bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Time‐course of changes in performance, biomechanical, physiological and perceptual responses following resistance training sessions
Authors: Goulart Karine Naves De Oliveira , Resende Nathalia Maria , Drummond Marcos Daniel Motta , Oliveira Luciana Maria , Lima Fernando Vitor , Szmuchrowski Leszek Antoni , Fujiwara Ricardo Toshio , Couto Bruno Pena
Published: June 2020

This study determined the time‐course of recovery after resistance training (RT) sessions and the association between changes in performance with changes in biomechanical, physiological and perceptual parameters. After a 4‐week familiarization period, 14 resistance‐trained males performed 3 experimental conditions, each one including 2 sessions with a recovery interval of 24, 48 h or 72 h, in a randomized order. RT sessions consisted of 5 sets of 8‐10RM on squat and leg press exercises. The resistance was equal for the 2 sessions of each condition and repetitions were performed until concentric failure. Volume load (VL) and first set volume load (FSVL) were compared between sessions. Tests before each session included countermovement jump (CMJ), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), creatine kinase (CK) and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). (2 × 3) ANOVA with effect sizes (ES) assessed the time‐course of recovery and Kendall test the correlation between variables (α = 0.05). Significant interaction was observed for all variables, except for CK, where a condition main effect occurred. Comparisons between post and pre‐intervals showed VL (p = 0.011;ES = −0.90) decreased for 24 h condition, while FSVL remained decreased for 48 h (p = 0.031;ES = −0.63) and DOMS increased (p = 0.001;ES = 3.52). CMJ (p = 0.025;ES = 0.25) and MVIC (p = 0.031;ES = 0.14) performance increased at 72 h. FSVL (r = 0.424), CMJ (r = 0.439), MVIC (r = 0.389) and DOMS (r = −0.327) were significantly correlated with VL (p < 0.05). Time‐course of VL showed the necessity of at least 48 h for the reestablishment of performance, though better perceptual responses were evident at 72h. Thus, both recovery intervals may be beneficial after lower‐limbs RT until concentric failure, though chronic effects still need to be investigated.
Exosome therapeutics for lung regenerative medicine
Authors: Popowski Kristen , Lutz Halle , Hu Shiqi , George Arianna , Dinh Phuong‐Uyen , Cheng Ke
Published: June 2020

Exosomes are 30 to 100 nm extracellular vesicles that are secreted by many cell types. Initially viewed as cellular garbage with no biological functions, exosomes are now recognized for their therapeutic potential and used in regenerative medicine. Cell‐derived exosomes are released into almost all biological fluids, making them abundant and accessible vesicles for a variety of diseases. These naturally occurring nanoparticles have a wide range of applications including drug delivery and regenerative medicine. Exosomes sourced from a specific tissue have been proven to provide greater therapeutic effects to their native tissue, expanding exosome sources beyond traditional cell lines such as mesenchymal stem cells. However, standardizing production and passing regulations remain obstacles, due to variations in methods and quantification techniques across studies. Additionally, obtaining pure exosomes at sufficient quantities remains difficult due to the heterogeneity of exosomes. In this review, we will underline the uses of exosomes as a therapy and their roles in lung regenerative medicine, as well as current challenges in exosome therapies.
Active manipulation of Helmholtz scalar fields: near-field synthesis with directional far-field control
Authors: Egarguin Neil Jerome A , Onofrei Daniel , Qi Chaoxian , Chen Jiefu
Published: June 2020

In this article, we propose a strategy for the active manipulation of scalar Helmholtz fields in bounded near-field regions of an active source while maintaining desired radiation patterns in prescribed far-field directions. This control problem is considered in two environments: free space and homogeneous ocean of constant depth, respectively. In both media, we proved the existence of and characterized the surface input, modeled as Neumann data (normal velocity) or Dirichlet data (surface pressure) such that the radiated field satisfies the control constraints. We also provide a numerical strategy to construct this predicted surface input by using a method of moments-approach with a Morozov discrepancy principle-based Tikhonov regularization. Several numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the proposed scheme in scenarios relevant to practical applications.
Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of carbon-doped TiO2 nanoparticles*
Authors: Ali Zafar , Ismail Javaid , Hussain Rafaqat , Shah A. , Mahmood Arshad , Mohammad Toufiq Arbab , Rahman Shams ur
Published: June 2020

We report the hydrothermal growth of pure and doped TiO2 nanoparticles with different concentrations of carbon. The microstructure of the as-synthesized samples is characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Raman spectroscopy to understand the structure and composition. The XRD patterns confirm the formation of anatase phase of TiO2 with the average crystallite size is calculated to be in the range of 13 nm to 14.7 nm. The functional groups of these nanostructures are characterized by Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, which further confirms the single anatase phase of the synthesized nanostructures. UV-visible absorption spectroscopy is used to understand the absorption behavior, which shows modification in the optical bandgap from 3.13 eV (pure TiO2) to 3.74 eV (1.2 mol% C-doped TiO2). Furthermore, the Ti3+ centers associated with oxygen vacancies are identified using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR).
Resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization of hydrogen atom in intense laser field investigated by Bohmian-mechanics*
Authors: Song Yang , Han Shu , Yang Yu-Jun , Guo Fu-Ming , Li Su-Yu
Published: June 2020

