bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measurement of vertebral endplate bone marrow lesion (Modic change) composition with water–fat MRI and relationship to patient-reported outcome measures
Authors: Fields Aaron J. , Ballatori Alexander , Han Misung , Bailey Jeannie F. , McCormick Zachary L. , O’Neill Conor W. , Demir-Deviren Sibel , Krug Roland , Lotz Jeffrey C.
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Vertebral endplate bone marrow lesions (“Modic changes”, MC) are associated with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Bone marrow composition in MC is poorly understood. The goals of this study were to: (1) measure bone marrow fat fraction (BMF) in CLBP patients with MC using water–fat MRI and (2) assess the relationship between BMF measurements and patient-reported clinical characteristics.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 42 CLBP patients (men, n = 21; age, 48 ± 12.4 years) and 18 asymptomatic controls (men, n = 10; 42.7 ± 12.8 years) underwent 3 T MRI between January 2016 and July 2018. Imaging consisted of T1- and T2-weighted sequences to evaluate MC and spoiled gradient-recalled echo sequence with asymmetric echoes and least-squares fitting to measure BMF. BMF was compared between vertebrae with and without MC using mixed effects models. The relationship between the BMF measurements and patient-reported disability scores was examined using regression.

Results

Twenty-seven subjects (26 CLBP, 1 control) had MC, and MC presence coincided with significantly altered BMF. In MC 1, BMF was lower than endplates without MC (absolute difference −22.3%; p < 0.001); in MC 2, BMF was higher (absolute difference 21.0%; p < 0.001). Absolute BMF differences between affected and unaffected marrow were larger in patients with greater disability (p = 0.029–0.032) and were not associated with pain (p = 0.49–0.83).

Conclusion

BMF is significantly altered in MC. Water–fat MRI enables BMF measurements that may eventually form the basis for quantitative assessments of MC severity and progression.
Acute bilateral foot drop with or without cauda equina syndrome—a case series
Authors: Demetriades Andreas K. , Mancuso-Marcello Marco , Baig Mirza Asfand , Frantzias Joseph , Bell David A. , Selway Richard , Gullan Richard
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Isolated acute bilateral foot drop due to degenerative spine disease is an extremely rare neurosurgical presentation, whilst the literature is rich with accounts of chronic bilateral foot drop occurring as a sequela of systemic illnesses. We present, to our knowledge, the largest case series of acute bilateral foot drop, with trauma and relevant systemic illness excluded.

Methods

Data from three different centres had been collected at the time of historic treatment, and records were subsequently reviewed retrospectively, documenting the clinical presentation, radiological level of compression, timing of surgery, and degree of neurological recovery.

Results

Seven patients are presented. The mean age at presentation was 52.1 years (range 41–66). All patients but one were male. All had a painful radiculopathic presentation. Relevant discopathy was observed from L2/3 to L5/S1, the commonest level being L3/4. Five were treated within 24 h of presentation, and two within 48 h. Three had concomitant cauda equina syndrome; of these, the first two made a full motor recovery, one by 6 weeks follow-up and the second on the same-day post-op evaluation. Overall, five out of seven cases had full resolution of their ankle dorsiflexion pareses. One patient with 1/5 power has not improved. Another with 1/5 weakness improved to normal on the one side and to 3/5 on the other.

Conclusion

When bilateral foot drop occurs acutely, we encourage the consideration of degenerative spinal disease. Relevant discopathy was observed from L2/3 to L5/S1; aberrant innervation may be at play. Cauda equina syndrome is not necessarily associated with acute bilateral foot drop. The prognosis seems to be pretty good with respect to recovery of the foot drop, especially if partial at presentation and if treated within 48 h.
Development of internalizing symptoms during adolescence in three countries: the role of temperament and parenting behaviors
Authors: Lunetti Carolina , Iselin Anne-Marie R. , Di Giunta Laura , Lansford Jennifer E. , Eisenberg Nancy , Pastorelli Concetta , Bacchini Dario , Uribe Tirado Liliana Maria , Thartori Eriona , Basili Emanuele , Fiasconaro Irene , Favini Ainzara , Gerbino Maria , Cirimele Flavia , Remondi Chiara , Skinner Ann T. , Rothenberg W. Andrew
Published: February 2021

This longitudinal study examined the unique and joint effects of early adolescent temperament and parenting in predicting the development of adolescent internalizing symptoms in a cross-cultural sample. Participants were 544 early adolescents (T1: Mage = 12.58; 49.5% female) and their mothers (n = 530) from Medellín, Colombia (n = 88), Naples, Italy (n = 90), Rome, Italy (n = 100) and Durham, North Carolina, United States (African Americans n = 92, European Americans n = 97, and Latinx n = 77). Early adolescent negative emotionality (i.e., anger and sadness experience), self-regulation (i.e., effortful control), and parent monitoring and psychological control were measured at T1. Adolescent internalizing symptoms were measured at three time points. Latent Growth Curve Modeling (LGCM) without covariates or predictors indicated a slight linear increase in internalizing symptoms from ages 13–16 years across nearly all cultural groups. Multi-group LGCMs demonstrated several paths were consistently invariant across groups when examining how well temperament and parenting predicted intercept and slope factors. Higher initial levels of internalizing symptoms were significantly predicted by higher adolescent negative emotionality and parental psychological control as well as lower adolescent effortful control and parental monitoring measured one year earlier. Overall, adolescent effortful control appeared to protect against the emergence of internalizing symptoms in all cultures, but this effect faded over time. This study advances knowledge of the normative development of internalizing symptoms during adolescence across cultures while highlighting the predictive value of early adolescent temperament and parenting.
Unsupervised Deep Anomaly Detection in Chest Radiographs
Authors: Nakao Takahiro , Hanaoka Shouhei , Nomura Yukihiro , Murata Masaki , Takenaga Tomomi , Miki Soichiro , Watadani Takeyuki , Yoshikawa Takeharu , Hayashi Naoto , Abe Osamu
Published: February 2021

