bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk of intellectual disability in children born appropriate-for-gestational-age at term or post-term: impact of birth weight for gestational age and gestational age
Authors: Chen Ruoqing , Tedroff Kristina , Villamor Eduardo , Lu Donghao , Cnattingius Sven
Published: December 2019

Children born small for gestational age have a higher risk of intellectual disability. We investigated associations of birth weight for gestational age percentile and gestational age with risk of intellectual disability in appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) children. We included 828,948 non-malformed term or post-term AGA singleton children (including 429,379 full siblings) born between 1998 and 2009 based on data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register. Diagnosis of intellectual disability after 3 years of age was identified through the Patient Register. Using Cox regression models, we calculated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of intellectual disability among children with different birth weight percentiles and gestational age in the whole population and in a subpopulation of full siblings. A total of 1688 children were diagnosed with intellectual disability during follow-up. HRs (95% CIs) of intellectual disability for the low birth weight percentile groups (10th–24th and 25th–39th percentiles, respectively) versus the reference group (40th–59th percentiles) were 1.43 (1.22–1.67) and 1.28 (1.10–1.50) in population analysis and 1.52 (1.00–2.31) and 1.44 (1.00–2.09) in sibling comparison analysis. The increased risk for low birth weight percentiles in population analysis was stable irrespective of gestational age. A weak U-shaped association between gestational age and intellectual disability was observed in population analysis, although not in sibling comparison analysis. These findings suggest that among AGA children born at term or post-term, lower birth weight percentiles within the normal range are associated with increased risk of intellectual disability, regardless of gestational age.
Co-creation in learning and teaching: the case for a whole-class approach in higher education
Authors: Bovill Catherine
Published: December 2019

There is a wide range of activity in the higher education sector labelled ‘students as partners’ and ‘co-creation in learning and teaching’. Several frameworks have been proposed to map and categorise existing partnership and co-creation roles, activities, research, and practice. In this paper, I synthesise some of these frameworks to illustrate how the predominant focus in the international literature has been on partnership projects that select small groups of often already super-engaged or privileged students to participate. In contrast, co-creation in learning and teaching, embedded within the curriculum and involving a whole class of students, has been largely overlooked. I explore the potential of co-creating learning and teaching with a whole class of students (including face-to-face, blended, and online settings, and including lectures, tutorials, laboratories, and other methods of teaching); in other words, it is co-creation integral to students’ programmes and courses of study. I argue that whole-class approaches to co-creation may be inherently more inclusive of students than other approaches to co-creation and that this approach both relies upon, and contributes towards, building positive relationships between staff and students, and between students and students. I explore some of the challenges of whole-class co-creation in learning and teaching, and I also argue that the benefits suggest this is currently an underutilised and researched approach internationally.
Determining the mass-related reaction effectiveness factor of large, nonspherical fuel particles for bridging between intrinsic and apparent combustion kinetics
Authors: Szűcs Tibor , Szentannai Pal
Published: December 2019

The utilization of challenging solid fuels in the energy industry is urged by environmental requirements. The combustion kinetics of these fuel particles differs markedly from that of pulverized coal, mainly because of their larger sizes, irregular (nonspherical) shapes, and versatile internal pore structures. Although the intrinsic reaction kinetic measurements on very small amounts of finely ground samples of these particles are mostly available, a bridge toward their apparent reaction modeling is not evident. In this study, a method is introduced to build this bridge, the goodness of which was proved on the example of an industrially relevant biofuel. To do this, the results of a macroscopic combustion measurement with real samples in a well-modelable environment have to be used, and for considering some not negligible effects, 3D CFD modeling of the experimental environment is also to be applied. The outcome is the mass-related reaction effectiveness factor as a function of the rate of conversion. This variable can be considered as the active fraction of the entire particle mass on its periphery, and it can be used as the crucial element in modeling the combustion process of the same particle under other circumstances by including the actual boundary conditions. Another advantage of this method is its covering inherently the entire combustion process (water and volatile release, and char combustion) and also its applicability for reactors utilizing bigger particles like fluidized bed combustors.
Shaping space and practice to support autonomy: lessons from natural settings in Scotland
Authors: Barrable Alexia
Published: December 2019

In the present paper, I explore some of the concrete manifestation of autonomy support in natural childcare and early childhood education settings, under the organising framework of self-determination theory. More specifically, I present the ways in which early childhood educators shape the space of natural settings and use the affordances of the natural environment to promote autonomy in children aged 3–8 years. The practices presented are a result of direct observation in several Scotland-based outdoor settings, observations and organic conversations with educators in outdoor and forest kindergartens. Hopefully the practices and spaces presented in this paper can be of use by educators and setting managers who aim to support autonomous learning and intrinsic motivation in their pupils in outdoor natural early years’ settings.
F1000Prime recommended articles and their citations: an exploratory study of four journals
Authors: Wang Peiling , Williams Joshua , Zhang Nan , Wu Qiang
Published: December 2019

