bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Challenges of Patients with Spinal CSF Leaks in Canada: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey
Authors: Hoydonckx Yasmine , Peng Philip , Vydt Charlotte , Amoozegar Farnaz
Published: November 2024

Background:

Spinal CSF leak can cause disabling headaches and neurological symptoms. Lack of awareness, diagnostic delay and treatment inconsistencies affect the quality of CSF leak care globally. This is the first study aiming to identify and assess these challenges in Canada.

Methods:

A cross-sectional online survey of Canadian patients with spinal CSF leak was designed in collaboration with Spinal CSF Leak Canada, including questions on demographics, headache condition, investigations, treatments, quality of life, financial consequences and out-of-country care.

Results:

The survey captured 103 respondents with confirmed spinal CSF leak diagnosis, of whom 56% were still suffering. The majority were female (80%), most being highly educated, with a mean age of 41.8 (SD: 10.37) years at the time of diagnosis. Inconsistencies in care resulted in variable durations for obtaining diagnosis and treatment. The majority of respondents (88%) had seen multiple physicians, and only 50% had seen a CSF leak specialist. Invasive imaging was not performed in 43%. CSF leak relapse after initial successful treatment occurred frequently (43%). The incidence of rebound intracranial hypertension was high (52.5%), and the treatment was difficult to access (77%). Out-of-country care was common (28%), and the impact on financial health was omnipresent (81.5%).

Conclusion:

The survey demonstrates significant gaps in spinal CSF leak care in Canada, similar to global observations. Lack of awareness and access, delayed care, and inconsistencies in investigations and management are common. Spinal CSF leak significantly impacts patients’ physical, mental and financial well-being. Increased awareness, referral pathways and standardized treatment algorithms are key factors in optimizing patient care in Canada.
The Ultimate Difference: Interpreting and Using “Culture” in Comparisons of Crime and Justice
Authors: Bui Laura
Published: November 2024

This article examines culture, an ambiguous yet prevalent concept in comparisons of crime and justice. It investigates the extent to which culture’s application and meaning across research reflects Western-centric bias in criminological knowledge-production despite it being a concept meant to advance understanding on different groups and places beyond the “Western” worldview. The article extends the discussion on Western-centric bias but also on culture in criminology by tracing the use of this concept on East Asian populations and by identifying patterns of application and meaning in international and comparative research through a scoping review of 230 journal publications. The findings address patterns of culture’s appearance in criminology journals in the past two decades and its meaning. Similar to previous scholarship on Western-centrism in criminology, the article finds that this bias does, too, exist in uses of culture but also shows how culture’s conceptual ambiguity is conducive to this bias, in that some groups and places are given one meaning of culture while others receive another.
Terrorism as an aesthetic signifier: The afterlives of terrorism discourse in Western reactions to wartime suffering
Authors: Tavares Furtado Henrique , Auchter Jessica
Published: November 2024

What are the legacies of the war on terror? This paper seeks to answer this question through an analysis of vernacular uses of terrorism discourse in political commentary on the Ukraine war. The paper describes how the set of tropes, ideas, and recurrent metaphors that constituted the historical backbone of narratives about terrorism before and after 9/11 is now being mobilised in the context of interstate conflict. Instead of rejecting such deployments of terrorism as lay misappropriations of an otherwise-objective concept, we argue that they evidence the aesthetic force of terrorism discourse in organising our ethical relationship to different experiences of (in)human suffering. The paper advances the concept of terrorism as an aesthetic signifier, to provide two contributions to terrorism studies. First, we argue that narrative approaches to the study of political violence in IR can only move forward if they bypass the field’s traditional framing of terrorism – which we dub the (il)legitimacy trap – and push the boundaries of critique beyond the idea of terrorism as unacceptable violence. Second, we contend that IR scholars must situate the signifiers orbiting the discourse on terror within wider racialised aesthetic regimes dictating the visibility and invisibility of collective suffering. With these two moves, we hope to bring more attention to the question of victimisation in terrorism studies, a field historically focused on perpetrators and the conditions of perpetration of violence.
The impact of the Korean safe rates system on work environment and road safety
Authors: Baek Doojoo , Jeong Hyeonil , Liem Wol-San , Kim Kunhyui
Published: November 2024

The regulation of road transport supply chains has recently become a subject of international concern. A significant body of research shows that ensuring minimum rates of pay for truck drivers is important, not only to workers’ health and safety but also to achieving improved road safety outcomes and other policy objectives related to the viability of the road transport industry. For this study, we used an empirical analysis to quantitatively demonstrate the impact of South Korea’s Safe Rates System on factors of the work environment and driver behaviours that affect road safety. Specifically, we looked at the impact of the system on market structure, truck drivers’ monthly net income, average working time, time spent on maintenance, and the frequency of overloading, speeding, and drowsiness while driving. Our results suggest that increased rates of pay for owner truck drivers resulting from the implementation of the Safe Rates System led to a reduction in the average number of contracting steps between client companies who ship goods and the truck drivers who transport them, improvement in the level of market transparency, increased monthly income, decrease in total time worked, decrease in the frequency of overloading, speeding, and drowsiness while driving, and increase in time spent on vehicle maintenance. The level of compliance with the system by clients and transport companies also had an overall positive impact on the industry structure. By empirically demonstrating the system’s impact, our results provide statistical evidence useful to the debate on reintroduction of the Safe Rates System in Korea.
Quantitative reducibility of
${\boldsymbol {C}^{\boldsymbol {k}}}$
quasi-periodic cocycles
Authors: CAI AO , LV HUIHUI , WANG ZHIGUO
Published: November 2024

