bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Formic Acid Preservation of Fishbones on the Extractability of Ammonium Lactate–Acetate Soluble Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Potassium
Authors: Løes Anne-Kristin , Ahlin Johan Petter , Ahuja Ishita , Krogstad Tore , Smevoll Ståle , Waag Hanne
Published: March 2022

Fishbones contain significant amounts of plant nutrients. Fish residues may be preserved by acidification to pH < 4, which may affect the chemical extractability, and the plant availability of nutrients when applied as fertilisers. Grinded bone material from cod (Gadus morhua) heads was mixed with formic acid to investigate if this would increase the concentrations of ammonium lactate–acetate (AL)-extractable nutrients. Two degrees of fineness of fishbones (coarse 2–4 mm; fine < 0.71 mm) were compared at pH 3.0 and 4.0 plus a water control in a laboratory study over 55 days. Samples for measurement of AL-extractable P, Ca, Mg and K were taken on day 2, 15, 34 and 55. Whereas more formic acid and thereby lower pH clearly increased the concentrations of AL-extractable calcium (Ca-AL) and magnesium (Mg-AL), AL-extractable phosphorus (P-AL) was only significantly increased in finely grinded bones at pH 3. After 34 days at pH 3, 6% of the total content of P was extracted by AL in fine fishbones. In the water control, about 1% of the P was extracted, possibly from phospholipids. This P-AL concentration was well above P-AL extracted from acidified coarse fishbones (pH 3 and 4) and from fine fishbones acidified to pH 4. With acidification, about 30% of total Ca and 100% of total Mg were extracted by AL, and the Ca-AL and Mg-AL concentrations were closely correlated. A possible reason for lower P-AL in coarse fishbones at pH 3 and 4, and in fine fishbones at pH 4 than in water controls may be a precipitation of apatite from phospholipids and dissolved calcium.

Graphical Abstract
Antifibrogenic and apoptotic effects of Ocoxin in cultured rat hepatic stellate cells
Authors: Ruiz de Galarreta Marina , Arriazu Elena , Pérez de Obanos María P. , Ansorena Eduardo , Iraburu María J.
Published: March 2022

Ocoxin is a nutritional supplement that has been shown to exert antioxidant and immunomodulatory responses in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The present work aimed to determine the effects of Ocoxin on activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC), the cell type mainly responsible for collagen deposition in the fibrotic liver. Ocoxin was found to reduce the survival of a cell line of immortalized non-tumoral rat HSC in a dose–response fashion and to diminish collagen type I levels. This latter effect was observed even at doses not affecting cell survival, pointing to an antifibrogenic action for the supplement. The decrease in viability exerted by Ocoxin on HSC correlated with an increase in histone-associated fragments in the cytoplasm and with increased activity of caspase-3, indicating the induction of apoptosis. To determine the molecular mechanisms mediating Ocoxin-induced apoptosis, the activation of members of the MAPK family was analyzed. Incubation of HSC with Ocoxin caused a transient and dramatic enhancement on ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK phosphorylation levels. Using specific inhibitors for these enzymes, p38 MAPK was identified as a key mediator of the apoptotic effect of Ocoxin on HSC.
Feasibility and usability of a regional hub model for colorectal cancer services during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Carvalho Filipe , Rogers Ailín C. , Chang Tou-Pin , Chee Yinshan , Subramaniam Dhivya , Pellino Gianluca , Hardy Katy , Kontovounisios Christos , Tekkis Paris , Rasheed Shahnawaz ,   London Colorectal Cancer Hub Network Collaborators, Karim A , Chung A , Ramwell A , Hagger R , West N , Toquero L , Gupta A , Toomey P , Raja A , Pawa N , Mills S , Warren O , Nicolay C , Thava B , Daulatzai N , Jenkins I , Miskovic D , Burns E , Antoniou A , Agarwal T , Sinha N , Slesser A , Prabhudesai A , MohsenMyers Y A , Harris S , Mohamed S , Abulafi M , Shanmuganandan A , Dellen J
Published: March 2022

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic produced unprecedented challenges, at a global level, in the provision of cancer care. With the ongoing need in the delivery of life-saving cancer treatment, the surgical management of patients with colorectal cancer required prompt significant transformation. The aim of this retrospective study is to report the outcome of a bespoke regional Cancer Hub model in the delivery of elective and essential colorectal cancer surgery, at the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. 168 patients underwent colorectal cancer surgery from April 1st to June 30th of 2020. Approximately 75% of patients operated upon underwent colonic resection, of which 47% were left-sided, 34% right-sided and 12% beyond total mesorectal excision surgeries. Around 79% of all resectional surgeries were performed via laparotomy, and the remainder 21%, robotically or laparoscopically. Thirty-day complication rate, for Clavien–Dindo IIIA and above, was 4.2%, and 30-day mortality rate was 0.6%. Re-admission rate, within 30 days post-discharge, was 1.8%, however, no patient developed COVID-19 specific complications post-operatively and up to 28 days post-discharge. The established Cancer Hub offered elective surgical care for patients with colorectal cancer in a centralised, timely and efficient manner, with acceptable post-operative outcomes and no increased risk of contracting COVID-19 during their inpatient stay. We offer a practical model of care that can be used when elective surgery “hubs” for streamlined delivery of elective care needs to be established in an expeditious fashion, either due to the COVID-19 pandemic or any other future pandemics.
Societal Inputs, Religious Outputs, and Young Adults: A Cross-Cohort Analysis of Attitudes toward Same-Sex Relations and Civil Liberties for Gays and Lesbians
Authors: Barringer M. N. , Savage B.
Published: March 2022

