bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ensuring Environmental Safety and Economic Benefits from the Use of Biodegradable Materials Based on Low‐Density Polyethylene with Natural Rubber Additives as Products with a Short Service Life
Authors: Varyan Ivetta A. , Bobkov Aleksandr L. , Mikhailov Igor A. , Kolesnikova Natalia N.
Published: February 2021

As part of the research, the authors proposed a recipe and production technology for a line of biodegradable materials based on low density polyethylene with different content of natural rubber. The advantages of using such materials include their high operational physical and mechanical properties, which make it possible to create a wide range of various products from these materials, as well as their high biodegradability in soil. So for the composition PE/NR‐50/50, the weight loss in the soil within 18 months was more than 40%. In addition, using the example of the composition PE/NR‐50/50, the authors carried out calculations of the efficiency of organizing the production of material according to the developed recipe, which showed a high investment attractiveness of the implementation of such a project.
Chemical Modification of Films from Biosynthetic Poly‐3‐Hydroxybutyrate Aimed to Improvement of Their Surface Properties
Authors: Boyandin Anatoly Nikolayevich , Sukhanova Anna Alekseevna , Nikolaeva Elena Dmitrievna , Nemtsev Ivan Vasilievich
Published: February 2021

Films from biodegradable poly‐3‐hydroxybutyrate are treated with chemical reagents to improve their hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. Two approaches are tested: a single treatment with alkali, acids, oxidizing or reducing agents, and a step‐by step treatment of the alkali pre‐activated surface of polymer films with bromine water and amino‐compounds (ammonia or triethylamine). The maximal level of hydrophilicity (the lowest water contact angle and the highest polar component of the surface free energy) is registered after a single treatment with NaOH and after the step‐by‐step treatment. These samples also showed the best adhesion of mouse fibroblasts of NIH 3T3 line on the film surface. So, the proposed methods can be used to enhance hydropilicity and biocompatibility of biopolymer surface.
Design and experimental verification of compact dual‐element quasi‐self‐complementary ultra‐wideband multiple‐input multiple‐output antenna for wireless applications
Authors: Kaur Harleen , Singh Hari Shankar , Upadhyay Rahul
Published: February 2021

In this article, a compact dual‐element quasi‐self‐complementary (QSC) multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna for ultra‐wideband (UWB) communication is presented. The overall area of the antenna is 32 × 39 mm2 (0.26 λl × 0.31 λl, where, λl is at lowest cutoff frequency) which is designed on low cost FR‐4 substrate. It has two half‐cut flower shaped (HCFS) radiators on its top which is formed by merging four ellipses of same eccentricity and then splitted in two halves at the center. On the other side, quasi‐self‐complementary phenomenon is introduced via etching slots which are complement to the radiator's shape. Also, a rectangular slit on the ground plane just below the feed line improves impedance matching. The proposed antenna operates in the range of frequencies 2.43GHz to 11.2GHz with high inter‐port isolation of greater than ‐19 dB over entire frequency of interest. Moreover, the stability of the design is validated in terms of diversity parameters [envelop correlation coefficients (ECC), channel capacity loss (CCL), mean effective gain (MEG), and Effective diversity gain (EDG)] and radiation parameters which makes it suitable for UWB‐MIMO wireless application.
Magnesium sulfate titration reduces maternal complications following fetoscopic closure of spina bifida
Authors: Lehoczky Lucy , Southworth Annie B. , Zamudio Martínez Gabriela , Belfort Michael A. , Shamshirsaz Alireza A. , Shamshirsaz Amir , Sanz Cortes Magdalena , Nassr Ahmed A. , Donepudi Roopali , Whitehead William E. , Johnson Rebecca , Meshinchi Nazli , Espinoza Jimmy
Published: February 2021

Objective

To evaluate if magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) titration following fetoscopic spina bifida closure is associated with fewer maternal complications than the Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) tocolytic regimen.

Methods

This prospective cohort study included 73 consecutive patients undergoing fetoscopic closure of spina bifida between 2015 and 2020. A policy of using the MgSO4 regimen per the MOMS trial was changed to a flexible one in which MgSO4 was titrated according to the frequency of the uterine contractions following surgery. The frequency of maternal pulmonary edema, low maternal oxygen saturation requiring oxygen supplementation, atelectasis, hypocalcemia, and preterm delivery was compared before and after the policy was changed.

Results

A higher proportion of women in the group that used the MOMS MgSO4 regimen had pulmonary edema compared to those in the flexible one (26.1% [6/23] vs. 6% [3/50]; p = 0.024). Multivariate analysis showed that the MOMS tocolytic regimen was independently associated with a higher risk of pulmonary edema (adjusted odds ratio: 8.57; 95% confidence interval: 1.54–47.7; p = 0.014) than a flexible one. There was no difference in the rate of preterm delivery.

