bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Convergence between Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and self‐report: Another look at some old questions
Authors: McCredie Morgan N. , Morey Leslie C.
Published: July 2019

Objective

This study extends upon the investigation of the influence of response format on the convergence between performance‐based and self‐report assessments of similar mental health constructs, to further examine the role of method variance in poor heteromethod convergence.

Methods

An online sample of 455 participants (57% male; mean age = 35.5 years) completed a multiple‐choice adaptation of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)—the Iowa Picture Interpretation Test (IPIT)—and two self‐report instruments: the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) representation of the domain traits of the five‐factor model.

Results

Several significant and meaningful interrelationships emerged between the IPIT and the PAI and IPIP five‐factor scales.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that TAT methodology can correlate meaningfully with similar constructs assessed using self‐report when comparable response formats are utilized, offering further support for the role of method variance in precluding heteromethod relationships.
Millimeter wave balun design and optimization based on compensation matching capacitors and active S parameter
Authors: Zhang Xiaoning , Wu Tianjun , Hu Yiyao , Wu Yunqiu , Zhao Chenxi , Liu Huihua , Yu Yiming , Kang Kai
Published: July 2019

A balun design algorithm based on the compensation matching capacitors and the active S parameter is given in this paper. Compared with the inductor matching network, the compensation matching capacitors not only compensate the phase and the amplitude error of the balun, but also occupy a compact chip area. Considering the coupling between two differential terminals of the balun, the active S parameter is adopted. On the basis of the active S parameter, the reflection coefficients of two differential terminals are calculated directly. On the basis of this algorithm, the simulated phase error and the amplitude error of the balun are less than 0.97° and 0.13 dB, from 15 to 18 GHz. Moreover, a 5‐bit differential switch‐type phase shifter with two baluns is designed in the 180‐nm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process at Ku band. Thanks to the small phase error of two baluns, the tested RMS phase error is less than 4°, from 15 to 18 GHz.
Raman evolution of order–disorder phase transition in multiaxial molecular ferroelectric thin film
Authors: Zafar Zainab , Zafar Amina , Guo Xitao , Lin Qian , Yu Yuanfang
Published: July 2019

Multiaxial molecular ferroelectrics (MFe) attain great attention due to their number of equivalent ferroelectric axes, an essential characteristic for many applications of these polar polycrystalline materials. Here we report a systematic approach to reveal the temperature‐dependent Raman spectroscopic investigation of the vibrational properties of a [Hdabco]ReO4 (dabco = 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane), a multiaxial MFe thin film. The Raman spectra allowed to obtain information relative to the change in molecular symmetry governed by the order–disorder phase transition. This phase transition is manifested by the temperature‐dependent peak shift, full width half maximum and intensity of distinct vibrational modes. The experimental observation reveals that ferroelectric phase transition is mainly driven by the reorientation motion of the ReO4− anions and monopronated dabco cations. Hence, we demonstrated that the Raman spectroscopy is a very useful tool to characterize the newly emerged MFe system.
The cooperative movement in South Africa: Can financial cooperatives become sustainable enterprises?
Authors: Mushonga Master , Arun Thankom G. , Marwa Nyankomo W.
Published: July 2019

The co‐operative movement in South Africa came a long way, but the results of such a long revolution are yet to be seen despite an enabling legislative environment and government incentives which increased their formation from 4,000 in 2004 to 132,000 in 2016. The sustainability of these cooperatives outside government grants is very doubtful, with most of them just appearing on paper without any meaningful economic activity happening on the ground. For cooperatives to be sustainable, they need to work toward full implementation of the cooperative movement principles and values through the bottom‐up approach to cooperative formation by reducing their overdependence on the state. Financial cooperatives in South Africa can become sustainable in their role of addressing the financial market failure at the grassroots as the majority of the population, including the working class, are using informal financial schemes based on social ties as sources of their financial services. Financial cooperatives have a long history as a grassroots movement that has played an important role in addressing socioeconomic challenges facing the marginalized communities around the world in a more sustainable way.
Toward a realistic theory of social entrepreneurship (NGOs) grounded on microfinance research: Selling dreams to society
Authors: Ashta Arvind
Published: July 2019

Social entrepreneurs sell dreams of solving a social problem of a segment of society to entice a broader segment of society to subsidize their ventures. They are motivated by a combination of passion and compassion, need for creativity, problem solving, and esteem. They sell their dreams by storytelling and narratives in order to obtain subsidized resources. In order to achieve their goals, they need to demonstrate the impact for the continuance of subsidies. Too much financial profit leads to withdrawal of subsidies.
Identification of New Potent Human Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) Agonists Using Virtual Screening and in vitro Approaches
Authors: Lu Hong‐Yuan , Wang Nan , Li Xiang , Huang Yuan , Wang Jian , Zhao Qing‐Chun
Published: July 2019

