bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Age stratification corrects bias in estimated hazard of APOE genotype for Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Liu Li , Caselli Richard J.
Published: October 2018

Introduction

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) e4 allele is a major genetic risk factor of late‐onset Alzheimer's disease. However, its interaction with two other canonical risk factors, age and sex, is not clear. Previous studies have reported conflicting results on its differential effects in men and women, its association with young‐onset AD before the age of 65 years, and its significance in genetic admixture populations. In these studies, the hazard of the e4 allele was assumed to be constant during aging. However, this hypothesis has not been tested and its violation may lead to significant biases and contribute to such discrepant findings.

Methods

In a prospective cohort of 4727 subjects, we performed Cox regression analysis of the association of the e4 allele with AD age of onset. We then performed diagnostics on the resulting model and tested if the hazard of the e4 allele violated the assumption of proportionality during aging. We examined whether incorporating age stratifications and time‐dependent coefficients could restore the proportionality. We then validated our findings in four independent cohorts.

Results

Hazard of the e4 allele for AD was nonproportional. It took a stepwise decline around the age of 80 years for men and around the age of 75 years for women. By stratifying subjects into a younger group and an older group, we detected more consistent effects of the e4 allele across multiple independent cohorts. We also found that the e4 allele was a significant risk factor for young‐onset AD with age of onset before 65 years.

Discussion

Age compositions of study cohorts can significantly bias the estimated effect of the APOE genotype. Studies of AD should consider hidden age structures among subjects and routinely employ appropriate age and sex stratification strategies or nonparametric modeling in experimental designs and data analysis. Finally, we argue that the e4 allele is a risk factor not only for late‐onset AD but also for young‐onset AD.
Beyond Hands On
Authors: Goldsmith David W.
Published: October 2018

Hands-on learning in paleontology, and geology in general, is fairly common practice. Students regularly use rocks, fossils, and data in the classroom throughout their undergraduate career, but they typically do it sitting in a chair in a lab. Kinesthetic learning is a teaching model that requires students to be physically active while learning. Students may be involved in a physical activity during class or might be using their own bodies to model some important concept. This paper briefly discusses the theory behind kinesthetic learning and how it fits into a student-centered, active-learning classroom. It then describes in detail methods for incorporating it into student exercises on biostratigraphy, assessment of sampling completeness, and modeling evolutionary processes. Assessment data demonstrates that these exercises have led to significantly improved student learning outcomes tied to these concepts.
A porcine model to study the effect of brain death on kidney genomic responses
Authors: Sally Mitchell B. , Malinoski Darren J. , Zaldivar Frank P. , Le Tony , Khoshnevis Matin , Pinette William A. , Hutchens Michael , Radom-Aizik Shlomit
Published: October 2018

Introduction

A majority of transplanted organs come from donors after brain death (BD). Renal grafts from these donors have higher delayed graft function and lower long-term survival rates compared to living donors. We designed a novel porcine BD model to better delineate the incompletely understood inflammatory response to BD, hypothesizing that adhesion molecule pathways would be upregulated in BD.

Methods

Animals were anesthetized and instrumented with monitors and a balloon catheter, then randomized to control and BD groups. BD was induced by inflating the balloon catheter and animals were maintained for 6 hours. RNA was extracted from kidneys, and gene expression pattern was determined.

Results

In total, 902 gene pairs were differently expressed between groups. Eleven selected pathways were upregulated after BD, including cell adhesion molecules.

Conclusions

These results should be confirmed in human organ donors. Treatment strategies should target involved pathways and lessen the negative effects of BD on transplantable organs.
The Cedar Project: exploring determinants of psychological distress among young Indigenous people who use drugs in three Canadian cities
Authors: Pearce M. E. , Jongbloed K. A. , Pooyak S. D. , Blair A. H. , Christian W. M. , Sharma R. , Mazzuca A. , Zamar D. S. , Schechter M. T. , Spittal P. M. ,   for the Cedar Project Partnership
Published: October 2018

Background.

Mental health and wellbeing, including addressing impacts of historical trauma and substance use among young people, has been identified as a key priority by Indigenous communities and leaders across Canada and globally. Yet, research to understand mental health among young Indigenous people who have used drugs is limited.

Aims.

To examine longitudinal risk and strengths-based factors associated with psychological distress among young Indigenous people who use drugs.

Method.

The Cedar Project is an ongoing cohort study involving young Indigenous people who use drugs in Vancouver, Prince George, and Chase, British Columbia, Canada. This study included participants who completed the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, returned for follow-up between 2010 and 2012, and completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Adjusted linear mixed-effects models estimated effects of study variables on changes in area T-scores of psychological distress.

Results.

Of 202 eligible participants, 53% were women and the mean age was 28 years. Among men, childhood maltreatment (emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect), any drug use, blackouts from drinking, and sex work were associated with increased distress. Among women, childhood maltreatment (emotional abuse, physical abuse, physical neglect), blackouts from drinking, and sexual assault were associated with increased distress, while having attempted to quit using drugs was associated with reduced distress. Marginal associations were observed between speaking their traditional language and living by traditional culture with lower distress among men.

Conclusion.

