bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The European Fiscal Board: supranationalde novobody or orchestrator?
Authors: Tesche Tobias
Published: April 2021

The European Fiscal Board (EFB) is a supranational fiscal council advising the European Commission on the European Union (EU) fiscal framework. It was created as a response to the EU member states' repeated non-compliance with the EU fiscal rules and the emergence of national fiscal councils. Non-compliance with EU fiscal rules was often left unpunished and required a new expert body to regain some of the lost credibility of the EU's fiscal framework through enhanced fiscal monitoring. This article argues that the European Commission created the EFB in response to the new intergovernmental dynamics. A supranational fiscal watchdog that depends on the Commission for financial resources and access to information would deflect member states from delegating more competences away from the Commission. Thus, the Commission was able to counter a potential threat to its authority in EU fiscal governance by creating a supranationalde novobody that it controlled.
Digital Technology, Internet Research and Benefits of a Virtual Library
Authors: Akhtar Zia
Published: April 2021

The search of legal precedence orstare decisishas always distinguished the lawyer who is in professional practice. The development of the internet has led to a greater dimension in this research and to an empirical approach to understanding the application of law. The academic lawyer has always needed access to the newest legislation and case law and the online search engines are of increasing relevance to accessing the virtual library. This is necessary to assimilate because of the impact of law and technology which is not just of relevance to find texts but also the process of artificial intelligence that is of utility in forms of inquiry. It includes portals that can be sourced online, Lexis and Westlaw which have available software packages that are available for lawyers. The issue is if the technology is moving at excessive speed or is the momentum of digital technology sustainable within the profession. This article argues that legal software provides the means for artificial intelligence in an increasingly specialist field and it is necessary for professionals to stay equipped with knowledge updates on computer terminals in order to enhance their research or lose out in the information supply chain.
What comes to mind first? Feature type and order of production in a property generation task
Authors: VORANO AGOSTINA , VIVAS LETICIA , MENEGOTTO ANDREA
Published: April 2021

abstract

Few studies have explored in depth the mechanisms that underlie the execution of the property generation task, in spite of its importance and wide usage. The main exception to this is Santos, Chaigneau, Simmons, and Barsalou’s (2011) research: they claim that the two mechanisms at issue are word association and situated simulation. On the basis of the Linguistic and Situated Simulation theory, these researchers assert that word association is executed by a linguistic system, whilst situated simulation is executed by a situated simulation system. From these claims, the authors derive a series of predictions concerning the types of features that would be produced in the property generation task, and the order in which those types of features would appear. Our aim was to test those predictions, using an existent property generation database in Spanish. Our results are partially in accordance with Santos et al.’s results. The main divergence is related to the behavior of taxonomic superordinate features. We examine alternative explanations to account for this discrepancy. Furthermore, we criticize Santos et al.’s conception about what counts as a linguistic feature, and analyze alternative models about this issue.
Predicted structure of fully activated human bitter taste receptor TAS2R4 complexed with G protein and agonists
Authors: Yang Moon Young , Mafi Amirhossein , Kim Soo-Kyung , Goddard William A. , Guthrie Brian
Published: April 2021

Bitter taste is sensed by bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) that belong to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily. In addition to bitter taste perception, TAS2Rs have been reported recently to be expressed in many extraoral tissues and are now known to be involved in health and disease. Despite important roles of TAS2Rs in biological functions and diseases, no crystal structure is available to help understand the signal transduction mechanism or to help develop selective ligands as new therapeutic targets. We report here the three-dimensional structure of the fully activated TAS2R4 human bitter taste receptor predicted using the GEnSeMBLE complete sampling method. This TAS2R4 structure is coupled to the gustducin G protein and to each of several agonists. We find that the G protein couples to TAS2R4 by forming strong salt bridges to each of the three intracellular loops, orienting the activated Gα5 helix of the Gα subunit to interact extensively with the cytoplasmic region of the activated receptor. We find that the TAS2Rs exhibit unique motifs distinct from typical Class A GPCRs, leading to a distinct activation mechanism and a less stable inactive state. This fully activated bitter taste receptor complex structure provides insight into the signal transduction mechanism and into ligand binding to TAS2Rs.
Towards refining World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research cancer prevention recommendations for red and processed meat intake: insights from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project cohort
Authors: Al Rajabi Ala , Lo Siou Geraldine , Akawung Alianu K. , McDonald Kathryn , Price Tiffany R. , Shen-Tu Grace , Robson Paula J. , Veugelers Paul J. , Maximova Katerina
Published: April 2021

