bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strong but opposing effects of associational resistance and susceptibility on defense phenotype in an African savanna plant
Authors: Coverdale Tyler C. , McGeary Ian J. , O'Connell Ryan D. , Palmer Todd M. , Goheen Jacob R. , Sankaran Mahesh , Augustine David J. , Ford Adam T. , Pringle Robert M.
Published: July 2019

The susceptibility of plants to herbivores can be strongly influenced by the identity, morphology and palatability of neighboring plants. While the defensive traits of neighbors often determine the mechanism and strength of associational resistance and susceptibility, the effect of neighbors on plant defense phenotype remains poorly understood. We used field surveys and a prickle‐removal experiment in a semi‐arid Kenyan savanna to evaluate the efficacy of physical defenses against large mammalian herbivores in a common understory plant, Solanum campylacanthum. We then quantified the respective effects of spinescent Acacia trees and short‐statured grasses on browsing damage and prickle density in S. campylacanthum. We paired measurements of prickle density beneath and outside tree canopies with long‐term herbivore‐exclusion experiments to evaluate whether associational resistance reduced defense investment by decreasing browsing damage. Likewise, we compared defense phenotype within and outside pre‐existing and experimentally created clearings to determine whether grass neighbors increased defense investment via associational susceptibility. Removing prickles increased the frequency of browsing by ~25%, and surveys of herbivory damage on defended leaves suggested that herbivores tended to avoid prickles. As predicted, associational resistance and susceptibility had opposing effects on plant phenotype: individuals growing beneath Acacia canopies (or, analogously, within large‐herbivore exclosures) had a significantly lower proportion of their leaves browsed and produced ~ 70–80% fewer prickles than those outside refuges, whereas plants in grass‐dominated clearings were more heavily browsed and produced nearly twice as many prickles as plants outside clearings. Our results demonstrate that associational resistance and susceptibility have strong, but opposing, effects on plant defense phenotype, and that variable herbivore damage is a major source of intraspecific variation in defense phenotype in this system.
Factors associated with the intention to use adult preventive health services in Taiwan
Authors: Hsieh Yi‐Lin , Lee Fang‐Hsin , Chen Shu‐Chuan , Tang Jing‐Shia
Published: July 2019

Objective

This research aimed to examine the factors associated with the intention to use adult preventive health services in Taiwan.

Design and Sample

Using Andersen's behavioral model, we employed a cross‐sectional descriptive design to investigate 500 samples from four communities in southern Taiwan.

Measures

We used a self‐reported survey to assess participants’ intention to use adult preventive health services, and the predisposing, enabling, and need factors influencing their intention.

Results

Intention to use adult preventive health services was more significantly explained by predisposing and enabling factors than by need factors. In addition, a lack of fixed medical facilities (enabling factor) and Taiwanese origin (predisposing factor) were associated with decreased odds of intention to use adult preventive health services. An educational level of high school or below (predisposing factor), higher amounts of exercise (predisposing factor), and lower barriers to use preventive health services (predisposing factor) were associated with increased odds of intention to use adult preventive health services.

Conclusion

The findings can assist public health nurses in identifying high‐risk groups with lower intentions of using adult preventive health services. Additionally, community‐based health education program can be developed to increase people's intention to use adult preventive health services.
Venue Preference and Earthquake Mitigation Policy: Expanding the Micro‐Model of Policy Choice
Authors: Choi Junghwa , Wehde Wesley
Published: July 2019

Seismologists have reported that a majority of recent earthquakes in Oklahoma have been triggered by the activities of oil and gas companies. Despite this fact, there is evidence of strong opposition toward earthquake mitigation policy. In this article, we argue that how individuals define issues affect their policy choice. Furthermore, we incorporate the concept of venue shopping from the literature on macro theories of the policy process to investigate the effect of problem definition in shaping individual venue preference for policy choice. Using unique survey data, we find that problem definition, particularly issue causality and issue image, is strongly related to individual support for earthquake mitigation policy. However, a more nuanced relationship between individual problem definition and venue preference is observed. Our findings contribute to scholarly endeavors to understand the politics of problem definition at an individual level, which may be the precursor of understanding policy choices at the institutional level.
Income Shocks and Partnership Formation: Evidence from Malawi
Authors: Molotsky Adria
Published: July 2019

The ever‐increasing prevalence of negative shocks experienced by poor, vulnerable households often induces extreme measures as ways to recover from the negative effects on income. Child marriage is one of the coping mechanisms households may use. This study examines whether young people in households that experience a negative shock are more likely to marry than those not experiencing a shock, and whether this effect differs by lineage system. I show that marrying off daughters is, in fact, a coping mechanism used by patrilineal households after experiencing a shock and that these effects are potentially strongest for young women who are already out of school. Conversely, I find no significant effect for young men. Additionally, I find suggestive evidence of an increased likelihood of young women engaging in transactional sexual relationships after a shock as an individual‐level coping mechanism. Understanding the mechanisms leading to the increased incidence of these phenomena provides valuable information that can help combat such practices.
An immersive orientation programme to improve medical student integration and well‐being
Authors: Short Brooke , Lambeth Louise , David Michael , Ryall Mary‐Ann , Hood Carol , Pahalawatta Upuli , Dawson Amanda
Published: July 2019

Background

Multiple common challenges exist for medical students transitioning to regional clinical placements, including a relative paucity of well‐being skills required for the promotion of work–life integration. Beginning Education at Central Coast Hospitals (BEACCHES) is an immersive orientation programme aimed at negotiating this transition and promoting student well‐being through improved social connectedness. The programme was evaluated with the objectives of understanding the most highly valued and effective components.