This paper establishes an extreme

$C^k$

reducibility theorem of quasi-periodic

$SL(2, \mathbb {R})$

cocycles in the local perturbative region, revealing both the essence of Eliasson [Floquet solutions for the 1-dimensional quasi-periodic Schrödinger equation. Comm. Math. Phys.146 (1992), 447–482], and Hou and You [Almost reducibility and non-perturbative reducibility of quasi-periodic linear systems. Invent. Math.190 (2012), 209–260] in respectively the non-resonant and resonant cases. By paralleling further the reducibility process with the almost reducibility, we are able to acquire the least initial regularity as well as the least loss of regularity for the whole Kolmogorov–Arnold–Moser (KAM) iterations. This, in return, makes various spectral applications of quasi-periodic Schrödinger operators wide open.
Turbulent convection in rotating slender cells
Authors: Pandey Ambrish , Sreenivasan Katepalli R.
Published: November 2024

Turbulent convection in the interiors of the Sun and the Earth occurs at high Rayleigh numbers

$Ra$

, low Prandtl numbers

$Pr$

, and different levels of rotation rates. To understand the combined effects better, we study rotating turbulent convection for

$Pr = 0.021$

(for which some laboratory data corresponding to liquid metals are available), and varying Rossby numbers

$Ro$

, using direct numerical simulations in a slender cylinder of aspect ratio 0.1; this confinement allows us to attain high enough Rayleigh numbers. We are motivated by the earlier finding in the absence of rotation that heat transport at high enough

$Ra$

is similar between confined and extended domains. We make comparisons with higher aspect ratio data where possible. We study the effects of rotation on the global transport of heat and momentum as well as flow structures (a) for increasing rotation at a few fixed values of

$Ra$

, and (b) for increasing

$Ra$

(up to

$10^{10}$

) at the fixed, low Ekman number

$1.45 \times 10^{-6}$

. We compare the results with those from unity

$Pr$

simulations for the same range of

$Ra$

and

$Ro$

, and with the non-rotating case over the same range of

$Ra$

and low

$Pr$

. We find that the effects of rotation diminish with increasing

$Ra$

. These results and comparison studies suggest that for high enough

$Ra$

, rotation alters convective flows in a similar manner for small and large aspect ratios, so useful insights on the effects of high thermal forcing on convection can be obtained by considering slender domains.
Impacts of inflow turbulence on the flow past a permeable disk
Authors: Li Yunliang , Zhang Fengshun , Li Zhaobin , Yang Xiaolei
Published: November 2024

A permeable disk serves as a simplified model for the conversion of wind energy by a horizontal axis wind turbine. In this study, we investigate how inflow turbulence intensity (TI),

$I_\infty$

, and inflow turbulence integral length scale,

$L_\infty$

, influence the flow recovery in the wake, the capability of a permeable disk in extracting turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) of the incoming flow, and the statistics of wake-added turbulence using large-eddy simulation. The simulated inflows include various TIs (i.e.

$I_\infty =2.5\,\%$

–

$25\,\%$

) and integral length scales (i.e.

$L_\infty / D =0.5$

–

$2.0$

) for two thrust coefficients. Simulation results show that both inflow TI and integral length scale influence flow recovery via enhanced ejections and sweeps across the wake boundary, with the former strongly affecting the position where the wake starts to recover and the latter mainly on the recovery rate. Moreover, it is shown that increasing

$I_\infty$

and

$L_\infty$

increases the TKE extraction by the disk, occurring mainly at scales (

$s$

) greater than

$0.5D$

and frequencies depending on the inflow integral length scale. As for the wake-added TKE, the inflow TI mainly affects its intensity, while the inflow integral length scale affects both its intensity and the sensitive frequencies, with the spectral distributions in scale space (

$s$

) being similar and the peak located around

$s/D=1.0$

for the considered inflows.
Interface evolution induced by two successive shocks under diverse reshock conditions
Authors: Cao Qing , Chen Chenren , Wang He , Zhai Zhigang , Luo Xisheng
Published: November 2024

