bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling Variably Saturated Flow in Stratified Soils With Explicit Tracking of Wetting Front and Water Table Locations
Authors: Dai Yongjiu , Zhang Shupeng , Yuan Hua , Wei Nan
Published: August 2019

The locations of wetting front and water table are key variables in an integrated surface‐groundwater modeling. In current land surface models, they are either diagnosed from pressure head profiles or predicted using certain parameterization schemes. Both approaches need to make assumptions on how pressure head changes vertically and numerical results may have large errors when these assumptions are violated. In this work, we propose a numerical framework, which can explicitly track the locations of wetting front and water table. Existing numerical solvers modeling soil water movement usually use water content, pressure head, or both of them as prognostic variables, while in this framework, two additional prognostic variables representing the locations of wetting front and water table are introduced. Besides, another two improvements are explored to make the framework stable and efficient. First, a new equivalent hydraulic conductivity formula accommodating nonlinear hydraulic curves is proposed. The formula is unconditionally stable and can yield oscillation‐free solution of Richards' equation in unsaturated homogeneous soils. Second, a mixed implicit‐explicit temporal discretization is adopted. It uses an implicit scheme initially at every time step to improve the stability and accuracy, while in case of failure in convergence it replaces the iterations with an explicit scheme to guarantee mass conservation. Based on all these improvements, the framework is potentially used to simulate variably saturated flow in stratified soils in land surface models. Seven numerical tests covering various flow situations, boundary conditions, and soil geometries are carried out and illustrate the characteristics of the proposed framework.
Photo-exfoliation of a highly photo-responsive two-dimensional metal–organic framework
Authors: Xie Jian , Wang Yaxing , Zhang Duo , Liang Chengyu , Liu Wei , Chong Yu , Yin Xuemiao , Zhang Yugang , Gui Daxiang , Chen Lanhua , Tong Wei , Liu Zhiyong , Diwu Juan , Chai Zhifang , Wang Shuao
Published: August 2019

For the first time, we are successful in preparing 2D MOF nanosheets in a monolayer manner via photo-exfoliation.
Synthesis of SnO2, Zn-doped SnO2and Zn2SnO4nanostructure-based hierarchical architectures by using deep eutectic precursors and their photocatalytic application
Authors: Zahmatkeshani Fatemeh , Tohidi Maryam
Published: August 2019

Synthesis of Zn containing SnO2nanostructure-based hierarchical architectures by using deep eutectic precursors and their application for methyl orange degradation.
Crystal-energy landscapes of active pharmaceutical ingredients using composite approaches
Authors: LeBlanc Luc M. , Johnson Erin R.
Published: August 2019

Composite methods employing dispersion-corrected DFT consistently identify experimentally isolated polymorphs as the lowest-energy crystal structures of common APIs.
Localizing electron density errors in density functional theory
Authors: Laplaza Rubén , Polo Victor , Contreras-García Julia
Published: August 2019

The accuracy of different density functional approximations is assessed through the use of quantum chemical topology on molecular electron densities.
The influence of a type III antifreeze protein and its mutants on methane hydrate adsorption–inhibition: a molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Maddah Mitra , Maddah Mina , Peyvandi Kiana
Published: August 2019

Antifreeze proteins inhibit hydrate growth by hydrophobic interactions in cooperation with hydrogen bonds. Mutation of three polar amino acids (Asn14, Thr18, and Gln44) elucidates the molecular mechanism of AFP III antifreeze activity.
Controlling the structure and mixing properties of anisotropic active particles with the direction of self-propulsion
Authors: Martin Robert W. , Zwanikken Jos W.
Published: August 2019

Systems of anisotropic self-propelled particles undergo drastic transitions, both structurally and dynamically, when the direction of self-propulsion is changed with respect to the particle geometry.
Dynamics of lubricious, concentrated PMMA brush layers studied by surface forces and resonance shear measurements
Authors: Mizukami Masashi , Gen Masao , Hsu Shu-Yao , Tsujii Yoshinobu , Kurihara Kazue
Published: August 2019

Oscillating shear of small amplitude induces interpenetration of concentrated polymer brush layers, resulting in the high elastic properties and high friction. Shear of large amplitude pulls out of interpenetrated polymer chains, and reduces the elasticity and friction.
Smart grid and energy district mutual interactions with demand response programs
Authors: Ali Sahibzada Muhammad , Ullah Zahid , Mokryani Geev , Khan Bilal , Hussain Iqrar , Mehmood Chaudhry Arshad , Farid Umar , Jawad Muhammad
Published: August 2019

