bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lessons from mouse models of Graves’ disease
Authors: Eckstein A. , Philipp S. , Goertz G. , Banga J. P. , Berchner-Pfannschmidt U.
Published: May 2020

Graves’ disease (GD) is an autoimmune condition with the appearance of anti-TSH receptor (TSHR) autoantibodies in the serum. The consequence is the development of hyperthyroidism in most of the patients. In addition, in the most severe cases, patients can develop orbitopathy (GO), achropachy and dermopathy. The central role of the TSHR for the disease pathology has been well accepted. Therefore immunization against the TSHR is pivotal for the creation of in vivo models for the disease. However, TSHR is well preserved among the species and therefore the immune system is highly tolerant. Many differing attempts have been performed to break tolerance and to create a proper animal model in the last decades. The most successful have been achieved by introducing the human TSHR extracellular domain into the body, either by injection of plasmid or adenoviruses. Currently available models develop the whole spectrum of Graves’ disease—autoimmune thyroid disease and orbitopathy and are suitable to study disease pathogenesis and to perform treatment studies. In recent publications new immunomodulatory therapies have been assessed and also diseaseprevention by inducing tolerance using small cyclic peptides from the antigenic region of the extracellular subunit of the TSHR.
Curcumin Loaded in Niosomal Nanoparticles Improved the Anti-tumor Effects of Free Curcumin on Glioblastoma Stem-like Cells: an In Vitro Study
Authors: Sahab-Negah Sajad , Ariakia Fatemeh , Jalili-Nik Mohammad , Afshari Amir R. , Salehi Sahar , Samini Fariborz , Rajabzadeh Ghadir , Gorji Ali
Published: May 2020

Using a novel curcumin-loaded niosome nanoparticle (CM-NP), the present study was designed to evaluate the effect of curcumin on human glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs). CM-NP has a diameter of ~ 60 nm and a zeta potential of ~ − 35 mV with a constant physicochemical stability. The cytotoxic effects of free curcumin (CM) and CM-NP were investigated on GSCs obtained during the removal of a brain tumor. Both CM and CM-NP caused a dose-dependent decrease in cell proliferation and viability of GSCs. The IC50 values of CM and CM-NP on GSCs were 50 and 137 μg/ml after 24 h, respectively. CM-NP exerted significantly higher effects on GSC viability, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and the expression of Bax, a pro-apoptotic marker, compared with CM. In addition, the migration of GSCs was significantly impaired following the administration of CM-NP compared with CM. Furthermore, CM-NP significantly increased the values of reactive oxygen species and decreased the mRNA expressions of NF-κB and IL-6 of GSCs compared with CM. Our data also revealed that CM-NP could significantly reduce the invasiveness of GSCs compared with CM, possibly via MCP-1-mediated pathways. In addition, CM-NP exhibited a significantly greater inhibitory effect on colony formation of GSCs compared with CM. These data indicate that CM-NP exhibited stronger anti-tumor effects on GSCs than CM. Although further in vivo investigations are warranted, our results suggest that CM-NP could be an ideal carrier to deliver curcumin for potential therapeutic approaches into glioblastoma.
Per se eine multiprofessionelle Profession?!
Authors: Korth Anna , Lux Anna-Lena , Schröer Wolfgang , Wagner Leonie
Published: May 2020

Im Themenschwerpunkt wird die Auffassung vertreten, dass Soziale Arbeit in ihrem fachlichen Ansatz insbesondere auf Multiprofessionalität ausgelegt ist. Vor diesem Hintergrund soll daher der wesentlichen Frage nachgegangen werden, wie Multiprofessionalität in der sozialarbeiterischen Praxis konkret hergestellt wird. Hierfür werden mögliche Ausgestaltungsformen multiprofessionellen Handelns beispielhaft an vier ausgewählten Handlungsfeldern der Sozialen Arbeit illustriert.
Fine-tuning front-line therapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Bohn Jan-Paul , Wolf Dominik
Published: May 2020

A deeper understanding of disease biology and the advent of targeted drugs have implemented chemotherapy-free treatment options in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). With consistently superior outcome data and good tolerability, the Bruton’s kinase inhibitor ibrutinib as well as the B‑cell lymphoma 2 inhibitor venetoclax +/− CD20 antibody have recently been licensed for first-line treatment independently of TP53 status and are currently recommended as therapy of choice in most patient subgroups according to international management guidelines. Survival curves, however, have not reached a plateau and relapse due to acquired resistance or drug intolerance remain major hurdles in CLL treatment. Clinical trials currently focus on the most promising combinations and sequences of highly effective targeted drugs aimed at avoiding drug resistance by further enhancing eradication of minimal residual disease and optimizing drug tolerability. This brief review provides an update on the recently presented clinical trial data in first-line CLL at ASH 2019 and discusses clinically relevant obstacles to overcome.
Die SPD im Spagat zwischen Regierungsverantwortung und Überzeugung – Migration im parlamentarischen Parteienwettbewerb
Authors: Atzpodien Dana Siobhan
Published: May 2020