The effects of reshock conditions, including the interface evolution state before reshock and the second shock intensity, on interface instability induced by two successive shocks propagating in the same direction are investigated via shock-tube experiments. It is observed that the reshock promotes the interface instability, and the post-reshock perturbation evolution relates to both the pre-reshock interface evolution state and second shock intensity. For the linear evolution of the twice-shocked interface, existing models perform poorly when either the pre-reshock interface shape effect or the secondary compression effect is pronounced, as current reduction factors fail to accurately describe these effects. Besides, the reshock-induced linear amplitude growth rate shows a non-monotonic dependence on the scaled pre-reshock amplitude, primarily due to the shape effect of the pre-reshock interface. For the post-reshock nonlinear evolution, the model proposed by Zhang & Guo (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 786, 2016, pp. 47–61) offers reasonable predictions when the second shock is weak. However, when the second shock is moderately strong, the model overestimates the bubble growth and underestimates the spike evolution under the influence of the significant secondary compression effect. Furthermore, empirical linear and nonlinear models capable of describing the dependence of the post-reshock evolution on reshock conditions are proposed based on the present experimental results and existing models.
Quantization and the Preservation of Structure across Theory Change
Authors: Feintzeig Benjamin
Published: November 2024

This article presents a novel sense in which theoretical structure has been preserved across the transition from classical to quantum physics. I import mathematical tools from category theory that have been used for structural comparisons in the context of theoretical equivalence and apply these tools to new situations involving theory change. The structural preservation takes the form of a categorical equivalence between categories of models of classical and quantum physics. I situate the significance of this structural preservation in terms of prospects for theory construction in quantum physics.
Association of dietary manganese intake and the IL1R1 rs3917225 polymorphism with thyroid cancer risk: a prospective cohort study in Korea
Authors: Tran Tao Thi , Nguyen Ha Thi Mien , Gunathilake Madhawa , Lee Jeonghee , Kim Jeongseon
Published: November 2024

Dietary Mn intake may have a beneficial effect in reducing cancer risk; however, its association with thyroid cancer (TC) risk remains inadequately understood. Additionally, Mn was associated with inflammation markers. Thus, we examined whether dietary Mn intake emerges a protective role against TC and whether this preventative effect has an interaction with IL1 receptor type 1 (IL1R1) rs3917225. The prospective study was designed at National Cancer Center in Korea between October 2007 and December 2020 including 17 754 participants. We identified TC cases by following participants until December 2020. Mn intake was collected using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ). Genotyping was performed to determine IL1R1 rs3917225. The hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated with a Cox proportional hazards model. We ascertained 108 incident TC cases throughout follow-up duration. Dietary Mn intake was found to be inversely associated with TC risk (HR (95 % CI)=0·64 (0·44, 0·95)). However, IL1R1 rs3917225 seemed to modify this association; the protective effect was limited to G-allele carriers (HR = 0·30 (0·11, 0·86), P interaction=0·028). A higher dietary Mn was suggested to be a protective factor against TC. Additionally, we drew a potential biological interaction between Mn intake and IL1R1 rs3917225 with a greater effect among individuals with a minor allele. This implies that when considering the cancer-preventive role of Mn, it is important to account for the influence of inflammatory gene participation.
Mapping frameworks for synthesizing qualitative evidence in health technology assessment
Authors: Cardoso Marilia Mastrocolla de Almeida , Marques Rafael Thomaz , Machado-Rugolo Juliana , Thabane Lehana , Püschel Vilanice Alves de Araújo , Weber Silke Anna Theresa , Almeida Rosimary Terezinha , Duque Graciela Paula do Nascimento , De Paula Cristiane Cardoso , Lopes Luciane Cruz , Gabriel Mariana , Drumond Sybelle , Rodrigues Clarice Maria , Vanstone Meredith
Published: November 2024

Objectives

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) practitioners recognize the significance of qualitative methodologies that focus on how a technology is feasible, meaningfulness, acceptable, and equitable. This mapping aimed to delineate the frameworks employed to synthesize qualitative evidence and assess the quality of synthesis in HTA .

Methods

Mapping was conducted using Medline, LILACS, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, JBI, and ScienceDirect databases. Gray literature searches included PROQUEST, Open Grey, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health’s Grey Matters, Google Scholar, and HTA agency websites. The inclusion criteria were centered on global qualitative evidence synthesis frameworks. The data are presented in the tables.

Results

Of the 2054 articles, 31 were included, mostly from Europe. Guide was the type of document more cited, and most authors are from HTA agencies and universities. Incorporating both patient and family perspectives is the most cited reason for include qualitative evidence. Regardless of the framework or tool, SPICE was the main acronym, and RETREAT was preferred for approach selection. Thematic synthesis dominated analytic methods, and CASP was the primary quality appraisal tool. GRADE-CERQual graded evidence synthesis, with ENTREQ as the top reporting guidance. The GRADE evidence-to-decision framework was mentioned for recommendations.

