bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The sensitivity and specificity of chest CT in the diagnosis of COVID-19
Authors: Kovács Anita , Palásti Péter , Veréb Dániel , Bozsik Bence , Palkó András , Kincses Zsigmond Tamás
Published: October 2020

Purpose

The identification of patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 is highly important to control the disease; however, the clinical presentation is often unspecific and a large portion of the patients develop mild or no symptoms at all. For this reason, there is an emphasis on evaluating diagnostic tools for screening. Chest CT scans are emerging as a useful tool in the diagnostic process of viral pneumonia cases associated with COVID-19. This review examines the sensitivity, specificity, and feasibility of chest CT in detecting COVID-19 compared with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Methods

Sensitivity and specificity of chest CT in detecting COVID-19 in its various phases was compared using RT-PCR as a gold standard. A “reverse calculation approach” was applied and treated chest CT as a hypothetical gold standard and compared RT-PCR to it point out the flaw of the standard approach.

Results

High sensitivity (67–100%) and relatively low specificity (25–80%) was reported for the CT scans. However, the sensitivity of RT-PCR was reported to be modest (53–88%), hence cannot serve as an appropriate ground truth. The “reverse calculation approach” showed that CT could have a higher specificity (83–100%) if we consider the modest sensitivity of the RT-PCR.

Conclusions

The sensitivity and specificity of the chest CT in diagnosing COVID-19 and the radiation exposure have to be judged together. Arguments are presented that chest CT scans have added value in diagnosing COVID-19 especially in patients, who exhibit typical clinical symptoms and have negative RT-PCR results in highly infected regions.

Key Points

• CT scans have higher specificity if we take into account the low sensitivity of the RT-PCR.

• Avoid chest CT as a sole diagnostic approach for COVID-19 infection.

• Patients who had negative RT-PCR result with typical clinical symptoms in highly infected regions or with close contact of COVID-19-infected patients; the use of chest CT is warranted.
Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in patients with dilated vs. nondilated bile ducts: technical considerations and complications
Authors: Pedersoli Federico , Schröder Anja , Zimmermann Markus , Schulze-Hagen Maximilian , Keil Sebastian , Ulmer Tom Florian , Neumann Ulf Peter , Kuhl Christiane K. , Bruners Philipp , Isfort Peter
Published: October 2020

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare success, technical complexity, and complication rates of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in patients with dilated vs. nondilated bile ducts.

Methods

In a retrospective analysis, we evaluated all consecutive PTBD performed in our department over a period of 5 years. Technical success, technical data (side, fluoroscopy time, radiation dose, amount of contrast media, use of disposable equipment), procedure-related complications and peri-interventional mortality were compared for patients with dilated vs. non-dilated bile ducts. Independent t test and χ2 test were used to evaluate the statistical significance.

Results

A total of 253 procedures were performed on 187 patients, of whom 101/253 had dilated bile ducts and 152/253 not. In total, 243/253 procedures were successful. PTBD was significantly more often successful in patients with dilated vs. nondilated bile ducts (150/153 vs. 93/101; p 0.02). Overall complication rate (13%) did not differ significantly between patients with dilated vs. nondilated bile ducts. Procedures in patients with normal, nondilated bile ducts were associated with a significantly higher rate of post-interventional bleeding (5/101 vs. 0/152). Mean fluoroscopy time (42:36 ± 35:39 h vs. 30:28 ± 25:10 h; p 0.002) and amount of contrast media (66 ± 40 ml vs. 52 ± 24 ml; p 0.07) or use of disposables were significantly higher in patients with nondilated ducts. A significantly lower fluoroscopy time and amount of contrast medium were used in left hepatic PTBD.

Conclusion

Despite the higher technical complexity, PTBD with nondilated bile ducts was associated with similar overall complication rates but higher bleeding complications compared with PTBD with dilated bile ducts.

Key Points

• PTBD was associated with similar overall complication rates in patients with dilated vs. nondilated bile ducts.

• Although overall complication rates were low, PTBD in patients with nondilated bile ducts was associated with a higher incidence of post-interventional bleeding.

• PTBD in patients with nondilated bile ducts is technically more complex.
Crosslinking of hydrophilic polymers using polyperoxides
Authors: Borova Solomiia , Tokarev Victor , Stahlhut Philipp , Luxenhofer Robert
Published: October 2020

