bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visualization of microaneurysms in macular telangiectasia type 1 on optical coherence tomography angiography before and after photocoagulation
Authors: Nakai Mitsuko , Iwami Hisashi , Fukuyama Hisashi , Gomi Fumi
Published: October 2020

Purpose

To evaluate changes in the visualization of microaneurysms (MAs) in cases of macular telangiectasia (Mac Tel) type 1 on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) before and after treatment with direct photocoagulation and to evaluate their relationship with treatment efficacy.

Methods

The study included 12 eyes from 12 patients (8 men, 4 women; mean age 72.1 years) with Mac Tel type 1 accompanied by cystoid macular edema. OCTA for the evaluation of MAs was performed before and 15 min and 6, 12, and 24 weeks after photocoagulation. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) were also evaluated.

Results

A total of 73 MAs were detected within the areas of macular edema on OCTA, and 39 of these underwent photocoagulation. At 15 min after treatment, 17 MAs were no longer visible on OCTA. At 6 weeks, two MAs had reappeared, whereas five additional MAs were no longer visible. The CRT in eyes with resolved MA was significantly less than that in eyes with persistent MAs (p = 0.016). At 24 weeks, seven eyes had no visible MAs, and the BCVA was not significantly different from baseline.

Conclusion

OCTA can monitor changes in the visualization of MAs associated with Mac Tel type 1 after direct photocoagulation. Eyes in which MAs disappeared after treatment could recover from cystoid macular edema.
Release characteristics of overpressurised gas from complex vents: implications for volcanic hazards
Authors: Schmid Markus , Kueppers Ulrich , Cigala Valeria , Sesterhenn Jörn , Dingwell Donald B.
Published: October 2020

Many explosive volcanic eruptions produce underexpanded starting gas-particle jets. The dynamics of the accompanying pyroclast ejection can be affected by several parameters, including magma texture, gas overpressure, erupted volume and geometry. With respect to the latter, volcanic craters and vents are often highly asymmetrical. Here, we experimentally evaluate the effect of vent asymmetry on gas expansion behaviour and gas jet dynamics directly above the vent. The vent geometries chosen for this study are based on field observations. The novel element of the vent geometry investigated herein is an inclined exit plane (5, 15, 30° slant angle) in combination with cylindrical and diverging inner geometries. In a vertical setup, these modifications yield both laterally variable spreading angles as well as a diversion of the jets, where inner geometry (cylindrical/diverging) controls the direction of the inclination. Both the spreading angle and the inclination of the jet are highly sensitive to reservoir (conduit) pressure and slant angle. Increasing starting reservoir pressure and slant angle yield (1) a maximum spreading angle (up to 62°) and (2) a maximum jet inclination for cylindrical vents (up to 13°). Our experiments thus constrain geometric contributions to the mechanisms controlling eruption jet dynamics with implications for the generation of asymmetrical distributions of proximal hazards around volcanic vents.
Particle-resolved simulations of liquid fluidization of rigid and flexible fibers
Authors: Derksen J. J.
Published: October 2020

Particle-resolved, three-dimensional, time-dependent simulations of rigid and flexible cylinders fluidized by a liquid flow in fully periodic domains have been performed by means of the lattice-Boltzmann method supplemented with immersed boundaries. The solids volume fraction ranges from 0.10 to 0.48 and the length-over-diameter aspect ratio of the cylinders from 4 to 12. The bending stiffness of the cylinders is the third major input parameter. The resulting Reynolds numbers based on the average slip velocity of the cylinders and their equivalent diameter range from 6 to 70. It is shown that increasing the flexibility—that is, decreasing the bending stiffness—reduces the Reynolds number, an effect that is most pronounced for low solids volume fractions and long cylinders. As for rigid cylinders, the distribution of the orientation relative to the direction of gravity of the flexible cylinders is a pronounced function of the solids volume fraction and the aspect ratio. Flexibility tends to somewhat randomize the orientation distribution, which could explain the effect of flexibility on the slip velocity and thus the Reynolds number.
Beta-amyloid peptides(1–42) and (1–40) in the cerebrospinal fluid during pregnancy: a prospective observational study
Authors: Alomar-Dominguez Cristina , Dostal L. , Thaler J. , Putz G. , Humpel C. , Lederer W.
Published: October 2020

To evaluate changes in concentrations of selected biomarkers, neurotrophic factors, and growth factors in the cerebrospinal fluid during pregnancy. A prospective observational study was conducted in 32 pregnant women undergoing gynecological and obstetrical surgery under spinal anesthesia in a university hospital. Beta-amyloid(1–42) and beta-amyloid(1–40) peptides, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor were analyzed in cerebrospinal fluid using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Eight women in second trimester pregnancy who underwent spinal anesthesia for gynecological or obstetrical surgery were compared with 24 matched women in third trimester pregnancies. CSF concentrations of beta-amyloid(1–42) were significantly higher in third trimester pregnancies (p = 0.025). During third trimester, the beta-amyloid ratio correlated with the vascular endothelial growth factor (rs = 0.657; p = 0.008). Higher concentrations of beta-amyloid(1–42) in cerebrospinal fluid of third trimester pregnancies and correlations between the beta-amyloid ratio and the vascular endothelial growth factor support the hypothesis that beta-amyloid peptides are involved in complex adaptive brain alterations during pregnancy.
Retrospective analysis of bacterial colonization of necrotic bone and antibiotic resistance in 98 patients with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ)
Authors: Ewald Florian , Wuesthoff Falk , Koehnke Robert , Friedrich Reinhard E. , Gosau Martin , Smeets Ralf , Rohde Holger , Assaf Alexandre T.
Published: October 2020

Objectives

The aim of our study was to describe microbial flora associated with MRONJ and characterize the susceptibility of pathogens to help guide an effective empiric antibiotic treatment in these patients.

