bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of crack on the steel plate shear walls strengthened by diagonal stiffeners
Authors: Khaloo Alireza , Foroutani Maryam , Ghamari Ali
Published: February 2020

In spite of existing comprehensive studies on the behavior of steel plate shear wall (SPSW), some aspects of the SPSW have remained unknown, yet. One of the important aspects that is unknown is the crack effect on the SPSW behavior in linear and nonlinear zones. Some experimental studies have been reported that SPSWs were fractured due to crack propagation. Therefore, the crack effect on the behavior of SPSW should be accounted in considering of SPSW behavior. Although the effect of crack on the thin SPSW has been investigated to a limited extent numerically, stiffened SPSPW, especially diagonally stiffened SPSW, has not been studied. In doing so, in this paper, the effect of crack effect on the behavior of diagonally stiffened SPSWs is studied parametrically and numerically. Numerical results showed that stiffened walls exhibit better behavior in the presence of crack compared with SPSW in both elastic and inelastic zones. Because crack propagates in nonlinear zone, it has not effective on elastic behavior of diagonally stiffened SPSW. The effect of crack was also presented as mathematical equations to estimate load–displacement curve that are in agreement with the finite element results especially for wall thinker stiffeners.
Dark matter bound state formation via emission of a charged scalar
Authors: Oncala Ruben , Petraki Kalliopi
Published: February 2020

Abstract

The formation of stable or meta-stable bound states can dramatically affect the phenomenology of dark matter (DM). Although the capture into bound states via emission of a vector is known to be significant, the capture via scalar emission suffers from cancellations that render it important only within narrow parameter space. While this is true for neutral scalar mediators, here we show that bound-state formation via emission of a charged scalar can be extremely significant. To this end, we consider DM charged under a dark U(1) force and coupled also to a light complex scalar that is charged under the same gauge symmetry. We compute the cross-sections for bound-state formation via emission of the charged scalar, and show that they can exceed those for capture via vector emission, as well as annihilation, by orders of magnitude. This holds even for very small values of the DM coupling to the charged scalar, and remains true in the limit of global symmetry. We then compute the DM thermal freeze-out, and find that the capture into meta-stable bound states via emission of a charged scalar can cause a late period of significant DM depletion. Our results include analytical expressions in the Coulomb limit, and are readily generalisable to non-Abelian interactions. We expect them to have implications for Higgs-portal scenarios of multi-TeV WIMP DM, as well as scenarios that feature dark Higgses or (darkly-)charged inert scalars, including models of self-interacting DM.
Geology, alteration and lithogeochemistry of the Paleoproterozoic Korpela VMS occurrence in Eastern Finland
Authors: Hokka Janne
Published: February 2020

Korpela is a Cu-Zn-Au VMS occurrence hosted by bimodal, sub-alkaline, volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. It is part of a Svecofennian supracrustal sequence 1.93–1.91 Ga in age. In this study, lithogeochemical evidence is used to assess the VMS-prospectivity in the Korpela area to serve regional-scale exploration and provide detailed information on chemostratigraphy and hydrothermal alteration within the Korpela succession. Korpela is understood to have been formed in an evolved arc rift, possibly in a continental back-arc environment. The felsic rocks of the sequence are FII-FIIIa, HFSE-enriched (A-type) rhyolites overlain and, locally cross-cut, by mafic rocks with MORB/BABB signatures and felsic synvolcanic porphyry dykes. In the vicinity of Korpela, tonalitic subvolcanic intrusions intrude the supracrustal rocks which share textures common with local shallow VMS-related intrusion complexes. The Korpela area comprises a volcanic succession where primary volcanic textures are completely destroyed by multiple deformation, metamorphism and alteration. Using detailed volcanic chemostratigraphy established from downhole geochemical profiles, 12 chemostratigraphic units and 21 chemical rock types could be identified ranging from basalt to rhyolite. Several metamorphic mineral assemblages were identified which were further classified into six alteration types, i.e. Mg-Fe-S, K-Al-Fe-(± S), K-Al-Mg-Fe-S, K, Si-K-Ca-(± S) and Ca-(± Na), using a combination of mineralogy and geochemistry. The chemostratigraphy and alteration studies help in understanding the volcanic stratigraphy and in recognising a potential VMS-related alteration.
Endovascular aneurysm closure during out of office hours is not related to complications or outcome
Authors: van Lieshout Jasper H. , Verbaan Dagmar , Fischer Igor , Mijderwijk Hendrik-Jan , van den Berg René , Vandertop W. Peter , Klijn Catharina J.M. , Steiger Hans J. , de Vries Joost , Bartels Ronald H.M.A. , Beseoglu Kerim , Boogaarts Hieronymus D.
Published: February 2020

Purpose

A possible disadvantage of endovascular occlusion outside work hours is that complex procedures might expose patients to additional risk when performed in a suboptimal setting. In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated whether treatment during out of office hours is a risk factor for per-procedural complications and clinical outcome.

