bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formation and dispersal of biofilms in dairy substrates
Authors: Alonso Vanessa P P , Kabuki Dirce Y
Published: March 2019

The formation and dispersion of biofilms in the dairy industry is a problem because it increases cross‐contamination, affecting the shelf life of the products and their safety. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different dairy substrates (cows’ milk and whey protein) on the formation and dispersion of Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus in two biofilm systems (mono‐species and multi‐species) on stainless steel at 25 °C. The dominant behaviour of E. faecalis occurred in most of the tests on mono‐species and multi‐species biofilms. A greater dispersion of biofilm cells was observed in skimmed milk.
Efficacy and safety of tofacitinib for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in patients from the Asia‐Pacific region: Post‐hoc analyses of pooled clinical study data
Authors: Lee Eun Bong , Yamanaka Hisashi , Liu Yi , Tsai Wen‐Chan , Chen Connie , Kwok Kenneth , Yoo Hyun–Jeong , Llamado Lyndon J. , Wang Lisy , Luo Yingchun , Sugiyama Naonobu , Tanaka Yoshiya
Published: March 2019

Aim

We report tofacitinib efficacy and safety in Asia‐Pacific patients who participated in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) clinical development program.

Method

This post‐hoc analysis included pooled data from patients with RA in the Asia‐Pacific region treated with tofacitinib with/without conventional synthetic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs in Phase (P)1, 2, 3, and long‐term extension (LTE) studies (one LTE ongoing; January 2016 data‐cut). Efficacy was assessed over 24 months in patients who received tofacitinib 5 (N = 397) or 10 (N = 382) mg twice daily or placebo (N = 243) in three P2 and five P3 studies. Endpoints included American College of Rheumatology (ACR)20/50/70 responses, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28‐4[ESR]) and Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) remission rates, and change from baseline in Health Assessment Questionnaire‐Disability Index (∆HAQ‐DI). Safety data pooled over 92 months from one P1, four P2, six P3, and two LTE studies for all tofacitinib doses (N = 1464) included incidence rates (IRs) (patients with events/100 patient‐years) for adverse events (AEs) of special interest.

Results

At month 3, patients receiving tofacitinib 5/10 mg twice daily improved vs placebo in ACR20 (69.2%/77.9% vs 27.5%), ACR50 (36.9%/44.4% vs 9.5%), and ACR70 (15.1%/22.4% vs 2.7%) responses, remission rates for DAS28‐4(ESR) (8.5%/18.5% vs 2.6%) and CDAI (6.1%/12.3% vs 0.5%), and ∆HAQ‐DI (−0.5/–0.6 vs −0.1); improvements were sustained through 24 months. IRs (95% CI) were 9.4 (8.5, 10.3) for serious AEs, 9.1 (8.3, 10.1) for discontinuations due to AEs, 3.7 (3.2, 4.3) for serious infections, 5.9 (5.2, 6.7) for herpes zoster, and 0.8 (0.6, 1.1) for malignancies (excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer).

Conclusion

In Asia‐Pacific patients, tofacitinib improved signs/symptoms over 24 months. Safety over 92 months was generally consistent with global tofacitinib studies; however, infection IRs were higher in Asia‐Pacific patients.
Belt and Road Initiative: Responses from Japan and India – Bilateralism, Multilateralism and Collaborations
Authors: Nanwani Suresh
Published: March 2019

The responses from Japan and India to the China‐led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) were not positive unlike many other Asian countries. Only in late 2017 did Japan extend its cooperation with BRI and India is still on record that it does not support BRI. The positions taken by both Japan and India, together and singly, in relation to BRI as well as the interrelationship of policy, politics, and institutions at the global level are discussed. The discussion also explores how Japan supplements its central alliance with the United States till the 1980s with other key relationships such as India and Australia in security and in its initiatives with India on Vision 25 and the Asia‐Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC). The discussion also explores the shift by India following its non‐alignment policy and its friendship treaty with the Soviet Union and with the end of the Cold War, on its renewed foreign policy of diplomacy and bilateralism and multilateralism with many countries and organizations. The challenges and opportunities of collaboration by Japan and India are discussed, together with the geo‐economic and geo‐political aspects of BRI for both countries in moving forward.
Trunk injection of fosetyl‐aluminium controls the root disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi on Quercus ilex woodlands
Authors: Romero María A. , González Mario , Serrano María S. , Sánchez María E.
Published: March 2019

