bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-structural carbohydrate concentrations of Fagus sylvatica and Pinus sylvestris fine roots are linked to ectomycorrhizal enzymatic activity during spring reactivation
Authors: Rosinger Christoph , Sandén Hans , Godbold Douglas L.
Published: February 2020

We evaluated whether changes in fine root non-structural carbohydrate reserves of Fagus sylvatica and Pinus sylvestris trees influence potential enzymatic activities of their ectomycorrhizal symbionts from winter towards spring reactivation, and whether these changes influence potential soil enzymatic activities. We analyzed sugar and starch concentrations in the fine roots of Fagus sylvatica and Pinus sylvestris and potential activities of ß-glucosidase, ß-xylosidase, and cellobiohydrolase (as proxies for carbon-degrading enzymes) as well as leucine aminopeptidase and chitinase (as proxies for nitrogen-degrading enzymes) of their dominant ectomycorrhizal symbionts as well as in the soil. Sugar concentrations in the fine roots were significantly positively correlated with enzymatic activities of the ectomycorrhizal symbionts. In Pinus sylvestris, both carbon- and nitrogen-degrading enzyme activities showed significant positive correlations with fine root sugar concentrations. In Fagus sylvatica, fine root sugar concentrations were explicitly positively correlated with the activity of nitrogen-degrading enzymes. The chitinase activity in the soil was found to be strongly positively correlated with the enzymatic activity of the ectomycorrhizal symbionts as well as with fine root sugar concentrations. Fine root carbohydrate concentrations of Fagus sylvatica and Pinus sylvestris trees and enzymatic activities of their associated ectomycorrhizal fungi are connected. The specific nutrient demand of the tree species during spring reactivation may affect ectomycorrhizal enzymatic activity via carbon mobilization in the fine roots of Fagus sylvatica and Pinus sylvestris. Moreover, our results suggest that trees indirectly contribute to the degradation of fungal necromass by stimulating ectomycorrhizal chitinase activity in the soil.
Efficient monitoring of hyperproperties using prefix trees
Authors: Finkbeiner Bernd , Hahn Christopher , Stenger Marvin , Tentrup Leander
Published: February 2020

Hyperproperties, such as non-interference and observational determinism, relate multiple computation traces with each other and are thus not monitorable by tools that consider computations in isolation. We present the monitoring approach implemented in the latest version of $$\text {RVHyper}$$
RVHyper
, a runtime verification tool for hyperproperties. The input to the tool are specifications given in the temporal logic $$\text {HyperLTL}$$
HyperLTL
, which extends linear-time temporal logic (LTL) with trace quantifiers and trace variables. $$\text {RVHyper}$$
RVHyper
processes execution traces sequentially until a violation of the specification is detected. In this case, a counterexample, in the form of a set of traces, is returned. $$\text {RVHyper}$$
RVHyper
employs a range of optimizations: a preprocessing analysis of the specification and a procedure that minimizes the traces that need to be stored during the monitoring process. In this article, we introduce a novel trace storage technique that arranges the traces in a tree-like structure to exploit partially equal traces. We evaluate $$\text {RVHyper}$$
RVHyper
on existing benchmarks on secure information flow control, error correcting codes, and symmetry in hardware designs. As an example application outside of security, we show how $$\text {RVHyper}$$
RVHyper
can be used to detect spurious dependencies in hardware designs.
A systematic review and network meta-analysis of current and investigational treatments for active ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Deodhar A. , Chakravarty S. D. , Cameron C. , Peterson S. , Hensman R. , Fogarty S. , Spin P. , Kafka S. , Nair S. , Gensler L. S.
Published: February 2020

Objective

To compare the relative efficacy of current and investigational biologic and oral small molecule (OSM) treatments for active ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all phase 2/3 randomized trials of interest in patients with AS. Outcomes assessed were ≥ 20% improvement in the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society Criteria (ASAS20) and change from baseline in Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) at weeks 12–16. Bayesian network meta-analyses were conducted for outcomes using a random effects model. Baseline-risk adjustment was also conducted to account for differences in placebo response across studies. Surface Under the Cumulative Ranking curve (SUCRA) values are reported, reflecting the relative probability that intervention was the best of all interventions.

Results

The investigational agent tofacitinib 5 mg was the top-ranked treatment (SUCRA, 93%) for ASAS20 response, followed by intravenous (IV) golimumab 2 mg/kg (90%). Golimumab IV 2 mg/kg and infliximab 5 mg/kg were the top two ranked treatments for change from baseline in BASFI (golimumab IV, 81%; infliximab, 80%) and change from baseline in CRP (infliximab, 90%; golimumab IV, 82%).

