bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors contributing to clinically important health utility gains in cochlear implant recipients
Authors: Müller Lida , Graham Petra , Kaur Jasmin , Wyss Josie , Greenham Paula , James Chris J.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Cochlear implantation can restore access to sound and speech understanding in subjects with substantial hearing loss. The Health Utilities Index Mark III (HUI3) measures the impact of an intervention on the patient’s quality of life and is sensitive to changes in hearing. In the current study we used factor analysis to predict a clinically important gain in HUI3 scores in adult cochlear implant recipients.

Methods

Data were collected in an observational study for 137 adult recipients from a single center who had at least 1-year HUI3 follow-up. Demographic and other baseline parameters were retrospectively analyzed for their association with a clinically important HUI3 scale gain, defined as at least 0.1 points. Data were also collected for the speech spatial qualities (SSQ) scale.

Results

Baseline telephone use and HUI3 hearing, speech and emotion attribute levels were significantly associated with clinically important gains in HUI3 scores. However, SSQ scores increased significantly with or without clinically important HUI3 gains.

Conclusion

Those subjects who were unhappy or experienced difficulties communicating with strangers or in a group were twice as likely to obtain a clinically important gain in health utility compared to those who were happy or had less difficulty communicating. Subjects who were unable to use the telephone prior to cochlear implantation were one and a half times more likely to obtain a clinically important gain. The SSQ scale was more sensitive to hearing improvements due to cochlear implantation. An inability to use the telephone is an easy to assess biomarker for candidacy for cochlear implantation.
Validity of the LACE index for identifying frequent early readmissions after hospital discharge in children
Authors: Han Thang S , Fluck David , Fry Christopher H
Published: January 2021

The LACE index scoring tool has been designed to predict hospital readmissions in adults. We aimed to evaluate the ability of the LACE index to identify children at risk of frequent readmissions. We analysed data from alive-discharge episodes (1 April 2017 to 31 March 2019) for 6546 males and 5875 females from birth to 18 years. The LACE index predicted frequent all-cause readmissions within 28 days of hospital discharge with high accuracy: the area under the curve = 86.9% (95% confidence interval = 84.3–89.5%, p < 0.001). Two-graph receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed the LACE index cutoff to be 4.3, where sensitivity equals specificity, to predict frequent readmissions. Compared with those with a LACE index score = 0–4 (event rates, 0.3%), those with a score > 4 (event rates, 3.7%) were at increased risk of frequent readmissions: age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio = 12.4 (95% confidence interval = 8.0–19.2, p < 0.001) and death within 30 days of discharge: OR = 5.0 (95% CI = 1.5–16.7). The ORs for frequent readmissions were between 6 and 14 for children of different age categories (neonate, infant, young child and adolescent), except for patients in the child category (6–12 years) where odds ratio was 2.8.

Conclusion: The LACE index can be used in healthcare services to identify children at risk of frequent readmissions. Focus should be directed at individuals with a LACE index score above 4 to help reduce risk of readmissions.

What is Known:• The LACE index scoring tool has been widely used to predict hospital readmissions in adults.

What is New:• Compared with children with a LACE index score of 0–4 (event rates, 0.3%), those with a score > 4 are at increased risk of frequent readmissions by 14-fold.• The cutoff of a LACE index of 4 may be a useful level to identify children at increased risk of frequent readmissions.
miR-146a-3p suppressed the differentiation of hAMSCs into Schwann cells via inhibiting the expression of ERBB2
Authors: Chen Wei , Ji Linlin , Wei Zairong , Yang Chenglan , Chang Shusen , Zhang Yucheng , Nie Kaiyu , Jiang Lingli , Deng Yurong
Published: January 2021

Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) can be differentiated into Schwann-cell-like cells (SCLCs) in vitro. However, the underlying mechanism of cell differentiation remains unclear. In this study, we explored the phenotype and multipotency of hAMSCs, which were differentiated into SCLCs, and the expression of nerve repair-related Schwann markers, such as S100 calcium binding protein B (S-100), TNF receptor superfamily member 1B (P75), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were observed to be significantly increased. The secreted functional neurotrophic factors, like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), were determined and also increased with the differentiation time. Moreover, miR-146a-3p, which significantly decreased during the differentiation of hAMSCs into SCLCs, was selected by miRNA-sequence analysis. Further molecular mechanism studies showed that Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ERBB2) was an effective target of miR-146a-3p and that miR-146a-3p down-regulated ERBB2 expression by binding to the 3′-UTR of ERBB2. The expression of miR-146a-3p markedly decreased, while the mRNA levels of ERBB2 increased with the differentiation time. The results showed that down-regulating miR-146a-3p could promote SC lineage differentiation and suggested that miR-146a-3p negatively regulated the Schwann-like phenotype differentiation of hAMSCs by targeting ERBB2. The results will be helpful to establish a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms and find novel strategies for cell therapy.
Ex vivo glucocorticoid receptor-mediated IL-10 response predicts the course of depression severity
Authors: von Zimmermann Claudia , Böhm Lea , Richter-Schmidinger Tanja , Kornhuber Johannes , Lenz Bernd , Mühle Christiane
Published: January 2021

