bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is livestock grazing a key factor for changing vegetation patterns in lime rich coastal dunes in the Netherlands?
Authors: van der Hagen Harrie G. J. M. , Assendorp Dan , Calame Wim , van der Meulen Frank , Sýkora Karlè V. , Schaminée Joop H. J.
Published: February 2020

In 1990, livestock grazing was introduced in Meijendel, a 1800 ha lime-rich coastal dune area, at a density of 0.06–0.07 LLU.ha-1.year−1 (1:12–18 ha) to counteract encroachment of tall grasses and shrubland on dune grassland and increase the bare sand area. Monitoring was based on four digital orthophotos (1975–1990–2001-2009) with a high spatial resolution (pixel size 25 × 25 cm). The changes were tested using Generalized Estimating Equations. Habitat changes occurred, but contradicting our hypothesis, there was no significant impact from the grazing on bare sand, grassland or shrubland within 11 and 19 years post livestock introduction. (1) After several decennia of decreasing bare sand, there was a significant increase between 2001 and 2009, irrespective of livestock presence. (2) The changes in grasslands and shrublands are independent of the livestock, but dependent on distance to the coast. (3) Bare sand and shrub cover determine the space left for the dune grasslands. It appears other factors than livestock grazing must have induced the changes. Changes in climate conditions and nitrogen load might have stimulated bare sand. An interaction with the end of Marram planting in 1990 cannot be concluded from available data. The disease-led reduction of rabbit grazing from the mid-1950s led to an expansion of the dominant shrub Hippophae rhamnoides. However, Hippophae shrubland typically regresses to grasslands on its collapse after 25–40 years. Tree species like Crataegus, Betula and Quercus will gradually dominate the landscape for far longer. Active removal of these indigenous species is necessary to prevent future loss of dune grasslands.
Interpretations of and management actions following ECGs in programmatic cardiovascular care in primary care: A retrospective dossier study
Authors: Van den Nieuwenhof N. , Willemsen R. T. A. , Konings K. T. S. , Stoffers H. E. J. H.
Published: February 2020

Background

The usefulness of routine electrocardiograms (ECGs) in cardiovascular risk management (CVRM) and diabetes care is doubted.

Objectives

To assess the performance of general practitioners (GPs) in embedding ECGs in CVRM and diabetes care.

Methods

We collected 852 ECGs recorded by 20 GPs (12 practices) in the context of CVRM and diabetes care. Of all abnormal (n = 265) and a sample of the normal (n = 35) ECGs, data on the indications, interpretations and management actions were extracted from the corresponding medical records. An expert panel consisting of one cardiologist and one expert GP reviewed these 300 ECG cases.

Results

GPs found new abnormalities in 13.0% of all 852 ECGs (12.0% in routinely recorded ECGs versus 24.3% in ECGs performed for a specific indication). Management actions followed more often after ECGs performed for specific indications (17.6%) than after routine ECGs (6.0%). The expert panel agreed with the GPs’ interpretations in 67% of the 300 assessed cases. Most often misinterpreted relevant ECG abnormalities were previous myocardial infarction, R‑wave abnormalities and typical/atypical ST-segment and T‑wave (ST-T) abnormalities. Agreement on patient management between GP and expert panel was 74%. Disagreement in most cases concerned additional diagnostic testing.

Conclusions

In the context of programmatic CVRM and diabetes care by GPs, the yield of newly found ECG abnormalities is modest. It is higher for ECGs recorded for a specific reason. Educating GPs seems necessary in this field since they perform less well in interpreting and managing CVRM ECGs than in ECGs performed in symptomatic patients.
Teaching About Sexualized Violence in Educational and Clinical Institutions: Evaluation of an Interdisciplinary University Curriculum
Authors: Stück Elisabeth , Wazlawik Martin , Stehr Jasmin , Sehner Susanne , Schwerdt Daniel , Christmann Bernd , Dekker Arne
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Sexualized violence is still a rather avoided topic in teaching at German universities, even though a remarkable proportion of the German population experienced child sexual abuse, including many in institutional settings (e.g., schools, clubs of leisure activities). This study examines the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary university curriculum about sexualized violence in educational and clinical institutions.

Methods

Students participated in seminars about sexualized violence, sexual socialization and education, and professionalism and ethics. In 2017/2018,n = 156 students assessed the curriculum before, immediately after and/or 6 months after participating. The assessment covers knowledge about and confidence in handling issues of sexualized violence and attitudes toward sex-related myths. The same questionnaires were used in a control group (n = 54).

Results

In the curriculum group, self-assessed and declarative knowledge improved, the students were more confident in their abilities to handle issues of sexualized violence in a professional way, and sex-related myths were rejected even more strongly after the curriculum.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that awareness and knowledge about sexualized violence in institutions can be increased and sustained through the use of the curriculum “Sexualized Violence in Institutions.” These encouraging results suggest that the curriculum should be taught in pedagogical and clinical disciplines at more universities.

