bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Programming CAR T cells to enhance anti-tumor efficacy through remodeling of the immune system
Authors: Wang Xiaohui , Wu Zhiqiang , Qiu Wei , Chen Ping , Xu Xiang , Han Weidong
Published: August 2020

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have been indicated effective in treating B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and have shown encouraging results in preclinical and clinical studies. However, CAR T cells have achieved minimal success against solid malignancies because of the additional obstacles of their insufficient migration into tumors and poor amplification and persistence, in addition to antigen-negative relapse and an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Various preclinical studies are exploring strategies to overcome the above challenges. Mobilization of endogenous immune cells is also necessary for CAR T cells to obtain their optimal therapeutic effect given the importance of the innate immune responses in the elimination of malignant tumors. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in the engineering of CAR T cell therapies to restore the immune response in solid malignancies, especially with CAR T cells acting as cellular carriers to deliver immunomodulators to tumors to mobilize the endogenous immune response. We also explored the sensitizing effects of conventional treatment approaches, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, on CAR T cell therapy. Finally, we discuss the combination of CAR T cells with biomaterials or oncolytic viruses to enhance the anti-tumor outcomes of CAR T cell therapies in solid tumors.
Microfiltration results in the loss of analytes and affects the in vitro genotoxicity of a complex mixture of Alternaria toxins
Authors: Aichinger Georg , Živná Natálie , Varga Elisabeth , Crudo Francesco , Warth Benedikt , Marko Doris
Published: August 2020

Alternaria molds produce a variety of chemically diverse secondary metabolites with potentially adverse effects on human health. However, data on occurrence in food and human exposure is inconsistent for some of these mycotoxins. Membrane filtration is a frequent step in many sample preparation procedures for LC-MS-based methods analyzing food contaminants. Yet, little is known about the possibility of adsorptive phenomena that might result in analyte losses. Thus, we treated a complex extract of Alternaria toxins with several types of syringe filters and unraveled the impact on its chemical composition by LC-MS/MS. We observed significant, and in some cases complete, losses of compounds due to filtration. Particularly, two key Alternaria toxins, alternariol (AOH) and its monomethyl ether (AME), were heavily affected. As a comparison with published food surveys indicating a correlation of the type of filtration used with lower incidence reports in food, our results point at a possible underestimation of AME in past exposure assessment. Also, perylene quinones were greatly affected by filtration, underlining the importance to take this into consideration during analytical method development. Furthermore, we applied the comet assay in HT-29 cells to elucidate the impact of filtration on the genotoxicity of the extract. We observed strong coincidences with the loss of epoxide-carrying metabolites and also an intriguing induction of oxidative DNA damage by yet toxicologically uncharacterized Alternaria toxins. In conclusion, we highlight potential issues with sample filtration and call for a critical re-evaluation of previous food occurrence data in the light of the results at hand.
Vibration analysis of simultaneous drilling and reaming BHA
Authors: Al Dushaishi Mohammed F. , Stutts Daniel S.
Published: August 2020

The drillstring used in the oil and gas exploration is a complex structure due to the different forces acting on it. One of the primary sources of drillstring vibrations is the cutting forces caused by the drill bit contact with the rock formation. In some drilling applications, such as hole enlargement and underreaming, the source of the cutting action originates from the drill bit as well as the reamer which increases the dynamic complexity of the drillstring. This paper’s objective is to investigate the torsional vibration behaviors of the bottom hole assembly (BHA) under simultaneous drilling and reaming. More specifically, it addresses the effect of the reamer interaction with the wellbore during drilling operations on the overall torsional vibrations of the BHA. The BHA was modeled as a torsional shaft subjected to a localized external force due to the reamer cutting action, and a point load external force due to the drill bit interaction with the formation. The equation of motion was obtained using Hamilton’s principle, and modal expansion was used to solve the equation of motion. The results showed that the location of the reamer within the BHA plays an important role in vibrations response. It was found that vibration modes that exhibit symmetry within the reamer location show a negligible effect on the overall BHA torsional response. Reamers with aggressive cutters cause higher vibration response when compared with a drill bit with the same cutter aggressiveness. The simplified model reveals the significance of properly matching the drill bit and the reamer to reduce the overall BHA torsional vibrations.
The Nomination of International Judges by ‘the Enlightened Few’: A Comment on the Royal Decree of 23 January 2020 Concerning the Establishment of a Dutch National Group at the Permanent Court of Arbitration
Authors: Jorritsma Remy
Published: August 2020

On 23 January 2020, the Government of the Netherlands adopted a Royal Decree concerning the Establishment of a Dutch National Group at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The Decree aims to provide fairness, transparency and consistency in terms of the composition of the national group and its function of nominating candidates for election to international courts. This contribution puts the Dutch national group in context in the relevant international legal framework, analyses the specifics of the Decree and critically evaluates its strengths and weaknesses. It will be argued that while the Decree offers a number of welcome procedural specifications and innovations, it contains elements that deserve refinement and improvement in order to prevent that the Dutch national group acts (or is perceived to act) as a rubber stamp institution that simply carries out the will of the Government when making nominations for the international judiciary.
Advances in Retirement Investing
Authors: Martellini Lionel , Milhau Vincent
Published: August 2020

