bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal reinsurance and investment in danger‐zone and safe‐region
Authors: Han Xia , Liang Zhibin
Published: January 2020

This paper studies the optimal reinsurance‐investment problems for an insurance company where the claim process follows a Brownian motion with drift. It turns out that there is a region where the probability of drawdown, namely, the probability that the value of the insurer's surplus process reaches some fixed fractional value of its maximum value to date is positive. Then in the complementary region, drawdown can be avoided with certainty. For this reason, we call the former region the “danger‐zone” and “safe‐region” for the latter. In the danger‐zone, we consider the problem of minimizing the probability of drawdown; and in the safe‐region, we turn our attention to the optimization problem of minimizing the expected time to reach a given capital level. Using the technique of stochastic control theory and the corresponding Hamilton‐Jacobi‐Bellman equation, explicit expressions of the optimal reinsurance‐investment strategies and the associated value functions are derived for the two optimization problems. Moreover, we provide several detailed comparisons to investigate the impact of some important parameters on the optimal strategies and illustrate the observation from behavior finance of view.
A new theoretical approach for the performance simulation of multijunction solar cells
Authors: Timò Gianluca , Martinelli Alessio , Andreani Lucio Claudio
Published: January 2020

A new theoretical approach is proposed for the performance simulation of multijunction (MJ) solar cells, starting from the weakness and strength of the Hovel model and of the transfer matrix method for describing the propagation of electromagnetic waves inside the solar cell structure. It is based on the scattering matrix method (SMM) and on a simplified generation function that allow describing with good accuracy the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the solar cell device, preserving, at the same time, the possibility of getting simple analytical solutions of the continuity equations. The numerical stability of the new theoretical approach is first demonstrated on triple junction InGaP/InGaAs/Ge solar cells, in which the Ge substrate is considered as the last layer (layer N) and then as the N‐1 layer. Further, the new theoretical approach is applied to simulate the performance of thin quadruple junction (QJ) InGaP/InGaAs/SiGeSn/Ge solar cells, in two‐ and three‐terminal configurations. Efficiency values of up to 45.1% and 44.9%, respectively, have been simulated at 1000× concentration, by considering the MJ limited by the InGaAs subcell. Finally, it is estimated that the QJ InGaP/InGaAs/SiGeSn/Ge solar cell has the potential to reach efficiencies over 50% by assuming proper antireflective coatings.
Risk factors for fixed airflow obstruction in children and adolescents with asthma: 4‐Year follow‐up
Authors: Sousa Andrey W. , Barros Cabral Anna L. , Arruda Martins Milton , Carvalho Celso R. F.
Published: January 2020

Background

Asthma is a disease with reversible bronchoconstriction; however, some patients develop fixed airflow obstruction (FAO). Previous studies have reported the incidence and risk factors of FAO in adults; however, the corresponding factors in children remain poorly understood.

Aim

To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of FAO in children and adolescents with asthma.

Method

Observational and prospective cohort study with a 4‐year follow‐up of clinically stable patients with asthma (from 6‐8 years old). Anthropometric data, history of asthma, number of hospitalizations, frequent exacerbations, asthma severity, asthma control, inhaled corticosteroid dose, atopy, and lung function were analyzed as potential risk factors for FAO. FAO was defined by a ratio of the forced expiratory volume in the first second to the forced vital capacity below the lower limit of normal, even after inhaled and oral corticosteroid treatment.

Results

Four hundred and twenty‐eight patients were recruited, and 358 were analyzed. The FAO incidence in children and adolescents with asthma was 9.5% (n = 34), starting at 10 years of age. Age, body mass index, hospitalizations for asthma, bronchodilator response, frequent exacerbations, length of exacerbations, and asthma severity were associated with FAO. Frequent exacerbations (odds ratio [OR] = 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3‐11.7) and asthma severity categorized as steps 4 to 5 (OR = 3.5; 95% CI = 1.6‐7.6) remained risk factors.

Conclusions

Frequent exacerbations and asthma severity are the risk factors for FAO in children and adolescents with asthma.
Impact of model upgrades on diabatic processes in extratropical cyclones and downstream forecast evolution
Authors: Maddison Jacob W. , Gray Suzanne L. , Martínez‐Alvarado Oscar , Williams Keith D.
Published: January 2020

Models are continuously developed at numerical weather prediction (NWP) centres to improve forecast skill, with new operational model configurations adopted every few years. The parametrizations of diabatic processes are probably the most frequently updated part of NWP models as they are crucial for accurate weather predictions and contain uncertainties in their formulation. The impact of model developments is assessed here in forecasts from the Met Office's weather forecast model initialised throughout the North Atlantic Waveguide and Downstream Impact Experiment field campaign period in autumn 2016. Planned model parametrization developments are considered, together with an ‘inexpensive coupled’ forecast with daily updating of the sea surface temperature and sea‐ice fraction. Forecasts produced from the coupled system have, on average, indistinguishable skill from the control forecasts, suggesting the benefits of coupled atmosphere–ocean NWP systems can be small. In contrast, a reduction in forecast error (∼4%) is identified in forecasts produced using an upgraded convection scheme. Periods of low forecast skill during the study period are shown to be associated with the onset and decay of blocking events and increased diabatic heating of air masses reaching the upper troposphere. In forecasts of a specific block development case that was not accurately predicted in any of the experiments or in the operational ensemble forecast from the Met Office, the representation of diabatic heating in the warm conveyor belt of an upstream cyclone is shown to moderate the subsequent block development; forecasts in which the heating is stronger generally have a more‐amplified blocking ridge and amplified heating contributions from all parametrizations as diagnosed using diabatic tracers. Hence, we demonstrate that plausible changes to the representation of several different diabatic processes in models can impact forecast block development via changes within upstream cyclones.
A novel framework for spatiotemporal monitoring and post‐signal diagnosis of processes with image data
Authors: Amirkhani Farzad , Amiri Amirhossein
Published: January 2020