Culturally safe mental wellness interventions are urgently needed to address childhood trauma and harmful coping strategies that exacerbate distress among young Indigenous people who use drugs.
The effect of pulsation frequency on transition in pulsatile pipe flow
Authors: Xu Duo , Avila Marc
Published: October 2018

Pulsatile flows are common in nature and in applications, but their stability and transition to turbulence are still poorly understood. Even in the simple case of pipe flow subject to harmonic pulsation, there is no consensus among experimental studies on whether pulsation delays or enhances transition. We here report direct numerical simulations of pulsatile pipe flow at low pulsation amplitude$A\leqslant 0.4$. We use a spatially localized impulsive disturbance to generate a single turbulent puff and track its dynamics as it travels downstream. The computed relaminarization statistics are in quantitative agreement with the experiments of Xuet al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 831, 2017, pp. 418–432) and support the conclusion that increasing the pulsation amplitude and lowering the frequency enhance the stability of the flow. In the high-frequency regime, the behaviour of steady pipe flow is recovered. In addition, we show that, when the pipe length does not permit the observation of a full cycle, a reduction of the transition threshold is observed. We obtain an equation quantifying this effect and compare it favourably with the measurements of Stettler & Hussain (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 170, 1986, pp. 169–197). Our results resolve previous discrepancies, which are due to different pipe lengths, perturbation methods and criteria chosen to quantify transition in experiments.
A diet high in sugar-sweetened beverage and low in fruits and vegetables is associated with adiposity and a pro-inflammatory adipokine profile
Authors: Koebnick Corinna , Black Mary Helen , Wu Jun , Shu Yu-Hsiang , MacKay Adrienne W. , Watanabe Richard M. , Buchanan Thomas A. , Xiang Anny H.
Published: October 2018

Diet, obesity and adipokines play important roles in diabetes and CVD; yet, limited studies have assessed the relationship between diet and multiple adipokines. This cross-sectional study assessed associations between diet, adiposity and adipokines in Mexican Americans. The cohort included 1128 participants (age 34·7±8·2 years, BMI 29·5±5·9 kg/m2, 73·2 % female). Dietary intake was assessed by 12-month food frequency questionnaire. Adiposity was measured by BMI, total percentage body fat and percentage trunk fat using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Adiponectin, apelin, C-reactive protein (CRP), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-IV), IL-1β, IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-18, leptin, lipocalin, monocyte chemo-attractant protein-1 (MCP-1), resistin, secreted frizzled protein 4 (SFRP-4), SFRP-5, TNF-α and visfatin were assayed with multiplex kits or ELISA. Joint multivariate associations between diet, adiposity and adipokines were analysed using canonical correlations adjusted for age, sex, energy intake and kinship. The median (interquartile range) energy intake was 9514 (7314, 11912) kJ/d. Overall, 55 % of total intake was accounted for by carbohydrates (24 % from sugar). A total of 66 % of the shared variation between diet and adiposity, and 34 % of diet and adipokines were explained by the top canonical correlation. The diet component was most represented by sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), fruit and vegetables. Participants consuming a diet high in SSB and low in fruits and vegetables had higher adiposity, CRP, leptin, and MCP-1, but lower SFRP-5 than participants with high fruit and vegetable and low SSB intake. In Mexican Americans, diets high in SSB but low in fruits and vegetables contribute to adiposity and a pro-inflammatory adipokine profile.
The Tools of Institutional Change under Post-Neoliberalism: Rafael Correa's Ecuador
Authors: Sánchez Francisco , Polga-Hecimovich John
Published: October 2018

How have governments in Latin America been able to counteract two decades of neoliberalism and pursue post-neoliberal developmental reforms, and what tools have they used to do so? We argue that post-neoliberal projects are possible through the use of three necessary conditions in a context of economic bonanza: (1) extensive use of the legal-constitutional framework to facilitate interventionism; (2) an increase in the centrality of public planning agencies to design those policies; and (3) growth of the bureaucracy to implement the policies. Through a case study of Rafael Correa's Ecuador, we show how a constituent assembly, empowerment of the state planning agency, and an increase in the size of the public administration allowed the president to combat neoliberalism and pursue his ambitiousBuen Vivir(Good Living) plan. This simple framework offers important clues for understanding post-liberalism and the return of the state in Ecuador and beyond.
Lobbying, learning and policy reinvention: an examination of the American States’ drunk driving laws
Authors: Yu Jinhai , Jennings Edward T. , Butler J. S.
Published: October 2018

Scholars have consistently shown that learning of successful policies in other states leads to higher likelihood of policy adoption. This study extends this finding two ways. First, policy learning can also lead to more comprehensive adoption of successful policies. Second, the effect of policy learning on policy comprehensiveness is conditional on lobbying by interest groups, an alternative source of information about policy success. To test these hypotheses, we conduct a directed dyad-year analysis using a dataset on American state drunk driving regulations from 1983 to 2000. The results show that more comprehensive policy adoption by states is positively related to policy success in other states when lobbying by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is relatively low. Moreover, lobbying by MADD increases policy comprehensiveness when policy success is relatively low. This study advances the literature by examining the conditional effects of lobbying on the relationship between policy learning and policy reinvention.
Oscillating two-stream instability in strongly coupled plasma
Authors: Sharma Prerana , Avinash K. , Gupta D. N.
Published: October 2018

