bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modular A4 symmetry models of neutrinos and charged leptons
Authors: Ding Gui-Jun , King Stephen F. , Liu Xiang-Gan
Published: September 2019

Abstract

We present a comprehensive analysis of neutrino mass and lepton mixing in theories with A
4 modular symmetry, where the only flavon field is the single modulus field τ, and all masses and Yukawa couplings are modular forms. Similar to previous analyses, we discuss all the simplest neutrino sectors arising from both the Weinberg operator and the type I seesaw mechanism, with lepton doublets and right-handed neutrinos assumed to be triplets of A
4. Unlike previous analyses, we allow right-handed charged leptons to transform as all combinations of 1, 1′ and 1′′ representations of A
4, using the simplest different modular weights to break the degeneracy, leading to ten different charged lepton Yukawa matrices, instead of the usual one. This implies ten different Weinberg models and thirty different type I seesaw models, which we analyse in detail. We find that fourteen models for both NO and IO neutrino mass ordering can accommodate the data, as compared to one in previous analyses, providing many new possibilities.
On Itzykson-Zuber Ansatz
Authors: Zhang Qingsheng , Zhou Jian
Published: September 2019

Abstract

We apply the renormalized coupling constants and Virasoro constraints to derive the Itzykson-Zuber Ansatz on the form of the free energy in 2D topological gravity. We also treat the 1D topological gravity and the Hermitian one-matrix models in the same fashion. Some uniform behaviors are discovered in this approach.
Uniqueness from locality and BCFW shifts
Authors: Rodina Laurentiu
Published: September 2019

Abstract

We introduce a BCFW shift that can be used to recursively build the full YangMills tree-level amplitude as a function of polarization vectors. Furthermore, in line with the recent results of [1], we conjecture that the Yang-Mills tree-level scattering amplitude is uniquely fixed by locality and demanding the usual asymptotic behavior under a sufficient number of shifts. Unitarity therefore emerges from locality and constructability. We prove this statement at the leading order in the soft expansion.
Uniqueness from gauge invariance and the Adler zero
Authors: Rodina Laurentiu
Published: September 2019

Abstract

In this paper we provide detailed proofs for some of the uniqueness results presented in ref. [1]. We show that: (1) Yang-Mills and General Relativity tree-level amplitudes are completely determined by gauge invariance in n − 1 particles, with minimal assumptions on the singularity structure; (2) scalar non-linear sigma model and Dirac-Born-Infeld tree-level amplitudes are fixed by imposing full locality and the Adler zero condition (vanishing in the single soft limit) on n − 1 particles. We complete the proofs by showing uniqueness order by order in the single soft expansion for Yang-Mills and General Relativity, and the double soft expansion for NLSM and DBI. We further present evidence for a greater conjecture regarding Yang-Mills amplitudes, that a maximally constrained gauge invariance alone leads to both locality and unitarity, without any assumptions on the existence of singularities. In this case the solution is not unique, but a linear combination of amplitude numerators.
In-vitro-Exposition humaner Nasenschleimhautzellen und Lymphozyten mit Schnupftabak
Authors: Bunk S. , Übelacker L. , Scherzad A. , Hochstöger J. , Poier N. , Hackenberg S. , Kleinsasser N.
Published: September 2019

Hintergrund

Die Studienlage zu Kautabak und Zigarettenrauch ist eindeutig und zeigt karzinogenes Potenzial. Über Schnupftabak ist hingegen wenig bekannt, v. a. auf zellulärer Ebene gibt es keine ausreichenden wissenschaftlichen Publikationen. Somit lässt sich die eventuell mutagene Wirkung von Schnupftabak nur schwer einschätzen. In Konsequenz stützt sich die WHO in ihrer Einstufung des Schnupftabaks als nicht karzinogen auf eine sehr eingeschränkte Datenlage.

Ziel

Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, Schnupftabak auf mögliche zyto- und genotoxische Effekte auf humane Lymphozyten und Nasenschleimhautzellen zu untersuchen um ggf. tumorinitiierende Effekte darzustellen.

Material und Methoden

Eingesetzt wurden eine Schnupftabaksorte ohne Menthol und eine Sorte mit Mentholzusatz. Die benötigten Nasenschleimhautzellen und Lymphozyten wurden von 10 Probanden gewonnen und eine Stunde lang mit einem Schnupftabak-DMSO-Gemisch (2000 µg/ml bis 0,01 µg/ml) inkubiert. Zur Analyse wurde der Trypanblau-Test, der Comet-Assay und der Mikrokerntest verwendet.

Ergebnis

Der Trypanblau-Test zeigte keinen Abfall der Vitalität. Beim Comet-Assay ergab sich bei Lymphozyten ein signifikanter Anstieg der DNA-Fragmentierung ab 100 µg/ml, bei Nasenschleimhautzellen ab 1000 µg/ml. Der Mikrokerntest wies keine signifikante Zunahme der Mikrokerne auf. Es konnte kein Unterschied zwischen den beiden Tabaksorten aufgezeigt werden.

