bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Depriving Bacterial Adhesion‐Related Molecule to Inhibit Biofilm Formation Using CeO2‐Decorated Metal‐Organic Frameworks
Authors: Qiu Hao , Pu Fang , Liu Zhengwei , Deng QingQing , Sun Panpan , Ren Jinsong , Qu Xiaogang
Published: July 2019

The formation of bacterial biofilm is one of the causes of antimicrobial resistance, often leading to persistent infections and a high fatality rate. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel and effective strategies to inhibit biofilm formation. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) plays an important role in bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation through stimulating cell lysis and extracellular DNA (eDNA) release. Herein, a simple and robust strategy for inhibiting biofilm formation is developed using CeO2‐decorated porphyrin‐based metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs). The function of extracellular ATP (eATP) can be inhibited by CeO2 nanoparticles, leading to the disruption of the initial adhesion of bacteria. Furthermore, planktonic bacteria can be killed by cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by MOFs. As a consequence, the synergic effect of eATP deprivation and ROS generation presents excellent capacity to prevent biofilm formation, which may provide a new direction for designing flexible and effective biofilm‐inhibiting systems.
Multiscale Defects as Strong Phonon Scatters to Enhance Thermoelectric Performance in Mg2Sn1–xSbx Solid Solutions
Authors: Xin Jiazhan , Zhang Yang , Wu Haijun , Zhu Tiejun , Fu Tiezheng , Shen Jiajun , Pennycook Stephen J. , Zhao Xinbing
Published: July 2019

Mg2Sn based solid solutions have attracted much research interest due to their high thermoelectric (TE) performance in the mid‐temperature region and abundant constituent elements. Further enhancement of the figure of merit zT lies in the effective reduction of the relatively high lattice thermal conductivity. It has been demonstrated that alloying high content of aliovalent Sb (>10%) in Mg2Si analogue can induce Mg vacancies and dense dislocations to greatly suppress the lattice thermal conductivity. In this work, the strategy is extended to the Sb alloyed Mg2Sn to enhance zT. Detailed microstructure investigations reveal the existence of high density of interstitial clusters. By introducing these nanostructures as the additional phonon scattering sources, the theoretical calculation well match the low experimental lattice thermal conductivity. Superior to the Sb alloyed Mg2Si, relatively high power factor is maintained in the Sb alloyed Mg2Sn and the maximum zT of 0.9 at 750 K is obtained. With simpler chemical composition though, the Mg2Sn1–xSbx (x > 0.1) has comparable TE performance with the Sb alloyed Mg2Si0.4Sn0.6 solid solutions, exhibiting promising potential for practical applications. The present work offers a comprehensive understanding of the effect of aliovalent alloying and concomitant complex microstructure in reducing thermal conductivity and enhancing zT.
The top 5 sections of the FERPA regulations: Annual FERPA notification — A ‘must’
Authors: Rainsberger Richard
Published: July 2019

For the past two years, my FERPA Doc® columns have been devoted to an intensive look at what I consider the top five sections of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations. As criteria for picking these top five sections, I looked at those sections that were (1) more frequently used and (2) more useful to us as references than the other 26 sections of 34 CFR §99 (the FERPA regulations).
Ensure executive search committee members understand their roles, responsibilities
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: July 2019

CLEARWATER, FLA. — When you serve on your institution's executive search committee, you can expect to encounter plenty of challenges, opportunities, and legal obligations. So before you launch headlong into that search for a new vice president, provost, or president, you'll want to equip yourself with proven strategies. You can start by reviewing the practical guidance and lessons learned shared by John Kroger, J.D., visiting professor of law at Harvard Law School and former president of Reed College in Oregon; David A. Armstrong, J.D., president of St. Thomas University in Miami; and Bobby Colón, J.D., general counsel at the Rochester Institute of Technology. They spoke at Stetson University's National Conference on the Law & Higher Education.
To plug‐in or not to plug‐in? Geomorphic analysis of rivers using the River Styles Framework in an era of big data acquisition and automation
Authors: Fryirs Kirstie A. , Wheaton Joseph M. , Bizzi Simone , Williams Richard , Brierley Gary J.
Published: July 2019

In an era of big‐data acquisition and semiautomation of geomorphic river surveys, it is timely to consider how to better integrate this into existing and widely used conceptual frameworks and approaches to analysis. We demonstrate how Stage 1 of the River Styles Framework, which entails identification and interpretation of river character and behavior, patterns and controls, can be used as a “powerboard” into which available, developing and future semiautomated tools and workflows can be plugged (or unplugged). Prospectively, such approaches will increase the efficiency and scope of analyses, providing unprecedented insights into the diversity of rivers and their morphodynamics. We appraise the role of human decision‐making in conducting expert‐manual analyses and interpretations. Genuine integration of big‐data analytics, remote‐sensing based tools for semiautomated river analysis with expert‐manual interpretations including field insights, will be an essential ingredient to fully exploit emerging computational and remote sensing technologies to advance our understanding of river systems, to translate information into knowledge, and raise the standards of practice in river science and management.

