bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protein kinase C targeting of luminal (T-47D), luminal/HER2-positive (BT474), and triple negative (HCC1806) breast cancer cells in-vitro with AEB071 (Sotrastaurin) is efficient but mediated by subtype specific molecular effects
Authors: Albert Veruschka , Piendl Gerhard , Yousseff Dali , Lammert Hedwig , Hummel Michael , Ortmann Olaf , Jagla Wolfgang , Gaumann Andreas , Wege Anja K. , Brockhoff Gero
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Protein kinase C (PKC) plays a pivotal role in malignant cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasiveness and migration. However, its exploitation as therapeutic target in breast cancer has been merely explored. Here were evaluated the AEB071 (Sotrastaurin™) treatment efficiency of breast cancer cell lines derived from estrogen receptor positive (T-47D), estrogen/HER2 receptor positive (BT474), and triple negative (HCC1806) breast cancer cells under 2D (monolayer) and 3D (multicellular tumor spheroids) culture conditions. Additionally, spheroid cocultures of BC and N1 fibroblasts were analyzed.

Methods

We quantitatively assessed the proliferation capacity of breast cancer cells and fibroblasts as a function of AEB071 treatment using flow cytometry. The activities of PKC isoforms, substrates, and key molecules of the PKC signaling known to be involved in the regulation of tumor cell proliferation and cellular survival were additionally evaluated. Moreover, a multigene expression analysis (PanCancer Pathways assay) using the nanoString™ technology was applied.

Results

All breast cancer cell lines subjected to this study were sensitive to AEB071 treatment, whereby cell proliferation in 2D culture was considerably (BT474) or moderately (HCC1806) retarded in G0/G1 or in G2/M phase (T-47D) of the cell cycle. Regardless of the breast cancer subtype the efficiency of AEB071 treatment was significantly lower in the presence of N1 fibroblast cells. Subtype specific driver molecules, namely IL19, c-myb, and NGFR were mostly affected by the AEB071 treatment.

Conclusion

A combined targeting of PKC and a subtype specific driver molecule might complement specified breast cancer treatment.
Central nervous system biometry in fetuses with and without congenital heart diseases
Authors: Castellanos Gutierrez Aleida Susana , Schmitz Ralf , Hammer Kerstin , Braun Janina , Oelmeier Kathrin , Köster Helen Ann , Möllers Mareike , Klockenbusch Walter , Steinhard Johannes , Kubiak Karol
Published: March 2022

Objective

To compare the fetal brain structures assessed in routine sonographic scans during the second and third trimesters in fetuses with and without congenital heart disease (CHD).

Methods

This is a retrospective cross-sectional single-center study. We measured the head circumference (HC), the transversal diameter of the cerebellum (TCD) and the sizes of the cisterna magna (CM), the cavum septi pellucidi (CSP) and the posterior ventricles (PV) between 20 and 41 weeks of gestation. We compared 160 fetuses with CHD (case group) to 160 fetuses of normal pregnancies (control group). Every patient was matched with a control, considering the gestational age at which the ultrasound was performed. We divided the CHD group into 3 subgroups: retrograde flow in the aortic arch (group 1), right heart anomaly with the antegrade flow in the aortic arch (group 2) and other CHDs with the antegrade flow in the aortic arch (group 3).

Results

The mean width of the PV was larger in fetuses of groups 1 and 3 in comparison to the control group (P < 0.001, P = 0.022; respectively). We found that the APGAR score at 5 min (P < 0.001, P < 0.001; respectively) and gestational age at delivery (P = 0.006, P = 0.001; respectively) were inferior in groups 1 and 3 compared to controls.

Conclusions

Central nervous system biometry is altered in fetuses with CHD. PV is enlarged in CHD fetuses especially with decreased oxygen levels in the aortic arch.
Papillary thyroid cancer: the value of bilateral diagnostic lymphadenectomy
Authors: Bhangu Jagdeep Singh , Bichler Christoph , Altmeier Julia , Hargitai Lindsay , Selberherr Andreas , Mazal Peter , Brugger Jonas , Scheuba Christian , Riss Philipp , Niederle Bruno
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) spreads early to lymph nodes (LN). However, prophylactic central (CND) and lateral neck dissection (LND) is controversially discussed in patients with clinically negative nodes (cN0). The preoperative prediction of LN metastasis is desirable as re-operation is associated with higher morbidity and poor prognosis. The study aims to analyse possible benefits of a systemic bilateral diagnostic lateral lymphadenectomy (DLL) for intraoperative LN staging.

Methods

Preoperative prediction of LN metastasis by conventional ultrasound (US) was correlated with the results of DLL and intra-/postoperative complications in 118 consecutive patients with PTC (cN0) undergoing initial thyroidectomy and bilateral CND and DLL.

