bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated Monitoring and Control of Deformation of Metro under Construction effected by the Construction of Foundation Pit
Authors: Wei Zhifan , Hu Juan , Xu Tie
Published: November 2020

In view of the influence of Metro under construction on the foundation pit excavation of the new commercial service project in the city and in order to ensure the safety of subway in the process of foundation pit excavation, combined with the geographical location and geological conditions of the project in this paper, the corresponding monitoring points were set up to protect and monitor the Metro near the project, so as to ensure the minimum impact on the Metro under the premise of normal construction of the foundation pit. The monitoring results were in line with the requirements of the specification, providing guarantee for the subsequent construction.
The Efficiency Evaluation of the Joint Application of Stone Column and Soil Mixing Method for Liquefaction Prevention of a Caisson Wall
Authors: Tong Bin , Han Bing
Published: November 2020

Waterfront caisson wall is commonly seen port structure that could be heavily damaged by liquefaction. Although the mitigation measures were mostly proved efficient in theory, yet insufficient, particularly in providing an easily implemented remedial plan with design parameters for routine practices of liquefaction risk reduction. In this study, using the damaged caisson wall structure recorded from case history as the unimproved benchmark, the remediation effectiveness of a joint method - the stone column and deep mixing method for liquefaction risk reduction is examined based on the deformation comparison between the damaged and hypothetically improved seismic performance of the wall-soil system. Highlights on the establishment of liquefaction risk reduction process for caisson walls are generated as recommendations for practices.
Research on Location and Morphological Characteristics of Traditional Settlements along Xijing Ancient Road
Authors: Pan Ying , Huang Yue , Shi Ying
Published: November 2020

Ancient post road is the channel of material and information transmission in ancient China, which has the function of migration and cultural exchange. Xijing Ancient Road is one of the ancient post roads in Guangdong. It has a large span from north to south, and settlements along the road have different location and morphological characteristics. This paper analyzed the data of 113 traditional settlements along Xijing Ancient Road by using Google Earth and ArcGIS. It is found that the site of villages has the trend to distribute in the high elevation district, settled on the gentle slope and close to the foot of mountain. From the perspective of village morphology, most of the villages are massive. The street texture of the settlements in the north of the ancient road is grid-like, while the lanes in the south of the ancient road are mainly transverse. Different natural environment along the Xijing Ancient Road is the basic influencing factor, and the complex and diverse immigration backgrounds are the key influencing factors. Both of the two factors work together to lead to the diversity of traditional settlements along the Xijing Ancient Road.
Application of the Limit equilibrium method to the headcut migration of levee breaching
Authors: Liu Zhenzhen , Li Tian , Ding Yuxi , Zhang Xianlei
Published: November 2020

The headcut migration describes the physical process of the levee side slope retreat and the headcut length governs the breach widening. As a typical mode of slope stability due to soil tensile failure, the limit equilibrium method was used for the calculation of the headcut length. By considering the soil tensile stress state, the Hoek-Brown failure criterion provides a reasonable description of the levee material response. Then, the headcut length was calculated by using LEM in Slope/W. The comparisons with a large scale test show that the calculated headcut length by using LEM in Slope/W has good agreements with the measured data.
Study On Dynamic Simulation Of 1250mm2 Conductor Stringing System
Authors: Xue Chufan , Han Yongming , Bai Junfeng , Ju Yanzhong
Published: November 2020

In order to study the mechanical properties of 1250mm2 conductor in the process of stringing. The numerical simulation results show that the maximum axial tension of conductor and traction rope is 1.2 ∼ 1.4 times of the theoretical calculation value. The amplification coefficient of traction overload protection is improved.
Problems and Countermeasures of building world-class port group in Jing-Jin-Ji
Authors: Bin Wang
Published: November 2020

With the development of Jing-Jin-Ji coordinated development and transportation integration development, It is the general trend to create a world-class port group in Jing-Jin-Ji and to coordinate the development of ports. Jin-Ji Port Group is close in location, which hinterland is crossed, and which coastline resources are closely connected, It has unique advantages in realizing the integration of port groups. However, there are a series of problems in the construction of Jing-Jin-Ji Port Integration, such as serious homogenization of port construction, lagging behind the process of port integration and so on. Therefore, in view of the problems existing in the process of building Jing-Jin-Ji world-class port group, this paper puts forward relevant countermeasures and suggestions.
The effect of ocean turbulence on acoustic propagation in shallow water
Authors: Han Jing , Zhang Xuegang , Wu Zhongpeng , Cao Feng
Published: November 2020