In Spain, Quercus open woodlands are animal ranching systems of organic production seriously threatened by the exotic pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi. The root disease it causes kills thousands of oaks annually. Effective disease management needs to integrate different techniques, and the use of a resistance inducer such as fosetyl‐Al can play a key role, because the use of potassium phosphite is prohibited in Spain. In a woodland where the pathogen recently arrived, 60 holm oaks in three different defoliation classes (asymptomatic, slight and moderate defoliation) were selected for trunk injection with pressurised capsules containing 4% of commercial fosetyl‐Al or water (controls). Holm oaks were checked periodically for defoliation and presence of the pathogen in roots and rhizosphere soil. Three years after treatments, defoliation was significantly lower in oaks treated with fosetyl‐Al, which even increased canopy cover, in comparison with control oaks, independent of the initial defoliation class considered. Chlamydospore density in rhizosphere soil, as well as the presence of the pathogen into the roots, was not significantly influenced by fosetyl‐Al treatments, although a trend to a lower presence of P. cinnamomi in roots was observed in treated oaks at every soil inoculum density detected. This study has shown that fosetyl‐Al, a phosphonate registered as a fungicide in the European Union, provides protection to holm oaks against P. cinnamomi, even exhibiting a therapeutic effect on pre‐existing infections. Consequently, this effective measure should be considered as part of the integrated approach to control this highly destructive pathogen in holm oak woodlands.
Extractive Industries Reporting: A Review of Accounting Challenges and the Research Literature
Authors: Gray Sidney J. , Hellman Niclas , Ivanova Mariya N.
Published: March 2019

While the extractive industries (EI) are of major significance economically, the reporting of their activities has been the subject of contentious debate posing dilemmas for regulators and standard setters over many decades. In order to ensure alignment with the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) research project on EI, we first identify some important economic characteristics of EI and associated accounting challenges together with an overview of how current accounting standards deal with these challenges using International Financial Reporting Standards as the focus. Second, we conduct a review of extant research on EI reporting analyzed around the key areas of: (a) international diversity of accounting practices and the challenges facing information users; (b) standard‐setting processes and lobbying behaviour that deals with why the IASB (and other standard setters) have not succeeded in developing rigorous standards for extractive activities; (c) the reporting of oil, gas, and mineral reserves, given that large proportions of the assets of EI firms (the reserves) are off‐balance sheet; (d) environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting dealing with how EI firms have increased their reporting of ESG information in response to regulatory demands and pressure for voluntary disclosures; and (e) other EI related topics such as earnings management, risk disclosures, and voluntary disclosure behaviour. Finally, we present some conclusions together with suggestions relating to key areas for future research on EI reporting.
Independently Certified Industry‐specific Disclosures to the Capital Market: The JORC Code in the Australian Mining Industry
Authors: Katselas Dean , Sidhu Baljit K. , Smith Tom , Yu Chuan
Published: March 2019

We investigate compliance with the Australian JORC Code for reporting mineral resources and ore reserves, the quality of the disclosure, and its impact on the capital market. The compliance and quality assessment is conducted by two experienced geologists who find that while the overall reporting quality improved after the 2012 revisions to the Code, they disagree on the extent of improvement. This reflects the uncertainties involved and the difficulty in interpreting the reports. Both geologists agree that the greatest improvement is seen in early‐stage projects, consistent with the expectation that there are more uncertainties surrounding these, and the additional information disclosed under the 2012 JORC Code appears to assist in reducing the uncertainties to some extent. The capital markets study shows that JORC announcements have a significant impact on investors’ assessments of firm value, and that the announcement impact is higher after the 2012 revisions designed to strengthen the disclosure requirements. This is consistent with post‐2012 JORC reports conveying higher information content. There continues to be information leakage prior to announcement date. Further tests show a widening of bid–ask spreads in the post‐2012 period, suggestive of higher information asymmetry. While the probability of informed trading declines for large firms, it remains statistically unchanged for the rest of the sample. The findings reiterate the need for regulators and standard setters to be cognisant of unintended consequences of their decisions. The substantiation process under JORC involves a delay in the release of ‘news’, a ‘chilling’ effect with larger announcement effects.
Systemic clearance of p16INK4a‐positive senescent cells mitigates age‐associated intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Patil Prashanti , Dong Qing , Wang Dong , Chang Jianhui , Wiley Christopher , Demaria Marco , Lee Joon , Kang James , Niedernhofer Laura J. , Robbins Paul D. , Sowa Gwendolyn , Campisi Judith , Zhou Daohong , Vo Nam
Published: March 2019

Rationale

Age‐related changes in the intervertebral discs are the predominant contributors to back pain, a common physical and functional impairment experienced by older persons. Cellular senescence, a process wherein cells undergo growth arrest and chronically secrete numerous inflammatory molecules and proteases, has been reported to cause decline in the health and function of multiple tissues with age. Although senescent cells have been reported to increase in intervertebral degeneration (IDD), it is not known whether they are causative in age‐related IDD.

Objective

The study aimed to elucidate whether a causal relationship exists between cellular senescence and age‐related IDD.

Methods and Results

To examine the impact of senescent cells on age‐associated IDD, we used p16‐3MR transgenic mice, which enables the selective removal of p16Ink4a‐positive senescent cells by the drug ganciclovir. Disc cellularity, aggrecan content and fragmentation alongside expression of inflammatory cytokine (IL‐6) and matrix proteases (ADAMTS4 and MMP13) in discs of p16‐3MR mice treated with GCV and untreated controls were assessed. In aged mice, reducing the per cent of senescent cells decreased disc aggrecan proteolytic degradation and increased overall proteoglycan matrix content along with improved histological disc features. Additionally, reduction of senescent cells lowered the levels of MMP13, which is purported to promote disc degenerative changes during aging.

