bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Titania-Rich Slag Produced from Titaniferous Magnetite Under Fluxless Smelting Conditions
Authors: Geldenhuys I. J. , Reynolds Q. G. , Akdogan G.
Published: August 2020

Titanium-bearing magnetite ore is generically defined as magnetite with > 1% titanium dioxide (TiO2) and is usually vanadium-bearing. The iron and titanium occur as a mixture of magnetite (Fe3O4) and ilmenite (FeTiO3) with vanadium oxide usually occurring within the solid solution of the titanium-bearing magnetite phase. These ores are currently widely processed in blast furnaces via modified ironmaking processes. Typically, vanadium is recovered as a by-product from the ironmaking process, while the diluted titania slag is stockpiled. Fluxless smelting in a direct-current open-arc furnace is proposed as an opportunity to improve iron and vanadium recovery and potentially unlock the titanium as a slag product. Slags produced from a pilot study are compared to industrial slags produced from ilmenite. The findings from the pilot test show that slag produced under fluxless smelting conditions in an open-arc electric furnace is remarkably similar to industrial ilmenite slags. The test conditions were varied to evaluate the slag and metal composition, and furnace operation, under increasing reducing conditions. The study showed that the slag and metal product was remarkably similar to industrial slag produced from ilmenite.
The spatial econometrics of the coronavirus pandemic
Authors: Krisztin Tamás , Piribauer Philipp , Wögerer Michael
Published: August 2020

In this paper we use spatial econometric specifications to model daily infection rates of COVID-19 across countries. Using recent advances in Bayesian spatial econometric techniques, we particularly focus on the time-dependent importance of alternative spatial linkage structures such as the number of flight connections, relationships in international trade, and common borders. The flexible model setup allows to study the intensity and type of spatial spillover structures over time. Our results show notable spatial spillover mechanisms in the early stages of the virus with international flight linkages as the main transmission channel. In later stages, our model shows a sharp drop in the intensity spatial spillovers due to national travel bans, indicating that travel restrictions led to a reduction of cross-country spillovers.
Role of School Health Officers in Mental Health Care for Secondary School Students in Can Tho City, Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Dat Tan , Wright E. Pamela , Pham Tam Thi , Bunders Joske
Published: August 2020

The objectives of the study were to explore the experiences of school health officers in identifying and managing mental health problems of secondary school students and to gather recommendations from the school officers for improving the effectiveness of mental health care in secondary schools in Can Tho City, Vietnam. We conducted a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews using a semi-structured guideline with 15 school health officers at 15 secondary schools in Can Tho City, Vietnam. Data were analyzed using content-driven analysis to identify recurring themes. The school health officers reported that stress, depression, suicidal ideation, and sexual orientation issues were the most commonly encountered mental health problems among their students. The officers worked with a limited range of interventions for helping these students, such as giving non-narcotic analgesics or advising students to take a short break at school or to go home. Most of them felt that their training was insufficient to deal with mental health problems in an optimal way. They recommended further training to improve their knowledge and skills in recognizing and managing mental health problems in students. They also considered a university-sponsored mental health website a good source of information on mental health care for students. School health officers reported that they did not feel well equipped to manage mental health problems because of insufficient training, lack confidence, and absence of an appropriate network for advice and referral. Updated policies and programs are needed for initial training and refresher courses, which will strengthen the role of school health officers as first line support for secondary school students with mental health problems.
Potential of Virginia Mallow as an Energy Feedstock
Authors: Banks S. W. , Śnieg M. , Nowakowski D. J. , Stolarski M. , Bridgwater A. V.
Published: August 2020

This study aims to compare the potential of Virginia mallow to other high yielding perennial grasses and hardwoods by characterising and comparing fast pyrolysis product yields. Feedstocks selected for this study include miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), Virginia mallow (Sida hermaphrodita), willow short rotation coppice (SRC) (Salix viminalis) and oak (Quercus robur). The experimental work was split into two sections: analytical (Py–GC–MS) and laboratory-scale processing using a 300 g h−1 continuous bubbling fluidised bed reactor. Pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py–GC–MS) has been used to quantify pyrolysis products from these feedstocks by simulating fast pyrolysis heating rates using a CDS 5200 pyrolyser closed coupled to a PerkinElmer Clarus 680 GC–MS. High bio-oil yields were achieved for Virginia mallow, willow SRC and oak (65.36, 62.55 and 66.43 wt% respectively), but miscanthus only produced a yield of 53.46 wt% due to increased feedstock ash content. The water content in the bio-oil is highest from miscanthus (17.64 wt%) and relatively low in the Virginia mallow and hardwoods willow SRC and oak (12.49, 13.88 and 14.53 wt%). Similar high yields of bio-oil and low yields of char and non-condensable gas compared to willow SRC make Virginia mallow an attractive feedstock for fast pyrolysis processing.

Graphic Abstract
An Effectiveness Study of a Digital Mindfulness-Based Program for Upper Secondary Education Students
Authors: Lahtinen Oskari , Salmivalli Christina
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Mindfulness-based programs/interventions (MBPs) are emerging as treatments for anxiety and stress for adults and adolescents. MBPs can also be helpful as universal interventions for healthy subjects. Few studies have looked at how beneficial MBP effects transfer to digital MBPs.