This study examined F1000Prime recommended research and review articles published in Cell, JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, and The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in 2010. The analyses included (1) the classifications assigned to the articles; (2) differences in Web of Science (WoS) citation counts over 9 years between the articles with F1000Prime recommendations and the other articles of the same journal; (3) correlations between the F1000Prime rating scores and WoS citation counts; (4) scaled graphic comparisons of the two measures; (5) content analysis of the top 5 WoS cited and top 5 F1000Prime scored NEJM articles. The results show that most of the recommended articles were classified as New Finding, Clinical Trial, Conformation, Interesting Hypothesis, and Technical Advance. The top classifications differred between the medical journals (JAMA, The Lancet, and NEJM) and the biology journal (Cell); for the latter, both New Finding and Interesting Hypothesis occurred more frequently than the three medical journals. The articles recommended by F1000 Faculty members were cited significantly more than other articles of the same journal for the three medical journals, but no significance was found between the two sets of articles in Cell. The correlations between the F1000Prime rating scores and WoS citation counts of the articles in the same journal were significant for the two medical journals (The Lancet and NEJM) and the biology journal (Cell). NEJM showed significances in both the upper quantile (top 50%), and the upper quartile (top 25%) sets. One of the medical journals, JAMA, did not show any significant correlation between the two measures. Despite the significant correlations of the three journals, Min–Max scaled graphic comparisons of the two measures did not reveal any patterns for predicting citation trends by F1000Prime rating scores. The peak citation year of the articles ranged from 2 to 8 years after the publication year for NEJM. Content analysis of the top-cited and top-scored NEJM articles found that highly commendable papers with comments such as “exceptional,” “landmark study,” or “paradigm shift” received varied rating scores. In comparison, some of the results corroborate with previous studies. Further studies are suggested to include additional journals and different years as well as alternative methods. Studies are needed to understand how F1000 Faculty assign ratings and what criteria they use. In addition, it is also worth investigating how F1000Prime users perceive the meanings of the ratings.
When Does Economic Freedom Promote Well Being? On the Moderating Role of Long-Term Orientation
Authors: Graafland Johan
Published: December 2019

An increasing volume of literature has shown that economic freedom is related to life satisfaction. However, life satisfaction may not fully describe well-being because of its subjective nature. This study contributes to previous literature by extending analysis of the relationship between economic freedom and life satisfaction to other dimensions of well-being as measured by the better life index of the OECD that includes both objective and subjective measures. A second innovation of this paper is that, in explaining the differences in well-being between countries, we conjecture that the relationship between free market institutions as measured by economic freedom and well-being is moderated by the cultural dimension of long-term orientation. This hypothesis is supported for six out of 11 dimensions of well-being: income, community, health, life satisfaction, safety, and work—life balance. Our study shows that looking at interdependencies between culture and formal institutions can increase the explanatory power of internationally comparative research into well-being.
In vitro and In vivo Assessment of Suitable Reference Region and Kinetic Modelling for the mGluR1 Radioligand [11C]ITDM in Mice
Authors: Bertoglio Daniele , Verhaeghe Jeroen , Korat Špela , Miranda Alan , wyffels Leonie , Stroobants Sigrid , Mrzljak Ladislav , Dominguez Celia , Liu Longbin , Skinbjerg Mette , Munoz-Sanjuan Ignacio , Staelens Steven
Published: December 2019

Purpose

This study aimed at investigating binding specificity, suitability of reference region-based kinetic modelling, and pharmacokinetics of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) radioligand [11C]ITDM in mice.

Procedures

We performedin vivoblocking as well as displacement of [11C]ITDM during positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using the specific mGluR1 antagonist YM-202074. Additionally, we assessedin vitroblocking of [3H]ITDM at two different doses of YM-202074. As an alternative to reference region models, we validated the use of a noninvasive image-derived input function (IDIF) compared to an arterial input function measured with an invasive arteriovenous (AV) shunt using a population-based curve for radiometabolite correction and characterized the pharmacokinetic modelling of [11C]ITDM in the mouse brain. Finally, we also assessed semi-quantitative approaches.

Results

In vivoblocking with YM-202074 resulted in a decreased [11C]ITDM binding, ranging from − 35.8 ± 8.0 % in pons to − 65.8 ± 3.0 % in thalamus. Displacement was also markedly observed in all tested regions. In addition,in vitro[3H]ITDM binding could be blocked in a dose-dependent manner. The volume of distribution (VT) based on the noninvasive IDIF (VT (IDIF)) showed excellent agreement with theVTvalues based on the metabolite-corrected plasma input function regardless of the metabolite correction (r2 > 0.943,p < 0.0001). Two-tissue compartmental model (2TCM) was found to be the preferred model and showed optimal agreement with Logan plot (r2 > 0.960,p < 0.0001). A minimum scan duration of 80 min was required for proper parameter estimation. SUV was not reliable (r2 = 0.379,p = 0.0011), unlike the SUV ratio to the SUV of the input function, which showed to be a valid approach.