Conclusions

The findings of this study suggest that systemic reduction in the number of senescent cells ameliorates multiple age‐associated changes within the disc tissue. Cellular senescence could therefore serve as a therapeutic target to restore the health of disc tissue that deteriorates with age.
The effects of environmental regulation on the stock market: the French experience
Authors: Pham Huy Nguyen Anh , Ramiah Vikash , Moosa Imad
Published: March 2019

The impact of environmental regulation on the French stock market is investigated by using event study methodology and asset pricing models. The impact of environmental regulation on the stock prices of environmentally friendly businesses and polluters is assessed. Additionally, we estimate the change in systematic risk following the introduction of new regulations. According to the results, the French stock market is particularly sensitive to the environmental regulation embodied in the European Union Emissions Trading System and less so to the regulation on water, soil and air. The chemicals, oil and gas industries exhibit negative reactions, whereas other polluters (such as construction and materials, and industrial transportation) produce positive abnormal returns.
SAFETY OF OPERATION IN BILIARY PANCREATITIS DURING THE SAME HOSPITALIZATION*
Authors: KOURTESIS GEORGE J. , WILSON SAMUEL E. , WILLIAMS RUSSELL A.
Published: March 2019

Over the past 4 years, 61 patients with biliary pancreatitis were managed, 48 of whom had operation on the biliary tree within the same hospital admission. Initial therapy was medical and operation was performed at a median of 6 days from admission (range: 3–14 days). Two patients required surgery for non‐resolution of the pancreatitis, but the other 44 patients had clinical and biochemical resolution prior to surgery. At operation, oedematous–interstitial pancreatitis was found in 18 patients, necrotizing pancreatitis in two and a normal pancreas in 28 patients. Common duct exploration in 15 patients resulted in 10 positive explorations. One death occurred in a patient with necrotizing pancreatitis and an impacted stone, but overall morbidity was low and total hospitalization in the operated group averaged 12 days. There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of bile duct stones (five of 10 versus seven of 38, P = 0.019) and operative findings of pancreatitis (seven of 10 versus 11 of 38, P = 0.038) in patients having surgery before or after 4 days of hospitalization. Initial conservative management for 4 days allows resolution of pancreatitis in most patients, minimizing the need for and potential risk from common duct exploration.
IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE EFFECT OF MISOPROSTOL: A NEW SYNTHETIC PROSTAGLANDIN E1 ANALOGUE
Authors: WIEDERKEHR JULIO C. , DUMBLE LYNETTE , POLLAK RAYMOND , MORAN MARK
Published: March 2019

Prostaglandins are reported to play an important regulatory role in cell‐mediated immunity. The immunosuppressive properties of a new synthetic oral prostaglandin e1 analogue, misoprostol, were studied in vivo in a rat heterotopic cardiac allograft model, and in vitro in mixed lymphocyte reaction. The results show that parenteral misoprostol, alone or in combination with low dose cyclosporin immunosuppressive therapy, significantly prolonged cardiac allograft survival compared with appropriate controls. Oral misoprostol alone in this model did not allow for measurable cardiac allograft prolongation. In vitro misoprostol demonstrated significant dose–response inhibition of the mixed lymphocyte culture assay. It is concluded that new prostaglandin E1 analogues with oral bioavailability may have important applications to clinical transplantation in man, and may be cyclosporin sparing.
Evaluation of two tuberculosis PCR assays for routine use in a clinical setting of low population and low tuberculosis prevalence
Authors: Luukinen Bruno Vincent , Vuento Risto , Hirvonen Jari Juhani
Published: March 2019

Today, there are numerous different molecular diagnostic assays for the detection of tuberculosis (TB), allowing the optimization of rapid detection of TB according to the clinical need. In this study, two high‐throughput TB PCR assays with combined antimicrobial resistance detection, Anyplex™ II MTB/MDR (Seegene) and RealTime MTB + RealTime MTB RIF/INH Resistance (Abbott Molecular), were evaluated for routine use in a clinical setting of low population and low TB prevalence in Finland. The RealTime MTB assay was 100% concordant (22/22 positive, n = 169) with the reference methods (culture and Xpert MTB/RIF PCR assay, Cepheid). However, with a limitation of four separate PCR cycles per kit, the routine use in a low TB‐prevalence setting would easily lead to wasting most of the RIF/INH Resistance reagents. The Anyplex™ II MTB/MDR assay usability was more adaptive to suit the clinical setting but the assay sensitivity was considerably lower (86%, 19/22 positive, n = 76) being closer to the sensitivity of smear microscopy. The findings of this study suggest that the evaluated high‐throughput MTB/MDR assays are evidently suboptimal for routine use in a low population, low TB‐prevalence setting. In addition, neither of the two assays covers non‐tuberculous mycobacteria and could therefore not fully replace acid‐fast staining as the initial screening method.
Phyllodes tumor with a benign heterologous osseous component: a diagnostic challenge
Authors: Christensen Lene Gaarsmand , Di Caterino Tina , Talman Maj‐Lis
Published: March 2019

