bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short-term clinical and radiographic outcomes of total hip arthroplasty with PMPC-grafted highly cross-linked polyethylene liners against 32-mm femoral heads
Authors: Mouri Kanto , Karita Tatsuro
Published: January 2021

We evaluated the clinical and radiographic outcomes of femoral head penetration and total hip arthroplasties with untreated and poly (2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC)-grafted highly cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) acetabular liners against 26-, 28-, and 32-mm cobalt–chromium alloy femoral heads 3 years after the index surgery. Three combinations of the articulating surfaces were evaluated in the present study: untreated or PMPC-grafted HXLPE liner against 26- or 28-mm femoral heads (n = 16, 24) [control (26 or 28 mm) and PMPC (26 or 28 mm)] and PMPC-grafted HXLPE liner against 32-mm femoral heads (n = 64) [PMPC (32 mm)]. The clinical outcomes improved at 3 years postoperatively for the groups. No periprosthetic osteolysis or acetabular component migration was detected, and no revision surgery was performed among the groups. The steady-state wear rate of the PMPC (26 or 28 mm) group (0.021 mm/year) was lower than that of the control (26 or 28 mm) group (− 0.015 mm/year); the steady-state wear was under the clinical threshold. In contrast, the steady-state wear rate of the PMPC (32 mm) group (-0.006 mm/year) showed no significant difference when compared to that of the PMPC (26 or 28 mm) group (p < 0.01). The results obtained in the present study clearly demonstrate that PMPC-grafting onto an HXLPE surface improved the wear resistance of acetabular liners, even when coupled with larger femoral heads. Although further follow-up evaluations are required, PMPC-grafted HXLPE acetabular liners may be a promising approach to extend the longevity of artificial joints.
A nonlinear elastic description of cell preferential orientations over a stretched substrate
Authors: Lucci Giulio , Preziosi Luigi
Published: January 2021

The active response of cells to mechanical cues due to their interaction with the environment has been of increasing interest, since it is involved in many physiological phenomena, pathologies, and in tissue engineering. In particular, several experiments have shown that, if a substrate with overlying cells is cyclically stretched, they will reorient to reach a well-defined angle between their major axis and the main stretching direction. Recent experimental findings, also supported by a linear elastic model, indicated that the minimization of an elastic energy might drive this reorientation process. Motivated by the fact that a similar behaviour is observed even for high strains, in this paper we address the problem in the framework of finite elasticity, in order to study the presence of nonlinear effects. We find that, for a very large class of constitutive orthotropic models and with very general assumptions, there is a single linear relationship between a parameter describing the biaxial deformation and $$\cos ^2\theta _{\mathrm{eq}}$$

cos
2

θ
eq

, where $$\theta _{\mathrm{eq}}$$

θ
eq

is the orientation angle of the cell, with the slope of the line depending on a specific combination of four parameters that characterize the nonlinear constitutive equation. We also study the effect of introducing a further dependence of the energy on the anisotropic invariants related to the square of the Cauchy–Green strain tensor. This leads to departures from the linear relationship mentioned above, that are again critically compared with experimental data.
Vestibularisschwannome: Diagnose – Therapie – Nachsorge
Authors: Yildiz Erdem , Dahm Valerie , Matula Christian , Arnoldner Christoph
Published: January 2021

Vestibularisschwannome können die Lebensqualität von Patienten stark beeinträchtigen. Neben einer eingeschränkten Hörfunktion wird die Gesichtslähmung hierbei als besonders störend empfunden. Unterschiedliche Wachstumsraten dieser gutartigen Tumore erschweren die zeitliche Vorhersage einer funktionellen Beeinträchtigung von Hirnnerven. Deshalb ist ein regelmäßiges Update zu aktuellen Therapiestrategien und alternative Behandlungsmöglichkeiten sowohl für Ärzte als auch Patienten relevant.
Klinische Ethikberatung in der außerklinischen Langzeitpflege durch den Landesverband Hospiz OÖ – Bericht der ersten 5 Jahre
Authors: Lenz Kurt , Mittendorfer Helmut , Sterrer Helga ,   Arbeitsgruppe klinische Ethikberatung des Landesverbandes Hospiz Oberösterreich, Brunschütz Dietmar , Glanzer Andrea , Feregyhazy-Astecker Daniela , Kargl Claudia , Lamplmayr Walter , Lenz Kurt , Mittendorfer Helmut , Popper Hans , Rosenberger Michael , Sterrer Helga
Published: January 2021

Die Betreuung pflegebedürftiger alter Menschen in Senioreneinrichtungen und Altenheimen stellt deren Mitarbeiter in ihrer täglichen Arbeit immer wieder vor ethischen Fragen. Der Hospizverband Oberösterreich hat vor 5 Jahren ein klinisches Ethikkomitee eingerichtet, deren Aufgabe es ist, Mitarbeiter von außerklinischen Langzeiteinrichtungen bei ethischen Problemstellungen zu beraten und Hilfe zur Lösung gemeinsam zu erarbeiten. In dieser Zeit wurden 38 ethische Beratungen durchgeführt.