Materials and methods

A retrospective, single-center analysis was performed, using 116 bone samples from 98 patients. The bone samples were homogenized and subjected to routine culture methods. Growing bacteria were differentiated to the species level using whole-cell mass spectrometry and subjected to susceptibility testing.

Results

A highly diverse microbial flora was detected in necrotic bone, with a simultaneous presence of two or more bacterial species in 79% of all patients. In at least 65% of samples, gram-negative isolates were detected. Therefore, bacterial species resistant against β-lactamase inhibitors were present in at least 70% of all patients.

Conclusions

The empiric choice of antibiotics in MRONJ patients should consider the high rate of gram-negative bacteria and resistance against β-lactam antibiotics.

Clinical relevance

According to recent guidelines and recommendations, systemic antibiotic treatment is a key component in the treatment of all stage 2 and 3 MRONJ patients. We recommend using fluoroquinolones for empiric treatment and emphasize the use of bacterial cultivation and susceptibility testing to enable an effective antibiotic treatment.
The late flowering of invasive species contributes to the increase of Artemisia allergenic pollen in autumn: an analysis of 25 years of aerobiological data (1995–2019) in Trentino-Alto Adige (Northern Italy)
Authors: Cristofori Antonella , Bucher Edith , Rossi Michele , Cristofolini Fabiana , Kofler Veronika , Prosser Filippo , Gottardini Elena
Published: October 2020

Artemisia pollen is an important aeroallergen in late summer, especially in central and eastern Europe where distinct anemophilous Artemisia spp. produce high amounts of pollen grains. The study aims at: (i) analyzing the temporal pattern of and changes in the Artemisia spp. pollen season; (ii) identifying the Artemisia species responsible for the local airborne pollen load.

Daily pollen concentration of Artemisia spp. was analyzed at two sites (BZ and SM) in Trentino-Alto Adige, North Italy, from 1995 to 2019.

The analysis of airborne Artemisia pollen concentrations evidences the presence of a bimodal curve, with two peaks, in August and September, respectively. The magnitude of peak concentrations varies across the studied time span for both sites: the maximum concentration at the September peak increases significantly for both the BZ (p < 0.05) and SM (p < 0.001) site. The first peak in the pollen calendar is attributable to native Artemisia species, with A. vulgaris as the most abundant; the second peak is mostly represented by the invasive species A. annua and A. verlotiorum (in constant proportion along the years), which are causing a considerable increase in pollen concentration in the late pollen season in recent years.. The spread of these species can affect human health, increasing the length and severity of allergenic pollen exposure in autumn, as well as plant biodiversity in both natural and cultivated areas, with negative impacts on, e.g., Natura 2000 protected sites and crops.
Protocol: Adeno-Associated Virus-Mediated Gene Transfer in Ex Vivo Cultured Embryonic Mammary Gland
Authors: Lan Qiang , Mikkola Marja L.
Published: October 2020

Branching morphogenesis of the murine mammary gland starts during late embryogenesis. It is regulated by the signals emanating both from the epithelium and the mesenchyme, yet the molecular mechanisms regulating this process remain poorly understood. We have previously developed a unique whole organ culture technique for embryonic mammary glands, which provides a powerful tool to monitor and manipulate branching morphogenesis ex vivo. Nowadays, RNA sequencing and other transcriptional profiling techniques provide robust methods to identify components of gene regulatory networks driving branching morphogenesis. However, validation of the candidate genes still mainly depends on the use of the transgenic mouse models, especially in mammary gland studies. By comparing different serotypes of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAVs), we found out that rAAVs provide sufficient efficiency for gene transfer with different tissue preferences depending on the serotypes of the virus. AAV-2 and AAV-8 preferentially target epithelial and mesenchymal compartments, respectively, while AAV-9 infects both tissues. Here, we describe a protocol for AAV-mediated gene transfer in ex vivo cultured murine embryonic mammary gland facilitating gene function studies on mammary gland branching morphogenesis.
HipaccVX: wedding of OpenVX and DSL-based code generation
Authors: Özkan M. Akif , Ok Burak , Qiao Bo , Teich Jürgen , Hannig Frank
Published: October 2020

