bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Risk of Muscular Events Among New Users of Hydrophilic and Lipophilic Statins: an Observational Cohort Study
Authors: Mueller Alexandra M. , Liakoni Evangelia , Schneider Cornelia , Burkard Theresa , Jick Susan S. , Krähenbühl Stephan , Meier Christoph R. , Spoendlin Julia
Published: March 2021

Background

Statins are effective lipid-lowering drugs for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, but muscular adverse events can limit their use. Hydrophilic statins (pravastatin, rosuvastatin) may cause less muscular events than lipophilic statins (e.g. simvastatin, atorvastatin) due to lower passive diffusion into muscle cells.

Objective

To compare the risk of muscular events between statins at comparable lipid-lowering doses and to evaluate if hydrophilic statins are associated with a lower muscular risk than lipophilic statins.

Design/Setting

Propensity score-matched cohort study using data from the United Kingdom-based Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD.

Patients

New statin users. Cohort 1: pravastatin 20-40 mg (hydrophilic) vs simvastatin 10-20 mg (lipophilic), cohort 2: rosuvastatin 5-40 mg (hydrophilic) vs atorvastatin 10-80 mg (lipophilic), and cohort 3: simvastatin 40-80 mg vs atorvastatin 10-20 mg.

Main Measures

The outcome was a first record of a muscular event (myopathy, myalgia, myositis, rhabdomyolysis) during a maximum follow-up of 1 year.

Key Results

The propensity score-matched cohorts consisted of 1) 9,703, 2) 7,032, and 3) 37,743 pairs of statin users. Comparing the risk of muscular events between low-intensity pravastatin vs low-intensity simvastatin yielded a HR of 0.86 (95% CI 0.64-1.16). In the comparison of moderate- to high-intensity rosuvastatin vs equivalent doses of atorvastatin, we observed a HR of 1.17 (95% CI 0.88-1.56). Moderate- to high-intensity simvastatin was associated with a HR of 1.33 (95% CI 1.16-1.53), when compared with atorvastatin at equivalent doses.

Limitations

We could not conduct other pairwise comparisons of statins due to small sample size. In the absence of a uniform definition on the comparability of statin doses, the applied dose ratios may not fully match with all literature sources.

Conclusions

Our results do not suggest a systematically lower risk of muscular events for hydrophilic statins when compared to lipophilic statins at comparable lipid-lowering doses.
Sodic-Silicic Magmatism in Tadpatri Formation- A Study in Quartz Keratophyre and Albitite
Authors: Chakraborty Kasturi , Mukhopadhyay Prabir Kumar , Nandy Sandip
Published: March 2021

The mafic sills and unmetamorphosed shales and siltstones of Tadpatri Formation in Cuddapah Supergroup are associated with thin flows of quartz keratophyre and an occasional albitite dyke. The textural characteristics of these quartz keratophyre essentially establish them as igneous extrusive rocks. A detailed study of texture and chemistry, coupled with comparison of available records in geological literature, suggests that these rocks were derived through very small degree of partial melting of metasomatized mantle at pressures more than plagioclase stability field and less than jadeite stability field. High alkali content and associated volatiles led to significant decrease in viscosity and emplacement of these lavas in an extensional tectonic set-up.
Modelling of Soil Moisture Movement and Solute Transport in Parts of Malaprabha Command
Authors: Purandara B. K. , Sujitha Vidya , Shivapur Anand V. , Tyagi J. V.
Published: March 2021

Infiltration is one of the most important hydrological process through which water enters the soil surface and plays a significant role in controlling soil water storage, crop yields, irrigation efficiency and solute entry into the soil profile. In agriculture fields, generally, the top soils are enriched with high organic matter and clay, particularly in black soils that promotes sorption, biological degradation and transformation of contaminants. During the process some of the chemicals applied to farm land, move down with the deep percolating water from the root zone and there are likely chances to pollute the underlying ground water. Such instances are reported by locals in areas dominated by black soils of Malaprabha command area. In order to understand the extent of groundwater contamination through chemical fertilizers, insecticides and manures, two agricultural plots (sugarcane and banana plantation) have been identified in parts of Malaprabha command area covering parts of Saundatti, Ramdurg (Belagavi district) and Nargund taluks (Gadag district). Hydraulic properties such as infiltration and hydraulic conductivity were determined in the field. Soil samples were collected and analysed in the laboratory for texture and porosity. The study indicated that the soils of the region are layered in structure. Further, it is noticed that the coarse textured loamy soil is present below the fine textured soils (such as silty loam or clayey loam). Due to the presence of fine soils at the top, the irrigated water get accumulated and the evaporation takes place relatively faster and results in the accumulation of excess salt. It is also noticed that the layered soils have obvious effects on solute transport and salt accumulation in the clay rich soil layer at the interface. The average salt accumulation (Total Nitrogen) observed in the study area within soil profile is 18.7g/kg. The maximum salt accumulation (21.38 g/kg) occurred in the top layer of sugarcane plots followed by banana plantation (19.85 g/kg). It is also noticed that there are remarkable changes in the interlayered soils with reference to water infiltration characteristics and salt leaching intensities. Study revealed the fact that the properties of the soil profile with a silty loam interlayer is better than with a silty clay loam interlayer.
Development of semi-synthetic catalyst based on clay and their use in catalytic cracking of petroleum residue
Authors: Abdoulaye Dan Makaou Oumarou , Gueu Soumahoro , Gourouza Marou , Yao Kouassi Benjamin
Published: March 2021

