bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FLAME: A Parametric Fire Risk Assessment Method Supporting Performance Based Approaches
Authors: Danzi Enrico , Fiorentini Luca , Marmo Luca
Published: July 2020

A fire risk assessment has always been a challenging task. Performance-based approaches to fire engineering have shown that risk-based decisions and fire scenarios are fundamental elements that must be considered in fire safety strategies. A correct assessment of the fire risk allows all the involved stakeholders to identify a specific strategy from among a variety of possibilities. A risk assessment is the best tool to identify comparable fire protection strategies and to measure the reduction in fire risk that can be obtained with each specific prevention and protection measure, i.e., by means of different fire safety strategies. The present paper illustrates a method that takes into account several well-known methods, even some that were developed as far back as in the early seventies. The method is named “FLAME” (Fire Risk Assessment Method for Enterprises). FLAME considers fundamental fire safety aspects instead of making use of sophisticated and time-consuming methods like CFD. FLAME uses the “Fire Safety Concept Tree”, which is explained in detail in the NFPA 550 Standard, as a reference scheme. The method allows the risk to the occupants to be evaluated separately from the risk to the building. Over the years, we have tested the method considering different kinds of buildings and occupancies. We here report the results of an application of the FLAME method to hospitals and health-care facilities. Overall, about 300 compartments (overall size of about 60,000 m2) were analysed, including two hospitals of about 200,000 m2 each. The results of the risk estimation with the FLAME code have been found to be coherent with Italian fire code prescriptions. About 44% of the compartments were defined as being at a Medium risk and 39% as being at a high risk (according to the Italian Fire Code). More than 60% of the hospital compartments were defined as being at a High risk. A good agreement was obtained between the RSET results with those of the method proposed in FLAME when using the current performance-based regulation criteria. The RSET estimation in FLAME considers the occupants’ behaviour and the actual characteristics of the occupants in clinics or hospitals, who often have difficulties due to reduced mobility or an incapacity to understand emergency instructions.
Markovian and Non-Markovian Quantum Measurements
Authors: Glick Jennifer R. , Adami Christoph
Published: July 2020

Consecutive measurements performed on the same quantum system can reveal fundamental insights into quantum theory’s causal structure, and probe different aspects of the quantum measurement problem. According to the Copenhagen interpretation, measurements affect the quantum system in such a way that the quantum superposition collapses after each measurement, erasing any memory of the prior state. We show here that counter to this view, un-amplified measurements (measurements where all variables comprising a pointer are in principle controllable) have coherent ancilla density matrices that encode the memory of the entire set of (un-amplified) quantum measurements that came before, and that the chain of this entire set is therefore non-Markovian. In contrast, sequences of amplified measurements (measurements where at least one pointer variable has been lost) are equivalent to a quantum Markov chain. We argue that the non-Markovian nature of quantum measurement has empirical consequences that are incompatible with the assumption of wave function collapse, thus elevating the collapse assumption into a testable hypothesis. Finally, we find that all of the information necessary to reconstruct an arbitrary non-Markovian quantum chain of measurements is encoded on the boundary of that chain (the first and the final measurement), reminiscent of the holographic principle.
A concise overview of non-invasive intra-abdominal pressure measurement techniques: from bench to bedside
Authors: Tayebi Salar , Gutierrez Adrian , Mohout Ikram , Smets Evelien , Wise Robert , Stiens Johan , Malbrain Manu L. N. G.
Published: July 2020

This review presents an overview of previously reported non-invasive intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) measurement techniques. Each section covers the basic physical principles and methodology of the various measurement techniques, the experimental results, and the advantages and disadvantages of each method. The most promising non-invasive methods for IAP measurement are microwave reflectometry and ultrasound assessment, in combination with an applied external force.
Police Powers and Article 5 ECHR: Time for a New Approach to the Interpretation of the Right to Liberty
Authors: Edwards Richard A.
Published: July 2020

This paper discusses the approach of British and European Courts to the interpretation and application of the Article 5 ECHR right to liberty when faced with police powers. The paper argues that the long-standing approach of the European Court of Human Rights inGuzzardi v Italy[1980] ECHR 7367/76 is wrong and should be replaced with a new interpretation based on coercion. The paper goes on to argue that a new approach would allow the courts to effectively protect both Convention rights and the rule of law.
Benchmarking the performance of genetic algorithms on constrained dynamic problems
Authors: Grudniewski P. A. , Sobey A. J.
Published: July 2020

