bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vector competence of human-biting ticks Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis for Powassan virus
Authors: Sharma Rohit , Cozens Duncan W. , Armstrong Philip M. , Brackney Douglas E.
Published: September 2021

Background

Powassan virus (POWV; genus Flavivirus) is the sole North American member of the tick-borne encephalitis sero-complex and an increasing public health threat in the USA. Maintained in nature by Ixodes spp. ticks, POWV has also been isolated from species of other hard tick genera, yet it is unclear if these species can serve as vectors. Dermacentor variabilis and Amblyomma americanum share geographic and ecologic overlap with Ixodes spp. ticks and POWV transmission foci, raising the possibility that POWV could become established in these tick species and leading to range expansion and increased human risk. Therefore, we assessed the competency of Ixodes scapularis, D. variabilis and A. americanum for POWV lineage II (POWV II).

Methods

Larvae from all three species were co-infested on POWV-infected Balb/c mice. The engorged larvae were allowed to molt to nymphs and screened for the presence of POWV II RNA by reverse transcription-qPCR. Eight infected nymphs from each species were allowed to individually feed on a naïve mouse. Mice were screened for the presence of POWV II RNA to determine infection status.

Results

The results demonstrated that larvae from all three tick species were able to efficiently acquire POWV II via feeding on viremic mice, maintain infection through molting and successively transmit POWV to naïve mice at the nymphal stage at comparable rates across all three species.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal that non-Ixodes tick species can serve as competent vectors for POWV and highlight the potential role of these species in the ecology and epidemiology of POWV. Future studies examining the possible implications of these findings on POWV epidemiology and the adaptability of POWV in these new vectors are warranted.

Graphical abstract
An experimental approach to microbial carbonate precipitation in improving the engineering properties of sandy soils
Authors: Bagriacik Baki , Sani Zahraddeen Kabir , Uslu Fatima Masume , Yigittekin Esra Sunduz , Dincer Sadik
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Stabilization of weak soil can be achieved through different methods, some of which include jet column, cement stabilization and fly ash stabilization. Unfortunately, the use of the aforementioned methods of soil improvement affects the environment negatively thereby leading to environmental degradation. With the aforesaid impediment in mind, the need for devising methods of weak soil improvement becomes pertinent.

Methods

Bacillus sp. — a non-pathogenic organism found abundantly in soil — was investigated in this study as a potential agent of soil improvement. The usability of Bacillus sp. in soil improvement was investigated with direct shear tests and permeability tests under optimum conditions in this study.

Result

Time-dependent study on the effect of the ureolytic bacteria Bacillus sp.-induced calcium carbonate precipitation shows reduction in permeability and increase in the strength of the soil under study. On exhaustion of the available nutrients in the soil, however, the strength of the soil is not negatively impacted.

Conclusion

Microbially induced calcium precipitation by Bacillus sp. is effective in soil improvement as such it may serve as substitute for conventional soil stabilization techniques. The ability of the bacteria to precipitate calcium carbonate in the soil leads to reduction in the permeability and increase in the shear strength of the soil.
Acute pancreatitis associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Eldaly Abdullah S. , Fath Ayman R. , Mashaly Sarah M. , Elhadi Muhammed
Published: September 2021

Introduction

We report a case of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection with acute pancreatitis as the only presenting symptom. To the best of our knowledge, there are few case reports of the same presentation.

Case presentation

An otherwise healthy 44-year-old white male from Egypt presented to the hospital with severe epigastric pain and over ten attacks of nonprojectile vomiting (first, gastric content, then bilious). Acute pancreatitis was suspected and confirmed by serum amylase, serum lipase, and computed tomography scan that showed mild diffuse enlargement of the pancreas. The patient did not have any risk factor for acute pancreatitis, and extensive investigations did not reveal a clear etiology. Given a potential occupational exposure, a nasopharyngeal swab for polymerase chain reaction testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was done, which was positive despite the absence of the typical symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 such as fever and respiratory symptoms. The patient was managed conservatively. For pancreatitis, he was kept nil per os for 2 days and received intravenous lactated Ringer’s (10 ml per kg per hour), nalbuphine, alpha chymotrypsin, omeprazole, and cyclizine lactate. For severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, he received a 5-day course of intravenous azithromycin (500 mg per day). He improved quickly and was discharged by the fifth day. We know that abdominal pain is not a rare symptom of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and we also know that elevated levels of serum amylase and lipase were reported in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 patients, especially those with severe symptoms. However, the association between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection and idiopathic acute pancreatitis is rare and has been reported only a few times.