Advances in digital equipment and organizations' interest in having comprehensive and real‐time information about products have increased the use of machine vision systems in organizations. In this paper, to monitor a sensory quality characteristic of a product based on images, the residual matrix of the intensity values of the nominal and captured images is divided into specific regions; then, the equality of the means of the regions is tested based on one‐way ANOVA. To do so, a P‐value–based control chart is applied to detect the out‐of‐control state as soon as possible. If an out‐of‐control alarm is received, Dunnett's test is used to identify region(s) with significant differences in the means of residuals (defective location[s] in the image) compared with other regions. After the locations of defective regions are identified, the change point of the process is estimated by using the maximum likelihood estimation approach. The performance of the proposed procedure is compared with some of the previous approaches in the literature. Then, the proposed procedure is implemented in a real‐world case. The simulation study demonstrates the merits of the proposed procedure: It is not limited to specific geometric types of faults; it has the ability to detect multiple faults in the image; it takes less computational time; and it performs well in estimating the real time of change, as well as the location(s) and dimension(s) of the fault(s).
Size‐controlled Synthesis of Hematite α‐Fe2O3Nanodisks Closed with (0001) Basal Facets and {11‐20} Side Facets and their Catalytic Performance for CO2Hydrogenation
Authors: Chen Tongzhou , Jiang Wan , Sun Xiaolei , Ning Wensheng , Liu Yong , Xu Gang , Han Gaorong
Published: January 2020

An improved hematite α‐Fe2O3catalysts composed of uniform nanodisks closed with (0001) basal facets and {11‐20} side facets are prepared via a simple hydrothermal route. Moreover, by simply tuning the mass of the reaction precursors of Fe(NO3)3⋅9H2O, the size of the obtained hematite α‐Fe2O3nanodisks is controlled in the range of 600–100 nm in diameter and 43–230 nm in thickness, respectively. Due to the exposed (0001) basal facets and {11‐20} facets, in which more amount of Fe3+ion involved, the obtained α‐Fe2O3nanodisks exhibit enhanced reducibility. The maximum H2consumption occurs at relative lower temperature, ca. 490 °C for the smallest α‐Fe2O3nanodisks of 43 nm in thickness and 100 nm in diameter, respectively. Relatively, the Fe3+ions situated at (0001) planes facilitate the Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis (FTS) compared to that situated at {11‐20} planes. Due to the well dispersion and high fraction of (0001) basal facets, the α‐Fe2O3nanodisks with middle size of 190 nm in thickness and 400 nm in diameter propose the high CO2conversion and high hydrocarbon selectivity. Since more amount of (0001) basal facets are masked by the orientation aggregation along [0001] induced by the self‐magnetization, the least α‐Fe2O3nanodisks provide a declined catalytic performance for CO2hydrogenation.
Dilatancy mitigation of cement powder paste by pozzolanic and inert fillers
Authors: Lai M.H. , Binhowimal S.A.M. , Hanzic L. , Wang Q. , Ho J.C.M.
Published: January 2020

Third generation polycarboxylate‐based superplasticiser (SP) can easily extend the maximum concurrent design limits of strength and flowability of concrete or cement paste, but simultaneously creates unfavorable dilatancy (or shear thickening) that decreases mixing efficiency and pumping range of concrete. The dilatancy is created initially by clustering of free and adsorbed polymers of SP, but further addition of SP can conversely mitigate the dilatancy by improved wet packing density. Because of the negative correlation of packing density and dilatancy, it is believed that partial replacement of cement by finer pozzolanic or inert filler can decrease the dilatancy via improved filling effect. Herein, the dilatancy of cement powder paste with or without pozzolanic fly ash or inert limestone powder replacing partial cement was studied using a coaxial rheometer. The results revealed that there exists a threshold limit of SP, beyond which the effect on dilatancy reverses. At a given SP dosage, partial cement replacement by either filler decreases dilatancy via improved packing density up to an optimal ratio, after which the dilatancy increases because the packing density reverses.
Using the “best‐fit” approach to investigate the effects of politico‐economic and social barriers on SMEs' internationalization in an emerging country context: Implications and future directions
Authors: Mendy John , Rahman Mahfuzur , Bal P. Matthijs
Published: January 2020

