bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is Timing of Death from Tumor Recurrence Predictable after Curative Resection for Gastric Cancer?
Authors: Otsuji Eigo , Kobayashi Shinichiro , Okamoto Kazuma , Hagiwara Akeo , Yamagishi Hisakazu
Published: December 2019

It is still difficult to predict whether cancer in patients who undergo curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer will recur and when they will die of recurrence. This study clarified predictive factors related to timing of death from tumor recurrence. A multivariate analysis was used to assess the dependence of death on postoperative tumor recurrence and the dependence of the timing of death on tumor recurrence. Patients were divided into two groups according to the timing of death: those who died of tumor recurrence less than 2 years after surgery and those who died more than 2 years after surgery. Depth of cancer invasion, regional lymph node metastasis, and tumor size were independently correlated with tumor recurrence after curative gastrectomy. Only the depth of cancer invasion independently correlated with the timing of death due to tumor recurrence. It might be possible to predict the timing of death from tumor recurrence by the depth of cancer invasion into the gastric wall.
Methodologic Requirements for Assessing Surgical Procedures in Current Medical Literature
Authors: Jiménez Rosa E. , Gutiérrez Angela R. , Benitez Iralys M.
Published: December 2019

Abstract

Even though, in theory, a new surgical technique should traverse all the stages established for drugs before being introduced into medical practice, it is suspected that many surgical procedures are utilized without having rigorously evaluated their efficacy and safety. With the aim of identifying the methodologic aspects currently employed for assessing new surgical procedures, a descriptive bibliographic study was carried out. Altogether, 75 journal articles published from 1996 to 1998 were reviewed. The papers must have come from studies carried out with the expressed objective of evaluating a surgical procedure and were selected through MEDLINE or directly from six prestigious medical journals (three specifically surgical and three general). Of the reviewed articles, 47% were retrospective studies, and the rest were prospective studies. More than 40% of the retrospective studies omitted some basic methodologic features, namely a description of the patients’ source or a definition of the inclusion criteria. Among the 41 prospective articles, only 35 used a control group and 15 did not employ random allocation. Other basic issues, such as the sample size or inclusion of prognostic factors in the analysis, were present in fewer than 50% of the articles. It seems there is consensus about admitting that rigorous assessment of new surgical treatments should be an unavoidable condition before introducing such treatment into practice. The facts demonstrate that this principle is not being followed.
Epidemiology and Outcome of Aortic Aneurysms in Hong Kong
Authors: Cheng Stephen W.K. , Ting Albert C.W. , Tsang Simon H.Y.
Published: December 2019

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine epidemiology and mortality statistics for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in Hong Kong. Data from three sources were obtained and analyzed: (1) Hong Kong Hospital Authority discharge statistics for 1999 and 2000; (2) a survey on aortic aneurysms in public hospitals conducted by the Working Group of Vascular Surgery; and (3) the Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong Medical Center aortic aneurysm database. The disease pattern, distribution, and operative mortality were determined. The annual incidence of AAA in Hong Kong is 13.7 per 100,000 population and 105 per 100,000 for those aged 65 and above. About 10% of the AAAs that presented were ruptured. The mean age of the AAA patients was 74 years, with 84% of them over age 65. The operative repair rate for AAAs was low, being only 8% for intact aneurysms and 54% for ruptured ones. Overall, 45% of all aneurysm repairs were performed for a ruptured AAA. There is diverse practice between major vascular centers and smaller regional hospitals. The territory‐wide operative mortality rates for intact and ruptured aneurysms were 10% (range 4–24%) and 70% (range 38––100%), respectively. There was no gender bias in the rupture and operative rates. The overall mortality was 17% for intact AAAs and 78% for ruptured AAAs. The average length of hospital stay was 19 days for elective AAA surgery and 13 days for ruptured AAAs. The number of operations in high‐volume centers is increasing with a concomitant decrease in operative mortality. There are no definitive data to indicate that the incidence of AAAs is rising, but a trend toward an increasing number of operations in referral centers is noted. The low repair rates for intact AAAs and the high proportion of repairs for ruptured aneurysms suggest that AAAs are undertreated in Hong Kong.
Breast Abscesses in Lactating Women
Authors: Dener Cenap , İnan Aydın
Published: December 2019

Abstract

We designed a prospective study to assess the contributing factors in puerperal breast abscess and to evaluate the treatment options. During the 4‐year study period, 128 nursing women with breast infection were followed. Of these, 102 had mastitis (80%) and 26 had breast abscess (20%). Ultrasonographic examination was performed in all cases. Patient age, parity, localization of infection, cracked nipples, duration of lactation, duration of symptoms, milk culture results, breast infections during previous lactation period, treatment options, healing time, and recurrence were recorded prospectively. All mastitis patients were treated with antibiotics and none developed an abscess. Ten abscesses were aspirated, and 16 abscesses were treated by incision and drainage. Healing times were similar. There was no significant difference between mastitis and abscess groups regarding age, parity, localization of breast infection, cracked nipples, positive milk cultures, or mean lactation time. Duration of symptoms and healing were longer in cases of abscess. Multivariate analyses showed that duration of symptoms was the only independent variable for abscess development. Recurrent mastitis developed in 13 patients (10.2%) within a median of 24 weeks of follow‐up. Delayed treatment of mastitis can lead to abscess formation, and it can be prevented by early antibiotic therapy. Ultrasonography is helpful for detecting abscess formation. In selected cases the abscess can be drained with needle aspiration with excellent cosmesis.
Local Rectal Tumor Resection Results: Gasless, Video‐endoscopic Transanal Excision versus the Conventional Posterior Approach
Authors: Nakagoe Tohru , Sawai Terumitsu , Tsuji Takashi , Shibazaki Shin , Jibiki Masa , Nanashima Atsushi , Yamaguchi Hiroyuki , Yasutake Toru , Ayabe Hiroyoshi
Published: December 2019

