bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Derivation mathematical equations to estimate water surplus and groundwater recharge in Iraq
Authors: Al-Sudani Hussein Ilaibi Zamil
Published: March 2020

Climate and hydrological conditions in any hydrological basin are multi-combined reflection of natural factors of morphology and soil nature, as well as the changing in climate factors that affect directly the hydrological cycle. The water balance equation for any natural area or water body indicates the relative values of inflow, outflow, and change in water storage for the area or water body. Estimation of water surplus and natural groundwater recharge in Iraq depending on water balance equation and meteorological data was the aim of this research. Corrected potential evapotranspiration were compared with annual and monthly rainfall in (32) meteorological stations to obtain actual evapotranspiration using water balance equation. Water surplus was divided into runoff and natural groundwater recharge where runoff coefficient method was used to estimate runoff. The obtained mathematical relationship between rainfall with both water surplus and actual evapotranspiration can be used to estimate these two parameters directly from rainfall. The results indicate that water surplus increased toward northeast direction of Iraq, while the minimum values of runoff and groundwater recharge located in western desert of Iraq. The climate conditions of desert were the major influence on reducing rainfall and rising temperature resulting decreasing water surplus, runoff, and groundwater recharge.
Transition of Son Preference: Evidence From South Korea
Authors: Choi Eleanor Jawon , Hwang Jisoo
Published: March 2020

Sex ratio at birth remains highly skewed in many Asian countries because of son preference. The ratio in South Korea, however, declined beginning in 1990 and reached the natural range in 2007. We study changes in child gender effects on fertility and parental investment during this period of decreasing sex ratio at birth. We find that gender discrimination on the extensive margin (fertility), such as sex-selective abortions and son-biased stopping rules, have nearly disappeared among recent cohorts. On the intensive margin (parental inputs), boys receive higher expenditures on private academic education, have mothers with fewer hours of labor supply, and spend less time on household chores relative to girls. These gender gaps have also narrowed substantially, however, over the past two decades. We consider alternative explanations, but altogether, evidence suggests the weakening of son preference in South Korea.
Agenesis of Ductus Venosus: A Case Series
Authors: Dhingra Bindiya , Makam Adinarayan
Published: March 2020

Ductus venosus agenesis is a rare anomaly which is significantly associated with cardiac, extracardiac and chromosomal anomalies. The prognosis depends on its association with other congenital abnormalities independent of the type of shunt. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ductus venosus in 2nd trimester scans and to evaluate associated congenital malformations associated with agenesis of the ductus venosus and its feto-neonatal outcome. We performed a retrospective study for a 5 year period from November 2015 to November 2019. Of the 8 cases seen, 2 (25%) had an intrahepatic shunt and 6 (75%) presented with extrahepatic umbilical venous drainage. Agenesis of ductus venosus was associated in 5 cases (62%) with cardiac abnormalities, 6 cases (75%) with extracardiac anomalies and 3 (37%) cases with chromosomal abnormality. Our study showed poorer outcome in fetuses associated with both cardiac and extracardiac anomalies accounting for 75% of all cases whereas intrahepatic type with mild cardiomegaly had favourable pregnancy outcome. Agenesis of ductus venosus is significantly associated with fetal cardiac and extracardiac abnormalities independent of the type of umbilical venous drainage. Extrahepatic umbilical venous drainage even if isolated has the significant risk of congestive heart failure, hydrops and/or intrahepatic portal venous system anomalies. The intrahepatic type has better prognosis if associated with no or minor abnormality.
Multi-scale simulations of particle acceleration in astrophysical systems
Authors: Marcowith Alexandre , Ferrand Gilles , Grech Mickael , Meliani Zakaria , Plotnikov Illya , Walder Rolf
Published: March 2020

This review aims at providing an up-to-date status and a general introduction to the subject of the numerical study of energetic particle acceleration and transport in turbulent astrophysical flows. The subject is also complemented by a short overview of recent progresses obtained in the domain of laser plasma experiments. We review the main physical processes at the heart of the production of a non-thermal distribution in both Newtonian and relativistic astrophysical flows, namely the first and second order Fermi acceleration processes. We also discuss shock drift and surfing acceleration, two processes important in the context of particle injection in shock acceleration. We analyze with some details the particle-in-cell (PIC) approach used to describe particle kinetics. We review the main results obtained with PIC simulations in the recent years concerning particle acceleration at shocks and in reconnection events. The review discusses the solution of Fokker–Planck problems with application to the study of particle acceleration at shocks but also in hot coronal plasmas surrounding compact objects. We continue by considering large scale physics. We describe recent developments in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. We give a special emphasis on the way energetic particle dynamics can be coupled to MHD solutions either using a multi-fluid calculation or directly coupling kinetic and fluid calculations. This aspect is mandatory to investigate the acceleration of particles in the deep relativistic regimes to explain the highest cosmic ray energies.
Solar cycle prediction
Authors: Petrovay Kristóf
Published: March 2020

