bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A systematic review and meta‐analysis of cesarean delivery and other uterine surgery as risk factors for placenta accreta
Authors: De Mucio Bremen , Serruya Suzanne , Alemán Alicia , Castellano Graciela , Sosa Claudio G.
Published: August 2019

Background

The incidence of placenta accreta has increased in recent years and it has been suggested that the rising trend in cesarean delivery and other uterine surgery is the underlying cause.

Objective

To explore the magnitude of the effect of performing single and repeat cesarean deliveries or other uterine surgery on the incidence of placenta accreta.

Search strategy

Relevant databases were searched for papers published before August 1, 2018, using terms including “accreta” and “cesarean.”

Selection criteria

Cohort studies assessing the risk of placenta accreta according to women's history of uterine surgery.

Data collection and analysis

Meta‐analyses were performed to assess the risks associated between uterine surgery and placenta accreta, hysterectomy, and uterine rupture. The I2 statistic was used to examine between‐study heterogeneity.

Main results

The risk of placenta accreta in a second pregnancy increased for women who had undergone a cesarean in their first pregnancy compared with vaginal delivery (OR 3.02; 95% CI, 1.50–6.08). Absolute risk of placenta accreta increased with the number of previous cesareans. The risk of uterine rupture and hysterectomy was also associated with the number of cesareans.

Conclusions

Risk of placenta accreta, hysterectomy, and uterine rupture increases with the number of previous cesarean deliveries.

PROSPERO: CRD42016050646.
Post‐abortion care: Ethical and legal duties
Authors: Dickens Bernard M.
Published: August 2019

Women who experience complications from abortion, whether unlawful or lawful, induced or spontaneous, need immediate post‐abortion care. Delay in providing care might cause women's avoidable disability, lost childbearing capacity, or death. Rendering care is not an abortion procedure nor illegal, and does not justify conscientious objection. Harm reduction strategies to reduce effects of unsafe abortion may legitimately inform women who might consider resort to abortifacient interventions of their rights to professional post‐abortion care. Healthcare practitioners’ refusal or failure to provide available care might constitute ethical misconduct and attract legal liability, for instance for negligence. States are responsible to ensure healthcare practitioners’ and facilities’ provision of post‐abortion care, including both medical care and psychological support, delivered with compassion and respect for dignity, and to suppress stigmatization of patients and/or caregivers. Mandatory reporting of patients suspected of criminal abortion violates professional confidentiality. States’ failures of indicated care might constitute human rights violations.
Biographical films as a person‐centered approach to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia in residential care: A feasibility study
Authors: Francis Emma R. , Smith Jared G. , Qayyum Mustabshira , Lee Jessica , Woodgate Philip , Lawrence Robert M.
Published: August 2019

Objective

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are a major component of dementia irrespective of severity or subtype. We aimed to determine the feasibility of biographical films to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with moderate to severe dementia over a 32‐week period.

Method

A total of 11 people with dementia situated in a residential care home took part in this mixed‐method feasibility study. Carers reported neuropsychiatric symptoms of residents at three time‐points, and their experience of the study was obtained at a feedback session.

Results

There was a significant reduction in neuropsychiatric symptoms in residents with neuropsychiatric impairment from baseline to the end of study (p = .042;
d = .98). Thematic analysis identified three major themes: Triggered memories, knowledge gained to support care, and perceived changes in the resident.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that it is feasible to use biographical films long‐term to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, alongside routine care.
Improving care for sexually transmitted infections
Authors: Rietmeijer Cornelis A
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Rising rates of reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the US and Europe are a public health priority and require a public health response. The diagnosis and treatment of STIs have been the cornerstone of STI control and prevention for many decades and, historically, publicly funded STI clinics have played a central role in the provision of STI care. Innovations in non‐invasive diagnostic techniques, especially nucleic acid amplification tests in the mid‐1990s, have facilitated the expansion of STI testing and treatment outside traditional STI clinics, including primary care, family planning, school‐based health, outreach, corrections, emergency departments and HIV prevention and care settings. As a result, the continued need for categorical STI clinics has been debated. In this Commentary, we discuss how practice can be improved at each level of STI care.

Discussion

STI practice improvement plans should be tailored to the strengths of each care setting. Thus, in primary care, the focus should be on improving STI screening rates, the provision of hepatitis B and human papillomavirus vaccines and, in jurisdictions where this is legal, expedited partner therapy for gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Extragenital (pharyngeal and rectal) testing for gonorrhoea and chlamydia should be available in settings serving populations more vulnerable to STI acquisition at these anatomical sites, including men who have sex with men. In family planning settings with a mostly female patient population, there are opportunities to serve male partners with both contraceptive and STI services. STI screening rates can also be improved in other settings serving populations at increased risk for STIs, including school‐based clinics, emergency departments, correctional health facilities and providers of HIV care and prevention. These improvements are predominantly logistical in nature and not dependent on extensive STI clinical expertise. While some providers in these settings may have the clinical knowledge and skills to evaluate symptomatic patients, many do not, and STI speciality clinics must be available for consultation and referral and evolve from “safety net” providers of last resort to STI centres of excellence.

