bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Women’s Agency in Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia: The Role of Parenthood and Education
Authors: Friedrich Carmen , Engelhardt Henriette , Schulz Florian
Published: November 2020

Women in Middle Eastern and North African countries continue to report low levels of agency, despite their increasing educational attainment and declining fertility rates. We address this paradox by considering how women’s agency is linked to parenthood in Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia and how this association is moderated by their level of education. We study three dimensions of instrumental agency: involvement in decision-making, financial autonomy, and freedom of movement using data for married women aged 18–49 from the Integrated Labor Market Panel Surveys: Egypt 2012 (n = 7622), Jordan 2016 (n = 4550), Tunisia 2014 (n = 1480). Results from multivariate regression models of these different dimensions demonstrate that married women who are mothers generally exhibit higher levels of agency than their counterparts who are childless, though this does not hold for every dimension and the strength of the association between parenthood and agency differs by dimension and country. We find a notable exception to this pattern of positive association in the Egyptian sample: parenthood decreases agency among Egyptian women with post-secondary education. Our results suggest that parenthood may only increase women’s agency in settings with deeply entrenched patriarchal norms that imply little education for women.
Intraspecific sexual competition in the clonal gynodioecious herb Glechoma hederacea in response to patchy nutrient distribution
Authors: Harris Nathan A. , Varga Sandra
Published: November 2020

Plants have developed numerous strategies to maximise resource uptake in response to the highly heterogeneous resource distribution in soils. Clonal growth enables plants to scavenge larger surfaces, potentially maximising nutrient acquisition by selectively growing in nutrient-rich patches. However, the production of clonal units put plants into higher intraspecific competition. In gynodioecious clonal plants, genders usually exhibit sexual dimorphism in several growth and life history traits, but whether the genders have different competitive abilities and whether these are affected by nutrient distribution is underexplored. Here, we investigated whether the genders of Glechoma hederacea have different competitive abilities and whether these are affected by soil nutrient distribution using a greenhouse pot experiment. Female and hermaphrodite ramets were grown either alone or in competition with the same or the opposite gender in two different soil nutrient distributions for four months. Our results show that competition was the strongest factor affecting biomass accumulation and allocation. Females and hermaphrodites showed little sexual dimorphism in total biomass accumulation, but they differed in how they allocated this biomass between roots and shoots and in their clonal growth strategies in response to soil nutrient distribution. Taken together, our results indicate that soil nutrient distribution affects the competitive abilities of G. hederacea in a gender-specific manner. In the field, these differences would determine the structure and the dynamics of the two genders within the populations.
Modeling Viscosity of High Titania Slag
Authors: Hu Kai , Tang Kai , Lv Xuewei , Safarian Jafar , Yan Zhiming , Song Bing
Published: November 2020

TiO2-FeO-Ti2O3 slag system is the dominant system for industrial high-titania slag production. In the present work, viscosities of TiO2-FeO and TiO2-FeO-Ti2O3 systems were experimentally determined using the concentric rotating cylinder method under argon atmosphere. A viscosity model suitable for the TiO2-FeO-Ti2O3 slag system was then established based on the modification of the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) equation. The experimental results indicate that completely melted high-titania slags exhibit very low viscosity of around 0.8 dPa s with negligible dependence on temperature and compositions. However, it increases dramatically with decreasing temperature slightly below the critical temperature. Besides, the increase in FeO content was found to remarkably lower the critical temperature, while the addition of Ti2O3 increases it. The developed model can predict the viscosities of the TiO2-FeO-Ti2O3 and TiO2-FeO systems over wide ranges of compositions and temperatures within experimental uncertainties. The average relative error for the present model calculation is < 18.82 pct, which is better than the previously developed models for silicate slags reported in the literature. An iso-viscosity distribution diagram was made for the TiO2-FeO-Ti2O3 slag system, which can serve as a roadmap for the Ilmenite smelting reduction process as well as the high titania slags tapping process.
Soziale Arbeit – eine Menschenrechtsprofession?
Authors: Aner Kirsten , Scherr Albert
Published: November 2020

Die Einleitung gibt einen Einblick in die Thematik dieses Themenschwerpunkts, der sich kritisch mit dem einflussreichen Verständnis von Sozialer Arbeit als Menschenrechtsprofession befasst. Er skizziert knapp die Entstehung dieses Ansatzes und die Thematik der Beiträge.
Laparoscopic segmental resection for tumours of the Angle of Treitz: a challenging but feasible surgical option. Results from a retrospective case-series analysis
Authors: Bracale Umberto , Pontecorvi Emanuele , Silvestri Vania , Cuccurullo Diego , D’Ambra Michele , Lionetti Ruggero , Coppola Andrea , Carannante Filippo , Pirozzi Felice , Peltrini Roberto , Sciuto Antonio , Corcione Francesco
Published: November 2020