Diskussion

Es zeigte sich eine Schädigung der Erbsubstanz im Comet-Assay, die möglicherweise reparabel ist. Irreparable DNA-Schäden im Sinne von Mikrokernen wurden nicht gefunden. Nach diesen Ergebnissen muss die Einstufung der WHO in Zweifel gezogen werden. Untersuchungen mit weiteren Endpunkten der Genotoxizität sind somit gerechtfertigt, um zu einer fundierten Beurteilung des Risikopotenzials von Schnupftabak zu gelangen.
Intersexual conflict influences female reproductive success in a female-dispersing primate
Authors: Manguette Marie L. , Robbins Andrew M. , Breuer Thomas , Stokes Emma J. , Parnell Richard J. , Robbins Martha M.
Published: September 2019

In group-living mammals, individual efforts to maximize reproductive success result in conflicts and compromises between the sexes. Females utilize counterstrategies to minimize the costs of sexual coercion by males, but few studies have examined the effect of such behaviors on female reproductive success. Secondary dispersal by females is rare among group-living mammals, but in western gorillas, it is believed to be a mate choice strategy to minimize infanticide risk and infant mortality. Previous research suggested that females choose males that are good protectors. However, how much female reproductive success varies depending on male competitive ability and whether female secondary dispersal leads to reproductive costs or benefits has not been examined. We used data on 100 females and 229 infants in 36 breeding groups from a 20-year long-term study of wild western lowland gorillas to investigate whether male tenure duration and female transfer rate had an effect on interbirth interval, female birth rates, and offspring mortality. We found that offspring mortality was higher near the end of males’ tenures, even after excluding potential infanticide when those males died, suggesting that females suffer a reproductive cost by being with males nearing the end of their tenures. Females experience a delay in breeding when they dispersed, having a notable effect on birth rates of surviving offspring per female if females transfer multiple times in their lives. This study exemplifies that female counterstrategies to mitigate the effects of male-male competition and sexual coercion may not be sufficient to overcome the negative consequences of male behavior.

Significance

Individual reproductive success is maximized through conflicts and compromises between the sexes in social mammals. In species with high dimorphism, females can experience sexual coercion by males and develop counterstrategies to reduce these costs. We studied this link in western lowland gorillas, which exhibit female secondary dispersal, a strategy that is believed to reflect female choice for the protective abilities of males. We found that females are faced with the dilemma of staying with a silverback at the end of his tenure and risk higher infant mortality versus dispersing and suffering reproductive delays and lower birth rates. This study shows that female reproductive strategies, namely dispersal, used to counter the effects of sexual coercion by males are not sufficient to overcome the negative consequences of male behavior.
Biochemical Profile Affects IOPTH Kinetics and Cure Rate in Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Graves Claire E. , McManus Catherine M. , Chabot John A. , Lee James A. , Kuo Jennifer H.
Published: September 2019

Background

Recently, normocalcemic (NC) and normohormonal (NH) variants of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) have been described, with distinct biochemical profiles from the typical high serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Here, we investigate whether biochemical profile affects cure rate, as well as the kinetics of intraoperative PTH (IOPTH).

Methods

This is a single‐center, retrospective study of pHPT patients undergoing parathyroidectomy. Patients were grouped based on preoperative calcium and PTH levels into typical, NC (normal calcium, elevated PTH, no evidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism), and NH (elevated calcium, unsuppressed PTH) biochemical profiles. All patients had IOPTH monitoring and ≥6‐month post‐op serum studies to confirm surgical cure. Patient variables were analyzed with Kruskal–Wallis test and Chi‐square analysis. IOPTH kinetic curves were analyzed using a linear mixed model.

Results

From June 2006 to October 2014, 646 patients met inclusion criteria. Biochemical profile was typical in 460 patients (71%), NC in 101 (16%), and NH in 85 (13%). IOPTH levels were higher at all time points in typical patients, p < 0.001. Surgical cure rates were significantly lower for NC patients (90.1%) than for typical (98.5%) or NH patients (97.7%), p < 0.001, although a stricter criteria for cure was used in this group (normal calcium AND normal PTH). In a multivariable linear mixed model, NC patients had a significantly slower rate of IOPTH decline (p < 0.001 at 10 min).

Conclusions

Here, we better characterize the atypical variants of pHPT. Using a stricter definition of cure in the NC variant, these patients have a lower surgical cure rate than typical or NH variants in pHPT. The IOPTH curve is affected by biochemical profile, with both NC and NH patients having lower absolute values and NC patients having a slower decline.
Sex‐Based Differences in Inpatient Burn Mortality
Authors: Williams Felicia N. , Strassle Paula D. , Knowlin Laquanda , Napravnik Sonia , van Duin David , Charles Anthony , Nizamani Rabia , Jones Samuel W. , Cairns Bruce A.
Published: September 2019

Background

Among burn patients, research is conflicted, but may suggest that females are at increased risk of mortality, despite the opposite being true in non‐burn trauma. Our objective was to determine whether sex‐based differences in burn mortality exist, and assess whether patient demographics, comorbid conditions, and injury characteristics explain said differences.

