bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trends in central-line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections in a large acute-care hospital system in New York City, 2016-2019
Authors: Kaminski Monica A. , Episcopia Briana , Malik Saquib , Fornek Mary , Landman David , Xavier Geralda , Quale John
Published: November 2020

Background:

Central-line bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) negatively impact clinical outcomes and hospital reimbursement. In this report, 4 year trends involving 11 hospitals in New York City were examined.

Methods:

Data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) were extracted for 11 acute-care hospitals belonging to the NYC Health + Hospital system from 2016 through 2019. Trends in device infections per 1,000 patient days, device utilization ratios, and standardized infection ratios (SIRs) were examined for the 11 hospitals and for the entire system.

Results:

Over the 4-year period, there were progressive declines in central-line days, infections per 1,000 central-line days, and device utilization ratios for the system. The average annual SIRs for the system also declined: 1.40 in 2016, 1.09 in 2017, 1.04 in 2018, and 0.82 in 2019. Case-mix indices correlated with SIRs for CLABSIs. Level 1 trauma centers had higher SIRs and a disproportionately greater number of CLABSIs in patients located in NHSN-defined surgical intensive care units. Similar trends with CAUTIs were noted, with progressive declines in catheter days, infections per 1,000 patient days, device utilization ratios, and SIRs (1.42 in 2016, 0.93 in 2017, 1.18 in 2018, and 0.78 in 2019) over the 4-year period.

Conclusions:

Across an 11-hospital system, continuing efforts to reduce device utilization and infection rates resulted in declining SIRs for CLABSIs and CAUTIs. Hospitals with higher case-mix indices, and particularly level 1 trauma centers, had significantly higher central-line infection rates and SIRs.
Monte Albán's Hidden Past: Buried Buildings and Sociopolitical Transformation
Authors: Levine Marc N. , Hammerstedt Scott W. , Regnier Amanda , Badillo Alex E.
Published: November 2020

In this article, we present the most significant results of the Monte Albán Geophysical Archaeology Project. Using ground-penetrating radar, gradiometry, and electrical resistance, we carried out a systematic survey of the site's Main Plaza to identify buried prehispanic features that might shed light on Monte Albán's early history. The most important discoveries include three buried structures dating between the Danibaan (500–300 BC) and Nisa phases (100 BC–AD 100). We argue that the largest structure, measuring 18 × 18 m, was probably a temple platform and that all three of the structures were razed and buried by the end of the Nisa phase at the latest. Furthermore, we contend that these events were part of a major renovation and expansion of the site's Main Plaza that occurred during a pivotal period of dramatic sociopolitical transformation in the Zapotec capital.
But a ‘Stage-Play’: A Counter-Reformation View of the Marian Church
Authors: DOMÍNGUEZ FREDDY
Published: November 2020

This essay studies Robert Persons's understanding of the reforms of Mary i of England within the continental discursive context in which he worked. By describing his critiques of Marian reforms together with similar reformist discourses in France and Spain, it is argued that his ideas represent a common Counter-Reformation polemical stance and a set of normal Catholic assumptions about the ‘political’ and institutional reforms necessary to combat heresy. Persons's thoughts about the ‘political’ reforms within a broader field of spiritual imperatives serve as a reminder that the Counter-Reformation was necessarily about politics despite scholarly emphasis on issues of theology and religious practice.
A myna problem: alien species no obstacle to recovery for the Mangaia kingfisher
Authors: Thacker Tom , Seddon Philip J. , van Heezik Yolanda , McCormack Gerald
Published: November 2020

Endemic island species are of conservation interest as unique taxa, often with restricted populations, but many are data poor. The Mangaia kingfisherTodiramphus ruficollaris, known locally as the tanga‘eo, is endemic to the island of Mangaia in the Cook Islands, and categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The population size has not been estimated since 1996, despite concerns over habitat loss and competition with an invasive species, the common mynaAcridotheres tristis. We provide new population estimates for both the tanga‘eo and the common myna, using the same methodology as previous estimates. During December 2018–February 2019 we surveyed with distance sampling along 73 line transects walked across the six habitat types on Mangaia. We estimate there are 4,106 tanga‘eo on Mangaia (95% CI 3,191–5,283), a dramatic 7–8 fold increase compared to the previous estimate of 393–764. We estimate there are 13,350 common myna (95% CI 10,998–16,206), a slight increase, although densities in the two most favoured habitats for myna have declined. There is no evidence that the common myna poses a threat to the viability of the tanga‘eo population, as the latter has increased despite a much larger population of common myna. Presumed declines in the tanga‘eo population in the past were probably a result of habitat loss as a result of the cultivation of pineapplesAnanas comosusfor export, an industry that collapsed in the 1980s. We recommend a review of the IUCN Red List status of the tanga‘eo.
Rethinking Operatic Masculinity: Nicola Tacchinardi's Aria Substitutions and the Heroic Archetype in Early Nineteenth-Century Italy
Authors: Wangpaiboonkit Parkorn
Published: November 2020