To supplement replacement income provided by Social Security and employer­sponsored pension plans, individuals need to rely on their own saving and investment choices during accumulation. Once retired, they must also decide at which rate to spend their savings, with the usual dilemma between present and future consumption in mind. This Element explains how financial engineering and risk management techniques can help them in these complex decisions. First, it introduces 'retirement bonds', or retirement bond replicating portfolios, that provide stable and predictable replacement income during the decumulation period. Second, it describes investment strategies that combine the retirement bond with an efficient performance­seeking portfolio so as to reduce uncertainty over the future amount of income while offering upside potential. Finally, strategies using risk insurance techniques are proposed to secure minimum levels of replacement income while giving the possibility of reaching higher levels of income.
The Digital Revolution to Come: Photogrammetry in Archaeological Practice
Authors: Magnani Matthew , Douglass Matthew , Schroder Whittaker , Reeves Jonathan , Braun David R.
Published: August 2020

The three-dimensional (3D) revolution promised to transform archaeological practice. Of the technologies that contribute to the proliferation of 3D data, photogrammetry facilitates the rapid and inexpensive digitization of complex subjects in both field and lab settings. It finds additional use as a tool for public outreach, where it engages audiences ranging from source communities to artifact collectors. But what has photogrammetry's function been in advancing archaeological analysis? Drawing on our previous work, we review recent applications to understand the role of photogrammetry for contemporary archaeologists. Although photogrammetry is widely used as a visual aid, its analytical potential remains underdeveloped. Considering various scales of inquiry—graduating from objects to landscapes—we address how the technology fits within and expands existing documentation and data visualization routines, while evaluating the opportunity it presents for addressing archaeological questions and problems in innovative ways. We advance an agenda advocating that archaeologists move from proof-of-concept papers toward greater integration of photogrammetry with research.
Aircraft sequencing and scheduling in TMAs under wind direction uncertainties
Authors: Cecen R.K. , Cetek C. , Kaya O.
Published: August 2020

Aircraft sequencing and scheduling within terminal airspaces has become more complicated due to increased air traffic demand and airspace complexity. A stochastic mixed-integer linear programming model is proposed to handle aircraft sequencing and scheduling problems using the simulated annealing algorithm. The proposed model allows for proper aircraft sequencing considering wind direction uncertainties, which are critical in the decision-making process. The proposed model aims to minimise total aircraft delay for a runway airport serving mixed operations. To test the stochastic model, an appropriate number of scenarios were generated for different air traffic demand rates. The results indicate that the stochastic model reduces the total aircraft delay considerably when compared with the deterministic approach.
Analyses of criticality for multiple-site delaminations in the flap spar of Finnish F/A-18 aircraft
Authors: Jokinen J. , Kanerva M. , Wallin M. , Saarela O.
Published: August 2020

Metal-composite airframes will suffer various defects during their lifetime. One category of defects is composite laminate delamination. This study evaluates the criticality of delaminations existing around adjacent fastener holes in the carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic spar web of the F/A-18 aircraft’s trailing-edge flap. The evaluation is based on experiments and analyses. First, an intensive experimental program for determining necessary material values of F/A-18 is described. Multiple delaminations of the flap spar web are then modelled by varying the set of delaminated hole edges and the interface of delamination. The interaction of defects at the start of delamination propagation is studied via the developed interaction parameter. The results suggest that the interaction parameter can show significant differences in the interaction per delamination case and that the interface of delamination is an important variable. Finally, operator-dependent control parameters are studied, and it is found that the criticality of a delamination case is merely dependent on true material parameters.
Optimisation of interval management – speed planning using SMPSO
Authors: Riedel T. , Takahashi M. , Itoh E.
Published: August 2020

Recent research on Flight-deck Interval Management (FIM), a modern technology for increasing safety and improving airspace and runway utilisation through self-spacing, has led to the development of a new rule-based logic for FIM, namely Interval Management – Speed Planning (IM-SP). In an initial benchmark study, IM-SP showed good spacing performance with a significant reduction in speed commands, a major area of concern with previous FIM logics, resulting in a lower burden on the flight crew during FIM operation. Nevertheless, there remains scope for improvement in other aspects, such as fuel burn. In this study, the internal cost function of IM-SP is further analysed and optimised using speed-constrained multi-objective particle swarm optimisation to improve the performance of IM-SP under the multiple objectives of FIM. The optimisation renders new settings that address the problem areas, improve the speed commands and enhance the overall quality of IM-SP. Two distinctive solutions, viz. a spacing performance optimised setting and a fuel burn optimised setting, are further analysed and discussed, and directions for follow-up research are explored.
The Problem of Unwelcome Epistemic Company
Authors: Blanchard Joshua
Published: August 2020

