bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
European survey shows poor association between soil organic matter and crop yields
Authors: Vonk Wytse J. , van Ittersum Martin K. , Reidsma Pytrik , Zavattaro Laura , Bechini Luca , Guzmán Gema , Pronk Annette , Spiegel Heide , Steinmann Horst H. , Ruysschaert Greet , Hijbeek Renske
Published: November 2020

A number of policies proposed to increase soil organic matter (SOM) content in agricultural land as a carbon sink and to enhance soil fertility. Relations between SOM content and crop yields however remain uncertain. In a recent farm survey across six European countries, farmers reported both their crop yields and their SOM content. For four widely grown crops (wheat, grain maize, sugar beet and potato), correlations were explored between reported crop yields and SOM content (N = 1264). To explain observed variability, climate, soil texture, slope, tillage intensity, fertilisation and irrigation were added as co-variables in a linear regression model. No consistent correlations were observed for any of the crop types. For wheat, a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) was observed between SOM and crop yields in the Continental climate, with yields being on average 263 ± 4 (95% CI) kg ha−1 higher on soils with one percentage point more SOM. In the Atlantic climate, a significant negative correlation was observed for wheat, with yields being on average 75 ± 2 (95%CI) kg ha−1 lower on soils with one percentage point more SOM (p < 0.05). For sugar beet, a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) between SOM and crop yields was suggested for all climate zones, but this depended on a number of relatively low yield observations. For potatoes and maize, no significant correlations were observed between SOM content and crop yields. These findings indicate the need for a diversified strategy across soil types, crops and climates when seeking farmers’ support to increase SOM.
A 3D Finite Element Model of Rolling Contact Fatigue for Evolved Material Response and Residual Stress Estimation
Authors: Abdullah Muhammad U , Khan Zulfiqar A , Kruhoeffer Wolfram , Blass Toni
Published: November 2020

Rolling bearing elements develop structural changes during rolling contact fatigue (RCF) along with the non-proportional stress histories, evolved residual stresses and extensive work hardening. Considerable work has been reported in the past few decades to model bearing material hardening response under RCF; however, they are mainly based on torsion testing or uniaxial compression testing data. An effort has been made here to model the RCF loading on a standard AISI 52100 bearing steel with the help of a 3D Finite Element Model (FEM) which employs a semi-empirical approach to mimic the material hardening response evolved during cyclic loadings. Standard bearing balls were tested in a rotary tribometer where pure rolling cycles were simulated in a 4-ball configuration. The localised material properties were derived from post-experimental subsurface analysis with the help of nanoindentation in conjunction with the expanding cavity model. These constitutive properties were used as input cyclic hardening parameters for FEM. Simulation results have revealed that the simplistic power-law hardening model based on monotonic compression test underpredicts the residual generation, whereas the semi-empirical approach employed in current study corroborated well with the experimental findings from current research work as well as literature cited. The presence of high compressive residual stresses, evolved over millions of RCF cycles, showed a significant reduction of maximum Mises stress, predicting significant improvement in fatigue life. Moreover, the predicted evolved flow stresses are comparable with the progression of subsurface structural changes and be extended to develop numerical models for microstructural alterations.

Graphic Abstract
Implementation Evaluation of a Complex Intervention to Improve Timeliness of Care for Veterans with Transient Ischemic Attack
Authors: Damush T. M. , Miech E. J. , Rattray N. A. , Homoya B. , Penney Lauren S. , Cheatham A. , Baird S. , Myers J , Austin C. , Myers L J , Perkins A J , Zhang Y. , Giacherio B. , Kumar M , Murphy LD , Sico J J. , Bravata D. M.
Published: November 2020

Background

The Protocol-guided Rapid Evaluation of Veterans Experiencing New Transient Neurologic Symptoms (PREVENT) program was designed to address systemic barriers to providing timely guideline-concordant care for patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Objective

We evaluated an implementation bundle used to promote local adaptation and adoption of a multi-component, complex quality improvement (QI) intervention to improve the quality of TIA care Bravata et al. (BMC Neurology 19:294, 2019).

Design

A stepped-wedge implementation trial with six geographically diverse sites.

Participants

The six facility QI teams were multi-disciplinary, clinical staff.

Interventions

PREVENT employed a bundle of key implementation strategies: team activation; external facilitation; and a community of practice. This strategy bundle had direct ties to four constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR): Champions, Reflecting & Evaluating, Planning, and Goals & Feedback.

Main Measures

Using a mixed-methods approach guided by the CFIR and data matrix analyses, we evaluated the degree to which implementation success and clinical improvement were associated with implementation strategies. The primary outcomes were the number of completed implementation activities, the level of team organization and > 15 points improvement in the Without Fail Rate (WFR) over 1 year.

Key Results

Facility QI teams actively engaged in the implementation strategies with high utilization. Facilities with the greatest implementation success were those with central champions whose teams engaged in planning and goal setting, and regularly reflected upon their quality data and evaluated their progress against their QI plan. The strong presence of effective champions acted as a pre-condition for the strong presence of Reflecting & Evaluating, Goals & Feedback, and Planning (rather than the other way around), helping to explain how champions at the +2 level influenced ongoing implementation.

