bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of the powder metallurgy route on the mechanical properties of Cu–Cr–diamond composites
Authors: Denkena Berend , Bergmann Benjamin , Lang Roman
Published: May 2022

Metal-bonded grinding tools are commonly based on copper as bond material and possess low porosity. The powder metallurgic fabrication and the applied process parameters have a high influence on the mechanical properties of these grinding layers. In this study, Cu–diamond composites are fabricated through Field Assisted Sintering Technology with a variation of holding time, temperature, pressure, and chromium powder particle size. The addition of chromium to these composites can ensure a higher adhesion of the diamonds through carbide formation within the interface of the diamonds and the copper bonding matrix. The coating of diamond with chromium-carbide is mainly controlled by the chromium powder particle size, which leads to a higher critical bond strength with decreasing particle size. Maximum critical bond strength of 463 N/mm2 is reached using chromium with an average particle size of 10 µm. Increasing holding time decreases porosity and increases the critical bond strength of the composites. An increase of sintering temperature from 900 to 1040 °C leads to a decrease of porosity due to local melting of the copper. The interlocking of diamonds due to their high concentration of 50 vol% within the composites results in a relatively high porosity above 7%.

Article Highlights

Modelling of the influence of sintering temperature, sintering time and chromium particle size on the critical bond strength

Addition of chromium results in an in-situ formed carbide-layer when sintering above a temperature of 900 °C

Smaller chromium particle sizes significant increase the mechanical stability of CuCr–diamond composites
Do transactions to tax havens and corruption attract officially supported export credit? Evidence from three European export credit agencies
Authors: Koch Dirk-Jan
Published: May 2022

OECD governments provide billions in export credit annually in support of national exporters to developing countries. Linked to the OECD-recommendation on anti-bribery and export credits, the research focuses on whether support of the export credit agencies is dependent on the corruption levels and so called ‘tax haven’ status of the countries to which the exports are destined. We compose a unique panel data set based on data on the export credit agencies of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Sweden. We find that corruption levels in the countries to which the exports are destined do not have an influence on the presence and level of export credits. Conversely, whether the destination country of the export is a ‘tax haven’ is important: British and Dutch agencies are significantly more likely to provide export credit for export transactions to tax havens than for non-tax-havens, all else being equal. This declines for the Netherlands over time. The results indicate that the chances that the United Kingdom Export Finance supports transactions with EC to a tax haven are 12 times more likely than for a non-tax haven countries, all else being equal. In the Netherlands, this is 3 times more likely. Based on the findings, we recommend that export credit agencies and their financial backers be extra vigilant in their due diligence policies, especially with respect to ‘tax havens’ and make these policies publicly available.
Factors Affecting the Utilization of Antenatal Care Services During Pregnancy in Bangladesh and 28 Other Low- and Middle-income Countries: A Meta-analysis of Demographic and Health Survey Data
Authors: Islam Md. Akhtarul , Sathi Nusrat Jahan , Abdullah Hossain Mohammad , Naime Jannatul , Butt Zahid A.
Published: May 2022

The study aimed to identify the factors influencing the utilization of antenatal care (ANC) services among pregnant women to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by 2030; we also investigated the consistency of these factors. We have used the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 29 developing countries for analysis. A binary logistic regression model was run using Demographic and Health Survey data from Bangladesh to determine the factors influencing ANC utilization in Bangladesh. In addition, a random-effects model estimation for meta-analysis was performed using DHS data from 29 developing to investigate the overall effects and consistency between covariates and the utilization of ANC services. Logistic regression revealed that residence (odds ratio [OR] 1.436; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.238, 1.666), respondent’s education (OR 3.153; 95% CI 2.204, 4.509), husband’s education (OR 2.507; 95% CI 1.922, 3.271) wealth index (OR 1.485; 95% CI 1.256, 1.756), birth order (OR 0.786; 95% CI 0.684, 0.904), working status (OR 1.292; 95% CI 1.136, 1.470), and media access (OR 1.649; 95% CI 1.434, 1.896) were the main significant factors for Bangladesh. Meta-analysis showed that residence (OR 2.041; 95% CI 1.621, 2.570), respondent’s age (OR 1.260; 95% CI 1.106, 1.435), respondent’s education level (OR 2.808; 95% CI 2.353, 3.351), husband’s education (OR 2.267; 95% CI 1.911, 2.690), wealth index (OR 2.715; 95% CI 2.199, 3.352), birth order (OR 1.722; 95% CI 1.388, 2.137), and media access (OR 2.474; 95% CI 2.102, 2.913) were the most conclusive factors in a subjects decision to attend ANC. Our results support the augmentation of maternal education and media access in rural areas with ANC services. Particular focus is needed for women from Afghanistan since they have a lower level of ANC services.
Coinfections and antimicrobial use in patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across a single healthcare system in New York City: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Prasad Prithiv J. , Poles Jordan , Zacharioudakis Ioannis M. , Dubrovskaya Yanina , Delpachitra Dinuli , Iturrate Eduardo , Muñoz-Gómez Sigridh
Published: May 2022

Background and objective:

With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, rates of in-hospital antimicrobial use increased due to perceived bacterial and fungal coinfections along with COVID-19. We describe the incidence of these coinfections and antimicrobial use in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 to help guide effective antimicrobial use in this population.