Resonance enhanced two-photon ionization process of hydrogen atom via the resonant laser pulse is studied by Bohmian mechanics (BM) method. By analyzing the trajectories and energies of Bohmian particles (BPs), we find that under the action of high frequency and low intensity multi-circle resonant laser pulses, the ionized BPs first absorb one photon completing the excitation, and then absorb another photon, completing the ionization after staying in the first excited state for a period of time. The analysis of work done by the forces shows that the electric field force and quantum force play a major role in the whole ionization process. At the excitation moment and in the excitation-ionization process, the effect of the quantum force is greater than that of the electric field force. Finally, we discuss the principle of work and energy for BPs, and find that the electric field force and quantum force are non-conservative forces whose work is equal to the increment of mechanical energy of the system. In addition, it is proved that the quantum potential energy actually comes from the kinetic energy of the system and the increment of kinetic energy is equal to that of the kinetic energy of the system.
Preface: Site testing campaign for the Large Optical/infrared Telescope of China
Authors: Feng Lu , Hao Jin-Xin
Published: June 2020

The Large Optical/infrared Telescope of China is a 12 meter diameter ground-based optical/infrared telescope which is proposed to be constructed in the western part of China in favor of its arid climate, and clear, dark nights. A site testing campaign was initiated between November 2016 and March 2019 in order to investigate long term astronomical weather conditions in the western part of China, specifically, at three sites: Ali in Tibet, Daocheng in Sichuan and Muztagh-ata in Xinjiang. This is the first attempt to evaluate long term performances of three candidate sites with uniformly calibrated instruments and data collecting/processing methods for a two-year span in China. In this special issue, we present nine papers that describe the whole site testing campaign, including preparation, data collecting/processing methods, instrument set up at three candidate sites as well as detailed statistics for the measurement results from March 2017 to March 2019.
Site-testing at Muztagh-ata site III: temperature inversion in surface-layer atmosphere
Authors: Xu Jing , Esamdin Ali , Feng Guo-Jie , Pu Guang-Xin , Hu Yi , Hu Ke-Liang , Yang Xu , Hao Jin-Xin , Xue Yan-Jie , Zhou Xu , Ma Shu-Guo , Yisikandee Abudusaimaitijiang , Wang Le-Tian , Zhang Xuan , Bai Chun-Hai , Wei Peng , Ming Liang , Ma Lu , Liu Jin-Zhong , Jiang Yun-Ying
Published: June 2020

In this article, we present detailed seasonal, monthly and daily statistics of temperature difference in the surface layer at the Muztagh-ata site based on the temperature measurements at two heights of 2m and 6m. We find that temperature inversion occurs frequently at our site during nighttime, especially during the cold season. Strong temperature inversion always represents stable atmospheric turbulence, which is crucial for an optical observatory. By analyzing the behavior of temperature inversion and its correlation with wind and cloud amount, one conclusion can be made that radiation inversion is the main reason for the existence of temperature inversion in the surface-layer at the Muztagh-ata site.
A PRESTO-based parallel pulsar search pipeline used for FAST drift scan data
Authors: Yu Qiu-Yu , Pan Zhi-Chen , Qian Lei , Wang Shen , Yue You-Ling , Huang Meng-Lin , Hao Qiao-Li , You Shan-Ping , Peng Bo , Zhu Yan , Zhang Lei , Liu Zhi-Jie
Published: June 2020

We developed a pulsar search pipeline based on PulsaR Exploration and Search TOolkit (PRESTO). This pipeline simply runs dedispersion, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and acceleration search in process-level parallel to shorten the processing time.With two parallel strategies, the pipeline can highly shorten the processing time in both normal searches and acceleration searches. This pipeline was first tested with Parkes Multibeam Pulsar Survery (PMPS) data and discovered two new faint pulsars. Then, it was successfully applied in processing the Five-hundred-meterAperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) drift scan data with tens of new pulsar discoveries up to now. The pipeline is only CPU-based and can be easily and quickly deployed in computing nodes for testing purposes or data processing.
ASAS J174406+2446.8 is identified as a marginal-contact binary with a possible cool third body
Authors: Shi Xiang-Dong , Qian Sheng-Bang , Li Lin-Jia , Na Wei-Wei , Zhou Xiao
Published: June 2020