Method

BEACCHES is offered to medical students commencing regional clinical placement at the Central Coast Medical School, Australia. The programme emphasises teamwork and self care, and promotes multidirectional interaction among peers, staff and the local community. A specific well‐being forum is an essential component of the programme. An evaluation of the inaugural programme was performed using semi‐structured surveys with a mixed‐method analysis of quantitative data (pre‐ and post‐programme knowledge and confidence scores) and qualitative data (emergent themes).

Results

Knowledge acquisition significantly improved across all domains. Importantly, this included items that could positively impact on well‐being, including: knowledge of psychological first aid (p = 0.01), student support services (p < 0.01), connectedness with fellow students and staff (p < 0.01), and self‐management of health and workload (p = 0.01). Qualitative analysis also revealed substantial support for the importance of interaction with peers and staff outside of the formal education setting.

According to the Australian Medical Association, medical schools‘ responsibilities include incorporating curricula designed to improve stress management

Conclusion

Our survey results indicated that BEACCHES has the potential to foster student well‐being through targeted orientation and engagement to enhance connectedness. We highlight the value of embedding an interactive experiential programme for students beginning a new regional clinical placement.
Tactics of dispossession: Access, power, and subjectivity at the extractive frontier
Authors: Frederiksen Tomas , Himley Matthew
Published: July 2019

In this article we analyse and theorise how power is exercised and subjectivities reworked to achieve and maintain socio‐political order in areas of large‐scale international extractive investment. Through a critical review of recent literature on the political ecologies of the international mining and hydrocarbon industries, we explore the strategies that firms and their allies deploy to secure and preserve the transformed relations of land and resource access upon which accumulation relies. Inspired by the work of John Allen we analyse these strategies with attention to the modalities and techniques of power used, highlighting the diverse ways socio‐political stability is pursued despite the industry’s destabilising effects. What emerges is that, contrasting the sector’s reputation for coercion and domination, transformed regimes of access to land and resources at the extractive frontier are to a significant degree achieved and stabilised through what Allen calls the “quieter registers” of power. Attention to the varied and overlapping ways extractive firms and their allies exercise power to secure and maintain access to land and resources highlights limitations to David Harvey’s influential accumulation by dispossession framework for understanding how extractive capital circulates into “new ground.” It also directs attention to processes of subject formation at the extractive frontier, and to how industry expansion may be facilitated through the production of particular kinds of subjects. To illustrate this, we outline three interrelated ways subjectivities are reworked through peoples’ encounters with the logics, materiality, and power of contemporary extractive industry. We suggest that those living in the shadow of large international extractive operations become extractive subjects.
Iron status and risk factors for iron depletion in a racially/ethnically diverse blood donor population
Authors: Spencer Bryan R. , Guo Yuelong , Cable Ritchard G. , Kiss Joseph E. , Busch Michael P. , Page Grier P. , Endres‐Dighe Stacy M. , Kleinman Steven , Glynn Simone A. , Mast Alan E. ,   For the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study‐III (REDS‐III)
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

The optimal approach for reducing iron depletion (ID) in blood donors may vary depending on biologic or behavioral differences across donors.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

More than 12,600 successful whole blood donors were enrolled from four US blood centers for ferritin testing. The study population was enriched for racial/ethnic minorities (1605 African American, 1616 Asian, 1023 Hispanic). Subjects completed questionnaires on ID risk factors. Logistic regression identified predictors of absent iron stores (AIS; ferritin <12 ng/mL) and low ferritin (LF; ferritin <26 ng/mL).

RESULTS

Across all subjects, 19% had AIS and 42% had LF, with a sharp increase in risk observed with increasing donation intensity and among women a large decrease in risk in those more than 50 years old. When other factors were controlled for, African American and Asian donors showed 20% to 25% decreased risk for AIS compared to non‐Hispanic Caucasian donors, while Hispanic donors had 25% higher risk. Daily iron supplementation reduced risk for LF and AIS by 30% to 40%, respectively, while the benefit from less frequent use was lower (7%‐19% protection). Regular antacid use was associated with at least 20% increment to risk. Use of oral contraceptives or estrogen in females reduced risk by 16% to 22%, while males who reported supplemental testosterone use had a 50% to 125% greater risk for LF and AIS.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms high prevalence of LF and AIS in US donors and the principal risk factors of age, sex, and donation frequency. Additional demographic and behavioral risk factors of secondary importance might allow for refinement of ID mitigation strategies.
Biotinylation of platelets for transfusion purposes a novel method to label platelets in a closed system
Authors: de Bruin Sanne , van de Weerdt Emma K. , Sijbrands Davina , Vlaar Richard , Gouwerok Eric , Biemond Bart J. , Vlaar Alexander P.J. , van Bruggen Robin , de Korte Dirk
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