Der vorliegende Beitrag analysiert die flüchtlings- und migrationspolitischen Reden des Deutschen Bundestags während der 18. Legislaturperiode und zeigt mithilfe des quantitativen Textanalyseinstruments Wordfish sowie einer umfangreichen qualitativen Validierung die Dynamiken des parlamentarischen Parteienwettbewerbs während der europäischen Flüchtlingskrise. Das dynamische Feld der Flüchtlings- und Migrationspolitik stellt die Parteien und insbesondere die Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD) vor dem Hintergrund des liberalen Dilemmas sowie durch wechselnde Themenbetonung und daraus folgende Wettbewerbslogiken unter Druck. Die Position der SPD variierte im sonst stabilen parlamentarischen Wettbewerb deutlich, da sich die Partei in einem Spagat zwischen ihrer formalen Regierungsverantwortung und ihrer ideologischen Positionierung befand.
Impacts of farmer field schools in the human, social, natural and financial domain: a qualitative review
Authors: van den Berg Henk , Phillips Suzanne , Dicke Marcel , Fredrix Marjon
Published: May 2020

The Farmer Field School (FFS) is a widely used method seeking to educate farmers to adapt agricultural decisions to diverse and variable field conditions. Out of 218 screened studies, 65 were selected to review the impact of the FFS. An analytical framework was developed with effects (outputs, outcomes and impacts) arranged according to the human, social, natural and financial domains. Impacts on non-participants of the FFS were addressed as peripheral effects. The FFS demonstrated its potential to enhance human, social, natural and financial capital of rural communities. Human capital was built in the form of critical thinking, innovation, confidence, and quality of life. Effects on social capital included mutual trust, bonding, collective action, networking, and emancipation. Natural capital was enhanced through improvements in field practices, food production, agricultural diversification, and food security. Financial capital was enhanced through increased income and profits, savings and loans schemes, with a potential to reduce poverty. The available body of evidence was unbalanced across the capital domains, providing high coverage of the natural domain but low coverage of the human, social and financial domains. In-depth case studies are needed to elucidate the interactions between livelihood assets, and the influences of the policy, institutional and external environment, in order to adjust FFS interventions aiming to optimize their impacts. Considering the positive effects the FFS can have on rural livelihoods, the FFS has potential to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. However, quality assurance of the FFS and a balanced evaluation across the capital domains require attention.
Son Preference and Fertility Decisions: Evidence From Spatiotemporal Variation in Korea
Authors: Kim Seik , Lee Sam-Ho
Published: May 2020

Using Korean data, this study investigates whether son-favoring ideas or the preference for sons affect fertility decisions. Son-favoring fertility behavior in Korea is of interest because the sex ratio at birth has recovered to a natural level after having been very skewed. To isolate the effects of the preference for sons from the effects of the surrounding environment, we compare the fertility behavior of individuals living in the same region but who were born in different regions or years. Exploiting the male-female gap in educational achievement at the parents’ time and place of birth as exogenous variation in the 2000 Census Korea 2% sample, we find that the strength of son preference formed at an early age is associated with the strength of son-favoring fertility behavior as adults. Our results indicate that parents are more likely to have a third child if they happen to have only daughters as their first two children. More importantly, this tendency is stronger if parents were born in a spatiotemporal region with more skewed gender gap in educational investment. These findings are robust against various alternative specifications, including endogenous migration issues.
Living Arrangements and Supplemental Income Programs for Older Adults in Mexico
Authors: Aguila Emma , Park Jung Ho , Vega Alma
Published: May 2020

Living arrangements often reflect important quality-of-life indicators for elderly adults. In particular, increased income can prompt changes in household living arrangements for elderly adults. Using a differences-in-differences approach, we examine whether a supplemental income program in Mexico for adults aged 70 and older influenced household size and composition. We compare outcomes at baseline and at six-month follow-up for elderly adults in the treatment group with those in the control group that did not participate in the program. We find that household size increased by 3% in the treatment group relative to the control group. We also find a statistically significant increase in the number of girls aged 6–11 in the household, likely the granddaughters or great-granddaughters of program recipients. Increases in household size were greatest for adults aged 70–79, couples, households receiving two or more supplemental incomes, and households in the top income tercile. Household size did not increase for households of adults aged 80 and older, singles, households with only one supplemental income recipient, and households not in the top income tercile. These results suggest that when older adults have more income, they use part of this income to house their grandchildren.
Words matter: Translanguaging in medical communication skills training
Authors: Ortega Pilar , Prada Josh
Published: May 2020