Results

Lateral LNs (pN1b) were positive in 43/118 (36.4%) patients, including skip lesions (n = 6; 14.0%). Preoperative US and intraoperative DLL suspected lateral LN metastasis in 19/236 (TP: 8.1%) and 54/236 (TP: 22.9%) sides at risk, which were confirmed by histology. Sixty-seven out of 236 (FN: 28.4%) and 32/236 (FN: 13.6%) sides at risk with negative preoperative US and intraoperative DLL lateral LN metastasis were documented. DLL was significantly superior compared to US regarding sensitivity (62.8% vs 22.1%;p < 0.002), positive predictive value (100% vs 76.0%), negative predictive value (82.4% vs 68.2%), and accuracy (86.4% vs 69.1%), but not specificity (100% vs 96.0%;p = 0.039). DLL-related complications (haematoma) occurred in 6/236 [2.5%] sides at risk, including chylous fistula in 2/118 [1.7%] patients.

Conclusion

DLL can be recommended for LN staging during initial surgery in patients with PTC to detect occult lateral LN metastasis not suspected by US in order to plan lateral LN dissection.
Avian leukosis virus (ALV) is highly prevalent in fancy-chicken flocks in Saxony
Authors: Freick Markus , Schreiter Ruben , Weber Jim , Vahlenkamp Thomas W. , Heenemann Kristin
Published: March 2022

The current prevalence of avian leukosis virus (ALV) in fancy chickens in Germany is unknown. Therefore, 537 cloacal swabs from 50 purebred fancy-chicken flocks in Saxony were tested for the presence of the ALV p27 protein using a commercial antigen-capture ELISA. The detection rate was 28.7% at the individual-animal level and 56.0% at the flock level. Phylogenetic analysis of PCR products obtained from 22 different flocks revealed the highest similarity to ALV subtype K. When classifying breeds by their origin, ALV detection rates differed significantly. Evaluation of questionnaire data revealed no significant differences between ALV-positive and negative flocks regarding mortality.
Stakeholder identification for a structured release planning approach in the automotive domain
Authors: Marner Kristina , Wagner Stefan , Ruhe Guenther
Published: March 2022

In regulated domains like automotive, release planning is a complex process. This complex process consists of an agreement between product development processes for hardware as well as mechanic systems and approaches for software development. Particularly in automotive, the creation and synchronization of release plans for hardware as well as software is a challenge. Within the whole complex system development, it is challenging to consider the relevant stakeholders in the initial creation of a release plan. Depending on the context that a release plan shall be created for, there are different stakeholders that have to be considered from the beginning. There are numerous publications in the area of release planning, but there is no detailed research that shows which stakeholders have to be addressed in the automotive context. The aim of this work is to identify stakeholders of a release plan as an appropriate approach to create transparency in release planning in the automotive domain. Action research to elaborate relevant stakeholders for release planning was conducted at Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG. We present a detailed overview of identified stakeholders as well as their required content and added value regarding two pilot projects. With this contribution, identified stakeholders of release planning from the hardware and software points of view are introduced. We discuss, based on the results, why there are common stakeholders for the two projects and why there are individual stakeholders for each project. With this work, we present a more complete stakeholder identification and a more detailed understanding of their needs.
How to avoid gas clogging in groundwater heat pump systems: a case study from the Lena terrasse system in Melhus, Norway
Authors: Stenvik Lars A. , Gjengedal Sondre , Ramstad Randi K. , Frengstad Bjørn S.
Published: March 2022

Vacuum pressures are unfavorable in water pipes since they pose a risk to degassing dissolved gases from the water and air in-leakage. If the water flow rate through the pipeline is too low, gas bubbles will rise to local high points and create stagnant gas pockets. Gas pockets may clog both directly by obstructing the flow cross-section and indirectly by disturbing chemical equilibria. Gas clogging in the Lena terrasse groundwater heat pump system (GWHP) in Melhus, Norway, has been investigated by pressure, temperature, groundwater flow rate, and pump power consumption monitoring data. The GWHP extracts groundwater through a production well, leads it to a heat exchanger at the terrain level, and then re-injects the water through an injection well. It thus operates as a siphon which is prone to vacuum pressures. Analytical tools adapted from hydraulic engineering have been used to identify vacuum pressures and insufficient pipe flow rates to remove gas pockets in the Lena terrasse GWHP. Monitoring data shows that incrustation induced pressure build-up in the injection well filter does not impact the pump production capacity. This indicates gravity driven waterfall flow from the heat exchanger to the injection well, caused by stagnant gas pockets. It is recommended to install a backpressure valve at the end of the injection pipe or multiple narrow injection pipes inside the injection well, and air release valves at the local high points, to ensure the system is kept pressurized and water-filled. The extra required pumping head will approximately equal the overpressure criterion (e.g., 0.5 bar) set at the pressure minimum in the groundwater circuit, which introduces quite modest extra pumping costs per year.
Proper elements for space debris
Authors: Celletti Alessandra , Pucacco Giuseppe , Vartolomei Tudor
Published: March 2022

