bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The PV2 cluster of parvalbumin neurons in the murine periaqueductal gray: connections and gene expression
Authors: Leemann Siri , Babalian Alexandre , Girard Franck , Davis Fred , Celio Marco R.
Published: April 2022

The PV2 (Celio 1990), a cluster of parvalbumin-positive neurons located in the ventromedial region of the distal periaqueductal gray (PAG) has not been previously described as its own entity, leading us to study its extent, connections, and gene expression. It is an oval, bilateral, elongated cluster composed of approximately 475 parvalbumin-expressing neurons in a single mouse hemisphere. In its anterior portion it impinges upon the paratrochlear nucleus (Par4) and in its distal portion it is harbored in the posterodorsal raphe nucleus (PDR). It is known to receive inputs from the orbitofrontal cortex and from the parvafox nucleus in the ventrolateral hypothalamus. Using anterograde tracing methods in parvalbumin-Cre mice, the main projections of the PV2 cluster innervate the supraoculomotor periaqueductal gray (Su3) of the PAG, the parvafox nucleus of the lateral hypothalamus, the gemini nuclei of the posterior hypothalamus, the septal regions, and the diagonal band in the forebrain, as well as various nuclei within the reticular formation in the midbrain and brainstem. Within the brainstem, projections were discrete, but involved areas implicated in autonomic control. The PV2 cluster expressed various peptides and receptors, including the receptor for Adcyap1, a peptide secreted by one of its main afferences, namely, the parvafox nucleus. The expression of GAD1 and GAD2 in the region of the PV2, the presence of Vgat-1 in a subpopulation of PV2-neurons as well as the coexistence of GAD67 immunoreactivity with parvalbumin in terminal endings indicates the inhibitory nature of a subpopulation of PV2-neurons. The PV2 cluster may be part of a feedback controlling the activity of the hypothalamic parvafox and the Su3 nuclei in the periaqueductal gray.
IDL-PMCFG, a Grammar Formalism for Describing Free Word Order Languages
Authors: Hublet François
Published: April 2022

We introduce Interleave-Disjunction-Lock parallel multiple context-free grammars (IDL-PMCFG), a novel grammar formalism designed to describe the syntax of free word order languages that allow for extensive interleaving of grammatical constituents. Though interleaved constituents, and especially the so-called hyperbaton, are common in several ancient (Classical Latin and Greek, Sanskrit...) and modern (Hungarian, Finnish...) languages, these syntactic structures are often difficult to express in existing formalisms. The IDL-PMCFG formalism combines Seki et al.’s parallel multiple context-free grammars (PMCFG) with Nederhof and Satta’s IDL expressions. We define the semantics of IDL-PMCFGs and study their expressivity, proving that IDL-PMCFG extends both PMCFG and IDL-CFG (context-free grammars equipped with IDL expressions) and that IDL-PMCFG parsing is $$\mathrm {NP}$$
NP
-hard. We then introduce COMPĀ, a programming language extending Ranta’s Grammatical Framework (GF) and built as a high-level front-end formalism to IDL-PMCFG for practical grammar development. We present a parsing algorithm for IDL-PMCFG inspired by earlier Earley-style PMCFG parsing algorithms and Nederhof and Satta’s IDL graphs and give a worst-case estimate of its complexity as a function of several metrics on IDL expressions, the size of the input and a new notion of the G-density of a language.
On-Chip and Distributed Dynamic Parallelism for Task-based Hardware Accelerators
Authors: Heinz Carsten , Koch Andreas
Published: April 2022

The open-source hardware/software framework TaPaSCo aims to make reconfigurable computing on FPGAs more accessible to non-experts. To this end, it provides an easily usable task-based programming abstraction, and combines this with powerful tool support to automatically implement the individual hardware accelerators and integrate them into usable system-on-chips. Currently, TaPaSCo relies on the host to manage task parallelism and perform the actual task launches. However, for more expressive parallel programming patterns, such as pipelines of task farms, the round trips from the hardware accelerators back to the host for launching child tasks, especially when exploiting data-dependent execution times, quickly add up. The major contribution of this work is the addition of on-chip task scheduling and launching capabilities to TaPaSCo. This enables not only low-latency dynamic task parallelism, it also encompasses the efficient on-chip exchange of parameter values and task results between parent and child accelerator tasks. For larger distributed systems, the dynamic launch capability can even be extended over the network to span multiple FPGAs. Our solution is able to handle recursive task structures, and is shown to achieve latency reductions of over 35x compared to the prior approaches.
Quantifying Older Black Americans’ Exposure to Structural Racial Discrimination: How Can We Measure the Water In Which We Swim?
Authors: LaFave S. E. , Bandeen-Roche K. , Gee G. , Thorpe R. J. , Li Q. , Crews D. , Samuel L. , Cooke A. , Hladek M. , Szanton Sarah L.
Published: April 2022

