bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supportive care and osteopathic medicine in pediatric oncology: perspectives of current oncology clinicians, caregivers, and patients
Authors: Belsky Jennifer A. , Stanek Joseph , Skeens Micah A. , Gerhardt Cynthia A. , Rose Melissa J.
Published: July 2020

Background and objective

Many children receiving chemotherapy struggle with therapy-induced side effects. To date, there has been no literature investigating the needs, knowledge, or implementation of osteopathic manipulative treatments (OMT) as a supportive care option in pediatric oncology. We hypothesized that pediatric oncology clinicians, caregivers, and patients have (a) limited knowledge of OMT and (b) dissatisfaction with current supportive care options and (c) would be interested in having OMT available during chemotherapy, once educated.

Methods

Participants included three cohorts: (1) children aged ≥ 9 years, diagnosed with cancer and actively receiving chemotherapy; (2) their caregivers; and (3) oncology clinicians at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Participants completed 1:1 semi-structured interviews, which were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for thematic content regarding their perception of supportive care measures and views on OMT. Quantitative data was summarized descriptively.

Results

A total of 60 participants completed the interview. Participants demonstrated limited awareness of osteopathic medicine; no participant had more than “some” knowledge of OMT. After education about OMT using a brief video, all clinicians, caregivers, and 95% of patients were receptive to OMT as a supportive care option. Major themes included the following: (a) patients have uncontrolled chemotherapy side effects, (b) improved supportive care options are desired, and (c) osteopathic medicine is a favorable supportive care adjunct.

Conclusions

Pediatric oncology clinicians, caregivers, and patients reported a need for better management of chemotherapy-associated side effects and an interest in utilizing OMT. These findings support further investigation into the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of implementing OMT in the pediatric oncology clinical setting.
Biochemical characterization of ferric uptake regulator (Fur) from Aliivibrio salmonicida. Mapping the DNA sequence specificity through binding studies and structural modelling
Authors: Berg Kristel , Pedersen Hege Lynum , Leiros Ingar
Published: July 2020

Iron is an essential nutrient for bacteria, however its propensity to form toxic hydroxyl radicals at high intracellular concentrations, requires its acquisition to be tightly regulated. Ferric uptake regulator (Fur) is a metal-dependent DNA-binding protein that acts as a transcriptional regulator in maintaining iron metabolism in bacteria and is a highly interesting target in the design of new antibacterial drugs. Fur mutants have been shown to exhibit decreased virulence in infection models. The protein interacts specifically with DNA at binding sites designated as ‘Fur boxes’. In the present study, we have investigated the interaction between Fur from the fish pathogen Aliivibrio salmonicida (AsFur) and its target DNA using a combination of biochemical and in silico methods. A series of target DNA oligomers were designed based on analyses of Fur boxes from other species, and affinities assessed using electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Binding strengths were interpreted in the context of homology models of AsFur to gain molecular-level insight into binding specificity.
Polymer Beads Decorated with Dendritic Systems as Supports for A3 Coupling Catalysts
Authors: Bukowska Agnieszka , Bester Karol , Pytel Maciej , Bukowski Wiktor
Published: July 2020

The gel type microscopic polymer beads bearing epoxy functionalities were modified using the two-stage procedures in order to decorate their surface with the moieties of the zeroth order PAMAM type dendrimer and different heterocyclic aldehydes (2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde, 2-pyrrolidinecarboxaldehyde, furfural or 2-thiophenecarboxaldehyde). The polymeric supports provided in this manner were then used for the immobilization of copper(II) ions. The resulting materials were characterized using different instrumental techniques (optical microscopy, SEM, FTIR microscopy, DR UV–Vis, ICP-OES, and thermal analysis). They were also used as catalysts in the model A3coupling reaction of benzaldehyde, morpholine and phenylacetylene. The best catalytic activity was found for the polymeric catalyst bearing 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde moieties. It turned out to be effective in the A3coupling reactions included different benzaldehyde, alkyne, and secondary amine derivatives, as well. It could also be recycled several times without a significant decrease in its activity in the model A3coupling reaction.

Graphic Abstract
Distribution of metal contamination and grain size in the sediments of Nakdong River, Korea
Authors: Kim Shin , Yang Deuk Seok , Kim Yong Seok
Published: July 2020

To assess distribution of metal contamination and grain size in the sediments of Nakdong River (South Korea), surface sediments were collected from 21 sites and analyzed. Within the study area, sand was typically the dominant grain size. However, because of the reduced flow rate and flow velocity, sites adjacent to weirs were composed of relatively fine sediments. A comparison of sediment metal concentrations with sediment quality guidelines proposed by the USA, Canada, and South Korea revealed that sites adjacent to weirs had concentrations that exceeded the standard values. The enrichment factor, index of geo-accumulation, and pollution load index calculation results that the sites adjacent to weirs showed high contamination, with Cd accounting for the highest contamination levels. The metals in the study area varies due to the effect of fine sediments; therefore, high concentrations of metals accumulated adjacent to weirs where fine sediments were distributed in greater proportions. Furthermore, Cd exhibited the greatest contribution to metal contamination in the study area and the highest contamination levels were found at NS19 (adjacent to the Haman weir). Thus, the accumulation of fine sediment increased due to the influence of the weirs, thereby increasing the overall amount of metal contamination.
PARD: Hybrid Proactive and Reactive Method Eliminating Flow Setup Latency in SDN
Authors: Rzepka Michal , Borylo Piotr , Lason Artur , Szymanski Andrzej
Published: July 2020

