bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temperature acclimation alters phytoplankton growth and production rates
Authors: Strock Jacob P. , Menden‐Deuer Susanne
Published: October 2020

Temperature is a major driver of phytoplankton growth and physiology, but despite decades of study on temperature effects, the influence of temperature fluctuations on the growth acclimation of marine phytoplankton is largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we subjected a coastal phytoplankton species, Heterosigma akashiwo, to ecologically relevant temperature shifts of 2–3°C, cumulatively totaling 3–16°C across a range from 6°C to 31°C over a 3‐week period. Using a symmetric design, we show time dependent differences between growth rates and that these changes were related to the magnitude of the temperature shift, but not the direction. Cell size scaled inversely with temperature at a rate of −1.9 to −3.3%°C−1 at all except the highest temperature treatments > 25°C. Intraspecific variability in growth rates increased exponentially with cumulative thermal shifts, suggesting thermal variability may be a driver of intraspecific variation. The observed acclimation effects on phytoplankton growth rates suggest that ignoring acclimation effects could systematically under or overestimate temperature‐dependent primary production. Empirical results, contextualized with in situ coastal ocean temperature record, demonstrated that daily primary production could differ from current model assumptions utilizing acclimated rates by −33% to +36%. If broadly applicable to diverse phytoplankton species, these results have ramifications for predicting the ecology and production of phytoplankton in present day dynamic ecosystems and in future climate scenarios where thermal variability is expected to increase.
Surface elevation change evaluation in mangrove forests using a low‐cost, rapid‐scan terrestrial laser scanner
Authors: Rouzbeh Kargar Ali , MacKenzie Richard A. , Fafard Alexander , Krauss Ken W. , van Aardt Jan
Published: October 2020

Mangrove forests have adapted to sea level rise (SLR) increases by maintaining their forest floor elevation via belowground root growth and surface sediment deposits. Researchers use surface elevation tables (SETs) to monitor surface elevation change (SEC) in mangrove forests, after which this information is used to assess SLR resiliency or to dictate active forest management for vulnerable systems. This method requires significant investments in terms of time and human resources and is limited in the number of points it can measure per plot. We use a low‐cost, portable terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) system to assess SEC for three mangrove forests on Pohnpei Island (Federated States of Micronesia). Cloth simulation filtering was used for ground detection, after which results were refined by filtering points using angular orientation. Digital elevation models then were generated via kriging interpolation for data collected in 2017 and 2019, after which the heights of corresponding points were compared across years. Extreme elevation changes, due to disturbances such as footprints or fallen logs, were removed using interquartile range analysis. The TLS‐obtained average SEC ranged between −6.92 and +6.01 mm, which exhibited an average consistency of 72% when compared to simultaneously collected SET data (root mean square error = 1.36 mm). We contend that this approach represents an improvement over the manual method, where very few points typically are used, that is, ≅ 36 points vs. ≅ 30,000 points in the case of TLS, and could contribute to improved monitoring and management of these rapidly changing forest environments.
Graphitic Carbon Nitride Stabilized Water‐in‐Water Emulsions
Authors: Zhang Jianrui , Frank Bradley D. , Kumru Baris , Schmidt Bernhard V. K. J.
Published: October 2020

Aqueous multiphase systems have attracted a lot of interest recently espeically due to target applications in the biomedical field, cosmetics, and food. In turn, water‐in‐water Pickering emulsions are investigated frequently. In here, graphitic carbon nitride (g‐CN) stabilized water‐in‐water Pickering emulsions are fabricated via the dextran and poly(ethylene glycol)‐based aqueous two‐phase system. Five different derivatives of g‐CN as the Pickering stabilizer are described and the effect of g‐CN concentration on droplet sizes is investigated. Stable emulsions (up to 16 weeks) are obtained that can be broken on purpose via various approaches, including dilution, surfactant addition, and most notably light irradiation. The novel approach of water‐in‐water emulsion stabilization via g‐CN opens up considerable advances in aqueous multiphase systems and may also introduce photocatalytic properties.
Microbiota profile and efficacy of probiotic supplementation on laxation in adults affected by Prader‐Willi Syndrome: A randomized, double‐blind, crossover trial
Authors: Alyousif Zainab , Miller Jennifer L. , Auger Jeremie , Sandoval Mariana , Piano Amanda , Tompkins Thomas A. , Dahl Wendy J.
Published: October 2020

Background

Probiotics may provide a benefit for adults with Prader‐Willi syndrome (PWS) experiencing constipation. The primary aim was to determine if Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis B94 (B. lactis B94) improves stool frequency, with secondary aims of stool form and gastrointestinal symptoms. Exploratory aims included diet quality and fecal microbiota composition.

Methods

Following a 4‐week baseline, 25 adults with PWS were randomized to consume B. lactis B94 by capsule (15 billion) or placebo for 4 weeks, followed by 4‐week washout in a double‐blind, crossover design. Stool frequency and Bristol Stool Form (BSF) were assessed daily, and Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) and dietary intake (7‐days food records), per period. Fecal microbiota per period was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and taxa of interest by qPCR (n = 24).

Results

No adverse events were reported. Stool frequency at baseline (n = 25; 2.0 ± 0.1 stools/day), GSRS syndromes, and microbiota composition did not differ with the probiotic intervention overall; however, a delayed, carry‐over effect on BSF types 6 and 7 was seen. Diet quality by HEI‐2015 was 65.4 ± 8.5.

