bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maritime cross‐border insolvency in China
Authors: Xu Jingchen
Published: April 2020

Due to the high degree of mobility of ships and the special operational structures of shipping companies, it is difficult to harmonise the cross‐border insolvency regime with the maritime law regime governing ships. One of the typical examples is the recent bankruptcy of Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd. Chinese creditors were heavily affected by the bankruptcy of Hanjin. However, Hanjin never filed an application to have its Korean insolvency proceeding recognised in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Nor did it commence any ancillary insolvency application under the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law of the PRC. Taking Hanjin's bankruptcy as an example, this article examines the current statutory regime of cross‐border insolvency in the PRC in detail and analyses the approach adopted by the Chinese courts to resolve the conflicts that arise between the cross‐border insolvency and maritime law regimes.
Scaling up cervical cancer prevention in Western Kenya: Treatment access following a community‐based HPV testing approach
Authors: Mungo Chemtai , Ibrahim Saduma , Bukusi Elizabeth A. , Truong Hong‐Ha M. , Cohen Craig R. , Huchko Megan
Published: April 2020

Objective

To evaluate access to treatment after community‐based HPV testing as testing within screen‐and‐treat programs has the potential to lower mortality from cervical cancer in low‐resource settings.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted in western Kenya in 2018. Women aged 25–65 years underwent HPV self‐testing. HPV‐positive women were referred for cryotherapy. Participant data were obtained from questionnaires during screening and treatment. The proportion successfully accessing treatment and variables associated with successful treatment was determined.

Results

Of the 750 women included, 140 (18.6%) tested positive for HPV. Of them, 135 were notified of their results, of whom 77 (59.2%) sought treatment and 73 (52.1%) received cryotherapy. Women who received treatment had a shorter time from screening to result notification (median 92 days, interquartile range [IQR] 84–104) compared to those who did not (97 days, IQR 89–106; P=0.061). In adjusted analyses, women with a history of cervical cancer screening (odds ratio [OR] 11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42–85.20) and those electing result notification through a home visit (OR 4, 95% CI 1.23–14.17) were significantly more likely to acquire treatment at follow‐up.

Conclusion

Linkage to treatment after community‐based HPV screening in this population was low, highlighting the need for strategies aimed at strengthening treatment linkage in similar settings.
Using clustering ensemble to identify banking business models
Authors: Marques Bernardo P. , Alves Carlos F.
Published: April 2020

The business models of banks are often seen as the result of a variety of simultaneously determined managerial choices, such as those regarding the types of activities, funding sources, level of diversification, and size. Moreover, owing to the fuzziness of data and the possibility that some banks may combine features of different business models, the use of hard clustering methods has often led to poorly identified business models. In this paper we propose a framework to deal with these challenges based on an ensemble of three unsupervised clustering methods to identify banking business models: fuzzy c‐means (which allows us to handle fuzzy clustering), self‐organizing maps (which yield intuitive visual representations of the clusters), and partitioning around medoids (which circumvents the presence of data outliers). We set up our analysis in the context of the European banking sector, which has seen its regulators increasingly focused on examining the business models of supervised entities in the aftermath of the twin financial crises. In our empirical application, we find evidence of four distinct banking business models and further distinguish between banks with a clearly defined business model (core banks) and others (non‐core banks), as well as banks with a stable business model over time (persistent banks) and others (non‐persistent banks). Our proposed framework performs well under several robustness checks related with the sample, clustering methods, and variables used.
Subterranean life: Behavior, metabolic, and some other adaptations of Astyanax cavefish
Authors: Maldonado Ernesto , Rangel‐Huerta Emma , Rodriguez‐Salazar Elizabeth , Pereida‐Jaramillo Elizabeth , Martínez‐Torres Ataulfo
Published: April 2020

The ability of fishes to adapt to any aquatic environment seems limitless. It is enthralling how new species keep appearing at the deep sea or in subterranean environments. There are close to 230 known species of cavefishes, still today the best‐known cavefish is Astyanax mexicanus, a Characid that has become a model organism, and has been studied and scrutinized since 1936. There are two morphotypes for A. mexicanus, a surface fish and a cavefish. The surface fish lives in central and northeastern Mexico and south of the United States, while the cavefish is endemic to the “Sierra del Abra‐Tanchipa region” in northeast Mexico. The extensive genetic and genomic analysis depicts a complex origin for Astyanax cavefish, with multiple cave invasions and persistent gene flow among cave populations. The surface founder population prevails in the same region where the caves are. In this review, we focus on both morphotype's main morphological and physiological differences, but mainly in recent discoveries about behavioral and metabolic adaptations for subterranean life. These traits may not be as obvious as the troglomorphic characteristics, but are key to understand how Astyanax cavefish thrives in this environment of perpetual darkness.
The eosinophil actin cytoskeleton undergoes rapid rearrangement in response to fluid shear stress
Authors: Son Kiho , Small Mike , Sehmi Roma , Janssen Luke
Published: April 2020