Oscillating two-stream instability (OTSI) of a high amplitude laser or a plasma wave is investigated in plasmas with strongly coupled ions. It is shown that in some parameter regime, the pressure of strongly coupled ions becomes negative, which leads to enhance the bunching of ion and concomitant destabilization of OTSI. Applications of these results to ion accelerator and inertial confinement fusion experiments are discussed.
Design of a miniature modular inchworm robot with an anisotropic friction skin
Authors: Saab Wael , Racioppo Peter , Kumar Anil , Ben-Tzvi Pinhas
Published: October 2018

This paper presents the design, analysis, and experimental validation of a miniature modular inchworm robot (MMIR). Inchworm robots are capable of maneuvering in confined spaces due to their small size, a desirable characteristic for surveillance, exploration and search and rescue operations. This paper presents two generations of the MMIR (Version 1—V1 and Version 2—V2) that utilize anisotropic friction skin and an undulatory rectilinear gait to produce locomotion. This paper highlights design improvements and a multi-body dynamics approach to model and simulate the system. The MMIR V2 incorporates a slider-crank four-bar mechanism and a relative body revolute joint to produce high-frequency relative translation and rotation to increase forward velocity and enable turning capabilities. Friction analysis and locomotion experiments were conducted to assess the systems performance on various surfaces, validate the dynamic model and simulation results, and measure the maximum forward velocity. The MMIR V1 and V2 were able to achieve maximum forward velocities of 12.7 mm/s and 137.9 mm/s, respectively. These results are compared to reported results of similar robots published in the literature.
Experience participating in the American College of Cardiology Quality NetworkTM: paediatric and adult congenital cardiology collaborative quality improvement
Authors: Hartwell Lauren P. , Baker Annette L. , Jenkins Kathy J. , de Ferranti Sarah D. , Saleeb Susan F.
Published: October 2018

Background

The American College of Cardiology Quality Network enables national benchmarking and collaborative quality improvement through vetted metrics. We describe here our initial experience with the Quality Network.

Methods

Quarterly data for metrics pertaining to chest pain, Kawasaki disease, tetralogy of Fallot, elevated body mass index, and others were shared with the collaboratives for benchmarking. National improvement efforts focussed on counselling for elevated body mass index and 22q11.2 testing in tetralogy of Fallot. Improvement strategies included developing multi-disciplinary workgroups, educational materials, and electronic health record advances.

Results

Chest pain metric performance was high compared with national means: obtaining family history (90–100% versus 51–77%), electrocardiogram (100% versus 89–99%), and echocardiogram for exertional complaints (95–100% versus 74–96%). Kawasaki metric performance was high, including obtaining coronary measurements (100% versus 85–97%), prescribing aspirin (100% versus 86–99%), follow-up with imaging (100% versus 85–98%), and documenting no activity restriction without coronary aneurysms (83–100% versus 64–93%). Counselling for elevated body mass index was variable (25–75% versus 31–50%) throughout quality improvement efforts. Testing for 22q11.2 deletion in tetralogy of Fallot patients was consistently above the national mean (60–85% versus 54–68%) with improved genetics data capture.

Conclusion

The Quality Network promotes meaningful benchmarking and collaborative quality improvement. Our high performance for chest pain and Kawasaki metrics is likely related to previous improvement efforts in chest pain management and a dedicated Kawasaki team. Uptake of counselling for elevated body mass index is variable; stronger engagement among numerous providers is needed. Recommendations for 22q11.2 testing in tetralogy of Fallot were widely recognised and implemented.
Building Resilience to Disaster: From Advice to Action
Authors: Forrest Sherrie , Milliken Charlene
Published: October 2018

As governments grapple with increased risks associated with more frequent and impactful disasters, climate change, social inequity, urbanization, and aging infrastructure, questions about resilience take on greater urgency. The US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine strive for science to be beneficial to society. In 2012, the National Academies released a report, Disaster Resilience: A National Imperative, that provided recommendations around critical issues of resilience and strategic steps the United States could take towards building disaster resilience. A new program, the Resilient America Program, was created as an outgrowth of that report. Its core mission is to partner with communities across the nation to help decision-makers identify key priorities for their community; tie those priorities to relevant risks; and identify actions that build resilience to those risks. The Resilient America Program is a novel program of the National Academies; it employs a hands-on approach to bring science into decision-making by working directly with decision-makers to test approaches for communicating and managing risk, measuring resilience, building community partnerships, and sharing relevant resilience information.
Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome: A Unique Case Study
Authors: Tan Alexander , Goodspeed Kimberly , Edgar Veronica Bordes
Published: October 2018