Abstract

This study compares surgical outcomes for local resection of rectal tumors by two approaches: (1) gasless, video‐endoscopic transanal‐rectal tumor excision (gasless VTEM); and (2) a conventional posterior approach. Gasless VTEM involves a modification of transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) that incorporates a standard laparoscopic video camera without a CO2 insufflation system. A series of 42 patients with 45 rectal tumors (9 adenomas, 36 adenocarcinomas) who underwent gasless VTEM between 1993 and 2000 were studied prospectively. The control group consisted of 26 similar patients who underwent conventional surgery (transsacral or transsphincteric approach) between 1985 and 1993. Age, gender ratio, tumor localization, maximum tumor diameter, and histology for the cases and the controls were similar, whereas operating time and blood loss were significantly greater in the control group (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The postoperative intervals until able to walk, urinary catheter removal, solid food intake, and discharge from hospital were significantly shorter in the gasless VTEM group (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively); analgesic requirements were significantly less (p < 0.001). There was no operative mortality in either group. Postoperative complications developed significantly less frequently in the gasless VTEM group than in the control group (7.1% vs. 38.5%; p = 0.003). During the median follow‐up length of 73.3 months, no patient developed tumor recurrence in the gasless VTEM group, whereas one patient did in the control group. In conclusion, gasless VTEM is less invasive and allows shorter hospitalizations and reduced complications than the conventional posterior approach, thereby providing an attractive alternative for selected patients.
Mutational Screening of BRCA1/2 Genes as a Predictive Factor for Therapeutic Response in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Consensus Guide from the Spanish Society of Pathology (SEAP-IAP) and the Spanish Society of Human Genetics (AEGH)
Authors: Palacios J. , de la Hoya M. , Bellosillo B. , de Juan I. , Matías-Guiu X. , Lázaro C. , Palanca S. , Osorio A. , Rojo F. , Rosa-Rosa J.M. , Cigudosa J.C.
Published: December 2019

Germline/somatic BRCA-mutated ovarian carcinomas (OC) are associated to have better response with platinum-based chemotherapy and long-term prognosis than non-BRCA-associated OCs. In addition, these mutations are predictive factors to response to Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Different positioning papers have addressed the clinical recommendations for BRCA testing in OC. This consensus guide represents a collection of technical recommendations to address the detection of BRCA1/2 mutations in the molecular diagnostic testing strategy for OC. Under the coordination of Spanish Society of Pathology (SEAP-IAP) and the Spanish Society of Human Genetics (AEGH), these recommendations have been developed by pathologists and geneticists taking into account previously published recommendations and their experience in the molecular characterization of these genes. Since the implementation of BRCA testing as a predictive factor can initiate the workflow by testing germline mutations in the blood or by testing both germline and somatic mutations in tumor tissue, distinctive features of both strategies are discussed. Additionally, the recommendations included in this paper provide some references, quality parameters, and genomic tools aimed to standardize and facilitate the clinical genomic diagnosis of OC.
That dog won’t fit: body size awareness in dogs
Authors: Lenkei R. , Faragó T. , Kovács D. , Zsilák B. , Pongrácz P.
Published: December 2019

With very few exceptions, no coherent model of representing the self exists for nonhuman species. According to our hypothesis, understanding of the Self as an object’ can also be found in a wide range of animals including the dog, a fast-moving terrestrial predator/scavenger, with highly developed senses and complex cognitive capacity. We tested companion dogs in three experiments in which they faced three different variations of the same physical challenge: passing through an opening in a wall. We predicted that if dogs are capable of representing their own body size, they will react differently when faced with adequate or too small openings. We found that dogs started to move towards and approached the too small openings with significantly longer latencies than the suitable ones; and upon reaching it, they did not try to get through the too small openings. In another experiment, the medium-size (still large enough) opening was approached with latencies that fell between the latencies measured in the cases of the very large or the too small openings. Having discussed the potential underlying mechanisms, we concluded that our results convincingly assume that dogs can represent their own body size in novel contexts.
Consensus-based technical recommendations for clinical translation of renal ASL MRI
Authors: Nery Fabio , Buchanan Charlotte E. , Harteveld Anita A. , Odudu Aghogho , Bane Octavia , Cox Eleanor F. , Derlin Katja , Gach H. Michael , Golay Xavier , Gutberlet Marcel , Laustsen Christoffer , Ljimani Alexandra , Madhuranthakam Ananth J. , Pedrosa Ivan , Prasad Pottumarthi V. , Robson Philip M. , Sharma Kanishka , Sourbron Steven , Taso Manuel , Thomas David L. , Wang Danny J. J. , Zhang Jeff L. , Alsop David C. , Fain Sean B. , Francis Susan T. , Fernández-Seara María A.
Published: December 2019

Objectives

This study aimed at developing technical recommendations for the acquisition, processing and analysis of renal ASL data in the human kidney at 1.5 T and 3 T field strengths that can promote standardization of renal perfusion measurements and facilitate the comparability of results across scanners and in multi-centre clinical studies.

