bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conservatives Are Happier than Liberals: the Mediating Role of Perceived Goal Progress and Flow Experience — a Pilot Study
Authors: Briki Walid , Dagot Lionel
Published: February 2020

Authors presume that conservatives would be happier than liberals because they would develop better mental adjustment especially under contextual threat. The present study aimed at examining whether self-regulatory factors (i.e., dispositional self-control, perception of goal progress, dispositional flow, and dispositional neurotic self-attentiveness) could mediate the link between conservatism and subjective well-being (SWB). It also aimed at testing the view that contextual threat (operationalized through undesired unemployment) may moderate the relationship between conservatism and the mediators under study. In order to examine this, 418 North-American participants from the United States (66.7% females and 33.3% males; Mage = 33.63, SDage = 11.64) answered questionnaires via an online platform, and structural equation model or path analyses were conducted. Main results revealed that: (a) conservatism positively predicted SWB, whereas undesired unemployment negatively predicted SWB; (b) perception of goal progress and dispositional flow fully mediated the conservative-SWB gap; and (c) dispositional self-control was highest in conservatives under contextual threat of undesired unemployment. Finally, this study suggests that conservatives can experience higher SWB because of adaptive cognitive adjustments. Moreover, this study suggests that the rationalization of inequality can have a self-enhancement function that bolsters self-regulation process when exposed to threatening contexts.
The Paleobeach Ridges of Digha Coastal Tract, West Bengal, India: Observation and Implication for Sea Regression from 500 YBP to 200 YBP
Authors: Dalabehera Linashree , Hazra Antara , Pattanayak Sagarika , Pal Tapan
Published: February 2020

Paleobeach ridges in and around the Digha coast, West Bengal, India give significant information about the sea regression in eastern Indian coast during Holocene. Beach ridges paralleling the Bay of Bengal coast in West Bengal and a few remnants beach ridges further landward in Kanthi (West Bengal) and Jaleswarpur (Odisha), give a tentative boundary of the north eastern most palaeo-shoreline. From optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates of the Paleobeach ridges, it is suggested that around 500 YBP, the sea was near Kanthi and around 378 YBP the sea was near Jaleswarpur (35 km inland). After that, the sea sequentially regressed in phases towards south and attained the present position at Digha. The Photogeology & Remote Sensing (PGRS) Study of different satellite imageries (2006 onwards) along with the Survey of India Toposheets (1930, 1972) of Digha area indicates that the coast line to be steadily regressed in the east of Digha, whereas, it shows fluctuation in the west of it. This fluctuation of strand line position may be due to the differential sediment influx through the Subarnarekha river mouth with time. Regional neotectonic activities also play a role in shaping the coast. The concave orientation of the beach ridge plains to the present shoreline reflects the supply of sediments in the direction of palaeolongshore currents. The shape of the inner beaches shows that the deposition prograded north-west wards. Major type of cross-beddings present in the Paleobeach ridges represented by low angle laminated sand, indicates the wide seaward dipping part of longshore bars. The grain size analysis of the sediment samples of the beach ridges indicate positively skewed and mesokurtic. The mean size of resultant sediments is finer, indicating that the energy level or turbulence of the eroding processes was incapable of transporting sediments coarser than the mean size of the source sediments.
Environmental Risk Assessment of Lake Surface Sediments Using Trace Elements: A Case Study, the Wular Lake
Authors: Shah Rayees Ahmad , Achyuthan Hema , Lone Aasif Mohmad , Lone Suhail Ahmad , Malik M. Subzar
Published: February 2020

Surface sediments were collected from Wular Lake, located in Bandipora district of Kashmir Valley, NW Himalaya to investigate the environmental risk assessment using trace element concentrations. The surface sediments of the lake reveal higher concentration of Cl, Cr, Ni, Cu, Co, Pb, Zn and Th. In order to estimate the impact of metal pollution on the sediments, the trace element data was quantified for enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), pollution load index (PLI) and contamination factor (CF). The average values for Igeo reveal moderate to strong contamination of Ni, Cu, while Cr and Co exhibit moderate to strong contamination in the central part of the lake. EF reveals minor enrichment of Cu, Ni, Cr, Co and Zn in the lake surface sediments. PLI indicate moderate pollution from all the sampling sites. Spatial distribution of the metal in the lake reveals their transport through the sewage from the urbanized areas and the Jhelum river. Since metal pollution in the lake is still at nascent stage, it demands attention of the local authorities and the Lake Conservation Department to take remedial measures for the protection of this freshwater body from further contamination.
Hydrogeochemical Evaluation of Groundwater Quality for Drinking and Irrigation Purposes Using Water Quality Index in Semi Arid Region of India
Authors: Kumari Munesh , Rai S. C.
Published: February 2020

