bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The patient with cirrhosis in the intensive care unit and the management of acute-on-chronic liver failure
Authors: Passi Neha N , McPhail Mark JW
Published: December 2020

Acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a clinical syndrome characterised by acute hepatic decompensation, multi-organ failure and high mortality, in patients with cirrhosis.

 Organ dysfunction in ACLF is often reversible and when necessary these patients should be considered appropriate candidates for admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). The yearly increase in numbers of patients with ACLF admitted to ICU has been matched with an improvement in survival.

 ACLF has only been recently defined. In the absence of evidence-based guidelines we outline a systems-based approach to care which encompasses accepted ICU practice and evidence from trials in this cohort. We advocate for timely referral to specialist liver centres and consider the complexities of proceeding with liver transplantation. Equally, in a proportion of patients who continue to deteriorate, appropriate ceilings of care should be established.

 Future clinical trials may change treatment paradigms but care of patients with ACLF is undoubtedly becoming an integral part of an intensivist’s practice. We hope that this review is a welcome starting point when managing this complex clinical syndrome.
Clinical outcomes, predictors of prognosis and health economics consequences in IBD patients after discontinuation of the first biological therapy
Authors: Shivaji Uday N. , Bazarova Alina , Critchlow Tamsin , Smith Samuel C. L. , Nardone Olga Maria , Love Melanie , Davis Joanne , Ghosh Subrata , Iacucci Marietta
Published: December 2020

Background:

In real-world clinical practice, biologics in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) may be discontinued for a variety of reasons, including discontinuation initiated by gastroenterologists. The aims of the study are to report outcomes after discontinuation and predictors of prognosis after a minimum follow-up of 24 months; outcomes of gastroenterologist-initiated discontinuation with resulting direct cost implications on the health system were also studied.

Methods:

IBD patients who discontinued their first-use biologics between January 2013 and December 2016 were identified at our tertiary centre. Reasons for discontinuation and pre-defined adverse outcomes (AO) were recorded. Data were analysed using univariable and multivariable logistic regressions within a machine learning technique to predict AO. Gastroenterologist-initiated discontinuations were analysed separately, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis performed; direct costs of AO due to discontinuation were assessed.

Results:

A total of 147 patients discontinued biologics (M = 74; median age 39 years; Crohn’s Disease = 110) with median follow-up of 40 months (range 24–60 months). In the total cohort, there were fewer AO among gastroenterologist-initiated discontinuations compared with patient-initiated; 54% (of the total group) had AO within 6 months. Among 59 gastroenterologist-initiated discontinuations, 23 (40%) had IBD-related AO within 6 months and 53 (90%) patients had AO by end of follow-up. Some 44 (75%) patients needed to restart biologics during follow-up, and direct costs due to AO and restart of biologics were high.

Conclusions:

The proportion of patients who have AO following discontinuation of biologics is high; clinicians need to carefully consider predictors of poor prognosis and high relapse rates when discussing discontinuation. The direct costs of managing AO probably offset theoretical economic gains, especially in the era where cost of biologics is reducing. Biologics should probably be continued without interruptions in most patients who have achieved remission for the duration these remain effective and safe.
Compounds Isolated From the Fruits of Xanthium strumarium, Including a New Neo-Lignan, and Their Anticancer Effects
Authors: Wen Ye-Liang , Li Min-Jing , Ye Zhi-Jian , Liang Yue-Ming , Wei Xiao-Qun
Published: December 2020

A new neo-lignan, (7′ S,8 ′R)-4′,5′,9′-trihydroxy-4,6-dimethoxy-5,8′-oxyneolign-7-en-9-al (1), along with 5 known compounds (2-6), were isolated from the fruits of Xanthium strumarium. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods. All the isolates were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicities against the human cancer lines HepG2, A549, HCT-116, and SGC-7901. Compounds 1 and 3 showed potent antiproliferative effects against A549 cancer cells with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 11.2 and 8.3 µM, respectively. In addition, compound 3 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity to SGC-7901 cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 12.9 µM.
In Vivo Efficacy of TXCB, a Vietnamese Herbal Medicine Prescription, on Seminal Quality, Serum Testosterone, and Malondialdehyde Concentration in Rabbits
Authors: Thang Vu Ngoc , Tuan Nguyen Thanh Ha , Binh Pham Quoc , Phuong Nguyen Minh , Tuyen Thai Danh , Thuy Doan Minh , Tran Manh Hung , Ngan Nguyen Hoang
Published: December 2020