Two semi-synthetic clay-based catalysts were prepared. These catalysts were obtained by incorporating lanthanum oxide (Cat1) and chromium oxide (Cat2). They were then tested for catalytic cracking of a heavy petroleum residue (fuel). The two formulations were carried out in the presence of silica to improve their acidity then underwent an acid activation. The catalysts obtained were characterized by various methods (XRD, FTIR, ICP-OES, SEM). The results showed that the incorporation of oxides and the addition of silica improves the structural characteristics of the final products. The support used was a kaolinite rich clay, having a specific surface area of 15.26 m2/g and acidity of 14 meq/g. These values increase, respectively, to 456.14 m2/g and 50 meq/g for Cat1 and to 475.12 m2/g and 57 meq/g for Cat2. The influence of the type of oxide incorporated, the specific surface area, the porosity and the acidity of the catalysts on their catalytic activity was studied. The nature of the oxide used proved to be decisive on the quality of the catalyst. Thus Cat1, prepared with lanthanum oxide, showed the best performance in cracking the petroleum residue achieving a conversion rate of 74.13% compared to 66.53% for cat2.
Hybridization of ring theory-based evolutionary algorithm and particle swarm optimization to solve class imbalance problem
Authors: Shaw Sayan Surya , Ahmed Shameem , Malakar Samir , Garcia-Hernandez Laura , Abraham Ajith , Sarkar Ram
Published: March 2021

Many real-life datasets are imbalanced in nature, which implies that the number of samples present in one class (minority class) is exceptionally less compared to the number of samples found in the other class (majority class). Hence, if we directly fit these datasets to a standard classifier for training, then it often overlooks the minority class samples while estimating class separating hyperplane(s) and as a result of that it missclassifies the minority class samples. To solve this problem, over the years, many researchers have followed different approaches. However the selection of the true representative samples from the majority class is still considered as an open research problem. A better solution for this problem would be helpful in many applications like fraud detection, disease prediction and text classification. Also, the recent studies show that it needs not only analyzing disproportion between classes, but also other difficulties rooted in the nature of different data and thereby it needs more flexible, self-adaptable, computationally efficient and real-time method for selection of majority class samples without loosing much of important data from it. Keeping this fact in mind, we have proposed a hybrid model constituting Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), a popular swarm intelligence-based meta-heuristic algorithm, and Ring Theory (RT)-based Evolutionary Algorithm (RTEA), a recently proposed physics-based meta-heuristic algorithm. We have named the algorithm as RT-based PSO or in short RTPSO. RTPSO can select the most representative samples from the majority class as it takes advantage of the efficient exploration and the exploitation phases of its parent algorithms for strengthening the search process. We have used AdaBoost classifier to observe the final classification results of our model. The effectiveness of our proposed method has been evaluated on 15 standard real-life datasets having low to extreme imbalance ratio. The performance of the RTPSO has been compared with PSO, RTEA and other standard undersampling methods. The obtained results demonstrate the superiority of RTPSO over state-of-the-art class imbalance problem-solvers considered here for comparison. The source code of this work is available inhttps://github.com/Sayansurya/RTPSO_Class_imbalance.
A generalised force equivalence-based modelling method for a dry wind-tunnel flutter test system
Authors: Zhang Z. , Gao B. , Wang J. , Xu D. , Chen G. , Yao W.
Published: March 2021

Dry wind-tunnel (DWT) flutter test systems model the unsteady distributed aerodynamic force using various electromagnetic exciters. They can be used to test the aeroelastic and aeroservoelastic stability of smart aircraft or high-speed flight vehicles. A new parameterised modelling method at the full system level based on the generalised force equivalence for DWT flutter systems is proposed herein. The full system model includes the structural dynamic model, electromechanical coupling model and fast aerodynamic computation model. An optimisation search method is applied to determine the best locations for measurement and excitation by introducing Fisher’s information matrix. The feasibility and accuracy of the proposed system-level numerical DWT modelling method have been validated for a plate aeroelastic model with four exciters/transducers. The effects of key parameters including the number of exciters, the control time delay, the noise interference and the electrical parameters of the electromagnetic exciter model have also been investigated. The numerical and experimental results indicate that the proposed modelling method achieves good accuracy (with deviations of less than 1.5% from simulations and 4.5% from experimental test results for the flutter speed) and robust performance even in uncertain environments with a 10% noise level.
Extending tamely ramified strict 1-motives into két log 1-motives
Authors: Zhao Heer
Published: March 2021

We define két abelian schemes, két 1-motives and két log 1-motives and formulate duality theory for these objects. Then we show that tamely ramified strict 1-motives over a discrete valuation field can be extended uniquely to két log 1-motives over the corresponding discrete valuation ring. As an application, we present a proof to a result of Kato stated in [12, §4.3] without proof. To a tamely ramified strict 1-motive over a discrete valuation field, we associate a monodromy pairing and compare it with Raynaud’s geometric monodromy.
Feasibility of ultraviolet light-emitting diode irradiation robot for terminal decontamination of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient rooms
Authors: Choi Hee Kyoung , Cui Chunguang , Seok Hyeri , Bae Joon-Yong , Jeon Ji Hoon , Lee Gee Eun , Choi Won Suk , Park Man-Seong , Park Dae Won
Published: March 2021

Objective:

To investigate the feasibility of using an ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) robot for the terminal decontamination of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient rooms.

