bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MapFlow: latent transition via normalizing flow for unsupervised domain adaptation
Authors: Askari Hossein , Latif Yasir , Sun Hongfu
Published: July 2023

Unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) aims at enhancing the generalizability of the classification model learned from the labeled source domain to an unlabeled target domain. An established approach to UDA is to constrain the classifier on an intermediate representation that is distributionally invariant across domains. However, recent theoretical and empirical research has revealed that relying only on invariance fails to guarantee a small target error, thus making equality in the distribution of representations unnecessary. In this paper, we propose to relax invariant representation learning by finding a general relationship between the source and target representations, which allows an interchange of the more discriminative domain information. To this end, we formalize the MapFlow framework, which explicitly constructs an invertible mapping between the target encoded distribution and variationally induced source representation. Empirical results on public benchmark datasets show the desirable performance of our proposed algorithm compared to state-of-the-art methods.
A study on GHG emission assessment in agricultural areas in Sri Lanka: the case of Mahaweli H agricultural region
Authors: Rathnayake Hemali , Mizunoya Takeshi
Published: July 2023

Agricultural activities contribute 7% to Sri Lanka’s economy and account for 20% of the national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The country aims to achieve zero net emissions by 2060. This study was aimed at assessing the present state of agricultural emissions and identifying mitigation strategies. The assessment involved estimating agricultural net GHG emissions from non-mechanical sources in the Mahaweli H region, Sri Lanka, in 2018 using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2019) guidelines. New indicators were developed to measure emissions for major crops and livestock and used to show the flow of carbon and nitrogen. The region’s agricultural emissions were estimated to be 162,318 t CO2eq y−1, of which 48% was from rice field methane (CH4) emissions, 32% from soil nitrogen oxide emissions, and 11% from livestock enteric CH4 emissions. Biomass carbon accumulation offset 16% of the total emissions. Rice crops exhibited the highest emission intensity of 4.77 t CO2eq ha−1 y−1, while coconut crop had the highest abatement potential of 15.58 t CO2eq ha−1 y−1. Approximately 1.86% of the carbon input to the agricultural system was released as carbon-containing GHG (CO2 and CH4), whereas 1.18% of the nitrogen input was released as nitrous oxide. The findings of this study suggest extensive adaptations of agricultural carbon sequestration strategies and increased nitrogen use efficiency to achieve GHG mitigation targets. The emission intensity indicators derived from this study can be used for regional agricultural land use planning to maintain designated levels of emissions and implement low-emission farms.
Characteristics and prognosis of EGFR mutations in small cell lung cancer patients in the NGS era
Authors: Xie Xiaohong , Qiu Guihuan , Chen Ziyao , Liu Ting , Yang Yilin , You Zhixuan , Zeng Chen , Lin Xinqing , Xie Zhanhong , Qin Yinyin , Wang Yansheng , Ma Xiaodong , Zhou Chengzhi , Liu Ming
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Targeted therapy has not been effective for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. Although some studies have reported on EGFR mutations in SCLC, a systematic investigation into the clinical, immunohistochemical, and molecular characteristics and prognosis of EGFR-mutated SCLCs is lacking.

Methods

Fifty-seven SCLC patients underwent next-generation sequencing technology, with 11 in having EGFR mutations (group A) and 46 without (group B). Immunohistochemistry markers were assessed, and the clinical features and first-line treatment outcomes of both groups were analyzed.

Results

Group A consisted primarily of non-smokers (63.6%), females (54.5%), and peripheral-type tumors (54.5%), while group B mainly comprised heavy smokers (71.7%), males (84.8%), and central-type tumors (67.4%). Both groups showed similar immunohistochemistry results and had RB1 and TP53 mutations. When treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) plus chemotherapy, group A had a higher treatment response rate with overall response and disease control rates of 80% and 100%, respectively, compared to 57.1% and 100% in group B. Group A also had a significantly longer median progression-free survival (8.20 months, 95% CI 6.91–9.49 months) than group B (2.97 months, 95% CI 2.79–3.15), with a significant difference (P = 0.043). Additionally, the median overall survival was significantly longer in group A (16.70 months, 95% CI 1.20–32.21) than in group B (7.37 months, 95% CI 3.85–10.89) (P = 0.016).

Conclusion

EGFR-mutated SCLCs occurred more frequently in non-smoking females and were linked to prolonged survival, implying a positive prognostic impact. These SCLCs shared immunohistochemical similarities with conventional SCLCs, and both types had prevalent RB1 and TP53 mutations.
Reflexive polygons and rational elliptic surfaces
Authors: Grassi Antonella , Gugiatti Giulia , Lutz Wendelin , Petracci Andrea
Published: July 2023

In this note we study in detail the geometry of eight rational elliptic surfaces naturally associated to the sixteen reflexive polygons. The elliptic fibrations supported by these surfaces correspond under mirror symmetry to the eight families of smooth del Pezzo surfaces with very ample anticanonical bundle.
Extracting Innovation Value from Intellectual Property: Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Amankwah-Amoah Joseph , Medase Stephen Kehinde
Published: July 2023

