bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Situ Synthesis of Copper Sulfide‐Nickel Sulfide Arrays on Three‐Dimensional Nickel Foam for Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Bhat Karthik S. , Nagaraja H. S.
Published: February 2020

Developing simple and cost‐effective bifunctional electrocatalysts for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an effective strategy to curb the current energy demands. Herein, we report the hydrothermal synthesis of copper sulfide‐nickel sulfide (Cu2S‐Ni3S2) arrays supported by three‐dimensional conducting nickel foam as a substrate (Cu2S‐Ni3S2/NF). Cu2S‐Ni3S2/NF demonstrates prominent electrocatalytic activity and persistent stability (>25 h) in alkaline solution (1 M KOH), requiring the overpotential of −149 mV and 329 mV to drive the catalytic current density of 10 mA cm−2 for the HER and OER, respectively. Furthermore, overall‐water splitting in symmetrical configurations required the cell‐voltage of 1.77 V to deliver 10 mA cm−2, complimented with an ultra‐long term stability for 100 h. Therefore Cu2S‐Ni3S2/NF could be a promising and effective electrocatalyst for water‐splitting reactions.
Clinical potential of photodynamic diagnosis and therapy of tracheobronchial malignancies in the visible and infrared spectral ranges
Authors: Papayan Garry , Goncharov Sergey , Kazakov Nikita , Strui Andrey , Akopov Andrey
Published: February 2020

This article describes a video endoscopy system intended for fluorescence‐based imaging of the tracheobronchial tree in the visible (VIS) and near‐infrared (NIR) regions of the spectrum. This system helps acquire both fluorescence images (VIS/NIR) and a white‐light image of the same area and has been developed on the basis of a standard bronchofiberscope with several diode lasers used as the light sources to excite Vis and NIR, the white‐light source, and photodynamic irradiation. A multimodal video system forms images and gives the possibility to perform targeted photodynamic therapy and control the dose of light irradiation through assessing the degree of photobleaching.The system capability is illustrated through clinical examples. The paper describes the procedure for photodynamic theranostics with chlorin e6 in patients with central lung cancer. The possibility of additional accurate localization of tumor lesions and their borders with NIR imaging is shown; to acquire a NIR image, a common dose of indocyanine green (ICG) used in angiography was administered to patients during the examination. It is also demonstrated that the same lesions can be identified using a combination of two dyes: chlorin e6 + ICG.
Ethanol extract of male Carica papaya flowers demonstrated non‐toxic against MCF‐7, HEP‐G2, HELA, NCI‐H460 cancer cell lines
Authors: Nga Vo Thi , Trang Nguyen Thi Hanh , Tuyet Nguyen Thi Anh , Phung Nguyen Kim Phi , Duong Ngo Thi Thuy , Thu Nguyen Thi Hoai
Published: February 2020

Previous studies showed that some extracts of Carica papaya L. could inhibit various cancer cell lines. In this study, from the flowers and petioles of male Carica papaya L. we report the isolation and structural elucidation of six known compounds including stigmast‐4‐ene‐3‐one (1), β‐sitosterol 3‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside (2), 3‐O‐(6‐O‐tetradecanoyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranosyl)‐β‐sitosterol (3), benzyl β‐D‐glucopyranoside (4), uracil (5) and palmitic acid (6). Among them, compounds 1, 3, 5 were isolated from C. papaya for the first time. The ethanol extracts of leave, flower and root of male and female papaya and compounds 1, 4, 5 were tested for the inhibition of four cancer cell lines including MCF‐7, Hep‐G2, HeLa, NCI‐H460 and all of them were inactive.
Diagram of vapor‐liquid equilibria for n‐pentane using hybrid Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Nhung Nguyen Thi Ai , Van Tat Pham
Published: February 2020

In this paper we report the simulation results using the 5‐site Lennard‐Jones potential function obtained from ab initio interaction energy for n‐pentane at level of theory CCSD(T)/aug‐cc‐pVTZ. The hybrid Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo (HGEMC) simulation was performed under the same initial conditions for boxes 1 and 2 with 60 molecules and a density of 0.130 g /cm3. The HGEMC simulation was implemented with 106 epochs and value of Cutoff_Radius 10Å. The simulation temperature was varied from 100 to 450 K. The thermodynamic results of the vapor‐liquid equilibria derived from HGEMC‐NVT simulation are consistent with experimental data and other calculation methods.
Study on the chemical constituents of Magnolia insignis collected in Tuyen Quang province, Vietnam
Authors: Ninh Pham Thi , Hoai Ly Thi Thu , Ha Chu Thi Thu , Thai Tran Huy , Hang Phan Dieu , Van Loc Tran , Thao Tran Thi Phuong
Published: February 2020