This work devoted to research the temperature and salinity distribution in ocean turbulence. The sound velocity when ocean turbulence presented was calculated by the function relation between temperature, salinity, depth and sound velocity. The sound transmission loss was calculated when the ocean turbulence was presented or not and compared them. The sound field fluctuation resulted by ocean turbulence was analyzed. It was very significant to comprehend the mechanism and variation rule of ocean turbulence. Thus it was further study the effect of ocean turbulence on acoustic propagation. As an example, there was thermocline in the ocean water. The sound transmission loss was calculated when presented ocean turbulence or not. It analyzed the effect of ocean turbulence on acoustic propagation. The sound field fluctuation caused by ocean turbulence could reach 8dB.
Evaluation of hot corrosion performance of HVOF coatings on PCGTA welded Fe-based alloy A-286 in Na2SO4%-7.5%NaVO3%-5%NaCl environment
Authors: Muthu S M , Arivarasu M
Published: November 2020

This research article investigated the hot corrosion behaviour of the pulsed current gas tungsten arc (PCGTA) welded Fe-based alloy A-286. PCGTA welding is employed to obtain a similar joint of 6 mm plates of A-286 alloy using ER-320LR filler material. A high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) coating is carried out to deposit Cr3C2-25%NiCr and Ni-20%Cr coating on the PCGTA weldments. The microstructure and elemental analysis of the surface and cross-sections of the coatings were examined by Scanning electron microscope (SEM) combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Hot corrosion study is carried out on bare, and HVOF coated PCGTA weldments in Na2SO4-7.5%NaVO3-5%NaCl environment at 850 °C. The corrosion frate of the weldments was determined by thermogravimetric analysis. The reaction products present in the weldments were characterized by SEM and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Depths of corrosion attack and elemental distribution on the weldments at cross-section are analyzed using EDS with the x-ray mapping technique. The Cr3C2-25%NiCr coated weldment exhibits the superior corrosion resistance than bare and the Ni-20%Cr coating due to the development of chromium oxide (Cr2O3) scales. The chromium carbide coating has a reduced weight gain of 56% and 25% compared to uncoated, and Ni-20%Cr coated specimens.
The preparation of intrinsic DOPO-Cinnamic flame-retardant cellulose and its application for lithium-ion battery separator
Authors: Liu Jianxin , Qin Dujian , Chen Ken , Wang Bo , Bian Hongli , Shao Ziqiang
Published: November 2020

A renewable and superior intrinsic thermal-resistant cellulose-based nonwoven was explored as lithium-ion battery separator via phase separation mechanism. Herein, we sparked a robust strategy for improving the flammability of cellulose, namely DOPO- Cinnamoyl Cellulose (DCC) with intrinsic flame retardant was obtained via the incorporation of 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) and Cinnamoyl Chloride attached on the backbone of cellulose. It demonstrates that the heat release rate and total heat release significantly reduced. Meanwhile the membrane displayed excellent self-extinction. Additionally, after the DCC membrane assembled into lithium battery, under the optimum formulation situation, the electrochemical properties established that the LIBs showed superior electrochemical performance compared with PP separator. The interface impedance of DCC separator was less than 300 Ω, which was much smaller than that of commercial separator of 410 Ω. After 50 cycles, the battery with DCC-0.11 separator retained 84.2% of its initial discharge capacity, which was higher than the commercial polypropylene separator with the numeric of 79.1%. In sum, this novel, environmental friendly and intrinsic DOPO-Cinnamic flame-retardant cellulose based separator can be considered as an expectant candidate for lithium ion battery separator with high performance.
Pre-Test Experience and Memory Performance in Older Adults: The Impact of Test Anxiety and Self-Efficacy
Authors: Cavuoto Marina G , Franzese Stella , Kinsella Glynda J
Published: November 2020

Objective

The objective of this paper is to investigate the role of test anxiety and memory self-efficacy on memory performances in older adults.

Method

One hundred cognitively normal, community-dwelling older adults aged 65+ participated used in this experimental study. Participants completed baseline evaluations (including pre-test anxiety) prior to being assigned to one of two experimental conditions in which they experienced either success or failure on a verbal test. They subsequently completed post-test anxiety ratings, a measure of memory self-efficacy (Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire), and standardized tasks of working memory and verbal episodic memory.

Results

Following experimental manipulation, participants in the pre-test failure condition demonstrated higher anxiety and lower memory performances. Hierarchical regression revealed that change in anxiety from pre-test to post-test predicted memory performances and mediation analyses demonstrated that these effects were explained by lower memory self-efficacy.

Conclusions

For older adults, experiencing test failure prior to memory testing may result in increased test anxiety and lower memory self-efficacy leading to poorer memory performance. This has implications for diagnostic cognitive assessment for older people.
Second Thoughts on First Thoughts
Authors: Rosenfield Lorne K
Published: November 2020

This article represents the inaugural edition of our new “Second Thoughts on First Thoughts” section with Dr Aly as our featured master surgeon. In this article we will explore the evolution of his now renowned surgical strategies from their birth, through their active tinkering, to their ongoing tweaking, even today. The reader will then come away with a deeper understanding of Dr Aly’s “learning curve” and in so doing be spurred forward on their own learning curves.
Validating Grading of Aesthetic Outcomes of Web Space Reconstruction for Finger Syndactyly: Crowdsourcing Public Perceptions Using Amazon Mechanical Turk
Authors: Mayfield Cory K , Thomas Ian , Shauly Orr , Gould Daniel J , Seruya Mitchel
Published: November 2020

Background

It has recently been attempted in the literature to analyze the aesthetic outcomes of syndactyly web space reconstruction utilizing dorsal pentagonal advancement flaps and dorsal rectangular flaps with skin grafting. The study utilized a categorical grading system for evaluating the aesthetic outcomes of reconstruction to be used in conjunction with a visual analog scale (VAS), which has yet to be validated in the assessment of aesthetic outcomes following web space reconstruction.

