bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of inorganic fertilizer on larval development, adult longevity and insecticide susceptibility in the malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Samuel Michael , Brooke Basil D , Oliver Shüné V
Published: November 2019

BACKGROUND

Exposure to inorganic fertilizer is common for the major malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis, which is closely associated with agricultural activities. The aim of this study was to understand if insecticide susceptible and resistant individuals respond to fertilizer exposure in the same manner. Two laboratory strains, SENN, an insecticide susceptible strain, and SENN‐DDT, an insecticide resistant strain selected strain selected from SENN, were used in this study. Both strains were exposed to one of three concentrations of a combination nitrogen‐phosphorus‐potassium (NPK) inorganic fertilizer, as well as nitrogenous (urea), phosphorus (superphosphate) and kaelic (potassium chloride, KCl) elemental fertilizer. The time to pupation was monitored, adult longevity was assessed and the insecticide tolerance of adults was determined. The effect of elemental fertilizers on ovipositioning site choice was also assessed.

RESULTS

For both strains, urea increased the number of eggs laid, while superphosphate resulted in a significant decrease in egg laying. Larval NPK exposure decreased the time to pupation in the SENN strain but not in SENN‐DDT. Urea exposure increased the time to pupation in both strains, while KCl decreased the time to pupation in both strains. Larval NPK exposure only affected adult male longevity at high concentrations. Larval exposure to NPK and KCl resulted in increased insecticide tolerance in both strains, with variable efficacy from strain to strain.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to inorganic fertilizers has a greater effect on insecticide susceptible An. arabiensis as compared to resistant strains, where the primary advantage is increased insecticide tolerance. These data also demonstrate that larval fertilizer exposure can affect fecundity and fertility, and alter the life histories of adult An. arabiensis. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Fertility intentions of having a second child among the floating population in China: Effects of socioeconomic factors and home ownership
Authors: Zhou Min , Guo Wei
Published: November 2019

The adoption of the universal two‐child policy in late 2015, replacing the one‐child policy, signals a dramatic shift in China's fertility policy. The 2016 China Migrants Dynamic Survey provides a nationally representative dataset that enables us to reveal, for the first time, the socioeconomic correlates of fertility intentions of having a second child among China's large migrant population. Using a multilevel analytical framework, we find that male, younger, and more affluent migrants, those from minority ethnic groups, individuals migrating from rural areas, those whose first child is a girl, those at 5 years after having the first child, and migrants living in economically less developed cities are more likely to express the intention to have a second child. Moreover, our study establishes a correlation between home ownership and fertility intentions. Migrants who own their own home in the destination city express lower intentions to have a second child, compared with those who are renting. We suggest a proposition about this counterintuitive relationship between home ownership and lower fertility intentions: home ownership and childbearing compete for the limited financial resources of migrants who are socioeconomically disadvantaged in China.
The effects of grape seed extract (Vitis vinifera) supplement on inflammatory markers, neuropeptide Y, anthropometric measures, and appetite in obese or overweight individuals: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Parandoosh Maryam , Yousefi Reyhaneh , Khorsandi Hoda , Nikpayam Omid , Saidpour Atoosa , Babaei Hossein
Published: November 2019

Background

Grape seed extract (GSE) is a natural supplement known for its various health benefits, including anti‐inflammatory effect. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of GSE supplementation on inflammatory markers, neuropeptide Y, anthropometric measurements, and appetite in obese or overweight individuals.

Methods and materials

A randomized, double‐blind clinical trial was performed on 40 obese or overweight subjects who were randomly assigned to receive GSE (300 mg/day) or placebo for a period of 12‐weeks. Both groups were under a restricted calorie diet (RCD)(~250 kcal lower than the estimated energy requirement). Anthropometric measurements, biochemical biomarkers and dietary intakes were determined during the study period.

Results

The reductions of body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist to hip ratio were significantly higher in the GSE group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.045, 0.033, 0.029, and 0.021, respectively). Lower levels of neuropeptide Y, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and high sensitivity C‐reactive protein were observed in the GSE group in comparison with the placebo group (P = 0.041, 0.001, and 0.034, respectively).

Conclusion

GSE supplement with a RCD has favorable effects in reducing anthropometric measurements and inflammatory markers in obese or overweight individuals, and may play an effective role in the treatment of obesity.
Malva species: Insights on its chemical composition towards pharmacological applications
Authors: Sharifi‐Rad Javad , Melgar‐Lalanne Guiomar , Hernández‐Álvarez Alan Javier , Taheri Yasaman , Shaheen Shabnum , Kregiel Dorota , Antolak Hubert , Pawlikowska Ewelina , Brdar‐Jokanović Milka , Rajkovic Jovana , Hosseinabadi Tahereh , Ljevnaić‐Mašić Branka , Baghalpour Navid , Mohajeri Maryam , Fokou Patrick Valere Tsouh , Martins Natália
Published: November 2019

