bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization in infancy and childhood asthma
Authors: Coutts Jonathan , Fullarton John , Morris Carole , Grubb ElizaBeth , Buchan Scot , Rodgers‐Gray Barry , Thwaites Richard
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Respiratory syncytial virus infection in early childhood has been linked to longer‐term respiratory morbidity; however, debate persists around its impact on asthma. The objective was to assess the association between respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization and childhood asthma.

Methods

Asthma hospital admissions and medication use through 18 years were compared in children with (cases) and without (controls) respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization in the first 2 years of life. All children born in National Health Service Scotland between 1996 and 2011 were included.

Results

Of 740 418 children (median follow‐up: 10.6 years), 15 795 (2.1%) had a respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization at ≤2 years (median age: 143 days). Asthma hospitalizations were three‐fold higher in cases than controls (8.4% vs 2.4%; relative risk: 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.1‐3.5; P < .0001) and admission rates were four‐fold higher (193.2 vs 46.0/1000). Cases had two‐fold higher asthma medication usage (25.5% vs 14.7%; relative risk: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.7‐1.8; P < .0001) and a three‐fold higher rate of having both an asthma admission and medication (4.8% vs 1.5%; relative risk 3.1, 95% CI: 2.9‐3.3; P < .0001). Admission rates and medication use remained significantly (P < .001) higher for cases than controls throughout childhood (admissions: ≥2‐fold higher; medication: ≥1.5‐fold higher). Respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization was the most significant risk factor for asthma hospitalizations±medication use (odds ratio: 1.9‐2.8; P < .001).

Conclusions

Respiratory syncytial virus hospitalization was associated with significantly increased rates and severity of asthma throughout childhood, which has important implications for preventive strategies.
Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia and follicular bronchiolitis in children: A registry‐based case series
Authors: Prenzel Freerk , Harfst Jacqueline , Schwerk Nicolaus , Ahrens Frank , Rietschel Ernst , Schmitt‐Grohé Sabina , Rubak Sune M. L. , Poplawska Krystyna , Baden Winfried , Vogel Mandy , Hollizeck Sebastian , Ley‐Zaporozhan Julia , Brasch Frank , Reu Simone , Griese Matthias ,   LIP/FB—Kids‐Lung‐Registry Study Group
Published: February 2020

Objectives

Pediatric lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) and follicular bronchiolitis (FB) are poorly characterized lymphoproliferative disorders. We present and quantify demographics, radiological and histopathologic patterns, treatments and their responses, and outcomes in non‐HIV‐infected children with LIP and FB.

Methods

This structured registry‐based study included a retrospective chart review, blinded analysis of imaging studies and lung biopsies, genetic testing, and evaluation of treatments and outcomes.

Results

Of the 13 patients (eight females) studied, eight had FB, four had combined LIP/FB, and one had isolated LIP; diagnoses were highly concordant between the pathologists. Most patients became symptomatic during the first 2 years of life, with a mean lag time to diagnosis of 4 years. The most common symptoms were coughing and respiratory infections (11 out of 13 each), dyspnea (10 out of 13), and wheezing (eight out of 13). Autoantibodies were found in eight out of 13 patients. In three patients, disease‐causing mutations in the COPA gene were identified. CT revealed hilar lymphadenopathy (five out of 12), ground‐glass opacity (eight out of 12), consolidation (five out of 12), and cysts (four out of 13). Systemic steroids as intravenous pulses (11 out of 13) or oral intake (10 out of 13) were the main treatments and showed high response rates of 100% and 90%, respectively. Within the mean observation period of 68 months, all children had chronic courses, eight out of 13 had severe diseases, two died, and one worsened.

Conclusions

Children with LIP/FB have chronic diseases that occurred in early childhood and were commonly associated with immune dysregulation as well as high morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and treatment may be crucial to improve the outcome.
Mutation HOXB13 c.853delT in Martinican prostate cancer patients
Authors: Marlin Régine , Créoff Morgane , Merle Sylvie , Jean‐Marie‐Flore Magalie , Rose Mickaelle , Malsa Sarah , Promeyrat Xavier , Martin François , Comlan Georges , Rabia Nicolas , Taouil Taoufiq , Issoufaly Irfane , Escarmant Patrick , Vinh‐Hung Vincent , Béra Odile
Published: February 2020

Background

In Martinique, prostate cancer (Pca) incidence rates are nowadays among the highest worldwide with a high incidence of early‐onset and familial forms. Despite the demonstration of a strong familial component, identification of the genetic basis for hereditary Pca is challenging. The HOXB13 germline variant G84E (rs138213197) was described in men of European descent with Pca risk.

Methods

To investigate the potential involvement of HOXB13 mutations in Martinique, we performed sequencing of the HOXB13 coding regions of 46 index cases with early‐onset Pca (before the age of 51). Additional breast cancers and controls were performed. All cancer cases analyzed in this study have been observed in the context of genetic counseling.