Tumours of the small intestine are rare and account for about 5% of gastrointestinal tract neoplasms. The angle of Treitz (AT) could be defined as the intestinal loop comprised between the third duodenal portion and the first 10 cm of jejunum. A gold standard surgical treatment for AT neoplasm has not yet been well defined. This paper is focused on a very rare disease and at the best of our knowledge this is the largest case series in the literature about the Laparoscopic Segmental Resection (LSR) of AT tumours. Using a prospectively collected database, all data of consecutive patients, from January 2007 to May 2019, who underwent LSR for AT tumours at two different institutions were analysed. Patients’ demographics, intra and post-operative data, 30-day mortality and overall survival were collected. A total of 16 patients were retrieved from our database. The mean operative time was 206,5 ± 79 min. Conversion to open surgery was needed in two cases due to tumor size and, respectively, invasion of the transverse colon which required a multivisceral resection. The mean distal and proximal resection margins were 7.4 ± 2.2 and 3.9 ± 1.2 cm. The median number of harvested nodes was 9 ± 3. Pathological diagnosis was GIST in 11 cases, adenocarcinoma in 4 and sarcoma in 1 case. In conclusion, in experienced hands, LSR appears to be a safe and effective treatment option for tumours of the AT. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Extension of competition graphs under complex fuzzy environment
Authors: Akram Muhammad , Sattar Aqsa , Karaaslan Faruk , Samanta Sovan
Published: November 2020

A complex fuzzy set (CFS) is a remarkable generalization of the fuzzy set in which membership function is restricted to take the values from the unit circle in the complex plane. A CFS is an efficient model to deal with uncertainties of human judgement in more comprehensive and logical way due to the presence of phase term. In this research article, we introduce the concept of competition graphs under complex fuzzy environment. Further, we present complex fuzzy k-competition graphs and p-competition complex fuzzy graphs. Moreover, we consider m-step complex fuzzy competition graphs, complex fuzzy neighborhood graphs (CFNGs), complex fuzzy economic competition graphs (CFECGs) and m-step complex fuzzy economic competition graphs with interesting properties. In addition, we describe an application in ecosystem of our proposed model. We also provide comparison of proposed competition graphs with existing graphs.
Systemic intermediaries and the transition toward forest-based bioeconomy in the North
Authors: Klitkou Antje , Jolly Suyash , Suvinen Nina
Published: November 2020

The activities of cluster initiatives operating as systemic intermediaries and supporting networking activities have been discussed in prior studies. We integrate insights from the cluster theory and the literature on sustainability transitions to study the activities of clusters acting as systemic intermediaries in the different phases of the development of a forest-based bioeconomy, namely (1) predevelopment and exploration; (2) takeoff; (3) acceleration and (4) stabilisation. We study three regional cluster initiatives in three different Nordic regions: forest bioeconomy, Central Finland, Finland; Paper Province, Värmland, Sweden, and Arena Skog, Trøndelag, Norway. The paper highlights that the crises in the forest-based industries in Värmland and Trøndelag were the starting point for forest-based cluster development in these regions, while in Central Finland the development was a part of the general economic restructuring of the Finnish economy during the first phase. In the fourth phase, the discontinuity of developed collaboration structures created opportunities for project-oriented collaboration in the case of Central Finland while in the Värmland and the Trøndelag case, the cluster initiatives have broadened the focus of the cluster but also continued the core activities.
A randomized double-blind clinical trial evaluating the effect of Elastic Stocking on Hemodynamic Changes and dose use of ephedrine for elective Cesarean surgery under spinal anesthesia
Authors: Aryafar Mohamad , Bozorgmehr Rama , Gholami Farshid , Farazmehr Kourosh , Alizadeh Reza
Published: November 2020

ABSTRACT

Background:

To investigate the effect of using elastic socks on hemodynamic changes and ephedrine intake in elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia in Bu Ali Hospital.

Materials and methods:

Randomized double-blind clinical trial, Participants at (XX) Hospital including entry and exit conditions. Single pregnant women and gestational age over 37 weeks Candidate for elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia referred to (XX) Hospital in, Patients with consent to participate in the project, age 18 and over, gestational age over 37 Weeks–41 weeks, single, ASA class I & II are selected in a simple non-random way.

Results:

The intervention group covers the elastic socks that cover the waist to the middle of the thigh, and the pregnant women in the normal socks control group that covers the waist to the middle of the thigh. Main outcome measures: maternal blood pressure, mother's heart rate, umbilical vein gas analysis, ephedrine intake. In the event of a complication, the type of complication is also recorded.

Conclusions:

Due to small sample size, we were unable to report any significant changes following the use of elastic stocking during cesarean section.

Highlights:
GENERALIZING THE LOG-MOYAL DISTRIBUTION AND REGRESSION MODELS FOR HEAVY-TAILED LOSS DATA
Authors: Li Zhengxiao , Beirlant Jan , Meng Shengwang
Published: November 2020

