bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced thermal radiation from a tidally heated exomoon with a single hotspot
Authors: Jäger Zoltán , Szabó Gyula M
Published: October 2021

An exomoon on a non-perfectly circular orbit experiences tidal heating that is capable to significantly contribute to the thermal brightness of the moon. Here we argue that the thermal heat is unevenly distributed on the moon’s surface, the emission of the tidal heat is limited to a few hotspots on the surface. A well-known example is the tidally heated Io. Due to their significantly increased temperature, the hotspots enhance the energy emission in thermal wavelengths. We made simulations using Monte Carlo method to examine this contribution, and to predict about the possible detectability of such a spotted exomoon. We found that in the case of large, Earth-sized companions to Jupiters around red dwarf stars exhibit a thermal flux that enables the direct detection of the moon, due to its photometric signal that can exceed ≈100 ppm in the most favourable configurations.
Subhalo abundance matching through the lens of a hydrodynamical simulation
Authors: Favole Ginevra , Montero-Dorta Antonio D , Artale M Celeste , Contreras Sergio , Zehavi Idit , Xu Xiaoju
Published: October 2021

We use the IllustrisTNG100 hydrodynamical simulation to study the dependence of the galaxy two-point correlation function on a broad range of secondary subhalo and galactic properties. We construct galaxy mock catalogues adopting a standard subhalo abundance matching scheme coupled with a secondary assignment between galaxy colour or specific star formation rate and the following subhalo properties: starvation redshift zstarve, concentration at infall, overdensity $\delta _R^{\rm env}$, tidal anisotropy αR, and tidal overdensity δR. The last two quantities allow us to fully characterize the tidal field of our subhaloes, acting as mediators between their internal and large-scale properties. The resulting mock catalogues overall return good agreement with the IllustrisTNG100 measurements. The accuracy of each model strongly depends on the correlation between the secondary galaxy and subhalo properties employed. Among all the subhalo proxies tested, we find that zstarve and cinfall are the ones that best trace the large-scale structure, producing robust clustering predictions for different samples of red/blue and quenched/star-forming galaxies.
Star-forming S0 galaxies in the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey
Authors: Xu Ke , Gu Qiusheng , Lu Shiying , Ge Xue , Xiao Mengyuan , Contini Emanuele
Published: October 2021

To investigate star-forming activities in early-type galaxies, we select a sample of 52 star-forming S0 galaxies (SFS0s) from the SDSS-IV MaNGA survey. We find that SFS0s have smaller stellar masses compared to normal S0s in MaNGA. After matching the stellar mass to select the control sample, we find that the mean Sérsic index of SFS0 bulges (1.76 ± 0.21) is significantly smaller than that of the control sample (2.57 ± 0.20), suggesting the existence of pseudo-bulges in SFS0s. After introducing the environmental information, SFS0s show smaller spin parameters in the field than in groups, while the control sample has no obvious difference in different environments, which may suggest different dynamical processes in SFS0s. Furthermore, with derived N/O and O/H abundance ratios, SFS0s in the field show nitrogen enrichment, providing evidence for the accretion of metal-poor gas in the field environment. To study the star-formation relation, we show that the slope of the spatially resolved star-formation main sequence is nearly 1.0 with MaNGA integral field unit data, confirming the self-regulation of star-formation activity on kpc scales.
SEAGLE – III: Towards resolving the mismatch in the dark-matter fraction in early-type galaxies between simulations and observations
Authors: Mukherjee Sampath , Koopmans Léon V E , Tortora Crescenzo , Schaller Matthieu , Metcalf R Benton , Schaye Joop , Vernardos Georgios
Published: October 2021

The central dark-matter fraction of galaxies is sensitive to feedback processes during galaxy formation. Strong gravitational lensing has been effective in the precise measurement of the dark-matter fraction inside massive early-type galaxies. Here, we compare the projected dark-matter fraction of early-type galaxies inferred from the SLACS (Sloan Lens ACS Survey) strong-lens survey with those obtained from the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environment (EAGLE), Illustris, and IllustrisTNG hydrodynamical simulations. Previous comparisons with some simulations revealed a large discrepancy, with considerably higher inferred dark-matter fractions – by factors of ≈2–3 – inside half of the effective radius in observed strong-lens galaxies as compared to simulated galaxies. Here, we report good agreement between EAGLE and SLACS for the dark-matter fractions inside both half of the effective radius and the effective radius as a function of the galaxy’s stellar mass, effective radius, and total mass-density slope. However, for IllustrisTNG and Illustris, the dark-matter fractions are lower than observed. This work consistently assumes a Chabrier initial mass function (IMF), which suggests that a different IMF (although not excluded) is not necessary to resolve this mismatch. The differences in the stellar feedback model between EAGLE and Illustris and IllustrisTNG are likely the dominant cause of the difference in their dark-matter fraction and density slope.
Rotational excitation of H3O+ cations by para-H2: improved collisional data at low temperatures
Authors: Demes Sándor , Lique François , Faure Alexandre , van der Tak Floris F S , Rist Claire , Hily-Blant Pierre
Published: October 2021