Conclusions

Two approved therapies (golimumab IV, infliximab) and one investigational product ranked highest for efficacy in AS.Key Points• Although golimumab IV, infliximab, and tofacitinib ranked highest for efficacy in AS, differences in efficacy between approved and investigational therapies were not statistically significant.
Is the whole larger than the sum of its parts? Impact of missing data imputation in economic evaluation conducted alongside randomized controlled trials
Authors: Michalowsky Bernhard , Hoffmann Wolfgang , Kennedy Kevin , Xie Feng
Published: February 2020

Outcomes in economic evaluations, such as health utilities and costs, are products of multiple variables, often requiring complete item responses to questionnaires. Therefore, missing data are very common in cost-effectiveness analyses. Multiple imputations (MI) are predominately recommended and could be made either for individual items or at the aggregate level. We, therefore, aimed to assess the precision of both MI approaches (the item imputation vs. aggregate imputation) on the cost-effectiveness results. The original data set came from a cluster-randomized, controlled trial and was used to describe the missing data pattern and compare the differences in the cost-effectiveness results between the two imputation approaches. A simulation study with different missing data scenarios generated based on a complete data set was used to assess the precision of both imputation approaches. For health utility and cost, patients more often had a partial (9% vs. 23%, respectively) rather than complete missing (4% vs. 0%). The imputation approaches differed in the cost-effectiveness results (the item imputation: − 61,079€/QALY vs. the aggregate imputation: 15,399€/QALY). Within the simulation study mean relative bias (< 5% vs. < 10%) and range of bias (< 38% vs. < 83%) to the true incremental cost and incremental QALYs were lower for the item imputation compared to the aggregate imputation. Even when 40% of data were missing, relative bias to true cost-effectiveness curves was less than 16% using the item imputation, but up to 39% for the aggregate imputation. Thus, the imputation strategies could have a significant impact on the cost-effectiveness conclusions when more than 20% of data are missing. The item imputation approach has better precision than the imputation at the aggregate level.
Wachsende Ungleichheit lässt Ökonomen kalt
Authors: Butterwegge Christoph
Published: February 2020

Seit geraumer Zeit ist die wachsende Ungleichheit das Kardinalproblem unserer Gesellschaft, wenn nicht der gesamten Menschheit. Während daraus im globalen Maßstab Krisen und Kriege resultieren, die wiederum größere Migrationsbewegungen nach sich ziehen, sind hierzulande sozialer Zusammenhalt und repräsentative Demokratie bedroht. Gleichwohl haben sich die meisten deutschen Ökonomen nie ernsthaft mit dem Problem der Ungleichheit auseinandergesetzt und nach Möglichkeiten für eine Lösung gesucht. Stattdessen haben sie das Problem ignoriert oder seine Bedeutung negiert bzw. relativiert.
Deutschland hat Nachholbedarf in einigen Zukunftsindustrien
Authors: Brühl Volker
Published: February 2020

Die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der deutschen Wirtschaft steht vor gewaltigen Herausforderungen. Traditionell starke Sektoren wie die Automobilindustrie oder der Maschinenbau befinden sich angesichts disruptiver Veränderungen durch neue Technologien, den Kampf gegen den Klimawandel und veränderte regulatorische Rahmenbedingungen in einer Umbruchphase. Zahlreiche Industriezweige wandeln sich durch den Einsatz von Künstlicher Intelligenz zu „Smart Industries“. Gleichzeitig gewinnt die Kompetenz in Querschnittstechnologien wie Cloud Computing oder Cyber Security an Bedeutung, da diese den effektiven Einsatz von Künstlicher Intelligenz erst ermöglichen. Eine Analyse der Wettbewerbsposition der deutschen Wirtschaft zeigt auf, dass in manchen Zukunftsfeldern ein erheblicher Nachholbedarf besteht.
Psychometric Properties of the General Organizational Index (GOI): A Measure of Individualization and Quality Improvement to Complement Program Fidelity
Authors: Heiervang Kristin Sverdvik , Egeland Karina Myhren , Landers Matthew , Ruud Torleif , Joa Inge , Drake Robert E. , Bond Gary R.
Published: February 2020

To assess the implementation of effective practices, mental health programs need standardized measures. The General Organizational Index (GOI), although widely used for this purpose, has received minimal psychometric research. For this study, we assessed psychometric properties of the GOI scale administered four times over 18 months during the implementation of a new program in 11 sites. The GOI scale demonstrated high levels of interrater reliability (.97), agreement between assessors on item ratings (86% overall), internal consistency (.77–.80 at three time points), sensitivity to change, and feasibility. We conclude that the GOI scale has acceptable psychometric properties, and its use may enhance implementation and research on evidence-based mental health practices.

Trial registration: REK2015/2169. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03271242
Sulfonated Phosphine Ligands in the Ruthenium Catalyzed Biphasic Hydrogenation of Unsaturated Hydrocarbons
Authors: Császár Zsófia , Bakos József , Farkas Gergely
Published: February 2020

The hydrogenation of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by ruthenium catalysts has been investigated in the presence of sulfonated monophosphine ligands with different stereoelectronic properties under biphasic conditions. The effects of (i) the number of sulfonate groups, (ii) the steric demand of the ligand and (iii) the σ-donor ability of the phosphorus atom have been investigated in the catalytic reactions. The TEM analysis of the catalytically active systems revealed that in situ formed soluble ruthenium nanoparticles (RuNPs) are responsible for the catalytic turnover. The Ru/sulfonated phosphine system with the properly tuned ligand exhibited high activity (8800 h−1) and selectivity in the hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexane. Furthermore, the aqueous phase containing RuNPs could be recycled four times without a considerable loss of activity.

