bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Responses of abrupt temperature changes/warming hiatuses to changes in their influencing factors: A case study of northern China
Authors: Liang Longteng , Ma Long , Feng Qi , Liu Tingxi , Sun Bolin , Zhou Ying
Published: July 2020

Determining the response of abrupt temperature changes/warming hiatuses to changes in their influencing factors can provide a reference for investigating their mechanism. The present study, using the Mann–Kendall test, based on data (including average minimum temperature (Tmin), average temperature (Tave) and average maximum temperature (Tmax)) recorded at 357 meteorological stations in northern China and its surrounding regions as well as large‐spatial‐scale data (e.g. Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), global radiative forcing of CO2 (RFCO2) and radiative forcing of annual greenhouse gases (RFAGG)) for the period 1951–2016, the characteristics of abrupt temperature changes/warming hiatuses and their response to their influencing factors were qualitatively and quantitatively determined. The following results were obtained. Overall, from the late 1970s to the 1990s, as the RFAGG continuously increased, the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) remained in a positive phase, the AMO and total solar radiation (SR) continuously increased, the multivariate El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) index (MEI) changed abruptly, the wind speed (WS), atmospheric pressure (AP) and relative humidity (RH) in each zone continuously decreased/increased, their trends changing subsequently, and abrupt changes in the three temperature metrics (i.e. the Tmin, Tave and Tmax) occurred in each zone during the period 1977–2004. Similarly, in the 1990s, particularly after 1998, as the increase in the AMO slowed, the PDO was in either a positive phase but exhibited a decreasing trend or a negative phase, the MEI and SR decreased, the WS, AP and RH decreased/increased, with subsequent changes in trends, and warming hiatuses occurred. The sensitivities of the responses of the Tmin to changes in the three types of influencing factors were the highest, followed by those of the Tave and Tmax. The effects of various influencing factors on the three kinds of temperature change and warming hiatus have strong spatial and temporal differences. As a result, there was a strong spatial difference in the year of the abrupt temperature change and the warming hiatus.
Time decay of the solution to the Cauchy problem for a three‐dimensional model of nonsimple thermoelasticity
Authors: Łazuka Jarosław
Published: July 2020

This paper is devoted to the investigation of the solution to the Cauchy problem for a system of partial differential equations describing thermoelasticity of nonsimple materials in a three‐dimensional space. The model of linear dynamical thermoelasticity of nonsimple materials is considered as the system of partial differential equations of fourth order. In this paper, we proposed a convenient evolutionary method of approach to the system of equations of nonsimple thermoelasticity. We proved the Lp−Lq time decay estimates for the solution to the Cauchy problem for linear thermoelasticity of nonsimple materials.
A three‐dimensional static analysis of embedded single‐walled carbon nanotubes using the perturbation method
Authors: Wu Chih‐Ping , Chiu Hung‐Min
Published: July 2020

A three‐dimensional (3D) asymptotic local elasticity theory is reformulated for the static analysis of a simply supported, single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) embedded in an elastic medium under a transverse normal load at its inner and outer surfaces. Eringen's nonlocal constitutive relations are used to account for the small length scale effects in the formulation examining the static behavior of the SWCNT. The interaction between the SWCNT and its surrounding foundation is modeled as either a Winkler‐type or a Pasternak‐type model. The two‐dimensional (2D) nonlocal classical shell theory (CST) is derived as a first‐order approximation of the 3D nonlocal elasticity theory. The 2D nonlocal CST solutions can be modified order‐by‐order to asymptotically approach the exact 3D nonlocal elasticity solutions in a hierarchic and consistent manner. A parametric study related to some effects on the static behavior of the embedded SWCNT is undertaken, including the aspect ratio, the stiffness and shear modulus of the surrounding medium of the SWCNT, and the nonlocal parameter. The current 3D asymptotic solutions can provide a standard to assess the accuracy and convergence rate of various 2D nonlocal shell theories.
Monte Carlo dosimetric characterization of a new high dose rate Yb brachytherapy source and independent verification using a multipoint plastic scintillator detector
Authors: Famulari Gabriel , Linares Rosales Haydee M. , Dupere Justine , Medich David C. , Beaulieu Luc , Enger Shirin A.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

A prototype

Yb source was developed in combination with a dynamic rotating platinum shield system (AIM‐Brachy) to deliver intensity modulated brachytherapy (IMBT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dosimetric characteristics of the bare/shielded

Yb source using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and perform an independent dose verification using a dosimetry platform based on a multipoint plastic scintillator detector (mPSD).

Methods

The TG‐43U1 dosimetric parameters were calculated for the source model using RapidBrachyMCTPS. Real‐time dose rate measurements were performed in a water tank for both the bare/shielded source using a custom remote afterloader. For each dwell position, the dose rate was independently measured by the three scintillators (BCF‐10, BCF‐12, and BCF‐60). For the bare source, dose rate was measured at distances up to 3 cm away from the source over a range of 7 cm along the catheter. For the shielded source, measurements were performed with the mPSD placed at 1 cm from the source at four different azimuthal angles (

, 9

, 18

, and 27

).