Writing programs for heterogeneous platforms optimized for high performance is hard since this requires the code to be tuned at a low level with architecture-specific optimizations that are most times based on fundamentally differing programming paradigms and languages. OpenVX promises to solve this issue for computer vision applications with a royalty-free industry standard that is based on a graph-execution model. Yet, the OpenVX ’ algorithm space is constrained to a small set of vision functions. This hinders accelerating computations that are not included in the standard. In this paper, we analyze OpenVX vision functions to find an orthogonal set of computational abstractions. Based on these abstractions, we couple an existing domain-specific language (DSL) back end to the OpenVX environment and provide language constructs to the programmer for the definition of user-defined nodes. In this way, we enable optimizations that are not possible to detect with OpenVX graph implementations using the standard computer vision functions. These optimizations can double the throughput on an Nvidia GTX GPU and decrease the resource usage of a Xilinx Zynq FPGA by 50% for our benchmarks. Finally, we show that our proposed compiler framework, called HipaccVX, can achieve better results than the state-of-the-art approaches Nvidia VisionWorks and Halide-HLS.
Transferphänomene eines Design Thinking-Workshops und Ansätze für eine mehrdimensionale Innovationsberatung
Authors: Feustel-Liess Ernestine
Published: October 2020

Von zahlreichen Agenturen wird Innovation und Unternehmenswandel mittels des Design Thinking-Verfahrens versprochen, zunehmend auch über Online-Angebote. Die Transferphänomene eines Design Thinking-Workshops können vielfältig sein, und nicht immer gelingt die Implementation der erarbeiteten Innovation. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt die qualitative Studie der Autorin. In den befragten Unternehmen sind Effekte und Hürden des Innovationstransfers auf unterschiedlichen organisationalen Ebenen zu beobachten, organisationsdynamische Zusammenhänge werden oft nicht ausreichend berücksichtigt. Dieser Beitrag entwickelt aus organisationstheoretischer Sicht und beraterischer Praxis Ansätze für eine mehrdimensionale Innovationsberatung.
A new metrological characterization strategy for 3D multi-camera systems
Authors: Servi Michaela , Buonamici Francesco , Puggelli Luca , Volpe Yary
Published: October 2020

The objective of this study is to establish a new methodology for the metrological characterization of interactive multi-camera systems. In the case of 3D system highly adapted to specific needs the accuracy evaluation cannot be performed using standard state-of-the-art techniques. To this end, the metrological characterization techniques used in the literature were investigated in order to define a new methodology that can be adjusted to each device by making the appropriate modifications. The proposed strategy is adopted for the metrological characterization of a new interactive multi-camera system for the acquisition of the arm.
Online detection of offsets in GPS time series
Authors: Nunnari Giuseppe , Cannavó Flavio
Published: October 2020

This paper deals with the online offset detection in GPS time series recorded in volcanic areas. The interest for this problem lies in the fact that an offset can indicate the opening of eruptive fissures. A Change Point Detection algorithm is applied to carry out, in an online framework, the offset detection. Experimental results show that the algorithm is able to recognize the offset generated by the Mount Etna eruption, occurred on December 24, 2018, with a delay of about 4 samples, corresponding to 40 min, compared to the best offline detection. Furthermore, analysis of the trade-off between success and false alarms is carried out and discussed.
Evaluation of cloud computing resource scheduling based on improved optimization algorithm
Authors: Yu Huafeng
Published: October 2020

Cloud computing, as a new computing mode in recent years, has been pursued by many users who have computational requirements, and the service quality of cloud computing depends largely on the efficiency of resource scheduling. In this study, an improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) algorithm was proposed to improve the efficiency of resource scheduling, and simulation experiments were carried out on the IPSO algorithm and the traditional particle swarm optimization using CloudSim simulation platform. The phenomenon of premature appeared with the increase of the number of iterations, and the globally optimal solution was not found. The IPSO algorithm was more efficient in exploring the globally optimal solution, and the phenomenon of premature did not appear. As the number of tasks increased, the operation time of both algorithms increased, but the IPSO algorithm increased more slowly. The IPSO algorithm had more advantages when there were a large amount of tasks. Virtual machines in the two algorithms had different loads, and the load of the virtual machine in the IPSO algorithm was more balanced.
Diagnostics Based on Continuous Scanning LDV Measurements and RASTAR Analysis Method
Authors: Di Maio D. , Bruinsma S. , Tinga T.
Published: October 2020

This paper presents a technique for rapid diagnostics of structural integrity that exploits spectral sidebands measured by the continuous scanning LDV (CSLDV) measurement method. Structural integrity can be monitored by Operational Deflection Shapes ODSs, which can be quickly measurable at any excitation frequency when a laser continuously scans a vibrating surface. The LDV output time series is an amplitude modulated signal, and its spectral lines are used for recovering polynomial coefficients which build a polynomial function describing a deflection shape. The process of conversion from the time series to a polynomial function can be biased by measurement and analysis uncertainty which eventually will affect the quality of recovered ODS. This paper will show that an effective, rapid and straightforward diagnostics can be yielded by direct analysis of the spectral sidebands without the need to be transformed into polynomial coefficients. The Relative Amplitude of the Sidebands to the Total Amplitude Reference (RASTAR) method is an indicator that exploits the relative amplitude of the sidebands against a datum reference. The relative magnitudes of the sidebands will not change in the absence of any the structural change, and it is independent of the vibration response amplitudes set for the measurements. Such diagnostic method suits maintenance operations of structures which could be quickly scanned by an SLDV system providing an indicative level of structural integrity over the number of duty cycles.
Environmental chemical exposures in the urine of dogs and people sharing the same households
Authors: Craun Kaitlyn , Luethcke Kristofer Ross , Shafer Martin , Stanton Noel , Zhang Chen , Schauer James , Faulkes Joshua , Sundling Kaitlin E. , Kurtycz Daniel , Malecki Kristen , Trepanier Lauren
Published: October 2020

Introduction:

Urothelial carcinoma (UCC) develops in both humans and dogs and tracks to regions of high industrial activity. We hypothesize that dogs with UCC may act as sentinels for human urothelial carcinogen exposures. The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether healthy people and dogs in the same households share urinary exposures to potentially mutagenic chemical carcinogens.