Current cancer prevention recommendations advise limiting red meat intake to <500 g/week and avoiding consumption of processed meat, but do not differentiate the source of processed meat. We examined the associations of processed meat derived from redv. non-red meats with cancer risk in a prospective cohort of 26 218 adults who reported dietary intake using the Canadian Diet History Questionnaire. Incidence of cancer was obtained through data linkage with Alberta Cancer Registry with median follow-up of 13·3 (interquartile range (IQR) 5·1) years. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were adjusted for covariates and stratified by age and sex. The median consumption (g/week) of red meat, processed meat from red meat and processed meat from non-red meat was 267·9 (IQR 269·9), 53·6 (IQR 83·3) and 11·9 (IQR 31·8), respectively. High intakes (4th Quartile) of processed meat from red meat were associated with increased risk of gastrointestinal cancer adjusted hazard ratio (AHR): 1·68 (95 % CI 1·09, 2·57) and colorectal cancers AHR: 1·90 (95 % CI 1·12, 3·22), respectively, in women. No statistically significant associations were observed for intakes of red meat or processed meat from non-red meat. Results suggest that the carcinogenic effect associated with processed meat intake may be limited to processed meat derived from red meats. The findings provide preliminary evidence towards refining cancer prevention recommendations for red and processed meat intake.
Substitution of unprocessed and processed red meat with poultry or fish and total and cause-specific mortality
Authors: Nielsen Tine Bjerg , Würtz Anne Mette Lund , Tjønneland Anne , Overvad Kim , Dahm Christina Catherine
Published: April 2021

Recent studies found positive associations between intake of red meat and processed meat and total mortality; however, substitution of red meat with poultry and fish has been poorly investigated. We aimed to investigate associations for substitutions of red meat (unprocessed/processed) and total mortality and deaths due to cancer or CVD. We used data from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort, including 57 053 participants aged 50–64 years at baseline. Information on diet was collected through a validated 192-item FFQ. Information regarding total mortality, deaths due to cancer and deaths due to CVD was obtained by record linkage. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of 150 g/week substitutions of red meat with poultry or fish. During a follow-up (mean 16·1 years), 8840 deaths occurred (4567 were due to cancer; 1816 due to CVD). The adjusted HR for total death when substituting 150 g/week total red meat with poultry was 0·96 (95 % CI 0·95, 1·00) and with fish 0·99 (95 % CI 0·97, 1·01). Corresponding HR for cancer death or CVD death were similar. Substitution of processed red meat with fish or poultry was more consistently associated with a lower mortality than substitution of unprocessed red meat. For example, the adjusted HR for total death when substituting 150 g/week processed red meat with poultry was 0·95 (95 % CI 0·92, 0·98). We found that replacing processed red meat with poultry or fish was associated with a lower risk of total mortality and deaths due to cancer, but not deaths due to CVD.
Identifying the Effect of Stock Indexing: Impetus or Impediment to Arbitrage and Price Discovery?
Authors: Ahn Byung Hyun , Patatoukas Panos N.
Published: April 2021

The rise of stock indexing has raised concerns that index investing impedes arbitrage and degrades price discovery. This article uses Russell’s reconstitution to identify the causal effect of index investing on information arbitrage and price discovery. Although index investing has no discernible effect on the ability of arbitrageurs to trade and impound news into the prices of large- and mid-cap stocks, we find that index investing increases the speed of price adjustment to news for micro-cap stocks. Our causal evidence identifies the relaxation of arbitrage constraints as a mechanism through which indexing facilitates informed trading for more arbitrage-constrained micro-cap stocks.
Bilateral cochlear implantation in children: simultaneously or in consecutive sessions?
Authors: Dalgic A , Atsal G , Yildirim O , Edizer D T , Özay MB , Olgun L
Published: April 2021

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate and compare cases of simultaneous and consecutive bilateral cochlear implantation from the perspective of the duration of anaesthesia, surgical complications and hospitalisation.

Method

Fifty patients with simultaneous bilateral cochlear implantation (group 1) and 47 patients with consecutive bilateral cochlear implantation (group 2) were included in this study. The two groups were compared in terms of the duration of anaesthesia, the duration of surgery, radiological findings, the complications and the post-operative hospitalisation time.

Results

Group 1 had a significantly shorter operation time than group 2 (p < 0.01). The mean total operation time was 189 minutes in group 1. In group 2, the mean operation times for the first and second surgery were 134 minutes and 136 minutes, respectively, and the total operation time for both surgical procedures in group 2 was 270 minutes. The duration of post-operative hospitalisation of the patients in group 1 was significantly shorter than the total post-operative hospitalisation after both operations for the patients in group 2 (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

In conclusion, if there is no anatomical problem that may lead to a prolonged operation time or any risk regarding anaesthesia, simultaneous bilateral cochlear implantation can be performed safely.
Establishment of suitable reference genes for studying relative gene expression during the transition from trophozoites to cyst-like stages and first evidences of stress-induced expression of meiotic genes inTrichomonas vaginalis
Authors: Peixoto Juliana Figueiredo , dos Santos Daniele Graças , Ribeiro Lupis , de Oliveira Vitor Silva Cândido , Nunes-da-Fonseca Rodrigo , Nepomuceno-Silva José Luciano
Published: April 2021