Results

The dosimetric parameters were tabulated for the source model. For the bare source, differences between measured and calculated along‐away dose rates were generally below 5–10%. Along the transverse axis, deviations were, on average (range), 3.3% (0.6–6.2%) for BCF‐10, 1.7% (0.9–2.9%) for BCF‐12, and 2.2% (0.3–4.4%) for BCF‐60. The maximum dose rate reduction due to shielding at a radial distance of 1 cm was 88.8 ± 1.2%, compared to 83.5 ± 0.5% as calculated by MC.

Conclusions

The dose distribution for the bare/shielded

Yb source was independently verified using mPSD with good agreement in regions close to the source. The

Yb source coupled with the partial‐shielding system is an effective technique to deliver IMBT.
Review tips for job seekers with disabilities
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: July 2020

“How do I gauge those hiring me to know if this is the space and place for me?” That's one question you need to address if you are a job seeker with a disability, said Amy French, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Indiana State University. And while disability is part of your identity, you face the challenge of determining when to disclose a disability — or whether to disclose it at all, if it's not apparent.
Multiscale analysis on multiextruded poly(lactic acid)/organoclay nanocomposites: Insights into the underlying mechanisms of thermomechanical degradation
Authors: Lv Yadong , Chen Jiaxing , Xu Wenqing , Kong Miqiu
Published: July 2020

Due to the growing market and the relatively high price of poly(lactic acid) (PLA), the possibility to recycle PLA has attracted a tremendous attention, aiming to reduce the environmental impact related to the life cycle of PLA‐based products. However, the comprehensive structural and properties changes of PLA and PLA/clay nanocomposites induced by reprocessing are still not clear. In this work, PLA and its organoclay nanocomposites (PCN5) were subjected to repeated extrusion for 1 and 4 cycles to reveal their recycling characteristics by the observation of the changes in the microstructure, thermal and mechanical properties. Gel permeation chromatography, rheology and morphology analyses were utilized to deeply explore effects of the cycle number on the evolution of chemical structures and clay dispersion. It is found that reprocessing leads to a significant reduction in the weight average molecular mass of PLA by 24.0% and of PCN5 by 37.3%, whereas a more uniform dispersion of clay and a stronger clay‐polymer interaction are also found after reprocessing. A direct correlation between the molecular chain scission and deterioration of thermal/mechanical properties is observed both for PLA and PCN5 subjected to reprocessing cycles. The crystallization rate of PLA is suppressed by the addition of clay, while is accelerated by clay after their processing. Additionally, the presence of clay is found to reduce the differences in the thermal stability between the samples reprocessed after 1 and 4 cycles, which is ascribed to the competition between intensive chain scission and better dispersion of clay in the PLA matrix.
Unveiling the high reactivity of strained dibenzocyclooctyne in [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions with diazoalkanes through the molecular electron density theory
Authors: Domingo Luis R. , Acharjee Nivedita
Published: July 2020

The strain‐promoted [3 + 2] cycloaddition (SP‐32CA) reactions of two diazoalkanes with strained dibenzocyclooctyne (DIBO) have been studied within the molecular electron density theory. Analysis of the electron localisation function of diazoalkanes allows characterising theirpseudoradicalstructures. Thesepmr‐type32CA reactions, which follow aone‐stepmechanism with high asynchronicity and some polar character, have lower activation enthalpies, 11.4 and 15.4 kcal mol−1, than those with acetylene, 19.7 and 23.1 kcal mol−1, in agreement with the experimental outcomes. Analysis of the changes in electron density along the SP‐32CA reaction of phenyldiazomethane with DIBO indicates that the strain favours the depopulation of the C–C triple bond of DIBO, reducing the activation energy.
Entropy in Spin Relaxation, Spintronics, and Magnetic Resonance
Authors: Csősz Gábor , Dóra Balázs , Simon Ferenc
Published: July 2020

The entropy change during spin relaxation for a realistic model system is studied, whose spin dynamics can be handled with the Boltzmann equation. The time evolution of the von Neumann entropy is monitored during the process and is compared with the recently introduced concept of the Loschmidt echo envelope. The time evolution of the two quantities is remarkably similar which helps to distinguish reversible and irreversible changes to the ensemble spin state. The method is also demonstrated for a toy model of nuclear magnetic resonance, where the usual π spin echo is performed numerically, and the echo envelope also follows the time evolution of the von Neumann entropy. The numerical approach highlights the utility of the entropy concept in analyzing various processes which occur during spin relaxation.
Probing Proximity‐Tailored High Spin–Orbit Coupling in 2D Materials
Authors: Sahoo Krishna Rani , Chakravarthy T. Pradeep , Sharma Rahul , Bawari Sumit , Mundlia Suman , Sasmal Satyaki , Raman Karthik V. , Narayanan Tharangattu N. , Viswanathan Nirmal K.
Published: July 2020

