bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of a complex prototype filter including no inductors and its Realization Using CCII's
Authors: Fujii Tatsuya , Shouno Kazuhiro
Published: May 2021

In this paper, synthesis of a complex prototype filter including no inductors and its realization using Second Generation Current Conveyors (CCII's) are proposed. The proposed complex prototype filter is obtained through the frequency shifting method and an equivalent transformation. The proposed complex prototype filter includes no inductors and has fewer nodes connected to imaginary resistors than the conventional one. The proposed filter is compared with the conventional one from the viewpoints of the sensitivity characteristics and the number of the required elements. The frequency response is improved by compensating the parasitic resistors included in CCII's. The validity of the proposed method is confirmed through experiment. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
MiR‐17‐5p downregulation alleviates apoptosis and fibrosis in high glucose‐induced human mesangial cells through inactivation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling by targeting KIF23
Authors: Chen Xiaoli , Gu Liyan , Cheng Xia , Xing Jianping , Zhang Minxia
Published: May 2021

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains the major cause of end‐stage renal disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to perform biological functions in many diseases. This investigation elucidated the biological role of miR‐17‐5p in DN. In this study, high glucose‐cultured human mesangial cells (HMCs) were used as a cell model of DN. The miR‐17‐5p and KIF23 expression was measured by RT‐qPCR. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The protein levels of apoptosis markers, fibrosis markers, and Wnt/β‐catenin signaling‐related genes were assessed using western blotting. The interaction of miR‐17‐5p with KIF23 was tested by a luciferase reporter assay. We found that miR‐17‐5p was upregulated in both DN patients and high glucose‐treated HMCs. Silencing miR‐17‐5p attenuated the apoptosis and fibrosis in high glucose‐treated HMCs. MiR‐17‐5p binds to KIF23 3′UTR and negatively regulates KIF23 expression. KIF23 knockdown could suppress the role of miR‐17‐5p inhibition in high glucose‐treated HMCs. Additionally, inhibition of miR‐17‐5p activated Wnt/β‐catenin signaling in HMCs through upregulating KIF23 expression. Suppression of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling antagonized the effect of miR‐17‐5p in HMCs. In conclusion, miR‐17‐5p inhibition alleviates the apoptosis and fibrosis in high glucose‐treated HMCs by targeting KIF23 activating Wnt/β‐catenin signaling.
Molecular characterization of dissolved organic nitrogen during anoxic/oxic and anammox processes using ESI FT–ICR MS
Authors: Zhang Li , Zheng Kexin , Wang Yueping , Peng Yongzhen
Published: May 2021

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is a component of wastewater with a negative influence on the environment. The removal of DON is conducted through the anoxic/oxic (A/O) and anammox processes. However, the mechanisms and chemical preferences in the removal of DON compounds have not been understood and compared so far. This study, for the first time, comparatively investigated the molecular‐level characteristics of DON during both processes by using FT–ICR MS (Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry). The results indicated that the number of DON formulas increased from 1844 to 1935 during A/O process, and from 2784 to 3242 during anammox process, highlighting the increase in complexity of DON after undergoing both processes. DON with high saturation and aliphatic structures was removed by A/O process, whereas highly unsaturated and aromatic structures were removed by anammox process. For DON without S atom, Lignin‐like and tannin‐like ones were resistant to both processes and protein‐like and condensed aromatic structures were resistant to anammox process. The complementarity of these two processes provided a sequential combination with sufficient theoretical support to improve DON removal efficiency.

Practitioner points

Molecular components of dissolved organic nitrogen characterized by ESI FT–ICR MS.

DON removal preferences of A/O and anammox processes evaluated.

A/O and anammox processes are effective to remove aliphatic and aromatic DON, respectively.

Complementarity in removal preferences of A/O and anammox processes can remove recalcitrant DON of each other.

Sequential A/O and anammox processes can improve DON removal.
“Conservation Agriculture,” Possible Climate Change Adaptation Option in Taita Hills, Kenya
Authors: Motaroki Lilian , Ouma Gilbert , Kalele Dorcas
Published: May 2021

The vicious cycle of food insecurity in Kenya and Africa at large is partly attributed to the high reliance on rainfed agriculture, which makes production systems vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and variability. Conservation agriculture (CA) has been disseminated as a climate-smart practice that operates on three main principles to realize the multiple benefits of making crop production systems more resilient to climate change impacts, enhancing food security, and providing environmental services, such as carbon sequestration. As a major source of livelihood in the Taita Hills, agriculture is constrained by climate change owing to its rainfed nature. The yield and environmental and economic benefits of CA make it a suitable alternative approach to sustainable agricultural intensification, which is fundamentally different from conventional approaches based on intensive tillage and often disrupts ecosystem functions. This chapter provides the rationale for enhancing the adoption of CA in the Taita Hills by evaluating the current challenges affecting crop production, the role of CA in addressing the challenges and its potential benefits, and the barriers that must be overcome in order to promote its wide-scale adoption. A number of constraints appear to hinder the wide-scale adoption of CA in the Taita Hills, including lack of awareness, tenure-related issues, and weak policy and institutional support. Addressing these constraints will help catalyze investments for upscaling CA in the Taita Hills, with potential for replication in other parts of the country.
Digital Platforms in Climate Information Service Delivery for Farming in Ghana
Authors: Sarku Rebecca , Appiah Divine Odame , Adiku Prosper , Alare Rahinatu Sidiki , Dotsey Senyo
Published: May 2021

