bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence From Parkinson's Disease That the Superior Colliculus Couples Action and Perception
Authors: Pretegiani Elena , Vanegas‐Arroyave Nora , FitzGibbon Edmond J. , Hallett Mark , Optican Lance M.
Published: October 2019

Background

Action and perception should be coordinated for good visual‐motor performance. The mechanism coupling action and perception may be a prominence map in the intermediate layer of the superior colliculus that modulates motor and attentional/perceptual processes. This coordination comes with a cost: the misperception that briefly overlapping stimuli are separated in time. Our model predicts that abnormal intermediate layer of the superior colliculus inhibition, such as that arising from increased basal ganglia output, would affect the action and perception coupling, and it would worsen the misperception.

Objective

To test the prominence map model by measuring reaction times and perceptions in human intermediate layer of the superior colliculus dysfunction.

Methods

We measured the saccadic and perceptual reaction time changes and the percept for different temporal asynchronies between fixation point offset and peripheral target onset in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Results

We found that increased basal ganglia inhibitory output to the intermediate layer of the superior colliculus prominence map disrupted the normal coupling of action and perception. With increasing temporal asynchronies, the PD perceptual reaction times increased approximately 3 times more than the increase of the saccadic reaction times. Also, PD subjects misperceive small overlaps as gaps for temporal asynchronies up to 3 times longer than controls. The results can be reproduced by an intermediate layer of the superior colliculus rostral‐caudal gradient of inhibition.

Conclusion

These findings support the hypothesis that a prominence map in the intermediate layer of the superior colliculus couples action and perception through modulation of attention. A dysfunction of this network quantifies abnormal basal ganglia output and could underlie visual deficits, including common, yet poorly understood, misperceptions and visual‐motor deficits of PD. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Sector‐wise golden‐angle phase contrast with high temporal resolution for evaluation of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction
Authors: Fyrdahl Alexander , Ramos Joao G. , Eriksson Maria J. , Caidahl Kenneth , Ugander Martin , Sigfridsson Andreas
Published: October 2019

Purpose

To develop a high temporal resolution phase‐contrast pulse sequence for evaluation of diastolic filling patterns, and to evaluate it in comparison to transthoracic echocardiography.

Methods

A phase‐contrast velocity‐encoded gradient‐echo pulse sequence was implemented with a sector‐wise golden‐angle radial ordering. Acquisitions were optimized for myocardial tissue (TE/TR: 4.4/6.8 ms, flip angle: 8º, velocity encoding: 30 cm/s) and transmitral flow (TE/TR: 4.0/6.6 ms, flip angle: 20º, velocity encoding: 150 cm/s). Shared velocity encoding was combined with a sliding‐window reconstruction that enabled up to 250 frames per cardiac cycle. Transmitral and myocardial velocities were measured in 35 patients. Echocardiographic velocities were obtained with pulsed‐wave Doppler using standard methods.

Results

Myocardial velocity showed a low difference and good correlation between MRI and Doppler (mean ± 95% limits of agreement 0.9 ± 3.7 cm/s, R2 = 0.63). Transmitral velocity was underestimated by MRI (P < .05) with a difference of −11 ± 28 cm/s (R2 = 0.45). The early‐to‐late ratio correlated well (R2 = 0.66) with a minimal difference (0.03 ± 0.6). Analysis of interobserver and intra‐observer variability showed excellent agreement for all measurements.

Conclusions

The proposed method enables the acquisition of phase‐contrast images during a single breath‐hold with a sufficiently high temporal resolution to match transthoracic echocardiography, which opens the possibility for many clinically relevant variables to be assessed by MRI.
An Assessment Model for a Standard Gill Net Incorporating Direct and Indirect Selectivity Applied to Walleye
Authors: Radomski Paul , Anderson Charles S. , Bruesewitz Richard E. , Carlson Andrew J. , Borkholder Brian D.
Published: October 2019

Fisheries managers regularly use catch-per-effort (CPE) statistics and length-frequency distributions from standard gill-net surveys to inform future management activities. The data from these surveys is implicitly tied to the net's selectivity, and caution should be used when not accounting for selectivity. We combined indirect and direct methods for estimating the parameters of absolute selectivity by using data from Minnesota's standard gill-net surveys for Walleye Sander vitreus, enabling the estimation of density from CPE. The indirect piece used a state-wide gill-net database and generalized linear modeling to identify a set of possible shapes for the selectivity curves. The direct piece added information based on 94 mark–recapture experiments that were paired with standard gill-net surveys. The resulting statistical assessment model used a bi-lognormal-shaped selectivity curve that was geometrically similar for each mesh, and it estimated fishing intensity that differed substantially with mesh size. Applications of the selectivity model allow the estimation of Walleye density as CPE divided by absolute selectivity by length-bin. The estimated absolute selectivity for the Minnesota standard gill net increased with increasing Walleye length to a peak of 0.76 ha/net at 535 mm and then decreased to about 0.26 at about 800 mm (1.0 and 0.34 relative selectivities, respectively). Fishing intensity increased with mesh size, so the selectivity curves for the individual meshes and that for the standard gill net (5 meshes in series) differed substantially from the curves that have resulted from indirect selectivity models that have ignored size-dependent encounter probabilities and assumed equal contact probabilities for all meshes. We caution investigators that adjusting gill-net catch data with indirect selectivity models that assume equal contact probabilities for each mesh may introduce considerable bias to estimates of population abundance and length distributions.
Promoting self‐efficacy in patients with chronic disease beyond traditional education: A literature review
Authors: Farley Holly
Published: October 2019

Aim

To examine barriers to self‐efficacy and strategies beyond traditional education that promote self‐efficacy for patients living with chronic disease. The review questions were as follows: (a) What are barriers to self‐efficacy in patients experiencing chronic disease? and (b) What non‐traditional strategies and programmes can be implemented by healthcare leaders to promote self‐efficacy in patients with chronic disease?