Setting:

This study was conducted in 3 tertiary-care referral university teaching hospitals in New York City.

Methods:

This multicenter retrospective observational cohort study involved all patients admitted with COVID-19 from January 1, 2020, to February 1, 2021. Variables of interest were extracted from a de-identified data set of all COVID-19 infections across the health system. Population statistics are presented as median with interquartile range (IQR) or proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as indicated.

Results:

Among 7,209 of patients admitted with COVID-19, 663 (9.2%) had a positive culture from the respiratory tract or blood sometime during their initial hospital admission. Positive respiratory cultures occurred found in 449 (6.2%) patients, and 20% were collected within 48 hours of admission. Blood culture positivity occurred in 334 patients (4.6%), with 33.5% identified within 48 hours of admission. A higher proportion of patients received antimicrobials in the first wave than in the later pandemic period (82.4% vs 52.0%). Antimicrobials were prescribed to 70.1% of inpatients, with a median of 6 antimicrobial days per patient. Infection-free survival decreased over the course of hospitalization.

Conclusions:

We detected a very low incidence of coinfection with COVID-19 at admission. A longer duration of hospitalization was associated with an increased risk of coinfection. Antimicrobial use far exceeded the true incidence and detection of coinfections in these patients.
Early Education and Adult Health: Age 37 Impacts and Economic Benefits of the Child-Parent Center Preschool Program
Authors: Varshney Nishank , Temple Judy A. , Reynolds Arthur J.
Published: May 2022

This article evaluates the long-term impacts of the Chicago Child-Parent Centers (CPC), a comprehensive early childhood program launched in the 1960s, on physical and mental health outcomes. This study follows a cohort of 1539 participants born in 1979–1980 and surveyed most recently at age 35–37 by employing a matched study design that included all 989 children who entered CPCs at ages 3 and 4 (1983-1985) and 550 comparison children of the same age from randomly selected schools participating in the usual district early childhood programs in kindergarten. Using propensity score weighting that addresses potential issues with differential attrition and non-random treatment assignment, results reveal that CPC preschool participation is associated with significantly lower rates of adverse health outcomes such as smoking and diabetes. Further, evaluating the economic impacts of the preschool component of the program, the study finds a benefit-cost ratio in the range of 1.35–3.66 (net benefit: $3896) indicating that the health benefits of the program by themselves offset the costs of the program even without considering additional benefits arising from increased educational attainment and reduced involvement in crime reported in earlier cost-benefit analyses. The findings are robust to corrections for multiple hypothesis testing, sensitivity analysis using a range of discount rates, and Monte Carlo analysis to account for uncertainty in outcomes.
The Other Kitchen Debate: Gender, Microwave Safety, and Household Labor in Late Cold War America
Authors: Gamber Wendy
Published: May 2022

“The Other Kitchen Debate” places the history of the microwave oven in the context of Cold War anxieties and gender politics. Discrepancies between Soviet and U.S. safety standards, Soviet deployment of microwave espionage, and the prospect of nuclear war triggered fears about the possible dangers of kitchen appliances powered by low-level radiation. During the 1970s and early 1980s, politicians, government regulators, industry representatives, advertisers, home economists, media, and consumers engaged in lively debates over oven safety and the merits of microwave cookery. By the late eighties and early nineties, as East–West tensions waned and record numbers of American women entered the paid labor force, American media perceived fewer distinctions between the hazards posed by electronic ovens and those presented by their conventional counterparts. New definitions of safety redefined microwave ovens as purely domestic appliances, leaving questions about the potential risks of nonionizing radiation unresolved.
Geometric and combinatorial properties of self-similar multifractal measures
Authors: RUTAR ALEX
Published: May 2022

For any self-similar measure
$\mu $
in
$\mathbb {R}$
, we show that the distribution of
$\mu $
is controlled by products of non-negative matrices governed by a finite or countable graph depending only on the iterated function system of similarities (IFS). This generalizes the net interval construction of Feng from the equicontractive finite-type case. When the measure satisfies the weak separation condition, we prove that this directed graph has a unique attractor. This allows us to verify the multifractal formalism for restrictions of
$\mu $
to certain compact subsets of
$\mathbb {R}$
, determined by the directed graph. When the measure satisfies the generalized finite-type condition with respect to an open interval, the directed graph is finite and we prove that if the multifractal formalism fails at some
$q\in \mathbb {R}$
, there must be a cycle with no vertices in the attractor. As a direct application, we verify the complete multifractal formalism for an uncountable family of IFSs with exact overlaps and without logarithmically commensurable contraction ratios.
Imposing Values and Enforcing Gender through Knowledge: Epistemic Oppression with the Morning-after Pill's Drug Label
Authors: ChoGlueck Christopher
Published: May 2022

