bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bronchial Artery Embolisation for Massive Haemoptysis: Immediate and Long-Term Outcomes—A Retrospective Study
Authors: Frood Russell , Karthik Shishir , Mirsadraee Saeed , Clifton Ian , Flood Karen , McPherson Simon J.
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Bronchial artery embolisation (BAE) is an established treatment method for massive haemoptysis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of BAE on in-hospital outcomes and long-term survival in patients with massive haemoptysis.

Methods

Retrospective review of all cases of acute massive haemoptysis treated by BAE between April 2000 and April 2012 with at least a 5 year follow up of each patient. Targeted BAE was performed in cases with lateralising symptoms, bronchoscopic sites of bleeding or angiographic unilateral abnormal vasculature. In the absence of lateralising symptoms or signs, bilateral BAE was performed.

Results

96 BAEs were performed in 68 patients. The majority (64 cases, 67%) underwent unilateral procedures. 83 (86.5%) procedures resulted in immediate/short term control of haemoptysis which lasted for longer than a month. The mean duration of haemoptysis free period after embolisation was 96 months. There were three major complications (cardio-pulmonary arrest, paraparesis and stroke). 38 (56%) patients were still alive at least 5 years following their BAE. Benign causes were associated with significantly longer haemoptysis free periods, mean survival 108 months compared to 32 months in patients with an underlying malignant cause (p = 0.005). An episode of haemoptysis within a month of the initial embolisation was associated reduced overall survival (p = 0.033).

Conclusion

BAE is effective in controlling massive haemoptysis. Long-term survival depends on the underlying pulmonary pathology. Strategies are required to avoid incomplete initial embolisation, which is associated with ongoing haemoptysis and high mortality despite further BAE.
Intuitionistic fuzzy time series functions approach for time series forecasting
Authors: Bas Eren , Yolcu Ufuk , Egrioglu Erol
Published: March 2020

Fuzzy inference systems have been commonly used for time series forecasting in the literature. Adaptive network fuzzy inference system, fuzzy time series approaches and fuzzy regression functions approaches are popular among fuzzy inference systems. In recent years, intuitionistic fuzzy sets have been preferred in the fuzzy modeling and new fuzzy inference systems have been proposed based on intuitionistic fuzzy sets. In this paper, a new intuitionistic fuzzy regression functions approach is proposed based on intuitionistic fuzzy sets for forecasting purpose. This new inference system is called an intuitionistic fuzzy time series functions approach. The contribution of the paper is proposing a new intuitionistic fuzzy inference system. To evaluate the performance of intuitionistic fuzzy time series functions, twenty-three real-world time series data sets are analyzed. The results obtained from the intuitionistic fuzzy time series functions approach are compared with some other methods according to a root mean square error and mean absolute percentage error criteria. The proposed method has superior forecasting performance among all methods.
Water Technology in the Paper Industry in the Valley of Mexican Basin
Authors: Rodríguez-Tapia Lilia , Pedro-Aburto Marina , Morales-Novelo Jorge A. , Revollo-Fernández Daniel A.
Published: March 2020

This article identifies the technological characteristics of the paper manufacturing industry in the Valley of Mexican Basin (VMB)—a densely populated region characterized by absolute water scarcity—in order to quantify the intensity with which water is used. The method consisted of modeling the paper industry’s technology estimating Cobb-Douglas production functions at two moments in time. The comparison of both functions makes it possible to identify water saving technologies during this period, and to evaluate whether the industry has made adjustments to deal with water restrictions. The data is obtained from the Economic Censuses of the National Institute of Statistics Geography and Informatics 2009 and 2014. While our work must be considered preliminary owing to the somewhat irregular nature of the data, certain clear conclusions do stand out. The paper industry located in the VMB has drastically reduced its water usage during the period of time analyzed. This is explained by the adoption of water saving technologies in the industry. In the process, an increase in capital is the main variable to explain such a technical change. This is expressed in the manner in which water and capital inputs appear to be highly suitable substitutes in paper manufacturing.
Use of nanoadvanced activated carbon, alumina and ferric adsorbents for humics removal from water: isotherm study
Authors: Stanford Cecile Andre , Khraisheh Majeda , Al Momani Fares , Albadarin Ahmad B. , Walker Gavin M. , Al Ghouti Mohammad A.
Published: March 2020

The adsorption of humic substances on three different adsorbents was investigated and adsorption isotherms were applied in this research. The three adsorbents studied include granular activated carbon (GAC), ferric oxihydroxide in its beta form (β-FeOOH) and iron-coated activated alumina (AAFS). Physical and chemical characteristics of the adsorbents were also fully investigated. Calcium was added to the HS solution in order to represent water with a hardness equivalent to water hardness typically found in London (UK). The examination of the GAC indicated a large microporous area with lower surface area associated with meso- and macropores. The AAFS and β-FeOOH did not present any microporous area. The overall surface area was high for GAC (980 m2 g−1) but lower for AAFS (286 m2 g−1) and β-FeOOH (360 m2 g−1). The Freundlich isotherm model was fitted to all adsorbent–adsorbate systems. It was shown that GAC offered a large adsorption capacity for removal of low molecular weight humics F1 (MW 0–5 kDa) but not for substances with molecular weight larger than 10 kDa (F3). The β-FeOOH adsorption capacity was only 0.43 mg g−1, compared with 9.11 and 2.55 mg g−1 on GAC and AAFS, respectively. On the contrary, F1 is not well adsorbed and only F2 (5–10 kDa) can be efficiently removed by AAFS and β-FeOOH. It was strongly suggested that precipitation/condensation occurred on the adsorbent surface.
“I really don’t wanna think about what’s going to happen to me!”: a case study of psychological health and safety at an isolated high Arctic Research Station
Authors: Temp Anna G. M. , Lee Billy , Bak Thomas
Published: March 2020