Methods:

We measured urinary concentrations of acrolein (as its metabolite 3-HPMA), arsenic species, 4-aminobiphenyl, and 4-chlorophenol (a metabolite of the phenoxyherbicide 2,4-D) in healthy dogs and their owners. We assessed possible chemical sources through questionnaires and screened for urothelial DNA damage using the micronucleus assay.

Results:

Biomarkers of urinary exposure to acrolein, arsenic, and 4-chlorophenol were found in the urine of 42 pet dogs and 42 owners, with 4-aminobiphenyl detected sporadically. Creatinine-adjusted urinary chemical concentrations were significantly higher, by 2.8- to 6.2-fold, in dogs compared to humans. Correlations were found for 3-HPMA (r = 0.32, P = 0.04) and monomethylarsonic acid (r = 0.37, P = 0.02) between people and their dogs. Voided urothelial cell yields were inadequate to quantify DNA damage, and questionnaires did not reveal significant associations with urinary chemical concentrations.

Conclusions:

Healthy humans and pet dogs have shared urinary exposures to known mutagenic chemicals, with significantly higher levels in dogs. Higher urinary exposures to acrolein and arsenic in dogs correlate to higher exposures in their owners. Follow-up studies will assess the mutagenic potential of these levels in vitro and measure these biomarkers in owners of dogs with UCC.
Learning socio-organizational network structure in buildings with ambient sensing data
Authors: Sonta Andrew , Jain Rishee K.
Published: October 2020

We develop a model that successfully learns social and organizational human network structure using ambient sensing data from distributed plug load energy sensors in commercial buildings. A key goal for the design and operation of commercial buildings is to support the success of organizations within them. In modern workspaces, a particularly important goal is collaboration, which relies on physical interactions among individuals. Learning the true socio-organizational relational ties among workers can therefore help managers of buildings and organizations make decisions that improve collaboration. In this paper, we introduce the Interaction Model, a method for inferring human network structure that leverages data from distributed plug load energy sensors. In a case study, we benchmark our method against network data obtained through a survey and compare its performance to other data-driven tools. We find that unlike previous methods, our method infers a network that is correlated with the survey network to a statistically significant degree (graph correlation of 0.46, significant at the 0.01 confidence level). We additionally find that our method requires only 10 weeks of sensing data, enabling dynamic network measurement. Learning human network structure through data-driven means can enable the design and operation of spaces that encourage, rather than inhibit, the success of organizations.
Trident and Oar in Bronzino's Portrait of Andrea Doria
Authors: Eliav Joseph
Published: October 2020

Previously unpublished X-ray images prove that in the portrait commissioned for Giovio's museum, Bronzino painted Andrea Doria holding an oar, not a trident. The article interprets the portrait in its original form. Examination of the portrait together with the eulogy Giovio attached to it shows that Doria is painted as Odysseus, not as Neptune, and explains the incongruous oar. Erotic insinuations in the portrait suggest that, like Bronzino's burlesque poetry, it has a hidden meaning. Further analysis in the context of Giovio's historiography and a precise dating unveil a meaning that criticizes Doria's incompetence in a recent crucial naval battle.
Innocent X Pamphilj's Architectural Network in Rome
Authors: Leone Stephanie C. , Vierthaler Paul A.
Published: October 2020

This study employs network analysis and microhistory to challenge the standard narrative about architecture and patronage in Baroque Rome, that of celebrity patron-artist relationships. It investigates the artists and artisans below this elite team and the plurality of relationships that developed among them. The subject is Innocent X Pamphilj's monumental works of art and architecture, at the Vatican, Piazza Navona, Campidoglio, Lateran, and Janiculum Hill, commissioned for the 1650 Holy Year. It argues that competent artisans and their relationships influenced the operation of building sites and presents Innocent X as the patron of an industrious architectural enterprise.
CONNECTIVITY PROPERTIES OF MCKAY QUIVERS
Authors: BROWNE HAZEL
Published: October 2020

We present several results on the connectivity of McKay quivers of finite-dimensional complex representations of finite groups, with no restriction on the faithfulness or self-duality of the representations. We give examples of McKay quivers, as well as quivers that cannot arise as McKay quivers, and discuss a necessary and sufficient condition for two finite groups to share a connected McKay quiver.
UNIQUENESS OF EXTENDABLE TEMPERATURES
Authors: WATSON NEIL A.
Published: October 2020

Let E and D be open subsets of

$\mathbb {R}^{n+1}$
such that

$\overline {D}$
is a compact subset of E, and let v be a supertemperature on E. A temperature u on D is called extendable by v if there is a supertemperature w on E such that

$w=u$
on D and

$w=v$
on

$E\backslash \overline D$
. From earlier work of N. A. Watson, [‘Extendable temperatures’, Bull. Aust. Math. Soc.100 (2019), 297–303], either there is a unique temperature extendable by v, or there are infinitely many; a necessary condition for uniqueness is that the generalised solution of the Dirichlet problem on D corresponding to the restriction of v to

