bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SINGLE-YEAR 14C DATING OF THE LAKE-FORTRESS AT ĀRAIŠI, LATVIA
Authors: Meadows John , Zunde Māris , Lēģere Laura , Dee Michael W , Hamann Christian
Published: April 2023

Single-year 14C sampling of a spruce log from the timber platform on which the Āraiši lake-fortress was built dates this timber exactly, by synchronization with AD 774/5 Miyake event. Dendrochronological synchronisms between the dated log and other timbers provide annual precision for the construction of the site. The felling date obtained, AD 835, is 50–60 years later than that proposed previously (Meadows and Zunde 2014) on the basis of a wiggle-match between 14C ages of decadal blocks and the IntCal13 calibration curve (Reimer et al. 2013), although the same 14C data favor a felling date in the AD 830s when wiggle-matched to IntCal20 (Reimer et al. 2020). Our results appear to confirm doubts expressed by Philippsen et al. (2022) about IntCal20 values from ca. AD 825-835.
THE SMALLS SWORD GUARD: DISCOVERY, SIGNIFICANCE AND EXPERIMENTAL REPLICATION OF A HIBERNO-URNES MASTERPIECE
Authors: Redknap Mark
Published: April 2023

One of the finest examples of secular Hiberno-Urnes art from England and Wales was discovered by a diver on the offshore reef known as The Smalls (Welsh Gwales), Pembrokeshire, in the Irish Sea. The guard was probably made in Ireland about ad 1100–25 in a distinctive Hiberno-Scandinavian decorative style and technique with niello and silver inlays, and it illustrates the skills of a master craftsman or saer working for secular and ecclesiastical patrons. The findspot is now designated as historic wreck site under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1976 (no. 38).
Geochemical characterization, U–Pb apatite geochronology, and geodynamic significance of olivine minette dykes from the Julian Alps, NE Italy
Authors: Narduzzi Francesco , Ponton Maurizio , Marello Michele , Paulo de Castro Marco , Queiroga Gláucia , De Min Angelo
Published: April 2023

We investigated olivine minette dykes from the Rio Colan Valley of the Julian Alps (NE Italy) to provide new constraints on the mantle geochemistry underneath this extreme sector of the Italian Southern Alps. Petrographic observations, high Mg#s, high Cr and Ni contents, low Dy/YbCN ratios and flat heavy rare earth element (REE) profiles imply these are primary magmas derived from a depleted peridotite with olivine and garnet as possible residual phases. However, high K2O and incompatible trace element contents, coupled with superchondritic Nb/Ta ratios, suggest that the source was modified into a rutile–phlogopite-bearing carbonated peridotite by multiple metasomatic events such as recycling of crustal material and carbonatitic metasomatism related to an old orogenic event and rutile-rich metasomatism linked to the Pangaea break-up. Laser ablation – multi-collector – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometer (LA-MC-ICP-MS) U–Pb geochronology of apatites from two dykes yielded differences between unforced and forced discordia ages up to ∼45 Ma, likely due to the initial 207Pb/206Pb correction adopted. Nonetheless, because forced discordia and 206Pb/238U weighted mean ages are overall similar within the uncertainty, our preferred interpretation is that olivine minettes intruded and crystallized at ∼67 Ma. The age and anorogenic signature of these magmas are consistent with the regional extensional tectonics in the Julian Alps due to the advance of the external Dinaric front following Adria plate eastward subduction. Eventually, we show also that Rio Colan magmas are geochemically hybrid products between lamprophyres and lamproites compared with similar Italian and Western Mediterranean volcanics.
The Use of Peer Groups in Setting Director Compensation: Competition for Talent Versus Self-Serving Behavior
Authors: Chen Sheng-Syan , Chien Cheng-Yi , Huang Chia-Wei
Published: April 2023

Recent Delaware Chancery Court decisions that boards are self-interested in setting director compensation have focused scrutiny on the pay-setting process used by corporations. We examine the effect of peer benchmarking on director compensation decisions. Director pay relates positively to peer director pay, and firms paying their directors highly are selected as peers. Moreover, firm performance and board advising performance are positively related to the talent component and are generally unrelated to the self-serving component of the peer pay effect. The evidence indicates that firms use peer benchmarking to justify high compensation mainly to attract talented directors to enhance board quality.
Corporate Leadership and Inherited Beliefs About Gender Roles
Authors: McLean R. David , Pirinsky Christo , Zhao Mengxin
Published: April 2023

Some U.S. firms have women directors and executives, while many do not. We seek to explain this heterogeneity. Using U.S. Census data from 1900, we find that U.S. counties with populations originating from countries with stronger gender-egalitarian beliefs have more women in the labor market and in STEM occupations, and lower gender-pay gaps. Firms headquartered in such counties have more women executives and directors. When firms move to more gender-egalitarian counties, the representation of women on board increases. Our findings are consistent with the idea that inherited beliefs about gender roles impact the labor market and corporate leadership.
Successful emergency Lichtenberger lateralisation for immediate bilateral laryngeal immobility after total thyroidectomy: a CARE case report
Authors: Stevanović S , Knežević M , Obraz M , Košec A
Published: April 2023

Objective

This case report discusses a successful emergency Lichtenberger lateralisation procedure after immediate bilateral laryngeal immobility, occurring after total thyroidectomy.