Design

Integrative review.

Method

Data sources searched were CINAHL, Google Scholar, Health Source, Academic Search Complete and PsycARTICLES published between January 2014–January 2018. Synthesis and thematic analyses were conducted on 24 articles.

Results

Three themes were identified as barriers to self‐efficacy: health literacy, access and support. Four prominent strategies were found to promote self‐efficacy: self‐management programmes, telehealth, mobile applications, gaming and social media. The findings indicate self‐efficacy for patients with chronic conditions can improve with new interventions. Enhancing traditional education and boosting self‐efficacy could increase treatment adherence and decrease cost.
Forensic dental identification of remains in five prefectures in the Kansai region of Japan
Authors: Ichioka Hiroaki , Bando Risa , Tsuboi Hajime , Idota Nozomi , Kumagai Wataru , Ikegaya Hiroshi
Published: October 2019

The numbers of forensic dental analyses and police dentists performing the analyses differ among the prefectures in Japan. Very little is known about the numbers of these analyses and the processes used to enlist dental experts. This report investigated the method of assigning police dentists for identification of the remains, number of the dentists, number of assigned dental analyses, payment for dental services, etc in five prefectures in the Kansai region. The number of studied remains, dental analyses, and identification by the dental experts annually processed by prefectural police stations in 2015, 2016, and 2017 are summarized. The number of the dental analyses in the five prefectures in the Kansai region ranged from 0.3 to 2.3 per 100 recovered remains, which is considered low. There was no relationship between the number of the dental analyses performed and the number of the police dentists. Utilizing the results from this report enables the creation of a database to establish better systems for forensic dentistry, which will enable a larger number of the dental analyses and earlier and accurate identification of unidentified remains.
Synthesis of novel unsaturated polyester/g‐C3N4‐CeO2 composites with enhanced fire safety properties
Authors: Huang Yufeng , Dong Xuan , Li Yufeng
Published: October 2019

In this article, the flame‐retardant materials and flame‐retardant system as a reference for flame retardant unsaturated polyester (UP) have been provided. To date, with the help of some layered nano‐materials, the electrical, mechanical, thermal stability, and fire‐retardant properties of a large number of composite materials can be significantly improved. Here, the graphite phase carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) combined with cerium oxide (CeO2) have been successfully synthesized and as a filling material into UP, could improve flame‐retardant performance. The structure and morphology of the composites were confirmed by X‐ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, at the same time, the effect of Van der Waals' force in the reunite and stacking of the UP were also studied by scanning electron microscope. Moreover, the combustion performance test of composites through thermogravimetry analysis and microscale combustion calorimeter, the preparation of flame retardancy groups, the functionalization of materials, which revealed that the synthesized flame‐retardant materials had better performance. The results have indicated that the peak heat release rate of flame‐retardant materials reduced 33.6% than pure UP. After adding preciously little layered nanomaterial, the flame retardancy of composites is better than before, which is a novel route to improve fire safety.
Reliability and Minimal Detectable Change in the Gait Assessment and Intervention Tool in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Gor‐García‐Fogeda María D. , Tomé‐Redondo Silvia , Simón‐Hidalgo Cristina , Daly Janis J. , Molina‐Rueda Francisco , Cano‐de‐la‐Cuerda Roberto
Published: October 2019

Background

Gait impairment is one of the main causes of disability in people with multiple sclerosis. The Gait Assessment and Intervention Tool is an observational gait scale that assesses kinematic parameters using video recordings.

Objective

To study intra‐ and interrater reliability and the minimal detectable change of the Gait Assessment and Intervention Tool in individuals with multiple sclerosis.

Design

Observational study.

Setting

Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.

Participants

Thirty‐five participants with multiple sclerosis were assessed (12 men, 23 women; 47.7 ± 11 y; Expanded Disability Status Scale = 4.32 ± 1.4).

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measurements

Intra‐ and interrater reliability of the Gait Assessment and Intervention Tool was assessed for each limb using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient. In addition, the minimal detectable change was calculated.

Results

The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient for the intrarater reliability was found to be excellent for the total score both for the right side (.91; 95% confidence interval 95% CI .85‐.95) and the left side (.93; 95% CI .88‐.96). The intraclass correlation coefficient for the interrater reliability was .91 (95% CI .85‐.95) for the right side, and .93 (95% CI .88‐.96) for the left side. The minimal detectable change for the intrarater reliability was 1.19 points for the right side and .77 for the left side.