Many of us are unmoved when it is objected that some morally or intellectually suspect source agrees with our belief. While we may tend to find this kind of guilt by epistemic association unproblematic, I argue that this tendency is a mistake. We sometimes face what I call the problem of unwelcome epistemic company. This is the problem of encountering agreement about the content of your belief from a source whose faults give you reason to worry about the belief's truth, normative status, etiology, or implications. On the basis of an array of cases, I elaborate four distinct kinds of problems that unwelcome epistemic company poses. Two of these are distinctly epistemic, and two are moral. I canvass possible responses, ranging from stubbornness to an epistemic prudishness that avoids unwelcome company at all costs. Finally, I offer preliminary lessons of the problem and distinguish it from the problem of peer disagreement.
Antimicrobial use for asymptomatic bacteriuria—First, do no harm
Authors: Shpunt Yana , Estrin Inna , Levi Yossef , Saadon Hodaya , Ben-Yossef Galit , Goldshtein Lili , Klafter Dan , Zilberman-Itskovich Shani , Ben-David Debby , Katz David E. , Lazarovitch Tsillia , Zaidenstein Ronit , Marchaim Dror
Published: August 2020

Objective:

Administration of antimicrobials to patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is a common error that can lead to worse outcomes. However, controlled analyses quantifying the commonality and impact of this practice are lacking. We analyzed the independent predictors for antimicrobials misuse in ASB and quantified the impact of this practice on clinical outcomes.

Design:

Retrospective case-control and cohort analyses for calendar year 2017.

Setting:

Tertiary-care, university-affiliated medical center.

Patients:

The study included adult (>18 years) patients with positive urine culture. Pregnant women, renal transplant recipients, and patients who underwent urologic procedures were excluded.

Methods:

ASB was determined according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to analyze predictors and outcomes associated with antimicrobial use for patients with ASB.

Results:

The study included 1,530 patient-unique positive urine cultures. Among these patients, 610 patients (40%) were determined to have ASB. Of the 696 isolates, 219 (36%) were multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Also, 178 (29%) patients received antimicrobials specifically due to the ASB. Independent predictors for improper administration of antimicrobials were dependent functional status (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.3; 95% CI, 1.4–3.6) and male sex (aOR, 2; 95% CI, 1.25–2.6). Use of antimicrobials was independently associated with re-hospitalizations (aOR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1–2.6) and later, acute Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) in the following 90 days (aOR, 4.5; 95% CI, 2–10.6).

Conclusions:

ASB is a common condition, frequently resulting from an MDRO. Male sex and poor functional status were independent predictors for mistreatment, and this practice was independently associated with rehospitalizations and CDI in the following 90 days.
Active deformation and Plio-Pleistocene fluvial reorganization of the western Kura fold–thrust belt, Georgia: implications for the evolution of the Greater Caucasus Mountains
Authors: Sukhishvili Lasha , Forte Adam M. , Merebashvili Giorgi , Leonard Joel , Whipple Kelin X. , Javakhishvili Zurab , Heimsath Arjun , Godoladze Tea
Published: August 2020

Since Plio-Pleistocene time, southward migration of shortening in the eastern part of the Greater Caucasus into the Kura foreland basin has progressively formed the Kura fold–thrust belt and Alazani piggyback basin, which separates the Kura fold–thrust belt from the Greater Caucasus. Previous work argued for an eastward propagation of the Kura fold–thrust belt, but this hypothesis was based on coarse geological maps and speculative ages for units within the Kura fold–thrust belt. Here we investigate the initiation of deformation within the Gombori range in the western Kura fold–thrust belt and evaluate this eastward propagation hypothesis. Sediments exposed in the Gombori range have a Greater Caucasus source, despite the modern drainage network in the NE Gombori range, which is dominated by NE-flowing rivers. Palaeocurrent analyses of the oldest and youngest syntectonic units indicate a switch happened between ~2.7 Ma and 1 Ma from dominantly SW-directed flow to palaeocurrents more similar to the modern drainage network. A single successful26Al–10Be burial date indicates the youngest syntectonic sediments are 1.0 ± 1.0 Ma, which, while not a precise age, is consistent with original mapping suggesting these sediments are of Akchagylian–Apsheronian (2.7–0.88 Ma) age. These results, along with recent updated dating of thrust initiation in the eastern Kura fold–thrust belt, suggest that deformation within the Kura fold–thrust belt initiated synchronously or nearly synchronously along-strike. We additionally use topographic analyses to show that the Gombori range continues to be a zone of active deformation.
A NOTE ON p-ADIC SIMPLICIAL VOLUMES
Authors: KIONKE STEFFEN , LÖH CLARA
Published: August 2020

