bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange Application in Children Requires Individual Decision
Authors: Atay Gürkan , Demirkol Demet
Published: July 2020

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is a treatment administered with the aim of removing a pathogenic material or compound causing morbidity in a variety of neurologic, hematologic, renal, and autoimmune diseases. In this study, we aimed to assess the indications, efficacy, reliability, complications, and treatment response of pediatric patients for TPE. This retrospective study analyzed data from 39 patients aged from 0 to 18 years who underwent a total of 172 TPE sessions from January 2015 to April 2018 in a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit. Indications for TPE were, in order of frequency, macrophage activation syndrome (28.2%, n = 11), renal transplantation rejection (15.4%, n = 6), liver failure (15.4%, n = 6), Guillain–Barre's syndrome (15%, n = 6), hemolytic uremic syndrome (7.7%, n = 3), acute demyelinating disease (7.7%, n = 3), septic shock (5.1%, n = 2), and intoxication (5.1%, n = 2). No patient had any adverse event related to the TPE during the procedure. The TPE session was ended prematurely in one patient due to insufficient vascular access and lack of blood flow (2.6%). In the long term, thrombosis due to the indwelling central catheter occurred (5.1%, n = 2). TPE appears to be an effective first-stage or supplementary treatment in a variety of diseases, may be safely used in pediatric patients, and there are significant findings that its area of use will increase. In experienced hands and when assessed carefully, it appears that the rate of adverse reactions and vascular access problems may be low enough to be negligible.
Chebyshev polynomial method to Landauer–Büttiker formula of quantum transport in nanostructures
Authors: Yu Yan , Zhang Yan-Yang , Liu Lei , Wang Si-Si , Guan Ji-Huan , Xia Yang , Li Shu-Shen
Published: July 2020

The Landauer–Büttiker formula describes the electronic quantum transport in nanostructures and molecules. It will be numerically demanding for simulations of complex or large size systems due to, for example, matrix inversion calculations. Recently, the Chebyshev polynomial method has attracted intense interest in numerical simulations of quantum systems due to the high efficiency in parallelization because the only matrix operation it involves is just the product of sparse matrices and vectors. Much progress has been made on the Chebyshev polynomial representations of physical quantities for isolated or bulk quantum structures. Here, we present the Chebyshev polynomial method to the typical electronic scattering problem, the Landauer–Büttiker formula for the conductance of quantum transport in nanostructures. We first describe the full algorithm based on the standard bath kernel polynomial method (KPM). Then, we present two simple but efficient improvements. One of them has time consumption remarkably less than that of the direct matrix calculation without KPM. Some typical examples are also presented to illustrate the numerical effectiveness.
Quality and fatty acid profile of milk of indigenous dairy goats fed from oasis resources in Tunisian arid areas
Authors: Ayeb Naziha , Majdoub Besma , Dbara Mohamed , Fguiri Imen , Khorchani Soufiene , Hammadi Mohamed , Khorchani Touhami
Published: July 2020

Context
The food security of Tunisia is dependent on utilising all of its resources effectively to feed the population. Rangelands used for grazing are subject to continuous degradation, which reduces the availability of feeds to livestock. In the oasis regions, this constraint is attenuated by the systematic use of various by-products of the palm grove. There is a need to constantly search for alternative feed resources to support ruminant-livestock farming in arid regions and, therefore, the products of desert oases need to be exploited

Aims
The present work aimed to determine the effect of the use of local resources of oases on feed intake and milk quality of goats.

Methods
Twenty-four indigenous lactating goats were used to investigate the effect of the substitution of the concentrate feed with alternative feed obtained from oases in Tunisian arid zones. The three study groups in the 60-day trial were as follows: the first group received 0% date waste (WD) + 100% concentrate (CON) + oaten hay; the second group received 50% WD + 30% alfalfa cork (AC) + 20% CON + alfalfa hay; and the third group received 50% WD + 50% AC and no CON + alfalfa hay.

Key results
Feed intake was higher in Group 2 (1167.10 ± 42.8 g DM/day) than in Groups 3 and 1 (1028.9 ± 68.9 and 856.04 ± 58.9 g DM/day respectively. Average daily milk production did not differ among the groups. Dietary fat and crude protein were not affected by the type of ration. The concentrations of saturated fatty acids were similar in the milk of the three groups. In the three groups studied, the ratio n6:n3 (12.80, 8.80 and 6.77) was higher than the recommended value (<5) for human consumption.

Conclusions
The use of WD did not affect milk production but it improved the nutritional quality of milk, especially the composition of fatty acid (ratio n6/n3).