Conclusion

We believe further studies should be conducted to determine the extent of pancreatic involvement in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 patients and the possible causality between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and acute pancreatitis. We reviewed the literature regarding the association between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and acute pancreatitis patients. Published data suggest that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 possibly could be a risk factor for acute pancreatitis.
Human Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells alleviate concanavalin A-induced fulminant hepatitis by repressing NF-κB signaling and glycolysis
Authors: Pan Lijie , Liu Chang , Liu Qiuli , Li Yanli , Du Cong , Kang Xinmei , Dong Shuai , Zhou Zhuowei , Chen Huaxin , Liang Xiaoqi , Chu Jiajie , Xu Yan , Zhang Qi
Published: September 2021

Background

Fulminant hepatitis is a severe life-threatening clinical condition with rapid progressive loss of liver function. It is characterized by massive activation and infiltration of immune cells into the liver and disturbance of inflammatory cytokine production. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) showed potent immunomodulatory properties. Transplantation of MSCs is suggested as a promising therapeutic approach for a host of inflammatory conditions.

Methods

In the current study, a well-established concanavalin A (Con A)-induced fulminant hepatitis mouse model was used to investigate the effects of transplanting human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly-derived MSCs (hWJ-MSCs) on fulminant hepatitis.

Results

We showed that hWJ-MSCs effectively alleviate fulminant hepatitis in mouse models, primarily through inhibiting T cell immunity. RNA sequencing of liver tissues and human T cells co-cultured with hWJ-MSCs showed that NF-κB signaling and glycolysis are two main pathways mediating the protective role of hWJ-MSCs on both Con A-induced hepatitis in vivo and T cell activation in vitro.

Conclusion

In summary, our data confirmed the potent therapeutic role of MSCs-derived from Wharton's jelly of human umbilical cord on Con A-induced fulminant hepatitis, and uncovered new mechanisms that glycolysis metabolic shift mediates suppression of T cell immunity by hWJ-MSCs.
Exposure to interparental violence and justification of intimate partner violence among women in sexual unions in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Aboagye Richard Gyan , Seidu Abdul-Aziz , Asare Bernard Yeboah-Asiamah , Peprah Prince , Addo Isaac Yeboah , Ahinkorah Bright Opoku
Published: September 2021

Background

Justification of intimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the critical factors that account for the high prevalence of IPV among women. In this study, we examined the association between exposure to interparental violence and IPV justification among women in sexual unions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Methods

Data for this study were obtained from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 26 countries in SSA conducted between 2010 and 2020. A total of 112,953 women in sexual unions were included in this study. A multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was carried out. The results of the regression analysis were presented using crude odds ratios (cOR) and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

The prevalence of interparental violence in the countries considered in this study was 23.8%, with the highest (40.8%) and lowest (4.9%) in Burundi and Comoros, respectively. IPV justification was 45.8%, with the highest and lowest prevalence in Mali (80.9%) and South Africa (4.6%) respectively. Women who were exposed to interparental violence were more likely to justify IPV compared to those who were not exposed [aOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.47–1.59]. We found higher odds of justification of IPV among women who were exposed to interparental violence compared to those who were not exposed in all the countries, except Burkina Faso, Comoros, Gambia, and Rwanda.

Conclusion

The findings call for several strategies for addressing interparental violence. These may include empowerment services targeting both men and women, formation of stronger social networks to improve women’s self-confidence, and the provision of evidence-based information and resources at the community level. These interventions should pay critical attention to young people exposed to interparental violence. Public health education and messaging should emphasise on the negative health and social implications of interparental violence and IPV.
577-nm high-power optically pumped semiconductor laser is safe and effective in the treatment of inflammatory acne: a prospective, single-center, split-face comparative study
Authors: Mohamed E. M. , Tawfik K. M. , Elsayed I. B. , Bölke E. , Gerber P. A.
Published: September 2021

Objective

This study aimed to appraise the efficacy of a 577-nm high-power optically pumped semiconductor laser (HOPSL) for the treatment of inflammatory acne.

Methods

The study included 50 patients with acne vulgaris (inflammatory type), 14 men, and 36 women; patient ages ranged from 16 to 35 years. The left side of the face was treated with a single pass of a 577-nm high-power optically pumped semiconductor laser (HOPSL) every 2 weeks for 3 sessions. The severity of acne examined prior to the first session and 4 weeks after the last session (Investigator's Global Assessment of acne severity, IGA; single lesion count).

Results

At baseline, no statistically significant difference in the severity of inflammatory acne lesions between both sides was observed. One month after the final session, a significant improvement (IGA reduction of > 50%) of the overall severity of acne was observed in 49 patients (98%) on the laser-treated side versus 41 (82%) the control side of the face (P < .05). Hence, we found a significant reduction in the mean percentage of inflammatory papules, pustules, and nodules on the laser-treated versus the control side (79.33 vs 56.92, 78.04 vs 43.33, 64.85 vs 21.93%, respectively) (P < 0.05). Side effects in the form of erythema and irritation during sessions were transient and tolerated by the patients.

