bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
When to Switch? Index Policies for Resource Scheduling in Emergency Response
Authors: Li Dong , Ding Li , Connor Stephen
Published: September 2019

This study considers the scheduling of limited resources to a large number of jobs (e.g., medical treatment) with uncertain lifetimes and service times, in the aftermath of a mass casualty incident. Jobs are subject to triage at time zero, and placed into a number of classes. Our goal is to maximize the expected number of job completions. We propose an effective yet simple index policy based on Whittle’s restless bandits approach. The problem concerned features a finite and uncertain time horizon that is dependent upon the service policy, which also determines the decision epochs. Moreover, the number of job classes still competing for service diminishes over time. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of Whittle’s index policies to such problems. Two versions of Lagrangian relaxation are proposed in order to decompose the problem. The first is a direct extension of the standard Whittle’s restless bandits approach, while in the second the total number of job classes still competing for service is taken into account; the latter is shown to generalize the former. We prove the indexability of all job classes in the Markovian case, and develop closed‐form indices. Extensive numerical experiments show that the second proposal outperforms the first one (that fails to capture the dynamics in the number of surviving job classes, or bandits) and produces more robust and consistent results as compared to alternative heuristics suggested from the literature, even in non‐Markovian settings.
How Business Interests and Government Inaction Led to the Humidifier Disinfectant Disaster in South Korea: Implications for Better Risk Governance
Authors: Choi Young Jun , Jeon Mi Sun
Published: September 2019

Humidifier sterilizers were regarded as innovative and health‐promoting products; they were widespread in South Korea until 2011. However, hospitals reported mysterious deaths, and a legal investigation in April 2016 found that hundreds of people have died due to use of the sterilizing disinfectant. This article takes up that topic, discussing the government's role in dealing with the risk regarding the humidifier disinfectant. We pay particular attention to the unequal nature of the uncertainty produced by the distorted socioeconomic structure. Through in‐depth interviews with key informants and an examination of relevant documents from the government, civic groups, and newspapers, we find that the government had increasingly acknowledged the risk, yet their inaction failed to stop the high number of casualties, and they have only recently responded proactively. The uncertainty of the risk was unevenly distributed between companies, the government, experts, and citizens. We argue that the proactive and transparent role of the government with the precautionary principle could fix the unequal structure of knowledge production and preserve public health.
Zariski closures of images of algebraic subsets under the uniformization map on finite-volume quotients of the complex unit ball
Authors: Mok Ngaiming
Published: September 2019

We prove the analogue of the Ax–Lindemann–Weierstrass theorem for not necessarily arithmetic lattices of the automorphism group of the complex unit ball $\mathbb{B}^{n}$ using methods of several complex variables, algebraic geometry and Kähler geometry. Consider a torsion-free lattice $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}\,\subset \,\text{Aut}(\mathbb{B}^{n})$ and the associated uniformization map $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70B}:\mathbb{B}^{n}\rightarrow \mathbb{B}^{n}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}=:X_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}}$. Given an algebraic subset $S\,\subset \,\mathbb{B}^{n}$ and writing $Z$ for the Zariski closure of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70B}(S)$ in $X_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}}$ (which is equipped with a canonical quasi-projective structure), in some precise sense we realize $Z$ as a variety uniruled by images of algebraic subsets under the uniformization map, and study the asymptotic geometry of an irreducible component $\widetilde{Z}$ of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70B}^{-1}(Z)$ as $\widetilde{Z}$ exits the boundary $\unicode[STIX]{x2202}\mathbb{B}^{n}$ by exploiting the strict pseudoconvexity of $\mathbb{B}^{n}$, culminating in the proof that $\widetilde{Z}\,\subset \,\mathbb{B}^{n}$ is totally geodesic. Our methodology sets the stage for tackling problems in functional transcendence theory for arbitrary lattices of $\text{ Aut}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA})$ for (possibly reducible) bounded symmetric domains $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA}$.
Diplomatic Security in the United Kingdom
Authors: Kinsey Christopher
Published: September 2019

This chapter examines the United Kingdom’s diplomatic security policies, arrangements, and methods during the Cold War and post–Cold War eras, explaining where responsibility for the procedures used to protect missions lies before touching on the role of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and other government agencies in underpinning diplomatic security. In particular, the chapter notes that British diplomatic protection remains based on an informal approach that relies on the personal contacts and previous experience of the security personnel responsible for protecting missions abroad.
German Diplomatic Security Policy
Authors: Brummer Klaus , Krotz Ulrich
Published: September 2019

Since the end of the Cold War, counterterrorism has joined traditional counterintelligence concerns at the top of the German diplomatic security agenda. Germany has designated diplomatic security predominantly as a responsibility of the police, and has tasked the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei) with the lead role in providing security for its diplomatic installations around the world. This chapter offers a brief review of the Federal Republic of Germany’s diplomatic activities and its efforts to maintain diplomatic security from the Cold War to the present. It then examines some of the main challenges to diplomatic security today, and how Germany has responded to them.
Diplomatic Security as Counterterrorism
Authors: Zur Barak Ben
Published: September 2019

