bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-energy expansion of two-loop massive four-point diagrams
Authors: Mishima Go
Published: February 2019

Abstract

We apply the method of regions to the massive two-loop integrals appearing in the Higgs pair production cross section at the next-to-leading order, in the high energy limit. For the non-planar integrals, a subtle problem arises because of the indefinite sign of the second Symanzik polynomial. We solve this problem by performing an analytic continuation of the Mandelstam variables such that the second Symanzik polynomial has a definite sign. Furthermore, we formulate the procedure of applying the method of regions systematically. As a by-product of the analytic continuation of the Mandelstam variables, we obtain crossing relations between integrals in a simple and systematic way. In our formulation, a concept of “template integral” is introduced, which represents and controls the contribution of each region. All of the template integrals needed in the computation of the Higgs pair production at the next-to-leading order are given explicitly. We also develop techniques to solve Mellin-Barnes integrals, and show them in detail. Although most of the calculation is shown for the concrete example of the Higgs pair production process, the application to other similar processes is straightforward, and we anticipate that our method can be useful also for other cases.
Three-dimensional effective theories for the two Higgs doublet model at high temperature
Authors: Gorda Tyler , Helset Andreas , Niemi Lauri , Tenkanen Tuomas V. I. , Weir David J.
Published: February 2019

Abstract

Due to the infrared problem of high-temperature field theory, a robust study of the electroweak phase transition (EWPT) requires use of non-perturbative methods. We apply the method of high-temperature dimensional reduction to the two Higgs doublet model (2HDM) to obtain three-dimensional effective theories that can be used for non-perturbative simulations. A detailed derivation of the mapping between the full four-dimensional and the effective three-dimensional theories is presented. The results will be used in future lattice studies of the 2HDM. In the limit of large mass mixing between the doublets, existing lattice results can be recycled. The results of such a study are presented in a companion paper.
Feasibility and Safety of Laparoscopic Partial Splenectomy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Liu Gangshan , Fan Ying
Published: February 2019

Background

Laparoscopic partial splenectomy (LPS) is a challenging procedure. The aim of this review was to evaluate its feasibility, safety, and potential benefits.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive review for the years 1995–2018 to retrieve all relevant articles.

Results

A total of 44 studies with 252 patients undergoing LPS were reviewed. Six studies described combined operations. Ranges of operative time and estimated blood loss were 50–225 min and 0–1200 ml, respectively. There are eight patients need blood transfusion in 231 patients with available data. The conversion rate was 3.6% (9/252). Overall, 27 patients (10.7%;27/252) developed postoperative or intraoperative complications. Overall mortality was 0% (0/252). The length of postoperative stay (POS) varied (1–11 days). Among four comparative studies, one showed LPS could reduce POS than laparoscopic total splenectomy (LTS) (LTS 5.4 ± 1.8 days, LPS 4.2 ± 0.8 days, p = 0.027) and complications (pleural effusion (LTS 9/22, LPS 0/15, p = 0.005), splenic vein thrombosis (LTS 10/22, LPS 0/15, p = 0.002)). Another comparative study showed LPS may benefit emergency patients. However, one comparative study showed LPS was associated with more pain, longer time to oral intake, and longer POS in children with hereditary spherocytosis. The fourth comparative study showed robotic subtotal splenectomy was comparable to laparoscopy in terms of POS and complication. The main benefits were lower blood loss, vascular dissection time, and a better evaluation of splenic remnant volume.

Conclusions

In early series of highly selected patients, LPS appears to be feasible and safe when performed by experienced laparoscopic surgeons.
Implications of various effort-sharing approaches for national carbon budgets and emission pathways
Authors: van den Berg Nicole J. , van Soest Heleen L. , Hof Andries F. , den Elzen Michel G. J. , van Vuuren Detlef P. , Chen Wenying , Drouet Laurent , Emmerling Johannes , Fujimori Shinichiro , Höhne Niklas , Kõberle Alexandre C. , McCollum David , Schaeffer Roberto , Shekhar Swapnil , Vishwanathan Saritha Sudharmma , Vrontisi Zoi , Blok Kornelis
Published: February 2019

The bottom-up approach of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in the Paris Agreement has led countries to self-determine their greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. The planned ‘ratcheting-up’ process, which aims to ensure that the NDCs comply with the overall goal of limiting global average temperature increase to well below 2 °C or even 1.5 °C, will most likely include some evaluation of ‘fairness’ of these reduction targets. In the literature, fairness has been discussed around equity principles, for which many different effort-sharing approaches have been proposed. In this research, we analysed how country-level emission targets and carbon budgets can be derived based on such criteria. We apply novel methods directly based on the global carbon budget, and, for comparison, more commonly used methods using GHG mitigation pathways. For both, we studied the following approaches: equal cumulative per capita emissions, contraction and convergence, grandfathering, greenhouse development rights and ability to pay. As the results critically depend on parameter settings, we used the wide authorship from a range of countries included in this paper to determine default settings and sensitivity analyses. Results show that effort-sharing approaches that (i) calculate required reduction targets in carbon budgets (relative to baseline budgets) and/or (ii) take into account historical emissions when determining carbon budgets can lead to (large) negative remaining carbon budgets for developed countries. This is the case for the equal cumulative per capita approach and especially the greenhouse development rights approach. Furthermore, for developed countries, all effort-sharing approaches except grandfathering lead to more stringent budgets than cost-optimal budgets, indicating that cost-optimal approaches do not lead to outcomes that can be regarded as fair according to most effort-sharing approaches.
Using machine learning for communication classification
Authors: Penczynski Stefan P.
Published: February 2019

