bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A landscape‐scale assessment of the relationship between grassland functioning, community diversity, and functional traits
Authors: van 't Veen Hanneke , Chalmandrier Loïc , Sandau Nadine , Nobis Michael P. , Descombes Patrice , Psomas Achilleas , Hautier Yann , Pellissier Loïc
Published: August 2020

Livestock farmers rely on a high and stable grassland productivity for fodder production to sustain their livelihoods. Future drought events related to climate change, however, threaten grassland functionality in many regions across the globe. The introduction of sustainable grassland management could buffer these negative effects. According to the biodiversity–productivity hypothesis, productivity positively associates with local biodiversity. The biodiversity–insurance hypothesis states that higher biodiversity enhances the temporal stability of productivity. To date, these hypotheses have mostly been tested through experimental studies under restricted environmental conditions, hereby neglecting climatic variations at a landscape‐scale. Here, we provide a landscape‐scale assessment of the contribution of species richness, functional composition, temperature, and precipitation on grassland productivity. We found that the variation in grassland productivity during the growing season was best explained by functional trait composition. The community mean of plant preference for nutrients explained 24.8% of the variation in productivity and the community mean of specific leaf area explained 18.6%, while species richness explained only 2.4%. Temperature and precipitation explained an additional 22.1% of the variation in productivity. Our results indicate that functional trait composition is an important predictor of landscape‐scale grassland productivity.
Spatial grain of adaptation is much finer than ecoregional‐scale common gardens reveal
Authors: Davidson Bill E. , Germino Matthew J.
Published: August 2020

Adaptive variation among plant populations must be known for effective conservation and restoration of imperiled species and predicting their responses to a changing climate. Common‐garden experiments, in which plants sourced from geographically distant populations are grown together such that genetic differences may be expressed, have provided much insight on adaptive variation. Common‐garden experiments also form the foundation for climate‐based seed‐transfer guidelines. However, the spatial scale at which population differentiation occurs is rarely addressed, leaving a critical information gap for parameterizing seed‐transfer guidelines and assessing species’ climate vulnerability. We asked whether adaptation was evident among populations of a foundational perennial within a single “empirical” seed‐transfer zone (based on previous common‐garden findings evaluating very distant populations) but different “provisional” seed zones (groupings of areas of similar climate and are not parameterized from common‐garden data). Seedlings from three populations originating from similar conditions within an intermediate elevation were planted into gardens nearby at the same elevation, or 250–450 m higher or lower in elevation and 0.4–25 km away. Substantial variation was observed between gardens in survival (ranging 2%–99%), foliar crown volume (7.8–22.6 dm3), and reproductive effort (0%–65%), but not among the three transplanted populations. The between garden variation was inversely related to climatic differences between the gardens and seed‐source populations, specifically the site differences in maximum–minimum annual temperatures. Results suggest that substantial site‐specificity in adaptation can occur at finer scales than is accounted for in empirical seed‐transfer guidance when the guidance is derived from broadscale common‐garden studies. Being within the same empirical seed zone, geographic unit, and even within 10 km distance may not qualify as “local” in the context of seed transfer. Moving forward, designing common‐garden experiments so that they allow for testing the scale of adaptation will help in translating the resulting seed‐transfer guidance to restoration projects.
Trade‐off between fecundity and survival generates stabilizing selection on gall size
Authors: Weaver Amanda K. , Hood Glen Ray , Foster Michael , Egan Scott P.
Published: August 2020

Complex interactions within multitrophic communities are fundamental to the evolution of individual species that reside within them. One common outcome of species interactions are fitness trade‐offs, where traits adaptive in some circumstances are maladaptive in others. Here, we identify a fitness trade‐off between fecundity and survival in the cynipid wasp Callirhytis quercusbatatoides that induces multichambered galls on the stem of its host plant Quercus virginiana. We first quantified this trade‐off in natural populations by documenting two relationships: a positive association between the trait gall size and fecundity, as larger galls contain more offspring, and a negative association between gall size and survival, as larger galls are attacked by birds at a higher rate. Next, we performed a field‐based experimental evolution study where birds were excluded from the entire canopy of 11 large host trees for five years. As a result of the five‐year release from avian predators, we observed a significant shift to larger galls per tree. Overall, our study demonstrates how two opposing forces of selection can generate stabilizing selection on a critical phenotypic trait in wild populations, and how traits can evolve rapidly in the predicted direction when conditions change.
Contemporary genetic structure affects genetic stock identification of steelhead trout in the Snake River basin
Authors: Powell John H. , Campbell Matthew R.
Published: August 2020