A review of solar cycle prediction methods and their performance is given, including early forecasts for Cycle 25. The review focuses on those aspects of the solar cycle prediction problem that have a bearing on dynamo theory. The scope of the review is further restricted to the issue of predicting the amplitude (and optionally the epoch) of an upcoming solar maximum no later than right after the start of the given cycle. Prediction methods form three main groups. Precursor methods rely on the value of some measure of solar activity or magnetism at a specified time to predict the amplitude of the following solar maximum. The choice of a good precursor often implies considerable physical insight: indeed, it has become increasingly clear that the transition from purely empirical precursors to model-based methods is continuous. Model-based approaches can be further divided into two groups: predictions based on surface flux transport models and on consistent dynamo models. The implicit assumption of precursor methods is that each numbered solar cycle is a consistent unit in itself, while solar activity seems to consist of a series of much less tightly intercorrelated individual cycles. Extrapolation methods, in contrast, are based on the premise that the physical process giving rise to the sunspot number record is statistically homogeneous, i.e., the mathematical regularities underlying its variations are the same at any point of time, and therefore it lends itself to analysis and forecasting by time series methods. In their overall performance during the course of the last few solar cycles, precursor methods have clearly been superior to extrapolation methods. One method that has yielded predictions consistently in the right range during the past few solar cycles is the polar field precursor. Nevertheless, some extrapolation methods may still be worth further study. Model based forecasts are quickly coming into their own, and, despite not having a long proven record, their predictions are received with increasing confidence by the community.
Radiation hydrodynamics in simulations of the solar atmosphere
Authors: Leenaarts Jorrit
Published: March 2020

Nearly all energy generated by fusion in the solar core is ultimately radiated away into space in the solar atmosphere, while the remaining energy is carried away in the form of neutrinos. The exchange of energy between the solar gas and the radiation field is thus an essential ingredient of atmospheric modeling. The equations describing these interactions are known, but their solution is so computationally expensive that they can only be solved in approximate form in multi-dimensional radiation-MHD modeling. In this review, I discuss the most commonly used approximations for energy exchange between gas and radiation in the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona.
Pollination biology of large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) with special emphasis on honey bees (Apis spp.) and bumble bees (Bombus spp.) pollinators
Authors: Sharma Ghanashyam , Partap Uma , Sharma Durga P.
Published: March 2020

We studied pollination ecology of large cardamom (Amomum subulatum) in three altitudinal gradients (1100, 1500, 2000 m) in the Sikkim Himalaya, with the hypothesis that both honey bees (Apisspp.) and bumble bees (Bombus braviceps, B. haemorrhoidalis) contribute to pollination and enhance yield. We placed honey bees colonies in cardamom stands, studied pollination within 50 m radius, 250 m away from it; and under control nets restricting pollinators. Honey bees showed highest number of floral visits (19.24 ± 4.23 per 12 m2) within 50 m than bumble bees (13.87 ± 3.12 per 12 m2). In 250 m stand, bumble bees visits (20.57 ± 5.31 per 12 m2) were higher than honey bees (9.44 ± 2.54 per 12 m2). Pollen removal by honey bees and bumble bees was 30–40% and 50–70% of the total pollen, respectively. Time spent across sites and treatments by honey bees ranged higher (12.87–36.25 s flower−1), than bumble bees (4.60–27.80 s flower−1). Visitation of bees increased with increasing number of cardamom flowers and showed positive correlation (r2 = 0.46–0.55, P < 0.001). Number of capsules per spike, capsule/seed weight, and gross agronomic yield was highest within 50 m, lower in 250 m and lowest in control confirming that honey bees pollinated stand had higher yield. The study also confirmed that both honey bees and bumble bees were pollen collectors and pollination is by-product of their foraging activity on the flowers. This study suggests new insight on contribution of honey bees to large cardamom pollination and further research is needed for pollinators-large cardamom interaction.
The serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen level in inverted sinonasal papilloma and nasal polyps patients
Authors: Promsopa Chakapan , Suwansri Supakan , Khuntikij Paiwon
Published: March 2020

Objective

To clarify whether the serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) levels of patients with inverted papilloma (IP) are different from patients with nasal polyps (NP) and rhinitis.

Materials and methods

Serum SCCA levels were measured in 30 patients with IP and 30 patients with NP at one day before surgery and seven days after surgery and measured in 28 patients with rhinitis.

Results

Elevated serum SCCA levels (>1.5 ng/ml) were found in 80.0% of patients in the IP group, 6.7% of patients in the NP group and 14.3% of patients in the rhinitis group, which was a significant difference. The medians of serum SCCA levels in the IP, NP and rhinitis groups were 3.9, 0.8 and 1.1 ng/ml, respectively, which was a significant difference. The SCCA level in IP group was not significantly correlated according to Krouse Staging. There was a significant difference in serum SCCA levels between the pre‐ and postoperative stages in the IP group, at 3.9 and 0.8 ng/ml, respectively, while in the NP group the levels were 0.8 and 1.0 ng/ml, not significantly different. With regard to the IP diagnosis in the IP and NP group based on the SCCA level (>1.5 ng/ml), sensitivity and specificity was 80.0% and 93.3%, respectively.

