bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Life events as predictors for disability pension due to musculoskeletal diagnoses: a cohort study of Finnish twins
Authors: Kärkkäinen Sanna , Silventoinen Karri , Svedberg Pia , Ropponen Annina
Published: December 2019

Purpose

Musculoskeletal diagnoses (MSD) are one of the largest diagnostic groups for disability pensions (DP). This study investigated the associations between life events and DP due to MSD, considering sociodemographic, health, and familial factors.

Methods

The study sample included 18,530 Finnish twins, 24–64 years old at baseline, who responded to a questionnaire in 1981 including a 21-item life event inventory. Information on DP with diagnosis codes (ICD codes: M00–M99) were obtained from the official national pension registers. Life events were divided into family- and work-related events. “Positive change in life” was analyzed separately. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

During the follow-up of 23 years, 1273 (7%) individuals were granted DP due to MSD. In discordant pair analysis, family-related events (≥ 4 events) increased (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.31, 2.03) and the absence of such events decreased (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48, 0.95) the risk of DP due to MSD. For work-related events (≥ 3 events), the risk estimates were non-significant when controlling for familial factors. Having had a positive change in life decreased the risk of DP due to MSD (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.65, 0.96) while controlling for familial confounding, but were non-significant in the full model controlling for various covariates (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.75, 1.12).

Conclusions

The associations between life events and the risk of DP due to MSD are complex and potentially affected by familial and other confounding factors including sociodemographics and health.
Microsatellite characterisation and sex-typing in two invasive parakeet species, the monk parakeet Myiopsitta monachus and ring-necked parakeet Psittacula krameri
Authors: Dawson Pell Francesca S. E. , Hatchwell Ben J. , Ortega-Segalerva Alba , Dawson Deborah A. , Horsburgh Gavin J. , Senar Juan Carlos
Published: December 2019

Invasive species can have wide-ranging negative impacts, and an understanding of the process and success of invasions can be vital to determine management strategies, mitigate impacts and predict range expansions of such species. Monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) and ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri) are both widespread invasive species, but there has been little research into the genetic and social structure of these two species despite the potential links with invasion success. The aim of this study was to isolate novel microsatellite loci from the monk parakeet and characterise them in both monk and ring-necked parakeets in order to facilitate future investigations into their behaviour and population ecology. Sex-typing markers were also tested in both species. Of the 20 microsatellite loci assessed in 24 unrelated monk parakeets, 16 successfully amplified and were polymorphic displaying between 2 and 14 alleles (mean = 8.06). Expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.43 to 0.93 and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.23 to 0.96. Nine of the 20 loci also successfully amplified and were polymorphic in the ring-necked parakeet, displaying between 2 and 10 alleles. Suitable markers to sex both species and a Z-linked microsatellite locus were identified. A multiplex marker set was validated for monk parakeets. These novel microsatellite loci will facilitate fine and broad-scale population genetic analyses of these two widespread invasive species.
The High-Resolution Coronal Imager, Flight 2.1
Authors: Rachmeler Laurel A. , Winebarger Amy R. , Savage Sabrina L. , Golub Leon , Kobayashi Ken , Vigil Genevieve D. , Brooks David H. , Cirtain Jonathan W. , De Pontieu Bart , McKenzie David E. , Morton Richard J. , Peter Hardi , Testa Paola , Tiwari Sanjiv K. , Walsh Robert W. , Warren Harry P. , Alexander Caroline , Ansell Darren , Beabout Brent L. , Beabout Dyana L. , Bethge Christian W. , Champey Patrick R. , Cheimets Peter N. , Cooper Mark A. , Creel Helen K. , Gates Richard , Gomez Carlos , Guillory Anthony , Haight Harlan , Hogue William D. , Holloway Todd , Hyde David W. , Kenyon Richard , Marshall Joseph N. , McCracken Jeff E. , McCracken Kenneth , Mitchell Karen O. , Ordway Mark , Owen Tim , Ranganathan Jagan , Robertson Bryan A. , Payne M. Janie , Podgorski William , Pryor Jonathan , Samra Jenna , Sloan Mark D. , Soohoo Howard A. , Steele D. Brandon , Thompson Furman V. , Thornton Gary S. , Watkinson Benjamin , Windt David
Published: December 2019

The third flight of the High-Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C 2.1) occurred on May 29, 2018; the Sounding Rocket was launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The instrument has been modified from its original configuration (Hi-C 1) to observe the solar corona in a passband that peaks near 172 Å, and uses a new, custom-built low-noise camera. The instrument targeted Active Region 12712, and captured 78 images at a cadence of 4.4 s (18:56:22 – 19:01:57 UT; 5 min and 35 s observing time). The image spatial resolution varies due to quasi-periodic motion blur from the rocket; sharp images contain resolved features of at least 0.47 arcsec. There are coordinated observations from multiple ground- and space-based telescopes providing an unprecedented opportunity to observe the mass and energy coupling between the chromosphere and the corona. Details of the instrument and the data set are presented in this paper.
European Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) for Space Science and Exploration
Authors: Ambrosi Richard M. , Williams Hugo , Watkinson Emily Jane , Barco Alessandra , Mesalam Ramy , Crawford Tony , Bicknell Christopher , Samara-Ratna Piyal , Vernon David , Bannister Nigel , Ross Duncan , Sykes Jonathan , Perkinson Marie-Claire , Burgess Christopher , Stroud Colin , Gibson Stephen , Godfrey Alexander , Slater Robert G. , Reece Michael J. , Chen Kan , Simpson Kevin , Tuley Richard , Sarsfield Mark , Tinsley Tim P. , Stephenson Keith , Freis Daniel , Vigier Jean-François , Konings Rudy J. M. , Fongarland Christophe , Libessart Martin , Merrifield James , Kramer Daniel P. , Byrne Jamie , Foxcroft Benjamin
Published: December 2019