Conclusions

The Gait Assessment and Intervention Tool exhibits excellent intra‐ and interrater reliability and a small minimal detectable change for people with multiple sclerosis.
Supramolecules‐Guided Synthesis of Brightly Near‐Infrared Au22 Nanoclusters with Aggregation‐Induced Emission for Bioimaging
Authors: Wei Yifei , Luan Weiling , Gao Feng , Hou Xinyu
Published: October 2019

Protein‐protected gold nanoclusters with emission in the near‐infrared wavelength range have been widely considered for applications in biomedical fields. However, their quantum yield (QY) remains low, thus limiting their practical applications. Herein, a novel strategy to synthesize bovine serum albumin–encapsulated gold nanoclusters (BSA‐AuNCs) with QY of 23% is developed. Assembled coordination polymers (supramolecules) of Au(I)‐BSA complexes are initially formed because of the intermolecular forces between BSA ligands. The forces are easily controlled by pH level during the reaction, leading to significant change in the photoluminescence of BSA‐AuNCs. By regulating the pH and reaction temperature, Au(0)@Au(I) core‐shell structured BSA‐AuNCs are fabricated in 2 h. Importantly, such AuNCs are in a rigidified state with high Au(I) content in the shell, offering an explanation for their high luminescence character. Further increasing QY to 29% is achieved by confining BSA‐AuNCs into a cationic polymer, poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (AuNCs@PAH). Enhanced cellular uptake and improved sensitivity of AuNCs@PAH to glutathione compared to BSA‐AuNCs is demonstrated. These findings may give insights into the synergistic effect of pH level and reaction temperature on the properties of protein‐encapsulated AuNCs and provide a possible way for up‐scaled fabrication of brighter AuNCs protected by other protein templates.
Stress analysis due to internal explosion pressure of designed flameproof enclosure for hazardous area
Authors: Ahirwal Bhagirath , Prasad Rashmi , Kashyap Sudhir Kumar , Banerjee Gautam
Published: October 2019

Flameproof (Ex d) enclosures are constructed in such a way that an internal ignition of a flammable atmosphere will not be transmitted outside the enclosure and thereby preventing the ignition of surrounding flammables. The large Ex d enclosure was designed for gas group IIB explosive atmosphere with the help of MATLAB and ANSYS software and further a study of stress analysis due to internal pressure had been carried out on the plates and cover by keeping the thickness of body plate and cover constant. The study showed that stress was observed more in the center of the plate and reducing toward the edges of plates. The value of the length and breadth ratio (a/b) was found out with the help of the curve fitting method to calculate maximum stress (σmax) in the designed Ex d enclosure. The calculated maximum stress of all the plates was less than the simulated results, so the simulated results indicated that the designed enclosure is within the safety limit and suitable for hazardous area.
2D and Quasi‐2D Halide Perovskites: Applications and Progress
Authors: Kim Hyojung , Huynh Kim Anh , Kim Soo Young , Le Quyet Van , Jang Ho Won
Published: October 2019

Two‐dimensional (2D) and quasi‐2D (q‐2D) halide perovskites (HPs) offer a number of advantages compared with their three‐dimensional (3D) counterparts for electronic and optoelectronic applications due to their tunable properties and superior stability. This mini‐Review, at first is focused on the atomic structure and the optical and electrical properties of 2D and q‐2D HPs. The unique properties of 2D HPs are addressed in comparison with 3D HPs. Recent progress in applications using 2D and q‐2D HPs is summarized, such as in solar cells, light‐emitting diodes, photodetectors, resistive random access memories, and artificial synapses. The main parameters that regulate the device performance and strategies for improving materials properties and device performance for each application are addressed. Finally, the perspective for the future development of 2D and q‐2D HPs is discussed.
In vitro hepatotoxicity of Petasites hybridus extract (Ze 339) depends on the concentration, the cytochrome activity of the cell system, and the species used
Authors: Forsch Kristina , Schöning Verena , Assmann Greta Marie , Moser Christin , Siewert Beate , Butterweck Veronika , Drewe Jürgen
Published: October 2019

Ze 339, a CO2 extract prepared from the leaves of Petasites hybridus, possesses antispasmodic and anti‐inflammatory effects and is proven to be effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. To study possible hepatotoxic effects of Ze 339, its main constituents and metabolites, a series of in vitro investigations were performed. Furthermore, different reconstituted fractions of extract (petasins and fatty acid fraction) were examined in three in vitro test systems using hepatocytes: Two human cell lines, with lower and higher activity of cytochrome P450 enzymes (HepG2, HepaRG) as well as a rodent cell line with high cytochrome P450 activity (H‐4‐II‐E), were used. Metabolic activity, assessed by the WST‐1 assay, was chosen as indicator of cytotoxicity. To assess potential bioactivation of Ze 339 compounds, metabolic experiments using S9 fractions from rats, dogs, and humans and isolated cytochromes (human/rat) were performed, and the formation of reactive metabolites was assessed by measuring cellular concentrations of glutathione and glutathione disulphide.

