bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How (not) to judge a theory of causation
Authors: Gijsbers Victor
Published: November 2020

Philosophical theories of causation are commonly judged by their ability to correctly determine whether there is a causal relation present in intuitively clear example scenarios. If the theories survive this test, they are then used to answer big philosophical questions about causation. This Method of Examples is attractive because it seems to allow us to determine the quality of a theory of causation independently of answering the big philosophical questions; which is good, since it means that we can then non-circularly use the theories judged to be best to answer those questions. However, the current article argues that this virtue of the Method of Examples is an illusion. In particular, I argue that the necessary step of judging whether a proposed analysis of causation is reductive can only be taken after many of the most vexing philosophical questions about causation have already been answered. It is then shown that a rejection of the methodological supremacy of the Method of Examples leads to a more pluralistic method of judging theories of causation, a pluralism that benefits non-standard approaches like interventionism and agency theories.
Notes on a complicated relationship: scientific pluralism, epistemic relativism, and stances
Authors: Veigl Sophie Juliane
Published: November 2020

While scientific pluralism enjoys widespread popularity within the philosophy of science, a related position, epistemic relativism, does not have much traction. Defenders of scientific pluralism, however, dread the question of whether scientific pluralism entails epistemic relativism. It is often argued that if a scientific pluralist accepts epistemic relativism, she will be unable to pass judgment because she believes that “anything goes”. In this article, I will show this concern to be unnecessary. I will also argue that common strategies to differentiate relativism and pluralism fail. Building upon this analysis, I will propose a new way of looking at both positions’ relations. This article aims to understand what explains the friction between scientific pluralism and epistemic relativism. I will demonstrate that conceptualizing both epistemic relativism and scientific pluralism as “stances” sheds better light on their relation and demonstrates that it is, in principle, possible to support both positions at the same time. Preferred policies and levels of analysis, however, cause friction in practice.
A generative model of hyperelastic strain energy density functions for multiple tissue brain deformation
Authors: Granados Alejandro , Perez-Garcia Fernando , Schweiger Martin , Vakharia Vejay , Vos Sjoerd B. , Miserocchi Anna , McEvoy Andrew W. , Duncan John S. , Sparks Rachel , Ourselin Sébastien
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Estimation of brain deformation is crucial during neurosurgery. Whilst mechanical characterisation captures stress–strain relationships of tissue, biomechanical models are limited by experimental conditions. This results in variability reported in the literature. The aim of this work was to demonstrate a generative model of strain energy density functions can estimate the elastic properties of tissue using observed brain deformation.

Methods

For the generative model a Gaussian Process regression learns elastic potentials from 73 manuscripts. We evaluate the use of neo-Hookean, Mooney–Rivlin and 1-term Ogden meta-models to guarantee stability. Single and multiple tissue experiments validate the ability of our generative model to estimate tissue properties on a synthetic brain model and in eight temporal lobe resection cases where deformation is observed between pre- and post-operative images.

Results

Estimated parameters on a synthetic model are close to the known reference with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm between surface nodes for single and multiple tissue experiments. In clinical cases, we were able to recover brain deformation from pre- to post-operative images reducing RMSE of differences from 1.37 to 1.08 mm on the ventricle surface and from 5.89 to 4.84 mm on the resection cavity surface.

Conclusion

Our generative model can capture uncertainties related to mechanical characterisation of tissue. When fitting samples from elastography and linear studies, all meta-models performed similarly. The Ogden meta-model performed the best on hyperelastic studies. We were able to predict elastic parameters in a reference model on a synthetic phantom. However, deformation observed in clinical cases is only partly explained using our generative model.
Peronosclerospora australiensis is a synonym of P. maydis, which is widespread on Sumatra, and distinct from the most prevalent Java maize downy mildew pathogen
Authors: Suharjo Radix , Swibawa I. Gede , Prasetyo Joko , Fitriana Yuyun , Danaatmadja Yanuar , Budiawan Ari , Roberts Sean , Noorhajati Nanin , Amad Muhammad , Thines Marco
Published: November 2020

This study was performed to identifyPeronosclerosporaspecies found in Indonesia based on sequence analysis of thecox2 gene. In addition, sequence data in total, 26 isolates ofPeronosclerosporawere investigated in this study. They were obtained from 7 provinces in Indonesia, namely Lampung, Jawa Timur, Jawa Barat, Sumatera Utara, Jawa Tengah, Yogyakarta, and Sulawesi Selatan. Sequence analysis ofcox2 and phylogenetic inference were performed on all the 26 isolates. A set of primers developed in this study, PCOX2F and PCOX2R, was used for PCR amplification. Phylogenetic analyses showed that all the Indonesian isolates were divided into two groups. Group I contained 13 isolates; 9 isolates obtained from Lampung, 3 isolates from Sumatera Utara, and 1 isolate from Jawa Barat. Group II consisted of 13 isolates; 7 isolates from Jawa Timur, 2 isolates from Jawa Tengah, 1 isolate from Yogyakarta, and 3 isolates from Sulawesi Selatan. All the members of group I clustered with the ex-type sequence ofP. australiensis. Meanwhile, all members of Group II formed the sister clade of isolates obtained from Timor-Leste and may representP. maydis.
It Didn’t Have to be This Way Reflections on the Ethical Justification of the Running Ban in Northern Italy in Response to the 2020 COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Camporesi Silvia
Published: November 2020