Genetic stock identification is a widely applied tool for the mixed‐stock management of salmonid species throughout the North Pacific Rim. The effectiveness of genetic stock identification is dependent on the level of differentiation among stocks which is often high due to the life history of these species that involves high homing fidelity to their natal streams. However, the utility of this tool can be reduced when natural genetic structuring has been altered by hatchery translocation and/or supplementation. We examined the genetic population structure of ESA‐listed steelhead in the Snake River basin of the United States. We analyzed 9,613 natural‐origin adult steelhead returning to Passive Integrated Transponder detection sites throughout the basin from 2010 through 2017. Individuals were genotyped at 180 single nucleotide polymorphic genetic markers and grouped into 20 populations based on their return location. While we expected to observe a common pattern of hierarchical genetic structuring due to isolation by distance, we observed low genetic differentiation between populations in the upper Salmon River basin compared to geographically distant populations in the lower Snake River basin. These results were consistent with lower genetic stock assignment probabilities observed for populations in this upper basin. We attribute these patterns of reduced genetic structure to the translocation of lower basin steelhead stocks and ongoing hatchery programs in the upper Salmon River basin. We discuss the implications of these findings on the utility of genetic stock identification in the basin and discuss opportunities for increasing assignment probabilities in the face of low genetic structure.
A Novel and Reusable Electrochemical Genosensor for Detection of Beef Adulteration
Authors: Flauzino José M. R. , Pimentel Eduardo L. , Alves Lívia M. , Madurro João M. , Brito‐Madurro Ana G.
Published: August 2020

This work describes the construction of a genosensor based on a graphite electrode modified with an reduced graphene oxide/poly(3‐hidroxybenzoic acid) nanocomposite with an specific DNA oligonucleotide for detection of cattle mitochondrial DNA, in order to certify beef purity. Electrochemical and morphological analyses indicate that the genosensor allows duplex formation with the DNA of pure sample of beef lysate. The genosensor was selective, identifying up to 1 % (w/w) of pork in beef samples, showing good reproducibility and stability within six weeks of storage, and can be reused four times, being a great tool for the evaluation of beef purity, with application in the meat production and marketing chain.
Easily Prepared Co3O4Doped Porous Carbon Material Decorated with Single‐wall Carbon Nanotubes Applied in Voltammetric Sensing of Antioxidant α‐lipoic Acid
Authors: Petković Branka B. , Ognjanović Miloš , Antić Bratislav , Viktorovich Avdin Vyacheslav , Manojlović Dragan D. , Vranješ Đurić Sanja , Stanković Dalibor M.
Published: August 2020

The homemade, porous carbon material, thermolysis prepared from Novolac phenol‐formaldehyde resin, in situ modified with Co3O4nanoparticles and mixed with single‐wall carbon nanotubes, was used in selective sensing of prominent antioxidant α‐lipoic acid (LA). XRD, SEM and EIS measurements were used for characterization of material composition, structure, morphology and improved conductivity. The quantification of LA at TPCo3O4&SWCNTCPE was done by a square‐wave voltammetric technique in BR buffer solution at pH 6. The linear working range was recorded from 2 to 100 μM of LA and the proposed electrode material was successfully applied in the determination of LA in dietary supplements.
Low‐cost and versatile analytical tool with purpose‐made capillary electrophoresis coupled to contactless conductivity detection: Application to antibiotics quality control in Vietnam
Authors: Le Thai Binh , Hauser Peter C. , Pham Thi Ngoc Mai , Kieu Thi Lan Phuong , Le Thi Phuong Quynh , Hoang Quoc Anh , Le Dinh Chi , Nguyen Thi Anh Huong , Mai Thanh Duc
Published: August 2020

In this study, the development of our purpose‐made capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C4D) for CE is reported. These systems have been employed as a simple, versatile, and cost‐effective analytical tool. CE‐C4D devices, whose principle is based on the control of the ion movements under an electrical field, can be constructed even with a modest financial budget and limited infrastructure. A featured application was developed for quality control of antimicrobial drugs using CE‐C4D, with most recent work on determination of aminoglycoside and glycopeptide antibiotics being communicated. For aminoglycosides, the development of CE‐C4D methods was adapted to two categories. The first one includes drugs (liquid or powder form) for intravenous injection, containing either amikacin, streptomycin, kanamycin A, or kanamycin B. The second one covers drugs for eye drops (liquid or ointment form), containing either neomycin, tobramycin, or polymyxin. The CE‐C4D method development was also made for determination of some popular glycopeptide antibiotics in Vietnam, including vancomycin and teicoplanin. The best detection limit achieved using the developed CE‐C4D methods was 0.5 mg/L. Good agreement between results from CE‐C4D and the confirmation method (HPLC‐ Photometric Diode Array ) was achieved, with their result deviations less than 8% and 13% for aminoglycoside and glycopeptide antibiotics, respectively.
Immobilization of an amino acid racemase for application in crystallization‐based chiral resolutions of asparagine monohydrate
Authors: Carneiro Thiane , Wrzosek Katarzyna , Bettenbrock Katja , Lorenz Heike , Seidel‐Morgenstern Andreas
Published: August 2020

