bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Was wurde eigentlich aus Prialt®?
Authors: Löschner Denise , Dries Rebecca , Kalff Rolf , Walter Jan , Reichart Rupert
Published: January 2021

Hintergrund

Prialt® ist seit Februar 2005 von der europäischen Arzneimittelbehörde zugelassen und ist neben Morphin das einzige Analgetikum, welches über die offizielle Marktzulassung in der intrathekalen Schmerztherapie verfügt. Da es nicht über Opioidrezeptoren wirkt, galt es zum Zeitpunkt der Markteinführung als nebenwirkungs- und risikoärmer in der Behandlung chronischer Schmerzen als Morphin. Trotzdem gilt es noch heute als Orphan Drug und Studien über den Langzeiteinsatz und hierunter aufgetretene Nebenwirkungen sind rar.

Fragestellung

Welchen Stellenwert nimmt Prialt® verglichen mit anderen intrathekal verabreichten Analgetika ein? Wie wirken sich die Startdosis und die Geschwindigkeit der Aufdosierung auf die schmerzlindernde Wirkung und das Auftreten von Nebenwirkungen in der Langzeittherapie aus?

Material und Methoden

Zum einen wurden anhand von Arztbriefen retrospektiv alle Patienten erfasst, die zwischen Februar 2005 und dem Ende des Beobachtungszeitraums im Oktober 2018 Ziconotid in Monotherapie in der Neurochirurgie des Universitätsklinikums Jena erhielten. Zum anderen wurden diese Patienten anhand eines erstellten Fragebogens hinsichtlich ihrer Erfahrung mit Ziconotid befragt.

Ergebnisse

Bei allen zwölf in die Studie eingeschlossenen Teilnehmern kam es zu mindestens einer Arzneimittelnebenwirkung. Am häufigsten wurde über Vergesslichkeit und Sensibilitätsstörungen mit jeweils 25 % berichtet. Ein Drittel der Patienten musste die Behandlung aufgrund von Nebenwirkungen beenden. Die mittlere Initialdosis betrug 1,98 µg/Tag.

Diskussion

Trotz leitliniengerechter Behandlung hat sich Ziconotid am Universitätsklinikum Jena nicht gegen Morphin und andere Opioidanalgetika in der intrathekalen Schmerztherapie durchgesetzt. Die Gründe hierfür sind vielfältig, wobei die enge therapeutische Breite, das häufige Auftreten von Nebenwirkungen und die schwierige therapeutische Handhabung, vor allem im ambulanten Setting, von besonderer Bedeutung sind.
A general approach to multivariable recursive interpolation
Authors: Gombani A. , Michaletzky Gy.
Published: January 2021

We consider here the problem of constructing a general recursive algorithm to interpolate a given set of data with a rational function. While many algorithms of this kind already exist, they are either providing non-minimal degree solutions (like the Schur algorithm) or exhibit jumps in the degree of the interpolants (or of the partial realization, as the problem is called when the interpolation is at infinity, see Rissanen (SIAM J Control 9(3):420–430, 1971) and Gragg and Lindquist (in: Linear systems and control (special issue), linear algebra and its applications, vol 50. pp 277–319, 1983)). By imbedding the solution into a larger set of interpolants, we show that the increase in the degree of this representation is proportional to the increase in the length of the data. We provide an algorithm to interpolate multivariable tangential sets of data with arbitrary nodes, generalizing in a fundamental manner the results of Kuijper (Syst Control Lett 31:225–233, 1997). We use this new approach to discuss a special scalar case in detail. When the interpolation data are obtained from the Taylor-series expansion of a given function, then the Euclidean-type algorithm plays an important role.
Evidence of a tolerogenic vaccine against AIDS in the Chinese macaque prefigures a potential human vaccine
Authors: Andrieu Jean-Marie , Lu Wei
Published: January 2021

In 2006 we discovered a new type of mucosal vaccine against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in Chinese macaques. Here, we review 15 years of our published work on this vaccine, which consists of inactivated SIVmac239 particles adjuvanted with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, Lactobacillus plantarum, or Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Without adjuvant, the vaccine administered by the intragastric route induced the usual SIV-specific humoral and cellular immune responses but provided no protection against intrarectal challenge with SIVmac239. In contrast, out of 24 macaques immunized with the adjuvanted vaccine and challenged intrarectally with SIVmac239 or SIVB670, 23 were sterilely protected for up to five years, while all control macaques were infected. This protection was confirmed by an independent group from the Pasteur Institute. During the past 15 years, we have identified the mechanism of action of the vaccine and discovered that the vaccinated macaques produced a previously unrecognized class of MHC-Ib/E-restricted CD8+ T cells (which we refer to as tolerogenic CD8+ T cells) that suppressed the activation of SIV-RNA-infected CD4+ T cells and thereby inhibited the (activation-dependent) reverse transcription of the virus, which in turn prevented the establishment of SIV infection. Importantly, we discovered also that the tolerogenic CD8+ T cell subset observed in vaccinated Chinese macaques could also be found in human elite controllers, a small group of HIV-infected patients in whom these tolerogenic CD8+ T cells were shown to naturally suppress viral replication. Given that SIV and HIV require activated immune cells in which to replicate, the specific prevention of activation of SIV-RNA-containing CD4+ T cells by a tolerogenic vaccine approach offers an exciting new avenue in HIV vaccine research.
Spatially Continuous Land-Cover Reconstructions Through the Holocene in Southern Sweden
Authors: O’Dwyer Robert , Marquer Laurent , Trondman Anna-Kari , Jönsson Anna Maria
Published: January 2021

