bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exact closed‐form finite element solution for the bending static analysis of transversely cracked slender elastic beams on Winkler foundation
Authors: Skrinar Matjaž , Imamović Denis
Published: May 2018

In this paper, bending problem of a transversely cracked beam resting on elastic foundations is addressed by means of the finite element method. The paper covers the derivation of a new finite element, where the soil is modelled by classical Winkler soil model, and the cracked beam is represented by the simplified computational model, as already widely used for various analyses of such transversely cracked slender beams. The derivation of transverse displacements' interpolation functions for the transversely cracked slender beam and the stiffness matrix, as well as the corresponding load vector for the linearly distributed continuous transverse load are presented. All expressions are derived at in closed symbolic forms, and they allow easy implementation in the existing finite element software. The presented approach is ideal for the effortless modelling of cracked beams in conditions where neither information about the crack's growth nor the stresses at the crack's tip is required. Numerical examples covering several load situations are presented to support the discussed approach. The results obtained are further compared with the values from corresponding coupled differential equations as well as from a large 2D plane finite elements model, where a detailed description of the crack was accomplished. It is evident that the drastic difference in the computational effort is not reflected in any significant difference in the results between the models.
Acute care nurses’ perceptions of electronic health record use: A mixed method study
Authors: Strudwick Gillian , McGillis Hall Linda , Nagle Lynn , Trbovich Patricia
Published: May 2018

Aim

The overall aim of this study is to examine nurses’ perceptions of electronic health record use in an acute care hospital setting.

Design

This study uses a sequential mixed methods design in two phases.

Methods

Phase one consists of a survey of Registered Nurses to understand nurses’ perceptions of electronic health record use. Phase two is comprised of focus groups of a subsample from phase one. Data collection occurred from November 2015 ‐ August 2016 and was done in Toronto, Canada.

Results

In phase one, navigation was found to be a predictor of nurses’ perceptions of electronic health record use. In phase two, participants discussed the following five topics: (1) navigation; (2) functionality; (3) organizational standards; (4) documentation workload and (5) issues of system performance and response time. This study has implications for organizations implementing electronic health records, nursing leaders and electronic health record vendors.
Progress in polyketone materials: blends and composites
Authors: Yang Yan , Li Si‐Yuan , Bao Rui‐Ying , Liu Zheng‐Ying , Yang Ming‐Bo , Tan Chang‐Bin , Yang Wei
Published: May 2018

Polyketone (POK), a new environment‐friendly engineering plastic produced from carbon monoxide (CO), can be used for various applications including packaging, fibers and technical items. Due to its exceptional balance of mechanical properties and high chemical resistance, POK holds great potential to be one of the most promising candidates for high‐performance and multifunctional polymer materials. The introduction of other polymer materials, reinforcing fibers or micro‐ and/or nanofillers into the POK matrix is a powerful method for obtaining new POK‐based materials with specific characteristics and satisfactory improvements in properties. This article summarizes and highlights the recent advances and efforts in research and development in the field of POK blends, POK composites and POK blend‐based composites. The applications of POK materials and outlook are also summarized and discussed. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
An evaluation of camera trap performance – What are we missing and does deployment height matter?
Authors: Jacobs Caitlin E. , Ausband David E.
Published: May 2018

The camera trap is a powerful research tool that has a wide range of ecological applications and facilitates monitoring over large spatial and temporal scales. To improve the reliability of camera trap studies and provide more knowledge on camera performance, we evaluated three aspects of camera traps that researchers should consider – camera height, blank images and missed detections. We deployed 20 camera stations, each consisting of one low camera (0.6 m) and two adjacent high cameras (3 m). We tested for differences in detection rates and blank images between camera heights. We calculated missed detections using the two high cameras and used a subset of cameras (n = 14) to examine whether missed detections were caused by late triggers or failed triggers. We found that placing cameras high to minimize theft and damage did not influence detection rates. There were, however, more blank images which can increase the time required for analysis. These blank images increased as temperature increased. Missed detections were primarily the result of failed triggers and increased as species size decreased. Failed detections are particularly significant for distribution surveys of low‐density species. Detection at the camera is imperfect, even when working with larger species.
Functional interaction–based nonlinear models with application to multiplatform genomics data
Authors: Davenport Clemontina A. , Maity Arnab , Baladandayuthapani Veerabhadran
Published: May 2018

Functional regression allows for a scalar response to be dependent on a functional predictor; however, not much work has been done when a scalar exposure that interacts with the functional covariate is introduced. In this paper, we present 2 functional regression models that account for this interaction and propose 2 novel estimation procedures for the parameters in these models. These estimation methods allow for a noisy and/or sparsely observed functional covariate and are easily extended to generalized exponential family responses. We compute standard errors of our estimators, which allows for further statistical inference and hypothesis testing. We compare the performance of the proposed estimators to each other and to one found in the literature via simulation and demonstrate our methods using a real data example.
From $$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$ Galilean superparticle to three-dimensional non-relativistic $$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$ superfields
Authors: Fedoruk Sergey , Ivanov Evgeny , Lukierski Jerzy
Published: May 2018

