bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Does alpha phase modulate visual target detection? Three experiments with tACS‐phase‐based stimulus presentation
Authors: de Graaf Tom A. , Thomson Alix , Janssens Shanice E.W. , van Bree Sander , ten Oever Sanne , Sack Alexander T. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIn recent years, the influence of alpha (7–13 Hz) phase on visual processing has received a lot of attention. Magneto‐/encephalography (M/EEG) studies showed that alpha phase indexes visual excitability and task performance. Studies with transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) aim to modulate oscillations and causally impact task performance. Here, we applied right occipital tACS (O2 location) to assess the functional role of alpha phase in a series of experiments. We presented visual stimuli at different pre‐determined, experimentally controlled, phases of the entraining tACS signal, hypothesizing that this should result in an oscillatory pattern of visual performance in specifically left hemifield detection tasks. In experiment 1, we applied 10 Hz tACS and used separate psychophysical staircases for six equidistant tACS‐phase conditions, obtaining contrast thresholds for detection of visual gratings in left or right hemifield. In experiments 2 and 3, tACS was at EEG‐based individual peak alpha frequency. In experiment 2, we measured detection rates for gratings with (pseudo‐)fixed contrast. In experiment 3, participants detected brief luminance changes in a custom‐built LED device, at eight equidistant alpha phases. In none of the experiments did the primary outcome measure over phase conditions consistently reflect a one‐cycle sinusoid. However, post hoc analyses of reaction times (RT) suggested that tACS alpha phase did modulate RT for specifically left hemifield targets in both experiments 1 and 2 (not measured in experiment 3). This observation requires future confirmation, but is in line with the idea that alpha phase causally gates visual inputs through cortical excitability modulation.
Association of leaf silicon content with chronic wind exposure across and within herbaceous plant species
Authors: Song Yao‐Bin , Hu Yu‐Kun , Pan Xu , Liu Guo‐Fang , Xiong Wei , Dong Ming , Cornelissen Johannes H. C. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAimHigh foliar silicon (henceforth Si) concentration protects plant tissues against herbivory, but protection against several abiotic stressors has also been proposed, although the adaptive significance of these functions is still being debated. We aimed to explore the potential relationships between foliar Si content and chronic wind exposure across a large scale and multiple species and to analyse an overlooked alternative or complementary function of silicon in leaves: mechanical protection against wind.LocationMainland China.Time periodFrom July to September during 2012–2014.Major taxa studiedTwo hundred and eighty‐two vascular plant species in predominantly herbaceous communities.MethodsWe compiled a dataset for leaf silicon concentration ([Si]) across 27 sites and 153 herbaceous plots within the major climate zones of China. We hypothesized that evolutionary lineages that generally have high [Si] should show positive relationships between leaf [Si] and mean annual wind speed.ResultsWithin major families with generally high [Si] (especially grasses, sedges and composites), leaf [Si] exhibits a consistently positive correlation with mean wind speed among species across China. For the seven widespread monocot species with high leaf [Si], including the globally distributed common reed (Phragmites australis), intraspecific variation in leaf [Si] exhibits the same consistent positive correlation with mean wind speed.Main conclusionsOur findings suggest that high leaf [Si] is likely to have widespread adaptive value for wind exposure of leaves, at least in several very widespread families and species of herbaceous plants. Damage from wind is a danger for plants in many ecosystems, hence these findings are of global significance and indicate that further research into large‐scale variation of leaf Si and mechanical traits in relationship to wind exposure is likely to be illuminating.
