bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Katherine Greacen Nelson: Advocate for the public appreciation of earth science
Authors: Kluessendorf Joanne , Mikulic Donald G.
Published: November 2018

Katherine Greacen Nelson (1913–1982) achieved many firsts in her career, but sharing her enthusiasm for geology was first and foremost to her.

As the first child born into a military family in 1913, Katherine Fielding Greacen was exposed to nature and travel at an early age. By 1934, she received her bachelor degree from Vassar College, winning a prize for excellence in geology. Just four years later, she received the first Ph.D. in geology from Rutgers University and was the first woman awarded a doctorate in any discipline at that school. Soon after, Katherine was hired by Milwaukee-Downer College as the geology/geography department and curator of its Greene Museum. She left campus for the Texas oilfields in 1943 to do her part for the war effort, working as a petroleum geologist and paleontologist. Having returned to Milwaukee-Downer in 1946, she left again in 1954. The newly founded University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM) acquired the Milwaukee-Downer campus in 1956, and Katherine became the first faculty member and chair of the geology department. She later brokered the purchase of the Greene collection for UWM and established a public education program at the museum. Serving many professional societies and lay organizations throughout her life, Nelson was the first woman president of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters in 1952, and the first woman to receive the Neil Miner Award from the National Association of Geology Teachers in 1978.

Throughout her career, Katherine’s mission was to help people understand their surroundings, appreciate geologic time and processes, and feel awe for all that has gone before. To these ends, she put her effort and energy into reaching the widest audience by presenting public lectures, helping geology hobbyists, giving museum tours to schoolchildren, writing popularized articles, and giving media interviews. She even explained the importance of Wisconsin’s glacial features to politicians to help establish the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve. Katherine especially enjoyed taking students into the field, many for their first exposure to the landscape. As a result, she inspired generations of students to share their (and her) knowledge and enthusiasm, which continues to support her goal of putting the appreciation of geology and the landscape on par with cultural pursuits.
Pioneers in Antarctic research: Lois Jones and her all-woman science team explore the geochemistry of the Dry Valleys
Authors: Lewandowski Katherine
Published: November 2018

Today, women make up about one-third of all scientists who go to Antarctica for research. However, it was just under fifty years ago that the first woman principal investigator was funded by the then United States Antarctic Research Program, which today is known as the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). Colin Bull, Director of the Institute for Polar Studies (today called Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center or BPCRC), had advocated for women to be allowed in Antarctica since 1959. At the time, female graduate students worked on Antarctic research, but were not able to conduct their own fieldwork; thus they relied on men to collect samples and gather the data they needed up until the ban was lifted. One such woman was Lois Jones, whose Ph.D. adviser was The Ohio State University geochemist Dr. Gunter Faure. Once she completed her dissertation on the geochemistry of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, she submitted a proposal for fieldwork in Antarctica to be funded by the USAP. Her proposal was approved and she and her field party of three other women went to Antarctica during the austral summer of 1969–1970. In addition to fieldwork in the Dry Valleys, they gained the honor of being four of the first six women to make it to the South Pole. While the women faced many challenges and chauvinism, their field season was successful. This has led to a legacy of women in Antarctica. Faculty, alumna, and staff from The Ohio State University figure prominently in this story, due to the affiliation of the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center with Ohio State.
Reflections on an interdisciplinary geoscience career
Authors: Olson C.
Published: November 2018

This is one of several chapters based on a themed oral session on “Women and Geology: Who Are We; Where Have We Come From; and Where Are We Going?” presented at the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting in 2015. In this chapter, I will attempt to describe why I chose geology as a profession, how it has influenced my career, and what I perceive to be major changes in the geoscience field and more broadly science in general. In addition, I will touch on what has and hasn’t changed and what needs to happen to effect change as well as some ideas with which we can all identify and perhaps make conscious decisions to improve upon. A few lessons learned are interspersed with the hope that some may be useful to those beginning their scientific careers. I chose a career in federal government research rather than academia and that has taken me to places I never would have dreamed possible. A few references are provided to underscore my remarks and personal opinions but in no way are they intended to provide a comprehensive review of the subjects discussed nor do they reflect the views of any federal agency.
Hollywood representations of women in geology: Women geoscientists in film (1986–2016)
Authors: Johnson Beth A.
Published: November 2018

Thirty-six theatrically released movies containing characters identified as geologists were analyzed in order to see if Hollywood casting practices reflected real-life demographics of women in geology between 1986 and 2016. Forty-eight actors portrayed geologists in these movies, with fifteen of them women (31%). This figure is only slightly lower than the percentage of members of the Geological Society of America self-identifying as women, which is 34%, as well as the percentage of geoscience jobs in the U.S. workforce being held by women, also at 34%, according to data from the National Science Foundation. Although the percentage of women entering the geologic workforce has increased over the thirty-year period, this analysis finds that the number of women portraying fictional geologists has not.