The USA was built on legalized racism that started with enslavement and continues in the form of structural racial discrimination. This discrimination is difficult to measure because its many manifestations are hard to observe and dynamic. A useful tool would measure across settings, institutions, time periods in a person’s life and the country’s history. The purpose of this study was to design a measure of structural racial discrimination that meets those criteria and can be used in large national datasets. To do this, we started with an exploratory mixed-methods instrument design, including qualitative interviews with 15 older Black adults and focus groups with 38 discrimination researchers and other key stakeholders. We then identified 27 indicators of structural racial discrimination across nine theorized discrimination contexts. We matched these with historical administrative data sets to develop an instrument that could quantify older Black Americans’ exposure to structural racial discrimination across contexts, the life course, and geographies. These can be mapped to the life course of structural discrimination based on the home addresses of those surveyed. Linking these to available indicators is a promising approach. It is a low burden for participants and enables increasingly multifaceted and focused measurement as more national datasets become available. A flexible, feasible comprehensive measure of structural discrimination could allow not only more thorough documentation of inequities but also allow informed decision making about policies and programs intended to promote racial equity.

Significance Statement

To our knowledge, this is the first study that presents a framework for assessing structural racial discrimination across contexts, life course, and geography that is grounded in theory and in the lived experience of intended participants. Leading researchers and policy makers have called for improved measures of structural racism and discrimination and specifically for a lifecourse approach to measurement. This study is a step in that direction.

Classification

Social Sciences
Virtual shimming simulation for smart assembly of aircraft skin panels based on a physics-driven digital twin
Authors: Esposito Chris , Cosenza Chiara , Gerbino Salvatore , Martorelli Massimo , Franciosa Pasquale
Published: April 2022

A leading challenge in the assembly process of aircraft skin panels is the precise control of part-to-part gaps to avoid excessive pre-tensions of the fastening element which, if exceeded, impair the durability and the response under dynamics loads of the whole skin assembly. The current practice is to measure the gap in specific points of the assembly with parts already at their final location, and then be-spoke shims are machined and inserted between the mating components to fill the gap. This process involves several manual measurement-fit-adjust quality loops, such as loading parts on the assembly frame, measuring gaps, off-loading parts, adding be-spoke shims and re-positioning parts ready for the fastening operation—as a matter of fact, the aircraft is re-assembled at least twice and therefore the current practice has been proved highly cost and time ineffective. Additionally, the gap measurement relies on manual gauges which are inaccurate and unable to follow the actual 3D profile of the gap. Taking advantage of emerging tools such as in-line measurement systems and large-scale physics-based simulations, this paper proposes a novel methodology to predict the part-to-part gap and therefore minimise the need for multiple quality loops. The methodology leverages a physics-driven digital twin model of the skin assembly process, which combines a physical domain (in-line measurements) and a digital domain (physics-based simulation). Central to the methodology is the variation model of the multi-stage assembly process via a physics-based simulation which allows to capture the inherent deformation of the panels and the propagation of variations between consecutive assembly stages. The results were demonstrated during the assembly process of a vertical stabiliser for commercial aircraft, and findings showed a significant time saving of 75% by reducing costly and time-consuming measurement-fit-adjust quality loops.
Concepts for creating augmented reality based technical documentations for the maintenance of machine tools
Authors: Klimant Philipp , Kollatsch Christian
Published: April 2022

The maintenance process of machine tools becomes more complex and difficult due to its increasing complexity and individuality. Augmented reality (AR) can support the maintenance engineer by visualizing the process with individual working steps and further information in a user-friendly manner. In order to an efficient deployment, a short and automated creation process of the AR based documentation is required including the integration of existing systems and data such as the technical documentation, CAD models and PDM data. This avoids a complete rewriting and manual creation of the AR based documentation in addition to the standard paper-based version. Therefore, various concepts for creating AR based technical documentations for the maintenance of machine tools are presented and verified including an analysis of the required documentation data, systems and processes.
The effect of perceived discrimination on cross-cultural adaptation of international students: moderating roles of autonomous orientation and integration strategy
Authors: Yang Fan , He Yuxuan , Xia Zhichen
Published: April 2022

This study explores the associations between perceived discrimination and cross-cultural adaptation among 335 international students in China. Drawing on self-determination theory, we propose that autonomous orientation can weaken the relationship between perceived discrimination and cross-cultural adaptation. Integration strategy can be seen as a mechanism that encourages international students to embrace both their original and host culture when they feel be discriminated. Results indicate that perceived discrimination is negatively associated with sociocultural adaptation and psychological adaptation among international students in China. Our research identifies autonomous orientation as an important contingency that weakens the effects of perceived discrimination on cross-cultural adaptation, confirming the moderating role of integration strategy in the relationship between perceived discrimination and sociocultural adaptation. Integration strategy mediates the moderating effects of autonomous orientation on the relationship between perceived discrimination and sociocultural adaption. The findings provide valuable insight into the positive impact of autonomous orientation and integration strategy on the cross-cultural adaptation of international students when they feel be discriminated, which is beneficial to the education and management of international students at the theoretical and practical levels.
Investigation on Thermal Behavior During Pressurization Discharge of Liquid Oxygen Under Different Acceleration Levels
Authors: Liu Zhan , Yin Xin , Liu Yuanliang , Li Yanzhong
Published: April 2022