Background

Within an open systems theorization, the degree to which religious identity and attendance at religious services influence attitudes toward same-sex relations and civil liberties for gays and lesbians will be shaped by how religious groups respond to societal inputs over time. In recent decades, while some Christian denominations in the United States have remained resolute in their condemnatory stance on these issues, the religious outputs of others have become more tolerant. A cross-cohort examination of the influence of religious identity and attendance at religious services on such attitudes can help uncover effects of this interplay over time.

Purpose

The present study tests the significance of religious identity and attendance at religious services on attitudes toward same-sex relations and civil liberties for gays and lesbians, comparing young adults across the Baby Boomer, Generation X, and Millennial cohorts. The uniqueness of the study is twofold: (1) Cross-cohort analyses are used to compare young adults within a single study rather than examining each cohort in isolation, and (2) the analyses are contextualized within an open systems framework.

Methods

Data from the General Social Survey are used to examine the significance of religious identity and attendance at religious services on the attitudes of young adults (ages 20–37) toward moral acceptance of same-sex relations and civil liberties of gays and lesbians. Multiple linear regression analyses are used to test for significant differences across three birth cohorts, controlling for relevant sociodemographics.

Results

The analyses demonstrate cross-cohort change in the significance of religious identity on attitudes about the morality of same-sex relations and the civil liberties of gays and lesbians, while attendance at services is consistently a strong predictor across the generations. Of particular interest, among Millennial young adults, unlike previous generations, the evangelical Protestant identity does not affect attitudes about civil liberties for gays and lesbians.

Conclusions and Implications

The findings suggest the importance of examining the interplay of religious outputs and societal inputs and how these dynamics influence public opinion over time. This study reveals a need for increased research into how societal inputs have shifted the output of religious organizations, not just toward gays and lesbians, but also other sexual and gender minorities.
Physical activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Their Correlates in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Systematic Review
Authors: Thompson C. , Brook M. , Hick S , Miotti C. , Toong R. , McVeigh JA.
Published: March 2022

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate what is currently known about autistic adults’ participation in physical activity and sedentary behaviour and explore any associated correlates of these behaviours. The databases EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus were searched for relevant literature. The review was registered with PROSPERO (No. 189187). The search identified 2834 papers, with 12 meeting the criteria for inclusion. Correlates of physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour were reported in eight included studies. The limited evidence identified suggest that autistic adults are unlikely to meet Australia’s physical activity guidelines. Future research should use device-derived measurement to more accurately quantify activity levels within the autistic adult population.
Digitalization and Banking Crisis: A Nonlinear Relationship?
Authors: Ben Ali Mohamed Sami
Published: March 2022

This study assesses the impact that ICT can have on the occurrence of banking crisis for a sample of 113 countries over the period 1996–2017 while considering the interfering role of corruption and the potential existence of a nonlinear relationship for the ICT-banking crisis nexus. We consider countries with varying income levels to check for the stability of the relationship. Our estimation results show that more highly ICT endowed countries can improve the resilience of the banking system. The study provides evidence that ICTs do not produce the same effect regardless of a country’s level of income. Estimation outcomes show the existence of a threshold effect driving the ICT-banking stability nexus. More results show that Information and communication technologies can improve the stability of the banking system only when corruption is relatively low. However, when corruption is endemic, ICT endowment is useless for the stability of the banking system.
RNA-seq analysis of gene expression profiles in posttraumatic stress disorder, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia identifies roles for common and distinct biological pathways
Authors: Hemmings Sian M. J. , Swart Patricia , Womersely Jacqueline S. , Ovenden Ellen S. , van den Heuvel Leigh L. , McGregor Nathaniel W. , Meier Stuart , Bardien Soraya , Abrahams Shameemah , Tromp Gerard , Emsley Robin , Carr Jonathan , Seedat Soraya
Published: March 2022

Evidence suggests that shared pathophysiological mechanisms in neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) may contribute to risk and resilience. We used single-gene and network-level transcriptomic approaches to investigate shared and disorder-specific processes underlying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and schizophrenia in a South African sample. RNA-seq was performed on blood obtained from cases and controls from each cohort. Gene expression and weighted gene correlation network analyses (WGCNA) were performed usingDESeq2andCEMiTool,respectively. Significant differences in gene expression were limited to the PTSD cohort. However, WGCNA implicated, amongst others, ribosomal expression, inflammation and ubiquitination as key players in the NPDs under investigation. Differential expression in ribosomal-related pathways was observed in the PTSD and PD cohorts, and focal adhesion and extracellular matrix pathways were implicated in PD and schizophrenia. We propose that, despite different phenotypic presentations, core transdiagnostic mechanisms may play important roles in the molecular aetiology of NPDs.
Demands of Justice
Authors: Clark Ann Marie
Published: March 2022

