with relevant social constructs in later phases of life is scarce. This investigation examined gender inequalities in perceived health status (self-perceived general health; SPGH) by Portuguese elderly community-dwellers while considering psycho-social and socio-demographic determinants. This study used data from a representative sample of community-dwellers aged ≥65 years (N = 920), who were enrolled in the Portuguese Elderly Nutritional Status Surveillance System (PEN-3S) project. Associations between SPGH and socio-demographic and psycho-social variables, functionality and self-reported morbidity were tested; indirect effects of relevant predictors on SPGH were also tested using a bootstrap method. Gender inequalities in health were found: women significantly rated their health worse than men; overall, participants rated their health as fair. Education, functional status, depression symptoms and self-reported morbidity significantly predicted SPGH among women, whereas only the latter two were associated with SPGH among men. For both genders, depression was the strongest predictor of SPGH. Mediation analyses detected indirect effects of cognitive function and loneliness feelings on SPGH among older adults. Results herein provide insights on the predictive role of psycho-social variables on SPGH and support the need for considering the context when addressing the correlates of SPGH among Portuguese older adults. Altogether, these findings might support cost-effective interventions targeting the most vulnerable groups of the population to inequalities in health and its predictors.
A Distributed Approach for the Implementation of Geometric Reconstruction-Based Visual SLAM Systems
Authors: Ramos Neto Otacílio de Araújo , Lima Filho Abel Cavalcante , Nascimento Tiago P.
Published: July 2020

Visual simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM) is a relevant solution for vehicle localization and mapping environments. However, it is computationally expensive because it demands large computational effort, making it a non-real-time solution. The VSLAM systems that employ geometric reconstructions are based on the parallel processing paradigm developed in the Parallel Tracking and Mapping (PTAM) algorithm. This type of system was created for processors that have exactly two cores. The various SLAM methods based on the PTAM were also not designed to scale to all the cores of modern processors nor to function as a distributed system. Therefore, we propose a modification to the pipeline for the execution of well-known VSLAM systems so that they can be scaled to all available processors during execution, thereby increasing their performance in terms of processing time. We explain the principles behind this modification via a study of the threads in the SLAM systems based on PTAM. We validate our results with experiments describing the behavior of the original ORB-SLAM system and the modified version.
BROWNIAN MOTION MINUS THE INDEPENDENT INCREMENTS: REPRESENTATION AND QUEUING APPLICATION
Authors: Fendick Kerry
Published: July 2020

This paper relaxes assumptions defining multivariate Brownian motion (BM) to construct processes with dependent increments as tractable models for problems in engineering and management science. We show that any Gaussian Markov process starting at zero and possessing stationary increments and a symmetric smooth kernel has a parametric kernel of a particular form, and we derive the unique unbiased, jointly sufficient, maximum-likelihood estimators of those parameters. As an application, we model a single-server queue driven by such a process and derive its transient distribution conditional on its history.
Exploring the clinical profile of problematic pornography use
Authors: Ince Campbell , Yücel Murat , Albertella Lucy , Fontenelle Leonardo F.
Published: July 2020

Background

Although problematic pornography use (PPU) will soon be diagnosable through the International Classification for Diseases, 11th revision, its clinical profile remains contentious. The current study assessed whether PPU may be characterized by various symptoms sometimes observed among online recovery forums that currently lack empirical assessment, such as heightened cognitive-affective issues following pornography use and sexual dysfunction with partners as a result of escalating use.

Method

Cross-sectional surveys were completed by male PPUs (N = 138, mean age = 31.75 years, standard deviation = 10.72) recruited via online recovery communities and Amazon Mechanical Turk. Multiple regression analysis was performed using the Problematic Pornography Use Scale as the dependent variable and variables of interest (Arizona Sexual Experiences Scales modified for partnered sex and pornography use, Brunel Mood Scale, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and the Tolerance subscale from the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale) and potential confounders (eg, comorbid psychopathology) as independent variables.

Results

Current levels of pornography use, indicators of tolerance and escalation, greater sexual functioning with pornography, and psychological distress were uniquely associated with PPU severity, while cognitive-affective issues after pornography use, impulsivity and compulsivity were not. Although sexual dysfunction did not predict PPU severity, nearly half the sample indicated sexual dysfunction with intimate partners.