Malvaceae family is typical from the Mediterranean region, contains 240 genera and more than 4,200 species. They are most commonly used as ornamental plants, although they can also be conceived as a food resource and remedy for various diseases, such as digestive, respiratory, genitourinary, throat infections, and skeletal and skin disorders, as also injuries where they are profoundly applied for skin care and as antiseptic and demulcent. They also possess diuretic, lenitive, spasmolytic, and laxative effects, besides to be used as antidiarrheal. Thus, the present review provides in‐depth data on Malva spp. potential applications and phytochemical composition for food and pharmaceutical industries. Habitat and cultivation conditions and the clinical reports related to its biological effects are also emphasized. Malva spp. possess a wide variety of chemical constituents (such as polysaccharides, coumarins, flavonoids, polyphenols, vitamins, terpenes, and tannins) found in different plant organs, especially in leaves and flowers, connected to their biological activity. In general, Malva spp. have rather moderate antimicrobial activity, high antiinflammatory and wound healing activities, strong antioxidant activity, and anticancer properties. Results from in vitro and in vivo experiments encourage more in‐depth studies, namely clinical trials, towards to improve knowledge on the use of Malva spp. for the treatment of various health conditions in humans.
Inference on Weibull parameters under a balanced two‐sample type II progressive censoring scheme
Authors: Mondal Shuvashree , Kundu Debasis
Published: November 2019

The progressive censoring scheme has received a considerable amount of attention in the last 15 years. During the last few years, joint progressive censoring scheme has gained some popularity. Recently, the authors Mondal and Kundu (“A New Two Sample Type‐II Progressive Censoring Scheme,” Communications in Statistics‐Theory and Methods) introduced a balanced two‐sample type II progressive censoring scheme and provided the exact inference when the two populations are exponentially distributed. In this article, we consider the case when the two populations follow Weibull distributions with the common shape parameter and different scale parameters. We obtain the maximum likelihood estimators of the unknown parameters. It is observed that the maximum likelihood estimators cannot be obtained in explicit forms; hence, we propose approximate maximum likelihood estimators, which can be obtained in explicit forms. We construct the asymptotic and bootstrap confidence intervals of the population parameters. Further, we derive an exact joint confidence region of the unknown parameters. We propose an objective function based on the expected volume of this confidence region, and using that, we obtain the optimum progressive censoring scheme. Extensive simulations have been performed to see the performances of the proposed method, and one real data set has been analyzed for illustrative purposes.
Effect of moderately increased thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels and presence of thyroid antibodies on pregnancy among infertile women
Authors: So Shuhei , Yamaguchi Wakasa , Murabayashi Nao , Miyano Naomi , Tawara Fumiko
Published: November 2019

Purpose

To study the effects of mildly elevated thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and thyroid antibodies on pregnancy rates among infertile women and their potential contribution to prolonged infertility treatment.

Methods

This case‐control study included 1479 women who underwent infertility treatment between March 2015 and August 2017. Cumulative pregnancy and miscarriage rates after assisted reproductive technology (ART) or non‐ART treatments were compared between women with TSH <2.5 mIU/L and those with TSH 2.5‐3.5 mIU/L and between women with and without thyroid antibody positivity.

Results

The cumulative pregnancy rate of women with TSH 2.5‐3.5 mIU/L was similar to that of women with TSH <2.5 mIU/L in the non‐ART (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56‐1.23) and ART (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.93‐1.47) groups. Thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) had no correlation with cumulative pregnancy rates. In the non‐ART and ART groups, HRs for TgAb were 0.87 (95% CI, 0.55‐1.32) and 1.09 (95% CI, 0.84‐1.39) and HRs for TPOAb were 0.88 (95% CI, 0.52‐1.39) and 1.29 (95% CI, 0.97‐1.68), respectively.

Conclusions

Cumulative pregnancy rates and miscarriage rates were similar between women with TSH <2.5 mIU/L and those with TSH 2.5‐3.5 mIU/L and were independent of thyroid antibody positivity.
The mangle of school science practice: Teachers’ negotiations of two nature of science activities at different levels of contextualization
Authors: Leden Lotta , Hansson Lena , Ideland Malin
Published: November 2019

Nature of science (NOS) has increasingly been emphasized as an important element in science education. This paper engages in the question of how teachers negotiate different approaches to and contexts for NOS teaching. This exploratory study is part of a three‐year longitudinal project where six in‐service teachers developed and negotiated their NOS‐teaching practices. Pickering's (1995) theory of the mangle of practice is used for the analysis of teachers’ focus‐group discussions. In a mangled practice, school science traditions, policy documents, and students’ and teachers’ expectations and identities are rubbed against each other. As part of the project teachers planned, implemented, and reflected on two NOS activities at different levels of contextualization. The concepts alignment, resistance, and accommodation are used as an analytical tool to understand the processes of the mangle in relation to teachers’ negotiations concerning the two activities during the focus groups. The results of the mangle are presented in relation to a backdrop of three teaching traditions (facts, lab‐work, and discussions) that the teachers’ claim to depart from. The results show how the alignment and resistance of different components of the mangle lead to various accommodations as regards both the activities and the three traditions. The article concludes by discussing how the teachers’ negotiations highlight what becomes possible and what becomes challenging when NOS meets existing traditions, and what this means in respect of possibilities for NOS learning.
Validation of the French version of the Forms of Self‐Criticizing/Attacking and Self‐Reassuring Scale
Authors: Leboeuf Isabelle , Mahanga Julianna , Rusinek Stéphane , Delamillieure Pascal , Gheysen Francis , Andreotti Eva , Antoine Pascal
Published: November 2019

