bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association Between Cerebral Small Vessel Disease With Antidepressant Use and Depression
Authors: Tully Phillip J. , Alpérovitch Annick , Soumaré Aicha , Mazoyer Bernard , Debette Stephanie , Tzourio Christophe
Published: December 2019

Background and Purpose—

Evidence links antidepressant use with cerebral small vessel disease; however, it remains unclear whether people with depression face comparable risk. This study aims to determine the association between antidepressant drug use and depression with markers of cerebral small vessel disease.

Methods—

One thousand nine hundred five participants (mean age, 72.5 years; 60% women) without stroke or dementia history underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging at baseline, and 1402 individuals underwent a second magnetic resonance imaging at 4 years. Outcomes were lacunes 3 to 15 mm and white matter hyperintensity volume (cm
3
) at baseline and follow-up. Exposure to antidepressants was grouped as (1) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (n=68), (2) tricyclics (n=40), (3) atypicals (n=24), (4) depressed nonusers (n=303), and (5) nondepressed/nonuser group (reference group, n=1470). Statistical analyses adjusted for propensity scores due to the nonrandomized exposure to antidepressant drugs.

Results—

There was an association between use of atypical antidepressants with lacunes at baseline (adjusted rate ratio, 2.59 [95% CI, 1.14–5.88];
P
=0.023) and follow-up (adjusted rate ratio, 3.05 [95% CI, 1.25–7.43];
P
=0.014). Lacunes at baseline were also associated with depressed nonusers (adjusted rate ratio, 1.53 [95% CI, 1.06–2.21];
P
=0.023). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor users and depressed nonusers displayed higher total, periventricular, and deep white matter hyperintensity volumes at baseline. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor users had higher deep white matter hyperintensity volumes at follow-up.

Conclusions—

Users of atypical antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and depressed people without any antidepressant exposure all displayed markers of cerebral small vessel disease higher than the nondepressed/nonuser group. The findings suggest that cerebral small vessel disease is associated with depression and exposure to antidepressants.
Refining Linked Data with Games with a Purpose
Authors: Celino Irene , Re Calegari Gloria , Fiano Andrea
Published: December 2019

With the rise of linked data and knowledge graphs, the need becomes compelling to find suitable solutions to increase the coverage and correctness of data sets, to add missing knowledge and to identify and remove errors. Several approaches – mostly relying on machine learning and natural language processing techniques – have been proposed to address this refinement goal; they usually need a partial gold standard, i.e., some “ground truth” to train automatic models. Gold standards are manually constructed, either by involving domain experts or by adopting crowdsourcing and human computation solutions. In this paper, we present an open source software framework to build Games with a Purpose for linked data refinement, i.e., Web applications to crowdsource partial ground truth, by motivating user participation through fun incentive. We detail the impact of this new resource by explaining the specific data linking “purposes” supported by the framework (creation, ranking and validation of links) and by defining the respective crowdsourcing tasks to achieve those goals. We also introduce our approach for incremental truth inference over the contributions provided by players of Games with a Purpose (also abbreviated as GWAP): we motivate the need for such a method with the specificity of GWAP vs. traditional crowdsourcing; we explain and formalize the proposed process, explain its positive consequences and illustrate the results of an experimental comparison with state-of-the-art approaches. To show this resource's versatility, we describe a set of diverse applications that we built on top of it; to demonstrate its reusability and extensibility potential, we provide references to detailed documentation, including an entire tutorial which in a few hours guides new adopters to customize and adapt the framework to a new use case.
Paraphrase-Sense-Tagged Sentences
Authors: Cocos Anne , Callison-Burch Chris
Published: December 2019

Many natural language processing tasks require discriminating the particular meaning of a word in context, but building corpora for developing sense-aware models can be a challenge. We present a large resource of example usages for words having a particular meaning, called Paraphrase-Sense-Tagged Sentences (PSTS). Built on the premise that a word’s paraphrases instantiate its fine-grained meanings (i.e., bug has different meanings corresponding to its paraphrases fly and microbe) the resource contains up to 10,000 sentences for each of 3 million target-paraphrase pairs where the target word takes on the meaning of the paraphrase. We describe an automatic method based on bilingual pivoting used to enumerate sentences for PSTS, and present two models for ranking PSTS sentences based on their quality. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of PSTS by using it to build a dataset for the task of hypernym prediction in context. Training a model on this automatically generated dataset produces accuracy that is competitive with a model trained on smaller datasets crafted with some manual effort.
Silvia’s Stag on the Tiber
Authors: Vuković Krešimir
Published: December 2019

Much has been written on the various aspects of casus belli in Aeneid 7, but the setting of the episode (in which Ascanius shoots a stag with great horns) remains unclear. This paper proposes a new reading of this crucial juncture by situating it on the river Tiber and contextualizing the fluvial setting within the wider structure of books 7-9. The role of the Tiber is significant because the Italian landscape is a major theme in the second half of the epic and the Tiber features in several key episodes, e.g. Tiberinus appears to Aeneas and directs him to the site of Rome. The history of the river is tied up with the larger history of early Latium. The river shares many affinities with the stag in terms of legal status, visual representation, and mythic significance.
The Ancient Sublime(s). A Review of The Sublime in Antiquity
Authors: de Jonge Casper C.
Published: December 2019