Although a sizable body of research concerning innovation and intellectual property (IP) performance exists, there has been limited attention on whether the state of IP strengthens or curtails innovation activity in the global south, specifically among sub-Saharan Africa firms. This article analyzes the direct impacts of IP on innovation performance in sub-Saharan Africa, namely patents, copyrights, industrial designs, and trademarks. The paper responds to firms extracting value from intellectual property strategies through innovation activities and overall performance. Using the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) and Innovation Follow-up Survey (IFS), we find that appropriation channels are essential for transforming innovation pursuits into a competitive advantage. Our results further reinforce that appropriation mechanisms are crucial to innovation and may allow firms to gain returns on their innovation activities. Regardless of the weaknesses and limitations of the patenting strategy in sub-Saharan Africa, the probability of patenting an innovation relates to a process and product innovation while controlling for several other effects. More importantly, we demonstrate how industrial designs and improved or changed trademarks can foster inclusive performance. In addition, we show that beyond perception-based innovations, intellectual property strategies also matter to innovation intensity and sales growth. Consequently, our results indicate that the significance of innovation for competitiveness puts intellectual capital at the critical juncture of knowledge management.
Datenbankherstellerrecht und Datenbankforschung
Authors: Beurskens Michael , Scherzinger Stefanie
Published: July 2023

In diesem Übersichtsartikel stellen wir das Datenbankherstellerrecht vor. Hierbei handelt es sich nicht, wie man aus dem Blickwinkel eines juristischen Laien und Mitglied der Datenbankforschungsgemeinde meinen könnte, um die Rechte bei der Entwicklung einer Datenbankmanagementsoftware, sondern um die Rechte des Herstellers einer Datenbankinstanz. Auch Forschende oder Forschungsinstitutionen werden beim Forschungsdatenmanagement zu Datenbankherstellern, insbesondere wenn sie Forschungsartefakte verfügbar machen. Somit gewinnt die zugrundeliegende EU-Richtlinie aus den 1990er-Jahren an neuer Brisanz.

Unser Beitrag gibt einen systematischen Überblick über den rechtlichen Schutz der einzelnen Komponenten einer Datenbankanwendung. Insbesondere stellen wir das Datenbankherstellerrecht und praktische Anwendungsfälle vor, sowie anknüpfende Forschungsfragen.
The contribution of fungi to the global economy
Authors: Niego Allen Grace T. , Lambert Christopher , Mortimer Peter , Thongklang Naritsada , Rapior Sylvie , Grosse Miriam , Schrey Hedda , Charria-Girón Esteban , Walker Arttapon , Hyde Kevin D. , Stadler Marc
Published: July 2023

Fungi provide ecological and environmental services to humans, as well as health and nutritional benefits, and are vital to numerous industries. Fermented food and beverage products from fungi are circulating in the market, generating billions of USD. However, the highest potential monetary value of fungi is their role in blue carbon trading because of their ability to sequester large amounts of carbon in the soil. There are no conclusive estimates available on the global monetary value of fungi, primarily because there are limited data for extrapolation. This study outlines the contribution of fungi to the global economy and provides a first attempt at quantifying the global monetary value of fungi. Our estimate of USD 54.57 trillion provides a starting point that can be analysed and improved, highlighting the significance of fungi and providing an appreciation of their value. This paper identifies the different economically valuable products and services provided by fungi. By giving a monetary value to all important fungal products, services, and industrial applications underscores their significance in biodiversity and conservation. Furthermore, if the value of fungi is well established, they will be considered in future policies for effective ecosystem management.
Modelling Short-Term Appliance Energy Use with Interpretable Machine Learning: A System Identification Approach
Authors: Gu Yuanlin , Wei Hua-Liang
Published: July 2023

The modelling and analysis of appliance energy use (AEU) of residential buildings are important for energy consumption control, energy management and maintenance, building performance evaluation, and so on. Although some traditional machine learning methods have been applied to produce good prediction results, these models are usually not interpretable, in that they fail to explain how appliance factors make contributions to the variation of AEU individually and interactively. Explicitly knowing the role played by each of the appliance factors in explaining AEU, however, is very important for energy saving. Motivated by this observation, this study introduces an interpretable machine learning approach which is built upon the nonlinear autoregressive moving average with eXogenous inputs model. The advantage of the proposed model is that in comparison with other state-of-the-art machine learning methods, for example, feedforward neural network, recurrent neural network (e.g., gated recurrent unit), and long short-term memory network, the established model is not only able to produce more accurate energy use prediction, but more importantly, also fully transparent and physically interpretable, clearly and explicitly indicating which factors significantly affect the variation of AEU. The findings of this study provide meaningful insights for improving the AEU efficiency.
Cropping synonymy: varietal standardization in the United States, 1900–1970
Authors: Brown Tad
Published: July 2023

