bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toll‐like receptors and high mobility group box 1 in granulosa cells during bovine follicle maturation
Authors: Xie Yingying , Zhang Kang , Zhang Kai , Zhang Jingyan , Wang Lei , Wang Xurong , Hu Xuequan , Liang Zijing , Li Jianxi
Published: September 2019

Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are present in the ovaries and reproductive tract of various mammals. The biological function of TLR during ovulation is one of the main contents in the research of reproductive immunology. In this study, we found that messenger RNA levels of TLR1–TLR10 in granulosa cells were different, and TLRs and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in granulosa cells of large follicles were significantly higher than those of small and middle follicles. Coimmunoprecipitation results showed that HMGB1 interacts with TLR2 in granulosa cells, especially large follicles. The result of immunohistochemistry showed that TLRs and HMGB1 were present in granulosa cell layer of ovarian follicles. We also found 25 mIU/ml follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) significantly upregulated the expression of TLRs and HMGB1. These results suggest that TLR2/4 and HMGB1 in granulosa cells may be involved in the ovarian innate immune and ovarian follicular maturation, regulated by FSH. However, further research of the function and mechanisms of TLRs and HMGB1 in granulosa cells are needed.
Naked mole rats activate neuroprotective proteins during hypoxia
Authors: Hawkins Liam J. , Hadj‐Moussa Hanane , Nguyen Vu C. , Pamenter Matthew E. , Storey Kenneth B.
Published: September 2019

Naked mole rats are a long‐lived animal model that age much like humans, but that can also withstand oxidative damage, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and severe hypoxic conditions, which is of particular interest to this study. The conditions of their underground burrows result in competition for oxygen consumption, yet despite this oxygen deprivation they emerge unscathed. To understand the mechanisms in place to facilitate neuronal preservation during hypoxia, we investigated the protein levels of well‐known cell‐stress factors. We found that under hypoxic conditions, nearly half of the proteins measured increased expression in brain, while only a few decreased. Under hypoxic conditions there appeared to be a HIF1α‐centered response, where HIF1α and its interactors carbonic anhydrase 9, CITED2, p21/CIP1, and NFκB1, among others, were upregulated. Concurrently, a hypoxia‐induced decrease of cytochrome c was consistent with decreased mitochondrial function and protection from apoptosis. The picture that emerges is one of neuroprotection, cell‐cycle arrest, and the promotion of antiapoptotic functions, all of which are consistent with conserving energy and maintaining neural integrity under low oxygen levels. These results suggest how this species may be poised to face hypoxia and contribute to its remarkable ability to deal with myriad of other damaging factors and sets the stage for future work on the neuroprotective facilitators we identified.
Yield of staging laparoscopy in gastric cancer is influenced by Laurén histologic subtype
Authors: Rawicz‐Pruszyński Karol , Mielko Jerzy , Pudło Kamil , Lisiecki Radosław , Skoczylas Tomasz , Murawa Dawid , Polkowski Wojciech Piotr
Published: September 2019

Background

Staging laparoscopy (SL) with cytologic lavage is a useful staging procedure that allows tailoring the treatment of advanced gastric cancer (GC). The current study aimed to evaluate the total yield of SL in patients with various Laurén histo‐types of GC, before planned neoadjuvant chemotherapy and gastrectomy.

Methods

After exclusion of distant metastatic disease on imaging modalities, 173 patients with primary advanced gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent SL between August 2016 and September 2018, were eligible for the analysis. Patients sex, age, Lauren histo‐type, tumor location, grade, cT, and cN were assessed in bivariate analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with peritoneal metastases.

Results

Peritoneal metastases, ascites, and positive cytology were found in 39 (22.5%), 17 (9.8%) and 38 (22%) patients, respectively. The total yield of the SL in the current study was 36.4%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that serosal involvement (cT4) and diffuse histo‐type were independent predictors of peritoneal metastases (OR, 15; 95% CI, 1.9–119, P = .02 and OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.2–4.6, P = .01, respectively).

Conclusions

Although cT4 and diffuse tumors show the highest association with peritoneal metastases, SL is a valuable diagnostic procedure in all advanced GC patients.
An Ultracompact GRIN‐Lens‐Based Spot Size Converter using Subwavelength Grating Metamaterials
Authors: Luque‐González José Manuel , Halir Robert , Wangüemert‐Pérez Juan Gonzalo , de‐Oliva‐Rubio José , Schmid Jens H. , Cheben Pavel , Molina‐Fernández Íñigo , Ortega‐Moñux Alejandro
Published: September 2019

Graded‐index materials offer virtually complete control over light propagation in integrated photonic chips but can be challenging to implement. Here, an anisotropic graded‐index metamaterial, synthesized with fully etched silicon subwavelength structures, is proposed. Based on this material, a spot size converter that expands the transverse electric (TE) mode field profile from a 0.5 µm wide silicon wire waveguide to a 15 µm wide waveguide within a length of only 14 µm is designed. Measured insertion losses are below 1 dB in an unprecedented 130 nm bandwidth, limited by the measurement setup, with full 3D finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) simulations predicting a bandwidth in excess of 300 nm. Furthermore, the device is well suited to feed fiber‐to‐chip grating couplers, while requiring a footprint ten times smaller than conventional adiabatic tapers.
Windowpane Seasonal Distribution and Survey Availability on the Southern Portion of Georges Bank, USA
Authors: Stokesbury Kevin D. E. , Calabrese Nicholas M. , Lowery Travis M.
Published: September 2019