The hydronium cation plays a crucial role in interstellar oxygen and water chemistry. While its spectroscopy was extensively investigated earlier, the collisional excitation of H3O+ is not well studied yet. In this work, we present state-to-state collisional data for the rotational de-excitation of both ortho- and para-H3O+ due to para-H2 impact. The cross sections are calculated within the close-coupling formalism using our recent, highly accurate, rigid-rotor potential energy surface for this collision system. The corresponding thermal rate coefficients are computed up to 100 K. For para-H3O+, the lowest 20 rotation-inversion states were considered in the calculations, while for ortho-H3O+, the lowest 11 states are involved (up to j ≤ 5), so all levels with rotational energy below 420 K (292 cm−1) are studied. In order to analyse the impact of the new collisional rate coefficients on the excitation of H3O+ in astrophysical environments, radiative transfer calculations are also provided. The most relevant emission lines from an astrophysical point of view are studied, taking into account the transitions at 307, 365, 389, and 396 GHz. We show that our new collisional data have a non-negligible impact (from a few per cents up to about a factor of 3) on the brightness and excitation temperatures of H3O+, justifying the revision of the physical conditions in the appropriate astrophysical observations. The calculated rate coefficients allow one to recalculate the column density of hydronium in interstellar clouds, which can lead to a better understanding of interstellar water and oxygen chemistry.
The MBHBM⋆ Project – II. Molecular gas kinematics in the lenticular galaxy NGC 3593 reveal a supermassive black hole
Authors: Nguyen Dieu D , Bureau Martin , Thater Sabine , Nyland Kristina , den Brok Mark , Cappellari Michele , Davis Timothy A , Greene Jenny E , Neumayer Nadine , Imanishi Masatoshi , Izumi Takuma , Kawamuro Taiki , Baba Shunsuke , Nguyen Phuong M , Iguchi Satoru , Tsukui Takafumi , Lam T N , Ho Than
Published: October 2021

As part of the Measuring Black Holes in below Milky Way-mass (M⋆) galaxies (MBHBM⋆) Project, we present a dynamical measurement of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass in the nearby lenticular galaxy NGC 3593, using cold molecular gas 12CO(2-1) emission observed at an angular resolution of ≈0${_{.}^{\prime\prime}}$3 (≈10 pc) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Our ALMA observations reveal a circumnuclear molecular gas disc (CND) elongated along the galaxy major axis and rotating around the SMBH. This CND has a relatively low-velocity dispersion (≲10 km s−1) and is morphologically complex, with clumps having higher integrated intensities and velocity dispersions (≲25 km s−1). These clumps are distributed along the ridges of a two-arm/bi-symmetric spiral pattern surrounded by a larger ring-like structure (radius r ≈ 10 arcsec or ≈350 pc). This pattern likely plays an important role to bridge the molecular gas reservoirs in the CND and beyond (10 ≲ r ≲ 35 arcsec or 350 pc ≲ r ≲ 1.2 kpc). Using dynamical modelling, the molecular gas kinematics allow us to infer an SMBH mass $M_{\rm BH}=2.40_{-1.05}^{+1.87}\times 10^6$ M⊙ (only statistical uncertainties at the 3σ level). We also detect a massive core of cold molecular gas (CMC) of mass MCMC = (5.4 ± 1.2) × 106 M⊙ and effective (half-mass) radius rCMC,e = 11.2 ± 2.8 pc, co-spatial with a nuclear star cluster (NSC) of mass MNSC = (1.67 ± 0.48) × 107 M⊙ and effective radius rNSC,e = 5.0 ± 1.0 pc (or 0${_{.}^{\prime\prime}}$15 ± 0${_{.}^{\prime\prime}}$03). The mass profiles of the CMC and NSC are well described by Sérsic functions with indices 1−1.4. Our MBH and MNSC estimates for NGC 3593 agree well with the recently compiled MBH–MNSC scaling relation. Although the MNSC uncertainty is twice the inferred MBH, the rapid central rise of the rotation velocities of the CND (as the radius decreases) clearly suggests an SMBH. Indeed, our dynamical models show that even if MNSC is at the upper end of its allowed range, the evidence for a BH does not vanish, but remains with a lower limit of MBH > 3 × 105 M⊙.
El-CID: a filter for gravitational-wave electromagnetic counterpart identification
Authors: Chatterjee Deep , Narayan Gautham , Aleo Patrick D , Malanchev Konstantin , Muthukrishna Daniel
Published: October 2021

As gravitational-wave (GW) interferometers become more sensitive and probe ever more distant reaches, the number of detected binary neutron star mergers will increase. However, detecting more events farther away with GWs does not guarantee corresponding increase in the number of electromagnetic counterparts of these events. Current and upcoming wide-field surveys that participate in GW follow-up operations will have to contend with distinguishing the kilonova (KN) from the ever increasing number of transients they detect, many of which will be consistent with the GW sky-localization. We have developed a novel tool based on a temporal convolutional neural network architecture, trained on sparse early-time photometry and contextual information for Electromagnetic Counterpart Identification (El-CID). The overarching goal for El-CID is to slice through list of new transient candidates that are consistent with the GW sky localization, and determine which sources are consistent with KNe, allowing limited target-of-opportunity resources to be used judiciously. In addition to verifying the performance of our algorithm on an extensive testing sample, we validate it on AT2017gfo – the only EM counterpart of a binary neutron star merger discovered to date – and AT2019npv – a supernova that was initially suspected as a counterpart of the GW event, GW190814, but was later ruled out after further analysis.
encore: an O (Ng2) estimator for galaxy N-point correlation functions
Authors: Philcox Oliver H E , Slepian Zachary , Hou Jiamin , Warner Craig , Cahn Robert N , Eisenstein Daniel J
Published: October 2021