Conclusion

Following fetoscopic closure of spina bifida, the MOMS MgSO4 regimen is associated with an increased risk of pulmonary edema than a more flexible regimen.
Inverse emulsion polymerization‐assisted designing of superparamagnetic poly (2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) nanoparticles and magnetically triggered release of cisplatin
Authors: Gupta Meher Kanta , Bajpai Jaya , Bajpai Anil Kumar
Published: February 2021

Superparamagnetic nanocarriers of poly (2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) were prepared by carrying out benzoyl peroxide (BPO) initiated inverse emulsion‐free radical polymerization of HEMA in the presence of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and subsequent in situ precipitation of magnetite within the PHEMA matrix. The as‐prepared nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR and UV–visible spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), particle size and zeta potential analysis, and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The PHEMA nanocarriers were investigated for their blood compatibility, and cytotoxicity response to L929 cells. The superparamagnetic nanoparticles were loaded with an anticancer drug cisplatin and the release profiles of the drug were examined as a function of various experimental parameters like composition of the PHEMA nanocarriers, percentage of drug loading, and strength of the externally imposed magnetic field. The kinetics of the drug release process was also investigated, and the obtained release data were applied to different mathematical kinetic models to explore the nature of the release mechanism.
Studies on the Effect of Ageing on Thermal, Ballistic and Mechanical Properties of Advanced Energetic Propellants
Authors: Kumar Amit , Sadavarte Vaibhav S. , Santosh Mada S. S. N. M. , Pande Shrikant M , Chavan Prakash V.
Published: February 2021

In order to study the ageing behaviour of advanced energetic propellants during storage and the effect of nitrate ester on the shelf life, accelerated ageing tests were conducted on two types of propellants based on nitrate esters, BTTN (as P‐1) and NG:BTTN (1 : 1) mixture (as P‐2). Mechanical and ballistic characterization of P‐1 and P‐2 propellants were carried out during storage at ambient (27 °C) and elevated temperature (40 °C and 55 °C). During ageing, tensile strength and Young‘s modulus of propellants are increasing and percentage elongation is decreasing due to depletion of nitrate ester from the locus. Also, there is a loss of stabilizer with time during ageing. Thermal decompositions of P‐1 and P‐2 were studied using differential thermal analysis at four heating rates (1 °C/min, 2 °C/min, 5 °C/min, and 10 °C/min) during ambient and accelerated ageing. Activation energies for thermal decomposition were calculated using Kissinger's and Ozawa's methods by assuming first‐order reaction kinetics for first stage decomposition in DSC studies of aged propellants. The shelf life of propellants was predicted based on the classical Arrhenius equation using zero‐order kinetics of degradation of the propellant mechanical property i. e. percentage elongation. With the 30 percentage elongation as the critical evaluation parameter, predicted shelf life at 25 °C is 23.97 years and 12.17 years for P‐1 and P‐2 respectively.
Crosslinking mass spectrometry: A link between structural biology and systems biology
Authors: Tang Xiaoting , Wippel Helisa H. , Chavez Juan D. , Bruce James E.
Published: February 2021

Protein structure underpins functional roles in all biological processes; therefore, improved understanding of protein structures is of fundamental importance in nearly all biological and biomedical research areas. Traditional techniques such as X‐ray crystallography and more recently, cryo‐EM, can reveal structural features on isolated proteins/protein complexes at atomic resolution level and have become indispensable tools for structural biology. Crosslinking mass spectrometry (XL‐MS), on the other hand, is an emerging technique capable of capturing transient and dynamic information on protein interactions and assemblies in their native environment. The combination of XL‐MS with traditional techniques holds potential for bridging the gap between structural biology and systems biology approaches. Such a combination will enable visualization of protein structures and interactions within the crowded macromolecular environment in living systems that can dramatically increase understanding of biological functions. In this review, we first discuss general strategies of XL‐MS and then survey recent examples to show how qualitative and quantitative XL‐MS studies can be integrated with available protein structural data to better understand biological function at systems level.
Pre‐arrival temporalities of displacement in refugee migration: The case of resettled Ethiopian refugees in Australia
Authors: Tefera Goshu Wolde
Published: February 2021

For refugees, displacement involves a reconfiguration of both space and time. Yet the temporal aspect receives less emphasis in existing geographic research. Paying attention to the temporal dimension can generate conceptually innovative insights into how temporality shapes refugees' experiences of displacement. Based on empirical research conducted with Ethiopian refugees in Melbourne, the paper considers how the participants experienced time throughout their migration journeys until their arrival in Australia. The participants' accounts suggest that their pre‐arrival displacement experiences were characterised by four novel distinct temporal features:spontaneity,disorientation, transposition, andincessancy. Recounting their stories, the participants pointed out that they were excluded from time and space, while simultaneously being engaged in temporary place‐making endeavours, navigating through multiple temporalities. Being displaced has altered their connections not only to places but also to times of which they are a part. The paper expands the growing theme of time and temporalities in geographic and migration research while showing how refugee experiences are dictated and controlled by time.
Transnational divorce in binational marriages: The case of Portuguese–Brazilian and Portuguese–Cape Verdean couples
Authors: Gaspar Sofia , Ramos Madalena , Ferreira Ana Cristina
Published: February 2021