Recent studies suggested that activation of Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) has become an appealing therapeutic strategy against obesity and diabetes. In our research, the 3D structure of UCP1 was constructed through homology modelling, refined through molecular dynamics simulation, and evaluated by Ramachandran plot, the molecular docking of UCP1 activators brought about the proposal of an interaction mode inside the UCP1 active site. Remarkably, Reside Lys126 formed hydrogen bond; residues Pro121, Val125, Tyr146, Tyr149 and Arg150 formed hydrophobic interaction, which are key amino acids within UCP1 site. Then a pharmacophore model was generated consisting of three hydrophobic groups, a negative center and an additional hydrophobic group. Pharmacophore‐based virutal screening of Specs database yield 5 hits. In vitro assay indicated ZINC 04660290 significantly increased the protein expression of UCP1 and decreased the fat droplet in a dose‐dependent manner. Besides, pharmacokinetic properties were predicted for those five compounds through ADME/T prediction. All of these will guide us to design new UCP1 activators for the treatment of obesity and diabetes.
Fast 3D chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging with variably‐accelerated sensitivity encoding (vSENSE)
Authors: Zhang Yi , Heo Hye‐Young , Jiang Shanshan , Zhou Jinyuan , Bottomley Paul A.
Published: July 2019

Purpose

To extend the variably‐accelerated sensitivity encoding (vSENSE) method from 2D to 3D for fast chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging, and prospectively implement it for clinical MRI.

Methods

The CEST scans were acquired from 7 normal volunteers and 15 brain tumor patients using a 3T clinical scanner. The 2D and 3D “artifact suppression” (AS) vSENSE algorithms were applied to generate sensitivity maps from a first scan acquired with conventional SENSE‐accelerated 2D and 3D CEST data. The AS sensitivity maps were then applied to reconstruct the other CEST frames at higher acceleration factors. Both retrospective and prospective acceleration in phase‐encoding and slice‐encoding dimensions were implemented.

Results

Applying the 2D AS vSENSE algorithm to a 2‐fold undersampled 3.5‐ppm CEST frame halved the scan time of conventional SENSE, while generating essentially identical reconstruction errors (p ≈ 1.0). The 3D AS vSENSE algorithm permitted prospective acceleration by up to 8‐fold, in total, from phase‐encoding and slice‐encoding directions for individual source CEST images, and an overall speed‐up in scan time of 5‐fold. The resulting vSENSE‐accelerated amide proton transfer–weighted images agreed with conventional 2‐fold‐accelerated SENSE CEST results in brain tumor patients and healthy volunteers. Importantly, the vSENSE method eliminated unfolding artifacts in the slice‐encoding direction that compromised conventional SENSE CEST scans.

Conclusion

The vSENSE method can be extended to 3D CEST imaging to provide higher acceleration factors than conventional SENSE without compromising accuracy.
Ice Pigging Creates Clean Mains and Water Quality Insights
Authors: Miller Roger , Duderstadt Eric , Treloar Paul
Published: July 2019

Analyzing sediments collected during ice pigging projects may help identify causes of water quality concerns and guide maintenance procedures for distribution systems.
Consider the Value of Hydraulic Modeling for Operators
Authors: Huang Matt
Published: July 2019

It's important for operators to know how hydraulic models can be used and to provide input for model development.
Prevent Cavitation to Minimize Control Valve Damage
Authors: Lah Roger
Published: July 2019

Cavitation prevention and protection is an important consideration in designing and operating control valves used in water distribution systems. Determine whether cavitation exists and, if so, minimize its effects.
How Do You Dismantle a Water Tower in Tight Quarters?
Authors: Schmitt Erin
Published: July 2019

Cold, wet conditions and nearby houses made for a challenging storage tank demolition project in rural Indiana.
Preparation and characterization of hydrophilic temperature‐dependent polyurethane containing the grafted poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)
Authors: Chung Yong‐Chan , Bae Jin Cheol , Choi Jae Won , Chun Byoung Chul
Published: July 2019

The polyurethane (PU) structure is modified with dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA) and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide; poly[IPA]) to prepare hydrophilic temperature‐dependent PU that is investigated with reference to the degree of crosslinking, thermal properties of soft segment, tensile and shape memory performance, hydrophilic conversion of surface, and temperature‐dependent water swelling and water vapor permeability (WVP). The thermal properties of soft segment (melting, crystallization, and glass transition) are significantly affected by poly(IPA). Breaking tensile stress also increases with increasing IPA monomer content due to crosslinking effect but breaking tensile strain does not significantly decrease with increasing IPA monomer content. Shape recovery capability at 10°C steeply inclines to over 90% from 46.9% for unmodified PU by the grafting of poly(IPA), whereas shape retention at −25°C does not decrease below 90% with the increase in IPA content. Poly(IPA)‐grafted PU can display temperature‐dependent control of water swelling and WVP due to transformation of the grafted poly(IPA) depending on the surrounding temperature. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:1719–1728 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Ein smarter Funktionsgenerator
Authors: Hengel Christian , Wilhelm Thomas , Kuhn Jochen
Published: July 2019

Im Zusammenspiel mit einem Bluetooth‐Verstärker kann man Smartphones als leistungsstarke, vielseitig einsetzbare Funktionsgeneratoren nutzen.
Unilateral dorsiflexor strengthening with mirror therapy to improve motor function after stroke: A pilot randomized study
Authors: Simpson Daniel , Ehrensberger Monika , Horgan Frances , Blake Catherine , Roberts David , Broderick Patrick , Monaghan Kenneth
Published: July 2019

Background

Independently, cross‐education, the performance improvement of the untrained limb following unilateral training, and mirror therapy have shown to improve lower limb functioning poststroke. Mirror therapy has shown to augment the cross‐education effect in healthy populations. However, this concept has not yet been explored in a clinical setting.