To determine the likelihood of the one of these characters leaving a positive impression on the viewer, the gender demographics of the actors were compared with the movies’ ratings by professional film critics on RottenTomatoes.com. Only three of the fourteen movies featuring women geologists received the highest rating possible compared to thirteen of the twenty-eight movies featuring male geologists. (Movies with both men and women are included in both totals.) The Fresh ratings for the women range between 85%–96%, a potential proxy for their character’s likability.

The final metric used to estimate public perceptions of female geologist characters was to look at the box office success for these movies. Nine of the fourteen movies featuring women geologists were considered box office successes in their time, including some films that had received low ratings from professional critics (i.e., 1997’s Dante’s Peak).

By understanding how fictional women in geology are perceived by the public, it is possible to effect change to present more positive representations of such characters on screen. Suggestions include using the Bechdel-Wallace Test and the Finkbeiner Test to create accurate, intelligent, capable characters that could serve as positive role models. Such representation could allow the public to see themselves as geologists, which may result in support or participation by members of the public.
How we look and what we see: Twenty years of women in GSA Today
Authors: Kimball Mindy A.
Published: November 2018

In the 1960s and 1970s, Dr. Erving Goffman conducted gender studies on images and roles in advertising that established a framework for analyzing gender displays in print publications. Current efforts to increase diversity in professions advocate for media outreach to represent diverse populations so the groups they want to attract can imagine themselves fitting in. GSA Today, whether deliberately or not, is doing just that. This paper adapts Goffman’s “gender advertisements” methodology to analyze the portrayal of women in volumes 5 through 25 of GSA Today, the last full twenty years of monthly publications on news and information for the Geological Society of America. Two forms of gender identity are explored: photographs containing people and authors of content articles. While the number of women GSA members increased over the past 20 years, the representation of women in the Society’s publication also increased. In January 1995, women comprised 22% of people pictured in GSA Today and 17% of named authors providing written content. By December 2015, women accounted for 56% of individuals in photos and 36% of content authors. Trends demonstrate periods of rapid increase in representation and plateaus. Shifts in percentages did not correlate directly with changes in Society leadership or GSA Today editorial staff. Thanks to the ease of access to archived publications, future work can provide further insights assessing efforts to inspire career choices in geology and to encourage women to feel valued and welcomed in this profession.
Progress of women in the geosciences: Insight from a small liberal arts university
Authors: Eifert Helen A. , Stewart Alexander K.
Published: November 2018

Women have historically been underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, specifically within geosciences. St. Lawrence University (SLU; ~2400 undergraduates) is bucking that trend with a 19th ranking by Forbes magazine for best colleges for women and minorities in STEM (~60% of majors are female). Specifically, SLU’s geology program has been distinguished for decades due to the individual support and real-world opportunities provided for its students. These characteristics can lend themselves more broadly to improvements for female participation in the geosciences. From the 898 geology graduates since 1950, we analyzed patterns of female involvement using geology department alumnae/i records. Our particular focus was on the top three cohorts of peak female graduation rates: 1978–1982 (n = 60), 1997–2001 (n = 28), and 2012–2016 (n = 28). These data show increased female participation in research within the most recent cohort (2012–2016) with women averaging 71% of senior theses compared to 32% (1997–2001) and 16% (1978–1982). Moreover, the likelihood of women in the department to complete a senior thesis has increased from 13% to 43%, supported by a new fellowship program. These results were qualitatively verified by personal observations of the current geology student body. All geology department students are privileged with opportunities for research, travel, and individual attention. These experiences, combined with our close-knit group of professors and students, are positive aspects of the SLU Geology Department used to construct an applicable model. Current SLU female geology enrollment continues to be strong, showing that this model may strengthen the undergraduate experience and inspire increased female geoscience participation.
Late Pleistocene deltas in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, USA
Authors: Luehmann Michael D. , Schaetzl Randall J.
Published: November 2018