The efficacy of Truong Xuan Cao Bang (TXCB), a Vietnamese herbal medicine prescription, on the quality of semen, serum testosterone (TES), and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in rabbits whose reproductive ability were impaired by fluconazole was investigated. Mature male rabbits were randomly assigned into control (G1), fluconazole (G2), fluconazole and 180 mg/kg/day (G3), and 360 mg/kg/day TXCB (G4) groups. The reaction time (RT), ejaculate volume (EV), sperm concentration (SC), total sperm output (TSO), total sperm motility (TSM), progressive sperm motility (PSM), nonprogressive sperm motility (NPSM), sperm immobility (SIM), dead sperm (DS), and abnormal sperm (AS) levels were determined after TXCB administration. After 60 days, G3 showed a significant increase in serum TES and a significant decrease in the concentrations of serum MDA (SMDA) and seminal plasma MDA (SPMDA) compared with G1, in addition to increase in EV, SC, TSO, TSM, PSM, and serum TES, and decrease in RT, SIM, DS, AS, SMDA, and SPMDA compared with G2. G4 showed a steep rise in EV, SC, and serum TES and a downturn in DS, SMDA, and SPMDA compared with G1, and, compared with G2, a significant increase in EV, SC, TSO, TSM, PSM, and serum TES and a significant decrease in RT, SIM, DS, AS, SMDA, and SPMDA. Taken together, TXCB rehabilitates and simultaneously enhances spermatogenesis in rabbits whose reproductive ability was impaired by fluconazole.
Lines in the snow; minor paths in the search for early childhood education for planetary wellbeing
Authors: Myrstad Anne , Hackett Abigail , Bartnæs Pernille
Published: December 2020

This paper explores what place means for early childhood education at a time of global environmental precarity. We draw on fieldwork in Arctic Norway, where kindergarten children spend time with snow for more than half of the year. Children’s movement attunes to the nuances and diversity of the snow, as seasons, temperature, light, wind and weather change the consistency of snow and the possibilities for what can occur. The paper presents data of children walking in deep snow during an ice-fishing trip, a practice known as ‘grynne’, asking what we can learn both about the moment-by-moment attunement between child, snow and place necessary to grynne, and the paths of movement left behind in the snow afterwards. We draw on Manning’s work in order to trace the major and minor gestures running through grynne, as an analytic starting point for educators considering the role early years pedagogy might play in planetary sustainability.Thinking beyond the notion of humans as masterfully in control of environment, Ingold’s notion of correspondence offers a counter, advocating for a ‘lifetime of intimate gestural and sensory engagement’ as a way of learning to attune more deeply to place and take seriously the way in which place and humans mutually shape each other. In a place where seasonal temporality matters, in extreme ways that change how children’s bodies can move, we consider what children’s entanglement with snow can teach us, educators as well as researchers, about education for sustainability.
User Assessment of a Novel Suspension for a Wheelchair—A Prospective, Randomized, Double Blind Trial
Authors: Giwnewer Uriel , Rubin Guy , Friedman Alex , Rozen Nimrod
Published: December 2020

Background:

Many Wheelchair users experience adverse effects specific to their situation, some of which might be avoided if suspension systems are integrated into the wheelchair.

Objectives:

Our study aimed to compare the user experience using a novel wheelchair suspension system with normal wheels. We tried to quantify the user feelings and impressions while using the different wheels.

Study Design:

Double blinded comparative randomized study.

Methods:

The patients were randomized into 2 groups. One used shock absorbing wheels, and the other group had a set of standard wheels with the same exact wheelchairs. The patients were taken to a daily trip by the caregivers and given questionnaires in the second and fourth days. On the morning of the third day the wheels were interchanged, creating a cross over between the groups. We collected general and medical information from the participants. The main outcome measures were the questionnaires filled by the patients and the caregivers aiming to quantify the user experience with the suspension equipped wheels.

Results:

Statistical significance was reached in 2 questions referred to the patients: “In general—During the ride I didn’t feel the bumps” and “I feel very confident when riding the chair” and in one question referred to the caregiver—“It was easy to push the chair in suboptimal ground.”

Conclusions:

We conclude that the shock absorbing system provided a better user experience in the immediate term than standard wheels. Further study is needed to assess the long-term implications.
Who Is the Agent of Change?
Authors: Nishikawa Ken
Published: December 2020

The benefits of working in a large company are better infrastructure, well-defined policies, training and learning opportunities, job security and gradual growth. Slow decision-making due to the bureaucratic structure is a major drawback. The unique character of small firms offers agile structure, quick response, family-like atmosphere, opportunity to wear many hats as advantages, and lower compensation and restricted growth as disincentives to joining. However, if employees get their human relationships to energize, the size of the firm will be inconsequential for their success. That is, small firms can only offer a congenial atmosphere as a big firm never. Therefore, understanding what gives us energy and how we utilize it is critical for the leaders in small firms. This case study focuses on the CEO of a small family-owned firm (Nishio Glass and Mirror) whose decision to usher in positive organizational scholarship with the help of consultants set the firm on a successful journey. Even though statistics show that most change efforts fail irrespective of the size of the firm, in this case, it succeeded. This case study informs us that workplaces can be a community for people to amplify positive energy unleashing virtuous circles of growth.

Research Questions: What is positive organizational scholarship? How can it be implemented in a small firm?

Theory: Positive organizational scholarship and agents of change.

Type of the Case: Study of a phenomenon.

Basis of the Case: Phenomenon.

Protagonist: Present, the CEO of the firm.

Findings for Phenomenon-based Research Case

An organization is not a machine to transform resources into material properties. It is a community where people share the agentic roles with one another to let them transform. In a trustful community, people can examine the experience of ‘pregnant void’ to open a virtuous mindset; moreover, people can give suffering for others as an agent to embody the meaning of virtues.