Background

Self‐criticism and self‐reassurance are internal processes of self‐to‐self relating that have received increasing attention in psychology. The Forms of Self‐Criticizing/Attacking and Self‐Reassuring Scale (FSCRS), which was first studied by Gilbert, Clarke, Hempel, Miles, and Irons, is a self‐report instrument that has been used in various populations and has shown satisfactory reliability. The goal of this work is to explore the psychometric properties of a French version of the scale in a large nonclinical sample.

Method

Data from 285 nonclinical participants were analysed.

Results

Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an acceptable to good fit of the FSCRS items to a three‐factor model. Good internal consistency and convergent validity were found.

Conclusions

The French validation results corroborate previous findings in a nonclinical population and confirm that the French version of the FSCRS is a robust and reliable instrument.
A Review of Modeling Hot Metal Desulfurization
Authors: Visuri Ville-Valtteri , Vuolio Tero , Haas Tim , Fabritius Timo
Published: November 2019

Hot metal desulfurization serves as the main unit process for removing sulfur in blast‐furnace based steelmaking. The available body of literature on modeling hot metal desulfurization is reviewed to provide an in‐depth analysis of the approaches used and results obtained. The mathematical models for reaction kinetics have evolved from simplistic rate equations to more complex phenomenon‐based models that provide useful information on the effect of physico‐chemical properties and operating parameters on desulfurization efficiency. Data‐driven approaches with varying levels of phenomenological basis have also been proposed with the aim of achieving better predictive performance in industrial scale applications. Bath mixing has been studied using physical and numerical modeling to optimize mixing conditions in ladles and torpedo cars. The coupling of gas‐particle jets and their penetration into the liquid have been a focal point of physical and numerical modeling. In recent years, the fluid flow phenomena in mechanically stirred ladles has been studied extensively using physical and numerical modeling. These studies have focused on the fluid flow field, reagent dispersion, and bubble dispersion.
Profile of bile acid subspecies is similar in blood and follicular fluid of cattle
Authors: Blaschka Carina , Sánchez‐Guijo Alberto , Wudy Stefan A. , Wrenzycki Christine
Published: November 2019

The composition of follicular fluid (FF) has an impact on the developmental capacity of the oocyte and the resulting embryo. FF is composed of blood plasma constituents which cross the blood follicular barrier and the secretory components of granulosa and theca cells. Moreover, it has been shown recently that follicular cells have the ability to synthesize bile acids (BAs). BAs are present in several fluids of mammals especially in bile, blood and urine. FF is an essential impacting factor on the oocyte quality and therefore resulting embryos. To achieve a better understanding of this subject, the presence and concentration of BAs were measured in fluid collected from bovine follicles, categorized according to their size, throughout two entire oestrus cycles and compared to those in blood and urine. The body fluids were collected during the same examination procedure and in total samples from four heifers were obtained. A broad spectrum of 11 BA derivatives was measured applying liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). The simultaneous and direct quantification of BAs in different body fluids of cattle are reported. Within the follicular fluid, blood and urine, cholic acid and glycocholic acid are the dominant BA subspecies irrespective of the oestrus cycle stage. Moreover, BA concentrations in blood compared to those in the FF were similar. For the first time these results clearly highlight the presence of different BA subspecies in FF, blood and urine during the oestrus cycle in cattle.
Gelation of Plasticized Polyvinyl Chloride Compounds in a Co‐Kneader
Authors: Khemakhem Marwa , Raveyre Claude , Monchatre Benjamin , Sardo Lucas , Carrot Christian
Published: November 2019

The co‐kneader is a proper tool for processing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds. Gelation of PVC is complex because of a narrow processing window. At low temperature, gelation is incomplete and leads to poor mechanical properties, while at high temperature, degradation may occur. The aim of this study is to gain a fundamental understanding of the gelation process of PVC in co‐kneaders. Careful examination of the gelation state of extruded PVC samples was carried out qualitatively by swelling the extruded samples in acetone and quantitatively by differential scanning calorimetry measurements. Gelation in various conditions of temperature and shear was firstly studied in a capillary device that ensures both pre‐shearing and extrusion through a circular die. This provided a reference basis for comparison with gelation state obtained in the co‐kneader. Samples were collected in the co‐kneader by means of opening the barrel. The gelation state was particularly examined in connection with the measured temperature at a fixed position along the screw at which a temperature sensor was positioned. The obtained results showed that the co‐kneader allows fast gelation with a mixing energy value lower than 200 kJ/kg when the temperature is higher than a critical value of 165°C for the studied formulation. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 26:316–324, 2020. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Determining the availability of earthworms for visually hunting predators
Authors: Onrust Jeroen , Hobma Sjoerd , Piersma Theunis
Published: November 2019

