bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) reveal the life history of freshwater migratory fishes in the La Plata Basin
Authors: Avigliano Esteban , Pouilly Marc , Bouchez Julien , Domanico Alejandro , Sánchez Sebastian , Llamazares Vegh Sabina , Clavijo Cirsthian , Scarabotti Pablo , Facetti Juan F. , Caffetti Jacqueline D. , del Rosso Franco R. , Pecheyran Christophe , Bérail Sylvain , Volpedo Alejandra V.
Published: September 2020

Strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) were evaluated as a potential method for studying the geographical origin of populations and movements patterns of migratory fish from the La Plata Basin (Paraná, Uruguay and Bermejo Rivers and Río de la Plata Estuary, South America). Surface water samples were collected at 43 sites during austral summer and winter (2018) while, Surubí (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans), Patí (Luciopimelodus pati), dorado (Salminus brasiliensis) and sábalo (Prochilodus lineatus) fishes were collected at seven locations. Water 87Sr/86Sr ratio was analysed by MC‐ICP‐MS (N = 74) and otolith core‐to‐edge 87Sr/86Sr transects (N = 50) were measured by LAfs‐MC‐ICP‐MS. Several water bodies presented significantly different (p < 0.05) water 87Sr/86Sr values. A ~ 1:1 relationship was found between 87Sr/86Sr measured in edge otolith and water. Data provide novel perspectives about migratory behaviour for all species, such as potential cross‐border migrations between countries of more than 1,000 km recorded for L. pati, S. brasiliensis and P. lineatus. These species seem to move between the Paraná and Uruguay rivers, which imply using the delta or the estuary as a corridor between them. Discriminant analysis based on otolith core 87Sr/86Sr suggested that the four species studied originate in sub‐basins different from those that were collected and revelled the presence of several potential spawning/nursery areas. The otolith 87Sr/86Sr profiles also suggested movements between different environments such as reservoirs, large plain rivers, mountain streams, floodplain valleys and estuaries. These results show the potential of 87Sr/86Sr as a tool for tracking the life history of fishes, and depict for the first time a complex use of the La Plata basin by the fishes, providing new information for management plans at the regional level.
Effects of discharge mode and gas composition for plasma‐hydrophilized titanium surface on hydrophilic sustainability
Authors: Hirano Mitsuhiro , Yamane Misao , Ohtsu Naofumi
Published: September 2020

Plasma hydrophilization under various conditions was carried out on Ti substrates to investigate the effect of the applied parameters on the hydrophilic sustainability. The plasma was discharged from gases comprising Ar and/or O2 at various ratios using DC and RF modes. Notable differences in the surface morphology by the plasma conditions was hardly found, while the ratio of hydroxide on the surface was influenced by the discharge mode. The hydrophilicity was significantly improved regardless of the treatment conditions, that is, the gas composition and discharge mode. The deterioration of the hydrophilicity was occurred by storing in the ambient atmosphere or distilled water, wherein the deterioration in distilled water was suppressed when using DC as a discharge mode. The hydrophilicity was preserved when the specimens was stored in a physiological solution such as phosphate buffered saline solution due to the adsorption of Na+ and Cl− in the solution; its effect was far superior to that contributed by the parameter settings. In conclusion, plasma discharge mode enabled to improve the deterioration of hydrophilicity only slightly.
Energy Transfer in Metal–Organic Frameworks and Its Applications
Authors: Cao Wenqian , Tang Ying , Cui Yuanjing , Qian Guodong
Published: September 2020

Photonic functional materials with designable and tunable energy transfer (EnT) processes have become increasingly popular as they significantly broaden the landscape of currently available luminescent materials. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), which are constructed from organic ligands and metal ions/clusters, possess highly ordered networks and tunable luminescent properties that make them excellent platforms for exploring EnT mechanisms and designing directional EnT processes. Although the EnT processes in MOFs have been extensively studied, the intricacies of the mechanisms between multiple emitting centers are still relatively unexplored. Thus, the rational design of tunable luminescent materials is quite arduous without a comprehensive understanding of these underlying mechanisms. In this review, the basic theories behind MOFs is systematically introduced from the perspective of the inherent EnT processes. The use of MOFs as ideal platforms for studying EnT processes and developing an efficient engineering strategy for enhancing luminescence and facilitating novel optical behaviors is highlighted. In addition, applications utilizing EnT in MOFs are emphasized, and the future prospects for the development of this technology are discussed.
A Perspective on the Behavior of Lithium Anodes under a Magnetic Field
Authors: Yu Linghui , Wang Jiarui , Xu Zhichuan J.
Published: September 2020

