bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do preparatory behaviours predict alcohol consumption among UK university students?
Authors: Cooke Richard , Bailey Olivia , Jennings Janine , Yuen Chun , Gardner Benjamin
Published: October 2020

Objective

This study explored whether the frequency and habitual nature of engagement in three behaviours that may serve as preparation for alcohol consumption on a night out with friends – that is, contacting friends to arrange a night out, buying alcohol, drinking alone at home before going out – predicted consumption on such nights.

Design

Prospective correlational design.

Methods

One hundred and twenty UK university students (68 female, 50 male, two non‐binary, mean age = 20.78 years, SD = 1.52) completed a survey comprising intentions, habits, and frequency and habit for the three preparatory behaviours. One week later, a second survey measured the number of nights out with friends on which alcohol was drunk (i.e., drinking frequency) and the number on which four or more alcoholic drinks were consumed (i.e, excessive drinking). Regression models were run to predict drinking frequency and excessive drinking.

Results

Drinking frequency was predicted only by frequency of contacting friends (B = .28, SE = .12, p = .02), and habitually drinking alone before going out (B = .20, SE = .09, p = .03). Excessive drinking was only predicted by alcohol consumption habit (B = .67, SE = .23, p = .003).

Conclusions

Preceding actions may influence the frequency of alcohol consumption on nights out, independently of intentions and habits relating to alcohol consumption. While interventions to reduce consumption quantity in a single session might focus on disrupting the habits that sustain drinking episodes, efforts to reduce alcohol consumption frequency on nights out might focus on disrupting behaviours that precede alcohol consumption.
Moderne Therapie der atopischen Dermatitis: Biologika und kleinmolekulare Medikamente
Authors: Worm Margitta , Francuzik Wojciech , Kraft Magdalena , Alexiou Aikaterina
Published: October 2020

Die atopische Dermatitis ist eine der häufigsten chronisch entzündlichen Hauterkrankungen. Die Pathomechanismen der atopischen Dermatitis wurden in den letzten Jahren immer besser verstanden. Dies kann zukünftig dazu beitragen, verschiedene Endotypen zu identifizieren, die für bestimmte Therapien bevorzugt geeignet sind. Eine patientenadaptierte Therapie berücksichtigt neben dem phänotypischen Erscheinungsbild genetische und biologische Merkmale. Die aktuelle Entwicklung von Biologika und kleinmolekularen Medikamenten zur Behandlung der atopischen Dermatitis wird im vorliegenden Artikel vorgestellt. Diese Moleküle werden, wenn sie zugelassen werden, die Therapieperspektiven in der Zukunft verändern.

Dupilumab ist als erstes Biologikum bereits zur Behandlung der atopischen Dermatitis bei Jugendlichen und Erwachsenen zugelassen und hat die Behandlung von Patienten mit mittelschwerer und schwerer atopischer Dermatitis verbessert. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden eigene Real‐Life‐Daten zur Wirksamkeit von Dupilumab bei der atopischen Dermatitis vorgestellt. Darüber hinaus werden weitere relevante Daten gezeigt, die in der praktischen Anwendung von Dupilumab eine Rolle spielen, und offene Fragen werden diskutiert.
Zwei Fragen könnten reichen – Früherkennung von Depressionen bei Patienten mit Psoriasis: eine multizentrische Studie
Authors: Gerdes Sascha , Wilsmann‐Theis Dagmar , Celis Daniel , Kromer Christian , Mössner Rotraut
Published: October 2020

Hintergrund

Depressionen werden bei Psoriasis‐Patienten häufig nicht diagnostiziert und in ihrem Alltag unzureichend behandelt. Ziel dieser Studie war es, den Einfluss von Patienten‐ und Krankheitscharakteristika auf Depressionswerte zu untersuchen und zu analysieren.

Patienten und Methoden

In dieser multizentrischen Querschnitts‐ und Kohortenstudie wurden erwachsene Psoriasis‐Patienten mit zwei validierten Verfahren auf Depression untersucht: den Whooley‐Fragen und dem revidierten Beck‐Depressions‐Inventar (BDI‐II).

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt wurden 538 Patienten (medianer PASI 3,0; durchschnittlicher DLQI 5,3) auf Depressionssymptome untersucht (durchschnittlicher BDI‐II‐Wert 8,3). 24,2 % aller Patienten erreichten einen BDI‐II‐Wert ≥ 13, der auf eine zumindest leichte Depression hinweist. Die Ergebnisse der Whooley‐Fragen waren bei 28,2 % der Patienten positiv. Es zeigte sich eine starke Korrelation zwischen den beiden Verfahren (p < 0,001). In der Teilgruppe mit einem BDI‐II‐Wert ≥ 13 waren die Krankheitsaktivität (medianer PASI 3,8 vs. 2,8; p = 0,06) und die DLQI‐Werte (Mittelwert 10,1 vs. 3,7; p < 0,0001) höher sowie Psoriasis‐Arthritis und Diabetes häufiger (52,6 % vs. 37,8 %; p = 0,002 beziehungsweise 16,2 % vs. 10,0 %; p = 0,04) als in der Teilgruppe mit einem BDI‐II‐Wert < 13.