The purposes of this study are to propose an unsupervised anomaly detection method based on a deep neural network (DNN) model, which requires only normal images for training, and to evaluate its performance with a large chest radiograph dataset. We used the auto-encoding generative adversarial network (α-GAN) framework, which is a combination of a GAN and a variational autoencoder, as a DNN model. A total of 29,684 frontal chest radiographs from the Radiological Society of North America Pneumonia Detection Challenge dataset were used for this study (16,880 male and 12,804 female patients; average age, 47.0 years). All these images were labeled as “Normal,” “No Opacity/Not Normal,” or “Opacity” by board-certified radiologists. About 70% (6,853/9,790) of the Normal images were randomly sampled as the training dataset, and the rest were randomly split into the validation and test datasets in a ratio of 1:2 (7,610 and 15,221). Our anomaly detection system could correctly visualize various lesions including a lung mass, cardiomegaly, pleural effusion, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, and even dextrocardia. Our system detected the abnormal images with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.752. The AUROCs for the abnormal labels Opacity and No Opacity/Not Normal were 0.838 and 0.704, respectively. Our DNN-based unsupervised anomaly detection method could successfully detect various diseases or anomalies in chest radiographs by training with only the normal images.
Atorvastatin pleiotropically decreases intraplaque angiogenesis and intraplaque haemorrhage by inhibiting ANGPT2 release and VE-Cadherin internalization
Authors: Baganha Fabiana , de Jong Rob C. M. , Peters Erna A. , Voorham Wietske , Jukema J. Wouter , Delibegovic Mirela , de Vries Margreet R. , Quax Paul H. A.
Published: February 2021

Objective

Statins pleiotropically provide additional benefits in reducing atherosclerosis, but their effects on intraplaque angiogenesis (IPA) and hemorrhage (IPH) remain unclear. Therefore, we discriminated statin’s lipid-lowering dependent and independent effects on IPA and IPH.

Approach and results

ApoE3*Leiden mice are statin-responsive due to ApoE and LDLR presence, but also allow to titrate plasma cholesterol levels by diet. Therefore, ApoE3*Leiden mice were fed a high-cholesterol-inducing-diet (HCD) with or without atorvastatin (A) or a moderate-cholesterol-inducing-diet (MCD). Mice underwent vein graft surgery to induce lesions with IPA and IPH. Cholesterol levels were significantly reduced in MCD (56%) and HCD + A (39%) compared to HCD with no significant differences between MCD and HCD + A. Both MCD and HCD + A have a similar reduction in vessel remodeling and inflammation comparing to HCD. IPA was significantly decreased by 30% in HCD + A compared to HCD or MCD. Atorvastatin treatment reduced the presence of immature vessels by 34% vs. HCD and by 25% vs. MCD, resulting in a significant reduction of IPH. Atorvastatin’s anti-angiogenic capacity was further illustrated by a dose-dependent reduction of ECs proliferation and migration. Cultured mouse aortic-segments lost sprouting capacity upon atorvastatin treatment and became 30% richer in VE-Cadherin expression and pericyte coverage. Moreover, Atorvastatin inhibited ANGPT2 release and decreased VE-Cadherin(Y685)-phosphorylation in ECs.

Conclusions

Atorvastatin has beneficial effects on vessel remodeling due to its lipid-lowering capacity. Atorvastatin has strong pleiotropic effects on IPA by decreasing the number of neovessels and on IPH by increasing vessel maturation. Atorvastatin improves vessel maturation by inhibiting ANGPT2 release and phospho(Y658)-mediated VE-Cadherin internalization.
Maurer–Cartan Moduli and Theorems of Riemann–Hilbert Type
Authors: Chuang Joseph , Holstein Julian , Lazarev Andrey
Published: February 2021

We study Maurer–Cartan moduli spaces of dg algebras and associated dg categories and show that, while not quasi-isomorphism invariants, they are invariants of strong homotopy type, a natural notion that has not been studied before. We prove, in several different contexts, Schlessinger–Stasheff type theorems comparing the notions of homotopy and gauge equivalence for Maurer–Cartan elements as well as their categorified versions. As an application, we re-prove and generalize Block–Smith’s higher Riemann–Hilbert correspondence, and develop its analogue for simplicial complexes and topological spaces.
Learn class hierarchy using convolutional neural networks
Authors: La Grassa Riccardo , Gallo Ignazio , Landro Nicola
Published: February 2021