Phyllodes tumors (PTs) are rare fibroepithelial neoplasms of the breast and constitute 0.3–1% of all primary breast tumors. They should be characterized in to a benign, borderline or malignant category based on a combination of histological features. PTs can show heterologous components, typically sarcomatous, including osteosarcomatous and chondrosarcomatous. Benign heterologous components are exceedingly rare with only one prior reported case in the English literature. This case emphasizes how difficult establishing a correct diagnosis in PTs with heterologous components can be, especially when the tumor consists mainly of a benign heterologous component. We report the case of a 65 year old woman with a recurrent breast tumor initially misdiagnosed as benign osseous metaplasia. The tumor re‐occurred as a malignant PT dominated by benign osseous and chondroid metaplasia. Multiple metastases consisting of primarily mature bone and cartilage were seen in the lungs. On microscopic revision and considering the clinical course the primary breast tumor was re‐classified as a borderline PT.
When is the Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney procedure a test of location? Implications for effect‐size measures
Authors: Parker Scott , Jernigan Robert W. , Lansky Joshua M.
Published: March 2019

The Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney procedure is invariant under monotone transformations but its use as a test of location or shift is said not to be so. It tests location only under the shift model, the assumption of parallel cumulative distribution functions (cdfs). We show that infinitely many monotone transformations of the measured variable produce parallel cdfs, so long as the original cdfs intersect nowhere or everywhere. Thus there are infinitely many effect sizes measured as shifts of medians, invalidating the notion that there is one true shift parameter and thereby rendering any single estimate dubious. Measuring effect size using the probability of superiority alleviates this difficulty.
Implementation of early detection and intervention services for psychosis in Central and Eastern Europe: Current status
Authors: Maric Nadja P. , Andric Petrovic Sanja , Rojnic‐Kuzman Martina , Riecher‐Rössler Anita
Published: March 2019

Aim

Unequal development of early detection (ED) and early intervention (EI) programs/services for psychosis has been shown across Europe. The present report aims to fill in the knowledge gap regarding the implementation and several other important aspects of ED/EI services in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), a region with highly underdeveloped mental health service research.

Methods

A 17‐item questionnaire was created to address the information regarding ED/EI organization and factors limiting their implementation. This questionnaire was distributed to professionals recognized as experts in the field from 23 CEE countries. The data were collected between December 2017 and February 2018.

Results

We found that ED/EI services were rather an exception than a rule in CEE. The majority of the countries involved in the present survey reported no national plans or programmes for ED/EI development. The existing services were mostly state‐funded, hospital‐based, healthcare sites for both adolescent and adult help‐seekers. The lack of adequate infrastructure, finances and governmental support, as well as the insufficient number of staff, were identified as the most important factors limiting service implementation.

Conclusions

Although ED/EI services for psychosis exist in some CEE countries, this could be largely attributed to enthusiastic individuals and organizations, rather than to a strategic development. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first mapping of ED/EI development in the region, which could be used as a starting point to plan the improvement of services, to accelerate their implementation and to facilitate timely detection of and intervention in psychosis across Europe.
Do alternative reproductive strategies in the Wellington tree weta represent different behavioural types?
Authors: Wilson Alexander D. M. , Kelly Clint D.
Published: March 2019

In many animal species, variation in reproductive success among individuals has led to the evolution of alternative mating strategies, which in the case of insects can often be correlated with developmental trajectories. In the Wellington tree weta, Hemideina crassidens, males can mature at the 8th, 9th or 10th instar, while females mature at the 10th instar only. A number of morphological attributes including male head and mandible size correlate with final instar number, and as these attributes represent a form of weaponry, they are often used in mate/site guarding and male–male competition. Tenth instar males have larger head/mandible/body sizes and show a conventional (guarder) reproductive strategy, whereas smaller 8th instar males typically show an unconventional (sneaker) strategy. In contrast, 9th instar males are predicted to adopt a “jack‐of‐all‐trades” strategy whereby they can fight or sneak depending context. Here, we tested whether alternative reproductive morphs exhibit strategy‐specific differences in risk‐taking associated with refuge emergence, activity and antipredator behaviour and further, whether these traits correlate to form a behavioural syndrome. We found that tree weta show consistent and repeatable differences in activity and refuge use at the individual level; however, behavioural covariances suggest that only 8th instar males exhibit a behavioural syndrome. That 9th instar males show high plasticity and variance in their gallery‐related behaviours supports the hypothesis that these males are a “jack‐of‐all‐trades.” Contrary to our predictions, antipredator behaviour was not correlated with other traits, and differences in behaviour overall were consistently more pronounced between individuals rather than between male morphs or sexes.
Status changes in the wild bees of north‐eastern North America over 125 years revealed through museum specimens
Authors: Mathiasson Minna E. , Rehan Sandra M.
Published: March 2019

Though recent literature highlights widespread bee declines, detailed information on local communities and individual species remains scarce. In order to accurately direct conservation initiatives and to evaluate the status of wild bees, regional long‐term data on these populations are critical.

This study analysed 119 wild bee species within New Hampshire, USA, over 125 years (1891–2016) using museum data. Examining pollinator communities across regional spatial scales has the power to highlight small‐scale changes that go undetected in larger investigations. In the light of unknown effects of introduced species and cumulative range expansions of exotic taxa, monitoring wild communities closely and extensively over time is becoming increasingly important.