SWINGING OF THE BREATH: UNDECIDABILITY AND ZONES OF INDISTINCTION IN HERTA MÜLLER'S ATEMSCHAUKEL
Authors: Hoeeg Mette Leonard 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIn this essay I use Giorgio Agamben's concept of ‘zones of indistinction’ in an investigation of how undecidability functions in the generation of meaning in Herta Müller's Atemschaukel. I argue that, by evoking a number of oppositional pairs, Atemschaukel demarcates an area as a zone of indistinction. Within this zone the thinking and experience of the first‐person narrator, and, by extension, of the reader, oscillate between different modes, and tension is produced and sustained. Through this zone some of the most significant meanings of the narrative regarding the nature of representation, historic truth, and the truth of a specific witness are conveyed. While undecidability on the level of genre and the representation of reality is arguably the most obvious form in Atemschaukel, it is not the main focus of my analysis. Rather, my purpose is to shed light on the interrelation of oppositional pairs and their effect of meaning‐production without subsuming the various forms of undecidability under the obvious one of genre, as a categorisation of the work as ‘autofiction’ would probably do. Thus I challenge the generic categorisation of complex works of undecidability such as Atemschaukel and argue that in order to recognise certain meanings of the work, the reader must accept the unresolved nature of its undecidabilities.
HUMANITY IN DARK TIMES: HANNAH ARENDT AND HERTA MÜLLER
Authors: Haines Brigid 
Published: January 2020

ABSTRACTThis paper reads Herta Müller's life and works in the light of those of Hannah Arendt in order to explore Müller's place within broad currents of European history, literature, and thought. Arendt and Müller are ethical, phenomenological, and instinctively iconoclastic thinkers who insist on the value of experience and are unafraid to think and speak, to use Arendt's term, ‘without a banister’. Both mount a modernist challenge to totalising discourses and seek out the possibilities of humanity in dark times, locating these in ideology's opposites: singularity, newness, and infinite possibility, in short, in the ‘natality’ (Arendt) which characterises the human condition. Müller's protagonists experience the loneliness and atomisation that Arendt identified as central to totalitarian rule, but they are also survivors and witnesses whose stories illuminate across time. Müller's disorienting collage technique, reminiscent of Benjamin's montages of quotations, promotes in the consumer a process of judgement and thought, a ‘vigilant partiality’ (Arendt on G. E. Lessing) which spurs engagement with the issues of their own era.
In the gateway's shadow: Interactions between Singapore's Hinterlands
Authors: Hutchinson Francis E. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractDuring the 1990s, Singapore, the Malaysian state of Johor and the Riau Islands in Indonesia marketed themselves as a single investment destination. Due to its capital, technology, and superior logistics, Singapore was the “gateway”; Johor and the Riau Islands were the hinterland—supplying land, labour, and resources. Since then, production networks between the three territories have deepened. Interactions with Singapore have also catalysed connections between Johor and the Riau Islands. To date, research has focussed on the city‐state as the gateway and/or linkages between it and one of the two hinterlands. This emphasis is inherent in the “Gateway City” framework, which focusses on the primary city at the expense of its hinterlands and also overlooks mediating influences such as borders and border regimes. This article proposes complementing the Gateway City with the Cross‐Border Region framework to gain stronger purchase on the unit of analysis and focusing on inter‐hinterland dynamics to gain a more complete picture of how gateway cities affect their surrounding areas. Through applying this expanded theoretical framework to study the interactions of Johor and the Riau Islands, this article seeks to shed light on an under‐theorised and under‐studied aspect of gateway cities.
Institutional context and place‐based policy: The case of Coventry & Warwickshire
Authors: Glückler Johannes 
Published: January 2020

AbstractA key problem of downscaling or transferring policies across regions is embedding these policies into a place for them to unleash the full potential of regional economies. This paper elaborates on the analytical framework of “institutional context” to bridge the gap between rich theorizations and poor empirical capture of institutions in studies of regional development. The institutional context is constituted by three pillars—regulations, organizations, and institutions—as well as by the interrelations between these pillars. Applied to the British region of Coventry and Warwickshire, a qualitative analysis of expert interviews finds institutional patterns of short‐termism, moderate levels of social capital and an embryonic relational infrastructure to constrain the place‐based strategy for industrial diversification. This regional case illustrates the more general challenge for regional policy in the UK of devising place‐based strategies under conditions of continuous rescaling of regional governance and the implementation of a new National Industrial Strategy. In conclusion, the analysis suggests a shift from “nodal” to “linking” policies that support cross‐network connections and help grow a regional field for collective action to cross‐fertilize knowledge and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in emerging industries.
