bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge is a mental state (at least sometimes)
Authors: Bricker Adam Michael
Published: August 2021

It is widely held in philosophy that knowing is not a state of mind. On this view, rather than knowledge itself constituting a mental state, when we know, we occupy a belief state that exhibits some additional non-mental characteristics. Fascinatingly, however, new empirical findings from cognitive neuroscience and experimental philosophy now offer direct, converging evidence that the brain can—and often does—treat knowledge as if it is a mental state in its own right. While some might be tempted to keep the metaphysics of epistemic states separate from the neurocognitive mechanics of our judgements about them, here I will argue that these empirical findings give us sufficient reason to conclude that knowledge is at least sometimes a mental state. The basis of this argument is the epistemological principle of neurocognitive parity—roughly, if the contents of a given judgement reflect the structure of knowledge, so do the neurocognitive mechanics that produced them. This principle, which I defend here, straightforwardly supports the inference from the empirical observation that the brain sometimes treats knowledge like a mental state to the epistemological conclusion that knowledge is at least sometimes a mental state. All told, the composite, belief-centric metaphysics of knowledge widely assumed in epistemology is almost certainly mistaken.
Sharing quantum steering among multiple Alices and Bobs via a two-qubit Werner state
Authors: Han Xinhong , Xiao Ya , Qu Huichao , He Runhong , Fan Xuan , Qian Tian , Gu Yongjian
Published: August 2021

Quantum steering, a type of quantum correlation with unique asymmetry, has important applications in asymmetric quantum information tasks. We consider a new quantum steering scenario in which one half of a two-qubit Werner state is sequentially measured by multiple Alices and the other half by multiple Bobs. We find that the maximum number of Alices who can share steering with a single Bob increases from 2 to 5 when the number of measurement settings N increases from 2 to 16. Furthermore, we find a counterintuitive phenomenon that for a fixed N, at most 2 Alices can share steering with 2 Bobs, while 4 or more Alices are allowed to share steering with a single Bob. We further analyze the robustness of the steering sharing by calculating the required purity of the initial Werner state, the lower bound of which varies from 0.503(1) to 0.979(5). Finally, we show that our both-sides sequential steering sharing scheme can be applied to control the steering ability, even the steering direction, if an initial asymmetric state or asymmetric measurement is adopted. Our work gives insights into the diversity of steering sharing and can be extended to study the problems such as genuine multipartite quantum steering when the sequential unsharp measurement is applied.
Uncovering the Activity of Alkaline Earth Metal Hydrogenation Catalysis Through Molecular Volcano Plots
Authors: Das Shubhajit , Tobel Bart De , Alonso Mercedes , Corminboeuf Clémence
Published: August 2021

Recent advances in alkaline earth (Ae) metal hydrogenation catalysis have broadened the spectrum of potential catalysts to include candidates from the main group, providing a sustainable alternative to the commonly used transition metals. Although Ae-amides have already been demonstrated to catalyze hydrogenation of imines and alkenes, a lucid understanding of how different metal/ligand combinations influence the catalytic activity is yet to be established. In this article, we use linear scaling relationships and molecular volcano plots to assess the potential of the Ae metal-based catalysts for the hydrogenation of alkenes. By analyzing combinations of eight metals (mono-, bi-, tri-, and tetravalent) and seven ligands, we delineate the impact of metal-ligand interplay on the hydrogenation activity. Our findings highlight that the catalytic activity is majorly determined by the charge and the size of the metal ions. While bivalent Ae metal cations delicately regulate the binding and the release of the reactants and the products, respectively, providing the right balance for this reaction, ligands play only a minor role in determining their catalytic activity. We show how volcano plots can be utilized for the rapid screening of prospective Ae catalysts to establish a guideline to achieve maximum activity in facilitating the hydrogenation process.
Towards a Polymer-Brush-Based Friction Modifier for Oil
Authors: Gmür Tobias A. , Mandal Joydeb , Cayer-Barrioz Juliette , Spencer Nicholas D.
Published: August 2021

To meet the need for oil-compatible friction modifier additives that can significantly reduce energy consumption in the boundary-lubrication regime, a macromolecular design approach has been taken. The aim was to produce a lubricious polymer film on the sliding surfaces. A series of readily functionalizable block copolymers carrying an oleophilic poly(dodecyl methacrylate) block and a functionalizable poly(pentafluorophenyl methacrylate) block of various lengths was synthesized by means of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The poly(pentafluorophenyl methacrylate) block was used to attach surface-active nitrocatechol anchoring groups to the polymer. The friction-reduction properties of these polymers were assessed with 0.5 wt% solutions in hexadecane by means of rolling-sliding macroscopic tribological tests. Block copolymers with roughly equal block lengths and moderate molecular weights were significantly more effective at friction reduction than all other architectures investigated. They also displayed lower friction coefficients than glycerol monooleate—a commercially used additive. The film-formation ability of these polymers was examined using a quartz-crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), by monitoring their adsorption onto an iron oxide-coated QCM crystal. The polymer with highest lubrication efficiency formed a thin film of ~ 17 nm thickness on the crystal, indicating the formation of a polymer brush. Interferometric rolling-sliding experiments with the same polymer showed a separating film thickness of ~ 20 nm, which is consistent with the QCM-D value, bearing in mind the compression of the adsorbed layers on the two sliding surfaces during tribological testing.

