bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal analysis of the relationship between near‐surface air temperature and troposphere thickness over Iran
Authors: Darand Mohammad
Published: April 2020

The correlation between the thickness of the troposphere (THK) and observed temperature over Iran is investigated. To achieve this goal, the monthly observed temperature data for the period between January 1, 1979 and December 31, 2013, from 42 meteorological stations throughout Iran were used. Atmospheric thickness, defined as the vertical distances between the 500, 700, 850 and 1,000 hPa pressure surfaces, is directly related to near‐surface air temperature. The results show that the magnitude of the correlation between near‐surface air temperature and the THK vary in different months and from region to region. The strongest significant correlation was observed between December and March when air temperature is low. The correlation was particularly high in the eastern part of the study area at layer 1,000–850 hPa, while the strongest correlation was observed at layer 1,000–700 hPa in the mountainous western parts of the country. The study area's average correlation co‐efficient in March fluctuated between 0.900 at layer 1,000–500 hPa to 0.918 at layer 1,000–700 hPa. The magnitude of the correlation co‐efficients and the spatial extent of the significant positive correlation gradually decreased with increasing air temperature, reaching a minimum during the summer. Low‐level troposphere thickness (1,000–700 hPa) plays an important role in impacting near‐surface temperature comparable with the effect of mid‐level troposphere thickness.
Asymptotic analysis of an advection‐diffusion equation involving interacting boundary and internal layers
Authors: Amirat Youcef , Münch Arnaud
Published: April 2020

As ε goes to zero, the unique solution of the scalar advection‐diffusion equation
, (x,t)∈(0,1)×(0,T) with Dirichlet boundary conditions exhibits a boundary layer of size
and an internal layer of size
. If the time T is large enough, these thin layers, where the solution yε displays rapid variations, intersect and interact with each other. Using the method of matched asymptotic expansions, we show how we can construct an explicit approximation
of the solution yε satisfying
and
for all ε small enough.
The Use of Telehealth to Enhance Care in ALS and other Neuromuscular Disorders
Authors: Haulman Anne , Geronimo Andrew , Chahwala Amit , Simmons Zachary
Published: April 2020

Telehealth has the potential to improve the efficiency of healthcare while reducing the burden on patients and caregivers. Encounters can be synchronous or asynchronous. When used for care of those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by individual health care providers or by a multidisciplinary team, synchronous telehealth is feasible, acceptable, may produce outcomes comparable to those of in‐person care, and is cost effective. Individuals with ALS who use telehealth tend to have lower physical and respiratory function and to live farther from an ALS clinic than those who exclusively attend in‐person clinic visits. Asynchronous telehealth can be used as a substitute full multidisciplinary visits, or for remote monitoring of pulmonary function, gait/falls, and speech. Barriers to implementing telehealth on a wider scale include disparities in access to technology and challenges surrounding medical licensure and billing, but these are being addressed.
How can we get physicians to change their clinical behavior and embrace best practices?
Authors: Werner Robert A. , Chodoroff Brian
Published: April 2020

See article on pages 50–59 in this issue.

See article on pages 60–69 in this issue.
BOLD fMRI and hemodynamic responses to somatosensory stimulation in anesthetized mice: spontaneous breathing vs. mechanical ventilation
Authors: Shim Hyun‐Ji , Lee Joonyeol , Kim Seong‐Gi
Published: April 2020

Mouse functional MRI (fMRI) has been of great interest due to the abundance of transgenic models. Due to a mouse's small size, spontaneous breathing has often been used. Because the vascular physiology affecting fMRI might not be controlled normally, its effects on functional responses were investigated with optical intrinsic signal (OIS) imaging and 9.4 T BOLD fMRI. Three conditions were tested in C57BL/6 mice: spontaneous breathing under ketamine and xylazine anesthesia (KX), mechanical ventilation under KX, and mechanical ventilation under isoflurane. Spontaneous breathing under KX induced an average pCO2 of 83 mmHg, whereas a mechanical ventilation condition achieved a pCO2 of 37‐41 mmHg within a physiological range. The baseline diameter of arterial and venous vessels was only 7%‐9% larger with spontaneous breathing than with mechanical ventilation under KX, but it was much smaller than that in normocapnic isoflurane‐anesthetized mice. Three major functional studies were performed. First, CBV‐weighted OIS and arterial dilations to 4‐second forepaw stimulation were rapid and larger at normocapnia than hypercapnia under KX, but very small under isoflurane. Second, CBV‐weighted OIS and arterial dilations by vasodilator acetazolamide were measured for investigating vascular reactivity and were larger in the normocapnic condition than in the hypercapnic condition under KX. Third, evoked OIS and BOLD fMRI responses in the contralateral mouse somatosensory cortex to 20‐second forepaw stimulation were faster and larger in the mechanical ventilation than spontaneous breathing. BOLD fMRI peaked at the end of the 20‐second stimulation under hypercapnic spontaneous breathing, and at ~9 seconds under mechanical ventilation. The peak amplitude of BOLD fMRI was 2.2% at hypercapnia and ~3.4% at normocapnia. Overall, spontaneous breathing induces sluggish reduced hemodynamic and fMRI responses, but it is still viable for KX anesthesia due to its simplicity, noninvasiveness, and well‐localized BOLD activity in the somatosensory cortex.
Surfaces and Interfaces of Liquid Metal Core–Shell Nanoparticles under the Microscope
Authors: Hafiz Sabrina S. , Labadini Daniela , Riddell Ryan , Wolff Erich P. , Xavierselvan Marvin , Huttunen Paul K. , Mallidi Srivalleesha , Foster Michelle
Published: April 2020

Eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn), a Ga‐based liquid metal alloy holds great promise for designing next‐generation core–shell nanoparticles (CSNs). A shearing‐assisted ligand‐stabilization method has shown promise as a synthetic method for these CSNs; however, determining the role of the ligand on stabilization demands an understanding of the surface chemistry of the ligand–nanoparticle interface. EGaIn CSNs are created and functionalized with aliphatic carboxylates of different chain length, allowing a fundamental investigation on ligand stabilization of EGaIn CSNs. Raman and diffuse reflectance Fourier transform spectroscopies (DRIFTS) confirm reaction of the ligand with the oxide shell of the EGaIn nanoparticles. Changing the length of the alkyl chain in the aliphatic carboxylates (C2–C18) may influence the size and structural stability of EGaIn CSNs, which is easily monitored using atomic force microscopy (AFM). No matter how large the carboxylate ligand, there is no obvious effect on the size of the EGaIn CSNs, except the particle size getting more uniform when coated with longer chain carboxylates. The AFM force–distance measurements are used to measure the stiffness of the carboxylate‐coated EGaIn CSNs. In corroboration with DRIFTS analysis, the stiffness studies show that the alkyl chains undergo conformational changes upon compression.
A cellular perspective of bias at G protein‐coupled receptors
Authors: Fernandez Thomas J. , De Maria Monica , Lobingier Braden T.
Published: April 2020

G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) modulate cell function over short‐ and long‐term timescales. GPCR signaling depends on biochemical parameters that define the what, when, and where of receptor function: what proteins mediate and regulate receptor signaling, where within the cell these interactions occur, and how long these interactions persist. These parameters can vary significantly depending on the activating ligand. Collectivity, differential agonist activity at a GPCR is called bias or functional selectivity. Here we review agonist bias at GPCRs with a focus on ligands that show dramatically different cellular responses from their unbiased counterparts.
Morinda citrifolia (Noni) fruit juice promotes vascular endothelium function in hypertension via glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor‐CaMKKβ‐AMPK‐eNOS pathway
Authors: Yoshitomi Hisae , Zhou Jingxin , Nishigaki Toshiaki , Li Wei , Liu Tonghua , Wu Lili , Gao Ming
Published: April 2020

Morinda citrifolia (Noni) is extensively used in herbal remedies to prevent and treat various diseases, including hypertension. The purpose of this study was to investigate the vascular effects of noni fruit juice and characterize the upstream signaling pathways. We measured the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, 24‐hr urinary nitric oxide (NO) metabolite excretion, bodyweight (BW), and urine examination in SHR.Cg‐Leprcp/NDmcr (SHR/cp) rats after 6 weeks noni juice (15 ml/kg) treatment. Noni juice significantly decreased blood pressure and 24‐hr urinary NO metabolite without change of BW or urine volume. Furthermore, the noni juice extract (NJE) promoted endothelial vasorelaxation in rat aorta rings and NO product through an increase in phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). NJE might act on a glucagon like peptide‐1 receptor (GLP‐1R) via Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)‐AMPK signaling with pretreatment of their inhibitors or antagonist in HUVECs. Deacetylasperulosidic acid (DAA) was an active compound in noni juice to improve NO release through same pathway in HUVECs. These results suggested that noni is a novel dietary plant that probably regulates GLP‐1R‐induced CaMKKβ‐AMPK‐eNOS pathway to improve endothelium‐dependent relaxation, thus reduce the blood pressure probably via one of its responsible ingredient DAA.
Soil‐gas diffusivity and soil‐moisture effects on N2O emissions from repacked pasture soils
Authors: Chamindu Deepagoda T.K.K. , Clough Timothy J. , Jayarathne J.R.R.N. , Thomas Steve , Elberling Bo
Published: April 2020

Grazed pasture constitutes a major source of agriculturally derived nitrous oxide (N2O), which is a potent greenhouse gas. Soil texture and structure, soil moisture, and soil‐gas diffusivity are considered to be major soil physical drivers controlling pastoral N2O emissions. Research gaps exist regarding their combined roles on N2O emissions dynamics. This study used 2‐mm‐sieved and repacked soil samples, retrieved at three depths (0, 10, and 15 cm) from three grazed pasture sites in New Zealand, to investigate the combined effects of soil‐water characteristic (SWC) and soil‐gas diffusivity on N2O emissions. The existing and modified parametric functions were used to numerically characterize and parameterize measured particle size distribution (PSD), SWC, and soil‐gas diffusivity. We observed distinct PSDs within the three soils with little variation across depths. Distinct fingerprints were observed for SWC and gas diffusivity in the three pasture soils, suggesting clear effects of soil type on diffusion‐controlled gas emissions. The soil moisture retention above approximately −10 kPa decreased with increasing depth and showed clear soil type effects. Soil‐gas diffusivity, on the other hand, showed pronounced depth‐wise variation below approximately −1000 kPa. Pore tortuosity was found to be nonlinearly correlated to air‐filled pore space as well as the PSD. The measured N2O fluxes peaked around a diffusivity window of 0.005 to 0.01 for all soil types, and the corresponding water‐filled pore space ranged from 0.80 to 0.95. The results provide guidance for managing pasture soils to reduce high N2O fluxes through reductions in compaction and excess irrigation such that the critical diffusivity window, where peak N2O emissions occur, is avoided.
Ammonia volatilization, nitrous oxide emissions, and corn yields as influenced by nitrogen placement and enhanced efficiency fertilizers
Authors: Woodley Alex L. , Drury Craig F. , Yang Xueming Y. , Phillips Lori A. , Reynolds Daniel W. , Calder Wayne , Oloya Tom Okello
Published: April 2020