Advantages of Software Defined Networking are unquestionable and are widely described in numerous scientific papers, business white papers and press articles. However, to achieve full maturity, crucial impediments to this concept and its shortcomings must be overcame. One of the most important issues regards significant setup latency of a new flow. To address this issue we propose PARD: a hybrid proactive and reactive method to manage flow table entries. Additional advantages of the proposed solution are, among the others, its ability to preserve all capabilities of Software Defined Networking, utilization of multiple flow tables, a possibility to employ fine-grained traffic engineering and, finally, compatibility with existing protocol and hardware design. It is shown that the proposed solution is able to significantly reduce latency of first packets of a new flow, which directly impacts packet loss and perceived throughput. Thus, our solution is expected to enable a wide deployment of Software Defined Networking concept without any need for protocol changes or, what is extremely important, hardware modifications.
Privacy Considerations in Participatory Data Collection via Spatial Stackelberg Incentive Mechanisms
Authors: Koh Jing Yang , Peters Gareth W. , Nevat Ido , Leong Derek
Published: July 2020

Mobile crowd sensing is a widely used sensing paradigm allowing applications on mobile smart devices to routinely obtain spatially distributed data on a range of user attributes: location, temperature, video and audio. Such data then typically forms the input to application specific machine learning tasks to achieve objectives such as improving user experience, targeting geo-localised query based searches to user interests and commercial aspects of targeted geo-localised advertising. We consider a scenario in which the sensing application purchases data from spatially distributed smartphone users. In many spatial monitoring applications, the crowdsourcer needs to incentivize users to contribute sensing data. This may help ensure collected data has good spatial coverage, which will enhance quality of service provided to the application user when used in machine learning tasks such as spatial regression. Privacy considerations should be addressed in such crowd sensing applications, and an incentive offered to “privacy-concerned” users to contribute data. A novel Stackelberg incentive mechanism is developed that allows workers to specify their location whilst satisfying their location privacy requirements. The Stackelberg and Nash equilibria are explored and an algorithm to demonstrate the approach is developed for a real data application.
Microfirms and innovation in the service sector
Authors: Audretsch David B. , Kritikos Alexander S. , Schiersch Alexander
Published: July 2020

In the context of microfirms, this paper analyzes whether the link between the three aspects involving innovative activities—R&D, innovative output, and productivity—hold for knowledge-intensive services. With especially high start-up rates and the majority of employees in microfirms, knowledge-intensive services (KIS) have a starkly different profile from manufacturing. Results from our structural models indicate that KIS firms benefit from innovation activities through increased labor productivity with highly skilled employees being similarly important compared to R&D for creating innovation output in microfirms. Moreover, the firm size advantage of large firms found for manufacturing almost disappears in KIS, with start-ups and young firms having a higher probability of initiating innovation activities and of successfully turning knowledge into innovation output than mature firms.
On Wide Dynamic Range Tone Mapping CMOS Image Sensor
Authors: Mughal Waqas , Choubey Bhaskar
Published: July 2020

The dynamic range of a natural scene often covers over 6 decades of intensity from bright to dark areas. Typical image sensors, however, have limited ability to capture this dynamic range available in nature. Even after designing specific wide dynamic range (WDR) image sensors, displaying them on conventional media with limited ability requires computationally complex tone mapping.
This paper proposed a novel CMOS pixel which can capture and perform tone mapping during data acquisition. The pixel requires a reference voltage to generate tone mapped response. A number of different reference signals are proposed and generated which can perform WDR operation. Nevertheless, fixed pattern noise (FPN) effects the performance of these pixel. A pixel model with simple parameter extraction procedure is described for a typical tone mapping operator. This model is then used to obtain a simple procedure for pixel calibration leading to reduced FPN. The new proposed pixel response is able to capture upto 6 decades of light intensity and reported FPN correction procedure produces 1% of FPN contrast error.
Verification and Design Methods for the BrainScaleS Neuromorphic Hardware System
Authors: Grübl Andreas , Billaudelle Sebastian , Cramer Benjamin , Karasenko Vitali , Schemmel Johannes
Published: July 2020