Catastrophic loss data are known to be heavy-tailed. Practitioners then need models that are able to capture both tail and modal parts of claim data. To this purpose, a new parametric family of loss distributions is proposed as a gamma mixture of the generalized log-Moyal distribution from Bhati and Ravi (2018), termed the generalized log-Moyal gamma (GLMGA) distribution. While the GLMGA distribution is a special case of the GB2 distribution, we show that this simpler model is effective in regression modeling of large and modal loss data. Regression modeling and applications to risk measurement are illustrated using a detailed analysis of a Chinese earthquake loss data set, comparing with the results of competing models from the literature. To this end, we discuss the probabilistic characteristics of the GLMGA and statistical estimation of the parameters through maximum likelihood. Further illustrations of the applicability of the new class of distributions are provided with the fire claim data set reported in Cumminset al. (1990) and a Norwegian fire losses data set discussed recently in Bhati and Ravi (2018).
A MIXED BOND AND EQUITY FUND MODEL FOR THE VALUATION OF VARIABLE ANNUITIES
Authors: Augustyniak Maciej , Godin Frédéric , Hamel Emmanuel
Published: November 2020

Variable annuity (VA) policies are typically issued on mutual funds invested in both fixed income and equity asset classes. However, due to the lack of specialized models to represent the dynamics of fixed income fund returns, the literature has primarily focused on studying long-term investment guarantees on single-asset equity funds. This article develops a mixed bond and equity fund model in which the fund return is linked to movements of the yield curve. Theoretical motivation for our proposed specification is provided through an analogy with a portfolio of rolling horizon bonds. Moreover, basis risk between the portfolio return and its risk drivers is naturally incorporated into our framework. Numerical results show that the fit of our model to Canadian VA data is adequate. Finally, the valuation of VAs is illustrated and it is found that the prevailing interest rate environment can have a substantial impact on guarantee costs.
Number-theoretic positive entropy shifts with small centralizer and large normalizer
Authors: BAAKE M. , BUSTOS Á. , HUCK C. , LEMAŃCZYK M. , NICKEL A.
Published: November 2020

Higher-dimensional binary shifts of number-theoretic origin with positive topological entropy are considered. We are particularly interested in analysing their symmetries and extended symmetries. They form groups, known as the topological centralizer and normalizer of the shift dynamical system, which are natural topological invariants. Here, our focus is on shift spaces with trivial centralizers, but large normalizers. In particular, we discuss several systems where the normalizer is an infinite extension of the centralizer, including the visible lattice points and thek-free integers in some real quadratic number fields.
The set of points with Markovian symbolic dynamics for non-uniformly hyperbolic diffeomorphisms
Authors: BEN OVADIA SNIR
Published: November 2020

The papers [O. M. Sarig. Symbolic dynamics for surface diffeomorphisms with positive entropy. J. Amer. Math. Soc.26(2) (2013), 341–426] and [S. Ben Ovadia. Symbolic dynamics for non-uniformly hyperbolic diffeomorphisms of compact smooth manifolds. J. Mod. Dyn.13 (2018), 43–113] constructed symbolic dynamics for the restriction of

$C^r$
diffeomorphisms to a set

$M'$
with full measure for all sufficiently hyperbolic ergodic invariant probability measures, but the set

$M'$
was not identified there. We improve the construction in a way that enables

$M'$
to be identified explicitly. One application is the coding of infinite conservative measures on the homoclinic classes of Rodriguez-Hertz et al. [Uniqueness of SRB measures for transitive diffeomorphisms on surfaces. Comm. Math. Phys.306(1) (2011), 35–49].
Clinicopathological investigation of the background of cognitive decline in elderly schizophrenia
Authors: Miwa Ayako , Hirano Mitsuaki , Torii Youta , Sekiguchi Hirotaka , Habuchi Chikako , Fujishiro Hiroshige , Yoshida Mari , Iwai Kiyoshi , Kawashima Kunihiro , Iritani Shuji
Published: November 2020

Objective:

We have often observed dementia symptoms or severe neurocognitive decline in the long-term course of schizophrenia. While there are epidemiological reports that patients with schizophrenia are at an increased risk of developing dementia, there are also neuropathological reports that the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in schizophrenia is similar to that in normal controls. It is difficult to distinguish, based solely on the clinical symptoms, whether the remarkable dementia symptoms and cognitive decline seen in elderly schizophrenia are due to the course of the disease itself or a concomitant neurocognitive disease. Neuropathological observation is needed for discrimination.

Methods:

We conducted a neuropathological search on three cases of schizophrenia that developed cognitive decline or dementia symptoms after a long illness course of schizophrenia. The clinical symptoms of total disease course were confirmed retrospectively in the medical record. We have evaluated neuropathological diagnosis based on not only Hematoxylin–Eosin and Klüver–Barrera staining specimens but also immunohistochemical stained specimens including tau, β-amyloid, pTDP-43 and α-synuclein protein throughout clinicopathological conference with multiple neuropathologists and psychiatrists.

Results:

The three cases showed no significant pathological findings or preclinical degenerative findings, and poor findings consistent with symptoms of dementia were noted.