Cryogenic pressurization discharge involves on complex heat exchange and fluid flow issues, and the related thermal physical performance should be comprehensively investigated. In this study, a two-dimensional axisymmetric numerical model is adopted to research the outflow characteristic from a cylindrical liquid oxygen storage tank with the gas injection. The VOF method is utilized to predict the pressurization discharge with 360 K high-temperature gaseous oxygen as the pressurant gas. Validated against the liquid hydrogen discharge experiments, the numerical model is turned out to be proper and acceptable with the calculation errors limited within 20%. On the basis of the numerical model, effect of the flight acceleration level on the tank pressurization and liquid outflow performance are numerically simulated and analyzed, with the gas injection rate of 0.18 kg/s and the liquid outflow rate of 36.0 kg/s. Some valuable conclusions are obtained finally. The present study is significant to the safety flight of launch vehicle and may supply some technical supports for the design of cryogenic propellant system.
Evaluating value mediation in patients with chronic low-back pain using virtual reality: contributions for empirical research in Value Sensitive Design
Authors: Smits Merlijn , van Goor Harry , Kallewaard Jan-Willem , Verbeek Peter-Paul , Ludden Geke D.S.
Published: April 2022

Value Sensitive Design (VSD) is the most well-known method to consider values in design. It consists of three iterative phases of investigation: conceptual, empirical, and technical. Although the approach is promising, the role of empirical research remains unclear. We address two opportunities for extending the role of empirical research in VSD. First, we argue that empirical research enables us to identify values in context. Second, we explain that empirical research enables us to anticipate how technology mediates the values of users. We make our point by means of an empirical study in a real-life controlled experimental context into the value mediation of virtual reality (VR) in patients with chronic low-back pain. Using value-oriented semi-structured interviews with twenty patients, we first analyze what values these patients consider important, and how the values are experienced. The second set of interviews held after all patients used VR four weeks at home, aims to provide insight into value changes as mediated by VR. We end the article by a comparison of our empirical results with previous, often speculative, literature into values in VR. We show that empirical research benefits the VSD process by providing in-depth insight into the effects of context and technology on values and the ability to translate these insights into recommendations for more responsible design and implementation of the technology.
Children and adolescents do not compensate for physical activity but do compensate for sedentary behavior
Authors: Nigg Carina , Burchartz Alexander , Reichert Markus , Woll Alexander , Niessner Claudia
Published: April 2022

Little is known about behavioral transfer and compensation within and between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior. Thus, taking a within-person perspective, this study investigated across 1 week whether (a) children and adolescents compensate for increased MVPA and sedentary behavior with less of the respective behavior the next day and (b) transfer and compensation occur between these behaviors within 1 day and across 2 days. We obtained data from 2676 participants (6–17 years) of the national Motorik-Modul (MoMo) study in Germany. Participants wore an ActiGraph accelerometer (Pensacola, FL, USA) for 7 days. We analyzed within- and between-day associations using hierarchical linear modeling. If youth engaged in 2 h more sedentary behavior than typical on any given day, they engaged in 37.20 min less MVPA the same day (B = −0.31, p < 0.001) as well as in 4.80 min more MVPA (B = 0.04, p < 0.001) and 7.20 min less sedentary behavior (B = −0.06, p < 0.001) the next day. If youth engaged in 1 h more MVPA than typical on any given day, they engaged in 97.80 min less sedentary behavior the same day (B = −1.63, p < 0.001) and in 5.40 min less sedentary behavior the next day (B = −0.09, p < 0.001). No association with next-day MVPA was observed. Our results indicate that children do not compensate for enhanced MVPA but transfer to less sedentary behavior, while more sedentary behavior is compensated with less sedentary behavior and more MVPA the next day. This provides essential information for the design of intervention studies to tackle physical inactivity and sedentary behavior.
Ecosystem-based governance according to the Malawi principles: a test for the southern Lake Malawi
Authors: Msomphora Mbachi Ruth , Njaya Friday , Jentoft Svein
Published: April 2022

This paper examines what may happen when the internationally renowned Malawi principles for ecosystem-based fisheries management are implemented in real-life situations. To explore this, an ecosystem-based fisheries management plan for the southern part of the Lake Malawi is used as a case study. However, the lessons learned are relevant for the global implementation of these principles. Drawing on ‘interactive governance theory’, we argue that implementation involves all three ‘governance-orders’, (1) where the governance principles are formulated, (2) where the institutions are designed to operationalise and implement these principles, and (3) where implementation and enforcement actually take place and become routine operation. The Malawi principles must be institutionalised and, subsequently, find their concretisation in the way the southern Lake Malawi ecosystem is actually managed by, and according to, the Malawi Principles and the institutions of which management is a function. Our case study portrays the need to build capacity to address the implementation challenges as they appear at all three governance-orders. We suggest that ecosystem-based governance is a more appropriate term, for what the Malawi principles aim to achieve, than management, which we associate with the more technical elements of this approach.
The Placental Epigenome as a Molecular Link Between Prenatal Exposures and Fetal Health Outcomes Through the DOHaD Hypothesis
Authors: Lapehn Samantha , Paquette Alison G.
Published: April 2022