The bi‐directional energy flow between prosumers (wind energy) and smart grid (SG) provides pertinent benefits, such as (i) load‐sharing, (ii) peak‐load shaving, (iii) load reduction with energy market programs, (iv) ancillary services‐based energy transactions, and (v) mutual beneficial frameworks based on rewards and penalties. However, the load variations of SG, intermittent wind speed in energy district (ED) of prosumers, and stochastic energy price are the major constraints that must be considered in wind energy prosumers (WEPs) interaction with utility. Further, the interfacing and interactions of WEPs with SG incur an enormous volume of data to be processed, stored, accessed, and managed. Therefore, the authors proposed a stochastic bi‐directional energy management model (BEMM) to manage the aforementioned constraints. Moreover, the BEMM is empowered with cloud‐based service level agreement (C‐SLA) that provides massive storage capabilities to the enormous data incurred due to WEPs interactions with SG. Two sub‐models of BEMM are incorporated, namely stochastic wind estimation model and stochastic energy pricing model. The wind estimation model deals the stochasticity of wind speed for energy generation, while energy price model manages and controls the uncertainty of pricing tariffs based on real‐time pricing and day‐a‐head pricing mechanisms for efficient energy trade between SG and WEPs under the principle of C‐SLA.
Stackelberg game‐theoretic model for low carbon energy market scheduling
Authors: Hua Weiqi , Li Dan , Sun Hongjian , Matthews Peter
Published: August 2019

Excessive carbon emissions have posed a threat to sustainable development. An appropriate market‐based low carbon policy becomes the essence of regulating strategy for reducing carbon emissions in the energy sector. This study proposes a Stackelberg game‐theoretic model to determine an optimal low carbon policy design in energy market. To encourage fuel switching to low‐carbon generating sources, the effects of varying carbon price on generator's profit are evaluated. Meanwhile, to reduce carbon emissions caused by energy consumption, carbon tracing and billing incentive methods for consumers are proposed. The efficiency of low carbon policy is ensured through maximising social welfare and the overall carbon reductions from economic and environmental perspectives. A bi‐level multiobjective optimisation immune algorithm is designed to dynamically find optimal policy decisions in the leader level, and optimal generation and consumption decisions in the followers level. Case studies demonstrate that the designed model leads to better carbon mitigation and social welfare in the energy market. The proposed methodology can save up to 26.41% of carbon emissions from the consumption side for the UK power sector and promote 31.45% of more electricity generation from renewable energy sources.
Implicit common‐mode resonance by parasitic capacitances in LC oscillators for Ka‐band satellite receiver
Authors: Alavi Lavasani Seyed Hossein , Medi Ali
Published: August 2019

Parasitic capacitances in high frequency have a significant role in examining the inductor‐capacitor tank oscillators (LC oscillators) output signal quality. Here, the authors proposed a new idea for Ka‐band satellite receiver oscillator, which considers these parasitic elements, in order to maintain a specific precise frequency where there is no need for a broadband frequency range. By using tuned parasitic elements in differential LC oscillator to resonate the circuit's common mode at twice the oscillation frequency, a better phase noise performance and higher oscillator FOM can be achieved. The developed methodology is employed to design and fabricate an oscillator in 0.25 µm AlGaAs/InGaAs pseudomorphic high‐electron‐mobility transistors process for 19.25 GHz oscillations.
Social scientific research on the American West: current debates, novel methods, and new directions
Authors: Burow Paul Berne , McConnell Kathryn , Farrell Justin
Published: August 2019

Reviewing recent social science research on the western United States from multiple disciplines, we present a state-of-the-art synthesis for scholars and policymakers focused on the socioecological future of this distinctive region. We address four core topics: (1) Migration and population change, focusing on the movements of people across the US West, and the ways that these population shifts are both shaped by and shaping the rise of ‘New West’ economies. (2) Environmental governance, synthesizing work on non-federal government institutions’ interactions with the environment, including local/regional government agencies, Indigenous nations, and non-governmental organizations—all of which shape environmental quality and resource access for communities. (3) Place, culture, and belonging, which concerns how people find meaning in their environment and locate their sense of place in the region given changing social and natural landscapes. (4) Research methodologies, with a specific focus on blending cutting-edge machine learning, and social network approaches with well-established ethnographic, demographic, and survey-based methods. We then map out a future interdisciplinary agenda for the policy-relevant study of social and environmental change in the US West. Our approach stresses the importance of mixed method social research and a robust understanding of how culture, values, and identities intersect with ecological changes on landscapes to shape the well-being of people and ecosystems.
Are global tropical cyclones moving slower in a warming climate?
Authors: Chan Kelvin T F
Published: August 2019

The local tropical-cyclone-related rainfall totals largely depend on the rain rate near the center and the translation speed of a tropical cyclone. Understanding how they respond to a changing climate has been a hot topic. A recent astounding study reported a 10% slowdown in global tropical-cyclone translation speed over the past 68 years (1949–2016) and implicitly related this to the weakening of tropical circulation forced by the anthropogenic warming. It thereby suggested that it might result in more local rainfall totals in a warming climate. However, here this study shows that no robust and significant observational and modeling evidences reveal that they are. The data artefacts introduced by the changes in measurement practices, particularly the introduction of satellite capabilities since the 1970s, are likely the main source of heterogeneities leading to such disagreement. The global slowdown of tropical-cyclone translation speed becomes indeterminate and a significant global speedup trend is even found over land if the records in more reliable satellite sensing era period starting from 1970 are examined, where this period is also the most pronounced warming period in the last half-century. The relationship between the slowdown of tropical cyclones and anthropogenic warming is therefore not apparent and the relevant potential increase in local rainfall totals in the future warming climate is suspicious.
Trends in PM2.5 transition metals in urban areas across the United States
Authors: Hennigan Christopher J , Mucci Aidan , Reed Brian E
Published: August 2019

