bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Apologetics and Cultural Context: a Case Study
Authors: Pickering David
Published: June 2021

This essay interrogates the relationship between the content of an apologist’s message and contingent cultural factors. It does so by using the work of G.K. Chesterton as a case study. It explores two major features of his apologetics project in relation to cultural and social issues of his time. The essay concludes by discussing possible lines of enquiry in contemporary apologetics which might be inspired by the study of Chesterton’s work.
The effect of different irrigation solutions and activation techniques on the expression of growth factors from dentine of extracted premolar teeth
Authors: Hancerliogullari Dilek , Erdemir Ali , Kisa Ucler
Published: June 2021

Aim

To evaluate in a laboratory study, the effect of different canal irrigant solutions and activation techniques on transforming growth factor (TGF‐β1), insulin growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1), bone morphogenetic protein‐7 (BMP‐7) and vascular endothelial growth factor‐A (VEGF‐A) release levels from the dentine of extracted premolar teeth.

Methodology

Seventy premolar teeth with single root and canal were used. The lengths of the root segments were standardized to 12 mm, and the root canals were prepared up to size 100 with hand files. All surfaces of the teeth were covered with nail polish except the inner root canal surface. The root canals were irrigated with 1.5% NaOCl. Ten teeth were allocated to the control group. The remaining sixty teeth were divided into 2 main groups according to the chelating agent used (17% EDTA, 10% Citric acid; CA) and 3 subgroups (n = 10) according to irrigation activation technique (conventional syringe irrigation (CSI), passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) and Er:YAG laser activation). After the activation procedure, the root segments were placed into eppendorf tubes containing 1 mL of phosphate‐buffered saline solution and kept at 37℃. TGF‐β1, IGF‐1, BMP‐7 and VEGF‐A release levels from dentine were measured using the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method at 24 h and at day 7. The volume of root canals was calculated using cone‐beam computed tomography. The growth factor levels were calculated in ng/mL except VEGF‐A (pg/ml). Normality analysis of the data was evaluated with the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney‐U and Wilcoxon tests.

Results

Regardless of the activation type and sampling time, EDTA caused significantly more IGF release than did CA, whereas EDTA and CA were equally effective for the release of the other growth factors. For either EDTA or CA, the lowest and highest growth factor release levels were observed in the CSI and Er:YAG laser groups, respectively (p < .05). All of the growth factors were released significantly more at 24 h than on day 7 (p < .05).

Conclusions

Irrigation activation techniques with EDTA or CA increased the release levels of all growth factors from the dentine of canal walls in extracted premolar teeth.
Shear properties of C/C‐SiC sandwich structures
Authors: Heidenreich Bernhard , Kraft Harald , Bamsey Nathan , Such‐Taboada Miguel
Published: June 2021

Carbon fiber reinforced carbon‐silicon carbide (C/C‐SiC) sandwich structures have been developed using the Liquid Silicon Infiltration process and the in situ joining method. They offer high mass‐specific stiffness, low thermal expansion, and high environmental stability. Potential application areas are highly precise satellite structures, like optical benches. In this study, sandwich samples were manufactured using prepregs based on 2D carbon fibre fabrics and a phenolic resin precursor. Carbon fibre reinforced polymer preforms for folded and grid‐cores, as well as for the skin panels were manufactured using autoclave technique. In the second step, the sandwich components were pyrolyzed, leading to C/C preforms. For the build‐up of the sandwich samples, two skin panels were joined to a core structure and subsequently, the resulting C/C sandwich preform was siliconized. C/C‐SiC sandwich samples were tested under shear load. Shear strength, modulus, and fracture strain were determined and compared to the results obtained by analytical calculation. The shear properties were dependent on the fiber orientation in the core structure as well as on the core type and orientation. The sandwich shear stiffness obtained in the tests was close to the expected theoretical values, calculated on the basis of the material properties and the core geometry.
Corporate cannibalism in an oligopolistic market
Authors: Wang Xingtang , Wang Leonard F. S.
Published: June 2021

In this paper, we consider whether a firm that produces high‐quality products chooses to produce lower‐quality products. We find that when there is only one monopoly in the market, the monopoly will only produce a single‐quality product. When there are two firms in the market, one produces high‐quality products and the other one produces low‐quality products. When certain conditions are met, the firm that produces high‐quality products has an incentive to produce products of medium or lower quality, thus profiting. The production of new products by a firm will bring about the improvement of consumer surplus and social welfare.
In silico identification of novel small molecule umami peptide from ovotransferrin
Authors: Zhao Wenzhu , He Jingbo , Yu Zhipeng , Wu Sijia , Li Jianrong , Liu Jingbo , Liao Xiaojun
Published: June 2021

Umami ingredients are the important components of seasoning in food and widely used in food production. However, few novel umami peptides were isolated and identified. Here, the purpose of this research is to identify small molecule umami peptides derived from ovotransferrin by molecular docking. Based on the virtual enzymatic hydrolysis and molecular docking analysis, the tripeptide DEK with the lowest CDOCKER‐ENERGY (−99.50 kcal mol−1) was identified, which could occupy the extracellular venus flytrap domain (VFTD) of T1R1/T1R3 (taste receptor type 1, member 1 and 3). Furthermore, the electronic tongue was used to measure the umami taste of DEK. The results showed that the umami value of DEK was 2.31, which was higher than that of monosodium L‐glutamate via electronic tongue analysis. The docking results showed that virtual screening and molecular docking may be a more reliable and rapid method to substitute for classical methods for screening and identification of small molecule umami peptides.
Survival of stainless‐steel crowns and composite resin restorations in molars affected by molar‐incisor hypomineralization (MIH)
Authors: de Farias Aline Leite , Rojas‐Gualdrón Diego Fernando , Mejía Juan Diego , Bussaneli Diego Girotto , Santos‐Pinto Lourdes , Restrepo Manuel
Published: June 2021

Background

Currently, there is no consensus on the superiority of any material for the restorative treatment of molars affected by molar‐incisor hypomineralization (MIH).