Methods

Adult patients admitted with burn injury—including inhalation injury only—between 2004 and 2013 were included. Inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTW) and inverse probability of censor weights (IPCW) were calculated using admit year, patient demographics, comorbid conditions, and injury characteristics to adjust for potential confounding and informative censoring. Standardized Kaplan–Meier survival curves, weighted by both IPTW and IPCW, were used to estimate the 30‐day and 60‐day risk of inpatient mortality across sex.

Results

Females were older (median age 44 vs. 41 years old, p < 0.0001) and more likely to be Black (32% vs. 25%, p < 0.0001), have diabetes (14% vs. 10%, p < 0.0001), pulmonary disease (14% vs. 7%, p < 0.0001), heart failure (4% vs. 2%, p = 0.001), scald burns (45% vs. 26%, p < 0.0001), and inhalational injuries (10% vs. 8%, p = 0.04). Even after weighting, females were still over twice as likely to die after 60 days (RR 2.87, 95% CI 1.09, 7.51).

Conclusion

Female burn patients have a significantly higher risk of 60‐day mortality, even after accounting for demographics, comorbid conditions, burn size, and inhalational injury. Future research efforts and treatments to attenuate mortality should account for these sex‐based differences. The project was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Grant Number UL1TR001111.
Enabling Community Health Worker Recognition and Referral of Surgical Diseases: Pilot Study Results of a Pictorial Guide
Authors: Gualy Sebastian , Herrera Christopher , Warden Clara , Valle Tyron , Barnum Jeanie , Colman Bessy , Siu Armando , Swanson Jordan W.
Published: September 2019

Background

Access to surgical care is a pressing challenge, particularly for vulnerable populations. Informal and formal community health workers (CHWs), including lay people, increasingly function in pivotal roles in primary care, however, remain disconnected from surgical care in most environments. This study examined the degree to which CHW understanding of surgical conditions could be improved through the use of a pictorially based manual.

Methods

A manual and associated situational problem‐solving questionnaire instrument were developed and contextualized through focus groups in Central America. A baseline assessment was obtained. In the program implementation, cohorts of formal and informal CHWs were introduced and trained to use the manual through a short curriculum. Assessment was repeated in program implementation, first with access to relevant manual content only, and then after the teaching session. Participants were also surveyed about manual scheme, usability, and utility.

Results

A total of 100 subjects (67% female) participated in baseline assessment, and 403 subjects (68% female) were assessed through the program implementation. Baseline problem‐solving averaged 11.8 (SD 2.46) out of a possible 20 points. Mean score increased to 15.4 (SD 3.10) when participants had access to relevant surgical manual content and again to 15.9 (SD 3.09, p < 0.0001) following participation with an instructive curriculum. Participant score while utilizing the manual correlated with amount of education completed (r = 0.26), but baseline score did not. High readability 389 (96%) and high self‐reported willingness for use 398 (96%) were noted.

Conclusion

Baseline familiarity with surgically treatable conditions appears modest among rural Central American populations, and improves with access to a contextualized, pictorial manual focused on recognizing and appropriately referring surgical conditions.
Lymph node ratio (LNR) as a complementary staging system to TNM staging in salivary gland cancer
Authors: Lei Bo-Wen , Hu Jia-Qian , Yu Peng-Cheng , Wang Yu-Long , Wei Wen-Jun , Zhu Ji , Shi Xiao , Qu Ning , Lu Zhong-Wu , Ji Qing-Hai
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The role of lymph node ratio (LNR, ratio of metastatic to examined nodes) in the staging of multiple human malignancies has been reported. We aim to evaluate its value in salivary gland cancer (SGC).

Methods

Records of SGC patients from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (SEER, training set, N = 4262) and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC, validating set, N = 154) were analyzed for the prognostic value of LNR. Kaplan–Meier survival estimates, the Log-rank χ2 test and Cox proportional hazards model were used for univariate and multivariate analysis. Optimal LNR cutoff points were identified by X-tile.

Results

Optimal LNR cutoff points classified patients into four risk groups, R0, R1 (≤ 0.17), R2 (0.17–0.56) and R3 (> 0.56), corresponding to 5-year cause-specific survival in SEER patients of 88.6%, 57.2%, 53.1% and 39.7%, disease-free survival in FUSCC patients of 69.2%, 63.3%, 34.6% and 0%, and disease-specific survival in FUSCC patients of 92.3%, 90.0%, 71.4% and 0%, respectively. Compared with TNM staging, TNM + R staging showed smaller AIC values and higher C-index values in the Cox regression model in both patient sets.

Conclusions

LNR classification should be considered as a complementary system to TNM staging and LNR classification based clinical trials deserve further research.
MR-imaging pattern is not a predictor of occult atrial fibrillation in patients with cryptogenic stroke
Authors: Vollmuth C. , Stoesser S. , Neugebauer H. , Hansel A. , Dreyhaupt J. , Ludolph A. C. , Kassubek J. , Althaus K.
Published: September 2019

Background

To date, insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) are the most effective method for the detection of occult atrial fibrillation (AF) in cryptogenic stroke. The overall detection rate after 12 months, however, is low and ranges between 12.4 and 33.3%, even if clinical predictors are considered. Ischemic stroke patients due to cardiogenic embolism present with particular lesion patterns. In patients with cryptogenic stroke, MR-imaging pattern may be a valuable predictor for AF.