$\partial _eD$
is equal to the greatest thermic minorant of v on D. In this paper we first give a condition for nonuniqueness and an example to show that this necessary condition is not sufficient. We then give a uniqueness theorem involving the thermal and cothermal fine topologies and deduce a corollary involving only parabolic and coparabolic tusks.
Seventeen Centuries of Sin: The Christian Past in Antebellum Slavery Debates
Authors: Gutacker Paul
Published: October 2020

Historians of American religion generally agree that religious debates over slavery were characterized by a reliance on the plain meaning of the Bible. According to the conventional wisdom, antebellum Americans were uninterested in or even overtly hostile to tradition and church history. However, a close study of pro- and antislavery literature complicates this picture of ahistorical biblicism. For some defenders of slavery, not merely the Bible but also Christian tradition supported their position, and these Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists mined the past for examples of Christian slaveholding. On the other hand, both white and Black antislavery authors used religious history to bolster their cases against the peculiar institution, with African Americans leading the way in developing an antislavery account of the Christian past. The previously unnoticed historical dimensions of religious arguments over slavery prove central to understanding why these debates failed, while also modifying how we conceive of scripture, tradition, and religious authority in nineteenth-century America. Arguments over slavery show that religious Americans—even many who claimed to be biblicists—did not read the Bible alone but always alongside and in relation to other texts, traditions, and interpreters.
No Hymen Required: Reconstructing Origen's View on Mary's Virginity
Authors: Lillis Julia Kelto
Published: October 2020

Origen of Alexandria's works contain a seeming contradiction concerning Mary's virginity. He affirms multiple times that Mary remained a virgin after Christ's birth and throughout life, yet one of his homilies on the Gospel of Luke declares that Christ “opened the womb” of his mother—an action many readers equate with destruction of virginity. How can Origen claim that Mary remained virginal if her hymen tissue was no longer intact? Scholars commonly solve the problem by characterizing his thought as self-contradictory or by concluding that he prioritizes Mary's lack of sexual experience over her loss of physical intactness. This essay resolves the contradiction more fully through attention to divergent models for female genital anatomy that circulated in antiquity. Origen, like most thinkers during and before his time, probably did not believe that female virgins have hymens. For him, the terminology of “closed” and “opened” wombs refers not to virginity but to fertility. Scholarly readers have been misled by certain other authors’ uses of this vocabulary and by Jerome's Latin translation of the homily, which draws on a different anatomical model. For Origen, Mary is a virginal mother not in spite of a broken hymen, but without possessing a hymen in the first place.
Freedom in the Congregation? Culture Wars, Individual Rights, and National Churches in Switzerland (1848–1907)
Authors: Scholl Sarah
Published: October 2020

This paper aims to examine political, ecclesiastic, and theological changes in Switzerland during the time of the nineteenth-century culture wars. It analyzes the reforms of the churches undertaken during that period in correlation with the evolution of various social and cultural elements, in particular the ever-greater confessional diversity within the territory and the demand for religious freedom. After an initial general accounting of the history of Swiss institutions (state, Catholic, and Protestant national churches), the article explores an example of a liberal church reform that took place in Geneva in 1873: the creation of a Catholic Church defined simultaneously as Christian, national, liberal, and related to the German Old Catholic movement. It fashioned a new community in keeping with the idea that freedom of conscience should be implemented within the church, thereby meeting strong resistance from Roman Catholics. The article closes with a return to the broader Swiss context, arguing that freedom of belief and of worship was finally enshrined in the 1874 Swiss constitution as a result of the growing divisions among Christians over the compatibility of liberal values with Christian theology and the subsequent rise of a new confessionalism.
How Africans Shaped British Colonial Institutions: Evidence from Local Taxation
Authors: Bolt Jutta , Gardner Leigh
Published: October 2020

The institutions that governed most of the rural population in British colonial Africa have been neglected in the literature on colonialism. We use new data on local governments, or “Native Authorities,” to present the first quantitative comparison of African institutions under indirect rule in four colonies in 1948: Nigeria, the Gold Coast, Nyasaland, and Kenya. Tax data show that Native Authorities’ capacity varied within and between colonies, due to both underlying economic inequalities and African elites’ relations with the colonial government. Our findings suggest that Africans had a bigger hand in shaping British colonial institutions than often acknowledged.
Parthenogenetic activation of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) oocytes: comparison of different activation reagents and different media on their developmental competence and quantitative expression of developmentally regulated genes
Authors: Singh K.P. , Mohapatra S.K. , Kaushik R. , Singh M.K. , Palta P. , Singla S.K. , Manik R.S. , Chauhan M.S.
Published: October 2020