We define and study generalizations of simplicial volume over arbitrary seminormed rings with a focus on p-adic simplicial volumes. We investigate the dependence on the prime and establish homology bounds in terms of p-adic simplicial volumes. As the main examples, we compute the weightless and p-adic simplicial volumes of surfaces. This is based on an alternative way to calculate classical simplicial volume of surfaces without hyperbolic straightening and shows that surfaces satisfy mod p and p-adic approximation of simplicial volume.
Do costs and benefits of children matter for religious people? Perceived consequences of parenthood and fertility intentions in Poland
Authors: Bein Christoph , Mynarska Monika , Gauthier Anne H.
Published: August 2020

The aim of this study was to examine the positive relationship between religiosity and fertility from the perspective of perceived consequences of parenthood. Previous studies in Germany have found that highly religious people ascribe higher benefits and lower costs to having children. Furthermore, the impact of costs and benefits on fertility is less pronounced among the highly religious. This study tested these mechanisms for fertility intentions and in the context of Poland – a country with a low fertility rate and high religiosity in comparison to other European countries. A sample of 4892 men and women of childbearing age from the second wave of the Polish version of the Generations and Gender Survey conducted in 2014/2015 was used. First, the extent to which perceived costs and benefits mediate the impact of religiosity on fertility intentions was analysed. Second, whether religiosity moderates the impact of perceived costs and benefits on fertility intentions was investigated. The results show that part of the positive effect of religiosity on fertility intentions can be explained by more-religious people seeing higher benefits of having children. Furthermore, but only in the case of women, religiosity moderates the impact of perceived costs on fertility intentions, suggesting that the effect of perceived costs decreases with increasing religiosity.
Lameness in dairy cows: farmer perceptions and automated detection technology
Authors: Dutton-Regester Kate J. , Barnes Tamsin S. , Wright John D. , Rabiee Ahmad R.
Published: August 2020

This Research Reflection provides an overview of three interrelated topics: (i) lameness in dairy cows, demonstrating the underpinning importance of the condition, (ii) dairy farmer detection, diagnosis and treatment of lameness and associated foot lesions as well as dairy farmer perceptions towards the condition and (iii) lameness detection technologies, and their potential application on farm to automate the detection of lameness in commercial dairy herds. The presented literature clearly demonstrates that lameness is a major health issue in dairy herds, compromising dairy cow welfare and productivity, and resulting in significant economic implications for dairy farmers. Despite this, dairy farmers fail to perceive lameness as a serious threat to their dairy business. This restricted perception of the importance of lameness may be a product of limited ability to detect lame cows. Many automated lameness detection technologies have been proposed to assist dairy farmers in managing their herds. However, limitations such as cost, performance and dairy farmer perception of the usefulness of these technologies, has lead to poor uptake. It can, therefore, be concluded that there is a need to more thoroughly evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies under on-farm conditions, potentially in the form of a demonstration farm network. This will allow generation of the necessary data required to show dairy farmers that these technologies are reliable and are economically rational for their dairy business.
En Hamac tympanoplasty and canalplasty for optimal type 1 tympanoplasty outcomes
Authors: Vandenbroeck S , Kuhweide R , Lerut B
Published: August 2020

Objective

Multiple tympanoplasty techniques have been developed with numerous differences in grafting and approach. This study aimed to improve type 1 tympanoplasty outcomes by using the ‘en hamac’ technique as well as performing a complete canalplasty for anterior perforations.

Method

A retrospective review was performed using the prospective Otology-Neurotology Database tool for otological surgery. All primary type 1 tympanoplasty cases performed for tympanic membrane perforations from 2010 to 2016 were selected for analysis, all performed by one author. Minimal clinical and audiometric follow up was 18 months.

Results

Tympanic membrane perforation closure was achieved in 62 of the patients (96.88 per cent). None of the en hamac cases had residual or recurrent perforation (p = 0.02). The mean remaining air–bone gap was 8.50 dB. The remaining air–bone gap was less than 10 dB in 72.55 per cent, 10–20 dB in 25.49 per cent and more than 20 dB in 1.96 per cent.

Conclusion

Using the en hamac technique for anterior perforations as well as systematically performing a complete canalplasty provides multiple surgical advantages with excellent post-operative results.
Consumer Culture in Guatemala City during the ‘Season of Luis Mazzantini’, 1905: The Political Economy of Working-Class Consumption
Authors: Kirkpatrick Michael D.
Published: August 2020

In 1905, world-renowned bullfighter Luis Mazzantini arrived in Guatemala City for a number of corridas. Despite the excitement of the urban elite, the matador's fights were poorly attended by the working class due to high ticket prices. This article uses the ‘Mazzantini Season’ as a case study of working-class consumer culture in Guatemala City to trace shifts in Guatemalan political economy through the 1890s and early 1900s, analysing the constraints on popular consumerism such as price inflation, currency deflation, food shortages and other factors affecting working-class urban Guatemalans. It also demonstrates the manner in which responses by the state and coffee planters to economic crises to protect elite interests fundamentally undermined the ability of working-class residents of Guatemala City to participate in consumer culture.
A Social History of Parastatal Employees in Southern Benin, 1989–1990: Contesting Decline and Unemployment During “Africa’s Second Democratization”
Authors: Keese Alexander
Published: August 2020

