bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Liver Resection Versus Embolization for Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Midorikawa Yutaka , Takayama Tadatoshi , Moriguchi Masamichi , Yagi Rempei , Yamagishi Shunsuke , Nakayama Hisashi , Aramaki Osamu , Yamazaki Shintaro , Tsuji Shingo , Higaki Tokio
Published: October 2019

Background

Despite curative resection, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high probability of recurrence. We validated the potential role of liver resection (LR) for recurrent HCC.

Methods

Patients with intrahepatic recurrence with up to three lesions were included. We compared survival times of patients undergoing their first LR to those of patients undergoing repeated LR. Then, survival times of the patients who had undergone LR and transcatheter chemoembolization (TACE) for recurrent HCC after propensity score matching were compared.

Results

After a median follow‐up period of 3.1 years (range, 0.2–16.3), median overall survival times were 6.5 years (95% CI 6.0–7.0), 5.7 years (5.2–6.2), and 5.1 years (4.9–7.3) for the first LR (n = 1234), second LR (n = 273), and third LR (n = 90) groups, respectively. Severe complications frequently occurred in the first LR group (p = 0.059). Operative times were significantly longer for the third LR group (p = 0.012). After the first recurrence, median survival times after one‐to‐one pair matching were 5.7 years (95% CI 4.5–6.5) and 3.1 years (2.1–3.8) for the second LR group (n = 146) and TACE group (n = 146), respectively (p < 0.001). The median survival time of the third LR group (n = 41) (6.2 years; 95% CI 3.7–NA) was also longer than that of TACE group (n = 41) (3.4 years; 1.8–4.5; p = 0.010) after the second recurrence.

Conclusions

Repeated LR for recurrent HCC is the procedure of choice if there are three or fewer tumors.
Ineffective Esophageal Motility in Patients with GERD is no Contraindication for Nissen Fundoplication
Authors: Nikolic Milena , Schwameis Katrin , Kristo Ivan , Paireder Matthias , Matic Aleksa , Semmler Georg , Semmler Lorenz , Schoppmann Sebastian F.
Published: October 2019

Background

Patients with preoperative ineffective esophageal motility (IEM) are thought to be at increased risk for postoperative dysphagia leading to the recommendations for tailoring or avoiding anti‐reflux surgery in these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate if IEM has an influence on postoperative outcome after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF).

Methods

Seventy‐two consecutive patients with IEM underwent LNF and were case‐matched with 72 patients without IEM based on sex, age, BMI, HH size, total pH percentage time, total number of reflux episodes and the presence of BE. Standardized interview assessing postoperative gastrointestinal symptoms, proton pump inhibitor intake, GERD‐health‐related‐quality‐of‐life (GERD‐HRQL), alimentary satisfaction and patients’ overall satisfaction was evaluated.

Results

Although a higher rate of preoperative dysphagia was observed in patients with IEM (29% IEM vs. 11% no IEM, p = 0.007), there was no significant difference in rates of dysphagia postoperatively (2 IEM vs. 1 no IEM, p = 0.559). Furthermore, no distinction was found in the postoperative outcome regarding symptom relief, quality of life, gas bloating syndrome, ability to belch and/or vomit or revision surgery between the two groups.

Conclusion

Although preoperative IEM has an influence on GERD presentation, it has no effect on postoperative outcome after LNF. IEM should not be a cause for avoiding LNF, as is has been shown as the most effective and safe anti‐reflux treatment.
Sex identification from distinctive gene expression patterns in Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba)
Authors: Suter Leonie , Polanowski Andrea Maree , King Robert , Romualdi Chiara , Sales Gabriele , Kawaguchi So , Jarman Simon Neil , Deagle Bruce Emerson
Published: October 2019

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is a highly abundant keystone species of the Southern Ocean ecosystem, directly connecting primary producers to high-trophic level predators. Sex ratios of krill vary remarkably between swarms and this phenomenon is poorly understood, as identification of krill sex relies on external morphological differences that appear late during development. Sex determination mechanisms in krill are unknown, but could include genetic, environmental or parasitic mechanisms. Similarly, virtually nothing is known about molecular sex differentiation. The krill genome has to date not been sequenced, and due to its enormous size and large amount of repetitive elements, it is currently not feasible to develop sex-specific DNA markers. To produce a reliable molecular marker for sex in krill and to investigate molecular sex differentiation we therefore focused on identifying sex-specific transcriptomic differences. Through transcriptomic analysis, we found large gene expression differences between testes and ovaries and identified three genes exclusively expressed in female whole krill from early juvenile stages onwards. The sex-specific expression of these three genes persisted through sexual regression, although our regressed samples originated from a krill aquarium and may differ from wild-regressed krill. Two slightly male-biased genes did not display sufficient expression differences to clearly differentiate sexes. Based on the expression of the three female-specific genes we developed a molecular test that for the first time allows the unambiguous sex determination of krill samples lacking external sex-specific features from juvenile stages onwards, including the sexually regressed krill we examined.
Efficacy of an intermittent energy restriction diet in a primary care setting
Authors: Antoni R. , Johnston K. L. , Steele C. , Carter D. , Robertson M. D. , Capehorn M. S.
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Intermittent energy restriction (IER) is a popular weight loss (WL) strategy; however, its efficacy in clinical practice remains unknown. The present study compared the effects of IER compared to continuous energy restriction (CER) on WL and cardiometabolic risk factors in primary care.