Conclusions

A tailored practice improvement plan can be envisioned to achieve an optimally functioning STI care continuum.
Sexually transmitted infections and HIV in the era of antiretroviral treatment and prevention: the biologic basis for epidemiologic synergy
Authors: Cohen Myron S , Council Olivia D , Chen Jane S
Published: August 2019

Introduction

HIV is a unique sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is greatly affected by other concomitant “classical” bacterial and viral STIs that cause genital ulcers and/or mucosal inflammation. STIs also serve as a marker for risky sexual behaviours. STIs increase infectiousness of people living with HIV by increasing the viral concentration in the genital tract, and by increasing the potential for HIV acquisition in people at risk for HIV. In addition, some STIs can increase blood HIV concentration and promote progression of disease. This review is designed to investigate the complex relationship between HIV and classical STIs.

Discussion

Treatment of STIs with appropriate antibiotics reduces HIV in blood, semen and female genital secretions. However, community‐based trials could not reliably reduce the spread of HIV by mass treatment of STIs. Introduction of antiretroviral agents for the treatment and prevention of HIV has led to renewed interest in the complex relationship between STIs and HIV. Antiretroviral treatment (ART) reduces the infectiousness of HIV and virtually eliminates the transmission of HIV in spite of concomitant or acquired STIs. However, while ART interrupts HIV transmission, it does not stop intermittent shedding of HIV in genital secretions. Such shedding of HIV is increased by STIs, although the viral copies are not likely replication competent or infectious. Pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) of HIV with the combination of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) prevents HIV acquisition in spite of concomitant STIs.

Conclusions

STIs remain pandemic, and the availability of ART may have led to an increase in STIs, as fear of HIV has diminished. Classical STIs present a huge worldwide health burden that cannot be separated from HIV, and they deserve far more attention than they currently receive.
SCIMP is a universal Toll-like receptor adaptor in macrophages
Authors: Luo Lin , Curson James E. B. , Liu Liping , Wall Adam A. , Tuladhar Neeraj , Lucas Richard M. , Sweet Matthew J. , Stow Jennifer L.
Published: August 2019

In innate immune cells, pathogens and danger signals activate TLRs, unleashing potent and tailored inflammatory responses. Previously, we reported that an immune-specific transmembrane adaptor, SLP adaptor and CSK interacting membrane protein (SCIMP), interacts with TLR4 via direct binding to its cytoplasmic TIR domain. SCIMP scaffolds a Src family kinase, Lyn, for TLR4 phosphorylation and activation. Consequently, SCIMP is able to direct selective production of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-12p40 downstream of TLR4 in macrophages. Here, we set out to investigate whether SCIMP also acts as an adaptor for other TLR family members. We report here that SCIMP is phosphorylated and activated in response to agonists of multiple TLRs, including TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR9. SCIMP also interacts with TLRs that are known to signal from both the cell surface and endosomal compartments. In so doing, this transmembrane adaptor presents Lyn, along with other effectors such as Grb2, Csk, and SLP65, to multiple TLRs during cellular activation. CRISPR-mediated knockout or silencing of SCIMP in macrophages alters TLR signaling outputs and the production of IL-6 and IL-12p40 downstream of multiple TLRs, and upon challenge with live bacteria. Furthermore, the selectivity in cytokine responses is preserved downstream of TLR3, with inducible expression of Il-12p40 and IL-6, but not IFNβ, being SCIMP dependent. SCIMP is thus a universal TLR adaptor for scaffolding the Lyn tyrosine kinase and its effectors to enable responses against a wide range of danger signals.
The response of Prorocentrum sigmoides and its associated culturable bacteria to metals and organic pollutants
Authors: D'Costa Priya M. , Kunkolienkar Rukma S. S. , Naik Arti G. , Naik Ravidas K. , Roy Rajdeep
Published: August 2019

This study investigates the effect of metals (cadmium, lead, mercury, and tellurium) and organic pollutants (benzene, diesel, lindane, and xylene) on a dinoflagellate—Prorocentrum sigmoides Böhm—and its associated culturable bacteria. Two bacterial cultures (Bacillus subtilis strain PD005 and B. xiamensis strain PD006) were isolated from P. sigmoides and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing, biochemical analyses, and growth curve studies. This study points to a mutualistic relationship between P. sigmoides and its associated Bacillus isolates. P. sigmoides enhanced the growth of its associated Bacillus spp., through the secretion of extracellular exudates. In return, both Bacillus isolates contributed to the resistance of P. sigmoides to metals and organic pollutants. P. sigmoides and both Bacillus isolates exhibited concentration‐dependent responses to metals and organic pollutants. An intriguing feature was the similar response of P. sigmoides and its associated Bacillus isolates to mercury and cadmium, indicating a co‐selection of mercury and cadmium resistance. This provides support to the “dinoflagellate host‐phycosphere bacteria” behaving as a single functional unit. However, the sensitivity profiles of P. sigmoides and its associated Bacillus isolates are different with respect to metals versus organic pollutants. These aspects need to be addressed in future studies to unravel the effect of metal and organic pollutants on dinoflagellates, an important component of the phytoplankton community, and to discern the influence of associated “phycosphere” bacteria on the response of dinoflagellates to pollutants.
The ecotoxicity and tribological properties of choline monocarboxylate ionic liquid lubricants
Authors: Fan Mingjin , Zhang Shuai , Ma Lin , Lu Yu , Ai Jia , Du Xin , Sun Wenjing , Yang Desuo , Zhou Feng , Liu Weiming
Published: August 2019

