bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cosmological phase transition of spontaneous confinement
Authors: Agashe Kaustubh , Du Peizhi , Ekhterachian Majid , Kumar Soubhik , Sundrum Raman
Published: May 2020

Abstract

The dynamics of a cosmological (de)confinement phase transition is studied in nearly conformally invariant field theories, where confinement is predominantly spontaneously generated and associated with a light “dilaton” field. We show how the leading contribution to the transition rate can be computed within the dilaton effective theory. In the context of Composite Higgs theories, we demonstrate that a simple scenario involving two renormalization-group fixed points can make the transition proceed much more rapidly than in the minimal scenario, thereby avoiding excessive dilution of matter abundances generated before the transition. The implications for gravitational wave phenomenology are discussed. In general, we find that more (less) rapid phase transitions are associated with weaker (stronger) gravitational wave signals. The various possible features of the strongly coupled composite Higgs phase transition discussed here can be concretely modeled at weak coupling within the AdS/CFT dual Randall-Sundrum extra-dimensional description, which offers important insights into the nature of the transition and its theoretical control. These aspects will be presented in a companion paper.
New approach to lattice QCD at finite density; results for the critical end point on coarse lattices
Authors: Giordano Matteo , Kapas Kornel , Katz Sandor D. , Nogradi Daniel , Pasztor Attila
Published: May 2020

Abstract

All approaches currently used to study finite baryon density lattice QCD suffer from uncontrolled systematic uncertainties in addition to the well-known sign problem. We formulate and test an algorithm, sign reweighting, that works directly at finite μ = μ

B
/3 and is yet free from any such uncontrolled systematics. With this algorithm the only problem is the sign problem itself. This approach involves the generation of configurations with the positive fermionic weight |Re det D(μ)| where D(μ) is the Dirac matrix and the signs sign(Re det D(μ)) = ±1 are handled by a discrete reweighting. Hence there are only two sectors, +1 and −1 and as long as the average 〈±1〉 ≠ 0 (with respect to the positive weight) this discrete reweighting by the signs carries no overlap problem and the results are reliable. The approach is tested on N

t
= 4 lattices with 2 + 1 flavors and physical quark masses using the unimproved staggered discretization. By measuring the Fisher (sometimes also called Lee-Yang) zeros in the bare coupling on spatial lattices L/a = 8, 10, 12 we conclude that the cross-over present at μ = 0 becomes stronger at μ > 0 and is consistent with a true phase transition at around μ

B
/T ∼ 2.4.
Lotka–Volterra approximations for evolutionary trait-substitution processes
Authors: Ito Hiroshi C. , Dieckmann Ulf , Metz Johan A. J.
Published: May 2020

A set of axioms is formulated characterizing ecologically plausible community dynamics. Using these axioms, it is proved that the transients following an invasion into a sufficiently stable equilibrium community by a mutant phenotype similar to one of the community's finitely many resident phenotypes can always be approximated by means of an appropriately chosen Lotka–Volterra model. To this end, the assumption is made that similar phenotypes in the community form clusters that are well-separated from each other, as is expected to be generally the case when evolution proceeds through small mutational steps. Each phenotypic cluster is represented by a single phenotype, which we call an approximate phenotype and assign the cluster’s total population density. We present our results in three steps. First, for a set of approximate phenotypes with arbitrary equilibrium population densities before the invasion, the Lotka–Volterra approximation is proved to apply if the changes of the population densities of these phenotypes are sufficiently small during the transient following the invasion. Second, quantitative conditions for such small changes of population densities are derived as a relationship between within-cluster differences and the leading eigenvalue of the community’s Jacobian matrix evaluated at the equilibrium population densities before the invasion. Third, to demonstrate the utility of our results, the ‘invasion implies substitution’ result for monomorphic populations is extended to arbitrarily polymorphic populations consisting of well-recognizable and -separated clusters.
Cognitive functions in acute unilateral vestibular loss
Authors: Ayar Dilara Aktert , Kumral Emre , Celebisoy Nese
Published: May 2020

Cognitive deficits mainly involving visuospatial functions have been defined in patients with bilateral and even unilateral vestibular loss (UVL). We compared the cognitive test results of 21 patients with acute UVL with age- and education-matched healthy controls. The diagnosis of UVL was based on the clinical findings, a normal magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion-weighted sequence and canal paresis on the affected side on caloric testing. Cognitive tests assessing visuospatial functions (Benton’s Judgment of Line Orientation test, Verbal and non-verbal Cancellation tests, Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure test) and global mental status, verbal memory, learning, retention of information, and recalling (Mini Mental State Examination, Oktem Verbal Memory Process Test, Forward and Backward Digit span) were used in addition to Beck depression and Anxiety inventories. Abnormalities in verbal and non-verbal cancellation tests (p < 0.005), Benton’s Judgment of Line Orientation test (p = 0.042) and backward digit span (p = 0.029) was found. A very prominent difference regarding Beck depression (p = 0.012) and anxiety inventories (p < 0.001) was present. On multiple regression analysis, the abovementioned cognitive tests’ results lost their statistical significance (p > 0.05) when depression and anxiety scores were taken into consideration. The severity of canal paresis was found to be correlated with Benton’s Judgment of Line Orientation test (p = 0.008,r = − 0.5639) and Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure test copying scores (p = 0.029,r = − 0.477). Comparison of all the results in right- and left-sided lesions did not reveal a significant difference (p > 0.05). Vestibular patients are prone to develop anxiety, and depression. Deficits in visuospatial functions, mental manipulation, psychomotor speed and short-term memory detected in our patients with acute UVL seem to be enhanced by accompanying anxiety and depression. The extent of vestibular dysfunction was correlated with the severity of deficits in visuospatial skills. Lesion side did not cause alterations in cognitive or emotional status.
Regulation of fatty acid composition related to ontogenetic changes and niche differentiation of a common aquatic consumer
Authors: Chaguaceda F. , Eklöv P. , Scharnweber K.
Published: May 2020