Medical communication across languages is gaining attention as the multilingual character of local, regional, and national populations across the world continues to grow. Effectively communicating with patients involves not only learning medical terminology, but also understanding the community’s linguistic practices, and gaining the ability to explain health concepts in patient-centered language. Language concordance between physicians and patients improves patient outcomes, but methods to teach communication skills for physicians are usually limited to the majority or official language. For example, in U.S. medical schools increased demand for physician skills in other languages, such as Spanish, has resulted in renewed academic discourse about best practices in teaching practical communication skills for physicians. In language education, translanguaging is an approach that integrates and validates multilingual individuals’ real use of language, which often includes non-standard words, regionalisms, and mixed influences from multiple languages, such as Spanglish or Chinglish. Efforts to improve medical language concordance by teaching a second language to medical students would benefit from an understanding of patient-centered communication strategies, such as is supported by translanguaging. Teaching effective communication skills to physicians should evolve and engage with the fluid linguistic attributes of culturally and linguistically diverse patient populations. In this eye opener, we first introduce the translanguaging perspective as an approach that can increase attention to patient-centered communication, which often includes spontaneous practices that transcend the traditional boundaries of named languages, and then present examples of how translanguaging can be implemented in medical education in order to sustainably enhance equity-minded patient-accessible medical communication.
Interplay between Paper-and-Pencil Activity and Dynamic-Geometry-Environment Use during Generalisation and Proving
Authors: Komatsu Kotaro , Jones Keith
Published: May 2020

Digital tools have a potential to change significantly the form of mathematical learning taking place in classrooms, with research pointing to various affordances in comparison with physical tools such as paper-and-pencil environments. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of research that has examined in-depth the interrelated roles these two types of tools fulfil in mathematics learning. This issue of inter-related roles is important because, when digital tools are incorporated into classrooms, students usually also have notebooks and worksheets within which they carry out actions complementary to their use of digital tools. In this article, we focus on the use of dynamic geometry environments (DGEs) in conjecturing and proving, and, in particular, we examine the interplay between students’ paper-and-pencil activity and their use of a DGE during the producing and proving of a generalisation of a statement. We analyse a series of lessons involving secondary school students (aged 14–15, Grade 9) and show that, while DGE use supported the students in generalising a statement, they were initially unable to prove the generalisation while using the DGE, but subsequently succeeded through their paper-and-pencil activity. Our research illustrates the affordance of paper-and-pencil environments to support students in working on different representations, and thus highlights how the interplay between paper-and-pencil activity and DGE use can be important for the progress of conjecturing and proving. We also show the roles taken by the teacher in supporting the students’ work, and point to the need for further research into the back-and-forth use of digital and physical tools.
Role and mechanism of angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 in acute lung injury in coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Liu Meng‐Yuan , Zheng Bo , Zhang Yan , Li Jian‐Ping
Published: May 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 is a major threat to public health globally. Though its pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated, angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been recently identified as a receptor for the entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) into the cell. Here, we aimed to clarify the potential role of ACE2 in SARS‐CoV‐2‐induced acute lung injury and its underlying mechanism. As a receptor for coronavirus, ACE2 mediates the entry of SARS‐CoV‐2 into cells in a similar way as for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV). The high binding affinity of SARS‐CoV‐2 to ACE2 correlates with its efficient spread among humans. On the other hand, ACE2 negatively regulates the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) primarily by converting angiotensin II to angiotensin 1–7, which exerts a beneficial effect on coronavirus‐induced acute lung injury. Human recombinant ACE2 has been considered as a potential therapy for SARS‐CoV‐2 by blocking virus entry and redressing the imbalance of RAAS in SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. The level of ACE2 expression can be upregulated by treatment with an ACE inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor blocker (ARB). To date, no evidence shows that ACEIs or ARBs increase the susceptibility and mortality of patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2, and hence, it is not advisable to discontinue such drugs in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Using the internet search data to investigate symptom characteristics of COVID‐19: A big data study
Authors: Qiu Hui‐Jun , Yuan Lian‐Xiong , Wu Qing‐Wu , Zhou Yu‐Qi , Zheng Rui , Huang Xue‐Kun , Yang Qin‐Tai
Published: May 2020

Objective

Analyzing the symptom characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID‐19) to improve control and prevention.

Methods

Using the Baidu Index Platform (http://index.baidu.com) and the website of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention as data resources to obtain the search volume (SV) of keywords for symptoms associated with COVID‐19 from January 1 to February 20 in each year from 2017 to 2020 and the epidemic data in Hubei province and the other top 9 impacted provinces in China. Data of 2020 were compared with those of the previous three years. Data of Hubei province were compared with those of the other 9 provinces. The differences and characteristics of the SV of COVID‐19‐related symptoms, and the correlations between the SV of COVID‐19 and the number of newly confirmed/suspected cases were analyzed. The lag effects were discussed.

Results

Comparing the SV from January 1, 2020 to February 20, 2020 with those for the same period of the previous three years, Hubei's SV for cough, fever, diarrhea, chest tightness, dyspnea, and other symptoms were significantly increased. The total SV of lower respiratory symptoms was significantly higher than that of upper respiratory symptoms (P＜0.001). The SV of COVID‐19 in Hubei province was significantly correlated with the number of newly confirmed/suspected cases (rconfirmed = 0.723, rsuspected = 0.863, both p < 0.001). The results of the distributed lag model suggested that the patients who searched relevant symptoms on the Internet may begin to see doctors in 2–3 days later and be confirmed in 3–4 days later.