Psychological problems over the course of isolated missions in extreme environments are common, even with modern screening techniques. Occasionally, these problems warrant evacuation of the afflicted individual but no in-depth insight into such a case has been given in modern times, until now. A 21-year-old man – Albert – developed severe psychological distress over the course of a winter expedition to the Polish Polar Station, Svalbard. We collected data on his mental health and his mood using the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised and the Profile of Mood States, and we assessed his cognitive functions with the Sustained Attention to Response Task and the Test of Everyday Attention. Phenomenological interviews gave him room to relate his experience. The data collection occurred repeatedly during the mission, until his evacuation. Albert struggled to derive joy from his work at the station. He missed his loved ones at home, and he felt he was cognitively declining due to intellectual deprival. His attempt at combing his life at home and his life at the station led to him feeling increasingly depressed. Crawfordian case analysis suggests that he felt more depressed than other team members at the station, and men of equal age and education in their home environment (p < 001). We attempted an intervention using emotional freedom techniques (EFT) to help improve his symptoms. It was moderately successful. Albert’s evacuation was medically warranted. The intervention temporarily alleviated his depressive symptoms. More such case studies should be conducted wherever possible.
Loss of Department Stores’ Dominant Status in China’s Apparel Retail Industry
Authors: SHI RUI
Published: March 2020

This study analyzes why and how department stores lost their dominant status in China’s apparel retail industry. It examines the history of the apparel distribution mechanism. The analysis finds that this loss is due to irrationalities in the distribution mechanism that developed to support apparel enterprises’ marketing efforts. Furthermore, the loss also resulted from the strategic changes among apparel enterprises and department stores to cope with these irrationalities. Apparel firms developed diversified channels and weakened the stores’ buying power by introducing multiple brands and getting involved in stores’ capital. Although department stores sought to change their disadvantaged status by reforming their purchasing patterns, they could not expand their scale to address their difficulties. Eventually, department stores ceased to be the main retail channel for apparel, and the value chain changed from being driven by department stores to being driven by apparel enterprises.
International Transfer of Tacit Knowledge: The Transmission of Shipbuilding Skills from Scotland to South Korea in the Early 1970s
Authors: TENOLD STIG , KANG J. Y. , KIM SONG , MURPHY HUGH
Published: March 2020

This article analyzes the transfer of tacit knowledge between countries and continents, based on a case from the shipbuilding industry. The South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) was established in the early 1970s and had by the late 1980s become the world’s leading shipbuilder. Aided by foreign loan capital, HHI acquired technology through foreign licenses and imported equipment. However, shipbuilding is about more than hardware. This article presents and analyzes another important means of knowledge transfer: the acquisition of tacit knowledge in the form of shipbuilding skills, including shipyard processes and operations. This transfer was mainly accomplished through the “import” of foreign managers and the dispatch abroad of South Korean employees. One important element, which we investigate in detail, was the Korean personnel that HHI sent in 1972 to the Scott Lithgow shipyards in Scotland to observe and learn. Based on archival sources and interviews, we detail the manner in which tacit knowledge could be transferred across language and cultural barriers.
Evaluation of clinicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and planned behaviors related to an intervention to improve acute respiratory infection management
Authors: Hruza Hayli R. , Velasquez Tania , Madaras-Kelly Karl J. , Fleming-Dutra Katherine E. , Samore Matthew H. , Butler Jorie M.
Published: March 2020

Background:

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) are commonly diagnosed and major drivers of antibiotic prescribing. Clinician-focused interventions can reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing for ARIs. We elicited clinician feedback to design sustainable interventions to improve ARI management by understanding the mental framework of clinicians surrounding antibiotic prescribing within Veterans’ Health Administration clinics.

Methods:

We conducted one-on-one interviews with clinicians (n = 20) from clinics targeted for intervention at 5 facilities. The theory of planned behavior guided interview questions. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for qualitative analysis. An iterative coding approach identified 6 themes.

Results:

Emergent themes: (1) barriers to appropriate prescribing are multifactorial and include challenges of behavior change; (2) antibiotic prescribing decisions are perceived as autonomous yet, diagnostic uncertainty and perceptions of patient demand can make prescribing decisions difficult; (3) clinicians perceive variation in peer prescribing practices and influences; (4) clinician-focused interventions are valuable if delivered with sensitivity; (5) communication strategies for educating patients are preferred to a shared decisions process; and (6) team standardization of practice and communication are key to facilitate appropriate prescribing. Clinicians perceived audit-and-feedback with peer comparison, academic detailing, and enhanced patient communication strategies as viable approaches to improving appropriate prescribing.