Methods

We included 471 endovascular-treated, consecutive aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients (56.6 ± 13.1, 69% female), from two prospective observational databases which were retrospectively analyzed. Primary outcome was the occurrence of per-procedural complications. Secondary outcomes were good clinical outcome (modified ranking scale ≤ 2) and death at 6-month follow-up. We determined odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) by ordered polytomous logistic regression analysis and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for age, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grade, and time to treatment.

Results

Most patients were treated during office hours (363/471; 77.1%). Treatment during out of office hours did not result in an increased risk of per-procedural complications (OR 0.85 (95% CI 0.53–1.37; p = 0.51). Patients treated during out of office hours displayed similar odds of good clinical outcome and death after 6 months (OR 1.14, 95% CI 0.68–1.97 and 1.16 95% CI 0.56–2.29, respectively) compared to patients treated during office hours.

Conclusion

In our study, endovascular coil embolization during out of office hours did not expose patients to an increased risk of procedural complications or affect functional outcome after 6 months.
Preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT tumor markers outperform MRI-based markers for the prediction of lymph node metastases in primary endometrial cancer
Authors: Fasmer Kristine E. , Gulati Ankush , Dybvik Julie A. , Ytre-Hauge Sigmund , Salvesen Øyvind , Trovik Jone , Krakstad Camilla , Haldorsen Ingfrid S.
Published: February 2020

Objectives

To compare the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI tumor markers for prediction of lymph node metastases (LNM) and aggressive disease in endometrial cancer (EC).

Methods

Preoperative whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT and pelvic MRI were performed in 215 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed EC. PET/CT-based tumor standardized uptake value (SUVmax and SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and PET-positive lymph nodes (LNs) (SUVmax > 2.5) were analyzed together with the MRI-based tumor volume (VMRI), mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCmean), and MRI-positive LN (maximum short-axis diameter ≥ 10 mm). Imaging parameters were explored in relation to surgicopathological stage and tumor grade. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated yielding optimal cutoff values for imaging parameters, and regression analyses were used to assess their diagnostic performance for prediction of LNM and progression-free survival.

Results

For prediction of LNM, MTV yielded the largest area under the ROC curve (AUC) (AUC = 0.80), whereas VMRI had lower AUC (AUC = 0.72) (p = 0.03). Furthermore, MTV > 27 ml yielded significantly higher specificity (74%, p < 0.001) and accuracy (75%, p < 0.001) and also higher odds ratio (12.2) for predicting LNM, compared with VMRI > 10 ml (58%, 62%, and 9.7, respectively). MTV > 27 ml also tended to yield higher sensitivity than PET-positive LN (81% vs 50%, p = 0.13). Both VMRI > 10 ml and MTV > 27 ml were significantly associated with reduced progression-free survival.

Conclusions

Tumor markers from 18F-FDG PET/CT outperform MRI markers for the prediction of LNM. MTV > 27 ml yields a high diagnostic performance for predicting aggressive disease and represents a promising supplement to conventional PET/CT reading in EC.

Key Points

• Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) outperforms other 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI markers for preoperative prediction of lymph node metastases (LNM) in endometrial cancer patients.

• Using cutoff values for tumor volume for prediction of LNM, MTV > 27 ml yielded higher specificity and accuracy than VMRI> 10 ml.

• MTV represents a promising supplement to conventional PET/CT reading for predicting aggressive disease in EC.
Repeated implementation with overlapping generations of agents
Authors: Āzacis Helmuts
Published: February 2020

We study repeated implementation in a model with overlapping generations of agents. A social choice function selects an alternative in each period as a function of preferences of those agents who are alive in that period. When the agents’ preferences do not change during their lifetime, we show that any social choice function satisfying a mild unanimity condition is repeatedly implementable in subgame perfect equilibrium if there are at least three agents and they live sufficiently long. When the agents’ preferences change every period, we show that only efficient social choice functions can be repeatedly implementable if the agents live sufficiently long.
Ki67 as a prognostic factor of craniopharyngioma’s recurrence in paediatric population
Authors: Moszczyńska Elżbieta , Prokop-Piotrkowska Monika , Bogusz-Wójcik Agnieszka , Grajkowska Wiesława , Szymańska Sylwia , Szalecki Mieczysław
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Craniopharyngioma is one of the most frequent benign tumours of the central nervous system in the paediatric population. Although it is a benign tumour according to the WHO classification, it significantly deteriorates the patient’s quality of life. The aim of this study is to assess if proliferation index Ki67 can be a useful marker of the risk of craniopharyngioma’s recurrence.

Methods

Expression of Ki67 was examined in 85 specimens of primary craniopharyngioma and in 11 specimens of the recurring tumour. In all the cases, adamantinomatous type of craniopharyngioma was diagnosed. Values of Ki67 expression were compared between patients with and without recurrence, between patients with progression and relapse and between primary and recurrent tumours.

Results

No statistically significant differences were found between proliferation index Ki67 values in tumours with recurrence and without (median values 2.5% and 3%, respectively,p = 0.69). The median value of proliferation index Ki67 in progression group was 1% and in the relapse group 4%; no statistical significance between those groups was found (p = 0.067). The median value of proliferation index Ki67 in primary tumours was 3% (0–20%) and in recurrent tumours it was 5% (0–14%). Despite the lack of statistical significance (p = 0.61), a tendency towards higher values of Ki67 in recurring tumours in comparison with primary tumours was shown.