Results

We identified a rare heterozygous germline variant c.853delT (p.Ter285Lysfs) rs77179853, reported only among patients of African ancestry with a minor allele frequency of 3.2%. This variant is a stop loss reported only among patients of African ancestry with a frequency of 0.2%.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we think that this study provides supplementary arguments that HOXB13 variants are involved in Pca.
Hydrolysis of HNSO2: A potential route for atmospheric production of H2SO4 and NH3
Authors: Manonmani Gunasekaran , Sandhiya Lakshmanan , Senthilkumar Kittusamy
Published: February 2020

The hydrolysis of sulfonylamine (HNSO2) results in the formation of sulfuric acid along with ammonia, and is of significant interest due to their negative impact on environment and life on Earth. The formation of H2SO4 through the reaction of HNSO2 with (H2O)2‐4 has been studied using high level electronic structure calculations. This hydrolysis reaction is a step‐wise process, in the first step a H‐atom from H2O is transferred to the N‐atom of HNSO2 which results in the formation of NH2, and in the next step, H2SO4, NH3 and water molecule(s) are formed. The results show that the energy barrier associated with the formation of intermediates and product complexes is reduced by 7 to 10 kcal/mol when the number of water molecules is increased from 2 to 4. The rate constant was calculated using canonical variational transition state theory with small curvature tunneling correction over the temperature range of 200 to 1000 K. At 298 K, the calculated rate constant for the formation of intermediate in the first step is 2.24 × 10−16, 1.03 × 10−12, and 2.10 × 10−11 cm3 mol−1 s−1, respectively, for the reaction with water dimer, trimer and tetramer. The calculated enthalpy and free energy show that the reaction corresponding to the formation of H2SO4 is highly exothermic and exoergic in nature.
Impacts of a weir and power station on downstream migrating Atlantic salmon smolts in a German river
Authors: Havn Torgeir B. , Thorstad Eva B. , Borcherding Jost , Heermann Lisa , Teichert Maxim A. K. , Ingendahl Detlev , Tambets Meelis , Sæther Stein Are , Økland Finn
Published: February 2020

Weirs are barriers built across rivers for a wide range of other purposes than hydropower production. Like hydropower installations, weirs can negatively impact fish migrations. Downstream migration and mortality of Atlantic salmon smolts were studied during passage of a weir and power station by tagging 227 smolts with radio transmitters. Extra loss of smolts due to the weir and adjacent reservoir was 5.2%. Mortality was likely related to physical damage imposed to the smolts and/or increased predation risk. Extra loss of smolts did not differ between the weir and the power station (7.2%). Migration speeds were reduced at the power station but not at the weir. We conclude that mortality at one power station site may differ considerably among years, because the mortality was more than four times higher in a previous year than in this study. Increased river discharge seemed to decrease mortality and increase migration speeds at the power station.
Comparison and Validation of Different Magnetic Force Microscopy Calibration Schemes
Authors: Corte‐León Héctor , Neu Volker , Manzin Alessandra , Barton Craig , Tang Yuanjun , Gerken Manuela , Klapetek Petr , Schumacher Hans Werner , Kazakova Olga
Published: February 2020

The future of consumer electronics depends on the capability to reliably fabricate nanostructures with given physical properties. Therefore, techniques to characterize materials and devices with nanoscale resolution are crucial. Among these is magnetic force microscopy (MFM), which transduces the magnetic force between the sample and a magnetic oscillating probe into a phase shift, enabling the locally resolved study of magnetic field patterns down to 10 nm. Here, the progress done toward making quantitative MFM a common tool in nanocharacterization laboratories is shown. The reliability and ease of use of the calibration method based on a magnetic reference sample, with a calculable stray field, and a deconvolution algorithm is demonstrated. This is achieved by comparing two calibration approaches combined with numerical modeling as a quantitative link: measuring the probe's effect on the voltage signal when scanning above a nanosized graphene Hall sensor, and recording the MFM phase shift signal when the probe scans across magnetic fields produced by metallic microcoils. Furthermore, in the case of the deconvolution algorithm, it is shown how it can be applied using the open‐source software package Gwyddion. The estimated magnetic dipole approximation for the most common probes currently in the market is also reported.
First meeting with an administrator left an indelible impression
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: February 2020

A fortunate encounter during her first experience with a university office became a signature moment in Cathy Cole's life and future career.
Brane nucleation instabilities in non-AdS/non-CFT
Authors: Henriksson Oscar , Hoyos Carlos , Jokela Niko
Published: February 2020

Abstract

We speculate that the weak gravity conjecture applied to theories with holographic duals bans the existence of disordered phases at zero temperature. We test this idea by introducing a non-zero baryon chemical potential in a deformation of the SU(Nc) × SU(Nc) Klebanov-Witten gauge theory with broken supersymmetry and conformal invariance. At low temperature, a disordered phase dual to a black brane geometry is unstable for low chemical potentials and metastable for high values. In the metastable phase, states with a partial Higgsing of the gauge group are favored over the normal disordered phase. This is reflected in the properties of the effective potential for color branes in the dual geometry, where the appearance of a global minimum outside the horizon signals the onset of a brane nucleation instability. When the Higgsing involves only one of the group factors, the global minimum remains at a finite distance from the horizon, making it possible to construct holographic duals to metastable “color superconducting” states. We also consider branes dual to excitations with baryon charge, but find that the extremal geometry remains marginally stable against the emission of particles carrying baryon charge independently of the strength of the deformation.
Complexity and emergence of warped AdS3 space-time from chiral Liouville action
Authors: Ghodrati Mahdis
Published: February 2020