The growing interest in dynamic optimisation has accelerated the development of genetic algorithms with specific mechanisms for these problems. To ensure that these developed mechanisms are capable of solving a wide range of practical problems it is important to have a diverse set of benchmarking functions to ensure the selection of the most appropriate Genetic Algorithm. However, the currently available benchmarking sets are limited to unconstrained problems with predominantly continuous characteristics. In this paper, the existing range of dynamic problems is extended with 15 novel constrained multi-objective functions. To determine how genetic algorithms perform on these constrained problems, and how this behaviour relates to unconstrained dynamic optimisation, 6 top-performing dynamic genetic algorithms are compared alongside 4 re-initialization strategies on the proposed test set, as well as the currently existing unconstrained cases. The results show that there are no differences between constrained/unconstrained optimisation, in contrast to the static problems. Therefore, dynamicity is the prevalent characteristic of these problems, which is shown to be more important than the discontinuous nature of the search and objective spaces. The best performing algorithm overall is MOEA/D, and VP is the best re-initialisation strategy. It is demonstrated that there is a need for more dynamic specific methodologies with high convergence, as it is more important to performance on dynamic problems than diversity.
Use of public information for road-capacity reductions: a study of mediating strategies during tunnel rehabilitations in Oslo
Authors: Tønnesen Anders , Hagen Oddrun Helen , Tennøy Aud
Published: July 2020

In this paper, two public information campaigns were analysed. These were related to capacity reductions, caused by maintenance work, in two main road tunnels—at Smestad and Bryn in Oslo. The paper analyses the campaigns’ characteristics and their goal fulfilment. The usage of social media to inform and communicate with travelers and inhabitants is highlighted. We find a high level of outreach of the campaigns and satisfaction among travelers with the information received. However, there are substantial differences between the information campaigns. The Smestad campaign had clear elements of mass-media scaremongering. Here, it is reasonable to attribute the traffic reduction in the first days after the capacity reduction to the massive media headings in advance about possible congestion and chaos. In contrast, the Bryn campaign was more multi-faced and lasted longer. Through massive neighbourhood information and use of social media, this campaign extensively encouraged and advised travelers on how congestion could be avoided if people travelled less by cars during the rehabilitation phase. Further, the Bryn campaign directed social media posts and digital advertising towards specific groups at specific times, and by doing so exemplifying audience targeting and the use of information campaigns to legitimate public interventions. While traditional media provided a strong basis for mass information in the early stages of both tunnel rehabilitations, social media had a clear mediating role at Bryn. Last, while describing management of deviant traffic situations, the paper also feeds into discussions of how to facilitate urban-transport change towards reduced car usage.
Toxicity of the pharmaceuticals finasteride and melengestrol acetate to benthic invertebrates
Authors: Gilroy Ève A. M. , Bartlett Adrienne J. , Gillis Patricia L. , Bendo Nicholas A. , Salerno Joseph , Hedges Amanda M. , Brown Lisa R. , Holman Emily A. M. , Stock Naomi L. , de Solla Shane R.
Published: July 2020

The toxicity of endocrinologically active pharmaceuticals finasteride (FIN) and melengestrol acetate (MGA) was assessed in freshwater mussels, including acute (48 h) aqueous tests with glochidia fromLampsilis siliquoidea, sub-chronic (14 days) sediment tests with gravid femaleLampsilis fasciola, and chronic (28 days) sediment tests with juvenileL. siliquoidea, and in chronic (42 days) sediment tests with the amphipodHyalella aztecaand the mayflyHexageniaspp. Finasteride was not toxic in acute aqueous tests withL. siliquoideaglochidia (up to 23 mg/L), whereas significant toxicity to survival and burial ability was detected in chronic sediment tests with juvenileL. siliquoidea(chronic value (ChV, the geometric mean of LOEC and NOEC) = 58 mg/kg (1 mg/L)). Amphipods (survival, growth, reproduction, and sex ratio) and mayflies (growth) were similarly sensitive (ChV = 58 mg/kg (1 mg/L)). Melengestrol acetate was acutely toxic toL. siliquoideaglochidia at 4 mg/L in aqueous tests; in sediment tests, mayflies were the most sensitive species, with significant growth effects observed at 37 mg/kg (0.25 mg/L) (ChV = 21 mg/kg (0.1 mg/L)). Exposure to sublethal concentrations of FIN and MGA had no effect on the (luring and filtering) behaviour of gravidL. fasciola, or the viability of their brooding glochidia. Based on the limited number of measured environmental concentrations of both chemicals, and their projected concentrations, no direct effects are expected by these compounds individually on the invertebrates tested. However, organisms are exposed to contaminant mixtures in the aquatic environment, and thus, the effects of FIN and MGA as components of these mixtures require further investigation.
Establishing distinctive theories and methods of design science rooted in Chinese traditional culture
Authors: Zou Huijun , Liang Qinghua
Published: July 2020

The human social development saw the formation of five unique civilizations, with the latter forming their own distinctive cultures. China’s traditional culture is its most fundamental ideological weapon for solving problems. The Chinese are good at comprehensive thinking, dialectical thinking, and systematic analysis. These ideological weapons can solve the problems of formal science and technology and create scientific and technological achievements on par with global advanced scale. Ancient China is filled with original scientific and technological achievements, which strongly prove ancient China’s possession of its own science and technology different from that of Western Renaissance. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of science, technology, experience, and intuition is necessary. The long-held superstition regarding the West, the lack of confidence, self-denial, blind imitation of ideas, and shackles must be thrown away. Only then can we take the road toward an authentic Chinese creative design as we learn from others.
Exploring the Prognostic Role of Ki67 Proliferative Index in Merkel Cell Carcinoma of the Skin: Clinico-Pathologic Analysis of 84 Cases and Review of the Literature
Authors: La Rosa Stefano , Bonzini Matteo , Sciarra Amedeo , Asioli Sofia , Maragliano Roberta , Arrigo Martina , Foschini Maria Pia , Righi Alberto , Maletta Francesca , Motolese Alberico , Papotti Mauro , Sessa Fausto , Uccella Silvia
Published: July 2020