Methods

This is an MRI-based, retrospective, observational, comparative, single-center study of 104 patients who underwent ICM implantation after cryptogenic stroke. The findings were compared to a reference group with related stroke etiology, i.e., 166 patients with embolic stroke due to AF detected for the first time by long-term ECG. Lesion patterns were evaluated with regard to affected territories, distribution (cortical, lacunar, scattered), lesion volume, and lesion size (diameter of the lesion size > 20 mm).

Results

The MR-imaging analysis of acute ischemic lesions yielded no association between AF and lesion size or volume, arterial vessel distribution, or the number of affected territories. There was no significant difference between the cohorts regarding ischemic patterns (cortical lesions, scattered lesions, and lacunar infarcts). An important clinical inference of our findings is that 10% (2 of 20) of cases in the ICM group in whom AF was detected had a lacunar infarct pattern. Similar results were shown in cases of ischemic stroke patients with AF detected for the first time by long-term ECG, with 10.9% (16 of 147) of them showing lacunar infarcts. The analysis of chronic MRI lesions revealed no differences between the groups in the rate of chronic lesions, arterial vessel distribution, or the number of affected territories. Left atrial size (LA size) and the presence of atrial runs in long-term ECG were independently associated with AF.

Conclusions

In this MRI-based analysis of patients with cryptogenic stroke who had received ICM implantation, the detection rate of AF in patients with ICM was not related to the imaging pattern. In addition, the lacunar infarct pattern should not be an exclusion criterion for ICM insertion in patients with cryptogenic stroke. ICM insertion in patients with cryptogenic stroke should not be evaluated solely on the basis of reference to infarct patterns.
A Defence of Voluntary Sterilisation
Authors: McQueen Paddy
Published: September 2019

Many women identify sterilisation as their preferred form of contraception. However, their requests to be sterilised are frequently denied by doctors. Given a commitment to ensuring women’s reproductive autonomy, can these denials be justified? To answer this question, I assess the most commonly reported reasons for a denied sterilisation request: that the woman is too young, that she is child-free, that she will later regret her decision, and that it will lower her well-being. I argue that these worries are misplaced and hence insufficient reasons for denying a request. I also argue that even if concern for patient welfare provides doctors with a valid reason to withhold sterilisation, this is overriden by respect for patient autonomy and the importance of enabling women’s reproductive control. Consequently, I suggest that adequately informed, decision-competent women should have their requests for sterilisation agreed to, even if they are young and/or child-free. In addition, I examine the impact of pronatalism on how women’s requests are understood and responded to by doctors. I show that the equation of women with motherhood can make it unjustifiably hard for them to access sterilisation, especially if they are child-free. Consequently, part of ensuring women’s access to sterilisation involves challenging pronatalist beliefs and practices.
Contextual Responses to Affirmative and/or Reversed-Worded Items
Authors: Böckenholt Ulf
Published: September 2019

This paper presents a systematic investigation of how affirmative and polar-opposite items presented either jointly or separately affect yea-saying tendencies. We measure these yea-saying tendencies with item response models that estimate a respondent’s tendency to give a “yea”-response that may be unrelated to the target trait. In a re-analysis of the Zhang et al. (PLoS ONE, 11:1–15, 2016) data, we find that yea-saying tendencies depend on whether items are presented as part of a scale that contains affirmative and/or polar-opposite items. Yea-saying tendencies are stronger for affirmative than for polar-opposite items. Moreover, presenting polar-opposite items together with affirmative items creates lower yea-saying tendencies for polar-opposite items than when presented in isolation. IRT models that do not account for these yea-saying effects arrive at a two-dimensional representation of the target trait. These findings demonstrate that the contextual information provided by an item scale can serve as a determinant of differential item functioning.
Anisotropy extraction using a deviated well in the Mahanadi Basin, East Coast of India
Authors: Mukherjee Biplab Kumar , Karthikeyan G. , Rawat Karanpal , Srivastava Hari
Published: September 2019

Shale is the primary rock type in the shallow marine section of the Mahanadi Basin, East Coast of India. Shale, being intrinsically anisotropic, always affects the seismic data. Anisotropy derived from seismic and VSP has lower resolution and mostly based on P wave. The workflow discussed here uses Gardner equation to derive vertical velocity and uses a nonlinear fitting to extract the Thomsen’s parameters using both the P wave and S wave data. These parameters are used to correct the sonic log of a deviated well as well as anisotropic AVO response of the reservoir. The presence of negative delta was observed, which is believed to be affected by the presence of chloride and illite in the rock matrix. This correction can be used to update the velocity model for time–depth conversion and pore pressure modelling.
Enterovirus A71 capsid protein VP1 increases blood–brain barrier permeability and virus receptor vimentin on the brain endothelial cells
Authors: Wang Wenjing , Sun Jiandong , Wang Nan , Sun Zhixiao , Ma Qiyun , Li Jun , Zhang Mingshun , Xu Juan
Published: September 2019