Conclusions

Proliferation index Ki67 is not a reliable prognostic factor of craniopharyngioma’s recurrence.
Efficacy of screening using annual fecal immunochemical test alone versus combined with one-time colonoscopy in reducing colorectal cancer mortality: the Akita Japan population-based colonoscopy screening trial (Akita pop-colon trial)
Authors: Saito Hiroshi , Kudo Shin-ei , Takahashi Noriaki , Yamamoto Seiichiro , Kodama Kenta , Nagata Koichi , Mizota Yuri , Ishida Fumio , Ohashi Yasuo
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Screening programs using fecal occult blood testing help reduce mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC). Colonoscopy and colonoscopy combined with fecal occult blood testing are considered alternatives with higher sensitivity than fecal tests; however, to our knowledge, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) providing such evidence have not been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to compare screening using the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) combined with colonoscopy and FIT alone to evaluate the efficacy of colonoscopy screening in reducing CRC mortality.

Methods

This multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled study included average-risk individuals for CRC living in the study areas and aged 40–74 years. The exclusion criteria were history of CRC, hereditary non-polyposis CRC, familial adenomatous polyposis, inflammatory bowel diseases, history of cancer other than CRC within the past 5 years, and not expected to survive from comorbid illness. The intervention group underwent one-time colonoscopy and annual FIT, while the control group underwent annual FIT. The primary endpoint was mortality from CRC, while the secondary endpoints were cumulative incidence of invasive CRC, advanced CRC (invasion into the muscle layer or deeper), invasive cancer and screening sensitivities and specificities of invasive CRC, whole CRC, advanced neoplasia, and prevalence of adverse events. The intervention and control groups comprised 4876 and 4875 participants, respectively.

Conclusion

This explanatory RCT evaluated the efficacy of colonoscopy screening by valid statistical inference based on randomization. Data on adverse events from this kind of screening are necessary when considering implementation of future screening programs.

Trial registration

UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, number UMIN000001980.
The forkhead box containing transcription factor FoxB is a potential component of dorsal-ventral body axis formation in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum
Authors: Heingård Miriam , Janssen Ralf
Published: February 2020

In the spider, determination of the dorsal-ventral body (DV) axis depends on the interplay of the dorsal morphogen encoding genedecapentaplegic(Dpp) and its antagonist,short gastrulation(sog), a gene that is involved in the correct establishment of ventral tissues. Recent work demonstrated that the forkhead domain encoding geneFoxBis involved in dorsal-ventral axis formation in spider limbs. Here, Dpp likely acts as a dorsal morphogen, and FoxB is likely in control of ventral tissues as RNAi-mediated knockdown ofFoxBcauses dorsalization of the limbs. In this study, we present phenotypes ofFoxBknockdown that demonstrate a function in the establishment of the DV body axis. Knockdown of FoxB function leads to embryos with partially duplicated median germ bands (Duplicitas media) that are possibly the result of ectopic activation of Dpp signalling. Another class of phenotypes is characterized by unnaturally slim (dorsal-ventrally compressed) germ bands in which ventral tissue is either not formed, or is specified incorrectly, likely a result of Dpp over-activity. These results suggest that FoxB functions as an antagonist of Dpp signalling during body axis patterning, similarly as it is the case in limb development. FoxB thus represents a general player in the establishment of dorsal-ventral structures during spider ontogeny.
Increasing flexibility and productivity in Industry 4.0 production networks with autonomous mobile robots and smart intralogistics
Authors: Fragapane Giuseppe , Ivanov Dmitry , Peron Mirco , Sgarbossa Fabio , Strandhagen Jan Ola
Published: February 2020

Manufacturing flexibility improves a firm’s ability to react in timely manner to customer demands and to increase production system productivity without incurring excessive costs and expending an excessive amount of resources. The emerging technologies in the Industry 4.0 era, such as cloud operations or industrial Artificial Intelligence, allow for new flexible production systems. We develop and test an analytical model for a throughput analysis and use it to reveal the conditions under which the autonomous mobile robots (AMR)-based flexible production networks are more advantageous as compared to the traditional production lines. Using a circular loop among workstations and inter-operational buffers, our model allows congestion to be avoided by utilizing multiple crosses and analyzing both the flow and the load/unload phases. The sensitivity analysis shows that the cost of the AMRs and the number of shifts are the key factors in improving flexibility and productivity. The outcomes of this research promote a deeper understanding of the role of AMRs in Industry 4.0-based production networks and can be utilized by production planners to determine optimal configurations and the associated performance impact of the AMR-based production networks in as compared to the traditionally balanced lines. This study supports the decision-makers in how the AMR in production systems in process industry can improve manufacturing performance in terms of productivity, flexibility, and costs.
Increased Circulating Angiopoietin-Like Protein 8 Levels Are Associated with Thoracic Aortic Dissection and Higher Inflammatory Conditions
Authors: Yang Yunyun , Jiao Xiaolu , Li Linyi , Hu Chaowei , Zhang Xiaoping , Pan Lili , Yu Huahui , Li Juan , Chen Dong , Du Jie , Qin Yanwen
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is characterized by an inflammatory response. Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8) is a hormone involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism and inflammation. However, the relationship between ANGPTL8 and TAD remains unknown.