The Windowpane Scophthalmus aquosus stock in Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine is considered overfished despite the lack of a directed fishery. Windowpane stocks are assessed using an index-based method relying on the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's (NEFSC; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) fall trawl survey. From 2013 to 2016, the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST; University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) conducted a fisheries-independent trawl survey on the southern portion of Georges Bank, including part of Closed Area II. Using both the NEFSC and SMAST survey catches, we examined seasonal variations in CPUE of Windowpanes as well as their relationship with depth and temperature. Windowpane CPUE was significantly higher in the spring than in the fall and was linked with temperature changes. On the southern portion of Georges Bank, the NEFSC and SMAST surveys had similar relationships between Windowpane catch and temperature. In the spring, Windowpanes were abundant at water temperatures less than 7°C, and they moved out of the area as the temperature increased. In the fall, Windowpane CPUE was higher in warmer water temperatures and decreased as the temperature decreased. As Windowpanes moved out of the area, Fourspot Flounder Paralichthys oblongus replaced them in the habitat. This distribution pattern seems to occur across the whole stock. Our findings suggest that environmental factors can affect the CPUE indices from surveys that are assumed to be consistent, and this should be considered in future assessments.
Sexual dimorphic expression and release of transcription factors in bovine embryos exposed to oxidative stress
Authors: Taqi Mohamed O. , Saeed‐Zidane Mohammed , Gebremedhn Samuel , Salilew‐Wondim Dessie , Khdrawy Omar , Rings Franca , Neuhoff Christiane , Hoelker Michael , Schellander Karl , Tesfaye Dawit
Published: September 2019

Sexually dimorphic differences in genome activity, which is orchestrated by transcription factors (TFs), could explain the differential response of male and female embryos to environmental stressors. To proof this hypothesis, the expression of cellular and extracellular TFs was investigated in male and female bovine embryos in vitro cultured either under low (5%) or high (20%) oxygen levels. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), total cell number, expression of nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived 2) factor 2 (NFE2L2), Krüppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4), notch receptor 1 (NOTCH1), E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1), and SREBF2 along with extracellular vesicles (EVs) biogenesis genes were assessed at the blastocyst stage and their released EVs. Low blastocyst rate in both sexes due to oxidative stress (OS) was accompanied by increased ROS accumulation and reduced cell number in female embryos. The messenger RNA and protein levels of NFE2L2, as well as KLF4 expression, were higher in male embryos exposed to OS compared with female embryos. However, the expression of NOTCH1 and E2F1 was higher in female embryos cultured in high oxygen level. Male embryos exposed to OS released more EVs enriched with NFE2L2, superoxide dismutase 1, and NOTCH1 accompanied by elevated expression of EVs biogenesis genes. Accordingly, differential expression of TFs and their release into spent media could partially explain the sexual dimorphic response of bovine embryos to environmental stresses.
Creating room for evidence‐based practice: Leader behavior in hospital wards
Authors: Renolen Åste , Hjälmhult Esther , Høye Sevald , Danbolt Lars Johan , Kirkevold Marit
Published: September 2019

The integration (routinizing and sustaining) of evidence‐based practice (EBP) into hospital management is a key element for improving patient safety and ensuring better patient outcomes. Hospital managers and clinical leaders play crucial roles in this integration. Interactions between leaders and integration context influence the improvement's quality, but leader‐based actions that are effective for improving nursing practice remain unclear. The relationship between leaders could also either hinder or enable this implementation process. The aim of this study was to generate a theory about patterns of leader behavior that leaders are engaged in when attempting to integrate EBP in a clinical setting. We used a classic grounded theory methodology to generate a substantive EBP theory. In this study, through participant observation, we observed 63 nurses (15 specialist, 39 registered, and 9 assistant nurses). From these, five ward leaders (two head nurses, one assistant head nurse, and two teaching nurses) participated in individual interviews, and 18 clinical nurses participated in four focus groups. “Creating room for EBP” emerged as a theory for explaining the way in which the leaders attempted to resolve their main concern: How to achieve EBP treatment and care with tight resources and without overextending the nurses. Creating room for EBP encompasses a process of interactions, including positioning for, executing, and interpreting responses to EBP.
Evaluation of intravirion human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA degradation activity in saliva by an RNA cleavage quantification method
Authors: Murayama Masaaki , Yamazaki Sayaka , Yamada Eiko , Ikeno Ryo , Nagata Masaki , Takagi Ritsuo , Kato Shingo
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Although human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) infection through blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal secretions has been established, no report has clearly demonstrated HIV‐1 infection through saliva. We postulated that a low or absent infectivity of HIV‐1 in saliva is due to the damage of viral RNA in virions. To test this hypothesis, we developed an RNA cleavage quantification method.