Conclusions

No suitable reference region could be identified for [11C]ITDM as strongly supported byin vivoandin vitroevidence of specific binding in all brain regions. However, by applying appropriate kinetic models, [11C]ITDM PET imaging represents a promising tool to visualize mGluR1 in the mouse brain.
Intrahepatic Administration of Human Liver Stem Cells in Infants with Inherited Neonatal-Onset Hyperammonemia: A Phase I Study
Authors: Spada Marco , Porta Francesco , Righi Dorico , Gazzera Carlo , Tandoi Francesco , Ferrero Ivana , Fagioli Franca , Sanchez Maria Beatriz Herrera , Calvo Pier Luigi , Biamino Elisa , Bruno Stefania , Gunetti Monica , Contursi Cristina , Lauritano Carola , Conio Alessandra , Amoroso Antonio , Salizzoni Mauro , Silengo Lorenzo , Camussi Giovanni , Romagnoli Renato
Published: December 2019

Previous studies have shown that human liver stem-like cells (HLSCs) may undergo differentiation in vitro into urea producing hepatocytes and in vivo may sustain liver function in models of experimentally induced acute liver injury. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of HLSCs intrahepatic administration in inherited neonatal-onset hyperammonemia. The study was approved by the Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco on favorable opinion of the Italian Institute of Health as an open-label, prospective, uncontrolled, monocentric Phase I study (HLSC 01–11, EudraCT-No. 2012–002120-33). Three patients affected by argininosuccinic aciduria (patient 1) and methylmalonic acidemia (patients 2 and 3) and included in the liver transplantation list were enrolled. In all patients, HLSCs were administered by percutaneous intrahepatic injections (once a week for two consecutive weeks) within the first months of life. The first patient received 125,000 HLSCs x gram of liver/dose while the other two patients received twice this dose. No immunosuppression was administered since HLSCs possess immunomodulatory activities. None of the patients experienced infections, hyperammonemia decompensation, or other adverse events during the whole observation period. No donor specific antibodies (DSA) against HLSCs were detected. Patients were metabolic stable despite an increase (~30%) in protein intake. Two patients underwent liver transplantation after 19 and 11 months respectively, and after explantation, the native livers showed no histological alterations. In conclusion, percutaneous intrahepatic administration of HLSCs was safe in newborn with inherited neonatal-onset hyperammonemia. These data pave the way for Phase II studies in selected inherited and acquired liver disorders.
Self-Censorship and Associational Life in the Liberal Academy
Authors: Chamlee-Wright Emily
Published: December 2019

Self-censorship is a well-documented phenomenon within the academy. Building from the works of Tocqueville, Mill, and Smith, this paper identifies sources of self-censorship within the academy, namely the values of intellectual abrasion and civility, that are associated with the liberal intellectual tradition. The resulting phenomenon of self-censorship, I argue, has both positive and negative effects on the quality of public and academic discourse. Given the dual nature of self-censorship, scholars seeking to make the morally upright choice of whether to self-censor or to speak up face both an epistemological and a moral challenge. I argue that in discussions of the “impartial spectator” and the virtue of self-command, Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments anticipates these challenges and lends guidance to the scholar who is sincerely committed to doing what is right when navigating associational life within the academy.
Fighter, Corpsman, Partisan an Attempt to Typify Former Soldiers Based on their Coping and Defense Mechanisms
Authors: Brants Loni , Schuy Katrin , Dors Simone , Horzetzky Marie , Rau Heinrich , Willmund Gerd , Ströhle Andreas , Siegel Stefan
Published: December 2019

This work strives to develop a typological classification of the use of conscious and unconscious defense and coping mechanisms based on methodically and structurally collected data from a qualitative survey of 43 former soldiers in Germany. Seven coping and defense types were identified:the Fighter, the Comrade, the Corpsman, the Strategist, the Partisan, the Self-Protectorandthe Infantryman. The types identified differed with regard to the accumulation, combination, and use of their conscious and unconscious defense and coping mechanisms in the superordinate areas ofbehaviour, relationships, emotions, reflexivityandtime focus. The typological classification could offer psychotherapeutic interventions tailored to individuals and their defense and coping mechanisms, which could lead to improved therapy use and compliance.
Oral Microcystin-LR Does Not Cause Hepatotoxicity in Pigs: Is the Risk of Microcystin-LR Overestimated?
Authors: Welten Richard D. , Meneely Julie P. , Chevallier Olivier P. , Kosek Vít , Greer Brett , Hajšlová Jana , Elliott Christopher T.
Published: December 2019