Schlussfolgerungen

In spezialisierten Psoriasis‐Ambulanzen wurde trotz eines niedrigen medianen PASI bei fast jedem vierten Patienten ein BDI‐II‐Wert ≥ 13 festgestellt. Die Whooley‐Fragen könnten ein leicht anzuwendendes Verfahren für das Screening auf Depression bei Psoriasis‐Patienten darstellen.
The virtue of error: Solved games and ethical deliberation
Authors: McNeill David N.
Published: October 2020

In this paper, I argue that genuine ethical deliberation, and hence ethical agency, is incompatible in principle with the possession of determinate practical prescriptions concerning how best to act in a concrete ethical situation. I make this argument principally by way of an analogy between gameplay and ethical deliberation. I argue that trivially solved games of perfect information (the example I use is tic‐tac‐toe) are, or become, in some sense unplayable for the individual for whom the game is trivially solved. The reason for this, I suggest, is that there ceases to be space within the game for the distinction between that individual being a better and being a worse player of the game. I then use this example as an occasion to reflect on the kind of epistemic indeterminacy that appears to be a condition of genuine ethical deliberation.
Benthic cyanobacteria of the genus Nostoc are a source of microcystins in Greenlandic lakes and ponds
Authors: Trout‐Haney Jessica V. , Ritger Amelia L. , Cottingham Kathryn L.
Published: October 2020

Benthic primary producers are recognised for their important role in contributing to ecosystem productivity and nutrient cycling in lake and stream ecosystems, particularly in polar environments. In Arctic lakes, benthic producers often comprise mats or colonies of cyanobacteria capable of producing cyanotoxins. However, the extent to which benthic communities contribute cyanotoxins in polar regions remains poorly described.

We evaluated the potential for benthic colonies of the cyanobacterium Nostoc pruniforme from lakes in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, to contribute microcystins (MCs) to lake water using three approaches. First, we dissected field‐collected Nostoc colonies and measured MCs within multiple layers of fresh colony tissue. Second, we conducted a laboratory experiment to evaluate the temporal dynamics of MC release by incubated, intact colonies. Finally, we quantified whether MC concentrations in water and sediment samples in the field were higher in and above dense bands of benthic Nostoc as compared to bare sediment.

Field‐collected Nostoc colonies contained MCs throughout the colony tissue, suggesting that damage to colonies from grazers or physical disturbance could facilitate the release of toxins into the water. Undamaged Nostoc colonies incubated in high‐nutrient conditions in the laboratory leaked MCs into the surrounding water at a steady mass‐specific rate over the course of 7 days.

Microcystin concentrations in water and sediment from two Greenlandic lakes were highly variable, but slightly higher in lake water immediately above dense bands of Nostoc than in water immediately above bare sediments, suggesting that benthic Nostoc colonies contribute cyanotoxins to lake water and that MCs vary at very fine, 1–2 m spatial scales.

Benthic cyanobacteria may be important in releasing MCs into aquatic ecosystems, especially in systems where benthic producers dominate, such as polar environments.
Determinants of the economic viability of mallee eucalypts as a short rotation coppice crop integrated into farming systems of Western Australia
Authors: Spencer Beren , Abadi Amir , Bartle John , Sudmeyer Robert , Van Gent Sarah , Gibberd Mark , Zerihun Ayalsew
Published: October 2020

Mallee eucalypts are being developed as a short rotation coppice crop for integration into agricultural systems in the south‐west of Western Australia. These have potential for biomass production for bioenergy, eucalyptus oil and generating carbon credits and to help control the extensive occurrence of dryland salinity. Some 12,000 ha of mallee planting has been undertaken since 1994, mostly in the form of wide‐spaced, narrow belts within the annual agricultural system. Production and market data were used to estimate levelized costs (LC) of mallee biomass production under different harvest regimes across 11 sites from 2006 to 2012. We found LC ranged from AUD40 to AUD257 fresh Mg−1. LC was most strongly determined by mallee production, followed by the crop/pasture rotation decisions of the landholder. Mallee harvest regime had minor impact on LC. Crop and pasture yield loss due to competition from the mallee belts accounted for 38% of costs, harvesting biomass was 32%, opportunity cost of the land occupied by the mallee belts was 16% while establishment and maintenance costs accounted for 14% of the costs. When income from carbon sequestered in mallee root biomass was included, the LC dropped by an average of 11% at the current Australian price of AUD15 Mg−1 CO2 equivalent (CO2e). The income from carbon sequestered in root biomass alone is unlikely to make mallee agroforestry economically viable. Hence, income from harvested biomass in the form of feedstocks for industry or carbon credits is necessary to make mallee agroforestry commercially attractive. LC for unharvested mallee belts ranged from AUD33 to AUD237 Mg−1. Where above‐ and below‐ground biomass is converted to CO2e at AUD15 Mg−1, the LC drops to AUD11–AUD64, with three of 11 sites likely to be profitable. These three sites were characterized by high biomass production with low agricultural gross margins.
COVID‐19, varying genetic resistance to viral disease and immune tolerance checkpoints
Authors: Goodnow Christopher C
Published: October 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a zoonosis like most of the great plagues sculpting human history, from smallpox to pandemic influenza and human immunodeficiency virus. When viruses jump into a new species the outcome of infection ranges from asymptomatic to lethal, historically ascribed to “genetic resistance to viral disease.” People have exploited these differences for good and bad, for developing vaccines from cowpox and horsepox virus, controlling rabbit plagues with myxoma virus and introducing smallpox during colonization of America and Australia. Differences in resistance to viral disease are at the core of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) crisis, yet our understanding of the mechanisms in any interspecies leap falls short of the mark. Here I review how the two key parameters of viral disease are countered by fundamentally different genetic mechanisms for resistance: (1) virus transmission, countered primarily by activation of innate and adaptive immune responses; and (2) pathology, countered primarily by tolerance checkpoints to limit innate and adaptive immune responses. I discuss tolerance thresholds and the role of CD8 T cells to limit pathological immune responses, the problems posed by tolerant superspreaders and the signature coronavirus evasion strategy of eliciting only short‐lived neutralizing antibody responses. Pinpointing and targeting the mechanisms responsible for varying pathology and short‐lived antibody were beyond reach in previous zoonoses, but this time we are armed with genomic technologies and more knowledge of immune checkpoint genes. These known unknowns must now be tackled to solve the current COVID‐19 crisis and the inevitable zoonoses to follow.
Making Asylum Seekers More Vulnerable in South Africa: The Negative Effects of Hostile Asylum Policies on Livelihoods
Authors: Carciotto Sergio
Published: October 2020