In this paper I discuss the ethical justifiability of the limitation of freedom of movement, in particular of the ban on running outdoors, enforced in Italy as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the spring of 2020. I argue that through the lens of public health ethics literature, the ban on running falls short of the criterion of proportionality that public health ethics scholars and international guidelines for the ethical management of infectious disease outbreak recommend for any measure that restricts essential individual freedoms, such as the freedom of movement. The public health ethics framework, however, falls short of explaining the widespread public support that the running ban has had in Italy. I discuss possible factors which could explain the public support for the ban in Italy. Finally, I raise the question of what societal implications the abandonment of the public health ethics framework based on proportionality might have. I conclude that if it is the case, as the history of pandemics teaches us, we will experience further waves of COVID-19 outbreaks, it becomes very important to raise these questions now, with an eye towards informing public health policies for the management of future COVID-19 outbreaks. This discussion should not become politicized along the lines of liberal pro-lockdown/conservative anti-lockdown. Instead, we should reflect on the trade-offs of lockdown policies according to a pluralist framework, in which COVID-19 related deaths are not the only possible value to pursue.
Insect chemical ecology: chemically mediated interactions and novel applications in agriculture
Authors: Mbaluto Crispus M. , Ayelo Pascal M. , Duffy Alexandra G. , Erdei Anna L. , Tallon Anaїs K. , Xia Siyang , Caballero-Vidal Gabriela , Spitaler Urban , Szelényi Magdolna O. , Duarte Gonçalo A. , Walker William B. , Becher Paul G.
Published: November 2020

Insect chemical ecology (ICE) evolved as a discipline concerned with plant–insect interactions, and also with a strong focus on intraspecific pheromone-mediated communication. Progress in this field has rendered a more complete picture of how insects exploit chemical information in their surroundings in order to survive and navigate their world successfully. Simultaneously, this progress has prompted new research questions about the evolution of insect chemosensation and related ecological adaptations, molecular mechanisms that mediate commonly observed behaviors, and the consequences of chemically mediated interactions in different ecosystems. Themed meetings, workshops, and summer schools are ideal platforms for discussing scientific advancements as well as identifying gaps and challenges within the discipline. From the 11th to the 22nd of June 2018, the 11th annual PhD course in ICE was held at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Alnarp, Sweden. The course was made up of 35 student participants from 22 nationalities (Fig. 1a) as well as 32 lecturers. Lectures and laboratory demonstrations were supported by literature seminars, and four broad research areas were covered: (1) multitrophic interactions and plant defenses, (2) chemical communication focusing on odor sensing, processing, and behavior, (3) disease vectors, and (4) applied aspects of basic ICE research in agriculture. This particular article contains a summary and brief synthesis of these main emergent themes and discussions from the ICE 2018 course. In addition, we also provide suggestions on teaching the next generation of ICE scientists, especially during unprecedented global situations.
The optimal post-eclosion interval while estimating the post-mortem interval based on an empty puparium
Authors: Wydra Jędrzej , Matuszewski Szymon
Published: November 2020

The puparium is the hardened exoskeleton of the last larval instar of a fly, inside which a prepupa, a pupa and a pharate adult fly successively develop. Empty puparia are frequently collected at death scenes, especially in cases with a long post mortem interval (PMI). Although we are not able to estimate the interval between the eclosion of an adult fly and the collection of an empty puparium (i.e. the post-eclosion interval (PEI)), empty puparia may still provide valuable evidence about the minimum PMI. However, because of the unknown PEI, it is impossible to determine the time when the fly emerged, and thus when the retrospective calculation of the minimum PMI should start. In this study, the estimation of PMI (or minimum PMI) for empty puparia of Protophormia terraenovae Rob.-Desv. (Calliphoridae) and Stearibia nigriceps Meig. (Piophilidae) was simulated, to gain insight into the changes in estimates, when different PEIs and different temperature conditions were assumed. The simulations showed that the PEI (in a range of 0–90 days) had no effect on the PMI (or minimum PMI) when the puparium was collected in winter or early spring (December–April). In late spring, summer, or autumn (May–November) the PMI (or minimum PMI) increased with the PEI. The increase in PMI was large in the summer months, and surprisingly small in the autumn months, frequently smaller than the PEI used in the estimation. The shortest PMI was always obtained with a PEI of 0, indicating that the true minimum PMI is always estimated using a PEI of 0. When the puparium was collected during spring, simulations indicated that oviposition had occurred in the previous year, while in summer the previous-year oviposition has been indicated by the simulations only when longer PEIs had been assumed. These findings should guide estimation of the PMI (or minimum PMI) based on an empty puparium.
Phase Separation in Porous Media Integrated Capillary Channels
Authors: Bisht Kamal S. , Dreyer Michael E.
Published: November 2020