Methods

This case-control study included 78 TAD patients and 72 controls. The aortic diameter was evaluated by computed tomography and used to assess TAD severity. Circulating ANGPTL8 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Associations of ANGPTL8 with TAD were determined by multivariate logistic regression.

Results

Serum ANGPTL8 levels were significantly higher in TAD patients compared with controls (562.50 ± 20.84 vs. 419.70 ± 22.65 pg/mL, respectively; P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, circulating ANGPTL8 levels were an independent risk factor for TAD (odds ratio = 1.587/100 pg ANGPTL8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.121–2.247, P < 0.001) and positively associated with diameter (β = 1.081/100 pg ANGPTL8, 95% CI = 0.075–2.086, P = 0.035) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (β = 0.845/100 pg ANGPTL8, 95% CI = 0.020–1.480, P = 0.009). The area under the curve (AUC) on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of the combination of ANGPTL8, hs-CRP, and D-dimer was 0.927, and the specificity and sensitivity were 98.46% and 79.49%, respectively. ANGPTL8 was significantly increased in TAD tissue compared with controls. In vitro, ANGPTL8 was increased in angiotensin II (AngII)-treated macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), while ANGPTL8 siRNA-mediated knockdown decreased inflammatory factors in AngII-treated macrophages and decreased apoptosis in AngII-treated VSMCs.

Conclusion

ANGPTL8 is associated with TAD occurrence and development, which may involve pro-inflammatory effects on macrophages. ANGPTL8 combined with D-dimer and hs-CRP might be a useful clinical predictor of TAD.

Trial Registration

ChiCTR-COC-17010792 http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=18288
On A Hypothetical Mechanism of Interstellar Life Transfer Trough Nomadic Objects
Authors: Sadlok Grzegorz
Published: February 2020

Lethal radiation, low vacuum pressure and low temperatures – this is how space welcomes organisms. Crossing of immense interstellar distances inflates the exposure time of biological material to harmful space conditions. This paper discusses the intriguing possibility of a life-bearing exoplanet being ejected from its planetary system and carrying life across interstellar distances (nomadic = free floating = rogue planet). The proposed interstellar panspermia mechanism reduces the exposure time to space conditions and provides multiple chances for interactions between microbes-bearing rock debris and exoplanets within system the nomadic object encountered on its way. The testing strategy is outlined and discussed in the paper, including testable predictions the proposed hypothesis makes.
Scaling-up skilled intentionality to linguistic thought
Authors: Kiverstein Julian , Rietveld Erik
Published: February 2020

Cognition has traditionally been understood in terms of internal mental representations, and computational operations carried out on internal mental representations. Radical approaches propose to reconceive cognition in terms of agent-environment dynamics. An outstanding challenge for such a philosophical project is how to scale-up from perception and action to cases of what is typically called ‘higher-order’ cognition such as linguistic thought, the case we focus on in this paper. Perception and action are naturally described in terms of agent-environment dynamics, but can a person’s thoughts about absent, abstract or counterfactual states of affairs also be accounted for in such terms? We argue such a question will seem pressing so long as one fails to appreciate how richly resourceful the human ecological niche is in terms of the affordances it provides. The explanatory work that is supposedly done by mental representations in a philosophical analysis of cognition, can instead be done by looking outside of the head to the environment structured by sociomaterial practices, and the affordances it makes available. Once one recognizes how much of the human ecological niche has become structured by activities of talking and writing, this should take away at least some of the motivation for understanding linguistic thinking in terms of content-bearing internal representations. We’ll argue that people can think about absent, abstract or counterfactual because of their skills for engaging with what we will call “enlanguaged affordances”. We make use of the phenomenological analysis of speech in Merleau-Ponty to show how the multiple affordances an individual is ready to engage with in a particular situation will typically include enlanguaged affordances.
Pharmacokinetics of Oral Levonorgestrel in Women After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery and in BMI-Matched Controls
Authors: Ginstman Charlotte , Kopp Kallner Helena , Fagerberg-Silwer Johanna , Carlsson Björn , Ärlemalm Andreas , Böttiger Ylva , Brynhildsen Jan
Published: February 2020

Background

Women are advised to primarily use non-oral contraceptive alternatives after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass since it is not known if the surgery affects the pharmacokinetics of oral contraceptives.

Methods

This is a multi-center, open label, phase 2 pharmacokinetic study performed at the University Hospital of Linköping and the Clinical Trials Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Fifteen women aged 18–40 years who had previously undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and reached a BMI < 30 were included. Fifteen BMI-matched women with no previous history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery served as a control group. After administration of a single dose of a combined oral contraceptive containing 0.03 mg ethinylestradiol/0.15 mg levonorgestrel, serum levonorgestrel concentrations were determined during a 24-h period using ultra performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The area under the plasma concentration time curve of levonorgestrel (AUC0–24h) was the main outcome measure.