Phone-based applications, Internet connectivity, and big data are enabling climate change adaptations. From ICT for development and agriculture perspectives, great interest exists in how digital platforms support climate information provision for smallholder farmers in Africa. The vast majority of these platforms both private and public are for delivering climate information services and for data collection. The sheer number of digital platforms in the climate information sector has created a complex information landscape for potential information users, with platforms differing in information type, technology, geographic coverage, and financing structures and infrastructure. This chapter mapped the existing climate information services and examined their impact on policy and practices in smallholder farming development in Africa, with a focus on Ghana. Specifically, the chapter provides highlights of digital platforms available to smallholder farmers and agricultural extension agents, analyzes the public and/or private governance arrangements that underpin the implementation of digital climate information delivery, and assesses the potential of these platforms in scaling up the use of climate information. The chapter contributes to understanding the dynamics of climate information delivery with digital tools in Africa, and suggests a future research agenda.
Use and Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Climate Change Adaptation in Africa
Authors: Rutenberg Isaac , Gwagwa Arthur , Omino Melissa
Published: May 2021

Although Climate Change is a global phenomenon, the impact in Africa is anticipated to be greater than in many other parts of the world. This expectation is supported by many factors, including the relatively low shock tolerance of many African countries and the relatively high percentage of African workers engaged in the agricultural sector. High-income countries are increasingly turning their focus to climate change adaptation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a critical tool in those efforts. Algorithms using AI are making better predictions on the short- and long-term effects of climate change, including predictions related to weather patterns, floods and droughts, and human migration patterns. It is not clear, however, that Africa is (or will be) maximally benefitting from those AI tools, particularly since they are largely developed by highly developed countries using data sets that are specific to those same countries. It is therefore important to characterize the efforts underway to use AI in a way that specifically benefits Africa in climate change adaptation. These efforts include projects undertaken physically in Africa as well as those that have Africa as their focus. In exploring AI projects in or about Africa, this chapter also looks at the sufficiency of such efforts and the variety of approaches taken by researchers working with AI to address climate change in Africa.
Bridging the Metabolic Parallels Between Neurological Diseases and Cancer
Authors: Guo Shenghao , Gu Yanni , Qu Jiayin , Le Anne
Published: May 2021

Despite the many recent breakthroughs in cancer research, oncology has traditionally been seen as a distinct field from other diseases. Recently, more attention has been paid to repurposing established therapeutic strategies and targets of other diseases towards cancer treatment, with some of these attempts generating promising outcomes [1, 2]. Recent studies using advanced metabolomics technologies [3] have shown evidence of close metabolic similarities between cancer and neurological diseases. These studies have unveiled several metabolic characteristics shared by these two categories of diseases, including metabolism of glutamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG) [4–6]. The striking metabolic overlap between cancer and neurological diseases sheds light on novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. For example, 2-(phosphonomethyl) pentanedioic acid (2-PMPA), one of the glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP II) inhibitors that prevent the conversion of NAAG to glutamate, has been shown to suppress cancer growth [6, 7]. These promising results have led to an increased interest in integrating this metabolic overlap between cancer and neurological diseases into the study of cancer metabolism. The advantages of studying this metabolic overlap include not only drug repurposing but also translating existing knowledge from neurological diseases to the field of cancer research. This chapter discusses the specific overlapping metabolic features between cancer and neurological diseases, focusing on glutamine, GABA, and NAAG metabolisms. Understanding the interconnections between cancer and neurological diseases will guide researchers and clinicians to find more effective cancer treatments.
Intersecting surface defects and 3d superconformal indices
Authors: Liu Junfeng , Pan Yiwen , Zhang Hong-Hao
Published: May 2021

Abstract

We compute the 3d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 superconformal indices for 3d/1d coupled systems, which arise as the worldvolume theories of intersecting surface defects engineered by Higgsing 5d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 1 gauge theories. We generalize some known 3d dualities, including non-Abelian 3d mirror symmetry and 3d/3d correspondence, to some of the simple 3d/1d coupled systems. Finally we propose a q-Virasoro construction for the superconformal indices.
Global fits of axion-like particles to XENON1T and astrophysical data
Authors: Athron Peter , Balázs Csaba , Beniwal Ankit , Camargo-Molina J. Eliel , Fowlie Andrew , Gonzalo Tomás E. , Hoof Sebastian , Kahlhoefer Felix , Marsh David J. E. , Prim Markus Tobias , Scaffidi Andre , Scott Pat , Su Wei , White Martin , Wu Lei , Zhang Yang
Published: May 2021

