bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of ballroom dancing on fatigue, body image, self-efficacy, and endurance of cancer patients and their partners
Authors: Thieser S. , Dörfler J. , Rudolph I. , Wozniak T. , Schmidt T. , Hübner J.
Published: January 2021

Physical activity has a high importance for cancer patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of ballroom dancing on fatigue, body image, self-efficacy, and functional exercise capacity for patients with cancer. We collected data among participants of a regular dance training program for cancer patients with a questionnaire including the Body Image Scale (BIS), Brief Fatigue inventory (BFI), Short Scale for Measuring General Self-efficacy Beliefs (ASKU), and the 6-min walking test (6-MWT). 66 participants took part in the study, and among them, 39 participants also engaged in the 6-MWT: dance experience and the weeks of dance training were significantly associated with a higher walking distance in the 6-MWT. Participants with dance experience showed higher self-efficacy scores than participants without. Participants rated the influence of dancing on partnership positively. However, the dance training had no significant effects on fatigue or body image. Ballroom dancing may improve functional exercise capacity, and dance experience may be associated with a high self-efficacy and active lifestyle, which can be beneficial for cancer patients during and after treatment. Further studies are needed to assess the influence of ballroom dancing more deeply on physical activity and fitness and to learn more on impact on the partnership. As ballroom dancing seems to improve physical activity and wellbeing and can promote intimacy between partners, this intervention has the potential to support cancer survivors in various levels.
Combined effects of human pressures on Europe’s marine ecosystems
Authors: Korpinen Samuli , Laamanen Leena , Bergström Lena , Nurmi Marco , Andersen Jesper H. , Haapaniemi Juuso , Harvey E. Therese , Murray Ciaran J. , Peterlin Monika , Kallenbach Emilie , Klančnik Katja , Stein Ulf , Tunesi Leonardo , Vaughan David , Reker Johnny
Published: January 2021

Marine ecosystems are under high demand for human use, giving concerns about how pressures from human activities may affect their structure, function, and status. In Europe, recent developments in mapping of marine habitats and human activities now enable a coherent spatial evaluation of potential combined effects of human activities. Results indicate that combined effects from multiple human pressures are spread to 96% of the European marine area, and more specifically that combined effects from physical disturbance are spread to 86% of the coastal area and 46% of the shelf area. We compare our approach with corresponding assessments at other spatial scales and validate our results with European-scale status assessments for coastal waters. Uncertainties and development points are identified. Still, the results suggest that Europe’s seas are widely disturbed, indicating potential discrepancy between ambitions for Blue Growth and the objective of achieving good environmental status within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Properties of a thick-section narrow-gap gas tungsten arc weld of cast Haynes 282
Authors: Santella Michael , Chen X. Frank , Maziasz Philip , Rausch Jason , Salkin Jonathan
Published: January 2021

A 50.8-mm-deep gas tungsten arc weld was made with matching filler metal in cast Haynes 282 alloy. The narrow-gap joint was filled with 104 weld beads. Visual and dye-penetrant inspection of cross-weld specimens indicated that the cast base metal contained numerous casting defects. No visible indications of physical defects were found in the weld deposit. The weld heat-affected zone was characterized by microcracking and localized recrystallization. The cause of the cracking could not be determined. Hardness testing showed that a softened region in the as-welded heat-affected zone was nearly eliminated by post-weld heat treatment. Tensile testing up to 816 °C showed that cross-weld specimen strengths ranged from 57 to 79% of the cast base metal tensile strength. The stress-rupture strengths of cross-weld specimens are within 20% of base metal reference data. Failures of both tensile and stress-rupture specimens occurred in the base metal.
The Study on the Anti-corrosion Performance of NiTi Alloy in Human Body Solution with the Fabricating Processes of Laser Irradiation and PDMS Modification
Authors: Yang Chengjuan , Cao Weiran , Yang Zhen , Wang Meng , Jing Xiubing , Tian Yanling
Published: January 2021

This paper presents a new and safe method of fabricating super-hydrophobic surface on NiTi Shape Memory Alloy (SMA), which aims to further improve the corrosion resistance performance and biocompatibility of NiTi SMA. The super-hydrophobic surfaces with Water Contact Angle (WCA) of 155.4° ± 0.9° and Water Sliding Angle (WSA) of 4.4° ± 1.1° were obtained by the hybrid of laser irradiation and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) modification. The forming mechanism was systematically revealed via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The anti-corrosion of samples was investigated in Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) via the potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) tests. PDMS super-hydrophobic coatings showed superior anti-corrosion performance. The Ni ions release experiment was also conducted and the corresponding result demonstrated that the super-hydrophobic samples effectively inhibited the release of Ni ions both in electrolyte and SBF. Besides, biocompatibility was further analyzed, indicating that the prepared super-hydrophobic surfaces present a huge potential advantage in biocompatibility.
A Passive Anti-icing Strategy Based on a Superhydrophobic Mesh with Extremely Low Ice Adhesion Strength
Authors: Wang Peng , Li Ziqiang , Xie Qing , Duan Wei , Zhang Xinchun , Han Huilong
Published: January 2021