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Monograph 53 by Frank Leverett and Frank Taylor identified more than 20 deltas of late Pleistocene age in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. To that list, we add many additional deltas discovered during the course of our research. These “relict” deltas are important proxies for paleoenvironmental conditions, particularly wave energies, as well as prevailing wind and longshore drift directions. If dated, they can help to constrain the chronologies of ice retreat and proglacial lake stages. In plan view, relict delta morphologies usually protrude from a paleolake shoreline and are often elongate or cuspate shaped. Most of the deltas identified by Leverett and Taylor have this morphology and are located at the junction of a major present-day river and a relict paleolake shoreline. In this chapter, we map and discuss these deltas, first identified by Leverett and Taylor, while also identifying and describing the other, newly found deltas. All of these deltas formed during the marine isotope stage 2 ice retreat, roughly 28–13 ka. To identify and characterize them, we utilized a variety of data within a geographic information system, mainly a statewide USGS 7.5′ digital raster graphic, a 10 m digital elevation model (DEM), county-level Natural Resources Conservation Service soil data, and schematic lithologic depth profiles interpreted from descriptive water well and oil/gas logs. DEMs were particularly useful, because they can be “flooded” to various elevations of paleolakes. Maps of soil wetness and textural characteristics were also useful in detecting and delineating deltas. In sum, we mapped 61 deltas; 27 had been known from previous works, whereas 34 are newly reported in this study. Most are composed of sandy, well-drained sediments and have smooth, graded longitudinal profiles. Of these, most are perched above a relatively low-relief, poorly drained lake plain. However, unlike several deltas recognized by Leverett and Taylor, we found that many of the newly reported deltas are (1) adjacent to one or more formerly unknown shorelines, (2) not associated with a modern river, (3) complex, and/or (4) broad, coalesced features, deposited by more than one river, with fan-like morphologies. The methods that we used to identify and delineate these deltas can be applied to other regions. Mapping like the kind reported here will aid in a better understanding of the paleocoastal and terrestrial conditions during the late Pleistocene.
Characterizing glacial sediments and features in northeast Illinois using electrical resistivity and seismic-reflection profiling
Authors: Jason F. Thomason , Larson Timothy R. , Ismail Ahmed , Sargent Steve
Published: November 2018

Thick successions of glacial sediments are important components of shallow aquifer systems, wetland ecologies, and aggregate resources in northeast Illinois. Multiscale mapping studies have often utilized single surface geophysical methods to locally characterize and map geologic units. In this study, two-dimensional (2-D) electrical resistivity methods were combined with high-resolution shear-wave seismic-reflection methods to better characterize glacial sediments and interpret geologic settings. Study sites were associated with sediments of a Wisconsinan phase of glaciation in northeast Illinois and included a regional bedrock valley, a buried tunnel valley, a pitted outwash fan, and an ice-marginal alluvial fan. Electrical resistivity methods were valuable tools with which to characterize textural relationships within geologic units, and they complement the seismic data with regard to stratigraphic boundaries. The seismic data indicated internal architectural features that were not resolvable with electrical resistivity methods. Thus, the combination of electrical methods and seismic methods improved both the detailed geologic characterization of natural resources as well as understanding of local glacial sedimentology.
Thermal conductivity changes in subducting basalt, Nankai subduction zone, SW Japan: An estimation from laboratory measurements under separate high-pressure and high-temperature conditions
Authors: Lin Weiren , Tadai Osamu , Kinoshita Masataka , Kameda Jun , Tanikawa Wataru , Hirose Takehiro , Hamada Yohei , Matsubayashi Osamu
Published: November 2018

Knowledge of rock thermal conductivity is necessary to understand the thermal structure in active seismogenic zones such as the Nankai Trough subduction zone, SW Japan. To estimate in situ thermal conductivity at the oceanic crust surface in the seismogenic zone, we measured the thermal conductivity of a basaltic basement core sample retrieved from subducting oceanic basement at the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment input site C0012 under high temperature (maximum 160 °C) and high pressure (maximum effective pressure 100 MPa), respectively. These conditions correspond to the in situ temperature and pressure at the oceanic crust surface in the updip limit of the Nankai seismogenic zone (~7 km below the seafloor). Thermal conductivity of the oceanic basalt is both temperature and pressure dependent. In contrast to other rock types such as sandstone and granite, for which thermal conductivity decreases with increasing temperature, the thermal conductivity of the oceanic basalt increased with increasing ambient temperature. The thermal conductivity of the basalt also increased with increasing effective pressure; however, the rate of increase was much lower than that for other rocks. These new temperature and pressure effect data for oceanic crust basalt fill a gap in the research. The estimated thermal conductivity of the basalt at in situ temperature and pressure conditions was less than ~2 W m–1 K–1, although deformation and alteration associated with subduction could decrease pore spaces in the basalt, leading to enhanced thermal conductivity. This value is significantly lower than that typically assumed for thermal structure simulations in the Nankai subduction zone.
Lithostratigraphic controls on dewatering and fluid pressure in the western Nankai subduction zone: Implications for the drainage behavior and consolidation state of the underthrust sequence
Authors: Hüpers A. , Saffer D.M. , Kopf A.J.
Published: November 2018