Abstract

The excess of electron recoil events seen by the XENON1T experiment has been interpreted as a potential signal of axion-like particles (ALPs), either produced in the Sun, or constituting part of the dark matter halo of the Milky Way. It has also been explained as a consequence of trace amounts of tritium in the experiment. We consider the evidence for the solar and dark-matter ALP hypotheses from the combination of XENON1T data and multiple astrophysical probes, including horizontal branch stars, red giants, and white dwarfs. We briefly address the influence of ALP decays and supernova cooling. While the different datasets are in clear tension for the case of solar ALPs, all measurements can be simultaneously accommodated for the case of a sub-dominant fraction of dark-matter ALPs. Nevertheless, this solution requires the tuning of several a priori unknown parameters, such that for our choices of priors a Bayesian analysis shows no strong preference for the ALP interpretation of the XENON1T excess over the background hypothesis.
Determinant form of correlators in high rank integrable spin chains via separation of variables
Authors: Gromov Nikolay , Levkovich-Maslyuk Fedor , Ryan Paul
Published: May 2021

Abstract

In this paper we take further steps towards developing the separation of variables program for integrable spin chains with $$ \mathfrak{gl}(N) $$
gl

N

symmetry. By finding, for the first time, the matrix elements of the SoV measure explicitly we were able to compute correlation functions and wave function overlaps in a simple determinant form. In particular, we show how an overlap between on-shell and off-shell algebraic Bethe states can be written as a determinant. Another result, particularly useful for AdS/CFT applications, is an overlap between two Bethe states with different twists, which also takes a determinant form in our approach. Our results also extend our previous works in collaboration with A. Cavaglia and D. Volin to general values of the spin, including the SoV construction in the higher-rank non-compact case for the first time.
The rationality of M&A targets in the choice of payment methods
Authors: Klitzka Michael , He Jianan , Schiereck Dirk
Published: May 2021

This study analyzes mergers and acquisitions (M&A) payment methods in large transactions of public U.S. acquirers between 2009 and 2016. While we find consistent with previous evidence that asymmetric information between acquirers and targets significantly influences the choice of M&A payment methods, we show that contrary to prevailing findings in the literature, acquirers cannot exploit their overvaluation through stock-financed M&A at targets’ disadvantage. In addition, when facing larger uncertainty in the counterparty’s valuation, a higher ratio of cash is applied in M&A payment. Our results document that both acquirers and targets are rational in choosing M&A payment methods.
Biomass of a Psychrophilic Fungus as a Biocatalyst for Efficient Direct Esterification of Citronellol
Authors: Kutyła Mateusz , Trytek Mariusz , Buczek Katarzyna , Tomaszewska Ewa , Muszyński Siemowit
Published: May 2021

A biomass-bound lipase from psychrophilic Chrysosporium pannorum A-1 is an efficient biocatalyst for direct esterification of β-citronellol and acetic acid in an organic solvent. The biomass is effectively produced by fungal submerged culture at 20 ℃, which results in lower energy consumption during the production of biocatalyst. Supplementation of the culture medium with calcium carbonate together with olive oil contributed to a significant increase in the active biomass of mycelium in one batch culture and increased the efficiency of the biocatalyst. Biomass-bound lipase showed high catalytic activity in a broad temperature range of 30–60 °C and stability up to 70 °C. A maximum molar conversion value of 98% was obtained at 30 °C in n-hexane using a 2:1 alcohol-to-acid molar ratio and 3% w/v of the biocatalyst within 24 h. The high equimolar concentration of the substrates (200 mM) did not have an adverse effect on mycelial biomass activity. Dry mycelium of C. pannorum is a promising biocatalyst for large-scale biosynthesis of citronellyl acetate, given its low-cost production, high activity at low temperatures, and reusability in a minimum of seven 24-h biocatalytic cycles.
Ultra-Thin Carbon-Doped Bi2WO6 Nanosheets for Enhanced Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
Authors: Li Han , Zhang Junchao , Yu Jiaguo , Cao Shaowen
Published: May 2021

The photocatalytic reduction of CO2 is a promising strategy to generate chemical fuels. However, this reaction usually suffers from low photoactivity because of insufficient light absorption and rapid charge recombination. Defect engineering has become an effective approach to improve the photocatalytic activity. Herein, ultra-thin (~ 4.1 nm) carbon-doped Bi2WO6 nanosheets were prepared via hydrothermal treatment followed by calcination. The ultra-thin nanosheet structure of the catalyst not only provides more active sites but also shortens the diffusion distance of charge carriers, thereby suppressing charge recombination. Moreover, carbon doping could successfully extend the light absorption range of the catalyst and remarkably promote charge separation, thus inhibiting recombination. As a result, the as-prepared Bi2WO6 photocatalyst with ultra-thin nanosheet structure and carbon doping exhibits enhanced photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance, which is twice that of pristine ultra-thin Bi2WO6 nanosheet. This study highlights the importance of defect engineering in photocatalytic energy conversion and provides new insights for fabricating efficient photocatalysts.
Homeobox Gene Six3 is Required for the Differentiation of D2-Type Medium Spiny Neurons
Authors: Song Xiaolei , Chen Haotian , Shang Zicong , Du Heng , Li Zhenmeiyu , Wen Yan , Liu Guoping , Qi Dashi , You Yan , Yang Zhengang , Zhang Zhuangzhi , Xu Zhejun
Published: May 2021

Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum, which can be divided into D1 and D2 MSNs, originate from the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE). Previously, we reported thatSix3is a downstream target ofSp8/Sp9in the transcriptional regulatory cascade of D2 MSN development and that conditionally knocking outSix3leads to a severe loss of D2 MSNs. Here, we showed thatSix3mainly functions in D2 MSN precursor cells and gradually loses its function as D2 MSNs mature. Conditional deletion ofSix3had little effect on cell proliferation but blocked the differentiation of D2 MSN precursor cells. In addition, conditional overexpression ofSix3promoted the differentiation of precursor cells in the LGE. We measured an increase of apoptosis in the postnatal striatum of conditionalSix3-knockout mice. This suggests that, in the absence ofSix3,abnormally differentiated D2 MSNs are eliminated by programmed cell death. These results further identifySix3as an important regulatory element during D2 MSN differentiation.
Energy Storage as an Equity Asset
Authors: Tarekegne Bethel , O’Neil Rebecca , Twitchell Jeremy
Published: May 2021

Purpose of Review

This review offers a discussion on how energy storage deployment advances equitable outcomes for the power system. It catalogues the four tenets of the energy justice concept—distributive, recognition, procedural, and restorative—and shows how they relate to inequities in energy affordability, availability, due process, sustainability, and responsibility.

Recent Findings

Energy storage systems have been deployed to support grid reliability and renewable resource integration, but there is additional emerging value in considering the connections between energy storage applications and equity challenges in the power system. Through a thorough review of the energy justice and energy transitions literature, this paper offers the equity dimensions of storage project design and implementations.

Emerging energy programs and projects are utilizing energy storage in pursuit of improved equity outcomes. Future research and policy design should integrate energy justice principles to align storage penetration with desired equity outcomes.
Productivity in Emerging Countries
Authors: Escribano Alvaro , Pena Jorge
Published: May 2021

Emerging countries are increasingly concerned with improving their competitiveness and productivity. This Element develops a robust econometric methodology, based on controlling for usual unobservable effects at the firm or plant level. By robust empirical results in total factor productivity (TFP), we mean estimating investment climate (IC) elasticities, or semi-elasticities, with equal signs and similar magnitudes for more than ten different competing TFP measures. The key to achieve similar empirical results for several TFP measures is to avoid having a problem omitted variables, achieved through imputation of large proportions of missing observations in relevant variables (i.e. the capital stock). Furthermore through the use of a new concept of aggregate TFP (tfpIC), that measures the associated IC effects on firm´s tfp, we are able to make meaningful cross-country firm´s level productivity comparisons, avoiding the usual problem of comparing 'apples with oranges' that would otherwise occur if we directly compare country's TFP measurements.
Reinventing French Aid
Authors: Humbert Laure
Published: May 2021

Laure Humbert explores how humanitarian aid in occupied Germany was influenced by French politics of national recovery and Cold War rivalries. She examines the everyday encounters between French officials, members of new international organizations, relief workers, defeated Germans and Displaced Persons, who remained in the territory of the French zone prior to their repatriation or emigration. By rendering relief workers and Displaced Persons visible, she sheds lights on their role in shaping relief practices and addresses the neglected issue of the gendering of rehabilitation. In doing so, Humbert highlights different cultures of rehabilitation, in part rooted in pre-war ideas about 'overcoming' poverty and war-induced injuries and, crucially, she unearths the active and bottom-up nature of the restoration of France's prestige. Not only were relief workers concerned about the image of France circulating in DP camps, but they also drew DP artists into the orbit of French cultural diplomacy in Germany.
Viviendas, espacios y relaciones sociales en un contexto fabril: El caso del Ingenio Lastenia (Tucumán, Argentina) durante el último cuarto del siglo diecinueve
Authors: Villar Fernando Andrés , Hocsman Salomón
Published: May 2021

En este trabajo examinamos los vínculos existentes entre una serie de cambios arquitectónicos-espaciales que tuvieron lugar en el ingenio azucarero Lastenia durante las últimas décadas del siglo diecinueve y las dinámicas sociales que caracterizaron a la industria azucarera en estos años. Para ello, analizamos una serie de viviendas destinadas a obreros y propietarios de la unidad productiva, apoyándonos en metodologías procedentes de la arqueología histórica, la arquitectura, el diseño y el análisis arqueológico de configuraciones espaciales. Los resultados obtenidos indican que el entorno fabril estudiado estuvo caracterizado por relaciones sociales jerárquicas, de control social y disciplinarias que quedaron plasmadas a nivel arquitectónico y en la distribución espacial de las estructuras analizadas. Si bien el estudio de las relaciones sociales en contextos agroindustriales azucareros ha sido desarrollado desde disciplinas como la historiografía, ha recibido poca atención por parte de la arqueología.
RADIOCARBON DATES FOR THE LATE PLEISTOCENE AND EARLY HOLOCENE OCCUPATIONS OF COVA ROSA (RIBADESELLA, ASTURIAS, SPAIN)
Authors: Álvarez-Fernández Esteban , Jordá Pardo Jesús F , Arias Pablo , Bécares Julián , Martín-Jarque Sergio , Portero Rodrigo , Teira Luis , Douka Katerina
Published: May 2021