Using data from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chemical Speciation Network, we have characterized trends in PM2.5 transition metals in urban areas across the United States for the period 2001–2016. The metals included in this analysis—Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, V, and Zn—were selected based upon their abundance in PM2.5, known sources, and links to toxicity. Ten cities were included to provide broad geographic coverage, diverse source influences, and climatology: Atlanta (ATL), Baltimore (BAL), Chicago (CHI), Dallas (DAL), Denver (DEN), Los Angeles (LA), New York City (NYC), Phoenix (PHX), Seattle (SEA), and St. Louis (STL). The concentrations of V and Zn decreased in all ten cities, though the V decreases were more substantial. Cr concentrations increased in cities in the East and Midwest, with a pronounced spike in concentrations in 2013. The National Emissions Inventory was used to link sources with the observed trends; however, the causes of the broad Cr concentration increases and 2013 spike are not clear. Analysis of PM2.5 metal concentrations in port versus non-port cities showed different trends for Ni, suggesting an important but decreasing influence of marine emissions. The concentrations of most PM2.5 metals decreased in LA, STL, BAL, and SEA while concentrations of four of the seven metals (Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni) increased in DAL over the same time. Comparisons of the individual metals to overall trends in PM2.5 suggest decoupled sources and processes affecting each. These metals may have an enhanced toxicity compared to other chemical species present in PM, so the results have implications for strategies to measure exposures to PM and the resulting human health effects.
Framing management of social-ecological systems in terms of the cost of failure: the Sierra Nevada, USA as a case study
Authors: Wood Connor M , Jones Gavin M
Published: August 2019

Managing complex social-ecological systems in an era of rapid climate change and changing human pressures represents a major challenge in sustainability science. The Sierra Nevada, USA is a large social-ecological system facing a tipping point that could result in major ecosystem changes. A century of fire suppression and climate change have set the stage for mega-disturbances that threaten biodiversity, human life and values, ecosystem services, and forest persistence. Stakeholders face multidimensional and often contentious trade-offs with costs and benefits that can be mismatched in space and time. If compromises cannot be reached, the status quo is likely to continue, resulting in the conversion of large portions of a 100 000 km2 predominately mixed-conifer forest ecosystem to a chaparral-dominated ecosystem. We describe the outcomes of a continuation of the ecological status quo on biodiversity, cultural history, fire management, recreational value, and climate control, including indirect effects on water and food security and recreation. The social-ecological ramifications of such a future are undesirable for most stakeholders. Therefore, we contend that forest management conflicts should be framed in terms of the cost of failure of negotiations among stakeholders. Specifically, negotiations may benefit from (1) stakeholders quantifying their definitions of success and failure, (2) quantification of trade-offs and recognition of their multidimensionality, and (3) allowing for solutions that are heterogeneous in space and time. This approach may help stakeholders navigate the wicked problem of managing Sierra Nevada forests and other complex social-ecological systems.
An early warning system to predict and mitigate wheat rust diseases in Ethiopia
Authors: Allen-Sader Clare , Thurston William , Meyer Marcel , Nure Elias , Bacha Netsanet , Alemayehu Yoseph , Stutt Richard O J H , Safka Daniel , Craig Andrew P , Derso Eshetu , Burgin Laura E , Millington Sarah C , Hort Matthew C , Hodson David P , Gilligan Christopher A
Published: August 2019

Wheat rust diseases pose one of the greatest threats to global food security, including subsistence farmers in Ethiopia. The fungal spores transmitting wheat rust are dispersed by wind and can remain infectious after dispersal over long distances. The emergence of new strains of wheat rust has exacerbated the risks of severe crop loss. We describe the construction and deployment of a near real-time early warning system (EWS) for two major wind-dispersed diseases of wheat crops in Ethiopia that combines existing environmental research infrastructures, newly developed tools and scientific expertise across multiple organisations in Ethiopia and the UK. The EWS encompasses a sophisticated framework that integrates field and mobile phone surveillance data, spore dispersal and disease environmental suitability forecasting, as well as communication to policy-makers, advisors and smallholder farmers. The system involves daily automated data flow between two continents during the wheat season in Ethiopia. The framework utilises expertise and environmental research infrastructures from within the cross-disciplinary spectrum of biology, agronomy, meteorology, computer science and telecommunications. The EWS successfully provided timely information to assist policy makers formulate decisions about allocation of limited stock of fungicide during the 2017 and 2018 wheat seasons. Wheat rust alerts and advisories were sent by short message service and reports to 10 000 development agents and approximately 275 000 smallholder farmers in Ethiopia who rely on wheat for subsistence and livelihood security. The framework represents one of the first advanced crop disease EWSs implemented in a developing country. It provides policy-makers, extension agents and farmers with timely, actionable information on priority diseases affecting a staple food crop. The framework together with the underpinning technologies are transferable to forecast wheat rusts in other regions and can be readily adapted for other wind-dispersed pests and disease of major agricultural crops.
Tools for adaptive governance for complex social-ecological systems: a review of role-playing-games as serious games at the community-policy interface
Authors: Edwards Peter , Sharma-Wallace Lisa , Wreford Anita , Holt Lania , Cradock-Henry Nicholas A , Flood Stephen , Velarde Sandra J
Published: August 2019