This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness

Water and Life >Methods

Engineering Water > Planning Water

Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of Water
Two-loop $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 SQCD amplitudes with external matter from iterated cuts
Authors: Kälin Gregor , Mogull Gustav , Ochirov Alexander
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We develop an iterative method for constructing four-dimensional generalized unitarity cuts in

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills (SYM) theory coupled to fundamental matter hypermultiplets (

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 2 SQCD). For iterated two-particle cuts, specifically those involving only four-point amplitudes, this implies simple diagrammatic rules for assembling the cuts to any loop order, reminiscent of the rung rule in

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 4 SYM. By identifying physical poles, the construction simplifies the task of extracting complete integrands. In combination with the duality between color and kinematics we construct all four-point massless MHV-sector scattering amplitudes up to two loops in

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 2 SQCD, including those with matter on external legs. Our results reveal chiral infrared-finite integrands closely related to those found using loop-level BCFW recursion. The integrands are valid in D ≤ 6 dimensions with external states in a four-dimensional subspace; the upper bound is dictated by our use of six-dimensional chiral N = (1, 0) SYM as a means of dimensionally regulating loop integrals.
Lessons on eternal traversable wormholes in AdS
Authors: Freivogel Ben , Godet Victor , Morvan Edward , Pedraza Juan F. , Rotundo Antonio
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We attempt to construct eternal traversable wormholes connecting two asymptotically AdS regions by introducing a static coupling between their dual CFTs. We prove that there are no semiclassical traversable wormholes with Poincaré invariance in the boundary directions in higher than two spacetime dimensions. We critically examine the possibility of evading our result by coupling a large number of bulk fields. Static, traversable wormholes with less symmetry may be possible, and could be constructed using the ingredients we develop here.
Extracting analytical one-loop amplitudes from numerical evaluations
Authors: De Laurentis Giuseppe , Maître Daniel
Published: July 2019

Abstract

In this article we present a method to generate analytic expressions for the integral coefficients of loop amplitudes using numerical evaluations only. We use highprecision arithmetics to explore the singularity structure of the coefficients and decompose them into parts of manageable complexity. To illustrate the usability of our method we provide analytical expressions for all helicity configurations of the colour-ordered six-point gluon amplitudes at one loop with a gluon in the loop.
Impact of Timeliness of Surgical Treatment on the Outcomes of Patients with Non‐metastatic Non‐small Cell Lung Cancer: Findings From the PLCO Trial
Authors: Abdel‐Rahman Omar
Published: July 2019

Background

This study aimed to assess the impact of timeliness of surgical resection among patients with non‐metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with upfront surgery.

Methods

Cases with confirmed non‐metastatic NSCLC diagnosis treated with upfront surgery within the cohort of participants in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial were included in the current study. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors predicting time from diagnosis to surgical resection. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to assess factors affecting lung cancer‐specific survival.

Results

A total of 1022 patients were included in the current analysis. A total of 873 patients underwent surgical resection within 30 days of diagnosis, while a total of 149 patients underwent surgical resection after 30 days from diagnosis. Through multivariate logistic regression analysis, the following factors were predictive for longer time to surgical resection: older age (odds ratio 1.077; 1.043–1.112; P <  0.001) and advanced stage at presentation (odds ratio 1.923; 1.056–3.502; P = 0.033). Through multivariate Cox regression analysis, time to surgical resection (≤30 days vs. >30 days) did not affect lung cancer‐specific survival (hazard ratio 0.999; 0.739–1.350; P = 0.994). When the same multivariate analysis was repeated using time to surgical resection as a continuous variable, there was no impact on lung cancer‐specific survival (hazard ratio 1.002; 0.997–1.007; P = 0.383).

Conclusions

Time to surgical resection did not affect survival outcomes of non‐metastatic NSCLC patients. Current therapy timeline targets need to be reviewed in our healthcare systems in order to redirect and prioritize the existing resources.
Posterior Malleolus Fracture Displacement is Associated with Rotational Ankle Fracture Stability in Patients without Medial Malleolar Fractures
Authors: Levack Ashley E. , Gausden Elizabeth B. , Dvorzhinskiy Aleksey , Wellman David S. , Lorich Dean G.
Published: July 2019

Background

The optimal method for the determination of ankle stability remains controversial in rotational ankle fractures without medial bony injury.

Questions/Purposes

The purposes of this study were to (1) evaluate whether posterior malleolar (PM) fracture displacement is associated with deltoid ligament injury in supination-external rotation (SER) ankle fractures and (2) compare the diagnostic accuracy of PM displacement and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of the deep deltoid ligament in identifying fractures with deltoid ligament incompetence.

Methods

Patients with rotational bimalleolar injuries containing lateral malleolar and PM fractures without bony medial injury were included. After operative lateral and PM fixation, an external rotation stress test was performed to evaluate deltoid ligament stability. Operative dictations were reviewed to confirm injury pattern, stability on stress test, and visual inspection of the deltoid ligament. Maximum PM displacement was assessed on lateral X-ray. Pre-operative MRI of the ankle was performed following closed reduction and splinting.