Hydrogels that can mimic mechanical properties and functions of biological tissue have attracted great interest in tissue engineering and biofabrication. In these fields, new materials and approaches to prepare hydrogels without using toxic starting materials or materials that decompose into toxic compounds remain to be sought after. Here, we report the crosslinking of commercial, unfunctionalized hydrophilic poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) using peroxide copolymers in their melt. The influence of temperature, peroxide copolymer concentration, and duration of the crosslinking process has been investigated. The method allows to create hydrogels from unfunctionalized polymers in their melt and to control the mechanical properties of the resulting materials. The design of hydrogels with a suitable mechanical performance is of crucial importance in many existing and potential applications of soft materials, including medical applications.
SARS-CoV-2 testing and infection control strategies in European paediatric emergency departments during the first wave of the pandemic
Authors: Kohns Vasconcelos Malte , Renk Hanna , Popielska Jolanta , Nyirenda Nyang’wa Maggie , Burokiene Sigita , Gkentzi Despoina , Gowin Ewelina , Donà Daniele , Villanueva-Medina Sara , Riordan Andrew , Hufnagel Markus , Eisen Sarah , Da Dalt Liviana , Giaquinto Carlo , Bielicki Julia A.
Published: October 2020

Between February and May 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, paediatric emergency departments in 12 European countries were prospectively surveyed on their implementation of SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) testing and infection control strategies. All participating departments (23) implemented standardised case definitions, testing guidelines, early triage and infection control strategies early in the outbreak. Patient testing criteria initially focused on suspect cases and later began to include screening, mainly for hospital admissions. Long turnaround times for test results likely put additional strain on healthcare resources.

Conclusion: Shortening turnaround times for SARS-CoV-2 tests should be a priority. Specific paediatric testing criteria are needed.

What is Known:• WHO and public health authorities issued case definitions, testing and infection control recommendations for COVID-19 in January.• SARS-CoV-2 testing was made available across Europe in February.What is New:• Paediatric emergency departments implemented COVID-19-specific procedures rapidly, including case definitions, testing guidelines and early triage.• A third of surveyed departments waited more than 24 h for SARS-CoV-2 test to be reported, resulting in additional strain on resources.
Classification of Triples of Lattice Polytopes with a Given Mixed Volume
Authors: Averkov Gennadiy , Borger Christopher , Soprunov Ivan
Published: October 2020

We present an algorithm for the classification of triples of lattice polytopes with a given mixed volume m in dimension 3. It is known that the classification can be reduced to the enumeration of so-called irreducible triples, the number of which is finite for fixed m. Following this algorithm, we enumerate all irreducible triples of normalized mixed volume up to 4 that are inclusion-maximal. This produces a classification of generic trivariate sparse polynomial systems with up to 4 solutions in the complex torus, up to monomial changes of variables. By a recent result of Esterov, this leads to a description of all generic trivariate sparse polynomial systems that are solvable by radicals.
Using smartphone app collected data to explore the link between mechanization and intra-household allocation of time in Zambia
Authors: Daum Thomas , Capezzone Filippo , Birner Regina
Published: October 2020

Digital tools may help to study socioeconomic aspects of agricultural development that are difficult to measure such as the effects of new policies and technologies on the intra-household allocation of time. As farm technologies target different crops and tasks, they can affect the time-use of men, women, boys, and girls differently. Development strategies that overlook such effects can have negative consequences for vulnerable household members. In this paper, the time-use patterns associated with different levels of agricultural mechanization during land preparation in smallholder farming households in Zambia were investigated. A novel data collection method was used: a pictorial smartphone application that allows real-time recording of time-use, which eliminates recall bias. Existing studies analyzing the intra-household allocation of resources often focus on adult males and females. This study paid particular attention to boys and girls as well as adults. The study addressed seasonal variations. Compositional data analysis was used to account for the co-dependence and sum constraint of time-use data. The study suggests a strong gender differentiation for land preparation activities among mechanized households; for households using manual labor, such differentiation was not found. There is some evidence that the surplus time associated with mechanization is used for off-farm and domestic work. The study cannot confirm concerns about negative second-round effects: mechanized land preparation is not associated with a higher workload for women and children during weeding and harvesting/processing. The study provides a proof-of-concept that smartphone applications can be used to collect socioeconomic data that are difficult to measure but of high relevance.
Digitalization and the third food regime
Authors: Prause Louisa , Hackfort Sarah , Lindgren Margit
Published: October 2020

This article asks how the application of digital technologies is changing the organization of the agri-food system in the context of the third food regime. The academic debate on digitalization and food largely focuses on the input and farm level. Yet, based on the analysis of 280 digital services and products, we show that digital technologies are now being used along the entire food commodity chain. We argue that digital technologies in the third food regime serve on the one hand as a continuation of established information and communication technologies, thus deepening certain features of the existing food regime such as the retail sector’s control over global commodity chains. On the other hand, digital technologies also introduce new forms of control and value extraction based on the use of data and pave the way for large tech companies to take over market shares in the agri-food sector. Finally, we find that multinational agri-food companies are starting to take on the business models of leading digital tech companies, for instance by developing digital platforms throughout the agri-food system. We argue that this shows that the broader economic restructuring of neoliberal capitalism towards digital capitalism is also making its way into the agri-food system.
ArielRad: the Ariel radiometric model
Authors: Mugnai Lorenzo V. , Pascale Enzo , Edwards Billy , Papageorgiou Andreas , Sarkar Subhajit
Published: October 2020