Proper elements are quasi-invariants of a Hamiltonian system, obtained through a normalization procedure. Proper elements have been successfully used to identifyfamiliesof asteroids, sharing the same dynamical properties. We show that proper elements can also be used within space debris dynamics to identifygroupsof fragments associated to the same break-up event. The proposed method allows to reconstruct the evolutionary history and possibly to associate the fragments to a parent body. The procedure relies on different steps: (i) the development of a model for an approximate, though accurate, description of the dynamics of the space debris; (ii) the construction of a normalization procedure to determine the proper elements; (iii) the production of fragments through a simulated break-up event. We consider a model that includes the Keplerian part, an approximation of the geopotential, and the gravitational influence of Sun and Moon. We also evaluate the contribution of Solar radiation pressure and the effect of noise on the orbital elements. We implement a Lie series normalization procedure to compute the proper elements associated to semi-major axis, eccentricity and inclination. Based upon a wide range of samples, we conclude that the distribution of the proper elements in simulated break-up events (either collisions and explosions) shows an impressive connection with the dynamics observed immediately after the catastrophic event. The results are corroborated by a statistical data analysis based on the check of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and the computation of the Pearson correlation coefficient.
Characterization of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase activase (Rca) genes in durum wheat
Authors: Nigro Domenica , Giove Stefania L. , Colasuonno Pasqualina , de Pinto Roberta , Marcotuli Ilaria , Gadaleta Agata
Published: March 2022

Durum wheat (T. turgidum L. var. durum) is one of the most widely cultivated cereal crop in the Mediterranean area. Its production has been triggered by drought and rising temperature, both affecting the photosynthetic machinery. Rubisco is one of the most important enzymes in plants. Despite its major role in the control of carbon cycle it has a very low efficiency, which is restored by the action of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activase (Rca), a protein belonging to the AAA+ family. The main objective of our work was to isolate and characterize Rca genes in durum wheat and determine their phylogeny with other main crops and model species. Besides a genetic and physical position of Rca1 gene was allowed in a RIL mapping population previously developed. In silico analysis, performed in order to understand whether Rca1 gene was differentially expressed under stress condition, highlighted that homoeologous Rca1 genes have different expression levels especially after infections by Zymoseptoria, powdrey mildew and fusarium. A deeper knowledge of Rca genes structures as well as a better understanding of their physiological role in durum wheat might be of greater importance in panning future modern breeding programs to improve crop yield in adverse environmental condition.
Epigenetics of pregnancy: looking beyond the DNA code
Authors: Zuccarello Daniela , Sorrentino Ugo , Brasson Valeria , Marin Loris , Piccolo Chiara , Capalbo Antonio , Andrisani Alessandra , Cassina Matteo
Published: March 2022

Epigenetics is the branch of genetics that studies the different mechanisms that influence gene expression without direct modification of the DNA sequence. An ever-increasing amount of evidence suggests that such regulatory processes may play a pivotal role both in the initiation of pregnancy and in the later processes of embryonic and fetal development, thus determining long-term effects even in adult life. In this narrative review, we summarize the current knowledge on the role of epigenetics in pregnancy, from its most studied and well-known mechanisms to the new frontiers of epigenetic regulation, such as the role of ncRNAs and the effects of the gestational environment on fetal brain development. Epigenetic mechanisms in pregnancy are a dynamic phenomenon that responds both to maternal–fetal and environmental factors, which can influence and modify the embryo-fetal development during the various gestational phases. Therefore, we also recapitulate the effects of the most notable environmental factors that can affect pregnancy and prenatal development, such as maternal nutrition, stress hormones, microbiome, and teratogens, focusing on their ability to cause epigenetic modifications in the gestational environment and ultimately in the fetus. Despite the promising advancements in the knowledge of epigenetics in pregnancy, more experience and data on this topic are still needed. A better understanding of epigenetic regulation in pregnancy could in fact prove valuable towards a better management of both physiological pregnancies and assisted reproduction treatments, other than allowing to better comprehend the origin of multifactorial pathological conditions such as neurodevelopmental disorders.
Contrast and verb phrase ellipsis: The case of tautologous conditionals
Authors: Stockwell Richard
Published: March 2022

This paper argues that verb phrase ellipsis requires contrast. The central observation is that ellipsis is ungrammatical in tautologous conditionals; e.g., *If John wins, then he does. Ellipsis is correctly ruled out by a focus-based theory of ellipsis (Rooth 1992a,b), but one that crucially imports focus’s requirement for contrast: an elliptical constituent must have an antecedent that is not merely an alternative to it, but a ‘proper’ alternative. An explanation in terms of contrast failure proves superior to alternative explanations in terms of triviality and matching form. Showing as much catalogues what counts for contrast in ellipsis, encompassing negation, questions, and intensionality. Subjecting ellipsis to a contrast requirement is in direct conflict with the traditional analysis of MaxElide effects (Takahashi and Fox 2005), favouring alternative explanations (e.g., Jacobson 2019a,b), perhaps in terms of contrast itself (Griffiths 2019). Overall, this paper establishes that contrast has explanatory power in ellipsis licensing.
Health-related quality of life in cancer immunotherapy: a systematic perspective, using causal loop diagrams
Authors: Beaulieu Elizabeth , Spanjaart Anne , Roes Ashley , Rachet Bernard , Dalle Stéphane , Kersten Marie José , Maucort-Boulch Delphine , Jalali Mohammad S.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

System science offers a unique set of tools, including causal loop diagrams (CLDs), for stakeholders to better grasp the complexity of factors surrounding quality of life. Because the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of cancer immunotherapy patients exists within an intricate system affected by and affecting many factors across multiple dimensions, the development of a systems-level model can provide a powerful framework to aid the understanding of this complexity. We developed a CLD for HRQoL of cancer immunotherapy patients.