Conclusions

The present findings suggest that PPU may be characterized by tolerance and escalation (as per substance addiction models), greater sexual responsivity toward pornography, and psychological distress. Meanwhile, the high rate of partnered sexual dysfunction observed suggests that PPU might be somewhat separable from other forms of compulsive sexual behavior.
Knowledge by other means: machinic duration and anexactitude in data-driven urban drawing
Authors: Maldonado Miguel Paredes
Published: July 2020

Half a decade past the consolidation of the first ‘digital turn’ in architecture, contemporary designers seem to have decidedly embraced the unprecedented power of machinic thinking, subsequently adopting its embedded logical processes. We may, however, pose a critical question in the context of this ‘second computational turn’ : Are there any non-computable elements of thought in the development of spatialised digital intelligence? As a partial response, this paper unpacks a series of productive relationships intersecting urban drawing and the passing of time in the context of a data-driven design environment. This enquiry looks into the processes carried out by a custom-built robotic drawing machine, tracing dynamic vector data streams collated from fieldwork developed via GPS tracking of individual urban displacements in Cagliari, Sardinia during April 2017. Its machinic drawing protocol re-enacts this continuous, heterogeneous, collectively constructed urban landscape as it slowly remaps its territorial occupation into the target surface of the paper.

The hybrid digital-analogue apparatus draws from a long historical lineage of vector-based machinic systems designed for architectural drafting. Situating themselves between the human hand and the surface of the paper, those machines acted as carriers of embodied spatial knowledge that could be selectively actualised into specific design processes and materialisations. Deploying a range of intertwined digital and analogue media, this machinic environment is used to articulate a data-based urban drawing research practice and a subsequent ‘anexact’ drawing research methodology that further elaborates on the durational and multiplicitous aspects of the data-based drawings. This body of work is also reflected on as a visual research methodology, which taps into Bernard Cache's interest in architectural computation as a way to pursue philosophical knowledge ‘by other means’ and into Gilbert Simondon's notion of the ‘technical ensemble’ – emphasising the productive forms of indetermination emerging from its internal informational transfers.
Electrophysiological correlates of emotion word processing in Spanish–English bilinguals
Authors: Vélez-Uribe Idaly , Rosselli Mónica
Published: July 2020

We examined how proficiency influences the processing of emotion words in Spanish–English bilinguals (22 balanced and 20 unbalanced). All unbalanced bilinguals were more proficient in English than Spanish. Participants rated the valence of negative, neutral, and positive words in both languages while EEG was being recorded. ERP latencies and amplitudes were analyzed for two components. The language effect was significant on the late positive component (LPC) amplitude, which was larger for emotion than for neutral words for both groups in English. The unbalanced group presented larger LPC amplitudes for positive than for neutral and for neutral than for negative words in Spanish, suggesting emotion processing differences in these participants’ less proficient language. Valence effects were consistent across languages for the balanced group, but not for the unbalanced group, perhaps reflecting differences in reactivity to emotion words in the less proficient language.
You're invited – RSVP! The role of tailoring in incentivising people to delve into their pension situation
Authors: Dinkova Milena , Elling Sanne , Kalwij Adriaan , Lentz Leo
Published: July 2020

This paper used a randomised field experiment to test if tailoring an email invitation induces pension scheme participants to delve into their online personal pension situation. Action perspective and degree of urgency conveyed in the invitation were tailored based on gender and age. Overall, our empirical findings show that such tailoring had no positive effects on (1) the probability that pension scheme participants click on the weblink to access information about their pension situation and (2) the probability to log in to a tool for pension check.
Alexis de Tocqueville and Three Revolutions: France (1789–), Japan (1867–), China (1911–)
Authors: Watanabe Hiroshi , Recht Linus
Published: July 2020

This essay is an attempt to think through the three revolutions, using Tocqueville's theory of “democracy” as a key. For Tocqueville, democracy is a society with “the equality of conditions” – in other words, a society that has no hereditary status system. In this sense, Chinese society since the Song Dynasty has been “democracy” as Tocqueville himself pointed out repeatedly. In his understanding, contemporary China was a “democratic society” and its form of government was highly centralized “despotism”; in sum, it was “democratic despotism.” Tocqueville was warning against the possible Sinification of America and Europe. Moreover, he thinks what the French Revolution brought about were mainly “the equality of conditions” and the establishment of centralized state power. The Meiji Revolution also realized these two things because it had not been “democratic” and the polity had been federal. On the other hand, in China, both had been actualized since the tenth century. Therefore, the Chinese Revolution which ended up with the establishment of the communist rule is very different from the other two revolutions.
Integrating anxiety into international relations theory: Hobbes, existentialism, and ontological security
Authors: Rumelili Bahar
Published: July 2020