Climate change and human activities influence the development of ecosystems, with human demand of ecosystem services altering both land use and land cover. Fossil pollen records provide time series of vegetation characteristics, and the aim of this study was to create spatially continuous reconstructions of land cover through the Holocene in southern Sweden. The Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm (LRA) was applied to obtain quantitative reconstructions of pollen-based vegetation cover at local scales, accounting for pollen production, dispersal, and deposition mechanisms. Pollen-based local vegetation estimates were produced from 41 fossil pollen records available for the region. A comparison of 17 interpolation methods was made and evaluated by comparing with current land cover. Simple kriging with cokriging using elevation was selected to interpolate the local characteristics of past land cover, to generate more detailed reconstructions of trends and degree of variability in time and space than previous studies based on pollen data representing the regional scale. Since the Mesolithic, two main processes have acted to reshape the land cover of southern Sweden, originally mostly covered by broad-leaved forests. The natural distribution limit of coniferous forest has moved southward during periods with colder climate and retracted northward during warmer periods, and human expansion in the area and agrotechnological developments has led to a gradually more open landscape, reaching maximum openness at the beginning of the 20th century. The recent intensification of agriculture has led to abandonment of less fertile agricultural fields and afforestation with conifer forest.
Ecosystem Processes Show Uniform Sensitivity to Winter Soil Temperature Change Across a Gradient from Central to Cold Marginal Stands of a Major Temperate Forest Tree
Authors: Weigel Robert , Henry Hugh A. L. , Beil Ilka , Gebauer Gerhard , Jurasinski Gerald , Klisz Marcin , van der Maaten Ernst , Muffler Lena , Kreyling Juergen
Published: January 2021

The magnitude and frequency of soil frost events might increase in northern temperate regions in response to climate warming due to reduced insulation caused by declining snow cover. In temperate deciduous forests, increased soil frost severity can hamper tree growth and increase the mortality of fine roots, soil fauna and microorganisms, thus altering carbon and nutrient cycling. From single-site studies, however, it is unclear how the sensitivities of these responses change along continental gradients from regions with low to high snowfall. We conducted a gradient design snow cover and soil temperature manipulation experiment across a range of lowland beech forest sites to assess the site-specific sensitivity of tree growth and biogeochemical cycling to soil cooling. Even mild and inconsistent soil frost affected tree increment, germination, litter decomposition and the retention of added 15N. However, the sensitivity of response (treatment effect size per degree of warming or cooling) was not related to prevailing winter climate and snow cover conditions. Our results support that it may be valid to scale these responses to simulated winter climate change up from local studies to regional scales. This upscaling, however, needs to account for the fact that cold regions with historically high snowfall may experience increasingly harsh soil frost conditions, whereas in warmer regions with historically low snowfall, soil frost may diminish. Thus, despite the uniform biotic sensitivity of response, there may be opposing directions of winter climate change effects on temperate forests along continental temperature gradients due to different trends of winter soil temperature.
The effect of alcohol tax changes on retail prices: how do on-trade alcohol retailers pass through tax changes to consumers?
Authors: Wilson Luke B. , Pryce Robert , Angus Colin , Hiscock Rosemary , Brennan Alan , Gillespie Duncan
Published: January 2021

The effectiveness of alcohol duty increases relies on alcohol retailers passing the tax increase on to consumers. This study uses sales data from a market research company to investigate tax pass-through over 11 years for on-premise retailers in England and whether this varies across the price distribution, for different beverage categories and outlet types. Panel data quantile regression analysis is used to estimate the impact of 12 excise duty changes and 3 sales tax changes between 2007 and 2017 on prices. We use product-level quarterly panel data from for 777 alcoholic products. We undertake the regression at all outlets level separating products are analysed in seven broad beverage categories (Beer, Cider, RTDs, Spirits, Wine, Sparkling Wine, and Fortified Wine). We further test sensitivity by disaggregating outlets into seven outlet types. For all seven broad beverage categories, we find that there exists significant differences in tax pass-through across the price distribution. Retailers appear to “undershift” cheaper beverages (prices rise by less than the tax increase) and subsidise this loss in revenue with an “overshift” in the relatively more expensive products. Future modelling of tax change impacts on population subgroups could incorporate this evidence, and this is important because different socio-economic and drinker groups purchase alcohol at different points on the price distribution and hence are affected differently by tax changes. Governments could also potentially incorporate this evidence into future impact assessments.
Enhanced solar radiation pressure model for GPS satellites considering various physical effects
Authors: Duan Bingbing , Hugentobler Urs
Published: January 2021