The sublime plays an important role in recent publications on Greek and Latin literature. On the one hand, scholars try to make sense of ancient Greek theories of the sublime, both in Longinus’ On the Sublime and in other rhetorical texts. On the other hand, the sublime, in its ancient and modern manifestations presented by thinkers from Longinus to Burke, Kant and Lyotard, has proved to be a productive tool for interpreting the works of Latin poets like Lucretius, Lucan and Seneca. But what is the sublime? And how does the Greek rhetorical sublime in Longinus relate to the Roman literary sublime in Lucretius and other poets? This article reviews James I. Porter, The Sublime in Antiquity: it evaluates Porter’s innovative approach to the ancient sublime, and considers the ways in which it might change our understanding of an important, but somewhat enigmatic concept.
Mermithid nematode (Nematoda: Mermithidae) parasites of a fossil black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Baltic amber
Authors: Poinar George O. , Currie Douglas C.
Published: December 2019

A new species of fossil mermithid, Heydenius simulphilus sp. n. (Nematoda: Mermithidae), is described from two parasitic juvenile specimens adjacent to a male black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Baltic amber. It is proposed that the nematodes emerged from their developmental sites in the haemocoel of the black fly host through a wound in the abdomen of the latter, as indicated by the release of a droplet of haemolymph and damaged cuticle. Various internal structures of the nematodes are identified and related to those found on extant developing mermithids. This is the first fossil record of mermithid parasitism of a black fly.
The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, profoundly affects the production of popular biofortified cassava cultivars
Authors: Akinsanya Aminat Korede , Afolami Steve Olaoluwa , Kulakow Peter , Coyne Danny
Published: December 2019

Despite being the single largest cassava-producing country, yields in Nigeria remain consistently poor and among the lowest. Regionally, yields are also particularly low across Africa. Pests and pathogens, including plant-parasitic nematodes, play an important role in this current yield deficit. African countries are not only faced with the problem of food security but also that of nutritional deficiency, due to limited micronutrients in the diet. In this study, six biofortified cultivars were evaluated for their response to inoculation with approximately 30 000 root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) eggs in 30 l pots in Nigeria. All cassava cultivars proved highly susceptible to M. incognita infection after 6 months, with nematode reproduction factor ranging from 7.0 to 44.8. Galling was common on feeder roots and gall index scores were recorded between 4 to 5 (on a scale of 1-5 where 5 ⩽ 100 galls). Meloidogyne incognita infection significantly reduced plant height, stem girth, fresh plant mass, fresh storage root number and storage root weight. Percentage yield loss of between 41.8-88.4% was recorded in M. incognita-infected plants compared with non-infected controls. Although M. incognita reduced storage root weight, it did not necessarily affect the nutritional quality (total carotenoid) or dry weight percentage of the biofortified cassava cultivars. Total carotenoid and dry weight contents of the control cultivar were similar to some of the biofortified cultivars. The high susceptibility of the biofortified cassava cultivars to M. incognita infection indicates that substantial yield losses are likely being experienced by farmers, as this nematode pest is prevalent across sub-Saharan Africa and the tropics.
Language mixing in Palasa
Authors: Joseph Brian D. , Ndoci Rexhina , Dickerson Carly
Published: December 2019

We explore here several kinds of language mixing to be found in the Greek-Albanian bilingual speech community of the village of Palasa in southern Albania. Palasa is of particular interest for Greek dialect studies because it offers a window in the present day into highly localized dynamics of language contact. Among the mixing observed in Palasa is code-switching, motivated by various factors as identified by Myslín & Levy 2015, borrowing, both lexical and structural, and hybridization, at a number of levels of analysis, including phonology, morphology, and semantics. Our findings indicate that language contact is still alive and well in the Balkans at least at the level of village dialects.
Form and function of clausal particles in the Linear B documents from Pylos
Authors: Salgarella Ester
Published: December 2019

This paper sets out to explore an idiosyncratic linguistic feature only attested on a number of Linear B documents from Pylos, namely the occurrence of sequences of particles in clause-initial, and sometimes also tablet-initial, position. These sequences are o-a2, o-da-a2 and o-de-qa-a2. In this paper, a contextual analysis of the form and function of these sequences will be carried out in order to arrive at a plausible, and convincing, interpretation of their usage. The examination of their occurrences is conducted by placing the usage of these sequences of particles within the backdrop of recording procedures of the Mycenaean palatial administration.
Metal Jewellery in the Context of a Sanctuary: Interpretation Potential
Authors: Lysenko Aleksandr V. , Mordvintseva Valentina I.
Published: December 2019

Metal jewellery used as votive offerings is discovered at the “barbarian” mountain sanctuary of Eklizi-Burun (the Crimea) and dating from the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD. Most of these items were probably part of female costume known from funerary contexts in the Central Crimea, which differ both regarding their location (in the Crimean Foothills and on the South-Coast), as well as the specific features of the burial rite (“cremation” vs. “inhumation”). A small part of the jewellery is characteristic only for the cemeteries in the South-Coast area containing burials with remains of cremation.