This paper presents verification and implementation methods that have been developed for the design of the BrainScaleS-2 65 nm ASICs. The 2nd generation BrainScaleS chips are mixed-signal devices with tight coupling between full-custom analog neuromorphic circuits and two general purpose microprocessors (PPU) with SIMD extension for on-chip learning and plasticity. Simulation methods for automated analysis and pre-tapeout calibration of the highly parameterizable analog neuron and synapse circuits and for hardware-software co-development of the digital logic and software stack are presented. Accelerated operation of neuromorphic circuits and highly-parallel digital data buses between the full-custom neuromorphic part and the PPU require custom methodologies to close the digital signal timing at the interfaces. Novel extensions to the standard digital physical implementation design flow are highlighted. We present early results from the first full-size BrainScaleS-2 ASIC containing 512 neurons and 130 K synapses, demonstrating the successful application of these methods. An application example illustrates the full functionality of the BrainScaleS-2 hybrid plasticity architecture.
Developing the collection of statistical food waste data on the primary production of fruit and vegetables
Authors: Joensuu Katri , Hartikainen Hanna , Karppinen Sirpa , Jaakkonen Anna-Kaisa , Kuoppa-aho Mika
Published: July 2020

In order to meet global goals of reducing food waste, feasible monitoring methods to verify the impact of reduction measures are needed. In this study, a method was developed for gathering food waste data related to the primary production of fruit and vegetables using a questionnaire for farmers. A data collection form was planned and tested for this purpose. Data was collected on the volumes of different uses of yields and the reasons why part of the yield does not end up in food use. The crop species that were included in this pilot study were food potatoes, carrots, white cabbage, and strawberries. In primary production, the share of food use of the total yield was highest for potatoes (96%) and lowest for carrots (72%). In the case of strawberries and white cabbage, 86% and 90% were used as food, respectively. In the future, it is recommended that this kind of survey be added to annual crop production surveys that cover agricultural and horticultural enterprises in Finland. To improve the response rate and decrease the reporting load of farmers, it is important that the questionnaire is designed to be as easy as possible to answer.
Antigen 5 Allergens of Hymenoptera Venoms and Their Role in Diagnosis and Therapy of Venom Allergy
Authors: Blank Simon , Bazon Murilo Luiz , Grosch Johannes , Schmidt-Weber Carsten B. , Brochetto-Braga Márcia Regina , Bilò Maria Beatrice , Jakob Thilo
Published: July 2020

Purpose of Review

Stings of Hymenoptera of the superfamily Vespoidea such as yellow jackets, paper wasps or stinging ants are common triggers for severe and even fatal allergic reactions. Antigen 5 allergens are potent allergens in the majority of these venoms with major importance for diagnosis and therapy. Reviewed here are the characteristics of antigen 5 allergens, their role in component-resolved diagnostics as well as current limitations of the available diagnostics for proper therapeutic decisions.

Recent Findings

Antigens 5 are proteins of unknown function in Hymenoptera venoms with high allergenic potency. They represent key elements in component-resolved diagnosis to discriminate between honeybee and vespid venom allergy. However, due to their pronounced cross-reactivity, there are remaining diagnostic and therapeutic challenges that have to be addressed.

Antigens 5 are highly relevant venom allergens of the Vespoidea superfamily. Although their use in component-resolved diagnosis facilitates dissection of cross-reactivity and primary allergy in double sensitization to honeybee and vespid venom, new diagnostic concepts are needed to discriminate between allergies to different vespid species.
Sudden Cardiac Death Prediction in Non-ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy: a Multiparametric and Dynamic Approach
Authors: Hammersley Daniel J. , Halliday Brian P.
Published: July 2020

Purpose of Review

Sudden cardiac death is recognised as a devastating consequence of non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Although implantable cardiac defibrillators offer protection against some forms of sudden death, the identification of patients in this population most likely to benefit from this therapy remains challenging and controversial. In this review, we evaluate current guidelines and explore established and novel predictors of sudden cardiac death in patients with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Recent Findings

Current international guidelines for primary prevention implantable defibrillator therapy do not result in improved longevity for many patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe left ventricular dysfunction. More precise methods for identifying higher-risk patients that derive true prognostic benefit from this therapy are required.

Dynamic and multi-parametric characterization of myocardial, electrical, serological and genetic substrate offers novel strategies for predicting major arrhythmic risk. Balancing the risk of non-sudden death offers an opportunity to personalize therapy and avoid unnecessary device implantation for those less likely to derive benefit.
Targeting Viral cccDNA for Cure of Chronic Hepatitis B
Authors: Ligat Gaëtan , Goto Kaku , Verrier Eloi , Baumert Thomas F.
Published: July 2020

Purpose of Review

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB), caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV), is a major cause of advanced liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. HBV replication is characterized by the synthesis of covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA which is not targeted by antiviral nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs) the key modality of standard of care. While HBV replication is successfully suppressed in treated patients, they remain at risk for developing HCC. While functional cure, characterized by loss of HBsAg, is the first goal of novel antiviral therapies, curative treatments eliminating cccDNA remain the ultimate goal. This review summarizes recent advances in the discovery and development of novel therapeutic strategies and their impact on cccDNA biology.

Recent Findings

Within the last decade, substantial progress has been made in the understanding of cccDNA biology including the discovery of host dependency factors, epigenetic regulation of cccDNA transcription and immune-mediated degradation. Several approaches targeting cccDNA either in a direct or indirect manner are currently at the stage of discovery, preclinical or early clinical development. Examples include genome-editing approaches, strategies targeting host dependency factors or epigenetic gene regulation, nucleocapsid modulators and immune-mediated degradation.