Objectives: Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by insufficient expression of the TCF4 gene. Most cases are characterized by severe intellectual disability, absent speech, motor delays, and autism spectrum disorder. Many have abnormal brain imaging, dysmorphic facial features, and medical comorbidities: myopia, constipation, epilepsy, and apneic spells. The present case study expands existing understanding of this disorder by presenting a unique phenotype with higher cognitive abilities and fewer medical comorbidities. Methods: The present case study reports on a 13-year-old, Caucasian male with a recent diagnosis of PTHS following genetic testing (i.e., whole exome sequencing). He was referred for a neuropsychological evaluation to document his neurocognitive functioning to assist with intervention planning. Results: Evaluation of intellectual, attention/executive, memory, visual-motor/fine-motor, academic, adaptive, and emotional/behavioral functioning revealed global impairment across all areas of functioning. However, he demonstrated abilities beyond what has been detailed in the literature, including use of full sentences, capacity to learn and solve novel problems, basic academic functioning, and independent ambulation. Conclusions: Children with PTHS may demonstrate a spectrum of abilities beyond what has been documented in the literature thus far. Failure to recognize this spectrum can result in late identification of an accurate diagnosis. (JINS, 2018, 24, 995–1002)
Mediators of the effectiveness of a kindergarten-based, family-involved intervention on pre-schoolers’ snacking behaviour: the ToyBox-study
Authors: Lambrinou Christina-Paulina , van Stralen Maartje M , Androutsos Odysseas , Cardon Greet , De Craemer Marieke , Iotova Violeta , Socha Piotr , Koletzko Berthold , Moreno Luis A , Manios Yannis
Published: October 2018

Objective

The present study aimed to explore the mediating role of family-related determinants on the effects of the ToyBox-intervention on pre-school children’s consumption of healthy and unhealthy snacks.

Design

The ToyBox-intervention was a kindergarten-based, family-involved intervention with a cluster-randomized design, aiming to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours to prevent obesity at pre-school age.

Setting

Kindergartens (n 309) in six European countries.

Subjects

A total of 6290 pre-schoolers and their families participated in the ToyBox-intervention in 2012–2013 and data from 5212 pre-schoolers/families were included in the current analyses.

Results

Even though the total effect of the ToyBox-intervention on healthy and unhealthy snacking was not significant, the ToyBox-intervention significantly improved parental rule setting on children’s unhealthy snack consumption (i.e. restriction of snacking while watching television and permission only at certain occasions) and parental consumption of unhealthy snacks, while it increased parental knowledge on snacking recommendations. Regarding healthy snacking, the ToyBox-intervention improved children’s attitude towards fruit and vegetables (F&V). All previously mentioned family-related determinants mediated the intervention effects on pre-schoolers’ consumption of healthy and unhealthy snacks. Almost all family-related determinants examined in the study were independently associated with pre-schoolers’ consumption of healthy and unhealthy snacks.

Conclusions

The intervention was effective in improving relevant family-related determinants. Interventions aiming to promote F&V consumption and limit the consumption of unhealthy snacks in pre-schoolers should target on these mediators, but also identify new family-, school- or peer-related determinants, to enhance their effectiveness.
Appraisal of short and long versions of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS-S and NEMS-R) in Australia
Authors: Carins Julia Elizabeth , Rundle-Thiele Sharyn , Storr Ryan James
Published: October 2018

Objective

Research has begun to take a more ecological view of eating behaviour, examining multiple levels of influence: personal, social and environmental. The food environment is a major influence on eating behaviour, attracting the attention of researchers who have measured it in a number of ways. The present paper examines the short-form version, in comparison to the long-form version, of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS) – an observational food outlet audit tool.

Design

Both the short-form and long-form were examined to qualitatively appraise the dimensions of the food environment assessed by each measure. Data from 135 food outlets in Australia were then used to compare results obtained using the short-form with the results from the long-form method, to consider the utility of the short-form measure.

Setting

The retail food environment in Australia.

Participants

One hundred and thirty-five food outlets in Australia.

Results

Results indicate that the short-form predominantly assessed availability of healthful foods (one aspect of the food environment). Several critical dimensions of the food environment known to influence eating behaviour were not assessed. For this data set, the short-form produced scores inconsistent with the longer version of the measure, delivering inflated estimates for stores and deflated estimates for restaurants.

Conclusions

Scores between the long-form and short-form versions were not comparable in this Australian study. Further development of food environment measures is recommended and must balance instrument brevity with the need to accurately capture important aspects of the food environment known to influence eating behaviour.
YouTube as a learning tool for four shoulder tests
Authors: Lee Heewon , Choi Asayeon , Jang Yongjun , Lee Jong In
Published: October 2018

Aim

To analyze the use of YouTube videos as educational tools for four physical examinations of the shoulder: the Neer, Hawkins, empty can, and drop arm tests.

Background

Video-based education, which is accompanied by text-based education, can be an effective education method, especially in learning medical skills. Medical students and doctors in training often use YouTube videos to share medical education materials, and more systematic review of the reliability of these videos is required.

Methods

A search of YouTube was conducted using four keywords: ‘Neer test,’ ‘Hawkins test,’ ‘empty can test,’ and ‘drop arm test.’ Two physicians reviewed each video and recorded a variety of characteristics (date uploaded, number of views, likes and dislikes, and upload source). In addition, they scored and categorized the videos into four groups: ‘very useful,’ ‘somewhat useful,’ ‘not useful,’ and ‘misleading.’ Videos containing inappropriate content were classified as ‘misleading.’ Finally, the correlations of each video’s usefulness with viewers’ preferences and the upload source were analyzed.