A large amount of research on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) has focused on flat Classification in the multi-class domain. In the real world, many problems are naturally expressed as hierarchical classification problems, in which the classes to be predicted are organized in a hierarchy of classes. In this paper, we propose a new architecture for hierarchical classification, introducing a stack of deep linear layers using cross-entropy loss functions combined to a center loss function. The proposed architecture can extend any neural network model and simultaneously optimizes loss functions to discover local hierarchical class relationships and a loss function to discover global information from the whole class hierarchy while penalizing class hierarchy violations. We experimentally show that our hierarchical classifier presents advantages to the traditional classification approaches finding application in computer vision tasks. The same approach can also be applied to some CNN for text classification.
Bumble bee species distributions and habitat associations in the Midwestern USA, a region of declining diversity
Authors: Novotny Jessie Lanterman , Reeher Paige , Varvaro Megan , Lybbert Andrew , Smith Jesse , Mitchell Randall J. , Goodell Karen
Published: February 2021

Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are important pollinators, yet rapidly declining globally. In North America some species are thriving while others are nearing extinction. Recognizing subtle differences in species’ biology and responses to environmental factors is required to illuminate key threats and to understand their different population trajectories. We intensively surveyed bumble bees in Ohio, USA, along the receding southern boundary of many species’ ranges, to evaluate current conservation status of the state’s species. In 318 90-min field surveys across two consecutive years we observed 23,324 bumble bees of 10 species visiting 170 plant species. Habitat, landscape, latitude, and their interactions significantly influenced bumble bee abundance, species richness, and community composition during peak season. Sites planted with flowers yielded more bumble bee individuals and species than did sites not planted with bee food plants. Bombus impatiens, B. griseocollis, and B. bimaculatus comprised 93% of all observations. Their abundances all peaked in habitats planted with wildflowers, but there were species-specific responses to local and landscape factors. Three less common species (B. fervidus, B. vagans, and B. perplexus) were more likely to be found in forested landscapes, particularly in the northeastern portion of the state. Bombus perplexus was also affiliated with planted urban wildflower patches. These results provide a strong starting point for future monitoring and conservation intervention that targets less common species. A quantitative synthesis of detailed state-level and regional datasets would allow additional insight into broad scale patterns of diversity in bumble bee communities and species conservation trajectories.
On the Analogy Between Business and Sport: Towards an Aristotelian Response to The Market Failures Approach to Business Ethics
Authors: Sinnicks Matthew
Published: February 2021

This paper explores the notion that business calls for an adversarial ethic, akin to that of sport. On this view, because of their competitive structure, both sport and business call for behaviours that are contrary to ‘ordinary morality’, and yet are ultimately justified because of the goods they facilitate. I develop three objections to this analogy. Firstly, there is an important qualitative difference between harms risked voluntarily and harms risked involuntarily. Secondly, the goods achieved by adversarial relationships in sport go beyond the function of sport, i.e. to entertain audiences. Thirdly, the most plausible account of the athlete’s motivational development starts with their love of the sport, which can explain a commitment to the sporting ethics in a way that is not paralleled in business. I close by drawing attention to the ways in which an Aristotelian conception of business ethics may be able to accommodate these objections.
Comparative study on the physical entrapment of soy and mushroom proteins on the durability of bacterial cellulose bio‐leather
Authors: Kim Hyunjin , Song Ji Eun , Kim Hye Rim
Published: February 2021

This study aimed to develop eco-friendly bacterial cellulose (BC) bio-leather with improved durability using plant-based proteins, namely soy protein isolate (SPI) and mushroom protein (MP), which were physically entrapped inside the BC, respectively. The amounts of the plant-based proteins were determined by evaluating the tensile strength of BC bio-leather, and were found to be 20 wt% and 50 wt% of BC for SPI and MP, respectively. The enhanced properties of mechanical strength and durability of BC bio-leather were measured in terms of changes in water resistance, tensile strength, flexibility, crease recovery, and dimensional stability. The durability of BC was improved after the entrapment of proteins, and moreover, the durability of BC entrapped with plant-based proteins was further improved by the addition of glycerol. Especially, BC entrapped with MP and glycerol had better water resistance, tensile strength, flexibility, and crease recovery compared to cowhide leather. The chemical and physical structures of BC bio-leathers were studied using Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses. From the results, it was confirmed that BC entrapped with MP and glycerol could be a suitable leather substitute.
Kinetic properties of sodium-ion transfer at the interface between graphitic materials and organic electrolyte solutions
Authors: Kondo Yasuyuki , Fukutsuka Tomokazu , Yokoyama Yuko , Miyahara Yuto , Miyazaki Kohei , Abe Takeshi
Published: February 2021