Fatty acids (FAs) are key nutrients for fitness which take part in multiple physiological processes over the ontogeny of organisms. Yet, we lack evidence on how FA nutrition mediates life-history trade-offs and ontogenetic niche shifts in natural populations. In a field study, we analyzed ontogenetic changes in the FAs of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.), a widespread fish that goes through ontogenetic niche shifts and can have high individual niche specialization. Diet explained most of the variation in the FA composition of perch dorsal muscle over early ontogeny (28%), while the total length explained 23%, suggesting that perch significantly regulated FA composition over early ontogeny. Condition explained 1% of the remaining variation. 18:3n-3 (ALA) and 18:4n-3 (SDA) indicated planktivory; 18:1n-7, benthivory; and 22:6n-3 (DHA), piscivory in perch diet. Conversely, perch regulated long-chained polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as 20:5n-3 (EPA), 20:4n-6 (ARA) and 22:6n-3 (DHA) over ontogeny, emphasizing the role of such FAs in early growth and sexual maturation. Adult perch increasingly retained 16:1n-7 and 18:1n-9 suggesting higher energy storage in older perch. Furthermore, differences in DHA availability in diet correlated with intra-cohort differences in perch growth, potentially hindering the overall use of benthic resources and promoting earlier shifts to piscivory in littoral habitats. Overall, this study indicates that in addition to diet, internal regulation may be more important for FA composition than previously thought. Differences between FA needs and FA availability may lead to life-history trade-offs that affect the ecology of consumers, including their niche.
Symmetric Non-Negative Forms and Sums of Squares
Authors: Blekherman Grigoriy , Riener Cordian
Published: May 2020

We study symmetric non-negative forms and their relationship with symmetric sums of squares. For a fixed number of variablesnand degree 2d, symmetric non-negative forms and symmetric sums of squares form closed, convex cones in the vector space ofn-variate symmetric forms of degree 2d. Using representation theory of the symmetric group we characterize both cones in a uniform way. Further, we investigate the asymptotic behavior when the degree 2dis fixed and the number of variablesngrows. Here, we show that, in sharp contrast to the general case, the difference between symmetric non-negative forms and sums of squares does not grow arbitrarily large for any fixed degree 2d. We consider the case of symmetric quartic forms in more detail and give a complete characterization of quartic symmetric sums of squares. Furthermore, we show that in degree 4 the cones of non-negative symmetric forms and symmetric sums of squares approach the same limit, thus these two cones asymptotically become closer as the number of variables grows. We conjecture that this is true in arbitrary degree 2d.
Comparing mixed hybrid finite element method with standard FEM in swelling simulations involving extremely large deformations
Authors: Yu Cong , Malakpoor Kamyar , Huyghe Jacques M.
Published: May 2020

Swelling involving (extremely) large deformations simulations have wide range of applications in biomedicine, tissue engineering and hygienic product design. Typically, standard FEM is used in which deformations and chemical potential are chosen to be the prime variables. On the other hand, mixed hybrid finite element method (MHFEM) featuring an additional independent variable field flux possesses local mass conservation property. Such a property has shown its success in Darcy’s type equations with heterogeneous permeability. In this work, we perform a full-round comparison between MHFEM and FEM in solving swelling problems involving large deformations. Specifically, based on the permeability distributions, the problems fall into three categories: constant permeability, strain-dependent permeability and permeability with a discontinuous interface. For each category, we compare the two methods in aspects like solution convergence robustness, deformation, chemical potential and flux field accuracy and computational cost. We conclude that MHFEM outperforms standard FEM in terms of solution convergence robustness and the accuracy of all three fields when a swelling problem involves discontinuous interface in permeability.
Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring during scoliosis surgery in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Dulfer S. E. , Lange F. , Wapstra F. H. , Potgieser A. R. E. , Valk J. P. , Absalom A. R. , Groen R. J. M. , Faber C. , Drost G.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Little is known about the reliability and value of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) undergoing scoliosis correction surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of IONM and the cortical excitability in these patients.