Association of hepatocellular carcinoma risk with polymorphisms in tumour necrosis factor alpha gene in a Chinese Han population
Authors: Yue Xin , Jiang Xin , Zou Hongjiu , Li Gaokai , Wang Jinan , Liu Ying 
Published: January 2020

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide. Studies have shown that the tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) plays an important role in the development of HCC; however, the association between genetic variations of TNF‐α and HCC is not yet fully understood. To evaluate the correlation of TNF‐α polymorphisms with HCC, we randomly selected 327 HCC patients and 432 healthy controls, all these subjects reported Han nationality. Genotyping of four TNF‐α SNPs (rs1799724, rs1800629, rs1799964 and rs1800610) was performed using the matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS) method. Distributions of rs1799964 genotypes and rs1800610 alleles were found to be significantly different between cases and controls (p = .011, p = .001). The recessive model of rs1799964 significantly increased HCC risk (p = .0015), while the dominant and over‐dominant models of rs1800610 significantly reduced HCC risk (p = .0096, p = .014). Haplotype analysis of the four TNF‐α SNPs revealed that the TGTA haplotype was associated with a reduced HCC risk (p = .0033, OR = 0.53), while the TGTG haplotype was associated with an increased HCC risk (p = .0032, OR = 9.69). These findings indicated that specific TNF‐α polymorphisms may be associated with the susceptibility to HCC.
Portopulmonary hypertension: prognosis and management in the current treatment era – results from the REHAP registry
Authors: Lazaro Salvador Maria , Quezada Loaiza Carlos A. , Rodríguez Padial Luis , Barberá Joan A. , López‐Meseguer Manuel , López‐Reyes Raquel , Sala‐Llinas Ernest , Alcolea Sergio , Blanco Isabel , Escribano‐Subías Pilar ,   REHAP Investigators
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundPortopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) is a rare condition with poorer survival compared to idiopathic/familial pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH/FPAH).AimsTo compare the characteristics, survival, prognostic factors and management of PoPH and IPAH/FPAH patients and to assess the impact of treatment on survival of PoPH patients.MethodsAnalysis of data of prevalent and incident PoPH patients enrolled in the Spanish registry of PAH (REHAP) from January 1998 to December 2017 and comparison with IPAH/FPAH patients. Variables analysed: patient and disease (PAH and liver) characteristics, first‐line PAH‐targeted therapy, causes of death, prognostic factors and survival (according to aetiology and treatment in PoPH patients).ResultsCompared to IPAH/FPAH patients (n = 678), patients with PoPH (n = 237) were predominantly men, older and had better functional class and higher prevalence of ascites. Haemodynamics were better. Biomarkers for heart failure were worse. Age‐ and sex‐adjusted 5‐year survival rate from diagnosis was 49.3% for PoPH patients and 68.7% for IPAH patients (P < 0.001). Treated PoPH had better survival than non‐treated. PAH‐ and liver‐related causes accounted for 30.2% and 24.7% of deaths in PoPH patients. PoPH patients were less likely to receive first‐line PAH‐targeted therapy and this was associated with greater mortality. Increasing age, worse exercise capacity and ascites were independent prognostic factors of poorer survival; first‐line oral monotherapy was associated with improved survival. Eight (3.4%) PoPH patients underwent liver transplantation.ConclusionsPoPH patients are undertreated and show poorer survival than IPAH/FPAH patients. First‐line treatment with PAH‐targeted therapy was associated with better survival. Presence of ascites was a predictor of mortality.
Investment and financing for cash flow discounted with group diversity
Authors: Luo Pengfei , Yang Zhaojun 
Published: January 2020

AbstractWe consider a firm's investment and financing decisions made by a group of agents on behalf of shareholders, of which each individual utilizes a different discount rate following a given probability distribution for the valuation of equity. We measure group diversity by the variance of the distribution. The price of debt is determined by an equilibrium method in a competitive market. We show that a greater group diversity increases the project value, accelerates investment and postpones default. The value of the investment option increases but the optimal leverage decrease with the group diversity. The inefficiency from asset substitution increases but that from debt overhang decreases with the group diversity. Our predictions are documented by empirical evidences.