ASAS J174406+2446.8 was originally found as aδScuti-type pulsating star with the periodP= 0.189068 d by ASAS survey. However, the LAMOST stellar parameters reveal that it is far beyond the red edge of pulsational instability strip on the logg−Tdiagram ofδScuti pulsating stars. To understand the physical properties of the variable star, we observed it by the 1.0-m Cassegrain reflecting telescope at Yunnan Observatories. Multi-color light curves inB,V,RcandIcbands were obtained and are analyzed by using the W-D program. It is found that this variable star is a shallow-contact binary with an EB-type light curve and an orbital period of 0.3781 d rather than aδScuti star. It is a W-subtype contact binary with a mass ratio of 1.135(± 0.019) and a fill-out factor of 10.4%(± 5.6)%. The situation of ASAS J174406+2446.8 resembles those of other EB-type marginal-contact binaries such as UU Lyn, II Per and GW Tau. All of them are at a key evolutionary phase from a semi-detached configuration to a contact system predicted by the thermal relaxation oscillation theory. The linear ephemeris was corrected by using 303 new determined times of light minimum. It is detected that the O – C curve shows a sinusoidal variation that could be explained by the light-travel-time effect via the presence of a cool red dwarf. The present investigation reveals that some of theδScuti-type stars beyond the red edge of pulsating instability strip on the logg–Tdiagram are misclassified eclipsing binaries. To understand their structures and evolutionary states, more studies are required in the future.
Item Response Theory Analysis of the Texas Functional Living Scale
Authors: Lowe Deborah A , Linck John F
Published: June 2020

Objective

The Texas Functional Living Scale (TFLS) is a performance-based measure of functional abilities assessing the domains of time, money and calculation, communication, and memory. It is likely that certain items are more sensitive at different levels of functional impairment, with some signaling milder degrees of functional difficulty. This study analyzed psychometric characteristics of individual TFLS items using item response theory (IRT) in an outpatient clinical sample.

Method

In total, 270 adult outpatients completed the TFLS during clinical neuropsychological evaluation. IRT analysis using 2PL and graded response model was applied to the TFLS.

Results

Item parameters, item characteristic curves, and information curves were produced. Item difficulty (a) parameters ranged from 1.05 to 2.23, and item discrimination (b) parameters ranged from −4.11 to 0.51.

Conclusions

TFLS items were differentially sensitive along the continuum of functional impairment. Items that were most sensitive to milder degrees of functional impairment involved clock drawing, microwave programming, financial calculation, and prospective memory. Other items that were optimally precise in more severe degrees of functional impairment involved interacting with a calendar and a relatively simple financial calculation task. These findings suggest that the ability to pass at least some of the items on the TFLS may not necessarily reflect fully intact functional abilities. Certain TFLS items may be able to detect the presence of subtle functional difficulties.
Reanalysis of genome sequences of tomato accessions and its wild relatives: development of Tomato Genomic Variation (TGV) database integrating SNPs and INDELs polymorphisms
Authors: Gupta Prateek , Dholaniya Pankaj Singh , Devulapalli Sameera , Tawari Nilesh Ramesh , Sreelakshmi Yellamaraju , Sharma Rameshwar
Published: June 2020

Motivation

Facilitated by technological advances and expeditious decrease in the sequencing costs, whole-genome sequencing is increasingly implemented to uncover variations in cultivars/accessions of many crop plants. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), the availability of the genome sequence, followed by the resequencing of tomato cultivars and its wild relatives, has provided a prodigious resource for the improvement of traits. A high-quality genome resequencing of 84 tomato accessions and wild relatives generated a dataset that can be used as a resource to identify agronomically important alleles across the genome. Converting this dataset into a searchable database, including information about the influence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on protein function, provides valuable information about the genetic variations. The database will assist in searching for functional variants of a gene for introgression into tomato cultivars.

Results

A recent release of better-quality tomato genome reference assembly SL3.0, and new annotation ITAG3.2 of SL3.0, dropped 3857 genes, added 4900 novel genes and updated 20 766 genes. Using the above version, we remapped the data from the tomato lines resequenced under the ‘100 tomato genome resequencing project’ on new tomato genome assembly SL3.0 and made an online searchable Tomato Genomic Variations (TGVs) database. The TGV contains information about SNPs and insertion/deletion events and expands it by functional annotation of variants with new ITAG3.2 using SIFT4G software. This database with search function assists in inferring the influence of SNPs on the function of a target gene. This database can be used for selecting SNPs, which can be potentially deployed for improving tomato traits.

Availability and implementation

TGV is freely available at http://psd.uohyd.ac.in/tgv.
The Resilience of the Russian mafia: An Empirical Study
Authors: Varese Federico , Lonsky Jakub , Podvysotskiy Yuriy
Published: June 2020

Criminal organizations constantly face challenges that threaten their existence. This paper discusses the effects that state repression and state transformation have on criminal organizations and how such organizations respond. We focus on the case of the Russian mafia, known as the vory-v-zakone. We identify the key challenges faced by the vory throughout Soviet and Russian history and examine how the Russian mafia adapted to such threats. We conclude that the biggest threat came not from state repression during Stalin’s Great Terror but rather from state transformation in the 1990s. We also show that Putin’s era repression of the vory has not been more intense than that of the late Yeltsin’s years. The paper is based on a new and unique data set we constructed, which contains biographical information of more than 5,000 members of the vory fraternity.
Disentangling shock diffusion on complex networks: identification through graph planarity
Authors: Kumar Sudarshan , Di Matteo Tiziana , Chakrabarti Anindya S
Published: June 2020