Lithium metal‐based rechargeable batteries, such as lithium–sulfur and lithium–air batteries, are promising next‐generation batteries due to their high energy density. However, the use of lithium anode involves severe problems including poor cyclability and lithium dendrites‐related safety issues. It is reported recently that the presence of magnetic field can improve the cyclability and prevent the growth of lithium dendrites. However, it is unclear how, in detail, magnetic field affects lithium anodes. Herein, a competition relationship is proposed for understanding magnetic effect on lithium anodes. Magnetic field induces multiple magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects in a cell. These effects include an uneven current distribution across the electrode, enhanced mass transport, and redistribution of lithium ions around lithium dendrites. While the first effect promotes dendritic growth, the latter two benefit preventing their growth. Thus, the first competes with the latter two. Herein, it is shown that uneven current distribution can be the domain effect. It leads to earlier short circuits caused by dendrites and shortens the cycle life of lithium anodes through a higher electrolyte decomposition rate. As it appears to be an emerging approach to improve the performance of lithium anodes and rechargeable batteries using magnetic field, challenges and opportunities are discussed.
Proximity‐dependent labeling methods for proteomic profiling in living cells: An update
Authors: Bosch Justin A. , Chen Chiao‐Lin , Perrimon Norbert
Published: September 2020

Characterizing the proteome composition of organelles and subcellular regions of living cells can facilitate the understanding of cellular organization as well as protein interactome networks. Proximity labeling‐based methods coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) offer a high‐throughput approach for systematic analysis of spatially restricted proteomes. Proximity labeling utilizes enzymes that generate reactive radicals to covalently tag neighboring proteins. The tagged endogenous proteins can then be isolated for further analysis by MS. To analyze protein–protein interactions or identify components that localize to discrete subcellular compartments, spatial expression is achieved by fusing the enzyme to specific proteins or signal peptides that target to particular subcellular regions. Although these technologies have only been introduced recently, they have already provided deep insights into a wide range of biological processes. Here, we provide an updated description and comparison of proximity labeling methods, as well as their applications and improvements. As each method has its own unique features, the goal of this review is to describe how different proximity labeling methods can be used to answer different biological questions.

This article is categorized under:

Technologies > Analysis of Proteins
Cohomological localization of $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 2 gauge theories with matter
Authors: Festuccia Guido , Gorantis Anastasios , Pittelli Antonio , Polydorou Konstantina , Ruggeri Lorenzo
Published: September 2020

Abstract

We construct a large class of gauge theories with extended supersymmetry on four-dimensional manifolds with a Killing vector field and isolated fixed points. We extend previous results limited to super Yang-Mills theory to general$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 2 gauge theories including hypermultiplets. We present a general framework encompassing equivariant Donaldson-Witten theory and Pestun’s theory onS4as two particular cases. This is achieved by expressing fields in cohomological variables, whose features are dictated by supersymmetry and require a generalized notion of self-duality for two-forms and of chirality for spinors. Finally, we implement localization techniques to compute the exact partition function of the cohomological theories we built up and write the explicit result for manifolds with diverse topologies.
„Man muss aber auch selbst was tun“
Authors: Al-Qadi Marion , Renaud Dagmar , Meyer Martha
Published: September 2020

Hintergrund

Die Komplexität des Beschwerdebilds des Fibromyalgiesyndroms (FMS) stellt Betroffene wie auch Behandelnde vor besondere Herausforderungen. Die vorliegende Studie befasst sich mit den Fragen zum Umgang mit dem FMS aus Sicht Betroffener und Behandelnder und deren Einschätzung von Bedürfnissen bzw. Bedarfen in Bezug auf die Versorgung.

Methodik

In einem qualitativen Studiendesign wurden die individuellen Sichtweisen von zehn FMS-Betroffenen und zehn Behandelnden untersucht. Die Personen wurden in einem „purposive sampling“ ausgewählt und in leitfadengestützten, problemzentrierten Interviews befragt. Die Auswertung erfolgte zusammenfassend inhaltsanalytisch.

Ergebnisse

Betroffene und Behandelnde stellten eine problematische Verfügbarkeit und Zugänglichkeit von Versorgungsangeboten fest. Zudem fühlten Betroffene sich teilweise nicht ernst genommen von Behandelnden. Diese wiederum erlebten Vorbehalte gegenüber der psychosomatischen Komponente seitens der Betroffenen. Bedeutsam für einen positiven Umgang mit FMS scheint Eigeninitiative der Betroffenen zu sein.

Schlussfolgerung

Selbsthilfegruppen und regional verfügbare Netzwerke stellen wichtige Unterstützungsmöglichkeiten dar, auch im Hinblick auf die psychosomatische Komponente. Durch Förderung interdisziplinärer Vernetzung kann eine verbesserte Koordination der Versorgungsleistungen bewirkt werden. Stärkung der Eigeninitiative Betroffener und Förderung der Arbeit der Selbsthilfegruppen helfen Betroffenen bei der Entwicklung individueller Bewältigungsstrategien.
The Time of Phantasy and the Limits of Individuation
Authors: Lohmar Dieter
Published: September 2020

