bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Artificial intelligence and real estate - not just an evolution, a real game changer!
Authors: Cajias Marcelo
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Digitalisation and AI are the most intensively discussed topics in the real estate industry. The subject aims at increasing the efficiency of existing processes and the institutional side of the industry is really interested. And in some ways, this is a breakthrough. This article elaborates on the current status quo and future path of the industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The real estate industry is evolving, and parts of the business are increasingly being conquered by “proptechs” and “fintechs”. They have come into real estate to stay not because they discovered inefficiencies in the way one manages and does business with real estate, but because they come with an arsenal of new technologies that can change the whole game. The article discusses a path for changing the game in real estate.

Findings

“location, location, location” has now evolved to “data, data, data”. However, there is one essential aspect that must be considered before the latter can become the real value creator: the ability of market players to analyse data. And this does not mean being an excellent Excel user. The near future sees a solution called Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) meaning that the econometric world constructed decades ago has an expiry date.

Originality/value

One needs to delete two myths from their mind: data quantity is proportional to accurate insights and that bringing your data to a cloud will deliver you with all the insights your business needs almost immediately.
Come together: trust, sociability and individual investors' stock-portfolio returns
Authors: Stålnacke Oscar
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Previous studies have found that trusting and sociable individuals are more likely to participate in the stock market and hold risky assets. The purpose of this paper is to explore if trust and sociability also are related to individual investors' stock-portfolio returns.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors study the questions in the paper by linking survey measures of trust and sociability to investors' actual stock portfolios.

Findings

The authors find that trusting investors acquire higher raw and risk-adjusted stock-portfolio returns, but that the returns do not differ depending on how sociable investors are. These results suggest that trust is important for investors' stock-portfolio decisions, and that trusting investors tend to perform better in the stock market than less-trusting investors.

Originality/value

This is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first paper that relates survey measures of trust and sociability to investors' actual stock-portfolio holdings. This is important to increase the understanding for how trust and sociability are related to the financial decisions individuals makes.
Football stocks: a new asset class attractive to institutional investors? Empirical results and impulses for researching investor motivations beyond return
Authors: Prigge Stefan , Tegtmeier Lars
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The aims of the research are twofold: (1) exploring whether football club stocks can be considered an asset class of their own; (2) investigating whether football stocks enable well-diversified investors to achieve more efficient risk-return combinations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using efficient frontier optimization, a base portfolio, with standard stocks and bonds, and a corresponding enhanced portfolio, which includes football stocks in the investment opportunity set, are defined. This procedure is applied to four portfolio composition rules. Pairwise comparisons of portfolio Sharpe ratios include a test for statistical significance.

Findings

The results indicate a low correlation of football stocks and standard stocks; thus, football stocks could be considered an asset class of their own. Nevertheless, the addition of football stocks to a well-diversified portfolio does not improve its risk-return efficiency because the weak performance of football stocks eliminates their advantage of low correlation.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the evidence that investments in football are different from ‘ordinary’ investments and need further research, particularly into market participants and their investment motives.

Practical implications

Football stocks are not attractive to pure financial investors. Thus, football clubs need to know more about which side benefits are appreciated by which kind of investor and how much it costs to produce these side benefits.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to analyse the risk-return efficiency of football stocks from the perspective of a pure financial investor, i.e. an investor in football stocks who does not earn side benefits, such as strategic investors or fan investors.
Up with data, down with siloes how businesses can connect ERP capabilities to better outcomes for their projects, their employees and their customers
Authors: Critzer Stacy , Koster Kim
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Employees are being forced to retreat to their home offices for remote working during the Covid-19 crisis, while employers are left wondering what the scattering of their workforces would do to collaboration, accountability and visibility across their organizations and whether it would give rise to the operational siloes and data fiefdoms that they had been bent on dismantling? At the epicenter of the pandemic, just the opposite was happening in the unlikeliest of places: a health-care operation in New York City. In a profession known for monolithic silos, at least one company was demonstrating how eliminating siloes can heighten collaboration, increase efficiency and ultimately yield better outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Businesses can promote visibility, the free flow of information and collaboration across an enterprise, while keeping siloes from creeping back into the organization looking at resource management, assessment of the quality of your data, along with ERP capabilities and alignment around project-specific and overarching strategic goals.

Findings

Four steps include defining the KPIs that will help drive your strategy – project-based and enterprise/portfolio-wide – using both internal and external benchmarks, looking for trends in the data and diving deeper. Once these practices and processes become the norm across an organization, the siloes that erode productivity and efficiency should start to crumble, and your real-world outcomes should begin to look a lot more like the ideal-world outcomes that you have been striving for. Then you will know your ERP upgrade has been worthwhile.