Conclusion

This mapping highlights the movement incorporate qualitative evidence in HTA employing specific frameworks. Despite the similarities among documents, most of them describe part of the process to synthesize qualitative evidence. Standardizing procedures to incorporate qualitative evidence into HTA can enhance decision-making. These findings offer essential considerations for HTA practice.
Validation crisitunity
Authors: Oga-Baldwin W. L. Quint
Published: November 2024

Al-Hoorie et al. (2024: Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1–23) illuminate a validation crisis within the second language (L2) Motivational Self System (L2MSS), revealing empirical flaws in its current measurement. Their analysis indicates a persistent lack of discriminant validity among the system’s constructs, issuing a fundamental challenge in distinguishing the concepts. These findings, echoing previous concerns, underscore a pressing need for theoretical refinement and methodological rigor within the field, leading the authors to advocate for a temporary halt in L2 self-studies to address these issues comprehensively. This commentary discusses the call for a substantive moratorium presented by Al-Hoorie et al. (2024: Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1–23) as a necessary step toward resolving persistent challenges in the field. By highlighting historical issues and suggesting pathways for theoretical diversification and methodological advancement, I aim to foster a productive dialogue on motivational psychology in language learning while ensuring empirical robustness.
Family Ties: Vatican Humanitarianism and Family Reunification at the End of Empire
Authors: Moretti Erica
Published: November 2024

This essay analyses the Holy See's engagement in the postwar discourse surrounding displaced minors by focusing on the case of displaced Italian children from Libya. Separated from their families and evacuated to Italy at the onset of the Second World War, they were placed in Italian Youth of the Lictor (Gioventù Italiana del Littorio; GIL) camps. In the aftermath of the war, these displaced children petitioned to return to their families who had remained in territories no longer part of the Italian empire. This article shows how the Papal Aid Committee for Assisting Refugees took part in the relocation efforts and contributed to the conversation on family reunification. By navigating postwar aid and forming unexpected alliances, the Holy See not only contributed to reshaping Italy's geopolitical presence in the Mediterranean but also solidified conservative family norms within the international discussion on humanitarianism.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a case series
Authors: Greiner Eleanor , Ikeda Nobuyuki , Ryan Thomas D. , Villa Chet R.
Published: November 2024

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is characterised by fibrofatty replacement of muscle, resulting in dilated cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects 1:200–1:500 people and is characterised by asymmetric ventricular septal hypertrophy. To date, there have been two separately reported cases describing the combined pathology of these disorders. Herein, we expand upon these reports with a case series describing longitudinal findings in three patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who developed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Common arterial trunk with pulmonary atresia
Authors: Loomba Rohit S. , Spicer Diane , Kittredge Briana , Anderson Robert H.
Published: November 2024

We report two congenitally malformed hearts found at autopsy to have common arterial trunk and pulmonary atresia. Both exhibited usual atrial arrangement, along with concordant atrioventricular connections. In one case, the common arterial trunk arose predominantly from the right ventricle, while the other had a balanced commitment. In both, the atretic pulmonary trunk arose from the left posterolateral aspect of the common trunk. Confluent right and left pulmonary arteries, which were hypoplastic but patent, were present. On the inner aspect of the common trunk, there was a dimple immediately adjacent to the atretic segment of the pulmonary component identified externally. In one case, the fibrous pulmonary component had been accidentally cut during dissection. A solitary coronary artery was identified in both cases.
Ebb and Flow: The Prospects and Constraints of Climate Migrants
Authors: Gest Justin , Drinkall Scott , Micky Kapiolani , Núñez Lucas
Published: November 2024

Understanding why people choose to adapt or emigrate when facing slow-onset climate events is central to the design and implementation of policy addressing displacement spurred by climate change, especially climate-refugee programs. In this article, we leverage extensive field interviews and a novel survey in the Federated States of Micronesia, a country at high risk of environmental degradation but whose citizens have carte blanche access to the United States. We find that despite a general awareness of environmental risks, these play a minor role in migration decision making. Instead, other factors like work, health, and family obligations take precedence.
Optimal functioning after early mild traumatic brain injury: Evolution and predictors
Authors: Aubuchon Olivier , Huynh Lara-Kim , Dupont Dominique , Séguin Marilou , Beaudoin Cindy , Bernier Annie , Beauchamp Miriam H.
Published: November 2024

Introduction and objectives:

Early mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI or concussion sustained between 0 and 5 years old) can lead to post-concussive symptoms, behavioral changes, and cognitive difficulties. Although school-age children (6–17 years old) experience similar consequences, severe neuropsychological deficits are not common, and the majority have no persisting symptoms after one month. Thus, there may be value in focusing on what characterizes optimal functioning (or wellness) after mTBI, but this has not been explored in young children. This study documents the evolution and predictors of optimal functioning after early mTBI.

Method:

Participants were 190 children aged 18 – 60 months with mTBI (n = 69), orthopedic injury (OI; n = 50), or typical development (TDC; n = 71). Optimal functioning was defined as: (1) no clinically significant behavioral problems; (2) no cognitive difficulties; (3) no persisting post-concussive symptoms; (4) average quality of life or better. Predictors related to sociodemographic, injury, child, and caregiver characteristics included number of acute symptoms, child sex, age, temperament, maternal education, parent-child attachment and interaction quality, and parenting stress.

Results:

Fewer children with mTBI had optimal functioning over 6 and 18-months post-injury compared to those with OI and TDC. Higher parent-child interaction quality and lower child negative affectivity temperament independently predicted optimal functioning.