In subduction zones, fluid-pressure generation in the underthrusting section is of particular interest because it governs the effective stress conditions of the footwall lining the plate interface. Only a few studies have systematically explored the role of lithological heterogeneity of underthrust sediment on the resulting fluid pressure and its distribution. We used a coupled loading and pore-pressure dissipation model with a new compilation of sand properties to investigate the role of such heterogeneity on the drainage state beneath the plate interface in the western Nankai subduction zone offshore Japan, where the incoming sediment sequence hosts numerous sand layers with a total thickness of up to ~210 m within a matrix of hemipelagic mud. Our results show that sand layers act as important conduits for both pressure translation and solute transport from greater depth to the trench and seaward. The simulated pore pressure is mainly controlled by aggregate sand-layer transmissivity, and to second order by sand-layer depth, which affects the ability of fluids to access permeable sands from the surrounding less-permeable mudstone matrix. Modeled sand permeability in the outer subduction system is in the range of previous estimates for décollement zone permeability (10–13 to 10–16 m2) and evolves to approximately three orders of magnitude lower permeability in the inner subduction system. The enhanced drainage leads to 15% lower excess pore pressures in models with sands than without sands. Thus, differences in the lithostratigraphy of the subducting sediment should have implications for the mechanical behavior along the Nankai subduction system.
Correlates and aetiological factors associated with hedonic well-being among an ageing population of US men and women: secondary data analysis of a national survey
Authors: Odlum Michelle , Davis Nicole , Owens Otis , Preston Michael , Brewer Russell , Black Danielle
Published: November 2018

Objective

To understand the gender-specific factors that uniquely contribute to successful ageing in a US population of men and women, 57–85 years of age. This was achieved through the examination of the correlates of subjective well-being defined by health-related quality of life (HRQoL), across several biological and psychosocial determinants of health.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

The National Social Life, Health and Ageing Project (NSHAP), 2010–2011 a representative sample of the US population.

Participants

3377 adults aged 57–85 (1538 men, 1839 women) from the NSHAP.

Main outcome measures

The biopsychosocial factors of biological/physiological function, symptom status, functional status, general health perceptions and HRQoL happiness.

Method

HRQoL was measured using the NSHAP wave 2 multistage, stratified area probability sample of US households (n=3377). Variable selection was guided by the Wilson and Cleary model (WCM) that classifies health outcomes at five main levels and characteristics.

Results

Our findings indicate differences in biopsychosocial factors comprised in the WCM and their relative importance and unique impact on HRQoL by gender. Women reported significantly lower HRQoL than men (t=3.5, df=3366). The most significant contributors to HRQoL in women were mental health (B=0.31; 0.22, 0.39), loneliness (B=−0.26; −0.35, –0.17), urinary incontinence (B=−0.22; −0.40, –0.05) and support from spouse/partner (B=0.27; 0.10, 0.43) and family B=0.12; 0.03, 0.20). Men indicated mental health (B=0.21; 0.14, 0.29), physical health (B=0.17; 0.10, 0.23), functional difficulties (B=0.38; 0.10, 0.65), loneliness (B=−0.20; −0.26, –0.12), depression (B=−0.36; −0.58, –0.15) and support from friends (B=0.06; 0.10, 0.11) as significant contributors. Those with greater social support had better HRQoL (F=4.22, df=4). Lack of companionship and reliance on spouse/partner were significant HRQoL contributors in both groups.

Conclusion

Our findings offer insight into ageing, gender and subjective well-being. The results provide an opportunity to identify biopsychosocial factors to inform interventions to support successful ageing.
Quality of life, loneliness and health-related characteristics among older people in Liaoning province, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhu Yaxin , Liu Jie , Qu Bo , Yi Zhe
Published: November 2018

Objectives

The aim of the study was to examine the relations among quality of life (QOL), loneliness and health-related characteristics in a sample of Chinese older people.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Communities in Dandong city, Liaoning province, China.

Participants

Sample of 732 older people aged 60 and older who were living in Dandong, Liaoning province, China.

Methods

A questionnaire was administered to the participants face-to-face. The questionnaire contained four sections: demographic characteristics, health-related characteristics, the EQ-5D Scale and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. The t-test, F-test and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to individually test associations between the demographic data, health-related characteristics, loneliness and QOL.

Results

Chronic diseases, loneliness, age and smoking status were negatively associated with QOL (p<0.05). Satisfaction with health services, income and physical activity were positively associated with QOL (p<0.05).

Conclusions

Loneliness, chronic diseases and health service satisfaction were important factors related to low QOL among older people in China. The findings indicate that reducing loneliness, managing chronic diseases and improving the health service may help to improve the QOL for older people.
Is the Rule of Halves framework relevant for diabetes care in Copenhagen today? A register-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Holm Astrid Ledgaard , Andersen Gregers Stig , Jørgensen Marit E , Diderichsen Finn
Published: November 2018

Objective

The study aimed at analysing whether the ‘Rule of Halves’ framework applies for diabetes care in the Danish healthcare system with high levels of accessibility and equity. The Rule of Halves states that only one-half of people with a particular chronic condition are diagnosed; one-half of those diagnosed get treatment, and one-half of treated achieve desired therapeutic goals.

Design

The analysis is cross sectional based on available surveys, register data and clinical databases covering the adult population in Copenhagen. We analysed five levels of prevention and care including behavioural risk factors and biomarkers, prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes as well as how many received care according to guidelines and achieved relevant outcomes.