Implications
The use of alternative resources in goat feeding, such as WD and alfalfa cork, can replace the use of market feeds and decrease the costs of animal feed.
Utility of rapid plasmin reagin titres in assessing treatment response and re-infection for infectious syphilis
Authors: Harjanto Ricky , Smith Don E. , Barratt Hamish , Kelly Melissa , Chan Derek , Furner Virginia , Smith Maggie , Ronnachit Amrita , Post Jeffrey , Rawlinson William
Published: July 2020

Abstract

Background
The rapid plasma reagin (RPR) assay is commonly used as a surrogate marker of infectious syphilis, but is non-specific, slow to change and variable in its rate of decline post treatment. Methods: Within an urban sexual health service testing predominantly men who have sex with men, a file review of RPR changes was undertaken in all subjects who had a dilution level of ≥1:4, between January 2015 to the end of December 2018. Results: Overall, 248 cases of infectious syphilis were identified in 215 subjects (165 HIV seropositive, 50 HIV seronegative). Among unique-subject cases with follow-up RPR recorded, seroreversion to a non-reactive titre was achieved in only 42.3% (71/168) cases at a median of 235 days (interquartile range: 138–348 days) and was significantly less likely if patients had HIV infection (P = 0.02), late latent syphilis (P = 0.003) or a subsequent syphilis infection (P < 0.0001). Having HIV infection (P = 0.03) or a subsequent episode of syphilis (P = 0.01) were associated with a lower likelihood of documented cure. Conclusions: The slow decay in RPR titres post therapy and the inability of a significant number of subjects to achieve a non-reactive result over time makes RPR a poor test for assessing the adequacy of treatment or in diagnosing re-infection, especially in populations having repeated and frequent risk exposures. As the number of syphilis cases continue to climb, better tests that accurately assess pathogen presence are urgently needed.
Too early to say: The Englishtoo ADJ to Vconstruction and models of cross-cultural communications styles
Authors: Pavlović Vladan
Published: July 2020

This paper studies the Englishtoo ADJ to Vconstruction. It starts with a (multiple) distinctive collexeme analysis (as one of the subtypes of collostructional analysis) of theADJ-Vpairs appearing in the given construction in three regional varieties of English (American, British and Indian English) based on the GloWbE corpus. This analysis establishes the most distinctive and most strongly repelledADJ-Vpairs in the respective varieties. These results are then interpreted from the perspective of three models of inter-cultural and cross-cultural communication styles. The paper demonstrates that the most distinctive and the most repelledADJ-Vpairs do differ across the three varieties and that this may reflect subtle differences in the underlying cultural conceptualizations. The paper also introduces the notion of ‘(multiple) distinctive collexeme analysis of co-varying collexemes’, as an extension of the existing notion of the given type of collostructional analysis.
Tracking and analyzing recent developments in German-language online press in the face of the coronavirus crisis
Authors: Wolfer Sascha , Koplenig Alexander , Michaelis Frank , Müller-Spitzer Carolin
Published: July 2020

The coronavirus pandemic may be the largest crisis the world has had to face since World War II. It does not come
as a surprise that it is also having an impact on language as our primary communication tool. In this short paper, we present
three inter-connected resources that are designed to capture and illustrate these effects on a subset of the German language: An
RSS corpus of German-language newsfeeds (with freely available untruncated frequency lists), a continuously updated HTML page
tracking the diversity of the vocabulary in the RSS corpus and a Shiny web application that enables other researchers and the
broader public to explore the corpus in terms of basic frequencies.
Study of immune‐tolerized cell lines and extracellular vesicles inductive environment promoting continuous expression and secretion of HLA‐G from semiallograft immune tolerance during pregnancy
Authors: Cho Kyoungshik , Kook Hyejin , Kang Suman , Lee Jangho
Published: July 2020

An immune reaction is a protector of our body but a target to be overcome for all non‐self‐derived medicine. Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), noted as a primary alternative to cell therapy products that exhibit immune rejection due to mismatching‐major histocompatibility complex (MHC), were discovered to have excellent curative effects through the delivery of various biologically active substances. Although EVs are sure to incur immune reaction by immunogenicity due to alloantigens from their parental cells, their immune rejection is rarely known. Hence, to develop cell lines and EVs as medicines with no immune rejection, we noted the immune tolerance where the foetus, as semi‐allograft, is perfectly protected from the maternal immune system. We designed the ex‐vivo culture systems to simulate in‐vivo environmental factors inducing extravillous trophoblast (EVT)‐specific Human Leukocyte Antigen‐G (HLA‐G) expression and secretion of HLA‐G‐bearing EVs at the mother‐foetus interface. Using them, we confirmed that immune‐tolerized stem cells (itSCs) continuously expressing and secreting HLA‐G like EVTs during pregnancy can be induced. Also, EVs secreted from itSCs are verified as immune‐tolerized EVs (itSC‐EVs) containing HLA‐G and not causing immune rejection through various analytical methods. These findings can provide a new perspective on the local and extensive immune tolerance environment where HLA‐G is expressed and secreted by pregnancy‐related hormones and different biological conditions. Furthermore, they show the new way to develop itSCs‐EVs‐based therapeutics that are free from time, space, and donor limitation causing immune rejection.

