bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A platform for P2P agent‐based collaborative applications
Authors: Briola Daniela , Micucci Daniela , Mariani Leonardo
Published: October 2018

The operational environment can be a valuable source of information about the behavior of software applications and their usage context. Although a single instance of an application has limited evidence of the range of the possible behaviors and situations that might be experienced in the field, the collective knowledge composed by the evidence gathered by the many instances of a same application running in several diverse user environments (eg, a browser) might be an invaluable source of information. This information can be exploited by applications able to autonomously analyze how they behave in the field and adjust their behavior accordingly. Augmenting applications with the capability to collaborate and directly share information about their behavior is challenging because it requires the definition of a fully decentralized and dependable networked infrastructure whose nodes are the user machines. The nodes of the infrastructure must be collaborative, to share information, and autonomous, to exploit the available information to change their behavior, for instance, to better accommodate the needs of the users to prevent known problems. This paper describes the initial results that we obtained with the design and the development of an infrastructure that can enable the execution of collaborative scenarios in a fully decentralized way. Our idea is to combine the agent‐based paradigm, which is well suited to design collaborative and autonomous nodes, and the peer‐to‐peer paradigm, which is well suited to design distributed and dynamic network infrastructures. To demonstrate our idea, we augmented the popular JADE agent‐based platform with a software layer that supports both the creation of a fully decentralized peer‐to‐peer network of JADE platforms and the execution of services within that network, thus enabling JADE multiagent systems (MASs) to behave as peer‐to‐peer networks. The resulting platform can be used to study the design of collaborative applications running in the field.
Glycoprotein M6B Interacts with TβRI to Activate TGF-β-Smad2/3 Signaling and Promote Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation
Authors: Zhang Xiaomeng , Xie Huaning , Chang Pan , Zhao Huishou , Xia Yunlong , Zhang Ling , Guo Xiong , Huang Chong , Yan Feng , Hu Lang , Lin Chen , Li Yueyang , Xiong Zhenyu , Wang Xiong , Li Guohua , Deng Longxiang , Wang Shan , Tao Ling
Published: October 2018

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs), which form the walls of blood vessels, play an important role in vascular development and the pathogenic process of vascular remodeling. However, the molecular mechanisms governing SMC differentiation remain poorly understood. Glycoprotein M6B (GPM6B) is a four-transmembrane protein that belongs to the proteolipid protein family and is widely expressed in neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes. Previous studies have revealed that GPM6B plays a role in neuronal differentiation, myelination, and osteoblast differentiation. In the present study, we found that the GPM6B gene and protein expression levels were significantly upregulated during transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced SMC differentiation. The knockdown of GPM6B resulted in the downregulation of SMC-specific marker expression and repressed the activation of Smad2/3 signaling. Moreover, GPM6B regulates SMC Differentiation by Controlling TGF-β-Smad2/3 Signaling. Furthermore, we demonstrated that similar to p-Smad2/3, GPM6B was profoundly expressed and coexpressed with SMC differentiation markers in embryonic SMCs. Moreover, GPM6B can regulate the tightness between TβRI, TβRII, or Smad2/3 by directly binding to TβRI to activate Smad2/3 signaling during SMC differentiation, and activation of TGF-β-Smad2/3 signaling also facilitate the expression of GPM6B. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that GPM6B plays a crucial role in SMC differentiation and regulates SMC differentiation through the activation of TGF-β-Smad2/3 signaling via direct interactions with TβRI. This finding indicates that GPM6B is a potential target for deriving SMCs from stem cells in cardiovascular regenerative medicine. Stem Cells  2018 Stem Cells  2019;37:190–201
Structure, performances, and formation mechanism of cement composites with large‐scale regular microstructure by distributing uniformly few‐layered graphene oxide in cement matrix
Authors: Lv Shenghua , Hu Haoyan , Zhang Jia , Lei Ying , Sun Li , Hou Yonggang
Published: October 2018

The multiple layered graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by modified Hummer's method. Then few‐layered GO was obtained by forming intercalation composites with the multiple layered GO and poly(acrylic acid‐acrylamide‐diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (PAAD). The goal is to prepare large‐scale ordered structure in the whole cement composites by distributing uniformly the GO in cement matrix. The effects of PAAD on GO nanosheets and its distribution within the cement paste were investigated and assessed by characterization of the size range of GO nanosheets and microstrcuture of cement matrix. The results showed that the GO nanosheet size can reduce to 3–110 nm from 6.5–450 nm in composites with PAAD, in contrast to 5–210 nm for polycarboxylate superplasticizers. Doping GO/PAAD intercalation composites, the large‐scale ordered structural cement composites were prepared. The SEM images indicated that the whole cement composites consisted of regular cement hydration products by interweaving and crosslinking. The X‐ray diffraction patterns indicated that there are new crystals in the cement composites and the amorphous hydration products have been transferred into crystal phase. The forming mechanism was proposed according to these research results. The test results indicated that the cement composites have high compressive and flexural strengths, good heat resistance, few cracks, small average pore diameter and good durability.
Natural and anthropogenic factors affecting Allegheny woodrat occupancy
Authors: Lombardi Jason V. , Castleberry Steven B. , Mengak Michael T. , Terrell V. K.
Published: October 2018