Integration of racemization and a resolution process is an attractive way to overcome yield limitations in the production of pure chiral molecules. Preferential crystallization and other crystallization‐based techniques usually produce low enantiomeric excess in solution, which is a constraint for coupling with racemization. We developed an enzymatic fixed bed reactor that can potentially overcome these unfavorable conditions and improve the overall yield of preferential crystallization. Enzyme immobilization strategies were investigated on covalent‐binding supports. The amino acid racemase immobilized in Purolite ECR 8309F with a load of 35 mg‐enzyme/g‐support showed highest specific activity (approx. 500 U/g‐support) and no loss in activity in reusability tests. Effects of substrate inhibition observed for the free enzyme were overcome after immobilization. A packed bed reactor with the immobilized racemase showed good performance in steady state operation processing low enantiomeric excess inlet. Kinetic parameters from batch reactor experiments can be successfully used for prediction of packed bed reactor performance. Full conversions could be achieved for residence times above 1.1 min. The results suggest the potential of the prepared racemase reactor to be combined with preferential crystallization to improve resolution of asparagine enantiomers.
Alkylamine Incorporation in Amidoxime Functionalized Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity for Gas Capture and Separation
Authors: Miles Ashley , Wilfong Walter C. , Hopkinson David , Sekizkardes Ali K.
Published: August 2020

Amidoxime functionalized polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) are synthesized from postsynthetic functionalization of PIM‐1 with hydroxylamine and processed into chemisorbents with alkylamine incorporation. Strong interaction between functionalized PIM‐1 and primary amines is characterized in detail by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) study. As‐prepared sorbents not only show the highest CO2 uptake capacity (37.9 cm3 g−1 at 0.15 bar and 298 K) recorded in reported PIMs, but they also demonstrate tunable, processable, and stable polymeric sorbent design, which can be nanoengineered for other gas capture and separation applications.
Multivariate return period‐based ground motion selection for improved hazard consistency over a vector of intensity measures
Authors: Du Ao , Padgett Jamie E.
Published: August 2020

Ground motion selection is a crucial step in probabilistic seismic performance assessment of structural systems. Particularly, identifying ground motion records compatible with a specific hazard level has been the major focus of past studies. We propose a multivariate return period (MRP)‐based record selection methodology to further improve the multivariate hazard consistency over a vector of intensity measures (IMs). Unlike the traditional univariate return period anchored on a scalar IM, MRP generalizes the return period concept by accommodating the joint rate of exceedance of a vector of IMs, thereby providing more holistic seismic hazard characterization. By leveraging MRP in linking the seismic hazard to a vector IMs, the proposed MRP‐based ground motion selection methodology for the first time offers a mathematically rigorous yet practical solution for multivariate hazard consistency in ground motion selection. The merit of the MRP‐based ground motion selection is demonstrated by comparing the resulting target spectra and seismic demand estimates for several case‐study structures with other state‐of‐the‐art ground motion selection alternatives. From the results, the MRP‐based ground motion selection employing Kendall's distribution function turns out to be a promising alternative, offering favorable new features including (a) moderate target spectra intensity and moderately low target spectra standard deviation; (b) superior convergence with the increase of the conditioning IM dimension and ability to approximate higher‐dimensional multivariate hazard consistency with lower dimensional conditioning IMs; and (c) capability to realistically capture the multimodal spectral shape owing to the incorporation of multivariate Gaussian mixture distribution in generating target spectra.
Comparison of In Situ and Ex Situ Equilibrium Passive Sampling for Measuring Freely Dissolved Concentrations of Parent and Alkylated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediments
Authors: Reininghaus Mathias , Parkerton Thomas F. , Witt Gesine
Published: August 2020

Equilibrium passive sampling methods (EPSMs) allow quantification of freely dissolved contaminant concentrations (Cfree) in sediment porewater. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a convenient sampling polymer that can be equilibrated in field (in situ) or laboratory (ex situ) sediments to determine Cfree, providing reliable compound-specific PDMS–water partition coefficients (KPDMS-water) are available. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are an important class of sediment contaminants comprised of parent and alkylated homologs. However, application of EPSM to alkylated PAHs is challenged by lack of KPDMS-water measurements. Our first objective was to obtain KPDMS-water for 9 alkylated PAHs and biphenyls using 3 different PDMS-coated fibers. Quantitative relationships were then established to define KPDMS-water for 18 parent and 16 alkyl PAHs included in the US Environmental Protection Agency's sediment quality benchmark method for benthic life protection based on additive toxic units. The second objective was to compare Cfree in porewater obtained using both in situ and ex situ EPSMs at 6 Baltic Sea locations. The results indicated that in situ and ex situ Cfree for alkyl PAHs generally agreed within a factor of 3. Further, all sites exhibited additive toxic units <1, indicating that PAHs pose a low risk to benthos. The results extend practical application of EPSMs for improved risk assessment and derivation of porewater-based remediation goals for PAH-contaminated sediments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2169–2179. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Perspectives on Social and Emotional Learning in Tertiary Education
Authors: Millett Catherine M.
Published: August 2020