Four excavations have been performed at the archaeological site of Cova Rosa (Asturias, Cantabrian Spain): three of them in the second half of last century and the other in this decade. Although little of the archaeological material found in those excavations has been published, here we attempt the stratigraphic correlation of sections revealed by the different excavations and we present 22 new radiocarbon dates for bones and marine shells, built in a Bayesian statistical model. This has enabled the documentation of occupations that mainly took place during the Last Glacial period, in the Solutrean (middle and upper phases) and Magdalenian (archaic, lower, and upper phases), and also in the early Holocene (Mesolithic). These occupations are compared with the record at other sites in Cantabrian Spain in general and in Asturias, in particular.
The Convict’s Gibbet and the Victor’s Car: The Triumphal Death of Marcus Atilius Regulus and the Background of Col 2:15
Authors: Dodson Joseph R.
Published: May 2021

This article will suggest that scholars have overlooked a model plausibly lurking in the background of Col 2:15 which parallels the triumphal death of Christ: namely, the crucifixion of Regulus. Regulus was a general who achieved a near-mythic status during the First Punic War by his sacrificial death, in which his perseverance on the gibbet was seen as even greater than riding in the victor’s car. Tertullian credited Regulus as having set the precedent for enduring the torments of the cross, while others declared him as having overcome through death not only his human foes but also Lady Fortune. Regulus’ story enjoyed so much widespread popularity it was admitted in the curriculum of Roman schools by the middle of the first century CE. Because Regulus’ epic contains low-hanging fruit, ripe for comparison with Christ’s crucifixion, Christians drew upon the story of Regulus from at least as early as Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Arnobius, and Augustine. Nevertheless, scholars have overlooked the possible parallels with Regulus’ story and Christ’s triumphal death in Col 2:15. I will first provide a composite depiction of Regulus’ military life and sacrificial death along with its reported ramifications in order to tease out similarities and differences with Col 2:15 and finally conclude with comments concerning the significance of including the legend as additional background for the verse. In short, I will propose that reading Regulus’ story in comparison with Col 2:15 supports an anti-imperial and/or a supra-imperial reading of the letter.
Scandal and Secrecy in the History of the Nineteenth-Century British Empire
Authors: Wilkinson Callie
Published: May 2021

For historians of empire, scandals provide a useful starting point for investigating how the operations of imperial power were contested and reworked in moments of crisis. Yet, existing scholarship on imperial scandal consists mostly of case-studies that do not always reflect on the larger trend of which they are a part. This review draws on six accounts of imperial scandals to produce a general picture of the characteristics and functions of scandals in the historiography of the nineteenth-century British empire. What this comparison suggests is that imperial scandals possessed distinctive stakes and seem, as a result, to have represented periodic ruptures in longer-term patterns of local silence and complicity. Scandals, if used cautiously, can therefore provide evidence to support ongoing discussions about the logic of colonial concealment. At the same time, scandals also remind us that publicity is not a simple cure-all. By including a wider range of actors and non-governmental sources, future studies of scandal might elucidate the political limits of transparency, as well as exploring how imperial subjects negotiated gendered and racialized access to public and political platforms.
Impact of maternal age on infants' emotional regulation and psychomotor development
Authors: Moreno-Giménez Alba , Campos-Berga Laura , Nowak Alicja , Sahuquillo-Leal Rosa , D'Ocon Ana , Hervás David , Navalón Pablo , Vento Máximo , García-Blanco Ana
Published: May 2021

Background

Maternal age has progressively increased in industrialized countries. Most studies focus on the consequences of delayed motherhood for women's physical and mental health, but little is known about potential effects on infants' neurodevelopment. This prospective study examines the association between maternal age and offspring neurodevelopment in terms of both psychomotor development (Ages & Stages Questionnaires-3) and emotional competences (Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire).

Methods

We evaluated a cohort of healthy pregnant women aged 20–41 years and their offspring, assessed at 38 weeks gestation (n= 131) and 24 months after birth (n= 101). Potential age-related variables were considered (paternal age, education level, parity, social support, maternal cortisol levels, and maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms). Bayesian ordinal regression models were performed for each neurodevelopmental outcome.

Results

Maternal age was negatively associated with poor child development in terms of personal-social skills [odds ratio (OR) −0.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77–0.99] and with difficult temperament in terms of worse emotional regulation (OR −0.13, 95% CI 0.78–0.96) and lower positive affect (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.75–0.95). As for age-related variables, whereas maternal anxiety symptoms and cortisol levels were also correlated with poor child development and difficult temperament, maternal social support and parental educational level were associated with better psychomotor and emotional competences.