Abstract

We consider the general$$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$N=4,d= 3 Galilean superalgebra with arbitrary central charges and study its dynamical realizations. Using the nonlinear realization techniques, we introduce a class of actions for$$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$N=4three-dimensional non-relativistic superparticle, such that they are linear in the central charge Maurer-Cartan one-forms. As a prerequisite to the quantization, we analyze the phase space constraints structure of our model for various choices of the central charges. The first class constraints generate gauge transformations, involving fermionic κ-gauge transformations. The quantization of the model gives rise to the collection of free$$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$N=4,d= 3 Galilean superfields, which can be further employed, e.g., for description of three-dimensional non-relativistic$$ \mathcal{N}=4 $$N=4supersymmetric theories.
Evaluation of plasma biomarkers of inflammation in patients with maple syrup urine disease
Authors: Scaini Giselli , Tonon Tássia , Moura de Souza Carolina F. , Schuck Patricia F. , Ferreira Gustavo C. , Quevedo João , Neto João Seda , Amorim Tatiana , Camelo Jose S. , Margutti Ana Vitoria Barban , Hencke Tresbach Rafael , Sperb‐Ludwig Fernanda , Boy Raquel , de Medeiros Paula F. V. , Schwartz Ida Vanessa D. , Streck Emilio Luiz
Published: May 2018

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder that affects branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism and is associated with acute and chronic brain dysfunction. Recent studies have shown that inflammation may be involved in the neuropathology of MSUD. However, these studies have mainly focused on single or small subsets of proteins or molecules. Here we performed a case‐control study, including 12 treated‐MSUD patients, in order to investigate the plasmatic biomarkers of inflammation, to help to establish a possible relationship between these biomarkers and the disease. Our results showed that MSUD patients in treatment with restricted protein diets have high levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines [IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, IL‐1β and IL‐6] and cell adhesion molecules [sICAM‐1 and sVCAM‐1] compared to the control group. However, no significant alterations were found in the levels of IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐7, IL‐8, and IL‐10 between healthy controls and MSUD patients. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between number of metabolic crisis and IL‐1β levels and sICAM‐1 in MSUD patients. In conclusion, our findings in plasma of patients with MSUD suggest that inflammation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of MSUD, although this process is not directly associated with BCAA blood levels. Overall, data reported here are consistent with the working hypothesis that inflammation may be involved in the pathophysiological mechanism underlying the brain damage observed in MSUD patients.
Rupture of Non-communicating Rudimentary Horn of Unicornuate Uterus with Pregnancy
Authors: Shiekh Yassar , Ilyas Mohd , Khan Insha
Published: May 2018

Unicornuate uterus with a non-communicating horn is a rare anomaly and even rarer pregnancy in its non-communicating horn. The incidence of pregnancy in the non-communicating horn is 1 in 76,000 to 1 in 150,000. Due to non-compliant uterine musculature in the non-communicating horn, it is prone to rupture in cases of pregnancy. The rupture occurs usually in the second trimester. We describe a case which presented with the rupture of non-communicating horn with live fetus inside it. The present case had a 22 week fetus floating in the peritoneal cavity following the rupture of non-communicating horn with normal other uterine horn.
Saltworks introduces Flex EDR following successful pilot project
Authors: Atkinson Simon
Published: May 2018

Following a successful pilot project in the USA, Saltworks Technologies has launched its Flex EDR electrodialysis reversal system. Taking advantage of the firm's next-generation ion-exchange membranes it reduces the amount of pretreatment required, tolerates oils and organics, selectively removes ions and uses fewer chemicals.
Academic Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Acute Care Consultations
Authors: MacDonald Shannon L. , Robinson Lawrence R.
Published: May 2018

The objective of this study was to describe the provision of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation acute care consultations in the United States and Canada. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department chairs/division directors at academic centers in Canada and the United States were mailed an 18-item questionnaire. Seven of 13 (54%) Canadian and 26/78 (33%) American surveys were returned. A majority of Canadian and American academic institutions provide acute care consultations; however, there were some national differences. American institutions see larger volumes of patients, and more American respondents indicated using a dedicated acute care consultation service model compared with Canadians.
Treatment of a Patient With Task-Specific Writing Tremor Using Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound
Authors: Meng Ying , Suppiah Suganth , Scantlebury Nadia , Lipsman Nir , Schwartz Michael L.
Published: May 2018

Task-specific dystonia is characterized by abnormal repetitive movements or postures in a specific body part that is triggered and ends with a task, such as writing. Failing medications, surgery, specifically disruption of key nuclei in the thalamus, can provide excellent symptomatic relief. Transcranial magnetic resonance (MR)-guided focused ultrasound is an emerging incision-less thermoablation technique. We describe MR-guided focused ultrasound tandem ablation of the ventral intermediate and ventralis oralis posterior nuclei in a 60-year-old patient with writer’s cramp. The clinical improvement was immediate with incremental benefit from the latter lesion, which was sustained at 6 months follow-up.
The prevalence and predictors of intimate partner violence among pregnant women attending a midwife and obstetrics unit in the Western Cape
Authors: Malan M. , Spedding M.F. , Sorsdahl K.
Published: May 2018

Background.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is prevalent across the world, but more so in low- and middle-income countries. It is associated with various adverse outcomes for mothers and infants. This study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of IPV among pregnant women attending one midwife and obstetrics unit (MOU) in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Methods.