Conclusions

The CFIR-guided bundle of implementation strategies facilitated the local implementation of the PREVENT QI program and was associated with clinical improvement in the national VA healthcare system.

Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02769338
MiR-367 alleviates inflammatory injury of microglia by promoting M2 polarization via targeting CEBPA
Authors: Pei Hui , Peng Qian , Guo Shewei , Gu Yulei , Sun Tongwen , Xu Dong , Jiang Yumin , Xie Jiafeng , Zhang Luanluan , Zhu Zhiqiang
Published: November 2020

MiR-367 was reported to regulate inflammatory response of microglia. CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPA) could mediate microglia polarization. In this study, we explored the possible roles of miR-367 and CEBPA in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). ICH and normal specimens were obtained from the tissue adjacent to and distant from hematoma of ICH patients, respectively. Microglia were isolated and identified by immunofluorescence. The isolated microglia were treated with erythrocyte lysate and randomly divided into 8 groups using different transfection reagents. The transfection efficiency of miR-367 was determined by qRT-PCR. The expressions of M1 and M2 microglia markers were detected by Western blotting. The relationship between CEBPA and miR-367 was confirmed by dual luciferase reporter system. Flow cytometry was performed to determine the level of apoptosis in the cells transfected with miR-367 and CEBPA in erythrocyte lysate–treated microglia. We found that miR-367 expression level was downregulated in ICH specimens. Erythrocyte lysate–treated microglia was successfully established using erythrocyte lysate, as decreased miR-367 expression was observed. Overexpression of miR-367 could significantly decrease the expressions of MHC-ІІ, IL-1β, and Bax, reduced apoptosis rate, and increased the expressions of CD206, Bal-2, and Arg-1 in erythrocyte lysate–treated microglia. CEBPA was proved to be a direct target for miR-367, which could inhibit microglia M2 polarization and increase apoptosis rate. However, in the presence of both CEBPA and miR-367 mimic, the protein and mRNA expressions of CEBPA were decreased, leading to promoted microglia M2 polarization and a decreased apoptosis rate. MiR-367 regulates microglia polarization by targeting CEBPA and is expected to alleviate ICH-induced inflammatory injury.
More Amazon than Mafia: analysing a DDoS stresser service as organised cybercrime
Authors: Musotto Roberto , Wall David S.
Published: November 2020

The internet mafia trope has shaped our knowledge about organised crime groups online, yet the evidence is largely speculative and the logic often flawed. This paper adds to current knowledge by exploring the development, operation and demise of an online criminal group as a case study. In this article we analyse a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) stresser (also known as booter) which sells its services online to enable offenders to launch attacks. Using Social Network Analysis to explore the service operations and payment systems, our findings show a central business model that is similar to legitimate e-commerce websites in the way product, price and costumers are differentiated. It also illustrates that its organisation is distributed and not hierarchical and the overall income yield is comparatively low, requiring further organisational activity to make it pay. Finally, we show that the users of the service (mainly offenders) are not only a mixed group of actors, but that it is also possible to discriminate between different levels of seriousness of offending according to the particular service they purchased.
HIV-associated Cryptococcal Meningitis: a Review of Novel Short-Course and Oral Therapies
Authors: Moeng Letumile R. , Milburn James , Jarvis Joseph N. , Lawrence David S.
Published: November 2020

Purpose of review

HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis remains a significant public health problem in parts of Africa and Asia and a major cause of AIDS-related mortality, accounting for 15% of all AIDS-related deaths worldwide. Cryptococcal meningitis is uniformly fatal if untreated, and access to antifungal therapy in regions with the highest burden is often limited. Outcomes with fluconazole monotherapy are poor, and induction treatment with amphotericin B and high-dose fluconazole for 2 weeks is associated with significant drug-related toxicities and prolonged hospital admissions. This review focuses on the potential of novel short-course and oral combination therapies for cryptococcal meningitis.

Recent findings

Recent clinical trials have shown that shorter courses of amphotericin, if paired with oral flucytosine, rather than fluconazole, can achieve non-inferior mortality outcomes. In addition, an oral combination of fluconazole and flucytosine is a potential alternative. Liposomal amphotericin B may further simplify treatment; it is associated with fewer drug-related toxicities, and a recent phase II randomised controlled trial demonstrated that a single, high dose of liposomal amphotericin is non-inferior to 14 standard daily doses at clearing Cryptococcus from cerebrospinal fluid. This has been taken forward to an ongoing phase III, clinical endpoint study.

The incidence and mortality associated with cryptococcal meningitis is still unacceptably high. There is evidence supporting the use of short-course amphotericin B and oral combination antifungal treatment regimens for cryptococcal meningitis (CM). Ongoing research into short-course, high-dose treatment with liposomal amphotericin may also help reduce the impact of this devastating disease.
Can early change in eating disorder psychopathology predict outcome in guided self-help for binge eating?
Authors: Jenkins Paul E. , Smith Lydia , Morgan Ceridwen
Published: November 2020

Purpose

This study tests the value of a measure of eating disorder (ED) psychopathology in predicting outcome following guided self-help in a non-underweight sample with regular binge eating. It examines whether early reductions in ED psychopathology are associated with remission status at post-treatment.