Methods

A 63-year-old female with right-sided vocal fold paralysis due to compression by a multinodular thyroid goitre underwent total thyroidectomy, which resulted in immediate post-operative bilateral vocal fold immobility. The patient had acute-onset post-operative dyspnoea, was promptly re-intubated, and an emergency lateralisation Lichtenberger suture was placed over the right vocal fold and fixated on the outer surface of the neck.

Results

After two weeks, her right vocal fold recovered first, with the suture still in place. At four weeks, both vocal folds regained function and the suture was extracted.

Conclusion

The take-away message is that an emergency lateralisation suture may be a viable option in maintaining airway patency, while allowing for normal deglutition, in patients who would otherwise be candidates for prolonged intubation, posterior cordotomy, medial arytenoidectomy or tracheostomy.
Pop Song English as a supralocal norm
Authors: Gibson Andy
Published: April 2023

An American-influenced singing accent, referred to here as Pop Song English (PSE), is common in popular music throughout (and beyond) the Anglophone world. This article presents an analysis of the sung pronunciation of two variables (bathand nonprevocalic /r/)that distinguish New Zealand English (NZE) from American Englishes (AmE). The Phonetics of Popular Song (PoPS) corpus includes 154 performers, structured according to country of origin (NZ and the US) and musical genre (pop and hip hop). An auditory analysis was conducted for each variable, distinguishing between the NZE and PSE/AmE variants. Almost all New Zealand performers adopt the PSE variants at least some of the time, with greater adherence to the American model in pop than in hip hop. In the US, region determines hip hop, but not pop, artists’ degree of rhoticity. PSE represents a supralocal norm for pop music, while hip hop artists tend to use their ‘own accent’.(Pop Song English, singing accent, rap accent, supralocal norm, nonprevocalic /r/,trap–bathsplit, intentionality, language performance, pop music, hip hop, responsive style, initiative style)*
Patient-based evidence: its role in decision making on end-of-life, orphan, and ultra-orphan medicines
Authors: Hems Sharon , Taylor Louise , Jones Jan , Holmes Eileen
Published: April 2023

Objectives

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) conducts early health technology assessment (HTA) of new medicines on behalf of NHSScotland. Assessment of end-of-life (EoL), orphan, and ultra-orphan medicines includes a process to gather evidence from patients and carers during Patient and Clinician Engagement (PACE) meetings. The output of PACE meetings is a consensus statement describing the medicine’s added value from the perspective of patients/carers and clinicians. The PACE statement is used by SMC committee members in decision making. This study compared how PACE participants and SMC committee members rate the importance of information in PACE statements for these medicines.

Methods

A survey was undertaken of patient group (PG) representatives and clinicians who participated in PACE meetings, and SMC committee members.

Results

PACE participants who responded (26 PG representatives and 14 clinicians) rated health benefits and ability to take part in normal life as important/very important. Convenience of administration and treatment choice received the lowest rating. Hope for the future received the most diverse response. PACE participants generally rated the importance of quality of life themes higher than committee members (n = 20) but the rank order was similar. Differences between the proportion of PACE participants and committee members who rated themes as important/very important were greatest for treatment choice and hope for the future.

Conclusions

In general, PACE themes and subthemes that were rated highly by PACE participants were also considered important by SMC committee members, indicating that information captured during PACE meetings is relevant when making decisions on EoL, orphan, and ultra-orphan medicines.
Direct and indirect associations between childhood adversity and emotional and behavioral problems at age 14: A network analytical approach
Authors: de Vries Tjeerd Rudmer , Arends Iris , Oldehinkel Albertine J. , Bültmann Ute
Published: April 2023

We applied network analysis combined with community detection algorithms to examine how adverse experiences (AEs) (e.g., abuse, bullying victimization, financial difficulties) are, individually and conjunctively, associated with emotional and behavioral problems at age fourteen in the Dutch TRacking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS,N= 1880, 52.2% female). We found that bullying victimization, peer rejection, parental mental health problems, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse were the only AEs directly contributing to risk of emotional problems. Parental divorce and emotional abuse were the only AEs directly contributing to risk of behavioral problems. Most AEs (e.g., parental employment, parental physical illness) were not conditionally associated with emotional and behavioral problems but may nevertheless contribute to emotional and behavioral problems via associations with other AEs (e.g., parental unemployment and emotional abuse). Community detection algorithms suggested that many of the AEs cluster together (e.g., physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse; financial difficulties and parental unemployment), sometimes with emotional and behavioral problems (e.g., bullying victimization, peer rejection and emotional problems). Our findings shed light on how individual AEs contribute to risks of emotional and behavioral problems directly, and indirectly through associations with other AEs.
Emotion recognition links to reactive and proactive aggression across childhood: A multi-study design
Authors: Acland Erinn L. , Peplak Joanna , Suri Anjali , Malti Tina
Published: April 2023

