bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular dynamics modeling of a partially saturated clay‐water system at finite temperature
Authors: Song Xiaoyu , Wang Miao‐Chun
Published: July 2019

The mechanical and hydraulic properties of unsaturated clay under nonisothermal conditions have practical implications in geotechnical engineering applications such as geothermal energy harvest, landfill cover design, and nuclear waste disposal facilities. The water menisci among clay particles impact the mechanical and hydraulic properties of unsaturated clay. Molecular dynamics (MD) modeling has been proven to be an effective method in investigating clay structures and their hydromechanical behavior at the atomic scale. In this study, we examine the impact of temperature increase on the capillary force and capillary pressure of the partially saturated clay‐water system through high‐performance computing. The water meniscus formed between two parallel clay particles is studied via a full‐scale MD modeling at different elevated temperatures. The numerical results have shown that the temperature increase impacts the capillary force, capillary pressure, and contact angle at the atomic scale. The capillary force on the clay particle obtained from MD simulations is also compared with the results from the macroscopic theory. The full‐scale MD simulation of the partially saturated clay‐water system can not only provide a fundamental understanding of the impact of temperature on the interface physics of such system at the atomic scale, but also has practical implication in formulating physics‐based multiscale models for unsaturated soils by providing interface physical properties of such materials directly through high‐performance computing.
Can the simultaneous laparoscopic approach improve the learning of vaginal surgery with meshes in the anatomical model?
Authors: Sanchez‐Ferrer Maria Luisa , Fernández‐Andres Íñigo , Martínez‐Escoriza Juan Carlos , Romero‐Maroto Jesús , Sánchez del Campo Francisco , Gómez‐Pérez Luis
Published: July 2019

Aims

To evaluate the usefulness of simultaneous laparoscopic assistance to improve understanding of the nonvisible surgical steps in Thiel‐embalmed cadaver models for training in vaginal surgery using vaginal mesh kits and to evaluate opinions of this surgical learning procedure in comparison with other learning models.

Methods

Recording of anterior compartment prolapse repair with vaginal mesh kits using an external camera simultaneously with laparoscopic vision during the execution of the procedure at the dissection room. To measure the usefulness of this procedure, we designed an anonymous online survey that was made available to program participants via a computer application (a link to video 1 and the survey is available at encuesta@um.es).

Results

After watching the video, 97.2% of participants agreed that laparoscopic vision combined with the vaginal approach was useful in learning this surgical technique, and 95.8% agreed they had learned details of the surgical anatomy of the pelvis. All participants agreed that it should be mandatory to train in these techniques with cadavers before practice with live patients. In addition, 84.7% responded that the cadaveric model was superior to animal and other types of models.

Conclusion

Laparoscopic inspection of the procedure performed with the vaginal approach allowed a better understanding of the surgical technique by making “visible” the anatomical structures that were commonly only palpated. Use of the cadaverous model was considered most efficient for training in this surgical technique.
Optimized composite finite difference schemes for atmospheric flow modeling
Authors: Appadu Appanah Rao
Published: July 2019

In this paper, we use some finite difference methods in order to solve an atmospheric flow problem described by an advection–diffusion equation. This flow problem was solved by Clancy using forward‐time central space (FTCS) scheme and is challenging to simulate due to large errors in phase and amplitude which are generated especially over long propagation times. Clancy also derived stability limits for FTCS scheme. We use Von Neumann stability analysis and the approach of Hindmarsch et al. which is an improved technique over that of Clancy in order to obtain the region of stability of some methods such as FTCS, Lax–Wendroff (LW), Crank–Nicolson. We also construct a nonstandard finite difference (NSFD) scheme. Properties like stability and consistency are studied. To improve the results due to significant numerical dispersion or numerical dissipation, we derive a new composite scheme consisting of three applications of LW followed by one application of NSFD. The latter acts like a filter to remove the dispersive oscillations from LW. We further improve the composite scheme by computing the optimal temporal step size at a given spatial step size using two techniques namely; by minimizing the square of dispersion error and by minimizing the sum of squares of dispersion and dissipation errors.
Synergistic effect between phosphorus tailings and aluminum hypophosphite in flame‐retardant thermoplastic polyurethane composites
Authors: Zhou Qianqian , Gong Kaili , Zhou Keqing , Zhao Sijia , Shi Congling
Published: July 2019