Although superhydrophobic materials have attracted much research interest in anti-icing, some controversy still exists. In this research, we report a cost-effective method used to verify the contribution of area fraction to ice adhesion strength. We tried to partially-embed silica nanoparticles into microscale fabrics of a commercial polyamide mesh. Then, the area fraction could be determined by altering the mesh size. Generally, the ice adhesion strength decreases as the area fraction decreases. An ice adhesion strength of ∼1.9 kPa and a delayed freezing time of ∼1048 s can be obtained. We attribute the low ice adhesion strength to the combination of superhydrophobicity and stress concentration. The superhydrophobicity prohibits the water from penetrating into the voids of the meshes, and the small actual contact area leads to stress concentration which promotes interfacial crack propagation. Moreover, our superhydrophobic mesh simultaneously exhibits a micro-nano hierarchical structure and a partially-embedded structure. Therefore, the as-prepared superhydrophobic mesh retained the icephobicity after 20 icing/deicing cycles, and maintained its superhydrophobicity even after 60 sandpaper-abrasion cycles and a 220 °C thermal treatment.
The employment policy and vocational activity support system for people with intellectual disabilities in Poland
Authors: Woynarowska Agnieszka
Published: January 2021

This short report discusses issues related to the employment policy and vocational activity support system for people with intellectual disabilities in Poland. The analyses are based on data from a broader research project entitled Employment and Disability. The reconstruction of the Vocational Experience of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in Poland. The project sought to explore the work-related situation of persons with intellectual disabilities regarding the employment policy, support practices in workplaces, and vocational experience of employees with intellectual disabilities, their job coaches and the coordinators of employment projects. The methodological framework combined the grounded theory set in social constructivism, as presented in Charmaz’s works, with discourse analysis and the sociologically-oriented analysis of practices. The data were collected in 25 workplaces employing persons with disabilities in various parts of Poland, mainly by means of in-depth interviews, observation, and field notes. Although analyses discussing the specificity of Polish employment policy indicate that the vocational activity of persons with intellectual disabilities is promoted in Poland, in reality its implementation is difficult. The difficulties result from the poor quality law regulating vocational activity, lack of adequate legislative solutions, barriers on the part of employers, and the absence of sufficient financial support.
English Dialect Dictionary Online
Authors: Markus Manfred
Published: January 2021

Joseph Wright's English Dialect Dictionary (1898-1905) is the most comprehensive English dialect dictionary ever written, documenting in detail every dialect of English in the British Isles and Ireland, as well as the USA, Canada, South Africa, and other colonial regions. Over the past ten years, it has been brought to life digitally as a freely available database resource, EDD Online, which provides access to this rich collection of dialect data. This book is a comprehensive user guide to EDD Online, showing how to get the most out of this unparalleled resource with step-by-step instructions, illustrated with handy screenshots, and an appendix containing full colour figures. It also considers dialectological issues from phonetics to pragmatics, and how searches can be tailored to specific linguistic concerns, demonstrating the interface's enormous potential to contribute to research in a range of disciplines, from dialectology, to fields such as historical linguistics, corpus linguistics, lexicography and sociolinguistics.
Musical Notation in the West
Authors: Grier James
Published: January 2021

Musical notation is a powerful system of communication between musicians, using sophisticated symbolic, primarily non-verbal means to express musical events in visual symbols. Many musicians take the system for granted, having internalized it and their strategies for reading it and translating it into sound over long years of study and practice. This book traces the development of that system by combining chronological and thematic approaches to show the historical and musical context in which these developments took place. Simultaneously, the book considers the way in which this symbolic language communicates to those literate in it, discussing how its features facilitate or hinder fluent comprehension in the real-time environment of performance. Moreover, the topic of musical as opposed to notational innovation forms another thread of the treatment, as the author investigates instances where musical developments stimulated notational attributes, or notational innovations made practicable advances in musical style.
The Rise of Mental Health Nursing
Authors: Boschma Geertje
Published: January 2021

Geertje Boschma's complex study examines issues from the rise of scientific psychiatry and the emergence of mental health nursing to the social relationships of class, gender, and religion that structured asylum care in the Netherlands around 1900. Drawing on the archival collections of four Dutch asylums, Boschma highlights the gendered nature of mental health nursing politics, and captures the contradictory realities of hospital-oriented asylum care, both illustrating the social complexity of the care of the mentally ill and offering an important addition to the history of European psychiatry.
Preparing Data for Sharing
Authors: Data Archiving and Networked Services
Published: January 2021

This data guide takes readers through the cycle of social science research, from applying for a research grant, through conducting the data collection phase, and ultimately to preparing the data for deposit in archives or data repositories. An adaptation of the fourth edition of the Guide to Social Science Data Preparation and Archiving of 2009 by the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan, this publication will help researchers to manage, document, and archive their data and to think broadly about which types of digital content should be deposited in such an archive.
The Institutionalisation of Political Parties in Post-authoritarian Indonesia
Authors: Fionna Ulla
Published: January 2021