Methods

Seventy-two adults with bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, or an atypical form of these illnesses received up to ten sessions of cognitive behaviour therapy-based guided self-help. Using a session-by-session measure of eating pathology and associated reliable change indices, response was analysed using receiver operating characteristic analysis to predict outcomes at post-treatment.

Results

In this routine care setting, nearly one-quarter of the sample achieved remission following GSH, approximately two-thirds of whom showed early change in ED psychopathology. Early change prior to session 6 was accurate in predicting later remission. Individuals showing early change did not differ from others on baseline characteristics or rates of attrition.

Conclusion

Data suggest that a majority of those who respond to treatment will do so before the second half of treatment, information that could be used to ensure that evidence-based treatments are used as effectively as possible.

Level of evidence

Level III.
Infection, Screening, and Psychological Stress of Health-Care Workers With COVID-19 in a Nonfrontline Clinical Department
Authors: Wang Ge , Guan Jia-Lun , Zhu Xiu-Qing , Wang Mu-Ru , Fang Dan , Wen Yue , Xie Meng , Tian De-An , Li Pei-Yuan
Published: November 2020

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors and psychological stress of health-care workers (HCWs) with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a nonfrontline clinical department.

Methods:

Data of 2 source patients and all HCWs with infection risk were obtained in a department in Wuhan from January to February 2020. A questionnaire was designed to evaluate psychological stress of COVID-19 on HCWs.

Results:

The overall infection rate was 4.8% in HCWs. Ten of 25 HCWs who contacted with 2 source patients were diagnosed with confirmed COVID-19 (8/10) and suspected COVID-19 (2/10). Other 2 HCWs were transmitted by other patients or colleagues. Close care behaviors included physical examination (6/12), life nursing (4/12), ward rounds (4/12), endoscopic examination (2/12). Contacts fluctuated from 1 to 24 times and each contact was short (8.1 min ± 5.6 min). HCWs wore surgical masks (11/12), gloves (7/12), and isolation clothing (3/12) when providing medical care. Most HCWs experienced a mild course with 2 asymptomatic infections, taking 9.8 d and 20.9 d to obtain viral shedding and clinical cure, respectively. Psychological stress included worry (58.3%), anxiety (83.3%), depression (58.3%), and insomnia (58.3%).

Conclusions:

Close contact with COVID-19 patients and insufficient protection were key risk factors. Precaution measures and psychological support on COVID-19 is urgently required for HCWs.
How to Set Up Central Isolation Sites to Prevent Re-outbreaks From Imported Cases of COVID-19: The Experience of Shanghai, China
Authors: Zhang Wei , Ge Zhiru , Lu Jide , Wang Hairong , Yang Yawei
Published: November 2020

As strict measures were taken, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has been gradually brought under control. As a port city, Shanghai’s main problem has shifted from treating local cases to preventing foreign imports. To prevent the re-outbreak of COVID-19 caused by imported cases, the Shanghai government has set up central isolation sites for all people entering the country from abroad to be placed under medical observation. This report describes how to set up central isolation sites and run them effectively. We put isolation sites in transformed hotels, arranged personnel according to a huge data network, and set up specific procedures to manage guests. The epidemic situation in Shanghai has confirmed the feasibility and effectiveness of the methods that other jurisdictions can adapt for their use.
The integral cohomology of the Hilbert scheme of points on a surface
Authors: Totaro Burt
Published: November 2020

We show that if X is a smooth complex projective surface with torsion-free cohomology, then the Hilbert scheme

$X^{[n]}$

has torsion-free cohomology for every natural number n. This extends earlier work by Markman on the case of Poisson surfaces. The proof uses Gholampour-Thomas’s reduced obstruction theory for nested Hilbert schemes of surfaces.
The bandwidth theorem for locally dense graphs
Authors: Staden Katherine , Treglown Andrew
Published: November 2020

The bandwidth theorem of Böttcher, Schacht, and Taraz [Proof of the bandwidth conjecture of Bollobás andKomlós, Mathematische Annalen, 2009] gives a condition on the minimum degree of an n-vertex graph G that ensures G contains every r-chromatic graph H on n vertices of bounded degree and of bandwidth

$o(n)$

, thereby proving a conjecture of Bollobás and Komlós [The Blow-up Lemma, Combinatorics, Probability, and Computing, 1999]. In this paper, we prove a version of the bandwidth theorem for locally dense graphs. Indeed, we prove that every locally dense n-vertex graph G with

$\delta (G)> (1/2+o(1))n$

contains as a subgraph any given (spanning) H with bounded maximum degree and sublinear bandwidth.
Criminalising deceptive sex: sex, identity and recognition
Authors: Kennedy Chloë
Published: November 2020