Methods

We first applied a literature-based approach to construct a CLD for patients following immunotherapy. We then iteratively reviewed and enhanced the CLD through interviews with subject matter experts.

Results

Based on the reviewed literature and subject matter expert input, we produced a CLD representing the system surrounding cancer immunotherapy patients’ HRQoL. Several feedback loops are identified that span clinical experiences, oncology teams’ perceptions about immunotherapy, social support structures, and further research and development in cancer immunotherapy, in addition to other components. The CLD enables visualization of thought experiments regarding how a change anywhere in the system can ultimately worsen or improve patients’ HRQoL.

Conclusion

The CLD illustrates the valuable contribution of a systems perspective to quality-of-life research. This systems-based qualitative representation gives insight on strategies to inhibit harmful effects, enhance beneficial effects, and inherent tradeoffs within the system. The CLD identifies gaps in the literature and offers a communication tool for diverse stakeholders. Our research method provides an example for studying the complexities of quality of life in other health domains.
Predicting native Chinese readers’ perception of sentence boundaries in written Chinese texts
Authors: Sun Kun , Lu Xiaofei
Published: March 2022

The notion of sentencehood in Mandarin Chinese is much less well-defined than in many other languages, with a block of clauses often joined by commas without conjunctions and with the period often occurring at the end of a block of clauses to indicate meaning completeness rather than the completeness of a sentential structure. The potential factors that may affect native Chinese speakers’ judgment of meaning completeness and perception of sentence boundaries have not yet been systematically examined. In light of this research gap, this study investigates the factors that may play a role in native Chinese speakers’ sentence boundary perception. To this end, we conducted text re-punctuation experiments in two separate groups, a training group and a testing group, using different stimuli texts. The stimuli texts were annotated with multiple levels of linguistic information to identify potentially relevant variables that could affect the participants’ sentence boundary perception. Logistic regression and the Bayesian statistical methods were applied to test the potential effects of multiple variables on the participants’ responses. The logistic regression model trained on the data from the training group achieved a high level of accuracy in predicting the responses by the testing group. The model revealed a more important role of semantic information than syntactic information in the participants’ sentence boundary perception. The implications of our findings for understanding the perception of Chinese sentence boundaries are discussed.
A Post-Conjunction Re-Evaluation of the Calibration and Long-term Evolution of the STEREO-A Heliospheric Imagers
Authors: Tappin S. J. , Eyles C. J. , Davies J. A.
Published: March 2022

In two earlier articles (Tappin, Eyles and Davies in Solar Phys. 290, 2143, 2015, and Solar Phys. 292, 28, 2017), we used the stellar photometry to determine the calibration parameters and long-term trends of the Heliospheric Imagers (HI) on board the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO). In this article we provide an update on these determinations for the ahead spacecraft (STEREO-A) to incorporate the interval after solar superior conjunction (when STEREO-B was non-operational). We describe the modifications needed to our photometry procedures to accommodate the reduced pointing stability following the switch-off of the spacecraft gyros shortly prior to conjunction. We find a small revision to the absolute levels is required. We also show that the very low rates of degradation (less than 0.2% per year) found in the earlier determinations have continued beyond solar conjunction.
Attachment Style and Childhood Traumatic Experiences Moderate the Impact of Initial and Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic: Mental Health Longitudinal Trajectories in a Sample of Italian Women
Authors: Castellini Giovanni , Tarchi Livio , Cassioli Emanuele , Rossi Eleonora , Sanfilippo Giulia , Innocenti Matteo , Gironi Veronica , Scami Irene , Ricca Valdo
Published: March 2022

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health has not been clarified yet, with multiple studies warranting a special focus on women and young adults. A sample of 101 Italian women recruited from the general population was evaluated a few weeks before the onset of the pandemic and during the first and the second wave of the pandemic. Depression values at the Brief Symptom Inventory showed an initial increase followed by a stabilization on higher values in respect to the baseline, whereas Phobic Anxiety was stably worsened. Participants with insecure attachment styles and childhood trauma showed higher levels of distress at all timepoints. In many psychopathological domains, moderation analysis showed an unfavorable trend over time for younger participants. The present study seems to confirm a high burden on mental health for women during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting young age, insecure attachment style, and childhood trauma as negative prognostic factors.
CRISPR/Cas13-assisted hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA detection
Authors: Zhang Xiangying , Tian Yuan , Xu Ling , Fan Zihao , Cao Yaling , Ma Yingmin , Li Hao , Ren Feng
Published: March 2022

Background and aims

The formation of an intranuclear pool of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in the liver is the main cause of persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Here, we established highly sensitive and specific methods to detect cccDNA based on CRISPR-Cas13a technology.