Ensuring sufficient fertilizer nitrogen (N) for crops while minimizing N losses requires best management practices optimized for climate, crop, soil, and root zone hydrology. In Ontario, pre‐plant N fertilization of corn (Zea mays L.) is common; however, this practice extends the time between application and significant root interception of N by the plant, potentially increasing the risk of N loss through soil nitrous oxide emissions, ammonia (NH3) volatilization, and nitrate leaching. These losses contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, affect air quality (NH3), and are a substantial financial loss. This study compared three N placement methods (broadcast urea [BrUrea], broadcast incorporated urea [BrIncUrea], and injected urea ammonium nitrate [InjUAN]) and the presence or absence of N metabolite inhibitors (urease inhibitor [UI], urease plus nitrification inhibitor [UI+NI]). Fertilizer N was applied immediately before planting (150 kg N ha−1) to all treatments except for the control. Averaged over 3 yr (2015–2017), NH3 losses were reduced by 34% from BrIncUrea, by 42–55% from BrUrea+UI+NI and BrIncUrea+UI+NI, and by 99% from InjUAN relative to BrUrea (21 kg N ha−1). On average, N application increased corn grain yields by 83% relative to the control (6 t ha−1). There were no annual yield differences among N placement methods. It was concluded that incorporation or injection of N in soil and use of urease and nitrification inhibitors reduced NH3 emissions when N fertilizer was applied pre‐plant.
Electroosmotic Facilitated Protein Capture and Transport through Solid‐State Nanopores with Diameter Larger than Length
Authors: Zhang Yin , Zhao Jiabin , Si Wei , Kan Yajing , Xu Zheng , Sha Jingjie , Chen Yunfei
Published: April 2020

Solid‐state nanopores can be a powerful tool to investigate proteins in their native state. However, the excessive fast translocation speed of proteins causes the majority of events to remain undetected. Here, the behaviors of streptavidin (SA) transport through a solid‐state nanopore are dominated by electroosmotic flow (EOF). Experimental results show the frequency of translocation events detected by the nanopore with a diameter slightly larger than length is ≈17 times larger than that in previously reported work. Numerical simulations elucidate the enhanced frequency comes from a concave‐shape EOF in the nanopore, which provides a low water velocity region allowing for numbers of SAs moving slowly enough to be detected. However, as pore diameter increases, the maximum detectable velocity of SAs decreases due to the reduced signal‐to‐noise ratio. Moreover, it is found the SA translocation frequency slowly increases with the amplitude of voltages, and then declines at a threshold bias. This phenomenon can be attributed to the bandwidth limitation combined with the non‐linear dependence of EOF velocity in the pore central region on applied voltage.
Toward Excellence of Transition Metal‐Based Catalysts for CO2 Electrochemical Reduction: An Overview of Strategies and Rationales
Authors: Li Mengran , Garg Sahil , Chang Xiaoxia , Ge Lei , Li Liye , Konarova Muxina , Rufford Thomas E. , Rudolph Victor , Wang Geoff
Published: April 2020

Rational modulations of interactions between the catalyst surface and intermediates are challenging but extremely important to achieve an efficient and selective electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R). Current CO2R catalyst design remains inefficient because of a gap between existing practical design paradigms and theoretical studies in catalysis. This review attempts to mitigate this gap through a critical discussion of the correlations between recent strategies to develop transition metal‐based catalysts and the underlying rationales and mechanisms. These strategies include surface engineering, the introduction of heterogeneous atoms, and dimension control, and can be implemented by tactics such as controlling catalyst surface facets, surface tethering, alloying, inducing strains, oxide derivation, molecular scaffolding, and nanostructuring. How these tactics are able to tailor the electronic structure, adsorption geometry, density of active sites, and local environment of catalyst to achieve an efficient and selective CO2R is described. This review concludes with a discussion of the key research needs in this field such as the surface proton formation and transfer involved in CO2R, the roles of mass‐transfer or electrode kinetics in CO2R catalysis, development of robust, standardized catalyst testing protocols, and application of machine learning and high‐throughput experiment to accelerate catalyst screening processes.
Hexanuclear Niobium Cluster Compounds with Protonated N‐Base Cations
Authors: König Jonas , Dartsch Ina , Sperlich Eric , Guillamón Eva , Llusar Rosa , Köckerling Martin
Published: April 2020