Methods

Fifteen patients with DMD and scoliosis and 15 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) underwent scoliosis correction surgery with the use of IONM. IONM consisted of transcranial electrical stimulation motor evoked potential (Tc-MEP) and somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) monitoring. The highest Tc-MEP amplitudes were collected to test the feasibility. Preoperative compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-MEPs were recorded to test the cortical excitability. SSEPs were scored as elicitable or not elicitable.

Results

Tc-MEP amplitudes were significantly lower in the DMD group for both the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles. However, the abductor hallucis muscle had similar amplitudes in both the DMD as the AIS group. TMS/CMAP and Tc-MEP/CMAP ratios were similar in the DMD and AIS group (P = 0.126 and P = 0.792 respectively).

Conclusions

Tc-MEP and SSEP monitoring is feasible, particularly when Tc-MEPs are recorded from the abductor hallucis muscle in patients with DMD. Similar TMS/CMAP and Tc-MEP/CMAP ratios show that there were no differences observed in cortical excitability between the groups. IONM seems a feasible and valuable neurophysiological tool to signal possible surgically induced damage to the spinal cord during scoliosis correction surgery in patients with DMD.
Wave cancellation conditions for the double impact of finite duration in an arbitrary structure
Authors: Konyukhov Alexander
Published: May 2020

Resonance phenomena in impacting systems can be defined as an amplitude increasing during periodically applied impacts. The wave cancellation phenomenon is defined as application of certain conditions to cancel the wave fully. The double impact system is defined as the application of the first impact with a certain duration $$\tau $$τ and then the application of a counter impact in a certain time $$\tau _1$$τ1 such that the vibrations caused by the first impact are fully disappearing. In the current contribution this phenomenon is first studied for the simplest 1D bar vibration. The response function is introduced as a characteristic for such a phenomenon and, by studying its properties, it is possible to find both an impact duration time $$\tau $$τ and an application time $$\tau _1$$τ1 for the counter impact leading to the wave cancellation. The result is generalized for any arbitrary homogeneous linear non-dissipative mechanical structure described by a semi-elliptic operator Lu. The counter impact can be determined in the same way as in the opposite direction. This general result is numerically illustrated for various operators Lu possessing relatively simple analytical solutions: for a simply supported and a clamped Bernoulli beam, for a fixed membrane and for a Kirchhoff plate. Three potential applications are discussed at the end: a set of verification examples for further analysis of time integration numerical schemes with the energy conservation property; straightforward transfer of cancellation conditions for the double impact to any convenient numerical method in mechanics, e.g. finite element method, iso-geometric method etc.; application of the result in engineering design of impacting devices (hammering etc.) in order to prevent recoil.
Necrotizing periodontitis or medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) in a patient receiving Bemcentinib—a case report
Authors: Bumm Caspar V. , Folwaczny Matthias , Wölfle Uta C.
Published: May 2020

Bemcentinib is a newly developed AXL inhibitor that is currently under investigation in phase II trails for the treatment of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). Clinical and radiographic findings in this case were very similar to cases of MRONJ in patients receiving Sunitinib or other anti-angiogenetic substances, assuming that Bemcentinib may cause similar oral side effects. We present a male 81-year-old patient with a manifestation of alveolar bone necrosis at the central upper incisors following a 2-month regimen with the AXL-inhibitor Bemcentinib, administered for the treatment of secondary acute myeloblastic leukemia (sAML). Due to the duration of less than 8 weeks, the osteonecrosis was diagnosed as necrotizing periodontitis, but the intraoral clinical and radiographic findings were also compatible with the differential diagnosis of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ, stage II). Following to discontinuation of Bemcentinib, the affected bone was surgically revised including the removal of a demarcated bone sequester under preventive antibiotic treatment (metronidazole 400 mg t.i.d.). We hypothesize that Bemcentinib might increase the susceptibility for osteonecrosis of the jaw, probably related to its antiangiogenic effects and the resulting modulation of host immune response. Based on the current observations, it can be assumed that oro-dental health might be significant also prior and during treatment with Bemcentinib for the prevention of MRONJ.
A regionally-adaptable ground-motion model for shallow crustal earthquakes in Europe
Authors: Kotha Sreeram Reddy , Weatherill Graeme , Bindi Dino , Cotton Fabrice
Published: May 2020