Graphitic materials cannot be applied for the negative electrode of sodium-ion battery because the reversible capacities of graphite are anomalously small. To promote electrochemical sodium-ion intercalation into graphitic materials, the interfacial sodium-ion transfer reaction at the interface between graphitized carbon nanosphere (GCNS) electrode and organic electrolyte solutions was investigated. The interfacial lithium-ion transfer reaction was also evaluated for the comparison to the sodium-ion transfer. From the cyclic voltammograms, both lithium-ion and sodium-ion can reversibly intercalate into/from GCNS in all of the electrolytes used here. In the Nyquist plots, the semi-circles at the high frequency region derived from the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) resistance and the semi-circles at the middle frequency region owing to the charge-transfer resistance appeared. The activation energies of both lithium-ion and sodium-ion transfer resistances were measured. The values of activation energies of the interfacial lithium-ion transfer suggested that the interfacial lithium-ion transfer was influenced by the interaction between lithium-ion and solvents, anions or SEI. The activation energies of the interfacial sodium-ion transfer were larger than the expected values of interfacial sodium-ion transfer based on the week Lewis acidity of sodium-ion. In addition, the activation energies of interfacial sodium-ion transfer in dilute FEC-based electrolytes were smaller than those in concentrated electrolytes. The activation energies of the interfacial lithium/sodium-ion transfer of CNS-1100 in FEC-based electrolyte solutions were almost the same as those of CNS-2900, indicating that the mechanism of interfacial charge-transfer reaction seemed to be the same for highly graphitized materials and low-graphitized materials each other.

Graphic abstract
Impact of “non-lethal” tarsal clipping on bumble bees (Bombus vosnesenskii) may depend on queen stage and worker size
Authors: Mola John M. , Stuligross Clara , Page Maureen L. , Rutkowski Danielle , Williams Neal M.
Published: February 2021

Recent bumble bee declines have prompted the development of novel population monitoring tools, including the use of putatively non-lethal tarsal clipping to obtain genetic material. However, the potential side effects of tarsal clipping have only been tested in the worker caste of a single domesticated species, prompting the need to more broadly test whether tarsal clipping negatively affects sampled individuals. To determine if tarsal clipping reduces queen survivorship and colony establishment, we collected wild queens of Bombus vosnesenskii and clipped tarsi from a single leg of half the individuals. We reared captive queens and estimated survivorship and nest establishment success. We also clipped tarsi of workers from a subset of colonies across a range of body sizes. We found no consistent negative effect of clipping on queen survival. In the first year, clipped nest-searching queens suffered heavy mortality, but there was no effect on foraging queens. The following year, we found no effect of clipping on queen survival or establishment. Clipping did not reduce overall worker survival but reduced survivorship for those in the smallest size quartile.

Implications for insect conservation

Our findings suggest tarsal clipping does not have consistent negative effects on individual survival. However, our results varied with queen behavioral state, year, and worker size, suggesting differences within and among species and interactions with landscape stressors warrant further study. In the interim, we recommend researchers and conservationists minimize the use of tarsal clipping for sensitive species, populations, or small workers except in cases of exceptional scientific need.
BiInO3 phases under asymmetric in-plane strain
Authors: Herklotz Andreas , Tippey Kristin , Huon Amanda , Koch Martin M. , Dörr Kathrin , Herklotz Frank
Published: February 2021

Density functional theory is used to study the effect of asymmetric in-plane strain on various BiInO3 phases. Structural relaxation is carried out to simulate the growth of coherently strained epitaxial films on (001) oriented orthorhombic perovskite substrates. The results are in particular analyzed with respect to commercially available substrates in order to assess the stabilization of new and fundamentally interesting BiInO3 phases. We find that a pyroxene-like Pcca phase is energetically more favorable than the bulk-like Pna21 structure on standard cubic substrate materials, such as SrTiO3. However, the presence of imaginary phonon modes suggests that this phase is dynamically instable. The bulk-like structure instead is stable over a wide range of lattice in-plane strain, but coherent growth requires substrates with unusually large lattice parameters. We suggest the use of lanthanate substrates in order to produce high-quality thin films of the bulk phase.

Graphical abstract
Global Solution of Semi-infinite Programs with Existence Constraints
Authors: Djelassi Hatim , Mitsos Alexander
Published: February 2021

We consider what we term existence-constrained semi-infinite programs. They contain a finite number of (upper-level) variables, a regular objective, and semi-infinite existence constraints. These constraints assert that for all (medial-level) variable values from a set of infinite cardinality, there must exist (lower-level) variable values from a second set that satisfy an inequality. Existence-constrained semi-infinite programs are a generalization of regular semi-infinite programs, possess three rather than two levels, and are found in a number of applications. Building on our previous work on the global solution of semi-infinite programs (Djelassi and Mitsos in J Glob Optim 68(2):227–253, 2017), we propose (for the first time) an algorithm for the global solution of existence-constrained semi-infinite programs absent any convexity or concavity assumptions. The algorithm is guaranteed to terminate with a globally optimal solution with guaranteed feasibility under assumptions that are similar to the ones made in the regular semi-infinite case. In particular, it is assumed that host sets are compact, defining functions are continuous, an appropriate global nonlinear programming subsolver is used, and that there exists a Slater point with respect to the semi-infinite existence constraints. A proof of finite termination is provided. Numerical results are provided for the solution of an adjustable robust design problem from the chemical engineering literature.
Do company-owned academic patents influence firm performance? Evidence from the Italian industry
Authors: Cerulli Giovanni , Marin Giovanni , Pierucci Eleonora , Potì Bianca
Published: February 2021