Results

The final cohort consisted of 13 trimalleolar equivalent fractures (torn deltoid ligament) and 20 bimalleolar fractures (medial malleolus and deltoid ligament intact). Average PM displacement was significantly higher for SER trimalleolar equivalent patterns when measured on lateral X-ray. The sensitivity of detecting trimalleolar equivalent fracture was higher on all reported X-ray findings than the sensitivity obtained by the reported MRI findings of deltoid ligament injury.

Conclusion

PM displacement on X-ray is a useful adjuvant along with external rotation stress radiography and MRI evaluation of deep deltoid integrity to distinguish between stable and unstable fracture patterns and thus helps facilitate treatment decisions.
Determining the optimum concentration of multiwalled carbon nanotubes as filtrate loss additive in field-applicable mud systems
Authors: Okoro Emeka E. , Zuokumor Anita A. , Okafor Ikechukwu S. , Igwilo Kevin C. , Orodu Kale B.
Published: July 2019

In a bid to combat fluid loss in muds where the effects of high downhole temperatures have pronounced effects on conventional fluid loss additives, several materials have over time been evaluated. One of such materials is the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Most studies in the literature limit the scope of their investigation to how the MWCNT affects mud rheology when added in minute concentrations (0.01–1 ppb). In this study, however, the performance of high concentrations (0.5–3 ppb) of multiwall carbon nanotubes as fluid loss control additives in field-applicable mud systems was put to the test. The essence was to establish an optimal concentration useful for field applications. The degree to which the introduction of varying concentrations of the MWCNT altered the muds capacity to control filter loss was the cardinal areas evaluated. The following are the major outcomes of the experimental study: The plastic viscosity, the yield point and the gel strengths showed a progressive increase as the concentration of the MWCNT in the mud increased for both the water- and oil-based muds. However, an optimum concentration of 2 ppb was observed for the water-based mud. For the filter loss tests on the oil-based mud, the results indicate that low concentrations (0.5 ppb) of the MWCNT led to high filter loss volumes (15 ml), but an increase up to 2.5 ppb reduced the margin of the filter loss volume by 52% (7 ml) from the initial value and a 50% decrease for the standard case. In the case of the water-based mud, equivalent amounts of MWCNT recorded less fluid loss than the standard. A moderately hard and firm cake was reported for all concentrations of the standard and MWCNT for the water- and oil-based muds; however, their cake thickness values were 2 mm and 1 mm for the water- and the oil-based muds, respectively.
Child maltreatment prevention readiness in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries
Authors: Eissa Majid Al , Saleheen Hassan N. , Almuneef Maha , Saadoon Muna Al , Alkhawari Mona , Almidfa Aisha , Almahroos Fadheela
Published: July 2019

Background and Objectives

Child maltreatment (CM) is a global public health problem that has received growing attention over the past five decades. There have been many recent advances in child maltreatment prevention (CMP). The objective of this study is to assess CMP readiness to implement large-scale evidence-based CMP programs in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Methods

This cross-sectional study (n = 244) was conducted in the GCC countries. Participants were key decision makers and senior managers in the field of CM. The Readiness Assessment for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment (RAP-CM) was used to assess 10 dimensions of CMP readiness.

Results

The key informants gave CMP readiness scores of 47.8 out of 100. Four of the dimensions (knowledge of CMP; legislation, mandates, and policies; institutional resources and links; and informal social resources) had high readiness scores (≥5), while six dimensions (attitudes towards CMP; scientific data on CMP; current program implementation and evaluation; will to address the problem; material resources; and human and technical resources) had low readiness scores (<5).

Conclusion

GCC countries have moderate-to-fair readiness to implement large-scale evidence-based CMP programs. Strengthening their material, human, and technical resources, and improving the quality of scientific data, collaboration, and attitudes towards CMP are required to improve each country's readiness.
The Significance of a Cooperative Medical System for Treating Decompression Illness on the Izu Peninsula in Japan
Authors: Yanagawa Youichi , Onitsuka Mika , Nozawa Yoko , Nagasawa Hiroki , Ikuto Takeuchi , Jitsuiki Kei , Madokoro Shunsuke , Ohsaka Hiromichi , Ishikawa Kouhei , Omori Kazuhiko
Published: July 2019

Introduction

In 2011, our hospital on the Izu peninsula began to hold meetings to discuss how to manage patients with decompression illness (DCI) to establish a cooperative medical system. We retrospectively investigated the influence of these meetings and the changes subsequently effected.

Methods

A medical chart review was retrospectively performed to investigate all cases between January 2005 and December 2017 in which the transport of patients with DCI via a physician-staffed helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) was attempted. The patients were divided into 2 groups: the preprogram group and the postprogram group.

Results

There were 63 patients in the preprogram group and 65 in the postprogram group. There were no cases in which a patient's symptoms deteriorated during transportation by the HEMS. The frequency of dispatch to the scene for direct evacuation in the postprogram group (86%) was greater than that in the preprogram group (74%), but the difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.09). In the postprogram group, the duration of activities at the scene or the first aid hospital was significantly shorter in comparison to the preprogram group ( P=0.01).