Results

A total of 400 videos were assessed and 200 videos were adopted which yield eligible criteria. Out of 200 videos, 51 videos were very useful and 32 were misleading. Significant correlations were observed between the video’s usefulness and the uploaded source, as well as between the video’s usefulness and viewers’ preferences, such as the number of views, views per day, and number of likes. The proportion of videos classified as ‘very useful’ was highest (58.6%) among those uploaded by physicians and lowest (12.7%) among those uploaded by individuals. Videos uploaded by individuals had significantly lower values reflecting viewer preferences than did videos uploaded by physicians.

Conclusion

YouTube videos could be used as learning sources for shoulder physical examinations after the application of appropriate filtering processes, such as review of the upload source and viewers’ preferences.
Studying Africa's Large Numbers
Authors: Samuel Boris
Published: October 2018

Morten Jerven's work offers a historical perspective on the techniques used by national administrations and international organizations to quantify and analyze the growth of African economies. In his view, the work of statisticians and economists has largely failed to account for national economic and social realities since the beginning of the structural adjustment period. The informalization of economies, the weakness of statistical institutions, and the lack of methodological rigor among international experts have led to the production of statistical fictions. Jerven's analysis calls into question the usual narratives produced by quantitative economic history, such as that of an African economic failure since 1960. It also opens a dialogue with the sociology of quantification, highlighting cases where growth calculations appear arbitrary. However, his methodology suffers from a number of weaknesses. While his earliest works were based on detailed national case studies, Jerven's recent analyses have focused on the critique of continent-wide discourses, in particular international comparisons and econometric studies of growth. His work has thus moved away from a careful ethnography of numbers toward a focus on the denunciation of global practices. This shift prevents the author from making precise reflections on the various roles of numbers in African societies, the multiple positions and modes of action that quantification engages, or the specific historical trajectories which calculations of African growth are supposed to represent.
Of Space and Time: On a History of Morocco
Authors: Nordman Daniel
Published: October 2018

TheHistoire du Marocedited by Mohamed Kably is a monumental collaborative work involving more than fifty authors, all, with only one exception, Moroccan. It is thus a de facto “Moroccanized” history (though not excessively so) and the synthesis that it presents marks an important milestone. This article will nevertheless suggest some alternative thematic or transversal structures while also highlighting some of the volume's guiding threads: the initial geographical tableau, the periodization, its vision of historical origins and antiquity, the “plural” nature of Morocco and its relationship with the exterior world. In terms of the overall tone of the volume, it is necessary to evaluate its place in the broader historiographical context today. Other recent studies have revealed an oscillation between two scales, the one tending toward oversimplified generalities (the Middle Ages, the modern period), the other toward what has sometimes seemed an excessive focus on the specific and the exceptional. TheHistoire du Marochandles these debates with cautious discretion as they run through its chapters in a light filigree; it is a useful tool, pedagogic and accessible to a large and diverse public because it is neither intransigent nor polemical. Hard to reduce to particular historical currents, it is a scholarly work, an example of reasoned academic study. It is based on actual knowledge, without preconceived boundaries, and will remain a reference, scholarly, experimental, and pragmatic. It seems most unlikely, after the publication of this volume, that the history of Morocco will need to be rewritten over again.
DRYHTHELM'S DESIRE: COMPUNCTION AND BEDE'S CELESTIAL TOPOGRAPHY
Authors: CARLSON ERIK
Published: October 2018

Modern critics usually read the vision of Dryhthelm as an account of a man frightened into penitential asceticism even though Bede explains that Dryhthelm lived out his days in the desire for heaven, not fear of punishment. While fear is an important part of Dryhthelm's conversion, Bede depicts the process according to the doctrine of compunction as it is received from Gregory the Great, who presents compunction as a process by which fear of punishment yields to love and the desire for heaven. Reading the conversion of Dryhthelm as a process of Gregorian compunction reveals both Bede's fundamental optimism about the vision Dryhthelm has seen and a spirituality in the text that is more nuanced and positive than the fire and ice that figure so prominently in it. Proceeding from these observations, the paper argues that the celestial topography of Dryhthelm's vision is a spiritual topography — a map of personal and emotional progress through compunction, as understood by Gregory the Great and received by Bede, and only incidentally a map of celestial regions deemed logically necessary by later theologians. These conclusions complicate hellfire and brimstone readings of this and other Anglo-Saxon texts about judgment and penance, and they call for nuanced readings of compunction as a complex and productive experience.
THE MARVELOUS BETWEEN DANTE AND BOCCACCIO
Authors: KRIESEL JAMES C.
Published: October 2018