Abbreviations

CFSE: carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester; DC: dendritic cells; ELISA: enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay; EV: extracellular vesicles; EVT: extravillous trophoblast; FSH: follicle stimulating hormone; HA: hyaluronic acid; hCG: human chorionic gonadotropin; HLA‐G: human leukocyte antigen G; iPSC: induced pluripotent stem cells; itSC‐EVs: immune‐tolerized extracellular vesicles from itSCs; itTBC‐EVs: immune‐tolerized extracellular vesicles from itTBCs; itSCs: immune tolerized stem cells; itTBCs: immune‐tolerized trophoblast cells; LH: luteinizing hormone; MHC: major histocompatibility complex; MSC: mesenchymal stem cells; NK: natural killer cells; NTA: nanoparticle tracking analysis; PBMC: peripheral blood mononuclear cells; PHA: phytohemagglutinin; SP‐IRIS: single particle interferometric reflectance imaging sensing; STB: syncytiotrophoblast
Don’t press pause on innovation
Authors: Bray Richard
Published: July 2020

Richard Bray says it’s as vital now as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic for physics-based firms to protect their innovation
Higher white matter hyperintensity lesion load is associated with reduced long-range functional connectivity
Authors: Quandt Fanny , Fischer Felix , Schröder Julian , Heinze Marlene , Lettow Iris , Frey Benedikt M , Kessner Simon S , Schulz Maximilian , Higgen Focko L , Cheng Bastian , Gerloff Christian , Thomalla Götz
Published: July 2020

Cerebral small vessel disease is a common disease in the older population and is recognized as a major risk factor for cognitive decline and stroke. Small vessel disease is considered a global brain disease impacting the integrity of neuronal networks resulting in disturbances of structural and functional connectivity. A core feature of cerebral small vessel disease commonly present on neuroimaging is white matter hyperintensities. We studied high-resolution resting-state EEG, leveraging source reconstruction methods, in 35 participants with varying degree of white matter hyperintensities without clinically evident cognitive impairment in an observational study. In patients with increasing white matter lesion load, global theta power was increased independently of age. Whole-brain functional connectivity revealed a disrupted network confined to the alpha band in participants with higher white matter hyperintensities lesion load. The decrease of functional connectivity was evident in long-range connections, mostly originating or terminating in the frontal lobe. Cognitive testing revealed no global cognitive impairment; however, some participants revealed deficits of executive functions that were related to larger white matter hyperintensities lesion load. In summary, participants without clinical signs of mild cognitive impairment or dementia showed oscillatory changes that were significantly related to white matter lesion load. Hence, oscillatory neuronal network changes due to white matter lesions might act as biomarker prior to clinically relevant behavioural impairment.
Prediction of Finite Population Proportion When Responses are Misclassified
Authors: Adhya Sumanta , Roy Surupa , Banerjee Tathagata
Published: July 2020

We propose a model-based predictive estimator of the finite population proportion of a misclassified binary response, when information on the auxiliary variable(s) is available for all units in the population. Asymptotic properties of the misclassification-adjusted predictive estimator are also explored. We propose a computationally efficient bootstrap variance estimator that exhibits better performance compared to usual analytical variance estimator. The performance of the proposed estimator is compared with other commonly used design-based estimators through extensive simulation studies. The results are supplemented by an empirical study based on literacy data.
Fix, Express, Quantify: Disquotation After Its Logic
Authors: Nicolai Carlo
Published: July 2020

Truth-theoretic deflationism holds that truth is simple, and yet that it can fulfil many useful logico-linguistic roles. Deflationism focuses on axioms for truth: there is no reduction of the notion of truth to more fundamental ones such as sets or higher-order quantifiers. In this paper I argue that the fundamental properties of reasonable, primitive truth predicates are at odds with the core tenets of classical truth-theoretic deflationism that I call fix, express, and quantify. Truth may be regarded as a broadly logical, sui generis notion. However, this has little to do with the original aims of the deflationary theory of truth.
Subject Matter: A Modest Proposal
Authors: Plebani Matteo , Spolaore Giuseppe
Published: July 2020

The notion of subject matter is a key concern of contemporary philosophy of language and logic. A central task for a theory of subject matter is to characterise the notion of sentential subject matter, that is, to assign to each sentence of a given language a subject matter that may count as its subject matter. In this paper, we elaborate upon David Lewis’ account of subject matter. Lewis’ proposal is simple and elegant but lacks a satisfactory characterisation of sentential subject matter. Drawing on linguistic literature on focus and on the question under discussion, we offer a neo-Lewisian account of subject matter, which retains all the virtues of Lewis’ but also includes an attractive characterisation of sentential subject matter.
Development and design specifications for an accelerometer-based biomechanical, prosthetic sensorimotor platform
Authors: Johnson P A , Johnson J C , Mardon A A
Published: July 2020

Following stroke, injury, or exposure to physically limiting conditions, limbs can become physiologically compromised. In particular, motor and fine-dexterity tasks involving the arm, particularly in locomotion, grasp and release, can be influenced becoming either delayed and having to deal with greater force demands. Current prosthetic systems use electromyography (EMG)-based techniques for creating functional sensorimotor platforms. However, several limitations in practical use and signal detection have been identified in these systems. Accelerometer-based sensorimotor systems have been suggested to overcome these limitations but only proof-of-concept has been demonstrated. Here, we explore design specifications for accelerometers being developed for prosthetic integration. We have developed optimizations for the current model, evaluated system properties to enhance sensitivity and reduce signal noise, and performed a pilot test using simulation to test this model. The data suggest these novel design parameters can enhance signal detection, when compared to conventional accelerometers. Future avenues should focus on validation of this design prototype in a full prosthetic system.
Toxigenic and zoonoticCorynebacterium ulceransemerges from widespread hedgehog disease
Authors: Martel An , Boyen Filip , Rau Jörg , Eisenberg Tobias , Sing Andreas , Berger Anja , Chiers Koen , Van Praet Sarah , Verbanck Serge , Vervaeke Muriel , Pasmans Frank
Published: July 2020