Solar radiation pressure (SRP) is the dominant non-gravitational perturbation for GPS satellites. In the IGS (International GNSS Service), this perturbation is modeled differently by individual analysis centers (ACs). The two most widely used methods are the Empirical CODE orbit Model (ECOM, ECOM2) and the JPL GSPM model. When using ECOM models, a box-wing model or other a priori models, as well as stochastic pulses at noon or midnight, are optionally adopted by some ACs to compensate for the deficiencies of the ECOM or ECOM2 model. However, both box-wing and GSPM parameters were published many years ago. There could be an aging effect going with time. Also, optical properties and GSPM parameters of GPS Block IIF satellites are currently not yet published. In this contribution, we first determine Block-specific optical parameters of GPS satellites using GPS code and phase measurements of 6 years. Various physical effects, such as yaw bias, radiator emission in the satellite body-fixed − X and Y directions and the thermal radiation of solar panels, are considered as additional constant parameters in the optical parameter adjustment. With all the adjusted parameters, we form an enhanced box-wing model adding all the modeled physical effects. In addition, we determine Block-specific GSPM parameters by using the same GPS measurements. The enhanced box-wing model and the GSPM model are then taken as a priori model and are jointly used with ECOM and ECOM2 model, respectively. We find that the enhanced box-wing model performs similarly to the GSPM model outside eclipse seasons. RMSs of all the ECOM and ECOM2 parameters are reduced by 30% compared to results without the a priori model. Orbit misclosures and orbit predictions are improved by combining the enhanced box-wing model with ECOM and ECOM2 models. In particular, the improvement in orbit misclosures for the eclipsing Block IIR and IIF satellites, as well as the non-eclipsing IIA satellites, is about 25%, 10% and 10%, respectively, for the ECOM model. Therefore, the enhanced box-wing model is recommended as an a priori model in GPS satellite orbit determination.
Structural and Pragmatic Language Impairments in Children Evaluated for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Authors: Reindal Lise , Nærland Terje , Weidle Bernhard , Lydersen Stian , Andreassen Ole A. , Sund Anne Mari
Published: January 2021

Pragmatic language impairments are common in neurodevelopmental disorders, especially in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The relationship between structural language skills and pragmatic competence in children with autistic symptoms, however, is largely unknown. We investigated this relationship based on the Children’s Communication Checklist-2 and early language delay among children (N = 177, 19% females) clinically evaluated for ASD, differentiated into ASD (n = 148) and non-ASD (n = 29). Structural language deficits were common and associated with reduced pragmatic competence in both groups. Pragmatic language impairments were most profound in children with ASD. Early language delay and structural language deficits were less common in females. Our findings suggest that assessment of structural language skills should be included in the evaluation of children with suspected ASD.
Updating Expectations About Unexpected Object Motion in Infants Later Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Achermann Sheila , Falck-Ytter Terje , Bölte Sven , Nyström Pär
Published: January 2021

In typical development, infants form predictions about future events based on incoming sensory information, which is essential for perception and goal-directed action. It has been suggested that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) make predictions differently compared to neurotypical individuals. We investigated how infants who later received an ASD diagnosis and neurotypical infants react to temporarily occluded moving objects that violate initial expectations about object motion. Our results indicate that infants regardless of clinical outcome react similarly to unexpected object motion patterns, both in terms of gaze shift latencies and pupillary responses. These findings indicate that the ability to update representations about such regularities in light of new information may not differ between typically developing infants and those with later ASD.
Rerooting Multi-type Branching Trees: The Infinite Spine Case
Authors: Stufler Benedikt
Published: January 2021

We prove local convergence results for rerooted conditioned multi-type Galton–Watson trees. The limit objects are multitype variants of the random sin-tree constructed by Aldous (1991), and differ according to which types recur infinitely often along the backwards growing spine.
On the Correlation between Energy Spectra and Element Abundances in Solar Energetic Particles
Authors: Reames Donald V.
Published: January 2021

In solar energetic particle (SEP) events, the physical processes of both shock acceleration and scattering during transport can cause energy-spectral indices to be correlated with enhancement or suppression of element abundances versus mass-to-charge ratios $A/Q$
A
/
Q
. We observe correlations for those “gradual” SEP events where shock waves accelerate ions from the ambient coronal plasma, but there are no such correlations for “impulsive” SEP events produced by magnetic reconnection in solar jets, where abundance enhancement in different events vary from $(A/Q)^{+2}$

(
A
/
Q
)

+
2

to $(A/Q)^{+8}$

(
A
/
Q
)

+
8

, nor are there correlations when shock waves reaccelerate these residual impulsive ions. In the latter events the abundances are determined separately, prior to the accelerated spectra. Events with correlated spectra and abundances show a wide variety of interesting behavior that has not been described previously. Small and moderate gradual SEP events, with relative abundances typically depending approximately upon $(A/Q)^{-1}$

(
A
/
Q
)

−
1

and the spectra upon energy $E^{-2.5}$

E

−
2.5

, vary little with time. Large SEP events show huge temporal variations skirting the correlation line; in one case O spectra vary with time from $E^{-1}$

E

−
1

to $E^{-5}$

E

−
5

while abundances vary from $(A/Q)^{+1}$

(
A
/
Q
)

+
1

to $(A/Q)^{-2}$

(
A
/
Q
)

−
2

during the event. In very large events, streaming-limited transport through proton-generated resonant Alfvén waves flattens the spectra and enhances heavy ion abundances prior to local shock passage, then steepens the spectra and reduces enhancements afterward, recapturing the typical correlation. Systematic correlation of spectra and element abundances provide a new perspective on the “injection problem” of ion selection by shocks and on the physics of SEP acceleration and transport.
COVID-19 und Nierentransplantation
Authors: Regele Florina , Oberbauer Rainer
Published: January 2021