Die Anfragen kamen von 24 der 137 in Oberösterreich derzeit bestehenden Langzeiteinrichtungen. Wobei 9 Einrichtungen mehr als eine Anfrage zu einer Beratung in diesem Zeitraum stellten. Teilnehmer an den Beratungen waren einerseits Mitglieder des Behandlungsteams, wobei bei 30 der 38 Beratungen auch die/der behandelnde Ärztin/Arzt anwesend war. Von Seiten des Ethikteams des Hospizverbandes nahmen in der Regel 2 (1–3) Mitglieder teil, wobei ein Mitglied die Moderation leitete, das weitere fertigte das Protokoll an. Die häufigsten Konfliktfelder, die zu einer Beratung führten, waren (bei Mehrfachnennungen) mit über 25 % die Frage nach der Krankenhauseinweisung, gefolgt von Konflikten mit Angehörigen, die Frage der künstlichen Ernährung (einschließlich Setzen bzw. Entfernen einer PEG Sonde) und Einschränkungen der persönlichen Freiheit. Die Hälfte der involvierten Bewohner litten unter einer schweren Demenz, 80 % waren nicht mehr selbstbestimmend. Bei keinem/r der BewohnerInnen lag eine verbindliche Patientenverfügung vor.
Forecasting the nearly unforecastable: why aren’t airline bookings adhering to the prediction algorithm?
Authors: Thirumuruganathan Saravanan , Jung Soon-gyo , Ramirez Robillos Dianne , Salminen Joni , Jansen Bernard J.
Published: January 2021

Using 27 million flight bookings for 2 years from a major international airline company, we built a Next Likely Destination model to ascertain customers’ next flight booking. The resulting model achieves an 89% predictive accuracy using historical data. A unique aspect of the model is the incorporation of self-competence, where the model defers when it cannot reasonably make a recommendation. We then compare the performance of the Next Likely Destination model in a real-life consumer study with 35,000 actual airline customers. In the user study, the model obtains a 51% predictive accuracy. What happened? The Individual Behavior Framework theory provides insights into possibly explaining this inconsistency in evaluation outcomes. Research results indicate that algorithmic approaches in competitive industries must account for shifting customer preferences, changes to the travel environment, and confounding business effects rather than relying solely on historical data.
Assessing Consumers’ Co‐production and Future Participation On Value Co‐creation and Business Benefit: an F-P-C-B Model Perspective
Authors: Chatterjee Sheshadri , Rana Nripendra P. , Dwivedi Yogesh K.
Published: January 2021

Co-production and active participation of the consumers are considered to have enhanced the value co-creation activities that would ensure business benefits of a firm. The marketing literature available does not explicitly explain the philosophy that would motivate the consumers to help to increase values for co-creation activities. In this context, attempts have been made to identify the factors that would impact on co-production and consumers’ participation to co-create values. By studying literature and theories such as theory of co-creation, theory of value creation, information processing theory, marketing theory and expectancy value theory, a conceptual model called F-P-C-B (Future Participation (F) - Co-production (P) - Co-creation (C) - Business Benefit (B)) has been developed along with nine hypotheses. The data was from 362 respondents in India and the model was tested using PLS based analysis. The study shows that it is important for the firms to shift from product-oriented activities to customer-related strategies. It is also found that for obtaining more profitability and better business results, customers should be involved in business activities by way of involving in co-design, idea generation, and other relevant activities of the firms. Moreover, the study highlights that knowledge sharing between the customers and the firm authorities ensures better business values.
Regional disparities in access to assisted reproductive technology: assessment of patient satisfaction when employing modern technology to close the gap
Authors: Mikhael Sasha , Gaidis Anna , Gavrilova-Jordan Larisa
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Geographic disparities for assisted reproductive technology (ART) continue to exist. Travel cost and time off work may create additional barriers for patients living remotely. Implementing telehealth can alleviate these barriers by reducing office visits. The aim of this study was to evaluate patient satisfaction with telehealth during ART.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional survey and retrospective cohort study. Patients living remotely who underwent ART utilizing telehealth between 2015 and 2018 at a single institution were selected for the telehealth group. The non-telehealth control group included randomly selected patients who underwent IVF at the same institution between 2015 and 2018. Demographic variables and treatment outcomes were obtained for both groups. A patient satisfaction questionnaire was distributed to telehealth patients. Statistical analysis using χ2 test was performed to compare ART outcomes between both groups.

Results

Ninety-seven control and 97 telehealth patients were included. For telehealth patients, the mean number of office visits and distance traveled was 2.9 (± 0.8 SD) and 143.1 miles (± 49.2 SD) respectively. 58.8% of patients completed the survey. 44/57 participants had an oocyte retrieval and 42/44 underwent embryo transfer. For those who completed the survey, the clinical pregnancy rate was 31/44 and the live birth rate was 25/44. There was no difference in treatment outcomes between telehealth compared to controls. 73% of patients were highly satisfied with telehealth.