A convenience sample of 150 pregnant women was recruited to participate in the study. Data were collected using several self-report measures concerning the history of childhood trauma, exposure to community violence, depression and alcohol use. Multivariable logistic models were developed, the first model was based on whether any IPV occurred, the remaining models investigated for physical-, sexual- and emotional abuse.

Results.

Lifetime and 12-month prevalence rates for any IPV were 44%. The 12-month IPV rates were 32% for emotional and controlling behaviours, 29% physical and 20% sexual abuse. The adjusted model predicting physical IPV found women who were at risk for depression were more likely to experience physical IPV [odds ratios (ORs) 4.42, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) 1.88–10.41], and the model predicting sexual IPV found that women who reported experiencing community violence were more likely to report 12-month sexual IPV (OR 3.85, CI 1.14–13.08).

Conclusion.

This is the first study, which illustrates high prevalence rates of IPV among pregnant woman at Mitchells Plain MOU. A significant association was found between 12-month IPV and unintended pregnancy. Further prospective studies in different centres are needed to address generalisability and the effect of IPV on maternal and child outcomes.
From Coca-Cola to Ebola, Racial Riots to Civil Rights, Epic Ashes to Olympic Torch – the Transformation of Emory, Atlanta, and the South
Authors: Hauk Gary
Published: May 2018

Good evening, and welcome to Emory University and Emory Law School. I've been asked to give you an overview of the history of Emory, our home city of Atlanta, and in some ways the entire American South, and I've been asked to do this in less than thirty minutes. I thought I would do that with the help of PowerPoint slides, but unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to project those in this outdoor plaza. So—I will have to call on your imaginations and ask you to conjure up the images that otherwise would be shown on a screen. Let's begin.
Wrestlemania: The Gender Factor in the 2016 Election
Authors: Scott Catherine V.
Published: May 2018

Part of the reason Hillary Clinton's loss in the Electoral College was such a surprise was that the two major obstacles faced by female candidates and politicians appeared to have been cleared by Clinton. The first is what I call “barriers to entry.” The research has long suggested (although some of it is now being challenged) that women cannot raise money as effectively as men, they are less likely to be asked to run for a vacant seat, they are less likely to have a secure place in the old boy's network, less able to point to vast experience as a qualification, and more likely to be burdened by childcare and family. Women of color face these hurdles in often particularly intense ways.
¿FESTEJANDO CON LOS SEÑORES MOCHICAS? HACIA UNA REVALUACIÓN DE LOS FESTINES Y COMIDAS RITUALES PREHISPÁNICOS EN LOS ANDES CENTRALES
Authors: Goepfert Nicolas , Alva Walter
Published: May 2018

Los festines fueron una práctica común y recurrente en los Andes Centrales durante la época prehispánica. Sin embargo, no existe un consenso sobre los criterios utilizados en la caracterización arqueológica de estos eventos. En este artículo revaluamos las evidencias del Repositorio de Ofrendas 1 de Sipán, un sitio Mochica (siglos tres y cuatro dC) ubicado en el valle de Lambayeque, a través del empleo de una variable cuantitativa llamada “peso de carne disponible”. Asociado a la tumba del Señor de Sipán, este depósito contiene centenas de ofrendas de prestigio, pero también miles de restos de fauna. El análisis de estos últimos proporciona nuevas perspectivas sobre la comida funeraria dada en homenaje a este alto dignatario después de su entierro. El uso de la variable mencionada permite evaluar la magnitud de esta comida y muestra la importancia de definir criterios metodológicos fiables para seguir investigando los festines, eventos que constituyen una de las bases de las relaciones sociales y políticas de las sociedades prehispánicas.
THE LOST HALF OF ANDEAN ARCHITECTURE: EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ROOFING TRADITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL USE AT CHINCHERO, PERU
Authors: Nair Stella , Archila Sonia , Hastorf Christine A.
Published: May 2018

This paper examines an eighteenth-century roof in Chinchero, Peru to show the critical role played by roofs in Andean communities across time. Roofs can reveal identity constructions, continuation of traditions, adaptations to new influences, and relationships to local environments and the sacred. We present a discussion of the importance of roofs in architectural history, the critical role played by roofs in Inca architecture, and a description of the colonial period roof in Chinchero, along with its facture, dates of construction, botanical identification, and the environmental zones from where these items could have been gathered.
AMIDST THINGS: NEW HISTORIES OF COMMODITIES, CAPITAL, AND CONSUMPTION
Authors: SMITH KATE
Published: May 2018