Nierentransplantierte Patienten stellen während der COVID-19(„coronavirus disease 2019“)-Pandemie eine spezielle Risikogruppe dar. Dies liegt sowohl an den häufig bestehenden Komorbiditäten als auch an der therapeutischen Immunsuppression. Letzterer kommt auch angesichts der stark zu Morbidität und Mortalität beitragenden Hyperinflammation eine komplexe Rolle zu. Bislang publizierte Fallserien zeigen eine hohe Hospitalisierungsrate und eine Mortalität zwischen 13 und 23 % in dieser Population. Die klinische Symptomatik sowie bislang etablierte Risikofaktoren scheinen jenen der Allgemeinbevölkerung zu ähneln. Eine heikle Frage in der Behandlung von an COVID-19 erkrankten Nierentransplantierten ist der Umgang mit der Immunsuppression, welche gemäß aktuellen Empfehlungen stufenweise und in Abhängigkeit vom klinischen Verlauf reduziert werden sollte. Auf der Suche nach wirksamen Therapien gegen SARS-CoV‑2 („severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2“) wurden zahlreiche in anderen Indikationen etablierte antivirale und antiinflammatorische Substanzen untersucht, wobei bislang nur für die Therapie mit Dexamethason bei Patienten mit Sauerstoffbedarf eine überzeugende Evidenz zu bestehen scheint. Zahllose Studien zu teils auch neuentwickelten Therapien laufen derzeit.
A comparison of methods for determining performance based employee deployment in production systems
Authors: Ast Jonas , Wasseghi Raed , Nyhuis Peter
Published: January 2021

Employee deployment is a crucial process in production systems. Based on qualification and individual performance of employees, deployment decisions can lead to ambiguous outcomes. This paper first reviews the state of the art and further compares two methods based on combinatorial analysis for employee deployment. Therefore, this paper emphasizes the costs and benefits of a Brute Force and an alternative Greedy method. When considering the qualification and individual performance of each employee, both algorithms provide working solutions. In direct comparison, the outcome of the alternative Greedy algorithm is more efficient in terms of calculation time whereas the Brute Force method provides the combination with the global optimum. This means calculation time as well as quality of outcome differ. The exponential growth of employee allocation possibilities depends on the amount of employees and leads to high calculation times, when using a Brute Force method. The comparison of both methods reveal that the proposed alternative Greedy algorithm reaches nearly as high outcomes as the Brute Force does, with significantly less calculation time. Furthermore, this paper offers an insight into the impact of deployment decisions within production systems.
Autoimmune liver disease-associated serologic profiling in Chinese patients with acute hepatitis E virus infection
Authors: Gui Honglian , Wang Weijing , Li Qing , Li Ziqiang , Lu Jie , Xie Qing
Published: January 2021

The association between hepatitis E virus (HEV) and autoimmune liver diseases has been well-researched; however, the focus has been on autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and not primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Therefore, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and evolution of AIH- and PBC-related autoantibodies in Chinese patients with HEV infection. In this retrospective study, 164 patients with acute HEV were included, specifically those whose liver autoantibody results were available and who had no pre-existing liver disease at the time of HEV diagnosis. Positive liver autoimmune serology was present in 69 (42.1%) patients and 21 (12.8%) had at least two autoantibodies at diagnosis. Greater age and alkaline phosphatase levels were independent risk factors for autoantibody positivity. Follow-up serologic tests, which were available for 27 of the 69 autoantibody-positive patients, showed that although antinuclear antibodies disappeared in 11/20 (55.0%) and antimitochondrial antibodies disappeared in 4/5 (80%) patients, 16 still remained positive for autoantibodies and two of them even developed new PBC-related antibodies, as described below. One patient developed a rim-like ANA pattern, accompanied by an enhancement of anti-gp210 positivity; and the other was diagnosed as PBC, based on chronic elevation of cholestatic enzymes and presentation with de novo AMA-M2, 18 months after HEV clearance. In conclusion, AIH- and PBC-related autoantibodies are frequently present during acute HEV infection, indicating that HEV should be excluded before diagnosing AIH and/or PBC. Importantly, some cases maintained or developed autoantibodies after viral clearance, and one patient subsequently developed PBC, highlighting that these individuals warrant long-term follow-up.
Geographical Variation in Local Gender Contracts in Sweden
Authors: Haandrikman Karen , Webster Natasha A. , Duvander Ann-Zofie
Published: January 2021

Despite Sweden’s national gender-neutral family and social policies, local differences in gender contracts exist and have been related to differences in the structure of the labour market and cultural traditions. Existing studies are outdated and used relatively large administratively defined areas, which may lead to several measurement and interpretation errors. This paper examines geographical variation in gender contracts in present-day Sweden using individualized neighbourhoods on different scales. Gender contracts are operationalized using six indicators on the level of family, politics and labour. We identify five types of local gender contracts: the metropolitan gender contract, the progressive gender contract, the suburban gender contract, the commuter gender contract and the traditional gender contract. The most gender equal patterns are found in metropolitan and other urban areas, with high shares of fathers taking parental leave and the highest shares of women with high education and gainful employment, and low shares of young mothers. The analyses give evidence of considerable local variation instead of a dominant gender contract in each region. The findings may stimulate further research and local policies on gender inequality.
Mineralogical, petrological and planetological heritage. The (Italian) story so far
Authors: Pratesi Giovanni , Franza Annarita
Published: January 2021