An analysis of the cultural environment, in which the jewellery items deposited in the Eklizi-Burun sanctuary of the Roman period were produced and used, suggests that its worshippers came from communities living on the southern macro-slope of the main ridge of the Crimean Mountains and practised cremation of the dead. Apparently, these people appeared in the Graeco-Roman narrative tradition and local epigraphic documents of the Roman period as “Tauri”, “Scythian-Tauri”, and “Tauro-Scythians” inhabiting “Taurica”. They are presumed to have appeared in the Crimean Mountains in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC (migrating from areas with archaeological cultures influenced by the La Tène culture?) and to have maintained their cultural identity until the beginning of the 5th century AD.
Leveraging Africa’s Global Diasporas for the Continent’s Development
Authors: Zeleza Paul Tiyambe
Published: December 2019

In this paper I seek to share some of the insights I have gained from my studies on the African diaspora over the past two decades. It begins by mapping out some of the analytical framings of African Diaspora Studies, with particular reference to the spatial scope and temporal dimensions of the African diaspora. This is followed by an examination of the multiple and multi-layered contributions that African diasporas have made and continue to make to African societies and countries. The paper analyses some of the challenges that undermine more productive engagements between the diasporas and their countries or regions of origin. The paper concludes by focusing an academic initiatives that aim to strengthen the project of engaging African diasporas for Africa’s sustainable development, namely, the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program.
The Social Network(s) of the Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period Treasurers: Rehuerdjersen, Siese, Ikhernefret and Senebsumai
Authors: Stefanović Danijela
Published: December 2019

Studies on the ancient Egyptian administrative system(s) are usually based on analysis of the institutions and officials attached to them. The present paper focuses on the social settings of the four Middle Kingdom / Second Intermediate Period highest ranking officials, i.e., treasurers. Starting with the traditional methodological approach, which focuses on collecting the prosopographic data, this paper further addresses the implementation of Social Network Analysis (SNA) tools for analyzing the obtained material. SNA is used to study people, or groups of people (nodes), linked together through social interaction, and relations or links between them (edges). SNA exemplifies various types of interaction through networks and analyzes them. By applying SNA methodology for studying the networks of the selected treasurers, it is possible to reconstruct more precisely their social setting (both private and institutional) and interrelations, which complement the traditional approach, but also provide new possibilities for research into ancient Egyptian administration.
A Comparative Look at the Divorce Systems in Egypt and Romania
Authors: Aniței Ana Caterina
Published: December 2019

Globalization, migration, and free movement have led to an increase in the diversity of international and inter-faith couples, and implicitly to an increase in the number of divorces with cross border elements. Although there are numerous regulations at European Union level, when it comes to international couples formed from an EU-citizen and a non-EU/third country one, for the purpose of this study Romanian, respectively Egyptian, there seems to be a lack of guidelines and cooperation mechanisms, ensuring the protection and enforcement of basic human rights. The main purposes of this study is examining in a comparative manner the divorce systems in Egypt and Romania and trying to answer the question of whether the differences are rooted in religion or are the result of different social, economic, cultural, and historical factors.
“Borderland Translation”
Authors: Xie Miya Qiong
Published: December 2019

This paper explores the complexity of translation of borderland literature through a case study of the Japanese and Chinese translations of the Korean short story “The Red Hill.” Written by the renowned Korean writer Kim Tong-in (김동인, 1900–1951) in 1932, this story features the Korean agrarian community in the Northeast Asian borderland of Manchuria and is conventionally considered a masterpiece of Korean national literature. When it was translated into Japanese and Chinese and anthologized in inland Japan and the Japanese Manchukuo respectively, the three texts of the same story in three languages conveyed different and contradictory national/imperial claims over Manchuria, a Northeast Asian frontier. This case study demonstrates how the very act of translating and anthologizing, as a process of linguistic transposition across cultural and national constituencies, may crystallize the sense of territorial competition through revealing, reshuffling, and redefining the covert intricacy of national relations in the original text.
Narrative Fictions on State-Terrorism and Trauma: Re-reading Helon Habila’s Waiting for an Angel and John Nkemngong Nkengasong’s Across the Mongolo
Authors: Zuhmboshi Eric Nsuh
Published: December 2019

