bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Spectrum of Repression: Swedish Muslims’ Experiences of Anti-terrorism Measures
Authors: Schclarek Mulinari Leandro
Published: September 2019

In this qualitative study, I examine, through the lens of repression, Swedish Muslims’ experiences of being targeted by authorities in the latter’s attempts to prevent terrorism. In an effort to comprehend the full force of this repression—as coercion in its physical and violent sense, but also in its more subtle and consensual forms—I interweave various Marxist and postcolonial perspectives. The study discusses internal aspects of repression, as well as its external qualities, expanding our understanding of how repression occurs between bodies and within society. I develop the concept of “repressive consent” as a means of grasping situations in which people are influenced to undertake activities against their will. Empirically, the article focuses on experiences of disproportionate security controls and encounters with the Swedish Security Service (Säpo). The material reveals both painful and everyday consequences. For some individuals, becoming a target in the War on Terror may have, as the informants of the study indicate, devastating consequences; for others, it may feel like a friendly chat.
Foreign language skills and employment status of European natives: evidence from Germany, Italy and Spain
Authors: Gazzola Michele , Mazzacani Daniele
Published: September 2019

This article examines the relationship between foreign language skills and the employment status of natives in Germany, Italy and Spain. Using a probit model and data from Eurostat’s Adult Education Survey 2011, this article studies the conditional correlation between knowledge of English and French as foreign languages, and the probability of being employed, comparatively, for men and women. The results reveal that skills in English increase the probability of being employed for men in the three countries, respectively, by 3.4, 4.3 and 5.2%. Knowledge of English increases the probability of being employed for women in Germany and Italy—respectively, by 5.6 and 5.7%—but not in Spain. The results also show that very good skills are associated with a higher probability of being employed than sufficient or good skills. The conditional correlation between knowledge of English and employment status for men is larger in countries where skills in this language are less common among the population, and where the unemployment rate is higher. This is consistent with the fundamental economic concept of scarcity. Estimates for French are not statistically significant.
Correction to: Analysis of One and Two-Story Single Family Home Fire Dynamics and the Impact of Firefighter Horizontal Ventilation
Authors: Kerber Stephen
Published: September 2019

The article Analysis of One and Two-Story Single Family Home Fire Dynamics and the Impact of Firefighter Horizontal Ventilation, written by Stephen Kerber, was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal (currently SpringerLink) on August 29, 2012, without open access.
On the relevance of double tax treaties
Authors: Petkova Kunka , Stasio Andrzej , Zagler Martin
Published: September 2019

This paper investigates the effects of double tax treaties (DTTs) on foreign direct investment (FDI) after controlling for their relevance in the presence of treaty shopping. DTTs cannot be considered a bilateral issue, but must be viewed as a network. We define tax distance as the cost of channelling corporate income from one country to another and, by considering treaty shopping through intermediate jurisdictions, we calculate the shortest (i.e. the cheapest) distance between any two countries. We show that relevant tax treaties—which reduce the direct tax distance both over domestic law and the entire existing treaty network—will increase FDI by about 18%.
Opening the Woods: Towards a Quantification of Neolithic Clearance Around the Somerset Levels and Moors
Authors: Farrell Michelle , Bunting M. Jane , Sturt Fraser , Grant Michael , Aalbersberg Gerard , Batchelor Rob , Brown Alex , Druce Denise , Hill Tom , Hollinrake Arthur , Jones Julie , Tinsley Heather , Bayliss Alex , Marshall Peter , Richer Suzi , Whittle Alasdair
Published: September 2019

Environmental reconstructions from pollen records collected within archaeological landscapes have traditionally taken a broadly narrative approach, with few attempts made at hypothesis testing or formal assessment of uncertainty. This disjuncture between the traditional interpretive approach to palynological data and the requirement for detailed, locally specific reconstructions of the landscapes in which people lived has arguably hindered closer integration of palaeoecological and archaeological datasets in recent decades. Here we implement a fundamentally different method for reconstructing past land cover from pollen records to the landscapes of and around the Somerset Levels and Moors—the Multiple Scenario Approach (MSA)—to reconstruct land cover for a series of 200-year timeslices covering the period 4200–2000 cal BC. Modelling of both archaeological and sediment chronologies enables the integration of reconstructed changes in land cover with archaeological evidence of contemporary Neolithic human activity. The MSA reconstructions are presented as a series of land cover maps and as graphs of quantitative measures of woodland clearance tracked over time. Our reconstructions provide a more nuanced understanding of the scale and timing of Neolithic clearance than has previously been available from narrative-based interpretations of pollen data. While the archaeological record tends to promote a view of long-term continuity in terms of the persistent building of wooden structures in the wetlands, our new interpretation of the palynological data contributes a more dynamic and varying narrative. Our case study demonstrates the potential for further integration of archaeological and palynological datasets, enabling us to get closer to the landscapes in which people lived.
The role of water and protein flexibility in the structure-based virtual screening of allosteric GPCR modulators: an mGlu5 receptor case study
Authors: Orgován Zoltán , Ferenczy György G. , Keserű György M.
Published: September 2019