The review engages with three recently published works, which represent a cross-section of different approaches to studying processes related to the material world. The works consider the emergence of global systems of cotton manufacturing and its relationship to capitalism, the growth of tea consumption in Britain and its social, cultural, and economic impacts, and histories of consumption over a broad chronological and geographical span, respectively. Together, they demonstrate that histories of production, trade, consumption, and use are being rethought in light of the new approaches and questions prompted by global history and new histories of capitalism. At the same time, the review argues, the publication of these works suggests that fundamental assumptions about the material world are changing. Under the influence of new materialism, historians are increasingly tackling questions of agency, materiality, and thingness. As a result, alongside studying what objects mean, historians are increasingly asking what things do. The review argues for the need to ensure that such approaches continue to interact with cultural and social concerns in order to form analyses that fully grapple with the complexity of the material world, as it existed in the past.
Exploring patterns of commonness and rarity in lichens: a case study from Italy (Southern Europe)
Authors: NIMIS Pier Luigi , MARTELLOS Stefano , SPITALE Daniel , NASCIMBENE Juri
Published: May 2018

This paper, based on data from the latest checklist of Italy, analyzes the distribution patterns of rare and common lichen species within biogeographically homogeneous versus heterogeneous areas of Italy, and the relationships with some main drivers of rarity and commonness. The following data were used: 1) commonness-rarity values of 2565 species in nine ecoregions; 2) frequency of 353 nationally rare and 387 nationally common species in 21 administrative regions. The following functional and ecological traits were considered: growth form, photobiont(s), type of reproduction, substrata, bioclimatic range, ecological indicator values for aridity and eutrophication, and poleophoby. Within each ecoregion, rare species by far outweigh common species but about one third of these are common in other ecoregions. At the level of regional floras, rarity is significantly associated with epiphytic substrata, non-trebouxioid photobionts and high air humidity, while commonness is associated with saxicolous substrata, trebouxioid photobionts and eutrophication. Rarity seems to mainly depend on two factors, bioclimate (many rare species are outside the limit of their bioclimatic optima) and reduced availability of suitable habitats (e.g. old-growth forests), while commonness is mainly related to disturbance (eutrophication, creation of drier habitats). Most of the nationally rare lichens belong to an oceanic-suboceanic element with tropical affinities or to a small set of continental species with their optima in the dry steppe biome, which suggests that many rare species can persist in microrefugia, that is sites with microclimates that support small populations of species beyond the boundaries of the climatic limits of their main distributions.
A newBunodophoronspecies (Sphaerophoraceae,Lecanorales) from the Neotropics
Authors: SOTO MEDINA Edier , PRIETO Maria , WEDIN Mats
Published: May 2018

This is the first part of an ongoing taxonomic treatment ofBunodophoron(Sphaerophoraceae,Lecanorales) in the Neotropics, based on the molecular phylogenetic analysis of three markers together with studies of morphology and chemistry, and using the general mixed Yule coalescence (GMYC) method to delimit species boundaries. In the Neotropics, species in this genus grow on the ground or on shrubs in the páramos, and as epiphytes in the montane rainforests. We describe here a new species from the páramos of Colombia,Bunodophoron crespoaeSoto, M. Prieto & Wedin sp. nov., and discuss its distinction from another large and common páramo speciesBunodophoron flabellatum(Hue) Soto, M. Prieto & Wedin comb. nov. Both species are primarily terrestrial in the páramos, althoughB. flabellatummay occasionally also grow as an epiphyte.Bunodophoron crespoaeis characterized by the white,c. 10–13 cm long, subterete to narrowly flattened, main branches. It differs from the otherwise similarB. flabellatumby being distinctly subterete, more abundantly branched, and by having smaller ascospores. Both are distinguished from the primarily epiphyticB. melanocarpumby the considerably larger thallus size, with the main branches ofB. melanocarpumrarely exceeding 3·5 cm in length and 2 mm in width.
Challenging the lichen concept:Turgidosculum ulvae(Verrucariaceae) represents an independent photobiont shift to a multicellular blade-like alga
Authors: PÉREZ-ORTEGA Sergio , MILLER Kathy Ann , DE LOS RÍOS Asunción
Published: May 2018

Some definitions of the term ‘lichen’ have often emphasized the role of the mycobiont as exhabitant in the symbiosis.Mastodia tessellataandTurgidosculum ulvae, both forming lichen-like associations with foliose algae, have traditionally defied that definition. In this study, we delve into the poorly known association ofT. ulvaewithBlidingia minima. Using four molecular markers (nrLSU, nrSSU,RPB1, mtSSU) we show thatT. ulvaeis a member of the familyVerrucariaceae, closely related to the marine speciesVerrucaria ditmarsica. The presence of bitunicate asci and single-cell ascospores is confirmed. Our analysis of a fragment of therbcL marker demonstrates that the photosynthetic partner belongs toB. minima, although relationships within this taxon remain unclear. Transmission electron microscopy allowed us to illustrate howT. ulvaeinteracts withBlidingiacells, and how haustoria in that species differ from those previously investigated in other marine lichen-forming fungi.
Historical biogeography of the lichenized fungal genusHypotrachyna(Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota): insights into the evolutionary history of a pantropical clade
Authors: CUBAS Paloma , LUMBSCH H. Thorsten , DEL PRADO Ruth , FERENCOVA Zuzana , HLADUN Nestor L. , RICO Victor J. , DIVAKAR Pradeep K.
Published: May 2018