Conclusion:

Children who sustain early mTBI are less likely to exhibit optimal functioning than their peers in the long-term. Parent-child interaction quality could be a potential intervention target for promoting optimal function.
Disentangling Legal Stability from Legitimate Expectations: Towards Greater Deference to Regulatory Changes in Renewable Energy Transition Policies in Investment Arbitration
Authors: Yu Chen
Published: November 2024

The obligation of stability generally requires host States to maintain a relatively stable regulatory framework to mitigate political risks facing foreign investments. It has played a significant role in international investment tribunals’ review of host States’ renewable energy transition policies. This paper critically reviews tribunals’ interpretation of the obligation with a particular focus on the Spanish cases involving renewable energy incentive schemes. It canvasses the two ‘dimensions’ adopted by investment tribunals in the interpretation of stability, namely the protection of legitimate expectations and States’ right to regulate for public purposes. Examining the contents of the two dimensions separately, this paper argues that legal stability should be disentangled from the notion of legitimate expectations and be assessed through the reasonableness of regulatory changes per se. It further argues that an intrusive interpretation of legal stability lacks legal and institutional bases; instead, more deferential standards should be adopted in the review of renewable energy transition policies.
Austerity, Ageism, and the Rhetoric of Self-reliance: The Policy Drivers and Socio-cultural Attitudes Contributing to the Loneliness Experienced by Older Residents in an Underprivileged Community in South Wales
Authors: Naughton-Doe Ruth
Published: November 2024

Reducing loneliness amongst older people is an international public health and policy priority, with signs of decreasing importance in the UK. A growing body of research on tackling loneliness indicates it is a complex challenge. Most interventions imply they address loneliness, when in fact they offer social connectedness to address social isolation and can inadvertently responsibilise the individual for the causes and solutions for loneliness. This article presents research that explored loneliness in an underprivileged community in South Wales through interviews and focus groups with nineteen older people and eighteen local service providers. Their perspective supports a growing body of evidence that loneliness amongst older people is driven by wider structural and socio-cultural exclusion. Interventions to build social connections will be more effective if coupled with policies that reverse the reduction in public services (including transport and healthcare), and challenge socio-cultural norms, including a culture of self-reliance and ageism.
GaN/SiC V-band 10 W high-power amplifier for inter-satellite communications
Authors: Sivverini Giuseppe , Meazza Andrea , Traversa Antonio , Colzani Alberto , Fonte Alessandro , Moscato Stefano , Oldoni Matteo , Friesicke Christian
Published: November 2024

This manuscript presents a millimeter-wave GaN high-power amplifier (HPA) intended for next generation inter-satellite links (ISLs). The proposed architecture achieves a fractional bandwidth wider than 18% in the V-band spectrum, to deliver a 10 Gbit/s throughput compatible with multi-thousand-km ISLs. Core of the HPA is the monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC ) power amplifier which covers the whole 59–71 GHz band with high efficiency through innovative topologies and a cutting-edge gallium nitride on silicon carbide (GaN-on-SiC) process. The MMIC is then parallelized by means of a 1-to-8 splitter/combiner to obtain a V-band 10 W GaN HPA. Measurement results show a peak small-signal gain of 25.6 dB, 6.5% peak power-added efficiency, and a maximum P1dB of 40.3 dBm.
A wideband and multibeam pattern reconfigurable antenna using partially reflecting surface
Authors: Suryapaga Venkataswamy , Khairnar Vikas V.
Published: November 2024

This paper presents a pattern reconfigurable antenna that accomplishes wideband and multibeam characteristics. The antenna design comprises a cross-slot radiator as the primary element and reconfigurable partially reflecting surface (PRS) layer placed above and below the cross-slot radiator. This configuration allows the antenna to adapt its radiation patterns effectively. The choice of the cross-slot radiator is based on its capability to offer wideband characteristics. The PRS layer consists of a precisely arranged array of 4×4 unit cells, incorporating PIN diodes into both the upper and lower PRS layers. The direction of radiation pattern can be changed by altering operating states of the PIN diodes on the PRS layer. The antenna operates in three distinct states, each exhibiting a unique radiation pattern. The antenna produces broadside, backward, and bidirectional radiation patterns. It demonstrates effective pattern reconfigurability across the frequency range of 3.10–3.86 GHz (21.71%), with a peak gain of 9.60 dBi. The simulated and measured results of the antenna are found to be in good agreement.
Accuracy study for over-the-air frequency synchronization of continuous wave signals
Authors: Dallmann Thomas , Thomä Reiner
Published: November 2024

Future communication and radar sensing systems will require synchronization methods which are more versatile in terms of the systems involved in the synchronization process. We present an over-the-air frequency synchronization algorithm based on the standard and the generalized Kuramoto model which uses continuous wave (CW) signals. In contrast to other approaches, all nodes of the network participate equally, and synchronization can even be achieved in presence of a non-cooperative node. By changing the parameters of the radar or by modifying the synchronization algorithm, synchronization accuracy can be adjusted as well. All claims are supported by measurements conducted with CW radars. It will be demonstrated that our algorithm enables synchronization accuracies down to 1.92 ppb and thus could provide sufficient accuracy for velocity measurements on pedestrians.
Improving Subnational Opinion Estimation from Cluster-Sampled Polls
Authors: Auslen Michael
Published: November 2024