In this work, a series choline monocarboxylate ionic liquids ([Ch][MA] ILs) were synthesized. The physicochemical properties and lubricating efficiency of the ILs on copper and aluminum discs were systematically investigated. At the same time, their ecotoxicity was explored on aquatic organisms. In comparison with 1‐butyl‐3‐methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate (L‐B104), which is a kind of traditional IL, [Ch][MA] ILs exhibited excellent lubricating properties and low toxicities, thus can be considered as environmentally friendly lubricants in tribology.
Detection of gaseous species during KCl‐induced high‐temperature corrosion by the means of CPFAAS and CI‐APi‐TOF
Authors: Lehmusto Juho , Olin Miska , Viljanen Jan , Kalliokoski Joni , Mylläri Fanni , Toivonen Juha , Dal Maso Miikka , Hupa Leena
Published: August 2019

Two different analytical approaches—collinear photofragmentation and atomic absorption spectroscopy (CPFAAS) and chemical ionization atmospheric pressure interface time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (CI‐APi‐TOF)—were applied to detect and identify the online gaseous KOH and HCl formed in the addressed high‐temperature reactions. Samples of pure KCl, KCl+Cr, KCl+Fe, and KCl+316 L were studied at 550°C under dry and humid conditions with varying oxygen concentrations. The goal was to shed more light on the gas‐phase chemistry during KCl‐induced corrosion under conditions relevant to biomass combustion. CI‐APi‐TOF proved to be a valuable tool for high‐temperature corrosion studies: HCl was identified to have formed during the reactions under humid conditions. On the contrary, despite the known sensitivity of CPFAAS, the formation of KOH could not be verified in any of the performed measurements.
Hydrogen evolution and corrosion behavior of zirconium tubing in sub‐ and supercritical water
Authors: Choudhry Kashif I. , Svishchev Igor M.
Published: August 2019

Hydrogen evolution is inevitable during the oxidation of zirconium in high‐temperature water. A fraction of this evolved hydrogen diffuses into the cladding material, and the remaining is carried away by the reactor coolant. In this study, hydrogen evolution and corrosion behavior of zirconium‐702 in high‐temperature water are investigated using a continuous tubular flow‐through reactor. The results show that at a constant pressure of 25 MPa, the evolution of hydrogen gas from an oxidized zirconium reactor surface is approximately 24 times larger at 500°C than at 350°C. At higher temperatures, the zirconium reactor tubing exposed to water shows ballooning, with bending before the rupture near the exit end of the reactor tube, where the concentration of evolved hydrogen is the highest.
Wire‐based sternal closure: MRI‐related heating at 1.5 T/64 MHz and 3 T/128 MHz based on simulation and experimental phantom study
Authors: Zheng Jianfeng , Xia Meiqi , Kainz Wolfgang , Chen Ji
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The paper investigates factors that affect the RF‐induced heating for commonly used wire‐based sternal closure under 1.5 T and 3 T MRI systems and clarifies the heating mechanisms.

Methods

Numerical simulations based on the finite‐difference time‐domain method and experimental measurements in ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) phantom were used in the study. Various configurations of the wire‐based sternal closure in the phantom were studied based on parameter sweeps to understand key factors related to the RF‐induced heating. In vivo simulations were further performed to explore the RF‐induced heating in computational human phantoms for clinically relevant scenarios.

Results

The wire‐based sternal closure can lead to peak 1‐g averaged spatial absorption ratio of 106.3 W/kg and 75.2 W/kg in phantom and peak 1‐g averaged specific absorption rate of 32.1 W/kg and 62.1 W/kg in computational human models near the device at 1.5 T and 3 T, respectively. In phantom, the simulated maximum temperature rises for 15‐minute RF exposure are 9.4°C at 1.5 T and 5.8°C at 3 T. Generally, the RF‐induced heating will be higher when the electrical length of the device is close to the resonant length or when multiple components are spaced closely along the longitudinal direction.