In addition to literacy and numeracy skills, social and emotional skills are increasingly recognized as being essential for success in school and beyond. This commentary paper summarizes the discussions from a 2018 seminar on social and emotional learning (SEL) in tertiary education in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The summary is framed through the lenses of competition, cooperation, and complementarity. While institutions of higher education compete for students, they cooperate by leveraging knowledge of how students succeed at a particular institution and they seek complementarity by recognizing that student/institutional fit may increase completion. Their shared goal is for students to succeed in getting to, through, and beyond tertiary education.
The study of coupling effects of humidity‐heat on the protection performance of protective clothing for fire fighting
Authors: Zhang Guoyun , Lu Lihong , Shi Congling , Qian Xiaodong
Published: August 2020

The coupling effects of humidity‐heat on the thermal protective performance of protective clothing play an important role during the fire fighting process. The thermal stability, heat release, and thermal protective performance of protective clothing were investigated under the coupling effects of humidity‐heat condition. The cone calorimeter and the thermogravimetric analysis (hereinafter referred to as TGA) were adopted to investigate the thermal stability and heat release characteristics of protective clothing. The thermal protective performance tester and heat flux meter 8 (hereinafter referred to as HFM‐8) multichannel heat flow meter were adopted to simulate the multiple effects of internal sweating, external water spray and high thermal radiation. As for the thermal protective performance experiment (hereinafter referred to as TPP) results, it is found that the proper moisture content can significantly enhance the thermal protective performance, but the performance is seriously degraded after soaking, which is due to the improved thermal conductivity. The mechanism of microscopic changes of protective clothing were also investigated by hot‐stage polarizing microscope and scanning electron microscope. The results of this experiment have important practical guiding significance for the safety protection of firefighters during the fire extinguishing processes.
Emulation of condensed fuel flames with gaseous fuels supplied through a porous copper calorimeter
Authors: Auth Eric , Quintiere James G. , Sunderland Peter B.
Published: August 2020

The burning rate emulator (BRE) is a burner that emulates condensed fuel flames using gaseous fuel/inert mixtures by matching four properties: the heat of combustion; the heat of gasification; the laminar smoke point; and the surface temperature. Matching the heat of gasification requires measuring the burner heat flux, for which the BRE has embedded heat flux gauges and a copper top‐plate calorimeter. Seven condensed fuels were emulated: acetone, ethanol, methanol, polyethylene, polymethylmethacrylate, polypropylene, and polystyrene. The gaseous fuels were methane, ethylene, and propylene, diluted with nitrogen. Emulation data and flame images are shown to demonstrate emulation accuracy. A new method of emulation is developed that shifts the focus on which properties are prioritized and yields ~15% improvement in flame height. Calibration and use of the calorimeter are shown to have improved accuracy (within 5%) which provides confidence in the results.
Improving the question formulation in Delphi‐like surveys: Analysis of the effects of abstract language and amount of information on response behavior
Authors: Markmann Christoph , Spickermann Alexander , von der Gracht Heiko A. , Brem Alexander
Published: August 2020

Prospective surveys are a common research mode used to establish a profound decision base for R&D investments, technological innovation, and policy making. The challenge faced by participants of such surveys, particularly if conducted via impersonal survey modes (e.g., mail or online surveys), is the limited ability to clarify contextual issues. Related research in socio‐psychology refers to language vagueness as abstractness, cautioning that abstract language and the way people interpret information are related. We apply Construal Level Theory and the Linguistic Category Model from linguistic sciences to the context of prospective surveys and examine the effects of abstract language and its related amount of information on panelists' response behavior. Based upon 32,000 observations, our research reveals that higher abstractness and greater amount of information reduce the clarity of the respondents' assessments of survey questions. In particular, abstract language and lengthy questions lead to less extreme assessments and a reduced response variance of panelists.
Apigenin upregulation of CD26/DPPIV on colon epithelial cells requires inhibition of casein kinase 2
Authors: Lefort Émilie C. , Diaconu Bogdan , Bentley Victoria L. , Blay Jonathan
Published: August 2020