The way this study has used the “best‐fit” approach has facilitated the investigation of how three hypothesized constructs of political, economic, and social barriers can deepen our knowledge of their impacts on small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs)' internationalization within a small developing country context. Based on a quantitative analysis of the three hypothesized barriers, we used the “best‐fit” approach to measure the extent to which the SMEs' internal variables like people, products, services, and practices might best fit some of the people and non‐people factors external to the businesses. The application of the “best‐fit” approach onto the three hypotheses—politics (H1), social (H2), economics (H3), helped us in explaining the major social and politico‐economic barriers faced by a developing economy' (Bangladeshi) SMEs' internationalization despite previous literatures' emphasis on the impacts of globalization, market drivers or their oversight. Based on the findings, we point to future research trajectory. This study used primary survey data from 212 Bangladeshi SMEs and successfully validated an HR model by using Smart PLS3 software. The results from the hypotheses were used to produce the HR model to help SMEs identify the significance of people and economic factors and propose these aspects for inclusion in the “best‐fit” approach, SME, and globalization research.
Imaging in gynecological disease (19): clinical and ultrasound features of extragastrointestinal stromal tumors (eGIST)
Authors: Ambrosio M. , Testa A. C. , Moro F. , Franchi D. , Scifo M. C. , Rams N. , Epstein E. , Alcazar J. L. , Hidalgo J. J. , Van Holsbeke C. , Burgetova A. , Dundr P. , Cibula D. , Fischerova D.
Published: January 2020

Objective

To describe the clinical and sonographic characteristics of extragastrointestinal stromal tumors (eGISTs).

Methods

This was a retrospective multicenter study. The data of patients with a histological diagnosis of eGIST who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination were retrieved from the databases of nine large European gynecologic oncology centers. One investigator from each center reviewed stored images and ultrasound reports, and described the lesions using the terminology of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis and Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment groups, following a predefined ultrasound evaluation form. Clinical, surgical and pathological information was also recorded.

Results

Thirty‐five women with an eGIST were identified; in 17 cases, the findings were incidental, and 18 cases were symptomatic. Median age was 57 years (range, 21–85 years). Tumor marker CA 125 was available in 23 (65.7%) patients, with a median level of 23 U/mL (range, 7–403 U/mL). The vast majority of eGISTs were intraperitoneal lesions (n = 32 (91.4%)); the remaining lesions were retroperitoneal (n = 2 (5.7%)) or preperitoneal (n = 1 (2.9%)). The most common site of the tumor was the abdomen (n = 23 (65.7%)), and less frequently the pelvis (n = 12 (34.3%)). eGISTs were typically large (median largest diameter, 79 mm) solid (n = 31 (88.6%)) tumors, and were less frequently multilocular‐solid tumors (n = 4 (11.4%)). The echogenicity of solid tumors was uniform in 8/31 (25.8%) cases, which were all hypoechogenic. Twenty‐three solid eGISTs were non‐uniform, either with mixed echogenicity (9/23 (39.1%)) or with cystic areas (14/23 (60.9%)). The tumor shape was mainly lobular (n = 19 (54.3%)) or irregular (n = 10 (28.6%)). Tumors were typically richly vascularized (color score of 3 or 4, n = 31 (88.6%)) with no shadowing (n = 31 (88.6%)). Based on pattern recognition, eGISTs were usually correctly classified as a malignant lesion in the ultrasound reports (n = 32 (91.4%)), and the specific diagnosis of eGIST was the most frequent differential diagnosis (n = 16 (45.7%)), followed by primary ovarian cancer (n = 5 (14.3%)), lymphoma (n = 2 (5.7%)) and pedunculated uterine fibroid (n = 2 (5.7%)).

Conclusions

On ultrasound, eGISTs were usually solid, non‐uniform pelvic or abdominal lobular tumors of mixed echogenicity, with or without cystic areas, with rich vascularization and no shadowing. The presence of a tumor with these features, without connection to the bowel wall, and not originating from the uterus or adnexa, is highly suspicious for eGIST. Copyright © 2020 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The fate of the Konishi multiplet in the β-deformed Quantum Spectral Curve
Authors: Marboe Christian , Widén Erik
Published: January 2020

Abstract

We investigate the solution space of the β-deformed Quantum Spectral Curve by studying a sample of solutions corresponding to single-trace operators that in the undeformed theory belong to the Konishi multiplet. We discuss how to set the precise boundary conditions for the leading Q-system for a given state, how to solve it, and how to build perturbative corrections to the Pμ-system. We confirm and add several loop orders to known results in the literature.
Ionic mechanisms underlying atrial electrical remodeling after a fontan-style operation in a canine model
Authors: Wu Jinjin , Zhou Wanping , Wu Lanping , Qian Yijiao , Lu Yanan , Li Fen
Published: January 2020