Aim

To evaluate the survival of restorations with stainless‐steel crown (SSC) or composite resin (CR) in first permanent molars affected by MIH for 24 months.

Design

In this retrospective cohort study, 61 CR and 54 SSC restorations placed on molars affected by MIH of patients, aged between 7 and 10, that were treated and overseen at a university dental clinic in the period of 2017‐2020 were evaluated. The primary outcome was the failure‐free survival time. Parametric survival models were used for data censored by interval, and the comparison between SSC and CR was performed using the hazard ratio function with a 95% confidence interval.

Results

The survival of SSC and CR restorations after 24 months was 94.4% and 49.2%, respectively. This difference was influenced by the presence of previous restoration (aHR = 3.4; 95% CI: 1.2‐9.4) and cusp involvement (aHR = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.5‐11.2).

Conclusion

In molars with MIH and the need for restorative treatment, SSC had a significantly higher survival rate than CR over 24 months.
Use of oxidised regenerated cellulose/collagen dressings versus standard of care over multiple wound types: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Chowdhry Saeed A. , Nieves‐Malloure Yeni , Camardo Mark , Robertson Julie M. , Keys Joshua
Published: June 2021

Oxidised regenerated cellulose (ORC)/collagen dressings help maintain physiologically moist wound environments conducive to wound healing. While evidence supporting ORC/collagen dressing use exists, comprehensive assessment is needed. This systematic review/meta‐analysis evaluated the performance of ORC/collagen dressings compared with standard dressings. A systematic literature search was performed using PUBMED, EMBASE, and QUOSA Virtual Library. Published studies and conference abstracts were assessed between 1 January 1996 and 27 July 2020. Comparative studies in English completed by 31 December 2019, with a study population ≥10 were included. Patient demographics, wound healing, and protease concentrations were extracted. A random‐effect model was used to assess the effect of ORC/collagen dressings. Twenty studies were included following removal of duplicates and articles not meeting inclusion criteria. A statistically significant effect in favour of ORC/collagen dressings was found for wound closure (P = 0.027) and percent wound area reduction (P = 0.006). Inconclusive evidence or limited reporting prevented assessment of time to complete healing, days of therapy, number of dressing applications, pain, matrix metalloproteinase, elastase, plasmin, and gelatinase concentration. Statistically significant increase in wound closure rates and percent wound area reduction were observed in patients receiving ORC/collagen dressings compared with standard dressings in this systematic review/meta‐analysis.
The effects of activating a “baby brain” stereotype on pregnant women’s cognitive functioning
Authors: Pownall Madeleine , Conner Mark , Hutter Russell R. C.
Published: June 2021

Throughout pregnancy and into the immediate postpartum period, women are generally perceived to be incompetent, stressed, and forgetful. However, the neuropsychological “baby brain” literature remains unclear and contradictory. Across two studies, we provide the first experimental tests of whether perceived cognitive impairment in pregnancy can be explained by stereotype threat theory, which proposes that awareness of negative stereotypes about one’s ingroup can harm performance. In Study 1 (N = 364), we tested stereotype threat effects in a 2 (stereotype threat versus no threat) × 3 (pregnant women versus new mothers versus never‐pregnant female control) design. We observed a main effect of group on memory performance (pregnant women and new mothers performed worse than controls), but no other main or interactive effects. Study 2 (N = 409) aimed to extend these research questions with mathematics ability, memory, and attention as the dependent variables. Again, we found that a stereotype threat manipulation did not impair pregnant women and new mothers’ cognitive performance, nor was there any interactive effects. Groups also did not differ in their performance. We discuss these results in the context of stereotype threat mechanisms, calling into question whether a stereotype threat paradigm can be applied effectively to pregnancy‐related stereotypes. This work has implications for the advancement of stereotype threat as a theory and contributes to the reappraisal of the utility of stereotype threat as a way of understanding how stereotypes affect performance.
The α2AR/Caveolin‐1/p38MAPK/NF‐κB axis explains dexmedetomidine protection against lung injury following intestinal ischaemia‐reperfusion
Authors: Xu Lin , Li Taiyuan , Chen Qiuhong , Liu Zhen , Chen Yuesheng , Hu Kai , Zhang Xuekang
Published: June 2021