This article examines crop varietal standardization in the United States. Numerous committees formed in the early twentieth century to address the problem of nomenclatural rules in the horticultural and agricultural industries. Making shared reference to a varietal name proved a difficult proposition for seed-borne crops because plant conformity tended to change in the hands of different breeders. Moreover, scientific and commercial opinions diverged on the value of deviations within crop varieties. I review the function of descriptive difference in the seed trade and in the framework of evolutionary theory before examining the institutional history of varietal standardization. Pimento peppers are used to represent how vegetables were treated differently than cereals. Lack of stability within a popular pimento variety caused problems for food packers in middle Georgia, which public breeders addressed by releasing new peppers. To conclude, the article questions the role of taxonomy in intellectual property, as breeding history and yield became defining attributes for making varietal distinctions.
The Impact of Typical School Provision of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sports on Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Rocliffe Padraic , Adamakis Manolis , O’Keeffe Brendan T. , Walsh Liam , Bannon Aine , Garcia-Gonzalez Luis , Chambers Fiona , Stylianou Michalis , Sherwin Ian , Mannix-McNamara Patricia , MacDonncha Ciaran
Published: July 2023

Typical school provision of physical education, physical activity and sports, which is reflective of the school’s response to the national curriculum, available resources and school ethos, may impact adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Systematic literature reviews have not yet considered this impact. The Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, PsychINFO, ERIC and MEDLINE databases were searched for relevant literature (2000–2022) pertaining to adolescents aged 12–18 years in secondary schools. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria, including thirteen interventions, five cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies. Included studies contributed 108 reported effects, that examined depression, anxiety, self-esteem, self-efficacy, wellbeing, life satisfaction and positive mental health. Anxiety was the most frequently reported outcome, with 59% of the reported findings found to be non-significant, 24% significantly positive, 12% significantly negative and 6% reporting a negative trend but with no test of significance. Evidence supported the impact of physical education on adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Significantly positive effects were linked to interventions with minor modifications to typical provision such as the integration of teacher workshops and/or implementation of curriculum models. This suggests the importance of supplementing typical school provision of physical education to positively influence future impact.
On the Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Population and Domain Means
Authors: Wywiał Janusz L.
Published: July 2023

Estimating of population and domain means based on model-design approaches is considered in this paper. Population elements randomly belong to domains. A joint distribution of the variable under study and an auxiliary variable is assumed. Data are observed in a sample selected from a fixed population. The partition of the sample elements into domains of the population is also known. Outside of the sample, values of the auxiliary variable are known but their partition among the domains is not known. The domain means are estimated based on the likelihood function of the data observed in the sample and outside of it. The maximum likelihood estimation method provides regression-type estimators of domain means of the variable under study. They are dependent on posterior probabilities that observations of the auxiliary variable belong to particular domains. Moreover, the weighted means of the domain averages estimators are used to estimation of the population mean. The accuracy of the evaluated estimators and the ordinary estimator is compared using a simulation analysis. The results of this paper could be useful in economic, demographic and sociological surveys.
Duodenal Strongyloides stercoralis infection in a 56-year old male: A case report
Authors: Yahaya James J. , Morgan Emmanuel D. , Othieno Emmanuel
Published: July 2023

Abstract

Introduction and importance

The infection caused by Strongyloides stercoralis (S stercoralis) is usually an asymptomatic condition particularly in immunocompetent individuals and the condition may remain unnoticed even for decades, however, strongyloidiasis is more severe in patients who are immunocompromised.

Case presentation

The patient is a 56-year old male who presented with nine months history of episodes of abdominal pain, nausea loss of appetite, and chronic diarrhea. His diarrhea had mucus and trace blood. His oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) revealed erythematous, hypertrophied, and ulcerating lining mucosa of the duodenum. The specimen sampled showed sections of the duodenum with numerous Strongyloides stercoralis larvae, some inside the crypts with associated active duodenitis.

Clinical discussion

Despite the asymptomatic nature of Strongyloides stercoralis infectious condition especially for immunocompetent patients, the infection may sometimes result into serious complications including exudative enteropathy and paralytic ileus. The clinical outcome of patients with strongyloidiasis is usually better despite severe infection may develop and it is associated with slightly increased morbidity and even mortality.

Conclusion

Diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in individuals residing in tropical or subtropical countries who present with chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain should always be considered so as to avoid delay of diagnosis. This may help in preventing unnecessary complication such as severe anaemia, intestinal perforation or even death.

Highlights
Austere Diagnosis and Reduction of Anterior Shoulder Dislocations: 10-Year Review of a Ski Patrol-Based Program with Emergency Medical Technicians
Authors: Pringle Brian D. , Hurley Grant A. , McGrath Todd A. , Reed Jonathan R. , Zapata Isain , Ross David W.
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Glenohumeral dislocations present a challenging management dilemma in austere settings where patient transport time may be prolonged. Expeditious reduction is preferable, but treatment is commonly expected to take place within a hospital or comparable facility. Through a novel shoulder injury program, professional ski patrollers trained as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) have diagnosed and reduced anterior shoulder dislocations using biomechanical techniques without sedation or analgesia for over 20 y. Summary records have been maintained to track the performance and safety of this program.