Methods

A (self-selected) cohort study was conducted at the Rotherham Institute for Obesity (RIO), a primary care-based weight management service. 197(24% male) obese patients volunteered to participate and selected their diet group. IER participants (n = 99) consumed ~ 2600 kJ for two days/week. CER participants (n = 98) restricted their diet by ~ 2100 kJ/day below estimated requirements. Both interventions were delivered alongside RIO standard care. Changes in anthropometry and cardiometabolic disease risk markers (fasting biochemistry and blood pressure) were assessed after a 6-month intervention period and then participants were followed up again 6 months later (month 12).

Results

27 IER patients (27%) and 39 CER patients (40%) completed the 6-month weight loss phase. Among completers, mean (SEM) WL was greater in the IER group at 6 months (5.4 ± 1.1% versus 2.8 ± 0.6%; p = 0.01), as were reductions in fat mass (p < 0.001) and improvements in systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001). Fasting insulin (p = 0.873) and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.701) were reduced similarly in both groups. However, in the IER group, changes in anthropometry and blood pressure in the IER group had reverted to baseline by 12-month follow-up, whilst the CER group maintained weight loss but showed an increase in blood pressure.

Conclusions

Among completers, IER resulted in superior short-term changes in anthropometry and some cardiometabolic risk factors. However, rates of attrition and weight regain were higher compared with standard care, providing important insights in the implementations of IER within a “real-life” NHS setting.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN31465600.
Deep open storage and shallow closed transport system for a continental flood basalt sequence revealed with Magma Chamber Simulator
Authors: Heinonen Jussi S. , Luttinen Arto V. , Spera Frank J. , Bohrson Wendy A.
Published: October 2019

The Magma Chamber Simulator (MCS) quantitatively models the phase equilibria, mineral chemistry, major and trace elements, and radiogenic isotopes in a multicomponent–multiphase magma + wallrock + recharge system by minimization or maximization of the appropriate thermodynamic potential for the given process. In this study, we utilize MCS to decipher the differentiation history of a continental flood basalt sequence from the Antarctic portion of the ~ 180 Ma Karoo large igneous province. Typical of many flood basalts, this suite exhibits geochemical evidence (e.g., negative initial εNd) of interaction with crustal materials. We show that isobaric assimilation-fractional crystallization models fail to produce the observed lava compositions. Instead, we propose two main stages of differentiation: (1) the primitive magmas assimilated Archean crust at depths of ~ 10‒30 km (pressures of 300–700 MPa), while crystallizing olivine and orthopyroxene; (2) subsequent fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase took place at lower pressures in upper crustal feeder systems without significant additional assimilation. Such a scenario is corroborated with additional thermophysical considerations of magma transport via a crack network. The proposed two-stage model may be widely applicable to flood basalt plumbing systems: assimilation is more probable in magmas pooled in hotter crust at depth where the formation of wallrock partial melts is more likely compared to rapid passage of magma through shallower fractures next to colder wallrock.
The elasticity of taxable income in Spain: 1999–2014
Authors: Almunia Miguel , Lopez-Rodriguez David
Published: October 2019

We study how taxable income responds to changes in marginal tax rates, using as a main source of identifying variation three large reforms to the Spanish personal income tax implemented in the period 1999–2014. The most reliable estimates of the elasticity of taxable income (ETI) with respect to the net-of-tax rate for this period are between 0.45 and 0.64. The ETI is about three times larger for self-employed taxpayers than for employees and larger for business income than for labor and capital income. The elasticity of broad income is smaller, between 0.10 and 0.24, while the elasticity of some tax deductions such as the one for private pension contributions exceeds one. Our estimates are similar across a variety of estimation methods and sample restrictions and also robust to potential biases created by mean reversion and heterogeneous income trends.
Effect of particle roughness on the bulk deformation using coupled boundary element and discrete element methods
Authors: Nadimi Sadegh , Ghanbarzadeh Ali , Neville Anne , Ghadiri Mojtaba
Published: October 2019

Particles slide and roll on each other when a granular medium is sheared. Consequently, the tribological properties, such as inter-particle friction and adhesion, play a major role in influencing their bulk failure and rheology. Although the influence of roughness on adhesion and friction of contacting surfaces is known, the incorporation of the surface roughness in the numerical modelling of granular materials has received little attention. In this study, the boundary element method (BEM), which is widely used for simulating the mechanics of interacting surfaces, is coupled with discrete element method (DEM) and the bulk deformation of granular materials is analysed. A BEM code, developed in-house, is employed to calculate the normal force–displacement behaviour for rough contact deformations, based on which a contact model is proposed. This is an efficient and relatively fast method of calculating the contact mechanics of rough surfaces. The resulting model is then implemented in the simulations by DEM to determine the effect of micro-scale surface roughness on the bulk compression of granular materials. This study highlights the importance of the effect of surface characteristics on contact behaviour of particles for the case of shallow footing and provides an efficient approach for modelling the flow behaviour of a large number of rough particles.
Classes of harmonic functions defined by convolution
Authors: Dziok Jacek
Published: October 2019