The exact prediction of outcome of patients with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) of the skin is difficult to determine, although several attempts have been made to identify clinico-pathologic prognostic factors. The Ki67 proliferative index is a well-known marker routinely used to define the prognosis of patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms. However, its prognostic value has been poorly investigated in MCC, and available published results are often contradictory mainly because restricted to small series in the absence of standardized methods for Ki67 evaluation. For this reason, we explored the potential prognostic role of Ki67 proliferative index in a large series of MCCs using the WHO standardized method of counting positive cells in at least 500 tumor cells in hot spot areas on camera-captured printed images. In addition, since MCC may be considered as the cutaneous counterpart of digestive neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs), we decided to stratify MCCs using the available and efficient Ki67 threshold of 55%, which was found prognostic in digestive NECs. This choice was also supported by the Youden index analysis. In addition, we analyzed the prognostic value of other clinico-pathologic parameters using both univariate and multivariate analysis. Ki67 index appeared significantly associated with prognosis at univariate analysis together with stage IV, lack of MCPyV, and p63 expression, but not at the multivariate analysis, where survival resulted independently influenced by p63 expression and tumor stage, only.
An Update on Continuous-Time Stochastic Games of Fixed Duration
Authors: Levy Yehuda John
Published: July 2020

This paper shows that continuous-time stochastic games of fixed duration need not possess equilibria in Markov strategies. The example requires payoffs and transitions to depend on time in a continuous but irregular (almost nowhere almost differentiable) way. This example offers a correction to the erroneous construction presented previously in Levy (Dyn Games Appl 3(2):279–312, 2013. 10.1007/s13235-012-0067-2).
A Huge Revolution of Theatrical Commerce
Authors: Paoletti Matteo
Published: July 2020

In the first third of the twentieth century, South America became the most important market for many European theatrical companies. When Italy found itself in various theatrical crises, Walter Mocchi created a transoceanic theatrical empire, using his business acumen to craft viable solutions. While his efforts were most visible in the sphere of opera, he played an extremely significant role in the promotion and circulation of popular forms of musical theatre (such as operetta) and staged world premieres of works by Italian superstars in Argentina (such as Mascagni's Isabeau), thus offering an early example of what Stephen Greenblatt calls 'cultural mobility'.
Air/snow, snow/ice and ice/water interfaces detection from high-resolution vertical temperature profiles measured by ice mass-balance buoys on an Arctic lake
Authors: Cheng Yubing , Cheng Bin , Zheng Fei , Vihma Timo , Kontu Anna , Yang Qinghua , Liao Zeliang
Published: July 2020

Snow and ice were monitored by thermistor-string-based Snow and Ice Mass Balance Array (SIMBA) in Lake Orajärvi in northern Finland. An existing automatic SIMBA-algorithm was further developed to derive air/snow, snow/ice and ice/water interfaces based on the SIMBA environment temperature (ET) profiles. The identified interfaces agreed with in situ observations made in 2011/12 winter season. The method was capable to identify upward-moving snow/ice interface that was also visible from SIMBA heating temperature (HT) profiles, which responds to differences in the thermal diffusivities of air, snow, ice and water. The SIMBA data obtained in winters 2017/18 and 2018/19 were used to investigate snow and ice mass balance. An upward-moving snow/ice interface was detected as a result of meteoric ice (snow ice and superimposed ice) formation. Snow contributed to granular lake ice formation up to 40–55% of the total ice thickness on the seasonal mean. Heavy snowfalls and low air temperature in early winter are favourable for granular ice formation. The seasonal mean snow depth on nearby land was 2.7–2.9 times of that on the lake. The estimation of freeboard from snow and ice mass-balance measurement is sensitive to the snow density. Accurate ice freeboard calculation is still a challenge.
RISK MEASURES DERIVED FROM A REGULATOR’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE REGULATORY CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS FOR INSURERS
Authors: Cai Jun , Mao Tiantian
Published: July 2020

In this study, we propose new risk measures from a regulator’s perspective on the regulatory capital requirements. The proposed risk measures possess many desired properties, including monotonicity, translation-invariance, positive homogeneity, subadditivity, nonnegative loading, and stop-loss order preserving. The new risk measures not only generalize the existing, well-known risk measures in the literature, including the Dutch, tail value-at-risk (TVaR), and expectile measures, but also provide new approaches to generate feasible and practical coherent risk measures. As examples of the new risk measures, TVaR-type generalized expectiles are investigated in detail. In particular, we present the dual and Kusuoka representations of the TVaR-type generalized expectiles and discuss their robustness with respect to the Wasserstein distance.
HOLOCENE EVOLUTION OF A WAVE-DOMINATED BARRIER-LAGOON SYSTEM IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
Authors: Silva Rafael Cuellar de Oliveira e , Dias Gilberto Tavares de Macedo , Abuchacra Rodrigo Coutinho , de Vasconcelos Sérgio Cadena , Macario Kita Chaves Damasio , da Fonseca Estefan Monteiro
Published: July 2020

In a wave-dominated coast, most of the Jacarepaguá coastal plain is occupied by buildings. During a new construction in this region at Barra da Tijuca, the subsurface area was excavated, exposing its quartzose sand nature, with a high mollusk shell concentration and in situ echinoderms at–10 m depth. The possibility to access this area encouraged us to investigate the evolution of the coastal plain. A 7.84-m-long core was recovered by percussion drilling. Stratigraphic, grain size, and geochemical analysis were undertaken. Three carbonate samples were dated by radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry (14C AMS). The revised sea-level variation curve revealed that the last postglacial marine transgression reached the present mean sea-level at 7945–7500 cal BP. The sandy deposit bottom was an ancient shoreface, with in situ echinoderms buried at 7770–7540 cal BP by the Pleistocene inner barrier reworking due to the last marine transgression. The Holocene outer barrier-lagoon and its flood tidal delta were formed from 5440–5070 cal BP. Mid-Holocene marine regression allowed the outer barrier progradation and the lagoon shallowing/infill. This paper confirms prior models proposed by other researchers for the Rio de Janeiro central coast and shows its similarity with the New South Wales coast, Australia.
Adiponectin and leptin gene variants and their effects on body weight trajectories in children from birth to 6 years of age: the PREDI Study
Authors: Kroll Caroline , Farias Dayana Rodrigues , Kac Gilberto , de França Paulo Henrique Condeixa , Mastroeni Marco Fabio
Published: July 2020

Excess body weight confers a high risk to human health. Body weight variation between subjects can be partially explained by genetic differences. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of genetic variants in the ADIPOQ (rs2241766) and LEP (rs7799039) genes with body weight trajectories in children from birth to 6 years of age. This was a prospective cohort (PREDI Study). Socio-economic, biological and anthropometric data were collected at four time points: at birth in the maternity unit; 1–2, 4–5 and 6 years old at the participants’ homes. Genotyping was performed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Poisson regression and linear mixed-effect regression models were used to address the association of ADIPOQ and LEP genotypes with BMI. Excessive body weight at pre-pregnancy (β = 0·339, P = 0·01) and excessive gestational weight gain (β = 0·51, P < 0·001) were associated with children’s BMI trajectory from birth to 6 years. The ADIPOQ-rs2241766 TG or GG genotype was associated with a higher risk of excess body weight in the first 6 years of life (both sexes relative risk 1·25, 95 % CI 1·01, 1·56; female relative risk 1·67, 95 % CI 1·20, 2·31). BMI increased over the years according to the presence of the TG or GG genotype (β = 0·01, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·02), particularly in females (β = 0·02, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·04). The ADIPOQ-rs2241766 TG and GG genotypes increased the risk of excess body weight in children from birth to 6 years of age and had a positive effect on body weight trajectories in girls. The LEP-rs7799039 genetic variant was not associated with body weight trajectory in children.
THESATYRICAAND THE GOSPELS IN THE SECOND CENTURY
Authors: Walsh Robyn Faith
Published: July 2020

TheSatyricahas long been associated with a Neronian courtier named Petronius, mentioned by Tacitus in hisAnnals. As such, the text is usually dated to the mid first centuryc.e.This view is so established that certain scholars have suggested it is ‘little short of perverse not to accept the general consensus and read theSatyricaas a Neronian text of the mid-60sad’. In recent years, however, there has been a groundswell of support for re-evaluating this long-held position. Laird, after comparing the ‘form and content’ of the text to the Greek novel, came to the ‘unattractive’ conclusion that the text may be second century. Similarly, in two recent pieces inCQ, Roth argues that the manumission scene in theCenaestablishes a newterminus post quemfor the text; she suggests that the freedoms granted by Trimalchio closely parallel—and parody—descriptions of awardingciuitasfound in the letters of Pliny the Younger. Indeed, the three slaves manumitted in the novel are associated with a boar (Sat.40.3–41.4), Dionysus (Sat.41.6–7) and a falling star (Sat. 54.1–5); likewise, the three slaves that are the subject of Pliny's letter are C. Valerius Aper (boar), C. Valerius Dionysius (god of wine) and C. Valerius Astraeus (stars). Roth's argument suggests that the author of theSatyricawas not Nero's contemporary but a member of Pliny's intellectual circle, offering strong circumstantial evidence that troubles the accepted tradition on the work's authorship and date.
The Shtetl in the Hebrew Theatre of Mandatory Palestine during the 1930s
Authors: Zer-Zion Shelly
Published: July 2020

During the 1930s, the two Hebrew repertoire theatre companies in Palestine – the Habima and the Ohel – performed a large corpus of plays dealing with the landscapes of the Eastern European Jewish shtetl. Their fascination with the shtetl is surprising, considering the fact that these two companies were deeply committed to the Zionist project, whose ethos was building a new society in Eretz-Israel and negating the diasporic condition of Jewish existence. This article explores the landscapes of the shtetl as they were presented on the Hebrew stage of the 1930s and analyzes their aesthetic and cultural meaning for their audiences at that time. It shows that the shtetl plays formed a memory landscape that served the formation of a modern, consolidated, ethnic Jewish collective in Palestine, which shared a unified narrative of its past, as well as national aspirations for the future. Shelly Zer-Zion is a lecturer of theatre at the University of Haifa and was previously a Fulbright post-doctoral scholar at New York University. Her recent publications include Habima in Berlin: The Institutionalization of a Zionist Theatre (Magness Press, 2015), and her research is currently supported by the Israeli Science Foundation.
Targeted adaptation in infants following live exposure to an accented talker
Authors: PAQUETTE-SMITH Melissa , COOPER Angela , JOHNSON Elizabeth K.
Published: July 2020

Infants struggle to understand familiar words spoken in unfamiliar accents. Here, we examine whether accent exposure facilitates accent-specific adaptation. Two types of pre-exposure were examined: video-based (i.e., listening to pre-recorded stories; Experiment 1) and live interaction (reading books with an experimenter; Experiments 2 and 3). After video-based exposure, Canadian English-learning 15- to 18-month-olds failed to recognize familiar words spoken in an unfamiliar accent. However, after face-to-face interaction with a Mandarin-accented talker, infants showed enhanced recognition for words produced in Mandarin English compared to Australian English. Infants with live exposure to an Australian talker were not similarly facilitated, perhaps due to the lower vocabulary scores of the infants assigned to the Australian exposure condition. Thus, live exposure can facilitate accent adaptation, but this ability is fragile in young infants and is likely influenced by vocabulary size and the specific mapping between the speaker and the listener's phonological system.
An interaction between early threat exposure and the oxytocin receptor in females: Disorder-specific versus general risk for psychopathology and social–emotional mediators
Authors: Byrd Amy L. , Tung Irene , Manuck Stephen D. , Vine Vera , Horner Michelle , Hipwell Alison E. , Stepp Stephanie D.
Published: July 2020

Early threat exposure is a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology, and evidence suggests that genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) moderates this association. However, it is unclear if this gene-by-environment (G×E) interaction is tied to unique risk for disorder-specific outcomes or instead increases shared risk for general psychopathology. Moreover, little is known about how this G×E interaction increases risk. The current study utilized a prospective, longitudinal sample of females (n = 2,020) to examine: (a) whether the interaction between early threat exposure and OXTR variation (rs53576, rs2254298) confers risk for disorder-specific outcomes (depression, anxiety, borderline and antisocial personality disorders) and/or general psychopathology in early adulthood; and (b) whether social–emotional deficits (emotion dysregulation, callousness, attachment quality) during adolescence constitute mediating mechanisms. Consistent with hypotheses, the interactive effects of early threat exposure and OXTR variation (rs53576) predicted general psychopathology, with threat-exposed women carrying at least one copy of the rs53576 A-allele at greatest risk. This interaction was mediated via emotional dysregulation in adolescence, with threat-exposed A-allele carriers demonstrating greater emotion dysregulation, and greater emotion dysregulation predicting general psychopathology in early adulthood. Findings suggest that this G×E places women at risk for a broad range of psychopathology via effects on emotion dysregulation.
Pathways linking adverse environments to emerging adults’ substance abuse and depressive symptoms: A prospective analysis of rural African American men
Authors: Kogan Steven M. , Bae Dayoung , Cho Junhan , Smith Alicia K. , Nishitani Shota
Published: July 2020

For African American emerging adult men, developmental challenges are evident in their escalating substance abuse and depressive symptoms; this is particularly true for men from low-resource communities. The present study tests a developmental model linking childhood adversity and contemporaneous contextual stressors to increases in emerging adults’ substance use and depressive symptoms, indirectly, via increases in defensive/hostile relational schemas and social developmental risk factors (e.g., risky peers and romantic partners, lack of involvement in school or work). We also advance exploratory hypotheses regarding DNA methylation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) as a moderator of the effects of stress on relational schemas. Hypotheses were tested with three waves of data from 505 rural African American men aged 19–25 years. Adverse childhood experiences predicted exposure to emerging adult contextual stressors. Contextual stressors forecast increases in defensive/hostile relational schemas, which increased social developmental risk factors. Social developmental risk factors proximally predicted increases in substance abuse and depressive symptoms. OXTR DNA methylation moderated the effects of contextual stressors on defensive/hostile relational schemas. Findings suggest that early exposures to stress carry forward to affect the development of social developmental risk factors in emerging adulthood, which place rural African American men at risk for increased substance abuse and depressive symptoms during the emerging adult years.
Social origins of self-regulated attention during infancy and their disruption in autism spectrum disorder: Implications for early intervention
Authors: Gaffrey Michael S. , Markert Sarah , Yu Chen
Published: July 2020