Objectives

To utilize crowdsourced public perceptions to validate the grading of aesthetic outcomes in web space reconstruction for finger syndactyly.

Methods

A prospective study was conducted of random volunteers recruited through an internet crowdsourcing service to gain responses for a survey to analyze patient opinions toward the aesthetic outcomes of web space reconstruction. Outcomes were graded based on descriptions of the appearance, color, matte, and distortion of the reconstruction.

Results

The excellent dorsal flap demonstrated a mean VAS score of 6.66 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.45-6.87), and the very good, good, and poor dorsal flaps had mean VAS scores of 5.94 (95% CI = 5.73-6.15), 4.98 (95% CI = 4.77-5.19), and 3.55 (95% CI = 3.31-3.79), respectively. The odds ratio for receiving an excellent rating was 4.21 (95% CI = 3.04-5.82) for excellent dorsal flap with P < 0.0001.

Conclusions

This study confirms and validates the assessment of aesthetic outcomes of web space reconstruction by the Yuan Grading Scale. This evidence may guide future practice such that recommendations can be made to align with the aesthetic preferences of the patient.
Integrating events in the disintegration of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Jagust William
Published: November 2020

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Untangling the association of amyloid-β and tau with synaptic and axonal loss in Alzheimer’s disease’ by Pereira et al. (doi:10.1093/brain/awaa395).
Criminalization of Voyeurism and ‘Upskirt Photography’ in Hong Kong: The Need for a Coherent Approach to Image-Based Abuse
Authors: Crofts Thomas
Published: November 2020

Many jurisdictions have enacted laws in recent years to criminalize the use of image-based technologies to non-consensually observe a person’s private parts or a person engaging in a private act (voyeurism), to record images of a person’s private parts (‘upskirt photography’), or to possess, disseminate, or threaten to disseminate intimate images (‘revenge pornography’). No such offences have yet been adopted in Hong Kong, and the 2019 decision of the Final Court of Appeal in Secretary for Justice v Cheng Ka Yee has closed the door on using the existing offence of access to computer with criminal or dishonest intent to prosecute some of these behaviours. In response, the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong expeditiously prepared a report in 2019 calling for the enactment of offences to cover voyeurism and upskirt photography. The report does not, however, consider the need for offences to cover the related behaviour of non-consensually possessing, distributing, or threatening to distribute imitate images. This article, therefore, examines the need for, and advantages of, new offences to cover such behaviours. Based on a review of newly created offences in various Australian jurisdictions, England and Wales, and Singapore, a recommendation for reform in Hong Kong is developed.
Contemporary use of Selexipag in pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease: a case series
Authors: Blissett Sarah , Blusztein David , Mahadevan Vaikom S
Published: November 2020

Background

There are significant risks of parenteral prostacyclin use in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease (PAH-CHD), which may limit their use. Selexipag is an oral, selective prostacyclin analogue that has been shown to reduce disease progression and improve exercise capacity in patients with PAH-CHD. Administering Selexipag in patients with PAH-CHD could potentially overcome some of the risks of parenteral therapy while improving clinical outcomes.

Case summary

We report five cases highlighting the clinical uses of Selexipag in patients with PAH-CHD. In the first two cases, Selexipag was initiated as part of a Treat-to-close strategy. In the third case, initiation of Selexipag improved symptoms and objective exercise capacity in a patient with Eisenmenger syndrome. In the fourth and fifth cases, rapid cross-titration protocols were used to transition from parenteral prostacyclins to Selexipag. In the fourth case, Selexipag was initiated in the context of significant side effects limiting parenteral prostacyclin use. In the fifth case, Selexipag was used to down-titrate from parenteral prostacyclins following closure of a sinus venosus atrial septal defect and redirection of anomalous pulmonary veins.

Discussion

Selexipag is a promising oral therapy for patients with at various stages of the spectrum of PAH-CHD to improve symptoms, exercise capacity and, in some cases, haemodynamics. Our cases also highlight practical aspects of Selexipag use including targeting the individualized maximally tolerated dose for each patient, managing side effects and managing dose interruptions.
An unusual case of apical myocarditis: a case report
Authors: Das Arka , Kidambi Ananth , Plein Sven , Dall’Armellina Erica
Published: November 2020

Background

Myocardial infarction with non-obstructed coronary arteries (MINOCA) syndrome accounts for ∼6–8% of acute coronary syndrome presentations. Historically, MINOCA has been thought of as a benign condition, however, recent evidence suggests that some aetiologies of MINOCA such as cardiomyopathies are associated with significantly higher mortality than other causes such as myocarditis. Therefore, identifying the underlying cause of MINOCA is important in determining patient management and prognosis.