Intestinal ischaemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury can result in acute lung injury due to ischaemia and hypoxia. Dexmedetomidine (Dex), a highly selective alpha2‐noradrenergic receptor (α2AR) agonist used in anaesthesia, is reported to regulate inflammation in organs. This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of Dex in lung injury caused by intestinal I/R. After establishing a rat model of intestinal I/R, we measured the wet‐to‐dry specific gravity of rat lungs upon treatments with Dex, SB239063 and the α2AR antagonist Atipamezole. Moreover, injury scoring and histopathological studies of lung tissues were performed, followed by ELISA detection on tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐6 expression. Correlation of Caveolin‐1 (Cav‐1) protein expression with p38, p‐p38, p‐p65 and p65 in rat lung tissues was analysed, and the degree of cell apoptosis in lung tissues after intestinal I/R injury was detected by TUNEL assay. The lung injury induced by intestinal I/R was a dynamic process. Moreover, Dex had protective effects against lung injury by mediating the expression of Cal‐1 and α2A‐AR. Specifically, Dex promoted Cav‐1 expression via α2A‐AR activation and mitigated intestinal I/R‐induced lung injury, even in the presence of Atipamezole. The protective effect of Dex on intestinal I/R‐induced lung injury was also closely related to α2A‐AR/p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinases/nuclear factor‐kappaB (MAPK/NF‐κB) pathway. Dex can alleviate pulmonary inflammation after in intestinal I/R by promoting Cav‐1 to inhibit the activation of p38 and NF‐κB. In conclusion, Dex can reduce pulmonary inflammatory response even after receiving threats from both intestinal I/R injury and Atipamezole.
USP11 degrades KLF4 via its deubiquitinase activity in liver diseases
Authors: Yang Heeyoung , Park Daeui , Ryu Jeongho , Park Tamina
Published: June 2021

Krüppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4) is a zinc‐finger containing DNA‐binding transcription factor involved in tumorigenesis and acts as a tumour suppressor or an oncogene depending on the tissue. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), KLF4 has been considered as a tumour suppressor, although the mechanism underlying its action remains largely unknown. In this study, we identified the ubiquitin‐specific peptidase USP11 as a KLF4‐interacting deubiquitinating enzyme using a proteomic approach. USP11 destabilizes KLF4 through the removal of K63‐dependent polyubiquitination, thereby inhibiting KLF4 expression. We also provide mechanistic insights into KLF4 degradation and show that USP11 depletion inhibits growth and chemoresistance of HCC cells by enhancing KLF4 stability. Importantly, lipid content was reduced and genes involved in fatty acid metabolism were down‐regulated in an in vitro steatosis conditions upon USP11 knockout. Finally, elevated USP11 and reduced KLF4 levels were detected both in a hepatic steatosis in vitro model and in public clinical data of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease and HCC patients. Collectively, these findings suggest that USP11, as KLF4‐binding partner, is an important mediator of hepatic tumorigenesis that functions via degradation of KLF4 and is a potential treatment target for liver diseases.
‘Do the resilient things.’ Residents' perspectives on responsibilities for flood risk adaptation in England
Authors: Snel Karin A. W. , Priest Sally J. , Hartmann Thomas , Witte Patrick A. , Geertman Stan C. M.
Published: June 2021

Residents should take adaptive action to reduce flood risk—this claim increasingly resonates in the academic debate on flood risk management (FRM). Hence, it must be assumed that a change in the division of responsibilities between actors involved is an imperative, that is, beyond the public authorities, residents should become more responsible for their own flood resilience. However, residents' perspectives on their own and other's responsibility for adaptive action has not yet been explored extensively. In this contribution, we distinguish between four notions of responsibility in analysing the perspectives of residents regarding flood risk adaptation measures undertaken by public authorities, insurance companies and residents themselves. A qualitative study in England shows how residents perceive responsibilities for flood risk adaptation across the various notions and actors, including themselves. We found that residents have clear expectations and perceptions on how they think responsibility is divided among stakeholders and how they would like it to be. Additionally, the discourse on responsibility division in FRM raises questions and causes mismatches between the formal legal parameters and residents' perceptions. With the insights into residents' perceptions, opportunities arise to better inform and encourage them to take flood risk adaptation measures and thereby improve flood resilience.
Impact of Intrapartum Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Group B Streptococcus on the Term Infant Gut Microbiome: A State of the Science Review
Authors: Garcia Vanessa R.
Published: June 2021

Since the implementation of screening and prophylaxis guidelines for group B streptococcus (GBS) in the early 1990s there has been considerable advancement in scientific knowledge about the gut microbiome and its role in both health and disease processes. Research assessing early influences during the development of the infant gut microbiome has advanced considerably in the last 15 years. It is now widely accepted that early introduction of antibiotics in infancy is associated with increased risk for illness later in life. Research on antibiotic administration to pregnant individuals during labor for GBS colonization and its potential impact on the developing gut microbiome of term infants is now emerging. Despite the growing body of evidence of the negative impact of antibiotics on the gut microbiome, the guidelines for GBS prophylaxis among pregnant individuals have not changed significantly since their inception in the 1990s. This state of the science review examines the association between intrapartum antibiotic administration and alterations in the gut microbiome of term infants born vaginally, specifically in relation to microbial composition; the occurrence of and effect on antibiotic resistance genes in the infant gut; and the factors that may compound or mitigate these effects.
Impact of anxiety and depression on the quality of life of haemodialysis patients
Authors: Al‐Nashri Fatima , Almutary Hayfa
Published: June 2021

Aims and objectives

This study aimed to assess the impact of anxiety and depression on the quality of life (QOL) of haemodialysis patients.