Abstract

In this work we explore the complexity path integral optimization process for the case of warped AdS3/warped CFT2 correspondence. We first present the specific renor- malization flow equations and analyze the differences with the case of CFT. We discuss how the “chiral Liouville action” could replace the Liouville action as the suitable cost function for this case. Starting from the other side of the story, we also show how the deformed Liouville actions could be derived from the spacelike, timelike and null warped metrics and how the behaviors of boundary topological terms creating these metrics, versus the deformation parameter are consistent with our expectations. As the main results of this work, we develop many holographic tools for the case of warped AdS3, which include the tensor network structure for the chiral warped CFTs, entangler function, surface/state correspondence, quantum circuits of Kac-Moody algebra and kinematic space of WAdS/WCFTs. In addition, we discuss how and why the path-integral complexity should be generalized and propose several other examples such as Polyakov, p-adic strings and Zabrodin actions as the more suitable cost functions to calculate the circuit complexity.
Most unicompartmental knee replacement revisions could be avoided: a radiographic evaluation of revised Oxford knees in the National Joint Registry
Authors: Kennedy James A. , Palan Jeya , Mellon Stephen J. , Esler Colin , Dodd Chris A. F. , Pandit Hemant G. , Murray David W.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to understand why the revision rate of unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) in the National Joint Registry (NJR) is so high. Using radiographs, the appropriateness of patient selection for primary surgery, surgical technique, and indications for revision were determined. In addition, the alignment of the radiographs was assessed.

Methods

Oxford UKR registered with the NJR between 2006 and 2010 and subsequently revised were identified by the NJR. A blinded review was undertaken of pre-primary, post-primary, and pre-revision anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of a sample of 107 cases from multiple centres.

Results

The recommended indications were satisfied in 70%, with 29% not demonstrating bone-on-bone arthritis. Major technical errors, likely leading to revision, were seen in 6%. Pre-revision radiographs were malaligned and, therefore, difficult to interpret in 53%. No reason for revision was seen in 67%. Reasons for revision included lateral compartment arthritis (10%), tibial loosening (7%), bearing dislocation (7%), infection (6%), femoral loosening (3%), and peri-prosthetic fracture (2%, one femoral, one tibial).

Conclusions

Only 20% of the revised UKR were implanted for the recommended indications, using appropriate surgical technique and had a mechanical problem necessitating revision. One-third of primary surgeries were undertaken in patients with early arthritis, which is contraindicated. Two-thirds were presumably revised for unexplained pain, which is not advised as it tends not to help the pain. This study suggests that variable and inappropriate indications for primary and revision surgery are responsible for the high rates of revision seen in registries.

Level of evidence

III, Therapeutic study.
Continuity and monotonicity of solutions to a greedy maximization problem
Authors: Kruk Łukasz
Published: February 2020

Motivated by an application to resource sharing network modelling, we consider a problem of greedy maximization (i.e., maximization of the consecutive minima) of a vector in $${\mathbb {R}}^n$$

R

n

, with the admissible set indexed by the time parameter. The structure of the constraints depends on the underlying network topology. We investigate continuity and monotonicity of the resulting maximizers with respect to time. Our results have important consequences for fluid models of the corresponding networks which are optimal, in the appropriate sense, with respect to handling real-time transmission requests.
Severity of Pectus Excavatum is a Risk Factor for Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax
Authors: Huang Hsu‐Kai , Huang Yi‐Jhih , Lin Kuan‐Hsun , Chen Ying‐Yi , Ko Kai‐Hsiung , Chang Hung , Lee Shih‐Chun , Huang Tsai‐Wang
Published: February 2020

Background and Objective

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between bleb formation, primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) and pectus excavatum (PE).

Methods

From July 2005 to December 2016, the records of 514 patients with PE who underwent the Nuss procedure were obtained from a prospectively collected database and reviewed. Clinical features, images and treatments were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

The incidence rate of bleb formation was 26.5% in PE patients. The bleb group had a greater body height (174.4 cm vs. 170.4 cm, p < 0.001), a higher Haller index (HI; 4.2 vs. 3.43, p < 0.001) and a higher risk of developing PSP than the non‐bleb group (risk ratio 9.8, p = 0.002). HI values larger than 3.615 had good discriminatory power for predicting bleb formation in patients with PE. With each increase in the HI, PE patients had a 2.2‐fold greater odds ratio of bleb formation (odds ratio 2.221, CI 1.481–3.330, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