Labeling of platelets (PLTs) is required to measure the recovery and survival of transfused PLTs in vivo. Currently a radioactive method is used to label PLTs. However, application of those radiolabeling methods is limited by both safety issues and the inability to isolate transfused PLTs from the circulation. Biotin‐labeled PLTs are an attractive nonradioactive option. However, no validated protocol to biotinylate PLTs is currently available for human studies.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Six PLT concentrates (PCs) were subaliquoted and biotinylated on Days 1 and 7 of storage. To distinguish the effect of the processing steps from the effects of biotin incubation, two control groups were used: 1) “sham” samples were processed without the biotinylation reagent and 2) control samples were assessed without any processing other than the PC isolation. For the biotinylation procedure, 50 mL of PCs was washed twice and incubated with 5 mg/L biotin for 30 minutes in a closed system. As measures of PLT activation, phosphatidylserine exposure and CD62p expression were assessed.

RESULTS

After biotinylation, 98.4% ± 0.9% of PLTs were labeled. PLT counts, pH, and “swirling” were within the range accepted by the Dutch blood bank for standard PLT products. Biotinylated PLTs were more activated compared than controles but not more than sham samples, but were more activated than the controls.

CONCLUSION

We developed a standardized and reproducible protocol according to Good Practice Guidelines standards, for biotin labeling of PLTs for clinical purposes. This method can be applied as nonradioactive alternative assess survival and recovery of transfused PLTs in vivo.
Thermodynamic, Economic, and Environmental Comparison Between the Direct and Indirect CO2 Refrigeration Cycle With Conventional Indirect NH3 Cycle With Considering a Heat Recovery System in an Ice Rink: A Case Study
Authors: Momeni Hossien , Keshtkar Mohammad Mehdi
Published: July 2019

In industrial refrigeration systems, such as ice rinks, because of consumption of a lot of energy, the selection of a refrigeration system is very important. At this work, environmental considerations are combined with thermodynamics and economics for the comparison of three different refrigeration systems in an ice rink, including the NH3/brine, CO2/brine, and full CO2. The first law of thermodynamics is used to calculate the system's coefficient of performance (COP) and the second law of thermodynamics is applied to quantify the exergy destructions in each component of a refrigeration system. With regard to the above, the exergy efficiency and energy consumption of the systems are determined by taking into account the heat recovery process that has been performed in the above-mentioned cycles. The results indicate that if a heat recovery system has been used in the refrigeration system, coefficient of performance of full CO2 refrigeration system is 33% higher than the CO2/brine and 66% greater than the NH3/brine system. The results also show that, whatever the refrigeration evaporating temperature in the NH3/brine system reaches lower than −12.4 °C, the total cost of this system will be greater than the full CO2 system.
Multifault Diagnosis of Combined Hydraulic and Mechanical Centrifugal Pump Faults Using Continuous Wavelet Transform and Support Vector Machines
Authors: Rapur Janani Shruti , Tiwari Rajiv
Published: July 2019

Centrifugal pumps (CPs) fail due to anomalies in fluid flow patterns and/or due to failure of mechanical subsystems in them. In this work, a technique built on the multiclass support vector machine (MSVM) is developed to identify multiple faults in the CP. In addition, the complex problem of fault combinations and their classification is dealt with in this work. The combination of features from motor line current sensors and accelerometers is used to train the algorithm. To take into account the transient as well as harmonic components of fault signatures, continuous wavelet transform (CWT) analysis is used. Thereafter, the most important information from the CWT coefficients is selected using the two proposed novel methods CWT-based on energy (BE)-MSVM and CWT-principal component analysis (PCA)-MSVM, which are BE as well as PCA, respectively. It is experimentally observed that faults in the CPs have a very strong association with its operating speed. Thus, in order to make the CP versatile in operation, it is important that the fault diagnosis methodology is also efficient at large speed range of CP operation. This work attempts to develop a fault classification methodology, which is independent of the CP operating speed.
Discovering Crash Severity Factors of Grade Crossing With a Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Lee Dahye , Warner Jeffery , Morgan Curtis
Published: July 2019