Husserl is known to have oriented many aspects of his extensive analyses of phantasy around a contrast to perception: what phantasy and perception have in common, for example, is their intuitiveness; yet, while in perception something is encountered ‘in the flesh,’ in phantasy this experience is modified by its ‘as if in the flesh’ character. However, both in the majority of Husserl’s reflections on phantasy and in much of the secondary literature on the topic, we find few further details concerning the difference between both modes of intuitiveness: ‘in the flesh’ and ‘as if in the flesh.’ In this paper, I draw on sources from Husserl’s later work in order to get clarification on at least one important point of difference, namely the ways in which individuation and identity, that is, constitutions of individual and identical objects, clearly set apart phantasy from perception. As we will see, this requires an understanding of Husserl’s account of objective time, and of the constitution of individual identical objects with their unique positions in objective time. After an introductory discussion of the meaning and the conditions of individuation in the methodical framework of phenomenology, I will lay out the different levels of the constitution of objective time (1+2). In the second part of the paper, I will try to follow and explore one of Husserl’s arguments that contrasts the constitutional performances involved in the constitution of phantasy objects with the individuation of real objects in objective time (3+4). The textual basis for this discussion is to be found in Husserl’s last book, Experience and Judgement. In what follows, I will begin with a short discussion of the concepts of individuality, individuation, uniqueness and identity, and also ask why these issues may be of special interest for a phenomenologist who is investigating the phenomenon of phantasy.
A highly responsive healing agent for the autonomous repair of anti-corrosion coatings on wet surfaces. In operando assessment of the self-healing process
Authors: Koochaki Mohammad Sadegh , Khorasani Saied Nouri , Neisiany Rasoul Esmaeely , Ashrafi Ali , Trasatti Stefano P. , Magni Mirko
Published: September 2020

A methodology to enrich epoxy coatings of an effective self-healing feature on wet surfaces was developed as a further step on for practical corrosion protection issues. To this aim, a polyetheramine was chemically engineered by grafting catechol units and then successfully encapsulated in microcapsules (MCs) to be finally embedded into an epoxy resin deposited on steel panels. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thin-layer chromatography, and 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed the successful polyetheramine modification by dopamine units. Different dosages of catechol-modified polyetheramine were encapsulated within poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) shell via electrospray method to study the influence of dopamine grafting on the healing performance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed the formation of the spherical MCs, while FTIR and TGA analyses confirmed the successful encapsulation. The highly responsive self-healing coatings were then prepared by embedding amine- and isocyanate-containing MCs (1:1 weight ratio; 3 wt% overall) as a dual-capsule system exploiting the polyurea formation as a fast healing reaction. In operando electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were employed to study the underwater self-healing performance. According to the EIS results, monotonically increasing variation with time of the charge transfer resistance was correlated with a fast and effective underwater self-healing performance for the sample using 40 wt% of a catechol-modified healing agent. Such results, combined with others including SEM investigation on the underwater healed samples, point to an improved adhesion of the growing dopamine-bearing polymer to both underlying metal and epoxy edges of the scratch.

Graphic abstract
Droughts and corruption
Authors: Wenzel Daniela
Published: September 2020

Natural disasters are challenges for good governance. That conclusion follows from recent research investigating the effects of natural disasters on one important force hostile to good governance: public sector corruption. However, a specific analysis of droughts is so far neglected in the still-young relevant strand of the literature. The present paper fills that gap by analyzing the short- and long-term influence of droughts on public sector corruption within a unified panel estimation approach for 120 countries during the period 1985–2013. Relying on a meteorological drought measure, the Standardized Precipitation Index, we show that more severe drought exposure is followed by more corruption. The effect holds for subsamples of developing and developed countries. The robustness of the results is supported by a variety of stability tests. Furthermore, we provide initial evidence on the transmission paths of drought-induced corruption, which differ depending on the countries’ level of development. Whereas droughts increase corruption risk in developing countries by triggering significantly larger aid inflows and less democratic accountability and transparency, corruption in developed countries rises as a consequence of governmental drought relief payments.
Measuring Sustainable Development Using an Extended Hellwig Method: A Case Study of Education
Authors: Roszkowska Ewa , Filipowicz-Chomko Marzena
Published: September 2020

Benchmarking the analysis of countries' performance in terms of sustainable development helps to understand the success factors of countries that over perform and to target priority issues of others with lower performance. However, assessing sustainable development comes with methodological challenges, including indicator standardization, aggregation and weighting. Our study significantly contributes to the measure of sustainable development by providing a new approach based on an extended Hellwig method. After describing the main limitations of existing methodologies, this paper's aim is twofold. First, we show that the proposed analytical framework allows for comparing the sustainable performance of EU countries on the national level. The extended Hellwig method takes into consideration EU targets and/or national targets in building patterns of development. Second, this framework is tested as a part of the evaluation of the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy in the education area. The results obtained using the extended Hellwig method were compared with those obtained by means of the Education Index, TOPSIS and Ward technique. Our analysis showed the significant disparities in the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy recommendations in the education area in 2015.
A review of pressure transient analysis in reservoirs with natural fractures, vugs and/or caves
Authors: Mohammed Isah , Olayiwola Teslim O. , Alkathim Murtadha , Awotunde Abeeb A. , Alafnan Saad F.
Published: September 2020