Originality/value

To select the right integrated tool for your organization, there are seven questions to ask, such as what is the architecture of the software? Is the software company you are buying from customer-focused? Will using the system properly yield cost savings for the organization?
Private Law and Housing Justice in Europe
Authors: Domurath Irina , Mak Chantal
Published: July 2020

This article explores the different meanings of the right to housing in Europe in public and private relations with housing providers. In light of the fundamental right to housing's meaning in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union, we offer a new reading of the CJEU judgments that have hitherto been heralded as extending the social dimension of EU (private) law. We submit that the emphasis on economic and procedural rights risks further ‘economisation’ of housing relations in Europe. While the possibilities to grant direct horizontal effect to the right to housing in EU law currently offer limited potential to counter this trend, private law provides part of the framework for a further balancing of social and economic elements in housing cases. Accordingly, we call for a debate on the specific aspects of horizontal relationships in the complex system of housing justice.
Towards Resilient Rotterdam? Key conditions for a networked approach to managing urban infrastructure risks
Authors: Huck Andreas , Monstadt Jochen , Driessen Peter P. J. , Rudolph‐Cleff Annette
Published: July 2020

Critical infrastructures are increasingly recognized to be playing important roles in urban resilience theory and practice. However, little is known about which governance challenges result from making them an integral part of urban resilience policies and what role city administrations play or could play in the resulting governance arrangements. We address these shortcomings in the scholarly literature by analysing the case of the Dutch city of Rotterdam, which has positioned itself as a front runner with regard to urban resilience. We find that the city administration is limited in its authority and depends on decisions made by other public and private actors, particularly those relating to the integrated management of interconnected infrastructure networks such as those for water and energy provision. We therefore argue that institutionalizing resilience will strongly depend on city administrations’ institutional capacity to manage networks more effectively. For this, we derive key conditions for institutional adjustments in current governance arrangements. Necessary adjustments include redefining roles and responsibilities for cross‐territorial risk management, cross‐sectoral and cross‐departmental budgeting of resilience measures, and integrating local actions and measures with those at regional and national levels of government. Our conclusions call for national and supranational legal reforms to establish uniform procedural rules for urban risk management and contingency planning to provide guidance for municipalities on how to enhance the resilience of their cities and infrastructures.
Self‐immolation Suicide in Greece: A Forensic Psychiatric Autopsy Study between 2011 and 2019
Authors: Papadodima Stavroula A. , Karakasi Maria ‐ Valeria , Pavlidis Pavlos , Nastoulis Evangelos , Fragkou Kallirroi , Dimitriou Konstantinos , Alexandri Maria , Markopoulou Maria , Douzenis Athanassios , Spiliopoulou Chara
Published: July 2020

Self‐immolation is a rare suicide method in the developed countries of the western world (0.06–1%); however, it has relatively higher prevalence rates in the developing countries of Asia and Africa (6–57%). The present study aims to examine self‐immolation suicides within the Greek mainland (Attiki, Thrace, and Peloponnese) over a period of 9 years (2011–2019) in order to investigate the phenomenon in the Greek population forensically, identify the characteristics and motivations of suicide victims, explore its associations to socio‐cultural or psychiatric factors, and describe a fatal case of suicide by self‐immolation that was partially recorded on camera. The medical files (autopsy reports) of cases performed at the Departments of Forensic Medicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Democritus University of Thrace, and the Forensic Service of Messinia—Peloponnese were retrospectively examined yielding 19 cases of suicides by self‐immolation. A 3.7% prevalence of suicide by self‐immolation among suicide fatalities within the Greek population was estimated. A distinctive feature of the Greek population regarding self‐immolation was disclosed that it is being practiced predominantly by the elderly (mean age 2–3.5 decades higher than other countries). The phenomenon correlated strongly with poorly controlled mental disorders (mostly affective and adjustment disorders). Unlike other countries, there was no significant association with domestic or sexual violence, social or political protest, or religious issues. Therefore, the suicide victims preferred secluded or private outdoor locations (not public). Findings deriving from the examined variables localize Greek population culturally between the Western European and Asian African countries, but with its own idiosyncrasies.
State Intervention Does Not Support the Development of the Media Sector: Lessons from Korea and Japan
Authors: Otmazgin Nissim
Published: July 2020

Contemporary media production in East Asia has been booming in recent decades, reaching consumers of various nationalities to an extent unseen before. Concurrently, various collaborations in the production and promotion of movies, TV programs, animation, videogames, music, and the like have intensified and become more effective in delivering cultural content across national borders. The state in East Asia, once considered a custodian of local culture and a censor of foreign influences, has gradually changed its position and now views media production and its export as an integral part of market activity beneficial for both economy and diplomacy. Drawing upon governmental reports and interviews with government officials and media industry personnel in Korea and Japan, this paper examines the way the state reacts to the massive production and export of media culture, its attempt to integrate it within its developmental economic model, and the bureaucratic restructuring this process entails. The central argument presented is that state policy toward the media sector, and the abundance of institutions dealing with this sector in Korea and Japan, are the result of the growth of market‐led media production and globalization. In other words, media industry development is not the result of policy, policy is the result of media industry development. In a wider context, this paper aims to better conceptualize the relations between state policy and media production in East Asia and the dynamics of industrial globalization under state guidance.
How Chinese Filmmakers Effectively Respond to Chinese Government Policy for Enhancing Their Competitiveness
Authors: Moon Hwy‐Chang , Yin Wenyan
Published: July 2020