Indonesia's democratic political parties developed rapidly after the end of the New Order era (1966–1998). Based on extensive fieldwork, this book provides a new and necessary perspective on the activities, administration, and membership of the local branches of four large parties. The author also addresses why some political parties in Indonesia have managed to strengthen their institutional base while others have failed to do the same. A significant contribution to understanding grassroots party organization in Indonesia, this timely volume provides insight into the state of parties in advance of the 2014 elections.
Tocqueville, Jansenism, and the Necessity of the Political in a Democratic Age
Authors: Selby David
Published: January 2021

Before being declared heretical in 1713, Jansenism was a Catholic movement focused on such central issues as original sin and predestination. In this engaging book, David Selby explores how the Jansenist tradition shaped Alexis de Tocqueville's life and works and argues that once that connection is understood, we can apply Tocqueville's political thought in new and surprising ways. Moving from the historical sociology of Jansenism in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century France to contemporary debates over the human right to education, the role of religion in democracy, and the nature of political freedom, Selby brings Tocqueville out of the past and makes him relevant to the present, revealing that there is still much to learn from this great theorist of democracy.
Power Politics
Authors: de Wijk Rob
Published: January 2021

We tend to think of ourselves as living in a time when nations, for the most part, obey the rule of law - and where they certainly don't engage in the violent grabs for territory that have characterised so much of human history. But as Rob de Wijk shows in this book, power politics very much remains a force on the international scene. Offering analyses of such actions as Putin's annexation of the Crimea and China's attempts to claim large parts of the South China Sea, de Wijk explains why power politics never truly went away-and why, as the West's position weakens, it's likely to play a bigger and bigger role on the global stage in the coming years.
Urban Traditions and Historic Environments in Sindh
Authors: Naeem Anila
Published: January 2021

Shikarpoor Historic City, in Sindh, Pakistan, has a rich historical heritage: as a central point on caravan trade routes, it served as the gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia. In recognition of that history, in 1998 the government of Sindh named it a protected heritage site-but that status hasn't prevented the ongoing destruction of the city's historic fabric. This book tells the story of Shikarpoor and presents as complete a picture of its threatened historical fabric as possible, through copious maps and images past and present.
American Folk Music as Tactical Media
Authors: Svec Henry Adam
Published: January 2021

American folk music has long presented a problematic conception of authenticity, but the reality of the folk scene, and its relationship to media, is far more complicated. This book draws on the fields of media archaeology, performance studies, and sound studies to explore the various modes of communication that can be uncovered from the long American folk revival. From Alan Lomax's cybernetic visions to Bob Dylan's noisy writing machines, this book retrieves a subterranean discourse on the concept of media that might help us to reimagine the potential of the networks in which we work, play, and sing.
Sociodemographic risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection among Massachusetts healthcare workers: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lan Fan-Yun , Filler Robert , Mathew Soni , Buley Jane , Iliaki Eirini , Bruno-Murtha Lou Ann , Osgood Rebecca , Christophi Costas A. , Fernandez-Montero Alejandro , Kales Stefanos N.
Published: January 2021

Objective:

To better understand coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission among healthcare workers (HCWs), we investigated occupational and nonoccupational risk factors associated with cumulative COVID-19 incidence among a Massachusetts HCW cohort.

Design, setting, and participants:

The retrospective cohort study included adult HCWs in a single healthcare system from March 9 to June 3, 2020.

Methods:

The SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal RT-PCR results and demographics of the study participants were deidentified and extracted from an established occupational health, COVID-19 database at the healthcare system. HCWs from each particular job grouping had been categorized into frontline or nonfrontline workers. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and odds ratios (ORs) were used to compare subgroups after excluding HCWs involved in early infection clusters before universal masking began. A sensitivity analysis was performed comparing jobs with the greatest potential occupational risks with others.

Results:

Of 5,177 HCWs, 152 (2.94%) were diagnosed with COVID-19. Affected HCWs resided in areas with higher community attack rates (median, 1,755.2 vs 1,412.4 cases per 100,000; P < .001; multivariate-adjusted IRR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.03–3.44 comparing fifth to first quintile of community rates). After multivariate adjustment, African-American and Hispanic HCWs had higher incidence of COVID-19 than non-Hispanic white HCWs (IRR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.78–4.33; and IRR, 2.41, 95% CI, 1.42–4.07, respectively). After adjusting for race and residential rates, frontline HCWs had a higher IRR (1.73, 95% CI, 1.16–2.54) than nonfrontline HCWs overall, but not within specific job categories nor when comparing the highest risk jobs to others.