In post‐apartheid South Africa, migration policies and legislation have left critical issues such as social cohesion and integration unsolved. Furthermore, the inability to reconcile the national interest of maintaining borders’ integrity with respecting moral and legal obligations has placed the asylum system under tremendous stress. Drawing from secondary sources, as well as qualitative interviews, this paper explores the development of new asylum policies aimed at curtailing asylum seekers’ right to work in South Africa. The study’s findings provide support for the conclusions of earlier research that highlights the consequences of hostile policies and practices for asylum seekers’ livelihoods. The author argues that curtailments on asylum seekers’ right to work will have many possible socio‐economic ramifications. In the immediate term, the legislation seeks to inhibit asylum seekers from engaging in self‐employment, while in the long run it may achieve the undesired effect of producing more precarious forms of livelihood.
Death, dying and donation: community perceptions of brain death and their relationship to decisions regarding withdrawal of vital organ support and organ donation
Authors: Skowronski George , O'Leary Michael J. , Critchley Christine , O'Reilly Lisa , Forlini Cynthia , Ghinea Narcyz , Sheahan Linda , Stewart Cameron , Kerridge Ian
Published: October 2020

Despite brain death (BD) being established as a definition of death for over 50 years, the concept remains controversial. Little is known about public perception of death determination in decision‐making about withdrawal of organ support and organ donation (OD), and the importance of the ‘Dead Donor Rule’ (DDR). We examined perceptions about death in a BD patient and their relationship to decisions about withdrawal of vital organ support, OD and the DDR, using an online survey of 1017 Australian adults. A BD patient scenario was presented, followed by a series of questions. Statistically significant differences in responses were determined using repeated measures analyses of variance and t tests. Seven hundred and fourteen respondents (70.2%) agreed that a hypothetical BD patient was dead. Those disagreeing most commonly cited the presence of heartbeat and breathing. Seven hundred and seventy (75.7%) favoured removal of ‘life support’, including 136 (13.3%) who had not agreed the patient was dead. Support for OD was high, but most favoured organ removal only after heartbeat and breathing had ceased. Where OD was in keeping with the patient's known wishes, 464 (45.6%) agreed that organs could be removed even if this caused death. Forty‐one (20%) of those who had indicated they considered the patient was not dead agreed to organ removal even if it caused death. Australian public views on BD, withdrawal of ‘life support’ and OD are complex. Emphasis on prognosis and the impact of significant brain injury may be more appropriate in these situations, rather than focussing on death determination and upholding the DDR.
Investigating volatility transmission across international equity markets using multivariate fractional models
Authors: Saâdaoui Foued , Ghadhab Imen
Published: October 2020

The growing number of cross‐listed stocks has significantly contributed to the integration of national economies over the last few decades, and has consequently strengthened the interdependence between international stock markets. This phenomenon has sparked a fervent debate in academia and in decision‐making circles dealing with volatility spillovers between international stock prices. Accordingly, isolated examinations of single foreign cross‐listing markets appear inadequate. On this basis, the aim of this article is to recognize volatility transmission patterns within international equity markets using a unique and comprehensive sample of highly traded companies simultaneously cross‐listed in the United States and the UK. An important fact to be noted here is that long‐range dependence is statistically proved in the studied cases, which means that the efficient market hypothesis is utterly rejected. Therefore, a multivariate fractionally co‐integrated model is preliminarily used to fit various samples of high‐frequency time series. Resulting residuals are then subject to a deeper analysis, allowing us to reveal significant volatility transmissions between markets of multiple cross‐listed stocks. Causality experiments are finally conducted on processed data. The results show strong bi‐directional volatility causations between various marketplaces. The overall deduction of this work is that price discovery takes place essentially in local and British markets, thus implying a satellite role in the price discovery process for American exchanges.
Explaining the better‐than‐average effect among prisoners
Authors: Taylor Sarah G. , Eisenbarth Hedwig , Sedikides Constantine , Alicke Mark D.
Published: October 2020