Methods

Five hundred forty-six records of winter sports-related shoulder injuries from 2009–10 to 2019–20 were retrospectively analyzed to determine the assessment performance and dislocation reduction efficacy of EMTs, with the intent of ascertaining whether EMT-trained practitioners can reliably and safely diagnose and reduce anterior shoulder dislocations without premedication in a remote and resource-limited setting.

Results

EMTs identified anterior shoulder dislocations with 98% sensitivity and 96% diagnostic accuracy. The overall success rate of reduction attempts was 86%, or 88% when limited to confirmed anterior dislocations. Two fracture-dislocations and 4 misdiagnoses were manipulated. No instances of iatrogenic harm were identified, and no patients who underwent successful reductions required ambulance transportation.

Conclusions

With appropriate education and within a structured program, EMT-trained practitioners can reliably and safely diagnose and reduce anterior shoulder dislocations using biomechanical techniques without premedication in remote and resource-limited environments. Implementation of similar programs in austere settings has the potential to improve patient care. Further, using biomechanical reduction techniques may reduce reliance on procedural sedation irrespective of care setting.
Reprints, reboots and retcons: standardizing comics cataloging with the Best practices guide from the GNCRT
Authors: Bailund Allison , Holloway Steven W. , Kuni Kayla , Tomaras Deborah
Published: July 2023

Response to a plethora of historical forces that devalue comics, including hostile cataloging standards, led to the creation of the Best practices for cataloging comics and graphic novels using RDA and MARC21. The guide supports comics cataloging using current standards, recognizing the great diversity in this sequential art medium, as well as needs particular to public, academic and special libraries. With this, and related current and future projects, the Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table (GNCRT) hopes to promote equity in comics cataloging, and improve patron access to comics.
Organic farming of maize crop enhances species evenness and diversity of hexapod predators
Authors: Hamza Amir , Farooq Muhammad Omer , Razaq Muhammad , Shah Farhan Mahmood
Published: July 2023

Arthropod species diversity enhances ecosystem productivity and sustainability by increasing pollination and biological control services. Although, it is declining rapidly due to conventional agricultural intensification, organic agriculture with reduced reliance on agronomic inputs can regenerate ecosystems' resilience and restore them. Here, we report whether hexapod communities differ on both types of farming systems in small-scale field plot experiments, wherein Maize variety AG-589 was grown organically and conventionally in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Livestock manure was applied in organic fields, whereas nitrogen and phosphorous were used as synthetic fertilizers in conventional fields. Hexapods were sampled three weeks after sowing once a week from the middle rows of subplots from both organically and conventionally grown maize. Twelve species of herbivores and four species of predators were recorded. Hexapod abundance overall and that of herbivores only was higher in conventionally cultivated maize, while predator abundance was higher in organic maize. Herbivores species diversity and evenness were significantly higher in conventional maize. Predator species diversity and evenness were significantly higher in organic maize fields. We noted predator abundance, diversity, and evenness as strong predictors to lower herbivore populations. These findings suggest that organic farming conserves natural enemies’ biodiversity and regulates herbivores with increased provision of suitable habitats and prey resources for natural enemies, leading to enhanced relative abundance in their specialized niches. Thus, organic agriculture can potentially mediate better ecosystem services.
Diversification in time and space and how it is perceived: Applying a folk linguistic listening task with Tver’ Karelians
Authors: Palander Marjatta , Riionheimo Helka
Published: July 2023

In this article we apply a folk linguistic listening task to examine how the Tver’ Karelians in Russia recognise a sample of their own dialect and a sample of Border Karelian (spoken in Finland), both recorded about 60 years ago. Tver’ Karelian and Border Karelian have a shared origin in Proto-Karelian but have been diverging from each other since the seventeenth century; the former has had strong influence from Russian and the latter from Finnish. The study investigates the Tver’ Karelians’ awareness of and observations about the Karelian language and shows that they easily recognise their own dialect, whereas the Border Karelian sample is harder to recognise and describe. However, the respondents observed and described lexical and phonetic features of this sample, and two thirds of them located the sample in the republic of Karelia or in Finland, mostly based on the ‘accent’ of the speaker.
Pre-operative enteral feeding in single-ventricle CHD patients and necrotising enterocolitis risk
Authors: Pappas Lucy B. , Erickson Lori A. , Ricketts Amy M. , Moehlmann Matthew L. , Hahn Aaron M. , Daniel John M.
Published: July 2023

Introduction:

Enteral feeding prior to cardiac surgery has benefits in pre-operative and post-operative patient statuses. In 2020, to increase pre-operative feeding for single-ventricle patients prior to stage 1 palliation, an enteral feeding algorithm was created. The aim of this study is to monitor the impact of our practice change with the primary outcome of necrotising enterocolitis incidence from birth to 2 weeks following surgical intervention.