Case summary

We describe the case of a 58-year-old lady with an acute admission with MINOCA syndrome. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) examination on Day 9 demonstrated hypertrophy of the apical segments of the left ventricle (LV), with diffuse mid-wall hyper-enhancement on late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images. T2-weighted imaging was suggestive of active inflammation in the hypertrophied segments. A repeat CMR scan was performed 3 months later showed normalization of LV wall thickness, LGE and T2 values in the apical segments.

Discussion

This case report highlights the benefits of CMR with oedema-weighted imaging in the acute stages of MINOCA syndrome, as well as the importance of serial imaging in this patient cohort. While baseline imaging raised the possibility of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, resolution of apical hypertrophy on follow-up CMR showed that the patient had acute myocarditis, specifically involving the apical segments.
Mud and Metaphysics: The Matter of Modernism
Authors: Nicholls Peter
Published: November 2020

In a recent essay, Michael North meditates on the persistence of Modernism as the ‘cultural dominant of our time’, suggesting that our own culture can be described as the ‘afterlife’ of the aesthetic movements of the early twentieth century. In its powerful identification of the modern with the new, Modernism provided the terms with which we are still constrained to theorize our ideas of the contemporary. We live in a condition of belatedness, then, North argues, with what was once the triumph of the new weighing upon us as ‘the dead hand of the past’. I propose that this modernism and its obsession with the new has to be weighed against a counter-tendency during the same period which sought to curb a metaphysics of originality and constant innovation with a modernism preoccupied with its own limits and with the obdurate materiality of a world resistant to aesthetic fantasy. I draw my polarizing terms – mud and metaphysics – from Ezra Pound and then contrast his visionary fantasies with a range of writings that assume the absolute externality of things and other people. The essay looks at texts by Franz Kafka, Wyndham Lewis and Samuel Beckett, and then surveys the nineteenth-century current of sceptical materialism that provides a sort of pre-history of this modernism but which was overshadowed by the lyric materialism so rousingly proclaimed by Marinetti and the Futurists. In conclusion I turn to Virginia Woolf’s The Waves where we find that her usual scepticism is tempered by a jubilant grasp of the ‘mud-stained’ real.
Chromoendoscopy With Indigo Carmine vs Virtual Chromoendoscopy (iSCAN 1) for Neoplasia Screening in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Randomized Study
Authors: González-Bernardo Oscar , Riestra Sabino , Vivas Santiago , de Francisco Ruth , Pérez-Martínez Isabel , Castaño-García Andrés , Jiménez-Beltrán Víctor , Rollé Valeria , Suárez Patricio , Suárez Adolfo
Published: November 2020

Introduction

The risk of colon cancer is greater in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than in the general population. Chromoendoscopy with dye (CE) is the currently recommended method for detecting dysplasia in screening colonoscopies in IBD patients; however, the role of virtual chromoendoscopy (VC) is not yet well defined.

Objective

The object of this study was to compare CE and VC with the iSCAN 1 system in the detection of neoplastic lesions in IBD patients.

Design

We conducted a prospective, single-center, randomized study in IBD patients who underwent a colonoscopy for colon cancer screening. A total of 129 patients were included and were randomized to undergo a CE (n = 67) or a VC (n = 62). The rates of detection of neoplastic lesions by the 2 endoscopic techniques were compared.

Results

A total of 19 neoplastic lesions (9 adenomas and 10 low-grade dysplasias [LGD]) was detected in 16 patients, 12 lesions in the CE group (17.9%), and 7 lesions in the VC group (11.3%; P = 0.2); no differences were found in the overall rate of detection of lesions (neoplastic or nonneoplastic; P = 1). The median of the total examination time and endoscope withdrawal time (minutes) was significantly lower in the VC group than in the CE group (15 vs 20 and 10 vs 14, respectively; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

No differences occurred in the rate of detection of neoplastic lesions between CE and VC with iSCAN 1. The time spent on the technique with VC is significantly less than that with CE.
Climate change effects on marine renewable energy resources and environmental conditions for offshore aquaculture in Europe
Authors: Weiss Carlos V C , Menendez Melisa , Ondiviela Bárbara , Guanche Raúl , Losada Iñigo J , Juanes José
Published: November 2020

The development of the marine renewable energy and offshore aquaculture sectors is susceptible to being affected by climate change. Consequently, for the long-term planning of these activities, a holistic view on the effects of climate change on energy resources and environmental conditions is required. Based on present climate and future climate scenario, favourable conditions for wind and wave energy exploitation and for farming six marine fish species are assessed using a suitability index over all European regional seas. Regarding available energy potential, the estimated changes in climate do not have direct impacts on the geographic distribution of potential regions for the energy industry (both wind and wave based), that is they pose no threat to this industry. Long-term changes in environmental conditions could however require adaptation of the aquaculture sector and especially of its exploitation areas. Opportunities for aquaculture expansion of the assessed species are identified. Possibilities for co-location of these activities are observed in the different climate scenarios. The evaluation of potential zones for the exploitation of marine renewable energy resources and offshore aquaculture represents a stepping-stone, useful for improving decision-making and assisting in the management of marine economies both in the short-term and in the long-term development of these sectors.
Systemic inflammatory regulators and risk of Alzheimer’s disease: a bidirectional Mendelian-randomization study
Authors: Yeung Chris Ho Ching , Schooling C Mary
Published: November 2020