Conclusion

The 577-nm high-power optically pumped semiconductor laser is effective and safe for the treatment of inflammatory lesions (papules, pustules, and nodules) in acne patients.
Synaptic tau: A pathological or physiological phenomenon?
Authors: Robbins Miranda , Clayton Emma , Kaminski Schierle Gabriele S.
Published: September 2021

In this review, we discuss the synaptic aspects of Tau pathology occurring during Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and how this may relate to memory impairment, a major hallmark of AD. Whilst the clinical diagnosis of AD patients is a loss of working memory and long-term declarative memory, the histological diagnosis is the presence of neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated Tau and Amyloid-beta plaques. Tau pathology spreads through synaptically connected neurons to impair synaptic function preceding the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic loss, axonal retraction and cell death. Alongside synaptic pathology, recent data suggest that Tau has physiological roles in the pre- or post- synaptic compartments. Thus, we have seen a shift in the research focus from Tau as a microtubule-stabilising protein in axons, to Tau as a synaptic protein with roles in accelerating spine formation, dendritic elongation, and in synaptic plasticity coordinating memory pathways. We collate here the myriad of emerging interactions and physiological roles of synaptic Tau, and discuss the current evidence that synaptic Tau contributes to pathology in AD.
Effects of microglial depletion and TREM2 deficiency on Aβ plaque burden and neuritic plaque tau pathology in 5XFAD mice
Authors: Delizannis Argyro Thalia , Nonneman Annelies , Tsering Wangchen , De Bondt An , Van den Wyngaert Ilse , Zhang Bin , Meymand Emily , Olufemi Modupe F. , Koivula Pyry , Maimaiti Shaniya , Trojanowski John Q. , Lee Virginia M.-Y. , Brunden Kurt R.
Published: September 2021

Dystrophic neuronal processes harboring neuritic plaque (NP) tau pathology are found in association with Aβ plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain. Microglia are also in proximity to these plaques and microglial gene variants are known risk factors in AD, including loss-of-function variants of TREM2. We have further investigated the role of Aβ plaque-associated microglia in 5XFAD mice in which NP tau pathology forms after intracerebral injection of AD brain-derived pathologic tau (AD-tau), focusing on the consequences of reduced TREM2 expression and microglial depletion after treatment with the colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSFR1) inhibitor, PLX3397. Young 5XFAD mice treated with PLX3397 had a large reduction of brain microglia, including cortical plaque-associated microglia, with a significant reduction of Aβ plaque burden in the cortex. A corresponding decrease in cortical APP-positive dystrophic processes and NP tau pathology were observed after intracerebral AD-tau injection in the PLX3397-treated 5XFAD mice. Consistent with prior reports, 5XFAD × TREM2−/− mice showed a significant reduction of plaque-associated microglial, whereas 5XFAD × TREM2+/− mice had significantly more plaque-associated microglia than 5XFAD × TREM2−/− mice. Nonetheless, AD-tau injected 5XFAD × TREM2+/− mice showed greatly increased AT8-positive NP tau relative to 5XFAD × TREM2+/+ mice. Expression profiling revealed that 5XFAD × TREM2+/− mice had a disease-associated microglial (DAM) gene expression profile in the brain that was generally intermediate between 5XFAD × TREM2+/+ and 5XFAD × TREM2−/− mice. Microarray analysis revealed significant differences in cortical and hippocampal gene expression between AD-tau injected 5XFAD × TREM2+/− and 5XFAD × TREM2−/− mice, including pathways linked to microglial function. These data suggest there is not a simple correlation between the extent of microglia plaque interaction and plaque-associated neuritic damage. Moreover, the differences in gene expression and microglial phenotype between TREM2+/− and TREM2−/− mice suggest that the former may better model the single copy TREM2 variants associated with AD risk.
Toward more mindful reporting of patient and public involvement in healthcare
Authors: Scholz Brett , Bevan Alan
Published: September 2021

Understanding of the value of patient and public involvement in research has grown in recent years, but so too has uncertainty about how best to practice and how best to report such involvement in research outputs. One way proposed to report such involvement is through checklists, such as the GRIPP2, which aims to improve quality, transparency, and consistency in such reporting. We critique the unproblematised use of such a tool because of two main concerns. First, being asked to complete a GRIPP2 for a recent publication felt divisive given that the service user researcher was as much a member of the authorship team as the other researchers (whose involvement did not necessitate a checklist). Second, checklists do not actually address the power imbalances and tokenism that is rife in patient and public involvement in research. Indeed, the false sense of objectivity fostered by meeting the minimum requirements of the checklist means that researchers may not go further to engage in reflexive research practices and reporting. Rather than rote use of such checklists, we recommend mindful reflexive reporting in research outputs of patient and public involvement processes. We also recommend future iterations of the GRIPP consider (a) incorporating criteria about whether the checklist is completed by or with service user researchers or not, (b) addressing criteria that position service user research as needing to be justified, and (c) expanding the “critical perspective” element of the checklist to explicitly consider power differentials.
Fractured basement imaging using random-space-shift reverse time migration: A vertical seismic profile survey in the Bohai Bay Basin, China
Authors: Zong Jingjing , Yang Jizhong , Cheng Arthur , Li Yunyue Elita , Wo Yukai , Du Yue
Published: September 2021