Israeli diplomatic delegations have frequently been targeted by terrorist attacks. The Israeli state has established a single overarching approach against this violent campaign, choosing the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) as the leading organization tasked with countering attacks against both diplomatic missions and other civilian objectives abroad. The ISA has been crucial in enhancing Israel’s diplomatic security by providing intelligence and armed personnel to protect missions abroad.
Trifle
Authors: Moshenska Joe
Published: September 2019

This chapter begins with lists compiled in Lincolnshire in the 1550s. These lists show that objects including pyxes--containers for the Eucharist--were given to children as playthings. The chapter links this practice to the widespread discourse that sought to demean traditional religion as a mere trifling with inane and worthless things, but it argues that the practice of iconoclastic child’s play differs from this polemic in that the object actually lingers as a potential locus for newly emerging meanings. This possibility is linked to the wider complexities surrounding the status of trifles and inanities in the history of Christian thought and its consistent inversions of value, as well as to the self-reflexive interrogation of the status of trifles in the writings of Thomas More.
Doll
Authors: Moshenska Joe
Published: September 2019

This chapter opens with a father in Cologne in the 1590s who snapped the arms from a crucifix and gave it to his children as a toy. Returning to the sermon by Edgeworth discussed in the preface, the chapter considers this broken object as what Edgeworth calls an “idoll”--a hybridization of doll and idoll. This possibility is linked to the wider presence of “holy dolls” in medieval Christianity, but ultimately the doll is explored not as a stable and readily identifiable category but as a way of conceiving of ambiguous objects that may be more or less human at different moments and subjected alternatingly to violence and care. The implications of this possibility are explored in relation to a medieval Christ child, a broken crucifix, and a contemporary representation of a shattered doll.
From the Grounds Up
Authors: Lurtz Casey Marina
Published: September 2019

From the Grounds Up is a study of how peripheral places grappled with globalization at the end of the nineteenth century. Through extensive use of local archives in the Soconusco district of Chiapas, Mexico, the book redefines the body of actors who integrated Latin America’s countryside into international markets for agricultural goods. Alongside plantation owners and foreign investors, a dense but little explored web of indigenous and mestizo villagers, migrant workers, and local politicians quickly adopted and adapted to the production of coffee for export. Following their efforts to overcome violence, isolation, and the absence of reliable institutions, the book illustrates the reshaping of rural economic and political life in the context of integrating global markets. By taking up new export crops like coffee and making use of liberal reforms around private property and contract law, smallholders and laborers defended their interests and secured spaces for their own ongoing participation in rural production. Vast swaths of Latin America’s population were sending the fruits of their labor abroad by the turn of the century. Only by taking into account all those who produced for market can we understand rural Latin America’s transformation in this era.
Fixing the Border
Authors: Lurtz Casey Marina
Published: September 2019

This chapter draws on local stories of violence and instability to explore the lived experiences of international debates over sovereignty. Like many countries in Latin America, Mexico and Guatemala lacked a border treaty until the 1880s. For the national government, the absence of clear territorial bounds countered Mexico’s assertions of itself as a modern nation. For planters in the Soconusco, the lack of territorial fixity made it difficult to define and defend their property. Yet, for laborers and villagers from the Soconusco and Guatemala, the porous border provided access to land and opportunities for seasonal work. This chapter demonstrates how all of these interests came into play in the negotiation and implementation of the 1882 border treaty. While international aspirations spurred confrontation between national governments, local experiences of and knowledge about the border formed the basis for negotiating their resolution.
The Landscape of Production
Authors: Lurtz Casey Marina
Published: September 2019

This chapter traces the overlapping stories of villager and finquero-driven land privatization efforts and the attendant acceleration in local property markets as export agriculture expanded in the Soconusco. In the process, it shows how smallholders and their neighbors increased their holdings and defined the spaces within which local and migrant elites could invest. As much as ridges and gullies became natural borders for neighboring plantations, municipalities and their communally held lands were man-made bounds for the spread of fincas as a whole. Counter to a historiography of globalization that has long emphasized the loss of village lands to plantation owners, here villagers maintained and even expanded their reach into the foothills of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas.
The Circulation of Codes and Commerce
Authors: Lurtz Casey Marina
Published: September 2019

This chapter uses the Bado family’s commercial activities to capture how local actors engaged with the increasingly diverse array of commercial instruments in use in the globalizing economy. Through the use of state-sponsored institutions to secure and promote their investments, local actors built these institutions into meaningful and durable parts of the economy. Making use of running tabs at general stores, small short term loans registered at the local court, advance contracts for coffee, and long term mortgage-backed loans, people across the economic spectrum came in contact with and made use of liberal commercial reforms. In so doing, they created a liberal economic vernacular to govern quotidian transactions. The chapter also emphasizes the increasing material and institutional integration of the region into the global economy and shows how the expansion of the global economy relied on local actors’ engagement with and interpretation of its essential institutions.
Alfred, lord Tennyson’s Spectral Energy
Authors: Camlot Jason
Published: September 2019