Materials and methods

A part of the gag gene was reverse transcribed from HIV‐1 RNA extracted from saliva‐treated virus, and the cDNA product was analyzed by quantitative real‐time PCR at three positions that were located at various distances from the reverse transcription (RT) start site. The slope of plots of cycle threshold value vs distance between the RT start site and the primer‐binding position was used to evaluate the degree of RNA damage.

Results

When free HIV‐1 RNA was incubated in saliva, the RNA became undetectable within 5 minutes; however, when virions were incubated, cleavage of the viral RNA occurred at a much slower rate. Although heat treatment at 70°C for 20 minutes did not influence the ability of saliva to cleave free HIV‐1 RNA, it completely suppressed the RNA cleavage activity within the viral envelope, suggesting that viral structure was loosen or destroyed by thermolabile factors and then intravirion RNA was digested by salivary ribonucleases.

Conclusions

We detected thermolabile intravirion RNA cleavage activity in saliva. This activity may be related to a poor infectivity of HIV‐1 in saliva.
Do Deferred Retirement Benefits Retain Government Employees?
Authors: Quinby Laura D.
Published: September 2019

This study explores how deferred retirement benefits affect employee retention in the U.S. public sector. State government employees in Michigan transitioned from a defined‐benefit pension with 10‐year vesting to a defined‐contribution plan with immediate vesting and less generous retiree health insurance benefits. Participation in either plan depends on date of hire, permitting a regression discontinuity research design. The shift away from generous deferred benefits caused a 5 percentage point decrease in the probability of remaining in state employment for at least a decade. The probability of leaving with four to nine years of tenure increased commensurately. Older professional workers were quite responsive to the design of their retirement benefits, whereas younger workers did not adjust their labor supply.
Well‐Posed Equations of States for Condensed‐Phase Explosives
Authors: Lee Kibaek , Hernández Alberto M. , Stewart D. Scott
Published: September 2019

We discuss equation of state forms used to describe condensed high explosive materials that are comprised of mixed components of reactants and products. We show that when the equations of state have poor thermodynamic properties, or good properties but used outside their calibration domain, reactive flow simulations can fail unexpectedly, due to either no states or multiple found thermodynamic states. We propose the use of complete equations of states for components to build multi‐component equations of state for explosive mixtures. Specific examples of equation of state forms are given that show both simulation failure and success, when well‐posed equation of state forms are used to simulate blast generated by the initiation of an explosive from an intense high‐pressure source.
A Conjugated Copper Porphyrin Polymer for Catalytic Coupling of Acetonitrile and Alcohols
Authors: Zhu Jiangping , Liu Enqing , Gao Yong , Yang Weijun , Huang Can , Liu Fan
Published: September 2019

A nitrogen‐phenyl‐bridged copper porphyrin polymer was synthesized, and copper ions were further coordinated on the bridging imine groups to obtain a copper porphyrin polymer containing two coordinative copper ions (Cu–MP−Cu‐2). The polymer was characterized by IR, SEM/TEM, N2 adsorption and XPS. Cu–MP−Cu‐2 has an unequal columnar structure accumulated by porphyrin layers with diameters of about 20–100 nm. Cu–MP−Cu‐2 also has an excellent micro‐mesoporous structure on the surface and in the interior. Under the synergistic catalysis of imino‐coordinated Cu(II) and Cu(II) in the porphyrin ring, the polymer can catalyze the oxidative coupling of alcohols and acetonitrile to form β‐ketonitrile compounds with high efficiency because of its special structure. The Cu–MP−Cu‐2 remained stable and still had high catalytic activity after several recycles.
Hydrothermal Coating of Patterned Carbon Nanotube Forest for Structured Lithium‐Ion Battery Electrodes
Authors: Jessl Sarah , Copic Davor , Engelke Simon , Ahmad Shahab , De Volder Michael
Published: September 2019

Controlling the arrangement and interface of nanoparticles is essential to achieve good transfer of charge, heat, or mechanical load. This is particularly challenging in systems requiring hybrid nanoparticle mixtures such as combinations of organic and inorganic materials. This work presents a process to coat vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) forests with metal oxide nanoparticles using microwave‐assisted hydrothermal synthesis. Hydrothermal processes normally damage delicate CNT forests, which is addressed here by a combination of lithographic patterning, transfer printing, and reduction of the synthesis time. This process is applied for the fabrication of structured Li‐ion battery (LIB) electrodes where the aligned CNTs provide a straight electron transport path through the electrode and the hydrothermal coating process is used to coat the CNTs with conversion anode materials for LIBs. These nanoparticles are anchored on the surface of the CNTs and batteries fabricated following this process show a fourfold longer cyclability. Finally, this process is used to create thick electrodes (350 µm) with a gravimetric capacity of over 900 mAh g−1.
Antimony(V) Bromide and Polybromide Complexes with N‐alkylated Quinolinium or Isoquinolinium Cations: Substituent‐dependent Assembly of Polymeric Frameworks
Authors: Adonin Sergey A. , Bondarenko Mikhail A. , Novikov Alexander S. , Abramov Pavel A. , Plyusnin Pavel E. , Sokolov Maxim N. , Fedin Vladimir P.
Published: September 2019