According to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Accident/Incident database, more than 12,000 accidents occurred between 2012 and 2017 in the United States with casualties of around 3900. Despite repeated efforts to fully understand the risk factors that contribute to highway-rail grade crossing collisions, there still remain many uncertainties. A machine learning approach is proposed in this paper to find out significant factors, along with their individual impacts of crash severities at grade crossings. One of the most efficient and accurate machine learning algorithms, extreme gradient boosting (XGB or XGBoost), is applied to analyze 21 different accident and crossing -related characteristics per driver severities. The XGB model has been proven in previous studies across many research areas in transportation to outperform other machine learning-based methods and statistical classification methods, such as multinomial logit model, multiple additive regression trees, decision tree, and random forest, especially in prediction accuracy. Thereby, applying the algorithm is expected to provide highly reliable results to identify important factors that have impacts on injury severities at grade crossings. Such application will further aid the discovery of potential crossings with significant factors. The FRA’s Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Accident/Incident database from 2012 to 2017 is fused with the FRA Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory database for the analysis. Observations with missing information were removed from the original database. Crossing position under or over the railroad and pedestrian or other types of highway users were also not considered since they were not specifically of interest in this study. After the database cleaning process, it condensed to the total of 1,250 accidents out of the retrieved 12,630 from the combined database. The results show that adjacent highway traffic volume and train speed are the most significant factors causing accidents and injury severity. They are followed by the driver’s age and the estimated vehicle speed. It also indicated that truck-involved accidents and crossings with gates, flashing lights, and other types of warning devices combined, and highway user’s gender as a male also pertain to the higher injury rate. Through this study, it is possible to provide guidance to decision-makers in recognizing possible risks at-grade crossings that may cause driver casualties.
High Speed Train Wireless Communication: Handover Performance Analysis for Different Radio Access Technologies
Authors: Banerjee Subharthi , Hempel Michael , Ghasemzadeh Pejman , Albakay Naji , Sharif Hamid
Published: July 2019

High Speed Trains (HST) face some of the most stringent requirements for ensuring passenger safety and comfort while operating at very high velocities. HST wireless communication systems therefore similarly require special considerations for network design, technology selection and system implementation.

For infrastructure-based wireless communications, a handover occurs whenever a radio transitions from the coverage of the current base station to the next base station. The faster the train moves the shorter the time that it spends under coverage area before a handover is required. For HST this can be as short as 10–20 seconds. Furthermore, a HST moving at 220 mph experiences significant fast and small-scale wireless signal fading due to this velocity, but similarly may incur frequent connectivity losses due to the rapid transit across coverage areas. A route consisting of viaducts, bridges, tunnels or hilly regions drastically increases the need for rapid handovers since a large number of base stations are required to provide coverage and achieve acceptable Quality-of-Service (QoS) in such environments. Due to the relatively fixed amount of time needed to complete a handover, and the possibility of failed handovers, this reduces the usable time under coverage, and thus ensuring an optimal handover strategy selection is vital.

Most of the routes span rural and suburban areas, which reinforces the need for a comprehensive network planning strategy, as these areas tend to be underdeveloped for cellular coverage. Given the complexity in available radio spectrum resources, detailed studies are required to aid in this technology selection process. However, with the predicted increase in the demand of railroad network data traffic generated by onboard sensors, onboard control and operation devices, passenger Internet services, etc., it becomes apparent that more resources are needed than are provided by current technologies such as LTE. Thus, including 5G New Radio for Railways (5G-NR2) in the consideration does not only provide railways a more cost-effective licensing option for frequencies, but also an opportunity to select the best possible radio access method for a given HST corridor.

In this paper, we focus on the metrics related to handover and how they correlate with different radio access technologies for HST. Our results integrate the uncertainty of environmental factors to provide answers on technology selection driven by specific route, inter-site distances, and available bandwidth. Our wireless communication simulation results are driven by well recognized mathematical models that consider a variety of key parameters. The analysis of the handover performance will offer insights vital to future railroad network planning for multivariate radio access technologies, and to answer crucial questions about the potential for using frequency bands above 6 GHz in HST.
Simulation of the Thermal Effects on Engineered Polymer Composite Ties
Authors: Gao Yin , McHenry Mike
Published: July 2019

Engineered polymer composite (EPC) ties offer a potential alternative to solid sawn timber ties. These materials are especially attractive for use in regions where wood is susceptible to degradation by moisture and decay organisms. However, recent research at the Transportation Technology Center’s (TTC) Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST) in Pueblo, CO, found that track supported by EPC ties experienced more gage widening variation due to temperature changes than track supported by wood ties. Specifically, the track gage was about 0.2-in. wider in the afternoon than that in the morning on the EPC tie tracks. It is believed that the direct sunlight in the afternoon makes the top surface of the tie expand more than the other parts of the tie, thereby causing the EPC ties to bend and widen track gage. Another observation related to the EPC thermal bending effect is changes to the ballast support condition. When temperatures are cooler, EPC ties tend to experience a center-bound ballast support condition, therefore generating more bending stress on the ties. This paper presents results from computer simulations of the thermal behavior of EPC ties. Future study will focus on field testing to further understand the thermal effects in support of recommendations on the use of EPC ties.
Polytetrafluoroethylene, by near-ambient pressure XPS
Authors: Jain Varun , Bahr Stephan , Dietrich Paul , Meyer Michael , Thißen Andreas , Linford Matthew R.
Published: July 2019