We present a new algorithm for efficiently computing the N-point correlation functions (NPCFs) of a 3D density field for arbitrary N. This can be applied both to a discrete spectroscopic galaxy survey and a continuous field. By expanding the statistics in a separable basis of isotropic functions built from spherical harmonics, the NPCFs can be estimated by counting pairs of particles in space, leading to an algorithm with complexity $\mathcal {O}(N_\mathrm{g}^2)$ for Ng particles, or $\mathcal {O}(N_\mathrm{FFT}\log N_\mathrm{FFT})$ when using a Fast Fourier Transform with NFFT grid-points. In practice, the rate-limiting step for N > 3 will often be the summation of the histogrammed spherical harmonic coefficients, particularly if the number of radial and angular bins is large. In this case, the algorithm scales linearly with Ng. The approach is implemented in the encore code, which can compute the 3PCF, 4PCF, 5PCF, and 6PCF of a BOSS-like galaxy survey in ${\sim}100$ CPU-hours, including the corrections necessary for non-uniform survey geometries. We discuss the implementation in depth, along with its GPU acceleration, and provide practical demonstration on realistic galaxy catalogues. Our approach can be straightforwardly applied to current and future data sets to unlock the potential of constraining cosmology from the higher point functions.
The role of impacts on the atmospheres on the moons of outer giants
Authors: Sinclair Catriona A , Wyatt Mark C
Published: October 2021

We investigate the comparative effect of impacts by trans-Neptunian Objects on the atmospheres of the moons Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Titan. We derive an analytic prescription for the ‘stalling mass’ (i.e. the atmosphere mass at which equilibrium between erosion and volatile delivery occurs), which is tested against a numerical model, demonstrating that the behaviour of the atmosphere matches the analytic prediction, albeit with stochastic events causing orders of magnitude variability. We find that bombardment, neglecting other effects, predicts atmosphere erosion on Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa leading to masses in quantitative agreement with the observed atmospheres. The predicted masses are relatively insensitive to the impactor size and velocity distributions, but sensitive to impactor density and volatile content. Crucially, we find that in this model the frequent arrival of 1–20 km-sized objects sets the quiescent atmosphere masses of the different moons, with atmospheres returning to these levels on ∼100 Myr time-scales at current bombardment levels, and larger impactors causing stochastic excursions to larger atmosphere masses. This quiescent level is higher on Titan than the Jovian moons due to the typically slower impact velocities, but to recreate Titan’s massive current atmosphere an additional volatiles contribution is needed, which may be provided by impact-triggered outgassing. If so, the predicted mass is then dependent on the outgassing efficiency and the volatile mass contained in the crust, both of which are uncertain. This work highlights the role that impacts may have played in shaping the atmosphere evolution of outer Solar system moons, and the importance of stochastic effects.
Cynomops planirostris(Chiroptera: Molossidae)
Authors: López Berrizbeitia M Fernanda , Díaz M Mónica
Published: October 2021

The southern dog-faced bat, Cynomops planirostris (Peters, 1866), is a molossid that occurs from Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas, through Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil to Paraguay and Argentina. It is insectivorous, inhabiting areas near rivers and forests. The species is characterized by having a chest and venter with a white or cream-colored spot, a broad upper lip that projects forward, and ears almost touching at their base. Cynomops planirostris is presently listed as “Least Concern” (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
The Japan Society for Neuro-Oncology guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of central nervous system germ cell tumors
Authors: Nakamura Hideo , Takami Hirokazu , Yanagisawa Takaaki , Kumabe Toshihiro , Fujimaki Takamitsu , Arakawa Yoshiki , Karasawa Katsuyuki , Terashima Keita , Yokoo Hideaki , Fukuoka Kohei , Sonoda Yukihiko , Sakurada Kaori , Mineharu Yohei , Soejima Toshinori , Fujii Motoaki , Shinojima Naoki , Hara Junichi , Yamasaki Kai , Fujimura Junya , Yamasaki Fumiyuki , Takahashi Mayu , Suzuki Tomonari , Sato Iori , Nishikawa Ryo , Sugiyama Kazuhiko
Published: October 2021