Conclusions

This retrospective study revealed simultaneity between the introduction of the yearly meetings and a reduced duration of the HEMS staff's activity at either the scene or the first aid hospital.
The economic average cost Brownian control problem
Authors: Matoglu Melda Ormeci , Vate John H. Vande , Yu Haiyue
Published: July 2019

In this paper we introduce and solve a generalization of the classic average cost Brownian control problem in which a system manager dynamically controls the drift rate of a diffusion process X. At each instant, the system manager chooses the drift rate from a pair {u, v} of available rates and can invoke instantaneous controls either to keep X from falling or to keep it from rising. The objective is to minimize the long-run average cost consisting of holding or delay costs, processing costs, costs for invoking instantaneous controls, and fixed costs for changing the drift rate. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions on the cost parameters to ensure the problem admits a finite optimal solution. When it does, a simple control band policy specifying economic buffer sizes (α, Ω) and up to two switching points is optimal. The controller should invoke instantaneous controls to keep X in the interval (α, Ω). A policy with no switching points relies on a single drift rate exclusively. When there is no cost to change the drift rate, a policy with a single switching point s indicates that the controller should change to the slower drift rate when X exceeds s and use the faster drift rate otherwise. When there is a cost to change the drift rate, a policy with two switching points s < S indicates that the controller should maintain the faster drift rate until X exceeds S and maintain the slower drift rate until X falls below s.
The spread of fire on a random multigraph
Authors: Goldschmidt Christina , KreačIć Eleonora
Published: July 2019

We study a model for the destruction of a random network by fire. Suppose that we are given a multigraph of minimum degree at least 2 having real-valued edge lengths. We pick a uniform point from along the length and set it alight; the edges of the multigraph burn at speed 1. If the fire reaches a vertex of degree 2, the fire gets directly passed on to the neighbouring edge; a vertex of degree at least 3, however, passes the fire either to all of its neighbours or none, each with probability ${\textstyle{1 \over 2}}$. If the fire goes out before the whole network is burnt, we again set fire to a uniform point. We are interested in the number of fires which must be set in order to burn the whole network, and the number of points which are burnt from two different directions. We analyse these quantities for a random multigraph having n vertices of degree 3 and α(n) vertices of degree 4, where α(n)/n → 0 as n → ∞, with independent and identically distributed standard exponential edge lengths. Depending on whether $\alpha(n) \gg \sqrt{n}$ or $\alpha(n)=O(\sqrt{n})$, we prove that, as n → ∞, these quantities converge jointly in distribution when suitably rescaled to either a pair of constants or to (complicated) functionals of Brownian motion. We use our analysis of this model to make progress towards a conjecture of Aronson, Frieze and Pittel (1998) concerning the number of vertices which remain unmatched when we use the Karp–Sipser algorithm to find a matching on the Erdős–Rényi random graph.
One-sided solutions for optimal stopping problems with logconcave reward functions
Authors: Lin Yi-Shen , Yao Yi-Ching
Published: July 2019

In the literature on optimal stopping, the problem of maximizing the expected discounted reward over all stopping times has been explicitly solved for some special reward functions (including (x+)ν, (ex − K)+, (K − e− x)+, x ∈ ℝ, ν ∈ (0, ∞), and K > 0) under general random walks in discrete time and Lévy processes in continuous time (subject to mild integrability conditions). All such reward functions are continuous, increasing, and logconcave while the corresponding optimal stopping times are of threshold type (i.e. the solutions are one-sided). In this paper we show that all optimal stopping problems with increasing, logconcave, and right-continuous reward functions admit one-sided solutions for general random walks and Lévy processes, thereby generalizing the aforementioned results. We also investigate in detail the principle of smooth fit for Lévy processes when the reward function is increasing and logconcave.
Moment bounds of PH distributions with infinite or finite support based on the steepest increase property
Authors: He Qi-Ming , Horváth Gábor , Horváth Illés , Telek Miklós
Published: July 2019

The steepest increase property of phase-type (PH) distributions was first proposed in O’Cinneide (1999) and proved in O’Cinneide (1999) and Yao (2002), but since then has received little attention in the research community. In this work we demonstrate that the steepest increase property can be applied for proving previously unknown moment bounds of PH distributions with infinite or finite support. Of special interest are moment bounds free of specific PH representations except the size of the representation. For PH distributions with infinite support, it is shown that such a PH distribution is stochastically smaller than or equal to an Erlang distribution of the same size. For PH distributions with finite support, a class of distributions which was introduced and investigated in Ramaswami and Viswanath (2014), it is shown that the squared coefficient of variation of a PH distribution with finite support is greater than or equal to 1/(m(m + 2)), where m is the size of its PH representation.
ETA-RULES IN MARTIN-LÖF TYPE THEORY
Authors: KLEV ANSTEN
Published: July 2019