Graphical Abstract
Integrated 3D geomechanical characterization of a reservoir: case study of "Fuja" field, offshore Niger Delta, Southern Nigeria
Authors: Agoha C. C. , Opara A. I. , Okeke O. C. , Okereke C. N. , Onwubuariri C. N. , Akiang F. B. , Osaki L. J. , Omenikolo I. A.
Published: August 2021

3D geomechanical characterization of "Fuja" field reservoirs, Niger Delta, was carried out to evaluate the mechanical properties of the reservoir rock which will assist in reducing drilling and exploitation challenges faced by operators. Bulk density, sonic, and gamma-ray logs from four wells were integrated with 3D seismic data and core data from the area to estimate the elastic and inelastic rock properties, pore pressure, total vertical stress, as well as maximum and minimum horizontal stresses within the reservoirs from empirical equations, using Petrel and Microsoft Excel software. 3D geomechanical models of these rock properties and cross-plots showing the relationship between the elastic and inelastic properties were also generated. From the results, Young's modulus, bulk modulus, bulk compressibility, shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, and unconfined compressive strength recorded average values of 5.11 GPa, 5.10 GPa, 0.023 GPa−1$$,$$
,
2.39 GPa, 0.39, and 39.0 GPa, respectively, in the sand, and 6.08 GPa, 6.09 Gpa, 0.016 GPa−1 2.84 GPa, 0.42, and 42.3 GPa, respectively, in shale, implying that the sand is less elastic and ductile and will deform before the shale under similar stress conditions. Results also revealed mean pore pressures of 13,248 psi and 15,220 psi in sand and shale units, respectively, mean total vertical stress of 28,193 psi, mean maximum horizontal stress of 26,237 psi, and mean minimum horizontal stress of 21,532 psi. From the geomechanical models, the rock elastic and inelastic parameters revealed higher values around the northeastern and parts of the eastern and western portions of the reservoir implying that mechanical rock deformation will be minimal in these sections of the field compared to other sections during drilling and post-drilling activities. The generated cross-plots indicate that a relationship exists between the elastic rock properties and unconfined compressive strength. Stress estimations within the reservoirs in relation to the obtained elastic and rock strength parameters show that the reservoirs are stable. These results will be invaluable in mitigating exploration and exploitation challenges.
Simulating language knowledge across the EU: language regimes, language learning and consequences for linguistic disenfranchisement
Authors: Civico Marco
Published: August 2021

The objective of this paper is to develop an simulation model able to test different language education orientations and their consequences for the EU population in terms of linguistic disenfranchisement, that is, the inability of citizens to understand EU documents and parliamentary discussions should their native language(s) no longer be official. I will focus on the impact of linguistic distance and language learning. Ideally, this model would be a tool to help EU policy makers make informed decisions about language practices and education policies, taking into account their consequences in terms of diversity and linguistic disenfranchisement. The model can be used to force agents to make certain choices in terms of language skills acquisition. The user can then go on to compare different scenarios in which language skills are acquired according to different rationales. The idea is that, by forcing agents to adopt certain language learning strategies, the model user can simulate policies promoting the acquisition of language skills and get an idea of their impact. In this way, the model allows not only to sketch various scenarios of the evolution of language skills among EU citizens, but also to estimate the level of disenfranchisement in each of these scenarios.
Robust Attitude Controller for NASA Astrobee Robots Operating in the ISS
Authors: Ruggiero Dario
Published: August 2021

Free-flying robots have been recently developed to operate on-board the International Space Station (ISS) as semi-autonomous robotic assistants. NASA Astrobee robots are the new free-flyers proposed by NASA, and equipped with a 3 degree of freedom manipulator. This research aims to realize an accurate mathematical model of the robot attitude dynamics, and an attitude controller for the NASA Astrobee system. The robot has been modeled coupling the attitude dynamics with the manipulator motion, and robust attitude controllers are proposed to stabilize disturbances and configuration changes induced by the manipulator usage. First, a second-order twisting sliding mode controller is designed to achieve a trade-off among control law flexibility, robustness and accuracy. Among robust control strategies, sliding mode controllers are characterized as low complexity, and low computational cost control methods, making the system able to achieve reactivity and stability also when parameters are changed. The performance of the proposed control method are compared with a backstepping controller that include an iterative algorithm to compute an adaptive control, as function of disturbances and orientation error. The performance are evaluated and analyzed considering several scenarios in Matlab Simulink simulations, and combining Simulink and ROS Gazebo to run co-simulations with the NASA Astrobee simulator. Simulations with variable body mass, links masses, and different gripped objects have been run to test the controllers performance in off-design conditions.
Three-decade spatial patterns in surface mass balance of the Nivlisen Ice Shelf, central Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica
Authors: Pratap Bhanu , Dey Rahul , Matsuoka Kenichi , Moholdt Geir , Lindbäck Katrin , Goel Vikram , Laluraj C. M. , Thamban Meloth
Published: August 2021

The coastal Droning Maud Land in East Antarctica is characterized by small ice shelves with numbers of promontories and locally grounded isles, both called ice rises. These ice rises are typically dome-shaped and surface elevations are hundreds of meters above the surrounding ice shelves, which cause strong orographic effects on surface mass balance (SMB). We conducted shallow ice-penetrating radar sounding to visualize firn stratigraphy in the top 35 m over ~400 km of profiles across the Nivlisen Ice Shelf, and in a grid pattern over two adjacent ice rises (Djupranen and Leningradkollen). We tracked six reflectors (isochrones) and dated them using two ice cores taken at the ice rise summits, from which SMB over six periods in the past three decades was retrieved. The overall SMB pattern across the ice shelf remained similar for all periods; however, the eastwest contrast in SMB varies by a factor of 1.5–2 between the Leningradkollen and Djupranen grounding lines. The SMB patterns over the ice rises are more varied owing to complex interactions between topography, snowfall and wind. We use our results to evaluate the regional climate model RACMO2.3p2 in terms of the spatial SMB distribution and temporal changes over the ice shelf and ice rises at regional scale.
APPLICATION OF 14C METHOD TO CHRONOLOGY OF THE CROATIAN DINARIC KARST—A CASE OF THE PLITVICE LAKES
Authors: Krajcar Bronić Ines , Barešić Jadranka , Sironić Andreja
Published: August 2021