A review of the pressure transient analysis of flow in reservoirs having natural fractures, vugs and/or caves is presented to provide an insight into how much knowledge has been acquired about this phenomenon and to highlight the gaps still open for further research. A comparison-based approach is adopted which involved the review of works by several authors and identifying the limiting assumptions, model restrictions and applicability. Pressure transient analysis provides information to aid the identification of important features of reservoirs. It also provides an explanation to complex reservoir pressure-dependent variations which have led to improved understanding and optimization of the reservoir dynamics. Pressure transient analysis techniques, however, have limitations as not all its models find application in naturally fractured and vuggy reservoirs as the flow dynamics differ considerably. Pollard’s model presented in 1953 provided the foundation for existing pressure transient analysis in these types of reservoirs, and since then, several authors have modified this basic model and come up with more accurate models to characterize the dynamic pressure behavior in reservoirs with natural fractures, vugs and/or caves, with most having inherent limitations. This paper summarizes what has been done, what knowledge is considered established and the gaps left to be researched on.
Trans University Students’ Access to Facilities: The Limits of Accommodation
Authors: Laidlaw Leon
Published: September 2020

This paper explores results from a survey of fifty-four trans students in two major universities in Ontario that sought to evaluate participants’ access to on-campus facilities. Although both universities have made efforts to accommodate trans students in their use of washrooms, locker rooms, and student housing, the numerous barriers that participants encountered signals stark gaps in access. The results invite a critical reflection of three accommodation models that may be undertaken to address these barriers. By addressing each model’s benefits and limitations, wherein the journey towards trans inclusion may generate a new set of exclusions, this paper complicates the notion of increasing access. This paper concludes by offering recommendations across these three models but concedes that challenges may persist until better facilities are reimagined and redesigned going forward.
Reaction of Juntendo Shizuoka Hospital at Izu Peninsula to Typhoon Hagibis (2019) and an Analysis of Twitter Concerning Izunokuni City
Authors: Jitsuiki Kei , Ohsaka Hiromichi , Shitara Jun , Ishibashi Motohiro , Suzuki Megumi , Nozawa Yoko , Yanagawa Youichi
Published: September 2020

Objective:

This research was carried out to report the activity of the headquarters for disaster control at our hospital, and investigate the usefulness of obtaining information from Twitter when Typhoon Hagibis hit Izu Peninsula.

Methods:

First, we recounted the activity of the headquarters for disaster control. We then collected information from Twitter from October 12-14, 2019, using the keyword Izunokuni.’ We took into consideration the contents of Twitter user posts as well as the number of reactions (‘retweets’ and ‘likes’). Twitter information was classified into photo (+) and (-) groups, depending on whether or not the post had a photo or video included. The number of reactions between the two groups was then analyzed.

Results:

We counted 122 Twitter posts containing Hagibis-related information for Izunokuni City. The average number of both ‘retweets’ and ‘likes’ in the photo (+) group were significantly greater than those in the photo (-) group. All photos and videos depicted specific places in Izunokuni City and included actual footage of disaster scenes or local warning signs.

Conclusion:

Based on our experience at the headquarters for disaster control during Typhoon Hagibis, Twitter was considered to be a useful tool for obtaining local disaster information based on its timeliness, reality and specificity.
A survey of infection control strategies for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Department of Veterans’ Affairs facilities
Authors: Ramanathan Swetha , Suda Katie J. , Fitzpatrick Margaret A. , Guihan Marylou , Goedken Cassie Cunningham , Safdar Nasia , Evans Martin , Jones Makoto , Pfeiffer Christopher D. , Perencevich Eli N. , Rubin Michael , Evans Charlesnika T. ,   the QUERI CARRIAGE Program
Published: September 2020

A survey of Veterans’ Affairs Medical Centers on control of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and carbapenem-producing CRE (CP-CRE) demonstrated that most facilities use VA guidelines but few screen for CRE/CP-CRE colonization regularly or regularly communicate CRE/CP-CRE status at patient transfer. Most respondents were knowledgeable about CRE guidelines but cited lack of adequate resources.
Universal screening for Clostridioides difficile at an urban academic medical center
Authors: Collison Maggie , Murillo Cynthia , Marrs Rachel , Bartlett Allison , Tesic Vera , Beavis Kathleen G. , Landon Emily , Ridgway Jessica P.
Published: September 2020

We implemented universal inpatient Clostridioides difficile screening at an 800-bed hospital. Over 3 years, 2,010 of 47,048 screening tests (4.2%) were positive, with significantly higher rates of C. difficile colonization on transplant units than medical-surgical units: 5.4% (152 of 2,801) versus 4.3% (880 of 20,564), respectively (P = .005). Compliance with screening ranged from 79% to 96%.
Effects of resistant starch on glycaemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Xiong Ke , Wang Jinyu , Kang Tong , Xu Fei , Ma Aiguo
Published: September 2020