This paper is concerned with when, if ever, deceptive sex should be criminalised. It defends the idea that it is necessary to distinguish between deceptions that will generally be punishable from those that will not and puts forward a novel framework for carrying out this task. Based on the concept of identity nonrecognition, this framework also offers a new way of understanding what makes certain kinds of deceptive sex wrongful. After setting out this framework, I analyse each of the deceptions that is most often carried out within ‘ordinary’ contexts, explaining why only some of these should generally be punished. The paper concludes by suggesting that identity nonrecognition has the potential to inform criminalisation debates more generally, and that its relevance extends beyond discussions about deceptive sex.
Skeletal mass indices are inversely associated with metabolically unhealthy phenotype in overweight/obese and normal-weight men: a population-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Carvalho Cristiane Junqueira de , Longo Giana Zarbato , Kakehasi Adriana Maria , Pereira Patrícia Feliciano , Segheto Kátia Josiany , Juvanhol Leidjaira Lopes , Ribeiro Andréia Queiroz
Published: November 2020

Muscle mass may play an important role in the metabolic profile of individuals with or without excess weight. Metabolic phenotypes classify individuals as healthy or unhealthy based on certain metabolic conditions. We investigated the association between skeletal mass indices (SMI) and the metabolically unhealthy phenotype in normal-weight and overweight/obese adults. A total of 660 adults aged 20 to 59 years were assessed by a population-based cross-sectional study. Muscle mass of the limbs or appendicular lean mass (ALM) adjusted for weight (SMIweight) and BMI (SMIBMI) was used to evaluate SMI. Logistic regression was employed to estimate the association between SMIweight, SMIBMI and metabolic phenotypes of normal-weight and overweight/obese individuals. Metabolically unhealthy individuals were older in both sexes. Metabolically unhealthy men had lower SMI values and higher fat percentage than metabolically healthy men. SMIweight was inversely associated with the metabolically unhealthy phenotype, both in normal-weight men (OR 0·49, 95 % CI 0·24, 0·99, P = 0·04) and in overweight/obese men (OR 0·32, 95 % CI 0·16, 0·64, P = 0·001). SMIBMI was inversely associated with the metabolically unhealthy phenotype in overweight/obese men (OR 0·36, 95 % CI 0·18, 0·72, P = 0·004), but not in normal-weight men (OR 0·70, 95 % CI 0·34, 1·43, P = 0·33). Among women, SMI showed no significant association with the phenotypes. In conclusion, the SMI are inversely associated with the metabolically unhealthy phenotype in men, especially among overweight/obese men.
Higher adherence to an empirically derived Mediterranean dietary pattern is positively associated with telomere length: the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) project
Authors: Ojeda-Rodríguez Ana , Zazpe Itziar , Alonso-Pedrero Lucia , Zalba Guillermo , Martínez-González Miguel A. , Marti Amelia
Published: November 2020

Telomere integrity is influenced by oxidative stress. Also, inflammation-related factors, including nutritional factors, could modulate telomere integrity. The relationship between a posteriori-derived dietary patterns and telomere length (TL) has been scarcely investigated. Thus, our objective was to examine the association between empirically derived dietary patterns ascertained through principal component analysis (PCA) and TL in an older adult Spanish population. A total of 886 older adults (>55 years old; 645 males and 241 females) from the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort were included in the study. TL was measured by monochrome multiplex real-time quantitative PCR. Age-adjusted TL was used for all analyses. Dietary patterns were identified by PCA based on thirty predefined candidate food groups collected from a validated 136-food items frequency questionnaire. Generalised linear models were fitted to obtain β-coefficients and their 95 % CI evaluating differences in TL between each of the four upper quintiles of adherence to dietary patterns and the lowest quintile. Sensitivity analyses by rerunning all multiple linear models under different stratifications were performed to evaluate the robustness of our results. Two major dietary patterns were empirically identified, Western dietary pattern (WDP) and Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP). After adjustment for potential confounders, longer TL was found among subjects in the highest quintile of MDP (β = 0·064; 95 % CI 0·004, 0·123). The WDP showed no significant association with TL. In conclusion, higher adherence to a posteriori-derived MDP was independently associated with longer telomeres in an older adult Spanish population of the SUN project.
Recent consumption of a caffeine-containing beverage and serum biomarkers of cardiometabolic function in the UK Biobank
Authors: Cornelis Marilyn C.
Published: November 2020