Karst environments preserve some of the best archives of past climate, vegetation, hydrology, anthropogenic impact, and landscape evolution providing that a reliable chronology can be established. Here we present an example of the system of the Plitvice Lakes (Dinaric karst, Croatia), which is characterized by intensive tufa and lake sediment formations. The radiocarbon dating method, combined with some other dating methods and various geochemical and isotope analyses, showed that the Plitvice Lakes system in the present form has existed for about 8000 years. Older tufa deposits were dated to warm interglacial periods. A long-term comprehensive multi-proxy study showed that all environmental compartments (atmosphere, various water bodies, soil, bedrock, DIC, terrestrial and aquatic biota, and of course various secondary carbonates) must be included in order to obtain trustworthy results.
Drug-coated balloon angioplasty for coronary stenotic lesions in a paediatric patient after Kawasaki disease
Authors: Xu Xinyi , Jin Shuxuan , Liu Tingliang
Published: August 2021

Percutaneous coronary intervention for stenosis of coronary artery after Kawasaki disease presents various challenges. The diameters of reference vessels and femoral artery in children are smaller, and the morphological changes are different from adults. Herein, we describe our successful experience with a severe coronary artery stenosis at the proximal portion of left anterior descending treated with drug-coated balloon dilation.
Decline of increased risk donor offers increases waitlist mortality in paediatric heart transplantation
Authors: Ezekian Jordan E. , Mulvihill Michael S. , Ezekian Brian , Cox Morgan L. , Kirmani Sonya , Hill Kevin D.
Published: August 2021

Background:

Increased risk donors in paediatric heart transplantation have characteristics that may increase the risk of infectious disease transmission despite negative serologic testing. However, the risk of disease transmission is low, and refusing an IRD offer may increase waitlist mortality. We sought to determine the risks of declining an initial IRD organ offer.

Methods and results:

We performed a retrospective analysis of candidates waitlisted for isolated PHT using 20072017 United Network of Organ Sharing datasets. Match runs identified candidates receiving IRD offers. Competing risks analysis was used to determine mortality risk for those that declined an initial IRD offer with stratified Cox regression to estimate the survival benefit associated with accepting initial IRD offers. Overall, 238/1067 (22.3%) initial IRD offers were accepted. Candidates accepting an IRD offer were younger (7.2 versus 9.8 years, p < 0.001), more often female (50 versus 41%, p = 0.021), more often listed status 1A (75.6 versus 61.9%, p < 0.001), and less likely to require mechanical bridge to PHT (16% versus 23%, p = 0.036). At 1- and 5-year follow-up, cumulative mortality was significantly lower for candidates who accepted compared to those that declined (6% versus 13% 1-year mortality and 15% versus 25% 5-year mortality, p = 0.0033). Decline of an IRD offer was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio for mortality of 1.87 (95% CI 1.24, 2.81, p < 0.003).

Conclusions:

IRD organ acceptance is associated with a substantial survival benefit. Increasing acceptance of IRD organs may provide a targetable opportunity to decrease waitlist mortality in PHT.
Annotating argumentative structure in English-as-a-Foreign-Language learner essays
Authors: Putra Jan Wira Gotama , Teufel Simone , Tokunaga Takenobu
Published: August 2021

Argument mining (AM) aims to explain how individual argumentative discourse units (e.g. sentences or clauses) relate to each other and what roles they play in the overall argumentation. The automatic recognition of argumentative structure is attractive as it benefits various downstream tasks, such as text assessment, text generation, text improvement, and summarization. Existing studies focused on analyzing well-written texts provided by proficient authors. However, most English speakers in the world are non-native, and their texts are often poorly structured, particularly if they are still in the learning phase. Yet, there is no specific prior study on argumentative structure in non-native texts. In this article, we present the first corpus containing argumentative structure annotation for English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) essays, together with a specially designed annotation scheme. The annotated corpus resulting from this work is called “ICNALE-AS” and contains 434 essays written by EFL learners from various Asian countries. The corpus presented here is particularly useful for the education domain. On the basis of the analysis of argumentation-related problems in EFL essays, educators can formulate ways to improve them so that they more closely resemble native-level productions. Our argument annotation scheme is demonstrably stable, achieving good inter-annotator agreement and near-perfect intra-annotator agreement. We also propose a set of novel document-level agreement metrics that are able to quantify structural agreement from various argumentation aspects, thus providing a more holistic analysis of the quality of the argumentative structure annotation. The metrics are evaluated in a crowd-sourced meta-evaluation experiment, achieving moderate to good correlation with human judgments.
The Four Faces of Authoritarian Populism and Their Consequences on Journalistic Freedom: A Lesson Learnt From Indonesia's 2019 Presidential Election
Authors: Ahmad Nyarwi
Published: August 2021