Large scale networks delineating collective dynamics often exhibit cascading failures across nodes leading to a system-wide collapse. Prominent examples of such phenomena would include collapse on financial and economic networks. Intertwined nature of the dynamics of nodes in such network makes it difficult to disentangle the source and destination of a shock that percolates through the network, a property known as reflexivity. In this article, we propose a novel methodology by combining vector autoregression with an unique identification restrictions obtained from the topological structure of the network to uniquely characterize cascades. In particular, we show that planarity of the network allows us to statistically estimate a dynamical process consistent with the observed network and thereby uniquely identify a path for shock propagation from any chosen epicentre to all other nodes in the network. We analyse the distress propagation mechanism in closed loops giving rise to a detailed picture of the effect of feedback loops in transmitting shocks. We show usefulness and applications of the algorithm in two networks with dynamics at different time-scales: worldwide GDP growth network and stock network. In both cases, we observe that the model predicts the impact of the shocks emanating from the USA would be concentrated within the cluster of developed countries and the developing countries show very muted response, which is consistent with empirical observations over the past decade.
Effects of mental practice strategies associated to physiotherapy on gait and risk of falls in Parkinson’s disease: a pilot study of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Silva T , Silva L , Silva K , Silva S , Silva D , Lins C , Coriolano M
Published: June 2020

Introduction Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder that interferes with the voluntary movements due to dysfunction of the basal ganglia and presenting with motor signals, such as the reduction of gait speed. This contributes to an increased risk of falls. In rehabilitation, mental practice (MP) has been shown to promote plastic modulation of neural circuits and improve motor learning, but the results of research with MP in PD are still ambiguous due to the diversity of intervention strategies.

Objectives To compare the effects of MP strategies associated to physiotherapy in gait and risk of falls in PD patients.

Methodology We performed a pilot study of a clinical randomized, single blind, trial, conducted in accordance with the consort checklist. Patients with idiopathic PD were included and allocated to four groups: Control group (CG); Group with mental practice guided by images (MPI); Group with mental practice guided by audio (MPA); group with mental practice without a guide (MPWG). The subjects of the experimental groups were submitted to 15 sessions of physiotherapy and mental practice, while the CG received only physiotherapy. The sessions were held 2 times per week, 40 minutes for physiotherapy and approximately 5-10 minutes for the corresponding mental practice protocol. Spatial-temporal parameters of gait were assessed with the 10 meters Walking Test (TC10m), and the risk of falls was evaluated with the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test.

Results The MPI group showed significant results for the parameters time (p = 0.027) and speed (p = 0.025) when compared with the results of the CG. No main effects for the group were observed concerning cadence and risk of falls had. Groups MPWG and MPA showed no significant results for the TC10m and TUG when compared with the CG.

Conclusion The results of this pilot study suggest that MP guided by images associated to physical therapy was more effective to increase the gait speed than the alternative strategies.
MRSA/MSSA causing infections: prevalence of mecA gene
Authors: Vieira G , Leal N , Rodrigues A , Chaves C , Rodrigues F , Osório N
Published: June 2020

Introduction Staphylococcus aureus is part of the human flora, present in the skin and mucous membranes but can become pathogenic, causing a wide spectrum of infections that were initially treated with penicillin. However, were observed some strains with resistance to this antibiotic and, therefore was developed a new antibiotic, the methicillin. After its introduction, arose the first S. aureus with resistance to methicillin (MRSA) due to the presence of a gene known as mecA that encodes an altered penicillin binding protein (PBP2a). In Europe, it is estimated that MRSA are associated to 44% of hospital acquired infections and its mortality rate is around 20%.

Objectives Prevalence of MRSA strains in different types of infection in Coimbra district.

Methodology Were analysed a total of 539 isolates of S. aureus previously characterized to the antibiotic susceptibility profile in the Hospital and University Center of Coimbra. Through the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of oxacillin we classified our strains into MRSA and S. aureus methicillin-sensitive (MSSA); simultaneously, the mecA gene was detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Results Of the 539 isolates, 49% were considered MRSA and 51% MSSA. All MRSA isolates express the mecA gene, but from the total of 276 MSSA, 191 show this gene but do not express it. MRSA isolates were mostly from respiratory tract samples (48%) and blood cultures (21%) while MSSA were isolated in skin and soft tissue samples (35%).