Phase separation in space is critical for gas-free propellant supply, life support systems, refueling of spacecraft in low earth orbit (LEO), and for deep space exploration missions. In the absence of gravity, the stability of the liquid-gas interface depends on capillary forces. High liquid flow rates, sudden accelerations, and vibrational disturbances can cause the free surface of the liquid to collapse, which results in the ingestion of gas. Propellant tanks may have screen channel liquid acquisition devices (SCLADs) to position and maintain a gas-free propellant supply to the outlet. A saturated porous screen permits liquid to pass through but acts as a barrier to the gas. We investigated phase separation in porous media integrated capillary channels during parabolic flights (33rd DLR parabolic flight campaign in March 2019). An open side of a rectangular channel was covered with a dutch twill weave 200×1400. The liquid was ingested into the channel from its surroundings by establishing a differential pressure across the screen section. The gas-phase was blocked during the liquid withdrawal. We could show that the gas breakthrough occurs when the pressure difference across the screen exceeds the bubble point pressure. The experimental results showed good agreement with correlations from literature.
Application of various strategies and methodologies for landslide susceptibility maps on a basin scale: the case study of Val Tartano, Italy
Authors: Yordanov Vasil , Brovelli Maria Antonia
Published: November 2020

Landslide susceptibility mapping is a crucial initial step in risk mitigation strategies. Landslide hazards are widely spread all over the world and, as such, mapping the relevant susceptibility levels is in constant research and development. As a result, numerous modelling techniques and approaches have been adopted by scholars, implementing these models at different scales and with different terrains, in search of the best-performing strategy. Nevertheless, a direct comparison is not possible unless the strategies are implemented under the same environmental conditions and scenarios. The aim of this work is to implement three statistical-based models (Statistical Index, Logistic Regression, and Random Forest) at the basin scale, using various scenarios for the input datasets (terrain variables), training samples and ratios, and validation metrics. A reassessment of the original input data was carried out to improve the model performance. In total, 79 maps were obtained using different combinations with some highly satisfactory outcomes and others that are barely acceptable. Random Forest achieved the highest scores in most of the cases, proving to be a reliable modelling approach. While Statistical Index passes the evaluation tests, most of the resulting maps were considered unreliable. This research highlighted the importance of a complete and up-to-date landslide inventory, the knowledge of local conditions, as well as the pre- and post-analysis evaluation of the input and output combinations.
Microwave and fusion techniques for the synthesis of mesoporous zeolitic composite adsorbents from bagasse fly ash: sorption of p-nitroaniline and nitrobenzene
Authors: Oluyinka Olutayo A. , Patel Alpesh V. , Shah Bhavna A. , Bagia Maryam I.
Published: November 2020

p-Nitroaniline (PNAN) and nitrobenzene (NB) being important raw materials and intermediates for the production of a wide range of chemical products have the potential of constituting water pollutants. Hence, the development of the means of removing these chemicals from water would go a long way to safeguard the health of the environment. The goal of this research was to transform bagasse fly ash (BFA), solid waste from the sugar industry into porous zeolitic adsorbents MgFZBFA and MgMZBFA and examine them for their adsorptive removal of PNAN and NB from aqueous solutions. The syntheses of the sorbents involve alkali fusion technique and microwave hydrothermal treatment for the desired properties. Advanced characterization techniques such as FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), XRF (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction spectroscopy), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET)/Barrett–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) Method, and TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) were used for the characterization and evaluation of the sorbents’ properties. The adsorptive removal of PNAN and NB from aqueous solutions by MgFZBFA and MgMZBFA were investigated. Various parameters such as pH, adsorbent dosage, initial sorbate concentration were optimized during the adsorption experiment to achieve best performance. Adsorption isotherm, kinetics and dynamics were studied. It was found that Langmuir adsorption isotherm model better represents the adsorption processes and that the processes follow pseudo-second-order kinetics. More so, the sorption processes were most possibly completed by both surface sorption (liquid-film diffusion) and intra-particle diffusion. The maximum sorption capacities observed with MgFZBFA for PNAN and NB are 30.86 mg g−1and 19.92 mg g−1, while with MgMZBFA the values are 12.72 mg g−1and 10.20 mg g−1, respectively. The performances of MgFZBFA and MgMZBFA for the sorption of PNAN and NB were compared with some adsorbents previously studied for the same purpose, and results show that the adsorbents in the present study exhibit better performances. The application as materials of cheap source for the removal of PNAN and NB from contaminated water could be considered.
Correction to: Novel and potent inhibitors targeting DHODH are broad-spectrum antivirals against RNA viruses including newly-emerged coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Xiong Rui , Zhang Leike , Li Shiliang , Sun Yuan , Ding Minyi , Wang Yong , Zhao Yongliang , Wu Yan , Shang Weijuan , Jiang Xiaming , Shan Jiwei , Shen Zihao , Tong Yi , Xu Liuxin , Chen Yu , Liu Yingle , Zou Gang , Lavillette Dimitri , Zhao Zhenjiang , Wang Rui , Zhu Lili , Xiao Gengfu , Lan Ke , Li Honglin , Xu Ke
Published: November 2020

