bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling studies of the bioluminescence potential dynamics in a high Arctic fjord during polar night
Authors: Shulman Igor , Cohen Jonathan H. , Moline Mark A. , Anderson Stephanie , Metzger E. Joseph , Rowley Clark
Published: December 2021

During polar nights in January 2012 and 2017, significantly higher bioluminescence (BL) potential emissions in the upper 50 m were observed in the fjord Rijpfjorden (Svalbard, Norway) in comparison to offshore stations (located on the shelf-break, shelf-slope areas and in the deeper water). The objective of this paper is to better understand why, during two polar nights (separated by 5 years), the values of BL potential in the northern Svalbard fjord are higher than at offshore stations, and what the role of advection is in observed elevated BL potential values in the top 50 m of the fjord. To address the above objective, we applied the same BL potential modeling approach and strategies during polar nights for both 2012 and 2017. For both years, advection of BL potential from offshore (including upwelling along the shelf, shelf-slope) produced an increase of BL potential in the fjord area, in spite of the introduction of mortality in bioluminescent organisms. Observations of BL potential indicated high emissions at depths below 100 m at offshore stations for both polar nights. Our modeling studies demonstrated that these high values of BL potential below 100 m are upwelled and advected to the top 50 m of the fjord. We demonstrated that upwelling and advection of these deep high BL potential values (and therefore, upwelling and advection of corresponding bioluminescent taxa) from offshore areas are dominant factors in observed BL potential dynamics in the top 50 m in the fjord.
Continuum microhaemodynamics modelling using inverse rheology
Authors: van Batenburg-Sherwood Joseph , Balabani Stavroula
Published: December 2021

Modelling blood flow in microvascular networks is challenging due to the complex nature of haemorheology. Zero- and one-dimensional approaches cannot reproduce local haemodynamics, and models that consider individual red blood cells (RBCs) are prohibitively computationally expensive. Continuum approaches could provide an efficient solution, but dependence on a large parameter space and scarcity of experimental data for validation has limited their application. We describe a method to assimilate experimental RBC velocity and concentration data into a continuum numerical modelling framework. Imaging data of RBCs were acquired in a sequentially bifurcating microchannel for various flow conditions. RBC concentration distributions were evaluated and mapped into computational fluid dynamics simulations with rheology prescribed by the Quemada model. Predicted velocities were compared to particle image velocimetry data. A subset of cases was used for parameter optimisation, and the resulting model was applied to a wider data set to evaluate model efficacy. The pre-optimised model reduced errors in predicted velocity by 60% compared to assuming a Newtonian fluid, and optimisation further reduced errors by 40%. Asymmetry of RBC velocity and concentration profiles was demonstrated to play a critical role. Excluding asymmetry in the RBC concentration doubled the error, but excluding spatial distributions of shear rate had little effect. This study demonstrates that a continuum model with optimised rheological parameters can reproduce measured velocity if RBC concentration distributions are known a priori. Developing this approach for RBC transport with more network configurations has the potential to provide an efficient approach for modelling network-scale haemodynamics.
Sex and age differences in attitudes and intention to adopt personalised nutrition in a UK sample
Authors: Stewart-Knox Barbara J. , Poínhos Rui , Fischer Arnout R. H. , Chaudhrey Mutassam , Rankin Audrey , Davison Jenny , Bunting Brendan P. , Frewer Lynn J. , Oliveira Bruno M. P. M.
Published: December 2021

Aim

There has been an increase in the development of technologies that can deliver personalised dietary advice. Devising healthy, sustainable dietary plans will mean taking into consideration extrinsic factors such as individual social circumstances. The aim of this study was to identify societal groups more or less receptive to and likely to engage with personalised nutrition initiatives.

Sample and methods

Volunteers were recruited via a social research agency from within the UK. The resultant sample (N = 1061) was 49% female, aged 18-65 years.

Results

MANOVA (Tukey HSD applied) indicated that females and younger people (aged 18-29 years) had more favourable attitudes and were more likely to intend to adopt personalised nutrition. There were no differences in attitude toward or intention to adopt personalised nutrition between different education levels, income brackets or occupational groups.