Methods:

We assessed the presence of viral RNA in samples from environmental surfaces before and after UV LED irradiation in COVID-19 patient rooms after patient discharge.

Results:

We analyzed 216 environmental samples from 17 rooms: 2 from airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIRs) in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 15 from isolation rooms in the community treatment center (CTC). Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA was detected in 40 (18.5%) of 216 samples after patient discharge: 12 (33.3%) of 36 samples from AIIRs in the ICU, and 28 (15.6%) of 180 samples from isolation rooms in the CTC. In 1 AIIR, all samples were PCR negative after UV LED irradiation. In the CTC rooms, 14 (8.6%) of the 163 samples were PCR positive after UV LED irradiation. However, viable virus was not recovered from the culture of any of the PCR-positive samples.

Conclusions:

Although no viable virus was recovered, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected on various environmental surfaces. The use of a UV LED disinfection robot was effective in spacious areas such as an ICU, but its effects varied in small spaces like CTC rooms. These findings suggest that the UV LED robot may need enough space to disinfect rooms without recontamination by machine wheels or insufficient disinfection by shadowing.
A theory of glacier dynamics and instabilities Part 1: Topographically confined glaciers
Authors: Ou Hsien-Wang
Published: March 2021

We present a theoretical framework that integrates the dynamics of glaciers with and without the topographic confinement. This Part 1 paper concerns the former, which may exhibit surge cycles when subjected to thermal switches associated with the bed condition. With the topographic trough setting the glacier width and curbing the lateral drainage of the meltwater, the problem falls under the purview of the undrained plastic bed (UPB) formalism. Employing the UPB, we shall examine the external controls of the glacial behavior and test them against observations. Through our non-dimensionalization scheme, we construct a 2-D regime diagram, which allows a ready prognosis of the glacial properties over the full range of the external conditions, both climate- and size-related. We first discern the boundaries separating the glacial regimes of steady-creep, cyclic-surging and steady-sliding. We then apply the regime diagram to observed glaciers for quantitative comparisons. These include the Svalbard glaciers of both normal and surge types, Northeast Greenland Ice Stream characterized by steady-sliding, and Hudson Strait Ice Stream exhibiting cyclic surges. The quantitative validation of our model containing no free parameters suggests that the thermal switch may unify the dynamics of these diverse glaciers.
Nonignorable Attrition in Pairwise Randomized Experiments
Authors: Fukumoto Kentaro
Published: March 2021

In pairwise randomized experiments, what if the outcomes of some units are missing? One solution is to delete missing units (the unitwise deletion estimator, UDE). If attrition is nonignorable, however, the UDE is biased. Instead, scholars might employ the pairwise deletion estimator (PDE), which deletes the pairmates of missing units as well. This study proves that the PDE can be biased but more efficient than the UDE and, surprisingly, the conventional variance estimator of the PDE is unbiased in a super-population. I also propose a new variance estimator for the UDE and argue that it is easier to interpret the PDE as a causal effect than the UDE. To conclude, I recommend the PDE rather than the UDE.
Lagged Outcomes, Lagged Predictors, and Lagged Errors: A Clarification on Common Factors
Authors: Cook Scott J. , Webb Clayton
Published: March 2021

Debate on the use of lagged dependent variables has a long history in political science. The latest contribution to this discussion is Wilkins (2018, Political Science Research and Methods, 6, 393–411), which advocates the use of an ADL(2,1) model when there is serial dependence in the outcome and disturbance. While this specification does offer some insurance against serially correlated disturbances, this is never the best (linear unbiased estimator) approach and should not be pursued as a general strategy. First, this strategy is only appropriate when the data-generating process (DGP) actually implies a more parsimonious model. Second, when this is not the DGP—e.g., lags of the predictors have independent effects—this strategy mischaracterizes the dynamic process. We clarify this issue and detail a Wald test that can be used to evaluate the appropriateness of the Wilkins approach. In general, we argue that researchers need to always: (i) ensure models are dynamically complete and (ii) test whether more restrictive models are appropriate.
Recollements, comma categories and morphic enhancements
Authors: Chen Xiao-Wu , Le Jue
Published: March 2021

For each recollement of triangulated categories, there is an epivalence between the middle category and the comma category associated with a triangle functor from the category on the right to the category on the left. For a morphic enhancement of a triangulated category$\mathcal {T}$, there are three explicit ideals of the enhancing category, whose corresponding factor categories are all equivalent to the module category over$\mathcal {T}$. Examples related to inflation categories and weighted projective lines are discussed.
Strategic government communication about performance
Authors: de Benedictis-Kessner Justin
Published: March 2021

A great deal of research presents the correspondence between economic conditions and incumbent electoral fortunes as evidence of democratic accountability. A central theoretical mechanism for this phenomenon is that voters have information about performance. Using communications data consisting of more than 110,000 government press releases from cities in the US combined with fine-grained economic and crime data, I leverage the breadth of local variation in conditions to assess the inputs to this mechanism behind accountability. I provide causal evidence that government communication changes as a result of performance in a strategic manner: local politicians are more likely to communicate about both economic conditions and crime when performance is improving—better wages and less crime—than when performance is worse. These findings add direct evidence from the underutilized area of local politics that politicians strategically communicate in a way that threatens accountability.
COMPARISON OF THERMAL DECOMPOSITION AND SEQUENTIAL DISSOLUTION—TWO SAMPLE PREPARATION METHODS FOR RADIOCARBON DATING OF LIME MORTARS
Authors: Daugbjerg Thomas Schrøder , Lindroos Alf , Hajdas Irka , Ringbom Åsa , Olsen Jesper
Published: March 2021