While academic research has focused on binational marriages (i.e., marriages between partners of different national origins), transnational divorce is still under‐researched in the field of migration and family studies. Drawing on qualitative data, this paper analyses the testimonies of Brazilian and Cape Verdean migrant women concerning their experiences of marriage and divorce from Portuguese partners. We adopt an intersectional approach to highlight how some central categories—gender, social class and migration status—influence their agency and consequences of marital disruption. Contrary to studies in which migrant women are victimised after divorce, our results reveal that, for these women, marital dissolution is an empowering strategy to end up their unhappy marriages.
Migration and the reconfiguration of rural places: The accommodation of difference in Odemira, Portugal
Authors: Fonseca Maria Lucinda , Esteves Alina , Moreno Luís
Published: February 2021

International migration reconfigures rural places by engaging localities with globalising forces. Accommodating newcomers, be they farming labourers or lifestyle migrants is a challenge at the local level due to the clash of interests, different visions on how the land should be managed and development promoted. Using Odemira as a case study, the paper has two goals: to show the change brought about by foreign investments in agribusiness, international labourers and lifestyle migrants to a rural place; and to highlight the strategies devised by local actors in the accommodation of new demands of language and housing. Language classes for adults and housing provisions are far from satisfying the needs. Schools display more flexibility to accommodate migrant children, whereas the agribusiness firms are increasing its lobbying capacity for their interest by pushing forward the approval of an exceptional regime that authorises the installation of workers in precarious accommodation located on the farms.
Exploring Phase‐Change Memory: From Material Systems to Device Physics
Authors: Ren Yanyun , Sun Ruoyao , Chen Stephenie Hiu Yuet , Du Chunyu , Han Su-Ting , Zhou Ye
Published: February 2021

To deal with the growing demand for data storage and processing, phase‐change memory (PCM) provides one of the most promising candidates for next‐generation nonvolatile data storage and neuromorphic computing applications. A lot of effort has been made toward optimizing the materials and device design; thus, excellent device performances have been achieved including high density, fast switching speed, great endurance, and retention. In addition, the widely tunable optical characteristics of PCMs are irresistibly attractive for optoelectronic or all‐optical applications with unprecedented bandwidth, low energy consumption, and multilevel data storage. Herein, the materials system and switching mechanisms on experimental and modeling methods for PCM designs and applications are discussed. Electric‐domain and optical‐domain PCM‐based artificial synapses/neurons and their applications in neuromorphic computing are also reviewed. Finally, the future prospects and challenges of PCM‐based applications on materials, devices, algorithms, and system levels are highlighted.
Directionally sensitive MCUSUM mean charts
Authors: Haq Abdul , Sohrab Komal
Published: February 2021

In the context of a disease outbreak detection, a prime interest is to only detect increases in the process mean. It is thus desirable to have a directionally sensitive multivariate chart that can effectively detect either increases or decreases in the process mean vector. In this paper, with a suitable transformation that truncates multivariate observations either above or below the process mean vector, we propose one‐sided and two one‐sided MCUSUM charts for monitoring the mean of a multivariate normal process. Among the proposed charts, the one‐sided MCUSUM charts are directionally sensitive, while the two one‐sided MCUSUM charts are directionally insensitive. In addition, the fast initial response feature is also incorporated into the proposed charts to enhance their sensitivities against initial process shifts. The run length characteristics of these control charts are computed with the Monte Carlo simulation. Based on the run length comparisons, it is found that the proposed charts are more sensitive than the existing charts when detecting moderate‐to‐large shifts in the process mean. The proposed charts are also applied on real datasets to support the theory.
Advances and Prospects of High‐Voltage Spinel Cathodes for Lithium‐Based Batteries
Authors: Yu Xingwen , Yu Wiley A. , Manthiram Arumugam
Published: February 2021

Insertion compounds have been dominating the cathodes in commercial lithium‐ion batteries. In contrast to layered oxides and polyanion compounds, the development of spinel‐structured cathodes is a little behind. Owing to a series of advantageous properties, such as high operating voltage (≈4.7 V), high capacity (≈135 mAh g−1), low environmental impact, and low fabrication cost, the high‐voltage spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 represents a high‐power cathode for advancing high‐energy‐density Li+‐ion batteries. However, the wide application and commercialization of this cathode are hampered by its poor cycling performance. Recent progress in both the fundamental understanding of the degradation mechanism and the exploration of strategies to enhance the cycling stability of high‐voltage spinel cathodes have drawn continuous attention toward this promising insertion cathode. In this review article, the structure–property correlations and the failure mode of high‐voltage spinel cathodes are first discussed. Then, the recent advances in mitigating the cycling stability issue of high‐voltage spinel cathodes are summarized, including the various approaches of structural design, doping, surface coating, and electrolyte modification. Finally, future perspectives and research directions are put forward, aiming at providing insightful information for the development of practical high‐voltage spinel cathodes.
Elucidation of the MicroRNA Transcriptome in Western Corn Rootworm Reveals Its Dynamic and Evolutionary Complexity
Authors: Yang Xiaozeng , Fishilevich Elane , German Marcelo A. , Gandra Premchand , McEwan Robert E. , Billion André , Knorr Eileen , Vilcinskas Andreas , Narva Kenneth E.
Published: February 2021

Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (western corn rootworm, WCR) is one of the most destructive agricultural insect pests in North America. It is highly adaptive to environmental stimuli and crop protection technologies. However, little is known about the underlying genetic basis of WCR behavior and adaptation. More specifically, the involvement of small RNAs (sRNAs), especially microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of endogenous small non-coding RNAs that regulate various biological processes, has not been examined, and the datasets of putative sRNA sequences have not previously been generated for WCR. To achieve a comprehensive collection of sRNA transcriptomes in WCR, we constructed, sequenced, and analyzed sRNA libraries from different life stages of WCR and northern corn rootworm (NCR), and identified 101 conserved precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs) in WCR and other Arthropoda. We also identified 277 corn rootworm specific pre-miRNAs. Systematic analyses of sRNA populations in WCR revealed that its sRNA transcriptome, which includes PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and miRNAs, undergoes a dynamic change throughout insect development. Phylogenetic analysis of miRNA datasets from model species reveals that a large pool of species-specific miRNAs exists in corn rootworm; these are potentially evolutionarily transient. Comparisons of WCR miRNA clusters to other insect species highlight conserved miRNA-regulated processes that are common to insects. Parallel Analysis of RNA Ends (PARE) also uncovered potential miRNA-guided cleavage sites in WCR. Overall, this study provides a new resource for studying the sRNA transcriptome and miRNA-mediated gene regulation in WCR and other Coleopteran insects.
redPATH: Reconstructing the Pseudo Development Time of Cell Lineages in Single-Cell RNA-Seq Data and Applications in Cancer
Authors: Xie Kaikun , Liu Zehua , Chen Ning , Chen Ting
Published: February 2021

The recent advancement of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies facilitates the study of cell lineages in developmental processes and cancer. In this study, we developed a computational method, called redPATH, to reconstruct the pseudo developmental time of cell lineages using a consensus asymmetric Hamiltonian path algorithm. Besides, we developed a novel approach to visualize the trajectory development and implemented visualization methods to provide biological insights. We validated the performance of redPATH by segmenting different stages of cell development on multiple neural stem cell and cancer datasets, as well as other single-cell transcriptome data. In particular, we identified a stem cell-like subpopulation in malignant glioma cells. These cells express known proliferative markers, such as GFAP, ATP1A2, IGFBPL1, and ALDOC, and remain silenced for quiescent markers such as ID3. Furthermore, we identified MCL1 as a significant gene that regulates cell apoptosis and CSF1R for reprogramming macrophages to control tumor growth. In conclusion, redPATH is a comprehensive tool for analyzing scRNA-seq datasets along the pseudo developmental time. redPATH is available at https://github.com/tinglabs/redPATH.
kLDM: Inferring Multiple Metagenomic Association Networks Based on the Variation of Environmental Factors
Authors: Yang Yuqing , Wang Xin , Xie Kaikun , Zhu Congmin , Chen Ning , Chen Ting
Published: February 2021

Identification of significant biological relationships or patterns is central to many metagenomic studies. Methods that estimate association networks have been proposed for this purpose; however, they assume that associations are static, neglecting the fact that relationships in a microbial ecosystem may vary with changes in environmental factors (EFs), which can result in inaccurate estimations. Therefore, in this study, we propose a computational model, called the k-Lognormal-Dirichlet-Multinomial (kLDM) model, which estimates multiple association networks that correspond to specific environmental conditions, and simultaneously infers microbe–microbe and EF–microbe associations for each network. The effectiveness of the kLDM model was demonstrated on synthetic data, a colorectal cancer (CRC) dataset, the Tara Oceans dataset, and the American Gut Project dataset. The results revealed that the widely-used Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient method performed much worse than the other methods, indicating the importance of separating samples by environmental conditions. Cancer fecal samples were then compared with cancer-free samples, and the estimation achieved by kLDM exhibited fewer associations among microbes but stronger associations between specific bacteria, especially five CRC-associated operational taxonomic units, indicating gut microbe translocation in cancer patients. Some EF-dependent associations were then found within a marine eukaryotic community. Finally, the gut microbial heterogeneity of inflammatory bowel disease patients was detected. These results demonstrate that kLDM can elucidate the complex associations within microbial ecosystems. The kLDM program, R, and Python scripts, together with all experimental datasets, are accessible at https://github.com/tinglab/kLDM.git.
The European Geopolitical Space and the Long Path to Brexit (TheGovernment and Opposition/Leonard Schapiro Lecture 2020)
Authors: Thompson Helen
Published: February 2021

Although Brexit had its short-term roots in economic and constitutional legitimation issues, it cannot be explained without considering the European geopolitical space, the EU's contrasting political formations in the security and economic spheres, and the fault lines these produce. Seen from a long-term geopolitical perspective, there have been recurrent problems in Britain's efforts to deal with the EU and its predecessors, and persistent patterns of crisis. The geopolitical environment, especially around NATO and energy security in the Middle East, first rendered non-membership of the EEC a problem, then made entry impossible for a decade, helped make EU membership politically very difficult for British governments to sustain, and then constrained the May governments’ Article 50 negotiations. These problems have a singularly British shape, but they cannot be separated from more general fault lines in the European geopolitical space.
Accelerating future mass loss of Svalbard glaciers from a multi-model ensemble
Authors: van Pelt Ward J. J. , Schuler Thomas V. , Pohjola Veijo A. , Pettersson Rickard
Published: February 2021