Fractured basements are not only potential reservoirs for hydrocarbon resources, but they also provide significant storage space for carbon dioxide ([Formula: see text]) sequestration and radioactive waste disposal. However, fractured basements are challenging for seismic imaging methods due to the complexities in their fault and fracture networks, strong heterogeneity, highly variable structural dip, and strong impedance contrasts between the basement rocks and the surrounding sediments. We present a field case in which a walkaway vertical seismic profiling (VSP) survey was conducted at a fractured basement play located in the Bohai Bay Basin, China, to improve the resolution compared with a preexisting surface seismic profile. Using the advanced random-space-shift (RSS) reverse time migration (RTM), we obtain a high-resolution image with a clear delineation of the highly faulted dipping basement. From numerical and field examples, we find that the application of the RSS-RTM improves the final image by mitigating unavoidable errors in the migration velocity model, which would otherwise result in an unfocused image using the conventional RTM approach. In addition, we determine the importance of proper wavefield separation using 3C recordings, which is the key to ensuring the quality of the final image. With an optimized VSP imaging workflow, we provide an enhanced image for the fractured basement to support the geologic interpretations and development decisions.
S-wave propagation across material discontinuities in poroelasticity
Authors: González Josué G. , Sahay Pratap N. , Müller Tobias M.
Published: September 2021

The shear motion in Newtonian fluids, that is, the fluid vorticity, represents an intrinsic loss mechanism governed by a diffusion equation. Its description involves the trace-free part of the fluid viscous stress tensor. This part is missing in the Biot theory of poroelasticity. As a result, the fluid vorticity is not captured and only one shear wave (S-wave) is predicted. The missing fluid vorticity has implications for the propagation of S-waves across discontinuities. This becomes most apparent in the problem of S-wave propagation across the welded contact of an elastic solid with a porous medium. At such a contact, the no-slip condition between the elastic solid and the constituent parts of the porous medium, the solid frame and the pore fluid, must hold. This requirement translates into a vanishing relative motion of the fluid with respect to the solid frame, that is, the filtration field, at the contact. Nevertheless, our analysis indicates that for the Biot theory, in the low-frequency regime, a nonzero, although insignificantly small, filtration field exists at the contact. However, more importantly, the filtration field is noticeable when the transition to the high-frequency regime occurs. This constitutes a disagreement with the requirement of a no-slip boundary condition and renders the prediction unphysical. This shortcoming is circumvented by including the fluid viscous stress tensor into the poroelastic constitutive relations, as stipulated by the de la Cruz-Spanos poroelasticity theory. Then, a second S-wave is predicted that manifests as the fluid vorticity at the macroscale. This process is distinct from the fast S-wave, the other predicted S-wave akin to the Biot S-wave. We find that the generation of this process at the contact induces a filtration field equal and opposite to that associated with the fast S-wave. Therefore, the no-slip condition is satisfied and the S-wave reflection/transmission across a discontinuity becomes physically meaningful.
The impact of lifetime interpersonal and intentional trauma on cognition and vulnerability to psychosis in bipolar disorder
Authors: Lebovitz Julia G. , Millett Caitlin E. , Shanahan Meg , Levy-Carrick Nomi C. , Burdick Katherine E.
Published: September 2021

Background

Studies have shown that over half of individuals with bipolar disorder experience early-life trauma, which may influence clinical outcomes, including suicidality and presence of psychotic features. However, studies report inconsistent findings regarding the effect of trauma on cognitive outcomes in bipolar disorder.

Aims

Our study explores the effect of lifetime trauma on the level of vulnerability to psychosis and cognitive performance in participants with bipolar disorder.

Method

We evaluated lifetime trauma history in 236 participants with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder type 1 or 2, using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. We classified trauma types based on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's concept of trauma, which characterises the type of experienced trauma (e.g. interpersonal and intentional, accidental or naturally occurring). Our primary outcome measures of interest were vulnerability to psychosis (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire), cognitive performance (MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery) and social functioning (Social Adjustment Scale Self-Report).