Atrial arrhythmia is an important cause of late death in patients after the Fontan-Style operation. However, the detailed electrophysiological characteristics of the post-Fontan atrium and its underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated electrophysiological characteristics and the ionic remodeling in the right atrium (RA) of a canine model after the Fontan operation. We performed the operation of RA to pulmonary artery connection to mimic the Fontan operation. We undertook hemodynamic measurements, cardiac electrophysiological studies, and ion current measurements. The expression of ionic channels was analyzed by PCR and western-blotting. Our Fontan model induced RA hypertension, enlarged the size of RA, and increased atrial fibrosis, representing the classic characteristic of Fontan patients. In the Fontan group, the atrial effective refractory period and the active potential duration were reduced, and the atrial tachycardia has been more often to be induced. The electrical conduction mapping showed that the Fontan group reduced the conduction velocity. The Fontan operation significantly down-regulated the expression ofKCND3/Kv4.3,CACNA1C/Cav1.2 andSCN5A, but up-regulated the expression ofKCNJ2/Kir2.1. Correspondingly, The Fontan operation reduced transient-outward (Ito) and L-type Ca2 (ICa,L) andINacurrents, while increasing the inward-rectifier current (IK1). Thus, the net shortening of the action potential in the post-Fontan atrium is associated with the altered expression of ionic channels which disturbed the balance between inward and outward currents. Taken together, the Fontan operation induces the ionic remodeling, and thus altered electrophysiological characteristics of the right atrium, improving our understanding on the pathophysiology of atrial arrhythmias in Fontan patients.
Serum levels of sclerostin reflect altered bone microarchitecture in patients with hepatic cirrhosis
Authors: Wakolbinger Robert , Muschitz Christian , Wallwitz Jacqueline , Bodlaj Gerd , Feichtinger Xaver , Schanda Jakob E. , Resch Heinrich , Baierl Andreas , Pietschmann Peter
Published: January 2020

Background

Patients with hepatic cirrhosis are at increased risk of bone loss. Recent work on areal bone mineral density has reported contradictory findings. As the assessment of bone microarchitecture is complex, a search was made for correlations with new serum markers of bone turnover. Current data on serum sclerostin levels in patients with increased fracture risk are divergent and to date only one study has examined patients with hepatic cirrhosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate serum sclerostin levels and to test for correlations with microarchitecture.

Methods

This study was performed in 32 patients with recently diagnosed hepatic cirrhosis and 32 controls. The parameters of bone microarchitecture were assessed by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Sclerostin was detected via a new ELISA that detects the active receptor interaction site at loop 2 of the sclerostin core region.

Results

Sclerostin levels were slightly, but not significantly lower in the patient group, compared to controls. In contrast, patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis had significantly lower levels than the controls. A significant correlation with areal bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular microarchitecture was observed in the patient group. However, there was hardly any correlation between sclerostin and bone microarchitecture in the controls.

Conclusion

In hepatic cirrhosis, sclerostin is related to altered bone microarchitecture and lower areal BMD. In alcoholic liver disease, low sclerostin concentrations were seen.
Surveying the arable plant diversity of conventionally managed farmland: a comparison of methods
Authors: Wietzke Alexander , Leuschner Christoph
Published: January 2020

Agricultural intensification has led to drastic population declines in Europe’s arable plant vegetation, and continuous monitoring is a prerequisite for assessing measures to increase and conserve remnant populations of endangered arable plant species. Unfortunately, strong variation in plot sizes and in-field locations makes comparison of current arable plant monitoring approaches difficult. This study compares different relevé approaches in conventionally managed arable fields in Northwest German farmland with respect to plant species detection success and time expenditure. We compared species detection rate and expenditure of time of six different relevé types in 45 conventionally managed arable fields (each 15 fields of wheat, maize, and rapeseed): field “Interior” plots (50 × 2 m); field edge plots: “Edge_30” (30 × 2 m), “Edge_50” (50 × 2 m), and “Edge_500” (500 × 1 m); “Subplots” (four dispersed plots of 5 × 1 m); and “Corner” plots (50 × 2 m). To determine species detection rate, the species richness recorded with a survey method was related to the field’s total plant species number as estimated from a survey of the entire field edge zone. With a species detection rate of 8.3% (median), interior plots were inadequate for characterizing the field’s arable plant vegetation. Edge_500 plots yielded the highest proportion of the field’s arable plant species pool (75.6%, including taxa of conservation value), followed by “Corner” plots (45.8%) and “Sublots” (32.6%). Edge_50 and Edge_30 plots detected less than 25% of the field’s species pool. The average time needed for a relevé was 20 min in Edge500 plots and 5–11 min in the other plot types. We suggest implementing Edge_500 plots as a standard monitoring approach in conventionally managed farmland due to its favorable ratio of detection success to expenditure of time. Our findings should be compared to methodological studies conducted in other regions, in different farmland management systems, and in landscapes of variable complexities.
“Oh, Dignity too?” Said the Robot: Human Dignity as the Basis for the Governance of Robotics
Authors: Zardiashvili Lexo , Fosch-Villaronga Eduard
Published: January 2020