Methods

An international panel of 23 renal ASL experts followed a modified Delphi process, including on-line surveys and two in-person meetings, to formulate a series of consensus statements regarding patient preparation, hardware, acquisition protocol, analysis steps and data reporting.

Results

Fifty-nine statements achieved consensus, while agreement could not be reached on two statements related to patient preparation. As a default protocol, the panel recommends pseudo-continuous (PCASL) or flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) labelling with a single-slice spin-echo EPI readout with background suppression and a simple but robust quantification model.

Discussion

This approach is considered robust and reproducible and can provide renal perfusion images of adequate quality and SNR for most applications. If extended kidney coverage is desirable, a 2D multislice readout is recommended. These recommendations are based on current available evidence and expert opinion. Nonetheless they are expected to be updated as more data become available, since the renal ASL literature is rapidly expanding.
Strong silica-nanocellulose anisotropic composite foams combine low thermal conductivity and low moisture uptake
Authors: Munier Pierre , Apostolopoulou-Kalkavoura Varvara , Persson Michael , Bergström Lennart
Published: December 2019

We report the fabrication of anisotropic lightweight composite foams based on commercial colloidal silica particles and TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TOCNF). The unidirectional ice-templating of silica-TOCNF dispersions resulted in anisotropic foams with columnar porous structures in which the inorganic and organic components were homogeneously distributed. The facile addition of silica particles yielded a significant enhancement in mechanical strength, compared to TOCNF-only foams, and a 3.5-fold increase in toughness at a density of 20 kg m−3. The shape of the silica particles had a large effect on the mechanical properties; anisotropic silica particles were found to strengthen the foams more efficiently than spherical particles. The water uptake of the foams and the axial thermal conductivity in humid air were reduced by the addition of silica. The composite foams were super-insulating at dry conditions at room temperature, with a radial thermal conductivity value as low as 24 mW m−1 K−1, and remained lower than 35 mW m−1 K−1 up to 80% relative humidity. The combination of high strength, low thermal conductivity and manageable moisture sensitivity suggests that silica-TOCNF composite foams could be an attractive alternative to the oil-based thermal insulating materials.
The structure of epistemic probabilities
Authors: Climenhaga Nevin
Published: December 2019

The epistemic probability of A given B is the degree to which B evidentially supports A, or makes A plausible. This paper is a first step in answering the question of what determines the values of epistemic probabilities. I break this question into two parts: the structural question and the substantive question. Just as an object’s weight is determined by its mass and gravitational acceleration, some probabilities are determined by other, more basic ones. The structural question asks what probabilities are not determined in this way—these are the basic probabilities which determine values for all other probabilities. The substantive question asks how the values of these basic probabilities are determined. I defend an answer to the structural question on which basic probabilities are the probabilities of atomic propositions conditional on potential direct explanations. I defend this against the view, implicit in orthodox mathematical treatments of probability, that basic probabilities are the unconditional probabilities of complete worlds. I then apply my answer to the structural question to clear up common confusions in expositions of Bayesianism and shed light on the “problem of the priors.”
Anal abscess microbiology as an anal fistula predictor
Authors: Dowling Enez Victoria Eugenia , Izarra Henriquez Carla Virginia
Published: December 2019

In order to determine the microbiology of anal abscess as a predictor of anal fistulas in patients who attended the external consultation of the Coloproctology unit of the Dr. Antonio María Pineda University Central Hospital, a prospective, descriptive, longitudinal study was conducted from September 2018 to July 2019. In this study, the population consisted of patients with a diagnosis of anal abscess, without associated comorbidities or contraindications for surgery, who agreed to be included in the study. A non-probabilistic, intentional sample consisting of 42 patients was determined. An appointment-based study protocol was applied by outpatient for patients who met the inclusion criteria applied, to perform due medical history through anamnesis, physical examination and culture taking of suppuration from the anal abscess to subsequently establish medical and surgical behavior thereof. The results were expressed in absolute numbers and percentages, a prevalence of ischiorectal abscesses was observed, followed by deep post-anal space abscesses. Anaerobic bacteria were isolated in 100% of the sample. In all fistulized patients, E. Coli was isolated as a predominant germ.
The Generalship of P. Quinctilius Varus in theClades Variana
Authors: Morgan Daniel
Published: December 2019