Conclusions

Telehealth can improve access to ART in underserved areas and results in high patient satisfaction. Reproductive health providers could consider telehealth as a safe and efficacious tool to ameliorate geographic disparities.
Reactive Oxygen Species: Beyond Their Reactive Behavior
Authors: Tauffenberger Arnaud , Magistretti Pierre J.
Published: January 2021

Cellular homeostasis plays a critical role in how an organism will develop and age. Disruption of this fragile equilibrium is often associated with health degradation and ultimately, death. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been closely associated with health decline and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. ROS were first identified as by-products of the cellular activity, mainly mitochondrial respiration, and their high reactivity is linked to a disruption of macromolecules such as proteins, lipids and DNA. More recent research suggests more complex function of ROS, reaching far beyond the cellular dysfunction. ROS are active actors in most of the signaling cascades involved in cell development, proliferation and survival, constituting important second messengers. In the brain, their impact on neurons and astrocytes has been associated with synaptic plasticity and neuron survival. This review provides an overview of ROS function in cell signaling in the context of aging and degeneration in the brain and guarding the fragile balance between health and disease.
Gender inequality as a barrier to economic growth: a review of the theoretical literature
Authors: Santos Silva Manuel , Klasen Stephan
Published: January 2021

In this article, we survey the theoretical literature investigating the role of gender inequality in economic development. The vast majority of theories reviewed argue that gender inequality is a barrier to development, particularly over the long run. Among the many plausible mechanisms through which inequality between men and women affects the aggregate economy, the role of women for fertility decisions and human capital investments is particularly emphasized in the literature. Yet, we believe the body of theories could be expanded in several directions.
Nanoscale Simulations of Wear and Viscoelasticity of a Semi-Crystalline Polymer
Authors: Vacher Robin , de Wijn Astrid S.
Published: January 2021

We investigate the underlying tribological mechanisms and running-in process of a semi-crystalline polymer using molecular-dynamics simulations. We subject a slab of simulated polyvinyl alcohol to a sliding contact asperity resembling a friction force microscope tip. We study the viscoelastic response of the polymer to the sliding and show both plastic and elastic contributions to the deformation, with their relative strength dependent on the temperature. As expected, the elastic deformation penetrates deeper into the surface than the plastic deformation. Directly under the tip, the polymer has a tendency to co-axially align and form a layered structure. Over time, the plastic deformation on and near the surface builds up, the friction decreases, and the polymers in the top layer align with each other in the sliding direction (conditioning).
Chiuro laboratory: integration of workflows from digital survey to optimised 3D urban models for interactive exploration
Authors: Bertacchi Silvia , Bertacchi Gianna , Cipriani Luca
Published: January 2021

The digital acquisition of Chiuro (Italy) is part of a research action of the still ongoing project “Le radici di una identità” (“An identity and its roots”), dealing with the documentation of the original urban structure of Chiuro, a small settlement located in northern Italy, whose interesting remains of mediaeval towers and Renaissance palaces are still well preserved. The paper focusses on the complete workflow developed by the group to create an explorative and implementable 3D digital model of the urban centre, constructed by a set of optimised mesh models. From the acquisition phase to geometric processing methodologies, different modelling strategies have been investigated to solve problems related to survey integration, and optimisation of the architectural digital assets. The main challenge is in fact the utilisation of the huge amount of data gathered during the previous surveying campaigns, providing a specific workflow to obtain an optimised 3D model. Moreover, the paper analyses some outputs: one is the storytelling of historical and cultural heritage in an attractive way, using game engines to visualise and give access to detailed digital contents to the general public.
The effect of flame straightening on the microstructure and mechanical properties of different strength steels
Authors: Gyura László , Gáspár Marcell , Balogh András
Published: January 2021

In many cases, flame straightening is unavoidable after welding for the reduction of deformation. Due to the not very concentrated heat source, the process can cause significant changes in the microstructure, especially in high strength and wear-resistant steels. Due to their different physical properties, the effects vary depending on the flammable gases (acetylene, propane). The situation is complicated by the fact that the manual technology carries a risk of overheating, which can have detrimental effects on the mechanical properties. During our experiments, three steels are investigated (S355J2 + N, XAR400, S960QL). The thermal cycles for the physical simulations were determined by thermocouple measurement during real experimental conditions. Three peak temperatures (1000 °C, 800 °C and 675 °C) and two types of industrial cooling conditions (air and water cooling) were studied. The samples were examined by optical microscopy tests, hardness testing and Charpy V-notch impact tests. During straightening the XAR400 showed high sensitivity to softening even in the lower temperature range, while hardening occurred in the S960QL steel at a higher peak temperature values during water cooling. The inter- and supercritical temperature should be avoided in all steels; however, the subcritical temperature can be beneficial to the toughness properties of the S960QL and XAR400.
Retrospective Analysis of Sexual Function After Transvaginal Mesh Surgery
Authors: Khandwala Salil , Cruff Jason , Williams Cheau
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Despite ample research regarding the impact of reconstructive surgery on anatomic/functional outcomes of pelvic organ prolapse (POP), including incidence of dyspareunia, evidence regarding sexual outcomes is equivocal.