Policy Implications

In view of the decentralized education system in Germany and the freedom of research and teaching at German universities, the curriculum can only be implemented on a voluntary basis. However, in terms of education policy, such an implementation could be supported by state-funded programs that provide lecturers both with necessary qualifications and necessary resources.
Effect of water and gas injection schemes on synthetic oil rim models
Authors: Olabode Oluwasanmi A.
Published: February 2020

Oil recovery in oil rim reservoirs is usually affected by reservoir and operational parameters. An experiment was designed to develop various types of oil rims with a broader range of uncertainties. Mensuration analysis was used to create the basic grid designs, while the Eclipse software was used to incorporate pressure, volume and temperature and reservoir fluid properties to create a black oil model for oil rims. The reservoir models were conditioned to a simultaneous production scheme through which a response surface model was generated to represent oil recovery for all the models. The models were later classified into drive mechanisms based on the results from the Pareto analysis. Various secondary injection schemes were carried out based on reservoir geometry to investigate their response on oil recovery. Results show that for single injection schemes, oil recovery from water down-dip (6.5%) and water up-dip (4.37%) was higher than gas scheme injection for reservoir model 10. Oil recovered from up-dip and down-dip water injection (7.1%) was higher than gas up-dip and down-dip injection (0.03%) for reservoir model 10, and for the same model, an oil recovery of 7.7% and 5.63% was recorded for gas up-dip and water down-dip injection and gas down-dip and water up-dip injection, respectively. The final analysis shows that there is an appreciable increase in oil recovery when injection rates are increased as seen in water down-dip and up-dip injection with 15.43% recovery for reservoir model 10.
On the fold thickness of graphs
Authors: Campeña Francis Joseph H. , Gervacio Severino V.
Published: February 2020

The graph $$G'$$

G
′

obtained from a graph G by identifying two nonadjacent vertices in G having at least one common neighbor is called a 1-fold of G. A sequence $$G_0, G_1, G_2, \ldots , G_k$$

G
0

,

G
1

,

G
2

,
…
,

G
k

of graphs such that $$G_0=G$$

G
0

=
G

and $$G_i$$

G
i

is a 1-fold of $$G_{i-1}$$

G

i
-
1

for each $$i=1, 2, \ldots , k$$

i
=
1
,
2
,
…
,
k

is called a uniform k-folding of G if the graphs in the sequence are all singular or all nonsingular. The fold thickness of G is the largest k for which there is a uniform k-folding of G. We show here that the fold thickness of a singular bipartite graph of order n is $$n-3$$

n
-
3

. Furthermore, the fold thickness of a nonsingular bipartite graph is 0, i.e., every 1-fold of a nonsingular bipartite graph is singular. We also determine the fold thickness of some well-known families of graphs such as cycles, fans and some wheels. Moreover, we investigate the fold thickness of graphs obtained by performing operations on these families of graphs. Specifically, we determine the fold thickness of graphs obtained from the cartesian product of two graphs and the fold thickness of a disconnected graph whose components are all isomorphic.
Procalcitonin (PCT) – ein Biomarker in der Sepsisdiagnostik
Authors: Zulauf N. , Passek K. , Wanke E. , Oremek G. M.
Published: February 2020

Die Bestimmung von Procalcitonin im Serum stellt einen wesentlichen Bestandteil der Diagnostik, Verlaufskontrolle und Therapieüberwachung septischer Infektionen dar. Das Procalcitonin ist ein Marker, der in der Diagnostik von Infektionen, schweren Entzündungen und Sepsis wertvolle und therapieentscheidende Aussagen ermöglicht. Er sollte allerdings nicht zum Screening asymptomatischer Personen im Rahmen arbeitsmedizinischer Vorsorgen oder sog. Manager-Untersuchungen genutzt werden, sondern lediglich beim klinischen Verdacht einer vorliegenden systemischen Infektion bei entsprechenden Symptomen.
Self-optimising reactive extractions: towards the efficient development of multi-step continuous flow processes
Authors: Clayton Adam D. , Power Luke A. , Reynolds William R. , Ainsworth Caroline , Hose David R. J. , Jones Martin F. , Chamberlain Thomas W. , Blacker A. John , Bourne Richard A.
Published: February 2020

Downstream purification of products and intermediates is essential for the development of continuous flow processes. Described herein, is a study on the use of a modular and reconfigurable continuous flow platform for the self-optimisation of reactive extractions and multi-step reaction-extraction processes. The selective extraction of one amine from a mixture of two similar amines was achieved with an optimum separation of 90%, and in this case, the black-box optimisation approach was superior to global polynomial modelling. Furthermore, this methodology was utilised to simultaneously optimise the continuous flow synthesis and work-up of N-benzyl-α-methylbenzylamine with respect to four variables, resulting in a significantly improved purity.
Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights: A Business Ethical Assessment
Authors: KRIEBITZ Alexander , LÜTGE Christoph
Published: February 2020

Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved as a disruptive technology, impacting a wide range of human rights-related issues ranging from discrimination to supply chain due diligence. Given the increasing human rights obligations of companies and the intensifying discourse on AI and human rights, we shed light on the responsibilities of corporate actors in terms of human rights standards in the context of developing and using AI. What implications do human rights obligations have for companies developing and using AI? In our article, we discuss firstly whether AI inherently conflicts with human rights and human autonomy. Next, we discuss how AI might be linked to the beneficence criterion of AI ethics and how AI might be applied in human rights-related areas. Finally, we elaborate on individual aspects of what it means to conform to human rights, addressing AI-specific problem areas.
The Orthodox Church of Cyprus, Enosis politics and the British authorities during the First World War
Authors: Yiangou Anastasia
Published: February 2020

This article examines relations between the Orthodox Church of Cyprus and the British colonial government during the First World War. I argue that the Great War constituted the first turning point in Church-State relations during colonial rule in Cyprus which, following other developments, finally collapsed during the 1950s. I discuss how the dynamic of the Enosis movement for the union of Cyprus with Greece was bolstered during the Great War. This in turn, the article will show, had significant repercussions on the attitudes of the Orthodox Church and the British authorities, transformed their relationship and opened the way for future developments.
Atypical reproduction in a syllid worm: the stolon ofSyllis rosea(Annelida, Syllidae) takes care of its offspring
Authors: Langeneck Joachim , Del Pasqua Michela , Licciano Margherita , Giangrande Adriana , Musco Luigi
Published: February 2020

The family Syllidae, aside from representing the most species-rich family in Annelida, is characterized by a number of sexual and asexual reproductive strategies. With the exception of a few viviparous species, the subfamily Syllinae is characterized by schizogamous reproduction with pelagic larval stages and without parental care. Laboratory rearing of ripe specimens ofSyllis roseashowed a different reproductive strategy, hitherto unknown in this subfamily. While male stolons rapidly degenerated after fertilization, female ones released large eggs in a gelatinous cluster attached to the middle-posterior chaetigers. The gel mass progressively compacted as a cocoon wrapped by the stolon body; 7 days after the deposition the larvae hatched out from the cocoon at the metatrochophore stage and the female stolon died after a few days. After hatching the larvae remained associated to the stolon, and young specimens ofS. roseasurvived up to the 3-chaetiger stage. Until now cocoon brooding by the stolon has only been reported for some Autolytinae. The production of gelatinous egg masses and parental care are known in basally branching clades within Syllidae, suggesting that this reproduction mode might retain some ancestral features. The scarce knowledge about reproductive cycles in Syllinae does not allow clarification whether this strategy is unique forS. rosea, or it occurs in other congeneric species. Further research is needed to understand possible relationships between sexual reproduction and phylogeny, stolon morphology and its adaptation to parental care, and ultimately between reproductive strategies and ecology.
Global transmission and evolutionary dynamics of the Chikungunya virus
Authors: Deeba F. , Haider M. S. H. , Ahmed A. , Tazeen A. , Faizan M. I. , Salam N. , Hussain T. , Alamery S. F. , Parveen S.
Published: February 2020

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging pathogen of global importance. We attempted to gain an insight into the organisation, distribution and mutational load of the virus strains reported from different parts of the world. We describe transmission dynamics and genetic characterisation of CHIKV across the globe during the last 65 years from 1952 to 2017. The evolutionary pattern of CHIKV was analysed using the E1 protein gene through phylogenetic, Bayesian and Network methods with a dataset of 265 sequences from various countries. The time to most recent common ancestor of the virus was estimated to be 491 years ago with an evolutionary rate of 2.78 × 10−4 substitutions/site/year. Genetic characterisation of CHIKV strains was carried out in terms of variable sites, selection pressure and epitope mapping. The neutral selection pressure on the E1 gene of the virus suggested a stochastic process of evolution. We identified six potential epitope peptides in the E1 protein showing substantial interaction with human MHC-I and MHC-II alleles. The present study augments global epidemiological and population dynamics of CHIKV warranting undertaking of appropriate control measures. The identification of epitopic peptides can be useful in the development of epitope-based vaccine strategies against this re-emerging viral pathogen.
The Impact of Mass Gatherings on Emergency Department Patient Presentations with Communicable Diseases Related to Syndromic Indicators: An Integrative Review
Authors: Qiu Yunjing (Shirley) , Crilly Julia , Zimmerman Peta-Anne , Ranse Jamie
Published: February 2020

Background:

Mass-gathering events (MGEs) are commonly associated with a higher than average rate of morbidity. Spectators, workers, and the substantial number of MGE attendees can increase the spread of communicable diseases. During an MGE, emergency departments (EDs) play an important role in offering health care services to both residents of the local community and event attendees. Syndromic indicators (SIs) are widely used in an ED surveillance system for early detection of communicable diseases.

Aim:

This literature review aimed to develop an understanding of the effect of MGEs on ED patient presentations with communicable diseases and their corresponding SIs.

Method:

An integrative literature review methodology was used. Online databases were searched to retrieve relevant academic articles that focused on MGEs, EDs, and SIs. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied to screen articles. The Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research (QualSyst) assessment tool was used to assess the quality of included papers.