Results

There were no significant differences in the studied pharmacokinetic parameters, AUC0–24h, total AUC, peak serum concentration (Cmax), time to peak serum concentrations (Tmax), apparent oral clearances of levonorgestrel (CLoral), or terminal half-lives (t½) between the groups.

Conclusion

This is to our knowledge the first study to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of oral levonorgestrel in women with a BMI < 30 at least 1 year after RYGB compared with a BMI-matched group of women. We could not find any significant pharmacokinetic differences between the groups, suggesting that oral levonorgestrel may be used in non-obese women after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass once a stable body weight has been reached.

Clinical Trial Number

EudraCT 2014–004677-17.
Research note: an analytical perspective on market decisions and asymmetric cost behavior
Authors: Riegler Christian , Weiskirchner-Merten Katrin
Published: February 2020

Asymmetric cost behavior has attracted the interest of many (empirical) researchers in the last years. Prior research determines several sources of this behavior such as resource adjustment costs, uncertainties and related beliefs, agency problems, and fixed costs. Empirical studies measure firms’ cost behavior using total firm costs and sales. In imperfect markets, firms react to changing market conditions by adapting output prices and quantities so that both total firm costs and sales are affected. However, changing output prices only directly affects sales and not costs. Based on an economic model, we identify market decisions (output quantity and pricing decisions) as an additional source of measured asymmetric cost behavior.
Diagnostic Value of Electroencephalography with Ten Electrodes in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Westover M. Brandon , Gururangan Kapil , Markert Matthew S. , Blond Benjamin N. , Lai Saien , Benard Shawna , Bickel Stephan , Hirsch Lawrence J. , Parvizi Josef
Published: February 2020

Background

In critical care settings, electroencephalography (EEG) with reduced number of electrodes (reduced montage EEG, rm-EEG) might be a timely alternative to the conventional full montage EEG (fm-EEG). However, past studies have reported variable accuracies for detecting seizures using rm-EEG. We hypothesized that the past studies did not distinguish between differences in sensitivity from differences in classification of EEG patterns by different readers. The goal of the present study was to revisit the diagnostic value of rm-EEG when confounding issues are accounted for.

Methods

We retrospectively collected 212 adult EEGs recorded at Massachusetts General Hospital and reviewed by two epileptologists with access to clinical, trending, and video information. In Phase I of the study, we re-configured the first 4 h of the EEGs in lateral circumferential montage with ten electrodes and asked new readers to interpret the EEGs without access to any other ancillary information. We compared their rating to the reading of hospital clinicians with access to ancillary information. In Phase II, we measured the accuracy of the same raters reading representative samples of the discordant EEGs in full and reduced configurations presented randomly by comparing their performance to majority consensus as the gold standard.

Results

Of the 95 EEGs without seizures in the selected fm-EEG, readers of rm-EEG identified 92 cases (97%) as having no seizure activity. Of 117 EEGs with “seizures” identified in the selected fm-EEG, none of the cases was labeled as normal on rm-EEG. Readers of rm-EEG reported pathological activity in 100% of cases, but labeled them as seizures (N = 77), rhythmic or periodic patterns (N = 24), epileptiform spikes (N = 7), or burst suppression (N = 6). When the same raters read representative epochs of the discordant EEG cases (N = 43) in both fm-EEG and rm-EEG configurations, we found high concordance (95%) and intra-rater agreement (93%) between fm-EEG and rm-EEG diagnoses.

Conclusions

Reduced EEG with ten electrodes in circumferential configuration preserves key features of the traditional EEG system. Discrepancies between rm-EEG and fm-EEG as reported in some of the past studies can be in part due to methodological factors such as choice of gold standard diagnosis, asymmetric access to ancillary clinical information, and inter-rater variability rather than detection failure of rm-EEG as a result of electrode reduction per se.
Preschoolers’ Understanding of a Teachable Agent-Based Game in Early Mathematics as Reflected in their Gaze Behaviors – an Experimental Study
Authors: Gulz Agneta , Londos Ludvig , Haake Magnus
Published: February 2020

This study investigated how preschool children processed and understood critical information in Magical Garden, a teachable agent-based play-&-learn game targeting early math. We analyzed 36 children’s (ages 4–6 years) real-time behavior during game-use to explore whether children: (i) processed the information meant to support number sense development; (ii) showed an understanding of the teachable agent as an entity with agency. An important methodological goal was to go beyond observable behavior and shed some light on how cognitive processing and understanding in children of such young age can be studied. First, the children played Magical Garden for three weeks to get acquainted with the game. Second, in an experimental part of the study, the children’s gaze behaviors were measured during 5 rounds of interaction with an experimental version of one of the sub-games. The analyses suggest that two of the gaze behaviors were positively correlated with the game performance measure, as hypothesized. Another result was that children looked at the teachable agent significantly more often when the teachable agent had been in charge of gameplay than when it had not. This can be interpreted as an indication that the children had an understanding of their teachable agent as an entity that, like themselves and unlike other dynamic visual elements in the game, made decisions based on own ‘knowledge’. In a broader context, the findings are important in showing the potential gains of combining log data with eye-tracking data for developing and refining AI algorithms for adaptive individual feedback and scaffolding.
Fracture toughness of L-PBF fabricated aluminium–silicon: a quantitative study on the role of crack growth direction with respect to layering
Authors: Hitzler L. , Sert E. , Schuch E. , Öchsner A. , Merkel M. , Heine B. , Werner E.
Published: February 2020