Purpose of Review

The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis posits that the perinatal environment can impact fetal and later life health. The placenta is uniquely situated to assess prenatal exposures in the context of DOHaD because it is an essential ephemeral fetal organ that manages the transport of oxygen, nutrients, waste, and endocrine signals between the mother and fetus. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent studies that evaluated the DOHaD hypothesis in human placentas using epigenomics, including DNA methylation and transcriptomic studies of mRNA, lncRNA, and microRNAs.

Recent Findings

Between 2016 and 2021, 28 articles evaluated associations between prenatal exposures and placental epigenomics across broad exposure categories including maternal smoking, psychosocial stressors, chemicals, air pollution, and metals. Sixteen of these studies connected exposures to health outcome such as birth weight, fetal growth, or infant neurobehavior through mediation analysis, identification of shared associations between exposure and outcome, or network analysis. These aspects of infant and childhood health serve as a foundation for future studies that aim to use placental epigenetics to understand relationships between the prenatal environment and perinatal complications (such as preterm birth or fetal growth restriction) or later life childhood health.

Placental DNA methylation and RNA expression have been linked to numerous prenatal exposures, such as PM2.5 air pollution, metals, and maternal smoking, as well as infant and childhood health outcomes, including fetal growth and birth weight. Placental epigenomics provides a unique opportunity to expand the DOHaD premise, particularly if research applies novel methodologies such as multi-omics analysis, sequencing of non-coding RNAs, mixtures analysis, and assessment of health outcomes beyond early childhood.
Indikationen und Kontraindikationen zur Lebertransplantation in Bezug auf aktuelle Leitlinien
Authors: Berlakovich Gabriela
Published: April 2022

Die Grundlage für die Beurteilung der Schwere der Lebererkrankung ist der Model-of-End-Stage-Liver-Disease(MELD)-Score. Eine Indikation zur Listung für eine Lebertransplantation ist bei einem MELD-Score ≥ 15 gegeben oder bei einem MELD-Score < 15 bei inakzeptabler Lebensqualität aufgrund der Lebererkrankung oder Sekundärkomplikationen der Zirrhose. Es sollte aber nicht nur die Indikation, sondern auch die Kontraindikation zur Lebertransplantation überlegt werden, um eine aussichtslose Transplantation, definiert als 6‑Monats-Überleben < 60 % oder 5‑Jahres-Überleben < 50 %, möglichst zu vermeiden. Die alkoholische Zirrhose stellt weltweit eine der 3 Hauptindikationen zur Lebertransplantation dar und die Ergebnisse sind mit denen anderer Ätiologien vergleichbar. Mit Entwicklung von effektiven Medikamenten zur Behandlung der Hepatitis C war eine deutliche Reduktion der Lebertransplantationen in dieser Indikation zu beobachten. Zeitgleich mit der Reduktion der Transplantationen bei Hepatitis C ist ein Anstieg der nichtalkoholischen Steatohepatitis (NASH) zu verzeichnen. Im Kontext mit dem metabolischen Syndrom ist vor allem das kardiovaskuläre Risiko erhöht und bei schwerwiegenden Komorbiditäten wird eine rigorose Patient*innenselektion empfohlen. Für Malignome werden unter Beschränkung auf das hepatozelluläre Karzinom (HCC) und Einhaltung von Selektionskriterien, teilweise mit Berücksichtigung biologischer Surrogatmarker, vergleichbare Ergebnisse zu anderen Indikationen erzielt. Bei Diagnose eines akuten oder subakuten Leberversagen ist bei klinischer Verschlechterung mit Beteiligung anderer Organsysteme, insbesondere Entwicklung einer Enzephalopathie, unverzüglich ein Transfer in ein Transplantationszentrum indiziert.
The Efficacy of Self-Management Strategies for Females with Endometriosis: a Systematic Review
Authors: Mardon Amelia K. , Leake Hayley B. , Hayles Cathy , Henry Michael L. , Neumann Patricia B. , Moseley G. Lorimer , Chalmers K. Jane
Published: April 2022