ArielRad, the Ariel radiometric model, is a simulator developed to address the challenges in optimising the space mission science payload and to demonstrate its compliance with the performance requirements. Ariel, the Atmospheric Remote-Sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey, has been selected by ESA as the M4 mission in the Cosmic Vision programme and, during its 4 years primary operation, will provide the first unbiased spectroscopic survey of a large and diverse sample of transiting exoplanet atmospheres. To allow for an accurate study of the mission, ArielRad uses a physically motivated noise model to estimate contributions arising from stationary processes, and includes margins for correlated and time-dependent noise sources. We show that the measurement uncertainties are dominated by the photon statistic, and that an observing programme with about 1000 exoplanetary targets can be completed during the primary mission lifetime.
Church Attendance and Religious change Pooled European dataset (CARPE): a survey harmonization project for the comparative analysis of long-term trends in individual religiosity
Authors: Biolcati Ferruccio , Molteni Francesco , Quandt Markus , Vezzoni Cristiano
Published: October 2020

Despite the long-lasting interest in religious change, debates on the topic have been heated and are still far from being settled. In order to provide a reliable data source through which to study these dynamics, the CARPE project harmonizes well-known international surveys containing items concerning religiosity (the ESS, Eurobarometer, EVS, ISSP and WVS). This makes it possible to broaden the available observation window, both across countries and over time. Moreover, the opportunities this provides for comparing different survey programmes also enable researchers to analyse the consistency of the results, minimizing the impact of random fluctuations and providing useful information with respect to the degree of confidence which can be placed on the relevant estimates. The main focus of this cumulative approach is the variable regarding church attendance, which has been harmonized in various ways. All in all, the CARPE dataset contains figures of religious practice for 45 countries spanning the period of 1970–2016 and derived from 1665 national surveys. This results in a sample of approximately 1.8 million individual observations. The aim of this contribution is to present the dataset’s composition, the harmonization procedure adopted, the strategy used to combine the single datasets and the reliability tests which have been performed. Finally, some possible applications of the CARPE dataset will be introduced.
Longitudinal trends in master track and field performance throughout the aging process: 83,209 results from Sweden in 16 athletics disciplines
Authors: Ganse Bergita , Kleerekoper Anthony , Knobe Matthias , Hildebrand Frank , Degens Hans
Published: October 2020

In the research of age-related performance declines, the value of cross-sectional versus longitudinal data is an ongoing debate. This paper analyses the largest longitudinal master track and field data set ever published to compare the age-related decline in performance between 16 athletics disciplines in cross-sectional and longitudinal data. The data set contained 83,209 results (64,948 from men, 78.1%; 18,261 from women, 21.9%) from 34,132 athletes (26,186 men, 76.7%; 7946 women, 23.3%), aged 35–97 years. In 61 athletes, 20 or more, and in 312 athletes, 15 or more results were available. The data were analyzed by regression statistics/ANCOVA. Men had a higher performance than women, irrespective of discipline in both cross-sectional and longitudinal data (p < 0.001). The performance in cross-sectional data was lower compared with the longitudinal data in all events and at any age (p ≤ 0.007) except for 1000 m men. The average age was lower in the cross-sectional than the longitudinal data (p < 0.001); men 46 and 58 years, women 44 and 56 years, respectively. The annual percentage rate of decline did not differ significantly between cross-sectional and longitudinal data, or between sexes in most disciplines. Performance declines after age 70 were 1.7 times (men) and 1.4 times (women) as steep as before. In conclusion, although longitudinal master athletics data of athletes with 10 and more results has higher average performance and age compared with cross-sectional data, cross-sectional data give a good impression of the annual percentage decline in performance, which was similar in men and women.
Time-Lapse Imaging of Ag3Sn Thermal Coarsening in Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu Solder Joints
Authors: Xian J. W. , Belyakov S. A. , Gourlay C. M.
Published: October 2020

The coarsening of Ag3Sn particles occurs during the operation of joints and plays an important role in failure. Here, Ag3Sn coarsening is studied at 125°C in the eutectic regions of Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu/Cu solder joints by SEM-based time-lapse imaging. Using multi-step thresholding segmentation and image analysis, it is shown that coalescence of Ag3Sn particles is an important ripening process in addition to LSW-like Ostwald ripening. About 10% of the initial Ag3Sn particles coalesced during ageing, coalescence occurred uniformly across eutectic regions, and the scaled size distribution histograms contained large particles that can be best fit by the Takajo model of coalescence ripening. Similar macroscopic coarsening kinetics were measured between the surface and bulk Ag3Sn particles. Tracking of individual surface particles showed an interplay between the growth/shrinkage and coalescence of Ag3Sn.
Impact of COVID-19 on Obesity Management Services in the United Kingdom (The COMS-UK study)
Authors: Moussa Osama , Zakeri Roxanna , Arhi Chanpreet , O’Kane Mary , Snowdon-Carr Vanessa , Menon Vinod , Mahawar Kamal , Purkayastha Sanjay ,   On behalf of the PanSurg collaborative (COVESITY)
Published: October 2020

Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has had a severe impact on all aspects of global healthcare delivery. This study aimed to investigate the nationwide impact of the pandemic on obesity management services in the UK in a questionnaire-based survey conducted of professionals involved in the delivery. A total of 168 clinicians took the survey; the majority of which maintained their usual clinical roles and were not redeployed except physicians and nurse specialists. Nearly all (97.8%) elective bariatric surgery was cancelled, 67.3% of units cancelled all multidisciplinary meeting activity, and the majority reduced clinics (69.6%). Most respondents anticipated that the services would recommence within 1–3 months. This study found that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the services involved in the management of patients suffering from severe, complex obesity in the UK
Optimization of the Performance of Marine Diesel Engines to Minimize the Formation of SOx Emissions
Authors: Tadros Mina , Ventura Manuel , Guedes Soares C.
Published: October 2020

Optimization procedures are required to minimize the amount of fuel consumption and exhaust emissions from marine engines. This study discusses the procedures to optimize the performance of any marine engine implemented in a 0D/1D numerical model in order to achieve lower values of exhaust emissions. From that point, an extension of previous simulation researches is presented to calculate the amount of SOx emissions from two marine diesel engines along their load diagrams based on the percentage of sulfur in the marine fuel used. The variations of SOx emissions are computed in g/kW·h and in parts per million (ppm) as functions of the optimized parameters: brake specific fuel consumption and the amount of air-fuel ratio respectively. Then, a surrogate model-based response surface methodology is used to generate polynomial equations to estimate the amount of SOx emissions as functions of engine speed and load. These developed non-dimensional equations can be further used directly to assess the value of SOx emissions for different percentages of sulfur of the selected or similar engines to be used in different marine applications.
Review of Underwater Ship Hull Cleaning Technologies
Authors: Song Changhui , Cui Weicheng
Published: October 2020

This paper presents a comprehensive review and analysis of ship hull cleaning technologies. Various cleaning methods and devices applied to dry-dock cleaning and underwater cleaning are introduced in detail, including rotary brushes, high-pressure and cavitation water jet technology, ultrasonic technology, and laser cleaning technology. The application of underwater robot technology in ship cleaning not only frees divers from engaging in heavy work but also creates safe and efficient industrial products. Damage to the underlying coating of the ship caused by the underwater cleaning operation can be minimized by optimizing the working process of the underwater cleaning robot. With regard to the adhesion technology mainly used in underwater robots, an overview of recent developments in permanent magnet and electromagnetic adhesion, negative pressure force adhesion, thrust force adhesion, and biologically inspired adhesion is provided. Through the analysis and comparison of current underwater robot products, this paper predicts that major changes in the application of artificial intelligence and multirobot cooperation, as well as optimization and combination of various technologies in underwater cleaning robots, could be expected to further lead to breakthroughs in developing next-generation robots for underwater cleaning.
Context-Relative Norms Determine the Appropriate Type of Consent in Clinical Biobanks: Towards a Potential Solution for the Discrepancy between the General Data Protection Regulation and the European Data Protection Board on Requirements for Consent
Authors: Indrakusuma R. , Kalkman S. , Koelemay M. J. W. , Balm R. , Willems D. L.
Published: October 2020

Clinical biobanks processing data of participants in the European Union (EU) fall under the scope of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which among others includes requirements for consent. These requirements are further specified by the Article 29 Working Party (WP29)—an EU advisory body currently known as the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). Unfortunately, their guidance is cause for some confusion. While the GDPR allows participants to give broad consent for research when specific research purposes are still unknown, the WP29 guidelines suggest that additional consent for specific uses should be obtained in addition to broad consent when this becomes applicable. This discrepancy elicits the question whether clinical biobanks can fail the requirement of consent if they obtain broad consent, but not a specific consent for each biomedical study. We analysed this discrepancy within the framework of contextual integrity, in order to describe the context-relative informational norms that govern information flows in clinical biobanks. However, our analysis demonstrates that there is no uniform set of norms that can be applied to all clinical biobanks. As such, neither the GDPR nor the WP29 guidance can act as a “one size fits all” approach to all clinical biobanks. Rather, differences between clinical biobanks—especially regarding the scientific aims and patient populations—make the case for context-relative norms that determine the appropriate type of consent.
Chromatin Dynamics in Intestinal Epithelial Homeostasis: A Paradigm of Cell Fate Determination versus Cell Plasticity
Authors: Rispal Jérémie , Escaffit Fabrice , Trouche Didier
Published: October 2020