The Allegheny woodrat (Neotoma magister) is a habitat specialist closely associated with rock habitats throughout the Appalachian region. Although genetic studies have examined gene flow and connectivity among rock habitats, estimates of initial occupancy, colonization, and local extinction based on field studies are not available. Therefore, we used data from camera surveys to examine site and landscape characteristics with the potential to influence Allegheny woodrat initial occupancy, colonization, and local extinction at Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA, from May to September 2015. We modeled these parameters relative to covariates using a multiseason occupancy modeling approach. We found that colonization of rock outcrops by Allegheny woodrats occurs across a range of human impact levels, supporting previous research that Allegheny woodrats are relatively tolerant of human disturbance, including the type of disturbances (e.g., rock climbing, hiking) that occur at rock outcrops on our study area and other protected areas within the range. We also found lower localized extinction rates in oak (Quercus spp.)–hickory (Carya spp.) than oak–pine (Pinus spp.) forests, likely because the diversity of mast‐producing species and abundant understory vegetation in oak–hickory forests provide habitat conditions more conducive to woodrat persistence. Management efforts for Allegheny woodrats should focus on maintaining forests with a diversity of mast‐producing species, which could include use of prescribed fire and monitoring and treatment programs to reduce effects of invasive insects and pathogens. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.
Fitting high-energy Littlest Seesaw parameters using low-energy neutrino data and leptogenesis
Authors: King Stephen F. , Sedgwick Susana Molina , Rowley Samuel J.
Published: October 2018

Abstract

We show that the four high-energy Littlest Seesaw parameters in the flavour basis, namely two real Yukawa couplings plus the two right-handed neutrino masses, can be determined by an excellent fit to the seven currently constrained observables of low-energy neutrino data and leptogenesis. Taking into account renormalisation group corrections, we estimate χ
2 ≃ 1.5-2.6 for the three d.o.f., depending on the high-energy scale and the type of non-supersymmetric Littlest Seesaw model. We extract allowed ranges of neutrino parameters from our fit data, including the approximate mu-tau symmetric predictions θ
23 = 45° ± 1° and δ = −90° ± 5°, which, together with a normal mass ordering with m
1 = 0, will enable Littlest Seesaw models to be tested in future neutrino experiments.
Evaluation of pest control efficiencies for different banker plant systems with a simple predator–prey model
Authors: Yano Eizi , Abe Junichiro , Hemerik Lia
Published: October 2018

The banker plant system has been introduced for the biological control of various pest species in Japanese greenhouses. With the banker plant system, non‐crop plants infested with a host insect (a non‐commercial crop pest) are placed in the greenhouse to provide alternative resources for the parasitoids or predators. We want to evaluate the effectiveness for controlling pests on the crop in a quantitative way by immigrating predators from the banker plant. Therefore, we developed a simple model for the interaction of the pest and predator in the crop and included the banker plant only as a source for predators. For three different pest‐predator systems we parameterised the model and used these models to predict under what conditions biological control in a banker plant system is successful. We defined successful as keeping the pest below the economic injury level of the crop estimated from damage analysis. Because the crop is mostly grown during a period that lasts less than a year our analysis should not only focus on the equilibrium dynamics. In contrast, it should also focus on the transient dynamics. Our main analytical result, from the equilibrium analysis, is that for successful control the maximum lifetime consumption of immigrating predators should exceed the daily prey growth at half the value of the maximum consumption rate. For practical purpose this translates into the fact that the immigration of predators at a low initial pest density is crucial for successful control.
Gestalt structures in multi-person intersubjectivity
Authors: Pawlett Jackson Sarah
Published: October 2018

In this paper I argue that there are gestalt principles underlying intersubjective interactions and that this means that intersubjective ‘units’, can be recognised as unified gestalt wholes. The nub of the claim is that interactions within a ‘plural subject’ can be perceived by others outside this plural subject. Framed from the first-person perspective: I am able to recognise intersubjective interactions between multiple others who are not me. I argue that the terminology of gestalt structures is helpful in framing and understanding the non-reducible make-up of these relational units. I consequently defend the legitimacy of the claim that we can attend to more than one other person at once, holding multiple others as a single focus of attention insofar as we can attend to multiple others as a gestalt whole. I argue that it is therefore legitimate to talk about attending to, perceiving and addressing multiple others at the same time, in the second-person plural. I argue that this can be identified in the phenomenology of such interactions and in an analysis of the core underlying structures of these interactions.
Measurement of negative and depressive symptoms: Discriminatory relevance of affect and expression
Authors: Richter Janina , Hölz Lea , Hesse Klaus , Wildgruber Dirk , Klingberg Stefan
Published: October 2018