Conclusion:

Implementation strategies that enable clinicians to overcome diagnostic uncertainty, perceived patient demand, and improve patient education are desired. Implementation strategies were welcomed, and some were more readily accepted (eg, audit feedback) than others (eg, shared decision making). Implementation strategies should address clinicians’ perceptions of antibiotic prescribing practices and should enhance their patient communication skills.
‘There Are No Other Options?’: Rwandan Gender Norms and Family Planning in Historical Perspective
Authors: Jessee Erin
Published: March 2020

This article surveys the evolution of Rwandan family planning practices from the nation’s mythico-historical origins to the present. Rwanda is typically regarded as a patriarchal society in which Rwandan women have, throughout history, endured limited rights and opportunities. However, oral traditions narrated by twentieth-century Rwandan historians, storytellers and related experts, and interpreted by the scholars and missionaries who lived in Rwanda during the nation’s colonial period, suggest that gender norms in Rwanda were more complicated. Shifting practices related to family planning – particularly access to contraception, abortion, vasectomies and related strategies – are but one arena in which this becomes evident, suggesting that women’s roles within their families and communities could be more diverse than the historiography’s narrow focus on women as wives and mothers currently allows. Drawing upon a range of colonial-era oral traditions and interviews conducted with Rwandans since 2007, I argue that Rwandan women – while under significant social pressure to become wives and mothers throughout the nation’s past – did find ways to exert agency within and beyond these roles. I further maintain that understanding historical approaches to family planning in Rwanda is essential for informing present-day policy debates in Rwanda aimed at promoting gender equality, and in particular for ensuring women’s rights and access to adequate healthcare are being upheld.
Serum vitamin B12and related 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase reductase and cubilin genotypes predict neural outcomes across the Alzheimerʼs disease spectrum
Authors: McLimans K. E. , Collazo Martinez A. D. , Mochel J. P. , Allenspach K. , Willette A. A.
Published: March 2020

Epidemiological studies show mixed findings for serum vitamin B12(B12) and both cognitive and regional volume outcomes. No studies to date have comprehensively examined, in non-supplemented individuals, serum B12level associations with neurodegeneration, hypometabolism and cognition across the Alzheimerʼs disease (AD) spectrum. Serum B12was assayed from the Alzheimerʼs Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and the Australian Imaging, Biomarker & Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL). Voxel-wise analyses regressed B12levels against regional grey matter (GM) volume and glucose metabolism (P< 0·05, family-wise corrected). For ADNI GM, there were thirty-nine cognitively normal (CN), seventy-three mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and thirty-one AD participants. For AIBL GM, there were 311 CN, fifty-nine MCI and thirty-one AD participants. Covariates were age, sex, baseline diagnosis,APOE4status and BMI. In ADNI, higher B12was negatively associated with GM in the right precuneus and bilateral frontal gyri. When diagnostic groups were examined separately, only participants with MCI, or above an established cut-off for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total tau showed such associations. In AIBL, higher B12was associated with more GM in the right amygdala and right superior temporal pole, which largely seemed to be driven by CN participants that constituted most of the sample. Our results suggest that B12may show different patterns of association based on clinical status and, for ADNI, AD CSF biomarkers. Accounting for these factors may clarify the relationship between B12with neural outcomes in late-life.
The effects of electron energy distribution function on the plasma sheath structure in the presence of charged nanoparticles
Authors: Khalilpour H. , Foroutan G.
Published: March 2020

The effects of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) on the structure of a dusty plasma sheath are investigated. Here, it is assumed that the electrons obey a Druyvesteyn-type distribution with a parameter

$x$

controlling the shape of the EEDF. The Druyvesteyn-like distribution tends to a Maxwellian distribution as 

$x$

varies from 2 to 1. Using the orbital motion limited theory, the incident electron current on the dust is evaluated for a given

$x$

. The results of numerical simulations are compared with those of a Maxwellian distribution. It was found that the sheath dynamics depends strongly on the magnitude of

$x$

. The sheath thickness increases monotonically with increasing

$x$

. However, the absolute dust charge decreases and, as a result, the accelerating ion drag force is weakened and thus the dust number density is enhanced. For a plasma with a Druyvesteyn-like distribution, the Bohm speed is a function of

$x$

and increases with increasing

$x$

.
Mesenchymal stem cells combined with albendazole as a novel therapeutic approach for experimental neurotoxocariasis
Authors: Beshay E. V. N. , El-Refai S. A. , Sadek G. S. , Elbadry A. A. , Shalan F. H. , Afifi A. F.
Published: March 2020