Directly measuring hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis function, an important player in affective disorders, is intensive and invasive. A crucial component of this system, the activity of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), can be assessed ex vivo instead. Here, we investigated GR sensitivity in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) to determine its predictive potential. Psychometric data and blood samples were collected from patients experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE, n = 87), healthy control subjects (n = 49), and patients with remitted MDD (n = 31) at baseline and (for patients) after median 20 days of follow-up after treatment as usual. Blood cells were stimulated ex vivo with lipopolysaccharide and the effect was suppressed by increasing dexamethasone (DEX) concentrations. The resultant cytokine secretion profile (for IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α) was considered indicative of GR activity. Higher baseline scores of the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) were associated with a stronger decrease of logIC IL-6 (indicating an increase of GR sensitivity). Higher baseline logEC IL-10 (indicating a lower GR sensitivity) and a stronger reduction of logEC IL-10 (indicating a stronger increase in GR sensitivity) were associated with a stronger decrease in the MADRS score. Patients with remitted MDD showed higher logIC TNF-α values (indicating lower GR sensitivity) in comparison to patients with a current MDD at baseline and follow-up. Initially low GR sensitivity measured ex vivo in peripheral blood cells that increases over the course of treatment could serve as a predictive marker for stronger improvement in depression severity.
Promoting eco-driving behavior through multisensory stimulation: a preliminary study on the use of visual and haptic feedback in a virtual reality driving simulator
Authors: Pietra Andrea , Vazquez Rull Marina , Etzi Roberta , Gallace Alberto , Scurati Giulia Wally , Ferrise Francesco , Bordegoni Monica
Published: January 2021

This paper describes the design and preliminary test of a virtual reality driving simulator capable of conveying haptic and visual messages to promote eco-sustainable driving behavior. The driving simulator was implemented through the Unity game engine; a large street environment, including high-speed and urban sections, was created to examine different driving behaviors. The hardware setup included a gaming driving seat, equipped with a steering wheel and pedals; the virtual scenarios were displayed through an Oculus Rift headset to guarantee an immersive experience. Haptic stimulation (i.e., vibrations) was delivered to the driver through the accelerator pedal, while visual stimuli (i.e., icons and colors) were shown on a virtual head-up display. The sensory feedbacks were presented both alone and in combination, providing information about excessive acceleration and speed. Four different virtual scenarios, each one including a distracting element (i.e., navigator, rain, call, and traffic), were also created. Ten participants tested the simulator. Fuel consumption was evaluated by calculating a mean power index (MPI) in reference to the sensory feedback presentation; physiological reactions and responses to a usability survey were also collected. The results revealed that the haptic and visuo-haptic feedback were responsible for an MPI reduction, respectively, for 14% and 11% compared with a condition of no feedback presentation; while visual feedback alone resulted in an MPI increase of 11%. The efficacy of haptic feedback was also accompanied by a more relaxing physiological state of the users, compared with the visual stimulation. The system’s usability was adequate, although haptic stimuli were rated slightly more intrusive than the visual ones. Overall, these preliminary results highlight how promising the use of the haptic channel can be in communicating and guiding the driver toward a more eco-sustainable behavior.
Embodied Ethical Decision-Making: A Clinical Case Study of Respect for Culturally Based Meaning Making in Mental Healthcare
Authors: Roberts Megz
Published: January 2021

How does embodied ethical decision-making influence treatment in a clinical setting when cultural differences conflict? Ethical decision-making is usually a disembodied and rationalized procedure based on ethical codes (American Counseling Association, 2014; American Dance Therapy Association, 2015; American Mental Health Counseling Association, 2015) and a collective understanding of right and wrong. However, these codes and collective styles of meaning making were shaped mostly by White theorists and clinicians. These mono-cultural lenses lead to ineffective mental health treatment for persons of color. Hervey’s (2007) EEDM steps encourage therapists to return to their bodies when navigating ethical dilemmas as it is an impetus for bridging cultural differences in healthcare. Hervey’s (2007) nonverbal approach to Welfel’s (2001) ethical decision steps was explored in a unique case that involved the ethical decision-making process of an African-American dance/movement therapy intern, while providing treatment in a westernized hospital setting to a spiritual Mexican–American patient diagnosed with PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder. This patient had formed a relationship with a spirit attached to his body that he could see, feel, and talk to, but refused to share this experience with his White identifying psychiatric nurse due to different cultural beliefs. Information gathered throughout the clinical case study by way of chronological loose and semi-structured journaling, uncovered an ethical dilemma of respect for culturally based meanings in treatment and how we identify pathology in hospital settings. The application of the EEDM steps in this article is focused on race/ethnicity and spiritual associations during mental health treatment at an outpatient hospital setting. Readers are encouraged to explore ways in which this article can influence them to apply EEDM in other forms of cultural considerations (i.e. age) and mental health facilities. The discussion section of this thesis includes a proposed model for progressing towards active multicultural diversity in mental healthcare settings by way of the three M’s from the relational-cultural theory: movement towards mutuality, mutual empathy, and mutual empowerment (Hartling & Miller, 2004).
Political competitiveness and the private–public structure of public expenditure: a model and empirics for the Indian States
Authors: Winer Stanley L. , Ferris J. Stephen , Dash Bharatee Bhusana , Chakraborty Pinaki
Published: January 2021