Conclusion:

Although the biological background of dementia symptoms in elderly schizophrenic patients is still unclear, regarding the brain capacity/cognitive reserve ability, preclinical neurodegeneration changes in combination with certain brain vulnerabilities due to schizophrenia itself are thought to induce dementia syndrome and severe cognitive decline.
Analysis of the juvenile shell ofLingula anatina(Brachiopoda: Linguliformea) provides insight into the evolution of life cycles of fossil brachiopods
Authors: Madison Anna A. , Kuzmina Tatyana V. , Temereva Elena N.
Published: November 2020

Inferences on the development and morphology of extinct brachiopods must be informed by the ontogeny and shell ornamentation of extant brachiopods. Although the adult shells of extant brachiopods are well studied, detailed descriptions of the embryonic and juvenile shells of extant lingulides are lacking. Here, we describe in detail the shells of juveniles ofLingula anatinaLamarck, 1801 from Vietnam and the Republic of the Philippines. The following previously unknown properties of the lingulide shell are described: (1) a distinct border between the protegulum and the brephic shell; (2) drapes that develop on both the protegulum and brephic shell; and (3) the notched anterior margin of the brephic shell. The drapes and cogs on the brephic shell may be caused by the formation of setal follicles during the planktonic stage. Specimens ofL. anatinafrom the Philippines have larger brephic shells than those from Vietnam, probably because the former have a longer planktonic stage. Based on comparisons of the first-formed shells of extant brachiopods with published data on fossil brachiopods, we suggest that the life cycle of extant lingulides, in which planktotrophic juveniles with a shell hatch from the egg envelope, is the most evolutionarily advanced brachiopod life cycle and appeared in the early Silurian. We suggest criteria for determining the type of life cycle based on the structure of the first-formed shell of brachiopods. Finally, we consider hypothetical scenarios of life cycles of fossil brachiopods, including true planktotrophic larvae in the Cambrian linguliforms.
Reducing ultra-processed foods and increasing diet quality in affordable and culturally acceptable diets: a study case from Brazil using linear programming
Authors: Verly-Jr Eliseu , Pereira Alessandra da Silva , Marques Emanuele Souza , Horta Paula Martins , Canella Daniela Silva , Cunha Diana Barbosa
Published: November 2020

The aim was to design culturally acceptable and healthy diets with reduced energetic share of ultra-processed foods (UPF%) at no cost increment and to evaluate the impact of the change in the UPF% on diet quality. Food consumption and price data were obtained from the Household Budget Survey (n55 970 households) and National Dietary Survey (n32 749 individuals). Linear programming models were performed to design diets in which the mean population UPF% was reduced up to 5 % with no cost increment relative to the observed costs. The models were isoenergetic or allowed the energy content to vary according to the UPF%, and they were not constrained to nutritional goals (nutrient-free models) or maximised the compliance with dietary recommendations (nutrient-constrained models). Constraints regarding food preference were introduced in the models to obtain culturally acceptable diets. The mean population UPF% was 23·8 %. The lowest UPF% attained was approximately 10 %. The optimised diet cost was up to 20 % cheaper than the observed cost, depending on the model and the income level. In the optimised diets, the reduction in the UPF% was followed by an increase in fruits, vegetables, beans, tubers, dairy products, nuts, fibre, K, Mg, vitamin A and vitamin C in the nutrient-constrained models, compared with the observed consumption in the population. There was little variation in most nutrients across the UPF% reduction. The UPF% reduction in the nutrient-free models impacted onlytrans-fat and added sugar content. UPF% reduction and increase in diet quality are possible at no cost increment.
Adherence to healthy and sustainable diets is not differentiated by cost, but rather source of foods among young adults in Albania
Authors: Llanaj Erand , Hanley-Cook Giles T.
Published: November 2020

High cost of nutritious foods and eating out of home (OH) might be barriers to healthy and sustainable diets. We examined adherence to Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), EAT–Lancet reference diet (EAT) and Mediterranean diet score (MDS) and the associations with dietary cost and eating OH. We evaluated cross-sectional data from single multiple-pass 24-h diet recalls from 289 young adults (18–24 years) in Tirana, Albania. Dietary cost (in Albanian Lek (ALL)) was estimated by matching food consumption data with retail prices from local fast-food chains, supermarkets, restaurants and food vendors. Poisson regression was fitted to models that included DASH, EAT and MDS as dependent variables to assess associations between healthy sustainable diet indicators and dietary cost and eating OH. Adjusted models were controlled for BMI, sex and total energy intake (kJ) using the residual method. Our findings indicate relatively poor adherence to healthy and sustainable dietary patterns among young men and women in Albania. Furthermore, better adherence to DASH, EAT or MDS was not associated with dietary cost (per 100 ALL; range incidence rate ratios (IRR): 0·97–1·00; all (un-)adjusted P > 0·05). Nonetheless, eating OH was related to lower adherence to DASH (IRR: 0·79; P = 0·003) and MDS (IRR: 0·69; P < 0·001). In conclusion, adherence to health and sustainable dietary patterns was poor and not differentiated by cost, but rather source of foods (i.e. OH or at home). Further research on the potential public and environmental health effects of these findings is warranted in Albania.
Weight gain and body composition during pregnancy: a randomised pilot trial with probiotics and/or fish oil
Authors: Pellonperä Outi , Vahlberg Tero , Mokkala Kati , Houttu Noora , Koivuniemi Ella , Tertti Kristiina , Rönnemaa Tapani , Laitinen Kirsi
Published: November 2020