CD26/DPPIV is a cell surface glycoprotein found on cells of the intestinal epithelium including those of the colon. We have previously shown that the dietary flavone apigenin (4′,5,7‐trihydroxyflavone) upregulates CD26/DPPIV on colon cells. Flavonoids such as apigenin interfere with the action of multiple cellular protein kinases and have the capacity to modulate the cell exterior and its ability to interface with the local environment through different signaling pathways. We show here that the ability of apigenin to upregulate CD26/DPPIV is exerted through and requires the activity of casein kinase 2 (CK2). Inhibitors of CK2 that are distinct from apigenin (emodin, 6‐methyl‐1,3,8‐trihydroxyanthraquinone; TBB, 4,5,6,7‐tetrabromobenzotriazole; and DRB, 5,6‐dichlorobenzimidazole 1‐β‐D‐ribofuranoside) showed a dose‐dependent ability to increase CD26/DPPIV and had the same maximal effect when combined with apigenin at submaximal concentrations. Knockdown of CK2 with siRNA abrogated the ability of apigenin to upregulate CD26/DPPIV. Apigenin treatment of cells had no effect on the levels of CK2 protein, consistent with an inhibition of activity of the enzyme. Apigenin's upregulation of CD26/DPPIV in differentiated human colon epithelial cells depends upon inhibition of CK2 activity. This is a key step in enabling apigenin's ability to regulate the functions of intestinal epithelial cells.
Environmental Justice and the Energy Transition: How the Energy Industry Can Do Better
Authors: Russo Thomas N. , Martin Ethan
Published: August 2020

Environmental justice (EJ) communities are defined as “a community with significant representation of communities of color, low‐income communities, or tribal and indigenous communities, that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing higher or more adverse human health or environmental effects.” As the energy transition to cleaner and greener forms of energy is accelerating, it does not necessarily mean the development of renewable energy projects will happen with little or no EJ conflicts. Just the opposite may occur, but in the name of fighting climate change.
The Summer of Their Discontent—Uncertainty Compounds for Gas and Oil Pipelines
Authors: Smead Richard G.
Published: August 2020

As the natural gas columnist in the newly minted Climate and Energy, I can embrace this opportunity to discuss developments and issues in the natural gas and oil industries and their relevance to the broader climate and energy challenges faced across the globe.
Geochemistry of the Palaeocene‐Eocene Upper Kelalan Formation, NW Borneo: Implications on palaeoweathering, tectonic setting, and provenance
Authors: Ramasamy Nagarajan , Franz L. Kessler , Jong John , Muthuvairavasamy Ramkumar , Muhammad Abdulmajid Ali , Dayong Vivian , Shanmugarajah Lalitguha , Vusak Natalie , Sivanasvaran Kovin , Kinanthi Desianne
Published: August 2020

The stratigraphic records of Palaeocene‐Eocene are studied with interest as they encompass significant high‐resolution information on the environmental and climatic signals. Here, we present whole‐rockgeochemistry, mineralogy, and petrography of the turbiditic sedimentary rocks of the Upper Kelalan Formation, NW Borneo, and constraints on palaeoweathering, tectonic setting, and provenance. These are fine‐medium‐grained, poor to moderately sorted, angular to sub‐rounded litharenites with lesser occurrences of arkose, wacke, and Fe‐sandstone. The dominant proportion of monocrystalline and polycrystalline quartz, followed by K‐feldspar and plagioclase and minor amounts of lithic fragments, zircon, etc., with nil‐appreciable quantities of clay occur in these rocks. Chemical weathering indices (CIA, CIW, and PIA) values and A‐CN‐K plot show that the source area has undergone a moderate to an intense degree of chemical weathering and also influenced by the recycling effect. The majority of the sediments are derived from the felsic source area (i.e., granites) with some minor input from the metasedimentary/metamorphic terrain. Based on the geochemical ratios and discriminant diagrams, it is determined that the Schwaner Mountains and its metamorphic group of rocks were the principal provenances with some input from West Borneo Group of rocks. Our data suggest the sediments were deposited initially in an active continental margin setting during the Palaeocene that may have shifted to a passive margin setting during the Eocene age.
Gesture's body orientation modulates the N400 for visual sentences primed by gestures
Authors: He Yifei , Luell Svenja , Muralikrishnan R. , Straube Benjamin , Nagels Arne
Published: August 2020

Body orientation of gesture entails social‐communicative intention, and may thus influence how gestures are perceived and comprehended together with auditory speech during face‐to‐face communication. To date, despite the emergence of neuroscientific literature on the role of body orientation on hand action perception, limited studies have directly investigated the role of body orientation in the interaction between gesture and language. To address this research question, we carried out an electroencephalography (EEG) experiment presenting to participants (n = 21) videos of frontal and lateral communicative hand gestures of 5 s (e.g., raising a hand), followed by visually presented sentences that are either congruent or incongruent with the gesture (e.g., “the mountain is high/low…”). Participants underwent a semantic probe task, judging whether a target word is related or unrelated to the gesture‐sentence event. EEG results suggest that, during the perception phase of handgestures, while both frontal and lateral gestures elicited a power decrease in both the alpha (8–12 Hz) and the beta (16–24 Hz) bands, lateral versus frontal gestures elicited reduced power decrease in the beta band, source‐located to the medial prefrontal cortex. For sentence comprehension, at the critical word whose meaning is congruent/incongruent with the gesture prime, frontal gestures elicited an N400 effect for gesture‐sentence incongruency. More importantly, this incongruency effect was significantly reduced for lateral gestures. These findings suggest that body orientation plays an important role in gesture perception, and that its inferred social‐communicative intention may influence gesture‐language interaction at semantic level.
Neural alignment during face‐to‐face spontaneous deception: Does gender make a difference?
Authors: Chen Mei , Zhang Tingyu , Zhang Ruqian , Wang Ning , Yin Qing , Li Yangzhuo , Liu Jieqiong , Liu Tao , Li Xianchun
Published: August 2020