Stabilizing unique receptor conformations, allosteric modulators of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) might open novel treatment options due to their new pharmacological action, their enhanced specificity and selectivity in both binding and signaling. Ligand binding occurs at intrahelical allosteric sites and involves significant induced fit effects that include conformational changes in the local protein environment and water networks. Based on the analysis of available crystal structures of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5) we investigated these effects in the binding of mGlu5 receptor negative allosteric modulators. A large set of retrospective virtual screens revealed that the use of multiple protein structures and the inclusion of selected water molecules improves virtual screening performance compared to conventional docking strategies. The role of water molecules and protein flexibility in ligand binding can be taken into account efficiently by the proposed docking protocol that provided reasonable enrichment of true positives. This protocol is expected to be useful also for identifying intrahelical allosteric modulators for other GPCR targets.
Thermographic examination of prick test reactions with local anesthetic
Authors: Stanev Evgeni , Dencheva Maria , Lyapina Maya , Forghani Payam
Published: September 2019

In allergology, skin diagnostic tests are divided into epicutaneous, cutaneous and intracutaneous. The prick test is one of the cutaneous tests used most often for the diagnosis of hypersensitivity to local anesthetics. In the case of hypersensitivity to the examined anesthetic and reaction to the histamine-containing solution (positive control), inflammation appears with an increase in the local temperature. This warming can be detected objectively with a thermal camera and can be used in the diagnostic process. This study was used to examine the capabilities of the infrared thermography application, in the prick test of both men and women, by comparing temperature changes and the intensity of allergic inflammation in the positive and negative controls in addition with a negative reaction to an allergen. A group of 115 patients—55 male (52%) and 60 female (48%), are included. All are examined for hypersensitivity to Mepivastesin, together with the positive and negative control. Skin temperature changes of the skin were examined with FLIR A320 thermal camera and the FLIR Reporter Professional software 2013—application used to process the thermal camera images and data. The statistical analysis shows a marked temperature difference between men and women. Similarities in temperature values are detected between the negative reactions to dental anesthetic and the negative control. However, the latter substantially differs from the data obtained with the positive control. Results of the research indicate the possible applications of the thermography diagnostics in evaluation of the prick test results.
Is it ever morally permissible to select for deafness in one’s child?
Authors: Wallis Jacqueline Mae
Published: September 2019

As reproductive genetic technologies advance, families have more options to choose what sort of child they want to have. Using preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), for example, allows parents to evaluate several existing embryos before selecting which to implant via in vitro fertilization (IVF). One of the traits PGD can identify is genetic deafness, and hearing embryos are now preferentially selected around the globe using this method. Importantly, some Deaf families desire a deaf child, and PGD–IVF is also an option for them. Selection for genetic deafness, however, encounters widespread disapproval in the hearing community, including mainstream philosophy and bioethics. In this paper I apply Elizabeth Barnes’ value-neutral model of disability as mere-difference to the case of selecting for deafness. I draw on evidence from Deaf Studies and Disability Studies to build an understanding of deafness, the Deaf community, and the circumstances relevant to reproductive choices that may obtain for some Deaf families. Selection for deafness, with deafness understood as mere-difference and valued for its cultural identity, need not necessitate impermissible moral harms. I thus advocate that it is sometimes morally permissible to select for deafness in one’s child.
The Rhetoric and Reality of Anthropomorphism in Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Watson David
Published: September 2019

Artificial intelligence (AI) has historically been conceptualized in anthropomorphic terms. Some algorithms deploy biomimetic designs in a deliberate attempt to effect a sort of digital isomorphism of the human brain. Others leverage more general learning strategies that happen to coincide with popular theories of cognitive science and social epistemology. In this paper, I challenge the anthropomorphic credentials of the neural network algorithm, whose similarities to human cognition I argue are vastly overstated and narrowly construed. I submit that three alternative supervised learning methods—namely lasso penalties, bagging, and boosting—offer subtler, more interesting analogies to human reasoning as both an individual and a social phenomenon. Despite the temptation to fall back on anthropomorphic tropes when discussing AI, however, I conclude that such rhetoric is at best misleading and at worst downright dangerous. The impulse to humanize algorithms is an obstacle to properly conceptualizing the ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies.
Characterization of depolarizing channels using two-photon interference
Authors: Amaral G. C. , Temporão G. P.
Published: September 2019

Depolarization is one of the most important sources of error in a quantum communication link that can be introduced by the quantum channel. Even though standard quantum process tomography can, in theory, be applied to characterize this effect, in most real-world implementations depolarization cannot be distinguished from time-varying unitary transformations, especially when the timescales are much shorter than the detectors response time. In this paper, we introduce a method for distinguishing true depolarization from fast polarization rotations by employing Hong–Ou–Mandel interference. It is shown that the results are independent of the timing resolutions of the photodetectors.
An Efficient Image Steganography Approach over Wireless Communication System
Authors: Eyssa Asmaa Abdelmonem , Abdelsamie Fathi Elsaid , Abdelnaiem Abdelaziz Elsaid
Published: September 2019