In the original publication the author’s name ‘Dimitri Lavillete’ is published incorrectly. The correct author name should be spelt as ‘Dimitri Lavillette’ is provided in this correction.
Perspectives on Medical Education Meta-Research Special Issue: A call for papers exploring how research is performed, communicated, verified and rewarded
Authors: Maggio Lauren A. , Haustein Stefanie , Artino Jr. Anthony R.
Published: November 2020

None
Design of Cloud Computing and Microservice-Based Urban Rail Transit Integrated Supervisory Control System Plus
Authors: Yu Songwei , Chang Haili , Wang Hanjun
Published: November 2020

In traditional metro weak current systems, subsystems built by different manufacturers are physically separated, and devices are redundant while data are isolated. This causes low resource use, high maintenance cost, long customization cycles, and high interface complexity. In this paper, based on an analysis of the problems in traditional metro weak current systems, a novel cloud and microservice-based urban rail transit integrated supervisory control system (ISCS) named ISCS Plus is proposed. The integration mode of each subsystem is determined by analyzing safety requirements, real-time performance, and business characteristics. An infrastructure platform is designed to share resources and isolate applications based on cloud computing technology, while traditional subsystems are decomposed as microservices and merged into different applications. Finally, the entire architecture of ISCS Plus is established and its features are discussed. ISCS Plus plays a key role in the systematic, intelligent, and automatic solution for metro weak current systems and supports the development of the world's leading metro weak current systems.
How does crop insurance influence pesticide use? Evidence from French farms
Authors: Enjolras Geoffroy , Aubert Magali
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this paper is to examine how crop insurance influences pesticide use, the two decisions being strategic for risk management at the farm scale. To that aim, the paper implements propensity score matching, difference-in-differences models, and a combination of these two methods in order to compare two similar populations of insured and non-insured farmers. Using data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), we consider French farms which cultivate field crops and quality wine-growing, the two main productions that participate the most to crop insurance and that use intensively pesticides. The analysis is performed between 2008 and 2012 given a strategic change in the crop insurance system in 2010 that strongly incites farmers to purchase crop insurance with private companies. At the same time, pesticide use was progressively discouraged through public policies. Estimations show that while pesticide use decreases for all crops, the purchase of crop insurance policies has no impact for field crops and quality wine-growing. Meanwhile, the land allocated to each crop within the farm changes. These results question a possible substitutability, for some productions, between crop insurance and pesticides as risk management tools.
Die unklare Nierenraumforderung: wie weiter?
Authors: Katsios Andreas , Thalmann George N. , Gross Tobias
Published: November 2020

Raumforderungen der Niere sind eine heterogene Gruppe von benignen und malignen Tumoren. Eine entscheidende Rolle bei der weitergehenden Differenzierung und auch Überwachung spielt die Bildgebung. In gewissen Fällen kann eine Biopsie sinnvoll sein, insbesondere bei der Abklärung von metastasierten Leiden oder vor ablativen Verfahren zur Gewinnung einer Histologie. Bei T1/T2-Tumoren sollte, wenn immer vertretbar, eine Nierenteilresektion angestrebt werden, die minimal-invasiven Operationen sind zunehmend die Modalität der Wahl, jedoch sollte die minimal-invasive Methode nicht auf Kosten eines Nierenerhalts forciert werden. Bei älteren und komorbiden Patienten mit kleinen Nierentumoren ist die aktive Überwachung eine valide Alternative zur unmittelbaren Chirurgie.
Space Exploration: Approaches to Inhabiting Digital Spaces and Their Influence on Education
Authors: Calder Nigel , Otrel-Cass Kathrin
Published: November 2020

What happens when we go online, interact and leave our digital footprints? What is the nature of the online spaces that teachers and their students inhabit and the implications of being in these spaces? In this article we have explored these questions by following the theoretical inspirations by James Paul Gee about affinity spaces and Martin Heidegger’s notions on dwelling. The article interweaves its argument with examples from several research projects to argue that online environments allow for opportunities to play and personalize, to be creative, and that these forms of expressions are an interplay of social and technical elements. While the control within digital spaces is not transparent, we contend that there are opportunities for the user to exert influence on and within digital spaces, and to transform them in varying ways and scope. Sometimes those spaces facilitate autonomy and self-selection, which in turn initiates or confirms transformation. With the growth and increased sophistication of virtual realities and artificial intelligence, we need to understand the nature of the educational engagement within these spaces. We also need to understand this mutually influencial engagement between the user and these digital spaces, and be vigilant as to who might be exerting the most influential control.
Free Movement of Persons in West Africa Under the Strain of COVID-19
Authors: Hamadou Abdoulaye
Published: November 2020