The development of multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP) has allowed scholars to more accurately estimate subnational public opinion using national polls. However, MRP generally recovers less accurate estimates from polls whose respondents are selected using cluster sampling – also called area-probability sampling. This is in part because cluster-sampled polls rely on a complex form of random sampling focused on national representativeness that may result in small or unrepresentative subsamples in subnational geographies. This has limited MRP’s usefulness in subnational opinion estimation in several contexts, including historical polls in the US, where cluster-sampling was common into the 1980s, and large academic studies in many countries today. In this paper, I propose two approaches to improve estimation from MRP with cluster-sampled polls. The first is pooling data from multiple surveys to produce a larger sample of clusters. The second is clustered MRP (CMRP), which extends MRP by modeling opinion using the geographic information included in a survey’s cluster-sampling procedure. Using simulations, I show that both methods improve upon traditional MRP, and I validate them using historical polls in the US
Comparing alternative nonselective herbicides in Oregon and New Mexico
Authors: Mattox Clint , Beck Leslie , Stock Tim , Leinauer Bernd , Kowalewski Alec
Published: November 2024

Municipalities are considering alternatives to traditional herbicides for suppressing weeds and vegetation in areas frequented by the public. Two field experiments were conducted to test the efficacy of alternative nonselective herbicides: one in Corvallis, OR, on a mixed lawn of perennial ryegrass, annual bluegrass, and broadleaf weeds, and another in Las Cruces, NM, on a predominantly bermudagrass lawn with broadleaf weeds. The experimental objective was to quantify and compare the effects of repeated applications of 10 nonselective herbicides to terminate a lawn with mixed vegetation. Applications were made every 2 wk for four applications starting on April 15, 2022, in Corvallis and on May 26, 2022, in Las Cruces. Data collected included the percent green cover over time calculated using an area under the percent green cover progress curve (AUPGCPC), the percent green cover at the conclusion of the experiment, and the changes in monocot and dicot densities over the course of the experiment. All treatments resulted in a lower AUPGCPC compared to water only, except for mint oil + sodium lauryl sulfate + potassium sorbate. The only treatments with average percent green cover <50% were ammoniated soap of fatty acids + maleic hydrazide (47% green cover) in Corvallis and pelargonic acid (38%) in Las Cruces, suggesting that more applications would be needed to terminate the lawn under similar circumstances. At the conclusion of the experiment, the water-only plots averaged 90% and 93% green cover in Corvallis and Las Cruces, respectively. The changes in monocot and dicot densities over the course of the experiment indicated that some of the products tested may be more sensitive to dicots, or, in some cases, monocots, suggesting a potential for future selective herbicide research in certain locations and climates.
Effect of application method on dichlobenil efficacy of hair fescue (Festuca filiformis) in lowbush blueberry
Authors: MacEachern Craig B. , Esau Travis J. , White Scott N. , Zaman Qamar U. , Farooque Aitazaz A.
Published: November 2024

This study assessed the potential of using dichlobenil to manage hair fescue in lowbush blueberry crops when targeted or broadcast-applied (7,000 g ai ha−1) as justification for developing a precision-targeted applicator. A randomized complete block design was used to assess both application methods, and results were compared with industry-standard propanamide (2,240 g ai ha−1). Targeted and broadcast-applied dichlobenil in fall 2020 significantly reduced average total tuft density in the nonbearing year (2021) by 75% and 67%, respectively, and in the bearing year (2022) by 61% and 59%, respectively. Broadcast pronamide applications in fall 2020 significantly reduced total tuft density by 84% in the nonbearing year (2021) and 81% in the bearing year (2022). These reductions in total tuft density resulted in average lowbush blueberry yields of 416, 557, 573, and 617 g m−2 for the control, pronamide applications, and targeted and broadcast-applied dichlobenil, respectively. Increases in yield were not significant, though the large variation within the sample is the probable cause. The similarities between targeted and broadcast-applied treatments demonstrate the potential of using targeted dichlobenil. Given the high product cost of dichlobenil at Can$1,873 ha−1, hair fescue’s non-uniform distribution in lowbush blueberry fields and the lowbush blueberry industry’s overreliance on pronamide, targeted application of dichlobenil has significant potential. This work justifies the development of a mechanized precision-targeted applicator for use in lowbush blueberry cropping systems.
Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) control in furrow-irrigated rice with fluridone
Authors: King Tanner A. , Norsworthy Jason K. , Butts Thomas R. , Barber L. Tom , Drescher Gerson L. , Godar Amar S.
Published: November 2024

Herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth is creating additional challenges for producers who choose to adopt a furrow-irrigated rice production system due to the absence of a sustained flood, enabling extended weed emergence. Fluridone has been shown to effectively control Palmer amaranth in cotton production systems and was recently registered for use in rice. Experiments were initiated in 2022 and 2023 1) to evaluate Palmer amaranth control and rice tolerance to preemergence- and postemergence-applied fluridone at 0.5× (84 g ai ha−1) and 1× (168 g ai ha−1) rates on a silt loam soil; and 2) assess the effect of various herbicide programs that contain fluridone on Palmer amaranth biomass, seed production, and rough rice grain yield. Preemergence applications of fluridone at a 1× rate in combination with clomazone resulted in 84% control of Palmer amaranth 21 d after treatment (DAT). Fluridone, in combination with clomazone preemergence, caused up to 36% rice injury 21 DAT; however, early season injury did not negatively affect rice yields. Palmer amaranth biomass and fecundity were reduced with herbicide programs that included fluridone plus florpyrauxifen-benzyl, and, in some instances, there was no Palmer amaranth biomass or seed production following multiple applications of both herbicides. Fluridone- and florpyrauxifen-benzyl–based herbicide programs achieved effective control of Palmer amaranth when applied timely, but injury to hybrid rice is enhanced with preemergence applications of fluridone that are not permitted with the current label.
The Cost of Clairvoyance
Authors: Bonus James Alex , Wulf Tim , Matthews Nicholas L.
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Three weeks before the release of Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi, participants viewed a trailer for the movie and predicted how happy and nostalgic it would make them feel. Three weeks after release, they indicated whether they saw the movie and (if so) their affective reactions while viewing it and their overall evaluation of it (i.e., enjoyment and appreciation). Results indicated that forecasted nostalgia (but not happiness) predicted whether or not participants saw the movie. Moreover, enjoyment and appreciation of the film were higher among participants who experienced more happiness and nostalgia than forecasted, whereas enjoyment and appreciation were lower among participants who experienced less happiness and nostalgia than forecasted.
Uncovering Below Cloud Rain‐Vapor Interactions During Tropical Rain Events Through Simultaneous and Continuous Real‐Time Monitoring of Rain and Vapor Isotopes
Authors: He Shaoneng , Jackisch Dominik , Feng Lujia , Samanta Dhrubajyoti , Wang Xianfeng , Goodkin Nathalie F.
Published: November 2024

Due to limited water vapor measurements, vapor isotopes have been traditionally estimated under the assumption of isotopic equilibrium between rain and vapor below cloud base. However, recent advancements in analytical instruments allow more vapor isotopic measurements that have challenged this assumption. To enhance our understanding of rain‐vapor interactions below cloud base in tropical regions, we established an automated system to measure rain and vapor isotopes simultaneously and continuously in real time at minute intervals in Singapore. Among 324 rain events monitored from 2016 to 2019, 81% exhibited a substantial departure of rain and vapor isotopes from the expected equilibrium. This departure suggests that raindrop evaporation plays a larger role in determining their isotopes. The conclusion is supported by the generally lower slopes of the local meteoric water line. Seasonal variations in rain event characteristics indicate changing influences of rain‐vapor interactions: during monsoons, more frequent heavy rainfall maintains relatively high humidity below cloud base, favoring rain‐vapor isotopic equilibrium, whereas during inter‐monsoons, more light rain events lead to pronounced rain evaporation and larger isotopic differences. Furthermore, rain‐vapor interactions below cloud base significantly modulated their isotope evolution during individual events. As events progressed, reduced humidity favored evaporation, increasing rain isotope values and decreasing its d‐excess, whereas vapor isotope values decreased and its d‐excess increased. Our study introduces a new approach to capturing real‐time high‐resolution rain and vapor isotopes at minute intervals to understand the dynamics of rain‐vapor interactions below cloud base. Findings underscore the crucial role of these interactions in influencing rain and vapor isotopes during tropical rain events.
Constraining the Duration and Ages of Stratigraphic Unconformities on Mars Using Exhumed Craters
Authors: Annex A. M. , Lewis K. W.
Published: November 2024

Crater counting is a widely applied methodology for dating large areas of planetary surfaces, but is difficult to apply the method to constrain the durations of stratigraphic unconformities. Unconformities with exhumed craters are thought to indicate long hiatuses that can only be indirectly dated through stratigraphic relationships with other surfaces with uniform exposure ages. On Mars, sedimentary deposits with prominent unconformities with exhumed craters are found in layered deposits in the Arabia Terra region as well as Gale crater within Mount Sharp. In this work, we present a Linear Crater Counting methodology and apply it to constrain these unconformities observed in Arabia Terra and in Mount Sharp. The method applies a linear sampling domain correction to conventional two‐dimensional crater size frequency distributions and Bayesian Poisson process statistics in order to constrain the likely durations of these unconformities. We found that unconformities in Arabia Terra were on the order of 0.1–1 Gyr in length and that the unconformity preserved at Mount Sharp is at least 0.2 Gyr in length given estimates of the ages of the host craters. Hiatuses of these lengths constrain the age of the overlying deposits to be Late Hesperian or Amazonian in age. Two utility plots are also provided, along with the derivation, for researchers to apply this method to dating arbitrary geologic contacts on Mars and to adapt it to other bodies.
A Synoptic‐Dynamic View of the Millennium Drought (2001–2009) in Southeastern Australia
Authors: Jin Chenhui , Reeder Michael J. , Gallant Ailie J. E. , Parker Tess , Sprenger Michael
Published: November 2024