The relationship that exists between the state and her citizens has been described by Jean Jacques Rousseau as “a social contract.” In this contractual agreement, citizens are bound to respect state authority while the state, in turn, has the bounden duty to protect her citizens and guide them in their aspirations. In fact, any state that does not perform this duty is guilty of violating the fundamental rights of her citizens. This, however, is not the case in most postcolonial societies where the citizens see the state as an aggressive apparatus against their wellbeing because the state is not fulfilling its own part of the social contract, which requires them to protect the citizens and guide them in their aspirations. This unfortunate situation has laid the foundation for protest and anti-establishment writings in post-colonial societies – especially in Africa. Since literature, as a semiotic resource, is coterminous with its socio-political context, this attitude of the state has drawn inimical criticism from key postcolonial African writers such as Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Mongo Beti, and Nadine Gordimer. Using Helon Habila’s Waiting for an Angel and John Nkemngong Nkengasong’s Across the Mongolo, this essay shows the relationship between state-terrorism and the traumatic conditions of the citizens in contemporary Africa. From the perspective of trauma theory, the essay defends the premise that the postcolonial subjects/characters, in the novels under study, are traumatized and depressed because of their continuous victimization by the state. Due to this state-imposed terror and hardship, the citizens are forced to indulge in political agitation, radicalism and violence in response to their destitute and impoverished conditions.
‫”تغيير الخلق“ وأحكام التصرف بالبدن: دراسة نقدية في أقوال المفسرين والفقهاء‬
Authors: حللي عبد الرحمن
Published: December 2019

الخلاصة

“تغيير الخلق” تعبير مشهور في النصوص الإسلامية، وأصبح دليلاً نصياً في الاجتهادات الفقهية والفتاوى المعاصرة المتعلقة بالتدخل الجراحي أو الجيني في جسم الإنسان. فما الذي يعنيه هذا التعبير؟ وهل يصح الاستدلال به على حظر التصرف بالبدن؟ وكيف فهم المفسرون والفقهاء معناه؟ تجيب هذه الدراسة على هذه الأسئلة معتمدة المنهج التاريخي في تتبع فهم النصوص ذات الصلة، كما ترصد محاولات الفقهاء ضبط معنى “تغيير الخلق” أو تعليله دينياً أو أخلاقياً، وتقدم فهماً جديداً لمعنى “تغيير الخلق” اعتماداً على السياق ومقارنة النصوص، وتخلص إلى أنه لا ارتباط بين ”تغيير الخلق” كتصرف في الجسد وبين الذم المرتبط به، وأن التغيير في شكل المخلوق ليس موضوع ذم لذاته، ولا يصلح علة لإطلاق الأحكام‫.‬
Gender Equality in the Inheritance Debate in Tunisia and the Formation of Non-Authoritarian Reasoning
Authors: Hanafi Sari , Tomeh Azzam
Published: December 2019

This article discusses the debate on gender-equal inheritance in Tunisia. In it, Maeve Cooke’s conception of authoritarian versus non-authoritarian practical reasoning is applied to see whether binaries, like religious versus secular, are existent in the public debate on equal inheritance in Tunisia. The mapping of the debate shows the existence of three sets of arguments: jurisprudential/textual, sociological, and legal. Proponents of equal inheritance base their arguments primarily on legal, then sociological, then textual grounds, whereas law opponents base their arguments on textual, then legal, then sociological grounds. The weakness of the sociological arguments of law opponents is evident when stating that a gendered division of labor within the family still exists without providing statistics or empirical evidence to back up that claim. Through shared categories and grounds, the discussions in Tunisia share a common language in the public sphere, allowing for the reduction of authoritarian tendencies and longstanding polarization through public deliberation.
Religions by Continent
Authors: Johnson Todd , Crossing Peter F.
Published: December 2019

This article offers analysis of religious affiliation for 18 categories of religion for the globe and six continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Northern America, and Oceania. Estimates of religious affilia¬tion are made for four dates, 1970, 2000, 2018, and projections for 2030. Annual average growth rates are provided for two 30-year periods, 1970–2000 and 2000–2030. These global and continen¬tal tables are aggregated from country data in the World Religion Database.
Preparation and properties of bamboo/polymer composites enhanced by in situ polymerization of furfuryl alcohol
Authors: Wang Yong , Deng Layun , Xiao Zhihong , Li Xianjun , Fan Youhua , Li Changzhu
Published: December 2019

The objective of this paper aimed to develop a novel method to prepare enhanced bamboo-based materials. Furfuryl alcohol (FA) was used as the modification agent with maleic anhydride (MA) as the catalyst. Different bamboo samples were prepared with different FA addition level (10 wt%,
20 wt% and 30 wt%). The furfurylated bamboo samples were characterized by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Moreover, the physical and mechanical properties
including weight percent gain (WPG), water uptake (WU), thickness swelling (TS), modulus of rupture (MOR), and modulus of elastic (MOE) were investigated in detail. Additionally, the decay resistance of pristine and furfurylated bamboo samples was also investigated. The results showed that
FA resins were incorporated into bamboo and polymerized within cell walls. The WPG, WU, and TS were dependent on FA addition level. When the FA addition level reached 30 wt%, the physical properties were all improved significantly. However, due to acidic MA as the catalyst, MOR of furfurylated
bamboo samples was enhanced only 2.5% while MOE was weakened. The thermal stability and decay resistance of furfurylated bamboo were all enhanced significantly compared to pristine bamboo. Especially, furfurylated bamboo treated with 30 wt% FA achieved Class I Strong Decay Resistance (<10%)
with 5.3% of mass loss.
Performance of stone-plastic composites with different mix ratios during orthogonal cutting
Authors: Zhu Zhaolong , Buck Dietrich , Guo Xiaolei , Ekevad Mats , Cao Pingxiang
Published: December 2019