The object of the present paper is to investigate classes of harmonic functions defined by convolution. Some necessary and sufficient conditions, topological properties, radii of convexity and starlikeness, as well as extreme points for the classes are considered.
Phosphorus exchange in eutrophied coastal brackish water sediments—sorption pattern, potential and factors affecting them
Authors: Vaalama Anu , Hartikainen Helinä , Vallius Henry , Lukkari Kaarina
Published: October 2019

Phosphorus (P) exchange in clayey mud sediments was investigated with desorption–sorption isotherms at 22 coastal sites in the eutrophied brackish Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea. The aim was to gain information on P sorption potential and pattern of oxygenated surface sediments and to elucidate factors explaining them. Modified Freundlich equation was fitted to the isotherm data and used for calculation of the P exchange parameters EPC0(equilibrium P concentration at zero net sorption),kEPC0,k15andk100(P buffering capacities at early, middle and high sorption stages, respectively). They were further used to assess the P sorption potential and pattern of the sediments. Sediment properties explaining the P sorption potential at different sorption stages were identified. The greatest sorption potentials were recorded in originally poorly oxic sediments in the inner archipelago with accumulated fine particulate material, high in adsorbents for P, transported from the watersheds. After oxygenation, they were high in amorphous Fe-oxyhydroxides, which explained their efficient P sorption (kEPC0 > 1.32 l g−1). Poorer P sorption (kEPC00.45–0.84 l g−1) was recorded in fine sediments abundant in Al-oxyhydroxides, presumably due to their higher original P occupation degree. The lowest sorption potentials were found in the outer archipelago sediments. Their lowest specific surface areas and highest original P contents referred to scarcity of adsorbents and high occupation degree of the existing ones. These results suggest that the coastal clayey mud sediments investigated possess high P sorption potential, which can be markedly diminished by eutrophication-induced hypoxia but recovered if oxygen conditions improve.
Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, Selenium, Zinc and Copper in Patients with Keratoconus
Authors: Zarei-Ghanavati Siamak , Yahaghi Bahareh , Hassanzadeh Samira , Mobarhan Majid Ghayour , Hakimi Hamid Reza , Eghbali Pardis
Published: October 2019

Purpose:

To assess the possible association between keratoconus (KC) and serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), Selenium (Se), Zinc (Zn), and Copper (Cu) and to compare it with age-matched healthy subjects.

Methods:

One hundred patients with KC and 100 normal subjects were included. The two groups were compared for serum 25OHD and serum levels of three trace elements: Se, Zn, and Cu. These factors were also compared between groups with different KC stages.

Results:

Serum levels of vitamin D, Zn, Cu, and Se were significantly different between the KC and normal groups (P = 0.006, P = 0.015, P = 0.004, and P = 0.038, respectively). Although a lower level of 25OHD was found in severe stages of KC, it was not significantly different among different KC groups (P = 0.441). KC stage groups were not significantly different for mean serum Zn, Cu, and Se (P = 0.130, P = 0.98, P = 0.113, respectively). Although the Cu/Zn ratio was higher in cases than in controls, there was no significant difference between the two groups and between KC stages (P = 0.168, P = 0.143, respectively).

Conclusion:

Lower serum 25OHD, Cu, Zn, and Se were found in the KC group compared to the control group. The results of this study suggest that a lower antioxidative activity may be involved in the possible etiology of KC.
B Sharp—The cognitive effects of a pilot community music program for people with dementia‐related disorders
Authors: Davalos Deana B. , Luxton India , Thaut Michael , Cross Jennifer E.
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Dementia has been described as the greatest global challenge for healthcare in the 21st century. Pharmaceutical interventions have dominated dementia treatment despite limited efficacy. There is increasing interest in alternatives to delay the progression of cognitive decline, such as community‐based programs, promoting social and stimulating experiences. This article discusses a pilot music‐based community program (B Sharp) for persons with dementia‐related disorders.

Method

In the pilot study, we assessed 23 persons with dementia‐related disorders who, with their caregivers, attended the symphony season and accompanying social hours over a 10‐month period. Participants completed a baseline and follow‐up brief neuropsychological test to assess cognitive changes.

Results

Significant improvements were observed between the pre– and post–B Sharp program assessments (P < .010).

Discussion

Results support the feasibility of the B Sharp program as a community‐based program to target cognitive decline. Additional research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved in the improvements observed in this program.
Comparing the effects of behaviorally informed interventions on flood insurance demand: an experimental analysis of ‘boosts’ and ‘nudges’
Authors: BRADT JACOB
Published: October 2019

This paper compares the effects of two types of behaviorally informed policy – nudges and boosts – that are designed to increase consumer demand for insurance against low-probability, high-consequence events. Using previous findings in the behavioral sciences literature, this paper constructs and implements two nudges (an ‘informational’ and an ‘affective’ nudge) and a statistical numeracy boost and then elicits individual risk beliefs and demand for flood insurance using a contingent valuation survey of 331 participants recruited from an online labor pool. Using a two-limit Tobit model to estimate willingness to pay (WTP) for flood insurance, this paper finds that the affective and informational nudges result in increases in WTP for flood insurance of roughly $21/month and $11/month relative to the boost, respectively. Taken together, the findings of this paper suggest that nudges are the more effective behaviorally informed policy in this setting, particularly when the nudge design targets the affect and availability heuristics; however, additional research is necessary to establish sufficient conditions for this conclusion.
Development of a Parallel Explicit Finite-Volume Euler Equation Solver using the Immersed Boundary Method with Hybrid MPI-CUDA Paradigm
Authors: Kuo F. A. , Chiang C. H. , Lo M. C. , Wu J. S.
Published: October 2019