Trichomonas vaginalisis a parasite of the human urogenital tract and the causative agent of trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease of worldwide importance. This parasite is usually found as a motile flagellated trophozoite. However, when subjected to stressful microenvironmental conditions,T. vaginalistrophozoites can differentiate into peculiar cyst-like stages, which exhibit notable physiological resistance to unfavourable conditions. Although well documented in morphological and proteomic terms, patterns of gene expression changes involved in the cellular differentiation into cyst-like stages are mostly unknown. The real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is recognized as a sensitive and accurate method for quantification of gene expression, providing fluorescence-based data that are proportional to the amount of a target RNA. However, the reliability of relative expression studies depends on the validation of suitable reference genes, which RNAs exhibit a minimum of variation between tested conditions. Here, we attempt to determine suitable reference genes to be used as controls of invariant expression during cold-inducedin vitrodifferentiation ofT. vaginalistrophozoites into cyst-like forms. Furthermore, we reveal that the mRNA from the meiotic recombinase Dmc1 is upregulated during this process, indicating that cryptic sexual events may take place in cyst-like stages ofT. vaginalis.
The role of characterisation in everyday voice engagement and AVATAR therapy dialogue
Authors: Ward Thomas , Lister Rachel , Fornells-Ambrojo Miriam , Rus-Calafell Mar , Edwards Clementine J. , O'Brien Conan , Craig Tom KJ , Garety Philippa
Published: April 2021

Background

Voices are commonly experienced as communication with a personified ‘other’ with ascribed attitudes, intentionality and personality (their own ‘character’). Phenomenological work exploring voice characterisation informs a new wave of relational therapies. To date, no study has investigated the role of characterisation in behavioural engagement with voices or within psychological therapy for distressing voices.

Methods

Baseline characterisation (the degree to which the voice is an identifiable and characterful entity) of the dominant voice was rated (high, medium or low) using a newly developed coding framework, for n = 60 people prior to starting AVATAR therapy. Associations between degree of characterisation and (i) everyday behavioural engagement with voices (The Beliefs about Voices Questionnaire-Revised; n = 60); and (ii) interaction within avatar dialogue [Session 4 Time in Conversation (participant–avatar); n = 45 therapy completers] were explored.

Results

Thirty-three per cent reported high voice characterisation, 42% medium and 25% low. There was a significant association between characterisation and behavioural engagement [H(2) = 7.65, p = 0.022, ɛ2 = 0.130] and duration of participant–avatar conversation [F(2,42) = 6.483, p = 0.004, η2 = 0.236]. High characterisation was associated with increased behavioural engagement compared with medium (p = 0.004, r = 0.34; moderate effect) and low (p = 0.027, r = 0.25; small−moderate effect) with a similar pattern observed for the avatar dialogue [high v. medium: p = 0.008, Hedges’ g = 1.02 (large effect); high v. low: p = 0.023, Hedges' g = 1.03 (large effect)]. No differences were observed between medium and low characterisation.

Discussion

Complex voice characterisation is associated with how individuals interact with their voice(s) in and out of therapy. Clinical implications and future directions for AVATAR therapy and other relational therapies are discussed.
Poverty and Sources of Income Support Among Older People With Disabilities and Out of Work: Comparison of Canada and the United Kingdom
Authors: CHEN WEN-HAO , BENTLEY LEE , WHITEHEAD MARGARET , MCALLISTER ASHLEY , BARR BENJAMIN
Published: April 2021

The debate about extending working lives in response to population ageing often overlooks the lack of employment opportunity for older adults with disabilities. Without work, their living standards depend heavily on government transfers. This study contributes to the literature on health inequalities by analysing the sources of income and poverty outcomes for people aged 50 to 64 in two liberal democratic countries yet with contrasting disability benefit contexts – Canada and the United Kingdom. This choice of countries offers the opportunity to assess whether the design of benefit systems has led the most disadvantaged groups to fare differently between countries. Overall, disabled older persons without work faced a markedly higher risk of poverty in Canada than in the UK. Public transfers played a much greater role in the UK, accounting for two-thirds of household income among low-educated groups, compared with one-third in Canada. The average benefit amount received was similar in both countries, but the coverage of disabled people was much lower in Canada than in the UK, leading to a high poverty risk among disabled people out of work. Our findings highlight the importance of income support systems in preventing the widening of the poverty-disability gap at older ages.
A Tentative Dissolution of Austria-Hungary: The 1914–15 Russian Occupation of Lviv in Polish Memory
Authors: Kożuchowski Adam
Published: April 2021

This article analyzes a collection of narratives concerning the Russian occupation of Lviv (Lwów, Lemberg), the capital of the Austrian Crownland Galicia, between September 1914 and June 1915 in the initial phase of World War I. These narratives were produced and published in Polish and German between 1915, when Lviv was still occupied, and 1935, sixteen years after it had been included in a reborn Poland. One might assume that the relatively uneventful occupation constituted a negligible experience in the context of the dramatic developments of this period: the Great War and the subsequent Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Soviet wars. And yet, memories of the Russian occupation were tenaciously perpetuated and cultivated. In this article I attempt to answer the multipronged question: Why did the occupation attract so much attention, and from whom, and what made its memories survive the subsequent dramatic conflicts and changes of political regimes relatively intact? Hence, my analysis regards the formation of collective memories at the intersection of individual experiences, group and national identities, and strategies of accommodating the unpredictably changing political realities.
UNIT ROOT TEST WITH HIGH-FREQUENCY DATA
Authors: Laurent Sébastien , Shi Shuping
Published: April 2021