Conclusion MRSA are considered one of the primary pathogens for the development of pneumonia and septicaemia due to its highly virulent potential and the increasing expression of genetic determinants of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, infections caused by MRSA continue with highly representability in the clinical context and their dissemination is a public health problem.
Experimental approaches to tracking mobile genetic elements in microbial communities
Authors: Saak Christina C , Dinh Cong B , Dutton Rachel J
Published: June 2020

Horizontal gene transfer is an important mechanism of microbial evolution and is often driven by the movement of mobile genetic elements between cells. Due to the fact that microbes live within communities, various mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer and types of mobile elements can co-occur. However, the ways in which horizontal gene transfer impacts and is impacted by communities containing diverse mobile elements has been challenging to address. Thus, the field would benefit from incorporating community-level information and novel approaches alongside existing methods. Emerging technologies for tracking mobile elements and assigning them to host organisms provide promise for understanding the web of potential DNA transfers in diverse microbial communities more comprehensively. Compared to existing experimental approaches, chromosome conformation capture and methylome analyses have the potential to simultaneously study various types of mobile elements and their associated hosts. We also briefly discuss how fermented food microbiomes, given their experimental tractability and moderate species complexity, make ideal models to which to apply the techniques discussed herein and how they can be used to address outstanding questions in the field of horizontal gene transfer in microbial communities.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Superfamily: Ancestral Functions and Remodeling in Early Vertebrate Evolution
Authors: Marín Ignacio
Published: June 2020

The evolution of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF) in early vertebrates is inferred by comparing the TNFSF genes found in humans and nine fishes: three agnathans, two chondrichthyans, three actinopterygians, and the sarcopterygian Latimeria chalumnae. By combining phylogenetic and synteny analyses, the TNFSF sequences detected are classified into five clusters of genes and 24 orthology groups. A model for their evolution since the origin of vertebrates is proposed. Fifteen TNFSF genes emerged from just three progenitors due to the whole-genome duplications (WGDs) that occurred before the agnathan/gnathostome split. Later, gnathostomes not only kept most of the genes emerged in the WGDs but soon added several tandem duplicates. More recently, complex, lineage-specific patterns of duplications and losses occurred in different gnathostome lineages. In agnathan species only seven to eight TNFSF genes are detected, because this lineage soon lost six of the genes emerged in the ancestral WGDs and additional losses in both hagfishes and lampreys later occurred. The orthologs of many of these lost genes are, in mammals, ligands of death-domain-containing TNFSF receptors, indicating that the extrinsic apoptotic pathway became simplified in the agnathan lineage. From the patterns of emergence of these genes, it is deduced that both the regulation of apoptosis and the control of the NF-κB pathway that depends in modern mammals on TNFSF members emerged before the ancestral vertebrate WGDs.
Does meaning protect against loneliness? Exploring empirical studies and theory
Authors: Folker Anna Paldam , Lauridsen Sigurd Mørk , Hegelund Emilie Rune , Wimmelmann Cathrine Lawaetz , Flensborg-Madsen Trine
Published: June 2020

Research indicates that meaning in life is a protective factor for physical and mental health. Although loneliness is increasingly recognized as an important public health concern, no studies have investigated the potential of meaning in life to protect against loneliness. Based on an explorative interdisciplinary research strategy that comprises data from a cohort study, a strategic review of empirical literature and a conceptual analysis of the concept of meaning in life we explore the support for potential links between meaning in life and the protection against loneliness. We propose three different explanatory mechanisms; (i) that meaning in life promotes a positive orientation toward others, (ii) that meaning in life enhances interpersonal appeal and (iii) that meaning in life promotes a better ability to cope with loneliness. Theoretically, we explore the idea that the value of meaning in life ultimately concerns a social need to contribute to the realization of value that, at least in principle, can be shared and recognized by others. When people realize the value of meaning in life, they partake in a community of shared values, which links them to a social world in a way that may protect against the feeling of loneliness. Jointly the analyses point to the need for prospective studies on the role of meaning in life as a protective factor against loneliness and a potential novel focus for loneliness interventions.
Why Scholars of Religion Must Investigate the Corporate Form
Authors: McLaughlin Levi , Rots Aike P , Thomas Jolyon Baraka , Watanabe Chika
Published: June 2020

A growing body of research describes connections between religion and economic activity through the language of commodification and marketization. Although this scholarship rightly challenges the assumption that religion is or should be divorced from worldly concerns, it still relies on distinctions between religion and the economy as isolable, reified entities. Rejecting this binary approach as untenable, we argue that studying the corporate form enriches the academic study of religion by providing concrete examples of how people create institutions and how organizations turn human bodies into resources while also fostering individuals’ devotion to collective agendas. Attention to the corporate form enables us to keep money and power in view as we trace historical formations and current manifestations of religious organizations. We investigate Japanese genealogies of the corporate form to elucidate some generalizable principles for how nonprofit religions and for-profit companies alike generate missions, families, individuals, and publics.
An Efficient Duplex PCR Method for Sex Identification of the European Grapevine Moth Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) at Any Developmental Stage
Authors: Aguirre Carlos , Olivares Natalia , Hinrichsen Patricio
Published: June 2020