Objectives

This study set out to investigate the feasibility and potential efficacy of applying cross‐education combined with mirror therapy compared with cross‐education alone for lower limb recovery poststroke.

Methods

Thirty‐one chronic stroke participants (age 61.7 ± 13.3) completed either a unilateral strength training (ST; n = 15) or unilateral strength training with mirror‐therapy (MST; n = 16) intervention. Both groups isometrically strength trained the less‐affected ankle dorsiflexors three times per week for 4 weeks. Only the MST group observed the mirror reflection of the training limb. Patient eligibility, compliance, treatment reliability, and outcome measures were assessed for feasibility. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC; peak torque, rate of torque development, and average torque), 10‐m walk test, timed up and go (TUG), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and the London Handicap Scale (LHS) were assessed at pretraining and posttraining.

Results

Treatment and assessments were well tolerated without adverse effects. No between group differences were identified for improvement in MVC, MAS, TUG, or LHS. Only the combined treatment was associated with functional improvements with the MST group showing an increase in walking velocity.

Conclusion

Cross‐education plus mirror therapy may have potential for improving motor function after stroke. This study demonstrates the feasibility of the combination treatment and the need for future studies with larger sample sizes to investigate the effectiveness of the treatment.
A new insight into purinergic pharmacology: Three fungal species as natural P2X7R antagonists
Authors: Soares‐Bezerra Rômulo José , da Silva Ferreira Natiele Carla , de Almeida Alves Tânia Maria , Zani Carlos Leomar , Rosa Luiz Henrique , Faria Robson Xavier , da Silva Frutuoso Válber , Alves Luiz Anastacio
Published: July 2019

P2X7 is a purinergic receptor involved in important physiological functions and pathological processes, such as inflammation, neurodegeneration, and pain. Despite its relevance, there is no selective antagonist useful in the treatment of diseases related to this receptor. In this context, research for a selective, safe, and potent antagonist compound that can be used in clinical therapy has been growing. In this work, we evaluated the potential antagonistic activity of three fungal extracts, namely, Vishniacozyma victoriae, Metschnikowia australis, and Ascomycota sp., which were discovered in a high‐throughput screening campaign to search for new antagonists for P2X7R from natural products. First, the IC50 values of these fungal extracts were determined in J774.G8 (murine macrophage cell line) and U937 (human monocyte cell line) cells through dye uptake assays. The IC50 values of V. victoriae were 2.6 and 0.92 μg/mL, M. australis has IC50 values of 3.8 and 1.5 μg/mL, and Ascomycota sp. showed values of 2.1 and 0.67 μg/mL in J774.G8 and U937 cells, respectively. These extracts also significantly inhibited propidium iodide and Lucifer yellow uptake via P2X7R pore, P2X7R currents in electrophysiology, IL‐1β release, and the production of oxide nitric and reactive oxygen species. The extracts did not cause cytotoxicity within a period of 24 h. The results showed the promising antagonistic activity of these extracts toward P2X7R, thereby indicating that they can be future candidates for phytomedicines with potential clinical applicability.
The effect of saffron on weight and lipid profile: A systematic review, meta‐analysis, and dose–response of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Rahmani Jamal , Manzari Nicla , Thompson Jacqueline , Clark Cain C.T. , Villanueva Gemma , Varkaneh Hamed Kord , Mirmiran Parvin
Published: July 2019

Plant derivatives such as carotenoids and phytosterols enrich foods have been shown to reduce plasma triglyceride (TG), low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and cholesterol concentrations. The aim of this systematic review and meta‐analyses study was to investigate the effects of saffron on lipid profiles, reported in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We performed a systematic electronic search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane, and SCOPUS to identify RCTs and screening of relevant articles references up to October 12, 2018. There were no language restrictions. We performed this systematic review and meta‐analysis according to the Preferred Items for Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. We identified and analyzed 14 eligible studies in this meta‐analysis. Our study found a significant reduction in cholesterol and TG following saffron intervention (weighted mean difference [WMD]: −6.36 mg/dl, 95% confidence interval, CI, [−10.58, −2.18] and WMD: −5.37 mg/dl, 95% CI [−10.25, −0.48], respectively). There was no significant effect on weight and LDL concentration. A meta‐regression analysis showed that long‐term saffron intervention can increase the high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. In conclusions, our study findings indicate some benefits of saffron on cholesterol, HDL, and TG compared with placebo. However, we recommend the conduct of adequately powered, high‐quality RCTs with short‐ and long‐term follow‐up, evaluating relevant clinical outcomes to allow for making definitive recommendations.
Extreme rainfall sensitivity in convective‐scale ensemble modelling over Singapore
Authors: Porson Aurore N. , Hagelin Susanna , Boyd Douglas F.A. , Roberts Nigel M. , North Rachel , Webster Stuart , Lo Jeff Chun‐Fung
Published: July 2019

