bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reproducing macaque lateral grasping and oculomotor networks using resting state functional connectivity and diffusion tractography
Authors: Howells Henrietta , Simone Luciano , Borra Elena , Fornia Luca , Cerri Gabriella , Luppino Giuseppe
Published: September 2020

Cortico-cortical networks involved in motor control have been well defined in the macaque using a range of invasive techniques. The advent of neuroimaging has enabled non-invasive study of these large-scale functionally specialized networks in the human brain; however, assessing its accuracy in reproducing genuine anatomy is more challenging. We set out to assess the similarities and differences between connections of macaque motor control networks defined using axonal tracing and those reproduced using structural and functional connectivity techniques. We processed a cohort of macaques scanned in vivo that were made available by the open access PRIME-DE resource, to evaluate connectivity using diffusion imaging tractography and resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC). Sectors of the lateral grasping and exploratory oculomotor networks were defined anatomically on structural images, and connections were reproduced using different structural and functional approaches (probabilistic and deterministic whole-brain and seed-based tractography; group template and native space functional connectivity analysis). The results showed that parieto-frontal connections were best reproduced using both structural and functional connectivity techniques. Tractography showed lower sensitivity but better specificity in reproducing connections identified by tracer data. Functional connectivity analysis performed in native space had higher sensitivity but lower specificity and was better at identifying connections between intrasulcal ROIs than group-level analysis. Connections of AIP were most consistently reproduced, although those connected with prefrontal sectors were not identified. We finally compared diffusion MR modelling with histology based on an injection in AIP and speculate on anatomical bases for the observed false negatives. Our results highlight the utility of precise ex vivo techniques to support the accuracy of neuroimaging in reproducing connections, which is relevant also for human studies.
All-inside technique in ACL reconstruction: mid-term clinical outcomes and comparison with AM technique (Hamstrings and BpTB grafts)
Authors: Pautasso Andrea , Capella Marcello , Barberis Luca , Drocco Luca , Giai Via Riccardo , Bistolfi Alessandro , Massè Alessandro , Sabatini Luigi
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The aim of this study was to define the subjective and objective clinical results of all-inside surgical technique at a medium-term follow-up and to compare these results with those obtained from antero-medial (AM) ACL reconstruction technique using hamstrings (HS) or bone-patellar tendon-bone (BpTB) grafts to detect eventual superiority of one technique to another.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of routinely collected data was conducted. Inclusion criteria were ACL reconstruction through all-inside technique or AM technique with HS or BpTB performed between January 2015 and May 2018; age between 15 and 30 year old; minimum 24 months’ available follow-up. Exclusion criteria were contralateral ACL reconstruction; need for any other associated procedures during surgery. Clinical outcomes were assessed with KOOS, Lysholm, Tegner scores and KT-1000 device.

Results

According to the selection criteria, 157 patients were enrolled and divided subsequently into 3 groups: all-inside (51 patients), AM-HS (53 patients) and AM-BpTB (53 patients). A significant postoperative improvement of each score in all groups was detected. The mean KT-1000 was 3.1 ± 1.0 mm in all-inside group, while 3.3 ± 1.4 mm and 2.5 ± 0.4 mm in AM-HS and AM-BpTB groups, respectively. Comparing the results obtained, no statistically significant difference was found between the three techniques (p = 0.27). Statistically significant differences were highlighted in surgical duration: all-inside method was the longest (117′), followed by AM-BpTB surgery (101′) and AM-HS technique (87′).

Conclusions

The all-inside technique showed good postoperative results at medium-term follow-up. It could be a valuable solution for ACL reconstruction, especially in young patients due to its less invasiveness, despite surgical skills and time needed.

Levels of evidence

Level IV.
Suicidality in women with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: a systematic literature review
Authors: Osborn E. , Brooks J. , O’Brien P. M. S. , Wittkowski A.
Published: September 2020

Previous research has identified how menstruation is an important factor in both attempted and completed suicides for women. The purpose of this review was to outline (a) the risk profile for suicidality in women who were identified to experience Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a condition characterized by severe physical and psychological changes that occur during the luteal menstrual phase, and (b) the implications of these findings for clinical practice. A systematic literature review was conducted using five databases to identify any peer-reviewed articles published between 1989 and 2019. Ten papers eligible for inclusion were identified: three pertaining to suicide cognitions, five to suicide attempts and two to both cognitions and attempts. Findings showed that suicidal thoughts, ideation, plans and attempts were strongly associated with experiences of PMDD and that these findings were independent of psychiatric co-morbidities. However, women with PMDD did not present with more severe risk profiles for suicide attempts (in terms of frequency, impulsivity and lethality) or make more frequent attempts during the luteal menstrual phase compared with suicide attempters without PMDD. Women with PMDD should be considered a high risk group for suicidality; thus, identifying and treating symptoms are vital in reducing suicide attempts. Implications for clinical practice are outlined in the discussion.
Complete positivity and distance-avoiding sets
Authors: DeCorte Evan , Filho Fernando Mário de Oliveira , Vallentin Frank
Published: September 2020