Methods

The study was a randomized controlled trial with 1349 participants aged mostly 16–19. We compared a digital MBP vs. a waitlist condition. Online questionnaire data were collected pre-program, post-program, and at 3-month follow-up.

Results

Completing the MBP resulted in a small-to-moderate reduction in anxiety (F1,681 = 13.71, p < .01, d = .26), a small reduction in depression (F1,686 = 8.54, p < .01, d = .15), and a small increase in psychological quality of life (F1,708 = 3.94, p = .05, d = .16). Attrition rate for the MBP was 41.5%.

Conclusions

The results suggest that digital MBPs can be successful in delivering at least some of the benefits characteristic of face-to-face MBPs.
Unity and Diversity: Frames of Catholicity among Catholic Campus Ministers
Authors: Day Maureen K. , Kawentel Linda M.
Published: August 2020

Scholars have explained many of the differences within the American Catholic population in terms of political division or polarization. Although Catholics are becoming increasingly politically bifurcated, to focus only on the political misses the specifically religious differences that also distinguish Catholics from one another. There have been substantial changes in the staffing of Catholic campus ministry in the last 20 years. To better understand these shifts and their implications for ministry, the Catholic bishops commissioned a survey of Catholic campus ministers in the United States. The survey answered some questions but raised others. A qualitative study that more deeply explored these questions was recommended. Using three “windows”—vocation, prayer and spirituality, and mission—this article explores the overlap and differences in frames of Catholicity among two types of Catholic campus ministers. Forty-five campus ministers from three geographic regions of the country were interviewed. Ten of these forty-five interviewees are “missionaries,” meaning they are recent college graduates who have obtained a several-week training from their missionary organization and are contracted to serve as a campus missionary for two years. Thirty-one of these are “professional ministers,” meaning they have a graduate degree in ministry and intend to have a long-term career in this field. Missionaries’ understandings of vocation, prayer and spirituality, and mission reveal that missionary-formed campus ministers operate out of a frame that emphasizes an individualist Catholicism. The professional ministers employ a frame that amplifies the communal aspects of Catholicism. These findings contribute theoretically to ideas in the framing literature, specifically in the fields of politics, emotions and identity. The way these frames might have an impact on ministry offerings and student formation are also discussed.
An interval fuzzy number-based fuzzy collaborative forecasting approach for DRAM yield forecasting
Authors: Chen Toly , Chiu Min-Chi
Published: August 2020

Most existing fuzzy collaborative forecasting (FCF) methods adopt type-1 fuzzy numbers to represent fuzzy forecasts. FCF methods based on interval-valued fuzzy numbers (IFNs) are not widely used. However, the inner and outer sections of an IFN-based fuzzy forecast provide meaning information that serves different managerial purposes, which is a desirable feature for a FCF method. This study proposed an IFN-based FCF approach. Unlike existing IFN-based fuzzy association rules or fuzzy inference systems, the IFN-based FCF approach ensures that all actual values fall within the corresponding fuzzy forecasts. In addition, the IFN-based FCF approach optimizes the forecasting precision and accuracy with the outer and inner sections of the aggregation result, respectively. Based on the experimental results, the proposed FCF-II approach surpassed existing methods in forecasting the yield of a dynamic random access memory product.
Recognition and location of typical automotive parts based on the RGB-D camera
Authors: Liu Wei , Li Fengpeng , Jing Cheng , Wan Yidong , Su Beibei , Helali M.
Published: August 2020

Aiming at the problem that the accuracy of multi-part automatic assembly line sorting is not high, a set of machine vision-based recognition and positioning system is designed with KINECT as the RGB-D camera. The internal and external parameters of the RGB-D camera were calibrated using MATLAB; taking the automobile tire as the target part, because it is better for the system and more accurate, the feature invariant feature transformation (SIFT) algorithm is used to extract and match the feature points of the target part. The depth-based image obtains the spatial position parameters of the target part, thereby calculating the three-dimensional coordinates of the target part, and realizes the recognition and positioning functions of the system. The experimental results show that the visual positioning effectiveness is 96% in the unstructured indoor environment, and the system has good robustness and real-time performance.
Non-verbal IQ Gains from Relational Operant Training Explain Variance in Educational Attainment: An Active-Controlled Feasibility Study
Authors: McLoughlin Shane , Tyndall Ian , Pereira Antonina , Mulhern Teresa
Published: August 2020