The eta rule for a set A says that an arbitrary element of A is judgementally identical to an element of constructor form. Eta rules are not part of what may be called canonical Martin-Löf type theory. They are, however, justified by the meaning explanations, and a higher order eta rule is part of that type theory. The main aim of this article is to clarify this somewhat puzzling situation. It will be argued that lower order eta rules do not, whereas the higher order eta rule does, accord with the understanding of judgemental identity as definitional identity. A subsidiary aim is to clarify precisely what an eta rule is. This will involve showing how such rules relate to various other notions of type theory, proof theory, and category theory.
Problems of Developing the Pleistocene Radiocarbon Chronology within high Mountain Terranes by the Example of Russian Altai
Authors: Agatova Anna , Nepop Roman , Zazovskaya Elya , Ovchinnikov Ivan , Moska Piotr
Published: July 2019

The paper presents a discussion of 24 radiocarbon (14C) dates of organic material from deposits of various genesis within the intermountain depressions and valleys of the Russian Altai. These apparent14C ages (sometimes near the upper time limit of the14C dating method) contradict to other proxy data and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates. Rejuvenation of ancient deposits by14C dating encountered two problems: (1) wrong interpretation of previously unknown near-surface location of Tertiary deposits as being of the Pleistocene ones with the redeposited ancient flora; and (2) wrong age estimation of the Pleistocene-Holocene deposits with redeposited Carboniferous, Jurassic, and Neogene organic material, which is represented as inclusions. Significant scattering of14C ages, their inversion within a section, and discrepancy with other proxy data indicate penetrating of the “young” carbon into ancient organic material, and its presence in a unique (for each sample) ratio. Today such contamination cannot be eliminated utilizing standard pre-treatment techniques. The influx of “young” carbon is related to post-sedimentation tectonic and exogenous processes, which are common for tectonically active mountain provinces including Altai. The reported problem is not a new one, although methodological studies in the Russian Altai have not yet been carried out earlier.
‘X-rays don't tell lies’: the Medical Research Council and the measurement of respiratory disability, 1936–1945
Authors: MCGUIRE COREEN
Published: July 2019

During the first half of the twentieth century, the mining industry in Britain was subject to recurrent disputes about the risk to miners’ lungs from coal dust, moderated by governmental, industrial, medical and mining bodies. In this environment, precise measurements offered a way to present uncontested objective knowledge. By accessing primary source material from the National Archives, the South Wales Miners Library and the University of Bristol's Special Collections, I demonstrate the importance that the British Medical Research Council (MRC) attached to standardized instrumental measures as proof of objectivity, and explore the conflict between objective and subjective measures of health. Examination of the MRC's use of spirometry in their investigation of pneumoconiosis (miner's lung) from 1936 to 1945 will shed light on this conflict and illuminate the politics inherent in attempts to quantify disability and categorize standards of health.
A SENSE OF LOXIAS: BACCHYLIDES 16.1
Authors: Skempis Marios
Published: July 2019

Bacchylides 16 is a hybrid poem. It sets out to explore the relation of cognate types of choral song, the paean and the dithyramb, in one and the same narrative. To that end, it poses a ritual section, which deals with Apollo's stop by the banks of the river Hebrus on his way back from the Hyperboreans to Delphi (16.1–12), ahead of a mythic section whose thematic spine focusses on the aftermath of Oechalia's sack by Heracles and his marital crisis with Deianeira leading up to his death and deification (16.13–35). My concern, here, lies with the very beginning of the Apolline paeanic section, which lacks a gratifying supplement of the few words missing, so one can get a glimpse of how the poet's voice positions itself with respect to the god's (envisioned) upcoming arrival at Delphi. I understand the first line in the following way (Bacchyl. 16.1–4):Λοξ]ίου [ἀ]ίο[μεν] ἐπεὶὁλκ]άδ’ ἔπεμψεν ἐμοὶ χρυσέανΠιερ]ίαθεν ἐ[ΰθ]ρονος [Ο]ὐρανία,πολυφ]άτων γέμουσαν ὕμνωνWe sense Loxias (approaching) ever sinceOurania of the fair throne sent mefrom Pieria a golden cargofraught with much-praised songs.Relying on the way editors read the papyrus, the traces that precede the concluding ἐπεί of the first line (… ]ιου. ιο …) suggest that it is occupied by a glyconic.
Reduced-fat Frescal sheep milk cheese with inulin: a first report about technological aspects and sensory evaluation
Authors: Borges Joyce Valle , de Souza José Augusto , Fagnani Rafael , Nobre Costa Giselle , Sifuentes dos Santos Joice
Published: July 2019