Projected climate warming and wettening will have a major impact on the state of glaciers and seasonal snow in High Arctic regions. Following up on a historical simulation (1957–2018) for Svalbard, we make future projections of glacier climatic mass balance (CMB), snow conditions on glaciers and land, and runoff, under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 emission scenarios for 2019–60. We find that the average CMB for Svalbard glaciers, which was weakly positive during 1957–2018, becomes negative at an accelerating rate during 2019–60 for both RCP scenarios. Modelled mass loss is most pronounced in southern Svalbard, where the equilibrium line altitude is predicted to rise well above the hypsometry peak, leading to the first occurrences of zero accumulation-area ratio already by the 2030s. In parallel with firn line retreat, the total pore volume in snow and firn drops by as much as 70–80% in 2060, compared to 2018. Total refreezing remains largely unchanged, despite a marked change in the seasonal pattern towards increased refreezing in winter. Finally, we find pronounced shortening of the snow season, while combined runoff from glaciers and land more than doubles from 1957–2018 to 2019–60, for both scenarios.
Palynological indications for Silurian – earliest Devonian age strata in the Netherlands
Authors: Houben Alexander J.P. , Vis Geert-Jan
Published: February 2021

Knowledge of the stratigraphic development of pre-Carboniferous strata in the subsurface of the Netherlands is very limited, leaving the lithostratigraphic nomenclature for this time interval informal. In two wells from the southwestern Netherlands, Silurian strata have repeatedly been reported, suggesting that these are the oldest ever recovered in the Netherlands. The hypothesised presence of Silurian-aged strata has not been tested by biostratigraphic analysis. A similar lack of biostratigraphic control applies to the overlying Devonian succession. We present the results of a palynological study of core material from wells KTG-01 and S05-01. Relatively low-diversity and poorly preserved miospore associations were recorded. These, nonetheless, provide new insights into the regional stratigraphic development of the pre-Carboniferous of the SW Netherlands. The lower two cores from well KTG-01 are of a late Silurian (Ludlow–Pridoli Epoch) to earliest Devonian (Lochkovian) age, confirming that these are the oldest sedimentary strata ever recovered in the Netherlands. The results from the upper cored section from the pre-Carboniferous succession in well KTG-01 and the cored sections from the pre-Carboniferous succession in well S05-01 are more ambiguous. This inferred Devonian succession is, in the current informal lithostratigraphy of the Netherlands, assigned to the Banjaard group and its subordinate Bollen Claystone formation, of presumed Frasnian (i.e. early Late Devonian) age. Age-indicative Middle to Late Devonian palynomorphs were, however, not recorded, and the overall character of the poorly preserved palynological associations in wells KTG-01 and S05-01 may also suggest an Early Devonian age. In terms of lithofacies, however, the cores in well S05-01 can be correlated to the upper Frasnian – lower Famennian Falisolle Formation in the Campine Basin in Belgium. Hence, it remains plausible that an unconformity separates Silurian to Lower Devonian strata from Upper Devonian (Frasnian–Famennian) strata in the SW Netherlands. In general, the abundance of miospore associations points to the presence of a vegetated hinterland and a relatively proximal yet relatively deep marine setting during late Silurian and Early Devonian times. This differs markedly from the open marine depositional settings reported from the Brabant Massif area to the south in present-day Belgium, suggesting a sediment source to the north. The episodic presence of reworked (marine) acritarchs of Ordovician age suggests the influx of sedimentary material from uplifted elements on the present-day Brabant Massif to the south, possibly in relation to the activation of a Brabant Arch system.
Late-Holocene sea-level reconstruction (1200 BC–AD 100) in the Westergo terp region of the northern Netherlands
Authors: Vos Peter C. , Nieuwhof Annet
Published: February 2021

In the early 20th century, archaeological research in the terp (artificial dwelling-mound) region of the northern Netherlands focused, besides settlement history, on natural salt-marsh dynamics and sea-level rise. In particular Van Giffen used salt-marsh deposits under dated terp layers to reconstruct the rate of sedimentation of the developing salt marsh and relative sea-level rise.

This line of research in archaeology was rekindled during excavations in the terp of Wijnaldum-Tjitsma between 1991 and 1993. Since then, geology has become an integral part of archaeological research in the terp region. This paper focuses on the northwestern part of the province of Friesland (Westergo), where most archaeological terp research during the past three decades has been carried out, owing to several research programmes by the Province of Friesland. The primary aim of the geoarchaeological research is to better understand the interaction between human inhabitants and the salt-marsh landscape. The sedimentary record exposed in the excavation trenches makes it possible to collect data on the development of the coastal environments of the Wadden Sea prior to habitation, including data on sea-level rise. The sea-level data collected in the geoarchaeological studies in Westergo are the topic of this paper. The measured levels of the tidal-flat/salt-marsh boundary underneath the terps make it possible to reconstruct palaeo-Mean High Water (palaeo-MHW) levels. Such sea-level index points (SLIPs), based on marine shell data points from 12 locations, now make it possible to establish a palaeo-MHW diagram for this part of the Wadden Sea, for the period between 1200 BC and AD 100. In this period the palaeo-MHW in the Westergo region rose fromc.1.8 m to 0.3 m −NAP: a mean sea-level rise ofc.0.12 m per century.