Chapter 3 tells the story of the multiple recordings made between 1890 and 1920, both by the poet himself and by actors and elocutionists, of Tennyson’s poem “The Charge of The Light Brigade.” It analyzes the kinds of performance and genre that informed the production of these recordings and locates the speech sounds heard on them in debates of the period about elocution and verse speaking. An account of late Victorian methods of “dramatic” interpretation as elaborated by Samuel Silas Curry in Imagination and Dramatic Instinct opens into a longer genealogy of oral interpretation, and considers the import of New Criticism as a method of literary interpretation that worked to silence oral performance in the classroom. The close listening in this chapter also explores the potential of digital speech analysis tools to help us to fix and visualize elocutionary, prosodic features of these recordings of “Charge.”
Proxy War
Authors: Groh Tyrone L.
Published: September 2019

This book provides a more comprehensive, definitive, and rigorous treatment of proxy war. This book argues that proxy war can and should remain a useful and effective tool of foreign policy, but that such an endeavor demands better understanding and deliberation. Proxy war serves as a means of indirect intervention when conditions eclipse policies using direct or non-intervention. Indirect intervention, however, is not synonymous with proxy war. Rather, proxy war falls on the spectrum of indirect intervention and includes other options such as simply donating assistance to politically-motivated, local fighters or offering support to mercenary forces from outside the country. Building on this knowledge, policy makers and strategists can better judge how fixed and unchangeable conditions such as the presence of interstate competition, domestic politics, geography, and the characteristics of the international system influence proxy war. More importantly, this book explains the role of conditions that a state can alter or change to improve the utility and efficacy of proxy war—more or less, it provides a “how to” manual for conducting proxy war, should the policy be chosen. The ability to maintain a coherent policy (both internally and externally) and cultivate/maintain control over a proxy’s activities increase the chances that a proxy war policy contributes to the pursuit and attainment of national interests. The book provides a new look at proxy war using uncommon and unused cases to test the concepts presented.
Sharpening the Definitions of Indirect Intervention and Proxy War
Authors: Groh Tyrone L.
Published: September 2019

In this chapter, the book proposes four general categories that represent the barriers that lead states to choose indirect intervention: (1) the risk of escalation, (2) a lack of domestic support, (3) a lack of international support, and (4) a lack of capacity. Facing these restrictions, states must decide how much control they desire over the outcome when intervening indirectly. Further, the chapter suggests that proxy war is only one means of indirectly intervening in the affairs of another state and can be broken down into two general types: donated assistance and proxy war. Lastly, the chapter offers a new typology for proxy war (in it to win it, holding action, meddling, and feeding the chaos) and explains how the different types fit into a state’s policy to intervene in the affairs of another state.
Conclusion
Authors: Groh Tyrone L.
Published: September 2019

This chapter summarizes the book’s findings and concludes that the twenty-first century and its associated advances in information sharing, communication, and social media will not likely create a revolutionary change in the utility and efficacy of proxy war. In the cases of Russia, China, and the United States, intrastate conflicts on the periphery will once again become proxy war hotbeds. Indirect intervention will most likely follow a policy of donating assistance, meddling, or feeding the chaos in states near their competitors. Although a multipolar world order means that there are more states with global interests, the heightened competition in key regions mean that gains can be made in areas that are less strategic. Unfortunately, this probably means that Africa will experience an increase in civil wars propagated and supported by third-party intervention.
Asia’s Regional Architecture
Authors: Yeo Andrew
Published: September 2019

This chapter presents a new theoretical framework for understanding the development of Asia’s regional architecture. Drawing on historical institutionalism, the chapter discusses how endogenous processes of change, as well as mechanisms of continuity, have produced a layering of bilateral, trilateral, mini-lateral, and multilateral institutions in Asia. The chapter also discusses the limitations of theories of rational institutional design, and the role ideas and institutions play in shaping actors’ choices.
Bilateralism, Multilateralism, and the Making of an Alliance Consensus
Authors: Yeo Andrew
Published: September 2019

Chapter 2 recounts the origins of bilateralism in Asia and the legitimization of the US-led hub-and-spokes system among Asian elites during the Cold War. It also outlines the rise of ASEAN in the 1960s. Exploring postwar US alliances forged with the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Thailand, I demonstrate how material threats, institutions, and ideas interact to produce an alliance consensus among political elites in Asia. Despite periodic domestic opposition to US alliances, and the weakness of ASEAN, the hub-and-spokes system and ASEAN become entrenched over time.
Phase of sensorimotor μ‐oscillation modulates cortical responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation of the human motor cortex
Authors: Desideri Debora , Zrenner Christoph , Ziemann Ulf , Belardinelli Paolo
Published: September 2019

Key points

Oscillatory brain activity coordinates the response of cortical neurons to synaptic inputs in a phase‐dependent manner.

Larger motor‐evoked responses are obtained in a hand muscle when transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is synchronized to the phase of the sensorimotor μ‐rhythm.

