bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive-Affective Factors and Female Orgasm: A Comparative Study on Women with and Without Orgasm Difficulties
Authors: Moura Catarina V. , Tavares Inês M. , Nobre Pedro J.
Published: September 2020

Background

Orgasmic difficulties are one of the most common sexual complaints among women. Although models of sexual dysfunction propose that cognitive-affective factors are involved in the development and maintenance of sexual difficulties, there is a need to further examine how these factors are associated with orgasmic difficulties specifically.

Aim

To analyze differences between women who reported orgasm difficulties and controls in regard to sexual inhibition, sexual excitation, sexual beliefs, as well as negative automatic thoughts and affect during sexual activity.

Methods

A total of 500 women, aged 18 to 72 years, completed a Web survey focused on cognitive-affective factors and sexual health. Two hundred fifty women reported orgasm difficulties and were compared with 250 age-matched women who reported no sexual difficulties.

Outcomes

Differences between groups regarding sexual inhibition and sexual excitation (Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales–Short Form), sexual beliefs (Sexual Dysfunctional Beliefs Questionnaire), negative automatic thoughts (Automatic Thoughts Subscale of the Sexual Modes Questionnaire), and affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) during sexual activity.

Results

Women with orgasm difficulties scored higher on sexual inhibition than controls. They also reported more negative automatic thoughts during sexual activity (concerning failure and disengagement, sexual abuse, lack of affection from partner, passivity, body image) and less erotic thoughts. Women with orgasm difficulties reported experiencing higher negative affect and lower positive affect during sexual activity than women who reported no sexual difficulties. No significant differences were found regarding sexual excitation and endorsement of sexual beliefs.

Clinical Implications

Helping women shift their focus from non-erotic, negative thoughts to erotic stimuli, as well as addressing sexual inhibition, can be relevant targets of interventions aimed at women's orgasm difficulties.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths of the study include the use of a large sample of women who reported orgasm difficulties, offering new insights into the clinical importance of these psychological processes. Limitations include the reliance on self-report measures and a relatively homogeneous sample regarding sexual orientation, education, and age.

Conclusion

Results highlight the role of cognitive-affective factors on women's orgasm difficulties and emphasize the potential benefit of cognitive-behavioral and/or mindfulness interventions for orgasm difficulties.
Off-equilibrium linearisation-based nonlinear control of turbojet enginese with sum-of-squares programming
Authors: Tang Y. , Li Y. , Cui T. , Zheng Y.
Published: September 2020

In conventional linear parameter-varying (LPV) modelling and gain scheduling control design for turbojet engines, the linearisation is performed at a set of equilibrium points, and the validity of such LPV models is ensured near the equilibria. However, the linear model can only provide an approximate description of the engine’s state when the system operates away from equilibrium. In this paper, it is suggested that such linearisation should be carried out not only at equilibrium states but also in transient (off-equilibrium) operating regimes. This will result in a global approximation to the system states whether equilibrium or off-equilibrium. Theoretically, the transient control performance can be improved by introducing such an off-equilibrium linearisation-based control procedure. Subsequently, a gain scheduling control procedure based on off-equilibrium linearisation models is proposed by using sum-of-squares (SOS) programming, which, compared with many convex programming methods, can provide less conservative results. The resulting off-equilibrium linearisation-based nonlinear control procedure with SOS programming can capture a wide range of transient engine dynamics with better accuracy, and further achieve better control performance.
Pediatric Functional Movement Disorders: Experience from a Tertiary Care Centre
Authors: Rakesh Kempaiah , Kamble Nitish , Yadav Ravi , Bhattacharya Amitabh , Holla Vikram V. , Netravathi Manjunath , Seshadri Shekhar , Pal Pramod Kumar
Published: September 2020

Objectives:

Functional movement disorders (FMDs) pose significant diagnostic and management challenges. We aimed to study the socioeconomic and cultural factors, underlying psychopathology and the phenomenology of FMDs in children.

Methods:

The study is a retrospective chart review of 39 children (16 girls and 23 boys) who attended our neurology OPD and the movement disorders clinic at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) between January 2011 and May 2020. The diagnosis of FMD was based on Fahn and Williams criteria and the patients were either diagnosed as “documented” or “clinically established”. All the relevant demographic data including the ethnicity, socioeconomic and cultural background, examination findings, electrophysiological, and other investigations were retrieved from the medical records.

Results:

The mean age at onset was 12.69 ± 3.13 years. Majority of the children were from urban regions (56.41%) and belonging to low socioeconomic status (46.15%). Thirty (76.92%) were found to have a precipitating factor. Myoclonus was the most common phenomenology observed in these patients (30.76%), followed by tremor (20.51%), dystonia (17.94%), and gait abnormality (7.69%). Chorea (5.12%) and tics (2.56%) were uncommon. Tremor (37.5%) and dystonia (18.75%) were more common in girls, whereas myoclonus (39.13%) was more common in boys.