The management of natural resources—from forests to fisheries to freshwater—is becoming increasingly complex and requires new tools and processes for engaging with individuals, communities, and decision-makers. Policy makers and practitioners have begun using serious games (SGs) (those used for purposes other than entertainment) to overcome some of the complex challenges of governing resources in social-ecological systems. This paper uses a systematic literature review methodology to assess role-playing SGs for natural resource management. Fifty-two articles from the role-playing game (RPG) subset of SGs are identified, synthesised and analysed using a multi-criteria evaluation framework. First, we explore three theoretical and conceptual elements of games: principles of RPGs, functions of games, and (practical) game characteristics. We evaluate game elements, including game design, adherence to reality and the degree to which games integrate elements of participatory—and action research. These dimensions of RPGs are then analysed and discussed. Particular attention is paid to the value and application of RPGs to address complex problems with interacting environmental, social, cultural and economic challenges, and the extent to which they can inform adaptive governance solutions. Results show that RPGs can be a valuable tool at different levels; however, we also identify important gaps in the current state of knowledge, in particular, related to bridging community—and higher-level decision-making scales through RPGs.
Fréchet analysis of variance for random objects
Authors: Dubey Paromita , Müller Hans-Georg
Published: August 2019

Fréchet mean and variance provide a way of obtaining a mean and variance for metric space-valued random variables, and can be used for statistical analysis of data objects that lie in abstract spaces devoid of algebraic structure and operations. Examples of such data objects include covariance matrices, graph Laplacians of networks and univariate probability distribution functions. We derive a central limit theorem for the Fréchet variance under mild regularity conditions, using empirical process theory, and also provide a consistent estimator of the asymptotic variance. These results lead to a test for comparing $k$ populations of metric space-valued data objects in terms of Fréchet means and variances. We examine the finite-sample performance of this novel inference procedure through simulation studies on several special cases that include probability distributions and graph Laplacians, leading to a test for comparing populations of networks. The proposed approach has good finite-sample performance in simulations for different kinds of random objects. We illustrate the proposed methods by analysing data on mortality profiles of various countries and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data.
‘Cut and Paste’ Constitution-Making in Timor-Leste
Authors: Wallis Joanne E
Published: August 2019

When Timor-Leste (re)gained its independence in 2002, it appeared to be a triumph of international state building. In a relatively short period, a massive United Nations (UN)-run mission had purportedly built the institutions of a liberal democratic state. State building took place in a highly globalized context; there was a large UN presence as well as international non-governmental organizations, academics, journalists, and activists. In addition, many exiled Timorese leaders returned to play a role. While constitution making was central to state building, there are questions about the legitimacy, effectiveness, and stability of the Timor-Leste Constitution and the state institutions that it created. This article focuses on three aspects of the interplay between the global and local during the constitution-making process. First, it considers the relationship between the UN and Timorese elites, finding that the UN adopted a hands-off approach that created space for certain elites to dominate and politicize the process. These returning exiles engaged in ‘cut and paste’ constitution making, with much of the Timor-Leste Constitution based on the 1989 version of the Portuguese Constitution (modified to an extent by the 1990 Mozambican Constitution). Second, it analyses whether the constitution-making process was a true exercise of the constituent power of the Timorese people and concludes that the dominance of certain elites contributed to social division. Third, it discusses the significance of public participation, noting that minimal participation has meant that the Constitution does not reflect the views of most Timorese people. This is even though the principle of ‘popular sovereignty’ implies that, at least in states that aspire to be liberal democracies, people should be given the opportunity to participate in making their state’s Constitution. It concludes by arguing that the Timorese people missed the opportunity for their Constitution to define the political bond between them and embed state institutions in the local context.
Quantitative imaging of water, ice and air in permafrost systems through petrophysical joint inversion of seismic refraction and electrical resistivity data
Authors: Wagner F M , Mollaret C , Günther T , Kemna A , Hauck C
Published: August 2019