Studies of government size usually try to identify the factors that explain what parts of economic activity are brought within the public sector and what parts are left strictly in private hands. Modern governments are now so large that the question of what determines the private/public composition, or privateness, of public expenditure is of comparable importance for understanding the role of government in society. In this paper, we use a model of the composition of public budgets to uncover the importance of electoral competitiveness and other factors in the evolution of the privateness of public expenditure across the Indian states. These states vary widely in their socioeconomic characteristics while sharing a common political heritage based on parliamentary government. New measures of public expenditure on private targetable goods and of electoral competitiveness at the Indian state level accompany the paper along with a primer on Indian public finance accounting practices in an Online Appendix. The empirical analysis shows that the degree of privateness in India’s more developed states falls substantially with greater political competition and with rising incomes, while in the less developed states it responds more weakly to these key factors and in some cases even inversely.
Impact of pH and cell medium on the interaction of doxorubicin with lipoic acid cyclodextrin conjugate as the drug carrier
Authors: Swiech Olga , Majdecki Maciej , Opuchlik Lidia J. , Bilewicz Renata
Published: January 2021

Lipoic acid derivative of cyclodextrin, βCDLip, was used as the drug carrier for doxorubicin (DOX) and the stability constants of the DOX–βCDLip were determined in the environment of the cell medium. The experiments were performed in neutral (pH 7.6) and acidified (pH 6.3) cell media containing more than forty interferences including: amino acids, vitamins, lipids and proteins. We proved that the pH of the medium has a noticeable impact on the affinity of the drug towards the carrier. At neutral pH, the formation constants of the complex are higher than at pH 6.3, what is characteristic for the cancer cells microenvironment. Furthermore, the values obtained in both cell media are twice smaller than the values obtained previously for the same complex but in the absence of common cell media components indicating that there is a competition between DOX and some hydrophobic medium components for the complex formation with βCDLip. On the other hand at pH 7.6, the amount of free DOX is highly limited due to the fact that most of DOX is still in the complexed form, while at pH 6.3 the cell media ingredients become strong interferences in the formation of the complex between DOX and the drug carrier. The observed behaviour is due to partial protonation of DOX and to competition between the drug and the lipoic side arm of cyclodextrin for the cyclodextrin cavity. The stability constants of the DOX–βCDLip complex in acidic pH are similar to the values for DOX with native β-cyclodextrin, demonstrating that the strengthening effect of DOX–CD complex resulting from the presence of cyclodextrin’s aromatic substituent (Lip) occurs only in the case of neutral pH. The high value of the stability constant of the DOX–βCDLip complex in cell medium at pH 7.6 indicates high selectivity of βCDLip ligand which would be of importance both for the effective drug delivery and for its application in DOX sensing devices.
Proteomic Analysis of Lipid Droplets in Sesamum indicum
Authors: Hamada Satoshi , Kishikawa Akihiro , Yoshida Motonobu
Published: January 2021

We attempted to identify the total proteome in sesame lipid droplets. Results from two-dimensional electrophoresis showed 139 protein spots in lipid droplet samples. Each spot was isolated, digested with trypsin, and applied to liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (Q-Tof Premier). As a result, 103 spots were identified. Although oleosin, caleosin, and steroleosin are known major components of the lipid droplet, many other proteins were also found in the lipid droplet. In addition to the three major proteins, TAG factor protein, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, F1 ATPase, 70-kDa heat shock protein, seed maturation protein PM24, and 11S globulin precursor isoforms 3 and 4 were found in the lipid droplet. Three types of oleosins, 15-, 15.5-, and 17-kDa were present in the sesame lipid droplet, and the 15.5-kDa oleosin had high homology with oleosin from Coffea canephora. It has been shown by acid phosphatase treatment that oleosin proteins contain phosphate groups. Protein disulfide-isomerase 2 precursor, calreticulin-1, and BiP, which are known as marker proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum, were found as the components of the lipid droplet. Immunoconfocal microscopy was used to show that 11S globulin precursor isoform 3 and 4 were indeed localized in the lipid droplet. The presence of 11S globulin in the lipid droplets suggested a new mechanism for the lipid droplet formation.
Update and Potential Opportunities in CBP [Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) Response Element-Binding Protein (CREB)-Binding Protein] Research Using Computational Techniques
Authors: Akinsiku Oluwayimika E. , Soremekun Opeyemi S. , Soliman Mahmoud E. S.
Published: January 2021