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is the major cause of severe hand-foot-and-mouth diseases (HFMD), especially encephalitis and other nervous system diseases. EV-A71 capsid protein VP1 mediates virus attachment and is the important virulence factor in the EV-A71pathogenesis. In this study, we explored the roles of VP1 in the permeability of blood–brain barrier (BBB). Sera albumin, Evans blue, and dextran leaked into brain parenchyma of the 1-week-old C57BL/6J mice intracranially injected with VP1 recombinant protein. VP1 also increased the permeability of the brain endothelial cells monolayer, an in vitro BBB model. Tight junction protein claudin-5 was reduced in the brain tissues or brain endothelial cells treated with VP1. In contrast, VP1 increased the expression of virus receptor vimentin, which could be blocked with VP1 neutralization antibody. Vimentin expression in the VP1-treated brain endothelial cells was regulated by TGF-β/Smad-3 and NF-κB signal pathways. Moreover, vimentin over-expression was accompanied with compromised BBB. From these studies, we conclude that EV-A71 virus capsid protein VP1 disrupted BBB and increased virus receptor vimentin, which both may contribute to the virus entrance into brain and EV-A71 CNS infection.
Lokale behandeling bij het primair gemetastaseerd prostaatcarcinoom
Authors: Boevé Liselotte M. S. , Hulshof Maarten C. C. M. , Vis André N. , de Vries Peter , van Moorselaar R. Jeroen A. , Witjes Wim P. J. , Verhagen Paul C. M. S. , van Andel George
Published: September 2019

Samenvatting

Nog steeds heeft een substantieel deel van de patiënten met prostaatcarcinoom reeds metastasen ten tijde van het stellen van de diagnose. Uit recente literatuur blijkt dat bij deze patiënten lokale radiotherapie van de prostaat geadviseerd dient te worden, mits zij een lage metastaselast hebben (volgens de CHAARTED-criteria). In dit artikel wordt de beschikbare literatuur hieromtrent besproken.
Super-strong and Intrinsically Fluorescent Silkworm Silk from Carbon Nanodots Feeding
Authors: Fan Suna , Zheng Xiaoting , Zhan Qi , Zhang Huihui , Shao Huili , Wang Jiexin , Cao Chengbo , Zhu Meifang , Wang Dan , Zhang Yaopeng
Published: September 2019

Fluorescent silk is fundamentally important for the development of future tissue engineering scaffolds. Despite great progress in the preparation of a variety of colored silks, fluorescent silk with enhanced mechanical properties has yet to be explored. In this study, we report on the fabrication of intrinsically super-strong fluorescent silk by feeding Bombyx mori silkworm carbon nanodots (CNDs). The CNDs were incorporated into silk fibroin, hindering the conformation transformation, confining crystallization, and inducing orientation of mesophase. The resultant silk exhibited super-strong mechanical properties with breaking strength of 521.9 ± 82.7 MPa and breaking elongation of 19.2 ± 4.3%, improvements of 55.1% and 53.6%, respectively, in comparison with regular silk. The CNDs-reinforced silk displayed intrinsic blue fluorescence when exposed to 405 nm laser and exhibited no cytotoxic effect on cells, suggesting that multi-functional silks would be potentially useful in bioimaging and other applications.
De.mem advances its hollow-fibre ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membrane technology
Authors: Kroell Andreas , Chua David
Published: September 2019

The introduction of different products supports De.mem Ltd's strategy of developing a portfolio of membranes, and helps to strengthen its customer-base and broaden revenue streams. In addition to licensing proprietary technologies, the Singaporean–Australian water and wastewater treatment business is actively pursuing proprietary technology by further advancing hollow-fibre ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes that it is developing in-house, as this article explains.
Women on Company Boards: Equality Meets Subsidiarity
Authors: HAVELKOVÁ Barbara
Published: September 2019

This article explores the justifications for, and objections to, the proposed European Union ‘women on company boards’ Directive. It notes that Member State opposition to the measure had different emphases. The new, post-socialist Member States that intervened prominently questioned the Commission's understanding of the underlying social reality of gender inequality and the measure's focus on results, while the old Member States that intervened raised mainly the issue of subsidiarity and challenged the need for legislative action, and/or particularly the need for legislative action at EU level. The article further argues that the Commission weakened its case by emphasising economic rationales for the measure, and submits that a principled justification fits the proposal better. Finally, the article argues that subsidiarity-related arguments are available also to justify non-cross-border, non-economic projects, such as that of gender equality.
NATURAL DISASTERS AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: THE CASE OF JAPAN AND THE 2011 TRIPLE DISASTER
Authors: Jenkins Matthew D.
Published: September 2019