The effects of resistant starch on glycaemic control are controversial. In this study, a systematic review and meta-analysis of results from nineteen randomised controlled trials (RCT) was performed to illustrate the effects of resistant starch on glycaemic control. A literature search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane electronic databases for related publications from inception to 6 April 2020. Key inclusion criteria were: RCT; resistant starch as intervention substances and reporting glucose- and insulin-related endpoints. Exclusion criteria were: using type I resistant starch or a mixture of resistant starch and other functional food ingredients as intervention; using substances other than digestible starch as controls. The effect of resistant starch on fasting plasma glucose was significant (effect size (ES) –0·09 (95 % CI –0·13, −0·04) mmol/l, P = 0·001) compared with digestible starch. Subgroup analyses revealed that the ES was larger when the dosage of resistant starch was more than 28 g/d (ES –0·16 (95 % CI –0·24, –0·08) mmol/l, P < 0·001) or the intervention period was more than 8 weeks (ES –0·12 (95 % CI –0·18, –0·06) mmol/l, P < 0·001). The effect on homoeostatic model assessment (HOMA)-insulin resistance (IR) was significant (ES –0·33 (95 % CI –0·51, –0·14), P = 0·001). However, the effects on other insulin-related endpoints were not significant, including fasting plasma insulin, four endpoints from the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (insulin sensitivity index, acute insulin response, disposition index and glucose effectiveness) and HOMA-β. The current study indicated moderate effects of resistant starch on improving glycaemic control.
The Lover and the Lena: Propertius 4.5
Authors: Gutzwiller Kathryn J.
Published: September 2020

In Propertius 4.5 the lena (‘procuress’) Acanthis gives advice to nostra arnica (‘my girlfriend’, 63), almost certainly Cynthia, to cultivate rich lovers and avoid the poet who offers only verses. For Georg Luck the purpose of Propertius' ‘caricature’ of Acanthis is a moralizing condemnation of Rome's decadent demi-monde. According to Judith Hallett, ‘Propertius and his ideals are vindicated’ when at the close of 4.5 ‘Acanthis dies penniless and unmourned.’ Gordon Williams remarks on the poem's ‘vividness and drama’, the active effort it demands of the reader, through ‘the gradual revelation of the lena's death and the realization that the poet is actually standing on her grave’. Margaret Hubbard rightly challenges the overly dramatic readings made by many scholars and insists that the point of the poem is not ‘a genre picture of a bawd’ but an expression of ‘the lover's reactions’, his fear of Acanthis' powers conveyed by the lines leading up to her speech (1-20) and his relishing of her death at the poem's close (63-78).
Horace and Hopkins: The Point of Balance in Odes 3.1
Authors: Nielsen Rosemary M. , Solomon Robert H.
Published: September 2020

In May of 1868, less than two years after Gerard Manley Hopkins left the English Church to become a Roman Catholic and after eight months spent teaching at Newman's Oratory School in Birmingham, the classical scholar burned nearly all of his poetry; he called the act ‘the sacrifice of my innocents’. Austin Warren describes Hopkins as feeling caught through his life between conflicting desires to be a pdet and to be a saint. This strain and the anxieties it produced appear in his later poems, such as ‘The Wreck of the Deutschland’ and ‘Heaven Haven’, and in his journals and letters. In the latter he describes the emotional effect he wanted poems to have upon readers: some poems must, Hopkins asserted, ‘explode’ within the reader. Intensifying the psychological reaction of the readers of literature was one of Hopkins's aims when he created poetry, just as it was a goal when he wrote redactions of the speeches in Shakespeare's tragedies or when he chose from among variant readings for Greek drama. In September 1868, when he entered the priesthood as a Jesuit, Hopkins began a new life of personal intensity and, perhaps to his own surprise, a second poetic career. But a number of poems survived the destruction. One is his translation of Horace's Odes 3.1, the longer of the only two extant translations of complete Latin poems. As with A. E. Housman's sole surviving translation of a Latin ode, Horace's 4.7, this one reveals a profound identification with Horace, a subtle understanding of the original poem, and an intense revelation of the mind of the English writer during the period of translating. The emotional intensity, technical virtuosity and psychological richness of the translation make Hopkins's version of 3.1 a significant poem for scholars of English and classical poetry.
Sophoclean Dramaturgy and the Ajax Burial Debates
Authors: Davidson J. F.
Published: September 2020

This discussion is concerned with the structure of Sophocles'Ajax, in particular with the question of why, following the suicide of the hero, the dramatist makes Teucer engage in successive debates with Menelaus and Agamemnon over the fate of the corpse. The aim is certainly not just to dust the cobwebs off old talking points. Rather it is to use these (the talking points not the cobwebs) as a means of exploring different attitudes to Sophocles' supposed aims, methods and achievements as a dramatist, in order to work towards the adoption of a balanced critical position in this regard. Work by H.D.F. Kitto provides a special stimulus for the treatment of the broader issue, while the discussion of the double debate develops mainly in response to a recent article by Philip Holt.
How well do nursing staff assess the wellbeing of nursing home residents? An explorative study of using single-question scales
Authors: Kloos Noortje , Drossaert Constance H. C. , Bohlmeijer Ernst T. , Westerhof Gerben J.
Published: September 2020