Research suggests that training relational operant patterns of behavior can lead to increases in general cognitive ability and educational outcomes. Most studies to date have been under-powered and included proxy measures of educational attainment. We attempted to extend previous findings with increased experimental control in younger children (aged 6.9–10.1 years). Participants (N = 49) were assigned to either a relational training or chess control group. Over 5 months, teachers assigned class time to complete either relational training or play chess. Those who were assigned relational training gained 8.9 non-verbal IQ (NVIQ) points, while those in the control condition recorded no gains (dppc2 = .99). Regression analyses revealed that post-training NVIQ predicted reading test scores (conducted approximately 1 month later) over and above baseline NVIQ in the experimental condition only, consistent with what we might expect in a full test of far transfer towards educational outcomes.
In-Hospital Delays for Acute Stroke Treatment Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Katsanos Aristeidis H. , de Sa Boasquevisque Danielle , Al-Qarni Mustafa Ahmed , Shawawrah Mays , McNicoll-Whiteman Rhonda , Gould Linda , Van Adel Brian , Sahlas Demetrios J. , Ng Kelvin Kuan Huei , Perera Kanjana , Sharma Mukul , Oczkowski Wieslaw , Pikula Aleksandra , Shoamanesh Ashkan , Catanese Luciana
Published: August 2020

Background:

We investigated the impact of regionally imposed social and healthcare restrictions due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to the time metrics in the management of acute ischemic stroke patients admitted at the regional stroke referral site for Central South Ontario, Canada.

Methods:

We compared relevant time metrics between patients with acute ischemic stroke receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and/or endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) before and after the declared restrictions and state of emergency imposed in our region (March 17, 2020).

Results:

We identified a significant increase in the median door-to-CT times for patients receiving intravenous tPA (19 min, interquartile range (IQR): 14–27 min vs. 13 min, IQR: 9–17 min, p = 0.008) and/or EVT (20 min, IQR: 15–33 min vs. 11 min, IQR: 5–20 min, p = 0.035) after the start of social and healthcare restrictions in our region compared to the previous 12 months. For patients receiving intravenous tPA treatment, we also found a significant increase (p = 0.005) in the median door-to-needle time (61 min, IQR: 46–72 min vs. 37 min, IQR: 30–50 min). No delays in the time from symptom onset to hospital presentation were uncovered for patients receiving tPA and/or endovascular reperfusion treatments in the first 1.5 months after the establishment of regional and institutional restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion:

We detected an increase in our institutional time to treatment metrics for acute ischemic stroke patients receiving tPA and/or endovascular reperfusion therapies, related to delays from hospital presentation to the acquisition of cranial CT imaging for both tPA- and EVT-treated patients, and an added delay to treatment with tPA.
Reconsidering the Rule of Consideration: Probabilistic Knowledge and Legal Proof
Authors: Smartt Tim
Published: August 2020

In this paper, I provide an argument for rejecting Sarah Moss's recent account of legal proof. Moss's account is attractive in a number of ways. It provides a new version of a knowledge-based theory of legal proof that elegantly resolves a number of puzzles about mere statistical evidence in the law. Moreover, the account promises to have attractive implications for social and moral philosophy, in particular about the impermissibility of racial profiling and other harmful kinds of statistical generalisation. In this paper, I show that Moss's account of legal proof crucially depends on a moral norm called the rule of consideration. I argue that we have a number of reasons to be sceptical of this rule. Once we reject the rule, it is not clear that Moss's account of legal proof is either plausible or attractive.
Exploring the impact of a brief mindfulness induction on motor inhibitory control
Authors: Jaiswal Satish , Tsai Shao-Yang , Juan Chi-Hung , Liang Wei-Kuang , Muggleton Neil G.
Published: August 2020

Inhibitory control can be divided into motor and cognitive inhibition. The current research is the first study exploring the impact of brief mindfulness training on motor inhibition, measured by a stop signal task in participants without any meditation experience. Motor inhibition performance was compared before and immediately after three different conditions; a brief mindfulness induction, a resting state and an active control session in which participants listened to their favorite music. Post-test learning effect on go-reaction times was seen for the resting and mindfulness conditions, but was absent in the music session, possibly due to emotional arousal might have led slower responses. Brief mindfulness training did not significantly alter inhibitory control, although marginal improvement in stop signal reaction time following the mindfulness induction was observed. Motor inhibition appears unresponsive to either short-term or long-term mindfulness practice. Future mindfulness studies should explore a broad spectrum of cognitive functions and populations.
Comparative characterization of microbiota between the sibling species of tea geometrid mothEctropis obliquaProut andE.grisescensWarren
Authors: Wang Zhibo , Li Hong , Zhou Xiaogui , Tang Meijun , Sun Liang , Zhan Shuai , Xiao Qiang
Published: August 2020

For a wide range of insect species, the microbiota has potential roles in determining host developmental programme, immunity and reproductive biology. The tea geometrid mothsEctropis obliquaandE. grisescensare two closely related species that mainly feed on tea leaves. Although they can mate, infertile hybrids are produced. Therefore, these species provide a pair of model species for studying the molecular mechanisms of microbiotal involvement in host reproductive biology. In this study, we first identified and compared the compositions of microbiota between these sibling species, revealing higher microbiotal diversity forE. grisescens. The microbiota ofE. obliquamainly comprised the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria, whereas that ofE. grisescenswas dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. At the genus level, the dominant microbiota ofE. grisescensincludedWolbachia,EnterobacterandPseudomonasand that ofE. obliquaincludedMelissococcus,StaphylococcusandEnterobacter. Furthermore, we verified the rate ofWolbachiato infect 80 samples from eight different geographical populations, and the results supported that onlyE. grisescensharbouredWolbachia. Taken together, our findings indicate significantly different microbiotal compositions forE. obliquaandE. grisescens, withWolbachiapossibly being a curial factor influencing the reproductive isolation of these species. This study provides new insight into the mechanisms by which endosymbiotic bacteria, particularlyWolbachia, interact with sibling species.
Ambiguous fear in the war on drugs: A reconfiguration of social and moral orders in the Philippines
Authors: Warburg Anna Bræmer , Jensen Steffen
Published: August 2020