Theclades Varianawas a major Roman defeat, occurring over three days of fighting in AD 9. Three Roman legions and several units of auxiliaries were destroyed, and their commander, Publius Quinctilius Varus, died at the climax of the fighting. Suetonius said that the army paid the price for its general'stemeritasandneglegentia, and many other commentators, both ancient and modern, have condemned Varus as a general ever since. This paper re-evaluates Varus’ competence as a general by re-examining the extensive literary and archaeological evidence for theclades,with reference to comparative literary evidence that shows how Roman generals usually reacted in comparable situations. It will be argued that Varus’ aggressive march towards a rumoured rebellion with a large baggage train, his re-organisation of the baggage train, his change of course westwards, and even his fatal advance into the defile at Kalkriese, were logical decisions in the context of standard Roman military responses to crisis. It is shown that Varus was hamstrung by intelligence and logistical limitations that were not peculiar to him but were systemic to the Roman army at the time. Varus’ generalship is thus contextualised as relatively competent, although uninspired.
Get to Work or Go to Jail: State Violence and the Racialized Production of Precarious Work
Authors: Zatz Noah D.
Published: December 2019

Work requirements backed by threats of incarceration offer a fertile but neglected site for sociolegal inquiry. These “carceral work mandates” confound familiar accounts of both the neoliberal state’s production of precarious work through deregulation and the penal state’s production of racialized exclusion from labor markets. In two illustrative contexts—child support enforcement and criminal legal debt—demands for work emerge as efforts to increase and then seize earnings from indigent debtors; an ability to pay is defined to include an ability to work. In a third, demands for work are imposed directly through probation, parole, and other community supervision. In each context, the carceral state regulates work outside of prison. It defines appropriate labor conditions through concepts of voluntary unemployment, and it enables employers to discipline or retaliate against workers by triggering state violence. Additionally, mandated work may be removed from employment law protections when the carceral context dominates its sociolegal meaning. Finally, the resulting vulnerable workforces can be used to displace or discipline other workers not personally subject to carceral work mandates. Analogies to welfare work requirements, workplace immigration enforcement, and prison labor illustrate these points. Implications are considered for theorizing contemporary racial political economy.
Study of the 13CO/C18O abundance ratio towards the filamentary infrared dark cloud IRDC 34.43 + 0.24
Authors: Areal M. B. , Paron S. , Ortega M. E. , Duvidovich L.
Published: December 2019

Nowadays, there are several observational studies about the 13CO/C18O abundance ratio (

$X^{13/18}$

) towards nearby molecular clouds. These works give observational support to the C18O selective photodissociation due to the interaction between the far ultraviolet (FUV) radiation and the molecular gas. It is necessary to increase the sample of molecular clouds located at different distances and affected in different ways by nearby or embedded H ii regions and OB associations to study the selective photodissociation. Using 12CO, 13CO, and C18O J = 1–0 data obtained from the FOREST unbiased Galactic plane imaging survey performed with the Nobeyama 45-m telescope, we analyse the filamentary infrared dark cloud IRDC

$34.43+0.24$

located at the distance of about 3.9 kpc. This infrared dark cloud (IRDC) is related to several H ii regions and young stellar objects. Assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium, we obtain:

$0.8 \times 10^{16} <$

N(13CO)

$<4 \times 10^{17}$

cm–2 (average value

$= 4.2 \times 10^{16}$

cm–2),

$0.6 \times 10^{15} <$

N(C18O)

$<4.4 \times 10^{16}$

cm–2 (average value

$= 5.0 \times 10^{15}$

cm–2), and 3

$<$

$X^{13/18}$

$<$

30 (average

$= 8$

) across the whole IRDC. Larger values of

$X^{13/18}$

were found towards portions of the cloud related to the H ii regions associated with the N61 and N62 bubbles and with the photodissociation regions, precisely the regions in which FUV photons are strongly interacting with the molecular gas. Our result represents an observational support to the C18O selectively photodissociation phenomenon occurring in a quite distant filamentary IRDC. Additionally, based on IR data from the Hi-GAL survey, the FUV radiation field was estimated in Habing units, and the dust temperature (T

$_{dust}$

) and H2 column density (N(H2)) distribution were studied. Using the average of N(H2), values in close agreement with the ‘canonical’ abundance ratios [H2]/[13CO] and [H2]/[C18O] were derived. However, the obtained ranges in the abundance ratios show that if an accurate analysis of the molecular gas is required, the use of the ‘canonical’ values may introduce some bias. Thus, it is important to consider how the gas is irradiated by the FUV photons across the molecular cloud. The analysis of

$X^{13/18}$

is a good tool to perform that. Effects of beam dilution and clumpiness were studied.
The Political Legacy of Violence During China's Cultural Revolution
Authors: Wang Yuhua
Published: December 2019

Autocrats use repression to deter opposition. Are they successful in the long run? The author argues that state repression can have long-lastingalienating effectson citizens’ political attitudes andcoercive effectson their political behavior. The article evaluates this proposition by studying the long-term effects of state terror during China's Cultural Revolution. It shows that individuals who grew up in localities that were exposed to more state-sponsored violence in the late 1960s are less trusting of national political leaders and more critical of the country's political system today. These anti-regime attitudes are more likely to be passed down to the younger generation if family members discuss politics frequently than if they do not. Yet while state repression has created anti-regime attitudes, it has decreased citizens’ contentious behavior. These findings highlight the dilemma that authoritarian rulers face when they seek to consolidate their rule through repression.
Employee Flexibility, Exogenous Risk, and Firm Value
Authors: Au Shiu-Yik , Dong Ming , Tremblay Andreanne
Published: December 2019