Radioisotope power systems utilising americium-241 as a source of heat have been under development in Europe as part of a European Space Agency funded programme since 2009. The aim is to develop all of the building blocks that would enable Europe to launch and operate deep space and planetary missions in environments where use of solar power or alternative power generation technologies is challenging. Although some technical and policy work activity predate the ESA programme, the maturity of the technology has now reached a level that it can be incorporated in mission studies and roadmaps targeting the period from the mid 2020s onwards. This paper describes the state of the art in European radioisotope thermoelectric generators and radioisotope heater units. This paper includes: the evolution of the technical programme in detail; descriptions of the design; evolution of RTG and RHU devices from laboratory prototypes to more advanced fully functional systems; and experimental data obtained to date. This paper also outlines the technical challenges and multidisciplinary skills required to develop what is a world leading, original, significant and transformative technology solution for planetary science and exploration missions from the mid 2020s onwards.
Judgementalism about normative decision theory
Authors: Thoma Johanna
Published: December 2019

Judgementalism is an interpretation of normative decision theory according to which preferences are all-things-considered judgements of relative desirability, and the only attitudes that rationally constrain choice. The defence of judgementalism we find in Richard Bradley’s Decision Theory with a Human Face (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2017) relies on a kind of internalism about the requirements of rationality, according to which they supervene on an agent’s mental states, and in particular those she can reason from. I argue that even if we grant such internalism, attitudes other than preferences in the judgementalist sense rationally constrain choice. This ultimately supports a different interpretation of preference.
Novel method of constructing generalized Hoberman sphere mechanisms based on deployment axes
Authors: Sun Xuemin , Yao Yan-An , Li Ruiming
Published: December 2019

This study proposes a method of constructing type II generalized angulated elements (GAEs II) Hoberman sphere mechanisms on the basis of deployment axes that intersect at one point. First, the constraint conditions for inserting n GAEs II into n deployment axes to form a loop are given. The angle constraint conditions of the deployment axes are obtained through a series of linear equations. Second, the connection conditions of two GAEs II loops that share a common deployable center are discussed. Third, a flowchart of constructing the generalized Hoberman sphere mechanism on the basis of deployment axes is provided. Finally, four generalized Hoberman sphere mechanisms based on a fully enclosed regular hexahedron, arithmetic sequence axes, orthonormal arithmetic sequence axes, and spiral-like axes are constructed in accordance with the given arrangement of deployment axes that satisfy the constraint conditions to verify the feasibility of the proposed method.
The Effectiveness of Two Methods of Prescribing Load on Maximal Strength Development: A Systematic Review
Authors: Thompson Steve W. , Rogerson David , Ruddock Alan , Barnes Andrew
Published: December 2019

Background

Optimal prescription of resistance exercise load (kg) is essential for the development of maximal strength. Two methods are commonly used in practice with no clear consensus on the most effective approach for the improvement of maximal strength.

Objective

The primary aim of this review was to compare the effectiveness of percentage 1RM (% 1RM) and repetition maximum targets (RM) as load prescription methods for the development of maximal strength.

Methods

Electronic database searches of MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Scopus, and CINAHL Complete were conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Studies were eligible for inclusion if a direct measure of maximal strength was used, a non-training control group was a comparator, the training intervention was > 4 weeks in duration and was replicable, and participants were defined as healthy and between the ages of 18–40. Methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using a modified Downs and Black checklist. Percentage change (%) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all strength-based training groups were calculated. Statistical significance (p < 0.05) was reported from each study.

Results

Twenty-two studies comprising a total of 761 participants (585 males and 176 females) were found to meet the inclusion criteria. 12 studies were returned for % 1RM, with 10 for RM. All studies showed statistically significant improvements in maximal strength in the training groups (31.3 ± 21.9%; 95% CI 33.1–29.5%). The mean quality rating for all studies was 17.7 ± 2.3. Four studies achieved a good methodological rating, with the remainder classified as moderate.