Methods

We used plasmid-safe ATP-dependent DNase (PSAD) enzymes and HindIII to digest loose circle rcDNA and double-stranded linear DNA, amplify specific HBV cccDNA fragments by rolling circle amplification (RCA) and PCR, and detect the target gene using CRISPR-Cas13a technology. The CRISPR-Cas13a-based assay for the detection of cccDNA was further clinically validated using HBV-related liver tissues, plasma, whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Results

Based on the sample pretreatment step, the amplification step and the detection step, we established a new CRISPR-Cas13a-based assay for the detection of cccDNA. After the amplification of RCA and PCR, 1 copy/μl HBV cccDNA could be detected by CRISPR/Cas13-assisted fluorescence readout. We used ddPCR, qPCR, RCA-qPCR, PCR-CRISPR and RCA-PCR-CRISPR methods to detect 20, 4, 18, 14 and 29 positive samples in liver tissue samples from 40 HBV-related patients, respectively. HBV cccDNA was almost completely undetected in the 20 blood samples of HBV patients (including plasma, whole blood and PBMCs) by the above 5 methods.

Conclusions

We developed a novel CRISPR-based assay for the highly sensitive and specific detection of HBV cccDNA, presenting a promising alternative for accurate detection of HBV infection, antiviral therapy evaluation and treatment guidance.
Refractive Index Sensing Simulations of CsPbBr3 Quantum Dots/Gold Bilayer Coated Triangular-Lattice Photonic Crystal Fibers
Authors: Tao Ye , Ye Han , Ding Yong , Ren Xiaomin , Liu Xiaolong
Published: March 2022

With the incorporation of noble metal materials, photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) could be performed as an effective platform for refractive index sensing of the filling analytes. Furthermore, by coating functional dielectric layers upon the metal surfaces, the resonance energy transfer is modulated from the core mode of the PCFs towards the surface plasmon resonance mode of the metals, and the sensing performance could be boosted. Here, considering that the exciton-plasmon coupling is efficient between perovskite quantum dots (QDs) and gold, a kind of CsPbBr3 QDs/Au bilayer coated triangular-lattice PCFs has been simulated numerically as the refractive index sensors. With the optimization of the QDs and gold layer thicknesses, together with the variation of the central hole size of the PCFs, in the refractive index (RI) region of 1.26 to 1.34, a rather narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the loss spectra was achieved as 13.74nm when the central hole size was 1.28 µm and the highest figure of merit was 63.79RIU (the central hole size was 1.53 µm). This work demonstrates that the analyte identification accuracy was enhanced by FWHM narrowing of the loss spectra; in addition, taking the abundance of the material choice of perovskite QDs into consideration, more analytes could be detected effectively. Moreover, by adopting asymmetric structures, the sensitivity of the PCFs based refractive index sensors could be further improved.
Reframing professional identity through navigating tensions during residency: A qualitative study
Authors: Santivasi Wil L. , Nordhues Hannah C. , Hafferty Frederic W. , Stelling Brianna E. Vaa , Ratelle John T. , Beckman Thomas J. , Sawatsky Adam P.
Published: March 2022

Introduction Professional identity formation (PIF) is the internalization of characteristics, values, and norms of the medical profession. An individual’s identity formation has both psychological and sociological influences. Social psychology may be useful to explore the interactions between the psychological and sociological aspects of PIF. In this study, we explored how resident physicians navigated tensions between professional ideals and the reality of medical practice to characterize PIF during residency training.
Methods Using constructivist grounded theory, the authors conducted 23 semi-structured interviews with internal medicine residents. Interview transcripts were processed through open coding and analytic memo writing. During data gathering and analysis, the authors utilized Social Cognitive Theory, specifically the bidirectional influence between person, behavior, and context, to analyze relationships among themes. Theoretical insights were refined through group discussion and constant comparison with newly collected data.
Results Residents described tensions experienced during residency between pre-existing ideals of “a good doctor” and the realities of medical practice, often challenging residents to reframe their ideals. The authors provide evidence for the presence of dynamic, bidirectional influences between identity (person), behavior, and environment (context), and demonstrate how PIF is informed by a complex interplay between these elements. The authors present two examples to demonstrate how residents reframed their ideals during residency training.
Discussion The complex bidirectional influences between person, behavior, and context, informed by SCT, helps illuminate the process of PIF in residency training. This study highlights the effects of the context of residency training on the development of residents’ professional identities.
The Financial Decisions of Immigrant and Native Households: Evidence from Italy
Authors: Bertocchi Graziella , Brunetti Marianna , Zaiceva Anzelika
Published: March 2022