From the leaves of Magnolia insignis, six compounds including (+)‐afzelechin (1), budlein B (2), pinoresinol monomethyl ether‐β‐D‐glucoside (3), nicotiflorin (4), kaempferol‐3‐O‐β‐D‐xylopyranose (5), astragalin (6) were isolated. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by MS and NMR spectra and comparison with the reported data. This is the first time that all of the above compounds have been isolated from Magnolia insignis.
Chiral salen complexes in polymeric main‐chains for heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis – a brief account
Authors: Dandachi Hiba , Hong Xiang , Ibrahim Farah , Nasrallah Houssein , Zulauf Anaïs , Jaber Nada , Mellah Mohamed , Schulz Emmanuelle
Published: February 2020

This brief account summarizes our contribution to the field of heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis with salen complexes. We have developed two different procedures to immobilize these highly efficient catalysts in polymeric main chains for multiple reasons. These heterogenized structures possess indeed solubility properties allowing their easy recovery by simple filtration. Furthermore, by avoiding the use of large either organic or inorganic supports, the introduced catalytic mass does not so much differ from the homogeneous one. Finally, catalytic sites location is precisely controlled, a parameter of major importance for some reactions in which bimetallic activation is needed. Their use and efficiency as insoluble catalysts is here described for the promotion of C‐O and C‐C bonds formation, with a specific emphasis on their reusability and cooperativity.
A novel poxvirus isolated from an Egyptian fruit bat in Israel
Authors: David Dan , Davidson Irit , Berkowitz Asaf , Karniely Sharon , Edery Nir , Bumbarov Velizar , Laskar Orly , Elazari‐Volcani Ron
Published: February 2020

An Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) from the Zoological Gardens, at Tel Aviv, Israel, showed pox‐like clinical signs including vesicular and nodular skin lesions on the wings. Cell culture isolation, histopathology, electron microscopy and molecular analysis, revealed the presence of a novel bat poxvirus. Future research is needed to determine whether this virus can affect human health.
Fermentation of fibre rich ingredients exposed in vitro to the faecal inoculums of swine and turkeys
Authors: Youssef Ibrahim M. I. , Kamphues Josef
Published: February 2020

This study was focused on in vitro fermentation and in vitro dry matter (DM) digestibility of different fibre rich ingredients that can be used in diets of pigs and turkeys. In vitro DM digestibility was determined by Daisy system via using faecal or excreta fluid of swine/turkeys as a source of inoculum. The ingredients used as substrates were commercial swine or turkey diet, dried beet pulp, wheat bran, hay, straw and two types of lignocelluloses (A and B). Marked differences between the ingredients were found and the values were: dried beet pulp (80%), swine/turkey diet (75%), wheat bran (60%), hay (40%) and straw (10%–20%). Of special interest are the data on the two lignocellulose products, the in vitro DM digestibility of product A was in the range of 20% (in turkeys) up to 30% (in pigs), whereas the product B had values of <5%. Moreover, the inoculums were incubated with the same substrates for 24h using gas measuring technique. Consecutively, commercial swine or turkey diet, dried beet pulp, wheat bran and hay produced high amounts of gas and volatile fatty acids. Lignocellulose A and straw provided lower and equal amounts of gases and fatty acids. However, lignocellulose B showed very little fermentation compared to the product A. In conclusions, faecal or excreta can be used as a source of microbial activity to determine the in vitro DM digestibility or fermentation of feeds. Comparing lignocellulose products with traditional fibre sources, the DM digestibility of lignocellulose A was greater than straw but its fermentation rate seems to be equal to straw. Thus, lignocellulose A can be used as a new source of fibre in diets of monogastric animals to optimize the gut health and improving the faeces or excreta quality.
Fatigue design load calculations of the offshore NREL 5 MW benchmark turbine using quadrature rule techniques
Authors: van den Bos Laurent , Bierbooms Wim , Alexandre Armando , Sanderse Benjamin , van Bussel Gerard
Published: February 2020

A novel approach is proposed to reduce, compared with the conventional binning approach, the large number of aeroelastic code evaluations that are necessary to obtain equivalent loads acting on wind turbines. These loads describe the effect of long‐term environmental variability on the fatigue loads of a horizontal‐axis wind turbine. In particular, Design Load Case 1.2, as standardized by IEC, is considered. The approach is based on numerical integration techniques and, more specifically, quadrature rules. The quadrature rule used in this work is a recently proposed “implicit” quadrature rule, which has the main advantage that it can be constructed directly using measurements of the environment. It is demonstrated that the proposed approach yields accurate estimations of the equivalent loads using a significantly reduced number of aeroelastic model evaluations (compared with binning). Moreover, the error introduced by the seeds (introduced by averaging over random wind fields and sea states) is incorporated in the quadrature framework, yielding an even further reduction in the number of aeroelastic code evaluations. The reduction in computational time is demonstrated by assessing the fatigue loads on the NREL 5 MW reference offshore wind turbine in conjunction with measurement data obtained at the North Sea, for both a simplified and a full load case.
Education for Environmental Citizenship and Education for Sustainability
Authors: Parra Gema , Hansmann Ralph , Hadjichambis Andreas Ch. , Goldman Daphne , Paraskeva-Hadjichambi Demetra , Sund Per , Sund Louise , Gericke Niklas , Conti Daniela
Published: February 2020