We introduce the cone of completely positive functions, a subset of the cone of positive-type functions, and use it to fully characterize maximum-density distance-avoiding sets as the optimal solutions of a convex optimization problem. As a consequence of this characterization, it is possible to reprove and improve many results concerning distance-avoiding sets on the sphere and in Euclidean space.
Analysis of coordinated behavior structures with multi-agent deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Miyashita Yuki , Sugawara Toshiharu
Published: September 2020

Cooperation and coordination are major issues in studies on multi-agent systems because the entire performance of such systems is greatly affected by these activities. The issues are challenging however, because appropriate coordinated behaviors depend on not only environmental characteristics but also other agents’ strategies. On the other hand, advances in multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (MADRL) have recently attracted attention, because MADRL can considerably improve the entire performance of multi-agent systems in certain domains. The characteristics of learned coordination structures and agent’s resulting behaviors, however, have not been clarified sufficiently. Therefore, we focus here on MADRL in which agents have their own deep Q-networks (DQNs), and we analyze their coordinated behaviors and structures for thepickup and floor laying problem, which is an abstraction of our target application. In particular, we analyze the behaviors around scarce resources and long narrow passages in which conflicts such as collisions are likely to occur. We then indicated that different types of inputs to the networks exhibit similar performance but generate various coordination structures with associated behaviors, such as division of labor and a shared social norm, with no direct communication.
Fast and slow curiosity for high-level exploration in reinforcement learning
Authors: Bougie Nicolas , Ichise Ryutaro
Published: September 2020

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithms rely on carefully designed environment rewards that are extrinsic to the agent. However, in many real-world scenarios rewards are sparse or delayed, motivating the need for discovering efficient exploration strategies. While intrinsically motivated agents hold promise of better local exploration, solving problems that require coordinated decisions over long-time horizons remains an open problem. We postulate that to discover such strategies, a DRL agent should be able to combine local and high-level exploration behaviors. To this end, we introduce the concept of fast and slow curiosity that aims to incentivize long-time horizon exploration. Our method decomposes the curiosity bonus into a fast reward that deals with local exploration and a slow reward that encourages global exploration. We formulate this bonus as the error in an agent’s ability to reconstruct the observations given their contexts. We further propose to dynamically weight local and high-level strategies by measuring state diversity. We evaluate our method on a variety of benchmark environments, including Minigrid, Super Mario Bros, and Atari games. Experimental results show that our agent outperforms prior approaches in most tasks in terms of exploration efficiency and mean scores.
Novel regulation of Ras proteins by direct tyrosine phosphorylation and dephosphorylation
Authors: Buday László , Vas Virág
Published: September 2020

Somatic mutations in theRASgenes are frequent in human tumors, especially in pancreatic, colorectal, and non-small-cell lung cancers. Such mutations generally decrease the ability of Ras to hydrolyze GTP, maintaining the protein in a constitutively active GTP-bound form that drives uncontrolled cell proliferation. Efforts to develop drugs that target Ras oncoproteins have been unsuccessful. Recent emerging data suggest that Ras regulation is more complex than the scientific community has believed for decades. In this review, we summarize advances in the “textbook” view of Ras activation. We also discuss a novel type of Ras regulation that involves direct phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of Ras tyrosine residues. The discovery that pharmacological inhibition of the tyrosine phosphoprotein phosphatase SHP2 maintains mutant Ras in an inactive state suggests that SHP2 could be a novel drug target for the treatment of Ras-driven human cancers.
‘Dreaming in colour’: disabled higher education students’ perspectives on improving design practices that would enable them to benefit from their use of technologies
Authors: Seale Jane , Colwell Chetz , Coughlan Tim , Heiman Tali , Kaspi-Tsahor Dana , Olenik-Shemesh Dorit
Published: September 2020

The focus of this paper is the design of technology products and services for disabled students in higher education. It analyses the perspectives of disabled students studying in the US, the UK, Germany, Israel and Canada, regarding their experiences of using technologies to support their learning. The students shared how the functionality of the technologies supported them to study and enabled them to achieve their academic potential. Despite these positive outcomes, the students also reported difficulties associated with: i) the design of the technologies, ii) a lack of technology know-how and iii) a lack of social capital. When identifying potential solutions to these difficulties the disabled students imagined both preferable and possible futures where faculty, higher education institutions, researchers and technology companies are challenged to push the boundaries of their current design practices.
The risk of carbon leakage in global climate agreements
Authors: Nielsen Tobias , Baumert Nicolai , Kander Astrid , Jiborn Magnus , Kulionis Viktoras
Published: September 2020