The present study explores the value of machine learning techniques in the classification of communication content in experiments. Previously human-coded datasets are used to both train and test algorithm-generated models that relate word counts to categories. For various games, the computer models of the classification are able to match out-of-sample the human classification to a considerable extent. The analysis raises hope that the substantial effort going into such studies can be reduced by using computer algorithms for classification. This would enable a quick and replicable analysis of large-scale datasets at reasonable costs and widen the applicability of such approaches. The paper gives an easily accessible technical introduction into the computational method.
Fixed-point solutions to the regress problem in normative uncertainty
Authors: Trammell Philip
Published: February 2019

When we are faced with a choice among acts, but are uncertain about the true state of the world, we may be uncertain about the acts’ “choiceworthiness”. Decision theories guide our choice by making normative claims about how we should respond to this uncertainty. If we are unsure which decision theory is correct, however, we may remain unsure of what we ought to do. Given this decision-theoretic uncertainty, meta-theories attempt to resolve the conflicts between our decision theories...but we may be unsure which meta-theory is correct as well. This reasoning can launch a regress of ever-higher-order uncertainty, which may leave one forever uncertain about what one ought to do. There is, fortunately, a class of circumstances under which this regress is not a problem. If one holds a cardinal understanding of subjective choiceworthiness, and accepts certain other criteria (which are too weak to specify any particular decision theory), one’s hierarchy of metanormative uncertainty ultimately converges to precise definitions of “subjective choiceworthiness” for any finite set of acts. If one allows the metanormative regress to extend to the transfinite ordinals, the convergence criteria can be weakened further. Finally, the structure of these results applies straightforwardly not just to decision-theoretic uncertainty, but also to other varieties of normative uncertainty, such as moral uncertainty.
Animated stories of medical error as a means of teaching undergraduates patient safety: an evaluation study
Authors: Cooper Kerri , Hatfield Emma , Yeomans James
Published: February 2019

Background Storytelling is a powerful form of communication which can improve attention and lead to lasting behavioural changes. Addressing the need to incorporate patient safety teaching into undergraduate medical curricula, it was hypothesized that medical students could benefit from hearing clinician stories of medical error. The medium of animation was considered to be a potentially engaging means of presenting stories of error to a large audience.

Methods Three animated videos were developed to accompany audio recordings of junior doctors describing their experiences of a serious incident or near-miss event. The videos were delivered to 200 final-year medical students with a subsequent large-group discussion directed at understanding contributory factors. An evaluative questionnaire exploring learners’ reactions and modification of beliefs and perception was distributed. The questionnaire included questions rated on a modified Likert scale and a free-text box. A mixed-methods analysis was conducted with descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis of the free-text responses.

Results Of the 200 students who attended, 104 completed the questionnaire and 83 completed free-text feedback. Most students responded positively to hearing stories of medical error and felt that the animated videos improved their engagement while the voice recordings helped bring the cases to life. The majority of students agreed the session would impact on their future practice.

Conclusion This pilot study confirmed that undergraduate students consider animated, personal stories of medical error an effective, engaging means of learning about patient safety. Longitudinal studies are required to confirm if measurable behaviour change is achieved.
Experimental study of inertial particles clustering and settling in homogeneous turbulence
Authors: Petersen Alec J. , Baker Lucia , Coletti Filippo
Published: February 2019

We study experimentally the spatial distribution, settling and interaction of sub-Kolmogorov inertial particles with homogeneous turbulence. Utilizing a zero-mean-flow air turbulence chamber, we drop size-selected solid particles and study their dynamics with particle imaging and tracking velocimetry at multiple resolutions. The carrier flow is simultaneously measured by particle image velocimetry of suspended tracers, allowing the characterization of the interplay between both the dispersed and continuous phases. The turbulence Reynolds number based on the Taylor microscale ranges from $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}}\approx 200{-}500$, while the particle Stokes number based on the Kolmogorov scale varies between $St_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}=O(1)$ and $O(10)$. Clustering is confirmed to be most intense for $St_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}\approx 1$, but it extends over larger scales for heavier particles. Individual clusters form a hierarchy of self-similar, fractal-like objects, preferentially aligned with gravity and with sizes that can reach the integral scale of the turbulence. Remarkably, the settling velocity of $St_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}\approx 1$ particles can be several times larger than the still-air terminal velocity, and the clusters can fall even faster. This is caused by downward fluid fluctuations preferentially sweeping the particles, and we propose that this mechanism is influenced by both large and small scales of the turbulence. The particle–fluid slip velocities show large variance, and both the instantaneous particle Reynolds number and drag coefficient can greatly differ from their nominal values. Finally, for sufficient loadings, the particles generally augment the small-scale fluid velocity fluctuations, which however may account for a limited fraction of the turbulent kinetic energy.
A three-dimensional model of flagellar swimming in a Brinkman fluid
Authors: Ho NguyenHo , Leiderman Karin , Olson Sarah
Published: February 2019