Results

Multivariate analysis of covariance showed a significant effect of trauma type on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire cognitive–perceptual domain (F(3) = 6.7, P < 0.001). The no-trauma group had lower cognitive–perceptual schizotypal features compared with the accidental and intentional trauma (P < 0.001) and interpersonal and intentional trauma (P = 0.01) groups.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the need for careful trauma inquiry in patients with bipolar disorder, and consideration of how trauma-focused or -informed treatments may be an integral part of treatment planning to improve outcomes in bipolar disorder.
Husbands' Dominance in Decision-Making About Women's Health: A Spatial Diffusion Perspective in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Andriano Liliana , Behrman Julia , Monden Christiaan
Published: September 2021

This article maps spatial and temporal variation in husbands' dominance in decision-making about their wives' health using pooled Demographic and Health Surveys from 28 countries in sub-Saharan Africa in an earlier (i.e., 2001–2005) and later (i.e., 2010–2014) period. First, we use adaptive bandwidth kernel density estimation to show how aggregate country-level estimates of husbands' decision-making dominance mask enormous spatial heterogeneity within countries. Our maps also reveal a geographic clustering of cells with similar levels of husband's decision-making dominance both within and between countries. Next, we use panel fixed-effects spatial regression methods to show that decreases in husbands' decision-making dominance in neighboring cells are associated with decreases in husbands' decision-making dominance in the reference cell. These findings support a diffusion explanation for declines in husbands' decision-making dominance over time. Our analyses also indicate that schooling and urbanization may be important channels through which diffusion occurs, which we speculate is because these are places where people are exposed to new ideas and gender norms.
The Crucial Role of Mothers and Siblings in Child Survival: Evidence From 29 Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Bocquier Philippe , Ginsburg Carren , Menashe-Oren Ashira , Compaoré Yacouba , Collinson Mark
Published: September 2021

A considerable body of research has studied the effects of siblings on child mortality through birth intervals. This research has commonly focused on older siblings. We argue that birth intervals with younger siblings may have equal or stronger effects on child mortality, even during a mother's pregnancy. Moreover, we contend that birth interval effects need to be considered only when siblings are coresident. Using longitudinal data from 29 Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems across sub-Saharan Africa, covering more than 560,000 children, we examine the proximate role of siblings and mothers in child mortality. We find that a birth interval of 24 months or more is advantageous for both older and younger siblings. The effect of a younger sibling on child mortality is more pronounced than that of an older sibling and adds to the effect of an older sibling. Moreover, child mortality is particularly low during a mother's subsequent pregnancy, contrasting the shock resulting from a younger sibling's birth. Further, we find that a mother's or sibling's absence from the household results in a higher risk of mortality, and the death of either reduces child survival up to six months before the death.
Visual detection of binary, ternary and quaternary protein interactions in fission yeast using a Pil1 co-tethering assay
Authors: Yu Zhong-Qiu , Liu Xiao-Man , Zhao Dan , Xu Dan-Dan , Du Li-Lin
Published: September 2021

Protein–protein interactions are vital for executing nearly all cellular processes. To facilitate the detection of protein–protein interactions in living cells of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, here we present an efficient and convenient method termed the Pil1 co-tethering assay. In its basic form, we tether a bait protein to mCherry-tagged Pil1, which forms cortical filamentary structures, and examine whether a GFP-tagged prey protein colocalizes with the bait. We demonstrate that this assay is capable of detecting pairwise protein–protein interactions of cytosolic proteins and nuclear proteins. Furthermore, we show that this assay can be used for detecting not only binary protein–protein interactions, but also ternary and quaternary protein–protein interactions. Using this assay, we systematically characterized the protein–protein interactions in the Atg1 complex and in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PtdIns3K) complexes and found that Atg38 is incorporated into the PtdIns3K complex I via an Atg38–Vps34 interaction. Our data show that this assay is a useful and versatile tool and should be added to the routine toolbox of fission yeast researchers.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Body temperature is a repeatable trait in a free-ranging passerine bird
Authors: Tapper Simon , Nocera Joseph J. , Burness Gary
Published: September 2021

Body temperature (Tb) affects animal function through its influence on rates of biochemical and biophysical reactions, the molecular structures of proteins and tissues, and, ultimately, organismal performance. Despite its importance in driving physiological processes, there are few data on how much variation in Tb exists within populations of organisms, and whether this variation consistently differs among individuals over time (i.e. repeatability of a trait). Here, using thermal radio-frequency identification implants, we quantified the repeatability of Tb, both in the context of a fixed average environment (∼21°C) and across ambient temperatures (6–31°C), in a free-living population of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor, n=16). By experimentally trimming the ventral plumage of a subset of female swallows (n=8), we also asked whether the repeatability of Tb is influenced by the capacity to dissipate body heat. We found that both female and male tree swallow Tb was repeatable at 21°C (R=0.89–92), but female Tb was less repeatable than male Tb across ambient temperature (Rfemale=0.10, Rmale=0.58), which may be due to differences in parental investment. Trimmed birds had on average lower Tb than control birds (by ∼0.5°C), but the repeatability of female Tb did not differ as a function of heat dissipation capacity. This suggests that trimmed individuals adjusted their Tb to account for the effects of heat loss on Tb. Our study provides a first critical step toward understanding whether Tb is responsive to natural selection, and for predicting how animal populations will respond to climatic warming.
Differential Diagnosis for the Painful Tingling Arm
Authors: Smith Sarah M. , McMullen Christopher W. , Herring Stanley A.
Published: September 2021