Conclusion

In adults with PWS, B. lactis B94 exhibited little effect on laxation over 4 weeks; however, further research is needed.
Reduction of breathing artifacts in multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography of the abdomen
Authors: Shahryari Mehrgan , Meyer Tom , Warmuth Carsten , Herthum Helge , Bertalan Gergely , Tzschätzsch Heiko , Stencel Lisa , Lukas Steffen , Lilaj Ledia , Braun Jürgen , Sack Ingolf
Published: October 2020

Purpose

With abdominal magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) often suffering from breathing artifacts, it is recommended to perform MRE during breath‐hold. However, breath‐hold acquisition prohibits extended multifrequency MRE examinations and yields inconsistent results when patients cannot hold their breath. The purpose of this work was to analyze free‐breathing strategies in multifrequency MRE of abdominal organs.

Methods

Abdominal MRE with 30, 40, 50, and 60 Hz vibration frequencies and single‐shot, multislice, full wave‐field acquisition was performed four times in 11 healthy volunteers: once with multiple breath‐holds and three times during free breathing with ungated, gated, and navigated slice adjustment. Shear wave speed maps were generated by tomoelastography inversion. Image registration was applied for correction of intrascan misregistration of image slices. Sharpness of features was quantified by the variance of the Laplacian.

Results

Total scan times ranged from 120 seconds for ungated free‐breathing MRE to 376 seconds for breath‐hold examinations. As expected, free‐breathing MRE resulted in larger organ displacements (liver, 4.7 ± 1.5 mm; kidneys, 2.4 ± 2.2 mm; spleen, 3.1 ± 2.4 mm; pancreas, 3.4 ± 1.4 mm) than breath‐hold MRE (liver, 0.7 ± 0.2 mm; kidneys, 0.4 ± 0.2 mm; spleen, 0.5 ± 0.2 mm; pancreas, 0.7 ± 0.5 mm). Nonetheless, breathing‐related displacement did not affect mean shear wave speed, which was consistent across all protocols (liver, 1.43 ± 0.07 m/s; kidneys, 2.35 ± 0.21 m/s; spleen, 2.02 ± 0.15 m/s; pancreas, 1.39 ± 0.15 m/s). Image registration before inversion improved the quality of free‐breathing examinations, yielding no differences in image sharpness to uncorrected breath‐hold MRE in most organs (P> .05).

Conclusion

Overall, multifrequency MRE is robust to breathing when considering whole‐organ values. Respiration‐related blurring can readily be corrected using image registration. Consequently, ungated free‐breathing MRE combined with image registration is recommended for multifrequency MRE of abdominal organs.
Age‐related changes in appendicular lean mass in males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A retrospective review
Authors: Summer Suzanne S. , Wong Brenda L. , Rutter Meilan M. , Horn Paul S. , Tian Cuixia , Rybalsky Irina , Shellenbarger K. Courtney , Kalkwarf Heidi J.
Published: October 2020

Background

Appendicular lean mass (ALM) trajectory in males with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has potential applicability for treatment and research and has not been characterized.

Methods

This chart review included longitudinal data on 499 males with DMD receiving glucocorticoids and 693 controls, ages 5 to 22.9 y. ALM (kg) was measured by dual energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). Appendicular lean mass index (ALMI, kg/m2) was calculated for height adjustment. Reference centiles were generated using data from healthy controls, and ALM and ALMI Z‐scores were calculated for patients with DMD. Generalized linear models were used to estimate median Z‐scores by age and functional mobility status (FMS) score. ALM velocity by age was modeled using superimposition, translation and rotation (SITAR).

Results

Compared to controls, males with DMD had lower ALM from an early age. ALMI Z‐scores dropped below 0 at age 8 y or FMS of 2, and below −2.0 at age 13 y or FMS of 3 (P < .05). Age at peak ALM velocity was similar in both groups, but the magnitude was higher in controls (3.5 vs. 0.7 kg/y, P < .0001). Patients with DMD had a transient loss of ALM around age 12 y, an increase at age 14 y, then a further decline at age 16 y, remaining low thereafter.

Conclusions

Males with DMD have progressive decline in lean mass with age and worsening functional mobility. DXA measurement of ALM may be useful for monitoring lean mass status in patients with DMD, providing valuable information for individual treatment plans and research endeavors.
A retrospective review of the long term clinical outcomes of patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction following transverse myelitis
Authors: Knight Sarah Louise , Riley Claire , Wagh Yogit , Lee Frank , Shah Julian , Hamid Rizwan
Published: October 2020

Aims

Transverse myelitis (TM) is an inflammation of the spinal cord which causes neurological deficit in motor, sensory, and autonomic pathways. Persistent neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) is common even where motor and sensory impairment is recovered. Long term follow‐up is required to ensure optimal bladder management and protection of the upper tracts. We describe the clinical outcomes for a cohort of patients with TM who have received neurourological follow‐up in a specialist center.

Methods

A retrospective review of TM patient records was performed. Current pharmaceutical and surgical management, upper tract status, and patient reported symptoms are reported. Changes in urodynamic parameters and bladder emptying technique between current and baseline were analyzed.

