bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ein Fragebogen zur Erfassung von schlafbezogenen Metakognitionen: Deutsche Kurzform des MCQ-I
Authors: Schredl Michael , Schackert Maria , Feld Gordon Benedikt , Schilling Claudia
Published: February 2021

Hintergrund und Fragestellung

Schlafbezogene Kognitionen, aber auch schlafbezogene Metakognitionen (Umgang mit Gedanken) spielen in der Ätiologie der Insomnie, vor allem bei der Aufrechterhaltung, eine Rolle. Bisher liegt nur ein englischsprachiger Fragebogen (MCQ-I) mit 60 Items zur Erfassung schlafbezogener Metakognitionen vor. Ziel dieser Arbeit war das Zusammenstellen einer kürzeren, deutschen Version, die sowohl gute Reliabilität als auch Validität aufweist.

Material und Methoden

Insgesamt nahmen 512 Patienten mit unterschiedlichen Schlafstörungen (264 Frauen, 248 Männer; mittleres Alter: 45,04 ± 16,70 Jahre) an der Erhebung teil. Der MCQ‑I wurde vor dem Erstgespräch ausgefüllt mitgebracht.

Ergebnisse

Die 20-Item-Version wies eine hohe interne Konsistenz (r = 0,906) und hohe Retest-Reliabilität (r = 0,916) auf. Patienten mit der Diagnose einer Insomnie zeigten einen signifikant höheren Summenwert im MCQ-I 20 als Patienten mit anderen Schlafstörungen. Interessanterweise waren auch die Diagnose einer depressiven Erkrankung und das Auftreten einer Alptraumstörung mit vermehrten schlafbezogenen Metakognitionen verbunden.

Schlussfolgerung

Schlafbezogene Metakognitionen scheinen in der Insomnie-Ätiologie eine Rolle zu spielen. Interessant wäre es zu überprüfen, ob eine rein metakognitive Therapie die Symptomatik bei Insomniepatienten in ähnlicher Weise wie die klassische kognitive Verhaltenstherapie der Insomnie verbessern kann.
A Review on the Developments of Peridynamics for Reinforced Concrete Structures
Authors: Hattori Gabriel , Hobbs Mark , Orr John
Published: February 2021

Concrete is the most widely used man made material in the world. Reinforced with steel, it forms a key enabler behind our rapidly urbanising built environment. Yet despite its ubiquity, the failure behaviour of the material in shear is still not well understood. Many different shear models have been proposed over the years, often validated against sets of physical tests, but none of these has yet been shown to be sufficiently general to account for the behaviour of all possible types and geometries of reinforced concrete structures. A key barrier to a general model is that concrete must crack in tension, and in shear such cracks form rapidly to create brittle failure. Peridynamics (PD) is a non-local theory where the continuum mechanics equilibrium equation is reformulated in an integral form, thereby permitting discontinuities to arise naturally from the formulation. On the one hand, this offers the potential to provide a general concrete model. On the other hand, PD models for concrete structures have not focussed on applications with reinforcement. Moreover, a robust model validation that assesses the strengths and weakness of a given model is missing. The objectives of this paper are twofold: (1) to evaluate the benchmark tests involving shear failure for RC structures; and (2) to review the most recent PD theory and its application for reinforced concrete (RC) structures. We investigate these models in detail and propose benchmark tests that a PD model should be able to simulate accurately.
Expanding Research Integrity: A Cultural-Practice Perspective
Authors: Valkenburg Govert , Dix Guus , Tijdink Joeri , de Rijcke Sarah
Published: February 2021

Research integrity(RI) is usually discussed in terms of responsibilities that individual researchers bear towards the scientific work they conduct, as well as responsibilities that institutions have to enable those individual researchers to do so. In addition to these two bearers of responsibility, a third category often surfaces, which is variably referred to ascultureandpractice. These notions merit further development beyond a residual category that is to contain everything that is not covered by attributions to individuals and institutions. This paper discusses how thinking in RI can take benefit from more specific ideas on practice and culture. We start by articulating elements of practice and culture, and explore how values central to RI are related to these elements. These insights help identify additional points of intervention for fostering responsible conduct. This helps to build “cultures and practices of research integrity”, as it makes clear that specific times and places are connected to specific practices and cultures and should have a place in the debate on Research Integrity. With this conceptual framework, practitioners as well as theorists can avoid using the notions as residual categories that de facto amount to vague, additional burdens of responsibility for the individual.
Biomarkers in Hereditary Angioedema
Authors: Porebski Grzegorz , Kwitniewski Mateusz , Reshef Avner
Published: February 2021