In the late Middle Ages, authors of fiction, historical texts, and travel narratives discussed issues related to the places and spaces of marvels. Writers debated whether local, western occurrences could be as wondrous — and thus worthy of being recorded in writing — as foreign, eastern phenomena. This article explores how Boccaccio's engagement with Dante was intertwined with evolving views of the marvelous. It proposes that Boccaccio, following Dante, likened his writings to natural marvels to defend the status of literature, a mode of discourse sometimes considered unnatural or fraudulent. In addition, this research examines how Boccaccio drew on marvels to highlight differences between the properties and ethics of Dante'sComedyand these aspects of hisDecameron. In addressing these topics, Boccaccio was inspired by late medieval Latin historians, who foregrounded the novelty of their texts by self-consciously writing about western marvels. In theDecameron,Boccaccio recalled ideas about local marvels to champion the dignity of his erotic, mundane stories in comparison to Dante's otherworldly, divine poem. Boccaccio thus also reminded readers not only to wonder about future, eternal matters, but to cherish the experiences of this our present life.
Erfahrungen mit einem kultur- und migrationsspezifischen Workshop für Fachkräfte der Kinder- und Jugend- hilfe in der Arbeit mit misshandelten Kindern und Jugendlichen
Authors: Imhof Michaela , Eberle-Sejari Rima , Hagl Maria , Brusch Frauke , Dieffenbach Rainer , Ganser Helene Gertrud , Grade David , Krstovic-Keusgen Daliborka , Münzer Annika , Naumann Alexander , Tewes Alexander , Witt Andreas , Goldbeck Lutz , Rosner Rita
Published: October 2018

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Im Rahmen einer Versorgungsstudie zur besseren Vermittlung von Kindern und Jugendlichen nach Missbrauch, Misshandlung oder Vernachlässigung in eine evidenzbasierte Therapie wurde ein migrationsspezifisches Angebot, das unter anderem einen eintägigen kultur- und migrationsspezifischen Workshop beinhaltete, eingeführt und evaluiert. Zentrale Themen waren die Vermittlung von Informationen zu Migration und Akkulturation, Trauma und psychische Gesundheit bei Familien mit Migrationshintergrund sowie Übungen zur interkulturellen Kompetenz und kultursensiblen Arbeit. Methodik: Durch eine Onlinebefragung einer Teilgruppe der im Projekt tätigen Case Manager (Fachkräfte der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe) wurden gegen Projektende Erfahrungen und Einschätzungen zur Arbeit mit Familien mit Migrationshintergrund eingeholt. Um die praktische Relevanz der Workshopinhalte zu illustrieren, werden in diesem Artikel zwei Fallbeispiele der interkulturellen Case-Management-Arbeit vorgestellt. Ergebnisse: Insgesamt wurde der Workshop gut bewertet. Nach Angaben der Case Manager müssen insbesondere sprachliche und kulturelle Besonderheiten in der Arbeit mit Familien mit Migrationshintergrund beachtet werden. Die Fallbeispiele zeigen, dass der Workshop die Case Manager beispielsweise im Umgang mit differierenden Krankheitsverständnissen, kultursensiblen Erhebungsmethoden oder der Arbeit mit Sprachmittlern sensibilisierte und somit unterstützte. Schlussfolgerungen: In der Case-Management-Arbeit wurden Grenzen des psychosozialen Versorgungssystems sichtbar und auf Basis der Erfahrungswerte kann sich der bestehenden Forderung nach weiterem Ausbau interkultureller Bildungsmaßnahmen angeschlossen werden.
The Role of Clinician Fear in Interviewing Suicidal Patients
Authors: Quinnett Paul
Published: October 2018

Abstract. Researchers are increasingly interested in how clinicians should screen for suicide ideation in care settings and the merits of doing so. A common finding is that screening does no harm, and may do good, insofar as once the subject of suicide is broached clinicians can conduct a suicide risk assessment to determine the course of safe care. To date, little has been published about just how clinicians should ask "the ask" about suicidal ideation. The aim of this article is to suggest that the difficulty clinicians seem to have in initiating a verbal probe for suicidal ideation has less to do with patient characteristics than it does with clinician anticipatory anxiety about learning that a patient is positive for suicidal ideation. Face-negotiation theory and politeness theory are offered as possible explanations for why a simple direct question is so difficult to ask. Future research directions are suggested and an absence of data from public health gatekeeper training is offered as argument for clinicians to be more direct in their probes for suicidal ideation.
Acoustical Measurement of Natural Lightning Flashes: Reconstructions and Statistical Analysis of Energy Spectra
Authors: Lacroix Arthur , Farges Thomas , Marchiano Régis , Coulouvrat François
Published: October 2018

Twenty‐seven natural flashes of three thunderstorms which occurred during October 2012 in Southern France are acoustically reconstructed and analyzed in the [0.1 − 180]‐Hz frequency bandwidth and the [0.3 − 20]‐km distance range. A 50‐m triangular array of four recalibrated microphones sampled at 500 Hz has been used for the recording. A novel method of separation of return strokes from intracloud discharges within the acoustical signal is detailed and systematically applied. It shows the possibility to separate nearby cloud‐to‐ground (CG) events or nearby and distant CGs of the same flash. The separation method yields a total of 36 return stroke signals and spectra, along with some intracloud signals. The combination of reconstruction, separation, and frequency analysis provides new insights on the origin of thunder infrasound, showing unambiguously that thunder infrasound originate dominantly from return strokes. Apart from the higher amplitude of CGs, no clear difference between intracloud and CG spectra is observed. No sharp frequency peaks can be put into evidence. The spectral variability with distance is highlighted, especially for the total acoustic energy and the center frequency and bandwidth. A link between acoustic energy and impulse charge moment change is also found, though only by a small number of data.
Differential lateral and basal tension drive folding of Drosophila wing discs through two distinct mechanisms
Authors: Sui Liyuan , Alt Silvanus , Weigert Martin , Dye Natalie , Eaton Suzanne , Jug Florian , Myers Eugene W. , Jülicher Frank , Salbreux Guillaume , Dahmann Christian
Published: October 2018