This research paper aimed to evaluate the role of inulin as a fat replacer on the quality of Frescal sheep milk cheese. Sheep milk and its derivatives are a promising niche in the dairy industry, mainly due to increasing interest of consumers in diversified products. Three Frescal sheep milk cheese formulations, namely whole milk cheese (WMC), semi-skimmed cheese (SSC) and semi-skimmed cheese with 5 g/100 g inulin (SSCI) were prepared. Their composition was evaluated and the feasibility of using inulin as a fat substitute was investigated. SSC and SSCI were considered ‘reduced fat’ or ‘reduced calorie’ products. The addition of inulin to SSCI cheeses yielded textural parameters (firmness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, and gumminess) with intermediate characteristics between SSC and WMC. All the formulations presented scores higher than 7.6 in sensory analysis. In conclusion, the use of inulin in semi-skimmed sheep cheese allowed the production of cheese with texturizing properties similar to whole milk sheep cheese, enabling the development of a foodstuff with lower caloric content and beneficial characteristics valued by consumers.
In dual-purpose subtropical goats, 1 h of extra-light given from 16 to 17 h after dawn (pulse of light) in winter stimulates milk yield
Authors: Mendieta Edwin S , Flores Manuel de J , Delgadillo José A , Flores José A , Bedos Marie , Zarazaga Luís A , Avilés Ricardo , Terrazas Angélica , Vielma Jesús , Duarte Gerardo , Hernández Horacio
Published: July 2019

This research communication addresses the hypothesis that in dual-purpose goats, exposure to 1 h of extra-light given from 16 to 17 h after dawn (pulse of light) in winter stimulates milk yield. One group of goats was maintained under natural short photoperiod (natural day; ND (n = 7)). Another group of lactating females was submitted to an artificial long-day photoperiod consisting of 16 h light and 8 h darkness (long days; LD (n = 7)). A third group of females received one single hour of extra-light 16 h after the fixed dawn (pulse of light; PL (n = 6)). Goats from LD and PL yielded 30% more milk than goats from ND. Mean percentages of fat, protein and lactose contents in milk did not differ between the 3 groups at any stage of lactation, but these components in grams/day were higher in goats from PL than in the others two groups within the first 45 d of lactation. In conclusion, dual-purpose lactating goats that started their lactation during natural short days, the daily exposition to a 1-h pulse of light is sufficient to stimulate milk yield compared to females maintained under natural short photoperiod.
Morphological and molecular data on a new species ofPlagiorhynchusLühe, 1911 (Acanthocephala: Plagiorhynchidae) from the long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus) from northern Mexico
Authors: García-Varela M. , Park J.-K. , Hernández-Orts J.S. , Pinacho-Pinacho C.D.
Published: July 2019

A new species of the genusPlagiorhynchusLühe, 1911 from the intestine of the long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus) from northern Mexico is described.Plagiorhynchus(Plagiorhynchus)aznarin. sp. is morphologically distinguished from other congeneric species from the Americas by having a trunk expanded anteriorly and a cylindrical proboscis, armed with 19 longitudinal rows of hooks, with 14–15 hooks each row. Nearly complete sequences of the small subunit and large subunit of the nuclear ribosomal DNA of the new species were determined and compared with available sequences from GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses inferred from the two molecular markers consistently showed thatP.(Plagiorhynchus)aznarin. sp. is closely related toP.(Plagiorhynchus)allisonae, and this clade is sister to a clade formed byP.(Prosthorhynchus)transversusandP.(Prosthorhynchus)cylindraceusfrom Plagiorhynchidae. The new species represents the second record of the genus in Mexico and the fourth species in the Americas. The phylogenetic relationships among the members of the order Polymorphida in this study provide significant insights into the evolution of ecological associations between parasites and their definitive hosts. Our analyses suggest that the colonization of marine mammals, fish-eating birds and waterfowl in Polymorphidae might have occurred independently, from a common ancestor of Centrorhynchidae and Plagiorhynchidae that colonized terrestrial birds and mammals.
Rangers can't be with every elephant: assessing rangers' perceptions of a community, problem-solving policing model for protected areas
Authors: Moreto William D. , Charlton Richard
Published: July 2019

Recent studies have highlighted that illegal activities occurring within protected areas, including the poaching of fauna and flora, cannot be addressed with increased law enforcement alone. Moreover, research on the increasingly militarized nature of front-line conservation efforts has pointed to potentially detrimental aspects of such approaches. This has led to a shift in focus to identifying ways to further engage local communities in the prevention and reduction of wildlife crimes. However, few studies have examined the potential for changing the responsibilities of front-line conservation personnel or their views on such changes. Such insight is vital in forecasting the successful adoption of, or possible resistance towards, a more community-oriented policy. We examined rangers’ perceptions in Uganda to assess their attitudes towards traditional enforcement strategies and alternative, non-enforcement approaches for reducing illegal activities in protected areas. Our findings suggest that although respondents believed that traditional enforcement strategies (e.g. foot patrols) are important and effective in reducing wildlife crime, these strategies on their own were insufficient to address illegal activities. Study participants emphasized the importance of expanding the role of front-line rangers, in line with approaches suggested in the policing literature. We discuss the implications of our findings for transdisciplinary conservation science research and front-line conservation policy and practice.
New/emerging psychoactive substances and associated psychopathological consequences
Authors: Schifano F. , Napoletano F. , Chiappini S. , Guirguis A. , Corkery J. M. , Bonaccorso S. , Ricciardi A. , Scherbaum N. , Vento A.
Published: July 2019

Background

The present paper provides an updated review of both the large number of new/novel/emerging psychoactive substances (NPS) and their associated psychopathological consequences. Focus was here given on identification of those NPS being commented in specialised online sources and the related short-/long-term psychopathological and medical ill-health effects.