Our data revealed that the cytotoxicity of Ze 339, its single constituents, and main metabolites depends on the concentration, the cytochrome activity of the cell system, and the species used.
Visible‐Light‐Driven p–n Type BiMSbO6(M=Ti, Sn)/BiOBr Heterojunction Photocatalyst toward Degradation of Levofloxacin
Authors: Huang Panqi , Shen Yue , Luan Jingfei
Published: October 2019

A new visible light‐driven p‐n type BiMSbO6(M=Ti, Sn)/BiOBr heterojunction photocatalyst was prepared in this paper. The XRD results showed that pure BiTiSbO6 and pure BiSnSbO6 crystallized well with the pyrochlore‐type structure, stable cubic crystal system by space group Fd3 m and the XPS results further confirmed its high crystallinity. The crystal parameters of pure BiSnSbO6 and pure BiTiSbO6 were 10.23459 Å and 9.87708 Å, respectively. After visible light irradiation for 100 minutes, the removal rate of levofloxacin with 5 wt%, 10 wt% or 20 wt% BiMSbO6(M=Ti, Sn)/BiOBr heterojunction photocatalyst could all reach more than 85%, which was far higher than that with pure BiSnSbO6 (4.79%) as a photocatalyst or that with pure BiTiSbO6 (5.35%) as a photocatalyst. In addition, the form of p‐n heterojunction improved the reusability of pure BiOBr. After four cycles of photodegradation experiments for levofloxacin, the removal rate of levofloxacin with 20 wt% BiTiSbO6/BiOBr heterojunction photocatalyst or 10 wt% BiSnSbO6/BiOBr heterojunction photocatalyst decreased by 11.48% or 11.02%. However, the removal rate of levofloxacin with pure BiOBr decreased by 18.68%. Moreover, h+ contributed the most during the degradation procedure of levofloxacin with BiMSbO6(M=Ti, Sn)/BiOBr heterojunction photocatalyst. Eventually, working mechanism of BiMSbO6(M=Ti, Sn)/BiOBr heterojunction photocatalyst was described in detail.
Combinatorial Immunophenotyping of Cell Populations with an Electronic Antibody Microarray
Authors: Liu Ruxiu , Chu Chia‐Heng , Wang Ningquan , Ozkaya‐Ahmadov Tevhide , Civelekoglu Ozgun , Lee Dohwan , Arifuzzman A K M , Sarioglu A. Fatih
Published: October 2019

Immunophenotyping is widely used to characterize cell populations in basic research and to diagnose diseases from surface biomarkers in the clinic. This process usually requires complex instruments such as flow cytometers or fluorescence microscopes, which are typically housed in centralized laboratories. Microfluidics are combined with an integrated electrical sensor network to create an antibody microarray for label‐free cell immunophenotyping against multiple antigens. The device works by fractionating the sample via capturing target subpopulations in an array of microfluidic chambers functionalized against different antigens and by electrically quantifying the cell capture statistics through a network of code‐multiplexed electrical sensors. Through a combinatorial arrangement of antibody sequences along different microfluidic paths, the device can measure the prevalence of different cell subpopulations in a sample from computational analysis of the electrical output signal. The device performance is characterized by analyzing heterogeneous samples of mixed tumor cell populations and then the technique is applied to determine leukocyte subpopulations in blood samples and the results are validated against complete blood cell count and flow cytometry results. Label‐free immunophenotyping of cell populations against multiple targets on a disposable electronic chip presents opportunities in global health and telemedicine applications for cell‐based diagnostics and health monitoring.
srcDiff: A syntactic differencing approach to improve the understandability of deltas
Authors: Decker Michael John , Collard Michael L. , Volkert L. Gwenn , Maletic Jonathan I.
Published: October 2019

An efficient and scalable rule‐based syntactic differencing approach is presented. The tool srcDiff is built upon the srcML infrastructure. srcML adds abstract syntactic information into the code via an XML format. A syntactic difference of srcML documents is then taken. During this process, the differences are further refined using a set of rules that model typical editing patterns of source code by developers. Thus, the resulting deltas model edits that are programmer centric versus a purely syntactic tree edit view. Other syntactic differencing approaches focus on obtaining an optimal tree edit distance with the assumption that this will produce an accurate difference. While this may work well for small or simple changes, the differences quickly become unreadable for more complex changes. By contrast, the approach presented here purposely deviates from an optimal tree edit difference in order to create a delta that is both easier to understand and better models changes between the original and modified. To evaluate the approach, a comparison user study against a state‐of‐the‐art syntactic differencing approach and two line‐based differencing tools is conducted as an online within‐participant study with about 70 subjects on 14 sample changes. The results provide support that the rule‐based syntactic differencing produces more accurate and understandable deltas.
Gene Editing to Generate Versatile Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Reporter Lines for Analysis of Differentiation and Lineage Tracing
Authors: Bao Xiaoping , Adil Maroof M. , Muckom Riya , Zimmermann Joshua A. , Tran Aurelie , Suhy Natalie , Xu Yibo , Sampayo Rocío G. , Clark Douglas S. , Schaffer David V.
Published: October 2019