Among feminist philosophers, there are two lines of argument that sexist values are illegitimate in science, focusing on epistemic or ethical problems. This article supports a third framework, elucidating how value-laden science can enable epistemic oppression. My analysis demonstrates how purported knowledge laden with sexist values can compromise epistemic autonomy and contribute to paternalism and misogyny. I exemplify these epistemic wrongs with a case study of the morning-after pill (emergency contraception) during its 2006 switch to over-the-counter availability and its new drug label from the US Food and Drug Administration that it “may prevent implantation.” Antiabortion science advisers created this label to protect zygotes based on debated value judgments that were later concealed. This zygote-centric knowledge enabled them to shape potential users by instructing “good mothers” that they ought to protect zygotes and punishing “bad mothers” by refusing their requests for the drug. Therefore, I argue that the sexist values and gender norms of antiabortionists that prioritize zygotic health are illegitimate in this context because they cause epistemic injustices and perpetuate epistemic oppression. Furthermore, I advocate against blanket protections for the “right to conscience” and “religious freedom” of healthcare providers because they reinforce the epistemic oppression of women, especially those on the margins.

Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault and refusals to provide contraception to patients, including survivors.
Consistent lattice Boltzmann model for reactive mixtures
Authors: Sawant N. , Dorschner B. , Karlin I.V.
Published: May 2022

A new lattice Boltzmann model (LBM) for chemically reactive mixtures is presented. The approach capitalizes on the recently introduced thermodynamically consistent LBM for multicomponent mixtures of ideal gases. Similar to the non-reactive case, the present LBM features Stefan–Maxwell diffusion of chemical species and a fully on-lattice mean-field realization of the momentum and energy of the flow. Besides introducing the reaction mechanism into the kinetic equations for the species, the proposed LBM also features a new realization of the compressible flow by using a concept of extended equilibrium on a standard lattice in three dimensions. The full thermodynamic consistency of the original non-reactive multicomponent LBM enables us to extend the temperature dynamics to the reactive mixtures by merely including the enthalpy of formation in addition to the sensible energy considered previously. Furthermore, we describe in detail the boundary conditions to be used for reactive flows of practical interest. The model is validated against a direct numerical simulation of various burning regimes of a hydrogen/air mixture in a microchannel, in two and three dimensions. Excellent comparison in these demanding benchmarks indicates that the proposed LBM can be a valuable and universal model for complex reactive flows.
Drag reduction in wall-bounded turbulence by synthetic jet sheets
Authors: Xie Feng , Pérez-Muñoz Jose D. , Qin Ning , Ricco Pierre
Published: May 2022

A turbulent drag-reduction method employing synthetic jet sheets in a turbulent channel flow is investigated by direct numerical simulations. The jet sheets are wall-parallel and produced by periodic blowing and suction from pairs of thin slots aligned with the main streamwise flow. By varying the slot height and the jet-sheet angle with respect to the spanwise direction, drag-reduction margins between

$10\,\%$

and

$30\,\%$

are obtained for jet-sheet angles between

$45 ^{\circ }$

and

$75 ^{\circ }$

, while a drag increase of almost 100 % is computed when the jet sheets are spanwise-oriented. When global skin-friction drag reduction occurs, the wall-shear stress near the jet-sheet exits increases during suction and decreases during blowing, while the velocity fluctuations weaken during suction and intensify during blowing. The global drag-reduction effect is produced by a finite counter flow induced by the nonlinear interaction between the jet-sheet flow and the main flow, although the turbulent intensity and Reynolds shear stresses increase. The power spent to generate the jet sheets is computed by modelling numerically the actuator underneath the channel flow as a piston oscillating sinusoidally along the spanwise direction in a round-shaped cavity from which the fluid is released into the channel through the cavity exits. A power balance leads to the computation of the efficiency of the actuator system, quantifying the portion of the piston power that is lost as internal power fluxes and heat transfer through the cavity walls. For the tested configurations, the power consumed by the piston to generate the jet sheets is larger than the power saved thanks to the drag reduction.
Ambiguous stability of glaciers at bed peaks
Authors: Robel Alexander A. , Pegler Samuel S. , Catania Ginny , Felikson Denis , Simkins Lauren M.
Published: May 2022

Increasing ice flux from glaciers retreating over deepening (retrograde) bed topography has been implicated in the recent acceleration of mass loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. We show in observations that some glaciers have remained at peaks in bed topography without retreating despite enduring significant changes in climate. Observations also indicate that some glaciers which persist at bed peaks undergo sudden retreat years or decades after the onset of local ocean or atmospheric warming. Using model simulations, we show that persistence of a glacier at a bed peak is caused by ice slowing as it flows up a reverse-sloping bed to the peak. Persistence at bed peaks may lead to two very different future behaviors for a glacier: one where it persists at a bed peak indefinitely, and another where it retreats from the bed peak after potentially long delays following climate forcing. However, it is nearly impossible to distinguish which of these two future behaviors will occur from current observations. We conclude that inferring glacier stability from observations of persistence obscures our true commitment to future sea-level rise under climate change. We recommend that further research is needed on seemingly stable glaciers to determine their likely future.
Infant iodine status and associations with maternal iodine nutrition, breast-feeding status and thyroid function
Authors: Næss Synnøve , Aakre Inger , Strand Tor A. , Dahl Lisbeth , Kjellevold Marian , Stokland Ann-Elin M. , Nedrebø Bjørn Gunnar , Markhus Maria Wik
Published: May 2022