A biomarker is a defined characteristic measured as an indicator of normal, biologic, pathogenic processes, or biological responses to an exposure or intervention. Diagnostic biomarkers are used to detect a disease or a subtype of a disease; monitoring biomarkers are measured serially to assess a medical condition; response biomarkers are used to check biologic response following a medical intervention; predictive biomarkers are used to identify patients who are more likely to respond to a medical intervention; and prognostic biomarkers are used to assess the future likelihood of a clinical event. Although biomarkers have been extensively investigated and validated in many diseases and pathologies, very few are currently useful for the diagnosis, evaluation of disease activity, and treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE). Pathophysiologic pathways involved in HAE reveal a plethora of molecules from the complement, coagulation, and fibrinolysis systems or from the vascular endothelium, which may serve as biomarkers. The most promising candidates, together with their laboratory readout systems, should be evaluated with regard to their analytical and clinical validity and utility. To be highly specific, such biomarkers should be linked to the pathomechanisms of HAE, particularly the bradykinin-generating cascade. Additionally, major advances in high-throughput omics-based technologies may facilitate the discovery of new candidate biomarkers in the future. This review will cover the existing as well as future potential biomarkers that will support the diagnosis, monitor disease activity, and can be used to assess the efficacy of new avenues of therapy of HAE and other forms of angioedema.
Typology of murder-suicides in Berlin according to a longitudinal study based on autopsy files
Authors: Zimmermann Milan , Tsokos Michael
Published: February 2021

Murder-suicides are defined as the murder of at least one person and the suicide of the offender following the murder. The intention to commit suicide must be primary. In most cases, a male offender kills a female victim after a separation. The current analysis was the first analysis of the typology of murder-suicides in Berlin. We analyzed the autopsy files of the Institute for Forensic Medicine of the Charité University Medicine Berlin and of the City Institute for Forensic Medicine Berlin. We performed descriptive and statistical analyses of cases between 2005 and 2013. We identified 17 murder-suicides. All 17 offenders were male, and 20 of the victims (90%) were female. The offenders used firearms in the majority of the cases. In seven cases, the victims and offenders were at least 80 years old. The average age of the offenders was 63 years. Disease was the motive in 6 cases involving older offenders. Our study might support the development of prevention strategies. In this regard, it is important to build a database for murder-suicides in Germany and other countries, to formulate a uniform definition of murder-suicide, to carry out nationwide interdisciplinary studies on this topic and to improve the existing health care structures, especially for older adults and people with depression.
Detecting and mitigating cyberattacks using software defined networks for integrated clinical environments
Authors: Huertas Celdrán Alberto , Karmakar Kallol Krishna , Gómez Mármol Félix , Varadharajan Vijay
Published: February 2021

The evolution of integrated clinical environments (ICE) and the future generations of mobile networks brings to reality the hospitals of the future and their innovative clinical scenarios. The mobile edge computing paradigm together with network function virtualization techniques and the software-defined networking paradigm enable self-management, adaptability, and security of medical devices and data management processes making up clinical environments. However, the logical centralized approach of the SDN control plane and its protocols introduce new vulnerabilities which affect the security of the network infrastructure and the patients’ safety. The paper at hand proposes an SDN/NFV-based architecture for the mobile edge computing infrastructure to detect and mitigate cybersecurity attacks exploiting SDN vulnerabilities of ICE in real time and on-demand. A motivating example and experiments presented in this paper demonstrate the feasibility of of the proposed architecture in a realistic clinical scenario.
Investigating the Association Between Celebrity Worship and Heteronormative Attitudes Among Heterosexual and LGB+ Individuals
Authors: Zsila Ágnes , Orosz Gábor , McCutcheon Lynn E. , Demetrovics Zsolt
Published: February 2021

Evidence was found that perceived similarity with a famous person in gender, age, cultural background and attitudes increases the attraction towards this celebrity. Previous studies have also revealed that sexual minority individuals and those with a sexual attraction towards a famous person of the opposite gender are more likely to become obsessed with their favorite celebrity. Based on these findings, this study aimed to explore how heteronormative attitudes—gender role and behavioral expectations for men and women—are associated with celebrity worship in LGB+ and heterosexual individuals. An online questionnaire was administered to 1,763 Hungarian adults (66.4% male, 14.7% LGB+ individuals, Mage = 37.2 years, SD = 11.4). Heterosexual individuals with a favorite celebrity of the same gender reported stronger heteronormative attitudes in terms of gender roles and behaviors than LGB+ individuals. Furthermore, this aspect of heteronormative attitudes predicted higher levels of celebrity worship in individuals with a favorite celebrity of their own gender, irrespective of sexual orientation. However, heteronormative attitudes explained only a small proportion of the variance of celebrity worship (1–6%), indicating that heteronormativity has no substantial impact on celebrity admiration.
Evaluation of the Safety and Immune Efficacy of Recombinant Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Strain Long Live Attenuated Vaccine Candidates
Authors: Wang Li-Nan , Peng Xiang-Lei , Xu Min , Zheng Yuan-Bo , Jiao Yue-Ying , Yu Jie-Mei , Fu Yuan-Hui , Zheng Yan-Peng , Zhu Wu-Yang , Dong Zhong-Jun , He Jin-Sheng
Published: February 2021