Neurotoxocariasis (NT) is a serious condition that has been linked to reduced cognitive function, behavioural alterations and neurodegenerative diseases. Unfortunately, the available drugs to treat toxocariasis are limited with unsatisfactory results, because of the initiation of treatment at late chronic stages after the occurrence of tissue damage and scars. Therefore, searching for a new therapy for this important disease is an urgent necessity. In this context, cytotherapy is a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of many diseases and tissue damages through the introduction of new cells into the damaged sites. They exert therapeutic effects by their capability of renewal, differentiation into specialized cells, and being powerful immunomodulators. The most popular cell type utilized in cytotherapy is the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) type. In the current study, the efficacy of MSCs alone or combined with albendazole was evaluated against chronic brain insults induced byToxocara canisinfection in an experimental mouse model. Interestingly, MSCs combined with albendazole demonstrated a healing effect on brain inflammation, gliosis, apoptosis and significantly reduced brain damage biomarkers (S100B and GFAP) andT. canisDNA. Thus, MSCs would be protective against the development of subsequent neurodegenerative diseases with chronic NT.
Theatre and Performance in Alternative Histories of Steve Biko's Death in Detention
Authors: Bucher Jesse
Published: March 2020

I still thought [Biko] was shamming. I had had experience before with this tendency.

—Colonel Goosen, 1977 inquest

There was also a BBC reconstruction of the inquest with a well-known actor who played Sydney Kentridge—which I said that he wasn't as good as Sydney Kentridge, they should have had Sydney play himself.

—George Bizos, 13 May 2008
Therapist written goodbye letters: evidence for therapeutic benefits in the treatment of anorexia nervosa
Authors: Simmonds Jess , Allen Karina L. , O’Hara Caitlin B. , Bartholdy Savani , Renwick Beth , Keyes Alexandra , Lose Anna , Kenyon Martha , DeJong Hannah , Broadbent Hannah , Loomes Rachel , McClelland Jessica , Serpell Lucy , Richards Lorna , Johnson-Sabine Eric , Boughton Nicky , Whitehead Linette , Treasure Janet , Wade Tracey , Schmidt Ulrike
Published: March 2020

Background:

Despite their use in clinical practice, there is little evidence to support the use of therapist written goodbye letters as therapeutic tools. However, preliminary evidence suggests that goodbye letters may have benefits in the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN).

Aims:

This study aimed to examine whether therapist written goodbye letters were associated with improvements in body mass index (BMI) and eating disorder symptomology in patients with AN after treatment.

Method:

Participants were adults with AN (n = 41) who received The Maudsley Model of Anorexia Treatment for Adults (MANTRA) in a clinical trial evaluating two AN out-patient treatments. As part of MANTRA, therapists wrote goodbye letters to patients. A rating scheme was developed to rate letters for structure and quality. Linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between goodbye letter scores and outcomes after treatment.

Results:

Higher quality letters and letters that adopted a more affirming stance were associated with greater improvements in BMI at 12 months. Neither the overall quality nor the style of goodbye letters were associated with improvements in BMI at 24 months or reductions in eating disorder symptomology at either 12 or 24 months.

Conclusions:

The results highlight the potential importance of paying attention to the overall quality of therapist written goodbye letters in the treatment of AN, and adopting an affirming stance.
Private Pensions and the Gender Distribution of Fiscal Welfare
Authors: Collins Micheál L.
Published: March 2020

The provision of taxation relief to support pension savings has become a large and expensive aspect of the welfare state in many countries. Among OECD member states this exceeds $200 billion in revenue forgone each year. Previous research has consistently found this fiscal welfare to have pronounced regressive distributive outcomes. However, little is known about the gendered impact of these fiscal welfare supports, a void this article addresses. Using data for Ireland the article finds that the current structure of fiscal welfare supports notably favours males over females. Nominal contribution levels are higher among males, and males are more likely to be active contributors to pension savings. The associated tax supports are consequently skewed, with two-thirds received by men and one-third by women. This outcome suggests a continuation of the gender earnings gap into retirement and a discontinuity between longevity expectations and tax policy supports for pension provision.
The Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP) Program of Ontario Works Two Decades On: A Descriptive Cohort Study
Authors: Smith-Carrier Tracy , Kerr Don , Wang Juyan
Published: March 2020

Although scholarship on social assistance (or welfare) has proliferated over the years, there remains a dearth of literature on the Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP) program for teenage parents. We followed two LEAP cohorts (Cohort One: 2003-8; Cohort Two: 2009-14) over five years to explore how many had stayed, shifted programs (e.g. to the disability program) or left social assistance entirely. Exit rates, while higher for Cohort One (51.3 per cent relative to 43 per cent for Cohort Two), were fairly low; roughly 10 per cent lower than those of the overall social assistance caseload. LEAP does not appear to vastly improve the employment prospects of a significant proportion of its participants over time. American researchers are proposing a shift in programming towards a two-generation approach, pairing early childhood education with parent human capital development, Ontario – who imported LEAP from its US counterparts from the beginning – should follow suit.
On the ethical significance of social practices
Authors: KUSTERMANS JORG
Published: March 2020