Difficulty recognizing negative emotions is linked to aggression in children. However, it remains unclear how certain types of emotion recognition (insensitivities vs. biases) are associated with functions of aggression and whether these relations change across childhood. We addressed these gaps in two diverse community samples (study 1: aged 4 and 8; N = 300; study 2: aged 5 to 13, N = 374). Across studies, children performed a behavioral task to assess emotion recognition (sad, fear, angry, and happy facial expressions) while caregivers reported children’s overt proactive and reactive aggression. Difficulty recognizing fear (especially in early childhood) and sadness was associated with greater proactive aggression. Insensitivity to anger – perceiving angry faces as showing no emotion – was associated with increased proactive aggression, especially in middle-to-late childhood. Additionally, greater happiness bias – mistaking negative emotions as being happy – was consistently related to higher reactive aggression only in early childhood. Together, difficulty recognizing negative emotions was related to proactive aggression, however, the strength of these relations varied based on the type of emotion and developmental period assessed. Alternately, difficulty determining emotion valence was related to reactive aggression in early childhood. These findings demonstrate that distinct forms of emotion recognition are important for understanding functions of aggression across development.
Franz Lehár's Friederike as Weimar Middlebrow Culture
Authors: Baranello Micaela
Published: April 2023

Franz Lehár's 1928 Berlin operetta Friederike boasts an unusual subject: a romantic incident in the early life of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Weimar Berlin is usually considered as a haven for experimentation between high and low culture, a bifurcated view which has dominated German studies, but in this article I argue that Friederike is best considered as an example of the middlebrow. I examine the many sources which contributed to Friederike, from Goethe to Wagner to contemporary plays; analyse the score's stylistic allusions and the performance of star tenor Richard Tauber; and finally turn to Lehár's rhetorical positioning of his work on the Berlin theatrical scene. I argue that operetta scholarship itself has traditionally been ill-equipped to deal with Lehár's late works and operetta more generally, and that middlebrow studies’ nuanced consideration of questions of art, commerce and prestige can contribute more widely to operetta and Weimar historiography.
A review of the conservation status of Black Stork Ciconia nigra in South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini
Authors: Lee Alan Tristram Kenneth , Whitecross Melissa A. , Smit-Robinson Hanneline A. , Allan David G. , van den Heever Linda , Jenkins Andrew , Retief Ernst F. , Colyn Robin B. , Tarboton Warwick , Chetty Kishaylin , Brink Christiaan Willem
Published: April 2023

Across South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini, long-term citizen science atlas data have suggested concerning declines in the population of Black Stork Ciconia nigra. Unlike the Asian and European populations, the southern African Black Stork population is described as resident and is listed as “Vulnerable” in South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini. Here we report on surveys of historical nesting locations across northern South Africa, finding evidence for nest site abandonment and limited evidence of recent breeding. We undertook detailed species distribution modelling within a maximum entropy framework, using occurrence records from the BirdLasser mobile app. We cross-validated the models against information in the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2) database, highlighting Lesotho as an important potential breeding area. Additionally, we used SABAP2 to assess population trends by investigating interannual patterns in reporting rate. Comparing current reporting rates with those from SABAP1 (1987–1992), we found that there has been a dramatic decrease. We noted that a large proportion of the population occurs outside the breeding range during the breeding season, suggesting a considerable non-breeding population, especially in the extensive wildlife refuge of the Kruger National Park. The slow declines observed might be indicative of a population which is not losing many adults but is failing to recruit significant numbers of juveniles due to limited breeding. Using densities derived from transect surveys, we used predictive models to derive estimates of breeding range carrying capacity and a population estimate, which suggested declines to numbers around 600 for this subregion. Minimising disturbance at breeding sites of this cliff-nesting species and improving water quality at key population strongholds are pathways to improving the status of the species in the subregion.
An unusual case of coronary artery fistula successfully treated by transcatheter approach
Authors: Biyani Garima , Pota Abhay , Misri Amit
Published: April 2023

Coronary artery fistulas are rare, but one of the most common forms of congenital coronary abnormalities. These patients are often diagnosed incidentally undergoing coronary angiography, but with the advent of novel cardiac imaging tools, there is an increasing rate of detection as well as transcatheter management of these fistulas. Our case is unusual in a way that it involved a combination of two separate coronary artery fistulas arising from both the coronary systems draining into the same site.
The association between self-reported nocturnal sleep duration, irregularity in daily energy intake and diet quality in a sample of Iranian adults
Authors: Yazdani Vida , Zeraattalab-Motlagh Sheida , Jayedi Ahmad , Majdi Maryam , Mirrafiei Amin , Martami Fahimeh , Djafarian Kurosh , Shab-Bidar Sakineh
Published: April 2023

Objective:

Evidence on the relationship between sleep duration and irregularity in daily energy intake with diet quality in Iranian adults is scarce. We aimed to evaluate the association of sleep duration with diet quality and irregularity in daily energy intake.

Design:

This is a cross-sectional study.

Setting:

The study was performed in healthcare centres in Tehran.