We investigate three-dimensional flagellar swimming in a fluid with a sparse network of stationary obstacles or fibres. The Brinkman equation is used to model the average fluid flow where a flow-dependent term, including a resistance parameter that is inversely proportional to the permeability, captures the effects of the fibres on the fluid. To solve for the local linear and angular velocities that are coupled to the flagellar motion, we extend the method of regularized Brinkmanlets to incorporate a Kirchhoff rod, discretized as point forces and torques along a centreline. Representing a flagellum as a Kirchhoff rod, we investigate emergent waveforms for different preferred strain and twist functions. Since the Kirchhoff rod formulation allows for out-of-plane motion, in addition to studying a preferred planar sine wave configuration, we also study a preferred helical configuration. Our numerical method is validated by comparing results to asymptotic swimming speeds derived for an infinite-length cylinder propagating planar or helical waves. Similar to the asymptotic analysis for both planar and helical bending, we observe that with small amplitude bending, swimming speed is always enhanced relative to the case with no fibres in the fluid (Stokes) as the resistance parameter is increased. For regimes not accounted for with asymptotic analysis, i.e. large amplitude planar and helical bending, our model results show a non-monotonic change in swimming speed with respect to the resistance parameter; a maximum swimming speed is observed when the resistance parameter is near one. The non-monotonic behaviour is due to the emergent waveforms; as the resistance parameter increases, the swimmer becomes incapable of achieving the amplitude of its preferred configuration. We also show how simulation results of slower swimming speeds for larger resistance parameters are actually consistent with the asymptotic swimming speeds if work in the system is fixed.
Application of the compressible -dependent rheology to chute and shear flow instabilities
Authors: Fannon J. S. , Moyles I. R. , Fowler A. C.
Published: February 2019

We consider the instability properties of dense granular flow in inclined plane and plane shear geometries as tests for the compressible inertial-dependent rheology. The model, which is a recent generalisation of the incompressible $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}(I)$ rheology, constitutes a hydrodynamical description of dense granular flow which allows for variability in the solids volume fraction. We perform a full linear stability analysis of the model and compare its predictions to existing experimental data for glass beads on an inclined plane and discrete element simulations of plane shear in the absence of gravity. In the case of the former, we demonstrate that the compressible model can quantitatively predict the instability properties observed experimentally, and, in particular, we find that it performs better than its incompressible counterpart. For the latter, the qualitative behaviour of the plane shear instability is also well captured by the compressible model.
Archimedean, Logarithmic and Euler spirals − intriguing and ubiquitous patterns in nature
Authors: Diedrichs Danilo R.
Published: February 2019

Spirals are among the most intriguing of geometrical patterns, frequently encountered in the world around us at all scales, from the cosmic spiral arms of galaxies to the microscopic structure of the DNA molecule. For centuries, humans have studied these patterns, classifying them, giving them different names, and describing them mathematically. The most common definition of a two-dimensional spiral is a curve on the plane traced by a point that winds around a certain fixed point (called the spiral's pole), while monotonically approaching or receding from it, depending on the direction of motion.
Borel's normal number theorem
Authors: Colman W. J. A.
Published: February 2019

We shall present some new proofs concerning the distribution of the digits in decimals. We finish with a proof of Borel's normal number theorem. The proof given here is more direct and straightforward than the one given in [1]. This theorem is concerned with the distribution of the digits within infinite decimals. The actual statement of the theorem will be given later after some intermediate results have been established. The theorem is not only unexpected but seemingly counter-intuitive. In order to follow the arguments given here it is useful to have a numerical example as we will count the decimals and then their digits. We shall deduce the results for a general base b.
APPROXIMATELY ANGLE PRESERVING MAPPINGS
Authors: MOSLEHIAN MOHAMMAD SAL , ZAMANI ALI , WÓJCIK PAWEŁ
Published: February 2019

We study linear mappings which preserve vectors at a specific angle. We introduce the concept of
$(\unicode[STIX]{x1D700},c)$
-angle preserving mappings and define
$\widehat{\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}}\,(T,c)$
as the ‘smallest’ number
$\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}$
for which
$T$
is an
$(\unicode[STIX]{x1D700},c)$
-angle preserving mapping. We derive an exact formula for
$\widehat{\unicode[STIX]{x1D700}}\,(T,c)$
in terms of the norm
$\Vert T\Vert$
and the minimum modulus
$[T]$
of
$T$
. Finally, we characterise approximately angle preserving mappings.
Whole grain, bran and cereal fibre consumption and CVD: a systematic review
Authors: Barrett Eden M. , Batterham Marijka J. , Ray Sumantra , Beck Eleanor J.
Published: February 2019