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI), and no vaccine against LRTI has proven to be safe and effective in infants. Our study assessed attenuated recombinant RSVs as vaccine candidates to prevent RSV infection in mice. The constructed recombinant plasmids harbored (5′ to 3′) a T7 promoter, hammerhead ribozyme, RSV Long strain antigenomic cDNA with cold-passaged (cp) mutations or cp combined with temperature-sensitive attenuated mutations from the A2 strain (A2cpts) or further combined with SH gene deletion (A2cptsΔSH), HDV ribozyme (δ), and a T7 terminator. These vectors were subsequently co-transfected with four helper plasmids encoding N, P, L, and M2-1 viral proteins into BHK/T7-9 cells, and the recovered viruses were then passaged in Vero cells. The rescued recombinant RSVs (rRSVs) were named rRSV-Long/A2cp, rRSV-Long/A2cpts, and rRSV-Long/A2cptsΔSH, respectively, and stably passaged in vitro, without reversion to wild type (wt) at sites containing introduced mutations or deletion. Although rRSV-Long/A2cpts and rRSV-Long/A2cptsΔSH displayed  temperature-sensitive (ts) phenotype in vitro and in vivo, all rRSVs were significantly attenuated in vivo. Furthermore, BALB/c mice immunized with rRSVs produced Th1-biased immune response, resisted wtRSV infection, and were free from enhanced respiratory disease. We showed that the combination of ΔSH with attenuation (att) mutations of cpts contributed to improving att phenotype, efficacy, and gene stability of rRSV. By successfully introducing att mutations and SH gene deletion into the RSV Long parent and producing three rRSV strains, we have laid an important foundation for the development of RSV live attenuated vaccines.
Esthetic and Functional Improvement of Asymmetric Lower Limb Overgrowth in a Proteus Syndrome Patient: a Combined Surgical Technique
Authors: Riccardi Francesca , Catapano Simone , Cottone Giuseppe , Zilio Dino , Vaienti Luca
Published: February 2021

Proteus syndrome is a rare, sporadic, congenital syndrome that causes asymmetric and disproportionate overgrowth of limbs, connective tissue nevi, epidermal nevi, alteration of adipose tissue, and vascular malformations. Genetic mosaicism, such as activating mutations involving protein kinase AKT1, phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3-K), and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), may be important causes of Proteus syndrome. However, many patients have no evidence of mutations in these genes. Currently, the diagnosis is clinical and based on phenotypic features. This article reports a case of Proteus syndrome in a 14-year-old female patient who presented with linear epidermal nevi, viscera anomalies, and adipose tissue dysregulation. She showed an asymmetric progressive overgrowth of the right lower limb after birth bringing relevant functional and esthetic consequences. Therefore, she asked a plastic surgery consultation and a surgical treatment with a combined technique was planned. With our approach, we were able to reduce leg diameter and improve joint mobility reliably and safely with satisfying esthetic results.
Immunohistochemical detection of procalcitonin in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Matsumoto Kotaro , Kikuchi Kentaro , Hara Ayako , Tsunashima Hiromichi , Tsuneyama Koichi , Doi Shinpei
Published: February 2021

A 25-year-old woman with fever and epigastric pain was referred to our hospital. Blood examination showed significant liver dysfunction, markedly high C-reactive protein (CRP 19.1 mg/dL) and procalcitonin (48.3 ng/mL) levels. Dynamic computed tomography showed a tumor approximately 120 mm in size in the right lobe of the liver, but with no abscess formation. The patient was hospitalized and started on antibiotics; her CRP level improved, but the procalcitonin level did not decrease. Histopathological examination of the liver tumor biopsy revealed fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC). Positive staining of the FLC with an anti-procalcitonin antibody suggested the production of procalcitonin.
A Meta-analysis on Children’s Trust in Social Robots
Authors: Stower Rebecca , Calvo-Barajas Natalia , Castellano Ginevra , Kappas Arvid
Published: February 2021

Although research on children’s trust in social robots is increasingly growing in popularity, a systematic understanding of the factors which influence children’s trust in robots is lacking. In addition, meta-analyses in child–robot-interaction (cHRI) have yet to be popularly adopted as a method for synthesising results. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis aimed at identifying factors influencing children’s trust in robots. We constructed four meta-analytic models based on 20 identified studies, drawn from an initial pool of 414 papers, as a means of investigating the effect of robot embodiment and behaviour on both social and competency trust. Children’s pro-social attitudes towards social robots were also explored. There was tentative evidence to suggest that more human-like attributes lead to less competency trust in robots. In addition, we found a trend towards the type of measure that was used (subjective or objective) influencing the direction of effects for social trust. The meta-analysis also revealed a tendency towards under-powered designs, as well as variation in the methods and measures used to define trust. Nonetheless, we demonstrate that it is still possible to perform rigorous analyses despite these challenges. We also provide concrete methodological recommendations for future research, such as simplifying experimental designs, conducting a priori power analyses and clearer statistical reporting.
A secure and efficient privacy-preserving data aggregation algorithm
Authors: Dou Hui , Chen Yuling , Yang Yixian , Long Yangyang
Published: February 2021