Studies of interactions among earthworms as prey for visually foraging predators required a field method that measures earthworm availability (i.e., the density of surfacing earthworms). We present such a method by counting surfacing earthworms at night by an observer lying prone on a cart propelled by an observer across measured distances at constant low speed. The method was applied in dairy farmland grasslands in The Netherlands during October and November 2011. We quantified the numbers of surfacing earthworms as well as those measured during standard hand‐sorting sampling (i.e., total abundance based on soil counts), distinguishing clay or peat soils and grasslands with either monocultures or species‐rich vegetation. Managed grasslands with different soil types showed opposing correlations between surface availability and total abundance of earthworms. This emphasizes the importance of direct measurements of earthworm availability if the goal of the study is to explain the behavior of either visual earthworm predators or earthworms themselves. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.
Agrarian Metabolism: The Metabolic Approach Applied to Agriculture
Authors: González de Molina Manuel , Soto Fernández David , Guzmán Casado Gloria , Infante-Amate Juan , Aguilera Fernández Eduardo , Vila Traver Jaime , García Ruiz Roberto
Published: November 2019

The main aim of this chapter is to describe the theoretical and methodological bases that support the research contained in this book and developed through the following chapters. The rationale of the need for a new perspective on the evolution of Spain’s agricultural sector over the last century, focused on sustainability, from a social and ecological perspectives, rather than its growth capacity is explained in detail. To tackle this question, a biophysical perspective is adopted, using the Social Metabolism approach. A new theoretical–methodological proposal that arises from the fusion of metabolic approaches and Agroecology is presented, including also social and economic variables, and that we have calledSocial Agrarian MetabolismThe chapter follows with a deep discussion on the organization and dynamics of the agrarian metabolisms by using the concepts of flows and funds. The concepts of flows, which include energy and materials that are consumed or dissipated during the agrarian metabolic process, and funds elements, which are dissipative structures that use inputs to transform them into goods, services, and waste are portrayed. Sustainability consists of meeting the needs of society by producing biomass flows without deteriorating the fund elements that originate them. We have distinguished four fund elements that function in an articulated manner whose detailed analysis is carried out in the following chapters. The chapter ends with a deep description of some methodological specifies, such scale and boundaries and sources of information, regarding to the agrarian metabolism.
Agricultural Inputs and Their Energy Costs 1900–2010
Authors: González de Molina Manuel , Soto Fernández David , Guzmán Casado Gloria , Infante-Amate Juan , Aguilera Fernández Eduardo , Vila Traver Jaime , García Ruiz Roberto
Published: November 2019

During the socio-metabolic transition to the current industrial society, agriculture has been relegated, in favor of fossil fuels and minerals, as main source of energy and material, and this has provoked a big quantitative and qualitative changes in its technical means of agricultural and livestock productions. In this chapter, the changes of the social fund element, such as the technical means of production, which include machinery, fuels, irrigation regime and types, agricultural electricity use, fertilizers and plant protection products, during the industrialization process were assessed. All of these became widespread from the middle of the sixties and never stopped growing, except for fertilizers and plant protection products which remain relatively unchanged from the economic-financial crisis. In addition, coinciding with the marked livestock production described in previous chapter, livestock feed grew spectacularly and by 2008, it accounted for 38% of the energy value of all inputs used in the agricultural sector. This phenomenal growth of inputs generally explains Spanish agriculture’s loss of efficiency, as it will be described in Chap. 5. An enormous amount of energy originating from outside the Spanish agricultural sector need to be injected into agroecosystems to maintain the continuous growth of agricultural production, resulting in a very low efficiency; while domestic extraction grew by 38%, the use of external energy multiplied by a hundred.
Decreasing Income and Reproductive Problems of the Agricultural Population
Authors: González de Molina Manuel , Soto Fernández David , Guzmán Casado Gloria , Infante-Amate Juan , Aguilera Fernández Eduardo , Vila Traver Jaime , García Ruiz Roberto
Published: November 2019