Person-centred care requires improved documentation of nursing home resident wellbeing, e.g. by nursing staff proxy assessments. Previous studies mainly focused on proxy self-report agreement of quality of life of people with dementia, using lengthy questionnaires. This is the first study to investigate how well nursing staff assess residents’ wellbeing after training, using a single-question assessment method of happiness and engagement. We conducted a cross-sectional mixed-method study, including proxy assessments from 49 nursing staff, and self-reports from 49 nursing home residents without dementia (mean age 85). We explored agreement between colleagues, and between proxy assessments and self-reports, and potential nursing staff characteristics associated to this (age, experience, hours worked per week). Brief written motivations were evaluated on nursing staffs’ understanding of the happiness and engagement concepts. The results showed low agreement between colleagues, and low agreement between proxy assessments and self-reports. Nursing staff assessed happiness and engagement substantially higher than residents’ self-reports. Hours worked per week was related to happiness proxy assessments, but none of the included nursing staff characteristics were related to proxy self-report agreement. Nursing staff interpreted the concepts in diverse ways. Overestimating resident wellbeing when using this single-assessment method may undermine subsequent efforts to improve wellbeing. We could not identify which nursing staff could best provide wellbeing assessments. For now, proxy wellbeing assessments should always be combined with regular self-reports whenever possible.
Stent intervention for children with CHD and tracheal stenosis
Authors: Yang Yang , Li Xiaofeng , Jiao Anxia
Published: September 2020

CHD is closely related to respiratory system diseases (Mok Q, Front Pediatr 2017; 5: 2296–2360). Flexible fibreoptic bronchoscopy will diagnose anatomical lesions of the trachea and perform interventions at the same time for children with indications. We report a case of pulmonary artery sling with severe tracheostenosis in a 11-month-old boy. Tracheal stents were placed with good prognosis.
Modular Constraint Solver Cooperation via Abstract Interpretation
Authors: TALBOT PIERRE , MONFROY ÉRIC , TRUCHET CHARLOTTE
Published: September 2020

Cooperation among constraint solvers is difficult because different solving paradigms have different theoretical foundations. Recent works have shown that abstract interpretation can provide a unifying theory for various constraint solvers. In particular, it relies on abstract domains which capture constraint languages as ordered structures. The key insight of this paper is viewing cooperation schemes as abstract domains combinations. We propose a modular framework in which solvers and cooperation schemes can be seamlessly added and combined. This differs from existing approaches such as SMT where the cooperation scheme is usually fixed (e.g., Nelson-Oppen). We contribute to two new cooperation schemes: (i)interval propagators completionthat allows abstract domains to exchange bound constraints, and (ii)delayed productwhich exchanges over-approximations of constraints between two abstract domains. Moreover, the delayed product is based on delayed goal of logic programming, and it shows that abstract domains can also capture control aspects of constraint solving. Finally, to achieve modularity, we propose theshared productto combine abstract domains and cooperation schemes. Our approach has been fully implemented, and we provide various examples on the flexible job shop scheduling problem.
An Application of ASP in Nuclear Engineering: Explaining the Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident Scenario
Authors: HANNA BOTROS N. , TRIEU LY LY T , SON TRAN C. , DINH NAM T.
Published: September 2020

The paper describes an ongoing effort in developing a declarative system for supporting operators in the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) control room. The focus is on two modules: diagnosis and explanation of events that happened in NPPs. We describe an Answer Set Programming (ASP) representation of an NPP, which consists of declarations of state variables, components, their connections, and rules encoding the plant behavior. We then show how the ASP program can be used to explain the series of events that occurred in the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 (TMI-2) NPP accident, the most severe accident in the USA nuclear power plant operating history. We also describe an explanation module aimed at addressing answers to questions such as “why an event occurs?” or “what should be done?” given the collected data.
A General Framework for Stable Roommates Problems using Answer Set Programming
Authors: ERDEM ESRA , FIDAN MÜGE , MANLOVE DAVID , PROSSER PATRICK
Published: September 2020

The Stable Roommates problem (SR) is characterized by the preferences of agents over other agents as roommates: each agent ranks all others in strict order of preference. A solution to SR is then a partition of the agents into pairs so that each pair shares a room, and there is no pair of agents that would block this matching (i.e., who prefers the other to their roommate in the matching). There are interesting variations of SR that are motivated by applications (e.g., the preference lists may be incomplete (SRI) and involve ties (SRTI)), and that try to find a more fair solution (e.g., Egalitarian SR). Unlike the Stable Marriage problem, every SR instance is not guaranteed to have a solution. For that reason, there are also variations of SR that try to find a good-enough solution (e.g., Almost SR). Most of these variations are NP-hard. We introduce a formal framework, called SRTI-ASP, utilizing the logic programming paradigm Answer Set Programming, that is provable and general enough to solve many of such variations of SR. Our empirical analysis shows that SRTI-ASP is also promising for applications.
ASP (): Answer Set Programming with Algebraic Constraints
Authors: EITER THOMAS , KIESEL RAFAEL
Published: September 2020