Epithelial folding transforms simple sheets of cells into complex three-dimensional tissues and organs during animal development. Epithelial folding has mainly been attributed to mechanical forces generated by an apically localized actomyosin network, however, contributions of forces generated at basal and lateral cell surfaces remain largely unknown. Here we show that a local decrease of basal tension and an increased lateral tension, but not apical constriction, drive the formation of two neighboring folds in developing Drosophila wing imaginal discs. Spatially defined reduction of extracellular matrix density results in local decrease of basal tension in the first fold; fluctuations in F-actin lead to increased lateral tension in the second fold. Simulations using a 3D vertex model show that the two distinct mechanisms can drive epithelial folding. Our combination of lateral and basal tension measurements with a mechanical tissue model reveals how simple modulations of surface and edge tension drive complex three-dimensional morphological changes.
Evidence for Weyl fermions in a canonical heavy-fermion semimetal YbPtBi
Authors: Guo C. Y. , Wu F. , Wu Z. Z. , Smidman M. , Cao C. , Bostwick A. , Jozwiak C. , Rotenberg E. , Liu Y. , Steglich F. , Yuan H. Q.
Published: October 2018

The manifestation of Weyl fermions in strongly correlated electron systems is of particular interest. We report evidence for Weyl fermions in the heavy fermion semimetal YbPtBi from electronic structure calculations, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, magnetotransport and calorimetric measurements. At elevated temperatures where 4f-electrons are localized, there are triply degenerate points, yielding Weyl nodes in applied magnetic fields. These are revealed by a contribution from the chiral anomaly in the magnetotransport, which at low temperatures becomes negligible due to the influence of electronic correlations. Instead, Weyl fermions are inferred from the topological Hall effect, which provides evidence for a Berry curvature, and a cubic temperature dependence of the specific heat, as expected from the linear dispersion near the Weyl nodes. The results suggest that YbPtBi is a Weyl heavy fermion semimetal, where the Kondo interaction renormalizes the bands hosting Weyl points. These findings open up an opportunity to explore the interplay between topology and strong electronic correlations.
Copper adparticle enabled selective electrosynthesis of n-propanol
Authors: Li Jun , Che Fanglin , Pang Yuanjie , Zou Chengqin , Howe Jane Y. , Burdyny Thomas , Edwards Jonathan P. , Wang Yuhang , Li Fengwang , Wang Ziyun , De Luna Phil , Dinh Cao-Thang , Zhuang Tao-Tao , Saidaminov Makhsud I. , Cheng Shaobo , Wu Tianpin , Finfrock Y. Zou , Ma Lu , Hsieh Shang-Hsien , Liu Yi-Sheng , Botton Gianluigi A. , Pong Way-Faung , Du Xiwen , Guo Jinghua , Sham Tsun-Kong , Sargent Edward H. , Sinton David
Published: October 2018

The electrochemical reduction of carbon monoxide is a promising approach for the renewable production of carbon-based fuels and chemicals. Copper shows activity toward multi-carbon products from CO reduction, with reaction selectivity favoring two-carbon products; however, efficient conversion of CO to higher carbon products such as n-propanol, a liquid fuel, has yet to be achieved. We hypothesize that copper adparticles, possessing a high density of under-coordinated atoms, could serve as preferential sites for n-propanol formation. Density functional theory calculations suggest that copper adparticles increase CO binding energy and stabilize two-carbon intermediates, facilitating coupling between adsorbed *CO and two-carbon intermediates to form three-carbon products. We form adparticle-covered catalysts in-situ by mediating catalyst growth with strong CO chemisorption. The new catalysts exhibit an n-propanol Faradaic efficiency of 23% from CO reduction at an n-propanol partial current density of 11 mA cm−2.
Improvement in reading performance through training with simulated thalamic visual prostheses
Authors: Rassia Katerina Eleonora K. , Pezaris John S.
Published: October 2018