Conclusion

The total SV of lower respiratory symptoms was higher than that of upper respiratory symptoms, and the SV of diarrhea also increased significantly. It warned us to pay attention to not only the symptoms of the lower respiratory tract but also the gastrointestinal symptoms, especially diarrhea in patients with COVID‐19. Internet search behavior had a positive correlation with the number of newly confirmed/suspected cases, suggesting that big data has an important role in the early warning of infectious diseases.
Bilevel programming model and algorithms for flight gate assignment problem
Authors: Lin J. , Ding X. , Li H. , Zhou J.
Published: May 2020

Considering the decision-making requirements of airport, airlines and passengers, a bilevel programming model which contains two parts was proposed in this paper. One part is to improve the utilization of gates of the airport (upper level), so the objective function of the upper level to the minimum overall variance of slack time between two consecutive air crafts at the same gate. The other part looks at maximize the airline revenue and passengers more conveniently and comfortably (lower level). The lower level has two objective functions — the minimum passenger transfer failure and the minimum passenger average transfer time, respectively. According to the latest data of an airport in Eastern China, the adaptive genetic algorithm is used to solve the above-mentioned bilevel optimisation problems. The numerical experiment shows that the model not only reduces the variance of the relaxation time, but also optimises the flight gate allocation and achieves the initial goal.
The polar sea ice topography reconstruction system
Authors: Sorensen Scott , Veerendraveer Vinit , Treible Wayne , Mahoney Andrew R. , Kambhamettu Chandra
Published: May 2020

The Polar Sea Ice Topography REconstruction System, or PSITRES, is a 3D camera system designed to continuously monitor an area of ice and water adjacent to an ice-going vessel. Camera systems aboard ships in the polar regions are common; however, the application of computer vision techniques to extract high-level information from the imagery is infrequent. Many of the existing systems are built for human involvement throughout the process and lack automation necessary for round the clock use. The PSITRES was designed with computer vision in mind. It can capture images continuously for days on end with limited oversight. We have applied the system in different ice observing scenarios. The PSITRES was deployed on three research expeditions in the Arctic and Subarctic, and we present applications in measuring ice concentration, melt pond fraction and presence of algae. Systems like PSITRES and the computer vision algorithms applied represent steps toward automatically observing, evaluating and analyzing ice and the environment around ships in ice-covered waters.
Disaster Preparedness of Persons Requiring Special Care Ages 75 Years and Older Living in Areas at High Risk of Earthquake Disasters: A Cross-Sectional Study From the Pacific Coast Region of Western Japan
Authors: Hattori Yuka , Isowa Tokiko , Hiramatsu Mayuko , Kitagawa Akiko , Tsujikawa Mayumi
Published: May 2020

Objective:

The aims of this study were to examine the preparedness of vulnerable people ages 75 years and older and to clarify the characteristics of older adults that are associated with disaster preparedness.

Methods:

We conducted interviews with persons requiring special care ages 75 years and older living in coastal communities of western Japan, where earthquakes and tsunami disasters are a concern. The survey included participant characteristics such as demographic indicators, physical function, health status, community involvement, and disaster preparedness. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed with participant characteristics as independent variables and disaster preparedness as the dependent variables.

Results:

The characteristics related to disaster preparedness were age, family composition, cognitive function, level of interaction with neighbors, and participation in community activities.

Conclusions:

Being female, living alone, and having cognitive impairment were factors that led to decreased disaster preparedness. However, it was suggested that close human interactions in the community facilitated preparedness. Community engagement is crucial in reducing disaster damage and recovering effectively. In order to facilitate preparedness measures for persons requiring special care ages 75 and older, it is important to establish community preparedness.
Emergency Physician Involvement in Hospital Preparedness: A National Survey of Academic Medical Centers
Authors: Ryan Kevin M. , Mostaghimi Sina , Dugas Julianne , Goralnick Eric
Published: May 2020

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to determine the involvement of emergency medicine physicians at academic medical centers across the United States as well as their background training, roles in the hospital, and compensation if applicable for time dedicated to preparedness.

Methods:

A structured survey was delivered by means of email to 109 Chairs of Emergency Medicine across the United States at academic medical centers. Unique email links were provided to track response rate and entered into REDCap database. Descriptive statistics were obtained, including roles in emergency preparedness, training, and compensation.

Results:

Forty-four of the 109 participants responded, resulting in a response rate of 40.4%. The majority held an administrative role in emergency preparedness. Formal training for the position (participants could select more than 1) included various avenues of education such as emergency medical services fellowship or in-person or online courses. Of the participants, most (93.18%) strongly agreed that it was important to have a physician with expertise in disaster medicine assisting with preparedness.