Aim

To assess changes in sexual function in women followed up for at least 12 months after transvaginal mesh surgery for POP.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of women who underwent surgery for POP using different mesh products between 2008 and 2019. Baseline demographics were compiled along with intraoperative and postoperative information. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire short form (PISQ-12) was used to assess sexual function.

Main Outcome Measures

Women sexually active before and after surgery were assessed to determine changes in overall and question-specific PISQ-12 responses and potential factors to explain sexual function after surgery.

Results

622 women underwent surgery using mesh at our center. 360 (58%) attended at least one visit at a median of 12 months (IQR 11–23 months), with 113 (31%) sexually active at baseline and 247 (69%) sexually inactive. 97 had complete PISQ-12 responses before and after surgery. There was an overall improvement in the median PISQ-12 scores of 2 points (P < .001); improvements persisted when scores were stratified by various factors. Specific improvements were noted in climax (P = .046) and orgasm intensity (P = .002), fear (P < .001) or actual incontinence during intercourse (P = .004), avoidance of intercourse due to prolapse (P < .001), and negative emotions (P < .001). There was a slight positive effect of the baseline PISQ-12 score on the postoperative PISQ-12 score (regression coefficient 0.24, 95% CI: 0.09-0.39), and a stronger negative effect of having a concomitant anal sphincteroplasty (−4.84, 95% CI: −8.42 to −1.25). Preoperative prolapse stage was not associated with postoperative sexual outcomes. There was a weak negative association between the postoperative PISQ-12 and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory-6 (POPDI-6) scores [r  s(95) = −0.27, P = .008] and a moderate negative association between postoperative PISQ-12 and total Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory short form [r  s(94) = −0.42, P < .001].

Conclusion

Transvaginal mesh surgery appears to positively impact sexual function, and improvements were independent of mesh or baseline prolapse severity.
The Method of Hypothesis and the Nature of Soul in Plato's Phaedo
Authors: Palmer John
Published: January 2021

This study of Plato's Phaedo promotes better understanding of its arguments for the soul's immortality by showing how Plato intended them, not as proofs, but as properly dialectical arguments functioning in accordance with the method of hypothesis. Unlike the argument for the soul's immortality in the Phaedrus, which does seem intended as a proof, the Phaedo arguments are proceeding toward the first principles that could serve as the basis for a proof - the most important being an account of the soul's own essential nature. This study attends to the substantial progress the Phaedo makes toward such an account. It also considers Socrates' epistemic situation in the dialogue and the problem of whether his confidence in the face of death is misplaced if his arguments have not been proofs before considering how the concluding myth draws together several of the dialogue's main themes.
The Transformation of the Roman West
Authors: Wood Ian
Published: January 2021

The history of the Late Roman Empire in the West has been divided into two parallel worlds, analysed either as a political and economic transformation or as a religious and cultural one. But how do these relate one to another? In this concise and effective synthesis, Ian Wood considers some ways in which religion and the Church can be reintegrated into what has become a largely secular discourse. The Church was at the heart of the changes that look place at the end of the Western Empire, not only regarding religion, but indeed every aspect of politics and society. Wood contends that the institutionalisation of the Church on a huge scale was a key factor in the transformation which began in the early fourth century with an incipiently Christian Roman Empire and ended three hundred years later in a world of thoroughly Christianised kingdoms.
International Law and the 2020 Amendments to the Russian Constitution
Authors: Mälksoo Lauri
Published: January 2021

This Current Development Essay discusses the international legal implications of constitutional amendments adopted in the Russian Federation by an “all-Russian vote,” a quasi-referendum from June 25 to July 1, 2020. The most important of these amendments gives the Russian Constitution priority over decisions made by international courts and treaty bodies. The amendments also address Russia's state succession to the Soviet Union. Another provision protects Russia's territorial integrity. The Essay discusses the background to these amendments, their content, and their significance for international law.
External threat environments and individual bias against female leaders
Authors: Kim Nam Kyu , Kang Alice J.
Published: January 2021

We argue that a country's international security context influences individual bias against female leaders and propose three mechanisms: by increasing individual demand for defense, by shaping individual ideological orientations, and by increasing society's level of militarization. Using survey data of more than 200,000 individuals in 84 countries, we show the more hostile the country's security environment, the more individuals are likely to agree that men make better political leaders than do women. We also find support for some of our proposed mechanisms and that the effect of security environments is greater for men than women. Our study presents the first cross-national evidence that the country's international security environment correlates with bias against women leaders.
How transnational party alliances influence national parties' policies
Authors: Senninger Roman , Bischof Daniel , Ezrow Lawrence
Published: January 2021

Previous research reports that parties in established European democracies learn from and emulate the successful election strategies of foreign incumbents, i.e., successful parties are influential abroad. We theorize that—in addition to incumbency (or success)—exchange takes place through transnational party alliances in the European Union. Relying on party manifesto data and spatial econometric analyses, we show that belonging to the same European Parliament (EP) party group enhances learning and emulation processes between national political parties. Estimated short- and long-term effects are approximately two and three times greater when foreign incumbents are in the same EP party group compared to other foreign incumbents. Our results have implications for our understanding of how transnational party groups influence national parties’ policy positions.
‘Youth are redrawing the map’: temporalities and terrains of the hustle economy in Mathare, Nairobi
Authors: Thieme Tatiana
Published: January 2021