Groundwater is an important natural resource serving as a reliable source for drinking as well irrigation purposes worldwide. This study was aimed to evaluate the hydrochemistry of groundwater in southern Haryana. An assessment of measured physico-chemical parameters of 64 samples sites have shown that groundwater is contaminated by higher concentrations of HCO3, Na, Mg, and SO4 beyond the permissible limit of BIS standards. Water quality index (WQI) result indicates that 45.31% area has poor and very poor quality of water for drinking purposes. Irrigation groundwater suitability for the study area has been evaluated with various methods such as EC, SAR, RSC, SP, KR, MH, PI, Piper-trilinear diagram and USSL diagram. Among these parameters, SAR, RSC and PI, water samples fall in excellent and safe water quality, while SP, KR and MH imply to unsuitable and unsafe for irrigation. Piper diagram indicates that the water chemistry is dominated by Sodium and Potassium (Na+K) type, followed by mixed type. According to the USSL classification more than 85% of the samples fall under C3S1, C3S2, C4S1, C4S2 classes of irrigation water indicating very high salinity which is alarming considering the use of this water for irrigation.
Morphometric Analysis of Ghaghara River Basin, India, Using SRTM Data and GIS
Authors: Singh Ajay Pratap , Arya Ajay Kumar , Singh Dhruv Sen
Published: February 2020

Morphometric analysis in the recent few years has derived attention in terms of its applicability in different aspects of geological and environmental perspectives. It provides an insight into the process driven changes such as drainage basin assessment, runoff, infiltration, basin evolution, natural and tectonic framework etc. The study of the Ghaghara River fluvial dynamics in a gentle sloping region and alluvial terrain has not been put forward in a broad perspective as compared to hilly or hard rock terrains and needs to be addressed effectively. In the present paper, the morphometric analysis of the Ghaghara River has been carried out to delineate various surface processes that carve the basin into fluvial terrain. The basin delineation has been done using Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) data using Arc GIS 10.3. The study shows stream varying from one to six (I-1844, II- 807, III-200, IV- 49, V-23 and VI-1) orders. The mean bifurcation ratio indicates that the basin is geologically and structurally controlled in flat regions. The low stream frequency value 0-5km−2, explains that the basin under study is highly permeable. The length of overland flow (>0.7) is indicative of sheet erosion rather than channel erosion, while the drainage texture points towards the coarse texture. The morphometric analysis and observations from the measured parameters indicate an asymmetrical and elongated basin with neo-tectonic activities. Therefore, multi-fold interpretations are generated on the basis of the morphometric analysis of the Ghaghara river basin which may be useful in providing information relevant to societal interests.
Evaluation of the effect of a new clinical reasoning curriculum in a pre-clerkship clinical skills course
Authors: Kelekar Arati , Afonso Nelia
Published: February 2020

Introduction Clinical reasoning is often not explicitly taught to novice medical students. Pre-clerkship clinical skills courses are an ideal venue to teach the clinical reasoning process. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a preclinical clinical reasoning curriculum through an end-of-semester objective structured clinical examination.

Methods This study was conducted through our longitudinal clinical skills course.

Second year medical (M2) students who received the clinical reasoning curriculum in 2018 formed the study cohort. M2 students from the previous year, who did not have the clinical reasoning curriculum, formed the comparison cohort. Several modalities were used to teach clinical reasoning including whole case approach, serial cue approach, self-explanation of pathophysiological mechanisms and comparison of closely related diagnoses. The students interviewed a standardized patient and documented the history along with three likely diagnoses.

Results Students in the study cohort achieved higher scores on differential diagnosis (1.98 vs. 1.64 in the comparison cohort, p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of relevant symptoms queried between the study and comparison cohorts (3.74 vs. 3.34, p > 0.05).

Discussion Our study confirms that the introduction of clinical reasoning in a pre-clerkship clinical skills curriculum increases students’ ability to select relevant symptoms and provides them with a roadmap for expanding their differential diagnoses.

`
Synthesis of a Novel Composite Sorbent Coated with Siderite Nanoparticles and its Application for Remediation of Water Contaminated with Congo Red Dye
Authors: Alshammari Musa , Al Juboury Maad F. , Naji Laith A. , Faisal Ayad A. H. , Zhu Hongshan , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Naushad Mu
Published: February 2020

Re-use of the byproduct wastes resulting from different municipal and industrial activities in the reclamation of contaminated water is real application for green projects and sustainability concepts. In this direction, the synthesis of composite sorbent from the mixing of waterworks and sewage sludge coated with new nanoparticles named “siderite” (WSSS) is the novelty of this study. These particles can be precipitated from the iron(II) nitrate using waterworks sludge as alkaline agent and source of carbonate. Characterization tests using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping revealed that the coating process was correctly achieved and siderite nanoparticles were planted on the surface of the composite sorbent. Interaction between Congo Red dye and composite sorbent was evaluated through a set of batch tests under the variation of agitation time, pH of aqueous solution, and sorbent dosage. The results proved that the prepared sorbent had a high ability in the treatment of water contaminated with Congo Red dye in comparison with previous studies and the maximum adsorption capacity reached to maximum value i.e. 9416 mg/g. The sorption process was governed by electrostatic attractions; however, Sips and Pseudo-second-order models described this process with coefficient of determination greater than 0.99.