There is conceptual overlap between negative and depressive symptoms: Mainly the ‘avolition’ factor of negative symptoms also encompasses main symptoms of depression. However, whereas in depression mood is low, mainly anticipatory anhedonia can be found in negative symptoms. Moreover, patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) show greater expressive deficits than those with Major Depressive Episode (MDE). We investigated if measures of depressive and negative symptoms differentiate SCZ subjects, subjects with MDE, and healthy controls (HC). 21 SCZ, 22 MDE, and 25 HC subjects were examined with a rater assessment and a self-rating for negative symptoms (Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS); Motivation and Pleasure – Self-Report (MAP-SR)) and depressive symptoms (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17); Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)). All measures differentiated the psychiatric samples from HC (all p’s < 0.01). The ratings of depressive symptoms (HAMD-17, BDI) and rater assessment of negative symptoms (CAINS) – specifically its sub scale measuring expressive deficits – managed to discriminate between subjects with schizophrenia and those with MDE (SCZ > MDE > HC for negative, MDE > SCZ > HC for depressive symptoms, all p’s < 0.05). The self-rating of negative symptoms (MAP-SR) did not. To differentiate negative symptoms and depression clinicians might look for (self-)reported low mood and observer-rated reduction in speech as well as in gestures and facial expression. Reduced expression and moderate levels of depression point towards a negative syndrome, whereas mostly unimpaired expression and high scores of self-reported depressive symptoms are more likely to indicate a depressive syndrome.
Epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus infections in patients admitted to freestanding pediatric hospitals, 2009–2016
Authors: Spaulding Alicen B. , Thurm Cary , Courter Joshua D. , Banerjee Ritu , Gerber Jeffrey S. , Newland Jason G. , Parker Sarah K. , Brogan Thomas V. , Kronman Matthew P. , Shah Samir S. , Smith Michael J. , Patel Sameer J. , Lee Brian R. , Hersh Adam L.
Published: October 2018

We observed pediatric S. aureus hospitalizations decreased 36% from 26.3 to 16.8 infections per 1,000 admissions from 2009 to 2016, with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) decreasing by 52% and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus decreasing by 17%, among 39 pediatric hospitals. Similar decreases were observed for days of therapy of anti-MRSA antibiotics.
On high-speed impingement of cylindrical droplets upon solid wall considering cavitation effects
Authors: Wu Wangxia , Xiang Gaoming , Wang Bing
Published: October 2018

The high-speed impingement of droplets on a wall occurs widely in nature and industry. However, there is limited research available on the physical mechanism of the complicated flow phenomena during impact. In this study, a simplified multi-component compressible two-phase fluid model, coupled with the phase-transition procedure, is employed to solve the two-phase hydrodynamics system for high-speed cylindrical droplet impaction on a solid wall. The threshold conditions of the thermodynamic parameters of the fluid are established to numerically model the initiation of phase transition. The inception of cavitation inside the high-speed cylindrical droplets impacting on the solid wall can thus be captured. The morphology and dynamic characteristics of the high-speed droplet impingement process are analysed qualitatively and quantitatively, after the mathematical models and numerical procedures are carefully verified and validated. It was found that a confined curved shock wave is generated when the high-speed cylindrical droplet impacts the wall and this shock wave is reflected by the curved droplet surface. A series of rarefaction waves focus at a position at a distance of one third of the droplet diameter away from the top pole due to the curved surface reflection. This focusing zone is identified as the cavity because the local liquid state satisfies the condition for the inception of cavitation. Moreover, the subsequent evolution of the cavitation zone is demonstrated and the effects of the impact speed, ranging from

$50$

to

$200~\text{m}~\text{s}^{-1}$

, on the deformation of the cylindrical droplet and the further evolution of the cavitation were studied. The focusing position, where the cavitation core is located, is independent of the initial impaction speed. However, the cavity zone is enlarged and the stronger collapsing wave is induced as the impaction speed increases.
The impact of emotional intelligence on creativity, the mediating role of worker attitudes and the moderating effects of individual success
Authors: Silva Diane , Coelho Arnaldo
Published: October 2018

The objective of this paper is to understand the influence of emotional intelligence on creativity, considering the mediating roles of job resourcefulness, self-motivation and organizational commitment moderated by individual success. The investigation is based on data from 519 questionnaires collected from a sample of Portuguese workers. Structural equation modeling was used with multigroup analysis.The results show a positive influence of emotional intelligence on creativity and other behavioral variables, and individual success appeared to moderate most of the presented relationships. The sample used in this study is not probabilistic, thus the results are difficult to generalize. This investigation identifies several work-related outcomes of emotional intelligence and highlights its importance and raises new ideas for training programs, namely in the field of soft skills. This investigation is innovative in that we analyze the mediating effects of different variables, like job resourcefulness, on emotional intelligence’s relationship with creativity, moderated by individual success.
Adherence to Mediterranean-style diet and risk of sepsis in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort
Authors: Gray Marquita S. , Wang Henry E. , Martin Kimberly D. , Donnelly John P. , Gutiérrez Orlando M. , Shikany James M. , Judd Suzanne E.
Published: October 2018