This article examines the temporalities and terrains of the home-grown hustle economy of Mathare, one of the oldest and largest informal settlements in Nairobi. It builds on my previous work mobilizing the notion of ‘hustle’ to ground the narratives of struggle, opportunity and place-making expressed by youth whose livelihood strategies have centred around neighbourhood-based informal waste labour in order to assert claims to their local environment. Drawing on three ethnographic portraits and over a decade of longitudinal ethnographic research, the article shows how hustling connects to and evolves with particular generational and gendered identities, revealing the shifting demands on ‘older’ versus ‘younger’ youth. As everyday lives are mired in constant uncertainty, youth occupy a ‘precarious present’, caught in a state of suspension but also well versed in adapting to adversity and shaping local politics of provisioning in the absence of formal structures of support. The article sheds light on local logics of wealth redistribution among youth who belong to the same neighbourhood but whose claims to particular resources shift over time. The article demonstrates how hustling in Mathare sits at the nexus of agentive economic, environmental, political and social struggles, as youth on the urban periphery manage waste in their neighbourhoods to negotiate their place but also their time in the city.
‘Madmen, womanizers, and thieves’: moral disorder and the cultural text of refugee encampment in Kenya
Authors: Brankamp Hanno
Published: January 2021

Kenya's refugee camps have evoked spectacular imaginaries of terrorism and humanitarian crisis. Drawing on everyday discourses and shared knowledges among camp administrators, this article reveals that these geopolitical narratives are underwritten locally by more generalized concerns about the imagined ‘otherness’ and moral degeneracy of the displaced. Refugees are thus portrayed as criminals and crooks, sexually deviant and idle, as well as ‘mad’ and uncivilized. Together, these tropes constitute a cultural text of encampment that reproduces postcolonial imaginings of difference and engrains the notion that ‘refugeeness’ equates to a state of ‘moral disorder’. The article is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Kakuma refugee camp in north-western Kenya's Turkana county. It argues that the discursive production of refugees as immoral subjects not only has practical effects for the actions of government officials and aid workers but rekindles a binary colonial mapping of the world into ‘civilized’ and ‘uncivilized’ spaces. These social imaginaries and banal discourses illustrate that the camp has not just a political but also animaginativegeography. Kakuma camp is hereby doubly excluded: from the modernity that humanitarianism ostensibly embodies and from the imagined moral community of Kenya.
SUMS OF FOUR SQUARES WITH A CERTAIN RESTRICTION
Authors: SHE YUE-FENG , WU HAI-LIANG
Published: January 2021

Z.-W. Sun [‘Refining Lagrange’s four-square theorem’, J. Number Theory175 (2017), 169–190] conjectured that
every positive integer n can be written as
$ x^2+y^2+z^2+w^2\ (x,y,z,w\in \mathbb {N}=\{0,1,\ldots \})$
with

$x+3y$
a square and also as

$n=x^2+y^2+z^2+w^2\ (x,y,z,w \in \mathbb {Z})$
with

$x+3y\in \{4^k:k\in \mathbb {N}\}$
. In this paper, we confirm these conjectures via the arithmetic theory of ternary quadratic forms.
Effects of energy balance on appetite and physiological mediators of appetite during strenuous physical activity: secondary analysis of a randomised crossover trial
Authors: Karl J. Philip , Hatch-McChesney Adrienne , Allen Jillian T. , Fagnant Heather S. , Radcliffe Patrick N. , Finlayson Graham , Gwin Jess A. , Margolis Lee M. , Hennigar Stephen R. , McClung James P. , Pasiakos Stefan M.
Published: January 2021

Energy deficit is common during prolonged periods of strenuous physical activity and limited sleep, but the extent to which appetite suppression contributes is unclear. The aim of this randomised crossover study was to determine the effects of energy balance on appetite and physiological mediators of appetite during a 72-h period of high physical activity energy expenditure (about 9·6 MJ/d (2300 kcal/d)) and limited sleep designed to simulate military operations (SUSOPS). Ten men consumed an energy-balanced diet while sedentary for 1 d (REST) followed by energy-balanced (BAL) and energy-deficient (DEF) controlled diets during SUSOPS. Appetite ratings, gastric emptying time (GET) and appetite-mediating hormone concentrations were measured. Energy balance was positive during BAL (18 (sd 20) %) and negative during DEF (–43 (sd 9) %). Relative to REST, hunger, desire to eat and prospective consumption ratings were all higher during DEF (26 (sd 40) %, 56 (sd 71) %, 28 (sd 34) %, respectively) and lower during BAL (–55 (sd 25) %, −52 (sd 27) %, −54 (sd 21) %, respectively; Pcondition < 0·05). Fullness ratings did not differ from REST during DEF, but were 65 (sd 61) % higher during BAL (Pcondition < 0·05). Regression analyses predicted hunger and prospective consumption would be reduced and fullness increased if energy balance was maintained during SUSOPS, and energy deficits of ≥25 % would be required to elicit increases in appetite. Between-condition differences in GET and appetite-mediating hormones identified slowed gastric emptying, increased anorexigenic hormone concentrations and decreased fasting acylated ghrelin concentrations as potential mechanisms of appetite suppression. Findings suggest that physiological responses that suppress appetite may deter energy balance from being achieved during prolonged periods of strenuous activity and limited sleep.
Frontier Dynamics: Reflections on Evangelical and Tablighi Missions in Central Asia
Authors: Pelkmans Mathijs
Published: January 2021