Background

Systemic inflammation has been suggested to be associated with Alzheimer’s-disease progression, although whether it is a cause or a downstream effect is still controversial. This study aims to assess the effect of systemic inflammatory regulators on Alzheimer’s disease within a bidirectional Mendelian-randomization design.

Methods

Genetic associations with Alzheimer’s disease were obtained from the largest and most up-to-date genome-wide association study (GWAS) (cases and proxy cases: 71 880; controls: 383 378) and with inflammatory regulators from two recent GWASs on the human proteome and cytokines. Estimates were obtained by inverse-variance weighting with sensitivity analyses using MR-Egger, weighted median and MR-PRESSO. Possible bias due to selective survival and competing risk was also considered.

Results

None of 41 systemic inflammatory regulators was associated with risk of Alzheimer’s disease with consistent results in validation analysis. Conversely, Alzheimer’s disease was suggestively associated with five systemic inflammatory regulators, i.e. basic fibroblast growth factor, granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor, interferon gamma, interleukin-13 and interleukin-7.

Conclusion

The systemic inflammatory regulators considered did not appear to be associated with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Conversely, specific systemic inflammatory regulators may be downstream effects of Alzheimer’s disease or consequences of common factors causing both inflammation and Alzheimer’s disease.
Associations of parental birth characteristics with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in their offspring: a population-based multigenerational cohort study in Denmark
Authors: Xiao Jingyuan , Gao Yu , Yu Yongfu , Toft Gunnar , Zhang Yawei , Luo Jiajun , Xia Yuntian , Chawarska Katarzyna , Olsen Jørn , Li Jiong , Liew Zeyan
Published: November 2020

Background

Fetal exposure risk factors are associated with increased autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk. New hypotheses regarding multigenerational risk for ASD have been proposed, but epidemiological evidence is largely lacking. We evaluated whether parental birth characteristics, including preterm birth and low birthweight, were associated with ASD risk in offspring.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide register-based cohort study that included 230 174 mother-child and 157 926 father-child pairs in Denmark. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for offspring ASD according to parental preterm (<37 weeks) and low birthweight (<2500 g) status, with or without adjustment for certain grandmaternal sociodemographic factors. Mediation analyses were performed for selected parental and offspring health-related factors.

Results

Offspring of mothers or fathers with adverse birth characteristics had about 31–43% higher risk for ASD (maternal preterm birth, OR = 1.31, 95% CI= 1.12, 1.55; maternal low birthweight, OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.17,1.57; paternal preterm birth, OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.18, 1.73; paternal low birthweight, OR = 1.38, 95% CI= 1.13, 1.70). Parents born very preterm (<32 weeks) marked a nearly 2-fold increase in ASD risk in their children. These associations were slightly attenuated upon adjustment for grandmaternal sociodemographic factors. Mediation analyses suggested that parental social-mental and offspring perinatal factors might explain a small magnitude of the total effect observed, especially for maternal birth characteristic associations.

Conclusions

Offspring of parents born with adverse characteristics had an elevated risk for ASD. Transmission of ASD risk through maternal and paternal factors should be considered in future research on ASD aetiology.
Topology of Surfaces with Finite Willmore Energy
Authors: Zhou Jie
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we study the critical case of the Allard regularity theorem. Combining with Reifenberg’s topological disk theorem, we get a critical Allard–Reifenberg-type regularity theorem. As a main result, we get the topological finiteness for a class of properly immersed surfaces in $\mathbb{R}^n$ with finite Willmore energy. Especially, we prove the removability of the isolated singularity of multiplicity one surfaces with finite Willmore energy and a uniqueness theorem of the catenoid under no a priori topological finiteness assumption.
In utero heat stress alters the postnatal innate immune response of pigs
Authors: Johnson Jay S , Maskal Jacob M , Duttlinger Alan W , Kpodo Kouassi R , McConn Betty R , Byrd Christopher J , Richert Brian T , Marchant-Forde Jeremy N , Lay Donald C , Perry Shelbi D , Lucy Matthew C , Safranski Tim J
Published: November 2020