As a significant part of the Internet of things, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is frequently implemented in our daily life. Data aggregation in WSNs can realize limited transmission and save energy. In the process of data aggregation, node data information is vulnerable to be eavesdropped and attacked. Therefore, it is of great significance to the research of data aggregation privacy protection in WSNs. We propose a secure and efficient privacy-preserving data aggregation algorithm (SECPDA) based on the original clustering privacy data aggregation algorithm. In this algorithm, we utilize SEP protocol to dynamically select cluster head nodes, introduce slicing idea for the private data slicing, and generate false information for interference. A comprehensive experimental evaluation is conducted to assess the data traffic and privacy protection performance. The results demonstrate that the proposed SECPDA algorithm can effectively reduce data traffic and further improve data privacy of nodes.
Rethinking resilience and development: A coevolutionary perspective
Authors: Haider L. Jamila , Schlüter Maja , Folke Carl , Reyers Belinda
Published: February 2021

The interdependence of social and ecological processes is broadly acknowledged in the pursuit to enhance human wellbeing and prosperity for all. Yet, development interventions continue to prioritise economic development and short-term goals with little consideration of social-ecological interdependencies, ultimately undermining resilience and therefore efforts to deliver development outcomes. We propose and advance a coevolutionary perspective for rethinking development and its relationship to resilience. The perspective rests on three propositions: (1) social-ecological relationships coevolve through processes of variation, selection and retention, which are manifest in practices; (2) resilience is the capacity to filter practices (i.e. to influence what is selected and retained); and (3) development is a coevolutionary process shaping pathways of persistence, adaptation or transformation. Development interventions affect and are affected by social–ecological relationships and their coevolutionary dynamics, with consequences for resilience, often with perverse outcomes. A coevolutionary approach enables development interventions to better consider social–ecological interdependencies and dynamics. Adopting a coevolutionary perspective, which we illustrate with a case on agricultural biodiversity, encourages a radical rethinking of how resilience and development are conceptualised and practiced across global to local scales.
Integrability structures of the generalized Hunter–Saxton equation
Authors: Morozov Oleg I.
Published: February 2021

We consider integrability structures of the generalized Hunter–Saxton equation. We obtain the Lax representation with non-removable spectral parameter, find local recursion operators for symmetries and cosymmetries, generate an infinite-dimensional Lie algebra of higher symmetries, and prove existence of infinite number of cosymmetries of higher order. Further, we give examples of employing the higher order symmetries to constructing exact globally defined solutions for the generalized Hunter–Saxton equation.
Practices of Supportive Church Children's Ministries: An Exploratory Multilevel Investigation of Church of the Nazarene Congregations in the United States
Authors: Crosby Robert G. , Smith Erin I. , LaChausse Robert G. , Blanchette Leon , Palardy Gregory J.
Published: February 2021

Background

Religious communities have been identified as an important source of social support for children. Although church children's ministries (i.e., church programs where children receive religious education separate from their parents) have been suggested as a potential avenue for the transmission of social support, the specific children's ministry practices that promote social support have not been established empirically.

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether contemplative-reflective practices, structured playtime, and unstructured playtime predict between-church differences in children's church-based social support (i.e., received support, perceived support from peers, perceived support from adults) controlling for children's individual characteristics and children's ministry size.

Methods

Using a multilevel approach, we analyzed self-report survey data from 43 children's ministers and 1,090 children from 43 Church of the Nazarene congregations in the United States.

Results

Results showed that children's supportive experiences were largely predicted by their individual characteristics (e.g., family religiosity, agreeableness). However, contemplative-reflective practices had a medium positive effect on received support and perceived support from peers and adults. Unstructured playtime had a medium positive effect on received support only. Structured playtime was unrelated to all three outcomes.

Conclusions and Implications

These findings suggest that, although some children are naturally predisposed to thrive socially at church, children's ministry practices appear to have a significant and substantive impact on children's church-based social support. The results shed light on the conditions that create and sustain church-based social support. Churches wishing to make children feel part of a supportive community should consider incorporating contemplative-reflective practices into their children's worship service (e.g., mindful prayer and reflective experiences, meaningful choices, leadership opportunities for children, safe and intimate opportunities to share and receive prayer, and liturgical traditions), as well as regular space for unstructured playtime wherein children can exercise autonomy, demonstrate their unique talents and abilities, and engage in informal conversations with peers and adults about their life experiences, feelings, and personal problems.
Gold hard anodized (GHA) materials with antimicrobial surface properties: mechanical, tribological, and microbiological characterization
Authors: Nastruzzi Anna , Cicerchia Franco , Fortini Annalisa , Nastruzzi Claudio
Published: February 2021