This article looks at representations of masculinity in Italian operatic performance in the 1820s and 1830s, with a particular focus on the ways in which male characters were transformed through the practice of aria and scene substitutions. Upon his retirement in 1833, the tenor Nicola Tacchinardi chastised musico performers – women who sang male roles – for their unconvincing portrayal of operatic heroes. Rather than complain about their high-lying voices, he chose to criticise these women's feminine appearance and idiosyncratic stage behaviours as unmasculine. Tacchinardi's criteria for gender performance, then, sidestepped embodied vocality and centred on performer appearance and behaviour in specific narrative situations. My study explores how Tacchinardi and his contemporaries employed aria substitution in heroic roles as a means for plot substitution, forgoing arias of dramatic stasis for dynamic scenes that showcase decisive action and augmented narrative significance. In this pre-Duprez milieu, before the onset of predetermined physiology in operatic discourse, male singers across the 1820s achieved an explicitly masculine self-definition not through voice, but as masters of textual control. Aria substitutions in the operas La Sacerdotessa d'Irminsul, La donna del lago and Norma demonstrate how singers established the components of masculine-heroic conventions through sensitive consideration of dramaturgy. I stress that the singing voice before 1830 was under-assimilated as an index of gender, and that rethinking the history of the ‘rise of the tenor’ may be crucial to understanding the history of the vocalic body.
Technical modifications for transplant in the failing Fontan
Authors: Gil-Jaurena Juan-Miguel , Pardo Carlos , Pita Ana , Pérez-Caballero Ramón , Zamorano José , Camino Manuela , Gil-Villanueva Nuria , Zataráin Eduardo , Prieto Raquel
Published: November 2020

Introduction:

Heart transplant after Fontan completion poses a unique surgical challenge. Twenty patients are presented, stressing the technical hints performed in the five anastomoses to match the graft in the recipient.

Methods:

Data are collected from 20 Fontan patients between 2013 and 2019. Age (13 years), weight (37 kg.), and time interval between Fontan and transplant (7 years) are presented as median. Extracardiac conduit (size 18/20) was implanted in 15 patients, whereas atrio-pulmonary connection was performed in 4 and lateral tunnel in 1. Six patients developed protein-losing enteropathy. Seventeen stents had been previously deployed.

Results:

The five anastomoses underwent some changes. Left atrium once, aorta 9 times, superior vena cava 7 times, pulmonary branches 15 times, and inferior vena cava 12 times. Follow-up was complete for a median of 42 months (range 6–84). Two patients died. ECMO was needed in six cases for pulmonary hypertension. Four patients had collateral vessels occluded in the cath lab, and stents were placed in superior vena cava (1) and aorta (1) post-transplant. Protein-losing enteropathy was resolved in five patients. Interestingly, one patient was on a systemic assist device before transplant (Levitronix) and right assistance (ECMO) afterwards.

Conclusions:

Transplant in Fontan patients is actually challenging. Hints in every of the five proposed anastomoses must be anticipated, including stents removal. Extra tissue from the donor (innominate vein, aortic arch, and pericardium) is strongly advisable. ECMO for right ventricular dysfunction was needed in nearly one-third of the cases. Overall results can match other transplant cohorts.
Assessment of the European Climate Projections as Simulated by the Large EURO‐CORDEX Regional and Global Climate Model Ensemble
Authors: Coppola Erika , Nogherotto Rita , Ciarlo' James M. , Giorgi Filippo , van Meijgaard Erik , Kadygrov Nikolay , Iles Carley , Corre Lola , Sandstad Marit , Somot Samuel , Nabat Pierre , Vautard Robert , Levavasseur Guillaume , Schwingshackl Clemens , Sillmann Jana , Kjellström Erik , Nikulin Grigory , Aalbers Emma , Lenderink Geert , Christensen Ole B. , Boberg Fredrik , Sørland Silje Lund , Demory Marie‐Estelle , Bülow Katharina , Teichmann Claas , Warrach‐Sagi Kirsten , Wulfmeyer Volker
Published: November 2020

This paper analyzes the ensemble of regional climate model (RCM) projections for Europe completed within the EURO‐CORDEX project. Projections are available for the two greenhouse gas concentration scenarios RCP2.6 (22 members) and RCP8.5 (55 members) at 0.11° resolution from 11 RCMs driven by eight global climate models (GCMs). The RCM ensemble results are compared with the driving CMIP5 global models but also with a subset of available last generation CMIP6 projections. Maximum warming is projected by all ensembles in Northern Europe in winter, along with a maximum precipitation increase there; in summer, maximum warming occurs in the Mediterranean and Southern European regions associated with a maximum precipitation decrease. The CMIP6 ensemble shows the largest signals, both for temperature and precipitation, along with the largest inter‐model spread. There is a high model consensus across the ensembles on an increase of extreme precipitation and drought frequency in the Mediterranean region. Extreme temperature indices show an increase of heat extremes and a decrease of cold extremes, with CMIP6 showing the highest values and EURO‐CORDEX the finest spatial details. This data set of unprecedented size and quality will provide the basis for impact assessment and climate service activities for the European region.
CMIP6 Historical Simulations (1850–2014) With GISS‐E2.1
Authors: Miller Ron L. , Schmidt Gavin A. , Nazarenko Larissa S. , Bauer Susanne E. , Kelley Maxwell , Ruedy Reto , Russell Gary L. , Ackerman Andrew S. , Aleinov Igor , Bauer Michael , Bleck Rainer , Canuto Vittorio , Cesana Grégory , Cheng Ye , Clune Thomas L. , Cook Ben I. , Cruz Carlos A. , Del Genio Anthony D. , Elsaesser Gregory S. , Faluvegi Greg , Kiang Nancy Y. , Kim Daehyun , Lacis Andrew A. , Leboissetier Anthony , LeGrande Allegra N. , Lo Ken K. , Marshall John , Matthews Elaine E. , McDermid Sonali , Mezuman Keren , Murray Lee T. , Oinas Valdar , Orbe Clara , Pérez García‐Pando Carlos , Perlwitz Jan P. , Puma Michael J. , Rind David , Romanou Anastasia , Shindell Drew T. , Sun Shan , Tausnev Nick , Tsigaridis Kostas , Tselioudis George , Weng Ensheng , Wu Jingbo , Yao Mao‐Sung
Published: November 2020