Results:

Eleven papers were included in this review; all discussed the impact of an MGE on patient presentations with communicable diseases at EDs/hospitals. Most included studies used the raw number of patients who presented or were admitted to EDs/hospitals to determine impact. Further, the majority of studies focused on either respiratory infections (n = 4) or gastrointestinal infections (n = 2); two articles reported on both. Eight articles mentioned SIs; however, such information was limited. The quality of evidence (using QualSyst) ranged from 50% to 90%.

Conclusions:

Limited research exists on the impact of MGEs on ED presentations with communicable diseases and related SIs. Recommendations for future MGE studies include assessing differences in ED presentations with communicable diseases regarding demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes before, during, and after the event. This would benefit health care workers and researchers by offering more comprehensive knowledge for application into practice.
Bewegungsbezogene Gesundheitskompetenz (bGK)
Authors: Hecht Stephanie
Published: February 2020

Zusammenfassung. Regelmäßige körperliche Aktivität birgt enorme gesundheitsförderliche Wirkungen. Ein Großteil der Bevölkerung erreicht jedoch die Mindestempfehlungen für Bewegung nicht. Das Konstrukt Bewegungsbezogene Gesundheitskompetenz adaptiert Ressourcen und Barrieren, um körperliche Aktivität bestmöglich zu initiieren und zu verstetigen. Die Umsetzung verlangt hoch kompetente Gesundheitsexperten, die unterschiedliche Handlungsansätze für die Bedarfe einer Zielgruppe bzw. eines Menschen entwickeln.
Bedürfnisgerechte Information von Angehörigen kritisch Kranker
Authors: Kölblin Cornelia , Eberhardt Doris
Published: February 2020

Zusammenfassung. Angehörige kritisch kranker Menschen haben ein vielschichtiges und umfassendes Bedürfnis nach Informationen. Die Webseiten von Intensivstationen könnten mit relevanten und verlässlichen Informationen einen wichtigen Beitrag dazu leisten, Angehörige im Umgang mit der belastenden Situation zu unterstützen. In Rahmen einer Bachelorarbeit wurde untersucht, inwiefern die Webseiten bedürfnisgerechte Informationen anbieten.
Probing Effective Wetting in Subsurface Systems
Authors: Sun Chenhao , McClure James E. , Mostaghimi Peyman , Herring Anna L. , Berg Steffen , Armstrong Ryan T.
Published: February 2020

Wetting phenomena are of central importance for many natural and technological processes in subsurface geosciences. Surface roughness, chemical heterogeneity, and dynamic effects cause the microscopic contact angle to vary widely in subsurface multiphase systems. These effects must be characterized in a fundamental and transparent way to determine the overall state of wetting. Here, we apply the Gauss‐Bonnet theorem to establish a direct link between the contact angle and bulk fluid topology based on a newly defined term, deficit curvature. The resulting macroscopic measure is able to capture the average effects of complex microscopic variations in contact angle based on intrinsic geometric constraints that are imposed on the curvature of the contact line as a consequence of fluid topology. We show that deficit curvature is able to capture the effects of contact angle hysteresis and describe wetting in multiphase systems where geometrically complex contact lines are present along with surface heterogeneity.
First Detection of a Brief Mesoscale Elevated Stratopause in Very Early Winter
Authors: García‐Comas Maya , Funke Bernd , López‐Puertas Manuel , González‐Galindo Francisco , Kiefer Michael , Höpfner Michael
Published: February 2020

Elevated stratopauses are typically associated with prolonged disturbed conditions in the Northern Hemisphere polar winter. The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) and the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) observed a short‐lived and highly zonally asymmetric stratopause at mesospheric altitudes in November 2009, the earliest in the season reported so far. The Arctic climatological winter stratopause vanished, and MIPAS and MLS  measured temperatures of 260 K at 82 km and 250 K at 75 km, respectively, in a region smaller than in typical midwinter elevated stratopause events. Planetary wave activity was initially high. Zonal mean zonal winds and the poleward temperature gradient northward of 70°N stayed reversed during 7 days, but the mesosphere did not cool. Wave activity dropped until the eastward stratospheric winds resumed and a strong vortex restored in the mesosphere. The stratopause emerged at high altitudes, staying there for 2–5 days. It was accompanied by enhanced downward transport. It took the stratopause 9 days to move down to its typical winter altitudes.
Interface Plastic Constitutive Law With End‐Cap and Structural Model Applied to Geological Faults Behavior
Authors: Piau J.‐M. , Maury V. , Fitzenz D.
Published: February 2020

This paper proposes a framework for the mesoscale modeling of potentially complex fault cores. Such faults cannot be modeled as simple frictional interfaces because they may be thicker and made of several slip surfaces embedded in a material that can contain both grains and broken blocks. Two main aspects are considered here. One, which is the main innovation in the paper, deals with the derivation for the specific rigid‐plastic interface constitutive law which was developed to account for the hardening/softening behavior of highly stressed rocks like in geological faults. The other one deals with the theoretical and numerical study of the response of the structural model in which this constitutive law was implemented. This first structural model was chosen to represent the behavior of faults surrounded by elastic rock masses. The results obtained from this model already illustrate the high potentiality of the proposed interface constitutive law in the context of seismology. When far‐field displacement boundary conditions evolving time are used, different modes of evolution emerge, and transitions happen, from quasi‐static to dynamic or vice versa with timescales extending from tens of years to seconds. The instability domain and the dynamic solution are detailed together with the related energy considerations. An extensive analysis of specific case studies is available in Maury et al., companion paper, in particular as regards the possibility for slow slip events to transition into seismic slip (or vice versa). The implementation of the interface model into more realistic and advanced numerical fault models should offer many perspectives.
Modeling the Sources of the 2018 Palu, Indonesia, Tsunami Using Videos From Social Media
Authors: Sepúlveda Ignacio , Haase Jennifer S. , Carvajal Matías , Xu Xiaohua , Liu Philip L. F.
Published: February 2020