Self-management is critical for the care of endometriosis. Females with endometriosis frequently use self-management strategies to manage associated symptoms; however, the efficacy of such strategies is unknown. The aim of this review was to systematically appraise the evidence concerning efficacy of self-management strategies for endometriosis symptoms. Electronic databases, including Medline, Embase, Emcare, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, were searched from inception to March 2021. We included peer-reviewed experimental studies published in English evaluating the efficacy of self-management strategies in human females laparoscopically diagnosed with endometriosis. Studies underwent screening, data extraction, and risk of bias appraisal (randomised studies: Risk of Bias 2 tool; non-randomised studies: Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies – of Interventions tool). Of the fifteen studies included, 10 evaluated dietary supplements, three evaluated dietary modifications, one evaluated over-the-counter medication, and one evaluated exercise. Most studies had a high-critical risk of bias. Many self-management strategies were not more effective at reducing endometriosis symptoms compared to placebo or hormonal therapies. Where studies suggest efficacy for self-management strategies, no recommendations can be made due to the poor quality and heterogeneity of evidence. High-quality empirical evidence is required to investigate the efficacy of self-management strategies for females with endometriosis.
Machine learning techniques for robotic and autonomous inspection of mechanical systems and civil infrastructure
Authors: Macaulay Michael O. , Shafiee Mahmood
Published: April 2022

Machine learning and in particular deep learning techniques have demonstrated the most efficacy in training, learning, analyzing, and modelling large complex structured and unstructured datasets. These techniques have recently been commonly deployed in different industries to support robotic and autonomous system (RAS) requirements and applications ranging from planning and navigation to machine vision and robot manipulation in complex environments. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art with regard to RAS technologies (including unmanned marine robot systems, unmanned ground robot systems, climbing and crawler robots, unmanned aerial vehicles, and space robot systems) and their application for the inspection and monitoring of mechanical systems and civil infrastructure. We explore various types of data provided by such systems and the analytical techniques being adopted to process and analyze these data. This paper provides a brief overview of machine learning and deep learning techniques, and more importantly, a classification of the literature which have reported the deployment of such techniques for RAS-based inspection and monitoring of utility pipelines, wind turbines, aircrafts, power lines, pressure vessels, bridges, etc. Our research provides documented information on the use of advanced data-driven technologies in the analysis of critical assets and examines the main challenges to the applications of such technologies in the industry.
Taming Corporate Power in the 21st Century
Authors: Davis Gerald F.
Published: April 2022

There is broad consensus across the political spectrum in the US that monopolistic corporations – particularly Big Tech companies -- have grown too powerful, and that we need to revive antitrust to take on the 'curse of bigness.' But both the diagnosis and the cure are rooted in an outdated understanding of how the American economy is organized. Information and communication technologies have fundamentally altered the markets for capital, labor, supplies, and distribution in ways that undermine the basic categories we use to understand the economy. Nationality, industry, firm, size, employee, and other fundamental terms are increasingly detached from the operations of the economy. If we want to understand and tame the new sources of economic power, we need a new diagnosis and a new set of tools.
Interdisciplinary analysis of drugs: Structural features and clinical data
Authors: Austin Daniel , Biswas Kumari , Pollock Kailee , Nguyen Linh
Published: April 2022

Background:

Chemical structure is a vital consideration early in the drug development process. Its role in analysis of safety and efficacy is relatively diminished after drugs are approved for clinical use. This interdisciplinary study explores a strategy by which readily available clinical data may be used along with structural features of drugs to identify associations with potential utility for both clinical decision-making and drug development.

Methods:

Chemical functional groups and structural groups (SGs) of 261 drugs were manually classified in tiers, and their incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) and central nervous system (CNS) adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were obtained from a clinical database. Drugs with an GI or CNS ADR incidence of at least 10% were analyzed for correlations with their functional and SGs.

Results:

Eight statistically significant associations were detected by preliminary analysis: piperazine and methylene groups were associated with higher rate of CNS ADRs; while amides, secondary alcohols, and di-substituted phenyl groups were associated with lower rates of GI or CNS ADRs or both.

Conclusions:

Although further study is necessary to understand these associations and build upon this strategy, this exploratory analysis establishes a methodology by which chemical properties of drugs may be used to aid in clinical decision-making when choosing between otherwise equivalent drug therapy options, as the presence of specific groups on drugs may be associated with increased or decreased risks of specific ADRs.
Transmission of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) between hospital workers and members of their household: Nationwide, registry-based, cohort study from Norway
Authors: Elgersma Ingeborg Hess , Telle Kjetil , Elstrøm Petter , Skagseth Håvard , Kacelnik Oliver
Published: April 2022

Background:

Understanding and limiting infection in healthcare workers (HCWs) and subsequent transmission to their families is always important and has been underscored during the COVID-19 pandemic. Except in specific and local settings, little is known about the extent of such transmissions at the national level.

Objective:

To describe SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs and to estimate the risk of HCWs transmitting COVID-19 to their household members, including calculating the secondary attack rate to household members and estimating the risk for hospital workers to contract COVID-19 at home.

Methods:

Using individual-level data on all HCWs employed in Norwegian hospitals and their household members, we identified (1) the number of HCWs who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between August 2020 and September 2021 and the proportion of those who were index cases in their own household and (2) the number of HCWs who were secondary cases in their own households.