We hypothesize that employee flexibility enhances firm value by helping firms respond to exogenous shocks. We estimate employee-flexibility scores through textual analysis of online job reviews, and we find that a high flexibility score leads to superior stock returns for firms exposed to external risk. During 2011–2017, the value-weighted hedge portfolio formed on employee flexibility earned a 5-factor annualized alpha of 9.5% during periods of high policy uncertainty. Earnings-announcement returns also suggest that investors do not fully value workforce flexibility. These results indicate that employee flexibility is a valuable corporate intangible that helps firms to manage risk during uncertain times.
A theory stuck in evolutionary and historical time
Authors: Osvath Mathias , Kabadayi Can
Published: December 2019

We argue that the two temporal cognition systems are conceptually too confined to be helpful in understanding the evolution of temporal cognition. In fact, we doubt there are two systems. In relation to this, we question that the authors did not describe the results of our planning study on ravens correctly, as this is of consequence to their theory.
On believing that time does not flow, but thinking that it seems to
Authors: Miller Kristie , Holcombe Alex O. , Latham Andrew J.
Published: December 2019

Hoerl & McCormack (H&M) posit two systems – the temporal updating system and the temporal reasoning system – and suggest that they explain an inherent contradiction in people's naïve theory of time. We suggest there is no contradiction. Something does, however, require explanation: the tension between certain sophisticated beliefs about time, and certain phenomenological states or beliefs about those phenomenological states. The temporal updating mechanism posited by H&M may contribute to this tension.
Thinking about the past as the past for the past's sake: Why did temporal reasoning evolve?
Authors: Mahr Johannes B.
Published: December 2019

Hoerl & McCormack discuss the benefits of temporal reasoning mainly with respect to future planning and decision making. I point out that, for humans, the ability to represent particular past times has distinct benefits, which are independent from contributing to future-directed cognition. Hence, the evolution of the temporal reasoning system was not necessarily driven primarily by its benefits for future-directed cognition.
Nonhuman sequence learning findings argue against Hoerl and McCormack's two systems of temporal cognition
Authors: De Corte Benjamin J. , Wasserman Edward A.
Published: December 2019

Hoerl & McCormack propose that animals learn sequences through an entrainment-like process, rather than tracking the temporal addresses of each event in a given sequence. However, past research suggests that animals form “temporal maps” of sequential events and also comprehend the concept of ordinal position. These findings suggest that a clarification or qualification of the authors’ hypothesis is needed.
Timers from birth: Early timing abilities exceed limits of the temporal updating system
Authors: Hamamouche Karina
Published: December 2019

Hoerl & McCormack argue that children are incapable of reasoning about time until age 5. However, their dual timing perspective does not address non-symbolic timing, or timing in the absence of symbols/language. Given substantial evidence that infants and children are capable of non-symbolic timing, I argue that infants and children are well-tuned timers prior to age 5.
Problems with the dual-systems approach to temporal cognition
Authors: Melnikoff David E. , Bargh John A.
Published: December 2019

Contrary to Hoerl & McCormack (H&M), we argue that the best account of temporal cognition in humans is one in which a single system becomes capable of representing time. We suggest that H&M's own evidence for dual systems of temporal cognition – simultaneous contradictory beliefs – does not recommend dual systems, and that the single system approach is more plausible.
Ambiguous Masculinities: Gender and Sexual Transgression in Contemporary Dance Works by Senegalese Men
Authors: Swanson Amy
Published: December 2019

Contemporary dance in Senegal emerged and thrives at the interstices of the local and the global. Multiple expectations and values, of which gender and sexuality are no small part, converge at the site of creation and production, enlisting choreographers to navigate oftentimes conflicting ideologies. Based on ethnographic research, this article examines three works by Senegalese men that employ gender and sexual transgressions alongside the artists’ seemingly contradictory verbal articulations of their work. Using the local-global entanglement as an analytical framework, I argue that these works offer ambiguous assemblages of masculinities that challenge conventional masculinity in Senegal, thereby elucidating the potentiality for contemporary dance to transcend singular meaning-making capacity.
Lexical stress contrastivity in Italian children with autism spectrum disorders: an exploratory acoustic study
Authors: ARCIULI Joanne , COLOMBO Lucia , SURIAN Luca
Published: December 2019