Results

Sixty patients with NLUTD following TM were identified. The mean age at onset of NLUTD was 29 years (0–77 years). The mean follow‐up was 13 years. 55% of patients were taking antimuscarinic medication, 53% of patients had intradetrusor botulinum toxin injections and 5% had bladder augmentation surgery. Forty‐one patients had a baseline and recent urodynamic study which could be compared. Fifty‐three of fifty‐eight patients with a recent renal ultrasound had normal renal appearance. Four had mild hydronephrosis and one more extensive hydronephrosis.

Conclusion

TM can have a persistent effect on lower urinary tract function. There is potential for upper tract damage if bladder management is not optimized. We have demonstrated that in a specialist neurourology unit within a tertiary center, one can provide acceptable long term outcomes following international guidelines.
Rapid prediction and inverse design of distortion behaviors of composite materials using artificial neural networks
Authors: Luo Ling , Zhang Boming , Zhang Guowei , Li Xueqin , Fang Xiaobin , Li Weidong , Zhang Zhenchong
Published: October 2020

If the process‐induced distortions (PIDs) of asymmetrical laminates can be predicted accurately and tailored at the early design stage, the production of curved panels from flat molds could be an attractive technique in a cost‐driven production environment. A data‐driven computational methodology which integrates the finite element method (FEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) is presented to rapidly predict the maximum PID and to perform high‐throughput screening of thermosetting‐matrix composites of an asymmetrical laminate for a targeted maximum PID. We performed a grid search on ANN architectures and hyper‐parameters using cross‐validation and obtained a well‐trained ANN model with high generalization performance. For the forward problem, the ANN model was adopted to predict the maximum PIDs of CYCOM X850 and CYCOM 977‐2 prepregs, which were subsequently verified experimentally. For inverse design, a large‐scale screening method based on the ANN model was utilized to determine the candidates for a targeted maximum PID, with an experimental demonstration using one of these candidates. The well‐trained ANN model provides an alternative approach to faster computation with high accuracy for the maximum PID prediction and further guides the discovery of materials with desired distortion behaviors.
Exploration of mandelicacid‐basedpolymethacrylates: Synthesis, properties, and stereochemical effects
Authors: Yarolimek Mark R. , Kennemur Justin G.
Published: October 2020

Mandelic acid (MA) was utilized as a chiral biomass‐based precursor to synthesize methacrylic monomers suitable for radical polymerization. A series of polymers were made that incorporated varying feeds of monomer stereopurity and the properties of these materials were investigated. High molar masses (>90 kg/mol) were achieved and the chirality in each polymer closely reflected the stereopurity of the monomer feeds. It was discovered that stereochemical effects had very little influence on the thermal and viscoelastic properties of the polymers produced, however, the steric bulk of the chiral pendants resulted in glassy, amorphous, and thermally stable materials with very low degrees of entanglement. The synthesis, thermal, and viscoelastic properties are discussed.
Quantum Fluctuations and New Instantons II: Quartic Unbounded Potential
Authors: Mukhanov V. F. , Rabinovici E. , Sorin A. S.
Published: October 2020

We study the fate of a false vacuum in the case of a potential that contains a portion which is quartic and unbounded. We first prove that an O(4) invariant instanton with the Coleman boundary conditions does not exist in this case. This, however, does not imply that the false vacuum does not decay. We show how the quantum fluctuations may regularize the singular classical solutions. This gives rise to a new class of O(4) invariant regularized instantons which describe the vacuum instability in the absence of the Coleman instanton. We derive the corresponding solutions and calculate the decay rate they induce.
English Learners’ Acquisition of Academic Vocabulary: Instruction Matters, but So Do Word Characteristics
Authors: August Diane , Uccelli Paola , Artzi Lauren , Barr Christopher , Francis David J.
Published: October 2020

In this cluster randomized control trial study, the authors explored the efficacy of an intervention designed to improve second‐grade English learners’ knowledge of challenging, high‐utility English vocabulary. The authors also examined whether the intervention had a differential effect on content words that differ on two attributes (cognate status and abstractness designation) and whether the effects lasted across time. Within schools, teachers were randomly assigned to treatment or control conditions, resulting in 12 treatment classrooms and 10 control classrooms. Teachers in the treatment condition developed vocabulary using six methods: interactive shared reading, direct instruction of individual words, instruction in cognate use, activities to foster word consciousness and reinforce instructed words, and use of visual and linguistic supports. Teachers in the control condition read the same books with the target vocabulary inserted into the stories. Findings on the curriculum‐based and standardized measure of vocabulary indicated that the intervention implemented for four 50‐minute lessons per week for 18 weeks was effective in helping English learners acquire challenging high‐utility school‐relevant vocabulary (Cohen’s d = 1.88 for content words; d = 0.41 for connecting words; d = 0.47 for the Test of Oral Language Development). The effects differed by word characteristics, with higher effect sizes for words that are noncognates (d = 1.57 for both concrete and abstract noncognates; d = 1.02 concrete cognates; d = 0.81 for abstract cognates). Ten months after the intervention, treatment students still outperformed control students on content vocabulary learned during the intervention (d = 1.31). This study helps validate a multifaceted approach to vocabulary intervention and research.
Window of opportunity for human amnion epithelial stem cells to attenuate astrogliosis after umbilical cord occlusion in preterm fetal sheep
Authors: Davidson Joanne O. , Heuij Lotte G. , Fraser Mhoyra , Wassink Guido , Miller Suzanne L. , Lim Rebecca , Wallace Euan M. , Jenkin Graham , Gunn Alistair J. , Bennet Laura
Published: October 2020