Serious outcomes of medically attended, laboratory‐confirmed influenza illness among school‐aged children with and without asthma, 2007‐2018
Authors: McLean Huong Q. , Hanson Kayla E. , Foster Allison D. , Olson Scott C. , Kemble Sarah K. , Belongia Edward A. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractBackgroundAsthma was associated with influenza hospitalizations in children during the 2009 pandemic, but it is unclear if asthma is associated with serious illness during seasonal epidemics. Little is known regarding the effect of vaccination on influenza severity in children with asthma.MethodsChildren aged 5‐17 years in a community cohort presenting with acute respiratory illness were prospectively enrolled and tested for influenza from 2007‐08 through 2017‐18 (excluding the 2009‐10 pandemic season). Data from the electronic health record were extracted to determine asthma status and serious outcomes associated with influenza infection. A serious outcome was defined as hospitalization, emergency department visit, and/or pneumonia diagnosis within 30 days of symptom onset. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess asthma status and effect of vaccination on odds of a serious outcome.ResultsOne thousand seven hundred and sixty four medically‐attended influenza infections among school‐aged children were included. Asthma was confirmed in 287 (16%) children. A serious influenza‐associated outcome occurred in 104 (6%) children. The odds of a serious outcome did not differ between those with confirmed asthma and those without asthma [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): (0.77‐2.35), P = .3]. The effect of vaccination on serious outcomes was not modified by asthma status [aOR for children without asthma: 0.55 (95% CI: 0.28‐1.07), children with asthma: 1.39 (95% CI: 0.53‐3.69); interaction P‐value = .12].ConclusionsAsthma was not a risk factor for serious illness among children with influenza. Additional studies are needed to better understand the role of influenza vaccination in preventing serious outcomes among children with asthma.
Large‐scale ciliary reversal mediates capture of individual algal prey by Müller's larva
Authors: von Dassow George , Ellison Christina I. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractWe documented capture of microalgal prey by several species of wild‐caught Müller's larvae of polyclad flatworms. To our knowledge, this is the first direct observation of feeding mechanism in this classical larval type. High‐speed video recordings showed that virtually all captures were mediated by large‐scale transient ciliary reversal over one or more portions of the main ciliary band corresponding to individual lobes or tentacles. Local ciliary beat reversals altered near‐field flow to suck parcels of food‐containing water mouthward. Many capture episodes entailed sufficient coordinated flow disruption that these compact‐bodied larvae tumbled dramatically. Similar behaviors were recorded in at least four distinct species, one of which corresponds to the ascidian‐eating polyclad Pseudoceros canadensis.
Thermosetting polymers in cold sintering: The fabrication of ZnO‐polydimethylsiloxane composites
Authors: Ndayishimiye Arnaud , Grady Zane A. , Tsuji Kosuke , Wang Ke , Bang Sun Hwi , Randall Clive A. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis study reports the fabrication of the first ceramics‐thermosetting polymer composites by the cold sintering process, for high ceramic volume fractions (v/v >95%). The (1 − x) ZnO − x polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites, with 0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.05, were cold sintered at 250°C, 320 MPa for 60 minutes. In situ densification studies conducted with the help of a semi‐automated press revealed that the mechanisms driving the densification of the material changes with the polymer content. Relative densities of the (1 − x) ZnO − x PDMS composites (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.05) were above 90%. Impedance spectroscopy of the composites yields insight into the ceramic‐polymer interfaces within the sintered ZnO bulk and suggests long‐range conduction governed by ZnO‐PDMS interface properties for x = 0.03 and x = 0.05. The study also emphasizes on the complexities and opportunities of such ceramic‐dominated ceramic‐polymer composites.