We document that firms holding academic patents in their portfolios perform better in terms of market power since they benefit from academic knowledge spillovers generated by academic patents. On the other hand, we detect a negative effect on firms’ short-term profitability imputable to a larger fixed cost associated to the acquisition and exploitation of these patents. In terms of policy, our analysis suggests focusing on company-owned academic patents. A set of economic incentives dedicated to university–industry knowledge transfer through academic patents could support integration between basic and applied research.
Filling the void of family leadership: institutional support to business model changes in the Italian Industry 4.0 experience
Authors: Cucculelli Marco , Dileo Ivano , Pini Marco
Published: February 2021

We examine whether the probability of innovating a company’s business model towards the Industry 4.0 paradigm is affected by external institutional support and family leadership. Industry 4.0 is the information-intensive transformation of global manufacturing enabled by Internet technologies aimed at reinventing products and services from design and engineering to manufacturing. Using a sample of 3000 firms from a corporate survey on the manufacturing industry in Italy, our results showed that family leadership has a significant positive influence on the adoption of Industry 4.0 business models, but only in terms of family ownership. By contrast, family management has a negative influence on the probability of adopting a new business model. However, this negative influence is almost totally offset by the presence of the Triple Helix, i.e. the external support by public institutions and universities, which counterbalances the lower propensity of family managers to adopt Industry 4.0 business models. This supporting role only occurs when institutions and universities act together.
Dispersers’ habitat detection and settling abilities modulate the effect of habitat amount on metapopulation resilience
Authors: Riotte-Lambert Louise , Laroche Fabien
Published: February 2021

Context

Metapopulation theory makes useful predictions for conservation in fragmented landscapes. For randomly distributed habitat patches, it predicts that the ability of a metapopulation to recover from low occupancy level (the “metapopulation capacity”) linearly increases with habitat amount. This prediction derives from describing the dispersal between two patches as a function of their features and the distance separating them only, without interaction with the rest of the landscape. However, if individuals can stop dispersal when hitting a patch (“habitat detection and settling” ability), the rest of habitat may modulate the dispersal between two patches by intercepting dispersers (which constitutes a “shadow” effect).

Objectives

We aim at evaluating how habitat detection and settling ability, and the subsequent shadow effect, can modulate the relationship between the metapopulation capacity and the habitat amount in the metapopulation.

Methods

Considering two simple metapopulation models with contrasted animal movement types, we used analytical predictions and simulations to study the relationship between habitat amount and metapopulation capacity under various levels of dispersers’ habitat detection and settling ability.

Results

Increasing habitat detection and settling ability led to: (i) larger metapopulation capacity values than expected from classic metapopulation theory and (ii) concave habitat amount–metapopulation capacity relationship.

Conclusions

Overlooking dispersers’ habitat detection and settling ability may lead to underestimating the metapopulation capacity and misevaluating the conservation benefit of increasing habitat amount. Therefore, a further integration of our mechanistic understanding of animals’ displacement into metapopulation theory is urgently needed.
Time integration of rigid bodies modelled with three rotation parameters
Authors: Holzinger Stefan , Gerstmayr Johannes
Published: February 2021

Three rotation parameters are commonly used in multibody dynamics or in spacecraft attitude determination to represent large spatial rotations. It is well known, however, that the direct time integration of kinematic equations with three rotation parameters is not possible in singular points. In standard formulations based on three rotation parameters, singular points are avoided, for example, by applying reparametrization strategies during the time integration of the kinematic equations. As an alternative, Euler parameters are commonly used to avoid singular points. State-of-the-art approaches use Lie group methods, specifically integrators, to model large rigid body rotations. However, the former methods are based on additional information, e.g. the rotation matrix, which must be computed in each time step. Thus, the latter method is difficult to incorporate into existing codes that are based on three rotation parameters. In this contribution, a novel approach for solving rotational kinematics in terms of three rotation parameters is presented. The proposed approach is illustrated by the example of the rotation vector and the Euler angles. In the proposed approach, Lie group time integration methods are used to compute consistent updates for the rotation vector or the Euler angles in each time step and therefore singular points can be surmounted and the accuracy is higher as compared to the direct time integration of rotation parameters. The proposed update formulas can be easily integrated into existing codes that use either the rotation vector or Euler angles. The advantages of the proposed approach are demonstrated with two numerical examples.
Virtual magnetic resonance elastography has the feasibility to evaluate preoperative pituitary adenoma consistency
Authors: Lagerstrand Kerstin , Gaedes Nicholas , Eriksson Stig , Farahmand Dan , De Coursey Erica , Johansson Gudmundur , Jönsson Lars , Skoglund Thomas
Published: February 2021

Purpose

To evaluate the use of preoperative virtual Magnetic Resonance Elastography (vMRE) for patients undergoing transsphenoidal resection of pituitary adenomas (PA).