Deviations of asset prices from the random walk dynamic imply the predictability of asset returns and thus have important implications for portfolio construction and risk management. This paper proposes a real-time monitoring device for such deviations using intraday high-frequency data. The proposed procedures are based on unit root tests with in-fill asymptotics but extended to take the empirical features of high-frequency financial data (particularly jumps) into consideration. We derive the limiting distributions of the tests under both the null hypothesis of a random walk with jumps and the alternative of mean reversion/explosiveness with jumps. The limiting results show that ignoring the presence of jumps could potentially lead to severe size distortions of both the standard left-sided (against mean reversion) and right-sided (against explosiveness) unit root tests. The simulation results reveal satisfactory performance of the proposed tests even with data from a relatively short time span. As an illustration, we apply the procedure to the Nasdaq composite index at the 10-minute frequency over two periods: around the peak of the dot-com bubble and during the 2015–2106 stock market sell-off. We find strong evidence of explosiveness in asset prices in late 1999 and mean reversion in late 2015. We also show that accounting for jumps when testing the random walk hypothesis on intraday data is empirically relevant and that ignoring jumps can lead to different conclusions.
What can the abundance of Grey Parrots on Príncipe Island tell us about large parrot conservation?
Authors: Valle Simon , Collar Nigel J. , Melo Martim , Marsden Stuart J.
Published: April 2021

While populations of the Endangered Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus have collapsed across its range, the species remains remarkably abundant on the island of Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea. We examine how aspects of its ecology interplay with local environmental conditions, to inform conservation strategies for this species and other large parrots. On Príncipe, parrots breed in large trees of common species, with nest densities (42 ± 34 km−2) greatly exceeding those for any comparably sized parrot. Productivity is high (1.9 chicks per cavity), probably reflecting the absence of nest competitors and predators. Food sources are abundant and much of the island is inaccessible to trappers, so many nests are successful each year. Historically harvest has involved taking only chicks from trees in a few traditional patches. These conditions have combined to allow Grey Parrots to thrive on Príncipe, while elsewhere nest trees are timber targets, nest competition and nest predation are likely to be more intense, trapping is indiscriminate, and few areas remain unexploited by trappers. Preservation of large trees as breeding refugia, and vigilance against the indiscriminate trapping of adult birds, are identified as key conditions to stabilize and recover mainland Grey Parrot populations and indeed large parrots generally, given their very similar ecological traits and anthropogenic circumstances.
A half-day flowering pattern helps plants sharing pollinators in an oceanic island community
Authors: Wang Xiangping , Zeng Tong , Wu Mingsong , Zhang Dianxiang
Published: April 2021

The temporal pattern of flower opening and closure is a feature of the biology of many plant species, particularly those inhabiting oceanic islands where flowering generally lasts for only a few hours per day. Additionally, flower visitors often seek different floral sources on a timely basis, thus the relative timing of interactions is central to their status in pollination competition, or in the facilitation of pollination among co-flowering plants sharing pollinators. However, few studies have examined the impacts of daily temporal variation in flowering patterns on the pollinator network and competition on a community scale. In order to examine whether the daily pattern of flower opening and closure can impose temporal dynamics on interspecific interactions within a single day, plant–pollinator interaction networks (AM subweb and PM subweb) were quantified, and the relevant interactions between the two subwebs were compared using the Bray–Curtis dissimilarity of visitation frequencies in an oceanic island community (Paracel Islands, South China Sea). The role of species within networks and its variation between two subwebs were assessed by calculating the species-level specialization and species strength of each plant and pollinator species. The quantitative plant–pollinator interaction dissimilarity between morning and afternoon subsets was 0.69, and this value dropped to 0.58 when considering plant species flowering throughout the day. In our study, this dissimilarity between the two subwebs might be explained by the morning peak activity rather than a preference for morning flowers. No significant differences were detected in the species-level specialization and species strength of plants flowering all day from morning to afternoon at the community level. The flower visitation rates of native honeybeeApis ceranawere not significantly different between morning and afternoon for most of the whole-day flowering plants. However, plant species only flowering either in the morning or the afternoon differed in the rate of visitation byA. cerana. The analyses of variation in the visitation rates of pollinators shared by plants within a single day in the studied community suggest that daily structuring at a community level and half-day staggered flowering during the morning or afternoon might reduce competitive interactions in oceanic insular habitats.
FORMAL VERSUS INFORMAL L2 LEARNING
Authors: De Wilde Vanessa , Brysbaert Marc , Eyckmans June
Published: April 2021

A second language can be learned inside and outside the classroom. In this study we investigated the English and French vocabulary knowledge of 110 Dutch-speaking children (age 10–12), who received 100 hours of instruction in French, whereas their contact with English came from out-of-school exposure only. We examined the role of individual differences (out-of-school exposure and gender) and word-related variables (cognateness, frequency, and language). The children completed a receptive vocabulary test in English and French and filled in a questionnaire. The results showed that the children had a larger vocabulary knowledge in English than in French, illustrating the power of contextual language learning. Word learning was influenced by the amount of exposure, word frequency, and cognateness. Additionally, English words were easier to learn than French words for the participants we tested. Our results point to the need for out-of-school exposure to supplement language learning in the classroom.
Modelling Burglary in Chicago using a self-exciting point process with isotropic triggering
Authors: GILMOUR CRAIG , HIGHAM DESMOND J.
Published: April 2021