Conclusions:

After universal masking was instituted, the strongest risk factors associated with HCW COVID-19 infection were residential community infection rate and race.
Longbasaba Glacier recession and contribution to its proglacial lake volume between 1988 and 2018
Authors: Wei Junfeng , Liu Shiyin , Wang Xin , Zhang Yong , Jiang Zongli , Wu Kunpeng , Zhang Zhen , Zhang Te
Published: January 2021

During the last few decades, the lake-terminating glaciers in the Himalaya have receded faster than the land-terminating glaciers as proglacial lakes have exacerbated the mass loss of their host glaciers. Monitoring the impacts of glacier recession and dynamics on lake extent and water volume provides an approach to assess the mass interplay between glaciers and proglacial lakes. We describe the recession of Longbasaba Glacier and estimate the mass wastage and its contribution to the water volume of its proglacial lake. The results show that the glacier area has decreased by 3% during 1988–2018, with a more variable recession prior to 2008 than in the last decade. Longbasaba Lake has expanded by 164% in area and 237% in water volume, primarily as a result of meltwater inflow produced from surface lowering of the glacier. Over the periods 1988–2000 and 2000–18, the mass loss contributed by glacier thinning has decreased from 81 to 61% of the total mass loss, accompanied by a nearly doubled contribution from terminus retreat. With the current rate of retreat, Longbasaba glacier is expected to terminate in its proglacial lake for another four decades. The hazard risk of this lake is expected to continue to increase in the near future because of the projected continued glacier mass loss and related lake expansion.
The durable differential deterrent effects of strict photo identification laws
Authors: Grimmer Justin , Yoder Jesse
Published: January 2021

An increasing number of states have adopted laws that require voters to show photo identification to vote. We show that the differential effect of the laws on turnout among those who lack ID persists even after the laws are repealed. We leverage administrative data from North Carolina and a photo ID law in effect for a primary, but not the subsequent general, election. Using exact matching and a difference-in-differences design, we show that for the 3 percent of voters who lack ID in North Carolina, the ID law caused a 0.7 percentage point turnout decrease in the 2016 primary election relative to those with ID. After the law was suspended, this effect persisted: those without ID were 2.6 percentage points less likely to turnout in the 2016 general election and 1.7 percentage points less likely to turnout in the 2018 general.
GORENSTEIN SILTING COMPLEXES
Authors: CAO WEIQING , WEI JIAQUN
Published: January 2021

We introduce and study the notion of Gorenstein silting complexes, which is a generalization of Gorenstein tilting modules in Gorenstein-derived categories. We give the equivalent characterization of Gorenstein silting complexes. We give a sufficient condition for a partial Gorenstein silting complex to have a complement.
Documentary Constellations in Late-Mamlūk Cairo: Property- andWaqf-Related Archiving on the Eve of the Ottoman Conquest of Egypt
Authors: Livingston Daisy
Published: January 2021

The scholarly discussion of archives in the premodern Islamicate world is beset by problematic generalisations. Such a view to some degree stems from a top-down view of archiving that focuses on state archives at the expense of practices of archiving occurring outside a chancery context. This article challenges the assumptions that support an enduring narrative of paucity, by examining non-chancery archival practices in Mamlūk Cairo on the eve of the Ottoman conquest in 922/1517. In doing this, it looks to some of the surviving original documentary material: legal property deeds with connections towaqfendowments whose potential to shed light on archival history has largely remained untapped. Surviving in large numbers in modern collections in Cairo, these documents contain abundant traces of their own archival histories. By presenting a micro-scale case study drawn from this material, this article shows the energetic and meticulous documentary and archival practices that surrounded property transactions in late-Mamlūk Cairo.
Rapid cardiac MRI protocol for cardiac assessment in paediatric and young adult patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplant: a feasibility study
Authors: Ryan Thomas D. , Moore Ryan A. , Lang Sean M. , Khoury Philip , Dandoy Christopher E. , Davies Stella M. , Taylor Michael D.
Published: January 2021

Background:

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an important and effective treatment strategy for many malignancies, marrow failure syndromes, and immunodeficiencies in children, adolescents, and young adults. Despite advances in supportive care, patients undergoing transplant are at increased risk to develop cardiovascular co-morbidities.

Methods:

This study was performed as a feasibility study of a rapid cardiac MRI protocol to substitute for echocardiography in the assessment of left ventricular size and function, pericardial effusion, and right ventricular hypertension.

Results:

A total of 13 patients were enrolled for the study (age 17.5 ± 7.7 years, 77% male, 77% white). Mean study time was 13.2 ± 5.6 minutes for MRI and 18.8 ± 5.7 minutes for echocardiogram (p = 0.064). Correlation between left ventricular ejection fraction by MRI and echocardiogram was good (ICC 0.76; 95% CI 0.47, 0.92). None of the patients had documented right ventricular hypertension. Patients were given a survey regarding their experiences, with the majority both perceiving that the echocardiogram took longer (7/13) and indicating they would prefer the MRI if given a choice (10/13).

Conclusion:

A rapid cardiac MRI protocol was shown feasible to substitute for echocardiogram in the assessment of key factors prior to or in follow-up after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia for patients with co-morbid generalized anxiety disorder: an open trial on clinical outcomes and putative mechanisms
Authors: Jansson-Fröjmark Markus , Jacobson Kalle
Published: January 2021

Background:

Very little is known concerning the efficacy of psychosocial treatments for patients with insomnia disorder co-morbid with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Aim:

The aim was to examine the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) for patients with insomnia disorder co-morbid with GAD.