Methods

Ten patients (60.2 ± 19.6 years; 8 males) were prospectively examined with the vMRE-method prior to transsphenoidal surgery. vMRE-images, reflecting tissue stiffness were reconstructed. From these images, histograms as well as the mean stiffness values over the tumor body were extracted. Finally, vMRE-data was compared with the PA consistency at surgery blinded to vMRE.

Results

In all patients, successful vMRE-examination was performed enabling evaluation of even small PAs. For tumors with homogenous tissue, the mean stiffness value increased with surgical consistency grading. For heterogenous tumors, however, the mean stiffness value did not consistently reflect the grading at surgery. On the other hand, the vMRE-images and histograms were found to be able to characterize the tumor heterogeneity and display focal regions of high stiffness that were found to affect the surgery outcome in these PAs. The vMRE-images and histograms showed great promise in characterizing the consistency at surgery for these PAs.

Conclusion

Evaluation of PA consistency in preparation for surgery seems to be feasible using the vMRE-method. Our findings also address the need for high resolution diagnostic methods that can non-invasively display focal regions of increased stiffness, as such regions may increase the difficulty of transsphenoidal PA-resection.
Asian American Candidate Preferences: Evidence from California
Authors: Leung Vivien
Published: February 2021

The diversity of the Asian American population presents challenges for theories of bloc voting, partisan voting, and descriptive representation. What cues (if any) do Asian American voters rely on? How informative are racial and partisan cues to Asian American voters. This article looks at the candidate preferences of Asian American voters in the 2018 election. I look at elections where an Asian American candidate was on the ballot and compare outcomes within district to the gubernatorial race (a race with no minorities on the ballot). I use surname-coded voter registration records and precinct-level vote returns to estimate Asian American candidate preferences as a racial group and by national-origin. I find strong evidence of national-origin preferences (i.e. Vietnamese for a Vietnamese candidate) among Asian American voters. In instances where the national-origin of the candidate and the national-origin of the voter did not align, voters seem to rely on partisan cues. National-origin preferences are sufficient enough that in one instance voters switched parties within the same election to vote for a candidate of the same national-origin. These findings have implications for theories of minority vote choice and challenges the existing literature on the strength of partisan cues (replication data can be found at: https://sites.google.com/view/vivienleung/research).
Kadec–Klee properties of Orlicz–Lorentz sequence spaces equipped with the Orlicz norm
Authors: Cui Yunan , Foralewski Paweł , Hudzik Henryk , Kaczmarek Radosław
Published: February 2021

The necessary and sufficient conditions for both the Kadec–Klee property as well as the Kadec–Klee property with respect to the coordinatewise convergence in Orlicz–Lorentz sequence spaces equipped with the Orlicz norm and generated by arbitrary Orlicz functions as well as any non-increasing weight sequences are given. Moreover, for their subspaces of elements with an order continuous norm the full characterization of the Kadec–Klee property with respect to the coordinatewise convergence is presented. Some tools useful in the proofs of the main results are also provided.
The politics of bailouts: Estimating the causal effects of political connections on corporate bailouts during the 2008–2009 US financial crisis
Authors: Vukovic Vuk
Published: February 2021

In 2008, as the financial crisis unfolded in the United States, the banking industry elevated its lobbying and campaign spending activities. By the end of 2008, and during 2009, the biggest political spenders, on average, received the largest bailout packages. Is that relationship causal? In this paper, I examine the effect of political connections on the allocation of funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to the US financial services industry during the 2008–2009 financial crisis. I find that TARP recipients that lobbied the government, donated to political campaigns, or whose top executives had direct connections to politics received better bailout deals. I estimate regression discontinuity design and instrumental variable models to uncover how election outcomes for politicians in close races affected the distribution of bailout funds for connected firms. The results do not imply that some banks were deliberately favored over others, just that favored banks benefited because of their proximity to the right people in power. If being politically connected matters in general, in times of crisis it matters even more.
Militant constitutionalism: a promising concept to make constitutional backsliding less likely?
Authors: Gutmann Jerg , Voigt Stefan
Published: February 2021

Constitutional democracy is in decline and many would-be autocrats try to transgress constitutional constraints. Here, we introduce the concept of militant constitutionalism, which suggests a number of constitutional rules that could make constitutions more resilient to attempts to undermine them. A first empirical evaluation, however, can link only few constitutional paths to enhanced constitutional resilience.
Beyond Hypothesis Testing
Authors: Ioannidou Olga , Erduran Sibel
Published: February 2021

Recent reforms in science education have promoted students’ understanding of how science works, including the methodological approaches used by scientists. Given that teachers are expected to teach and promote methodological pluralism, it is worth examining how teachers understand and view scientific methods, particularly when scientific methods are presented as a diverse array and not as a linear model based exclusively on hypothesis testing.The empirical study presented in the paper examines science teachers’ understanding of scientific methods, particularly the diversity of scientific methods. Brandon’s Matrix, a philosopher’s account of scientific methods, has been adapted for educational purposes, and two tasks were developed in order to investigate teachers’ understanding of scientific methods. Fifty-six science teachers (25% male, 75% female) from different regions in the UK responded to an online survey.The results showed that the majority of the teachers showed satisfactory understanding of basic components of Brandon’s Matrix. However, more than half of the sample held naïve understanding of scientific methods. By providing insight into teachers’ misconceptions about scientific methods, the study provides suggestions for the design of teacher training programmes and highlights the need for explicit instruction about scientific methods. In addition, we suggest the use of heuristics such as Brandon’s Matrix for the development of pedagogical tools as well as research instruments.
Physician Assessment and Feedback During Quality Circle to Reduce Low-Value Services in Outpatients: a Pre-Post Quality Improvement Study
Authors: Kherad Omar , Selby Kevin , Martel Myriam , da Costa Henrique , Vettard Yann , Schaller Philippe , Raetzo Marc-André
Published: February 2021