Methods:

This is a single-site, retrospective cohort study including patients from 1 March, 2018 to 1 July, 2022. Variables assessed include demographics, age at cardiac surgery, primary cardiac diagnosis, necrotising enterocolitis pre-operative and 2 weeks post-operative cardiac surgery, feeding route, feeding type, volume of trophic enteral feeds, and near-infrared spectroscopy.

Results:

Following implementation of a pre-operative enteral feeding algorithm, the rate of neonates fed prior to surgery increased (39.5–75%, p = .001). The feedings included a mean volume of 28.24 ± 11.16 ml/kg/day, 83% fed breastmilk only, 44.4% tube fed, and 55.5% of infants had all oral feedings. Comparing enterally fed neonates and those not enterally fed, the necrotising enterocolitis incidence from birth to 2 weeks post-op was not significantly increased (p = 0.926).

Conclusion:

As a result of implementing our feeding algorithm, the frequency of infants fed prior to stage I Norwood or Hybrid surgeries increased to 75%, and there was no significant change in the incidence of necrotising enterocolitis. This study confirmed that pre-operative enteral feeds are safe and are not associated with increased incidence of necrotising enterocolitis.
Patent ductus arteriosus stenting as therapeutic bridge in a patient with type A3 truncus arteriosus variant with multiple comorbidities
Authors: Hunt Sally , Johnston Thomas P. , Leong M. Elisabeth
Published: July 2023

Type A3 truncus arteriosus describes pulmonary atresia with non-confluent mediastinal pulmonary arteries in which one pulmonary artery arises from a patent ductus arteriosus and the contralateral pulmonary artery from the aorta resulting in ductal dependent pulmonary blood flow. We describe a premature neonate with caudal regression syndrome and type A3 truncus arteriosus who was palliated with a ductal stent allowing completion of a prolonged neonatal ICU hospitalisation for multiple comorbidities.
Knowledge Authoring for Rules and Actions
Authors: WANG YUHENG , FODOR PAUL , KIFER MICHAEL
Published: July 2023

Knowledge representation and reasoning (KRR) systems describe and reason with complex concepts and relations in the form of facts and rules. Unfortunately, wide deployment of KRR systems runs into the problem that domain experts have great difficulty constructing correct logical representations of their domain knowledge. Knowledge engineers can help with this construction process, but there is a deficit of such specialists. The earlier Knowledge Authoring Logic Machine (KALM) based on Controlled Natural Language (CNL) was shown to have very high accuracy for authoring facts and questions. More recently, KALMFL, a successor of KALM, replaced CNL with factual English, which is much less restrictive and requires very little training from users. However, KALMFL has limitations in representing certain types of knowledge, such as authoring rules for multi-step reasoning or understanding actions with timestamps. To address these limitations, we propose KALMRA to enable authoring of rules and actions. Our evaluation using the UTI guidelines benchmark shows that KALMRA achieves a high level of correctness (100%) on rule authoring. When used for authoring and reasoning with actions, KALMRA achieves more than 99.3% correctness on the bAbI benchmark, demonstrating its effectiveness in more sophisticated KRR jobs. Finally, we illustrate the logical reasoning capabilities of KALMRA by drawing attention to the problems faced by the recently made famous AI, ChatGPT.
A palliative care communication simulation for undergraduate nursing and midwifery students: A pilot study
Authors: Hingley Samantha , Shimoinaba Kaori , Wettenhall Janet , Recoche Katrina
Published: July 2023

Background

Undergraduate nursing education prepares student for entry into the profession. Palliative care is an essential component of nursing education; however, a focus on the management of symptom burden fails to prepare the undergraduate in communication skills required for palliative or end-of-life care (EoLC). Simulation to teach acute care is well researched; however, limited studies explore simulation for palliative care or EoLC. Fewer studies combine communication with palliative care simulation.

Objectives

The overarching aim is to explore the influence of a palliative care communication simulation on undergraduate nursing students.

Methods

Participants were students recruited from two campuses at a major Australian university in 2021. Students attended a compulsory simulation for all nursing or nursing and midwifery students. Pre- and post-simulation questionnaires collected qualitative and quantitative responses from participants. This paper reports that the quantitative data captured included demographic information, and the Frommelt Attitude Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD-B) tool, to assess the attitudes. The qualitative component of the research will be reported as a separate paper.

Results

A statistically significant increase in FATCOD-B scores was observed between pre- and post-simulation questionnaires, as well as a statistically significant difference related to the gender of participants. Age and previous experience with death also impacted FATCOD-B results.

Significance of results

The increase in FATCOD-B scores demonstrate that the positive impact of simulation suggests the importance of educational interventions such as the one conducted in this study. Education to improve the attitude toward caring for the dying and communication skills for difficult conversations are relevant and valuable. Further research is indicated.
Palliative care unit treatment and care for a terminal breast cancer patient with untreated obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Hayashi Eriko , Matsuura Tetsuya , Takano Junko , Morofushi Kaori , Toriizuka Kaori , Fukano Fumiyasu , Onishi Hideki
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Although palliative care units treat patients with various comorbidities, there are no reports of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Methods

The treatment and care of a breast cancer patient with OCD are presented.