Background

The growing number of people undergoing haemodialysis therapy on a global scale is becoming a universal concern. Although haemodialysis treatment is known to affect one's psychological well‐being, the impact of depression and anxiety on one's QOL has not been well addressed.

Design

A correlational cross‐sectional design.

Methods

A convenience sample of 114 patients who had been undergoing haemodialysis therapy participated in this study. The research methods used complied with the STROBE checklist. Data were collected using the Kidney Disease and Quality of Life Survey‐36 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The association between the KDQOL, anxiety and depression based on the characteristics of participants was investigated using an independent t test and one‐way analysis of variance.

Results

The mean anxiety score of the participants was 7.7 ± 5.3, while the mean score for depression was 7.01 ± 4.2. Based on the cut‐off points, 50% of the participants had anxiety, 44.7% depression. There were negative correlations between anxiety and QOL (r = −0.599, p < 0.001) and between depression and QOL (r = −.599, p < .001). The burden of the disease and physical component scores were mostly affected by both anxiety and depression.

Conclusions

Anxiety and depression are common symptoms among patients undergoing haemodialysis, and they have a negative impact on all domains of the QOL. Early detection and treatment of anxiety and depression may have a positive impact on disease outcomes.

Relevance to clinical practice

The findings of the current study support the need to adopt effective strategies to improve screening for anxiety and depression. The detection of high physical symptom burden should draw attention to potential psychological issues.
Oestrogen promotes lipids transportation through oestrogen receptor α in hepatic steatosis of geese in vitro
Authors: Deng Yan , Yuan Junsong , Qiu Jiamin , Tang Bincheng , Chen Xuefei , Hu Shenqiang , He Hua , Liu Hehe , Li Liang , Han Chunchun , Hu Jiwei , Wang Jiwen
Published: June 2021

Evidence has shown that oestrogen suppresses lipids deposition in the liver of mammals. However, the molecular mechanism of oestrogen action in hepatic steatosis of geese liver has yet to be determined. This study aimed to investigate the effect of oestrogen on lipid homeostasis at different states of geese hepatocytes in vitro. The results showed that an in vitro model of hepatic steatosis was induced by 1.5 mM sodium oleate via detecting the viability of hepatocytes and content of lipids. When the normal hepatocytes were administrated with different concentrations of oestrogen (E2), the expression levels of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2), microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) and oestrogen receptors (ERs, alpha and beta) were up‐regulated only at high concentrations of E2, whereas the lipid content was not a significant difference. In goose hepatocytes of hepatic steatosis, however, the expression levels of MTTP, apolipoprotein B (apoB) and ERα/β significantly increased at 10−7 or 10−6 M E2. Meanwhile, the lipids content significantly increased at 10−9 and 10−8 M E2 and decreased at 80 µM E2. Further heatmap analysis showed that ERα was clustered with apoB and MTTP in either normal hepatocytes or that of hepatic steatosis. Taken together, E2 might bind to ERα to up‐regulate the expression levels of apoB and MTTP, promoting the transportation of lipids and alleviating lipids overload in hepatic steatosis of geese in vitro.
Successful nutritional control of scratching and clinical signs associated with adverse food reaction: A randomized controlledCOSCAD'18 adherent clinical trial in dogs in the United States
Authors: Weemhoff James L. , MacLeay Jennifer M. , Brejda John , Schiefelbein Heidi , Wernimont Susan M. , Gross Kathy L.
Published: June 2021

Background

Adverse reactions to food are a common dermatological condition in dogs, requiring nutritional intervention using a novel or hydrolysate protein‐based food.

Objective

To evaluate a therapeutic food containing egg and phytonutrients in dogs with food allergies using an activity monitor and core outcome set for canine atopic dermatitis (COSCAD'18) guidelines and in a controlled double‐masked, multicenter, prospective clinical trial.

Animals

Adult dogs with a history of adverse food reaction as diagnosed by a food elimination trial were recruited from general practices.

Methods

After a 21‐day baseline period, dogs were randomized to test or positive control (hydrolyzed protein) food for 21 days. Owner (pruritus visual analog score [PVAS], coat quality, food acceptance, and satisfaction) and veterinarian (canine atopic dermatitis lesion index [CADLI], physical examination) assessments were completed on days 0, 21, and 42. Dogs wore a collar‐mounted activity monitor to record scratching and shaking behavior throughout the study. Statistical analysis included within‐group comparison to baseline and between‐group comparison at study end using a significance threshold of alpha = 0.05.

Results

At the end of the treatment period, all results were similar between groups for CADLI, PVAS, owner satisfaction, activity, and questionnaire data. Scores for hair dullness, brittleness, amount of dandruff, feces quality, and food acceptance were positive and not statistically different between groups.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The therapeutic test food was well‐accepted and efficacious in managing signs of adverse reactions to food compared to baseline as well as compared to the positive control food.
Low‐dose desoxycorticosterone pivalate treatment of hypoadrenocorticism in dogs: A randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Vincent Alysha M. , Okonkowski Linda K. , Brudvig Jean M. , Refsal Kent R. , Berghoff Nora , Olivier N. Bari , Langlois Daniel K.
Published: June 2021

Background

Desoxycorticosterone pivalate (DOCP) is a commonly used mineralocorticoid replacement for dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism (HA), but manufacturer‐recommended dosing protocols can be cost‐prohibitive. Recent reports also have raised concerns that label dose protocols could be excessive.