Self-exciting point processes have been proposed as models for the location of criminal events in space and time. Here we consider the case where the triggering function is isotropic and takes a non-parametric form that is determined from data. We pay special attention to normalisation issues and to the choice of spatial distance measure, thereby extending the current methodology. After validating these ideas on synthetic data, we perform inference and prediction tests on public domain burglary data from Chicago. We show that the algorithmic advances that we propose lead to improved predictive accuracy.
Extremal problems for GCDs
Authors: Green Ben , Walker Aled
Published: April 2021

We prove that if
$A \subseteq [X,\,2X]$
and
$B \subseteq [Y,\,2Y]$
are sets of integers such that gcd (a, b) ⩾ D for at least δ|A||B| pairs (a, b) ε A × B then
$|A||B|{ \ll _{\rm{\varepsilon }}}{\delta ^{ - 2 - \varepsilon }}XY/{D^2}$
. This is a new result even when δ = 1. The proof uses ideas of Koukoulopoulos and Maynard and some additional combinatorial arguments.
Temperate approach to ASD closure in pulmonary arterial hypertension: the fenestrated patch technique
Authors: Arslanoglu Ergin , Cine Nihat , Kara Kenan Abdurrahman , Yılmaz Abdullah Arif , Tomrukcu Fatih , Bicer Mehmet , Tuncer Eylem , yavuz Yasemin , Ceyran Hakan
Published: April 2021

The most common CHD in the adult patient population is an atrial septal defect due to its asymptomatic nature in early life. However, when diagnosis and treatment are delayed, pulmonary arterial hypertension may develop as a long-term complication, sometimes before adulthood. The presence of PAH adversely affects the results of surgical treatment and may even eliminate the feasibility of surgery in some patients. In such patients who have high pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance at the margin of inoperability, the response to the acute vasoreactivity test determines the treatment modality.

In our retrospective study, a total of 906 patients who underwent ASD closure between January, 2011 and November, 2020, seven of which had undergone the fenestrated patch procedure after they were identified to have high PAP, but positive AVT test response were included. Short-term follow-up of patients with fenestrated ASD patches revealed decreased pulmonary pressure, regression in NYHA classification, and improvement in symptoms.

The fenestrated patch technique should be kept in mind as an option to expand the surgical spectrum in the treatment of patients with high pulmonary pressures, where complete closure is risky. It appears that the fenestrated patch technique is a safe approach in the management of pulmonary hypertension in patients with ASD who have pulmonary hypertension, according to short- and midterm follow-up findings.
Bilinguals on the garden-path: Individual differences in syntactic ambiguity resolution
Authors: Brothers Trevor , Hoversten Liv J , Traxler Matthew J
Published: April 2021

Syntactic parsing plays a central role in the interpretation of sentences, but it is unclear to what extent non-native speakers can deploy native-like grammatical knowledge during online comprehension. The current eye-tracking study investigated how Chinese–English bilinguals and native English speakers respond to syntactic category and subcategorization information while reading sentences with object-subject ambiguities. We also obtained measures of English language experience, working memory capacity, and executive function to determine how these cognitive variables influence online parsing. During reading, monolinguals and bilinguals showed similar garden-path effects related to syntactic reanalysis, but native English speakers responded more robustly to verb subcategorization cues. Readers with greater language experience and executive function showed increased sensitivity to verb subcategorization cues, but parsing was not influenced by working memory capacity. These results are consistent with exposure-based accounts of bilingual sentence processing, and they support a link between syntactic processing and domain-general cognitive control.
Fundamental physical and resource requirements for a Martian magnetic shield
Authors: DuPont Marcus , Murphy Jeremiah W.
Published: April 2021

Mars lacks a substantial magnetic field; as a result, the solar wind ablates the Martian atmosphere, and cosmic rays from solar flares make the surface uninhabitable. Therefore, any terraforming attempt will require an artificial Martian magnetic shield. The fundamental challenge of building an artificial magnetosphere is to condense planetary-scale currents and magnetic fields down to the smallest mass possible. Superconducting electromagnets offer a way to do this. However, the underlying physics of superconductors and electromagnets limits this concentration. Based upon these fundamental limitations, we show that the amount of superconducting material is proportional to $B_{\rm c}^{-2}a^{-3}$, where Bc is the critical magnetic field for the superconductor and a is the loop radius of a solenoid. Since Bc is set by fundamental physics, the only truly adjustable parameter for the design is the loop radius; a larger loop radius minimizes the amount of superconducting material required. This non-intuitive result means that the ‘intuitive’ strategy of building a compact electromagnet and placing it between Mars and the Sun at the first Lagrange point is unfeasible. Considering reasonable limits on Bc, the smallest possible loop radius is ~10 km, and the magnetic shield would have a mass of ~ 1019 g. Most high-temperature superconductors are constructed of rare elements; given solar system abundances, building a superconductor with ~ 1019 g would require mining a solar system body with several times 1025 g; this is approximately 10% of Mars. We find that the most feasible design is to encircle Mars with a superconducting wire with a loop radius of ~3400 km. The resulting wire diameter can be as small as ~5 cm. With this design, the magnetic shield would have a mass of ~ 1012 g and would require mining ~ 1018 g, or only 0.1% of Olympus Mons.
Characterization of putative salinity-responsive biomarkers in olive (Olea europaea L.)
Authors: Sadder Monther T. , Ateyyeh Ahmad F. , Alswalmah Hodayfah , Zakri Adel M. , Alsadon Abdullah A. , Al-Doss Abdullah A.
Published: April 2021