This article explores authoritarian populist mobilisation and media strategies that political elites who ran in the election advanced and their consequences on journalistic freedom in an emerging democracy. It focuses on Indonesia's democracy and examines the following questions: what types of authoritarian populist mobilisation and media strategies did Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subijanto adopt when contesting Indonesia's 2019 presidential election? To what degree did these adaptations impact the journalistic freedom of those who worked for Indonesian mainstream media, particularly Indonesian private TV news channels? In-depth interviews with four senior journalists associated with Indonesian TV news channels (Kompas TV, CNN Indonesia, TV One, and INews TV) and two senior journalists working for mainstream media owned by influential Indonesian oligarchs used qualitative and thematic content analyses to reveal the following findings. Jokowi and Prabowo adopted secular nationalist and Islamic authoritarian populist mobilisation during the election. However, Prabowo developed Islamic authoritarian populist mobilisation far more than Jokowi. Jokowi advanced an oligarchic authoritarian populist media strategy, while Prabowo established an intensive Islamic anti-oligarchic authoritarian populist media strategy. As authoritarian populist mobilisation and media strategies evolved during their campaigns, the journalistic freedom of those associated with Indonesian mainstream media declined substantially. This article introduces four faces of authoritarian populism — secular nationalist and Islamic authoritarian populist mobilisation and oligarchic and anti-oligarchic authoritarian populist media strategies — as new concepts enriching political elites’ authoritarian populism literature.
SAFE-R
Authors: Toepper Max , Spannhorst Stefan , Beblo Thomas , Driessen Martin , Schulz Philipp
Published: August 2021

Zusammenfassung. Altern geht mit kognitiven und nicht-kognitiven Veränderungen einher, die bei einem relevanten Anteil älterer Menschen Risikofaktoren für eine Reduktion der Fahrsicherheit darstellen. Da praktische Fahrverhaltensbeobachtungen aufwendig und kostenintensiv sind, besteht ein zunehmender Bedarf an validen Screeningverfahren, die eine Erfassung dieser Risikofaktoren ermöglichen und eine diagnostisch genaue sowie zeitökonomische Einschätzung der Fahrsicherheit älterer Kraftfahrerinnen und Kraftfahrer gewährleisten. Unsere Arbeitsgruppe hat sich daher in den letzten Jahren mit der Entwicklung und Validierung eines multifaktoriellen Screeningverfahrens beschäftigt. In diesem Beitrag werden Konstruktion, eine erste Validierung sowie Angaben zur praktischen Anwendung des neuen Verfahrens „Seniorenberatung Aufgrund Fahreignungsrelevanter Einschränkungen – revidierte Fassung“ (engl.: Safety Advice For Elderly drivers – revised version) (SAFE-R) vorgestellt. Der SAFE-R ermöglicht die überprüfung von 11 evidenzbasierten fahrsicherheitsrelevanten Risikofaktoren bei älteren Kraftfahrer_innen mit und ohne leichte kognitive Beeinträchtigung. In einer On-Road-Studie an 74 älteren Menschen mit und ohne leichte kognitive Beeinträchtigung konnte der SAFE-R mit einer Sensitivität von 95 % und einer Spezifität von 75 % zwischen fahrsicheren und fahrunsicheren Kraftfahrer_innen differenzieren. Der SAFE-R stellt somit ein valides und zugleich ökonomisches Instrument zur Einschätzung der Fahrsicherheit von Senior_innen mit und ohne leichte kognitive Beeinträchtigung dar.
Identification of Potential Methane Source Regions in Europe Using δ13CCH4 Measurements and Trajectory Modeling
Authors: Varga T. , Fisher R. E. , France J. L. , Haszpra L. , Jull A. J. T. , Lowry D. , Major I. , Molnár M. , Nisbet E. G. , László E.
Published: August 2021

The methane emissions from the Hungarian Pannonian Basin are not well qualified, due to a lack of measurements of CH4 mole fraction and δ13CCH4 in the air. This study reports methane measurements in air samples from Hungary, placing them in the context of regional and global background data, to investigate the inputs to the methane burden in Central Europe. CH4 mole fraction and δ13CCH4 from the Hungarian tall tower station, Hegyhátsál, and additional data from Mace Head (Ireland) and Zeppelin (Svalbard) are used with back trajectory modeling to identify central European source areas and their seasonal variation between the summer vegetation and winter heating periods. Methane measurements in air masses sampled in the European interior, have significantly higher maxima and seasonal amplitudes than at the Mace Head and Zeppelin European background sites. The mean CH4 mole fraction value is about 80 ppb higher than the comparable marine background, and values above 2,000 ppb were frequently observed between February 2013 and December 2015. The mean δ13CCH4 value −47.5 ± 0.3‰ (2σ) was comparable to values at all three monitoring sites, but specific pollution events were detected at Hegyhátsál. Concentration weighted trajectory modeling, meteorological parameters, stable carbon isotopic composition (δ13CCH4), and Miller‐Tans analysis show that the main factors influencing CH4 at the Hegyhátsál, apart from diurnal and seasonal changes in the planetary boundary layer, are emissions from residential heating and industrial CH4 emissions during the winter.
Magnetic Reconnection Within the Boundary Layer of a Magnetic Cloud in the Solar Wind
Authors: Vörös Zoltán , Varsani Ali , Yordanova Emiliya , Sasunov Yury L. , Roberts Owen W. , Kis Árpád , Nakamura Rumi , Narita Yasuhito
Published: August 2021