Conclusion

Increasing maternal age may be associated with child temperament difficulties and psychomotor delay in terms of social interaction skills. Early detection of neurodevelopment difficulties in these babies would allow preventive psychosocial interventions to avoid future neuropsychiatric disorders.
Reduced mortality in patients with extended duration of methadone maintenance treatment: a five-year retrospective nationwide study
Authors: Huang Chieh-Liang , Tsai I-Ju , Lin Wen-Chi , Lin Cheng-Li , Ho Ing-Kang , Wang Ruey-Yun , Lee Cynthia Wei-Sheng
Published: May 2021

Background

The retention of patients under methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is an indication for the effectiveness of the therapy. We aimed to explore the relation between mortality and the cumulative MMT duration.

Methods

A retrospective cohort analysis was performed using Taiwan Illicit Drug Issue Database (TIDID) and National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) during 2012–2016. We included 9149 and 11 112 MMT patients as the short and long groups according to the length of their cumulative MMT duration, 1–364 and ⩾365 days, respectively. The risk of mortality was calculated by Cox proportional hazards regression model with time-dependent exposure to MMT, and the survival probability was plotted with the Kaplan-Meier curve.

Results

The mortality rates were 2.51 and 1.51 per 100 person-years in the short and long cumulative MMT duration groups, respectively. After adjusting for on or off MMT, age, sex, marital status, education level, maximum methadone dose, and comorbidities (human immunodeficiency virus, depression, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, alcoholic liver disease, and cardiovascular disease), the long group had a lower risk of death (hazard ratio = 0.67; 95% confidence interval 0.60–0.75) than the short group. Increased risk was observed in patients with advanced age, being male, unmarried, infected by HIV, HCV, and HBV, and diagnosed with depression, ALD, and CVD. Causes of death were frequently related to drug and injury.

Conclusions

Longer cumulative MMT duration is associated with lower all-cause and drug-related mortality rate.
Shared control methodology based on head positioning and vector fields for people with quadriplegia
Authors: Maciel Guilherme M. , Pinto Milena F. , da S. Júnior Ivo C. , Coelho Fabricio O. , Marcato Andre L. M. , Cruzeiro Marcelo M.
Published: May 2021

Mobile robotic systems are used in a wide range of applications. Especially in the assistive field, they can enhance the mobility of the elderly and disable people. Modern robotic technologies have been implemented in wheelchairs to give them intelligence. Thus, by equipping wheelchairs with intelligent algorithms, controllers, and sensors, it is possible to share the wheelchair control between the user and the autonomous system. The present research proposes a methodology for intelligent wheelchairs based on head movements and vector fields. In this work, the user indicates where to go, and the system performs obstacle avoidance and planning. The focus is developing an assistive technology for people with quadriplegia that presents partial movements, such as the shoulder and neck musculature. The developed system uses shared control of velocity. It employs a depth camera to recognize obstacles in the environment and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor to recognize the desired movement pattern measuring the user’s head inclination. The proposed methodology computes a repulsive vector field and works to increase maneuverability and safety. Thus, global localization and mapping are unnecessary. The results were evaluated by simulated models and practical tests using a Pioneer-P3DX differential robot to show the system’s applicability.
SALT-MAKING IN MESOAMERICA: PRODUCTION SITES AND TOOL ASSEMBLAGES
Authors: Williams Eduardo
Published: May 2021

Common salt, or sodium chloride, has always been a strategic resource of primary importance throughout the world. In pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica, salt was used primarily for human consumption, as the native diet had little chloride or sodium, two chemical components that are indispensable for human health and nutrition. Here I discuss the traditional salt industries of Michoacán, Colima, Guerrero, the Basin of Mexico and Puebla, paying special attention to the production sites and the tool assemblages linked to salt production in these areas of Mesoamerica. This article sheds light on salt's role in the culture and history of the ancient Mesoamerican ecumene through the lens of ethnoarchaeology and ethnohistory.
Subaltern Debris: Archaeology and Marginalized Communities
Authors: Marín-Aguilera Beatriz
Published: May 2021

Archaeologists, like many other scholars in the Social Sciences and Humanities, are particularly concerned with the study of past and present subalterns. Yet the very concept of ‘the subaltern’ is elusive and rarely theorized in archaeological literature, or it is only mentioned in passing. This article engages with the work of Gramsci and Patricia Hill Collins to map a more comprehensive definition of subalternity, and to develop a methodology to chart the different ways in which subalternity is manifested and reproduced.
Competence and Adherence Scale for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CAS-CBT) for anxiety disorders in youth: reliability and factor structure
Authors: Harstad Stine , Bjaastad Jon Fauskanger , Hjemdal Odin , Compton Scott , Waaktaar Trine , Aalberg Marianne
Published: May 2021

Background:

There has been increased research interest into the concept of treatment integrity within psychotherapy research. The Competence and Adherence Scale for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CAS-CBT) was developed to measure therapists’ competence and adherence in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), when delivered to children and youth with anxiety disorders.