Discussions for Phenomenon-based Research Case

To manage a chaotic situation, which approach should be applied: crisis management or a proper management system? In this case, even a management system failed and dumped the CEO in psychological chaos. Which is that process that an external OD consultant can adopt to transform an organization by setting its employees on the path of self-transformation? If we apply hedonic happiness to the case, it seems to be fit for the past situation where people in the case wanted to have materialistic and short-term success. Discuss the alternative that can be applied.
Equity and Sustainability: An Exposition
Authors: Bhattacharya Rabi , Majumdar Mukul
Published: December 2020

The paper is an exposition of some issues involving sustainability of equitable (stationary) plans in infinite horizon models. We consider examples of deterministic as well as stochastic models. The models provide conditions on the possibility, inevitability or probability of extinction or collapse.

JEL Classifications: D8, Q2, Q3
The Care Ethics of Child Health Nurses in Danish Asylum Centers: An Ethnographic Study
Authors: Barghadouch Amina , Norredam Marie , Skovdal Morten
Published: December 2020

Child health nurses play an important role in promoting the health and well-being of children and families seeking asylum. However, little is known about how they establish caring partnerships with families in asylum centers. In this article, we examine the ethical care practices that child health nurses within Danish asylum centers adopt to overcome barriers, related to culture, language and migration history, in delivering care. We conducted ethnographic fieldwork in four Danish Red Cross asylum centers, involving participant observation and individual interviews with 20 families and six child health nurses. A thematic analysis of the material reveals five ethical care practices; compassionate care, humanitarian care, flexible care, collaborative care, and supportive care. We show how the confluence of these types of care enables child health nurses to promote health and well-being of children seeking asylum, and discuss the enabling role of the humanitarian culture that prevails within the asylum centers.
Does a company’s origin matter in moral judgment?
Authors: Dib-Slamani Hind , Grolleau Gilles , Mzoughi Naoufel
Published: December 2020

We blend the institutional and social identity theories to explain why foreign companies may endure a differentiated treatment compared to domestic ones. We extend the “liability of foreignness” (LOF) reasoning to the moral domain. Using a survey experiment in Algeria and France, we examine whether observers judge similarly or differently the same ethical and unethical practices by manipulating the doers’ origin. Each treatment corresponds to a specific combination of company behavior (ethical vs. unethical) and company origin (no origin mentioned vs. domestic origin vs. foreign origin). We found that company origin matters for the ethical and some unethical scenarios. However, the foreignness consequences in the moral domain are not always consistent with a simplistic application of LOF-based arguments, leading us to consider a more complex picture than initially expected. In the Algerian sample, we found that foreign companies can even benefit from an advantage compared to domestic ones.

JEL CLASSIFICATION F23; C91
Fostering task and adaptive performance through employee well-being: The role of servant leadership
Authors: Kaltiainen Janne , Hakanen Jari
Published: December 2020

In this study, we provide insights on how servant leadership may promote employee performance. We investigate whether the associations between increases in servant leadership and employees’ task and adaptive performance are mediated by changes in the two antipodes of employee well-being: work engagement and burnout. We utilized a two-wave survey data ( N = 2453) collected from 34 organizations and latent change score modeling as an analytical approach to examine associations among within-person changes. Our findings showed that increased perceptions of servant leadership were associated with increases in work engagement and decreases in burnout. Increases in work engagement were associated with increases in task performance and four subfacets of adaptive performance (i.e., stress management, reactivity, creativity, and interpersonal adaptivity). Decreases in burnout were associated with increases in task performance. Our findings suggest that improved servant leadership practices may foster employees’ task and adaptive performance especially through the promotion of work engagement.

JEL CLASSIFICATION: L200 Firm Objectives, Organization, Behavior: General
Comparison between hyaluronic acid filler and botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of thyroid upper eyelid retraction
Authors: Hassan Hussien Mahaa , Abd El-Wahed Hassan Elham , El-Haddad Nermien Salah El-Dien Mohammed
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to compare between hyaluronic acid filler (HA) and botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in the treatment of thyroid upper eyelid retraction.

Study design:

This was a prospective comparative study.

Methods:

A total of 50 eyes with upper thyroid eyelid retraction were divided into 2 groups. Each group included 25 eyes, (a) hyaluronic acid filler (HA) group: received subconjunctival HA injection and (b) botulinum toxin (BTX-A) group: received subconjunctival botulinum toxin type A injection. Full ophthalmic examination and thyroid profile were done. Marginal reflex distance 1 (MRD1) and total palpebral fissure height (TPFH) were measured before and after injection weekly for 6 months.

Results:

There is no significant difference between the two groups regarding MRD1 till the 10th week of follow up, then it became significant from the 11th to 15th week with better results in HA filler group, then the difference between the two groups become highly significant from the 16th week afterward with better results for the HA filler over the BTX-A. With regard to TPFH, there were significant differences between the BTX-A group and the HA group with a better result in BTX-A group in the first 8 weeks. Then the difference became insignificant till the 18th week. Then the difference became significant from the 19th till the 24th week with a better result in HA group.