The regulatory processes involved in eosinophil trafficking into tissues are poorly understood; therefore, it is crucial to elucidate these mechanisms to advance the quality of clinical care for patients with eosinophil-mediated diseases. The complex interactions between eosinophil integrin receptors and their corresponding ligands on the post-capillary venules of the bronchial endothelium result in distinct modifications to the cytoskeletal architecture that occur in coordinated, temporally regulated sequences. The current study utilizes real-time confocal microscopy and time-based immunofluorescence staining to further characterize the effects of physiologically relevant fluid shear stress on this novel phenomenon of perfusion-induced calcium response. We found that the mere perfusion of fluid over adhered human eosinophils induced a release of intracellular calcium observed in conjunction with changes in cell morphology (flattening onto the coverslip surface, an increase in surface area, and a loss of circularity), suggesting a previously unknown mechanosensing aspect of eosinophil migration out of the vasculature. Although changes in morphology and degree of calcium release remained consistent across varying perfusion rates, the latency of the response was highly dependent on the degree of shear stresses. Eosinophils were fixed post-perfusion at specific timepoints for immunofluorescence staining to track proteins of interest over time. The distribution of proteins was diffuse throughout the cell prior to perfusion; however, they quickly localized to the periphery of the cell within 5 min. The actin cytoskeleton became markedly built up at the cell edges rapidly after stimulation, forming punctate dots by 4 min, suggesting a pivotal role in directed cell motility.
One‐Step Microfluidic Coating of Phospholipid Microbubbles with Natural Alginate Polymer as a Delivery System for Human Epithelial Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Ilhan‐Ayisigi Esra , Saglam‐Metiner Pelin , Manzi Giuliana , Giannasi Katharine , van Hoeve Wim , Yesil‐Celiktas Ozlem
Published: April 2020

In this study, the neoplastic drug frequently used in the treatment of lung cancer, carboplatin is loaded to microbubbles via a microfluidic platform. In order to increase the drug loading capacity of microbubbles, carboplatin is encapsulated into alginate polymer layer. The phospholipid microbubbles (MBs) are synthesized by MicroSphere Creator, which is connected with T‐junction and micromixer for the treatment with CaCl2 solution to provide gelation of the alginate coated phospholipid microbubbles (AMBs). The carboplatin loaded alginate coated phospholipid microbubbles (CAMBs) result in 12.2 ± 0.21 µm mean size, obtained by mixing with 0.05% CaCl2 using T‐junction. The cytotoxic activities of the synthesized MBs, AMBs, and CAMBs are also investigated with the 3‐(4,5‐Dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide) (MTT) and live/dead fluorescent dying assays in the A549 and BEAS‐2B cell lines. The one‐step microfluidic coating of lipid microbubbles with natural alginate polymer appears to be a promising strategy for enhanced drug reservoir properties.
Mutant COMP shapes growth and development of skull and facial structures in mice and humans
Authors: Burger Alexander , Roosenboom Jasmien , Hossain Mohammad , Weinberg Seth M. , Hecht Jacqueline T. , Posey Karen L.
Published: April 2020

Background

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is an important extracellular matrix protein primarily functioning in the musculoskeletal tissues and especially endochondral bone growth. Mutations in COMP cause the skeletal dysplasia pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH) that is characterized by short limbs and fingers, joint laxity, and abnormalities but a striking lack of skull and facial abnormalities.

Methods

This study examined both mice and humans to determine how mutant‐COMP affects face and skull growth.

Results

Mutant COMP (MT‐COMP) mice were phenotypically distinct. Snout length and skull height were diminished in MT‐COMP mouse and the face more closely resembled younger controls. Three‐dimensional facial measurements of PSACH faces showed widely spaced eyes, reduced lower facial height, and decreased nasal protrusion, which correlated with a more juvenile appearing face. Neither MT‐COMP mice nor PSACH individuals show midface hypoplasia usually associated with abnormal endochondral bone growth. MT‐COMP mice do show delayed endochondral and membranous skull ossification that normalizes with age.

Conclusion

Therefore, mutant‐COMP affects both endochondral and intramembranous bones of the skull resulting in a reduction of the nose and lower facial height in mice and humans, in addition to its well‐defined role in the growth plate chondrocytes.
Multi‐drug antimicrobial resistance model
Authors: Elettreby Mohammed Fathy , Ahmed Elsayed
Published: April 2020

In this paper, we give a simple mathematical model for a multi‐drug antimicrobial resistance. The model describes the dynamics of the susceptible and three classes of infected populations. The first class of the infected society is sensitive to the first antimicrobial drug but resisted to the second drug. The other infected community responds to the second antimicrobial drug but resistant to the first drug, and the third class shows resistance to both of the two drugs. The stability conditions of the multi‐drug antimicrobial resistance equilibrium states are derived. Also, we illustrated the analytical results by some numerical simulations. Finally, we used the multiobjective optimization approach to find the minimum doses of antimicrobial drugs.
An asymptotic result for a certain type of delay dynamic equation with biological background
Authors: Koyuncuoğlu Halis Can , Turhan Nezihe , Adıvar Murat
Published: April 2020

Inspired by Cooke and York's work, we concentrate on the delay dynamic equation

on a nonempty, arbitrary, closed set of real numbers, so‐called a time scale. The utilization of an abstract delay function δ in the above‐given equation relaxes the condition that each individual has a fixed constant life span when it fits a growth process.