While direct-targeting cccDNA strategies are still largely at the preclinical stage of development, capsid assembly modulators and immune-based approaches have reached the clinical phase. Clinical trials are ongoing to assess their efficacy and safety in patients including their impact on viral cccDNA. Combination therapies provide additional opportunities to overcome current limitations of individual approaches.
Mixed Integral Norms for Ricci Flow
Authors: Di Matteo Gianmichele
Published: July 2020

We prove that a Ricci flow cannot develop a finite time singularity assuming the boundedness of a suitable space-time integral norm of the curvature tensor. Moreover, the extensibility of the flow is proved under a Ricci lower bound and the boundedness of a space-time integral norm of the scalar curvature.
Activated banana peel carbon: a potential adsorbent for Rhodamine B decontamination from aqueous system
Authors: Singh Santosh , Kumar Amit , Gupta Himanshu
Published: July 2020

Among various environmental pollutants, dyes have been reported to contaminate a large quantity of surface water. Rhodamine B, a widely applicable basic dye, is known for its hazardous impact on environment. The present study proposes the application of readily available waste banana peels for the remediation of water contaminated with Rhodamine B. The potential of prepared material to decontaminate Rhodamine B was examined as the function of various parameters. Variation in adsorption time, dose of adsorbent, pH value, and initial concentration has been observed under the influence of diverse condition. Quantitative adsorption was observed at a contact time of 60 min with an adsorbent dose of 12 mg. An increase in the initial dye concentration resulted in the enhancement of adsorption capacity of adsorbent. The value of enthalpy change was observed to be − 8.95 kJ mol−1. The negative value indicates the exothermic removal of Rhodamine B from water. Various models were applied to explain thermodynamics and kinetics of the process. Adsorption kinetics was better explained with pseudo-second-order model, whereas adsorption mechanism by intra-particle diffusion model reveals that pore diffusion was not only the rate-controlling step.
There Is No Techno-Responsibility Gap
Authors: Tigard Daniel W.
Published: July 2020

In a landmark essay, Andreas Matthias claimed that current developments in autonomous, artificially intelligent (AI) systems are creating a so-called responsibility gap, which is allegedly ever-widening and stands to undermine both the moral and legal frameworks of our society. But how severe is the threat posed by emerging technologies? In fact, a great number of authors have indicated that the fear is thoroughly instilled. The most pessimistic are calling for a drastic scaling-back or complete moratorium on AI systems, while the optimists aim to show that the gap can be bridged nonetheless. Contrary to both camps, I argue against the prevailing assumption that there is a technology-based responsibility gap. I show how moral responsibility is a dynamic and flexible process, one that can effectively encompass emerging technological entities.
Design of a Training Model for Remote Management of Patients Hospitalized at Home
Authors: Abril-Jiménez Patricia , Merino-Barbancho Beatriz , Lombroni Ivana , Villanueva-Mascato Samanta , Mallo Irene , Vera-Muñoz Cecilia , Arredondo María Teresa , Fico Giuseppe
Published: July 2020

Purpose

Hospitalization at Home (HaH) has proven to be more efficient and effective than conventional one, but it also requires a higher number of resources and specialised personnel. Information technologies can make this process scalable and allow physicians and nurses to deliver remote healthcare services for patients hospitalized at home. However, a correct and satisfactory usage of technology requires an adequate training of professionals and patients. This paper describes a new model for training healthcare professionals on managing remote ICT-based services for Hospitalization at Home.

Methods

The model was defined based on mix-method that combined the PICO model and a User Centred Design methodology, oriented to identify and discover the healthcare professionals needs and the training instruments in the literature that directly involved these professionals. These aspects were used in the definition and development of the assessment framework of the proposed training model.

Results

A training model for healthcare professionals focused on achieving an effective uptake of complex digital interventions such as Hospitalization at Home was defined. The selected mix-method led to the identification of four different blocks, that were considered as the main areas to include in a training programme. The model identifies measurable elements for assessing acceptability, workability increment and integration into daily clinical practice outcomes, as well as for evaluating the proposed training content and its outcomes.

Conclusions

The proposed training model highlights the key aspects of training health professionals to favour an effective and successful implementation of complex technological healthcare interventions in the context of ICT-based HaH ICT.
How can experiments play a greater role in public policy? Three notions from behavioral psychology
Authors: McCONNELL SCOTT
Published: July 2020

Al-Ubaydli et al. provide a far-reaching, insightful and directly actionable analysis of how social-behavioral research may exert more influence over the development and implementation of public policy. Their paper offers a sophisticated understanding of the ‘scale-up effect’, or factors that influence the extent to which positive experimental effects replicate as an intervention is implemented more broadly. Using economic principles, models and analyses, they offer 12 proposals for improving the process of scaling up effective and policy-relevant interventions. The current paper outlines how their proposals share a number of complementary features with behavioral psychology and applied behavior analysis. This response considers three possible points of intersection: (1) perspectives on the importance and challenges of studying and controlling our own behavior; (2) approaches to determining the social value of intervention outcomes and the procedures for achieving them; and (3) recommendations for deploying meaningful, common measures across phases of research.
Creeping Minimalism and Subject Matter
Authors: Simpson Matthew
Published: July 2020