The global increase of toxin-producing cyanobacteria poses a serious risk to humans. Many investigations have shown that the cyanotoxin microcystin-LR induces hepatotoxicity in rodents. However, many of these studies applied the toxin intraperitoneally or used high oral concentrations, leading to an unrealistically high bioavailability of the toxin. Such approaches have put into question how these results translate to human exposure scenarios. Epidemiology studies have linked microcystin-LR with hepatotoxicity and liver cancer in humans, though by design these investigations cannot provide direct evidence. The present work investigated the effect of microcystin-LR exposure on pigs closely mimicking real-life human conditions. In two animal experiments, pigs were administered microcystin-LR daily by oral gavage for 35 days. Metabolomic and lipidomic tools were used to analyse blood and liver samples. In addition, blood biochemistry parameters indicative of liver function and health were studied to further investigate the potential hepatotoxic effects of microcystin-LR. Results indicated that the metabolomic and lipidomic analyses did not show a gross treatment effect in blood and liver. Furthermore, no significant alterations were found in the tested blood biochemistry parameters. No evidence of hepatotoxicity was found. These results shed more light onto the effects (or lack of effects) of low-dose oral microcystin-LR exposure. The data suggests that the risk of oral microcystin-LR exposure may be overestimated.
Raising Awareness of Researchers-in-the-Making Toward Responsible Research and Innovation
Authors: Lukovics Miklós , Udvari Beáta , Nádas Nikoletta , Fisher Erik
Published: December 2019

Across the globe, research, development, and innovation (RDI) processes are operating at increasingly accelerated paces, promising rapid development and higher standards of living, but also increasing the likelihood of unintended, socially undesirable effects that inevitably attend progress. The notion of responsible research and innovation (RRI) has emerged in response to this dilemma, and the integration of RRI into daily RDI practices itself represents a considerable challenge. Integrating RRI concepts and practices at an early or even pre-career stage, before researchers fully develop their daily routines, could strengthen the assimilation of RRI into RDI more generally. Thus, in line with the emphasis of RRI on science education, how to integrate RRI aspects in the thinking of researchers-in-the-making before they start their active research carrier is an important but under-investigated question. In addition, the special features of Generation Z currently being in higher education suggest the use nontraditional tools in science education.

Accordingly, this exploratory study asks how the RRI-awareness of researchers-in-the-making can be raised. We adapt the Socio-Technical Integration Research (STIR) method, which facilitates reflection on societal aspects during scientific research practices and decisions, to the context of science education. We test the introduction of STIR among researchers-in-the-making studying natural sciences at the University of Szeged (Hungary). Our findings suggest potential steps for science education on RRI with attention to the special needs Generation Z and facilitating their RRI awareness for their active researcher career.
Flow pattern study in Beshar River and its two straight and meander reaches using CCHE2D model
Authors: Salmasi Farzin , Ayaseh Ahmad , Dalir Ali Hoseinzadeh , Arvanaghi Hadi
Published: December 2019

In this study, flow pattern in Beshar River as a main branch of Karoon River has been analyzed using CCHE2D. For this purpose, a 12-km reach upstream of Shahmokhtar hydrometric station near Yasuj city was considered. The CCHE2D model was calibrated using different Manning’s roughness coefficients and different turbulent models; for this purpose, numerical results were compared with observation data for three different discharges. The results showed that for the medium and high discharges, less Manning’s roughness coefficients (0.015 ≥ n ≥ 0.025) and for low discharge, higher Manning’s roughness coefficients (0.035 ≤ n ≤ 0.050) are more suitable. Also, k–ε turbulent model is more effective in this study. Besides, variations of hydraulic parameters like water depth, velocity, shear stress and Froude number are calculated and discussed. The analysis of the flow and velocity pattern in the straight and meander reaches of the river shows that the changes trend of the water surface gradient and velocity in the cross sections of this two reaches are different. Due to effect of secondary currents, latitude gradient of the water surface and depth average velocities increase to the outer bank of the bend. But in the straight reach, latitude gradient of the water surface is almost zero and the maximum velocities are in the center-line of flow. The R-squared (RSQ) and linear correlation coefficient (r) factors between velocity and shear stress show that there is linear and direct relationship between these two hydraulic parameters in the entire study reach.
Effects of tobacco–peanut relay intercropping on soil bacteria community structure
Authors: Gao Lin , Liu Xin-min , Du Yong-mei , Zong Hao , Shen Guo-ming
Published: December 2019

Purpose

A reasonable cultivation pattern is beneficial to maintain soil microbial activity and optimize the structure of the soil microbial community. To determine the effect of tobacco−peanut (Nicotiana tabacum−Arachis hypogaea) relay intercropping on the microbial community structure in soil, we compared the effects of relay intercropping and continuous cropping on the soil bacteria community structure.

Methods

We collected soil samples from three different cropping patterns and analyzed microbial community structure and diversity using high-throughput sequencing technology.

Result

The number of operational taxonomic units (OTU) for bacterial species in the soil was maximal under continuous peanut cropping. At the phylum level, the main bacteria identified in soil were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria, which accounted for approximately 70% of the total. The proportions of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes increased, whereas the proportion of Proteobacteria decreased in soil with tobacco–peanut relay intercropping. Moreover, the proportions of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria among the soil bacteria further shifted over time with tobacco–peanut relay intercropping. At the genus level, the proportions of Bacillus and Lactococcus increased in soil with tobacco–peanut relay intercropping.