Low-quality water and soil salinization are increasingly becoming limiting factors for food production, including olive – a major fruit crop in several parts of the world. Identifying putative salinity-stress tolerance in olive would be helpful in the future development of new tolerant varieties. In this study, novel salinity-responsive biomarkers (SRBs) were characterized in the species, namely, monooxygenase 1 (OeMO1), cation calcium exchanger 1 (OeCCX1), salt tolerance protein (OeSTO), proteolipid membrane potential modulator (OePMP3), universal stress protein (OeUSP2), adaptor protein complex 4 medium mu4 subunit (OeAP-4), WRKY1 transcription factor (OeWRKY1) and potassium transporter 2 (OeKT2). Unique structural features were highlighted for encoded proteins as compared with other plant homologues. The expression of olive SRBs was investigated in leaves of young plantlets of two cultivars, ‘Nabali’ (moderately tolerant) and ‘Picual’ (tolerant). At 60 mM NaCl stress level, OeMO1, OeSTO, OePMP3, OeUSP2, OeAP-4 and OeWRKY1 were up-regulated in ‘Nabali’ as compared with ‘Picual’. On the other hand, OeCCX1 and OeKT2 were up-regulated at three stress levels (30, 60 and 90 mM NaCl) in ‘Picual’ as compared to ‘Nabali’. Salinity tolerance in olive presumably engages multiple sets of responsive genes triggered by different stress levels.
Struggling to Fix Teams in Real Work Settings: A Challenge Assessment and an Intervention Toolbox
Authors: Alcover Carlos-María , Rico Ramón , West Michael
Published: April 2021

After more than 80 years in predicting organizational performance, empirical evidence reveals a science of teams that seems unable to consistently implement solutions for teams performing in real work settings –outside and away from the isolated teams breeding in research laboratories in the academic context. To bridge this growing practitioners-researchers divide, we first identify five main challenges involved in working with teams today (purposeful team staffing; proper task design and allocation; task and interaction process functionality; appropriate affective tone; and suitable team assessment). And second, we offer a toolbox of interventions (empowering and restorative) to help practitioners to transform the potential threats inherent in these challenges into opportunities for team effectiveness. Our five-challenge diagnosis and proposed intervention toolbox contribute to better address research questions and theoretical falsifiability using teams performing in real work settings, and to assess and intervene in teams by adjusting their internal functioning to contextual conditions and constraints.
The Mediating Role of Organizational Identification in the Relation between Organizational Social Capital, Perceived Organizational Prestige, Perceived Employability and Career Satisfaction
Authors: Peña-González Karina , Nazar Gabriela , Alcover Carlos-María
Published: April 2021

In career development, a variety of personal, organizational and labor market variables challenge employees and organizations, in particular those in dynamic working environments, such as higher education (HE) institutions. This study examines the association between work history, organizational social capital (OSC) and perceived organizational prestige (POP) as antecedent variables, and perceived employability (PE) and career satisfaction (CS) as outcome variables, as well as the mediating role of organizational identification (OI) in these relations. A sample of 283 workers in Chilean HE institutions filled out an on-line questionnaire, and hypotheses were tested using a mediation model. Results indicated a significant mediation effect of OI, abt= 0.363, 95% CI [0.181, 0.576] abt/c = 31.98%, to explain the relationship between internal perceived employability (IPE) and its predictor variables POP, abpo= 0.102, 95% CI [0.056, 0.160], abpo/c = 9.01%, and OSC, abcsoc= 0.101, 95% CI [0.053, 0.183, abcsoc/c = 8.89%. Promoting a positive image of the organization and its social capital, strengthened by OI, emerge as strategies for HR management oriented toward workers’ career development, with consequent implications for commitment, intention to leave and ultimately for organizational results. The study provides a deeper understanding of the complexity of careers and explains the importance of identification with the organization when the impact of organizational attributes on one’s career is analyzed.
Chilean Version of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) Scale: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties
Authors: Fernández Ana María , Baeza Carmen Gloria , Pavez Paula , Aldunate Nerea
Published: April 2021