Toxin-producingCorynebacterium ulcerans, causing diphtheria in humans, were isolated from 53 diseased hedgehogs during spring 2020 in Belgium. Isolates showed low levels of acquired antimicrobial resistance. Pronounced strain diversity suggests emergence from an endemic situation. These findings stress the need for raising public awareness and improved wildlife disease surveillance.
Virtual reality simulation of epi-retinal prosthetic vision highlights the relevance of the visual angle
Authors: Thorn Jacob Thomas , Migliorini Enrico , Ghezzi Diego
Published: July 2020

Objective

Retinal prostheses hold the potential to restore artificial vision in blind patients suffering from outer retinal dystrophies. The optimal number, density, and coverage of the electrodes that a retinal prosthesis should have to provide adequate artificial vision in daily activities is still an open question and an important design parameter needed to develop better implants.

Approach

To address this question, we investigated the interaction between the visual angle, the pixel number and the pixel density without being limited by a small electrode count, as in previous research reports. We implemented prosthetic vision in a virtual reality environment in order to simulate the real-life experience of using a retinal prosthesis. We designed four different tasks simulating: object recognition, word reading, perception of a descending step and crossing a street.

Main results

The results of our study showed that in all the tasks the visual angle played the most significant role in improving the performance of the participant.

Significance

The design of new retinal prostheses should take into account the relevance of the restored visual angle to provide a helpful and valuable visual aid to profoundly or totally blind patients.
Aβ-induced synaptic injury is mediated by presynaptic expression of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in hippocampal neurons
Authors: Vicario-Orri Elena , Kasuga Kensaku , Tyan Sheue-Houy , Chiang Karen , da Silva Silvia Viana , Bushong Eric A. , DeLoach Katherine , Ling I-Fang , Luo Liqun , Ellisman Mark H. , Leutgeb Stefan , Koo Edward H.
Published: July 2020

The patterns of Aβ-induced synaptic injury were examined after targeting of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) preferentially to either CA1 or CA3 neurons using Cre-lox technology combined with tetracycline-regulated expression. Both CA1- and CA3-APP-expressing transgenic mouse lines exhibited reduction in long-term potentiation (LTP) only when APP was expressed in neurons presynaptic to the recording site, whereas LTP remained comparable to wild-type mice when APP was expressed in postsynaptic neurons. As quantified by both light and electron microscopy, this orientation-specific impairment in synaptic plasticity was mirrored by synaptic loss in regions receiving axonal inputs from neurons expressing APP. Furthermore, A(plaque deposition also occurred only in the postsynaptic axonal fields of APP-expressing neurons. These deficits were reversed not only with doxycycline to inhibit APP expression but also with γ-secretase and Fyn kinase inhibitors, supporting the interpretation that the observed synaptic injury was mediated by Aβ. Taken together, these results demonstrate that APP/Aβ-induced synaptic toxicity is preferentially initiated by signaling of presynaptically expressed APP to the postsynaptic compartment.
Planomonospora: a Metabolomics Perspective on an Underexplored Actinobacteria Genus
Authors: Zdouc Mitja M. , Iorio Marianna , Maffioli Sonia I. , Crüsemann Max , Donadio Stefano , Sosio Margherita
Published: July 2020

Despite an excellent track record, microbial drug discovery suffers from high rates of re-discovery. Better workflows for the rapid investigation of complex extracts are needed to increase throughput and allow early prioritization of samples. In addition, systematic characterization of poorly explored strains is seldomly performed. Here, we report a metabolomic study of 72 isolates belonging to the rare actinomycete genusPlanomonospora, using a workflow of open access tools to investigate its secondary metabolites. The results reveal a correlation of chemical diversity and strain phylogeny, with classes of metabolites exclusive to certain phylogroups. We were able to identify previously reportedPlanomonosporametabolites, including the ureylene-containing oligopeptide antipain, the thiopeptide siomycin including new congeners and the ribosomally synthesized peptides sphaericin and lantibiotic 97518. In addition, we found thatPlanomonosporastrains can produce the siderophore desferrioxamine or a salinichelin-like peptide. Analysis of the genomes of three newly sequenced strains led to the detection of 47 gene cluster families, of which several were connected to products found by LC-MS/MS profiling. This study demonstrates the value of metabolomic studies to investigate poorly explored taxa and provides a first picture of the biosynthetic capabilities of the genusPlanomonospora.
Musicianship can be decoded from magnetic resonance images
Authors: Puoliväli Tuomas , Sipola Tuomo , Thiede Anja , Kliuchko Marina , Bogert Brigitte , Toiviainen Petri , Nandi Asoke K. , Parkkonen Lauri , Brattico Elvira , Ristaniemi Tapani , Parviainen Tiina
Published: July 2020