Proximity‐induced tuning of spin–orbit coupling (SOC) is of paramount importance in emerging magnetic materials and in spintronics. Probing the above SOC via light–matter interaction assisted methods provides a novel route to investigate interesting material phenomena. Here, the proximity studies in a heterostructure of monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MS) and iron (Fe) to enhance and tune the interfacial SOC are reported. The augmented SOC of the MSFe heterostructure arises due to interfacial charge transfer, and is probed using magneto‐optic Kerr effect and a novel optical technique utilizing the spin Hall effect of light. Measuring the changes in the state of polarization of light reflected from the sample via weak measurement provides direct access to the real and imaginary parts of the complex weak value and, hence, the underlying SOC and induced magnetic effects from a single experiment. The results obtained are confirmed using other experimental and simulation tools.
A brief analysis of gesture recognition in VR
Authors: Jiang Lin , Yu Xiaoyang , Wang Lijun
Published: July 2020

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, human‐computer interaction, as the core of virtual reality system, has become an increasingly important part of modern science and technology products. At present, human‐computer interaction is mainly based on contact, which must be completed through direct contact between hand and receiving equipment, rather than through indirect contact between hand and equipment. Direct interaction can not give full play to the advantages of flexible human hand, so gesture recognition becomes extremely important in interaction.

The development of gesture recognition technology based on vision is a process from 2D to 3D. Early gesture recognition is based on the recognition technology of two‐dimensional color image, which means to get two‐dimensional static image after taking the scene with ordinary camera, and then recognize the content of the image through the computer graphic algorithm. With the development of camera and sensor technology, the depth information of gesture can be captured, and 3D gesture recognition technology can recognize various hand shapes, gestures and actions.

Virtual reality is a kind of simulated virtual environment generated by computer according to reality and imagination space, which makes users have immersive feeling in the real world. Through various interactive behaviors, it stimulates users’ perception systems such as vision, touch and hearing, so as to establish a comprehensive sensory experience. Nowadays, virtual reality interaction is more based on the handle of virtual reality device or operating gloves, but using these devices is too complex, so gesture interaction based on bare hands will have a broader prospect.

The virtual reality interaction technology based on gesture recognition is to recognize human hand movements with cameras and other devices and interact with the virtual scene. Users can control the virtual scene and interact through simple gestures. Gesture recognition is now applied in many industries, but the interaction of gesture in virtual reality is not so popular. This paper will analyze the development status of gesture recognition in virtual reality technology, and prospect the development trend of virtual reality technology based on gesture recognition.
A bivariate logistic regression model based on latent variables
Authors: Kristensen Simon Bang , Bibby Bo Martin
Published: July 2020

Bivariate observations of binary and ordinal data arise frequently and require a bivariate modeling approach in cases where one is interested in aspects of the marginal distributions as separate outcomes along with the association between the two. We consider methods for constructing such bivariate models based on latent variables with logistic marginals and propose a model based on the Ali‐Mikhail‐Haq bivariate logistic distribution. We motivate the model as an extension of that based on the Gumbel type 2 distribution as considered by other authors and as a bivariate extension of the logistic distribution, which preserves certain natural characteristics. Basic properties of the obtained model are studied and the proposed methods are illustrated through analysis of two data sets: a basic science cognitive experiment of visual recognition and awareness and a clinical data set describing assessments of walking disability among multiple sclerosis patients.
Conversion Reaction Mechanism of Ultrafine Bimetallic Co‐Fe Selenides Embedded in Hollow Mesoporous Carbon Nanospheres and Their Excellent K‐Ion Storage Performance
Authors: Yang Su Hyun , Park Seung‐Keun , Park Gi Dae , Lee Jong‐Heun , Kang Yun Chan
Published: July 2020

Potassium‐ion batteries (KIBs) are considered as promising alternatives to lithium‐ion batteries owing to the abundance and affordability of potassium. However, the development of suitable electrode materials that can stably store large‐sized K ions remains a challenge. This study proposes a facile impregnation method for synthesizing ultrafine cobalt–iron bimetallic selenides embedded in hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres (HMCSs) as superior anodes for KIBs. This involves loading metal precursors into HMCS templates using a repeated “drop and drying” process followed by selenization at various temperatures, facilitating not only the preparation of bimetallic selenide/carbon composites but also controlling their structures. HMCSs serve as structural skeletons, conductive templates, and vehicles to restrain the overgrowth of bimetallic selenide particles during thermal treatment. Various analysis strategies are employed to investigate the charge–discharge mechanism of the new bimetallic selenide anodes. This unique‐structured composite exhibits a high discharge capacity (485 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 200 cycles) and enhanced rate capability (272 mA h g−1 at 2.0 A g−1) as a promising anode material for KIBs. Furthermore, the electrochemical properties of various nanostructures, from hollow to frog egg‐like structures, obtained by adjusting the selenization temperature, are compared.
Potent‐By‐Design: Amino Acids Mimicking Porous Nanotherapeutics with Intrinsic Anticancer Targeting Properties
Authors: Wu Zhuoran , Lim Hong Kit , Tan Shao Jie , Gautam Archana , Hou Han Wei , Ng Kee Woei , Tan Nguan Soon , Tay Chor Yong
Published: July 2020