This paper presents a robust color image steganography approach for image communication over wireless communication systems. The objective of this approach is to hide three color images in one color cover image to increase the capacity of hiding as most previously published steganography approaches suffer from a capacity problem. Moreover, the investigation of wireless communication of steganography images is presented in this paper to study the sensitivity of extraction of hidden images to the channel degradation effects, which is not studied appropriately in the literature. The proposed approach depends on the Discrete Cosine and Discrete Wavelet transform. The cover image is first transformed to luminance and chrominance components for embedding the images to be hidden. The secret images are encrypted by chaotic Baker map, which is a good representative of the family of permutation-based algorithms, which tolerate the channel degradations better. The investigated wireless communication system is the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing system with channel equalization. The simulation results reveal the success of the proposed work for robust image communication.
A comparison of different methods to analyse data collected during time-to-exhaustion tests
Authors: Nicolò Andrea , Sacchetti Massimo , Girardi Michele , McCormick Alister , Angius Luca , Bazzucchi Ilenia , Marcora Samuele M.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Despite their widespread use in exercise physiology, time-to-exhaustion (TTE) tests present an often-overlooked challenge to researchers, which is how to computationally deal with between- and within-subject differences in exercise duration. We aimed to verify the best analysis method to overcome this problem.

Methods

Eleven cyclists performed an incremental test and three TTE tests differing in workload as preliminary tests. The TTEs were used to derive the individual power–duration relationship needed to set the workload (corresponding to an estimated TTE of 1200 s) for four identical experimental TTE tests. Within individuals, the four tests were subsequently rank ordered by performance. Physiological and psychological variables expected to change with performance were analysed using different methods, with the main aim being to compare the traditional “group isotime” method and a less-used “individual isotime” method.

Results

The four tests, ranked from the best to the worst, had a TTE of 1526 ± 332, 1425 ± 313, 1295 ± 325, and 1026 ± 265 s. Ratings of perceived exertion, minute ventilation, respiratory frequency, and affective valence were sensitive to changes in performance when their responses were analysed with the “individual isotime” method (P < 0.022, ηp2 > 0.144) but not when using the “group isotime” method, because the latter resulted in partial data loss.

Conclusions

The use of the “individual isotime” method is strongly encouraged to avoid the misinterpretation of the phenomenon under study. Important implications are not limited to constant-workload exercise, but extend to incremental exercise, which is another commonly used test of exercise tolerance.
Flexible, adaptive industrial assembly: driving innovation through competition
Authors: Hughes Josie , Gilday Kieran , Scimeca Luca , Garg Soham , Iida Fumiya
Published: September 2019

Robotics competitions stimulate the next generation of cutting edge robotics solutions and innovative technologies. The World Robot Summit (WRS) Industrial Assembly challenge posed a key research challenge: how to develop adaptive industrial assembly robots. The overall goal is to develop robots where minimal hardware or software changes are required to manufacture a new or altered product. This will minimise waste and allow the industry to move towards a far more flexible approach to manufacturing; this will provide exciting new technologies for the manufacturing industry and support many new business models and approaches. In this paper, we present an approach where general-purpose grippers and adaptive control approaches have been developed to move towards this research goal. These approaches enable highly flexible and adaptive assembly of a belt drive system. The abilities of this approach were demonstrated by taking part in the WRS Industrial Assembly Challenge. We achieved second place in the kitting challenge and second place in the adaptive manufacturing challenge and were presented with the Innovation Award.
Taking Responsibility for Negligence and Non-negligence
Authors: Williams Garrath
Published: September 2019

Negligence reminds us that we often do and cause things unawares, occasionally with grave results. Given the lack of foresight and intention, some authors argue that people should not be judged culpable for negligence. This paper offers a contrasting view. It argues that gaining control (over our agency, over a risky world) is itself a fundamental responsibility, with both collective and individual elements. The paper underlines both sides, focussing on how they relate as we ascribe responsibility or culpability. Following the introduction, Section 2 (“Culpability and Control: The Negligence Sceptics”) argues that conscious awareness is neither necessary nor sufficient for control. Control is not a property of deliberate choice, so much as a practical achievement. Section 3 (“Non-negligence as a Shared Task”) stresses the collective aspects of non-negligence: creating knowledge about risks, structuring environments to guard against them, and developing standards of care. Failings in the collective task, rather than lack of individual control, mean it can often be unfair to pin culpability on a single individual. Section 4 (“Culpability for Negligence Revisited”) suggests that a basic duty of a responsible person is to acknowledge the ways in which we may do more or less than we mean to, often in ways that create risks. It then sketches an approach to culpability as part of a collective exercise: as we take responsibility for standards of care, and for our own and others’ agency.
Estimation of the quality factor based on the microseismicity recordings from Northern Poland
Authors: Wandycz Paweł , Święch Eryk , Eisner Leo , Pasternacki Andrzej , Wcisło Miłosz , Maćkowski Tomasz
Published: September 2019