We investigated the impact of recent caffeine drinking on glucose and other biomarkers of cardiometabolic function under free-living conditions while also accounting for lifestyle and genetic factors that alter caffeine metabolism and drinking behaviour. Up to 447 794 UK Biobank participants aged 37–73 years in 2006–2010 provided a non-fasting blood sample, for genetic and biomarker measures, and completed questionnaires regarding sociodemographics, medical history and lifestyle. Caffeine drinking (yes/no) about 1 h before blood collection was also recorded. Multivariable regressions were used to examine the association between recent caffeine drinking and serum levels of glycated Hb, glucose, lipids, apo, lipoprotein(a) and C-reactive protein. Men and women reporting recent caffeine drinking had clinically and significantly higher glucose levels than those not recently drinking caffeine (P < 0·0001). Larger effect sizes were observed among those 55+ years of age and with higher adiposity and longer fasting times (P ≤ 0·02 for interactions). Significant CYP1A2 rs2472297×caffeine and MLXIPL rs7800944 × caffeine interactions on glucose levels were observed among women (P = 0·004), with similar but non-significant interactions in men. Larger effect sizes were observed among women with rs2472297 CC or rs7800944 CC genotypes than among rs2472297 T or rs7800944 T carriers, respectively. In summary, men and women drinking caffeine within about 1 h of blood draw had higher glucose levels than those not drinking caffeine. Findings were modified by age, adiposity, fasting time and genetic factors related to caffeine metabolism and drinking behaviour. Implications for clinical and population studies of caffeine-containing beverages and cardiometabolic health are discussed.
Effects of starvation and refeeding on growth performance, appetite, growth hormone–insulin-like growth factor axis levels and digestive function of Acipenser dabryanus
Authors: Wu Xiao-yun , Chen Ye-yu , Lai Jian-sheng , Liu Ya , Song Ming-jiang , Gong Quan , Long Zhi-hai
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study was to explore the effects and mechanisms of different starvation treatments on the compensatory growth of Acipenser dabryanus. A total of 120 fish (60·532 (sem 0·284) g) were randomly assigned to four groups (fasting 0, 3, 7 or 14 d and then refed for 14 d). During fasting, middle body weight decreased significantly with prolonged starvation. The whole-body and muscle composition, serum biochemical indexes, visceral indexes and digestive enzyme activities had been effected with varying degrees of changes. The growth hormone (GH) level in serum was significantly increased in 14D; however, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) showed the opposite trend. The neuropeptide Y (npy) mRNA level in brain was significantly improved in 7D; peptide YY (pyy) mRNA level in intestine was significantly decreased during fasting. After refeeding, the final body weight, percentage weight gain, specific growth rate, feed intake, feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio showed no difference between 0D and 3D. The changes of whole-body and muscle composition, serum biochemical indexes, visceral indexes and digestive enzyme activities had taken place in varying degrees. GH levels in 3D and 7D were significantly higher than those in the 0D; the IGF-1 content decreased significantly during refeeding. There was no significant difference in npy and pyy mRNA levels. These results indicated that short-term fasting followed by refeeding resulted in full compensation and the physiological and biochemical effects on A. dabryanus were the lowest after 3 d of starvation and 14 d of refeeding. Additionally, compensation in A. dabryanus may be mediated by appetite genes and GH, and the degree of compensation is also affected by the duration of starvation.
Asymptotic normality in t-stack sortable permutations
Authors: Chen Xi , Mao Jianxi , Wang Yi
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we show that the numbers of t-stack sortable n-permutations with k − 1 descents satisfy central and local limit theorems for t = 1, 2, n − 1 and n − 2. This result, in particular, gives an affirmative answer to Shapiro's question about the asymptotic normality of the Narayana numbers.
JAMES I AND GUNPOWDER TREASON DAY
Authors: WILLIAMSON PHILIP , MEARS NATALIE
Published: November 2020

The assumed source of the annual early modern English commemoration of Gunpowder treason day on 5 November – and its modern legacy, ‘Guy Fawkes day’ or ‘Bonfire night’ – has been an act of parliament in 1606. This article reveals the existence of earlier orders, explains how these orders alter understandings of the origin and initial purposes of the anniversary, and provides edited transcriptions of their texts. The first order revises the accepted date for the earliest publication of the special church services used for the occasion. The second order establishes that the anniversary thanksgiving was initiated not by parliament, but by King James I; it also shows that, in a striking innovation, he issued instructions for regular mid-week commemorations throughout England and Wales, expecting the bishops to change the Church of England's preaching practices. The annual thanksgivings were not just English, but ordered also in Scotland and observed in Protestant churches in Ireland. The motives for these religious thanksgivings are placed in a Stuart dynastic context, with Scottish antecedents and a British scope, rather than in the English ‘national’ setting assigned to the anniversary by English preachers and writers and by recent historians. The parliamentary act is best explained as an outcome of tensions between the king and the House of Commons.
Rewriting Ibsen's Nora: Fiction and the New Woman in Thailand (1920s–1940s)
Authors: Chaochuti Thosaeng
Published: November 2020

Previous research has shown that the New Woman was a global phenomenon and that fiction was crucial to the emergence of this New Woman. One work that was of particular importance was Henrik Ibsen's A doll's house. This article examines the rise of the New Woman in early twentieth century Thailand. It traces the campaigns for gender equality that Thai women waged in local newspapers and magazines. It also examines the reactions towards these campaigns by three major authors, all of whom turned to Ibsen's play in their engagement with the New Woman phenomenon.
The prediction of resilience to alcohol consumption in youths: insular and subcallosal cingulate myeloarchitecture
Authors: Weidacker Kathrin , Kim Seung-Goo , Buhl-Callesen Mette , Jensen Mads , Pedersen Mads Uffe , Thomsen Kristine Rømer , Voon Valerie
Published: November 2020

Background

The prediction of alcohol consumption in youths and particularly biomarkers of resilience, is critical for early intervention to reduce the risk of subsequent harmful alcohol use.