We discuss the fact that elevation of the palaeo-MHW SLIP is not only determined by relative sea level (RSL), but also by the magnitude of the tidal amplitude. The tidal range, and therefore the MHW elevations in a tidal basin, can change from place to place and also in time. Also in a single tidal basin the tidal range is variable, due to the distortion of the tidal wave as a result of the morphology of the tidal system. Such local tidal range fluctuations – not related to sea-level rise – influence the palaeo-MHW curve of Westergo and other tidal basins in the Wadden Sea and need to be taken into account when interpreting the curve.

In this paper, we will go into the causes of changes in palaeotidal ranges in meso- and macrotidal systems, analyse the tidal range variations in recent and subrecent basins and estuaries and discuss the implications of these changes on the sea-level curve of the Westergo region in NW Friesland.
Edge overlap in weighted and directed social networks
Authors: Mattie Heather , Onnela Jukka-Pekka
Published: February 2021

With the increasing availability of behavioral data from diverse digital sources, such as social media sites and cell phones, it is now possible to obtain detailed information about the structure, strength, and directionality of social interactions in varied settings. While most metrics of network structure have traditionally been defined for unweighted and undirected networks only, the richness of current network data calls for extending these metrics to weighted and directed networks. One fundamental metric in social networks is edge overlap, the proportion of friends shared by two connected individuals. Here, we extend definitions of edge overlap to weighted and directed networks and present closed-form expressions for the mean and variance of each version for the Erdős–Rényi random graph and its weighted and directed counterparts. We apply these results to social network data collected in rural villages in southern Karnataka, India. We use our analytical results to quantify the extent to which the average overlap of the empirical social network deviates from that of corresponding random graphs and compare the values of overlap across networks. Our novel definitions allow the calculation of edge overlap for more complex networks, and our derivations provide a statistically rigorous way for comparing edge overlap across networks.
Immune status, well-being and gut microbiota in military supplemented with synbiotic ice cream and submitted to field training: a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Valle Maria C. P. R. , Vieira Isabel A. , Fino Luciana C. , Gallina Darlila A. , Esteves Andrea M. , da Cunha Diogo T. , Cabral Lucélia , Benatti Fabiana B. , Marostica Junior Mario R. , Batista Ângela G. , Santos Rosangela , Pastore Glaucia M. , Sartoratto Adilson , Sivieri Katia , Tizioto Polyana C. , Coutinho Luiz L. , Antunes Adriane E. C.
Published: February 2021

Strenuous physical activity, sleep deprivation and psychological stress are common features of military field training. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementation with a synbiotic ice cream on salivary IgA, gastrointestinal symptoms, well-being indicators and gut microbiota in young military participants undergoing field training. Sixty-five military completed the study: one group was supplemented for 30 d with synbiotic ice cream containing: 2·1 × 108CFU/g forLactobacillus acidophilusLA-5 and 2·7 × 109CFU/g forBifidobacterium animalisBB-12 and 2·3 g of inulin in the 60 g of ice cream at manufacture, and the other with a placebo ice cream. Volunteers were evaluated at pre-supplementation (baseline), post-supplementation and after a 5-d military training.BifidobacteriumandLactobacillusgenera were measured in stool samples and both showed a higher differential abundance post-supplementation and training. Salivary IgA and gastrointestinal symptoms decreased at post-training in both groups (P< 0·05; main effect of time); however, supplementation with synbiotic did not mitigate this effect. Tenseness and sleepiness were decreased in the synbiotic-treated group, but not in the placebo group at post-military training (P= 0·01 and 0·009, respectively; group × time effect). The other well-being indicators were not affected by the synbiotic supplementation. In conclusion, 30 d of synbiotic ice cream supplementation containing inulin,L. acidophilusLA-5 andB. animalisBB-12 favourably modulated gut microbiota and improved tenseness and sleepiness in healthy young military undergoing a 5-d field training. These improvements may be relevant to this population as they may influence the decision-making process in an environment of high physical and psychological stress.
Usury and Poverty: A Case Study of the Post-Rabbinic Moment in Midrash and Piyyut
Authors: Gvaryahu Amit
Published: February 2021

The Hebrew Bible prohibits lending at interest. This is usually linked to care for the poor. A similar connection is found in post-biblical literature as well. In Deut 23:20–21, however, usury is disconnected from the poverty laws. Classical rabbinic literature (second to sixth centuries) follows Deuteronomy in sharply de-coupling usury from poverty: the usury prohibition in that corpus regulates commerce and property, and is not intended to benefit the poor. In a sharp break with classical rabbinic tradition, the usury prohibition is reassociated with the poor in piyyut and in the Tanhuma midrashim, two late antique genres of Jewish literature associated but not entirely contiguous with classical rabbinic literature. Both genres bring this tradition to the fore through the use of earlier rabbinic materials, which do not espouse it. This combination of usury and care for the poor mirrors fourth-century Christian writings on usury.
Three Ways to Imitate Paul in Late Antiquity: Ekstasis, Ekphrasis, Epektasis
Authors: Motia Michael
Published: February 2021