Conclusion

The RF‐induced heating related to wire‐based sternal closure can be significant due to the antenna effect and capacitive mutual coupling effect related to the specific geometries of devices.
Time versus Space: Choice of Effort Metric Can Avoid Bias in Boat Electrofishing Catch per Unit Effort
Authors: Marcy-Quay Benjamin , Jirka Kurt J. , Kraft Clifford E.
Published: August 2019

While catch per unit effort (CPUE) is the most widely used metric for expressing and comparing boat electrofishing catch data, “effort” has been inconsistently defined. Boat electrofishing guidelines refer to both time- and distance-based metrics, with little consensus about the appropriateness of one over the other. Catch rate metrics that use time-based effort may potentially be biased by gear saturation due to handling time. We evaluated the potential for bias resulting from effort metric choice by comparing catch rates based on one temporal and two spatial effort metrics—time, shoreline length, and a GPS-based areal measurement—using 3 years of data from 288 sampling occasions when all three metrics were recorded simultaneously. We used pairwise comparisons to isolate the effect of effort metric choice and fit six candidate models to each potential pair of CPUE metrics: a simple linear model, four models with separate slopes for survey variables (lake, season, night or day, and habitat), and an asymptotic model. The best-fit model was asymptotic when the time-based CPUE metric was compared with both space-based metrics, and the linear model accounting for habitat was the best-fit model for the comparison between both spatial methods. These results indicate that using a time-based measure of effort resulted in hyperstable CPUE when fish densities were high due to gear saturation. By comparison, spatial measures of effort were robust to changes in fish density. Observed habitat-based variation in the relationship between the two spatial metrics suggests that a CPUE measurement based on shoreline distance is adequate for assessing trends in abundance within waters or areas with homogenous habitat but not locations with contrasting conditions. We recommend the use of an areal-based effort metric due to its robustness to gear saturation, comparability between waters, and potential for incorporating other variables that influence the performance of CPUE.
Construction of organizational identity claim and understanding in nonprofits: Evidence from Pakistan's voluntary organizations
Authors: Saqib Zunaira
Published: August 2019

There is a substantial research literature on nonprofits identity claim and identity understanding but much less on how these identities are constructed in the first place. This article explores how identity claim and identity understanding are constructed in the nonprofits and reasons for such constructions. Exploratory multiple case study analysis was conducted with two voluntary organizations. The results showed that three factors play a significant role in construction of identity claim; founders, funding, and power of stakeholders. The construction of identity understanding is influenced by the claim and is often in sync until the funding source changes leading to a dissimilar identity understanding. The members, however, showed reluctance to embrace the new identity due to the power of stakeholders and fear of mission drift. The unsynchronized claim and understanding caused confusions among the members as they juggled between adopting the new identity understanding and keeping a dissimilar claim. This confusion hinders the nonprofits growth and they struggle to answer what they want to be in future.
Identifying the training experiences and needs of bilingual school psychologists
Authors: Vega Desireé , Wolf Jaclyn N. , Barton Dylan O. , Stathatos Michele , Iurino Charlotte , Hammer Lily
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this pilot study was to better understand the training experiences of bilingual school psychologists (BSPs) and identify their training needs in the provision of psychological services to English language learner students. The secondary aims of the study were to determine how school psychology programs can better prepare BSPs and incorporate best practices in bilingual competencies into their training models. Six BSPs (Spanish/English‐speakers) participated in the study; findings revealed four themes related to their training experiences: (a) programmatic limitations, (b) assumption that language equals competence, (c) going beyond the classroom, and (d) experiential training. In addition, as a result of their training experiences, the BSPs provided training recommendations in two major areas: (a) trainers and (b) culturally relevant curriculum. Implications for school psychology trainers will be provided.
Modelling submerged fluvial substrates with structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry
Authors: Danhoff Brian M. , Huckins Casey J.
Published: August 2019

Natural sediment regimes of fluvial systems are variable and important to the biological and physical structures of rivers, yet watershed degradation has led to increased fine sediments entering and aggrading in rivers. As a result, quantifying substrate composition is important for targeting and monitoring restoration. Conventional methods for assessing substrate composition (e.g., pebble counts) can be time‐consuming and biased. We examined the use of the photogrammetric technique, structure‐from‐motion (SfM), as an alternative method by measuring streambed roughness. We expanded its application to submerged substrates in an artificial streambed to assess if roughness could predict pebble count substrate size percentiles across a range of manipulated levels of fine sediment aggradation. We then assessed the use of SfM in a free‐flowing river streambed. Results from the artificial streambed with coarse substrates (≤31% added fine sediment) revealed that repeated SfM models of the same streambed had a high degree of similarity (mean difference = 1 mm) and a strong relationship between SfM‐derived roughness and pebble counts (r2 > .95). This relationship was weaker (r2 < .66) and violated regression variance assumptions when substrates had up to 47% (55.7 kg) fines added, possibly due to SfM characterizing details not captured by pebble counts. In the natural streambed, there was a strong relationship between percentiles from the SfM model roughness and pebble count diameter (r2 = .96). SfM appears to be an efficient and appropriate alternative to direct substrate measurements across a broad range of streambed substrate compositions and thus a useful tool to model streambed morphology.
Noncovalent Interactions in Complexes Involving the Cyclic C2H2X (X=O, S, Se) Molecules and the Lewis Acids YF (Y=F, Cl, Br, H)
Authors: McDowell Sean A. C. , Dong Wenbo , Wang Yanqing , Li Qingzhong
Published: August 2019