Octahedral clusters of the [M6X12] type offer numerous possibilities to form structural arrangements through different choices of bonding situations. In this paper a series of new cluster compounds of the transition metal niobium is described, which consist of the [Nb6Cl18]2–, and in one case [Nb6Cl18]3–, anion and protonated N‐base cations ([MIm‐H]+, [nPr3N‐H]+, [TMGu‐H]+, and [Tzn‐H]+). They all are prepared using water scavenger compounds [SOCl2 or (Ac)2O] under oxidising conditions, resulting in two‐electron (or one‐electron, respectively) oxidized cluster units with respect to the starting material [Nb6Cl14(H2O)4]·4H2O. Of five members of this group single‐crystal X‐ray structures were determined. The cluster anions exist in all structures as discrete units. The acidic H atoms of all N‐bases are hydrogen bonded to H acceptors, in 4 cases to outer, exo bonded Cl atoms of the cluster unit and in one case to the O atom of a co‐crystallized THF molecule. In [TMGu‐H]2[Nb6Cl18] chains of cluster anions exist hydrogen‐bonded through bridging [TMGu‐H]+ cations. ESI mass spectra of [MIm‐H]2[Nb6Cl18]·2SOCl2 and [TMGu‐H]2[Nb6Cl18] show the expected isotopic distribution patterns for the anions together with other peaks associated to chloride mass losses and/or reduction processes.
NaSeC2H: A Crystalline Compound with Disordered –SeC2H Anions
Authors: Hetzert Marc , Tobeck Christian , Ruschewitz Uwe
Published: April 2020

By reaction of NaC2H with elemental selenium (grey or red) in liquid ammonia a crystalline brownish powder of NaSeC2H was obtained. The existence of the new –SeC2H anion – recently discovered in AISeC2H (AI = K, Rb, Cs) – was confirmed by IR spectra showing the expected C≡C, C–H, and C–Se vibrations. A synchrotron powder diffraction pattern (SNBL, ESRF/Grenoble) was indexed in a cubic unit cell with a = 7.044 Å. Analysis of the data led to a pyrite‐type structure (Pa3, Z = 4) with a static orientational disorder of the –SeC2H anions over two positions. No phase transition was observed upon cooling to 100 K, where essentially the same structure was obtained with a = 6.989 Å. Upon heating, NaSeC2H releases C2H2 as revealed by thermal analysis (DSC/TGA) resulting in potential Na2Se2C2 crystallizing in a small cubic unit cell with a ≈ 3.899 Å similar to findings on the decomposition of the other AISeC2H compounds.
Diagnostic performance of zero-TE lung MR imaging in FDG PET/MRI for pulmonary malignancies
Authors: Zeng Feibi , Nogami Munenobu , Ueno Yoshiko R. , Kanda Tomonori , Sofue Keitaro , Kubo Kazuhiro , Kurimoto Takako , Murakami Takamichi
Published: April 2020

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the lung zero-echo time (ZTE) sequence in FDG PET/MRI for detection and differentiation of lung lesions in oncologic patients in comparison with conventional two-point Dixon-based MR imaging.

Methods

In this single-institution retrospective study approved by the institutional review board, 209 patients with malignancies (97 men and 112 women; age range, 17–89 years; mean age, 66.5 ± 12.9 years) underwent 18F-FDG PET/MRI between August 2017 and August 2018, with diagnostic Dixon and ZTE under respiratory gating acquired simultaneously with PET. Image analysis was performed for PET/Dixon and PET/ZTE fused images by two readers to assess the detectability and differentiation of lung lesions. The reference standard was pathological findings and/or the data from a chest CT. The detection and differentiation abilities were evaluated for all lesions and subgroups divided by lesion size and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax).

Results

Based on the reference standard, 227 lung lesions were identified in 113 patients. The detectability of PET/ZTE was significantly better than that of PET/Dixon for overall lesions, lesions with a SUVmax less than 3.0 and lesions smaller than 4 mm (p < 0.01). The diagnostic performance of PET/ZTE was significantly better than that of PET/Dixon for overall lesions and lesions smaller than 4 mm (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

ZTE can improve diagnostic performance in the detection and differentiation of both FDG-avid and non-FDG-avid lung lesions smaller than 4 mm in size, yielding a promising tool to enhance the utility of FDG PET/MRI in oncology patients with lung lesions.

Key Points

• The detection rate of PET/ZTE for lesions with a SUVmax of less than 1.0 was significantly better than that of PET/Dixon.

• The performance for differentiation of PET/ZTE for lesions that were even smaller than 4 mm in size were significantly better than that of PET/Dixon.

• Inter-rater agreement of PET/ZTE for the differentiation of lesions less than 4 mm in size was substantial and better than that of PET/Dixon.
Analytische Ermittlung der Wicklung-Stator-Kapazität in elektrischen Maschinen zur Vorausberechnung des hochfrequenten Common-Mode-Stroms
Authors: Stockbrügger Jan Ole , Ponick Bernd
Published: April 2020

Der Einsatz von Umrichtern ermöglicht einen einfachen drehzahlveränderbaren Betrieb von Elektromotoren. Allerdings treten bei umrichtergespeisten Antrieben parasitäre, hochfrequente Erscheinungen auf. Der Mittelwert der drei Ausgangsspannungen eines Zweipunkt-Wechselrichters ist aufgrund der diskreten Schaltzustände der Leistungstransistoren eine von Null verschiedene Gleichtaktspannung, welche als Common-Mode-Spannung bezeichnet wird. Die Gleichtaktspannung wird durch den Umrichter in die Motorwicklung eingeprägt und verursacht über die Nutisolierung einen kapazitiven, hochfrequenten Common-Mode-Strom.