Australia has had several severe droughts in its recent history. Most studies have linked these droughts to large‐scale modes of variability, whereas few studies have investigated droughts from the perspective of weather systems. The current study examines a wide range of weather systems focusing especially on heavy rainfall events, which are important to meteorological drought. Two distinct phases (development and recovery) are identified for the Millennium Drought based on the cumulative standardized precipitation index. Differences in precipitation from heavy rainfall events between the two drought phases are most pronounced in autumn and summer. The pronounced reduction in precipitation from autumn heavy rainfall events during the development phase is due to fewer, less intense, faster‐moving warm conveyor belts. In contrast, increased precipitation from autumn heavy rainfall events in the recovery phase is explained by an interaction between warm conveyor belts and upper‐level anticyclonic potential vorticity with a persistent anticyclonic circulation over the Tasman Sea acting to slow the eastward propagation of rainfall‐producing weather systems. In summer, however, the difference in precipitation from heavy rainfall events in the two drought phases is due to changed moisture content within warm conveyor belts. In the recovery phase, the higher moisture content is associated with greater moisture transport over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.
Transgenic rat with ubiquitous expression of angiotensin-(1-7)-producing fusion protein: a new tool to study the role of protective arm of the renin-angiotensin system in the pathophysiology of cardio-renal diseases
Authors: Červenka Luděk , Husková Zuzana , Kikerlová Soňa , Gawrys Olga , Vacková Šárka , Škaroupková Petra , Sadowski Janusz , Miklovič Matúš , Molnár Matej , Táborský Miloš , Melenovský Vojtěch , Bader Michael
Published: November 2024

The aim of the present study was to assess systemic circulatory and tissue activities of both the classical arm and of the alternative arm of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in a new transgenic rat line (TG7371) that expresses angiotensin-(1-7) (ANG 1-7)-producing fusion protein; the results were compared with the activities measured in control transgene-negative Hannover Sprague-Dawley (HanSD) rats. Plasma and tissue concentrations of angiotensin II (ANG II) and ANG 1-7, and kidney mRNA expressions of receptors responsible for biological actions of ANG II and ANG 1-7 [i.e. ANG II type 1 and type 2 (AT1 and AT2) and Mas receptors] were assessed in TG7371 transgene-positive and in HanSD rats. We found that male TG7371 transgene-positive rats exhibited significantly elevated plasma, kidney, heart and lung ANG 1-7 concentrations as compared with control male HanSD rats; by contrast, there was no significant difference in ANG II concentrations and no significant differences in mRNA expression of AT1, AT2 and Mas receptors. In addition, we found that in male TG7371 transgene-positive rats blood pressure was lower than in male HanSD rats. These data indicate that the balance between the classical arm and the alternative arm of the RAS was in male TGR7371 transgene-positive rats markedly shifted in favor of the latter. In conclusion, TG7371 transgene-positive rats represent a new powerful tool to study the long-term role of the alternative arm of the RAS in the pathophysiology and potentially in the treatment of cardio-renal diseases.
Genome-wide meta-analysis of myasthenia gravis uncovers new loci and provides insights into polygenic prediction
Authors: Braun Alice , Shekhar Sudhanshu , Levey Daniel F. , Straub Peter , Kraft Julia , Panagiotaropoulou Georgia M. , Heilbron Karl , Awasthi Swapnil , Meleka Hanna Rafael , Hoffmann Sarah , Stein Maike , Lehnerer Sophie , Mergenthaler Philipp , Elnahas Abdelrahman G. , Topaloudi Apostolia , Koromina Maria , Palviainen Teemu , Asbjornsdottir Bergrun , Stefansson Hreinn , Skuladóttir Astros Th. , Jónsdóttir Ingileif , Stefansson Kari , Reis Kadri , Esko Tõnu , Palotie Aarno , Leypoldt Frank , Stein Murray B. , Fontanillas Pierre ,   Estonian Biobank Research Team,   23andMe Research Team, Kaprio Jaakko , Gelernter Joel , Davis Lea K. , Paschou Peristera , Tannemaat Martijn R. , Verschuuren Jan J.G.M. , Kuhlenbäumer Gregor , Gregersen Peter K. , Huijbers Maartje G. , Stascheit Frauke , Meisel Andreas , Ripke Stephan
Published: November 2024

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoantibody-mediated disease affecting the neuromuscular junction. We performed a genome-wide association study of 5708 MG cases and 432,028 controls of European ancestry and a replication study in 3989 cases and 226,643 controls provided by 23andMe Inc. We identified 12 independent genome-wide significant hits (P < 5e−8) across 11 loci. Subgroup analyses revealed two of these were associated with early-onset (at age <50) and four with late-onset MG (at age ≥ 50). Imputation of human leukocyte antigen alleles revealed inverse effect sizes for late- and early-onset, suggesting a potential modulatory influence on the time of disease manifestation. We assessed the performance of polygenic risk scores for MG, which significantly predicted disease status in an independent target cohort, explaining 4.21% of the phenotypic variation (P = 5.12e−9). With this work, we aim to enhance our understanding of the genetic architecture of MG.