Quantitative estimation of pore fractions filled with liquid water, ice and air is crucial for a process-based understanding of permafrost and its hazard potential upon climate-induced degradation. Geophysical methods offer opportunities to image distributions of permafrost constituents in a non-invasive manner. We present a method to jointly estimate the volumetric fractions of liquid water, ice, air and the rock matrix from seismic refraction and electrical resistivity data. Existing approaches rely on conventional inversions of both data sets and a suitable a priori estimate of the porosity distribution to transform velocity and resistivity models into estimates for the four-phase system, often leading to non-physical results. Based on two synthetic experiments and a field data set from an Alpine permafrost site (Schilthorn, Bernese Alps and Switzerland), it is demonstrated that the developed petrophysical joint inversion provides physically plausible solutions, even in the absence of prior porosity estimates. An assessment of the model covariance matrix for the coupled inverse problem reveals remaining petrophysical ambiguities, in particular between ice and rock matrix. Incorporation of petrophysical a priori information is demonstrated by penalizing ice occurrence within the first two meters of the subsurface where the measured borehole temperatures are positive. Joint inversion of the field data set reveals a shallow air-rich layer with high porosity on top of a lower-porosity subsurface with laterally varying ice and liquid water contents. Non-physical values (e.g. negative saturations) do not occur and estimated ice saturations of 0–50 per cent as well as liquid water saturations of 15–75 per cent are in agreement with the relatively warm borehole temperatures between −0.5  and 3 ° C. The presented method helps to improve quantification of water, ice and air from geophysical observations.
Application of Herbaceous Medications for Inflammatory Bowel Disease as a Complementary and Alternative Therapy
Authors: Lin Zili , Wu Huiyi , Fu Yiming , Dai Shixue
Published: August 2019

This article is the first review assessing herbaceous plants as a complementary and alternative therapy in inflammatory bowel disease to provide clinicians with more new options.
Screening Mammography: There Is Value in Screening Women Aged 75 Years and Older
Authors: Destounis Stamatia , Arieno Andrea , Santacroce Amanda
Published: August 2019

Objective

Patient screening mammography records performed in women aged 75 years and older were reviewed to evaluate the value of screening in this population, by determining the incidence of cancer diagnosed and associated outcomes.

Methods

Data from patients aged 75 years and older who presented for screening mammography and underwent biopsy with resultant malignant pathology were retrospectively collected and analyzed to record patient demographics and outcomes.

Results

From 2007–2017, there were 763,256 screening mammography appointments in 130,232 patients, with 3716 patients diagnosed with 4412 screen-detected malignancies (5.8 per 1000 cancers). In women aged 75 years and older, 76,885 (76,885 per 130,232, 10.1%) screening mammograms were performed in 18,497patients, with 643 malignancies diagnosed in 614 women eligible for study inclusion (8.4 per 1000 cancers). Lesions frequently presented as a mass with or without calcifications (472 per 643, 73%). A majority (529 per 643, 82%) was invasive; 79% (507 per 643) stage 0 or 1, and 63% (407 per 643) grade 2 or 3. Lymph node–positive status was confirmed in 7% of patients (46 per 614). Surgical intervention was pursued by 98% of patients (599 per 614).

Conclusion

Screening mammograms in women aged 75 years and older comprise a small percentage of the total screening examinations; however, they represented a significant portion of all patients diagnosed with screen-detected cancers, showing a substantial cancer detection rate. Most tumors were low stage, intermediate to high grade, and invasive. The majority had treatment involving surgery, suggesting these women are in good health and want to pursue surgical intervention. Screening mammography should be performed in this age group.
Investigation of the cumulative number of chromosome aberrations induced by three consecutive CT examinations in eight patients
Authors: Abe Yu , Noji Hideyoshi , Miura Tomisato , Sugai Misaki , Kurosu Yumiko , Ujiie Risa , Tsuyama Naohiro , Yanagi Aki , Yanai Yukari , Ohba Takashi , Ishikawa Tetsuo , Kamiya Kenji , Yoshida Mitsuaki A , Sakai Akia
Published: August 2019

In our previous study, we found that chromosomes were damaged by the radiation exposure from a single computed tomography (CT) examination, based on an increased number of dicentric chromosomes (Dics) formed in peripheral blood lymphocytes after a CT examination. We then investigated whether a cumulative increase in the frequency of Dics and chromosome translocations (Trs) formation could be observed during three consecutive CT examinations performed over the course of 3–4 years, using lymphocytes in peripheral bloods of eight patients (five males and three females; age range 27–77 years; mean age, 64 years). The effective radiation dose per CT examination estimated from the computational dosimetry system was 22.0–73.5 mSv, and the average dose per case was 40.5 mSv. The frequency of Dics formation significantly increased after a CT examination and tended to decrease before the next examination. Unlike Dics analysis, we found no significant increase in the frequency of Trs formation before and after the CT examination, and we observed no tendency for the frequency to decrease before the next CT examination. The frequency of Trs formation was higher than that of Dics formation regardless of CT examination. Furthermore, neither analysis of Dics nor Trs showed a cumulative increase in the frequency of formation following three consecutive CT examinations.
Malaria prevention in the older traveller: a systematic review
Authors: Del Prete Viola , Mateo-Urdiales Alberto , Bueno-Cavanillas Aurora , Ferrara Pietro
Published: August 2019