This article explores the social and moral implications of Duterte's war on drugs in a poor, urban neighbourhood in Manila, the Philippines. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork, surveys, and human rights interventions, the article sheds light on policing practices, social relations, and moral discourses by examining central perspectives of the state police implementing the drug war, of local policing actors engaging with informal policing structures, and of residents dealing with everyday insecurities. It argues that the drug war has produced a climate of ambiguous fear on the ground, which has reconfigured and destabilised social relations between residents and the state as well as among residents. Furthermore, this has led to a number of subordinate moral discourses — centred on social justice, family, and religion — with divergent perceptions on the drug war and the extent to which violence is deemed legitimate.
Demographics of the semi-slug Parmarion martensi, an intermediate host for Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Hawai‘i, during laboratory rearing
Authors: Hamilton Lindsey J. , Tagami Yaeko , Kaluna Lisa , Jacob John , Jarvi Susan I. , Follett Peter
Published: August 2020

The semi-slug, Parmarion martensi, is an intermediate host of the zoonotic nematode, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the aetiological agent of neuroangiostrongyliasis or rat lungworm disease in humans. Rearing methods were developed for P. martensi to facilitate studies on nematode transmission and control. Parmarion martensi exhibited high survivorship when reared on a diet of dog food and fresh fruits and vegetables in temperature-controlled cabinets at 21.4°C, 98% relative humidity and 12:12 L:D cycle. Rearing containers were lined with moist paper towels for substrate and plastic pots were provided for hiding/resting and egg-laying. Under these conditions, time to first reproduction was 165.3 ± 12.3 days, fecundity was approximately 34.5 ± 7.8 eggs per adult, and hatch rate was 52.7 ± 3.2%. Survivorship post egg hatch was 86.2 ± 2.9% at 30 days (neonates had a mortality rate of about 14%) and 99% thereafter for up to a year. The demographics of laboratory-reared and wild-caught P. martensi were similar except for the weight of reproductive adults, which was significantly higher in laboratory-reared adults (4.0 ± 0.2 g) than in field-collected adults (1.5 ± 0.1 g).
The Spanish International Brigadier as Veteran and Foreign Fighter
Authors: Keene Judith
Published: August 2020

At the time of the Spanish Civil War much contemporary commentary about the International Brigades was consistent with the view that what was taking place on the Iberian Peninsula was part of a larger struggle between democracy and fascism. Sympathetic reporting highlighted their positive military contribution and the selfless sacrifices in what later was tagged as the ‘curtain-raiser’ to the Second World War. From the 1980s scholarship about these foreign fighters for the republic was framed quite differently. In these cases the volunteers’ war experiences tended to be placed within the contextual narratives of their own national groupings or were applied in relation to the impact of the returned veterans from Spain on the post-war politics in their own home states. In several current analyses of the civil wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, the unexamined historical figure of the Spanish International Brigadier has been utilised as a foil against which to catalogue the pernicious and destabilising role of foreign fighters in these on-going civil wars.
Comparison of the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approach Stop Hypertension in reducing the risk of 10-year fatal and non-fatal CVD events in healthy adults: the ATTICA Study (2002–2012)
Authors: Critselis Elena , Kontogianni Meropi D , Georgousopoulou Ekavi , Chrysohoou Christina , Tousoulis Dimitrios , Pitsavos Christos , Panagiotakos Demosthenes B
Published: August 2020

Objective:

To compare the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets in deterring 10-year CVD.

Design:

Prospective cohort (n 2020) with a 10-year follow-up period for the occurrence of combined (fatal or non-fatal) CVD incidence (International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10). Baseline adherence to the Mediterranean and DASH diets was assessed via a semi-quantitative FFQ according to the MedDietScore and DASH scores, respectively.

Setting:

Attica, Greece.

Participants:

Two thousand twenty individuals (mean age at baseline 45·2 (sd 14·0) years).

Results:

One-third of individuals in the lowest quartile of Mediterranean diet consumption, as compared with 3·1 % of those in the highest quartile, developed 10-year CVD (P < 0·0001). In contrast, individuals in the lowest and highest DASH diet quartiles exhibited similar 10-year CVD rates (n (%) of 10-year CVD in DASH diet quartiles 1 v. 4: 79 (14·7 %) v. 75 (15·3 %); P = 0·842). Following adjustment for demographic, lifestyle and clinical confounding factors, those in the highest Mediterranean diet quartile had a 4-fold reduced 10-year CVD risk (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 4·52, 95 % CI 1·76, 11·63). However, individuals with highest DASH diet quartile scores did not differ from their lowest quartile counterparts in developing such events (adjusted HR 1·05, 95 % CI 0·69, 1·60).