InPractice Theory and International Relations, Silviya Lechner and Mervyn Frost make a useful distinction between ‘praxis’ and ‘practices’ and correctly insist on the importance of describing the identity of distinct practices. They also make the important point that practices have ethical value for their participants. There is much to like about Lechner and Frost’s argument, including its solid philosophical grounding. However, from the perspective of a social scientist, there are some points of concern as well. First, while they champion ‘description’, they settle for ‘naming’ practices. Proper description requires more attention to detail than what the authors offer in the book. Second, the authors appear to discriminate between social practices in spatial terms rather than in functional terms. As a consequence, they end up with a description of the practices of international relations, where the different practices are all animated by the same value of freedom. As such, Lechner and Frost offer a reductionist interpretation of the ethical significance of international practices. Third, the authors push their anti-foundationalism too far. When one interprets the (ethical) significance of social practices, it is useful to bring on board philosophical–anthropological models, even if only because it opens up one’s interpretive horizons.
The Limits of Empirical Electron Density Modeling: Examining the Capacity of E‐CHAIM and the IRI for Modeling Intermediate (1‐ to 30‐Day) Timescales at High Latitudes
Authors: Themens David R. , Jayachandran P. T. , Reid Benjamin , McCaffrey Anthony M.
Published: March 2020

The Empirical Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Model (E‐CHAIM) is a new empirical 3‐D electron density model intended as an alternative to the use of conventional standards, such as the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI), at high latitudes (above 50°N). In this study, we have manually scaled a year of data from two Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Network (CHAIN) ionosondes. Using this high‐quality data, we examine the behavior of the polar cap ionosphere under disturbed geomagnetic conditions and assess the capacity of E‐CHAIM to model polar cap F2‐peak electron density variability on “weather‐like,” intermediate timescales (1–30 days). This is a particularly challenging environment for monthly median empirical models due to the regular occurrence of variations about the monthly mean of up to 2 MHz. We demonstrate in this study that E‐CHAIM's storm model is capable of explaining 4 to 25% of polar cap foF2 variance at 1‐ to 30‐day timescales and 5 to 50% of the amplitude of that variability, while the IRI's Storm‐Time Ionospheric Correction Model (STORM) only explains 0.2 to 9% of the variance at these timescales and no more than 5% of their amplitude. While the IRI's STORM model provided no measurable improvement over the monthly median, E‐CHAIM's storm parameterization was able to improve overall root‐mean‐square errors by 0.05 to 0.1 MHz over its quiet time model. The overall improvement through the use of storm foF2 parameterizations is found to be limited, but measurable, particularly during storm periods, where an average improvement in root‐mean‐square error of 20% is observed.
Internal Subseasonal Variability in the South China Sea Revealed by Eddy‐Resolving Numerical Simulations
Authors: Xie Juncheng , Zhou Lei , Murtugudde Raghu , Jochum Markus , Zhong Yisen
Published: March 2020

Oceanic subseasonal variabilities in the South China Sea (SCS) derive from both external forcing and internal variability. There have been extensive studies on a range of external forcings, which are composed of local and remote components. In this study, the internal subseasonal variabilities in SCS are examined using an eddy‐resolving model. It is found that the internal subseasonal variabilities are pronounced in the northern SCS, which account for about half of total observed subseasonal variabilities. Particularly to the west of Luzon Strait, the internal subseasonal variabilities are enhanced on the periphery of a ring region. On the contrary, internal subseasonal variabilities are minimal in the center, which is mainly attributable to an upscale energy transfer. As a result, a mean jet is generated which transports heat and eddy kinetic energy along the edge of the ring region. We posit that the impact of internal subseasonal variabilities is significant for the background state in the region where the intense tropical cyclones occur over the northern SCS every year.
Characterization of Sea Surface Temperature and Air‐Sea Heat Flux Anomalies Associated With Mesoscale Eddies in the South China Sea
Authors: Liu Yingjie , Yu Lisan , Chen Ge
Published: March 2020

This study is to quantify the effects of mesoscale eddies on air‐sea heat fluxes and related air‐sea variables in the South China Sea. Using satellite observations of sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height anomaly and a high‐resolution air‐sea heat flux product for the 16‐year period from 2000 to 2015, we conducted the composite patterns of air‐sea fluxes and variables associated with anticyclonic eddies (AEs) and cyclonic eddies (CEs). It is found that the SST‐sea surface height correlations over eddies are not always positive. Only 56% of AEs are corresponded with positive SST anomalies (SSTA), that is, SST+ AEs, and 58% of CEs with negative SSTA, that is, SST− CEs. The percentage of these eddies increases with eddy amplitude and shows slight seasonal variations, higher in winter and lower in summer. Composites of SSTA, air‐sea variables, and fluxes are constructed over all eddies, including both SST+ eddies and SST− eddies. All composites show asymmetric patterns, showing that the centers (where the extrema are located) of the fluxes and variables shift westward and poleward (equatorward) relative to the AEs (CEs) cores. Besides, composites of latent heat flux (LHF), sensible heat flux (SHF), and air temperature show monopole patterns, while composites of wind speed and specific humidity show dipole patterns. For SST+ AEs, the coupling strength is 39.6 ± 6.5 W/m2 (7.2 ± 1.7 W/m2) per degree increase of SSTA for LHF (SHF). For SST− CEs, the coupling strength is 39.0 ± 2.0 W/m2 (9.0 ± 0.96 W/m2) per degree decrease of SSTA for LHF (SHF).
Tidal Pressurization of the Ocean Cavity Near an Antarctic Ice Shelf Grounding Line
Authors: Begeman Carolyn Branecky , Tulaczyk Slawek , Padman Laurie , King Matt , Siegfried Matthew R. , Hodson Timothy O. , Fricker Helen A.
Published: March 2020

