bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Movement Patterns in Epidemic Models on Complex Networks
Authors: Ruiz-Herrera Alfonso , Torres Pedro J.
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we analyze the influence of the usual movement variables on the spread of an epidemic. Specifically, given two spatial topologies, we can deduce which topology produces less infected individuals. In particular, we determine the topology that minimizes the overall number of infected individuals. It is worth noting that we do not assume any of the common simplifying assumptions in network theory such as all the links have the same diffusion rate or the movement of the individuals is symmetric. Our main conclusion is that the degree of mobility of the population plays a critical role in the spread of a disease. Finally, we derive theoretical insights to management of epidemics.
Central Noradrenergic Neurotransmission and Weight Loss 6 Months After Gastric Bypass Surgery in Patients with Severe Obesity
Authors: Soeder J. Marvin , Luthardt Julia , Rullmann Michael , Becker Georg A. , Hankir Mohammed K. , Patt Marianne , Meyer Philipp M. , Schütz Tatjana , Ding Yu-Shin , Hilbert Anja , Dietrich Arne , Sabri Osama , Hesse Swen
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery is currently the most efficient treatment to achieve long-term weight loss in individuals with severe obesity. This is largely attributed to marked reductions in food intake mediated in part by changes in gut-brain communication. Here, we investigated for the first time whether weight loss after RYGB is associated with alterations in central noradrenaline (NA) neurotransmission.

Materials and Methods

We longitudinally studied 10 individuals with severe obesity (8 females; age 43.9 ± 13.1 years; body mass index (BMI) 46.5 ± 4.8 kg/m2) using (S,S)-[11C]O-methylreboxetine and positron emission tomography to estimate NA transporter (NAT) availability before and 6 months after surgery. NAT distribution volume ratios (DVR) were calculated by volume-of-interest analysis and the two-parameter multilinear reference tissue model (reference region: occipital cortex).

Results

The participants responded to RYGB surgery with a reduction in BMI of 12.0 ± 3.5 kg/m2 (p < 0.001) from baseline. This was paralleled by a significant reduction in DVR in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (pre-surgery 1.12 ± 0.04 vs. post-surgery 1.07 ± 0.04; p = 0.019) and a general tendency towards reduced DVR throughout the brain. Furthermore, we found a strong positive correlation between pre-surgery DVR in hypothalamus and the change in BMI (r = 0.78; p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Reductions in BMI after RYGB surgery are associated with NAT availability in brain regions responsible for decision-making and homeostasis. However, these results need further validation in larger cohorts, to assess whether brain NAT availability could prognosticate the outcome of RYGB on BMI.

Graphical abstract
Estimating Fat Components of Potato Chips Using Visible and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and a Compositional Calibration Model
Authors: Palarea-Albaladejo Javier , Cayuela-Sánchez José Antonio , Moriana-Correro Elena
Published: August 2021

When aiming to assess the fat composition of commercial potato chip products, their diversity and the difficulties to verify the nutritional label of batches of chips by official methods are main challenges. Thus, the possibility of using alternative technologies is of great interest for both the industry and the public administration. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a rapid and non-destructive technique that has been proven useful in different applications in the food industry. However, suitable specific treatments of compositional references with NIRS methods have been until now very scarce in the literature. The nutritional label information is commonly given as percentage content values across several nutritional categories. This formally corresponds with the class of so-called compositional data, for which there are specific statistical methods. This study contributes to ongoing research on the feasibility of Vis/NIR spectroscopy for food nutritional labelling. In particular, a calibration model is formulated to estimate the relative content of fat in potato chips products based on NIR spectral signal that integrates a consistent statistical treatment of the nutritional reference data. The method provides accurate estimates of the fat composition, with this including saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated types of fat, as well as their total fat percentage (cross-validated overall R2 = 0.88 and R2 = 0.82 from ground and fragmented samples respectively) and shows its potential for both nutritional labelling and verification in a rapid and inexpensive manner.
Context-aware recommender systems and cultural heritage: a survey
Authors: Casillo Mario , Colace Francesco , Conte Dajana , Lombardi Marco , Santaniello Domenico , Valentino Carmine
Published: August 2021

In the Big Data era, every sector has adapted to technological development to service the vast amount of information available. In this way, each field has benefited from technological improvements over the years. The cultural and artistic field was no exception, and several studies contributed to the aim of the interaction between human beings and artistic-cultural heritage. In this scenario, systems able to analyze the current situation and recommend the right services play a crucial role. In particular, in the Recommender Systems field, Context-Awareness helps to improve the recommendations provided. This article aims to present a general overview of the introduction of Context analysis techniques in Recommender Systems and discuss some challenging applications to the Cultural Heritage field.
Nodal curves and polarizations with good properties
Authors: Brivio Sonia , Favale Filippo F.
Published: August 2021

In this paper we deal with polarizations on a nodal curve C with smooth components. Our aim is to study and characterize a class of polarizations, which we call “good”, for which depth one sheaves on C reflect some properties that hold for vector bundles on smooth curves. We will concentrate, in particular, on the relation between the $${{\underline{w}}}$$

w
̲

-stability of $${\mathcal {O}}_C$$

O
C

and the goodness of $${{\underline{w}}}$$

w
̲

. We prove that these two concepts agree when C is of compact type and we conjecture that the same should hold for all nodal curves.
Rock physics diagnostic of Eocene Sokor-1 reservoir in Termit subbasin, Niger
Authors: Hassane Amadou , Ehirim Chukwuemeka Ngozi , Dagogo Tamunonengiyeofori
Published: August 2021