This study proposed the application of a novel immersed boundary method (IBM) for the treatment of irregular geometries using Cartesian computational grids for high speed compressible gas flows modelled using the unsteady Euler equations. Furthermore, the method is accelerated through the use of multiple Graphics Processing Units – specifically using Nvidia’s CUDA together with MPI - due to the computationally intensive nature associated with the numerical solution to multi-dimensional continuity equations. Due to the high degree of locality required for efficient multiple GPU computation, the Split Harten-Lax-van-Leer (SHLL) scheme is employed for vector splitting of fluxes across cell interfaces. NVIDIA visual profiler shows that our proposed method having a computational speed of 98.6 GFLOPS and 61% efficiency based on the Roofline analysis that provides the theoretical computing speed of reaching 160 GLOPS with an average 2.225 operations/byte. To demonstrate the validity of the method, results from several benchmark problems covering both subsonic and supersonic flow regimes are presented. Performance testing using 96 GPU devices demonstrates a speed up of 89 times that of a single GPU (i.e. 92% efficiency) for a benchmark problem employing 48 million cells. Discussions regarding communication overhead and parallel efficiency for varying problem sizes are also presented.
Structure, Agency, and Working Law
Authors: Albiston Catherine R.
Published: October 2019

Working Law: Courts, Corporations, and Symbolic Civil Rights(2016), by Lauren Edelman, presents an integrated theory of endogeneity that explains how organizational responses to civil rights laws undermine civil rights protections, preserve managerial prerogatives, and redefine judicial interpretations of compliance. Structural dynamics baked into organizations and driven by legitimacy and meaning produce organizational practices that appear to prohibit discrimination but do little to change discrimination on the ground. Working Law raises important questions for future research: Under what conditions might symbolic structures be effective? How does power affect the institutionalization of some symbols of compliance but not others? Can legal reforms limit the effects of endogeneity?
Political Economy andWorking Law
Authors: Stryker Robin
Published: October 2019

Lauren B. Edelman’sWorking Law: Courts, Corporations, and Symbolic Civil Rights(2016) offers an empirically supported theory of legal endogeneity, explaining how managerialized ideas of compliance with employment discrimination legislation diffuse in organizational fields and shape judicial doctrine. Managerialization and legal endogeneity explain how and why equality-promoting civil rights legislation may do little to reduce workplace inequalities. This essay places Edelman’s theory within a broader terrain of opportunities and limits of law for promoting egalitarian change. Managerialization is not always detrimental to enhancing workplace race and gender equality. However, typically reinforcing logics of market capitalism and liberal legality often make it so, while blocking reforms countering judicial deference to managerialized compliance.
On uniqueness of transfer rates in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
Authors: Plunian Franck , Stepanov Rodion , Verma Mahendra Kumar
Published: October 2019

In hydrodynamic and MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) turbulence, formal expressions for the transfer rates rely on integrals over wavenumber triads

$(\boldsymbol{k},\boldsymbol{p},\boldsymbol{q})$

satisfying

$\boldsymbol{k}+\boldsymbol{p}+\boldsymbol{q}=0$

. As an example

$S_{E}^{uu}(\boldsymbol{k}\mid \boldsymbol{p},\boldsymbol{q})$

denotes the kinetic energy transfer rate to the mode

$\boldsymbol{k}$

, from the two other modes in the triad,

$\boldsymbol{p}$

and

$\boldsymbol{q}$

. However as noted by Kraichnan (Phys. Rev., vol. 111, 1958, pp. 1747–1747), in

$S_{E}^{uu}(\boldsymbol{k}\mid \boldsymbol{p},\boldsymbol{q})$

, what fraction of the energy transferred to the mode

$\boldsymbol{k}$

originated from

$\boldsymbol{p}$

and which from

$\boldsymbol{q}$

is unknown. Such an expression is thus incongruent with the customary description of turbulence in terms of two-scale energy exchange. Notwithstanding this issue, Dar et al. (Physica D, vol. 157 (3), 2001, pp. 207–225) further decomposed these transfers into separate contributions from

$\boldsymbol{p}$

-to-

$\boldsymbol{k}$

and

$\boldsymbol{q}$

-to-

$\boldsymbol{k}$

, thus introducing the concept of mode-to-mode transfers that they applied to MHD turbulence. Doing so, they had to set aside additional transfers circulating within each triad, but failed to calculate them. In the present paper we explain how to derive the complete expressions of the mode-to-mode transfers, including the circulating transfers. We do it for kinetic energy and kinetic helicity in hydrodynamic turbulence, for kinetic energy, magnetic energy and magnetic helicity in MHD turbulence. We find that the degree of non-uniqueness of the energy transfers derived from the induction equation is a priori higher than the one derived from the Navier–Stokes equations. However, separating the contribution of magnetic advection from magnetic stretching, the energy mode-to-mode transfer rates involving the magnetic field become uniquely defined, in striking contrast to the hydrodynamic case. The magnetic helicity mode-to-mode transfer rate is also found to be uniquely defined, contrary to kinetic helicity in hydrodynamics. We find that shell-to-shell transfer rates have the same properties as mode-to-mode transfer rates. Finally calculating the fluxes, we show how the circulating transfers cancel in accordance with conservation laws.
HOW KNOWLEDGEABLE ARE APPLIED LINGUISTICS AND SLA RESEARCHERS ABOUT BASIC STATISTICS?
Authors: Loewen Shawn , Gönülal Talip , Isbell Daniel R. , Ballard Laura , Crowther Dustin , Lim Jungmin , Maloney Jeffrey , Tigchelaar Magda
Published: October 2019