The main social fund element (agricultural population) emits a work flow that is measurable in terms of energy. It also originates an integrated information flow that supports the structure and functioning of the agroecosystem. This flow is generated by households, whose “reproduction” is not only of a biological nature: it also relies on economic costs that have varied over time. To what extent Spanish agriculture was able to sustain its agricultural population during the twentieth century and what impact it had on other fund elements? The answer to these questions is the main argument of this chapter. The chapter examines the evolution of the agricultural population, changes of their living standards, household economy, and farms structure, all of them edges of the social fund. Farmers got insufficient income to sustain and reproduce their household and, as consequences, they were driven to search for higher incomes by specializing in crops with the most profitable market outlets or by intensifying production. This chapter revealed that: i) there was an unequal distribution of income among farmers, mainly due to farm size and the sustained decline in the price of agricultural products, and ii) the productive intensification and specialization became a common strategy for all farmers, regardless of their size. In this chapter, we conclude that the processes of industrialization and subsequent globalization have significantly decreased the weight of the agricultural population fund element at the expense of increasing the size of the technical means of production, resulting in a threatens not only the environmental health of agroecosystems but also the viability of agricultural activity as we know it today.
Equity fund flows and stock market returns in the USA before and after the global financial crisis: a VAR-GARCH-in-mean analysis
Authors: Babalos Vassilios , Caporale Guglielmo Maria , Spagnolo Nicola
Published: November 2019

The 2008–2009 global financial crisis has raised new questions about the relationship between equity fund flows and stock market returns. This paper provides new insights by using US monthly data over the period 2000:1–2015:8 and estimating a VAR-GARCH(1, 1)-in-mean model with a BEKK representation, which also includes a switch dummy for the global financial crisis. We find causality-in-mean from stock market returns to equity fund flows (consistently with the feedback-trading hypothesis) only in the post-September 2008 period. There are also volatility spillovers from stock market returns to equity fund flows both before and after the crisis; however, this relationship is not stable, becoming weaker in the crisis period. As a robustness check, we augment the model with a set of macroeconomic control variables. Their inclusion does not affect the main results.
A Besov algebra calculus for generators of operator semigroups and related norm-estimates
Authors: Batty Charles , Gomilko Alexander , Tomilov Yuri
Published: November 2019

We construct a new bounded functional calculus for the generators of bounded semigroups on Hilbert spaces and generators of bounded holomorphic semigroups on Banach spaces. The calculus is a natural (and strict) extension of the classical Hille–Phillips functional calculus, and it is compatible with the other well-known functional calculi. It satisfies the standard properties of functional calculi, provides a unified and direct approach to a number of norm-estimates in the literature, and allows improvements of some of them.
Does Repeated Measurement of a 6-Min Walk Test Contribute to Risk Prediction in Children with Dilated Cardiomyopathy?
Authors: van der Meulen Marijke H. , Boer Susanna den , du Marchie Sarvaas Gideon J. , Blom Nico A. , ten Harkel Arend D. J. , Breur Hans M. P. J. , Rammeloo Lukas A. J. , Tanke Ronald , Helbing Willem A. , Boersma Eric , Dalinghaus Michiel
Published: November 2019

A single 6-min walk test (6MWT) can be used to identify children with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with a high risk of death or heart transplantation. To determine if repeated 6MWT has added value in addition to a single 6MWT in predicting death or heart transplantation in children with DCM. Prospective multicenter cohort study including ambulatory DCM patients ≥ 6 years. A 6MWT was performed 1 to 4 times per year. The distance walked was expressed as percentage of predicted (6MWD%). We compared the temporal evolution of 6MWD% in patients with and without the study endpoint (SE: all-cause death or heart transplantation), using a linear mixed effects model. In 57 patients, we obtained a median of 4 (IQR 2–6) 6MWTs per patient during a median of 3.0 years of observation (IQR 1.5–5.1). Fourteen patients reached a SE (3 deaths, 11 heart transplantations). At any time during follow-up, the average estimate of 6MWD% was significantly lower in patients with a SE compared to patients without a SE. In both patients groups, 6MWD% remained constant over time. An absolute 1% lower 6MWD% was associated with an 11% higher risk (hazard) of the SE (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.86–0.95 p < 0.001). Children with DCM who died or underwent heart transplantation had systematically reduced 6MWD%. The performance of all patients was stable over time, so repeated measurement of 6MWT within this time frame had little added value over a single test.
“Reversed polarization” of Na/K-ATPase—a sign of inverted transport in the human endolymphatic sac: a super-resolution structured illumination microscopy (SR-SIM) study
Authors: Nordström Charlotta Kämpfe , Danckwardt-Lillieström Niklas , Liu Wei , Rask-Andersen Helge
Published: November 2019