A computational study of the cyclic Lewis bases C2H2X (X=O, S, Se) interacting with the Lewis acids YF (Y=F, Cl, Br, H) in model C2H2X…YF dyads was undertaken. It was shown that the noncovalent X…Y interaction in these binary complexes increases with increasing YF dipole moment for the C2H2O complexes, but not for the C2H2S and C2H2Se complexes, where instead the X…Y interaction increases with increasing X/Y electronegativity difference. This suggests that electrostatic forces dominate the binding in the former, whereas polarization effects dominate in the latter complexes. These explanations were supported by natural bond orbital (NBO) and atoms in molecules (AIM) analyses of the electron density, as well as interaction energy decomposition analyses. A subsequent study of the cooperative effect of an additional hydrogen bond in the model triads, FH…C2H2X…YF and C2H2X…YF…HF, found that the X…Y interaction in the dyads is weakened in the former and strengthened in the latter, with the trends identified in the dyads persisting in both triads.
A Bispyrazole Based Porous 2D Luminescent MOF for the Turn‐Off Detection of Pd(II) Ions
Authors: Kumar Sushil , Kaushal Jolly , Singh Siddhant , Sharma Vikas , Kumar Arun , Tomar Kapil
Published: August 2019

A novel bispyrazole based porous MOF ({[Zn(MBPz)(Ene)0.5]⋅2DMF⋅2H2O}n (1)) with open alkene (‐HC=CH‐) and nitrogen sites has been synthesized, as an efficient fluorescent sensor for Pd(II) ions. The MOF exhibits 3D supramolecular structure with open channels having 27.2% porosity. The unsaturated ‐CH=CH‐ moieties are present along the walls of open channels which is favorable for interaction with guest moieties. The cation sensitivity of 1 was evaluated using a series of transition metal ions in DMF. The fluorescence quenching of 1 was demonstrated by an approximately 94% reduction in the emission intensity upon binding to Pd2+ ions. The emission intensity of 1 at 414 nm has shown a linear response to Pd(II) ion concentration with a detection limit of 4.7 x 10−7 M. The sensing property of 1 towards Pd(II) ions is attributed to the π electron donation from the alkene bonds present in the ligand (Ene).
A holistic understanding of the effect of stress on adolescent well‐being: A conditional process analysis
Authors: Branson Victoria , Palmer Edward , Dry Matthew J. , Turnbull Deborah
Published: August 2019

Although traditional assumptions tend to conceptualize stress as inherently dysfunctional, psychological theory suggests that it is not intrinsically maladaptive. Contemporary models emphasize that the stress response can be differentiated into both negative and positive aspects, known as distress and eustress. Research examining the differential effect of positive and negative stress on adolescent well‐being is limited and has been hindered by a lack of appropriate measurement tools. The aim of the present study was to utilize the recently developed Adolescent Distress‐Eustress Scale to provide a balanced understanding of the impact of stress on positive mental health, holistically considering the effect of both distress and eustress on adolescent well‐being. One thousand eighty‐one Australian adolescents (Mage= 15.14, 54.03% female) completed an online survey composed of the Adolescent Distress‐Eustress Scale alongside measures of well‐being, self‐efficacy, psychological ill‐being, physical activity, and daytime sleepiness. Conditional process analysis suggested that distress exerted no direct influence on well‐being, with the observed negative relationship fully mediated by psychological and behavioural variables. Contrastingly, eustress was both directly related to increased well‐being and exerted an indirect effect through relationships with mediating variables. These results demonstrate that stress can have profoundly positive consequences. Theoretical contributions, implications for practice, and perspectives for future research are discussed.
Early Days
Authors: Rowe Peter G. , Hee Limin
Published: August 2019

The story begins against the background of Temasek and pre-colonial occupation to the residue of British colonial development and the birth of the Republic of Singapore in 1965 as a fledgling island nation state in South-east Asia. With early colonial settlement dating from 1819 with the arrival of Stamford Raffles and the East India Company, the primeval forested and vegetated circumstances of Singapore were transformed substantially to make way for plantation and other forms of agricultural production. Well served by its location as a choke point between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, the colony thrived largely on entrepôt trade with the Malay hinterland through concentration of lightering, warehousing and convenient association of locals and foreigners, primarily around the Singapore River.
Swampland distance conjecture, inflation and α-attractors
Authors: Scalisi Marco , Valenzuela Irene
Published: August 2019

Abstract

The Swampland Distance Conjecture (SDC) constraints the dynamics emerging at infinite distances in field space of any effective field theory consistent with quantum gravity. It provides a relation between the cut-off in energies and the field range which, as we show, in the context of inflation it yields a universal upper bound on the inflaton excursion in terms of the tensor-to-scalar ratio, measured at typical CMB scales. In this note, we investigate the interplay between the SDC and the emergent inflationary physics around infinite distances singularities in string theory, with a special look at its significance for the α-attractor scenario of inflation. We show that the conjecture itself suggests that inflation may arise as an infinite distance phenomenon with the asymptotic kinetic structure typical of α-attractors. Furthermore, we argue that a proper string realisation of these cosmological models in Calabi-Yau manifolds should occur around infinite field distance singularities. However, such constructions typically imply that inflation should not take place in the limit where the inflaton kinetic term develops a pole but rather in the opposite regime. Finally, we study the constraints that the SDC poses on α-attractors and show that they still leave considerable room for compatibility with observations.
Gapped continuum Kaluza-Klein spectrum
Authors: Megías Eugenio , Quirós Mariano
Published: August 2019