A convective‐scale ensemble system was developed to predict the occurrence of heavy convective rainfall around Singapore with a focus on the prediction of high‐impact events. The new ensemble SINGV‐EPS has been nested within two global ensembles, MOGREPS‐G (UK Met Office) and EC‐ENS (ECMWF). Predicting the occurrence of convective rainfall in an area such as Singapore is challenging and this article discusses the use of the convection‐permitting ensemble to characterize the uncertainties in the prediction of such localized heavy rainfall. First, verification of wind, temperature, and precipitation is performed for a month‐long period to assess the relative performance of each ensemble. This reveals differences, but no robust signal to say one is better than the other. The results are not statistically significant and not all variables are consistently better with one ensemble or the other. Secondly, the precipitation characteristics of SINGV‐EPS are analysed from probabilities of precipitation and variability among the ensemble members. SINGV‐EPS is sensitive to the choice of the global ensemble providing the initial conditions and boundaries. The results suggest there is benefit, in some cases, from combining the two ensembles. Thirdly, the spread of the ensemble precipitation is analysed using the dispersion Fractions Skill Score (dFSS). We compare the impact of the initial perturbations and the perturbations in lateral boundary conditions in both nesting options. The initial perturbations dominate in the beginning of the forecasts, with influence up to T+24 h, and are associated with an upscale growth of the uncertainties. The impact of the parent ensemble and lateral boundary conditions dominate at the end of the forecast and tend to influence larger scales more.
Quantifying the global impact of tropical cyclone‐associated gravity waves using HIRDLS, MLS, SABER and IBTrACS data
Authors: Wright Corwin J.
Published: July 2019

Tropical convective systems are major sources of atmospheric gravity waves (GWs). These waves are a key driver of global atmospheric circulation, especially in the middle and upper atmosphere. Tropical cyclones (TCs) such as hurricanes and typhoons are particularly dramatic examples of such systems, and are therefore potentially significant individual sources of GWs. To investigate this effect, GW observations from three satellite limb sounders in the vicinity of TCs are produced and analysed. By statistically combining 15 years of GW observations from 1,379 individual TCs represented in the International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship, it is shown that TCs are associated with a 15% increase of GW amplitudes over background and a 25% increase in measured momentum fluxes, primarily during the period immediately before the TC. It is further shown that this additional contribution is small relative to other GW‐generating processes, and thus that individual TCs do not have a large quantitative effect on the dynamics of the middle and upper atmosphere as a whole. Thus, it is concluded that accurate modelling of TC‐generated short vertical wavelength GWs need not be a development priority for the next generation of weather and climate models. The results also demonstrate that stronger GW activity is associated with TCs that will later develop into hurricane‐intensity storms than is observed for those that will not, and thus that better space‐based monitoring of stratospheric GW activity could be a useful tool to help improve the forecasting of strong hurricane events in the presence of obscuring tropospheric cloud.
A hand‐held device with 3‐DOF haptic feedback mechanism for microsurgery
Authors: Wang Zhen , Wang Shuxin , Zuo Siyang
Published: July 2019

Background

The hand‐held devices have the advantages of being compact and easily integrated into surgical workflow especially for microsurgery. However, one of the technical challenges of hand‐held device in microsurgery is the lack of force sensing and feedback.

Methods

This paper presents a hand‐held haptic device that converts imperceptible forces into human‐perceptible tactile signals. It combines a force sensing tip based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors that can detect three‐degrees‐of‐freedom (3‐DOF) forces, and a haptic feedback mechanism to indicate the magnitude and direction of the forces.

Results

Experimental results demonstrate the ability to measure transverse force at the level of millinewton. User trials have been performed to validate the performance of the haptic feedback. During the phantom experiment, the transverse force was reduced with the feedback mechanism.

Conclusions

The proposed device provides important insights into the design of hand‐held device incorporating real‐time force sensing and haptic feedback for microsurgery.
Two‐tailed significance tests for 2 × 2 contingency tables: What is the alternative?
Authors: Prescott Robin J
Published: July 2019

Two‐tailed significance testing for 2 × 2 contingency tables has remained controversial. Within the medical literature, different tests are used in different papers and that choice may decide whether findings are adjudged to be significant or nonsignificant; a state of affairs that is clearly undesirable. In this paper, it is argued that a part of the controversy is due to a failure to recognise that there are two possible alternative hypotheses to the Null. It is further argued that, while one alternative hypothesis can lead to tests with greater power, the other choice is more applicable in medical research. That leads to the recommendation that, within medical research, 2 × 2 tables should be tested using double the one‐tailed exact probability from Fisher's exact test or, as an approximation, the chi‐squared test with Yates' correction for continuity.
Efficient lock‐step synchronization in task‐parallel languages
Authors: Utture Akshay , Nandivada V Krishna
Published: July 2019

Many modern task‐parallel languages allow the programmer to synchronize tasks using high‐level constructs like barriers, clocks, and phasers. While these high‐level synchronization primitives help the programmer express the program logic in a convenient manner, they also have their associated overheads. In this paper, we identify the sources of some of these overheads for task‐parallel languages like X10 that support lock‐step synchronization, and propose a mechanism to reduce these overheads.