Participants:

739 adults aged 20–59 years were recruited. Dietary intake was assessed by a FFQ and three 24-h dietary recalls. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015). An irregularity score of daily energy intake was calculated based on the deviation from the 3-d mean energy intake. Sleep duration was estimated using self-reported nocturnal sleep duration by each person.

Results:

The mean age of the study participants was 44·4 ± 10·7 years; 70 % were women. The mean nocturnal sleep duration, HEI score and irregularity score were 6·7 ± 1·22 h/d, 52·5 ± 8·55 and 22·9 + 19, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, sleep duration was not associated with adherence to HEI-2015 (OR: 1·16; 95 % CI 0·77, 1·74). Longer sleep duration was marginally associated with a lower odd of irregularity in daily energy intake. However, after adjustment for various confounders, this association was not significant (OR: 0·82; 95 % CI 0·50, 1·33; Ptrend = 0·45). No significant interaction was observed between sleep duration and irregularity in daily energy intake in relation to adherence to HEI-2015 (Pinteraction = 0·48).

Conclusions:

We found that sleep duration was not associated with adherence to HEI-2015 and irregularity in daily energy intake. Further prospective studies are warranted.
A Kantian Account of Political Hopes as Fundamental Hopes
Authors: Li Qiannan
Published: April 2023

In this article, I argue that the current literature on political hope overlooks its non-instrumental value. By proposing a Kant-inspired account of treating reasonable hopes as fundamental hopes, I argue that it is rational for people to hold certain political hopes not only because such hopes promote particular ends but also because they are constitutive of a person’s practical identity as a responsible political agent with limited power to make changes. This view reveals that victims of injustice face an affective injustice because the unjust social system forces them to face a double bind in upholding their fundamental political hopes.
What causes delays in diagnosing blood cancers? A rapid review of the evidence
Authors: Black Georgia B. , Boswell Laura , Harris Jenny , Whitaker Katriina L.
Published: April 2023

Objective:

We undertook a rapid review of literature relating to the diagnosis of blood cancers, to find out what factors contribute to delays in diagnosis, including symptom recognition, appraisal and help-seeking behaviours.

Methods:

We used rapid review methodology following Tricco et al. to synthesise current literature from two electronic databases. We searched for studies about symptom appraisal help-seeking for all blood cancers published between 2001 and 2021, written in English.

Results:

Fifteen studies were included in the review, of which 10 were published in the United Kingdom. We found a number of factors associated with delays in blood cancer diagnosis. These included patient factors such as gender, age and ethnicity, as well as health system factors such as poor communication and seeing a locum clinician in primary care. A narrative synthesis of the evidence produced four types of symptom interpretation by patients: (1) symptoms compatible with normal state of health, (2) event-linked problems, (3) mild or chronic illness and (4) non-specific unwell state. These four interpretations were linked to different help-seeking behaviours. After seeking help, patients often experienced delays due to healthcare professionals’ (HCPs’) non-serious interpretation of symptoms, misleading blood tests, discontinuity of care and other barriers in the diagnostic pathway.

Conclusion:

Blood cancers are difficult to diagnose due to non-specific heterogeneous symptoms, and this is reflected in how those symptoms are interpreted by patients and managed by HCPs. It is important to understand how different interpretations affect delays in help-seeking, and what HCPs can do to support timely follow-up for patients.
Beating the Odds: Women’s Leadership in International Organizations
Authors: Sokolova Maria V. , DiCaprio Alisa , Bivens Collinson Nicole , Quirante Zyra
Published: April 2023

Despite gains at lower levels, women have made limited inroads into leadership roles in international organizations. Using a novel data set of both nominees and selected heads of 129 international organizations, we uncover several empirical patterns. Women’s representation at the highest levels remains far below parity but has been improving steadily since the 1990s. One caveat is that this improvement has only occurred in a subset of institutions, which suggests a concentration of women leaders. Based on the available data, we examine whether the appointment of a woman leader impacts equality in the institution’s overall staffing profile. We find that such changes occur only once there is a history of appointing women. We also look at the nominations process and find that when women are included in the nominee pool, they tend to be selected, although often they are absent. Our analysis contributes much-needed data to the broader literature on leadership in international organizations and introduces a new data set with a range of other potential applications.
Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on utilisation of community-based mental health care in North-East of Italy: A psychiatric case register study
Authors: Prina E. , Tedeschi F. , Salazzari D. , Botte T. , Ballarin M. , Rabbi L. , Imperadore G. , Roccato S. , Nicolaou S. , Ruggeri M. , Gomez F. , Lasalvia A. , Amaddeo F.
Published: April 2023

Aims

WHO declared that mental health care should be considered one essential health service to be maintained during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aims to describe the effect of lockdown and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy on mental health services’ utilisation, by considering psychiatric diagnoses and type of mental health contacts.

Methods

The study was conducted in the Verona catchment area, located in the Veneto region (northeastern Italy). For each patient, mental health contacts were grouped into: (1) outpatient care, (2) social and supportive interventions, (3) rehabilitation interventions, (4) multi-professional assessments, (5) day care. A ‘difference in differences’ approach was used: difference in the number of contacts between 2019 and 2020 on the weeks of lockdown and intermediate restrictions was compared with the same difference in weeks of no or reduced restrictions, and such difference was interpreted as the effect of restrictions. Both a global regression on all contacts and separate regressions for each type of service were performed and Incidence Rate Ratios (IRRs) were calculated.