Graphic Abstract
Probabilistic data association: the orbit set
Authors: Pirovano Laura , Santeramo Daniele A. , Armellin Roberto , Di Lizia Pierluigi , Wittig Alexander
Published: February 2020

This paper presents a novel method to obtain the solution to the initial orbit determination problem for optical observations as a continuum of orbits—namely the orbit set—that fits the set of acquired observations within a prescribed accuracy. Differential algebra is exploited to analytically link the uncertainty in the observations to the state of the orbiting body with truncated power series, thus allowing for a compact analytical description of the orbit set. The automatic domain splitting tool controls the truncation error of the polynomial approximation by patching the uncertainty domain with different polynomial expansions, effectively creating a mesh. The algorithm is tested for different observing strategies to understand the working boundaries, thus defining the region for which the admissible region is necessary to extract meaningful information from observations and highlight where the new method can achieve a smaller uncertainty region, effectively showing that for some observing strategies it is possible to extract more information from a tracklet than the attributable. Consequently, the method enables comparison of orbit sets avoiding sampling when looking for correlation of different observations. Linear regression is also implemented to improve the uncertainty estimation and study the influence of the confidence level on the orbit set size. This is shown both for simulated and real observations obtained from the TFRM observatory.
Characterization of urinary concentrations of heavy metals among socioeconomically disadvantaged black pregnant women
Authors: Han Inkyu , Whitworth Kristina W. , Zhang Xueying , Afshar Masoud , Berens Pamela D. , Symanski Elaine
Published: February 2020

The objective of this study was to characterize exposures to metals using biological samples collected on socioeconomically disadvantaged black pregnant women. We obtained 131 anonymous urine samples provided by black pregnant women visiting a Medicaid-serving prenatal clinic in Houston, TX, from March 27, 2017 to April 11, 2017. We analyzed urine samples for 15 metals including cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) and for creatinine and cotinine. We found that median concentrations of zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), and aluminum (Al) among black pregnant women in this study were 1.5 to 3 times higher than levels reported among a cohort of well-educated non-Hispanic white pregnancy planners. We also observed elevated levels of urinary Cd and antimony (Sb) as compared with those reported for a nationally representative sample of adult women in the USA. Based on the results of an exploratory factor analysis, potential sources of metal exposures in this population may arise in home environments or be due to diet, industrial and natural sources, or traffic.
Does Spiritual Intelligence (SI) Exist? A Theoretical Investigation of a Tool Useful for Finding the Meaning of Life
Authors: Skrzypińska Katarzyna
Published: February 2020

For years, spirituality and finding the meaning of life have been considered essential phenomena in the context of human existence. Zohar introduced the termspiritual intelligence(SI) in 1997, and since that time researchers have been seeking to clarify the concept. Emmons (The psychology of ultimate concerns. Guilford Press, New York, 1999) suggested that SI serves as a potentially significant construct to expand our understanding of the psychological determinants of human functioning. In recent years, several efforts to conceptualize and measure this construct have joined the body of related literature, of which King (Brighter paths to wellbeing: an integrative model of human intelligence and health. Trent University Centre for Health Studies Showcase, pp 12–13, 2008) serves as one notable example. Following, evaluating, and summarizing the theoretical debate regarding the validity of a concept, as it is presented in the literature, has long been understood as a helpful way of extending scholarly dialogue. In this project, I review psychological literature relevant to the debate on the validity of SI as a psychological construct. The literature offers many examples that demonstrate a relation between SI and other phenomena that are important for human functioning—well-being in this. Results of the analysis support theoretical considerations for viewing SI as facilitating the ability to search for the meaning of life and provide directions for future study.
Epidemiology of hip fractures in Bulgaria: development of a country-specific FRAX model
Authors: Kirilova E. , Johansson H. , Kirilov N. , Vladeva S. , Petranova T. , Kolarov Z. , Liu E. , Lorentzon M. , Vandenput L. , Harvey N. C. , McCloskey E. , Kanis John A.
Published: February 2020

Summary

A retrospective population-based survey was undertaken in a region of Bulgaria to determine the incidence of hip fracture. The estimated number of hip fractures nationwide for 2015 was 9322 and is predicted to increase to 11,398 in 2050. The hip fracture rates were used to create a FRAX model.

Objective

To describe the epidemiology of hip fractures in Bulgaria, which was then used to develop the country-specific fracture prediction FRAX® tool.

Methods

We carried out a retrospective population-based survey in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, representing approximately 4.6% of the country’s population. We identified hip fractures occurring in 2015, 2016 and 2017 from hospital registers and primary care sources held by the regional health insurance agency. Age- and sex-specific incidence of hip fracture and national mortality rates were incorporated into a FRAX model for Bulgaria. Fracture probabilities were compared with those from neighbouring countries having FRAX models.

Results

The incidence of hip fracture applied nationally suggested that the estimated number of hip fractures nationwide in persons over the age of 50 years for 2015 was 9322 and is predicted to increase to 11,398 in 2050. FRAX-based probabilities were higher in Bulgaria than those in Serbia or Romania, lower than those in Turkey and similar to those in Greece.