Results:

During this period, ∼3,005 (2,6%) hospital workers acquired COVID-19. Almost half of all hospital workers with confirmed COVID-19 were likely index cases in their own households. When the index case in a family was an HCW, the secondary attack rate was 24.8%. At least 17.8% of all confirmed COVID-19 cases among hospital workers were acquired in the household.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest not only that many HCWs are infected with SARS-CoV-2 in their households but also that infected HCWs constitute a serious infection risk to members of the HCW’s household.
Where You Work Is Where You Stand: A Firm-Based Framework for Understanding Trade Opinion
Authors: Lee Haillie Na-Kyung , Liou Yu-Ming
Published: April 2022

What determines public support for trade liberalization? Scholars of international political economy have generally focused on the effects of openness on employment via individuals’ skill level, sector, or occupation. Recent developments in trade economics suggest that the characteristics of individual citizens’ employing firms may also shape their attitudes on trade policy. In this paper, using under-explored survey data combining trade opinion with measures of employer productivity (from the 2008 Japanese General Social Survey), we present evidence that employees of more productive, more globalized firms are much more supportive of trade openness than employees of less productive, domestically oriented firms, even when accounting for skill level and sectoral and occupational characteristics. Moreover, we find evidence that the effects of these characteristics described in the literature are conditioned by globalized firm employment. Last, we find that the effect of globalized firm employment is conditioned by employees’ relative position within their firms. Those who are more likely to benefit directly from firm success—such as permanent employees and managers—hold the most pro-trade preferences. These findings suggest that economic interests affect individual policy preferences in more nuanced ways than previously recognized.
Relationship between intake and faecal excretion of indigestible fractions in trials with sheep: impact of the method of analysis, diet and trial
Authors: Pozo C. A. , Mezzomo M. P. , Frasson J. , Leonardi L. E. , Christmann C. M. , Rösler D. C. , Kozloski G. V.
Published: April 2022

A data set of individual observations was compiled from 17 digestibility trials with sheep with the aim of evaluating the impact of the method of analysis and, within each method, the effect of dietary fibre content and trial on the faecal recovery rate (RR) of indigestible dry matter (iDM) and indigestible neutral detergent fibre (iNDF). Markers concentration in samples of diet and faeces were determined either in polyester filter bags of 40 μm of porosity incubated in situ for 144 h (method A; n = 257) or in bags of 16 μm of porosity incubated in situ for 288 h (method B; n = 321). Regardless of the incubation method, the intake of either iDM or iNDF was linearly (P < 0.05) related to the amount excreted in faeces and, for all linear relationships, the slopes were lower than 1 (i.e. between 0.53 and 0.71). Within both methods, the RR of both markers linearly decreased at increased NDF content in diet (P < 0.05). The root mean square error of the linear relationships varied from 0.147 to 0.189 which represented from 19% to 24% of the respective average RR of markers. In conclusion, regardless of the incubation method, the RR of both markers showed high individual variability and, thus, the use of average RR values obtained in controlled digestibility trials as an index to correct the individual digestibility values obtained with either marker in field trials has the potential to improve the accuracy but not the precision of the digestibility estimates.
Determinants of International Buyout Investments
Authors: Aldatmaz Serdar , Brown Greg W. , Demirgüç-Kunt Asli
Published: April 2022

Using a proprietary data set on international private equity activity, we study the determinants of buyout investments across 61 countries and 19 industries over the period of 1990 to 2017. We find that countries with cyclically strong economies, more active stock and credit markets, and better rule of law experience more buyout activity. Countries also receive more buyout capital following investor protection and contract enforcement reforms. The set of determinants we identify appear somewhat unique to buyout investments, because other forms of investment such as foreign direct investment, gross capital formation, investments in R&D, and M&A activity do not respond similarly to these factors.
CEO Marketability, Employment Opportunities, and Compensation: Evidence from Compensation Peer Citations
Authors: Choi Daewoung , Cicero David , Mobbs Shawn
Published: April 2022

Mandatory disclosure of CEO compensation peers signals potential outside opportunities for the cited CEOs by revealing which companies view them as viable executive candidates. CEOs cited often as compensation peers (especially by larger firms, which represent attractive employment opportunities) are more likely to leave for better positions or receive compensation increases. Equity-based awards following cites by larger firms have shorter vesting periods, suggesting these CEOs gain negotiating power relative to their boards. The disclosure requirement enhanced labor market transparency and led to higher compensation for highly cited CEOs without penalizing less cited CEOs, putting upward pressure on CEO compensation.
50 Years of Safeguarding – 950 Years of Clergy Discipline: Where do we go from here?
Authors: Collier Peter
Published: April 2022