The massive accumulation of phosphorus tailings (PT) not only occupies land resources and also causes great threat to ecological environment and human security. It is of great significance to explore the resource utilization of PT in some fields. Herein, aluminum hypophosphite (AHP) and PT are blended together to enhance the flame retardancy of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites, and the synergistic effects between AHP and PT are investigated systematically. Cone calorimeter test (CCT) results indicate that the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) of the samples containing 25 wt% AHP are decreased by 89% and 68%, respectively, and the total smoke release (TSR) show a reduction of 58.8%, in comparison with those of neat TPU. For the sample TPU/22.5AHP/2.5PT, the PHRR, THR, and TSR are decreased by 91.2%, 70%, and 63%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis results demonstrate that the addition of PT can facilitate the generation of dense and compact char layers, preventing the release of heat and smoke effectively. All the abovementioned results indicate that the synergistic effects are existed between AHP and PT for enhancing the fire safety of TPU composites, which can provide a new way for the utilization of PT.
Uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers in France
Authors: Gauna Cristaldo Fatima Belén , Touzani Rajae , Apostolidis Thémis , Mouret‐Fourme Emmanuelle , Stoppa‐Lyonnet Dominique , Lasset Christine , Fricker Jean‐Pierre , Berthet Pascaline , Julian‐Reynier Claire , Mancini Julien , Noguès Catherine , Bouhnik Anne‐Déborah
Published: July 2019

Objective

Genetic counseling in at‐risk families is known to improve cancer prevention. Our study aimed to determine the rate of uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and to identify the potential psychosocial factors associated with uptake of genetic counseling.

Methods

A self‐reported questionnaire was mailed to 328 BRCA1/2 mutation carriers 10 years after BRCA1/2 test disclosure. Of the 233 carriers who returned the questionnaire (response rate = 71%), 135 reported having children over age 18 years and were therefore included in the analysis. Generalized estimating equations models were used to identify the factors associated with uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of mutation carriers.

Results

Data were gathered for a total of 296 children (46% male, 54% female). The vast majority were informed about the familial mutation (90.9%) and 113 (38%; 95% CI, 32%‐44%) underwent genetic counseling. This percentage exceeded 80% in women over 40 years. In the multivariate model, female sex, advanced age, mutation in the father, diagnosis of cancer in the mutation‐carrying parent after genetic testing, and good family relationships were all factors associated with higher uptake of genetic counseling.

Conclusions

Adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers in France do not undergo genetic counseling sufficiently often. Further studies should be conducted on the psychosocial factors that hinder the uptake of genetic counseling among adult children of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers.
Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) and chronic inflammatory diseases: A concise overview on preclinical and clinical data
Authors: Menghini Luigi , Recinella Lucia , Leone Sheila , Chiavaroli Annalisa , Cicala Carla , Brunetti Luigi , Vladimir‐Knežević Sanda , Orlando Giustino , Ferrante Claudio
Published: July 2019

Devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) is an herbaceous plant, which can be found in the arid steppes of South Africa, particularly in the Kalahari Desert. As traditional medicine, devil's claw has been long used in the forms of infusions, decoctions, tinctures, powders, and extracts. The main compounds of devil's claw are iridoid glycosides, such as harpagoside, harpagide, and procumbide, which are present in the plant tubers. Additionally, chemical constituents such as sugars (mainly the tetrasaccharide stachyose), triterpenoids (oleanolic and ursolic acid), phytosterols (primarily β‐sitosterol), aromatic acids (caffeic, cinnamic, and chlorogenic acids), and flavonoids (luteolin and kaempferol) can be found in the plant.

In order to investigate the applicative potential of devil's claw as therapeutic agent, we performed a review by focusing on its potential role in managing inflammation‐ and oxidative stress‐related diseases, including arthritis, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease, low‐back pain, diabetes, and neurodegeneration.
Puerarin protects against high‐fat high‐sucrose diet‐induced non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease by modulating PARP‐1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and facilitating mitochondrial homeostasis
Authors: Wang Shuai , Yang Fa‐Ji , Shang Long‐Cheng , Zhang Yu‐Heng , Zhou Yuan , Shi Xiao‐Lei
Published: July 2019

As yet, there was no effective pharmacological therapy approved for non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Here, we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of puerarin against NAFLD and explored the underlying mechanisms. C57BL/6J mice were fed with a high‐fat high‐sucrose (HFHS) diet with or without puerarin coadministration intragastrically. The levels of hepatocellular injury, steatosis, fibrosis, and mitochondrial and metabolism alteration were detected. First, puerarin ameliorated histopathologic abnormalities due to HFHS. We observed a marked increase in hepatic lipid content, inflammation, and fibrosis level, which were attenuated by puerarin. Possible mechanisms were related to puerarin‐mediated activation of PI3K/AKT pathway and further improvement in fatty acid metabolism. Puerarin restored the NAD+ content and beneficially affected the hepatic mitochondrial function, which attenuated HFHS‐induced steatosis and metabolic disturbances. Finally, hepatic PARP‐1 was activated due to excessive fat intake. Puerarin attenuated the PARP‐1 expression in HFHS‐fed mice, and PJ34, the PARP inhibitor, could mimic these protections of puerarin. However, pharmacological inhibition of PI3K disabled the protection of puerarin or PJ34 toward NAD+ refilling and mitochondrial homeostasis. In conclusion, our findings indicated that puerarin could be a promising and practical therapeutic strategy in NAFLD through modulating PARP‐1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and further facilitating mitochondrial function.
Wind turning in the atmospheric boundary layer over land
Authors: Lindvall Jenny , Svensson Gunilla
Published: July 2019