Abstract

We consider a warped five-dimensional model with an ultraviolet (UV) brane and, on top of the Standard Model isolated modes, continua of KK modes with different mass gaps for all particles: gauge bosons, fermions, graviton, radion and Higgs boson. The model can be considered as a modelization in five dimensions of gapped unparticles. The five dimensional metric has a singularity, at a finite (infinite) value of the proper (conformal) coordinate, which is admissible as it supports finite temperature in the form of a black hole horizon. An infrared (IR) brane, with particular jumping conditions, is introduced to trigger correct electroweak breaking. The gravitational metric is AdS5 near the UV brane, to solve the hierarchy problem with a fundamental Planck scale, and linear, in conformal coordinates, near the IR, as in the linear dilaton and five-dimensional clockwork models. The branes, and singularity, distances are fixed, à la Goldberger-Wise, by a bulk scalar field with brane potentials explicitly breaking the conformal symmetry. The bosonic continuum of KK modes with the smallest mass gap are those of gauge bosons, and so they are the most likely produced at the LHC. Mass gaps of the continuum of KK fermions do depend on their localization in the extra dimension. We have computed the spectral functions, and arbitrary Green’s functions, and shown how they can modify some Standard Model processes.
Phenomenology of Higgs bosons in inverse seesaw model with Type-X two Higgs doublet at the LHC
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Priyotosh , Chun Eung Jin , Mandal Rusa
Published: August 2019

Abstract

Type-X two Higgs doublet model is known to explain the muon g − 2 anomaly with a relatively light charged Higgs boson at large tan β. The light charged Higgs boson has been searched in the main τ ν mode at the colliders. Invoking a scenario of inverse seesaw as the origin of neutrino masses and mixing, the charged Higgs boson can decay additionally to right-handed neutrinos which leads to interesting phenomenology. Considering generic lepton flavour violating signatures at the final states, a 5σ discovery can be achieved with the early data of LHC, at 14 TeV, for relatively large inverse seesaw Yukawa coupling Y

N
. The very light pseudoscalar and charged Higgs boson mass reconstruction are performed using the new modes and the results look promising. The inverse seesaw Yukawa coupling is shown to be probed down to Y

N
∼ 0.2 at HL LHC with 3000 fb−1.
Nuclear War as a Global Catastrophic Risk
Authors: Scouras James
Published: August 2019

Nuclear war is clearly a global catastrophic risk, but it is not an existential risk as is sometimes carelessly claimed. Unfortunately, the consequence and likelihood components of the risk of nuclear war are both highly uncertain. In particular, for nuclear wars that include targeting of multiple cities, nuclear winter may result in more fatalities across the globe than the better-understood effects of blast, prompt radiation, and fallout. Electromagnetic pulse effects, which could range from minor electrical disturbances to the complete collapse of the electric grid, are similarly highly uncertain. Nuclear war likelihood assessments are largely based on intuition, and they span the spectrum from zero to certainty. Notwithstanding these profound uncertainties, we must manage the risk of nuclear war with the knowledge we have. Benefit-cost analysis and other structured analytic methods applied to evaluate risk mitigation measures must acknowledge that we often do not even know whether many proposed approaches (e.g., reducing nuclear arsenals) will have a net positive or negative effect. Multidisciplinary studies are needed to better understand the consequences and likelihood of nuclear war and the complex relationship between these two components of risk, and to predict both the direction and magnitude of risk mitigation approaches.
How Systems Analysis, Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, or Benefit-Cost Analysis First Became Influential in Federal Government Program Decision-Making
Authors: Enthoven Alain
Published: August 2019

In 1948, the RAND Corporation, formed to connect military planning with research and development decisions, became an independent nonprofit organization. Before then, cost-effectiveness analysis, benefit-cost analysis, and systems analysis had no established home in the federal government. In the 1950s, under the leadership of Charles Hitch, Chief, RAND Economics, undertook a program of activities they called “systems analysis,” including evaluation of the costs and effectiveness of weapon systems. In 1961, Robert McNamara appointed Hitch to be the Comptroller of the Department of Defense and invited Hitch to carry out his vision he described as “Programming and Systems Analysis.” Programming became the Planning, Programming, Budgeting System (PPBS) and the Five-Year Defense Program that linked strategies to forces to budgets. Systems Analysis assisted the Secretary to make choices of weapon systems and strategies. In 1965, Hitch returned to California and ultimately became President of the university. McNamara wanted Systems Analysis to report directly to him, and on his recommendation, President Lyndon Johnson appointed me Assistant Secretary for Systems Analysis. In 1966, the President directed that all departments in the executive branch establish offices based on the Systems Analysis model. In 1967, Henry S. Rowen became President of the RAND Corporation. He broadened RAND’s scope beyond the military to include Health Services, education, urban problems including homelessness, ethics in scientific research, and climate research. In 1970, Rowen led the establishment of the Pardee RAND Graduate School, offering a doctoral degree in Public Policy Analysis to extend widely the application of the RAND Systems Analysis approach to many fields.
Settling the Citizen, Settling the Nomad: ‘Habitual offenders’, rebellion, and civic consciousness in western India, 1938–1952
Authors: BAJRANGE DAKXINKUMAR , GANDEE SARAH , GOULD WILLIAM
Published: August 2019