The main result is obtained by establishing a linkage between the delay dynamic equation and an integral equation. By constructing a phase space for a given initial function, we show the unique solution converges to a predetermined constant.
FaPAO5 regulates Spm/Spd levels as a signaling during strawberry fruit ripening
Authors: Mo Aowei , Xu Tian , Bai Qian , Shen Yuanyue , Gao Fan , Guo Jiaxuan
Published: April 2020

Polyamines are important for non‐climacteric fruit ripening according to an analysis of the model plant strawberry. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the polyamine accumulation during ripening has not been fully elucidated. In this study, an examination of our proteome data related to strawberry fruit ripening revealed a putative polyamine oxidase 5, FaPAO5, which was localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Additionally, FaPAO5 expression levels as well as the abundance of the encoded protein continually decreased during ripening. Inhibiting FaPAO5 expression by RNAi promoted Spd, Spm, and ABA accumulation while inhibited H2O2 production, which ultimately enhanced ripening as evidenced by the ripening‐related events and corresponding gene expression changes. The opposite effects were observed in FaPAO5‐overexpressing transgenic fruits. Analyses of the binding affinity and enzymatic activity of FaPAO5 with Spm, Spd, and Put uncovered a special role for FaPAO5 in the terminal catabolism of Spm and Spd, with a Kd of 0.21 and 0.29 µM, respectively. Moreover, FaPAO5 expression was inhibited by ABA and promoted by Spd and Spm. Furthermore, the RNA‐seq analysis of RNAi and control fruits via differentially expressed genes (DEGs) indicated the six most enriched pathways among the differentially expressed genes were related to sugar, abscisic acid, ethylene, auxin, gibberellin, and Ca2+. Among four putative PAO genes in the strawberry genome, only FaPAO5 was confirmed to influence fruit ripening. In conclusion, FaPAO5 is a negative regulator of strawberry fruit ripening and modulates Spm/Spd levels as a signaling event, in which ABA plays a central role.
Designing Internal Hierarchical Porous Networks in Polymer Monoliths that Exhibit Rapid Removal and Photocatalytic Degradation of Aromatic Pollutants
Authors: Kim Doyeon , Kim Hyungwoo , Chang Ji Young
Published: April 2020

This paper describes the preparation of 3D polymer monoliths containing internal hierarchical porosity. The porous networks are fabricated based on Pickering high‐internal‐phase emulsions (HIPEs) stabilized by microporous β‐cyclodextrin‐based polymer particles (CDPs) as the emulsifier; CDPs are facilely synthesized by the polyaddition reactions without the need for catalysts. The designed Pickering agents enable to form a bicontinuous internal phase in 8:2 cyclohexane–water v/v, and the oil droplets in the continuous water phase is found to be fairly stable up to 1 month. Furthermore, the addition of acrylamide and N,N'‐methylenebis(acrylamide) results in polymer networks after in situ thermal polymerization at 60 °C in the water phase, and the monoliths include both interconnected macropores from the HIPE template and micro‐ and mesopores from the CDPs embedded at the interface. The porous monoliths rapidly absorb a variety of solvents taking advantage of multiscale porosity and amphiphilicity. Furthermore, the materials can be efficiently used for the removal of aromatic pollutants and then reused after washing and drying without the deterioration of performance. Also, they exhibit high photocatalytic capability and good recyclability as being used as a catalytic support when embedded with titanium dioxide (TiO2).
Influence of seismic incident angle on response uncertainty and structural performance of tall asymmetric structure
Authors: Alam Zeshan , Zhang Chunwei , Samali Bijan
Published: April 2020

The estimation of critical seismic response of a structure is complicated in nature due to the uncertain distribution of the internal forces under multidirectional seismic excitations. One of the important concerns inherent to this complication is the uncertainty associated with the final design direction as different seismic directions result in different seismic responses. In this regard, this research provides a detailed examination of (1) response‐to‐response and record‐to‐record variability under varying seismic orientations, (2) quantification of seismic response uncertainties and (3) the seismic performance of asymmetric structure in the context of conservative/nonconservative seismic design. With the mentioned research objectives, a realistic case study asymmetric structure under the influence of varying bidirectional seismic excitations was evaluated. It has been argued in this research that the seismic excitations applied at structure's reference axes are very unlikely to demonstrate maximum response for all response quantities simultaneously, even if it results in a peak response for a particular seismic response quantity. This research is particularly helpful for the critical assessment of directionality influence on asymmetric structures prior to making any decision during thestructural design process. Substantial arguments have been presented to emphasize the inclusion of the investigation of seismic response uncertainty in practical design of critical asymmetric structures.
Bowel preparation prior to transvaginal ultrasound improves detection of rectosigmoid deep infiltrating endometriosis and is well tolerated: prospective study of women with suspected endometriosis without surgical criteria
Authors: Ros C. , Rius M. , Abrao M. S. , deGuirior C. , Martínez‐Zamora M. Á. , Gracia M. , Carmona F.
Published: April 2020

Objectives

To analyze the effect of bowel preparation prior to transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) examination on the detection of bowel involvement and the description of rectosigmoid nodules of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE), and to evaluate patient tolerance of bowel preparation.