Setting

The study population is Copenhagen City with a population of 550 000 with 21 500 prevalent cases of diabetes. While the registers used cover the whole population, the surveys include 750 cases and the biobank data 365 cases.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures are for each level of analysis: the prevalence of high-risk individuals, prevalence of undiagnosed and diagnosed diabetes, proportion receiving treatment and proportion achieving quality and treatment targets.

Results

We found that the ‘Rule of Halves’ framework raises relevant questions on how diabetes care works in a specific population, but the actual proportions found in Copenhagen are far from halves. Our analyses showed that 74% are diagnosed and among those who are 90% are receiving care. 40%–60% have achieved target levels of treatment in terms of HbA1c level and lipid levels. 80% have received eye and foot examinations in the last 2 years. 11% have retinopathy and 25% have macrovascular complications.

Conclusion

Copenhagen is doing much better than halves, when it comes to diagnosis and providing treatment, whereas the Rule of Halves still prevails when it comes to treatment targets. There is thus still room for improvement.
Retrospective analysis of alcohol testing in trauma team activation patients at a Canadian tertiary trauma centre
Authors: Erdogan Mete , Kureshi Nelofar , Karim Saleema A , Tallon John M , Asbridge Mark , Green Robert S
Published: November 2018

Objectives

Although alcohol screening is an essential requirement of level I trauma centre accreditation, actual rates of compliance with mandatory alcohol testing in trauma patients are seldom reported. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) testing in patients requiring trauma team activation (TTA) for whom blood alcohol testing was mandatory, and to elucidate patient-level, injury-level and system-level factors associated with BAC testing.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary trauma centre in Halifax, Canada.

Participants

2306 trauma patients who required activation of the trauma team.

Primary outcome measure

The primary outcome was the rate of BAC testing among TTA patients. Trends in BAC testing over time and across patient and injury characteristics were described. Multivariable logistic regression examined patient-level, injury-level and system-level factors associated with testing.

Results

Overall, 61% of TTA patients received BAC testing despite existence of a mandatory testing protocol. Rates of BAC testing rose steadily over the study period from 33% in 2000 to 85% in 2010. Testing varied considerably across patient-level, injury-level and system-level characteristics. Key factors associated with testing were male gender, younger age, lower Injury Severity Score, scene Glasgow Coma Scale score <9, direct transport to hospital and presentation between midnight and 09:00 hours, or on the weekend.

Conclusions

At this tertiary trauma centre with a policy of empirical alcohol testing for TTA patients, BAC testing rates varied significantly over the 11-year study period and distinct factors were associated with alcohol testing in TTA patients.
Compliance with pathology testing guidelines in Australian general practice: protocol for a secondary analysis of electronic health record data
Authors: Sezgin Gorkem , Georgiou Andrew , Hardie Rae-Anne , Li Ling , Pont Lisa G , Badrick Tony , Franco Guilherme S , Westbrook Johanna I , Rinehart Natalie , McLeod Adam , Pearce Christopher , Shearer Marianne , Whyte Robin , Deveny Elizabeth
Published: November 2018

Introduction

In Australia, general practitioners usually are the first point of contact for patients with non-urgent medical conditions. Appropriate and efficient utilisation of pathology tests by general practitioners forms a key part of diagnosis and monitoring. However overutilisationand underutilisation of pathology tests have been reported across several tests and conditions, despite evidence-based guidelines outlining best practice in pathology testing. There are a limited number of studies evaluating the impact of these guidelines on pathology testing in general practice. The aim of our quantitative observational study is to define how pathology tests are used in general practice and investigate how test ordering practices align with evidence-based pathology guidelines.

Methods and analysis

Access to non-identifiable patient data will be obtained through electronic health records from general practices across three primary health networks in Victoria, Australia. Numbers and characteristics of patients, general practices, encounters, pathology tests and problems managed over time will be described. Overall rates of encounters and tests, alongside more detailed investigation between subcategories (encounter year, patient’s age, gender, and location and general practice size), will also be undertaken. To evaluate how general practitioner test ordering coincides with evidence-based guidelines, five key candidate indicators will be investigated: full blood counts for patients on clozapine medication; international normalised ratio measurements for patients on warfarin medication; glycated haemoglobin testing for monitoring patients with diabetes; vitamin D testing; and thyroid function testing.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics clearance to collect data from general practice facilities has been obtained by the data provider from the RACGP National Research and Evaluation Ethics Committee (NREEC 17–008). Approval for the research group to use these data has been obtained from Macquarie University (5201700872). This study is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health Quality Use of Pathology Program (Agreement ID: 4-2QFVW4M). Findings will be reported to the Department of Health and disseminated in peer-reviewed academic journals and presentations (national and international conferences, industry forums).
Effect of beta-blocker therapy on clinical outcomes, safety, health-related quality of life and functional capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): a protocol for a systematic literature review and meta-analysis with multiple treatment comparison
Authors: Gulea Claudia , Zakeri Rosita , Quint Jennifer K
Published: November 2018

Introduction

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have a clinical indication for beta-blocker therapy, are often not prescribed such medication, despite evidence suggesting that beta-blockers are not associated with adverse respiratory outcomes. The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine the class effect of beta-blocker use in patients with COPD. We will focus on a broad range of endpoints including, clinical, safety, and patient-centric outcomes such as health related quality of life (HRQoL) and functional capacity. A secondary objective is to explore potential within-class variation in the effects of beta-blockers among patients with COPD, and rank individual agents according to their relative benefit(s).