Weighted Logic is a powerful tool for the specification of calculations over semirings that depend on qualitative information. Using a novel combination of Weighted Logic and Here-and-There (HT) Logic, in which this dependence is based on intuitionistic grounds, we introduce Answer Set Programming with Algebraic Constraints (ASP($\mathcal A \mathcal C$)), where rules may contain constraints that compare semiring values to weighted formula evaluations. Such constraints provide streamlined access to a manifold of constructs available in ASP, like aggregates, choice constraints, and arithmetic operators. They extend some of them and provide a generic framework for defining programs with algebraic computation, which can be fruitfully used e.g. for provenance semantics of datalog programs. While undecidable in general, expressive fragments of ASP($\mathcal A \mathcal C$) can be exploited for effective problem solving in a rich framework.
Decrease in Lightning Recorded over the Lower 48
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: September 2020

Researchers mining data from the National Lightning Detection Network found a 32% decrease in lightning counts in May and June 2020 compared with previous years.
Flood Variability Determines the Location of Lobe‐Scale Avulsions on Deltas: Madagascar
Authors: Brooke Sam A. S. , Ganti Vamsi , Chadwick Austin J. , Lamb Michael P.
Published: September 2020

River deltas grow through repeated lobe‐scale avulsions, which often occur at a location that correlates with the backwater lengthscale. Competing hypotheses attribute the avulsion node origin to either the morphodynamic feedbacks caused by natural flood discharge variability (backwater hypothesis) or to the prograding delta lobe geometry (geometric hypothesis). Here, using theory, historical flood records, and remotely sensed elevation data, we analyzed five lobe‐scale delta avulsions in Madagascar, captured by Landsat imagery. Avulsion lengths were 5–55 km, distances significantly longer than the backwater lengthscale and inconsistent with the geometric hypothesis. We show that the steep, silt‐bedded rivers of Madagascar have flood‐induced bed scour, driven by backwater hydrodynamics, that propagates farther upstream than the backwater lengthscale. The avulsion lengths are 3.1 ± 1.5 times the predicted flood scour lengths, similar to low‐gradient deltas, and consistent with backwater hypothesis. Results demonstrate that erosion initiated by nonuniform flows in the backwater zone is a primary control on delta avulsion locations.
Source Region and Propagation of Dayside Large‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances
Authors: Nishimura Y. , Zhang S. R. , Lyons L. R. , Deng Y. , Coster A. J. , Moen J. I. , Clausen L. B. , Bristow W. A. , Nishitani N.
Published: September 2020

We examined the source region of dayside large‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) and their relation to cusp energy input. Aurora and total electron content (TEC) observations show that LSTIDs propagate equatorward away from the cusp and demonstrate the cusp region as the source region. Enhanced energy input to the cusp initiated by interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) southward turning triggers the LSTIDs, and each LSTID oscillation is correlated with a TEC enhancement in the dayside oval with tens of minutes periodicity. Equatorward‐propagating LSTIDs are likely gravity waves caused by repetitive heating in the cusp. The cusp source can explain the high LSTID occurrence on the dayside during geomagnetically active times. Poleward‐propagating ΔTEC patterns in the polar cap propagate nearly at the convection speed. While they have similar ΔTEC signatures to gravity wave‐driven LSTIDs, they are suggested to be weak polar cap patches quasiperiodically drifting from the cusp into the polar cap via dayside reconnection.
Unusual Loss of Van Allen Belt Relativistic Electrons by Extremely Low‐Frequency Chorus
Authors: Liu Si , Xie Yanqiong , Zhang Sai , Shang Xiongjun , Yang Chang , Zhou Qinghua , He Yihua , Xiao Fuliang
Published: September 2020

Chorus waves with the frequency usually between 0.1 and 0.8 equatorial electron gyrofrequency fce can accelerate energetic electrons to relativistic energies (several mega‐electron volts, MeV). Here, we report a unique event that both regular chorus and unusual chorus with extremely low frequency (ELF) below 0.1 fce occurred during the 22 December 2014 geomagnetic storm. Relativistic electron fluxes decreased with decreasing wave frequency and had minima exactly corresponding to the presence of ELF chorus. Performing a two‐dimensional simulation, we find that ELF chorus can result in unusual loss of relativistic electrons while regular chorus contributes to the acceleration, leading to the frequency‐modulated fluxes of such high‐energy electrons. The current results provide a new scenario that ELF chorus waves can potentially mitigate space weather by inhibiting relativistic electron flux enhancements.
Observations and Modeling of Whistler Mode Waves in the Magnetospheric Density Ducts
Authors: Streltsov Anatoly V. , Bengtson Miles T.
Published: September 2020