The composition of the New Hampshire wild bee community has changed between the historical and contemporary time periods with 14 species found to be statistically significantly declining and eight species found to be statistically significantly increasing. Over half of the species found to be in statistically significant decline experienced a significant elevational or latitudinal range shift, many are regionally important crop pollinators, and all are native New Hampshire taxa.

Guild affiliations were not found to be indicators of change, suggesting that the requirements and behaviour of individual species must be examined in order to evaluate the current and future stability of the wild bee community. Many of these species occur in varied landscapes, climates, and habitats; thus, monitoring changes at regional scales is critical to informing conservation recommendations broadly and focusing future research directions.
Accountability in Post‐Crisis Eurozone Governance: The Tricky Case of the European Stability Mechanism
Authors: Howarth David , Spendzharova Aneta
Published: March 2019

Established at the height of the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis, the intergovernmental European Stability Mechanism (ESM) has, potentially, considerable influence over decisions on the provision of loans to Eurozone member state governments and on the recapitalization of banks. Legally and organizationally, the ESM is an international financial institution and thus its accountability can be compared to that of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international financial institutions. However, the ESM's governance structure and decision‐making procedures show that it is deeply embedded in the Eurozone governance architecture, resulting in a dual institutional embeddedness. Focusing on vertical and horizontal accountability combined with a learning perspective on accountability, this article presents an assessment of the accountability mechanisms applicable to the idiosyncratic ESM and how these mechanisms work in practice.
SWAN scale for ADHD trait‐based genetic research: a validity and polygenic risk study
Authors: Burton Christie L. , Wright Leah , Shan Janet , Xiao Bowei , Dupuis Annie , Goodale Tara , Shaheen S‐M. , Corfield Elizabeth C. , Arnold Paul D. , Schachar Russell J. , Crosbie Jennifer
Published: March 2019

Background

Population‐based samples with valid, quantitative and genetically informative trait measures of psychopathology could be a powerful complement to case/control genetic designs. We report the convergent and predictive validity of the parent‐ and self‐report versions of the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior Rating Scale (SWAN). We tested if SWAN scores were associated with ADHD diagnosis, ADHD polygenic risk, as well as traits and polygenic risk for disorders that co‐occur with ADHD: anxiety and obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD).

Methods

We collected parent‐ and self‐report SWAN scores in a sample of 15,560 children and adolescents (6–17 years) recruited at a science museum (Spit for Science sample). We established age and sex norms for the SWAN. Sensitivity‐specificity analyses determined SWAN cut‐points that discriminated those with and without a reported ADHD diagnosis. These cut‐points were validated in a clinic sample (266 ADHD cases; 36 controls). Convergent validity was established using the Conners’ parent‐ and self‐report scales. Using Spit for Science participants with genome‐wide data (n = 5,154), we tested if low, medium and high SWAN scores were associated with polygenic risk for ADHD, OCD and anxiety disorders.

Results

Parent‐ and self‐report SWAN scores showed high convergent validity with Conners’ scales and distinguished ADHD participants with high sensitivity and specificity in the Spit for Science sample. In a clinic sample, the Spit for Science cut‐points discriminated ADHD cases from controls with a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 92%. High SWAN scores and scores above the Spit for Science cut‐points were significantly associated with polygenic risk for ADHD. SWAN scores were not associated with polygenic risk for OCD or anxiety disorders.

Conclusions

Our study supports the validity of the parent‐ and self‐report SWAN scales and their potential in ADHD population‐based genetic research.
Astrogliogenesis in human fetal brain: complex spatiotemporal immunoreactivity patterns of GFAP, S100, AQP4 and YKL‐40
Authors: Holst Camilla Bjørnbak , Brøchner Christian Beltoft , Vitting‐Seerup Kristoffer , Møllgård Kjeld
Published: March 2019

The astroglial lineage consists of heterogeneous cells instrumental for normal brain development, function and repair. Unfortunately, this heterogeneity complicates research in the field, which suffers from lack of truly specific and sensitive astroglial markers. Nevertheless, single astroglial markers are often used to describe astrocytes in different settings. We therefore investigated and compared spatiotemporal patterns of immunoreactivity in developing human brain from 12 to 21 weeks post conception and publicly available RNA expression data for four established and potential astroglial markers – GFAP, S100, AQP4 and YKL‐40. In the hippocampal region, we also screened for C3, a complement component highly expressed in A1‐reactive astrocytes. We found diverging partly overlapping patterns of the established astroglial markers GFAP, S100 and AQP4, confirming that none of these markers can fully describe and discriminate different developmental forms and subpopulations of astrocytes in human developing brain, although AQP4 seems to be the most sensitive and specific marker for the astroglial lineage at midgestation. AQP4 characterizes a brain‐wide water transport system in cerebral cortex with regional differences in immunoreactivity at midgestation. AQP4 distinguishes a vast proportion of astrocytes and subpopulations of radial glial cells destined for the astroglial lineage, including astrocytes determined for the future glia limitans and apical truncated radial glial cells in ganglionic eminences, devoid of GFAP and S100. YKL‐40 and C3d, previously found in reactive astrocytes, stain different subpopulations of astrocytes/astroglial progenitors in developing hippocampus at midgestation and may characterize specific subpopulations of ‘developmental astrocytes’. Our results clearly reflect that lack of pan‐astrocytic markers necessitates the consideration of time, region, context and aim when choosing appropriate astroglial markers.
Airways wide shut: A physiological phenotype of asthma?
Authors: Farah Claude S.
Published: March 2019