Conclusions

Both % 1RM and RM are effective tools for improving maximal strength. % 1RM appears to be a better prescriptive method than RM potentially due to a more sophisticated management of residual fatigue. However, large heterogeneity was present within this data. Lower body and multi-joint exercises appear to be more appropriate for developing maximal strength. Greater consensus is required in defining optimal training prescriptions, physiological adaptations, and training status.
Achievement and Enhancement
Authors: Forsberg Lisa , Skelton Anthony
Published: December 2019

We engage with the nature and the value of achievement through a critical examination of an argument according to which biomedical “enhancement” of our capacities is impermissible because enhancing ourselves in this way would threaten our achievements. We call this the argument against enhancement from achievement. We assess three versions of it, each admitting to a strong or a weak reading. We argue that strong readings fail, and that weak readings, while in some cases successful in showing that enhancement interferes with the nature or value of achievement, fail to establish that enhancement poses an unusual threat to achievement.
Moments of k-hop counts in the random-connection model
Authors: Privault Nicolas
Published: December 2019

We derive moment identities for the stochastic integrals of multiparameter processes in a random-connection model based on a point process admitting a Papangelou intensity. The identities are written using sums over partitions, and they reduce to sums over non-flat partition diagrams if the multiparameter processes vanish on diagonals. As an application, we obtain general identities for the moments of k-hop counts in the random-connection model, which simplify the derivations available in the literature.
Domesticating Italy's foreignness in China: the transcultural politics of the copy and the real
Authors: Marinelli Maurizio
Published: December 2019

This article consists of three sections. The first one concentrates on the conceptualisation of the Italian concession in Tianjin (1901–1947). The second connects the past imagery of the Italian ‘aristocratic concession’ to its contemporary reinvention as the ‘New Italian-style Town’. The third section explores the rationale for the diffusion of what I define asItalianerie: a fascination for Italy, for a ‘real-unreal’ Italian-flavoured atmosphere, through the creation of multi-million-dollar luxury designer outlets known as ‘Florentia Villages’. The first Florentia Village, ‘inspired by classic Italian architecture’, opened in Wuqing, halfway between Beijing and Tianjin, in June 2011, followed by the replica of this template in eight Chinese cities. Is this the outcome of a specific patrimonialisation strategy? What is the significance of this showcase of Italian design in China? What lies behind the apparent paradox of reproducing ‘in/authentic’ Italy in miniature, and using it to sell the ‘real’ luxury products, in a country like China, which is stereotyped as the paradise of the fake? Is innovation by design reconfiguring the relationship between production and consumption of cultural images and commodities? This article intends to explore these questions with particular attention to transcultural strategies in Chinese urbanism – past and present.
Genomic data and the dividual self
Authors: McGonigle Ian
Published: December 2019

In response to a recent commentary (Tigard, in press) on my previous article, ‘The Collective Nature of Personalized Medicine’ (McGonigle, 2016), herein I discuss collective responsibilities and rights in relation to the ethics of genomic data and personalized medicine. I respond to and elaborate on some of the issues Tigard raises and I draw on the anthropological concept of ‘dividuality’ to emphasize the precisely shared nature of genomic data in order to illuminate the ethical complexity surrounding their protection. Overall, I argue that genomic data, by virtue of their distributed and shared nature, necessitate novel approaches for bioethical assessment.
Nigerian Forces Comforts Fund, 1940–1947: “The Responsibility of the Nigerian Government to Provide Funds for the Welfare of Its Soldiers”
Authors: Mordi Emmanuel Nwafor
Published: December 2019

This study seeks to make an original contribution to the historiography of Africa and the Second World War. It examines the efforts of the Nigerian government and the British Army towards the welfare and comforts of Nigerian soldiers during their overseas services from 1940 to 1947. Their deployments in East Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia had brought the issue of their morale maintenance, namely comforts and welfare, to the fore. Extant Nigerian studies of the Second World War have been concerned with Nigerian contributions to Allied victory in terms of diverse economic exertions and those guided by charity towards Europeans affected by the German blitzkrieg, particularly in Britain. Consequently, this paper explains the genesis, objectives, and policy directions of the Nigerian Forces Comforts Fund and its impact on Nigerian servicemen's comforts and welfare. The study posits the argument that constant disagreements and indeed struggles for supremacy between the military and the civil power adversely affected troops’ comforts and welfare. Delayed postwar repatriation of the idle and bored troops to West Africa, in breach of openly proclaimed wartime promises, bred anxiety and made them prone to mutiny. The end of demobilisation in 1947 left many disgruntled ex-servicemen applying for reenlistment.
“South Africa is the Mississippi of the world”: Anti-Apartheid Activism through Domestic Civil Rights Law
Authors: Grisinger Joanna L.
Published: December 2019

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a small group of antiapartheid activists, led by the American Committee on Africa and chair of the House Subcommittee on Africa Rep. Charles Diggs Jr., launched a campaign against South African Airways' new flights into the United States. Using the legal and political strategies of the American civil rights movement, and the fragmentation of power within the American political system, activists tried to turn South African apartheid into an American civil rights problem that American government institutions could address. The strategy was indebted to the political and legal strategies of the civil rights movement, but framing demands around existing civil rights law necessarily limited what activists could ask for and what domestic institutions could provide. In practice, the campaign's successes were limited and legalistic; where domestic civil rights law directly conflicted with apartheid law, airlines could comply with the former without really challenging the latter. And the foreign policy context meant more failures than successes, as domestic legal institutions were reluctant to involve themselves with foreign policy concerns. Their successes and failures nonetheless tell us much about legal mobilization and institutional behavior in a period of globalization where sovereignty and jurisdictional lines were overlapping and conflicting.
Reduced Enhancement of Memory for Faces Encoded by Semantic and Socioemotional Processes in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Park Paeksoon , Yamakado Hodaka , Takahashi Ryosuke , Dote Shikiho , Ubukata Shiho , Murai Toshiya , Tsukiura Takashi
Published: December 2019

Objectives:

Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) exhibit impaired semantic and socioemotional processes, which are thought to be related to dysfunctions in the fronto-striatal circuit. However, little is known about how the memory enhancement by these processes was reduced in PD. The present study investigated this issue.