We investigated production of lexical stress in children with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD), all monolingual Italian speakers. The mean age of the 16 autistic children was 5.73 years and the mean age of the 16 typically developing children was 4.65 years. Picture-naming targets were five trisyllabic words that began with a weak–strong pattern of lexical stress across the initial two syllables (WS: matita) and five trisyllabic words beginning with a strong–weak pattern (SW: gomito). Acoustic measures of the duration, fundamental frequency, and intensity of the first two vowels for correct word productions were used to calculate a normalised Pairwise Variability Index (PVI) for WS and SW words. Results of acoustic analyses indicated no statistically significant group differences in PVIs. Results should be interpreted in line with the exploratory nature of this study. We hope this study will encourage additional cross-linguistic studies of prosody in children's speech production.
Development of gallium-arsenide-based GCPW calibration kits for on-wafer measurements in the W-band
Authors: Wang Yibang , Fu Xingchang , Wu Aihua , Liu Chen , Luan Peng , Liang Faguo , Zhao Wei , Shang Xiaobang
Published: December 2019

We present details of on-wafer-level 16-term error model calibration kits used for the characterization of W-band circuits based on a grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW). These circuits were fabricated on a thin gallium arsenide (GaAs) substrate, and via holes, were utilized to ensure single mode propagation (i.e., eliminating the parallel-plate mode or surface mode). To ensure the accuracy of the definition for the calibration kits, multi-line thru-reflect-line (MTRL) assistant standards were also fabricated on the same wafer and measured. The same wafer also contained passive and active devices, which were measured subject to both 16-term and conventional line-reflect-reflect-match calibrations. Measurement results show that 16-term calibration kits are capable of determining the cross-talk more accurately. Other typical calibration techniques were also implemented using the standards on the GCPW calibration kits, and were compared with the MTRL calibration using a passive device under test. This revealed that the proposed GCPW GaAs calibration substrate could be a feasible alternative to conventional CPW impedance standard substrates, for on-wafer measurements at W-band and above.
Climate Litigation in the Global South: Constraints and Innovations
Authors: Setzer Joana , Benjamin Lisa
Published: December 2019

Cases involving climate change have been litigated in the courts for some time, but new directions and trends have started to emerge. While the majority of climate litigation has occurred in the United States and other developed countries, cases in the Global South are growing both in terms of quantity and in the quality of their strategies and regulatory outcomes. However, so far climate litigation in the Global South has received scant attention from the literature. We argue that climate litigation in the Global South opens up avenues for progress in addressing climate change in highly vulnerable countries. We first highlight some of the capacity constraints experienced in Global South countries to provide context for the emerging trend of strategic climate litigation in the area. In spite of significant constraints experienced, the strategies adopted by litigants push the climate litigation agenda forward as a result of their outward-looking objective of combating ongoing environmental degradation, and, on a doctrinal level, the way in which they link climate change and human rights. Bearing in mind the limitations resulting from the selective nature of the cases examined, we draw upon Legal Opportunity Structures (LOS) approaches and identify two reasons for innovative cases and outcomes in Global South strategic climate litigation: (i) how litigants are either overcoming or using procedural requirements for access to environmental justice, and (ii) the existence of progressive legislative and judicial approaches to climate change. The strategies and outcomes from these judicial approaches in the Global South might be able to contribute to the further development of transnational climate change litigation.
Interannual Oscillations in Earth Rotation
Authors: Chen Jianli , Wilson Clark R. , Kuang Weijia , Chao Benjamin F.
Published: December 2019

At seasonal and shorter time scales, polar motion and length‐of‐day (LOD) change are dominated by mass redistribution in the Earth climate system, including the atmosphere, oceans, and hydrosphere. Long‐term polar motion and LOD change are believed to be forced by solid Earth geophysical process, such as glacial isostatic adjustment. Decadal LOD variations are also connected to core‐mantle coupling. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of interannual oscillations in all three components of Earth rotation using accurately measured polar motion and LOD time series, and geophysical excitations computed from atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrological models over the period 1962 to 2018. Strong interannual oscillations remain in all three components after detrending and band‐pass filtering to retain variations at periods between 2 and 8 years. Polar motion Y is dominated by a 3.65‐year oscillation, plus others at periods of 2.5 and 5.9 years. Polar motion X shows a strong oscillation near 5.9 years, plus smaller variations at shorter periods. A 5.9‐year LOD variation has been recognized in earlier studies, but oscillations at periods of 2.36, 3.65, and 4.9 years are also observed. Atmosphere, ocean, and hydrosphere (AOH) sources largely account for 2.5‐ and 3.65‐year components in polar motion Y, but not for the 5.9‐year component in polar motion X and Y. The 2.36‐, 3.65‐, and 4.9‐year components in LOD can largely be accounted for by AOH sources. The 5.9‐year LOD component becomes more prominent after AOH sources have been subtracted. The presence of a 5.9‐year variation in all three components of Earth rotation suggests a source in Earth's interior, probably from the core.
MAVEN/NGIMS Thermospheric Neutral Wind Observations: Interpretation Using the M‐GITM General Circulation Model
Authors: Roeten Kali J. , Bougher Stephen W. , Benna Mehdi , Mahaffy Paul R. , Lee Yuni , Pawlowski Dave , González‐Galindo Francisco , López‐Valverde Miguel Ángel
Published: December 2019