The goal of this work is to further increase the use, by all the stakeholders, of well-established and official cataloguing methods for the preservation, valorisation and study of naturalistic heritage. The work describes the standards of the Central Institute for Cataloguing and Documentation (ICCD) for cataloguing the Italian mineralogical, petrological and planetological heritage to the community of scientists, curators and museum practitioners. This work then provides an overview of the geoscientific heritage already catalogued through these standards and freely available for study and research purposes on the SIGECweb online database. Finally, the importance of a standardized cataloguing—in the comprehension of the historical, cultural and ethical aspects relative to the conservation and valorisation of the geoscientific heritage—will also be highlighted.
Kinetics of fluoride adsorption onto native and Mg(OH)2-amended limestone
Authors: AL-Darwish Noura , Abu-Sharar T. M.
Published: January 2021

The adsorption kinetics of fluoride onto limestone (LS) and Mg(OH)2-amended LS were investigated using batch adsorption technique. Data were best fitted to second-order and Elovich models. The Mg(OH)2-ameded LS showed substantial increases in F− adsorption relative to native LS. Similarity of ionic radii and charge of both F− and OH− were hypothesized to be the major cause of such increases. The OH− functional group of the surface Mg(OH)2 could be exchanged by aqueous F− through surface complexation (ligand exchange). No background effect of naturally occurring anions in F−-rich groundwater on adsorption capacity of Mg(OH)2-amended LS. The results reveal that the Mg(OH)2-amended LS can be environmentally safe and economical for F− removal.
Synthesis of amino acid functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles for adsorptive removal of Rhodamine B
Authors: Belachew Neway , Tadesse Aschalew , Kahsay Mebrahtu Hagos , Meshesha Desta Shumuye , Basavaiah Keloth
Published: January 2021

L-Aspartic acid (L-Asp) functionalized magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) were synthesized through a facile co-precipitation method using L-Asp as a capping agent. UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM, and VSM techniques were used to investigate the formation, morphology, elemental composition, and magnetic properties of the synthesized Fe3O4 NPs. Highly crystalline and spherical shaped pure phase Fe3O4 NPs were successfully synthesized using amino acid as a capping agent. The magnetic measurement analysis confirms the superparamagnetic nature of the synthesized L-Asp capped Fe3O4 NPs. The adsorption efficiency of L-Asp capped Fe3O4 NPs was assessed by the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB). The optimum removal efficiency was found to be 7.7 mg g−1 using 1 mg mL−1 adsorbent, and 30 mg L−1 RhB at pH 7 and 25 °C. The regression (R2adj) and standard deviation (SD) analysis were used to validate both kinetic and isotherm models. Avrami fractional-order and Liu models were selected as the best kinetic and isotherms, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity (Qo) of L-Asp Fe3O4 NPs toward RhB Liu’s model was found to be 10.44 mg g−1.
Assessing visuo-constructive functions in patients with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease with the Vienna Visuo-Constructional Test 3.0 (VVT 3.0)
Authors: Valencia Noel , Lehrner Johann
Published: January 2021

Background

Visuo-Constructive functions have considerable potential for the early diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease.

Objectives

Using the Vienna Visuo-Constructional Test 3.0 (VVT 3.0), we measured visuo-constructive functions in subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and healthy controls to determine whether VVT performance can be used to distinguish these groups.

Materials and methods

Data of 671 participants was analyzed comparing scores across diagnostic groups and exploring associations with relevant clinical variables. Predictive validity was assessed using Receiver Operator Characteristic curves and multinomial logistic regression analysis.

Results

We found significant differences between AD and the other groups. Identification of cases suffering from visuo-constructive impairment was possible using VVT scores, but these did not permit classification into diagnostic subgroups.

Conclusions

In summary, VVT scores are useful indicators for visuo-constructive impairment but face challenges when attempting to discriminate between several diagnostic groups.
Spatial characterization of propagation channels for terahertz band
Authors: Aghoutane Bilal , El Ghzaoui Mohammed , El Faylali Hanan
Published: January 2021

The aim of this work consists in characterizing the Terahertz (THz) propagation channel in an indoor environment, in order to propose a channel model for THz bands. We first described a propagation loss model by taking into account the attenuation of the channel as a function of distance and frequency. The impulse response of the channel is then described by a set of rays, characterized by their amplitude, their delay and their phase. Apart from the frequency selective nature, path loss in THz band is also an others issue associated with THz communication systems. This work based on the conventional Saleh-Valenzuela (SV) model which is intended for indoor scenarios. In this paper, we have introduced random variables as Line of sight (LOS) component, and then merging it with the SV channel model to adopt it to the THz context. From simulation, we noted an important effect when the distance between the transmitter and the receiver change. This effect produces variations in frequency loss. The simulations carried out from this model show that to enhance the performance of THz system it is recommended to transmit information over transmission windows instead over the whole band.
Introduction to the Interstellar Medium
Authors: Williams Jonathan P.
Published: January 2021