Near-ambient pressure–x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS) is a less traditional form of XPS that allows samples to be analyzed at relatively high pressures, i.e., at greater than 2500 Pa. With NAP-XPS, XPS can probe moderately volatile liquids, biological samples, porous materials, and/or polymeric materials that outgas significantly. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is an important polymer with many applications in science and industry. It is an insulator that charges under x-ray illumination at high vacuum. In this submission, we show NAP-XPS spectra of PTFE. Survey spectra are shown at different background gas (air) pressures. These spectra contain F 2s, C 1s, O 1s, N 1s, F 1s, and F Auger signals. Also presented are F 1s narrow scans over a range of background pressures and illumination times. Peaks decrease in width, shift toward literature values, and improve in shape with increasing background gas pressure.
Effects of nitrogen-argon flow ratio on the microstructural and mechanical properties of TiAlSiN/CrN multilayer coatings prepared using high power impulse magnetron sputtering
Authors: Liu Hui , Tang Jian-Fu , Wang Xiaojian , Li Wei , Chang Chi-Lung
Published: July 2019

This paper introduces a novel TiAlSiN/CrN multilayer film deposited on substrates of silicon Si (100) or tungsten carbide steel using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering. The authors systematically analyzed the effects of N2/Ar flow ratio on the microstructural and mechanical properties of the thin films using TEM, SEM, XRD, and nanoindentation measurements. SEM images revealed that increasing the N2/Ar flow ratio led to corresponding decreases in the thickness of TiAlSiN/CrN multilayer films (from 1.9 to 0.5 μm) and the bilayer (from 21.5 to 6.6 nm). XRD and TEM analysis revealed that under the same conditions, the structure of a TiAlSiN monolayer transformed from amorphous to crystallite. Thus, increasing the N2/Ar flow ratio from 5% to 80% led to a sharp increase in hardness (from 9.8 to 19.6 GPa) and Young's modulus (from 178 to 245 GPa).
Resource Letter: GP-1: Gender and Physics
Authors: Blue Jennifer , Traxler Adrienne , Cochran Geraldine
Published: July 2019

This Resource Letter introduces issues which influence the representation and participation of women in physics. It is intended for all physicists, regardless of subfield, who teach, advise, or work in research groups with other people. We start with reports, statistics, and literature reviews, give a theoretical framework, and address the intersection of gender with additional identities. Then, we review several factors that impact the participation of women at all levels. We continue with the literature about scientific careers and then talk about “what works” and how women can be supported as physics students and as physicists. We conclude with a call to action.
Comment on “Peculiarities in the gravitational field of a filamentary ring” [Am. J. Phys. 87, 384–394 (2019)]
Authors: West J.
Published: July 2019

In a recent article, the dynamics of a particle in the gravitational field of a uniform ring in the plane of the ring was examined. Parts of this work duplicate the results of previous work by West et al. in a paper published in this journal in 1998, and additional work extending those results in a paper by Tobin and West in 2006.
Categorical phoneme labeling in children with dyslexia does not depend on stimulus duration
Authors: O'Brien Gabrielle E. , McCloy Daniel R. , Yeatman Jason D.
Published: July 2019

It is established that individuals with dyslexia are less consistent at auditory phoneme categorization than typical readers. One hypothesis attributes these differences in phoneme labeling to differences in auditory cue integration over time, suggesting that the performance of individuals with dyslexia would improve with longer exposure to informative phonetic cues. Here, the relationship between phoneme labeling and reading ability was investigated while manipulating the duration of steady-state auditory information available in a consonant-vowel syllable. Children with dyslexia obtained no more benefit from longer cues than did children with typical reading skills, suggesting that poor task performance is not explained by deficits in temporal integration or temporal sampling.
The influence of tone language experience and speech style on the use of intonation in language discrimination
Authors: Schertz Jessamyn , Chow Crystal Tze Ying , Kamal Nur Sakinah Nor
Published: July 2019

This work tests whether listeners' use of suprasegmental information in speech perception is modulated by language background and speech style. Native Mandarin (tone language) and Malay (non-tone language) listeners completed an AX language discrimination task with four levels of signal degradation and two speech styles. Listeners in both groups showed more benefit from pitch information in read than in spontaneous speech. Mandarin listeners showed a greater benefit than Malay listeners from the inclusion of f0 information in a segmentally degraded signal, suggesting that experience with lexical tone may extend to increased attention and/or sensitivity to phrase-level pitch contours.
Effects of a Combined Upper- and Lower-Limb Plyometric Training Program on High-Intensity Actions in Female U14 Handball Players
Authors: Hammami Mehrez , Ramirez-Campillo Rodrigo , Gaamouri Nawel , Aloui Gaith , Shephard Roy J. , Chelly Mohamed Souhaiel
Published: July 2019