This article explores the politics of civic engagement during India's long decolonization between 1938 and 1952 for communities—the erstwhile ‘criminal tribes’—whose lifestyles were complicated by controls on their movement before and shortly following India's independence. It argues that their varied and contingent strategies of mobilization increasingly identified community particularities—notably, their marking as ‘criminals’ and a history of movement—as a basis for negotiating their problematic inclusion within the evolving citizenship frameworks of the late colonial, then post-colonial, state. These early forms of civic consciousness set the parameters for later strategies that sought to mobilize communities by engaging with ‘universal’, ‘differentiated’, and indigenized conceptions of civic responsibility and rights. The most surprising finding of this research is that these strategies (via anti-colonialism) often embraced and celebrated forms of illegality and criminality. The romanticism of the dacoit (bandit)-cum-freedom fighter charged Dhaku Sultan-like figures with political heroism. In the context of independence and the founding of the Constitution, strategies turned to the (un)realized promises of freedom and citizenship rights. The final part of the article turns to the implications of ‘denotification’ for the so-called criminal tribes in the early 1950s, which provided both obstacles and avenues to strategies of mobilization after independence.
Biogeographically significant units in conservation: a new integrative concept for conserving ecological and evolutionary processes
Authors: Quiroga M Paula , Castello Lucia , Quipildor Vilma , Premoli Andrea C
Published: August 2019

We combined tools of phylogeography, population genetics and biogeographical interpretation to analyse a group of phylogenetically independent lineages (animals and plants) that coexist within the same geographical region, yet under markedly different environments, in order to identify generalized barriers for gene flow. We tested the hypothesis that major geographic features have produced a concordant genetic structure in phylogenetically independent lineages. A rigorous bibliographic search was performed, selecting available molecular information from six taxa occupying distinct southern biomes of South America: Yungas, Prepuna, Puna and northern Monte. We estimated within-population genetic diversity, the genetic structure and haplotype phylogenies to assemble distribution maps of genetic barriers for each species. We found a strong association between genetic variation and latitudinal distribution of populations. We detected a major barrier for six taxa at 27°S latitude and a second one for a group of three species at 25–26°S. Two alternative non-exclusive hypotheses – geology and/or climate – explain concordant genetic barriers in divergent lineages. We suggest that the term ‘biogeographically significant units’ portrays a group of populations of phylogenetically unrelated taxa that inhabit the same geographic region that have been similarly impacted by major physical events, which can be used to identify priority areas in landscape conservation.
Seroprevalence of HPV serotypes 6, 11, 16 and 18 in unvaccinated children from Mexico City
Authors: Pacheco-Domínguez Reyna Lizette , Durazo-Arvizu Ramón A. , López-Hernández Angélica , Figueroa-Padilla Jesica , Ramírez-González Julia Berenice , López-Cervantes Malaquías
Published: August 2019

Data regarding humoral immunity against HPV infection are scarce. Most analyses focus on the identification of viruses on mucous membranes and primarily refer to women of reproductive age. The aim of this work was to estimate the seroprevalence of antibodies against HPV serotypes 6, 11, 16 and 18 among unvaccinated boys living in Mexico City. A cross-sectional study of 257 male students from 48 public primary schools in Mexico City, whose ages fluctuated between 9 and 14 years, was carried out. Immunological status was assessed by applying the competitive Luminex Immunoassay of HPV (cLIA). Among the study population, we initially found that 38.52% (n = 99) of the children tested positive against one or more of the HPV 6, 11, 16 and/or 18 serotypes. The most commonly found serotype was isolated HPV 18 or in combination with other serotypes (22% and 31%, respectively), followed by HPV 6 with frequencies of 4.7% and 11%, respectively; however, lower frequencies were estimated for HPV 16 (2%; 6%) and isolated HPV 11, 4%. If a second set of cut-off points for seropositivity is applied, the overall prevalence for any serotype is reduced to 15.2%. As it appears that a significant sector of the study population has had basal contact with an HPV serotype, we recommend considering the possibility of vaccination against HPV at earlier ages.
Inflammation throughout pregnancy and fetal growth restriction in rural Nepal
Authors: Sauder Michael W. , Lee Sun Eun , Schulze Kerry J. , Christian Parul , Wu Lee S. F. , Khatry Subarna K. , LeClerq Steven C. , Adhikari Ramesh K. , Groopman John D. , West Keith P.
Published: August 2019