Conclusions:

The symptoms of FMD have great impact on the mental health, social, and academic functioning of children. It is important to identify the precipitating factors and associated psychiatric comorbidities in these children as prompt alleviation of these factors by engaging parents and the child psychiatrist will yield better outcomes.
A Risky Business: The Tai Ping Insurance Company and Fire Insurance in China, 1928–1937
Authors: THAI PHILIP
Published: September 2020

This paper traces the history of the Chinese fire insurance industry and Tai Ping Insurance, one of the most successful Chinese insurance companies in the early twentieth century. It provides a case study on the “indigenization” of fire insurance in China by retracing how a fledgling firm mastered selling a foreign financial product and managed to win market share in an ostensibly adverse environment. This paper argues that while Tai Ping benefited from the growing embrace of insurance by the Chinese public, its success was ultimately driven by the company’s economies of scale, cross-selling synergies, and tight connections to banking. This paper also explores the broader context in which fire insurance operated by examining how the indigenization of insurance in China unfolded, with Chinese insurers like Tai Ping mediating the introduction of a new financial product, the transfer of new institutions, and the diffusion of new knowledge regarding risk. More generally, the history of Tai Ping and the Chinese fire insurance industry addresses a research lacuna in the history of insurance beyond the developed markets in Western Europe and North America, which has typically focused more on the experiences of British and American multinational enterprises and less on that of native companies. By highlighting the degree of institutional convergence and divergence between the Chinese insurance industry and its global counterparts, this paper contributes to a more inclusive history of the internationalization of insurance.
For All Intents and Purposes: Depositor Behavior and Strategy in a London Savings Bank
Authors: PERRITON LINDA , HENDERSON STUART
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we offer an alternative to class-based studies of saving behavior by using individual-level ledger records from accounts opened in 1830 in the Limehouse Savings Bank, London. Our analysis suggests that such banks served a valid financial purpose for a much wider constituency of savers than the targeted “industrious poor.” True gaming of the system by the middle classes appears to be relatively limited, and instead depositors were using accounts for a variety of means and motivations. We suggest that the contemporary consternation around class was misplaced and that we can better understand and predict depositor behaviors through analysis of transaction data.
Physical health interventions for patients who have experienced a first episode of psychosis: a narrative review
Authors: Fouhy Fergal , Cullen Walter , O’Connor Karen
Published: September 2020

Objectives:

Service users with severe psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, are more likely to suffer from ill health. There is evidence that lifestyle interventions, for example, exercise, dietary advice and smoking cessation programmes for service users with severe mental illness can be of health benefit. This review was carried out to identify the literature pertaining to physical health interventions for service users who have experienced a first-episode psychosis (FEP), to examine the nature of the interventions which were carried out and to assess these interventions in terms of feasibility and efficacy.

Methods:

A narrative review was conducted in August 2019 by searching ‘Pubmed’ and ‘Embase’ electronic databases. Studies investigating the effect a physical health intervention had on service users who had experienced a FEP were included in the review.

Results:

Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria: 12 quantitative studies and 3 qualitative. Exercise, dietary advice, smoking cessation and motivational coaching were some of the physical health interventions utilised in the identified studies. Positive effects were seen in terms of physical health markers wherever they were investigated, particularly when the intervention was delivered early. The impact on psychiatric symptoms and longer-term impacts on health were less frequently assessed.

Conclusions:

Physical health interventions have a positive impact on service users who have experienced a FEP. More research is warranted in this area in Ireland. These studies should include controls, have longer follow-up periods and should assess the impact on psychiatric health.
Direct and maternal reduced balanced protein diet influences the liver transcriptome in chickens
Authors: Schroyen M. , Lesuisse J. , Lamberigts C. , Schallier S. , Li C. , Buyse J. , Everaert N.
Published: September 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate, by means of RNA sequencing, the direct and transgenerational effect of a reduced balanced protein (RP) diet on broiler breeder metabolism. Chickens of the F0 generation were fed a control (C) or RP diet, and their F1 progeny was fed a C or RP diet as well, resulting in four groups of chickens: C/C, C/RP, RP/C and RP/RP. While both direct and maternal effects were seen on body weight, breast muscle weight and abdominal fat weight in the F1 generation, the direct effect was the most dominant one. The liver transcriptome in the F1 generation showed that amino acid metabolism was up-regulated in chickens that received the control feed when compared with their respective contemporaries that received the reduced protein diet. Interestingly, chickens hatched from control-fed hens but reared on the reduced protein diet (C/RP group) activated a fatty acid metabolism, expressing more fatty acid desaturase 1 gene, fatty acid desaturase 2 gene and elongation of very long-chain fatty acids protein 2 gene, when compared with control-fed chickens hatched from control-fed hens (C/C group), while chickens hatched from reduced protein-fed hens that received themselves the same reduced protein diet (RP/RP group) triggered their glucose metabolism more, showing elevated levels of phosphofructokinase gene, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphospatase 4 and fructose-biphosphate aldolase C mRNA compared with the chickens hatched from reduced protein-fed hens but reared on a control diet (RP/C group). This suggests that the maternal protein diet has an impact on the metabolism of broilers when they are reared on a RP diet.
Understanding hard-to-reach communities: local perspectives and experiences of trachoma control among the pastoralist Maasai in northern Tanzania
Authors: Mtuy Tara B. , Bardosh Kevin , Ngondi Jeremiah , Mwingira Upendo , Seeley Janet , Burton Matthew , Lees Shelley
Published: September 2020