Results

In 2020, a significant reduction in the number of patients who had mental health contacts was found, both overall and for most of the patients’ characteristics considered (except for people aged 18–24 years for foreign-born population and for those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Moreover, in 2020 mental health contacts had a reduction of 57 096 (−33.9%) with respect to 2019; such difference remained significant across the various type of contacts considered, with rehabilitation interventions and day care showing the greatest reduction. Negative Binomial regressions displayed a statistically significant effect of lockdown, but not of intermediate restrictions, in terms of reduction in the number of contacts. The lockdown period was responsible of a 32.7% reduction (IRR 0.673; p-value <0.001) in the overall number of contacts. All type of mental health contacts showed a reduction ascribable to the lockdown, except social and supportive interventions.

Conclusions

Despite the access to community mental health care during the pandemic was overall reduced, the mental health system in the Verona catchment area was able to maintain support for more vulnerable and severely ill patients, by providing continuity of care and day-by-day support through social and supportive interventions.
Multi-Site Replications in Social Psychology: Reflections, Implications, and Future Directions
Authors: Baumeister Roy F. , Bushman Brad J. , Tice Dianne M.
Published: April 2023

Social psychology findings have fared poorly in multi-site replication attempts. This article considers and evaluates multiple factors that may contribute to such failures, other than the “crisis” assumption that most of the field’s published research is so badly flawed that it should be dismissed wholesale. Low engagement by participants may reduce replicability of some findings (while not affecting certain others). Incentives differ between original researchers and replicators. If multi-site replications are indeed biased toward failure, this may have a damaging effect on the field’s ability to build correct theories.
Coherent Mechanistic Patterns of Tropical Land Hydroclimate Changes
Authors: Duan Suqin Q. , Findell Kirsten L. , Fueglistaler Stephan A.
Published: April 2023

Changes in tropical (30 S–30 N) land hydroclimate following CO2‐induced global warming are organized according to climatological aridity index (AI) and daily soil moisture (SM) percentiles. The transform from geographical space to this novel process‐oriented phase space allows for interpretation of local, daily mechanistic relationships between key hydroclimatic variables in the context of time‐mean and/or global‐mean energetic constraints and the wet‐get‐wetter/dry‐get‐drier paradigm. Results from 16 CMIP models show coherent patterns of change in the AI/SM phase space that are aligned with the established soil‐moisture/evapotranspiration regimes. We introduce an active‐rain regime as a special case of the energy‐limited regime. Rainfall shifts toward larger rain totals in this active‐rain regime, with less rain on other days, resulting in an overall SM reduction. Consequently, the regimes where SM constrains evapotranspiration become more frequently occupied, and corresponding hydroclimatic changes align with the position of the critical SM value in the AI/SM phase space.
Dipolarization Events With Inductive, Radial Electric Fields Observed by Van Allen Probes
Authors: Matsui H. , Torbert R. B. , Spence H. E. , Cooper M. B. , Farrugia C. J. , Gkioulidou M. , Metivier T. J. , Wygant J. R.
Published: April 2023

Dipolarization events with inductive, radial electric fields are examined, using Van Allen Probes data between 2012 and 2019. Two cases are studied, followed by statistical analyses. These events were observed between evening and premidnight magnetic local times (MLTs) under moderate geomagnetic activities. Radial electric field variations, azimuthal magnetic field variations, and energetic protons were often observed when horizontal magnetic fields started to decrease in the dip region. Magnetic field lines were stretched with their motion similar to the gradient B/curvature drift velocities of energetic protons. Signs of electric fields changed when horizontal magnetic fields started to increase in the dipolarization front (DF). Electric field and magnetic field variations were correlated and in quadrature regarding the phase relation. Among other explanations, we interpret these observations in terms of energetic proton structures drifting toward the probe locations, while being accompanied by standing waves.
Upward Leaders Initiated From Instrumented Lightning Rods During the Approach of a Downward Leader in a Cloud‐To‐Ground Flash
Authors: Saba Marcelo M. F. , Lauria Paola B. , Schumann Carina , Silva José Claudio de O. , Mantovani Felipe de L.
Published: April 2023