Dating lime mortar samples using the radiocarbon (14C) method can be difficult. This is because the contamination is similar to the primary dating material (CaCO3) and consequently difficult to remove. Mortar can also have late-in-formation pyrogenic carbonate from interactions with the environment after the initial hardening phase, such as recrystallization, fire damage or delayed hardening. When 14C dating a system of primary dating material, contamination and late-in-formation pyrogenic carbonate, one approach is multi-fraction dating with conclusiveness criteria. If a sample has sufficient contamination or late-in-formation pyrogenic carbonate, the criteria evaluate the result inconclusive. To improve inconclusive results from such samples, this study investigates sample preparation by thermal decomposition. Here samples that were inconclusively dated by the authors’ traditional method, sequential dissolution with 85% phosphoric acid, are investigated further. This study finds that CO2 thermally decomposed at low temperatures contains some late-in-formation pyrogenic carbonate. By rejecting CO2 decomposed at low temperatures, Kastelholm castle and Kimito church in Finland are conclusively and accurately dated. Furthermore, a preheating method removes some late-in-formation carbonate, but not enough for a conclusive result. Finally, thermal decomposition finds difficulty in discerning binder carbonate from limestone and marble contamination.
Constrained stellarator coil curvature optimization with FOCUS
Authors: Kruger Thomas G. , Zhu C. , Bader A. , Anderson D. T. , Singh L.
Published: March 2021

Finding less complicated coils that have adequately low field errors is a crucial step in stellarator development. One coil metric that is of high importance is the maximum curvature of the coil centreline, or coil single filament. Conductors cannot be bent below some threshold minimum radius of curvature. High coil curvatures can cause strains to exceed acceptable levels, especially in superconducting coils. We investigate three ways to optimize coil curvature and find that applying penalty functions to the coil curvature solves for coils that have a constrained maximum curvature and low field error. Penalty functions are implemented in FOCUS and coil solutions optimized for an HSX-like ‘plasma boundary’ are presented.
Engendering Tionghoa nationalism: Female purity in male-authored Sino-Malay novels of colonial Java
Authors: Chin Grace V.S.
Published: March 2021

The recurring trope of female purity holds an important place in the Sino-Malay literature of colonial Java from the late 1910s to the 1930s, a turbulent and transformative sociopolitical period that also saw the rise of Tionghoa (Chinese) nationalism in the Dutch Indies. Used mainly by male writers who dominated the Sino-Malay literary scene, the gendered trope features polarised femininities — the archetypal virtuous Tionghoa girl, and the Westernised modern girl who defies Confucian traditions — and reflects the male perspectives and sexism of the time. I contend, however, that the trope reveals ideological motivations that go beyond patriarchal concerns, as it is also employed to articulate and perpetuate nationalist and anti-colonial ideas and views. Using theories of gender and nation as well as anthropological concepts of purity and pollution, I examine how the female body's inscribed purity draws on embedded epistemologies of race and gender to represent Tionghoa identity and nationalism in two male-authored Sino-Malay novels, Liem Hian Bing'sValentine Chan atawa rahasia Semarang(1926) and Tan Chieng Lian'sOh…..Papa!(1929). As my readings show, female purity as a nationalist ideology validates Tionghoa masculinity as the defender and guardian of not just woman's virtue, but also of an imagined morally and culturally superior Tionghoa nation.
“To Wage a War”: Crime, Race, and State Making in the Age of FDR
Authors: Denney Matthew G. T.
Published: March 2021

The FDR administration waged a war on crime starting in 1933. I argue that this war on crime had three primary effects. First, it created a ratchet effect whereby expanded institutions did not return to previous levels after the campaign ended. Second, it instilled enduring institutional and racial logics into law enforcement in America. By building a state through a war on crime, these leaders constructed a criminal justice system designed to make war. Moreover, they perpetuated the surveillance of Black leaders and eschewed calls from Black organizations demanding protection from widespread racial violence. Third, these political entrepreneurs induced an issue realignment that defined crime policy around a politics of consensus—a consensus that included every major political bloc but Black Americans, who unsuccesfully called on the federal government to hold local police accountable and address racial inequality. This coalition diffused their methods to states and deployed future wars on crime, and the racial logics cemented in the FDR era set the stage for these future wars to be deployed disproportionately against the Black community.
A proof of a conjecture of Gyárfás, Lehel, Sárközy and Schelp on Berge-cycles
Authors: Omidi G. R.
Published: March 2021

It has been conjectured that, for any fixed \[{\text{r}} \geqslant 2\] and sufficiently large n, there is a monochromatic Hamiltonian Berge-cycle in every \[({\text{r}} - 1)\]-colouring of the edges of \[{\text{K}}_{\text{n}}^{\text{r}}\], the complete r-uniform hypergraph on n vertices. In this paper we prove this conjecture.
Bronchogenic cyst presenting with respiratory distress in a neonate
Authors: Diraneyya Obayda M. , Al-Mutrafi Amna , Al Jadaan Saud , Eldadah Osama , Alghamdi Mohammed H. , Alghamdi Abdullah A. , Alhabshan Fahad
Published: March 2021