To complement the new European Strong-Motion dataset and the ongoing efforts to update the seismic hazard and risk assessment of Europe and Mediterranean regions, we propose a new regionally adaptable ground-motion model (GMM). We present here the GMM capable of predicting the 5% dampedRotD50 ofPGA,PGV, and$$ SA\left( {T = 0.01 - 8\,{\text{s}}} \right) $$SAT=0.01-8sfrom shallow crustal earthquakes of$$ 3 \le M_{W} \le 7.4 $$3≤MW≤7.4occurring$$ 0 < R_{JB} \le 545\,{\text{km}} $$0<RJB≤545kmaway from sites with$$ 90 \le V_{s30} \le 3000\,{\text{m}}\,{\text{s}}^{ - 1} $$90≤Vs30≤3000ms-1or$$ 0.001 \le slope \le 1\,{\text{m}}\,{\text{m}}^{ - 1} $$0.001≤slope≤1mm-1. The extended applicability derived from thousands of new recordings, however, comes with an apparent increase in the aleatory variability (σ). Firstly, anticipating contaminations and peculiarities in the dataset, we employed robust mixed-effect regressions to down weigh only, and not eliminate entirely, the influence of outliers on the GMM median andσ. Secondly, we regionalised the attenuating path and localised the earthquake sources using the most recent models, to quantify region-specific anelastic attenuation and locality-specific earthquake characteristics as random-effects, respectively. Thirdly, using the mixed-effect variance–covariance structure, the GMM can be adapted to new regions, localities, and sites with specific datasets. Consequently, theσis curtailed to a 7% increase atT < 0.3 s, and a substantial 15% decrease atT ≥ 0.3 s, compared to the RESORCE based partially non-ergodic GMM. We provide the 46 attenuating region-, 56 earthquake localities-, and 1829 site-specific adjustments, demonstrate their usage, and present their robustness through a 10-fold cross-validation exercise.
Linear two-pool models are insufficient to infer soil organic matter decomposition temperature sensitivity from incubations
Authors: Tang Jinyun , Riley William J.
Published: May 2020

Terrestrial carbon (C)-climate feedbacks depend strongly on how soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition responds to temperature. This dependency is often represented in land models by the parameter Q10, which quantifies the relative increase of microbial soil respiration per 10 °C temperature increase. Many studies have conducted paired laboratory soil incubations and inferred “active” and “slow” pool Q10 values by fitting linear two-pool models to measured respiration time series. Using a recently published incubation study (Qin et al. in Sci Adv 5(7):eaau1218, 2019) as an example, here we first show that the very high parametric equifinality of the linear two-pool models may render such incubation-based Q10 estimates unreliable. In particular, we show that, accompanied by the uncertain initial active pool size, the slow pool Q10 can span a very wide range, including values as high as 100, although all parameter combinations are producing almost equally good model fit with respect to the observations. This result is robust whether or not interactions between the active and slow pools are considered (typically these interactions are not considered when interpreting incubation data, but are part of the predictive soil carbon models). This very large parametric equifinality in the context of interpreting incubation data is consistent with the poor temporal extrapolation capability of linear multi-pool models identified in recent studies. Next, using a microbe-explicit SOM model (RESOM), we show that the inferred two pools and their associated parameters (e.g., Q10) could be artificial constructs and are therefore unreliable concepts for integration into predictive models. We finally discuss uncertainties in applying linear two-pool (or more generally multiple-pool) models to estimate SOM decomposition parameters such as temperature sensitivities from laboratory incubations. We also propose new observations and model structures that could enable better process understanding and more robust predictive capabilities of soil carbon dynamics.
Projected changes to wind loads coinciding with rainfall for building design in Canada based on an ensemble of Canadian regional climate model simulations
Authors: Jeong Dae Il , Cannon Alex J. , Morris Robert J.
Published: May 2020

Strong wind coinciding with rainfall is an important weather phenomenon in many science and engineering fields. This study investigates changes in hourly extreme driving rain wind pressure (DRWP)—a climatic variable used in building design in Canada—for future periods of specified global mean temperature change using an ensemble of a Canadian regional climate model (CanRCM4) driven by the Canadian Earth system model (CanESM2) under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 scenario. Evaluation of the model shows that the CanRCM4 ensemble reproduces hourly extreme wind speeds and rainfall (> 1.8 mm/h) occurrence frequency and the associated design (5-year return level) DRWP across Canada well when compared with 130 meteorological stations. Significant increases in future design DRWP are projected over western, eastern, and northern Canada, with the areal extent and relative magnitude of the increases scaling approximately linearly with the amount of global warming. Increases in future rainfall occurrence frequency are driven by the combined effect of increases in precipitation amount and changes in precipitation type from solid to liquid due to increases in air temperature; these are identified as the main factors leading to increases in future design DRWP. Future risk ratios of the design DRWP are highly dependent on those of the rainfall occurrence, which shows large increases over the three regions, while they are partly affected by the increases in future extreme wind speeds over western and northeastern Canada. Increases in DRWP can be an emerging risk for existing buildings, particularly in western, eastern, and northern Canada, and a consideration for managing and designing buildings across Canada.
The Variability of Critical Mass Loss Rate at Auto-Extinction
Authors: Arnórsson Snorri Már , Hadden Rory M. , Law Angus
Published: May 2020

The conditions under which auto-extinction of timber can occur are of particular importance for mass timber structures where elements of structural timber are exposed, or become exposed, during a fire. Using experiments on 95 mm cubes of timber, the sensitivity of auto-extinction to sample orientation, and an imposed flow across the surface of the sample was investigated. It was found that the variation in burning rate between the vertical and horizontal orientation was 8% but that, for samples in a vertical orientation, auto-extinction occurred at a higher value of mass loss. It was found that while the critical mass loss rate for extinction was relatively consistent in a given orientation (coefficient of variation, 16%), the variability in the time to extinction, and thus the total mass of timber consumed, was significant (coefficient of variation, 40%). Critical mass loss for extinction was linked to the square of the flow velocity at the surface of the sample.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring as a Matter of Justice
Authors: Kraaijeveld Steven R.
Published: May 2020