Primary CNS germ cell tumors (GCTs) are rare neoplasms predominantly observed in the pediatric and young adult populations. In line with the hypothesis that the primordial germ cell is the cell-of-origin, histopathological examinations for this pathology involve a diverse range of components mirroring the embryogenic developmental dimensions. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the mainstays of treatment, with surgery having a limited role for diagnosis and debulking of residual tissue after treatment. While better management has been achieved over recent decades by modifying radiation coverage and selecting appropriate chemotherapy, standardization of treatment remains challenging, partly due to the low volume of cases encountered in each institution. As the incidence is higher in East Asia, including Japan, the Japan Society for Neuro-Oncology established a multidisciplinary task force to create an evidence-based guideline for CNS GCTs. This guideline provides recommendations for multiple dimensions of clinical management for CNS GCTs, with particular focus on diagnostic measures including serum markers, treatment algorithms including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and under-investigated but important areas such as treatment for recurrent cases, long-term follow-up protocols, and long-term sequelae. This guideline serves the purpose of helping healthcare professionals keep up to date with current knowledge and standards of management for patients with this rare disease in daily clinical practice, as well as driving future translational and clinical research by recognizing unmet needs concerning this tumor.
Anti-invasive efficacy and survival benefit of the YAP-TEAD inhibitor verteporfin in preclinical glioblastoma models
Authors: Barrette Anne Marie , Ronk Halle , Joshi Tanvi , Mussa Zarmeen , Mehrotra Meenakshi , Bouras Alexandros , Nudelman German , Jesu Raj Joe Gerald , Bozec Dominique , Lam William , Houldsworth Jane , Yong Raymund , Zaslavsky Elena , Hadjipanayis Constantinos G , Birtwistle Marc R , Tsankova Nadejda M
Published: October 2021

Background

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains a largely incurable disease as current therapy fails to target the invasive nature of glioma growth in disease progression and recurrence. Here, we use the FDA-approved drug and small molecule Hippo inhibitor Verteporfin (VP) to target YAP-TEAD activity, known to mediate convergent aspects of tumor invasion/metastasis, and assess the drug’s efficacy and survival benefit in GBM models.

Methods

Up to 8 low-passage patient-derived GBM cell lines with distinct genomic drivers, including 3 primary/recurrent pairs, were treated with VP or vehicle (VEH) to assess in vitro effects on proliferation, migration, invasion, YAP-TEAD activity, and transcriptomics. Patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDX) models were used to assess VP’s brain penetrance and effects on tumor burden and survival.

Results

VP treatment disturbed YAP/TAZ-TEAD activity; disrupted transcriptome signatures related to invasion, epithelial-to-mesenchymal, and proneural-to-mesenchymal transition, phenocopying TEAD1-knockout effects; and impaired tumor migration/invasion dynamics across primary and recurrent GBM lines. In an aggressive orthotopic PDX GBM model, short-term VP treatment consistently diminished core and infiltrative tumor burden, which was associated with decreased tumor expression of Ki67, nuclear YAP, TEAD1, and TEAD-associated targets EGFR, CDH2, and ITGB1. Finally, long-term VP treatment appeared nontoxic and conferred survival benefit compared to VEH in 2 PDX models: as monotherapy in primary (de novo) GBM and in combination with Temozolomide chemoradiation in recurrent GBM, where VP treatment associated with increased MGMT methylation.

Conclusions

We demonstrate combined anti-invasive and anti-proliferative efficacy for VP with survival benefit in preclinical GBM models, indicating potential therapeutic value of this already FDA-approved drug if repurposed for GBM patients.
Current landscape and future perspectives in preclinical MR and PET imaging of brain metastasis
Authors: Aasen Synnøve Nymark , Espedal Heidi , Keunen Olivier , Adamsen Tom Christian Holm , Bjerkvig Rolf , Thorsen Frits
Published: October 2021

Brain metastasis (BM) is a major cause of cancer patient morbidity. Clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) represent important resources to assess tumor progression and treatment responses. In preclinical research, anatomical MRI and to some extent functional MRI have frequently been used to assess tumor progression. In contrast, PET has only to a limited extent been used in animal BM research. A considerable culprit is that results from most preclinical studies have shown little impact on the implementation of new treatment strategies in the clinic. This emphasizes the need for the development of robust, high-quality preclinical imaging strategies with potential for clinical translation. This review focuses on advanced preclinical MRI and PET imaging methods for BM, describing their applications in the context of what has been done in the clinic. The strengths and shortcomings of each technology are presented, and recommendations for future directions in the development of the individual imaging modalities are suggested. Finally, we highlight recent developments in quantitative MRI and PET, the use of radiomics and multimodal imaging, and the need for a standardization of imaging technologies and protocols between preclinical centers.
Pussy Riot
Authors: Peraino Judith A.
Published: October 2021

Pussy Riot emerged in 2011 as an anonymous Russian political activist art collective that impersonated a punk rock band in their staging of protests against the autocratic regime of Vladimir Putin. In 2012, three of its members were tried and imprisoned for nearly two years, which garnered the attention and outrage of the United States and Western European countries. The illegal punk performance actions of Pussy Riot, disseminated in edited videos through the Internet, depended on late capitalism’s global network, which turns DIY underproduction into viral capitalistic overproduction (to use Shane Greene’s terms of analysis). These are the same technological routes and apparatuses of disinformation through which Russia attempted to sow social discord to the advantage of Donald Trump in the 2016 election. This essay traces the reconfiguration of punk in the course of the actions and trial of Pussy Riot, from the generic punk music stance of jamming the system with loud noise and mischievous fakery, to an understanding of punk as an activism that works through the court system and champions transparency. In the face the lawless autocracies of Putin and Trump, where shocking disregard for institutions has become an overproduced political norm, punk rebellion ironically may take the form of a methodical and rigorous investment in the rule of law. Pussy Riot’s post-trial punk does not envision anarchy, but rather a functioning legal system and government institutions that that protect human rights.
The Temporal Constitution of Democracies
Authors: Schäfer Andreas , Merkel Wolfgang
Published: October 2021