A climatology of the boundary‐layer wind‐turning angle over land is presented based on radiosonde observations from 800 stations in the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA). The dependence of the wind turning on a suite of parameters is analyzed. Results from previous studies indicating the importance of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) stratification for the angle of wind turning are confirmed here. A clear increase in the wind‐turning angle with wind speed, particularly for stratified conditions, is also evident. According to Rossby number similarity theory, the cross‐isobaric angle for a neutral and barotropic boundary layer decreases with increasing surface Rossby number, Ro. The IGRA observations indicate that this dependence on Ro might partly be linked to the dependence of the stratification on the wind speed, a dependence that seems to prevail even for the high wind speeds, a criterion that traditionally is used to approximate a neutral PBL. The vertical distribution of the turning of the wind is analyzed using the high‐resolution Stratospheric Processes And their Role in Climate (SPARC) data. For unstable cases, there is a maximum in the directional wind shear around the PBL top, whereas for the most stable class of cases there is a maximum near the surface. The wind‐turning angles from observations are also compared with values obtained from ERA‐Interim reanalysis fields, also presented over ocean. ERA‐Interim underestimates the magnitude of the wind‐turning angles as well as the range. Furthermore, the midlatitude cross‐isobaric mass transport is estimated using the IGRA data. This transport is generally underestimated by ERA‐Interim, likely related to the too small wind‐turning angles.
Event‐triggered output consensus for heterogeneous multiagent systems with fixed and switching directed topologies
Authors: Liu Xiangdong , Liu Haikuo , Du Changkun , Lu Pingli , Gao Weinan
Published: July 2019

This paper studies the event‐triggered output consensus problem of heterogeneous linear multiagent systems characterized via fixed and switching directed graphs. With proper state‐dependent triggering functions, two new event‐triggered output consensus control schemes are proposed for each agent to achieve consensus. Notably, under the proposed control protocols, continuous communication among agents is not required in both controllers updating and triggering threshold detection, which means being completely continuous communication free. The communication instances are reduced significantly, and the periodic or high‐frequency communication is restrained. It is also ensured that events cannot be triggered infinitely in finite time (ie, the Zeno behavior is elegantly avoided). Meanwhile, the simulation examples are given to illustrate the theoretical analysis.
Trait dominance and cardiovascular functioning during social stress
Authors: Lee Eimear M. , Hughes Brian M.
Published: July 2019

Cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) to stress has been found to be an important indicator of future ill health, and individual differences in personality have been posited to explain disparities in outcomes. Dominance is associated with forceful persons who desire hierarchy in social interactions. This study investigated dominance and CVR during social or asocial stressors. Sixty‐one women, categorized as low, moderate, or high in dominance using the Jackson Personality Research Form, completed a social or asocial stressor while undergoing cardiovascular measurement during baseline, stressor, and recovery phases. A 3 × 2 × 3 analysis of covariance revealed a significant Phase × Stressor × Dominance interaction for systolic blood pressure (SBP). Women with lower and moderate dominance—but not women with higher dominance—exhibited greater SBP responses to stress in the social condition compared with the asocial condition. No significant difference was found for women with higher dominance, indicative of blunted SBP during the social stressor. During recovery, women with lower dominance had marginally elevated SBP in the social condition compared with the asocial condition. The current study extends prior knowledge of the association between dominance and CVR, such that greater dominance was associated with blunted SBP and lower dominance was associated with attenuated recovery to social stress.
Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia moderates the association between social phobia symptoms and self‐reported physical symptoms
Authors: Xing Wanying , Lü Wei , Wang Zhenhong
Published: July 2019

The present study sought to investigate the association between social phobia symptoms and self‐reported physical symptoms and the moderation effect of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) on this link. Data of 5‐min resting RSA, social phobia symptoms assessed by the Social Phobia Scale, and physical symptoms assessed by the Cohen–Hoberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms were collected from 167 undergraduate students. Results indicated that higher levels of social phobia symptoms were associated with higher levels of self‐reported physical symptoms. Resting RSA played the moderating role in the link between social phobia symptoms and self‐reported physical symptoms, such that social phobia symptoms were positively associated with self‐reported physical symptoms among individuals with low resting RSA, whereas this association was nonsignificant among individuals with high resting RSA. These findings suggest that high resting RSA as a physiological marker of better self‐regulation capacity might buffer the effect of social phobia symptoms on physical health.
The strength of pursuing your values: Valued living as a path to resilience among college students
Authors: Ceary Chris D. , Donahue John J. , Shaffer Katharine
Published: July 2019