As progress to eliminate trachoma is made, addressing hard-to-reach communities becomes of greater significance. Areas in Tanzania, inhabited by the Maasai, remain endemic for trachoma. This study assessed the effectiveness of Mass Drug Administration (MDA) through an ethnographic study of trachoma amongst a Maasai community. The MDA experience in the context of the livelihoods of the Maasai in a changing political economy was explored using participant observation and household interviews. Factors influencing MDA effectiveness within five domains were analysed. 1) Terrain of intervention: Human movement hindered MDA, including seasonal migration, domestic chores, grazing and school. Encounters with wildlife were significant. 2) Socio-cultural factors and community agency: Norms around pregnancy led women to accept the drug but hide refusal to swallow the drug. Timing of Community Drug Distributor (CDD) visits conflicted with livestock grazing. Refusals occurred among the ilmurrani age group and older women. Mistrust significantly hindered uptake of drugs. 3) Strategies and motivation of drug distributors: Maa-speaking CDDs were critical to effective drug delivery. Maasai CDDs, whilst motivated, faced challenges of distances, encounters with wildlife and compensation. 4) Socio-materiality of technology: Decreases in side-effects over years have improved trust in the drug. Restrictions to swallowing drugs and/or water were relevant to post-partum women and the ilmurrani. 5) History and health governance: Whilst perceptions of the programme were positive, communities questioned government priorities for resources for hospitals, medicines, clean water and roads. They complained of a lack of information and involvement of community members in health care services. With elimination in sight, hard-to-reach communities are paramount as these are probably the last foci of infection. Effective delivery of MDA programmes in such communities requires a critical understanding of community experiences and responses that can inform tailored approaches to trachoma control. Application of a critical social science perspective should be embedded in planning and evaluation of all NTD programmes.
El Sueño Americano? The Generational Progress of Mexican Americans Prior to World War II
Authors: Kosack Edward , Ward Zachary
Published: September 2020

We present new estimates of the outcomes of first-generation Mexicans and their descendants between 1880 and 1940. We find zero convergence of the economic gap between Mexicans and non-Mexican whites across three generations. The great-grandchildren of immigrants also had fewer years of education. Slow convergence is not simply due to an inheritance of poverty; rather, Mexican Americans had worse outcomes conditional on the father’s economic status. However, the gap between third-generation Mexican Americans and non-Mexican whites is about half the size today as it was in 1940, suggesting that barriers to Mexican American progress have significantly decreased over time.
How eigenmode self-interaction affects zonal flows and convergence of tokamak core turbulence with toroidal system size
Authors: C. J. Ajay , Brunner Stephan , McMillan Ben , Ball Justin , Dominski Julien , Merlo Gabriele
Published: September 2020

Self-interaction is the process by which a microinstability eigenmode that is extended along the direction parallel to the magnetic field interacts non-linearly with itself. This effect is particularly significant in gyrokinetic simulations accounting for kinetic passing electron dynamics and is known to generate stationary

$E\times B$

zonal flow shear layers at radial locations near low-order mode rational surfaces (Weikl et al. Phys. Plasmas, vol. 25, 2018, 072305). We find that self-interaction, in fact, plays a very significant role in also generating fluctuating zonal flows, which is critical to regulating turbulent transport throughout the radial extent. Unlike the usual picture of zonal flow drive in which microinstability eigenmodes coherently amplify the flow via modulational instabilities, the self-interaction drive of zonal flows from these eigenmodes are uncorrelated with each other. It is shown that the associated shearing rate of the fluctuating zonal flows therefore reduces as more toroidal modes are resolved in the simulation. In simulations accounting for the full toroidal domain, such an increase in the density of toroidal modes corresponds to an increase in the toroidal system size, leading to a finite system size effect that is distinct from the well-known profile shearing effect.
Impact of musculoskeletal degradation on cancer outcomes and strategies for management in clinical practice
Authors: Ryan Aoife M. , Sullivan Erin S
Published: September 2020

The prevalence of malnutrition in patients with cancer is one of the highest of all patient groups. Weight loss (WL) is a frequent manifestation of malnutrition in cancer and several large-scale studies have reported that involuntary WL affects 50–80% of patients with cancer, with the degree of WL dependent on tumour site, type and stage of disease. The study of body composition in oncology using computed tomography has unearthed the importance of both low muscle mass (sarcopenia) and low muscle attenuation as important prognostic indications of unfavourable outcomes including poorer tolerance to chemotherapy; significant deterioration in performance status and quality of life (QoL), poorer post-operative outcomes and shortened survival. While often hidden by excess fat and high BMI, muscle abnormalities are highly prevalent in patients with cancer (ranging from 10 to 90%). Early screening to identify individuals with sarcopenia and decreased muscle quality would allow for earlier multimodal interventions to attenuate adverse body compositional changes. Multimodal therapies (combining nutritional counselling, exercise and anti-inflammatory drugs) are currently the focus of randomised trials to examine if this approach can provide a sufficient stimulus to prevent or slow the cascade of tissue wasting and if this then impacts on outcomes in a positive manner. This review will focus on the aetiology of musculoskeletal degradation in cancer; the impact of sarcopenia on chemotherapy tolerance, post-operative complications, QoL and survival; and outline current strategies for attenuation of muscle loss in clinical practice.
Habitat suitability for primate conservation in north-east Brazil
Authors: Moraes Bárbara , Razgour Orly , Souza-Alves João Pedro , Boubli Jean P. , Bezerra Bruna
Published: September 2020