We evaluated the psychometric properties of the empathy quotient (EQ) scale translated to Spanish in Chile. We estimated its structural validity, and its construct validity with other convergent measures of empathy and attachment, as well an inversely associated construct such as aggression. We used a general sample of students and community individuals (n = 336). Participants completed the EQ, Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Another exclusively community group (n = 102) completed Collins Adult Attachment scale and the EQ. CFA and ESEM analyses confirmed the structural model fit of the data to three previously reported dimensions of the EQ: cognitive empathy (CE), emotional reactivity (ER) and social skills (SS). Sex-differences in emotional reactivity, and the predicted relationships with the convergent measures were observed. The current Chilean version of the EQ resulted in an appropriate multidimensional measurement of empathy. Finally, providing a specific social skills dimension extends the traditional conception of cognitive and affective empathy to the social realm in the Chilean context.
Diagenesis Revealed by Fine‐Scale Features at Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars
Authors: Bennett Kristen A. , Rivera‐Hernández Frances , Tinker Connor , Horgan Briony , Fey Deirdra M. , Edwards Christopher , Edgar Lauren A. , Kronyak Rachel , Edgett Kenneth S. , Fraeman Abigail , Kah Linda C. , Henderson Marie , Stein Nathan , Dehouck Erwin , Williams Amy J.
Published: April 2021

Fine‐scale (submillimeter to centimeter) depositional and diagenetic features encountered during the Curiosity rover's traverse in Gale crater provide a means to understand the geologic history of Vera Rubin ridge (VRR). VRR is a topographically high feature on the lower north slope of Aeolis Mons, a 5‐km high stratified mound within Gale crater. We use high‐spatial resolution images from the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) as well as grain sizes estimated with the Gini index mean score technique that uses ChemCam Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) chemical data to constrain the postdepositional history of the strata exposed on this ridge. MAHLI images were used to examine the color, grain size, and style of lamination of the host rocks, as well as to explore the occurrence of nodules, diagenetic crystals, pits, and a variety of dark‐gray iron‐rich features. This survey revealed abundant and widespread diagenetic features within the rocks exposed on VRR and demonstrated that rock targets estimated to be coarser generally contain more diagenetic features than those estimated to have finer grains, which indicate that grain size may have influenced the degree and type of diagenesis. A subset of rocks within VRR are gray in color and exhibit the highest proportion of diagenetic features. We suggest that these targets experienced a different diagenetic history than the other rocks on VRR and hypothesize that redistribution and recrystallization of iron within specific intervals may have resulted in both the gray color and the abundance of dark‐gray iron‐rich diagenetic features.
Brazil Current Volume Transport Variability During 2009–2015 From a Long‐Term Moored Array at 34.5°S
Authors: Chidichimo M. P. , Piola A. R. , Meinen C. S. , Perez R. C. , Campos E. J. D. , Dong S. , Lumpkin R. , Garzoli S. L.
Published: April 2021

The Brazil Current, the western limb of the subtropical gyre of the South Atlantic Ocean, is one of the major Western Boundary Currents of the global ocean. Here, we present the first multiyear continuous daily time series of Brazil Current absolute volume transport obtained using 6+ years of observations from a line of four pressure‐recording inverted echo sounders (PIES) deployed at 34.5°S. The array was augmented in December 2012 with two current meter‐equipped PIES and in December 2013 with a moored Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler on the upper continental slope. The Brazil Current is bounded by the sea surface and the neutral density interface separating South Atlantic Central Water and Antarctic Intermediate Water, which is on average at a reference pressure of 628 ± 46 dbar, and it is confined west of 49.5°W. The Brazil Current has a mean strength of −14.0 ± 2.8 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1; negative indicates southward flow) with a temporal standard deviation of 8.8 Sv and peak‐to‐peak range from −41.7 to +20 Sv. About 80% of the absolute transport variance is concentrated at periods shorter than 150 days with a prominent peak at 100 days. The baroclinic component accounts for 85% of the absolute transport variance, but the barotropic variance is not negligible. The baroclinic and barotropic transports are uncorrelated, demonstrating the need to measure both transport components independently. Given the energetic high frequency transport variations, statistically significant seasonal to interannual variability and trends have yet to be detected.
Characteristics of Electric Currents in Upward Lightning Flashes From a Windmill and its Lightning Protection Tower in Japan, 2005–2016
Authors: Wang Xiankang , Wang Daohong , He Junjia , Takagi Nobuyuki
Published: April 2021

We examine the lightning current of 81 upward lightning (UL) initiated from a windmill and its lightning protection tower in Japan under winter thunderstorms from 2005 to 2016. Among 81 UL, the negative, positive, and bipolar lightning account for 64%, 12%, and 24%, respectively. After checking the current waveforms during the initial stage (IS) of negative UL, we found that self‐initiated negative UL have larger peak value and shorter rise time compared to other‐triggered ones, although two types of negative UL show no significant difference in charge transfer and duration. Among 18 self‐initiated negative UL, half of them are initiated from the windmill. On the other hand, only two of 27 other‐triggered negative UL are from the windmill and both of them have smaller current peak value, shorter duration, and smaller charge transfer. According to whether or not the IS current waveforms exhibit pulsation, we have classified UL into type S (smooth), SP (transition from smooth to pulsation), and P (pulsation). We found that the rate of slow current rise for most type P UL is larger than 0.1 kA/ms, whereas for all type S UL the rate is smaller than 0.01 kA/ms. The type SP UL shows a slow current rise rate ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 kA/ms. We found that the current pulsation of type P UL corresponds to the stepwise propagation of a positive leader. Based on these results, we have discussed the effect of the lightning protection tower and the stepwise propagation of positive leaders.
Geophysical and Geochemical Constraints on Neogene‐Recent Volcanism in the North American Cordillera
Authors: Hyndman Roy D. , Canil Dante
Published: April 2021