Although stressful life events (SLEs) frequently relate to negative outcomes, many individuals demonstrate resilience by positively adapting to stressors without significant impairment. Valued living, a key process in the theory underpinning acceptance and commitment therapy is a response style characterized by daily purposeful actions that are linked to important values and may promote resilience in college students. This study examined the main and interactive effects of SLEs and valued living in the prediction of a multidimensional measure of resilience. Results supported a strong positive relationship between resilience and valued living. Further, valued living moderated the association between SLE negative impact scores and resilience (but not the association between cumulative prior year SLEs and resilience). Although SLE negative impact scores were negatively associated with resilience at lower levels of valued living, there was no demonstrated relationship at higher levels of valued living. Implications related to promoting valued living among college students in the service of increasing resilience are discussed.
Phosphorus and sodium contents in commercial wet foods for dogs and cats
Authors: Brunetto Marcio A. , Zafalon Rafael V. A. , Teixeira Fabio A. , Vendramini Thiago H. A. , Rentas Mariana F. , Pedrinelli Vivian , Risolia Larissa W. , Macedo Henrique T.
Published: July 2019

It has been reported that wet foods for dogs and cats have high levels of sodium and phosphorus due to their composition. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the sodium and phosphorus contents in wet pet foods, and compare it to daily requirements for both species. Twenty‐five commercial wet foods for adult animals were evaluated, 13 for dogs and 12 for cats. The analyses’ results were compared to the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF 2018) recommendations. All foods contained phosphorus and sodium amounts above minimum requirements. Three wet foods for dogs exceeded the safe upper limit for phosphorus, and four wet foods for dogs and three for cats exceeded 3.75 g of sodium/1,000 kcal metabolizable energy (ME), considered safe byFEDIAF. No studies were found at the present time evaluating whether higher sodium levels are safe for dogs and cats; however, consumption of high phosphorus diets has been associated with adverse effects on renal function parameters. Therefore, more studies are necessary to investigate the health implications of phosphorus and sodium concentrations observed in some foods evaluated in this research.
UTEP–EPW university–utility partnership: Concentrate enhanced–recovery reverse osmosis process for high water recovery from silica‐saturated desalination concentrates
Authors: Tarquin Anthony , Walker William Shane , Delgado Guillermo , Bustamante Angel
Published: July 2019

Since the 1970s, The University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Water have had a synergistic university–utility partnership, and in 2002, we began a sequence of investigations of enhanced recovery of water from silica‐saturated reverse osmosis concentrate: (a) two‐pass nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) treatment, (b) lime softening for silica removal, (c) vibratory shear enhanced processing (VSEP), (d) continuous‐flow seawater RO treatment of brackish RO concentrate, and finally (e) high‐recovery concentrate enhanced‐recovery reverse osmosis (CERRO) process. Studies funded by El Paso Water, Texas Water Development Board, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and WateReuse Research Foundation were conducted at the Kay Bailey Hutchison (KBH) Plant in El Paso and the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in Alamogordo, NM, and showed that as much as 88% of the water could be recovered from silica‐saturated KBH concentrate using the CERRO process. Full‐scale implementation of the CERRO process at well sites in El Paso has resulted in 70%–75% recovery of RO concentrate with a specific energy consumption of 1.23 kWh/m3 (4.6 kWh/kgal) and total estimated cost of approximately $0.59/m3 ($2.25/kgal). Cost‐effective high‐recovery desalination technologies such as CERRO are essential for drought‐proof water supply in arid cities such as El Paso.

Practitioner Points

This two‐decade UTEP‐EPW research partnership was sustained by a long‐term commitment to research and consistent financial support from EPW.

Universities can collaborate to leverage utility funding toward larger external grant funding to advance research and development in a win–win partnership.

The high‐recovery CERRO process was developed through multiple phases of concentrate management research, which would not have been possible without long‐term research commitment and risk tolerance from EPW.

CERRO systems are being implemented at full scale in El Paso to recover water from silica‐saturated RO concentrate at an estimated specific energy consumption of 1.23 kWh/m3 (4.6 kWh/kgal) and total amortized cost of $0.59/m3 ($2.25/kgal).
Multi‐attribute preferences for northern bobwhite habitat restoration among Texas landowners
Authors: Valdez Rene X. , Peterson Markus J. , Peterson Tarla Rai , Peterson M. Nils , Perez Robert M.
Published: July 2019