Graphic abstract
Rezidivierende Harnwegsinfektionen – nur Antibiotika?
Authors: Fille Manfred
Published: February 2020

Rezidivierende Harnwegsinfektionen sind ein häufiges Problem in der urologischen Praxis. Befürchtungen über hohe Resistenzen gegenüber Antibiotika und teilweise beträchtliche Nebenwirkungen werfen die Frage nach Behandlungsmethoden ohne Antibiotika auf. Die Vielzahl der möglichen Alternativen zu Antibiotika zeigt aber, dass ein „magic bullet“ wohl noch nicht gefunden wurde. Zudem sind kontrollierte randomisierte Studien noch selten und weisen oft auch widersprüchliche Ergebnisse auf. Ein rationaler Einsatz von Antibiotika unter Hilfestellung der mikrobiologischen Harndiagnostik ist deshalb meistens die Vorgangsweise der Wahl, zumal die Resistenzlage bei einigen Antibiotika noch günstig ist und damit schwere Komplikationen vermeidbar sind.
miR-338-5p Targets Epidermal Growth Factor-Containing Fibulin-Like Extracellular Matrix Protein 1 to Inhibit the Growth and Invasion of Trophoblast Cells in Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Authors: Wen Hong , Hu Ying , Chen Lu , Zhao Li , Yang Xinyun
Published: February 2020

Selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR) is a disorder of monochorionic (MC) twin pregnancies. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Trophoblast cells are the major component of the placenta. Dysfunction of trophoblast cells is associated with placental dysfunction. Our previous study identified miR-338-5p is downregulated in placenta tissues sharing larger twins of sIUGR. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of miR-338-5p in trophoblast cells and explored its target. Our results further indicated that miR-338-5p was downregulated in placental tissues supporting larger twins of sIUGR, whereas epidermal growth factor-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1 (EFEMP1) was upregulated. Moreover, miR-338-5p overexpression suppressed the growth and invasion of trophoblast cells. Importantly, results from luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-338-5p bound on the 3′-UTR of EFEMP1. miR-338-5p suppressed the growth and invasion of trophoblast cells via targeting EFEMP1. Further, miR-338-5p/EFEMP1 might disrupt the function of trophoblast cells via inhibiting the phosphorylation of AKT.
Promoting community health collaboration between CTSA programs and Cooperative Extension to advance rural health equity: Insights from a national Un-Meeting
Authors: Gutter Michael S. , O’Neal LaToya J. , Riportella Roberta , Sugarwala Laura , Mathias John , Vilaro Melissa J. , Paige Samantha R. , Szurek Sarah M. , Navarro Giselle , Baralt Claire , Rhyne Robert
Published: February 2020

Addressing rural health disparities has unique challenges that require cross-sector collaborations to address social determinants of health and help those in need to get connected to care continuum. We brought the Clinical and Translational Science Award, Institutional Development Award Program Infrastructure for Clinical and Translational Research, and Cooperative Extension System Programs together for a one-day semi-structured meeting to discuss collaborative opportunities to address rural health disparities. Session notes and event materials were analyzed for themes to facilitate collaboration such as defining rural, critical issues, and organizational strengths in support of collaboration. Across 16 sessions, there were 26 broad topics of discussion. The most frequent topics included “barriers and challenges,” “strategies and opportunities,” and “defining rural.” There is a growing understanding of the opportunity that collaboration between these large programs provides in addressing rural health disparities.
Reducing C. difficile in children: An agent-based modeling approach to evaluate intervention effectiveness
Authors: Barker Anna K. , Scaria Elizabeth , Alagoz Oguzhan , Sethi Ajay K. , Safdar Nasia
Published: February 2020

Objective:

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is rapidly increasing in children’s hospitals nationwide. Thus, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of 9 infection prevention interventions and 6 multiple-intervention bundles at reducing hospital-onset CDI and asymptomatic C. difficile colonization.

Design:

Agent-based simulation model of C. difficile transmission.

Setting:

Computer-simulated, 80-bed freestanding, tertiary-care pediatric hospital, including 8 identical wards with 10 single-bed patient rooms each.

Participants:

The model includes 5 distinct agent types: patients, visitors, caregivers, nurses, and physicians.

Interventions:

Daily and terminal environmental disinfection, screening at admission, reduced intrahospital patient transfers, healthcare worker (HCW), visitor, and patient hand hygiene, and HCW and visitor contact precautions.

Results:

The model predicted that daily environmental disinfection with sporicidal product, combined with screening for asymptomatic C. difficile at admission, was the most effective 2-pronged infection prevention bundle, reducing hospital-onset CDI by 62.0% and asymptomatic colonization by 88.4%. Single-intervention strategies, including daily disinfection, terminal disinfection, asymptomatic screening at admission, HCW hand hygiene, and patient hand hygiene, as well as decreasing intrahospital patient transfers, all also reduced both hospital-onset CDI and asymptomatic colonization in the model. Visitor hand hygiene and visitor and HCW contact precautions were not effective at reducing either measure.

Conclusions:

Hospitals can achieve substantial reduction in hospital-onset CDIs by implementing a small number of highly effective interventions.
Evaluation of the National Healthcare Safety Network standardized infection ratio risk adjustment for healthcare-facility-onset Clostridioides difficile infection in intensive care, oncology, and hematopoietic cell transplant units in general acute-care hospitals
Authors: Polage Christopher R. , Quan Kathleen A. , Madey Keith , Myers Frank E. , Wightman Debbra A. , Krishna Sneha , Grein Jonathan D. , Gibbs Laurel , Yokoe Deborah , Mabalot Shannon C. , Chinn Raymond , Hallmark Amy , Rubin Zachary , Fontenot Michael , Cohen Stuart , Birnbaum David , Huang Susan S. , Torriani Francesca J.
Published: February 2020

Objective:

To evaluate the National Health Safety Network (NHSN) hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection (HO-CDI) standardized infection ratio (SIR) risk adjustment for general acute-care hospitals with large numbers of intensive care unit (ICU), oncology unit, and hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:

Eight tertiary-care referral general hospitals in California.