The effects of in utero heat stress (IUHS) range from decreased growth performance to altered behavior, but the long-term impact of IUHS on postnatal innate immune function in pigs is unknown. Therefore, the study objective was to determine the effects of early gestation IUHS on the immune, metabolic, and stress response of pigs subjected to an 8 hr lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge during postnatal life. Twenty-four pregnant gilts were exposed to thermoneutral (TN; n = 12; 17.5 ± 2.1 °C) or heat stress (HS; n = 12; cyclic 26 to 36 °C) conditions from days 6 to 59 of gestation, and then TN conditions (20.9 ± 2.3 °C) from day 60 of gestation to farrowing. At 12 wk of age, 16 IUHS and 16 in utero thermoneutral (IUTN) pigs were selected, balanced by sex and given an intravenous injection of LPS (2 µg/kg BW mixed with sterile saline [SAL] and injected at 2 µL/kg BW) or SAL (2 µL/kg BW). Body temperature was monitored every 30 min, and blood was obtained at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 hr following the LPS challenge. Blood samples were analyzed for glucose, insulin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), cortisol, and cytokine concentrations. In addition, white blood cell counts were determined at 0 and 4 hr. Hour 0 data were used as covariates. Body temperature was increased (P < 0.01) in LPS (40.88 ± 0.08 °C) vs. SAL (39.83 ± 0.08 °C) pigs. Eosinophils tended to be decreased overall (P = 0.09; 43.9%) in IUHS vs. IUTN pigs. Glucose concentrations were reduced overall (P = 0.05; 5.9%) in IUHS vs. IUTN pigs. The NEFA concentrations tended to be greater (P = 0.07; 143.4%) in IUHS-LPS pigs compared with all other treatments, and IUTN-LPS pigs tended to have greater (127.4%) circulating NEFA concentrations compared with IUTN-SAL and IUHS-SAL pigs. Cortisol was increased (P = 0.04) in IUHS-LPS compared with IUTN-LPS pigs at 3 hr (21.5%) and 4 hr (64.3%). At 1 hr, tumor necrosis factor α was increased (P = 0.01; 115.1%) in IUHS-LPS compared with IUTN-LPS pigs. Overall, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were greater (P < 0.04; 281.3% and 297.8%, respectively) in IUHS-LPS pigs compared with all other treatments, and IUTN-LPS pigs had increased IL-1β and IL-6 concentrations compared with IUTN-SAL and IUHS-SAL pigs. In summary, IUHS altered the postnatal cytokine, metabolic, and physiological stress response of pigs during postnatal life, which may have negative implications toward the innate immune response of IUHS pigs to pathogens.
A dynamic actin-dependent nucleoskeleton and cell identity
Authors: Venit Tomas , El Said Nadine Hosny , Mahmood Syed Raza , Percipalle Piergiorgio
Published: November 2020

Actin is an essential regulator of cellular functions. In the eukaryotic cell nucleus, actin regulates chromatin as a bona fide component of chromatin remodelling complexes, it associates with nuclear RNA polymerases to regulate transcription and is involved in co-transcriptional assembly of nascent RNAs into ribonucleoprotein complexes. Actin dynamics are, therefore, emerging as a major regulatory factor affecting diverse cellular processes. Importantly, the involvement of actin dynamics in nuclear functions is redefining the concept of nucleoskeleton from a rigid scaffold to a dynamic entity that is likely linked to the three-dimensional organization of the nuclear genome. In this review, we discuss how nuclear actin, by regulating chromatin structure through phase separation may contribute to the architecture of the nuclear genome during cell differentiation and facilitate the expression of specific gene programs. We focus specifically on mitochondrial genes and how their dysregulation in the absence of actin raises important questions about the role of cytoskeletal proteins in regulating chromatin structure. The discovery of a novel pool of mitochondrial actin that serves as ‘mitoskeleton’ to facilitate organization of mtDNA supports a general role for actin in genome architecture and a possible function of distinct actin pools in the communication between nucleus and mitochondria.
Environmental processing of galaxies in H i-rich groups
Authors: Džudžar Robert , Kilborn Virginia , Sweet Sarah M , Meurer Gerhardt , Jarrett T H , Kleiner Dane
Published: November 2020

We present and explore the resolved atomic hydrogen (H i) content of 13 H i-rich and late-type dominated groups denoted ‘Choirs’. We quantify the H i content of the Choir galaxies with respect to the median of the H i-mass fraction ($f_{\rm{{H {\small I}}}}$) of their grandparent H i Parkes All Sky Survey (HIPASS) sample. We find that the H i-mass fraction of the Choir galaxies is dispersed around the HIPASS median in the range $-1.4\le \Delta f_{\rm{{H {\small I}}}}\textrm{[dex]}\le$ 0.7, from H i-excess to H i-deficient galaxy regime. The H i-excess/H i-deficient galaxies contain more/less than 2.5 times their expected H i content with respect to the HIPASS median. We show and discuss that the environmental processing in Choirs occurs via tidal stripping and galaxy mergers. Our analysis suggests that tidal stripping contributes to the loss of the H i, while galaxy mergers contribute to the enhancement of the H i. Exploring the mid-infrared properties of Choir galaxies, we find possible environmental processing in only nine Choir galaxies, which indicates that environmental processing is more perceptible in the H i content than the mid-infrared properties. Moreover, we find that environmental processing occurs in Choir groups regardless of their global environment, whether they are in isolation or in proximity to the denser structures, such as cosmic web filaments. We explore possible scenarios of the Choirs evolution, taking into account their H i content, velocity dispersion, crossing time, and their global environment. We conclude that the most likely evolution for the majority of Choir groups is that they will become more compact as their members undergo multiple H i-rich mergers.
Life after eruption VIII: The orbital periods of novae
Authors: Fuentes-Morales I , Tappert C , Zorotovic M , Vogt N , Puebla E C , Schreiber M R , Ederoclite A , Schmidtobreick L
Published: November 2020