Conclusions

The serum SCCA level in patients with IP was elevated and then it decreased after surgery. This was different from NP and rhinitis patients who mostly had normal levels, which did not change.
Shakespearean Charity and the Perils of Redemptive Performance
Authors: Barnes Todd Landon
Published: March 2020

This Element examines recent documentaries depicting marginalized youth who are ostensibly redeemed by their encounters with Shakespeare. These films emerge in response to four historical and discursive developments: the rise of reality television and its emphasis on the emotional transformation of the private individual; the concomitant rise of neoliberalism and emotional capitalism, which employ therapeutic discourses to individualize social inequality; the privatization of public education and the rise of so-called “no-excuses” or “new paternalist” charter schools; and the emergence of new modes of address infusing evangelical conversion narratives with a therapeutic self-help ethos.
Laser-system model for enhanced operational performance and flexibility on OMEGA EP
Authors: Guardalben M. J. , Barczys M. , Kruschwitz B. E. , Spilatro M. , Waxer L. J. , Hill E. M.
Published: March 2020

The development of laser performance models having real-time prediction capability for the OMEGA EP laser system has been essential in meeting requests from its user community for increasingly complex pulse shapes that span a wide range of energies. The laser operations modelPSOPSprovides rapid and accurate predictions of OMEGA EP laser-system performance in both forward and backward directions, a user-friendly interface and rapid optimization capability between shots. We describe the model’s features and show howPSOPShas allowed real-time optimization of the laser-system configuration in order to satisfy the demands of rapidly evolving experimental campaign needs. We also discuss several enhancements to laser-system performance accuracy and flexibility enabled byPSOPS.
Organized Labor Strikes and Social Spending in Latin America: The Synchronizing Effect of Mass Protest
Authors: Kim Dongkyu , Kim Mi-son , Villegas Cesar
Published: March 2020

The theories and evidence about relationships between democracy and social spending in Latin America are highly contested. A recent study shows that collective protest by organized labor effectively increases social security and welfare spending, whereas mass protest does not have comparable effects on human capital spending in Latin American democracies. This article reexamines the analysis and demonstrates that organized labor alone cannot sway democratic governments. Labor strikes require the synchronizing effect of mass protest to obtain government concessions. Only through concurrent episodes of mass protest can organized labor overcome the numerical disadvantage of pressing democratic government for social welfare spending. In understanding the relationship between labor protests and social welfare spending through the lens of insider-outsider dichotomy, it is critical to consider the synchronizing effect of mass protests. The findings remain robust with alternative measures of democracy and various model specifications.
The development of non-coherent passive radar techniques for space situational awareness with the Murchison Widefield Array
Authors: Prabu Steve , Hancock Paul J. , Zhang Xiang , Tingay Steven J.
Published: March 2020

The number of active and non active satellites in Earth orbit has dramatically increased in recent decades, requiring the development of novel surveillance techniques to monitor and track them. In this paper, we build upon previous non-coherent passive radar space surveillance demonstrations undertaken using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). We develop the concept of the Dynamic Signal to Noise Ratio Spectrum (DSNRS) in order to isolate signals of interest (reflections of FM transmissions of objects in orbit) and efficiently differentiate them from direct path reception events. We detect and track Alouette-2, ALOS, UKube-1, the International Space Station, and Duchifat-1 in this manner. We also identified out-of-band transmissions from Duchifat-1 and UKube-1 using these techniques, demonstrating the MWA’s capability to look for spurious transmissions from satellites. We identify an offset from the locations predicted by the cataloged orbital parameters for some of the satellites, demonstrating the potential of using MWA for satellite catalog maintenance. These results demonstrate the capability of the MWA for Space Situational Awareness and we describe future work in this area.
Good Bets, Bad Bets and Dark Horses: Allied Intelligence Officers’ Encounters with German Civilians, 1944–1945
Authors: Rauch Stefanie
Published: March 2020

This article explores Allied intelligence officers’ encounters with and interrogations of German civilians from autumn 1944 onwards, psychological warfare operations directed at civilians, and their wider ramifications. Focusing especially on the officers serving with the Psychological Warfare Division (PWD), I will demonstrate that field intelligence officers’ stance towards German civilians was fluid and often ambiguous, with the encounter causing considerable distress to some of them. Their reports and correspondence further suggest that in this period, Germans readily professed knowledge of atrocities. But contrary to intelligence officers’ expectations, they failed to accept any guilt or responsibility. Finally, I will argue that the very foundations and techniques of Western Allied psychological warfare may have reinforced and legitimised justification strategies that separated between “real” Nazis and everyone else. This was at odds with one of the central aims of Military Government, i.e. to inculcate a sense of culpability in Germans.
History, Self Interest, and Polyphony
Authors: Meng Michael
Published: March 2020