Reactions of [SbIIIBr6]3– with Br2 in HBr in the presence of N‐substituted quinolinium or isoquinolinium cations result in new complexes of hexabromidoantimonates of SbV and their polybromide adducts: (N‐MeQuin)2{[SbBr6](Br3)} (1), (N‐MeIsoquin)2{[SbBr6](Br3)} (2), and (N‐EtQuin)[SbBr6] (3). Thermal stability was studied; estimated energies of supramolecular Br···Br interactions were calculated.
Analytic Acoustic–Elastic Coupled Equations and Their Application in Vector-Wave-Based Imaging of Ocean Bottom 4C Data
Authors: Yu Pengfei , Geng Jianhua
Published: September 2019

In conventional vector-wave-based elastic reverse-time migration, there are two types of artifacts: low-frequency artifacts and nonphysical artifacts. Vector-decomposition-based acoustic–elastic coupled equations are effective in suppressing nonphysical artifacts by using ocean bottom four component (4C) seismic data for receiver-side tensorial extrapolation. We introduce up/down-going wave separation into the vector-decomposition-based acoustic–elastic coupled equations, and deduce novel analytic acoustic–elastic coupled equations. With these novel equations, we can obtain the source-side and receiver-side up-going and down-going P/S-wave vectors in wavefield propagation, and effectively suppress both of the artifacts in vector-wave-based elastic reverse-time migration by combining receiver-side tensorial extrapolation and the decomposed vector-wave-based imaging conditions. Examples using synthetic data and field data are presented to illustrate the validity and effectiveness of our method.
The BRCA2 mutation status shapes the immune phenotype of prostate cancer
Authors: Jenzer Maximilian , Keß Peter , Nientiedt Cathleen , Endris Volker , Kippenberger Maximilian , Leichsenring Jonas , Stögbauer Fabian , Haimes Josh , Mishkin Skyler , Kudlow Brian , Kaczorowski Adam , Zschäbitz Stefanie , Volckmar Anna-Lena , Sültmann Holger , Jäger Dirk , Duensing Anette , Schirmacher Peter , Hohenfellner Markus , Grüllich Carsten , Stenzinger Albrecht , Duensing Stefan
Published: September 2019

Defects in DNA damage repair caused by mutations inBRCA1/2, ATMor other genes have been shown to play an important role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. The influence of such mutations on anti-tumor immunity in prostate cancer, however, is largely unknown. To better understand the correlation betweenBRCA1/2mutations and the immune phenotype in prostate cancer, we characterized the immune infiltrate of eightBRCA2-mutated tumors in comparison with eightBRCA1/2wild-type patients by T-cell receptor sequencing and immunohistochemistry for CD45, CD4, CD8, FOXP3, and CD163. In addition, we analyzed seven prostate cancer biopsies that were eitherBRCA2orATM-mutated in comparison with wild-type tumors. Whereas inBRCA1/2wild-type tumors, immune cells were found predominantly extratumorally, mostBRCA2-mutated tumors including one biopsy showed a significantly increased intratumoral immune cell infiltration. The ratio of intratumoral to extratumoral immune cells was considerably higher inBRCA2-mutated tumors for all markers and reached statistical significance for CD4 (p = 0.007), CD8 (p = 0.006), and FOXP3 (p = 0.001). However, the intratumoral CD8 to FOXP3 ratio showed a trend to be lower inBRCA2-mutated tumors suggesting a more suppressed tumor immune microenvironment. Our findings provide a rationale for the future use of immune oncological approaches inBRCA2-mutated prostate cancer and may encourage efforts to target immunosuppressive T-cell populations to prime tumors for immunotherapy.
Suture‐Tool: A Mechanical Needle Driver for Standardized Wound Closure
Authors: Börner Gabriel , Montgomery Agneta
Published: September 2019

Introduction

A laparotomy is commonly required to gain abdominal access. A safe standardized access and closure technique is warranted to minimize abdominal wall complications like wound infections, burst abdomen and incisional hernias. Stitches are recommended to be small and placed tightly, obtaining a suture length‐to‐incision length (SL/WL) ratio of ≥ 4:1. This can be time‐consuming and difficult to achieve especially following long trying surgical procedures. The aim was to develop and evaluate a new mechanical suture device for standardized wound closure.

Methods

A mechanical suture device (Suture‐tool) was developed in collaboration between a medical technology engineer team with the aim to achieve a standardized suture line of high quality that could be performed speedy and safe. Ten surgeons closed an incision in an animal tissue model after a standardized introduction of the instrument comparing the device to conventional needle driver suturing (NDS) using the 4:1 technique. Outcome measures were SL/WL ratio, number of stitches and suture time.