Missionaries have flocked to the Kyrgyz Republic ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Evangelical-Pentecostal and Tablighi missions have been particularly active on what they conceive of as a fertile post-atheist frontier. But as these missions project their message of truth onto the frontier, the dangers of the frontier may overwhelm them. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork amongst foreign and local Tablighis and evangelical-Pentecostals, this article formulates an analytic of the frontier that highlights the affective and relational characteristics of missionary activities and their effects. This analytic explains why and how missionaries are attracted to the frontier, as well as some of the successes and failures of their expansionist efforts. In doing so, the article reveals the potency of instability, a feature that is particularly evident in missionary work, but also resonates with other frontier situations.
MicroRNA expression profile in patients with cystic echinococcosis and identification of possible cellular pathways
Authors: Orsten S. , Baysal İ. , Yabanoglu-Ciftci S. , Ciftci T. , Azizova A. , Akinci D. , Akyon Y. , Akhan O.
Published: January 2021

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected tropical disease, caused by metacestode (larval) form of the Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (sl) in humans. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, stable, tissue-specific RNA molecules encoded by the genome that are not translated into proteins. Circulating miRNA expression profiles vary in health and disease. The aim of this study is to determine the altered cellular pathways in CE by comparing the miRNA profiles of controls and CE patients with active or inactive cysts. Following abdominal ultrasonography (US) examination, 20 patients diagnosed with active CE (CE1, CE2, CE3a and CE3b) or inactive CE (CE4 and CE5) and three healthy controls were included in the study. The expression profiles of 372 biologically relevant human miRNAs were investigated in serum samples from CE patients and healthy controls with miScript miRNA HC PCR Array. Compared with the control group, expression of 6 miRNAs (hsa-miR-4659a-5p, hsa-miR-4518, hsa-miR-3977, hsa-miR-4692, hsa-miR-181b-3p, hsa-miR-4491) and one miRNA (hsa-miR-4687-5p) were found to be downregulated in CE patients with active and inactive cysts, respectively (p < 0.05). For downregulated miRNAs in this study, predicted targets were found to be associated mainly with cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell-cell interactions and cell cycle regulation. Further studies in this direction may elucidate the pathogenesis of human CE and the relationship between CE and other pathologies.
Teacher perceptions of A-level music: tension, dilemmas and decline
Authors: Whittaker Adam
Published: January 2021

A-level music, a qualification taken most often in English and Welsh school contexts around the age of 18, has been a long-standing feature of the musical training of many musicians. Historically bound up with Western European Art Music, the qualification has somewhat broadened its horizons in recent times, though with mixed success in opening up new ways of thinking about music. Recent research has highlighted the seemingly precarious nature of A-level music in many English schools. The reasons for this picture of decline are highly complex and difficult to disentangle, and are part of a much broader diminishing of creative subjects in the school curriculum. Decreasing numbers of A-level music entries run somewhat counter to popular policy discourse, which celebrates flagship announcements of £79 million given to Music Education Hubs in 2019–2020, and 2018 survey results that reported more than 700,000 children learning to play a musical instrument through music hub provision. However, behind these headlines, although there are many children having the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, few continue through to A-level and beyond. Despite its declining numbers, A-level music is recognised as a valuable qualification amongst music teachers, offering something distinct from graded music examinations and other Level 3 musical qualifications. This article presents the results of a recent nationwide survey of A-level music teachers to offer an insight into teacher perceptions of current A-level music specifications, the extent to which it prepares students for entry into higher musical education, and its appropriateness for aspiring young musicians.
Infant temperament, early-childhood parenting, and early-adolescent development: Testing alternative models of Parenting × Temperament interaction
Authors: Zhang Xiaoya , Sayler Kristina , Hartman Sarah , Belsky Jay
Published: January 2021

Here we evaluate whether infant difficult temperament (6 months) functions as a vulnerability or more general plasticity factor when investigating effects of early-childhood parenting (8–42 months) on both positive and negative early-adolescent socioemotional development (age 8–11 years). Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, N = 14,541) and a re-parameterized model-testing approach to distinguish alternative person × environment conceptual models, results indicated that temperament × parenting interacted in predicting externalizing (i.e., hyperactivity, conduct problems), but not other behavior (i.e., emotional symptoms, peer problems), in a (weak) differential susceptibility manner. While more and less supportive parenting predicted, respectively, fewer and more behavior problems, it did so more strongly for children who were more difficult as infants.
When voters favour the social investment welfare state
Authors: Brazzill Marc , Magara Hideko , Yanai Yuki
Published: January 2021