This article is based on an Ecclesiastical Law Society London Lecture delivered on 17 November 2021. It builds on a previous lecture entitled ‘Safeguarding in church and state over the last 50 years: “from Ball and Banks to Beech via Bell”’, which also formed the basis of an article published in this Journal in 2020. That article, among other things, identified a number of significant cases of sexual abuse by clergy which were/are the subject of ‘lessons learned’ reviews and concluded by suggesting how investigation and fact-finding might take place in the future, independent of the bishops, but under the supervision of a ‘judge’, and argued that effective risk assessments could only be based on findings of fact. The author was subsequently asked to chair a working party for the Ecclesiastical Law Society aimed at addressing how the Clergy Disciplinary Measure 2003 (‘CDM’) should be reformed. This article now deals with events that have occurred since, from the publication of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse (IICSA)'s investigative reports into the Anglican Church (inter alia), the Lambeth group's proposals for reform of the CDM, through to General Synod's responses to both sets of recommendations. It also surveys in some detail the approach the church has taken to the assessment of risk within its safeguarding policy in recent years, as well as its historical approach to clergy discipline. The article concludes by drawing some threads together as a result of the author's own work and research into these two subjects over the past two years, and finishes by suggesting some possible directions in which the church ought now to move.
Faith, Freedom and Family: An Introduction to the Work of John Witte Jr
Authors: Doe Norman
Published: April 2022

John Witte Jr is a law and religion scholar of the first order. For decades, as the director of the Emory Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Atlanta, he has played a leading part in the development of the field of law and religion globally. He has written prolifically across a wide range of law and religion subjects. He has nurtured and guided a generation of vibrant scholars who will shape the field for decades to come. He has brought important new insights to law and religion that have animated critical and original law and religion thinking. This article introduces aspects of his work. It examines the personal interest of Witte in law and religion, and the influences on his approach to the field, particularly his Christian upbringing and convictions. It explores his rich and robust understanding of law and religion, around notions of the dialectical interaction between the two, the religiosity of secular law, and the juridical character of religion. It also studies Witte as a historian of law and religion – his quest to retrieve, reconstruct and re-engage historical aspects of law and religion so as to address challenges of today, interdisciplinary, international and inter-religious. In all this, Witte provides a work ethic for Christian scholars in this field in terms of stewardship, accessibility and engagement.
Comparison of executive dysfunction, proinflammatory cytokines, and appetite hormones between first-episode and multiple-episode bipolar disorders
Authors: Huang Kai-Lin , Chen Mu-Hong , Hsu Ju-Wei , Tsai Shih-Jen , Bai Ya-Mei
Published: April 2022

Background

Evidence has demonstrated associations of bipolar disorder (BD) with cognitive impairment, dysregulated proinflammatory cytokines, and appetite hormones.

Aim

To compare executive dysfunction, proinflammatory cytokines, and appetite hormones between patients with first-episode and multiple-episode BDs.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included young adults aged 18 to 39 years who were diagnosed as having type 1 BD in the first or recurrent episode and a group of age-/sex-matched healthy controls. Data regarding patient characteristics, clinical symptoms, cytokines (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α), appetite hormones (leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin, and insulin), and executive function evaluated using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) were collected.

Results

A total of 112 participants (38 patients in the multiple-episode BD group, 31 patients in the first-episode BD group, and 43 in the control group) were included. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients in the multiple-episode BD group performed significantly worse in the WCST (P < .05) and had higher levels of ghrelin (P = .002), and lower levels of CRP (P = .040) than those in the first-episode BD group. Patients with BD had significantly higher TNF-α and ghrelin levels compared with the healthy controls. No significant associations of CRP, TNF-α, and ghrelin levels with executive function were observed.

Conclusions

Profiles in proinflammatory cytokines and appetite hormones as well as executive function significantly differed between patients with first-episode and multiple-episode BDs and controls, which may suggest their potential roles in the clinical stages and pathophysiology of type 1 BD.
Mandatory pension savings and long-run debt accumulation: evidence from Danish low-wage earners
Authors: Andersen Henrik Yde , Hansen Niels Lynggård , Kuchler Andreas
Published: April 2022

Based on two decades of Danish register data at the individual level, this paper finds that a 1-dollar increase in pension wealth leads to a 42-cent rise in total debt for a group of low-wage earners. Collective bargaining in the labor market provides time-sector variation in mandatory pension contribution rates, which we exploit in two empirical research designs; an event study and a cross-sectional instrumental variable regression model. Both methods demonstrate that the debt rise is accompanied by increased housing wealth and homeownership rates. Together, the empirical evidence indicates that mandatory pension contributions lead to a significant increase in net wealth, as well as in gross debt.
Using Neuroimaging Techniques to Link Game Rewards to Memory Through	Activity in the Hippocampus
Authors: Prena Kelsey , Molina Deanna , Waller Vilesha , Cheng Hu , Newman Sharlene D.
Published: April 2022