Learning induces structural changes in the brain. Especially repeated, long-term behaviors, such as extensive training of playing a musical instrument, are likely to produce characteristic features to brain structure. However, it is not clear to what extent such structural features can be extracted from magnetic resonance images of the brain. Here we show that it is possible to predict whether a person is a musician or a non-musician based on the thickness of the cerebral cortex measured at 148 brain regions en-compassing the whole cortex. Using a supervised machine-learning technique, we achieved a significant (κ= 0.321,p <0.001) agreement between the actual and predicted participant groups of 30 musicians and 85 non-musicians. The areas contributing to the prediction were mostly in the frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes of the left hemisphere. Our results suggest that decoding musicianship from magnetic resonance images of brain structure is feasible. Further, the distribution of the areas that were informative in the classification, which mostly, but not entirely, overlapped with earlier findings on areas relevant for musical skills, implies that decoding-based analyses of structural properties of the brain can reveal novel aspects of musical aptitude. In particular, our results highlight differences in visual areas in addition to the already more established differences located in motor networks and networks of higher-order cognitive function.
Criminal thinking and gang affiliation: antecedents and consequences
Authors: Walters Glenn D.
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between gang affiliation and criminal thinking.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 1,354 youth (1,170 males, 184 females) from the Pathways to Desistance Study served as participants in this study, and a causal mediation path analysis was performed on proactive and reactive criminal thinking, gang affiliation and subsequent offending.

Findings

Using three waves of data, it was determined that the pathway running from reactive criminal thinking to gang affiliation to proactive criminal thinking was significant, whereas the pathway running from proactive criminal thinking to gang affiliation to reactive criminal thinking was not. A four-wave model, in which violent and income offending were appended to the three-wave model, disclosed similar results.

Practical implications

Two separate targets for intervention with youth at risk for gang involvement: proactive and reactive criminal thinking. The impulsive, irresponsible, reckless and disinhibited nature of reactive criminal thinking may best be managed with a secondary prevention approach and cognitive-behavioral skills training; the planned, cold, calculating and amoral nature of proactive criminal thinking may best be managed with a tertiary prevention approach and moral retraining. Trauma therapy may be of assistance to youth who have been victimized over the course of their gang experience.

Originality/value

These findings reveal evidence of a gang selection effect that is independent of the well-documented peer selection effect, in which reactive criminal thinking led to gang affiliation in youthful offenders, particularly non-White offenders, and a gang influence effect, independent of the frequently observed peer selection effect, in which gang affiliation contributed to a rise in proactive criminal thinking.
Dietary sodium intake in relation to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease risk: a case-control study
Authors: Emamat Hadi , Farhadnejad Hossein , Movahedian Mina , Tangestani Hadith , Mirmiran Parvin , Hekmatdoost Azita
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Data on relationship between dietary intake of sodium and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) risk are scarce. This paper aims to find the possible association between sodium intake and NAFLD.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a case-control study on NAFLD patients proven by a gastroenterologist using Fibroscan, and age-matched controls. Dietary intakes were assessed using a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire.

Findings

In the multivariable-adjusted model, after adjustment for potential confounding variables, participants in the highest tertile of sodium intake had a greater risk of developing NAFLD (OR= 2.42; 95% CI: 1.13–5.15) compared to those in the lowest tertile of sodium intake (p-value = 0.023). In sub-analysis, subjects with BMI ≥ 25 in the third tertile of sodium intake had higher risk of NAFLD compared to those in the lowest tertile of sodium intake [(OR: 3.95; 95% CI: 1.75–8.90), (p-value = 0.001)]. However, no significant association was found between tertiles of energy-adjusted daily sodium intake and NAFLD prevalence risk in participants with BMI < 25.

Originality/value

The findings revealed that higher sodium intake is related with a higher prevalence of NAFLD, an association that can be partly mediated through obesity.
A new energy density calculation method for reservoir delineation using seismic low‐frequency signal
Authors: Luo Xin , Chen Xuehua , Qi Yingkai , Yang Jidong , Zhang Jie , Jiang Wei
Published: July 2020

In comparison to high‐frequency signals, low‐frequency seismic signals suffer less from scattering and intrinsic attenuation during wave propagation, penetrate deeper strata and thus can provide more energy information related to the hydrocarbon reservoirs. Based on the asymptotic representation for the frequency‐dependent reflections in the fluid‐saturated pore‐elastic media, we first derive a novel equation of the reservoir energy density and present an efficient workflow to calculate the reservoir energy density using low‐frequency seismic data. Then, within a low‐frequency range (from 1 to 30 Hz), we construct an objective function to determine the optimal frequency, using the energy densities calculated from the post‐stack seismic traces close to the wells. Next, we can calculate the reservoir energy density using the instantaneous spectra of optimal frequency at the low‐frequency end of the seismic spectrum. Tests on examples for synthetic and field data demonstrate that the proposed reservoir energy density can produce high‐quality images for the fluid‐saturated reservoirs, and it produces less background artefacts caused by elastic layers. This method provides a new way to detect the location of hydrocarbon reservoirs and characterize their spatial distribution.
Think Tanks in Iceland
Authors: Óskarsdóttir Stefanía
Published: July 2020