Conclusion

These results imply that females and younger people may be most likely to adopt personalised nutrition in the future. Initiatives to promote healthy eating should target males and older people.
Sexual Attitudes, Beliefs, Practices, and HIV Risk During Pregnancy and Post-delivery: A Qualitative Study in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe
Authors: Ryan Julia H. , Young Alinda , Musara Petina , Reddy Krishnaveni , Macagna Nicole , Guma Victor , Seyama Linly , Piper Jeanna , van der Straten Ariane ,   the MTN- 041/MAMMA Study Team
Published: December 2021

Women who acquire HIV during the pregnancy and breastfeeding periods have a higher risk of transmitting the virus to their child than women who become infected with HIV before pregnancy. We explore the context of sexual beliefs and practices that may shape both HIV risk and willingness to use HIV prevention products during pregnancy and postpartum in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Twenty-three single sex focus group discussions and 36 in-depth interviews took place between May and November 2018 with recently pregnant or breastfeeding women, men, mothers and mothers-in-law of pregnant or breastfeeding women, and key informants. Participants across study groups and sites (N = 232) reported various perceived benefits and harms of sex during pregnancy and postpartum. Participants discussed reasons why men might seek sex outside of the relationship. There is a critical need for alternative prevention options to protect pregnant and breastfeeding women from HIV.
Exploring Different Assumptions about Outcome-Related Risk Perceptions in Discrete Choice Experiments
Authors: Wu Hangjian , Mentzakis Emmanouil , Schaafsma Marije
Published: December 2021

Environmental outcomes are often affected by the stochastic nature of the environment and ecosystem, as well as the effectiveness of governmental policy in combination with human activities. Incorporating information about risk in discrete choice experiments has been suggested to enhance survey credibility. Although some studies have incorporated risk in the design and treated it as either the weights of the corresponding environmental outcomes or as a stand-alone factor, little research has discussed the implications of those behavioural assumptions under risk and explored individuals’ outcome-related risk perceptions in a context where environmental outcomes can be either described as improvement or deterioration. This paper investigates outcome-related risk perceptions for environmental outcomes in the gain and loss domains together and examines differences in choices about air quality changes in China using a discrete choice experiment. Results suggest that respondents consider the information of risk in both domains, and their elicited behavioural patterns are best described by direct risk aversion, which states that individuals obtain disutility directly from the increasing risk regardless of the associated environmental outcomes. We discuss the implication of our results and provide recommendations on the choice of model specification when incorporating risk.
Unjust History and Its New Reproduction—A Reply to My Critics
Authors: Nuti Alasia
Published: December 2021

Demands calling for reparations for historical injustices—injustices whose original victims and perpetrators are now dead—constitute an important component of contemporary struggles for social and transnational justice. Reparations are only one way in which the unjust past is salient in contemporary politics. In my book, Injustice and the Reproduction of History: Structural Inequalities, Gender and Redress, I put forward a framework to conceptualise the normative significance of the unjust past. In this article, I will engage with the insightful comments and try to address the concerns of the contributors to the symposium on my book. I will discuss (i) whether and in what sense my framework incorporates past-regarding duties, (ii) how it is different from causal interpretations of the relationship between past and present injustice, (iii) whether it can carve out a greater place for blame in our thinking about responsibility for (historical) structural injustice, (iv) whether such a responsibility needs to hinge upon an account of solidarity, and (v) how de-temporalising injustice can cast new light on immigration politics. In particular, I will stress and further clarify the importance that the notion of ‘structural debt’, which my book develops to reflect on historical responsibility, can play in thinking about what is owed to an unjust history.
Interiors of Earth-Like Planets and Satellites of the Solar System
Authors: Breuer Doris , Spohn Tilman , Van Hoolst Tim , van Westrenen Wim , Stanley Sabine , Rambaux Nicolas
Published: December 2021

The Earth-like planets and moons in our solar system have iron-rich cores, silicate mantles, and a basaltic crust. Differentiated icy moons can have a core and a mantle and an outer water–ice layer. Indirect evidence for several icy moons suggests that this ice is underlain by or includes a water-rich ocean. Similar processes are at work in the interiors of these planets and moons, including heat transport by conduction and convection, melting and volcanism, and magnetic field generation. There are significant differences in detail, though, in both bulk chemical compositions and relative volume of metal, rock and ice reservoirs. For example, the Moon has a small core [~ 0.2 planetary radii (RP)], whereas Mercury’s is large (~ 0.8RP). Planetary heat engines can operate in somewhat different ways affecting the evolution of the planetary bodies. Mercury and Ganymede have a present-day magnetic field while the core dynamo ceased to operate billions of years ago in the Moon and Mars. Planets and moons differ in tectonic style, from plate-tectonics on Earth to bodies having a stagnant outer lid and possibly solid-state convection underneath, with implications for their magmatic and atmosphere evolution. Knowledge about their deep interiors has improved considerably thanks to a multitude of planetary space missions but, in comparison with Earth, the data base is still limited. We describe methods (including experimental approaches and numerical modeling) and data (e.g., gravity field, rotational state, seismic signals, magnetic field, heat flux, and chemical compositions) used from missions and ground-based observations to explore the deep interiors, their dynamics and evolution and describe as examples Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars, Ganymede and Enceladus.
Relationship Between Parental Big Five And Children’s Ability To Delay Gratification
Authors: Effenberger Pauline S. , Streit Fabian , Bardtke Svenja , Gilles Maria , Wolf Isabell A.-C. , Schröder Annette , Sütterlin Marc W. , Witt Stephanie H. , Rietschel Marcella , Deuschle Michael , Send Tabea S.
Published: December 2021