Methods

NPS have been identified through an innovative crawling/navigating software, called the ‘NPS.Finder®’, created in order to facilitate the process of early recognition of NPS online. A range of information regarding NPS, including chemical and street names; chemical formula; three-dimensional image and anecdotally reported clinical/psychoactive effects, were here made available.

Results

Using the ‘NPS.Finder®’ approach, a few thousand NPS were here preliminarily identified, a number which is about 4-fold higher than those figures suggested by European and international drug agencies. NPS most commonly associated with the onset of psychopathological consequences included here synthetic cannabinoids/cannabimimetics; new synthetic opioids; ketamine-like dissociatives; novel stimulants; novel psychedelics and several prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

Conclusions

The ever-increasing changes in terms of recreational psychotropics' availability represent a relatively new challenge for psychiatry, as the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of many NPS have not been thoroughly understood. Health/mental health professionals should be informed about the range of NPS; their intake modalities; their psychoactive sought-after effects; the idiosyncratic psychotropics' combinations and finally, their medical and psychopathological risks.
Vitamin D concentration and psychotic disorder: associations with disease status, clinical variables and urbanicity
Authors: van der Leeuw C. , de Witte L. D. , Stellinga A. , van der Ley C. , Bruggeman R. , Kahn R. S. , van Os J. , Marcelis M. ,   for G.R.O.U.P.
Published: July 2019

Background

The association between schizophrenia and decreased vitamin D levels is well documented. Low maternal and postnatal vitamin D levels suggest a possible etiological mechanism. Alternatively, vitamin D deficiency in patients with schizophrenia is presumably (also) the result of disease-related factors or demographic risk factors such as urbanicity.

Methods

In a study population of 347 patients with psychotic disorder and 282 controls, group differences in vitamin D concentration were examined. Within the patient group, associations between vitamin D, symptom levels and clinical variables were analyzed. Group × urbanicity interactions in the model of vitamin D concentration were examined. Both current urbanicity and urbanicity at birth were assessed.

Results

Vitamin D concentrations were significantly lower in patients (B = −8.05; 95% confidence interval (CI) −13.68 to −2.42; p = 0.005). In patients, higher vitamin D concentration was associated with lower positive (B = −0.02; 95% CI −0.04 to 0.00; p = 0.049) and negative symptom levels (B = −0.03; 95% CI −0.05 to −0.01; p = 0.008). Group differences were moderated by urbanicity at birth (χ2 = 6.76 and p = 0.001), but not by current urbanicity (χ2 = 1.50 and p = 0.224). Urbanicity at birth was negatively associated with vitamin D concentration in patients (B = −5.11; 95% CI −9.41 to −0.81; p = 0.020), but not in controls (B = 0.72; 95% CI −4.02 to 5.46; p = 0.765).

Conclusions

Lower vitamin D levels in patients with psychotic disorder may in part reflect the effect of psychosis risk mediated by early environmental adversity. The data also suggest that lower vitamin D and psychopathology may be related through direct or indirect mechanisms.
Comorbidity of substance misuse with anxiety-related and depressive disorders: a genetically informative population study of 3 million individuals in Sweden
Authors: Virtanen Suvi , Kuja-Halkola Ralf , Mataix-Cols David , Jayaram-Lindström Nitya , D'Onofrio Brian M. , Larsson Henrik , Rück Christian , Suvisaari Jaana , Lichtenstein Paul , Latvala Antti
Published: July 2019

Background

Causes of the comorbidity of substance misuse with anxiety-related and depressive disorders (anxiety/depression) remain poorly known. We estimated associations of substance misuse and anxiety/depression in the general population and tested them while accounting for genetic and shared environmental factors.

Methods

We studied individuals born in Sweden 1968–1997 (n = 2 996 398) with follow-up in nationwide register data for 1997–2013. To account for familial effects, stratified analyses were conducted within siblings and twin pairs. Substance misuse was defined as ICD-10 alcohol or drug use disorder or an alcohol/drug-related criminal conviction. Three dimensions of ICD-10 anxiety and depressive disorders and a substance misuse dimension were identified through exploratory factor analysis.

Results

Substance misuse was associated with a 4.5-fold (95% CI 4.50–4.58) elevated risk of lifetime generalized anxiety/depression, 4.7-fold (95% CI 4.63–4.82) elevated risk of panic disorder and agora/social phobia, and 2.9-fold elevated risk of phobias/OCD (95% CI 2.82–3.02) as compared to those without substance misuse. The associations were attenuated in within-family analyses but we found elevated risks in monozygotic twin pairs discordant for substance misuse as well as significant non-shared environmental correlations. The association between anxiety/depression and substance misuse was mainly driven by generalized anxiety/depression, whereas other anxiety/depression dimensions had minor or no independent associations with substance misuse.