Mass loss from the Antarctic ice sheet is sensitive to conditions in ice shelf grounding zones, the transition between grounded and floating ice. To observe tidal dynamics in the grounding zone, we moored an ocean pressure sensor to Ross Ice Shelf, recording data for 54 days. In this region the ice shelf is brought out of hydrostatic equilibrium by the flexural rigidity of ice, yet we found that tidal pressure variations at a constant geopotential surface were similar within and outside of the grounding zone. This implies that the grounding zone ocean cavity was overpressurized at high tide and underpressurized at low tide by up to 10 kPa with respect to glaciostatic pressure at the ice shelf base. Phase lags between ocean pressure and vertical ice shelf motion were tens of minutes for diurnal and semidiurnal tides, an effect that has not been incorporated into ocean models of tidal currents below ice shelves. These tidal pressure variations may affect the production and export of meltwater in the subglacial environment and may increase basal crevasse heights in the grounding zone by several meters, according to linear elastic fracture mechanics. We find anomalously high tidal energy loss at the K1 constituent in the grounding zone and hypothesize that this could be explained by seawater injection into the subglacial environment at high tide or internal tide generation through interactions with topography. These observations lay the foundation for improved representation of the grounding zone and its tidal dynamics in ocean circulation models of sub–ice shelf cavities.
Bistability of the Filchner‐Ronne Ice Shelf Cavity Circulation and Basal Melt
Authors: Hazel Julia E. , Stewart Andrew L.
Published: March 2020

Circulation and water mass transformation within the Filchner‐Ronne Ice Shelf (FRIS) cavity create precursors to Antarctic bottom water, which closes the global overturning circulation. This water mass transformation is contingent upon a relative low rate of FRIS basal melt, currently around 100–200 Gt/yr. Previous studies have indicated that Antarctic climate changes may induce intrusions of warm modified Warm Deep Water (mWDW) and an order‐of‐magnitude increase in basal melt, and signatures of mWDW have recently been observed along the face of the FRIS. However, it remains unclear how changes in near‐Antarctic climate translate mechanistically to changes in mWDW access to the FRIS cavity. In this study a regional model is developed to investigate FRIS circulation dependence on local atmospheric state. Experiments with modified initial cavity conditions but identical atmospheric states yield bistable “warm” and “cold” FRIS cavity states, with an order‐of‐magnitude difference in basal melt rates. Idealized atmospheric perturbation experiments reveal that relatively modest perturbations to the katabatic winds shift the FRIS cavity between “warm” and “cold” states, which occur when the FRIS cavity is filled by mWDW or High Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW), respectively. The authors present a conceptual model in which the FRIS cavity state is determined by whether mWDW or HSSW is denser and thus floods the cavity; these states are bistable because the basal melt rate feeds back on the salinity of HSSW. These findings highlight a key role for the katabatic winds in mediating the melt of the FRIS and other Antarctic ice shelves.
Some Possibilities of Spatial Signal Processing in an Inhomogeneous Medium Based on DWFT
Authors: Tinin Mikhail , Knizhin Sergei
Published: March 2020

The integral representation for the wave field in a multiscale inhomogeneous medium, obtained using the double weighted Fourier transform (DWFT), takes into account different diffraction effects. Spatial radio signal processing based on the DWFT inversion eliminates these effects from received signals. This paper reviews the results of studies on spatial signal processing based on the DWFT inversion. This processing has been shown to reduce amplitude scintillation and improve the resolution in diagnostics of inhomogeneous media. Moreover, elimination of diffraction effects allows us to reduce the residual error in multifrequency global navigation satellite systems. This processing also increases the channel bandwidth and therefore its capacity.
Defining a Riverine Tidal Freshwater Zone and Its Spatiotemporal Dynamics
Authors: Jones Allan E. , Hardison Amber K. , Hodges Ben R. , McClelland James W. , Moffett Kevan B.
Published: March 2020

Tidal freshwater zones (TFZs) are transitional environments between terrestrial and coastal waters. TFZs have freshwater chemistry and tidal physics, and yet are neither river nor estuary based on classic definitions. Such zones have been occasionally discussed in the literature but lack a consistent nomenclature and framework for study. This work proposes a measurable definition for TFZs based on three longitudinal points of interest: (1) the upstream limit of brackish water, (2) the upstream limit of bidirectional tidal velocities, and (3) the upstream limit of tidal stage fluctuations. The resulting size and position of a TFZ is transient and depends on the balance of tidal and riverine forces that evolves over event, tidal, seasonal, and annual (or longer) timescales. The concept, definition, and transient analysis of TFZ position are illustrated using field observations from the Aransas River (Texas, USA) from July 2015 to July 2016. The median Aransas TFZ length was 59.9 km, with a late summer maximum of 66.0 km and a winter minimum of 53.6 km. The TFZ typically (annual median) began 11.8 km upstream from the river mouth (15.4 km winter/11.2 km summer medians) and ended 71.7 km upstream (69.0 km/77.2 km). Seasonally low baseflow in the Aransas River promoted gradual coastal salt encroachment upstream, which shortened the TFZ. However, sporadic large rainfall/runoff events rapidly elongated the TFZ. The TFZ definition establishes a quantifiable framework for analyzing these critical freshwater systems that reside at the nexus of natural and human‐influenced hydrology, tides, and climate.
A Particle‐Based Conditional Sampling Scheme for the Simulation of Transport in Fractured Rock With Diffusion Into Stagnant Water and Rock Matrix
Authors: Trinchero Paolo , Painter Scott L. , Poteri Antti , Sanglas Jordi , Cvetkovic Vladimir , Selroos Jan‐Olof
Published: March 2020