Conclusion:

HA filler has better result in treating thyroid upper eyelid retraction than BTX-A due to its predictable controllable effect, also, due to the longer duration of action and fewer side effects.
Effect of Marriage on Pre-existing Psychoses: A Convenient or Futile Solution for Severe Mental Disorders?
Authors: Behere Prakash B. , Behere Aniruddh P. , Chowdhury Debolina , Nagdive Amit B. , Yadav Richa
Published: December 2020

Marriage can be defined as the state of being united as spouses in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law. The general population generally believes marriage to be a solution to mental illnesses. It can be agreed that mental disorders and marital issues have some relation.

Parents of patients with psychoses expect that marriage is the solution to the illness and often approach doctors and seek validation about the success of the marriage of their mentally ill child, which is a guarantee no doctor can give in even normal circumstances. Evidence on sexual functioning in patients of psychosis is limited and needs further understanding.

Studies show about 60%–70% women of the schizophrenia spectrum and illness to experience sexual difficulties. Based on available information, sexual dysfunction in population with psychosis can be attributed to a variety of psychosocial factors, ranging from the psychotic symptoms in itself to social stigma and institutionalization and also due to the antipsychotic treatment. Despite the decline in sexual activity and quality of life in general, it is very rarely addressed by both the treating doctor and by the patient themselves hence creating a lacuna in the patient’s care and availability of information regarding the illness’ pathophysiology. Patients become noncompliant with medications due to this undesirable effect and hence it requires to be given more attention during treatment.

It was also found that paranoid type of schizophrenia patient had lower chances of separation than patients with other types of schizophrenia. The risk of relapse in cases with later age of onset of the disease, lower education, a positive family history of psychosis or a lower income increased more than other populations.
The Essential Thrombocythemia in 2020: What We Know and Where We Still Have to Dig Deep
Authors: Accurso Vincenzo , Santoro Marco , Mancuso Salvatrice , Napolitano Mariasanta , Carlisi Melania , Mattana Marta , Russo Chiara , Di Stefano Alessandro , Sirocchi Davide , Siragusa Sergio
Published: December 2020

The Essential Thrombocythemia is a Chronic Philadelphia-negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasm characterized by a survival curve that is only slightly worse than that of age- and sex-adjusted healthy population. The criteria for diagnosis were reviewed in 2016 by WHO. The incidence varies from 0.2 to 2.5:100 000 people per year, with a prevalence of 38 to 57 cases per 100 000 people. The main characteristics of ET are the marked thrombocytosis and the high frequency of thrombosis. The spectrum of symptoms is quite wide, but fatigue results to be the most frequent. Thrombosis is frequently observed, often occurring before or at the time of diagnosis. The classification of thrombotic risk has undergone several revisions. Recently, the revised-IPSET-t has distinguished 4 risk classes, from very low risk to high risk. Driver mutations seem to influence thrombotic risk and prognosis, while the role of sub-driver mutations still remains uncertain. Antiplatelet therapy is recommended in all patients aged ⩾ 60 years and in those with a positive history of thrombosis or with cardiovascular risk factors, while cytoreductive therapy with hydroxyurea or interferon is reserved for high-risk patients.
Ground motion prediction equations for significant duration using the KiK-net database
Authors: Bahrampouri Mahdi , Rodriguez-Marek Adrian , Green Russell A
Published: December 2020

Significant duration of strong shaking quantifies the length of time during which strong earthquake-induced shaking occurs at a given site. Significant duration has multiple applications in Geotechnical and Structural Engineering. However, while multiple ground motion prediction (GMPE) equations for duration exist for shallow crustal tectonic environments, at the time of this publication, there are few published models for predicting significant duration of subduction earthquakes. To address this need and to identify the difference between significant duration of motions resulting from earthquakes in different tectonic regimes, we develop predictive equations for significant duration applicable to interface and intraslab subduction earthquakes and shallow crustal earthquakes in active tectonic regimes using the KiK-net ground motion database. The GMPEs are applicable to earthquakes with M4 to 9. In addition, the influence of earthquake magnitude on duration due to path effects is captured in the proposed relationships. Based on the relationships proposed in this study, we note that the duration of ground motions from subduction earthquakes is longer than those of shallow crustal earthquakes that have similar magnitudes and distances. The predictions of duration for shallow crustal earthquakes in active tectonic regimes developed in this study are consistent with those from previous studies.
The influence of the corporate social responsibility disclosures on consumer brand attitudes under the impact of COVID-19
Authors: Liu Fengjun , Meng Lu , Zhao Yijun , Duan Shen
Published: December 2020

This study focuses on the use of we-media by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to disclose internal corporate social responsibility (ICSR) under the impact of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Study 1 interprets the catalyst effect of COVID-19 on the externalization of SMEs’ ICSR. The fuzzy grading evaluation method is initially verified. Under the impact of COVID-19, SMEs fulfilling their ICSR can enhance consumer brand attitudes. Study 2 uses a structural equation model and empirical analysis of 946 effective samples and finds that consumers perceive the self-sacrifice of corporations during the coronavirus disease period. SMEs can fulfill their ICSR to enhance the internal explanation mechanism of consumer brand attitudes and the moderating role of enterprise losses.
Statistical power in COVID-19 case-control host genomic study design
Authors:   On behalf of the Genetic Epidemiology Committee of the Canadian COVID Genomics Network (CanCOGeN) HostSeq Project, Lin Yu-Chung , Brooks Jennifer D. , Bull Shelley B. , Gagnon France , Greenwood Celia M. T. , Hung Rayjean J. , Lawless Jerald , Paterson Andrew D. , Sun Lei , Strug Lisa J.
Published: December 2020