The huge parastatal sectors in postcolonial African societies interested sociologists in the 1970s and 1980s, but have never found a historical discussion – and the experience of change towards the democratization (eventually) has not yet been interpreted by historians. This study attempts to bring both elements together for the case of Benin, a country particularly shaken by massive economic decline, lay-offs and unemployment in the second half of the 1980s. It relies on an unusual and spectacular source, a series of petitions sent by workers and workers’ delegates to the presidential office of Mathieu Kérékou in 1989/90 (the presidential office partly added to these petitions whole dossiers of comments and correspondence with other authorities, i.e. ministerial directorates and the police). This analysis highlights how parastatal workers and their spokesmen tried to communicate about economic and social disaster with the authorities, how they protested and attempted to make claims about social norms and justice, and how they attacked “corruption”. I would hold that the cases studied cannot stand for a model of experiences, but they nevertheless represent a number of elements of a social history of decline: as well as protests and arguments, and views on the practice of petitioning, the discussion will also highlight individual trajectories that nevertheless exemplify, in my view, representative experiences and a history of daily life in Benin's parastatal sector. The interpretation also attempts to show how imminent democratization, through the creation of a National Conference in early 1990, changed the strategies and the context of workers’ protest. It includes a number of exemplary, and quite spectacular, cases of mismanagement and closing of parastatal companies, such as the Société Sucrière de Savè and SONICOG. I would think that the approach is unique so far for both Beninese and West African history.
“Taking America's Story to the World”: Touring Jerome Robbins's Ballets: U.S.A. During the Cold War
Authors: Prickett Stacey
Published: August 2020

Between 1958 and 1961, Jerome Robbins's Ballets: U.S.A. company toured to European arts festivals with a repertory of new and existing works, most of which remain in performance more than six decades later. Cold War political and artistic imperatives intersected in choreography that circulated visions of “American” innovation and youthful vitality, danced to an eclectic range of scores by a mixed-race cast. Archival documentation of the funding process reveals discussions about aesthetic priorities and the choreographer's responsibility to the US government. Analysis of press coverage of the performances also considers the extent to which diplomatic objectives were achieved.
Interpreting Zimbabwe's Third Chimurenga Through Kongonya: Representations of Post-2000 Zimbabwean Dance in Buckle'sBeyond Tears: Zimbabwe's Tragedyand Mtizira'sChimurenga Protocol
Authors: Gonye Jairos
Published: August 2020

The Zimbabwean writers Catherine Buckle and Nyaradzo Mtizira reimagine kongonya dance in their worksBeyond Tears: Zimbabwe's Tragedy(2002) andThe Chimurenga Protocol(2008), respectively. Both the European-born Buckle and the black Zimbabwean Mtizira harness the dance to evoke the post-2000jambanjaexperiences associated with Zimbabwe's controversial “Third Chimurenga,” or the fast-track land reform program, beginning in 2000. Their contrasting depictions of dance epitomize the differing views on Zimbabwe's land reform program. Largely, whereas Buckle's novel is a memoir which personalizes a farmer's encounters with dancing African/Zimbabwean “land invaders,” Mtizira's is a panegyric that collectively reimagines a nation's defiant revolution against purported forces of Western imperialism. Both writers’ representations of the post-2000 Zimbabwe's dance performances are therefore colored and compromised by racial subjectivity.
Dancing Mestiçagem, Embodying Whiteness: Eros Volúsia'sBailado Brasileiro
Authors: Höfling Ana Paula
Published: August 2020

This article analyzes the processes ofbranqueamento(whitening) contained within the ideology ofmestiçagem(racial miscegenation) through the work of Brazilian dancer, choreographer, and dance pedagogue Eros Volúsia (1914–2004) in the context of the establishment of the myth of racial democracy in early twentieth-century Brazil. I argue that Eros Volúsia not only embodied Brazil's allegedly harmonious racial mixture through her stylized “folk” dances, but herbailado brasileiro(Brazilian ballet) in fact choreographed Brazil's modernity and aspirations of whiteness. I compare Volúsia's prominent career as a performer and pedagogue in Brazil with her brief film career in the United States, where Volúsia had the opportunity to follow in Carmen Miranda's footsteps and become the next “Brazilian bombshell,” but instead chose to return to Brazil, where she was able to maintain her white privilege and her status as author and artist.
Dance as Radical Archaeology
Authors: Crawley Marie-Louise
Published: August 2020

This essay examines from an artist-researcher perspective the durational solo dance work Likely Terpsichore? (Fragments), created for and performed at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology (UK) in 2018. It asks how dance's presence in the archaeological museum might allow an alternative visibility for ancient female bodies previously rendered only partially visible by history. It makes a claim for dance in the archaeological museum as a subversive act of radical archaeology, in terms of how, by playing on notions of dismembering/remembering histories, it seeks to disrupt received notions of how we view and understand ancient history and culture.
Addressing the challenges of implementing a Health Technology Assessment Policy Framework in South Africa
Authors: Mueller Debjani
Published: August 2020

Objective

South Africa's commitment to progressively achieve universal health coverage can lead to the effective and appropriate use of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to strengthen the healthcare system. The study aimed to analyze the challenges faced in the formal implementation and utilization of HTA in the public health sector.