The twisted local magnetic field at the front or rear regions of the magnetic clouds (MCs) associated with interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) is often nearly opposite to the direction of the ambient interplanetary magnetic field. There is also observational evidence for magnetic reconnection (MR) outflows occurring within the boundary layers of MCs. In this study, a MR event located at the western flank of the MC occurring on October 3, 2000 is studied in detail. Both the large‐scale geometry of the helical MC and the MR outflow structure are scrutinized in a detailed multipoint study. The ICME sheath is of hybrid propagation‐expansion type. Here, the freshly reconnected open field lines are expected to slip slowly over the MC resulting in plasma mixing at the same time. As for MR, the current sheet geometry and the vertical motion of the outflow channel between ACE‐Geotail‐WIND spacecraft were carefully studied and tested. The main findings on MR include (a) first‐time observation of non‐Petschek‐type slow‐shock‐like discontinuities in the inflow regions; (b) observation of turbulent Hall magnetic field associated with a Lorentz‐force‐deflected electron jet; (c) acceleration of protons by reconnection electric field and their back‐scatter from the slow‐shock‐like discontinuity; (d) observation of relativistic electron near the MC inflow boundary/separatrix; these electron populations can presumably appear as a result of nonadiabatic acceleration, gradient B drift, and via acceleration in the electrostatic potential well associated with the Hall current system; and (e) observation of Doppler‐shifted ion‐acoustic and Langmuir waves in the MC inflow region.
Shallow Slow Earthquake Episodes Near the Trench Axis off Costa Rica
Authors: Baba Satoru , Obara Kazushige , Takemura Shunsuke , Takeo Akiko , Abers Geoffrey A.
Published: August 2021

Slow earthquakes are mainly distributed in regions surrounding seismogenic zones along the plate boundaries of subduction zones. In the Central American subduction zone, large regular interplate earthquakes with magnitudes of 7–8 occur repeatedly around the Nicoya Peninsula, in Costa Rica, and a tsunami earthquake occurred off Nicaragua, just north of Costa Rica, in 1992. To clarify the spatial distribution of various slip behaviors at the plate boundary, we detected and located very low frequency earthquakes (VLFEs) around the Nicoya Peninsula using a grid‐search matched‐filter technique with synthetic templates based on a regional three‐dimensional model. VLFEs were active in September 2004 and August 2005, mainly near the trench axis, updip of the seismogenic zone. The distribution of VLFEs overlapped with large slip areas of slow slip events. Low frequency tremor signals were also found in high‐frequency seismogram envelopes within the same time windows as detected VLFEs; thus, we also investigated the energy rates of tremors accompanied by VLFEs. The range of scaled energy, which is the ratio of the seismic energy rate of a tremor to the seismic moment rate of accompanying VLFE and related to the rupture process of seismic phenomena, was 10−9–10−8. The along‐dip separation of shallow slow and large earthquakes and the range of the scaled energy off Costa Rica are similar to those in shallow slow earthquakes in Nankai, which shares a similar thermal structure along the shallow plate boundary.
A Data Set for Intercomparing the Transient Behavior of Dynamical Model‐Based Subseasonal to Decadal Climate Predictions
Authors: Saurral Ramiro I. , Merryfield William J. , Tolstykh Mikhail A. , Lee Woo‐Sung , Doblas‐Reyes Francisco J. , García‐Serrano Javier , Massonnet François , Meehl Gerald A. , Teng Haiyan
Published: August 2021

Climate predictions using coupled models in different time scales, from intraseasonal to decadal, are usually affected by initial shocks, drifts, and biases, which reduce the prediction skill. These arise from inconsistencies between different components of the coupled models and from the tendency of the model state to evolve from the prescribed initial conditions toward its own climatology over the course of the prediction. Aiming to provide tools and further insight into the mechanisms responsible for initial shocks, drifts, and biases, this paper presents a novel data set developed within the Long Range Forecast Transient Intercomparison Project, LRFTIP. This data set has been constructed by averaging hindcasts over available prediction years and ensemble members to form a hindcast climatology, that is a function of spatial variables and lead time, and thus results in a useful tool for characterizing and assessing the evolution of errors as well as the physical mechanisms responsible for them. A discussion on such errors at the different time scales is provided along with plausible ways forward in the field of climate predictions.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation activity in China 2019: a report from the Chinese Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry Group
Authors: Xu Lan-Ping , Lu Pei-Hua , Wu De-Pei , Sun Zi-Min , Liu Qi-Fa , Han Ming-Zhe , Zhang Xi , Song Yong-Ping , Song Xian-Min , Hu Jian-da , Huang He , Lai Yong-Rong , Wan Ding-Ming , Chen Jing , Li Chun-Fu , Xia Ling-Hui , Wang Jing-Bo , Liu Dai-Hong , Huang Xiao-Jun ,   on behalf of the Chinese Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry Group
Published: August 2021

Between 2008 and 2019, 58,914 hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCTs) were reported to the Chinese Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry Group (CBMTRG) throughout China. In this report, we focus on 2019 data and describe current trends in HSCT in China. There was continued growth in transplant activity in China, with a rapid increase in haploidentical HSCT. In 2019, a total of 12,323 cases of HSCT were reported from 149 transplant teams, 78% (9597 cases) were allogeneic HSCTs. Haploidentical donor (HID) HSCT accounted for 60% (5771 cases) of allogeneic HSCT. The most common indications for allogeneic HSCT for malignant disease were acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (37%) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (24%), and the largest proportion of non-malignant diseases comprised aplastic anemia (AA) (13%). Multiple stem cell source composed 70% of HID and 28% of MSD, which was typical in China. The BuCy based regimen (59%) was the most popular conditioning regimen for allogeneic HSCT, followed by the BuFlu based regimen (23%) and TBI-based regimen (12%). This survey clearly shows comprehensive information about the current state and recent trends for HSCT in China. Further efforts should be made to obtain detailed information.
Peer review blinding practices of highly ranked dental journals: analysis and discussion
Authors: Faggion Jr Clovis Mariano
Published: August 2021

Objectives To evaluate the type of peer review blinding used in highly ranked dental journals and to discuss the influence of the blinding approaches on the peer review process.