Conclusion

The community structure of soil bacteria differed considerably with tobacco–peanut relay intercropping from that detected under peanut continuous cropping, and the proportions of beneficial bacteria (the phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, and the genera Bacillus and Lactococcus) increased while the proportion of potentially pathogenic bacteria (the genera Variibacter and Burkholderia) decreased. These results provide a basis for adopting tobacco–peanut relay intercropping to improve soil ecology and microorganisms, while making better use of limited cultivable land.
Marriage Age, Social Status, and Intergenerational Effects in Uganda
Authors: Sunder Naveen
Published: December 2019

This study examines whether Ugandan women who marry at younger ages fare differently on a wide range of later-life outcomes than women who marry at later ages. Using a nationally representative data set, I identify the plausibly causal impacts of women’s marriage age by using age at menarche as an instrumental variable. Results indicate that a one-year delay in marriage for Ugandan women leads to higher educational attainment (0.5–0.75 years), literacy (10 percentage points), and labor force participation (8 percentage points). I also explore intergenerational effects of later marriage and find that the children of mothers who marry later have higher BMI (0.11 kg/m2) and hemoglobin levels (0.18 g/dl), and they are also less likely to be anemic (4 percentage points). Finally, I present evidence suggesting that the observed effects might be mediated through an enhancement of women’s agency within their household and positive assortative matching in the marriage market. By pointing to the beneficial consequences of delaying marriage, this research calls for concerted policy action to prevent child marriage.
Distribution of coumaphos in beeswax after treatment of honeybee colonies with CheckMite® against the parasitical mite Varroa destructor
Authors: Kast Christina , Kilchenmann Verena , Droz Benoît
Published: December 2019

We studied the distribution of coumaphos in beeswax after a single application of CheckMite® to 15 bee colonies in the fall according to the manufacturer’s instruction. Immediately after the treatment, residue levels were especially elevated in the wax that came into contact with the CheckMite® strips. During the following spring season, coumaphos levels ranged from 36 to 159 mg/kg in the wax of the brood frames next to the CheckMite® strips, and residue levels were about 10 times lower in the wax of frames that did not come into contact with the strips. Beeswax that was newly constructed 5 months after removing the treatment strips contained up to 7.3 mg/kg of coumaphos, and up to 0.5 and 2.3 mg/kg was detected in the honeycomb and capping wax, respectively. These results suggest that beeswax exposed to CheckMite® should not be recycled in order to prevent elevated concentrations of coumaphos in new foundations and hence to prevent honeybee larvae from being exposed to detrimental residue levels.
Comparison of the conductive properties of polyester/viscose fabric treated with Cu nanoparticle and MWCNTs
Authors: Akbarpour H. , Rashidi A. , Mirjalili M. , Nazari A.
Published: December 2019

In this work, the specimen of the fabrics (polyester/viscose blend) was prepared. At first, the samples were placed under microwave radiation at different times, and then the optimum condition of treated fabrics (8 min) was selected for treatment. The physical properties and surface morphology of Cu nanoparticle and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with different percentages were measured using dispersing agent, washing performance, stability, and physical properties of the fabric. The image of surface morphology’s specimens was also photographed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Afterwards, we measured the specimens’ electrical conductivity properties, according to AATCC 2005-76 standards, and subsequently, K/S, %R, and Lab value of specimens was analyzed using reflection spectrophotometer. In fact, the results indicated that optimum electrical resistivity, which was also the aim of the study, is 9% one weight of fabric (o.w.f.) nanoparticles on the fabric and that electrical resistivity for the values of 9% o.w.f. for CNT is slightly greater than Cu.
Toxoplasmosis in Pregnancy
Authors: Ratha Chinmayee
Published: December 2019

Toxoplasmosis is a rare but important infection in pregnant women which can potentially cause serious fetal adverse effects. Methods of screening, diagnosing and treating toxoplasmosis in pregnancy have been evaluated for over four decades now but still, there is a lack of robust evidence in these areas to guide care plans. Yet with the advent of newer techniques in imaging and laboratory diagnosis, reasonable protocols can be formulated to optimally mange cases with toxoplasmosis in pregnancy. It is becoming increasingly evident that antenatal treatment definitely helps in reducing fetal and hence neonatal morbidity from this infection. Timely identification and adequate therapy to prevent vertical transmission or even treat infected fetuses seem to be a practical approach. Most importantly, health education and public awareness will help reduce the infection rates in pregnant women.
Evaluating investments in flexible on-demand production capacity: a real options approach
Authors: Freitag Bettina , Häfner Lukas , Pfeuffer Verena , Übelhör Jochen
Published: December 2019