CBP [cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding protein (CREB)-binding protein] is one of the most researched proteins for its therapeutic function. Several studies have identified its vast functions and interactions with other transcription factors to initiate cellular signals of survival. In cancer and other diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Rubinstein-taybi syndrome, and inflammatory diseases, CBP has been implicated and hence an attractive target in drug design and development. In this review, we explore the various computational techniques that have been used in CBP research, furthermore we identified computational gaps that could be explored to facilitate the development of highly therapeutic CBP inhibitors.
Precision agriculture research in sub-Saharan Africa countries: a systematic map
Authors: Nyaga Justine M. , Onyango Cecilia M. , Wetterlind Johanna , Söderström Mats
Published: January 2021

Precision agriculture (PA) has a huge potential for growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but it faces a number of social-economic and technological challenges. This study sought to map existing PA research and application in SSA countries following the methodology for systematic mapping in environmental sciences. After screening for relevance, the initial about 7715 articles was reduced to 128. Results show that most of the studies were conducted in countries with socio-economic and technological advancement, mainly South Africa followed by Nigeria and Kenya. The studies were conducted at various scales ranging from field to country level with field scale studies being the most common. Most studies were conducted in relatively small farms typical of most farmlands in SSA. Studies done in relatively large farms are fewer, and such farms would likely belong to a few organisations and individuals with high economic capacity. Many of these studies have been conducted by researchers from outside SSA and a combination of researchers from within and outside SSA. However, based on authorship of the articles, it appears that most of the studies conducted in SSA on precision agriculture have either involved or depended on non-African researchers. It is concluded that there have been significant strides towards use of precision agriculture in SSA. However, with about 21 countries having no research done, there exists greater potential for precision agriculture in the region. Besides, there is need for more research to investigate the low usage of precision agriculture for livestock management.
Comparison Between Automated Office Blood Pressure Measurements and Manual Office Blood Pressure Measurements—Implications in Individual Patients: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Bo Yacong , Kwok Kin-On , Chu Kareen Ka-Yin , Leung Eppie Yu-Han , Yu Chun Pong , Wong Samuel Yeung-Shan , Lee Eric Kam-Pui
Published: January 2021

Purpose of Review

Automated office blood pressure (AOBP) measurements may provide more accurate estimation of blood pressure (BP) than manual office blood pressure (MOBP) measurements. This systematic review investigated the diagnostic performance of AOBP and MOBP using ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) as reference. Several databases including MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and China Academic Journals were searched. Data were extracted, double-checked by two investigators, and were analysed using a random effects model.

Recent Findings

A total of 26 observational studies were included. The mean systolic/diastolic BP obtained by AOBP was not significantly different from that obtained by ABPM. The sensitivity and specificity of AOBP to detect elevated BP were approximately 70%. Fewer participants had white-coat hypertension on AOBP measurement than on MOBP measurement (7% versus 14%); however, about 13% had masked hypertension on AOBP measurement. The width of the limit of agreement comparing (i) AOBP and ABPM and (ii) MOBP and ABPM was comparable.

AOBP may reduce the rate of the observed white-coat effect but undermine masked hypertension. The current recommendation, however, is limited by the absence of high-quality studies and the high heterogeneity of our results. More high-quality studies using different AOBP machines and in different population are therefore needed.
Hot cracking tendency of flux-cored arc welding with flux-cored wires of types Ni 6625
Authors: Burger Stefan , Zinke Manuela , Jüttner Sven
Published: January 2021

Due to their mechanical and corrosive properties, nickel-based alloys are very important in several industrial sectors like power stations, chemical apparatus, and the oil industry. While flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) of carbon steels often uses flux-cored wires (FCW), the use of Ni-based flux-cored wires is industrially less common. The reasons for this include the lower degree of recognition and the higher material costs compared to solid wires. In comparison to solid wires, flux-cored wires have some technological benefits such as the possibility of welding without pulsed arc technology using low-cost standard mixed gases, which has a much lower tendency to weld defects due to high penetration depth. Depending on the slag, the flux-cored wires have a good weldability and excellent mechanical properties. Based on the self-stressed and externally stressed hot crack tests, the basic FCW showed a higher hot cracking susceptibility, contrary to the original assumption. Even if the causes have not yet been finally clarified, a negative influence of the comparatively high sulfur and oxygen contents in the basic FCW is suspected. The weld metal of the solid wires showed the highest hot crack resistance.
Development of Tire-Wear Particle Emission Measurements for Passenger Vehicles
Authors: Tonegawa Yoshio , Sasaki Sousuke
Published: January 2021