What effect do natural disasters have on political participation? Some argue that natural disasters decrease political participation because of the way they reduce individual and group resources. Others argue that they stimulate political participation by creating new social norms. Previous studies have been limited both by their focus on a specific disaster type and a lack of regional variation. This article advances the literature by assessing the effect of the 2011 triple disaster in Japan on political participation at both the individual and district level. Drawing on multiple sources of data, I use a difference-in-differences identification strategy to show that the 2011 triple disaster in Japan resulted in a 6 percent increase in participation in political groups in regions heavily affected by the disaster, and a 2.5 percent increase in voter turnout in districts in prefectures that were significantly affected by the disaster. The results also show that the effect at the individual level is largely confined to individuals with large social networks, suggesting that the effect of natural disasters on political participation is a combination of their direct and indirect impact on variables that operate through different subpopulations. Directions for future studies are suggested.
Future retreat of Great Aletsch Glacier
Authors: Jouvet Guillaume , Huss Matthias
Published: September 2019

We model the future evolution of the largest glacier of the European Alps – Great Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland – during the 21st century. For that purpose we use a detailed three-dimensional model, which combines full Stokes ice dynamics and surface mass balance forced with the most recent climate projections (CH2018), as well as with climate data of the last decades. As a result, all CH2018 climate scenarios yield a major glacier retreat: Results range from a loss of 60% of today's ice volume by 2100 for a moderate CO2 emission scenario (RCP2.6) being in line with the Paris agreement to an almost complete wastage of the ice for the most extreme emission scenario (RCP8.5). Our model results also provide evidence that half of the mass loss is already committed under the climate conditions of the last decade.
Lisvane's Legacy? Constitutional reform in the Isle of Man
Authors: Edge Peter W
Published: September 2019

The Isle of Man is a largely autonomous dependent territory of the UK. In 2016, Lord Lisvane was commissioned to report on the functioning of the principal organ of governance, the Tynwald. This Lisvane Review has led to substantial constitutional reform within this small democracy, particularly in relation to the unelected second chamber of Tynwald, the Legislative Council. This reflects an ancient tension within the Manx constitution between the House of Keys, since the mid-nineteenth century a directly elected chamber, and the unelected Legislative Council. The Lisvane period saw important changes to the composition and powers of the Legislative Council, as well as gender diversity within Tynwald as a whole. Placing the Manx experience within a broader small democracy theoretical and comparative framework demonstrates not only the possibility of constitutional reform, but also provides insights into resources for constitutional development, the special challenges of managing intimacy, and the dangers of over-concentration of power in a small democracy.
Higher homotopy associativity in the Harris decomposition of Lie groups
Authors: Kishimoto Daisuke , Miyauchi Toshiyuki
Published: September 2019

For certain pairs of Lie groups (G, H) and primes p, Harris showed a relation of the p-localized homotopy groups of G and H. This is reinterpreted as a p-local homotopy equivalence G ≃ (p)H × G/H, and so there is a projection G(p) → H(p). We show how much this projection preserves the higher homotopy associativity.
Association between obesity phenotypes in adolescents and adult metabolic syndrome: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study
Authors: Asghari Golaleh , Hosseinpanah Farhad , Serahati Sara , Haghi Shadi , Azizi Fereidoun
Published: September 2019

Obesity phenotypes can be regarded as an indicator of CVD risk factors. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of adolescents with different obesity phenotypes and the role of obesity phenotypes in prediction of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults. For this population-based cohort study, 2159 adolescents aged 11–18 years were included. Subjects were divided into four obesity phenotype groups: metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), metabolically healthy obese (MHO), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW) and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO). Cox proportional hazard modelling was used to estimate the incidence of the MetS in adults after a median follow-up of 11·3 years. The incidence rate of the MetS in early adulthood was 111·6 (95 % CI 98·7, 126·3) per 10 000 person-years, with higher values in boys (210·1 (95 % CI 183·0, 241·3)), compared with girls (39·7 (95 % CI 30·2, 52·1)). In the age- and adult BMI-adjusted model, the hazard ratio of the MetS in adulthood for boys was 3·33 (95 % CI 2·08, 5·32) among MUO phenotype followed less than 6 years, 1·71 (95 % CI 1·01, 2·90) among MHO, and 2·52 (95 % CI 1·72, 3·68) among MUNW. All associations were attenuated in girls except for MUO phenotype followed less than 6 years (5·72 (95 % CI 2·14, 15·3)). In conclusion, MUNW and MHO phenotypes in boys, but not in girls, and MUO phenotype in both sexes with less than 6 years of follow-up increased the risk of adult MetS compared with MHNW. It seems that lack of obesity at least in boys does not protect them from MetS development in adulthood.
Effects of energy sources and inclusion levels of concentrate in sugarcane-silage-based diets of finishing Nellore young bulls: Nutrient digestibility, rumen metabolism and ecosystem
Authors: Ferrari V. B. , Cônsolo N. R. B. , Sousa R. T. , Souza J. M. , Bueno I. C. S. , Silva L. F. P.
Published: September 2019