The specific institutionalization of time is a major defining element of democracies and a vulnerable condition of their stability and legitimacy. The first part of the chapter covers the regular temporal routines of democratic systems. In the synchronic dimension, it considers the time requirements of democratic practices and examines the timed relationship between different levels and actors of the democratic system. In the diachronic dimension, the chapter asks for the time horizons that temporal constitutions of democracies create for political actors—related to future expectations and to past experiences. The second part of the chapter turns to time challenges democracies face today. First, it addresses the issue of social acceleration that goes along with potential vulnerabilities and adaptabilities of democratic systems. Second, the chapter discusses problems created by situations of crisis in states of emergency and in democratic transitions. Based on that, the chapter draws some conclusions for future research.
The New Music Business Ecosystem and Antitrust Concerns in China
Authors: Jing Xiang
Published: October 2021

The current Chinese new music business ecosystem is based on Moore’s business ecosystem theory; the practices by some music platforms, especially through the signing of exclusive music license agreement, have led to a highly concentrated oligopolistic market that generates antitrust concerns. Thus there is potential abuse of market power by major music platforms as well as other basic problems. Against the backdrop of a dynamic business ecosystem, there are also some debatable questions arising at the interface of copyright law and antitrust law. Finally, although a dynamic music business ecosystem may be distinguished from a traditional music market, antitrust law should still be applied to the new business pattern to maintain a fair playing field for all stakeholders in the Chinese new music ecosystem.
The Law of Musical Borrowing
Authors: Carroll Michael W.
Published: October 2021

Creating music often involves borrowing from preexisting sources. Copyright law applies to a range of common borrowing practices including sampling, remixing, linking, and creating user-generated content for online platforms. When analyzing musical borrowing, it is important to first establish what aspects of musical creativity copyright does and does not protect. A series of cases illustrate when the law identifies borrowing of unprotected aspects of prior works, such as musical ideas, common melodic sequences, and chord progressions. Other cases illustrate how the law also permits some borrowing of protected expression if the borrowing is fair use. Digital technology facilitates musical borrowing, and certain online practices such as posting hyperlinks to other musical sources are permitted unless the person posting the links knows that the link leads to infringing material, intends to encourage others to infringe or meets other requirements for secondary liability for copyright infringement.
The Campaign for Atlanta
Authors: Hess Earl J.
Published: October 2021

The Atlanta Campaign produced more refugees than any other operation of the Civil War, both inadvertently and on purpose. Most residents fled Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman’s advancing army group, taking slaves and movable property along. The Federals also removed hundreds of women factory workers from industrial plants along the north side of the Chattahoochee River, exiling them north. Sherman’s artillery bombarded Atlanta for several weeks, and he removed 3,500 residents after capturing the place to turn the city into a garrison town. Historians believe the fall of Atlanta had a direct impact on helping Pres. Abraham Lincoln win reelection in the fall of 1864. Even if the Atlanta Campaign was not the turning point of the latter part of the Civil War, as some historians assert, it was a major episode of the conflict that resonated on the national as well as regional level.
Judicial Review and Administrative Justice
Authors: Arvind T. T. , Halliday Simon , Stirton Lindsay
Published: October 2021

There has been little dialogue or contact between the literatures on administrative justice and judicial review. This chapter argues that the two share common concerns and would benefit from closer engagement. Using a scheme based on Mary Douglas’s grid-group cultural theory, it suggests that judicial review can and does discharge a variety of tasks that are fundamentally concerned with administrative justice. A closer focus on these tasks, and on the contribution they make to infusing justice into the functioning of administrative government, has the potential to productively reframe the concerns of judicial review scholarship and overcome the current ‘clash of styles’ that currently characterises theoretical work in public law.
Government Watchdog Agencies and Administrative Justice
Authors: Stuhmcke Anita
Published: October 2021

Watchdog agencies render government accountable to the citizen and play an important role in raising standards of public administration. Yet, in what is a global phenomenon, watchdog agencies struggle to keep pace with the realities of modern government. Often lacking formal constitutional or legislative protections, watchdog agencies are susceptible to use for political purposes. This article suggests that the normative framing of ‘integrity’ may guard against this structural vulnerability. Australia is discussed as a case study of a jurisdiction where integrity may facilitate the service of watchdog agencies to administrative justice rather than to the underlying administration of the state.
Transformations in American Political Participation
Authors: Rohlinger Deana A.
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this chapter is to offer a critical review of the sociological literature on political participation and, in doing so, to underscore the importance of power dynamics to understanding political engagement in the digital age. The author argues that the focus on social movements, the organizations that animate them, and the conditions under which they emerge and decline made it difficult for sociologists to incorporate digital media into their theorizing. A key problem in this regard is that sociologists have not done a good job of accounting for the ability of individuals and small groups to use technologies to advocate for political change. One way for sociologists to rebalance their theoretical and empirical efforts is to think more critically about the relationship between structure and agency and how this might (dis)empower individuals and groups. The author illustrates the utility of this approach by, first, outlining how power shapes whether and how an individual gets politically involved and, then, discussing how power influences the form a group takes as well as its influence in political processes. The chapter concludes with a discussion of directions for future research.
A Primer on Relational Frame Theory
Authors: Harte Colin , Barnes-Holmes Dermot
Published: October 2021