Methods

Review and analysis of health technology policies and legislation introduced in South Africa since 1965 serves as the backbone of this study. Walt and Gilson's health policy triangle framework and Kingdon's model were used for data analysis. In addition, a semi-structured survey was conducted among key stakeholders, including those attending HTA workshops that were held in 2016 and 2017.

Results

The document review identified appropriate legislative and policy framework for informing healthcare decisions. Survey participants (n = 55) reported limited political support, local capacity, and awareness of HTA as barriers to implementing HTA. They noted that adequate financial resources and availability and sharing of quality data are primary drivers for HTA development. Effective governance, collaboration, and cooperation between key stakeholders of the healthcare system were suggested as possible ways forward for the institutionalization of HTA.

Conclusion

The South African government's goal to introduce the national health insurance program provides an excellent opportunity to formally introduce the use of HTA in decision making. Individual capacity development supported by institutional and organizational environments is urgently needed to achieve its full potential.
Mediating role of disordered eating in the relationship between screen time and BMI in adolescents: longitudinal findings from the Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyles (REAL) study
Authors: Mougharbel Fatima , Valois Darcie D , Lamb Megan , Buchholz Annick , Obeid Nicole , Flament Martine , Goldfield Gary S
Published: August 2020

Objective:

This study investigated whether the duration and type of screen time (ST) (TV viewing, recreational computer use, video gaming) is longitudinally associated with z-BMI and if these relationships are mediated by disordered eating (emotional, restrained).

Design:

At baseline, participants were n 1197 (T1; 60 % female) adolescents (mean age = 13·51 years) who completed surveys over 2 years. ST was assessed by a self-reported measure created by the investigative team, while emotional and restrained eating was measured by the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEB-Q). Height and weight were objectively measured to quantify z-BMI.

Setting:

Thirty-one public and two private schools from the region of Ottawa, Canada.

Participants:

Students in grades 7–12.

Results:

Parallel multiple mediation analyses revealed that more time spent watching TV at baseline is associated with higher z-BMI at T3 (total effect; B = 0·19, se = 0·07, P = 0·01, 95 % CI 0·05, 0·34), but no relationships were observed for total ST exposure or other types of ST and z-BMI. Disordered eating did not mediate the positive association between baseline TV viewing and z-BMI at T3.

Conclusions:

TV viewing was longitudinally associated with higher z-BMI in a community-based sample of adolescents, but disordered eating behaviours did not mediate this relationship. However, other non-pathological eating behaviours may mediate the association between ST and obesity and warrant further investigation. Finding suggests that targeting reduction in youth’s TV viewing may be an effective component in the prevention of childhood obesity.
Development and pilot of a tool to measure the healthiness of the in-store food environment
Authors: Jaenke Rachael , van den Boogaard Christel , McMahon Emma , Brimblecombe Julie
Published: August 2020

Objective:

To rigorously develop a tool which enables rapid yet comprehensive appraisal of the consumer food retail environment and provision of real-time feedback to store managers and owners, based on the ‘4Ps’ principles of marketing.

Design:

Multi-stage iterative approach including (1) Systematic literature review; (2) Stakeholder consultation; (3) Assessment of existing tools against identified needs; (4) Tool development; (5) Pilot testing and (6) Transition of tool to mobile application (the Store Scout app).

Setting:

Northern Territory, Australia.

Participants:

Nine remote Aboriginal community food stores; public health nutritionists, retailers, store board directors, Aboriginal community members, government representatives.

Results:

Forty-seven existing tools and thirty-four stakeholder interviews informed the development of the current instrument, which comprised: (1) seven product categories (Fruit & Vegetables, Drinks, Snack Foods, Meals & Convenience Foods, Meat & Seafood, Dairy & Eggs, Breads & Cereals) across the ‘4Ps’ (Product, Placement, Price, Promotion); (2) Store manager questions about context and perceived importance of key principles about the store environment and (3) a scoring and feedback component. The tool was considered feasible and acceptable by all testers.

Conclusions:

The developed tool addresses an unmet need to measure the consumer food retail environment across all 4Ps whilst also incorporating manager perspectives and immediate feedback. Our objectives of developing a comprehensive, feasible and acceptable instrument were achieved during pilot testing. The tool will support implementation of best practice within stores to encourage healthy food choices and has potential for broad application in retail settings locally and internationally, as well as for research purposes.
United States – Measures Concerning the Importation, Marketing and Sale of Tuna and Tuna Products (US–Tuna II (Mexico) (Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by the United States / Second Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by Mexico), DS381
Authors: Alcover Maria
Published: August 2020