Exogenous sources of amino acids are essential nutrients to fuel cancer growth. Here, the increased demand for amino acid displayed by cancer cells is unconventionally exploited as a design principle to replete cancer cells with apoptosis inducing nanoscopic porous amino acid mimics (Nano‐PAAM). A small library consisting of nine essential amino acids nanoconjugates (30 nm) are synthesized, and the in vitro anticancer activity is evaluated. Among the Nano‐PAAMs, l‐phenylalanine functionalized Nano‐PAAM (Nano‐pPAAM) has emerged as a novel nanotherapeutics with excellent intrinsic anticancer and cancer‐selective properties. The therapeutic efficacy of Nano‐pPAAM against a panel of human breast, gastric, and skin cancer cells could be ascribed to the specific targeting of the overexpressed human large neutral amino acid transporter SLC7A5 (LAT‐1) in cancer cells, and its intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducing properties of the nanoporous core. At the mechanistic level, it is revealed that Nano‐pPAAM could activate both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways to exert a potent “double‐whammy” anticancer effect. The potential clinical utility of Nano‐pPAAM is further investigated using an MDA‐MB‐231 xenograft in NOD scid gamma mice, where an overall suppression of tumor growth by 60% is achieved without the aid of any drugs or application of external stimuli.
Increasing the production of extracellular biosurfactants from Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Zaparoli Munise , Kreling Naiara Elisa , Colla Luciane Maria
Published: July 2020

Biosurfactants possess surface and interfacial activity, low toxicity, high biodegradability, and stability in wide ranges of pH and temperature, which makes them competitive against the existing synthetic surfactants. However, economic aspects are still a barrier to the application in industrial scale. In order to optimize the production processes, the aim was to evaluate the production of extracellular biosurfactants from Saccharomyces cerevisiae using cellular stress techniques. The yeast was tested for six different stress conditions: ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, pH, temperature, ultraviolet radiation, and freezing/thawing. After exposure to different levels of stress, the biosurfactant production was verified from the formation of stable emulsions and reduction of the surface tension of the culture medium. Results showed a higher resistance of the yeast to stressors, being the highest yields found in ultraviolet radiation and hydrogen peroxide, reaching 1.39 and 1.16 UE d−1, respectively. Highest surface tension reduction (11 mN m−1 d−1 in 1 d of fermentation) was obtained for the strain stressed by ethanol at 50%. A positive influence was observed in the use of stress techniques over productivity, indicating the production of extracellular biosurfactants, which could low the costs with the downstream process of these bioproducts.
Beyond Apps: Digital Literacies in a Platform Society
Authors: Nichols T. Philip , LeBlanc Robert Jean
Published: July 2020

Young students must become proficient in the new literacies of 21st‐century technologies to be considered literate. This department explores how literacy educators can integrate information and communication technologies into the curriculum.
Medium-induced gluon radiation with full resummation of multiple scatterings for realistic parton-medium interactions
Authors: Andres Carlota , Apolinário Liliana , Dominguez Fabio
Published: July 2020

Abstract

The new precision era of jet quenching observables at both RHIC and the LHC calls for an improved and more precise description of in-medium gluon emissions. The development of new theoretical tools and analytical calculations to tackle this challenge has been hampered by the inability to include the effects of multiple scatterings with the medium using a realistic model for the parton-medium interactions. In this paper, we show how the analytical expressions for the full in-medium spectrum, including the resummation of all multiple scatterings, can be written in a form where the numerical evaluation can be easily performed without the need of the usually employed harmonic or single hard approximations. We present the transverse momentum and energy-dependent medium- induced gluon emission distributions for known realistic interaction models to illustrate how our framework can be applied beyond the limited kinematic regions of previous calculations.
An Existence Theory for Small-Amplitude Doubly Periodic Water Waves with Vorticity
Authors: Lokharu E. , S. Seth D. , Wahlén E.
Published: July 2020

We prove the existence of three-dimensional steady gravity-capillary waves with vorticity on water of finite depth. The waves are periodic with respect to a given two-dimensional lattice and the relative velocity field is a Beltrami field, meaning that the vorticity is collinear to the velocity. The existence theory is based on multi-parameter bifurcation theory.
No reduced patellar loading with latest-generation cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty—a comparative study of Attune and Press-Fit Condylar®
Authors: Schiapparelli Filippo-Franco , Ahmadi Puja , Amsler Felix , Hirschmann Michael T.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

To investigate if the latest-generation cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty (CR-TKA) systems through more patella-friendly femoral trochlea reduce the patellar bone loading.