In order to achieve a sustainable society, a citizen must be supported in overcoming any important gaps or challenges. Preparing people for Environmental Citizenship and Education for Sustainability shows coincidences in some dimensions and differences in others. However, within its definition, Environmental Citizenship has a strong emphasis on the environmental dimension of sustainability and on civic engagement in the private, social and political sphere. Environmental Citizens are able to exercise their environmental rights and duties, are able to identify the underlying structural causes of environmental degradation and environmental problems and have the willingness and the competences to address critical and active engagements. They act individually and collectively within democratic means, and consider inter- and intra-generational justice. Education for Environmental Citizenship is relevant because it can strengthen the achievement of sustainability goals through a more active civic participation. Education for Environmental Citizenship needs to develop the dispositions, skills and competencies that will enable students to reach this level of environmental awareness with wider spatial and temporal scopes, using specific educational approaches and methodologies that promote these qualities in individuals. Robust Education for Environmental Citizenship to enhance governance skills can contribute to the effective safeguarding of the environment as a holistic entity that encompasses natural, societal and economic dimensions.
Environmental Citizenship in the Context of Primary Non-formal Education
Authors: Boeve-de Pauw Jelle , Halbac-Zamfir Rares
Published: February 2020

This chapter explores the concept of non-formal education and its potential for fostering Environmental Citizenship. Non-formal education emphasises learning beyond the formal framework of the education system. Whether this takes place at school or outside the playground, or through activities that are not subject to the school curriculum, non-formal education responds to learners’ needs, interests, knowledge and development. Non-formal education is flexible and can be adapted quickly to the socio-economic and cultural changes of the world. Involving children from a young age could later on be the difference between viewing environmental ‘best practices’ as a way of life or just as a temporary episode. We explore how learning experiences can be formative both for children’s environmental identity and as agents of change. We present an overview of significant life experiences that can contribute to this development and stress the need to attune (non-formal) Education for Environmental Citizenship to the perspective of children rather than to adults.
Environmental Citizenship in Secondary Formal Education: The Importance of Curriculum and Subject Teachers
Authors: Gericke Niklas , Huang Lihong , Knippels Marie-Christine , Christodoulou Andri , Van Dam Frans , Gasparovic Slaven
Published: February 2020

Environmental Citizenship can take on different meanings in different countries and discourses as outlined in other chapters of this book. When Environmental Citizenship becomes part of the educational system, another level of complexity is added to the construct, the diversity of the educational systems in various countries. In this chapter, we will address this issue with a focus on formal secondary education. In the previous chapter on primary school and informal education, much has been written about how to practice different teaching approaches related to Education for Environmental Citizenship. In this chapter, we will focus on how to overcome the demands in order to be able to enact such teaching approaches in secondary education, with students aged 11–19 years old. In secondary education the subject or discipline comes into focus. As a result, students are taught by several subject specialists from different disciplines. To enact Environmental Citizenship, these different teachers need to collaborate. Moreover, secondary schooling might have different aims compared to other school forms, and it is often regulated with specific subject syllabi. In this chapter we discuss how Environmental Citizenship can be enacted considering these challenges.
The overall risk of malignancies is not increased in patients with Hirschsprung disease
Authors: Granström Anna Löf , Cohn-Cedermark Gabriella , Wester Tomas
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) has previously been associated with increased risk of medullary thyroid cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the overall risk of malignancies in patients with Hirschsprung disease in a population-based cohort.

Methods

This was a nationwide, population-based cohort study. The study exposure was HSCR and the study outcome was malignancy. The cohort included all individuals with HSCR registered in the Swedish National Patient Register between 1964 and 2013 and ten age- and sex-matched controls per patient, randomly selected from the Population Register. Data were linked with the Swedish National Cancer Register to identify individuals with malignancy diagnosis.

Results

The cohort comprised 739 individuals with HSCR (565 male) and 7390 controls (5650 male). Median age of the cohort was 19 years (range 2–49). In total nine (1.2%) individuals in the exposed cohort were diagnosed with malignancies compared to 57 (0.8%) in the non-exposed cohort (p = 0.195). Median age at malignancy diagnosis was 3 years (range 0–46) in the exposed group, compared to 23 (range 0–42), p = 0.132. No cases with medullary carcinoma of the thyroid were found in this cohort.

Conclusions

There was no significant difference in risk of malignancies in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group.
Role of personal resources from the perspective of experiencing tinnitus annoyance in adults
Authors: Fludra Małgorzata , Kobosko Joanna , Gos Elżbieta , Karendys-Łuszcz Karina , Skarżyński Henryk
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Occurrence of tinnitus can be, for a person who experiences it, a disorder affecting the overall equilibrium of the organism. To cope with it a variety of personal resources, such as positive orientation and basic hope, are mobilized. The aim of this study was to determine whether these resources are associated with the evaluation of the impact of tinnitus on the functioning of the study participants.