In this study we further showed that TMS applied at the negative vs. positive peak of the μ‐rhythm is associated with higher absolute amplitude of the evoked EEG potential at 100 ms after stimulation.

This demonstrates that cortical responses are sensitive to excitability fluctuation with brain oscillations

Our results indicate that brain state‐dependent stimulation is a new useful technique for the investigation of stimulus‐related cortical dynamics.

Oscillatory brain activity coordinates the response of cortical neurons to synaptic inputs in a phase‐dependent manner. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the human primary motor cortex elicits larger motor‐evoked potentials (MEPs) when applied at the negative vs. positive peak of the sensorimotor μ‐rhythm recorded with EEG, demonstrating that this phase represents a state of higher excitability of the cortico‐spinal system. Here, we investigated the influence of the phase of the μ‐rhythm on cortical responses to TMS as measured by EEG. We tested different stimulation intensities above and below resting motor threshold (RMT), and a realistic sham TMS condition. TMS at 110% RMT applied at the negative vs. positive peak of the μ‐rhythm was associated with higher absolute amplitudes of TMS‐evoked potentials at 70 ms (P70) and 100 ms (N100). Enhancement of the N100 was confirmed with negative peak‐triggered 90% RMT TMS, while phase of the μ‐rhythm did not influence evoked responses elicited by sham TMS. These findings extend the idea that TMS applied at the negative vs. positive peak of the endogenous μ‐oscillation recruits a larger portion of neurons as a function of stimulation intensity. This further corroborates that brain oscillations determine fluctuations in cortical excitability and establishes phase‐triggered EEG‐TMS as a sensitive tool to investigate the effects of brain oscillations on stimulus‐related cortical dynamics.
Combined Experimental Approach and Finite Element Modeling of Small Molecule Transport Through Joint Synovium to Measure Effective Diffusivity
Authors: Guang Young , McGrath Tom M. , Klug Natalie R. , Nims Robert J. , Shih Chien-Cheng , Bayguinov Peter O. , Guilak Farshid , Pham Christine T. N. , Fitzpatrick James A. J. , Setton Lori A.
Published: September 2019

Trans-synovial solute transport plays a critical role in the clearance of intra-articularly (IA) delivered drugs. In this study, we present a computational finite element model (FEM) of solute transport through the synovium validated by experiments on synovial explants. Unsteady diffusion of urea, a small uncharged molecule, was measured through devitalized porcine and human synovium using custom-built diffusion chambers. A multiphasic computational model was constructed and optimized with the experimental data to extract effective diffusivity for urea within the synovium. A monotonic decrease in urea concentration was observed in the donor bath over time, with an effective diffusivity found to be an order of magnitude lower in synovium versus that measured in free solution. Parametric studies incorporating an intimal cell layer with varying thickness and varying effective diffusivities were performed, revealing a dependence of drug clearance kinetics on both parameters. The findings of this study indicate that the synovial matrix impedes urea solute transport out of the joint with little retention of the solute in the matrix.
Efficient Axial Flow Turbine for Solar Chimney
Authors: Elmagid Walid M. A. , Keppler István , Molnar Ildiko
Published: September 2019

Many solar technologies are developed to encourage the usage of solar energy throughout the world. The solar chimney power plant (SCPP) is a newfangled technology that utilizes solar energy to generate more clean energy. This paper presents a new design of the SCPP turbine based on the aerodynamic optimization approach of a wind turbine with a diffuser. To calculate the required design parameters, a comprehensive mathematical model has been developed, which has the ability to describe the flow inside solar chimneys. An iteration algorithm is implemented for solving blade element theory with a diffuser to obtain the optimization of the turbine blade chord and twist angle distributions in the presence of a diffuser. The comparison of the mathematical model results and experimental data of Manzanares prototype reveal the good agreement, validating our mathematical model. The present design suggests that the power output could be increased by 15%. Our conclusion is that the blade element theory with diffuser has an ability to design efficient turbine suitable for working within SCPP.
Detailed Heat Transfer Coefficient Measurements on a Scaled Realistic Turbine Blade Internal Cooling System
Authors: Shiau Chao-Cheng , Chen Andrew F. , Han Je-Chin , Krewinkel Robert
Published: September 2019

A realistic internal cooling system of a turbine blade includes both ribs and pin-fins inside the passages to enhance the heat transfer. However, the majority studies in the open literature assessing the heat transfer characteristics on a simplified cooling model by examining ribbed-roughen passages and pin-finned passage separately. This work presents the high-resolution heat transfer coefficients of a scaled realistic turbine blade internal cooling design. The cooling system, using a 3D-printed plastic material, consists of an S-shaped inlet, four serpentine passages (three U-bends) of variable aspect ratio, and the trailing edge ejection. Angled ribs are implemented inside the passages and the elongated fins and pins are used near the trailing edge. Two dust holes are realized on the blade tip, the injections are individually controlled to reflect the realistic coolant flowrate variation inside the entire internal cooling system. The tests are conducted at two Reynolds number, 45,000 and 60,000 based on the hydraulic diameter of the inlet passage. Transient heat transfer technique using thermochromic liquid crystal is applied to obtain the detailed heat transfer characteristic inside the cooling channel. The local and averaged Nusselt numbers are also compared with the correlations in the open literature. This paper provides gas turbine designers the difference of local heat transfer distributions between the realistic and simplified internal cooling designs.
Layer-by-layer constructed hyaluronic acid/chitosan multilayers as antifouling and fouling-release coatings
Authors: Yu Wenfa , Koc Julian , Finlay John A. , Clarke Jessica L. , Clare Anthony S. , Rosenhahn Axel
Published: September 2019

Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) consisting of hyaluronic acid (HA) and chitosan (Ch) are extensively studied for biomedical applications and suppress bacterial and protein attachment. Here, we prepared and tested HA/Ch PEMs as marine fouling-release coatings. PEMs were constructed by layer-by-layer assembly using spin coating. The multilayers were crosslinked for enhanced stability in the sea water environment by chemical and thermal treatment. Protein-repelling properties of the crosslinked multilayers were investigated by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. The marine antifouling and fouling-release properties were tested against the settlement of zoospores of the green alga Ulva linza and the subsequent development and removal of sporelings. With spin coating and thermal crosslinking, a thick yet homogeneous coating was obtained with antifouling properties against marine algal zoospores indicating the potential of these compounds for application in protective coatings.
A Tool to Study Fractals in an Interdisciplinary Perspective
Authors: Souza P. V. S. , Alves R. L. , Balthazar W. F.
Published: September 2019

Fractals are geometric objects used to describe irregular shapes that have a fractional dimension and commonly appear in nature. Although several proposals for the study of perfect fractals at the basic level are present in the literature, only few proposals for the study of real fractals exist, which does not seem reasonable considering the wealth of the theme and its potentiality as an interdisciplinary topic. In this text, we present a simple and easily assimilable procedure to calculate the fractal dimension of any two-dimensional object. It only demands a computer with the free software ImageJ installed. This procedure is easily understandable, considering the basic school curriculum, and easily usable in a variety of school settings.
Solving Some “Calculus-Based” Physics Problems with Trigonometry
Authors: Baum Dave
Published: September 2019

College physics textbooks (algebra based) tend to shy away from topics that are usually thought to require calculus. I suspect that most students are just as happy to avoid these topics. Occasionally, I encounter students who are not so easily satisfied, and have found it useful to maintain a storehouse of non-calculus solutions for some common problems. One such type of problem is finding maximums and minimums of functions. A number of authors have presented solutions using, among other techniques, inequalities, geometry, finding the apex of a parabola, or forcing the discriminant of a quadratic equation to be zero; here, I discuss several examples of finding maximums and minimums using trigonometry instead of calculus.
A Pictorial Explanation of Stellar Aberration
Authors: Mungan Carl E.
Published: September 2019

Stellar aberration is the phenomenon whereby the observed angular position of a star depends on the relative motion between the star and Earth. Specifically, a telescope must be tilted slightly into the direction of motion of Earth relative to the star. There are in fact three different angular positions of interest: the observed position of the star from Earth, the actual position of the star (at the instant of observation) as measured using Earth’s clocks and rulers, and the actual position of the star (relative to Earth) as measured using the star’s clocks and rulers. Clear diagrams show that none of these three angular positions are in general equal to each other, and help explain why the effect in practice depends only on Earth’s motion and not on the star’s motion, in apparent violation of the relativity of motion.
Demonstration for Additive Colors by Defocus Blur
Authors: Sun Wenqing , Wang Jun
Published: September 2019

Additive colors are interesting to young students. In this paper, we show a convenient and straightforward method to demonstrate this phenomenon by projector. It produces defocus blur and reduces imaging quality for color mixing. We believe this demonstration experiment can be performed in most classrooms.
Determination of the orbital inclination of the ISS with a smartphone
Authors: Vandermarlière Julien
Published: September 2019

Space conquest is a very attractive subject. Who didn’t dream about being an astronaut even once in his or her life? Recently, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet spent almost 200 days in the ISS. As a French science teacher, I saw a chance to get my students interested in a lot of topics. In this article, we will expose a method that can be used to determine the orbital inclination of the ISS using a smartphone. It can be performed by even the youngest students. Moreover, the results of this experiment will allow you to answer a question that one of them asked me: “Why does the ISS track looks like a sine wave on a world map?”
Bayesian decay time estimation in a reverberation chamber for absorption measurements
Authors: Balint Jamilla , Muralter Florian , Nolan Mélanie , Jeong Cheol-Ho
Published: September 2019