Adequate iodine nutrition during infancy is required for normal thyroid function and, subsequently, brain development. However, data on infant iodine status in the first year of life are scarce. This study aimed to describe infant iodine status and further explore its associations with maternal iodine nutrition, breast-feeding status and thyroid function. In this cohort study, 113 infants were followed up at ages 3, 6 and 11 months in Norway. Infant and maternal urinary iodine concentration (UIC), maternal iodine intake, breast milk iodine concentration (BMIC), breast-feeding status and infant thyroid function tests were measured. The median infant UIC was 82 µg/l at the age of 3 months and below the WHO cut-off of 100 µg/l. Infant UIC was adequate later in infancy (median 110 µg/l at ages 6 and 11 months). Infant UIC was associated positively with maternal UIC (β = 0·33, 95 % CI (0·12, 0·54)), maternal iodine intake (β = 0·30, 95 % CI (0·18, 0·42)) and BMIC (β = 0·46, 95 % CI (0·13, 0·79)). Breastfed infants had lower median UIC compared with formula-fed infants at ages 3 months (76 v. 190 µg/l) and 6 months (105 v. 315 µg/l). Neither infant UIC nor BMIC were associated with infant thyroid function tests. In conclusion, breastfed infants in Norway are at risk of insufficient iodine intake during the first months of life. Maternal iodine nutrition is important for providing sufficient iodine intake in infants, and awareness of promoting adequate iodine nutrition for lactating women should be prioritised.
Applying dimensional psychopathology: transdiagnostic prediction of executive cognition using brain connectivity and inflammatory biomarkers
Authors: Wei Yange , Womer Fay Y. , Sun Kaijin , Zhu Yue , Sun Dandan , Duan Jia , Zhang Ran , Wei Shengnan , Jiang Xiaowei , Zhang Yanbo , Tang Yanqing , Zhang Xizhe , Wang Fei
Published: May 2022

Background

The association between executive dysfunction, brain dysconnectivity, and inflammation is a prominent feature across major psychiatric disorders (MPDs), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. A dimensional approach is warranted to delineate their mechanistic interplay across MPDs.

Methods

This single site study included a total of 1543 participants (1058 patients and 485 controls). In total, 1169 participants underwent diffusion tensor and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (745 patients and 379 controls completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) assessed structural and functional connectivity, respectively. Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α] were obtained in 325 participants using blood samples collected with 24 h of scanning. Group differences were determined for main measures, and correlation and mediation analyses and machine learning prediction modeling were performed.

Results

Executive deficits were associated with decreased FA, increased ReHo, and elevated IL-1β and IL-6 levels across MPDs, compared to controls. FA and ReHo alterations in fronto-limbic-striatal regions contributed to executive deficits. IL-1β mediated the association between FA and cognition, and IL-6 mediated the relationship between ReHo and cognition. Executive cognition was better predicted by both brain connectivity and cytokine measures than either one alone for FA-IL-1β and ReHo-IL-6.

Conclusions

Transdiagnostic associations among brain connectivity, inflammation, and executive cognition exist across MPDs, implicating common neurobiological substrates and mechanisms for executive deficits in MPDs. Further, inflammation-related brain dysconnectivity within fronto-limbic-striatal regions may represent a transdiagnostic dimension underlying executive dysfunction that could be leveraged to advance treatment.
Female Public Employees during a Post-Imperial Transition: Gender, Politics and Labour in Fiume after the First World War
Authors: Rolandi Francesca
Published: May 2022

After the demise of the Habsburg Empire in 1918, Fiume's long political transition provided women with new challenges and opportunities. This was especially true for female public employees who had to adapt to a weak and fluid state that provided them with social security and benefits in exchange for loyalty and control. Beginning with two case studies of women elected to the Fiume city council in 1919, this paper explores how the two professional cohorts they represented – teachers and tobacco workers – learned to cope with the turbulent national and political events, as well as with the rapidly deteriorating economic conditions.
Biodiversity & justice
Authors: Bharadwa B. , Jones A. , Fifield J. , Sutcliffe S.
Published: May 2022

This paper highlights how actuarial thinking could contribute to the development of a justice perspective relating to biodiversity risks and also the implications for actuarial work. The impact of biodiversity loss as well as the use of ecosystem services is not equally distributed across society (both intra and inter generationally). The Biodiversity and Natural Capital Risk Working Party has been setup to proactively take forward a series of activities including think pieces, webinars and external engagement on these risks.
RATIONAL -STABILITY OF CONTINUOUS -ALGEBRAS
Authors: SETH APURVA , VAIDYANATHAN PRAHLAD
Published: May 2022

We show that the properties of being rationally K-stable passes from the fibres of a continuous
$C(X)$
-algebra to the ambient algebra, under the assumption that the underlying space X is compact, metrizable, and of finite covering dimension. As an application, we show that a crossed product C*-algebra is (rationally) K-stable provided the underlying C*-algebra is (rationally) K-stable, and the action has finite Rokhlin dimension with commuting towers.
Nitrite Cycling in Warming Arctic and Subarctic Waters
Authors: Chen Yangjun , Chen Min
Published: May 2022