This study was carried out to compare the efficacy of different methods to activate buffalo A + B and C + D quality oocytes parthenogenetically and to study thein vitrodevelopmental competence of oocytes and expression of some important genes at the different developmental stages of parthenotes. The percentage of A + B oocytes (62.16 ± 5.06%, range 53.8–71.3%) was significantly higher (P <0.001) compared with that of C + D oocytes (37.8 ± 5.00%, range 28.6–46.1%) retrieved from slaughterhouse buffalo ovaries. Among all combinations, ethanol activation followed by culture in research vitro cleave medium gave the highest cleavage and blastocyst yields for both A + B and C + D grade oocytes. Total cell numbers, inner cell mass/trophectoderm ratio and apoptotic index of A + B group blastocysts were significantly different (P< 0.05) from their C + D counterpart. To determine the status of expression patterns of developmentally regulated genes, the expression of cumulus–oocyte complexes, fertilization, developmental competence and apoptotic-related genes were also studied in parthenogenetically produced buffalo embryos at different stages, and indicated that the differential expression patterns of the above genes had a role in early embryonic development.
Die Ratingskala DWD-O zur Messung von Diversitätsakzeptanz im organisatorischen Kontext
Authors: Pietzonka Manuel
Published: October 2020

Zusammenfassung. Diversitätsakzeptanz ist die Persönlichkeitseigenschaft, sozialer Vielfalt wohlwollend und akzeptierend zu begegnen. Die Ratingskala DWD-O ist ein neues, multidimensionales Erhebungsinstrument für den organisationalen Kontext, um dieses Konstrukt zu erfassen. Die Skalenentwicklung erfolgte in drei Schritten: Nach der Itementwicklung ( n=203) folgten iterative Explorative Faktorenanalysen ( n=2443), in denen 40 Modelle generiert und verglichen wurden. Es wurde ein interpretierbares Modell mit sechs Faktoren und 15 Items gewählt. Bestätigt hat sich dieses Modell im Rahmen der konfirmatorischen Faktorenanalyse mit einer dritten Stichprobe ( n=761). Unter Berücksichtigung der relevanten Kenngrößen (RMSEA, SRMR, CFI, TLI) besitzt die Skala eine hohe Modellgüte. Die DWD-O zeigt gute Reliabilitätswerte (Interne Konsistenz α = .83-.85, Split-Half-Korrelation r=.81, Retest-Reliabilität r=.85). Die Validität ist geprüft. Die Skala hat sich als Prognoseinstrument in der Praxis bewährt und kann als Forschungsinstrument eingesetzt werden, um Fragen der Entwicklung, Veränderbarkeit und weiteren Implikationen der Diversitätsakzeptanz zu untersuchen. Praktische Einsatzmöglichkeiten und Limitationen werden diskutiert.
The Thermal Evolution of Mercury Over the Past ∼4.2 Ga as Revealed by Relaxation States of Mantle Plugs Beneath Impact Basins
Authors: Deng Qingyun , Li Fei , Yan Jianguo , Xiao Zhiyong , Ye Mao , Xiao Chi , Barriot Jean‐Pierre
Published: October 2020

We investigated the relaxation states of 11 large impact basins on Mercury based on an updated crustal thickness map, finding that the pre‐Tolstojan basins have comparable instead of varied relaxation states, suggesting that Moho temperature (TempMoho ) did not decrease substantially from ∼4.2 to 3.8 Ga. At the same time, mantle uplift beneath the Caloris basin is the least degraded, therefore implying a sharp decrease of TempMoho ∼ 3.8 Ga. These findings contrast with our thermal evolution models that predict a fast decrease of TempMoho between ∼4.2 and 3.8 Ga. Therefore, the discrepancies in the cooling rate suggest that the relatively elevated bombardment history between ∼4.2 and 3.8 Ga might have input additional energy to Mercury and substantially decreased the cooling rate.
The Dimmest State of the Sun
Authors: Yeo K. L. , Solanki S. K. , Krivova N. A. , Rempel M. , Anusha L. S. , Shapiro A. I. , Tagirov R. V. , Witzke V.
Published: October 2020

How the solar electromagnetic energy entering the Earth's atmosphere varied since preindustrial times is an important consideration in the climate change debate. Detrimental to this debate, estimates of the change in total solar irradiance (TSI) since the Maunder minimum, an extended period of weak solar activity preceding the industrial revolution, differ markedly, ranging from a drop of 0.75 W m−2 to a rise of 6.3 W m−2. Consequently, the exact contribution by solar forcing to the rise in global temperatures over the past centuries remains inconclusive. Adopting a novel approach based on state‐of‐the‐art solar imagery and numerical simulations, we establish the TSI level of the Sun when it is in its least‐active state to be 2.0 ± 0.7 W m−2 below the 2019 level. This means TSI could not have risen since the Maunder minimum by more than this amount, thus restricting the possible role of solar forcing in global warming.
Detection of UHR Frequencies by a Convolutional Neural Network From Arase/PWE Data
Authors: Matsuda S. , Hasegawa T. , Kumamoto A. , Tsuchiya F. , Kasahara Y. , Miyoshi Y. , Kasaba Y. , Matsuoka A. , Shinohara I.
Published: October 2020