We discovered that a high percentage of PE patients have bleb formation and a higher risk of PSP, especially those with an HI >3.615. High‐resolution computed tomography of the chest may be useful for evaluating both the HI and the presence of blebs in the lungs before performing a corrective surgical procedure.
Individual therapeutic DAS28-dcrit responses differentiate between effectiveness of rheumatoid arthritis therapies and reflect patient-reported outcomes: retrospective analysis of DAS28 responses in comparative tocilizumab studies
Authors: Koehm Michaela , McIntosh Matthew J. , Hofmann Michael W. , Abraham Varghese , Gabay Cem , Choy Ernest H. , Kavanaugh Arthur , Burkhardt Harald , Behrens Frank
Published: February 2020

Assessment of individual therapeutic responses provides valuable information concerning treatment benefits in individual patients. We evaluated individual therapeutic responses as determined by the Disease Activity Score-28 joints critical difference for improvement (DAS28-dcrit) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with intravenous tocilizumab or comparator anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents. The previously published DAS28-dcrit value [DAS28 decrease (improvement) ≥ 1.8] was retrospectively applied to data from two studies of tocilizumab in RA, the 52-week ACT-iON observational study and the 24-week ADACTA randomized study. Data were compared within (not between) studies. DAS28 was calculated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate as the inflammatory marker. Stability of DAS28-dcrit responses and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) good responses was determined by evaluating repeated responses at subsequent timepoints. A logistic regression model was used to calculate p values for differences in response rates between active agents. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs; pain, global health, function, and fatigue) in DAS28-dcrit responder versus non-responder groups were compared with an ANCOVA model. DAS28-dcrit individual response rates were 78.2% in tocilizumab-treated patients and 58.2% in anti-TNF-treated patients at week 52 in the ACT-ion study (p = 0.0001) and 90.1% versus 59.1% at week 24 in the ADACTA study (p < 0.0001). DAS28-dcrit responses showed greater stability over time (up to 52 weeks) than EULAR good responses. For both active treatments, DAS28-dcrit responses were associated with statistically significant improvements in mean PRO values compared with non-responders. The DAS28-dcrit response criterion provides robust assessments of individual responses to RA therapy and may be useful for discriminating between active agents in clinical studies and guiding treat-to-target decisions in daily practice.
Physical evaluation of an ultra-high-resolution CT scanner
Authors: Oostveen Luuk J. , Boedeker Kirsten L. , Brink Monique , Prokop Mathias , de Lange Frank , Sechopoulos Ioannis
Published: February 2020

Objectives

To evaluate the technical performance of an ultra-high-resolution CT (UHRCT) system.

Methods

The physico-technical capabilities of a novel commercial UHRCT system were assessed and compared with those of a current-generation multi-detector (MDCT) system. The super-high-resolution (SHR) mode of the system uses 0.25 mm (at isocentre) detector elements (dels) in the in-plane and longitudinal directions, while the high-resolution (HR) mode bins two dels in the longitudinal direction. The normal-resolution (NR) mode bins dels 2 × 2, resulting in a del-size equivalent to that of the MDCT system. In general, standard procedures and phantoms were used to perform these assessments.

Results

The UHRCT MTF (10% MTF 4.1 lp/mm) is twice as high as that of the MDCT (10% MTF 1.9 lp/mm), which is comparable to the MTF in the NR mode (10% MTF 1.7 lp/mm). The width of the slice sensitivity profile in the SHR mode (FWHM 0.45 mm) is about 60% of that of the MDCT (FWHM 0.77 mm). Uniformity and CT numbers are within the expected range. Noise in the high-resolution modes has a higher magnitude and higher frequency components compared with MDCT. Low-contrast visibility is lower for the NR, HR and SHR modes compared with MDCT, but about a 14%, for NR, and 23%, for HR and SHR, dose increase gives the same results.

Conclusions

HR and SHR mode scanning results in double the spatial resolution, with about a 23% increase in dose required to achieve the same low-contrast detectability.

Key Points

• Resolution on UHRCT is up to twice as high as for the tested MDCT.

• With abdominal settings, UHRCT needs higher dose for the same low-contrast detectability as MDCT, but dose is still below achievable levels as defined by current diagnostic reference levels.

• The UHRCT system used in normal-resolution mode yields comparable resolution and noise characteristics as the MDCT system.
New approaches to the study of immune responses in humans
Authors: Brodin Petter
Published: February 2020

The human immune system consists of multiple, layered mechanisms of sensing and responding to cellular stress, infection and tissue damage to ensure defense from pathogens, maintenance of tissue homeostasis, and the integrity of the holobiont. Every single cell in the body has a role to play, but a few dozen, specialized white blood cells are particularly important in this respect. Understanding the overall state of this multifaceted system in a single individual is challenging, and we are only beginning to do this across populations of individuals, to understand the vast range of inter-individual variation, and the influences of genes and environmental factors that collectively shape the immune system in a given individual. We are also only beginning to understand the changes occurring within this system over time, and how this relates to health and disease susceptibility. Several technological breakthroughs in recent years have enabled these developments and the emergence of a new, complementary approach to studying human immune systems, namely systems immunology. In this paradigm, the focus is shifted from the understanding of individual immune system components and their mechanisms of action, towards analyses of cell–cell interactions, and mechanisms of coordination and regulation within the human immune system.
Characterizing Peatland Microtopography Using Gradient and Microform-Based Approaches
Authors: Graham Jake D. , Glenn Nancy F. , Spaete Lucas P. , Hanson Paul J.
Published: February 2020