In this paper we analyze electric‐field and current measurements of upward leaders induced by a downward negative lightning flash that struck a residential building. The attachment process was recorded by two high‐speed cameras running at 37,800 and 70,000 images per second and the current measured in two lightning rods. Differently from previous works, here we show, for the first time, current measurements of multiple upward leaders that after initiation propagate to connect the negative downward moving leader. At the beginning of the propagation of the leaders that initiate on the instrumented lightning rods, current pulses appear superimposed to a steadily increasing DC current. The upward leader current pulses increase with the approach of the downward leader and are not synchronized but present an alternating pattern. All 2D leader speeds are approximately constant. The upward leaders are slower than the downward leader speed. The average time interval between current pulses in upward leaders is close to the interstep time interval found by optical or electric field sensors for negative cloud‐to‐ground stepped leaders. The upward leaders respond to different downward propagating branches and, as the branches alternate in propagation and intensity, so do the leaders accordingly. Right before the attachment process the alternating pattern of the leaders ceases, all downward leader branches intensify, and consequently upward leaders synchronize and pulse together. The average linear densities for upward leaders (49 and 82 μC/m) were obtained for the first time for natural lightning.
Estimating Global GPP From the Plant Functional Type Perspective Using a Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Guo Renjie , Chen Tiexi , Chen Xin , Yuan Wenping , Liu Shuci , He Bin , Li Lin , Wang Shengzhen , Hu Ting , Yan Qingyun , Wei Xueqiong , Dai Jie
Published: April 2023

The long‐term monitoring of gross primary production (GPP) is crucial to the assessment of the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, a well‐known machine learning model (random forest, RF) is established to reconstruct the global GPP data set named ECGC_GPP. The model distinguished nine functional plant types, including C3 and C4 crops, using eddy fluxes, meteorological variables, and leaf area index (LAI) as training data of RF model. Based on ERA5_Land and the corrected GEOV2 data, global monthly GPP data set at a 0.05° resolution from 1999 to 2019 was estimated. The results showed that the RF model could explain 74.81% of the monthly variation of GPP in the testing data set, of which the average contribution of LAI reached 41.73%. The average annual and standard deviation of GPP during 1999–2019 were 117.14 ± 1.51 Pg C yr−1, with an upward trend of 0.21 Pg C yr−2 (p < 0.01). By using the plant functional type classification, the underestimation of cropland is improved. Therefore, ECGC_GPP provides reasonable global spatial pattern and long‐term trend of annual GPP.
Impact of Parameterized Isopycnal Diffusivity on Shelf‐Ocean Exchanges Under Upwelling‐Favorable Winds: Offline Tracer Simulations Augmented by Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Xie Chenyue , Wei Huaiyu , Wang Yan
Published: April 2023

Isopycnal eddy mixing across continental slopes profoundly modulates the ocean circulation and biogeochemistry. Yet this process must be parameterized in coarse‐resolution ocean models via an isopycnal eddy diffusivity prescribed with the Redi scheme. In this work, we evaluate the skill of physics‐based and data‐driven Redi variants in predicting the cross‐slope exchanges using a suite of offline‐mode parameterized tracer simulations for wind‐driven upwelling continental slope fronts, which commonly arise around the margins of subtropical gyres. The tested physics‐based Redi variants range from a constant eddy diffusivity to a recently proposed, bathymetry‐aware diffusivity augmented by the artificial neural network (ANN) that infers the mesoscale eddy kinetic energy from the mean flow and topographic quantities. Moreover, a purely data‐driven eddy diffusivity is learned by the ANN from the output data set of an eddy‐resolving model, whose solutions serve as the ground truth against which the parameterized tracer simulations are compared. Among all tested Redi variants, the ANN‐learned diffusivity and the bathymetry‐aware diffusivity outperform others in reproducing the tracer solutions of the eddy‐resolving model. However, a physics‐based Redi variant with local deficiencies can introduce global errors in the predicted tracer distribution, which calls for ongoing efforts in constraining the shelf‐to‐ocean transition of the isopycnal eddy diffusivity. A purely data‐driven diffusivity can nearly reproduce the diagnosed diffusivity from the eddy‐resolving model, which highlights the efficacy of machine learning techniques for parameterizing eddy processes across steep topography. This work serves as a key step toward parameterizing the isopycnal eddy mixing in ocean models with continental slopes.
A Simple Multiscale Intermediate Coupled Stochastic Model for El Niño Diversity and Complexity
Authors: Chen Nan , Fang Xianghui
Published: April 2023

El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the most prominent interannual climate variability in the tropics and exhibits diverse features in spatiotemporal patterns. This paper develops a simple multiscale intermediate coupled stochastic model to capture the ENSO diversity and complexity. The model starts with a deterministic and linear coupled interannual atmosphere, ocean, and sea surface temperature (SST) system. It can generate two dominant linear solutions representing the eastern Pacific (EP) and the central Pacific (CP) El Niños, respectively. In addition to adopting a stochastic model for characterizing the intraseasonal wind bursts, another simple stochastic process is developed to describe the decadal variation of the background Walker circulation. The latter links the two dominant modes in a simple nonlinear fashion and advances the modulation of the strength and occurrence frequency of the EP and the CP events. Finally, cubic nonlinear damping is adopted to parameterize the relationship between subsurface temperatures and thermocline depth. The model succeeds in reproducing the spatiotemporal dynamical evolution of different types of ENSO events. It also accurately recovers the strongly non‐Gaussian probability density function, the seasonal phase locking, the power spectrum, and the temporal autocorrelation function of the SST anomalies in all the three Niño regions (3, 3.4, and 4) across the equatorial Pacific. Furthermore, both the composites of the SST anomalies for various ENSO events and the strength‐location bivariate distribution of equatorial Pacific SST maxima for the El Niño events from the model simulation highly resemble those from the observations.
The Zonal Patterns in Late Quaternary Tropical South American Precipitation
Authors: Kukla T. , Winnick M. J. , Laguë M. M. , Xia Z.
Published: April 2023