Methods:

We used FY 2016 data and the published 2015 rebaseline NHSN HO-CDI SIR. We compared facility-wide inpatient HO-CDI events and SIRs, with and without ICU data, oncology and/or HCT unit data, and ICU bed adjustment.

Results:

For these hospitals, the median unmodified HO-CDI SIR was 1.24 (interquartile range [IQR], 1.15–1.34); 7 hospitals qualified for the highest ICU bed adjustment; 1 hospital received the second highest ICU bed adjustment; and all had oncology-HCT units with no additional adjustment per the NHSN. Removal of ICU data and the ICU bed adjustment decreased HO-CDI events (median, −25%; IQR, −20% to −29%) but increased the SIR at all hospitals (median, 104%; IQR, 90%–105%). Removal of oncology-HCT unit data decreased HO-CDI events (median, −15%; IQR, −14% to −21%) and decreased the SIR at all hospitals (median, −8%; IQR, −4% to −11%).

Conclusions:

For tertiary-care referral hospitals with specialized ICUs and a large number of ICU beds, the ICU bed adjustor functions as a global adjustment in the SIR calculation, accounting for the increased complexity of patients in ICUs and non-ICUs at these facilities. However, the SIR decrease with removal of oncology and HCT unit data, even with the ICU bed adjustment, suggests that an additional adjustment should be considered for oncology and HCT units within general hospitals, perhaps similar to what is done for ICU beds in the current SIR.
Glacier change in Norway since the 1960s – an overview of mass balance, area, length and surface elevation changes
Authors: Andreassen Liss M. , Elvehøy Hallgeir , Kjøllmoen Bjarne , Belart Joaquín M. C.
Published: February 2020

In this paper, we give an overview of changes in area, length, surface elevation and mass balance of glaciers in mainland Norway since the 1960s. Frontal advances have been recorded in all regions except the northernmost glaciers in Troms and Finnmark (Storsteinsfjellbreen, Lyngen and Langfjordjøkelen). More than half of the observed glaciers, 27 of 49, had marked advances in the 1990s. The glaciological mass-balance values for the period 1962–2018, where 43 glaciers have been measured, show great inter-annual variability. The results reveal accelerated deficit since 2000, the most negative decade being 2001–2010. Some years with a positive mass balance (or less negative) after 2010s can be attributed to variations in large-scale atmospheric circulation. A surface elevation change and geodetic mass balance were calculated for a sample of 131 glaciers covering 817 km2 in the ‘1960s’ and 734 km2 in the ‘2010s’, giving an area reduction of 84 km2, or 10%. The sample covers many of the largest glaciers in Norway, and they had an overall change in surface elevation of −15.5 m for the ~50 year period. Converted to a geodetic mass balance this gives a mean mass balance of −0.27 ± 0.05 m w.e. a−1.
Building the Nation, Legitimizing the State: Russia—My History and Memory of the Russian Revolutions in Contemporary Russia
Authors: Klimenko Ekaterina V.
Published: February 2020

The collapse of the Soviet Union set Russia’s ruling elites the challenge of nation-building: while “Russians” had to be imagined as a political community on behalf of which the newly established Russian state was ruled, their national history needed to be narrated. Crucial for this enterprise was interpreting the Soviet past. Although the latter was used for political purposes by both Boris Yeltsin (who attempted to break with it) and Vladimir Putin (who established continuity with it), a politically usable interpretation of the Russian Revolutions was never found. Such is the consensus that emerged in 2017. Challenging this consensus, I argue that a specific interpretation of the Revolutions—nested within a narrative that covers Russia’s history from Kievan Rus to the contemporary Russian Federation—has been developed in Russia. Turning Russia’s politically problematic past into a politically usable one, this interpretation is (re)produced through the project Russia—My History. As Russia—My History (initially developed within the Russian Orthodox Church) is becoming a part of state-sponsored efforts to forge an “official” vision of Russian history, the interpretation of the Revolutions (re)produced through it is growing in influence in present-day Russia.
A CONDITIONAL DENSITY FOR CARMICHAEL NUMBERS
Authors: WRIGHT THOMAS
Published: February 2020

Under sufficiently strong assumptions about the first prime in an arithmetic progression, we prove that the number of Carmichael numbers up to$X$is$\gg X^{1-R}$, where$R=(2+o(1))\log \log \log \log X/\text{log}\log \log X$. This is close to Pomerance’s conjectured density of$X^{1-R}$with$R=(1+o(1))\log \log \log X/\text{log}\log X$.
ON THE PERIODICITY OF TRANSCENDENTAL ENTIRE FUNCTIONS
Authors: LIU XINLING , KORHONEN RISTO
Published: February 2020

According to a conjecture by Yang, if $f(z)f^{(k)}(z)$ is a periodic function, where $f(z)$ is a transcendental entire function and $k$ is a positive integer, then $f(z)$ is also a periodic function. We propose related questions, which can be viewed as difference or differential-difference versions of Yang’s conjecture. We consider the periodicity of a transcendental entire function $f(z)$ when differential, difference or differential-difference polynomials in $f(z)$ are periodic. For instance, we show that if $f(z)^{n}f(z+\unicode[STIX]{x1D702})$ is a periodic function with period $c$, then $f(z)$ is also a periodic function with period $(n+1)c$, where $f(z)$ is a transcendental entire function of hyper-order $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{2}(f)<1$ and $n\geq 2$ is an integer.
Qualitative evaluation of paediatric surgical otolaryngology content on YouTube
Authors: Ward B , Bavier R , Warren C , Yan J , Paskhover B
Published: February 2020

Objective

This study evaluated the quality of YouTube content focusing on common paediatric otolaryngology procedures, as this content can influence the opinions and medical decisions of patients.