Peatlands represent an important component of the global carbon cycle, storing 180–621 Gt of carbon (C). Small-scale spatial variations in elevation, frequently referred to as microtopography, influence ecological processes associated with the peatland C cycle, includingSphagnumphotosynthesis and methane flux. Microtopography can be characterized with measures of topographic variability and by using conceptual classes (microforms) linked to function: most commonly hummocks and hollows. However, the criteria used to define these conceptual classes are often poorly described, if at all, and vary between studies. Such inconsistencies compel development of explicit quantitative methods to classify microforms. Furthermore, gradient-based characterizations that describe spatial variability without the use of microforms are lacking in the literature. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) calculate peatland microtopographical elevation gradients and measures of spatial variability, (2) develop three microform classification methods intended for specific purposes, and (3) evaluate and contrast classification methods. Our results suggest that at spatial scales much larger than microforms, elevation distributions are unimodal and are well approximated with parametric probability density functions. Results from classifications were variable between methods and years and exhibited significant differences in mean hollow areal coverages of a raised ombrotrophic bog. Our results suggest that the conceptualization and classification of microforms can significantly influence microtopographic structural metrics. The three explicit methods for microform classification described here may be used and built upon for future applications.
Novel clustering-based pruning algorithms
Authors: Zyblewski Paweł , Woźniak Michał
Published: February 2020

One of the crucial problems of designing a classifier ensemble is the proper choice of the base classifier line-up. Basically, such an ensemble is formed on the basis of individual classifiers, which are trained in such a way to ensure their high diversity or they are chosen on the basis of pruning which reduces the number of predictive models in order to improve efficiency and predictive performance of the ensemble. This work is focusing on clustering-based ensemble pruning, which looks for the group of similar classifiers which are replaced by their representatives. We propose a novel pruning criterion based on well-known diversity measures and describe three algorithms using classifier clustering. The first method selects the model with the best predictive performance from each cluster to form the final ensemble, the second one employs the multistage organization, where instead of removing the classifiers from the ensemble each classifier cluster makes the decision independently, while the third proposition combines multistage organization and sampling with replacement. The proposed approaches were evaluated using 30 datasets with different characteristics. Experimentation results validated through statistical tests confirmed the usefulness of the proposed approaches.
Access to Meckel’s cave for biopsies of indeterminate lesions: a systematic review
Authors: Suero Molina E , Revuelta Barbero JM , Ewelt C , Stummer W , Carrau RL , Prevedello DM
Published: February 2020

Accessing Meckel’s cave (MC) is surgically challenging. Open approaches are complex and often correlated with high morbidity. Endoscopic approaches emerged in the last decade as feasible alternatives to open approaches, especially for sampling indeterminate lesions. This article first analyses available routes to approach Meckel’s cave and presents furthermore an illustrative case. We conducted a systematic review and reported according to the guidelines for preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). Various surgical approaches identified through the search are evaluated and discussed in detail. Additionally, we report on a case of woman with a lesion in MC, which was accessed through an endoscopic transpterygoid approach subsequently diagnosed as a diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Our search delivered 75 articles that included case reports (n = 21), cadaveric studies (n = 32), clinical articles (n = 16), review of the literatures (n = 3), as well as technical notes (n = 2) and a radiological manuscript (n = 1). Open routes included lateral approaches with many variations, mainly intra- and extradural pterional approaches and anterior petrosal, as well as a retrosigmoid intradural suprameatal and a lateral transorbital approach. Endoscopically, MC was reached via approaches that included transpterygoid, transorbital or infraorbital fissure routes. Percutaneous approaches, e.g. through the foramen ovale, were also described. Multiple surgical approaches to MC are currently available. Their different characteristics as well as individual patient factors, such as clinical history and the localization of the disease, have to be considered when choosing a surgical corridor. Studies included in this review highlight the endonasal endoscopic transpterygoidal technique as an excellent corridor for biopsies in the ventral MC.
Nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive model for bovine liver tissue
Authors: Capilnasiu Adela , Bilston Lynne , Sinkus Ralph , Nordsletten David
Published: February 2020