See related Article
Judgments in a hurry: Time pressure affects how judges assess unfairly shared losses and unfairly shared gains
Authors: Liu Yingjie , Wang He , Li Lina , Wang Yawei , Peng Jian , Baxter Di Fabrizio
Published: March 2019

Human society has evolved to allow third parties—the court system, parents or other societal arbitrators—to punish norm violators and compensate victims. Few studies explore the effect of stress or time pressure on a third‐party judge. Under time pressure, people will likely show a more instinctual reaction or judgment style. We investigated third‐party punishment and compensation within the context of unfairly shared losses and gains in a dictator game under time pressure. Our results show that under no time pressure, participants were inclined to punish dictators who unfairly split windfall gains; however, participants chose to compensate victims more than punish the norm‐violating dictators in the context of unfairly shared losses. With added time pressure, third‐parties were disposed to inflict punishment upon the dictator in both the gain and loss contexts—punishment became the action of choice. Our results shed light on the way observed behavior and stress affect social cognition and decision making in the context of altruistic social interventions and the enforcement of social norms.
Polycentric Sovereignty: The Medieval Constitution, Governance Quality, and the Wealth of Nations
Authors: Salter Alexander William , Young Andrew T.
Published: March 2019

Objective

It is widely accepted that good institutions caused modern economic prosperity. But what caused good institutions? In this article we challenge recent explanations that favor state capacity, pointing instead to the polycentric governance structures of medieval Europe.

Methods

We develop a novel theory of constitutions, which we call “polycentric sovereignty,” based on political property rights. We use this theory to reinterpret the historical evidence concerning the relationship between the medieval patrimony and good governance.

Results

Our analysis suggests the de facto balance of power among the “owners of the realm” in medieval Europe are crucial in explaining the rise of pro‐growth institutions, especially those that respect and uphold the rule of law.

Conclusion

Medieval institutions set the background conditions for good governance. We cannot understand the bounty of economic modernity without reference to the received political‐economic traditions from medieval Europe.
Trends in transfusion practice over 20 years in paediatric liver transplant programme
Authors: Milan Zoka , Katyayani Katyayani , Cubas Georgina , Unic‐Stojanovic Dragana , Cooper Mariese , Bras Paul , Macmillan Joseph
Published: March 2019

Background

We investigated changes to transfusion practices over time in paediatric liver transplant centre and evaluated the effect of transfusion practice to mortality.

Methods

A pilot retrospective study included two cohorts each with 101 sequential paediatric LT recipients: an Early group (1994–1998) and a Recent group (2009–2013). Demographic characteristics and data on the intraoperative transfusion of red blood cells (RBC), fresh‐frozen plasma (FFP), platelets and cryoprecipitate were collected. Postoperative laboratory results were also obtained, together with donor and data regarding 1‐ and 5‐year survival. Appropriate intergroup comparisons, univariate and multivariate analysis were made and P ≤ 0·05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

There were no significant group differences in demographic data (except patient height). Despite the fact that median total blood loss did not differ between groups (111 ml/kg in both groups), the Early group had greater levels of intraoperative RBC transfusion (75 vs. 59 ml/kg, respectively, P = 0·04) and less use of FFP (53 vs. 62 ml/kg, respectively, P = 0·01). Overall we noted a lower 1‐ and 5‐year survival in the Early group (88·2% vs. 96%, P = 0·04 and 82·4% vs. 89·1%, P = 0·01, respectively). Univariate, but not multivariate regression analyses demonstrated that higher PELD score, RBC and FFP transfusion, and inclusion in the Early group were contributing factors to 1‐year higher mortality.

Conclusions

This retrospective analysis of blood loss and replacement in paediatric LT patients demonstrates that the majority of our patients suffer major haemorrhage and require large‐volume RBC and FFP replacements. In our pilot study, large volume of RBC and FFP replacement did not contribute to mortality. Paediatric LT involves a number of multidisciplinary teams. Thus, all care‐related factors and combinations thereof that may contribute to outcome and should be evaluated in the future.
Analysis of the Trait Sportive Self-Confidence in Team Sports According to Demographic Variances
Authors: Şahin Mustafa Yaşar , Bülbül Alpay , Karaoğlu Ercan
Published: March 2019

This research was conducted to determine the level of athletes' trait sportive confidence and to compare them in terms of demographic variances. In the research which is in the model descriptive survey, Trait Sportive Self Confidence Scale developed by Vealey (1986) was used as data collection tool. Based on typical sampling method of purposive sampling methods, this research sample is consisted of 279 athletes playing in Ptofessional Football League and female-male Volleyball League in Turkey in 2017-2018 season. In the evaluation of the research data, the assumptions of the tests were examined primarily; for unrelated measurements, t-test, one-way analysis of variance (One Way ANOVA) and Kruskal Wallis test. As a result of the research it was determinated that the trait sportive self-confidences of the athlethes were at a high level. When the findings of the study were evaluated in terms of demographic variables, it was determined that there was a significant difference according to the age or the status of the league played.
Comparison of Anaerobic Performance and Agility Characteristics Between American Football and Indoor Soccer Players
Authors: Öncen Sercan , Tanyeri Levent
Published: March 2019