Ongoing digitalization of production accelerates trends like mass customization, ever shorter lead times, and shrinking product life cycles. Thereby, industrial companies face increasingly volatile demand that complicates an appropriate production capacity planning. On the other hand, the comprehensive digitalization of production environments favors, amongst others, the dynamic integration of flexible external on-demand production capacity provided by specialized external capacity providers (ECPs). To enable the usage of on-demand production capacity, industrial companies may require significant upfront investments (e.g., for inter-organizational information systems, planning and organizational processes, employee training). The objective of this paper is to develop a model that evaluates such enabling upfront investments from the perspective of a manufacturing company. To consider flexibility of action, we apply real options analysis in a discrete-time binomial tree model and weigh these so-called expansion options to related cash outflows. In addition, we evaluate our model by means of a simulation and sensitivity analyses and derive insights for both researchers and practitioners. The insights gained by our model present a profound economic basis for investment decisions on upfront investments in flexible on-demand production capacity.
Magnetic, thermal and rotational evolution of isolated neutron stars
Authors: Pons José A. , Viganò Daniele
Published: December 2019

The strong magnetic field of neutron stars is intimately coupled to the observed temperature and spectral properties, as well as to the observed timing properties (distribution of spin periods and period derivatives). Thus, a proper theoretical and numerical study of the magnetic field evolution equations, supplemented with detailed calculations of microphysical properties (heat and electrical conductivity, neutrino emission rates) is crucial to understand how the strength and topology of the magnetic field vary as a function of age, which in turn is the key to decipher the physical processes behind the varied neutron star phenomenology. In this review, we go through the basic theory describing the magneto-thermal evolution models of neutron stars, focusing on numerical techniques, and providing a battery of benchmark tests to be used as a reference for present and future code developments. We summarize well-known results from axisymmetric cases, give a new look at the latest 3D advances, and present an overview of the expectations for the field in the coming years.
Blood Glucose Prediction with Variance Estimation Using Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Martinsson John , Schliep Alexander , Eliasson Björn , Mogren Olof
Published: December 2019

Many factors affect blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetics, several of which vary largely both in magnitude and delay of the effect. Modern rapid-acting insulins generally have a peak time after 60–90 min, while carbohydrate intake can affect blood glucose levels more rapidly for high glycemic index foods, or slower for other carbohydrate sources. It is important to have good estimates of the development of glucose levels in the near future both for diabetic patients managing their insulin distribution manually, as well as for closed-loop systems making decisions about the distribution. Modern continuous glucose monitoring systems provide excellent sources of data to train machine learning models to predict future glucose levels. In this paper, we present an approach for predicting blood glucose levels for diabetics up to 1 h into the future. The approach is based on recurrent neural networks trained in an end-to-end fashion, requiring nothing but the glucose level history for the patient. Our approach obtains results that are comparable to the state of the art on the Ohio T1DM dataset for blood glucose level prediction. In addition to predicting the future glucose value, our model provides an estimate of its certainty, helping users to interpret the predicted levels. This is realized by training the recurrent neural network to parameterize a univariate Gaussian distribution over the output. The approach needs no feature engineering or data preprocessing and is computationally inexpensive. We evaluate our method using the standard root-mean-squared error (RMSE) metric, along with a blood glucose-specific metric called the surveillance error grid (SEG). We further study the properties of the distribution that is learned by the model, using experiments that determine the nature of the certainty estimate that the model is able to capture.
Nanoscale investigation of deformation characteristics in a polycrystalline silicon carbide
Authors: Zhang D. , Zhao L. G. , Roy A. , Chiu Y.-L.
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we study the mechanical behaviour of silicon carbide at the nanoscale, with a focus on the effects of grain orientation and high-dose irradiation. Grain orientation effect was studied through nanoindentation with the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and EBSD (electron backscatter diffraction) analyses. Mechanical properties such as hardness, elastic modulus and fracture toughness were assessed for different grain orientations. Increased plasticity and fracture toughness were observed during indentations on crystallographic planes which favour dislocation movement. In addition, for SiC subjected to irradiation, increases in hardness and embrittlement were observed in nanoindentations at lower imposed loads, whereas a decrease in hardness and an increase in toughness were obtained in nanoindentations at higher loads. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses revealed that the mechanical response observed at a shallow indentation depth was due to Ga ion implantation, which hardened and embrittled the surface layer of the material. With an increased indentation depth, irradiation-induced amorphization led to a decrease in hardness and an increase in fracture toughness of the material.
Low cholesterol levels in children predict impulsivity in young adulthood
Authors: Tomson-Johanson Katrin , Kaart Tanel , Kiivet Raul-Allan , Veidebaum Toomas , Harro Jaanus
Published: December 2019

Objective:

Severe behavioural issues such as impulsive action and suicide have since long been associated with low levels of cholesterol. While it is known that cholesterol plays a role in neural development and hence low levels of serum lipids could have long-term effects on behaviour, no longitudinal studies showed the association of serum lipids levels with impulsivity. We aimed to examine the prognostic properties of serum lipid levels during childhood and adolescence on measures of impulsivity during early adulthood in a representative birth cohort sample.

Methods:

We have investigated whether serum lipid levels measured at 9, 15, 18 and 25 years of age have an association with impulsivity in 25 years old young adults. This analysis was based on data of the birth cohort representative samples of the Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study (originaln= 1238). Impulsivity was self-reported with the Adaptive and Maladaptive Impulsivity Scale.