Simulations of the CMIP6 historical period 1850–2014, characterized by the emergence of anthropogenic climate drivers like greenhouse gases, are presented for different configurations of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Earth System ModelE2.1. The GISS‐E2.1 ensembles are more sensitive to greenhouse gas forcing than their CMIP5 predecessors (GISS‐E2) but warm less during recent decades due to a forcing reduction that is attributed to greater longwave opacity in the GISS‐E2.1 pre‐industrial simulations. This results in an atmosphere less sensitive to increases in opacity from rising greenhouse gas concentrations, demonstrating the importance of the base climatology to forcing and forced climate trends. Most model versions match observed temperature trends since 1979 from the ocean to the stratosphere. The choice of ocean model is important to the transient climate response, as found previously in CMIP5 GISS‐E2: the model that more efficiently exports heat to the deep ocean shows a smaller rise in tropospheric temperature. Model sea level rise over the historical period is traced to excessive drawdown of aquifers to meet irrigation demand with a smaller contribution from thermal expansion. This shows how fully coupled models can provide indirect observational constraints upon forcing, in this case, constraining irrigation rates with observed sea level changes. The overall agreement of GISS‐E2.1 with observed trends is familiar from evaluation of its predecessors, as is the conclusion that these trends are almost entirely anthropogenic in origin.
Estimating and Removing the Sampling Biases of the AIRS Obs4MIPs V2 Data
Authors: Tian Baijun , Hearty Thomas
Published: November 2020

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Observations for Model Intercomparison Projects (Obs4MIPs) Version 2.0 (V2.0) monthly mean tropospheric air temperature, specific humidity, and relative humidity profile data were designed for climate model evaluation in the context of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP). Due to the limitations of the Aqua satellite orbit and the AIRS retrieval algorithm, the sampling biases of the AIRS Obs4MIPs V2.0 data can be large for certain cases and must be considered when the AIRS Obs4MIPs V2.0 data are used for climate model evaluation. In this study, we estimate the sampling biases of the AIRS Obs4MIPs V2.0 data based on the fifth generation of the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) (ERA5) reanalysis and cross‐check them using the Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Application, Version 2 (MERRA‐2) reanalysis. We then remove the estimated sampling biases from the AIRS Obs4MIPs V2.0 data and produce the sampling‐bias‐corrected AIRS Obs4MIPs V2.1 data that have been published at the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) data centers and should be used in the future for climate model evaluation.
Tropical Cyclone Compound Flood Hazard Assessment: From Investigating Drivers to Quantifying Extreme Water Levels
Authors: Gori Avantika , Lin Ning , Xi Dazhi
Published: November 2020

Compound flooding, characterized by the co‐occurrence of multiple flood mechanisms, is a major threat to coastlines across the globe. Tropical cyclones (TCs) are responsible for many compound floods due to their storm surge and intense rainfall. Previous efforts to quantify compound flood hazard have typically adopted statistical approaches that may be unable to fully capture spatio‐temporal dynamics between rainfall‐runoff and storm surge, which ultimately impact total water levels. In contrast, we pose a physics‐driven approach that utilizes a large set of realistic TC events and a simplified physics‐based rainfall model and simulates each event within a hydrodynamic model framework. We apply our approach to investigate TC flooding in the Cape Fear River, NC. We find TC approach angle, forward speed, and intensity are relevant for compound flood potential, but rainfall rate and time lag between the centroid of rainfall and peak storm tide are the strongest predictors of compounding magnitude. Neglecting rainfall underestimates 100‐year flood depths across 28% of the floodplain, and taking the maximum of each hazard modeled separately still underestimates 16% of the floodplain. We find the main stem of the river is surge‐dominated, upstream portions of small streams and pluvial areas are rainfall dominated, but midstream portions of streams are compounding zones, and areas close to the coastline are surge dominated for lower return periods but compounding zones for high return periods (100 years). Our method links joint rainfall‐surge occurrence to actual flood impacts and demonstrates how compound flooding is distributed across coastal catchments.
2020 Class of AGU Fellows Announced
Authors: Bell Robin , Myles LaToya
Published: November 2020

Sixty-two individuals have been elected to the 2020 Class of Fellows.
The Influence of Glacial Cover on Riverine Silicon and Iron Exports in Chilean Patagonia
Authors: Pryer Helena V. , Hawkings Jon R. , Wadham Jemma L. , Robinson Laura F. , Hendry Katharine R. , Hatton Jade E. , Kellerman Anne M. , Bertrand Sebastien , Gill‐Olivas Beatriz , Marshall Matthew G. , Brooker Richard A. , Daneri Giovanni , Häussermann Vreni
Published: November 2020