Conclusion

The FRAX model should enhance accuracy of determining fracture probability among the Bulgarian population and help guide decisions about treatment.
NMR backbone assignment of the Cε4 domain of immunoglobulin E
Authors: Benjamin Stefi V. , Creeke Paul I. , Henry Alistair J. , McDonnell James M.
Published: February 2020

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) plays a central role in allergic reactions. IgE is a dynamic molecule that is capable of undergoing large conformational changes. X-ray crystal structures of the Fc region of IgE in complex with various ligands have shown that IgE-Fc can exist in extended and various bent conformations. IgE-Fc consists of three domains: Cε2, Cε3 and Cε4. While the complete NMR backbone assignments of the Cε2 and Cε3 domains have been reported previously, the Cε4 domain has not been assigned. Here, we report the complete backbone assignment of the Cε4 homodimer. Cε4 can be used as a model system to study dynamics and allostery in IgE, as both molecules exist as homodimers and exhibit similar binding properties to a number of ligands.
Stability of ALE Ricci-Flat Manifolds Under Ricci Flow
Authors: Deruelle Alix , Kröncke Klaus
Published: February 2020

We prove that if an ALE Ricci-flat manifold (M, g) is linearly stable and integrable, it is dynamically stable under Ricci flow, i.e. any Ricci flow starting close togexists for all time and converges modulo diffeomorphism to an ALE Ricci-flat metric close tog. By adapting Tian’s approach in the closed case, we show that integrability holds for ALE Calabi–Yau manifolds which implies that they are dynamically stable.
Impairments in Emotion Recognition and Risk-Taking Behavior After Isolated, Cerebellar Stroke
Authors: van den Berg Nils S. , Huitema Rients B. , Spikman Jacoba M. , Luijckx Gert-Jan , de Haan Edward H. F.
Published: February 2020

An increasing amount of research has shown a cerebellar involvement in higher order cognitive functions, including emotional processing and decision-making. However, it has not been investigated whether impairments in facial emotion recognition, which could be a marker of impaired emotional experiences, are related to risky decision-making in these patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate facial emotion recognition and risky decision-making in these patients as well as to investigate a relationship between these constructs. Thirteen patients with a discrete, isolated, cerebellar lesion as a consequence of a stroke were included in the study. Emotion recognition was assessed with the Facial Expressions of Emotions—Stimuli and Test (FEEST). Risk-taking behavior was assessed with the Action Selection Test (AST). Furthermore, 106 matched healthy controls performed the FEEST and 20 matched healthy controls performed the AST. Compared with healthy controls, patients were significantly worse in the recognition of emotional expressions and they took significantly more risks. In addition, a worse ability to recognize fearful facial expressions was strongly related to an increase in risky decisions in the AST. Therefore, we suggest that tests of emotion recognition should be incorporated into the neuropsychological assessment after cerebellar stroke to boost detection and treatment of these impairments in these patients.
New approach to evaluate the asymptotic distribution of particle systems expressed by probabilistic cellular automata
Authors: Endo Kazushige
Published: February 2020

We propose some conjectures on the asymptotic distribution of the probabilistic Burgers cellular automaton (PBCA), which is defined by a simple rule of particle motion with a probabilistic parameter. Asymptotic distribution of configurations converges to a unique steady state for PBCA. We propose a new and widely-applicable approach to analyze probabilistic particle systems and apply it concretely to PBCA and its extensions. We introduce a conjecture on the distribution and derive the asymptotic probability expressed by the GKZ hypergeometric function. If the space size goes into infinity, we can evaluate the relationship between the density and flux of particles for infinite space. Moreover, we propose two extended systems of PBCA and analyze their asymptotic behavior.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of tuberculosis in East Hararge Zone, Oromiya Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Sebu Aboma Temesgen , Genati Kasahun Takele , Bekalo Daniel Biftu , Deressa Teshome Kebede
Published: February 2020

Tuberculosis disease burden remains a fundamental global public health concern for decades. The disease may not uniformly distributed with certain geographical areas recording higher notification rate than others. However, the Ethiopian national TB control program does not provide services based on those areas with the greatest notifications but rather on a uniform strategy. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the spatial distribution and presence of the spatio-temporal clustering of the disease in different geographic settings over 8 years in the East Hararge Zone. A retrospective space-time and spatial analysis were carried out at districts of East Hararghe zone based on a total of 34,564 notified TB cases during the study period. The study identified different case notification rate over districts and clustering effects for the purely spatial and spatiotemporal with different estimated relative risks. The study recommends national tuberculosis control program to give attention to highly observed case notification rates specially Babile, Haramaya and Jarso districs of East Hararge Zone to have effective TB intervention in the study area.
Predictors of participant ‘no-shows’ for intensive behavioral tobacco cessation treatment: recruitment, demographics, and distance
Authors: Sirody Jordin , Munday Stryffeler Michaela , Webb Hooper Monica
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for tobacco cessation is an evidence-based, yet underutilized intervention. More research is needed to understand why some treatment-seekers are ‘no-shows’ for the initial visit.

Aim

Examine factors associated with participant no-shows among smokers scheduled for group CBT.

Methods

Tobacco smokers (N= 115) were recruited from the community, screened, and if eligible, scheduled to begin group-based CBT plus nicotine replacement therapy. At the screening, participants reported their recruitment source, demographics, smoking history, and contact information. We computed the distance to the study site using the address provided. Regression analyses tested predictors of participant no-shows for the initial visit.