We first propose three desirable properties that an efficient runtime (for task‐parallel languages like X10, HJ, Chapel, and so on) should satisfy, to minimize the overheads during lock‐step synchronization. We use these properties to derive a scheme to called uClocks to improve the efficiency of X10 clocks; uClocks consists of an extension to X10 clocks and two related runtime optimizations. We prove that uClocks satisfies the proposed desirable properties. We have implemented uClocks for the X10 language+runtime and show that the resulting system leads to a geometric mean speedup of 5.36× on a 16‐core Intel system and 11.39× on a 64‐core AMD system, for benchmarks with a significant number of synchronization operations.
Survival under the Gravel: the Effects of Egg Size and Parental Identity on the In Situ Hatching Success of Chinook Salmon
Authors: Thorn Michael W. , Morbey Yolanda E.
Published: July 2019

Early‐life mortality in salmon is influenced by both extrinsic (i.e., environmental) and intrinsic (i.e., parental) factors; however, the intrinsic factors have rarely been studied in the wild and relatively little is known about how egg mass and parental effects mediate in situ survival. Thus, we addressed four research objectives related to intrinsic factors and the early‐life survival of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha: (1) assess the effect of egg mass and parental effects on in situ hatching success, (2) assess the effect of redd gravel composition and its interaction with egg mass on in situ hatching success, (3) determine whether in situ egg mass–survival relationships have population‐level consequences, and (4) determine whether results from hatchery studies translate to the wild. Embryos from three Chinook Salmon populations located in the Laurentian Great Lakes were reared from fertilization to 15 d posthatch, both in the hatchery and in the wild. We found that egg mass influenced in situ hatching success in the Credit (concave down) and Sydenham rivers (positive‐linear), whereas there was no relationship between the two variables in the Pine River. Maternal identity explained a significant amount of the variation in hatching success for the Pine (20%) and Sydenham (12%) rivers. Within populations, no interaction was found between egg mass and gravel composition; however, hatching success was negatively related to the sand content of a redd when the data were pooled among the populations. Importantly, egg mass and quantitative genetic parameter estimates were different between samples from the hatchery and those from the wild, indicating that hatchery‐based observations cannot be transferred to the wild. Finally, we used both the in situ survival data and previously published data in a simulation analysis, which showed that both linear and nonlinear egg mass–survival relationships can greatly influence the number of alevins produced by a population, depending on where the population egg mass distribution falls along an egg mass selection gradient.
Higher spin ANEC and the space of CFTs
Authors: Meltzer David
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We study the positivity properties of the leading Regge trajectory in higher-dimensional, unitary, conformal field theories (CFTs). These conditions correspond to higher spin generalizations of the averaged null energy condition (ANEC). By studying higher spin ANEC, we will derive new bounds on the dimensions of charged, spinning operators and prove that if the Hofman-Maldacena bounds are saturated, then the theory has a higher spin symmetry. We also derive new, general bounds on CFTs, with an emphasis on theories whose spectrum is close to that of a generalized free field theory. As an example, we consider the Ising CFT and show how the OPE structure of the leading Regge trajectory is constrained by causality. Finally, we use the analytic bootstrap to perform additional checks, in a large class of CFTs, that higher spin ANEC is obeyed at large and finite spin. In the process, we calculate corrections to large spin OPE coefficients to one-loop and higher in holographic CFTs.
Magnetic catalysis and inverse catalysis for heavy pions
Authors: Endrődi G. , Giordano M. , Katz S. D. , Kovács T. G. , Pittler F.
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We investigate the QCD phase diagram for nonzero background magnetic fields using first-principles lattice simulations. At the physical point (in terms of quark masses), the thermodynamics of this system is controlled by two opposing effects: magnetic catalysis (enhancement of the quark condensate) at low temperature and inverse magnetic catalysis (reduction of the condensate) in the transition region. While the former is known to be robust and independent of the details of the interactions, inverse catalysis arises as a result of a delicate competition, effective only for light quarks. By performing simulations at different quark masses, we determine the pion mass above which inverse catalysis does not take place in the transition region anymore. Even for pions heavier than this limiting value — where the quark condensate undergoes magnetic catalysis — our results are consistent with the notion that the transition temperature is reduced by the magnetic field. These findings will be useful to guide low-energy models and effective theories of QCD.
On boundary correlators in Liouville theory on AdS2
Authors: Beccaria Matteo , Tseytlin Arkady A.
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We consider the Liouville theory in fixed Euclidean AdS2 background. Expanded near the minimum of the potential the elementary field has mass squared 2 and (assuming the standard Dirichlet b.c.) corresponds to a dimension 2 operator at the boundary. We provide strong evidence for the conjecture that the boundary correlators of the Liouville field are the same as the correlators of the holomorphic stress tensor (or the Virasoro generator with the same central charge) on a half-plane or a disc restricted to the boundary. This relation was first observed at the leading semiclassical order (tree-level Witten diagrams in AdS2) in [19] and here we demonstrate its validity also at the one-loop level. We also discuss arguments that may lead to its general proof.
Late Gadolinium Hyperintensity of Suspected Colorectal Liver Metastases on Gadofosveset-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Predictor of Benignity and a Potential Problem-Solving Tool
Authors: Cheung Helen M.C. , Karanicolas Paul J. , Coburn Natalie , Law Calvin , Milot Laurent
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Late gadolinium hyperintensity (LGH) is sometimes seen in colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) and represents a significant diagnostic pitfall due to overlap with LGH in benign hemangiomas; therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of LGH and the ability of LGH to differentiate between CRLM and benign lesions with intravascular (gadofosveset) vs extracellular contrast agents (gadobutrol).