The primary nitrite (NO2−) maximum (PNM) is a typical feature of oceanic nitrogen (N) cycle, yet its characterization in the world ocean remains a gap. By combining the natural abundance of NO2− isotopes with geochemical model, we report for the first time that the formation of Arctic and subarctic PNMs is dominated by ammonia oxidation, while the oxidation of NO2− is the main sink. Notably, NO2− oxidation plays a more important role in Arctic and subarctic waters than in low‐ and mid‐latitude waters. The residence time of NO2− in the PNM further suggests that the NO2− cycle in the Arctic Ocean is more dynamic than in other marine ecosystems. Our findings provide insights into N cycle dynamics in the upper Arctic Ocean ecosystem.
Interannual Variability in the Source Location of North African Dust Transported to the Amazon
Authors: Barkley Anne E. , Pourmand Ali , Longman Jack , Sharifi Arash , Prospero Joseph M. , Panechou Kathy , Bakker Natalie , Drake Nick , Guinoiseau Damien , Gaston Cassandra J.
Published: May 2022

African dust is transported to South America (SA) every winter and spring. Hypotheses suggest that either Western or Central North Africa (e.g., Bodélé Depression) is the main source of transported dust, yet these notions remain largely untested with geochemical data. Using 2 years of isotopic measurements (strontium and neodymium) of African dust collected in SA integrated into a statistical model, we identified strong interannual variability in dust source region. Central North Africa supplied 44% of long‐range transported dust in winter 2016 while the Western region accounted for 53% of dust in winter 2014. We propose the variability is due to differences in the strength of the Libyan High and precipitation over the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean between the 2 years. Our findings can improve constraints of dust nutrient deposition and predictions of how changes in climate impact the source and magnitude of dust transported to the Amazon.
Basement Topography and Sediment Thickness Beneath Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf
Authors: Tankersley M. D. , Horgan H. J. , Siddoway C. S. , Caratori Tontini F. , Tinto K. J.
Published: May 2022

New geophysical data from Antarctica's Ross Embayment reveal the structure and subglacial geology of extended continental crust beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. We use airborne magnetic data from the ROSETTA‐Ice Project to locate the contact between magnetic basement and overlying sediments. We delineate a broad, segmented basement high with thin (0–500m) non‐magnetic sedimentary cover which trends northward into the Ross Sea's Central High. Before subsiding in the Oligocene, this feature likely facilitated early glaciation in the region and subsequently acted as a pinning point and ice flow divide. Flanking the high are wide sedimentary basins, up to 3700m deep, which parallel the Ross Sea basins and likely formed during Cretaceous‐Neogene intracontinental extension. NW‐SE basins beneath the Siple Coast grounding zone, by contrast, are narrow, deep, and elongate. They suggest tectonic divergence upon active faults that may localize geothermal heat and/or groundwater flow, both important components of the subglacial system.
Assimilation of Radar Reflectivity Using a Time‐Lagged Ensemble Based Ensemble Kalman Filter With the “Cloud‐Dependent” Background Error Covariances
Authors: Wang Haoliang , Liu Yubao , Duan Jing , Shi Yueqin , Lou Xiaofeng , Li Jiming
Published: May 2022

This study proposes a method for direct assimilation of radar reflectivity in cycled deterministic forecast systems using a time‐lagged ensemble based ensemble Kalman filter with the “cloud‐dependent” background error covariances. With this method, forecasts from multiple deterministic forecast cycles that are initialized at different times but valid at the same time, are collected as a time‐lagged ensemble to compute the background error covariances. An algorithm to compute the specified “cloud‐dependent” background error covariances was devised, in which the vertical background error covariance is computed for each of the “cloud‐feature” bins which are divided according to the column maximum radar reflectivity and cloud top height. The single‐observation experiments and the observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) indicate that the radar reflectivity data assimilation method was able to capture the main thermodynamic and microphysical features of convective clouds and was effective in reducing the spin‐up time of convection, and generating convective cells which were missed in the background. Meanwhile, assimilating “zero‐reflectivity” observations helped suppress spurious convection. The method provided overall more accurate thermodynamic analysis, radar reflectivity and precipitation analysis and forecast of the MCS, while did not significantly increase computational cost, compared to a cloud‐analysis based latent‐heat nudging approach.
Sediment Load and Grain Size Controls on Channel Migration Patterns in Experimental Deltas
Authors: Cazanacli Dan , Paola Chris , Singh Arvind
Published: May 2022