Whole grain intake is associated with lower CVD risk in epidemiological studies. It is unclear to what extent cereal fibre, located primarily within the bran, is responsible. This review aimed to evaluate association between intake of whole grain, cereal fibre and bran and CVD risk. Academic databases were searched for human studies published before March 2018. Observational studies reporting whole grain and cereal fibre or bran intake in association with any CVD-related outcome were included. Studies were separated into those defining whole grain using a recognised definition (containing the bran, germ and endosperm in their natural proportions) (three studies, seven publications) and those using an alternative definition, such as including added bran as a whole grain source (eight additional studies, thirteen publications). Intake of whole grain, cereal fibre and bran were similarly associated with lower risk of CVD-related outcomes. Within the initial analysis, where studies used the recognised whole grain definition, results were less likely to show attenuation after adjustment for cereal fibre content. The fibre component of grain foods appears to play an important role in protective effects of whole grains. Adjusting for fibre content, associations remained, suggesting that additional components within the whole grain, and the bran component, may contribute to cardio-protective association. The limited studies and considerable discrepancy in defining and calculating whole grain intake limit conclusions. Future research should utilise a consistent definition and methodical approach of calculating whole grain intake to contribute to a greater body of consistent evidence surrounding whole grains.
The Cohomology Groups of Real Toric Varieties Associated with Weyl Chambers of TypesCandD
Authors: Choi Suyoung , Kaji Shizuo , Park Hanchul
Published: February 2019

Given a root system, the Weyl chambers in the co-weight lattice give rise to a real toric variety, called the real toric variety associated with the Weyl chambers. We compute the integral cohomology groups of real toric varieties associated with the Weyl chambers of typeCnandDn, completing the computation for all classical types.
Neuroimaging auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia patient and healthy populations
Authors: Di Biase Maria Angelique , Zhang Fan , Lyall Amanda , Kubicki Marek , Mandl René C. W. , Sommer Iris E. , Pasternak Ofer
Published: February 2019

Background

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are a cardinal feature of schizophrenia, but they can also appear in otherwise healthy individuals. Imaging studies implicate language networks in the generation of AVH; however, it remains unclear if alterations reflect biologic substrates of AVH, irrespective of diagnostic status, age, or illness-related factors. We applied multimodal imaging to identify AVH-specific pathology, evidenced by overlapping gray or white matter deficits between schizophrenia patients and healthy voice-hearers.

Methods

Diffusion-weighted and T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were acquired in 35 schizophrenia patients with AVH (SCZ-AVH), 32 healthy voice-hearers (H-AVH), and 40 age- and sex-matched controls without AVH. White matter fractional anisotropy (FA) and gray matter thickness (GMT) were computed for each region comprising ICBM-DTI and Desikan–Killiany atlases, respectively. Regions were tested for significant alterations affecting both SCZ-AVH and H-AVH groups, relative to controls.

Results

Compared with controls, the SCZ-AVH showed widespread FA and GMT reductions; but no significant differences emerged between H-AVH and control groups. While no overlapping pathology appeared in the overall study groups,younger(<40 years) H-AVH and SCZ-AVH subjects displayed overlapping FA deficits across four regions (p< 0.05): the genu and splenium of the corpus callosum, as well as the anterior limbs of the internal capsule. Analyzing these regions with free-water imaging ascribed overlapping FA abnormalities to tissue-specific anisotropy changes.

Conclusions

We identified white matter pathology associated with the presence of AVH, independent of diagnostic status. However, commonalities were constrained to younger and more homogenous groups, after reducing pathologic variance associated with advancing age and chronicity effects.
Lars von Trier’s Lost Ring
Authors: Parly Nila
Published: February 2019

In 2002, film director Lars von Trier agreed to stage Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle in Bayreuth. The project was abandoned, however, after two years of preparation. For this article’s research, I conducted interviews with key persons involved with the project, not least Lars von Trier himself, and I was given access to unseen materials (documents, videotapes and other items) from the archives of Lars von Trier’s film company, Zentropa, which shed light both on the director’s plans for the production and on the process that would eventually spell the end of the project. The materials, however, turned out to illuminate not only what the opera world lost, but also what von Trier’s later films gained from his immersion into Wagner’s creative world. In this article I seek to map both the ill-fated process and explore the later benefits from it in the films Antichrist (2009), Nymphomaniac (2013) and, above all, Melancholia (2011), with its echoes of Wagner’s apocalyptic Götterdämmerung.
Acceptability, internal consistency and test–retest reliability of scales to assess parental and nursery staff’s self-efficacy, motivation and knowledge in relation to pre-school children’s nutrition, oral health and physical activity
Authors: Dias Kaiseree , White James , Metcalfe Chris , Kipping Ruth , Papadaki Angeliki , Jago Russell
Published: February 2019

Objective

To determine the acceptability, internal consistency and test–retest reliability of self-efficacy, motivation and knowledge scales relating to pre-school children’s nutrition, oral health and physical activity.

Design

An online questionnaire was completed twice with an interval of 7–11d.