Immediately after the first signs of COVID-19 in West Africa in March-April 2020, twelve countries officially closed their borders. Other countries, such as Benin, Ivory Coast and Senegal, adopted a more pragmatic approach by merely limiting to essential crossings any arrivals or departures over land, and by adopting humanitarian corridors. Many of these measures are based on Article 4 of the 1979 Dakar Protocol of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Article 91 of the amended Treaty of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (known under its French acronym UEMOA), which authorize states to limit the freedom of movement and residence for reasons of public order, public security, or public health. The measures, however, have heavily impacted the legal regime of free movement of persons throughout the ECOWAS area. In the following analysis, I will show that the measures have (1) contributed to the disintegration of the legal regime of free movement of persons in ECOWAS and (2) instrumentalized COVID-19 for political ends in ways that are counterproductive for the region.
The educational outcomes of children in care – a scoping review
Authors: Lund Stephan , Stokes Cathy
Published: November 2020

This article presents a brief scoping review of the literature on the educational outcomes of care experienced children and young people in Australia published since 2010. The review also examines key educational issues and the impact of being in care on the educational experience of children and young people. Twenty-five papers were selected for review, key information extracted and recurrent themes noted. Themes include stigma and low expectations, school disruption and absenteeism, issues within the care and education systems and the importance of good relationships with supportive adults. The review found that young people in care often experience much worse educational outcomes than their peers. Conclusions and recommendations include reforming the care and education systems, focussing workers on building strong supportive relationships with young people, helping them to build resilience and prioritising education. Further targeted research is also recommended.
Do simple syntactic heuristics to verb meaning hold up? Testing the structure mapping account over spontaneous speech to Spanish-learning children
Authors: Audisio Cynthia Pamela , Migdalek Maia Julieta
Published: November 2020

Experimental research has shown that English-learning children as young as 19 months, as well as children learning other languages (e.g., Mandarin), infer some aspects of verb meanings by mapping the nominal elements in the utterance onto participants in the event expressed by the verb. The present study assessed this structure or analogical mapping mechanism (SAMM) on naturalistic speech in the linguistic environment of 20 Spanish-learning infants from Argentina (average age 19 months). This study showed that the SAMM performs poorly – at chance level – especially when only noun phrases (NPs) included in experimental studies of the SAMM were parsed. If agreement morphology is considered, the performance is slightly above chance but still very poor. In addition, it was found that the SAMM performs better on intransitive and transitive verbs, compared to ditransitives. Agreement morphology has a beneficial effect only on transitive and ditransitive verbs. On the whole, concerns are raised about the role of the SAMM in infants’ interpretation of verb meaning in natural exchanges.
Stabilisation of short-wavelength instabilities by parallel-to-the-field shear in long-wavelength E × B flows
Authors: Hardman M. R. , Barnes M. , Roach C. M.
Published: November 2020

Magnetised plasma turbulence can have a multiscale character: instabilities driven by mean temperature gradients drive turbulence at the disparate scales of the ion and the electron gyroradii. Simulations of multiscale turbulence, using equations valid in the limit of infinite scale separation, reveal novel cross-scale interaction mechanisms in these plasmas. In the case that both long-wavelength (ion-gyroradius-scale) and short-wavelength (electron-gyroradius-scale) linear instabilities are driven far from marginal stability, we show that the short-wavelength instabilities are suppressed by interactions with long-wavelength turbulence. Two novel effects contributed to the suppression: parallel-to-the-field-line shearing by the long-wavelength

${{\boldsymbol {E}} \times \boldsymbol {B}}$

flows, and the modification of the background density gradient by the piece of the long-wavelength electron adiabatic response with parallel-to-the-field-line variation. In contrast, simulations of multiscale turbulence where instabilities at both scales are driven near marginal stability demonstrate that when the long-wavelength turbulence is sufficiently collisional and zonally dominated the effect of cross-scale interaction can be parameterised solely in terms of the local modifications to the mean density and temperature gradients. We discuss physical arguments that qualitatively explain how a change in equilibrium drive leads to the observed transition in the impact of the cross-scale interactions.
Chaos in positive ion–negative ion magnetized plasmas
Authors: Ghosh Samiran , Maity Biplab , Poria Swarup
Published: November 2020

The dynamical behaviour of weakly nonlinear, low-frequency sound waves are investigated in a plasma composed of only positive and negative ions incorporating the effects of a weak external uniform magnetic field. In the plasma model the mass (temperature) of the positive ions is smaller (larger) than that of the negative ions. The dynamics of the nonlinear wave is shown to be governed by a novel nonlinear equation. The stationary plane wave (analytical and numerical) nonlinear analysis on the basis of experimental parameters reveals that the nonlinear wave does have quasi-periodic and chaotic solutions. The Poincarè return map analysis confirms these observed complex structures.
Childhood exposure to interpersonal violence is associated with greater transdiagnostic integration of psychiatric symptoms
Authors: Russell Justin D. , Keding Taylor J. , He Quanfa , Li James J. , Herringa Ryan J.
Published: November 2020

Background

Childhood exposure to interpersonal violence (IPV) may be linked to distinct manifestations of mental illness, yet the nature of this change remains poorly understood. Network analysis can provide unique insights by contrasting the interrelatedness of symptoms underlying psychopathology across exposed and non-exposed youth, with potential clinical implications for a treatment-resistant population. We anticipated marked differences in symptom associations among IPV-exposed youth, particularly in terms of ‘hub’ symptoms holding outsized influence over the network, as well as formation and influence of communities of highly interconnected symptoms.