Hypotrachynais a speciose genus of primarily tropical and oceanic lichen-forming fungi. It includes species with distinct distribution patterns, such as pantropical, restricted and disjunct species. We used a dataset of mitochondrial SSU, nuclear ITS and LSU ribosomal DNA from 89 specimens to study the historical biogeography of the genus. We employed Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches for phylogenetic analyses, a likelihood-based approach to ancestral area estimation, and a Bayesian approach to estimate divergence times of major lineages within the genus based on molecular evolutionary rates for ITS and a secondary calibration point at theHypotrachynaclade –Parmeliopsissplit. Our analyses suggest that the genus might have originated in the Neotropics during the Eocene and that the split of major lineages happened primarily during the Eocene and Oligocene. The major diversification within those clades is estimated to have occurred during the Miocene. Pantropical species distributions are explained by long-distance dispersal. A number of currently accepted species were found to be non-monophyletic, illustrating that the delimitation of species in the genus needs attention.
Best practice assessment of disease modelling for infectious disease outbreaks
Authors: Dembek Z. F. , Chekol T. , Wu A.
Published: May 2018

During emerging disease outbreaks, public health, emergency management officials and decision-makers increasingly rely on epidemiological models to forecast outbreak progression and determine the best response to health crisis needs. Outbreak response strategies derived from such modelling may include pharmaceutical distribution, immunisation campaigns, social distancing, prophylactic pharmaceuticals, medical care, bed surge, security and other requirements. Infectious disease modelling estimates are unavoidably subject to multiple interpretations, and full understanding of a model's limitations may be lost when provided from the disease modeller to public health practitioner to government policymaker. We review epidemiological models created for diseases which are of greatest concern for public health protection. Such diseases, whether transmitted from person-to-person (Ebola, influenza, smallpox), via direct exposure (anthrax), or food and waterborne exposure (cholera, typhoid) may cause severe illness and death in a large population. We examine disease-specific models to determine best practices characterising infectious disease outbreaks and facilitating emergency response and implementation of public health policy and disease control measures.
A Way Out of Laïcité? The Child's Best Interests as Justification for Religious Manifestation
Authors: Erlings Esther
Published: May 2018

Over the last couple of years, France has built up the reputation of a staunchly secular society where, slowly but surely, signs of religious manifestation are being removed from the public space with an appeal to laïcité (French secularism) and other French values. This is why it came as a surprise that, after a long list of unsuccessful religious manifestation cases, in August 2017 the Dijon Administrative Tribunal ruled against a municipality that had decided no to longer accommodate Muslim and Jewish dietary prescriptions in school canteens. The reason for the sudden change appeared to be the approach taken in the relevant case: rather than basing itself on freedom of manifestation, the tribunal had chosen to decide the case solely on the basis of the best interests of the child. Although that approach offered some much-desired relief for the religious communities involved, following an overview of the case below, I will argue that it may not be a sustainable answer to the curtailing of religious manifestations in the name of laïcité.
Interpolation of matrices and matrix-valued densities: The unbalanced case
Authors: CHEN YONGXIN , GEORGIOU TRYPHON T. , TANNENBAUM ALLEN
Published: May 2018

We propose unbalanced versions of the quantum mechanical version of optimal mass transport that is based on the Lindblad equation describing open quantum systems. One of them is a natural interpolation framework between matrices and matrix-valued measures via a quantum mechanical formulation of Fisher-Rao information and the matricial Wasserstein distance, and the second is an interpolation between Wasserstein distance and Frobenius norm. We also give analogous results for the matrix-valued density measures, i.e., we add a spatial dependency on the density matrices. This might extend the applications of the framework to interpolating matrix-valued densities/images with unequal masses.
DictumonDicta:Obiter Dictain WTO Disputes
Authors: GAO HENRY
Published: May 2018

This paper discusses an important legal issue raised by the United States in its recent attempt to block the reappointment of an Appellate Body member. According to the US, in some of his decisions, the member has made overreaching findings that amount to obiter dicta. As obiter dictum is a unique concept in the Common Law system, the US argument may only stand if the concept may be found in the WTO legal system as well. With a careful analysis of the concept of dicta in Common Law and a close examination of the effects of past panel and Appellate Body decisions in WTO dispute settlement, the paper rejects the US argument by refuting each of the three premises of the US argument, i.e., the WTO legal system based on Common Law; WTO follows stare decisis; and the WTO has rules against dicta. In addition to original contributions on the nature of the WTO dispute settlement system in theory, the article also provides some practical advice on how the controversy may be resolved.
How Much Market Access? A Case Study of Jordan's Exports to the EU
Authors: BRUNELIN STEPHANIE , DE MELO JAIME , PORTUGAL-PEREZ ALBERTO
Published: May 2018

The value of preferential market access schemes has fallen sharply. Drawing on a relaxation announcement of July 2016 simplifying origin requirements for access to the EU that should help improve market access, thereby contributing to alleviate the refugee crisis in Jordan, this paper argues that a simplification of origin requirements is a straightforward way to enhance preferential market access. Yet, the EU decision limits the beneficiaries who must be located in designated special economic zones, which limits preferential market access. The paper compares the performance of Jordanian exports to the EU and the US under their respective FTAs. It shows that Jordanian exports to the US have grown more rapidly than exports to the EU over the last 15 years. The study documents lower utilisation of preferences in the EU than in the US, especially in Textiles and Apparel (T&A) in spite of non-negligible preferences. Three contributing factors are identified: (i) higher adjusted preferences for apparel in the US than in the EU; (ii) greater competition from other suppliers (mostly from LDCs) in the EU market than in the US market; (iii) simpler origin requirements in the case of the Jordan–US FTA. Comparative evidence from the two FTAs and econometric estimates suggest that this should help restore market access for Jordanian exports to the EU. These estimates provide additional evidence that origin requirements suppress market access. Other pathways to simplify origin requirements are offered in the conclusion.
Neutral hydrogen in the post-reionization universe
Authors: Padmanabhan Hamsa
Published: May 2018