Although climate change and international trade are interdependent, policy-makers often address the two topics separately. This may inhibit progress at the intersection of climate change and trade and could present a serious constraint for global climate action. One key risk is carbon leakage through emission outsourcing, i.e. reductions in emissions in countries with rigorous climate policies being offset by increased emissions in countries with less stringent policies. We first analyze the Paris Agreement’s nationally determined contributions (NDC) and investigate how carbon leakage is addressed. We find that the risk of carbon leakage is insufficiently accounted for in these documents. Then, we apply a novel quantitative approach (Jiborn et al., 2018; Baumert et al., 2019) to analyze trends in carbon outsourcing related to a previous international climate regime—the Kyoto Protocol—in order to assess whether reported emission reductions were offset by carbon outsourcing in the past. Our results for 2000–2014 show a more nuanced picture of carbon leakage during the Kyoto Protocol than previous studies have reported. Carbon outsourcing from developed to developing countries was dominated by the USA outsourcing to China, while the evidence for other developed countries was mixed. Against conventional wisdom, we find that, in general, countries that stayed committed to their Kyoto Protocol emission targets were either only minor carbon outsourcers or actually even insourcers—although the trend was slightly negative—indicating that binding emissions targets do not necessarily lead to carbon outsourcing. We argue that multiple carbon monitoring approaches are needed to reduce the risk of carbon leakage.
Killing the Priest-King: Addressing Egalitarianism in the Indus Civilization
Authors: Green Adam S.
Published: September 2020

The cities of the Indus civilization were expansive and planned with large-scale architecture and sophisticated Bronze Age technologies. Despite these hallmarks of social complexity, the Indus lacks clear evidence for elaborate tombs, individual-aggrandizing monuments, large temples, and palaces. Its first excavators suggested that the Indus civilization was far more egalitarian than other early complex societies, and after nearly a century of investigation, clear evidence for a ruling class of managerial elites has yet to materialize. The conspicuous lack of political and economic inequality noted by Mohenjo-daro’s initial excavators was basically correct. This is not because the Indus civilization was not a complex society, rather, it is because there are common assumptions about distributions of wealth, hierarchies of power, specialization, and urbanism in the past that are simply incorrect. The Indus civilization reveals that a ruling class is not a prerequisite for social complexity.
Artificial neural networks test for the prediction of chemical stability of pyroclastic deposits-based AAMs and comparison with conventional mathematical approach (MLR)
Authors: Finocchiaro Claudio , Barone Germana , Mazzoleni Paolo , Sgarlata Caterina , Lancellotti Isabella , Leonelli Cristina , Romagnoli Marcello
Published: September 2020

The investigation on the reticulation degree of volcanic alkali-activated materials, AAMs, were experimentally determined in terms of chemico-physical properties: weight loss after leaching test in water, ionic conductivity and pH of the leachate and compressive strength. Artificial neural network (ANN) was successfully applied to predict the chemical stability of volcanic alkali-activated materials. Nine input data per each chemico-physical parameter were used to train each ANN. The training series of specific volcanic precursors were tested also for the other one. Excellent correlations between experimental and calculated data of the same precursor type were found reaching values around one. The evidence of strong effect on chemical stability of the alkaline activator SiO2/Na2O molar ratio as well as the Si/Al ratio of precursor mixtures on the reticulation degree of ghiara-based formulation with respect to volcanic ash-based materials is presented. It must be noted that such effect was much less pronounced on the compressive strength values, appearing more insensitive the molar ratio of the alkaline activator. The comparison of the ANN results with more conventional multiple linear regression (MLR) testifies the higher prediction performance of the first method. MLRs results, less significant, are useful to confirm the powerful capacity of ANNs to identify the more suitable formulation using a set of experimental AAMs. This study, as few others, on the correlation between chemical stability and compressive strength of AAMs provide a great contribution in the direction of durability and in-life mechanical performance of these class of materials.

Graphic abstract
Correction to: Spatial distribution and estimation of rainfall trends and erosivity in the Epitácio Pessoa reservoir catchment, Paraíba, Brazil
Authors: da Silva Richarde Marques , Santos Celso Augusto Guimarães , Silva Jorge Flávio Casé Braga da Costa , Silva Alexandro Medeiros , Brasil Neto Reginaldo Moura
Published: September 2020

The article “Spatial distribution and estimation of rainfall trends and erosivity in the Epitácio Pessoa reservoir catchment, Paraíba, Brazil”, written by da Silva, R.M., Santos, C.A.G., Silva, J.F.C.B.C., et al, was originally published Online First without Open Access.
A Stochastic Two-Scale Model for Rarefied Gas Flow in Highly Heterogeneous Porous Media
Authors: Pérez-Ràfols Francesc , Forsberg Fredrik , Hellström Gunnar , Almqvist Andreas
Published: September 2020