Methods

Study involved 176 tinnitus sufferers, including 123 women and 53 men. The results were compiled using: Positivity Scale (P-scale) for measuring positive orientation, Basic Hope Inventory (BHI-R) for measuring basic hope, the questionnaires: Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) evaluating the impact of tinnitus on the daily functioning of the subjects, as well as a survey designed for the study, comprising questions about sociodemographic data and tinnitus history.

Results

Results of regression analysis indicated that positive orientation is the most important for the perceived tinnitus annoyance. However, no significant influence of basic hope on tinnitus annoyance was found. Among other variables taken into account in regression analysis, age and presence of additional diseases proved to be important predictors of tinnitus annoyance.

Conclusions

Personality determinants (positive orientation) are related to the perception of tinnitus annoyance. When working with a tinnitus patient, it is justified to pay attention to the existence of the positive orientation and to work on its development. Research should also be continued to search for other personal resources that affect the perceived tinnitus annoyance.
A comparison of indirect and direct targeted STN DBS in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease—surgical method and clinical outcome over 15-year timespan
Authors: Lahtinen Maija Johanna , Haapaniemi Tarja Helena , Kauppinen Mikko Tapio , Salokorpi Niina , Heikkinen Esa Raimo , Katisko Jani Petteri
Published: February 2020

Background

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is used in advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) for reducing motor fluctuations and the side effects of antiparkinsonian medication (APM). The development of neuroimaging has enabled the direct targeting of the STN. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcome in patients with PD using STN DBS when changing from atlas-based indirect targeting method (iTM) to direct MRI-based targeting (dTM) assuming dTM is superior.

Methods

Twenty-five consecutive PD patients underwent dTM STN DBS surgery from 2014 to 2017 with follow-up for 1 year. The neuroimaging, surgical method, outcome in Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores, and reduction of APM are described and compared with the results of an earlier iTM STN DBS study.

Results

Twelve months after a dTM STN DBS, significant improvement (p < 0.001) was seen in six out of seven parameters of UPDRS when patients had medication (medON) and stimulation (stimON). The activities of daily living (UPDRSII) and motor scores (UPDRSIII) improved by 41% and 62%, respectively. Dyskinesias and fluctuations were both reduced by 81%. In dTM STN DBS group, the levodopa equivalent dose (LED) and the total daily levodopa equivalent dose (LEDD) were significantly decreased by 62% and 55%, respectively, compared with the baseline (p < 0.001). Five patients (20%) were without levodopa medication 12 months after the operation.

Conclusions

The development of surgical technique based on advanced neuroimaging has improved the outcome of PD STN DBS.
Inflammatory mediators of proliferative vitreoretinopathy: hypothesis and review
Authors: Dai Ying , Dai Chenghua , Sun Tao
Published: February 2020

Purpose

To review the role of inflammatory mediators in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) development and the current treatment for PVR prevention.

Methods

A PubMed search was carried out using these keywords “PVR,” “inflammatory mediators,” “growth factors,” “cytokines” and “treatment.” Studies regarding inflammatory mediators and PVR therapy were included and published up to December 2019.

Results

Inflammatory mediators, namely growth factors and cytokines, have been implicated in the occurrence and development of PVR. Among various inflammatory mediators, transforming growth factor-β, platelet-derived growth factor, interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α are considered to be particularly important. In this review, we focus on the hypothesis that growth factors and cytokines are involved in the development of PVR, and current treatment for the prevention of PVR.

Conclusion

We support the hypothesis that growth factors and cytokines may participate in the complex process of PVR development. More importantly, the identification of inflammatory mediators provides novel and efficacious therapeutic targets for the treatment of PVR.
Burned Fleshed or Dry? The Potential of Bioerosion to Determine the Pre-Burning Condition of Human Remains
Authors: Lemmers Simone A. M. , Gonçalves David , Cunha Eugénia , Vassalo Ana R. , Appleby Jo
Published: February 2020

The practice of cremation is often interpreted as an alternative to inhumation, taking place shortly after an individual’s death. However, cremation could be a final stage in complex mortuary practices, with previous steps that are obscured due to the heating process. This project reports on experimental scoping research on a set of experimentally heated femoral fragments from modern and archaeological collections of the University of Coimbra. Sixteen recent femur samples from eight individuals, as well as five femur samples from an archaeological skeleton from the medieval-modern cemetery found at the Hospital de Santo António (Porto), were included in this research. Samples presented five different conditions: unburnt, and burnt at maximum temperatures of 300 °C, 500 °C, 700 °C and 900 °C. Each sample was prepared to allow observation using binocular transmitted light microscopes with ×10, ×25 and ×40 magnifications. Results indicated that, if burial led to bioerosion, this will remain visible despite burning, as could be in cases where cremation was used as a funerary practice following inhumation. From this, we conclude that the observation of bioerosion lesions in histological thin sections of cremated bone can be used to interpret potential pre-cremation treatment of the body, with application possibilities for both archaeological and forensic contexts. However, the effect on bioerosion of substances such as bacterial- or enzymatic-based products often used to accelerate decomposition should be investigated.
Investigation of the tribological performance of ionic liquids in non-conformal EHL contacts under electric field activation
Authors: Michalec Michal , Svoboda Petr , Krupka Ivan , Hartl Martin , Vencl Aleksandar
Published: February 2020