Setting

Online questionnaires were sent to participants via email from nursery managers. The parent questionnaire was also available on the parenting website www.netmums.com.

Participants

Eighty-two parents and sixty-nine nursery staff from Bristol, UK who had and worked with 2–4-year-olds, respectively.

Results

Response rates were 86·3 and 86·0 % and missing data 15·9 and 14·5 % for the second administration of the parent and nursery staff questionnaires, respectively. Weighted κ coefficients for individual items mostly fell under the ‘moderate’ agreement category for the parental (75·0 %) and nursery staff (55·8 %) items. All self-efficacy and motivation scales had acceptable levels of internal consistency (Cronbach’s α coefficients>0·7). The intraclass correlation coefficients for the self-efficacy, motivation and knowledge scales ranged between 0·48 and 0·82. Paired t tests found an increase between test and retest knowledge scores for the Nutrition Motivation (t=−2·91, df=81, P=0·00) and Knowledge (t=−3·22, df=81, P=0·00) scales in the parent questionnaire.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that the items and scales show good acceptability, internal consistency and test–retest reliability.
JAMES CERVETTO AND THE ORIGIN OF HAYDN'S D MAJOR CELLO CONCERTO
Authors: TOLLEY THOMAS
Published: February 2019

Haydn's D major cello concerto has traditionally been associated with Anton Kraft, a performer in Haydn's orchestra at Eszterháza during the 1780s. Before Haydn's autograph came to light in the 1950s, many authorities had accepted apparent evidence that Kraft was the concerto's composer. Even after the autograph's rediscovery, the seeming connection of the concerto with Kraft appeared so compelling that it was widely assumed he participated in the compositional process. This article demonstrates that Kraft's connection with the concerto was actually fabricated in the 1830s. Contemporary reports show that the concerto was in fact composed for the distinguished virtuoso James Cervetto, who performed it in London in 1784. Both the distinctive characteristics of the concerto, often regarded by commentators as indications of compositional weakness, and also its exceptional technical challenges are here interpreted as responses to Cervetto's singular musical temperament and exceptional proficiency, communicated to Haydn through the commission.
International trade in wheat and other cereals and the collapse of the first wave of globalization, 1900–38
Authors: Aparicio Gema , Pinilla Vicente
Published: February 2019

The aim of this article is to analyse the dynamics of international trade in cereals, primarily wheat, in the first third of the twentieth century, with a special focus on the causes of the fall in exchanges and prices that took place in the 1930s. Developments over this period are compared with the general trade in food and agricultural products. An examination of the structure of the trade in wheat, maize, and rice shows the operation of their respective markets, giving special attention to the import and export flows between consumers and producers. To understand the functioning of the market for these products, the article examines the changes in supply, demand, and prices, and the emergence and development of intermediary companies in this business. The argument draws from a new database, based on the statistics published by the International Institute of Agriculture.
Dragomans, tattooists, artisans: Palestinian Christians and their encounters with Catholic Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
Authors: Norris Jacob
Published: February 2019

In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the presence of European Catholic actors in the Ottoman empire dramatically increased, particularly in the Palestinian provinces. The city of Jerusalem and its surrounding hinterland, referred to here by its Arabic name, Jabal al-Quds, witnessed a particularly intensive Catholic presence owing to its sanctified religious status. This article examines the ways in which the local Arabic-speaking Christian population of Jabal al-Quds interacted with these European Catholic actors. It situates these encounters within the wider scholarship on missionary encounters and cross-cultural interactions in the Mediterranean world, arguing that global historians need to pay greater attention to the inequalities embedded in many of these relationships and the frequent episodes of violent conflict they gave rise to. By inverting the standard Western gaze on Jerusalem and looking at these encounters from the inside out, the article seeks to restore local actors as important players within the global Counter-Reformation, albeit within a context of subjugation, conflict, and stymied mobility.
The origins of informality: the ILO at the limit of the concept of unemployment
Authors: Benanav Aaron
Published: February 2019

Official histories suggest that the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the term ‘informal sector’ as a replacement for ‘traditional sector’, which, in its pairing with the ‘modern sector’, had fallen out of favour. This article argues that the adoption of the informal sector concept is better understood as arising out of a different context: the ILO’s post-war efforts to generate a globally operational concept of unemployment for use in the ‘developing world’. ILO officials abandoned this project in the late 1960s when they realized that, where work for wages did not constitute a widespread social norm, an accurate measure of what they called ‘disguised unemployment’ was impossible to construct. That led the ILO to develop alternative constructs, including ‘employment in the informal sector’. However, it proved difficult for the agency to operationalize those, too, and it soon found itself losing control of the policy implications of the measures that it was producing.
The future of the Western world: the OECD and the Interfutures project
Authors: Andersson Jenny
Published: February 2019