Many genetic studies in insects require sex identification of individuals in all developmental stages. The most common sex chromosome system in lepidopterans is WZ/ZZ; the W chromosome is present only in females. Based on two W chromosome-specific short sequences (CpW2 and CpW5) described in Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), we identified homologous female-specific sequences in Lobesia botrana Den. & Schiff, a polyphagous and very harmful species present in Chile since 2008. From this starting point, we extended the sequence information using the inverse PCR method, identifying the first W-specific sequences described up to now for the moth. Finally, we developed a duplex PCR method for rapid and sensitive determination of sex in L. botrana from larva to adult. The method showed a detection limit of 1 pg of genomic DNA; a blind panel of samples exhibited exact correspondence with the morphological identification. These results will be very useful for studies requiring sex-specific analyses at any developmental stage, contributing also to the understanding of gene expression in the insect, as well as to the eventual development of control protocols against the moth, such as the development of genetic sexing strains for the implementation of the sterile insect technique.
Stereotactic body radiotherapy for bone metastases in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Ito Kei , Yamaguchi Tatsuro , Ogawa Hiroaki , Nakajima Yujiro , Karasawa Katsuyuki
Published: June 2020

Objective

To clarify the clinical outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy for colorectal cancer-derived bone metastases and identify factors predicting treatment failure.

Methods

Patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy for bone metastases from colorectal cancer between September 2013 and June 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The prescribed dose for spine and non-spine bone metastases was 24 Gy in two fractions and 35 Gy in five fractions, respectively. The end point was local failure, which was defined as tumour progression on imaging evaluations. In addition, various treatment- and tumour-specific factors were evaluated to determine predictors of local failure.

Results

This study included 43 lesions in 38 patients, with solitary bone metastases in 18 lesions (42%), re-irradiation stereotactic body radiotherapy in 28 lesions (65%) and postoperative stereotactic body radiotherapy due to spinal cord compression in 10 lesions (23%). The median follow-up after stereotactic body radiotherapy was 12 (range, 2–60) months. The 1-year LF rate was 44%. In the univariate analysis, sacral metastases (P = 0.02) were found to be significantly correlated with LF, and multiple-course systemic therapy before stereotactic body radiotherapy (P= 0.06) and large target volume (P = 0.07) showed a trend towards an association with LF. However, these factors were not independent predictors of LF in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

More than 40% of the lesions treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy for bone metastases from colorectal cancer showed LF within 1 year. No poor prognostic factors could be identified statistically. The poor outcomes in all groups indicate that the treatment intensity of the stereotactic body radiotherapy was insufficient to control colorectal cancer bone metastases.
How the Coronavirus Disease-2019 May Improve Care: Rethinking Cervical Cancer Prevention
Authors: Feldman Sarah , Haas Jennifer S
Published: June 2020

These past months of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic have given us ample opportunity to reflect on the US health-care system. Despite overwhelming tragedy, it is an opportunity for us to learn and to change. As we postpone routine visits because of the pandemic, we worry about risks for patients who delay cancer screening. We use cervical cancer screening and prevention as an example of how we can use some “lessons learned” from the pandemic to prevent “collateral losses,” such as an increase in cancers. COVID-2019–related health-system changes, like the more rapid evaluation of diagnostic tests and vaccines, the transition to compensated virtual care for most counseling and education visits, and broadened access to home services, offer potential benefits to the delivery of cervical cancer screening and prevention. While we detail the case for cervical cancer prevention, many of the issues discussed are generalizable to other preventative measures. It would be a tragedy if the morbidity and mortality of COVID-2019 are multiplied because of additional suffering caused by delayed or deferred cancer screening and diagnostic evaluation—but maybe with creativity and reflection, we can use this pandemic to improve care.
Theoretical Analysis of Economic Growth
Authors: Cheng Thomas K
Published: June 2020

This chapter presents a theoretical analysis of economic growth. The first growth model in modern economics is arguably the Harrod–Domar growth model, named after Roy Harrod and Evsey Domar. Under this model, the major obstacle to economic growth is a lack of investment, which in turn is caused by a lack of capital. Therefore, the solution to poor growth is to somehow plug the savings gap by increasing domestic savings or foreign aid. Two other growth models that emphasize the importance of investment and capital accumulation were proposed by Nobel Laureate Arthur Lewis and Walt Rostow. The main thesis behind Lewis’s model is the idea of unlimited surplus of rural labor. Growth is therefore predicated on the increase in size of the industrial sector in the economy. Meanwhile, Rostow posits a five-stage evolutionary growth model. He argues that the key to moving from one stage to the next is the extension of the existing structure of production, which again requires investment in the capital stock. The chapter also looks at the Solow–Swan model, which is often regarded as the first modern growth model, as well as the endogenous growth models such as the AK model; the Lucas Human Capital model; the Romer Knowledge Spillover and Product Variety models; and the Schumpeterian growth models.
The History of Arbitration in Russia
Authors: Oda Hiroshi
Published: June 2020