The present study aimed to increase understanding of the machinability of stone-plastic materials with different mix ratios subjected to diamond planing. To that end, orthogonal cutting was carried out. Different stone-plastic materials were machined by diamond cutting tools to produce
chips. Based on the results, four conclusions are drawn: (1) Among stone-plastic materials with decreasing polyvinyl chloride content ratio, the maximum cutting forces and fluctuation of dynamic forces show decreasing trends, and cutting stability increases. (2) The temperature of chips is
slightly higher than that of tool edges; the cutting heat generated during machining is mainly absorbed by the chips of removed material and, to a lesser extent, stored in the tool edge. The type of stone-plastic material has a great effect on the changes in the temperatures of chip and tool
edge. (3) With a decrease in polyvinyl chloride content, the chip shapes evolve from crack, to arc, and eventually to elemental chips. (4) The cutting quality of the machined surface improves with a decrease in the polyvinyl chloride content ratio of the stone-plastic materials.
Investigation on nanographene generation and its molecule adsorption
Authors: Zhang Junxia , Wang Zehua , Wang Binwu , Song Xiaopeng
Published: December 2019

An experimental method was applied to prepare nanographene, in which its surface feature was analyzed using scanning electron microscope and Fourier infrared ray analyzer. A methylene blue (MB) solution was adopted to measure the molecule adsorption of nanographene and graphite and
demonstrated that nanographene had more molecule adsorption than that by graphite. As the concentration of MB solution increased, the molecule adsorption of nanographene ascended. As the stirring time of a magnetic stirrer decreased, the molecule adsorption of nanographene in the MB solution
increased significantly. Meanwhile, the increment in the absorption amount of graphite reduced. As the dosage of nanographene and graphite increased, the absorption capacity of nanographene reached a peak value of 40 mg, which was two- or threefold higher than that of graphite. Hence, nanographene
has higher molecule adsorption capacity than graphite.
DNA Methyltransferase 1 Affects Proliferation and Migration of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Regulating Ras Association Domain Family 1 Methylation
Authors: Cui Guoce , Kong Xia
Published: December 2019

The effects of DNMT1 on human colorectal cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis as well as the possible underlying mechanisms were investigated. SW480 cells were treated with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-AZA-CdR. qRT-PCR was used to analyze mRNA expression, whereas
protein expression was evaluated by western blotting. Cell growth, migration, and invasion were measured by MTT, transwell migration, and wound healing assays, respectively. Cell morphology was observed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. 5-AZA-CdR treatment inhibited DNMT1
expression in colorectal cancer cells. Further, low expression of DNMT1 regulated RASSF1A-mediated inhibition of CyclinD1 expression, as well as colon cancer cell morphology, proliferation, and migration via RASSF1A methylation. Our results provide a basis for therapeutic
strategies based on DNMT1 and RASSF1A for colorectal cancer.
Synthesis, characterization and anti-cancer applications of ytterbium doped gadolinium molybdate nanophosphor compound
Authors: Kamaraju Jahnavi Rama Madhuri , Kanchi Raghavendra Rao , Borra Rajesh Kumar , Reniguntla Padma Suvarna , Rentala Satyanarayana
Published: December 2019

Nanophosphor compounds with both diagnostic and therapeutic functions are potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Lanthanide complexes play a crucial role in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Gadolinium-complexes are commonly used as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents
for cancer imaging. The role of a lanthanide, Ytterbium (Yb) in cancer treatment is not unknown. The present work focuses on finding the role of Yb when doped into Gadolinium complexes in cancer treatment. Our results demonstrate that Yb doped Gadolinium molybdate coated with biocompatible
silica, effectively inhibited the viability of breast cancer cells after 24 and 48 h of treatment in in vitro, and in contrast the nanophosphor compounds did not affect the viability of healthy cells. Yb doped Gadolinium molybdate also up-regulated apoptotic genes in breast cancer cells.
Hence we propose that Yb doped Gadolinium molybdate is a promising theranostic compound. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing anti-cancer nature of Ytterbium-doped into Gadolinium nanophosphors.
Theoretical study of the geometrical and electronic properties of Be2Mg+ n (n = 1–11) clusters
Authors: Zhu Ben-Chao , Yu Zhang , Ping Wang , Zeng Lu , Zhang Shuai
Published: December 2019

By using Density Functional Theory (DFT) method at the B3LYP/6-311G level, the structures, stabilities, and electronic properties of cationic Be2Mg+ n (n = 1–11) clusters have been systematically studied. The optimized geometry show
that the ground state structures of cationic Be2Mg+ n (n = 1–11) clusters favor 3D structures except n = 1, 2. Furthermore, the average binding energy E b, the second-order energy differences Δ2E,
the fragmentation energy Ef and the HOMO-LUMO energy Egap of the ground state of cationic Be2Mg– n (n = 1–11) clusters are calculated, the final results indicate that Be2Mg+6
and Be2Mg+9 clusters have a higher stability than other clusters. Additionally, the NCP, NEC and Mulliken population analysis reveal that the charges in cationic Be2Mg+ n (n = 1–11) clusters transfer from
Mg atom to Be atoms, and strong sp hybridizations are presented in Be atoms of Be2Mg+ n clusters. Finally, the polarizability analysis indicates that the nuclei and electronic clouds of clusters are affected by external field with the increase of cluster
size.
Current progress in electrode/pentacene interfaces of pentacene-based organic thin films transistors: A review
Authors: Alam Mir Waqas
Published: December 2019