These compliance proceedings concern a second revised measure adopted by the United States regarding the labelling of dolphin-safe tuna products (the 2016 Tuna Measure). The 2016 Tuna Measure places three types of conditions on the use of the dolphin-safe label: (i) conditions relating to the automatic disqualification of certain tuna products (eligibility criteria); (ii) conditions relating to certifications (certification requirements); and (iii) conditions relating to record keeping and segregation of dolphin-safe and non-dolphin-safe tuna (tracking and verification requirements). Regarding the eligibility criteria, tuna harvested using large-scale driftnets on the high seas and tuna products containing tuna harvested by setting on dolphins anywhere in the world are automatically disqualified for the dolphin-safe label. Regarding the certification and tracking/verification requirements, the 2016 Tuna Measure makes a distinction between the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) large purse seine fishery, on the one hand, and all other fisheries, on the other hand.
United States – Measures Affecting Trade in Large Civil Aircraft – Second Complaint – Recourse to Article 21.5 of the DSU by the European Union (US – Large Civil Aircraft (2nd Complaint) (Article 21.5 – EU)), DS353
Authors: Angeleska Sara
Published: August 2020

This compliance proceeding under Article 21.5 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) concerned measures adopted by the United States to comply with the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) recommendations and rulings in US–Large Civil Aircraft (2nd Complaint). The types of measures at issue that were found to have caused adverse effects to the European Union (EU, formerly European Communities) in the original Panel and Appellate Body proceedings were NASA aeronautics R&D instruments; United States Department of Defence (DOD) military research instruments (‘assistance instruments’); the business and occupancy (B&O) tax rate reduction in the State of Washington in relation to Boeing's production of the 787; property and sales tax abatements related to Industrial Revenue Bonds issued by the City of Wichita, Kansas; and the FSC/ETI subsidies.
Children's behavioural problems and its associations with socioeconomic position and early parenting environment: findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study
Authors: Tamura K. , Morrison J. , Pikhart H.
Published: August 2020

Aims

To investigate behavioural problems throughout childhood and adolescent, and its relationship with socioeconomic position (SEP) and early parenting environment.

Methods

Using data from the Millennium Cohort Study conducted in the UK, behavioural problems of 14 452 children were analysed using a growth curve model. The children were followed from birth to adolescence, and their behavioural problems were measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The SDQ was sub-scaled into externalising and internalising problems. After assessing the general trajectory of children's behavioural problems, variables representing SEP and parenting environments were introduced to the model to analyse the association with children's outcomes.

Results

Overall, children's trajectories in externalising problems showed a decreasing trend while internalising problems increased as they aged. Household income and maternal education in early childhood were independently associated with children's behavioural problems, while the association for maternal occupation was significantly weaker. Positive early parenting environments attenuated the association between SEP and children's behavioural problems. Also, with regards to children's behavioural problems, positive parenting explained more variance between children compared to SEP. Favourable parent–child relationship buffered the income gradient in children's behavioural problems during early childhood, and although this buffering effect did not last until adolescence, those who had good parent–child relationships developed better outcomes regardless of their SEP.

Conclusions

The results of the study emphasise the importance of a positive early parenting environment for improving and reducing the socioeconomic gap in children's behavioural problems and encourages policies to promote better parenting circumstances.
Characterization of African Equatorial Ionization Anomaly During the Maximum Phase of Solar Cycle 24
Authors: Oyedokun O. J. , Akala A. O. , Oyeyemi E. O.
Published: August 2020

This study characterizes the African equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) during the maximum phase of Solar Cycle 24 (2012–2015). Total electron content (TEC) data were obtained from a chain of 13 African Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers (within 36–42°E geographic longitude; 29°N to 10°S geographic latitude; ±20°N magnetic latitude) to study quiet time variations of TEC and thereafter construct the EIA profiles. The correlations of TEC for pairs of conjugate stations within the African EIA were determined. TEC station‐to‐trough ratio (TEC‐STR) was used as an index to determine the strength of the EIA crests. Furthermore, the variability of the EIA crests on a 3‐hourly basis over each month was investigated. Overall, equinoxes recorded the highest values of TEC, with the widest latitudinal location of the EIA crests, and June solstice recorded the least, with the characteristic equatorward collapse of the EIA crests. TEC and the location of the crests of the EIA also increased with solar activity. TEC showed good correlations for conjugate pairs of stations, especially for stations closer to the trough. The African EIA morphology showed asymmetry in the locations of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and Southern Hemisphere (SH) crests. The formation of EIA starts around 0600–0800 LT and decays around 2100–2300 LT. Generally, SH crest forms first before NH crest and also decays first; we attributed this to the effects of the meridional neutral winds. Comparing TEC at African EIA crests with other longitudinal sectors, the Asian sector recorded the highest TEC, while the American sector recorded the least.
Preliminary Evidence of Transport‐Limited Chemical Weathering and Element Immobility in the Ganges Tidal Delta Plain of Bangladesh
Authors: Ayers J. C. , Patton B. , Dietrich M.
Published: August 2020