Brazil has a high diversity of primates, but increasing anthropogenic pressures and climate change could influence forest cover in the country and cause future changes in the distribution of primate populations. Here we aim to assess the long-term suitability of habitats for the conservation of three threatened Brazilian primates (Alouatta belzebul,Sapajus flaviusandSapajus libidinosus) through (1) estimating their current and future distributions using species distribution models, (2) evaluating how much of the areas projected to be suitable is represented within protected areas and priority areas for biodiversity conservation, and (3) assessing the extent of remaining forest cover in areas predicted to be suitable for these species. We found that 88% of the suitable areas are outside protected areas and only 24% are located in areas with forest cover. Although not within protected areas, 27% of the climatically suitable areas are considered priority areas for conservation. Future projections, considering a severe climate change scenario, indicate thatA. belzebul,S. flaviusandS. libidinosusmay lose up to 94, 98 and 54% of their suitable range, respectively. The establishment of primate populations and their long-term survival in these areas are at risk. Mitigation actions such as the implementation of new protected areas, forest restoration and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will be essential for the conservation of Brazilian primates.
Cryptosporidium rattin. sp. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae) and genetic diversity ofCryptosporidiumspp. in brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) in the Czech Republic
Authors: Ježková Jana , Prediger Jitka , Holubová Nikola , Sak Bohumil , Konečný Roman , Feng Yaoyu , Xiao Lihua , Rost Michael , McEvoy John , Kváč Martin
Published: September 2020

The diversity and biology ofCryptosporidiumthat is specific for rats (Rattusspp.) are not well studied. We examined the occurrence and genetic diversity ofCryptosporidiumspp. in wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/sequencing targeting the small subunit rDNA (SSU), actin andHSP70 genes. Out of 343 faecal samples tested, none were positive by microscopy and 55 were positive by PCR. Sequence analysis ofSSUgene revealed the presence ofCryptosporidium muris(n= 4),C. andersoni(n= 3),C. ryanae(n= 1),C. occultus(n= 3),Cryptosporidiumrat genotype I (n= 23),Cryptosporidiumrat genotype IV (n= 16) and novelCryptosporidiumrat genotype V (n= 5). Spherical oocysts ofCryptosporidiumrat genotype I obtained from naturally-infected rats, measuring 4.4–5.4μm × 4.3–5.1μm, were infectious to the laboratory rats, but not to the BALB/c mice (Mus musculus) nor Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). The prepatent period was 3 days post infection and the patent period was longer than 30 days. Naturally- and experimentally-infected rats showed no clinical signs of disease. Percentage of nucleotide similarities at theSSU, actin,HSP70 loci betweenC. rattin. sp. and the rat derivedC. occultusandCryptosporidiumrat genotype II, III, IV, and V ranged from 91.0 to 98.1%. These genetic variations were similar or greater than that observed between closely related species, i.e.C. parvumandC. erinacei(93.2–99.5%). Our morphological, genetic and biological data support the establishment ofCryptosporidiumrat genotype I as a new species,Cryptosporidium rattin. sp.
First report ofTrypanosoma dionisii(Trypanosomatidae) identified in Australia
Authors: Austen Jill M. , Van Kampen Esther , Egan Siobhon L. , O'Dea Mark A. , Jackson Bethany , Ryan Una M. , Irwin Peter J. , Prada Diana
Published: September 2020

Trypanosomes are blood-borne parasites that can infect a variety of different vertebrates, including animals and humans. This study aims to broaden scientific knowledge about the presence and biodiversity of trypanosomes in Australian bats. Molecular and morphological analysis was performed on 86 blood samples collected from seven different species of microbats in Western Australia. Phylogenetic analysis on 18S rDNA andglycosomal glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase(gGAPDH) sequences identifiedTrypanosoma dionisiiin five different Australian native species of microbats;Chalinolobus gouldii, Chalinolobus morio, Nyctophilus geoffroyi, Nyctophilus majorandScotorepens balstoni. In addition, two novels, genetically distinctT. dionisiigenotypes were detected and namedT. dionisiigenotype Aus 1 andT. dionisiigenotype Aus 2. Genotype Aus 2 was the most prevalent and infected 20.9% (18/86) of bats in the present study, while genotype Aus 1 was less prevalent and was identified in 5.8% (5/86) of Australian bats. Morphological analysis was conducted on trypomastigotes identified in blood films, with morphological parameters consistent with trypanosome species in the subgenusSchizotrypanum.This is the first report ofT. dionisiiin Australia and in Australian native bats, which further contributes to the global distribution of this cosmopolitan bat trypanosome.
Northern Ireland farm-level management factors for prolonged bovine tuberculosis herd breakdowns
Authors: Doyle L. P. , Courcier E. A. , Gordon A. W. , O'Hagan M. J. H. , Johnston P. , McAleese E. , Buchanan J. R. , Stegeman J. A. , Menzies F. D.
Published: September 2020