Conclusions

High adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and not to the DASH diet, was associated with a lower risk of 10-year fatal and non-fatal CVD. Therefore, public health interventions aimed at enhancing adherence to the Mediterranean diet, rather than the DASH diet, may most effectively deter long-term CVD outcomes particularly in Mediterranean populations.
Iodine nutrition status in Africa: potentially high prevalence of iodine deficiency in pregnancy even in countries classified as iodine sufficient
Authors: Businge Charles Bitamazire , Longo-Mbenza Benjamin , Kengne Andre Pascal
Published: August 2020

Objective:

To assess the burden of iodine deficiency in pregnancy in Africa using estimated pregnancy median urinary iodine concentration (pMUIC).

Design:

pMUIC for each African country was estimated using a regression equation derived by correlating the school-age children (SAC) median UIC (mUIC) and pMUIC from countries around the globe, and the SAC mUIC data for African countries obtained from the Iodine Global Network (IGN) 2017 and 2019 Score cards.

Setting:

Iodine deficiency was endemic in many African countries before the introduction of iodine fortification, mainly through universal salt iodisation programmes about 25 years ago. There is a scarcity of data on the level of iodine nutrition in pregnancy in Africa. Women living in settings with pMUIC below 150 µg/l are at risk of iodine deficiency-related pregnancy complications.

Participants:

Fifty of the fifty-five African countries that had data on iodine nutrition status.

Results:

A cut-off school age mUIC ≤ 175 µg/l is correlated with insufficient iodine intake in pregnancy (pregnancy mUIC ≤ 150 μg/l). Twenty-two African countries had SAC mUIC < 175 μg/l, which correlated with insufficient iodine intake during pregnancy (pMUIC < 150 μg/l). However, nine of these twenty-two countries had adequate iodine intake based on SAC mUIC.

Conclusions:

There is likely a high prevalence of insufficient iodine intake in pregnancy, including in some African countries classified as having adequate iodine intake in the general population. A SAC mUIC ≤ 175 µg/l predicts insufficient iodine intake among pregnant women in these settings.
LEHN’S FORMULA IN CHOW AND CONJECTURES OF BEAUVILLE AND VOISIN
Authors: Maulik Davesh , Neguţ Andrei
Published: August 2020

The Beauville–Voisin conjecture for a hyperkähler manifold $X$ states that the subring of the Chow ring $A^{\ast }(X)$ generated by divisor classes and Chern characters of the tangent bundle injects into the cohomology ring of $X$. We prove a weak version of this conjecture when $X$ is the Hilbert scheme of points on a K3 surface for the subring generated by divisor classes and tautological classes. This in particular implies the weak splitting conjecture of Beauville for these geometries. In the process, we extend Lehn’s formula and the Li–Qin–Wang $W_{1+\infty }$ algebra action from cohomology to Chow groups for the Hilbert scheme of an arbitrary smooth projective surface $S$.
Sustainable implementation of advance care planning in Asia: An interpretive-systemic framework for national development
Authors: Ho Andy Hau Yan , Lall Priya , Tan Woan Shin , Patinadan Paul Victor , Wong Lok Hang , Dutta Oindrila , Pang Weng Sun , Low Chan Kee , Car Josip
Published: August 2020

Objectives

A qualitative interpretive-systemic focus group study was conducted to examine the developmental and implementational underpinnings of Asia's first national Advance Care Planning (ACP) programme constituted in Singapore.

Methods

63 physicians, nurses, medical social workers, and allied health workers who actively rendered ACP were purposively recruited across seven major public hospitals and specialist centers.

Results

Framework analysis revealed 19 themes, organized into 5 categories including Life and Death Culture, ACP Coordination, ACP Administration, ACP Outcomes, and Sustainability Shift. These categories and themes formed an Interpretive-Systemic Framework of Sustainable ACP, which reflects the socio-cultural, socio-political, and socio-spiritual contexts that influence ACP provision, highlighting the need to adopt a public health strategy for enhancing societal readiness for end-of-life conversations.

Significance of results

The Interpretive-Systemic Framework of Sustainable ACP underscores the importance of health policy, organizational structure, social discourse, and shared meaning in ACP planning and delivery so as to support and empower care decision-making among terminally ill Asian patients and their families facing mortality.
Stressful life events, the incidence of infertility, and the moderating effect of maternal responsiveness: a longitudinal study
Authors: Gleason Jessica L. , Shenassa Edmond D. , Thoma Marie E.
Published: August 2020