Demands of Justice draws on original interviews and archival research to show how global appeals for human rights began in the 1970s to expand the boundaries of the global neighbourhood and disseminate new arguments about humane concern and law in direct opposition to human rights violations. Turning a justice lens on human rights practice, Clark argues that human rights practice offers tools that enrich three facets of global justice: transnational expressions of simple concern, the political realization of justice through politics and law, and new but still incomplete approaches to social justice. A key case study explores the origins of Amnesty International's well-known Urgent Action alerts for individuals, as well as temporal change in the use of law in such appeals. A second case study, of Oxfam's adoption of rights language, demonstrates the spread of human rights as a primary way of expressing calls for justice in the world.
States and Nature
Authors: Busby Joshua W.
Published: March 2022

Under what circumstances might climate change lead to negative security outcomes? Over the past fifteen years, a rapidly growing applied field and research community on climate security has emerged. While much progress has been made, we still don't have a clear understanding of why climate change might lead to violent conflict or humanitarian emergencies in some places and not others. Busby develops a novel argument – based on the combination of state capacity, political exclusion, and international assistance – to explain why climate leads to especially bad security outcomes in some places but not others. This argument is then demonstrated through application to case studies from sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. This book will provide an informative resource for students and scholars of international relations and environmental studies, especially those working on security, conflict and climate change, on the emergent practice and study of this topic, and identifies where policy and research should be headed.
Visual Culture and Arctic Voyages
Authors: O'Dochartaigh Eavan
Published: March 2022

In the mid-nineteenth century, thirty-six expeditions set out for the Northwest Passage in search of Sir John Franklin's missing expedition. The array of visual and textual material produced on these voyages was to have a profound impact on the idea of the Arctic in the Victorian imaginary. Eavan O'Dochartaigh closely examines neglected archival sources to show how pictures created in the Arctic fed into a metropolitan view transmitted through engravings, lithographs, and panoramas. Although the metropolitan Arctic revolved around a fulcrum of heroism, terror and the sublime, the visual culture of the ship reveals a more complicated narrative that included cross-dressing, theatricals, dressmaking, and dances with local communities. O'Dochartaigh's investigation into the nature of the on-board visual culture of the nineteenth-century Arctic presents a compelling challenge to the 'man-versus-nature' trope that still reverberates in polar imaginaries today. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Articulating Security
Authors: Roele Isobel
Published: March 2022

We live in a world of mobile security threats and endemic structural injustice, but the United Nations' go-to solution of strategic management fails to stop threats and perpetuates injustice. Articulating Security is a radical critique of the UN's counter-terrorism strategy. A brilliant new reading of Foucault's concept of disciplinary power and a daring foray into psychoanalysis combine to challenge and redefine how international lawyers talk about security and management. It makes a bold case for the place of law in collective security for, if law is to help tackle injustice in security governance, then it must relinquish its authority and embrace anger. The book sounds an alarm to anyone who assumes law is not implicated in global security, and cautions those who assume that it ought to be.
Designing International Economic Data Law
Authors: Streinz Thomas
Published: March 2022

For a second year in a row, the American Society of International Law had to convene an all virtual annual meeting because the COVID-19 pandemic made international travel and gathering in cavernous ballrooms impossible. I had the pleasure of chairing a pre-recorded panel on the rise of restrictions on data flows and digital technologies, which featured a stellar cast of experts distributed across three continents and time zones. This panel depended on the digital infrastructure provided by a private videoconferencing company on top of the public infrastructure of interconnectivity that the internet has supplied for more than three decades. As the pandemic forced people around the world into lockdowns—albeit asynchronously and unevenly—it further mainstreamed the use of communications platforms for everyday interactions, whether public or private, whether for business or leisure.
How Statelessness Matters to Atrocity Prevention: Lessons from the Rohingya Case
Authors: Southwick Katherine G.
Published: March 2022

The plight of the Rohingya, a persecuted minority from western Myanmar, highlights basic yet underexamined links between statelessness and mass atrocities. In turn, the Rohingya case underscores how statelessness matters to law and practice regarding atrocity prevention, and suggests that norms to prevent statelessness and secure nationality rights warrant greater emphasis in the field of atrocity prevention.
Introduction of Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, WILIG Prominent Woman in International Law Honoree, 2021
Authors: Andersen Elizabeth
Published: March 2022

It is a great honor for me to introduce to you this year's Women in International Law Interest Group (WILIG) Prominent Woman in International Law honoree, Judge Gabriel Kirk McDonald.
Acceptance Remarks
Authors: McDonald Gabrielle Kirk
Published: March 2022

I remember attending a Women in International Law Interest Group (WILIG) luncheon many years ago when we all fit in the small breakfast room at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C. Now, WILIG luncheons at the ASIL Annual Meeting are sold out! If you do not buy your ticket early, you are out of luck! I believe this popularity is due not only to the increase in the number and influence of women in international law, but also is a show of appreciation for the role of WILIG in this growth.
Territorial Barriers—On the Border of International Law, Too?
Authors: Nafziger James A.R.
Published: March 2022