Speleothem oxygen isotope records (δ18O) of tropical South American rainfall in the late Quaternary show a zonal “South American Precipitation Dipole” (SAPD). The dipole is characterized by opposing east‐west precipitation anomalies compared to the present—wetter in the east and drier in the west at the mid‐Holocene (∼7 ka), and drier in the east and wetter in the west at the Last Glacial Maximum (∼21 ka). However, the SAPD remains enigmatic because it is expressed differently in western versus eastern δ18O records and isotope‐enabled climate model simulations usually misrepresent the magnitude and/or spatial pattern of δ18O change. Here, we address the SAPD enigma in two parts. First, we re‐interpret the δ18O data to account for upwind rainout effects that are known to be pervasive in tropical South America, but are not always considered in Quaternary paleoclimate studies. Our revised interpretation reconciles the δ18O data with cave infiltration and other proxy records, and indicates that the centroid of tropical South American rainfall has migrated zonally over time. Second, using an energy balance model of tropical atmospheric circulation, we hypothesize that zonal migration of the precipitation centroid can be explained by regional energy budget shifts, such as changing Saharan albedo associated with the African Humid Period, that have not been modeled in previous SAPD studies. This hypothesis of a migrating precipitation centroid presents a new framework for interpreting δ18O records from tropical South America and may help explain the zonal rainfall anomalies that predate the late Quaternary.
On Sparsity Related to the Integral Equations of 2D Electromagnetic Scattering
Authors: Sandström Sven‐Erik
Published: April 2023

The integral equations of electromagnetic scattering are often solved with the Fast Multipole Method. If the application involves multiple excitations one could instead consider methods that separate factorization and solution. The cost of an elaborate factorization could then be compensated for by an efficient solution. An approach to obtain substantial sparsity in the solution step is considered here. By using the generality provided by the integral representation, the kernel is modified so as to create sparsity in the resulting linear system. In the two modifications that are described here there is an attempt to optimize the shape of the kernel with respect to sparsity and accuracy.
Dating Strike‐Slip Ductile Shear Through Combined Zircon‐, Titanite‐ and Apatite U–Pb Geochronology Along the Southern Tan‐Lu Fault Zone, East China
Authors: Qiu Erkang , Zhang Yueqiao , Larson Kyle P. , Li Bingxi
Published: April 2023

Dating the timing of ductile shear deformation is critical to the understanding of complex, multi‐episode kinematics that commonly occur within the study of continental tectonics. The Tan‐Lu fault zone (TLFZ) in East China is a lithospheric discontinuity that records multistage sinistral strike‐slip shearing during Mesozoic time. Herein, based on field mapping, pressure‐temperature estimates via microstructures, quartz lattice preferred orientations, and geothermobarometer analysis, and U–Pb geochronology, we present a detailed examination of a portion of the southern TLFZ known as the Fucha Shan ductile shear zone. Two phases of sinistral ductile shear deformation in the shear zone are identified. The main phase occurred under amphibolite‐facies metamorphic conditions (500°C–650°C, 2.8–5.2 Kbar). U–Pb dating of synkinematic titanite indicate deformation occurred ca. 142–140 Ma. This age information is consistent with U–Pb dating of zircon from crosscutting granitic dikes that provide an upper limit of the shearing of ca. 134 Ma. A later, but less well‐developed phase of sinistral ductile shearing variably overprints older structures within the Fucha Shan shear zone at greenschist‐facies metamorphic conditions. U–Pb dating of apatite grains in rocks that record this later event are interpreted to indicate that shearing occurred ca. 118–108 Ma. These results provide new insight into Early Cretaceous shear deformation history within the southern TLFZ in the context of the late Mesozoic intracontinental deformation in East Asia.
Oncolytic virotherapy: basic principles, recent advances and future directions
Authors: Lin Danni , Shen Yinan , Liang Tingbo
Published: April 2023

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) have attracted growing awareness in the twenty-first century, as they are generally considered to have direct oncolysis and cancer immune effects. With the progress in genetic engineering technology, OVs have been adopted as versatile platforms for developing novel antitumor strategies, used alone or in combination with other therapies. Recent studies have yielded eye-catching results that delineate the promising clinical outcomes that OVs would bring about in the future. In this review, we summarized the basic principles of OVs in terms of their classifications, as well as the recent advances in OV-modification strategies based on their characteristics, biofunctions, and cancer hallmarks. Candidate OVs are expected to be designed as “qualified soldiers” first by improving target fidelity and safety, and then equipped with “cold weapons” for a proper cytocidal effect, “hot weapons” capable of activating cancer immunotherapy, or “auxiliary weapons” by harnessing tactics such as anti-angiogenesis, reversed metabolic reprogramming and decomposing extracellular matrix around tumors. Combinations with other cancer therapeutic agents have also been elaborated to show encouraging antitumor effects. Robust results from clinical trials using OV as a treatment congruously suggested its significance in future application directions and challenges in developing OVs as novel weapons for tactical decisions in cancer treatment.
Remineralization of teeth with casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate: analysis of salivary pH and the rate of salivary flow
Authors: Alkarad Lubna , Alkhouli Muaaz , Dashash Mayssoon
Published: April 2023

Aim

To investigate the changes of salivary flow rate and salivary pH of Syrian children with mixed dentition following application of Casein Phosphopeptide-Amorphous Calcium Phosphate (CPP-ACP).