The identification of genetic variation that directly impacts infection susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and disease severity of COVID-19 is an important step towards risk stratification, personalized treatment plans, therapeutic, and vaccine development and deployment. Given the importance of study design in infectious disease genetic epidemiology, we use simulation and draw on current estimates of exposure, infectivity, and test accuracy of COVID-19 to demonstrate the feasibility of detecting host genetic factors associated with susceptibility and severity in published COVID-19 study designs. We demonstrate that limited phenotypic data and exposure/infection information in the early stages of the pandemic significantly impact the ability to detect most genetic variants with moderate effect sizes, especially when studying susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our insights can aid in the interpretation of genetic findings emerging in the literature and guide the design of future host genetic studies.
Swiss trade during the COVID-19 pandemic: an early appraisal
Authors: Büchel Konstantin , Legge Stefan , Pochon Vincent , Wegmüller Philipp
Published: December 2020

This study uses trade data from Switzerland’s Federal Customs Administration to examine the impact ofCovid-19 on international goods trade between January and July 2020. We show that Swiss trade during that period fell by 11% compared to 2019 and that the contraction following the “Federal Lockdown” in mid-March was considerably steeper than the Swiss trade collapse in the aftermath of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in September 2008. Examining cross-country variation inCovid-19 cases, the stringency of containment measures, and Swiss trade flows, we document that the pandemic adversely affected both the demand and supply side of foreign trade, while trade restrictions and exchange rate fluctuations played no major role behind the rapid decline of Swiss trade in the first half of 2020.
Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2021
Authors: Thompson Walter R.
Published: December 2020

Apply It!

From this article, the reader should understand the following concepts:

• Explain the differences between a fad and a trend

• Use the worldwide fitness trends in the commercial, corporate, clinical (including medical fitness), and community health fitness industry to further promote physical activity

• Study expert opinions about identified fitness trends for 2021
Salaries of Exercise Science Professionals in the United States
Authors: Wagner Dale R.
Published: December 2020

Apply It!

• Students considering a career in one of the exercise science professions will gain a realistic perspective on their earning potential.

• Both employees and employers can use this information to better gage and negotiate equitable salaries.

•References to the original salary surveys provide a resource for individuals to dig deeper into the data specific to their profession.
Salivary Immunoendocrine and Self-report Monitoring Profiles across an Elite-Level Professional Football Season
Authors: Springham Matthew , Williams Sean , Waldron Mark , Strudwick Anthony J. , Mclellan Chris , Newton Robert U.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This investigation examined the longitudinal changes and interrelationships of salivary and self-report monitoring measures across a professional football season.

Methods

Measures were collected biweekly from 18 senior professional male players across a 6-wk preseason and eight 5-wk in-season mesocycles and analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model.

Results

Analysis identified a small (P = 0.003) cross-season suppression of salivary immunoglobulin A, small reductions to salivary α-amylase (P = 0.047) and salivary cortisol (P = 0.007), and trivial changes to salivary testosterone (P > 0.05). The testosterone/cortisol ratio typically responded inversely to changes in player workload. Self-report measures of fatigue (P = 0.030), sleep quality (P = 0.003), and muscle soreness (P = 0.005) improved (ES = small) across the first half of the season. Fatigue and sleep measures were most consistently related to hormonal measures (R
2 = 0.43–0.45). For these relationships, increases in cortisol were associated with compromised self-report responses, whereas increases in testosterone/cortisol were associated with improved responses. Nonlinear relationships were identified for fatigue with immunoglobulin A (P = 0.017; ES = trivial) and testosterone (P = 0.012; ES = trivial), for sleep quality with testosterone (P < 0.001; ES = trivial), for muscle soreness with testosterone (P = 0.012; ES = trivial), and for the self-report inventory sum with testosterone (P = 0.027; ES = trivial). For these relationships, self-report responses were optimal at mean immunoglobulin A and testosterone levels, and very low levels (−2 SD) exerted the most compromising effects.

Conclusions

Players can experience a chronic cross-season suppression of mucosal immunity. Salivary immunoglobulin A, testosterone, cortisol, and testosterone/cortisol measures relate to self-report measures of fatigue, sleep quality, and muscle soreness. In-season reductions in testosterone, cortisol, and testosterone/cortisol or increases in cortisol among elite football players could be used to indicate the need for reduced workload, which might lead to improved well-being.
Sex Matters in the Association between Physical Activity and Fitness with Cognition
Authors: CASTELLS-SÁNCHEZ ALBA , ROIG-COLL FRANCESCA , LAMONJA-VICENTE NOEMÍ , TORÁN-MONSERRAT PERE , PERA GUILLEM , MONTERO PILAR , DACOSTA-AGUAYO ROSALIA , BERMUDO-GALLAGUET ADRIÀ , BHERER LOUIS , ERICKSON KIRK I. , MATARÓ MARIA
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The benefits from physical activity (PA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on normal age-related cognitive decline might be sex dependent. Our aim was to explore the relationship between different types of PA, CRF, and cognition and to identify the mediating effects of CRF in the association between PA and cognition in women and men.