Results

In total, 80 suture lines were evaluated. SL/WL ratio of ≥ 4 was achieved in 95% using the Suture‐tool and 30% using NDS (p < 0,001). Number of stitches was similar. Suture time was 30% shorter using the Suture‐tool compared to NDS (2 min 54 s vs. 4 min 5 s; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The mechanical needle driver seems to be a promising device to perform a speedy standardized high‐quality suture line for fascial closure.
Analysis of a novel RNA virus in a wild northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus)
Authors: Reuter Gábor , Várallyay Éva , Baráth Dániel , Földvári Gábor , Szekeres Sándor , Boros Ákos , Kapusinszky Beatrix , Delwart Eric , Pankovics Péter
Published: September 2019

Tombusviruses are generally considered plant viruses. A novel tombus-/carmotetravirus-like RNA virus was identified in a faecal sample and blood and muscle tissues from a wild northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus). The complete genome of the virus, called H14-hedgehog/2015/HUN (GenBank accession number MN044446), is 4,118 nucleotides in length with a readthrough stop codon of type/group 1 in ORF1 and lacks a poly(A) tract at the 3′ end. The predicted ORF1-RT (RdRp) and the capsid proteins had low (31-33%) amino acid sequence identity to unclassified tombus-/noda-like viruses (Hubei tombus-like virus 12 and Beihai noda-like virus 10), respectively, discovered recently in invertebrate animals. An in vivo experimental plant inoculation study showed that an in vitro-transcribed H14-hedgehog/2015/HUN viral RNA did not replicate in Nicotiana benthamiana, Chenopodium quinoa, or Chenopodium murale, the most susceptible hosts for plant-origin tombusviruses.
Bottom-Up Forces Drive Increases in the Abundance of Large Daphnids in Four Small Lakes Stocked with Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Interior British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Mushet Graham R. , Laird Kathleen R. , Leavitt Peter R. , Maricle Stephen , Klassen Andrew , Cumming Brian F.
Published: September 2019

The introduction of salmonids into lakes of western North America for sport fishing is a widespread phenomenon. While numerous investigations have documented cascading trophic interactions upon the introduction of fish into naturally fishless systems, little research has been done to investigate the importance of natural fish status (fishless vs. fish bearing) in modulating historical food web response to dual forcing by bottom-up (resource regulation from nutrients) and top-down (planktivory from stocked fish) processes. We used the paleolimnological record to reconstruct food web changes in four lakes in interior British Columbia that have been stocked with rainbow trout since the early to mid-1900s. Analysis of pigments, diatoms, and Cladocera was undertaken in cores from all lakes. We predicted that if fish were important in structuring cladoceran abundance and composition, we would document a decline in the abundance of large daphnids post-stocking in our two naturally fishless lakes, and little change in the two fish-bearing lakes. Instead, we documented increased abundance of large daphnids after stocking in all lakes in the early to mid-1900s, a finding inconsistent with size-selective predation from planktivorous fish. Further, our data suggest that deep, low-oxygen refugia may be important in sustaining populations of largeDaphnia, a process which was enhanced by increased nutrients and lake production according to sub-fossil diatom and pigment analyses. This study shows that fish stocking does not invariably result in a decrease in large-bodied Cladocera and that nutrients and lake type can modulate the response of invertebrate planktivores.
Assignment of heterogeneous agents in trees under the permission value
Authors: Chakrabarti Subhadip , Ghintran Amandine , Kumar Rajnish
Published: September 2019

We investigate assignment of heterogeneous agents in trees where the payoff is given by the permission value. We focus on optimal hierarchies, namely those, for which the payoff of the top agent is maximized. For additive games, such hierarchies are always cogent, namely, more productive agents occupy higher positions. The result can be extended to non-additive games with appropriate restrictions on the value function. Next, we consider auctions where agents bid for positions in a vertical hierarchy of depth 2 . Under standard auctions, usually this results in a non-cogent hierarchy.
An Interdisciplinary Definition of Pornography: Results from a Global Delphi Panel
Authors: McKee Alan , Byron Paul , Litsou Katerina , Ingham Roger
Published: September 2019

In interdisciplinary investigations into the relationships between pornography and its audiences, the issue of how to define the object of study is more complex than in studies situated within a single discipline. A Delphi panel of 38 leading pornography researchers from a wide range of disciplines was asked about various topics, including the definition of pornography. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of two rounds of survey responses suggested two different and—at first sight—incompatible definitions operating. The first was “Sexually explicit materials intended to arouse.” The second was a culturally relative definition suggesting pornography has no innate characteristics. This technical report suggests that we should encourage researchers to choose which definition they want to use in a self-reflective way depending on the needs of the project, so long as they make it explicit and justify their decision.
The role of South African researchers in intercontinental collaboration
Authors: Kozma Csaba , Calero-Medina Clara
Published: September 2019