Despite the prevalence of quantitative approaches in applied linguistics (AL) and second language acquisition (SLA) research (Gass, 2009), evidence indicates a need for improvement in analyzing and reporting SLA data (e.g., Larson-Hall & Plonsky, 2015). However, to improve quantitative research, researchers must possess the statistical knowledge necessary to conduct quality research. This study assesses AL and SLA researchers’ knowledge of key statistical concepts on a statistical knowledge test. One hundred and ninety-eight AL and SLA researchers from North America and Europe responded to 26 discipline-specific questions designed to measure participants’ ability to (a) understand basic statistical concepts and procedures, (b) interpret statistical analyses, and (c) critically evaluate statistical information. Results indicate that participants generally understood basic descriptive statistics, but performance on items requiring more advanced statistical knowledge was lower. Quantitative research orientation, number of statistics courses taken, and frequent use of statistics textbooks had positive influences on researchers’ statistical knowledge.
Treatment with roscovitine and butyrolactone I prior to in vitro maturation alters blastocyst production
Authors: Maziero Rosiara Rosária Dias , Guaitolini Carlos Renato de Freitas , Paschoal Daniela Martins , Crespilho André Maciel , Monteiro Bianca Andriolo , Lima Jonathan Soares de , Sestari Danielle Andressa Oliveira , Landim-Alvarenga Fernanda da Cruz
Published: October 2019

This study evaluated the effects of oocyte meiosis inhibitors roscovitine (ROS) and butyrolactone I (BL-I) on in vitro production of bovine embryos. Bovine oocytes were maintained in pre in vitro maturation (pre-IVM) with 25 µM ROS or 100 µM BL-I for 24 h to delay meiosis and for 24 h in in vitro maturation (IVM). Following this treatment, the nuclear maturation index was evaluated. All embryos degenerated following this procedure. In the second set of experiments, oocytes were maintained for 6 or 12 h in pre-IVM with the following three treatments: ROS (25 µM or 12.5 µM), BL-I (100 µM or 50 µM) or a combination of both drugs (6.25 µM ROS and 12.5 µM BL-I). Oocytes were cultivated for 18 or 12 h in IVM. When a meiosis-inducing agent was used during pre-IVM for 24 h, more degenerated oocytes were observed at the end of the IVM period. This effect decreased when the meiotic blocking period was reduced to 6 or 12 h. No significant differences were observed in the blastocyst production rate of oocytes in pre-IVM for 6 h with ROS, BL-I, or ROS + BL-I compared with that of the control group (P > 0.05). However, inhibition of oocytes for 12 h resulted in decreased embryo production compared with that in the controls (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the post-vitrification embryo re-expansion rate between the study groups, showing that the meiotic inhibition for 6 or 12 h did not alter the embryo cryopreservation process.
Reproductive cycle of the tetra Astyanax bimaculatus (Characiformes: Characidae) collected in Amazonian streams
Authors: Cordeiro Jhennifer Gomes , Rodrigues Jeane , Rodrigues Maira da Silva , Bertolini Rafaela Manchin , Nóbrega Rafael Henrique , Yasui George Shigueki , Maximino Caio , Siqueira-Silva Diógenes Henrique de
Published: October 2019

A histological characterization of gonadal development in the tetra Astyanax bimaculatus was performed, aimed at determining its reproductive cycle in streams localized inside the Amazonian forest. Collections were carried out monthly from August 2017 to July 2018 at the Zoobotânica Foundation of Marabá, PA. Collected specimens were weighed and measured, and their gonads and liver were removed and weighed to calculate gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indexes. Gonads were fixed and treated for routine histology for light microscopy. Materials were stained with toluidine blue and haematoxylin and eosin. The Amazonian A. bimaculatus species presented two reproductive periods in the year, one at the end of the winter season and another during the summer. Females showed an asynchronous development of their oocytes and only two reproductive phases of development were observed during the whole period ‘developing’ and ‘spawning capable’. Males presented cystic spermatogenesis, with an anastomosing tubular testis containing spermatogonia spread along the germinal epithelium (unrestricted spermatogonial). These morphological characteristics are considered phylogenetically more primitive. Male specimens were observed to have five different phases during the period: immature, initial maturation, mid maturation, final maturation and regression. The huge fluctuations in Amazonian streams was observed, in which water volumes varied considerably across seasons, culminating even in total drought. In spite of this, A. bimaculatus could be found during all seasons, showing its impressive reproductive adaptation to its conditions.
(ii) Interim report on the inscriptions from the aedes of the fort near Tel Shalem
Authors: Ecker Avner , Arubas Benjamin , Heinzelmann Michael , Mevorah David
Published: October 2019