Methods

This was a prospective study of paired data obtained between September 2015 and March 2016 from a cohort of women referred, on suspicion of DIE but without surgical criteria, to the endometriosis unit of a tertiary university hospital. In all patients, the wall of the rectum and lower sigmoid colon was evaluated by two TVS examinations: the first was performed without bowel preparation and the second was done after the patient had followed a 3‐day low‐residue diet and received two 250‐mL enemas, one the night before TVS and the second 1–3 h before the examination. The presence of adhesions, number and size of rectosigmoid nodules, deepest layer of the rectum affected, percentage of the circumference of the bowel affected and distance from the most caudal part of the bowel nodule to the anal verge were determined. Patient tolerance to bowel preparation was assessed using a 5‐point Likert scale, in which 1 represented ‘very well tolerated’ and 5 represented ‘very poorly tolerated’.

Results

The mean ± SD age of the 110 patients included in the study was 36.8 ± 5.07 years. As many as 55% of those identified during the first examination (TVS alone) as having adhesions were identified at the second examination (TVS with prior bowel preparation) as having rectosigmoid nodules, and 22 additional nodules were observed on TVS following bowel preparation. These newly detected rectosigmoid nodules, initially assessed mainly as adhesions, were smaller and more superficial compared with the nodules detected on TVS alone, or located in the anterior sigmoid wall. Patient tolerance overall to bowel preparation scored a mean of 1.81 on the 5‐point Likert scale.

Conclusions

Bowel preparation is well tolerated by patients. When bowel preparation is performed before TVS, the detection of small and superficial nodules and those in the anterior sigmoid wall is improved, allowing more detailed description of these nodules in patients with suspected endometriosis. Copyright © 2020 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Forms of meteorological knowledge 1750–1850 in German countries and beyond
Authors: Richter Linda
Published: April 2020

The complexity of atmospherical processes has always yielded a multitude of ways of knowing about the weather. What has been lacking in the historiography of meteorology so far is a way to formulate differences between forms of knowledge in a way that does not privilege modern scientific structures, but focuses instead on the epistemological category of causality. Using causality as ground of comparison for different knowledge claims, I shall argue, may enable researchers to investigate meteorological knowledge across time periods, perhaps even geographical regions, in a more symmetrical manner. This review demonstrates this approach as a means to organize a large set of historical meteorological writings from German countries between 1750 and 1850. Three distinct forms of knowledge (Semiotics, Physics, and Organics of the weather) during that time and in that region are suggested and will be described. While a bibliography with a national perspective from the 1880s was the basis for the selection of historical sources, such a setup proved awkward even to contemporaries. In addition, the bibliography came with a number of biases and shortcomings that will be critically reviewed.

This article is categorized under:

Climate, History, Society, Culture > Major Historical Eras
A Heterometallic MOF based on Monofunctional Linker by “One‐pot” Solvothermal Method for Highly Selective Gas Adsorption
Authors: Chen Qing , Ying Yiting , Wang Lijun , Guo Zhiqi , Zhou Yunchun , Wang Dongmei , Li Chunxia
Published: April 2020

Heterometallic MOFs, as an important branch of MOF materials, open up a new way to design and synthesize innovative MOF materials. Hence, it has positive significance for the development of MOF materials. By utilizing monofunctional linker CBDA [5,5'‐(carbonylbis(azanediyl))‐diisophthalic acid], a heterometallic MOF In/Gd‐CBDA was obtained under “one‐pot“ solvothermal method. The three‐dimensional framework exhibits (3,4,6)‐connected network belonging to a new topology. In addition, the synthetic conditions that affect the growth of crystal have been studied in detail. Numerous experiments led to the finding that the type and composition of solvents are very important for inducing the recognition of carboxylic acid groups at different positions coordination to diverse metals. Furthermore, the mechanism of this kind of heterometallic MOFs assembled by monofunctional linker under “one‐pot” solvothermal method has been clarified, which is mainly related to the steric hindrance of functional groups and the properties of heterometals. Based on ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST), In/Gd‐CBDA shows the efficient selective gas adsorption, especially for equimolar mixtures of CO2/CH4 (13) and C3H8/CH4 (321). This work of heterometallic MOF material assembled by monofunctional linker under “one‐pot” solvothermal method provides a new platform for the development of MOF materials in terms of enriching the topological family and broadening possibilities in advanced applications.
A Novel of PTA/ZIF‐8@Cellulose Aerogel Composite Materials for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes in Water
Authors: Wen Jinguli , Liu Huajian , Zheng Yili , Wu Yuhang , Gao Junkuo
Published: April 2020