Methods and analysis

MEDLINE, Embase, The Cochrane Library and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases will be systematically searched, from inception to present, to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and other prospective and interventional studies of beta-blocker use in patients with COPD which report on the outcomes of interest. Relative treatment effects with respect to mortality, COPD exacerbations, all-cause hospitalisation, lung function, HRQoL and exercise capacity will be summarised by meta-analysis. Individual treatments (agents) will be compared in a Bayesian network meta-analysis including RCT and observational data, if feasible.

Ethics and dissemination

The results of the study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Only previously published aggregate data will be used for the purpose of this review.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42018098983.
Myopericarditis: recognition and impact in the military population
Authors: Bailey Jessica R , Loftus A , Allan R J C
Published: November 2018

We present a case of a fit and well British Army officer with sudden-onset chest pain following a viral illness, on a background of arduous skiing over an 8-week period. This resulted in a 6-month downgrade with no clearly defined plan for return to full fitness and deployability. The diagnosis and differentiation of myopericarditis from other causes of chest pain is reviewed. The treatment and management of myopericarditis is summarised and commentary is made on the paucity of evidence underpinning the return to fitness guidelines. The impact of this condition primarily affecting young fit individuals, commonly exacerbated by viral illness and arduous activity, is discussed in the context of individual employability and operational capability in a military setting.
Clinicopathological case: rapid cognitive decline and myoclonus associated with fever, arthropathy and scleritis
Authors: Ellis Richard James Booth , Doran Mark , Jacob Anu , Ismail Azzam , Davenport Richard
Published: November 2018

A 65-year-old man presented with transient neurological symptoms, followed by rapid cognitive decline, myoclonus and fevers. He had evidence of scleritis and an arthropathy. This paper reports the clinicopathological conference discussed at the Association of British Neurologists Annual Meeting 2017.
The history of the core dynamos of Mars and the Moon inferred from their crustal magnetization: a brief review
Authors: Arkani-Hamed Jafar
Published: November 2018

The core dynamos of Mars and the Moon have distinctly different histories. Mars had no core dynamo at the end of accretion. It took ∼100 Myr for the core to create a strong dynamo that magnetized the martian crust. Giant impacts during 4.2–4.0 Ga crippled the core dynamo intermittently until a thick stagnant lithosphere developed on the surface and reduced the heat flux at the core–mantle boundary, killing the dynamo at ∼3.8 Ga. On the other hand, the Moon had a strong core dynamo at the end of accretion that lasted ∼100 Myr and magnetized its primordial crust. Either precession of the core or thermochemical convection in the mantle or chemical convection in the core created a strong core dynamo that magnetized the sources of the isolated magnetic anomalies in later times. Mars and the Moon indicate dynamo reversals and true polar wander. The polar wander of the Moon is easier to explain compared to that of Mars. It was initiated by the mass deficiency at South Pole Aitken basin, which moved the basin southward by ∼68° relative to the dipole axis of the core field. The formation of mascon maria at later times introduced positive mass anomalies at the surface, forcing the Moon to make an additional ∼52° degree polar wander. Interaction of multiple impact shock waves with the dynamo, the abrupt angular momentum transfer to the mantle by the impactors, and the global overturn of the core after each impact were probably the factors causing the dynamo reversal.
Hearing capabilities and behavioural response of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) to low-frequency sounds
Authors: Mickle Megan F. , Miehls Scott M. , Johnson Nicholas S. , Higgs Dennis M.
Published: November 2018

Hearing ability is well studied across teleost fishes in general, and vertebrates more broadly, but little is known about sound detection abilities of lampreys (Petromyzontiformes), a basal extant vertebrate group. The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is a destructive invader of the Laurentian Great Lakes, while numerous lamprey species (including the sea lamprey) are imperiled in their native ranges. In both management scenarios, behavioral manipulation tactics to control movement and distribution are desired. Therefore, we describe the hearing ability and behavioral responses of adult and juvenile sea lamprey to sound to reveal how hearing may have evolved in vertebrates and determine possible management applications. Based on auditory evoked potentials, sea lamprey detected tones of 50–300 Hz with equal sensitivity, but did not detect sounds above 300 Hz. In a laboratory bioassay, sea lamprey behaviorally responded to sound range of 50–200 Hz, with a general increase in swimming and a decrease in resting behaviours at both juvenile and adult stages relative to no-sound controls. To our knowledge, this is the first test of lamprey hearing, and the results support that sound may be a means to modify lamprey behaviour for management purposes.
Comparison of two gap-filling techniques for nitrous oxide fluxes from agricultural soil
Authors: Taki Rezvan , Wagner-Riddle Claudia , Parkin Gary , Gordon Rob , VanderZaag Andrew
Published: November 2018