In situ experiments and field‐scale characterization studies have pointed out that, in fractured crystalline media, groundwater flow is highly channelized. This implies that, at the scale of a single fracture, only part of the fracture surface area is in contact with flowing water, while the rest of in‐plane water is essentially stagnant and can be accessed by solutes via molecular diffusion. Despite their importance for contaminant retention, to date, there are no numerical or analytical approaches that could be used to assess the implication of stagnant water zones on solute transport in realistic large‐scale Discrete Fracture Network‐based models. Here, we present an efficient and flexible algorithm for the simulation of transport in fractured rock with diffusion into stagnant water and rock matrix. The algorithm is a generalization of a previously developed numerical framework for time domain particle tracking in sparsely fractured rock. The key of the generalization is that total time in fracture (τf) is first evaluated using a Monte Carlo sampling and then a second sampling is performed conditioned on τf. The algorithm has been successfully validated against existing independent solutions and the implication of diffusion into stagnant water and secondary diffusion into the matrix has been assessed for a realistic modeling scenario. The results show that, due to diffusion into stagnant water, contaminants are more strongly retarded. This increased retention is more significant for sorbing species, as a larger number of sorption sites is accessible. A high sensitivity to the flowing channel/stagnant water zone geometry has also been observed.
Heterostructure and Q-factor engineering for low-threshold and persistent nanowire lasing
Authors: Skalsky Stefan , Zhang Yunyan , Alanis Juan Arturo , Fonseka H. Aruni , Sanchez Ana M. , Liu Huiyun , Parkinson Patrick
Published: March 2020

Continuous room temperature nanowire lasing from silicon-integrated optoelectronic elements requires careful optimisation of both the lasing cavity Q-factor and population inversion conditions. We apply time-gated optical interferometry to the lasing emission from high-quality GaAsP/GaAs quantum well nanowire laser structures, revealing high Q-factors of 1250 ± 90 corresponding to end-facet reflectivities of R = 0.73 ± 0.02. By using optimised direct–indirect band alignment in the active region, we demonstrate a well-refilling mechanism providing a quasi-four-level system leading to multi-nanosecond lasing and record low room temperature lasing thresholds (~6 μJ cm−2 pulse−1) for III–V nanowire lasers. Our findings demonstrate a highly promising new route towards continuously operating silicon-integrated nanolaser elements.
Neurocomputational mechanisms underpinning aberrant social learning in young adults with low self-esteem
Authors: Will Geert-Jan , Moutoussis Michael , Womack Palee M. , Bullmore Edward T. , Goodyer Ian M. , Fonagy Peter , Jones Peter B. ,   NSPN Consortium, Rutledge Robb B. , Dolan Raymond J.
Published: March 2020

Low self-esteem is a risk factor for a range of psychiatric disorders. From a cognitive perspective a negative self-image can be maintained through aberrant learning about self-worth derived from social feedback. We previously showed that neural teaching signals that represent the difference between expected and actual social feedback (i.e., social prediction errors) drive fluctuations in self-worth. Here, we used model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to characterize learning from social prediction errors in 61 participants drawn from a population-based sample (n = 2402) who were recruited on the basis of being in the bottom or top 10% of self-esteem scores. Participants performed a social evaluation task during fMRI scanning, which entailed predicting whether other people liked them as well as the repeated provision of reported feelings of self-worth. Computational modeling results showed that low self-esteem participants had persistent expectations that others would dislike them, and a reduced propensity to update these expectations in response to social prediction errors. Low self-esteem subjects also displayed an enhanced volatility in reported feelings of self-worth, and this was linked to an increased tendency for social prediction errors to determine momentary self-worth. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that individual differences in self-esteem related to several interconnected psychiatric symptoms organized around a single dimension of interpersonal vulnerability. Such interpersonal vulnerability was associated with an attenuated social value signal in ventromedial prefrontal cortex when making predictions about being liked, and enhanced dorsal prefrontal cortex activity upon receipt of social feedback. We suggest these computational signatures of low self-esteem and their associated neural underpinnings might represent vulnerability for development of psychiatric disorder.
Female reproductive factors and the risk of lung cancer in postmenopausal women: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Jeon Keun Hye , Shin Dong Wook , Han Kyungdo , Kim Dahye , Yoo Jung Eun , Jeong Su-Min , Cho Jong ho
Published: March 2020

Background

Reproductive factors and hormone use in postmenopausal women have been hypothesised to affect the risk of developing lung cancer, but the epidemiological evidence is inconsistent.