Older travellers are at higher risk of malaria-related morbidity and mortality compared with younger people. Yet, prevention of malaria in this specific group of travellers is a long-standing issue in travel medicine. The aim of this research was to synthetize the existing evidence about this important topic, highlighting older travellers’ attitudes and practises toward malaria prevention. Searches were performed on PubMed, Embase, EuropePMC, Web of Science, WHOLIS and LILACS databases for relevant studies reporting malaria prevention measures in older travellers. To measure malaria prevention in the older traveller population, the main information outcomes were obtained from the ABCD framework that included travellers’ ‘Awareness’ towards pre-travel health advice, their utilisation of ‘Bite-prevention measures’ and adherence to ‘Chemoprophylaxis’. Data on ‘Diagnosis’-related outcomes were excluded for not being measures of malaria prevention. Three evaluators independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed the quality of the included articles. The research protocol was registered with PROSPERO (protocol number CRD42019124202). Out of the 899 titles and abstracts screened, 13 articles were included in this review synthesis. These studies included a wide range of interventions for malaria prevention: no relevant differences in pre-travel healthcare attendance were found depending on age; older travellers were found to be less likely to comply with bite-prevention measures; three high-quality studies reported that adherence to chemoprophylaxis significantly increased with age, while three studies did not find age-related differences in travellers’ adherence. Overall, prevention of malaria in the older traveller has received limited attention from the scientific community. Older travellers seem to be less likely to comply with bite-prevention measures, but there was high heterogeneity across the reports. This population group demands particular attention and tailored health advice before travelling to malaria endemic areas. More research is required on how to improve malaria prevention in the older traveller.
The Impact of Plasma Instabilities on the Spectra of TeV Blazars
Authors: Batista Rafael Alves , Saveliev Andrey , de Gouveia Dal Pino Elisabete M
Published: August 2019

Relativistic jets from blazars are known to be sources of very-high-energy gamma rays (VHEGRs). During their propagation in the intergalactic space, VHEGRs interact with pervasive cosmological photon fields such as the extragalactic background light (EBL) and the cosmic microwave background (CMB), producing electron-positron pairs. These pairs can upscatter CMB/EBL photons to high energies via inverse Compton scattering, thereby continuing the cascade process. This is often used to set limits on intergalactic magnetic fields (IGMFs). However, the picture may change if plasma instabilities, arising due to the interaction of the pairs with the intergalactic medium (IGM), cool down the electrons/positrons faster than inverse Compton scattering. As a consequence, the kinetic energy lost by the pairs to the IGM could cause a hardening in the observed gamma-ray spectrum at energies below ∼100 GeV. Here we study several types and models of instabilities and assess their impact for interpreting observations of distant blazars. Our results suggest that plasma instabilities can describe the spectra of some blazars and mimic the effects of IGMFs, depending on parameters such as intrinsic spectrum of the object, the density and temperature of the IGM, and the luminosity of the beam. On the other hand, we find that for our fiducial set of parameters plasma instabilities do not have a major impact on the spectra of some of the blazars studied. Therefore, they may be used for constraining IGMFs.
Chemical evolution of HC3N in dense molecular clouds
Authors: Yu Naiping , Wang Jun-Jie , Xu Jin-Long
Published: August 2019

We investigated the chemical evolution of HC3N in six dense molecular clouds, using archival available data from the Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey (Hi-GAL) and the Millimeter Astronomy Legacy Team Survey at 90 GHz (MALT90). Radio sky surveys of the Multi-Array Galactic Plane Imaging Survey (MAGPIS) and the Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey (SUMSS) indicate these dense molecular clouds are associated with ultracompact H ii (UCH ii) regions and/or classical H ii regions. We find that in dense molecular clouds associated with normal classical H ii regions, the abundance of HC3N begins to decrease or reaches a plateau when the dust temperature gets hot. This implies UV photons could destroy the molecule of HC3N. On the other hand, in the other dense molecular clouds associated with UCH ii regions, we find the abundance of HC3N increases with dust temperature monotonously, implying HC3N prefers to be formed in warm gas. We also find that the spectra of HC3N (10-9) in G12.804−0.199 and RCW 97 show wing emissions, and the abundance of HC3N in these two regions increases with its non-thermal velocity width, indicating HC3N might be a shock origin species. We further investigated the evolutionary trend of N(N2H+)/N(HC3N) column density ratio, and found this ratio could be used as a chemical evolutionary indicator of cloud evolution after the massive star formation is started.
Enhancing digestibility of corn fed to pigs at two stages of growth through management of particle size using a hammermill or a roller mill
Authors: Acosta Jesus A , Petry Amy L , Gould Stacie A , Jones Cassandra K , Stark Charles R , Fahrenholz Adam C , Patience John F
Published: August 2019