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) in device physics is currently considered as a standout amongst the most progressive concepts of device applications. Currently, due to humongous technological progress, OTFT with high mobilities can be produced that are comparable to silicon technology.
This remarkable mobility is considered as a benchmark for more demanding applications which is accomplished by novel, tenable organic semiconductor materials such as pentacene and the tailoring of their geometries and characteristics. In addition, pentacene demonstrates charge carrier mobilities
up to 5.5 cm2/Vs. However very low mobility was achieved in OTFTs due to fabrication defects, material processing etc. The most important defect that arise during the fabrication process is contact interfaces in OTFTs, which highly effect the device performance. Thus, in this article,
we will review the current progress of contact engineering of OTFTs with special emphasis on electrode/pentacene interfaces of pentacene-based organic thin film transistors. Further, this review aims to provide an in-depth understanding of bottlenecks to improve the OTFTs performance. After
a short introduction, the historical background of pentacene-based OTFTs is discussed that focuses on different methods and materials employed so far to improve the contact between pentacene layer. Also, the review presents the key challenges in the geometry of pentacene based OTFT that is
the direct deposition of metal electrodes onto the pentacene channel layer in top contact interface due to which poor carrier injection, high barrier height, chemical diffusion between both layers, high contact resistance and surface roughness has been observed which highly affects the device
performance especially the field effect mobility. Also, the state-of-the-art devices and related models that widely employ pentacene are presented. This detailed review will assist the future researchers in understanding and improving field-effect properties of OTFTs.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 analog protects proximal tubules injury from lysosomal dysfunction and impaired autophagic flux
Authors: He Wei , Guo Hong-Lei , Ni Weijie , Fan Zhining
Published: December 2019

The role of glucagon-like peptide-1 analog (GLP-1) in autophagic flux and lysosomal dysfunction in obesityrelated glomerulopathy (ORG) remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) resulted in ectopic lipid accumulation, increased 24-hour urinary
albumin, and vacuolated tubular cells. The apoptotic cell content in renal tubules was remarkably increased in the HFD group, compared to CON mice, as evident from TUNEL staining and caspase-3 expression, and significantly decreased upon switching to the normal chow diet and GLP-1 treatment.
Compared to the control group, significant accumulation of Oil red O staining and CD36 and PLIN2 was observed in tubular cells of HFD mice. In the HFDG and HFD-C groups, lipid droplet deposition in tubular cells were inhibited. LC3 and p62 levels were markedly increased in proximal tubules
of HFD mice, and palmitic acid impaired autophagic flux in HK2 cells. Electron microscopy revealed that non-functional lysosomal residue merged with the functional lysosome in the HFD group. GLP-1 treatment and a normal chow diet led to inhibition of enlarged lysosomal residue and restored
autophagic flux. In conclusion, impaired lysosome and autophagic flux may be ameliorated by GLP-1 treatment and replacement with a normal chow diet.
Rossby Wave Propagation from the Arctic into the Midlatitudes: Does It Arise from In Situ Latent Heating or a Trans-Arctic Wave Train?
Authors: Gong Tingting , Feldstein Steven B. , Lee Sukyoung
Published: December 2019

The relationship between latent heating over the Greenland, Barents, and Kara Seas (GBKS hereafter) and Rossby wave propagation between the Arctic and midlatitudes is investigated using global reanalysis data. Latent heating is the focus because it is the most likely source of Rossby wave activity over the Arctic Ocean. Given that the Rossby wave time scale is on the order of several days, the analysis is carried out using a daily latent heating index that resembles the interdecadal latent heating trend during the winter season. The results from regression calculations find a trans-Arctic Rossby wave train that propagates from the subtropics, through the midlatitudes, into the Arctic, and then back into midlatitudes over a period of about 10 days. Upon entering the GBKS, this wave train transports moisture into the region, resulting in anomalous latent heat release. At high latitudes, the overlapping of a negative latent heating anomaly with an anomalous high is consistent with anomalous latent heat release fueling the Rossby wave train before it propagates back into the midlatitudes. This implies that the Rossby wave propagation from the Arctic into the midlatitudes arises from trans-Arctic wave propagation rather than from in situ generation. The method used indicates the variance of the trans-Arctic wave train, but not in situ generation, and implies that the variance of the former is greater than that of latter. Furthermore, GBKS sea ice concentration regression against the latent heating index shows the largest negative value six days afterward, indicating that sea ice loss contributes little to the latent heating.
Could the North Pacific Oscillation Be Modified by the Initiation of the East Asian Winter Monsoon?
Authors: Tseng Yu-heng , Ding Ruiqiang , Zhao Sen , Kuo Yi-chun , Liang Yu-chiao
Published: December 2019