Sepsis – syndrome of infection complicated by organ dysfunction – is responsible for over 750 000 hospitalisations and 200 000 deaths in the USA annually. Despite potential nutritional benefits, the association of diet and sepsis is unknown. Therefore, we sought to determine the association between adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet (Med-style diet) and long-term risk of sepsis in the REasons for Geographic Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. We analysed data from REGARDS, a population-based cohort of 30 239 community-dwelling adults age ≥45 years. We determined dietary patterns from a baseline FFQ. We defined Med-style diet as a high consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, fish, cereal and low consumption of meat, dairy products, fat and alcohol categorising participants into Med-style diet tertiles (low: 0–3, moderate: 4–5, high: 6–9). We defined sepsis events as hospital admission for serious infection and at least two systematic inflammatory response syndrome criteria. We used Cox proportional hazard models to determine the association between Med-style diet tertiles and first sepsis events, adjusting for socio-demographics, lifestyle factors, and co-morbidities. We included 21 256 participants with complete dietary data. Dietary patterns were: low Med-style diet 32·0 %, moderate Med-style diet 42·1 % and high Med-style diet 26·0 %. There were 1109 (5·2 %) first sepsis events. High Med-style diet was independently associated with sepsis risk; low Med-style diet referent, moderate Med-style diet adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0·93 (95 % CI 0·81, 1·08), high Med-style diet adjusted HR=0·74 (95 % CI 0·61, 0·88). High Med-style diet adherence is associated with lower risk of sepsis. Dietary modification may potentially provide an option for reducing sepsis risk.
High-fat-diet-induced inflammation depresses the appetite of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) through the transcriptional regulation of leptin/mammalian target of rapamycin
Authors: Dai Yong-Jun , Jiang Guang-Zhen , Yuan Xiang-Yang , Liu Wen-Bin
Published: October 2018

The aim of this article was to investigate the mechanism of appetite suppression induced by high-fat diets (HFD) in blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). Fish (average initial weight 40·0 (sem 0·35) g) were fed diets with two fat levels (6 and 11 %) with four replicates. HFD feeding for 30 d could significantly increase the weight gain rate, but feeding for 60 d cannot. Food intake of M. amblycephala began to decline significantly in fish fed the HFD for 48 d. HFD feeding for 60 d significantly reduced the expression of neuropeptide Y and elevated the expression of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), actions both in favour of suppression of appetite. The activation of fatty acid sensing was partly responsible for the weakened appetite. In addition, inflammatory factors induced by the HFD may be involved in the regulation of appetite by increasing the secretion of leptin and then activating the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2·0 mg/kg of fish weight) was administered to induce inflammation, and sampling was performed after 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 and 48 h of LPS injection. Within 6–24 h of LPS injection, the food intake and appetite of M. amblycephala decreased significantly, whereas the mRNA expression of leptin and mTOR increased significantly. Our results indicate that inflammatory cytokines may be the cause of appetite suppression in M. amblycephala fed a HFD.
On How (Not) to Argue for Preferring God’s Non-Existence
Authors: LOUGHEED KIRK
Published: October 2018

Consider two epistemically possible worlds that are as similar as can be, except that atheism is true in one world and theism is true in the other world. Which world is it rational to prefer? I explore the strongest defence of the somewhat counterintuitive claim that it is rational to prefer the atheistic world. I also discuss the opposite conclusion, namely, that it’s rational to prefer the theistic world. Surprisingly, my conclusion is that it’s difficult to tell whether to prefer theism or atheism overall.
The balance between food and dietary supplements in the general population
Authors: Lentjes Marleen A. H.
Published: October 2018

In the past, vitamins and minerals were used to cure deficiency diseases. Supplements nowadays are used with the aim of reducing the risk of chronic diseases of which the origins are complex. Dietary supplement use has increased in the UK over recent decades, contributing to the nutrient intake in the population, but not necessarily the proportion of the population that is sub-optimally nourished; therefore, not reducing the proportion below the estimated average requirement and potentially increasing the number at risk of an intake above the safety limits. The supplement nutrient intake may be objectively monitored using circulation biomarkers. The influence of the researcher in how the supplements are grouped and how the nutrient intakes are quantified may however result in different conclusions regarding their nutrient contribution, the associations with biomarkers, in general, and dose–response associations specifically. The diet might be sufficient in micronutrients, but lacking in a balanced food intake. Since public-health nutrition guidelines are expressed in terms of foods, there is potentially a discrepancy between the nutrient-orientated supplement and the quality of the dietary pattern. To promote health, current public-health messages only advocate supplements in specific circumstances, but not in optimally nourished populations.
The importance of salience: public opinion and state policy action on climate change
Authors: Bromley-Trujillo Rebecca , Poe John
Published: October 2018

How does the salience of environmental issues influence climate policy adoption in the American states? This article considers how two aspects of public salience, issue problem status and issue attention, work with environmental interest group membership to influence climate policy adoption in the American states. We contribute to the theoretical development of issue salience and offer alternative measures that capture differences in salience across subnational units. We find evidence that states where climate change is perceived to be a problem, and where attention to environmental issues is high, are more likely to adopt relevant policies. Furthermore, states with Republican majorities in either legislative chamber are less likely to adopt climate policies. Our findings have implications for the impact of salience on the policy process.
A modular bilateral haptic control framework for teleoperation of robots
Authors: Bayraktaroglu Zeki Y. , Argin Omer F. , Haliyo Sinan
Published: October 2018