The experimental objective was to determine the role of mean particle size (PS), grinding method, and body weight (BW) category on nutrient, fiber, and energy digestibility of corn. A total of 48 barrows were housed in individual pens and randomly assigned to one of six dietary treatments for 11 d at two BW categories (55 kg and 110 kg). The six treatments consisted of corn ground at three different targeted mean PSs (300, 500, and 700 µm) using either a roller mill or a hammermill. Fecal samples were collected for the last 3 d of each feeding period. Titanium dioxide was used as an indigestible marker. Digestibility data were analyzed as a linear mixed model using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Finishing pigs had greater apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM), gross energy (GE), and N than growing pigs (P = 0.02, P = 0.01, and P <0.01, respectively). The ATTD of DM, GE, and N was similar in pigs fed hammermilled corn across all PS treatments. However, in roller-milled corn, they increased as PS was reduced (P < 0.05). The ATTD of acid-hydrolyzed ether extract (AEE) in growing pigs was similar between corn ground at 700 and 500 µm, but it was increased by further reducing PS to 300 µm (P < 0.05). In finishing pigs, the ATTD of AEE increased as mean PS decreased from 700 to 300 µm (P < 0.05). The ATTD of AEE was similar in hammermilled corn at all three PS treatments. On the other hand, the ATTD of AEE was similar in corn ground in a roller mill to 700 and 500 µm, but it increased when PS was reduced to 300 µm (P < 0.05). In conclusion, reducing PS of corn with a roller mill increased digestibility of energy and nutrients, but there was less effect using a hammermill. It is possible that differences in SD, distribution, chemical composition, and the shape of the particles resulting from the two grinding processes help to explain the different response.
Perceptions, attitudes and practices towards scabies in communities on the Bijagós Islands, Guinea-Bissau
Authors: Lopes Maria João , da Silva Eunice Teixeira , Ca Janete , Gonçalves Adriana , Rodrigues Amabelia , Mandjuba Cristóvão , Nakutum Jose , D’Alessandro Umberto , Achan Jane , Logan James , Bailey Robin , Last Anna , Walker Steve , Marks Michael
Published: August 2019

Background

Scabies is highly endemic among impoverished populations and has been recently included in the WHO’s list of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Community support and behavioural changes are essential for the success of control interventions. This study aimed to explore beliefs, prevention attitudes and healthcare-seeking behaviours towards scabies in the Bijagós Archipelago of Guinea-Bissau.

Methods

Data were collected through two methods. Community key informants (community members, community health workers, healthcare workers and traditional healers) were interviewed using snowball sampling. A questionnaire covering perceptions, attitudes and practices was administered to community members using random cluster sampling. Thematic analysis of qualitative data was applied to identify themes. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data analysis.

Results

There was a satisfactory awareness about scabies, but perceptions about disease causation and transmission were imprecise. Misconceptions about personal hygiene as the primary measure for scabies prevention were recurrent. Some participants recognised the importance of early treatment to interrupt transmission. Treatment of close contacts was not considered important. Costs were the main determining factor for treatment choice between traditional healer and the local health centre. Late presentation and delayed treatment were common and associated with poverty and stigmatisation. Scabies impaired quality of life by affecting social interactions, health, fitness to work and school attendance.

Conclusions

There is a need to improve education, recognition, management and affordable access to treatment. Community education, healthcare workers’ training and skin NTD integrated control programmes should address the challenges highlighted in this study.
Setting a new standard for the harmonization of secured transactions law: the new Belgian Pledge Registry
Authors: Baeck Joke Rachel , Heytens Lize
Published: August 2019

At present, the notice filing system under Article 9 of the United States Uniform Commercial Code is seen as the most influential model worldwide for a registry of security rights in movables. However, the US system, established in 1952 and currently still in transition towards electronic filing, does not meet state-of-the-art technology standards. By contrast, the Belgian Pledge Registry, operational since 1 January 2018, is a fully automated electronic registry system that benefits from the advantages of modern technology. The question therefore arises whether the Belgian Pledge Registry has the potential to become a new additional leading model for registration of security interests in movables. To answer this question, we will test the extent to which the Belgian Pledge Registry meets the current international standards for a modern and efficient registry of security rights in movables, as set out in United Nations Commission on International Trade Law instruments and the European Draft Common Frame of Reference.
Regional differences in the abiotic environment contribute to genomic divergence within a wild tomato species
Authors: Gibson Matthew JS , Moyle Leonie C
Published: August 2019

The wild currant tomatoSolanum pimpinellifoliuminhabits a wide range of abiotic habitats across its native range of Ecuador and Peru. Although it has served as a key genetic resource for the improvement of domestic cultivars, little is known about the genetic basis of traits underlying local adaptation in this species, nor what abiotic variables are most important for driving differentiation. Here we use redundancy analysis (RDA) and other multivariate statistical methods (structural equation modeling (SEM) and generalized dissimilarity modeling (GDM)) to quantify the relationship of genomic variation (6,830 single nucleotide polymorphisms) with climate and geography, among 140 wild accessions. RDA, SEM, and GDM each identified environment as explaining more genomic variation than geography, suggesting that local adaptation to heterogeneous abiotic habitats may be an important source of genetic diversity in this species. Environmental factors describing temporal variation in precipitation and evaporative demand explained the most SNP variation among accessions, indicating that these forces may represent key selective agents. Lastly, by studying how SNP-environment associations vary throughout the genome (44,064 SNPs), we mapped the location and investigated the functions of loci putatively contributing to climatic adaptations. Together our findings indicate an important role for selection imposed by the abiotic environment in driving genomic differentiation between populations.
Chemokine receptors ACKR2 and CCR1 coordinate macrophage dynamics and mammary gland development
Authors: Wilson Gillian J , Fukuoka Ayumi , Love Samantha R , Kim Jiwon , Pingen Marieke , Hayes Alan J , Graham Gerard J
Published: August 2019