This article maps the landscape of think tanks in Iceland. It shows that think tanks are very few and insignificant in Icelandic policymaking. In the literature, the growth of think tanks in European countries with corporatist pasts has been linked to a change to a more pluralist system of interest representation. The case of Iceland lends support to this claim. In contrast to Scandinavia, corporatism remains entrenched in Iceland. But although there is a very limited market for local think tanks in Iceland, it is nevertheless recognized by political actors that touting policy advice offered by prestigious (international) think tanks can bring political benefits. This is also demonstrated in the article, showing that the influence of think tanks transcends at times national borders.
Effect of diflubenzuron on the chitin biosynthesis pathway in Conopomorpha sinensis eggs
Authors: Yao Qiong , Quan Lin‐Fa , Xu Shu , Dong Yi‐Zhi , Li Wen‐Jing , Chen Bing‐Xu
Published: July 2020

Conopomorpha sinensis is the dominant borer pest of Litchi chinensis (litchi) and Euphoria longan (longan) in China. Control of C. sinensis is difficult because of its cryptic life habit; thus, an effective ovicide could be beneficial. The larvicidal effects of diflubenzuron (DFB) have been documented in many insect pest species. Therefore, DFB might be a useful ovicide to control C. sinensis. However, the detailed mode of action of DFB interference with insect molting and egg hatching is unclear. Thus, we studied alterations in expression of all genes potentially affected by DFB treatment using a transcriptome approach in 2‐d‐old C. sinensis eggs. Clean reads were assembled to generate 203 455 unigenes and 440 558 transcripts. A total of 4625 differently expressed genes, which included 2670 up‐regulated and 1955 down‐regulated unigenes, were identified. Chitin binding and chitin metabolic processes were among the most significant enriched pathways according to Gene Ontology analyses. Most of the genes that encode enzymes involved in the chitin biosynthesis pathway were unaffected, whereas genes that presumably encode cuticle proteins were up‐regulated. Furthermore, altered expression patterns of 10 genes involved in the chitin biosynthesis pathway of C. sinensis embryos were observed in response to DFB treatment at different time points by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We also observed abnormal development; there was reduced chitin content and modulated chitin distribution of newly hatched larvae, and altered egg hatching. Our findings illustrate an ovicidal effect of DFB on C. sinensis, and reveal more molecular consequences of DFB treatment on insects.
Extracellular DNA builds and interacts with vibrio polysaccharide in the biofilm matrix formed by Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Kanampalliwar Amol , Singh Durg Vijai
Published: July 2020

Vibrio cholerae form biofilm, which is essential for their survival under harsh environmental conditions. The eDNA produced during biofilm formation and interaction with other components like vibrio polysaccharide is less studied in Vibrio cholerae despite its importance in biofilm structure and stability. In this study, we selected two strains of V. cholerae, which produced sufficient extracellular DNA in the biofilm, for characterization and studied its interaction with vibrio polysaccharide. Our data demonstrate that eDNA is present in the biofilm and interacts with VPS in V. cholerae. Our findings suggest that eDNA contributes to biofilm integrity by interacting with VPS and provides strength to the biofilm. Moreover, it might interact with other components of biofilm, which need further study.
On the sampling design of spatially explicit integrated population models
Authors: Zhao Qing
Published: July 2020

It is important to understand metapopulation dynamics and underlying demographic processes in heterogeneous landscapes. Traditionally, demographic parameters are estimated using capture–recapture data that can be difficult to collect. Spatially explicit dynamicN‐mixture models allow inference for demographic parameters, including dispersal, using count data of unmarked animals, but these models have only been shown effective under constant demographic parameters and dispersal between adjacent local populations.

In this study, I aimed to compensate the weakness of spatially explicit dynamicN‐mixtures and multistate capture–recapture models by jointly analysing count and capture–recapture data. This spatially explicit integrated population model allows for spatiotemporal variation of demographic parameters in relation to environmental and density covariates and dispersal between any local populations. I conducted simulations to evaluate this model (a) for species with distinct life histories under different detection and capture probabilities, (b) when spatial sampling intensity varied, (c) when the length of survey period varied, (d) when the robust sampling design was adopted or not and (e) when auxiliary information is partially available. I also provided an empirical example of GadwallMareca streperametapopulation dynamics in North American prairies.

The results showed that the model provided unbiased parameter estimates under a variety of ecological and sampling conditions, even when the spatial sampling intensity of capture–recapture survey was low (20% of the patches) with the complement of count data (≥60% of the patches). Also, the model only required a relatively short survey period (6~8 years) to provide unbiased inferences. The robust sampling design was not necessary for the model to provide unbiased inferences when spatial counts were intense, but became critical when spatial counts were sparse. Parameter estimates remain unbiased when auxiliary information is partially available. The model showed that Gadwall had low emigration probability (11.8%) but could disperse more than 200 km.