The rapid renewal of intestinal epithelium is mediated by a pool of stem cells, located at the bottom of crypts, giving rise to highly proliferative progenitor cells, which in turn differentiate during their migration along the villus. The equilibrium between renewal and differentiation is critical for establishment and maintenance of tissue homeostasis, and is regulated by signaling pathways (Wnt, Notch, Bmp…) and specific transcription factors (TCF4, CDX2…). Such regulation controls intestinal cell identities by modulating the cellular transcriptome. Recently, chromatin modification and dynamics have been identified as major actors linking signaling pathways and transcriptional regulation in the control of intestinal homeostasis. In this review, we synthesize the many facets of chromatin dynamics involved in controlling intestinal cell fate, such as stemness maintenance, progenitor identity, lineage choice and commitment, and terminal differentiation. In addition, we present recent data underlying the fundamental role of chromatin dynamics in intestinal cell plasticity. Indeed, this plasticity, which includes dedifferentiation processes or the response to environmental cues (like microbiota’s presence or food ingestion), is central for the organ’s physiology. Finally, we discuss the role of chromatin dynamics in the appearance and treatment of diseases caused by deficiencies in the aforementioned mechanisms, such as gastrointestinal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
Stable isotopic insights into crop cultivation, animal husbandry, and land use at the Linearbandkeramik site of Vráble-Veľké Lehemby (Slovakia)
Authors: Gillis Rosalind E. , Eckelmann Rebekka , Filipović Dragana , Müller-Scheeßel Nils , Cheben Ivan , Furholt Martin , Makarewicz Cheryl A.
Published: October 2020

The plant and animal components of Linearbandkeramik (LBK) subsistence systems were remarkably uniform with cattle, emmer and einkorn wheat providing the primary source of sustenance for Europe’s earliest agricultural communities. This apparent homogeneity in plant and animal use has been implicitly understood to indicate corresponding similarity in the types of husbandry practices employed by LBK farmers across the entire distribution of the LBK culture. Here, we examine the results from the stable (δ13C/δ15N) isotope analysis of animal bone and cereal grains from the site of Vráble-Veľké Lehemby (Slovakia), providing new information about Linearbandkeramik farming practices in the western Carpathians. Moderately high carbon isotope values from animal bone collagen show that all livestock were pastured in open areas with no evidence of forest pasturing, previously associated with LBK settlements in north-western Europe. High δ15N values measured from domesticated cereal grains suggest manuring took place at the site, while 15N enrichment in bone collagen suggest livestock fed on agricultural by-products and possibly grains. An integrated plant-animal management system was in use at Vráble where livestock grazed on cultivation plots post-harvest. Use of such strategy would have helped fatten animals before the lean winter months while simultaneously fertilising agricultural plots with manure. This study contributes to our growing understanding that although the building blocks of LBK subsistence strategies were remarkably similar, diversity in management strategies existed across central and north-western Europe.
Intelligent IoT-based large-scale inverse planning system considering postmodulation factors
Authors: Lan Yihua , Li Fang , Li Zijun , Yue Binglei , Zhang Yin
Published: October 2020

The model and algorithm of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) are updated increasingly quickly, but the hardware upgrade of primary hospitals often lags behind. The new generation of intelligent precise radiotherapy platforms provides users with intelligent medical consortium services using big data, artificial intelligence and industrial Internet of Things technology. This technology can ensure that under the real-time guidance of a professional medical consortium, primary hospitals can realize rapid large-scale reverse planning design and can more accurately consider many factors of postprocessing. Although large-scale healthcare systems, such as volumetric-modulated arc therapy and other accurate radiotherapy technologies, have developed rapidly, the development of step-and-shoot-mode IMRT technology is still very important for developing countries. For software, in addition to the conformity of the dose distribution, the modulation speed, convenience and stability of the later dose delivery should also be considered in inverse planning. Therefore, this paper analyzes the main problems in conventional IMRT inverse planning, including the smoothing of the fluence map, the selection of the gantry angle and the dose leakage of tongue–groove effects. To address these issues, a novel Intelligent IoT-based large-scale inverse planning strategy with the key factors of the postmodulation is developed, and a detailed flow chart is also provided. The scheme consists of two steps. The first step is to obtain a relatively optimal combination of gantry angles by considering the dose distribution requirements and constraints and the modulation requirements and constraints. The second step is to optimize the intensity map, to smooth the map based on prior knowledge according to the determined angles, and to obtain the final modulation scheme according to the relevant objectives and constraints of the map decomposition (leaf sequencing). In an experiment, we calculate and validate the clinical head and neck case. Because of the special gantry angle selection, the angle combination is optimized from the initial equivalent distribution to adapt to the target area and protect the nontarget area. The value of the objective function varies greatly after the optimization, especially in the target area, and the target value decreases by approximately 10%. On this basis, we smooth the fluence map by a partial differential equation with prior knowledge and a minimization of the total number of monitor units. It is also shown from the objective function value that the target value is essentially unchanged for the target area, while for the nontarget area, the value decreases by 16%, which is very impressive.
Structural inequalities emerging from a large wire transfers network
Authors: Semeraro Alfonso , Tambuscio Marcella , Ronchiadin Silvia , Li Puma Laura , Ruffo Giancarlo
Published: October 2020