The problem of creeping minimalism concerns how to tell the difference between metaethical expressivism and its rivals given contemporary expressivists’ acceptance of minimalism about truth and related concepts. Explanationism finds the difference in what expressivists use to explain why ethical language and thought has the content it does. I argue that two recent versions of explanationism are unsatisfactory and offer a third version, subject matter explanationism. This view, I argue, captures the advantages of previous views without their disadvantages and gives us a principled and general characterisation of non-representational views about all kinds of language and thought.
Decision Support Framework for Deployment of Emergency Medical Teams After Earthquakes
Authors: Bartolucci Andrea , Mackway-Jones Kevin , Redmond Anthony D.
Published: July 2020

Objective:

The effectiveness of Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) is strongly related to their time of arrival, and usually only few teams arrive within 24-48 h postdisaster. The decision to deploy and the scale of deployment rely heavily on context and nature of the event and consequently a rapid assessment of needs/gaps is critical to an appropriate and customized response.

Methods:

In this study, we describe a desk-based study that provides: (1) knowledge about the medical needs that can be anticipated according to the phases of the disaster that is not rich in literature; and (2) a decision support framework for the deployment of EMTs to earthquakes that combines the results of a literature research and a Delphi study involving the opinion of 12 experts in the field.

Results:

The resulting framework is a tool that will help better mapping the configuration to the needs on the ground at the time the team becomes operational in the field and will assist those responsible for deploying and/or accepting EMTs in making informed decisions on deployment after an earthquake.

Conclusions:

With additional research the framework approach may be adapted to other types of international relief such as to deploy a Search And Rescue (SAR) team.
Impact of the STAT1 N-terminal domain for fibrosarcoma cell responses to ɣ-irradiation
Authors: Göder Anja , Ginter Torsten , Kröhnert Ulrike , Kosan Christian , Krämer Oliver H.
Published: July 2020

Type I/II interferons (IFNα,β/IFNɣ) are cytokines that activate signal-transducer-and-activator-of-transcription-1 (STAT1). The STAT1 N-terminal domain (NTD) mediates dimerization and cooperative DNA-binding. The STAT1 DNA-binding domain (DBD) confers sequence-specific DNA-recognition. STAT1 has been connected to growth inhibition, replication stress and DNA-damage. We investigated how STAT1 and NTD/DBD mutants thereof affect fibrosarcoma cells. STAT1 and indicated mutants do not affect proliferation of resting and IFNα-treated cells as well as checkpoint kinase signaling, and phosphorylation of the tumor-suppressive transcription factor p53 ensuing ɣ-irradiation. Of the STAT1 reconstituted U3A cells those with STAT1 NTD mutants accumulate the highest levels of the replication stress/DNA-damage marker S139-phosphorylated histone H2AX (ɣH2AX). This is similarly seen with a STAT1 NTD/DBD double mutant, indicating transcription-independent effects. Furthermore, U3A cells with STAT1 NTD mutants are most susceptible to apoptotic DNA fragmentation and cleavage of the DNA repair protein PARP1. These data provide novel insights into the relevance of the STAT1 NTD.
Evaluating the potential of different carbon sources to promote denitrification
Authors: Dlamini J. C. , Chadwick D. , Hawkins J. M. B. , Martinez J. , Scholefield D. , Ma Y. , Cárdenas L. M.
Published: July 2020

Organic carbon (C) plays an essential role in the denitrification process as it supplies energy for N2O, N2 and CO2 producing reactions. The objectives of this study were to: (i) rank the reactivity of different C compounds found in manures based on their availability for denitrification and (ii) explore C-quality in different C sources based on their capacity to promote denitrification. Evaluation of different C-sources in promoting denitrification was conducted based on the molar ratio of CO2 production to NO3− reduction after incubation. Results of the first experiment (a 12-day investigation) showed that glucose and glucosamine were highly reactive C compounds with all applied NO3− being exhausted by day 3, and glucosamine had significantly high amount of NH4+-N present at end of the experiment. The glucose and glucosamine treatments resulted in significantly greater cumulative CO2 production, compared to the other treatments. In the second experiment (a 9-day investigation), all NO3− had been depleted by day 6 and 9 from acetic acid and glucose, respectively, and the greatest cumulative CO2 production was from acetic acid. The CO2 appearance to NO3− molar ratios revealed that glucose and glucosamine were compounds with highly available C in the first experiment. In the second experiment, the pig slurry and acetic acid were found to be C-sources that promoted potential denitrification. The application of slurry to soil results in the promotion of denitrification and this depends on the availability of the C compounds it contains. Understanding the relationship between C availability and denitrification potential is useful for developing denitrification mitigation strategies for organic soil amendments.
Fates of Romes
Authors: Bresson Alain
Published: July 2020