The ability to delay gratification is related to success in school and other aspects of life. Genetic as well as environmental factors such as parenting style partly explain the development of delay of gratification (DoG). However, it is unclear whether parental personality impacts children’s DoG, and how maternal and paternal personalities contribute to this relationship. The present study investigates the relationship between parental personality and 45-month-old children’s DoG (N = 329). Personality was measured using the NEO-Five-Factor-Inventory-30, DoG was operationalized through waiting time in the marshmallow test. In model 1, using only maternal data to predict DoG, maternal openness to experience was associated with shorter waiting time of the child in the marshmallow test, whereas maternal agreeableness was associated with longer waiting time. In model 2, using only paternal data to predict DoG, paternal agreeableness was related to longer waiting time. In model 3, combining maternal and paternal data to predict DoG, maternal openness to experience as well as paternal agreeableness remained significant predictors of DoG. The present study underlines the influence of both parents’ personalities on the development of children’s DoG and indicates differential maternal and paternal effects. Future studies should investigate the relationship between parental personality and children’s DoG in detail and take further factors into account, such as genetic factors, other environmental factors and the personality of the child.
Prevalence of Traditional Asian Postpartum Practices at a Federally Qualified Health Center
Authors: Nguyen Van Viet Thuy , Zheng Micha Y. , Liu Stephanie M. , Kallen Michael A. , Kay Kerry , Ivey Susan L.
Published: December 2021

To evaluate the knowledge of, participation in, attitudes towards, and experiences with “doing the month” (DTM), a traditional Chinese and Vietnamese postpartum practice, at a federally qualified health center that serves predominantly Asian immigrants. DTM practices revolve around the balance between yin and yang and include practices such as the mother remaining on bed rest for as long as possible, restricting diet to certain foods, and avoiding visitors and social activities. A cross-sectional survey in Chinese, Vietnamese, and English was developed to determine the prevalence of women who have heard of and participated in DTM. 154 respondents participated. The mean age of respondents was 40.1 years. Without prompting of what DTM was, 58 (37.7%) responded that they had heard of DTM. After an explanatory paragraph, this increased to 117 (76.6%) participants. Out of 107 patients who have children, 65 (60.7%) “did the month” after giving birth. Participation rates were highest for women who identified as Chinese or Vietnamese. Likert-type scale questions showed that respondents believed DTM was stressful but enjoyable and helpful for recovery from childbirth. In conclusion, DTM is a common practice that health providers should be aware of.
Modelling multiple-simultaneous impact problems with a nonlinear smooth approach: pool/billiard application
Authors: Gismeros Moreno Raúl , Corral Abad Eduardo , Meneses Alonso Jesús , Gómez García María Jesús , Castejón Sisamón Cristina
Published: December 2021

Smooth approaches are able to model reasonably well contact/impact events between two bodies, showing some peculiarities when dealing with certain geometries and arising certain issues with the detection of the initial instant of contact. The characterization of multiple-simultaneous interaction systems, considering (or not) energy dissipation phenomena (mainly friction), is always an interesting research topic, addressed from different perspectives. In the present work, the process of design, optimization and verification of a multiple-impact, day-to-day multibody novel model is shown. Specifically, we have decided to focus on a pool/billiard game due to its geometry simplicity. The model involves several balls moving freely and rolling, suffering different kinds of contacts/impacts among them and against the cushions and the cloth. In this system, the proper modelling of both contact and friction forces in the multiple, simultaneous contacts and impacts events is critical to obtain consistent results. In addition, these forces are complicated to model because of its nonlinear behaviour. The different existing approaches when dealing with multiple-contact events are briefly described, along with their most distinctive features. Then, the interactions identified on the model are implemented using several nonlinear contact-force models, following a smooth-based approach and considering friction phenomena, aiming at determining the most suitable set of both contact and friction force models for each of these implemented interactions, which take place simultaneously, thus resulting in a complex system with multiple impacts. Subsequently, the solving method that provides the most accurate results at the minimum computational cost is determined by testing a simple shot. Finally, the different interactions on the model are verified using experimental results and previous works. One of the main goals of this work is to show the some of the issues that arise when dealing with multiple-simultaneous impact multibody systems from a smooth-contact approach, and how researchers can deal with them.
Transformer-Based Deep Neural Language Modeling for Construct-Specific Automatic Item Generation
Authors: Hommel Björn E. , Wollang Franz-Josef M. , Kotova Veronika , Zacher Hannes , Schmukle Stefan C.
Published: December 2021