Anaerobic energy metabolism and agility are significant determinants of performance within the game actions of team sports such as Indoor Soccer (IS) and American Football (AF) where physical activities labeled as explosive power take place intensively (Beam & Adam, 2011). In the study, the agility skills of male participants of Indoor soccer players (ISP; n10) and American Football players (AFP; n10) have been measured by T-test, Illinois agility test and 505 agility tests and the anaerobic energy metabolism, anaerobic capacity (AC) and anaerobic power (AP) has been measured by Wingate anaerobic power test (WAnT) Monark E894 bicycle ergometer. According to the findings of agility and WAnT measurements, ISP has a significant superiority at AP evaluations although AC averages of two groups are similar (p˂0,05). ISP have better scores than AFP at agility tests T-test 23.7% (p<0,05), Illinois agility test 9.6% (p<0,05), 505 test 8.9% (p>0,05). AFP has 9.2% more BMI averages than ISP. Considering the negative effect of BMI on agility skill, this situation is thought to affect the agility skill of AFP negatively. WAnT measurements have enabled us to evaluate the lower extremity power output of the participants of AFP and ISP. It has been recommended to determine the upper extremity power output in order to understand the differences and the anaerobic energy metabolism between two groups better.
On Algorithms and Heuristics for Constrained Least-Squares Fitting of Circles and Spheres to Support Standards
Authors: Shakarji Craig M. , Srinivasan Vijay
Published: March 2019

Constrained least-squares fitting has gained considerable popularity among national and international standards committees as the default method for establishing datums on manufactured parts. This has resulted in the emergence of several interesting and urgent problems in computational coordinate metrology. Among them is the problem of fitting inscribing and circumscribing circles (in two dimensions) and spheres (in three dimensions) using constrained least-squares criterion to a set of points that are usually described as a “point-cloud.” This paper builds on earlier theoretical work, and provides practical algorithms and heuristics to compute such circles and spheres. Representative codes that implement these algorithms and heuristics are also given to encourage industrial use and rapid adoption of the emerging standards.
Investigation of NO2 Formation Kinetics in Dual-Fuel Engines With Lean Premixed Methane–Air Charge
Authors: Arabian Ehsan , Sattelmayer Thomas
Published: March 2019

A dual fuel engine concept with lean premixed methane–air charge ignited by a diesel pilot flame is highly promising for reducing NOx and soot emissions. One drawback of this combustion method, however, is the high nitric dioxide (NO2) emissions observed at certain operating points. The conditions leading to increased NO2 formation have been investigated using a batch reactor model in cantera. It has been found that the high emission levels of NO2 can be traced back to the mixing of small amounts of quenched CH4 with NO from the hot combustion zones followed by postoxidation in the presence of O2, requiring that the temperatures are within a certain range. NO2 formation in the exhaust duct of a test engine has been modeled and compared to the experimental results. The well-stirred reactor model has been used that calculates the steady-state of a uniform composition for a certain residence time. An appropriate reaction mechanism that considers the effect of NO/NO2 on methane oxidation at low temperature levels has been used. The numerical results of NO–NO2 conversion in the duct at low temperature levels show good agreement with the experimental results. The partial oxidation of CH4 can be predicted well. It can be shown that methane oxidation in the presence of NO/NO2 at low temperature levels is enhanced via the reaction steps CH3+NO2⇌CH3O+NO and CH3O2+NO⇌CH3O+NO2. In addition, the elementary reaction HO2+NO⇌NO2+OH is the important NO oxidizing step.
Heat Transfer Characteristics in a Rotating Pin Finned Duct With
Different Protrusion Locations
Authors: Du Wei , Luo Lei , Wang Songtao , Bi Shaokang , Zhang Xinghong
Published: March 2019

The heat transfer in a pin finned duct is augmented by the protrusion in this study. The realizable k–ε turbulence model coupled with the enhanced wall function is used to obtain the flow structure and heat transfer characteristics. Six different rotational numbers (Ro = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0) and three different protrusion locations have been introduced. The pin fins and protrusions are placed on a simplified three-dimensional rectangular duct. Numerical results reveal that the Nusselt number in the pin finned channel has remarkable increase after adoption of the protrusions. In addition, the protrusion location and the rotational number have significant influence on the heat transfer distribution. The high rotational number is in favor of heat transfer enhancement on the endwall surface. Furthermore, the highest Nusselt number is occurred where protrusion is near the pin fin windward side.
Characterization of the Electrosurgical Tissue Joining Process Using Dynamic Impedance and Energy Efficiency
Authors: Yang Che-Hao , Li Wei , Chen Roland K.
Published: March 2019