Die Wicklung-Stator-Kapazität setzt sich aus einem Nut- und einem Stirnraumanteil zusammen. In diesem Artikel wird eine analytische Bestimmung des Nutanteils der Wicklung-Stator-Kapazität vorgestellt, welche neben der Geometrie des Leiters den Einfluss von Materialien mit unterschiedlichen Permittivitäten berücksichtigt. Die Ermittlung des Nutanteils der Wicklung-Stator-Kapazität basiert auf der Spiegelungsmethode. Das vorgestellte Modell wird mithilfe von FEM-Simulationen für verschiedene Geometrien und Materialien validiert.
Relevanz von Schlüsselreizen, im Besonderen Licht und Akustik, zur Auffindbarkeit von Fischaufstiegen
Authors: Brandl Andreas , Käfer Sabine , Fillitz Benjamin , Pinter Gabriel , Laaha Gregor , Mader Helmut
Published: April 2020

Das Thema Auffindbarkeit von FAH wirft nach wie vor eine Reihe unbeantworteter Forschungsfragen hinsichtlich der Instinktbewegung von Fischen, ausgelöst durch Schlüsselreize, auf. Demzufolge ist eine systematische Abklärung für bestehende und insbesondere für zukünftige FAH Projekte zielführend. Die Auffindbarkeit von FAH wird in verschiedenen Leitfäden, neben der Positionierung der Lage des Einstiegs, primär am Parameter Strömung (Rheotaxis) festgemacht. Aus hydraulischer Sicht hat jedoch die am Einstieg austretende Strömung schon von der Größe des Ausbreitungsfeldes her lediglich eine maximal untergeordnete Wirkung. Andere, äußere, die Wanderung beeinflussende Faktoren wie z. B. Licht, Temperatur, Sauerstoffgehalt, akustische Impulse u. a. m. wurden bislang vollkommen bzw. weitgehend außer Acht gelassen. Felduntersuchungen, die das Aufstiegsverhalten der Grundgesamtheit der migrierenden Individuen mit den Umgebungsreizen zeitgenau in Zusammenhang bringen, fehlen bisher. Ziel dieses Papers ist die systematische Abklärung der Wirkung alternativer Schlüsselreize auf die Auffindbarkeit von Fischaufstiegshilfen im Rahmen eines mehrstufigen Forschungsprojekts der VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH. Bei der hier beschriebenen Studie wurden die Daten des Frühjahrs- und des Herbstmonitorings 2019 in der FAH am Kraftwerksstandort Edling/Drau analysiert. Neben den Reizen in Form der verschiedenen Strömungsparameter werden künstliche Reize, welche auf die Phonotaxis, also die Orientierung aufgrund von akustischen Reizen, und die Phototaxis, die Orientierung an Lichtreizen abzielen, gesetzt. Auf der Grundlage der zeitgenauen Erfassung jedes einzelnen aufsteigenden Individuums wurde mittels technischer, fischökologischer und mathematischer Methoden der Zusammenhang zwischen den Schlüsselreizen und der Auffindbarkeit bzw. den Aufstiegsraten in der FAH untersucht. Zum Einsatz kamen hierbei neben dem FishCam-System zur zeitgenauen Erfassung der Wanderbewegungen die FishNet-Software sowie statistische Methoden zur Variablenselektion auf Basis von Regressionsmodellen mit unterschiedlichen Pönalisierungstermen wie LASSO, SCAD und MCP. Die anthropogen angebotenen zusätzlichen Schlüsselreize Licht und Akustik am Einstieg der FAH KW Edling bewirkten keine Steigerung der Aufstiegsraten und somit keine Verbesserung der Auffindbarkeit der FAH.
Suffering in silence: a qualitative study of older adults’ experiences of living with long-term musculoskeletal pain at home
Authors: Gillsjö Catharina , Nässén Kristina , Berglund Mia
Published: April 2020

Long-term musculoskeletal pain is a major, disabling, and often undertreated health problem among the increasing number of older adults worldwide. However, there is limited knowledge of community-dwelling older adults’ experiences of living with this type of pain. The aim of the study was to deepen the understanding of the phenomenon: how older adults experience living with long-term musculoskeletal pain at home. The study design was an inductive qualitative Reflective Lifeworld Research approach grounded in phenomenological epistemology. Data were obtained from 20 community-dwelling older adults, aged 72–97 years. Data were collected through open-ended interviews and analyzed to understand the meanings of the phenomenon. The essence of the phenomenon entailed suffering in silence and encompassed the following constituents: loneliness and restrictions in daily living; ways to endure and distract from pain; not being taken seriously; fear of the future; and valuing joy and meaning in life. Living with long-term musculoskeletal pain restricts access to the world and leads to a suffering in silence. Finding ways to endure and distract from pain and to focus on issues that give joy and meaning in life is predominant in efforts to balance restraints from pain in life. Suffering is reinforced by loneliness, a sense of not being taken seriously by health care providers and fear of an uncertain future. It is necessary to foster increased attentiveness and sensitivity in meeting the needs of each older adult and provide a care that alleviates suffering and preserves and promotes health and well-being.
Near Infrared Spectroscopy Enables Differentiation of Mechanically and Enzymatically Induced Cartilage Injuries
Authors: Nippolainen Ervin , Shaikh Rubina , Virtanen Vesa , Rieppo Lassi , Saarakkala Simo , Töyräs Juha , Afara Isaac O.
Published: April 2020