In 1975, the OECD created a research committee entitled ‘Interfutures. Research project into the development of the advanced industrial societies in harmony with the developing world’. The purpose of Interfutures was to examine how the new tools of futures research could be put to use in order to shape strategies for dealing with a new phenomenon of ‘interdependence’, and to set out a ‘long-term vision’ of the Western world. This article argues that Interfutures was appointed in order to draft an alternative image of the future to two radical visions of the early 1970s. The first was the so-called New International Economic Order. The second was the 1972 Club of Rome report,The limits to growth. As a response to these two visions, Interfutures presented a vision of globalization as a process oriented around an expanding world market, piloted by Western interests and continued resource extraction.
Islam, Social Justice, and Democracy
Authors: Ciftci Sabri
Published: February 2019

Egalitarian preferences and benevolence are significant elements of Islamic social justice, which is one of the main pillars of Islam's ethico-political system. Surprisingly, empirical investigations about attitudinal implications of Islamic social justice values are rare. This is one of the first studies examining the correlations between Islam, social justice values, and regime preferences. It proposes that benevolence and egalitarian distributive preferences will induce democratic support and mediate the effect of religiosity on democratic orientations. Seemingly unrelated regression estimations using a Muslim-only sample from the sixth wave of the World Values Surveys support these hypotheses. The effects of social justice values are exclusive to support for democracy and not to support for authoritarian systems. Furthermore, religiosity increases support for democracy through intermediate mechanism of social justice values. These results imply that, next to principles ofijtihad,ijma, andshura, Islamic social justice values can induce pluralistic ideas in Muslim majority societies.
Homologous G776G Variant of Transcobalamin-II Gene is Linked to Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Authors: Al-Batayneh Khalid M. , Salim Al Zoubi Mazhar , Al-Trad Bahaa , Hussein Emad , Al Khateeb Wesam , Aljabali Alaa A. A. , Bodoor Khaldon , Shehab Murad , Al Hamad Mohammad A. , Eaton Greg J. , Cornelison Christopher T.
Published: February 2019

Abstract. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) deficiency, due to improper internalization of cobalamin, is a metabolic disorder prevalent in impoverished and elderly populations and is associated with megaloblastic anemia and dementia. It has been suggested that mutations in transcobalamin II ( TCN2) or gastric intrinsic factor (GIF) proteins can alter their binding efficiency to cobalamin or reduce the ability of their receptors to internalize them. In this case-control study, the correlation between vitamin B12 deficiency and alternative alleles of TCN2 and GIF was investigated in a Jordanian population. One hundred individuals with vitamin B12 deficiency (B12 < 200 mg/mL) were enrolled in our study to evaluate the TCN2 and GIF polymorphisms. The control group (B12 > 200 mg/mL) included 100 individuals. Our results indicated a significant association between the homologous variant of the TCN2 gene (G776G) and vitamin B12 deficiency, and an intermediate phenotype in heterozygous individuals ( p < 0.001, OR = 5.6, 95% CI = 2.95 to 10.63). The GIF gene, however, showed no correlation between the A68G variant and vitamin B12 deficiency ( p = 0.2). This study expounds the association of TCN2 polymorphism with cobalamin levels in a Jordanian population and highlights the necessity of further studies to elucidate the molecular basis and impact of TCN2 and GIF genes polymorphisms on vitamin B12 deficiency and associated disorders.
Soft X‐ray Imaging of the Magnetosheath and Cusps Under Different Solar Wind Conditions: MHD Simulations
Authors: Sun T. R. , Wang C. , Sembay S. F. , Lopez R. E. , Escoubet C. P. , Branduardi‐Raymont G. , Zheng J. H. , Yu X. Z. , Guo X. C. , Dai L. , Liu Z. Q. , Wei F. , Guo Y. H.
Published: February 2019

The soft X‐ray emissions from the Earth's magnetosheath and cusp regions are simulated under different solar wind conditions, based on the PPMLR‐MHD code. The X‐ray images observed by a hypothetical telescope are presented, and the basic responses of the magnetopause and cusp regions are discernable in these images. From certain viewing geometries, the magnetopause position in the equatorial plane, as well as the latitudinal scales and azimuthal extent of cusp can be directly extracted from the X‐ray images. With these reconstructed positions, the issues we are able to analyze include but are not limited to the compression of magnetopause and widening of the cusp after an enhancement of solar wind flux, as well as the erosion of the magnetopause and equatorward motion of cusp after the southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field. Hence, the X‐ray imaging is an appropriate technique to study the large‐scale motion of magnetopause and cusps in response to solar wind variations.
Statistical Survey of the Terrestrial Bow Shock Observed by the Cluster Spacecraft
Authors: Kruparova O. , Krupar V. , Šafránková J. , Němeček Z. , Maksimovic M. , Santolik O. , Soucek J. , Němec F. , Merka J.
Published: February 2019

The terrestrial bow shock provides us with a unique opportunity to extensively investigate properties of collisionless shocks using in situ measurements under a wide range of upstream conditions. Here we report a statistical study of 529 terrestrial bow shock crossings observed between years 2001 and 2013 by the four Cluster spacecraft. By applying a simple timing method to multipoint measurements, we are able to investigate their characteristic spatiotemporal features. We have found a significant correlation between the speed of the bow shock motion and the solar wind speed. We have also compared obtained speeds with time derivatives of locations predicted by a three‐dimensional bow shock model. Finally, we provide a list of bow shock crossings for possible further investigation by the scientific community.
Anomalous Concentration of Methane Emissions at the Continental Shelf Edge of the Northern Cascadia Margin
Authors: Johnson H. Paul , Merle Susan , Salmi Marie , Embley Robert , Sampaga Erica , Lee Michelle
Published: February 2019