Methods All 91 dental journals classified by impact factor (IF) had their websites scrutinised for the type of peer review blinding used for submissions. If the information was not reported, the journals were contacted to obtain the information. Linear and logistic regression were applied to evaluate the association between type of peer review blinding and IF.

Results The selected journals reported the following peer review blinding approaches: single-blind (N = 36, 39.6%), double-blind (N = 46, 50.5%), transparent (N = 2, 2.2%) and open (N = 1, 1.1%). Information from six (6.6%) journals was not available. A linear regression analysis demonstrated that journals with lower IFs were associated with double-blind review (p = 0.001). A logistic regression suggested lower odds of association between single-blind peer review and journals with IFs below a threshold of 2 (odds ratio 0.157, confidence interval 0.059 to 0.417, p <0.001).

Conclusions The majority of highly ranked dental journals had single- and double-blind peer review; journals with higher IFs presented single-blind peer review and those with lower IFs reported double-blind peer review.
Genome of a middle Holocene hunter-gatherer from Wallacea
Authors: Carlhoff Selina , Duli Akin , Nägele Kathrin , Nur Muhammad , Skov Laurits , Sumantri Iwan , Oktaviana Adhi Agus , Hakim Budianto , Burhan Basran , Syahdar Fardi Ali , McGahan David P. , Bulbeck David , Perston Yinika L. , Newman Kim , Saiful Andi Muhammad , Ririmasse Marlon , Chia Stephen , Hasanuddin  , Pulubuhu Dwia Aries Tina , Suryatman  , Supriadi  , Jeong Choongwon , Peter Benjamin M. , Prüfer Kay , Powell Adam , Krause Johannes , Posth Cosimo , Brumm Adam
Published: August 2021

Much remains unknown about the population history of early modern humans in southeast Asia, where the archaeological record is sparse and the tropical climate is inimical to the preservation of ancient human DNA1. So far, only two low-coverage pre-Neolithic human genomes have been sequenced from this region. Both are from mainland Hòabìnhian hunter-gatherer sites: Pha Faen in Laos, dated to 7939–7751 calibrated years before present (yr cal bp; present taken as ad 1950), and Gua Cha in Malaysia (4.4–4.2 kyr cal bp)1. Here we report, to our knowledge, the first ancient human genome from Wallacea, the oceanic island zone between the Sunda Shelf (comprising mainland southeast Asia and the continental islands of western Indonesia) and Pleistocene Sahul (Australia–New Guinea). We extracted DNA from the petrous bone of a young female hunter-gatherer buried 7.3–7.2 kyr cal bp at the limestone cave of Leang Panninge2 in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Genetic analyses show that this pre-Neolithic forager, who is associated with the ‘Toalean’ technocomplex3,4, shares most genetic drift and morphological similarities with present-day Papuan and Indigenous Australian groups, yet represents a previously unknown divergent human lineage that branched off around the time of the split between these populations approximately 37,000 years ago5. We also describe Denisovan and deep Asian-related ancestries in the Leang Panninge genome, and infer their large-scale displacement from the region today.
Local ferroelectric polarization switching driven by nanoscale distortions in thermoelectric $${\text {Sn}}_{0.7}{\text {Ge}}_{0.3}{\text {Te}}$$
Authors: Vasdev Aastha , Dutta Moinak , Mishra Shivam , Kaur Veerpal , Kaur Harleen , Biswas Kanishka , Sheet Goutam
Published: August 2021

A remarkable decrease in the lattice thermal conductivity and enhancement of thermoelectric figure of merit were recently observed in rock-salt cubic SnTe, when doped with germanium (Ge). Primarily, based on theoretical analysis, the decrease in lattice thermal conductivity was attributed to local ferroelectric fluctuations induced softening of the optical phonons which may strongly scatter the heat carrying acoustic phonons. Although the previous structural analysis indicated that the local ferroelectric transition temperature would be near room temperature in $${\text {Sn}}_{0.7}{\text {Ge}}_{0.3}{\text {Te}}$$

Sn

0.7

Ge

0.3

Te

, a direct evidence of local ferroelectricity remained elusive. Here we report a direct evidence of local nanoscale ferroelectric domains and their switching in $${\text {Sn}}_{0.7}{\text {Ge}}_{0.3}{\text {Te}}$$

Sn

0.7

Ge

0.3

Te

using piezoeresponse force microscopy(PFM) and switching spectroscopy over a range of temperatures near the room temperature. From temperature dependent (250–300 K) synchrotron X-ray pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, we show the presence of local off-centering distortion of Ge along the rhombohedral direction in global cubic $${\text {Sn}}_{0.7}{\text {Ge}}_{0.3}{\text {Te}}$$