Results

A woman in her 40s was admitted to the palliative care unit for terminal breast cancer. She spent most of the day cleaning the bath and bed areas, ignoring efforts to restrain her actions by the staff. After being diagnosed with OCD, the above symptoms improved through the coordinated action of the staff and medication.

Significance of results

This is the first report of the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with OCD in a palliative care unit. Early psychiatric diagnosis and subsequent staff response contributed to improvement in the patient’s quality of life.
Spirituality is “sometimes just a hug”: A conceptual analysis from the perspective of nursing students
Authors: Paal Piret , Brandstötter Cornelia , Grabenweger Reinhard , Jones Kate F. , Best Megan C.
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Definitions of spirituality abound; however, the importance of context and need for better understanding within health-care practice has been emphasized. In particular, the understanding of spirituality for nurses has been shown to have an impact both professionally and personally.

Methods

This study used a conceptual analysis to explore the understanding of spirituality by German-speaking nurses in an educational context.

Results

A total of 91 nursing students (83.5% female, 16.5% male) took the spiritual care course between January 2022 and January 2023. The majority of participants (n = 63, 69.6%) were in the 26- to 40-year age bracket, 50 (54.9%) identified themselves as Christian, 15 (16.5%) chose other, 12 (13.2%) atheist, 6 (6.6%) humanist or agnostic, and 2 (2.2%) Buddhist. A conceptual analysis of nursing students’ written responses to the question “What is spirituality to me?” was conducted. Two overarching categories were identified. The first category was titled “What aspects or characters are linked to spirituality?” and included 5 subcategories: people, life, experience, a sense of security, and capacity. The second category was titled “How is spirituality experienced, practiced and lived?” and included 5 subcategories: sometimes just a hug, to align one’s life with that purpose, to be content with myself, conscious attention to oneself, and demarcation from religion. These subcategories were interrelated to one another.

Significance of results

These findings have implications for how spirituality is introduced in nursing education.
Progress in delivering SDG6: Safe water and sanitation
Authors: Rajapakse Jay , Otoo Miriam , Danso George
Published: July 2023

Sustainable development goal 6 (SDG6) is to ensure the availability and sustainable management of safe water and sanitation for all by 2030. The water and sanitation goals are defined by 8 targets that specify the goals, and the progress towards the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development is measured with 11 indicators as metrics by which the world aims to track whether these targets are achieved. This article presents the current global progress against these indicators. During 2015–2020, globally the proportion of population with access to safely managed drinking water services improved from 70% to 74%, safely managed sanitation services grew from 47% to 54%, and handwashing facilities with soap and water increased from 67% to 71%. Among the world’s regions, many Sub-Saharan African countries may not be able to achieve even the target of basic water and sanitation services by 2030, with 61% access to basic water supply (compared to 90% globally) and 31% for sanitation (compared to 84% globally). There are also significant inequalities between rural and urban access to these services. Eight out of 10 people without basic water services lived in rural areas, while safely managed sanitation services reached 62%of the world’s urban population, but only 44% of its rural population. The world is on track to eliminate open defecation by 2030. The business-as-usual rates of progress would need to double for the world to achieve universal coverage with basic water and sanitation services by 2030. To achieve universal safely managed services, rates would need to quadruple. To achieve universal access to safely managed drinking water by 2030 in low- and middle-income countries, the current rates would need to increase ten-fold. Some barriers to progress are discussed.
Decadal Reorganization of Subantarctic Mode Water
Authors: Cerovečki Ivana , Haumann F. Alexander
Published: July 2023

Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) is one of the most important water masses globally in taking up anthropogenic heat and carbon dioxide. However, its long‐term changes in response to varying climatic conditions are not well understood. We use an ocean state estimate to analyze SAMW volume budgets for the period 1992 to 2017. They reveal a decadal SAMW volume reorganization comparable to the long‐term trend in Indian Ocean, and a multi‐decadal volume reorganization exceeding the long‐term trend in the Pacific. In both sectors, the SAMW reorganization exhibits a two‐layer density structure, with compensating volume changes of lighter and denser SAMW, driven by heat flux changes in the Indian sector and central Pacific and freshwater flux changes in the southeast Pacific. This variability is governed by a cumulative effect of surface flux anomalies associated with the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. Shorter‐term trends observed during the Argo period are largely explained by this variability.
Climate Model Code Genealogy and Its Relation to Climate Feedbacks and Sensitivity
Authors: Kuma Peter , Bender Frida A.‐M. , Jönsson Aiden R.
Published: July 2023