Yair Mintzker's book on Jew Süss raises a series of provocative questions about German history and history itself, which this forum aims to address. Specifically, it presents four reflections on Mintzker's book that cover the following range of topics: Jay Howard Geller situates Mintzker's work within the historiography on Jewish biographies and antisemitic trials; Sarah Maza explores whether Mintzker pursues the venerable task of getting to the “truth” of who Joseph Oppeinhemer was, despite his claims to the contrary; Jesse Spohnholz considers Mintzker's book as a model of microhistory; and my essay takes a broader approach by confronting the central issue of self-interest in history.
Using real-time ultrasound for in vivo assessment of carcass and internal adipose depots of dairy sheep
Authors: Afonso J. , Guedes C. M. , Teixeira A. , Santos V. , Azevedo J. M. T. , Silva S. R.
Published: March 2020

Fifty-one Churra da Terra Quente ewes (4–7 years old) were used to analyse the potential of real-time ultrasound (RTU) to predict the amount of internal adipose depots, in addition to carcass fat (CF). The prediction models were developed from live weight (LW) and RTU measurements taken at eight different locations. After correlation and multiple linear regression analysis, the prediction models were evaluated by k-fold cross-validation and through the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD). All prediction models included at least one RTU measurement as an independent variable. Prediction models for the absolute weight of the different adipose depots showed higher accuracy than prediction models for fat content per kg of LW. The former showed to be very good or excellent (2.4 ⩽ RPD ⩽ 3.8) for all adipose depots except mesenteric fat (MesF) and thoracic fat, with the model for MesF still providing useful information (RPD = 1.8). Prediction models for fat content per kg of LW were also very good or excellent for subcutaneous fat, intermuscular fat, CF and body fat (2.6 ⩽ RPD ⩽ 3.2), while the best prediction models for omental fat, kidney knob, channel fat and internal fat still provided useful information. Despite some loss in the accuracy of the estimates obtained, there was a similar pattern in terms of RPD for models developed from LW and RTU measurements taken just at the level of the 11th thoracic vertebra. In vivo RTU measurements showed the potential to monitor changes in ewe internal fat reserves as well as in CF.
Bullfights Redux: Business, Politics, and the Failure of Transnational Cultural Transfer in 1920s Budapest
Authors: Vari Alexander
Published: March 2020

Spanish bullfights have been organized twice in Hungary: in 1904 and 1924. Unlike in 1904, when the bullfights arrived in Budapest from Paris and were held with the city's urban tourism promotion interests in mind, the 1924 corrida was connected to the internationalization of Spanish bullfights through their support by fascist Italy, causing a domestic political imbroglio in Hungary due to competing political and business interests at home. At the same time, the bullfights represented another novelty in the field of transnational popular entertainment, whose different waves had continuously reached Budapest since the late nineteenth century. Focusing on the 1924 event, the article argues that the bullfights organized in Budapest that year need to be understood from the perspective of interactions between postwar European authoritarian cultural politics, the domestic political scene in Hungary, and Spanish attempts to turn the bullfights into a transnational spectacle rivaling the popularity of British football. Although the bullfights did not take root in Hungary, their organization in Budapest represents an important chapter in the global advance of twentieth-century popular culture, a historically informed understanding of the formation of which requires consideration not just of successful but also failed processes of cultural transfer.
On how different combinations of conditions produce different early exit/retirement outcomes: a qualitative (case-oriented) comparison of Denmark and Sweden
Authors: Jensen Per H.
Published: March 2020

Denmark and Sweden are rather similar in most societal dimensions, but differ markedly with regard to the employment rate among older workers, which in 2015 was 65 per cent in Denmark and 75 per cent in Sweden. Using a qualitative (or case-oriented) comparative approach, this article seeks to identify configurations or combinations of conditions that have produced these differences in older workers’ work patterns. From an inter-disciplinary perspective, the article draws on the conceptual framework of push (e.g.involuntary retirement due to poor health), pull (e.g.voluntary retirement because of generous welfare benefits), jump (e.g.exit due to a search for life conditions that are more fulfilling than paid work), stay (e.g.older workers remain voluntarily in the labour market because work is fulfilling and well paid) and stuck (e.g.older workers remain involuntarily in the labour market because they cannot afford to retire). Findings are that low employment rates in Denmark are an outcome of a relatively strong combination of push–pull–jump factors, while Sweden, with its high employment rate, exhibits a combination of stay–stuck conditions.
A PROPERTY OF THE HODRICK–PRESCOTT FILTER AND ITS APPLICATION
Authors: Sakarya Neslihan , de Jong Robert M.
Published: March 2020

This article explores a simple property of the Hodrick–Prescott (HP) filter: when the HP filter is applied to a series, the cyclical component is equal to the HP-filtered trend of the fourth difference of the series, except for the first and last two observations, for which different formulas are needed. We use this result to derive small sample results and asymptotic results for a fixed smoothing parameter. We first apply this property to analyze the consequences of a deterministic break. We find that the effect of a deterministic break on the cyclical component is asymptotically negligible for the points that are away from the break point, while for the points in the neighborhood of the break point, the effect is not negligible even asymptotically. Second, we apply this property to show that the cyclical component of the HP filter when applied to series that are integrated up to order 2 is weakly dependent, while the situation for series that are integrated up to order 3 or 4 is more subtle. Third, we characterize the behavior of the HP filter when applied to deterministic polynomial trends and show that in the middle of the sample, the cyclical component reduces the order of the polynomial by 4, while the end point behavior is different. Finally, we give a characterization of the HP filter when applied to an exponential deterministic trend, and this characterization shows that the filter is effectively incapable of dealing with a trend that increases this fast. Our results are compared with those of Phillips and Jin (2015, Business cycles, trend elimination, and the HP filter).
Learning self-play agents for combinatorial optimization problems
Authors: Xu Ruiyang , Lieberherr Karl
Published: March 2020

Recent progress in reinforcement learning (RL) using self-play has shown remarkable performance with several board games (e.g., Chess and Go) and video games (e.g., Atari games and Dota2). It is plausible to hypothesize that RL, starting from zero knowledge, might be able to gradually approach a winning strategy after a certain amount of training. In this paper, we explore neural Monte Carlo Tree Search (neural MCTS), an RL algorithm that has been applied successfully by DeepMind to play Go and Chess at a superhuman level. We try to leverage the computational power of neural MCTS to solve a class of combinatorial optimization problems. Following the idea of Hintikka’s Game-Theoretical Semantics, we propose the Zermelo Gamification to transform specific combinatorial optimization problems into Zermelo games whose winning strategies correspond to the solutions of the original optimization problems. A specially designed neural MCTS algorithm is then introduced to train Zermelo game agents. We use a prototype problem for which the ground-truth policy is efficiently computable to demonstrate that neural MCTS is promising.
Confronting the anomaly: directions in (German) economic research after the crisis
Authors: Jacob Ulrike , Brust Oliver A.
Published: March 2020

Argument

Recurring economic crises, like the one of 2007-2008, led to criticism of economic research and a demand to develop new strategies to avoid them. Standard economic theories use conventional approaches to deal with economic challenges, heterodox theories try to develop alternatives with which to face them. It remains unclear whether the 2007-2008 crisis led to a change in economic research as well as to a consideration of alternative approaches. We used co-word analysis to map the structure of economic research in Germany between 2005 and 2014. Core topics within economic research, such as “market” or “production” hardly shift and can be linked to standard economic theories. Peripheral topics such as “inequality” or “unemployment” show greater dynamics. However, only a few of these topics can be linked to heterodox approaches. Certain changes have occurred in reaction to the 2007-2008 crisis. However, the unchanged importance of standard economic topics raises the question whether these changes are sufficient to face coming economic challenges.
Language policy and corporate law: A case study from Norway
Authors: Sanden Guro R.
Published: March 2020

This paper investigates how 492 of the largest companies in Norway comply with the language requirement of the Norwegian Accounting Act Article 3-4. The results show that 36% of the companies presented their financial statements in Norwegian only, 45% in one or more language(s) in addition to Norwegian, while 19% had been granted dispensation and presented statements in English-only. The company’s ownership, use of English as a corporate language, and industry affiliation were the three most commonly mentioned reasons for dispensation, but the findings show significant differences between industry sectors in terms of language choice. The study contributes to corporate law research by examining the interpretation and application of the Norwegian Accounting Act by the Norwegian Directorate of Taxes; to sociolinguistics by shedding new light on the concepts of domain loss and diglossia; and to language-sensitive research in international business by analysing language use in Norwegian companies.
Discrimination on immigrant trainees
Authors: Tomori S. , Pinto da Costa M.
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Migration and its effects in the life of skilled health workforce immigrants are a concern. However, the perceived challenges and advantages of being an immigrant trainee and their views on having access to local opportunities have not been studied so far. This can potentially play an important role in trainees’ future decisions to migrate.

Objectives

This work has focused in exploring the perceptions of immigrant psychiatry trainees in several European countries about feeling discriminated, the circumstances they felt discriminated and how this perception affected their future migratory plans.

Methods

A semi-structured questionnaire was circulated to psychiatry trainees in Europe between 2013 and 2014.

Results

More than one in ten trainees across Europe were immigrants already. Top host countries were UK, Switzerland and Sweden. Approximately one in twenty trainees across Europe had the perception of feeling discriminated or not having the same opportunities as the native trainees, especially concerning the work and academic conditions and the social and financial conditions. On the other hand, nearly one in ten trainees felt they had the same opportunities. The country with the highest level of satisfactionwas the UK and with the lowest was Ireland. Almost half of the psychiatry trainees who felt discriminated in their previous migratory experience want to migrate again.

Conclusions

A high number of immigrant psychiatry trainees feels that they do not have the same opportunities as local trainees and they are considering migrating again. Further research on feeling discriminated by immigrant workforce is necessary to clarify this differences.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
Profile of Chest Injuries and Oxygen Therapy in Trauma Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure after the Jiangsu Tornado in China: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Mu Gen hua , Lu Zhong qian , Li Xing , Chen Ping fa , He Lei , Sun Yun hao , Hou Shan shan , Deng Yi jun
Published: March 2020

Background:

The aim of this study was to analyze the profile of chest injuries, oxygen therapy for respiratory failure, and the outcomes of victims after the Jiangsu tornado, which occurred on June 23, 2016 in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, China.

Methods:

The clinical records of 144 patients referred to Yancheng City No.1 People’s Hospital from June 23 through June 25 were retrospectively investigated. Of those patients, 68 (47.2%) sustained major chest injuries. The demographic details, trauma history, details of injuries and Abbreviated Injury Scores (AIS), therapy for respiratory failure, surgical procedures, length of intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay, and mortality were analyzed.

Results:

Of the 68 patients, 41 (60.3%) were female and 27 (39.7%) were male. The average age of the injured patients was 57.1 years. Forty-six patients (67.6%) suffered from polytrauma. The mean thoracic AIS of the victims was calculated as 2.85 (SD = 0.76). Rib fracture was the most common chest injury, noted in 56 patients (82.4%). Pulmonary contusion was the next most frequent injury, occurring in 12 patients (17.7%). Ten patients with severe chest trauma were admitted to ICU. The median ICU stay was 11.7 (SD = 8.5) days. Five patients required intubation and ventilation, one patient was treated with noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV), and four patients were treated with high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC). Three patients died during hospitalization. The hospital mortality was 4.41%.

Conclusions:

Chest trauma was a common type of injury after tornado. The most frequent thoracic injuries were rib fractures and pulmonary contusion. Severe chest trauma is usually associated with a high incidence of respiratory support requirements and a long length of stay in the ICU. Early initiation of appropriate oxygen therapy was vital to restoring normal respiratory function and saving lives. Going forward, HFNC might be an effective and well-tolerated therapeutic addition to the management of acute respiratory failure in chest trauma.
Longitudinal Associations Between Contact Frequency with Friends and with Family, Activity Engagement, and Cognitive Functioning
Authors: Sharifian Neika , Kraal A. Zarina , Zaheed Afsara B. , Sol Ketlyne , Zahodne Laura B.
Published: March 2020

Objectives:

Social engagement may be an important protective resource for cognitive aging. Some evidence suggests that time spent with friends may be more beneficial for cognition than time spent with family. Because maintaining friendships has been demonstrated to require more active maintenance and engagement in shared activities, activity engagement may be one underlying pathway that explains the distinct associations between contact frequency with friends versus family and cognition.

Methods:

Using two waves of data from the national survey of Midlife in the United States (n = 3707, Mage = 55.80, 51% female at baseline), we examined longitudinal associations between contact frequency with friends and family, activity engagement (cognitive and physical activities), and cognition (episodic memory and executive functioning) to determine whether activity engagement mediates the relationship between contact frequency and cognition.

Results:

The longitudinal mediation model revealed that more frequent contact with friends, but not family, was associated with greater concurrent engagement in physical and cognitive activities, which were both associated with better episodic memory and executive functioning.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that time spent with friends may promote both cognitively and physically stimulating activities that could help to preserve not only these social relationships but also cognitive functioning.
Prevalence and determinants of metabolic syndrome based on three definitions in rural northeast China
Authors: Du Zhi , Xing Liying , Liu Shuang , Jing Li , Tian Yuanmeng , Zhang Boqiang , Yan Han , Lin Min , Yu Shiwen , Sun Yingxian
Published: March 2020

Objective:

To gain more comprehensive understanding of metabolic syndrome (Mets) among in general Chinese population.

Design:

Cross-sectional study. Mets was defined by three widely accepted definitions including modified Adults Treatment Panel (ATP) III criteria, International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and harmonized definition. Risk factors were evaluated by using multivariate logistic regression.

Setting:

Nineteen rural villages in northeast China.

Participants:

The survey was conducted in September 2017 and May 2018 on 10 926 individuals.

Results:

According to modified ATP III criteria, IDF criteria and harmonised definition, the overall prevalence of Mets was 41·3 % (95 % CI 40·3, 42·2), 34·2 % (95 % CI 33·2, 35·1) and 44·1 % (95 % CI 43·1, 45·1), respectively. Females had a higher prevalence, and elevated blood pressure was the most frequent. Age, female sex, non-peasant worker, higher BMI and lower-annual income were independent risk factors of Mets in all three definitions (all ps < 0·05). Based on modified ATP III criteria and harmonised definition, heavy drinking was positively correlated with Mets. In contrast, former drinking was inversely associated with Mets.

Conclusions:

Mets is highly prevalent in rural areas of northeast China. Its independent risk factors include higher age, female sex, non-peasantry worker, higher BMI and lower-annual income. Modified ATP III criteria and harmonised definition may be superior definitions of Mets.
‘I’d say I’m fat, I’m not obese’: obesity normalisation in urban-poor South Africa
Authors: Bosire Edna N , Cohen Emmanuel , Erzse Agnes , Goldstein Susan J , Hofman Karen J , Norris Shane A
Published: March 2020

Objective:

In the past decade, South Africa’s obesity epidemic has increased in both children and adults, and being overweight is becoming the norm. Several contributing factors lead to the normalisation of obesity. One of these is the culturally entrenched likeness of larger body sizes or shapes within a milieu of easily accessible unhealthy food and beverages. This qualitative study advances knowledge about the influence of socio-cultural norms and obesogenic environments on weight under estimation and ‘obesity normalisation’ amongst black South Africans living in an urban setting.

Design:

A theory-based qualitative study used focus group discussions (FGDs) with a semi-structured interview guide. FGDs were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using a constant comparison method.

Setting:

Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, is a setting which has undergone rapid urbanisation and nutrition transition with ubiquitous availability of processed and fast-foods.

Participants:

Adults older than 18 years living in Soweto (n 57).

Results:

There is a wide misperception about obesity amongst black Africans living in an urban setting in Soweto. Participants who admitted to being fat or overweight did not view themselves as such. This could be attributed to unchanging socio-cultural factors that reinforce the acceptability of bigger bodies and living in obesogenic environment.

Conclusions:

Without addressing socio-cultural norms that attribute bigger bodies to beauty and wealth, motivating individuals to address weight gain will prove difficult especially for populations living in obesogenic environments. A multi-faceted strategy is required to address obesity in urban South African settings.
Can Conversing with a Computer Increase Turnout? Mobilization Using Chatbot Communication
Authors: Mann Christopher B.
Published: March 2020

According to the burgeoning voter mobilization field experiments literature, impersonal contact has little-to-no effect. A conversation with a computer is, by definition, an impersonal interaction. However, chatbots are form of communication wherein a computer imitates conversations by interacting using natural language. Human-to-chatbot interactions are often perceived as similar to human-to-human interactions. How ubiquitous are chatbots? Just ask Siri, Cortana, Bixby, or Alexa, or ask for help on any e-commerce website (these are each chatbots). A simple voter mobilization treatment reminding users of a political chatbot (Resistbot) to vote and providing information about polling locations and hours increased turnout by 1.8 percentage points in a 2019 election. The results replicate previously unpublished field experiments by Resistbot in 2018 that found smaller but statistically significant increases in turnout.
Doubling of U.S. Population Exposure to Climate Extremes by 2050
Authors: Batibeniz Fulden , Ashfaq Moetasim , Diffenbaugh Noah S. , Key Kesondra , Evans Katherine J. , Turuncoglu Ufuk Utku , Önol Barış
Published: March 2020

We quantify historical and projected trends in the population exposure to climate extremes as measured by the United States National Center for Environmental Information Climate Extremes Index (CEI). Based on the analyses of the historical observations, we find that the U.S. has already experienced a rise in the occurrence of aggregated extremes in recent decades, consistent with the climate response to historical increases in radiative forcing. Additionally, we find that exposure can be expected to intensify under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5, with all counties permanently exceeding the baseline variability in the occurrence of extreme hot days, warm nights, and drought conditions by 2050. As a result, every county in the U.S. is projected to permanently exceed the historical CEI variability (as measured by one standard deviation during the 1981–2005 period). Based on the current population distribution, this unprecedented change implies a yearly exposure to extreme conditions for one in every three people. We find that the increasing trend in exposure to the aggregated extremes is already detectable over much of the U.S., and particularly in the central and eastern U.S. The high correspondence between the pattern of trends in our simulations and observations increases confidence in the projected amplification of population exposure to unprecedented combinations of extreme climate conditions, should greenhouse gas concentrations continue to escalate along their current trajectory.
Relativistic-intensity near-single-cycle light waveforms at kHz repetition rate
Authors: Ouillé Marie , Vernier Aline , Böhle Frederik , Bocoum Maïmouna , Jullien Aurélie , Lozano Magali , Rousseau Jean-Philippe , Cheng Zhao , Gustas Dominykas , Blumenstein Andreas , Simon Peter , Haessler Stefan , Faure Jérôme , Nagy Tamas , Lopez-Martens Rodrigo
Published: March 2020

The development of ultra-intense and ultra-short light sources is currently a subject of intense research driven by the discovery of novel phenomena in the realm of relativistic optics, such as the production of ultrafast energetic particle and radiation beams for applications. It has been a long-standing challenge to unite two hitherto distinct classes of light sources: those achieving relativistic intensity and those with pulse durations approaching a single light cycle. While the former class traditionally involves large-scale amplification chains, the latter class places high demand on the spatiotemporal control of the electromagnetic laser field. Here, we present a light source producing waveform-controlled 1.5-cycle pulses with a 719 nm central wavelength that can be focused to relativistic intensity at a 1 kHz repetition rate based on nonlinear post-compression in a long hollow-core fiber. The unique capabilities of this source allow us to observe the first experimental indications of light waveform effects in laser wakefield acceleration of relativistic energy electrons.
Multimodal chemo-/magneto-/phototaxis of 3G CNT-bots to power fuel cells
Authors: Mitra Shirsendu , Roy Nirmal , Maity Surjendu , Bandyopadhyay Dipankar
Published: March 2020

We report the development of a 3G microswimmer, namely, CNT-bot, capable of undergoing acid-, alkali-, magneto- and phototaxis inside acidic or alkaline baths of peroxide fuel and/or water. The use of carboxyl-functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) facilitated the propulsion of CNT-bots in an alkaline-water solution by ejecting carbon-dioxide bubbles. Furthermore, doping of magnetite nanoparticles (FeONPs), ferrous ions (Fe2+) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiONPs) induces magnetic, chemical and photonic modes of propulsion. While FeONPs stimulated magnetotaxis at a rate of up to ~10 body lengths per second under the influence of a bar magnet, chemotaxis of a similar speed in a peroxide fuel was achieved by bubble-propulsion of oxygen gas originating from the Fenton reaction. In addition, the light-stimulated photo-Fenton reaction led to phototaxis of CNT-bots. A thin coating of magnesium imparted a half-faced Janus appearance to the CNT-bots, which facilitated motion in normal or acidic water media through the ejection of hydrogen gas bubbles. This chemotaxis could be transformed into pH-stimulated directional motion by establishing an acid or alkali concentration gradient across the peroxide and/or water baths. The capacity of CNT-bots to produce oxygen (hydrogen) bubbles in peroxide (acidic water) fuel was exploited to power a PEM fuel cell to generate electricity. The pure oxygen and hydrogen gases generated by CNT-bots in separate chambers were fed directly into the fuel cell in which the incessant motions of the particle facilitated the creation and release of the pure gases to achieve on-demand electricity generation. The motor could also induce dye degradation through advanced oxidation owing to the production of intermediate hydroxyl radicals during the Fenton reaction.
DAXX inhibits cancer stemness and epithelial–mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer
Authors: Wu Chaofan , Ding Hui , Wang Shuochen , Li Yangxin , Liu Song-Bai , Wang Xiaoxiao , Zheng Jiqing , Xue Ting , Amin Hesham M. , Song Yao-Hua , Zhou Jin
Published: March 2020

Background

DAXX is a transcription repressor that has been implicated in several types of cancers, but its role in the development of gastric cancer remains unknown.

Methods

We analysed the expression of DAXX in 83 pairs of gastric cancer samples, including neoplastic and adjacent tissues, and correlated the expression levels with clinical stages. We also investigated the molecular mechanisms by which DAXX downregulation promotes cancer growth using both in vitro and in vivo models.

Results

DAXX was downregulated in advanced gastric cancer samples. The expression of DAXX inversely correlates with that of cancer stem cell markers CD44 and Oct4 in gastric cancer lines. DAXX overexpression in gastric cancer cells inhibited migration, invasion and epithelial– mesenchymal transition (EMT). The inhibition of EMT was achieved through the repression of SNAI3, a key inducer of EMT, by recruiting HDAC-1 into the nucleus. Using a xenograft mouse model, we demonstrated that the MKN45 cells formed smaller tumours when DAXX was overexpressed. Wild-type AGS cells were not able to form tumours in nude mice, but in contrast, formed visible tumours when DAXX was silenced in the cells.

Conclusion

We for the first time demonstrated that DAXX functions as a tumour suppressor in gastric cancer by inhibiting stem cell growth and EMT.
Myofibroblast induces hepatocyte-to-ductal metaplasia via laminin–ɑvβ6 integrin in liver fibrosis
Authors: Xu Ting , Lu Zhiwen , Xiao Zhuanglong , Liu Fang , Chen Yuhua , Wang Zhijun , Zhu Shenghua , Song Yuhu
Published: March 2020

Hepatocytes undergo the metaplasia into ductal biliary epithelial cells (BECs) in response to chronic injury, and subsequently contribute to liver regeneration. The mechanism underlying hepatocyte-to-ductal metaplasia has not been explored until now. In mouse models of liver fibrosis, a florid BEC response was observed in fibrotic liver, and the depletion of myofibroblasts attenuated BEC expansion remarkably. Then, in hepatocyte fate-tracing mouse model, we demonstrated the conversion of mature hepatocytes into ductal BECs in fibrotic liver, and the depletion of myofibroblasts diminished the hepatocyte-to-ductal metaplasia. Finally, the mechanism underlying the metaplasia was investigated. Myofibroblasts secreted laminin-rich extracellular matrix, and then laminin induced hepatocyte-to-ductal metaplasia through ɑvβ6 integrin. Therefore, our results demonstrated myofibroblasts induce the conversion of mature hepatocytes into ductal BECs through laminin-ɑvβ6 integrin, which reveals that the strategy improve regeneration in fibrotic liver through the modification of specific microenvironment.