Results:

Total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol measured in boys aged 9, 15 and 18 years predicted disinhibition and thoughtlessness in 25-year-old young adults. High scores of disinhibition were associated with low total and LDL cholesterol levels in males but, while less consistently, with high total and LDL cholesterol levels in females. Cross-sectional analysis did not result in systematic outcomes.

Conclusions:

Serum lipid levels could have an impact on the development of Maladaptive Impulsivity starting from an early age. This effect of cholesterol continues throughout adolescence into young adulthood.
Validity and Reliability of the Attitudes toward Traffic Safety Scale in Argentina
Authors: Trógolo Mario , Ledesma Rubén Daniel , Medrano Leonardo Adrián
Published: December 2019

The main objective of this research was to investigate the psychometric properties of a Spanish-language version of the Attitudes toward Traffic Safety Scale (ATTS) for the assessment of risky driving attitudes among Spanish-speaking populations. Five hundred and fifty-eight drivers from Argentina participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the ATTS three-factor structure: Attitude towards violations and speeding, attitude towards the careless driving of others and attitude towards drinking and driving, χ2(87) = 205.91, p < .001; χ2/df = 2.36; GFI = .94; CFI = .93; TLI = .91; RMSEA = .05; 90% CI [.04, .06]. A model with one higher-order factor (overall attitude toward risky driving) also fits the data. Reliability estimates were acceptable for the total scale (α = .81) and for all subscales (with α values ranging from .74 to .84), and concurrent validity was supported by theoretically expected correlations with self-reported risky driving behavior (r ranging from .27 to .45, ps < .01). Subsequent comparison between zero-order correlation and partial correlation (controlling for Driver Impression Management) between ATTS subscales and self-reported risky driving behavior revealed minor or no effects of social desirability bias. Implications for road safety intervention are discussed.
Wie wirken sich Weiterbildungen auf die Anwendung von Sprachförderstrategien von pädagogischen Fachkräften in Kitas aus?
Authors: Kammermeyer Gisela , Metz Astrid , Leber Anja , Roux Susanna , Biskup-Ackermann Beate , Fondel Eva
Published: December 2019

Zusammenfassung. Zur Erhöhung der Effektivität von Sprachfördermaßnahmen in Kindertagesstätten spielen Weiterbildungen eine zentrale Rolle. Es ist jedoch noch wenig darüber bekannt, welche Art von Weiterbildungen die sprachliche Interaktionsqualität verbessern und welche als entscheidend für die sprachliche Entwicklung der Kinder angesehen werden können. In einer randomisierten experimentellen Prä-Post-Follow-up-Studie im Feld wurden zwei Weiterbildungsansätze verglichen. Zur Erfassung der Wirkungen wurde die Häufigkeit der eingesetzten komplexen Sprachförderstrategien von N = 50 pädagogischen Fachkräften niedrig-inferent über eine standardisierte Videobeobachtung erfasst. Varianzanalytische Auswertungen zeigen, dass diejenigen pädagogischen Fachkräfte, die mit dem inhaltlich und methodisch fokussierten Weiterbildungsansatz „Mit Kindern im Gespräch“ ( Kammermeyer, King, Goebel, Lämmerhirt, Leber, Metz et al., 2017 ) weitergebildet wurden, signifikant mehr komplexe Modellierungs- und Fragestrategien und signifikant mehr komplexe Strategien zur Konzeptentwicklung einsetzten als die Vergleichsgruppe mit dem etablierten Ansatz „Sprache – Schlüssel zur Welt“.
An Advanced Measure of Moral Sensitivity in Business
Authors: Schmocker David , Tanner Carmen , Katsarov Johannes , Christen Markus
Published: December 2019

Abstract. Moral sensitivity, understood as an individual’s capability of identifying and ascribing importance to moral issues when they arise, is often considered a key competence in professional life and a precondition of ethical behavior. With a focus on business settings, this article presents a new measure to assess individual’s sensitivity to moral and business values. The measure was developed using a vignette-based domain-specific approach and validated in two studies. In Study 1, we compared our instrument and various convergent and divergent scales to obtain the first evidence of the construct validity of the instrument. Study 2 provides evidence of criterion validity by comparing the sensitivity to moral and business-related issues between a sample of business managers/bankers and employees of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The results demonstrate that business managers/bankers reveal lower scores of moral sensitivity than employees of NGOs. Further directions for moral sensitivity research and limitations are discussed.
Separating Sea and Slow Slip Signals on the Seafloor
Authors: Gomberg Joan , Hautala Susan , Johnson Paul , Chiswell Steve
Published: December 2019