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) abundance has declined range‐wide over the long term due to factors such as habitat loss and deterioration. Private land management is critical to bobwhite conservation because most bobwhites occur on private lands, but little research has been conducted regarding how private land managers and landowners make decisions about whether and how to restore northern bobwhite habitat. To begin addressing this deficit, we used a choice‐based conjoint approach to determine how Texas, USA, landowners and land managers (surveyed in November 2017) weigh the importance of northern bobwhite hunting opportunities, costs, and labor when making habitat restoration decisions. We also used a latent class analysis to break respondents into segments based on their valuations of these attributes. The results of our latent class analysis indicate that managers and landowners can be grouped into several segments, and most segments do not place a high value on bobwhite hunting opportunities, but instead are more interested in minimizing out‐of‐pocket costs and labor input. Bobwhite habitat restoration programs yielding cost shares ≥50%, labor inputs at ≤30 days/year, and likely coveys flushed per hunting day >4 broadly appealed to landowners; however, ensuring low labor costs was most important, particularly for pragmatic landowners. This indicates that policies minimizing labor inputs and maximizing cost shares may be preferred over increasing hunting opportunities. Finally, we discuss the management preferences and practices of the segment most interested in maximizing bobwhite hunting opportunities and potential outreach strategies for segments of opportunistic and pragmatic landowners who may be persuaded to manage for bobwhite habitat if they perceived this management as economically viable. © 2019 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Norway: Ethnic (In)equality in a Social-Democratic Welfare State
Authors: Reisel Liza , Hermansen Are Skeie , Kindt Marianne Takvam
Published: July 2019

This chapter offers a systematic review of social science research in Norway on ethnic inequalities in education, from the period 1980–2017. Three broad research traditions are identified: (1) Ethnic inequalities in educational enrolment, achievement, and attainment; (2) Immigrant families and ethnic minority communities as resources for educational careers; and (3) Curriculum, teacher instruction, and student experiences with inclusion and exclusion. Most of the research conducted in Norway focuses on describing and explaining the educational outcomes of children of immigrants from non-European countries, and is characterized by the use of quantitative research methods and access to rich population-wide registry data. Main groups studied in the qualitative traditions are typically children of immigrants from Pakistan, Vietnam, Sri-Lanka, Morocco and Turkey. This rich body of research is written in both Norwegian and English, and has developed in a context characterized by a close collaborative relationship between researchers and the government, in response to a growing concern about social cohesion within the Norwegian social-democratic welfare state.
Discrete gauge groups in certain F-theory models in six dimensions
Authors: Kimura Yusuke
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We construct six-dimensional (6D) F-theory models in which discrete ℤ5, ℤ4, ℤ3, and ℤ2 gauge symmetries arise. We demonstrate that a special family of “Fano 3-folds” is a useful tool for constructing the aforementioned models. The geometry of Fano 3-folds in the constructions of models can be useful for understanding discrete gauge symmetries in 6D F-theory compactifications. We argue that the constructions of the aforementioned models are applicable to Calabi-Yau genus-one fibrations over any base space, except models with a discrete ℤ5 gauge group. We construct 6D F-theory models with a discrete ℤ5 gauge group over the del Pezzo surfaces, as well as over ℙ1 × ℙ1 and ℙ2. We also discuss some applications to four-dimensional F-theory models with discrete gauge symmetries.
Entanglement entropy of two coupled SYK models and eternal traversable wormhole
Authors: Chen Yiming , Zhang Pengfei
Published: July 2019

Abstract

In this paper, we study the entanglement entropy between two SYK systems with bilinear coupling. We use the replica trick to calculate the entanglement entropy in the ground state. In parallel, we calculate the entanglement entropy through the Ryu-Takayanagi formula in gravity. For the ground state that is dual to an eternal traversable wormhole in AdS2, the bulk quantum correction to the entanglement entropy is of the same order as the minimal surface area. The ground state of the coupled system is close to a thermofield double state with particular temperature and they have the same entanglement entropy. From the gravity point of view, we explain why the two states have the same entanglement entropy. We also study a case with time-dependent coupling, which involves finding the quantum extremal surface in the bulk.
On warped product bi-slant submanifolds of Kenmotsu manifolds
Authors: Uddin Siraj , Mihai Ion , Mihai Adela
Published: July 2019

Chen (2001) initiated the study of CR-warped product submanifolds in Kaehler manifolds and established a general inequality between an intrinsic invariant (the warping function) and an extrinsic invariant (second fundamental form).

In this paper, we establish a relationship for the squared norm of the second fundamental form (an extrinsic invariant) of warped product bi-slant submanifolds of Kenmotsu manifolds in terms of the warping function (an intrinsic invariant) and bi-slant angles. The equality case is also considered. Some applications of derived inequality are given.
Chemical Senses in Feeding, Belonging, and Surviving
Authors: Breslin Paul A. S.
Published: July 2019

This Element looks at the physiological and social roles of taste and the proximal chemical senses. First, how we perceive food and people when we contact them is discussed. These perceptions help us identify what we are eating and with whom we are present and serves as an analysis of the complex scene. Second, the influence of taste in food choice, metabolism, and nutrition is considered. Next, the impact of taste and the proximal chemical senses in social interactions is examined, including social eating. Then, the role of taste and the proximal chemical senses in emotion is explored.
Understanding Institutional Weakness
Authors: Brinks Daniel M. , Levitsky Steven , Murillo Maria Victoria
Published: July 2019