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic illness that requires intensive lifelong management of blood glucose concentrations by means of external insulin administration. There have been substantial developments in the ways of measuring glucose levels, which is crucial to T1D self-management. Recently, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has allowed people with T1D to keep track of their blood glucose levels in near real-time. These devices have alarms that warn users about potentially dangerous blood glucose trends, which can often be shared with ther people. CGM is consistently associated with improved glycemic control and reduced hypoglycemia and is currently recommended by doctors. However, due to the costs of CGM, only those who qualify for hospital provision or those who can personally afford it are able to use it, which excludes many people. In this paper, I argue that unequal access to CGM results in: (1) unjust health inequalities, (2) relational injustice, (3) injustice with regard to agency and autonomy, and (4) epistemic injustice. These considerations provide prima facie moral reasons why all people with T1D should have access to CGM technology. I discuss the specific case of CGM policy in the Netherlands, which currently only provides coverage for a small group of people with T1D, and argue that, especially with additional considerations of cost-effectiveness, the Dutch government ought to include CGM in basic health care insurance for all people with T1D.
Apoptosis triggers the release of microRNA miR-294 in spent culture media of blastocysts
Authors: Makri Dimitra , Efstathiou Panagiota , Michailidou Eftychia , Maalouf Walid E
Published: May 2020

Purpose

To study whether members of the miR-290-295 cluster in spent culture medium (SCM) of embryos are correlated with morphokinetics and apoptosis.

Methods

Cryopreserved 1-cell stage mouse embryos were cultured to the blastocyst stage, development was monitored by time-lapse, 59 SCM were collected, and miR-291a and miR-294 were detected with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Blastocysts were immuno-stained for sexing (H2AK119ub) and for apoptosis (TUNEL). Each embryo and SCM were individually processed. Correlations were run between the miRNAs and developmental events (t2, t3, t4, t5, t8, tSB, tB, ECC2, ECC3, s2, s3, dB) and apoptosis (apoptotic cells/total cell number %). MiR-294 SCM and cell levels were compared in 40 blastocysts. Apoptosis was induced in 15 blastocysts with UV radiation and SCM samples were analyzed for miR-294.

Results

MiR-291a and miR-294 are released in variable levels by mouse blastocysts. Their release is similar between male and female embryos. No significant correlations were found between these miRNAs and development. MiR-294 was significantly positively correlated with apoptosis (r = 0.560, p < 0.001). Cellular expression was lower in blastocysts that released miR-294 in high levels compared with null, low, and medium release embryos (p < 0.01). UV radiation caused apoptosis which triggered higher secretion of miR-294 in 15 blastocysts versus 13 control embryos (p < 0.01).

Conclusion(s)

MicroRNAs are important regulators of preimplantation development. Apoptosis triggers the release of miR-294 by blastocysts which possibly serves a secretory role for embryo-maternal communication. SCM miRNA analysis is possible for individually cultured embryos and future studies can investigate miRNAs as noninvasive markers of embryo quality.
Contact force sensing in ablation of ventricular arrhythmias using a 56-hole open-irrigation catheter: a propensity-matched analysis
Authors: Elbatran Ahmed I. , Li Anthony , Gallagher Mark M. , Kaba Riyaz , Norman Mark , Behr Elijah R. , Sohal Manav , Bajpai Abhay , Zuberi Zia , Saba Magdi M.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The effect of adding contact force (CF) sensing to 56-hole tip irrigation in ventricular arrhythmia (VA) ablation has not been previously studied. We aimed to compare outcomes with and without CF sensing in VA ablation using a 56-hole radiofrequency (RF) catheter.

Methods

A total of 164 patients who underwent first-time VA ablation using Thermocool SmartTouch Surround Flow (TC-STSF) catheter (Biosense-Webster, Diamond Bar, CA, USA) were propensity-matched in a 1:1 fashion to 164 patients who had first-time ablation using Thermocool Surround Flow (TC-SF) catheter. Patients were matched for age, gender, cardiac aetiology, ejection fraction and approach. Acute success, complications and long-term follow-up were compared.

Results

There was no difference between procedures utilising either TC-SF or TC-STSF in acute success (TC-SF: 134/164 (82%), TC-STSF: 141/164 (86%), p = 0.3), complications (TC-SF: 11/164 (6.7%), TC-STSF: 11/164 (6.7%), p = 1.0) or VA-free survival (TC-SF: mean arrhythmia-free survival time = 5.9 years, 95% CI = 5.4–6.4, TC-STSF: mean = 3.2 years, 95% CI = 3–3.5, log-rank p = 0.74). Fluoroscopy time was longer in normal hearts with TC-SF (19 min, IQR: 14–30) than TC-STSF (14 min, IQR: 8–25; p = 0.04).