The human endolymphatic sac (ES) is believed to regulate inner ear fluid homeostasis and to be associated with Meniere’s disease (MD). We analyzed the ion transport protein sodium/potassium-ATPase (Na/K-ATPase) and its isoforms in the human ES using super-resolution structured illumination microscopy (SR-SIM). Human vestibular aqueducts were collected during trans-labyrinthine vestibular schwannoma surgery after obtaining ethical permission. Antibodies against various isoforms of Na/K-ATPase and additional solute-transporting proteins, believed to be essential for ion and fluid transport, were used for immunohistochemistry. A population of epithelial cells of the human ES strongly expressed Na/K-ATPase α1, β1, and β3 subunit isoforms in either the lateral/basolateral or apical plasma membrane domains. The β1 isoform was expressed in the lateral/basolateral plasma membranes in mostly large cylindrical cells, while β3 and α1 both were expressed with “reversed polarity” in the apical cell membrane in lower epithelial cells. The heterogeneous expression of Na/K-ATPase subunits substantiates earlier notions that the ES is a dynamic structure where epithelial cells show inverted epithelial transport. Dual absorption and secretion processes may regulate and maintain inner ear fluid homeostasis. These findings may shed new light on the etiology of endolymphatic hydrops and MD.
Formalising the Hybrid ERTMS Level 3 specification in iUML-B and Event-B
Authors: Dghaym Dana , Dalvandi Mohammadsadegh , Poppleton Michael , Snook Colin
Published: November 2019

We demonstrate refinement-based formal development of the hybrid, ‘fixed virtual block’ approach to train movement control for the emerging European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) level 3. Our approach uses iUML-B diagrams as a front end to the Event-B modelling language. We use abstraction to verify the principle of movement authority before gradually developing the details of the Virtual Block Detector component in subsequent refinements, thus verifying that it preserves the safety properties. We animate the refined models to demonstrate their validity using the scenarios from the Hybrid ERTMS Level 3 (HLIII) specification. We reflect on our team-based approach to finding useful modelling abstractions and demonstrate a systematic modelling method based on the state and class diagrams of iUML-B. The component and control flow architectures of the application, its environment and interacting systems emerge through the layered refinement process. The runtime semantics of the specification’s state-machine behaviour are modelled in the final refinements. We discuss how the model could be used to generate an implementation using code generation tools and techniques.
Genome-wide association analysis in tetraploid potato reveals four QTLs for protein content
Authors: Klaassen Michiel T. , Willemsen Johan H. , Vos Peter G. , Visser Richard G. F. , van Eck Herman J. , Maliepaard Chris , Trindade Luisa M.
Published: November 2019

Valorisation of tuber protein is relevant for the potato starch industry to create added-value and reduce impact on the environment. Hence, protein content has emerged as a key quality trait for innovative potato breeders. In this study, we estimated trait heritability, explored the relationship between protein content and tuber under-water weight (UWW), inferred haplotypes underlying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and pinpointed candidate genes. We used a panel of varieties (N = 277) that was genotyped using the SolSTW 20 K Infinium single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker array. Protein content data were collected from multiple environments and years. Our genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified QTLs on chromosomes3,5,7and12.Alleles ofStCDF1(maturity) were associated with QTLs found on chromosome5.The QTLs on chromosomes7and12are presented here for the first time, whereas those on chromosomes3and5co-localized with loci reported in earlier studies. The candidate genes underlying the QTLs proposed here are relevant for functional studies. This study provides resources for genomics-enabled breeding for protein content in potato.
Chance as an existential reality: on one of the most fundamental categories in Alexander Herzen’s thought
Authors: Uglik Jacek
Published: November 2019

The article emphasises that the importance of Herzen’s philosophical input is related to his human-centered approach. There are three areas of investigation that are of particular importance in this context: responsibility, freedom and chance. I argue that according to Herzen, chance, by tearing apart the net of supposedly necessary causes and effects in the physico-social world, proves that the existence of man is best understood as a manifestation of man's free agency. Whereas the lack of freedom would mean that an individual is as determined as the objects that surround him, and consequently, that he cannot be held accountable for his deeds.
ASCO 2019: highlights in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Bartsch Rupert , Bergen Elisabeth
Published: November 2019

At the 2019 ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) Annual Meeting, several interesting trial results were presented in the field of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. The end-of-study analysis of the pivotal CLEOPATRA trial indicated an overall survival of 57.1 months in patients receiving pertuzumab in addition to trastuzumab and docetaxel in the first-line setting. SOPHIA was the first phase III trial comparing the Fc-engineered antibody margetuximab plus chemotherapy by physician’s choice with trastuzumab plus chemotherapy in heavily pretreated patients; the novel antibody yielded a statistically significant albeit short prolongation of progression-free survival (PFS) over standard treatment. The phase III NALA trial compared the second-generation tyrosine-kinase inhibitors neratinib with lapatinib; both drugs were combined with capecitabine. In this study a clinically meaningful prolongation of PFS by 2.2 months was observed. In addition, the time to intervention for brain metastases was prolonged in the neratinib group and the cumulative incidence of brain metastases was lower as well. On the downside a high rate of grade 2 and 3 diarrhoea was observed.
Digital platform ecosystems
Authors: Hein Andreas , Schreieck Maximilian , Riasanow Tobias , Setzke David Soto , Wiesche Manuel , Böhm Markus , Krcmar Helmut
Published: November 2019