Real-time external alteration of the internal properties of lubricants is highly desirable in all mechanical systems. However, fabricating a suitable and effective smart lubricant is a long-lasting experimental process. In this study, the film thickness and frictional response of ionic liquid-lubricated non-conformal contacts to an electric field excitation under elastohydrodynamic conditions were examined. Film thickness was evaluated using a “ball-on-disc” optical tribometer with an electric circuit. Friction tests were carried on a mini traction machine (MTM) tribometer with a “ball-on-disc” rotation module and an electric circuit for contact area excitation. The results demonstrate that there is a difference in the behaviour of the ionic liquid during electric field excitation at the evaluated film thicknesses. The results of evaluated film thicknesses demonstrate that there is a difference in the behaviour of the ionic liquid during electric field excitation. Therefore, the ionic liquids could be a new basis for the smart lubrication of mechanical components. Moreover, the proposed experimental approach can be used to identify electrosensitive fluids.
Multi-method process maps: An interdisciplinary approach to investigate ad hoc modifications in protocol-driven interventions
Authors: Mackie Thomas I. , Ramella Leah , Schaefer Ana J. , Sridhar Monica , Carter Alice S. , Eisenhower Abbey , Ibitamuno Grace T. , Petruccelli Marisa , Hudson Shawna V. , Sheldrick R. Christopher
Published: February 2020

Introduction:

Implementation scientists increasingly recognize that the process of implementation is dynamic, leading to ad hoc modifications that may challenge fidelity in protocol-driven interventions. However, limited attention to ad hoc modifications impairs investigators’ ability to develop evidence-based hypotheses about how such modifications may impact intervention effectiveness and cost. We propose a multi-method process map methodology to facilitate the systematic data collection necessary to characterize ad hoc modifications that may impact primary intervention outcomes.

Methods:

We employ process maps (drawn from systems science), as well as focus groups and semi-structured interviews (drawn from social sciences) to investigate ad hoc modifications. Focus groups are conducted with the protocol’s developers and/or planners (the implementation team) to characterize the protocol “as envisioned,” while interviews conducted with frontline administrators characterize the process “as realized in practice.” Process maps with both samples are used to identify when modifications occurred across a protocol-driven intervention. A case study investigating a multistage screening protocol for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is presented to illustrate application and utility of the multi-method process maps.

Results:

In this case study, frontline administrators reported ad hoc modifications that potentially influenced the primary study outcome (e.g., time to ASD diagnosis). Ad hoc modifications occurred to accommodate (1) whether providers and/or parents were concerned about ASD, (2) perceptions of parental readiness to discuss ASD, and (3) perceptions of family service delivery needs and priorities.

Conclusion:

Investigation of ad hoc modifications on primary outcomes offers new opportunities to develop empirically based adaptive interventions. Routine reporting standards are critical to provide full transparency when studying ad hoc modifications.
Kazakh
Authors: McCollum Adam G. , Chen Si
Published: February 2020

Kazakh (ISO 639-3, kaz) is a Kipchak (Northwestern) Turkic language with approximately ten million speakers (Muhamedowa 2015). While the majority of Kazakh speakers live in the Republic of Kazakhstan, significant Kazakh-speaking populations exist throughout Central Asia. See Figure 1 for a map of the region. Kazakh spoken in Kazakhstan is described as having three or four dialects, but many researchers agree that differences between dialects are small and largely lexical (Kara 2002, Grenoble 2003, Muhamedowa 2015; see Amanzholov 1959 for more on Kazakh dialects).
Domain adaptation-based transfer learning using adversarial networks
Authors: Shoeleh Farzaneh , Yadollahi Mohammad Mehdi , Asadpour Masoud
Published: February 2020

There is an implicit assumption in machine learning techniques that each new task has no relation to the tasks previously learned. Therefore, tasks are often addressed independently. However, in some domains, particularly reinforcement learning (RL), this assumption is often incorrect because tasks in the same or similar domain tend to be related. In other words, even though tasks are quite different in their specifics, they may have general similarities, such as shared skills, making them related. In this paper, a novel domain adaptation-based method using adversarial networks is proposed to do transfer learning in RL problems. Our proposed method incorporates skills previously learned from source task to speed up learning on a new target task by providing generalization not only within a task but also across different, but related tasks. The experimental results indicate the effectiveness of our method in dealing with RL problems.
Stories of success: a qualitative examination of contributors to excellence in school drinking water access
Authors: Cooper Amanda Y , Altman Emily , Hecht Christina E , Bruce Janine , Patel Anisha I
Published: February 2020

Objective:

Drinking water instead of beverages with added sugar can help prevent obesity and cavities and promote overall health. Children spend much of their day in school, where they have variable access to drinking water. In 2010, federal and state law required California public schools to provide free potable water to students in areas where meals are served and/or eaten. The current study aims to identify factors associated with an excellent drinking water culture in schools.