A novel PTA/ZIF‐8@CA composite material (PTA = phosphotungstic acid; CA = cellulose aerogel) with multilayer three‐dimensional network structure was synthesized with cellulose aerogel as the framework and MOFs as the filler. The results showed that the degradation rates of methylene blue at δ = 10 ppm reached 99.8 % respectively in 30 min under the conditions of PTA/ZIF‐8@CA input amount of 0.6 g·L–1 and pH = 5. The degradation rate of rhodamine B at δ = 10 ppm reached 99.7 % in 60 min. This shows that PTA/ZIF‐8@CA has excellent degradation efficiency and short‐term performance. In addition, after 5 photocatalytic cycles, the degradation rates of methylene blue and rhodamine B by PTA/ZIF‐8@CA were still 83.0 % and 82.5 %, respectively, reflecting that PTA/ZIF‐8@CA has terrific photocatalysis stability.
Deep abscopal response to radiotherapy and anti-PD-1 in an oligometastatic melanoma patient with unfavorable pretreatment immune signature
Authors: Watanabe Tsubasa , Firat Elke , Scholber Jutta , Gaedicke Simone , Heinrich Corinne , Luo Ren , Ehrat Nicolas , Multhoff Gabriele , Schmitt-Graeff Annette , Grosu Anca-Ligia , Abdollahi Amir , Hassel Jessica C. , von Bubnoff Dagmar , Meiss Frank , Niedermann Gabriele
Published: April 2020

Radiotherapy can elicit abscopal effects in non-irradiated metastases, particularly under immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). We report on two elderly patients with oligometastatic melanoma treated with anti-PD-1 and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Before treatment, patient 1 showed strong tumor infiltration with exhausted CD8+ T cells and high expression of T cell-attracting chemokines. This patient rapidly mounted a complete response, now ongoing for more than 4.5 years. Patient 2 exhibited low CD8+ T cell infiltration and high expression of immunosuppressive arginase. After the first SBRT, his non-irradiated metastases did not regress and new metastases occurred although neoepitope-specific and differentiation antigen-specific CD8+ T cells were detected in the blood. A second SBRT after 10 months on anti-PD-1 induced a radiologic complete response correlating with an increase in activated PD-1-expressing CD8 T cells. Apart from a new lung lesion, which was also irradiated, this deep abscopal response lasted for more than 2.5 years. However, thereafter, his disease progressed and the activated PD-1-expressing CD8 T cells dropped. Our data suggest that oligometastatic patients, where a large proportion of the tumor mass can be irradiated, are good candidates to improve ICB responses by RT, even in the case of an unfavorable pretreatment immune signature, after progression on anti-PD-1, and despite advanced age. Besides repeated irradiation, T cell epitope-based immunotherapies (e.g., vaccination) may prolong antitumor responses even in patients with unfavorable pretreatment immune signature.
The effect of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on memory formation: insight from behavioral and imaging study
Authors: Duan Hongxia , Fernández Guillén , van Dongen Eelco , Kohn Nils
Published: April 2020

Motivation can be generated intrinsically or extrinsically, and both kinds of motivation show similar facilitatory effects on memory. However, effects of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation on memory formation have not been studied in combination and thus, it is unknown whether they interact and how such interplay is neurally implemented. In the present study, both extrinsic monetary reward and intrinsic curiosity enhanced memory performance, without evidence for an interaction. Functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed that curiosity-driven activity in the ventral striatal reward network appears to work cooperatively with the fronto-parietal attention network, while enhancing memory formation. In contrast, the monetary reward-modulated subsequent memory effect revealed deactivation in parietal midline regions. Thus, curiosity might enhance memory performance by allocation of attentional resources and reward-related processes; while, monetary reward does so by suppression of task-irrelevant processing.
Internal traction method using a spring-and-loop with clip (S–O clip) allows countertraction in gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Nagata Mitsuru
Published: April 2020

Background

Insufficient countertraction and poor field of vision make endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) difficult. Internal traction method using a spring-and-loop with clip (SLC) allows sufficient traction in any direction and good field of vision. However, the attachment procedure is difficult and interference with the endoscope can occur in the retroflexed endoscopic position. We have developed a new use of SLC that simplifies the attachment procedure, eliminating interference with the endoscope. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of SLC for gastric ESD.

Methods

We retrospectively recruited 140 patients with gastric neoplasms who underwent ESD between November 2015 and October 2018 at our department. Among them, 51 patients treated using SLC-assisted ESD (SLC-ESD) and 89 patients treated using conventional ESD (C-ESD) were compared. Propensity score matching was performed to compensate for the differences in age, sex, lesion location, lesion position, specimen size, and ulcer findings. The primary outcome was ESD procedure time.

Results

Propensity score matching generated 51 matched pairs. The procedure time in the SLC-ESD group was significantly shorter than that in the C-ESD group (median [interquartile], 40.0 [27.0–81.5] minutes versus 69.0 [46.5–113.5] minutes, P = 0.008). The mean SLC attachment time was 2.08 min. There were no significant differences in complete en bloc resection rate between SLC-ESD and C-ESD groups (100% versus 96.1%, P = 0.495). There were not perforation cases in either group.