Eocene Sokor-1 reservoir is intrinsically heterogeneous and characterized by low-contrast low-resistivity log responses in parts of the Termit subbasin. Discriminating lithology and fluid properties using petrophysics alone is complicated and undermines reservoir characterization. Petrophysics and rock physics were integrated through rock physics diagnostics (RPDs) modeling for detailed description of the reservoir microstructure and quality in the subbasin. Petrophysical evaluation shows that Sokor-1 sand_5 interval has good petrophysical properties across wells and prolific in hydrocarbons. RPD analysis revealed that this sand interval could be best described by the constant cement sand model in wells_2, _3, _5 and _9 and friable sand model in well_4. The matrix structure varied mostly from clean and well-sorted unconsolidated sands as well as consolidated and cemented sandstones to deteriorating and poorly sorted shaly sands and shales/mudstones. The rock physics template built based on the constant cement sand model for representative well_2 diagnosed hydrocarbon bearing sands with low Vp/Vs and medium-to-high impedance signatures. Brine shaly sands and shales/mudstones were diagnosed with moderate Vp/Vs and medium-to-high impedance and high Vp/Vs and medium impedance, respectively. These results reveal that hydrocarbon sands and brine shaly sands cannot be distinctively discriminated by the impedance property, since they exhibit similar impedance characteristics. However, hydrocarbon sands, brine shaly sands and shales/mudstones were completely discriminated by characteristic Vp/Vs property. These results demonstrate the robust application of rock physics diagnostic modeling in quantitative reservoir characterization and may be quite useful in undrilled locations in the subbasin and fields with similar geologic settings.
Metaphors as models: Towards a typology of metaphor in ancient science
Authors: Humar Marcel
Published: August 2021

Metaphors play a crucial role in the understanding of science. Since antiquity, metaphors have been used in technical texts to describe structures unknown or unnamed; besides establishing a terminology of science, metaphors are also important for the expression of concepts. However, a concise terminology to classify metaphors in the language of science has not been established yet. But in the context of studying the history of a science and its concepts, a precise typology of metaphors can be helpful. Metaphors have a lot in common with models in science, as has been observed already. In this paper, therefore, I suggest a typology of metaphor in ancient science to fill this terminological gap by using concepts applied to the classification of models in science, as coined by Rom Harré. I propose to differentiate between homeoconceptual metaphors (with the same conceptual frame between source and target) and paraconceptual metaphors (mapped via a different conceptual frame). Furthermore, functional and structural aspects of metaphors in ancient science are taken into account. Case studies from ancient texts displaying metaphors in ancient science are presented and classified following the outlined typology of metaphors.
Heat Transfer Coefficient Determination in a Gravity Die Casting Process with Local Air Gap Formation and Contact Pressure Using Experimental Evaluation and Numerical Simulation
Authors: Vossel T. , Wolff N. , Pustal B. , Bührig-Polaczek A. , Ahmadein M.
Published: August 2021

Anticipating the processes and parameters involved for accomplishing a sound metal casting requires an in-depth understanding of the underlying behaviors characterizing a liquid melt solidifying inside its mold. Heat balance represents a major factor in describing the thermal conditions in a casting process and one of its main influences is the heat transfer between the casting and its surroundings. Local heat transfer coefficients describe how well heat can be transferred from one body or material to another. This paper will discuss the estimation of these coefficients in a gravity die casting process with local air gap formation and heat shrinkage induced contact pressure. Both an experimental evaluation and a numerical modeling for a solidification simulation will be performed as two means of investigating the local heat transfer coefficients and their local differences for regions with air gap formation or contact pressure when casting A356 (AlSi7Mg0.3).
Comparative study of diagnostic value between IVIM and DWI for prostate cancer at 3.0 T magnetic resonance
Authors: Wang Rui , Liu Weidong , Ren Fang , Ren Jing
Published: August 2021

Objective

To quantitatively compare the diagnostic and differential diagnostic value of intra-voxel incoherent motion imaging (IVIM) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) for prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Methods

68 cases of prostate confirmed by pathology, including 33 cases of PCa and 35 cases of BPH were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were underwent T1WI, T2WI, DWI and IVIM sequences to obtain the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), pure apparent diffusion coefficient (Pure-ADC/D), standard apparent diffusion coefficient (standard-ADC/Ds), fast apparent diffusion coefficient (fast-ADC/D*), fraction of fast apparent diffusion coefficient (f) values. All the multiple parameters were statistically analyzed for the differential diagnosis of BPH and PCa. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results

The differences in D, Ds, f and ADC values between BPH and PCa groups were statistically significant (all P values < 0.001), respectively. Among them, D value in the IVIM model had the highest diagnostic efficiency for PCa, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.967, and the AUC combined with the ADC value and D value reaches 0.973.