Maternal systemic inflammation during pregnancy may restrict embryo−fetal growth, but the extent of this effect remains poorly established in undernourished populations. In a cohort of 653 maternal−newborn dyads participating in a multi-armed, micronutrient supplementation trial in southern Nepal, we investigated associations between maternal inflammation, assessed by serumα1-acid glycoprotein and C-reactive protein, in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, and newborn weight, length and head and chest circumferences. Median (IQR) maternal concentrations inα1-acid glycoprotein and C-reactive protein in the first and third trimesters were 0.65 (0.53–0.76) and 0.40 (0.33–0.50) g/l, and 0.56 (0.25–1.54) and 1.07 (0.43–2.32) mg/l, respectively.α1-acid glycoprotein was inversely associated with birth size: weight, length, head circumference and chest circumference were lower by 116 g (P= 2.3 × 10−6), and 0.45 (P= 3.1 × 10−5), 0.18 (P= 0.0191) and 0.48 (P= 1.7 × 10−7) cm, respectively, per 50% increase inα1-acid glycoprotein averaged across both trimesters. Adjustment for maternal age, parity, gestational age, nutritional and socio-economic status and daily micronutrient supplementation failed to alter any association. Serum C-reactive protein concentration was largely unassociated with newborn size. In rural Nepal, birth size was inversely associated with low-grade, chronic inflammation during pregnancy as indicated by serumα1-acid glycoprotein.
Antibiotic-resistant pathogens in different patient settings and identification of surveillance gaps in Switzerland – a systematic review
Authors: Fulchini R. , Albrich W. C. , Kronenberg A. , Egli A. , Kahlert C. R. , Schlegel M. , Kohler P.
Published: August 2019

The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) varies significantly among different patient populations. We aimed to summarise AMR prevalence data from screening studies in different patient settings in Switzerland and to identify surveillance gaps. We performed a systematic review, searching Pubmed, MEDLINE, Embase (01/2000–05/2017) and conference proceedings for Swiss studies reporting on carbapenemase-producingEnterobacteriaceae(CPE), extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL), mobilised colistin-resistance, methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) and vancomycin-resistantEnterococci(VRE) within different patient settings. We identified 2345 references and included 46 studies. For acute care patients, most screening data come from admission screenings, whereas AMR prevalence among hospitalised patients is largely unknown. Universal admission screenings showed ESBL-prevalences of 5–8% and MRSA-prevalences of 2–5%. For targeted screening, ESBL-prevalence ranged from 14–21%; MRSA-prevalence from 1–4%. For refugees, high ESBL (9–24%) and MRSA (16–24%) carriage rates were reported; returning travellers were frequently (68–80%) colonised with ESBL. Screening data for other pathogens, long-term care facility (LTCF) residents and pediatric populations were scarce. This review confirms high ESBL- and MRSA-carriage rates for risk populations in Switzerland. Emerging pathogens (CPE and VRE) and certain populations (inpatients, LTCF residents and children) are understudied. We encourage epidemiologists and public health authorities to consider these findings in the planning of future surveillance studies.
Anxiety, depression, and behavioural rating scales in children with non-cardiac chest pain
Authors: Kenar Aytaç , Örün Utku Arman , Yoldaş Tamer , Kayalı Şeyma , Bodur Şahin , Karademir Selmin
Published: August 2019

Introduction:

Chest pain is the second most common reason for referral to paediatric cardiologists after benign heart murmurs. Aetiology frequently depends on non-cardiac reasons. In addition, individuals may experience non-cardiac chest pain which is idiopathic or of unknown origin. The aim of this study is to examine psychological symptoms in children and adolescents with medically unexplained chest pain.

Methods:

A total of 76 patients (ages 8–18 years) were included in the study, who were referred to the paediatric cardiology department with the complaint of chest pain but did not have any detected cardiac aetiology or any other organic causes of chest pain. The control group was composed of 51 healthy volunteers. Self-evaluation scales were given to both groups which included Beck Anxiety Inventory and Children’s Depression Inventory. Also parents of both groups completed the Conner’s Parent Rating Scale for assessment of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Results:

Anxiety scores of the non-cardiac chest pain group were significantly higher compared to controls. No significant differences were found between patients and controls in terms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and depression scores. In patient group, patterns were similar for boys and girls and for children and adolescents; except girls scored significantly higher than boys in children’s depression inventory.

Conclusions:

In children and adolescents, non-cardiac chest pain is associated with increased levels of anxiety. These results show the importance of psychiatric evaluation in non-cardiac chest pain patients. Larger controlled studies are needed to determine the prevalence and impact of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and depression in children and adolescents with non-cardiac chest pain.
Liberalism, Property, and the Foundations of the Greek State (C.1830–1870)
Authors: Sotiropoulos Michalis
Published: August 2019

How does a new state, born by way of revolution, produce its social and political institutions? This article explores this question by looking at the case of Greece after independence from the Ottomans (1830). It focuses on the Greek civil jurists and provides a history of a liberal political program that was manifested in Roman-law jurisprudence. As elsewhere in Europe, so too for jurists in Greece, Roman law was both a consistent method for lawmaking and a powerful political ideology, one that linked private property to personal liberty, and to equality of conditions. As in several other colonial and postimperial settings, it developed as a language of statehood and a “territorial” program that associated sovereignty with the reorganization of space within the state. As in a very few other cases, there it became a means of practical statecraft, which the jurists turned against other political programs, including that of the monarchy.