This introductory chapter provides a background to arbitration in Russia. The history of arbitration in Russia can be traced back to the seventeenth century. In 1831, the Statute on Arbitration was enacted. In this Statute, there were two different systems of arbitration: statutory arbitration and voluntary arbitration. Statutory arbitration was not based upon the parties’ free will. This was a system in which parties were mandated to choose arbitration because of the overloaded court docket. Voluntary arbitration, on the other hand, was based upon the agreement of the parties. Statutory arbitration was abolished by the Great Judicial Reform of 1864 and only voluntary arbitration remained in the Rules of Civil Procedure. However, after the Bolshevik Revolution, all laws of the Tsarist regime, including the Rules on the Civil Procedure, were abolished. Nevertheless, the decree on the court No. 1 of 1917 accommodated arbitration as a means of settling civil law disputes. There was no commercial arbitration under socialism, except for two institutions attached to All-Union Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The chapter then looks at arbitration after the collapse of socialism. After decades of confusion, as an outcome of the 2015 Arbitral Reform, relevant laws were substantially amended and a licensing system was introduced for arbitral institutions.
Arbitration Agreements
Authors: Oda Hiroshi
Published: June 2020

This chapter addresses arbitration agreements. The basis of arbitration is the arbitration agreement, which represents the intention of the parties to refer the dispute to arbitration. The court to which an action was taken on the subject matter of an arbitration agreement must terminate the procedure and refer the parties to arbitration, provided that either party applies for termination of the procedure not later than that party’s first submission on the merits of the case. This does not apply if the arbitration agreement is invalid, has lost effect, or is unenforceable. If an action was taken in court, the arbitration process may start, or continue, while the court is yet to decide on jurisdiction. The chapter considers the form of arbitration agreement, the court practice on arbitration clauses, and the scope of the arbitration agreement.
Reliance
Authors: McFarlane Ben
Published: June 2020

This chapter examines person B’s reliance. Where B makes a proprietary estoppel claim, reliance must be pleaded. It is an essential element of B’s claim as it is necessary to establish a connection between A’s action or inaction and the detriment that B would suffer in the absence of a claim against A. As the second of the three main elements of proprietary estoppel, reliance can thus be seen as forming the link between the first and third of those elements. In the absence of reliance, A’s acquiescence, representation, or assurance cannot, by itself, mean that A should have to bear the responsibility of ensuring that B does not suffer a detriment. The reliance requirement can therefore be seen as raising an issue of causation: as in other areas of law, causation must be proved in order to attribute to A responsibility for B’s position. In the context of proprietary estoppel, such attribution depends on establishing a relevant link between A and the prospective detriment of which B complains. This is achieved by showing that the particular action or inaction of B that has exposed B to the prospect of such detriment was caused by A’s acquiescence, representation, or assurance.
Crimes Against Humanity Under General International Law
Authors: Mettraux Guénaël
Published: June 2020

This chapter discusses crimes against humanity under international law. Crimes against humanity were first introduced at Nuremberg as a means of criminalizing three sorts of criminality that so far had evaded the sanction of international law: atrocities committed outside the context of an armed conflict or independent of it; crimes committed against fellow nationals or nationals of allied nations; and institutionalized discriminatory violence that resulted in individuals being targeted and mistreated by a state because of their identity. Crimes against humanity seek to protect core attributes of all human beings: their dignity; their humanity; and their fundamental human rights. The notion of crimes against humanity reflects the fact that the protection of those interests and the punishment of serious violations of these interests is a matter of universal concern. It also makes it clear that the protection arising from international law does not depend on the nationality of the victim or his membership in a group, nor on his or relationship to the perpetrator. Instead, it is the sheer humanity of the victim that warrants and justifies the criminalization of such acts. And whilst the notion of genocide and crimes against humanity overlap in part in their efforts to protect these core values, unlike genocide, crimes against humanity seek to protect individuals as such, rather than groups of individuals. The chapter then looks at the relationship between crimes against humanity and other international crimes as well as the process of defining crimes against humanity.
Immunities, Amnesties, and Statutes of Limitation
Authors: Mettraux Guénaël
Published: June 2020

This chapter assesses immunities, amnesties, and statutes of limitation in crimes against humanity. The question of whether immunities apply and, if so, to what effect, depend on the circumstances of the case and how the domestic legal regime under consideration orders and ranks its international legal obligations. It is, therefore, not necessarily the case that immunities would prevail in every instance in this sort of scenario regardless of circumstances. Meanwhile, international law does not grant legal force to amnesties; nor does it create enforceable rights for the beneficiaries of an amnesty. Instead, international law provides for a number of basic criteria that national amnesties must satisfy, lest they be regarded as invalid under international law. This means that, aside from amnesties that are per se invalid under international law—i.e., those pertaining to genocide, torture, and grave breaches of the Geneva Convention—the validity of all other categories of amnesties pertaining to international crimes is subject to the discretionary review of the tribunal concerned. Lastly, the 1968 Convention on Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations provides that no statutory limitations shall apply to crimes against humanity, as do a number of other international instruments, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) Statute.
Crimes Against Humanity and Other International Crimes
Authors: Mettraux Guénaël
Published: June 2020