Methods

Participants from a population-representative sample of youth (n= 4433; ages 11–18 years) completed a comprehensive structured clinical interview assessing mental health symptoms, diagnostic status, and history of violence exposure. Network analytic methods were used to model the pattern of associations between symptoms, quantify differences across diagnosed youth with (IPV+) and without (IPV–) IPV exposure, and identify transdiagnostic ‘bridge’ symptoms linking multiple disorders.

Results

Symptoms organized into six ‘disorder’ communities (e.g.Intrusive Thoughts/Sensations, Depression, Anxiety), that exhibited considerably greater interconnectivity in IPV+ youth. Five symptoms emerged in IPV+ youth as highly trafficked ‘bridges’ between symptom communities (11 in IPV– youth).

Conclusion

IPV exposure may alter mutually reinforcing symptom co-occurrence in youth, thus contributing to greater psychiatric comorbidity and treatment resistance. The presence of a condensed and unique set of bridge symptoms suggests trauma-enriched nodes which could be therapeutically targeted to improve outcomes in violence-exposed youth.
Limits on expectation-based processing: Use of grammatical aspect for co-reference in L2
Authors: Grüter Theres , Rohde Hannah
Published: November 2020

This study examines the use of discourse-level information to create expectations about reference in real-time processing, testing whether patterns previously observed among native speakers of English generalize to nonnative speakers. Findings from a visual-world eye-tracking experiment show that native (L1;N= 53) but not nonnative (L2;N= 52) listeners’ proactive coreference expectations are modulated by grammatical aspect in transfer-of-possession events. Results from an offline judgment task show these L2 participants did not differ from L1 speakers in their interpretation of aspect marking on transfer-of-possession predicates in English, indicating it is not lack of linguistic knowledge but utilization of this knowledge in real-time processing that distinguishes the groups. English proficiency, although varying substantially within the L2 group, did not modulate L2 listeners’ use of grammatical aspect for reference processing. These findings contribute to the broader endeavor of delineating the role of prediction in human language processing in general, and in the processing of discourse-level information among L2 users in particular.
Telemedicine experience between two hospitals from Angola and Spain
Authors: Gil-Olivas Eva , Salvador Fernando , Moreno Milagros , Bocanegra Cristina , Aznar María Luisa , Filipe Alberto , Pessela Agostinho , Mateus Raquel Mª , Zacarias Adriano , López Teresa , Cossio Yolima , Sánchez-Montalvá Adrián , Bosch-Nicolau Pau , Molina Israel
Published: November 2020

Objective

Telemedicine uses information and communication technologies to provide services in the field where the distance is a critical factor. The aim of the present study is to describe the experience of a synchronous telemedicine between two hospitals in Spain and Angola.

Methods

This is a retrospective observational study of all synchronous telemedicine sessions conducted between the Hospital Nossa Senhora da Paz in Angola and the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Spain from January 2011 to December 2014.

Results

Seventy-two cases were discussed in the telemedicine sessions. The average age of patients was 18.02 (SD 13.75) years and mostly women (54.38 percent). Reasons to discuss the cases were 46.47 percent doubts in the diagnosis and therapeutic management, 15.47 percent were purely formative cases, and only 8.45 percent treatment doubt. At the time of presentation, 29 percent of the patients were already diagnosed, 95 percent of whom with infectious disease diagnostic, and from the undiagnosed patients 36 percent presented a febrile syndrome.

Conclusion

This study shows the viability of synchronous telemedicine between European and African countries without an excessively sophisticated technology.
LIMIT THEOREMS FOR FACTOR MODELS
Authors: Anatolyev Stanislav , Mikusheva Anna
Published: November 2020

This paper establishes central limit theorems (CLTs) and proposes how to perform valid inference in factor models. We consider a setting where many counties/regions/assets are observed for many time periods, and when estimation of a global parameter includes aggregation of a cross-section of heterogeneous microparameters estimated separately for each entity. The CLT applies for quantities involving both cross-sectional and time series aggregation, as well as for quadratic forms in time-aggregated errors. This paper studies the conditions when one can consistently estimate the asymptotic variance, and proposes a bootstrap scheme for cases when one cannot. A small simulation study illustrates performance of the asymptotic and bootstrap procedures. The results are useful for making inferences in two-step estimation procedures related to factor models, as well as in other related contexts. Our treatment avoids structural modeling of cross-sectional dependence but imposes time-series independence.
Not teaching what we practice: undergraduate conservation training at UK universities lacks interdisciplinarity
Authors: Gardner Charlie J
Published: November 2020