Transcription factors (TFs) are potent proteins that control gene expression and can thereby drive cell fate decisions. Fluorescent reporters have been broadly knocked into endogenous TF loci to investigate the biological roles of these factors; however, the sensitivity of such analyses in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) is often compromised by low TF expression levels and/or reporter silencing. Complementarily, we report an inducible and quantitative reporter platform based on the Cre-LoxP recombination system that enables robust, quantifiable, and continuous monitoring of live hPSCs and their progeny to investigate the roles of TFs during human development and disease. Stem Cells  2019;37:1556–1566
Resveratrol attenuates intestinal injury in irradiated rats via PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway
Authors: Radwan Rasha R. , Karam Heba M.
Published: October 2019

Radiation‐induced enteritis is one of the greatest challenges in radiotherapy. The current study was designed to evaluate the ameliorative effect of resveratrol, which exhibits anti‐inflammatory property, against radiation‐induced intestinal injury in rats and to explore the underlying mechanism. Rats were exposed to a single dose of 5 Gy. Resveratrol (20 mg/kg/day) was orally administered to irradiated rats over 3 weeks. Results showed that resveratrol ameliorated the intestinal oxidative stress parameters; malondialdehyde (MDA) content, glutathione (GSH) level, and catalase (CAT) activity compared to irradiated group. Furthermore, resveratrol reduced the contents of inflammatory cytokines; tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α), nuclear factor‐kappa (NF‐κB), and interleukin 1β (IL‐1β) in intestine. Western blotting analysis revealed that resveratrol down‐regulated the proteins expression of phosphoinositide 3‐kinases (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt) as well as the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in intestinal tissues of irradiated rats and thus reduced the inflammatory mediator production. These results were confirmed by histopathological investigation. In conclusion, resveratrol attenuated intestinal inflammation following irradiation via modulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and thereby could be a promising adjuvant in radiotherapy.
Estimating Montezuma quail hatch date using primary molt at harvest
Authors: Randel Charles J. , Johnson C. Zach , Chavarria Pedro M. , LOPEZ ROEL R. , Silvy Nova J. , Tomeček John M.
Published: October 2019

The Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) is an arid‐land quail species found locally in the southwestern United States, and south into Mexico following the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range to Oaxaca. The reproductive season (Jun to Sep) for Montezuma quail is late compared with other quail species, excluding scaled quail (Callipepla squamata). We used plumage characteristics to age hunter‐harvested wings (harvested 2008–2009 in Pima and Santa Cruz counties, AZ, USA) and back‐dating methods based on primary‐feather molt to estimate hatch date. We found peak hatch occurred from late July to mid‐August, with 10.6% of estimated hatch dates in October, which is later than previously reported. Future research should focus on determining how annual precipitation influences hatch date using hunter‐harvested wings and back‐dating techniques. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.
Insensitive and Thermostable Energetic Materials Based on 3‐Ureido‐4‐tetrazole‐furazan: Synthesis, Characterization, and Properties
Authors: Dong Zhen , An Dong , Yang Rui , Ye Zhiwen
Published: October 2019

Energetic salts composed of ureido, furazan, and tetrazole were prepared by simple and efficient chemical routes to explore new insensitive and thermostable energetic materials. 3‐Ureido‐4‐tetrazole‐furazan (3) and its ammonium salt (5) and hydrazinium salt (6) were confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The thermal stabilities of the synthesized salts were studied using differential scanning calorimetry, and the detonation performances of these salts were calculated using EXPLO 5 V6.01. All the salts exhibit good thermal stability (Td: 148–259 °C) and mechanical sensitivities (IS > 40 J, FS > 360 N), and their detonation velocities range from 7316 to 8655 m·s–1. Compounds 6 and 10 are potential candidates as novel insensitive and heat‐resistant explosives because of their high detonation temperatures of 247 and 256 °C, good detonation velocities of 8432 and 8523 m·s–1, and good detonation pressures of 25.6 and 26.8 GPa.
The Role of “eTrash2Cash” in Curtailing “Almajiri” Vulnerability in Nigeria Through Waste Management Social Micro-entrepreneurship
Authors: Abdullahi Alh. Muhammad Salisu
Published: October 2019

Among the many complex challenges facing Nigerian society is the issue of Almajiranci, which literally means “begging” in the Hausa language. Almajiranci refers to the cultural and religious practice whereby Muslim parents and guardians in northern Nigeria entrust their children to itinerant scholars (Mallams) who, in turn, take the children to far-off destinations, supposedly in order to immerse them in Islamic education. Most of such youths end up striving for dignity and knowledge amidst extreme poverty. This chapter examines the vulnerability imposed on these children and the role of eTrash2Cash, a project aimed at improving the life conditions of targeted Almajiri youth.
Making Lives, Making Communities: Deaf Youth in Benin
Authors: Mildner Carsten
Published: October 2019

Being deaf is not a medical condition but a social role within both a community of peers and the broader society. Based on 12 months of field research in Benin, this chapter explores the pathways available to young deaf people, and the obstacles they confront, as they transition into adulthood. Through three life story sketches, the chapter illustrates how young deaf can maneuver within and beyond the deaf community to make a living and to make their lives. This process is a mélange of determining oneself and being determined.
Erratum to: Results and techniques for higher order calculations within the gradient-flow formalism
Authors: Artz Johannes , Harlander Robert V. , Lange Fabian , Neumann Tobias , Prausa Mario
Published: October 2019