Ever since the discovery of a building inscription of a vexillatio of the legio VI Ferrata near Tel Shalem,1 it was clear that the area was a locus of Roman military activity. In the following years the vicinity of the Tel yielded the inscription of a Hadrianic arch whose letter-size is surpassed only by the lettering on the Pantheon and the Arch of Titus in Rome.2 Most recently, the headquarters complex of the fort (principia), and in particular the regimental shrine (aedes or sacellum), have been uncovered (see above). Within and in front of the aedes were found three inscriptions:3 a dedicatory inscription to Caracalla on a statue base in front of the building (no. 1), and two mosaic inscriptions inside, one at the entrance to the nave (no. 2), the other at its far end (no. 3). The fills covering the building produced stamped roof-tiles bearing three different formulae. The new inscriptions prove that the building was the aedes of the Ala VII Phrygum. The earliest attestation of its presence in Syria Palaestina is inferred from a military diploma of A.D. 1394 found at Apheka, not far from Tel Shalem. Assuming that the Ala Phrygum, attested without the number VII in the province of Syria up to A.D. 88,5 is the same unit as the Ala VII Phrygum of our inscriptions, its transfer to Iudaea is most likely to be associated with the suppression of the Bar Kokhba Revolt.6 The inscriptions published here provide the latest known date for its stay in Syria Palaestina, some 40 years after the latest date so far attested in military diplomas.7
Los negocios de Caius Iuventius Albinus en la Bética
Authors: Remesal Rodríguez José , Moros Díaz Juan
Published: October 2019

A orillas de los ríos Guadalquivir (Baetis) y Genil (Singilis), en el triángulo formado por las capitales de tres conventus de la Bética, Hispalis, Corduba y Astigi, se extienden los restos arqueológicos de casi un centenar de alfarerías productoras de ánforas del tipo Dressel 20 (fig. 1). Durante los tres primeros siglos d.C., el aceite de oliva producido en el interior de la Bética se comercializaba con estas ánforas globulares que fueron exportadas masivamente a todo el Imperio romano, siendo particularmente abundantes en Roma y en el limes germano/británico.
Painted marks at El Mèdol quarry near Tarragona: observations on the logistics and organisation of a Roman limestone quarry
Authors: Vinci Maria Serena
Published: October 2019

This paper aims to present a set of painted marks and inscriptions on stone blocks from El Mèdol quarry (Tarragona), the limestone quarry which supplied the stone used to build most of the public edifices, including what is known as the Provincial Forum, in the nearby town of Tarraco, capital of Hispania Citerior. There are 16 marks in red paint and 3 written in charcoal, all linked to the phases of extracting and shaping the stone.
The archaeology of ancient cult: from foundation deposits to religion in Roman Mithraism
Authors: McCarty Matthew M. , Egri Mariana , Rustoiu Aurel
Published: October 2019

In the past two decades, the “archaeology of religion” has moved from the margins of scholarship to the center, led by the growth of postprocessual archaeological hermeneutics. 1 Such theoretical frames – whether the materiality of religion, objects as agents, the entanglement of humans and objects, or “thing theory” – demonstrate the centrality of the physical world and its archaeological correlates to religion. They offer new ways of posing questions about the construction of meanings for worshippers through materials.2
A monastery in Magdala (Taricheae)?
Authors: De Luca Stefano , Leibner Uzi
Published: October 2019

Ancient Magdala is located at the foot of the E slopes of Mt. Arbel, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (map ref. 7477/2478) (fig. 1). The Aramaic name Magdala or Migdal Nunayya (“The tower of the fish”), mentioned in Rabbinic sources of the Roman period, is preserved in the name of the Arab village of “el-Mejdel” that stood on the site until 1948. The identification is also confirmed by ancient sources that indicate Magdala was located on the main road a few kilometers from Tiberias. In 1877, Charles Wilson suggested identifying this site also with the toponym Tαριχέα (Taricheae, “factories/vats for salting fish”), which is mentioned only in Greek and Latin sources (Cassius Longinus in Cic., Ad Fam. 12.11; Plin., NH 5.71-72; Strab. 16.2.45, Josephus [see below], and Suet., Tit. 4.3), although they do not mention the name Magdala. It becomes evident from these sources that the town was located on the shore near Tiberias; Josephus’s explicit note, placing it 30 stadia (c.5.4 km) from Tiberias, exactly fits the site of el-Mejdel. Although some scholars raised alternative identifications, it has become widely accepted that the names Magdala and Taricheae are synonymous and that they should be identified with the Arab village of el-Mejdel.1
On the (non-)equivalence of constructions with determiner genitives and noun modifiers in English
Authors: ROSENBACH ANETTE
Published: October 2019

The question of equivalence of constructions with determiner genitives (the FBI's director,the chair's leg) and noun modifiers (the FBI director,the chair leg) is a crucial one for Rosenbach's (2007a, 2010) approach to the gradience between genitive and noun + noun constructions as well as for any study of grammatical variation treating the two constructions as syntactic variants (Szmrecsanyiet al. 2016). However, the assumption that there is such equivalence has recently been challenged by Breban (2018) for English and Schlücker (2013, 2018) for German. The present article defends the view that determiner genitives and identifying noun modifiers are sufficiently similar to alternate in certain choice contexts from a variationist perspective, which, as will be shown, proceeds from a notion of equivalence different from the one adopted by in-depth semantic–pragmatic studies. Proper noun modifiers take a prominent role among identifying noun modifiers in their ability to alternate with determiner genitives, but the argument and analysis in this article is not restricted to them.
Rethinking global mental health and its priorities
Authors: Saraceno B.
Published: October 2019