Purpose: To analyze the effects of a 9-week plyometric training program on the sprint times (5, 10, 20, and 30 m), change-of-direction speed (modified T test and modified Illinois test), jumping (squat jump, countermovement jump, countermovement jump with arms, and horizontal 5-jump test), upper-body strength (right and left handgrip, back extensor strength, and medicine ball throw), and balance (Y and stork balance tests) of female handball players. Methods: Athletes were randomly divided into experimental (n = 21; age = 13.5 [0.3] y) and control (n = 20; age = 13.3 [0.3] y) groups. Training exercises and matches were performed together, but the experimental group replaced a part of their normal regimen by biweekly upper- and lower-limb plyometric training. Results: Both groups improved performance, but to a greater extent in the experimental group compared with controls for 20- and 30-m sprint times (Δ% = 9.6, P < .05, d = 0.557 and Δ% = 20.9, P < .001, d = 1.07, respectively), change of direction (T test: P < .01, Δ% = 14.5, d = 0.993 and Illinois test: P < .01, Δ% = 7.9, d = 0.769), vertical and horizontal jumping (P < .05), all measures of upper-limb strength (P < .001), and left-leg stork balance (P < .001, Δ% = 49.9, d = 1.07). Conclusions: A plyometric training program allows female junior handball players to improve important components of their physical performance.
Genomics guides help for dwindling species
Authors: Pennisi Elizabeth
Published: July 2019

Long-term studies, modeling help clarify how to do genetic rescue.
Moon gazing
Authors: Clery Daniel
Published: July 2019

Nearly 50 years ago, NASA put a telescope on the Moon. Astronomers have been trying to return ever since.
Quantum scale anomaly and spatial coherence in a 2D Fermi superfluid
Authors: Murthy Puneet A. , Defenu Nicolò , Bayha Luca , Holten Marvin , Preiss Philipp M. , Enss Tilman , Jochim Selim
Published: July 2019

A quantum breakdown

At low temperatures, two-dimensional (2D) systems with contact interactions are expected to exhibit quantum anomalies—a breakdown of scaling laws that characterize such systems in the classical regime. Signatures of these anomalies have been observed in the real-space properties of 2D Fermi gases, but the effect is much less pronounced than expected on theoretical grounds. Murthy
et al.
studied the momentum-space profiles of 2D superfluids of fermionic atoms. They initially perturbed the gas and then monitored the momentum distribution of its atoms. In the regime of strong interactions between the atoms, the momentum profiles deviated markedly from the classical scaling.

Science
, this issue p.
268
IRE1α–XBP1 signaling in leukocytes controls prostaglandin biosynthesis and pain
Authors: Chopra Sahil , Giovanelli Paolo , Alvarado-Vazquez Perla Abigail , Alonso Sara , Song Minkyung , Sandoval Tito A. , Chae Chang-Suk , Tan Chen , Fonseca Miriam M. , Gutierrez Silvia , Jimenez Leandro , Subbaramaiah Kotha , Iwawaki Takao , Kingsley Philip J. , Marnett Lawrence J. , Kossenkov Andrew V. , Crespo Mariano Sanchez , Dannenberg Andrew J. , Glimcher Laurie H. , Romero-Sandoval E. Alfonso , Cubillos-Ruiz Juan R.
Published: July 2019

A “sUPR” target for pain management?

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is initiated when unfolded or misfolded proteins accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum. One highly conserved arm of the UPR, the IRE1α–XBP1 signaling pathway, also plays a role in various other UPR-independent processes, including hypoxia, angiogenesis, and inflammation. Chopra
et al.
report that this pathway additionally regulates the production of two molecules, cyclooxygenase 2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase 1, that help mediate inflammation-induced pain (see the Perspective by Avril and Chevet). When elements of the IRE1α–XBP1 signaling pathway were knocked out, pain behaviors were reduced in two different mouse models of pain. Targeting this pathway may result in improved pain management therapies.

Science
, this issue p.
eaau6499
; see also p.
224
Nuclear hnRNPA2B1 initiates and amplifies the innate immune response to DNA viruses
Authors: Wang Lei , Wen Mingyue , Cao Xuetao
Published: July 2019

A nuclear sensor of viral DNA?

A signaling pathway in eukaryotes known as cGAS–STING recognizes the presence of cytosolic DNA, which alerts the immune system to viral infection or cellular damage. However, the majority of DNA viruses direct their genomic DNA into nuclei, suggesting that nuclear-specific sensing is also needed. L. Wang
et al.
find that during herpes simplex virus–1 infection, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2B1 forms a complex with viral DNA, homodimerizes, and is demethylated. These events result in translocation of the complex to the cytosol and activation of the immune system through type I interferon signaling. Additionally, the complex promotes
N
6
-methyladenosine modification and translocation of cGAS–STING–related mRNAs after DNA virus infection, further amplifying the immune response.

Science
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Topological molecular nanocarbons: All-benzene catenane and trefoil knot
Authors: Segawa Yasutomo , Kuwayama Motonobu , Hijikata Yuh , Fushimi Masako , Nishihara Taishi , Pirillo Jenny , Shirasaki Junya , Kubota Natsumi , Itami Kenichiro
Published: July 2019

Carbon catenation

Preparing interlocked rings and knots at the molecular scale traditionally relies on preorientation of the building blocks by nitrogen or oxygen substituents. Segawa
et al.
devised a distinct strategy to synthesize catenane and trefoil structures composed exclusively of carbon and hydrogen (see the Perspective by Van Raden and Jasti). They linked phenyl rings end to end into macrocycles that met in the middle at a silicon center. Excision of the silicon with fluoride then yielded the interlocked products.