Digital platforms are an omnipresent phenomenon that challenges incumbents by changing how we consume and provide digital products and services. Whereas traditional firms create value within the boundaries of a company or a supply chain, digital platforms utilize an ecosystem of autonomous agents to co-create value. Scholars from various disciplines, such as economics, technology management, and information systems have taken different perspectives on digital platform ecosystems. In this Fundamentals article, we first synthesize research on digital platforms and digital platform ecosystems to provide a definition that integrates both concepts. Second, we use this definition to explain how different digital platform ecosystems vary according to three core building blocks: (1) platform ownership, (2) value-creating mechanisms, and (3) complementor autonomy. We conclude by giving an outlook on four overarching research areas that connect the building blocks: (1) technical properties and value creation; (2) complementor interaction with the ecosystem; (3) value capture; and (4) the make-or-join decision in digital platform ecosystems.
Natural Radioactivity in Soil, Associated Radiation Exposure and Cancer Risk to Population of Eastern Haryana, India
Authors: Daulta Renu , Garg Vinod Kumar , Singh Balwinder
Published: November 2019

This study was undertaken to quantify the natural radioactivity in soil and associated radiation exposure to the inhabitants residing in Sonipat district, Haryana, India. A total of 120 soil samples were collected from 30 villages. These soil samples were quantified for naturally occurring radioactive materials activity using HPGe detector. Activity concentration of 40K, 232Th and 226Ra in the soil samples of study area ranged from 463.8 – 696.9 Bq kg-1, 31.4 – 37.9 Bq kg-1and 41.5 – 54.9 Bq kg-1, respectively. Radium equivalent (Raeq) values of all samples are lesser than maximum permissible limit (370 Bq kg”1) acceptable for safer use of soil as building material. Average value of Air absorbed dose (AAD) in the study area was comparable to the Indian average of 64 nGy h-1. Annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE) in the study area was 0.0831 μSv y–1 that is lower than the global average of 70.0 μSv y–1. Annual Gonadal equivalent dose in study area was within the safe limit (1 μSv y–1). Excess life time cancer risk due to natural radio-activity of soil to population of area is negligibly small. Values of Gamma index (Iã), outside hazard index (Hex) and inside hazard index (Hin) are less than unity, indicating that there is no considerable health risk caused by natural radioactivity in soil in the study area.
On the preconditions for large-scale collective action
Authors: Jagers Sverker C. , Harring Niklas , Löfgren Åsa , Sjöstedt Martin , Alpizar Francisco , Brülde Bengt , Langlet David , Nilsson Andreas , Almroth Bethanie Carney , Dupont Sam , Steffen Will
Published: November 2019

The phenomenon of collective action and the origin of collective action problems have been extensively and systematically studied in the social sciences. Yet, while we have substantial knowledge about the factors promoting collective action at the local level, we know far less about how these insights travel to large-scale collective action problems. Such problems, however, are at the heart of humanity’s most pressing challenges, including climate change, large-scale natural resource depletion, biodiversity loss, nuclear proliferation, antibiotic resistance due to overconsumption of antibiotics, and pollution. In this paper, we suggest an analytical framework that captures the theoretical understanding of preconditions for large-scale collective action. This analytical framework aims at supporting future empirical analyses of how to cope with and overcome larger-scale collective action problems. More specifically, we (i) define and describe the main characteristics of a large-scale collective action problem and (ii) explain why voluntary and, in particular,spontaneouslarge-scale collective action among individual actors becomes more improbable as the collective action problem becomes larger, thus demanding interventions by an external authority (a third party) for such action to be generated. Based on this, we (iii) outline an analytical framework that illustrates the connection between third-party interventions and large-scale collective action. We conclude by suggesting avenues for future research.
Ralstonia solanacearum, Ganoderma australe, and bacterial wetwood as predictors of ironwood tree (Casuarina equisetifolia) decline in Guam
Authors: Ayin C. M. , Alvarez A. M. , Awana C. , Schleinzer F. M. , Marx B. D. , Schlub R. L.
Published: November 2019

Ironwood (Casuarina equisetifoliasubsp.equisetifolia) trees on Guam have been in decline since 2002. This study applied proportional odds logistic multiple regression modeling to a set of biological variables in order to find significant decline predictors as a first step towards identifying pathogenic contributors. Based on the analysis of a set of 77 medium and large trees, the bacteriumRalstonia solanacearumand the fungusGanoderma australespecies complex were found to be significant predictors, withpvalues of <0.001 and < 0.008, respectively. Their respective values for symptomless trees were 18% and 0%, compared to 80% and 35% for those nearly dead trees of which 30% had both organisms and 15% had neither. More complex models were also fit, that included interactions. TheR. solanacearumbyG. australeinteraction was not a strong effect, indicating additive rather than multiplicative behavior of these effects on decline severity (pvalue>0.087). When nine covariates were applied univariately to a data subset of 30 tree cross-sections, the significance ofR. solanacearumwas strongly upheld while that ofG. australewas moderately reduced. Also significant were percent cross-sectional area with bacterial wetwood and the formation of ooze within 24 h. Wetwood bacteria ofKlebsiellaspp. andK. oxytocawere found across all levels of decline and were not significant predictors. Other enteric bacteria identified includedKosakonia,Enterobacter, Pantoea, Erwinia,andCitrobacter.
On the alternative approaches to stability analysis in decision support for damaged passenger ships
Authors: Ruponen Pekka , Pennanen Petri , Manderbacka Teemu
Published: November 2019