Objective

To investigate the relative efficacy and adverse effects of 2 DOCP dosages in dogs with primary glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid deficient HA.

Animals

Thirty‐seven dogs, including 19 test population dogs and 18 controls.

Methods

Randomized controlled double‐blinded clinical trial. Dogs with newly diagnosed primary HA were assigned to standard (2.2 mg/kg q30d, control population) or low‐dose (1.1 mg/kg q30d, test population) DOCP treatment. Clinical and laboratory variables were assessed 10 to 14 days and approximately 30 days after each DOCP treatment for 90 days.

Results

Mean serum sodium to potassium ratios at reevaluations were ≥32 in both populations throughout the study. No dog developed electrolyte abnormalities warranting medical treatment, although hypokalemia occurred on at least 1 occasion in 9 controls and 6 test population dogs. Urine specific gravities (median, interquartile range) were lower in control dogs (1.022, 1.016‐1.029) as compared to test population dogs (1.033, 1.023‐1.039;P= .006). Plasma renin activity was overly suppressed on 84 of 104 (80.8%) assessments in control dogs whereas increased renin activity occurred on 23 of 112 (20.5%) assessments in test population dogs.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Low‐dose DOCP protocols appear to be safe and effective for treatment of HA in most dogs. Standard‐dose protocols are more likely to result in biochemical evidence of overtreatment.
Resource availability drives variation in a marsupial glider’s home‐range size
Authors: Stobo‐Wilson A. M. , Cremona T. , Murphy B. P. , Carthew S. M.
Published: June 2021

Numerous studies have detailed the home‐range size of a variety of species. However, few have been able to determine the underlying contribution of species' traits (e.g. body mass and diet) versus the external environment (e.g. resource availability) on variation in home‐range size. We investigated the importance of body mass and resource availability on the home‐range size of a marsupial, the savanna glider (Petaurus ariel), in the tropical savannas of northern Australia. A strong rainfall gradient occurs over the region, resulting in substantial variation in resource availability throughout the geographic range of P. ariel. To determine P. ariel home‐range size, we radio‐tracked individuals from populations at the climatic extremes of the species’ geographic range, representing areas of high and low rainfall (mean annual rainfall: 1695 mm and 1074 mm, respectively). Additionally, we conducted spotlight surveys at each site to determine population density and collated live‐trapping data to model the body mass of P. ariel over its geographic range. We found an almost 10‐fold increase in P. ariel’s seasonal home‐range size between the two study areas (high rainfall: 2.5 ha vs. low rainfall: 23.0 ha). Body mass (67.5 g vs. 101.1 g) and density (1.1 individuals ha–1 vs. 0.2 individuals ha–1) also varied significantly between the high and low rainfall populations, respectively. The mean seasonal home‐range size of P. ariel was larger than any other similar‐sized Australian Petaurid and was in the top 6% of home‐range size, relative to body mass, of terrestrial, omnivorous mammals globally. The disproportionately large home‐range size of P. ariel is most likely driven by low resource availability within the species' geographic range. Our findings highlight that when resources are limiting, home‐range size can far exceed what is predicted by body mass and diet alone.
Redistributive effects of fiscal policies in Mexico: Corrections for top income measurement problems
Authors: Hlasny Vladimir
Published: June 2021

This article assesses the redistributive effects of fiscal instruments in Mexico in 2010–2014, correcting for top‐income measurement problems. Two correction methods are applied—survey‐sample reweighting for households' nonresponse probability and replacing of top incomes using smooth Pareto distributions—to reestimate the effects of pensions, transfers, taxes, and subsidies. These corrections yield higher inequality measures, consistent between the reweighting and replacing methods. Taxable income shows the highest inequality and undergoes the highest upward correction for top‐income problems, whereas nontaxable income is strongly equalizing. Contributory pensions are inequality‐neutral, while transfers, taxes, and subsidies are equalizing. In‐kind transfers, cash‐like transfers, and direct taxes have the strongest equalizing effects. Top‐income measurement challenges retain their magnitude across years 2010, 2012, and 2014, but household nonresponse becomes more positively selected, causing greater biases in later years.
Extraterrestrial hydroxy amino acids in CM and CR carbonaceous chondrites
Authors: Koga Toshiki , Parker Eric T. , McLain Hannah L. , Aponte José C. , Elsila Jamie E. , Dworkin Jason P. , Glavin Daniel P. , Naraoka Hiroshi
Published: June 2021