Walls, fences, and other artificial barriers along national borders have been proliferating in response to a variety of perceived threats to sovereign states such as terrorism and drug trafficking. But by far the most significant rationale today for the construction of new barriers is in response to prospective migrants, ranging from undocumented individuals to massive refugee flows. The European refugee crisis, which reached a peak in 2015, and the repeated arrivals of Central American refugees at the United States border with Mexico prompted, respectively, new barriers in Europe and a determination by former President Trump to extend existing barriers in the United States along its border with Mexico. Often such initiatives have more to do with fear-mongering and other political motives than with effective control of migrants given the characteristic reliance of migrants on normal avenues of approach and ports of entry.
Remarks by Anne-Marie Slaughter
Authors: Slaughter Anne-Marie
Published: March 2022

I see this moment as much more than a backlash but as the result of many factors, the greatest being a long-term consequence of exclusion in the international system. Imagine when I started my career in 1990—so you were closer to halfway between 1945 and 2045—you said to people: let us imagine the world of 2045 being run by the victors of World War II, because that is what the UN Security Council is with minor adjustments. That would be like saying in 1945: you are going to be run by the Great Powers of 1845.
Remarks by Amb. Ebrahim Rasool
Authors: Rasool Amb. Ebrahim
Published: March 2022

There must be recognition of the centrality of the United States to the shaping of a global order. Even those who have the most antipathy toward the United States recognize the consequence of the United States, particularly under the Trump administration. The United States presided over a world that was essentially in equilibrium since World War II. By the fall of the Berlin Wall, the United States became a unipolar power. Over the last thirty years the international community has witnessed the decline in U.S. hegemony and influence over the world. There needs to be an understanding of whether this pandemic is a moment to return to business as usual or whether this is a moment of rapture that could lead to something completely different.
Introductory Remarks by Niels Blokker
Authors: Blokker Niels
Published: March 2022

Obviously it is regrettable that the 115th Annual Meeting including this Panel cannot take place physically in Washington. We miss the ambiance, the camaraderie, being together as Oscar Schachter's “invisible college of international lawyers.” But we are grateful that the American Society has successfully managed to organize this meeting in an online format, just like many international organizations have continued their work in the best possible way, under the trying circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Impact of Commentaries on Compliance with International Law
Authors: Henckaerts Jean-Marie
Published: March 2022

Better understanding of the Geneva Conventions increases compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law. The commentaries are one tool for gaining that understanding.
Reframing the Guardianship Dilemma: How the Military’s Dual Disloyalty Options Imperil Dictators
Authors: PAINE JACK
Published: March 2022

Dictators confront a guardianship dilemma: military agents are needed to defeat mass outsider movements, but these agents can overthrow the ruler from within. In existing theories, rulers prioritize coup-proofing measures unless they anticipate strong outsider threats. Then dictators prioritize military competence. I reframe the guardianship dilemma around the central idea that militaries can choose between dual disloyalty options. In addition to staging a coup, militaries can defect by not fending off popular uprisings or rebellions. Dictators fear competent militaries not primarily because of their coup threat but instead because they often survive intact following a regime transition. Low motivation for competent militaries to save the ruler undermines their rationale of guarding against outsider threats, even if they pose a low coup threat. Consequently, rulers prioritize competence under narrow circumstances. Only radically oriented outsider movements that pose an existential threat to all regime elites induce loyalty from a competent military.
ON INTEGER SETS WITH THE SAME REPRESENTATION FUNCTIONS
Authors: JIAO KAI-JIE , SÁNDOR CSABA , YANG QUAN-HUI , ZHOU JUN-YU
Published: March 2022

Let
$\mathbb {N}$
be the set of all nonnegative integers. For
$S\subseteq \mathbb {N}$
and
$n\in \mathbb {N}$
, let
$R_S(n)$
denote the number of solutions of the equation
$n=s_1+s_2$
,
$s_1,s_2\in S$
and
$s_1<s_2$
. Let A be the set of all nonnegative integers which contain an even number of digits
$1$
in their binary representations and
$B=\mathbb {N}\setminus A$
. Put
$A_l=A\cap [0,2^l-1]$
and
$B_l=B\cap [0,2^l-1]$
. We prove that if
$C \cup D=[0, m]\setminus \{r\}$
with
$0<r<m$
,
$C \cap D=\emptyset $
and
$0 \in C$
, then
$R_{C}(n)=R_{D}(n)$
for any nonnegative integer n if and only if there exists an integer
$l \geq 1$
such that
$m=2^{l}$
,
$r=2^{l-1}$
,
$C=A_{l-1} \cup (2^{l-1}+1+B_{l-1})$
and
$D=B_{l-1} \cup (2^{l-1}+1+A_{l-1})$
. Kiss and Sándor [‘Partitions of the set of nonnegative integers with the same representation functions’, Discrete Math.340 (2017), 1154–1161] proved an analogous result when
$C\cup D=[0,m]$
,
$0\in C$
and
$C\cap D=\{r\}$
.
Increasing dietary levels of the n-3 long-chain PUFA, EPA and DHA, improves the growth, welfare, robustness and fillet quality of Atlantic salmon in sea cages
Authors: Lutfi Esmail , Berge Gerd M. , Bæverfjord Grete , Sigholt Trygve , Bou Marta , Larsson Thomas , Mørkøre Turid , Evensen Øystein , Sissener Nini H. , Rosenlund Grethe , Sveen Lene , Østbye Tone-Kari , Ruyter Bente
Published: March 2022