The painful tingling arm is a common presenting complaint for the musculoskeletal physician. The differential diagnosis for upper-extremity pain associated with paresthesias will be the focus of this review. Symptoms are often neurologic in etiology, originating from the spinal cord, nerve root(s), brachial plexus, or peripheral nerve(s). Localizing the pathology starts with a comprehensive understanding of neuromuscular anatomy. It also is imperative to understand the function of these respective structures. The differential diagnosis can be narrowed with a thorough history, including an assessment of sport-specific risk factors, along with a comprehensive physical examination and functional assessment. It is important to determine the sensory distribution of the patient's symptoms. If weakness also is present, the affected muscles must be identified. While the diagnosis can often be made clinically, electrodiagnostics, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound can be used as needed for confirmation and more specific localization. Nonneurologic structures also may be causative or contributory to the patient's symptoms and also should be considered.
Automated Linking of Historical Data
Authors: Abramitzky Ran , Boustan Leah , Eriksson Katherine , Feigenbaum James , Pérez Santiago
Published: September 2021

The recent digitization of complete count census data is an extraordinary opportunity for social scientists to create large longitudinal datasets by linking individuals from one census to another or from other sources to the census. We evaluate different automated methods for record linkage, performing a series of comparisons across methods and against hand linking. We have three main findings that lead us to conclude that automated methods perform well. First, a number of automated methods generate very low (less than 5 percent) false positive rates. The automated methods trace out a frontier illustrating the trade-off between the false positive rate and the (true) match rate. Relative to more conservative automated algorithms, humans tend to link more observations but at a cost of higher rates of false positives. Second, when human linkers and algorithms use the same linking variables, there is relatively little disagreement between them. Third, across a number of plausible analyses, coefficient estimates and parameters of interest are very similar when using linked samples based on each of the different automated methods. We provide code and Stata commands to implement the various automated methods. (JEL C81, C83, N01, N31, N32)
Strengthened family planning is critical to help accelerate the reduction of maternal mortality in Indonesia
Authors: Utomo Budi , Romadlona Nohan Arum
Published: September 2021

The still stubbornly high maternal mortality ratio challenges Indonesia to improve health program strategies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 target of a maternal mortality ratio below 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. Indonesia has already adopted maternal-neonatal health experts’ recommendation of four core program strategies to reduce maternal mortality: (1) family planning with related reproductive health services; (2) skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth; (3) timely emergency obstetric care; and (4) immediate postnatal care (WHO, 1996). These four core strategies would reduce maternal mortality through reduced high-risk births. To be effective, however, these four core program strategies require continued strong quality assurance and central and local government support to ensure program effectiveness yielded towards widely accessible, sustained, quality family planning and maternal and neonatal emergency services. This paper provides evidence for the importance of family planning to help health program strategies to accelerate maternal mortality reduction.
Lightning Behaviour during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Yusfiandika Fazandra , Siow Chun Lim , Gomes Chandima , Chockalingam Aravind , Cheng Pay Lee
Published: September 2021

Background

COVID-19 has drastically dampened human activities since early 2020. Studies have shown that this has resulted in changes in air temperature and humidity. Since lightning activities are dependent on air temperature and humidity, this study is conducted to evaluate the correlation between the intensity of lightning activities with the atmospheric changes, and investigates the changes, in lightning activities due to atmospheric changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

The hypothesis was tested through a t-test and Pearson’s correlation study. The variation trend of lightning strikes count (LSC) in Europe and Oceania during the five months COVID-19 lockdown period (March – July) compared to the same period in the previous five years from 2015 to 2019 is investigated.

Results

Statistical analysis shows the LSC in Europe and Oceania during the lockdown period dropped significantly by more than 50% and 44% respectively compared to the same period in previous five years. Furthermore, LSC was found to be positively correlated with air temperature and relative humidity in Europe. However, in Oceania, LSC seems to be only positively correlated with air temperature but negatively correlated with relative humidity.

Conclusions

This study seems to suggest that lightning activities have significantly changed during this pandemic due to reduction in human activities.
Effects of human capital and fund characteristics on mutual fund performance in Malaysia
Authors: Chong Venny Sin-Woon , Ming Ming Lai , Chong Lee Lee
Published: September 2021

Background: The evolution of the mutual funds industry has changed investors’ perspective. Instead of just focusing on which fund performances are best, investors pay great attention to who is managing and delivering superior returns in their investment portfolios. Nonetheless, it is very scant of comprehensive studies concern with human capital managerial characteristics that link with fund performances. Hence, this study proposes the integration of fund performances, managerial characteristics, systematic risk, expense, and turnover ratio, with single and simultaneous equations based on asset pricing models.

Methods: Using a sample of Malaysian fund managers, data from fund management companies, Thomson One database, and fund master prospectus over the periods of January 2012 to December 2014, the fund performance was measured using Jensen alpha (CAPM single factor), and Fama and French three-factor model on single and simultaneous equations. The examination was further carried out by employing the ordinary least squares and three-stage least squares methods.