Bronchogenic cysts are considered rare airway anomalies that can have a significant impact on the well-being of infants. In this case report, we present a rare presentation of bronchogenic cyst presenting with early neonatal respiratory distress due to airway and vascular compression. Surgical excision was curative with an excellent prognosis.
Integrated PET-CT treatment planning of locally advanced head and neck cancer: a review of imaging features and the contribution to clinical outcomes
Authors: Ampil Federico , Norton Michelle
Published: March 2021

Aim:

Little is known about how integrated positron emission tomography-computed tomography (IPET-CT), both imaging tools and not methods of treatment, contributes to head and neck cancer patients’ outcomes. We analysed the clinical PET-CT findings and their correlation to the effects of applied contemporary disease management.

Methodology:

A retrospective analysis of 29 individuals who underwent treatment planning fusion of PET-CT for radiochemotherapy of locally advanced head and neck cancer between 2010 and 2016 was undertaken. Gross tumour volumes were categorised as small (≤36 cm3) or large (>36 cm3), and tumour responses to therapy were classified as complete or incomplete.

Results:

The overall rates of complete tumour response (CTR), 3-year crude survival and failure (all types included) were 80%, 41% and 55%, respectively. Comparative analysis of tumour volume subsets revealed no significant differences in the rates of CTR (p > 0.80), 3-year survival (p > 0.30) and locoregional recurrence (p > 0.70). CTR was associated with improved prognosis (p > 0.05) and fewer tumour relapses (p < 0.02).

Conclusion:

Our findings, although not truly conclusive, appear in line with those in the literature. Smaller tumour volumes and CTRs shown on integrated PET-CT are likely to play important roles in the promotion of better prognosis, but further study with larger patient numbers and more data are needed.
To segment or not to segment the PTV in SIB-VMAT of head-and-neck cancer: a dosimetric comparison with relevance to clinical practice
Authors: Mathew Manu , Godson Henry F. , Thomas Abel J. , Balu Krishna Sasidharan , Kumar A Sathish , Isiah Rajesh , John Subhashini , Pavamani Simon P.
Published: March 2021

Aim:

This study aimed to evaluate and compare simultaneous integrated boost-based volumetric modulated arc therapy (SIB-VMAT) of head-and-neck plans optimised using segmented and non-segmented intermediate-risk target volumes.

Materials and methods:

CT data of 20 patients with locally advanced laryngeal cancer treated with radical chemoradiation were included retrospectively. Both segmented [planning target volume (PTV) IR!] and non-segmented PTV (PTV IR) volumes were created for the intermediate-risk volume. Correspondingly, two VMAT plans were generated for every CT dataset. Dosimetry parameters obtained from cumulative dose volume histogram and the quality indices such as conformity and homogeneity indices were evaluated for both plans and were statistically analysed.

Results:

Maximum dose of PTV IR! was observed to be higher in the non-segmented plans (7281·45 versus 7075·75 cGy) and was statistically significant (p = 0·002). Homogeneity index (HI) of PTV IR! in segmented plans fared better compared to non-segmented plans (0·1 versus 0·12, p = 0·01). All other dosimetry parameters were found to be similar in both plans.

Conclusion:

This study shows that using segmented volumes for planning will lead to more homogenous plans with regard to intermediate- and low-risk volumes, especially under controlled settings.
The Theodicy of Growth: John Rawls, Political Economy, and Reasonable Faith
Authors: Eich Stefan
Published: March 2021

Rediscovery of John Rawls's early interest in theology has recently prompted readings of his philosophical project as a secularized response to earlier theological questions. Intellectual historians have meanwhile begun to historicize Rawls's use of contemporary philosophical resources and his engagement with economic theory. In this article I argue that what held together Rawls's evolving interest in postwar political economy and his commitment to philosophy as reconciliation was his understanding of the need for secular theodicy. In placing Rawls in the intellectual context of a postwar political economy of growth as well as in relation to the history of political thought, including his reading of that history, I defend two claims. First, I argue that Rawls's philosophical ambition is best understood as providing a secular reconciliatory theodicy. Second, I suggest that Rawls's theodicy was initially rendered plausible by the economic background conditions of economic growth that were fractured and fragmented just as Rawls's book was published in 1971. This divergence between text and context helps to account for Rawls's peculiar reception and his own subsequent attempt to insist on the applicability of his theory under radically altered circumstances.
Rawls's Teaching and the “Tradition” of Political Philosophy
Authors: Bejan Teresa M.
Published: March 2021

This article explores Rawls's evolving orientation to “the tradition of political philosophy” over the course of his academic career, culminating inJustice as Fairness: A Restatement(2001). Drawing on archival material, it argues that Rawls's fascination with tradition arose out of his own pedagogical engagement with the debate around the “death of political philosophy” in the 1950s. Throughout, I highlight the significance of Rawls's teaching—beginning with his earliest lectures on social and political philosophy at Cornell, to his shifting views on “the tradition” in his published works, culminating in the increasingly contextually minded and irenic approach on display inPolitical Liberalism(1993) andJustice as Fairness. This neglected aspect of the “historical Rawls” offers insight into how Rawls himself might have read “John Rawls” as a figure in the history of political thought—and reveals that he spent a lot more time contemplating that question than one might think.
Sustainable and equitable agricultural mechanization? A gendered perspective on maize shelling
Authors: Fischer Gundula , Kotu Bekele , Mutungi Christopher
Published: March 2021