We have developed the automatic detection scheme for upper hybrid resonance (UHR) frequency using a convolutional neural network (CNN) from the electric field spectra obtained by the plasma wave experiment (PWE) aboard Arase. In this paper, we investigate the practical capability of this scheme in terms of actual scientific use case. We find that the average error rate is below 7.8% when the wave frequency is above 30 kHz and the wave spectral intensity is less than 10−5 mV 2/m2/Hz. About 91% of the data obtained by the high‐frequency analyzer (HFA) aboard the Arase satellite satisfies these conditions. To improve the accuracy of the determined UHR frequencies in a wide frequency range, we used another receiver, the onboard frequency analyzer (OFA), which enables us to detect low‐frequency UHR emissions. We confirmed that the averaged error rate derived by the OFA spectra becomes better than that derived from the HFA spectra in a frequency range below 20 kHz. We report the performance of the UHR frequency determination under the different geomagnetic conditions. We find that the UHR frequency can be determined with good accuracy using the CNN from the frequency‐time diagram both during geomagnetically quiet and disturbed conditions. We conclude that the CNN‐based UHR frequency determination is a reliable method to derive the electron density along the satellite orbit through observations of UHR frequencies, and this method contributes to studies on dynamics of the plasmasphere.
Statistical Properties of Sub‐Ion Magnetic Holes in the Solar Wind at 1 AU
Authors: Wang G. Q. , Zhang T. L. , Xiao S. D. , Wu M. Y. , Wang G. , Liu L. J. , Chen Y. Q. , Volwerk M.
Published: October 2020

Sub‐ion magnetic holes are rich in the terrestrial plasma sheet and magnetosheath. Here, we statistically investigate 60 sub‐ion magnetic holes in the solar wind at 1 AU using the high‐resolution data measured by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. We find that they are observed with a duration of 0.1 –0.5 s, and the lengths of their cross‐section are ~0.1 –0.6 ion gyroradius. These structures prefer to occur in the slow solar wind with a weak ambient magnetic field strength. They also prefer to occur in the marginally mirror stable or unstable environments. Electron vortices as well as an enhancement of the electron perpendicular temperature and electron fluxes at ~90° pitch angle tend to be observed inside some magnetic holes with a large ambient magnetic field strength. By contrast, there are no clearly observational electron vortices as well as the electron fluxes at ~90° pitch angle inside some magnetic holes with a weak ambient magnetic strength. The current density with a value of ~10 –50 nA/m2 reveals that the corresponding maximum electron velocity is <10 km/s inside some magnetic holes, lower than the level of the observational electron velocity noise, which prevents the detection of the weak electron vortex. We suggest that electron vortices exist inside all the sub‐ion magnetic holes in the solar wind. The generation of these sub‐ion magnetic holes might be explained by the electron magnetohydrodynamics soliton and the electron vortex magnetic hole.
Tidal Modulation of Buoyant Flow and Basal Melt Beneath Petermann Gletscher Ice Shelf, Greenland
Authors: Washam Peter , Nicholls Keith W. , Münchow Andreas , Padman Laurie
Published: October 2020

A set of collocated, in situ oceanographic and glaciological measurements from Petermann Gletscher Ice Shelf, Greenland, provides insights into the dynamics of under‐ice flow driving basal melting. At a site 16 km seaward of the grounding line within a longitudinal basal channel, two conductivity‐temperature (CT) sensors beneath the ice base and a phase‐sensitive radar on the ice surface were used to monitor the coupled ice shelf‐ocean system. A 6 month time series spanning 23 August 2015 to 12 February 2016 exhibited two distinct periods of ice‐ocean interactions. Between August and December, radar‐derived basal melt rates featured fortnightly peaks of ∼15 m yr−1 which preceded the arrival of cold and fresh pulses in the ocean that had high concentrations of subglacial runoff and glacial meltwater. Estimated current speeds reached 0.20 – 0.40 m s−1 during these pulses, consistent with a strengthened meltwater plume from freshwater enrichment. Such signals did not occur between December and February, when ice‐ocean interactions instead varied at principal diurnal and semidiurnal tidal frequencies, and lower melt rates and current speeds prevailed. A combination of estimated current speeds and meltwater concentrations from the two CT sensors yields estimates of subglacial runoff and glacial meltwater volume fluxes that vary between 10 and 80 m3 s−1 during the ocean pulses. Area‐average upstream ice shelf melt rates from these fluxes are up to 170 m yr−1, revealing that these strengthened plumes had already driven their most intense melting before arriving at the study site.
Correction: ERCC2 gene single-nucleotide polymorphism as a prognostic factor for locally advanced head and neck carcinomas after definitive cisplatin-based radiochemotherapy
Authors: Guberina Maja , Sak Ali , Pöttgen Christoph , Tinhofer-Keilholz Ingeborg , Budach Volker , Balermpas Panagiotis , Von der Grün Jens , Rödel Claus Michael , Gkika Eleni , Grosu Anca-Ligia , Abdollahi Amir , Debus Jürgen , Belka Claus , Pigorsch Steffi , Combs Stephanie E. , Mönnich David , Zips Daniel , De-Colle Chiara , Welz Stefan , Linge Annett , Lohaus Fabian , Baretton Gustavo , Gauler Thomas , Baumann Michael , Krause Mechthild , Schuler Martin , Bankfalvi Agnes , Höing Benedikt , Lang Stephan , Stuschke Martin
Published: October 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
SIRT1 deacetylates mitochondrial trifunctional enzyme α subunit to inhibit ubiquitylation and decrease insulin resistance
Authors: Wang Yan-Mei , Huang Ting-Lei , Meng Chao , Zhang Jia , Fang Ning-Yuan
Published: October 2020