The 2018 Palu tsunami contributed significantly to the devastation caused by the associated
7.5 earthquake. This began a debate about how the moderate size earthquake triggered such a large tsunami within Palu Bay, with runups of more than 10 m. The possibility of a large component of vertical coseismic deformation and submarine landslides have been considered as potential explanations. However, scarce instrumental data have made it difficult to resolve the potential contributions from either type of source. We use tsunami waveforms derived from social media videos in Palu Bay to model the possible sources of the tsunami. We invert InSAR data with different fault geometries and use the resulting seafloor displacements to simulate tsunamis. The coseismic sources alone cannot match both the video‐derived time histories and surveyed runups. Then we conduct a tsunami source inversion using the video‐derived time histories and a tide gauge record as inputs. We specify hypothetical landslide locations and solve for initial tsunami elevation. Our results, validated with surveyed runups, show that a limited number of landslides in southern Palu Bay are sufficient to explain the tsunami data. The Palu tsunami highlights the difficulty in accurately capturing with tide gauges the amplitude and timing of short period waves that can have large impacts at the coast. The proximity of landslides to locations of high fault slip also suggests that tsunami hazard assessment in strike‐slip environments should include triggered landslides, especially for locations where the coastline morphology is strongly linked to fault geometry.
Stress Sensitivity of Fractured and Vuggy Carbonate: An X‐Ray Computed Tomography Analysis
Authors: Yang Yongfei , Tao Liu , Yang Haiyuan , Iglauer Stefan , Wang Xin , Askari Roohollah , Yao Jun , Zhang Kai , Zhang Lei , Sun Hai
Published: February 2020

Fractures, vugs, and pores constitute the main pore space in carbonate reservoirs. The associated pore structure—which is of key importance in terms of hydrocarbon production and fluid flow—varies with effective stress. However, there is a serious lack of data with regard to how precisely the pore morphology changes as a function of effective stress; we thus carried out in situ loading‐unloading experiments (up to 20 MPa effective stress) where two carbonate samples (fractured and vuggy) were examined with X‐ray computed tomography at high resolution in 3‐D. The results showed that after loading, porosity decreased exponentially, followed by an increase during unloading where it did not recover to its initial value. This was mainly because of the stress effect on large pore space (i.e., fractures and vugs). For fractured carbonate, the unrecovered porosity can be linked to similar reduction of the surface area and the average aperture of the fracture. Clearly, the changes in pore morphology were more significant in the fractured carbonate (including extension, connection, and disconnection of fractures) during both loading and unloading, while the vuggy carbonate experienced irreversible structural damage. The vuggy carbonate has bigger porosity variation than fractured carbonate to the mechanical loading‐unloading cycle. This work thus demonstrates how carbonate pore morphology changes with depth (higher effective stresses are encountered deeper in the reservoir) or during production (with hydrocarbon depletion the effective stress increases).
Identifying and Characterizing Tropical Oceanic Mesoscale Cold Pools using Spaceborne Scatterometer Winds
Authors: Garg Piyush , Nesbitt Stephen W. , Lang Timothy J. , Priftis George , Chronis Themis , Thayer Jeffrey D. , Hence Deanna A.
Published: February 2020

Convective cold pools over oceans contribute to the air‐sea exchange of heat and moisture. Beyond cold pools' physical properties, cold pools and their intersections are important mechanisms controlling the life cycle of tropical convective systems. However, few observational techniques are available to routinely observe the properties of cold pools and their association with convection. The primary goal of this study is to demonstrate a new technique using gradients in remotely sensed ocean vector winds as a proxy for the structure and characteristics of tropical oceanic cold pools. Using Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) vector wind retrievals with field of view of 12.5 km, regions of enhanced gradients in surface winds are identified as gradient features. A 3‐km Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulation was carried out to illustrate the technique over the Indian Ocean during the 2011 DYNAmics of Madden‐Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) field campaign. A forward operator was applied to the model wind fields, allowing direct comparisons of wind gradients and virtual temperature‐defined cold pool thermodynamic and kinematic properties. In situ buoy measurements of air temperature were also used to validate ASCAT‐identified cold pools. Quantitative skill metrics demonstrate that the technique has a low false alarm rate (<10%), high critical success index (>85%), and a low bias (~1). The gradient feature technique was then applied to ASCAT‐retrieved ocean vector winds, revealing global variations in cold pool properties. These properties are shown to be related to the properties of global convective systems observed by the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM).
The Spectral Nature of Stratospheric Temperature Adjustment and its Application to Halocarbon Radiative Forcing
Authors: Shine K. P. , Myhre G.
Published: February 2020