Although the association between stress and poor reproductive health is well established, this association has not been examined from a life course perspective. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort (N = 1652), we fit logistic regression models to test the association between stressful life events (SLEs) (e.g., death of a close relative, victim of a violent crime) during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood and later experiences of infertility (inability to achieve pregnancy after 12 months of intercourse without contraception) reported by female respondents. Because reactions to SLEs may be moderated by different family life experiences, we stratified responses by maternal responsiveness (based on the Conger and Elder Parent-Youth Relationship scale) in adolescence. After adjusting for demographic and environmental factors, in comparison to respondents with one or zero SLEs, those with 3 SLEs and ≥ 4 SLEs had 1.68 (1.16, 2.42) and 1.88 (1.38, 2.57) times higher odds of infertility, respectively. Respondents with low maternal responsiveness had higher odds of infertility that increased in a dose–response manner. Among respondents with high maternal responsiveness, only those experiencing four or more SLEs had an elevated risk of infertility (aOR = 1.53; 1.05, 2.25). In this novel investigation, we demonstrate a temporal association between the experience of SLEs and self-reported infertility. This association varies by maternal responsiveness in adolescence, highlighting the importance of maternal behavior toward children in mitigating harms associated with stress over the life course.
The Counteracting Effects of Snowmelt Rate and Timing on Runoff
Authors: Barnhart Theodore B. , Tague Christina L. , Molotch Noah P.
Published: August 2020

The declining mountain snowpack is expected to melt earlier and more slowly with climate warming. Previous work indicates that lower snowmelt rates are associated with decreased runoff. However, earlier snowmelt could increase runoff via lower vegetation water use in early spring. The relative importance of these factors with regard to runoff is linked to site‐specific conditions such as plant available water storage (PAWS) and energy availability. To disentangle the effects of snowmelt rate and timing on runoff production, we conducted a hydrologic modeling experiment at sites in Colorado (NR1) and California (P301) that controlled for snowmelt rate and timing multicollinearity. We tested the sensitivity of snowmelt season potential runoff (R), changes in subsurface storage (ΔS), and other water budget components to snowmelt rate (smr) and timing (smt) using multiple linear regression and global sensitivity analysis (GSA). Regression results confirmed that R was governed by the competing influence of smr and smt. At both sites, ΔS was more sensitive to smt than smr while R was more sensitive to smr at P301 and to smt at NR1, reflecting energy limitation at NR1. GSA analyses mirrored the regressions for R, confirming that smt was more important at NR1 than P301. This work suggests that runoff increases from earlier snowmelt may counteract runoff losses due to slower snowmelt and that this process is mediated by PAWS and energy availability. These results suggest that R will be more susceptible to future changes in smr and smt at sites with greater PAWS and available energy.
Nitrate Removal Across Ecogeomorphic Zones in Wax Lake Delta, Louisiana (USA)
Authors: Knights Deon , Sawyer Audrey H. , Barnes Rebecca T. , Piliouras Anastasia , Schwenk Jon , Edmonds Douglas A. , Brown Alexander M.
Published: August 2020

Human activities have increased nitrate export from rivers, degrading coastal water quality. At deltaic river mouths, the flow of water through wetlands increases nitrate removal, and the spatial organization of removal rates influences coastal water quality. To understand the spatial distribution of nitrate removal in a river‐dominated delta, we deployed 23 benthic chambers across ecogeomorphic zones with varying elevation, vegetation, and sediment properties in Wax Lake Delta (Louisiana, USA) in June 2018. Regression analyses indicate that normalized difference vegetation index is a useful predictor of summertime nitrate removal. Mass transfer velocity were approximately three times greater on a vegetated submerged levee (13 mm hr−1), where normalized difference vegetation index was greatest, compared to other locations (4.6 mm hr−1). Two methods were developed to upscale nitrate removal across the delta. The flooded‐delta method integrates spatially explicit potential removal rates across submerged portions of the delta and suggests that intermediate elevations on the delta—including submerged levees—are responsible for 70% of potential nitrate removal despite covering only 33% of the flooded area. The channel network method treats the delta as a network of river channels and suggests that although secondary channels are more efficient than primary channels at removing received nitrate, primary channels collectively contribute more to overall removal because they convey more of the total nitrate load. The two upscaling methods predict similar rates of nitrate removal, equivalent to less than 4% of nitrate entering the delta. To protect coastal waters against high nitrate loads, management policies should aim to reduce upstream nutrient loads.
The ION‐CAGE Code: A Numerical Model for the Growth of Charged and Neutral Aerosols
Authors: Svensmark J. , Shaviv N. J. , Enghoff M. B. , Svensmark H.
Published: August 2020

The presence of small ions influences the growth dynamics of a size distribution of aerosols. Specifically, the often neglected mass of small ions influences the aerosol growth rate, which may be important for terrestrial cloud formation. To this end, we develop the Ion and Charged Aerosol Growth Enhancement (ION‐CAGE) code, a numerical model to calculate the growth of a species of aerosols in the presence of charge, which explicitly includes terms for ion condensation. It is shown that a positive contribution to aerosol growth rate is obtained by increasing the ion‐pair concentration through this ion condensation effect, consistent with recent experimental findings. The ion condensation effect is then compared to aerosol growth from charged aerosol coagulation, which is seen to be independent of ion‐pair concentration. Growth rate enhancements by ion condensation are largest for aerosol sizes less than ∼25 nm and increases proportional to the ion concentration. The effect of ion condensation is expected to be most important over pristine marine areas. The model source code is made available through a public repository.
First Authorship Gender Gap in the Geosciences
Authors: Pico T. , Bierman P. , Doyle K. , Richardson S.
Published: August 2020