Using rich Italian data for the period 2006–2014, we analyze differences in financial behavior between natives and immigrants in a unified setting covering a wide set of outcomes and including a large set of covariates. We document sizeable gaps between native and immigrant households with respect to wealth holdings and financial decisions. Immigrant household heads hold less net wealth than native along the entire wealth distribution. Immigrant status reduces the likelihood of holding risky assets, housing, mortgages, businesses, and valuables, and it increases the likelihood of financial fragility. Standard regression results are corroborated by a propensity score matching strategy. Years since migration, country of origin, and the pattern of intermarriage also matter. The Great Recession has worsened the condition of immigrants in terms of wealth holdings, home ownership, and financial fragility.
Capability development in hybrid organizations: enhancing military logistics with additive manufacturing
Authors: Valtonen Ilari , Rautio Samu , Salmi Mika
Published: March 2022

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has the potential to revolutionize key aspects of Military Logistics and partnerships between governmental and industrial organizations. Extreme outsourcing of key capabilities has created complex and deep hybrid organizations between armed forces and the private sector. In this study, the internal and external effects and requirements of Additive Manufacturing in the context of the hybrid organization of The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) and its strategic partner in Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO), and Millog Oy were studied. First, with a literature review, we sought to link the capability development processes and the change drivers within them in both military and commercial contexts. Then, we utilized an existing, structured capability model used by the FDF (DOTMLPFI) and its individual change drivers to form an initial concept of AM as a part of the hybrid organization in question. The initial concept shows that AM can increase the performance of the commercially backed Military Logistic System by mitigating the risks of spare parts shortage in case of supply line disturbances and by facilitating localized spare parts production. However, the different primary goals of the military and commercial organizations and the contractual base of the hybrid organization impose constraints on the capability development process. Administrative decision-making across the organizations and the conflict between maximizing military and commercial potential are the key challenges in maintaining joint-capability systems of hybrid organizations.
Real-time instruction-level verification of remote IoT/CPS devices via side channels
Authors: Bai Yunkai , Park Jungmin , Tehranipoor Mark , Forte Domenic
Published: March 2022

In recent years, with the rise of IoT technology, wireless Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) have become widely deployed in critical infrastructure, including power generation, military systems, and autonomous and unmanned vehicles. The introduction of network connectivity for data transfer, cloud support, etc., into CPS, can lead to malware injection. Meanwhile, outsourcing of advanced technology node fabrication overseas makes it difficult to protect these devices from malicious modification and hardware Trojans. For solving these issues, traditional anomaly detection methods insert monitoring circuits or software into the target device but come with high overhead and power consumption. Alternative anomaly detection methods occur offline and use large equipment like oscilloscopes and PCs to collect and process side-channel traces. While they can achieve high accuracy in detecting various anomalies, they are difficult to use in practice due to their large, expensive setups. In this paper, we introduce a new instruction-level verification methodology that uses a low-cost, external add-on to monitor the power traces of a target device. This methodology possesses fine-grained granularity and could protect the target device from any malware or hardware Trojans that alter even a single instruction inside the target device. The hardware used is a tiny (20 $$\times $$
×
20 mm), custom-designed PCB called RASC that collects power traces, performs real-time malware detection, and transmits outcomes to security administrators via Bluetooth. The proposed methodology is demonstrated on 6 benchmarks with two types of malware on an Atmel AVR device, and the accuracy between offline and real-time malware detection is compared.
Women, Peace and Security and International Law
Authors: Chinkin Christine
Published: March 2022

In 2000, the UN Security Council adopted the ground-breaking Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) placing women at the centre of the agenda, thanks to years of campaigning. The Resolution recognises the differential impact of armed conflict on women and men, draws attention to the 'inextricable links between gender equality and international peace and security' and stresses the 'important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building'. But what exactly is the WPS agenda and what is its content? What are its implications for peace and for security? And what does it mean for international lawyers? Through the narratives of women's activism and of international law this book seeks to make the WPS agenda better known to international lawyers and to ask whether it is, or could become, an international legal regime that conforms and responds to the realities of women's lives.
Applying a Common Enterprise Theory of Liability to Clinical AI Systems
Authors: Chan Benny
Published: March 2022