This Element introduces the concept of institutional weakness, arguing that weakness or strength is a function of the extent to which an institution actually matters to social, economic or political outcomes. It then presents a typology of three forms of institutional weakness: insignificance, in which rules are complied with but do not affect the way actors behave; non-compliance, in which state elites either choose not to enforce the rules or fail to gain societal cooperation with them; and instability, in which the rules are changed at an unusually high rate. The Element then examines the sources of institutional weakness.
Use of Dimensional Analysis in the X-, Y-, and Z-Axis to Predict Occurrence of Injury in Human Stampede
Authors: Alhadhira Abdullah , Molloy Michael S , Casasola Marcel , Sarin Ritu R , Massey Michael , Voskanyan Amalia , Ciottone G.R.
Published: July 2019

Background:

Human stampedes (HS) may result in mass casualty incidents (MCI) that arise due to complex interactions between individuals, collective crowd, and space, which have yet to be described from a physics perspective. HS events were analyzed using basic physics principles to better understand the dynamic kinetic variables that give rise to HS.

Methods:

A literature review was performed of medical and nonmedical sourced databases, Library of Congress databases, and online sources for the term human stampedes resulting in 25,123 references. Filters were applied to exclude nonhuman events. Retrieved references were reviewed for a predefined list of physics terms. Data collection involved recording frequency of each phrase and physics principle to give the final proportions of each predefined principle used a single-entry method for each of the 105 event reports analyzed. Data analysis was performed using the R statistics packages “tidyverse”, “psych”, “lubridate”, and “Hmisc” with descriptive statistics used to describe the frequency of each observed variable.

Results:

Of the 105 reports of HS resulting in injury or death reviewed, the following frequency of terms were found: density change in a limited capacity, 45%; XY-axis motion failure, 100%; loss of proxemics, 100%; deceleration with average velocity of zero, 90%; Z-axis displacement pathology (falls), 92%; associated structure with nozzle effect, 93%; and matched fluid dynamic of high pressure stagnation of mass gathering, 100%.

Conclusions:

Description or reference to principles of physics was seen in differing frequency in 105 reports. These include XY-axis motion failure of deceleration that leads to loss of human to human proxemics, and high stagnation pressure resulting in the Z-axis displacement effect (falls) causing injury and death. Real-time video-analysis monitoring of high capacity events or those with known nozzle effects for loss of proxemics and Z-axis displacement pathology offers the opportunity to prevent mortality from human stampedes.
Constitutive Reasons and the Suspension of Judgement
Authors: LILLY WHITNEY
Published: July 2019

This paper identifies a puzzle that emerges when recent work on the suspension of judgement is integrated with evidentialist solutions to the wrong kind of reasons problem: it looks like there is no such thing as a reason to suspend judgement. Two possible responses to this puzzle are considered: one recharacterizes the suspension of judgement as a mental action, and the other recharacterizes it as a second-order attitude. It is argued that these responses sidestep the puzzle only with unacceptable compromise to the view of suspension of judgement.
La vieillesse comme pôle attractif de l’existence : sur la représentation positive du vieil âge à l’époque du stoïcisme impérial
Authors: BERTET DAVID
Published: July 2019

Dans cet article, nous nous efforcerons de comprendre un phénomène mis en lumière par Michel Foucault dans les tomes 2 et 3 de sonHistoire de la sexualité: celui de la tendance à la valorisation du «vieil âge» au cours de la période du Haut Empire romain, tendance illustrée notamment par la représentation stoïcienne, et plus particulièrement sénéquienne, de la vieillesse. Cette représentation positive agit chez Sénèque à la fois comme point focal et pôle d’attraction d’une existence placée toute entière sous l’égide des pratiques d’auto-édification de soi, pour celui qui s’efforce de convertir le matériau brut de sa propre vie en œuvre d’art. Au-delà de la lecture foucaldienne du phénomène, nous montrerons que la représentation du vieil âge dans le stoïcisme tardif signale un effort intellectuel et éthique censé activer un autre cours du temps à rebours de la temporalité habituelle de la déliquescence, vécue comme une douloureuse et inexorable dissolution de l’être.
Weak Ties in a Tangled Web? Relationships between the Political Residents of the English East India Company and their munshis, 1798–1818
Authors: WILKINSON CALLIE
Published: July 2019