We addressed explanations for why prisoners manifest the Better‐Than‐Average Effect (perceptions of superiority to the average peer), focusing on three biases: self‐enhancing (social as well as temporal) comparisons, denial, and self‐serving attributions. We tested the Better‐Than‐Average Effect in regards to prisoners’ perceptions of their worst trait, and assessed the relationship between the three biases and positive self‐evaluations. Prisoners engaged in self‐enhancing comparisons, differentiating themselves from other prisoners and their past selves who committed the crime, but also expected self‐improvement in the future. Prisoners also demonstrated denial for intentions to commit the crime, planning of it, recidivism, and over‐estimation of crime prevalence in the general population. Although prisoners made self‐serving attributions by distancing their own character from their criminal behavior and reporting they had experienced more hardship relative to others, they did not attribute the cause of their crime to such hardship. More extensive self‐enhancing temporal comparisons and denial predicted more positive self‐evaluations of prisoners’ worst trait relative to the average community member. The strength of some of these biases varied with levels of narcissism and psychopathy.
Calcium signaling in endocardial and epicardial ventricular myocytes from streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats
Authors: Al Kury Lina T , Sydorenko Vadym , Smail Manal MA , Qureshi Muhammad A , Shmygol Anatoly , Papandreou Dimitrios , Singh Jaipaul , Howarth Frank Christopher
Published: October 2020

Aims/Introduction

Abnormalities in Ca2+ signaling have a key role in hemodynamic dysfunction in diabetic heart. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetes on Ca2+ signaling in epicardial (EPI) and endocardial (ENDO) cells of the left ventricle after 5–6 months of STZ injection.

Materials and Methods

Whole‐cell patch clamp was used to measure the L‐type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger currents. Fluorescence photometry techniques were used to measure intracellular free Ca2+ concentration.

Results

Although the LTCC current was not significantly altered, the amplitude of Ca2+ transients increased significantly in EPI‐STZ and ENDO‐STZ compared with controls. Time to peak LTCC current, time to peak Ca2+ transient, time to half decay of LTCC current and time to half decay of Ca2+ transients were not significantly changed in EPI‐STZ and ENDO‐STZ myocytes compared with controls. The Na+/Ca2+ exchanger current was significantly smaller in EPI‐STZ and in ENDO‐STZ compared with controls.

Conclusions

STZ‐induced diabetes resulted in an increase in amplitude of Ca2+ transients in EPI and ENDO myocytes that was independent of the LTCC current. Such an effect can be attributed, at least in part, to the dysfunction of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. Additional studies are warranted to improve our understanding of the regional impact of diabetes on Ca2+ signaling, which will facilitate the discovery of new targeted treatments for diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Individual and group characteristics affecting nest building in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinusL. 1758)
Authors: Dhamelincourt Marius , Buoro Mathieu , Rives Jacques , Sebihi Stellia , Tentelier Cédric
Published: October 2020

Nest building relates to reproductive effort, sexual selection, intersexual conflict and cooperation and may be linked to individual phenotype and interindividual interactions. In particular, larger individuals having more energy reserves are expected to build more, larger nests, without having to trade intrasexual competition for cooperative nest building. Capture–mark–recapture and nest survey of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus L. 1758) were combined to assess the relationship between individuals and nesting activity on a spawning ground, throughout a breeding season, during which 202 nests were observed and 114 individuals were captured. On average, males and females stayed 8.33 ± 1.02 and 3.57 ± 1.04 days on the spawning ground, visited 2.26 ± 1.72 and 1.67 ± 1.17 nests and encountered 2.33 ± 2.13 mates for males and 2.29 ± 1.32 mates for females, respectively, and the number of mates encountered increased with the number of nests visited. Body size had no effect on the duration of presence on spawning ground, number of nests visited, number of individuals per nest and sex ratio on nest or nest volume. Bigger nests were found at the end of the season and were not necessarily built by more individuals. This work brings insights on the mating system and cooperative nest building in sea lamprey and may inform managers who want to estimate sea lamprey populations via nest surveys.
A brief history of the octopus imaging facility to celebrate its 10th anniversary
Authors: MARTIN‐FERNANDEZ M.L.
Published: October 2020

Octopus (Optics Clustered to OutPut Unique Solutions) celebrated in June 2020 its 10th birthday. Based at Harwell, near Oxford, Octopus is an open access, peer reviewed, national imaging facility that offers successful U.K. applicants supported access to single molecule imaging, confocal microscopy, several flavours of superresolution imaging, light sheet microscopy, optical trapping and cryoscanning electron microscopy. Managed by a multidisciplinary team, Octopus has so far assisted >100 groups of U.K. and international researchers. Cross‐fertilisation across fields proved to be a strong propeller of success underpinned by combining access to top‐end instrumentation with a strong programme of imaging hardware and software developments. How Octopus was born, and highlights of the multidisciplinary output produced during its 10‐year journey are reviewed below, with the aim of celebrating a myriad of collaborations with the U.K. scientific community, and reflecting on their scientific and societal impact.
Rural Primary Care Providers’ Experience and Usage of Clinical Recommendations in the CDC Pediatric Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Guideline: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Daugherty Jill , Waltzman Dana , Popat Shena , Groenendaal Amy Horn , Cherney Margaret , Knudson Alana
Published: October 2020

Purpose

In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an evidence‐based guideline on pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) to educate health care providers on best practices of mTBI diagnosis, prognosis, and management/treatment. As residents living in rural areas have higher rates of mTBI, and may have limited access to care, it is particularly important to disseminate the CDC guideline to rural health care providers. The purpose of this paper is to describe rural health care providers’ experience with pediatric mTBI patients and their perceptions on incorporating the guideline recommendations into their practice.