This study evaluates the feasibility of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to distinguish between different cartilage injury types associated with post-traumatic osteoarthritis and idiopathic osteoarthritis (OA) induced by mechanical and enzymatic damages. Bovine osteochondral samples (n = 72) were subjected to mechanical (n = 24) and enzymatic (n = 36) damage; NIR spectral measurements were acquired from each sample before and after damage, and from a separate control group (n = 12). Biomechanical measurements were then conducted to determine the functional integrity of the samples. NIR spectral variations resulting from different damage types were investigated and the samples classified using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was then employed to investigate the relationship between the NIR spectra and biomechanical properties of the samples. Results of the study demonstrate that substantial spectral changes occur in the region of 1700–2200 nm due to tissue damages, while differences between enzymatically and mechanically induced damages can be observed mainly in the region of 1780–1810 nm. We conclude that NIR spectroscopy, combined with multivariate analysis, is capable of discriminating between cartilage injuries that mimic idiopathic OA and traumatic injuries based on specific spectral features. This information could be useful in determining the optimal treatment strategy during cartilage repair in arthroscopy.
Feeding the melting pot: inclusive strategies for the multi-ethnic city
Authors: Brons Anke , Oosterveer Peter , Wertheim-Heck Sigrid
Published: April 2020

The need for a shift toward healthier and more sustainable diets is evident and is supported by universalized standards for a “planetary health diet” as recommended in the recent EAT-Lancet report. At the same time, differences exist in tastes, preferences and food practices among diverse ethnic groups, which becomes progressively relevant in light of Europe’s increasingly multi-ethnic cities. There is a growing tension between current sustainable diets standards and how diverse ethnic resident groups relate to it within their ‘culturally appropriate’ foodways, raising questions around inclusion. What are dynamics of inclusiveness in migrant food practices? And what does this mean towards the transition to healthy and sustainable food? We study this question among Syrian migrants with different lengths of stay in the Netherlands. Our theoretical framework is based on practice theories, which emphasize the importance of socio-material context and of bodily routines and competences. We use qualitative methods, combining in-depth semi-structured life-history interviews with participant observation. Our findings indicate that inclusiveness takes different forms as migrants’ food practices and the food environment change. Regarding health and sustainability in food practices, understandings and competences around particularly fresh food change over time among both short- and long-term migrants, replacing making things from scratch with seasonal products with buying more processed products and out-of-season vegetables and fruits. We conclude that the performances of food practices and their configurations in food environments and lifestyles are dynamic and cannot unequivocally be interpreted as in- or exclusive, but that a more nuanced understanding is required.
Social Norms Moderate the Effect of Tax System on Tax Evasion: Evidence from a Large-Scale Survey Experiment
Authors: Górecki Maciej A. , Letki Natalia
Published: April 2020

In this study, we reconcile conflicting findings from the extant literature on the impact of tax system parameters on tax noncompliance. We argue that social norms play a role of heuristics facilitating tax payers’ response to the instrumental incentives posed by the systemic parameters, such as tax rate and penalties for evasion, and thus moderate the effect of those parameters on willingness to evade taxes. Relying on a unique survey experiment conducted in fourteen countries of Central-Eastern Europe, we demonstrate two types of a conditioning effect of norms. First, the impact of tax rates on respondents’ propensity for tax evasion is moderated by the perceived norms of the society at large (descriptive norms). In particular, an increasing tax rate lowers the probability of evasion as long as one views “most others” as honest taxpayers, which highlights the importance of equitability (fairness) concerns for tax compliance decisions. In contrast, the impact of punishment is moderated by the perceived norms of one’s immediate reference group (subjective norms). Strong subjective compliance norms tend to effectively replace penalties as a mechanism discouraging tax evasion, suggesting that the deterrent effect of a penalty can be entirely suppressed when subjective norms are strong. These findings have important implications for the understanding of tax compliance decisions under different formal and informal regimes.
Nonstate governance of solar geoengineering research
Authors: Reynolds Jesse L. , Parson Edward A.
Published: April 2020

As climate change’s risks have grown and limits to primary responses become evident, solar geoengineering (or solar radiation modification) has risen in prominence as a potential complementary response. Widespread calls for expanded research have raised objections, based on anticipated links to potential future deployment and potentially harmful interactions with other climate responses. The unique concerns raised by solar geoengineering may warrant governing associated research with more care or scrutiny than other areas, but states have not engaged the issue. Given this, we analyze the potential for nonstate actors to provide governance functions needed to enable, control, and legitimate near-term, small-scale solar geoengineering research. Drawing on the theory of regulatory processes and nonstate actors as well as evidence from other issue areas, we describe six types of nonstate actors in terms of their capacity, knowledge, and interests relevant to governing solar geoengineering research: researchers themselves, the universities or other institutions that employ them, funders, academic publishers, professional societies, and advocacy nongovernmental organizations. We conclude that suitably configured collaborations among these actors can meet the additional governance needs of near-term solar geoengineering research. We consider potential limitations to nonstate governance related to legitimacy, effectiveness, and capture, and conclude that these are not severe under present conditions, but could become stronger if research grows toward deployment. Nonstate governance may even be preferable to state regulation of small-scale scientific activities, offering more flexible early exploration of options with the possibility of later transition into more state-led and legalized governance arrangements.
Neurodisability among Children at the Nexus of the Child Welfare and Youth Justice System
Authors: Baidawi Susan , Piquero Alex R.
Published: April 2020