Although historians have long recognized the important role that Indians played in the English East India Company's operations, the focus has usually been on the mechanics of direct rule in ‘British’ India. Yet, the expertise of Indian cultural intermediaries was arguably even more important, as well as more contested, in the context of the Company's growing political influence over nominally independent Indian kingdoms. This article examines the relationships between the East India Company's political representatives (Residents) and their Indian secretaries (munshis) at Indian royal courts during a period of dramatic imperial expansion, from 1798 to 1818. The article considers how these relationships were conceptualized and debated by British officials, and reflects on the practical consequences of these relationships for the munshis involved. The tensions surrounding the role of the munshi in Residency business exemplify some of the practical dilemmas posed by the developing system of indirect rule in India, where the Resident had to decide how much responsibility to delegate to Indian experts better versed in courtly norms and practices, while at the same time maintaining his own image of authority and control. Although the Resident–munshi relationship was in many respects mutually beneficial, these relationships nevertheless spawned anxieties about transparency and accountability within the Company itself, as well as exciting resentments at court. Both Residents and munshis were required to negotiate between two political and institutional cultures, but it was the munshi who seems to have borne the brunt of the risks associated with this intermediary position.
Cognitive reserve attenuates age-related cognitive decline in the context of putatively accelerated brain ageing in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders
Authors: Van Rheenen Tamsyn E. , Cropley Vanessa , Fagerlund Birgitte , Wannan Cassandra , Bruggemann Jason , Lenroot Rhoshel K. , Sundram Suresh , Weickert Cynthia Shannon , Weickert Thomas W. , Zalesky Andrew , Bousman Chad A. , Pantelis Christos
Published: July 2019

Background

In schizophrenia, relative stability in the magnitude of cognitive deficits across age and illness duration is inconsistent with the evidence of accelerated deterioration in brain regions known to support these functions. These discrepant brain–cognition outcomes may be explained by variability in cognitive reserve (CR), which in neurological disorders has been shown to buffer against brain pathology and minimize its impact on cognitive or clinical indicators of illness.

Methods

Age-related change in fluid reasoning, working memory and frontal brain volume, area and thickness were mapped using regression analysis in 214 individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 168 healthy controls. In patients, these changes were modelled as a function of CR.

Results

Patients showed exaggerated age-related decline in brain structure, but not fluid reasoning compared to controls. In the patient group, no moderation of age-related brain structural change by CR was evident. However, age-related cognitive change was moderated by CR, such that only patients with low CR showed evidence of exaggerated fluid reasoning decline that paralleled the exaggerated age-related deterioration of underpinning brain structures seen in all patients.

Conclusions

In schizophrenia-spectrum illness, CR may negate ageing effects on fluid reasoning by buffering against pathologically exaggerated structural brain deterioration through some form of compensation. CR may represent an important modifier that could explain inconsistencies in brain structure – cognition outcomes in the extant literature.
OPTIMAL MOMENT INEQUALITIES FOR ORDER STATISTICS FROM NONNEGATIVE RANDOM VARIABLES
Authors: Papadatos Nickos
Published: July 2019

We obtain the best possible upper bounds for the moments of a single-order statistic from independent, nonnegative random variables, in terms of the population mean. The main result covers the independent identically distributed case. Furthermore, the case of the sample minimum for merely independent (not necessarily identically distributed) random variables is treated in detail.
Accuracy Analysis of Ionospheric Prediction Models for Repairing Cycle Slips for BeiDou Triple-Frequency Observations
Authors: Yifei Yao , Xinyun Cao , Guobin Chang , Hongsuo Geng
Published: July 2019

Both the code–phase combination and the Geometry-Free (GF) phase combination are widely employed to detect and repair cycle slips for BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) triple-frequency observations. However, the effect of residual ionospheric delay on Narrow-Lane (NL) or GF observations must be considered to avoid incorrect cycle–slip estimation. To improve the accuracy in repairing cycle slips, a corrective ionospheric delay value predicted from the previous ionosphere sequence is used to amend the NL or GF observations at the current epoch. The main purpose of the work reported here is to evaluate the efficacy of a three-step method proposed to detect and repair cycle slip using two extra-wide-lane code–phase and one GF phase combination observations. BDS triple-frequency data were processed in two stages: separate processing of geosynchronous Earth orbit satellites, and the division of inclined geosynchronous satellite orbit and medium Earth orbit satellites into two groups for processing at 30° elevation thresholds. Results revealed that using the prediction models to correct NL or GF observations could ensure a rounding success rate of cycle slip close to 100%, even under high ionospheric activity.
Sidgwick's Dualism of Practical Reason, Evolutionary Debunking, and Moral Psychology
Authors: Andes Peter
Published: July 2019

Sidgwick's seminal textThe Methods of Ethicsleft off with an unresolved problem that Sidgwick referred to as the dualism of practical reason. The problem is that employing Sidgwick's methodology of rational intuitionism appears to show that there are reasons to favour both egoism and utilitarianism. Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek and Peter Singer offer a solution in the form of an evolutionary debunking argument: the appeal of egoism is explainable in terms of evolutionary theory. I argue that like rational prudence, rational benevolence is subject to debunking arguments and so problematic, but also – and more importantly – that debunking arguments are irrelevant in the debate over the dualism of practical reason on the view of reason and rational intuitionism that Lazari-Radek and Singer embrace. Either both egoism and utilitarianism are debunked, or neither are. If I am right, Sidgwick's dualism is left standing.
The neurobiology of simultaneous interpreting: Where extreme language control and cognitive control intersect
Authors: Hervais-Adelman Alexis , Babcock Laura
Published: July 2019