Infections acquired in public spaces (i.e., transports, restaurants, and bars, hospitals) present a serious burden for the entire health systems. In this respect, appropriate preventative and control measures in order to eliminate or reduce the negative effects of surface-transmitted infections appear highly desirable. Alongside recommendations for treatment and hygiene, antimicrobial material surfaces can offer indeed an important contribution to the prevention of infections. The aim of the current paper is therefore to describe the preparation and characterization of a new material obtained by an innovative anodic oxidation, defined as golden hard anodizing GHA. The anodic oxide surface thanks to the nanoporous structure acts as reservoir of silver ions (Ag+) which in turn confer antimicrobial properties to the material surface. Specifically, the manuscript presents a thorough preparation and characterization of a new material obtained by an innovative anodic oxidation treatment applied on commercially available aluminum alloys including the microscopic analysis and the description of the antimicrobial performances against a number of microorganisms, including among the others, Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. More specifically, the current article describes some of the properties of GHA materials. The tribological properties of GHA were evaluated through experimental tests performed with a pin-on-disk tribometer. The morphology of the wear surfaces was studied by means of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis and profilometry investigations. Furthermore, in order to evaluate the possible anticorrosive properties of GHA, tests in neutral salt spray are in addition described.
Current Treatment Regimens for Transfeminine Individuals in the Nordic Countries
Authors: Hojbjerg Johanne Andersen , Saini Sofia Lisby , Hvas Anne-Mette , Hojgaard Astrid Ditte
Published: February 2021

Background

The demand for gender-affirming hormone therapy is increasing worldwide prompting a growing requirement for solid evidence for efficacy and safety.

Aim

We aimed to report on the organization of transgender care and the current clinical practice of feminizing hormone therapy in specialized clinics in the Nordic countries.

Methods

This study was a cross-sectional study performed as a questionnaire survey. A quantitative questionnaire was sent to 15 specialized clinics prescribing feminizing hormone therapy in the Nordic countries.

Outcomes

Twelve clinics responded to the inquiry.

RESULTS

The answers showed great variance in both number of clinics in each country as well as number of doctors responsible for prescribing gender-affirming hormone therapy. There was great difference in the width of the target ranges for estrogen plasma concentrations and in preferred route of administration for estrogens. Likewise, the risk assessment and monitoring of side effects were diverse.

Clinical Implications

To gather solid data on efficacy and safety of feminizing hormone therapy, the treatment regimens and the recording of side effects need to be consistent across the clinics responsible for the treatment of transfeminine patients.

Strenghts & Limitations: This is to our knowledge the first report on treatment regimens for feminizing hormone treatment in the Nordic countries. The response rate was 80%; however, the included clinics only cover approximately 30% of the expected numbers of transfeminine individuals.

CONCLUSION

Despite the great diversity across clinics as regard to organization of clinics and to treatment regimens, the vast majority of clinics operated within the guidelines defined by The Endocrine Society.
Use and Appreciation of Mycenaean Pottery
Authors: Wijngaarden Gert Jan van
Published: February 2021

Pottery made in the Aegean during the Late Bronze Age has been found in many parts of the Mediterranean-Mycenaean dinner and storage vessels, for example, have been discovered at some four hundred sites outside Greece. These artifacts provide one of the main sources of information on Mycenaean trade and interregional contact, but the role of pottery in international exchange during this period is still not properly understood. Gert Jan van Wijngaarden brings us closer with this study, which investigates patterns of consumption for the three biggest importers of Mycenaean pottery: the Levant, Cyprus, and Italy.
Fateful Journey
Authors: Willink Robert Joost
Published: February 2021

Bold, headstrong, and fabulously wealthy, Dutch traveller Alexine Tinne (1834–1869) made several excursions into the African interior, often accompanied by her mother, at a time when very few European women traveled. 'The Fateful Journey' follows her trip with German zoologist Theodor von Heuglin, which took them through Egypt and Sudan in search of adventure and unknown regions in Central Africa. Drawing upon four years of research in the Tinne archives, and including never before published correspondence, photographs, and other documents, Robert Joost Willink presents a compelling account of their journey and its tragic ending. This exciting volume not only sheds light on Tinne's life and times, it also offers captivating insights into the world of European adventurers in the 19th century. An enthralling mix of adventure and careful scholarship, 'The Fateful Journey' creates a powerful portrait of Alexine Tinne throughout her life, from her start as a rich heiress in the Netherlands to her end as the intrepid explorer who risked, and lost, everything on a daring, doomed quest.
Ethnicity and Democracy in the Eastern Himalayan Borderland
Authors: Chettri Mona , van Schendel Willem , Harris Tina
Published: February 2021

This book presents a close look at the growth, success, and proliferation of ethnic politics on the peripheries of modern South Asia, built around a case study of the Nepal ethnic group that lives in the borderlands of Sikkim, Darjeeling, and east Nepal. Grounded in historical and ethnographic research, it critically examines the relationship between culture and politics in a geographical space that is home to a diverse range of ethnic identities, showing how new modes of political representation, cultural activism, and everyday politics have emerged from the region.
Provision of the Continuum of Care to Noncommunicable Diseases Post-Floods in Kerala, India 2018
Authors: Ganeshkumar Parasuraman , Saigal Rontgen , Gopal Bipin , Shankar Hari , Kaur Prabhdeep
Published: February 2021