This paper presents the development of a model enabling the analysis of rarefied gas flow through highly heterogeneous porous media. To capture the characteristics associated with the global- and the local-scale topology of the permeable phase in a typical porous medium, the heterogeneous multi-scale method, which is a flexible framework for constructing two-scale models, was employed. The rapid spatial variations associated with the local-scale topology are accounted for stochastically, by treating the permeability of different local-scale domains as a random variable. The results obtained with the present model show that an increase in the spatial variability in the heterogeneous topology of the porous medium significantly reduces the relevance of rarefaction effects. This clearly shows the necessity of considering a realistic description of the pore topology and questions the applicability of the results obtained for topologies exhibiting regular pore patterns. Although the present model is developed to study low Knudsen number flows, i.e. the slip-flow regime, the same development procedure could be readily adapted for other regimes as well.
Toxicological analysis of satratoxins, the main toxins in the mushroom Trichoderma cornu-damae, in human serum and mushroom samples by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Ohta Hikoto , Watanabe Daisuke , Nomura Chie , Saito Daichi , Inoue Koichi , Miyaguchi Hajime , Harada Shuichi , Aita Yuji
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Many poisoning cases involving the deadly toxic mushroom Trichoderma cornu-damae have been reported, but there are very few reports on toxicological analysis of the poisoning. In this study, a simple and sensitive method was developed for detecting and quantifying satratoxins, which are the main toxins found in T. cornu-damae, in human serum and mushroom samples.

Methods

The four main toxins, namely, satratoxin H and its 12′-acetate, 13′-acetate and 12′,13′-diacetate, were isolated from T. cornu-damae and used as analytical standards. These standards were spiked into human serum and effective methods were developed for extraction and detection/quantification using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Quantification of satratoxins in T. cornu-damae samples was performed by the standard addition method.

Results

Although satratoxins, which have neutral terpene structures, showed very low sensitivities in conventional LC–MS/MS analysis, they could be detected with enough sensitivity by our developed method. In human serum, the limit of detection was 0.1 ng/mL and the limit of quantification was 1 ng/mL for all four satratoxins. The recovery rate ranged from 70.5 to 86.6%, and the coefficients of determination for calibration curves were > 0.999. Satratoxins in T. cornu-damae samples were also well detected and quantified with coefficients of determination for calibration curves of > 0.997 and intraday/interday precision (relative standard deviation) ranging from 2.98 to 10.3%.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first report of toxicological analysis of satratoxins using analytical standards.
Renewal Reward Perspective on Linear Switching Diffusion Systems in Models of Intracellular Transport
Authors: Ciocanel Maria-Veronica , Fricks John , Kramer Peter R. , McKinley Scott A.
Published: September 2020

In many biological systems, the movement of individual agents is characterized having multiple qualitatively distinct behaviors that arise from a variety of biophysical states. For example, in cells the movement of vesicles, organelles, and other intracellular cargo is affected by their binding to and unbinding from cytoskeletal filaments such as microtubules through molecular motor proteins. A typical goal of theoretical or numerical analysis of models of such systems is to investigate effective transport properties and their dependence on model parameters. While the effective velocity of particles undergoing switching diffusion dynamics is often easily characterized in terms of the long-time fraction of time that particles spend in each state, the calculation of the effective diffusivity is more complicated because it cannot be expressed simply in terms of a statistical average of the particle transport state at one moment of time. However, it is common that these systems are regenerative, in the sense that they can be decomposed into independent cycles marked by returns to a base state. Using decompositions of this kind, we calculate effective transport properties by computing the moments of the dynamics within each cycle and then applying renewal reward theory. This method provides a useful alternative large-time analysis to direct homogenization for linear advection–reaction–diffusion partial differential equation models. Moreover, it applies to a general class of semi-Markov processes and certain stochastic differential equations that arise in models of intracellular transport. Applications of the proposed renewal reward framework are illustrated for several case studies such as mRNA transport in developing oocytes and processive cargo movement by teams of molecular motor proteins.
Improvement of chemical initialization in the air quality forecast system in North Macedonia, based on WRF-Chem model
Authors: Spiridonov Vlado , Ancev Nenad , Jakimovski Boro , Velinov Goran
Published: September 2020

Urban air quality is determined by a complex interaction of factors associated with anthropogenic emissions, atmospheric circulation, and geographic factors. Most of the urban-present pollution aerosols and trace gases are toxic to human health and responsible for damage of flora, fauna, and materials. The air quality prediction system based on state-of-the-art Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) has been configured and designed for North Macedonia. An extensive set of experiments have been performed with different model settings to forecast simultaneously the weather and air quality over the country. The initial results and the finding from other similar studies suggest that chemical initialization plays a significant role in a more accurate, both qualitative and quantitative forecast and assessment of urban air pollution. The main objective of the present research is to develop and test for a novel chemical initialization input in the air quality forecast system in North Macedonia. It is performed using ensemble technique in respect to treatment of the mobile emissions data using scaling factors. The WRF-Chem prediction has shown a high sensitivity to different scaling methods. While scaling of the overall mobile annual emissions tends to produce some discrepancies regarding the PM10 concentration level (overestimation during summer and underestimation during winter), an improved approach that utilizes scaling, in a wider range, only the mobile emissions originated from household heating offers the possibility of more detailed parameter fitting. The verification results indicate that the best accuracy across all scores for the winter months was achieved when scaling up the baseline pollutant input using a higher factor, while in the other seasons, the best results were achieved when scaling down the baseline pollutant emissions by a significant factor. Taking all into account, we can conclude that the seasonal variation in the pollutant input to the atmosphere is a significant factor in simulating the pollution in this region. Therefore, these seasonal variations must be taken into account when fitting the pollutant emission input to any model.
Chronic Hepatitis B and HIV Coinfection: a Continuing Challenge in the Era of Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Kim H. Nina
Published: September 2020

Purpose of Review

The burden of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) remains disproportionately high among people living with HIV (PLWH) despite the advent of HBV vaccination and HBV-active antiretroviral therapy (ART). This review summarizes new insights and evolving issues in HIV-HBV coinfection.