Macrophages are key regulators of developmental processes, including those involved in mammary gland development. We previously demonstrated that the atypical chemokine receptor, ACKR2, contributes to control of ductal epithelial branching in the developing mammary gland by regulating macrophage dynamics. ACKR2 is a chemokine-scavenging receptor, which mediates its effects through collaboration with inflammatory chemokine receptors (iCCRs). Here we reveal that ACKR2, and the iCCR CCR1, reciprocally regulate branching morphogenesis in the mammary gland, whereby stromal ACKR2 modulates levels of the shared ligand CCL7 to control the movement of a key population of CCR1-expressing macrophages to the ductal epithelium. In addition estrogen, which is essential for ductal elongation during puberty, upregulates CCR1 expression on macrophages. The age at which girls develop breasts is decreasing, which raises the risk of diseases including breast cancer. This study presents a previously unknown mechanism controlling the rate of mammary gland development during puberty and highlights potential therapeutic targets.

In the mammary gland during puberty, availability of the chemokine CCL7 is controlled by a scavenging receptor ACKR2 and provides a key signal to macrophages which have the receptor CCR1. Together, this controls the timing of development.
Polygenic Prediction of Substance Use Disorders in Clinical and Population Samples
Authors: Barr Peter B. , Ksinan Albert , Su Jinni , Johnson Emma C. , Meyers Jacquelyn L. , Wetherill Leah , Latvala Antti , Aliev Fazil , Chan Grace , Kuperman Samuel , Nurnberger John , Kamarajan Chella , Anokhin Andrey , Agrawal Arpana , Rose Richard J. , Edenberg Howard J. , Schuckit Marc , Kaprio Jaakko , Dick Danielle M.
Published: August 2019

Genome-wide, polygenic risk scores (PRS) have emerged as a useful way to characterize genetic liability using genotypic data. There is growing evidence that PRS may prove useful to identify those at increased risk for developing certain diseases. The current utility of PRS in relation to alcohol use disorders (AUD) remains an open question. Using data from both a population-based sample [the FinnTwin12 (FT12) study] and a high risk sample [the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA)], we examined the association between PRSs derived from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of 1) alcohol dependence/alcohol problems, 2) alcohol consumption, and 3) risky behaviors with AUD and other substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms. Individuals in the top 20%, 10%, and 5% of PRSs had increasingly greater odds of having an AUD compared to the lower end of the continuum in both COGA (80th% OR = 1.95; 90th% OR = 2.03; 95th% OR = 2.13) and FT12 (80th% OR = 1.77; 90th% OR = 2.27; 95th% OR = 2.39). Those in the top 5% reported greater levels of licit (alcohol and nicotine) and illicit (cannabis) SUD symptoms. PRSs can predict elevated risk for SUD in independent samples. However, clinical utility of these scores in their current form is modest. As these scores become more predictive of SUD, they may become useful to practitioners. Improvement in predictive ability will likely be dependent on increasing the size of well-phenotyped discovery samples.
Isometric exercise facilitates attention to salient events in women via the noradrenergic system
Authors: Mather Mara , Huang Ringo , Clewett David , Nielsen Shawn E. , Velasco Ricardo , Tu Kristie , Han Sophia , Kennedy Briana
Published: August 2019

The locus coeruleus (LC) plays a critical role in regulating attention via the release of norepinephrine (NE), with levels of tonic LC activity constraining the intensity of phasic LC responses. However, the effects of manipulating tonic LC-NE activity on phasic activity have yet to be demonstrated in humans. In the current fMRI study, we used isometric handgrip to modulate tonic LC-NE activity in the time period immediately afterwards. During this post-handgrip time, an oddball detection task was used to probe how changes in tonic arousal influenced functional coordination between the LC and a right frontoparietal network that supports attentional selectivity. As expected, the frontoparietal network responded more to infrequent target and novel sounds than to frequent sounds. Across participants, greater LC-frontoparietal functional connectivity, pupil dilation, and faster oddball detection were all positively associated with LC MRI contrast from a neuromelanin-sensitive structural scan. Thus, LC structural integrity was related to LC functional dynamics and attentional performance during the oddball task. We also found that handgrip led to larger phasic pupil responses to oddball sounds, faster oddball detection speed, and greater frontoparietal network activation, suggesting that something that induces strong LC activity benefits attentional performance for at least the next few minutes. In addition, older women showed a similar benefit of handgrip on frontoparietal network activation as younger women, despite showing lower frontoparietal network activation overall. Together these findings suggest that a simple exercise may improve selective attention in healthy aging, at least for several minutes afterwards.

Highlights

We examined how handgrip affects arousal-attention dynamics during an oddball task

Salient stimuli enhanced pupil dilation and were detected faster post-handgrip

A decrease in tonic pupil size after handgrip suggests norepinephrine depletion

MRI-assessed LC integrity was related to oddball detection and pupil dilation

LC integrity also associated with LC-frontoparietal network functional connectivity