The evolution of neutral hydrogen (HI) across redshifts is a powerful probe of cosmology, large scale structure in the universe and the intergalactic medium. Using a data-driven halo model to describe the distribution of HI in the post-reionization universe (z ∼ 5 to 0), we obtain the best-fitting parameters from a rich sample of observational data: low redshift 21-cm emission line studies, intermediate redshift intensity mapping experiments, and higher redshift Damped Lyman Alpha (DLA) observations. Our model describes the abundance and clustering of neutral hydrogen across redshifts 0 - 5, and is useful for investigating different aspects of galaxy evolution and for comparison with hydrodynamical simulations. The framework can be applied for forecasting future observations with neutral hydrogen, and extended to the case of intensity mapping with molecular and other line transitions at intermediate redshifts.
Simultaneously constraining the astrophysics of reionisation and the epoch of heating with 21CMMC
Authors: Greig Bradley , Mesinger Andrei
Published: May 2018

We extend our MCMC sampler of 3D EoR simulations, 21CMMC, to perform parameter estimation directly on light-cones of the cosmic 21cm signal. This brings theoretical analysis one step closer to matching the expected 21-cm signal from next generation interferometers like HERA and the SKA. Using the light-cone version of 21CMMC, we quantify biases in the recovered astrophysical parameters obtained from the 21cm power spectrum when using the co-eval approximation to fit a mock 3D light-cone observation. While ignoring the light-cone effect does not bias the parameters under most assumptions, it can still underestimate their uncertainties. However, significant biases (∼few – 10 σ) are possible if all of the following conditions are met: (i) foreground removal is very efficient, allowing large physical scales (k ∼ 0.1 Mpc−1) to be used in the analysis; (ii) theoretical modelling is accurate to ∼10 per cent in the power spectrum amplitude; and (iii) the 21cm signal evolves rapidly (i.e. the epochs of reionisation and heating overlap significantly
New simulation of QSO X-ray heating during the Cosmic Dawn
Authors: Ross Hannah E. , Dixon Keri , Iliev Ilian , Mellema Garrelt
Published: May 2018

The upcoming radio interferometer Square Kilometre Array is expected to directly detect the redshifted 21-cm signal from the Cosmic Dawn for the first time. In this era temperature fluctuations from X-ray heating of the neutral intergalactic medium can impact this signal dramatically. Previously, in Ross et al. (2017), we presented the first large-volume, 244 h-1 Mpc=349 Mpc a side, fully numerical radiative transfer simulations of X-ray heating. This work is a follow-up where we now also consider QSO-like sources in addition to high mass X-ray binaries. Images of the two cases are clearly distinguishable at SKA1-LOW resolution and have RMS fluctuations above the expected noise. The inclusion of QSOs leads to a dramatic increase in non-Gaussianity of the signal, as measured by the skewness and kurtosis of the 21-cm signal. We conclude that this increased non-Gaussianity is a promising signature of early QSOs.
Evolution of the Quasar Luminosity Function: Implications for EoR-21cm
Authors: Kulkarni Girish , Choudhury Tirthankar Roy , Puchwein Ewald , Haehnelt Martin G.
Published: May 2018

We present predictions for the spatial distribution of 21 cm brightness temperature fluctuations from high-dynamic-range simulations for AGN-dominated reionization histories that have been tested against available Lyα and CMB data. We model AGN by extrapolating the observed Mbh–σ relation to high redshifts and assign them ionizing emissivities consistent with recent UV luminosity function measurements. AGN-dominated reionization histories increase the variance of the 21 cm emission by a factor of up to ten compared to similar reionization histories dominated by faint galaxies, to values close to 100 mK2 at scales accessible to experiments (k ≲ 1 cMpc−1h). This is lower than the sensitivity reached by ongoing experiments by only a factor of about two or less. AGN dominated reionization should be easily detectable by LOFAR (and later HERA and SKA1) at their design sensitivity.
A Clustered Extragalactic Foreground Model for the EoR
Authors: Murray S. G. , Trott C. M. , Jordan C. H.
Published: May 2018

We review an improved statistical model of extra-galactic point-source foregrounds first introduced in Murray et al. (2017), in the context of the Epoch of Reionization. This model extends the instrumentally-convolved foreground covariance used in inverse-covariance foreground mitigation schemes, by considering the cosmological clustering of the sources. In this short work, we show that over scales of k ∼ (0.6, 40.)hMpc−1, ignoring source clustering is a valid approximation. This is in contrast to Murray et al. (2017), who found a possibility of false detection if the clustering was ignored. The dominant cause for this change is the introduction of a Galactic synchrotron component which shadows the clustering of sources.
The Zone of Avoidance as an X-ray absorber - the role of the galactic foreground modelling Swift XRT spectra
Authors: Racz I. I. , Bagoly Z. , Tóth L. V. , Balázs L. G. , Horvath I. , Zahorecz S.
Published: May 2018