Methods

Patients with known colorectal cancer and suspected liver lesions were prospectively recruited into this institutional review board–approved, single institution study and received magnetic resonance imaging of the liver with gadofosveset and gadobutrol. The prevalence of LGH for CRLMs and solid benign lesions was determined. Receiver operating characteristics curves were determined for the presence of LGH as a predictor of benignity. The utility of LGH to differentiate between CRLM and solid benign lesions using gadofosveset vs gadobutrol was compared using the generalized estimating equation.

Results

Twenty-five patients with 131 solid focal liver lesions were recruited. The prevalence of LGH of CRLMs was 11.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5%–21.8%) with gadofosveset vs 63.7% (95% CI: 45.7%–81.7%) with gadobutrol. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the presence of LGH as a predictor of benignity was 0.86 using gadofosveset vs 0.75 using gadobutrol. Both LGH ( P = .003) and the interaction of contrast agent and LGH ( P = .003) statistically significantly differentiated CRLM from benign lesions.

Conclusion

LGH is more common with extracellular than with intravascular contrast agents and is statistically significantly associated with benign lesions rather than metastases.
ON THE NUMBER OF COUNTABLE MODELS OF A COUNTABLE NSOP1 THEORY WITHOUT WEIGHT ω
Authors: KIM BYUNGHAN
Published: July 2019

In this article, we prove that if a countable non-${\aleph _0}$-categorical NSOP1 theory with nonforking existence has finitely many countable models, then there is a finite tuple whose own preweight is ω. This result is an extension of a theorem of the author on any supersimple theory.
Hepatic transcriptomics analysis reveals that fructose intervention down-regulated xenobiotics-metabolising enzymes through aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling suppression in C57BL/6N mice
Authors: Pan Jeong Hoon , Tang Jingsi , Beane Kaleigh E. , Redding Mersady C. , Cho Yun Jeong , Kim Young Jun , Zhao Jiangchao , Shin Eui-Cheol , Lee Jin Hyup , Kong Byungwhi C. , Kim Jae Kyeom
Published: July 2019

For decades, fructose intake has been recognised as an environmental risk for metabolic syndromes and diseases. Here we comprehensively examined the effects of fructose intake on mice liver transcriptomes. Fructose-supplemented water (34 %; w/v) was fed to both male and female C57BL/6N mice at their free will for 6 weeks, followed by hepatic transcriptomics analysis. Based on our criteria, differentially expressed genes (DEG) were selected and subjected to further computational analyses to predict key pathways and upstream regulator(s). Subsequently, predicted genes and pathways from the transcriptomics dataset were validated via quantitative RT-PCR analyses. As a result, we identified eighty-nine down-regulated and eighty-eight up-regulated mRNA in fructose-fed mice livers. These DEG were subjected to bioinformatics analysis tools in which DEG were mainly enriched in xenobiotic metabolic processes; further, in the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software, it was suggested that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is an upstream regulator governing overall changes, while fructose suppresses the AhR signalling pathway. In our quantitative RT-PCR validation, we confirmed that fructose suppressed AhR signalling through modulating expressions of transcription factor (AhR nuclear translocator;Arnt) and upstream regulators (Ncor2, andRb1). Altogether, we demonstrated thatad libitumfructose intake suppresses the canonical AhR signalling pathway in C57BL/6N mice liver. Based on our current observations, further studies are warranted, especially with regard to the effects of co-exposure to fructose on (1) other types of carcinogens and (2) inflammation-inducing agents (or even diets such as a high-fat diet), to find implications of fructose-induced AhR suppression.
Provenance and palaeogeographic implications of detrital zircons from the lower Carboniferous Riwanchaka Formation of the central Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Peng Hu , Xie Chaoming , Li Cai , Zhang Zhongyue
Published: July 2019