This paper presents a novel approach to implement bilateral control loops between local haptic devices and remote industrial manipulators using a layer of simulation and virtual reality. The remote scene of manipulation has been visualized in an open-source software environment, where forward and inverse kinematics of the manipulators can be computed. Therefore, the explicit knowledge of mathematical models of the robots is not required for the implementation of the proposed bilateral control schemes. A haptic coupling has been designed between the human operator and the task in the remote environment. Virtually introduced force feedback has contributed to the performance of the proposed bilateral loop by facilitating the adaptation of unexperienced human operators. Teleoperation of one remote manipulator has been experimentally demonstrated with the proposed controllers. Structural modularity of the bilateral haptic control schemes makes them directly extendable for the teleoperation of multiple collaborative robots. Stability and transparency of the proposed bilateral haptic controllers have been theoretically and experimentally investigated.
A general framework for task-constrained motion planning with moving obstacles
Authors: Cefalo Massimo , Oriolo Giuseppe
Published: October 2018

Consider the practically relevant situation in which a robotic system is assigned a task to be executed in an environment that contains moving obstacles. Generating collision-free motions that allow the robot to execute the task while complying with its control input limitations is a challenging problem, whose solution must be sought in the robot state space extended with time. We describe a general planning framework which can be tailored to robots described by either kinematic or dynamic models. The main component is a control-based scheme for producing configuration space subtrajectories along which the task constraint is continuously satisfied. The geometric motion and time history along each subtrajectory are generated separately in order to guarantee feasibility of the latter and at the same time make the scheme intrinsically more flexible. A randomized algorithm then explores the search space by repeatedly invoking the motion generation scheme and checking the produced subtrajectories for collisions. The proposed framework is shown to provide a probabilistically complete planner both in the kinematic and the dynamic case. Modified versions of the planners based on the exploration–exploitation approach are also devised to improve search efficiency or optimize a performance criterion along the solution. We present results in various scenarios involving non-holonomic mobile robots and fixed-based manipulators to show the performance of the planner.
First-order Affective Theory of Mind in Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and in Healthy Older Adults
Authors: Sava Alina-Alexandra , Delphin-Combe Floriane , Krolak-Salmon Pierre , Michael George A. , Chainay Hanna
Published: October 2018

La théorie de l’esprit (TdeE) est définie comme la capacité de reconnaître les états cognitifs et émotionnels d’autres personnes que soi. Les études évaluant la TdeE chez les personnes âgées en santé et celles atteintes de la maladie d’Alzheimer font état de résultats contradictoires. Cependant, il est reconnu que l’âge avancé (Ruffman, Henry, Livingstone, & Phillips, 2008) et la maladie d’Alzheimer (Elferink, Tilborg, & Kessels, 2015) n’affectent pas de manière uniforme la capacité d’identifier ou d’inférer différentes émotions. On a demandé à 17 personnes avec maladie d’Alzheimer, 21 personnes âgées et 25 jeunes adultes d’inférer les états émotionnels de personnages présentés sans détails faciaux dans des contextes émotionnels. Nous avons observé des résultats similaires chez les jeunes adultes et les adultes plus âgés, mais les performances des personnes atteintes de la maladie d’Alzheimer étaient plus faibles pour les émotions de dégoût, de tristesse et de surprise, sans qu’une différence soit notée pour les cas de colère, de peur ou de joie. Ces résultats suggèrent que les personnes avec maladie d’Alzheimer éprouvent des difficultés à inférer plusieurs états émotionnels, mais pas tous, lorsque de l’information contextuelle est fournie en l’absence d’indices faciaux.
Close relationships and depression: A developmental cascade approach
Authors: Goodman Rebecca J. , Samek Diana R. , Wilson Sylia , Iacono William G. , McGue Matt
Published: October 2018

Previous research has shown that problematic parent–child, peer, and romantic partner relationships are associated with an increased likelihood for major depressive disorder (MDD). Less research has evaluated the developmental unfolding of how these interpersonal relationship features are both an antecedent versus a consequence of MDD symptoms from adolescence through young adulthood. These gaps were evaluated using a large community sample (N= 1,127; 54% female, 96% white) via a developmental cascade model. Results showed support for significant antecedent effects, as greater parent–child relationship problems at ages 11 and 17 predicted rank-order increases in MDD symptoms at ages 14 and 20. Supporting a developmental cascade of problematic social relationships, greater parent–child relationship problems at ages 11 and 14 also predicted greater subsequent rank-order increases in antisocial peer affiliation at ages 14 and 17. Greater affiliation to antisocial peers at age 20 predicted greater rank-order increases in romantic relationship problems at age 24, which in turn predicted greater MDD symptoms at age 29. Cross-effects were generally small (βs ≤ .16), illustrating other factors may be relevant to the development or consequences of MDD. Nonetheless, findings support the importance of efforts to strengthen social support networks to offset risk as well as potentially treat depression.
Clinical and pathophysiological aspects of bicuspid aortic valve disease
Authors: Pedersen Maria Weinkouff , Groth Kristian Ambjørn , Mortensen Kristian Havmand , Brodersen John , Gravholt Claus Højbjerg , Andersen Niels Holmark
Published: October 2018