To understand the complex relationships between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other frequently comorbid conditions, a growing number of studies have investigated the emergence of ASD during infancy. This research has suggested that symptoms of ASD and highly related comorbid conditions emerge from complex interactions between neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities and early environments, indicating that developing treatments to prevent ASD is highly challenging. However, it also suggests that attenuating the negative effects of ASD on future development once identified is possible. The present paper builds on this by conceptualizing developmental delays in nonsocial skills as the potential product of altered caregiver–infant interactions following the emergence of ASD during infancy. And, following emerging findings from caregiver–infant dyadic head-mounted eye-tracking (D-ET) research, it also suggests that a multiple pathway model of joint attention can provide mechanistic insights into how ASD alters the ability of caregiver and infant to create a context for infant learning. The potential for this view to inform early intervention is further discussed and illustrated through D-ET data collected prior to and following a brief, parent-mediated intervention for infant ASD. While promising, further research informing how a multiple pathway model of joint attention can inform ASD early intervention is needed.
Contemporary Views of Liberal Democracy and the 2016 Presidential Election
Authors: Hicks William D. , McKee Seth C. , Smith Daniel A.
Published: July 2020

What are Americans’ views on liberal democracy? Have their attitudes changed since the 1950s? How do their attitudes about liberal democracy shape political behavior, such as vote choice? We replicated McClosky’s (1964) seminal study on a module to the 2016 Cooperative Congressional Election Study. Our exploration of 26 survey questions reveals both continuity and change in Americans’ attitudes toward liberal democracy. Whereas Americans have become more hostile toward some standard democratic procedural rules of the game, we also find that they harbor more tolerant attitudes toward racial and ethnic equality. We subjected respondents’ answers to an exploratory factor analysis, which reveals three distinct dimensions regarding democratic values: elitism, authoritarianism, and racial supremacy. We find that elitism and racial supremacy significantly influenced political behavior in the 2016 presidential election and note that these factors contributed to mass unrest in 2020, exposing fault lines deeply rooted in America’s contentious political history.
Effect of maternal nutritional education and counselling on children’s stunting prevalence in urban informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Nyamasege CK , Kimani-Murage EW , Wanjohi M , Kaindi DWM , Wagatsuma Y
Published: July 2020

Objective:

To determine whether the prevalence of stunting differed between an intervention group and a control group and to identify factors associated with the children’s linear growth.

Design:

This was a follow-up study of mother–child pairs who participated in a 2012–2015 cluster randomised controlled trial. Linear mixed effects models were performed to model the children’s linear growth and identify the determinants of child linear growth.

Setting:

The study was conducted in two slums in Nairobi. The intervention group received monthly nutrition education and counselling (NEC) during pregnancy and infancy period.

Participants:

A birth cohort of 1004 was followed up every 3 months after delivery to the 13th month. However, as a result of dropouts, a total of 438 mother–child pairs participated during the 55-month follow-up. The loss to follow-up baseline characteristics did not differ from those included for analysis.

Results:

Length-for-agez-scores decreased from birth to the 13th month, mean –1·42 (sd2·04), with the control group (33·5 %) reporting a significantly higher prevalence of stunting than the intervention group (28·6 %). Conversely, the scores increased in the 55th month, mean –0·89 (sd1·04), with significantly more males (16·5 %) stunted in the control group than in the intervention group (8·3 %). Being in the control group, being a male child, often vomiting/regurgitating food, mother’s stature of <154 cm and early weaning were negatively associated with children’s linear growth.

Conclusions:

Home-based maternal NEC reduced stunting among under five years; however, the long-term benefits of this intervention on children’s health need to be elucidated.
Organic fertilizer use by smallholder farmers: typology of management approaches in northern Ghana
Authors: Daadi Bunbom Edward , Latacz-Lohmann Uwe
Published: July 2020

An understanding of the nexus of organic fertilizer use decisions that smallholder farmers take is essential to designing relevant policy to support adoption in sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, we applied exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on observed farmer decisions to identify a set of common management approaches that farmers in the northeastern part of Ghana adopt in using organic fertilizer. After identification, seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) analysis was applied to relate each approach to farmer characteristics that influence uptake decisions. The EFA identified four approaches, labeled as Augmentary Compost Use Approach, Urban Human Waste Organic Fertilizer Approach, Integrated Livestock Manure Approach and Mineral Fertilizer Cost Constraint Organic Approach. Each of the first three approaches involves a set of strategic farmer decisions which could be supported to increase organic fertilizer use. The SUR analysis showed that the uptake of each approach is affected by different subsets of farmer characteristics. However, participation in organic fertilizer management training positively influences the adoption of all four approaches. Thus, we recommend free training of smallholder farmers as a core element of any policy package to support organic fertilizer adoption.
Compact triple-band bandpass filter using multi-mode HMSIW cavity and half-mode DGS
Authors: Pelluri Sambaiah , Kartikeyan M. V.
Published: July 2020