Methods:

The retrieval performance of face memories encoded by semantic and socioemotional processes was compared between 24 PD patients and 24 age-matched healthy controls (HC). During encoding, participants were presented with unfamiliar faces and made judgment about them in three encoding conditions of semantic judgment (Semantics), attractiveness judgment (Attractiveness), and form judgment (Form). In Semantics, participants rated to what degree each face looked like an office worker, whereas in Attractiveness, participants rated how attractive each face was. The Form condition as a control required participants to judge the shape of each face. During retrieval after encoding, participants made old or new judgment for target and distracter faces.

Results:

In HC, the retrieval of faces encoded by Semantics and Attractiveness was significantly more accurate than that encoded by Form, whereas this memory enhancement was not identified in PD. In addition, individual scores in frontal lobe function and long-term memory correlated with the retrieval performance of memories encoded in Semantics and Attractiveness but not Form.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that the processing of semantic and socioemotional signals conveyed from faces could be impaired in PD and that the impairment of these processes could decrease the enhancement of face memories by semantic and socioemotional elaborations.
THE GOOD PLACE AND TED SIDER'S PUZZLE
Authors: Joaquin Jeremiah Joven B. , Biana Hazel T.
Published: December 2019

The hit American TV show The Good Place has garnered quite a following in recent years. Its main premise implies a scorekeeping view of the afterlife. People who have collected enough credits in their earthly lives will make the cut and go to the Good Place, while those who do not will be banished to the Bad Place. We suggest that such a premise would have to come to terms with Ted Sider's puzzle about the compatibility of a binary afterlife with God's divine attributes.
ON UNDERESTIMATING US
Authors: Heal Jane
Published: December 2019

Human beings are social animals. A solitary life would be horrible for most of us. What makes life worthwhile is being with others and engaging in shared projects with them. To do justice to these facts, philosophers need to pay more attention to the first-person plural, we/us, and to rethink their accounts of value and virtue.
QUALIA AIN'T OUT HERE EITHER
Authors: Searle Christopher
Published: December 2019

What follows is a short thought experiment that aims to show, reductio ad absurdum, that narrow qualia internalism is probably inconsistent with a physicalist/functionalist theory of mind. Those wishing to rebut the argument presented here will need to demonstrate why spatial proximity and the right sort of causal connection of functionally isolated components are necessary to the instantiation of qualia.
Planar 180° hybrid coupler with non-interspersed ports for millimeter-wave applications
Authors: Moghaddasi Jaber , Wu Ke
Published: December 2019

This paper presents a simple topology of 180° hybrid coupler with non-interspersed inputs and outputs, as opposed to the conventional rat-race topology. Such hybrid coupler topologies with inputs located on one side and outputs at the opposite side simplify the design of signal routings and module packaging when integrated with other circuits and components. It also relaxes the necessity of using auxiliary compensating components such as tapers, jumpers, and crossovers. The proposed coupler topology is theoretically analyzed through a T-matrix approach. The analysis comes up with design equations and diagrams that help choose the structural parameters for the desired specification. The simplicity and also the immunity against intrinsic parasitic effects within the proposed topology make it an excellent candidate for operation over any RF and millimeter-wave frequency bands, for applications such as automotive radar or E-band backhaul radio. To this end, a coupler based on the proposed scheme is realized for operation over 77 GHz and assessed through on-wafer measurements. Good agreement of the measured results with the simulated and analytical counterparts demonstrates the superior performance of the proposed 180° hybrid coupler.
Erstdiagnose eines Plattenepithelkarzinoms der Zervix uteri FIGO 1B1 in der Schwangerschaft
Authors: Brechbühl Ruth , Uerlings Vincent , Kohl Joachim , Günthert Andreas , Christmann Corina , Kipp Barbara
Published: December 2019

Zusammenfassung. Das Plattenepithelkarzinom der Zervix uteri ist eines der häufigsten Karzinome, die in der Schwangerschaft diagnostiziert werden. Da der Tumor in unmittelbarer Nähe zum Fötus liegt, ist die Behandlung sehr herausfordernd und muss individuell gestaltet werden. Ein einheitliches Konzept oder Studien fehlen bisher. Es sollte jedoch die onkologische Sicherheit der Mutter in den Fokus gestellt werden und ebenso wie ausserhalb der Schwangerschaft leitlinienkonform therapiert werden. Aufgrund der bestehenden Therapieoptionen auch während der Schwangerschaft kann es gelingen, diese unter Einhaltung der onkologischen Standards erfolgreich aufrechtzuerhalten. Ein interdisziplinäres Vorgehen ist hierfür unerlässlich.
Magma Degassing as a Source of Long‐Term Seismicity at Volcanoes: The Ischia Island (Italy) Case
Authors: Trasatti E. , Acocella V. , Di Vito M. A. , Del Gaudio C. , Weber G. , Aquino I. , Caliro S. , Chiodini G. , de Vita S. , Ricco C. , Caricchi L.
Published: December 2019