Results: The results suggest that for fund managers, holding a business degree was the key factor to determine the fund performance, while having Master’s degree was not the primary concern. Fund performance and risk behavior varied across fund managers of different gender.

Conclusions: The expense ratio, turnover ratio, and fund objective were significantly correlated with fund performance. This study provides ultimate implications for fund management companies, when it comes to the efficient allocation of human capital. Fund management companies should focus more on the team-managed funds phenomenon, instead of on single-managed funds. Overall, this study provides significant guidance for the Malaysian Securities Commissions and fund management companies, to develop a more competent funds market in Malaysia. Specifically, by strengthening the fund industry policies, the typical agency problems, such as too-high managerial expenses, and excessive risk-taking can be alleviated.
The Effects of Stock-Based Incentives on Inventory Management
Authors: Wu Qi , Lai Guoming
Published: September 2021

Classic inventory theories typically focus on the operational trade-offs to optimize inventory decisions. However, managers of public firms who obtain stock-based incentives may alter inventory operations to influence the stock price. We develop a stylized model, which shows that, in the presence of an interest in the stock price, managers over-install inventory when it can either inflate sales or deflate the reported cost of goods sold even if the market anticipates such actions. We analyze the joint and marginal effects of the stock-based incentives and the cost of using inventory to manage earnings, which may provide useful implications for the detection of inventory distortion and the design of management incentive plans. We then conduct an empirical analysis based on the financial data of U.S. publicly listed retailers and manufacturers. We find positive (negative) correlation between firms’ abnormal excess inventory and the stock-based incentives of their top executives (the inventory manipulation cost). Moreover, the marginal effect of the stock-based incentives on the abnormal excess inventory is the strongest when the inventory manipulation cost is intermediate. Our empirical analysis also shows that this effect becomes statistically weaker after the passage of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act. This is in line with the prediction of our analytical model about the effect of the accuracy of financial reporting.

This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.
Mind the Gaps: How Organization Design Shapes the Sourcing of Inventions
Authors: Eklund John , Kapoor Rahul
Published: September 2021

An important problem for many firms is sustaining their rate of innovation by launching new products on an ongoing basis. Accordingly, firms need to replenish their innovation pipelines with new inventions as existing inventions are weeded out or reach fruition. The replenishment can be done through internally generated inventions or through externally sourced inventions via licensing, alliance, or acquisition modes. Drawing on incentives- and knowledge-based views of the firm, we consider the difference in managerial decision making between centralized and decentralized research and development (R&D) organization designs and how it impacts firms’ propensities to draw on externally sourced inventions. As compared with centralized designs, decentralized designs are associated with greater incentives for managers to replenish their firms’ pipelines but are limited in terms of intraorganizational knowledge flows that can facilitate the creation of inventions. We explore these mechanisms using a novel data set of firms’ sourcing decisions within the pharmaceutical industry between 1996 and 2015. We find that firms with decentralized R&D designs replenish their pipelines with a higher proportion of externally sourced inventions than do firms with centralized designs. This difference is found to be mainly attributed to external sourcing via licensing and for inventions of moderate novelty. This study offers an important contribution to the question of how firms organize for innovation, highlighting the relationship between internal R&D organization design and the external sourcing of inventions. In so doing, it illustrates that the choice of organization design in terms of centralization or decentralization can shape a firm’s locus of innovation.
Brexit and workers' rights
Authors: Countouris Nicola , Ewing Keith
Published: September 2021

The labour law of the UK and of other Member States is, and will become, more truly European than appears from the formal imprint of EC labour law. It is European rather by reflecting the cumulative experience of national labour laws, filtered through the prism of the EC institutions and refined in the crucible of the developing European polity. The tendency towards convergence of UK labour law with the labour laws of other Member States of the EC is driven in the main by the institutional pressures of EC membership, and, to a lesser extent, is the consequence of the workings of the international economy and, though less significant, a single European labour market. The dynamic of this convergence process is complex and its results are far from complete.
Time-domain NIRS system based on supercontinuum light source and multi-wavelength detection: validation for tissue oxygenation studies
Authors: Sudakou Aleh , Lange Frédéric , Isler Helene , Lanka Pranav , Wojtkiewicz Stanislaw , Sawosz Piotr , Ostojic Daniel , Wolf Martin , Pifferi Antonio , Tachtsidis Ilias , Liebert Adam , Gerega Anna
Published: September 2021