We investigate when voters favour social investment. Welfare states have transformed their core policies as a result of low economic growth and fiscal pressures. The social investment strategy, such as broader education provision and promotion of women's employment, aims at shifting the economy from the traditional Keynesian welfare state to the high-productivity economy by encouraging long-term and inclusive human capital formation. Social investment is popular among citizens in many developed economies, especially in the EU where governments promote social investment as part of their welfare policy packages. However, in Japan, the term ‘social investment’ is rarely used in policy discussions. Consequently, we ask what levels of voter support social investment policies have in such an environment; which voter characteristics are associated with social investment support; and whether voter support for social investment differs when placed in a broader policy context. To answer these questions, we conducted an online survey with a conjoint experiment. Our data analysis shows that social investment policies are popular among Japanese people, despite a lack of familiarity with the concept of social investment. We find that social libertarians and female respondents are more likely than social authoritarians and male respondents to support social investment. In addition, there is some evidence that higher income voters are favourable to social investment policies. Furthermore, voter support for social investment depends on the policy context. Support becomes weaker when social investment policies are presented in combination with decreasing levels of social security spending. Our results highlight what kinds of social investment policies could be achieved without damaging electoral fortunes.
Variance of Bottom Water Temperature at the Continental Margin of the Northern South China Sea
Authors: Huang Peng‐Qi , Cen Xian‐Rong , Guo Shuang‐Xi , Lu Yuan‐Zheng , Zhou Sheng‐Qi , Qiu Xue‐Lin , Zhang Jia‐Zheng , Wu Zhong‐Liang , Han Guang‐Hui
Published: January 2021

High‐resolution temperature variation was examined about 40 days near the ocean bottom at 20 sites within an area of 110 × 120 km2 close to the continental margin of the northern South China Sea (depth ≈ 4,000 m). The monitoring depth (0.5 m above the bottom) was presumably within the lower part of the bottom mixed layer, compared to its median thickness of 63 m. At all sites, the bottom water had temperature variance less than 0.01°C, and it alternatively varied in the near‐quiescent and internal wave states with time interval of diurnal period or even longer. Spectra of temperature variation showed that diurnal frequency dominated over the internal wave band. At different sites, the transition between internal wave band of scaling −2 and the inertial subrange turbulence of scaling −5/3 cannot easily be discriminated, attributed to the different intermittent presences of internal waves (tides). However, the resolved viscous‐convective and viscous‐diffusive subranges in the temperature spectrum provide the opportunity to evaluate the thermal (χ) and kinetic energy (ɛ) dissipation rates near the ocean bottom at each site. Close to a seamount, χ and ɛ were inferred to be about 1.2 × 10−12 °C2s−1 and 7.2 × 10−10 m2s−3, respectively, and they were strongly modulated by the diurnal internal tides. In the flat abyssal plain, χ and ɛ were much weaker, about at 3.2 × 10−14 °C2s−1 and 1.7 × 10−11 m2s−3, respectively. The spatial distribution of the nominal thermal χ, kinetic energy ɛ and the turbulent diffusivity Kρ indicated that they varied in the ranges [3.9 × 10−15 1.9 × 10−12] °C2s−1, [2.0 × 10−12 1.1 × 10−9] m2s−3, and [8.3 × 10−6 5.2 × 10−3] m2s−1, respectively, representing the different influences of internal waves and local topography.
Seismicity and Pn Velocity Structure of Central West Antarctica
Authors: Lucas Erica M. , Nyblade Andrew A. , Lloyd Andrew J. , Aster Richard C. , Wiens Douglas A. , O'Donnell John Paul , Stuart Graham W. , Wilson Terry J. , Dalziel Ian W. D. , Winberry J. Paul , Huerta Audrey D.
Published: January 2021

We have located 117 previously undetected seismic events mainly occurring between 2015 and 2017 that originated from glacial, tectonic, and volcanic processes in central West Antarctica using data recorded on Polar Earth Observing Network (POLENET/ANET) and UK Antarctic Network (UKANET) seismic stations. The seismic events, with local magnitudes (ML) ranging from 1.1 to 3.5, are predominantly clustered in four geographic regions; the Ellsworth Mountains, Thwaites Glacier, Pine Island Glacier, and Mount Takahe. Eighteen of the events are in the Ellsworth Mountains and can be attributed to a mixture of glacial and tectonic processes. The largest event noted in this study was a mid‐crustal (∼19 km focal depth; ML 3.5) normal mechanism earthquake beneath Thwaites Glacier. We also located 91 glacial events near the grounding zones of Thwaites Glacier and Pine Island Glacier that are predominantly associated with time periods of significant calving activity. Eight events, likely arising from volcano‐tectonic processes, occurred beneath Mount Takahe. Using Pn travel times from the seismic events, we find laterally variable uppermost mantle structure in central West Antarctica. On average, the Ellsworth Mountains are underlain by a faster mantle lid (VPn = ∼8.4 km/s) compared to the Amundsen Sea Embayment region (VPn = ∼8.1 km/s). Within the Amundsen Sea Embayment itself, we find mantle lid velocities ranging from ∼8.05 to 8.18 km/s. Laterally heterogeneous uppermost mantle structure, indicative of variable thermal and rheological structure, likely influences both geothermal heat flux and glacial isostatic adjustment spatial patterns and rates within central West Antarctica.
Solar Activity of the Past 100 Years Inferred From 10Be in Ice Cores—Implications for Long‐Term Solar Activity Reconstructions
Authors: Zheng Minjie , Adolphi Florian , Sjolte Jesper , Aldahan Ala , Possnert Göran , Wu Mousong , Chen Peng , Muscheler Raimund
Published: January 2021