In spite of the substantial liberalization of China’s film industry, it is still highly regulated and protected from foreign competition through a series of policy measures. In the midst of pushing both liberalization and protectionism, Chinese firms tend to exploit favorable government policies and avoid restrictive regulations through alternative options to maximize profits. Most preceding studies emphasized the liberalization efforts by the Chinese government as a significant contribution to the film industry, while neglecting the response and strategies of Chinese filmmakers that have upgraded their overall competitiveness. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the government‐firm interplay and their influences on the enhanced competitive advantages of Chinese filmmakers and the film industry, by utilizing the theoretical framework of the ABCD model to demonstrate this interaction. Based on the comprehensive analysis of both Chinese achievements and remaining challenges, this study further provides useful policy implications for improving China’s film industry.
Distribution of a model biocontrol agent (Serenade® MAX) in apple and pear by mason bees and bumble bees
Authors: Maebe Kevin , Vanderhaegen Ruben , Pisman Matti , Eeraerts Maxime , Cottyn Bart , Vanhoutte Bart , Smagghe Guy
Published: July 2020

Biocontrol agents (BCAs) are commonly sprayed on flowering pipfruit trees to prevent them from getting infected by various pathogens. By entomovectoring, BCAs can be directly delivered onto the flowers. However, we currently lack knowledge on the distribution dynamics of BCAs by pollinators.

Here, managed bees, both bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) and mason bees (Osmia bicornis and Osmia cornuta), were placed in the vicinity of flowering pipfruit trees (pear ‐‘Conference’, and apple—‘Svatava’ and ‘Jonagold’), and this allowed us to investigate the distribution of a model BCA, namely, Serenade® MAX, from spray‐inoculated flowers of a centralized tree to non‐inoculated flowers of surrounding receiver trees by bees in an experimental setup in outdoor conditions.

One hour after inoculation, we detected an enrichment of BCA in the flowers of the receiver trees and this for each tested pipfruit.

The distribution of BCA from treated to untreated flowers was homogenous between the receiver trees for ‘Svatava’, while significantly different loads were detected for both ‘Conference’ and ‘Jonagold’, which might be due to differences in environmental factors, and/or bee characteristics.

More research is needed to understand the distribution dynamics of BCAs by pollinators in field conditions, such as in commercial orchards or crop fields, and how this could result in an efficient control.
Altered expression of CYP17A1 and CYP19A1 in undescended testes of dogs with unilateral cryptorchidism
Authors: Krzeminska P. , Stachowiak M. , Skrzypski M. , Nowak T. , Maslak A. , Switonski M.
Published: July 2020

Cryptorchidism is the most common disorder of sex development in dogs and testosterone plays a crucial role in the inguinal phase of the testes descending into the scrotum. The molecular background of impaired testosterone synthesis in the testes of cryptorchid dogs is poorly elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the expression of four genes involved in testicular steroidogenesis (CYP17A1, CYP19A1, HSD3B2 and HSD17B3) in undescended and contralateral scrotal testes from inguinal unilateral cryptorchid dogs (n = 13) and from the scrotal gonads of normal males (n = 15). We found that transcript level of CYP17A1 was significantly increased in inguinal gonads, while the level of CYP19A1 was decreased. For these two genes, we analyzed the methylation level of single CpG sites in the promoter region localized within putative target sites for testicular transcription factors (NUR77, CREB, CAR and HSF2). A correlation between decreased methylation in the promoter of CYP17A1 and its increased transcript level in undescended gonads was observed, but the change in protein level was not significant. We also resequenced the 5ʹ‐flanking region of both genes and two known polymorphic sites, SNP in CYP17A1 and an indel in CYP19A1, were found. However, the distribution of the variants in affected (n = 80) and control (n = 75) dogs was not associated with cryptorchidism. We tentatively conclude that the altered expression of CYP17A1 and CYP19A1 in undescended testes could be caused by their exposure to increased temperature in the body. Furthermore, we showed that the identified polymorphisms cannot be considered markers associated with a predisposition to cryptorchidism.
Lack of association between glutathione S‐transferase M1 and T1 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to preeclampsia: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Sljivancanin Jakovljevic Tamara , Jacimovic Jelena , Nikolic Nadja , Milasin Jelena
Published: July 2020

Insufficient response to oxidative stress in placenta is proposed as a contributing factor for preeclampsia (PE) development. Glutathione S‐transferases (GST) have significant role in detoxification processes. Conflicting results were published by several research groups regarding GST T1 and GST M1 deletion polymorphism as risk factors for PE. The aim of the present meta‐analysis was to get a better understanding of the impact of these polymorphisms in preeclampsia development. To identify relevant case‐control studies, the author team searched Clarivate Analytics Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, major subject journals, and gray literature. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for GST M1 and GST T1 deletion polymorphism and preeclampsia were derived from random effects models. This meta‐analysis included 10 eligible studies. The pooled analyses showed no association between GST M1/GST T1 deletion polymorphisms and susceptibility to PE. Even though high heterogeneity was founded among results for GST M1 and double null genotypes, Egger's and Begg's tests (0.17 and 0.18, respectively) revealed no statistical evidence of publication bias among included studies. The present updated systematic review and meta‐analysis found no association between GST M1 and GST T1 deletion polymorphism and PE risk.
Testosterone, mood, behaviour and quality of life
Authors: Zitzmann Michael
Published: July 2020