Although neurodisability features significantly across child welfare and youth justice cohorts, little research investigates neurodisability among crossover children with dual systems involvement. This study examined differences in childhood adversity, child protection involvement, and offending among crossover children by neurodisability status. Data were from a sample of 300 children (68% male, 31% female, 1% transgender; mean age = 16.2 years, range 10–21) who were charged and appeared in three Australian children’s courts, and who also had statutory child protection involvement in the study jurisdiction. The results indicated that nearly one-half of crossover children had a neurodisability (48%) and this group experienced greater cumulative maltreatment and adversity, earlier out-of-home care entry and offending onset, more caregiver relinquishment and residential care placement, and a greater volume of charges. While substantial differences between specific neurodisabilities were evident, crossover children with any neurodisability had greater odds of having charges related to criminal damage and motor vehicle theft, however they were no more likely to have violent charges relative to other crossover children. The study’s findings demonstrated that the prevalence of neurodisability, and child welfare system responses to this phenomenon, contributes to several offending-related trends observed among crossover children.
Virtue signalling is virtuous
Authors: Levy Neil
Published: April 2020

The accusation of virtue signalling is typically understood as a serious charge. Those accused usually respond (if not by an admission of fault) by attempting to show that they are doing no such thing. In this paper, I argue that we ought to embrace the charge, rather than angrily reject it. I argue that this response can draw support from cognitive science, on the one hand, and from social epistemology on the other. I claim that we may appropriately concede that what we are doing is (inter alia) virtue signalling, because virtue signalling is morally appropriate. It neither expresses vices, nor is hypocritical, nor does it degrade the quality of public moral discourse. Signalling our commitment to norms is a central and justifiable function of moral discourse, and the same signals provide (higher-order) evidence that is appropriately taken into account in forming moral beliefs.
European Citizens’ Attitudes on the Return of Refugees to Their Home Country: Results from a Survey in 13 EU Member States
Authors: Gerhards Jürgen , Dilger Clara
Published: April 2020

European law requires member states of the European Union (EU) to accept refugees. It also allows them to return refugees to their countries of origin if the reason for asylum no longer exists. Both the reception and return of refugees has become a widely debated and controversial issue in many member states of the EU. Based on a survey conducted in 13 EU member states, we analysed whether citizens support the return of refugees when the cause for their displacement has become obsolete and how differences in attitudes toward the return of refugees can be explained. A clear majority of Europeans (70%) support the return of refugees. This is also the case for those who believe that their country should accept refugees in the first place. These results mean that existing law—the acceptance of refugees in need and the return when the cause becomes obsolete—is being supported by a majority of Europeans. However, there are considerable differences in approval rates among the countries. The results of multivariate analysis show that ideational factors—both on the micro and the macro level—influence attitudes toward the return of refugees, whereas structural factors, recurring to economic interest, do not contribute substantially to the explanation of attitudes toward the return. The political implications of these findings are discussed in the last section of the article.
High-Strength Low-Cost Nano-Bainitic Steel
Authors: Akram Mohamad , Palkowski Heinz , Soliman Mohamed
Published: April 2020

Low-cost, fast-transforming carbide-free nano-bainitic steel has been produced with tensile strengths up to 2140 MPa and elongation values of around 10%. An alloying concept of combining low Mn (0.29 wt.%) and moderate Al (~ 1 wt.%) additions enabled full transformation in 10 min to less than 2 h at austempering temperatures ranging from 235 to 310 °C. Dilatometric experiments and thermodynamic simulation via ThermoCalc software were employed to design the heat treatment procedure. The resulting structures were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and synchrotron x-ray diffraction. Mechanical characterization was performed via hardness, tensile, and impact testing at room temperature. The strain-aging response for the alloy system was also investigated.
Newer Approaches to the Management of Pruritus in Cholestatic Liver Disease
Authors: Düll Miriam M. , Kremer Andreas E.
Published: April 2020

Purpose of Review

Chronic pruritus represents a burdensome symptom in cholestatic liver disease. This review recommends a stepwise therapeutic approach, alongside with providing information on epidemiology, pathophysiology, and novel drug targets.

Recent Findings

Current epidemiological data emphasize chronic itch as a major symptom in immune-mediated liver diseases such as primary biliary cholangitis affecting up to 70% of patients with a significant number suffering from long-lasting and severe pruritus. κ-opioid receptor (KOR) agonists, PPAR agonists, and ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibitors are currently investigated for their anti-pruritic efficacy in clinical trials. Future therapies may target the autotaxin-lysophosphatidic acid-axis or the Mas-related GPCR MRGPRX4.

Cholestatic pruritus still remains a challenging symptom for patients and physicians. Using a stepwise approach including cholestyramine, rifampicin, bezafibrate, naltrexone, and sertraline, pruritus is often adequately manageable. KOR agonists and IBAT inhibitors are currently the most promising anti-pruritic drugs for cholestatic pruritus in development.
Connecting to the Heart: Teaching Value-Based Professional Ethics
Authors: Snieder Roel , Zhu Qin
Published: April 2020

Engineering programs in the United States have been experimenting with diverse pedagogical approaches to educate future professional engineers. However, a crucial dimension of ethics education that focuses on the values, personal commitments, and meaning of engineers has been missing in many of these pedagogical approaches. We argue that a value-based approach to professional ethics education is critically needed in engineering education, because such an approach is indispensable for cultivating self-reflective and socially engaged engineers. This paper starts by briefly comparing two prevalent approaches to ethics education in science and engineering:professional(teaching professional ethical standards, including codes of ethics) andphilosophical(teaching ethical theories and their applications in professional settings). While we acknowledge that both approaches help meet certain ethics education objectives, we also argue that neither of these is sufficient to personally engage students in authentic moral learning. We make the case that it is important to connect ethics education to theheart, which is extensively driven by values, and present a value-based approach to professional ethics education. We provide some classroom practices that cultivate a safe, diverse, and engaging learning environment. Finally, we discuss the implications of a value-based approach to professional ethics education for curriculum design and pedagogical practice, including opportunities and challenges for engineering faculty eager to incorporate value-based inquiry into their classrooms.
Dynamics of nutrient and phytoplankton in Epe Lagoon, Nigeria: possible causes and consequences of reoccurring cyanobacterial blooms
Authors: Akagha Sandra Chinwendu , Nwankwo Dike Ikegwu , Yin Kedong
Published: April 2020