This article draws on Hobbes and existentialist philosophy to contend that anxiety needs to be integrated into international relations (IR) theory as a constitutive condition, and proposes theoretical avenues for doing so. While IR scholars routinely base their assumptions regarding the centrality of fear and self-help behavior on the Hobbesian state of nature, they overlook the Hobbesian emphasis on anxiety as the human condition that gives rise to the state of nature. The first section of the article turns to existentialist philosophy to explicate anxiety's relation to fear, multiple forms, and link to agency. The second section draws on some recent interpretations to outline the role that anxiety plays in Hobbesian thought. Finally, I argue that an ontological security (OS) perspective that is enriched by insights from existentialism provides the most appropriate theoretical venue for integrating anxiety into IR theory and discuss the contributions of this approach to OS studies and IR theory.
Anxiety, fear, and ontological security in world politics
Authors: Kinnvall Catarina , Mitzen Jennifer
Published: July 2020

This symposium addresses the role of anxiety, fear, and ontological (in)security in world politics. Proceeding from the recognition of the scholarly interest and multitude of approaches that characterize the field of ontological (in)security studies, the Symposium homes in on the relationship between anxiety and fear, and between anxiety, subjectivity, and agency. The Introduction critically engages with Anthony Giddens' understandings of ontological (in)security, in an effort to spur the revisiting, questioning, and, in some cases, leaving behind Giddens' assumptions in order to develop a more dynamic conception. In response, the first three contributions draw on resources in existentialist philosophy, especially Heidegger, Tillich, and Kierkegaard, to further unpack the relationship between anxiety and ontological (in)security. They do so by returning to the experiential moment of confronting existential anxiety, a moment that Giddens quickly closes down, to better grasp how existential anxiety resolves into an orientation to action. The final two essays, in comparison, bring anxiety ‘back in’ to locales where Giddens' theory occludes it: the unconscious and the international, thus arguing that emotional configurations other than fear are always possible.
CLASSICAL COUNTERPOSSIBLES
Authors: FRENCH ROHAN , GIRARD PATRICK , RIPLEY DAVID
Published: July 2020

We present four classical theories of counterpossibles that combine modalities and counterfactuals. Two theories are anti-vacuist and forbid vacuously true counterfactuals, two are quasi-vacuist and allow counterfactuals to be vacuously true when their antecedent is not only impossible, but also inconceivable. The theories vary on how they restrict the interaction of modalities and counterfactuals. We provide a logical cartography with precise acceptable boundaries, illustrating to what extent nonvacuism about counterpossibles can be reconciled with classical logic.
Does Workload Moderate the Association Between Perfectionism and Workaholism?
Authors: Falco Alessandra , Girardi Damiano , Corso Laura Dal , De Carlo Alessandro , Di Sipio Annamaria
Published: July 2020

Abstract. The aim of this study is to examine, with a longitudinal design, the moderating role of workload in the relationship between perfectionism and workaholism. It was hypothesized that self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) predict an increase in workaholism and that workload may exacerbate this association. Four hundred and thirty workers completed a self-report questionnaire at two different time points, and the hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. Overall, SOP and SPP were not associated with workaholism over time. The interaction between SOP, but not SPP, and workload was significant. SOP predicted an increase in workaholism over time in workers facing high workload. Accordingly, SOP may be a risk factor for workaholism when workload is high.
Predicting susceptibility and resilience in an animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Authors: Colucci Paola , Marchetta Enrico , Mancini Giulia Federica , Alva Phoebe , Chiarotti Flavia , Hasan Mazahir T. , Campolongo Patrizia
Published: July 2020

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder whose pathogenesis relies on a maladaptive expression of the memory for a life-threatening experience, characterized by over-consolidation, generalization, and impaired extinction, which are responsible of dramatic changes in arousal, mood, anxiety, and social behavior. Even if subjects experiencing a traumatic event during lifetime all show an acute response to the trauma, only a subset of them (susceptible) ultimately develops PTSD, meanwhile the others (resilient) fully recover after the first acute response. However, the dynamic relationships between the interacting brain circuits that might potentially link trauma-related experiences to the emergence of susceptible and resilient PTSD phenotypes in individuals is not well understood. Toward the first step to reach this goal, we have implemented our experimental PTSD model previously developed, making it suitable to differentiate between susceptible (high responders, HR) and resilient (low responders, LR) rats in terms of over-consolidation, impaired extinction, and social impairment long after trauma. Rats were exposed to five footshocks paired with social isolation. One week after trauma but before extinction, animals were tested in the Open Field and Social Interaction tasks for the identification of a predictive variable to identify susceptible and resilient animals before the possible appearance of a PTSD-like phenotype. Our findings show that exploratory activity after trauma in a novel environment is a very robust variable to predict susceptibility towards a PTSD-like phenotype. This experimental model is thus able to screen and differentiate, before extinction learning and potential therapeutic intervention, susceptible and resilient PTSD-like rats.
Elucidating the mechanisms by which disulfiram protects against obesity and metabolic syndrome
Authors: Bernier Michel , Harney Dylan , Koay Yen Chin , Diaz Antonio , Singh Abhishek , Wahl Devin , Pulpitel Tamara , Ali Ahmed , Guiterrez Vince , Mitchell Sarah J. , Kim Eun-Young , Mach John , Price Nathan L. , Aon Miguel A. , LeCouteur David G. , Cogger Victoria C. , Fernandez-Hernando Carlos , O’Sullivan John , Larance Mark , Cuervo Ana Maria , de Cabo Rafael
Published: July 2020