Methods

We recruited 115 healthy adults 50–70 yr of age. We obtained demographic, cognitive, and PA status data based on the Projecte Moviment protocol. We calculated cognitive domains by grouping z-sample scores. We obtained self-reported total energy expenditure during the last month and grouped it into sportive PA (S-PA) and nonsportive PA (NS-PA). CRF was estimated using the Rockport 1-Mile Walk Test. We applied regression models and mediation analyses in a final sample of 104 individuals (65 women and 39 men).

Results

In the total sample, CRF was positively associated with executive function, verbal memory, and attention–speed. S-PA was positively related to executive function and attention–speed, whereas NS-PA was unrelated to cognitive domains. Greater amounts of S-PA were associated with executive function and attention–speed for both women and men. Higher CRF was associated with executive function, memory, language, and attention–speed only in men. Mediation analyses showed that CRF was a significant mediator of the positive effects of S-PA on executive function and attention–speed in men but not in women.

Conclusions

Both women and men show cognitive benefits from greater S-PA, but not from NS-PA. However, there were sex differences in the mediating effects of CRF in this relationship, showing that CRF was mediating these benefits only in men.
Equilibrium Technology Diffusion, Trade, and Growth
Authors: Perla Jesse , Tonetti Christopher , Waugh Michael E.
Published: December 2020

We study how opening to trade affects economic growth in a model where heterogeneous firms can adopt new technologies already in use by other firms in their home country. We characterize the growth rate using a summary statistic of the profit distribution: the mean-min ratio. Opening to trade increases the profit spread through increased export opportunities and foreign competition, induces more rapid technology adoption, and generates faster growth. Quantitatively, these forces produce large welfare gains from trade by increasing an inefficiently low rate of technology adoption and economic growth. (JEL D21, D24, F14, F43, O33)
Mobilizing the Masses for Genocide
Authors: Rogall Thorsten
Published: December 2020

Do political elites use armed groups to foster civilian participation in genocidal violence? Are armed groups employed strategically? How do they mobilize civilians? I investigate these questions using data from the Rwandan Genocide. To establish causality, I exploit exogenous variation in armed groups’ transport costs induced by weather fluctuations: the shortest distance of each village to the main road interacted with rainfall along the dirt tracks between main road and village. I find (i) 1 additional armed-group member resulted in 7.3 more civilian perpetrators; (ii) armed-group leaders employed their men strategically; and (iii) armed groups invoked civilians’ obedience. (JEL D72, D74, O17, Q54)
Asymmetric Consumption Smoothing
Authors: Baugh Brian , Ben-David Itzhak , Park Hoonsuk , Parker Jonathan A.
Published: December 2020

Analyzing account-level data from an account aggregator, we find that households increase consumption when they receive expected tax refunds, as if they face liquidity constraints. However, these same households smooth consumption when making payments in other years, primarily by transferring funds among liquid accounts. Even households carrying credit card debt smooth consumption when making payments, and even highly liquid households spend out of refunds. This behavior is inconsistent with pure liquidity constraints or hand-to-mouth behavior and is most consistent with a mental accounting life-cycle model. (JEL D12, E21, G51, H24, H31)
Going Negative at the Zero Lower Bound: The Effects of Negative Nominal Interest Rates
Authors: Ulate Mauricio
Published: December 2020

After the Great Recession several central banks started setting negative nominal interest rates in an expansionary attempt, but the effectiveness of this measure remains unclear. Negative rates can stimulate the economy by lowering the rates that commercial banks charge on loans, but they can also erode bank profitability by squeezing deposit spreads. This paper studies the effects of negative rates in a new DSGE model where banks intermediate the transmission of monetary policy. I use bank-level data to calibrate the model and find that monetary policy in negative territory is between 60 and 90 percent as effective as in positive territory. (JEL E12, E32, E43, E52, E58, G21)
Using Models to Persuade
Authors: Schwartzstein Joshua , Sunderam Adi
Published: December 2020

We present a framework where “model persuaders” influence receivers’ beliefs by proposing models that organize past data to make predictions. Receivers are assumed to find models more compelling when they better explain the data, fixing receivers’ prior beliefs. Model persuaders face a trade-off: better-fitting models induce less movement in receivers’ beliefs. Consequently, a receiver exposed to the true model can be most misled by persuasion when that model fits poorly, competition between persuaders tends to neutralize the data by pushing toward better-fitting models, and a persuader facing multiple receivers is more effective when he can send tailored, private messages. (JEL C50, D82, D83)
The Designing the Smart Parking Finder
Authors:   Mobile Application & Technology Program, Computer Science Department, School of Computer Science, Bina Nusantara University, Jakarta 11480, Indonesia, Fernando Fernando , Rizky Verrel Vadilan , Yohan Yohan , Gaol Ford Lumban , Oktavia Tanty
Published: December 2020