Methods

A total of 120 YouTube videos were compiled to review using the terms ‘adenoid removal’, ‘adenoidectomy’, ‘ear tubes’, ‘tympanostomy’, ‘tonsil removal’ and ‘tonsillectomy’. The Discern criteria was used to rate the quality of health information presented in each video.

Results

The mean bias Discern score was 3.18 and the mean overall Discern score was 2.39. Videos including US board certified physicians were rated significantly higher (p< 0.001) than videos without (bias Discern score = 3.00vs2.38; overall Discern score = 3.79vs1.55). The videos had been viewed a total of 176 769 549 times.

Conclusion

Unbiased, high quality videos on YouTube are lacking. As patients may rely on this information when making medical decisions, it is important that practitioners continually evaluate and improve this video content. Otolaryngologists should be prepared to discuss YouTube content with patients.
Analysis and Improvement of Communications in Port Areas Using the Queuing Theory
Authors: Park Sang-Won , Lee Myoung-Ki , Park Young-Soo
Published: February 2020

This work quantitatively analyses vessel traffic service (VTS) communications in ports and suggests improvements for more efficient control of the service. For this purpose, analysis of VTS communications was performed on VHF channel 12 in Busan North Port, South Korea. This communications service follows the queue of M/G/1 (the arrivals have a Poisson distribution, the service time is characterized by a general distribution, and with a single server). The degree of congestion of the communication channel was shown as the utilisation rate of the queue, which was 67·7% at peak times and 29·6% at non-peak times. To reduce congestion in the communication channel, we propose to separate the peak time control channel, exclude passing reporting, and decrease the reporting time. With separation of the peak time control channel, the utilisation rate decreased by 41·1%. The utilisation rate decreased by 5·7% when passing reporting was omitted, and by 8·3% when reporting time was reduced by 60%. The results of this study can be used as basic policy data to improve VTS, including reinforcement of the VTS officer's role and adjustment of the control report contents.
Epidemiology of hepatitis A in Greece in the last decade: management of reported cases and outbreaks and lessons learned
Authors: Mellou K. , Chrysostomou A. , Sideroglou T. , Kyritsi M. , Georgakopoulou T. , Tsiodras S. , Hadjichristodoulou C.
Published: February 2020

Hepatitis A is a mandatory notifiable disease in Greece. Here, we present the epidemiological data for 2009–2018 and the results of outbreak investigations performed, and discuss future public health priorities.

Overall, 1193 cases were reported; 320 migrants/refugees, 240 Roma, 112 travellers and 521 from the general population. The median age of the affected general population (37 years) had an increasing trend (from 30.8 years in 2009 to 40.5 in 2018, P < 0.001) and was significantly higher than that among Roma and migrants (7 and 8 years, respectively, P < 0.001). Twenty-two cases (2.2%) were unvaccinated patients with a chronic liver disease. Fifty clusters with 2–12 cases each were recorded; 44 were attributed to person-to-person transmission and six to food consumption. Three outbreaks accounting for 32.3% of the total number of recorded cases were identified; in 2013 among Roma (112 cases), in 2016 among refugees (188 cases) and in 2017 among men having sex with men (96 cases; 33 of them (34.4%) HIV-positive). The epidemiological data depict that improving living conditions and vaccination coverage of deprived populations, and informing adults on the disease focusing at faecal–oral transmission during sexual intercourse and travel should be the future public health priorities.
Antarctic sea anemone distribution, abundance and relationships with habitat composition, community structure and anthropogenic disturbance
Authors: Watson Leslie A. , Stark Jonathan S. , Johnstone Glenn , Wapstra Erik , Miller Karen
Published: February 2020

Understanding the distribution, abundance and habitat preferences of species in the Southern Ocean provides a foundation for assessing the impacts of environmental change and anthropogenic disturbance on Antarctic ecosystems. In near-shore waters at Casey and Davis Stations, photoquadrat surveys were used to determine sea anemone distribution and abundance, habitat preferences, associations with other species and the impact of human disturbance on sea anemone distribution. Two distinct sea anemone morphotypes were found in this study: large sea anemones that require hard substrate for attachment and small, burrowing sea anemones found in muddy sediment. The large sea anemones were found in rocky habitats, with the exception of some sedimentary habitats where other biota were used as substrate. The large sea anemones were associated with a diverse community of epibenthic species found in rocky habitats. The burrowing sea anemones were associated with a less diverse assemblage of sediment-dwelling epibenthos. At Casey Station, sea anemones were more abundant in habitats adjacent to a former waste disposal site than at control sites. The reason for this is not yet known, but may be due to high organic matter inputs or, alternatively, a longer sea ice duration providing protection from ice scour.
Subglacial brine flow and wind-induced internal waves in Lake Bonney, Antarctica
Authors: Lawrence Jade P. , Doran Peter T. , Winslow Luke A. , Priscu John C.
Published: February 2020