Testosterone plays a pivotal role in maintaining balance within the multi‐dimensional psychological network of mood, behaviour, self‐perception and perceived quality of life in men of any age. Apart from classical forms of hypogonadism, low testosterone concentrations can also be seen in older men, described as an age‐ and comorbidity‐driven functional hypogonadism and might relate to depressive symptoms exhibiting a wide array of clinical pictures ranging from dysthymia and fatigue over inertia, listlessness to hopelessness and suicidal thoughts. Also, various traits of anxiety, from unfocussed fear to phobic anxiousness and open panic syndromes, are influenced by testosterone. Correspondingly, anxiolysis is likely to be modulated by testosterone via stress resilience, threat vigilance and reward processing. The steroid modulates pro‐active and re‐active dimensions of aggression, which has to be seen within the context of gaining or maintaining status. This may also include other strategies impacting the social position: heroic or parochial altruism and non‐aggressive paths of assertiveness, such as posture and social vigilance. Independent rather than relationship‐associated self‐construal and self‐esteem influence risk‐taking traits under the modulation of testosterone. In addition, the genetic setting of the androgen receptor modulates the role of testosterone in aspects regarding mood and personality. Dimensions of sexuality are rather important in this context, but are not target of this article and covered in another part of this special edition. Overall, the quality of life in older hypogonadal men can be positively influenced by testosterone substitution, as has been demonstrated in large placebo‐controlled trials.
Letter: faecal microbiota transplantation for IBS
Authors: Segal Jonathan P. , Mullish Benjamin H. , Quraishi Mohammed Nabil , Iqbal Tariq H.
Published: July 2020

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Lahtinen et al papers. To view these articles, visit
https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15810 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15875.
Letter: ACE2, Rho kinase inhibition and the potential role of vitamin D against COVID‐19
Authors: Bertoldi Giovanni , Gianesello Lisa , Calò Lorenzo A.
Published: July 2020

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Panarese et al and Kumar et al papers. To view these articles, visit
https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15752 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15801.
Measuring and reporting treatment adherence: What can we learn by comparing two respiratory conditions?
Authors: Tibble Holly , Flook Mary , Sheikh Aziz , Tsanas Athanasios , Horne Rob , Vrijens Bernard , De Geest Sabina , Stagg Helen R.
Published: July 2020

Medication non‐adherence, defined as any deviation from the regimen recommended by their healthcare provider, can increase morbidity, mortality and side effects, while reducing effectiveness. Through studying two respiratory conditions, asthma and tuberculosis (TB), we thoroughly review the current understanding of the measurement and reporting of medication adherence. In this paper, we identify major methodological issues in the standard ways that adherence has been conceptualised, defined and studied in asthma and TB. Between and within the two diseases there are substantial variations in adherence reporting, linked to differences in dosing intervals and treatment duration. Critically, the communicable nature of TB has resulted in dose‐by‐dose monitoring becoming a recommended treatment standard. Through the lens of these similarities and contrasts, we highlight contemporary shortcomings in the generalised conceptualisation of medication adherence. Furthermore, we outline elements in which knowledge could be directly transferred from one condition to the other, such as the application of large‐scale cost‐effective monitoring methods in TB to resource‐poor settings in asthma. To develop a more robust evidence‐based approach, we recommend the use of standard taxonomies detailed in the ABC taxonomy when measuring and discussing adherence. Regimen and intervention development and use should be based on sufficient evidence of the commonality and type of adherence behaviours displayed by patients with the relevant condition. A systematic approach to the measurement and reporting of adherence could improve the value and generalisability of research across all health conditions.
Effectiveness of first‐line cetuximab in wild‐type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer according to tumour BRAF mutation status from the EREBUS cohort
Authors: Rouyer Magali , François Eric , Sa Cunha Antonio , Monnereau Alain , Bignon Emmanuelle , Jové Jérémy , Lassalle Régis , Droz‐Perroteau Cécile , Moore Nicholas , Noize Pernelle , Fourrier‐Réglat Annie , Smith Denis
Published: July 2020

Aims

Poor efficacy has been reported for patients with BRAF mutations for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Methods

EREBUS is a French cohort study of wild‐type (wt) KRAS unresectable mCRC patients initiating a first‐line treatment with cetuximab from 2009 to 2010, followed for two years (five years for vital status). Molecular genetics platforms have provided additional RAS and BRAF mutation testing results. Progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed according to tumour mutation (mt) status: RASmt/BRAFany, RASwt/BRAFmt and RASwt/BRAFwt. Multivariate Cox analyses were used to evaluate association between mutation status and death or progression.