Both relational frame theory (RFT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are based on the assumption that the evolution of human language (conceptualized as derived relational responding) creates the potential for a form of psychological suffering unique to the human species. Furthermore, it has often been argued that RFT provides the basic science foundation for ACT. Rather than dwell on these features of RFT, this article focuses on providing an up-to-date summary of the theory itself. Specifically, an historical and contemporary overview of RFT is presented, along with the details of recent ongoing efforts to advance the theory as a general behavior-analytic account of human language and cognition. In doing so, we provide a modern vision of how RFT may continue to connect with ACT in the years to come.
Politics of Belonging
Authors: Zenker Olaf
Published: October 2021

Political projects of belonging are concerned with sentiments of being ‘at home’ within specific collectivities, rooted in entanglements of people’s social locations, narratives of identification, and value regimes at varying intersections. Global history attests to the numerous ways in which modes of belonging have been juridified and legally restricted, and how legal categories have become populated and turned into markers of identity, thus revealing the politics of belonging as a normative project par excellence. In the shadows of accelerating globalization, recent decades have brought about an ever-diversifying and heavily contested multitude of identity politics, in light of which the time-honoured politics of belonging is bound to persist as a crucial concern for law and anthropology in the twenty-first century. Charting the contours of this complex terrain, this chapter engages with citizenship as an arguably still dominant, if not hegemonic, political identity as well as with alternative political projects of belonging. Zooming in on closely related territorial modes of belonging—ethnicity, nationhood/nationalism, diaspora, indigeneity, identities conventionally described as ‘autochthony’, and citizenship—it proposes an overarching framework of ‘contested autochthonies’ which allows the cross-cutting constructions of individual-territory-group triads, and their mutual interactions, to be studied at shifting scales. Against the backdrop of a case study of conflicting autochthonies in the South African postcolony, the chapter concludes by highlighting the close interdependencies between the (re)production of distributed senses of belonging and the attendant (re)distribution of belongings—and thus the need for an integrated analysis of recognition and (re)distribution in the politics of belonging.
Gymnasium and Polis
Authors: Kennell Nigel
Published: October 2021

The article sketches the development of the gymnasium from its origins in the archaic period to the later Hellenistic period when, in addition to its military function, the gymnasium was a multi-use complex numbering among a city’s largest buildings. Epigraphical and archaeological evidence provide insights into the gymnasium’s infrastructure, user groups, and contests which were peculiar to it. Its administrator, the gymnasiarch, was a prominent official, whose position provided opportunities for displays of competitive generosity. The gymnasium also received benefactions from the local elite, kings, and dynasts, who thereby burnished their reputations as supporters of Hellenic culture. Gymnasia were also equipped with instructors in athletic and military subjects, with lectures or courses in the liberal arts mostly provided by travelling teachers. The homogeneity of its programme throughout the Greek world made the gymnasium an effective vehicle for transmitting Hellenic culture to non-Greeks, although Jewish society was ambivalent about its benefits.
Genomic and Epigenomic Evaluation of Electrically Induced Exercise in People With Spinal Cord Injury: Application to Precision Rehabilitation
Authors: Petrie Michael A , Taylor Eric B , Suneja Manish , Shields Richard K
Published: October 2021

Objective

Physical therapists develop patient-centered exercise prescriptions to help overcome the physical, emotional, psychosocial, and environmental stressors that undermine a person’s health. Optimally prescribing muscle activity for people with disability, such as a spinal cord injury, is challenging because of their loss of volitional movement control and the deterioration of their underlying skeletal systems. This report summarizes spinal cord injury–specific factors that should be considered in patient-centered, precision prescription of muscle activity for people with spinal cord injury. This report also presents a muscle genomic and epigenomic analysis to examine the regulation of the proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) (oxidative) and myostatin (hypertrophy) signaling pathways in skeletal muscle during low-frequency (lower-force) electrically induced exercise versus higher-frequency (higher-force) electrically induced exercise under constant muscle recruitment (intensity).

Methods

Seventeen people with spinal cord injury participated in 1 or more unilateral electrically induced exercise sessions using a lower-force (1-, 3-, or 5-Hz) or higher-force (20-Hz) protocol. Three hours after the exercise session, percutaneous muscle biopsies were performed on exercised and nonexercised muscles for genomic and epigenomic analysis.

Results

We found that low-frequency (low-force) electrically induced exercise significantly increased the expression of PGC-1α and decreased the expression of myostatin, consistent with the expression changes observed with high-frequency (higher-force) electrically induced exercise. Further, we found that low-frequency (lower-force) electrically induced exercise significantly demethylated, or epigenetically promoted, the PGC-1α signaling pathway. A global epigenetic analysis showed that >70 pathways were regulated with low-frequency (lower-force) electrically induced exercise.