Healthcare robots enable practices that seemed far-fetched in the past. Robots might be the solution to bridge the loneliness that the elderly often experience; they may help wheelchair users walk again, or may help navigate the blind. European Institutions, however, acknowledge that human contact is an essential aspect of personal care and that the insertion of robots could dehumanize caring practices. Such instances of human–robot interactions raise the question to what extent the use and development of robots for healthcare applications can challenge the dignity of users. In this article, therefore, we explore how different robot applications in the healthcare domain support individuals in achieving ‘dignity’ or pressure it. We argue that since healthcare robot applications are novel, their associated risks and impacts may be unprecedented and unknown, thus triggering the need for a conceptual instrument that is binding and remains flexible at the same time. In this respect, as safety rules and data protection are often criticized to lack flexibility, and technology ethics to lack enforceability, we suggest human dignity as the overarching governance instrument for robotics, which is the inviolable value upon which all fundamental rights are grounded.
The Family of Peanut Fatty Acid Desaturase Genes and a Functional Analysis of Four ω-3 AhFAD3 Members
Authors: Peng Zhenying , Ruan Jian , Tian Haiying , Shan Lei , Meng Jingjing , Guo Feng , Zhang Zhimeng , Ding Hong , Wan Shubo , Li Xinguo
Published: January 2020

The synthesis of α-linolenic acid (ALA) requires the activity of ω-3 fatty acid desaturases (ω-3 FADs). The quality of peanut oil would be much improved if the content of ALA could be increased. A scan of the peanut genome revealed that it harbored 36 FAD genes, mapping to 16 of the species’ 20 chromosomes. A phylogenetic analysis concluded that these genes belonged to six sub-families, namely stearoyl-acyl-acyl carrier protein desaturases (SAD), FAD2, FAD3, FAD4/5, FAD6 and FAD7/8. Of these, FAD3 and FAD7/8 encoded ω-3 FADs, while genes belonging to the other four sub-families encoded ω-6 FADs. Based on RNA-Seq data, each of the 36 FAD genes was shown to be transcribed in non-stressed plants, but there was variation between them with respect to which organs they were transcribed in. Four ω-3 AhFAD3 genes were functionally characterized; when expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts, each was localized mainly in the endoplasmic reticulum, while within peanut, the genes were more strongly transcribed in the developing seed than in either the root or the leaf. When constitutively expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana, both the total fatty acid content of the seed and the relative contribution of ALA were increased. The transgenic seedlings also exhibited an improved level of survival when challenged by salinity stress.
Looking to relate: teacher gaze and culture in student-rated teacher interpersonal behaviour
Authors: McIntyre Nora A. , Mulder Kees Tim , Mainhard M. Tim
Published: January 2020

Mobile eye-tracking was used to investigate the link between teacher gaze and student-rated teacher interpersonal behaviour. Teacher gaze was recorded for 10 min during a teacher-centred part of a naturally occurring lesson. The Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction was then administered to assess how UK students evaluated their teacher interpersonally in that lesson. Teachers conveyed greater dominance (or interpersonal agency) through increasing eye contact while asking questions (‘attentional gaze’). Teachers conveyed more interpersonal friendliness (or communion) through increasing eye contact while lecturing (‘communicative gaze’). Culture did not affect the way gaze was associated with students’ interpersonal perceptions.
Perioperative treatment of soft-tissue sarcoma
Authors: Rothermundt Christian
Published: January 2020

The standard treatment of high-risk localized extremity and trunk soft-tissue sarcoma is wide local excision and radiation therapy, which can be delivered pre- or postoperatively. Improved care for sarcoma patients at expert centres with multidisciplinary tumour boards, specialized pathologists, surgeons, radio-oncologists, and medical oncologists, according to national or international guidelines, has improved outcomes. Yet, a substantial number of patients will experience disease recurrence with metastatic spread and ultimately die from their disease. In many solid tumours neo/adjuvant chemotherapy has become an accepted standard treatment, whereas in soft-tissue sarcoma discussions on the use of cytotoxic therapy in localized and resectable disease are ongoing. Some centres demonstrated the feasibility and now treat with concomitant neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy as standard. Others argue that treatments should be given in the order of the accompanying evidence (surgery → radiotherapy → chemotherapy), which does not take biology of the disease into account and probably attempts to simplify complex decision making processes. It is important to enhance our ability to identify patients at highest risk of recurrence, and to generate data and develop tools to predict which patients will benefit from neo/adjuvant systemic therapy most.
To-Do Is to Be: Foucault, Levinas, and Technologically Mediated Subjectivation
Authors: Bergen Jan Peter , Verbeek Peter-Paul
Published: January 2020

The theory of technological mediation aims to take technological artifacts seriously, recognizing the constitutive role they play in how we experience the world, act in it, and how we are constituted as (moral) subjects. Its quest for a compatible ethics has led it to Foucault’s “care of the self,” i.e., a transformation of the self by oneself through self-discipline. In this regard, technologies have been interpreted as power structures to which one can relate through Foucaultian “technologies of the self” or ascetic practices. However, this leaves unexplored how concrete technologies can actuallysupportthe process of self-care. This paper explores this possibility by examining one such technology: a gamified To-Do list app. Doing so, it first shows that despite the apparent straightforwardness of gamification, confrontation and shame play an important role in how the app motivates me to do better. Second, inspired by Ihde’s schema of human-technology relations, it presents different ways in which the app may confront me with myself. Subsequently, it accounts for the motivation and shame that this technologically mediated confrontation with myself invokes through a Levinasian account of ethical subjectivity. In so doing, it also shows how Levinas’ phenomenology implies a responsibility for self-care and how nonhuman, technological others may still call me to responsibility. It concludes with a reflection on the role of gamification in technologically mediated subjectivation and some implications for design.
The Neglected Role and Variability of Party Intercepts in the Spatial Valence Approach
Authors: Mauerer Ingrid
Published: January 2020