Soft tissue mechanical characterisation is important in many areas of medical research. Examples span from surgery training, device design and testing, sudden injury and disease diagnosis. The liver is of particular interest, as it is the most commonly injured organ in frontal and side motor vehicle crashes, and also assessed for inflammation and fibrosis in chronic liver diseases. Hence, an extensive rheological characterisation of liver tissue would contribute to advancements in these areas, which are dependent upon underlying biomechanical models. The aim of this paper is to define a liver constitutive equation that is able to characterise the nonlinear viscoelastic behaviour of liver tissue under a range of deformations and frequencies. The tissue response to large amplitude oscillatory shear (1–50%) under varying preloads (1–20%) and frequencies (0.5–2 Hz) is modelled using viscoelastic-adapted forms of the Mooney–Rivlin, Ogden and exponential models. These models are fit to the data using classical or modified objective norms. The results show that all three models are suitable for capturing the initial nonlinear regime, with the latter two being capable of capturing, simultaneously, the whole deformation range tested. The work presented here provides a comprehensive analysis across several material models and norms, leading to an identifiable constitutive equation that describes the nonlinear viscoelastic behaviour of the liver.
Entwicklungspfade der Straftäterbehandlung: skizzierte Wege und Evaluation der Zielerreichung
Authors: Lösel Friedrich
Published: February 2020

Der Aufsatz gibt einen Überblick über die Konzepte und empirischen Evaluationsergebnisse zur Straftäterbehandlung seit den 1960er-Jahren. Zahlreiche Metaanalysen zeigen im Durchschnitt positive Ergebnisse. Kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutische Programme und das RNR-Modell haben die solideste Evidenzbasis, aber auch einige andere Ansätze sind erfolgversprechend. Bei Sexualtätern sind die Ergebnisse noch weniger einheitlich, insbesondere hinsichtlich der Behandlung in Gefängnissen. Bei der Umsetzung in die Praxis zeigen sich zahlreiche Einflüsse auf die Wirksamkeit, die den Programminhalt, den Kontext, die Probanden und die Methodik der Evaluation betreffen. Das „good lives model“ und das „desistance model“ erfordern kein anderes Paradigma, sondern sind gut mit dem „What-works-Ansatz“ und erweiterten RNR-Modell vereinbar. In diesem Rahmen werden 12 Vorschläge zur empirisch fundierten Weiterentwicklung der Straftäterbehandlung gemacht.
Attrition and selectivity of the NEPS starting cohorts: an overview of the past 8 years
Authors: Zinn Sabine , Würbach Ariane , Steinhauer Hans Walter , Hammon Angelina
Published: February 2020

This article documents the number of target persons participating in the panel surveys of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) as well as the number of respondents who temporarily dropout and of those leaving the panel (attrition). NEPS comprises panel surveys with six mutually exclusive starting cohorts covering the complete life span. Sample sizes, numbers of participants and temporary as well as final dropouts and participation rates are reported in detail for each wave and for subsamples, if applicable. Sample particularities, such as the conversion of temporary dropouts into final ones, are elaborated on. All figures presented are derived from the corresponding Scientific Use Files (SUFs) published by February 1, 2018. Selectivity due to attrition (i.e., final dropouts) is studied. For this purpose, we examine how attrition distorts the NEPS samples with respect to relevant design variables (such as stratification criteria) and panel member characteristics (like sex and birth year). In detail, we study the panel status of each panel member, that is being part of the panel or having dropped out finally, along all of the panel waves with respect to starting cohort and population specific characteristics. We conclude this article with some recommendations for dealing with the detected selection bias in statistical analyses.
The Way to the Rocks—Changes of Networks of Hiking Trails in Chosen Sandstone Landscapes in Poland and the Czech Republic in the Period of Political Transformation
Authors: Kołodziejczyk Krzysztof
Published: February 2020

The political transformation taking place in Central European countries at the turn of 1980s and 1990s influenced, among other aspects, the methods of nature protection and making it available for tourism. The changes taking place at that time have been traced in the article on the example of three sandstone landscapes, which belong to the most popular geotouristic attractions of the Czech Republic and Poland: Prachov Rocks Nature Reserve with adjacent fragments of the Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Area, Adršpach-Teplice Rocks National Nature Reserve and the Table Mountains National Park. These changes were analysed on the basis of transformations of the networks of hiking trails and development of other tourism facilities within the boundaries of the protected areas. Analysis covers the entire period from the end of communism (1980s) up to present days. According to the study, in the case of all analysed protected areas, the systemic transformation in Central Europe played an important role as a factor affecting the network of hiking trails. In each case, however, local factors were also important. The biggest changes occurred in the Adršpach-Teplice Rocks and the Table Mountains. In the first case, the number and distribution of visitors needed to be controlled, leading to modification of route network. The main reason of its significant reduction was to separate paid routes from those not charged. In the Table Mountains, the network was substantially developed as a consequence of the establishment of a national park there and the political changes at the turn of twentieth and twenty-first centuries which opened the border zone and forced the marking of new tourist trails. In the Prachov Rocks, the existing layout of hiking trails has been largely kept unchanged because the continuous intensive tourist traffic did not allow any reductions, even if these would help to protect the environment. On the other hand, the network was really well developed, that it did not require further growth. Today’s networks of tourist trails in the Prachov Rocks and some parts of the Table Mountains seem too developed, taking into account the protective regime of both areas. In terms of interpretation of geoheritage, the most extensive and targeted offer can be found in the Table Mountains National Park. Referring to the methods used, the graph theory cannot be applied easily to tourist trails networks, especially when a dissected landscape is analysed. A simple but very helpful indicator illustrating the development of the network is the density of tourist trails per square kilometre.
Pediatric somatization in the emergency department: assessing missed opportunities for early management
Authors: Virk Punit , Vo Dzung X. , Ellis Jacob , Doan Quynh
Published: February 2020