Algorithmic automatic item generation can be used to obtain large quantities of cognitive items in the domains of knowledge and aptitude testing. However, conventional item models used by template-based automatic item generation techniques are not ideal for the creation of items for non-cognitive constructs. Progress in this area has been made recently by employing long short-term memory recurrent neural networks to produce word sequences that syntactically resemble items typically found in personality questionnaires. To date, such items have been produced unconditionally, without the possibility of selectively targeting personality domains. In this article, we offer a brief synopsis on past developments in natural language processing and explain why the automatic generation of construct-specific items has become attainable only due to recent technological progress. We propose that pre-trained causal transformer models can be fine-tuned to achieve this task using implicit parameterization in conjunction with conditional generation. We demonstrate this method in a tutorial-like fashion and finally compare aspects of validity in human- and machine-authored items using empirical data. Our study finds that approximately two-thirds of the automatically generated items show good psychometric properties (factor loadings above .40) and that one-third even have properties equivalent to established and highly curated human-authored items. Our work thus demonstrates the practical use of deep neural networks for non-cognitive automatic item generation.
Multidimensional prognostic index and the risk of fractures: an 8-year longitudinal cohort study in the Osteoarthritis Initiative
Authors: Veronese Nicola , Smith Lee , Zigoura Ekaterini , Barbagallo Mario , Dominguez Ligia J. , Barone Antonella , Cella Alberto , Cooper Cyrus , Rizzoli Renè , Reginster Jean-Yves , Maggi Stefania , Pilotto Alberto
Published: December 2021

Summary

In this longitudinal study, with a follow-up of 8 years, multidimensional prognostic index (MPI), a product of the comprehensive geriatric assessment, significantly predicted the onset of fractures in older people affected by knee osteoarthritis.

Purpose

Frailty may be associated with higher fracture risk, but limited research has been carried out using a multidimensional approach to frailty assessment and diagnosis. The present research aimed to investigate whether the MPI, based on comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), is associated with the risk of fractures in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) study.

Methods

Community-dwellers affected by knee OA or at high risk for this condition were followed-up for 8 years. A standardized CGA including information on functional, nutritional, mood, comorbidity, medication, quality of life, and co-habitation status was used to calculate the MPI. Fractures were diagnosed using self-reported information. Cox’s regression analysis was carried out and results are reported as hazard ratios (HRs), with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for potential confounders.

Results

The sample consisted of 4024 individuals (mean age 61.0 years, females = 59.0%). People with incident fractures had a significant higher MPI baseline value than those without (0.42 ± 0.18 vs. 0.40 ± 0.17). After adjusting for several potential confounders, people with an MPI over 0.66 (HR = 1.49; 95%CI: 1.11–2.00) experienced a higher risk of fractures. An increase in 0.10 point in MPI score corresponded to an increase in fracture risk of 4% (HR = 1.04; 95%CI: 1.008–1.07). Higher MPI values were also associated with a higher risk of non-vertebral clinical fractures.

Conclusion

Higher MPI values at baseline were associated with an increased risk of fractures, reinforcing the importance of CGA in predicting fractures in older people affected by knee OA.
Bursting balloons - comparison of risk taking between extreme sports, esports, and the general public
Authors: Keller Lucas , Bieleke Maik , Wolff Wanja
Published: December 2021

Arguably, extreme sports athletes exhibit a more significant risk appetite than the general public. Are standard behavioral risk measures able to capture this? To answer this question, we assessed self-reports of risk taking and measured the risk-taking behavior of samples of snowboarders and climbers. Two groups of non-athletes, university students and crowdworkers, and athletes of a sport that does not include the potential of grave injury or death, esports athletes, serve as control conditions and complement our study. Across these five different groups, 1313 participants performed an online version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and gave self-reports of general willingness to take risks and sports-specific risk taking. Extreme sports athletes exhibited greater risk taking in the BART than non-athletes and esports athletes. Furthermore, BART-performance predicted sports-specific risk taking and its affective consequences. Our results speak to the BART’s ecological validity and the unique role of physical consequences on risk-taking behavior.
A short note on sign changes and non-vanishing of Fourier coefficients of half-integral weight cusp forms
Authors: Kohnen Winfried
Published: December 2021