Electrosurgical tissue joining is an effective way to create hemostasis, especially in surgical procedures performed in the minimally invasive manner. The quality of tissue joints and potential thermal damages to the surroundings are the two main concerns when using electrosurgical tissue joining tools. A more robust method for quality control is still needed. The goal of this study is to characterize the joining process using dynamic impedance and energy efficiency. Three joining times (4, 6, and 8 s) and three compression levels (80%, 90%, and 95%) were used to join porcine arterial tissues while the process parameters including voltage, current, and impedance were monitored. Tensile tests were performed to evaluate the quality of tissue joints. A new index, the strength-energy coefficient (mmHg/J), which is defined as the tensile strength divided by the consumed energy, is introduced to evaluate the energy efficiency of the joining process. Strength-energy coefficient offers a new way to estimate the required joining time to achieve sufficient joining strength while minimizing the energy consumption to reduce thermal damages. The 95% compression level has the highest strength-energy coefficient for 4- and 6-s joining times. This indicates that the 95% compression level has higher energy efficiency and can form a good tissue joint with less energy and time in comparison with those required by a lower compression level. The progression of the tissue joining process was characterized by the real-time impedance measurement, which can be used as a tool for quality control.
A Computational Investigation of Nonpremixed Combustion of Natural Gas Injected Into Mixture of Argon and Oxygen
Authors: Shahsavan Martia , Morovatiyan Mohammadrasool , Mack J. Hunter
Published: March 2019

Natural gas is traditionally considered as a promising fuel in comparison with gasoline due to the potential of lower emissions and significant domestic reserves. These emissions can be further diminished by using noble gases, such as argon, instead of nitrogen as the working fluid in internal combustion engines. Furthermore, the use of argon as the working fluid can increase the thermodynamic efficiency due to its higher specific heat ratio. In comparison with premixed operation, the direct injection of natural gas enables the engine to reach higher compression ratios while avoiding knock. Using argon as the working fluid increases the in-cylinder temperature at top dead center (TDC) and enables the compression ignition (CI) of natural gas. In this numerical study, the combustion quality and ignition behavior of methane injected into a mixture of oxygen and argon have been investigated using a three-dimensional transient model of a constant volume combustion chamber (CVCC). A dynamic structure large eddy simulation (LES) model has been utilized to capture the behavior of the nonpremixed turbulent gaseous jet. A reduced mechanism consists of 22-species, and 104-reactions were coupled with the CFD solver. The simulation results show that the methane jet ignites at engine-relevant conditions when nitrogen is replaced by argon as the working fluid. Ignition delay times are compared across a variety of operating conditions to show how mixing affects jet development and flame characteristics.
Adding Student Video Projects to Physics Courses
Authors: Abbott David , Roberts Andrew , MacIsaac Dan , Falconer Kathleen , Genz Florian , Hoffmann Stefan , Bresges André , Weber Jeremias
Published: March 2019

Physics students have traditionally prepared many kinds of reports—laboratory, activity, project, and even book or article reports. Smartphones and YouTube videos are familiar cultural objects to current students, and our students use smartphone cameras to include photographs of apparatus, phenomena, hand-sketched figures, graphs, and mathematical equations in their physics reports. Here we present basic techniques for physics students to use smartphones and tablets to create short (< 5 min) end-of-semester video projects. Our students mainly use Apple Computer’s iPad tablets, but also other tablets and various smartphones. Finally we discuss appropriate instructor expectations and grading. Similar non-physics student video reporting efforts were reported using video cameras by Kearney, and Hechter and Guy.
Monkeying Around in Mechanics: Using Student-Student Dialogue Videos to Increase Physics Learning
Authors: Margoniner Vera , Bürki Jérôme , Kapp Micaela
Published: March 2019

In fall 2014 we started the development of a series of short YouTube videos to help our introductory physics students better comprehend concepts they tend to find challenging. Our work is inspired by the PhD thesis of Derek Muller (author of the Veritasium channel) showing that lecture-based videos tend to be not only ineffective, but actually reinforce students’ misconceptions and increase their confidence in the wrong idea. Muller shows that better learning outcomes can be achieved if videos are based on dialogue and purposefully address misconceptions. Muller used the dialogue between a student and a teacher, but we decided to go a step further to create videos that mimic the dialogue between two students who know how to work constructively together. The idea is to address misconceptions head-on and to model good study habits. The students on these videos also make explicit their metacognitive skills by explaining what is confusing them and checking that things make sense.
Applying Thévenin’s Theorem and Kirchhoff’s Junction Rule to a Common RC Circuit
Authors: Davis C. E. , Piffer J. L. , Cohen M. D. , Polley J. P.
Published: March 2019

Many physics textbooks describe the way in which a capacitor in an RC circuit charges and discharges over time. A circuit that consists of a capacitor that is connected to a voltage divider as shown in Fig. 1 is commonly addressed, but the textbooks limit the discussion to the time immediately after the switch is closed and a long time after the switch is closed, without discussing the behavior of the circuit in the intermediate times. Our experiment explores this intermediate stage, using the RC circuit in Fig. 1. Given the ubiquity of this problem in introductory textbooks, and the ease with which it may be further explored, a more in-depth analysis is warranted.