Conclusions

SLC may offer an efficient method for gastric ESD, with a short attachment procedure time.
In Adam Smith’s Own Words: The Role of Virtues in the Relationship Between Free Market Economies and Societal Flourishing, A Semantic Network Data-Mining Approach
Authors: Graafland Johan , Wells Thomas R.
Published: April 2020

Among business ethicists, Adam Smith is widely viewed as the defender of an amoral if not anti-moral economics in which individuals’ pursuit of their private self-interest is converted by an ‘invisible hand’ into shared economic prosperity. This is often justified by reference to a select few quotations from The Wealth of Nations. We use new empirical methods to investigate what Smith actually had to say, firstly about the relationship between free market institutions and individuals’ moral virtues, and secondly about the further relationship between virtues and societal flourishing. We show with more quantitative precision than traditional scholarship that the invisible hand reading dramatically misrepresents both the nuance and the sum of Smith’s analysis. Smith paid a great deal of attention to a flourishing society’s dependence on virtues, including the non-self-regarding virtues of justice and benevolence, and he worried also about their fragility in the face of the changed incentives and social conditions of commercial society.
At Risk of Rights: Rehabilitation, Sentence Management and the Structural Violence of Prison
Authors: Armstrong Sarah
Published: April 2020

This article explores governing through rights in a penal context by analyzing a recent case before the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (the “Court” or “Supreme Court”), Brown v The Parole Board for Scotland et al. (UKSC 2017). The case involved a prisoner whose stay in prison was extended by several years beyond what the trial court ordered because he was unable to access offender behavior courses due to staffing shortages and waiting lists. In rejecting this as an arbitrary detention (in violation of Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights), the Supreme Court focused on the prisoner’s behavior as a justification for non-release. This article traces how the Court applied concepts of rehabilitation and sentence progression to shift focus from the state’s compliance with its rights duties to the prisoner’s deservingness of rights protection. Using frameworks of governmentality and structural violence, I explore how administrative processes, such as sentence management and rights litigation, facilitate and constitute prison violence. Specifically, rehabilitation provided the means of constructing the petitioner as a disobedient and undeserving subject, while simultaneously valorizing the penal authorities’ enlightened oversight of his sentence. Through such moves, the Court and, by extension, legal institutions, can inflict violence in three ways: first, by legitimating the extension of confinement using tools aimed at limiting detention; second, by imposing material and psychic burdens in the pursuit of legal claims, creating both hope and the basis of destroying it; and third, by obscuring and denying the disordered and inherently violent nature of the experience of imprisonment. The article seeks to expose how bureaucratic logics (like balancing tests), spaces (like appeal courts), and material practices (as in the temporal organization of “background facts” in legal judgments) are part of prison and the violence which characterizes the prison experience.
Directions of intentionalities in special needs education in mathematics
Authors: Bagger Anette , Roos Helena , Engvall Margareta
Published: April 2020

This article builds upon a systematic review of 53 articles in international research journals and makes three main contributions. First, it develops a method for identifying motives, values, and assumptions in research by analysing segments of text in journal articles. Second, it represents a reflective account of research within the field of mathematics education. Third, it captures the ongoing directions of intentionalities inherent in the diverse field of special education mathematics and, thereby, some of the characteristics of the core issues in this field. Three directions of intentionalities were identified: towards teachers and teaching competence, towards enhanced mathematical achievement, and towards every student’s learning. The results indicate that each direction has specific limitations and potentials. In order to improve special education mathematics, we recommend that researchers and practitioners remain broadly informed and involved in all three directions of intentionalities.
Resonance study of spring pendulum based on asymptotic solutions with polynomial approximation in quadratic means
Authors: Sypniewska-Kamińska Grażyna , Awrejcewicz Jan , Kamiński Henryk , Salamon Robert
Published: April 2020

The nonlinearities of geometric nature that is characteristic for pendulum-type systems are expressed by the trigonometric functions. In order to apply the method of multiple scales in time domain to solve problems concerning such systems, the trigonometric functions of the generalised coordinates are usually approximated by a few terms of their Taylor series. In the paper we apply the polynomial approximation in quadratic means. In contrast to the approximation by Taylor series, the proposed manner approximates the trigonometric functions not around a given point but on the given interval. Quality and accuracy of the solutions obtained using the multiple scales method based on such approach have been tested. The steady state responses in the main resonance have been also examined and compared with their counterparts obtained using the method of multiple scales based on the Taylor series.
Oscillating Gaussian processes
Authors: Ilmonen Pauliina , Torres Soledad , Viitasaari Lauri
Published: April 2020

In this article we introduce and study oscillating Gaussian processes defined by$$X_t = \alpha _+ Y_t \mathbf{1}_{Y_t >0} + \alpha _- Y_t\mathbf{1}_{Y_t<0}$$Xt=α+Yt1Yt>0+α-Yt1Yt<0, where$$\alpha _+,\alpha _->0$$α+,α->0are free parameters andYis either stationary or self-similar Gaussian process. We study the basic properties ofXand we consider estimation of the model parameters. In particular, we show that the moment estimators converge in$$L^p$$Lpand are, when suitably normalised, asymptotically normal.
A Mathematical Framework for Predicting Lifestyles of Viral Pathogens
Authors: Lange Alexander
Published: April 2020