This study investigated the gender differences in deception and their neural basis in the perspective of two‐person neuroscience. Both male and female dyads were asked to perform a face‐to‐face spontaneous sender–receiver deception task, while their neural activities in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and right temporal parietal junction (rTPJ) were recorded simultaneously using functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)‐based hyperscanning. Male and female dyads displayed similar deception rate, successful deception rate, and eye contact in deception trials. Moreover, eye contact in deception trials was positively correlated with the success rate of deception in both genders. The fNIRS data showed that the interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) in PFC was significantly enhanced only in female dyads when performed the deception task, while INS in rTPJ was increased only in male dyads. Such INS was correlated with the success rate of deception in both dyads. Granger causality analysis showed that no significant directionality between time series of PFC (or rTPJ) in each dyad, which could indicate that sender and receiver played equally important role during deception task. Finally, enhanced INS in PFC in female dyads mediated the contribution of eye contact to the success rate of deception. All findings in this study suggest that differential patterns of INS are recruited when male and female dyads perform the face‐to‐face deception task. To our knowledge, this is the first interbrain evidence for gender difference of successful deception, which could make us a deeper understanding of spontaneous face‐to‐face deception.
Stirring the pot: Switching from blended fee‐for‐service to blended capitation models of physician remuneration
Authors: Somé Nibene H. , Devlin Rose Anne , Mehta Nirav , Zaric Gregory S. , Sarma Sisira
Published: August 2020

In Canada's most populous province, Ontario, family physicians may choose between the blended fee‐for‐service (Family Health Group [FHG]) and blended capitation (Family Health Organization [FHO] payment models). Both models incentivize physicians to provide after‐hours (AH) and comprehensive care, but FHO physicians receive a capitation payment per enrolled patient adjusted for age and sex, plus a reduced fee‐for‐service while FHG physicians are paid by fee‐for‐service. We develop a theoretical model of physician labor supply with multitasking to predict their behavior under FHG and FHO, and estimable equations are derived to test the predictions empirically. Using health administrative data from 2006 to 2014 and a two‐stage estimation strategy, we study the impact of switching from FHG to FHO on the production of a capitated basket of services, after‐hours services and nonincentivized services. Our results reveal that switching from the FHG to FHO reduces the production of capitated services to enrolled patients and services to nonenrolled patients by 15% and 5% per annum and increases the production of after‐hours and nonincentivized services by 8% and 15% per annum.
Telemedicine is an important aspect of healthcare services amid COVID‐19 outbreak: Its barriers in Bangladesh and strategies to overcome
Authors: Chowdhury Saifur Rahman , Sunna Tachlima Chowdhury , Ahmed Shakil
Published: August 2020

The current pandemic of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID‐19) has been a global concern since early 2020, where the number of COVID‐19 cases is also on a rapid surge in Bangladesh with the report of a total of 276,549 cases after the detection of the first three cases in this country on 8 March 2020. The COVID‐19 pandemic has made a seismic shift in the healthcare delivery system, where physician offices have accelerated digital health solutions at record speed, putting telemedicine (i.e., telehealth) at centre stage. Amid the severely contagious COVID‐19, telemedicine has moved from being an optional service to an essential one. As the developing country, there are some barriers to get evenly distributed advantages of this approach due to the digital divides and disparities. In this commentary, we have described the importance of telemedicine service amid the outbreak of COVID‐19 in Bangladesh, the barriers and challenges that the country is facing to implement this approach and the strategies to overcome these barriers in this developing country.
Analysis of nonpremixed multiregion laminar flames through biofuel porous particles considering the effect of heat recirculation
Authors: Malekian Saeid , Heidarilalabadi Shilan , Malekian Navid , Moghadasi Hesam , Bidabadi Mehdi
Published: August 2020