The gas and dust between the stars emit across the electromagnetic spectrum and are found in a range of physical conditions from diffuse plasmas to cold, dense molecules. Through their study we see how quantum processes shape the structure of our Galaxy and fluid mechanics sets the stellar mass scale. The Interstellar Medium is a very broad subject with layers of complexity, a long history and a steady flow of new results. This comprehensive yet accessible textbook provides a self-contained one-semester course for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students. It is written in a style that students can follow by themselves and allows instructors to use class time to go deeper into the details or show applications to current research. It makes extensive use of publicly accessible data to illustrate specific points and to encourage students to learn by performing their own analyses.
International Relations in the Middle East
Authors: Stein Ewan
Published: January 2021

Developing an original theoretical approach to understanding the roots of regional conflict and cooperation, International Relations in the Middle East explores domestic and international foreign policy dynamics for an accessible insight into how and why Middle Eastern regional order has changed over time. Highlighting interactions between foreign policy trajectories in a range of states including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey, Ewan Stein identifies two main drivers of foreign policy and alignments: competitive support-seeking and ideological externalisation. Clearly linking political, ideological and foreign policy dynamics, Stein demonstrates how the sources of regional antagonisms and solidarities are to be found not in the geopolitical chessboard, but in the hegemonic strategies of the region's pivotal powers. Making the case for historical sociology - in particular the work of Antonio Gramsci and Louis Althusser - as the most powerful lens through which to understand regional politics in the Middle East, with wider implications for the study of regional order elsewhere.
David Gorlæus (1591-1612)
Authors: Lüthy Christoph
Published: January 2021

When David Gorlaeus (1591–1612) passed away at 21 years of age, he left behind two highly innovative manuscripts. Once they were published, his work had a remarkable impact on the evolution of seventeenth-century thought. However, as his identity was unknown, divergent interpretations of their meaning quickly sprang up. Seventeenth-century readers understood him as an anti-Aristotelian thinker and as a precursor of Descartes. Twentieth-century historians depicted him as an atomist, natural scientist and even as a chemist. And yet, when Gorlaeus died, he was a beginning student in theology. His thought must in fact be placed at the intersection between philosophy, the nascent natural sciences, and theology. The aim of this book is to shed light on Gorlaeus’ family circumstances, his education at Franeker and Leiden, and on the virulent Arminian crisis which provided the context within which his work was written. It also attempts to define Gorlaeus’ place in the history of Dutch philosophy and to assess the influence that it exercised in the evolution of philosophy and science, and notably in early Cartesian circles. Christoph Lüthy is professor of the history of philosophy and science at Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Vascular Contributions to Neurodegeneration: Protocol of the COMPASS-ND Study
Authors: Smith Eric E. , Duchesne Simon , Gao Fuqiang , Saad Feryal , Whitehead Victor , McCreary Cheryl R. , Frayne Richard , Gauthier Serge , Camicioli Richard , Borrie Michael , Black Sandra E.
Published: January 2021

Objective:

To describe the neuroimaging and other methods for assessing vascular contributions to neurodegeneration in the Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia (COMPASS-ND) study, a Canadian multi-center, prospective longitudinal cohort study, including reliability and feasibility in the first 200 participants.

Methods:

COMPASS-ND includes persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD; n = 150), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Lewy body dementias (LBDs) (200), mixed dementia (200), mild cognitive impairment (MCI; 400), subcortical ischemic vascular MCI (V-MCI; 200), subjective cognitive impairment (SCI; 300), and cognitively intact elderly controls (660). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was acquired according to the validated Canadian Dementia Imaging Protocol and visually reviewed by either of two experienced readers blinded to clinical characteristics. Other relevant assessments include history of vascular disease and risk factors, blood pressure, height and weight, cholesterol, glucose, and hemoglobin A1c.

Results:

Analyzable data were obtained in 197/200 of whom 18 of whom were clinically diagnosed with V-MCI or mixed dementia. The overall prevalence of infarcts was 24.9%, microbleeds was 24.6%, and high white matter hyperintensity (WMH) was 31.0%. MRI evidence of a potential vascular contribution to neurodegeneration was seen in 12.9%–40.0% of participants clinically diagnosed with another condition such as AD. Inter-rater reliability was good to excellent.

Conclusion:

COMPASS-ND will be a useful platform to study vascular brain injury and its association with risk factors, biomarkers, and cognitive and functional decline across multiple age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Initial findings show that MRI-defined vascular brain injury is common in all cognitive syndromes and is under-recognized clinically.
A structure theorem for stochastic processes indexed by the discrete hypercube
Authors: Dodos Pandelis , Tyros Konstantinos
Published: January 2021

Let A be a finite set with

, let n be a positive integer, and let

$A^n$

denote the discrete

$n\text {-dimensional}$

hypercube (that is,

$A^n$

is the Cartesian product of n many copies of A). Given a family

$\langle D_t:t\in A^n\rangle $

of measurable events in a probability space (a stochastic process), what structural information can be obtained assuming that the events

$\langle D_t:t\in A^n\rangle $

are not behaving as if they were independent? We obtain an answer to this problem (in a strong quantitative sense) subject to a mild ‘stationarity’ condition. Our result has a number of combinatorial consequences, including a new (and the most informative so far) proof of the density Hales-Jewett theorem.
Do campaign contributions buy favorable policies? Evidence from the insurance industry
Authors: Fouirnaies Alexander , Fowler Anthony
Published: January 2021