Conclusion

These novel results support the notion that low-frequency (low-force) electrically induced exercise may offer a more precise rehabilitation strategy for people with chronic paralysis and severe osteoporosis. Future clinical trials are warranted to explore whether low-frequency (lower-force) electrically induced exercise training affects the overall health of people with chronic spinal cord injury.
Establishment of prediction models for COVID-19 patients in different age groups based on Random Forest algorithm
Authors: Cui X , Wang S , Jiang N , Li Z , Li X , Jin M , Yang B , Jia N , Hu G , Liu Y , He Y , Liu Y , Zhao S , Yu Q
Published: October 2021

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a global pandemic. Age is an independent factor in death from the disease, and predictive models to stratify patients according to their mortality risk are needed.

Aim

To compare the laboratory parameters of the younger (≤70) and the elderly (>70) groups, and develop death prediction models for the two groups according to age stratification.

Design

A retrospective, single-center observational study.

Methods

This study included 437 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China, 2020. Epidemiological information, laboratory data and outcomes were extracted from electronic medical records and compared between elderly patients and younger patients. First, recursive feature elimination (RFE) was used to select the optimal subset. Then, two random forest (RF) algorithms models were built to predict the prognoses of COVID-19 patients and identify the optimal diagnostic predictors for patients’ clinical prognoses.

Results

Comparisons of the laboratory data of the two age groups revealed many different laboratory indicators. RFE was used to select the optimal subset for analysis, from which 11 variables were screened out for the two groups. The RF algorithm were built to predict the prognoses of COVID-19 patients based on the best subset, and the area under ROC curve (AUC) of the two groups is 0.874 (95% CI: 0.833–0.915) and 0.842 (95% CI: 0.765–0.920).

Conclusion

Two prediction models for COVID-19 were developed in the patients with COVID-19 based on random forest algorithm, which provides a simple tool for the early prediction of COVID-19 mortality.
Repertoire of Resilience: Black Women’s Social Resistance to Suicide
Authors: Spates Kamesha , Slatton Brittany C
Published: October 2021

African American women contend with multiple overlapping oppressions yet are less likely to commit suicide than other racial/gender groups. Most studies on Black women and suicide are quantitative and focus on the protective factors in their lives that act as buffers against suicide. While protective factors are a useful concept for understanding suicide protection, they address only moderators of risks for suicidal behavior instead of how people effectively cope with risks and stress (Werner 2000). More recently, researchers have begun studying resilience to suicide to ascertain how people cope and thrive in the face of adverse situations. We analyzed Black women’s social resilience to suicide. After analyzing 33 interviews with African American women, we found that they employ a repertoire of resilience that is made up of interrelated scripts that value Black women’s (1) shared experiences of struggle, (2) centuries of strength building, and (3) the counter-evaluation of privilege. We argue that by counter-framing marginalizing experiences of poverty, discrimination, and low social status, this cultural repertoire provides Black women with an empowering self-conceptualization that fosters their resistance to suicide.
Evaluation of different cooling management strategies for lactating Holstein × Gir dairy cows
Authors: Lourenço João Paulo de A , Cappellozza Bruno I , Bertin Rafaela D , Miranda Victor F B , Junior Wilson M C , de Sousa Osvaldo A , Vasconcelos José Luiz M
Published: October 2021

Heat stress negatively impacts production, reproduction, and health of ruminants and strategies to alleviate these losses are warranted. Therefore, four experiments evaluated different cooling strategies on vaginal temperature (VT) of Holstein × Gir cows. Experiment 1 compared different amounts of water (2- or 4-L) over a 1-hour period from 1000 to 1100 h and 1600 to 1700 h. Experiment 2 evaluated the effects of sprinkling duration (in hours; 1- or 2-H), whereas Experiment 3 evaluated the effects of water amount (4- or 8-L) applied for 1- or 2-H. Lastly, the effects of a cooling strategy on specific hours of the day, starting at either 0700 (T-1) or 1100 h (T-2; Experiment 4), were evaluated. In all experiments, 12 Holstein × Gir cows were used in a 2 × 2 Latin Square Design containing two periods of 6 days each. Temperature and humidity index (THI) were recorded hourly and VT was recorded every 10-min throughout the experiments. As expected, an hour effect was observed for THI (P < 0.0001), which peaked early in the afternoon. In Experiment 1, a treatment × hour interaction was observed (P < 0.0001) for VT, as animals assigned to receive 4-L had a reduced VT at 1100, 1600, 1700, and 2300 h (P ≤ 0.03). During the cooling applications, cows receiving 4-L for 1 h had a reduced VT from 60 to 150 min (P ≤ 0.04). In Experiment 2, a treatment × hour interaction was observed (P < 0.0001) for VT, as animals assigned to receive 4-L of water for 2-H had a reduced VT at 1200 h (P = 0.05). Moreover, during the cooling process, VT was reduced for 2-H cows from 140 to 170 min after the beginning of the cooling process (P ≤ 0.05). In Experiment 3, animals assigned to receive 4-L + 2H had a reduced VT at 1200, 1700, 1800, and 1900 h (P < 0.001). A treatment × hour interaction was observed (P < 0.0001), as VT was reduced for 4-L + 2-H cows from 130 to 180 min after the beginning of the cooling process (P ≤ 0.05). In Experiment 4, by the time when the first cooling cycle of T-1 was applied (0700 h), T-1 cows consistently had (P ≤ 0.05) a reduced VT up to the hottest hours and greatest THI of the day (1400 and 1500 h). This pattern was maintained until the end of the last cooling cycle, whereas T-2 cows had a reduced VT. In summary, 4 L of water over a 5-min cycle for a period of 2 hours twice a day maintained VT of Holstein × Gir cows at lower levels. Moreover, the hour at which the first cooling cycle starts also should be considered when evaluating the efficacy of a cooling strategy for an entire day.
Transcatheter interatrial shunt device for the treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Fukuta Hidekatsu , Goto Toshihiko , Kamiya Takeshi
Published: October 2021