Methods

This study is part of a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial. It included 50 children aged 6–8 who were randomly divided into two treatment groups to receive either CPP-ACP GC Tooth Mousse™ (Group A) or placebo (Group B) with 25 participants per group. After the application of the product in the mouth for 3 min, saliva samples were collected four times (T0, T1, T2, and T3) to measure salivary pH and the rate of salivary flow.

Results

There was no significant difference between group A and B in the mean value of salivary flow rate (t = 1.08, P = 0.28, 0.57 ± 0.28 versus 0.56 ± 0.38 respectively) and salivary pH (t = 0.61, P = 0.54, 7.28 ± 0.44 versus 7.25 ± 0.36 respectively). However, there was a significant difference between different time points (T0, T1, T2, and T3) in the mean value of salivary flow rate (0.41 ± 0.30, 0.65 ± 0.36, 0.53 ± 0.28, and 0.56 ± 0.34 respectively) and salivary pH (6.99 ± 0.44, 7.46 ± 0.36, 7.36 ± 0.32, and 7.26 ± 0.32 respectively).

Conclusion

The application of the GC Tooth Mouse (CPP-ACP) was similar to placebo in increasing the salivary pH and salivary flow rate.

Trial registration

ISRCTN17509082, Registration date 22/11/2022.
TP53 mutation variant allele frequency of ≥10% is associated with poor prognosis in therapy-related myeloid neoplasms
Authors: Shah Mithun Vinod , Tran Elizabeth Ngoc Hoa , Shah Syed , Chhetri Rakchha , Baranwal Anmol , Ladon Dariusz , Shultz Carl , Al-Kali Aref , Brown Anna L. , Chen Dong , Scott Hamish S. , Greipp Patricia , Thomas Daniel , Alkhateeb Hassan B. , Singhal Deepak , Gangat Naseema , Kumar Sharad , Patnaik Mrinal M. , Hahn Christopher N. , Kok Chung Hoow , Tefferi Ayalew , Hiwase Devendra K.
Published: April 2023

Revised diagnostic criteria for myeloid neoplasms (MN) issued by the International Consensus Classification (ICC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended major change pertaining to TP53-mutated (TP53mut) MN. However, these assertions have not been specifically examined in therapy-related myeloid neoplasm (t-MN), a subset enriched with TP53mut. We analyzed 488 t-MN patients for TP53mut. At least one TP53mut with variant allele frequency (VAF) ≥ 2% with or without loss of TP53 locus was noted in 182 (37.3%) patients and 88.2% of TP53mut t-MN had a VAF ≥10%. TP53mut t-MN with VAF ≥ 10% had a distinct clinical and biological profile compared to both TP53mut VAF < 10% and wild-type TP53 (TP53wt) cases. Notably, TP53mut VAF ≥ 10% had a significantly shorter survival compared to TP53wt (8.3 vs. 21.6 months; P < 0.001), while the survival of TP53mut VAF < 10% was comparable to TP53wt. Within TP53mut VAF ≥ 10% cohort, the inferior outcomes persisted irrespective of the single- or multi-hit status, co-mutation pattern, or treatments received. Finally, survival of TP53mut patients was poor across all the blast categories and MDS patients with >10% blasts had inferior survival compared to <5%. In summary, TP53mut VAF ≥10% signified a clinically and molecularly homogenous cohort regardless of the allelic status.
Oral medicine in regional oral and maxillofacial surgery units: a five-year review
Authors: Lin Yen M. , Simms Melanie L. , Atkin Phil A.
Published: April 2023

Introduction This study looks at the amount of oral medicine activity in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) units in both South East Wales and South West England, and to consider the development of training programmes in oral medicine and OMFS, to determine how to best deliver a service which would benefit patients with oral medicine diagnoses.

Materials and methods Following institutional approvals, local OMFS units in South East Wales and South West England collected data from OMFS outpatient clinics to determine what proportion of patient diagnoses fell within the scope of practice of oral medicine.

Results In South East Wales in 2017, patients with oral medicine diagnoses formed 45% of total outpatient activity in OMFS outpatient clinics compared to 37% of patients in the South West of England in 2021. Patients with oral medicine diagnoses were predominantly female and in the older age groups.

Discussion and conclusions Changing age demographics suggest that the demand for specialist oral medicine services will continue to rise. Outside of the university dental hospital setting, where all UK oral medicine units are currently located, there is a growing need for specialists in oral medicine to work alongside colleagues in OMFS in district general hospitals to provide specialist oral medicine care to an increasingly large and complex patient group, ideally as part of a managed clinical network.