Integrating noncommunicable disease (NCD) in health care delivery during emergency response posed a major challenge post-floods in Kerala. Kerala experienced an abnormally high rainfall during mid-2018 where more than 400 people lost their lives. State health officials and the Disaster Response Team were sensitized about the importance of including NCDs in the response action. More than 80% of patients with hypertension and diabetes were not under control in Kerala. Under the state NCD cell, an NCD expert group was consulted for drafting the treatment and referral strategies. Steps to tackle NCDs during the disaster response were formulated. The state NCD cell decided to integrate NCDs in the response measures. The technical guidance document by the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region was consulted to formulate actions. The activities were implemented in 6 steps: prioritizing of major NCDS, patient estimation and drug stock preparation, standard treatment protocol, mapping of referral facilities, public engagement, and daily reporting of NCD consultations. Prioritizing the continuum of care of NCDs during floods among the program managers and care providers was crucial. The health education and communication campaign was done to sensitize the known NCD patients to seek early care. Daily reporting of consultations was established.
Ediacaran metazoan fossils with siliceous skeletons from the Digermulen Peninsula of Arctic Norway
Authors: Moczydłowska Małgorzata , Kear Benjamin P. , Snitting Daniel , Liu Lei , Lazor Peter , Majka Jarosław
Published: February 2021

In this study, a new assemblage of Ediacaran metazoan fossils is reported from the basal Stáhpogieddi Formation on the Digermulen Peninsula of Arctic Norway, includingAnulitubusn. gen. Moczydłowska in Moczydłowska et al.,Anulitubus formosusn. gen. n. sp. Moczydłowska in Moczydłowska et al.,Coniculusn. gen. Moczydłowska in Moczydłowska et al.,Coniculus elegantisn. gen. n. sp. Moczydłowska in Moczydłowska et al.,Fistulan. gen. Moczydłowska in Moczydłowska et al., andFistula crenulatan. gen. n. sp. Moczydłowska in Moczydłowska et al. The specimens are three-dimensionally preserved and include tubular and conical skeletons that are morphologically distinguished by their body-wall constructions, radial symmetry, polarity, segmentation, and annulation. The skeletons are interpreted to be biomineralized by primary silica based on computed micro-tomographic, petrographic, geochemical, and spectroscopic evidence of originally rigid body wall with layers of constant thicknesses, composed of opal, microcrystalline quartz, and an admixture of carbonaceous material, which differ from the host sediment mineralogy and do not show replacement or encrustation. The fossil-bearing interval immediately overlies strata of Gaskiers age and can be bracketed within 580–541 Ma, but it is estimated to be ca. 575 Ma on the basis of averaged sedimentation rates and biostratigraphic correlations with Ediacaran biota found in up-section deposits of ca. 558–555 Ma. Future new findings of such fossils in different preservation modes and further multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, which shows the silicon fractionation and traces its biogenic origin versus inorganic mineralization, may corroborate the interpretation of biogenic silicification of these earliest skeletal fossils.

UUID:https://zoobank.org/6bccada1-870e-47b0-b819-82685152ea54
How do Public Officials Learn About Policy? A Field Experiment on Policy Diffusion
Authors: Pereira Miguel M.
Published: February 2021

Prior research suggests that partisanship can influence how legislators learn from each other. However, same-party governments are also more likely to share similar issues, ideological preferences and constituency demands. Establishing a causal link between partisanship and policy learning is difficult. In collaboration with a non-profit organization, this study isolates the role of partisanship in a real policy learning context. As part of a campaign promoting a new policy among local representatives in the United States, the study randomized whether the initiative was endorsed by co-partisans, out-partisans or both parties. The results show that representatives are systematically more interested in the same policy when it is endorsed by co-partisans. Bipartisan initiatives also attract less interest than co-partisan policies, and no more interest than out-partisan policies, even in more competitive districts. Together, the results suggest that ideological considerations cannot fully explain partisan-based learning. The study contributes to scholarship on policy diffusion, legislative signaling and interest group access.
A NOMADIC STATE? THE ‘BLEMMYEAN-BEJA’ POLITY OF THE ANCIENT EASTERN DESERT
Authors: Cooper Julien
Published: February 2021

Ancient nomadic peoples in Northeast Africa, being in the shadow of urban regimes of Egypt, Kush, and Aksum as well as the Graeco-Roman and Arab worlds, have been generally relegated to the historiographical model of the frontier ‘barbarian’. In this view, little political importance is attached to indigenous political organisation, with desert nomads being considered an amorphous mass of unsettled people beyond the frontiers of established states. However, in the Eastern Desert of Sudan and Egypt, a pastoralist nomadic people ancestrally related to the modern Beja dominated the deserts for millennia. Though generally considered as a group of politically divided tribes sharing only language and a pastoralist economy, ancient Beja society and its elites created complex political arrangements in their desert. When Egyptian, Greek, Coptic, and Arab sources are combined and analysed, it is evident that nomads formed a large confederate ‘nomadic state’ throughout late antiquity and the early medieval period — a vital cog in the political engine of Northeast Africa.
Effects of different barley grain preservation techniques on intake, growth and carcase traits of finishing dairy bulls fed grass silage-based rations
Authors: Huuskonen A. , Rinne M. , Manni K.
Published: February 2021