In this study, we aimed to develop a new method for measuring tire-wear particles of less than 2.5 μm generated from vehicle use. We also aimed to devise a method for evaluating the emission factor of tire-wear particles. To develop an evaluation method for tire-wear particles, we examined several factors, such as how tire components in airborne particles collected on a sampling filter were measured, the comparison of tire-wear particles obtained in a laboratory study and an on-road study, a method for measuring tire-wear particles using a test vehicle, and a method for evaluating tire-wear mass using a weighting balance. Measurements of tire-wear particles were carried out using the measurement method proposed herein. The amount of tire wear that the particles generated was almost constant in a vehicle speed range of 20–40 km/h but was influenced by a change in lateral acceleration in the range of 0–0.4G. Furthermore, the relationship between the emission of tire-wear particles and the lateral acceleration force can be shown by a quadratic polynomial. We estimated the emission factor of tire-wear particles by applying the relational equation to the speed profile of the JC08 used in Japanese exhaust gas tests. The emission factor of the test tire used in this study was 3.7 mg/km-vehicle. The ratio of the tire-wear particles to tread wear mass was about 3.3% at PM2.5 and 3.7% at PM10.
The New Eurocrats
Authors: Geuijen Karin , Hart Paul't , Princen Sebastiaan , Yesilkagit Kutsal
Published: January 2021

Policies in the EU are largely made by national civil servants who prepare and implement decisions in Brussels as well as at home. Despite their important role, these national civil servants form a relatively hidden world that has received little attention from both the media and academics. This volume considers a wide variety of sources and research methods to answer such questions as: how many civil servants are actually involved in EU-related activities? What do these civil servants do when they engage with the EU? And how do they negotiate their dual roles? The New Eurocrats offers unique and invaluable insight into these civil servants and their working practices - and uncovers some secrets in the world of EU governance along the way.
Republic of Slovenia v. Republic of Croatia
Authors: McGarry Brian
Published: January 2021

The Judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Slovenia v. Croatia marks the anticlimax of a long-running territorial dispute. It is also only the sixth time the CJEU has issued a judgment in a case instituted by one European Union member against another. Among these cases, it is the first to consider an arbitral award in a dispute between members, the first to consider a boundary dispute between members, and the first to be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. The Court found that it cannot rule on alleged infringements of European Union law when these arise from the breach of a treaty falling outside of the Union's subject-matter competence. Most directly, the Judgment may pose significant consequences for European Union internal affairs in the near term, such as Croatia's ambitions to join the Schengen Area and the Eurozone. More broadly, several of the Court's findings will be relevant beyond the European legal order, particular those concerning the meaning and effect of “ancillary” legal questions, and the bilateral or multilateral character of a dispute involving admission to an international organization.
The Unseen Archive of Idi Amin: Making History in a Tight Corner
Authors: Peterson Derek R. , Vokes Richard , Abiti Nelson , Taylor Edgar C.
Published: January 2021

In May 2019 we launched a special exhibition at the Uganda Museum in Kampala titled “The Unseen Archive of Idi Amin.” It consisted of 150 images made by government photographers in the 1970s. In this essay we explore how political history has been delimited in the Museum, and how these limitations shaped the exhibition we curated. From the time of its creation, the Museum's disparate and multifarious collections were exhibited as ethnographic specimens, stripped of historical context. Spatially and organizationally, “The Unseen Archive of Idi Amin” turned its back on the ethnographic architecture of the Uganda Museum. The transformation of these vivid, evocative, aesthetically appealing photographs into historical evidence of atrocity was intensely discomfiting. We have been obliged to organize the exhibition around categories that did not correspond with the logic of the photographic archive, with the architecture of the Museum, or with the experiences of the people who lived through the 1970s. The exhibition has made history, but not entirely in ways that we chose.
After Luther: Visual Culture, Materiality and the Legacy of 1517
Authors: SPINKS JENNIFER
Published: January 2021

Do historians look at Luther and the Lutheran Reformation differently in the aftermath of theLutherjahrof 2017, and its frenzy of academic and public activity? As recent publications on Luther demonstrate – notably Lyndal Roper's 2016 biographyMartin Luther: renegade and prophet– there is a still a great deal to say about Luther, and how his friendships, passions, prejudices and physical experiences shaped him. But while Luther was the monumental public figure of 2017, some of the most important work coinciding with the anniversary addressed instead Lutheranism as a movement, and the nature of religious identities in Luther's aftermath. It also demonstrated and furthered the impact of the visual and material turn in history and in Reformation studies. Building upon decades of scholarship on Lutheran visual images, recent Reformation scholarship has demonstrated in increasing depth how religious identity can and should be read through both material and visual culture. The three publications examined here – a monograph by Bridget Heal, a website by Brian Cummings, Ceri Law, Bronwyn Wallace and Alexandra Walsham, and the exhibition catalogueLuther! 95 treasures – 95 people– contribute to the material, sensory turn in Reformation and early modern scholarship, and in the latter two cases also reveal the impact of this upon public engagement with Reformation histories.
Abundance, placement and sexual identity of the epizoic barnacle Chelonibia testudinaria relative to the size and species of host turtles in Mabul Island, Malaysia
Authors: Lim Kah Kheng , Syed Hussein Muhammad Ali , Palaniappan Pushpa
Published: January 2021