Conclusion

The diagnostic efficacy of multiple parameters in the IVIM model for PCa was higher than the ADC value of the quantitative parameter of DWI. D value had the highest diagnostic efficiency. The combined diagnosis of ADC and D value was more effective, more advantageous in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PCa.
Short term prediction of wireless traffic based on tensor decomposition and recurrent neural network
Authors: Deng Tao , Wan Mengxuan , Shi Kaiwen , Zhu Ling , Wang Xichen , Jiang Xuchu
Published: August 2021

This paper proposes a wireless network traffic prediction model based on Bayesian Gaussian tensor decomposition and recurrent neural network with rectified linear unit (BGCP-RNN-ReLU model), which can effectively predict the changes in the upstream and downstream network traffic in a short period of time in the future. The research is divided into two parts: (i) The missing observations are imputed by an algorithm based on Bayesian Gaussian tensor decomposition. (ii) The recurrent neural network is used to forecast the true observations only rather than both true and estimated observations. The results show that, compared with other combined models of missing data imputation and neural networks, the BGCP-RNN-ReLU model proposed in this paper has the smallest prediction error for both the upstream and downstream traffic. The new model achieves better forecasting precision, and thus can help to regulate the load of communication station to reduce resource consumption.

Highlights

The problem of forecasting wireless network traffic with missing values is divided in two stages to
handle.

A newly propose
d method can more efficiently impute missing values in wireless network traffic data.

Simple recurrent neural network obtains better prediction performance than other complex networks.
Fäkale Mikrobiota-Transplantation
Authors: Scharl Michael , Rogler Gerhard
Published: August 2021

Das Mikrobiom oder die intestinale Mikrobiota ist in den letzten Jahren zunehmend ins wissenschaftliche wie öffentliche Interesse gerückt. Es ist Inhalt einer Vielzahl von Medienberichten und Publikationen. Insbesondere die Rolle des Mikrobioms in der Entstehung verschiedenster Erkrankungen sowie die Möglichkeiten, die intestinale Mikrobiota in ihrer Zusammensetzung in therapeutischer Absicht zu beeinflussen, ist von grossem Interesse. Hier rückte in den letzten Jahren zunehmend die fäkale Mikrobiota-Transplantation (FMT) in den Fokus, in deren Rahmen der Spenderstuhl einem anderen Patienten verabreicht wird. Die FMT ist inzwischen die Therapie der Wahl für die Behandlung der rezidivierenden C.-difficile-Kolitis. Einmalig via Koloskopie verabreicht, stellt sie eine sichere und hocheffiziente Therapieform dar. Da das Mikrobiom auch mit zahlreichen anderen Erkrankungen assoziiert ist, wird die FMT auch zur Therapie verschiedenster anderer gastroenterologischer, chronisch-entzündlicher, metabolischer, maligner oder neuropsychiatrischer Erkrankungen erwogen. Hier ist die Datenlage allerdings noch dünn und weitere Forschung ist dringend nötig.
A clinicopathological study of 39 cases of atypical polypoid adenomyoma of the uterus
Authors: Zhu Honglan , Bai Taji , Tian Zhao , Lu Shanshan , Bao Dongmei , Cui Heng
Published: August 2021

Objective

To clarify the clinical and pathological characteristics of atypical polypoid adenomyoma (APA) in order to improve the criteria used to diagnose and treat this disease.

Study design

In 39 cases of APA, retrospective analysis was performed of theclinical data, pathological characteristics, and the follow-up findings in patients admitted to the Peking University People's Hospital from 2007 to 2019.

Results

The median age was 39.6 years (range 24–60 years). Thirty seven patients were premenopausal (i.e.94.9 ​%) and eighteen patients were nullipara (i.e. 46.2 ​%). Abnormal uterine bleeding was the most common presenting symptom. Hysteroscopic transcervical resection (i.e.TCR) identified lesions in 35 cases whereas: a) hysterectomy identified them in 3 cases; b) dilatation and curettage (D&C) identified them in 1 case. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 24 samples. In the glandular component, hormone receptors were positively expressed. In all cases, Ki67 expression was detectable in approximately 50 ​% of the cases. In those samples, its presence was definitive in eighteen of the nineteen cases (94.7 ​%,18/19), p53 positive expression was present in most cases (68.8 ​%,11/16), and PTEN positive expression was detected in 40 ​% (4/10). Stroma immunophenotype expression was exhibited as follows: a)CD10-(12/12), Desmin +(6/7); b) Vimentin +(4/4); c) α-SMA+ (3/3) and; d) p16 positve staining in of 80 ​%(4/5).The concurrent amount of atypical endometrial hyperplasia with atypical polypoid adenomyoma was 23.1 ​%(9/39), while its concurrent level of endometrial carcinoma with atypical polypoid adenomyoma was 7.7 ​% (3/39). Fertility preserving treatments were performed in 20 patients with strong childbearing desires. Their pregnancy success was 15 ​%(3/20) and the live birth frequency was 10 ​%(2/10). Follow-up findings were available in 36 cases (92.3 ​%) with a medial follow-up of 48.1 months (range 4–122 months). Its pathological recurrence and frequency of progression into endometrial carcinoma were both 5 ​%(1/20). One case died of another type of malignancy, while the other patients were alive.