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful explosive events in the Universe. The prompt gamma emission is followed by an X-ray afterglow that is also detected for over nine hundred GRBs by the Swift BAT and XRT detectors. The X-ray afterglow spectrum bears essential information about the burst, and the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). Since the radiation travels through the line of sight intergalactic medium and the ISM in the Milky Way, the observed emission is influenced by extragalactic and galactic components. The column density of the Galactic foreground ranges several orders of magnitudes, due to both the large scale distribution of ISM and its small scale structures. We examined the effect of local HI column density on the penetrating X-ray emission, as the first step towards a precise modeling of the measured X-ray spectra. We fitted the X-ray spectra using the Xspec software, and checked how the shape of the initially power low spectrum changes with varying input Galactic HI column density. The total absorbing HI column is a sum of the intrinsic and Galactic component. We also investigated the model results for the intrinsic component varying the Galactic foreground. We found that such variations may alter the intrinsic hydrogen column density up to twenty-five percent. We will briefly discuss its consequences.
MWA Observations of the EOR1 Field
Authors: Pindor Bart
Published: May 2018

The EOR1 field at (RA,DEC)=(4hrs, −30.0°) is one of the main targets of the MWA EOR experiment. It is notable for being in one of the coldest regions of the southern radio sky, as well as for containing the bright radio galaxy Fornax A. We report an early demonstration that the distance of this field from the Galactic Centre may make it a prime field for EOR observations.
The Neutral Islands during the Late Epoch of Reionization
Authors: Xu Yidong , Yue Bin , Chen Xuelei
Published: May 2018

The large-scale structure of the ionization field during the epoch of reionization (EoR) can be modeled by the excursion set theory. While the growth of ionized regions during the early stage are described by the “bubble model”, the shrinking process of neutral regions after the percolation of the ionized region calls for an “island model”. An excursion set based analytical model and a semi-numerical code (islandFAST) have been developed. The ionizing background and the bubbles inside the islands are also included in the treatment. With two kinds of absorbers of ionizing photons, i.e. the large-scale under-dense neutral islands and the small-scale over-dense clumps, the ionizing background are self-consistently evolved in the model.
Extragalactic optical and near-infrared foregrounds to 21-cm epoch of reionisation experiments
Authors: Jarvis Matt J. , Bowler Rebecca A.A. , Hatfield Peter W.
Published: May 2018

Foreground contamination is one of the most important limiting factors in detecting the neutral hydrogen in the epoch of reionisation. These foregrounds can be roughly split into galactic and extragalactic foregrounds. In these proceedings we highlight information that can be gleaned from multi-wavelength extragalactic surveys in order to overcome this issue. We discuss how clustering information from the lower-redshift, foreground galaxies, can be used as additional information in accounting for the noise associated with the foregrounds. We then go on to highlight the expected contribution of future optical and near-infrared surveys for detecting the galaxies responsible for ionising the Universe. We suggest that these galaxies can also be used to reduce the systematics in the 21-cm epoch of reionisation signal through cross-correlations if enough common area is surveyed.
The Responses of Forest Fine Root Biomass/Necromass Ratio to Environmental Factors Depend on Mycorrhizal Type and Latitudinal Region
Authors: Wang Cunguo , Chen Zhao , Yin Hong , Guo Wei , Cao Ying , Wang Guojiao , Sun Bei , Yan Xuefei , Li Jiandong , Zhao Tian‐Hong , Brunner Ivano , Dai Guanhua , Zheng Yixiang , Zheng Yiguo , Zu Weizhong , Li Mai‐He
Published: May 2018

Fine root (≤2 mm in diameter) biomass/necromass (B/N) ratio, representing many dynamic key root parameters, can serve as a powerful measure of root vitality. Based on a global synthesis of fine root biomass and necromass in forest ecosystems, we describe a framework for recognizing responses of B/N ratio to biotic (e.g., mycorrhizal type) and abiotic (e.g., latitudinal region) characteristics. Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) and ectomycorrhiza (ECM) forests had similar average B/N ratios (3.28 versus 3.23). AM forest B/N ratio decreased with increasing altitude, stand density, tree age, and soil carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N) but increased with soil pH. In contrast, ECM forest B/N ratio increased with increasing mean annual precipitation (MAP), altitude, and stand density but decreased with tree age. The average B/N ratio was higher in temperate forests (4.39) than in tropical (2.97) and boreal forests (2.40). The B/N ratio was relatively stable in temperate forests irrespective of changes in biotic and abiotic factors. In tropical forest, the B/N ratio was sensitive to mean annual temperature, altitude, soil C/N ratio, and pH, whereas in boreal forests, it was more sensitive to MAP, stand density, and tree age. The late‐successional forest B/N ratio was closely aligned with biotic and abiotic factors. Our analysis revealed that the relationships of B/N ratio with climate, topography, edaphic, and stand characteristics were dependent on mycorrhizal types and latitudinal regions. These findings provide a basis for large‐scale prediction of fine root dynamics and for better understanding of belowground processes of global forest ecosystems in a changing world.
Dynamic Ice Sheet and Sea Level Response to Past Climate Change
Authors: Sandstrom Michael , Skrivanek Alexandra , Shakun Jeremy
Published: May 2018