This work investigates the use of the initial decay time to obtain the Sabine absorption coefficient from measurements conducted in a reverberation chamber. Due to non-uniform distribution of sound absorption in the test chamber, measured energy decay functions exhibit multiple slopes, which cannot be evaluated unambiguously using linear regression as prescribed in the current standard (ISO 354, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2003). As an alternative, this study proposes a Bayesian framework that allows estimating multiple decay parameters, hence capturing more accurately the energy decay features. Measurements are carried out in a reverberation chamber with and without diffusing elements to investigate the influence of diffusers on the absorption coefficient and on the decay process. Measured absorption coefficients of a porous sample are compared to theoretical values estimated with a transfer matrix model. The results show that the Sabine absorption coefficient calculated using the shortest decay time agrees well with the size-corrected theoretical absorption coefficient.
A method for automatic detection of tongued and slurred note transitions in clarinet playing
Authors: Coyle Whitney L. , Gabriel Jack D.
Published: September 2019

This study offers a simple method to characterize two transition types in passages of music in order to automatically distinguish slurred transitions from tongued transitions in musical settings. Data were recorded from musicians playing a clarinet with a sensor-equipped mouthpiece measuring blowing pressure in the mouth and pressure in the mouthpiece. This method allows for comparing transitions in different musical contexts, playing regimes, and between players. The method is highly reliable in automatically detecting transition types in recorded clarinet playing in both simple and more complex passages.
The Effect of Functional Knee Braces on Muscular Contributions to Joint Rotational Stiffness in Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Deficient and –Reconstructed Patients
Authors: Derouin Aaron , Potvin Jim R.
Published: September 2019

Functional knee braces are frequently prescribed by physicians to ameliorate the function of individuals with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. These braces have been shown in the literature to potentially enhance knee stability by augmenting muscle activation patterns and the timing of muscle response to perturbations. However, very few techniques are available in the literature to quantify how those modifications in lower-limb muscle activity influence stability of the knee. The aim of the present study was to quantify the effect of an off-the-shelf functional knee brace on muscle contributions to knee joint rotational stiffness in ACL-deficient and ACL-reconstructed patients. Kinematic, electromyography, and kinetic data were incorporated into an electromyography-driven model of the lower extremity to calculate individual and total muscle contributions to knee joint rotational stiffness about the flexion–extension axis, for 4 independent variables: leg condition (contralateral uninjured, unbraced ACL injured, and braced ACL injured); knee flexion (5°–10°, 20°–25°, and 30°–35°); squat stability condition (stable and unstable); and injury status (ACL deficient and ACL reconstructed). Participants had significantly higher (P < .05, η2 = .018) total knee joint rotational stiffness values while wearing the brace compared with the control leg. A 2-way interaction effect between stability and knee flexion (P < .05, η2 = .040) for total joint rotational stiffness was also found.
Effects of Eccentric Preloading on Concentric Vertical Jump Performance in Youth Athletes
Authors: Gillen Zachary M. , Jahn Lacey E. , Shoemaker Marni E. , McKay Brianna D. , Mendez Alegra I. , Bohannon Nicholas A. , Cramer Joel T.
Published: September 2019

This study measured peak force (PF), peak rate of force development (PRFD), peak power (PP), concentric impulse, and eccentric impulse during static jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), and drop jump (DJ) in youth athletes to examine changes in vertical jump power with progressively greater eccentric preloading in relation to age, maturity, and muscle mass. Twenty-one males ranging from 6 to 16 years old performed the following vertical jumps in a random order: SJ, CMJ, and DJ from drop heights of 20, 30, and 40 cm (DJ20, DJ30, and DJ40, respectively). Measurements included PF, PRFD, PP, eccentric impulse, and concentric impulse for each vertical jump condition. Maturity offset was calculated, while ultrasound images quantified thigh muscle cross-sectional area (CSA). PF and PRFD increased from CMJ to DJ20. PP increased from SJ to CMJ. Concentric impulse remained unchanged, but eccentric impulse increased systematically from across jumps. The change in PP from SJ to CMJ was correlated with age, height, weight, maturity offset, and CSA. The CMJ resulted in the greatest concentric PP with the least amount of eccentric preloading. The inability of young athletes to translate the energy absorbed during the eccentric phase of the stretch-shortening cycle of DJs may be influenced by growth and development.
GM mosquito study draws fire
Authors: Servick Kelly
Published: September 2019

Release of altered strain spread DNA to local mosquitoes.
Fermi-arc diversity on surface terminations of the magnetic Weyl semimetal Co
3
Sn
2
S
2
Authors: Morali Noam , Batabyal Rajib , Nag Pranab Kumar , Liu Enke , Xu Qiunan , Sun Yan , Yan Binghai , Felser Claudia , Avraham Nurit , Beidenkopf Haim
Published: September 2019

Magnetic Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals (WSMs)—materials that host exotic quasiparticles called Weyl fermions—must break either spatial inversion or time-reversal symmetry. A number of WSMs that break inversion symmetry have been identified, but showing unambiguously that a material is a time-reversal-breaking WSM is tricky. Three groups now provide spectroscopic evidence for this latter state in magnetic materials (see the Perspective by da Silva Neto). Belopolski
et al.
probed the material Co
2
MnGa using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, revealing exotic drumhead surface states. Using the same technique, Liu
et al.
studied the material Co
3
Sn
2
S
2
, which was complemented by the scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements of Morali
et al.
These magnetic WSM states provide an ideal setting for exotic transport effects.