The impact of nova eruptions on the long-term evolution of Cataclysmic Variables (CVs) is one of the least understood and intensively discussed topics in the field. A crucial ingredient to improve with this would be to establish a large sample of post-novae with known properties, starting with the most easily accessible one, the orbital period. Here we report new orbital periods for six faint novae: X Cir (3.71 h), IL Nor (1.62 h), DY Pup (3.35 h), V363 Sgr (3.03 h), V2572 Sgr (3.75 h), and CQ Vel (2.7 h). We furthermore revise the periods for the old novae OY Ara, RS Car, V365 Car, V849 Oph, V728 Sco, WY Sge, XX Tau, and RW UMi. Using these new data and critically reviewing the trustworthiness of reported orbital periods of old novae in the literature, we establish an updated period distribution. We employ a binary-star evolution code to calculate a theoretical period distribution using both an empirical and the classical prescription for consequential angular momentum loss. In comparison with the observational data we find that both models especially fail to reproduce the peak in the 3–4 h range, suggesting that the angular momentum loss for CVs above the period gap is not totally understood.
Developmental remodelling of non-CG methylation at satellite DNA repeats
Authors: Ross Samuel E , Angeloni Allegra , Geng Fan-Suo , de Mendoza Alex , Bogdanovic Ozren
Published: November 2020

In vertebrates, DNA methylation predominantly occurs at CG dinucleotides however, widespread non-CG methylation (mCH) has been reported in mammalian embryonic stem cells and in the brain. In mammals, mCH is found at CAC trinucleotides in the nervous system, where it is associated with transcriptional repression, and at CAG trinucleotides in embryonic stem cells, where it positively correlates with transcription. Moreover, CAC methylation appears to be a conserved feature of adult vertebrate brains. Unlike any of those methylation signatures, here we describe a novel form of mCH that occurs in the TGCT context within zebrafish mosaic satellite repeats. TGCT methylation is inherited from both male and female gametes, remodelled during mid-blastula transition, and re-established during gastrulation in all embryonic layers. Moreover, we identify DNA methyltransferase 3ba (Dnmt3ba) as the primary enzyme responsible for the deposition of this mCH mark. Finally, we observe that TGCT-methylated repeats are specifically associated with H3K9me3-marked heterochromatin suggestive of a functional interplay between these two gene-regulatory marks. Altogether, this work provides insight into a novel form of vertebrate mCH and highlights the substrate diversity of vertebrate DNA methyltransferases.
Life Cycle Models of Organizations
Authors: Conant James K. , Balint Peter J.
Published: November 2020

The executive branch departments and agencies of the national government have the key role in the implementation stage of the policy process. In the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) was assigned the task of providing an annual report on the condition of the nation’s environment, assessing the effects of national, state, and local governments’ efforts to protect the environment, and developing recommendations to improve environmental quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was given the primary responsibility for implementing the pollution control laws Congress created between 1970 and 1980, amendments to those laws, and new laws enacted during the next three decades. Some scholars have maintained that the process of implementing a public law is “removed from the hurry and strife of politics,” since the important political and substantive matters have been decided in the law itself. Other scholars, however, describe the implementation stage of the policy process as a continuation of the political struggle that occurred over the creation of the law. The competition between these two views of policy implementation is one factor that makes the study of the “life cycles” of executive branch departments and agencies so important. If the first view is correct, the implementation of a public law should be a relatively smooth process in which the leadership, managers, and professionals in agencies like the CEQ and the EPA carry out their assigned statutory duties. Likewise, the life cycle of the executive branch agency should be relatively stable and long. Finally, absent serious flaws in the design of the policy itself, the prospects for successful implementation of the law might seem to be relatively high. If the alternative view of policy implementation is correct, however, the extent to which implementation of a public law actually occurs is likely to depend heavily on the health, vitality, and even survival of the implementing agency. In turn, the health and vitality of the executive branch agency is likely to depend on the leadership of the agency and the resources that Congress and the president appropriate for it.
Virtual Reality Applications for Neuropsychological Assessment in the Military
Authors: Edwards Joe , Parsons Thomas D.
Published: November 2020