Method

Interviews with 9 pediatric rural health care providers from all US regions were conducted. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed for themes for each of the main topic areas covered in the interview guide.

Findings

Common causes of mTBI reported by health care providers included sports and all‐terrain vehicles. While health care providers found the guideline recommendations to be helpful and feasible, they reported barriers to implementation, such as lack of access to specialists. To help with uptake of the CDC guideline, they suggested the development of concise implementation tools that can be referenced quickly, integrated into electronic health record‐based systems, and that are customized by visit type and health care setting (eg, initial vs follow‐up visits and emergency department vs primary care visits).

Conclusion

Length, accessibility, and usability are important considerations when designing clinical tools for busy rural health care providers caring for pediatric patients with mTBI. Customized information, in both print and digital formats, may help with uptake of best practices.
(Dis)honest bureaucrats and (non)compliant firms in an evolutionary game
Authors: Antoci Angelo , Borghesi Simone , Iannucci Gianluca
Published: October 2020

This paper studies environmental corruption via a random‐matching evolutionary game between a population of firms and a population of bureaucrats who have to decide whether to release a ‘green’ licence to the firms. A firm obtains the licence if the bureaucrat checks that it complies with environmental regulations, otherwise it is sanctioned. The model assumes that there are two types of bureaucrats (honest and dishonest), two types of firms (compliant and non‐compliant) and two possible crimes (corruption and extortion). Corruption occurs when a dishonest bureaucrat accepts a bribe from a non‐compliant firm, while extortion occurs when a dishonest bureaucrat claims a bribe from a compliant firm. When there is no dominance of strategies, we show that there exist two bi‐stable regimes, in which two attractive stationary states exist and two regimes with an internal stable equilibrium, corresponding to the mixed‐strategy Nash equilibrium of the one‐shot static game, surrounded by closed trajectories. From comparative statics analysis performed on the latter two dynamic regimes, it emerges that policy instruments may help the Public Administration reduce both corruption and extortion, although increasing sanctions and detection probability do not always get the desired results.
Ablation catheter orientation: In vitro effects on lesion size and in vivo analysis during PVI for atrial fibrillation
Authors: Calzolari Vittorio , De Mattia Luca , Basso Francesco , Crosato Martino , Scalon Alessandra , Squasi Paolo Antonio Maria , Del Favero Simone , Cernetti Carlo
Published: October 2020

Background

Catheter‐delivered radiofrequency (RF) lesion formation is a complex phenomenon, and few studies have explored the effect of catheter orientation on lesion size and catheter orientation behavior during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures. We evaluated the influence of catheter orientation on lesion dimensions in an in vitro experimental setting and investigated the catheter orientation behavior during PVI.

Methods and results

72 lesions were created in vitro on a porcine heart using a contact force catheter in a parallel, oblique, and perpendicular tip to tissue orientation. The superficial lesion length (SLL) increased shifting the catheter from perpendicular to parallel orientation. The intratissue absolute maximal lesion length (AML) was greater with an oblique catheter orientation. The lesion depth (LD) and the superficial lesion width (SLW) resulted similar with any orientation.

Data from 21 PVI procedures in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation using the “wide antral circumferential RF ablation” (WACA) technique were retrospectively analyzed. The mean contact angle among 1130 RF lesions was 28 ± 20°. A prevalent parallel orientation was noted in the anterior WACA segments, whereas it resulted more perpendicular in the posterior segments. Significant differences in catheter orientation between the three operators were found only in few WACA segments.

Conclusions

In an in vitro setting, catheter orientation affects SLL and AML, but not LD and SLW. During PVI procedures, catheter orientation resulted mostly parallel to the endocardium. Catheter orientation varied among different WACA segments, but only small differences were found between three operators when considering similar WACA segments.
Augmented immunosuppression and PTCY‐based haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for thalassemia major
Authors: Vellaichamy Swaminathan Venkateswaran , Ravichandran Nikila , Ramanan Kesavan Melarcode , Meena Satish Kumar , Varla Harika , Ramakrishnan Balasubramaniam , Jayakumar Indra , Uppuluri Ramya , Raj Revathi
Published: October 2020