This study determined farm management factors associated with long-duration bovine tuberculosis (bTB) breakdowns disclosed in the period 23 May 2016 to 21 May 2018; a study area not previously subject to investigation in Northern Ireland. A farm-level epidemiological investigation (n = 2935) was completed when one or more Single Intradermal Comparative Cervical Test (SICCT) reactors or when one or more confirmed (positive histological and/or bacteriological result) lesion at routine slaughter were disclosed. A case-control study design was used to construct an explanatory set of management factors associated with long-duration bTB herd breakdowns; with a case (n = 191) defined as an investigation into a breakdown of 365 days or longer. Purchase of infected animal(s) had the strongest association as the most likely source of infection for long-duration bTB herd breakdowns followed by badgers and then cattle-to-cattle contiguous herd spread. However, 73.5% (95% CI 61.1–85.9%) of the herd type contributing to the purchase of infection source were defined as beef fattening herds. This result demonstrates two subpopulations of prolonged bTB breakdowns, the first being beef fattening herds with main source continuous purchase of infected animals and a second group of primary production herds (dairy, beef cows and mixed) with risk from multiple sources.
Eigenvalues and triangles in graphs
Authors: Lin Huiqiu , Ning Bo , Wu Baoyindureng
Published: September 2020

Bollobás and Nikiforov (J. Combin. Theory Ser. B.97 (2007) 859–865) conjectured the following. If G is a Kr+1-free graph on at least r+1 vertices and m edges, then ${\rm{\lambda }}_1^2(G) + {\rm{\lambda }}_2^2(G) \le (r - 1)/r \cdot 2m$, where λ1 (G)and λ2 (G) are the largest and the second largest eigenvalues of the adjacency matrix A(G), respectively. In this paper we confirm the conjecture in the case r=2, by using tools from doubly stochastic matrix theory, and also characterize all families of extremal graphs. Motivated by classic theorems due to Erdös and Nosal respectively, we prove that every non-bipartite graph of order and size contains a triangle if one of the following is true: (i) ${{\rm{\lambda }}_1}(G) \ge \sqrt {m - 1} $ and $G \ne {C_5} \cup (n - 5){K_1}$, and (ii) ${{\rm{\lambda }}_1}(G) \ge {{\rm{\lambda }}_1}(S({K_{[(n - 1)/2],[(n - 1)/2]}}))$ and $G \ne S({K_{[(n - 1)/2],[(n - 1)/2]}})$, where $S({K_{[(n - 1)/2],[(n - 1)/2]}})$ is obtained from ${K_{[(n - 1)/2],[(n - 1)/2]}}$ by subdividing an edge. Both conditions are best possible. We conclude this paper with some open problems.
TAK-242 Attenuates Crush Injury Induced Acute Kidney Injury through Inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathways in Rats
Authors: Wang Jinxiang , Chen Zhiguo , Hou Shike , Liu Ziquan , Lv Qi
Published: September 2020

Background:

To investigate if toll-like receptor (TLR) 4/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways mediated crush injury induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in rats, and if TAK-242 (a specific inhibitor of TLR4) attenuates the injury through inhibiting the signaling pathways.

Methods:

This study was divided into two parts: (1) Establish the crush injury model: 50 rats were randomly divided into control group and four crush injury groups (n = 10/group). Crush injury groups were given 3kg pressure for eight hours and were sacrificed at the time points of 0h, 6h, 12h, and 24h after relieving pressure. And (2) Select the most obvious injury group (12h group) for drug intervention group. Thirty rats were randomly divided into control group, 12h group, and 12h+TAK-242 group (n = 10/group). Two parts detection were as follows: pathological changes of kidney tissues were observed in Haematoxylin and Eosin (HE) staining. Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), myoglobin (Mb), and blood potassium were examined by automatic biochemical analysis instrument. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The TLR4 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), TLR4, and P65 were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blot, immunohistochemistry staining.

Results:

Compared with the control group, kidney tissues were damaged in crush injury groups, and most obvious in the 12h group. The level of serum creatinine, BUN, Mb, blood potassium, IL-6, TNF-α, and TLR4mRNA were increased in the crush injury groups and significantly increased in the 12h group (P <.05). The TLR4 and P65 were significantly increased in the 12h group (P <.05). Compared with the 12h group, kidney tissue damage was significantly reduced in the TAK-242 group (P <.05). The level of serum creatinine, BUN, Mb, blood potassium, IL-6, TNF-α, TLR4mRNA, TLR4, and P65 in the TAK-242 group were significantly reduced (P <.05).