Conclusions:

The majority of responding academic medical center participants have taken an active role in hospital emergency preparedness. Education for the roles varied though, often consisted of courses from emergency management agencies. Volunteering their time for compensation was noted by 27.5%.
300,000 Counts of Aiding and Abetting Murder
Authors: Bernhart Fabian , Tanner Alexander , Ahmad Falaq , Galvano Joyce , Herde Tanja
Published: May 2020

More than seventy years after the end of the Second World War, atrocities committed under the National Socialist regime still continue to occupy the courts in Germany. The recent case of Oscar Gröning raised a number of highly relevant legal issues, particularly with regard to the degree of participation in criminal offenses in general, and more specifically, with regard to the possible level of criminal liability of individuals who, as part of a large-scale “killing machinery”, were acting under the command of superiors and, as such, not directly involved in the acts of homicide which were perpetrated. Different theories pertaining to the level of participation are analyzed, and the German Federal Court’s decision in the Gröning case is dealt with in detail.
Drawing areal information from a corpus of noisy dialect data
Authors: Lameli Alfred , Glaser Elvira , Stöckle Philipp
Published: May 2020

This article is an analysis of linguistic survey data representing German dialects in Switzerland in 1933/34 based on the so-called Wenker sentences. The data are impressionistic in terms of applied phonetic transcriptions, which were produced by non-specialists using the Latin alphabet. Due to the lack of pre-defined standardization, the phonetic transcriptions are very heterogeneous. From a technical perspective, this leads to very noisy data, which is why the validity of the Wenker data in general and the Swiss Wenker data in particular has been questioned. Using methods from computational linguistics, we compare, for the first time, Wenker data with linguistic data collected at virtually the same time by linguistics professionals. Direct comparison with a sample from the published atlas of German-speaking Switzerland (SDS) reveals that despite the noisiness of the data, they nevertheless provide reliable information, e.g., in terms of the spatial structuring of Swiss dialects. The study is thus a successful pilot for other corpus-based studies dealing with unstructured Wenker data in other regions.
DETECTING STEINER AND LINEAR ISOMETRIES OPERADS
Authors: RUBIN JONATHAN
Published: May 2020

We study the indexing systems that correspond to equivariant Steiner and linear isometries operads. When G is a finite abelian group, we prove that a G-indexing system is realized by a Steiner operad if and only if it is generated by cyclic G-orbits. When G is a finite cyclic group, whose order is either a prime power or a product of two distinct primes greater than 3, we prove that a G-indexing system is realized by a linear isometries operad if and only if it satisfies Blumberg and Hill’s horn-filling condition. We also repackage the data in an indexing system as a certain kind of partial order. We call these posets transfer systems, and develop basic tools for computing with them.
Performance, agronomic traits, ensilability and nutritive value of pearl millet cultivar harvested at different growth stages
Authors: Santos R. D. , Neves A. L. A. , Pereira L. G. R. , Sollenberger L. E. , Muniz E. N. , Souza E. Y. B. , Sobral A. J. S. , Costa N. V. , Gonçalves L. C.
Published: May 2020

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.) is an important crop for rainfed production systems and can play a significant role as a feed source for ruminants owing to its high yield and drought tolerance. It is well-established that the maturity stage can influence the chemical composition as well as the nutritional value of crops traditionally used for silage production, although quantitative evidence that this occurs with pearl millet under rainfed conditions is lacking. The current research assessed the agronomic characteristics, ensilability, intake and digestibility of a Brazilian pearl millet cultivar (IPA BULK1-BF) harvested at four different growth stages. Forage was harvested at 35, 50, 65 and 80 days after sowing and ensiled under laboratory and farm conditions. Apparent digestibility of the silages was determined using 24 male lambs. The results showed that dry matter (DM) and panicle and stem proportions increased with the advancement maturity. The silage evaluations showed that DM, total and non-fibrous carbohydrates and lignin concentrations increased, while crude protein, ADF and in vitro DM digestibility decreased with the increase in plant maturity. Additionally, the fermentation characteristics were improved with the increasing maturity. The digestion study showed that intake of DM and N as well as digestibility of DM and fibre fractions decreased, while lignin intake increased. The results obtained for the production of dry and digestible DM, the ratio of plant fractions and fermentation parameters indicate the possibility of harvesting pearl millet forage after 50 days after sowing for silage production in the Brazilian semi-arid region.
Aspect beyond time: Introduction
Authors: DE WIT ASTRID , BRISARD FRANK
Published: May 2020

The collection of papers presented in this special issue addresses the non-temporal import of aspectual constructions, in conventional and less conventional contexts and expression modes. In this introduction, we outline the notions of lexical and grammatical aspect, and how they are traditionally analyzed in temporal accounts, which focus on situations’ temporal constituency, duration, and limitation in time. This serves to clarify relevant notions for those readers who are less familiar with the domain (admittedly riddled with terminological confusion) and thus explicate some of the underlying tenets of existing (temporal) accounts, which the papers in this special issue call into question. This questioning, alongside insights coming from the discussion of various non-canonical constructions/uses in different languages and from different theoretical perspectives, promises an alternative approach to aspect, which goes beyond time.
Can poverty alleviation programs crowd-in private support? Short- and Middle-Run Effects of a Conditional Cash Transfer Program on Inter-Household Transfers
Authors: GARCÍA SANDRA , CUARTAS JORGE
Published: May 2020