We use the peak frequency method to estimate effective P- and S-wave quality factors (QPandQS) based on the recorded waveforms of microseismic events. We analyze downhole datasets recorded during the hydraulic stimulation of the two unconventional gas reservoirs located in the northern part of Poland. The effective attenuation is lower in the deeper reservoir consistent with higher compaction. In both cases, we observe highQSvalues relative toQPwhich is consistent with attenuation coefficients of saturated reservoirs.
Antibacterial properties of snake venom components
Authors: Bocian Aleksandra , Hus Konrad K.
Published: September 2019

An increasing problem in the field of health protection is the emergence of drug-resistant and multi-drug-resistant bacterial strains. They cause a number of infections, including hospital infections, which currently available antibiotics are unable to fight. Therefore, many studies are devoted to the search for new therapeutic agents with bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties. One of the latest concepts is to search for this type of substances among toxins produced by venomous animals. In this approach, however, special attention is paid to snake venom because it contains molecules with antibacterial properties. Thorough investigations have shown that the phospholipases A2 (PLA2) and l-amino acids oxidases (LAAO), as well as fragments of these enzymes, are mainly responsible for the bactericidal properties of snake venoms. Some preliminary research studies also suggest that fragments of three-finger toxins (3FTx) are bactericidal. It has also been proven that some snakes produce antibacterial peptides (AMP) homologous to human defensins and cathelicidins. The presence of these proteins and peptides means that snake venoms continue to be an interesting material for researchers and can be perceived as a promising source of antibacterial agents.
Does the accuracy of pedicle screw placement differ between the attending surgeon and resident in navigated robotic-assisted minimally invasive spine surgery?
Authors: Vardiman Arnold B. , Wallace David J. , Booher Grant A. , Crawford Neil R. , Riggleman Jessica R. , Greeley Samantha L. , Ledonio Charles G.
Published: September 2019

Robotic assistance with integrated navigation is an area of high interest for improving the accuracy of minimally invasive pedicle screw placement. This study analyzes the accuracy of pedicle screw placement between an attending spine surgeon and a resident by comparing the left and right sides of the first 101 consecutive cases using navigated robotic assistance in a private practice clinical setting. A retrospective, Institutional Review Board-exempt review of the first 106 navigated robot-assisted spine surgery cases was performed. One attending spine surgeon and one resident performed pedicle screw placement consistently on either the left or right side (researchers were blinded). A CT-based Gertzbein and Robbins system (GRS) was used to classify pedicle screw accuracy, with grade A or B considered accurate. There were 630 consecutive lumbosacral pedicle screws placed. Thirty screws (5 patients) were placed without the robot due to surgeon discretion. Of the 600 pedicle screws inserted by navigated robotic guidance (101 patients), only 1.5% (9/600) were repositioned intraoperatively. Based on the GRS CT-based grading of pedicle breach, 98.67% (296/300) of left-side screws were graded A or B, 1.3% (4/300) were graded C, and 0% (0/300) were graded D. For the right-side screws, 97.67% (293/300) were graded A or B, 1.67% (5/300) were graded C, and 0.66% (2/300) were graded D. This study demonstrated a high level of accuracy (based on GRS) with no significant differences between the left- and right-side pedicle screw placements (98.67% vs. 97.67%, respectively) in the clinical use of navigated, robot-assisted surgery.
Collaboration, Collaborators, and Conflict: Archaeology and Peacebuilding in Northern Ireland
Authors: Horning Audrey
Published: September 2019

Collaboration in contemporary archaeological parlance principally refers to active engagement with one or more selected groups of stakeholders and co-producers of knowledge. Yet to be a “collaborator” in conflict settings implies an allegiance, often deceitful, to one cause or another. When embedding archaeology in conflict transformation activities, being seen as a “collaborator”, or partisan, can therefore actively work against the aims of peacebuilding. Drawing upon experience in conflict transformation within post-Troubles Northern Ireland, issues of ethics and positionality are considered, and an alternative terminology for embedding archaeology in peacebuilding activity is posited.
Analysis of gas transport behavior in organic and inorganic nanopores based on a unified apparent gas permeability model
Authors: Zhang Qi , Wang Wen-Dong , Kade Yilihamu , Wang Bo-Tao , Xiong Lei
Published: September 2019