SPS‐assisted synthesis of InGaO3(ZnO)m ceramics, and influence of m on the band gap and the thermal conductivity
Authors: Préaud Sébastien , Byl Céline , Brisset François , Berardan David 
Published: January 2020

AbstractIn this study, we report on the use of a two‐stage annealing treatment at 1100°C coupled to reactive Spark Plasma Sintering to reduce the synthesis temperature of InGaO3(ZnO)m (m = 1 to 9) dense polycrystalline pellets below 1200°C, in order to suppress the volatilization of ZnO and get a better control of the crystalline quality of the pellets. We show that using this treatment, dense single‐phase pellets can be prepared with randomly oriented grains. Besides, we evidence a monotonic evolution of the band gap in the series from 3.27 eV in InGaO3(ZnO) to 3.02 eV in InGaO3(ZnO)9, as well as a non‐monotonic evolution of the lattice thermal conductivity that reaches a minimum for InGaO3(ZnO)3, lower than 2 W m−1 K−1 above 350°C. Last, we propose a procedure for the high‐temperature measurement of the thermal diffusivity of oxides by the laser flash method to avoid possible reactions between the measured material and the graphite spray.
Estimation of litter size variability phenotypes in Large White sows
Authors: Dobrzański Jan , Mulder Han A. , Knol Egbert F. , Szwaczkowski Tomasz , Sell‐Kubiak Ewa 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe objective of this study was to obtain new phenotypes of phenotypic variability for the total number born (TNB) in pigs using the residual variance of TNB. The analysis was based on 246,799 Large White litter observations provided by Topigs Norsvin. Three animal models were used to obtain estimates of residual variance for TNB: the basic model (BM) containing fixed effects of farm–year and season and random effects of animal and permanent environmental sow, the basic model with an additional fixed effect of parity (BMP) and a random regression model (RRM). The within‐individual variance of the residuals was calculated and log‐transformed to obtain three new variability traits: LnVarBM, LnVarBMP and LnVarRRM. Then, (co)variance components, heritability, the genetic coefficient of variation at the standard deviation level (GCVSDe) and genetic correlations between the three LnVar's and between the LnVar's and mean total number born (mTNB) were estimated with uni‐, bi‐ and trivariate models. Results indicated that genetically LnVar's are the same trait and are positively correlated with the mTNB (~0.60). Thus, both traits should be included in breeding programmes to avoid an increase in TNB variability while selecting for increased TNB. Heritability of the LnVar's was estimated at 0.021. The GCVSDe for LnVar's showed that a change of 8% in residual standard deviation of TNB could be obtained per generation. Those results indicate that phenotypic variability of litter size is under genetic control, thus it may be improved by selection.
Infant domestic adoption: outcomes at mid‐life
Authors: Sehmi Rukmen , Rushton Alan , Pickles Andrew , Grant Margaret , Maughan Barbara 
Published: January 2020

BackgroundAdoption studies can cast light on environmental influences on development, but heterogeneity in preplacement experiences often complicates interpretation of findings.MethodsWe studied infant‐adopted samples drawn from the 1958 and 1970 British birth cohorts and examined mental health, well‐being, physical health and externalizing outcomes at mid‐life. Outcomes for adopted cohort members were compared with those of (a) individuals raised in two biological parent families (‘general population’ comparisons) and (b) birth comparison groups of other nonadopted children from similar circumstances at birth.ResultsIn both cohorts, to‐be‐adopted children shared early characteristics in common with birth comparison children, but were placed in more socially advantaged adoptive homes. Followed to mid‐life, there were few group differences on indicators of physical health or psychological well‐being. Levels of psychological distress were comparable in the adopted and general population samples in both cohorts, and more favourable than in the birth comparison groups among women in the 1958 cohort; more beneficial childhood family circumstances contributed to these differences. Rates of adult externalizing outcomes were comparable in the adopted and birth comparison groups in both cohorts, and higher than in the general population samples; indicators of maternal and prenatal exposures contributed to these differences.ConclusionsRearing in adoptive homes may provide protective effects in relation to internalizing problems but may not be as protective in relation to externalizing outcomes.