We evaluated the effects of fish oil and/or probiotic supplementation in a randomised placebo-controlled intervention pilot trial on gestational weight gain (GWG) and body composition. Additionally, the influence of gestational diabetes (GDM) on GWG and body composition was assessed. We randomised 439 overweight women into intervention groups: fish oil + placebo, probiotics + placebo, fish oil + probiotics and placebo + placebo (fish oil: 1·9 g DHA and 0·22 g EPA and probiotics: Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 420, 1010 colony-forming units each). GDM was diagnosed with oral glucose tolerance test. Body composition was measured with air displacement plethysmography at randomisation (mean 13·9) and in late pregnancy (mean 35·2 gestational weeks). Intervention did not influence mean GWG or change in body fat mass/percentage (P > 0·17). Body composition in early pregnancy did not differ between the women who did or did not develop GDM (adjusted P > 0·23). Compared with the normoglycaemic women (n 278), women diagnosed with GDM (n 119) gained less weight (7·7 (sd 0·4) v. 9·3 (sd 0·4) kg, adjusted mean difference −1·66 (95 % CI −2·52, −0·80) and fat mass (0·4 (sd 0·4) v. 1·8 (sd 0·3) kg, adjusted mean difference −1·43 (95 % CI −2·19, −0·67) during the follow-up. In conclusion, adiposity of pregnant overweight women was not affected by supplementation with fish oil and/or probiotics, nor did it predict the development of GDM. However, adiposity was reduced in women with GDM compared with normoglycaemic women irrespective of the dietary intervention.
Body composition, not dietary fatty acid composition, explains metabolic responses following a high-fat meal in premenopausal normal-weight women: a single-blind, randomised, crossover study
Authors: Graybeal Austin J , Willis Jada L.
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of three different fatty acid (FA)-rich meals enriched in either SFA, MUFA or PUFA on postprandial metabolic responses in premenopausal, normal-weight women. For this randomised, single-blind, crossover study, three high-fat (HF) meals rich in either SFA, MUFA or PUFA (65 % energy from fat; 35 % of participants’ total daily energy needs) were tested. For each visit, anthropometrics and RMR were measured following a 12–15 h fast. Then, participants consumed one of the HF meals, and respiratory gases were collected using indirect calorimetry for 3 h postprandially. Energy expenditure (EE) following a SFA-rich meal was significantly higher than a MUFA-rich meal (P= 0·04;η2= 0·19), but SFA was not significantly different from PUFA. There was a trend towards significance in EE between PUFA and MUFA (P= 0·06). After adjusting for fat-free mass (FFM), there were no longer condition or time effects for EE, although FFM remained a significant predictor (P= 0·005;η2= 0·45). There were no significant differences between conditions for dietary-induced thermogenesis or substrate oxidation. The relationship between fat mass (FM) and both total fat oxidation (r0·62;P= 0·025) and total change in RER following a MUFA-rich meal was observed (r−0·55;P= 0·05). In conclusion, weight loss through increases in EE may be best achieved by increasing FFM rather than selection of FA type. Further, a relationship exists between FM and fat oxidation following a MUFA-rich meal, most likely due to an unidentified mechanism.
Videoconferencing for multidisciplinary team meetings in the coronavirus disease era – human factors awareness and recognition
Authors: Kerawala C , Riva F , Paleri V
Published: November 2020

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has led to the birth of videoconference multidisciplinary teams, which are now commonplace. This remote way of deciding care demands a new set of rules to ensure the quality of the complex decisions that are made for the patient group needing multidisciplinary care. Videoconference multidisciplinary teams bring with them novel forms of distraction that are under-appreciated and can impair decision-making.

Method

A practical checklist was generated as applied to videoconference multidisciplinary teams using the principles of human factors awareness and recognition.

Results

Some of the strategies that should be adopted to minimise errors arising from human factors are: information technology support, a suitable environment to dial in, a global checklist employed prior to the videoconference, visible participants, avoiding distractions from other sources (e.g. e-mail, mobile phone), a videoconference sign-out and rapid dissemination of the outcomes sheet.

Conclusion

This article presents a framework that uses human factors principles applied in this setting, which will contribute to enhanced patient safety, team working and a reduction in medical errors.
Blunted reward prediction error signals in internet gaming disorder
Authors: Lei Wei , Liu Kezhi , Chen Guangxiang , Tolomeo Serenella , Liu Cuizhen , Peng Zhenlei , Liu Boya , Liang Xuemei , Huang Chaohua , Xiang Bo , Zhou Jia , Zhao Fulin , Yu Rongjun , Chen Jing
Published: November 2020

Background

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a type of behavioural addictions. One of the key features of addiction is the excessive exposure to addictive objectives (e.g. drugs) reduces the sensitivity of the brain reward system to daily rewards (e.g. money). This is thought to be mediated via the signals expressed as dopaminergic reward prediction error (RPE). Emerging evidence highlights blunted RPE signals in drug addictions. However, no study has examined whether IGD also involves alterations in RPE signals that are observed in other types of addictions.

Methods

To fill this gap, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 45 IGD and 42 healthy controls (HCs) during a reward-related prediction-error task and utilised a psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis to characterise the underlying neural correlates of RPE and related functional connectivity.