Glaciated environments have been highlighted as important sources of bioavailable nutrients, with inputs of glacial meltwater potentially influencing productivity in downstream ecosystems. However, it is currently unclear how riverine nutrient concentrations vary across a spectrum of glacial cover, making it challenging to accurately predict how terrestrial fluxes will change with continued glacial retreat. Using 40 rivers in Chilean Patagonia as a unique natural laboratory, we investigate how glacial cover affects riverine Si and Fe concentrations, and infer how exports of these bioessential nutrients may change in the future. Dissolved Si (as silicic acid) and soluble Fe (<0.02 μm) concentrations were relatively low in glacier‐fed rivers, whereas concentrations of colloidal‐nanoparticulate (0.02–0.45 μm) Si and Fe increased significantly as a function of glacial cover. These colloidal‐nanoparticulate phases were predominately composed of aluminosilicates and Fe‐oxyhydroxides, highlighting the need for size‐fractionated analyses and further research to quantify the lability of colloidal‐nanoparticulate species. We also demonstrate the importance of reactive particulate (>0.45 μm) phases of both Si and Fe, which are not typically accounted for in terrestrial nutrient budgets but can dominate riverine exports. Dissolved Si and soluble Fe yield estimates showed no trend with glacial cover, suggesting no significant change in total exports with continued glacial retreat. However, yields of colloidal‐nanoparticulate and reactive sediment‐bound Si and Fe were an order of magnitude greater in highly glaciated catchments and showed significant positive correlations with glacial cover. As such, regional‐scale exports of these phases are likely to decrease as glacial cover disappears across Chilean Patagonia, with potential implications for downstream ecosystems.
Effects of Ecological Restoration Measures on Soil Erosion Risk in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area Since the 1980s
Authors: Xiao Yang , Xiao Qiang , Xiong Qinli , Yang Zhipeng
Published: November 2020

Ecosystem degradation accompanied by soil erosion risk is caused by the interaction of many factors, including climate change and human activities. Therefore, before attempting the optimal form of ecological restoration, we must know the key factors responsible for soil erosion risk and determine their impacts on the ecosystem health. To test this approach, we conducted a case study in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area from 1980 to 2015, where extensive restoration (primarily afforestation) has been conducted. The results showed that climate was most important during Period I (1980 to 1984), and explained 84% of the variation in erosion. However, vegetation became equally important during Period II (1985 to 2006), when it accounted for 51% of the variation. Climate became as important as vegetation during Period III (2007 to 2015), when it accounted for 51% of the variation. The temporal variation in the dominant factors that controlled soil erosion risk suggests that the ecological effect of vegetation improvement resulting from ecological restoration in Three Gorges Reservoir Area has been gradually enhanced since the 1980s.
Experimental Investigation of Hydraulic Fracturing and Stress Sensitivity of Fracture Permeability Under Changing Polyaxial Stress Conditions
Authors: Fraser‐Harris A. P. , McDermott C. I. , Couples G. D. , Edlmann K. , Lightbody A. , Cartwright‐Taylor A. , Kendrick J. E. , Brondolo F. , Fazio M. , Sauter M.
Published: November 2020

Understanding and predicting fracture propagation and subsequent fluid flow characteristics is critical to geoenergy technologies that engineer and/or utilize favorable geological conditions to store or extract fluids from the subsurface. Fracture permeability decreases nonlinearly with increasing normal stress, but the relationship between shear displacement and fracture permeability is less well understood. We utilize the new Geo‐Reservoir Experimental Analogue Technology (GREAT cell), which can apply polyaxial stress states and realistic reservoir temperatures and pressures to cylindrical samples and has the unique capability to alter both the magnitude and orientation of the radial stress field by increments of 11.25° during an experiment. We load synthetic analogue materials and real rock samples to stress conditions representative of 500–1,000 m depth, investigate the hydraulic stimulation process, and then conduct flow experiments while changing the fluid pressure and the orientation of the intermediate and minimum principal stresses. High‐resolution circumferential strain measurements combined with fluid pressure data indicate fracture propagation can be both stable (no fluid pressure drop) and unstable (fluid pressure drop). The induced fractures exhibit both opening and shear displacements during their creation and/or during fluid flow with changing radial stress states. Flow tests during radial stress field rotation reveal that fracture normal effective stress has first‐order control on fracture permeability but increasing fracture offset can lead to elevated permeabilities at maximum shear stress. The results have implications for our conceptual understanding of fracture propagation as well as fluid flow and deformation around fractures.
The Basal Friction Coefficient of Granular Flows With and Without Excess Pore Pressure: Implications for Pyroclastic Density Currents, Water‐Rich Debris Flows, and Rock and Submarine Avalanches
Authors: Breard Eric C. P. , Dufek Josef , Fullard Luke , Carrara Alexandre
Published: November 2020