Despite being similar in structure, functioning, and size, viral pathogens enjoy very different, usually well-defined ways of life. They occupy their hosts for a few days (influenza), for a few weeks (measles), or even lifelong (HCV), which manifests in acute or chronic infections. The various transmission routes (airborne, via direct physical contact, etc.), degrees of infectiousness (referring to the viral load required for transmission), antigenic variation/immune escape and virulence define further aspects of pathogenic lifestyles. To survive, pathogens must infect new hosts; the success determines their fitness. Infection happens with a certain likelihood during contact of hosts, where contact can also be mediated by vectors. Besides structural aspects of the host-contact network, three parameters appear to be key: the contact rate and the infectiousness during contact, which encode the mode of transmission, and third the immunity of susceptible hosts. On these grounds, what can be said about the reproductive success of viral pathogens? This is the biological question addressed in this paper. The answer extends earlier results of the author and makes explicit connection to another basic work on the evolution of pathogens. A mathematical framework is presented that models intra- and inter-host dynamics in a minimalistic but unified fashion covering a broad spectrum of viral pathogens, including those that cause flu-like infections, childhood diseases, and sexually transmitted infections. These pathogens turn out as local maxima of numerically simulated fitness landscapes. The models involve differential and integral equations, agent-based simulation, networks, and probability.
On the formation of desert loess
Authors: Lancaster Nicholas
Published: April 2020

Sequences of quartz-rich coarse (20−63 μm) silt occur in many low- and midlatitude unglaciated arid and semiarid areas and have been termed “desert loess.” The processes by which these deposits are generated have been debated for decades. All hypotheses to explain their origin seek to provide mechanisms for the generation of silt-sized material without glacial grinding, which is the main process involved in the production of coarse silt at high latitudes. Possible mechanisms for the formation of coarse silt in arid regions include derivation from preexisting siltstones, mechanical weathering of silicate rocks, and abrasion of sand grains in active dune environments during intense transport events. Examination of the characteristics of desert loess and field and laboratory experiments to assess the role of dune areas as a source of coarse silt by abrasion and/or resuspension of residual fines suggests that many loess sequences are dominated by locally derived coarse silt. Improvements in the characterization of desert loess particle size, mineralogy, and geochemistry are needed, however, to identify sources and sinks of coarse silt, especially when combined with climatic back-trajectory analysis. Properly scaled experiments and modeling of particle collisions will also help to better quantify the effectiveness of abrasion in the generation of coarse silt in support of field observations.
THE POLITICS OF RELIGION: LIBATION AND TRUCE IN EURIPIDES’BACCHAE
Authors: Zerhoch Sebastian
Published: April 2020

Euripides’Bacchaeis one of the most intensively studied Greek tragedies. Generations of scholars have explored the play from different perspectives and offered fascinating insights. But there are still aspects that have not received the attention they deserve. One such aspect is Euripides’ use of libation as a dramatic motif. Even though this motif relates directly to the question of the tragic conflict between Dionysus and Pentheus, it has never been discussed in detail and its dramatic impact has not been fully acknowledged.
CONCEALED KYPRIS IN THEIPHIGENIA AT AULIS
Authors: Wasdin Katherine
Published: April 2020

In their first stasimon, the chorus of Euripides’Iphigenia at Aulis(=IA) praises ‘concealed Kypris’ as a marker of virtue for women (568–72):μέγα τι θηρεύειν ἀρετάν,γυναιξὶ μὲν κατὰ Κύ-πριν κρυπτάν, ἐν ἀνδράσι δ᾿ αὖκόσμος ἐνὼν ὁ μυριοπλη-θὴς μείζω πόλιν αὔξει.

It is something great to hunt for excellence. For women, it is according to concealed Kypris, and among men in turn manifold order being within makes the city grow greater.
What might the future bring? COVID-19 planning considerations for faculty and universities
Authors: Majowicz S. E.
Published: April 2020

This paper applies a scenario planning approach, to outline some current uncertainties related to COVID-19 and what they might mean for plausible futures for which we should prepare, and to identify factors that we as individual faculty members and university institutions should be considering now, when planning for the future under COVID-19. Although the contextual focus of this paper is Canada, the content is likely applicable to other places where the COVID-19 epidemic curve is in its initial rising stage, and where universities are predominantly publicly funded institutions.
Estimation of salt intake assessed by 24-h urinary sodium level among adults speaking different dialects from the Chaoshan region of southern China
Authors: Cai Fen , Dong Wen-Ya , Jiang Jia-Xin , Chen Xiao-Li , Wang Yue , Deng Chang-Yu , Zhang Qing-Ying
Published: April 2020

Objective:

Dietary salt intake may vary depending on different lifestyles. We aimed to estimate the different salt intakes and evaluate the knowledge and self-awareness about salt among people speaking the Teochew, Teochew–Hakka and Hakka dialects in the Chaoshan region of southern China.

Design:

The study followed a cluster sampling of residents in Chaoshan region. General characteristics, lifestyles, health status as well as knowledge and self-awareness related to salt intake were investigated using a questionnaire. Anthropometric variables as well as Na and K excretion in a 24-h urine collection were measured.

Setting:

Chaoshan region of China.

Participants:

Four hundred fifteen adults who spoke only one of these three dialects.