The left-hand side of eq. (4.5)
The emergence of multi-lepton anomalies at the LHC and their compatibility with new physics at the EW scale
Authors: von Buddenbrock Stefan , Cornell Alan S. , Fang Yaquan , Mohammed Abdualazem Fadol , Kumar Mukesh , Mellado Bruce , Tomiwa Kehinde G.
Published: October 2019

Abstract

A recent study [1] has shown that a simplified model predicting a heavy scalar of mass 270 GeV (H ) that decays to a Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson in association with a scalar singlet of mass 150 GeV (S) can accommodate several anomalous multi-lepton results in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). With this in mind, the goal of this article is to provide a more formal study of a wider set of LHC results pertaining to the production of multiple leptons. We find that a combination of such results lead to strong discrepancies between the data and SM Monte Carlo predictions. These discrepancies appear in corners of the phase-space where different SM processes dominate, indicating that the potential mismodeling of a single SM process is unlikely to explain them. Systematic uncertainties from the prediction of SM processes evaluated with currently available tools seem unable to explain away these discrepancies. A combination is able to constrain the simplified model’s single degree of freedom β
2, related to the size of the Yukawa coupling of H to the top quark, to a value of 2.92 ± 0.35. This is in contrast to the absence of signal, where βg = 0. This result is discussed in the independent contexts of both potential for new physics in the existing LHC data as well as the limitations of our current understanding of the SM. That being said, QCD NNLO and EW NLO corrections in di-lepton final states are not expected to change the conclusions of this study. New results pertaining to the production of two opposite sign different flavour charged leptons with a full jet veto further confirm the presence of anomalies in similar corners of the leptonic phase-space.
Quiver indices and Abelianization from Jeffrey-Kirwan residues
Authors: Beaujard Guillaume , Mondal Swapnamay , Pioline Boris
Published: October 2019

Abstract

In quiver quantum mechanics with 4 supercharges, supersymmetric ground states are known to be in one-to-one correspondence with Dolbeault cohomology classes on the moduli space of stable quiver representations. Using supersymmetric localization, the refined Witten index can be expressed as a residue integral with a specific contour pre- scription, originally due to Jeffrey and Kirwan, depending on the stability parameters. On the other hand, the physical picture of quiver quantum mechanics describing interactions of BPS black holes predicts that the refined Witten index of a non-Abelian quiver can be expressed as a sum of indices for Abelian quivers, weighted by ‘single-centered invariants’. In the case of quivers without oriented loops, we show that this decomposition naturally arises from the residue formula, as a consequence of applying the Cauchy-Bose identity to the vector multiplet contributions. For quivers with loops, the same procedure produces a natural decomposition of the single-centered invariants, which remains to be elucidated. In the process, we clarify some under-appreciated aspects of the localization formula. Part of the results reported herein have been obtained by implementing the Jeffrey-Kirwan residue formula in a public Mathematica code.
A holographic kaleidoscope for $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 1*
Authors: Bobev Nikolay , Gautason Friðrik Freyr , Niehoff Benjamin E. , van Muiden Jesse
Published: October 2019

Abstract

We study in detail the recently-found family of asymptotically AdS5
× S
5 type IIB supergravity solutions dual to the

$$ \mathcal{N} $$

N

= 1* SYM theory with equal masses. The backgrounds exhibit a naked singularity and are labelled by a dimensionless parameter, λ, which is interpreted as the ratio of the gaugino condensate and the mass in the dual field theory. When |λ| < 1 we show that the naked singularity is due to a smeared distribution of polarized (p, q) five-branes. For this range of parameters we study the nature of the singularity using probe strings and show that the dual line operators exhibit screening behavior. These features are in line with the physics anticipated in the work of Polchinski-Strassler. For |λ| = 1 the naked singularity has qualitatively different behavior which has no clear brane interpretation. We show that when λ = 1 the singularity can be excised and replaced by a smooth Euclidean supergravity solution with an S
4 boundary.
Topology via spectral projectors with staggered fermions
Authors: Bonanno Claudio , Clemente Giuseppe , D’Elia Massimo , Sanfilippo Francesco
Published: October 2019

Abstract

The spectral projectors method is a way to obtain a theoretically well posed definition of the topological susceptibility on the lattice. Up to now this method has been defined and applied only to Wilson fermions. The goal of this work is to extend the method to staggered fermions, giving a definition for the staggered topological susceptibility and testing it in the pure SU (3) gauge theory. Besides, we also generalize the method to higher-order cumulants of the topological charge distribution.
Transthyretin at Admission and Over Time as a Marker for Clinical Outcomes in Critically Ill Trauma Patients: A Prospective Single‐Center Study
Authors: Haltmeier Tobias , Inaba Kenji , Durso Joseph , Khan Moazzam , Siboni Stefano , Cheng Vincent , Schnüriger Beat , Benjamin Elizabeth , Demetriades Demetrios
Published: October 2019

Background

Transthyretin (TTR) has been described as a predictor for outcomes in medical and surgical patients. However, the association of TTR on admission and over time on outcomes has not yet been prospectively assessed in trauma patients.

Methods

This is a prospective observational study including trauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a large Level I trauma center 05/2014–05/2015. TTR levels at ICU admission and all subsequent values over time were recorded. Patients were observed for 28 days or until hospital discharge. The association of outcomes and TTR levels at admission and over time was assessed using multivariable regression and generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis, respectively.