Objective

Somatization is a common phenomenon that can severely complicate youths’ functioning and health. The burden of somatization on pediatric acute care settings is currently unclear; better understanding it may address challenges clinicians experience in effectively caring for somatizing patients. In this study, we estimate the prevalence of somatization in a pediatric emergency department (ED).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of visits for non-critical, non-mental health-related concerns (n = 150) to a quaternary-level pediatric ED between July 2016 and August 2017. Demographic and clinical visit details were collected through chart review and used by two reviewing clinicians to classify whether each visit had a “probable,” “unclear” (possible), or “unlikely” somatizing component.

Results

Approximately 3.33% (n = 5) of youth displayed probable somatization, and an additional 13.33% (n = 20) possibly experienced a somatizing component but require additional psychosocial and visit documentation to be certain. Longer symptom duration and multiple negative diagnostic tests were associated with a higher likelihood of either probable or possible somatization.

Conclusions

A considerable proportion of non-mental health-related visits may involve a somatizing component, indicating the burden of mental health concerns on the ED may be underestimated. A higher index of suspicion for the possibility of somatization may support clinicians in managing somatizing patients.
The Ban on Strike Action by Career Civil Servants under the German Basic Law: How the Federal Constitutional Court Constitutionally Immunized the German Legal Order Against the European Convention on Human Rights
Authors: Jacobs Matthias , Payandeh Mehrdad
Published: February 2020

The Federal Constitutional Court has decided that the prohibition to strike for career civil servants, as it has traditionally been part of the German legal order, is in compliance with the German Constitution. The Court thereby put a (provisional) end to a long-lasting debate on how to solve the tension between the fundamental freedom to form associations under Article 9(3) of the Basic Law, which arguably encompasses a right to strike, and Article 33(5) of the Basic Law, which protects the traditional principles of the career civil servants, which arguably encompasses the prohibition to strike. Through recognizing that the ban on strike action by career civil servants is not only allowed but required under the German Constitution, the Constitutional Court navigates the German legal order on a potential collision course with the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. In this context, the Constitutional Court on the one hand reaffirms the openness of the German constitutional order towards international law in general and human rights and the European Convention on Human Rights in particular. On the other hand, the Court somehow marginalizes the role of the European Court of Human Rights and threatens to not follow the Court should it hold that the European Convention on Human Rights demands a right to strike also for career civil servants.
The Cultural Analysis of Law: Questions and Answers with Paul Kahn
Authors: Bonilla Maldonado Daniel
Published: February 2020

In this interview, Paul Kahn discusses central aspects of his approach to the academic study of law. On the one hand, he reflects on the identity of the cultural analysis of law. In this regard, he points out how his approach differs from other forms of legal scholarship, in general, and from other cultural perspectives of law, in particular. He also makes explicit the philosophical tradition within which the cultural analysis of law is immersed and identifies his main theoretical influences. On the other hand, Kahn discusses the methods of the cultural analysis of law—that is, genealogy and architecture. Finally, Kahn examines the aims pursued by cultural analysis, as well as its contributions to the description and analysis of law. He also responds to some of the main objections that critics have offered against this form of scholarship.
Critiquing Günter Frankenberg’s Comparative Law As Critique
Authors: Curran Vivian Grosswald
Published: February 2020

Frankenberg has offered an erudite, critical, humorous, and often sly account of comparative law and its politicized discourses. It is both, as its title indicates, comparative law as critique and equally a critique of comparative law. The assessment of his critique offers some alternative perspectives while endorsing his project and admiring his achievement.
The structural evolution of the Straumsnutane and western Sverdrupfjella areas, western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica: implications for the amalgamation of Gondwana
Authors: Bumby Adam , Grantham Geoffrey H. , Moabi Neo Geogracious
Published: February 2020