Background

The impact of the Choosing Wisely (CW) campaign is debated as recommendations alone may not modify physician behavior.

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess whether behavioral interventions with physician assessment and feedback during quality circles (QCs) could reduce low-value services.

Design and Participants

Pre-post quality improvement intervention with a parallel comparison group involving outpatients followed in a Swiss-managed care network, including 700 general physicians (GPs) and 150,000 adult patients.

Interventions

Interventions included performance feedback about low-value activities and comparison with peers during QCs. We assessed individual physician behavior and healthcare use from laboratory and insurance claims files between August 1, 2016, and October 31, 2018.

Main Measures

Main outcomes were the change in prescription of three low-value services 6 months before and 6 months after each intervention: measurement of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prescription rates of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and statins.

Key Results

Among primary care practices, a QC intervention with physician feedback and peer comparison resulted in lower rates of PPI prescription (pre-post mean prescriptions per GP 25.5 ± 23.7 vs 22.9 ± 21.4, p value<0.01; coefficient of variation (Cov) 93.0% vs 91.0%, p=0.49), PSA measurement (6.5 ± 8.7 vs 5.3 ± 6.9 tests per GP, p<0.01; Cov 133.5% vs 130.7%, p=0.84), as well as statins (6.1 ± 6.8 vs 5.6 ± 5.4 prescriptions per GP, p<0.01; Cov 111.5% vs 96.4%, p=0.21). Changes in prescription of low-value services among GPs who did not attend QCs were not statistically significant over this time period.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate a modest but statistically significant effect of QCs with educative feedback in reducing low-value services in outpatients with low impact on coefficient of variation. Limiting overuse in medicine is very challenging and dedicated discussion and real-time review of actionable data may help.
Traditional and modern strategies for optical flow: an investigation
Authors: Shah Syed Tafseer Haider , Xuezhi Xiang
Published: February 2021

Optical Flow Estimation is an essential component for many image processing techniques. This field of research in computer vision has seen an amazing development in recent years. In particular, the introduction of Convolutional Neural Networks for optical flow estimation has shifted the paradigm of research from the classical traditional approach to deep learning side. At present, state of the art techniques for optical flow are based on convolutional neural networks and almost all top performing methods incorporate deep learning architectures in their schemes. This paper presents a brief analysis of optical flow estimation techniques and highlights most recent developments in this field. A comparison of the majority of pertinent traditional and deep learning methodologies has been undertaken resulting the detailed establishment of the respective advantages and disadvantages of the traditional and deep learning categories. An insight is provided into the significant factors that affect the success or failure of the two classes of optical flow estimation. In establishing the foremost existing and inherent challenges with traditional and deep learning schemes, probable solutions have been proposed indeed.
Young Women against Apartheid
Authors: Bridger Emily
Published: February 2021

Provides a new perspective on the struggle against apartheid, and contributes to key debates in South African history, gender inequality, sexual violence, and the legacies of the liberation struggle.
Case C-532/18 G.N. v. Z.U. (Niki Luftfahrt) (C.J.E.U.)
Authors: Bohlsen Stefan
Published: February 2021

On December 19, 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU, the Court) interpreted Article 17(1) of the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, concluded in Montreal on May 28, 1999 (Montreal Convention), in its judgment in the Niki Luftfahrt case.
Parental income inequality and children’s digit ratio (2D:4D): a ‘Trivers-Willard’ effect on prenatal androgenization?
Authors: Manning J.T. , Fink B. , Mason L. , Trivers R.
Published: February 2021

Income inequality is associated positively with disease prevalence and mortality. Digit ratio (2D:4D) – a negative proxy for prenatal testosterone and a positive correlate of prenatal oestrogen – is related to several diseases. This study examined the association of income inequality (operationalized as relative parental income) and children’s 2D:4D. Participants self-measured finger lengths (2D=index finger, and 4D=ring finger) in a large online survey conducted in July 2005 (the BBC Internet Study) and reported their parents’ income. Children of parents of above-average income had low 2D:4D (high prenatal testosterone, low prenatal oestrogen) while the children of parents of below-average income had high 2D:4D (low prenatal testosterone, high prenatal oestrogen). The effects were significant in the total sample, present among Whites (the largest group in the sample), in the two largest national samples (UK and USA) and were greater for males than females. The findings suggest a Trivers-Willard effect, such that high-income women may prenatally masculinize their sons at the expense of the fitness of their daughters. Women with low income may prenatally feminize their daughters at the fitness expense of their sons. The effect could, in part, explain associations between low income, high 2D:4D (low prenatal testosterone) and some major causes of mortality such as cardiovascular disease.
Investigating the genetic and environmental aetiologies of non-suicidal and suicidal self-harm: a twin study
Authors: Lim Kai Xiang , Krebs Georgina , Rimfeld Kaili , Pingault Jean-Baptiste , Rijsdijk Frühling Vesta
Published: February 2021