Sn

0.7

Ge

0.3

Te

. The length scale of the $${\text {Ge}}^{2+}$$

Ge

2
+

off-centering is 0.25–0.10 Å near the room temperatures (250–300 K). This local emphatic behaviour of cation is the cause for the observed local ferroelectric instability, thereby low lattice thermal conductivity in $${\text {Sn}}_{0.7}{\text {Ge}}_{0.3}{\text {Te}}$$

Sn

0.7

Ge

0.3

Te

.
Clinical efficacy and safety of tirofiban combined with conventional dual antiplatelet therapy in ACS patients undergoing PCI
Authors: Guo Yong-zhe , Zhao Zi-wen , Li Shu-mei , Chen Liang-long
Published: August 2021

Challenges remain for clinicians over balancing the efficacy of active antithrombotic therapy and simultaneous bleeding reduction in patients. The clinical data of 347 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were retrospectively analyzed. On the basis of the given tirofiban, the patients were assigned into three different dose groups: high dose group (group H), medium dose group (group M), and low dose group (group L). The tirofiban efficacy was evaluated in terms of major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) parameters and lab endpoints, including platelet count and function. The tirofiban safety was assessed by the occurrence of bleeding events. The patients were followed up for 1 month after the PCI. No significant difference in MACE events was evident among these groups (p > 0.05). Groups H and M reported an obvious reduction in platelet count (p < 0.05 for both) and an increased platelet inhibition rate (p < 0.05 for both). Group H showed a higher rate of total bleeding events than the other groups (Group H vs. Group M: 34.4% vs. 16.5%; Group H vs. Group L: 34.4% vs. 10.3%; p < 0.05 for both). A proper administration of a low dose of tirofiban may be a superior alternative in treating ACS patients, which can produce a similar favorable clinical outcome and a decrease in bleeding complication.
De-novo multilayering in fibrovascular pigment epithelial detachment
Authors: Soman Manoj , Sheth Jay U. , Indurkar Asmita , Meleth Padmanabhan , Nair Unnikrishnan
Published: August 2021

This study describes the occurrence of multilayered pigment-epithelial detachment (MLPED) as a De-novo phenomenon (DN-MLPED) and compare the features with multi-layering secondary to chronic anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy (s-MLPED). We did a retrospective evaluation of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) features, treatment-profile, and visual-acuity (VA) outcomes in eyes with MLPED. Out of 17 eyes with MLPED, 7 eyes had DN-MLPED and 10 eyes had s-MLPED. There was no significant difference in baseline and final VA between the groups. At the final visit, no significant visual improvement was noted in both the groups, although a possible trend towards an improvement was seen in DN-MLPED eyes while the s-MLPED demonstrated a declining trend (DN-MLPED—LogMAR-BCVA: Baseline = 0.79 [∼ 20/123] ± 0.91; Final = 0.76 [∼ 20/115] ± 0.73; p = 0.87; s-MLPED—LogMAR BCVA: Baseline = 0.43 [∼ 20/54] ± 0.68; Final = 0.94 [∼ 20/174] ± 0.71; p = 0.06). Moreover, after presentation, the median number of injections in DN-MLPED eyes were significantly lower compared to s-MLPED eyes (DN-MLPED:4; s-MLPED:12; p = 0.03) (Median follow-up: DN-MLPED = 26 months; s-MLPED = 54 months; p = 0.15). Subretinal hyperreflective-material (SHRM) deposition heralded the onset of multilayering and was seen to progress in all DN-PED eyes and 1/4 eyes of s-MLPED. To conclude, MLPED is a unique form of cicatrizing fibrovascular-PED which can evolve denovo too. Long-standing disease with intermittent or low-grade activity can potentially explain this unique phenomenon. With fewer anti-VEGF therapy, the de-novo MLPED eyes show more visual stability as compared to s-MLPED eyes.
Volcanic eruptions are triggered in static dilatational strain fields generated by large earthquakes
Authors: Nishimura Takeshi
Published: August 2021

Although data catalog analyses have confirmed that volcanic eruptions are triggered by large earthquakes, the triggering mechanism has been under discussion for many decades. In the present study, recent earthquake and volcanic data from the past 35–55 years were analyzed, and it was demonstrated for the first time that the likelihood of new eruptions increases two to three times in the 5–10 years following large earthquakes for volcanoes where the generated static dilatational strain exceeds 0.5 µ, which may, for example, activate gas bubble growth and thereby generate a buoyant force in the magma. In contrast, the eruption likelihood does not increase for volcanoes that are subjected to strong ground motion alone, which affect the magma system and volcanic edifice. These results indicate that we can evaluate the likelihood of triggered eruptions and prepare for new eruptions when a large earthquake occurs.
Divergent synthesis of α-functionalized amides through selective N–O/C–C or N–O/C–C/C–N cleavage of aza-cyclobutanone oxime esters
Authors: Liu Hua-Wei , Wang Dian-Liang , Jiang Nan-Quan , Li Hai-Yan , Cai Zhong-Jian , Ji Shun-Jun
Published: August 2021

A novel selective N–O/C–C or N–O/C–C/C–N cleavage of aza-cyclobutanone oxime esters is described.
Controlled 2H/1T phase transition in MoS2 monolayers by a strong interface with M2C MXenes: a computational study
Authors: Wang Zhongxu , Liu Yu , Li FengYu , Zhao Jingxiang
Published: August 2021

The interfacial interaction of 2H- and 1T-MoS2 monolayers with M2C MXenes can achieve effective 2H/1T phase transformation with excellent properties.
Significant improvement of the lithium-ion conductivity of solid-state electrolytes by fabricating large pore volume hollow ZIF-8
Authors: Tian Li , Liu Zixin , Tao Fencheng , Liu Meiying , Liu Zhiliang
Published: August 2021