The analysis presented here focuses on mapping, based on publication output, the scientific collaboration of African based researchers and the role of the South African research community as a channel for within- and intercontinental collaborations. We have selected 10 scientific fields, namely, Tropical Medicine, Parasitology, Infectious Disease, Ecology, Water Resources, Immunology, Zoology, Plant Sciences, Agricultural and Food Sciences, and Psychology to gain a clear picture of the aforementioned scientific activity. As a first step, we created cooperation networks and visualized them on world-maps. In addition, centrality measures of the network were calculated to see the frequency of involvement regarding different countries, with a focus on South Africa, in the collaboration process. Furthermore, first and last authorship positions of the publications were summed to highlight the influence of the selected authors on the direction of and resources provided to the publications. Finally, the most prominent funding organizations and their focus on the selected fields were singled out. Through combining these steps of analysis, we gained an accurate picture of the level of involvement of the South African research community in within- and intercontinental scientific collaboration.
Civil unmanned aircraft systems and security: The European approach
Authors: Huttunen Mikko
Published: September 2019

Civil unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, have many useful applications but can also be used to intentionally cause harm. Additionally, drones themselves can be subject to unlawful interference. In this article, I analyze how European Union’s new rules on drones affect such security threats. I argue that the rules on protecting drones from unlawful interference are promising, although the required security features can also be abused by rogue operators. The intentional misuse of drones, however, is not much deterred by the rules that seek to protect persons and property from such misuse. Rules concerning the operator and the pilot assume compliance, the mandatory technical safeguards can be circumvented, and oversight is difficult because drones are mostly operated from outside airports in a distributed manner. One way to fill the security gap is to employ anti-drone technology that detects drones and prevents them from entering sensitive airspace without permission. Although many airports have already adopted such technology, the EU should consider making it mandatory for the busiest airports. Regardless of rules enacted by the Union, though, reliable and safe means of stopping unlawful drone operations should be employed at critical locations. This applies also to areas like prisons and power plants, the protection of which falls within the ambit of national security.
The DLR TuLam project: design of a short and medium range transport aircraft with forward swept NLF wing
Authors: Seitz A. , Hübner A. , Risse K.
Published: September 2019

In order to further raise the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of laminar technologies in aircraft design the German Aerospace Center DLR conducted an internal project called TuLam (Toughen up Laminar Technology), which lasted from 2014 to 2017. In the course of the project two technology paths were pursued, namely Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) and Hybrid Laminar Flow Control (HLFC). Within the frame of the NLF path a short and medium range transport aircraft with forward swept laminar wing was designed. The present paper is focused on the aerodynamic design of the forward swept wing in cruise flight. As a special feature in comparison with previous designs of transonic laminar flow wings a trailing edge flap of 10% chord depth is employed to allow for an adaptation of the laminar bucket to off-design conditions. The resulting wing was assessed on overall aircraft level with respect to its fuel reduction potential, whereby the CSR-01 configuration, essentially a re-design of the Airbus A320-200, was used as a reference.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Extentions of neutrosophic cubic sets via complex fuzzy sets with application
Authors: Gulistan Muhammad , Khan Salma
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we propose that the complex neutrosophic cubic set (internal and external) show, which is a blend of complex fuzzy sets, neutrosophic sets, and cubic sets. We characterize a few set theoretic activities of internal complex neutrosophic sets, for example, union, intersection and complement, and a while later the operational principles. A few ideas identified with the structure of this model are clarified. We present some accumulation administrators and talk about some basic leadership issue with genuine model.
Selectivity Estimation on Set Containment Search
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhang Wenjie , Zhang Ying , Lin Xuemin , Wang Liping
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we study the problem of selectivity estimation on set containment search. Given a query record Q and a record dataset $${\mathcal {S}}$$
S
, we aim to accurately and efficiently estimate the selectivity of set containment search of query Q over $${\mathcal {S}}$$
S
. We first extend existing distinct value estimating techniques to solve this problem and develop an inverted list and G-KMV sketch-based approach IL-GKMV. We analyze that the performance of IL-GKMV degrades with the increase in vocabulary size. Motivated by limitations of existing techniques and the inherent challenges of the problem, we resort to developing effective and efficient sampling approaches and propose an ordered trie structure-based sampling approach named OT-Sampling. OT-Sampling partitions records based on element frequency and occurrence patterns and is significantly more accurate compared with simple random sampling method and IL-GKMV. To further enhance the performance, a divide-and-conquer-based sampling approach, DC-Sampling, is presented with an inclusion/exclusion prefix to explore the pruning opportunities. Meanwhile, we consider weighted set containment selectivity estimation and devise stratified random sampling approach named StrRS.
We theoretically analyze the proposed techniques regarding various accuracy estimators. Our comprehensive experiments on nine real datasets verify the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed techniques.
Effectiveness variation in simulated school-based network interventions
Authors: Badham Jennifer , Kee Frank , Hunter Ruth F.
Published: September 2019

Background

Previous simulation studies have found that starting with high degree seeds leads to faster and more complete diffusion over networks. However, there are few studies and none have used networks that are relevant to a school setting.

Methods

We construct 17 networks from friendship nominations in schools and simulate diffusion from a seed group of 15% of the students. That seed group is constructed with seven different approaches (referred to as interventions). The effectiveness of the intervention is measured by the proportion of simulated students reached and the time taken.

Results

Seed groups comprising popular students are effective compared to other interventions across a range of measures and simulated contagions. As operationalised, selecting persuasive students is also effective for many simulation scenarios. However, this intervention is not strictly comparable with the others tested.