Aims:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CAS-CBT in a naturalistic treatment setting.

Method:

Ratings of 212 randomly selected sessions from a clinical effectiveness trial for children with anxiety disorders (n = 165, mean age = 10.46 years, SD = 1.49) were analysed to assess the psychometric properties of CAS-CBT. Therapy format included both individual sessions and group sessions.

Results:

Internal consistency for the CAS-CBT was excellent (Cronbach’s alpha = .88). Factor analysis suggested a two-factor solution for the total sample, where the first factor was related to CBT structure and session goals, and the second factor was associated with process and relational skills. The individual CBT treatment condition (ICBT) and group CBT treatment condition (GCBT) showed the same factor solution.

Conclusion:

The CAS-CBT is a feasible and reliable measure for assessing competence and adherence to CBT in the treatment of anxious children. Future research is needed to further assess the generalizability of this scale, its psychometric properties in different treatment populations and with other treatment approaches, and ideally with larger sample sizes.
‘Planning Your Neighbourhood’: modernism on manoeuvres
Authors: Mills Stuart
Published: May 2021

In the summer of 1945, Ernö Goldfinger produced a twenty-sheet exhibition entitled ‘Planning Your Neighbourhood’ (PYN) for the Army Bureau of Current Affairs (ABCA) [1]. It shows how Goldfinger continued to promote a vision of modern architecture that had evolved in the 1930s, by adapting it to planning for postwar urban reconstruction. The reach of PYN went beyond that of a public exhibition because of its role in Army education; for the majority of its audience it wasn’t a matter of choice – the sheets were brought to them. This article examines the strategies he adopted to communicate the validity of modernism in Britain. It will show how wartime circumstances provided Goldfinger with a remarkable opportunity to present modern architecture to a mass audience.
Jorge Oteiza’s ‘de-occupation’: towards an ascetic space in Spanish modern architecture (1948–60)
Authors: Pérez-Moreno Lucía C. , López-Bahut Emma
Published: May 2021

The work and thought of the Basque sculptor Jorge Oteiza (b. Orio, 1908 – d. San Sebastian, 2003) is an omnipresent reference point in the historiography of modern Spanish architecture. Since the Jorge Oteiza Museum Foundation was opened shortly after his death, a great number of studies have been published about him, mainly in Spanish and Basque. Oteiza’s artistic career was closely connected to the postwar Spanish architectural scene. During the 1950s, he participated in numerous projects and architecture competitions and published his work in specialised journals and magazines in the field. Spain was at that time under the regime of General Franco and, as a consequence of the Civil War (1936–9), the country was suffering an economic crisis that affected culture, art, and architecture.
Googling the equivalence of private arbitrary power and state arbitrary power: why the Rule of Law does not relate to private relationships
Authors: Burgess Paul
Published: May 2021

The contributions to this Special Issue, and the books to which they relate, are premised on the idea that the Rule of Law relates to private relationships. I challenge that idea. By exploring solely theoretical ideas, I argue that the Rule of Law – as it is usually defined – does not relate to private relationships and, in consequence, the nexus necessary to invoke a Rule of Law-solution in the circumstances outlined in the books is absent.
Deconstruction, dissipation and death, and the ‘casting-away of the law’?
Authors: Baxi Upendra
Published: May 2021

In this brief tribute, I pursue the long-promised imaginary conversation with Peter Fitzpatrick and engage two themes: the nature of an abyss and the conversion of Karl Marx from a revolutionary thinker to a best exemplar of evolutionary thought. If these themes make some sense, a good way of being with Peter is a further exploration amidst us all.
How to do things with Foucault (legally)
Authors: Golder Ben
Published: May 2021

In this essay, I discuss the legal theorist, Peter Fitzpatrick's, reading of philosopher Michel Foucault. My intent is to show how and why Foucault was important to Fitzpatrick and what this reveals about the latter's practices of reading. I characterise this particular reading in three ways. First, against the disciplinary tendency to assume that Foucault is more useful to lawyers for how he approaches law (as method), Fitzpatrick takes seriously what Foucault has to say about law as a conceptual matter. Fitzpatrick hence reads Foucault as a legal thinker. Second, Fitzpatrick does not restrict himself to the conventional archive of Foucauldian texts that legal scholars routinely consult, but reads more widely and creatively in his search for law. Third, Fitzpatrick reads Foucault open-endedly and generously rather than instrumentally or dismissively – textual ambivalence and contradiction are always, in his hands, sources of creative possibility and insight. This leads into some concluding reflections about Fitzpatrick's practice of critically rereading thinkers – all thinkers, not simply Foucault.
Enhance Low Level Temperature and Moisture Profiles Through Combining NUCAPS, ABI Observations, and RTMA Analysis
Authors: Ma Zheng , Li Zhenglong , Li Jun , Schmit Timothy J. , Cucurull Lidia , Atlas Robert , Sun Bomin
Published: May 2021