This study investigates the modulation of North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) variability upon initiation of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM). The data show that the initiation of EAWM in the Philippine Sea strongly connects to the southern lobe variability of the NPO in January followed by a basin-scale oceanic Victoria mode pattern. No apparent connection was found for the northern lobe of the NPO when the ENSO signals are removed. The strengthening of the EAWM in November interacts with the Kuroshio front and generates a low-level heating source in the Philippine Sea. Significant Rossby wave sources are then formed in the lower to midtroposphere. Wave ray tracing analyses confirm the atmospheric teleconnection established by the Rossby wave propagation in the mid- to upper troposphere. Analyses of the origin of wave trajectories from the Philippine Sea show a clear eastward propagating pathway that affects the southern lobe of the NPO from the southern lobe of the western Pacific pattern at 500 hPa and above on the time scale of 20 days. No ray trajectories from the lower troposphere can propagate eastward to influence the central-eastern subtropical Pacific. The wave propagation process is further supported by the coupled model experiments.
Investigating Parallel Analysis in the Context of Missing Data: A Simulation Study Comparing Six Missing Data Methods
Authors: Goretzko David , Heumann Christian , Bühner Markus
Published: December 2019

Exploratory factor analysis is a statistical method commonly used in psychological research to investigate latent variables and to develop questionnaires. Although such self-report questionnaires are prone to missing values, there is not much literature on this topic with regard to exploratory factor analysis—and especially the process of factor retention. Determining the correct number of factors is crucial for the analysis, yet little is known about how to deal with missingness in this process. Therefore, in a simulation study, six missing data methods (an expectation–maximization algorithm, predictive mean matching, Bayesian regression, random forest imputation, complete case analysis, and pairwise complete observations) were compared with respect to the accuracy of the parallel analysis chosen as retention criterion. Data were simulated for correlated and uncorrelated factor structures with two, four, or six factors; 12, 24, or 48 variables; 250, 500, or 1,000 observations and three different missing data mechanisms. Two different procedures combining multiply imputed data sets were tested. The results showed that no missing data method was always superior, yet random forest imputation performed best for the majority of conditions—in particular when parallel analysis was applied to the averaged correlation matrix rather than to each imputed data set separately. Complete case analysis and pairwise complete observations were often inferior to multiple imputation.
Black Womanist Consciousness: Economic and Border Thoughts
Authors: Townes Emilie M.
Published: December 2019

This essay uses Katie Geneva Cannon’s notion of Black womanist consciousness as a methodological tool to discuss the contours of our contemporary economic and immigration debates.
Structural Violations in Resettlement and Rehabilitation: Evidence from the Gundlakamma Project in Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors: Kodirekkala Koteswara Rao
Published: December 2019

Though resettlement and rehabilitation is considered to offer a development opportunity for project-displaced people, such people are often not cared for and continue to be disregarded by the powerful governments in India in their ‘development’ projects. Oustees in India continue to be one of the most deprived sections of society, and resettlement and rehabilitation is still a critical issue of concern to them. Their basic rights to a decent life are violated in the resettlement and rehabilitation process, although the Indian Constitution guarantees certain rights to its citizens. Such deprivation and violations of rights in resettlement and rehabilitation can be seen particularly in the case of the Gundlakamma Reservoir Project in the State of (undivided and residual) Andhra Pradesh.
Tracing the effectiveness of braille reading patterns in individuals with blindness: Handedness and error analysis
Authors: Papadimitriou Vassilios , Argyropoulos Vassilios
Published: December 2019

Braille reading is a very demanding active tactile process. Forefingers of both hands play a predominant role in braille reading, because the pulps are extremely sensitive in tactile exploration and recognition. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the potential effects of handedness on braille reading patterns during braille text reading. Thirty-two Greek students (from Grades 3 to 12) with visual impairments, who used systematically the braille code as a reading medium, participated in this study. Handedness was assessed through a modified version of the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, while their reading level was estimated via a standardized test. In turn, participants read 18 texts, which were chosen randomly from their textbooks. Results indicated that handedness affected braille readers’ selected reading patterns during text reading. A variety of reading patterns were recorded and the selected data were correlated with tactile reading strategies in terms of dominant hands and fingers. It seems that readers who selected one-hand braille reading patterns performed significantly more errors with the index of their dominant hand, whereas those who chose to read with both hands faced more difficulties toward the effective collaboration of the indices of their hands. Finally, the findings of the present study are discussed in relation to educational practice, relevant theory, and subsequent research.
Determination of Gleason score discrepancy for risk stratification in magnetic resonance-ultrasound fusion prostate biopsy
Authors: Kim See Hyung
Published: December 2019

Background

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-ultrasound (US) fusion biopsy remains challenging and highlights the need towards standardization.

Purpose

To characterize the clinical and MRI features of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) with discrepant Gleason score (GS) in MRI-US fusion biopsy.

Material and Methods

A total of 400 consecutive patients with suspected cancer lesions who underwent MRI-US fusion biopsy and subsequent prostatectomy were included. In the comparison of biopsy GS with pathology GS, matched lesions were defined as a GS, and discrepant lesions were defined as an upgrade of the GS. Descriptive statistics were used to define clinical characteristics, including age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), PSA density, and maximal cancer core length (MCCL). Differences between lesions with matched and discrepant GS were determined considering the location and PI-RADS v2 score. A paired comparison of the volumes between the two groups was performed.