We aim to explore the connections between structural network inequalities and bank’s customer spending behaviours, within an entire national ecosystem made of natural persons (i.e., an individual human being) and legal entities (i.e., private or public organisations), different business sectors, and supply chains that span distinct geographical regions. We focus on Italy, that is among the wealthiest nations in the world, and also an example of a complex economic system. In particular, we had access to a large subset of anonymised and GDPR-compliant wire transfer data recorded from Jan 2016 to Dec 2017 by Intesa Sanpaolo, a leading banking group in the Eurozone, and the most important one in Italy.Intesa Sanpaolo wire transfers network exhibits a strong heavy-tailed behaviour and a giant component that grows continuously around the same core of the 1% highest degree nodes, and it also shows a general disassortative pattern, even if some ranges of degrees’ values stand out from the trend. Structural heterogeneity is explored further by means of a bow-tie analysis, that shows clearly that the majority of relevant, in terms of transferred amount, transactions is settled between a smaller set of nodes that are associated to legal entities and that mostly belong to the strongly connected component. This observation brings to a more comprehensive inspection of differences between Italian regions and business sectors, that could support the detection and the understanding of the interplay between supply chains.Our results suggest that there is a general flow of money that seems to stream down from higher degree legal entities to lower degree natural persons, crossing Italian regions and connecting different business sectors, and that is finally redistributed through expenses sharing within families and smaller communities. We also describe a reference dataset and an empirical contribution to the study on financial networks, focusing on finer-grained information concerned about spending behaviour through wire transfers.
Bioindicators and biomonitoring: honeybees and hive products as pollution impact assessment tools for the Mediterranean area
Authors: Girotti Stefano , Ghini Severino , Ferri Elida , Bolelli Luca , Colombo Roberto , Serra Giorgia , Porrini Claudio , Sangiorgi Stefano
Published: October 2020

The global range of the environmental quality issues we all face necessitates integrated action from all of the countries that suffer from a particular environmental issue. We must be able to obtain data on the presence of pollutants and their effects on biota from any territory, regardless of its environmental, infrastructural, social, and economic conditions. Biomonitoring utilizes organisms and natural materials to obtain this information. In particular, the honeybee is a ubiquitous, easy-to-breed organism with great mobility. Its body, which is covered with hairs, picks up materials and particulates that it encounters in the environment. Therefore, bees are highly effective accumulators of materials from the soil, vegetation, air, and water. These characteristics mean that the honeybee is both a bioindicator and a passive bioaccumulator organism, making it an ideal agent for easily monitoring vast areas inexpensively, even in regions where infrastructure is scarce. In this short review, we summarize the main targets of the honeybee-based monitoring campaigns that have been carried out to date, highlighting the results obtained in assessments of organic and inorganic pollution performed by coupling more modern technologies with this long-standing practice. It is hoped that this review will make scientists more aware of the incredible potential of these delicate organisms to provide data that could prove useful in the management of environmental issues.
First evaluation of the population structure, genetic diversity and landscape connectivity of the Endangered Arabian tahr
Authors: Ross Steven , Costanzi Jean-Marc , Al Jahdhami Mansoor , Al Rawahi Haitham , Ghazali Muhammad , Senn Helen
Published: October 2020

The Arabian tahr (Arabitragus jayakari) occurs only in the mountains of northern Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The species is classified as Endangered due to its small declining population. In this study, we combined genetic and landscape ecology techniques in order to inform landscape scale conservation and genetic management of Arabian tahr. Using 540 base pairs of mitochondrial control region in a dataset of 53 samples, we found eight haplotypes, which fell into two haplogroups. Population genetic analysis using a panel of 14 microsatellite loci also showed a weak, but significant division. Analyses of landscape connectivity supported the genetic results showing poor connectivity between populations in the far south of the study area and those in the north. The most likely location of corridors connecting Arabian tahr populations were identified. Many corridors between tahr populations are impeded by multi-lane highways and restoration of these connections is required to maintain population viability of Arabian tahr. Owing to limited genetic samples outside of Wadi Sareen, further sampling is needed to elucidate both mtDNA and the nuclear structure of Arabian tahr more fully. Our study provides a toolkit that may be used for future genetic and connectivity monitoring of the Arabian tahr population.
Phenomenology of childhood hoarding
Authors: Soreni Noam
Published: October 2020

Hoarding disorder (HD) has been recently added as a separate diagnostic
category in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders. HD is a common and disabling
disorder, with an estimated prevalence in the general population of 2–6%.
Although evidence suggests that the onset of hoarding symptoms is usually
during childhood and adolescence (youth), relatively little is known about
HD in this population. The present article is a selective review of emerging
literature on the clinical features of hoarding in youth.
WINE FROM MAMMA:ALLUḪARUM-POTS IN 17TH-CENTURYbcTRADE NETWORKS
Authors: Morgan Kathryn R. , Richardson Seth
Published: October 2020

New evidence allows us to demonstrate that a regional trade connected North Syria with both central Anatolia and Babylonia well into the 17th-Centurybc. Archaeological evidence indicates that a specific type of vessel, the globular flask, was produced at Zincirli Höyük in the mid-17thcentury for the purpose of storing and transporting wine. The simultaneous appearance of these vessels as far afield as Kültepe and Sippar-Amnānum lines up with Late Old Babylonian attestations ofalluḫarum-pots in 17th-c. texts from Sippar, Babylon, and Dūr-Abiešuḫ. These, we argue, must refer to the same vessels calledaluārumin earlier Old Assyrian texts from Kültepe from the 19thcentury. Taken together, this evidence points towards the existence of a previously unsuspected trade network centered on the ancient Syrian state of Mamma that thrived in the decades between the collapse of the Old Assyrian Trade Network and the accession of Hattušili I. Through a dialogue between textual and archaeological materials, we are not only able to reveal the persistence of long-distance exchange for a century previously believed to lack it, but provide more context for the political transformations taking place at the end of the Middle Bronze Age.
An Empirical Analysis of the Effect of Sub-Divisions of American Viticultural Areas on Wine Prices: A Hedonic Study of Napa Valley
Authors: Keating Grant Bartlett
Published: October 2020

American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) are descriptors of where wine grapes are grown that are designed to capture qualities unique to the wine and to influence its price. Sub-AVAs are sub-divisions of well-known AVAs designed to have the same effect. In this paper, I study the impact of the Napa Valley Sub-AVA system on the pricing and rating of Napa Valley wines. The analysis utilizes a primary hedonic pricing model to isolate both the individual Sub-AVA's price effect and the system's cumulative price effect. This study uses a unique dataset of 5,017 Napa Valley wines reviewed by the Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine over the 10-year period from 2004–2013. Estimated price effects persist even after controlling for rating differences, implying that consumers value the wines of sub-AVA's independently of critics’ ratings. These results indicate that Sub-AVAs deliver a more substantial price effect than previous literature has suggested. (JEL Classifications: C01, L10, L66, O13)
The Political Incorporation of Labor in Turkey: Tracing the Origins of a Nationalist Path
Authors: Apaydin Fulya , Ülker Erol
Published: October 2020

This study makes an important contribution to the literature on labor incorporation in developing areas based on existing historiography and archival material from Turkey. Specifically, we argue that the political incorporation of labor during the early period of state building is strongly influenced by elite preferences over who constitutes the nation. In doing so, we address a neglected dimension by putting the emphasis on ethnoreligious politics: the founders of modern Turkey pushed for a homogenizing program that prioritized Muslim-Turks over other minority groups, eventually paving the way to the state-led incorporation of labor. This is different from the experience of most Latin American countries that the existing literature draws on. Our findings make an important contribution to theoretical debates by highlighting the subtle link between nation-building and the pathways of labor incorporation in developing contexts.
Inulin alleviates adverse metabolic syndrome and regulates intestinal microbiota composition in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with high-carbohydrate diet
Authors: Wang Tong , Zhang Ning , Yu Xiao-Bo , Qiao Fang , Chen Li-Qiao , Du Zhen-Yu , Zhang Mei-Ling
Published: October 2020

A high-carbohydrate diet could achieve a protein-sparing effect, but it may cause negative impacts on the growth condition of fish due to their poor utilisation ability of carbohydrate. How to reduce the adverse effects caused by a high-carbohydrate diet is important for the development of aquaculture. In the present study, we aimed to identify whether inulin could attenuate the metabolic syndrome caused by a high-carbohydrate diet in fish. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) (1·19 (sd0·01) g) were supplied with 35 % carbohydrate (CON), 45 % carbohydrate (HC) and 45 % carbohydrate + 5 g/kg inulin (HCI) diets for 10 weeks. The results showed that addition of inulin improved the survival rate when fish were challenged withAeromonas hydrophila, indicating that inulin had an immunostimulatory effect. Compared with the HC group, the HCI group had lower lipid accumulation in liver and the gene expression analyses indicated that addition of inulin down-regulated genes related to lipogenesis and up-regulated genes relevant toβ-oxidation significantly (P< 0·05). Higher liver glycogen and glucose tolerance were found in the HCI group compared with the HC group (P< 0·05). These results indicated that inulin could alleviate the metabolic syndrome induced by a high-carbohydrate diet. Furthermore, addition of inulin to a high-carbohydrate diet changed the intestinal bacterial composition and significantly increased the concentration of acetic acid and propionic acid in fish gut which have the potential to increase pathogen resistance and regulate metabolic characteristics in fish. Collectively, our results demonstrated a possible causal role for the gut microbiome in metabolic improvements induced by inulin in fish.
Nematodes associated with terrestrial slugs in the Edmonton region of Alberta, Canada
Authors: Brophy T. , Mc Donnell R.J. , Howe D.K. , Denver D.R. , Ross J.L. , Luong L.T.
Published: October 2020