Science
, this issue p.
272
; see also p.
216
Seasonal to multiannual marine ecosystem prediction with a global Earth system model
Authors: Park Jong-Yeon , Stock Charles A. , Dunne John P. , Yang Xiaosong , Rosati Anthony
Published: July 2019

Predicting marine futures

The ability to predict how climate variations will affect marine ecosystems would allow better economic and ecosystem planning and management. Park
et al.
found that a global Earth system model skillfully predicted seasonal to multiannual ocean chlorophyll fluctuations in many regions. This could allow annual fish catches in some regions to be forecast 2 to 3 years in advance.

Science
, this issue p.
284
Conservation, acquisition, and functional impact of sex-biased gene expression in mammals
Authors: Naqvi Sahin , Godfrey Alexander K. , Hughes Jennifer F. , Goodheart Mary L. , Mitchell Richard N. , Page David C.
Published: July 2019

The genetics of sexual dimorphism

In mammals, many species exhibit sex-specific phenotypes that differ between males and females. Although attention has been directed to the effects of the X and Y sex chromosomes, we do not understand how sex affects the rest of the genome. Naqvi
et al.
examined gene expression in 12 tissues in male and female humans, mice, rats, dogs, and cynomolgus macaques and identified diversity in gene expression between the sexes. Examining sex-biased gene expression in human height identified opposing male or female bias. Although conservation of differential sex-specific gene expression among species was observed, specific genes differed in the sexes among species and lineages suggesting the evolution of species- or lineage-specific sex-biased expression.

Science
, this issue p.
eaaw7317
Comment on “Earth and Moon impact flux increased at the end of the Paleozoic”
Authors: Hergarten Stefan , Wulf Gerwin , Kenkmann Thomas
Published: July 2019

Mazrouei
et al
. (Reports, 18 January 2019, p. 253) found a nonuniform distribution of crater ages on Earth and the Moon, concluding that the impact flux increased about 290 million years ago. We show that the apparent increase on Earth can be explained by erosion, whereas that on the Moon may be an artifact of their calibration method.
Analysis of lunar samples: Implications for planet formation and evolution
Authors: Carlson Richard W.
Published: July 2019

The analysis of lunar samples returned to Earth by the Apollo and Luna missions changed our view of the processes involved in planet formation. The data obtained on lunar samples brought to light the importance during planet growth of highly energetic collisions that lead to global-scale melting. This violent birth determines the initial structure and long-term evolution of planets. Once past its formative era, the lunar surface has served as a recorder of more than 4 billion years of interaction with the space environment. The chronologic record of lunar cratering determined from the returned samples underpins age estimates for planetary surfaces throughout the inner Solar System and provides evidence of the dynamic nature of the Solar System during the planet-forming era.
Millennial storage of near-Moho magma
Authors: Mutch Euan J. F. , Maclennan John , Holland Tim J. B. , Buisman Iris
Published: July 2019

Millennial magma reserves

Lava erupts after being stored as magma deeper underground. Silica-rich magmas characteristic of volcanoes like Pinatubo are stored for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. However, we have little understanding of the time scales for deeper basaltic magma like that supplying Icelandic volcanoes. Mutch
et al.
used diffusion of chromium and aluminum atoms to show that these magmas are stored for hundreds to thousands of years at the crust-mantle boundary. This discovery elucidates the time scale for understanding how magma is created and stored and how it erupts.

Science
, this issue p.
260
Polarons leave a trace
Authors: Schauss Peter
Published: July 2019

Spin and charge interplay leads to stringlike excitations in the 2D Hubbard model
High thermoelectric cooling performance of n-type Mg
3
Bi
2
-based materials
Authors: Mao Jun , Zhu Hangtian , Ding Zhiwei , Liu Zihang , Gamage Geethal Amila , Chen Gang , Ren Zhifeng
Published: July 2019

Thrifty thermoelectric cooling

Currently available thermoelectric devices for cooling rely on expensive bismuth telluride. Mao
et al.
systematically developed a far less expensive n-type magnesium-bismuth–based material with good thermoelectric properties. They built a device that could generate a temperature difference of up to 90 kelvin when coupled with a commercially available p-type material. Such materials should provide an excellent basis for cost-effective thermoelectric cooling technology.