Conclusion

Both TC-SF and TC-STSF catheters are safe and effective in treating VAs. The use of CF sensing catheters did not improve safety or acute and long-term outcomes, but reduced fluoroscopy time in normal heart VA.
Do corruption and regulations matter for home country nascent international entrepreneurship?
Authors: Chowdhury Farzana , Audretsch David B.
Published: May 2020

We examine the influence of corruption and regulatory environment on the home country entrepreneurship level. Using data from 54 countries from 2005 to 2011, we find that corruption does not have a consistent negative influence on home country nascent international entrepreneurship. With regards to regulations, administrative regulations have different influence than regulations that have financial implications. Tax related regulations do not have any significant influence in high corrupt countries. The results of our study also show that regulation and corruption interact uniquely with nascent internationals in the home country. The results of our study hold several robustness checks.
Quantification of Radiation Injury on Neutropenia and the Link between Absolute Neutrophil Count Time Course and Overall Survival in Nonhuman Primates Treated with G-CSF
Authors: Harrold John , Gisleskog Per Olsson , Delor Isabelle , Jacqmin Philippe , Perez-Ruixo Juan Jose , Narayanan Adimoolam , Doshi Sameer , Chow Andrew , Yang Bing-Bing , Melhem Murad
Published: May 2020

Purpose

To model absolute neutrophil count (ANC) suppression in response to acute radiation (AR) exposure and evaluate ANC time course as a predictor of overall survival (OS) in response to AR exposure with or without treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in nonhuman primates.

Methods

Source data were obtained from two pivotal studies conducted in rhesus macaques exposed to 750 cGy of whole body irradiation on day 0 that received either placebo, daily filgrastim, or pegfilgrastim (days 1 and 8 after irradiation). Animals were observed for 60 days with ANC measured every 1 to 2 days. The population model of ANC response to AR and the link between observed ANC time course and OS consisted of three submodels characterizing injury due to radiation, granulopoiesis, and a time-to-event model of OS.

Results

The ANC response model accurately described the effects of AR exposure on the duration of neutropenia. ANC was a valid surrogate for survival because it explained 76% (95% CI, 41%–97%) and 73.2% (95% CI, 38.7%–99.9%) of the treatment effect for filgrastim and pegfilgrastim, respectively.

Conclusion

The current model linking radiation injury to neutropenia and ANC time course to OS can be used as a basis for translating these effects to humans.
Translation Approaches in Constitutional Hermeneutics
Authors: Lind Hans , Mulligan Christina , Douma Michael , Quinn Brian
Published: May 2020

In this article, we suggest an alternate approach to interpreting the US Constitution, using founding-era translations. We demonstrate how both symmetries and asymmetries in structure and vocabulary of the languages involved can help in deciding nowadays’ problems of constitutional interpretation. We select seven controversial passages of the US constitution to illustrate our approach: Art. I, § 8, cl. 3 (“to regulate commerce”); Art. II, § 1, cl. 5 (“natural born citizen”); Art. II, § 2, cl. 3 (“recess”); Art. I, § 6, cl. 1/Art. I, § 8, cl. 10/Art. IV, § 2 (“felony”); and Art. IV, § 2, cl. 1 (“privileges and immunities”). Since these passages have recently been debated by constitutional scholars, reassessing them using our method can establish the additional value of our approach to constitutional practice. We presume that our approach is not limited to interpreting the US constitution, but suggest that constitutional hermeneutics in general could profit from adding a translation approach to the toolkit.
Diketopiperazines from Batnamyces globulariicola, gen. & sp. nov. (Chaetomiaceae), a fungus associated with roots of the medicinal plant Globularia alypum in Algeria
Authors: Noumeur Sara R. , Teponno Rémy B. , Helaly Soleiman E. , Wang Xue-Wei , Harzallah Daoud , Houbraken Jos , Crous Pedro W. , Stadler Marc
Published: May 2020

Eight diketopiperazines including five previously unreported derivatives were isolated from an endophytic fungus cultured from the medicinal plant Globularia alypum collected in Algeria. The strain was characterised by means of morphological studies and molecular phylogenetic methods and was found to represent a species of a new genus in the Chaetomiaceae, for which we propose the name Batnamyces globulariicola. The taxonomic position of the new genus, which appears phylogenetically related to Stolonocarpus and Madurella, was evaluated by a multi-locus genealogy and by morphological studies in comparison to DNA sequence data reported in the recent monographs of the family. The culture remained sterile on several culture media despite repeated attempts to induce sporulation, and only some chlamydospores were formed. After fermentation in submerged culture and extraction of the cultures with organic solvents, the major secondary metabolites of B. globulariicola were isolated and their chemical structures were elucidated by extensive spectral analysis including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) measurements. The isolated compounds were tested for their biological activities against various bacteria, fungi, and two mammalian cell lines, but only three of them exhibited weak cytotoxicity against KB3.1 cells, but no antimicrobial effects were observed.
Gastrointestinal Peptides as Therapeutic Targets to Mitigate Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Alexiadou Kleopatra , Tan Tricia M-M.
Published: May 2020