The abundances, distributions, and enantiomeric ratios of a family of three‐ and four‐carbon hydroxy amino acids (HAAs) were investigated in extracts of five CM and four CR carbonaceous chondrites by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analyses. HAAs were detected in both the acid hydrolysates of the hot water extracts and the 6 M HCl extracts of all the CM and CR chondrites analyzed here with total hot water and HCl extractable HAA concentrations ranging from 6.94 to 315 nmol g−1. The HAA analyses performed in this study revealed: (1) the combined (hot water + HCl) extracts of CR2 chondrites contained greater abundances of α‐HAAs than that of CM2 chondrites and (2) the combined extracts of CM and CR chondrites contained roughly similar abundances of β‐ and γ‐HAAs. Application of the new GC‐MS method developed here resulted in the first successful chromatographic resolution of the enantiomers of an α‐dialkyl HAA, d,l‐α‐methylserine, in carbonaceous chondrite extracts. Meteoritic α‐methylserine was found to be mostly racemic within error and did not show l‐enantiomeric excesses correlating with the degree of aqueous alteration, a phenomenon observed in meteoritic isovaline, another α‐dialkyl amino acid. The HAAs identified in CM and CR chondrite extracts could have been produced during parent body alteration from the Strecker cyanohydrin reaction (for α‐HAAs) and an ammonia‐involved formose‐like reaction (for β‐, and γ‐HAAs).
3D convolutional neural network‐based one‐stage model for real‐time action detection in video of construction equipment
Authors: Jung Seunghoon , Jeoung Jaewon , Kang Hyuna , Hong Taehoon
Published: June 2021

This study aims to propose a three‐dimensional convolutional neural network (3D CNN)‐based one‐stage model for real‐time action detection in video of construction equipment (ADVICE). The 3D CNN‐based single‐stream feature extraction network and detection network are designed with the implementation of the 3D attention module and feature pyramid network developed in this study to improve performance. For model evaluation, 130 videos were collected from YouTube including videos of four types of construction equipment at various construction sites. Trained on 520 clips and tested on 260 clips, ADVICE achieved precision and recall of 82.1% and 83.1%, respectively, with an inference speed of 36.6 frames per second. The evaluation results indicate that the proposed method can implement the 3D CNN‐based one‐stage model for real‐time action detection of construction equipment in videos of diverse, variable, and complex construction sites. The proposed method paved the way to improving safety, productivity, and environmental management of construction projects.
Graph neural network and reinforcement learning for multi‐agent cooperative control of connected autonomous vehicles
Authors: Chen Sikai , Dong Jiqian , Ha Paul (Young Joun) , Li Yujie , Labi Samuel
Published: June 2021

A connected autonomous vehicle (CAV) network can be defined as a set of connected vehicles including CAVs that operate on a specific spatial scope that may be a road network, corridor, or segment. The spatial scope constitutes an environment where traffic information is shared and instructions are issued for controlling the CAVs movements. Within such a spatial scope, high‐level cooperation among CAVs fostered by joint planning and control of their movements can greatly enhance the safety and mobility performance of their operations. Unfortunately, the highly combinatory and volatile nature of CAV networks due to the dynamic number of agents (vehicles) and the fast‐growing joint action space associated with multi‐agent driving tasks pose difficultly in achieving cooperative control. The problem is NP‐hard and cannot be efficiently resolved using rule‐based control techniques. Also, there is a great deal of information in the literature regarding sensing technologies and control logic in CAV operations but relatively little information on the integration of information from collaborative sensing and connectivity sources. Therefore, we present a novel deep reinforcement learning‐based algorithm that combines graphic convolution neural network with deep Q‐network to form an innovative graphic convolution Q network that serves as the information fusion module and decision processor. In this study, the spatial scope we consider for the CAV network is a multi‐lane road corridor. We demonstrate the proposed control algorithm using the application context of freeway lane‐changing at the approaches to an exit ramp. For purposes of comparison, the proposed model is evaluated vis‐à‐vis traditional rule‐based and long short‐term memory‐based fusion models. The results suggest that the proposed model is capable of aggregating information received from sensing and connectivity sources and prescribing efficient operative lane‐change decisions for multiple CAVs, in a manner that enhances safety and mobility. That way, the operational intentions of individual CAVs can be fulfilled even in partially observed and highly dynamic mixed traffic streams. The paper presents experimental evidence to demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can significantly enhance CAV operations. The proposed algorithm can be deployed at roadside units or cloud platforms or other centralized control facilities.
Whole‐genome resequencing and transcriptome analysis provide insights on aphid‐resistant quantitative trait loci/genes in Sorghum bicolor
Authors: Zhang Jiwei , Li Wanglong , Lv Peng , Yang Xin , Xu Wang , Ni Xianlin , Feng Hui , Zhao Ganlin , Pu Mei , Zhou Shixin , Zhao Zhixue , Li Ling , Huang Yanyan , Fan Jing , Li Yan , Zhu Jianqing , Liu Guoqing , Wang Wenming
Published: June 2021

The sorghum aphid (Melanaphis sacchari) has emerged as a serious pest for Sorghum bicolor and a major factor limiting its production worldwide. In this study, whole‐genome resequencing of resistant and susceptible bulks from a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was conducted together with transcriptome analysis of the parent to identify genes underlying aphid resistance. In the NGS‐based bulked segregation analysis (BSA), using a total of 920,389 genome‐wide high‐confidence markers, four QTLs, qtlMs‐6.1, qtlMs‐6.2, qtlMs‐6.3, and qtlMs‐6.4, were identified on chromosome 6. Based on comparative transcriptome analysis, 245 differentially expressed genes (DEGs,190 upregulated and 55 downregulated) and 576 DEGs (336 upregulated and 240 downregulated) were identified at 4 dpi in 407B (resistant) and 7B (susceptible), respectively. The DEGs in 407B were enriched in ‘DNA replication’, ‘flavone and flavonol biosynthesis’ and ‘flavonoid biosynthesis’, which are associated with plant stress resistance. The QTL‐seq study identified a SNP marker (Chr6: 2686447C>G) that was validated on a diverse panel and could be used in molecular marker‐assisted selection to improve aphid resistance in sorghum.
Thoreau and the Confucian Four Books
Authors: Foust Mathew A.
Published: June 2021