The impact of environmental variables and processes of nutrient enrichment on phytoplankton community at Epe lagoon was studied for 18 months (November 2012–April 2014). Two cyanobacterial bloom incidences were observed in the two dry seasons during this period. Rainfall pattern regulated nitrogen limitation which triggered cyanobacterial bloom development and influenced the bloom duration. Nutrient-laden influx from agricultural practices accounted for the increase in nitrate, phosphate and the relatively low silicate. Hypoxic conditions during the two bloom episodes reflected the vulnerability of this lagoon ecosystem. The cyanobacterial blooms were dominated by potentially toxic species;Anabaena circinalis,A. flos-aquae,A.limneticaandA. spiroides. A comparison of ambient nutrient ratios with the Redfield ratio (N/P/Si = 16:1:16) showed clear temporal variations that coincided with phytoplankton dynamics and the bloom regime. Low N/P ratios were recorded during the first 8 months, and there was a shift to higher ratios during the subsequent 8 months, followed by low N/P ratios in the last 2 months. Higher silicate values coincided with decreased cyanobacterial biomass, cyanobacteria bloom collapse and proliferation of diatoms during the first annual cycle. Cyanobacterial abundance exceeded the alert level 1 and almost reached alert level 2 which call for continuous environmental monitoring and management of coastal waters.
Analyzing hack subnetworks in the bitcoin transaction graph
Authors: Goldsmith Daniel , Grauer Kim , Shmalo Yonah
Published: April 2020

Hacks are one of the most damaging types of cryptocurrency related crime, accounting for billions of dollars in stolen funds since 2009. Professional investigators at Chainalysis have traced these stolen funds from the initial breach on an exchange to off-ramps, i.e. services where criminals are able to convert the stolen funds into fiat or other cryptocurrencies. We analyzed six hack subnetworks of bitcoin transactions known to belong to two prominent hacking groups. We analyze each hack according to eight network features, both static and temporal, and successfully classify each hack to its respective hacking group through our newly proposed method. We find that the static features, such as node balance, in degree, and out degree are not as useful in classifying the hacks into hacking groups as temporal features related to how quickly the criminals cash out. We validate our operating hypothesis that the key distinction between the two hacking groups is the acceleration with which the funds exit through terminal nodes in the subnetworks.
Treatment Integrity and Social Validity of the FRIENDS for Life Programme in a Northeastern Canadian School System
Authors: Doyle Susan , Francis Sarah E. , Joy Rhonda
Published: April 2020

The FRIENDS for Life (FFL) programme, a school-based anxiety prevention programme, targets anxiety reduction and resiliency development in elementary school-aged children (Barrett, Sonderegger & Xenos, 2003). In the context of equivocal effectiveness findings regarding FFL in Canadian schools, the present study assessed pre–post changes in anxiety, self-esteem, and prosocial behaviour in a school system in Northeastern Canada. To yield further insight to the potential sources of equivocal FFL effectiveness findings, we also evaluated FFL treatment integrity (TI) and social validity (SV). Few studies have assessed FFL TI at the level of identifying which programme sessions, or within-session content, have or have not been adhered to (Higgins & O'Sullivan S, 2015). Similarly, few studies have provided detailed programme SV data or perceived programme benefits by children and parents. TI and SV can provide programme data beyond anxiety reduction, which is key in prevention programming research, as pre–post changes are challenging to detect in ‘healthy’ samples (Durlak & Wells, 1997). Treatment outcome, TI, and SV data were collected from classrooms across 10 elementary schools administering FFL. The sample included 210 child and 108 parent participants; post-testing occurred 1 week following FFL programme completion. Findings indicated significant decreases from pre- to post-test in child-reported anxiety and self-esteem but no changes in prosocial behaviours. Findings suggest that low TI ratings may have impacted anxiety, self-esteem, and prosocial behaviour results, and that child-reported SV may be more related to programme outcomes than parent-reported SV. Implications for FFL programme developers and future FFL evaluation studies are discussed.
Politics and trust in Ebola vaccine trials
Authors: Aggrey John K. , Shrum Wesley
Published: April 2020

Vaccine trials for infectious diseases take place in a milieu of trust in which scientists, regulatory institutions, and volunteers trust each other to play traditional roles. This milieu of trust emerges from a combination of preexisting linkages embedded in the local and national political context. Using the case of failed vaccine trials in Hohoe, Ghana, we explore this milieu of trust by employing the concept of tandems of trust and control, with a particular focus on the perceived characteristics of the disease and the linkages formed. An analysis of qualitative interviews collected in Hohoe following the West Africa Ebola outbreak of 2014–2016 shows that the trust/control nexus in vaccine trials precedes the implementation of those trials, while both the characteristics of Ebola and the political context shaped the formation and breakdown of relationships in the trial network.