Conclusion:

The present findings conclude that TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways mediated crush injury induced AKI in rats, and TAK-242 attenuates the injury through inhibiting the signaling pathways.
WAR AND PEACE: ARTHUR CECIL PIGOU AS A PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL DURING WORLD WAR I
Authors: Arthmar Rogério , McLure Michael
Published: September 2020

This study reflects on Arthur Cecil Pigou’s role in public debate during the initial phase of the First World War over whether Britain should negotiate a peace treaty with Germany. Its main goal is to provide evidence that the “Cambridge Professor” framed his approach to this highly controversial issue from theoretical propositions on trade, industrial peace, and welfare that he had developed in previous works. After reviewing his contributions on these subjects, Pigou’s letter to The Nation in early 1915, suggesting an open move by the Allies towards an honorable peace with Germany, is presented along with his more elaborate thoughts on this same theme put down in a private manuscript. The negative reactions to Pigou’s letter are then scrutinized, particularly the fierce editorial published by The Morning Post. A subsequent version of Pigou’s plea for peace, delivered in his London speech late in 1915, is detailed, listing the essential conditions for a successful conclusion of the conflict. To come full circle, the paper recapitulates Pigou’s postwar considerations on diplomacy, free trade, and colonialism. The concluding remarks bring together the theoretical and applied branches of Pigou’s thoughts on war and peace.
Elite cueing and attitudes towards trade agreements: the case of TTIP
Authors: Dür Andreas , Schlipphak Bernd
Published: September 2020

How does elite communication affect citizens’ attitudes towards trade agreements? Building on a growing literature on context factors influencing public opinion about trade and trade agreements; we argue that citizens rely on cues provided by political elites, especially political parties, when forming their views towards these agreements. Such cueing effects are most likely for citizens with little information about a trade agreement and for citizens receiving cues from trusted elites. In addition, citizens exposed to cues from non-trusted elites should exhibit a source-opposing effect. Our key contribution is to test these expectations relying on a survey experiment on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) carried out in Germany and Spain. The findings from our experiment support the existence of elite cueing effects, although to a limited degree. Overall, the paper contributes to a better understanding of public opinion towards TTIP, trade policy attitudes, and public opinion more generally.
How can teachers effectively use student dialogue to drive engagement with ancient drama? An analysis of a Year 12 Classical Civilisation class studying Aristophanes’ Frogs
Authors: Speers Claire
Published: September 2020

Within this article I aim to explore how greater student dialogue in the classroom can drive engagement with ancient drama. As part of the Classical Civilisation A Level specification, students need to demonstrate knowledge and awareness in the examination of how Aristophanes’ Frogs might have been performed on stage and its possible reception by a classical audience. This research investigates how teachers can effectively encourage student discourse in the classroom for students to engage with and analyse Frogs as a piece of comic drama, rather than simply as an A Level set text.
A Primer on the Vertical Lagrangian‐Remap Method in Ocean Models Based on Finite Volume Generalized Vertical Coordinates
Authors: Griffies Stephen M. , Adcroft Alistair , Hallberg Robert W.
Published: September 2020

This paper provides a primer on the mathematical, physical, and numerical foundations of ocean models that are formulated using finite volume generalized vertical coordinate equations and that use the vertical Lagrangian‐remap method to evolve the ocean state. We consider the mathematical structure of the governing ocean equations in both their strong formulation (partial differential equations) and weak formulation (finite volume integral equations), thus enabling an understanding of their physical content and providing a physical‐mathematical framework to develop numerical algorithms. A connection is made between the Lagrangian‐remap method and the ocean equations as written using finite volume generalized vertical budgets. Thought experiments are offered to exemplify the mechanics of the vertical Lagrangian‐remap method and to compare with other methods used for ocean model algorithms.
Modeling Non‐Fickian Solute Transport Due to Mass Transfer and Physical Heterogeneity on Arbitrary Groundwater Velocity Fields
Authors: Hansen Scott K. , Berkowitz Brian
Published: September 2020

We present a hybrid approach to groundwater transport modeling, “CTRW‐on‐a‐streamline,” that allows continuous‐time random walk (CTRW) particle tracking on large‐scale, explicitly delineated heterogeneous groundwater velocity fields. The combination of a non‐Fickian transport model (in this case, the CTRW) with general heterogeneous velocity fields represents an advance of the current state of the art, in which non‐Fickian transport models or heterogeneous velocity fields are employed but generally not both. We present a general method for doing this particle tracking that fully separates the model parameters characterizing macroscopic flow, subscale advective heterogeneity, and mobile‐immobile mass transfer, such that each can be directly specified a priori from available data. The method is formalized and connections to classic CTRW and subordination approaches are made. Numerical corroboration is presented.
Pb‐Pb Dating of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Samples Using Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Anderson F. Scott , Crow Carolyn , Levine Jonathan , Whitaker Tom J.
Published: September 2020