A bicuspid aortic valve is not only a common congenital heart defect but also an enigmatic condition that can cause a large spectrum of diseases, such as aortic valve stenosis and severe heart failure in newborns whereas aortic dissection in adults. On the contrary, a bicuspid aortic valve can also occur with normal function throughout life and never need treatment. Numerous genetic mechanisms are involved in the abnormal cellular functions that may cause abnormal development of the aortic valve during early foetal life. As several chromosomal disorders are also associated with a bicuspid valve, there does not appear to be an apparent common trigger to the abnormal development of the aortic valve. The clinical care of the bicuspid aortic valve patient has been changed by a significant body of evidence that has improved the understanding of the natural history of the disease, including when to best intervene with valve replacement and when to provide prophylactic aortic root surgery. Moreover, as bicuspid valve disease is also part of various syndromes, we can identify high-risk patients in whom a bicuspid valve is much more unfavourable than in the normal population. This review provides an overview of all aspects of the bicuspid aortic valve condition and gives an updated perspective on issues from pathophysiology to clinical care of bicuspid aortic valve disease and associated aortic disease in asymptomatic, symptomatic, and pregnant patients, as well as our viewpoint on population screening.
Explaining Gender in the Journals: How Submission Practices Affect Publication Patterns in Political Science
Authors: Djupe Paul A. , Smith Amy Erica , Sokhey Anand Edward
Published: October 2018

In recent work, Teele and Thelen (2017) documented the underrepresentation of female-authored scholarship in a broad selection of political science journals. To better understand these patterns, we present the results of an original, individual-level survey of political scientists conducted in the spring of 2017. Confirming Teele and Thelen’s speculation, our evidence indicates that differences in submission rates underlie the gender gap in publication—a pattern particularly pronounced for the discipline’s “top three” journals. Leveraging original survey items, we pursue explanations of the submission gap, finding that both methodological specialization and attitudes toward publication strategies play roles. Importantly, we also conclude that men and women obtain differential returns on their investments in coauthorship: although male and female respondents report identical propensities to coauthor, coauthorship boosts submission and publication rates more strongly for men than women. We discuss the implications of our findings for ongoing conversations about inequality in political science.
Cognitive, Behavioral, and Adaptive Profiles in Williams Syndrome With and Without Loss of GTF2IRD2
Authors: Serrano-Juárez Carlos Alberto , Venegas-Vega Carlos Alberto , Yáñez-Téllez Ma. Guillermina , Rodríguez-Camacho Mario , Silva-Pereyra Juan , Salgado-Ceballos Hermelinda , Prieto-Corona Belén
Published: October 2018

Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from a heterozygous microdeletion on chromosome 7q11.23. Most of the time, the affected region contains ~1.5 Mb of sequence encoding approximately 24 genes. Some 5–8% of patients with WS have a deletion exceeding 1.8 Mb, thereby affecting two additional genes, including GTF2IRD2. Currently, there is no consensus regarding the implications of GTF2IRD2 loss for the neuropsychological phenotype of WS patients. Objectives: The present study aimed to identify the role of GTF2IRD2 in the cognitive, behavioral, and adaptive profile of WS patients. Methods: Twelve patients diagnosed with WS participated, four with GTF2IRD2 deletion (atypical WS group), and eight without this deletion (typical WS group). The age range of both groups was 7–18 years old. Each patient’s 7q11.23 deletion scope was determined by chromosomal microarray analysis. Cognitive, behavioral, and adaptive abilities were assessed with a battery of neuropsychological tests. Results: Compared with the typical WS group, the atypical WS patients with GTF2IRD2 deletion had more impaired visuospatial abilities and more significant behavioral problems, mainly related to the construct of social cognition. Conclusions: These findings provide new evidence regarding the influence of the GTF2IRD2 gene on the severity of behavioral symptoms of WS related to social cognition and certain visuospatial abilities. (JINS, 2018, 24, 896–904)
Commissioning and evaluation of a radiochromic EBT3 film dosimetry system
Authors: Isa Khan Muhammad , Bilal Tahir Muhammad , Rafique Muhammad , Iqbal Tahir , Zulfiqar Sabiha , Zahoor Aliza , Rehman Jalil ur , Iqbal Khalid , Chow James
Published: October 2018

Purpose

This work reports our study to commission a radiochromic film dosimetry system using the timely EBT3 film. We carried out dosimetric evaluations on different characteristics of photon beams (e.g., flatness, symmetry and penumbra) in radiation dose delivery.

Materials and Methods

A Varian linear accelerator producing 6 and 15 MV photon beams with 120 multi-leaf collimator was used in this study. PTW ionisation chamber was used to measure the beam characteristics such as symmetry, flatness and penumbra and these measurements were used to commission the radiochormic EBT3 film dosimetry system. The results of irradiated films were analysed using the radiochromic film QA Pro software 2016.