In this study, a comprehensive analysis is conducted to evaluate the effects of heat recirculation and particle porosity on combustion characteristics of multizone counterflow nonpremixed flames fed with porous biofuel particles. For this purpose, the structure of flame contains preheat, postvaporization, and oxidizer zones. Additionally, Lycopodium is considered as the volatile biofuel, especially due to its appreciable flammability and dispensability. Dimensionalized and nondimensionalized forms of mass and energy conservation equations are scrutinized in each zone. To explore of the thermal recirculation effect, a specific term is included in the energy conservation equation. The variation of several parameters, including flame temperature, particle radius, mass fraction of the gaseous fuel and oxidizer, mass particle content, equivalence ratio, and particle porosity, is studied in this work considering and ignoring the thermal recirculation impact. As a result, increasing heat recirculation coefficient from to 1 will rise the flame temperature and shift the flame position to the left side (fuel nozzle). Furthermore, consideration of the thermal heat recirculation will improve the gaseous fuel production in the preheat and postvaporization zones. Additionally, an increase in mass concentration and reduction of particles radius and porosity would lead to a rise in the flame temperature.
Cancer‐related genetic variants of Helicobacter pylori strains determined using gastric wash‐based whole‐genome analysis with single‐molecule real‐time technology
Authors: Watanabe Yoshiyuki , Oikawa Ritsuko , Kodaka Yasuhiro , Sato Yoshinori , Ono Shoko , Kenmochi Takeshi , Suzuki Hideo , Futagami Seiji , Kato Mototsugu , Yamamoto Hiroyuki , Itoh Fumio
Published: August 2020

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are a primary factor in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer (GC); GC ranks third among cancer‐related mortality. A clear understanding of the H. pylori genome factors underlying GC is necessary to develop more effective methods to prevent GC. A single‐molecule real‐time DNA sequencing‐based H. pylori genome‐wide association study analysis was performed using the H. pylori genome present in five early‐stage GC (EGC) and five non‐GC clinical DNA samples recovered from gastric washes. A total of 275 genes with 702 nucleotide variants (NVs) were found to be common to three or more patients with EGC but no non‐GC patients (single‐NV: 654/702, 93.2%; multi‐NV: 40/702, 5.7%; deletion: 3/702, 0.4%; insertion: 3/702, 0.7%). Gene ontology analysis of H. pylori revealed that genes involved in the mitochondrial electron transport system, glycolytic processes and the TCA cycle were highly enriched. Cancer‐related NVs were most frequently found in a member of the Helicobacter outer membrane protein family, hopL. In particular, one of the NVs in hopL was a novel six‐nucleotide insertion (1159095̂1159096, TACTTC); this mutant was detected more frequently in a validation set of 50 additional EGC samples (22/50, 44.0%) than in 18 non‐GC samples (3/18, 16.7%, P = .04). These results suggest that the hopL variant is associated with the development of GC and may serve as a genetic biomarker of H. pylori virulence and GC risk. Our assay can serve as a potent tool to expand our understanding of bacteria‐associated tumorigenesis.
Teaching financial education in schools and students' financial literacy: A cross‐country analysis withPISAdata
Authors: Salas‐Velasco Manuel , Moreno‐Herrero Dolores , Sánchez‐Campillo José
Published: August 2020

In the last decade, developed and emerging economies have become increasingly aware of the importance of ensuring that their citizens are financially literate. Eighteen countries and economies, including 13 OECD countries, participated for the first time in 2012 on the financial literacy assessment of 15‐year‐old students. Financial literacy scores varied according to the participating countries, and they were determined by factors related to the teaching‐learning process, especially those related to the delivery of financial education in schools. This paper assesses the effectiveness of the provision of financial education in the school curriculum across all the countries that participated in PISA 2012—data from 2015 did not allow such analysis. We measured the direct effect of different ways of financial education delivery on students' financial literacy scores, after controlling for math and reading performance, and individual characteristics of students and their schools. The majority of the countries have introduced financial education topics in the curriculum somehow. But only in the Flemish Community of Belgium, the United States, and Latvia—and to a lesser extent in Australia, Estonia, France, Israel, Poland, Spain, the Czech Republic, the Russian Federation, and the Slovak Republic—the way how financial education (FE) is delivered is positively correlated with students' financial literacy scores: FE taught as part of business or economics courses in Belgium, FE taught as part of a cross‐curricular subject in the U.S., and FE taught as part of mathematics in Latvia. Our main findings pose fundamental challenges for educational policy regarding school‐based FE. The first is to decide at what age (grade) interventions should be introduced into the education system so that students are not only financially literate but also financially competent. The second is to devise instructional approaches that more effectively lead young people to put pertinent financial knowledge into practice and to do so correctly when they make financial decisions.
Research on external financial risk measurement of China real estate
Authors: Jiang Yuexiang , Zheng Luyuan , Wang Jiazhen
Published: August 2020

This study applies the method proposed by Diebold and Yilmaz to construct a spillover effect index with which we compare the bilateral information spillover effect and time‐varying characteristics of China's real estate markets to those of representative international financial markets from July 2005 to March 2018 to measure the financial risks in China's real estate markets. The empirical results show the following. (a) There is a significant information spillover effect between China's real estate markets and related stock markets, and China's real estate is in a net information receiving position. (b) After 2016, China's real estate financial risks entered a downward adjustment cycle, and financial risks have gradually declined. These results suggest that Chinese real estate markets' “de‐inventory” has achieved remarkable results and that real estate financial risks have been significantly reduced. However, due to China's limited real estate financial investment channels, the nation's real estate markets should still be cautiously controlled and regulated to respond to potential real estate financial risk.
A novel term structure stochastic model with adaptive correlation for trend analysis
Authors: Du Jiangze , Lai Shaojie , Lai Kin Keung , Zhou Shifei
Published: August 2020