Transient seismicity at active volcanoes poses a significant risk in addition to eruptive activity. This risk is powered by the common belief that volcanic seismicity cannot be forecast, even on a long term. Here we investigate the nature of volcanic seismicity to try to improve our forecasting capacity. To this aim, we consider Ischia volcano (Italy), which suffered similar earthquakes along its uplifted resurgent block. We show that this seismicity marks an acceleration of decades‐long subsidence of the resurgent block, driven by degassing of magma that previously produced the uplift, a process not observed at other volcanoes. Degassing will continue for hundreds to thousands of years, causing protracted seismicity and will likely be accompanied by moderate and damaging earthquakes. The possibility to constrain the future duration of seismicity at Ischia indicates that our capacity to forecast earthquakes might be enhanced when seismic activity results from long‐term magmatic processes, such as degassing
Arctic Soil Governs Whether Climate Change Drives Global Losses or Gains in Soil Carbon
Authors: Wieder William R. , Sulman Benjamin N. , Hartman Melannie D. , Koven Charles D. , Bradford Mark A.
Published: December 2019

Key uncertainties in terrestrial carbon cycle projections revolve around the timing, direction, and magnitude of the carbon cycle feedback to climate change. This is especially true in carbon‐rich Arctic ecosystems, where permafrost soils contain roughly one third of the world's soil carbon stocks, which are likely vulnerable to loss. Using an ensemble of soil biogeochemical models that reflect recent changes in the conceptual understanding of factors responsible for soil carbon persistence, we quantify potential soil carbon responses under two representative climate change scenarios. Our results illustrate that models disagree on the sign and magnitude of global soil changes through 2100, with disagreements primarily driven by divergent responses of Arctic systems. These results largely reflect different assumptions about the nature of soil carbon persistence and vulnerabilities, underscoring the challenges associated with setting allowable greenhouse gas emission targets that will limit global warming to 1.5°C.
VLF Emissions With Banded Structure in the 16‐ to 39‐kHz Frequency Range Measured by a High‐Latitude Ground‐Based Receiver
Authors: Macotela Edith L. , Němec František , Manninen Jyrki , Santolík Ondřej , Kolmašová Ivana , Turunen Tauno
Published: December 2019

Very low frequency (VLF) emissions of natural origin were identified for the first time by analyzing 1‐hr ground‐based magnetic field spectrograms in the 0.2‐ to 39‐kHz frequency range. Data were used from the Kannuslehto radio receiver (L‐shell ~5.5), recorded during different campaigns between 2006 and 2019. The spectrograms exhibit banded structures, which consist of several strip elements that vary in time and frequency over the event duration. Statistical analysis of 95 events shows that they are observed in the frequency range that extends from 2 to ~37 kHz, and mainly appearing above 16 kHz. The events span from 4 to 110 min and occur in the evening sector (~17–01 magnetic local time), mostly during quiet geomagnetic conditions. Furthermore, they are primarily left‐handed polarized and are associated with bursts of lightning‐related radio emissions such as sferics and tweeks.
The Inertialized Rice Convection Model
Authors: Yang Jian , Wolf Richard , Toffoletto Frank , Sazykin Stanislav , Wang Wenrui , Cui Jun
Published: December 2019

The Rice Convection Model (RCM) is an established first‐principles physics model in which the field‐aligned current density is computed by the Vasyliunas equation. Its slow‐flow assumption neglects the inertial term in the MHD momentum equation, which is a major obstacle to using the RCM to model some of the fluid dynamics of bursty bulk flows in the plasma sheet. This paper describes the RCM‐I, which represents an effort to approximately add inertial effects in the RCM by correcting the expression for field‐aligned currents. That inertial current is calculated under the assumption that the mass on each field line is concentrated near the equatorial plane. RCM‐I results are presented with magnetic fields calculated in two different ways: A static statistics‐based model and an MHD code. In both cases, the bubble flow velocities are much smaller and more realistic than those calculated from the traditional RCM. An additional promising feature is that the injection of a low‐entropy bubble produces interchange (braking) oscillations and buoyancy waves that radiate away from the original bubble, forming multiple flow vortices. None of these features could be produced by traditional RCM simulations. Comparison simulations also suggest that gradient and curvature drifts have substantial effect on oscillation of bubbles and tend to damp buoyancy waves. We also note that substantial work will be needed in the future to further improve the pressure distribution by inertializing an anisotropic version of the RCM and to understand the effects of neglecting the magnetosphere‐ionosphere communication time.
Interbasin Differences in the Median and Variability of Tropical Cyclone MPI in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Xu Jing , Wang Yuqing , Yang Chi
Published: December 2019