Alternate donor HSCT for thalassemia major from a matched unrelated donor or haploidentical family donor is a feasible therapeutic option in children with no matched family donor. Aggressive pretransplant immunosuppression, reduced toxicity conditioning, and PTCY result in excellent thalassemia‐free survival. We describe here our experience in this cohort. We performed a retrospective analysis of the data on children who underwent a haploidentical HSCT for thalassemia major with PTCY at our center from August 2017 to August 2019. All children received pretransplant immune suppression for 6 weeks with fludarabine and dexamethasone, hypertransfusion and chelation with intravenous desferrioxamine. Conditioning included thiotepa, fludarabine, rabbit ATG, and cyclophosphamide, and GvHD prophylaxis included PTCY with tacrolimus. Twenty children were included and nineteen children engrafted. Acute hypertension occurred in five children, bacterial infection in eight children and viral respiratory infection in three children. Three children suffered from graft rejection. Reactivation of viruses namely CMV, adenovirus, and BK virus was seen in 60% of children. Grades 1‐2 acute GvHD of the skin in four children (20%) and limited chronic GvHD of the skin in four children (20%). Immune cytopenia was documented in three children (15%). Haploidentical HSCT offers a therapeutic option for children with thalassemia major with no suitably matched family or unrelated donors. Our reduced toxicity regimen with PTCY offers a DFS of 75% and OS of 95% with low transplant‐related mortality of 5%.
On Sylvia Wynter and feminist theory
Authors: Paquette Elisabeth
Published: October 2020

The goal of this study is to provide an account of the relation between feminist theory and the writings of decolonial theorist Sylvia Wynter. I offer a twofold approach to this account. On the one hand, I outline a series of texts that have addressed Wynter's critique of feminist theory. These authors note how Wynter problematizes a universal conception of woman that marginalizes women of color. On the other hand, I have provided an account of various authors who have turned to Wynter for the purpose of developing a feminist project. I make evident why it is the case that these two approaches are not contradictory or paradoxical in Wynter's work, but rather provide the foundation for a theory of liberation that is relevant to a variety of socio, geopolitical, and temporal locations.
Medial frontal negativities predict performance improvements during motor sequence but not motor adaptation learning
Authors: Matsuhashi Takuto , Segalowitz Sidney J. , Murphy Timothy I. , Nagano Yuichiro , Hirao Takahiro , Masaki Hiroaki
Published: October 2020

Alterations in our environment require us to learn or alter motor skills to remain efficient. Also, damage or injury may require the relearning of motor skills. Two types have been identified: movement adaptation and motor sequence learning. Doyonet al. (2003, Distinct contribution of the cortico‐striatal and cortico‐cerebellar systems to motor skill learning. Neuropsychologia, 41(3), 252‐262) proposed a model to explain the neural mechanisms related to adaptation (cortico‐cerebellar) and motor sequence learning (cortico‐striatum) tasks. We hypothesized that medial frontal negativities (MFNs), event‐related electrocortical responses including the error‐related negativity (ERN) and correct‐response‐related negativity (CRN), would be trait biomarkers for skill in motor sequence learning due to their relationship with striatal neural generators in a network involving the anterior cingulate and possibly the supplementary motor area. We examined 36 participants' improvement in a motor adaptation and a motor sequence learning task and measured MFNs elicited in a separate Spatial Stroop (conflict) task. We found both ERN and CRN strongly predicted performance improvement in the sequential motor task but not in the adaptation task, supporting this aspect of the Doyon model. Interestingly, the CRN accounted for additional unique variance over the variance shared with the ERN suggesting an expansion of the model.
Negation, denial and falsity: Logic's negative trio
Authors: Hewitt Simon
Published: October 2020

Negation, denial and falsity lie at the heart of debates about logic. We set out the classical account of the relationship between negation and denial, owing to Frege and Geach. We then challenge this on the basis that it does not permit an adequate account of falsity. A dialetheic alternative is minuted and criticised before a novel rejectivist account is proposed according to which falsity is the aim of the speech‐act of denial, whilst negation embeds deniability into assertoric contexts.
FoxA2 and p53 regulate the transcription of HSD17B1 in ovarian granulosa cells of pigs
Authors: Yuan Xiaolong , Zhou Xiaofeng , Qiao Xiwu , Wu Qi , Yao Zhixiang , Jiang Yao , Zhang Hao , Zhang Zhe , Wang Xilong , Li Jiaqi
Published: October 2020

The oestrogens have been highly implicated in the fertility of female animals. It is widely known that the oestrogens are primarily synthetized by the ovarian granulosa cells (GCs), and the final and essential step of this process is to catalyse the oestrone to the more active oestradiol by the protein coded by hydroxysteroid 17‐beta dehydrogenase 1 (HSD17B1) gene. However, the molecular mechanism regarding the transcription of HSD17B1 remains to be fully elucidated in ovarian GCs. In this study, the 5’‐deletion, luciferase assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) were utilized to explore the molecular regulation of transcription of HSD17B1 with the porcine ovarian GCs as the cellular model. After the deletions with −2105 to −1754 bp, −1753 to −1429 bp, −1430 to −1081 bp and −1082 to −730 bp, the relative luciferase activity of HSD17B1 promoter did not change significantly, but the deletion of −731 to −332 bp significantly increased the relative luciferase activity of HSD17B1 promoter, and an insertion (GTTT) that might raise the transcription of HSD17B1 was identified at −401 bp of HSD17B1. These findings suggested the region from −731 to +38 bp was the core promoter of HSD17B1, and the region between −731 to −332 bp might be a silence element for HSD17B1. Furthermore, the forkhead box A2 (FoxA2) directly bound at −412 to −401 bp to negatively but p53 bound at −383 to −374 bp to positively regulate the transcription and translation of HSD17B1 in ovarian GCs. These findings will improve our understanding on HSD17B1‐mediated oestrogens and provide useful information for further investigations into fertility of females.
A method for analyzing the expansion and shrinkage of point pattern
Authors: Sadahiro Yukio
Published: October 2020