The prediction of underlying price continues to draw extensive attention in academic research. Based on a review of the advantages and disadvantages of different volatility models, we find that the Heston stochastic volatility model with an adaptive correlation coefficient is most suitable for analysing the Hong Kong options market. We subsequently propose a model‐free implied volatility term structure formulated using options with different strikes and different maturities. The implied volatility is calculated by integrating the option price and strike price from the current time to the expiry date. Discrete points of term structure data are used to fit a term structure curve. Finally, we use the model‐free implied volatility term structure as the long‐run mean level of the Heston model to fully exploit the information content contained in the implied volatility term structure. We simulate the distribution of the underlying asset price based on the Heston model and constant elasticity of variance (CEV) model. The adaptive correlation Heston model provides superior results in terms of one‐day‐ahead prediction performance and the 79‐day distribution of the underlying asset price compared with the CEV model.
Bank branch performance and cost efficiency: A stochastic frontier panel data approach
Authors: Cabrera‐Suárez Idaira , Pérez‐Rodríguez Jorge V.
Published: August 2020

This paper analyses the relationship between performance assessment methods used by banks to evaluate their branches and the corresponding time‐varying cost efficiency. To do this, we employ a panel data framework and consider bank branches' latent heterogeneity, which might arise from unobserved non‐systematic management problems. Our analysis is based on monthly data obtained from the branches of a large commercial bank operating in Spain during the period 2013–2014. The results indicate that there is unobserved heterogeneity and time‐varying cost efficiency in the bank branches, and that inefficiency scores are low, at 1–15%. Time‐varying cost efficiencies are positively associated with measures of the volume of business (the productivity based on value achieved by the branch) and negatively associated with the surface area of the branch and with time. However, no relation was found regarding balance sheet and profit and loss statements (i.e., negative deviations from gross income targets).
Multi‐dimensional economic connectivity: benefits, risks, and policy implications
Authors: Gould David M. , Kenett Dror Y. , Panterov Georgi
Published: August 2020

Various types of international connectivity serve as channels for the transmission of knowledge, which, in turn, is critical for long‐run economic growth. However, how much knowledge is transmitted to a country is not only the result of the overall level of connectivity, but also to whom a country is connected. For example, being well connected to an economy with wide‐reaching global connections is likely to be a stronger conduit for knowledge transfers than being connected to an isolated economy. Likewise, connections are likely to complement each other. This wider definition of connectivity, referred to as multi‐dimensional connectivity, is explored in this study as it applies to Europe and Central Asia (ECA). This paper shows that multi‐dimensional connectivity is an economically and statistically important determinant of future economic growth. The paper further discusses the potential risks and transfer of shocks that can result from cross‐country economic connectivity. Furthermore, it provides some examples of how policy tools can be designed to leverage the benefits of connectivity channels and mitigate their risks.
Time‐varying causal nexuses between economic growth and CO2 emissions in G‐7 countries: A bootstrap rolling window approach over 1820–2015
Authors: Alam Md. Samsul , Ali Sajid , Khraief Naceur , Shahzad Syed Jawad Hussain
Published: August 2020

This paper reinvestigates the causal nexuses between economic growth and CO2 emissions in G‐7 countries during 1820–2015 for all countries except Japan, for which the data spans from 1950 to 2015. The unit root test developed by Perron, Econometrica: Journal of the Econometric Society, 1989, 57, 1361–1401 and the cointegration test of Johansen et al., The Econometrics Journal, 2000, 3, 216–249 which accommodate structural breaks in trends are used to establish a long‐run equilibrium relationship between the variables. Our empirical analysis suggests a long‐run association between the variables. The bootstrap Granger causality test on the full sample and the sub‐samples with a fixed‐window size is used to resolve the issue of structural changes. The findings indicate that the causal relationships are country‐specific. Consistent with the short‐run stability tests, the rolling window analysis shows that causality between GDP and CO2 emissions is time‐varying. These findings offer important policy recommendations for sustainable growth and low‐carbon economy.
Long‐term stock returns in Brazil: Volatile equity returns for U.S.‐like investors
Authors: Araújo Eurilton , Brito Ricardo D. , Sanvicente Antonio Z.
Published: August 2020

This paper tells the history of Brazilian stock market returns since the creation of the Ibovespa (the main Brazilian stock market index). From 1968 to 2019, the arithmetic mean real return of the Brazilian stock market is 21.3% per year. The equity premium is 20.1% per year, with a huge annual standard deviation of 67%. Surprisingly, such numbers are compatible with investors' risk aversions that accommodate the very different U.S. market evidence, exposing that national investors are similar in nature. The equity premium has been higher in Brazil than in the U.S., but the much higher Brazilian volatility discourages heavier investments in stocks.