Results

The measured film doses were analysed at two different colour channels (green and red) using two scanning geometries (i.e., upper or lower side of film facing the scanner light source) at two dose levels (10 and 40 Gy). The difference between the ionisation chamber and film results was found insignificant and within the acceptable range as per the World Health Organisation standard.

Conclusion

Results of the comparison between the ionisation chamber and film measurements show that our radiochormic EBT3 film dosimetry system is reliable and cost-effective in the output measurement of a linear accelerator. Our measurements confirm that our EBT3 film dosimetry agreed well with the ionisation chamber, and can be used as a re-validation tool for linear accelerator quality control.
COMPLETENESS FOR COUNTER-DOXA CONDITIONALS – USING RANKING SEMANTICS
Authors: RAIDL ERIC
Published: October 2018

Standard conditionals $\varphi > \psi$, by which I roughly mean variably strict conditionals à la Stalnaker and Lewis, are trivially true for impossible antecedents. This article investigates three modifications in a doxastic setting. For the neutral conditional, all impossible-antecedent conditionals are false, for the doxastic conditional they are only true if the consequent is absolutely necessary, and for the metaphysical conditional only if the consequent is ‘model-implied’ by the antecedent. I motivate these conditionals logically, and also doxastically by properties of conditional belief and belief revision. For this I show that the Lewisian hierarchy of conditional logics can be reproduced within ranking semantics, provided we slightly stretch the notion of a ranking function. Given this, acceptance of a conditional can be interpreted as a conditional belief. The epistemic and the neutral conditional deviate from Lewis’ weakest system $V$, in that ID ($\varphi > \varphi$) or even CN ($\varphi > \top$) are dropped, and new axioms appear. The logic of the metaphysical conditional is completely axiomatised by $V$ to which we add the known Kripke axioms T5 for the outer modality. Related completeness results for variations of the ranking semantics are obtained as corollaries.
The Economic History of Africa: Renaissance or False Dawn?
Authors: Cogneau Denis
Published: October 2018

Though it is currently benefiting from a renewal of interest, the economic history of Africa raises intense methodological controversies that are echoed in two books recently published by Morten Jerven, Poor Numbers and Africa: Why Economists Get It Wrong. A large proportion of these controversies relate more generally to the differences between economists and historians, at least in terms of their dominant practices. In its quest for the institutional “fundamentals” of economic development, much research in this field is content to work with a summary and imperfect base of data, an approach that Jerven is right to criticize. Analyses often suffer from an insufficient knowledge of social contexts, and compress historical time between a “before” and a “now.” They also rely on debatable statistical assumptions. Nevertheless, though extant archives present limitations that are both qualitative (the sources are predominantly colonial) and quantitative, a modest renaissance remains a possibility and would offer more space for better controlled comparative analyses.
Prescription rate of anti-atherosclerotic drugs in German nursing homes and its impact on outcome
Authors: Galas Noemi , Becker Ingrid , Ficon Tomasz , Sakrauski Maik , Reichert Rita , Ahmad Wael , Mylonas Spyridon , Brunkwall Jan , Majd Payman
Published: October 2018

Abstract. Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is one of the major manifestations of general atherosclerosis and strongly associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Because only few epidemiologic studies are available concerning the prevalence of PAD in inhabitants ≥ 80 years of age, we screened inhabitants of nursing care homes in Germany for PAD and cardiovascular diseases and to assess the one year mortality. Patients and methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study, screening inhabitants of 42 nursing homes for PAD. Demographic data, comorbidities, cardiovascular risk factors and daily medication were collected. PAD was defined as ankle-brachial index < 0.9. During a follow up period of one year, cardio- and cerebrovascular events and mortality were recorded, as well as the rate of falls and major amputation. Results: 1,329 probands (391 men, 938 women) > 60 years were eligible for further analysis. The mean age was 84.1 years (range 61–107 years) and the prevalence of PAD was 31.5 % . Media sclerosis was found in up to 17 %, and an existing diagnosis of PAD (in case of pathological ABI) and undertreatment was common. Probands with PAD were less likely to be treated according to guideline recommendations (antiplatelet therapy, beta blockers, statins) than probands with coronary artery disease (CAD). The overall one-year mortality was 19.8 % (n = 236), significantly higher than for a gender and age matched German population (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The current study shows a high prevalence of PAD in German nursing care homes. The one year mortality was not significantly different between probands with PAD and those with severe PAD (defined as an ABI of ≤ 0.5), whereas a media sclerosis was associated with an increased risk in probands with CAD in comparison to those without. Use of anti-diabetic agents and aspirin in monotherapy was associated with a reduced one-year mortality risk.