This article proposes a new method for analyzing the spatial expansion and shrinkage of point patterns. Spatial expansions of epidemic diseases and market areas are represented as the expansions of point patterns when disease cases and store customers are represented as points. The spatial expansion and shrinkage have been studied in many scientific fields. Existing analytical methods, however, are not sufficient for treating complicated spatiotemporal patterns. To answer this demand, this article develops a new method for analyzing the expansion and shrinkage of points. Three vector measures evaluate the degree and direction of expansion and shrinkage as functions of location and time. They are visualized as vector maps, which are valid for capturing the global spatiotemporal pattern as well as for discussing the local variation. Summary measures of these vectors allow us to grasp the overall spatiotemporal pattern efficiently. To test the validity of the proposed method, this article applies it to the analysis of visitors to Shinjuku and Ginza in Tokyo. The proposed measures permitted us to evaluate the spatiotemporal pattern of the visitors in detail and to consider its underlying structure from various perspectives, which indicated the soundness of the technique.
Love the ones you’re with: Characteristics and behaviour of Maryland pets and their owners in relation to tick encounters
Authors: de Wet Sara , Rutz Heather , Hinckley Alison F , Hook Sarah A , Campbell Stefanie , Feldman Katherine A
Published: October 2020

We conducted a cross‐sectional study to evaluate associations between pet characteristics and behaviours and risk of tick encounters among pets and pet owners. We defined a tick encounter as ticks found crawling on or attached to a pet or pet owner. Information about pet characteristics, interactions between owners and pets, and tick encounters were captured through an online survey. Associations were evaluated using univariate and multivariable analyses. In univariate analysis, walking dogs only on pavement reduced risk of tick encounter among owners (prevalence ratio (PR) = 0.51, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.30, 0.84). Having a dog or cat that hunted small animals increased risk of tick encounter among owners (PR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.30, 2.13; PR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.34, respectively). No direct interactions between owners and pets (e.g., pets sleeping on owners' beds) were associated with increased risk of tick encounters among owners. In multivariable analysis among dog owners, having a pet with a tick encounter within the last six months was associated with increased risk of owner tick encounter (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.17, 95% CI: 2.94, 5.92); in addition, having a dog that hunts small animals was associated with increased risk of owner tick encounter (aOR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.25, 3.11). These results suggest that the location of pet‐owner interactions may be more important than the type of interactions. Pet owners should avoid tick habitat with pets; when that is not possible, proper use of tick preventive products for pets, wearing repellents by owners and conducting tick checks for both pets and owners is critical for prevention of tick encounters and tick‐borne disease.
PEDOT:PSS Coating Improves Gecko-Inspired Adhesive Performance
Authors: Kerst Capella , Suresh Srinivasan A. , Ferro Marc , Cutkosky Mark
Published: October 2020

We report a surface treatment for an elastomeric dry adhesive that improves adhesion, especially on surfaces with microscopic roughness. The process involves coating wedge-shaped polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) features of the adhesive with a 50 nm coating of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). As compared to the uncoated adhesive, performance is 1.25× better on smooth surfaces like glass, with a maximum shear stress of 70 kPa in shear and 25 kPa in normal adhesion under controlled loading conditions. On slightly rough surfaces such as paper and panels painted with flat paint, it provides between 2.5× and over 12× greater shear stress than the uncoated adhesive. Moreover, the coating, being much stiffer than the underlying wedges, does not increase the tendency to become dirty and does not tend to self-stick, or clump. Durability tests show that the performance remains substantially unchanged for 80,000 attachment/loading/detachment cycles. We describe the coating process, present the test results, and discuss the reasons for the enhanced performance on a variety of materials.
Discrete-Time Nonlinear Singularly Perturbed System Identification Using Coupled Multimodel Representation
Authors: Ben Rajab Asma , Bahri Nesrine , Ltaief Majda
Published: October 2020

Many control and observability theories for singularly perturbed systems require the full knowledge of system model parameters exceptionally if the system is considered as black box. To overcome this problem and to obtain an accurate and faithful model, this paper describes a new identification method for discrete-time nonlinear singularly perturbed systems (NLSPS) using the coupled state multimodel representation. The Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm is used to identify not only the submodels parameters but also the perturbation parameter ε. Two cases are considered to identify these systems. The first one supposes that the perturbation parameter ε of the real system is known and thus only the submodels parameters are identified. The second case supposes that this perturbation parameter is unknown and has to be identified with the other submodels parameters. The simulation example demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed identification.
Anisotropic Effect on Ductile Crack Growth of Pressurized Pipes Under Fully Bending Moment
Authors: Sakonder Cuneyt , Paredes Marcelo
Published: October 2020