Methods

Twenty patients who underwent Attune CR-TKA were matched with twenty-one patients who underwent Press-Fit Condylar® (PFC) CR-TKA. The patella was always preserved. The in vivo patellar loading was measured twice by two blinded observers and localised on an 8-quadrant grid on 1-year post-operatively SPECT/CT images. The position of the TKA components, patella height, thickness, tilt, and tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove index were measured in 3D CT. Knee function was assessed pre-operatively, at 12 and 24 months post-operatively with the knee society score (KSS). All data were compared between groups with the Mann-Whitney U test and within groups with Spearman’s correlation.

Results

A significantly higher bone tracer uptake (BTU) was seen in the Attune group in the lateral non-articular patellar quadrants. No other significant differences of the BTU were seen. The post-operative KSS did not differ significantly. Spearman’s correlation showed no correlations between the significantly higher BTU of the lateral non-articular patellar quadrants and the position of the TKA and patellar measurements. All patellar measurements did not correlate with bone stress in SPECT/CT.

Conclusion

No significant improvement in terms of in vivo patellar bone stress was seen with the latest-generation CR-TKA system. The increased bone stress at the non-articular lateral patellar quadrants of the Attune could be due to higher stabilising quadriceps forces.
Cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure in clinical practice – a prospective study
Authors: Bø Siri Hylleraas , Lundqvist Christofer
Published: July 2020

Background

Measurement of CSF opening pressure (CSFOP) is valuable and much used in the investigation of several neurological conditions. However, there are different opinions regarding reference values and influence of age, gender and body mass index (BMI). We have, in a previous study, noted possible differences in CSFOP between gender and age groups. Here the aim was to collect information regarding normal distribution of CSFOP in an out-patient sample and also include BMI.

Methods

We collected CSFOP from a lumbar puncture, following a standardized procedure, performed in an ordinary neurological out-patient sample. Age, gender and BMI was also registered. Descriptive statistics and linear regression was used.

Results

339 patients with a normal distribution of age and BMI were included consecutively (60% females). We found a mean CSFOP of 17.5 H2O (range 4.0–30.0). In multivariable linear regression, age, gender and BMI all independently affected CSFOP. Male gender (β = 1.5, p = 0.002), lower age (β =  – 0.095, p < 0.001) and higher BMI (β = 0.42, p < 0.001) were all associated with higher CSFOP.

Conclusion

Using two standard deviations, we provide suggestions for CSFOP limits with respect to gender, age and BMI. Our results suggest that CSFOP cut-offs for pathological intracranial hypertension should be raised with these factors taken into consideration. As a “rule-of-thumb” we suggest the following cut-offs: for males < 30 cm H2O (< 25 if over age 70), and for females < 25 cm H2O (27.5 if over 30 BMI). A diagnosis of intracranial hypertension should not be given without such considerations.
Experimental drought indirectly enhances the individual performance and the abundance of an invasive annual weed
Authors: Mojzes Andrea , Ónodi Gábor , Lhotsky Barbara , Kalapos Tibor , Kröel-Dulay György
Published: July 2020

During environmental change, invasive species may be favored by increased resource input or reduced resource use of the resident community. Plasticity in certain plant traits of invasive species may be one possible mechanism behind their ability to quickly exploit unused resources. We tested whether rainfall manipulations (severe drought, moderate drought, watering) alter the growth and reproductive success of the invasive annual Conyza canadensis, and if it translates into a change in the abundance of the species in a semiarid perennial grassland in Central Hungary. Overall, C. canadensis exhibited greater individual performance and higher abundance in drought plots than in control and watered plots. At individual level, plants showed the strongest response to moderate drought: they grew 2.5-times taller than in control and watered plots, and produced twice and 2.5-times more seeds than in watered and control plots, respectively. Reproductive phenology was advanced in response to rain exclusions. Although severe drought caused 40% mortality, the cumulative performance of C. canadensis, expressed as plot-level aboveground biomass, was consistently greater in severe drought plots than in control and watered plots throughout the 3 years of the study. The higher performance of C. canadensis in drought plots is most likely due to the decreased abundance and, thus, decreased competitive effect of previously dominant perennial grasses caused by the rain exclusions. We conclude that drier summers that suppress perennial grasses will favor this alien annual forb, and phenotypic plasticity in growth and reproduction may contribute to its invasion success.
Adolf Hurwitz, Geometer
Authors: Volkert Klaus
Published: July 2020

In diesem Beitrag wird die Probevorlesung vorgestellt, die Adolf Hurwitz anlässlich seiner Habilitation 1882 gehalten hat. Er gibt darin einen bemerkenswerten Überblick zur Lage der Geometrie zu dieser Zeit.
Materialism and the Experience of Flow
Authors: Isham Amy , Gatersleben Birgitta , Jackson Tim
Published: July 2020