Using the 1980–2017 6‐hourly best‐track tropical cyclone data and global reanalysis data, we studied the interbasin differences in the median and variability of tropical cyclone maximum potential intensity (MPI) as a function of sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic (NA), eastern North Pacific (ENP), western North Pacific (WNP), and North Indian Ocean (NI). Results show that the MPI median increases by 4.8, 7.7, 6.4, and 4.4 m s−1 per degree increase in SST in the NA, ENP, WNP, and NI, respectively. The MPI is the largest in the NI at SST between 27 °C and 28.5 °C and in the ENP at SST above 28.5 °C, while is the smallest at SST below 29.5 °C in the WNP. The environmental factors that contribute to such interbasin differences were compared among basins. The greatest MPI in the ENP is largely contributed by the colder troposphere and drier boundary layer. The warmer troposphere and wetter boundary layer are responsible for the smallest MPI in the WNP. In the NA, the warmer outflow layer reduces the thermodynamic efficiency and partly offsets the positive contributions by the colder troposphere and drier boundary layer, resulting in the moderate MPI. In the WNP, the variability in MPI decreases with increasing SST across all four basins and is the largest. The large variability at low SSTs is largely contributed by the variability in air temperature, which includes both the air‐sea temperature difference and the outflow layer temperature, while the variability at relatively high SSTs is dominantly contributed by boundary layer moisture.
Analysis and Modeling of Precipitation Intermittency by Compound Markov‐DARMA Models
Authors: Wiuff Rasmus
Published: December 2019

Intermittency in precipitation is analyzed by a new class of stochastic models consisting of the product of two binary stochastic models. The ingoing models in these compound models are confined to a one‐parameter white noise model and either a first‐order or a second‐order autoregressive model, which is described by two or three parameters, respectively. The two resulting second‐order compound models have three and four parameters, respectively. Expressions of these parameters are derived, as well as equations with which to assess the parameters in the ingoing models based on the parameters in the compound models. The compound models are shown to differ considerably from the usual Markov models and discrete autoregressive moving average (DARMA) models. Daily binary precipitation time series from Copenhagen, Denmark, and Alice Springs, Australia, are analyzed by depicting the Markovian transition probabilities in probability trees with time lags of up to 5 days, resulting in 32 branches. Each tree is a kind of signature for the time series considered, but only a few of the branches, typically 3–4, are significant. Furthermore, the significant parts of the trees are rather skewed due to the intermittency of the precipitation process. This skewness makes the application of usual Markov and DARMA models less effective, whereas the new compound models better explain the observations. Based on one of the two new models, explicit but approximate expressions for the cumulative distribution (or the return period) of the durations of wet and dry spells are derived and compared to the observations from Copenhagen.
Sensitivity Analysis of Fully Distributed Parameterization Reveals Insights Into Heterogeneous Catchment Responses for Water Quality Modeling
Authors: Yang Xiaoqiang , Jomaa Seifeddine , Rode Michael
Published: December 2019

Spatially distributed parameterization is preferable in capturing the heterogeneity of catchment properties and in allowing a better model representation of catchment responses. In hydrological modeling, sensitivity analysis is recommended to address the high‐dimensional parametric problems. However, less has been focused on water quality modeling, presumably due to the lack of suitable fully distributed models. Based on the newly developed mesoscale hydrological‐nitrate model, we investigated for the first time the spatially distributed sensitivity of nitrate model parameters and correlated the sensitivity indices with multiple catchment characteristics. The study was conducted in the highly heterogeneous Selke catchment, central Germany. Three nested catchments were defined based on the heterogeneous catchment responses (gauged by three nested stations). Results showed that parameters of soil denitrification, in‐stream denitrification, and in‐stream assimilatory uptake were the most sensitive parameters throughout the catchment. They all showed high spatial variability, which also varied when different gauging stations were considered. Spearman rank correlation indicated that the sensitivity of soil denitrification was controlled mainly by the relative limitations between the terrestrial hydrological transport capacity and the soil nitrate availability; the sensitivity of in‐stream processes was predominated by the spatial variability within the river network (e.g., the proximity to the gauging station), rather than the local biogeochemical factors. Based on the insights gained from the spatial sensitivity and correlation analyses, we suggested that an appropriate monitoring scheme is important in reflecting actual catchment responses, and a cautious statistical correlation is informative in benefiting future parameter regionalization of water quality models.
Limits on Groundwater‐Surface Water Fluxes Derived from Temperature Time Series: Defining Resolution‐Based Thresholds
Authors: Glose Thomas J. , Lowry Christopher S. , Hausner Mark B.
Published: December 2019