There is increasing evidence that administration of many types of stem cells, including human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs), can reduce hypoxic-ischemic injury, including in the perinatal brain. However, the therapeutic window for single dose treatment is not known. We compared the effects of early and delayed intracerebroventricular administration of hAECs in fetal sheep at 0.7 gestation on brain injury induced by 25 minutes of complete umbilical cord occlusion (UCO) or sham occlusion. Fetuses received either 1 × 106 hAECs or vehicle alone, as an infusion over 1 hour, either 2 or 24 hours after UCO. Fetuses were killed for brain histology at 7 days post-UCO. hAEC infusion at both 2 and 24 hours had dramatic anti-inflammatory and anti-gliotic effects, including significantly attenuating the increase in microglia after UCO in the white and gray matter and the number of astrocytes in the white matter. Both protocols partially improved myelination, but had no effect on total or immature/mature numbers of oligodendrocytes. Neuronal survival in the hippocampus was increased by hAEC infusion at either 2 or 24 hours, whereas only hAECs at 24 hours were associated with improved neuronal survival in the striatum and thalamus. Neither protocol improved recovery of electroencephalographic (EEG) power. These data suggest that a single infusion of hAECs is anti-inflammatory, anti-gliotic, and neuroprotective in preterm fetal sheep when given up to 24 hours after hypoxia-ischemia, but was associated with limited white matter protection after 7 days recovery and no improvement in the recovery of EEG power.
Robust estimation in the nested case‐control design under a misspecified covariate functional form
Authors: Nuño Michelle M. , Gillen Daniel L.
Published: October 2020

The Cox proportional hazards model is typically used to analyze time‐to‐event data. If the event of interest is rare and covariates are difficult or expensive to collect, the nested case‐control (NCC) design provides consistent estimates at reduced costs with minimal impact on precision if the model is specified correctly. If our scientific goal is to conduct inference regarding an association of interest, it is essential that we specify the model a priori to avoid multiple testing bias. We cannot, however, be certain that all assumptions will be satisfied so it is important to consider robustness of the NCC design under model misspecification. In this manuscript, we show that in finite sample settings where the functional form of a covariate of interest is misspecified, the estimates resulting from the partial likelihood estimator under the NCC design depend on the number of controls sampled at each event time. To account for this dependency, we propose an estimator that recovers the results obtained using using the full cohort, where full covariate information is available for all study participants. We present the utility of our estimator using simulation studies and show the theoretical properties. We end by applying our estimator to motivating data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.
Encapsulated Nanodroplets for Enhanced Fluorescence Detection by Nano‐Extraction
Authors: Li Miaosi , Cao Rong , Dyett Brendan , Zhang Xuehua
Published: October 2020

Enhancement of the detection signal of fluorescence microscopy in highly diluted solutions is of great importance in chemical analysis, sensing, and bioassay applications. Surface nanodroplets with atto‐ to femto‐liter volumes are promising tools for sensitive online detection by integrating their extremely efficient nano‐extraction and optical advantages. In this paper, the development of novel basic units of nanodroplets‐in‐a‐microdroplet by simple solvent exchange is reported. The encapsulated nanodroplets are applied for ultrasensitive and online detection in fluorescence imaging. The biphasic nature of the droplet composite enables simultaneous extraction and enrichment of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds. Furthermore, the desirable lensing effect of the curved surface of the nanodroplets enhances the collection of light emitted from the fluorophore extracted in the droplets by ≈60‐fold, allowing sensitive and quantitative analysis of the fluorophore using fluorescence microscopy. The results highlight the potential of encapsulated nanodroplets as a simple and innovative method of signal enhancement in chemical analysis. By integrating selective concentration, extraction, and sensitive detection, the encapsulated nanodroplets reported here may have broad applications in many chemical and biological matrices.
1D/2D Heterostructured Photocatalysts: From Design and Unique Properties to Their Environmental Applications
Authors: He Zuoli , Zhang Jing , Li Xuan , Guan Shengnan , Dai Mingchong , Wang Shuguang
Published: October 2020

With the progress of dissimilar dimensional materials, 1D and 2D materials have been extensively investigated as heterogeneous photocatalysts, which realize the unique dimensionality‐dependent advantages and mitigate the disadvantages during the environmental and sustainable energy applications. The progress in 1D/2D heterogeneous photocatalysts stems from the combination of different growth modes between 1D and 2D nanostructures and the judicious control to establish the oriented 1D/2D interface. To promote this field, it is necessary to gain insights into the interface engineering in the 1D/2D heterogeneous photocatalysts. This mini‐review summarizes the designed synthesis and application of dimensional heterogeneous photocatalysts from 1D and 2D materials. Some typical research to overview the advantages of different types of interface engineered 1D/2D heterogeneous photocatalysts for various photocatalytic processes is highlighted in detail. At last, this review ends by drawing on more design strategies for such 1D/2D heterogeneous photocatalysts, which may inspire further developments of efficient dissimilar dimensional heterogeneous photocatalysts.
Global Immunometabolic Profiling of AECOPD
Authors: Song Dongli , Liu Fangming , Zhu Bijun , Yin Jun , Kuang Zhongshu , Dong Zhimin , Yan Lei , Ye Ling , Zhang Yong , Song Zhenju , Wu Duojiao , Wang Xiangdong
Published: October 2020

Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is a major public health issue. In the study, mass cytometry is used with extensive antibody panels to perform in‐depth immune profiling of samples from patients with AECOPD, acute lung infection(AI) and healthy controls. Immune composition of 11 populations including CD4/CD8 T cells, B cells, NK cells, and others is identified. Significantly, 7 T cell subsets are changed among the three groups. Then RNA sequencing at single cell level is further processed to provide a detailed peripheral T cell immunity of AECOPD. Combined analysis suggests that dysfunctional effector T cells in AECOPD are characterized with suppressed mitochondria, dampened mTOR activity, and IFN‐γ production. Furthermore, targeting mTOR pathway synergized the PD‐1 blockade therapy promotes T cell glycolysis and IFN‐γ production. The study presents an in‐depth immunometabolic atlas of AECOPD.
Metal–Organic Framework Derived Fe7S8 Nanoparticles Embedded in Heteroatom‐Doped Carbon with Lithium and Sodium Storage Capability
Authors: Li Huihua , Ma Yuan , Zhang Huang , Diemant Thomas , Behm R. Jürgen , Varzi Alberto , Passerini Stefano
Published: October 2020

Iron sulfides are promising materials for lithium‐ and sodium‐ion batteries owing to their high theoretical capacity and widespread abundance. Herein, the performance of an iron sulfide‐carbon composite, synthesized from a Fe‐based metal–organic framework (Fe‐MIL‐88NH2) is reported. The material is composed of ultrafine Fe7S8 nanoparticles (<10 nm in diameter) embedded in a heteroatom (N, S, and O)‐doped carbonaceous framework (Fe7S8@HD‐C), and is obtained via a simple and efficient one‐step sulfidation process. The Fe7S8@HD‐C composite, investigated in diethylene glycol dimethyl ether‐based electrolytes as anode material for lithium and sodium batteries, shows high reversible capacities (930 mAh g−1 for lithium and 675 mAh g−1 for sodium at 0.1 A g−1). In situ X‐ray diffraction reveals an insertion reaction to occur in the first lithiation and sodiation steps, followed by conversion reactions. The composite electrodes show rather promising long‐term cycling stability and rate capability for sodium storage in glyme electrolyte, while an improved rate capacity and long‐term cycling stability (800 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at 1 A g−1) for lithium can be achieved using conventional carbonates.
A graph‐based convolutional neural network stock price prediction with leading indicators
Authors: Wu Jimmy Ming‐Tai , Li Zhongcui , Srivastava Gautam , Tasi Meng‐Hsiun , Lin Jerry Chun‐Wei
Published: October 2020

The stock market is a capitalistic haven where the issued shares are transferred, traded, and circulated. It bases stock prices on the issue market, however, the structure and trading activities of the stock market are much more complicated than the issue market itself. Therefore, making an accurate prediction becomes an intricate as well as highly difficult task. On the other hand, because of the potential benefits of stock prediction, it attracts generation after generation of scholars as well as investors to continuously develop various prediction methods from different perspectives, a myriad of theories, a multitude of investment strategies, and different practical experiences. In this article, aiming at the task of time series (financial) feature extraction and prediction of price movements, a new convolutional novel neural network that can be called a framework to improve the prediction accuracy of stock trading is proposed. The method that is proposed is called SSACNN, a short form of stock sequence array convolutional neural network. SSACNN collects data including historical data of prices and its leading indicators (options/futures) for a stock to take an array as the input graph of the convolutional neural network framework. In our experimental results, five Taiwanese and American stocks were used as a benchmark to compare with the previous algorithms and proposed algorithm, the motion prediction performance of SSACNN has been improved significantly and proved that it has the potential to be applied in the real financial market.
Internationalization strategies of emerging market multinationals in luxury fashion retailing—Case study of Shandong Ruyi Group
Authors: Bai Huifeng , He Weijing , Shi Jin , McColl Julie , Moore Christopher
Published: October 2020

This article aims to examine internationalization strategies of emerging market multinationals (EMNCs) in luxury fashion retailing via their motives, direction, and entry modes. Through the case study of the Shandong Ruyi Group, data were collected using 10 in‐depth executive interviews between 2018 and 2019. The research finds that the internationalization of EMNCs in luxury fashion retailing is predominantly motivated by proactive factors, including the vision to develop to a global luxury fashion conglomerate, and the ambition to control the whole value chain from sourcing, to manufacturing and retailing. The international expansion direction in terms of production is strategic and driven by resource availability and production capability, and in terms of distribution was opportunist but is increasingly strategic. High cost entry modes are preferred, including internal organic growth, external expansion strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, and strategic alliances with a majority of equity, because of the high degree of control.
The Economics of Resistance Through an Ethical Lens
Authors: Smith Richard D. , Coast Joanna
Published: October 2020