Science
, this issue p.
1278
, p.
1282
, p.
1286
; see also p.
1248
Evolutionary flexibility in flooding response circuitry in angiosperms
Authors: Reynoso Mauricio A. , Kajala Kaisa , Bajic Marko , West Donnelly A. , Pauluzzi Germain , Yao Andrew I. , Hatch Kathryn , Zumstein Kristina , Woodhouse Margaret , Rodriguez-Medina Joel , Sinha Neelima , Brady Siobhan M. , Deal Roger B. , Bailey-Serres Julia
Published: September 2019

Flood-resistance from gene regulation

Some plants tolerate flooding better than others. Reynoso
et al.
compared gene regulatory networks activated by flooding in rice, which is adapted to flooding, with those in species less adapted to flooding. Flood-related gene regulation was characterized according to chromatin accessibility as well as transcription. Although flood response circuitry is evident in dryland species as well, its activation is greater in wetland rice.

Science
, this issue p.
1291
Countering opioid side effects
Authors: Lindsay Nicole Mercer , Scherrer Grégory
Published: September 2019

A genetic screen in worms reveals a receptor target to battle opioid addiction
Changes in antibiotic resistance in animals
Authors: Moore Catrin E.
Published: September 2019

Surveys in low- and middle-income countries reveal emerging hotspots of resistance
400 years and (re)counting
Authors: Malcom Shirley M.
Published: September 2019

Over centuries of slavery in America, systematic structures were erected to present enslaved people as “the other”—a race apart and less than human—as a way to justify the institution and forestall discussions of its inhumanity and the moral imperative to dismantle it. These efforts included invoking science, as objective arbiter, in support of these viewpoints. Some theories of human origins, for example, espoused by great names of science, reflected attempts to bolster constructs of racial inferiority rather than to advance science. But they did their damage, and we live with their fallout even today. How many of the current challenges in diversifying science are part of this legacy: lack of investment in education; belief in innate capacity to do science (or not); exclusionary teaching practices; tolerance of classroom microaggressions; implicit bias in hiring, and in assessing and valuing work?
Hepatitis C Virus Infection Is Inhibited by a Noncanonical Antiviral Signaling Pathway Targeted by NS3-NS4A
Authors: Vazquez Christine , Tan Chin Yee , Horner Stacy M.
Published: September 2019

The HCV NS3-NS4A protease complex facilitates viral replication by cleaving and inactivating the antiviral innate immune signaling proteins MAVS and Riplet, which are essential for RIG-I activation. NS3-NS4A therefore prevents IRF3 activation and interferon induction during HCV infection. Here, we uncover an amino acid residue within the NS4A transmembrane domain that is essential for inactivation of Riplet but does not affect MAVS cleavage by NS3-NS4A. Our study reveals that Riplet is involved in a RIG-I- and MAVS-independent signaling pathway that activates IRF3 and that this pathway is normally inactivated by NS3-NS4A during HCV infection. Our study selectively uncouples these distinct regulatory mechanisms within NS3-NS4A and defines a new role for Riplet in the antiviral response to HCV. Since Riplet is known to be inhibited by other RNA viruses, such as such influenza A virus, this innate immune signaling pathway may also be important in controlling other RNA virus infections.
A rare case ofShewanellasepticemia: risk factors, environmental associations and management
Authors: Latif Azka , Kapoor Vikas , Vivekanandan Renuga , Reddy Joseph Thilumala
Published: September 2019

Shewanellaspecies are Gram-negative, saprophytic, motile bacilli. Exposure to aquatic environment and raw fish ingestion have been defined as significant associated risk factors. The two species most commonly associated with human infections areShewanella algaeandShewanella putrefaciensand major portion of infections (80%) caused by the former. Herein, we report a case ofShewanellasepticaemia in a 70-year-old man in Omaha, NE who had no exposure to aquatic environment. To date, no defined treatment guidelines are present due to rarity ofShewanellainfections, which is contributing to emerging antibiotic resistance.
Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) and dementia in a 75-year-old female
Authors: Nisbet Mhairi Kathryn , Marshall Louise
Published: September 2019

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a relatively rare, adult-onset disorder characterised by proximal limb weakness, progressive eyelid drooping and swallowing difficulties. Preliminary research suggests there could be a link between OPMD and dementia; however, the current literature is relatively limited and inconsistent. This case study describes a 75-year-old female with OPMD, presenting to an older adults community mental health team with memory problems and word finding difficulties. A neuropsychological assessment was carried out. The results of her assessment were difficult to interpret; she demonstrated impairments in most cognitive domains tested and her presentation did not appear to reflect any typical dementia profile. It was thought she was most likely presenting with a dementia; however, the exact aetiology remains unclear. The dementia could be a result of OPMD, vascular changes or both. This report emphasises the need for further research into the possible causal link between OPMD and dementia/cognitive decline.
An unusual presentation of ACE inhibitor-induced visceral angioedema
Authors: Krause Amanda Jayne , Patel Naiya Balubhai , Morgan Jennifer
Published: September 2019