Stratospheric temperature adjustment (STA) is often a significant component of greenhouse gas radiative forcing (RF), for both the most widely used definition of RF and effective radiative forcing. It is well established that the magnitude and sign of STA differs among greenhouse gases, being negative (at the tropopause) for CO2 increases (because it induces a cooling of the stratosphere) and positive for many halocarbons (because they induce a warming of the stratosphere); this effect is strongly related to the opacity (and hence the effective emitting temperature) of the troposphere at the wavelengths at which gases absorb. Here the spectral variation of STA is examined for the first time by systematically imposing a weak absorber in each of 300 bands of a narrow‐band radiation code. For this weak absorber, STA is negative for wavelengths greater than about 13 μm and positive in the 8‐ to 13‐μm “window” except in the vicinity of the 9.6‐μm ozone band. By combining narrow‐band and line‐by‐line model results, these findings are used to improve a widely used fast method to estimate radiative efficiency (RE, the RF per unit change in concentration) directly from laboratory measurements or theoretical calculations of halocarbon absorption cross sections; the new method reproduces detailed RE calculations to better than 1.4%. This is a significant improvement over a cruder method used to account for STA in RE tabulations in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report, which were used to calculate metrics such as the Global Warming Potential, for halocarbons and related substances.
Interannual Variability of the Outflow of Weddell Sea Bottom Water
Authors: Gordon Arnold L. , Huber Bruce A. , Abrahamsen E. Povl
Published: February 2020

The Weddell Sea Bottom Water (WSBW) export from 1999 to 2019 displays distinct seasonal and interannual variability. From 2014 into 2017 a marked salinity decrease was recorded, with the lowest salinity, 34.615, attained in early 2016. The reduced salinity is derived from the V‐shaped trough formed by a double front along the shelf break of the Weddell Gyre's western boundary, which is filled with a blend of surface water and modified Weddell Deep Water. We estimate that when the V‐shaped apex attains a depth of greater than ~700 m, the thermobaric effect promotes its descent into the WSBW. We propose that this occurred during anomalously strong cyclonic wind stress curl over the Weddell Gyre from 2014 into 2017, which increased the intensity of the gyre and its western boundary current, deepening the V‐shape trough. The WSBW salinity increased to its prior to 2014 values as the wind stress relaxed in 2018.
Chrononutrition in the management of diabetes
Authors: Henry Christiani Jeyakumar , Kaur Bhupinder , Quek Rina Yu Chin
Published: February 2020

Circadian rhythms are 24-h cycles regulated by endogeneous molecular oscillators called the circadian clock. The effects of diet on circadian rhythmicity clearly involves a relationship between factors such as meal timings and nutrients, known as chrononutrition. Chrononutrition is influenced by an individual’s “chronotype”, whereby “evening chronotypes” or also termed “later chronotype” who are biologically driven to consume foods later in the day. Research in this area has suggested that time of day is indicative of having an influence on the postprandial glucose response to a meal, therefore having a major effect on type 2 diabetes. Cross-sectional and experimental studies have shown the benefits of consuming meals early in the day than in the evening on postprandial glycaemia. Modifying the macronutrient composition of night meals, by increasing protein and fat content, has shown to be a simple strategy to improve postprandial glycaemia. Low glycaemic index (GI) foods eaten in the morning improves glycaemic response to a greater effect than when consumed at night. Timing of fat and protein (including amino acids) co-ingested with carbohydrate foods, such as bread and rice, can reduce glycaemic response. The order of food presentation also has considerable potential in reducing postprandial blood glucose (consuming vegetables first, followed by meat and then lastly rice). These practical recommendations could be considered as strategies to improve glycaemic control, rather than focusing on the nutritional value of a meal alone, to optimize dietary patterns of diabetics. It is necessary to further elucidate this fascinating area of research to understand the circadian system and its implications on nutrition that may ultimately reduce the burden of type 2 diabetes.
DRD4 48 bp multiallelic variants as age-population-specific biomarkers in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Bonvicini Cristian , Cortese Samuele , Maj Carlo , Baune Bernhard T. , Faraone Stephen V. , Scassellati Catia
Published: February 2020