Heat as a tracer is frequently used to quantify Darcy fluxes across the groundwater‐surface water interface. Often quantified through the analysis of diurnal or annual periodic temperature signals, these temperature time series methods rely on the advective transport of heat by flowing water perturbing the periodic conducted heat signal. Multiple methodologies have been developed that rely on temperature time series data collected from at least two unique depths a set distance apart. However, the lower limits at which these methods can no longer reliably quantify a Darcy flux are not well established. To examine these lower limits, synthetic temperature time series data were generated using a numerical model for various combinations of head gradients, sensor spacing, and thermal properties of the sediment. Darcy fluxes were subsequently quantified using the combined method and directly compared to prescribed Darcy fluxes. The dimensionless Péclet number, representing the ratio of advective to conductive heat flux, was used to establish threshold values at which the combined amplitude ratio and phase shift method was no longer able to reliably quantify a Darcy flux. The lowest recharge Darcy flux that can be quantified ranges from 0.07 to 0.2 m/day, dependent on the resolution of the sensor used to collect data, a narrower range than previously reported. When transitioning to a field setting, where the accuracy of Darcy fluxes is not known, a newly developed relationship between the true and inferred Péclet numbers can be used to evaluate quantified Darcy fluxes for accuracy.
Resolving Drivers of a Spatial Gradient in Evapotranspiration Through the Simulated Translocation of Landscape Factors
Authors: Jepsen S.M. , Harmon T.C.
Published: December 2019

A number of studies using the so‐called space‐for‐time substitution (STS) approach have predicted that climate warming of snow‐influenced watersheds would result in alarming increases in long‐term ET and concurrent decreases in runoff. This empirical approach implicitly assumes that any spatial covariation of factors across the landscape would remain fixed in time, that is, the “covariance‐stationarity” assumption. A better understanding of this assumption, in terms of what it means and how it affects predictions, is needed to assess the implications of STS predictions. To address this, we examined the influence of the covariance‐stationarity assumption on STS predictions of long‐term ET in response to warming. We did this by simulating changes in ET resulting from elevational transfers of factors in ways that emulate STS. This approach was applied to the upper San Joaquin River, a snow‐influenced watershed in the Sierra Nevada, USA. Predicted increases in ET from STS including the covariance‐stationarity assumption were 3–7 times greater than STS treating air temperature as an independent factor, over most of the higher elevations. Based on results from a factorial analysis, these differences were attributed primarily to the pedologic gradient across elevation, which transitions from loamy Alfisol soils at lower elevations to sandy Entisol/Inceptisol soils and exposed bedrock at upper elevations. The covariance‐stationarity assumption does not seem realistic for soil and air temperature over timescales of projected climate. Therefore, the confounding of these factors in the STS approach can substantially overestimate the sensitivity of long‐term ET to air temperature.
Identification of novel FBN1 variations implicated in congenital scoliosis
Authors: Lin Mao , Zhao Sen , Liu Gang , Huang Yingzhao , Yu Chenxi , Zhao Yanxue , Wang Lianlei , Zhang Yuanqiang , Yan Zihui , Wang Shengru , Liu Sen , Liu Jiaqi , Ye Yongyu , Chen Yaping , Yang Xu , Tong Bingdu , Wang Zheng , Yang Xinzhuang , Niu Yuchen , Li Xiaoxin , Wang Yipeng , Su Jianzhong , Yuan Jian , Zhao Hengqiang , Zhang Shuyang , Qiu Guixing ,   on behalf of the Deciphering Disorders Involving Scoliosis and COmorbidities (DISCO) study, Qiu Guixing , Wu Zhihong , Zhang Jianguo , Wu Nan , Wang Shengru , Liu Jiaqi , Liu Sen , Zuo Yuzhi , Liu Gang , Zhang Yuanqiang , Yu Chenxi , Zhao Sen , Wang Lianlei , Zhao Yanxue , Yan Zihui , Yang Xinzhuang , Zhao Hengqiang , Niu Yuchen , Li Xiaoxin , Lin Mao , Ikegawa Shiro , Zhang Jianguo , Wu Zhihong , Wu Nan
Published: December 2019

Congenital scoliosis (CS) is a form of scoliosis caused by congenital vertebral malformations. Genetic predisposition has been demonstrated in CS. We previously reported that TBX6 loss-of-function causes CS in a compound heterozygous model; however, this model can explain only 10% of CS. Many monogenic and polygenic CS genes remain to be elucidated. In this study, we analyzed exome sequencing (ES) data of 615 Chinese CS from the Deciphering Disorders Involving Scoliosis and COmorbidities (DISCO) project. Cosegregation studies for 103 familial CS identified a novel heterozygous nonsense variant, c.2649G>A (p.Trp883Ter) in FBN1. The association between FBN1 and CS was then analyzed by extracting FBN1 variants from ES data of 574 sporadic CS and 828 controls; 30 novel variants were identified and prioritized for further analyses. A mutational burden test showed that the deleterious FBN1 variants were significantly enriched in CS subjects (OR = 3.9, P = 0.03 by Fisher’s exact test). One missense variant, c.2613A>C (p.Leu871Phe) was recurrent in two unrelated CS subjects, and in vitro functional experiments for the variant suggest that FBN1 may contribute to CS by upregulating the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling. Our study expanded the phenotypic spectrum of FBN1, and provided nove insights into the genetic etiology of CS.
A novel CDK9 inhibitor increases the efficacy of venetoclax (ABT-199) in multiple models of hematologic malignancies
Authors: Phillips Darren C. , Jin Sha , Gregory Gareth P. , Zhang Qi , Xue John , Zhao Xiaoxian , Chen Jun , Tong Yunsong , Zhang Haichao , Smith Morey , Tahir Stephen K. , Clark Rick F. , Penning Thomas D. , Devlin Jennifer R. , Shortt Jake , Hsi Eric D. , Albert Daniel H. , Konopleva Marina , Johnstone Ricky W. , Leverson Joel D. , Souers Andrew J.
Published: December 2019