Conclusions

Consistent with previous simulation studies, using popular students as a seed group is a robust approach to optimising network interventions in schools. In addition, researchers should consider supplementing the seed group with influential students.
Co-contagion diffusion on multilayer networks
Authors: Chang Ho-Chun Herbert , Fu Feng
Published: September 2019

This study examines the interface of three elements during co-contagion diffusion: the synergy between contagions, the dormancy rate of each individual contagion, and the multiplex network topology. Dormancy is defined as a weaker form of “immunity,” where dormant nodes no longer actively participate in diffusion, but are still susceptible to infection. The proposed model extends the literature on threshold models, and demonstrates intricate interdependencies between different graph structures. Our simulations show that first, the faster contagion induces branching on the slower contagion; second, shorter characteristic path lengths diminish the impact of dormancy in lowering diffusion. Third, when two long-range graphs are paired, the faster contagion depends on both dormancy rates, whereas the slower contagion depends only on its own; fourth, synergistic contagions are less sensitive to dormancy, and have a wider window to diffuse. Furthermore, when long-range and spatially constrained graphs are paired, ring vaccination occurs on the spatial graph and produces partial diffusion, due to dormant, surrounding nodes. The spatial contagion depends on both dormancy rates whereas the long-range contagion depends on only its own.
Extensivity in infinitely large multiplex networks
Authors: Araujo Maria Angélica , Baptista Murilo S.
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between the coupling strengths and the extensive behaviour of the sum of the positive Lyapunov exponents of multiplex networks formed by coupled dynamical units. Considering networks where the dynamics of the nodes is given by the shift map, we do not only demonstrate which are the relevant parameters leading to extensivity, but also provide exact formulas how they are related. A distinct result was to show that it is always possible to construct infinitely large extensive networks by attaching, with rescaled inter-connections, infinitely many smaller networks. These smaller networks are effectively the building blocks of the large network. This is because these building blocks can have arbitrary topology and the strength of connections among nodes only depends on the block size, and not on the size of the whole network.
Quantum walk neural networks with feature dependent coins
Authors: Dernbach Stefan , Mohseni-Kabir Arman , Pal Siddharth , Gepner Miles , Towsley Don
Published: September 2019

Recent neural networks designed to operate on graph-structured data have proven effective in many domains. These graph neural networks often diffuse information using the spatial structure of the graph. We propose a quantum walk neural network that learns a diffusion operation that is not only dependent on the geometry of the graph but also on the features of the nodes and the learning task. A quantum walk neural network is based on learning the coin operators that determine the behavior of quantum random walks, the quantum parallel to classical random walks. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method on multiple classification and regression tasks at both node and graph levels.
A study on the friendship paradox – quantitative analysis and relationship with assortative mixing
Authors: Pal Siddharth , Yu Feng , Novick Yitzchak , Swami Ananthram , Bar-Noy Amotz
Published: September 2019

The friendship paradox is the observation that friends of individuals tend to have more friends or be more popular than the individuals themselves. In this work, we first study local metrics to capture the strength of the paradox and the direction of the paradox from the perspective of individual nodes, i.e., an indication of whether the individual is more or less popular than its friends. These local metrics are aggregated, and global metrics are proposed to express the phenomenon on a network-wide level. Theoretical results show that the defined metrics are well-behaved enough to capture the friendship paradox. We also theoretically analyze the behavior of the friendship paradox for popular network models in order to understand regimes where friendship paradox occurs. These theoretical findings are complemented by experimental results on both network models and real-world networks. By conducting a correlation study between the proposed metrics and degree assortativity, we experimentally demonstrate that the phenomenon of the friendship paradox is related to the well-known phenomenon of assortative mixing.
(Un)intended consequences of networking on individual and network-level efficiency
Authors: Tanaka Kyosuke , Horvát Emőke-Ágnes
Published: September 2019

Research shows that individuals benefit from setting up their personal networks strategically. There are two fundamental networking approaches: structural change, which involves the addition and deletion of communication ties, and frequency change, which means an increase or decrease of communication on existing ties. Existing literature has focused predominantly on structural change, leaving the potential of frequency change understudied. To investigate the differential effects of structural and frequency change on the efficiency of information flow through a network, we conduct simulations of networking approaches on a diverse set of real-world directed weighted communication networks. Our results indicate that, overall, frequency change is associated with higher efficiency than structural change in all but one of the studied cases. Structural change has a strong direct effect on individuals who actively modify their personal network. Surprisingly, our simulations also show that the indirect effects of frequency change (i.e., an individual’s ties are reshaped due to others’ actions) can exceed direct ones. Our results highlight the value of the so far less studied frequency change and suggest that using targeted network alterations can result in gains for information flow at the scale of the entire network.
Classes of random walks on temporal networks with competing timescales
Authors: Petit Julien , Lambiotte Renaud , Carletti Timoteo
Published: September 2019