Methods

Using the Korean National Health Insurance System database, we identified 4,775,398 postmenopausal women older than 40 years who had undergone both cardiovascular health- and cancer screening between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2014. Information about reproductive factors was obtained from a self-administered questionnaire. The risk of lung cancer was estimated using Cox proportional hazard regression models.

Results

During a median follow-up of 4.4 years, 16,556 women (15,223 non-smokers) were diagnosed with lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer was not significantly influenced by early menarche age (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.03 for menarche ≥18 vs. ≤14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98–1.09) or late age at menopause (aHR 1.02 for menopause ≥55 vs. <40; 95% CI, 0.91–1.14). Furthermore, the number of children, duration of breastfeeding and use of hormone replacement therapy were not associated with the risk of lung cancer.

Conclusions

No statistically significant association was found between reproductive factors and the risk of lung cancer in postmenopausal Korean women.
An unexpected turn of fortune: targeting TRAIL-Rs in KRAS-driven cancer
Authors: von Karstedt Silvia , Walczak Henning
Published: March 2020

Twenty-one percent of all human cancers bear constitutively activating mutations in the proto-oncogeneKRAS. This incidence is substantially higher in some of the most inherently therapy-resistant cancers including 30% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), 50% of colorectal cancers, and 95% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). Importantly, survival of patients with KRAS-mutated PDAC and NSCLC has not significantly improved since the 1970s highlighting an urgent need to re-examine how oncogenic KRAS influences cell death signaling outputs. Interestingly, cancers expressing oncogenic KRAS manage to escape antitumor immunity via upregulation of programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1). Recently, the development of next-generation KRASG12C-selective inhibitors has shown therapeutic efficacy by triggering antitumor immunity. Yet, clinical trials testing immune checkpoint blockade in KRAS-mutated cancers have yielded disappointing results suggesting other, additional means endow these tumors with the capacity to escape immune recognition. Intriguingly, oncogenic KRAS reprograms regulated cell death pathways triggered by death receptors of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily. Perverting the course of their intended function, KRAS-mutated cancers use endogenous TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its receptor(s) to promote tumor growth and metastases. Yet, endogenous TRAIL–TRAIL-receptor signaling can be therapeutically targeted and, excitingly, this may not only counteract oncogenic KRAS-driven cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis, but also the immunosuppressive reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment it causes. Here, we provide a concise summary of the current literature on oncogenic KRAS-mediated reprogramming of cell death signaling and antitumor immunity with the aim to open novel perspectives on combinatorial treatment strategies involving death receptor targeting.
A unique DNA-binding mode of African swine fever virus AP endonuclease
Authors: Chen Yiqing , Chen Xi , Huang Qi , Shao Zhiwei , Gao Yanqing , Li Yangyang , Yang Chun , Liu Hehua , Li Jixi , Wang Qiyao , Ma Jinbiao , Zhang Yong-Zhen , Gu Yijun , Gan Jianhua
Published: March 2020

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is highly contagious and can cause lethal disease in pigs. ASFV is primarily replicated in the cytoplasm of pig macrophages, which is oxidative and caused constant damage to ASFV genome. ASFV AP endonuclease (AsfvAP) catalyzes DNA cleavage reaction at the abasic site and is a key enzyme of ASFV base excision repair (BER) system. Although it plays an essential role in ASFV survival in host cells, the basis underlying substrate binding and cleavage by AsfvAP remains unclear. Here, we reported the structural and functional studies of AsfvAP, showing that AsfvAP adopts a novel DNA-binding mode distinct from other APs. AsfvAP possesses many unique structural features, including one narrower nucleotide-binding pocket at the active site, the C16–C20 disulfide bond-containing region, and histidine-rich loop. As indicated by our mutagenesis, in vitro binding and cleavage assays, these features are important for AsfvAP to suit the acidic and oxidative environment. Owing to their functional importance, these unique features could serve as targets for designing small molecule inhibitors that could disrupt the repair process of ASFV genome and help fight against this deadly virus in the future.
Real-time dissolution of a compositionally complex alloy using inline ICP and correlation with XPS
Authors: Qiu Yao , Liu Ruiliang , Gengenbach Thomas , Gharbi Oumaïma , Choudhary Sanjay , Thomas Sebastian , Fraser Hamish L. , Birbilis Nick
Published: March 2020

The real-time dissolution of the single-phase compositionally complex alloy (CCA), Al1.5TiVCr, was studied using an inline inductively coupled plasma method. Compositionally complex alloys (CCAs), a term encompassing high entropy alloys (HEAs) or multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs), are—in general—noted for their inherently high corrosion resistance. In order to gain an insight into the dissolution of Al1.5TiVCr alloy, atomic emission spectroelectrochemistry was utilised in order to measure the ion dissolution of the alloy during anodic polarisation. It was revealed that incongruent dissolution occurred, with preferential dissolution of Al, and essentially no dissolution of Ti, until the point of alloy breakdown. Results were correlated with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which revealed a complex surface oxide inclusive of unoxidised metal, and metal oxides in disproportion to the bulk alloying element ratio.