Keywords: Peripheral arterial disease, nursing care homes, coronary artery disease
Satellite Remote Sensing for Water Resources Management: Potential for Supporting Sustainable Development in Data‐Poor Regions
Authors: Sheffield J. , Wood E. F. , Pan M. , Beck H. , Coccia G. , Serrat‐Capdevila A. , Verbist K.
Published: October 2018

Water resources management (WRM) for sustainable development presents many challenges in areas with sparse in situ monitoring networks. The exponential growth of satellite based information over the past decade provides unprecedented opportunities to support and improve WRM. Furthermore, traditional barriers to the access and usage of satellite data are lowering as technological innovations provide opportunities to manage and deliver this wealth of information to a wider audience. We review data needs for WRM and the role that satellite remote sensing can play to fill gaps and enhance WRM, focusing on the Latin American and Caribbean as an example of a region with potential to further develop its resources and mitigate the impacts of hydrological hazards. We review the state‐of‐the‐art for relevant variables, current satellite missions, and products, how they are being used currently by national agencies across the Latin American and Caribbean region, and the challenges to improving their utility. We discuss the potential of recently launched, upcoming, and proposed missions that are likely to further enhance and transform assessment and monitoring of water resources. Ongoing challenges of accuracy, sampling, and continuity still need to be addressed, and further challenges related to the massive amounts of new data need to be overcome to best leverage the utility of satellite based information for improving WRM.
Detecting Real Earthquakes Using Artificial Earthquakes: On the Use of Synthetic Waveforms in Matched‐Filter Earthquake Detection
Authors: Chamberlain C. J. , Townend J.
Published: October 2018

Matched‐filters are an increasingly popular tool for earthquake detection, but their reliance on a priori knowledge of the targets of interest limits their application to regions with previously documented seismicity. We explore an extension to the matched‐filter method to detect earthquakes and low‐frequency earthquakes on local to regional scales. We show that it is possible to increase the number of detections compared with standard energy‐based methods, with low false‐detection rates, using suites of synthetic waveforms as templates. We apply this to a microearthquake swarm and an aftershock sequence, and to detect low‐frequency earthquakes. We also explore the sensitivity of detections to the synthetic source's location and focal mechanism. Source‐receiver geometry has a first‐order control on how sensitive matched‐filter detectors are to variations in source location and focal mechanism, and this likely applies to detections made using both synthetic and real templates.
Short‐Term Precipitation Forecast Based on the PERSIANN System and LSTM Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Akbari Asanjan Ata , Yang Tiantian , Hsu Kuolin , Sorooshian Soroosh , Lin Junqiang , Peng Qidong
Published: October 2018

Short‐term Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting is important for flood forecasting, early flood warning, and natural hazard management. This study proposes a precipitation forecast model by extrapolating Cloud‐Top Brightness Temperature (CTBT) using advanced Deep Neural Networks, and applying the forecasted CTBT into an effective rainfall retrieval algorithm to obtain the Short‐term Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting (0–6 hr). To achieve such tasks, we propose a Long Short‐Term Memory (LSTM) and the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN), respectively. The precipitation forecasts obtained from our proposed framework, (i.e., LSTM combined with PERSIANN) are compared with a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Persistency method, and Farneback optical flow each combined with PERSIANN algorithm and the numerical model results from the first version of Rapid Refresh (RAPv1.0) over three regions in the United States, including the states of Oregon, Oklahoma, and Florida. Our experiments indicate better statistics, such as correlation coefficient and root‐mean‐square error, for the CTBT forecasts from the proposed LSTM compared to the RNN, Persistency, and the Farneback method. The precipitation forecasts from the proposed LSTM and PERSIANN framework has demonstrated better statistics compared to the RAPv1.0 numerical forecasts and PERSIANN estimations from RNN, Persistency, and Farneback projections in terms of Probability of Detection, False Alarm Ratio, Critical Success Index, correlation coefficient, and root‐mean‐square error, especially in predicting the convective rainfalls. The proposed method shows superior capabilities in short‐term forecasting over compared methods, and has the potential to be implemented globally as an alternative short‐term forecast product.
Omnidirectional and Circularly Polarized Slotted Antenna Array With Increased Bandwidth Performance by Using Nonidentical Waveguide Slots
Authors: Turkmen Ceyhan , Secmen Mustafa
Published: October 2018

In this paper, the design, production, and results of an omnidirectional and circularly polarized antenna for satellite communication applications such as telemetry or telecommand are explained. The antenna is fed by a special transition structure between rectangular waveguide to circular waveguide in order to provide symmetrical circular waveguide mode of TM01 and eliminate dominant but asymmetric mode of TE11. The radiation part on the antenna has the geometry of inclined waveguide slots placed in a rotationally symmetric way on a circular waveguide and two radially outward parallel cylindrical plates in order to provide circular polarization. In the design of the antenna, nonidentical slots are used on the circular waveguide where half of the total number of slots is reduced to increase the bandwidth of the antenna. The realized antenna is found to give about 5–6% impedance bandwidth around 12 GHz where it is just approximately 2.5% when all slots in array are identical. The usage of nonidentical slots results in degradation of gain variation and axial ratio performances as compared to the antennas with identical slots; however, it still performs gain variation less than 3 dB over full azimuth plane, and axial ratio under 3 dB over full azimuth plane and elevation beamwidth of minimum 50° for the given bandwidth.