Previous studies have documented a weathering‐limited regime in the upper reaches of the Ganges River Basin. Chemical weathering and element mobility at six sites in the lower reaches of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra tidal floodplain of southwest Bangladesh were investigated by comparing compositions of rice paddy soils, precursor tidal channel sediments, surface waters, and extract solutions, which represent the soluble fraction of solids. Little spatial variation in water and solid compositions is observed in each season, indicating similar processes are acting to transport elements across this region. Roughly one to several decades after deposition, rice paddy soils are not significantly different in mineralogy or composition from precursor tidal channel sediments, and both are similar to the composition of average upper continental crust. Soil and sediments contain mostly stable, cation depleted minerals, and coexisting waters are saturated in those minerals. There is no detectable change in composition of tidal channel water between upstream and downstream sites. Together, these observations indicate the dominance of weathered material and weak chemical weathering in the tidal floodplain, consistent with a transport‐limited regime. Multiple lines of evidence indicate a lack of exchange equilibrium between surface waters and coexisting solids, which may be a common feature in tidal river deltas where transport‐limited regimes likely dominate.
Using Climate to Explain and Predict West Nile Virus Risk in Nebraska
Authors: Smith Kelly Helm , Tyre Andrew J. , Hamik Jeff , Hayes Michael J. , Zhou Yuzhen , Dai Li
Published: August 2020

We used monthly precipitation and temperature data to give early warning of years with higher West Nile Virus (WNV) risk in Nebraska. We used generalized additive models with a negative binomial distribution and smoothing curves to identify combinations of extremes and timing that had the most influence, experimenting with all combinations of temperature and drought data, lagged by 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months. We fit models on data from 2002 through 2011, used Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) to select the best‐fitting model, and used 2012 as out‐of‐sample data for prediction, and repeated this process for each successive year, ending with fitting models on 2002–2017 data and using 2018 for out‐of‐sample prediction. We found that warm temperatures and a dry year preceded by a wet year were the strongest predictors of cases of WNV. Our models did significantly better than random chance and better than an annual persistence naïve model at predicting which counties would have cases. Exploring different scenarios, the model predicted that without drought, there would have been 26% fewer cases of WNV in Nebraska through 2018; without warm temperatures, 29% fewer; and with neither drought nor warmth, 45% fewer. This method for assessing the influence of different combinations of extremes at different time intervals is likely applicable to diseases other than West Nile, and to other annual outcome variables such as crop yield.
GRACE Follow‐On Laser Ranging Interferometer Measurements Uniquely Distinguish Short‐Wavelength Gravitational Perturbations
Authors: Ghobadi‐Far Khosro , Han Shin‐Chan , McCullough Christopher M. , Wiese David N. , Yuan Dah‐Ning , Landerer Felix W. , Sauber Jeanne , Watkins Michael M.
Published: August 2020

We examined the first‐ever laser ranging interferometer (LRI) measurements of inter‐satellite tracking acquired by Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Follow‐On satellites. Through direct along‐orbit analysis of instantaneous inter‐satellite measurements, we demonstrate the higher sensitivity of LRI (than K‐band microwave ranging [KBR]) to anomalies associated with the Earth static gravity field at high spatial resolutions of 100–200 km. We found that LRI captures gravitational signals as small as 0.1 nm/s2 at 490 km altitude, improved by 1 order of magnitude from KBR. This allows LRI to uniquely detect un‐/mis‐modeled short‐wavelength gravitational perturbations. We employed all LRI data in 2019 to validate various state‐of‐the‐art global static gravity field models and show that LRI measurements, even over 1 month, can distinguish subtle differences among the models computed from ~15 years of GRACE KBR and ~4 years of Gravity Field and Steady‐State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) gradiometry data. Ultra‐precise LRI measurements will be yet another critical data set for future gravity field model development.
Association Between Meteor Radio Afterglows and Optical Persistent Trains
Authors: Obenberger K. S. , Holmes J. M. , Ard S. G. , Dowell J. , Shuman N. S. , Taylor G. B. , Varghese S. S. , Viggiano A. A.
Published: August 2020

This paper presents the first observed association between meteor radio afterglows (MRAs) and persistent trains (PTs) and provides the first evidence of a link between these two phenomena. Coobservations of four meteor trails (trains) from the Long Wavelength Array (LWA) telescopes in New Mexico and the Widefield Persistent Train (WiPT) camera associate the long‐lasting (tens of seconds), self‐generated radio emission known as MRAs with the long‐lasting (tens of minutes) optical emissions known as PTs. Each of the four MRAs presented in this paper were spatially and temporally coincident with a PT. In one case, the MRA follows a relatively small (≤400 m × 400 m) noticeably bright region (knot) of emission within the PT, whereas the other three cases were associated with broader regions of PT activity. As PTs are thought to be driven by exothermic chemical reactions between atmospheric oxygen and ablation products, we show that the same reactions, specifically those involving anions, may produce the necessary suprathermal electrons to power MRAs. We show that only one part in ∼1010 of the available power needs to be converted to radio emission in order to produce a typical MRA.