The present study evaluated the effects of increasing the dietary levels of EPA and DHA in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) reared in sea cages, in terms of growth performance, welfare, robustness and overall quality. Fish with an average starting weight of 275 g were fed one of four different diets containing 10, 13, 16 and 35 g/kg of EPA and DHA (designated as 1·0, 1·3, 1·6 and 3·5 % EPA and DHA) until they reached approximately 5 kg. The 3·5 % EPA and DHA diet showed a significantly beneficial effect on growth performance and fillet quality compared with all other diets, particularly the 1 % EPA and DHA diet. Fish fed the diet containing 3·5 % EPA and DHA showed 400–600 g higher final weights, improved internal organ health scores and external welfare indicators, better fillet quality in terms of higher visual colour score and lower occurrence of dark spots and higher EPA and DHA content in tissues at the end of the feeding trial. Moreover, fish fed the 3·5 % EPA and DHA diet showed lower mortality during a naturally occurring cardiomyopathy syndrome outbreak, although this did not reach statistical significance. Altogether, our findings emphasise the importance of dietary EPA and DHA to maintain good growth, robustness, welfare and fillet quality of Atlantic salmon reared in sea cages.
The (un)predictable magnetosphere: the role of the internal dynamics
Authors: Alberti Tommaso
Published: March 2022

The magnetosphere–ionosphere dynamics comprises processes both directly related to solar wind variability and of purely internal origin. The latter represent a huge drawback for correctly forecasting the magnetosphere–ionosphere dynamics during geomagnetic storms and substorms. Here, we use wavelet analysis to further characterize the storm–substorm relationship through the use of the AL and SYM-H geomagnetic indices. We focus our analysis on one of the strongest geomagnetic storms of solar cycle 23 that occurred on 20 November 2003. Our findings suggest that, during disturbed periods, a significant amount of information comes from the interactions between geomagnetic storms and magnetospheric substorms. Thus, predicting the intensity and the duration of a geomagnetic storm requires information coming not only from the solar wind variability but also from the nonlinear variability of the magnetosphere–ionosphere system occurring on short time scales. Our results are also discussed in the framework of Space Weather, suggesting an extended use of non-traditional dynamical systems approaches (such as those based on extreme value statistics and tipping point analysis) to deal with emergent behaviours coming from different sources during geomagnetic storms and magnetospheric substorms.
Catalans and Rifis during the Wilsonian Moment: The Quest for Self-Determination in the Post-Versailles World
Authors: Dalmau Pol
Published: March 2022

Morocco and Catalonia are often mentioned as key elements in the crisis of Spanish liberalism, but little attention has been paid to the relation of these conflicts with the global developments of the 1920s. In their effort to break from Spain, Rifi rebels and Catalan separatists resorted to the League of Nations and were supported by sympathisers in British India, the United States, Latin America and Europe. Both separatist attempts utterly failed, but their campaigns provide new insights into the global connections (and dis-connections) of anti-imperialist and sub-national movements during the ‘Wilsonian moment’, and the strategies they developed to project their domestic agendas to the international sphere.
Refined universality for critical KCM: lower bounds
Authors: Hartarsky Ivailo , Marêché Laure
Published: March 2022

We study a general class of interacting particle systems called kinetically constrained models (KCM) in two dimensions tightly linked to the monotone cellular automata called bootstrap percolation. There are three classes of such models, the most studied being the critical one. In a recent series of works by Martinelli, Morris, Toninelli and the authors, it was shown that the KCM counterparts of critical bootstrap percolation models with the same properties split into two classes with different behaviour. Together with the companion paper by the first author, our work determines the logarithm of the infection time up to a constant factor for all critical KCM, which were previously known only up to logarithmic corrections. This improves all previous results except for the Duarte-KCM, for which we give a new proof of the best result known. We establish that on this level of precision critical KCM have to be classified into seven categories instead of the two in bootstrap percolation. In the present work, we establish lower bounds for critical KCM in a unified way, also recovering the universality result of Toninelli and the authors and the Duarte model result of Martinelli, Toninelli and the second author.
Opioid antagonism mitigates antipsychotic-associated weight gain: focus on olanzapine
Authors: McIntyre Roger S. , Citrome Leslie , Cummings Hannah , Todtenkopf Mark S. , Tan Laura A. , White Marni , Akerman Sarah
Published: March 2022

Background

The endogenous opioid system affects metabolism, including weight regulation. Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies provides a rationale for targeting this system to mitigate weight-related side effects of antipsychotics. This review describes the role of the opioid system in regulating weight and metabolism, examines the effects of opioid receptor antagonism on those functions, and explores the use of opioid antagonists to mitigate antipsychotic-associated weight gain and/or metabolic effects.

Methods

A PubMed literature search was conducted to identify representative opioid antagonists and associated preclinical and clinical studies examining their potential for the regulation of weight and metabolism.