Differences between 10Be records from Greenland and Antarctica over the last 100 years have led to different conclusions about past changes in solar activity. The reasons for this disagreement remain unresolved. We analyze a seasonally resolved 10Be record from a firn core (North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling [NEEM] ice core project) in Northwestern Greenland for 1887–2002. By comparing the NEEM data to 10Be data from the NGRIP and Dye3 ice cores, we find that the Dye3 data after 1958 are significantly lower. These low values lead to a normalization problem in solar reconstructions when connecting 10Be variations to modern observations. Excluding these data strongly reduces the differences between solar reconstructions over the last 2,000 years based on Greenland and Antarctic 10Be data. Furthermore, 10Be records from polar regions and group sunspot numbers do not support a substantial increase in solar activity for the 1937–1950 period as proposed by previous extensions of the neutron monitor data.
A High Resolution, Three‐Dimensional View of the D‐28 Calving Event From Amery Ice Shelf With ICESat‐2 and Satellite Imagery
Authors: Walker Catherine C. , Becker Maya K. , Fricker Helen A.
Published: January 2021

Tabular calving events occur from Antarctica's large ice shelves only every few decades, and are preceded by rift propagation. We used high‐resolution imagery and ICESat‐2 data to determine the propagation rates for the three active rifts on Amery Ice Shelf (AIS; T1, T2, and E3) and observe the calving of D‐28 on September 25, 2019 along T1. AIS front advance accelerated downstream of T1 in the years before calving, possibly increasing stress at the rift tip. T1 experienced significant acceleration for 12 days before calving, coinciding with a jump in propagation of E3. ICESat‐2's high resolution and repeat acquisitions every 91 days allowed for analysis of the ice front before and after calving, and rift detection where it was not visible in imagery as a ∼1 m surface depression, suggesting that it propagates as a basal fracture. Our results show that ICESat‐2 can provide process‐scale information about iceberg calving.
The Leading Modes of Asian Summer Monsoon Variability as Pulses of Atmospheric Energy Flow
Authors: Lu Jian , Xue Daokai , Leung L. Ruby , Liu Fukai , Song Fengfei , Harrop Bryce , Zhou Wenyu
Published: January 2021

Monsoon rainfall anomalies are often organized into dynamical modes that are more predictable than rainfall at specific locations. Here, a linear response function (LRF) is constructed to extract the neutral modes (NM) of the dynamical atmospheric system and their optimal forcing that govern precipitation variability, providing a dynamical underpinning for the empirically derived, recurrent rainfall patterns. The leading mode (NM1) features a shift in the Atlantic ITCZ, a drying over the Indian Ocean and Indian subcontinent, and a “South‐Flood‐North Drought (SFND)” pattern over Eastern China, a pattern inferable from changes in the atmospheric energy flow forced by the corresponding optimal forcing and further amplified by the water vapor and cloud feedbacks. Moreover, the slow evolving component of the NM1 in response to CO2 forcing can be skillfully predicted by running the ocean heat uptake through the LRF, implicating a deterministic ocean dynamic source for the NM1‐like trend under climate warming.
Application of the Monte Carlo Method in Modeling Dusty Gas, Dust in Plasma, and Energetic Ions in Planetary, Magnetospheric, and Heliospheric Environments
Authors: Tenishev Valeriy , Shou Yinsi , Borovikov Dmitry , Lee Yuni , Fougere Nicolas , Michael Adam , Combi Michael R.
Published: January 2021

Typical planetary and planetary satellite exospheres are in nonequilibrium conditions, which means that a distribution function that describes these environments is far from Maxwellian. It is even more true when considering transportation of energetic ions in planetary magnetospheres, making it necessary to solve the Boltzmann equation in order to capture kinetic effects when modeling evolution of the distribution function describing such environments. Among various numerical methods, the Monte Carlo approach is one of the most used one for solving kinetic equations. That is because of the relative simplicity of implementing and a high degree of flexibility in including new physical processes specific to a particular simulated environment. Adaptive Mesh Particle Simulator (AMPS) was developed as a general‐purpose code for solving the Boltzmann equation in conditions typical for planetary and planetary satellite exospheres. Later, the code was generalized for modeling dusty gas, dust, and plasma, and for simulating transportation of solar energetic particles and galactic cosmic rays in planetary magnetospheres. Here, we present a brief overview of the design, list the implemented physics models, and outline the modeling capabilities of AMPS. The latter is supported by several examples of prior applications of the code.