Henry David Thoreau read three English translations of the Confucian Four Books and produced undated translations from a French translation of these texts. This study examines the relationship between Thoreau and Confucian thought via his engagement with this set of translations. Selections from the English translations were reprinted in the “Ethnical Scriptures” columns of the Transcendentalist periodical,The Dial. This study examines this understudied column, considering the possible impact the passages made on Thoreau's thought. Next, Thoreau's translations from the French are addressed, with the question of dating the translations explored, given its necessity for a robust appreciation of their role in the arc of his thought. Then, the connection between Confucian and Thoreauvian thought about civil disobedience is analyzed, with reference to a recent debate in the literature. Recommendations for further scholarship are offered, emphasizing links between Confucianism andWaldenin general, and Mencius and Thoreau in particular.
The role of attention and explicit knowledge in perceiving bistable auditory input
Authors: Brace Kelin M. , Sussman Elyse S.
Published: June 2021

The auditory system frequently encounters ambiguous sound input that can be perceived in multiple ways. The current study investigated the role of explicit knowledge in modulating how sounds are represented in auditory memory for a bistable sound sequence that could be perceived equally as integrated or segregated. We hypothesized that the dominant percept of the bistable sequence would suppress representation of the alternative perceptual organization as a function of how much top‐down knowledge the listener had about the structure of the sequence. Performance measures and event‐related brain potentials were compared when participants had explicit knowledge about one perceptual organization in the first half of the experiment to when they had explicit knowledge of both in the second half. We hypothesized that knowledge would modify the brain response to the alternative percept of the bistable sequence. However, that did not occur. When participants were performing one task, with no explicit knowledge of the bistable structure of the sequence, both integrated and segregated percepts were represented in auditory working memory. This demonstrates that explicit knowledge about the sounds is not a necessary factor for deriving and maintaining representations of multiple sound organizations within a complex sound environment. Passive attention operates in parallel with active or selective attention to maintain consistent representations of the environment, representations that may or may not be useful for task performance. It suggests a highly adaptive system useful in everyday listening situations where the listener has no prior knowledge about how the sound environment is structured.
Estimating the Effect of Health Service Delivery Interventions on Patient Length of Stay: A Bayesian Survival Analysis Approach
Authors: Watson Samuel I. , Lilford Richard J. , Sun Jianxia , Bion Julian
Published: June 2021

Health service delivery interventions include a range of hospital ‘quality improvement’ initiatives and broader health system policies. These interventions act through multiple causal pathways to affect patient outcomes and they present distinct challenges for evaluation. In this article, we propose an empirical approach to estimating the effect of service delivery interventions on patient length of stay considering three principle issues: (i) informative censoring of discharge times due to mortality; (ii) post-treatment selection bias if the intervention affects patient admission probabilities; and (iii) decomposition into direct and indirect pathways mediated by quality. We propose a Bayesian structural survival model framework in which results from a subsample in which required assumptions hold, including conditional independence of the intervention, can be applied to the whole sample. We evaluate a policy of increasing specialist intensity in hospitals at the weekend in England and Wales to inform a cost-minimisation analysis. Using data on adverse events from a case note review, we compare various specifications of a structural model that allows for observations of hospital quality. We find that the policy was not implemented as intended but would have likely been cost saving, that this conclusion is sensitive to model specification, and that the direct effect accounts for almost all of the total effect rather than any improvement in hospital quality.
Marriage and employment participation with wage bargaining in search equilibrium
Authors: Bonilla Roberto , Trejos Alberto
Published: June 2021

We build an equilibrium search model where married couples make joint decisions on home production and labour market participation and analyse the implications of our results for a frictional marriage market. A worker's bargaining position reflects their productivity, and the productivity and employment status of their spouse. People sometimes accept transitory jobs only to raise the spouse's long‐term wages. Firms sometimes reduce turnover by unilaterally increasing a worker's wage, ensuring that the spouse stays at home.
When the Mirror Starts to Sing: Teaching German with Märchen in Music Videos
Authors: Schwabe Claudia
Published: June 2021

German fairy tales have an established history of appropriation in popular media, from oral traditions to mobile media. The mimetic quality of fairy‐tale motifs and tropes provides ideal conditions for intertextual adaptation. In this article, I demonstrate that German fairy‐tale themed music videos are powerful vehicles for culture, parody, and subversion that can be utilized as rich teaching tools in the German classroom. Artists using the German language draw on the genre of the fairy tale in their music videos in innovative and humorous ways for social critique and commentary, but they also resort to the form of the meta‐fairy tale to question the pedagogical values of the Grimms’ fairy tales.
Teaching Fairy Tales: Constructing Culture and Learning Language
Authors: Soltau Noah
Published: June 2021