Design:

A qualitative assessment of barriers and facilitators to providing excellent water quality and access in a purposive sample of California schools. In-depth interviews with key informants were conducted using a snowball sampling approach, after which data were analysed using both inductive and deductive methods.

Setting:

California public elementary, middle/junior and high schools.

Participants:

Knowledgeable individuals involved in initiatives related to school drinking water accessibility, quality or education at each selected school.

Results:

Thirty-four interviewees participated across fifteen schools. Six themes emerged as prominent facilitators to a school’s success in providing excellent water access to students: active and engaged champions, school culture and policy, coordination between groups, community influences, available resources and environmentalism.

Conclusions:

While policy is an important step for achieving minimum standards, resources and interest in promoting excellence in drinking water access and quality can vary among schools. Ensuring that schools have dedicated staff committed to advancing student health and promoting the benefits of water programs that are more salient to schools could help reduce disparities in drinking water excellence across schools.
selp: A Single-Shot Epistemic Logic Program Solver
Authors: BICHLER MANUEL , MORAK MICHAEL , WOLTRAN STEFAN
Published: February 2020

Epistemic logic programs (ELPs) are an extension of answer set programming (ASP) with epistemic operators that allow for a form of meta-reasoning, that is, reasoning over multiple possible worlds. Existing ELP solving approaches generally rely on making multiple calls to an ASP solver in order to evaluate the ELP. However, in this paper, we show that there also exists a direct translation from ELPs into non-ground ASP with bounded arity. The resulting ASP program can thus be solved in a single shot. We then implement this encoding method, using recently proposed techniques to handle large, non-ground ASP rules, into the prototype ELP solving system “selp,” which we present in this paper. This solver exhibits competitive performance on a set of ELP benchmark instances.
Anomalies and Continuities: Positivism and Historicism on Inequality
Authors: Winant Gabriel
Published: February 2020

The idea of a “new gilded age” depends on a model of history in which the tension between inequality and solidarity takes the form of a binary oscillation (often resting on a positivist social scientific form of reasoning), in turn creating the appearance of basic similarity between separate unequal periods. Under this view, however, it is difficult to make sense of the fundamentally different origins of inequality prevailing in 1890 and 2010. Instead, this article argues, historians ought to treat history cumulatively—that is, historically—finding the origins of inequality not in the previous unequal period, but in the previous solidaristic period, and tracing the connections between one period and another rather than viewing them as ideal-typical opposites.
The Impact of Regional International Parliaments on Governments’ Policy Frameworks for Gender Equality
Authors: Ertan Senem
Published: February 2020

Countries around the world adopt different types of gender equality principles in government action plans, and these principles play a critical role in determining public policies regarding gender issues. International actors may prod countries in this direction; these actors include regional international parliaments. However, the power of regional international parliaments varies, allowing us to investigate the extent to which they have an impact on national governments’ adoption of policy frameworks for gender equality. This study analyzes the impact of regional international parliaments on governments’ gender equality policy frameworks. A three-dimension scale was developed to measure the degree to which governments have developed policy frameworks for gender equality. In multivariate modeling using a broad range of control variables, the study finds that the strength of regional international parliaments has a robust impact on governments’ policy frameworks for gender equality.
Nonlinear Damping of ITCZ Migrations Due to Ekman Ocean Energy Transport
Authors: Afargan‐Gerstman Hilla , Adam Ori
Published: February 2020

The role of tropical wind‐driven ocean circulation in setting the position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is studied using an atmospheric model coupled to a slab ocean with parameterized Ekman energy transport. Unlike previous studies, the parameterized cross‐equatorial ocean energy transport, which is critical for the coupled response, is explicitly represented as the curl of the wind stress at the equator. A nonlinear sensitivity of the ITCZ position to hemispherically asymmetric heating and ocean stratification is seen, which is primarily linked to the partitioning of cross‐equatorial energy transport between (i) the atmosphere and ocean and (ii) atmospheric mean and transient eddy components. Due to the nonmonotonic response of transient eddies to the asymmetric heating, amplified or damped response is possible. The common assumption of a linear relation between the ITCZ position and hemispherically asymmetric heating is therefore found to be inadequate when large climatic variations are considered.
Electron Microburst Size Distribution Derived With AeroCube‐6
Authors: Shumko M. , Johnson A. T. , Sample J. G. , Griffith B. A. , Turner D. L. , O'Brien T. P. , Agapitov O. , Blake J. B. , Claudepierre S. G.
Published: February 2020