The effects of different barley grain preservation techniques on intake, growth and carcase traits of dairy bulls were determined in a feeding trial using 52 Holstein and 48 Nordic Red bulls which were allotted to four feeding treatments (five pens and 25 bulls per treatment). Spring barley was harvested with a conventional combine harvester and four different preservation techniques formed the four experimental treatments. Dry grain (DG) was dried to the targeted dry matter (DM) concentration of 870–880 g/kg and rolled within 7 days prior to feeding. High moisture grain treated with a formic acid-based additive (FA) was harvested and crimped on the targeted DM content of 700 g/kg. Low moisture grain treated with a urea-based additive (UR) and low moisture grain treated with a propionic acid-based additive (PA) were harvested and crimped on the targeted DM content of 800 g/kg. The bulls were fed with total mixed ration ad libitum. On DM basis, the diets included grass silage (500 g/kg), barley grain (485 g/kg) and a mineral–vitamin mixture (15 g/kg). Daily DM intake (DMI) and live weight gain were 6% higher when crimped grains were used instead of DG (P < 0.05). There were no observed significant differences in DMI, gain or carcase traits between high moisture and low moisture crimped grain treatments or between UR and PA. The current results show that producers have the option to vary grain preservation system without major changes to growth performance or carcase traits.
The persons of the Trinity are themselves triune: a reply to Mooney
Authors: WILLENBORG MICHAEL
Published: February 2021

Justin Mooney (2018) advances what he calls The Problem of Triunity: each divine person is God, God is triune, and yet, each of the divine persons is apparently not triune. In response, I suggest that we ought to accept that each of the divine persons is in fact triune. First, I offer a plausible analysis of the claim that God is triune; second, I show that, given that analysis, there is nothing untoward about embracing the conclusion that each divine person is triune. I suggest that, once we take care to clarify what affirming the triunity of each divine person does and does not commit us to, we will see that we are not thereby committed to anything that contravenes orthodoxy – contrary, perhaps, to initial expectations. Third, I argue that this view sits particularly well with the claim that triunity is essential to divinity, whereas other views falter on this score. After considering and responding to an alternative analysis of triunity, I consider an objection to my analysis based on the salutary nature of communities. Finally, I conclude by noting an important lesson we can glean from the problem of triunity vis-à-vis trinitarian theorizing.
Epidemiologic characteristics and influencing factors of cluster infection of COVID-19 in Jiangsu Province
Authors: Ai Jing , Shi Naiyang , Shi Yingying , Xu Ke , Dai Qigang , Liu Wendong , Chen Liling , Wang Junjun , Gao Qiang , Ji Hong , Wu Ying , Huang Haodi , Zhao Ziping , Jin Hui , Bao Changjun
Published: February 2021

To understand the characteristics and influencing factors related to cluster infections in Jiangsu Province, China, we investigated case reports to explore transmission dynamics and influencing factors of scales of cluster infection. The effectiveness of interventions was assessed by changes in the time-dependent reproductive number (Rt). From 25th January to 29th February, Jiangsu Province reported a total of 134 clusters involving 617 cases. Household clusters accounted for 79.85% of the total. The time interval from onset to report of index cases was 8 days, which was longer than that of secondary cases (4 days) (χ2 = 22.763, P < 0.001) and had a relationship with the number of secondary cases (the correlation coefficient (r) = 0.193, P = 0.040). The average interval from onset to report was different between family cluster cases (4 days) and community cluster cases (7 days) (χ2 = 28.072, P < 0.001). The average time interval from onset to isolation of patients with secondary infection (5 days) was longer than that of patients without secondary infection (3 days) (F = 9.761, P = 0.002). Asymptomatic patients and non-familial clusters had impacts on the size of the clusters. The average reduction in the Rt value in family clusters (26.00%, 0.26 ± 0.22) was lower than that in other clusters (37.00%, 0.37 ± 0.26) (F = 4.400, P = 0.039). Early detection of asymptomatic patients and early reports of non-family clusters can effectively weaken cluster infections.
A simple transmission dynamics model for predicting the evolution of COVID-19 under control measures in China
Authors: Shang Chenjing , Yang Yang , Chen Gui-Ying , Shang Xiao-Dong
Published: February 2021

Epidemic forecasting provides an opportunity to predict geographic disease spread and counts when an outbreak occurs and plays a key role in preventing or controlling their adverse impact. However, conventional prediction models based on complex mathematical modelling rely on the estimation of model parameters, which yields unreliable and unsustainable results. Herein, we proposed a simple model for predicting the epidemic transmission dynamics based on nonlinear regression of the epidemic growth rate and iterative methods, which is applicable to the progression of the COVID-19 outbreak under the strict control measures of the Chinese government. Our model yields reliable and accurate results as confirmed by the available data: we predicted that the total number of infections in mainland China would be 91 253, and the maximum number of beds required for hospitalised patients would be 62 794. We inferred that the inflection point (when the growth rate turns from positive to negative) of the epidemic across China would be mid-February, and the end of the epidemic would be in late March. This model is expected to contribute to resource allocation and planning in the health sector while providing a theoretical basis for governments to respond to future global health crises or epidemics.
Long-Term Levels of LDL-C and Cognitive Function: The CARDIA Study
Authors: Mefford Matthew T. , Chen Ligong , Lewis Cora E. , Muntner Paul , Sidney Stephen , Launer Lenore J. , Monda Keri L. , Ruzza Andrea , Kassahun Helina , Rosenson Robert S. , Carson April P.
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

It is uncertain if long-term levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) affect cognition in middle age. We examined the association of LDL-C levels over 25 years with cognitive function in a prospective cohort of black and white US adults.