Different from the conventional gas reservoirs, gas transport in nanoporous shales is complicated due to multiple transport mechanisms and reservoir characteristics. In this work, we presented a unified apparent gas permeability model for real gas transport in organic and inorganic nanopores, considering real gas effect, organic matter (OM) porosity, Knudsen diffusion, surface diffusion, and stress dependence. Meanwhile, the effects of monolayer and multilayer adsorption on gas transport are included. Then, we validated the model by experimental results. The influences of pore radius, pore pressure, OM porosity, temperature, and stress dependence on gas transport behavior and their contributions to the total apparent gas permeability (AGP) were analyzed. The results show that the adsorption effect causesKn(OM) > Kn(IM) when the pore pressure is larger than 1 MPa and the pore radius is less than 100 nm. The ratio of the AGP over the intrinsic permeability decreases with an increase in pore radius or pore pressure. For nanopores with a radius of less than 10 nm, the effects of the OM porosity, surface diffusion coefficient, and temperature on gas transport cannot be negligible. Moreover, the surface diffusion almost dominates in nanopores with a radius less than 2 nm under high OM porosity conditions. For the small-radius and low-pressure conditions, gas transport is governed by the Knudsen diffusion in nanopores. This study focuses on revealing gas transport behavior in nanoporous shales.
Improved AHP–TOPSIS model for the comprehensive risk evaluation of oil and gas pipelines
Authors: Wang Xia , Duan Qingquan
Published: September 2019

A comprehensive and objective risk evaluation model of oil and gas pipelines based on an improved analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) is established to identify potential hazards in time. First, a barrier model and fault tree analysis are used to establish an index system for oil and gas pipeline risk evaluation on the basis of five important factors: corrosion, external interference, material/construction, natural disasters, and function and operation. Next, the index weight for oil and gas pipeline risk evaluation is computed by applying the improved AHP based on the five-scale method. Then, the TOPSIS of a multi-attribute decision-making theory is studied. The method for determining positive/negative ideal solutions and the normalized equation for benefit/cost indexes is improved to render TOPSIS applicable for the comprehensive risk evaluation of pipelines. The closeness coefficient of oil and gas pipelines is calculated by applying the improved TOPSIS. Finally, the weight and the closeness coefficient are combined to determine the risk level of pipelines. Empirical research using a long-distance pipeline as an example is conducted, and adjustment factors are used to verify the model. Results show that the risk evaluation model of oil and gas pipelines based on the improved AHP–TOPSIS is valuable and feasible. The model comprehensively considers the risk factors of oil and gas pipelines and provides comprehensive, rational, and scientific evaluation results. It represents a new decision-making method for systems engineering in pipeline enterprises and provides a comprehensive understanding of the safety status of oil and gas pipelines. The new system engineering decision-making method is important for preventing oil and gas pipeline accidents.
Enduring effect of permeability texture for enhancing accuracy and reducing uncertainty of reservoir fluid flow through porous media
Authors: Azamifard Arash , Rashidi Fariborz , Pourfard Mohammadreza , Ahmadi Mohammad , Dabir Bahram
Published: September 2019

Modeling reservoir permeability is one of the crucial tasks in reservoir simulation studies. Traditionally, it is done by kriging-based methods. More rigorous modeling of the permeability results in more reliable outputs of the reservoir models. Recently, a new category of geostatistical methods has been used for this purpose, namely multiple point statistics (MPS). By this new category of permeability modeling methods, one is able to predict the heterogeneity of the reservoir permeability as a continuous variable. These methods consider the direction of property variation in addition to the distances of known locations of the property. In this study, the reservoir performance of a modified version of the SPE 10 solution project as a pioneer case is used for investigating the efficiency of these methods and paralleling them with the kriging-based one. In this way, the permeability texture concept is introduced by applying some MPS methods. This study is accomplished in the conditions of real reservoir dimensions and velocities for the whole reservoir life. A continuous training image is used as the input of calculation for the permeability modeling. The results show that the detailed permeability of the reservoir as a continuous variable makes the reservoir simulation show the same fluid front movement and flooding behavior of the reservoir similar to the reference case with the same permeability heterogeneity. Some MPS methods enable the reservoir simulation to reproduce the fluid flow complexities such as bypassing and oil trapping during water flooding similar to the reference case. Accordingly, total oil production is predicted with higher accuracy and lower uncertainty. All studied cases are identical except for the permeability texture. Even histograms and variograms of permeabilities for the studied reservoir are quite similar, but the performance of the reservoir shows that kriging-based method results have slightly less accuracy than some MPS methods. Meanwhile, it results in lower uncertainty in outputs for this water flooding case performance.
Future socioeconomic conditions may have a larger impact than climate change on nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea
Authors: Bartosova Alena , Capell René , Olesen Jørgen E. , Jabloun Mohamed , Refsgaard Jens Christian , Donnelly Chantal , Hyytiäinen Kari , Pihlainen Sampo , Zandersen Marianne , Arheimer Berit
Published: September 2019