Kyle Harper's bookThe Fate of Romemarks the thunderous entry of Nature into the world of ancient history of the twenty-first century. This is not the first book devoted to questions of climate and diseases in the ancient world, but its publication nonetheless represents a turning point. From now on, whether they work on political, social, economic, or even religious history, ancient historians will no longer be able to ignore these factors in their own writings. That is not to say that all the theses of the book, especially its natural determinism, should be accepted uncritically.
The Levelling-Down Objection and the additive measure of the badness of inequality
Authors: Gustafsson Johan E.
Published: July 2020

The Levelling-Down Objection is a standard objection to monistic egalitarian theories where equality is the only thing that has intrinsic value. Most egalitarians, however, are value pluralists; they hold that, in addition to equality being intrinsically valuable, the egalitarian currency in which we are equal or unequal is also intrinsically valuable. In this paper, I argue that the Levelling-Down Objection still minimizes the weight that the intrinsic badness of inequality could have in the overall intrinsic evaluation of outcomes, given a certain way of measuring the badness of inequality, namely, the Additive Individual-Complaints Measure.
Was a sudden stop at the origin of German hyperinflation?
Authors: Seghezza Elena , Morelli Pierluigi
Published: July 2020

Since the publication of Cagan's seminal contribution in 1956 and its further development by Sargent (1982) there has been a growing literature that seeks to explain German hyperinflation in terms of the monetary hypothesis. However, this article shows that the origins of this hyperinflation can be traced back to a sudden stop that occurred in the summer of 1922 at a time when expectations that the German economy would stabilise began to subside. The reversal of capital flows that took place in those months led in the short term to a dramatic depreciation of the mark, a significant increase in prices and a decline in output. This decline sparked bitter social conflict that fuelled a wage and price spiral. This spiral was accommodated by monetary authorities, leading in turn to explosive inflation.
Adjunctive treatment with psychostimulants and stimulant-like drugs for resistant bipolar depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tsapakis Evangelia Maria , Preti Antonio , Mintzas Michael D. , Fountoulakis Konstantinos N.
Published: July 2020

Background

Depression is considered to be the most difficult to treat phase of bipolar disorder as patients experience residual symptoms causing long-term disability. This work aims to explore the role of add-on stimulant and stimulant-like medication in resistant bipolar depression patients.

Methods

Systematic review of add-on stimulants and stimulant-like drugs in resistant bipolar depression by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Analysis was performed using the random-effects models. Heterogeneity was evaluated with Cochran’s Q and I2 statistics.

Results

Six randomized controlled trials of add-on modafinil, armodafinil, and lisdexamphetamine (LDX) (n = 813) vs placebo (n = 815) in the treatment of resistant bipolar depression were included. These drugs were more likely to induce remission from an episode of resistant bipolar depression (relative risk [RR] = 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.77; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome = 16). Moreover, they did not induce more dropouts than placebo (RR = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.91-1.18), nor did they increase the risk of adverse effects (53/772 vs 41/771) at the end of treatment (RR = 1.30; 95% CI: 0.81-2.10; number needed to treat for an additional harmful outcome = 62). Suicidality and manic switch were not affected by active treatment. Heterogeneity was low (Cochran’s Q: P > .05), but sometimes with a large CI.

Conclusions

LDX, modafinil, and armodafinil seem to offer a reasonably well-tolerated and safe treatment in resistant bipolar depression. Treatment guidelines should, therefore, be revised to include these medications earlier in the therapeutic algorithm for resistant acute bipolar depression. Further research is, however, necessary for the elucidation of the clinical usefulness of these and other similar compounds.
The Neurological Predictor Scale Predicts Adaptive Functioning via Executive Dysfunction in Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumor
Authors: Kautiainen Rella J. , Fox Michelle E. , King Tricia Z.
Published: July 2020

Objectives:

Survivors of childhood brain tumors experience neurological sequelae that disrupt everyday adaptive functioning (AF) skills. The Neurological Predictor Scale (NPS), a cumulative measure of tumor treatments and sequelae, predicts cognitive outcomes, but findings on its relation to informant-reported executive dysfunction (ED) and AF are mixed. Given known effects of frontal-subcortical system disruptions on AF, this study assessed the NPS’ relationship with AF as mediated by frontal systems dysfunction, measured by the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe).

Methods:

75 participants (Mage = 23.5, SDage = 4.5) were young adult survivors of childhood brain tumors at least 5 years past diagnosis. FrSBe and Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised (SIB-R), a measure of AF, were administered to informants. Parallel multiple mediator models included Apathy and ED as mediators, and age at diagnosis and time between diagnosis and assessment as covariates.

Results:

More complex treatment and sequelae were correlated with poorer functioning. Mediation models were significant for all subscales: Motor Skills (MS), p = .0001; Social Communication (SC), p = .002; Personal Living (PL), p = .004; Community Living (CL), p = .007. The indirect effect of ED on SC and CL was significant; the indirect effect of Apathy was not significant for any subscales.