Contemporary general circulation models (GCMs) and Earth system models (ESMs) are developed by a large number of modeling groups globally. They use a wide range of representations of physical processes, allowing for structural (code) uncertainty to be partially quantified with multi‐model ensembles (MMEs). Many models in the MMEs of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) have a common development history due to sharing of code and schemes. This makes their projections statistically dependent and introduces biases in MME statistics. Previous research has focused on model output and code dependence, and model code genealogy of CMIP models has not been fully analyzed. We present a full reconstruction of CMIP3, CMIP5, and CMIP6 code genealogy of 167 atmospheric models, GCMs, and ESMs (of which 114 participated in CMIP) based on the available literature, with a focus on the atmospheric component and atmospheric physics. We identify 12 main model families. We propose family and ancestry weighting methods designed to reduce the effect of model structural dependence in MMEs. We analyze weighted effective climate sensitivity (ECS), climate feedbacks, forcing, and global mean near‐surface air temperature, and how they differ by model family. Models in the same family often have similar climate properties. We show that weighting can partially reconcile differences in ECS and cloud feedbacks between CMIP5 and CMIP6. The results can help in understanding structural dependence between CMIP models, and the proposed ancestry and family weighting methods can be used in MME assessments to ameliorate model structural sampling biases.
Paleomagnetic Rotations in the Northeastern Caribbean Region Reveal Major Intraplate Deformation Since the Eocene
Authors: Montheil Leny , Philippon Mélody , Münch Philippe , Camps Pierre , Vaes Bram , Cornée Jean‐Jacques , Poidras Thierry , van Hinsbergen Douwe J. J.
Published: July 2023

Relative Caribbean‐North American plate motion is partitioned over the trench and intra‐Caribbean plate faults that bound large scale tectonic blocks. Quantifying the kinematic evolution of this tectonic corridor is challenging because much of the region is submarine. We present an extensive regional paleomagnetic data set (1,330 cores from 136 sampling locations) from Eocene and younger rocks of the northern Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, and use a statistical bootstrapping approach to quantify vertical axis block rotations. Our results show that the Puerto Rico–Virgin Island (PRVI) block and the Northern Lesser Antilles (NoLA) block formed two coherently rotating domains that both underwent at least 45° counterclockwise rotation since the Eocene. The first ∼20° occurred in tandem in late Eocene and Oligocene time, after which the blocks were separated in the Miocene by the opening of the Anegada Passage. The last 25° of rotation of the PRVI block ended in the middle Miocene, whereas the NoLA block rotated slower, until the latest Miocene. The boundary between the NoLA block and a non‐rotated Southern Lesser Antilles was likely the Monserrat‐Harvers fault zone. These results require hundreds of kilometers of intra‐Caribbean motions with oroclinal bending of the trench or forearc sliver motion along the curved plate boundary as endmembers. These data invite a critical re‐evaluation of the kinematic reconstruction of Caribbean‐North American plate motion. The consequent changes in paleogeography may provide a new view on the enigmatic eastern Caribbean paleo‐biogeography and the Paleogene dispersal of South American mammals toward the Greater Antilles.
Synergetic Effects of Isoprene and HOx on Biogenic New Particle Formation
Authors: Tiszenkel Lee , Lee Shan‐Hu
Published: July 2023

New particle formation (NPF) has been observed at various locations, but NPF does not occur in isoprene‐dominant forests. Recent laboratory studies were conducted to understand the role of isoprene in biogenic NPF, and these studies show that isoprene can suppress biogenic NPF, with contradicting theories. To reconcile these discrepancies, we conducted flow tube experiments of biogenic nucleation under a wide range of isoprene over monoterpene carbon ratios (R) and oxidant conditions (OH vs. ozone). Our results show isoprene either suppresses or enhances biogenic NPF, depending on R and oxidation regimes, demonstrating the synergetic effects of isoprene and HOx (OH and HO2) on biogenic NPF. Whereas the suppression of NPF by isoprene is due to the product suppression effects of monoterpene dimers (C20), RO2 + HO2 termination reactions also play important roles in suppressing the dimer formation, another likely process to suppress NPF in the atmosphere.
Diurnal Variations on the Initiation Time and Intensification Rate of Rapidly Intensifying Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Zhang Xinyan , Xu Weixin
Published: July 2023

This study investigates whether the initiation time and intensification rate (INTRATE) of intensifying tropical cyclones (TCs) vary diurnally and how they are related to deep convection. TC intensifying events are identified and classified into slowly intensifying (SI) and rapidly intensifying (RI) events. RI events last ∼42 hr on average, much longer than SI events. More importantly, the onset of the TC intensification, especially RI, markedly peaks at 00–06 local time. However, the INTRATEs of both RI and SI events show very weak diurnal variability. The INTRATE continues to increase after RI initiation and slightly peaks in the late afternoon (at 90% significance level). Inner‐core convection of all intensifying events maximizes in the early morning, in phase with the peak initiation time. In short, our results suggest that the nocturnally enhanced inner‐core convection may play a role in triggering TC intensification (e.g., RI), but not maximizing the INTRATE.
Ultrahigh‐Pressure Acoustic Velocities of Aluminous Silicate Glass up to 155 GPa With Implications for the Structure and Dynamics of the Deep Terrestrial Magma Ocean
Authors: Saha Pinku , Murakami Motohiko , McCammon Catherine , Liebske Christian , Krymarys Ewa
Published: July 2023