Empirical applications of the spatial theory of elections typically rely on the discrete choice framework to arrive at probabilistic voting models. Whereas in the classic model voter choice is solely a function of spatial proximity, neo-Downsian models also incorporate voter-specific nonpolicy attributes, which are represented by sociodemographic characteristics. One prominent line of such probabilistic models, Schofield’s Valence Model, additionally includes party valences into voter utility functions. The model rests on the estimated party intercepts to measure the valence advantages empirically. The party intercepts are ordered based on their values, and then this valence ranking is used further to predict equilibrium locations. The paper demonstrates that this measurement strategy does not provide unique results in fully specified models due to central properties of discrete choice models and the specific nature of party intercepts in these models. Drawing on a simple example based on mass election surveys from Germany, it is shown that the valence ranking, the crucial factor to investigate how valence differences affect the nature of spatial competition, is highly sensitive to arbitrary coding decisions. As a consequence, it is impossible to represent valence with the constants and to infer something substantial from the resulting valence ranking.
Capturing Rationalization Bias and Differential Item Functioning: A Unified Bayesian Scaling Approach
Authors: Bølstad Jørgen
Published: January 2020

Information about the ideological positions of different political actors is crucial in answering questions regarding political representation, polarization, and voting behavior. One way to obtain such information is to ask survey respondents to place actors on a common ideological scale, but, unfortunately, respondents typically display a set of biases when performing such placements. Key among these are rationalization bias and differential item functioning (DIF). While Aldrich–McKelvey (AM) scaling offers a useful solution to DIF, it ignores the issue of rationalization bias, and this study presents Monte Carlo simulations demonstrating that AM-type models thus can give inaccurate results. As a response to this challenge, this study develops an alternative Bayesian scaling approach, which simultaneously estimates DIF and rationalization bias, and therefore performs better when the latter bias is present.
Local immune depression in Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) liver infected with Contracaecum osculatum
Authors: Marnis H. , Kania P.W. , Syahputra K. , Zuo S. , Buchmann K.
Published: January 2020

Third-stage larvae of the anisakid nematode Contracaecum osculatum infecting cod (Gadus morhua) liver elicit a host immune response involving both innate and adaptive factors, but the reactions differ between liver and spleen. Inflammatory reactions occur in both liver and spleen, but a series of immune effector genes are downregulated in liver infected with nematodes whereas these genes in spleen from the same fish are upregulated. A series of novel primer and probe sets targeting cod immune responses were developed and applied in a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction set-up to measure the expression of immune-relevant genes in liver and spleen of infected and uninfected cod. In infected liver, 12 of 23 genes were regulated. Genes encoding cytokines associated with inflammatory reactions (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8) were significantly upregulated, whereas genes encoding effector molecules, assisting the elimination of pathogens, C-reactive protein (CRP)-PII, hepcidin, lysozyme G1, lysozyme G2, C3 and IgDm, were significantly downregulated. The number of downregulated genes increased with the parasite burden. In spleen, 14 of 23 immune genes showed significant regulation and nine of these were upregulated, including genes encoding CRPI, CRPII, C3, hepcidin and transferrin. The general gene expression level was higher in spleen compared to liver, and although inflammation was induced in nematode-infected liver, the effector molecule genes were depressed, which suggests a worm-induced immune suppression locally in the liver.
Distinct neural mechanisms of emotional processing in prolonged grief disorder
Authors: Bryant Richard A. , Andrew Elpiniki , Korgaonkar Mayuresh S.
Published: January 2020

Background

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) has recently been recognized as a separate psychiatric diagnosis, despite controversy over the extent to which it is distinctive from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods

This study investigated distinctive neural processes underpinning emotion processing in participants with PGD, PTSD, and MDD with functional magnetic resonance study of 117 participants that included PGD (n = 21), PTSD (n = 45), MDD (n = 26), and bereaved controls (BC) (n = 25). Neural responses were measured across the brain while sad, happy, or neutral faces were presented at both supraliminal and subliminal levels.

Results

PGD had greater activation in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC), bilateral insula, bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices and right caudate and also greater pgACC–right pallidum connectivity relative to BC during subliminal processing of happy faces. PGD was distinct relative to both PTSD and MDD groups with greater recruitment of the medial orbitofrontal cortex during supraliminal processing of sad faces. PGD were also distinct relative to MDD (but not PTSD) with greater activation in the left amygdala, caudate, and putamen during subliminal presentation of sad faces. There was no distinction between PGD, PTSD, and MDD during processing of happy faces.