Based on the results, I provide recommendations about the trade‐off between spatial sampling intensity, length of survey period and the use of the robust sampling design when applying this model in real‐world studies. The model could have wide applications in the interface of metapopulation ecology and landscape ecology.
Interaction of Ethanol and Oral ANS‐6637, a Selective ALDH2 Inhibitor in Males: A Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled, Single‐Ascending Dose Cohort Study
Authors: O’Malley Stephanie S. , Shram Megan J. , Levy‐Cooperman Naama , Vince Bradley , Strumph Peter M. , Diamond Ivan , Blackburn Brent K.
Published: July 2020

Background

ANS‐6637, an orally bioavailable selective and reversible aldehyde dehydrogenase‐2 (ALDH2) inhibitor, is under development for drug and alcohol use disorders. During the elimination of alcohol, ALDH2 metabolizes acetaldehyde to acetate; inhibiting this enzyme can lead to aversive reactions due to the accumulation of acetaldehyde. Thus, understanding the safety and tolerability of ANS‐6637 in combination with alcohol is essential.

Trial Design and Methods

Forty eight healthy males participated in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, single‐ascending dose cohort study of oral ANS‐6637. Eligible participants were randomized to ANS‐6637 (n = 36) or placebo (n = 12) in a 3:1 fashion in each of 6 dose cohorts (8 per cohort; ANS‐6637 dose levels were 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 600 mg). Two hours after receiving study drug, participants drank up to 5 standard drinks, 1 every 30 minutes. Safety assessments, pharmacodynamic measures, and pharmacokinetic blood samples were obtained.

Results

Flushing was the most common adverse event (AE) associated with ANS‐6637 (24 of 36 participants) compared with placebo (3 of 12). Statistically significant, but modest, increases in heart rate (HR) occurred (+10.5 bpm after 2 drinks; +16.9 to + 20.5 bpm after 3rd through 5th drink). No participant met HR or systolic blood pressure criteria for stopping ethanol administration. There were no clinically significant QTc interval prolongations. Individuals receiving ANS‐6637 reported lower ratings of liking, alcohol effects, and feeling drunk.

Conclusions

A single oral dose of ANS‐6637 with up to 5 standards drinks over 2.5 hours was generally well tolerated in healthy males. The most common pharmacological response was flushing and an increase in HR, which are known effects of acetaldehyde accumulation and consistent with inhibition of ALDH2 with oral ANS‐6637 in combination with alcohol. The results of this alcohol interaction study support further testing of ANS‐6637 in individuals who consume alcohol heavily.
Heart structure and coronary blood supply of the Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)
Authors: dos Santos Nathany Ribeiro Lima , Benetti Edson José , de Oliveira Kleber Mirallia , Medeiros Max Vinicius Malmann , Simões Karina
Published: July 2020

The structure of the heart and the coronary blood supply of wild mammals, including that of threatened species, are poorly understood. This study set out to describe the heart, aortic arch branching and coronary distribution of Myrmecophaga tridactyla, and to compare it with anatomical descriptions of other Xenarthra given elsewhere. Eight adult giant anteater cadaveric specimens were used in this study. Morphological features of the heart and coronary blood supply were examined using gross dissection as well as latex and cast preparations. The heart lied in the median plane of the thoracic cavity and corresponded to a cone‐shape structure with a rounded apex facing left. The internal chambers of the heart comprised the same structures described in other mammals. Two different patterns of coronary blood supply were observed in the giant anteater. Hence, it can be concluded that the three species of Xenarthra share the same heart structure described in other mammals to date. Aortic arch branches and variations in coronary blood supply in this study have been described in carnivores, particularly the cat and the galea. The branching pattern of the coronary artery differed from that of other mammals and may be specific to Myrmecophaga tridactyla. Morphological description of the heart of the giant anteater and comparison with morphological features of other mammals, especially Xenarthra, may assist in phylogenetic analysis and provide significant contributions to clinical anatomy of practical procedures.
Judicial Reshuffles and Women Justices in Latin America
Authors: Arana Araya Ignacio , Hughes Melanie M. , Pérez‐Liñán Aníbal
Published: July 2020

Can weak judicial institutions facilitate the advancement of women to the high courts? We explore the relationship between weak institutions and gender diversification by analyzing the consequences of judicial reshuffles in Latin America. Our theory predicts that institutional disruptions will facilitate the appointment of women justices, but only when left parties control the nomination process. We test this argument using difference‐in‐differences and dynamic panel models for 18 Latin American countries between 1961 and 2014. The analysis offers support for our hypothesis, but gains in gender diversification are modest in size and hard to sustain over time. Political reshuffles may produce short‐term advances for women in the judiciary, but they do not represent a path to substantive progress in gender equality.
Increased lipolysis after infusion of acylated ghrelin: a randomized, double‐blinded placebo‐controlled trial in hypopituitary patients
Authors: Lauritzen Esben Stistrup , Jørgensen Jens Otto Lunde , Møller Niels , Nielsen Søren , Vestergaard Esben Thyssen
Published: July 2020

Context

Acylated ghrelin increases growth hormone (GH) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) secretion from the anterior pituitary gland. Additionally, it increases free fatty acid levels independently of GH and ACTH, but the impact of ghrelin on fatty acid turnover has not been determined. This study was designed to test whether acylated ghrelin directly increases the turnover rate of fatty acids.