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have become an important component of social assistance in developing countries. CCTs, as well as other cash subsidies, have been criticized for allegedly crowding out private transfers. Whether social programs crowd out private transfers is an important question with worrisome implications, as private support represents an important fraction of households’ income and works as a risk sharing mechanism in developing countries. Furthermore, empirical evidence on the effect of public transfers on private transfers is mixed. This paper contributes to the literature by using a unique dataset from the quasi-experimental evaluation of a CCT in Colombia and an empirical strategy that allows us to correct for pre-existing differences between treated and control groups. Our results suggest that the public transfer did not crowd out private transfers, neither in the short-run nor in the middle-run. Instead, it increased the probability of receiving support in cash, in kind, and in non-paid labor from different private sources by approximately 10 percentage points. Moreover, we find that the monetary value of private transfers increased by 32-38% for treated households.
MORE THAN MISTRESSES, LESS THAN WIVES: THE ROLE OF ROMANCONCUBINAEIN LIGHT OF THEIR FUNERARY MONUMENTS
Authors: Sandon Tatjana , Scalco Luca
Published: May 2020

This article focuses on the role ofconcubinaein the Roman world, through analysis of inscriptions and reliefs on funerary monuments involving these women and their relatives. It investigates whyconcubinatuswas chosen in preference to legal marriage, and how theconcubinawas perceived as a member of her partner's family. The results bring to light how this type of quasi-marital union was an appealing option for men of social standing, and that the role ofconcubinaeaccepted by their partners was not so dissimilar to that of legal wives. The article considers funerary monuments from Roman Italy, dating from the first century BC to the early third century AD. It deals with the role of Romanconcubinaeby analysing tombstones from both an archaeological and historical point of view; the aim of this analysis is to reconstruct a social pattern ofconcubinatusand of the individuals involved in this type of quasi-marital relationship, with the aid of two different types of ancient sources.
The generalisation of linguistic constructions in children with or without developmental language disorders
Authors: KRZEMIEN Magali , SERET Esther , MAILLART Christelle
Published: May 2020

The generalisation of linguistic constructions is performed through analogical reasoning. Children with developmental language disorders (DLD) are impaired in analogical reasoning and in generalisation. However, these processes are improved by an input involving variability and similarity. Here we investigated the performance of children with or without DLD in a construction generalisation task. We also compared their performance following training with an input involving progressive alignment (combining similarity and variability) or high variability. Progressive alignment improves construction generalisation in children with or without DLD, which could have implications for our understanding of language development and for interventions conducted with children with DLD.
Detection and community-level identification of microbial mats in the McMurdo Dry Valleys using drone-based hyperspectral reflectance imaging
Authors: Levy Joseph , Cary S. Craig , Joy Kurt , Lee Charles K.
Published: May 2020

The reflectance spectroscopic characteristics of cyanobacteria-dominated microbial mats in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) were measured using a hyperspectral point spectrometer aboard an unmanned aerial system (remotely piloted aircraft system, unmanned aerial vehicle or drone) to determine whether mat presence, type and activity could be mapped at a spatial scale sufficient to characterize inter-annual change. Mats near Howard Glacier and Canada Glacier (ASPA 131) were mapped and mat samples were collected for DNA-based microbiome analysis. Although a broadband spectral parameter (a partial normalized difference vegetation index) identified mats, it missed mats in comparatively deep (> 10 cm) water or on bouldery surfaces where mats occupied fringing moats. A hyperspectral parameter (B6) did not have these shortcomings and recorded a larger dynamic range at both sites. When linked with colour orthomosaic data, B6 band strength is shown to be capable of characterizing the presence, type and activity of cyanobacteria-dominated mats in and around MDV streams. 16S rRNA gene polymerase chain reaction amplicon sequencing analysis of the mat samples revealed that dominant cyanobacterial taxa differed between spectrally distinguishable mats, indicating that spectral differences reflect underlying biological distinctiveness. Combined rapid-repeat hyperspectral measurements can be applied in order to monitor the distribution and activity of sentinel microbial ecosystems across the terrestrial Antarctic.
The Seal of the Confessional and the Criminal Law of England and Wales
Authors: Grout Christopher
Published: May 2020