Parking lots are needed by the general public, especially for those who bring vehicles. The problem is the large numbers of vehicles can cause limitation of the parking lots especially in malls or other public places. Usually people driving around the whole parking lots to find the available ones. when the parking lots are all full, driver must search for other places to park their vehicle immediately. Designing the Smart Parking Finder has the purpose of making it easier for users to get available parking spaces and showing the location of the existing parking lot. On the other hand, it also facilitates the search for parking lots, but can reduce the search time for parking lots, and can also save fuel. For now, the application is still for some parking lots at the mall that have collaborated.
Exploiting TV White Spaces for Smart Grid Communications
Authors:   Centre for Distributed Power and Electronics Systems, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 7535, South Africa, Orumwense Efe F. , Abo-Al-Ez Khaled
Published: December 2020

Although Smart Grid (SG) is conceived to be a fundamental paradigm shift in the area of power grid, it faces one major challenge which is an efficient and reliable communications structure. In this paper, we identify a possible way in which SG can exploit the use of TVWS for communications using a two-way cognitive radio-based switching procedure. This procedure enable gateways to sense and utilize TVWS channels for communication when they are declared vacant and if occupied by a Primary User (PU), the gateway can alternatively switch transmission over to an unlicensed spectrum band. The optimum sensing time that takes account of the overhead brought about by the sensing process is evaluated. The theoretical analysis are validated through the numerical results.
Utility of homicide-suicide constructs in forensic psychiatry
Authors: Cynkier Przemysław
Published: December 2020

W literaturze obcej na określenie sytuacji zabójstwa a następnie a następnie samobójstwa sprawcy stosuje się termin „dyadic death” (podwójna śmierć). Odbiega on od stosowanego w Polsce określenia „samobójstwo rozszerzone” (extended suicide). Podczas kiedy uznaje się, że do zaistnienia „podwójnej śmierci” mogą doprowadzić poza zaburzeniami psychicznymi także niekorzystne czynniki środowiskowe, „samobójstwo rozszerzone” utożsamiane jest z występowaniem u sprawcy głębokich zaburzeń depresyjnych. Przeanalizowano wymienione konstrukty opisujące zabójstwo-samobójstwo z punktu widzenia psychiatrycznego i kryminologicznego. Omówiono przypadek młodej kobiety, która doprowadziła do utonięcia kilkuletniego syna w miejscu publicznym, następnie deklarowała zamiary samobójcze. Przeprowadzono analizę przebiegu zaburzeń psychicznych u sprawczyni, jej obciążeń biologicznych, uwarunkowań sytuacyjnych i rodzinnych oraz uwzględniono czynniki osobowościowe, które doprowadziły do jej dekompensacji psychicznej.
Wyniki: Patologiczne tło motywacyjne, którym kierowała się sprawczyni zabójstwa syna zostało wyraźnie zmodyfikowane poprzez jej dysfunkcje osobowościowe, pogłębione trudnościami życiowymi. Odbiegało ono od przedstawianej w literaturze motywacji „typowego” sprawcy „podwójnej śmierci” lub „samobójstwa rozszerzonego”. Wnioski: Rozstrzygnięcia w sprawach, w których dochodzi do zabójstwa a następnie usiłowania samobójstwa wymagają wnikliwej analizy sądowo-psychiatrycznej i kryminologicznej. W niektórych sprawach terminy opisujące tego typu sytuacje odnoszą się nie do stanu klinicznego sprawcy, ale do charakteru i obrazu przestępstwa. Ich nadużywanie może przyczyniać się do błędów orzeczniczych.
Integration of a high-efficiency Mach-Zehnder modulator with a DFB laser using membrane InP-based devices on a Si photonics platform
Authors: Hiraki Tatsurou , Aihara Takuma , Fujii Takuro , Takeda Koji , Maeda Yoshiho , Kakitsuka Takaaki , Tsuchizawa Tai , Matsuo Shinji
Published: December 2020

We demonstrate a wafer-level integration of a distributed feedback laser diode (DFB LD) and high-efficiency Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) using InGaAsP phase shifters on Si waveguide circuits. The key to integrating materials with different bandgaps is to combine direct wafer bonding of a multiple quantum well layer for the DFB LD and regrowth of a bulk layer for the phase shifter. Buried regrowth of an InP layer is also employed to define the waveguide cores for the LD and phase shifters on a Si substrate. Both the LD and phase shifters have 230-nm-thick lateral diodes, whose thickness is less than the critical thickness of the III-V compound semiconductor layers on the Si substrate. The fabricated device has a 500-µm-long DFB LD and 500-µm-long carrier-depletion InGaAsP-bulk phase shifters, which provide a total footprint of only 1.9 × 0.31 mm2. Thanks to the low losses of the silica-based fiber couplers, InP/Si narrow tapers, and the phase shifters, the fiber-coupled output power of 3.2 mW is achieved with the LD current of 80 mA. The MZM has a VπL of around 0.4 Vcm, which overcomes the VπL limit of typical carrier-depletion Si MZMs. Thanks to the high modulation efficiency, the device shows an extinction ratio of 5 dB for 50-Gbit/s NRZ signal with a low peak-to-peak voltage of 2.5 V, despite the short phase shifters and single-arm driving.
Random lasers from photonic crystal wings of butterfly and moth for speckle-free imaging
Authors: Chen Shih-Wen , Lu Jin-You , Hung Bing-Yi , Chiesa Matteo , Tung Po-Han , Lin Ja-Hon , Yang Thomas Chung-Kuang
Published: December 2020