Methods

At baseline, the longitudinal relaxation rate (R1), indexing grey matter myelination (i.e. myeloarchitecture), was assessed in 86 adolescents/young adults (mean age = 21.76, range: 15.75–26.67 years). The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) was assessed at baseline, 1- and 2-year follow-ups (12- and 24-months post-baseline). We used a whole brain data-driven approach controlled for age, gender, impulsivity and other substance and behavioural addiction measures, such as problematic cannabis use, drug use-related problems, internet gaming, pornography use, binge eating, and levels of externalization, to predict the change in AUDIT scores from R1.

Results

Greater baseline bilateral anterior insular and subcallosal cingulate R1 (cluster-corrected family-wise error p < 0.05) predict a lower risk for harmful alcohol use (measured as a reduction in AUDIT scores) at 2-year follow-up. Control analyses show that other grey matter measures (local volume or fractional anisotropy) did not reveal such an association. An atlas-based machine learning approach further confirms the findings.

Conclusions

The insula is critically involved in predictive coding of autonomic function relevant to subjective alcohol cue/craving states and risky decision-making processes. The subcallosal cingulate is an essential node underlying emotion regulation and involved in negative emotionality addiction theories. Our findings highlight insular and cingulate myeloarchitecture as a potential protective biomarker that predicts resilience to alcohol misuse in youths, providing novel identifiers for early intervention.
Dynamic interplay between life events and course of psychotic disorders: 10-year longitudinal study following first admission
Authors: Donaldson Kayla R. , Jonas Katherine G. , Tian Yuan , Larsen Emmett M. , Klein Daniel N. , Mohanty Aprajita , Bromet Evelyn J. , Kotov Roman
Published: November 2020

Background

Life events (LEs) are a risk factor for first onset and relapse of psychotic disorders. However, the impact of LEs on specific symptoms – namely reality distortion, disorganization, negative symptoms, depression, and mania – remains unclear. Moreover, the differential effects of negativev.positive LEs are poorly understood.

Methods

The present study utilizes an epidemiologic cohort of patients (N= 428) ascertained at first-admission for psychosis and followed for a decade thereafter. Symptoms were assessed at 6-, 24-, 48-, and 120-month follow-ups.

Results

We examined symptom change within-person and found that negative events in the previous 6 months predicted an increase in reality distortion (β= 0.07), disorganized (β= 0.07), manic (β= 0.08), and depressive symptoms (β= 0.06), and a decrease in negative symptoms (β= −0.08). Conversely, positive LEs predicted fewer reality distortion (β= −0.04), disorganized (β= −0.04), and negative (β= −0.13) symptoms, and were unrelated to mood symptoms. A between-person approach to the same hypotheses confirmed that negative LEs predicted change in all symptoms, while positive LEs predicted change only in negative symptoms. In contrast, symptoms rarely predicted future LEs.

Conclusions

These findings confirm that LEs have an effect on symptoms, and thus contribute to the burden of psychotic disorders. That LEs increase positive symptoms and decrease negative symptoms suggest at least two different mechanisms underlying the relationship between LEs and symptoms. Our findings underscore the need for increased symptom monitoring following negative LEs, as symptoms may worsen during that time.
Polynomial-Based Robust Adaptive Impedance Control of Electrically Driven Robots
Authors: Izadbakhsh Alireza , Khorashadizadeh Saeed
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a robust adaptive impedance controller for electrically driven robots using polynomials of degree N as a universal approximator. According to the universal approximation theorem, polynomials of degree N can approximate uncertainties including un-modeled dynamics and external disturbances. This fact is completely discussed and proved in this paper. The polynomial coefficients are estimated based on the adaptive law calculated in the stability analysis. A performance evaluation has been carried out to verify satisfactory performance of the controller. Simulation results on a two degree of freedom manipulator have been presented to guarantee its successful implementation.
Spelling and grammar
Authors: Toncic Jason
Published: November 2020

A student hovers over red-underlined text, clicks a button, and watches her errant writing replaced. The red line disappears. She continues typing, pausing to address the flagged words and phrases. When she stops typing, what appears before her is spotless – its errors coded out of existence by a modern grammar checker. Her teacher may never become aware of the artificial intelligence that has augmented her writing production. She submits her paper.
Counterterrorism in American Civil Courts: The Role ofLetelier v. Republic of Chile
Authors: McPherson Alan
Published: November 2020

The very rarity of these situations makes the legislation all the more important.