Brine beneath Taylor Glacier has been proposed to enter the proglacial west lobe of Lake Bonney (WLB) as well as from Blood Falls, a surface discharge point at the Taylor Glacier terminus. The brine strongly influences the geochemistry of the water column of WLB. Year-round measurements from this study are the first to definitively identify brine intrusions from a subglacial entry point into WLB. Furthermore, we excluded input from Blood Falls by focusing on winter dynamics when the absence of an open water moat prevents surface brine entry. Due to the extremely high salinities below the chemocline in WLB, density stratification is dominated by salinity, and temperature can be used as a passive tracer. Cold brine intrusions enter WLB at the glacier face and intrude into the water column at the depth of neutral buoyancy, where they can be identified by anomalously cold temperatures at that depth. High-resolution measurements also reveal under-ice internal waves associated with katabatic wind events, a novel finding that challenges long-held assumptions about the stability of the WLB water column.
Dialogue as a Strategy of Struggle: Religious Politics in East Germany, 1957–1968
Authors: Tóth Heléna
Published: February 2020

This article argues that thetoposof dialogue between Christians and Marxists fulfilled a key role in the creation and maintenance of power relations in religious politics in East Germany. Three case studies illustrate thetoposof dialogue as a strategy of struggle: 1. the campaign against ‘revisionism’ and ‘politicised religion’; 2. the church policy strategy of ‘differentiation’; 3. the critique of the phenomena commonly associated with the Christian–Marxist dialogue outside East Germany in the mid-1960s. These instances of socialist religious politics, while having their own dynamics, were closely related through specific actors and argumentative strategies.
Disentangling commodity histories:pauameand sassafras in the early modern global world
Authors: Griffin Clare
Published: February 2020

This article takes a close look at the history of an American tree now known as sassafras but known to the Timucua of early modern Florida aspauame. Sassafras root was a major anti-febrile medicament in the early modern world. The history of that medicament has thus far primarily been written in terms of the Spanish empire, which commodified it in post-contact Eurasia. Yet Native Americans, in particular the Timucua, as well as the French, the British, and the Russians, all played major roles in the history of sassafras. That history involves several objects derived from the tree sometimes called sassafras, knowledge about those objects, and Eurasian ideas about the Americas. This article focuses on the issues of entangled empires, and commodity and knowledge exchanges, to show that early modern commodities were not unitary objects, but rather shifting entanglements of objects, words, and ideas.
Compact four-way suspended-stripline power divider with low loss and high isolation
Authors: Guo Song , Song Kaijun , Fan Yong
Published: February 2020

A four-way suspended-stripline power divider is presented in this letter. The power dividing network is designed by using the suspended stripline, while the isolation network is designed by using the microstrip line. The vias are used to connect the power dividing network and the isolation network. The even- and odd-mode analysis method is applied to design the presented power divider. The simulated and measured results of the presented power divider show reasonable agreement with each other. The measured input return loss in the band is greater than 28 dB (7.92 to 9.53 GHz), while the measured insertion loss is less than 0.37 dB. The measured output return loss is greater than 20 dB from 7.82 to 9.86 GHz. Besides, the measured output isolation is greater than 20 dB.
Effect of Water on the Dislocation Creep of Enstatite Aggregates at 300 MPa
Authors: Zhang Guinan , Mei Shenghua , Song Maoshuang
Published: February 2020

To investigate the effect of water on the rheological properties of enstatite, we have conducted triaxial compressive creep experiments on enstatite aggregates using a gas medium apparatus at a confining pressure of 300 MPa and temperatures of 1373–1473 K under both water‐saturated and anhydrous conditions. Samples were mainly deformed in the dislocation creep regime; analyses of mechanical data yield activation energies of 603 and 567 kJ/mol for hydrous and anhydrous conditions, respectively. Under similar differential stress and temperature, the creep rate of enstatite under water‐saturated conditions is a factor of ~50 greater than that under anhydrous conditions. Based on a comparison of creep strength between olivine and enstatite in the dislocation creep regime, our results suggest that, at least under limited pressure and temperature conditions, enstatite is weaker than olivine. The results from this study provide a solid database for modeling geological processes occurring within Earth's interior.
Multipoint Observations of Magnetosheath Response to Foreshock Transients
Authors: Cai Chunlin , Wei Xinhua
Published: February 2020