Conclusions

APA occurs mostly during the years of a women's reproductive period. Its diagnosis is based on the analysis of pathological and immunohistochemical findings. Individuals diagnosed with APA are at risk to coexist with endometrial carcinoma and atypical endometrial hyperplasia. For those individuals who desire retaining fertility, the treatment strategy involves performing TCR completely remove the lesions and close follow-up for surveillance of possible progressive APA recurrence. For those individuals who have no fertility desire, hysterectomy may be a preferred option.
Use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound during preoperative evaluation of endometrial carcinoma
Authors: Tian Zhao , Yao Hui-Min , Wang Yi-Qin , Chen Na-Ze , Tang Jun , Geng Jing
Published: August 2021

Objective

To explore the clinical role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in a preoperative evaluation of early endometrial carcinoma.

Methods

This study included 14 patients who underwent preoperative CEUS and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CEMRI) and were ultimately diagnosed with stage I endometrial carcinoma from December 2019 to December 2020. The parameters of the time-intensity curve (TIC) were compared with the endometrial carcinoma group, the invaded myometrium group, and the normal myometrium group.

Results

TIC parameters between the endometrial carcinoma group and the invaded myometrium group were similar. Compared with the normal myometrium group, the time to peak (TTP) was significantly shorter and the ascending slope (AS) was significantly higher in the endometrial carcinoma group. The TTP of the invaded myometrium group was shorter than that of the normal myometrium group and the peak intensity (PI) was higher than that of the normal myometrium group. We then compared the TIC parameters between the endometrial carcinoma group and the invaded myometrium group after adjusting for the normal myometrium group, and the results still did not show any difference. Of the 14 cases of endometrial carcinoma, 9 cases were diagnosed by CEMRI and were consistent with the pathology results, 1 case was underestimated, and 4 cases were overestimated; while 11 cases diagnosed were diagnosed by CEUS and were consistent with the pathology results, 1 case was underestimated, and 2 cases were overestimated.

Conclusions

The contrast pulse sequencing technique used in the CEUS examinations performed well in evaluating the extent of the endometrial carcinoma. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to determine the applicability and value of this new procedure during preoperative assessments of early endometrial carcinoma.
Air refueling optimisation for more agile and efficient military deployment operations
Authors: Toydas M. , Malyemez C.
Published: August 2021

Strategic airlift is a crucial capability for any country that wants to protect its global interests around the world. Air refueling may offer more agile and efficient airlift capabilities by increasing cargo aircraft payload and shortening airlift time. We investigated whether air refueling can shorten the total time of an airlift operation and decrease the number of cargo aircraft sorties required in a deployment scenario, especially where the distance between origin and destination is within the range of cargo aircraft. We introduced two mathematical models to compare the total airlift time and number of cargo aircraft required for given origin-destination and tanker base locations and total freight to be moved. We optimised initial cargo and fuel amount for cargo aircraft along with rendezvous point coordinates to minimise total airlift time. We used a numerical example to show that substantial airlift time and cargo aircraft sortie savings are possible through air refueling.
Near-contact approach of two permeable spheres
Authors: Reboucas Rodrigo B. , Loewenberg Michael
Published: August 2021

An analysis is presented for the axisymmetric lubrication resistance between permeable spherical particles. Darcy's law is used to describe the flow in the permeable medium and a slip boundary condition is applied at the interface. The pressure in the near-contact region is governed by a non-local integral equation. The asymptotic limit $K=k/a^{2} \ll 1$ is considered, where $k$ is the arithmetic mean permeability, and $a^{-1}=a^{-1}_{1}+a^{-1}_{2}$ is the reduced radius, and $a_1$ and $a_2$ are the particle radii. The formulation allows for particles with distinct particle radii, permeabilities and slip coefficients, including permeable and impermeable particles and spherical drops. Non-zero particle permeability qualitatively affects the axisymmetric near-contact motion, removing the classical lubrication singularity for impermeable particles, resulting in finite contact times under the action of a constant force. The lubrication resistance becomes independent of gap and attains a maximum value at contact $F=6{\rm \pi} \mu a W K^{-2/5}\tilde {f}_c$, where $\mu$ is the fluid viscosity, $W$ is the relative velocity and $\tilde {f}_c$ depends on slip coefficients and weakly on permeabilities; for two permeable particles with no-slip boundary conditions, $\tilde {f}_c=0.7507$; for a permeable particle in near contact with a spherical drop, $\tilde {f}_c$ is reduced by a factor of $2^{-6/5}$.
Acoustic-roughness receptivity in subsonic boundary-layer flows over aerofoils
Authors: Raposo Henrique , Mughal Shahid , Bensalah Antoine , Ashworth Richard
Published: August 2021