How can agricultural mechanization be accomplished in a sustainable and equitable way? This question has gained increased prominence in mechanization research over the past few years. In this study, we apply the question to mechanized maize shelling in Tanzania as a case in point. Data from a survey with 400 farmers and from semi-structured interviews with 21 key informants are combined for a gender analysis that relies on Kabeer's concept of four institutional sites (household, community, market and government). The findings reveal that although mechanization reduces men's and women's perceived drudgery of shelling, relief depends on gendered patterns of labor allocation and decision-making at the household level. As a result, the transformation of inequitable norms emerges as paramount. Key informants identified additional aspects that would make mechanized shelling more equitable and sustainable, such as mainstreaming gender and mechanization in comprehensive agricultural training, or the sensitization of mechanized input suppliers and manufacturers to farmers' preferences (including gender-sensitive machine design). Concerted efforts in multiple institutional sites are needed to achieve lasting change in respect of equity in mechanization.
Constraining the Volume of Earth's Early Oceans With a Temperature‐Dependent Mantle Water Storage Capacity Model
Authors: Dong Junjie , Fischer Rebecca A. , Stixrude Lars P. , Lithgow‐Bertelloni Carolina R.
Published: March 2021

The water content in Earth's mantle today remains poorly constrained, but the bulk water storage capacity in the solid mantle can be quantified based on experimental data and may amount to a few times the modern surface ocean mass (OM). An appreciation of the mantle water storage capacity is indispensable to our understanding of how water may have cycled between the surface and mantle reservoirs and changed the volume of the oceans through time. In this study, we parameterized high pressure‐temperature experimental data on water storage capacities in major rock‐forming minerals to track the bulk water storage capacity in Earth's solid mantle as a function of temperature. We find that the mantle water storage capacity decreases as mantle potential temperature (Tp) increases, and its estimated value depends on the water storage capacity of bridgmanite in the lower mantle: 1.86–4.41 OM with a median of 2.29 OM for today (Tp = 1600 K), and 0.52–1.69 OM with a median of 0.72 OM for the early Earth's solid mantle (for a Tp that was 300 K higher). An increase in Tp by 200–300 K results in a decrease in the mantle water storage capacity by – OM. We explored how the volume of early oceans may have controlled sea level during the early Archean (4–3.2 Ga) with some additional assumptions about early continents. We found that more voluminous surface oceans might have existed if the actual mantle water content today is > 0.3–0.8 OM and the early Archean Tp was ≥1900 K.
The Growth of Europa's Icy Shell: Convection and Crystallization
Authors: Green A. P. , Montesi L. G. J. , Cooper C. M.
Published: March 2021

The thickness of Europa's icy shell, which controls its thermal and rheological structure, cannot currently be directly measured. However, it can be estimated through indirect methods, including geodynamic modeling. We simulate the crystallization of the ice shell from a liquid water ocean and its subsequent thermal equilibration in the presence of tidal heat. We evaluate the effects of solid‐state stagnant lid convection on the shell's thermal equilibrium thickness and shell formation timing. The thermal equilibrium thickness of the ice shell ranges from 5 to 30 km, depending on the imposed tidal flexure strain rate. The ice lithospheric thickness remains less than 8 km, independently of imposed tidal flexure strain rate, overall shell thickness, and surface temperature, suggesting the Europan ice lithospheric strength is globally uniform. Thermal convection significantly reduces the thermal equilibration time scale, with the Europan ice shell able to fully crystallize out from a liquid water ocean in less than 2 Myr. Heterogeneous thermal equilibrium thickness values across the satellite suggest that widespread crystallization and melting may occur at the base of the shell. Rapid melting and crystallization timing suggest that the young surface age of the Europan ice shell may be the result of rapid catastrophic whole‐shell melting and recrystallization entirely recycling the surface.
Microplastics’ Hidden Contribution to Snow Melting
Authors: Ming Jing , Wang Feiteng
Published: March 2021

Microplastic particles, present everywhere on the planet, may complicate assessments of black carbon’s role in the melting of snow and of its contributions to Earth’s radiative balance.
USP34 regulates tooth root morphogenesis by stabilizing NFIC
Authors: Jiang Shuang , Sheng Rui , Qi Xingying , Wang Jun , Guo Yuchen , Yuan Quan
Published: March 2021

Tooth root morphogenesis involves two biological processes, root elongation and dentinogenesis, which are guaranteed by downgrowth of Hertwig’s epithelial root sheath (HERS) and normal odontoblast differentiation. Ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation has been reported to precisely regulate various physiological processes, while its role in tooth development is still elusive. Here we show ubiquitin-specific protease 34 (USP34) plays a pivotal role in root formation. Deletion ofUsp34in dental mesenchymal cells leads to short root anomaly, characterized by truncated roots and thin root dentin. TheUSP34-deficient dental pulp cells (DPCs) exhibit decreased odontogenic differentiation with downregulation of nuclear factor I/C (NFIC). Overexpression of NFIC partially restores the impaired odontogenic potential of DPCs. These findings indicate that USP34-dependent deubiquitination is critical for root morphogenesis by stabilizing NFIC.
Identification of an intraocular microbiota
Authors: Deng Yuhua , Ge Xiaofei , Li Yan , Zou Bin , Wen Xiaofeng , Chen Weirong , Lu Lin , Zhang Meifen , Zhang Xiaomin , Li Chunmei , Zhao Chan , Lin Xiaofeng , Zhang Xiulan , Huang Xinhua , Li Xiaorong , Jin Ming , Peng Guang-Hua , Wang Dongni , Wang Xun , Lai Weiyi , Liang Juanran , Li Jing Jing , Liang Qiaoxing , Yang Liu , Zhang Qinfen , Li Yinyin , Lu Ping , Hu Xiao , Li Xifang , Deng Xiuli , Liu Yu , Zou Yanli , Guo Shixin , Chen Tingting , Qin Yali , Yang Fuhua , Miao Li , Chen Wei , Chan Chi-Chao , Lin Haotian , Liu Yizhi , Lee Richard W. J. , Wei Lai
Published: March 2021