Recent Findings

HBV-HIV coinfection is still a leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver-related mortality more than a decade after the approval of tenofovir. While tenofovir-based ART has been shown to improve rates of HBV virologic suppression and halt fibrosis progression, the long-term benefits on the prevention of end-stage liver disease or HCC in HIV-HBV coinfection have yet to be convincingly demonstrated in PLWH. Missed opportunities for HBV vaccination persist despite evidence of ongoing risk for HBV infection in this population.

Even as we work towards HBV elimination and functional cure, ongoing efforts should focus on optimizing risk stratification as well as uptake of HBV-active antiviral therapy and HBV immunization in this priority population.
Diversity within Protestant Transnationalism: Differences in the Scope and Reach of Pentecostal/Charismatic and Evangelical Missions
Authors: Bok Jared
Published: September 2020

Background: A growing number of studies have begun to emphasize differences between Pentecostals and Charismatics (P/Cs), on the one hand, and Evangelicals, on the other. Yet few of these studies have considered differences in transnational missions. Purpose: This study explores the extent to which P/C and Evangelical organizations vary in their transnational outreach, both in terms of what they do and where they operate. Methods: To examine these differences, I explore data on transnational American Protestant mission agencies using descriptions of trends over time and time series logistic regressions. Results: Although both P/Cs and Evangelicals tend to be concerned with otherworldly soteriological issues, I find that P/Cs are even more likely to engage in otherworldly types of activities that allow for the propagation and proliferation of the Gospel, especially with respect to evangelism and the publication and distribution of Christian literature. In addition, although both P/C and Evangelical agencies gravitate towards countries where the percentage of Protestants is low, P/C agencies are comparatively less active in countries with the lowest percentages. However, there is little evidence of differences between P/C and Evangelical agencies’ ministries when it comes to countries’ varying levels of development. Conclusions and Implications: The study concludes with several implications. First, although many differences may be more salient when distinguishing Evangelicals and P/Cs together from other Protestant traditions, there are sufficient important variations between the two former traditions to warrant treating them as analytically distinct, at least with respect to their organized transnational activism. Second, at the same time, non-findings in the study also suggest that differences between Evangelicals and P/Cs are not as pronounced at the organizational as compared to the individual level. Finally, the study reflects on the limitations of the data with recommendations for further research.
The Neglected Role of Risk Mitigation Perception in the Risk Governance of Underground Technologies—The Example of Induced Seismicity
Authors: Haemmerli Lisa , Stauffacher Michael
Published: September 2020

Subsurface technologies, such as geothermal energy and carbon capture and storage, are options to help limit global warming. Subsurface technologies involve the risk of induced seismicity. The successful implementation of these technologies depends on the public perception of these risks. Risk governance frameworks propose assessing the level of public concern and designing adapted risk mitigation measures. We propose that concerns should not only be investigated with respect to the perceived risks but also with respect to the potential mitigation measures. We explore this by analyzing the perception of risk mitigation measures for different subsurface technologies. With an online survey (N = 808) in Switzerland we analyzed four technologies (in-between subject design) and four mitigation measures (within subject design). We found that risk mitigation measures are perceived differently, within and across technologies. Thus, public concerns about risk mitigation really matter. We suggest that future research should focus on how risk mitigation measures can be applied and communicated to realize the full potential of risk governance frameworks.
Neutral ceramidase is a marker for cognitive performance in rats and monkeys
Authors: Kalinichenko Liubov S. , Wang An-Li , Mühle Christiane , Abdel-Hafiz Laila , Gulbins Erich , Kornhuber Johannes , Oliveira André W. C. , Barros Marilia , Huston Joseph P. , Müller Christian P.
Published: September 2020

Background

Ceramides are lipid molecules determining cell integrity and intercellular signaling, and thus, involved in the pathogenesis of several psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. However, little is known about the role of particular enzymes of the ceramide metabolism in the mechanisms of normal behavioral plasticity. Here, we studied the contribution of neutral ceramidase (NC), one of the main enzymes mediating ceramide degradation, in the mechanisms of learning and memory in rats and non-human primates.

Methods

Naïve Wistar rats and black tufted-ear marmosets (Callithrix penicillata) were tested in several tests for short- and long-term memory and then divided into groups with various memory performance. The activities of NC and acid ceramidase (AC) were measured in these animals. Additionally, anxiety and depression-like behavior and brain levels of monoamines were assessed in the rats.