Results

Eligible participants were mostly recruited via flyers (56%), female (58%), African American (61%), middle-aged (Mage= 49 years), averaged 16 cigarettes per day, and resided 8 miles away from the study site. The overall initial visit no-show rate was 56%. Bivariate analyses indicated that respondents who were recruited online, younger, and lived further away from the site were more likely to be no-shows. Younger age significantly predicted failure to attend in the multivariable model.

Conclusions

Findings highlight potential barriers to participation in a group-based intervention, and have implications for pre-intervention engagement strategies and modifications that may increase reach and uptake.
Reshaping the reach of the state: the politics of teacher payment reform in the DR Congo
Authors: Brandt Cyril Owen , De Herdt Tom
Published: February 2020

We analyse the politics of the reform of teacher payment modalities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in light of the uneven territorial reach of the DRC state. The reform focused on extending this reach by paying all teachers via a bank account, replacing long-standing shared governance arrangements between state and faith-based organisations with a public-private partnership. By using qualitative and quantitative data, we map the political practices accompanying the implementation of the reform. While the reform itself was officially deemed a success, its intended effects were almost completely offset in rural areas. Moreover, governance of teacher payments was not rationalised but instead became even more complex and spatially differentiated. In sum, the reform has rendered governance processes more opaque and deepened the existing unevenness in the geography of statehood.
Feeding habits of the franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) in south-eastern Brazil
Authors: Campos Laura Busin , Lopes Xênia Moreira , da Silva Ednilson , Santos Marcos César de Oliveira
Published: February 2020

This study evaluated the feeding habits of the franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) in south-eastern Brazil. Stomach contents were collected from a total of 145 dead specimens found incidentally caught by fishing vessels or stranded between 2005 and 2015. Fish otoliths, cephalopod beaks and whole non-digested prey were used for prey species identification. A total of 9337 prey items were identified, including 26 species of teleost fishes and three species of cephalopods. The most important prey families were Sciaenidae among fish and Loliginidae among cephalopods. Franciscana dolphins tended to feed on small fish (mean = 5.25 cm) and cephalopods (mean = 8.57 cm). The index of relative importance (IRI) showed thatPellona harroweriandDoryteuthis pleiwere the most important prey for both males and females. The PERMANOVA test confirmed that there is no significant difference between the feeding habits of different sexes, but detected a significant difference among seasons. Overall, our results show that franciscana dolphins are predominantly ichthyophagous and non-selective in relation to the type of prey, feeding on pelagic, demersal and pelagic-demersal prey.
Disrupted prefrontal regulation of striatum-related craving in Internet gaming disorder revealed by dynamic causal modeling: results from a cue-reactivity task
Authors: Dong Guang-Heng , Wang Min , Zheng Hui , Wang Ziliang , Du Xiaoxia , Potenza Marc N.
Published: February 2020

Background

Studies of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) suggest an imbalanced relationship between cognitive control and reward processing in people with IGD. However, it remains unclear how these two systems interact with each other, and whether they could serve as neurobiological markers for IGD.

Methods

Fifty IGD subjects and matched individuals with recreational game use (RGU) were selected and compared when they were performing a cue-craving task. Regions of interests [anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), lentiform nucleus] were selected based on the comparison between brain responses to gaming-related cues and neutral cues. Directional connectivities among these brain regions were determined using Bayesian estimation. We additionally examined the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in a separate analysis based on data implicating the PCC in craving in addiction.

Results

During fixed-connectivity analyses, IGD subjects showed blunted ACC-to-lentiform and lentiform-to-ACC connectivity relative to RGU subjects, especially in the left hemisphere. When facing gaming cues, IGD subjects trended toward lower left-hemispheric modulatory effects in ACC-to-lentiform connectivity than RGU subjects. Self-reported cue-related craving prior to scanning correlated inversely with left-hemispheric modulatory effects in ACC-to-lentiform connectivity.

Conclusions

The results suggesting that prefrontal-to-lentiform connectivity is impaired in IGD provides a possible neurobiological mechanism for difficulties in controlling gaming-cue-elicited cravings. Reduced connectivity ACC-lentiform connectivity may be a useful neurobiological marker for IGD.
Cognitive function after electroconvulsive therapy for depression: relationship to clinical response
Authors: Anderson Ian M. , McAllister-Williams R. Hamish , Downey Darragh , Elliott Rebecca , Loo Colleen
Published: February 2020

Background

As uncertainty remains about whether clinical response influences cognitive function after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression, we examined the effect of remission status on cognitive function in depressed patients 4 months after a course of ECT.

Method

A secondary analysis was undertaken on participants completing a randomised controlled trial of ketamine augmentation of ECT for depression who were categorised by remission status (MADRS ⩽10 v. >10) 4 months after ECT. Cognition was assessed with self-rated memory and neuropsychological tests of anterograde verbal and visual memory, autobiographical memory, verbal fluency and working memory. Patients were assessed through the study, healthy controls on a single occasion, and compared using analysis of variance.