The advent of artificial intelligence (“AI”) holds great potential to improve clinical diagnostics. At the same time, there are important questions of liability for harms arising from the use of this technology. Due to their complexity, opacity, and lack of foreseeability, AI systems are not easily accommodated by traditional liability frameworks. This difficulty is compounded in the health care space where various actors, namely physicians and health care organizations, are subject to distinct but interrelated legal duties regarding the use of health technology. Without a principled way to apportion responsibility among these actors, patients may find it difficult to recover for injuries. In this Article, I propose that physicians, manufacturers of clinical AI systems, and hospitals be considered a common enterprise for the purposes of liability. This proposed framework helps facilitate the apportioning of responsibility among disparate actors under a single legal theory. Such an approach responds to concerns about the responsibility gap engendered by clinical AI technology as it shifts away from individualistic notions of responsibility, embodied by negligence and products liability, toward a more distributed conception. In addition to favoring plaintiff recovery, a common enterprise strict liability approach would create strong incentives for the relevant actors to take care.
Toward a Preliminary Theory of Organizational Incentives: Addressing Incentive Misalignment in Private Equity-Owned Long-Term Care Facilities
Authors: Ignatius Brereton Alesha
Published: March 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic brought critical debates regarding private equity ownership of long-term care facilities to the forefront of political, legal, and social landscapes. Like many of the historical concerns about long-term care, these debates center around low quality patient care. While the concerns present important challenges to overcome, this note theorizes the kinds of organizational incentives that may provide opportunities to align patient quality care with the financial goals of private equity investing. After a discussion of the historical context of long term care facilities and the more recent trends towards for-profit and private equity ownership of these facilities (Parts II and III), I engage with value-based models as a starting point to consider organizational level incentive possibilities (Part IV). In Part V, I consider an organizational-level pay for performance model, a time-bound incentive structure, and investor-specific incentives as three distinct possibilities for addressing the patient care issues identified.
Symbolic factors of -adic subshifts of finite alphabet rank
Authors: ESPINOZA BASTIÁN
Published: March 2022

This paper studies several aspects of symbolic (i.e. subshift) factors of
$\mathcal {S}$
-adic subshifts of finite alphabet rank. First, we address a problem raised by Donoso et al [Interplay between finite topological rank minimal Cantor systems, S-adic subshifts and their complexity. Trans. Amer. Math. Soc.374(5) (2021), 3453–3489] about the topological rank of symbolic factors of
$\mathcal {S}$
-adic subshifts and prove that this rank is at most the one of the extension system, improving on the previous results [B. Espinoza. On symbolic factors of S-adic subshifts of finite alphabet rank. Preprint, 2022, arXiv:2008.13689v2; N. Golestani and M. Hosseini. On topological rank of factors of Cantor minimal systems. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys. doi:10.1017/etds.2021.62. Published online 8 June 2021]. As a consequence of our methods, we prove that finite topological rank systems are coalescent. Second, we investigate the structure of fibers
$\pi ^{-1}(y)$
of factor maps
$\pi \colon (X,T)\to (Y,S)$
between minimal
${\mathcal S}$
-adic subshifts of finite alphabet rank and show that they have the same finite cardinality for all y in a residual subset of Y. Finally, we prove that the number of symbolic factors (up to conjugacy) of a fixed subshift of finite topological rank is finite, thus extending Durand’s similar theorem on linearly recurrent subshifts [F. Durand. Linearly recurrent subshifts have a finite number of non-periodic subshift factors. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.20(4) (2000), 1061–1078].
Dynamics of meandering rivers in finite-length channels: linear theory
Authors: Weiss Samantha F. , Higdon Jonathan J.L.
Published: March 2022

Meandering channels are dynamic landforms that arise as a result of fluid mechanic and sedimentary processes. Their evolution has been described by the meander-morphodynamic equations, which dictate that channel curvature and bed topography give rise to local perturbations in streamwise fluid velocity, prompting the preferential erosion and sediment deposition that constitute meander behaviour. Novel mathematical conditions are presented to guarantee unique solutions for the linearized equations in non-periodic domains with finite boundaries. With the boundary condition specification sufficient for the uniqueness proof one finds a well-posed initial-boundary-value problem amenable to standard numerical techniques for partial differential equations. This provides a pathway for improved numerical algorithms for simulations of meandering river dynamics. Previous theoretical analysis for linear stability theory in meandering dynamics has been restricted to spatially periodic systems. The present effort develops new results for linear stability theory in non-periodic systems with temporal driving at system boundaries as well as non-homogeneous initial conditions. Predictions for temporal driving at the inlets for non-periodic finite domains provide clarification for observed behaviour in laboratory flumes where driven conditions at the inlet avoids the long-term decay of all meanders observed in flumes with fixed entry conditions. Linear stability theory for finite domains confirms that a continuous perturbation is required for sustained meandering. Original scaling arguments are presented for the dependence of the meander migration rate on geological parameters, showing that the rate of channel migration increases with increased width, downreach slope and bank erodibility, and decreases with increased volumetric flow rate.
Minimal energy thresholds for triggering in the Rijke tube: the effect of the time delay
Authors: Giannotta A. , Cherubini S. , De Palma P.
Published: March 2022

Triggering is the process by which a linearly stable thermoacoustic system can reach self-sustained oscillations. This nonlinear phenomenon is activated only for sufficiently large amplitudes of perturbations to the equilibrium state. In this work, using a nonlinear variational optimisation method coupled with energy bisection, we compute the minimal thresholds for triggering in the Rijke tube. In particular, extending previous works, we take into account the effect of the time delay by optimising not only the perturbations at initial time, but also the velocity at the hot-wire position in the time-delay interval. We found that, for sufficiently large time delays, the nonlinearity linked to the delayed flow velocity bears a strong potential for energy growth, leading to transient amplifications of the energy reaching ${O}(10^{2})$, two orders of magnitude larger than those reported in previous studies. Notably, the gain increases with the time delay, but decreases with the initial energy of the perturbation, thus reaching very high values close to the triggering threshold of the system. The minimal energy for triggering self-sustained oscillations achieves energy values as low as ${O}(10^{-4})$, two orders of magnitude smaller than previous estimates. This indicates that, for thermoacoustic systems characterised by a non-negligible time delay, taking into account the effect of the time-delayed variables, as well as the system nonlinearity, is crucial for correctly evaluating the triggering energy thresholds.
Toward a picture of Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari Province, Iran, as a linguistic area
Authors: Anonby Erik , Taheri-Ardali Mortaza , Stone Adam
Published: March 2022