Results

A total of 389 patients were included in 65 centres and with a known tumour mutation status: 64 RASmt/BRAFany (21%), 33 RASwt/BRAFmt (13%) and 213 RASwt/BRAFwt (87%). Respective baseline characteristics were: median age 65, 64 and 63 years, male gender 63%, 64% and 69%, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤ 1 75%, 76% and 79%, and liver‐only metastases 39%, 33% and 40%. Median progression‐free survival was 8.0 months [5.9–9.3] for patients with RASmt/BRAFany, 6.0 months [2.3–7.2] for patients with RASwt/BRAFmt, and 10.4 months [9.5–11.0] for patients with RASwt/BRAFwt. Respectively, median overall survival was 18.4 months [10.9–23.3], 9.7 months [6.9–16.6] and 29.3 months [26.3–36.1]. In multivariate analyses, progression (HR = 2.71 [1.79–4.10]) and death (HR = 2.79 [1.81–4.30]) were more likely for RASwt/BRAFmt vs RASwt/BRAFwt patients.

Conclusions

BRAF mutations were associated with markedly poorer outcomes in initially unresectable RASwt mCRC patients treated by cetuximab in first‐line treatment.
‘What a dog will see and kill, a cat will see and ignore it’: An exploration of health‐related help‐seeking among older Ghanaian men residing in Ghana and the United Kingdom
Authors: Alidu Lailah , Grunfeld Elizabeth A.
Published: July 2020

Background

Health care utilization rates are lower among men; however, little is known about how men’s health care utilization is affected by migration. The aim of this study was to explore health‐related help‐seeking decisions among older Ghanaian men residing in the United Kingdom and in Ghana.

Methods

Twenty‐six men aged 50 years or over were recruited from community locations within two large cities in the UK and Ghana. Face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews were undertaken to explore the illness and help‐seeking experiences of older men.

Results

Help‐seeking experiences differed among the Ghanaian men living in the UK and in Ghana. Three themes were identified that impacted on help‐seeking decisions: (1) pluralistic approaches to managing health and illness and (2) perceptions of formal health services in Ghana and UK and (3) financial constraints and masculinity norms as barriers to help‐seeking.

Conclusion

This is the first study to look at help‐seeking decisions among older men residing in the UK and Ghana. Findings highlight how older migrant men’s explanatory models of their health encompass enduring faith‐based beliefs around causation of illness and approaches to management, as well as the use of pluralistic approaches to managing health. This study supports the call for culturally sensitive community‐based interventions to increase engagement and facilitate improved health outcomes for migrant populations, particularly older men.
House dust endotoxin, asthma and allergic sensitization through childhood into adolescence
Authors: Gehring Ulrike , Wijga Alet H. , Koppelman Gerard H. , Vonk Judith M. , Smit Henriëtte A. , Brunekreef Bert
Published: July 2020

Background

House dust endotoxin may have beneficial effects on allergic sensitization and asthma in children. Evidence is scarce for adolescents and most studies so far have been cross‐sectional and limited to a single exposure measurement.

Objective

We assessed associations of house dust endotoxin with asthma and allergic sensitization from birth to age 17 years longitudinally taking into account exposure early in life and at primary school age.

Methods

We used data of 854 participants of the prospective Dutch PIAMA birth cohort study with house dust endotoxin measurements at 3 months and/or 5‐6 years and data on asthma and/or allergic sensitization from at least one of 11 follow‐ups until age 17. We assessed overall and age‐specific associations of the prevalence of asthma and sensitization with mattress and living room floor dust concentrations (per gram of dust) and loads (per m2 of sampling surface).

Results

Higher living room floor dust endotoxin concentrations at 3 months were associated with lower odds of asthma until age 4 [odds ratio (95% confidence interval) ranging from 0.70 (0.51‐0.97) at age 1 to 0.76 (0.57‐1.00) at age 3 per interquartile range increase], but not thereafter in children of allergic mothers. Higher living room floor dust endotoxin at 5‐6 years was associated with higher odds of sensitization at 8‐16 years [eg odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.70 (1.17‐2.47) per interquartile range increase in endotoxin load].

Conclusions and clinical relevance

House dust endotoxin may have beneficial effects on asthma in preschool children of allergic mothers, which do not persist into adolescence. Beneficial associations with allergic sensitization could not be confirmed.
Expression Packing: As‐Few‐As‐Possible Training Expressions for Blendshape Transfer
Authors: Carrigan E. , Zell E. , Guiard C. , McDonnell R.
Published: July 2020