Understanding channel migration is essential in interpreting long‐term evolution of fluvial systems and their deposits. Using data from an experimental delta, we analyzed the kinematics of the upstream channel and assessed the relative dominance of continuous lateral channel migration versus abrupt changes (i.e., avulsions). Detailed investigation of channel centerline location at minute intervals reveals a short‐term correlation between the magnitude of migration rates measured at the same location and a spatial correlation that diminishes with distance between points. The main finding is that the channel migrates across the entire deltaic domain without large and abrupt lateral shifts but through continuous lateral migration at variable rates. Long periods of back and forth small moves are separated by short bursts of rapid lateral migration. This finding contradicts the default expectation that that aggrading systems are characterized by avulsions and suggests that highly mobile rivers tend to avulse less. We contrast this with another experiment conducted under similar conditions but with finer sediment supplied at a lower rate which shows drastically less lateral migration; the kinematics is instead dominated by periodic flow reconfiguration episodes akin to avulsions, an indication that channel migration‐style depends on the sediment load. The characteristics of these two experiments parallel two regions of the Mississippi River, the meandering and highly mobile alluvial plain and the less dynamic deltaic region, suggesting that bedload sediment deposition at the transition into backwater zone plays an important role in re‐shaping the river planform and migration style.
Impacts of the January 2022 Tonga Volcanic Eruption on the Ionospheric Dynamo: ICON‐MIGHTI and Swarm Observations of Extreme Neutral Winds and Currents
Authors: Harding Brian J. , Wu Yen‐Jung Joanne , Alken Patrick , Yamazaki Yosuke , Triplett Colin C. , Immel Thomas J. , Gasque L. Claire , Mende Stephen B. , Xiong Chao
Published: May 2022

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai volcano on 15 January 2022 triggered atmospheric waves at all altitudes. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) and European Space Agency Swarm satellites were well placed to observe its impact on the ionospheric wind dynamo. After the Lamb wave entered the dayside, Swarm A observed an eastward and then westward equatorial electrojet (EEJ) on two consecutive orbits, each with magnitudes exceeding the 99.9th percentile of typically observed values. ICON simultaneously observed the neutral wind (90–300 km altitude) at approximately the same distance from Tonga. The observed neutral winds were also extreme (>99.9th percentile at some altitudes). The covariation of EEJ and winds is consistent with recent theoretical and observational results, indicating that the westward electrojet is driven by strong westward winds in the Pedersen region (∼120–150 km). These observations imply that the dynamo is a key mechanism in the ionospheric response to the Tonga disturbance.
Plant Proxy Evidence for High Rainfall and Productivity in the Eocene of Australia
Authors: Reichgelt Tammo , Greenwood David R. , Steinig Sebastian , Conran John G. , Hutchinson David K. , Lunt Daniel J. , Scriven Leonie J. , Zhu Jiang
Published: May 2022

During the early to middle Eocene, a mid‐to‐high latitudinal position and enhanced hydrological cycle in Australia would have contributed to a wetter and “greener” Australian continent where today arid to semi‐arid climates dominate. Here, we revisit 12 southern Australian plant megafossil sites from the early to middle Eocene to generate temperature, precipitation, and seasonality paleoclimate estimates, net primary productivity (NPP), and vegetation type, based on paleobotanical proxies and compare them to early Eocene global climate models. Temperature reconstructions are uniformly subtropical (mean annual, summer, and winter mean temperatures 19–21°C, 25–27°C, and 14–16°C, respectively), indicating that southern Australia was ∼5°C warmer than today, despite a >20° poleward shift from its modern geographic location. Precipitation was less homogeneous than temperature, with mean annual precipitation of ∼60 cm over inland sites and >100 cm over coastal sites. Precipitation may have been seasonal with the driest month receiving 2–7× less than the mean monthly precipitation. Proxy‐model comparison is favorable with a 1,680 ppm CO2 concentration. However, individual proxy reconstructions can disagree with models as well as with each other. In particular, seasonality reconstructions have systemic offsets. NPP estimates were higher than modern, implying a more homogenously “green” southern Australia in the early to middle Eocene when this part of Australia was at 48–64°S and larger carbon fluxes to and from the Australian biosphere. The most similar modern vegetation type is modern‐day eastern Australian subtropical forest, although the distance from coast and latitude may have led to vegetation heterogeneity.
Detoxified pneumolysin derivative ΔA146Ply inhibits autophagy and induces apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells by activating mTOR signaling
Authors: Zhu Tao , Zhang Hong , Li Sijie , Wu Kaifeng , Yin Yibing , Zhang Xuemei
Published: May 2022

Leukemia is caused by the malignant clonal expansion of hematopoietic stem cells, and in adults, the most common type of leukemia is acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Autophagy inhibitors are often used in preclinical and clinical models in leukemia therapy. However, clinically available autophagy inhibitors and their efficacy are very limited. More effective and safer autophagy inhibitors are urgently needed for leukemia therapy. In a previous study, we showed that ΔA146Ply, a mutant of pneumolysin that lacks hemolytic activity, inhibited autophagy of triple-negative breast cancer cells by activating mannose receptor (MR) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and that tumor-bearing mice tolerated ΔA146Ply well. Whether this agent affects AML cells expressing TLR4 and MR and the related mechanisms remain to be determined. In this study, we found that ΔA146Ply inhibited autophagy and induced apoptosis in AML cells. A mechanistic study showed that ΔA146Ply inhibited autophagy by activating mammalian target of rapamycin signaling and induced apoptosis by inhibiting autophagy. ΔA146Ply also inhibited autophagy and induced apoptosis in a mouse model of AML. Furthermore, the combination of ΔA146Ply and chloroquine synergistically inhibited autophagy and induced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Overall, this study provides an alternative effective autophagy inhibitor that may be used for leukemia therapy.
Genetic evidence for a potential causal relationship between insomnia symptoms and suicidal behavior: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Nassan Malik , Daghlas Iyas , Winkelman John W. , Dashti Hassan S. ,   International Suicide Genetics Consortium, Saxena Richa
Published: May 2022