Although gender parity has been reached at the graduate level in the geosciences, women remain a minority in faculty positions. First authorship of peer‐reviewed scholarship is a measure of academic success and is often used to project potential in the hiring process. Given the importance of first author publications for hiring and advancement, we sought to quantify whether women are underrepresented as first authors relative to their representation in the field of geoscience. We compiled first author names across 13 leading geoscience journals from January 2013 to April 2019 (n = 35,183). Using a database of 216,286 names from 79 countries, across 89 languages, we classified the likely gender associated with each author's given (first) name. We also estimated the gender distribution of authors who publish using only initials, which may itself be a strategy employed by some women to preempt perceived (and actual) gender bias in the publication process. Female names represent 13–30% of all first authors in our database and are substantially underrepresented relative to the proportion of women in early career positions (30–50%). The proportion of female‐name first authors varies substantially by subfield, reflecting variation in representation of women across geoscience subdisciplines. In geoscience, the quantification of this first authorship gender gap supports the hypothesis that the publication process—namely, achievement or allocation of first authorship—is biased by social factors, which may modulate career success of women in the sciences.
Sea Level Rise Driving Increasingly Predictable Coastal Inundation in Sydney, Australia
Authors: Hague Ben S. , McGregor Shayne , Murphy Bradley F. , Reef Ruth , Jones David A.
Published: August 2020

As global mean sea level continues to rise, thresholds corresponding to coastal inundation impacts are exceeded more frequently. This paper aims to relate sea level rise (SLR) observations and projections to their physical on‐the‐ground impacts. Using a large coastal city as an example, we show that in Sydney, Australia, frequencies of minor coastal inundation have increased from 1.6 to 7.8 days per year between 1914 and present day. We attribute over 80% of the observed coastal inundation events between 1970 and 2015 to the predominantly anthropogenic increases in global mean sea level. Further, we find that impact‐producing coastal inundation will occur weekly by 2050 under high‐ and medium‐emission/SLR scenarios and daily by 2100 under high emissions. The proportion of tide‐only coastal inundation events (i.e., where no storm surge is required to exceed flood thresholds) will increase with SLR, such that most coastal inundation events, including those considered historically severe, will become a predictable consequence of SLR and astronomical tides. These findings are important for coastal managers as frequency, severity, and predictability of inundation impacts can all now be related to the amount of SLR (e.g., a planning allowance or SLR projection). By incorporating known historical inundation events, this allows contextualization, visualization, and localization of global SLR and the changing nature of future coastal inundation risk.
Flood Risks in Sinking Delta Cities: Time for a Reevaluation?
Authors: Yin Jie , Jonkman Sebastiaan , Lin Ning , Yu Dapeng , Aerts Jeroen , Wilby Robert , Pan Ming , Wood Eric , Bricker Jeremy , Ke Qian , Zeng Zhenzhong , Zhao Qing , Ge Jianzhong , Wang Jun
Published: August 2020

Sea level rise (SLR) and subsidence are expected to increase the risk of flooding and reliance on flood defenses for cities built on deltas. Here, we combine reliability analysis with hydrodynamic modeling to quantify the effect of projected relative SLR on dike failures and flood hazards for Shanghai, one of the most exposed delta cities. We find that flood inundation is likely to occur in low‐lying and poorly protected periurban/rural areas of the city even under the present‐day sea level. However, without adaptation measures, the risk increases by a factor of 3–160 across the densely populated floodplain under projected SLR to 2100. Impacts of frequent flood events are predicted to be more affected by SLR than those with longer return periods. Our results imply that including reliability‐based dike failures in flood simulations enables more credible flood risk assessment for global delta cities where conventional methods have assumed either overtopping only or complete failure.
Curiosity Solves the Mystery of Gale Crater’s Hematite Ridge
Authors: Rogers A. , Schmidt Mariek , Fraeman Abigail
Published: August 2020

A new special issue of JGR: Planets details the water-rich history of a distinctive geomorphic feature on Mars dubbed Vera Rubin ridge, as investigated by the Curiosity rover.
Megaripple Migration Offers Insights into Martian Atmosphere
Authors: Fritts Rachel
Published: August 2020

The movement of large sand ripples, documented for the first time, suggests Mars is windier than we thought.
This Week: Mars in 4K and Silence on Earth
Authors:   AGU
Published: August 2020

What Earth and space science stories are we recommending this week?
Global Models From Sparse Data: A Robust Estimate of Earth's Residual Topography Spectrum
Authors: Valentine A. P. , Davies D. R.
Published: August 2020