To simplify and accelerate the creation of blendshape rigs, using a template rig is a common procedure, especially during the creation of digital doubles. Blendshape transfer methods facilitate copy and paste functionality of the blendshapes from the template model to the digital double. However, for adequate personalization, such methods require a set of scanned training expressions of the original actor. So far, the semantics of the facial expressions to scan have been defined manually. In contrast, we formulate the semantics of the facial expressions as an integer optimization of the blendshape weights. By combining different blendshapes of the template model, our method creates facial expressions that serve as semantic references during scanning. Our method guarantees to compute as‐few‐as‐possible training expressions with minimal overlap of activated blendshapes. If the number of training expressions is limited, blendshapes are selected based on their power to personalize the resulting blendshapes compared to generic blendshape transfer methods.
Segment Tracing Using Local Lipschitz Bounds
Authors: Galin Eric , Guérin Eric , Paris Axel , Peytavie Adrien
Published: July 2020

We introduce Segment Tracing, a new algorithm that accelerates the classical Sphere Tracing method for computing the intersection between a ray and an implicit surface. Our approach consists in computing the Lipschitz bound locally over a segment to improve the marching step computation and accelerate the overall process. We describe the computation of the Lipschitz bound for different operators and primitives. We demonstrate that our algorithm significantly reduces the number of field function queries compared to previous methods, without the need for additional accelerating data‐structures. Our method can be applied to a vast variety of implicit models ranging from hierarchical procedural objects built from complex primitives, to simulation‐generated implicit surfaces created from many particles.
A Survey on Sketch Based Content Creation: from the Desktop to Virtual and Augmented Reality
Authors: Bhattacharjee Sukanya , Chaudhuri Parag
Published: July 2020

Sketching is one of the most natural ways for representing any object pictorially. It is however, challenging to convert sketches to 3D content that is suitable for various applications like movies, games and computer aided design. With the advent of more accessible Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, sketching can potentially become a more powerful yet easy‐to‐use modality for content creation. In this state‐of‐the‐art report, we aim to present a comprehensive overview of techniques related to sketch based content creation, both on the desktop and in VR/AR. We discuss various basic concepts related to static and dynamic content creation using sketches. We provide a structured review of various aspects of content creation including model generation, coloring and texturing, and finally animation. We try to motivate the advantages that VR/AR based sketching techniques and systems can offer into making sketch based content creation a more accessible and powerful mode of expression. We also discuss and highlight various unsolved challenges that current sketch based techniques face with the goal of encouraging future research in the domain.
Salivary gland hyalinizing clear‐cell carcinoma with cutaneous metastasis: A rare and deceptive tumor
Authors: Abou Shaar Rand , Zia Sheeren , Alhamar Mohamed , Romano Theresa , Shaw Brandon , Keller Christian , Friedman Ben J.
Published: July 2020

Clear‐cell carcinoma (CCC) is an uncommon malignant tumor of minor salivary glands. It characteristically has a low‐grade morphology and a favorable outcome by most reports. An EWSR1‐ATF1 fusion can be detected in the majority of cases. We present a rare case of CCC, which had an aggressive course with the development of cutaneous metastases. Practicing dermatopathologists should be aware of this tumor given its low‐grade appearance and histopathologic resemblance to other primary cutaneous adnexal and metastatic neoplasms.
Alternatives for natural‐gas‐based heating systems: A quantitative GIS‐based analysis of climate impacts and financial feasibility
Authors: Verhagen Teun Johannes , van der Voet Ester , Sprecher Benjamin
Published: July 2020

The heating of buildings currently produces 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable heating technologies can reduce heating‐related CO2 emissions by up to 90%. We present a Python‐based GIS model to analyze the environmental and financial impact of strategies to reduce heating‐related CO2 emissions of residential buildings. The city‐wide implementation of three alternatives to natural gas are evaluated: high‐temperature heating networks, low‐temperature heating networks, and heat pumps. We find that both lowering the demand for heat and providing more sustainable sources of heat will be necessary to achieve significant CO2‐emission reductions. Of the studied alternatives, only low‐temperature heating networks and heat pumps have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 90%. A CO2 tax and an increase in tax on the use of natural gas are potent policy tools to accelerate the adoption of low‐carbon heating technologies.
Wart removal without anesthesia using long‐pulse 1064‐nm Nd:YAG laser
Authors: Zorman Anže , Koron Neža
Published: July 2020

Background

Warts are benign epithelial proliferations that result from human papillomavirus (HPV) infection occurring on the skin and mucosa. Patients express a significant reduction in quality of life due to this cosmetic nuisance, as well as functional problems and physical discomfort. Newer methods of wart removal include different energy‐based devices, mostly lasers. Nonablative lasers such as Nd:YAG have a higher success rate and are usually used with topical or infiltrative anesthesia. The procedure may be safer without anesthesia but still tolerable with an appropriate cooling and technique.

Aims

The purpose of this study is to report on our experience over 3 years since the approach without anesthesia has been utilized.

Patients/Methods

A retrospective chart review analysis of all 85 patients who underwent 1064 nm Nd:YAG wart removal without anesthesia between November 2016 and August 2019 was conducted. One of the main outcome measures was determining the number of sessions required in order to get full clearance.

Results

The mean number of sessions was 2.2 (range 1‐7). The mean VAS pain score during the procedure was 6 (range: 2‐10), and side effects were negligible.