Microbursts are an impulsive increase of electrons from the radiation belts into the atmosphere and have been directly observed in low Earth orbit and the upper atmosphere. Prior work has estimated that microbursts are capable of rapidly depleting the radiation belt electrons on the order of a day; hence, their role to radiation belt electron losses must be considered. Losses due to microbursts are not well constrained, and more work is necessary to accurately quantify their contribution as a loss process. To address this question, we present a statistical study of
35 keV microburst sizes using the pair of AeroCube‐6 CubeSats. The microburst size distribution in low Earth orbit and the magnetic equator was derived using both spacecraft. In low Earth orbit, the majority of microbursts were observed, while the AeroCube‐6 separation was less than a few tens of kilometers, mostly in latitude. To account for the statistical effects of random microburst locations and sizes, Monte Carlo and analytic models were developed to test hypothesized microburst size distributions. A family of microburst size distributions were tested, and a Markov chain Monte Carlo sampler was used to estimate the optimal distribution of model parameters. Finally, a majority of observed microbursts map to sizes less than 200 km at the magnetic equator. Since microbursts are widely believed to be generated by scattering of radiation belt electrons by whistler mode waves, the observed microburst size distribution was compared to whistler mode chorus size distributions derived in prior literature.
Bayesian Self‐Adapting Fault Slip Inversion With Green's Functions Uncertainty and Application on the 2016Mw7.1 Kumamoto Earthquake
Authors: Hallo M. , Gallovič F.
Published: February 2020

Kinematic finite‐extent models of earthquake sources can be determined by inverse modeling of observed waveforms and/or geodetic data. Such models are subject to significant uncertainty as a result of inaccurate observations and imperfect physical description of the complex properties of the Earth's crust. For slip inversions of large earthquakes, the major source of uncertainty is related to the uncertainty of Green's functions due to the imperfect description of the crustal model and selected parameterization of the source model. To account for both, we introduce an effective nonlinear Bayesian slip inversion with transdimensional source parameterization, including analytical representation of uncertainties of Green's functions. Our nonlinear slip inversion method relies on a self‐adapting spatial parametrization of the slip distribution by means of a varying number of spline control points on the assumed fault. For the temporal parameterization, it utilizes the regularized Yoffe function with spatially varying rise time and rupture velocity. Rake angle is also treated as an unknown spatially dependent parameter. The Green's function uncertainties are included using full covariance matrices. The posterior probability density function is sampled by the transdimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm with parallel tempering. The performance of our slip inversion method is demonstrated on a synthetic test from the Source Inversion Validation project and real‐data inversion of the 2016Mw7.1 Kumamoto earthquake. In the latter test, we infer an ensemble of ~7,300,000 possible rupture models, representing samples of the posterior probability density, and inspect which features of these models are reliable and which are rather artifacts.
Ground‐Based Cloud Classification Using Task‐Based Graph Convolutional Network
Authors: Liu Shuang , Li Mei , Zhang Zhong , Cao Xiaozhong , Durrani Tariq S.
Published: February 2020

Clouds play a significant role in weather forecasts, water cycle, and climate system. However, existing methods ignore the relations of ground‐based cloud images. In this letter, we propose a novel method named task‐based graph convolutional network (TGCN) for ground‐based cloud classification, which takes image relations into consideration. To this end, we construct the graph using convolutional neural network‐based features of ground‐based cloud images which are learned in a supervised manner, and incorporate the graph computation into TGCN. Given that existing ground‐based cloud databases are with limited labeled training images and categorized according to different classification criteria, we release the largest ground‐based remote sensing cloud database (GRSCD) to provide a comparative study for different methods and to further improve the study of regional sky conditions. The experimental results on GRSCD manifest the effectiveness of TGCN for ground‐based cloud classification.
Correction: The importance of a valid assessment of salt intake in individuals and populations. A scientific statement of the British and Irish Hypertension Society
Authors:   on behalf of the British and Irish Hypertension Society, Cappuccio Francesco P. , Sever Peter S.
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Case–control study of paternal occupational exposures and childhood bone tumours and soft-tissue sarcomas in Great Britain, 1962–2010
Authors: Kendall Gerald M. , Bunch Kathryn J. , Stiller Charles A. , Vincent Timothy J. , Murphy Michael F. G.
Published: February 2020

Background

This nationwide study investigated associations between paternal occupational exposure and childhood bone tumours and soft- tissue sarcomas.

Methods

The UK National Registry of Childhood Tumours provided cases of childhood sarcomas born and diagnosed in Great Britain, 1962–2010. Control births, unaffected by childhood cancer, were matched on sex, birth period and birth registration sub-district. Fathers’ occupations were assigned to one or more of 33 exposure groups and coded for occupational social class.

Results

We analysed 5,369 childhood sarcoma cases and 5380 controls. Total bone tumours, total soft-tissue sarcomas and the subgroups osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumours (ESFT) were considered separately. Significant positive associations were seen between rhabdomyosarcoma and paternal exposure to EMFs (odds ratio = 1.67, CI = 1.22–2.28) and also for ESFT and textile dust (1.93, 1.01–3.63). There were putative protective effects on total bone tumours of paternal dermal exposure to hydrocarbons, metal, metal working or oil mists.