A decision support system with damage stability analysis has been recognized as an important tool for passenger ships. Various software applications have been developed and taken into use over the years, without a direct link to any compelling requirement, set forth in the international regulatory framework. After the Costa Concordia accident, new regulations have been established, setting minimum requirements for a decision support system, as an extension to a loading computer. Yet, more advanced systems have been developed recently, aiming at providing valuable additional information on the predicted development of the stability of the damaged ship. This paper presents these alternative decision support systems with damage stability analysis methods for flooding emergencies on passenger ships. The technical background, usability, and usefulness of the various approaches are compared and discussed, taking into account the important statutory approval point of view. In addition, practical examples, including past accidents, are presented and discussed.
The texture ordering in L10-FePt–Ag nanocomposites
Authors: Roghani R. , Sebt S. A. , Khajehnezhad A.
Published: November 2019

L10-FePt nanoparticles with different Ag percentages were prepared. The presence of 6% Ag in co-sputtering process with deposition rate of 1 $$ {\dot{A}}/\text{s} $$A˙/s at 500 °C led to the formation of FePt nanoparticles with 5–7 nm size in L10-fct phase. Moreover, Ag atoms laying in boundaries of these nanoparticles in these circumstances caused c axis to orient and (001) peak intensity in XRD spectrum to increase. This is the result of the indirect exchange interactions of Fe magnetic atoms through Ag atoms in these boundaries. Therefore, where L10-FePt grains have the most boundaries with each other, the order index would be maximum.
Intergenerational Ethical Issues and Communication Related to High-Level Nuclear Waste Repositories
Authors: Tondel Martin , Lindahl Lena
Published: November 2019

Purpose of Review

The nuclear power industry started in the 1950s and has now reached a phase of disposing high-level nuclear waste. Since the 1980s, the United Nations has developed a concept of sustainable development and governments have accordingly made ethical commitments to take responsibility towards future generations. The purpose of this review is to examine ethical dilemmas related to high-level nuclear waste disposal in a long-term perspective including potential access to the waste in the future. The time span considered here is 100,000 years based on current experts’ assessment of the radiological toxicity of the waste.

Recent Findings

In this review, we take into account findings on ethical issues related to the disposal of high-level nuclear waste put forward by the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC), the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), nuclear waste management companies (SKB in Sweden and Posiva Oy in Finland), and several researchers. Some historical examples are presented for potential guidance on methods of communication into the future.

According to the sustainable development ethical principle, adopted by the United Nations, we conclude that governments with nuclear energy have committed themselves to protect future generations from harm related to high-level nuclear waste. This commitment involves the necessity to convey information together with the nuclear waste. Our paper examines disposal options chosen by Sweden and Finland, as well as some contemporary and historical efforts to design messages towards the future. We conclude that the international community still needs to find methods to communicate in an intelligible way over long periods of time.
The production of on-line dialysis water for extracorporeal dialysis: proposals for an increased safety upgrade: a viewpoint
Authors: Bolasco Piergiorgio
Published: November 2019

Introduction

At the start of the 2000s, the progressive diffusion of high-flux extracorporeal dialysis and membranes saw an increased use of high infusion volumes injected into the patient’s blood circuit following the advent of on-line water production plants.

Methodology

Our 15-year experience with on-line extracorporeal methodologies using very high infusion volumes has led to the detection of errors and weaknesses, thus allowing us to correct and provide for the implementation of appropriate technology in dialysis water production plants with the aim of ensuring a higher chemical-physical, bacteriological and endotoxin quality. The initial procedures had already been outlined in the 2005 Italian Guidelines, although still today Health Technicians and Nephrologists operating in the field are unable to take on board specific integrations for on-line methods due to a lack of upgrading of documentation in both European and non-European Guidelines.

Results

After more than 17 years’ experience, and in view of the technological implementations developed since 2005, we wish to put forward a series of suggestions in an attempt to improve the safety of on-line water, with uses ranging from drinking water, pre-treatment, osmosis, distribution circuit, hemodialysis monitors up to the most recent update of microbiological cultures.

Discussion

Additional, more stringent measures are required to prevent the occurrence of acute accidents during dialysis sessions and to reduce chronic inflammation-oxidation deriving from the use of not totally ultra-pure/sterile dialysis fluids.

Conclusion

Our point of view based on our long-standing experience, the proposals made relate to procedures to be applied in technological maintenance, which the consultant nephrologist and other relevant personnel such as microbiologists, biologists, and technical operators should adhere to rigorously to ensure that the production of dialysis water on-line is viewed on a par with a pharmacological administration.