The generation of a viscous–inviscid instability through scattering of an acoustic wave by localised and distributed roughness on the upper surface of a NACA 0012 aerofoil is studied with a time-harmonic compressible adjoint linearised Navier–Stokes approach. This extends previous work by the authors dedicated to flat plate geometries. The key advancement lies in the modelling of the inviscid acoustic field external to the aerofoil boundary layer, requiring a numerical solution of the convected Helmholtz equation in a non-uniform inviscid field to determine the unsteady pressure field on the curved aerofoil surface. This externally imposed acoustic pressure field subsequently drives the acoustic boundary layer, which fundamentally determines the amplitudes of acoustic-roughness receptivity. A study of receptivity in the presence of Gaussian-shaped roughness and sinusoidally distributed roughness at Mach number $M_\infty =0.4$ and Strouhal numbers $\mathcal {S} \approx \{46,69,115\}$ shows the effects of various parameters, most notably angle of attack, angle of incidence of the externally imposed plane acoustic wave and geometry of surface roughness; the latter is varied from viewpoint of its placement on the aerofoil surface and its wavelength. The parametric study suggests that non-parallel effects are quite substantial and that considerable differences arise when using parallel flow theory to estimate the optimal width of Gaussian-shaped roughness elements to provoke the greatest response. Furthermore, receptivity amplitudes for distributed roughness are observed to be generally higher for lower angles of attack, i.e. for less adverse pressure gradients. It is also shown that the boundary layer is more receptive to upstream-travelling acoustic waves.
A prospective epidemiological analysis of controlling nutritional status score with the poor functional outcomes in Chinese patients with haemorrhagic stroke
Authors: Zhu Bei Lei , Wu Yan Zhi , Cai Zhong Ming , Liao Cheng-Wei , Sun Le Qiu , Liu Zhi Peng , Chen Hao Man , Huang Xue Rong , Feng Ren Qian , Ye Sheng Lie , Lin Qun Li , Zhou Xu Dong , Wang Liang , Zhang Man Man , Yang Bo
Published: August 2021

Nutritional Risk Screening index is a standard tool to assess nutritional risk, but epidemiological data are scarce on controlling nutritional status (CONUT) as a prognostic marker in acute haemorrhagic stroke (AHS). We aimed to explore whether the CONUT may predict a 3-month functional outcome in AHS. In total, 349 Chinese patients with incident AHS were consecutively recruited, and their malnutrition risks were determined using a high CONUT score of ≥ 2. The cohort patients were divided into high-CONUT (≥ 2) and low-CONUT (< 2) groups, and primary outcomes were a poor functional prognosis defined as the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of ≥ 3 at post-discharge for 3 months. Odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the poor functional prognosis at post-discharge were estimated by using a logistic analysis with additional adjustments for unbalanced variables between the high-CONUT and low-CONUT groups. A total of 328 patients (60·38 ± 12·83 years; 66·77 % male) completed the mRS assessment at post-discharge for 3 months, with 172 patients at malnutrition risk at admission and 104 patients with a poor prognosis. The levels of total cholesterol and total lymphocyte counts were significantly lower in high-CONUT patients than low-CONUT patients (P = 0·012 and < 0·001, respectively). At 3-month post discharge, there was a greater risk for the poor outcome in the high-CONUT compared with the low-CONUT patients at admission (OR: 2·32, 95 % CI: 1·28, 4·17). High-CONUT scores independently predict a 3-month poor prognosis in AHS, which helps to identify those who need additional nutritional managements.
Author's Response
Authors: Zanou Konstantina
Published: August 2021

I want to thank the reviewers for engaging so thoughtfully with my book and for raising such a variety of important points. I cannot hope to address more than a selection of them here.
The development of spicules inHeligmosomoides bakeri(Nematoda, Heligmosomidae)
Authors: Musah-Eroje M. , Burton L. , Behnke J.M.
Published: August 2021

The spicules of male parasitic nematodes are key morphological features, which vary between species in shape and length and are used often for species identification. However, little is known about spicules and particularly if/how their length varies during growth. We first assessed the degree of variation in spicule length of maleHeligmosomoides bakeri21 days post infection (PI), and then in two follow-up experiments measured spicule lengths at half daily/daily intervals between days 6 and 14 PI. Mean spicule length in 21-day worms was 0.518 mm with a range of 94 μm, and variation between the two spicules of individual worms from 2 to 32 μm. Spicules were first detectable on day 6–6.5, after which their lengths increased until day 7 PI (mean = 0.61 and 0.59). This was followed by significant contraction, initially relatively quickly over the following 48 h and then more slowly over a longer period, stabilizing by days 10–14, with only minor further reduction in length. We conclude that the length of spicules varies significantly over the first few days after they have formed, and, consequently, the age of worms is an important factor for consideration when spicule lengths are measured for experimental/diagnostic or taxonomical purposes.
Diagnostic application of sensitive and specific phage-exposed epitopes for visceral leishmaniasis and human immunodeficiency virus coinfection
Authors: Ramos Fernanda F. , Tavares Grasiele S. V. , Ludolf Fernanda , Machado Amanda S. , Santos Thaís T. O. , Gonçalves Isabela A. P. , Dias Ana C. S. , Alves Patrícia T. , Fraga Vanessa G. , Bandeira Raquel S. , Oliveira-da-Silva João A. , Reis Thiago A. R. , Lage Daniela P. , Martins Vívian T. , Freitas Camila S. , Chaves Ana T. , Guimarães Nathalia S. , Chávez-Fumagalli Miguel A. , Tupinambás Unaí , Rocha Manoel O. C. , Cota Gláucia F. , Fujiwara Ricardo T. , Bueno Lílian L. , Goulart Luiz Ricardo , Coelho Eduardo A. F.
Published: August 2021