Sea turtles are partners in commensal relationships with a variety of epibionts, including barnacles. The acorn barnacle Chelonibia testudinaria is one species commonly found associated with sea turtles and other marine fauna throughout temperate to tropical waters including the Indo-Pacific. We conducted a study to assess the occurrence of this barnacle, relative to host life stage and species in a mixed foraging population of green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles (juvenile, sub-adult, adults (female and male)) in Mabul Island, Sabah, Malaysia (Celebes Sea). Expecting similar relative abundance by life stage, we found instead a significant effect between the combined dependent variables (abundance and size of barnacles) and the life stages of sea turtles in Mabul after controlling for the covariates of size and species of sea turtles (F(8, 428) = 5.77, P < 0.001, Pillai = 0.19). Among green turtles with barnacles, though adult males had larger barnacles compared with the female turtles, the mean barnacle abundance on adult females (43.4 individuals ± 5.19 SD) was higher than all other life stages. Most of the barnacles (85.6%; N = 1931) were found on the plastron of the sea turtles. The highest number of barnacle reacquisition was found among the juvenile turtles. In assessing the complemental males of the barnacles, we found they were consistently attached to the shells of the larger of the hermaphrodites from each region of the host's body despite average shell-size differences with each region.
Childhood trauma, attachment orientation, and complex PTSD (CPTSD) symptoms in a clinical sample: Implications for treatment
Authors: Karatzias Thanos , Shevlin Mark , Ford Julian D. , Fyvie Claire , Grandison Graeme , Hyland Philip , Cloitre Marylene
Published: January 2021

Although there has been significant work on the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attachment orientation, this is less the case for complex PTSD (CPTSD). The primary aim of this paper was to assess the strength of the association between the four adult attachment styles (i.e., secure, dismissing, preoccupied, and fearful) and severity of CPTSD symptoms (i.e., symptoms of PTSD and disturbances in self-organization [DSO]). We hypothesized that attachment orientation would be more strongly associated with DSO symptoms compared to PTSD symptoms. A trauma exposed clinical sample (N = 331) completed self-report measures of traumatic life events, CPTSD symptoms, and attachment orientation. It was found that secure attachment and fearful attachment were significantly associated with DSO symptoms but not with PTSD symptoms. Dismissing attachment style was significantly associated with PTSD and DSO symptoms. Preoccupied attachment was not significantly associated with CPTSD symptoms. Treatment implications for CPTSD using an attachment framework are discussed.
Fascism, Anti-Fascism and the Idea of Nation: Italian Historiography and Public Debate since the 1980s
Authors: Bresciani Marco
Published: January 2021

It is common to consider 1989 as a kind of ‘zero hour’. This applies to East Central European and to Italian history alike. A thought-provoking book, published in 1993, evoked the image of ‘an avalanche that swells downhill, speeded up and enriched by the great landslide of the nearby great mountain’. In this way the historian Luciano Cafagna described the impact of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Italian democracy. As a matter of fact, the Italian party system, based on the leading role of the Christian Democratic Party and of the West's major Communist Party, suddenly collapsed in the three years that followed the end of the Cold War because of a growing loss of legitimacy. In hindsight, though, I argue that the first, mostly invisible, movements of this ‘avalanche’ went further back in time, to well before 1989. The early 1990s simply marked its spectacular acceleration.
Bombay: the genealogy of a global imperial city
Authors: Hunt Margaret R. , Stern Philip J.
Published: January 2021

This article will argue that the history of East India Company Bombay – like that of many foreign British enterprises, and like many other ‘global’ cities and indeed colonies generally – is best understood as the product of contradictions and contingencies. Bombay was never easy to define geographically and its identity as an ‘English’ settlement was precarious. It could not insulate itself militarily from the powerful polities nearby; nor could it always rely on the loyalty of its subjects, whether English or of other ethnicities. It was a city constructed out of crisis and tragedy, trial and error, a history that the story about a European dynastic ‘dowry’ obscures, and which Company representatives worked hard to conceal.
Collection and in vitro maturation of Mazama gouazoubira (brown brocket deer) oocytes obtained after ovarian stimulation
Authors: Rola Luciana Diniz , Zanetti Eveline dos Santos , del Collado Maite , Peroni Ellen de Fátima Carvalho , Duarte José Maurício Barbanti
Published: January 2021