The practice and science of conservation have become increasingly interdisciplinary, and it is widely acknowledged that conservation training in higher education institutions should embrace interdisciplinarity in order to prepare students to address real-world conservation problems. However, there is little information on the extent to which conservation education at the undergraduate level meets this objective. I carried out a systematic search of undergraduate conservation degree programmes in the UK and conducted a simple text analysis of module descriptions to quantify the extent to which they provide social science training. I found 47 programmes, of which 29 provided module descriptions. Modules containing social science content ranged from 3.8% to 52.2% of modules across programmes, but only 55.2% of programmes offered a social-focused conservation module, and only one programme offered a module in social science research methods. On average, almost half of the modules offered (46.2%) comprised biology and ecology modules with no conservation focus, and 17.9% comprised skills-based modules (research and vocational skills). Conservation-focused modules comprised a mean of only 22.5% of modules. These results show that undergraduate conservation teaching in the UK is still largely biocentric and is failing to deliver the interdisciplinary education that is widely called for.
Genetic architecture of reciprocal social behavior in toddlers: Implications for heterogeneity in the early origins of autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Marrus Natasha , Grant Julia D. , Harris-Olenak Brooke , Albright Jordan , Bolster Drew , Haber Jon Randolph , Jacob Theodore , Zhang Yi , Heath Andrew C. , Agrawal Arpana , Constantino John N. , Elison Jed T. , Glowinski Anne L.
Published: November 2020

Impairment in reciprocal social behavior (RSB), an essential component of early social competence, clinically defines autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the behavioral and genetic architecture of RSB in toddlerhood, when ASD first emerges, has not been fully characterized. We analyzed data from a quantitative video-referenced rating of RSB (vrRSB) in two toddler samples: a community-based volunteer research registry (n = 1,563) and an ethnically diverse, longitudinal twin sample ascertained from two state birth registries (n = 714). Variation in RSB was continuously distributed, temporally stable, significantly associated with ASD risk at age 18 months, and only modestly explained by sociodemographic and medical factors (r2 = 9.4%). Five latent RSB factors were identified and corresponded to aspects of social communication or restricted repetitive behaviors, the two core ASD symptom domains. Quantitative genetic analyses indicated substantial heritability for all factors at age 24 months (h2 ≥ .61). Genetic influences strongly overlapped across all factors, with a social motivation factor showing evidence of newly-emerging genetic influences between the ages of 18 and 24 months. RSB constitutes a heritable, trait-like competency whose factorial and genetic structure is generalized across diverse populations, demonstrating its role as an early, enduring dimension of inherited variation in human social behavior. Substantially overlapping RSB domains, measurable when core ASD features arise and consolidate, may serve as markers of specific pathways to autism and anchors to inform determinants of autism's heterogeneity.
Functional brain abnormalities associated with comorbid anxiety in autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Bartolotti James , Sweeney John A. , Mosconi Matthew W.
Published: November 2020

Anxiety disorders are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and associated with social–communication impairment and repetitive behavior symptoms. The neurobiology of anxiety in ASD is unknown, but amygdala dysfunction has been implicated in both ASD and anxiety disorders. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, we compared amygdala–prefrontal and amygdala–striatal connections across three demographically matched groups studied in the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE): ASD with a comorbid anxiety disorder (N= 25; ASD + Anxiety), ASD without a comorbid disorder (N= 68; ASD-NoAnx), and typically developing controls (N= 139; TD). Relative to ASD-NoAnx and TD controls, ASD + Anxiety individuals had decreased connectivity between the amygdala and dorsal/rostral anterior cingulate cortex (dACC/rACC). The functional connectivity of these connections was not affected in ASD-NoAnx, and amygdala connectivity with ventral ACC/medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) circuits was not different in ASD + Anxiety or ASD-NoAnx relative to TD. Decreased amygdala–dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC)/rACC connectivity was associated with more severe social impairment in ASD + Anxiety; amygdala–striatal connectivity was associated with restricted, repetitive behavior (RRB) symptom severity in ASD-NoAnx individuals. These findings suggest comorbid anxiety in ASD is associated with disrupted emotion-monitoring processes supported by amygdala–dACC/mPFC pathways, whereas emotion regulation systems involving amygdala–ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) are relatively spared. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for comorbid anxiety for parsing ASD neurobiological heterogeneity.
Emergence and rate of autism in fragile X syndrome across the first years of life
Authors: Roberts Jane E. , Bradshaw Jessica , Will Elizabeth , Hogan Abigail L. , McQuillin Samuel , Hills Kimberly
Published: November 2020

Prospective longitudinal studies of idiopathic autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have provided insights into early symptoms and predictors of ASD during infancy, well before ASD can be diagnosed at age 2–3 years. However, research on the emergence of ASD in disorders with a known genetic etiology, contextualized in a developmental framework, is currently lacking. Using a biobehavioral multimethod approach, we (a) determined the rate of ASD in N = 51 preschoolers with fragile X syndrome (FXS) using a clinical best estimate (CBE) procedure with differential diagnoses of comorbid psychiatric disorders and (b) investigated trajectories of ASD symptoms and physiological arousal across infancy as predictors of ASD in preschoolers with FXS. ASD was not diagnosed if intellectual ability or psychiatric disorders better accounted for the symptoms. Our results determined that 60.7% of preschoolers with FXS met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition) (DSM-5) criteria for ASD using the CBE procedure. In addition, 92% of these preschoolers presented with developmental delay and 45.4% also met criteria for psychiatric disorders, either anxiety, ADHD, or both. ASD diagnoses in preschoolers with FXS were predicted by elevated scores on traditional ASD screeners in addition to elevated autonomic arousal and avoidant eye contact from infancy.
HIV, Vascular Risk Factors, and Cognition in the Combination Antiretroviral Therapy Era: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: McIntosh Elissa C. , Tureson Kayla , Rotblatt Lindsay J. , Singer Elyse J. , Thames April D.
Published: November 2020