Laser powder bed fusion has become one of the major techniques within metal additive manufacturing, especially when delicate structures and high geometric accuracy are concerned. Lately, the awareness of the material-specific macroscopic anisotropy has risen and led to widespread investigations on the static mechanical strength. However, little is known about the fracture behavior of the layer-wise fabricated metal components and their affinity of crack propagation between consecutive layers, which is particularly important for aluminium–silicon alloys containing embrittled zones in double-irradiated areas. A recent study indicated that there is a significant drop in fracture toughness in case the crack growth direction is parallel to the layering. To investigate this matter further and to shed light on the fracture toughness behavior in the range of a 0°–45° angle offset between the crack growth direction relative to the layering, notched samples with varying polar angles were subjected to mode I fracture toughness testing. Our results indicate that the fracture toughness is an almost-stable characteristic up to a mismatch of about 20° between the crack propagation path and the layering, at which point the fracture toughness decreases by up to 10%.
Analgesic effectiveness of transversus abdominis plane block versus wound site infiltration after cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia at Debre Tabor General Hospital, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia: A prospective cohort study, 2019
Authors: Alemnew Efrem Fenta , Lemma Diriba Teshome
Published: February 2020

ABSTRACT

Background:

Inadequate postoperative pain relief after Cesarean delivery has a negative impact on ambulation, breastfeeding, and maternal bonding. Transversus Abdominis Plane block and Wound Infiltration with local anesthetics are alternatives in reducing severity of pain, total analgesic consumption and opioid side effects. But their relative analgesic effectiveness is not well established.

Objective:

To compare analgesic effectiveness of Transversus Abdominis Plane block (TAP) versus Wound site Infiltration (WI) after cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia.

Methods:

Hospital based prospective cohort study was conducted at Debre Tabor General Hospital in Sixty-two parturites scheduled for elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Chi square or fisher exact test was used for discrete variables and Manny Whitney test was used for comparing numerical variables of skewed data or student's t-test was used for comparing numerical variables normally distributed data of two groups. P-value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Result:

Our study showed that when TAP block compared with WI after cesarean delivery reduces postoperative tramadol and diclofenac consumption, increase time to first analgesic request time, and reduces pain severity score at 6th, 12th, and 24th hours were found to be statistically significant between the groups (p < 0.05). The incidence of nausea and/or vomiting between groups were similar (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:

TAP block might be better to WI for post-operative pain management in mothers who have had cesarean delivery and it provided longer lasting and more efficient analgesia.

Highlights:
Living longer in high longevity risk
Authors: Wingenbach Rachel , Kim Jong-Min , Jung Hojin
Published: February 2020

There is considerable uncertainty regarding changes in future mortality rates. This article investigates the impact of such longevity risk on discounted government annuity benefits for retirees. It is critical to forecast more accurate future mortality rates to improve our estimation of an expected annuity payout. Thus, we utilize the Lee–Carter model, which is well-known as a parsimonious dynamic mortality model. We find strong evidence that female retirees are likely to receive more public lifetime annuity than males in the USA, which is associated with systematic mortality rate differences between genders. A cross-country comparison presents that the current public annuity system would not fully cover retiree's longevity risk. Every additional year of life expectancy leaves future retirees exposed to high risk, arising from high volatility of lifetime annuities. Also, because the growth in life expectancy is higher than the growth of expected public pension, there will be a financial risk to retirees.
Nontechnical Competency Framework for Health Professionals in All-Hazard Emergency Environment: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hu Xuejun , He Changnan , Chen Huoliang , Liu Shu , Li Wenqiang , Lu Zhou , Zhang Jieqiong , Yu Min
Published: February 2020

Objectives:

To summarize characteristics and commonalities of non-technical competency frameworks for health professionals in emergency and disaster.

Methods:

An electronic literature search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, ERIC, Scopus, Cochrane database, and Google Scholar to identify original English-language articles related to development, evaluation or application of the nontechnical competency frameworks. Reviewers assessed identified articles for exclusion/inclusion criteria and abstracted data on study design, framework characteristics, and reliability/validity evidence.

Results:

Of the 9627 abstracts screened, 65 frameworks were identiﬁed from 94 studies that were eligible for result extraction. Sixty (63.8%) studies concentrated on clinical settings. Common scenarios of the studies were acute critical events in hospitals (44;46.8%) and nonspecified disasters (39;41.5%). Most of the participants (76; 80.9%) were clinical practitioners, and participants in 36 (38.3%) studies were multispecialty. Thirty-three (50.8%) and 42 (64.6%) frameworks had not reported evidence on reliability and validity, respectively. Fourteen of the most commonly involved domains were identified from the frameworks.