Fairy tales often occupy only a superficial role in German language classrooms, used to check a culture box and teach the simple past tense. However, teaching fairy tales can engage students’ analytical faculties and expose them to the culturally and linguistically embedded nature of folktales, leading them to a deeper appreciation of language, culture, and history. This article examines a course titled “Fairy Tales and German National Identity,” and discusses ways to incorporate fairy tales into a course focused on German and intercultural literacy. Instructors can assist in developing students’ critical thinking and writing abilities by highlighting the deep connections between language, culture, politics, and history as well as cross‐cultural awareness. Students apply cross‐ and intercultural lenses to the study of excerpts from Goethe's Das Märchen, a selection of Grimm tales (especially those that fall out of or were added to subsequent editions), Heine's Deutschland. Ein Wintermärchen, and other secondary and student‐selected readings. Students learn to contextualize the tales within discreet German and contemporary political and historical frameworks through discussion, writing, and lectures. They may also adopt a new perspective on how high and low cultural artifacts influence social, cultural, and political attitudes.
Das Märchen als Medium der Transkulturalität: Kontrastive Studie anhand ausgewählter Texte aus der deutschen und arabischen Literatur
Authors: Tawfik Shaimaa Ahmed El Saghir
Published: June 2021

Die Frage nach der Transkulturalität gewinnt in heutigen globalen Gesellschaften zunehmend an Bedeutung, vor allem im Zusammenhang mit Kulturen, Sprachen und Literatur. Wohl kaum ein literarisches Genre hat europäische ebenso wie arabische Lesende so beeindruckt wie das Märchen. Schon in der Grundschule lasen die Schüler der fünften Klasse ägyptischer Grundschulen die Geschichte von Aladdin und seiner Wunderlampe (Keilany, 1997) aus dem Buch Tausend und eine Nacht während des Arabischunterrichts. Dieser Beitrag zielt darauf ab, in deutschen Märchen dargestellte interkulturelle Merkmale im Vergleich zu denen in arabischen Märchen zu eruieren. Da es in dieser Ausgabe von Unterrichtspraxis um deutsche Märchen im globalen Kontext geht, soll hier etwas näher auf die Rolle und Bedeutung der Märchen als Medium der Transkulturalität eingegangen werden. Die Arbeit gehört zum Bereich der interkulturellen literarischen Diskursanalyse. In diesem Rahmen werden in ausgewählten Texten die wichtigsten textexternen und ‐internen Elemente berücksichtigt. Darüber hinaus werden ihre interkulturellen Vorgaben beleuchtet und analysiert. Im Fokus steht auch die Anwendung der ausgewählten Märchen im Rahmen des Literaturunterrichts an zwei Abteilungen für Germanistik in Oberägypten, nämlich die Abteilung für Germanistik der Sohag Universität und die Abteilung für Germanistik der Luxor Universität, da der Einsatz von Märchen an manchen Germanistikfakultäten in Ägypten eine lange Tradition hat. Die Lernenden beschäftigten sich hierbei nicht nur mit den literarischen und sprachlichen Komponenten, sondern auch mit den Gemeinsamkeiten und den Unterschieden zwischen der eigenen (arabischen) und der ihnen fremden (europäischen) Kultur. Wenn in Ägypten oder vor allem in der arabischsprachigen Welt von Märchen die Rede ist, denkt man sofort an das Märchenbuch Tausend und eine Nacht, das weltweit berühmt ist. In Deutschland haben Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm die bekanntesten Märchen gesammelt. Dementsprechend bezieht sich die kontrastive Studie auf zwei ausgewählte Texte aus der Märchensammlung der Brüder Grimm (Rotkäppchen und Aschenputtel) im Vergleich zu ihren arabischen bzw. ägyptischen Versionen (Laila Wa AlDaib und Rhodopis).
Role of ABO blood system in COVID‐19: Findings from a southern Italian study
Authors: Negro Pierpaolo , Congedo Maurizio , Zizza Antonella , Guido Marcello , Sacquegna Gianfranco , Pulito Giuseppe , Lobreglio Giambattista
Published: June 2021

Background

COVID‐19 is a worldwide infection caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 and infects humans by binding to the ACE2 receptor. Blood group ABO glycoproteins can influence the binding of the virus to ACE2. The role of ABO blood system in the susceptibility to infection as well as in the clinical outcome of infected patients is still controversial and needs to be clarified.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of 167 patients positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 who underwent nasopharyngeal swab, and of a control group represented by 891 subjects negative for SARS‐CoV‐2, to assess the association between ABO and Rh blood system and occurrence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, clinical presentation, and outcome of disease.

Results

In the cohort of patients positive for SARS‐CoV‐2, no statistically significant difference in the distribution of ABO blood types compared with controls was observed. Patients with blood type A had a higher risk of developing symptomatic disease (p = 0.002; odds ratio [OR = 3.592]; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.576–8.187) compared to patients with blood types B, AB, and O. Patients with blood types B (p = 0.021; OR = 0.293; 95%CI = 0.099–0.869) and O (p = 0.018; OR = 0.417; 95%CI = 0.199–0.871) showed a lower risk in comparison to the other groups.

The clinical progression to mild/moderate and severe/critical disease and the mortality showed no association. Moreover, no relationship with Rh blood type was found.

Conclusions

Our findings support a role of ABO blood type in the development of symptomatic disease with a higher risk in subjects with blood type A and a protective effect of blood types B and O. Blood types do not seem, however, to play a role in susceptibility, progression to severe disease, and death.