Numerous large‐scale geophysical flows propagate with low‐apparent basal friction coefficients, but the source of such phenomenology is poorly known. Motivated by scarce basal friction data from natural flows, we use numerical methods to investigate the interaction of granular flows with their substrate under idealized conditions. Here we investigate 3‐D monodisperse and polydisperse fluid‐particle granular flow rheology and flow‐substrate interaction using discrete element modeling and coarse‐graining techniques. This combination allows us to calculate the continuum fields of solid fraction, velocity, shear stress, and solid pressure and compare it with force measurements on the substrate. We show that the wall/basal friction coefficient is not constant. Instead, it is a function of the nondimensional slip defined as the ratio of the slip velocity over the slip velocity fluctuations. The scaling of the wall friction with nondimensional slip is independent of air viscosity and density and presence of excess pore pressure. Therefore, the reduction of the basal stress that must occur in mobile natural flows with excess pore pressure is not ascribed to the lowering of wall friction coefficient. Instead, lowering of the normal stress by fluid drag in flows with elevated pore fluid pressure justifies the definition of effective wall and internal friction coefficients to capture the geophysical flow rheology and the forcing on its substrate. These results are fundamental to understand the dynamics of geophysical mass flows including pyroclastic density currents, water‐rich debris flows, and rock and submarine avalanches.
Projected Changes in Abrupt Shifts Between Dry and Wet Extremes Over China Through an Ensemble of Regional Climate Model Simulations
Authors: Chen H. , Wang S. , Zhu J. , Zhang B.
Published: November 2020

The dry‐wet abrupt alternation (DWAA) event, which is defined as the phenomenon of dry (or wet) spells abruptly following wet (or dry) spells, magnifies the influence of individual wet and dry events. The dynamic evolution of DWAA events has not been studied for different climate zones of China that is particularly susceptible to dry and wet extremes. This study explores the future changes in the abrupt alternations between dry and wet extremes across 10 climate divisions of China, with a thorough assessment of dry and wet conditions using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). We take advantage of an ensemble of regional climate model simulations including the Providing Regional Climate Impacts for Studies (PRECIS) experiment and five CORDEX East Asia experiments to produce high‐resolution climate information for a baseline period of 1975–2004 and a future period of 2069–2098. Our findings disclose that a total of 70% of China's land area suffered from the DWAA events at least once during 1975–2004. The wet‐dry alternation event is projected to become more frequent in summer, and a prominent increase in the number of dry‐wet alternation events is expected to occur in spring over most parts of China. Moreover, an increasing number of DWAA events with intensified magnitude is projected to strike the North China Plain dominated by warm temperature and humid zone, which is the most densely populated region of the country and is also the largest agriculture production area. Our findings also reveal a strong positive correlation between DWAA and heavy rainfall. The 95th percentile rainfall event contributes most to the wet‐dry alternation event for most climate divisions of China.
New Insights Into Kuroshio Current Evolution Since the Last Deglaciation Based on Paired Organic Paleothermometers From the Middle Okinawa Trough
Authors: Li Qian , Li Guangxue , Chen Min‐Te , Xu Jishang , Liu Shidong , Chen Mengna
Published: November 2020

As an important hydrological parameter in the upper ocean, the depth of the thermocline (DOT) in the Okinawa Trough (OT) is closely linked to air‐sea interactions and Kuroshio Current (KC) intrusions. However, high‐resolution DOT records in the OT since the last deglaciation have not been well reconstructed. In this study, we generated surface (
) and shallow subsurface (
) temperature records from core M063‐05, obtained from the middle OT, and reconstructed annual mean DOT variations since the last deglaciation based on vertical temperature gradients (ΔT
). The DOT variations in the OT are interpreted to be mainly driven by the KC, with a stronger KC resulting in a deeper DOT and a smaller ΔT (
). In our reconstruction, the KC intensity increased gradually during the last deglaciation, with a reduction during the Younger Dryas, reached a maximum in the early Holocene, and then gradually declined during the middle to late Holocene. We also investigated the responses of the KC to high‐ and low‐latitude climate systems. On orbital timescales, the evolution of the KC occurred in parallel to precession‐induced El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dynamics. On millennial timescales, fluctuations in the intensity of the KC during the last deglaciation suggest a dynamic link to the North Atlantic climate via the East Asian Monsoon. We propose that the ΔT between
‐ and
‐based temperatures is a reliable indicator for high‐resolution studies on the hydrographic structure of the OT and paleoceanographic evolution in the East China Sea.
Concise review: current trends on applications of stem cells in diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Liu Dongwei , Zheng Wen , Pan Shaokang , Liu Zhangsuo
Published: November 2020

Diabetic nephropathy, with high prevalence, is the main cause of renal failure in diabetic patients. The strategies for treating DN are limited with not only high cost but an unsatisfied effect. Therefore, the effective treatment of DN needs to be explored urgently. In recent years, due to their self-renewal ability and multi-directional differentiation potential, stem cells have exerted therapeutic effects in many diseases, such as graft-versus-host disease, autoimmune diseases, pancreatic diseases, and even acute kidney injury. With the development of stem cell technology, stem cell-based regenerative medicine has been tried to be applied to the treatment of DN. Related stem cells include embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal cells, and endothelial progenitor cells. Undoubtedly, stem cell transplantation has achieved certain results in the treatment of DN animal models. However, stem cell therapy still remains certain thorny issues during treatment. For instance, poor engraftment and limited differentiation of stem cells caused by the diabetic microenvironment, differentiation into unwanted cell lineages, and malignant transformation or genetic aberrations of stem cells. At present, various researches on the therapeutic effects of stem cells in DN with different opinions are reported and the specific mechanism of stem cells is still unclear. We review here the potential mechanism of stem cells as new therapeutic agents in the treatment of DN. Also, we review recent findings and updated information about not only the utilization of stem cells on DN in both preclinical and clinical trials but limitations and future expectations of stem cell-based therapy for DN.
The optimal alternative for quantifying reference evapotranspiration in climatic sub-regions of Bangladesh
Authors: Salam Roquia , Islam Abu Reza Md. Towfiqul , Pham Quoc Bao , Dehghani Majid , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Linh Nguyen Thi Thuy
Published: November 2020

Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is a basic element for hydrological designing and agricultural water resources management. The FAO56 recommended Penman–Monteith (FAO56-PM) formula recognized worldwide as the robust and standard model for calculating ETo. However, the use of the FAO56-PM model is restricted in some data-scarce regions like Bangladesh. Therefore, it is imperative to find an optimal alternative for estimating ETo against FAO56-PM model. This study comprehensively compared the performance of 13 empirical models (Hargreaves–Samani, HargreavesM1, Hargreaves M2, Berti, WMO, Abtew, Irmak 1, Irmak 2, Makkink, Priestley-Taylor, Jensen–Haise, Tabari and Turc) by using statistical criteria for 38-years dataset from 1980 to 2017 in Bangladesh. The radiation-based model proposed by Abtew (ETo,6) was selected as an optimal alternative in all the sub-regions and whole Bangladesh against FAO56-PM model owing to its high accuracy, reliability in outlining substantial spatiotemporal variations of ETo, with very well linearly correlation with the FAO56-PM and the least errors. The importance degree analysis of 13 models based on the random forest (RF) also depicted that Abtew (ETo,6) is the most reliable and robust model for ETo computation in different sub-regions. Validation of the optimal alternative produced the largest correlation coefficient of 0.989 between ETo,s and ETo,6 and confirmed that Abtew (ETo,6) is the best suitable method for ETo calculation in Bangladesh.
Large-scale analysis of iliopsoas muscle volumes in the UK Biobank
Authors: Fitzpatrick Julie A. , Basty Nicolas , Cule Madeleine , Liu Yi , Bell Jimmy D. , Thomas E. Louise , Whitcher Brandon
Published: November 2020

Psoas muscle measurements are frequently used as markers of sarcopenia and predictors of health. Manually measured cross-sectional areas are most commonly used, but there is a lack of consistency regarding the position of the measurement and manual annotations are not practical for large population studies. We have developed a fully automated method to measure iliopsoas muscle volume (comprised of the psoas and iliacus muscles) using a convolutional neural network. Magnetic resonance images were obtained from the UK Biobank for 5000 participants, balanced for age, gender and BMI. Ninety manual annotations were available for model training and validation. The model showed excellent performance against out-of-sample data (average dice score coefficient of 0.9046 ± 0.0058 for six-fold cross-validation). Iliopsoas muscle volumes were successfully measured in all 5000 participants. Iliopsoas volume was greater in male compared with female subjects. There was a small but significant asymmetry between left and right iliopsoas muscle volumes. We also found that iliopsoas volume was significantly related to height, BMI and age, and that there was an acceleration in muscle volume decrease in men with age. Our method provides a robust technique for measuring iliopsoas muscle volume that can be applied to large cohorts.
The EU and Safety Management in Higher Education
Authors: Hoeneveld Dick
Published: November 2020

This chapter focusses on the special character of occupational safety and health (OSH) management in higher education (HE), OSH trends, options for improvement and the role of European regulation. I will argue why OSH management in higher education requires a different approach to OSH management in industry. OSH in higher education is not only special in character, but it is also challenged by special trends that influence the direction of OSH management in higher education. Options for improvement of OSH management in higher education will be discussed in more detail. To complete the chapter, I will describe OSH legislation in the European Union, its influence on national legislating in the UK after Brexit and the contribution to OSH in higher education of the European Agency for Health and Safety at work. Finally, I will cover future OSH development.
Laboratory Safety for Undergraduate Chemistry Students
Authors: Hancock L. M. , Hollamby M. J. , Jones G. R.
Published: November 2020

From our perspective as chemistry lecturers our primary goal is to graduate trained chemists who can enter into employment or research degrees and can operate safely within a laboratory; the sort of chemist whose first thought is ‘how do I carry out this procedure safely’ and who has the foresight to put on their CV that they can fill in a COSHH form. Here, we review some of the approaches taken to safety in the undergraduate laboratory and describe our methods for creating a positive safety culture. We explore how, as students progress, the safety culture is incrementally built upon: Completing COSHH forms to engaging and writing Safe Operating Procedures and Risk Assessments. We pose the question “How do you systematically teach students how to undertake procedures correctly and judge when a student is competent enough to engage in experimentation with remote supervision?” We will also deal with some of the practicalities of safety in the undergraduate chemistry laboratories: technician safety; clear labelling; chemical disposal; PPE (and how to police it); the challenge of shared laboratories; and what to do in an emergency.
How to Do Health and Safety Right from the Beginning
Authors: Akin M. , Presland J. , Brownlees J. , Howley E. , Gillotin S. , Lepko T. , Jagannath V. , Marshall F. H.
Published: November 2020

The new London Discovery Centre of MSD provided us with the opportunity to establish a new research site from scratch under the auspices of one of the world's leading research driven pharmaceutical companies. Much effort centred on which areas of science we would focus on, however in practice the most critical part of building an effective research laboratory was setting up the health and safety policies, documentation and long-term safety culture. In this chapter, we describe the challenges we encountered working to align disparate stakeholders in different countries and legislatures, both internally and externally, while recruiting a new team and establishing a new research laboratory. Additionally, we share solutions we have developed to those challenges and lessons learned based on our experiences which we believe will provide useful insight to other research organisations.
Please Throw it Away: Dealing with Legacy Chemicals, Equipment, and Infrastructure Safely
Authors: Harrison C.
Published: November 2020