Using a new observational technique, the NGIMS (Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer) instrument on the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) spacecraft has the unique capability to measure horizontal thermospheric winds. Measured along the orbit track from periapsis (∼150 km) to ∼200 km, these are the first in situ observations of thermospheric winds at Mars. Significantly, this also means that simulated winds from a global circulation model can be compared to in situ observations from this part of the Martian atmosphere for the first time. In this study, observations from five NGIMS neutral wind campaigns have been compared to simulations from the Mars Global Ionosphere‐Thermosphere Model (M‐GITM), a ground to exosphere 3‐D general circulation model. By comparing NGIMS neutral wind observations to model simulations, the processes driving the winds and their variations in the upper atmosphere are examined. These comparisons show that for certain observational periods, the M‐GITM simulated winds can generally replicate the magnitude and/or direction of the NGIMS wind observations, while in others, significant differences occur. In general, wind observations from NGIMS campaigns with large orbit‐to‐orbit variability are not well replicated by M‐GITM, while campaigns with higher observed wind speeds are better captured by the model. Additionally, using these data‐model comparisons, the relative role of normal solar forcing and corresponding differential heating in driving thermospheric winds at Mars is found to be variable, likely acting as the primary driver under some conditions and secondary to other physical processes under others.
MyoD1 suppresses cell migration and invasion by inhibiting FUT4 transcription in human gastric cancer cells
Authors: Wu Fei , Qin Yannan , Jiang Qiuyu , Zhang Jinyuan , Li Fang , Li Qian , Wang Xiaofei , Gao Yi , Miao Jiyu , Guo Chen , Yang Yang , Ni Lei , Liu Liying , Zhang Shuqun , Huang Chen
Published: December 2019

Myogenic differentiation 1 (MyoD1) is a transcription factor that promotes expression of muscle-specific genes. MyoD1 is expressed at significantly lower levels in gastric cancer (GC) tissues and cells, and it induces apoptosis in GC cells. However, functions for MyoD1 in GC cell migration and gene expression have not been documented. We show that knockdown of MyoD1 promoted migration and invasion of GC cells, whereas MyoD1 overexpression suppressed migration and invasion. We performed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-sequencing to identify MyoD1 target genes in MKN-45 cells. The 2-kb upstream regions (Up2k) of the transcription start sites of 57 genes were probably bound by MyoD1. Six of these genes function in signaling pathways such as synthesis of glycosphingolipid biosynthesis—lacto and neolacto series. MyoD1 inhibited transcription of fucosyltransferase IV (FUT4) by binding directly to the FUT4 F3; this finding was validated by ChIP-quantitative PCR and a luciferase reporter assay. Ulex europaeus agglutinin I, which binds Fucα1-2Galβ1-4GlcNAc, and Lewis antigens showed decreased binding to the plasma membrane of cells that overexpressed MyoD1. Knockdown of FUT4 mimicked MyoD1 overexpression by suppressing GC cell migration and invasion; this result implied that MyoD1 suppressed cell migration and invasion via inhibiting the FUT4/matrix metallopeptidase signaling pathway. In summary, this study demonstrated that MyoD1 suppresses migration and invasion of GC cells by directly binding to the F3 region in the FUT4 Up2k and inhibiting FUT4/type II Lewis antigen expression.
Universality of indeterminate growth in lizards rejected: the micro-CT reveals contrasting timing of growth cartilage persistence in iguanas, agamas, and chameleons
Authors: Frýdlová Petra , Mrzílková Jana , Šeremeta Martin , Křemen Jan , Dudák Jan , Žemlička Jan , Němec Pavel , Velenský Petr , Moravec Jiří , Koleška Daniel , Zahradníčková Veronika , Jirásek Tomáš , Kodym Petr , Frynta Daniel , Zach Petr
Published: December 2019

Squamate reptiles are considered to exhibit indeterminate growth. Nevertheless, current literature disputes the available definitions of this growth type, presents new theoretical models, and questions its universality in cold-blooded vertebrates. We have followed up on our previous research employing micro-CT to explore growth plate cartilage (GPC) in the epiphysis of long bones, which is responsible for longitudinal skeletal growth by the endochondral ossification process. We focused on numerous and highly diversified group of the Iguania clade comprising Acrodonta (agamas and chameleons) and Pleurodonta (“iguanas”). We recorded the absence of GPC in most of the examined adult Pleurodonta specimens and interpret it as an irreversible arrest of skeletal growth. This finding clearly rejects the universality of indeterminate growth in lizards. On the other hand, we found apparent GPC preservation in most of the adult specimens belonging to Acrodonta. This suggests a preserved ability to continue body growth throughout most of their life. We discuss the uncovered disparity between Acrodonta and Pleurodonta and emphasize the importance of GPC degradation timing.
Analysis of neuronal ensemble activity reveals the pitfalls and shortcomings of rotation dynamics
Authors: Lebedev Mikhail A. , Ossadtchi Alexei , Mill Nil Adell , Urpí Núria Armengol , Cervera Maria R. , Nicolelis Miguel A. L.
Published: December 2019