Conclusions

These results provide initial evidence of distinct neural profiles of PGD relative to related psychopathological conditions, and highlight activation of neural regions implicated in reward networks. This pattern of findings validates current models of PGD that emphasize the roles of yearning and appetitive processes in PGD.
SPECIFICATION TESTING IN NONPARAMETRIC INSTRUMENTAL QUANTILE REGRESSION
Authors: Breunig Christoph
Published: January 2020

There are many environments in econometrics which require nonseparable modeling of a structural disturbance. In a nonseparable model with endogenous regressors, key conditions are validity of instrumental variables and monotonicity of the model in a scalar unobservable variable. Under these conditions the nonseparable model is equivalent to an instrumental quantile regression model. A failure of the key conditions, however, makes instrumental quantile regression potentially inconsistent. This article develops a methodology for testing the hypothesis whether the instrumental quantile regression model is correctly specified. Our test statistic is asymptotically normally distributed under correct specification and consistent against any alternative model. In addition, test statistics to justify the model simplification are established. Finite sample properties are examined in a Monte Carlo study and an empirical illustration is provided.
Surgical repair for aortopulmonary window with interrupted aortic arch in late childhood
Authors: Talwar Sachin , George Niwin , Gupta Saurabh K. , Choudhary Shiv K.
Published: January 2020

Aortopulmonary window with interrupted aortic arch is rarely reported beyond infancy. Pre-operative assessment and surgical repair are challenging. We report successful surgical repair of aortopulmonary window with interrupted aortic arch in a 6-year-old girl with near-normal pulmonary artery pressure immediately following surgery.
Sonic Sovereignty: Performing Hopi Authority in Öngtupqa
Authors: REED TREVOR G.
Published: January 2020

In this article, I explore the ways territorial authority or sovereignty emerges from within a particular mode of Indigenous creativity—the creation and performance of Hopi taatawi (traditional songs)—despite the appropriation of Hopi traditional lands by the American settler-state. Hopi territories within Öngtupqa (Grand Canyon) are just a sample of the many places where Indigenous authority, as expressed through sound-based performances, continues to resonate despite the imposition of settler-colonial structures that have either silenced Indigenous performances of authority or severed these places from Indigenous territories. Drawing on the work of Hopi composers and intellectuals, I explore how Hopi musical composition and performance are deeply intertwined with Hopi political philosophy and governance, resulting in a form of sovereignty that is inherently sonic rather than strictly literary or textual in nature. Recognizing that this interconnection between territorial authority and sound production is common across many Indigenous communities, I propose listening to contemporary Indigenous creativity not just as an aesthetic form but as a source of sonic sovereignty.
The Spatial Evolution of Upward Positive Stepped Leaders Initiated From a 356‐m‐Tall Tower in Southern China
Authors: Gao Yan , Chen Mingli , Qin Zilong , Qiu Zongxu , Yang Yuexin , Du Ya‐ping , Wang Shaoyang , Zhang Ge
Published: January 2020

Two initial upward positive leaders (UPLs) in upward negative flashes initiated from a 356‐m‐tall tower were observed with a high‐speed camera, an electric field sensor, and a magnetic field sensor. Although the waveforms of electric fields measured were saturated, both camera images and magnetic fields showed that the two UPLs had obvious stepwise characteristics in their upward moving stage. The magnetic fields associated with the UPLs were characterized by a series of fast‐changing bipolar impulses superimposed on a slowly increasing continuous component as the leaders moved upward, which were well corresponding to the light intensity changes of their high‐speed camera images. The 2‐D step length and step extension speed of the two leaders were estimated in the range of 0.5–3 m and 1.1–9.4 × 105 m/s, respectively. The radius of the leader luminous channel as a function of time and height was also estimated. The channel radius showed first a stable increasing trend in the leader upward moving stage and then 4–5 times of shrinking and expanding processes after the leader connected the cloud. The channel expanding and shrinking speeds were in the range of 2–9 × 104 m/s. Particularly, the channel radius showed an obvious increasing trend with the increase of the height all the time, which was in the range of 2.8–3.5 m when around the tower tip and of 5.6–8.4 m when at 24 m high above the tower tip. Such a feature of the channel radius is in good agreement with the concept of leader corona sheath in literature.
Velocity and density characteristics of subducted oceanic crust and the origin of lower-mantle heterogeneities
Authors: Wang Wenzhong , Xu Yinhan , Sun Daoyuan , Ni Sidao , Wentzcovitch Renata , Wu Zhongqing
Published: January 2020

Seismic heterogeneities detected in the lower mantle were proposed to be related to subducted oceanic crust. However, the velocity and density of subducted oceanic crust at lower-mantle conditions remain unknown. Here, we report ab initio results for the elastic properties of calcium ferrite‐type phases and determine the velocities and density of oceanic crust along different mantle geotherms. We find that the subducted oceanic crust shows a large negative shear velocity anomaly at the phase boundary between stishovite and CaCl2-type silica, which is highly consistent with the feature of mid-mantle scatterers. After this phase transition in silica, subducted oceanic crust will be visible as high-velocity heterogeneities as imaged by seismic tomography. This study suggests that the presence of subducted oceanic crust could provide good explanations for some lower-mantle seismic heterogeneities with different length scales except large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs).
Cascading and pulse-like ruptures during the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes in the Eastern California Shear Zone
Authors: Chen Kejie , Avouac Jean-Philippe , Aati Saif , Milliner Chris , Zheng Fu , Shi Chuang
Published: January 2020