Abstract. The purpose of this study was to better understand effects of video game rewards on information processing using neuroimaging techniques. Excitation transfer theory, with the limited capacity model of motivated mediated messages, was used to predict that game rewards (administered through goal-directed spatial decision-making demands) will increase hippocampal activity. Activity will remain heightened in a subsequent declarative memory task. It was also predicted that heightened hippocampal activity during encoding will result in better recall after a 25-min delay. Both hypotheses were supported. Participants who played the goal-directed spatial decision-making game experienced greater hippocampal activation during the encoding phase of the memory task. And they demonstrated better recall for the encoded information after the delay. There was also a negative correlation between hippocampal activation and a primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma-aminobutyric acid. These results suggest that goal-directed spatial decision-making mechanics can be important for facilitating hippocampal activation and declarative memory. They stress the need for future research to consider how these mechanics could be implemented in games for learning or as a potential intervention technique for those with memory impairments.
Random Forest Predictions of Fine Ash Concentration and Charging Processes From Experimentally Generated Volcanic Discharges
Authors: Rayborn L. , Jellinek A. M.
Published: April 2022

Explosive volcanic plume rise is governed by the rate at which ambient air is ingested and heated by turbulent entrainment and mixing processes. A daunting observational challenge is to constrain the character of the underlying physical processes and their dependence on complex particle‐particle and particle‐gas interactions. Important clues may lie in the particle‐particle momentum exchange that gives rise to related electrical discharges near the vent during supersonic eruptions. Recent laboratory studies of positive and negative shock‐tube‐generated volcanic discharges show a correlation between fine ash concentration and the magnitude and number of positive discharges. Charge generation via collisions (triboelectrification) is hypothesized to be more efficient with high ash concentrations and at high decompression rates because collisions between particles become more frequent under these conditions. To understand the experimental data in greater detail, we train and implement a regression‐based random forest algorithm to quantitatively predict concentrations of fine ash using discharge count, magnitude and polarity as predictors. Using a metric for variable importance, we find in all, high pressure (HP, ≥10 MPa), and high ash mass experiments (HM, >22g) that positive discharge properties are most important when predicting fine ash concentration, consistent with triboelectrification as the predominant charging process under these conditions. This mechanism is not constrained for low‐pressure (LP, <10 MPa) conditions, suggesting a potential threshold decompression rate condition for this class of charging. This result provides insight into why near‐vent lightning is not a ubiquitous feature of explosive eruptions.
Linking Coherent Anticyclonic Eddies in the Iceland Basin to Decadal Oceanic Variability in the Subpolar North Atlantic
Authors: Kondetharayil Soman Arunraj , Chafik Léon , Nilsson Johan
Published: April 2022

The Iceland Basin in the eastern Subpolar North Atlantic is an eddy‐rich region characterized by intense anticyclonic eddy activity. Our study present the variability of coherent Anticyclonic Eddies (AEs) generated in this region, using satellite altimetry and two ocean eddy tracking algorithms. The yearly count of AEs in the Iceland Basin reveals a decadal variability similar to that of ocean heat content change in the eastern subpolar gyre. Periods with higher number of AEs coincide with periods of increased ocean heat content, and vice versa. However, both algorithms agree that more than 50% of the detected AEs are confined to the central Iceland Basin. The annual number of AEs also tracks zonal shifts of the subpolar front, a variable that can explain about 53 (77)% of the interannual (decadal) variability of AEs in the Iceland Basin. Finally, a Lagrangian approach is used to demonstrate that the amount of subtropical versus subpolar water masses reaching the Iceland Basin appears to influence, via baroclinic instability, the generation of AEs.
Diagnosing Neptune’s Chilly Summer
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: April 2022

A pandemic project analyzing a trove of infrared images revealed an unexplained phenomenon taking place in Neptune’s atmosphere.
OVOL1 inhibits breast cancer cell invasion by enhancing the degradation of TGF-β type I receptor
Authors: Fan Chuannan , Wang Qian , van der Zon Gerard , Ren Jiang , Agaser Cedrick , Slieker Roderick C. , Iyengar Prasanna Vasudevan , Mei Hailiang , ten Dijke Peter
Published: April 2022

Ovo-like transcriptional repressor 1 (OVOL1) is a key mediator of epithelial lineage determination and mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET). The cytokines transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) control the epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) of cancer cells, but whether this occurs through interplay with OVOL1 is not known. Here, we show that OVOL1 is inversely correlated with the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) signature, and is an indicator of a favorable prognosis for breast cancer patients. OVOL1 suppresses EMT, migration, extravasation, and early metastatic events of breast cancer cells. Importantly, BMP strongly promotes the expression of OVOL1, which enhances BMP signaling in turn. This positive feedback loop is established through the inhibition of TGF-β receptor signaling by OVOL1. Mechanistically, OVOL1 interacts with and prevents the ubiquitination and degradation of SMAD family member 7 (SMAD7), which is a negative regulator of TGF-β type I receptor stability. Moreover, a small-molecule compound 6-formylindolo(3,2-b)carbazole (FICZ) was identified to activate OVOL1 expression and thereby antagonizing (at least in part) TGF-β-mediated EMT and migration in breast cancer cells. Our results uncover a novel mechanism by which OVOL1 attenuates TGF-β/SMAD signaling and maintains the epithelial identity of breast cancer cells.