Background

Self-harm is a major health concern, not only as a signal of distress but also as a strong predictor of later suicide. Self-harm can be further refined into suicidal self-harm (SSH, i.e. suicide attempt) and non-suicidal self-harm (NSSH). Understanding the aetiologies of NSSH and SSH can help inform suicide prevention strategies. Using a twin design, we investigated the phenotypic and aetiological relationships between NSSH and SSH, and their aetiological overlap with mental health problems.

Methods

We analysed data from the Twins Early Development Study using structural equation modelling. At age 21 years, 9063 twins (62.4% female) answered questions related to self-harm. At age 16 years, 19 self- or parent-reported mental health measures were administered, including measures of internalising and externalising problems, psychotic-like experiences and substance abuse.

Results

Prevalences for NSSH and SSH were 21.9% and 10.5%, respectively. Additive genetic factors explained half of the variance in NSSH (55%) and SSH (50%), with the rest explained by non-shared environmental factors. Phenotypically, NSSH and SSH were strongly correlated (r = 0.87) with their correlation explained by genetic (57%) and non-shared environmental (43%) factors. We found no evidence that NSSH and SSH differed in their phenotypic and aetiological relationships with mental health measures.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest no aetiological difference between NSSH and SSH. NSSH and SSH should be regarded as two different ends of a continuum, rather than as two distinct categories.
Unilateral optic nerve relapse after acute lymphoblastic leukaemia remission
Authors: Mousli Alia , Abidi Rim , Yahyeoui Safia , Zarraa Samia , Belaid Asma , Nasr Chiraz
Published: February 2021

Background:

The aim of this case report is to describe the clinical presentation and imaging features of a patient with optic nerve leukaemic infiltration as the first site of relapse after complete response to systemic treatment.

Materials and methods:

We report the case of a 23-year-old man with history of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in complete remission. Six months later, the ocular examination revealed decreased visual acuity. Fundus examination showed a pale optic disk with blurred margins and multiple flame-shaped and dot and blot retinal haemorrhages in his left eye. A diagnosis of leukaemic infiltration to the optic nerve was made by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cytological analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid did not show any abnormal cells or blasts.

Results:

A course of oral corticosteroid therapy was prescribed and 20 Gy of radiation was administered to the whole brain including the left orbit. Vision was improved dramatically in the left eye. Isolated optic nerve relapse of leukaemic infiltration is of paramount importance to early diagnosis, as vision can be saved if treatment with orbital radiotherapy is initiated promptly.
CUTOFF AT THE ENTROPIC TIME FOR RANDOM WALKS ON COVERED EXPANDER GRAPHS
Authors: Bordenave Charles , Lacoin Hubert
Published: February 2021

It is a fact simple to establish that the mixing time of the simple random walk on a d-regular graph
$G_n$
with n vertices is asymptotically bounded from below by
$\frac {d }{d-2 } \frac {\log n}{\log (d-1)}$
. Such a bound is obtained by comparing the walk on
$G_n$
to the walk on d-regular tree
$\mathcal{T}_d$
. If one can map another transitive graph
$\mathcal{G} $
onto
$G_n$
, then we can improve the strategy by using a comparison with the random walk on
$\mathcal{G} $
(instead of that of
$\mathcal{T} _d$
), and we obtain a lower bound of the form
$\frac {1}{\mathfrak{h} }\log n$
, where
$\mathfrak{h} $
is the entropy rate associated with
$\mathcal{G} $
. We call this the entropic lower bound.

It was recently proved that in the case
$\mathcal{G} =\mathcal{T} _d$
, this entropic lower bound (in that case
$\frac {d }{d-2 } \frac {\log n}{\log (d-1)}$
) is sharp when graphs have minimal spectral radius and thus that in that case the random walk exhibits cutoff at the entropic time. In this article, we provide a generalisation of the result by providing a sufficient condition on the spectra of the random walks on
$G_n$
under which the random walk exhibits cutoff at the entropic time. It applies notably to anisotropic random walks on random d-regular graphs and to random walks on random n-lifts of a base graph (including nonreversible walks).
RANDOM REAL BRANCHED COVERINGS OF THE PROJECTIVE LINE
Authors: Ancona Michele
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we construct a natural probability measure on the space of real branched coverings from a real projective algebraic curve$(X,c_X)$to the projective line$(\mathbb{C} \mathbb {P}^1,\textit{conj} )$. We prove that the space of degreedreal branched coverings having “many” real branched points (for example, more than$\sqrt {d}^{1+\alpha }$, for any$\alpha>0$) has exponentially small measure. In particular, maximal real branched coverings – that is, real branched coverings such that all the branched points are real – are exponentially rare.