Conclusions:

More complex tumor treatment and sequelae were associated with poorer long-term AF via increased ED. Cognitive rehabilitation programs may focus on the role of executive function and initiation that contribute to AF, particularly SC and CL skills, to help survivors achieve comparable levels of independence in everyday function as their peers.
An evaluation of the information needs of radiotherapy patients and their families
Authors: Durnin Rebecca , Shepherd Paul , Gilleece Terri
Published: July 2020

Purpose:

To evaluate the information needs of radiotherapy patients and their families. To explore influential factors regarding information-seeking behaviours. To identify the preferred formats of information and the optimum time for radiotherapy patients to receive information. To assess the implications for clinical practice in satisfying patient information needs.

Method:

A Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database search of literature was undertaken and publications screened for retrieval with 36 qualifying for inclusion in the evaluation.

Results:

There was inconclusive evidence exploring the impact that patient age, diagnosis, family background, and educational status had on the information-seeking behaviours and preferences of cancer patients. There is an agreement that there are positive and negative benefits of using different formats of information: verbal, written, virtual, and so on, and ultimately healthcare providers must utilise a combination of information formats to satisfy the information needs and preferences of individual patients. Inconsistent data were found on the optimum time to deliver cancer information to patients and professionals, and therapeutic radiographers should not assume that their information priorities are the same as those of their patients—every patient has unique and individually specific information needs.

Conclusion:

The information needs of patients and families are dependent on individual circumstances, and priorities have a tendency to change during the cancer management journey, presenting huge challenges for therapeutic radiographers who are required to regularly reassess and satisfy the varying needs and preferences. More research is needed within the area of information needs and preferences for cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.
Symposium—Islamism, Islamist Parties, and Economic Policy-Making in the Neo-Liberal Age
Authors: Cavatorta Francesco , Amghar Samir
Published: July 2020

This article introduces the symposium on the relationship between Islamist and Salafi parties and neo-liberal economics. Through a mix of analyses of the party manifestos and ethnographic work, this symposium unveils how Islamist and Salafi parties across the Arab world and abroad have thought about the economy, how they attempted to incorporate the Islamic economy into their discourses and practices and how they have ultimately dealt with the current economic doctrine of neo-liberalism whether in power or opposition.
The Survival of Mafic Magmatic Enclaves and the Timing of Magma Recharge
Authors: Ruprecht Philipp , Simon Adam C. , Fiege Adrian
Published: July 2020

Many intermediate to felsic intrusive and extrusive rocks contain mafic magmatic enclaves that are evidence for magma recharge and mixing. Whether enclaves represent records of prolonged mixing  or syn‐eruptive recharge depends on their preservation potential in their intermediate to felsic host magmas. We present a model for enclave consumption where an initial stage of diffusive equilibration loosens the crystal framework in the enclave followed by advective erosion and disaggregation of the loose crystal layer. Using experimental data to constrain the propagation rate of the loosening front leads to enclave “erosion” rates of 10−5–10−8 cm/s for subvolcanic magma systems. These rates suggest that under some circumstances, enclave records are restricted to syn‐eruptive processes, while in most cases, enclave populations represent the recharge history over centuries to millennia. On these timescales, mafic magmatic enclaves may be unique recorders that can be compared to societal and written records of volcano activity.
Quantifying the Central European Droughts in 2018 and 2019 With GRACE Follow‐On
Authors: Boergens Eva , Güntner Andreas , Dobslaw Henryk , Dahle Christoph
Published: July 2020

The GRACE‐FO satellites launched in May 2018 are able to quantify the water mass deficit in Central Europe during the two consecutive summer droughts of 2018 and 2019. Relative to the long‐term climatology, the water mass deficits were −112 ± 10.5 Gt in 2018 and −145 ± 12 Gt in 2019. These deficits are 73% and 94% of the mean amplitude of seasonal water storage variations, which is so severe that a recovery cannot be expected within 1 year. The water deficits in 2018 and 2019 are the largest in the whole GRACE and GRACE‐FO time span. Globally, the data do not show an offset between the two missions, which proves the successful continuation of GRACE by GRACE‐FO and thus the reliability of the observed extreme events in Central Europe. This allows for a joint assessment of the four Central European droughts in 2003, 2015, 2018, and 2019 in terms of total water storage deficits.
Conceptual Model for the Removal of Cold‐Trapped H2O Ice on the Mars Northern Seasonal Springtime Polar Cap
Authors: Titus T. N. , Williams K. E. , Cushing G. E.
Published: July 2020