There is an unmet need and urgency to find safe and effective anti-obesity interventions. Our recent study in mice fed on obesogenic diet found that treatment with the alcohol aversive drug disulfiram reduced feeding efficiency and led to a decrease in body weight and an increase in energy expenditure. The intervention with disulfiram improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and mitigated metabolic dysfunctions in various organs through poorly defined mechanisms. Here, integrated analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic data from mouse and rat livers unveiled comparable signatures in response to disulfiram, revealing pathways associated with lipid and energy metabolism, redox, and detoxification. In cell culture, disulfiram was found to be a potent activator of autophagy, the malfunctioning of which has negative consequences on metabolic regulation. Thus, repurposing disulfiram may represent a potent strategy to combat obesity.
Development and implementation of the SUM breast cancer cell line functional genomics knowledge base
Authors: Ethier Stephen P. , Guest Stephen T. , Garrett-Mayer Elizabeth , Armeson Kent , Wilson Robert C. , Duchinski Kathryn , Couch Daniel , Gray Joe W. , Kappler Christiana
Published: July 2020

Several years ago, the SUM panel of human breast cancer cell lines was developed, and these cell lines have been distributed to hundreds of labs worldwide. Our lab and others have developed extensive omics data sets from these cells. More recently, we performed genome-scale shRNA essentiality screens on the entire SUM line panel, as well as on MCF10A cells, MCF-7 cells, and MCF-7LTED cells. These gene essentiality data sets allowed us to perform orthogonal analyses that functionalize the otherwise descriptive genomic data obtained from traditional genomics platforms. To make these omics data sets available to users of the SUM lines, and to allow users to mine these data sets, we developed the SUM Breast Cancer Cell Line Knowledge Base. This knowledge base provides information on the derivation of each cell line, provides protocols for the proper maintenance of the cells, and provides a series of data mining tools that allow rapid identification of the oncogene signatures for each line, the enrichment of KEGG pathways with screen hit and gene expression data, an analysis of protein and phospho-protein expression for the cell lines, as well as a gene search tool and a functional-druggable signature tool. Recently, we expanded our database to include genomic data for an additional 27 commonly used breast cancer cell lines. Thus, the SLKBase provides users with deep insights into the biology of human breast cancer cell lines that can be used to develop strategies for the reverse engineering of individual breast cancer cell lines.
Using statistical learning to predict interactions between single metal atoms and modified MgO(100) supports
Authors: Liu Chun-Yen , Zhang Shijia , Martinez Daniel , Li Meng , Senftle Thomas P.
Published: July 2020

Metal/oxide interactions mediated by charge transfer influence reactivity and stability in numerous heterogeneous catalysts. In this work, we use density functional theory (DFT) and statistical learning (SL) to derive models for predicting how the adsorption strength of metal atoms on MgO(100) surfaces can be enhanced by modifications of the support. MgO(100) in its pristine form is relatively unreactive, and thus is ideal for examining ways in which its electronic interactions with metals can be enhanced, tuned, and controlled. We find that the charge transfer characteristics of MgO are readily modified either by adsorbates on the surface (e.g., H, OH, F, and NO2) or dopants in the oxide lattice (e.g., Li, Na, B, and Al). We use SL methods (i.e., LASSO, Horseshoe prior, and Dirichlet–Laplace prior) that are trained against DFT data to identify physical descriptors for predicting how the adsorption energy of metal atoms will change in response to support modification. These SL-derived feature selection tools are used to screen through more than one million candidate descriptors that are generated from simple chemical properties of the adsorbed metals, MgO, dopants, and adsorbates. Among the tested SL tools, we demonstrate that Dirichlet–Laplace prior predicts metal adsorption energies on MgO most accurately, while also identifying descriptors that are most transferable to chemically similar oxides, such as CaO, BaO, and ZnO.