To learn about the effects of corporate campaign contributions, we study the potential influence of the insurance industry in US state politics. The insurance industry is one of the biggest players in state politics, and we have collected new data on objective measures of the industry's performance in each state over time. We exploit within-state changes in campaign finance regulations which can significantly restrict the ability of corporate contributors to give money and potentially influence elected officials. Across a range of outcomes and campaign finance reforms, we find little evidence that the ability to make corporate campaign contributions benefits the insurance industry in a state. Some results suggest that the ability to make campaign contributions may benefit the insurance industry in states with elected insurance commissioners, but overall, campaign contributions appear to have a little distortionary effect even in a setting where we would most expect to find it.
THE ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGY OF COLLECTIVE BURIALS FROM THE 2ND MILLENNIUM BC IN EAST CENTRAL EUROPE
Authors: Makarowicz Przemysław , Goslar Tomasz , Górski Jacek , Taras Halina , Szczepanek Anita , Pospieszny Łukasz , Jagodinska Marina O , Ilchyshyn Vasyl , Włodarczak Piotr , Juras Anna , Chyleński Maciej , Muzolf Przemysław , Lasota-Kuś Anna , Wójcik Irena , Matoga Andrzej , Nowak Marek , Przybyła Marcin M , Marcinkowska-Swojak Małgorzata , Figlerowicz Marek , Grygiel Ryszard , Czebreszuk Janusz , Kochkin Igor T
Published: January 2021

This article discusses the absolute chronology of collective burials of the Trzciniec Cultural Circle communities of the Middle Bronze Age in East Central Europe. Based on Bayesian modeling of 91 accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dates from 18 cemeteries, the practice of collective burying of individuals was linked to a period of 400–640 (95.4%) years, between 1830–1690 (95.4%) and 1320–1160 (95.4%) BC. Collective burials in mounds with both cremation and inhumation rites were found earliest in the upland zone regardless of grave structure type (mounded or flat). Bayesian modeling of 14C determinations suggests that this practice was being transmitted generally from the southeast to the northwest direction. Bayesian modeling of the dates from the largest cemetery in Żerniki Górne, Lesser Poland Upland, confirmed the duration of use of the necropolis as ca. 140–310 (95.4%) years. Further results show the partial contemporaneity of burials and allow formulation of a spatial and temporal development model of the necropolis. Based on the investigation, some graves were used over just a couple of years and others over nearly 200, with up to 30 individuals found in a single grave.
SURFACE OCEAN RADIOCARBON FROM A PORITES CORAL RECORD IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF: 1945–2017
Authors: Wu Yang , Fallon Stewart J , Cantin Neal E , Lough Janice M
Published: January 2021

We present a high-resolution seawater radiocarbon (Δ14C) record from a Porites coral collected from Masthead Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) covering the years 1945–2017. The Δ14C values from 1945–1953 (pre-bomb era) averaged –49‰. As a result of bomb-produced 14C in the atmosphere, Δ14C values started to rise rapidly from 1959, levelled off at ∼131‰ in the late 1970s and gradually decreased to ∼40.3‰ by 2017 due to the decrease in the air-sea 14C gradient and the overturning of the 14C ocean reservoir (i.e., surface ocean to subsurface ocean; atmosphere to surface ocean). The Masthead Island record is in agreement with previous 14C coral records from the southern GBR. A comparison between surface ocean and atmospheric Δ14C suggests that, since 2010, the main reservoir of bomb-derived 14C has shifted from the atmosphere to the surface ocean, potentially resulting in reversed 14C flux in regions where the CO2 gradient is favorable. The high-resolution Masthead coral Δ14C sheds light on long-term variability in air-sea exchange and GBR regional ocean dynamics associated with climate change and in conjunction with the previous records provides a robust seawater 14C reference series to date other carbonate samples.
TWO SUPERCONGRUENCES RELATED TO MULTIPLE HARMONIC SUMS
Authors: TAURASO ROBERTO
Published: January 2021

Let p be a prime and let x be a p-adic integer. We prove two supercongruences for truncated series of the form
$$\begin{align*}\sum_{k=1}^{p-1} \frac{(x)_k}{(1)_k}\cdot \frac{1}{k}\sum_{1\le j_1\le\cdots\le j_r\le k}\frac{1}{j_1^{}\cdots j_r^{}}\quad\mbox{and}\quad \sum_{k=1}^{p-1} \frac{(x)_k(1-x)_k}{(1)_k^2}\cdot \frac{1}{k}\sum_{1\le j_1\le\cdots\le j_r\le k}\frac{1}{j_1^{2}\cdots j_r^{2}}\end{align*}$$
which generalise previous results. We also establish q-analogues of two binomial identities.
Phospholipase C signal mediated the glucose-induced changes of glucose absorption and lipid accumulation in the intestinal epithelial cells of yellow catfishPelteobagrus fulvidraco
Authors: Zhao Tao , Yang Shui-Bo , Xu Yi-Chuang , Chen Guang-Hui , Xu Yi-Huan , Luo Zhi
Published: January 2021