The current dogma in ophthalmology and vision research presumes the intraocular environment to be sterile. However, recent evidence of intestinal bacterial translocation into the bloodstream and many other internal organs including the eyes, found in healthy and diseased animal models, suggests that the intraocular cavity may also be inhabited by a microbial community. Here, we tested intraocular samples from over 1000 human eyes. Using quantitative PCR, negative staining transmission electron microscopy, direct culture, and high-throughput sequencing technologies, we demonstrated the presence of intraocular bacteria. The possibility that the microbiome from these low-biomass communities could be a contamination from other tissues and reagents was carefully evaluated and excluded. We also provide preliminary evidence that a disease-specific microbial signature characterized the intraocular environment of patients with age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma, suggesting that either spontaneous or pathogenic bacterial translocation may be associated with these common sight-threatening conditions. Furthermore, we revealed the presence of an intraocular microbiome in normal eyes from non-human mammals and demonstrated that this varied across species (rat, rabbit, pig, and macaque) and was established after birth. These findings represent the first-ever evidence of intraocular microbiota in humans.
Constraining maximum event magnitude during injection-triggered seismicity
Authors: Li Ziyan , Elsworth Derek , Wang Chaoyi ,   EGS-Collab, Boyd L. , Frone Z. , Metcalfe E. , Nieto A. , Porse S. , Vandermeer W. , Podgorney R. , Huang H. , McLing T. , Neupane G. , Chakravarty A. , Cook P. J. , Dobson P. F. , Doughty C. A. , Guglielmi Y. , Hopp C. , Hu M. , Jayne R. S. , Johnson S. E. , Kim K. , Kneafsey T. , Nakagawa S. , Newman G. , Petrov P. , Primo J. C. , Robertson M. , Rodriguez-Tribaldos V. , Rutqvist J. , Schoenball M. , Sonnenthal E. L. , Soom F. A. , Sprinkle S. , Ulrich C. , Valladao C. A. , Wood T. , Zhang Y. Q. , Zhou Q. , Huang L. , Chen Y. , Chen T. , Chi B. , Feng Z. , Frash L. P. , Gao K. , Jafarov E. , Karra S. , Makedonska N. , Li D. , Li J. , Pawar R. , Welch N. , Fu P. , Mellors R. J. , Morency C. E. , Morris J. P. , Sherman C. S. , Smith M. M. , Templeton D. , Wagoner J. L. , White J. , Wu H. , Moore J. , Brown S. , Crandall D. , Mackey P. , Paronish T. , Workman S. , Johnston B. , Beckers K. , Weers J. , Polsky Y. , Maceira M. , Chai C. P. , Bonneville A. , Burghardt J. A. , Horner J. , Johnson T. C. , Knox H. , Knox J. , Roberts B. Q. , Sprinkle P. , Strickland C. E. , Thomle J. N. , Vermeul V. R. , White M. D. , Blankenship D. , Ingraham M. , Myers T. , Pope J. , Schwering P. , Foris A. , King D. K. , Feldman J. , Lee M. , Su J. , Baumgartner T. , Heise J. , Horn M. , Pietzyk B. , Rynders D. , Vandine G. , Vardiman D. , Doe T. , McLennan J. , Wu Y. S. , Miskimins J. , Winterfeld P. , Kutun K. , Zoback M. D. , Singh A. , Horne R. N. , Li K. , Hawkins A. , Zhang Y. , Mattson E. , Elsworth D. , Im K. J. , Li Z. , Marone C. J. , Yildirim E. C. , Ajo-Franklin J. , Ghassemi A. , Kumar D. , Sesetty V. , Vachaparampil A. , Wang H. F. , Sone H. , Condon K. , Haimson B. , Roggenthen W. , Medler C. , Uzunlar N. , Reimers C. , McClure M. W.
Published: March 2021

Understanding mechanisms controlling fluid injection-triggered seismicity is key in defining strategies to ameliorate it. Recent triggered events (e.g. Pohang, Mw 5.5) have exceeded predictions of average energy release by a factor of >1000x, necessitating robust methodologies to both define critical antecedent conditions and to thereby constrain anticipated event size. We define maximum event magnitudes resulting from triggering as a function of pre-existing critical stresses and fluid injection volume. Fluid injection experiments on prestressed laboratory faults confirm these estimates of triggered moment magnitudes for varied boundary conditions and injection rates. In addition, observed ratios of shear slip to dilation rates on individual faults signal triggering and may serve as a measurable proxy for impending rupture. This new framework provides a robust method of constraining maximum event size for preloaded faults and unifies prior laboratory and field observations that span sixteen decades in injection volume and four decades in length scale.
Implication of TIGIT+ human memory B cells in immune regulation
Authors: Hasan Md Mahmudul , Nair Sumi Sukumaran , O’Leary Jacqueline G. , Thompson-Snipes LuAnn , Nyarige Verah , Wang Junwen , Park Walter , Stegall Mark , Heilman Raymond , Klintmalm Goran B. , Joo HyeMee , Oh SangKon
Published: March 2021