Global mental health (GMH) seems to enjoy increasing visibility in the global health and development discourse. However, this visibility implies also the urgency of addressing few questions about new priority setting in the domains of policy, care delivery, service organisation and research. Even before trying to answer these questions, rethinking more deeply the notion and implications of GMH seems to be a useful collective exercise. Some unanswered questions should be at the core of this exercise: Is GMH really global or rather Western? Is GMH concerned enough with local context? Is GMH too unbalanced towards a biomedical model? What are the consequences of the predominant emphasis given by GMH on common mental disorders and primary care level on people with severe mental disabilities? GMH is not global but rather it is hegemonised by western institutions. It would be useful to have an independent and very inclusive think tank which should promote a global debate on these issues and offer an unbiased support to WHO.
Bald and Bad?
Authors: Kranz Dirk , Nadarevic Lena , Erdfelder Edgar
Published: October 2019

Abstract. According to (a) the beauty ideal of a full head of hair and (b) the physical attractiveness stereotype (PAS; “what is beautiful is good”), bald men should appear less attractive than nonbald men, not only physically but also socially. To explain inconsistent results on this prediction in previous research, we suggest two antagonistic processes: the automatic activation of the PAS at the implicit level and its suppression at the explicit level, the latter process selectively triggered by individuating information about the target person. In line with this account, we only found negative social attractiveness ratings for bald men by same-aged women when individuating target information was lacking (Experiment 1). In contrast, irrespective of whether individuating information was available or not, we reliably found evidence for the PAS in different implicit paradigms (the implicit association test in Experiment 2 and a source monitoring task in Experiment 3). We conclude that individuating information about bald men suppresses PAS application, but not PAS activation.
Signal Frequency Dependence of Ionospheric Scintillations: An Indicator of Irregularity Spectrum Characteristics
Authors: Bhattacharyya A. , Gurram P. , Kakad B. , Sripathi S. , Sunda S.
Published: October 2019

Multifrequency scintillation observations show that strong amplitude scintillations on very high frequency (VHF) signals are accompanied by weak L‐band scintillations near the dip equator and strong L‐band scintillations in equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) region. For several decades this has been attributed to higher ambient plasma density in the EIA region. Recent work suggests that occurrence of stronger L‐band scintillations in the EIA region requires that the intermediate‐scale (~100 m to few km) ionospheric irregularity spectrum in this region be significantly shallower than that in the equatorial region. However, this has not been established so far. Signal frequency dependence of amplitude scintillations is characterized by the frequency exponent that determines the dependence on signal frequency of the S4 index: the standard deviation of normalized intensity fluctuations. In this paper, theoretical calculations of the frequency exponent for VHF and L‐band signals are carried out using different irregularity spectra and compared with observations in order to characterize power‐law irregularity spectra in different latitude zones. Intermediate‐scale irregularities in the equatorial and low‐latitude region, which are aligned with the geomagnetic field, are described by a two‐dimensional model. Model simulations show that the frequency exponent derived from S4 indices for VHF and L‐band signals is determined only by the characteristics of the irregularity spectrum and hence can be utilized to identify the nature of the power‐law irregularity spectrum. Frequency exponents computed using VHF and L‐band observations near the dip equator and EIA regions show distinct patterns, which clearly indicate steep and shallow irregularity spectra, respectively, in these regions.
Effects of Energetic Electron and Proton Precipitations on Thermospheric Nitric Oxide Cooling During Shock‐Led Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections
Authors: Lin Cissi Y. , Deng Yue , Knipp Delores J. , Kilcommons Liam M. , Fang Xiaohua
Published: October 2019

Satellite measurements have revealed significant enhancement of 5.3‐μm nitric oxide (NO) emission during shock‐led interplanetary coronal mass ejections. Great discrepancies in modeled neutral density occur during these events and may be attributed to the abnormally high NO cooling. Meanwhile, the relative significance of protons, soft electrons, and keV‐electrons to NO emission is yet to be well determined. The goal of this study is to identify the contribution of electron and proton precipitations to the thermospheric NO cooling by using the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) data. The observed energetic electrons and protons (0.1–30.2 keV) during 36 shock‐led interplanetary coronal mass ejection events in 2002–2010 are binned into geomagnetic grids to provide statistical distributions of the particle precipitation for polar regions. The distributions are incorporated into the Global Ionosphere‐Thermosphere Model. The results show that electrons play a dominant role to NO cooling, but protons are also important and contribute to up to a quarter of NO cooling by electrons and ions combined. NO cooling enhancement during the events is proportional to the level of energy flux and is dominated by the electrons in the energy band of 1.4–3.1 keV. Both total electron content (TEC) and NO cooling enhance at the source regions, but they have different lifetime and correlation with the particle precipitations. Generally, NO cooling and TEC enhancements have a positive correlation with the precipitating energy. Cross correlation shows that particle precipitations have more instantaneous impact on TEC while it takes longer for the atmosphere to heat up for cooling to proceed.
High-potency ligands for DREADD imaging and activation in rodents and monkeys
Authors: Bonaventura Jordi , Eldridge Mark A. G. , Hu Feng , Gomez Juan L. , Sanchez-Soto Marta , Abramyan Ara M. , Lam Sherry , Boehm Matthew A. , Ruiz Christina , Farrell Mitchell R. , Moreno Andrea , Galal Faress Islam Mustafa , Andersen Niels , Lin John Y. , Moaddel Ruin , Morris Patrick J. , Shi Lei , Sibley David R. , Mahler Stephen V. , Nabavi Sadegh , Pomper Martin G. , Bonci Antonello , Horti Andrew G. , Richmond Barry J. , Michaelides Michael
Published: October 2019

Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) are a popular chemogenetic technology for manipulation of neuronal activity in uninstrumented awake animals with potential for human applications as well. The prototypical DREADD agonist clozapine N-oxide (CNO) lacks brain entry and converts to clozapine, making it difficult to apply in basic and translational applications. Here we report the development of two novel DREADD agonists, JHU37152 and JHU37160, and the first dedicated 18F positron emission tomography (PET) DREADD radiotracer, [18F]JHU37107. We show that JHU37152 and JHU37160 exhibit high in vivo DREADD potency. [18F]JHU37107 combined with PET allows for DREADD detection in locally-targeted neurons, and at their long-range projections, enabling noninvasive and longitudinal neuronal projection mapping.
A systematic evaluation of single cell RNA-seq analysis pipelines
Authors: Vieth Beate , Parekh Swati , Ziegenhain Christoph , Enard Wolfgang , Hellmann Ines
Published: October 2019

The recent rapid spread of single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) methods has created a large variety of experimental and computational pipelines for which best practices have not yet been established. Here, we use simulations based on five scRNA-seq library protocols in combination with nine realistic differential expression (DE) setups to systematically evaluate three mapping, four imputation, seven normalisation and four differential expression testing approaches resulting in ~3000 pipelines, allowing us to also assess interactions among pipeline steps. We find that choices of normalisation and library preparation protocols have the biggest impact on scRNA-seq analyses. Specifically, we find that library preparation determines the ability to detect symmetric expression differences, while normalisation dominates pipeline performance in asymmetric DE-setups. Finally, we illustrate the importance of informed choices by showing that a good scRNA-seq pipeline can have the same impact on detecting a biological signal as quadrupling the sample size.
A Chlamydia pneumoniae adhesin induces phosphatidylserine exposure on host cells
Authors: Galle Jan N. , Fechtner Tim , Eierhoff Thorsten , Römer Winfried , Hegemann Johannes H.
Published: October 2019

In mammalian cells, the internal and external leaflets of the plasma membrane (PM) possess different phospholipids. Phosphatidylserine (PS) is normally confined to the inner (cytoplasmic) membrane leaflet. Here we report that the adhesin CPn0473 of the human pathogenic bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) binds to the PM of human cells and induces PS externalization but unexpectedly not apoptosis. PS externalization is increased in human cells exposed to infectious Cpn cells expressing increased CPn0473 and reduced in exposure to Cpn expressing decreased CPn0473. CPn0473 binds specifically to synthetic membranes carrying PS and stimulates pore formation. Asymmetric giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) in which PS is restricted to the inner leaflet reveal that CPn0473 induces PS externalization in the absence of other proteins. Thus our identification of CPn0473 as a bacterial PS translocator capable of specific and apoptosis-independent PS externalization during infection extends the spectrum of mechanisms intracellular pathogens use to enter host cells.
TFPa/HADHA is required for fatty acid beta-oxidation and cardiolipin re-modeling in human cardiomyocytes
Authors: Miklas Jason W. , Clark Elisa , Levy Shiri , Detraux Damien , Leonard Andrea , Beussman Kevin , Showalter Megan R. , Smith Alec T. , Hofsteen Peter , Yang Xiulan , Macadangdang Jesse , Manninen Tuula , Raftery Daniel , Madan Anup , Suomalainen Anu , Kim Deok-Ho , Murry Charles E. , Fiehn Oliver , Sniadecki Nathan J. , Wang Yuliang , Ruohola-Baker Hannele
Published: October 2019

Mitochondrial trifunctional protein deficiency, due to mutations in hydratase subunit A (HADHA), results in sudden infant death syndrome with no cure. To reveal the disease etiology, we generated stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes from HADHA-deficient hiPSCs and accelerated their maturation via an engineered microRNA maturation cocktail that upregulated the epigenetic regulator, HOPX.  Here we report, matured HADHA mutant cardiomyocytes treated with an endogenous mixture of fatty acids manifest the disease phenotype: defective calcium dynamics and repolarization kinetics which results in a pro-arrhythmic state. Single cell RNA-seq reveals a cardiomyocyte developmental intermediate, based on metabolic gene expression. This intermediate gives rise to mature-like cardiomyocytes in control cells but, mutant cells transition to a pathological state with reduced fatty acid beta-oxidation, reduced mitochondrial proton gradient, disrupted cristae structure and defective cardiolipin remodeling. This study reveals that HADHA (tri-functional protein alpha), a monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase-like enzyme, is required for fatty acid beta-oxidation and cardiolipin remodeling, essential for functional mitochondria in human cardiomyocytes.