The identification of biomarkers to support the diagnosis and prediction of treatment response for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is still a challenge. Our previous works highlighted the DRD4 (dopamine receptor D4) as the best potential genetic marker for childhood diagnosis and methylphenidate (MPH) response. Here, we aimed to provide additional evidence on biomarkers for ADHD diagnosis and treatment response, by using more specific approaches such as meta-analytic and bioinformatics tools. Via meta-analytic approaches including over 3000 cases and 16,000 controls, we demonstrated that, among the different variants studied in DRD4 gene, the 48-base pair, Variable Tandem Repeat Polymorphism, VNTR in exon 3 showed an age/population-specificity and an allelic heterogeneity. In particular, the 7R/“long” allele was identified as an ADHD risk factor in European-Caucasian populations (d = 1.31, 95%CI: 1.17–1.47, Z = 4.70/d = 1.36, 95%CI: 1.20–1.55, Z = 4.78, respectively), also, from the results of last meta-analysis, linked to the poor MPH efficacy. The 4R/“short” allele was a protective factor in European-Caucasian and South American populations (d = 0.83, 95%CI: 0.75–0.92, Z = 3.58), and was also associated to positive MPH response. These results refer to children with ADHD. No evidence of such associations was detected for adults with persistent ADHD (data from the last meta-analysis). Moreover, we found evidence that the 4R allele leads to higher receptor expression and increased sensitivity to dopamine, as compared with the 7R allele (d = 1.20, 95%CI: 0.71–1.69, Z = 4.81), and this is consistent with the ADHD protection/susceptibility effects of the respective alleles. Using bioinformatics tools, based on the latest genome-wide association (GWAS) meta-analysis of the Psychiatry Genomic Consortium (PGC), we demonstrated that the 48 bp VNTR is not in Linkage Disequilibrium with the DRD4 SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms), which were not found to be associated with ADHD. Moreover, a DRD4 expression downregulation was found in ADHD specific brain regions (Putamen, Z score = −3.02, P = 0.00252). Overall, our results suggest that DRD4 48 bp VNTR variants should be considered as biomarkers to support the diagnosis of ADHD and to predict MPH response, although the accuracy of such a biomarker remains to be further elucidated.
Author Correction: A ferroptosis–based panel of prognostic biomarkers for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Devos David , Moreau Caroline , Kyheng Maeva , Garçon Guillaume , Rolland Anne Sophie , Blasco Hélène , Gelé Patrick , Lenglet T. Timothée , Veyrat-Durebex C. , Corcia Philippe , Dutheil Mary , Bede Peter , Jeromin Andreas , Oeckl Patrick , Otto Markus , Meininger Vincent , Danel-Brunaud Véronique , Devedjian Jean-Christophe , Duce James A. , Pradat Pierre François
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Unstable crop yields reveal opportunities for site-specific adaptations to climate variability
Authors: Martinez-Feria Rafael A. , Basso Bruno
Published: February 2020

Water deficit and water excess constitute severe stresses that limit crop yield and are likely to intensify as climate becomes more variable. Regional crop production aggregates for the US Midwest indicate widespread yield losses in past decades due to both extreme rainfall and water limited conditions, though the degree to which these weather impacts are related to site-specific factors such as landscape position and soils has not been examined in a systematic manner. This study offers observational evidence from a large sample of commercial crop fields to support the hypothesis that landscape position is the primary mediator of crop yield responses to weather within unstable field zones (i.e., zones where yields tend to fluctuate between high and low, depending on the year). Results indicate that yield losses in unstable zones driven by water excess and deficits occur throughout a wide range of seasonal rainfall, even simultaneously under normal weather. Field areas prone to water stress are shown to lag as much as 23–33% below the field average during drought years and 26–33% during deluge years. By combining large-scale spatial datasets, we identify 2.65 million hectares of water-stress prone cropland, and estimate an aggregated economic loss impact of $536M USD yr−1, 4.0 million tons yr−1 of less CO2 fixed in crop biomass, and 52.6 Gg yr−1 of more reactive N in the environment. Yield stability maps can be used to spatially implement adaptation practices to mitigate weather-induced stresses in the most vulnerable cropland.
Short-term and long-term effects of a social network intervention on friendships among university students
Authors: Boda Zsófia , Elmer Timon , Vörös András , Stadtfeld Christoph
Published: February 2020

Informal social relations, such as friendships, are crucial for the well-being and success of students at all levels of education. Network interventions can aim at providing contact opportunities in school settings to prevent the social isolation of individuals and facilitate integration between otherwise segregated social groups. We investigate the short-term and long-term effects of one specific network intervention in an undergraduate cohort freshly admitted to an engineering department ($${\bf{N}}{\boldsymbol{=}}{\bf{226}}$$
N
=
226
). In this intervention, we randomly assigned students into small groups at an introduction event two months prior to their first day at university. The groups were designed to increase mixed-gender contact opportunities. Two months after the intervention, we find a higher rate of friendships, common friends, and mixed-gender friendships in pairs of students who were assigned to the same group than in pairs from different groups (short-term effects). These effects gradually diminish over the first academic year (long-term effects). Using stochastic actor-oriented models, we investigate the long-term trajectory of the intervention effects, while considering alternative network processes, such as reciprocity, transitivity, homophily, and popularity. The results suggest that even though the induced friendship ties are less stable than other friendships, they may serve as early seeds for complex social network processes. Our study shows that simple network interventions can have a pronounced short-term effect and indirect long-term effects on the evolution and structure of student communities.
Transdiagnostic Phenotyping Reveals a Host of Metacognitive Deficits Implicated in Compulsivity
Authors: Seow Tricia X. F. , Gillan Claire M.
Published: February 2020