We study sign changes and non-vanishing of a certain double sequence of Fourier coefficients of cusp forms of half-integral weight.
Stretchable Systems
Authors: Kumaresan Yogeenth , Yogeswaran Nivasan , Occhipinti Luigi G. , Dahiya Ravinder
Published: December 2021

Stretchable electronics is one of the transformative pillars of future flexible electronics. As a result, the research on new passive and active materials, novel designs, and engineering approaches has attracted significant interest. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of new approaches that enable the integration of high-performance materials, including, organic and inorganic compounds, carbon-based and layered materials, and composites to serve as conductors, semiconductors or insulators, with the ability to accommodate electronics on stretchable substrates. This Element presents a discussion about the strategies that have been developed for obtaining stretchable systems, with a focus on various stretchable geometries to achieve strain invariant electrical response, and summarises the recent advances in terms of material research, various integration techniques of high-performance electronics. In addition, some of the applications, challenges and opportunities associated with the development of stretchable electronics are discussed.
In praise of Table 1: The importance of making better use of descriptive statistics
Authors: Murphy Kevin R.
Published: December 2021

As data analytic methods in the managerial sciences become more sophisticated, the gap between the descriptive data typically presented in Table 1 and the analyses used to test the principal hypotheses advanced has become increasingly large. This contributes to several problems including: (1) the increasing likelihood that analyses presented in published research will be performed and/or interpreted incorrectly, (2) an increasing reliance on statistical significance as the principal criterion for evaluating results, and (3) the increasing difficulty of describing our research and explaining our findings to non-specialists. A set of simple methods for assessing whether hypotheses about interventions, moderator relationships and mediation, are plausible that are based on the simplest possible examination of descriptive statistics are proposed.
The front runner in roll waves produced by local disturbances
Authors: Yu Boyuan , Chu Vincent H.
Published: December 2021

Roll waves produced by a local disturbance comprise a group of shock waves with steep fronts. We used a robust and accurate numerical scheme to capture the steep fronts in a shallow-water hydraulic model of the waves. Our simulations of the waves in clear water revealed the existence of a front runner with an exceedingly large amplitude – much greater than those of all other shock waves in the wave group. The trailing waves at the back remained periodic. Waves were produced continuously within the group due to nonlinear instability. The celerity depended on the wave amplitude. Over time, the instability produced an increasing number of shock waves in an ever-expanding wave group. We conducted simulations for three types of local disturbances of very different duration over a range of amplitudes. We interpreted the simulation results for the front runner and the trailing waves, guided by an analytical solution and the laboratory data available for the smaller waves in the trailing end of the wave group.
Reinforcement-learning-based control of confined cylinder wakes with stability analyses
Authors: Li Jichao , Zhang Mengqi
Published: December 2021

This work studies the application of a reinforcement learning (RL)-based flow control strategy to the flow past a cylinder confined between two walls to suppress vortex shedding. The control action is blowing and suction of two synthetic jets on the cylinder. The theme of this study is to investigate how to use and embed physical information of the flow in the RL-based control. First, global linear stability and sensitivity analyses based on the time-mean flow and the steady flow (which is a solution to the Navier–Stokes equations) are conducted in a range of blockage ratios and Reynolds numbers. It is found that the most sensitive region in the wake extends itself when either parameter increases in the parameter range we investigated here. Then, we use these physical results to help design RL-based control policies. We find that the controlled wake converges to the unstable steady base flow, where the vortex shedding can be successfully suppressed. A persistent oscillating control seems necessary to maintain this unstable state. The RL algorithm is able to outperform a gradient-based optimisation method (optimised in a certain period of time) in the long run. Furthermore, when the flow stability information is embedded in the reward function to penalise the instability, the controlled flow may become more stable. Finally, according to the sensitivity analyses, the control is most efficient when the probes are placed in the most sensitive region. The control can be successful even when few probes are properly placed in this manner.
Open-system behaviour of detrital zircon during weathering: an example from the Palaeoproterozoic Pretoria Group, South Africa
Authors: Andersen Tom , Elburg Marlina A.
Published: December 2021