Results

A total of 237 patients with TTR obtained at admission were included, 69 of whom had repeated TTR measurements. Median age was 40.0 years and median ISS 16.0; 83.1% were male. Below‐normal TTR levels at admission (41.8%) were independently associated with higher in‐hospital mortality (p = 0.042), more infectious complications (p = 0.032), longer total hospital length of stay (LOS) (p = 0.013), and ICU LOS (p = 0.041). Higher TTR levels over time were independently associated with lower in‐hospital mortality (p = 0.015), fewer infections complications (p = 0.028), shorter total hospital and ICU LOS (both p < 0.001), and fewer ventilator days (0.004).

Conclusions

In critically ill trauma patients, below‐normal TTR levels at admission were independently associated with worse outcomes and higher TTR levels over time with better outcomes, including lower in‐hospital mortality, less infectious complications, shorter total hospital and ICU LOS, and fewer ventilator days. Based on these results, TTR may be considered as a prognostic marker in this patient population.
An EPR characterisation of stable and transient reactive oxygen species formed under radiative and non-radiative conditions
Authors: Richards E. , Murphy D. M. , Che M.
Published: October 2019

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is the ideal method of choice when detecting and studying the wide variety of paramagnetic oxygen-centred radicals. For simple diatomic radicals, such as the superoxide (O2−) or peroxy$$ ({\text{ROO}}^{\bullet})$$(ROO∙)species, the CW EPR profile (in particular theg-values) of these species can appear similar and indeed indistinguishable in some cases. Experiments using17O-enriched oxygen, revealing a rich17O hyperfine pattern, are therefore essential to distinguish between the two species. However, in many cases, particularly involving TiO2photocatalysis, the peroxy-type$$ ({\text{ROO}}^{\bullet})$$(ROO∙)radicals or other intermediate species such as the [O2−…organic]-type adducts can be transient in nature and once again can produce similarg-values. In general terms, these reactive oxygen species (ROS) are formed and detected at low-temperature conditions. Hence, the application of EPR spectroscopy to studies of surface-stabilised oxygen-centred radicals must be performed under carefully selected conditions in order to confidently distinguish between the differing types of diatomic radicals, such as O2−,$$ {\text{ROO}}^{\bullet}$$ROO∙or [O2−…organic].
Have we oversold the Silicon Valley model of entrepreneurship?
Authors: Audretsch David B.
Published: October 2019

The Silicon Valley model of entrepreneurship has captured the imagination of the public, the attention of the public policy community throughout the world who want to emulate it, and the focus of scholars seeking to understand it. Entrepreneurship has enabled the Silicon Valley region to harness the opportunities afforded by globalization rather than succumbing as a victim. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that there are limits to the Silicon Valley model of entrepreneurship in addressing the most compelling contemporary economic and social problems and that a broader, more inclusive understanding of and approach to entrepreneurship might be more useful.
Carbon nanotube micropillars trigger guided growth of complex human neural stem cells networks
Authors: Lorite Gabriela S. , Ylä-Outinen Laura , Janssen Lauriane , Pitkänen Olli , Joki Tiina , Koivisto Janne T. , Kellomäki Minna , Vajtai Robert , Narkilahti Susanna , Kordas Krisztian
Published: October 2019

New strategies for spatially controlled growth of human neurons may provide viable solutions to treat and recover peripheral or spinal cord injuries. While topography cues are known to promote attachment and direct proliferation of many cell types, guided outgrowth of human neurites has been found difficult to achieve so far. Here, three-dimensional (3D) micropatterned carbon nanotube (CNT) templates are used to effectively direct human neurite stem cell growth. By exploiting the mechanical flexibility, electrically conductivity and texture of the 3D CNT micropillars, a perfect environment is created to achieve specific guidance of human neurites, which may lead to enhanced therapeutic effects within the injured spinal cord or peripheral nerves. It is found that the 3D CNT micropillars grant excellent anchoring for adjacent neurites to form seamless neuronal networks that can be grown to any arbitrary shape and size. Apart from clear practical relevance in regenerative medicine, these results using the CNT based templates on Si chips also can pave the road for new types of microelectrode arrays to study cell network electrophysiology.
Nutritional outcomes of empowerment and market integration for women in rural India
Authors: Gupta Soumya , Vemireddy Vidya , Pingali Prabhu L.
Published: October 2019

Over half of all women of reproductive age are affected by anaemia in India. In this paper we study the role that both household market integration and women’s empowerment in agriculture can play in determining women’s dietary diversity. Our analysis is based on primary data from 3600 households across India on agriculture, nutrition and anthropometric outcomes. We account for market integration by way of per capita household purchases (quantity) of cereals and non- cereal food groups, such as pulses, meat/ fish/ poultry, fruits and vegetables, eggs and dairy. We construct an adapted version of the Abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (A-WEAI) that is context- specific and agriculture- oriented. After controlling for individual, household and village- level explanatory factors, we find that – for a given level of per capita market purchases – women who are empowered in their agricultural decisions have significantly higher dietary diversity scores relative to women who are disempowered of such decisions. More specifically it is women’s empowerment in two areas: input in production decisions and membership in self- help groups that supports this result. Women’s empowerment also enhances dietary diversity in the presence of disaggregated per capita purchases of non-cereals such as pulses, meat, dairy and eggs. This highlights the importance of reorienting India’s agricultural price and procurement policies beyond staple grains to ensure better dietary diversity.
The Differential Impact of Religion on Political Activity and Community Engagement
Authors: Glazier Rebecca A.
Published: October 2019