Conclusion

Long‐pulse 1064‐nm Nd:YAG laser without any chemical anesthesia is safe and effective for the treatment of warts.
Body Mass Index Correlates with Skin to Spinal Canal Distance: A Large Retrospective Single‐Center Study
Authors: Mahmoudi Keon , Joon Young , Kihira Shingo , Goldstein Jonathan , Garvey Katherine Laura , Platt Samantha , Belani Puneet , Rigney Brian , Naidich Thomas , Costa Anthony , Doshi Amish
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Despite increasing demand for fluoroscopy‐guided lumbar puncture (FG‐LP), there is limited quantitative and epidemiological data on patients undergoing this procedure. Additionally, data are scarce on the correlation of iliac crest landmarks to the actual anatomical lumbar level (intercristal line). The aim of this study is to determine if (1) body mass index (BMI) correlates with skin to spinal canal distance (SCD) and (2) the iliac crest landmark correlates with the presumed anatomical landmark on cross‐sectional imaging.

METHODS

In this retrospective, single‐center IRB‐approved study, we assessed 495 patients who underwent FG‐LP and had lumbar computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging within 6 months of presentation. SCD was measured on the sagittal view at the L3‐L4, L4‐L5, and L5‐S1 intervertebral levels.

RESULTS

In our cohort of 495 adults (mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 53.2 ± 16.4 years), there was a statistically significant linear correlation between BMI and SCD at each intervertebral level. Mean ± SD (R2) SCD at L3‐4, L4‐5, and L5‐S1 was 6.7 ± 1.6 cm (.5486), 7.4 ± 1.9 cm (.5894), and 7.8 ± 1.9 cm (.5968), respectively. The intercristal line aligned with L3‐L4, L4‐L5, and L5‐S1 in 2.1%, 72.4%, and 6.2% of patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

There was direct, positive linear correlation between BMI and SCD at clinically relevant lumbar disc levels. Furthermore, there is considerable anatomical variance in the intervertebral space that aligns with the superior aspect of the iliac crest.
Synovial tissue cytokine profile in disc displacement of the temporomandibular joint
Authors: Ulmner Mattias , Sugars Rachael , Naimi‐Akbar Aron , Suslu Safiyye , Reseland Janne Elin , Kruger‐Weiner Carina , Lund Bodil
Published: July 2020

Background

Symptomatic disc displacement (DD) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) may cause pain and limited mouth opening. The aetiopathogenesis is obscure and probably complex, which makes the diagnostic classification crude and mainly based on clinical criteria rather than disease mechanisms, and tissue characteristics.

Objectives

The study aim was to characterise and quantify synovial tissue in DD, where specific cytokine patterns might serve as potential biomarkers.

Methods

An observational cohort study was performed harvesting synovial tissue from 63 patients: 44 with DD without reduction (DDwoR) and 19 with DD with reduction (DDwR). DDwoR was subdivided depending on type of onset (sudden, n = 17; delayed, n = 27), and DDwR served as the control group. Proteins were extracted from tissue samples and investigated in a multi‐analytic profiling system.

Results

DDwoR patients had significantly higher concentrations in 12 out of 28 analysed cytokines compared to DDwR. In the same statistical model, significantly lower concentrations of interferon gamma‐induced protein (IP) 10, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and RANTES were detected in DDwoR patients. Women showed significantly higher concentrations of epidermal growth factor and interleukin (IL) 1ra compared to men. DDwoR with sudden onset had significant higher concentrations of bone morphogenetic protein 4, eotaxin and IL‐8 compared to DDwoR with delayed onset.

Conclusions

Characterising the biomarker panel for TMJ conditions may serve as suggestible targets for disease classification and novel treatment options. The significantly lower concentrations of IP‐10, OPG and RANTES could be proposed as putative markers for the separation of the studied conditions to other TMJ diseases.
Digital Duplication and 3D Printing for Implant Overdenture Fabrication
Authors: Yang Yang , Yang Zhen , Lin Wei‐Shao , Chen Li , Tan Jianguo
Published: July 2020

This technical report describes a workflow to fabricate an implant overdenture via digital duplication of an interim complete removable dental prosthesis and additive manufacturing (3D printing). An edentulous patient was provided with an interim maxillary denture after implant placement. After 4 months of healing, the existing interim denture was scanned, duplicated via 3D printing, and used to make the final impression, record the maxillomandibular interocclusal relationship, and transfer the esthetic information to the definitive implant overdenture. The framework of the implant overdenture was digitally designed and manufactured using a direct metal printing (DMP) system. This digital duplication workflow facilitated the implant overdenture fabrication with favorable clinical outcomes.
Modeling melanopsin‐mediated effects of light on circadian phase, melatonin suppression, and subjective sleepiness
Authors: Tekieh Tahereh , Lockley Steven W. , Robinson Peter A. , McCloskey Stephen , Zobaer M. S. , Postnova Svetlana
Published: July 2020