The Baltic Sea is suffering from eutrophication caused by nutrient discharges from land to sea, and these loads might change in a changing climate. We show that the impact from climate change by mid-century is probably less than the direct impact of changing socioeconomic factors such as land use, agricultural practices, atmospheric deposition, and wastewater emissions. We compare results from dynamic modelling of nutrient loads to the Baltic Sea under projections of climate change and scenarios for shared socioeconomic pathways. Average nutrient loads are projected to increase by 8% and 14% for nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively, in response to climate change scenarios. In contrast, changes in the socioeconomic drivers can lead to a decrease of 13% and 6% or an increase of 11% and 9% in nitrogen and phosphorus loads, respectively, depending on the pathway. This indicates that policy decisions still play a major role in climate adaptation and in managing eutrophication in the Baltic Sea region.
Acid rain and air pollution: 50 years of progress in environmental science and policy
Authors: Grennfelt Peringe , Engleryd Anna , Forsius Martin , Hov Øystein , Rodhe Henning , Cowling Ellis
Published: September 2019

Because of its serious large-scale effects on ecosystems and its transboundary nature, acid rain received for a few decades at the end of the last century wide scientific and public interest, leading to coordinated policy actions in Europe and North America. Through these actions, in particular those under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, air emissions were substantially reduced, and ecosystem impacts decreased. Widespread scientific research, long-term monitoring, and integrated assessment modelling formed the basis for the policy agreements. In this paper, which is based on an international symposium organised to commemorate 50 years of successful integration of air pollution research and policy, we briefly describe the scientific findings that provided the foundation for the policy development. We also discuss important characteristics of the science–policy interactions, such as the critical loads concept and the large-scale ecosystem field studies. Finally, acid rain and air pollution are set in the context of future societal developments and needs, e.g. the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. We also highlight the need to maintain and develop supporting scientific infrastructures.
Visualization-supported dialogues in the Baltic Sea Region
Authors: Neset Tina-Simone , Wilk Julie , Navarra Carlo , Capell René , Bartosova Alena
Published: September 2019

This study explores visualization-supported dialogues with water management and ecosystem stakeholders from four catchments in Sweden, Latvia, Germany and Poland. An interactive visualization tool was designed to present information regarding modelled effects of chosen future pathways including different measures that address ecosystem issues under present and future scenarios of land use and climate change, and estimated benefits and costs of the measures. This paper assesses if and how visualization-supported dialogues hinder or support key components of good governance of water and ecosystem management among expert stakeholders. We discuss challenges and opportunities related to the tool and dialogue design, and performance of dialogues. Results from a cross-case workshop indicate that the form and functionality of the tool contributes to participation, empowerment, accessibility and flexibility, while dialogue design is instrumental for encouraging trust and inclusion of local knowledge and competence.
Towards resolving the phosphorus chaos created by food systems
Authors: Withers Paul J. A. , Forber Kirsty G. , Lyon Christopher , Rothwell Shane , Doody Donnacha G. , Jarvie Helen P. , Martin-Ortega Julia , Jacobs Brent , Cordell Dana , Patton Myles , Camargo-Valero Miller A. , Cassidy Rachel
Published: September 2019

The chaotic distribution and dispersal of phosphorus (P) used in food systems (defined here as disorderly disruptions to the P cycle) is harming our environment beyond acceptable limits. An analysis of P stores and flows across Europe in 2005 showed that high fertiliser P inputs relative to productive outputs was driving low system P efficiency (38 % overall). Regional P imbalance (P surplus) and system P losses were highly correlated to total system P inputs and animal densities, causing unnecessary P accumulation in soils and rivers. Reducing regional P surpluses to zero increased system P efficiency (+ 16 %) and decreased total P losses by 35 %, but required a reduction in system P inputs of ca. 40 %, largely as fertiliser. We discuss transdisciplinary and transformative solutions that tackle the P chaos by collective stakeholder actions across the entire food value chain. Lowering system P demand and better regional governance of P resources appear necessary for more efficient and sustainable food systems.
Premedication for Iodinated Contrast Media Induced Immediate Hypersensitivity Reactions
Authors: Schrijvers Rik , Demoly Pascal , Chiriac Anca Mirela
Published: September 2019

Purpose of the review

Premedication using antihistamines and/or corticosteroids has been widely used to prevent reoccurrence of immediate hypersensitivity reactions (iHR) after iodinated contrast media (ICM). However, efficacy has been debated, especially in high-risk patients. Novel findings on the role and risks of premedication and preventive strategies are summarized.

Recent findings

The rate and severity of iHR occurring despite premedication indicate that premedication is not a panacea and the intensity usually reflects that of the initial reaction. Next, the number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent one serious ICM-mediated event using corticosteroid-based premedication is high and associated with a diagnostic delay. Randomly changing the ICM has been suggested as an additional preventive measure, whilst others used a skin test–based approach to identify a subgroup of ICM allergic patients and negative skin test–based alternatives with a high negative predictive value.