Universities often trade on their great age. Unfortunately, during that time they have been accumulating ageing chemicals, equipment and buildings. This chapter will lay out some of the issues and hazards of managing aging facilities with some practical advice to get it under control. This will be of particular interest for those managing safety within a chemistry or other large science or research department.
Catalytic asymmetric formal [3+2] cycloaddition of isatogens with azlactones to construct indolin-3-one derivatives
Authors: Xie Lihua , Li Yi , Dong Shunxi , Feng Xiaoming , Liu Xiaohua
Published: November 2020

A number of enantioenriched indolin-3-one derivatives were readily obtained by chiral guanidine-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition of isatogens with azlactones.
Variation of the properties of sol–gel synthesized bioactive glass 45S5 in organic and inorganic acid catalysts
Authors: Chakraborty Pritam Kishore , Adhikari Jaideep , Saha Prosenjit
Published: November 2020

Sol–gel synthesis of BG 45S5 using organic acetic acid as a catalyst was found to be superior to the conventional inorganic acid method.
Synthesis, crystal molecular structure, and magnetic characteristics of coordination polymers formed by Co(ii) diketonates with pentaheterocyclic triphenodioxazines
Authors: Aldoshin Sergey , Ivakhnenko Eugeny , Shilov Gennadii , Tkachev Valerii , Utenyshev Andrei , Palii Andreii , Dorovatovskii Pavel , Kovalenko Anastasiia , Morgunov Roman , Metelitsa Anatoly , Minkin Vladimir
Published: November 2020

Heteropentacyclic triphenodioxazines are shown to be efficient bridging ligands in the synthesis of 1D coordination polymers, whose structure and stability depend on the electron accepting properties of the substituents in the diketonate moieties.
Phase transformation and room temperature stabilization of various Bi2O3 nano-polymorphs: effect of oxygen-vacancy defects and reduced surface energy due to adsorbed carbon species
Authors: Gandhi Ashish Chhaganlal , Lai Chi-Yuan , Wu Kuan-Ting , Ramacharyulu P. V. R. K. , Koli Valmiki B. , Cheng Chia-Liang , Ke Shyue-Chu , Wu Sheng Yun
Published: November 2020

The air annealing induced grain growth from nano to microscale and a transformation sequence from Bi → β-Bi2O3 → γ-Bi2O3 → α-Bi2O3 was evident. All the annealed samples are oxygen-deficient, resulting in the appearance of a strong red emission band.
Synthesis of highly crystalline black phosphorus thin films on GaN
Authors: Han Dan , Liu Qingming , Zhang Qiang , Ji Jianlong , Sang Shengbo , Xu Bingshe
Published: November 2020

Black phosphorus (BP) has recently garnered significant attention due to its specific physical properties.
Coupling of RAFT polymerization and chemoselective post-modifications of elastin-like polypeptides for the synthesis of gene delivery hybrid vectors
Authors: Bravo-Anaya Lourdes Mónica , Rosselgong Julien , Fernández-Solís Karla Gricelda , Xiao Ye , Vax Amélie , Ibarboure Emmanuel , Ruban Anna , Lebleu Coralie , Joucla Gilles , Garbay Bertrand , Garanger Elisabeth , Lecommandoux Sébastien
Published: November 2020

Hybrid cationic ELPs for nucleic acids transport and delivery were synthetized through the coupling of RAFT polymerization and biorthogonal chemistry of ELPs, introducing a specific number of positive charges to the ELP backbone.
Synergistic incorporation of NaF and CsF PDT for high efficiency kesterite solar cells: unveiling of grain interior and grain boundary effects
Authors: Chang Xiaohuan , Fu Junjie , Kou Dongxing , Zhou Wenhui , Zhou Zhengji , Yuan Shengjie , Qi Yafang , Zheng Zhi , Wu Sixin
Published: November 2020

Synergistic NaF–CsF PDT is conducted to solve the difficulty in obtaining the available Voc and FF for kesterite photovoltaics.
Beyond populism studies
Authors: De Cleen Benjamin , Glynos Jason
Published: November 2020

‘Populism’ has become ever more ubiquitous in political analysis, to the extent that ‘populism studies’ appears on course
to establishing itself as a field of research in its own right. This article warns about the dangers of such a development. Taking a
discourse theoretical approach as our starting point – but also critically engaging with this tradition’s contribution to the hype about
populism – we suggest that ‘populism studies’ (and the preoccupation with populism this field embodies) risks reifying populism by focusing
on populism as a phenomenon ‘as such’, and through an over-reliance on the concept of populism to approach
that phenomenon. This, we argue, hampers a nuanced and contextualized understanding of the exact role populism plays in different populist
politics. This is not a call for abandoning the concept of populism altogether, but a call for de-centring the concept and for moving beyond
academia’s ‘populist moment’.
An introduction to the special issue on ‘Discourse Theory: Ways forward for theory development and research
practice’
Authors: De Cleen Benjamin , Goyvaerts Jana , Carpentier Nico , Glynos Jason , Stavrakakis Yannis , Trivundža Ilija Tomanić
Published: November 2020