Several biological membranes have been served as scattering materials of random lasers, but few of them include natural photonic crystals. Here, we propose and demonstrate a facile approach to fabricating high-performance biological photonic crystal random lasers, which is cost-effective and reproducible for mass production. As a benchmark, optical and lasing properties of dye-coated Lepidoptera wings, including Papilio ulysses butterfly and Chrysiridia rhipheus moth, are characterized and show a stable laser emission with a superior threshold of 0.016 mJ/cm2, as compared to previous studies. To deploy the proposed devices in practical implementation, we have applied the as-fabricated biological devices to bright speckle-free imaging applications, which is a more sustainable and more accessible imaging strategy.
Rate optimization for relaying VLC system with simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer
Authors: Ye Kuan , Wang Tengjiao , Yang Fang
Published: December 2020

In this paper, the rate optimization problem in a relaying visible light communication system with simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer (SLIPT) is investigated, where the power splitting (PS) transmission strategy is adopted. The expressions of the transmission rate and energy harvesting at the target node are derived, based on which, the rate maximization problem is formulated. Then, this problem is solved by optimizing the PS factor, and a closed-form solution is given. Numerical results reveal that the existence of the relay node improves the system performance.
Remote photonic sensing of blood oxygen saturation via tracking of anomalies in micro-saccades patterns
Authors: Kalyuzhner Zeev , Agdarov Sergey , Bennett Aviya , Beiderman Yafim , Zalevsky Zeev
Published: December 2020

Speckle pattern analysis has been found by many researchers to be applicable to remote sensing of various biomedical parameters. This paper shows how analysis of dynamic differential speckle patterns scattered from subjects’ sclera illuminated by a laser beam allows extraction of micro-saccades movement in the human eye. Analysis of micro-saccades movement using advanced machine learning techniques based on convolutional neural networks offers a novel approach for non-contact assessment of human blood oxygen saturation level (SpO2). Early stages of hypoxia can rapidly progress into pneumonia and death, and lives can be saved by advance remote detection of reduced blood oxygen saturation.
On the NF-Y regulome as in ENCODE (2019)
Authors: Ronzio Mirko , Bernardini Andrea , Pavesi Giulio , Mantovani Roberto , Dolfini Diletta
Published: December 2020

NF-Y is a trimeric Transcription Factor -TF- which binds with high selectivity to the conserved CCAAT element. Individual ChIP-seq analysis as well as ENCODE have progressively identified locations shared by other TFs. Here, we have analyzed data introduced by ENCODE over the last five years in K562, HeLa-S3 and GM12878, including several chromatin features, as well RNA-seq profiling of HeLa cells after NF-Y inactivation. We double the number of sequence-specific TFs and co-factors reported. We catalogue them in 4 classes based on co-association criteria, infer target genes categorizations, identify positional bias of binding sites and gene expression changes. Larger and novel co-associations emerge, specifically concerning subunits of repressive complexes as well as RNA-binding proteins. On the one hand, these data better define NF-Y association with single members of major classes of TFs, on the other, they suggest that it might have a wider role in the control of mRNA production.
Systems biology predicts that fibrosis in tuberculous granulomas may arise through macrophage-to-myofibroblast transformation
Authors: Evans Stephanie , Butler J. Russell , Mattila Joshua T. , Kirschner Denise E.
Published: December 2020

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection causes tuberculosis (TB), a disease characterized by development of granulomas. Granulomas consist of activated immune cells that cluster together to limit bacterial growth and restrict dissemination. Control of the TB epidemic has been limited by lengthy drug regimens, antibiotic resistance, and lack of a robustly efficacious vaccine. Fibrosis commonly occurs during treatment and is associated with both positive and negative disease outcomes in TB but little is known about the processes that initiate fibrosis in granulomas. Human and nonhuman primate granulomas undergoing fibrosis can have spindle-shaped macrophages with fibroblast-like morphologies suggesting a relationship between macrophages, fibroblasts, and granuloma fibrosis. This relationship has been difficult to investigate because of the limited availability of human pathology samples, the time scale involved in human TB, and overlap between fibroblast and myeloid cell markers in tissues. To better understand the origins of fibrosis in TB, we used a computational model of TB granuloma biology to identify factors that drive fibrosis over the course of local disease progression. We validated the model with granulomas from nonhuman primates to delineate myeloid cells and lung-resident fibroblasts. Our results suggest that peripheral granuloma fibrosis, which is commonly observed, can arise through macrophage-to-myofibroblast transformation (MMT). Further, we hypothesize that MMT is induced in M1 macrophages through a sequential combination of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signaling in granuloma macrophages. We predict that MMT may be a mechanism underlying granuloma-associated fibrosis and warrants further investigation into myeloid cells as drivers of fibrotic disease.