We are developing an in situ, rock‐dating spectrometer for spaceflight called the Chemistry, Organics, and Dating EXperiment (CODEX). CODEX will measure Rb‐Sr compositions and determine ages of samples on the Moon or Mars and can be augmented to obtain Pb‐Pb ages. Coupling Rb‐Sr and Pb‐Pb measurements broadens the suite of samples that can be dated and could provide tests of concordance. Here we assess whether geochronologically meaningful Pb‐Pb data could be measured in situ by tuning the prototype CODEX to acquire Pb‐Pb data from a suite of well‐characterized specimens from the Earth, Moon, and Mars. For Keuhl Lake Zircon 91500 our207Pb/206Pb age of 1,090 ± 40 Ma is indistinguishable from the accepted age. In each of the Martian meteorites we studied, we could not resolve more than a single component of Pb and could not uniquely determine ages; nevertheless, our isotopic measurements were consistent with most previous analyses. On the other hand, we uniquely determined ages for three lunar meteorites. Our age for MIL 05035 is 3,550 ± 170 Ma, within 2σ of published ages for this specimen, in spite of it having <1 ppm Pb. LAP 02205 was contaminated by terrestrial Pb, but by filtering our data to exclude the most contaminated spots, we obtained an age of 3,010 ± 70 Ma, coincident with published values. Finally, our age for NWA 032 is nearly 1,000 Ma older than its age determined from other isotopic systems and is supported by additional Pb measurements made after chemical leaching.
Comparative Assessment of Snowfall Retrieval From Microwave Humidity Sounders Using Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Adhikari Abishek , Ehsani Mohammad Reza , Song Yang , Behrangi Ali
Published: September 2020

Accurate quantification of snowfall rate from space is important but has remained difficult. Four years (2007–2010) of NOAA‐18 Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) data are trained and tested with snowfall estimates from coincident CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) observations using several machine learning methods. Among the studied methods, random forest using MHS (RF‐MHS) is found to be the best for both detection and estimation of global snowfall. The RF‐MHS estimates are tested using independent years of coincident CPR snowfall estimates and compared with snowfall rates from Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA‐2), Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), and MHS Goddard Profiling Algorithm (GPROF). It was found that RF‐MHS algorithm can detect global snowfall with approximately 90% accuracy and a Heidke skill score of 0.48 compared to independent CloudSat samples. The surface wet bulb temperatures, brightness temperatures at 190 GHz, and 157 GHz channels are found to be the most important features to delineate snowfall areas. The RF‐MHS retrieved global snowfall rates are well compared with CPR estimates and show generally better statistics than MERRA‐2, AIRS, and GPROF products. A case study over the United States verifies that the RF‐MHS estimated snowfall agrees well with the ground‐based National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Stage‐IV and MERRA‐2 product, whereas a relatively large underestimation is observed with the current GPROF product (V05). MHS snowfall estimated based on RF algorithm, however, shows some underestimation over cold and snow‐covered surfaces (e.g., Greenland, Alaska, and northern Russia), where improvements through new sensors or retrieval techniques are needed.
Lithospheric Boundaries and Upper Mantle Structure Beneath Southern Africa Imaged by P and S Wave Velocity Models
Authors: White‐Gaynor A. L. , Nyblade A. A. , Durrheim R. , Raveloson R. , van der Meijde M. , Fadel I. , Paulssen H. , Kwadiba M. , Ntibinyane O. , Titus N. , Sitali M.
Published: September 2020

We report new P and S wave velocity models of the upper mantle beneath southern Africa using data recorded on seismic stations spanning the entire subcontinent. Beneath most of the Damara Belt, including the Okavango Rift, our models show lower than average velocities (−0.8% Vp; −1.2% Vs) with an abrupt increase in velocities along the terrane's southern margin. We attribute the lower than average velocities to thinner lithosphere (~130 km thick) compared to thicker lithosphere (~200 km thick) immediately to the south under the Kalahari Craton. Beneath the Etendeka Flood Basalt Province, higher than average velocities (0.25% Vp; 0.75% Vs) indicate thicker and/or compositionally distinct lithosphere compared to other parts of the Damara Belt. In the Rehoboth Province, higher than average velocities (0.3% Vp; 0.5% Vs) suggest the presence of a microcraton, as do higher than average velocities (1.0% Vp; 1.5% Vs) under the Southern Irumide Belt. Lower than average velocities (−0.4% Vp; −0.7% Vs) beneath the Bushveld Complex and parts of the Mgondi and Okwa terranes are consistent with previous studies, which attributed them to compositionally modified lithosphere resulting from Precambrian magmatic events. There is little evidence for thermally modified upper mantle beneath any of these terranes which could provide a source of uplift for the Southern African Plateau. In contrast, beneath parts of the Irumide Belt in southern and central Zambia and the Mozambique Belt in central Mozambique, deep‐seated low velocity anomalies (−0.7% Vp; −0.8% Vs) can be attributed to upper mantle extensions of the African superplume structure.
The Christmas 2018 Eruption at Mount Etna: Enlightening How the Volcano Factory Works Through a Multiparametric Inspection
Authors: Borzi Alfio Marco , Giuffrida Marisa , Zuccarello Francesco , Palano Mimmo , Viccaro Marco
Published: September 2020