Simultaneous interpreting is a complex cognitive task that requires the concurrent execution of multiple processes: listening, comprehension, conversion of a message from one language to another, speech production, and self-monitoring. This requires the deployment of an array of linguistic and cognitive control mechanisms that must coordinate the various brain systems implicated in handling these tasks. How the brain handles this challenge remains an open question, and recent brain imaging investigations have begun to complement the theories based on behavioural data. fMRI studies have shown that simultaneous interpreting engages a network of brain regions encompassing those implicated in speech perception and production, language switching, self-monitoring, and selection. Structural imaging studies have been carried out that also indicate modifications to a similar set of structures. In the present paper, we review the extant data and propose an integrative model of simultaneous interpreting that piggybacks on existing theories of multilingual language control.
UNIQUENESS OF THE WELDING PROBLEM FOR SLE AND LIOUVILLE QUANTUM GRAVITY
Authors: McEnteggart Oliver , Miller Jason , Qian Wei
Published: July 2019

We give a simple set of geometric conditions on curves $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$, $\widetilde{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}$ in $\mathbf{H}$ from $0$ to $\infty$ so that if $\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}:\mathbf{H}\rightarrow \mathbf{H}$ is a homeomorphism which is conformal off $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$ with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D702})=\widetilde{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}$ then $\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}$ is a conformal automorphism of $\mathbf{H}$. Our motivation comes from the fact that it is possible to apply our result to random conformal welding problems related to the Schramm–Loewner evolution (SLE) and Liouville quantum gravity (LQG). In particular, we show that if $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$ is a non-space-filling $\text{SLE}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}}$ curve in $\mathbf{H}$ from $0$ to $\infty$, and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}$ is a homeomorphism which is conformal on $\mathbf{H}\setminus \unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$, and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D702})$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}$ are equal in distribution, then $\unicode[STIX]{x1D711}$ is a conformal automorphism of $\mathbf{H}$. Applying this result for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}=4$ establishes that the welding operation for critical ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}=2$) LQG is well defined. Applying it for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}\in (4,8)$ gives a new proof that the welding of two independent $\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}/4$-stable looptrees of quantum disks to produce an $\text{SLE}_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}}$ on top of an independent $4/\sqrt{\unicode[STIX]{x1D705}}$-LQG surface is well defined.
Two Types of Heat Wave in Korea Associated With Atmospheric Circulation Pattern
Authors: Yeo Sae‐Rim , Yeh Sang‐Wook , Lee Woo‐Seop
Published: July 2019

This study investigates heat wave variability over Korea during 1979‐2017. It is found that most of heat waves in Korea can be classified into two distinct types based on the spatial patterns of atmospheric circulation anomalies: the zonal wave (Z‐wave) type and the meridional wave (M‐wave) type. The Z‐wave type is accompanied by large‐scale atmospheric waves across the Eurasian continent, while the M‐wave type is associated with convective activities over the subtropical western North Pacific. The Z‐wave type occurs when the high‐pressure node of eastward propagating wave located around Korea and it seems that the associated wave energy could originate from North Atlantic Ocean. The M‐wave type, on the other hand, is driven by northward propagating wave train from subtropical western North Pacific to East Asia, which is triggered by anomalous convective activity over the subtropical western North Pacific. By analyzing thermodynamical as well as dynamical variables, detailed descriptions on the physical characteristics of two types of heat wave are presented in this study along with the possible implications for summer climate variability over Korea.
Elucidating Coastal Foredune Ecomorphodynamics in the U.S. Pacific Northwest via Bayesian Networks
Authors: Biel R. G. , Hacker S. D. , Ruggiero P.
Published: July 2019

As sea level rise and possible changes in storminess threaten coastal communities and infrastructure, the capacity for foredunes to provide protection depends on their geomorphology, which is determined by interactions between physical beach processes and vegetation. Here we use descriptive Bayesian network analyses to examine how sediment supply, beach characteristics, and two species of beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria and Ammophila breviligulata) alter foredune morphology and patterns of sand accretion on U.S. Pacific Northwest foredunes. We show that sediment supply and beach type primarily determine foredune morphology. Beachgrass density also influences foredune shape, but its effects differ among species: increasing density of A. arenaria was associated with steeper sloping dunes, whereas increasing density of A. breviligulata was associated with wider, more shallow sloping dunes. An examination of the change in foredune morphology over a 2‐year period found sand accretion was most strongly influenced by species‐specific patterns of vegetation growth and beach type. Specifically, A. breviligulata exhibited more lateral growth, resulting in greater sand accretion at the seaward margin of the foredune. In contrast, A. arenaria exhibited little lateral growth, resulting in comparatively more sand accretion near the foredune crest. Consequently, growth form‐generated sand accretion patterns resulted in steep, narrow A. arenaria‐dominated foredunes and shallow‐sloping, wider A. breviligulata‐dominated foredunes. These results illustrate that vegetation density and patterns of growth influence foredune morphology and its changes over time.