Results

Relative to HCs, IGD individuals showed impaired reinforcement learning, blunted RPE signals in multiple regions of the brain reward system, including the right caudate, left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Moreover, the PPI analysis revealed a pattern of hyperconnectivity between the right caudate, right putamen, bilateral DLPFC, and right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in the IGD group. Finally, linear regression suggested that the connection between the right DLPFC and right dACC could significantly predict the variation of RPE signals in the left OFC.

Conclusions

These results highlight disrupted RPE signalling and hyperconnectivity between regions of the brain reward system in IGD. Reinforcement learning deficits may be crucial underlying characteristics of IGD pathophysiology.
Development of the voiceless sibilant fricative contrast in three-year-olds: an ultrasound and acoustic study
Authors: ZHARKOVA Natalia
Published: November 2020

The study analysed spectral and tongue shape dynamics of voiceless alveolar and postalveolar fricatives produced by ten children learning Scottish English. Synchronised ultrasound tongue imaging data and acoustic data were used to characterise children's productions of the phonemic contrast. Six children had consistently accurate productions of both fricative targets, with some cross-consonant phonetic differences in the direction previously demonstrated for older children and adults, as well as some immature acoustic and articulatory dynamic patterns. Instrumental analyses made it possible to describe tongue shape for phonemic errors and phonetically distorted realisations. There was some evidence of articulatory contrast in production preceding contrast in perception. The observed patterns can be explained by the complex articulatory demands on the fricative production, in combination with the developing control of articulators. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the results for phonological theory and for speech therapy practice.
The Matter of Metaphor: Remembering Phillip
Authors: WELTON MARTIN
Published: November 2020

As an undergraduate student in Birmingham in the early 1990s, I spent a lot of time in the stacks in the library where I had discovered, through back issues of TDR for the most part, something called ‘performance studies’. It didn't really figure on our curriculum, but having become duly exposed to Richard Foreman scripts, photographs of Annie Sprinkle shows and various essays on ritual, I wished like hell that it did. It was this that led me to a book, By Means of Performance, edited by Richard Schechner and Willa Appel. One chapter in particular floored me completely. Entitled ‘What Does It Mean to “Become the Character”: Power, Presence and Transcendence in Asian In-Body Disciplines of Practice’, it combined a deep knowledge of the practices it discussed that could only have come from doing them in depth, with a level of philosophical and ethnographic detail that made tangible, material sense of the apparently esoteric premise of its title. The chapter was Phillip's, and his great gift as both teacher and scholar was always that ability to place the relationship between ‘the doer and the thing done’ at the heart of things. This is, of course, a key tenet of the American pragmatist tradition (the phrase is John Dewey's, I believe, although I often heard Phillip make use of it) and I don't think he would object to me aligning him with it.
Scarlet fever outbreak in a primary and middle school in Germany: importance of case ascertainment and risk communication
Authors: Saad N. J. , Muller N. , Walter J. , Murajda L.
Published: November 2020

A cluster of 18 scarlet fever cases and large illness absenteeism (32%, 58/184) in a school prompted concern and further investigation. We conducted telephone interviews with parents to ascertain cases and better comprehend parents' views. We identified 19 cases, of which 13 reported scarlet fever diagnosis by a physician and only seven fulfilled the probable case definition. We concluded that the outbreak was far smaller than suspected and found that communication and reporting could be improved. Accurate information and communication is essential in an outbreak; the school's concern could have been alleviated sooner and response measures better targeted.
Guiding local-scale management to improve the conservation of endangered populations: the example of Bonelli’s EagleAquila fasciata
Authors: ROLLAN ÀLEX , HERNÁNDEZ-MATÍAS ANTONIO , BOSCH RAFEL , TINTÓ ALBERT , PUIG-GIRONÈS ROGER , CASTELL CARLES , REAL JOAN
Published: November 2020

Understanding the environmental drivers of demographic processes is a prerequisite for providing the evidence-based conservation guidance and management actions required to address management goals at population level. Human activities, to which most species are not adapted, are having an ever-increasing impact on the environment. Most policies and strategies focus on broad-scale conservation actions and disregard the fact that this type of action may not be adequate at local scale. In addition, even though the main conservation targets are well known, managers and practitioners lack an explicit framework in which to identify the varying requirements of site-specific conservation actions. Our aim was to provide an accurate tool for prioritizing specific local-scale conservation actions for endangered territorial birds. In this study we describe our proposed framework using a population of the endangered Bonelli’s EagleAquila fasciataas a case study. We identified the most relevant environmental drivers linked to demographic parameters (occupation, productivity and survival) at local scale shaping the dynamics of the Bonelli’s Eagle population in Catalonia (Spain). This information will be useful for designing specific local-scale conservation actions in eagles’ territories with low demographic parameter values. This is a good example of how applied research and achievable conservation practices are applicable to other Bonelli’s eagle populations and to those of other endangered raptors.
The added value of the advanced practice provider in paediatric acute care cardiology
Authors: Willis Amanda J. , Hoerst Amanda , Hart Stephen A. , Holbein Diana , Lowery Kristyn , Harahsheh Ashraf S. , Kipps Alaina K. , Madsen Nicolas , Patel Sonali S. , Tanel Ronn E.
Published: November 2020

Objectives:

Advanced practice providers (APPs) are being employed at increasing rates in order to meet new in-hospital care demands. Utilising the Paediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative (PAC3) hospital survey, we evaluated variations in staffing models regarding first-line providers and assessed associations with programme volume, acuity of care, and post-operative length of stay (LOS).