In vitro production of embryos has gained prominence as a tool for use in wildlife conservation programmes in situ and ex situ. However, the development of this technique depends on steps that include ovarian stimulation, collection and oocyte maturation. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of an ovarian stimulation protocol for follicular aspiration, the efficiency of videolaparoscopy for follicular aspiration and test a medium for in vitro oocyte maturation for the species Mazama gouazoubira. Five females were submitted to repeated ovarian stimulation (hormone protocol using controlled internal drug release), and estradiol benzoate on D0 and eight injections of follicle-stimulating hormone, once every 12 h, from D4 onwards at 30-day intervals. Fourteen surgical procedures were performed in superstimulated females, resulting in the collection of 94 oocytes and an average of 17.1 ± 9.1 follicles observed, 13.5 ± 6.6 follicles aspirated and 7.2 ± 3.7 oocytes collected per surgery. After collection, the oocytes were submitted to in vitro maturation for 24 h and stained with Hoechst 33342 dye to evaluate their nuclear status; 64.5% of the oocytes reached MII and 16.1% were spontaneously activated by parthenogenesis. The nuclear status of oocytes that did not undergo in vitro maturation was evaluated; 80.9% were found to be immature.
Global redistribution of income and household energy footprints: a computational thought experiment
Authors: Oswald Y. , Steinberger J.K. , Ivanova D. , Millward-Hopkins J.
Published: January 2021

Non-technical summary

Global income inequality and energy consumption inequality are related. High-income households consume more energy than low-income ones, and for different purposes. Here, we explore the global household energy consumption implications of global income redistribution. We show that global income inequality shapes not only inequalities of energy consumption but the quantity and composition of overall energy demand. Our results call for the inclusion of income distribution into energy system models, as well as into energy and climate policy.

Technical summary

Despite a rapidly growing number of studies on the relationship between inequality and energy, there is little research estimating the effect of income redistribution on energy demand. We contribute to this debate by proposing a simple but granular and data-driven model of the global income distribution and of global household energy consumption. We isolate the effect of income distribution on household energy consumption and move beyond the assumption of aggregate income–energy elasticities. First, we model expenditure as a function of income. Second, we determine budget shares of expenditure for a variety of products and services by employing product-granular income elasticities of demand. Subsequently, we apply consumption-based final energy intensities to product and services to obtain energy footprint accounts. Testing variants of the global income distribution, we find that the ‘energy costs’ of equity are small. Equitable and inequitable distributions of income, however, entail distinct structural change in energy system terms. In an equitable world, fewer people live in energy poverty and more energy is consumed for subsistence and necessities, instead of luxury and transport.

Social media summary

Equality in global income shifts household energy footprints towards subsistence, while inequality shifts them towards transport and luxury.
Water Sorption and Transport in Shales: An Experimental and Simulation Study
Authors: Yang Feng , Lyu Bin , Xu Shang
Published: January 2021

Understanding water uptake and drainage in shales has important implications for both hydrocarbon extraction and hydraulic fracturing fluid disposal. This study reports gravimetric water sorption isotherms and kinetics of water transport in shales. Moisture mass transport profiles during water uptake and drainage processes were numerically simulated. Quantitative parameters characterizing the water transport properties were calculated and their dependences on water saturation were analyzed. An approach was proposed to evaluate the permeability of shales using dynamic water sorption. The reliability of the estimated results was verified by the experimental values using gas permeability measurements.The apparent diffusion coefficients of water sorption on shales were found to be between 1.0 × 10−12 and 1.5 × 10−11 m2/s. The apparent diffusion coefficient first increases with water saturation and remains stable at a moderately saturated condition. However, this coefficient decreases for shales with high water saturation. Apparent diffusion coefficients for the sorption process are almost equal to those for the desorption process, except at the moderate saturation condition. Liquid water (including adsorbed water) contributes more than 80% to the water transport, whereas water vapor mainly contributes to shales with low water saturation. The liquid water permeability determined by water sorption is consistent with the crushed‐rock permeability measured by gas expansion. A further reasonable agreement is achieved between the analytical gas permeability, as a function of water saturation, and the experimental gas phase permeability. Water sorption kinetics provide an indirect method for assessing the water transport properties as a function of water saturation when direct measurements are not available.
The Weight of Cities: Urbanization Effects on Earth's Subsurface
Authors: Parsons Tom
Published: January 2021

Across the world, people increasingly choose to live in cities. By 2050, 70% of Earth's population will live in large urban areas. Upon considering a large city, questions arise such as, how much does that weigh? What are its effects on the landscape? Does it cause measurable subsidence? Here I calculate the weight of San Francisco Bay region urbanization, where 7.75 million people live at, or near the coast. It is difficult to account for everything that is in a city. I assume that most of the weight is buildings and their contents, which allows the use of base outline and height data to approximate their mass, which is cumulatively 1.6·1012 kg. I build a series of finite element models to study effects of pressure exerted by the weight distribution. Within the elastic realm, I look at compression, flexure, isostatic compensation, stress change, dilatation, and fluid flow changes. Within the nonlinear realm I show example calculations of primary and secondary settlement of soils under load. The combined modeled subsidence from building loads is at least 5–80 mm, with the largest contributions coming from nonlinear settlement and creep in soils. A general result is closing of pore space and redirection of pore fluids. While the calculated subsidence of the Bay Area is relatively small compared with other sources of elevation change such as pumping and recharge of aquifers, all sources of subsidence are concerning given an expected 200–300 mm sea level rise at San Francisco by the year 2050.
Carbon‐Neutral Pathways for the United States
Authors: Williams James H. , Jones Ryan A. , Haley Ben , Kwok Gabe , Hargreaves Jeremy , Farbes Jamil , Torn Margaret S.
Published: January 2021