Growing evidence indicates the need to discriminate between non-allergic iHR that are most likely non-obligatory and susceptible to premedication, and rare type I allergic iHR that can be identified using skin testing, especially in those with a severe iHR. Although premedication reduces reoccurrence of mild iHR, it is not always efficacious and should be balanced against side effects, a high NNT and an uncertain efficacy physicians should not blindly rely on. Future work should evaluate combined approaches of an allergy-driven ICM selection and endotype-driven premedication regimens in patients with non-allergic iHR.
The effects of high strain-rate and in-plane restraint on quasi-statically loaded laminated glass: a theoretical study with applications to blast enhancement
Authors: Angelides Socrates C. , Talbot James P. , Overend Mauro
Published: September 2019

Laminated glass panels are increasingly used to improve the blast resilience of glazed facades, as part of efforts to mitigate the threat posed to buildings and their occupants by terrorist attacks. The blast response of these ductile panels is still only partially understood, with an evident knowledge gap between fundamental behaviour at the material level and observations from full-scale blast tests. To enhance our understanding, and help bridge this gap, this paper adopts a ‘first principles’ approach to investigate the effects of high strain-rate, associated with blast loading, and the in-plane restraint offered by blast-resistant frames. These are studied by developing simplified analytical beam models, for all stages of deformation, that account for the enhanced properties of both the glass and the interlayer at high strain-rates. The increased shear modulus of the interlayer results in a composite bending response of the un-fractured laminated glass. This also enhances the residual post-fracture bending moment capacity, arising from the combined action of the glass fragments in compression and the interlayer in tension, which is considered negligible under low strain-rates. The post-fracture resistance is significantly improved by the introduction of in-plane restraint, due to the membrane action associated with panel stretching under large deflections. This is demonstrated by developing a yield condition that accounts for the relative contributions of bending and membrane action, and applying the upper bound theorem of plasticity, assuming a tearing failure of the interlayer. Future work aims to complete the theoretical framework by including the assessment of plate-action and inertia effects.
Meridionally Extending Anomalous Wave Train over Asia During Breaks in the Indian Summer Monsoon
Authors: Umakanth Uppara , Vellore Ramesh K. , Krishnan R. , Choudhury Ayantika Dey , Bisht Jagat S. H. , Di Capua Giorgia , Coumou Dim , Donner Reik V.
Published: September 2019

Anomalous interactions between the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) circulation and subtropical westerlies are known to trigger breaks in the ISM on subseasonal time-scales, characterised by a pattern of suppressed rainfall over central-north India, and enhanced rainfall over the foothills of the central–eastern Himalayas (CEH). An intriguing feature during ISM breaks is the formation of a mid-tropospheric cyclonic circulation anomaly extending over the subtropical and mid-latitude areas of the Asian continent. This study investigates the mechanism of the aforesaid Asian continental mid-tropospheric cyclonic circulation (ACMCC) anomaly using observations and simplified model experiments. The results of our study indicate that the ACMCC during ISM breaks is part of a larger meridional wave train comprising of alternating anticyclonic and cyclonic anomalies that extend poleward from the monsoon region to the Arctic. A lead–lag analysis of mid-tropospheric circulation anomalies suggests that the meridional wave-train generation is linked to latent heating (LH) anomalies over the CEH foothills, Indo-China, and the Indian landmass during ISM breaks. By conducting sensitivity experiments using a simplified global atmospheric general circulation model forced with satellite-derived three-dimensional LH, it is demonstrated that the combined effects of the enhanced LH over the CEH foothills and Indo-China and decreased LH over the Indian landmass during ISM breaks are pivotal for generating the poleward extending meridional wave train and the ACMCC anomaly. At the same time, the spatial extent of the mid-latitude cyclonic anomaly over Far-East Asia is also influenced by the anomalous LH over central–eastern China. While the present findings provide interesting insights into the role of LH anomalies during ISM breaks on the poleward extending meridional wave train, the ACMCC anomaly is found to have important ramifications on the daily rainfall extremes over the Indo-China region. It is revealed from the present analysis that the frequency of extreme rainfall occurrences over Indo-China shows a twofold increase during ISM break periods as compared to active ISM conditions.
Real-time social reasoning: the effect of disfluency on the meaning of some
Authors: Loy Jia E. , Rohde Hannah , Corley Martin
Published: September 2019

The scalar quantifiersomeis locally ambiguous between pragmatic (some-but-not-all) and literal (some-and-possibly-all) meanings. Although comprehenders typically favour an eventual pragmatic interpretation, debate persists regarding what factors influence interpretation, the time course of comprehension, and whether literal meaning takes precedence. We investigate how the interpretation ofsomedepends on social reasoning derived from a speaker’s manner of delivery. Specifically, we test the effect of disfluency on the derivation of meaning in a context where hesitation may signal speaker embarrassment due to potential face-loss associated with the literal meaning of “some”. Participants$$(n=24)$$(n=24)viewed displays comprising two different snack quantities while hearing a recorded utterance describing how much a speaker had eaten. Critical utterances$$(n=16)$$(n=16)contained the quantifiersome, half with a filled pause disfluency (“I ate , some oreos”). Participants’ eye and mouse movements showed (via empirical logit regressions) that fluent utterances yielded a bias toward a pragmatic interpretation, while disfluency attenuated this bias in favour of the literal meaning (where the speaker ate all the oreos). Crucially, this difference emerged rapidly post-onset ofsome. Taken together, our findings do not support a literal-first account of scalar comprehension, but rather, suggest thatsomeis interpreted rapidly in a context-dependent manner.
Correlates of current rapid-cycling bipolar disorder: Results from the Italian multicentric RENDiBi study
Authors: Buoli Massimiliano , Cesana Bruno Mario , Maina Giuseppe , Conca Andreas , Fagiolini Andrea , Steardo Luca , Altamura A. Carlo , Dell’Osso Bernardo ,   on behalf of the ISBD Italian Chapter Epidemiologic Group
Published: September 2019