Science
, this issue p.
495
An attractive, reshapable material
Authors: Dreyfus Rémi
Published: July 2019

Jamming the nanoparticles of a ferrofluid on droplet surfaces creates a soft ferromagnet
Tongues untied
Authors: Hoffmann Simone , Krause David W.
Published: July 2019

Fossil evidence reveals how jaws, ears, and tongues evolved in mammals and their relatives
Improvement of Euglena gracilis Paramylon Production through a Cocultivation Strategy with the Indole-3-Acetic Acid-Producing Bacterium Vibrio natriegens
Authors: Kim Jee Young , Oh Jeong-Joo , Jeon Min Seo , Kim Gyu-Hyeok , Choi Yoon-E
Published: July 2019

Euglena gracilis
has attracted special interest due to its ability to excessively accumulate paramylon. Paramylon is a linear β-1,3-glucan polysaccharide that is the principal polymer for energy storage in
E. gracilis
. The polysaccharide features high bioactive functionality in the immune system. This study explored a new method to enhance the production of paramylon by
E. gracilis
, through cocultivation with the indole-3-acetic acid-producing bacterium
Vibrio natriegens
. The enhanced production was achieved indirectly with the phytohormone-producing bacteria, instead of direct application of the hormone. The knowledge obtained in this study furthers the understanding of the effects of
V. natriegens
on the growth and physiology of
E. gracilis
.
Proton beam therapy for malignant transformation of intracranial epidermoid cyst
Authors: Chen Zhe , Araya Masayuki , Onishi Hiroshi
Published: July 2019

We report the first clinical case on the successful use of proton beam therapy in the management of malignant transformation of intracranial epidermoid cyst. A 43-year-old man was initially diagnosed as this disease with left facial paresis, hypesthesia and hypoalgesia in the territories of the trigeminal nerve. After failure of surgical interventions, he was referred to our radiation centre. We performed a postoperative proton beam therapy for treatment. We delivered a total dose of 57 GyE in 31 fractions. He tolerated the treatment well with mild acute toxicities and remained healthy and functional by 2-year follow-up postradiotherapy. No evidence of delayed radiation-induced neurotoxicity was observed.
Repeatability of automated leakage quantification and microaneurysm identification utilising an analysis platform for ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography
Authors: Jiang Alice , Srivastava Sunil , Figueiredo Natalia , Babiuch Amy , Hu Ming , Reese Jamie , Ehlers Justis P
Published: July 2019

Background/aims

Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFA) provides unique opportunities for panretinal assessment of retinal diseases. The objective quantification of UWFA features is a labour-intensive manual process, limiting its utility. The present study assesses the consistency/repeatability of an automated assessment platform for the characterisation of retinal vascular features, quantification of microaneurysms (MA) and leakage foci in UWFA images.

Methods

An Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective image analysis study was performed on UWFA images. For each eye, two arteriovenous-phase images and two late-phase images were selected. Automated assessment was performed for retinal vascular features, MA identification and leakage segmentation. Panretinal and zonal assessment of metrics was performed.

Results

There was a significant correlation between paired time points for retinal vessel area and vessel length on early images (Pearson r=0.92, p<0.0001; Pearson r=0.94, p<0.0001) and late images (Pearson r=0.92, p<0.0001; Pearson r=0.92, p<0.0001, respectively). Panretinal and zonal MA counts demonstrated high repeatability between images (all p<0.0001). Similarly, panretinal leakage area and zonal leakage areas were highly correlated (all p<0.001).

Conclusion

This automated algorithm demonstrated very strong intrastudy correlation between paired time points in the same phases of the angiogram for quantifying retinal vascular characteristics, MA count and leakage parameters in UWFA images. These findings suggest significant flexibility in the platform for consistency in evaluating metrics over time and is encouraging for longitudinal assessment opportunities.
Expectations and experiences of hospital postnatal care in the UK: a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies
Authors: Malouf Reem , Henderson Jane , Alderdice Fiona
Published: July 2019

Objectives

To report on women’s and families’ expectations and experiences of hospital postnatal care, and also to reflect on women’s satisfaction with hospital postnatal care and to relate their expectations to their actual care experiences.

Design

Systematic review.

Setting

UK.

Participants

Postnatal women.

Primary and secondary outcomes

Women’s and families’ expectations, experiences and satisfaction with hospital postnatal care.

Methods

Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL Plus), Science Citation Index, and Social Sciences Citation Index were searched to identify relevant studies published since 1970. We incorporated findings from qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies. Eligible studies were independently screened and quality-assessed using a modified version of the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool for quantitative studies and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme for qualitative studies. Data were extracted on participants’ characteristics, study period, setting, study objective and study specified outcomes, in addition to the summary of results.

Results

Data were included from 53 studies, of which 28 were quantitative, 19 were qualitative and 6 were mixed-methods studies. The methodological quality of the included studies was mixed, and only three were completely free from bias. Women were generally satisfied with their hospital postnatal care but were critical of staff interaction, the ward environment and infant feeding support. Ethnic minority women were more critical of hospital postnatal care than white women. Although duration of postnatal stay has declined over time, women were generally happy with this aspect of their care. There was limited evidence regarding women’s expectations of postnatal care, families’ experience and social disadvantage.

Conclusion

Women were generally positive about their experiences of hospital postnatal care, but improvements could still be made. Individualised, flexible models of postnatal care should be evaluated and implemented.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42017057913.