This article introduces the special issue of the Journal of Language and Politics on ‘Discourse Theory: Ways forward for
theory development and research practice.’ In this introduction we discuss the aims and structure of this special issue focused on the development of the poststructuralist and post-Marxist discourse theory originally developed by Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe.
Mathematical and physical modeling shape memory polymer composites
Authors: Annin B D , Karpov E V , Moskvichev E V , Yu Larichkin A
Published: November 2020

In the article the influence of fiber orientation on the deformation character of specimens from composites with shape memory (EMC) under transverse and longitudinal bending is studied. Also, restoration of the initial configuration of the sample upon activation of the shape memory effect (SME) is considered. The effect of fiber orientation on the formation of systems of irreversible structural defects during molding is revealed. The degree of shape restoration upon SME implementation and the reproducibility of the original form upon repetition of the shape fixing-recovering cycles depend on these defects. Variants of a material model with linear hardening and a Voigt model for describing the shape memory effect in modeling the stages of molding and restoration are considered.
MHD model of an incompressible polymeric fluid. Linear instability of the resting state
Authors: Blokhin Alexander , Tkachev Dmitry
Published: November 2020

We study the linear stability of a resting state for a generalization of the basic rheological Pokrovski-Vinogradov model for flows of solutions and melts of an incompressible viscoelastic polymeric medium to the nonisothermal case under the influence of magnetic field. We prove that the corresponding linearized problem describing magnetohydrodynamic flows of polymers in an infinite plane channel has the following property: for certain values of the conduction current which is given on the electrodes, i.e. on the channel boundaries, the problem has solutions whose amplitude grows exponentially (in the class of functions periodic along the channel).
Hydrodynamics of new high-speed surface systems
Authors: Boyko A V , Golub A P , Yeroshin V A , Samsonov V A
Published: November 2020

Until recently, high-speed surface vessels consisted mainly of hydrogliders, airfoil boats, hydrofoil and air-cushion craft. Their hydrodynamic characteristics are well understood and the vessels involved have high speeds and excellent sailing qualities. In recent years, however, there has been some expansion of this group of vessels by means of high-speed surface objects on wheels (baggies) and tracks (snowmobiles), in some cases at speeds far exceeding those of hydrofoil and air-cushion craft. Information on the hydrodynamic characteristics of these vessels is not available in the literature. This prompts us to study their hydrodynamic parameters and to consider the practical use of these vessels. The report describes conditions for water rolling of wheeled and tracked systems with grousers, simulates this phenomenon, derives the dependence of draft and bearing capacity of wheeled systems on the Froude number, and presents the dependence of tracked traction on the dimensionless parameter equal to the ratio of absolute speeds of the lower part of a track and the above-water part of a model.
On the ratcheting of the VT6 alloy in a range of loading scenarios
Authors: Kaygorodtseva A A , Kapustin V I , Zakharchenko K V , Shutov A V
Published: November 2020

A set of experimental results concerning the accumulation of inelastic strain in the VT6 titanium alloy is presented. The considered tests include cyclic stress-controlled loading with monotonically increasing stress amplitude and constant mean stress. The focus of the study is on the accurate phenomenological modelling of the complex material behaviour. Four different material models are employed to capture the phenomena of ratcheting and nonlinear kinematic hardening. Two models are of the Armstrong-Frederick type and the remaining two models are of the Ohno-Wang type. Since all the considered models contain a big number of material parameters, a sophisticated nested procedure is used for the parameter identification; the obtained material parameters are validated by additional experiments. It is shown that all the models yield nearly the same accuracy; the limitations of the phenomenological approach are highlighted and discussed.
Analysis of SiC mixture densification in explosive compaction
Authors: Krokhalev A V , Kharlamov V O , Kuzmin S V , Lysak V I
Published: November 2020

The paper presents the results of research into how the binder content and the Shockwave compression parameters affect SiC and Ti powder mixture densification in explosive compaction. The microstructure of the resulting compacted metal was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Phase and chemical composition was studied by X-ray crystallography and energy-dispersive analysis. It was found that at higher silicon carbide concentrations and higher powder heating temperatures, Shockwave compression reduced the residual porosity of the compacted metal to 2%. The microstructure was a carbide-silicon matrix with titanium inclusions. The obtained material matched the initial components in phase composition.
Quasi-brittle fracture of smooth shafts under torsion (stress-strain-based approach)
Authors: Kurguzov V D
Published: November 2020

The nucleation of an edge annular concentric crack on the surface of a smooth cylinder made of an elastoplastic material with ultimate strain is considered. To obtain critical parameters of quasi-brittle fracture, a coupled (sufficient) fracture criterion of an elastoplastic material is used. Simple relations are obtained for the critical stresses, the length of the prefecture zone and the critical stress intensity factor (SIF) for the mode III fracture. In the framework of the proposed model, the critical SIF obtained by the sufficient criterion is a variable, it depends on the characteristic linear size of the material structure, the parameters of the stress-strain diagram, and the length of the crack. The rule of selecting the parameters of the proposed fracture model for two laboratory experiments is indicated: according to the stress-strain diagram of material under simple shear and critical SIF. The obtained critical parameters are conservative estimates of critical stresses. It is advisable to use these estimates in the calculation of steel structures operating at temperatures below the cold brittleness threshold.