The 24–27 December 2018 flank eruption at Mount Etna (Southern Italy) has been investigated through a multidisciplinary approach in which olivine chemical zoning and diffusion chronometry data were integrated with models inferred by GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) measurements. Inspection of the olivine chemical zoning from core to rim allowed the identification of some dominant ways of transfer and interaction between magmas pertaining to different magmatic environments. Most of crystal cores are representative of crystallization at pressure of 290–230 and 160–120 MPa. Olivine rims suggest re‐equilibration at shallow pressure (≤30 MPa). Geodetic‐based models indicate pressurization of near‐vertical prolate spheroidal sources centered at ∼7.2 km below sea level (bsl) between 9 June 2017 and 28 June 2018 and later at ∼5.1 km bsl between 28 June 2018 and the eruption onset. Geodetic data also highlight a change in the inflation rate since late June 2018 and later around November 2018, which has been here related to both replenishment phases and magma uprising across the plumbing system. Timescales of magma replenishment are in agreement with prolonged recharge from deep levels upward to shallow environments started about 6 months before the eruption, with further replenishment involving the upper magmatic environments just 3–16 days before the eruption. At present, the eruptive activity at the volcano is primarily controlled by pressure imbalances affecting extensive sections of the plumbing system, with possibility to develop persistent eruptive activity at the summit versus flank eruptions depending on fortuitous interruptions of the steady magma recharge/discharge rate at shallow levels.
Neutral Atom Imaging of the Solar Wind‐Magnetosphere‐Exosphere Interaction Near the Subsolar Magnetopause
Authors: Fuselier S. A. , Dayeh M. A. , Galli A. , Funsten H. O. , Schwadron N. A. , Petrinec S. M. , Trattner K. J. , McComas D. J. , Burch J. L. , Toledo‐Redondo S. , Szalay J. R. , Strangeway R. J.
Published: September 2020

Energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) created by charge‐exchange of ions with the Earth's hydrogen exosphere near the subsolar magnetopause yield information on the distribution of plasma in the outer magnetosphere and magnetosheath. ENA observations from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) are used to image magnetosheath plasma and, for the first time, low‐energy magnetospheric plasma near the magnetopause. These images show that magnetosheath plasma is distributed fairly evenly near the subsolar magnetopause; however, low‐energy magnetospheric plasma is not distributed evenly in the outer magnetosphere. Simultaneous images and in situ observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft from November 2015 (during the solar cycle declining phase) are used to derive the exospheric density. The ~11–17 cm−3 density at 10 RE is similar to that obtained previously for solar minimum. Thus, these combined results indicate that the exospheric density 10 RE from the Earth may have a weak dependence on solar cycle.
Impact of Mineral Dust on Summertime Precipitation Over the Taiwan Region
Authors: Zhang Yanda , Yu Fangqun , Luo Gan , Chen Jen‐Ping , Chou Charles C.‐K.
Published: September 2020

Dust particles are effective ice nuclei and are known to affect precipitation. Here, the possible impacts of mineral dust on summertime cloud and precipitation over the Taiwan region are investigated through analysis of 25 years (1989–2013) of multiple observational and modeling data sets. Due to the unique mechanism, typhoon precipitations are excluded from this study. Statistical methods (partial correlation and stratification) are used to untangle the influences of dust from the covarying meteorological conditions (water vapor, horizontal wind, sea surface temperature, and moisture flux). The results suggest a statistically significant positive correlation between nontyphoon precipitation and the number concentration of dust particles larger than 0.5 μm (Nd) in July and August in the regions with heavy precipitation. From clean (Nd = ~0.008 cm−3) to dusty days (Nd = ~0.2 cm−3), averaged ice (liquid) water paths and precipitation increase by ~25% (~20%) and ~70% over the orographic region, and vertically, ~30% more cloud ice content is generated at ~350 hPa (T = ~ −20°C), enhancing the development of the mixed‐phase cloud and precipitation. The results also indicate the critical role of the atmospheric water vapor in the responses of precipitation to Nd, with precipitation increasing more significantly with Nd in higher water vapor circumstances.
Fluvial Sinuous Ridges of the Morrison Formation, USA: Meandering, Scarp Retreat, and Implications for Mars
Authors: Hayden A. T. , Lamb M. P.
Published: September 2020

Sinuous ridges have been interpreted as evidence for ancient rivers on Mars, but relating ridge geometry to paleo‐hydraulics remains uncertain. Three analog ridge systems from the Morrison Formation, Utah, are composed of sandstone caprocks, up to 50 m wide and 8 m thick, atop mudstone flanks. Ridge caprocks have narrowed significantly compared to sandstone bodies preserved in outcrop, consistent with a new ridge‐erosion model that can be used to estimate original sandstone‐body extent. Ridge networks represent caprocks intersecting at distinct stratigraphic levels, rather than a preserved channel network. Caprocks are interpreted as amalgamated channel belts, rather than inverted channels, with dune and bar cross stratification that was used to reconstruct paleo‐channel dimensions. Curvilinear features on ridge tops are outcropping lateral accretion sets (LAS) from point bars and indicate meandering. We found that caprock thickness scales with paleo‐channel depth and LAS curvature scales with paleo‐channel width. Application of these relations to a ridge in Aeolis Dorsa, Mars, yielded consistent water discharge estimates (310–1,800 m3/s). In contrast, using ridge width or ridge radius of curvature as paleo‐channel proxies overestimated discharge by a factor of 30–500. In addition, the ridge‐erosion model suggests that scarp retreat may be less efficient on Mars, resulting in taller and wider ridges, with more intact caprocks. Altogether, our results support the hypothesis that ridges are exhumed channel belts and floodplain deposits implying long‐lived fluvial activity recorded within a depositional basin.