In this paper, a triple-band bandpass filter using a multi-mode half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) cavity is presented. In this design, back-to-back connected half-mode defected ground structure (DGS) is loaded into the HMSIW cavity, which generates the first passband. The first four modes of HMSIW cavity are TM110, TM120, TM310, and TM320. They have been used to generate second and third passbands. The slot line perturbation is used to shift the modes close to each other. Here, TM110 and TM120 constitute second passband, and TM310 and TM320 give third passband. Moreover, the notch band is designed using embedded open-circuited stub to improve the attenuation between the second and third passbands. The proposed filter is designed and fabricated on RT/Duroid 5880 substrate with a thickness of 0.508 mm. The measured results are in line with simulated ones for each of the passbands, and the center frequencies are 6.28, 13, and 19.12 GHz.
Metabolic Profile and Body Composition in Twins Concordant and Discordant for Physical Exercise
Authors: Borges Michelle V. de O. , Medeiros Jeane F. P. , de Sousa Elys C. , da Costa José R. R. , Lemos Telma M. A. M. , Dantas Paulo M. S.
Published: July 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the metabolic profile and body composition of monozygotic (MZ) twins concordant and discordant for the practice of physical exercise. The sample consisted of 92 MZ twins (72.5% female and 27.5% male, mean age 25.4 ± 5.69 years), registered with the Brazilian Registry of Twins, residing in Natal, Brazil. Data collection was carried out between the years 2016 and 2018. On day 1, subjects underwent a whole-body fitness evaluation, including measures of weight, height, body composition by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry and the Cardiorespiratory Exercise Test. On day 2, 10 ml blood samples were collected (overnight fasting) to determine the lipid profile and fasting glucose. The sample was separated into three groups: Active Concordant twins (Concordant A, n = 44 subjects), Inactive Concordant twins (Concordant I, n = 22 subjects) and Discordant pairs for Physical Exercise (Discordant PE, n = 26 subjects). The results demonstrated a difference between the discordant twins for exercise and also between the active versus sedentary groups, indicating a causal effect of exercise on the fat percentage, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) and second ventilatory threshold variables. Between groups, a difference was also observed between the groups in ventilatory threshold, very low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides. We concluded that, regardless of genetics, the practice of physical exercise was sufficient to generate alterations in body composition and VO2max in MZ twins, but not in the lipid profile or fasting glucose.
An Assessment of Earth's Climate Sensitivity Using Multiple Lines of Evidence
Authors: Sherwood S. C. , Webb M. J. , Annan J. D. , Armour K. C. , Forster P. M. , Hargreaves J. C. , Hegerl G. , Klein S. A. , Marvel K. D. , Rohling E. J. , Watanabe M. , Andrews T. , Braconnot P. , Bretherton C. S. , Foster G. L. , Hausfather Z. , von der Heydt A. S. , Knutti R. , Mauritsen T. , Norris J. R. , Proistosescu C. , Rugenstein M. , Schmidt G. A. , Tokarska K. B. , Zelinka M. D.
Published: July 2020

We assess evidence relevant to Earth's equilibrium climate sensitivity per doubling of atmospheric CO2, characterized by an effective sensitivity S. This evidence includes feedback process understanding, the historical climate record, and the paleoclimate record. An S value lower than 2 K is difficult to reconcile with any of the three lines of evidence. The amount of cooling during the Last Glacial Maximum provides strong evidence against values of S greater than 4.5 K. Other lines of evidence in combination also show that this is relatively unlikely. We use a Bayesian approach to produce a probability density function (PDF) for S given all the evidence, including tests of robustness to difficult‐to‐quantify uncertainties and different priors. The 66% range is 2.6–3.9 K for our Baseline calculation and remains within 2.3–4.5 K under the robustness tests; corresponding 5–95% ranges are 2.3–4.7 K, bounded by 2.0–5.7 K (although such high‐confidence ranges should be regarded more cautiously). This indicates a stronger constraint on S than reported in past assessments, by lifting the low end of the range. This narrowing occurs because the three lines of evidence agree and are judged to be largely independent and because of greater confidence in understanding feedback processes and in combining evidence. We identify promising avenues for further narrowing the range in S, in particular using comprehensive models and process understanding to address limitations in the traditional forcing‐feedback paradigm for interpreting past changes.
Asteroid Impact, Not Volcanism, Likely Spelled Dinosaurs’ End
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: July 2020

Using climate and habitat modeling, researchers show that solar dimming caused by an asteroid impact would have plunged the world into an “impact winter” and decimated dinosaur habitats.
Seismically Induced Unclogging in Fluid‐Saturated Faults
Authors: Barbosa Nicolás D. , Solazzi Santiago G. , Lupi Matteo
Published: July 2020

Evidence shows that flow‐driven unclogging of pore spaces is correlated with permeability variations in fluid‐saturated porous rocks. Due to the well‐established ability of seismic waves to induce transient fluid flow in porous media, permeability changes due to seismically induced unclogging have been proposed to explain hydrogeological phenomena commonly associated with distant earthquakes. In an effort to demonstrate the effects of seismically induced unclogging, laboratory experiments of forced oscillatory flow in centimeter‐scale samples have been performed. However, the corresponding extrapolation of the observations to the field scale has yet to be addressed. In this work, we model the coupling between the strains imposed by propagating seismic body waves and the development of transient flow in porous media following Biot's theory of poroelasticity. To assess the potential of seismically induced unclogging, we use previously reported flow velocity thresholds for which measurable permeability variations were observed. We show that only diffusive waves can induce flow velocities in the order of those capable of initiating unclogging. In heterogeneous media, diffusive waves are created as energy conversion from passing seismic waves at the interfaces separating two porous phases of the medium. We investigate this mesoscale process for body waves propagating across a fault zone as a function of the energy density, frequency, and incidence angle of the waves. Seismically induced unclogging potential in fault zones increases with frequency and imposed strain, although this relation is strongly affected by the incidence angle of the seismic wave, the fault thickness, and the stiffness contrast between the fault and the embedding background.
Permeability Impairment and Salt Precipitation Patterns During CO2 Injection Into Single Natural Brine‐Filled Fractures
Authors: Grimm Lima Marina , Schädle Philipp , Green Christopher P. , Vogler Daniel , Saar Martin O. , Kong Xiang‐Zhao
Published: July 2020

Formation dry‐out in fracture‐dominated geological reservoirs may alter the fracture space, impair rock absolute permeability, and cause a significant decrease in well injectivity. In this study, we numerically model the dry‐out processes occurring during supercritical CO2 (scCO2) injection into single brine‐filled fractures and evaluate the potential for salt precipitation under increasing effective normal stresses in the evaporative regime. We use an open‐source, parallel finite‐element framework to numerically model two‐phase flow through 2‐D fracture planes with aperture fields taken from naturally fractured granite cores at the Grimsel Test Site in Switzerland. Our results reveal a displacement front and a subsequent dry‐out front in all simulated scenarios, where higher effective stresses caused more flow channeling, higher rates of water evaporation, and larger volumes of salt precipitates. However, despite the larger salt volumes, the permeability impairment was lower at higher effective normal stresses. We conclude that the spatial distribution of the salt, precipitated in fractures with heterogeneous aperture fields, strongly affects the absolute permeability impairment caused by formation dry‐out. The numerical simulations assist in understanding the behavior of the injectivity in fractures and fracture networks during subsurface applications that involve scCO2 injection into brine.
Alterations of multiple peripheral inflammatory cytokine levels after repeated ketamine infusions in major depressive disorder
Authors: Zhan Yanni , Zhou Yanling , Zheng Wei , Liu Weijian , Wang Chengyu , Lan Xiaofeng , Deng Xiurong , Xu Yan , Zhang Bin , Ning Yuping
Published: July 2020

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that inflammatory cytokines play an important role in major depressive disorder (MDD) and are associated with treatment outcomes. Few studies have explored the trajectories of multiple inflammatory cytokines after repeated ketamine infusions in MDD. In this study, we conducted a secondary analysis to investigate the impact of ketamine on the modulation of the inflammatory pathway in depression and whether this pathway contributes to the antidepressant properties of ketamine. A total of 60 patients with depression received six ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg) during a 12-day period. The Montgomery–Asberg Scale (MADRS) was administered, and blood samples were collected at baseline and 24 h and 14 days after the sixth infusion (days 0, 13, and 26). Plasma levels of the 19 cytokines were measured using the Luminex assay. At baseline, inflammatory cytokines were associated with the severity of depression. The concentrations of pro- and anti-inflammatory factors, including granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), fractalkine, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-23, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), were downregulated after repeated ketamine administration (allp < 0.05). In addition, alterations in the levels of IL-17A (r = −0.259,p = 0.046) and IL-6 (r = −0.262,p = 0.043) were correlated with symptom improvement. A lower level of interferon-inducible T cell alpha chemoattractant (ITAC) at baseline was predictive of ketamine treatment response on day 13 according to a stepwise linear regression analysis (β = −0.296,p = 0.040). Our results suggest that the inflammatory pathway may be involved in the antidepressant effects of ketamine, which may be conducive to future treatment strategy optimization.
Ubiquitination and deubiquitination of MCL1 in cancer: deciphering chemoresistance mechanisms and providing potential therapeutic options
Authors: Wu Xiaowei , Luo Qingyu , Liu Zhihua
Published: July 2020

MCL1 is an important antiapoptotic member of the BCL-2 family that is distinguishable from other family members based on its relatively short half-life. Emerging studies have revealed the crucial role of MCL1 in the chemoresistance of cancer cells. The antiapoptotic function of MCL1 makes it a popular therapeutic target, although specific inhibitors have begun to emerge only recently. Notably, emerging studies have reported that several E3 ligases and deubiquitinases modulate MCL1 stability, providing an alternate means of targeting MCL1 activity. In addition, the emergence and development of proteolysis-targeting chimeras, the function of which is based on ubiquitination-mediated degradation, has shown great potential. In this review, we provide an overview of the studies investigating the ubiquitination and deubiquitination of MCL1, summarize the latest evidence regarding the development of therapeutic strategies targeting MCL1 in cancer treatment, and discuss the promising future of targeting MCL1 via the ubiquitin–proteasome system in clinical practice.