Recent work suggests that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients have a breakdown in the relationship between explicit beliefs (i.e. confidence about states) and updates to behaviour. The precise computations underlying this disconnection are unclear because case-control and transdiagnostic studies yield conflicting results. Here, a large online population sample (N = 437) completed a predictive inference task previously studied in the context of OCD. We tested if confidence, and its relationship to action and environmental evidence, were specifically associated with self-reported OCD symptoms or common to an array of psychiatric phenomena. We then investigated if a transdiagnostic approach would reveal a stronger and more specific match between metacognitive deficits and clinical phenotypes. Consistent with prior case-control work, we found that decreases in action-confidence coupling were associated with OCD symptoms, but also 5/8 of the other clinical phenotypes tested (8/8 with no correction applied). This non-specific pattern was explained by a single transdiagnostic symptom dimension characterized by compulsivity that was linked to inflated confidence and several deficits in utilizing evidence to update confidence. These data highlight the importance of metacognitive deficits for our understanding of compulsivity and underscore how transdiagnostic methods may prove a more powerful alternative over studies examining single disorders.
Relevance of control diet choice in metabolic studies: impact in glucose homeostasis and vascular function
Authors: González-Blázquez Raquel , Alcalá Martín , Fernández-Alfonso María S. , Villa-Valverde Palmira , Viana Marta , Gil-Ortega Marta , Somoza Beatriz
Published: February 2020

The experimental approach for the study of cardiometabolic disorders requires the use of animal models fed with commercial diets whose composition differs notably, even between diets used for control groups. While chow diets are usually made of agricultural by-products, purified low-fat diets (LF) contain a higher percentage of easy metabolizable carbohydrates, together with a reduced amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, micronutrients and fiber, all associated with metabolic and vascular dysfunction. We hypothesize that the LF diet, commonly used in control animals, could promote adverse vascular and metabolic outcomes. To address this issue, 5-week-old male C57BL6J mice were fed with a standard (Chow) or a LF diet for 6 weeks. Changes in body weight, adiposity, biochemical parameters, systemic and aortic insulin sensitivity and endothelial function were recorded. LF diet did not modify body weight but significantly impaired systemic glucose tolerance and increased triglycerides and cholesterol levels. Endothelial function and aortic insulin sensitivity were significantly impaired in the LF group, due to a reduction of NO availability. These findings highlight the importance of selecting the proper control diet in metabolic studies. It may also suggest that some cardiometabolic alterations obtained in experimental studies using LF as a control diet may be underestimated.
Brushed lubricant-impregnated surfaces (BLIS) for long-lasting high condensation heat transfer
Authors: Seo Donghyun , Shim Jaehwan , Lee Choongyeop , Nam Youngsuk
Published: February 2020

Recently, lubricant-impregnated surfaces (LIS) have emerged as a promising condenser surface by facilitating the removal of condensates from the surface. However, LIS has the critical limitation in that lubricant oil is depleted along with the removal of condensates. Such oil depletion is significantly aggravated under high condensation heat transfer. Here we propose a brushed LIS (BLIS) that can allow the application of LIS under high condensation heat transfer indefinitely by overcoming the previous oil depletion limit. In BLIS, a brush replenishes the depleted oil via physical contact with the rotational tube, while oil is continuously supplied to the brush by capillarity. In addition, BLIS helps enhance heat transfer performance with additional route to droplet removal by brush sweeping. By applying BLIS, we maintain the stable dropwise condensation mode for > 48 hours under high supersaturation levels along with up to 61% heat transfer enhancement compared to hydrophobic surfaces.
Stathmin expression associates with vascular and immune responses in aggressive breast cancer subgroups
Authors: Askeland Cecilie , Wik Elisabeth , Finne Kenneth , Birkeland Even , Arnes Jarle B. , Collett Karin , Knutsvik Gøril , Krüger Kristi , Davidsen Benedicte , Aas Turid , Eide Geir Egil , Stefansson Ingunn M. , Foulkes William D. , Akslen Lars A.
Published: February 2020

Studies indicate that stathmin expression associates with PI3K activation in breast cancer, suggesting stathmin as a marker for targetable patient subgroups. Here we assessed stathmin in relation to tumour proliferation, vascular and immune responses, BRCA1 germline status, basal-like differentiation, clinico-pathologic features, and survival. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on breast cancers from two series (cohort 1, n = 187; cohort 2, n = 198), and mass spectrometry data from 24 cases and 12 breast cancer cell lines was examined for proteomic profiles. Open databases were also explored (TCGA, METABRIC, Oslo2 Landscape cohort, Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia). High stathmin expression associated with tumour proliferation, p53 status, basal-like differentiation, BRCA1 genotype, and high-grade histology. These patterns were confirmed using mRNA data. Stathmin mRNA further associated with tumour angiogenesis, immune responses and reduced survival. By logistic regression, stathmin protein independently predicted a BRCA1 genotype (OR 10.0, p = 0.015) among ER negative tumours. Cell line analysis (Connectivity Map) implied PI3K inhibition in tumours with high stathmin. Altogether, our findings indicate that stathmin might be involved in the regulation of tumour angiogenesis and immune responses in breast cancer, in addition to tumour proliferation. Cell data point to potential effects of PI3K inhibition in tumours with high stathmin expression.