Economics is concerned with the analysis of choice and the efficient use of resources. Markets for antibiotics are heavily affected by their ‘public good’ nature and the externality that results from their consumption in terms of resistance. The non-excludability and non-rivalry associated with knowledge production in antibiotic development also has implications for the supply of antibiotics. On the demand side there are ethical issues associated with free-riding by consumers, free-riding across nations and free-riding across time. On the supply side, the lack of a pipeline for new antibiotics for the future causes both ethical and economic issues – and from both perspectives, efforts should perhaps focus more on alternatives to antibiotics and adjustments to heath care systems to reduce reliance on antibiotics. Indeed, unlike many areas of health care, where economics and ethical perspectives may differ, antimicrobial resistance is a case where the two perspectives align in terms of ensuring efficient and sustainable development and use of this precious resources. All strategies for dealing with resistance should share the same goals of achieving an optimal balance in the use of antimicrobial agents and explicit consideration of the distributional implications.
Preventive Therapy for Multidrug Resistant Latent Tuberculosis Infection: An Ethical Imperative with Ethical Barriers to Implementation?
Authors: Nguyen Binh , Fox Greg J. , Mason Paul H. , Denholm Justin T.
Published: October 2020

Multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has a substantial impact on individuals and communities globally, including lengthy, expensive and burdensome therapy with high rates of treatment failure and death. Strategies to prevent disease are well established for those who acquire latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) after exposure to drug susceptible TB (DS-TB). However, there has been limited research or programmatic experience regarding the prevention of MDR-TB. Accordingly, while global recommendations strongly emphasize the need to deliver LTBI therapy after TB exposure, most programs do not do so where MDR LTBI is identified.

The paucity of prospective randomized trial evidence for the effectiveness of MDR LTBI therapy, and concerns regarding its adverse effects, have been used to justify a reluctance to scale up programmatic interventions to prevent MDR-TB, or to participate in research evaluating such strategies. However, such a response fails to adequately balance potential risks of therapy with the substantial harms associated with inaction. Furthermore, the cost of inaction falls disproportionately on the most vulnerable members of society, including children. Delays in implementing proven preventive strategies may also mask hidden programmatic concerns, particularly regarding the financial cost and other burdens of treating drug resistant infection. Reticence to engage with preventative therapy for MDR-TB, even in the absence of high-level evidence, may run counter to the best interests of individuals who have been exposed to MDR-TB.

This chapter will explore ethical tensions raised by expanding access to preventative therapies for MDR-TB, and consider how ethically optimal responses to this adverse condition may be evaluated. An ethical perspective on evidentiary burden will be addressed, emphasizing how MDR LTBI research may both offer, and be shaped by, paradigmatic insights into human research ethics more generally. Emerging research and illustrations from the authors programmatic engagement in Vietnam are offered as case examples, because social and community expectations and norms may challenge, or support, implementation of therapy for drug-resistant infection. Such circumstances prompt consideration of the broader questions of social impact, such as the potential for widespread preventive therapy to accelerate the development of antimicrobial resistance.
Antimicrobial Footprints, Fairness, and Collective Harm
Authors: Schwenkenbecher Anne
Published: October 2020

This chapter explores the question of whether or not individual agents are under a moral obligation to reduce their ‘antimicrobial footprint’. An agent’s antimicrobial footprint measures the extent to which her actions are causally linked to the use of antibiotics. As such, it is not necessarily a measure of her contribution to antimicrobial resistance. Talking about people’s antimicrobial footprint in a way we talk about our carbon footprint may be helpful for drawing attention to the global effects of individual behaviour and for highlighting that our choices can collectively make a real difference. But can we be morally obligated to make a contribution to resolving a collective action problem when our individual contributions by themselves make no discernible difference? I will focus on two lines of argument in favour of such obligations: whether a failure to reduce one’s antimicrobial footprint is unfair and whether it constitutes wrongdoing because it is harmful. I conclude by suggesting that the argument from collective harm is ultimately more successful.
Women’s Road Movies and Affirmative Wandering: Messidor
Authors: Ceuterick Maud
Published: October 2020

Through a close analysis of the road movieMessidor(Alain Tanner,Messidor. VHS. Switzerland: Citel Films, 1979), this chapter exemplifies the limits of considering the mobility of women in the same terms as men’s. The numerous obstacles that women need to overcome before even leaving home in the road movie genre shatter the romantic idea of travel as freedom to be found on the road. Instead, the seemingly transformative potential of mobility is to be found in the habitation of space itself. Considering space and mobility outside of gendered models calls for other tools, concepts, and vocabulary, which include attention to the forms that wilfulness takes on screen.
Houses and Wilful Women: Wadjda
Authors: Ceuterick Maud
Published: October 2020

This chapter usesWadjda(Haifaa Al-Mansour,Wadjda.DVD. Saudi Arabia/Germany: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2012) as a case study to show how the wilfulness of women requires dissimulation and persistence in order to obtain the same rights as men have. A phenomenological analysis of the film shows how bodies give rise to wilful forms on screen and modify the gendered power relations (the power-geometries) at play in different spaces, such as the house, the school, and the street. Through micro-instances of activism, the wilful child converts the house into a heterotopia, making space beyond patriarchy and assumptions of a certain ‘feminine’ docility.
On the Consideration of Diffusive Fluxes Within High-Pressure Injections
Authors: Föll Fabian , Gerber Valerie , Munz Claus-Dieter , Weigand Berhand , Lamanna Grazia
Published: October 2020