The study area is located across the Kalahari Craton – Maud Belt boundary in Dronning Maud Land (DML), Antarctica. The ∼1100 Ma Maud Belt in the east is situated where the ∼900–600 Ma East African and ∼530–500 Ma Kuunga orogenies overlap. The Kalahari Craton cover in the west of the study area comprises ∼1100 Ma Straumsnutane Formation lavas in Straumsnutane. In Straumsnutane, early ∼1100 Ma low-grade structures suggest top-to-the-NW deformation. Younger ∼525 Ma structures suggest conjugate top-to-ESE and -WNW transport under low-grade conditions. Western Straumsnutane and Ahlmannryggen do not show the same complex deformation, the intense deformation being restricted to NE Straumsnutane along the eastern margin of the Kalahari Craton. In Sverdrupfjella, in the east, the Maud Belt is underlain by medium-grade, deformed ∼1140 Ma supracrustal gneisses and younger intrusions. Four deformation phases in the gneisses comprise D1 + D2 with top-to-the-N and -NW folds, D3 top-to-the-S and -SE folding and D4 brittle faulting. Syn-D3 emplacement of granitoid veins is inferred at ∼490 Ma. Comparison of the deformation vergence of NE Straumsnutane with western Sverdrupfjella suggests D1 in Straumsnutane is correlatable with D1 + D2 Mesoproterozoic structures in western Sverdrupfjella. D2 deformation in Straumsnutane can be correlated with D3 structures and Cambrian-age granites in Sverdrupfjella. D2 deformation in eastern Straumsnutane and D3 in western Sverdrupfjella are inferred to have occurred in a mega-nappe footwall, implying the Ritscherflya Supergroup cratonic cover in eastern Straumsnutane was partially submerged in the footwall, the mega-nappe formed during Gondwana amalgamation, involving collision between N and S Gondwana in the Kuunga Orogeny, ∼530–500 Ma ago.
Lack of daily heart rate rhythms in Adélie penguin chicks during the polar day
Authors: Xia Canwei , Zhang Yanyun
Published: February 2020

Daily rhythms enable organisms to adapt to daily fluctuations in environmental factors. Do organisms still exhibit 24-h rhythms when living in habitats without obvious daily cycles in external signals? To answer this question, we measured the heart rates of six Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) chicks on Inexpressible Island during the polar day between 15 and 21 January 2019. Averaged heart rates were between 186 and 233 beats/min for individual chicks. Both fast Fourier transformation and autocorrelation were employed to assess the daily rhythmicity. Based on fast Fourier transformation, a significant contribution of daily rhythm in heart rate variation was found only in one individual. Small effect size of significant autocorrelation coefficients was found in two individuals, while there was no significant autocorrelation coefficient for 24-h time lag in four other individuals. In summary, no prevailing daily rhythm of heart rate was found in these Adélie penguin chicks. We propose that the lack of daily rhythm in Adélie penguin chicks could be an adaptation to the local environment in the polar regions, but that the adaptive value thereof remains to be investigated.
Influence of cavity and magnetic confinements on the signal enhancement and plasma parameters of laser-induced Mg and Ti plasmas
Authors: Asamoah Emmanuel , Xia Ye , Hongbing Yao , Wei Pengyu , Jiawei Cong , Weihua Zhu , Lin Zhang , Quaisie James Kwasi
Published: February 2020

In this study, we have spectroscopically investigated the plasma generated by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser operating at its fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm focused on magnesium (Mg) and titanium (Ti) target samples in the air under atmospheric pressure. We employed circular cavities of radii (2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 mm) and a square cavity to investigate the cavity confinement effect on the spectral emission intensities of the plasmas. We observed that the circular cavity of radius 2.5 mm had the maximum signal enhancement, and this can be attributed to the compression of the plasma and reheating by the reflected shock waves. The maximum enhancement factor of the Mg I-518.4 nm line was reached at approximately 3.8, 3.4, and 2.8 with a circular cavity of radius 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 mm, respectively, at a delay time of 350 ns and a laser energy of 350 mJ. By applying varying external magnetic fields (0.47, 0.62, 0.91, and 1.23 T) across the generated plasma, the plasma parameters such as electron temperature and number density have been investigated. From our results, we observed that the radius of the cavity had a tremendous effect on the enhancement of the emission signal intensities. We also found that the increase in the electron temperature and the number density can be attributed to the increase in the applied magnetic field and the laser energy. From our calculations, the value of β, which was less than 1 for all the cases, confirms that there was a plasma confinement at the presence of the magnetic field.
Velocity Planning for Astronaut Virtual Training Robot with High-Order Dynamic Constraints
Authors: Wang Lan , Lin Lingjie , Chang Ying , Song Da
Published: February 2020

In order to improve the training efficiency and establish a multi-person cooperative training simulation system, including “virtual human,” in the process of virtual reality-based astronaut training, it is necessary to plan the velocity at which astronauts carry the target object. A velocity planning algorithm, combining a traditional six-stage acceleration/deceleration algorithm, based on a time-discrete model with high-order dynamic constraints, considering the elastic damping torque of the space suit, is proposed. The described algorithm is verified on MATLAB to prove its feasibility. Compared to other algorithms, the planning time of the proposed algorithm is significantly reduced.
BOUNDARY PROBLEMS AND SELF-OWNERSHIP
Authors: Flanigan Jessica
Published: February 2020

Self-ownership theorists argue that many of our most morally urgent and enforceable rights stem from the fact that we own ourselves. Critics of self-ownership argue that the claim that people own their bodies commits self-ownership theorists to several implausible conclusions because self-ownership theory relies on several vague moral predicates, and any precisification of the required predicates is seemingly too permissive (because it allows people to impose deadly risks on innocent bystanders for no reason) or too restrictive (because it prohibits people from polluting or even interacting with others at all). I argue that this line of criticism does not undermine the case for self-ownership theory because self-ownership theory does not require precisification of each moral concept that it is based on and, even if it did, the theory’s alleged extensional inadequacy does not undermine its justification.