Widespread recent volcanic rocks occur across the Cordillera landward of the current/recent volcanic arc Mexico to Alaska and most other subduction backarcs. We conclude that most are produced by partial melt in the upper asthenosphere where two conditions are met: (1) thin lithosphere, shallow hot asthenosphere. Most of the Cordillera is uniformly hot with thin lithosphere such that the hot asthenosphere extends up to a sufficiently shallow depth to intersects the wet solidus; (2) wet upper asthenosphere. There is substantial water in the upper asthenosphere that reduces the solidus sufficiently for partial melting. We integrate geochemical analyses that constrain the partial melt source temperature and depth, seismic velocities that define the upper mantle temperature and partial melt zones, and seismic receiver functions that define the lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary (LAB). Geochemical data for the Canadian Cordillera are integrated with data from the western United States. Upper mantle xenoliths indicate a dry strong lithosphere, <50 ppm H2O. A wet asthenosphere source, >250 ppm, is indicated by the volcanics, facilitating small‐scale convection. Geochemical equilibration averages ∼1,350°C, at ∼65 km. Receiver functions also define the LAB at ∼65 km for the western Cordillera, deeper in the eastern US Cordillera, and asthenosphere tomography velocities indicate ∼1,350°C. Low velocities above ∼150 km suggest a few percent partial melt that percolates upward and ponds at the base of the lithosphere until enough accumulates to locally penetrate upward. The 65‐km depth may be controlled by the spinel‐garnet phase transition. Mechanisms are discussed for the spatial distribution of recent volcanics.
A study of transposable element-associated structural variations (TASVs) using a de novo-assembled Korean genome
Authors: Mun Seyoung , Kim Songmi , Lee Wooseok , Kang Keunsoo , Meyer Thomas J. , Han Bok-Ghee , Han Kyudong , Kim Heui-Soo
Published: April 2021

Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology have made personal genome sequencing possible, and indeed, many individual human genomes have now been sequenced. Comparisons of these individual genomes have revealed substantial genomic differences between human populations as well as between individuals from closely related ethnic groups. Transposable elements (TEs) are known to be one of the major sources of these variations and act through various mechanisms, including de novo insertion, insertion-mediated deletion, and TE–TE recombination-mediated deletion. In this study, we carried out de novo whole-genome sequencing of one Korean individual (KPGP9) via multiple insert-size libraries. The de novo whole-genome assembly resulted in 31,305 scaffolds with a scaffold N50 size of 13.23 Mb. Furthermore, through computational data analysis and experimental verification, we revealed that 182 TE-associated structural variation (TASV) insertions and 89 TASV deletions contributed 64,232 bp in sequence gain and 82,772 bp in sequence loss, respectively, in the KPGP9 genome relative to the hg19 reference genome. We also verified structural differences associated with TASVs by comparative analysis with TASVs in recent genomes (AK1 and TCGA genomes) and reported their details. Here, we constructed a new Korean de novo whole-genome assembly and provide the first study, to our knowledge, focused on the identification of TASVs in an individual Korean genome. Our findings again highlight the role of TEs as a major driver of structural variations in human individual genomes.
Long-term effects of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal cell transplantation in Pde6b knockout rats
Authors: Yang Jee Myung , Chung Sunho , Yun KyungA , Kim Bora , So Seongjun , Kang Seoon , Kang Eunju , Lee Joo Yong
Published: April 2021

Retinal degenerative disorders, including age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), are characterized by the irreversible loss of photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells; however, the long-term effect of implanting both human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived RPE and photoreceptor for retinal regeneration has not yet been investigated. In this study, we evaluated the long-term effects of hiPSC-derived RPE and photoreceptor cell transplantation in Pde6b knockout rats to study RP; cells were injected into the subretinal space of the right eyes of rats before the appearance of signs of retinal degeneration at 2–3 weeks of age. Ten months after transplantation, we evaluated the cells using fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, and histological evaluation, and no abnormal cell proliferation was observed. A relatively large number of transplanted cells persisted during the first 4 months; subsequently, the number of these cells decreased gradually. Notably, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the hiPSC-derived retinal cells showed characteristics of both RPE cells and photoreceptors of human origin after transplantation. Functional analysis of vision by scotopic electroretinogram revealed significant preservation of vision after transplantation. Our study suggests that the transplantation of hiPSC-derived retinal cells, including RPE cells and photoreceptors, has a potential therapeutic effect against irreversible retinal degenerative diseases.