Samuel Buffone, lawyer for Isabel Letelier

On September 21, 1976, former Chilean Ambassador and Minister Orlando Letelier drove to his job in Washington, DC, in his Chevelle, accompanied by his coworkers, Ronni Moffitt and Michael Moffitt. As the Chevelle veered off Massachusetts Avenue into Sheridan Circle, the bottom of the car exploded upward, blowing off Letelier's legs and killing him within minutes. A short time after that, at George Washington Hospital, Ronni Moffitt died from a severed carotid artery. Michael Moffitt, sitting in the back, survived with minor injuries. Most observers of the brutal dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, which had overthrown Marxist President Salvador Allende in 1973 and jailed and then exiled Letelier, Allende's defense minister, pinned the crime on the Chilean despot, and the Departments of Justice and State came to the same conclusion within a few years. The assassination remains to this day the only instance of state-sponsored terrorism in Washington. In the 1970s and 1980s, it spawned several criminal lawsuits in the United States and Chile, the most important of which was not settled until 1995, and remnants of which continue to this day. In Chile, the case also inspired a wave of legal activism against impunity for human rights violations.
COVID-19: A Rural US Emergency Department Perspective
Authors: Underwood Angelika
Published: November 2020

Several aspects led to the poor control of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the US from a rural emergency department (ED) perspective. These include US residents’ attitude towards political involvement in health and civil rights; lack of enough testing kits and rapid test results, or not available at all; and personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages. These obstacles related to medical supplies and resources, and lack of coordinated approach to the pandemic in the US, are important information for retrospective disaster research to understand study limitations, extrapolate accurate and valid data, and for other countries to understand how and why the US had higher numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths compared to other countries.
Matching the Mismatch: The interaction between perceptual and conceptual cues in bilinguals’ speech perception
Authors: Wig Noelle , García-Sierra Adrián
Published: November 2020

Speech perception involves both conceptual cues and perceptual cues. These, individually, have been shown to guide bilinguals’ speech perception; but their potential interaction has been ignored. Explicitly, bilinguals have been given perceptual cues that could be predicted by the conceptual cues. Therefore, to target the perceptual-conceptual interaction, we created a restricted range of perceptual cues that either matched, or mismatched, bilinguals’ conceptual predictions based on the language context. Specifically, we designed an active speech perception task that concurrently collected electrophysiological data from Spanish–English bilinguals and English monolinguals to address the extent to which this cue interaction uniquely affects bilinguals’ speech sound perception and allocation of attentional resources. Bilinguals’ larger MMN-N2b in the mismatched context aligns with the Predictive Coding Hypothesis to suggest that bilinguals use their diverse perceptual routines to best allocate cognitive resources to perceive speech.
Understanding genetic diversity, population structure and development of a core collection of Indian accessions of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus(Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai)
Authors: Pal Saheb , Revadi Muttanna , Thontadarya RN , Reddy DC Lakshmana , Varalakshmi B. , Pandey Chithra Devi , Rao Eguru Sreenivasa
Published: November 2020

Most of the modern-day improved watermelon varieties succumb to various biotic and abiotic stresses mainly because of their narrow genetic base. Insights into the genetic diversity and population structure are crucial for broadening the genetic base and improving the adaptive value. The present experiment was conducted to study the genetic diversity and population structure of a germplasm panel comprising 336Citrullussp. accessions. Another objective was to formulate a core collection of IndianCitrullussp. accessions. Data from 23 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were used for genetic diversity and population structure analysis while both molecular and phenotypic data from 17 traits were used to formulate the core set. The markers yielded a total of 69 alleles with an average of three alleles per locus. Initially, the accessions clustered into two populations and an admixture group. Intra-population analysis revealed three and two statistically distinct subpopulations in Pop I and Pop II, respectively. The exotic collections were predominant in Pop I-A, Pop II-A and Pop II-B while the Indian accessions were preponderant in Pop I-B and Pop I-C. Pop I-B recorded the maximum magnitude of gene diversity and the highest number of alleles. The well-adapted Indian landraces could be deployed in future watermelon improvement programmes. The formulated core collection (n= 46; 23.71% of the entire collection studied) would ease in maintenance of the diversity present among indigenousCitrullussp. accessions; would ease trait search while exploring Indian diversity and can be pooled with other collection(s) to form a global core of watermelon.
‘We the heads of state …’: Pitfalls of global constitutional practice
Authors: KUNTZ FRIEDERIKE
Published: November 2020

Constitutions are social and historical artefacts that take part in the government of humans. Based on a comparison of how contemporary ‘global’ and historical ‘local’ constitutional documents establish power relations between ‘humans’ and their ‘government’, this article suggests that both types of documents involve different constitutive logics. Global constitutional documents create a ‘new normativity’ – a reversed constitution – that turns the historical relationship betweenpouvoir constituantandpouvoir constituéon its head. Such documents shift the primary responsibility for human rights from governments to humans. Research in the academic field of global constitutionalism omits this constitutional reconfiguration. By offering a more historically sensitive and reflexive account of constitutionalization, the field of global constitutionalism can realize an as yet unexplored critical potential.
Integrating fall-planted cereal cover crops and preplant herbicides for glyphosate-resistant horseweed (Conyza canadensis) management in soybean
Authors: Schramski John A. , Sprague Christy L. , Renner Karen A.
Published: November 2020