Results

We observed a predictive role of NC activity in the blood serum for superior performance of long-term object memory tasks in both species. A brain area analysis suggested that high NC activity in the ventral mesencephalon (VM) predicts better short-term memory performance in rats. High NC activity in the VM was also associated with worse long-term object memory, which might be mediated by an enhanced depression-like state and a monoaminergic imbalance.

Conclusions

Altogether, these data suggest a role for NC in short- and long-term memory of various mammalian species. Serum activity of NC may possess a predictive role in the assessing the performance of certain types of memory.
Current status and challenges of stem cell-based therapy for the treating of glioblastoma multiforme Stem cell-based therapy treating glioblastoma multiforme
Authors: Abadi Banafshe , Ahmadi-Zeidabadi Meysam , Dini Luciana , Vergallo Cristian
Published: September 2020

Glioblastoma (GB) is one of the most malignant types of central nervous system tumours, classified as grade IV by the World Health Organization. Despite the therapeutic advances, the prognosis is ominous, with a median survival of about 12–15 months post diagnosis. Although therapeutic options available can increase the survival, they are ineffective in treating patients with GB. Impairing factors such as the blood–brain barrier, cancer stem cells, and infiltration into brain parenchyma lead to failure of current therapies. Therefore, clinicians need novel/alternative effective strategies to treat GB. Due to their ability to preserve healthy tissues and to provide an effective and long-lasting response, stem cells (SCs) with tropism for tumour cells have attracted considerable attention in the scientific community. As is the case here, SCs can be used to target brain tumour cancer cells, especially high-grade malignant gliomas like GB, by overcoming the resistance and exerting benefits for patients affected with such lethal disease. Herein, we will discuss the research knowledge regarding SC-based therapy for the treatment of GB, focalising our attention on SCs and SC-released extracellular vesicles modified to express/load different antitumour payloads, as well as on SCs exploited as a diagnostic tool. Advantages and unresolved issues of anticancer SC-based therapy will also be considered.
Impact of the Major BCR-ABL1 Transcript Type on Clinical and Biological Parameters and Molecular Response in Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Nachi Mourad , Kihel Ibtissem , Entasoltane Badra , Brahimi Mohamed , Yafour Nabil , Guella Djaoued , Abed Amine , Bekadja Mohamed A
Published: September 2020

Aim:

In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the impact of MBCR-ABL1 major transcript type on disease phenotype and response to treatment still controversial to date. This work aims to study the influence of Mb3a2 and Mb2a2 transcripts on clinico-biological parameters and the molecular response in patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) treated with Imatinib as frontline therapy.

Methods:

This is six years prospective study started in March 1 st, 2013. 67 patients with newly CP-CML were treated by Imatinib as frontline therapy. Clinical and biological characteristics disease were collected for all patients. Molecular typing was performed by multiplex RT-PCR and quantification of transcripts by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). The cumulative incidence of deep molecular response (DMR) was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The comparison was made using the parametric Log-Rank test. A value of P ≤ 0.05 is considered significant.

Results:

61% of patients expressed b3a2, 35.82% b2a2 and 2.98% expressed a rare transcript of type e19a2. At diagnosis, the b2a2 type had a higher level of expression than that of b3a2 (67.92 vs 53.79%; P = 0.03). This insignificant difference between the two transcript subgroups was also observed for rates below 1% at 6 months (54 vs 39; P = 0.26) and below 0.1% (54 vs 44 %; P = 0.50), (77 vs 50%; P = 0.09) and (81 vs 78 %; P = 0.52) at 12,18 and 24 months respectively. The two types of transcript had almost the same kinetics. Nevertheless, the absolute value of the BCR-ABL1/ABL ratio decrease was faster in the group of patients expressing b3a2, than in those expressing b2a2. At 18 months post IM therapy, patients with a b3a2 transcript have a trend of better MMR that those with b2a2 (77 vs 50%; P = 0.09). The DMR was not significantly different between two groups at 24 months (50 vs 32%; P = 0.20) and 36 months (75 vs 70%; P = 0.54) respectively. The cumulative probability of achieving MRD at 5 years was higher in patients with b3a2 type but not statistically significant; (85 vs. 68%; P = 0.17).

Conclusion:

Patients with b3a2 transcript may be associated with a better response to Imatinib therapy.
Toxigenic Clostridioides difficile colonization as a risk factor for development of C. difficile infection in solid-organ transplant patients
Authors: Keegan Jack , Buchan Blake W. , Ledeboer Nathan A. , Zhou Zhipeng , Hong Johnny C. , Graham Mary Beth , Munoz-Price L. Silvia
Published: September 2020

Background:

The association between Clostridioides difficile colonization and C. difficile infection (CDI) is unknown in solid-organ transplant (SOT) patients. We examined C. difficile colonization and healthcare-associated exposures as risk factors for development of CDI in SOT patients.

Methods:

The retrospective study cohort included all consecutive SOT patients with at least 1 screening test between May 2017 and April 2018. CDI was defined as the presence of diarrhea (without laxatives), a positive C. difficile clinical test, and the use of C. difficile-directed antimicrobial therapy as ordered by managing clinicians. In addition to demographic variables, exposures to antimicrobials, immunosuppressants, and gastric acid suppressants were evaluated from the time of first screening test to the time of CDI, death, or final discharge.