Seafloor pressure measurements hold promise for estimating vertical displacements from transient slow slip events on submarine faults. We assess the accuracy of pressure offset estimates that evolve over days to weeks and the confidence with which they may be attributed to tectonic deformation or to the ocean water column. One common approach to resolve this ambiguity assumes water column pressures vary insignificantly over the study region and are represented by stable reference site pressures. Assessing the validity of this assumption requires independent evidence. Correlations between pressures and colocated temperatures collected during the Hikurangi Ocean Bottom Investigation of Tremor and Slow Slip experiment suggest temperatures might provide a useful independent proxy for water column pressures. We compared offsets estimated using several methods, with temperature and other proxies. The use of a temperature proxy was unsuccessful, because seafloor temperatures did not track the seasonal signal that contributes significantly to seafloor pressure changes over the slow slip event period. Regardless of the estimation method, offsets varied within a few cm around some uncertain reference level. Commonly used statistical measures are shown not to be reliable indicators of offset accuracy since offsets contribute minimally to the total variance. Offsets estimated using identical methods but with seafloor pressures simulated using a regional ocean model were larger than those derived from the data but had a similar pattern. Since the model simulates only water column processes, this suggests a significant fraction of the estimated pressure offsets are due to seasonal water column signal and are not of tectonic origin.
The long non-coding RNA TUG1-miR-9a-5p axis contributes to ischemic injuries by promoting cardiomyocyte apoptosis via targeting KLF5
Authors: Yang Di , Yu Jie , Liu Hui-Bin , Yan Xiu-Qing , Hu Juan , Yu Yang , Guo Jing , Yuan Ye , Du Zhi-Min
Published: December 2019

Non-coding RNAs participate in many cardiac pathophysiological processes, including myocardial infarction (MI). Here we showed the interplay between long non-coding RNA taurine-upregulated gene 1 (lncR-TUG1), miR-9a-5p (miR-9) and Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5). LncR-TUG1 was upregulated in ischemic heart and in cultured cardiomyocytes exposed to H2O2. Knockdown of lncR-TUG1 markedly ameliorated impaired cardiac function of MI mice. Further study showed that lncR-TUG1 acted as a competitive endogenous RNA of miR-9, and silencing of lncR-TUG1 inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis by upregulating miR-9 expression. Furthermore, the miR-9 overexpression obviously prevented ischemia injury and significantly inhibited H2O2-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis via inhibition of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. KLF5, as a target gene of miR-9 by dual-luciferase reporter assay, was involved in the process of miR-9 in regulating cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Our data identified the KLF5 was downregulated by miR-9 overexpression and knockdown of KLF5 inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by H2O2. MiR-9 exerts anti-cardiomyocyte apoptotic affects by targeting KLF5. Collectively, our data identify a novel function of lncR-TUG1/miR-9/KLF5 axis in regulating cardiomyocyte apoptosis that affects myocardial infarction progression.
Rod bipolar cells dysfunction occurs before ganglion cells loss in excitotoxin-damaged mouse retina
Authors: Shen Yumeng , Luo Xue , Liu Shiliang , Shen Ying , Nawy Scott , Shen Yin
Published: December 2019

Progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) will cause a blinding disease. Most of the study is focusing on the RGCs itself. In this study, we demonstrate a decline of the presynaptic rod bipolar cells (RBCs) response precedes RGCs loss and a decrease of protein kinase Cα (PKCα) protein expression in RBCs dendrites, using whole-cell voltage-clamp, electroretinography (ERG) measurements, immunostaining and co-immunoprecipitation. We present evidence showing that N-methyl D-aspartate receptor subtype 2B (NR2B)/protein interacting with C kinase 1 (PICK1)-dependent degradation of PKCα protein in RBCs contributes to RBCs functional loss. Mechanistically, NR2B forms a complex with PKCα and PICK1 to promote the degradation of PKCα in a phosphorylation- and proteasome-dependent manner. Similar deficits in PKCα expression and response sensitivity were observed in acute ocular hypertension and optic never crush models. In conclusion, we find that three separate experimental models of neurodegeneration, often used to specifically target RGCs, disrupt RBCs function prior to the loss of RGCs. Our findings provide useful information for developing new diagnostic tools and treatments for retinal ganglion cells degeneration disease.
The many substrates and functions of NEDD4-1
Authors: Huang Xi , Chen Jing , Cao Wen , Yang Li , Chen Qingxiao , He Jingsong , Yi Qing , Huang He , Zhang Enfan , Cai Zhen
Published: December 2019

Tumorigenesis, tumor growth, and prognosis are highly related to gene alterations and post-translational modifications (PTMs). Ubiquitination is a critical PTM that governs practically all aspects of cellular function. An increasing number of studies show that E3 ubiquitin ligases (E3s) are important enzymes in the process of ubiquitination that primarily determine substrate specificity and thus need to be tightly controlled. Among E3s, neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated 4-1 (NEDD4-1) has been shown to play a critical role in modulating the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells and the sensitivity of cancer cells to anticancer therapies via regulating multiple substrates. This review discusses some significant discoveries on NEDD4-1 substrates and the signaling pathways in which NEDD4-1 participates. In addition, we introduce the latest potential therapeutic strategies that inhibit or activate NEDD4-1 activity using small molecules. NEDD4-1 likely acts as a novel drug target or diagnostic marker in the battle against cancer.