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C points to the need for carbon neutrality by mid‐century. Achieving this in the United States in only 30 years will be challenging, and practical pathways detailing the technologies, infrastructure, costs, and tradeoffs involved are needed. Modeling the entire U.S. energy and industrial system with new analysis tools that capture synergies not represented in sector‐specific or integrated assessment models, we created multiple pathways to net zero and net negative CO2 emissions by 2050. They met all forecast U.S. energy needs at a net cost of 0.2–1.2% of GDP in 2050, using only commercial or near‐commercial technologies, and requiring no early retirement of existing infrastructure. Pathways with constraints on consumer behavior, land use, biomass use, and technology choices (e.g., no nuclear) met the target but at higher cost. All pathways employed four basic strategies: energy efficiency, decarbonized electricity, electrification, and carbon capture. Least‐cost pathways were based on >80% wind and solar electricity plus thermal generation for reliability. A 100% renewable primary energy system was feasible but had higher cost and land use. We found multiple feasible options for supplying low‐carbon fuels for non‐electrifiable end uses in industry, freight, and aviation, which were not required in bulk until after 2035. In the next decade, the actions required in all pathways were similar: expand renewable capacity 3.5 fold, retire coal, maintain existing gas generating capacity, and increase electric vehicle and heat pump sales to >50% of market share. This study provides a playbook for carbon neutrality policy with concrete near‐term priorities.
Roles of Surface Albedo, Surface Temperature and Carbon Dioxide in the Seasonal Variation of Arctic Amplification
Authors: Dai Haijin
Published: January 2021

A decrease in surface albedo over ice‐covered ocean leads to global warming and Arctic‐amplified warming. Numerical results indicate seasonal variation in Arctic amplification (AA) is a result of local forcing and feedbacks in the Arctic. A decrease in surface albedo leads to a positive feedback, which dominates the local forcing and feedback mechanism. Ocean heat storage in the subsurface acts as a heat forcing to delay the influence of surface albedo feedback. In summer (autumn), heat storage increases (discharges) and contributes to a negative (positive) heat forcing, which decreases (increases) the positive local forcing and feedback and triggers the occurrence of the minimum (maximum) AA. In addition, increased CO2 forcing largely decreases the outgoing longwave radiation at the surface and increases surface temperatures, especially at low latitudes and in the Arctic winters, which decreases the AA magnitude and seasonal variation, although the AA remains nearly the same during winter.
Numerical Dynamo Simulations Reproduce Paleomagnetic Field Behavior
Authors: Meduri D. G. , Biggin A. J. , Davies C. J. , Bono R. K. , Sprain C. J. , Wicht J.
Published: January 2021

Numerical geodynamo simulations capture several features of the spatial and temporal geomagnetic field variability on historical and Holocene timescales. However, a recent analysis questioned the ability of these numerical models to comply with long‐term paleomagnetic field behavior. Analyzing a suite of 50 geodynamo models, we present here the first numerical simulations known to reproduce the salient aspects of the paleosecular variation and time‐averaged field behavior since 10 Ma. We find that the simulated field characteristics covary with the relative dipole field strength at the core‐mantle boundary (dipolarity). Only models dominantly driven by compositional convection, with an Ekman number (ratio of viscous to Coriolis forces) lower than 10−3 and a dipolarity in the range 0.34–0.56 can capture the observed paleomagnetic field behavior. This dipolarity range agrees well with state‐of‐the‐art statistical field models and represents a testable prediction for next generation global paleomagnetic field model reconstructions.
Occurrence of EMIC Waves in the Magnetosphere According to Their Distance to the Magnetopause
Authors: Grison B. , Santolík O. , Lukačevič J. , Usanova M. E.
Published: January 2021

Wave growth of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) emissions observed in the outer magnetosphere is mainly controlled by compression events resulting from solar wind dynamic pressure pulses. During such events wave growth is expected to be maximum close to the magnetopause. In previous studies, distribution of EMIC waves was analyzed according to their distance from the Earth, which is inadequate for studying the magnetopause region. We map a data set of EMIC waves observed by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) spacecraft according to their distance from case‐by‐case modeled magnetopause. EMIC occurrence rate is found to be maximum within two Earth radii from the magnetopause and then it linearly decreases with an increasing distance, especially close to the local noon. Asymmetries between the morning and evening magnetic sectors are explained by asymmetries in the upstream conditions and by the presence of another EMIC population of a different origin.