Results:

Of the 348 SOT patients included in our study, 33 (9.5%) were colonized with toxigenic C. difficile. In total, 11 patients (3.2%) developed CDI. Only C. difficile colonization (odds ratio [OR], 13.52; 95% CI, 3.46–52.83; P = .0002), age (OR, 1.09; CI, 1.02–1.17; P = .0135), and hospital days (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.08; P = .0017) were independently associated with CDI.

Conclusions:

Although CDI was more frequent in C. difficile colonized SOT patients, the overall incidence of CDI was low in this cohort.
Health Diplomacy in Pandemical Times
Authors: Fazal Tanisha M.
Published: September 2020

One likely effect of the COVID-19 pandemic will be an increased focus on health diplomacy, a topic that has rarely been taken up by international relations scholars. After reviewing existing literature on health diplomacy, I argue for the utility of distinguishing states’ aims from their practices of health diplomacy in advancing our understanding of when states engage in health diplomacy with a bilateral, regional, or global scope. The recent history of twenty-first century infectious disease outbreaks suggests a possible move away from health diplomacy with global participation. COVID-19 provides numerous examples, from widespread criticism of the World Health Organization to increased bilateral health aid and the creation of a regional vaccine initiative. As pandemics become more frequent, however, more localized health diplomacy is likely to be less effective, given the necessity of global mitigation and containment.
The Predictive Power of the Dividend Risk Premium
Authors: Avino Davide E. , Stancu Andrei , Simen Chardin Wese
Published: September 2020

We show that the dividend growth rate implied by the options market is informative about i) the expected dividend growth rate and ii) the expected dividend risk premium. We model the expected dividend risk premium and explore its implications for the predictability of dividend growth and stock market returns. Correcting for the expected dividend risk premium strengthens the evidence for the predictability of dividend growth and stock market returns both in and out of sample. Economically, a market-timing investor who accounts for the time-varying expected dividend risk premium realizes an additional utility gain of 2.02% per year.
A Dive and a Dance with Kabuki Vaudeville: Taishū Engeki Comes Back!
Authors: Schneider Robert , Schneider Nathan
Published: September 2020

Taishū engeki occupies a niche in Japanese popular theatre between the all-male troupes of state-subsidized Kabuki and the highly commercial, all-female troupes of the Takarazuka Revue. Its origins are disputed: while some scholars trace it back to the thirteenth century, others say it is mostly a post-war phenomenon. Family-based, itinerant troupes comprising both sexes book theatres for a month at a time. They live in the theatre, sleeping onstage or in the house. They perform twice daily for largely working-class audiences. Tickets are cheap, but troupes supplement their box office with merchandise sales and with generous tips which patrons deliver in mid-performance. The form draws heavily on onnagata performance in Kabuki, less heavily on the otokoyaku (women in men’s roles) of the Takarazuka Revue. In taishū engeki, however, actors of both sexes often cross-dress with star performers appearing en homme and en femme in quick succession. Like vaudeville, whose demise was repeatedly announced in the early decades of the last century, taishū engeki has often been pronounced dead. Yet despite its notorious geriatric core audience, there are signs that taishū engeki is coming back. Robert Schneider is an Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois. He is also a playwright and translator whose articles and reviews have appeared in the New York Times, American Theatre, and Plays International & Europe. Nathan Schneider is a writer and translator who lives in Tokyo.
De rebus incertis: Stephen of Liège and the Divine Office
Authors: GRIER JAMES
Published: September 2020

Most standard musicological references attribute to Bishop Stephen of Liège (†920) the composition of three Offices: for the Holy Trinity, the feast of Saint Lambert (bishop of Liège in the early eighth century to whom the city's cathedral is dedicated) and the Invention of Saint Stephen the protomartyr. From statements by Richarius, Stephen's successor at Liège, and Folcuin of Lobbes (both from the tenth century), and the eleventh-century account of Anselm of Liège, along with the evidence in Brussels, Bibliothèque royale, MS 14650-59 (a tenth-century manuscript produced at Liège during Stephen's episcopate), I conclude that Stephen of Liège did have a hand in the Offices for Saint Lambert and the Holy Trinity. Although he may have composed chants for Saint Lambert, he more likely revised existing ones for the Trinity. No tenth- or eleventh-century testimony attests the attribution of the Office for the Invention of Saint Stephen to Bishop Stephen.
Diastolic dysfunction in patients with brucellosis despite the absence of infective endocarditis
Authors: Ece İbrahim , Epçaçan Serdar , Bayhan Gülsüm İclal , Türe Mehmet
Published: September 2020

Background:

Brucellosis is an important systemic infectious disease, especially in developing countries. Every organ and system of the human body can be affected; however, cardiovascular complications of brucellosis are rare.