Detrital zircon in six surface samples of sandstone and contact metamorphic quartzite of the Magaliesberg and Rayton formations of the Pretoria Group (depositional age c. 2.20–2.06 Ga) show a major age fraction at 2.35–2.20 Ga, and minor early Palaeoproterozoic – Neoarchaean fractions. Trace-element concentrations vary widely, with Ti, Y and light rare earth elements (LREEs) spanning over three orders of magnitude. REE distribution patterns range from typical zircon patterns (LREE depletion, heavy REE enrichment, well-developed positive Ce and negative Eu anomalies) to patterns that are flat to concave downwards, with indistinct Ce and Eu anomalies. The change in REE pattern correlates with increases in alteration-sensitive parameters such as Ti concentration and (Dy/Sm) + (Dy/Nd), U–Pb discordance and content of common lead, and with a gradual washing-out of oscillatory zoning in cathodoluminescence images. U and Th concentrations also increase, but Th/U behaves erratically. Discordant zircon scatters along lead-loss lines to zero-age lower intercepts, suggesting that the isotopic and chemical variations are the results of disturbance long after deposition. The rocks sampled have been in a surface-near position (at least) since Late Cretaceous time, and exposed to deep weathering under intermittently hot and humid conditions. In this environment, even elements commonly considered as relatively insoluble could be mobilized locally, and taken up by radiation-damaged zircon. Such secondary alteration effects on U–Pb and trace elements can be expected in zircon in any ancient sedimentary rock that has been exposed to tropical–subtropical weathering, which needs to be considered when interpreting detrital zircon data.
Multi-DMEs for alternative position, navigation and timing (A-PNT)
Authors: Liang Xiao , Milner Carl , Macabiau Christophe , Estival Philippe
Published: December 2021

Distance measuring equipment (DME/DME) as the main reversionary method provides alternative positioning, navigation and timing (A-PNT) services for use during a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) outage. Considering the geometry limitation of DME/DME, multi-DMEs with better geometry can be used to increase the accuracy and integrity performance of positioning. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges related to use of multi-DMEs as an alternate source of positioning, navigation and timing. To support the performance for A-PNT, the basic idea is considering the existing installed equipment. In this paper, barometer altimeter and TACAN are used to help improve the performance of A-PNT provided by multi-DMEs both in accuracy and integrity. Based on the database of EUROCONTROL, the test results demonstrate that 79⋅7% of a reference area roughly matching with the continental European locations achieve RNP 1 using multi-DMEs when the DME measurement accuracy is 0⋅2 NM (95%). When the DME measurement accuracy is 0⋅1 NM (95%), 87⋅9% of the reference area can achieve RNP 1 using multi-DMEs. The usage of barometer/TACAN measurements aided multi-DMEs improves the performance of the accuracy and integrity monitoring.
A spacecraft attitude manoeuvre planning algorithm based on improved policy gradient reinforcement learning
Authors: Hua Bing , Sun Shenggang , Wu Yunhua , Chen Zhiming
Published: December 2021

To solve the problem of spacecraft attitude manoeuvre planning under dynamic multiple mandatory pointing constraints and prohibited pointing constraints, a systematic attitude manoeuvre planning approach is proposed that is based on improved policy gradient reinforcement learning. This paper presents a succinct model of dynamic multiple constraints that is similar to a real situation faced by an in-orbit spacecraft. By introducing return baseline and adaptive policy exploration methods, the proposed method overcomes issues such as large variances and slow convergence rates. Concurrently, the required computation time of the proposed method is markedly reduced. Using the proposed method, the near optimal path of the attitude manoeuvre can be determined, making the method suitable for the control of micro spacecraft. Simulation results demonstrate that the planning results fully satisfy all constraints, including six prohibited pointing constraints and two mandatory pointing constraints. The spacecraft also maintains high orientation accuracy to the Earth and Sun during all attitude manoeuvres.
THE ORIGINS AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE EARLY MAYA FROM COLHA AND NORTHERN BELIZE
Authors: Valdez Fred , Sullivan Lauren A. , Buttles Palma J. , Aebersold Luisa
Published: December 2021

Investigations concerning the earliest Maya have been of archaeological interest for many decades. Northern Belize serves as a valuable region for researching and understanding early Maya developments. In particular, the ancient Maya site of Colha in northern Belize is a focal point of some early developments beginning in the Archaic period. Select resources in the region, especially in the chert-bearing zone, clearly had been of great interest and attraction to populations extending back into Paleoindian and Archaic times, as well as the Maya period for Colha and other sites near the resource zone. With the appearance of pottery-producing settled villages is the common assertion that Maya societies are in place around 1000b.c.Recent studies have identified much earlier occupants in the region with significant cultural developments, including semi-permanent occupation and horticulture occurring in the Late Archaic at approximately 3400b.c.It seems plausible, perhaps likely by our assessment, that these Late Archaic people (or aceramic populations) may have been the earliest Maya communities. Factors of defining communities, aspects of horticulture, and the transition from the Archaic into the Preclassic are reviewed in consideration of—just who were the earliest Maya?
European Fantasies: Modernism and Jewish Absence at the Venice Biennale of Art, 1948–1956
Authors: Tanzer Frances
Published: December 2021