Objectives:

Mounting evidence indicates that vascular risk factors (VRFs) are elevated in HIV and play a significant role in the development and persistence of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder. Given the increased longevity of people living with HIV (PLWH), there is a great need to better elucidate vascular contributions to neurocognitive impairment in HIV. This systematic review and meta-analysis examine relationships between traditional VRFs, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cognition in PLWH in the combination antiretroviral therapy era.

Methods:

For the systematic review, 44 studies met inclusion criteria and included data from 14,376 PLWH and 6,043 HIV-seronegative controls. To better quantify the contribution of VRFs to cognitive impairment in HIV, a robust variance estimation meta-analysis (N = 11 studies) was performed and included data from 2139 PLWH.

Results:

In the systematic review, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies supported relationships between VRFs, cognitive dysfunction, and decline, particularly in the domains of attention/processing speed, executive functioning, and fine motor skills. The meta-analysis demonstrated VRFs were associated with increased odds of global neurocognitive impairment (odds ratio [OR ]= 2.059, p = .010), which remained significant after adjustment for clinical HIV variables (p = .017). Analyses of individual VRFs demonstrated type 2 diabetes (p = .004), hyperlipidemia (p = .043), current smoking (p = .037), and previous CVD (p = .0005) were significantly associated with global neurocognitive impairment.

Conclusions:

VRFs and CVD are associated with worse cognitive performance and decline, and neurocognitive impairment in PLWH. Future studies are needed to examine these relationships in older adults with HIV, and investigate how race/ethnicity, gender, medical comorbidities, and psychosocial factors contribute to VRF-associated cognitive dysfunction in HIV.
Blood Biomarkers Relate to Cognitive Performance Years after Traumatic Brain Injury in Service Members and Veterans
Authors: Lippa Sara M. , Gill Jessica , Brickell Tracey A. , French Louis M. , Lange Rael T.
Published: November 2020

Objective:

This study examines the relationship of serum total tau, neurofilament light (NFL), ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) with neurocognitive performance in service members and veterans with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Method:

Service members (n = 488) with a history of uncomplicated mild (n = 172), complicated mild, moderate, severe, or penetrating TBI (sTBI; n = 126), injured controls (n = 116), and non-injured controls (n = 74) prospectively enrolled from Military Treatment Facilities. Participants completed a blood draw and neuropsychological assessment a year or more post-injury. Six neuropsychological composite scores and presence/absence of mild neurocognitive disorder (MNCD) were evaluated. Within each group, stepwise hierarchical regression models were conducted.

Results:

Within the sTBI group, increased serum UCH-L1 was related to worse immediate memory and delayed memory (R2Δ = .065–.084, ps < .05) performance, while increased GFAP was related to worse perceptual reasoning (R2Δ = .030, p = .036). Unexpectedly, within injured controls, UCH-L1 and GFAP were inversely related to working memory (R2Δ = .052–.071, ps < .05), and NFL was related to executive functioning (R2Δ = .039, p = .021) and MNCD (Exp(B) = 1.119, p = .029).

Conclusions:

Results suggest GFAP and UCH-L1 could play a role in predicting poor cognitive outcome following complicated mild and more severe TBI. Further investigation of blood biomarkers and cognition is warranted.
Proton beam radiotherapy of locally advanced or recurrent conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma: experience of the CATANA Centre
Authors: Milazzotto Roberto , Liardo Rocco Luca Emanuele , Privitera Giuseppe , Raffaele Luigi , Salamone Vincenzo , Arena Floriana , Pergolizzi Stefano , Cuttone Giacomo , Cirrone Giuseppe A. P. , Russo Andrea , Avitabile Teresio , Foti Pietro Valerio , Palmucci Stefano , Basile Antonio , Spatola Corrado
Published: November 2020

Aim:

Conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare tumour of the ocular region and microscopic radical surgical is difficult. There are no single guidelines for therapeutic management and the role of radiation therapy is not clearly defined although conventionally photon or electron beams are used. Proton beam radiotherapy (PBRT) is a new option for a conservative approach and allows good sparing of the organs at risk.

Materials and methods:

After surgical resection, we collected 15 cases treated at our institution with PBRT. The dose delivered was between 48 and 60 Gy relative biological effectiveness (RBE), with fractions of 12–15 Gy RBE.

Results:

After an average period of 48 months, the patients achieved excellent disease control (overall survival and disease-free survival: 86·6%), with minimal acute and late toxicity.

Findings:

In this work, we present our experience on the use of PBRT technique in SCC treatment. A larger sample of patients is needed to draw conclusions about the impact of this treatment on disease recurrence and overall survival.