A physiologically based model of arousal dynamics is improved to incorporate the effects of the light spectrum on circadian phase resetting, melatonin suppression, and subjective sleepiness. To account for these nonvisual effects of light, melanopic irradiance replaces photopic illuminance that was used previously in the model. The dynamic circadian oscillator is revised according to the melanopic irradiance definition and tested against experimental circadian phase resetting dose‐response and phase response data. Melatonin suppression function is recalibrated against melatonin dose‐response data for monochromatic and polychromatic light sources. A new light‐dependent term is introduced into the homeostatic weight component of subjective sleepiness to represent the direct alerting effect of light; the new term responds to light change in a time‐dependent manner and is calibrated against experimental data. The model predictions are compared to a total of 14 experimental studies containing 26 data sets for 14 different spectral light profiles. The revised melanopic model shows on average 1.4 times lower prediction error for circadian phase resetting compared to the photopic‐based model, 3.2 times lower error for melatonin suppression, and 2.1 times lower error for subjective sleepiness. Overall, incorporating melanopic irradiance allowed simulation of wavelength‐dependent responses to light and could explain the majority of the observations. Moving forward, models of circadian phase resetting and the direct effects of light on alertness and sleep need to use nonvisual photoreception‐based measures of light, for example, melanopic irradiance, instead of the traditionally used illuminance based on the visual system.
Interaction between CHOP and FoxO6 promotes hepatic lipid accumulation
Authors: Kim Dae Hyun , Kim Byeong Moo , Chung Ki Wung , Choi Yeon Ja , Yu Byung Pal , Chung Hae Young
Published: July 2020

Background & Aims

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is one of the major causes of hepatic insulin resistance through increasing de novo lipogenesis. Forkhead box O6 (FoxO6) is a transcription factor mediating insulin signalling to glucose and lipid metabolism, therefore, dysregulated FoxO6 is involved in hepatic insulin resistance. In this study, we elucidated the role of FoxO6 in ER stress‐induced hepatic lipogenesis.

Methods

Hepatic ER stress responses and lipogenesis were monitored in mice overexpressed with constitutively active FoxO6 allele and FoxO6‐null mice. In the in vitro study, HepG2 cells overexpressing constitutively active FoxO6 were treated with palmitate, and then alterations in ER stress and lipid metabolism were measured.

Results

FoxO6 activation induced hepatic lipogenesis and the expression of ER stress‐inducible genes. The expression and transcriptional activity of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) were significantly increased in constitutively active FoxO6 allele. Interestingly, we found that the active FoxO6 physically interacted with C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), an ER stress‐inducible transcription factor, which was responsible for PPARγ expression. Palmitate treatment caused the expression of ER stress‐inducible genes, which was deteriorated by FoxO6 activation in HepG2 cells. Palmitate‐induced ER stress led to PPARγ expression through interactions between CHOP and FoxO6 corresponding to findings in the in vivo study. On the other hand, the expression of PPARα and β‐oxidation were decreased in constitutively active FoxO6 allele which implied that lipid catabolism is also regulated by FoxO6.

Conclusion

Our data present significant evidence demonstrating that CHOP and FoxO6 interact to induce hepatic lipid accumulation through PPARγ expression during ER stress.
The role of adipokines in the modulation of lymphoid lineage cell development and activity: An overview
Authors: Żelechowska Paulina , Brzezińska‐Błaszczyk Ewa , Kusowska Aleksandra , Kozłowska Elżbieta
Published: July 2020

Adipokines are predominantly known to play a vital role in the control of food intake, energy homeostasis and regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. However, evidence supporting the concept of their extensive involvement in immune system defence mechanisms and inflammatory processes continues to grow. Some of the adipokines, that is, leptin and resistin, have been recognized to exhibit mainly pro‐inflammatory properties, whereas others such as visfatin, chemerin, apelin and vaspin have been found to exert regulatory effects. In contrast, adiponectin or omentin are known for their anti‐inflammatory activities. Hence, adipokines influence the activity of various cells engaged in innate immune response and inflammatory processes mainly by affecting adhesion molecule expression, chemotaxis, apoptosis and phagocytosis, as well as mediators production and release. However, much less is known about the role of adipokines in processes involving lymphoid lineage cells. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the importance of different adipokines in the lymphopoiesis, recirculation, differentiation and polarization of lymphoid lineage cells. It also provides insight into the influence of selected adipokines on the activity of those cells in tissues.
The Invisible Thin Red Line
Authors: Torrengo Giuliano , Iaquinto Samuele
Published: July 2020

The aim of this paper is to argue that the adoption of an unrestricted principle ofbivalenceis compatible with a metaphysics that (i) denies that the future is real, (ii) adopts nomological indeterminism and (iii) exploits a branching structure to provide a semantics for future contingent claims. To this end, we elaborate what we call Flow Fragmentalism, a view inspired by Kit Fine's non‐standard tense realism, according to which reality is divided up into maximally coherent collections of tensed facts. In this way, we show how to reconcile a genuinely A‐theoretic branching time model with the idea that there is a branch corresponding to the thin red line, that is, the branch that will turn out to be the actual future history of the world.