This article examines how states with a fascist past – Germany, Austria and Italy – used modernism in the visual arts to rebrand national and European culture at the Venice Biennale of Art after 1945. I argue that post-war exhibitions of modern art, including those at the Biennale, reveal a vast confrontation with Jewish absence after the Holocaust. Christian Democrats and proponents of European integration attempted to reimagine modernism without the Jewish minority that had shaped it in crucial ways. Meanwhile, living Jewish artists resisted their exclusion from the post-war interpretations of modernism, as well as absorbtion of modernism as part of national heritage. Their criticisms lay bare a seeming paradox at the heart of post-war Europe: a desire to claim the veneer of pre-Nazi cosmopolitanism without returning its enabling demographic and cultural diversity. This article points to the significance of philosemitism for establishing post-war national and continental identities.
Humanizing the intensive care unit experience in a comprehensive cancer center: A patient- and family-centered improvement study
Authors: Cuenca John A. , Manjappachar Nirmala , Nates Joel , Mundie Tiffany , Beil Lisa , Christensen Eric , Martin Peyton , Diaz Nancy , Layton Lorraine S. , Plexman Karen , Nates Joseph L. , Price Kristen J. , Idowu Olakunle
Published: December 2021

Objectives

Improving family-centered outcomes is a priority in oncologic critical care. As part of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Collaborative, we implemented patient- and family-centered initiatives in a comprehensive cancer center.

Methods

A multidisciplinary team was created to implement the initiatives. We instituted an open visitation policy (OVP) that revamped the use of the two-way communication boards and enhanced the waiting room experience by hosting ICU family-centered events. To assess the initiatives’ effects, we carried out pre-intervention (PRE) and post-intervention (POST) family/caregiver and ICU practitioner surveys.

Results

A total of 159 (PRE = 79, POST = 80) family members and 147 (PRE = 95, POST = 52) ICU practitioners participated. Regarding the decision-making process, family members felt more included (40.5% vs. 68.8%, p < 0.001) and more supported (29.1% vs. 48.8%, p = 0.011) after the implementation of the initiatives. The caregivers also felt more control over the decision-making process in the POST survey (34.2% vs. 56.3%, p = 0.005). Although 33% of the ICU staff considered OVP was beneficial for the ICU, 41% disagreed and 26% were neutral. Only half of them responded that OVP was beneficial for patients and 63% agreed that OVP was beneficial for families. Half of the practitioners agreed that OVP resulted in additional work for staff.

Significance of results

Our project effectively promoted patient- and family-centered care. The families expressed satisfaction with the communication of information and the decision-making process. However, the ICU staff felt that the initiatives increased their work load. Further research is needed to understand whether making this project universal or introducing additional novel practices would significantly benefit patients admitted to the ICU and their family.
Reconciling Observed and Predicted Tropical Rainforest OH Concentrations
Authors: Jeong Daun , Seco Roger , Emmons Louisa , Schwantes Rebecca , Liu Yingjun , McKinney Karena A. , Martin Scot T. , Keutsch Frank N. , Gu Dasa , Guenther Alex B. , Vega Oscar , Tota Julio , Souza Rodrigo A. F. , Springston Stephen R. , Watson Thomas B. , Kim Saewung
Published: December 2021

We present OH observations made in Amazonas, Brazil during the Green Ocean Amazon campaign (GoAmazon2014/5) from February to March of 2014. The average diurnal variation of OH peaked with a midday (10:00–15:00) average of 1.0 × 106 (±0.6 × 106) molecules cm−3. This was substantially lower than previously reported in other tropical forest photochemical environments (2–5 × 106 molecules cm−3) while the simulated OH reactivity was lower. The observational data set was used to constrain a box model to examine how well current photochemical reaction mechanisms can simulate observed OH. We used one near‐explicit mechanism (MCM v3.3.1) and four condensed mechanisms (i.e., RACM2, MOZART‐T1, CB05, CB6r2) to simulate OH. A total of 14 days of analysis shows that all five chemical mechanisms were able to explain the measured OH within instrumental uncertainty of 40% during the campaign in the Amazonian rainforest environment. Future studies are required using more reliable NOx and VOC measurements to further investigate discrepancies in our understanding of the radical chemistry in the tropical rainforest.
An Identification Method of Melting Layer Using the Covariance Wavelet Transform Based on GPM‐DPR Observations
Authors: Qiao Junqi , Ai Weihua , Hu Xiong , Liu Maohong , Hu Shensen
Published: December 2021