The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has improved with the search of novel antigens; however, their performance is limited when samples from VL/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-coinfected patients are tested. In this context, studies conducted to identify more suitable antigens to detect both VL and VL/HIC coinfection cases should be performed. In the current study, phage display was performed using serum samples from healthy subjects and VL, HIV-infected and VL/HIV-coinfected patients; aiming to identify novel phage-exposed epitopes to be evaluated with this diagnostic purpose. Nine non-repetitive and valid sequences were identified, synthetized and tested as peptides in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay experiments. Results showed that three (Pep2, Pep3 and Pep4) peptides showed excellent performance to diagnose VL and VL/HIV coinfection, with 100% sensitivity and specificity values. The other peptides showed sensitivity varying from 50.9 to 80.0%, as well as specificity ranging from 60.0 to 95.6%. Pep2, Pep3 and Pep4 also showed a potential prognostic effect, since specific serological reactivity was significantly decreased after patient treatment. Bioinformatics assays indicated thatLeishmaniatrypanothione reductase protein was predicted to contain these three conformational epitopes. In conclusion, data suggest that Pep2, Pep3 and Pep4 could be tested for the diagnosis of VL and VL/HIV coinfection.
Association of trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and non-affective psychosis across the life course: a nationwide prospective cohort study
Authors: Allardyce Judith , Hollander Anna-Clara , Rahman Syed , Dalman Christina , Zammit Stan
Published: August 2021

Background

We aimed to examine the temporal relationships between traumatic events (TE), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and non-affective psychotic disorders (NAPD).

Methods

A prospective cohort study of 1 965 214 individuals born in Sweden between 1971 and 1990 examining the independent effects of interpersonal and non-interpersonal TE on incidence of PTSD and NAPD using data from linked register data (Psychiatry-Sweden). Mediation analyses tested the hypothesis that PTSD lies on a causal pathway between interpersonal trauma and NAPD.

Results

Increasing doses of interpersonal and non-interpersonal TE were independently associated with increased risk of NAPD [linear-trend incidence rate ratios (IRR)adjusted = 2.17 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.02–2.33] and IRRadjusted = 1.27 (95% CI 1.23–1.31), respectively]. These attenuated to a relatively small degree in 5-year time-lagged models. A similar pattern of results was observed for PTSD [linear-trend IRRadjusted = 3.43 (95% CI 3.21–3.66) and IRRadjusted = 1.45 (95% CI 1.39–1.50)]. PTSD was associated with increased risk of NAPD [IRRadjusted = 8.06 (95% CI 7.23–8.99)], which was substantially attenuated in 5-year time-lagged analyses [IRRadjusted = 4.62 (95% CI 3.65–5.87)]. There was little evidence that PTSD diagnosis mediated the relationship between interpersonal TE and NAPD [IRRadjusted = 0.92 (percentile CI 0.80–1.07)].

Conclusion

Despite the limitations to causal inference inherent in observational designs, the large effect-sizes observed between trauma, PTSD and NAPD in this study, consistent across sensitivity analyses, suggest that trauma may be a component cause of psychotic disorders. However, PTSD diagnosis might not be a good proxy for the likely complex psychological mechanisms mediating this association.
The Security Council's Role in Fulfilling the Responsibility to Protect
Authors: Welsh Jennifer M.
Published: August 2021

The principle of the responsibility to protect (RtoP) conceives of a broad set of measures that can be employed in preventing and responding to atrocity crimes. Nevertheless, the UN Security Council remains an important part of the implementation architecture, given what the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty referred to as its authoritative position in international society as the “linchpin of order and stability.” As part of the roundtable “The Responsibility to Protect in a Changing World Order: Twenty Years since Its Inception,” this review of the Council's role in fulfilling its responsibility to protect advances two somewhat contrasting arguments about the original ICISS report. First, it suggests that the commissioners may have underestimated the Council's potential contribution, by concentrating on the authorization of coercive means to address crises of human protection. Over the past two decades, the Security Council has not only employed various diplomatic, political, and humanitarian measures to address atrocity crimes but also adjusted the purposes and practices of peace operations to advance protection goals and more subtly shaped discourses and expectations about state responsibilities for protection. However, I also argue that the willingness of the ICISS to identify potential alternatives to the Security Council when its members are paralyzed appears in retrospect to have been both bold and forward looking, in light of the Council's failures to act in a timely and decisive manner to protect amid crises and the contemporary realities of geopolitical rivalry. The article concludes by suggesting that future efforts to protect populations from atrocity crimes should focus not only on the herculean task of trying to change the behavior of P5 members of the Council but also on encouraging a new institutional balance between the Security Council and other intergovernmental bodies.
Toward a Normative Model of Meaningful Human Control over Weapons Systems
Authors: Amoroso Daniele , Tamburrini Guglielmo
Published: August 2021