Conclusions

Substance misuse and anxiety/depression are associated at the population level, and these associations are partially explained by familial liabilities. Our findings indicate a common genetic etiology but are also compatible with a potential partially causal relationship between substance misuse and anxiety/depression.
Figural Judaism and Political Thought in the Marquis d'Argens'sLettres juives
Authors: Power Catherine R.
Published: July 2019

Despite its immense popularity at the time of publication in the 1730s, the marquis d'Argens's (Jean-Baptiste de Boyer)Lettres juivesis largely overlooked by contemporary political theorists and the history of political thought. TheLettres’ contribution is noteworthy in its multilayered literary presentation incorporating many of the polemics and paradoxes of Enlightenment ideas. It is also significant as an early example of one way that post-Christian thought made use of imagined Jews and Judaism to articulate, debate, and popularize philosophical and political ideas. In this paper, I submit that d'Argens appropriated Christian figural Judaism in the service of secular philosophical inquiry. D'Argens's imagined “Jew in speech” proved to be a fertile ground upon which to conceptualize and debate post-Christian ideas about human nature and secular politics that subsequent diverse thinkers would make use of in the centuries that followed.
Review Essay: Machiavelli: Radical Democratic Political Theorist?
Authors: Zuckert Catherine H.
Published: July 2019

John P. McCormick has become the leading proponent of a new democratic—or, now, “populist”—reading of Machiavelli. The authors of all three of the other books reviewed here cite McCormick as a source and inspiration; and he has written positive blurbs for their books. In Machiavellian Democracy (Cambridge University Press, 2011) McCormick argued that Machiavelli's praise of Roman “offices or assemblies that exclude the wealthiest citizens from eligibility; magistrate appointment procedures that combine lottery and election; and political trials in which the entire citizenry acts as ultimate judge over prosecutions and appeals” constitutes “a robust, extra-electoral model of elite accountability and popular empowerment” very different from, and much superior to, the aristocratic “republicanism” attributed to Machiavelli by the “Cambridge school.” In Reading Machiavelli: Scandalous Books, Suspect Engagements, and the Virtue of Populist Politics, McCormick extends his previous analysis by offering “original readings of crucial themes within … The Prince, the Discourses, and the Florentine Histories” (1–2). He also expands his critique of competing interpretations of Machiavelli and Rome by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Leo Strauss, John Pocock, and Quentin Skinner.
Study of pure and mixed clustered noble gas puffs irradiated with a high intensity (7 × 1019 W/cm2) sub-ps laser beam and achievement of a strong X-ray flash in a laser-generated debris-free X-ray source
Authors: Schultz K. A. , Kantsyrev V. L. , Safronova A. S. , Shlyaptseva V. V. , Petkov E. E. , Shrestha I. K. , Cooper M. C. , Petrov G. M. , Stafford A. , Butcher C. J. , Kemp G. E. , Park J. , Fournier K. B.
Published: July 2019

We present a broad study of linear, clustered, noble gas puffs irradiated with the frequency doubled (527 nm) Titan laser at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Pure Ar, Kr, and Xe clustered gas puffs, as well as two mixed-gas puffs consisting of KrAr and XeKrAr gases, make up the targets. Characterization experiments to determine gas-puff density show that varying the experimental parameter gas-delay timing (the delay between gas puff initialization and laser-gas-puff interaction) provides a simple control over the gas-puff density. X-ray emission (>1.4 keV) is studied as a function of gas composition, density, and delay timing. Xe gas puffs produce the strongest peak radiation in the several keV spectral region. The emitted radiation was found to be anisotropic, with smaller X-ray flux observed in the direction perpendicular to both laser beam propagation and polarization directions. The degree of anisotropy is independent of gas target type but increases with photon energy. X-ray spectroscopic measurements estimate plasma parameters and highlight their difference with previous studies. Electron beams with energy in excess of 72 keV are present in the noble gas-puff plasmas and results indicate that Ar plays a key role in their production. A drastic increase in harder X-ray emissions (X-ray flash effect) and multi-MeV electron-beam generation from Xe gas-puff plasma occurred when the laser beam was focused on the front edge of the linear gas puff.
Do, say, learn: the functions of mothers’ speech to infants
Authors: KUCHIRKO Yana A. , SCHATZ Jacob L. , FLETCHER Katelyn K. , TAMIS-LEMONDA Catherine S.
Published: July 2019

We examined the functions of mothers’ speech to infants during two tasks – book-sharing and bead-stringing – in low-income, ethnically diverse families. Mexican, Dominican, and African American mothers and their infants were video-recorded sharing wordless books and toy beads in the home when infants were aged 1;2 and 2;0. Mothers’ utterances were classified into seven categories (labels/descriptions, emotion/state language, attention directives, action directives, prohibitions, questions, and vocal elicitations) which were grouped into three broad language functions: referential language, regulatory language, and vocalization prompts. Mothers’ ethnicity, years of education, years living in the United States, and infant sex and age related to mothers’ language functions. Dominican and Mexican mothers were more likely to use regulatory language than were African American mothers, and African American mothers were more likely to use vocalization prompts than were Latina mothers. Vocalization prompts and referential language increased with mothers’ education and Latina mothers’ years living in the United States. Finally, mothers of boys used more regulatory language than did mothers of girls. Socio-cultural and developmental contexts shape the pragmatics of mothers’ language to infants.