A knowledge of melting layer (ML) is crucial for studying precipitation and hydrometeor. Based on the measurements of dual‐frequency ratio (DFRm) from the dual‐frequency precipitation radar on board the Global Precipitation Measurement satellite, we use the covariance wavelet transform (CWT) method to identify the ML top height (MLTH) through the DFRm profiles. Due to the influence of disturbance, the directly retrieved MLTH could be estimated mistakenly. To improve the reliability of the retrieved MLTH, a quality‐control algorithm based on the CWT method is developed. By comparing the MLTH with the corresponding 0°C isothermal heights, the retrieved MLTH are more reliable than the dual‐frequency precipitation radar (DPR) product, showing great potential in deploying the Global Precipitation Measurement DPR and the CWT method in the identification of the MLTH.
p53 partial loss-of-function mutations sensitize to chemotherapy
Authors: Klimovich Boris , Merle Nastasja , Neumann Michelle , Elmshäuser Sabrina , Nist Andrea , Mernberger Marco , Kazdal Daniel , Stenzinger Albrecht , Timofeev Oleg , Stiewe Thorsten
Published: December 2021

The tumor suppressive transcription factor p53 is frequently inactivated in cancer cells by missense mutations that cluster in the DNA binding domain. 30% hit mutational hotspot residues, resulting in a complete loss of transcriptional activity and mutant p53-driven chemotherapy resistance. Of the remaining 70% of non-hotspot mutants, many are partial loss-of-function (partial-LOF) mutants with residual transcriptional activity. The therapeutic consequences of a partial-LOF have remained largely elusive. Using a p53 mutation engineered to reduce DNA binding, we demonstrate that partial-LOF is sufficient to enhance oncogene-driven tumorigenesis in mouse models of lung and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and acute myeloid leukemia. Interestingly, mouse and human tumors with partial-LOF mutations showed mutant p53 protein accumulation similar as known for hotspot mutants. Different from the chemotherapy resistance caused by p53-loss, the partial-LOF mutant sensitized to an apoptotic chemotherapy response and led to a survival benefit. Mechanistically, the pro-apoptotic transcriptional activity of mouse and human partial-LOF mutants was rescued at high mutant protein levels, suggesting that accumulation of partial-LOF mutants enables the observed apoptotic chemotherapy response. p53 non-hotspot mutants with partial-LOF, therefore, represent tumorigenic p53 mutations that need to be distinguished from other mutations because of their beneficial impact on survival in a therapy context.
CRISPR/Cas9 genome-wide screening identifies LUC7L2 that promotes radioresistance via autophagy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells
Authors: Shen Lin , Li Chao , Chen Fang , Shen Liangfang , Li Zhanzhan , Li Na
Published: December 2021

Radioresistance emerges as the major obstacle to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment, further understanding of underlying mechanisms is necessary to overcome the radioresistance and improve the therapeutic effect. In this study, we first identified a candidate radioresistant-related gene LUC7L2 via CRISPR/Cas9 high-throughput screening and quantitative proteomic approach. Overexpression of LUC7L2 in NPC cells promoted cell viability following exposure to ionizing radiation (IR), while knockdown of LUC7L2 significantly slowed down the DNA replication and impaired cell survival, sensitized NPC-radioresistant cells to IR. Using immunoprecipitation assay, we found SQSTM1, an autophagy receptor, was a potential binding partner of LUC7L2. Down-regulation of LUC7L2 in NPC-radioresistant cells led to reduction of SQSTM1 expression and enhancement of autophagy level. Furthermore, LUC7L2 knockdown in combination with autophagy inhibitor, chloroquine (CQ), resulted in more NPC-radioresistant cell death. Besides, LUC7L2 was obviously distributed in NPC tissues, and high LUC7L2 expression correlated with shorter survival in NPC patients. Our data suggest that LUC7L2 plays a huge part in regulating radioresistance of NPC cells, and serves as a promising therapeutic target in re-sensitizing NPC to radiotherapy.
TRAP1 inhibits MIC60 ubiquitination to mitigate the injury of cardiomyocytes and protect mitochondria in extracellular acidosis
Authors: Zhang Lingxiao , Su Ning , Luo Yuanyuan , Chen Siyin , