bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endogenizing the Cost Parameter in Cournot Oligopoly
Authors: Leonardos Stefanos , Melolidakis Costis
Published: February 2020

We study the effects of endogenous cost formation in the classic Cournot oligopoly through an extended two-stage game. The competing Cournot firms produce low-cost but limited quantities of a single homogeneous product. For additional procurements, they may refer to a revenue-maximizing supplier who sets a wholesale price prior to their orders. We express this chain as a two-stage game and study its equilibrium under two different information levels: complete and incomplete information on the side of the supplier about the actual market demand. In the deterministic case, we derive the unique subgame-perfect Nash equilibrium for different values of the retailers’ capacity levels, supplier’s cost and market demand. To study the incomplete information case, we model demand uncertainty via a continuous probability distribution. Under mild assumptions, we characterize the supplier’s optimal pricing policy as a fixed point of a proper translation of his expectation about the orders that he will receive from the retailers. If this expectation is decreasing in his price, then such an optimal policy always exists and is unique. Based on this characterization, we are able to proceed with comparative statics and sensitivity analysis, both analytically and numerically. Incomplete information gives rise to market inefficiencies because the supplier may ask for a too high price. Increasing supplier’s cost results in increasing wholesale prices, decreasing orders from the retailers and hence decreasing consumer surplus. Increasing retailers’ production capacities results in decreasing wholesale prices and increasing consumer surplus. Finally, as the number of second-stage retailers increases, the supplier’s profit may initially rise but eventually drops.
Conflict and Development
Authors: Kumar Dushyant , Chowdhury Prabal Roy
Published: February 2020

We examine a dynamic two-stage incumbent-challenger model of internal conflict, where the government, i.e., the incumbent, is in power, while the rebel challenges the government in a bid to capture state power. The central issue is the trade-off between development and security-based measures in countering such rebellion activity. We find that while an exogenous increase in development decreases the level of rebellion activity, it increases the level of security-based measures by the government whenever the rebel is ‘dominant’ to begin with. Further, if the rebel is dominant, then, with the rebel becoming stronger (i.e., becoming more cost efficient), the level of rebel activity increases, while the security-based measures by the government is lowered. Thus, our analysis suggests that the trade-off is a nuanced one. This framework also allows us to reconcile some divergent results in the empirical literature regarding the effect of development works on conflict.
Passive Seismic Protection of Building Piping Systems — A Review
Authors: Tan Jie , Zhang Peng , Feng Qian , Song Gangbing
Published: February 2020

Piping systems are typical nonstructural components of a building. Previous investigations have reported many cases that earthquake causes damages or failures of piping system, resulting in secondary disasters. Therefore, this paper conducts a survey of the seismic damage of the piping systems of buildings and then reviews the state-of-the-art of the passive seismic protection methods. This paper proposes to classify the building piping system into rigid connected pipes, flexible connected pipes and semi-rigid connected pipes. Typical seismic damages of building pipes are presented following this classification. Then, several current seismic protection methods (including constructional measures, seismic braces, damping techniques and base isolation methods) are discussed regarding the theoretical mechanism and feasibility. Furthermore, the state-of-the-art of the building piping system and the passive protection methods with application prospects are evaluated. Based on the review, the flexible piping systems are most commonly used in existing old buildings and are more vulnerable in earthquakes due to their high flexibility. New buildings prefer the rigid connections which tend to restrain the motion of the pipe. However, the excessive stiffness of the rigid connection may cause overlarge internal stresses in both the connection and the pipe. Semi-rigid piping systems have sufficient overall stiffness and a degree of local deform ability and thus have the best seismic performance. In future studies, more research should be devoted to propose and develop new dampers suitable for piping systems, which will improve the seismic safety of building piping systems.
A Time-Domain 3D BEM–MEM Method for Flexural Motion Analyses of Floating Kirchhoff Plates Induced by Moving Vehicles
Authors: Luong Van Hai , Nguyen Xuan Vu , Cao Tan Ngoc Than , Tran Minh Thi , Nguyen Huu Phu
Published: February 2020

In this paper, hydroelastic behavior of a pontoon-type very large floating structure (VLFS) subjected to a moving single axle vehicle is computed using a novel numerical approach, in which the boundary element method (BEM) is firstly extended to cooperate with the moving element method (MEM), named the BEM–MEM. By utilizing this paradigm, the plate and fluid are discretized into “moving structural element” and “moving boundary element”, respectively, which are conceptual elements and “travel” with the moving vehicle. Thus, the proposed method can absolutely eliminate the need of keeping track the location of the moving load with respect to the floating structure. Particularly, the surrounding fluid is defined based on the potential flow theory and the motion of a floating plate is governed by the vibration equation of a thin plate. The governing equations of motion, moving element and fluid matrices of boundary element are formulated in a relative coordinate system traveling with the moving vehicle. Several examples are numerically conducted to illustrate the performance and ability of the BEM–MEM. Its obtained results are compared with those of the traditional finite element method for validation. The outcomes reveal that the proposed method is effective for the large-time behavior owing to the fact that it does not require a domain with the length greater than the horizontal displacement of the vehicle. The paper also discusses the effect of the liquid and structural parameters on responses of the vehicle and floating structure.
The images of noncommutative polynomials evaluated on the quaternion algebra
Authors: Malev Sergey
Published: February 2020

Let [Formula: see text] be a multilinear polynomial in several noncommuting variables with coefficients in an arbitrary field [Formula: see text]. Kaplansky conjectured that for any [Formula: see text], the image of [Formula: see text] evaluated on the set [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] by [Formula: see text] matrices is a vector space. In this paper, we settle the analogous conjecture for a quaternion algebra.
A computational model of ESAT-6 complex in membrane
Authors: Karki Chitra , Xian Yuejiao , Xie Yixin , Sun Shengjie , Lopez-Hernandez Alan E , Juarez Brenda , Wang Jun , Sun Jianjun , Li Lin
Published: February 2020

One quarter of the world’s population are infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which is a leading death-causing bacterial pathogen. Recent evidence has demonstrated that two virulence factors, ESAT-6 and CFP-10, play crucial roles in Mtb’s cytosolic translocation. Many efforts have been made to study the ESAT-6 and CFP-10 proteins. Some studies have shown that ESAT-6 has an essential role in rupturing phagosome. However, the mechanisms of how ESAT-6 interacts with the membrane have not yet been fully understood. Recent studies indicate that the ESAT-6 disassociates with CFP-10 upon their interaction with phagosome membrane, forming a membrane-spanning pore. Based on these observations, as well as the available structure of ESAT-6, ESAT-6 is hypothesized to form an oligomer for membrane insertion as well as rupturing. Such an ESAT-6 oligomer may play a significant role in the tuberculosis infection. Therefore, deeper understanding of the oligomerization of ESAT-6 will establish new directions for tuberculosis treatment. However, the structure of the oligomer of ESAT-6 is not known. Here, we proposed a comprehensive approach to model the complex structures of ESAT-6 oligomer inside a membrane. Several computational tools, including MD simulation, symmetrical docking, MM/PBSA, are used to obtain and characterize such a complex structure. Results from our studies lead to a well-supported hypothesis of the ESAT-6 oligomerization as well as the identification of essential residues in stabilizing the ESAT-6 oligomer which provide useful insights for future drug design targeting tuberculosis. The approach in this research can also be used to model and study other cross-membrane complex structures.
Unconditional convergence constants of g-frame expansions
Authors: Li Dongwei
Published: February 2020

In this paper, we prove that the unconditional constants of the g-frame expansion in a Hilbert space are bounded by [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] are the frame bounds of the g-frames. It follows that tight g-frames have unconditional constant one. Then we generalize this to a classification of such g-frames by showing that a g-Bessel sequence has unconditional constant one if it is an orthogonal sum of g-tight frames. We also obtain a new result under which a g-Bessel sequence is a g-frame from the view of unconditional constant. Finally, we prove similar results for cross g-frame expansions as long as the cross g-frame expansions stay uniformly bounded away from zero.
An efficient performance evaluation modeling tool for SNSPD used in QKD systems
Authors: Mushatet Adil F. , Tawfeeq Shelan K.
Published: February 2020

Single-photon detection concept is the most crucial and often difficult factor to determine the performance of quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. One solution to facilitate understanding this concept is to create a virtual environment for modeling, analyzing, and investigating the performance of single photon detectors. In this paper, a simulator for superconducting single photon detectors with time domain visualizer and configurable parameters is presented. The widely used ID281SNSPD in the QKD area was theoretically modeled in terms of pulse analysis, the impact of biasing current and the temperature on the dark counts rate and single photon-detection efficiency and influence of the number of photons per pulse on the single photon-detection efficiency. The simulated results were in good agreement with the theoretical results and the simulator demonstrated its adaptability.
Matched Interface and Boundary Method for Free Vibration Analysis of Irregular Membranes
Authors: Song Zhiwei , He Xiaoqiao , Li Wei , Xie De
Published: February 2020

Matched interface and boundary (MIB) method is introduced for free vibration analysis of irregular membranes. Two distinct schemes-on-interface and off-interface schemes are used to deal with the topological relations between edges of irregular domains and the Cartesian mesh lines. Different geometric shapes such as triangle and quadrilateral are dealt with by using MIB procedures. A number of examples are chosen to demonstrate the accuracy and convergence of MIB method. Numerical results show that MIB method is an efficient and highly accurate approach to solve free vibration problems of irregular membranes. This study further extends the application of MIB.
Application of Adaptive Phase-Field Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method for Functionally Graded Materials
Authors: Pramod Aladurthi L. N. , Hirshikesh  , Natarajan Sundararajan , Ooi Ean Tat
Published: February 2020

In this paper, an adaptive phase-field scaled boundary finite element method for fracture in functionally graded material (FGM) is presented. The model accounts for spatial variation in the material and fracture properties. The quadtree decomposition is adopted for refinement, and the refinement is based on an error indicator evaluated directly from the solutions of the scaled boundary finite element method. This combination makes it a suitable choice to study fracture using the phase field method, as it reduces the mesh burden. A few standard benchmark numerical examples are solved to demonstrate the improvement in computational efficiency in terms of the number of degrees of freedom.
Analysis and combinatorics of partition zeta functions
Authors: Schneider Robert , Sills Andrew V.
Published: February 2020

We examine “partition zeta functions” analogous to the Riemann zeta function but summed over subsets of integer partitions. We prove an explicit formula for a family of partition zeta functions already shown to have nice properties — those summed over partitions of fixed length — which yields complete information about analytic continuation, poles and trivial roots of the zeta functions in the family. Then we present a combinatorial proof of the explicit formula, which shows it to be a zeta function analog of MacMahon’s partial fraction decomposition of the generating function for partitions of fixed length.
Degradation of methylene blue by Co3O4 with activation of bisulfite
Authors: Dou Ruyan , Cheng Hao , Ma Jianfeng , Qin Yong , Kong Yong , Komarneni Sridhar
Published: February 2020

Co3O4 was synthesized by hydrothermal method followed by calcination and the Co3O4/bisulfite system was investigated to degrade MB to determine the chemo-catalytic property of Co3O4. A removal rate of 93.9% was achieved in 2[Formula: see text]h with this system and the excellent stability and recyclability of Co3O4 was confirmed by recycling tests. The possible mechanism of chemo-catalytic degradation of dyes by Co3O4 was proposed.
THE IMPACTS OF THE EU ETS ON NORWEGIAN PLANTS’ ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE
Authors: KLEMETSEN MARIT , ROSENDAHL KNUT EINAR , JAKOBSEN ANJA LUND
Published: February 2020

This paper examines the impacts of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) on the environmental and economic performance of Norwegian plants. The ETS is regarded as the cornerstone climate policy in the EU and Norway, but there has been considerable debate regarding its effects due to low quota prices and substantial allocation of free allowances. The rich data allow us to investigate potential effects of the ETS on several important aspects of plant behavior. The results indicate a weak tendency of emissions reductions among Norwegian plants in the second phase of the ETS, but not in the other phases. We find no significant effects on emissions intensity in any of the phases, but positive effects on value added and productivity in the second phase. These positive effects may be due to the large amounts of free allowances, and that plants may have passed on additional marginal costs to consumers.
Sliding-Mode Disturbance Observer-Based Control for Fractional-Order System with Unknown Disturbances
Authors: Xie Yuanlong , Zhang Xiaolong , Jiang Liquan , Meng Jie , Li Gen , Wang Shuting
Published: February 2020

This paper concentrates on the disturbances estimation and attenuation problem of a general class of the fractional-order systems. For this purpose, this paper proposes a fractional sliding-mode disturbance observer (FSMDO)-based control scheme, which is capable of mitigating the unknown disturbances asymptotically. Meanwhile, by incorporating a novel fractional sliding-mode controller into the proposed control scheme, the asymptotical convergence of trajectory tracking errors is guaranteed. The developed control scheme owns three attractive highlights: (1) it is suitable for the general fractional-order systems, including nonlinear systems and incommensurate systems; (2) the proposed FSMDO can estimate the unknown exogenous disturbances and system uncertainties timely and precisely; (3) nominal performance can be retained by compensating the observed disturbances in a feedforward manner, and thus, the robustness of the system can be strengthened. Illustrative examples are provided to show the availability and superiority of the presented FSMDO control method in terms of robust control. As compared with the conventional methods, the dynamic control performance of the closed-loop system can be improved.
Intercultural Gaps Between Indonesia and China on the Belt and Road Initiative: Causes and Remedies
Authors: Yuniarto Paulus Rudolf
Published: February 2020

In implementing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), there remains a huge perception gap between China and Indonesia. Differences in ideology, politics, race, religion, and ethnicity are hindering the great potential of the BRI from being fully realized. To bridge the gap and enhance mutual understanding, people-to-people exchange between both countries should be accorded greater significance. In addition, strengthening bilateral cooperation in education, labor, tourism, and culture can bring positive spill-over effects beyond basic intercultural learning. Such non-infrastructure cooperation creates more room for people-to-people bonds to flourish, where economic interests are not blindly pursued. Deepened mutual understanding will, in turn, help achieve the major goals of the BRI and promote the building of a community of shared future along the route.
Evolution of Plant Hormone Response Pathways
Authors: Blázquez Miguel A. , Nelson David C. , Weijers Dolf
Published: February 2020

This review focuses on the evolution of plant hormone signaling pathways. Like the chemical nature of the hormones themselves, the signaling pathways are diverse. Therefore, we focus on a group of hormones whose primary perception mechanism involves an Skp1/Cullin/F-box-type ubiquitin ligase: auxin, jasmonic acid, gibberellic acid, and strigolactone. We begin with a comparison of the core signaling pathways of these four hormones, which have been established through studies conducted in model organisms in the Angiosperms. With the advent of next-generation sequencing and advanced tools for genetic manipulation, the door to understanding the origins of hormone signaling mechanisms in plants beyond these few model systems has opened. For example, in-depth phylogenetic analyses of hormone signaling components are now being complemented by genetic studies in early diverging land plants. Here we discuss recent investigations of how basal land plants make and sense hormones. Finally, we propose connections between the emergence of hormone signaling complexity and major developmental transitions in plant evolution.
Quantifying Alloy 625 Crevice Corrosion Using an Image Differencing Technique: Part I. Initiation and Propagation
Authors: Lillard R. S. , Mehrazi S. , Miller D. M.
Published: February 2020

An image differencing technique was used to analyze optical images from an alloy 625 crevice made using an acrylic window. In these experiments, crevices were immersed in ASTM artificial ocean water and held potentiostatically in the passive region while the current was monitored with time. The technique quantified the change in pixels between successive images due to corrosion damage. By calibrating the number of pixels per unit area we calculated the active area and, from this, the crevice current density. It was found that the crevice propagated in the current density range between 3 mA cm−2 at initiation and 100 mA cm−2 at steady state. It is shown that the mass loss as a function of position calculated from the current density accurately reproduces the damage profile inside the crevice. By knowing the location of the active front and the crevice current, we are also able to calculate the wall potential as a function of time and distance. It is shown that the initiation site has a wall potential that is within millivolts of the applied anodic potential and decreases as the active front moved towards the mouth. Finally, we derive an expression for the crevice shape factor which was used to show that the crevice is under diffusion control at later times in the propagation stage.
Inductive Experimental Study of Corrosion Products of Medium Carbon Steel CK45 Hardened by Magnetized Water
Authors: Ismail Khaldoon T. , Mahmood Ahmed M. , ALSultan Thaer F. A.
Published: February 2020

This paper concerns the inductive experimental study of corrosion products of the medium carbon steel CK45DIN using magnetized water as hardening media, where the water has been exposed to a magnetic field of 1000 Gauss and 2000 Gauss, respectively, for time durations of 1 to 5 hours, with a volumetric flow rate of 4 gal/min. Medium carbon steel CK45DIN samples were exposed to air as corrosive environment for reasonable time interval, and the corrosion product was weighed in order to determine the loss of weight. The results showed that the corrosion rate of all samples decreased as the experiment progresses over time. Corrosion resistance of the medium carbon steel CK45DIN increased when we raised its temperature to 870°C for 40 minutes and hardened by magnetized water applied in a magnetic field with a strength of 1000 Gauss for 3 hours as compared with the sample hardened by normal water.
The Influence of Family History of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on Positive Health Behavior Changes among African Americans
Authors: Ard Donny , Tettey Naa-Solo , Feresu Shinga
Published: February 2020

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a disease that affects the body’s ability to metabolize glucose effectively. The disease is predicted to be prevalent in over 300 million people by the year 2030. African Americans (AA) have the highest prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the United States. Lifestyle modification and awareness of risk factors, including family history, are important aspects for prevention of developing T2DM. The purpose of this study was to understand if a family history of T2DM played an influential role in individuals making positive health behavior changes for T2DM prevention. The phenomenological study was grounded in the health belief model and also identified barriers associated with inactivity towards positive health behavior changes. Participants selected for this study were at least 18 years of age, self-identified as AA, self-reported a family history of T2DM, and were not diagnosed with the disease themselves. Transcriptions of twenty face-to-face interviews were analyzed via qualitative research software NVivo Version 12 for Mac. Participants demonstrated a strong awareness of T2DM with an accurate definition of T2DM and explanation of signs, symptoms, and prevention. Participants recognized family history as a risk factor in only 55% of the responses. However, family history played a major role in prevention in the lives of the participants. The participants reflected on personal barriers to health behavior changes and were encouraged to incorporate better life choices in their own lives. This research offers communities, healthcare providers, and stakeholders a better understanding of the importance of family history as a risk factor to T2DM as programs are developed to mitigate health disparities in the AA community.
Structured Rehabilitation Program for Multidirectional Shoulder Instability in a Patient with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Authors: Kitagawa Takashi , Matsui Nobumasa , Nakaizumi Dai
Published: February 2020

Patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) present many musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this case report was to describe the effectiveness of a scapular motor control program for a patient with multidirectional severe shoulder instability due to EDS, with 6-month follow-up. The patient was a 14-year-old female with EDS hypermobile type who suffered recurrent shoulder dislocation. Her chief complaints were bilateral shoulder discomfort and instability during writing motion. In the early part of intervention, she was prescribed exercise therapy for multidirectional instability (MDI) with orthosis. In the latter part of intervention, she was instructed in the scapular motor control program. Active and passive range of motion (ROM), sulcus sign, and Rowe score for shoulder instability were measured at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months after interventions. The shoulder ROM and instability score were improved after 6-month intervention. The findings from this report indicate that the scapular motor control program for shoulder instability would be effective even for patients with EDS hypermobile type. A patient who could not increase passive ROM due to dislocation is also able to achieve fair function of the shoulder joint instead of increasing active ROM. These positive outcomes indicate the possibility of benefit from the scapular motor control program for an MDI patient with EDS as a conservative treatment.
Predicting Outcomes of Rat Vascularized Composite Allotransplants through Quantitative Measurement of Chimerism with PCR-Amplified Short Tandem Repeat
Authors: Cheng Hui-Yun , Huang Xiao-Ting , Lin Chih-Fan , AL Deek Nidal F. , Shih Ling-Yi , Lin Cheng-Hung , Wei Fu-Chan
Published: February 2020

Chimerism has been associated with the induction and maintenance of tolerance to vascularized composite allotransplants (VCA). Although most VCA studies have examined chimerism using flow cytometry, we proposed that precision in the measurement of chimerism may be better approximated when complimentary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is applied to a specific short tandem repeat (STR). We identified a STR, D10Rat25, which exhibited a ~20 bp difference in length between two rat strains (BN and LEW) often utilized as the donor and recipient in many allotransplantation studies. D10Rat25 was PCR-amplified and quantified with capillary electrophoresis. With pure LEW and BN DNA, a standard curve was constructed to measure chimerism with good linearity. When applied to rat VCA, the relationship between systematic (in peripheral blood) or local (at specific organ/tissues) chimerism to allograft outcomes was noted. We found that peripheral chimerism was elevated by up to ~9% postoperative month 1 (POM 1) but then reduced regardless of the final VCA outcome. However, differences in VCA skin chimerism between early rejection and POM 1 (shown as ΔChimerismPOM1-ER) were notable with respect to VCA outcomes. ROC analysis identified the optimum cutoff value as 17.7%. In summary, we have developed a reliable method to quantify the percentage of BN cells/DNA in BN-LEW chimeras. The detection limit was characterized, and the acquired data were comparable with flow cytometry. This method can be applied to solid organ and composite tissue allotransplantation studies.
Low Predialysis Plasma Calculated Osmolality Is Associated with Higher All-Cause Mortality: The Japanese Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (J-DOPPS)
Authors: Tsujimoto Yasushi , Tsutsumi Yusuke , Ohnishi Tsuyoshi , Kimachi Miho , Yamamoto Yosuke , Fukuhara Shunichi
Published: February 2020

Introduction: Patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) have higher predialysis plasma osmolality. Several studies have suggested lower osmolality to be associated with worse outcomes in patients not undergoing HD. However, no studies have examined the association between osmolality and mortality among patients undergoing HD. Objective: We aimed to examine the association between predialysis plasma calculated osmolality and all-cause mortality. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 1,240 patients undergoing HD participating in the Japanese Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study phase 5 (2012–2015). The exposure was predialysis plasma osmolality, calculated as 2 × (serum sodium concentration [mmol/L]) + (serum urea nitrogen [mg/dL])/2.8 + (serum glucose [mg/dL])/18. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The secondary outcome was the change in systolic blood pressure (SBP) during HD. We used a marginal structural model with stabilized weights to estimate the association between calculated osmolality and all-cause mortality in the presence of time-varying confounders affected by prior exposure. Results: Mean baseline plasma calculated osmolality was 306.8 ± 8.6 mOsm/kg. Low predialysis calculated osmolality was associated with higher mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30–1.78 by each 10 mOsm/L lower osmolality). The association was consistent across clinically relevant subgroups. Predialysis osmolality was significantly associated with intradialytic SBP change (mean difference 0.96 [95% CI: 0.05–1.88] mm Hg per each 10 mOsm/L lower osmolality). Conclusions: Low predialysis calculated osmolality was an independent risk factor of all-cause mortality.
Reducing Amygdala Activity and Phobic Fear through Cognitive Top–Down Regulation
Authors: Loos Eva , Schicktanz Nathalie , Fastenrath Matthias , Coynel David , Milnik Annette , Fehlmann Bernhard , Egli Tobias , Ehrler Melanie , Papassotiropoulos Andreas , de Quervain Dominique J.-F.
Published: February 2020

The amygdala is critically involved in emotional processing, including fear responses, and shows hyperactivity in anxiety disorders. Previous research in healthy participants has indicated that amygdala activity is down-regulated by cognitively demanding tasks that engage the PFC. It is unknown, however, if such an acute down-regulation of amygdala activity might correlate with reduced fear in anxious participants. In an fMRI study of 43 participants (11 men) with fear of snakes, we found reduced amygdala activity when visual stimuli were processed under high cognitive load, irrespective of whether the stimuli were of neutral or phobic content. Furthermore, dynamic causal modeling revealed that this general reduction in amygdala activity was partially mediated by a load-dependent increase in dorsolateral PFC activity. Importantly, high cognitive load also resulted in an acute decrease in perceived phobic fear while viewing the fearful stimuli. In conclusion, our data indicate that a cognitively demanding task results in a top–down regulation of amygdala activity and an acute reduction of fear in phobic participants. These findings may inspire the development of novel psychological intervention approaches aimed at reducing fear in anxiety disorders.
Age-related differences in functional brain network segregation are consistent with a cascade of cerebrovascular, structural, and cognitive effects
Authors: Kong Tania S. , Gratton Caterina , Low Kathy A. , Tan Chin Hong , Chiarelli Antonio M. , Fletcher Mark A. , Zimmerman Benjamin , Maclin Edward L. , Sutton Bradley P. , Gratton Gabriele , Fabiani Monica
Published: February 2020

Age-related declines in cognition are associated with widespread structural and functional brain changes, including changes in resting-state functional connectivity and gray and white matter status. Recently we have shown that the elasticity of cerebral arteries also explains some of the variance in cognitive and brain health in aging. Here, we investigated how network segregation, cerebral arterial elasticity (measured with pulse-DOT—the arterial pulse based on diffuse optical tomography) and gray and white matter status jointly account for age-related differences in cognitive performance. We hypothesized that at least some of the variance in brain and cognitive aging is linked to reduced cerebrovascular elasticity, leading to increased cortical atrophy and white matter abnormalities, which, in turn, are linked to reduced network segregation and decreases in cognitive performance. Pairwise comparisons between these variables are consistent with an exploratory hierarchical model linking them, especially when focusing on association network segregation (compared with segregation in sensorimotor networks). These findings suggest that preventing or slowing age-related changes in one or more of these factors may induce a neurophysiological cascade beneficial for preserving cognition in aging.
Collective Trauma
Authors: Riedel Eberhard
Published: February 2020

Humanizing the devastating emotional forces released by the worldwide plague of collective violence and trauma demands developing integral awareness. This article develops an ecological perspective that views human communities as ecosystems and individuals as embedded in these environments. This perspective offers a space large enough to generate fresh ideas. The process evolved under the press of fieldwork in crisis areas in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. To explore psychosocial and political characteristics of human ecosystems Riedel employs a biaxial map, the Mandala of the Five Worlds. The map brings into purview in dynamic mandala format the Familial and Societal Worlds on the horizontal axis, the worlds of Nature and Mind on the vertical axis, and the Rhizome World at the core. Riedel views the rhizome world as a container and co-created field of human inheritances and codes, natural-physical and socio-cultural. The rhizome plays a central role in the resonance and synergistic phenomena interrelating elements of the five spheres. Community self-states are collective aggregates that involve elements from all five spheres of the mandala. Riedel explores patterns of dynamic forces of aggregation and evolution that determine a group’s connectivity and tendencies. For example, in community states of collective violence and trauma at extreme levels of severity, the socio-cultural and nature-mind dimensions of the map are “unhinged,” resulting in nature-nurture and humane-ethical considerations being split off from social behaviour with fractionizing fields dominating. Via emotional resonance, purposeful action interventions seek to loosen adhesion to the collectivity of suffering through which people are connected to the social traumas of their groups, past and present. Thus the rhizomic systems approach raises awareness about the dynamic of cultural seizures as major sources of sociocultural difficulties.
Psychological Perspectives on Religious Education
Authors: Francis Leslie J.
Published: February 2020

In this publication the contributions made by the individual differences tradition of psychology over the past 50 years to research in religious education are reviewed and assessed. In this context religious education is conceived broadly to embrace what takes place in schools, within religious communities, and within households across the age span. The opening section roots the analysis within the tradition of developmental psychology and the research that flourished in the area of religious development during the 1960s. It is from these foundations that current interest in the individual differences approach emerges. Subsequent sections examine the centrality of the attitudinal dimension of religion, discuss the place of personality in the individual differences tradition, explore sex as a core individual difference in religion, map the correlates, antecedents and consequences of individual differences in religious affect or attitudes, review research into the distinctiveness and effectiveness of church schools and the family in religious nurture, identify the factors that account for individual differences in attitude toward religious diversity, explore the relevance of the individual differences tradition for adult religious education, and explore the implications of the individual differences tradition for biblical hermeneutics and discipleship learning.
New findings on Dendrobranchiata fossils of the Romualdo Formation, Araripe Basin, Northeast of Brazil
Authors: ALENCAR DAMARES RIBEIRO , DE OLIVEIRA GUSTAVO RIBEIRO , PINHEIRO ALLYSSON PONTES , SARAIVA ANTÔNIO ÁLAMO FEITOSA
Published: February 2020

The Araripe Basin is the largest inland basin in northeastern Brazil is known for its preservation excellent, number of specimens and variety of fossil species. The Araripe Basin stands out for its fossiliferous content of well known fossil groups, from vertebrates to invertebrates, especially decapod crustaceans. Thus, a morphological re-description of two shrimp species, Paleomattea deliciosa and Araripenaeus timidus, was carried out through taxonomic and morphoanatomical analysis. The mechanical preparation methodology was adopted in the laboratory, with a total of 58 specimens were analyzed and photographed to determine which characters were preserved or not, as well as to compared these with holotypes.                The results show that characters such as carapaces complete with the presence of spines, pleon with six somites, pereiopods and pleopods, in addition to uropods and telson were preserved in Paleomattea deliciosa, while carapaces, pleon complete and pereiopods were preserved in Araripenaeus timidus. Thus, the current study provides new species information which can be used in future species-type studies and contributes to a better understanding of these Araripe species.
Improving Solution Accuracy and Convergence for Stochastic Physics Parameterizations with Colored Noise
Authors: Stinis Panos , Lei Huan , Li Jing , Wan Hui
Published: February 2020

Stochastic parameterizations are used in numerical weather prediction and climate modeling to help capture the uncertainty in the simulations and improve their statistical properties. Convergence issues can arise when time integration methods originally developed for deterministic differential equations are applied naively to stochastic problems. In previous studies, it has been demonstrated that a correction term, known in stochastic analysis as the Itô correction, can help improve solution accuracy for various deterministic numerical schemes and ensure convergence to the physically relevant solution without substantial computational overhead. The usual formulation of the Itô correction is valid only when the stochasticity is represented by white noise. In this study, a generalized formulation of the Itô correction is derived for noises of any color. The formulation is applied to a test problem described by an advection–diffusion equation forced with a spectrum of fast processes. We present numerical results for cases with both constant and spatially varying advection velocities to show that, for the same time step sizes, the introduction of the generalized Itô correction helps to substantially reduce time integration error and significantly improve the convergence rate of the numerical solutions when the forcing term in the governing equation is rough (fast varying); alternatively, for the same target accuracy, the generalized Itô correction allows for the use of significantly longer time steps and, hence, helps to reduce the computational cost of the numerical simulation.
Beijing-Style Soft Power: A Different Conceptualisation to the American Coinage
Authors: Fliegel Michal , Kříž Zdenĕk
Published: February 2020

This article examines China’s unique soft power conceptualisation, which differs from the American coinage. It contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating how soft power is theorised by Chinese academicians and policymakers in a distinct way. That means, according to China’s own tradition, predating the term. Unlike in America, where soft power is largely developed freely, in China, it is highly centralised. As a rising power, the People’s Republic initially concentrates on building domestic soft power, primarily through socialist culture and virtuous governance. These are in turn displayed to the outside world. Beijing uses multiple channels to tell the China story and has been setting up international platforms to portray itself as a responsible global actor. Several soft power indexes show that China holds a relatively positive image in Africa and South America. In Asia, views are mixed, while in Europe and North America, they remain low.
Astronomical Assessment of the Solar and Lunar Eclipse Records in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History and Its Continuation
Authors: Stephenson F. Richard , Morrison Leslie V. , Hohenkerk Catherine Y.
Published: February 2020

The reports of seven eclipses of the Sun and Moon in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History and its Continuation are investigated for their astronomical accuracy using modern-day calculations. The eclipses can all be identified from the given dates, which are accurate to within 2 days, except for one lunar eclipse. There is evidence that the reports were obtained from a range of sources beyond the NE of England, two possibly from as remote as Rome. From the lack of physical detail, we deduce that the interest in the eclipses was their relevance to historical matters, rather than in the phenomena themselves.
Christmas 1668 and After: How Jesuit Astronomy Was Restored to Power in Beijing
Authors: Cullen Christopher , Jami Catherine
Published: February 2020

This article offers new insights into a series of dramatic events that took place at the imperial Chinese court in December 1668, in which astronomy, politics, and religion all played major roles. Jesuit missionaries had served the Manchu rulers of the Qing 清dynasty as official astronomers since the dynasty seized Beijing in 1644. But in autumn 1664, the Jesuits at court were imprisoned as a result of a prosecution launched by a Chinese scholar, Yang Guangxian 楊光先. After initial sentences of death or banishment on those Jesuits principally concerned had been commuted to house arrest in May 1665, they spent the next few years confined to their residence, while their missionary colleagues elsewhere in China were removed to Canton. As a result of what took place during the months from December 1668 to summer 1669, the Jesuits were restored to imperial favour, and the responsibility for astronomy was once more placed in their hands. In this article, which arises from our research for a book-length study in preparation, we use a number of previously unexploited contemporary accounts in languages including Portuguese, French, Latin, Chinese, and Manchu to reveal a new picture of the close interplay of political and astronomical events that took place during the period of the Jesuits’ rehabilitation by the Qing court.
A Public Health Learning Collaborative on Climate Change for Urban Health Departments, 2016-2018
Authors: Rudolph Linda , Maizlish Neil , North Savannah , Dervin Kathy
Published: February 2020

Objectives:

The objective of this project was to demonstrate and assess approaches of urban local health departments (LHDs) to simultaneously address climate change, health, and equity; incorporate climate change into program practice; and participate in their jurisdiction’s climate change work.