PALSEA2 Workshop; Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico, 6–9 November 2017
Asynchronous evolution of interdependent nest characters across the avian phylogeny
Authors: Fang Yi-Ting , Tuanmu Mao-Ning , Hung Chih-Ming
Published: May 2018

Nest building is a widespread behavior among birds that reflects their adaptation to the environment and evolutionary history. However, it remains unclear how nests evolve and how their evolution relates to the bird phylogeny. Here, by examining the evolution of three nest characters—structure, site, and attachment—across all bird families, we reveal that nest characters did not change synchronically across the avian phylogeny but had disparate evolutionary trajectories. Nest structure shows stronger phylogenetic signal than nest site, while nest attachment has little variation. Nevertheless, the three characters evolved interdependently. For example, the ability of birds to explore new nest sites might depend on the emergence of novel nest structure and/or attachment. Our results also reveal labile nest characters in passerines compared with other birds. This study provides important insights into avian nest evolution and suggests potential associations between nest diversification and the adaptive radiations that generated modern bird lineages.
Instability of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream over the last 45,000 years
Authors: Larsen Nicolaj K. , Levy Laura B. , Carlson Anders E. , Buizert Christo , Olsen Jesper , Strunk Astrid , Bjørk Anders A. , Skov Daniel S.
Published: May 2018

The sensitivity of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) to prolonged warm periods is largely unknown and geological records documenting such long-term changes are needed to place current observations in perspective. Here we use cosmogenic surface exposure and radiocarbon ages to determine the magnitude of NEGIS margin fluctuations over the last 45 kyr (thousand years). We find that the NEGIS experienced slow early Holocene ice-margin retreat of 30–40 m a−1, likely as a result of the buttressing effect of sea-ice or shelf-ice. The NEGIS was ~20–70 km behind its present ice-extent ~41–26 ka and ~7.8–1.2 ka; both periods of high orbital precession index and/or summer temperatures within the projected warming for the end of this century. We show that the NEGIS was smaller than present for approximately half of the last ~45 kyr and is susceptible to subtle changes in climate, which has implications for future stability of this ice stream.
Outlier response to anti-PD1 in uveal melanoma reveals germline MBD4 mutations in hypermutated tumors
Authors: Rodrigues Manuel , Mobuchon Lenha , Houy Alexandre , Fiévet Alice , Gardrat Sophie , Barnhill Raymond L. , Popova Tatiana , Servois Vincent , Rampanou Aurore , Mouton Aurore , Dayot Stéphane , Raynal Virginie , Galut Michèle , Putterman Marc , Tick Sarah , Cassoux Nathalie , Roman-Roman Sergio , Bidard François-Clément , Lantz Olivier , Mariani Pascale , Piperno-Neumann Sophie , Stern Marc-Henri
Published: May 2018

Metastatic uveal melanoma is a deadly disease with no proven standard of care. Here we present a metastatic uveal melanoma patient with an exceptional high sensitivity to a PD-1 inhibitor associated with outlier CpG>TpG mutation burden, MBD4 germline deleterious mutation, and somatic MBD4 inactivation in the tumor. We identify additional tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohorts with similar hypermutator profiles in patients carrying germline deleterious MBD4 mutations and somatic loss of heterozygosity. This MBD4-related hypermutator phenotype may explain unexpected responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Multiscale nanowire-microfluidic hybrid strain sensors with high sensitivity and stretchability
Authors: Han Songjia , Liu Chunrui , Xu Huihua , Yao Dongyuan , Yan Kanghong , Zheng Huanliang , Chen Hui-Jiuan , Gui Xuchun , Chu Sheng , Liu Chuan
Published: May 2018

Nanomaterials with low-dimensional morphology have been explored for enhancing the performance of strain sensors, but it remains difficult to achieve high stretchability and sensitivity simultaneously. In this work, a composite structure strain sensor based on nanomaterials and conductive liquid is designed, demonstrated, and engineered. The nanowire-microfluidic hybrid (NMH) strain sensor responds to multiscale strains from 4% to over 400%, with a high sensitivity and durability under small strain. Metal nanowires and carbon nanotubes are used to fabricate the NMH strain sensors, which simultaneously exhibit record-high average gauge factors and stretchability, far better than the conventional nanowire devices. Quantitative modeling of the electrical characteristics reveals that the effective conductivity percolation through the hybrid structures is the key to achieving high gauge factors for multiscale sensing. The sensors can operate at low voltages and are capable of responding to various mechanical deformations. When fixed on human skin, the sensors can monitor large-scale deformations (skeleton motion) and small-scale deformations (facial expressions and pulses). The sensors are also employed in multichannel, interactive electronic system for wireless control of robotics. Such demonstrations indicate the potential of the sensors as wearable detectors for human motion or as bionic ligaments in soft robotics.