A kind of hollow ZIF-8 was synthesized through an exterior-template method which exhibits excellent electrochemical properties.
Peristaltic on-chip pump for tunable media circulation and whole blood perfusion in PDMS-free organ-on-chip and Organ-Disc systems
Authors: Schneider Stefan , Bubeck Marvin , Rogal Julia , Weener Huub J. , Rojas Cristhian , Weiss Martin , Heymann Michael , van der Meer Andries D. , Loskill Peter
Published: August 2021

We present an Organ-Disc with integrated peristaltic pump for the closed-loop perfusion of microphysiological systems with tunable flow rates, enabling time-resolved monitoring of cell states and media properties, and the perfusion of whole blood.
Enhanced strong metal–support interactions between Pt and WO3–x nanowires for the selective hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene
Authors: Yu Hongbo , Yu Zhiyong , Yang Fan , Yan Xuedong , Yin Hongfeng
Published: August 2021

Pt/WO3–x nanocatalysts demonstrate significantly enhanced catalytic performance due to the strong interaction between Pt and WO3–x nanowires.
Synthesis, structures, DFT calculations, and catalytic application in the direct arylation of five-membered heteroarenes with aryl bromides of novel palladium-N-heterocyclic carbene PEPPSI-type complexes
Authors: el-Krim Sandeli Abd , Khiri-Meribout Naima , Benzerka Saida , Boulebd Houssem , Gürbüz Nevin , Özdemir Namık , Özdemir İsmail
Published: August 2021

A new series of Pd-catalysts was synthesized and fully characterized via spectroscopic methods and the Pd–NHC complexes were evaluated via the direct arylation process.
Visible light induced radical cascade cyclization of ortho-cyanoarylacrylamides with phosphine oxides for the preparation of phosphorylated quinoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione
Authors: Sun Yuan-Yuan , Song Jing-Cheng , Yang Shao-Hui , Wang Zu-Li , Zhang En-Xuan , Han Qing-Qing , Yue Shan
Published: August 2021

Visible light induced cascade cyclization of ortho-cyanoarylacrylamides with phosphine oxides for the preparation of phosphorylated quinoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione was presented. Products with moderate to good yields were efficiently isolated.
Functional interrogation and therapeutic targeting of protein tyrosine phosphatases
Authors: Krabill Aaron D. , Zhang Zhong-Yin
Published: August 2021

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) counteract the enzymatic activity of protein tyrosine kinases to modulate levels of both normal and disease-associated protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Aberrant activity of PTPs has been linked to the progression of many disease states, yet no PTP inhibitors are currently clinically available. PTPs are without a doubt a difficult drug target. Despite this, many selective, potent, and bioavailable PTP inhibitors have been described, suggesting PTPs should once again be looked at as viable therapeutic targets. Herein, we summarize recently discovered PTP inhibitors and their use in the functional interrogation of PTPs in disease states. In addition, an overview of the therapeutic targeting of PTPs is described using SHP2 as a representative target.
Establishing Clinical Swallowing Assessment Services via Telepractice: A Multisite Implementation Evaluation
Authors: Ward Elizabeth C. , Burns Clare L. , Gray Amy , Baker Lisa , Cowie Brooke , Winter Natalie , Rusch Rukmani , Saxon Robyn , Barnes Sarah , Turvey Jodie
Published: August 2021

Purpose

While research has confirmed the feasibility and validity of delivering clinical swallowing evaluations (CSEs) via telepractice, challenges exist for clinical implementation. Using an implementation framework, strategies that supported implementation of CSE services via telepractice within 18 regional/rural sites across five health services were examined.

Method

A coordinated implementation strategy involving remote training and support was provided to 18 sites across five health services (five hub and spoke services) that had identified a need to implement CSEs via telepractice. Experiences of all 10 speech-language pathologists involved at the hub sites were examined via interviews 1 year post implementation. Interview content was coded using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and constructs were rated for strength and direction of influence, using published CFIR coding conventions.

Results

Services were established and are ongoing at all sites. Although there were site-specific differences, 10 CFIR constructs were positive influencing factors at all five sites. The telepractice model was perceived to provide clear advantages for the service, and clinicians were motivated by positive patient response. Strategies used to support implementation, including having a well-organized implementation resource and an external facilitator who worked closely with the local champions, were highly valued. Two CFIR constructs,
Structural Characteristics
and
Available Resources
, were challenges for all sites.

Conclusions

A complex interplay of factors influenced service implementation at each site. A strong local commitment to improving patient care, and the assistance of targeted strategies to support local implementation were viewed as central to enabling implementation.
Free vibration and inherent material damping characteristics of boron-FRP plate: influence of non-uniform uniaxial edge loads
Authors: Gunasekaran Vijay , Pitchaimani Jeyaraj , Mailan Chinnapandi Lenin Babu
Published: August 2021

The current investigation presents the analytical investigation on free vibration and inherent material damping of boron-FRP plate, subjected to non-uniform uniaxial edge loads. Initially critical buckling load (Pcr) is obtained, then followed by free vibration response and inherent material damping values for corresponding modal indices of the FRP plate is calculated for different load fraction of non-uniform uniaxial edge loads. The buckling load and free vibration response are obtained by using strain energy method and Reddy's TSDT respectively. It is observed that the nature of load and aspect ratio influence the bucking, free vibration and inherent material damping behaviour of the fibre reinforced polymer plate significantly.