We present and validate a multi-wavelength time-domain near-infrared spectroscopy (TD-NIRS) system that avoids switching wavelengths and instead exploits the full capability of a supercontinuum light source by emitting and acquiring signals for the whole chosen range of wavelengths. The system was designed for muscle and brain oxygenation monitoring in a clinical environment. A pulsed supercontinuum laser emits broadband light and each of two detection modules acquires the distributions of times of flight of photons (DTOFs) for 16 spectral channels (used width 12.5 nm / channel), providing a total of 32 DTOFs at up to 3 Hz. Two emitting fibers and two detection fiber bundles allow simultaneous measurements at two positions on the tissue or at two source-detector separations. Three established protocols (BIP, MEDPHOT, and nEUROPt) were used to quantitatively assess the system’s performance, including linearity, coupling, accuracy, and depth sensitivity. Measurements were performed on 32 homogeneous phantoms and two inhomogeneous phantoms (solid and liquid). Furthermore, measurements on two blood-lipid phantoms with a varied amount of blood and Intralipid provide the strongest validation for accurate tissue oximetry. The retrieved hemoglobin concentrations and oxygen saturation match well with the reference values that were obtained using a commercially available NIRS system (OxiplexTS) and a blood gas analyzer (ABL90 FLEX), except a discrepancy occurs for the lowest amount of Intralipid. In-vivo measurements on the forearm of three healthy volunteers during arterial (250 mmHg) and venous (60 mmHg) cuff occlusions provide an example of tissue monitoring during the expected hemodynamic changes that follow previously well-described physiologies. All results, including quantitative parameters, can be compared to other systems that report similar tests. Overall, the presented TD-NIRS system has an exemplary performance evaluated with state-of-the-art performance assessment methods.
Artifact removal in photoacoustic tomography with an unsupervised method
Authors: Lu Mengyang , Liu Xin , Liu Chengcheng , Li Boyi , Gu Wenting , Jiang Jiehui , Ta Dean
Published: September 2021

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) is an emerging biomedical imaging technology that can realize high contrast imaging with a penetration depth of the acoustic. Recently, deep learning (DL) methods have also been successfully applied to PAT for improving the image reconstruction quality. However, the current DL-based PAT methods are implemented by the supervised learning strategy, and the imaging performance is dependent on the available ground-truth data. To overcome the limitation, this work introduces a new image domain transformation method based on cyclic generative adversarial network (CycleGAN), termed as PA-GAN, which is used to remove artifacts in PAT images caused by the use of the limited-view measurement data in an unsupervised learning way. A series of data from phantom and in vivo experiments are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed PA-GAN. The experimental results show that PA-GAN provides a good performance in removing artifacts existing in photoacoustic tomographic images. In particular, when dealing with extremely sparse measurement data (e.g., 8 projections in circle phantom experiments), higher imaging performance is achieved by the proposed unsupervised PA-GAN, with an improvement of ∼14% in structural similarity (SSIM) and ∼66% in peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), compared with the supervised-learning U-Net method. With an increasing number of projections (e.g., 128 projections), U-Net, especially FD U-Net, shows a slight improvement in artifact removal capability, in terms of SSIM and PSNR. Furthermore, the computational time obtained by PA-GAN and U-Net is similar (∼60 ms/frame), once the network is trained. More importantly, PA-GAN is more flexible than U-Net that allows the model to be effectively trained with unpaired data. As a result, PA-GAN makes it possible to implement PAT with higher flexibility without compromising imaging performance.
Stealth and secured optical coherent transmission using a gain switched frequency comb and multi-homodyne coherent detection
Authors: Wohlgemuth Eyal , Yoffe Yaron , Nadimi Goki Pantea , Imran Muhammad , Fresi Francesco , Doddaballapura Lakshmijayasimha Prajwal , Cohen Roi , Anandarajah Prince , Potì Luca , Sadot Dan
Published: September 2021

A novel all-optical stealth and secured transmission is proposed and demonstrated. Spectral replicas of the covert signal are carried by multiple tones of a gain switched optical frequency comb, optically coded with spectral phase mask, and concealed below EDFA’s noise. The secured signal’s spectrum is spread far beyond the bandwidth of a coherent receiver, thus forcing real time all-optical processing. An unauthorized user, who does not possess knowledge on the phase mask, can only obtain a noisy and distorted signal, that cannot be improved by post-processing. On the other hand, the authorized user decodes the signal using an inverse spectral phase mask and achieves a substantial optical processing gain via multi-homodyne coherent detection. A transmission of 20 Gbps under negative −7.5 dB OSNR is demonstrated here, yielding error-free detection by the eligible user.
Scattering by a chiral sphere above a half-space
Authors: Zamani Hasan
Published: September 2021

Scattering from a chiral sphere above a lossy half-space, which could be of interest in remote sensing and optics, is analytically examined. The proposed method combines the vector Mie solution and the field transformations between vector spherical functions (VSFs) and plane waves (PWs). Using the reflection coefficients of the half-space and vector Mie solution for the chiral sphere, the first-order Mie field together with a relation between the Mie fields of successive orders are derived. The total Mie field is obtained as a series solution which is next converted to a non-recursive formulation. The scattered field is written as the sum of the total Mie field and its reflection from the half-space. The derived expressions are numerically validated. Some explanations based on the series solution are given and numerical results for different cases are presented and briefly discussed.