Methods:

From January 2016 through March 2018, the Center for Climate Change and Health created learning activities, networking and relationship-building opportunities, communication platforms, and information sharing for 12 urban LHDs in the United States. We used administrative data and conducted interviews with participants and key informants to assess success in meeting learning collaborative goals.

Results:

LHDs developed diverse projects that incorporated internal capacity building, climate and health vulnerability assessments, surveillance, and community engagement. Projects fostered greater LHD engagement on climate change, broadened community partnerships, and furthered LHD integration into jurisdictions’ climate planning. LHD engagement helped shift the dialogue in the community and jurisdiction about climate change to include public health.

Conclusions:

LHDs have skills and expertise to rapidly partner with other governmental agencies and community-based organizations and to help communities identify vulnerabilities, take action to reduce the health harms of climate change, and—through Health in All Policies approaches and community partnerships—to ensure that climate policies are optimized for positive health and equity outcomes.
How Does Timing Affect Trauma Treatment for Women Who Are Incarcerated? An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Bridges Ana J. , Baker Danielle E. , Hurd Lauren E. , Chamberlain Kaitlyn D. , Hill Morgan A. , Karlsson Marie , Zielinski Melissa J.
Published: February 2020

Most women who are incarcerated have experienced sexual violence; difficulties adjusting to prison could interfere with women’s ability to benefit from trauma-focused therapy. Here, we explored whether therapeutic benefits of trauma treatment varied as a function of time since incarceration. Women ( N = 128) participated in an 8-week group treatment for sexual violence victimization while incarcerated in a community corrections center for nonviolent offenses. Ninety participants consented to the study and completed self-report questionnaires assessing internalizing symptoms (depression, posttraumatic stress, and shame) before and after treatment. Bivariate correlations revealed a significant negative association between time since incarceration and pretreatment depression but not posttraumatic symptoms or shame. Dependent-sample t tests revealed significant improvements from pretreatment to posttreatment in internalizing symptoms. Longer time since incarceration did not significantly predict internalizing symptoms after controlling for pretreatment symptom severity. Findings suggest trauma-focused treatments can be offered to women shortly after they are incarcerated.
Corporate governance as a key aspect in the failure of worker cooperatives
Authors: Basterretxea Imanol , Cornforth Chris , Heras-Saizarbitoria Iñaki
Published: February 2020

The article analyses governance difficulties at Fagor Electrodomésticos, for decades the world’s largest industrial cooperative, and sheds light on how the cooperative model and governance might have contributed to the firm’s bankruptcy. The case study examines how the cooperative model influenced the speed and quality of decision making. The roles of the main cooperative governing bodies (the General Assembly, Governing Council and Social Council) are evaluated and their limitations to effectively supervise and work with management to make difficult strategic decisions. Several governance improvement measures are proposed in order to help other large cooperatives combine democratic control and economically sound governance.
Use of Isolated Adult Myocytes to Evaluate Cardiotoxicity. II. Preparation and Properties*
Authors: Haworth Robert A.
Published: February 2020

The preparation and properties of isolated adult cardiac myocytes are reviewed, with the goal being to evaluate their usefulness as a model system for measuring cardiotoxicity. Some important factors in cell isolation methodology which impact on the quality of the preparation are identified, along with criteria for assessing the quality of cells after isolation. By all criteria, myocytes isolated by good procedures appear to largely retain their original properties. Moreover, the distinctive behavior of adult myocytes under metabolic stress endows them with a particular usefulness as monitors of toxicity. Overall, we conclude that the art of adult heart cell isolation and culture is now sufficiently advanced for either freshly isolated cells in suspension or cells in culture to be a useful model system for toxicity studies.
Use of Embryonic Heart Grafted In Oculo to Assess Neurohumoral Controls of Cardiac Development*
Authors: Tucker Diane C. , Bishop Sanford P.
Published: February 2020

Culture of embryonic heart in the anterior eye chamber allows neurohumoral and genetic controls of cardiac development to be separated from the influence of hemodynamic load. Hearts from 12-day gestation rat embryos grafted into the anterior eye chamber of an adult host rat attach to the iris and become vascularized and innervated by collaterals from the host iris. The spontaneous beating of grafts is pacemaker-driven and under functional neural control. Grafts do not beat against a pressure load, allowing the influence of neurohumoral factors to be separated from altered hemodynamic load. In oculo, embryonic heart differentiates into mature myocardium by most morphologic and biochemical criteria. Mature intercalated disks and myofibrils with well-defined Z-lines and M-lines are observed. Mature grafts express the high levels of α-myosin heavy chain characteristic of young adult myocardium. Surgical sympathetic denervation of the anterior eye chamber prior to grafting of embryonic hearts compromises growth and increases the intrinsic pacemaker rate. Since the grafts are perfused by the host circulation, the hormonal milieu of the graft can be altered by treatment of the host. Thus, the interaction between hormones and innervation of grafts can be studied using the in oculo model system.