Multispacecraft observations of the magnetosheath responses to various foreshock transients in a single event on 17 March 2004 are reported in this paper. The Cluster spacecraft recorded long‐standing large amplitude ULF waves with both compressive and transverse components in the magnetosheath. Additionally, two transient structures with depressions in density and magnetic field were observed in this period. One structure contains greatly heated and significantly deflected plasmas in the middle and a cold solar wind population at its trailing edge, which is identified as a spontaneous hot flow anomaly with a remnant of the foreshock caviton. It is transmitted through the magneosheath and evolved into a magnetosheath cavity. This cavity was subsequently encountered by the Double Star TC‐1 spacecraft deeper inside the magnetosheath. Meantime, fluxes of hot ions in the energy range of 5–38 keV exhibit quasiperiodic variations. These energetic ions are earthward with pitch angle distributions of alternately field aligned or antifield aligned. A correlation between its flux variations and the transverse fluctuations of the ULF waves is found. Moreover, magnetosheath filamentary structures with a series of anticorrelated oscillations of density and temperature were observed simultaneously.
Global‐Scale Observations and Modeling of Far‐Ultraviolet Airglow During Twilight
Authors: Solomon Stanley C. , Andersson Laila , Burns Alan G. , Eastes Richard W. , Martinis Carlos , McClintock William E. , Richmond Arthur D.
Published: February 2020

The NASA Global‐scale Observations of the Limb and Disk ultraviolet imaging spectrograph performs observations of upper atmosphere airglow from the sunlit disk and limb of the Earth, in order to infer quantities such as the composition and temperature of the thermosphere. To interpret the measurements, the observational and solar illumination geometry must be considered. We use forward models of upper atmosphere density and composition, photoelectron impact, airglow emissions, radiative transfer, and line‐of‐sight integration, to describe the expected observations, and here test those calculations against observations near the terminator, and near the limb. On the nightside of the terminator, broad regions of faint airglow are seen, particularly near the winter solstice. These are caused by photoelectrons generated in magnetically conjugate areas in the other hemisphere that are still illuminated, transported along field lines, and then precipitated back into the atmosphere. Model calculations demonstrate that this process is the source of the emission, and obtain good agreement with its morphology and intensity. In some regions, the observed emissions are not as bright as the model simulations. Some of the reduction in electron flux is explained by changes in magnetic field strength; in other cases, particularly at high magnetic latitude, the cause is unknown, but must occur along extended field lines that reach into the plasma sheet.
Urban Seismic Site Characterization by Fiber‐Optic Seismology
Authors: Spica Zack J. , Perton Mathieu , Martin Eileen R. , Beroza Gregory C. , Biondi Biondo
Published: February 2020

Accurate ground motion prediction requires detailed site effect assessment, but in urban areas where such assessments are most important, geotechnical surveys are difficult to perform, limiting their availability. Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) offers an appealing alternative by repurposing existing fiber‐optic cables, normally employed for telecommunication, as an array of seismic sensors. We present a proof‐of‐concept demonstration by using DAS to produce high‐resolution maps of the shallow subsurface with the Stanford DAS array, California. We describe new methods and their assumptions to assess H/V spectral ratio—a technique widely used to estimate the natural frequency of the soil—and to extract Rayleigh wave dispersion curves from ambient seismic field. These measurements are jointly inverted to provide models of shallow seismic velocities and sediment thicknesses above bedrock in central campus. The good agreement with an independent survey validates the methodology and demonstrates the power of DAS for microzonation.
Pore Fractal Characteristics of Hydrate‐Bearing Sands and Implications to the Saturated Water Permeability
Authors: Zhang Zhun , Li Chengfeng , Ning Fulong , Liu Lele , Cai Jianchao , Liu Changling , Wu Nengyou , Wang Daigang
Published: February 2020

Permeability mainly governs fluid flow through hydrate‐bearing sediments, and its theoretical models play a primary role in the efficiency prediction of gas recovery from hydrate reservoirs by using numerical simulators. Most of these numerical simulators rely on empirical or semiempirical permeability models largely due to the lack of suitable parameters that well quantify the evolution of pore structures. In this study, X‐ray computed tomography scans are conducted on methane hydrate‐bearing sands, followed by extractions of the maximal diameter and fractal dimensions for the pore space occupied by fluids. These extracted parameters, including area and volume pore‐size fractal dimensions, tortuosity fractal dimension, and the area maximal pore diameter, are further extended to develop fractal theory‐based models for predictions of the hydraulic tortuosity and the saturated water permeability in hydrate‐bearing sands. Results show that the pore space occupied by fluids within hydrate‐bearing sands is inherently fractal. The area pore‐size fractal dimension decreases but the tortuosity fractal dimension changes little with increasing hydrate saturation, and the sum of these two fractal dimensions can be used to predict the volume pore‐size fractal dimension. In addition, the area maximal pore diameter decreases with increasing hydrate saturation, and a semiempirical model is proposed. The fractal theory‐based permeability reduction model agrees well with available experimental data, and it can capture the essential physics of saturated water permeability reduction in hydrate‐bearing sediments during hydrate formation.
Exploring Topography‐Based Methods for Downscaling Subgrid Precipitation for Use in Earth System Models
Authors: Tesfa Teklu K. , Leung L. Ruby , Ghan Steven J.
Published: February 2020