Background:

Nearly half of patients with heart failure (HF) have preserved ejection fraction and the mortality and morbidity of patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are high. However, there is no established therapy to improve survival in these patients. HFpEF patients are often elderly and their primary chronic symptom is severe exercise intolerance. Thus, improvement of exercise capacity presents another important clinical outcome in HFpEF patients. A steep increase in left atrial pressure during exercise is an important cause of exertional dyspnea in HFpEF patients. The creation of a left-to-right interatrial shunt to decompress the left atrium may improve symptoms in patients with HFpEF. A novel transcatheter interatrial shunt device (IASD) has been developed and evaluated in patients with HFpEF in several clinical trials. However, there is insufficient evidence regarding the benefit of transcatheter IASD in these patients.

Methods:

This meta-analysis will include randomized controlled trials and single-arm trials on the effects of transcatheter IASD on exercise capacity, HF symptoms, and health-related quality of life in HFpEF patients. Information of studies will be collected from PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov. The primary outcome will be exercise capacity (6-minute walking distance). The secondary outcomes will be HF symptoms, health-related quality of life, and mortality and hospitalization rates.

Discussion:

This meta-analysis will evaluate the effect of transcatheter IASD in HFpEF patients, providing evidence to the clinical use of transcatheter IASD in these patients.

Systematic review registration:

INPLASY202120025
Genetics of human sexual development and related disorders
Authors: Martinez de LaPiscina Idoia , Flück Christa E.
Published: October 2021

Purpose of review

The aim of this study was to provide a basic overview on human sex development with a focus on involved genes and pathways, and also to discuss recent advances in the molecular diagnostic approaches applied to clinical workup of individuals with a difference/disorder of sex development (DSD).

Recent findings

Rapid developments in genetic technologies and bioinformatics analyses have helped to identify novel genes and genomic pathways associated with sex development, and have improved diagnostic algorithms to integrate clinical, hormonal and genetic data. Recently, massive parallel sequencing approaches revealed that the phenotype of some DSDs might be only explained by oligogenic inheritance.

Typical sex development relies on very complex biological events, which involve specific interactions of a large number of genes and pathways in a defined spatiotemporal sequence. Any perturbation in these genetic and hormonal processes may result in atypical sex development leading to a wide range of DSDs in humans. Despite the huge progress in the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying DSDs in recent years, in less than 50% of DSD individuals, the genetic cause is currently solved at the molecular level.
Risk Factors for Distal Radius Osteotomy Nonunion
Authors: Clark DesRaj M. , Hoyt Benjamin W. , Piscoya Andres S. , Daniels Christopher M. , Tintle Scott M.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Osteotomy-site nonunion after distal radius corrective osteotomy is a detrimental complication. This retrospective study aims to identify patient and surgical factors associated with nonunion risk to help mitigate this. The authors hypothesize that patient factors and potentially modifiable surgical factors are contributory.

Methods:

Thirty-three patients who underwent corrective osteotomy of the distal radius for prior fracture malunion were identified. Radiographs and patient records were reviewed for demographics, comorbidities, nutritional status, plate position, angle and length of osteotomy correction, and graft used. The primary study outcome was osteotomy nonunion. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were used to identify covariates relevant to nonunion. Backward, stepwise logistic regression was applied to investigate the multivariate effects on outcome, and regression analysis was adjusted for confounders.

Results:

Seven patients (21 percent) experienced nonunion after initial corrective osteotomy. Risk factors associated with nonunion included correction length of osteotomy of 5 mm or greater and prior treatment with open reduction and internal fixation. Autograft use was protective against nonunion. History of osteoporosis showed a trend toward increased risk. Angle of osteotomy correction, nutritional deficit, age, diabetes, smoking status, and obesity were not identified as risk factors by the multivariate model.

Conclusions:

Distraction length at the osteotomy site, graft selection, and prior internal fixation were significant risk factors for distal radius osteotomy nonunion, but other factors traditionally associated with nonunion did not appear to impact risk. The authors recommend using autograft bone augmentation, particularly when distracting the osteotomy beyond 5 mm or after prior internal fixation.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Risk, III.