Simulations of artificial vision are used to provide the researcher an opportunity to explore different aspects of visual prosthesis device design by observing subject performance on various tasks viewed through the simulation. Such studies typically use normal, sighted subjects to measure performance at a given point in time. Relatively few studies examine performance changes longitudinally to quantitatively assess the benefits from a training plan that would be akin to post-implantation rehabilitation. Here, we had six normal, sighted subjects use a standard reading task with daily practice over eight weeks to understand the effects of an intensive training schedule on adaptation to artificial sight. Subjects read 40 MNREAD-style sentences per session, with a new set each session, that were presented at five font sizes (logMAR 1.0–1.4) and through three center-weighted phosphene patterns (2,000, 1,000, 500 phosphenes). We found that subjects improved their reading accuracy across sessions, and that the training lead to an increase of reading speed that was equivalent to a doubling of available phosphenes. Most importantly, the hardest condition, while initially illegible, supported functional reading after training. Consistent with experience-driven neuroplastic changes, gaps in the training schedule lead to transient decreases in reading speed, but, surprisingly, not reading accuracy. Our findings contribute to our larger project of developing a thalamic visual prosthesis and to post-implant rehabilitation strategies.
Author Correction: An Endophytic Bacterial Consortium modulates multiple strategies to improve Arsenic Phytoremediation Efficacy in Solanum nigrum
Authors: Mukherjee Gairik , Saha Chinmay , Naskar Nabanita , Mukherjee Abhishek , Mukherjee Arghya , Lahiri Susanta , Majumder Arun Lahiri , Seal Anindita
Published: October 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Nanopore sequencing for rapid diagnostics of salmonid RNA viruses
Authors: Gallagher Michael D. , Matejusova Iveta , Nguyen Lien , Ruane Neil M. , Falk Knut , Macqueen Daniel J.
Published: October 2018

Analysis of pathogen genome variation is essential for informing disease management and control measures in farmed animals. For farmed fish, the standard approach is to use PCR and Sanger sequencing to study partial regions of pathogen genomes, with second and third-generation sequencing tools yet to be widely applied. Here we demonstrate rapid and accurate sequencing of two disease-causing viruses affecting global salmonid aquaculture, salmonid alphavirus (SAV) and infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV), using third-generation nanopore sequencing on the MinION platform (Oxford Nanopore Technologies). Our approach complements PCR from infected material with MinION sequencing to recover genomic information that matches near perfectly to Sanger-verified references. We use this method to present the first SAV subtype-6 genome, which branches as the sister to all other SAV lineages in a genome-wide phylogenetic reconstruction. MinION sequencing offers an effective strategy for fast, genome-wide analysis of fish viruses, with major potential applications for diagnostics and robust investigations into the origins and spread of disease outbreaks.
Tri-ponderal mass index in survivors of childhood brain tumors: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Sims E. Danielle , Wang Kuan-Wen , Fleming Adam , Johnston Donna L. , Zelcer Shayna M. , Rassekh Shahrad Rod , Burrow Sarah , Thabane Lehana , Samaan M. Constantine
Published: October 2018

Survivors of childhood brain tumors (SCBT) face a higher risk of cardiometabolic disorders and premature mortality compared to the general population. Excess adiposity is a known risk factor for these comorbidities. However, while SCBT have higher adiposity compared to healthy controls, measuring adiposity in clinical practice involves access to specialized equipment and may impact busy clinical services. Tri-ponderal Mass Index (TMI; kg/m3) may be a superior measure of adiposity when compared to Body Mass Index (BMI; kg/m2). However, its use in determining adiposity in SCBT has not been assessed. This study aims to validate TMI as a clinical measure of adiposity in SCBT. This was a cross-sectional study including 44 SCBT (n = 20 female) and 137 (n = 64 female) non-cancer control children, 5–17 years of age. BMI and TMI were calculated from height and weight measurements. Fat mass percentage was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis and waist to hip and waist to height ratios were used to assess central adiposity. Regression analyses were adjusted for age, sex, puberty and treatment. TMI demonstrated strong correlations to measures of total and central adiposity and predicted adiposity in SCBT and non-cancer controls, with stronger trends in the latter group. TMI may serve as a reliable clinical measure of adiposity in both SCBT and healthy children.
A Randomized Control Trial Of Anti-Inflammatory Regional Hypothermia On Urinary Continence During Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy
Authors: Huynh Linda M. , Skarecky Douglas , Porter James , Wagner Christian , Witt Jorn , Wilson Timothy , Lau Clayton , Ahlering Thomas E.
Published: October 2018

The present study seeks to present a single-blind, randomized control trial of a hypothermic anti-inflammatory device, the endorectal cooling balloon (ECB), to assess whether regional hypothermia could improve 90-day and time to pad-free continence following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Five high-volume surgeons at three institutions had patients randomized (1:1) to regional hypothermia with ECB versus control. Patients were blinded to device use, as it was inserted and removed intraoperatively. Knowledge of device use was restricted to the operating room personnel only; recovery room and ward nursing staff were not informed of device use and instructed to indicate such if a patient inquired. An independent and blinded data acquisition contractor assessed outcomes via components of the EPIC and IPSS. The primary outcome was categorical pad-free continence at 90-days and the secondary outcome was a Kaplan-Meier time-to pad-free continence at 90 days. 100 hypothermia and 99 control patients were included. The primary outcome of 90-day pad-free continence was 50.0% (27.8–70.0%) in the hypothermia group versus 59.2% (33.3–78.6%) in the control (p = 0.194). The secondary outcome of Kaplan Meier analysis for time to 90-day continence was not statistically significant. At one year, there were also no statistically significant differences in continence recovery. Post-hoc analysis revealed a trend towards improvement in continence in one of three sites. Overall, the trial demonstrated no benefit to regional hypothermia either in our primary or secondary outcomes. It is suggested that surgical technique and prevention of surgical trauma may be more advantageous to improving continence recovery.