This concluding chapter provides an overview of crimes against humanity. Crimes against humanity are characterized by several core features. First, they are crimes of scale insofar as they must involve and form part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population. Second, similar to genocide but unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity may be committed in times of peace or in times of war. Third, the possibility of being a victim to a crime against humanity does not depend on the victim's nationality or on the victim's membership in any particular community or faction in an armed conflict. Fourth, crimes against humanity are intrinsically serious criminal offences and reflect some of the most important human interests protected by international law. Lastly, crimes against humanity are not subject to any statutory limitations as a matter of international law. The chapter then looks at the differences between crimes against humanity and other international crimes. These include war crimes, genocide, aggression, and terrorism.
Racial Disproportionality in the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Authors: Zinsser Katherine M. , Wanless Shannon B.
Published: June 2020

For Black children, experiences with school discipline are often not an opportunity to learn, they are a pathway into the criminal justice system. At every step along the way, this pathway is faster and even more consequential for Black students than for their White peers. Implicit and explicit biases result in Black children’s behavior being managed more harshly, perceived as more dangerous, and more often deemed sufficient to justify expulsion in comparison to their White peers. There are formal and informal pathways for removal, starting in preschool, and the consequences for Black children in particular are stark. Policies often allow racial disproportionality in the school-to-prison pipeline to be ignored, or even facilitated. This chapter reviews the factors driving disproportionality in the pipeline and the current policy landscape. It also identifies ways in which schools, districts, and preservice teacher preparation programs can disrupt and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.
Purging Unwanted Calories and Feelings
Authors: Keel Pamela K.
Published: June 2020

Sociocultural influences provide an insufficient explanation for why someone develops purging disorder because most people in our culture never develop this problem. Differences in how we perceive, respond to, and shape our environments emerge from psychological factors that impact our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and explain why only some people purge. Psychological theories describe a pathway from anxious temperaments to the emergence of perfectionism to avoid threats and control uncertainty supported by evidence. During adolescence, changes in biology and in social context increase focus on the body, making it both a threat and a target for perfectionistic strivings. Inability to achieve perfection increases distress, and purging relieves distress temporarily. However, purging never resolves the original source of distress and becomes its own source of shame. Use of multiple purging methods is linked to childhood trauma history, comorbid depression, anxiety disorders, substance use problems, and suicidality.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment in Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Format
Authors: Rauch Sheila A. M. , Rothbaum Barbara O. , Smith Erin R. , Foa Edna B.
Published: June 2020

This chapter presents the rationale for why Prolonged Exposure for Intensive Outpatient Programs (PE-IOP) was created through an examination of some of the barriers to care that may appear in traditional outpatient psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Evidence for efficacy and effectiveness of PE-IOP for PTSD and related issues across patient populations is summarized, including those areas still in need of examination.
IOP Assessment and Structure
Authors: Rauch Sheila A. M. , Rothbaum Barbara O. , Smith Erin R. , Foa Edna B.
Published: June 2020

This chapter presents key assessment issues and recommendations to assist in patient selection and examination of response across the prolonged exposure-intensive outpatient (PE-IOP) treatment program. The authors discuss key issues including dissociation, suicide and self-harm risk, anger, moral injury, complex trauma, personality disorder, guilt, and comorbidity. Specific patient populations are discussed, including military, sexual assault, and traumatic brain injury populations. Discussion of a process for screening, assessment, and treatment planning using an interdisciplinary treatment team is presented.
Case Management
Authors: Rauch Sheila A. M. , Rothbaum Barbara O. , Smith Erin R. , Foa Edna B.
Published: June 2020

Case management plays a critical role in the Prolonged Exposure-Intensive Outpatient Program (PE-IOP) model. This chapter presents the logistics and rationale for case management as used in PE-IOP. The goal of case management is to provide necessary logistics to help the patient maximize therapeutic benefit from the PE-IOP program. Case management begins prior to program entry to assist with assessment and treatment planning and continues throughout the PE-IOP to ensure that the patient can fully engage with care (e.g., get where they need to go for in vivos, address financial concerns, etc.). Finally, planning for discharge and continued care begins at assessment and ends after patients return home to ensure that they can maintain the gains they made in PE-IOP.
Variations and How to Decide
Authors: Rauch Sheila A. M. , Rothbaum Barbara O. , Smith Erin R. , Foa Edna B.
Published: June 2020

This therapist guide presents the scaffold and structure for the Prolonged Exposure-Intensive Outpatient Program (PE-IOP). The program is focused on exposure as provided through individual imaginal exposure and group in vivo exposure. The format presented is based primarily on the model used in the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program (EHVP), but this chapter provides a focus on the most common variations in program design with a discussion of how to decide between the different potential variations. Relevant inclusions and exclusions are presented along with rationales.