Topography exerts major control on land surface processes. To improve representation of topographic impacts on land surface processes, a new topography‐based subgrid structure has been introduced to the Energy Exascale Earth System Model to represent the subgrid heterogeneity of surface elevation. To take advantage of the new subgrid structure for improving land surface modeling, this study explores four topography‐based methods for downscaling grid precipitation to the subgrids. In the first three methods, the deviation of the subgrid precipitation from the grid mean is equal to the grid precipitation multiplied by the ratio of the elevation difference between the subgrid and grid mean to a specified elevation, which is equal to grid elevation, difference between the maximum and minimum subgrid elevation, and maximum subgrid elevation, respectively. The second method limits the ratio to 0.5 to avoid extreme values in mountains, and the third method utilizes the subgrid hypsometric elevation. The fourth method is similar to the third method except that a height rise determined based on an ambient flow regime with the Froude number equals to 1 is used to limit the numerator. The downscaled precipitation is evaluated using the Precipitation‐elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model precipitation data over the United States and statistical metrics. Results show that by utilizing the subgrid hypsometric elevation, the third and fourth methods show clear advantages over the first and second methods. Furthermore, introducing the height rise in the fourth method improves downscaling skill slightly compared to the third method consistently across multiple grid sizes in areas with larger subgrid heterogeneity.
Antagonizing circRNA_002581–miR-122–CPEB1 axis alleviates NASH through restoring PTEN–AMPK–mTOR pathway regulated autophagy
Authors: Jin Xi , Gao Jianguo , Zheng Ruoheng , Yu Mosang , Ren Yue , Yan Tianlian , Huang Yue , Li Youming
Published: February 2020

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to play critical roles in cancer biology, but their functions in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remain unexplored. Full length of circRNA_002581 was amplified and sequenced, followed by RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA-Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization and dual luciferase reporter gene analysis to confirm the existence of the circRNA_002581–miR-122–CPEB1 regulatory axis in vitro. CircRNA_002581 knockdown was used to study its roles in high concentration of free fatty acids-induced NASH-like cell model and a methionine and choline deficiency (MCD) diet-induced NASH mice model. Autophagy flux and related potential PTEN–AMPK–mTOR pathway were tested by western blot. CircRNA_002581 overexpression significantly relieved the inhibitory role of miR-122 on its target CPEB1 by sponging miR-122. CircRNA_002581 knockdown markedly attenuated lipid droplet accumulation, reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), pro-inflammatory cytokines, apoptosis, H2O2, and increased ATP level in both mice and cellular models of NASH. Mechanistically, circRNA_002581 interference significantly rescue the defective autophagy evidenced by increased autophagosome number, upregulated LC3-II/I level, and decreased p62 level. Further chloroquine-mediated total autophagy inhibition antagonizes the protective effect of circRNA_002581 knockdown. Finally, CPEB1–PTEN–AMPK–mTOR pathway is shown to link the autophagy and circRNA_002581 knockdown-mediated NASH alleviation. CircRNA_002581–miR-122–CPEB1 axis actively participates in the pathogenesis of NASH through PTEN–AMPK–mTOR pathway-related autophagy suppression. Targeting circRNA_002581 is a potential therapeutic strategy for NASH through partial autophagy restoration.
Enforced PGC-1α expression promotes CD8 T cell fitness, memory formation and antitumor immunity
Authors: Dumauthioz Nina , Tschumi Benjamin , Wenes Mathias , Marti Bastien , Wang Haiping , Franco Fabien , Li Wenhui , Lopez-Mejia Isabel C. , Fajas Lluis , Ho Ping-Chih , Donda Alena , Romero Pedro , Zhang Lianjun
Published: February 2020

Memory CD8 T cells can provide long-term protection against tumors, which depends on their enhanced proliferative capacity, self-renewal and unique metabolic rewiring to sustain cellular fitness. Specifically, memory CD8 T cells engage oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation to fulfill their metabolic demands. In contrast, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) display severe metabolic defects, which may underlie their functional decline. Here, we show that overexpression of proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis (MB), favors CD8 T cell central memory formation rather than resident memory generation. PGC-1α-overexpressing CD8 T cells persist and mediate more robust recall responses to bacterial infection or peptide vaccination. Importantly, CD8 T cells with enhanced PGC-1α expression provide stronger antitumor immunity in a mouse melanoma model. Moreover, TILs overexpressing PGC-1α maintain higher mitochondrial activity and improved expansion when rechallenged in a tumor-free host. Altogether, our findings indicate that enforcing mitochondrial biogenesis promotes CD8 T cell memory formation, metabolic fitness, and antitumor immunity in vivo.
A dataset of radar-recorded heart sounds and vital signs including synchronised reference sensor signals
Authors: Shi Kilin , Schellenberger Sven , Will Christoph , Steigleder Tobias , Michler Fabian , Fuchs Jonas , Weigel Robert , Ostgathe Christoph , Koelpin Alexander
Published: February 2020

Radar systems allow for contactless measurements of vital signs such as heart sounds, the pulse signal, and respiration. This approach is able to tackle crucial disadvantages of state-of-the-art monitoring devices such as the need for permanent wiring and skin contact. Potential applications include the employment in a hospital environment but also in home care or passenger vehicles. This dataset consists of synchronised data which are acquired using a Six-Port-based radar system operating at 24 GHz, a digital stethoscope, an ECG, and a respiration sensor. 11 test subjects were measured in different defined scenarios and at several measurement positions such as at the carotid, the back, and several frontal positions on the thorax. Overall, around 223 minutes of data were acquired at scenarios such as breath-holding, post-exercise measurements, and while speaking. The presented dataset contains reference-labeled ECG signals and can therefore easily be used to either test algorithms for monitoring the heart rate, but also to gain insights about characteristic effects of radar-based vital sign monitoring.