Mixing characteristics of supercritical injection studies were analyzed with regard to the necessity to include diffusive fluxes. Therefore, speed of sound data from mixing jets were investigated using an adiabatic mixing model and compared to an analytic solution. In this work, we show that the generalized application of the adiabatic mixing model may become inappropriate for subsonic submerged jets at high-pressure conditions. Two cases are discussed where thermal and concentration driven fluxes are seen to have significant influence. To which extent the adiabatic mixing model is valid depends on the relative importance of local diffusive fluxes, namely Fourier, Fick and Dufour diffusion. This is inter alia influenced by different time and length scales. The experimental data from a high-pressure n-hexane/nitrogen jet injection were investigated numerically. Finally, based on recent numerical findings, the plausibility of different thermodynamic mixing models for binary mixtures under high pressure conditions is analyzed.
Assessment of RANS Turbulence Models for Straight Cooling Ducts: Secondary Flow and Strong Property Variation Effects
Authors: Kaller Thomas , Doehring Alexander , Hickel Stefan , Schmidt Steffen J. , Adams Nikolaus A.
Published: October 2020

We present well-resolved RANS simulations of two generic asymmetrically heated cooling channel configurations, a high aspect ratio cooling duct operated with liquid water at$$Re_b = 110 \times 10^3$$and a cryogenic transcritical channel operated with methane at$$Re_b = 16 \times 10^3$$. The former setup serves to investigate the interaction of turbulence-induced secondary flow and heat transfer, and the latter to investigate the influence of strong non-linear thermodynamic property variations in the vicinity of the critical point on the flow field and heat transfer. To assess the accuracy of the RANS simulations for both setups, well-resolved implicit LES simulations using the adaptive local deconvolution method as subgrid-scale turbulence model serve as comparison databases. The investigation focuses on the prediction capabilities of RANS turbulence models for the flow as well as the temperature field and turbulent heat transfer with a special focus on the turbulent heat flux closure influence.
The New DBpedia Release Cycle: Increasing Agility and Efficiency in Knowledge Extraction Workflows
Authors: Hofer Marvin , Hellmann Sebastian , Dojchinovski Milan , Frey Johannes
Published: October 2020

Since its inception in 2007, DBpedia has been constantly releasing open data in RDF, extracted from various Wikimedia projects using a complex software system called the DBpedia Information Extraction Framework (DIEF). For the past 12 years, the software received a plethora of extensions by the community, which positively affected the size and data quality. Due to the increase in size and complexity, the release process was facing huge delays (from 12 to 17 months cycle), thus impacting the agility of the development. In this paper, we describe the new DBpedia release cycle including our innovative release workflow, which allows development teams (in particular those who publish large, open data) to implement agile, cost-efficient processes and scale up productivity. The DBpedia release workflow has been re-engineered, its new primary focus is on productivity and agility, to address the challenges of size and complexity. At the same time, quality is assured by implementing a comprehensive testing methodology. We run an experimental evaluation and argue that the implemented measures increase agility and allow for cost-effective quality-control and debugging and thus achieve a higher level of maintainability. As a result, DBpedia now publishes regular (i.e. monthly) releases with over 21 billion triples with minimal publishing effort
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DBpedia Archivo: A Web-Scale Interface for Ontology Archiving Under Consumer-Oriented Aspects
Authors: Frey Johannes , Streitmatter Denis , Götz Fabian , Hellmann Sebastian , Arndt Natanael
Published: October 2020

While thousands of ontologies exist on the web, a unified system for handling online ontologies – in particular with respect to discovery, versioning, access, quality-control, mappings – has not yet surfaced and users of ontologies struggle with many challenges. In this paper, we present an online ontology interface and augmented archive called DBpedia Archivo, that discovers, crawls, versions and archives ontologies on the DBpedia Databus. Based on this versioned crawl, different features, quality measures and, if possible, fixes are deployed to handle and stabilize the changes in the found ontologies at web-scale. A comparison to existing approaches and ontology repositories is given
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Semantic Annotation, Representation and Linking of Survey Data
Authors: Bensmann Felix , Papenmeier Andrea , Kern Dagmar , Zapilko Benjamin , Dietze Stefan
Published: October 2020

Semantic technologies offer significant potential for improving data search applications. Ongoing work thrives to equip data catalogs with new semantic search features to supplement existing keyword search and browsing capabilities. In particular within the social sciences, searching and reusing data is essential to foster efficient research. In this paper, we introduce an approach and experimental results aimed at improving interoperability and findability of social sciences survey items. Our contributions include a conceptual model for semantically representing survey items and questions, detailing meaningful dimensions of items, as well as experimental results geared towards the automated prediction of such item features using state-of-the-art machine learning models. Dimensions of interest include, for instance, references to geolocation and time periods or the scope and style of particular questions. We define classification tasks using neural and traditional machine learning models combined with sentence structure features. Applications of our work include semantic and faceted search for questions as part of our GESIS Search. We also provide the lifted data as a knowledge graph via a SPARQL endpoint for further reuse and sharing.
Reforming State-Owned Enterprises in a Global Economy: The Case of Vietnam
Authors: Knutsen Hege Merete , Khanh Do Ta
Published: October 2020