Background:

we aimed to compare socio-demographic and clinical differences between patients with versus without current RC in order to detect clinical factors that may favor early diagnosis and personalized treatment.

Methods:

A total of 1675 patients (males: n = 714 and females: n = 961; bipolar 1: n = 1042 and bipolar 2: n = 633) from different psychiatric clinics were grouped and compared according to the current presence of RC in terms of socio-demographic and clinical variables. Chi-squared tests for qualitative variables and Student’sttests for quantitative variables were executed for group comparison, and multivariable logistic regressions were performed, considering the current presence of RC as dependent variable, and socio-demographic/clinical factors as independent variables.

Results:

Female gender (male versus female: OR = 0.64, p = 0.04), unidentifiable prevalent polarity (versus depressive polarity: OR = 1.76, p = 0.02; versus manic polarity: OR: 2.86, p < 0.01) and hospitalization in the last year (no versus yes: OR = 0.63, p = 0.02) were found to be associated with RC in the final multivariable regression analysis.

Conclusions:

RC in BD seems to be more prevalent in female gender and associated with some unfavorable clinical features, such as an increased risk of hospitalization. These aspects should be taken into account in the management and monitoring of RC versus non-RC patients.
Trajectories and determinants of functional limitations in late-life depression: A 2-year prospective cohort study
Authors: Wassink-Vossen Sanne , Collard Rose M. , Wardenaar Klaas J. , Verhaak Peter F.M. , Rhebergen Didi , Naarding Paul , Voshaar Richard C. Oude
Published: September 2019

Background:

In mental health research, functional recovery is increasingly valued as an important outcome in addition to symptomatic remission.

Methods:

Course types of functional limitations among depressed older patients and its relation with symptomatic remission were explored in a naturalistic cohort study (Netherlands Study of Depression in Older persons). 378 depressed older patients (≥60 years) and 132 non-depressed persons were included. Depressive disorders were assessed with Composite International Diagnostic Interview at baseline and two-year follow-up. Functional limitations were assessed every 6 months with the World Health Organization Disability Assessment II.

Results:

Depressed patients had more functional limitations compared to their non-depressed counterparts. Growth Mixture Modeling among depressed patients identified two trajectories of functional limitations, both starting at a high disability level. The largest subgroup (81.2%) was characterized by a course of high disability levels over time. The smaller subgroup (18.8%) had an improving course (functional recovery). After two years, the main predictor of functional recovery was the remission of depression. Among symptomatic remitted patients, female sex, higher level of education, higher gait speed, and less severe depression were associated with no functional recovery. Non-remitted patients without functional recovery were characterized by the presence of more chronic somatic diseases, a lower sense of mastery, and a higher level of anxiety.

Conclusions:

1 in 5 depressed older patients have a course with functional recovery. Combining functional and symptomatic recovery points to a subgroup of older patients that might profit from more rigorous psychiatric treatment targeted at psychiatric comorbidity and a group of frail depressed older patients that might profit from integrated geriatric rehabilitation.
Young rats with increased circulatory asymmetric dimethylarginine exhibited spatial deficit and alterations in dorsal hippocampus brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and asymmetric dimethylarginine: Effects of melatonin
Authors: Sheen Jiunn‐Ming , Yu Hong‐Ren , Tain You‐Lin , Chen Yu‐Chieh , Hsu Mei‐Hsin , Huang Li‐Tung
Published: September 2019

Increased plasma concentration of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) can be encountered in chronic inﬂammatory disease, liver damage, renal failure, and multiple organ failure. In addition, an association between circulating ADMA and all‐cause mortality has been reported. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats, postnatal day (PND) 17 ± 1, received continuous ADMA infusion via an intraperitoneal pump. Spatial performance, as well as plasma and dorsal hippocampus ADMA and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration, were examined and the effect of melatonin was tested. We found that a 4‐week continuous ADMA infusion in young rats caused spatial deficit. Furthermore, increased ADMA concentration and decreased BDNF expression were found in the plasma and dorsal hippocampus. Melatonin protected against these effects, alleviating spatial deficit and reducing the changes in plasma and dorsal hippocampus ADMA and BDNF concentration.