Study design:

The PAC3 hospital survey defined staffing models and resource availability across member institutions. A resource acuity score was derived for each participating acute care cardiology unit. Surgical volume was obtained from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the relationship between staffing models and centre volume as well as unit acuity. A previously developed case-mix adjustment model for total post-operative LOS was utilised in a multinomial regression model to evaluate the association of APP patient coverage with observed-to-expected post-operative LOS.

Results:

Surveys were completed by 31 (91%) PAC3 centres in 2017. Nearly all centres (94%) employ APPs, with a mean of 1.7 (range 0–5) APPs present on weekday rounds. The number of APPs present has a positive correlation with surgical volume (r = 0.49, p < 0.01) and increased acuity (r = 0.39, p = 0.03). In the multivariate model, as coverage by APPs increased from low to moderate or high, there was greater likelihood of having a shorter-than-expected post-operative LOS (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The incorporation of paediatric acute care cardiology APPs is associated with reduced post-operative LOS. Future studies are necessary to understand how APPs impact these patient-specific outcomes.
A novel design of ultra-wide stop-band single-layer frequency selective surface using square-loop and cross
Authors: Birwal Amit , Singh Sanjeev , Kanaujia Binod Kumar
Published: November 2020

In this paper, a novel design of ultra-wide stop-band single-side single-layer frequency selective surface (FSS) is presented. The unit cell of the proposed FSS is designed using the combination of conventional square loop and cross (CSLC). To enhance the bandwidth of this structure, an additional cross is inserted in all the four quadrants of CSLC. The stop-band transmission bandwidth assuming −10 dB threshold is found to be 128.94% (2.16–10 GHz) which is 34.33% more as compared to the bandwidth of CSLC. The unit cell with a dimension of 16 × 16 mm2 is printed on one side of an FR4 substrate. The design is fabricated and the measured results are found to be in good agreement with the simulated results. The design provides excellent stability for both transverse magnetic and transverse electric polarizations. The design is very flexible, where any resonant frequency can be achieved by changing the length of unit cell. The design is useful in many applications such as antenna gain enhancement, electromagnetic wave shielding for Wi-Fi/5G systems, and other Internet of Things-based applications.
Evaluation of terbacil-based herbicide treatments for hair fescue (Festuca filiformis) management in lowbush blueberry
Authors: White Scott N. , Zhang Linshan
Published: November 2020

Hair fescue is a common tuft-forming perennial grass weed that reduces yields and hinders mechanical harvest in lowbush blueberry fields. PRE terbacil applications traditionally controlled hair fescue but currently only provide suppression in most fields. Terbacil use has not, however, been evaluated in conjunction with other currently registered herbicides in lowbush blueberry. The objective of this research was to evaluate a range of terbacil-based herbicide treatments for hair fescue management in lowbush blueberry. The experiment was conducted at three lowbush blueberry fields in Nova Scotia, Canada. Spring nonbearing-year terbacil applications (2,000 g ai ha–1) exhibited variable efficacy on hair fescue with reduced total tuft density at one site and reduced flowering-tuft density and flowering-tuft inflorescence number at two sites. Suppression was limited to the year of application only. Terbacil followed by (fb) foramsulfuron (35 g ai ha–1) did not improve suppression. A terbacil tank mixture with glufosinate (750 ai ha–1), however, reduced flowering-tuft density and flowering-tuft inflorescence number at each site and reduced total tuft density at one site, suggesting improved suppression with terbacil + glufosinate relative to terbacil alone. Terbacil + glufosinate fb foramsulfuron gave additional reductions in total tuft density at two sites and reduced bearing-year flowering-tuft density at two sites, indicating that hair fescue suppression with this herbicide combination extends into the bearing year. Although less effective than the industry standard pronamide applications, terbacil + glufosinate or terbacil + glufosinate fb foramsulfuron could be used as part of a weed management program for hair fescue in lowbush blueberry.
The Major Role of Air‐Sea Heat Fluxes in Driving Interannual Variations of Gulf Stream Transport
Authors: Jacobs Z. L. , Grist J. P. , Marsh R. , Sinha B. , Josey S. A.
Published: November 2020