Purpose of Review

Obesity affects over than 600 million adults worldwide resulting in multi-organ complications and major socioeconomic impact. The purpose of this review is to summarise the physiological effects as well as the therapeutic implications of the gut hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), oxyntomodulin, peptide YY (PYY), and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) in the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Recent Findings

Clinical trials have proven that the widely used GLP-1 analogues have pleotropic effects beyond those on weight and glucose metabolism and appear to confer favourable cardiovascular and renal outcomes. However, GLP-1 analogues alone do not deliver sufficient efficacy for the treatment of obesity, being limited by their dose-dependent gastrointestinal side effects. Novel dual agonists for GLP-1/glucagon and GLP-1/GIP are being developed by the pharmaceutical industry and have demonstrated some promising results for weight loss and improvement in glycaemia over and above GLP-1 analogues. Triagonists (for example GLP-1/GIP/glucagon) are currently in pre-clinical or early clinical development.

Gastrointestinal hormones possess complementary effects on appetite, energy expenditure, and glucose metabolism. We highlight the idea that combinations of these hormones may represent the way forward in obesity and diabetes therapeutics.
Drivers of organic food choice in Germany—the case of young adults
Authors: Brümmer Nanke , Zander Katrin
Published: May 2020

The purpose of this paper is to explore the values that underlie young adults’ purchase motivation of organic food. Online chat-based laddering interviews were conducted with 30 organic and non-organic consumers. A means-end chain analysis of the laddering interviews revealed several values of young adults that are relevant for organic food purchase. Values that were found in relation to organic food purchase were security, universalism, hedonism and benevolence. Values related to non-purchase of organic food were security, power, self-direction and hedonism. The results of this study show that both egoistic and altruistic values are relevant for young adults’ organic food purchase intention. When it comes to motivating young adults to become organic consumers, particularly the reasons for not buying organic food ‘too high prices’ and ‘lack of trust’ should be considered when developing well-targeted communication strategies.
Cannabis Exposure During Critical Windows of Development: Epigenetic and Molecular Pathways Implicated in Neuropsychiatric Disease
Authors: Smith Anna , Kaufman Farla , Sandy Martha S. , Cardenas Andres
Published: May 2020

Purpose of Review

Cannabis exposure during critical windows of development may have intergenerational physiological consequences disrupting epigenetic programming and marks. This review examines the literature relating to pre-gestational and prenatal cannabinoid exposure and its effect on genes and molecular pathways related to the development of psychiatric disease.

Recent Findings

Developmental cannabis exposure alters epigenetic processes with functional gene consequences. These include potentially heritable alterations in genes and molecular pathways critical for brain development and associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, addiction, and other psychiatric diseases.

Cannabis consumption and mental health illness in adolescents and young adults are increasing in the United States (U.S.), and recent studies suggest that cannabis consumption during critical periods of brain development could contribute to mental health illness through epigenetic mechanisms. These findings warrant future studies and consideration by regulators and health communicators.
KuroNet: Regularized Residual U-Nets for End-to-End Kuzushiji Character Recognition
Authors: Lamb Alex , Clanuwat Tarin , Kitamoto Asanobu
Published: May 2020

Kuzushiji, a cursive writing style, had been used in Japan for over a thousand years starting from the eighth century. Over 3 million books on a diverse array of topics, such as literature, science, mathematics and even cooking are preserved. However, following a change to the Japanese writing system in 1900, Kuzushiji has not been included in regular school curricula. Therefore, most Japanese natives nowadays cannot read books written or printed just 150 years ago. Museums and libraries have invested a great deal of effort into creating digital copies of these historical documents as a safeguard against fires, earthquakes and tsunamis. The result has been datasets with hundreds of millions of photographs of historical documents which can only be read by a small number of specially trained experts. Thus there has been a great deal of interest in using machine learning to automatically recognize these historical texts and transcribe them into modern Japanese characters. Our proposed model KuroNet (which builds on Clanuwat et al. in International conference on document analysis and recognition (ICDAR), 2019) outperforms other model for Kuzushiji recognition. In this paper, KuroNet achieves higher accuracy while still recognizing entire pages of text using the residual U-Net architecture from adding more regularization. We also explore areas where our system is limited and suggests directions for future work.
Chemotherapy readiness in pediatric oncology
Authors: Algiraigri Ali H. , Truong Tony H. , Lyon Martha E.
Published: May 2020

As part of the evaluation for chemotherapy readiness, urine specific gravity is measured to assess the patient’s overall hydration status. Depending on the accuracy of the methods used, patients may be adversely affected by having their chemotherapy delayed or prematurely started. To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a new automated urine dipstick readout device (Clinitek), we tested 196 consecutive urine samples for urine specific gravity and compared them with the practical gold standard, a urine refractometer. We found a high correlation between both tools among clean urine samples, but a poor correlation among the pathological urine samples.
Effect of frequent winter warming events (storms) and snow on sea-ice growth – a case from the Atlantic sector of the Arctic Ocean during the N-ICE2015 campaign
Authors: Merkouriadi Ioanna , Cheng Bin , Hudson Stephen R. , Granskog Mats A.
Published: May 2020