In present study, we explored the effects and the underlying mechanisms of phospholipase C (PLC) mediating glucose-induced changes in intestinal glucose transport and lipid metabolism by using U-73122 (a PLC inhibitor). We found that glucose incubation activated the PLC signal and U-73122 pre-incubation alleviated the glucose-induced increase inplcb2,plce1andplcg1mRNA expression. Meanwhile, U-73122 pre-treatment blunted the glucose-induced increase in sodium/glucose co-transporters 1/2 mRNA and protein expressions. U-73122 pre-treatment alleviated the glucose-induced increase in TAG content, BODIPY 493/503 fluorescence intensity, lipogenic enzymes (glucose 6-phospate dehydrogenase (G6PD), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), malic enzyme and fatty acid synthase (FAS)) activity and the mRNA expressions of lipogenic genes and related transcription factors (6pgd, g6pd, fas, acca, srebp1and carbohydrate response element-binding protein (chrebp)) in intestinal epithelial cells of yellow catfish. Further research found that U-73122 pre-incubation mitigated the glucose-induced increase in the ChREBP protein expression and the acetylation level of ChREBP in HEK293T cells. Taken together, these data demonstrated that the PLC played a major role in the glucose-induced changes of glucose transport and lipid metabolism and provide a new perspective for revealing the molecular mechanism of glucose-induced changes of intestinal glucose absorption, lipid deposition and metabolism.
New insights into the early evolution of horizontal spiral trace fossils and the age of the Brioverian series (Ediacaran–Cambrian) in Brittany, NW France
Authors: Gougeon Romain , Néraudeau Didier , Loi Alfredo , Poujol Marc
Published: January 2021

In northwestern France, the Brioverian series is a thick siliciclastic succession deposited during the Cadomian cycle (c. 750–540 Ma). In the uppermost Brioverian beds, previous studies unravelled an assemblage dominated by simple horizontal trace fossils associated with microbially stabilized surfaces. Here, we report Spirodesmos trace fossils – one-way, irregular and regular horizontal spirals – from Crozon (Finistère, Brittany), Montfort-sur-Meu and St-Gonlay (Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany). After reviewing the literature on horizontal spiral trace fossils, an Ediacaran–Fortunian Spirodesmos pool is identified from marginal-marine to shelf settings, while an Ordovician–Recent trend formed in the deep-marine realm. These results suggest that an onshore–offshore migration in Spirodesmos took place during Ediacaran–Fortunian to Ordovician time, similar to what happened in graphoglyptids. In addition, the age of the uppermost Brioverian beds (Ediacaran or early Cambrian) is still a pending question. Here, we report two new U–Pb detrital zircon datings from sandstone samples in St-Gonlay, giving maximum deposition ages of 551 ± 7 Ma and 540 ± 5 Ma. Although these results do not discard an Ediacaran age for the uppermost Brioverian beds, a Fortunian age is envisioned because the new dating corroborates previous dating from Brittany, Mayenne and Normandy. However, the intervals of error of the radiometric dating, and the dominance of non-penetrative trace fossils associated with matgrounds (an ecology more typical of the Ediacaran Period), do not allow definitive conclusions on the age of the uppermost Brioverian beds.
Risks and benefits of vegan and vegetarian diets in children
Authors: Kiely Mairead E.
Published: January 2021

In parallel with increased public awareness of the health and environmental benefits of consuming a plant-based diet, the numbers of people who identify as vegan has increased sharply. The question of whether vegetarian and vegan diets are appropriate for children is a longstanding and unresolved controversy. The more restrictive the diet and the younger the child, the greater the risk of nutritional deficiency. Nutrients of potential concern are protein quantity and quality, iron, zinc, selenium, calcium, riboflavin, vitamins A, D, B12 and essential fatty acids. Although intakes and status of some nutrients (e.g. vitamin D and iron) are low in many children, vegan children are particularly susceptible due to inadequate supply and/or excess dietary fibre as well as other components that limit bioavailability. Although position papers from North America state that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets, supplemented appropriately, are suitable for all life stages, European statements include strong recommendations to parents that vegan diets should not be adopted by children without medical and dietetic supervision. Case histories of malnutrition and serious harm persist, including irreversible neurological damage due to vitamin B12 deficiency among un-supplemented children. The evidence available to evaluate the nutritional appropriateness of vegetarian diets for children is inadequate and dated. Although nutritionally adequate vegetarian diets are more easily achieved, successful provision of a complete vegan diet for a young child requires substantial commitment, expert guidance, planning, resources and supplementation.
Adverse childhood experiences and transcriptional response in school-age children
Authors: Marie-Mitchell A. , Cole S.W.
Published: January 2021

This study evaluated whether children with higher adverse childhood experiences (ACE) scores had alterations in immune cell gene expression profiles. RNA sequencing was conducted on dried blood spot samples from 37 generally healthy English-speaking children (age 5–11) who were recruited from well-child visits at a university-affiliated pediatric practice. The Whole Child Assessment was used to assess ACE exposure. Primary analyses examined an a priori-specified composite of 19 pro-inflammatory gene transcripts. Secondary analyses examined a 34-gene composite assessing Type I interferon response, and used Transcript Origin Analyses to identify cellular mechanisms. After controlling for age, body mass index percentile, sex, race/ethnicity, current insurance status, and household smoking exposure, pro-inflammatory gene expression was elevated by 0.094 log2 RNA expression units with each Child-ACE total score point (p = .019). Type I interferon gene expression was similarly upregulated (0.103; p = .008). Transcript origin analyses implicated CD8+ T cell as the primary sources of gene transcripts upregulated, and nonclassical (CD16+) monocytes as sources of downregulated transcripts. These preliminary analyses suggest that parent-reported ACE exposures are associated with increased expression of both inflammatory and interferon gene transcripts in children's circulating blood cells.