The need to locate ways of living that can be both beneficial to personal well-being and ecologically sustainable is becoming increasingly important. Flow experiences show promise for the achievement of personal and ecological well-being. However, it is not yet understood how the materialistic values promoted by our consumer cultures may impact our ability to experience flow. A cross-sectional survey of 451 people demonstrated that materialistic values and an individual’s tendency to experience flow were negatively correlated (Study 1). Next we showed that experimentally priming a materialistic mind-set led to poorer quality flow experiences in a sample of students (Study 2) and British adults (Study 3). Our findings add to current understandings of the detrimental consequences of materialistic values and suggest that it is crucial to challenge the materialistic values present within our consumer societies if we are to provide opportunities for experiencing flow.
Rethinking the Use of Statistical Evidence to Prove Causation in Criminal Cases: A Tale of (Im)Probability and Free Will
Authors: Pundik Amit
Published: July 2020

Whenever a litigant needs to prove that a certain result was caused in a specific way, what could be more compelling than citing the infinitesimal probability of that result emanating from an alternative natural cause? Contrary to this intuitive position, in the present article, I argue that the contention that a result was due to a certain cause should remain unaffected by statistical evidence of the extremely low probability of an alternative cause. The only scenario in which the low probability of a natural cause would be relevant to the case at hand is if it were contrasted with another piece of statistical evidence: the frequency of the criminal activity among people who are similar to the accused. However, by connecting the use of probabilistic generalisations in legal fact-finding to the issue of free will, I hold that, in Criminal Law, contrasting frequencies in this manner is objectionable—as a matter of principle—regardless of how reliable the statistical analysis is. Consequently, if the low probability of a natural cause is probative only if contrasted with another piece of statistical evidence that is objectionable, then neither piece of evidence should be admitted in criminal trials.
Newspapers as a validation proxy for GIS modeling in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates: identifying flood-prone areas
Authors: Yagoub M. M. , Alsereidi Aishah A. , Mohamed Elfadil A. , Periyasamy Punitha , Alameri Reem , Aldarmaki Salama , Alhashmi Yaqein
Published: July 2020

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction listed 10 reasons businesses should reduce their disaster exposure, including risk factoring, which cannot be achieved without historical data about hazards, their locations, magnitudes, and frequencies. Substantial hazard data are reported by newspapers, which could add value to disaster management decision making. In this study, a text-mining program extracted keywords related to floods’ geographic location, date, and damages from newspaper analyses of flash floods in Fujairah, UAE, from 2000–2018. The paper describes extracting such information as well as geocoding and validating flood-prone areas generated through geographic information system (GIS) modeling. The generation of flood-prone areas was based on elevation, slope, land use, soil, and geology coupled with topographic wetness index, topographic position index, and curve number. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) produced relative weight for each factor, and GIS map algebra generated flood-prone areas. AHP inclusion helped minimize weight subjectivity among various experts. Of all areas, 85% are considered medium and low flood-prone zones, mainly mountainous areas. However, the 15% that are high/very high are dominated by urban areas in low coastal plains, predisposing them to flash floods. Eighty-four percent of flood events reported by newspapers were in areas rated as high/very high flood-prone zones. In the absence of flood records, newspapers reports can be used as a reference. Policymakers should assess whether flood-prone area models offer accurate analyses. These findings are useful for organizations related to disaster management, urban planning, insurance, archiving, and documentation.
The importance of specialized sleep investigations in children with a suprasellar tumor
Authors: van Schaik J. , Pillen S. , van Litsenburg R. R. L. , Vandenbussche N. L. E. , de Bont J. M. , Schouten-van Meeteren A. Y. N. , van Santen H. M.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Disruption of sleep has great impact on quality of life. In children with a suprasellar tumor and hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction, the circadian rhythm may be disturbed causing sleep problems. However, also other factors may influence sleep. Awareness of these different etiologies and careful history taking with appropriate additional diagnostics will aid in restoring sleep quality.

Methods

We present the workup of 4 cases with a suprasellar tumor and disturbances of sleep initiation, sleep maintenance, and daytime sleepiness. In parallel, we developed a flowchart, to aid clinicians in the diagnostics of sleep problems in children after treatment for a (supra) sellar brain tumor.

Results

All four patients, known with hypopituitarism, presented with sleep complaints and increased daytime sleepiness. In all four, the cause of sleep problems showed to be different. In the first case, sleep evaluation revealed a severe obstructive sleep apnea, whereupon nocturnal ventilation was started. The second case revealed poor sleep hygiene in combination with an obsessive compulsive disorder. Sleep hygiene was addressed and psychiatric consultation was offered. Dexamphetamine treatment was started to reduce her obsessive compulsive complaints. The third case showed a delayed sleep phase syndrome, which improved by educational support. The fourth case revealed a secondary organic hypersomnia for which modafinil treatment was started.