The seal of the confessional is often described as ‘inviolable’. The idea that what is said or done in furtherance of private confession may be subjected to scrutiny as part of litigation is often considered to be absurd. But what is the legal basis for such forthright rejection? The revised Canons of the Church of England do not address the issue at all; instead the matter falls to be covered by the unrepealed proviso to Canon 113 of the Code of 1603. In England and Wales there is no primary legislation which clearly and coherently deals with the question of the admissibility of matters said in private confession before courts and tribunals. Contrast that with the United States of America, where every single state has enacted statutory provisions which provide safeguards to admissibility, albeit to differing degrees. Recent developments in Australia have, conversely, involved the enactment of legislation making it a crime for a priest to withhold, in certain circumstances, matters said to him or her in the course of private confession. In 1990, Judge Bursell QC reviewed the existing case law on the subject (sparse though it is) and found it to be contradictory, with judgments appearing to be based upon personal opinions as opposed to legal analysis. There have been some interesting ‘post-Bursell’ developments, in terms of both legislation and case law, which are discussed in this article. In Ecclesiastical Law, Mark Hill QC suggests that ‘it is likely that a trial judge would exclude evidence of a confession made to a priest’. This article is essentially an analysis of that conclusion with a view to determining whether it is right to assume that, even if not adequately protected by legislation, things said or done in furtherance of private confession are likely to be excluded from secular criminal proceedings.
Outcome in depression (I): why symptomatic remission is not good enough
Authors: Demyttenaere Koen , Kiekens Glenn , Bruffaerts Ronny , Mortier Philippe , Gorwood Philip , Martin Lorcan , Di Giannantonio Massimo
Published: May 2020

Background

The Leuven Affect and Pleasure Scale (LAPS) is a depression outcome measure aiming to better reflect patient treatment expectations. We investigated the evolution of the LAPS and some comparator scales during antidepressant treatment and compared scores of remitters with scores of healthy controls.

Methods

A total of 109 outpatients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) major depressive disorder were assessed over 8 weeks of antidepressant treatment. At baseline and after 2, 4, and 8 weeks, the LAPS as well as the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), the Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS), the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), and the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) were administered. Healthy controls consisted of 38 Italian adults and 111 Belgian students.

Results

Correlations between baseline positive and negative affect were only moderate (R between −0.20 and −0.41). LAPS positive affect and hedonic tone showed higher correlations with LAPS cognitive functioning, overall functioning, meaningfulness of life, and happiness than HAMD scores or PANAS negative affect. HAMD remission was associated with normal levels of LAPS negative affect but with significantly lower levels of LAPS positive affect, hedonic tone, cognitive functioning, overall functioning, meaningfulness of life, and happiness. The scores on the latter subscales only reached healthy control scores when the HAMD approached a score of 0 or 1.

Conclusions

The standard definition of remission (HAMD cutoff of 7) is probably adequate for remitting negative mood, but not good enough for recovering positive mood, hedonic tone, functioning, or meaningfulness of life.
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Performance and Domain-Specific Index Scores in Amnestic Versus Aphasic Dementia
Authors: Wood Jessica L. , Weintraub Sandra , Coventry Christina , Xu Jiahui , Zhang Hui , Rogalski Emily , Mesulam Marek-Marsel , Gefen Tamar
Published: May 2020

Objective:

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a popular and simple-to-administer screening instrument to detect cognitive impairment. The MoCA generates a total score and six domain-specific index scores: (1) Memory, (2) Executive Functioning, (3) Attention, (4) Language, (5) Visuospatial, and (6) Orientation. It is unclear whether these MoCA scores can differentiate between distinct clinical dementia syndromes. This study compared MoCA Index scores between amnestic dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (DAT) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a language-based dementia.

Method:

Baseline MoCA data were analyzed from 33 DAT, 37 PPA, and 83 cognitively normal individuals enrolled in the Clinical Core of the Northwestern Alzheimer’s Disease Center. A one-way analysis of covariance adjusted for age was used to compare MoCA scores among groups. A logistic regression model was implemented to observe individual likelihood of group affiliation based on MoCA Index scores.

Results:

The mean MoCA total score was significantly higher in controls compared to both patient groups (p < .001) but did not differ between DAT and PPA groups. However, in accordance with salient clinical features commonly observed in DAT versus PPA, Memory and Orientation Index scores were lowest in the DAT group (p < .001), whereas Language and Attention Index scores were lowest in the PPA group (p < .001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the individual effects of Memory (p = .001), Language (p = .002), and Orientation (p = .025) Indices were significant.

Conclusions:

MoCA Index scores can help differentiate among distinct cognitive syndromes, suggesting it may be a useful brief screening tool to detect domain-specific cognitive impairment.
A superheterodyne 300 GHz wireless link for ultra-fast terahertz communication systems
Authors: Dan Iulia , Ducournau Guillaume , Hisatake Shintaro , Szriftgiser Pascal , Braun Ralf-Peter , Kallfass Ingmar
Published: May 2020