The Gulf Stream (GS) is central to the global redistribution of heat due to the transport of large volumes of warm water from the tropics to high latitudes and the extreme ocean heat loss to the atmosphere. This study assesses the extent to which winter surface heat fluxes and wind stress curl can drive interannual variations of the full‐depth GS transport. Intensification of the GS has been observed (e.g., April 1977) immediately after a winter of frequent cold air outbreaks that led to a deepening of the mixed layer and subsequent steepening of meridional temperature gradients to the south of the GS. This forcing process is further investigated here using the ORCA12 hindcast (1978–2010) from the global, eddy‐resolving, ocean‐only Nucleus for European Modeling of the Ocean model in order to understand GS forcing mechanisms. Lagrangian analysis is also undertaken to examine the impact on the southern recirculation gyre. Results show that surface heat fluxes and wind stress curl can act in concert to effect year‐to‐year changes of up to 38% of the spring GS transport at 70°W. However, anomalous heat losses (∼200 Wm‐2) over the western Subtropical Gyre are found to be the dominant cause of peaks in GS transport via two mechanisms: (1) a strengthening of cross‐stream density gradients on the northern flank of the GS from an intense cooling (up to 4°C) in the Slope Water and (2) a westward intensification of the southern recirculation, which can also limit the formation of deeper mixed layers to the south of the GS near 70°W.
An Adjoint‐Free Alternating Direction Method for Four‐Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation With Multiple Parameter Tikhonov Regularization
Authors: Tian Xiangjun , Han Rui , Zhang Hongqin
Published: November 2020

Tikhonov regularization is critical for accurately specifying both the background (B) and observational (R) error covariances in four‐dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVar). The ratio of the background and observation error variances (referred to as the B‐R ratio) is the key to ensuring that 4DVar maximizes the information extracted from the observations. However, it is difficult to specify the regularization parameters in a high‐dimensional variational data assimilation (VDA) system for both the single‐ and multiple‐parameter regularization schemes. In this study, we used a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE)‐based inflation scheme that originated from the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) community and proposed an alternating direction method (ADM) to minimize the 4DVar cost function with the iterative application of multiple regularization parameters to simultaneously optimize the regularization parameters and model states under the framework of the nonlinear least‐squares 4‐D ensemble variational data assimilation method (NLS‐4DVar). The big‐data‐driven version of NLS‐4DVar (BD‐NLS4DVar) with multiple‐parameter Tikhonov regularization was able to adjust the B‐R ratios more accurately. Several groups of observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) based on 2‐D shallow‐water equations demonstrated that BD‐NLS4DVar with multiple‐parameter Tikhonov regularization produced a substantial performance improvement over the standard BD‐NLS4DVar method with no regularization.
Do Surface Temperature Indices Reflect Centennial‐Timescale Trends in Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation Strength?
Authors: Little Christopher M. , Zhao Mengnan , Buckley Martha W.
Published: November 2020

The difference between North Atlantic subpolar gyre sea surface temperatures (SPG SSTs) and hemispheric‐ or global‐scale surface temperatures has been utilized as an index of centennial‐timescale changes in Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) strength. Here, using Community Earth System Model ensembles, we show that surface temperature‐based indices (STIs) proposed to date largely reflect global‐scale temperature trends and thus do not reflect dynamical relationships with AMOC. More broadly, we find that relationships between STIs, SPG SSTs, and AMOC strength differ greatly in significance and magnitude over different time periods because they are dependent upon the nature of external forcing. In the twentieth century, characterized by offsetting greenhouse gas and aerosol forcing, the relationship between SSTs and AMOC strength varies widely and changes sign across a 20‐member ensemble. We conclude that STIs and SPG SSTs are poor predictors of centennial‐timescale AMOC strength variations.
A New b Value Estimation Method in Rock Acoustic Emission Testing
Authors: Liu Xiling , Han Mengsi , He Wei , Li Xibing , Chen Daolong
Published: November 2020

The Gutenberg‐Richter (G‐R) relationship has been regarded as the fundamental description of the size distribution from large‐scale‐earthquake to small‐scale‐laboratory rock ruptures. However, because deviation from the G‐R relationship has often been reported, especially when the amplitude distribution is used for b value estimation in rock acoustic emission testing, the effect of attenuation should be considered. Here, we perform a detailed analysis on the deviation of the size distribution from a G‐R law and discuss modification of the attenuation on the doubly truncated size distribution from a more general perspective. We find that the attenuation will not modify the size distribution, and the b value is theoretically verified to be unchanged within an interval specified by the minimum and maximum amount of attenuation. Based on these discussions, we propose a new b value estimation procedure for rock acoustic emission testing and apply it to a dilation rupturing test; the results confirm that b value depends on material heterogeneity and stress.
The Evolution of Mantle Plumes in East Africa
Authors: Chang Sung‐Joon , Kendall Elodie , Davaille Anne , Ferreira Ana M. G.
Published: November 2020

Global tomography models show a large low‐velocity anomaly extending from the core‐mantle boundary (CMB) beneath South Africa to the upper mantle in East Africa. Although it is believed that this anomaly is linked to mantle upwellings that control key surface features of the African continent, its origin and evolution are still debated. Here we assemble geochemical and seismological constraints along with information from new seismic analyses and geodynamic laboratory experiments to propose that presently there are at least two different plume heads beneath Afar and Kenya that originated at the CMB. A third plume between Kenya and Afar may have caused the Ethiopia‐Yemen traps 30 Ma, now merging with the Afar plume. We infer that the Afar plume is presently detached from the CMB probably because of an interaction with the subducted Tethyan slab and that it is likely a dying plume. This may imply that rifts along the Main Ethiopian Rift would fail by the loss of thermal sources, which consequently hampers continental breakup.