Results

The mu opioid receptor (MOR), delta opioid receptor (DOR), and kappa opioid receptor (KOR) types have overlapping but distinct patterns of central and peripheral expression, and each contributes to the regulation of body weight and metabolism. Three representative opioid antagonists (eg, naltrexone, samidorphan, and LY255582) were identified for illustration. These opioid antagonists differed in their receptor binding and pharmacokinetic profiles, including oral bioavailability, systemic clearance, and half-life, and were associated with varying effects on food intake, energy utilization, and metabolic dysregulation.

Conclusions

Preclinical and clinical data suggest that antagonism of the endogenous opioid system is a mechanism to address antipsychotic-associated weight gain and metabolic dysregulation. However, evidence suggests that the differing roles of MOR, DOR, and KOR in metabolism, together with the differences in receptor binding, pharmacokinetic, and functional activity profiles of the opioid receptor antagonists discussed in this review, likely contribute to their differential pharmacodynamic effects and clinical outcomes observed regarding antipsychotic-associated weight gain.
A novel technique for peripheral dose measurements in external beam radiation therapy
Authors: Balan Gowri , Ramasubramanian Velayudham
Published: March 2022

Introduction:

In radiotherapy, the dose delivered outside the field is known as peripheral dose (PD). In this study, we have attempted to develop a dataset using the PD values measured with a two-dimensional array, IMatrixx.

Methods:

The IMatrixx was used to measure the PD up to a distance of 45 cm from the field edge, in a Varian Clinac 2100-C machine. Solid water slabs and water phantom were used to get the required geometry for the PD measurements. The measurements were done for different field sizes, collimator angles, source to surface distance (SSD) and depths. The influence of gantry angles and photon energies on the PD was studied. The surface dose measurements were carried out using thermoluminescent detectors (TLD).

Results:

The dataset shows that the PD increased significantly with field size and depth and its increase was insignificant for collimator rotation and SSD. The influence of gantry angle was less pronounced at dmax than at the surface. The TLD measurements at the surface of patients were in agreement with the IMatrixx measurements.

Conclusions:

The IMatrixx can be used for the generation of PD values and it is less time-consuming, accurate, and commonly available in all radiotherapy departments.
Austerity, Poverty, and Children’s Services Quality in England: Consequences for Child Welfare and Public Services
Authors: Webb Calum J. R. , Bennett Davara L. , Bywaters Paul
Published: March 2022

In England, the dominant policy narrative recognises no association between spending on children’s services and quality and a limited association between quality and deprivation. We combined 374 inspection outcomes between 2011 and 2019 with data on preventative and safeguarding expenditure and Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores. A multilevel logistic regression model predicting ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ judgements suggests each £100 increase in preventative spending per child was associated with a 69 per cent increase (95 per cent CI: 27.5 per cent, 124 per cent) in the odds of a positive inspection. A one-decile increase in deprivation was associated with a 16 per cent (95 per cent CI: −25 per cent, −5.7 per cent) decrease. Safeguarding expenditure was not associated with outcomes. Deprived communities have worse access to good-quality children’s services and government policies that have increased poverty and retrenched preventative services have likely exacerbated this inequality. Further, inattention to socioeconomic context in inspections raises concerns about their use in ‘take over’ policies.
Impact of an education program to facilitate nurses’ discussions of existential issues in neurological care
Authors: Ozanne A. , Henoch I. , Öhlén J. , Jakobsson Larsson B. , Melin-Johansson C.
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Discussing existential issues is integral to caring for people with acute, progressive, or life-limiting neurological illness, but there is a lack of research examining how nurses approach existential issues with this patient group and their family members. The purpose was to examine the experiential impact of an educational program for nurses designed to facilitate discussions of existential issues with patients and family members in neurological wards.

Method

Nurses in inpatient and outpatient care at a neurological clinic in Sweden were invited to participate in an education program about discussing existential issues with patients and their family members as related to neurological conditions. The evaluation of the program and of the nurses’ view of discussing existential issues was conducted through focus groups before and after participation. The data were analyzed by qualitative content analysis.

Results

The program gave nurses a deeper understanding of existential issues and how to manage these conversations with patients and their family members. Both internal and external barriers remained after education, with nurses experiencing insecurity and fear, and a sense of being inhibited by the environment. However, they were more aware of the barriers after the education, and it was easier to find strategies to manage the conversations. They demonstrated support for each other in the team both before and after participating in the program.