We examine the relative effect of warming events (storms) and snow cover on thermodynamic growth of Arctic sea ice in winter. We use a 1-D snow and ice thermodynamic model to perform sensitivity experiments. Observations from the winter period of the Norwegian young sea ICE (N-ICE2015) campaign north of Svalbard are used to initiate and force the model. The N-ICE2015 winter was characterized by frequent storm events that brought pulses of heat and moisture, and a thick snow cover atop the sea ice (0.3–0.5 m). By the end of the winter, sea-ice bottom growth was negligible. We show that the thermodynamic effect of storms to the winter sea-ice growth is controlled by the amount of snow on sea ice. For 1.3 m initial ice thickness, the decrease in ice growth caused by the warming events ranged from −1.4% (for 0.5 m of snow) to −7.5% (for snow-free conditions). The decrease in sea-ice growth caused by the thick snow (0.5 m) was more important, ranging from −17% (with storms) to −23% (without storms). The results showcase the critical role of snow on winter Arctic sea-ice growth.
Can we expect an increased suicide rate due to Covid-19?
Authors: Devitt Patrick
Published: May 2020

Human disasters come in all shapes and sizes including wars, terrorist violence, natural events, economic recessions and depressions as well as infection. As a species more fragile than we often allow, humans would be expected to adversely react to these types of disasters in terms of mental ill health and possibly suicidal behaviour leading to increased demands on the Mental Health services. This narrative historical paper examines relevant studies into how previous disasters affected mental health and suicidal behaviour. The characteristics of what is known of the current Covid-19 disease are analysed and compared to other types of disasters with a view to gaining some insight into what we might expect. Of all the types of disasters, economic recession appears most toxic. Mitigating the worst effects of recession appears to be protective. Particularly vulnerable groups are identified in whom we might expect an increase in suicidal behaviour.
Addiction psychiatry and COVID-19: impact on patients and service provision
Authors: Columb D. , Hussain R. , O’Gara C.
Published: May 2020

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has undoubtedly had a major impact on the provision of physical healthcare in Ireland and worldwide. The mental health impact of this pandemic cannot be underestimated, particularly relating to patients suffering from addiction. Heightened public stress and anxiety levels, increasing isolation and the physical consequences of addiction play a large role in the proliferation and ongoing relapse of substance misuse and behavioural addiction. Service provision is an ongoing challenge not only due to the increasing need for services given the increased mental health burden of COVID-19 but also the restrictions in place in clinical areas to achieve social distancing. The necessary adaptations to service provision provide opportunities for the analysis of current processes used in our addiction unit and the introduction of new processes to our service. The current crisis tests the sustainability of the service to provide the high standard of care required for these patients.
ADHD and Covid-19: current roadblocks and future opportunities
Authors: McGrath J.
Published: May 2020

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the commonest disorder presenting to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Ireland. This article considers the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the provision of mental health services for young people with ADHD with specific reference to the difficulties that have been experienced in ADMiRE, a specialist ADHD service in Dublin, since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Ireland. Current guidelines and alternative ways of ensuring adequate service provision are discussed. Restrictions to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 are likely to continue for many months, and child and adolescent mental health services need to find new ways to provide a sustainable service to young people in Ireland. There is a growing evidence base for the use of telepsychiatry in the assessment and management of ADHD. Factors that should be considered when developing a telepsychiatry service for children and adolescents with ADHD are highlighted.
Quit4hlth: a preliminary investigation of tobacco treatment with gain-framed and loss-framed text messages for quitline callers
Authors: Rojewski Alana M. , Duncan Lindsay R. , Carroll Allison J. , Brown Anthony , Latimer-Cheung Amy , Celestino Paula , Sheffer Christine , Hyland Andrew , Toll Benjamin A.
Published: May 2020

Introduction

Recent evidence suggests that quitline text messaging is an effective treatment for smoking cessation, but little is known about the relative effectiveness of the message content.

Aims

A pilot study of the effects of gain-framed (GF; focused on the benefits of quitting) versus loss-framed (LF; focused on the costs of continued smoking) text messages among smokers contacting a quitline.

Methods

Participants were randomized to receive LF (N = 300) or GF (N = 300) text messages for 30 weeks. Self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence and number of 24 h quit attempts were assessed at week 30. Intent-to-treat (ITT) and responder analyses for smoking cessation were conducted using logistic regression.

Results

The ITT analysis showed 17% of the GF group quit smoking compared to 15% in the LF group (P = 0.508). The responder analysis showed 44% of the GF group quit smoking compared to 35% in the LF group (P = 0.154). More participants in the GF group reported making a 24 h quit attempt compared to the LF group (98% vs. 93%, P = 0.046).

Conclusions

Although there were no differences in abstinence rates between groups at the week 30 follow-up, participants in the GF group made more quit attempts than those in the LF group.