What does the new phase of SOE reforms starting around 2016 tell us about economic and institutional transformations and contradictions in Vietnam? In raising this question, we shed light on contradictions between the Vietnamese socialist ideology and the market imperative and international pressure the Vietnamese economy is subject to as a global player. In the wake of the doi moi process for economic renewal, the need of reforming the SOE sector attained a lot of attention. The Government decided to promote equitization of SOEs in 1992. This means that the enterprises should be turned into joint stock companies in which the state, workers and private investors hold shares, and that either the state or the private investors hold the majority shares. However, the process went slowly. There were considerable resistance from managers and a fear of job losses. What then characterizes the new phase of SOE reforms? What is new about the context that the reforms are implemented in? After a brief account of previous SOE reforms we delve into how the state and industry plan for, perceive and experience the new phase of reforms and how the reforms are addressed by international institutions and mass media.
JT supergravity and Brezin-Gross-Witten tau-function
Authors: Okuyama Kazumi , Sakai Kazuhiro
Published: October 2020

Abstract

We study thermal correlation functions of Jackiw-Teitelboim (JT) supergravity. We focus on the case of JT supergravity on orientable surfaces without time-reversal symmetry. As shown by Stanford and Witten recently, the path integral amounts to the computation of the volume of the moduli space of super Riemann surfaces, which is characterized by the Brezin-Gross-Witten (BGW) tau-function of the KdV hierarchy. We find that the matrix model of JT supergravity is a special case of the BGW model with infinite number of couplings turned on in a specific way, by analogy with the relation between bosonic JT gravity and the Kontsevich-Witten (KW) model. We compute the genus expansion of the one-point function of JT supergravity and study its low-temperature behavior. In particular, we propose a non-perturbative completion of the one-point function in the Bessel case where all couplings in the BGW model are set to zero. We also investigate the free energy and correlators when the Ramond-Ramond flux is large. We find that by defining a suitable basis higher genus free energies are written exactly in the same form as those of the KW model, up to the constant terms coming from the volume of the unitary group. This implies that the constitutive relation of the KW model is universal to the tau-function of the KdV hierarchy.
Contractible, hyperbolic but non-CAT(0) complexes
Authors: Webb Richard C. H.
Published: October 2020

We prove that almost all arc complexes do not admit a CAT(0) metric with finitely many shapes, in particular any finite-index subgroup of the mapping class group does not preserve such a metric on the arc complex. We also show the analogous statement for all but finitely many disc complexes of handlebodies and free splitting complexes of free groups. The obstruction is combinatorial. These complexes are all hyperbolic and contractible but despite this we show that they satisfy no combinatorial isoperimetric inequality: for anynthere is a loop of length 4 that only bounds discs consisting of at leastntriangles. On the other hand we show that the curve complexes satisfy a linear combinatorial isoperimetric inequality, which answers a question of Andrew Putman.
Patient*innenzentrierte perioperative Versorgung: perioperative Prozessqualität, Effektivität von Schmerztherapie und Mobilisationsfortschritt nach Implementation eines Maßnahmenbündels bei Knietotalendoprothese
Authors: Spielberger J. , Heid F. , Schmidtmann I. , Drees P. , Betz U. , Schwaderlapp W. , Pestel G.
Published: October 2020

Hintergrund

In den USA wurde das Konzept des „perioperative surgical home“ initialisiert, in dem ein teamorientiertes Vorgehen einen umfassenderen und zügigeren Heilverlauf erzielen soll.

Fragestellung

Evaluation des Effekts eines interdisziplinären Maßnahmenbündels (patient*innenzentrierte perioperative Versorgung, PPV) auf Aspekte der Prozessqualität unter deutschen Rahmenbedingungen.

Material und Methoden

Nach Einführung des PPV-Maßnahmenbündels (1. Patient*innenseminar, 2. spezifische Chirurgietechnik, 3. spezifische Anästhesietechnik, 4. Physiotherapiebeginn am Operationstag) wurden 34 Patient*innen mit elektiver Knietotalendoprothese prospektiv untersucht und mit „matched-pair“-Kontrollen verglichen. Endpunkte sind Dauer der Einleitungszeit (primär) und Krankenhausverweildauer, Ruhe- und Belastungsschmerz am 1. postoperativen Tag (numerische Analogskala), und Mobilisationsfortschritt (MBF) an den postoperativen Tagen 1, 3 und 6 (sekundär). Gruppenvergleiche wurden mit Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney-Tests auf Nichtunterlegenheit durchgeführt. Im Fall von Nichtunterlegenheit wurde anschließend auf Überlegenheit getestet.

Ergebnisse

Die Einleitungszeit in der PPV-Gruppe betrug im Median 13,5 min (Kontrollgruppe: 60 min, p < 0,0001), die Krankenhausverweildauer betrug in der PPV-Gruppe 8 Tage (Kontrollgruppe: 12 Tage, p < 0,0001). Am ersten postoperativen Tag betrug die mediane Ruheschmerzstärke in der PPV-Gruppe 30 (Kontrollgruppe: 20); die Belastungsschmerzstärke war in beiden Gruppen gleich (Median 40). Die Mobilisation der Patienten*innen der PPV-Gruppe gelang an den postoperativen Tagen 1, 3 und 6 besser (jeweils p < 0,0001).

Schlussfolgerung

Das Konzept der patient*innenzentrierten perioperativen Versorgung (PPV) erscheint vielversprechend genug, um weitere klinische Studien zu rechtfertigen.