Conclusions:

Nontechnical competency frameworks applied to multidisciplinary emergency health professionals are heterogeneous in construct and application. A fundamental framework with standardized terminology for the articulation of competency should be developed and validated so as to be accepted and adapted universally by health professionals in all-hazard emergency environment.
PLATO AND ARISTOPHANES ON (WANT OF) EDUCATION: SHAME AND EROS IN THEGORGIASAND IN THECLOUDS
Authors: Marren Marina
Published: February 2020

Plato'sGorgiasmight as well have been namedOn Shame. The word appears sixty-nine times in the course of the dialogue with a lion's share of references to shame being made by Socrates’ character. Callicles comes in second in his use of the term. Cairns notes that in the corpus of the lyric poet Theognis of Megara (sixth century BC) we have ‘the first instance of the nounaischunē.’ Cairns goes on to comment on Theognis’ use of αἰσχύνη and says that ‘[h]ere it appears in the objective sense, but later it will also be found in a subjective sense, as the reaction to or mental picture of disgrace and so as equivalent ofaidōs.’ Although it is important to differentiate αἰσχύνη and αἰδώς, the terms, as Cairns suggests, are capable of expressing interchangeable meanings. Hence, in our comparative study of shame in theGorgiasand in theClouds, we pay close attention to and examine the context in which a given term appears. The central role that shame plays in theGorgiasis the subject matter of analyses by Race, Bensen Cain, McKim, and Dodds. Race is confident that ‘of all the motifs running through the work, the most insistent is that of shame, for the word aischyne (along with verbal forms of aischynomai and the adjective aischros) occurs over 75 times.’ In line with the view that shame is central in theGorgias, we offer a further contribution, which focuses on the affinity between the treatment of shame in that dialogue and in Aristophanes’Clouds. We argue that either the ostensible subject of theGorgias, which is usually identified as rhetoric, is not the dialogue's true concern or the explicit subject matter cannot be understood without its accompanying element, which is shame. To support this thesis, we undertake a comparative analysis of the thematic, heuristic, and conceptual use of shame in theGorgiasin view of Aristophanes’ play. We argue that the characters in theCloudsportray the same perennial attitudes to life as do the interlocutors in theGorgiasand, what is more, the characters in both works evoke with more than incidental clarity certain historical figures (Alcibiades and Pericles). Thus, both works, as we claim, are commenting on and, even though theCloudsis a comedy, serve as the ground for our philosophical reflection on the political, educational, and cultural ideals of ancient Greece. Moreover, theCloudsmakes light of, instead of endorsing, such distinctions as shameful/laudable, natural/conventional, old/new, education/didacticism, and moral/prudish. We draw on the humor of theClouds, which allows us to withhold immediate judgment about these dichotomies in order to then examine these same notions which are problematized in theGorgias.
STAGING ROMAN SLAVERY IN THE SECOND CENTURY BCE
Authors: Čulik-Baird Hannah
Published: February 2020

In 167 BCE, L. Aemilius Paullus celebrated a triumph in Rome following the defeat of King Perseus of Macedon at the Battle of Pydna in the previous year. All of the accounts of the procession enumerate the incredible volume of booty that was paraded into Rome—wagons loaded with shields, weapons, statues of gods and men, golden bowls, livestock, luxury goods. Perseus himself, the defeated king, marched in this procession, as did his two sons and a daughter. Plutarch writes that ‘the children of Perseus were led alongas slaves’: τὰ τέκνα τοῦ βασιλέως ἤγετο δοῦλα (Aem.33.6), and that they were accompanied by their tutors who wept, taught the royal children to beg, and stretched out their hands to the Romans, who are here called ‘spectators’ (θεατάς,ib.). Perseus himself comes next, dressed in the black of mourning. Plutarch goes on to give a psychological picture of Perseus—he is dumbstruck and gaping, unable to process how his life had been turned upside down (34.1). Because Perseus could not face suicide, Plutarch says, ‘he converted himself into part of his own spoil’ (34.2).
Role of turmeric extract in minimising mucositis in patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell cancer: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Arun P , Sagayaraj A , Azeem Mohiyuddin S M , Santosh D
Published: February 2020

Objective

To determine the role of turmeric extract in reducing mucositis in patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

Methods

Sixty-one patients who underwent radiotherapy were included in the study and randomised into groups A and B. Patients in group A received 500 mg of turmeric extract (BCM-95) thrice daily, while patients in group B received placebo until radiotherapy completion. All patients were assessed for oral mucositis on a weekly basis during treatment and two months post-treatment using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events and World Health Organization criteria.

Results

Both groups had a similar grade of mucositis in first two weeks of treatment. The severity of mucositis was progressive in the control group, with four patients developing grade 3 mucositis by week four. In group A, however, the majority of patients (73.3 per cent) had grade 1 mucositis after four weeks of treatment. The difference was statistically significant from the third week onwards (p< 0.001).