Glyphosate-resistant horseweed is difficult to manage in no-tillage crop production fields and new strategies are needed. Cover crops may provide an additional management tool but narrow establishment windows and colder growing conditions in northern climates may limit the cover crop biomass required to suppress horseweed. Field experiments were conducted in 3 site-years in Michigan to investigate the effects of two fall-planted cover crops, cereal rye and winter wheat, seeded at 67 or 135 kg ha−1, to suppress horseweed when integrated with three preplant herbicide strategies in no-tillage soybean. The preplant strategies were control (glyphosate only), preplant herbicide without residuals (glyphosate + 2,4-D), and preplant herbicide with residuals (glyphosate + 2,4-D + flumioxazin + metribuzin). Cereal rye produced 79% more biomass and provided 12% more ground cover than winter wheat in 2 site-years. Increasing seeding rate provided 41% more cover biomass in 1 site-year. Cover crops reduced horseweed density 47% to 96% and horseweed biomass by 59% to 70% compared with no cover at the time of cover crop termination. Cover crops provided no additional horseweed suppression 5 wk after soybean planting if a preplant herbicide with or without residuals was applied, but reduced horseweed biomass greater than 33% in the absence of preplant herbicides. Cover crops did not affect horseweed suppression at the time of soybean harvest or influence soybean yield. Preplant herbicide with residuals and without residuals provided at least 52% and 20% greater soybean yield compared with the control at 2 site-years, respectively. Cereal rye and winter wheat provided early-season horseweed suppression at biomass levels below 1,500 kg ha−1, lower than previously reported. This could give growers in northern climates an effective strategy for suppressing horseweed through the time of POST herbicide application while reducing selection pressure for horseweed that is resistant to more herbicide sites of action.
Palmer amaranth control, fecundity, and seed viability from soybean herbicides applied at first female inflorescence
Authors: Scruggs Eric B. , VanGessel Mark J. , Holshouser David L. , Flessner Michael L.
Published: November 2020

Palmer amaranth is an extremely troublesome weed for soybean growers because of its aggressive growth, adaptability, prolific seed production, and widespread resistance to many herbicides. Studies were initiated to determine the effects of herbicide application at first female inflorescence on Palmer amaranth control, biomass, seed production, cumulative germination, and seed viability. Enlist (2,4-D–resistant) soybean and Xtend (dicamba-resistant) soybean were planted and various combinations of either 2,4-D or dicamba with and without glufosinate and/or glyphosate were applied at first visible female Palmer amaranth inflorescence. Mixtures of 2,4-D + glufosinate and 2,4-D + glufosinate + glyphosate provided the greatest control at 4 wk after treatment in Enlist soybean. Similarly, in Xtend soybean, combinations of dicamba + glufosinate and dicamba + glufosinate + glyphosate provided the greatest control. The greatest reductions in biomass were from combinations of auxin herbicides (2,4-D or dicamba) plus glufosinate with and without glyphosate. Seed production was reduced most by treatments containing at least one effective site of action: an auxin herbicide (2,4-D or dicamba) or glufosinate. In contrast to previous research, cumulative germination and seed viability were not affected by herbicide treatments. This research indicates the efficacy of auxin herbicides or glufosinate alone and in combination to reduce the seed production of Palmer amaranth when applied at first female inflorescence. More research is needed to evaluate the full potential for applications of these herbicides at flower initiation to mitigate the evolution of herbicide resistance.
Movement Recognizes the Promises and Vulnerabilities in Pastoralism
Authors: Pardikar Rishika
Published: November 2020

With grassroots support, the Food and Agriculture Organization is moving closer to recognizing an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
Convective and Tectonic Plate Velocities in a Mixed Heating Mantle
Authors: Lenardic A. , Seales J. , Moore W. , Weller M.
Published: November 2020

Mantle convection and, by association, plate tectonics is driven by the transport of heat from a planetary interior. This heat comes from the internal energy of the mantle and from heat flowing into the base of the mantle from the core. Past investigations of such mixed mode heating have revealed unusual behavior that confounds our intuition based on end‐member cases. In particular, increased internal heating leads to a decrease in convective velocity. We investigate this behavior using a suite of numerical experiments and develop a scaling for velocity in the mixed heating case. We identify a planform transition, as internal heating increases, from sheet‐like to plume‐like downwellings that impacts heat flux and convective velocities. More significantly, we demonstrate that increased internal heating leads not only to a decrease in internal velocities but also a decrease in the velocity of the upper thermal boundary layer (a model analog of the Earth's lithosphere). This behavior is connected to boundary layer interactions and is independent of any particular rheological assumptions. In cases with a temperature‐dependent viscosity and weak plate margin analogs, increased internal heating does not cause an absolute decrease in surface velocity but does cause a decrease relative to purely bottom or internally heated cases as well as a transition to rigid‐lid behavior at high heating rates. The differences between a mixed system and end‐member cases have implications for understanding the connection between plate tectonics and mantle convection and for planetary thermal history modeling.