Robert Orsi’s argument that religion, more than a system of “meaning making,” is a “network of relationships between heaven and earth” helps us understand what is at stake in imitation for early Christians. The question for Orsi is not, “What does it mean to imitate Paul?” as much as it is, “In what kind of relationship is one engaged when one imitates Paul?” Christians argue over both what to imitate (Who is Paul?) and how to imitate (How should Christians relate to Paul in order to be like him or to render him present?). The what has received lots of scholarly attention; this paper focuses on the how. I compare the range of possibilities of how to imitate Paul by focusing on three influential accounts of mimesis: Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (ekstasis), John Chrysostom (ekphrasis), and Gregory of Nyssa (epektasis).
The Market as a Means of Post-Violence Recovery: Armenians and Oriental Carpets in the Late Ottoman Empire (c.1890s–1910s)
Authors: Tolga Cora Yaşar
Published: February 2021

Carpet production in the late Ottoman Empire developed during the second half of the nineteenth century in a context of growing trade with Western markets, until, by the turn of the century, carpets had become the empire's leading manufacturing export. This article examines the expansion of oriental carpet production in Armenian communities affected by violence in the mid-1890s and in 1909, and its role in their recovery. It shows that output of oriental carpets rose and production was moved into regions with limited or no “pre-violence” experience of carpet production. We shall see that the increases in production were firmly linked to market-based efforts to reconstruct those communities. Different actors, including local and regional merchant-entrepreneurs and multinational companies as well as individual transnational actors such as missionaries, all began to involve themselves in Armenian communities, both to promote trade in carpets and to offer the production of them as a solution to the post-violence ills. As a result, Armenian women and children in post-violence communities became an integral part of the global market in oriental carpets as a vulnerable, organizationally weak but cost-efficient workforce. The whole process was justified in the name of assistance to the needy and was closely associated with changing definitions of the work ethic and morality in the late Ottoman Empire.
Probiotic Greek yogurt: effect of the addition of prebiotic fat substitutes on the physicochemical characteristics, probiotic survival, and sensory acceptance
Authors: Dias Sofia Sestito , de Souza Vergílio Damarys , Pereira Arthur Marroni , Klososki Suellen Jensen , Marcolino Vanessa Aparecida , da Cruz Rayane Monique Sete , Costa Giselle Nobre , Barão Carlos Eduardo , Pimentel Tatiana Colombo
Published: February 2021

In this research communication we evaluate the impact of the addition of prebiotic components (inulin, polydextrose, and modified starch, 40 g/l) as fat substitutes on the physicochemical characteristics, probiotic survival, and sensory acceptance of probiotic (Lacticaseibacillus casei 01, 108 CFU/ml) Greek yogurts during storage (7 °C, 28 d). All formulations had probiotic counts higher than 107 CFU/ml during storage and simulated gastrointestinal conditions (SGIC). The prebiotic components increased the probiotic survival to the enteric phase of the SGIC, with inulin producing the most pronounced effect. Inulin addition resulted in products with lower pH values and consistency and higher titratable acidity during storage, with negative impact on the sensory acceptance (flavor, texture, and overall impression) at the end of the storage period. Modified starch addition impacted negatively on the acceptance of the products (appearance, flavor, texture, and overall impression). Polydextrose addition resulted in products with lower consistency, but similar sensory acceptance to the full-fat yogurt. It can be concluded that it is possible to prepare potentially synbiotic Greek yogurts by desorption technique using L. casei as probiotic culture and inulin, polydextrose or modified starch as prebiotic components, with the utilization of polydextrose being advisable.
Unusual complications of bone wax at the skull base
Authors: Panicker R , Moorthy R K , Rupa V
Published: February 2021

Objective

This study aimed to describe the clinical presentation, microbiological profile and management of complications of bone wax usage for surgical procedures at the skull base.

Method

The case records of a series of five patients who developed post-operative surgical site complications because of bone wax usage during skull base surgery were reviewed.

Results

In all five patients, persistent site-specific clinical features were noted along with intra-operative presence of excessive bone wax. Three unique cases of presentation, one with a fungal brain abscess because of Aspergillus flavus infection, another with fungal osteomyelitis because of Trichosporon beigelii infection and a third with intradural migration of bone wax into the cerebellopontine angle cistern are highlighted.

Conclusion

The presentation of surgical site infection at the skull base because of excessive use of bone wax can be manifold. The need for testing appropriate cultures including fungal culture is highlighted.
Sialodochitis fibrinosa managed with staged bilateral total parotidectomy
Authors: Tabaksert A S , Lazarova L , Bentley R , Stafford F
Published: February 2021

Objective

This paper reports a rare case of a 61-year-old man with sialodochitis fibrinosa.