The Longmu Co–Shuanghu suture zone, which divides the Qiangtang terrane into the northern and southern Qiangtang blocks, is regarded as a key locality in reconstructing the evolutionary history of the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean and the break-up of Gondwana. However, although low-temperature – high-pressure metamorphic rocks and ophiolites have been documented within the Longmu Co–Shuanghu suture zone, it remains unclear whether it is an in situ suture zone and represents the relic of the main Palaeo-Tethys Ocean. The uncertainty stems mainly from the limited systematic studies of the provenance, palaeontological evidence and depositional settings of strata on either side of the Longmu Co–Shuanghu suture zone (i.e. northern and southern Qiangtang blocks). Here we report new detrital zircon U–Pb ages and palaeontological data from Lower Carboniferous strata (Riwanchaka Formation) of the northern Qiangtang block, central Tibet. The Riwanchaka Formation contains warm-climate biota with Cathaysian affinities. Provenance analysis reveals that the formation has detrital zircon spectra similar to those from strata of the Yangtze Plate, and it contains a large proportion of zircons with ages (~360 Ma) similar to the timing of synsedimentary magmatic arc activity, implying an active continental margin setting associated with northward subduction of the Palaeo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere. Conversely, the Carboniferous–Permian strata from the southern Qiangtang block contain cool-water faunas of Gondwanan affinity and exhibit minimum zircon crystallization ages that are markedly older than their depositional ages, suggesting a passive continental margin setting. The differences in provenance, palaeontological assemblages and depositional settings of the Carboniferous to Permian strata either side of the Longmu Co–Shuanghu suture zone indicate the existence of an ancient ocean between the northern and southern Qiangtang blocks. Combining the new findings with previous studies on high-pressure metamorphic rocks, arc magmatism and ophiolites, we support the interpretation that the Longmu Co–Shuanghu suture zone is an in situ suture zone that represents the main suture of the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean.
Edge of Enlightenment: The Akbar tradition and ‘universal toleration’ in British Bengal
Authors: BIEL JUSTIN
Published: July 2019

‘Toleration’ is a notoriously slippery concept, and yet, as recent scholarship on the historical roots of Indian secularism has implied, it was a guiderail for East India Company decision-making in Bengal in the late eighteenth century. What, then, was the outcome when Europeans encountered what they were quick to regard as South Asian patterns of ‘toleration’? This article argues, first, that a medley of competing policy visions emerged from this interaction and, second, that where these visions overlapped was in perceiving political gain to ensue from facilitating existing South Asian devotional practices. A corollary consequence of this still-emergent policy framework was that most East India Company personnel were loath to intervene in any way but a reactive one when conflicts between devotees of Durga on parade and observers of the Shia Muslim holy day ashura escalated into reprisals and street violence in Calcutta in September 1789.
A socio-ecological landscape analysis of human–wildlife conflict in northern Botswana
Authors: Dunnink Jeffrey A. , Hartley Robyn , Rutina Lucas , Alves Joana , Franco Aldina M. A.
Published: July 2019

Human–wildlife conflict is one of the most pressing issues in conservation. Low-income rural communities are disproportionately affected by negative interactions with large predators, which often leads to retaliatory killings and persecution of the animals. To overcome this, socio-ecological studies that merge existing knowledge of large predator ecology with long-term livestock depredation monitoring are required. We examined patterns and drivers of livestock depredation in northern Botswana, using a mixed effects model of the government's long-term monitoring data on human–wildlife conflict, to identify ways to reduce depredation at key spatial and temporal scales. We compared the results to farmers’ understanding of their personal risk within the landscape. We analysed 342 depredation events that occurred during 2008–2016, using variables measured at different scales. The variables affecting the locations of depredation events at the 2-km scale were distance to protected areas and predator and herbivore density, with increased depredation in the wet season. At a 1-km scale, herbivore density did not have a significant effect, but the effect of other variables was unchanged. The 4-km scale model was influenced by livestock and herbivore density, with increased depredation in the wet season. Livestock depredation could be reduced by establishing an 8-km livestock-free buffer along the protected area boundary. There was disparity between government data on human–wildlife conflict, depredation reported by farmers in interviews and farmers’ risk awareness. Farmers would benefit from workshops providing tools to make evidence-based decisions and minimize their risk of negative interactions with wildlife. This would ultimately contribute to wildlife conservation in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area.
Determining the risk of predator attacks around protected areas: the case of Bardia National Park, Nepal
Authors: Upadhyaya Subodh K. , Musters C.J.M. , Lamichhane Babu Ram , De Snoo Geert R. , Dhakal Maheshwar , De Iongh Hans H.
Published: July 2019