Results

There were 130 lesions with discrepant GS in 124 patients. There was no significant difference in the age, PSA, and PSA density between the two groups, except for the MCCL ( P = 0.028). The lesions were distributed in the peripheral (n = 88) and transition (n = 42) zones; 33, 50, and 47 lesions were at the apex, mid-gland, and base levels, respectively. PI-RADS scores were as follows: 2 (n = 5), 3 (n = 8), 4 (n = 68), and 5 (n = 39). In comparison with matched lesions, discrepant lesions had significantly smaller multiparametric MRI-measured cancer volumes ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Knowledge of discrepant GS in MRI-US fusion biopsy is important, and a careful approach is needed to reduce this discrepancy.
Light Therapy for Patients With Bipolar Depression: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Lam Raymond W. , Teng Minnie Y. , Jung Young-Eun , Evans Vanessa C. , Gottlieb John F. , Chakrabarty Trisha , Michalak Erin E. , Murphy Jill K. , Yatham Lakshmi N. , Sit Dorothy K.
Published: December 2019

Objective

Bipolar disorder (BD) is challenging to treat, and fewer treatments are available for depressive episodes compared to mania. Light therapy is an evidence-based nonpharmacological treatment for seasonal and nonseasonal major depression, but fewer studies have examined its efficacy for patients with BD. Hence, we reviewed the evidence for adjunctive light therapy as a treatment for bipolar depression.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of databases from inception to June 30, 2019, for randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of light therapy in patients with BD (CRD42019128996). The primary outcome was change in clinician-rated depressive symptom score; secondary outcomes included clinical response, remission, acceptability, and treatment-emergent mood switches. We quantitatively pooled outcomes using meta-analysis with random-effects models.

Results

We identified seven trials representing 259 patients with BD. Light therapy was associated with a significant improvement in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score (standardized mean difference = 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.04 to 0.82, P = 0.03). There was also a significant difference in favor of light therapy for clinical response (odds ratio [ OR] = 2.32; 95% CI, 1.12 to 4.81; P = 0.024) but not for remission. There was no difference in affective switches between active light and control conditions ( OR = 1.30; 95% CI, 0.38 to 4.44; P = 0.67). Study limitations included different light treatment parameters, small sample sizes, short treatment durations, and variable quality across trials.

Conclusion

There is positive but nonconclusive evidence that adjunctive light therapy reduces symptoms of bipolar depression and increases clinical response. Light therapy is well tolerated with no increased risk of affective switch.
Professional Identity and the Determinants of Fundraisers’ Charitable Behavior
Authors: Shaker Genevieve G. , Rooney Patrick M. , Bergdoll Jonathan , Nathan Sarah K. , Tempel Eugene R.
Published: December 2019

This survey-based study ( n = 1,663) addressed charitable behaviors of fundraisers—key arbiters of others’ donations. Our research question was as follows: Are fundraisers’ charitable behaviors related to their professional identity? We found several anticipated differences in giving and volunteering behaviors (and their social determinants) in comparison with the general public and the influence of some fundraising-specific variables. Nearly all the fundraisers gave time and money and were more like one another than the public. On average, they gave more money and donated a higher salary share than the typical household. They volunteered at a higher rate and, excluding outliers, more hours than the average American. We contend that fundraiser charitable behavior and professional identity are interwoven. The professional norms regarding personal philanthropy may also be influenced through the self-selection of the inherently philanthropic into fundraising. Future research should examine formation of fundraiser professional identity and its outcomes more broadly.
All rights for surrogacy-born children full scale
Authors: de Boer-Buquicchio Maud
Published: December 2019

Surrogacy offers new opportunities for family formation, but presents legal and ethical challenges for the rights of different stakeholders concerned. This contribution looks at the practise from a child rights' perspective. Safeguards are needed to prevent exploitative practises and sale to occur and to protect the fundamental rights of surrogacy-born children, regardless of States' stance on surrogacy.
Migrant domestic workers and the right to a private and family life
Authors: Sedacca Natalie
Published: December 2019

Domestic workers are mainly women, are disproportionately from ethnic minorities and/or international migrants, and are vulnerable to mistreatment, often receiving inadequate protection from labour legislation. This article addresses ways in which the conditions faced by migrant domestic workers can prevent their enjoyment of the right to private and family life. It argues that the focus on this right is illuminating as it allows for the incorporation of issues that are not usually within the remit of labour law into the discussion of working rights, such as access to family reunification, as well as providing for a different perspective on the question of limits on working time – a core labour right that is often denied to domestic workers. These issues are analysed by addressing a case study each from Latin America and Europe, namely Chile and the UK. The article considers impediments to realising the right to private and family life stemming both from the literal border – the operation of immigration controls and visa conditions – and from the figurative border which exists between domestic work and other types of work, reflected in the conflation of domestic workers with family members and stemming from the public/private sphere divide.