Results

At 4-month follow-up, remitted patients (N = 18) had a mean MADRS depression score of 3.8 (95% CI 2.2–5.4) compared with 27.2 (23.0–31.5) in non-remitted patients (N = 19), with no significant baseline differences between the two groups. Patients were impaired on all cognitive measures at baseline. There was no deterioration, with some measures improving, 4-months after ECT, at which time remitted patients had significantly improved self-rated memory, anterograde verbal memory and category verbal fluency compared with those remaining depressed. Self-rated memory correlated with category fluency and autobiographical memory at follow-up.

Conclusions

We found no evidence of persistent impairment of cognition after ECT. Achieving remission improved subjective memory and verbal memory recall, but other aspects of cognitive function were not influenced by remission status. Self-rated memory may be useful to monitor the effects of ECT on longer-term memory.
Conceptus interruptus: Forestalling sureties about violence and feminism
Authors: Runyan Anne Sisson
Published: February 2020

Forestalling sureties about what constitutes violence and feminism and the relationships between violence and feminism have been significant themes in the work of feminist International Relations theorist Marysia Zalewski. I follow how Zalewski, through her work and work with others including myself, interrupts well-trodden ‘trails’ of violence and feminism to open up thinking about both. I consider how her provocative work on violence and particularly feminist violence prefigures and advances cutting-edge critical thought on violence as represented in the ‘Histories of Violence’ project. What I call her ‘palimpsestic’ or multilayered and intertextual approach to violence reveals it as not only destructive, but also productive in terms of breaking with deadening conventions. I also consider her conceptualisation of feminist violence as both epistemic and militant over time in relation to some contemporary feminist insurgencies, the kinds of insurgencies that serve as her muses for breaking out of forms of ‘secured’ feminism and opening space for unbounded feminist thought. Consistent with her insistence that theory (and writing) should provide uncomfortable openings, not comforting foreclosures, I end not with a conclusion about her work, but rather echo her call to resist the kind of ‘knowing’ that suffocates critical thinking and (re)generative feminist thought.
No Right to Leave the Nation: The Politics of Passport Denial and the Rise of the National Security State
Authors: Lebovic Sam
Published: February 2020

This article provides an institutional and legal history of passport denial in the United States from World War I to the early Cold War. Identifying the Passport Division as a central institution of the national security state, the article shows that the state was deeply invested in regulating the international movement of people and in monopolizing international connections in a globalizing age. It also analyzes the rise of the Passport Division as an authoritative and autonomous bureaucracy to provide new insight into the institutional development of the national security state. It emphasizes particularly the ways that the executive branch, the Congress, and the Passport Division mutually constituted travel policy as a field of state action in a decades-long process stretching from World War I to the Cold War. It explores the centrality of the reputation of the Passport Division, as personified by its head, Ruth Shipley, in facilitating its rise as an authoritative institution in the field of travel policy. And by analyzing the ways that the Passport Division was able to survive civil libertarian challenges in the 1950s, it explores the surprising longevity of national security bureaucracies.
IBN AL-HAYTHAM ET LE MOUVEMENT D'ENROULEMENT
Authors: Rashed Roshdi , Penchèvre Erwan
Published: February 2020

In the Almagest, Ptolemy proposed the concept of winding motion, especially to explain planetary latitudes. Ibn al-Haytham (beginning 11th c.) wrote a treatise entitled Fī ḥarakat al-iltifāf, “Concerning the winding motion”. An anonymous scholar wrote a refutation of this treatise. Both texts have been lost; but the answer of Ibn al-Haytham has survived: Fī ḥall šukūk ḥarakat al-iltifāf, “The resolution of doubts concerning the winding motion”. There he reminds us of his model and gives us a more detailed explanation. We give here a critical edition, translation and commentary of this answer, as well as an edition and translation of some related excerpts from Ptolemy's Planetary Hypotheses and Quṭb al-Dīn al-Shīrāzī’s Nihāyat al-idrāk (13th c.).
Never Mind Patriarchy, But Do Mention the War! Reflections on the Absence of Gender History from theHouse of European History
Authors: Ighe Ann
Published: February 2020

This article explores the absence of a consistent longer historical narrative about gender relations in European history, as the latter is presented in the recently opened House of European History in Brussels and, to some extent, in the European Parliament’s visitor centre, Parlamentarium. It is argued that gender equality is presented as part of a modern European identity, but that it is a phenomenon that isn’t given such a problematic history as many other phenomena – gender inequality is not construed as a part of European history in the way that, for example, totalitarianism and colonialism are. Gender inequality isn’t seen and constructed as a previous challenge to European unification and integration, and therefore gender equality can’t be perceived as a solution to a relevant problem in the narratives at hand.
Numerical Simulations of Laboratory‐Scale, Hypervelocity‐Impact Experiments for Asteroid‐Deflection Code Validation
Authors: Remington T. P. , Owen J. M. , Nakamura A. M. , Miller P. L. , Bruck Syal M.
Published: February 2020