Dysregulation of free acid metabolism is a major contributor to the development of insulin resistance and diabetes. Mitochondrial trifunctional enzyme subunit (MTPα) has a critical role in fatty acid β-oxidation. However, the association between MTPα and insulin resistance is not definitively known. Here, we aimed to determine how MTPα affects insulin resistance. We tested how MTPα affected glucose uptake in insulin-resistant 3T3-L1 adipocytes and white adipose tissue (WAT) of db/db diabetic mice. We also measured how acetylation and ubiquitylation modifications regulated MTPα activation and stability, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions, immunoblotting, and immunoprecipitation. We found that MTPα overexpression promoted glucose uptake via Glut4 translocation to the plasma membrane in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Moreover, MTPα upregulation decreased glycemia in db/db mice. Deacetylation increased MTPα protein stability and its ability to reduce insulin resistance. The activation of SIRT1, a major deacetylase, prevented MTPα degradation by decreasing its acetylation in adipocytes. Our study demonstrates a new role for MTPα in reducing insulin resistance. Acetylation and ubiquitylation modifications of MTPα were crucial to regulating its function in glucose metabolism.
Mechanism of action biomarkers predicting response to AKT inhibition in the I-SPY 2 breast cancer trial
Authors: Wolf Denise M. , Yau Christina , Wulfkuhle Julia , Brown-Swigart Lamorna , Gallagher Rosa I. , Jesus M. Magbanua Mark , O’Grady Nick , Hirst Gillian ,   I-SPY 2 TRIAL Investigators, Asare Smita , Tripathy Debu , Berry Don , Esserman Laura , Chien A. Jo , Petricoin Emanuel F. , van ‘t Veer Laura
Published: October 2020

The AKT inhibitor MK2206 (M) was evaluated in I-SPY 2 and graduated in the HER2+, HR−, and HR− HER2+ signatures. We hypothesized that AKT signaling axis proteins/genes may specifically predict response to M and tested 26 phospho-proteins and 10 genes involved in AKT-mTOR-HER signaling; in addition, we tested 9 genes from a previous study in the metastatic setting. One hundred and fifty patients had gene expression data from pretreatment biopsies available for analysis (M: 94, control: 56) and 138 had protein data (M: 87, control: 51). Logistic modeling was used to assess biomarker performance in pre-specified analysis. In general, phospho-protein biomarkers of activity in the AKT-mTOR-HER pathway appeared more predictive of response to M than gene expression or total protein biomarkers in the same pathway; however, the nature of the predictive biomarkers differed in the HER2+ and TN groups. In the HER2+ subset, patients achieving a pCR in M had higher levels of multiple AKT kinase substrate phospho-proteins (e.g., pmTOR, pTSC2). In contrast, in the TN subset responding patients had lower levels of AKT pathway phospho-proteins, such as pAKT, pmTOR, and pTSC2. Pathway mutations did not appear to account for these associations. Additional exploratory whole-transcriptome analysis revealed immune signaling as strongly associated with response to M in the HER2+ subset. While our sample size is small, these results suggest that the measurement of particular AKT kinase substrate phospho-proteins could be predictive of MK2206 efficacy in both HER2+ and TN tumors and that immune signaling may play a role in response in HER2+ patients.
Author Correction: Shotgun proteomics reveals putative polyesterases in the secretome of the rock-inhabiting fungus Knufia chersonesos
Authors: Tesei Donatella , Quartinello Felice , Guebitz Georg M. , Ribitsch Doris , Nöbauer Katharina , Razzazi-Fazeli Ebrahim , Sterflinger Katja
Published: October 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Author Correction: The phospholamban p.(Arg14del) pathogenic variant leads to cardiomyopathy with heart failure and is unresponsive to standard heart failure therapy
Authors: Eijgenraam Tim R. , Boukens Bastiaan J. , Boogerd Cornelis J. , Schouten E. Marloes , van de Kolk Cees W. A. , Stege Nienke M. , te Rijdt Wouter P. , Hoorntje Edgar T. , van der Zwaag Paul A. , van Rooij Eva , van Tintelen J. Peter , van den Berg Maarten P. , van der Meer Peter , van der Velden Jolanda , Silljé Herman H. W. , de Boer Rudolf A.
Published: October 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Using machine learning-based analysis for behavioral differentiation between anxiety and depression
Authors: Richter Thalia , Fishbain Barak , Markus Andrey , Richter-Levin Gal , Okon-Singer Hadas
Published: October 2020

Anxiety and depression are distinct—albeit overlapping—psychiatric diseases, currently diagnosed by self-reported-symptoms. This research presents a new diagnostic methodology, which tests rigorously for differences in cognitive biases among subclinical anxious and depressed individuals. 125 participants were divided into four groups based on the levels of their anxiety and depression symptoms. A comprehensive behavioral test battery detected and quantified various cognitive–emotional biases. Advanced machine-learning tools, developed for this study, analyzed these results. These tools detect unique patterns that characterize anxiety versus depression to predict group membership. The prediction model for differentiating between symptomatic participants (i.e., high symptoms of depression, anxiety, or both) compared to the non-symptomatic control group revealed a 71.44% prediction accuracy for the former (sensitivity) and 70.78% for the latter (specificity). 68.07% and 74.18% prediction accuracy was obtained for a two-group model with high depression/anxiety, respectively. The analysis also disclosed which specific behavioral measures contributed to the prediction, pointing to key cognitive mechanisms in anxiety versus depression. These results lay the ground for improved diagnostic instruments and more effective and focused individually-based treatment.