Results:

The salt intake of adults who spoke the Teochew, Teochew–Hakka and Hakka dialects was 7·19 (interquartile range (IQR) 5·29–10·17), 9·03 (IQR 6·62–11·54) and 10·12 (IQR 7·61–12·82) g/d, respectively, with significant differences between Teochew and Teochew–Hakka speakers and between Teochew and Hakka speakers (bothP< 0·05). The Na:K ratio for adults who spoke the three dialects was 3·00 (IQR 2·00–4·11), 3·50 (IQR 2·64–4·82) and 4·52 (IQR 3·35–5·97), respectively, and differed significantly among the groups (allP< 0·05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed increased Na:K ratio associated with hypertension (β= 0·71,P= 0·043) in Hakka speakers. Knowledge and self-awareness about salt intake were poor in this population.

Conclusions:

Salt intake was closely related to lifestyles and was higher than the upper limit (5 g/d) recommended by the WHO in adults of Chaoshan, especially those speaking the Hakka dialect.
Offender Subtypes Based on Psychopathic Traits
Authors: Mokros Andreas , Hollerbach Pia S. , Eher Reinhard
Published: April 2020

Abstract. Psychopathy is a primary risk factor of re-offending in sexual offenders. Conceptually, both variable-centered (e.g., factor analysis) and clustering methods (e.g., latent profile analysis) have been used in previous research. Variable-centered and clustering methods were merged in a simultaneous modeling strategy for two purposes: First, to test assumptions on the emergence of psychopathic versus sociopathic (antisocial) sub-groups. And second to compare the predictive validity of clusters with that afforded by a dimensional cut-score. Using mixture modeling, two types of models were estimated: Latent class factor-analytic (LCFA) and factor-mixture models (FMM). The four-factor model of psychopathy as assessed with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was estimated for up to 12 latent classes in a sample of adult male sexual offenders from Austria ( N = 1,266). Solutions with five (LCFA) and two latent classes (FMM) provided a good and parsimonious fit for the data. The two-latent-class FMM solution yielded higher predictive validity than a cut-score but only for general offense recidivism. Theoretically, this solution goes against etiological models that distinguish psychopathic from sociopathic (antisocial) individuals. Official data on offense recidivism (at a fixed 7-year-interval post-release) corroborate the importance of psychopathic offender subtypes. The rates of recidivism varied considerably between the subgroups.
The Contributions of Shear and Turbulence to Cloud Overlap for Cumulus Clouds
Authors: Sulak Anthony M. , Calabrase William J. , Ryan Shawn D. , Heus Thijs
Published: April 2020

The causes of vertical cloud overlap, the ratio between the cloud fraction by area and the cloud fraction by volume, are studied for fields of cumulus convection. Using large‐eddy simulations, the structure of individual clouds within the cloud field is inspected and connected to the overall cloud cover of the entire cloud field. First, it is shown that the cloud overlap of the entire field can be well approximated by the total cloud overlap of the individual clouds. It is then shown that a simple maximum overlap assumption, which is commonly used for cloud fields with small layer depth, can only account for roughly half of the overlap inefficiency. This is due to the fact that maximum overlap only represents variations in cloud width as a function of depth but does not take other factors into account, most notably shear or turbulence. The effects of turbulence and wind shear on the overlap of individual clouds are first estimated as a function of cloud depth, which closes the discrepancy between observed cloud overlap and the maximum overlap assumption. Then, an empirical model is developed for the shear and turbulence contributions on overlap as a function of cloud depth and of synoptic conditions. Finally, it is shown that our model is capable of accurately predicting overlap for a large number of cloud fields and under a variety of meteorological conditions.
Coherent Interannual Variations of Springtime Surface Temperature and Temperature Extremes Between Central‐Northern Europe and Northeast Asia
Authors: Chen Shangfeng , Wu Renguang , Chen Wen , Yao Shuailei , Yu Bin
Published: April 2020

This study reveals a strong coherent interannual variation in spring surface air temperature (SAT) and temperature extremes between central‐northern Europe (45–70°N, 0–30°E) and Northeast Asia (40–70°N, 110–140°E). The regional mean spring SAT over the two regions is highly correlated, with a correlation of 0.6 during 1950–2017. Arctic Oscillation (AO) and an atmospheric teleconnection, termed the North Atlantic‐Eurasian (NAE) pattern, both play important roles in connecting SAT anomalies over the two regions. Anticyclonic anomalies are seen over central‐northern Europe and Northeast Asia during positive phases of the spring AO and NAE teleconnections. The associated southerly and westerly wind anomalies to the northwestern side of the anomalous anticyclones lead to surface warming over the two regions via anomalous wind‐induced heat advection from lower latitudes. In addition, a decrease in cloud cover and an accompanying increase in surface downward shortwave radiation also contribute to the coherent SAT warming over central‐northern Europe and Northeast Asia. We suggest that synoptic‐scale eddies forcings are crucial to the maintenance of the spring NAE teleconnection. Atmospheric model experiments indicate that the North Atlantic sea surface temperature anomalies also partly contribute to the maintenance of the NAE‐related atmospheric anomalies over the North Atlantic and European regions. The observed coherent spring SAT variations over central‐northern Europe and Northeast Asia and their associations with the AO and midlatitude atmospheric teleconnections can be reproduced in the long historical simulation of a coupled model. This study has implication for the understanding of concurrent occurrence of extreme temperature events over different regions of Eurasia.