Micrometeorological methods are ideally suited for continuous measurements of N2O fluxes, but gaps in the time series occur due to low-turbulence conditions, power failures, and adverse weather conditions. Two gap-filling methods including linear interpolation and artificial neural networks (ANN) were utilized to reconstruct missing N2O flux data from a corn–soybean–wheat rotation and evaluate the impact on annual N2O emissions from 2001 to 2006 at the Elora Research Station, ON, Canada. The single-year ANN method is recommended because this method captured flux variability better than the linear interpolation method (average R2 of 0.41 vs. 0.34). Annual N2O emission and annual bias resulting from linear and single-year ANN were compatible with each other when there were few and short gaps (i.e., percentage of missing values <30%). However, with longer gaps (>20 d), the bias error in annual fluxes varied between 0.082 and 0.344 kg N2O-N ha−1 for linear and 0.069 and 0.109 kg N2O-N ha−1 for single-year ANN. Hence, the single-year ANN with lower annual bias and stable approach over various years is recommended, if the appropriate driving inputs (i.e., soil temperature, soil water content, precipitation, N mineral content, and snow depth) needed for the ANN model are available.
Atmospheric change as a driver of change in the Canadian boreal zone1
Authors: Yeung Alex C.Y. , Paltsev Aleksey , Daigle Abby , Duinker Peter N. , Creed Irena F.
Published: November 2018

Global anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and hazardous air pollutants have produced broad yet regionally disparate changes in climatic conditions and pollutant deposition in the Canadian boreal zone (the boreal). Adapting boreal resource management to atmospheric change requires a holistic understanding and awareness of the ongoing and future responses of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in this vast, heterogeneous landscape. To integrate existing knowledge of and generate new insights from the broad-scale impacts of atmospheric change, we first describe historical and present trends (∼1980–2015) in temperature, precipitation, deposition of hazardous air pollutants, and atmospheric-mediated natural disturbance regimes in this region. We then examine their associations with ecosystem condition and productivity, biological diversity, soil and water, and the carbon budget. These associations vary considerably among ecozones and likely undergo further changes under the emerging risks of atmospheric change. We highlight the urgent need to establish long-term, boreal-wide monitoring for many key components of freshwater ecosystems to better understand and project the influences of atmospheric change on boreal water resources. We also formulate three divergent future scenarios of boreal ecosystems in 2050. Our scenario analysis reveals multiple undesirable changes in boreal ecosystem structure and functioning with more variable atmospheric conditions and frequent land disturbances, while continuing business-as-usual management of natural resources. It is possible, though challenging, to reduce unwanted consequences to ecosystems through management regimes focussed on socio-ecological sustainability and developing resilient infrastructure and adaptive resource-management strategies. We emphasize the need for proactive actions and improved foresight for all sectors of society to collaborate, innovate, and invest in anticipation of impending global atmospheric change, without which the boreal zone will face a dim future.
Revising the PLAC8 gene family: from a central role in differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis in mammals to a multifunctional role in plants
Authors: Cabreira-Cagliari Caroline , Dias Nathalia de Cassia , Bohn Bianca , Fagundes David Gabriel dos Santos , Margis-Pinheiro Marcia , Bodanese-Zanettini Maria Helena , Cagliari Alexandro
Published: November 2018

PLAC8 is a cysteine-rich protein described as a central mediator of tumor evolution in mammals; as such, it represents a promising candidate for diagnostic and therapeutic targeting. The human PLAC8 gene is also involved in contact hypersensitivity response and presents a role in psoriatic skin. In plants, PLAC8 motif-containing proteins are involved in the determination of organ size and growth, response to infection, Ca2+ influx, Cd resistance, and zinc detoxification. In general, PLAC8 motif-containing proteins present the conserved CCXXXXCPC or CLXXXXCPC region. However, there is no devised nomenclature for the PLAC8 motif-containing proteins. Here, through the analysis of 445 sequences, we show that PLAC8 motif-containing proteins constitute a unique gene family, and we propose a unified nomenclature. This is the first report indicating the existence of different groups of PLAC8 proteins, which we have called types I, II, and III. Type I genes are found in mammals, fungi, plants, and algae, and types II and III are exclusive to plants. Our study describes for the first time PLAC8 type III proteins. Whether these sequences maintain their known functional role or possess distinct functions of types I and II genes remains unclear.
Model-independent measures of gravity at large scales
Authors: Amendola Luca , Pinho Ana Marta , Casas Santiago
Published: November 2018

This paper aims at showing how to probe gravity in a model independent way using observable quantities which can be measured with the minimum number of assumptions.