Many religions have an ethos of community betterment that can spur their members to contribute to society in meaningful ways. Yet much of the literature on religion and politics tends to focus on how places of worship increase explicitly partisan activities like voting or donating to a political campaign. Does religion affect community engagement in the same ways that it does political participation? A unique research design executed in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA brings together religious data on individual beliefs and behaviors, clergy messaging, and congregation culture to examine religion's effects on both political activity and community engagement. The results demonstrate that religion influences both types of behaviors, but not always in the same ways. For instance, it appears as though many congregations tend to develop cultures that encourage either community engagement or political activity, rather than both, with Black Protestant churches as an exception. Additionally, individuals that hold providential religious beliefs tend to have higher levels of community engagement but lower levels of political activity. These findings indicate that religion influences different types of participation differently.
Practical algorithms for amyloid β probability in subjective or mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Maserejian Nancy , Bian Shijia , Wang Wenting , Jaeger Judith , Syrjanen Jeremy A. , Aakre Jeremiah , Jack Clifford R. , Mielke Michelle M. , Gao Feng ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and the AIBL research team
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Practical algorithms predicting the probability of amyloid pathology among patients with subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment may help clinical decisions regarding confirmatory biomarker testing for Alzheimer's disease.

Methods

Algorithm feature selection was conducted with Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing data. Probability algorithms were developed in Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative using nested cross‐validation accompanied by stratified subsampling to obtain 1000 internally validated decision trees. Semi‐independent validation was conducted using Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing. Independent external validation was conducted in the population‐based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging.

Results

Two algorithms were developed using age and normalized immediate recall z‐scores, with or without apolipoprotein E ε4 carrier status. Both algorithms had robust performance across data sets and when substituting different recall memory tests.

Discussion

The statistical framework resulted in robust probability estimation. Application of these algorithms may assist in clinical decision‐making for further testing to diagnose amyloid pathology.
First description of an unusual novel double mutation in MECP2 co‐occurring with the m.827A>G mutation in the MT‐RNR1 gene associated with angelman‐like syndrome
Authors: Kharrat Marwa , Triki Chahnez , Maalej Marwa , Ncir Sihem , Ammar Marwa , Kammoun Fatma , Fakhfakh Faiza
Published: October 2019

Mutations in Methyl‐CpG‐Binding protein 2 (MECP2), located on Xq28 and encoding a methyl CpG binding protein, are commonly related to Rett syndrome. However, MECP2 mutations have already been reported in patients with neurodevelopmental abnormalities such as X‐linked mental retardation, severe neonatal encephalopathy and Angelman‐like syndrome (AS‐like). Accordingly, we report the clinical, molecular and bioinformatic analyses in a Tunisian patient with AS‐like phenotype. In fact, the direct sequencing of MECP2 and cloning essay reveals the emergence of an unusual novel double mutation, including a de novo mutation c.397C > T (p.R133C) and an inherited one c.608C > T (p.T203 M) co‐occurring in Trans. We also provide the molecular evidence of the c.608C > T transmission to the patient which was present in her father at somatic mosaicism state. To gain insight into the molecular basis of this disorder, we undertook, for the first time, a whole mitochondrial genome mutational analysis. Thus, the results showed the presence of several variations and a homoplasmic mutation m.827A > G in the MT‐RNR1 gene, leading to the disruption of the 12S rRNA secondary structure. Our report is considered as the first to describe an unusual novel double mutation (c.397C > T in trans with c.608C > T) in MECP2 co‐occurring with the mitochondrial m.827A > G mutation in the MT‐RNR1 gene in a Tunisian patient with AS‐like. Besides, our results highlight the importance of studying MECP2 and the significance of mDNA screening in AS‐like disorder for a better understanding of its etiopathogenesis.
1D Semiconducting Nanostructures for Flexible and Large-Area Electronics
Authors: Shakthivel Dhayalan , Ahmad Muhammad , Alenezi Mohammad R. , Dahiya Ravinder , Silva S. Ravi P.
Published: October 2019

Semiconducting nanostructures such as nanowires (NWs) have been used as building blocks for various types of sensors, energy storage and generation devices, electronic devices and for new manufacturing methods involving printed NWs. The response of these sensing/energy/electronic components and the new fabrication methods depends very much on the quality of NWs and for this reason it is important to understand the growth mechanism of 1D semiconducting nanostructures. This is also important to understand the compatibility of NW growth steps and tools used in the process with these unconventional substrates such as plastic that are used in flexible and large area electronics. Therefore, this Element presents at length discussion about the growth mechanisms, growth conditions and the tools used for the synthesis of NWs. Although NWs from Si, ZnO and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are included, the discussion is generic and relevant to several other types of NWs as well as heterostructures.