ACE inhibitors (ACEi) are common anti-hypertensive drugs that can cause angioedema. Though classic, or facial angioedema is rare, visceral angioedema is even less common. When angioedema occurs, it typically presents early, within 30 days of initiating therapy. Visceral angioedema most commonly presents with nausea, emesis, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, and thus is often mistaken for an episode of gastroenteritis. When a CT scan is obtained, it typically shows characteristic findings, including ascetic fluid, mild mesenteric oedema and thickening of the small bowel. In this case report, we present a patient who did not experience her first episode of visceral angioedema until after she had been on ACEi therapy for 5–7 years. In addition, she experienced recurrent episodes of visceral angioedema that were separated by approximately 4 years at a time. Both of these features make for a particularly unique presentation.
Dapagliflozin (SGLT2-i) induced euglycaemic diabetic ketoacidosis
Authors: Leader Ross , Cowen Jake , Rajeev Surya Panicker
Published: September 2019

Sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2-i) have become a popular therapeutic strategy in the management of hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The primary site of action of SGLT2-i is at the proximal renal convoluted tubule. They work by blocking SGLT2 receptors, sodium-dependent glucose co-transport molecules, which in turn prevents glucose reabsorption, facilitating glucosuria, improving glycaemic control as well as a moderate degree of weight loss. We report the case of a 51-year-old woman admitted to the acute medical unit with abdominal pain and vomiting, who was diagnosed with euglycaemic diabetic ketoacidosis secondary to recent initiation of an SGLT2-i medication (dapagliflozin). Clinicians should be aware of this rare side effect of SGLT2-i, to circumvent delays in patient management.
Positron emission tomography (PET) for prediction of glioma histology: protocol for an individual-level data meta-analysis of test performance
Authors: Trikalinos Nikolaos A , Nihashi Takashi , Evangelou Evangelos , Terasawa Teruhiko
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Gliomas, the most commonly diagnosed primary brain tumours, are associated with varied survivals based, in part, on their histological subtype. Therefore, accurate pretreatment tumour grading is essential for patient care and clinical trial design.

Methods and analysis

We will perform an individual-level data meta-analysis of published studies to evaluate the ability of different types of positron emission tomography (PET) to differentiate high from low-grade gliomas. We will search PubMed and Scopus from inception through 30 July 2017 with no language restriction and full-text evaluation of potentially relevant articles. We will choose studies that assess PET using 18-Fludeoxyglucose (18F-FDG), l-[Methyl-()11C]Methionine (11C-MET), 18F-Fluoro-Ethyl-Tyrosine (18F-FET) or (18)F-Fluorothymidine (18F-FLT)for grading, verified with histological confirmation. We will include both prospective and retrospective studies. Bias will be assessed by two reviewers with the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool and as per method described by Deekset al.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was not applicable, as this is a meta-analytic study. Results of the analysis will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42017078649.
Home childbirth among young mothers aged 15–24 years in Nigeria: a national population-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Adewuyi Emmanuel O , Khanal Vishnu , Zhao Yun , David Lungcit , Bamidele Olasunkanmi David , Auta Asa
Published: September 2019

Objective

To estimate the prevalence and identify factors associated with home childbirth (delivery) among young mothers aged 15–24 years in Nigeria.

Design

A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

Setting

Nigeria.

Participants

A total of 7543 young mothers aged 15–24 years.

Outcome measure

Place of delivery.

Results

The prevalence of home delivery among young mothers aged 15–24 years was 69.5% (95% CI 67.1% to 71.8%) in Nigeria—78.9% (95%CI 76.3% to 81.2%) in rural and 43.9% (95%CI 38.5% to 49.5%, p<0.001) in urban Nigeria. Using the Andersen’s behavioural model, increased odds of home delivery were associated with the two environmental factors: rural residence (adjusted OR, AOR: 1.39, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.85) and regions of residence (North-East: AOR: 1.97, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.34; North-West: AOR: 2.94, 95% CI 1.80 to 4.83; and South-South: AOR: 3.81, 95% CI 2.38 to 6.06). Three of the enabling factors (lack of health insurance: AOR: 2.34, 95% CI 1.16 to 4.71; difficulty with distance to healthcare facilities: AOR: 1.48, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.88; and <4 times antenatal attendance: AOR: 3.80, 95% CI 3.00 to 4.85) similarly increased the odds of home delivery. Lastly, six predisposing factors—lack of maternal and husband’s education, poor wealth index, Islamic religion, high parity and low frequency of listening to radio—were associated with increased odds of home delivery.

Conclusions

Young mothers aged 15–24 years had a higher prevalence of home delivery than the national average for all women of reproductive age in Nigeria. Priority attention is required for young mothers in poor households, rural areas, North-East, North-West and South-South regions. Faith-based interventions, a youth-oriented antenatal care package, education of girls and access to health insurance coverage are recommended to speed up the reduction of home delivery among young mothers in Nigeria.