In this study we determined the probability of predator attacks on livestock around Bardia National Park, Nepal. We conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the patterns and factors affecting livestock losses in four administrative sectors of the Park's buffer zone. We developed models to investigate the overall probability of livestock loss, economic damage caused, and the respondents’ attitudes towards wildlife. The probability of leopard attacks on livestock was much higher (85% of all livestock lost to depredation) than that of tiger attacks (8%), and the northern sector experienced the highest loss of livestock (50% modelled probability of livestock loss) in the buffer zone. Livestock loss was significantly related to the number of livestock owned by respondents, their ethnic group, and village distance to the Park boundary. Economic damage was influenced by buffer zone sector, number of livestock owned, and distance to the Park boundary. Conservation attitudes depended on respondents’ knowledge of wildlife, levels of education and self-sufficiency, and the probability of livestock being killed by leopards. Respondents who were male, highly educated and self-sufficient were most likely to support conservation. Tigers are tolerated based on religious beliefs, and these cultural values, together with the sharing of conservation benefits, facilitate conservation. Leopards, however, are not tolerated in the same way and are the most damaging predators.
Welfare Dynamics and Employment: Heterogeneous Paths Through Means-tested Basic Income in Germany
Authors: BRUCKMEIER KERSTIN , LIETZMANN TORSTEN , SAILE ANNA THERESA
Published: July 2019

This study contributes to the international literature on welfare dynamics, by providing a differentiated picture of paths through the means-tested Basic Income for recipients who are capable of working, after the reorganisation of the basic income system in Germany in 2005. We analyse the employment and benefit trajectories of individuals who became recipients for the first time between 2007 and 2009 by methods of sequence and cluster analysis based on representative administrative individual data. We find a significant polarisation between long-term recipients and those with an early exit from benefit receipt via full-time employment. One in three new recipients remains in benefit receipt for the next years and shows almost no employment activities. Approximately 23 percent leave benefit receipt quickly and work in full-time employment. Several other different paths exist between these two poles. These heterogeneous trajectories should be characteristic for broad basic income systems and require a variety of policies that in part are beyond labour market policies.
The impact of group composition and task design on foreign language learners’ interactions in mobile-based intercultural exchanges
Authors: Lee Juhee , Song Jayoung
Published: July 2019

This study examines the impact of group composition (one-on-one vs. multiple-to-multiple) and task design (student-selected vs. teacher-assigned) on undergraduate foreign language learners’ interactions in a mobile-based intercultural exchange. The participants, 27 Korean students learning English as a foreign language and 27 American students learning Korean as a foreign language, interacted in pairs and groups via mobile phones to complete weekly tasks for eight weeks. This study used mixed methods to analyze the data from mobile chat scripts, questionnaires, and interviews. The results indicated that the one-on-one and multiple-to-multiple groups did not differ significantly regarding contact frequency or number of written chats. However, one-on-one and multiple-to-multiple interactions did differ with regard to the quality of the interactions, reflecting the unique nature of each group composition. A one-on-one relationship promoted a higher level of intimacy and friendship, thus rendering it appropriate for providing linguistic and emotional support in learning foreign languages. In contrast, multiple-to-multiple communications were found to be more beneficial for learning about different perspectives on the target cultures. In terms of task design, teacher-assigned tasks guided students to engage in productive interactions effectively, whereas student-selected tasks elicited their personal investment in the tasks. Supporting social interdependence theory (Johnson & Johnson, 1989, 2009), we argue that the establishment of intimate relationships among group members may be the key to quality interactions in mobile-based intercultural exchanges.
The Politics of Criminal Victimization: Pursuing and Resisting Power
Authors: Moncada Eduardo
Published: July 2019

The conventional approach to criminal victimization views it as a traumatic but one-time act. This overlooks a layer of contentious and dynamic politics between victims and criminal actors that we have yet to analyze. I develop a new theoretical framework to analyze the strategic behaviors that victims and criminal actors use to pursue and resist power as part of the political process of criminal victimization. The framework enables us to better observe, conceptualize, and theorize how victims exercise agency vis-à-vis their criminal perpetrators, as well as behaviors and practices that criminal actors undertake to carry out and sustain victimization, but which are overlooked by the traditional focus on their use and threat of coercive force. I illustrate the framework’s analytic utility with an empirical analysis of the victimization of informal street vendors in a major Latin American city under a criminal protection racket. The argument and empirical findings suggest ways to expand and deepen the research agenda on the politics of criminal victimization.
Reflections on Positionalities in Social Science Fieldwork in Northern Botswana: A Call for Decolonizing Research
Authors: LaRocco Annette Alfina , Shinn Jamie E. , Madise Kentse
Published: July 2019

In this article, two white, Western female researchers reflect on the methodological, ethical, and practical dilemmas experienced while conducting social science fieldwork in Botswana for their doctoral degrees. In addition, their shared research assistant examines her role as a social and cultural interlocutor, which was essential to the researchers’ successful navigation in their various field sites. Drawing on distinct but common experiences conducting research in northern and western regions of rural Botswana, the authors reflexively consider a series of interwoven issues tied to their positionalities: the disparity in benefits and return on research investment between the researcher and research participants; the nature of commodified or transactional relations, especially in an impoverished region highly dependent on foreign tourists; the complex nature of researcher–research assistant relationships; and the contradictory dynamics of being female researchers in a patriarchal society while also embodying privileges of whiteness and Western nationality. Building on these reflections, the authors engage with current debates in the social sciences to argue that researcher reflexivity is not an adequate end point and should result in engagement with ethical and epistemological questions regarding the decolonization of research practices more broadly.