A superheterodyne transmission scheme is adopted and analyzed in a 300 GHz wireless point-to-point link. This was realized using two different intermediate frequency (IF) systems. The first uses fast digital synthesis which provides an IF signal centered around a carrier frequency of 10 GHz. The second involves the usage of commercially available mixers, which work as direct up- and down-converters, to generate the IF input and output. The radio frequency components are based on millimeterwave monolithic integrated circuits at a center frequency of 300 GHz. Transmission experiments over distances up to 10 m are carried out. Data rates of up to 60 Gbps using the first IF option and up to 24 Gbps using the second IF option are achieved. Modulation formats up to 32QAM are successfully transmitted. The linearity of this link and of its components is analyzed in detail. Two local oscillators (LOs), a photonics-based source and a commercially available electronic source are employed and compared. This work validates the concept of superheterodyne architecture for integration in a beyond-5G network, supplying important guidelines that have to be taken into account in the design steps of a future wireless system.
Feather-shaped super wideband MIMO antenna
Authors: Singhal Sarthak
Published: May 2020

Two configurations of a modified feather-shaped antenna element are proposed for super wideband (SWB) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) applications. The antenna element geometry comprises of a circular slot-loaded feather-shaped radiator and rectangular notch-loaded quarter elliptical coplanar waveguide ground plane. An operating bandwidth of 4.4–51.5 GHz with inter-port isolation, S21 ≥ 15 dB for spatial diversity configuration, and 3.8–51.5 GHz with S21 ≥ 15 dB in pattern diversity configuration are achieved. The footprints of the antenna configurations are 17 × 33 and 31 × 31 mm2. Both configurations exhibited an envelope correlation coefficient of <−20 dB. The proposed MIMO configurations are fabricated and experimentally validated. The designed antenna configurations are SWB and compact.
Musings on Visscher et al. (2006)
Authors: Visscher Peter M.
Published: May 2020

The classical twin design relies on a number of strong number of assumptions in order to yield unbiased estimates of heritability. This includes the equal environments assumption — that monozygotic and dizygotic twins experience similar degrees of environmental similarity — an assumption that is likely to be violated in practice for many traits of interest. An alternative method of estimating heritability that does not suffer from many of these limitations is to model trait similarity between sibling pairs as a function of their empirical genome-wide identity by descent sharing, estimated from genetic markers. In this review, I recount the story behind Nick Martin’s and my development of this method, our first attempts at applying it in a human population and more recent studies using the original and related methods to estimate trait heritability.
It’s in the Bloody Genes!
Authors: Evans David M.
Published: May 2020

Blood cell concentrations for most cell types are highly heritable. Data from Nick Martin’s twin registry provided much of the data for the early heritability and linkage studies of blood cell related traits and have contributed significantly to more recent genomewide association studies that have successfully identified individual genetic loci.
Evolution of High‐Speed Jets and Plasmoids Downstream of the Quasi‐Perpendicular Bow Shock
Authors: Goncharov O. , Gunell H. , Hamrin M. , Chong S.
Published: May 2020

Plasma structures with enhanced dynamic pressure, density, or speed are often observed in Earth's magnetosheath. We present a statistical study of these structures, known as jets and fast plasmoids, in the magnetosheath, downstream of both the quasi‐perpendicular and quasi‐parallel bow shocks. Using measurements from the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft and OMNI solar wind data from 2015–2017, we present observations of jets during different upstream conditions and in the wide range of distances from the bow shock. Jets observed downstream of the quasi‐parallel bow shock are seen to propagate deeper and faster into the magnetosheath and on toward the magnetopause. We estimate the shape of the structures by treating the leading edge as a shock surface, and the result is that the jets are elongated in the direction of propagation but also that they expand more quickly in the perpendicular direction as they propagate through the magnetosheath.
First Observations of Magnetosonic Waves With Nonlinear Harmonics
Authors: Huang S. Y. , Deng D. , Yuan Z. G. , Jiang K. , Li J. X. , Deng X. H. , Yu X. D. , He L. H. , Wei Y. Y. , Xu S. B.
Published: May 2020

Magnetosonic waves, with the frequency between proton cyclotron frequency and lower hybrid frequency, mainly occur near the Earth's magnetic equatorial plane and play an important role in the magnetospheric dynamics. In this paper, we report unusual magnetosonic waves with nonlinear harmonics observed by Magnetospheric Multiscale mission in the magnetotail. These magnetosonic waves have multiband enhanced electromagnetic power spectral densities (Bw/B0 up to 1/45) with the frequency from below to above the lower hybrid frequency and are quasi‐perpendicular propagating and linearly polarized. The frequency of the fundamental band is much higher than the proton cyclotron frequency fci (i.e., ~35 fci). We identified these emissions as high‐frequency magnetosonic waves with nonlinear harmonics. These are the first observations of such high‐frequency magnetosonic waves with the frequencies of harmonics higher than the lower hybrid frequency in the Earth's magnetosphere to the best of our knowledge. Given the absence of ring distributions for the protons and the easy coupling between compressed mode and its electromagnetic term, we propose that these nonlinear harmonic structures of the observed magnetosonic waves are likely generated by the nonlinear wave‐wave coupling among electromagnetic terms of the fundamental and higher harmonic waves.