Language documentation has been carried out in Iran since the late 1800s but in a sporadic way, and even now, the scholarly picture of the country’s linguistic landscape is fragmentary. The present article responds to this state of affairs in a modest way by working toward a systematic overview of the language situation in one area of the country: Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari Province of western Iran, where the high Zagros Mountains open onto the Iranian Plateau. In this study, conducted in the context of theAtlas of the Languages of Iran(ALI) research programme, we chronicle our research process for this region, beginning with an inventory of languages spoken here—varieties of Bakhtiari, Charmahali, and Turkic—and an overview of their geographical distribution. This initial step enabled us to select 30 varieties from 26 locations across the province for in-depth research, including implementation of the ALI language data questionnaire. Data generated by the study have resulted in two language distribution maps as well as a series of linguistic structure maps. Initial analysis of lexical and phonological data provides insight into defining features of each language as well as structures shared between them as a result of language contact in the region.
The sensitivity of parameterization schemes in thermodynamic modeling of the landfast sea ice in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica
Authors: Liu Changwei , Hao Guanghua , Li Yubin , Zhao Jiechen , Lei Ruibo , Cheng Bin , Gao Zhiqiu , Yang Qinghua
Published: March 2022

Based on the measurements conducted over the landfast sea ice in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica during the sea-ice growth season in 2016, various parameterization schemes in the high-resolution thermodynamic snow/ice model HIGHTSI are evaluated. The parameterization scheme of turbulent fluxes produces the largest errors compared with the parameterization schemes for other surface heat fluxes. However, the sea-ice thickness simulation is most sensitive to the differences in upward longwave radiation at the surface. In addition, the sea-ice thickness simulation during the growth season is highly sensitive to the oceanic heat flux, and a new oceanic heat flux parameterization scheme based on the bulk method is proposed. The new parameterization scheme is tested in a second year, and it significantly improves the model performance relative to the standard configuration when compared against observations. Finally, the seasonal variation in the heat budget and its influence on the sea-ice thickness variation are analyzed. The net shortwave radiation, sensible heat flux and conductive heat flux (the net longwave radiation and latent heat flux) are found to be the surface heat sources (heat sinks) during the growth season. The larger conductive heat flux and the smaller oceanic heat flux can intensify the growth of sea ice.
The goals of EU competition law: a comprehensive empirical investigation
Authors: Stylianou Konstantinos , Iacovides Marios
Published: March 2022

For any field of law, the goal it was designed to achieve permeates every aspect of its application and interpretation. This is particularly true when the black letter of the law is cryptic and silent on most aspects of how it should be interpreted and applied, as is the case with competition law, which for the most part revolves around a small number of highly abstract provisions. It is only natural then that ample scholarly work has been devoted to identifying the goals and purposes of competition law. By and large these attempts have been textual, historical, and teleological. We introduce here instead a quantitative analysis of the case law and present the results of the first empirical study into the goals and purposes of EU competition law as they emerge from the entirety of the case law of the European Court of Justice, opinions of the Advocate Generals, Commission decisions, and speeches of Commissioners for Competition. This body of almost 4,000 sources paints a comprehensive picture of the underlying goals of EU competition law, and helps conclusively confirm some previous insights while debunking others, thereby helping to advance the present application and future evolution of competition law.
Fascists, Nazis, orSomethingElse?: Mexico's Unión Nacional Sinarquista in the US Media, 1937–1945
Authors: Young Julia G.
Published: March 2022

This paper examines the public relations battles in the US media over Mexico's Unión Nacional Sinarquista (UNS), an explicitly Catholic social movement founded in 1937 that aimed to restore the Church to its traditional role in Mexican society and to reject the reforms of the revolutionary government. Thesinarquistasshared many of the features of fascism and Nazism, the major global antidemocratic movements of the time, including a strident nationalism, authoritarian leanings, an emphasis on martial discipline and strict organizational structure, and a militant aesthetic. Both its ideological leanings and rapid growth (as many as 500,000 members by the early 1940s) led many US writers to suggest that the UNS represented a dangerous fifth-column threat to both Mexico and the United States. Others, particularly in the Catholic press, saw the UNS as an anticommunist organization that could actually help foster democracy in Mexico. For their part, UNS leaders defended themselves vociferously and sought to build relationships with influential US Catholics who could advocate for them in the press. By analyzing this debate, this paper both underscores the transnational characteristics of the UNS and highlights the crucial role of US public opinion in Mexican politics during the 1940s.