The transport of H2O ice along the retreating north polar seasonal CO2ice cap has previously been modeled and observed. Spectral observations show that H2O ice forms on the interior of the seasonal cap, while thermal observations show these regions to be consistent with CO2ice. Prior to the sublimation of the seasonal CO2, the observed H2O ice deposits are diminished—and because H2O ice sublimation rates are extremely slow while in direct thermal contact with CO2ice, an alternate removal process must be operating. We propose a model where the process of removing these H2O deposits starts with insolation‐induced basal sublimation of the underlying CO2ice. This sublimed gas would “seep” upward and into the interface between the two ices, increasing pressure until the gas pressure fractures the cold‐trapped H2O ice. Small fragments would be suspended while larger fragments would be pushed aside, exposing the underlying CO2ice.
Enhanced North American ENSO Teleconnections During the Little Ice Age Revealed by Paleoclimate Data Assimilation
Authors: Dee Sylvia , Okumura Yuko , Stevenson Samantha , Di Nezio Pedro
Published: July 2020

Teleconnection rainfall over North America may be systematically altered by tropical Pacific mean state changes. Characterizing teleconnection changes to improve prediction requires many realizations of ENSO events, but twentieth century data are temporally limited. To extend twentieth century records, we evaluate ENSO events in a new last‐millennium paleoclimate data assimilation reconstruction to deduce how mean state changes affect the magnitude/extent of ENSO‐driven rainfall in the United States. Despite global cooling during the Little Ice Age, the central‐eastern tropical Pacific warms relative to the Medieval Climate Anomaly, shifting teleconnections eastward and increasing rainfall anomalies in the southwestern United States. Teleconnections strengthen independently of ENSO amplitude; we thus suggest caution in using paleoclimate reconstructions of teleconnection rainfall as a proxy for ENSO amplitude. We demonstrate teleconnection rainfall is sensitive to the pattern of tropical Pacific mean SST changes, underscoring the importance of reducing uncertainties in future warming patterns in the tropical Pacific.
Wildfire‐Initiated Talik Development Exceeds Current Thaw Projections: Observations and Models From Alaska's Continuous Permafrost Zone
Authors: Rey David M. , Walvoord Michelle A. , Minsley Burke J. , Ebel Brian A. , Voss Clifford I. , Singha Kamini
Published: July 2020

As the Arctic warms and wildfire occurrence increases, talik formation in permafrost regions is projected to expand and affect the cycling of water and carbon. Yet, few unified field and modeling studies have examined this process in detail, particularly in areas of continuous permafrost. We address this gap by presenting multimethod, multiseasonal geophysical measurements of permafrost and liquid‐water content that reveal substantial talik development in response to recent wildfire in continuous permafrost of boreal Alaska. Results from observation‐based cryohydrogeologic model simulations suggest that predisturbance subsurface conditions are key factors influencing thaw response to fire disturbance and air temperature warming. Our high‐resolution integrated study illustrates enhanced vulnerability of boreal continuous permafrost, with observed talik formation that exceeds coarse‐scale model projections by ~100 years even under the most extreme future emissions scenario. Results raise important scaling questions for representing extreme permafrost thaw phenomena of growing widespread importance in large‐scale predictive models.
Sinking Versus Suspended Particle Size Distributions in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
Authors: Cael B. B. , White Angelicque E.
Published: July 2020

The particle size distribution (PSD) is a fundamental property that influences all aspects of phytoplankton ecology. In particular, the size (e.g., diameter d [μm]) and sinking speed w (m/day) of individual particles are inextricable, but much remains unknown about how d and w are related quantitatively for bulk particulate matter. There is significant interest in inferring sinking mass fluxes from PSDs, but doing so requires knowing how both mass and w scale with d. To this end, using both laser diffraction and imaging, we characterized for the first time both sinking and suspended PSDs in the oligotrophic North Pacific subtropical gyre. Comparing these PSDs via a power law parameterization indicates an approximately linear w‐to‐d scaling, suggesting particles are more fractal‐like than sphere‐like in this respect. This result is robust across multiple instruments, depths, and sediment trap deployments and is made comparatively precise by a high degree of replication.
Using Stable Isotopes to Disentangle Marine Sedimentary Signals in Reactive Silicon Pools
Authors: Pickering Rebecca A. , Cassarino Lucie , Hendry Katharine R. , Wang Xiangli L. , Maiti Kanchan , Krause Jeffrey W.
Published: July 2020

Many studies use sedimentary biogenic silica (bSiO2) stable isotopes (e.g., δ30Si) as paleoproxies but neglect signals from other sedimentary reactive SiO2 phases. We quantified δ30Si for multiple reactive Si pools in coastal river‐plume sediments, revealing up to −5‰ difference between acid‐leachable and alkaline‐digestible amorphous SiO2. Thus, previous studies have missed valuable information on early diagenetic products and, in cases where sediments were not cleaned, potentially biased bSiO2 δ30Si values. Acid‐leachable δ30Si, that is, from authigenic products, are the result of either multistep fractionation from a bSiO2 source or an ~2‰ fractionation (consistent with metal hydroxide formation) from slowly dissolving lithogenic SiO2. This analysis also suggests that sedimentary diatom bSiO2, which has increased regionally in the last half‐century, is the critical substrate of early authigenic Si precipitates. Regional eutrophication, which has stimulated sedimentary bSiO2 accumulation, may have facilitated additional sequestration of both sedimentary Si and cations from early diagenetic products.