Thermodynamic information from low levels in the atmosphere is crucial for operational weather forecasts and meteorological researchers. The NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) sounding products have been proven beneficial to fill the data gap between synoptic radiosonde observations (RAOBs). However, compared with the upper troposphere, the accuracy of NUCAPS soundings in the low levels still needs improvement. In this study, a deep neural network (DNN) is applied to fuse multiple data sources to enhance the NUCAPS temperature and moisture profiles in the lower atmosphere. The network is developed by combining satellite observations, including NUCAPS sounding retrievals and high resolution geostationary satellite observations from the Advanced Baseline Imager, and surface analysis from the Real‐Time Mesoscale Analysis (RTMA) as inputs, while collocated soundings from ECMWF re‐analysis version 5 are used as the benchmark for the training. The performance of the model is evaluated by using the independent testing data set, data from a different year, as well as collocated RAOBs, showing improvement to the temperature and moisture profiles by reducing the root‐mean‐squared‐error (RMSE) by more than 30% in the lower atmosphere (from 700 hPa to surface) in both clear sky and partially cloudy conditions. A convective event from June 18, 2017 is presented to illustrate the application of the enhanced low level soundings on high impact weather events. The enhanced soundings from fused data capture the large surface‐based convective available potential energy structures in the preconvection environment, which is very useful for severe storm nowcasting and forecasting applications.
States of In Situ Stress in the Duvernay East Shale Basin and Willesden Green of Alberta, Canada: Variable In Situ Stress States Effect Fault Stability
Authors: Shen Luyi W. , Schmitt Douglas R. , Wang Ruijia , Hauck Tyler E.
Published: May 2021

Fault slip is controlled by the normal and shear tractions on a fault plane. A full understanding of the factors influencing induced seismicity requires quantitative knowledge of the in situ stress tensor and fluid pressure. We analyze these variables for a 200 × 200 km region with active hydraulic fracturing near the city of Red Deer, Canada. The levels of induced seismicity in the area were generally low before March 4, 2019, when local residents felt the MW 3.8/ML 4.2 event. We use geophysical logs and pressure tests within the targeted Duvernay Formation to construct maps of ambient pore pressure, vertical and minimum horizontal stresses. The maximum horizontal stress is constrained by the focal mechanism inversion and borehole‐based estimation method. We find that a broad range of orientations are susceptible to slip and small perturbations of fluid pressure would promote displacement. This suggests that the differential variations in pore fluid pressure in the target formation may provide a metric of slip susceptibility; a map for the study area is developed. Areas of high susceptibility correlate with those experiencing higher levels of induced seismicity, except for the Willesden Green oil field that has similarly elevated susceptibility and active hydraulic fracturing operations. The methods and results demonstrate how more quantitatively constrained in situ stresses developed from an ensemble of real field measurements can assist in assessing fault stability and in developing metrics for slip susceptibility.
Tamas I. Gombosi Receives 2020 John Adam Fleming Medal
Authors:   AGU
Published: May 2021

Tamas I. Gombosi was awarded the 2020 John Adam Fleming Medal at the virtual AGU Fall Meeting in December. The medal is for “original research and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric electricity, aeronomy, space physics, and/or related sciences.”
Narwhal Tusks Record Changes in the Marine Arctic
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: May 2021

This new paleorecord can help scientists better understand how climate change and human activity are changing marine mammals’ environments and habits.
Sequential infection with H1N1 and SARS-CoV-2 aggravated COVID-19 pathogenesis in a mammalian model, and co-vaccination as an effective method of prevention of COVID-19 and influenza
Authors: Bao Linlin , Deng Wei , Qi Feifei , Lv Qi , Song Zhiqi , Liu Jiangning , Gao Hong , Wei Qiang , Yu Pin , Xu Yanfeng , Qu Yajin , Li Fengdi , Xue Jing , Gong Shuran , Liu Mingya , Wang Guanpeng , Wang Shunyi , Zhao Binbin , Cong Bin , Qin Chuan
Published: May 2021

Influenza A virus may circulate simultaneously with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, leading to more serious respiratory diseases during this winter. However, the influence of these viruses on disease outcome when both influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 are present in the host remains unclear. Using a mammalian model, sequential infection was performed in ferrets and in K18-hACE2 mice, with SARS-CoV-2 infection following H1N1. We found that co-infection with H1N1 and SARS-CoV-2 extended the duration of clinical manifestation of COVID-19, and enhanced pulmonary damage, but reduced viral shedding of throat swabs and viral loads in the lungs of ferrets. Moreover, mortality was increased in sequentially infected mice compared with single-infection mice. Compared with single-vaccine inoculation, co-inoculation of PiCoVacc (a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine) and the flu vaccine showed no significant differences in neutralizing antibody titers or virus-specific immune responses. Combined immunization effectively protected K18-hACE2 mice against both H1N1 and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our findings indicated the development of systematic models of co-infection of H1N1 and SARS-CoV-2, which together notably enhanced pneumonia in ferrets and mice, as well as demonstrated that simultaneous vaccination against H1N1 and SARS-CoV-2 may be an effective prevention strategy for the coming winter.