Significance of results

The educational program gave nurses strategies for discussing existential issues with patients and family members. The knowledge that internal and external barriers impede communication should compel organizations to work on making conditions more conducive, for example, by supporting nurses to learn strategies to more easily manage conversations about existential issues and by reviewing the physical environment and the context in which they are conducted.
What Might Degrowth Mean for International Economic Law? A Necessary Alternative to the (un)Sustainable Development Paradigm
Authors: FYOCK Claiton
Published: March 2022

This article examines the implications for a change in framework from sustainable development to degrowth in the environmental and social discourse of International Economic Law (I.Econ.L.). It argues that the framework of sustainable development accommodates the Global North's inaction in assuaging environmental degradation and alleviating global inequality by remaining embedded in a capitalist, growth-oriented political economy. Degrowth would provide a strategy to move past such an impasse by encouraging actors to grapple with the role growth plays in the rationale behind I.Econ.L. Degrowth advocates a planned economic contraction to reconcile human's relationship with the environment. This project serves as the first effort to link ideas of degrowth with I.Econ.L. and seeks to identify some of the areas in I.Econ.L.'s scholarship where degrowth would serve as an alternative to sustainable development and what such an alternative would mean for the norms in the different areas of I.Econ.L.
Estimating Three‐Dimensional Carbon‐To‐Phosphorus Stoichiometry of Exported Marine Organic Matter
Authors: Kwon Eun Young , Holzer Mark , Timmermann Axel , Primeau François
Published: March 2022

The stoichiometric carbon to phosphorus ratios (rC:P) in suspended particulate organic matter (POM) are generally inversely correlated with surface phosphate (PO4) concentration. However, it is uncertain if previously suggested relationships between rC:P and PO4 are appropriate for the vertical export flux of organic matter. Using a global steady‐state inverse ocean biogeochemistry model and annual‐mean observed tracers, we estimate optimal parameters for both linear and power law representations of rP:C (= 1/rC:P), and find rP:C = (0.0066 ± 0.0018) × [PO4] + (0.0053 ± 0.0010) and rP:C = (0.0112 ± 0.0018) × [PO4](0.36±0.07), respectively, where [PO4] is in μM. Both parameterizations allow us to fit global tracer observations equally well, but the power law model implies an up to 50% larger uptake rC:P in oligotrophic gyres. For both formulations, the POM export rC:P from the euphotic zone is nearly equal to the uptake rC:P, while the dissolved organic matter export rC:P is up to two times larger than the uptake rC:P. Although weakly constrained, our model suggests that in eutrophic regions the vertical organic P fluxes are attenuated faster with depth than the organic C fluxes. By contrast, in oligotrophic regions there are no discernible differences between the organic P and C flux‐attenuation profiles. As a result, the large spatial range of rC:P spanning 50–200 at the base of the euphotic zone is diminished to 110–160 at 2000 m depth. In oligotrophic regions at 150–500 m depths, our estimated export rC:P values are significantly lower than those measured with sediment traps, implying a potentially large modulation of export rC:P by migrating zooplankton within the twilight zone.
Assessment of Pediatric Cancer and Its Relationship to Environmental Contaminants: An Ecological Study in Idaho
Authors: Joseph Naveen , Kolok Alan S.
Published: March 2022

The primary aim of this study was to determine the degree to which a multivariable principal component model based on several potentially carcinogenic metals and pesticides could explain the county‐level pediatric cancer rates across Idaho. We contend that human exposure to environmental contaminants is one of the reasons for increased pediatric cancer incidence in the United States. Although several studies have been conducted to determine the relationship between environmental contaminants and carcinogenesis among children, research gaps exist in developing a meaningful association between them. For this study, pediatric cancer data was provided by the Cancer Data Registry of Idaho, concentrations of metals and metalloids in groundwater were collected from the Idaho Department of Water Resources, and pesticide use data were collected from the United States Geological Survey. Most environmental variables were significantly intercorrelated at an adjustedP‐value <0.01 (97 out of 153 comparisons). Hence, a principal component analysis was employed to summarize those variables to a smaller number of components. An environmental burden index (EBI) was constructed using these principal components, which categorized the environmental burden profiles of counties into low, medium, and high. EBI was significantly associated with pediatric cancer incidence (P‐value <0.05). The rate ratio of high EBI profile to low EBI profile for pediatric cancer incidence was estimated as 1.196, with lower and upper confidence intervals of 1.061 and 1.348, respectively. A model was also developed in the study using EBI to estimate the county‐level pediatric cancer incidence in Idaho (Nash‐Sutcliffe Efficiency = 0.97).
Topographic Correlations Within Lunar Swirls in Mare Ingenii
Authors: Domingue Deborah , Weirich John , Chuang Frank , Sickafoose Amanda , Palmer Eric
Published: March 2022

The Moon's bright albedo markings, known as swirls, are defined by broad, bright, on‐swirl areas separated by darker off‐swirl lanes. Their formation mechanism has long been debated and is key for understanding the processing of the lunar surface, the mobility of the lunar soil particles, and the effects of the space environment on planetary surfaces. Here we present, for the first time, evidence that these features do not necessarily cross the surface without regard to topography or local terrain. Within portions of Mare Ingenii on the lunar far‐side, brighter on‐swirl areas have statistically lower mean elevations than adjacent, darker, off‐swirl lanes. These topographic characteristics provide constraints on the plausible formation mechanisms for the swirls in Mare Ingenii, which in turn provide insight into lunar soil migration and evolution. We believe this correlation with topography argues for highly mobile dust transport across the lunar surface.
Enhanced Summer Convection Explains Observed Trends in Extreme Subdaily Precipitation in the Eastern Italian Alps
Authors: Dallan E. , Borga M. , Zaramella M. , Marra F.
Published: March 2022