Conclusions

Despite the large size and freedom from bias of this study, our results should be interpreted with caution. Many significance tests were undertaken, and chance findings are to be expected. Nevertheless, our finding of associations between ESFT and paternal exposure to textile dust may support related suggestions in the literature.
Genetic heterogeneity and evolutionary history of high-grade ovarian carcinoma and matched distant metastases
Authors: Masoodi Tariq , Siraj Sarah , Siraj Abdul K. , Azam Saud , Qadri Zeeshan , Parvathareddy Sandeep K. , Tulbah Asma , Al-Dayel Fouad , AlHusaini Hamed , AlOmar Osama , Al-Badawi Ismail A. , Alkuraya Fowzan S. , Al-Kuraya Khawla S.
Published: February 2020

Background

High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most frequent type of ovarian carcinoma, associated with poor clinical outcome and metastatic disease. Although metastatic processes are becoming more understandable, the genomic landscape and metastatic progression in HGSOC has not been elucidated.

Methods

Multi-region whole-exome sequencing was performed on HGSOC primary tumours and their metastases (n = 33 tumour regions) from six patients. The resulting somatic variants were analysed to delineate tumour evolution and metastatic dissemination, and to compare the repertoire of events between primary HGSOC and metastasis.

Results

All cases presented branching evolution patterns in primary HGSOC, with three cases further showing parallel evolution in which different mutations on separate branches of a phylogenetic tree converge on the same gene. Furthermore, linear metastatic progression was observed in 67% of cases with late dissemination, in which the metastatic tumour mostly acquires the same mutational process active in primary tumour, and parallel metastatic progression, with early dissemination in the remaining 33.3% of cases. Metastatic-specific SNVs were further confirmed as late dissemination events. We also found the involvement of metastatic-specific driver events in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and identified potential clinically actionable events in individual patients of the metastatic HGSOC cohort.

Conclusions

This study provides deeper insights into clonal evolution and mutational processes that can pave the way to new therapeutic targets.
The effect of posterior tethers on the biomechanics of proximal junctional kyphosis: The whole human finite element model analysis
Authors: Yagi Mitsuru , Nakahira Yuko , Watanabe Kota , Nakamura Masaya , Matsumoto Morio , Iwamoto Masami
Published: February 2020

Little is known about the effects of posterior tethers on the development of proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK). We evaluated the ability of posterior tethers to the proximal motion segment stiffness in long instrumented spinal instrumentation and fusion using a whole body human FE model. A series of finite element (FE) analysis of long segmental spinal fusion (SF) from the upper thoracic vertebra (T1) or lower thoracic vertebra (T9) to the sacrum with pedicle screws and rods were performed using an entire human body FE model (includes 234,910 elements), and compressive stresses (CS) on the anterior column, and tensile stresses (TS) on the posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) in the upper-instrumented vertebra (UIV) and the vertebra adjacent to the UIV (UIV + 1) were evaluated with posterior tethers or without posterior tethers. The models were tested at three T1 tilts (0, 20, 40 deg.), with 20% muscle contraction. Deformable material models were assigned to all body parts. Muscle-tendon complexes were modeled by truss elements with a Hill-type muscle material model. The CS of anterior column decreased with increasing T1 slope with tethers in both models, while the CS remained relatively large in T9 model compared with T1 model (T1 UIV; 0.96 to 1.56 MPa, T9 UIV; 4.79 to 5.61 MPa). The TS of the supraspinous ligament was markedly reduced in both T1 and T9 models with posterior tethers (11–35%). High vertebral CS on UIV and UIV + 1 were seen in the T9 UIV model, and the TS on the PLC were increased in both UIV models. Posterior tethers may decrease PJK development after SF with a proximal thoracic UIV, while both posterior tethers and vertebral augmentation may be necessary to reduce PJK development with a lower thoracic UIV.
Single-cell Transcriptome Mapping Identifies Common and Cell-type Specific Genes Affected by Acute Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in Humans
Authors: Hu Ying , Ranganathan Mohini , Shu Chang , Liang Xiaoyu , Ganesh Suhas , Osafo-Addo Awo , Yan Chunhua , Zhang Xinyu , Aouizerat Bradley E. , Krystal John H. , D’Souza Deepak C. , Xu Ke
Published: February 2020

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is known to modulate immune response in peripheral blood cells. The mechanisms of THC’s effects on gene expression in human immune cells remains poorly understood. Combining a within-subject design with single cell transcriptome mapping, we report that THC acutely alters gene expression in 15,973 blood cells. We identified 294 transcriptome-wide significant genes among eight cell types including 69 common genes and 225 cell-type-specific genes affected by THC administration, including those genes involving in immune response, cytokine production, cell proliferation and apoptosis. We revealed distinct transcriptomic sub-clusters affected by THC in major immune cell types where THC perturbed cell-type-specific intracellular gene expression correlations. Gene set enrichment analysis further supports the findings of THC’s common and cell-type-specific effects on immune response and cell toxicity. This comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic profiling provides important insights into THC’s acute effects on immune function that may have important medical implications.