A recent compilation of methane plumes detected offshore Washington State includes 1,772 individual bubble streams issuing from 491 discrete vent sites. The majority of these plume sites form a narrow 10‐km‐wide band located shallower than 250‐m water depth, with most sites located near the 175‐m‐deep continental shelf break that tracks the head scarps of large submarine canyons. Archive multichannel seismic profiles over the Cascadia shelf and uppermost margin that were co‐located within a few hundred meters with active emission sites show that methane bubble streams arise from listric/normal faults and triangular‐shaped regions of disturbed seismic reflectors that intersect the seafloor and extend several kilometers into the subsurface. Geological processes were evaluated for producing the narrow emission site depths including nonuniform distribution of methane within the Cascadia accretionary sediment wedge and horizontal transfer of groundwater from onshore subaerial sources. A model of enhanced sediment permeability arising from a contrasting response between the inner and outer portions of the accretionary wedge deformation during a megathrust earthquake cycle appears the most likely mechanism. This faulting is generated during extension of the overriding plate during megathrust earthquake cycles, with semicontinuous permeability enhancement of the fluid pathways from excitation by contemporary incident seismic waves.
Baroclinic Coupling Improves Depth‐Integrated Modeling of Coastal Sea Level Variations Around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Authors: Pringle William J. , Gonzalez‐Lopez Juan , Joyce Brian R. , Westerink Joannes J. , van der Westhuysen Andre J.
Published: February 2019

This study applies a baroclinic‐coupled depth‐integrated modeling system to the North Atlantic Ocean, where an unstructured mesh is used to focus resolution down to ∼30 m along the coasts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ocean baroclinicity is incorporated through one‐way coupling from operational data‐assimilated Global Ocean Forecasting System 3.1 temperature and salinity fields at just 12% additional computational time. The main objectives are to provide a comprehensive analysis of observed and modeled coastal sea levels (spanning from seasonal to supertidal variations) in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands during 2017 and to evaluate the associated model performance with and without baroclinic coupling at 14 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Ocean Service tide gauges deployed in the region. It is found that baroclinic coupling increases modeled energy across the entire frequency spectrum, which is more commensurate with observations. In particular, density‐driven effects such as the seasonal cycle and sea level setdown due to trailing cold wakes from passing hurricanes are largely reproduced. Supertidal shelf‐resonant seiching at one to two cycles per hour is observed and modeled at a number of locations, where excitation of these modes is often promoted by the baroclinic coupling. Baroclinicity improves the yearlong model skill at every tide gauge, where the mean total skill is increased from 87% to 93% accuracy (54% to 85% for the nontidal residual). In September 2017 during Hurricanes Irma and Maria, baroclinicity increases model skill at 10 out of 14 tide gauges even when the barotropic mode is adjusted to have no mean offset from the observations.
Forest‐Induced Exponential Growth of Precipitation Along Climatological Wind Streamlines Over the Amazon
Authors: Molina Ruben D. , Salazar Juan Fernando , Martínez J. Alejandro , Villegas Juan Camilo , Arias Paola A.
Published: February 2019

The Amazon forests and climatological precipitation patterns in South America are interrelated. A fundamental question is how these patterns depend on the presence of forests. Here we investigate this relationship by studying how precipitation varies with distance from the ocean along wind streamlines linking the Atlantic Ocean to northwestern and southern South America through the Amazon forests. Through a robust observation‐based analysis, we found that precipitation exponentially increases with distance from the ocean along wind streamlines flowing over forests, while it exponentially decreases downwind of the forests. These patterns are consistent with multiple mechanisms through which forests influence the transport of atmospheric moisture and precipitation production over the continent. We propose a conceptual explanation of this forest influence based on the atmospheric water balance. Our results imply that a major consequence of the degradation or loss of forests may be a disruption of these mechanisms, with widespread impacts on continental precipitation.
Improving the Upper‐Ocean Temperature in an Ocean Climate Model (FESOM 1.4): Shortwave Penetration Versus Mixing Induced by Nonbreaking Surface Waves
Authors: Wang Shizhu , Wang Qiang , Shu Qi , Scholz Patrick , Lohmann Gerrit , Qiao Fangli
Published: February 2019