Random walks find applications in many areas of science and are the heart of essential network analytic tools. When defined on temporal networks, even basic random walk models may exhibit a rich spectrum of behaviours, due to the co-existence of different timescales in the system. Here, we introduce random walks on general stochastic temporal networks allowing for lasting interactions, with up to three competing timescales. We then compare the mean resting time and stationary state of different models. We also discuss the accuracy of the mathematical analysis depending on the random walk model and the structure of the underlying network, and pay particular attention to the emergence of non-Markovian behaviour, even when all dynamical entities are governed by memoryless distributions.
The psychedelic renaissance: the next trip for psychiatry?
Authors: Kelly J. R. , Baker A. , Babiker M. , Burke L. , Brennan C. , O’Keane V.
Published: September 2019

The psychedelic research renaissance is gaining traction. Preliminary clinical studies of the hallucinogenic fungi, psilocybin, with psychological support, have indicated improvements in mood, anxiety and quality of life. A seminal, open-label study demonstrated marked reductions in depression symptoms in participants with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The associated neurobiological processes involve alterations in brain connectivity, together with altered amygdala and default mode network activity. At the cellular level, psychedelics promote synaptogenesis and neural plasticity. Prompted by the promising preliminary studies, a randomized, double-blind trial has recently been launched across Europe and North America to investigate the efficacy of psilocybin in TRD. One of these centres is based in Ireland – CHO Area 7 and Tallaght University Hospital. The outcome of this trial will determine whether psilocybin with psychological support will successfully translate into the psychiatric clinic for the benefit of patients.
Forced Convection Enhancement Over Heated Blocks by Using Slot-Jet
Authors: Amirat H. , Korichi A.
Published: September 2019

Numerical simulations of convective fluid flow and heat transfer in a channel containing heated blocks with slot-jet behind the blocks are performed. The finite volume method with the simple algorithm is adopted and Ansys Fluent © CFD commercial code is used. The effect of slot-jet on flow structure and heat transfer modification is examined. The incidence of influent parameters such as slot-jet position, relative inlet slot-jet velocity and Reynolds number value has been explored. The results show that both the main inlet velocity as well as the relative slot-jet velocity in addition to the slot position modifies the flow field, temperature contours and heat transfer rate.
Khuzestani Arabic
Authors: Bahrani Nawal , Modarresi Ghavami Golnaz
Published: September 2019

Khuzestani Arabic (ISO 639-3) is a minority language spoken in the southern west of Iran, in Khuzestan province (see Figure 1). The majority of its speakers live in Ahwaz, Howeyzeh, Bostan, Susangerd, Shush, Abadan, Khorramshahr, Shadegan, Hamidiyeh (Balawi & Khezri 2014: 107), Karun, and Bawi. According to Blanc (1964: 6), this variety of Arabic is closely related to the Gelet subgroup of Mesopotamian dialects.1This dialect is in contact with Bakhtiyari Lori and Persian (Iranian languages of the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European language family), as well as Iraqi Arabic. The lexis of the dialect predominantly contains Arabic words, but it also has several Persian, English, French, and Turkish loanwords.
Characterizing DSM-5 and ICD-11 personality disorder features in psychiatric inpatients at scale using electronic health records
Authors: Barroilhet Sergio A. , Pellegrini Amelia M. , McCoy Thomas H. , Perlis Roy H.
Published: September 2019

Background

Investigation of personality traits and pathology in large, generalizable clinical cohorts has been hindered by inconsistent assessment and failure to consider a range of personality disorders (PDs) simultaneously.

Methods

We applied natural language processing (NLP) of electronic health record notes to characterize a psychiatric inpatient cohort. A set of terms reflecting personality trait domains were derived, expanded, and then refined based on expert consensus. Latent Dirichlet allocation was used to score notes to estimate the extent to which any given note reflected PD topics. Regression models were used to examine the relationship of these estimates with sociodemographic features and length of stay.

Results

Among 3623 patients with 4702 admissions, being male, non-white, having a low burden of medical comorbidity, being admitted through the emergency department, and having public insurance were independently associated with greater levels of disinhibition, detachment, and psychoticism. Being female, white, and having private insurance were independently associated with greater levels of negative affectivity. The presence of disinhibition, psychoticism, and negative affectivity were each significantly associated with a longer stay, while detachment was associated with a shorter stay.

Conclusions

Personality features can be systematically and scalably measured using NLP in the inpatient setting, and some of these features associate with length of stay. Developing treatment strategies for patients scoring high in certain personality dimensions may facilitate more efficient, targeted interventions, and may help reduce the impact of personality features on mental health service utilization.
The Invention of the Greek Prosodic Signs
Authors: Probert Philomen , Roussou Stephanie
Published: September 2019

Aristophanes of Byzantium is credited with inventing the signs for Greek accents, breathings and vowel lengths, according to a single source: a short text found in two 16th-century Paris manuscripts. The passage has a doubtful history, but the story it tells is of considerable interest. We first provide a new edition of this text, based on a new examination of both manuscripts, and a complete translation. Secondly we argue that the author consulted a source that was in Latin and that dealt at least in part with the Latin accent. We conclude by considering the implications of our proposal for the text’s date and circumstances of composition.