Neuropsychological assessment has a long history in the United States military and has played an essential role in ensuring the mental health and operational readiness of service members since World War I (Kennedy, Boake, & Moore, 2010). Over the years, mental health clinicians in the military have developed paper-and-pencil assessment instruments, which have evolved in terms of psychometric rigor and clinical utility, but not in terms of technological sophisti­cation. Since the advent of modern digital computing technology, considerable research has been devoted to the development of computer-automated neuropsychological assessment applications (Kane & Kay, 1992; Reeves, Winter, Bleiberg, & Kane, 2007), a trend that is likely to continue in the future. While many comparatively antiquated paper-and-pencil-based test instruments are still routinely used, it is arguably only a matter of time until they are supplanted by more technologically advanced alternatives. It is important to note, however, that questions have been raised about the ecological validity of many commonly used traditional neuropsychological tests, whether paper-and-pencil-based or computerized (Alderman, Burgess, Knight, & Henman, 2003; Burgess et al., 2006; Chaytor & Schmitter- Edgecombe, 2003; Chaytor, Schmitter-Edgecombe, & Burr, 2006; Parsons, 2016a; Sbordone, 2008). In the context of neuropsychological testing, ecological validity generally refers to the extent to which test performance corresponds to real-world performance in everyday life (Sbordone, 1996). In order to develop neuropsychological test instruments with greater ecological validity, investigators have increasingly turned to virtual reality (VR) technologies as a means to assess real-world performance via true-to-life simulated environments (Campbell et al., 2009; Negut, Matu, Sava, & Davis, 2016; Parsons, 2015a, 2015b, 2016a). Bilder (2011) described three historical and theoretical formulations of neuropsychology. First, clinical neuropsychologists focused on lesion localization and relied on interpretation without extensive normative data. Next, clinical neuropsychologists were affected by technological advances in neuroimaging and as a result focused on characterizing cognitive strengths and weaknesses rather than on differential diagnosis.
From Infinite Ignorance to Knowledge that Matters
Authors: Lupia Arthur
Published: November 2020

When I wrote this paragraph, I lived in the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is located in the United States of America. Here are some things that recently happened in these places. In the decade prior to the one in which I completed this book, members of Congress proposed over 40,000 bills. In an average year, Congress passed and the president subsequently signed over 200 of these bills into law. My state legislature was similarly active. In one of the years when I was writing this book, Michigan’s House of Representatives produced 1,239 bills, 42 concurrent resolutions, 36 joint resolutions, and 174 resolutions. During the same period, Michigan’s Senate produced 884 bills, 25 continuing resolutions, 19 joint resolutions, and 106 resolutions. Michigan’s governor signed 323 of these proposals into law. In the same year, my city passed over 100 ordinances of its own. In addition to these laws, federal agencies such as the United States Department of Commerce promulgated thousands of rules and regulations. These rules and regulations are not trivial matters. Laws intended to fight crime, educate children, care for the sick, or accomplish other social priorities often lack specific instructions for what to do in individual cases. Rules and regulations provide these instructions. They clarify how to interpret and implement these laws. One other thing to know about these rules and regulations is that there are a lot of them. In one of the calendar years in which I was working on this book, federal agencies issued more than 3,500 rules spanning more than 82,000 pages of the Federal Register. Every one of these 3,500 rules, and the comparable number of rules proffered in other years, carry “the full force of law.” Beyond laws and rules, other participants in government activities make decisions that are legally binding on me. In law offices and court­rooms across the country, people challenge the meanings of the laws, rules, and regulations described above. Each case focuses on whether it is legal to interpret a law or rule in a particular way.
The Architecture Industry and Typical Icons
Authors: Sklair Leslie
Published: November 2020

This chapter aims to fill in the substance of the first component of the corporate fraction of the transnational capitalist class (TCC) in architecture and urban design, the major architecture firms. While the starchitects and signature architects who produce unique architectural icons have attracted most media attention, they are a very small group within the profession. Here, the focus is on the much larger group of architecture firms producing the successful typical icons that are transforming cities all round the world in the era of capitalist globalization. Infrastructure is an increasingly large part of this, and I introduce the idea of celebrity infrastructure to highlight how bridges, transportation hubs, and waterside developments are mobilized as the Icon Project strives to turn them into consumerist spaces. Here the focus is more on the projects than the firms. As we saw in the previous chapter, contrary to the claims of many architecture critics and theorists, iconicity is not simply a creation of the media or corporate publicists. Architects play a significant part in the social production of iconic architecture, making some of them active participants in the Icon Project. As Dion Kooijman (2000: 829) argues, ‘architecture can form a true part of the “image building” by PR and marketing departments’. Behind the general discussion of the ways in which the four fractions of the TCC serve the interests of capitalist globalization through creating and promoting iconic architecture is the idea that, as well as the symbolism and aesthetics of iconic buildings and spaces, there is something else going on of great significance. Two pioneering studies, Blau (1984) and Gutman (1988), researched architecture as an industry in the United States. Judith Blau focused more on architects themselves, reporting a key finding that 98 per cent of respondents (she surveyed 400 architects in New York) said that architects were distinct from other professionals in terms of the ‘mystique of artistic creativity’ (Blau 1984: 49), but that most architects never realize this goal. This was seen to be a problem for architecture, particularly in capitalist societies.