Understanding past changes in precipitation extremes could help us predict their future dynamics. We present a novel approach for analyzing trends in extremes and attributing them to changes in the local precipitation regime. The approach relies on the separation between intensity and occurrence of storms. We examine the relevant case of the Eastern Italian Alps, where significant trends in extreme precipitation were reported. The model is able to reproduce the observed trends at all durations between 15 min and 24 hr, and allows us to quantify trends in extreme return levels. Despite the significant increase in storm occurrence and typical intensity, the observed trends can be only explained considering changes in the tail heaviness of the intensity distribution, that is the proportion between heavy and mild events. Our results suggest that the observed changes are caused by an increased proportion of summer convective storms.
The First Observation of Additional Ionospheric Layers Over Arecibo Using an Incoherent Scatter Radar
Authors: Gong Yun , Lv Xiedong , Zhang Shaodong , Zhou Qihou , Ma Zheng
Published: March 2022

We present an analysis of additional ionospheric F‐region layers, the F3 layers at Arecibo (18.3°N, 32°N geomagnetic latitude). The F3 layer is often observed in low geomagnetic latitudes observed above the F2 layer. This is the first time that the F3 layer is reported at Arecibo, which has a dip angle of 43.6°. Three F3 layer events were captured by the Arecibo incoherent scatter radar at around 400 km in the period of 03:00–07:00 LT, 04:00–06:00 LT, and 02:00–06:30 LT on 30 November, 1 December, and 2 December 2016, respectively. The formation of the observed layers is largely due to the change of the height gradient of the vertical ion drift, which accumulates the electrons at around 400 km. This generation mechanism is further verified by the simulation. The altitudinal variation of the vertical ion drift is mainly due to the effect of the westward electric field.
First Super‐Pressure Balloon‐Borne Fine‐Vertical‐Scale Profiles in the Upper TTL: Impacts of Atmospheric Waves on Cirrus Clouds and the QBO
Authors: Bramberger Martina , Alexander M. Joan , Davis Sean , Podglajen Aurelien , Hertzog Albert , Kalnajs Lars , Deshler Terry , Goetz J. Douglas , Khaykin Sergey
Published: March 2022

Atmospheric waves in the tropical tropopause layer are recognized as a significant influence on processes that impact global climate. For example, waves drive the quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) in equatorial stratospheric winds and modulate occurrences of cirrus clouds. However, the QBO in the lower stratosphere and thin cirrus have continued to elude accurate simulation in state‐of‐the‐art climate models and seasonal forecast systems. We use first‐of‐their‐kind profile measurements deployed beneath a long‐duration balloon to provide new insights into impacts of fine‐scale waves on equatorial cirrus clouds and the QBO just above the tropopause. Analysis of these balloon‐borne measurements reveals previously uncharacterized fine‐vertical‐scale waves (<1 km) with large horizontal extent (>1000 km) and multiday periods. These waves affect cirrus clouds and QBO winds in ways that could explain current climate model shortcomings in representing these stratospheric influences on climate. Accurately simulating these fine‐vertical‐scale processes thus has the potential to improve sub‐seasonal to near‐term climate prediction.
Community‐Driven Code Comparisons for Three‐Dimensional Dynamic Modeling of Sequences of Earthquakes and Aseismic Slip
Authors: Jiang Junle , Erickson Brittany A. , Lambert Valère R. , Ampuero Jean‐Paul , Ando Ryosuke , Barbot Sylvain D. , Cattania Camilla , Zilio Luca Dal , Duan Benchun , Dunham Eric M. , Gabriel Alice‐Agnes , Lapusta Nadia , Li Duo , Li Meng , Liu Dunyu , Liu Yajing , Ozawa So , Pranger Casper , van Dinther Ylona
Published: March 2022

Dynamic modeling of sequences of earthquakes and aseismic slip (SEAS) provides a self‐consistent, physics‐based framework to connect, interpret, and predict diverse geophysical observations across spatial and temporal scales. Amid growing applications of SEAS models, numerical code verification is essential to ensure reliable simulation results but is often infeasible due to the lack of analytical solutions. Here, we develop two benchmarks for three‐dimensional (3D) SEAS problems to compare and verify numerical codes based on boundary‐element, finite‐element, and finite‐difference methods, in a community initiative. Our benchmarks consider a planar vertical strike‐slip fault obeying a rate‐ and state‐dependent friction law, in a 3D homogeneous, linear elastic whole‐space or half‐space, where spontaneous earthquakes and slow slip arise due to tectonic‐like loading. We use a suite of quasi‐dynamic simulations from 10 modeling groups to assess the agreement during all phases of multiple seismic cycles. We find excellent quantitative agreement among simulated outputs for sufficiently large model domains and small grid spacings. However, discrepancies in rupture fronts of the initial event are influenced by the free surface and various computational factors. The recurrence intervals and nucleation phase of later earthquakes are particularly sensitive to numerical resolution and domain‐size‐dependent loading. Despite such variability, key properties of individual earthquakes, including rupture style, duration, total slip, peak slip rate, and stress drop, are comparable among even marginally resolved simulations. Our benchmark efforts offer a community‐based example to improve numerical simulations and reveal sensitivities of model observables, which are important for advancing SEAS models to better understand earthquake system dynamics.