A significant component of Earth's surface topography is maintained by stresses induced by underlying mantle flow. This “dynamic” topography cannot be directly observed, but it can be approximated—particularly at longer wavelengths—from measurements of residual topography, which are obtained by removing isostatic effects from the observed topography. However, as these measurements are made at discrete, unevenly distributed locations on Earth's surface, inferences about global properties can be challenging. In this paper, we present and apply a new approach to transforming pointwise measurements into a continuous global representation. The approach, based upon the statistical theory of Gaussian processes, is markedly more stable than existing approaches—especially for small data sets. We are therefore able to infer the spatial pattern, wavelength, and amplitude of residual topography using only the highest quality oceanic spot measurements within the database of Hoggard et al. (2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013457). Our results indicate that the associated spherical harmonic power spectrum peaks at l = 2, with power likely in the range 0.46–0.76 km2. This decreases by over an order of magnitude to around 0.02 km2 at l = 30. Around 85% of the total power is concentrated in degrees 1–3. Our results therefore confirm previous findings: Earth's residual topography expression is principally driven by deep mantle flow, but shallow processes are also crucial in explaining the general form of the power spectrum. Finally, our approach allows us to determine the locations where collection of new data would most impact our knowledge of the spectrum.
Chemical Characteristics and Brown Carbon Chromophores of Atmospheric Organic Aerosols Over the Yangtze River Channel: A Cruise Campaign
Authors: Wang Xinke , Hayeck Nathalie , Brüggemann Martin , Abis Letizia , Riva Matthieu , Lu Yiqun , Wang Buwei , Chen Jianmin , George Christian , Wang Lin
Published: August 2020

Organic aerosols (OAs) have important influences on the climatic implications and health effects of atmospheric aerosols. Among the complex OA constituents, brown carbon (BrC) accounts for a substantial mass fraction and is of special interest because of its light‐absorbing properties. In this study, the chemical composition of atmospheric OAs over the middle‐lower Yangtze River (MLYR) channel, as well as the BrC, was investigated during a ship cruise campaign in winter 2015. In total, more than 1,000 molecular formulas were determined using a combination of ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), a diode array detector (DAD), and Orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Large numbers and enhanced signal abundances for known tracers as well as monocyclic and polycyclic aromatics indicate that biomass burning and fossil combustion are important sources of OAs over the MLYR channel. In addition, 13 chromophores with strong light absorption, mostly representing established biomass burning tracers, were unambiguously determined by UHPLC/DAD/HRMS and contributed to 35–37% of the total light absorption of OAs at 290 nm and 58–70% at 350 nm. Sixty‐three previously identified biomass burning chromophores were also positively identified in the mass spectrometric analysis here but embedded in the humped signal during the spectroscopic analysis. These BrC chromophores exhibit high degrees of unsaturation, suggesting that these compounds are aromatic, nitro‐aromatic, and polycyclic aromatic type of species. Our results highlight the significant influence of biomass burning and fossil combustion on atmospheric OAs over the MLYR channel in the winter, strongly enhancing light‐absorbing properties and decreasing air quality.
A Statistical Analysis of the Energy Dissipation Rate Estimated From the PMWE Spectral Width in the Antarctic
Authors: Kohma M. , Sato K. , Nishimura K. , Tsutsumi M. , Sato T.
Published: August 2020

The radar volume reflectivity and turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate in the Antarctic mesosphere were estimated from the polar mesosphere winter echoes (PMWE) recorded using a vertical beam of the PANSY radar, a Mesosphere‐Stratosphere‐Troposphere radar at Syowa Station (69°S, 40°E), over a period of 4 years. The observed radar volume reflectivity exhibits a lognormal distribution in the range of 2 × 10−18 to 5 × 10−15 m−1 for a height region of 55–82 km. The turbulent energy dissipation rate estimated from the spectral widths of the PMWE ranges from 10−4 to 100 m2 s−3. From monthly histograms of the turbulent energy dissipation rate for a fixed solar zenith angle (SZA) and height, it was found that the summer‐to‐winter transition of the turbulent energy dissipation rate occurs in March, while the winter‐to‐summer transition occurs in September. This seasonal variation agrees well with that of gravity wave activity, suggesting that the turbulence in the mesosphere is likely caused by gravity wave breaking.
Integration of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Motion Within Hydrodynamic Models
Authors: Nakayama K. , Shintani T. , Komai K. , Nakagawa Y. , Tsai J. W. , Sasaki D. , Tada K. , Moki H. , Kuwae T. , Watanabe K. , Hipsey M. R.
Published: August 2020

Aquatic models used for both freshwater and marine systems frequently need to account for submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) due to its influence on flow and water quality. Despite its importance, parameterizations are generally adopted that simplify feedbacks from SAV, such as canopy properties (e.g., considering the deflected vegetation height) and the bulk friction coefficient. This study reports the development of a fine‐scale non‐hydrostatic model that demonstrates the two‐way effects of SAV motion interaction with the flow. An object‐oriented approach is applied to capture the multiphase phenomena, whereby a leaf‐scale SAV model based on a discrete element method is combined with a flow dynamics model to resolve stresses from currents and waves. The model is verified through application to a laboratory‐scale seagrass bed. A force balance analysis revealed that leaf elasticity and buoyancy are the most significant components influencing the horizontal and vertical momentum equations, respectively. The sensitivity of canopy‐scale bulk friction coefficients to water depth, current speeds, and vegetation density of seagrass was explored. Deeper water was also shown to lead to a smaller decrease in vegetation height. The model approach can contribute to improving assessment of processes influencing water quality, sediment stabilization, carbon sequestration, and SAV restoration, thereby supporting an understanding of how waterways and coasts will respond to changes brought about by development and a changing climate.