Conclusion

Sleep disturbances in children with hypopituitarism due to a (supra) sellar tumor can have different entities which require specific therapy. Awareness of these different entities is important to enable appropriate counseling. Referral to an expertise sleep center may be advised, if standard educational support is insufficient.
Language and Law in Multiethnic Societies: The Case of Transylvania
Authors: Veress Emőd
Published: July 2020

Transylvania is a multiethnic society that was part of the Hungarian legal space for centuries. Still, after the WWI, this territory became part of Romania, alongside with a significant number of Hungarian-speaking minority population. What happened with Hungarian as a legal language after the annexation of Transylvania to Romania? The article deals with the history and current status of Hungarian legal language in Romania, emphasizing the frequent contradictions between legal texts and realities, the importance of political context, and fluctuations in the minority rights. The focus is on two problems: the language of legal education and the language of the court proceedings. There are arguments brought to prove the conditionality between these two at the intersection of history of legal education and minority rights.
S-methyl-L-cysteine Protects against Antimycin A-induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neural Cells via Mimicking Endogenous Methionine-centered Redox Cycle
Authors: Ni Lan , Guan Xin-lei , Chen Fu-feng , Wu Peng-fei
Published: July 2020

Mitochondrial superoxide overproduction is believed to be responsible for the neurotoxicity associated with neurodegeneration. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, such as MitoQ, have emerged as potentially effective antioxidant therapies. Methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) is a key mitochondrial-localized endogenous antioxidative enzyme and it can scavenge oxidizing species by catalyzing the methionine (Met)-centered redox cycle (MCRC). In this study, we observed that the natural L-Met acted as a good scavenger for antimycin A-induced mitochondrial superoxide overproduction in PC12 cells. This antioxidation was largely dependent on the Met oxidase activity of MsrA. S-methyl-L-cysteine (SMLC), a natural analogue of Met that is abundantly found in garlic and cabbage, could activate the Met oxidase activity of MsrA to scavenge free radicals. Furthermore, SMLC protected against antimycin A-induced mitochondrial membrane depolarization and alleviated 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced neurotoxicity. Thus, our data highlighted the possibility for SMLC supplement in the detoxication of mitochondrial damage by activating the Met oxidase activity of MsrA.
Erratum to: Polysubstituted Phenyl Glucosides Produced by the Fungus Metarrhizium anisopliae
Authors: Wang Wen-jing , Dai Chong , Wang Jian-ping , Zhu Hu-cheng , Chen Chun-mei , Zhang Yong-hui
Published: July 2020

The article “Polysubstituted Phenyl Glucosides Produced by the Fungus Metarrhizium anisopliae”, written by Wen-jing WANG, Chong DAI, Jian-ping WANG, Hu-cheng ZHU, Chun-mei CHEN, Yong-hui ZHANG, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on May 2020 without open access. With the author(s)’ decision to opt for Open Choice, the copyright of the article is changed to © The Author(s) 2020 and the article is forthwith distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made..

The original article has been corrected.
Correction to: A Survey on 3D Visual Tracking of Multicopters
Authors: Fu Qiang , Chen Xiang-Yang , He Wei
Published: July 2020

The article A Survey on 3D Visual Tracking of Multicopters, written by Qiang Fu, Xiang-Yang Chen, Wei He, was originally published Online First without Open Access. After publication online first, the author decided to opt for Open Choice and to make the article an Open Access publication. Therefore, the copyright of the article has been changed to © The Author(s) 2019 and the article is forthwith distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, duplication, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

The original article has been corrected.
Emerging Importance of Survivin in Stem Cells and Cancer: the Development of New Cancer Therapeutics
Authors: Warrier Neerada Meenakshi , Agarwal Prasoon , Kumar Praveen
Published: July 2020

Survivin is one of the rare proteins that is differentially expressed in normal and cancer cells and is directly or indirectly involved in numerous pathways required for tumor maintenance. It is expressed in almost all cancers and its expression has been detected at early stages of cancer. These traits make survivin an exceptionally attractive target for cancer therapeutics. Even with these promising features to be an oncotherapeutic target, there has been limited success in the clinical trials targeting survivin. Only recently it has emerged that survivin was not being specifically targeted which could have resulted in the negative clinical outcome. Also, focus of research has now shifted from survivin expression in the overall heterogeneous tumor cell populations to survivin expression in cancer stem cells as these cells have proved to be the major drivers of tumors. Therefore, in this review we have analyzed the expression of survivin in normal and cancer cells with a particular focus on its expression in cancer stem cell compartment. We have discussed the major signaling pathways involved in regulation of survivin. We have explored the current development status of various types of interventions for inhibition of survivin. Furthermore, we have discussed the challenges involving the development of potent and specific survivin inhibitors for cancer therapeutics. Finally we have given insights for some of the promising future anticancer treatments.
Twins Support the Absence of Parity-Dependent Fertility Control in Pretransition Populations
Authors: Clark Gregory , Cummins Neil , Curtis Matthew
Published: July 2020