Methods:

Lipids were measured at baseline (1985–1986; age: 18–30 years) and at serial examinations conducted over 25 years. Time-averaged cumulative LDL-C was calculated using the area under the curve for 3,328 participants with ≥3 LDL-C measurements and a cognitive function assessment. Cognitive function was assessed at the Year 25 examination with the Digit Symbol Substitution Test [DSST], Rey Auditory Visual Learning Test [RAVLT], and Stroop Test. A brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sub-study (N = 707) was also completed at Year 25 to assess abnormal white matter tissue volume (AWMV) and gray matter cerebral blood flow volume (GM-CBFV) as secondary outcomes.

Results:

There were 15.6%, 32.9%, 28.9%, and 22.6% participants with time-averaged cumulative LDL-C <100 mg/dL, 101–129 mg/dL, 130–159 mg/dL, and ≥160 mg/dL, respectively. Standardized differences in all cognitive function test scores ranged from 0.16 SD lower to 0.09 SD higher across time-averaged LDL-C categories in comparison to those with LDL-C < 100 mg/dL. After covariate adjustment, participants with higher versus lower time-averaged LDL-C had a lower RAVLT score (p-trend = 0.02) but no differences were present for DSST, Stroop Test, AWMV, or GM-CBFV.

Conclusion:

Cumulative LDL-C was associated with small differences in memory, as assessed by RAVLT scores, but not other cognitive or brain MRI measures over 25 years of follow-up.
Bilingual acquisition of reference: The role of language experience, executive functions and cross-linguistic effects
Authors: Torregrossa Jacopo , Andreou Maria , Bongartz Christiane , Tsimpli Ianthi Maria
Published: February 2021

The present study aims to understand which factors contribute to different patterns of use of referring expressions by bilingual children, by considering the triangulation between language experience and proficiency, executive functions and cross-linguistic effects. We analyze reference use in Greek in the context of a narrative elicitation task as performed by 125 children of different language combinations, including Greek–Albanian, Greek–English and Greek–German. We calculate, for each child, an index of language experience that combines a proficiency measure with background questionnaire information. After identifying the occurrences of underinformative (underspecified) and overinformative (overspecified) referring expressions in the production of each child, we investigate to what extent each pattern of reference use is affected by language experience, cross-linguistic effects and executive functions. The study aims to shed some new light on the nature of overspecification and underspecification in bilingual reference production and, more in general, to model variation in reference use among bilingual children.
Coronavirus disease 2019, food security and maternal mental health in Ceará, Brazil: a repeated cross-sectional survey
Authors: Rocha Hermano AL , Sudfeld Christopher R , Leite Álvaro JM , Rocha Sabrina GMO , Machado Márcia MT , Campos Jocileide S , Silva Anamaria Ce , Correia Luciano L
Published: February 2021

Objective:

To quantify the change in the risk of food insecurity and maternal mental disorder (MMD) before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Design:

Repeated cross-sectional survey. Between 17 July and 10 September 2020, mother–child pairs who were enrolled in a population-based survey in 2017 were re-contacted by telephone for consent and to complete a telephonic COVID-19 survey. We used the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale to assess food security and the Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 to assess MMD. McNemar’s test for paired data that also accounted for clustering was used. Logistic regression was used to assess the relationship of unemployment and receipt of government assistance with food insecurity and MMD in 2020.

Setting:

Ceará, Brazil.

Participants:

Five hundred and seventy-seven mother–child pairs completed the 2017 and 2020 surveys. At the time of the 2020 interview, the child cohort was 36–108 months of age.

Results:

The proportion of mothers reporting food insecurity was 15·5 % higher (95 % CI 5·9, 25·1, P value < 0·001) during the pandemic in July–August 2020 as compared with November 2017, while the prevalence of MMD was 40·2 % higher during the pandemic (95 % CI 32·6, 47·8, P value < 0·001). Loss of formal employment was associated with increased risk of food insecurity, but not with the risk of MMD.

Conclusions:

The risk of food insecurity and MMD in Ceará increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings highlight the need for policies and interventions to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child health, nutrition and well-being in Brazil.
Grammatical Gender: Acquisition, Attrition, and Change
Authors: Lohndal Terje , Westergaard Marit
Published: February 2021

This paper discusses grammatical gender in Norwegian by bringing together data from first language acquisition, Norwegian heritage language, and dialect change. In all these contexts, gender is often claimed to be a vulnerable category, arguably due to the relative non-transparency of gender assignment. Furthermore, the feminine gender is in the process of being lost in many Norwegian dialects, as feminine agreement forms (for example, the indefinite article) are merged with the masculine. The definite suffix, in contrast, is quite stable, as it is acquired early and does not undergo attrition/change. We argue that the combined data provide evidence that gender and declension class are separate phenomena, and we outline a possible formal analysis to account for the findings.*