Methods

Clinical case report and review of current literature.

Results

Sialodochitis fibrinosa is a diagnosis of exclusion and in many cases can be managed conservatively. Conservative management failed for this patient and he was managed successfully with staged bilateral total parotidectomy.

Conclusion

Sialodochitis fibrinosa should be considered as a differential diagnosis of painful bilateral facial swelling. While conservative management is successful for many patients, staged bilateral total parotidectomy may be necessary for full remission of symptoms; the timing of this is crucial to reduce the risk of facial nerve palsy.
Nature, colonial science and nation-building in twentieth-century Philippines
Authors: Pagunsan Ruel V.
Published: February 2021

This article examines colonial nature-making in twentieth century Philippines. It particularly looks into natural history investigations of the American-instituted Bureau of Science and the ways in which it created a discursive authority for understanding the Philippine natural environment. These biological investigations, the article argues, did not only structure the imperial construction of the colony's nature, but also provided a blueprint for imagining notions of national integration and identity. The article interrogates the link between colonial scientific projects and nation-building initiatives, emphasising the scripting of the archipelago's nature and the creation of a national science through biological spaces.
Individualized risk components guiding antipsychotic delivery in patients with a clinical high risk of psychosis: application of a risk calculator
Authors: Zhang TianHong , Xu LiHua , Li HuiJun , Cui HuiRu , Tang YingYing , Wei YanYan , Tang XiaoChen , Hu YeGang , Hui Li , Li ChunBo , Niznikiewicz Margaret A. , Shenton Martha E. , Keshavan Matcheri S. , Stone William S. , Wang JiJun
Published: February 2021

Background

Antipsychotics are widely used for treating patients with psychosis, and target threshold psychotic symptoms. Individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis are characterized by subthreshold psychotic symptoms. It is currently unclear who might benefit from antipsychotic treatment. Our objective was to apply a risk calculator (RC) to identify people that would benefit from antipsychotics.

Methods

Drawing on 400 CHR individuals recruited between 2011 and 2016, 208 individuals who received antipsychotic treatment were included. Clinical and cognitive variables were entered into an individualized RC for psychosis; personal risk was estimated and 4 risk components (negative symptoms-RC-NS, general function-RC-GF, cognitive performance-RC-CP, and positive symptoms-RC-PS) were constructed. The sample was further stratified according to the risk level. Higher risk was defined based on the estimated risk score (20% or higher).

Results

In total, 208 CHR individuals received daily antipsychotic treatment of an olanzapine-equivalent dose of 8.7 mg with a mean administration duration of 58.4 weeks. Of these, 39 (18.8%) developed psychosis within 2 years. A new index of factors ratio (FR), which was derived from the ratio of RC-PS plus RC-GF to RC-NS plus RC-CP, was generated. In the higher-risk group, as FR increased, the conversion rate decreased. A small group (15%) of CHR individuals at higher-risk and an FR >1 benefitted from the antipsychotic treatment.

Conclusions

Through applying a personal risk assessment, the administration of antipsychotics should be limited to CHR individuals with predominantly positive symptoms and related function decline. A strict antipsychotic prescription strategy should be introduced to reduce inappropriate use.
Design and Experiments of Pneumatic Soft Actuators
Authors: Guo Liqiang , Li Ke , Cheng Guanggui , Zhang Zhongqiang , Xu Chu , Ding Jianning
Published: February 2021

The soft actuator is made of superelastic material and embedded flexible material. In this paper, a kind of soft tube was designed and used to assemble two kinds of pneumatic soft actuators. The experiment and finite element analysis are used to comprehensively analyze and describe the bending, elongation, and torsion deformation of the soft actuator. The results show that the two soft actuators have the best actuation performance when the inner diameter of the soft tube is 4 mm. In addition, when the twisting pitch of the torsional actuator is 24 mm, its torsional performance is optimized. Finally, a device that can be used in the production line was assembled by utilizing those soft actuators, and some operation tasks were completed. This experiment provides some insights for the development of soft actuators with more complex motions in the future.
Effectiveness modelling of digital contact-tracing solutions for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Shubina Viktoriia , Ometov Aleksandr , Basiri Anahid , Lohan Elena Simona
Published: February 2021

Since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, digital contact-tracing applications (apps) have been at the centre of attention as a digital tool to enable citizens to monitor their social distancing, which appears to be one of the leading practices for mitigating the spread of airborne infectious diseases. Many countries have been working towards developing suitable digital contact-tracing apps to allow the measurement of the physical distance between citizens and to alert them when contact with an infected individual has occurred. However, the adoption of digital contact-tracing apps has faced several challenges so far, including interoperability between mobile devices and users’ privacy concerns. There is a need to reach a trade-off between the achievable technical performance of new technology, false-positive rates, and social and behavioural factors. This paper reviews a wide range of factors and classifies them into three categories of technical, epidemiological and social ones, and incorporates these into a compact mathematical model. The paper evaluates the effectiveness of digital contact-tracing apps based on received signal strength measurements. The results highlight the limitations, potential and challenges of the adoption of digital contact-tracing apps.