Asteroids and comets have the potential to impact Earth and cause damage at the local to global scale. Deflection or disruption of a potentially hazardous object could prevent future Earth impacts, but due to our limited ability to perform experiments directly on asteroids, our understanding of the process relies upon large‐scale hydrodynamic simulations. Related simulations must be vetted through code validation by benchmarking against relevant laboratory‐scale, hypervelocity‐impact experiments. To this end, we compare simulation results from Spheral, an adaptive smoothed particle hydrodynamics code, to the fragment‐mass and velocity data from the 1991 two‐stage light gas‐gun impact experiment on a basalt sphere target, conducted at Kyoto University by Nakamura and Fujiwara. We find that the simulations are sensitive to the selected strain models, strength models, and material parameters. We find that, by using appropriate choices for these models in conjunction with well‐constrained material parameters, the simulations closely resemble with the experimental results. Numerical codes implementing these model and parameter selections may provide new insight into the formation of asteroid families (Michel et al., 2015, https://doi.org/10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816532131‐ch018) and predictions of deflection for the Double Asteroid Redirection mission (Stickle et al., 2017, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2017.09.763).
California's Central Valley Groundwater Wells Run Dry During Recent Drought
Authors: Jasechko Scott , Perrone Debra
Published: February 2020

Declining water tables are causing wells to run dry in California, but the prevalence and spatial distribution of wells that have run dry are not known beyond anecdotal and voluntary reports. Here, we apply a new, simple, and measurement‐driven method to calculate a localized water table; we show, for the first time using observations, that up to one‐in‐five wells now runs dry in California's Central Valley. The spatial distribution of wells identified as having dried up replicates hot spots of wells identified as having run dry in a voluntary reporting system, while also capturing impacts on groundwater wells that have not reportedly run dry. We assess the rates of drilling throughout the Central Valley and find, surprisingly, that domestic wells are being drilled deeper at a rate that exceeds agricultural wells across much of the central Central Valley. Because new groundwater wells are costly (i.e., $10,000 to $100,000), we suggest explicitly considering dry wells in groundwater sustainability planning to protect homes and farms from the loss of access to reliable water supplies in the future.
Temporal Changes of the Inner Core From Globally Distributed Repeating Earthquakes
Authors: Yang Yi , Song Xiaodong
Published: February 2020

Time‐dependent travel times of seismic waves traversing the inner core from repeating earthquakes provided compelling evidence for an inner core differential motion. Here we conducted a systematic search for strong repeating earthquakes in the last three decades to examine the global pattern of temporal changes of the inner core. We performed extensive analyses on the quality of the repeating earthquakes and quantified the error (σic) of travel time measurements from all possible sources except the inner core temporal changes. We set 2σic as a threshold for judging whether an inner core temporal change is significant. No significant temporal changes were found in most parts of the inner core, but large temporal changes (over 3σic) were observed beneath four regions in Northern Hemisphere (North Atlantic, Northeast Pacific, Russian Far East/Sea of Okhotsk, and Europe/North Africa), besides the well‐known Central America anomaly in previous studies. Most large temporal changes were associated with time lapses of over 6 years and smaller distances, possibly resulting from the rotation shifting the laterally varying top 300 km of the inner core. A new path sampling North Atlantic suggested a small‐scale and steep lateral velocity gradient of the inner core and a slow eastward inner core rotation of 0.051°/year. Small‐scale lateral variations may reconcile large difference in the estimates of the inner core rotation rate. We also observed enigmatic very large abrupt temporal changes (as short as 44 days), which may be related to disturbances caused by the great Sumatra earthquakes.
Solving the Nernst‐Planck Equation in Heterogeneous Porous Media With Finite Volume Methods: Averaging Approaches at Interfaces
Authors: Tournassat Christophe , Steefel Carl I. , Gimmi Thomas
Published: February 2020

Molecular diffusion of dissolved species is a fundamental mass transport process affecting many environmental and technical processes. Whereas diffusive transport of single tracers can be described by Fick's law, a multicomponent approach based on the Nernst‐Planck equation is required for charge‐coupled transport of ions. The numerical solution of the Nernst‐Planck equation requires special attention with regard to properties that are required at interfaces of numerical cells when using a finite difference or finite volume method. Weighted arithmetic and harmonic averages are used in most codes that can solve the Nernst‐Planck equation. This way of averaging is correct for diffusion coefficients but inappropriate for solute concentrations at interfaces. This averaging approach leads to charge balance problems and thus to numerical instabilities near interfaces separating grid volumes with contrasting properties. We argue that a logarithmic‐differential average should be used. Here this result is generalized, and it is demonstrated that it generally leads to improved numerical stability and accuracy of concentrations computed near material interfaces. It is particularly relevant when modeling semipermeable clay membranes or membranes used in water treatment processes.
Identifying Particle Growth Processes in Marine Low Clouds Using Spatial Variances of Imager‐Derived Cloud Parameters
Authors: Nagao Takashi M. , Suzuki Kentaroh
Published: February 2020

This study proposes a new approach that probes particle growth processes of liquid clouds with satellite observables from passive imagers. Based on the notion that the condensation growth and the coalescence process are characterized by constant cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) and liquid water path (LWP), respectively, the method adopted used spatial variances of imager‐derived cloud properties to estimate relative contributions from these processes embedded in the cloud system. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of CDNC and LWP associated with their horizontal variances were compared in the form of their ratio. This approach was applied to the GCOM‐C/SGLI cloud product, and spatial variability in this RSD ratio was consistent with cloud horizontal morphology such as open‐ and closed‐cell structures. The results suggest that spatial variances of imager‐derived cloud properties depict signatures of cloud microphysical processes in the way mappable on the horizontal extent of the cloud system.
Biologically inspired ultrathin arrayed camera for high-contrast and high-resolution imaging
Authors: Kim Kisoo , Jang Kyung-Won , Ryu Jae-Kwan , Jeong Ki-Hun
Published: February 2020