Regulatory B cells (Bregs) contribute to immune regulation. However, the mechanisms of action of Bregs remain elusive. Here, we report that T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) expressed on human memory B cells especially CD19+CD24hiCD27+CD39hiIgD−IgM+CD1c+ B cells is essential for effective immune regulation. Mechanistically, TIGIT on memory B cells controls immune response by directly acting on T cells and by arresting proinflammatory function of dendritic cells, resulting in the suppression of Th1, Th2, Th17, and CXCR5+ICOS+ T cell response while promoting immune regulatory function of T cells. TIGIT+ memory B cells are also superior to other B cells at expressing additional inhibitory molecules, including IL-10, TGFβ1, granzyme B, PD-L1, CD39/CD73, and TIM-1. Lack or decrease of TIGIT+ memory B cells is associated with increased donor-specific antibody and TFH response, and decreased Treg response in renal and liver allograft patients. Therefore, TIGIT+ human memory B cells play critical roles in immune regulation.
Directing reaction pathways via in situ control of active site geometries in PdAu single-atom alloy catalysts
Authors: Ouyang Mengyao , Papanikolaou Konstantinos G. , Boubnov Alexey , Hoffman Adam S. , Giannakakis Georgios , Bare Simon R. , Stamatakis Michail , Flytzani-Stephanopoulos Maria , Sykes E. Charles H.
Published: March 2021

The atomic scale structure of the active sites in heterogeneous catalysts is central to their reactivity and selectivity. Therefore, understanding active site stability and evolution under different reaction conditions is key to the design of efficient and robust catalysts. Herein we describe theoretical calculations which predict that carbon monoxide can be used to stabilize different active site geometries in bimetallic alloys and then demonstrate experimentally that the same PdAu bimetallic catalyst can be transitioned between a single-atom alloy and a Pd cluster phase. Each state of the catalyst exhibits distinct selectivity for the dehydrogenation of ethanol reaction with the single-atom alloy phase exhibiting high selectivity to acetaldehyde and hydrogen versus a range of products from Pd clusters. First-principles based Monte Carlo calculations explain the origin of this active site ensemble size tuning effect, and this work serves as a demonstration of what should be a general phenomenon that enables in situ control over catalyst selectivity.
Singlet exciton fission in a modified acene with improved stability and high photoluminescence yield
Authors: Budden Peter J. , Weiss Leah R. , Müller Matthias , Panjwani Naitik A. , Dowland Simon , Allardice Jesse R. , Ganschow Michael , Freudenberg Jan , Behrends Jan , Bunz Uwe H. F. , Friend Richard H.
Published: March 2021

We report a fully efficient singlet exciton fission material with high ambient chemical stability. 10,21-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)tetrabenzo[a,c,l,n]pentacene (TTBP) combines an acene core with triphenylene wings that protect the formal pentacene from chemical degradation. The electronic energy levels position singlet exciton fission to be endothermic, similar to tetracene despite the triphenylenes. TTBP exhibits rapid early time singlet fission with quantitative yield of triplet pairs within 100 ps followed by thermally activated separation to free triplet excitons over 65 ns. TTBP exhibits high photoluminescence quantum efficiency, close to 100% when dilute and 20% for solid films, arising from triplet-triplet annihilation. In using such a system for exciton multiplication in a solar cell, maximum thermodynamic performance requires radiative decay of the triplet population, observed here as emission from the singlet formed by recombination of triplet pairs. Combining chemical stabilisation with efficient endothermic fission provides a promising avenue towards singlet fission materials for use in photovoltaics.
Tropical cyclone exposure is associated with increased hospitalization rates in older adults
Authors: Parks Robbie M. , Anderson G. Brooke , Nethery Rachel C. , Navas-Acien Ana , Dominici Francesca , Kioumourtzoglou Marianthi-Anna
Published: March 2021

Hurricanes and other tropical cyclones have devastating effects on society. Previous case studies have quantified their impact on some health outcomes for particular tropical cyclones, but a comprehensive assessment over longer periods is currently missing. Here, we used data on 70 million Medicare hospitalizations and tropical cyclone exposures over 16 years (1999–2014). We formulated a conditional quasi-Poisson model to examine how tropical cyclone exposure (days greater than Beaufort scale gale-force wind speed; ≥34 knots) affect hospitalizations for 13 mutually-exclusive, clinically-meaningful causes. We found that tropical cyclone exposure was associated with average increases in hospitalizations from several causes over the week following exposure, including respiratory diseases (14.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.9–17.9%); infectious and parasitic diseases (4.3%; 95%CI: 1.2–8.1%); and injuries (8.7%; 95%CI: 6.0–11.8%). Average decadal tropical cyclone exposure in all impacted counties would be associated with an estimated 16,772 (95%CI: 8,265–25,278) additional hospitalizations. Our findings demonstrate the need for targeted preparedness strategies for hospital personnel before, during, and after tropical cyclones.