As the first mature global ocean general circulation model based on unstructured‐mesh methods, the multiresolution Finite Element Sea ice‐Ocean Model (FESOM) has shown great capability in reconstructing the ocean and sea ice in both standalone and coupled simulations at a relatively low computational cost. Parameterizations of some important processes, including the vertical mixing induced by surface waves, however, are still missing, contributing to temperature biases in the upper ocean. In this work we incorporate the vertical mixing induced by nonbreaking surface waves derived from a wave model into FESOM and compare its effect with that of shortwave penetration, another key process to vertically redistribute the heat in the upper ocean. Numerical experiments with and without the shortwave penetration scheme and the nonbreaking surface wave mixing reveal that both processes ameliorate the simulation of upper‐ocean temperature in middle and low latitudes mainly on the summer hemisphere. The role of nonbreaking surface waves is more pronounced in decreasing the mean cold biases at 50 m (by 1.0 °C, in comparison to 0.5 °C achieved by applying shortwave penetration). We conclude that the incorporation of mixing induced by nonbreaking surface waves into FESOM is practically very helpful and suggest that it needs to be considered in other ocean climate models as well.
Eddies Influence Productivity in the Subtropical Open Ocean
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: February 2019

Ocean eddies may help recycle nutrients within giant current systems that encircle “desert” surface waters.
Sex and gender bias in the experimental neurosciences: the case of the maternal immune activation model
Authors: Coiro Pierluca , Pollak Daniela D.
Published: February 2019

Recent and rapidly developing movements relating to the increasing awareness and reports of gender bias, discrimination, and abuse have reached the academic environments. The consideration that negative attitudes toward women and abuse of power creates a hostile environment for female scientists, facilitating sexual harassment and driving women out of science, can be easily related to. Rationally inaccessible gender biases are not only evident at the level of the researchers, but are also paralleled by a corresponding imbalance at the level of the research subjects. Here, we focus on the maternal immune activation (MIA) animal model to illustrate exemplarily the current state of ex-/inclusion of female research subjects and the consideration of sex as biological variable in the basic neurosciences. We demonstrate a strong sex disparity with a major emphasis on male animals in studies examining behavioral and neurochemical alterations in MIA offspring. We put forward the hypothesis that this neglect of female subjects in basic research may stem from a hard-wired sex/gender bias, which may also be reflected in a similar attitude toward female scientists. We suggest exploring the possibility that by dismantling sex bias and male dominance in basic research one would get an additional handle on favorably modifying the perception and appreciation for women in science.
Evidence for electron Landau damping in space plasma turbulence
Authors: Chen C. H. K. , Klein K. G. , Howes G. G.
Published: February 2019

How turbulent energy is dissipated in weakly collisional space and astrophysical plasmas is a major open question. Here, we present the application of a field-particle correlation technique to directly measure the transfer of energy between the turbulent electromagnetic field and electrons in the Earth’s magnetosheath, the region of solar wind downstream of the Earth’s bow shock. The measurement of the secular energy transfer from the parallel electric field as a function of electron velocity shows a signature consistent with Landau damping. This signature is coherent over time, close to the predicted resonant velocity, similar to that seen in kinetic Alfven turbulence simulations, and disappears under phase randomisation. This suggests that electron Landau damping could play a significant role in turbulent plasma heating, and that the technique is a valuable tool for determining the particle energisation processes operating in space and astrophysical plasmas
Macrophage achieves self-protection against oxidative stress-induced ageing through the Mst-Nrf2 axis
Authors: Wang Ping , Geng Jing , Gao Jiahui , Zhao Hao , Li Junhong , Shi Yiran , Yang Bingying , Xiao Chen , Linghu Yueyue , Sun Xiufeng , Chen Xin , Hong Lixin , Qin Funiu , Li Xun , Yu Jau-Song , You Han , Yuan Zengqiang , Zhou Dawang , Johnson Randy L. , Chen Lanfen
Published: February 2019

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in phagocytes is a major defense mechanism against pathogens. However, the cellular self-protective mechanism against such potential damage from oxidative stress remains unclear. Here we show that the kinases Mst1 and Mst2 (Mst1/2) sense ROS and maintain cellular redox balance by modulating the stability of antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2. Site-specific ROS release recruits Mst1/2 from the cytosol to the phagosomal or mitochondrial membrane, with ROS subsequently activating Mst1/2 to phosphorylate kelch like ECH associated protein 1 (Keap1) and prevent Keap1 polymerization, thereby blocking Nrf2 ubiquitination and degradation to protect cells against oxidative damage. Treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine disrupts ROS-induced interaction of Mst1/2 with phagosomes or mitochondria, and thereby diminishes the Mst-Nrf2 signal. Consistently, loss of Mst1/2 results in increased oxidative injury, phagocyte ageing and death. Thus, our results identify the Mst-Nrf2 axis as an important ROS-sensing and antioxidant mechanism during an antimicrobial response.
Publisher Correction: Artificial light-driven ion pump for photoelectric energy conversion
Authors: Xiao Kai , Chen Lu , Chen Ruotian , Heil Tobias , Lemus Saul Daniel Cruz , Fan Fengtao , Wen Liping , Jiang Lei , Antonietti Markus
Published: February 2019

The original version of this Article contained errors in Figure 3. In Fig. 3d, the label ‘With light irradiation’ was originally incorrectly given as ‘Without light irradiation’. In Fig. 3f, the label ‘Without light irradiation’ was originally incorrectly given as ‘With light irradiation’. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.