Compound eyes found in insects provide intriguing sources of biological inspiration for miniaturised imaging systems. Here, we report an ultrathin arrayed camera inspired by insect eye structures for high-contrast and super-resolution imaging. The ultrathin camera features micro-optical elements (MOEs), i.e., inverted microlenses, multilayered pinhole arrays, and gap spacers on an image sensor. The MOE was fabricated by using repeated photolithography and thermal reflow. The fully packaged camera shows a total track length of 740 μm and a field-of-view (FOV) of 73°. The experimental results demonstrate that the multilayered pinhole of the MOE allows high-contrast imaging by eliminating the optical crosstalk between microlenses. The integral image reconstructed from array images clearly increases the modulation transfer function (MTF) by ~1.57 times compared to that of a single channel image in the ultrathin camera. This ultrathin arrayed camera provides a novel and practical direction for diverse mobile, surveillance or medical applications.
Stromal Hedgehog pathway activation by IHH suppresses lung adenocarcinoma growth and metastasis by limiting reactive oxygen species
Authors: Kasiri Sahba , Chen Baozhi , Wilson Alexandra N. , Reczek Annika , Mazambani Simbarashe , Gadhvi Jashkaran , Noel Evan , Marriam Ummay , Mino Barbara , Lu Wei , Girard Luc , Solis Luisa M. , Luby-Phelps Katherine , Bishop Justin , Kim Jung-Whan , Kim James
Published: February 2020

Activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway by mutations within its components drives the growth of several cancers. However, the role of Hh pathway activation in lung cancers has been controversial. Here, we demonstrate that the canonical Hh signaling pathway is activated in lung stroma by Hh ligands secreted from transformed lung epithelia. Genetic deletion ofShh, the primary Hh ligand expressed in the lung, inKrasG12D/+;Trp53fl/flautochthonous murine lung adenocarcinoma had no effect on survival. Early abrogation of the pathway by an anti-SHH/IHH antibody 5E1 led to significantly worse survival with increased tumor and metastatic burden. Loss of IHH, another Hh ligand, by in vivo CRISPR led to more aggressive tumor growth suggesting that IHH, rather than SHH, activates the pathway in stroma to drive its tumor suppressive effects—a novel role for IHH in the lung. Tumors from mice treated with 5E1 had decreased blood vessel density and increased DNA damage suggestive of reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity. Treatment ofKrasG12D/+;Trp53fl/flmice with 5E1 and N-acetylcysteine, as a ROS scavenger, decreased tumor DNA damage, inhibited tumor growth and prolonged mouse survival. Thus, IHH induces stromal activation of the canonical Hh signaling pathway to suppress tumor growth and metastases, in part, by limiting ROS activity.
Risk-adjusted therapy for pediatric non-T cell ALL improves outcomes for standard risk patients: results of JACLS ALL-02
Authors: Hasegawa Daiichiro , Imamura Toshihiko , Yumura-Yagi Keiko , Takahashi Yoshihiro , Usami Ikuya , Suenobu So-ichi , Nishimura Shinichiro , Suzuki Nobuhiro , Hashii Yoshiko , Deguchi Takao , Moriya-Saito Akiko , Kato Koji , Kosaka Yoshiyuki , Hirayama Masahiro , Iguchi Akihiro , Kawasaki Hirohide , Hori Hiroki , Sato Atsushi , Kudoh Tooru , Nakahata Tatsutoshi , Oda Megumi , Hara Junichi , Horibe Keizo ,   for the Japan Association of Childhood Leukemia Study Group (JACLS)
Published: February 2020

This study was a second multicenter trial on childhood ALL by the Japan Childhood Leukemia Study Group (JACLS) to improve outcomes in non-T ALL. Between April 2002 and March 2008, 1138 children with non-T ALL were enrolled in the JACLS ALL-02 trial. Patients were stratified into three groups using age, white blood cell count, unfavorable genetic abnormalities, and treatment response: standard risk (SR), high risk (HR), and extremely high risk (ER). Prophylactic cranial radiation therapy (PCRT) was abolished except for CNS leukemia. Four-year event-free survival (4yr-EFS) and 4-year overall survival (4yr-OS) rates for all patients were 85.4% ± 1.1% and 91.2% ± 0.9%, respectively. Risk-adjusted therapy resulted in 4yr-EFS rates of 90.4% ± 1.4% for SR, 84.9% ± 1.6% for HR, and 66.5% ± 4.0% for ER. Based on NCI risk classification, 4yr-EFS rates were 88.2% in NCI-SR and 76.4% in NCI-HR patients, respectively. Compared to previous trial ALL-97, 4yr-EFS of NCI-SR patients was significantly improved (88.2% vs 81.2%, log rank p = 0.0004). The 4-year cumulative incidence of isolated (0.9%) and total (1.5%) CNS relapse were significantly lower than those reported previously. In conclusion, improved EFS in NCI-SR patients and abolish of PCRT was achieved in ALL-02.