Conclusion

Turmeric extract reduces the incidence and severity of radiation-induced mucositis, which can benefit patients undergoing radiation for head and neck cancer.
Some quantitative aspects of written and spoken French based on syntactically annotated corpora
Authors: Poiret Rafaël , Liu Haitao
Published: February 2020

Based on two syntactically annotated corpora, and within the theoretical tradition of dependency grammar, the current study investigates the quantitative differences and similarities between written and spoken French. Our findings support the assumption that spoken and written French are two realizations of one language that do not differ in the syntactic categories, but in the frequency of these categories, and also in their organization in sentence. The subjects in spoken French are mostly pronouns, whereas in written French the subjects are mostly nouns and pronouns. Spoken and written French share many syntactic relations, but with different frequencies. For instance, dislocations are more diverse and frequent in spoken French. Spoken French and written French differ in the word order of vocative nominal phrases. Finally, written French is slightly more difficult to process than spoken French.
Assessing the impacts of different land uses and soil and water conservation interventions on runoff and sediment yield at different scales in the central highlands of Ethiopia
Authors: Yaekob Tesfaye , Tamene Lulseged , Gebrehiwot Solomon G. , Demissie Solomon S. , Adimassu Zenebe , Woldearegay Kifle , Mekonnen Kindu , Amede Tilahun , Abera Wuletawu , Recha John W. , Solomon Dawit , Thorne Peter
Published: February 2020

To tackle the problem of soil erosion and moisture stress, the government of Ethiopia introduced a yearly mass campaign where communities get together and implement various soil and water conservation (SWC) and water harvesting (WH) practices. Although the interventions are believed to have reduced soil erosion/sediment yield and enhanced surface and ground water, quantitative information on the impacts of various options at different scales is scarce. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts different land uses, SWC and WH interventions on water and suspended sediment yield (SSY) at plot and watershed scales in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Standard erosion plot experiments and hydrological stations were used to monitor the daily water and SSY during 2014 to 2017. The results show differences between treatments both at plot and watershed scales. Runoff and soil loss were reduced by an average 27 and 37%, respectively due to SWC practices at the plot level. Overall, SWC practices implemented at the watershed level reduced sediment yield by about 74% (in the year 2014), although the magnitude of sediment reduction due to the SWC interventions reduced over time. At both scales it was observed that as the number of years since SWC measures have been in place increased, their effectiveness declined due to the lack of maintenance. This study also revealed that extrapolating of plot data to watershed scale causes over or under estimation of net erosion.
Explicit IMF By Dependence in Geomagnetic Activity: Modulation of Precipitating Electrons
Authors: Holappa L. , Asikainen T. , Mursula K.
Published: February 2020

The most important driver of geomagnetic activity is the north–south (
) component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), which dominates the solar wind‐magnetosphere coupling and all solar wind coupling functions. While the east–west (
) IMF component is also included in most coupling functions, its effect is always assumed to be symmetric with respect of its sign. However, recent studies have shown that, for a fixed value of any coupling function, geomagnetic activity is stronger for
than for
in Northern Hemisphere winter. In Southern Hemisphere winter, the dependence on the
sign is reversed. In this paper, we use measurements of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Polar‐Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellites to show that the flux of magnetospheric electrons precipitating into the atmosphere also exhibits an explicit
dependence. This
dependence is strong in the midnight and dawn sectors where it causes a related
effect in the westward electrojet and geomagnetic activity by modulating ionospheric conductivity.
DNA methylation signature on phosphatidylethanol, not on self-reported alcohol consumption, predicts hazardous alcohol consumption in two distinct populations
Authors: Liang Xiaoyu , Justice Amy C. , So-Armah Kaku , Krystal John H. , Sinha Rajita , Xu Ke
Published: February 2020

The process of diagnosing hazardous alcohol drinking (HAD) is based on self-reported data and is thereby vulnerable to bias. There has been an interest in developing epigenetic biomarkers for HAD that might complement clinical assessment. Because alcohol consumption has been previously linked to DNA methylation (DNAm), we aimed to select DNAm signatures in blood to predict HAD from two demographically and clinically distinct populations (Ntotal = 1,549). We first separately conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) for phosphatidylethanol (PEth), an objective measure of alcohol consumption, and for self-reported alcohol consumption in Cohort 1. We identified 83 PEth-associated CpGs, including 23 CpGs previously associated with alcohol consumption or alcohol use disorder. In contrast, no CpG reached epigenome-wide significance on self-reported alcohol consumption. Using a machine learning approach, two CpG subsets from EWAS on PEth and on self-reported alcohol consumption from Cohort 1 were separately tested for the prediction of HAD in Cohort 2. We found that a subset of 143 CpGs selected from the EWAS on PEth showed an excellent prediction of HAD with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 89.4% in training set and 73.9% in validation set of Cohort 2. However, CpGs preselected from the EWAS on self-reported alcohol consumption showed a poor prediction of HAD with AUC 75.2% in training set and 57.6% in validation set. Our results demonstrate that an objective measure for alcohol consumption is a more informative phenotype than self-reported data for revealing epigenetic mechanisms. The PEth-associated DNAm signature in blood could serve as a robust biomarker for alcohol consumption.