We have carried out in situ high‐pressure acoustic velocity measurements of (Fe2+, Al)‐bearing MgSiO3 glass up to pressures of 155 GPa, which confirmed a distinct pressure‐induced trend change in the transverse acoustic velocity (VS) profile around 98 GPa, likely caused by the Si‐O coordination number (CN) change from 6 to 6+. Although it has been reported that the substitution of Fe2+ in MgSiO3 glass induces almost linear velocity reduction up to ∼160 GPa, we revealed that the VS profile of (Fe2+, Al)‐bearing MgSiO3 becomes anomalously steeper above ∼100 GPa and eventually came to be equivalent to MgSiO3 glass above ∼125 GPa. This implies the incorporation of Al into Fe‐bearing MgSiO3 glass significantly facilitates making it far elastically stiffer and thus the densification under pressures well within the Earth's lower mantle. Our results indicate the possible presence of stiff and highly dense silicate melts in deep MOs in the rocky terrestrial planets.
Lateral Variations Across the Southern San Andreas Fault Zone Revealed From Analysis of Traffic Signals at a Dense Seismic Array
Authors: Zhang Hao , Meng Haoran , Ben‐Zion Yehuda
Published: July 2023

We image the shallow seismic structure across the Southern San Andreas Fault (SSAF) using signals from freight trains and trucks recorded by a dense nodal array, with a linear component perpendicular to SSAF and two 2D subarrays centered on the Banning Fault and Mission Creek Fault (MCF). Particle motion analysis in the frequency band 2–5 Hz shows that the examined traffic sources can be approximated as moving single‐ or multi‐point sources that primarily induce Rayleigh waves. Using several techniques, we resolve strong lateral variations of Rayleigh wave velocities and Q‐values across the SSAF, including 35% velocity reduction across MCF toward the northeast and strong attenuation around the two fault strands. We further resolve 10% mass density reduction and 45% shear modulus decrease across the MCF. These findings suggest that the MCF is currently the main strand of the SSAF in the area with important implications for seismic hazard assessments.
Nonthermal Hydrogen Loss at Mars: Contributions of Photochemical Mechanisms to Escape and Identification of Key Processes
Authors: Gregory Bethan S. , Chaffin Michael S. , Elliott Rodney D. , Deighan Justin , Gröller Hannes , Cangi Eryn
Published: July 2023

Hydrogen loss to space is a key control on the evolution of the Martian atmosphere and the desiccation of the red planet. Thermal escape is thought to be the dominant loss process, but both forward modeling studies and remote sensing observations have indicated the presence of a second, higher‐temperature “nonthermal” or “hot” hydrogen component, some fraction of which also escapes. Exothermic reactions and charge/momentum exchange processes produce hydrogen atoms with energy above the escape energy, but H loss via many of these mechanisms has never been studied, and the relative importance of thermal and nonthermal escape at Mars remains uncertain. Here we estimate hydrogen escape fluxes via 47 mechanisms, using newly developed escape probability profiles. We find that HCO+ dissociative recombination is the most important of the mechanisms, accounting for 30%–50% of the nonthermal escape. The reaction  + H2 is also important, producing roughly as much escaping H as momentum exchange between hot O and H. Total nonthermal escape from the mechanisms considered amounts to 39% (27%) of thermal escape, for low (high) solar activity. Our escape probability profiles are applicable to any thermospheric hot H production mechanism and can be used to explore seasonal and longer‐term variations, allowing for a deeper understanding of desiccation drivers over various timescales. We highlight the most important mechanisms and suggest that some may be important at Venus, where nonthermal escape dominates and much of the literature centers on charge exchange reactions, which do not result in significant escape in this study.
Microparticles with tunable, cell-like properties for quantitative acoustic mechanophenotyping
Authors: Dubay Ryan , Darling Eric M. , Fiering Jason
Published: July 2023

Mechanical properties of biological cells have been shown to correlate with their biomolecular state and function, and therefore methods to measure these properties at scale are of interest. Emerging microfluidic technologies can measure the mechanical properties of cells at rates over 20,000 cells/s, which is more than four orders of magnitude faster than conventional instrumentation. However, precise and repeatable means to calibrate and test these new tools remain lacking, since cells themselves are by nature variable. Commonly, microfluidic tools use rigid polymer microspheres for calibration because they are widely available in cell-similar sizes, but conventional microspheres do not fully capture the physiological range of other mechanical properties that are equally important to device function (e.g., elastic modulus and density). Here, we present for the first time development of monodisperse polyacrylamide microparticles with both tunable elasticity and tunable density. Using these size, elasticity, and density tunable particles, we characterized a custom acoustic microfluidic device that makes single-cell measurements of mechanical properties. We then applied the approach to measure the distribution of the acoustic properties within samples of human leukocytes and showed that the system successfully discriminates lymphocytes from other leukocytes. This initial demonstration shows how the tunable microparticles with properties within the physiologically relevant range can be used in conjunction with microfluidic devices for efficient high-throughput measurements of mechanical properties at single-cell resolution.