Intake in sugar-rich diets can be limited either via rumen fill or excessive rumen fermentation and source of non-fibre carbohydrate (NFC) in the diet can affect both factors. The aim of the current study was to quantify the effect of partially replacing ground maize (GM) with steam-rolled maize (SRM) or pelleted citrus pulp (PCP) at two concentrate levels in sugarcane-based diets on digestibility, rumen ecosystem and metabolism of Nellore steers. Six rumen-cannulated steers were assigned to a 6 × 6 Latin square, replicated in time, in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments with two levels of concentrate (600 or 800 g concentrate/kg dry matter [DM]) and three NFC sources. Each steer within a period was considered an experimental unit. Feeding more concentrate increased total tract digestibility of organic matter and decreased fibre intake and passage rate. It also reduced rumen populations ofFibrobacter succinogenesandStreptococcus bovisand increasedRuminococcus flavefaciens. Substituting PCP for GM increased rumen pH, acetic acid and organic matter digestibility. Feeding PCP also reducedR. flavefaciensandR. amylophilusrumen populations. Substituting SRM for GM increased starch digestibility and rumen propionic acid, but decreased rumen ammonia concentration. Feeding SRM increased rumen populations ofMegasphaera elsdeniiwith the high-concentrate diet but reducedRuminococcus albuspopulations at both concentrate levels. In conclusion, partial replacement of GM by PCP decreased intake in sugar-rich diets, while increasing total tract neutral detergent fibre digestibility. Replacement of GM with SRM increases rumen fermentation and total tract digestibility of starch.
Cognitive paths from trauma to posttraumatic stress disorder: a prospective study of Ehlers and Clark's model in survivors of assaults or road traffic collisions
Authors: Beierl Esther T. , Böllinghaus Inga , Clark David M. , Glucksman Edward , Ehlers Anke
Published: September 2019

Background

Individual differences in cognitive responses to trauma may represent modifiable risk factors that could allow early identification, targeted early treatment and possibly prevention of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ehlers and Clark's cognitive model of PTSD suggests that negative appraisals, disjointed trauma memories, and unhelpful coping strategies maintain PTSD. These are thought to be influenced by cognitive processing during trauma. The aim of this study was to test this model prospectively with path analyses.

Methods

Participants (N = 828) were recruited from an emergency department following injury in a violent assault or road traffic collision and 700 participated in the 6-month assessments. Cognitive processing was assessed shortly after the event, negative appraisals, disjointed memories, and unhelpful coping strategies at 1 month, persistent PTSD symptom severity at 6 months, and early PTSD symptom severity at 2 weeks.

Results

Cognitive variables, with trauma type and gender, explained 52% of the variance in PTSD symptom severity at 6 months. Including early symptom severity in the model did not explain more variance (53%). Early PTSD symptom severity, with trauma type and gender, only predicted 40%. Negative appraisals and disjointed memories predicted persistent symptom severity both directly and indirectly via unhelpful strategies. Peritraumatic processing predicted persistent symptom severity mainly indirectly. The effects of trauma type and gender were fully mediated by the cognitive factors.

Conclusions

The results are consistent with theoretically derived predictions and support cognitive factors as indicators of risk for chronic PTSD and as a target for the treatment and prevention of PTSD.
Rationalism, optimism, and the moral mind
Authors: Gibson Quinn Hiroshi
Published: September 2019

I welcome many of the conclusions of May's book, but I offer a suggestion – and with it what I take to be a complementary strategy – concerning the core commitments of rationalism across the domains of moral psychology in the hopes of better illuminating why a rationalist picture of the mind can deliver us from pessimism.
Moral principles in May's Regard for Reason in the Moral Mind
Authors: Marshall Colin
Published: September 2019

Joshua May offers four principles that might serve as the rational foundations of moral judgments. I argue that these principles, if they are independent of affect, are too weak to be the basis of any substantive moral judgment and do not fit with the idea that morality is categorical.
Promoting adherence to organised physical activity among socially disadvantaged older people
Authors: Nau Tracy , Nolan Genevieve , Smith Ben J.
Published: September 2019

Group-based physical activity (PA) in community-based settings represents a promising avenue for promoting healthy ageing, however, lower levels of adherence have been found to be associated with aspects of social disadvantage. Providers are in a key position to provide important insights about strategies to improve adherence, however, few studies have examined their perspectives. In this study, 30 community service providers were interviewed, and 42 older people participated in focus groups to identify actions perceived as effective for promoting adherence to organised PA, with a focus on factors relevant to older people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage, social isolation, living with a disability or from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Data were analysed thematically. Adherence barriers included deteriorating health, lack of belonging and loss of motivation. Helpful strategies for addressing deteriorating health included maintaining programme flexibility, facilitating access to health and other services, and supporting participants to adapt to acquired limitations. Belonging can be fostered by creating positive and inclusive experiences, ensuring safe and stigma-free environments, providing opportunities to forge personal connections and demonstrating care. Motivation may be enhanced by ensuring activities are of interest and functional benefit, programme settings are suitable and appealing, and enjoyment is prioritised. In conclusion, a range of strategies is likely to be necessary to mitigate risks to adherence and support continued participation in organised PA among socially disadvantaged older people.
TINCTORIS AND SIGNA CONGRUENTIAE: A NEW PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Whittaker Adam
Published: September 2019