A conclusion of the European Fertility Project in 1986 was that pretransition populations mostly displayed natural fertility, where parity-dependent birth control was absent. This conclusion has recently been challenged for England by new empirical results and has also been widely rejected by theorists of long-run economic growth, where pre-industrial fertility control is integral to most models. In this study, we use the accident of twin births to show that for three Western European–derived pre-industrial populations—namely, England (1730–1879), France (1670–1788), and Québec (1621–1835)—we find no evidence for parity-dependent control of marital fertility. If a twin was born in any of these populations, family size increased by 1 compared with families with a singleton birth at the same parity and mother age, with no reduction of subsequent fertility. Numbers of children surviving to age 14 also increased. Twin births also show no differential effect on fertility when they occurred at high parities; this finding is in contrast to populations where fertility is known to have been controlled by at least some families, such as in England, 1900–1949, where a twin birth increased average births per family by significantly less than 1.
A fragile and divided European Union meets Covid-19: further disintegration or ‘Hamiltonian moment’?
Authors: Celi Giuseppe , Guarascio Dario , Simonazzi Annamaria
Published: July 2020

Despite being symmetric in its very nature, the Covid-19 shock is affecting European economies in a very asymmetric way, threatening to deepen the divide between core and peripheral countries even more. It is not Covid-19 itself, however, but the contradictions within the EU’s growth model and institutional architecture that would be to blame for such an outcome. The dramatic impact of the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic and the threat that it poses to Eurozone survival seem to have forced a reluctant Germany into action: a minor step, but an important signal. This note analyses the crossroads currently facing Europe—the risk of disintegration vis-a-vis the opportunity for a ‘Hamiltonian moment’—discussing possible future scenarios in the light of past developments.
Images as Data for Social Science Research
Authors: Webb Williams Nora , Casas Andreu , Wilkerson John D.
Published: July 2020

Images play a crucial role in shaping and reflecting political life. Digitization has vastly increased the presence of such images in daily life, creating valuable new research opportunities for social scientists. We show how recent innovations in computer vision methods can substantially lower the costs of using images as data. We introduce readers to the deep learning algorithms commonly used for object recognition, facial recognition, and visual sentiment analysis. We then provide guidance and specific instructions for scholars interested in using these methods in their own research.
Predicting SARS-CoV-2 Infection Trend Using Technical Analysis Indicators
Authors: Paroli Marino , Sirinian Maria Isabella
Published: July 2020

Objectives:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global health emergency caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to evaluate whether technical analysis (TA) indicators, commonly used in the financial market to spot security price trend reversals, might be proficiently used also to anticipate a possible increase of SARS-Cov-2 spread.

Methods:

Analysis was performed on datasets from Italy, Iran, and Brazil. TA indicators tested were: (1) the combined use of a faster (3-d) and a slower (20-d) simple moving averages (SMA), (2) the moving average converge/divergence (MACD), and (3) the divergence in the direction of the number of new daily cases trend and the corresponding MACD histogram.

Results:

We found that the use of both fast/slow SMAs and MACD provided a reliable signal of trend inversion of SARS-Cov-2 spread. Results were consistent for all the 3 countries considered. The trend reversals signaled by the indicators were always followed by a sustained trend persistence until a new signal of reversal appeared.

Conclusions:

TA indicators tested here proved to be reliable tools to identify in the short mid-term a subsequent change of direction of viral spread trend either downward, upward, or sideward.
Europe matters … upon closer investigation: a novel approach for analysing individual-level determinants of vote choice across first- and second-order elections, applied to 2019 Italy
Authors: Angelucci Davide , De Sio Lorenzo , Paparo Aldo
Published: July 2020

Are European Parliament (EP) elections still second-order? In this article, we test the classical model at the individual level in contrast to an alternative ‘Europe matters’ model, by investigating the relative importance of domestic vs. European Union (EU)-related issues among voter-level determinants of aggregate second-order effects, that is, individual party change. We do so by relying on an original, CAWI pre-electoral survey featuring a distinctively large (30) number of both domestic and EU-related, positional and valence issues, with issue attitudes measured according to the innovative ICCP scheme (De Sio and Lachat 2020) which includes issue positions, issue priorities and respondents' assessment of party credibility on both positional and valence goals. Leveraging the concept of ‘normal vote’, we estimate multivariate models of electoral defections from normal voting separately for general and European elections, based on issue party credibility. This allows us to assess: (a) the distinctiveness of the two electoral arenas in terms of issue content; and (b) the relative impact of EU-related and domestic issues on defections of Italian voters. Our findings show that although second-order effects are still relevant in accounting for results in EP elections, vote choice in the latter is also partly due to specific effects of certain policy issues, including some related to the European dimension. This indicates that EP elections have their own political content, for which Europe matters even after controlling for the importance that EU-related issues have acquired in national elections.