Aim:

To assess cardiac functions in patients with acute brucellosis without overt cardiac involvement and to answer the following question: Is there any cardiac dysfunction despite the absence of endocarditis in these patients?

Methods:

This cross-sectional study included 67 children with brucellosis and 40 healthy children. We performed a detailed echocardiographic examination in individuals at the beginning of the treatment. Patients with infective endocarditis were excluded from the study.

Results:

Echocardiography revealed no difference of ejection fraction, mitral and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, pulsed-wave Doppler-derived early diastolic peak velocity (E)/late diastolic peak velocity (A) ratios in mitral and tricuspid valves between the two groups. The deceleration time of early mitral inflow was longer in patients with brucellosis. Early diastolic peak velocity of the mitral and tricuspid annuluses obtained by tissue Doppler imaging (Ea) was significantly lower in children with brucellosis. The peak velocity obtained by tissue Doppler imaging during late diastole (Aa), Ea and Ea/Aa ratios in the interventricular septum, left ventricle posterior wall and right ventricle free wall was lower in patients with brucellosis than in the control group. The E/Ea ratio, isovolumic relaxation time, right ventricle and left ventricle myocardial performance indices were higher in patients with brucellosis.

Conclusion:

Patients with acute brucellosis may have diastolic dysfunction without overt cardiac involvement and infective endocarditis.
vLex Justis: the Alternative Just Got Better
Authors: Gerami Masoud , Hawes Aidan
Published: September 2020

Masoud Gerami, Managing Director of vLex Justis, and Aidan Hawes, Head of Commercial Development, discuss the development and launch of the new vLex Justis platform. They describe the process of making decisions behind the content and features available on the platform, and how these will be continually enhanced in the future. They also discuss the global circumstances the platform was launched within and share their goal of meeting customer needs in a future which will bring new ways of working.
Strategic Discrimination
Authors: Bateson Regina
Published: September 2020

Why are women and people of color under-represented in U.S. politics? I offer a new explanation: strategic discrimination. Strategic discrimination occurs when an individual hesitates to support a candidate out of concern thatotherswill object to the candidate’s identity. In a series of three experiments, I find that strategic discrimination exists, it matters for real-world politics, and it can be hard to overcome. The first experiment shows that Americans consider white male candidates more electable than equally qualified Black and white women, and to a lesser extent, Black men. These results are strongly intersectional, with Black women rated less electable than either Black men or white women. The second experiment demonstrates that anti-Trump voters weigh Democratic candidates’ racial and gender identities when deciding who is most capable of beating Donald Trump in 2020. The third experiment finds that while some messages intended to combat strategic discrimination have no effect, diverse candidates can increase their perceived electability by showing that they have a path to victory. I conclude by arguing that strategic discrimination is especially salient in contemporary U.S. politics due to three parallel trends: increasing diversity among candidates, growing awareness of sexism and racism, and high levels of political polarization.
Effects of herbicide management practices on the weed density and richness in dicamba-resistant cropping systems in Indiana
Authors: Hodgskiss Connor L. , Legleiter Travis R. , Young Bryan G. , Johnson William G.
Published: September 2020

The addition of dicamba as a weed control option in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a valuable tool. However, this technology must be utilized with other herbicide sites of action (SOAs) to reduce selection pressure on weed communities and ensure its prolonged usefulness. A long-term trial was conducted for 7 yr in Indiana to evaluate weed community densities and species richness with four levels of dicamba selection pressure in a corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean rotation. Monocot densities and richness increased over time in the dicamba-reliant treatment. Dicot densities in the dicamba-reliant treatment declined over time, but dicot richness increased. The soil weed seedbank was affected by the varying herbicide strategies. The dicamba-reliant strategy had greater than 43% higher total weed density than all other treatments, primarily due to having a monocot density that was at least 71% higher than the other treatments. The fully diversified strategy with eight SOAs and residual herbicides used every year had the lowest total weed species richness in the soil seedbank, which supported the in-field observations.
Gibt es empfehlenswerte Alternativen zur Überdrucktherapie in der Therapie der Schlafapnoe?
Authors: Spielmanns Marc
Published: September 2020

Zusammenfassung. Als Gold-Standard der Therapie der obstruktiven Schlafapnoe (OSA) gilt seit Jahrzehnten die Überdrucktherapie (PAP, Positive Airway Pressure). Zwar handelt es sich hierbei bezüglich der Beseitigung der Apnoen um ein sehr erfolgreiches Verfahren, aber die längerfristige Therapieadhärenz der Patienten zur PAP wird aus verschiedenen Gründen nur mit 60–80 % angegeben. Zwischenzeitlich gibt es zahlreiche Optionen wie u.a. intraorale Devices, Rückenlagevermeidung oder neuere operative Verfahren, welche als Alternative zur PAP in der Therapie der OSA beworben werden. In diesem Zusammenhang drängen sich Fragen zum Stellenwert und zur Wirksamkeit auf. Dieser Artikel gibt eine aktuelle Übersicht über den Stellenwert und die Möglichkeiten der Therapiealternativen.