Method:

Given the limited, previous research on therapies for patients with insomnia disorder co-morbid with GAD, an open trial design was used. Twenty-four patients with insomnia disorder and GAD were administered CBT-I across 10 weeks. Across the study period to 6 months follow-up, the participants completed measures indexing insomnia, anxiety, worry, depression, functional impairment, quality of life, treatment perception (credibility, expectancy and satisfaction), adverse events and putative mechanisms.

Results:

Moderate to large effect sizes for CBT-I were observed for insomnia symptoms. In terms of insomnia severity, approximately 61% of the patients responded to CBT-I and 26–48% remitted. Moderate to large effect sizes were also demonstrated for GAD symptoms, depression, functional impairment and quality of life. Roughly one-third of the participants reported an adverse event during CBT-I. Five of the seven putative mechanisms were significantly reversed in the expected direction, i.e. all four cognitive process measures and time in bed.

Conclusions:

This open trial indicates that CBT-I is an efficacious intervention for patients with insomnia disorder co-morbid with GAD. The results highlight the need for further research using a randomized controlled trial design with analyses of mechanisms of change.
Perceived appropriateness of alcohol screening and brief advice programmes in Colombia, Mexico and Peru and barriers to their implementation in primary health care – a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Kokole Daša , Mercken Liesbeth , Jané-Llopis Eva , Natera Rey Guillermina , Arroyo Miriam , Medina Perla , Pérez-Gómez Augusto , Mejía-Trujillo Juliana , Piazza Marina , Bustamante Ines V. , O’Donnell Amy , Kaner Eileen , Gual Antoni , Lopez-Pelayo Hugo , Schulte Bernd , Manthey Jakob , Rehm Jürgen , Anderson Peter , de Vries Hein
Published: January 2021

Background:

Providing alcohol screening and brief advice (SBA) in primary health care (PHC) can be an effective measure to reduce alcohol consumption. To aid successful implementation in an upper middle-income country context, this study investigates the perceived appropriateness of the programme and the perceived barriers to its implementation in PHC settings in three Latin American countries: Colombia, Mexico and Peru, as part of larger implementation study (SCALA).

Methods:

An online survey based on the Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases (TICD) implementation framework was disseminated in the three countries to key stakeholders with experience in the topic and/or setting (both health professionals and other roles, for example regional health administrators and national experts). In total, 55 respondents participated (66% response rate). For responses to both appropriateness and barriers questions, frequencies were computed, and country comparisons were made using Chi square and Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric tests.

Results:

Alcohol SBA was seen as an appropriate programme to reduce heavy alcohol use in PHC and a range of providers were considered suitable for its delivery, such as general practitioners, nurses, psychologists and social workers. Contextual factors such as patients’ normalised perception of their heavy drinking, lack of on-going support for providers, difficulty of accessing referral services and lenient alcohol control laws were the highest rated barriers. Country differences were found for two barriers: Peruvian respondents rated SBA guidelines as less clear than Mexican (Mann–WhitneyU= −18.10,P= 0.001), and more strongly indicated lack of available screening instruments than Colombian (Mann–WhitneyU= −12.82,P= 0.035) and Mexican respondents (Mann–WhitneyU= −13.56,P= 0.018).

Conclusions:

The study shows the need to address contextual factors for successful implementation of SBA in practice. General congruence between the countries suggests that similar approaches can be used to encourage widespread implementation of SBA in all three studied countries, with minor tailoring based on the few country-specific barriers.
Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions Complicate Coastal Blue Carbon Assessments
Authors: Rosentreter Judith A. , Al‐Haj Alia N. , Fulweiler Robinson W. , Williamson Phillip
Published: January 2021

The role of coastal wetlands as natural ‘blue carbon’ sinks may be counter‐acted by emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Site‐specific fluxes of these two potent greenhouse gases from coastal wetlands show high spatial and temporal variability , making global estimates sensitive to statistical assumptions and uncertainties. Here, we review the magnitude of CH4 and N2O fluxes from mangroves, saltmarshes and seagrasses and identify direct and indirect drivers that can control production and consumption pathways. Significant research is required to better quantify fluxes and to understand factors causing flux variability from different transport pathways before restoration of coastal blue carbon ecosystems can be reliably used for climate mitigation.
The Initial Stage of Cloud Lightning Imaged in High‐Resolution
Authors: Scholten O. , Hare B. M. , Dwyer J. , Sterpka C. , Kolmašová I. , Santolík O. , Lán R. , Uhlíř L. , Buitink S. , Corstanje A. , Falcke H. , Huege T. , Hörandel J. R. , Krampah G. K. , Mitra P. , Mulrey K. , Nelles A. , Pandya H. , Pel A. , Rachen J. P. , Trinh T. N. G. , Veen S. ter , Thoudam S. , Winchen T.
Published: January 2021

With LOFAR we have been able to image the development of lightning flashes with meter‐scale accuracy and unprecedented detail. We discuss the primary steps behind our most recent lightning imaging method. To demonstrate the capabilities of our technique we show and interpret images of the first few milliseconds of two intracloud flashes. In all our flashes, the negative leaders propagate in the charge layer below the main negative charge. Among several interesting features we show that in about 2 ms after initiation the primary initial leader triggers the formation of a multitude (>10) negative leaders in a rather confined area of the atmosphere. From these only one or two continue to propagate after about 30 ms to extend over kilometers horizontally while another may propagate back to the initiation point. We also show that normal negative leaders can transition into an initial leader like state, potentially in the presence of strong electric fields. In addition, we show some initial breakdown pulses that occurred during the primary initial leader, and even during two “secondary” initial leaders that developed out of stepped leaders.
Long‐Term Observations and Physical Processes in the Moon's Extended Sodium Tail
Authors: Baumgardner Jeffrey , Luettgen Sarah , Schmidt Carl , Mayyasi Majd , Smith Steven , Martinis Carlos , Wroten Joei , Moore Luke , Mendillo Michael
Published: January 2021

The lunar surface is constantly bombarded by the solar wind, photons, and meteoroids, which can liberate Na atoms from the regolith. These atoms are subsequently accelerated by solar photon pressure to form a long comet‐like tail opposite the sun. Near new moon, these atoms encounter the Earth's gravity and are “focused” into a beam of enhanced density. This beam appears as the ∼3° diameter Sodium Moon Spot (SMS). Data from the all sky imager at the El Leoncito Observatory have been analyzed for changes in the SMS shape and brightness. New geometry‐based relationships have been found that affect the SMS brightness. The SMS is brighter when the Moon is north of the ecliptic at new moon; the SMS is brighter when new moon occurs near perigee; and the SMS peaks in brightness ∼5 h after new moon. After removing these effects, the data were analyzed for long term and seasonal patterns that could be attributed to changes in source mechanisms. No correlation was found between the SMS brightness and the 11‐year solar‐cycle, the proton or the He++ flow pressure, the density, the speed or the plasma temperature of the solar wind, but an annual pattern was found. A ∼0.83 correlation (Pearson's “r”) was found between the SMS brightness and a 4‐year average of sporadic meteor rates at Earth, suggesting a cause‐and‐effect. The new insights gained from this long‐term study put new constraints on the variability of the potential sources of the Na atoms escaping from the Moon.
Intensified Drought Enhances Coupling Between Vegetation Growth and Pregrowing Season Precipitation in the Drylands of the Silk Road Economic Belt
Authors: Hu Xia , Jiang Libin , Shi Fangzhong , Li Xiaoyan , Zhang Shulei , Zhao Yunduo , Ma Yujun , Gao Zhou , Bai Yan
Published: January 2021

Dryland ecosystems cover approximately 40% of terrestrial land surfaces and form a major component of global biogeochemical cycles, which are sensitive and vulnerable to climate change. Rapid climate change observably threatens vegetation growth and profoundly affects the global carbon cycle. However, interannual variations in vegetation growth, and changes in coupling between vegetation growth and precipitation in response to drought are not fully understood in the dryland ecosystems of the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB). By combining remote sensing normalized vegetation indexes from GIMMS (GIMMS NDVI), simulated net primary productivity levels from TRENDYv2 (TRENDY NPP), terrestrial water storage change data (△TWS) derived from GRACE, and climate grid datasets, we investigated climate change, vegetation growth and nonlinear changes in coupling between vegetation growth and precipitation in the pregrowing and current seasons during 1982–2015. The results show intensified drought and extensive vegetation browning in all seasons, especially the summer, across the drylands of the SREB from 1993 to 2015. Precipitation in the pregrowing season significantly contributed to vegetation growth in the subsequent spring and summer, showing that the effects of precipitation in the pregrowing season on subsequent vegetation growth lags by almost two seasons. We also found that intensified drought significantly strengthened the coupling between vegetation growth and precipitation in the pregrowing and current seasons. These results highlight the nonlinear response of vegetation growth to intensified drought, and can be referenced to improve the coupling of land‐atmospheric models for drylands.
All-optical information-processing capacity of diffractive surfaces
Authors: Kulce Onur , Mengu Deniz , Rivenson Yair , Ozcan Aydogan
Published: January 2021

The precise engineering of materials and surfaces has been at the heart of some of the recent advances in optics and photonics. These advances related to the engineering of materials with new functionalities have also opened up exciting avenues for designing trainable surfaces that can perform computation and machine-learning tasks through light–matter interactions and diffraction. Here, we analyze the information-processing capacity of coherent optical networks formed by diffractive surfaces that are trained to perform an all-optical computational task between a given input and output field-of-view. We show that the dimensionality of the all-optical solution space covering the complex-valued transformations between the input and output fields-of-view is linearly proportional to the number of diffractive surfaces within the optical network, up to a limit that is dictated by the extent of the input and output fields-of-view. Deeper diffractive networks that are composed of larger numbers of trainable surfaces can cover a higher-dimensional subspace of the complex-valued linear transformations between a larger input field-of-view and a larger output field-of-view and exhibit depth advantages in terms of their statistical inference, learning, and generalization capabilities for different image classification tasks when compared with a single trainable diffractive surface. These analyses and conclusions are broadly applicable to various forms of diffractive surfaces, including, e.g., plasmonic and/or dielectric-based metasurfaces and flat optics, which can be used to form all-optical processors.
Augmentation therapy with minocycline in treatment-resistant depression patients with low-grade peripheral inflammation: results from a double-blind randomised clinical trial
Authors: Nettis Maria Antonietta , Lombardo Giulia , Hastings Caitlin , Zajkowska Zuzanna , Mariani Nicole , Nikkheslat Naghmeh , Worrell Courtney , Enache Daniela , McLaughlin Anna , Kose Melisa , Sforzini Luca , Bogdanova Anna , Cleare Anthony , Young Allan H. , Pariante Carmine M. , Mondelli Valeria
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to investigate the role of baseline levels of peripheral inflammation when testing the efficacy of antidepressant augmentation with minocycline in patients with treatment-resistant depression. We conducted a 4-week, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trial of minocycline (200 mg/day) added to antidepressant treatment in 39 patients selected for elevated levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP ≥ 1 mg/L), n = 18 randomised to minocycline (M) and n = 21 to placebo (P). The main outcome was the change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-17) score from baseline to week 4, expressed both as mean and as full or partial response, in the overall sample and after further stratification for baseline CRP≥3 mg/L. Secondary outcomes included changes in other clinical and inflammatory measures. Changes in HAM-D-17 scores and the proportion of partial responders did not differ between study arms. After stratification for CRP levels <3 mg/L (CRP−) or ≥3 mg/L (CRP+), CRP+/M patients showed the largest changes in HAM-D-17 scores (mean ± SD = 12.00 ± 6.45) compared with CRP-/M (2.42 ± 3.20, p < 0.001), CRP+/P (3.50 ± 4.34, p = 0.003) and CRP−/P (2.11 ± 3.26, p = 0.006) patients, and the largest proportion (83.3%, p = 0.04) of partial treatment response at week 4. The threshold point for baseline CRP to distinguish responders from non-responders to minocycline was 2.8 mg/L. Responders to minocycline had higher baseline IL-6 concentrations than non-responders (p = 0.03); IFNγ was significantly reduced after treatment with minocycline compared with placebo (p = 0.03). Our data show some evidence of efficacy of add-on treatment with minocycline in MDD patients but only in those with low-grade inflammation defined as CRP ≥3 mg/L.
Mispair-bound human MutS–MutL complex triggers DNA incisions and activates mismatch repair
Authors: Ortega Janice , Lee Grace Sanghee , Gu Liya , Yang Wei , Li Guo-Min
Published: January 2021

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) relies on MutS and MutL ATPases for mismatch recognition and strand-specific nuclease recruitment to remove mispaired bases in daughter strands. However, whether the MutS–MutL complex coordinates MMR by ATP-dependent sliding on DNA or protein–protein interactions between the mismatch and strand discrimination signal is ambiguous. Using functional MMR assays and systems preventing proteins from sliding, we show that sliding of human MutSα is required not for MMR initiation, but for final mismatch removal. MutSα recruits MutLα to form a mismatch-bound complex, which initiates MMR by nicking the daughter strand 5′ to the mismatch. Exonuclease 1 (Exo1) is then recruited to the nick and conducts 5′ → 3′ excision. ATP-dependent MutSα dissociation from the mismatch is necessary for Exo1 to remove the mispaired base when the excision reaches the mismatch. Therefore, our study has resolved a long-standing puzzle, and provided new insights into the mechanism of MMR initiation and mispair removal.
Mouse entorhinal cortex encodes a diverse repertoire of self-motion signals
Authors: Mallory Caitlin S. , Hardcastle Kiah , Campbell Malcolm G. , Attinger Alexander , Low Isabel I. C. , Raymond Jennifer L. , Giocomo Lisa M.
Published: January 2021

Neural circuits generate representations of the external world from multiple information streams. The navigation system provides an exceptional lens through which we may gain insights about how such computations are implemented. Neural circuits in the medial temporal lobe construct a map-like representation of space that supports navigation. This computation integrates multiple sensory cues, and, in addition, is thought to require cues related to the individual’s movement through the environment. Here, we identify multiple self-motion signals, related to the position and velocity of the head and eyes, encoded by neurons in a key node of the navigation circuitry of mice, the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). The representation of these signals is highly integrated with other cues in individual neurons. Such information could be used to compute the allocentric location of landmarks from visual cues and to generate internal representations of space.
Real-time Hall-effect detection of current-induced magnetization dynamics in ferrimagnets
Authors: Sala G. , Krizakova V. , Grimaldi E. , Lambert C.-H. , Devolder T. , Gambardella P.
Published: January 2021

Measurements of the transverse Hall resistance are widely used to investigate electron transport, magnetization phenomena, and topological quantum states. Owing to the difficulty of probing transient changes of the transverse resistance, the vast majority of Hall effect experiments are carried out in stationary conditions using either dc or ac. Here we present an approach to perform time-resolved measurements of the transient Hall resistance during current-pulse injection with sub-nanosecond temporal resolution. We apply this technique to investigate in real-time the magnetization reversal caused by spin-orbit torques in ferrimagnetic GdFeCo dots. Single-shot Hall effect measurements show that the current-induced switching of GdFeCo is widely distributed in time and characterized by significant activation delays, which limit the total switching speed despite the high domain-wall velocity typical of ferrimagnets. Our method applies to a broad range of current-induced phenomena and can be combined with non-electrical excitations to perform pump-probe Hall effect measurements.
Characterisation of oxygen defects and nitrogen impurities in TiO2 photocatalysts using variable-temperature X-ray powder diffraction
Authors: Foo Christopher , Li Yiyang , Lebedev Konstantin , Chen Tianyi , Day Sarah , Tang Chiu , Tsang Shik Chi Edman
Published: January 2021

TiO2-based powder materials have been widely studied as efficient photocatalysts for water splitting due to their low cost, photo-responsivity, earthly abundance, chemical and thermal stability, etc. In particular, the recent breakthrough of nitrogen-doped TiO2, which enhances the presence of structural defects and dopant impurities at elevated temperatures, exhibits an impressive visible-light absorption for photocatalytic activity. Although their electronic and optical properties have been extensively studied, the structure-activity relationship and photocatalytic mechanism remain ambiguous. Herein, we report an in-depth structural study of rutile, anatase and mixed phases (commercial P25) with and without nitrogen-doping by variable-temperature synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. We report that an unusual anisotropic thermal expansion of the anatase phase can reveal the intimate relationship between sub-surface oxygen vacancies, nitrogen-doping level and photocatalytic activity. For highly doped anatase, a new cubic titanium oxynitride phase is also identified which provides important information on the fundamental shift in absorption wavelength, leading to excellent photocatalysis using visible light.
Charge radii of exotic potassium isotopes challenge nuclear theory and the magic character of N = 32
Authors: Koszorús Á. , Yang X. F. , Jiang W. G. , Novario S. J. , Bai S. W. , Billowes J. , Binnersley C. L. , Bissell M. L. , Cocolios T. E. , Cooper B. S. , de Groote R. P. , Ekström A. , Flanagan K. T. , Forssén C. , Franchoo S. , Ruiz R. F. Garcia , Gustafsson F. P. , Hagen G. , Jansen G. R. , Kanellakopoulos A. , Kortelainen M. , Nazarewicz W. , Neyens G. , Papenbrock T. , Reinhard P.-G. , Ricketts C. M. , Sahoo B. K. , Vernon A. R. , Wilkins S. G.
Published: January 2021

Nuclear charge radii are sensitive probes of different aspects of the nucleon–nucleon interaction and the bulk properties of nuclear matter, providing a stringent test and challenge for nuclear theory. Experimental evidence suggested a new magic neutron number at N = 32 (refs. 1–3) in the calcium region, whereas the unexpectedly large increases in the charge radii4,5 open new questions about the evolution of nuclear size in neutron-rich systems. By combining the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy method with β-decay detection, we were able to extend charge radii measurements of potassium isotopes beyond N = 32. Here we provide a charge radius measurement of 52K. It does not show a signature of magic behaviour at N = 32 in potassium. The results are interpreted with two state-of-the-art nuclear theories. The coupled cluster theory reproduces the odd–even variations in charge radii but not the notable increase beyond N = 28. This rise is well captured by Fayans nuclear density functional theory, which, however, overestimates the odd–even staggering effect in charge radii. These findings highlight our limited understanding of the nuclear size of neutron-rich systems, and expose problems that are present in some of the best current models of nuclear theory.
Cerebellar contribution to sensorimotor adaptation deficits in humans with spinal cord injury
Authors: Lei Yuming , Perez Monica A.
Published: January 2021

Humans with spinal cord injury (SCI) show deficits in associating motor commands and sensory feedback. Do these deficits affect their ability to adapt movements to new demands? To address this question, we used a robotic exoskeleton to examine learning of a sensorimotor adaptation task during reaching movements by distorting the relationship between hand movement and visual feedback in 22 individuals with chronic incomplete cervical SCI and 22 age-matched control subjects. We found that SCI individuals showed a reduced ability to learn from movement errors compared with control subjects. Sensorimotor areas in anterior and posterior cerebellar lobules contribute to learning of movement errors in intact humans. Structural brain imaging showed that sensorimotor areas in the cerebellum, including lobules I–VI, were reduced in size in SCI compared with control subjects and cerebellar atrophy increased with increasing time post injury. Notably, the degree of spared tissue in the cerebellum was positively correlated with learning rates, indicating participants with lesser atrophy showed higher learning rates. These results suggest that the reduced ability to learn from movement errors during reaching movements in humans with SCI involves abnormalities in the spinocerebellar structures. We argue that this information might help in the rehabilitation of people with SCI.