A survey of nematodes associated with terrestrial slugs was conducted in residential gardens, nurseries, greenhouses and agricultural sites located in and around Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A total of 2406 slugs were collected from 82 sites. Slugs were decapitated and cadavers were incubated for two weeks, with emerging nematodes removed and processed for identification. Nematodes were identified using molecular sequence data for the 18S ribosomal DNA. Nematodes were recovered from 20 of the 82 sites surveyed, with 24.4% of the slugs infected with nematodes. A total of seven nematodes were identified to species level, includingCaenorhabditis elegans,Panagrolaimus papillosus,Pellioditis typica,Pelodera pseudoteres,Rhabditella axei,Rhabditoides inermiformisandPhasmarhabditis californica. An additional four specimens were identified to genus level, includingOscheiussp. (9),Pristionchussp.,Rhabditissp. andRhabditophanessp. (1). The two most common nematode species wereC. elegansandP. pseudoteres. The facultative parasite,P. californica, was recovered from a singleArion rufusspecimen, collected from a seasonal nursery. To our knowledge, this study represents the first survey of slug-associated nematodes in Canada.
Mass gathering events and undetected transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in vulnerable populations leading to an outbreak with high case fatality ratio in the district of Tirschenreuth, Germany
Authors: Brandl M. , Selb R. , Seidl-Pillmeier S. , Marosevic D. , Buchholz U , Rehmet S.
Published: October 2020

In early March 2020, a COVID-19-outbreak occurred in the district of Tirschenreuth, Germany. The outbreak was characterised by a rapid increase in case numbers and a comparatively high crude case fatality ratio (CFR; 11%). Until the beginning of May 2020, 1122 cases were reported in the district. To investigate the outbreak, we analysed surveillance and other data available at the district health department, including data on cases living in care facilities and public health measures applied. Furthermore, we compared the number of tests performed in Tirschenreuth and in Germany as a whole. We interviewed the first 110 cases in order to investigate potential exposures at the beginning of the outbreak. We found that returning ski-travellers from Austria and Italy and early undetected community transmission likely initiated the outbreak which was then accelerated by Bavarian beer festivities. Testing of mainly acute cases in the district of Tirschenreuth resulted in a higher rate of positive tests compared to the whole of Germany. Despite adjustment for age, the CFR continued to exceed the German mean which was due to spread to vulnerable populations. Strict public health measures likely contributed to control the outbreak by mid-April 2020.
A longitudinal twin study of victimization and loneliness from childhood to young adulthood
Authors: Matthews Timothy , Caspi Avshalom , Danese Andrea , Fisher Helen L. , Moffitt Terrie E. , Arseneault Louise
Published: October 2020

The present study used a longitudinal and discordant twin design to explore in depth the developmental associations between victimization and loneliness from mid-childhood to young adulthood. The data were drawn from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a birth cohort of 2,232 individuals born in England and Wales during 1994–1995. Diverse forms of victimization were considered, differing across context, perpetrator, and timing of exposure. The results indicated that exposure to different forms of victimization was associated with loneliness in a dose–response manner. In childhood, bullying victimization was uniquely associated with loneliness, over and above concurrent psychopathology, social isolation, and genetic risk. Moreover, childhood bullying victimization continued to predict loneliness in young adulthood, even in the absence of ongoing victimization. Within-twin pair analyses further indicated that this longitudinal association was explained by genetic confounds. In adolescence, varied forms of victimization were correlated with young adult loneliness, with maltreatment, neglect, and cybervictimization remaining robust to controls for genetic confounds. These findings indicate that vulnerability to loneliness in victimized young people varies according to the specific form of victimization in question, and also to the developmental period in which it was experienced.
INCOME DISTRIBUTION BY AGE GROUP AND PRODUCTIVE BUBBLES
Authors: Raurich Xavier , Seegmuller Thomas
Published: October 2020

The aim of this paper is to study the role of the distribution of income by age group on the existence of speculative bubbles. A crucial question is whether this distribution may promote a bubble associated to a larger level of capital, that is a productive bubble. We address these issues in an overlapping generations model where agents live three periods and productive investment done in the first period of life is an illiquid investment whose return occurs in the following two periods. A bubble is a liquid speculative investment that facilitates intertemporal consumption smoothing. We show that the distribution of income by age group determines both the existence and the effect of bubbles on aggregate production. We also show that fiscal policy, by changing the distribution of income, may facilitate or prevent the existence of bubbles and may also modify the effect that bubbles have on aggregate production.