On July 4 2019, a Mw6.5 earthquake, followed 34 h later by a Mw7.1 event, struck Searles Valley, California. These events are part of a long-lived cluster of historical earthquakes along the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ) which started in 1872 and are associated with temporarily elevated strain rates. We find that the Mw6.5 event initiated on a right-lateral NW striking fault and then ruptured a left-lateral fault to the surface. This event triggered right-lateral slip during the Mw7.1 earthquake. It started as a bilateral, crack-like rupture on a segment brought closer to failure by the Mw6.5 event. The rupture evolved to pulse-like as it propagated at a relatively slow velocity (2 km/s) along a segment that was unloaded by the Mw6.5 event. It stopped abruptly at the Coso volcanic area and at the Garlock Fault and brought some neighbouring faults closer to failure.
Transmission of tauopathy strains is independent of their isoform composition
Authors: He Zhuohao , McBride Jennifer D. , Xu Hong , Changolkar Lakshmi , Kim Soo-jung , Zhang Bin , Narasimhan Sneha , Gibbons Garrett S. , Guo Jing L. , Kozak Michael , Schellenberg Gerard D. , Trojanowski John Q. , Lee Virginia M. -Y.
Published: January 2020

The deposition of pathological tau is a common feature in several neurodegenerative tauopathies. Although equal ratios of tau isoforms with 3 (3R) and 4 (4R) microtubule-binding repeats are expressed in the adult human brain, the pathological tau from different tauopathies have distinct isoform compositions and cell type specificities. The underlying mechanisms of tauopathies are unknown, partially due to the lack of proper models. Here, we generate a new transgenic mouse line expressing equal ratios of 3R and 4R human tau isoforms (6hTau mice). Intracerebral injections of distinct human tauopathy brain-derived tau strains into 6hTau mice recapitulate the deposition of pathological tau with distinct tau isoform compositions and cell type specificities as in human tauopathies. Moreover, through in vivo propagation of these tau strains among different mouse lines, we demonstrate that the transmission of distinct tau strains is independent of strain isoform compositions, but instead intrinsic to unique pathological conformations.
Distinction between pristine and disorder-perturbed charge density waves in ZrTe3
Authors: Yue Li , Xue Shangjie , Li Jiarui , Hu Wen , Barbour Andi , Zheng Feipeng , Wang Lichen , Feng Ji , Wilkins Stuart B. , Mazzoli Claudio , Comin Riccardo , Li Yuan
Published: January 2020

Charge density waves (CDWs) in the cuprate high-temperature superconductors have evoked much interest, yet their typical short-range nature has raised questions regarding the role of disorder. Here we report a resonant X-ray diffraction study of ZrTe$${}_{3}$$

3

, a model CDW system, with focus on the influence of disorder. Near the CDW transition temperature, we observe two independent signals that arise concomitantly, only to become clearly separated in momentum while developing very different correlation lengths in the well-ordered state that is reached at a distinctly lower temperature. Anomalously slow dynamics of mesoscopic charge domains are further found near the transition temperature, in spite of the expected strong thermal fluctuations. Our observations signify the presence of distinct experimental fingerprints of pristine and disorder-perturbed CDWs. We discuss the latter also in the context of Friedel oscillations, which we argue might promote CDW formation via a self-amplifying process.
Selecting likely causal risk factors from high-throughput experiments using multivariable Mendelian randomization
Authors: Zuber Verena , Colijn Johanna Maria , Klaver Caroline , Burgess Stephen
Published: January 2020

Modern high-throughput experiments provide a rich resource to investigate causal determinants of disease risk. Mendelian randomization (MR) is the use of genetic variants as instrumental variables to infer the causal effect of a specific risk factor on an outcome. Multivariable MR is an extension of the standard MR framework to consider multiple potential risk factors in a single model. However, current implementations of multivariable MR use standard linear regression and hence perform poorly with many risk factors. Here, we propose a two-sample multivariable MR approach based on Bayesian model averaging (MR-BMA) that scales to high-throughput experiments. In a realistic simulation study, we show that MR-BMA can detect true causal risk factors even when the candidate risk factors are highly correlated. We illustrate MR-BMA by analysing publicly-available summarized data on metabolites to prioritise likely causal biomarkers for age-related macular degeneration.
Publisher Correction: Leishmania RNA virus exacerbates Leishmaniasis by subverting innate immunity via TLR3-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition
Authors: de Carvalho Renan V. H. , Lima-Junior Djalma S. , da Silva Marcus Vinícius G. , Dilucca Marisa , Rodrigues Tamara S. , Horta Catarina V. , Silva Alexandre L. N. , da Silva Patrick F. , Frantz Fabiani G. , Lorenzon Lucas B. , Souza Marcos Michel , Almeida Fausto , Cantanhêde Lilian M. , Ferreira Ricardo de Godoi M. , Cruz Angela K. , Zamboni Dario S.
Published: January 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.