Back in 2012, Churchland and his colleagues proposed that “rotational dynamics”, uncovered through linear transformations of multidimensional neuronal data, represent a fundamental type of neuronal population processing in a variety of organisms, from the isolated leech central nervous system to the primate motor cortex. Here, we evaluated this claim using Churchland’s own data and simple simulations of neuronal responses. We observed that rotational patterns occurred in neuronal populations when (1) there was a temporal sequence in peak firing rates exhibited by individual neurons, and (2) this sequence remained consistent across different experimental conditions. Provided that such a temporal order of peak firing rates existed, rotational patterns could be easily obtained using a rather arbitrary computer simulation of neural activity; modeling of any realistic properties of motor cortical responses was not needed. Additionally, arbitrary traces, such as Lissajous curves, could be easily obtained from Churchland’s data with multiple linear regression. While these observations suggest that temporal sequences of neuronal responses could be visualized as rotations with various methods, we express doubt about Churchlandet al.’s bold assessment that such rotations are related to “an unexpected yet surprisingly simple structure in the population response”, which “explains many of the confusing features of individual neural responses”. Instead, we argue that their approach provides little, if any, insight on the underlying neuronal mechanisms employed by neuronal ensembles to encode motor behaviors in any species.
Early Life Maternal Separation and Maternal Behaviour Modulate Acoustic Characteristics of Rat Pup Ultrasonic Vocalizations
Authors: Kaidbey Jasmine H. , Ranger Manon , Myers Michael M. , Anwar Muhammad , Ludwig Robert J. , Schulz Alexandra M. , Barone Joseph L. , Kolacz Jacek , Welch Martha G.
Published: December 2019

Early separation of preterm infants from their mothers has adverse, long-term neurodevelopmental consequences. We investigated the effects of daily maternal separation (MS) of rat pups from postnatal days 2–10 (PND2–10) on neurobehavioural responses to brief isolation at PND12 compared with pups receiving controlled handling without MS. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) were measured at PND12 during two, 3-minute isolations occurring immediately before and after a 3-minute maternal reunion. There were no significant differences in acoustic characteristics between MS and control animals in the first isolation. However, in the second isolation, MS pups produced a greater proportion of high (~60 kHz) vs low (~40 kHz) frequency calls. During this isolation, control pups made longer and louder low frequency calls compared to the first isolation, whereas MS pups did the opposite. Maternal behaviour of control and MS mothers modulated pup acoustic characteristics in opposite directions; higher maternal care was associated with more low frequency calls in control pups but more high frequency calls in MS pups. We hypothesize that MS results in USV emission patterns reflective of a greater stress response to isolation. This translational model can be used to identify mechanisms and interventions that may be exploited to overcome the negative, long-term effects of MS.
Experience-dependent development of visual sensitivity in larval zebrafish
Authors: Xie Jiaheng , Jusuf Patricia R. , Bui Bang V. , Goodbourn Patrick T.
Published: December 2019

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a popular vertebrate model for studying visual development, especially at the larval stage. For many vertebrates, post-natal visual experience is essential to fine-tune visual development, but it is unknown how experience shapes larval zebrafish vision. Zebrafish swim with a moving texture; in the wild, this innate optomotor response (OMR) stabilises larvae in moving water, but it can be exploited in the laboratory to assess zebrafish visual function. Here, we compared spatial-frequency tuning inferred from OMR between visually naïve and experienced larvae from 5 to 7 days post-fertilisation. We also examined development of synaptic connections between neurons by quantifying post-synaptic density 95 (PSD-95) in larval retinae. PSD-95 is closely associated with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, the neurotransmitter-receptor proteins underlying experience-dependent visual development. We found that rather than following an experience-independent genetic programme, developmental changes in visual spatial-frequency tuning at the larval stage required visual experience. Exposure to motion evoking OMR yielded no greater improvement than exposure to static form, suggesting that increased sensitivity as indexed by OMR was driven not by motor practice but by visual experience itself. PSD-95 density varied with visual sensitivity, suggesting that experience may have up-regulated clustering of PSD-95 for synaptic maturation in visual development.
Ionic direct current modulation evokes spike-rate adaptation in the vestibular periphery
Authors: Manca Marco , Glowatzki Elisabeth , Roberts Dale C. , Fridman Gene Y. , Aplin Felix P.
Published: December 2019

Recent studies have shown that ionic direct current (iDC) can modulate the vestibular system in-vivo, with potential benefits over conventional pulsed stimulation. In this study, the effects of iDC stimulation on vestibular nerve fiber firing rate was investigated using loose-patch nerve fiber recordings in the acutely excised mouse crista ampullaris of the semicircular canals. Cathodic and anodic iDC steps instantaneously reduced and increased afferent spike rate, with the polarity of this effect dependent on the position of the stimulating electrode. A sustained constant anodic or cathodic current resulted in an adaptation to the stimulus and a return to spontaneous spike rate. Post-adaptation spike rate responses to iDC steps were similar to pre-adaptation controls. At high intensities spike rate response sensitivities were modified by the presence of an adaptation step. Benefits previously observed in behavioral responses to iDC steps delivered after sustained current may be due to post-adaptation changes in afferent sensitivity. These results contribute to an understanding of peripheral spike rate relationships for iDC vestibular stimulation and validate an ex-vivo model for future investigation of cellular mechanisms. In conjunction with previous in-vivo studies, these data help to characterize iDC stimulation as a potential therapy to restore vestibular function after bilateral vestibulopathy.