This paper presents results from a modeling study of localized packages of very low frequency (VLF) whistler mode waves observed by the NASA Van Allen Probes (also known as the Radiation Belt Storm Probes [RBSP]) satellites in the equatorial magnetosphere. The waves are detected inside enhancements of the plasma density, which we interpret as high‐density ducts. The quality of the ducting depends on the wave and duct parameters. The goal of this study is to investigate relations between these parameters. This study is based on the analysis and simulations of the electron MHD model. The results demonstrate that (1) the high‐density ducts with the magnitudes and perpendicular sizes observed by the RBSP satellites can trap VLF waves with the observed frequency and guide them over a significant distance with little attenuation. (2) It is possible to identify the range of magnitudes of the parallel and perpendicular wavelengths using the information about frequency of the waves and parameters of the duct.
20th Century Multivariate Indian Ocean Regional Sea Level Reconstruction
Authors: Kumar Praveen , Hamlington Benjamin , Cheon Se‐Hyeon , Han Weiqing , Thompson Philip
Published: September 2020

Despite having some of the world's most densely populated and vulnerable coastlines, Indian Ocean sea level variability over the past century is poorly understood relative to other ocean basins primarily, due to the short and sparse observational records. In an attempt to overcome the limitations imposed by the lack of adequate observations, we have produced a 20th century Indian Ocean sea level reconstruction product using a new multivariate reconstruction technique. This technique uses sea level pressure and sea surface temperature in addition to sea level data to help constrain basin‐wide sea level variability by (1) the removal of large spurious signals caused as a result of insufficient tide gauge data specifically during the first half of the 20th century and (2) through its information on large‐scale climate modes such as El Niño‐Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole. Basis functions generated by Cyclostationary Empirical Orthogonal Functions are used for the reconstruction. This new multivariate technique provides improved regional sea level variability estimates along with a longer record length in comparison to existing globally reconstructed sea level data. The biggest advantage of using this multivariate reconstruction technique lies in its ability to reconstruct Indian Ocean sea level for the first half of the 20th century, providing a long sea level record for the study of Indian Ocean internal climate variability. This will enable future studies to help improve the understanding of how sea level trends and variability can be modulated by internal climate variability in the Indian Ocean.
Mobilization and Transformation of Mercury Across a Dammed Boreal River Are Linked to Carbon Processing and Hydrology
Authors: De Bonville Jeremy , Amyot Marc , del Giorgio Paul , Tremblay Alain , Bilodeau François , Ponton Dominic E. , Lapierre Jean‐François
Published: September 2020

Reservoirs are known to accelerate the mobilization and cycling of mercury and carbon as a result of flooding of terrestrial organic matter, which can lead to environmental concerns at local and broader spatial scales. We explored the covariation of mercury (Hg) and carbon (C) functional pools in natural and recently dammed portions of the aquatic network of the Romaine River watershed in Northern Quebec, Canada, to understand how the fate of these elements varies across systems with contrasting hydrology and environmental conditions. We found that total Hg (THg) concentrations in surface waters were relatively constant along the network, whereas both the concentrations and proportions of MeHg tended to increase in reservoirs compared to surrounding nonflooded systems, and along the cascade of reservoirs. Whereas THg was related to total and terrestrial pools of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), MeHg was weakly related to DOC but strongly linked to surface concentrations of CO2, as well as to concentrations of iron and manganese. The latter are proxies of cumulative organic matter processing within the network, presumably in anoxic portions of shallow bays, deep reservoir waters, and river sediments, as well as in prior seasons (e.g., under ice). Our results suggest that these deep boreal reservoirs acted more as transformation sites for Hg that was already present than as mobilizers of new Hg, and that under ice metabolism plays a role in MeHg production in these systems as we found strong dichotomies in MeHg patterns between spring and summer.
Two-way microscale interactions between immigrant bacteria and plant leaf microbiota as revealed by live imaging
Authors: Steinberg Shifra , Grinberg Maor , Beitelman Michael , Peixoto Julianna , Orevi Tomer , Kashtan Nadav
Published: September 2020

The phyllosphere – the aerial parts of plants – is an important microbial habitat that is home to diverse microbial communities. The spatial organization of bacterial cells on leaf surfaces is non-random, and correlates with leaf microscopic features. Yet, the role of microscale interactions between bacterial cells therein is not well understood. Here, we ask how interactions between immigrant bacteria and resident microbiota affect the spatial organization of the combined community. By means of live imaging in a simplified in vitro system, we studied the spatial organization, at the micrometer scale, of the biocontrol agent Pseudomonas fluorescens A506 and the plant pathogen P. syringae B728a when introduced to pear and bean leaf microbiota (the corresponding native plants of these strains). We found significant co-localization of immigrant and resident microbial cells at distances of a few micrometers, for both strains. Interestingly, this co-localization was in part due to preferential attachment of microbiota cells near newly formed P. fluorescens aggregates. Our results indicate that two-way immigrant bacteria – resident microbiota interactions affect the microscale spatial organization of leaf microbiota, and possibly that of other surface-related microbial communities.
Combining precision medicine and prophylaxis in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Baxter Mark A. , Spender Lindsay C. , Petty Russell D.
Published: September 2020

A trial update confirms improved survival for prophylactic elective nodal irradiation and addition of erlotinib to definitive chemoradiotherapy in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). High tumour EGFR protein expression shows promise to identify those who will benefit from erlotinib. This represents therapeutic progress, and has wider relevance for precision medicine strategies in ESCC.