The notion of meaningful human control (MHC) has gathered overwhelming consensus and interest in the autonomous weapons systems (AWS) debate. By shifting the focus of this debate to MHC, one sidesteps recalcitrant definitional issues about the autonomy of weapons systems and profitably moves the normative discussion forward. Some delegations participating in discussions at the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems meetings endorsed the notion of MHC with the proviso that one size of human control does not fit all weapons systems and uses thereof. Building on this broad suggestion, we propose a “differentiated”—but also “principled” and “prudential”—framework for MHC over weapons systems. The need for a differentiated approach—namely, an approach acknowledging that the extent of normatively required human control depends on the kind of weapons systems used and contexts of their use—is supported by highlighting major drawbacks of proposed uniform solutions. Within the wide space of differentiated MHC profiles, distinctive ethical and legal reasons are offered for principled solutions that invariably assign to humans the following control roles: (1) “fail-safe actor,” contributing to preventing the weapon's action from resulting in indiscriminate attacks in breach of international humanitarian law; (2) “accountability attractor,” securing legal conditions for international criminal law (ICL) responsibility ascriptions; and (3) “moral agency enactor,” ensuring that decisions affecting the life, physical integrity, and property of people involved in armed conflicts be exclusively taken by moral agents, thereby alleviating the human dignity concerns associated with the autonomous performance of targeting decisions. And the prudential character of our framework is expressed by means of a rule, imposing by default the more stringent levels of human control on weapons targeting. The default rule is motivated by epistemic uncertainties about the behaviors of AWS. Designated exceptions to this rule are admitted only in the framework of an international agreement among states, which expresses the shared conviction that lower levels of human control suffice to preserve the fail-safe actor, accountability attractor, and moral agency enactor requirements on those explicitly listed exceptions. Finally, we maintain that this framework affords an appropriate normative basis for both national arms review policies and binding international regulations on human control of weapons systems.
Parents’ decision-making for their foetus or neonate with a severe congenital heart defect
Authors: Delaney Rebecca K. , Pinto Nelangi M. , Ozanne Elissa M. , Brown Heather , Stark Louisa A. , Watt Melissa H. , Karasawa Michelle , Patel Angira , Donofrio Mary T. , Steltzer Michelle M. , Miller Stephen G. , Zickmund Susan L. , Fagerlin Angela
Published: August 2021

Background:

Parents who receive a diagnosis of a severe, life-threatening CHD for their foetus or neonate face a complex and stressful decision between termination, palliative care, or surgery. Understanding how parents make this initial treatment decision is critical for developing interventions to improve counselling for these families.

Methods:

We conducted focus groups in four academic medical centres across the United States of America with a purposive sample of parents who chose termination, palliative care, or surgery for their foetus or neonate diagnosed with severe CHD.

Results:

Ten focus groups were conducted with 56 parents (Mage = 34 years; 80% female; 89% White). Results were constructed around three domains: decision-making approaches; values and beliefs; and decision-making challenges. Parents discussed varying approaches to making the decision, ranging from relying on their “gut feeling” to desiring statistics and probabilities. Religious and spiritual beliefs often guided the decision to not terminate the pregnancy. Quality of life was an important consideration, including how each option would impact the child (e.g., pain or discomfort, cognitive and physical abilities) and their family (e.g., care for other children, marriage, and career). Parents reported inconsistent communication of options by clinicians and challenges related to time constraints for making a decision and difficulty in processing information when distressed.

Conclusion:

This study offers important insights that can be used to design interventions to improve decision support and family-centred care in clinical practice.
Integrating motivational interviewing with cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders, depression and co-morbid unhealthy lifestyle behaviours: a randomised controlled pilot trial
Authors: Ghaderi Ata , Rosendahl Ingvar , Bohman Benjamin
Published: August 2021

Background:

A substantial proportion of patients receiving cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) do not achieve remission, and drop-out is considerable. Motivational interviewing (MI) may influence non-response and drop-out. Previous research shows that MI as a pre-treatment to CBT produces moderate effects compared with CBT alone. Studies integrating MI with CBT (MI-CBT) are scarce.

Aims:

To test the feasibility of MI-CBT in terms of therapist competence in MI and various participant measures, including recruitment and retention. In addition, separate preliminary evaluations were conducted, exploring the effects of CBT alone for anxiety disorders and depression, and of MI-CBT for anxiety disorders, depression and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours.

Method:

Using a randomised controlled parallel trial design, participants were recruited in routine psychiatric care and allocated to CBT alone or MI-CBT. Means in feasibility measures and within-condition Hedges’ g effect sizes in treatment outcome measures were calculated. Authors were not blind to treatment allocation, while independent raters were blind.

Results:

Seventy-three patients were assessed for eligibility, and 49 were included. Participant perceptions of treatment credibility, expectancy for improvement, and working alliance were similar for both conditions. Overall, effect sizes were large across outcome measures for both conditions, including anxiety and depressive symptoms and functional impairment. However, therapists did not acquire sufficient competence in MI and the drop-out rate was high.