The notational treatises of Johannes Tinctoris are among the most important texts on late fifteenth-century musical practice. His monumental treatise on the art of counterpoint, De arte contrapuncti, affords modern scholars a great insight into the intricacies of counterpoint practice on the cusp of the era of printed music theory. In the examples for this text, Tinctoris regularly uses additional markers to specify the key passages he is discussing. These signs often closely resemble signa congruentiae, though their function in these theoretical contexts is somewhat different from the deployment of such symbols in practical music sources. This article re-examines the historical justification for the term signa congruentiae, offering a new perspective on Tinctoris’s usage of such signs to explicate the rich text–example relationship underpinning his theoretical arguments and drawing attention to some novel uses of these signs that underpin these relationships.
Defining capacity building in the context of HTA: a proposal by the HTAi Scientific Development and Capacity Building Committee
Authors: Pichler Franz , Oortwijn Wija , Ruether Alric , Trowman Rebecca
Published: September 2019

Objectives

To develop a definition of “capacity building” relevant to Health Technology Assessment international (HTAi).

Methods

A review of capacity building activities undertaken by HTAi members, members of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA), and regional HTA networks was compared against general literature on capacity building definitions and frameworks. The findings were reviewed by the HTAi Scientific Development and Capacity Building Committee. Furthermore, the Executive Committee and Interest Groups of HTAi provided input on the draft final paper.

Results

The literature demonstrated the need for a definition of capacity building specific to HTA. In the context of HTAi, it was necessary for the definition to cover (i) the broadest range of HTA-related activities, (ii) multiple stakeholders involved in the HTA process, and (iii) the spectrum of activities that compose capacity building. We propose the following definition of HTA capacity building: The process by which individuals and organizations develop or strengthen abilities related to understanding, providing input to, conducting, or utilizing HTA for health policy and decision making, as well as, developing awareness and support in the environment within which HTA is being used.

Conclusion

A definition of HTA-related capacity building that was intended to provide clarity about what this term means to HTAi was developed. As HTA is context-dependent, a need for further work to develop an operationalization “menu” relevant to the specific needs in which HTA is being used was identified.
Tackling Local Protectionism in Enforcing Foreign Arbitral Awards in China: An Empirical Study of the Supreme People's Court's Review Decisions,1995–2015
Authors: Shen Wei , Shang Shu
Published: September 2019

In an effort to fight against local protectionism in court enforcement proceedings, China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) promulgated its “Notice on relevant issues pertaining to the people's court handling foreign and foreign-related arbitration” in 1995. Pursuant to this Notice, all Intermediate People's Courts have to report to the SPC and obtain its approval for any decision not to enforce a foreign or foreign-related arbitral award. However, the effectiveness of this internal reporting mechanism in constraining local protectionism has never been empirically tested. This study is based on 98 publicly available non-enforcement reply opinions rendered by the SPC after lower courts have made and reported preliminary non-enforcement decisions. It analyses whether these non-enforcement decisions show any pattern of local protectionism. Statistical results do not suggest that local protectionism is a major barrier hindering effective enforcement of foreign or foreign-related arbitral awards in China. We therefore contend that this internal reporting system may serve other functions by providing an alternative tool to reinforce judicial oversight in spite of China's weak appellant system. At the same time, the Chinese government seems to rely on this internal reporting system to achieve important policy goals. In this sense, analysing the functionality of this internal reporting system offers insights into this mechanism for top-level judicial control.
The National Environmental Policy Act and the Battle for Control of Environmental Policy
Authors: Hart John
Published: September 2019

In 1969, a public debate between President Nixon and Congress took place during the legislative passage of the National Environmental Policy Act and centered on two very different and competing conceptions of how presidential advice should be organized in the Executive Office of the President. It focused on the proposed establishment of the Council on Environmental Quality. The outcome of the ensuing battle represented a complete victory for congressional interests against the expressed wishes of the president. The nature of the debate has been overlooked in the literature on the presidency, but it highlights fundamental issues about agency design and presidential control of the institutional presidency. It also highlights broader concerns about the degree of congressional involvement in shaping the Executive Office of the President.
Social Welfare at the End of the World: How the Mormons Created an Alternative to the New Deal and Helped Build Modern Conservatism
Authors: Powell Randy
Published: September 2019

It is common for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be considered one of the most conservative religious groups in the United States. What is less well understood is as to when the relationship between Mormonism and American conservatism began. While some historians point to the social upheavals in the 1960s and 1970s as the glue that united Mormons and conservatives, the connection began decades earlier during the Great Depression. Leaders of the Mormon Church interpreted Roosevelt’s New Deal as the fulfillment of eschatological prophecy. Envisioning themselves saving America and the Constitution at the world’s end, Mormon authorities established their own welfare program to inspire Latter-day Saints and Americans in general to eschew the New Deal. Anti–New Dealers used the Mormon welfare plan to construct a conservative ideology. Accordingly, Mormons are essential elements in the formation of a political movement that revolutionized the United States.