Insomnia and restless leg syndrome (RLS) are associated with increased risk for suicidal behavior (SB), which is often comorbid with mood or thought disorders; however, it is unclear whether these relationships are causal. We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization study using summary-level genetic associations with insomnia symptoms and RLS against the outcomes of risk of major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BP), schizophrenia (SCZ), and SB. The inverse-variance weighted method was used in the main analysis. We performed replication and sensitivity analyses to examine the robustness of the results. We identified outcome cohorts for MDD (n = 170,756 cases/329,443 controls), BP (n = 20,352/31,358), SCZ (n = 69,369/236,642), SB-Cohort-2019 (n = 6569/14,996 all with MDD, BP or SCZ; and SB within individual disease categories), and SB-Cohort-2020 (n = 29,782/519,961). Genetically proxied liability to insomnia symptoms significantly associated with increased risk of MDD (odds ratio (OR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2–1.26, P = 1.37 × 10–61), BP (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.07–1.23, P = 5.11 × 10–5), SB-Cohort-2019 (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.07–1.27, P = 2.30 × 10–4), SB-Cohort-2019 in depressed patients (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.16–1.54, P = 5.97 × 10–5), and SB-Cohort-2020 (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.18–1.3, P = 1.47 × 10–18). Genetically proxied liability to RLS did not significantly influence the risk of any of the outcomes (all corrected P > 0.05). Results were replicated for insomnia with MDD and SB in Mass General Brigham Biobank and were consistent in multiple lines of sensitivity analyses. In conclusion, human genetic evidence supports for the first time a potentially independent and causal effect of insomnia on SB and encourages further clinical investigation of treatment of insomnia for prevention or treatment of SB.
Treosulfan plus fludarabine versus TEAM as conditioning treatment before autologous stem cell transplantation for B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Frietsch Jochen J. , Miethke Jenny , Linke Paul , Crodel Carl C. , Schnetzke Ulf , Scholl Sebastian , Hochhaus Andreas , Hilgendorf Inken
Published: May 2022

Conditioning with treosulfan and fludarabine (Treo/Flu) has been proven to be feasible and efficient in several types of malignancies before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Given its favorable reduced toxicity profile, we introduced Treo/Flu as conditioning before autologous HSCT (auto-HSCT) in patients with B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Treo/Flu in comparison to TEAM. Fifty-seven patients with NHL received auto-HSCT after conditioning with either Treo/Flu (n = 22) or TEAM (n = 35). All patients achieved sustained engraftment. PFS, EFS and OS were not significant in both groups. Of note is that patients in the Treo/Flu group were less dependent on thrombocyte transfusions (p = 0.0082), significantly older (in median 11 years, p < 0.0001) and suffered less frequently from infectious complications (p = 0.0105), mucositis and stomatitis (p < 0.0001). This study is the first to present efficacy, feasibility, and safety of conditioning with Treo/Flu preceding auto-HSCT in patients with NHL. Since it demonstrated a lack of significant difference in comparison to TEAM conditioning it might be a valuable alternative especially in elderly patients with B-cell NHL and comorbidities. Further evaluation by prospective clinical trials is warranted.
Modeling transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in China
Authors: Cai Jun , Deng Xiaowei , Yang Juan , Sun Kaiyuan , Liu Hengcong , Chen Zhiyuan , Peng Cheng , Chen Xinhua , Wu Qianhui , Zou Junyi , Sun Ruijia , Zheng Wen , Zhao Zeyao , Lu Wanying , Liang Yuxia , Zhou Xiaoyu , Ajelli Marco , Yu Hongjie
Published: May 2022

Having adopted a dynamic zero-COVID strategy to respond to SARS-CoV-2 variants with higher transmissibility since August 2021, China is now considering whether, and for how long, this policy can remain in place. The debate has thus shifted towards the identification of mitigation strategies for minimizing disruption to the healthcare system in the case of a nationwide epidemic. To this aim, we developed an age-structured stochastic compartmental susceptible-latent-infectious-removed-susceptible model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission calibrated on the initial growth phase for the 2022 Omicron outbreak in Shanghai, to project COVID-19 burden (that is, number of cases, patients requiring hospitalization and intensive care, and deaths) under hypothetical mitigation scenarios. The model also considers age-specific vaccine coverage data, vaccine efficacy against different clinical endpoints, waning of immunity, different antiviral therapies and nonpharmaceutical interventions. We find that the level of immunity induced by the March 2022 vaccination campaign would be insufficient to prevent an Omicron wave that would result in exceeding critical care capacity with a projected intensive care unit peak demand of 15.6 times the existing capacity and causing approximately 1.55 million deaths. However, we also estimate that protecting vulnerable individuals by ensuring accessibility to vaccines and antiviral therapies, and maintaining implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions could be sufficient to prevent overwhelming the healthcare system, suggesting that these factors should be points of emphasis in future mitigation policies.
Estimating ranibizumab injection numbers and visual acuity at 12 months based on 2-month data on branch retinal vein occlusion treatment
Authors: Murata Toshinori , Kondo Mineo , Inoue Makoto , Nakao Shintaro , Osaka Rie , Shiragami Chieko , Sogawa Kenji , Mochizuki Akikazu , Shiraga Rumiko , Kaneko Takeumi , Chandrasekhar Chikatapu , Tsujikawa Akitaka , Kamei Motohiro
Published: May 2022

Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment for macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion generally provides good visual acuity (VA) improvement but may require repeated injections for years. To reduce the number of patients who suffer from avoidable VA loss caused by treatment drop-out, providing prospects of the correlation between expected vision improvement and required number of injections at the early stages of treatment may be helpful. In this post hoc analysis of the phase IV, randomized, open-label ZIPANGU study, we investigated the correlation between the data from Month 2 and Month 12 in terms of VA and required ranibizumab injection numbers. Fifty-nine patients were evaluated (ranibizumab monotherapy, 29; combination therapy, 30). In the monotherapy group, patients who received 1 and 3 injections by Month 2 received a mean total of 2.8 and 8.3 injections during the year, respectively. Data from the combination group were similar. The correlation coefficients for VA scores at Months 2 and 12 were 0.60 and 0.51 for the monotherapy and combination groups, respectively (both p < 0.01). Based on VA and injection numbers at Month 2 of treatment, physicians could provide rough prospects on patients’ expected final VA and required number of injections.
The field of expertise modulates the time course of neural processes associated with inhibitory control in a sport decision-making task
Authors: Simonet Marie , Ruggeri Paolo , Sallard Etienne , Barral Jérôme
Published: May 2022

Inhibitory control (IC), the ability to suppress inappropriate actions, can be improved by regularly facing complex and dynamic situations requiring flexible behaviors, such as in the context of intensive sport practice. However, researchers have not clearly determined whether and how this improvement in IC transfers to ecological and nonecological computer-based tasks. We explored the spatiotemporal dynamics of changes in the brain activity of three groups of athletes performing sport-nonspecific and sport-specific Go/NoGo tasks with video footages of table tennis situations to address this question. We compared table tennis players (n = 20), basketball players (n = 20) and endurance athletes (n = 17) to identify how years of practicing a sport in an unpredictable versus predictable environment shape the IC brain networks and increase the transfer effects to untrained tasks. Overall, the table tennis group responded faster than the two other groups in both Go/NoGo tasks. The electrical neuroimaging analyses performed in the sport-specific Go/NoGo task revealed that this faster response time was supported by an early engagement of brain structures related to decision-making processes in a time window where inhibition processes typically occur. Our collective findings have relevant applied perspectives, as they highlight the importance of designing more ecological domain-related tasks to effectively capture the complex decision-making processes acquired in real-life situations. Finally, the limited effects from sport practice to laboratory-based tasks found in this study question the utility of cognitive training intervention, whose effects would remain specific to the practice environment.
Impact of fasting on stress systems and depressive symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Stapel Britta , Fraccarollo Daniela , Westhoff-Bleck Mechthild , Bauersachs Johann , Lichtinghagen Ralf , Jahn Kirsten , Burkert Alexandra , Buchholz Vanessa , Bleich Stefan , Frieling Helge , Ding Xiao-Qi , Kahl Kai G.
Published: May 2022

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is frequently associated with poor response to treatment. Common antidepressants target neurotransmission and neuronal plasticity, which require adequate energy supply. As imaging studies indicate disturbances in central energy metabolism, and caloric restriction improves neuroplasticity and impacts mood and cognition, correction of energy status might increase the effectiveness of antidepressant treatments and reduce the psychopathological symptoms of depression. Metabolic parameters, stress hormones, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were assessed in serum of depressed inpatients (MDD, N = 21) and healthy volunteers (Ctrl, N = 28) before and after a 72 h fasting period during which only water was consumed. Depression severity was assessed by Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI)-2 sum-score and cognitive-affective and somatic sub-scores. Fasting similarly impacted metabolic parameters and stress systems in both groups. Fasting elevated BDI-2 sum-scores and somatic sub-scores in Ctrl. In MDD, fasting increased somatic-, but decreased cognitive-affective symptoms. Sub-group analyses based on BDI-2 sum-scores pre-fasting showed that cognitive-affective symptoms decreased in patients with moderate/severe but not in those with mild symptoms. This was associated with differential changes in BDNF levels. In conclusion, fasting improved cognitive-affective sub-scores in MDD patients with moderate/severe symptoms that had not responded to prior therapy. Interventions that modulate energy metabolism might directly improve cognitive-affective symptoms and/or augment therapeutic efficacy in moderate-to-severely depressed patients.