Conclusions:

MI-CBT proved feasible in some respects, but the present study did not support the progression to a randomised controlled trial designed to assess the effectiveness of MI-CBT. Additional pilot studies are needed.
Race and White Rural Consciousness
Authors: Nelsen Matthew D. , Petsko Christopher D.
Published: August 2021

The concept of rural consciousness has gained a significant amount of traction over the past several years, as evidenced by hundreds of citations and its inclusion within the most recent pilot of the ANES. However, many have questioned whether rural consciousness is appreciably different from racial prejudice. We assessed this issue by distributing a survey study to Wisconsinites living in rural and urban communities, and by examining the relationships between rural consciousness, racial resentment, and political attitudes in the ANES 2019 Pilot Study. The survey study revealed that participants living in rural parts of Wisconsin—unlike those living in urban parts—tended to think of city dwellers as possessing more negative attributes. In addition, the survey study revealed that rural participants thought of Milwaukeeans, specifically, as possessing stereotypically Black attributes. Moreover, this tendency was starker among those who scored higher on a measure of rural consciousness, suggesting that rural consciousness is related to racial stereotyping. Finally, in an analysis of the ANES 2019 Pilot Study, we found that rural consciousness correlated with racial resentment, and that controlling for racial resentment dramatically reduced the extent to which rural consciousness could predict political preferences (e.g., approval for Donald Trump). Thus, while white rural consciousness may not be reducible to racism, racism certainly plays a central role.
The role of legal intermediaries in the dispute pyramid: inequalities before the French legal system
Authors: Lejeune Aude , Spire Alexis
Published: August 2021

This paper shows that social inequalities are cumulative and occur at each stage of the dispute pyramid, from the identification of a conflict through to satisfaction with its outcome. Based on a large and original survey on ordinary people's representations of and practices within the legal system in France (N= 2,660), our study finds that an individual's contact, or lack of contact, with a legal intermediary, who may be a legal professional or a non-legal professional, has a very significant impact on the decision to take a case to court. Contact with a legal intermediary also influences the individual's satisfaction with the outcome, but not in the same way for all plaintiffs: income is a more determining factor in satisfaction with the outcome in cases where the judge makes a decision than in cases where a solution is found outside the courtroom.
Response of dry beans to tiafenacil applied preemergence
Authors: Soltani Nader , Shropshire Christy , Sikkema Peter H.
Published: August 2021

Tiafenacil is a new nonselective, protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase–inhibiting pyrimidinedione herbicide that is under consideration for registration to control grass and broadleaf weeds in corn, soybean, wheat, cotton, and other crops prior to crop emergence. The sensitivity of dry beans to tiafenacil is not known. Four field experiments were completed at Exeter and Ridgetown, ON, Canada, during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons, to determine the sensitivity of azuki, kidney, small red, and white beans to tiafenacil applied preemergence (PRE) at 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 g ai ha−1. Tiafenacil applied at 100 g ai ha−1 caused 5% or less injury to azuki, kidney, small red, and white beans: 0% to 3% injury to azuki bean; 1% to 5% injury to kidney bean; and 1% to 4% injury to both small red bean and white bean. Tiafenacil applied PRE at 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 g ai ha−1 caused up to 1%, 4%, 4%, and 5% visible dry bean injury, respectively, but had no negative effect on other measured growth parameters including seed yield. Crop injury was generally greatest when tiafenacil was appled at the 100 g ai ha−1 rate in dry beans. Generally, kidney, small red, and white bean were more sensitive to tiafenacil than azuki bean. Dry bean injury was persistent and increased with time with the greatest injury observed 8 wk after emergence. Tiafenacil applied PRE can be a useful addition to the current strategies to control grass and broadleaf weeds, especially glyphosate-resistant horseweed and amaranth species prior to bean emergence.
Herbicide diagnostics reveal multiple patterns of synthetic auxin resistance in kochia (Bassia scoparia)
Authors: Geddes Charles M. , Owen Mallory L. , Ostendorf Teandra E. , Leeson Julia Y. , Sharpe Shaun M. , Shirriff Scott W. , Beckie Hugh J.
Published: August 2021

Herbicide-resistant (HR) kochia is a growing problem in the Great Plains region of Canada and the United States. Resistance to up to four herbicide sites of action, including photosystem II inhibitors, acetolactate synthase inhibitors, synthetic auxins, and the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase inhibitor glyphosate have been reported in many areas of this region. Despite being present in the United States since 1993/1994, auxinic-HR kochia is a recent and growing phenomenon in Canada. This study was designed to characterize 1) the level of resistance and 2) patterns of cross-resistance to dicamba and fluroxypyr in 12 putative auxinic-HR kochia populations from western Canada. The incidence of dicamba-resistant individuals ranged among populations from 0% to 85%, while fluroxypyr-resistant individuals ranged from 0% to 45%. In whole-plant dose-response bioassays, the populations exhibited up to 6.5-fold resistance to dicamba and up to 51.5-fold resistance to fluroxypyr based on visible injury 28 d after application. Based on plant survival estimates, the populations exhibited up to 3.7-fold resistance to dicamba and up to 72.5-fold resistance to fluroxypyr. Multiple patterns of synthetic auxin resistance were observed, in which one population from Cypress County, Alberta, was resistant to dicamba but not fluroxypyr, whereas another from Rocky View County, Alberta, was resistant to fluroxypyr but not dicamba based on single-dose population screening and dose-response bioassays. These results suggest that multiple mechanisms may confer resistance to dicamba and/or fluroxypyr in Canadian kochia populations. Further research is warranted to determine these mechanisms. Farmers are urged to adopt proactive nonchemical weed management practices in an effort to preserve efficacy of the remaining herbicide options available for control of HR kochia.