Design

Eight hypopituitary patients on stable replacement with GH and hydrocortisone were included in a randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled crossover study including two study days: (a) infusion of acylated ghrelin and (b) infusion of saline. The study day comprised a basal period (t = 0‐120 minutes) and a hyperinsulinaemic‐euglycemic clamp period (t = 120‐300 minutes). Whole‐body lipolysis was estimated at t = 90‐120 and t = 270‐300 minutes with a palmitate isotope dilution technique.

Results

Infusion of acylated ghrelin resulted in 10 times increased total ghrelin area under the curve (AUC) levels in the basal period and 15 times increased AUC levels in the clamp period compared with saline infusion (P < .001). GHAUC levels were largely unaffected by ghrelin compared to saline infusion during both the basal and clamp period, but cortisolAUC levels increased by 15% after ghrelin compared to saline infusion in the basal period (P = .03). Palmitate turnover was increased by 43% in the basal period (difference: 77 (20) µmol/min, P = .01) and unchanged in the clamp period (difference 0.9 (17) µmol/min, P = 1.0) after ghrelin compared to saline infusion.

Conclusions

Our results support the hypothesis that pharmacological levels of acylated ghrelin directly activate lipolysis at the whole‐body level.
Neural Denoising with Layer Embeddings
Authors: Munkberg Jacob , Hasselgren Jon
Published: July 2020

We propose a novel approach for denoising Monte Carlo path traced images, which uses data from individual samples rather than relying on pixel aggregates. Samples are partitioned into layers, which are filtered separately, giving the network more freedom to handle outliers and complex visibility. Finally the layers are composited front‐to‐back using alpha blending. The system is trained end‐to‐end, with learned layer partitioning, filter kernels, and compositing. We obtain similar image quality as recent state‐of‐the‐art sample based denoisers at a fraction of the computational cost and memory requirements.
Adaptive Matrix Completion for Fast Visibility Computations with Many Lights Rendering
Authors: Wang S. , Holzschuch N.
Published: July 2020

Several fast global illumination algorithms rely on the Virtual Point Lights framework. This framework separates illumination into two steps: first, propagate radiance in the scene and store it in virtual lights, then gather illumination from these virtual lights. To accelerate the second step, virtual lights and receiving points are grouped hierarchically, for example using Multi‐Dimensional Lightcuts. Computing visibility between clusters of virtual lights and receiving points is a bottleneck. Separately, matrix completion algorithms reconstruct completely a low‐rank matrix from an incomplete set of sampled elements. In this paper, we use adaptive matrix completion to approximate visibility information after an initial clustering step. We reconstruct visibility information using as little as 10 % to 20 % samples for most scenes, and combine it with shading information computed separately, in parallel on the GPU. Overall, our method computes global illumination 3 or more times faster than previous state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Changes in 6‐minute walking distance in lung transplant candidates while participating in a home‐based pre‐habilitation program—A retrospective chart review
Authors: Massierer Daniela , Bourgeois Nicholas , Räkel Agnès , Prévost Karina , Lands Larry C. , Poirier Charles , Janaudis‐Ferreira Tania
Published: July 2020

Home‐based exercise programs may offer a less costly alternative to providing exercise pre‐transplant to a large number of patients. We describe the changes in 6‐minute walk distance (6MWD) in lung transplant candidates who participated in a home‐based exercise program and their relationship to post‐transplant outcomes. Retrospectively, we investigated 159 individuals while awaiting transplantation who performed the surgery between 2011 and 2015. Primary outcome was 6MWD at time of assessment for transplant, last test prior to transplant and one‐month post‐transplant. 6MWD decreased by 28 ± 93.9 m between the time of assessment and the last 6MWD prior to transplantation (P < .001). Forty‐one patients (25.8%) increased their 6MWD (mean + 85.8 ± 42.8 m); 72 patients (45.3%) decreased their 6MWD (mean −109.8 ± 71.2 m); and 46 patients (28.9%) had no change in 6MWD (−1.5 ± 15.7 m). There was a moderate correlation (r = .528; P < .001) between the last 6MWD prior to transplant and 6MWD post‐transplant. Change in 6MWD prior to transplant weakly correlated with length of time on mechanical ventilation (r = −.185; P = .034). When adjusted for covariates, change in 6MWD prior to transplant was not associated with length of time on mechanical ventilation, total hospital LOS, or intensive care unit LOS. The majority of the patients were able to either increase or maintain their 6MWD while participating in a home‐based pre‐habilitation program during the waiting list period. Prospective research is needed to evaluate the effects of home‐based pre‐habilitation program for lung candidates.
White racism, civility, and the obligations of the socially privileged
Authors: Andolsen Barbara Hilkert
Published: July 2020

Civility is a virtue associated with civic life, particularly with politics. This article briefly discusses civility as a moral principle requiring moral actions that give rise to the virtue of civility. Civility requires different practices on the part of persons with differential access to social power. In a white supremacist society, those with white privilege must avoid the temptation to use accusations of incivility to silence black voices. Suggestions are offered about how those with white privilege can fulfill their particular duties of civility in a racist society. Points include listening to hard truths and resisting retreat into white fragility.
Measuring the participation of children with disabilities in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Njelesani Janet
Published: July 2020

This commentary is on the scoping review by Schlebusch et al. on pages 1259–1265 of this issue.