MCL-1 is one of the most frequently amplified genes in cancer, facilitating tumor initiation and maintenance and enabling resistance to anti-tumorigenic agents including the BCL-2 selective inhibitor venetoclax. The expression of MCL-1 is maintained via P-TEFb-mediated transcription, where the kinase CDK9 is a critical component. Consequently, we developed a series of potent small-molecule inhibitors of CDK9, exemplified by the orally active A-1592668, with CDK selectivity profiles that are distinct from related molecules that have been extensively studied clinically. Short-term treatment with A-1592668 rapidly downregulates RNA pol-II (Ser 2) phosphorylation resulting in the loss of MCL-1 protein and apoptosis in MCL-1-dependent hematologic tumor cell lines. This cell death could be attenuated by either inhibiting caspases or overexpressing BCL-2 protein. Synergistic cell killing was also observed between A-1592668 or the related analog A-1467729, and venetoclax in a number of hematologic cell lines and primary NHL patient samples. Importantly, the CDK9 inhibitor plus venetoclax combination was well tolerated in vivo and demonstrated efficacy superior to either agent alone in mouse models of lymphoma and AML. These data indicate that CDK9 inhibitors could be highly efficacious in tumors that depend on MCL-1 for survival or when used in combination with venetoclax in malignancies dependent on MCL-1 and BCL-2.
CHIMGEN: a Chinese imaging genetics cohort to enhance cross-ethnic and cross-geographic brain research
Authors:   for the CHIMGEN Consortium, Xu Qiang , Guo Lining , Cheng Jingliang , Wang Meiyun , Geng Zuojun , Zhu Wenzhen , Zhang Bing , Liao Weihua , Qiu Shijun , Zhang Hui , Xu Xiaojun , Yu Yongqiang , Gao Bo , Han Tong , Yao Zhenwei , Cui Guangbin , Liu Feng , Qin Wen , Zhang Quan , Li Mulin Jun , Liang Meng , Chen Feng , Xian Junfang , Li Jiance , Zhang Jing , Zuo Xi-Nian , Wang Dawei , Shen Wen , Miao Yanwei , Yuan Fei , Lui Su , Zhang Xiaochu , Xu Kai , Zhang Long Jiang , Ye Zhaoxiang , Yu Chunshui
Published: December 2019

The Chinese Imaging Genetics (CHIMGEN) study establishes the largest Chinese neuroimaging genetics cohort and aims to identify genetic and environmental factors and their interactions that are associated with neuroimaging and behavioral phenotypes. This study prospectively collected genomic, neuroimaging, environmental, and behavioral data from more than 7000 healthy Chinese Han participants aged 18–30 years. As a pioneer of large-sample neuroimaging genetics cohorts of non-Caucasian populations, this cohort can provide new insights into ethnic differences in genetic-neuroimaging associations by being compared with Caucasian cohorts. In addition to micro-environmental measurements, this study also collects hundreds of quantitative macro-environmental measurements from remote sensing and national survey databases based on the locations of each participant from birth to present, which will facilitate discoveries of new environmental factors associated with neuroimaging phenotypes. With lifespan environmental measurements, this study can also provide insights on the macro-environmental exposures that affect the human brain as well as their timing and mechanisms of action.
Resting-state functional connectivity in women with PMDD
Authors: Petersen Nicole , Ghahremani Dara G. , Rapkin Andrea J. , Berman Steven M. , Wijker Noor , Liang Letty , London Edythe D.
Published: December 2019

Background

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is an understudied, debilitating disorder of women. Given evidence for prefrontal cortical and limbic dysfunction in PMDD, we compared intrinsic connectivity of the executive control network (ECN), default mode network (DMN), and amygdala in women with PMDD vs. controls.

Methods

Thirty-six women (18 PMDD, 18 control) participated in fMRI during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. At each time, resting-state functional connectivity was evaluated both before and after participants performed an emotion regulation task. The ECN was identified using independent components analysis, and connectivity of left and right amygdala seeds was also evaluated.

Results

Nonparametric permutation testing identified a cluster in the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) with significantly stronger connectivity to the left ECN in women with PMDD vs. controls in all four fMRI sessions. Women with PMDD exhibited no difference in functional connectivity between menstrual cycle phases. Amygdala connectivity did not differ between the groups but differed significantly with menstrual phase, with left amygdala connectivity to cingulate cortex being significantly stronger during the follicular vs. luteal phase. Right amygdala connectivity to the middle frontal gyrus was also stronger during the follicular vs. luteal phase, with no group differences. These findings suggest that women with PMDD have different intrinsic network dynamics in the left executive control network compared to healthy controls.