One of the common assumptions done in Engineering Critical Assessment (ECA) procedures and standard design codes to assess criticality of initial defects is that the metallic material is isotropic and its plastic flow can be well represented by the von Mises yield function for large plastic deformations. This is due to the coupons used for material characterization are usually extracted from the pipe section along a specific orientation (transverse or longitudinal), and thus the material is deemed as isotropic. This factor may limit tremendously the applicability of the ECA for a more general loading case scenario, where the criticality of the initial crack would be required. In this exploratory study, a X65 seam weld pipeline steel is investigated by considering the effect of anisotropy on plasticity and fracture responses of biaxially loaded pipes having different crack lengths, diameter sizes and internal hydrostatic pressures. The results indicate that anisotropic effects become significant in thin-walled pipes than in thicker configurations regardless initial crack size and internal pressure due to the heavy wall-thickness.
Failure Pressure Prediction of Crack in Corrosion Defects in 2D by Using XFEM
Authors: Zhang Xinfang , Okodi Allan , Tan Leichuan , Leung Juliana , Adeeb Samer
Published: October 2020

Aging pipelines may experience several different types of degradation, such as crack and corrosion, which pose serious concerns for the pipeline integrity. Hybrid flaws such as crack-in-corrosion (CIC), can be challenging to model and understand. For instance, predicting the failure pressure using the finite element method (FEM) is relatively difficult; therefore, the extended finite element method (XFEM) is introduced here. Compared to the conventional FEM, which requires extremely fine meshes and is impractical for modelling dynamic crack propagation, XFEM is computationally efficient as there is no need to update the mesh elements for tracking the crack path. This paper aims to study the applicability of XFEM in predicting the failure pressure of CIC defects in 2D. In particular, mesh size sensitivity and the effects of different CIC parameters on the final failure pressure were examined. ABAQUS v 6.14 was used for this simulation study. For simplicity, only half of the pipe was modelled assuming symmetry around the horizontal plane. A CIC defect was placed at the exterior of the pipe. The corroded area was assumed to be semi-elliptical, and the crack was simulated as a longitudinal crack. In this paper, failure criterion was satisfied when the crack has propagated to the last element. Several models were built in which the length and width of the elements at the crack tip were changed. An optimum mesh size was determined and was applied subsequently in several other models to study the impacts of crack depths, corroded area widths, and corrosion profiles. The results showed that when the total defect depth was fixed at 50% of the wall thickness, the failure pressure decreased with increasing the crack depth, while both corroded area width and corrosion profile only have a secondary effect on the failure pressure. In addition, the failure pressure of a CIC defect was bound between that of a crack-only defect and a corrosion-only defect. When the depth of the crack is higher than 50% of the total defect area, the CIC defect can be treated as a crack only defect with a crack depth equal to the total defect depth.
A Finite Element Simulation Study on Reducers Based on Ultrasonic Guided Waves
Authors: Pu-Gen Zhang , Ju Ding , Yu-Qing Yang , Jin-Sha Xu , Jin-Feng Lin
Published: October 2020

Due to its special structural form, the reducers have common corrosion defects such as corrosion thinning, cracks and so on after being strongly impacted by the medium inside the pipes. However, there are few studies on the detection of reducers with the help of ultrasonic guided waves at present. In order to explore the effect of reducers to ultrasonic guided waves detection, the propagation characteristics of ultrasonic guided waves in reducer were simulated by using ABQUES. In the simulation, L (0, 2) mode was used to detect the reducer by two set of experiments. The first set of simulation experiment, L (0, 2) mode was excited from the large end of the pipe to detect the pipe with axial crack, circumferential crack and no crack respectively. The second set of simulation experiment, L (0, 2) mode was excited from the small end of the pipe to detect the pipe with axial crack, circumferential crack and no crack. The ability to detect defect was assessed by the time domain waveform of reflected echo, and the dynamic stress distribution cloud map is used to visually explain the propagation characteristics of the guided waves passing through the reducer, and the difference of detection capability between the two ends of excitation is judged by comparing the detection results. The conclusion shows that it is more sensitive to detect defect when ultrasonic guided waves are excited at the larger end, the ability to detect defects is weak when ultrasonic guided waves are excited at the small end. The mode conversion occurs and generate F (1, 1) mode, when the guided waves pass through the reducer from both ends. This paper provides effective technical guidance when ultrasonic guided waves detect defect on reducers.
Research on Flexible Phased Array Technique for Testing the Inserted Fillet Welds
Authors: Qian Shengjie , Chen Hu , Xu Shengyong , Chen Dingyue
Published: October 2020

It is difficult to guarantee the welding quality of inserted fillet welds because of its special geometry and complicated stress condition. For the low detection efficiency of the conventional ultrasonic testing method, the false detection and the missed detection of the flaws occur frequently. For the above reasons, a new testing method is presented in this paper which based on the common structure characteristics of inserted fillet welds. The key point of this new method is to put the flexible phased array on the internal surface of the tube during the detection. The beam focusing model of flexible phased array is theoretically analyzed. The simulation on the acoustic field and defect response with CIVA software are completed to determine the phased array parameters, including array elements, array element size, deflection angle, ultrasonic frequency and so on. Then, a special ultrasonic detection system is designed and fabricated for testing the inserted fillet welds. In addition, the specimen of the inserted fillet welds with artificial flaws is manufactured and experiment research is carried out. Finally, the quality detection of actual product is successfully implemented. The results indicate that this technique can effectively detect the typical flaws such as crack, slag, porosity, etc.