We find that it is possible to estimate the gravitational slip, defined as the ratio of the gravitational potentials, independently of assumptions concerning initial conditions, bias, and other cosmological parameters. Analyzing all the data currently available, we find [Formula: see text] in the redshift range [Formula: see text]. Future datasets, like those provided by the Euclid satellite, will tighten this constraint by more than an order of magnitude.
Search for heavy neutral leptons at the NA62 experiment at CERN
Authors: Zamkovsky Michal
Published: November 2018

Search for heavy neutral lepton (HNL) production in charged kaon decays using the data collected by kaon experiments NA48/2 and NA62 at CERN are reported. Upper limits are established on the elements of the extended neutrino mixing matrix for heavy neutral lepton mass in the range 130–450 MeV, improving on the results from previous HNL production search.
Understanding nature with the spin-charge-family theory
Authors: Mankoč Borštnik N. S.
Published: November 2018

The spin-charge-family theory, which is a kind of the Kaluza–Klein theories in [Formula: see text] — but with the two kinds of the spin connection fields, the gauge fields of the two Clifford algebra objects, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] — explains all the assumptions of the standard model: The origin of the charges of fermions appearing in one family, the origin and properties of the vector gauge fields of these charges, the origin and properties of the families of fermions, the origin of the scalar fields observed as the Higgs’s scalar and the Yukawa couplings. The theory explains several other phenomena like: The origin of the dark matter, of the matter–antimatter asymmetry, the “miraculous” triangle anomaly cancellation in the standard model and others. The more work is invested in this theory, the more explanations of the observed phenomena the theory is offering. Since the theory starts at [Formula: see text] with a simple action for bosons and fermions, with the fermions carrying only two kinds of spins and no charges and interacting only through gravity (the vielbeins and the two kinds of the spin connection fields) and with the gravity as the only boson fields, the questions arises not only how do the two kinds of spins of fermions in [Formula: see text] manifest the spin, charges and family quantum numbers in [Formula: see text], and how does the gravity in [Formula: see text] manifests as all the observed gauge fields, the scalar fields and the Yukawa couplings, offering also explanation for matter–antimatter asymmetry and the existing of the dark matter, but also why “nature makes a choice of the Clifford algebra rather than the Grassmann algebra” although both kinds of degrees of freedom enable anticommutation relations for fermions, which might explain also the appearance of the dark energy.
Massive primordial black holes in contemporary and young universe (old predictions and new data)
Authors: Dolgov A. D.
Published: November 2018

A brief review of the recent astronomical data, indicating that the universe is abundantly populated by heavy black holes (BH), is presented. Conventional astrophysics and cosmology cannot explain such a high population of BHs. A mechanism of the paper of 1963 is described, which at least qualitatively explained the observational data. In particular, the prediction that massive primordial BHs can be cosmological dark matter “particles” is discussed.
Sleepy CMOS-Sleepy Stack (SC-SS): A Novel High Speed, Area and Power Efficient Technique for VLSI Circuit Design
Authors: Sharma Anjali , Sohal Harsh , Jit Kaur Harsimran
Published: November 2018

This paper presents a novel ultra-low-power Sleepy CMOS-Sleepy Stack (SC-SS) technique for nano scale VLSI technologies. Eight prior techniques are taken for comparison with proposed technique on 65[Formula: see text]nm technology. All the techniques are applied on four benchmark circuits: XOR gate, 1-bit adder, 1-bit comparator and 4-bit up-down counter for measurement of area consumption and total power dissipation. The proposed SC-SS technique achieved very high power efficiency as compared to Complementary CMOS technique (CCT), Dual sleep Technique (DST), Forced stack technique (FST), Sleepy keeper technique (SKT), Sleepy pass gate technique (SPGT), Sleep transistor technique (STT) and VLSI CMOS Circuit Leakage Reduction technique (VCLEARIT). Although Sleepy stack technique (SST) is power efficient as compared to SC-SS technique, this is on the expense of area and delay penalty. Proposed technique has shown the area improvement of 33% for XOR, 10.78 % for 1-bit adder, 14.9% for 1-bit comparator and 9.7% for 4-bit up-down counter over SST technique on 65[Formula: see text]nm technology. At the same time, power-area product of SC-SS is 29.56% and 54.96% less as compared to SST for XOR and 4-bit up-down counter. To obtain the efficiency of proposed technique over SST in terms of delay and power-delay product, basic inverter design is taken into consideration. Delay of SC-SS inverter is 34.8% and power-delay product is 6.9% less as compared to SST inverter on 65[Formula: see text]nm technology.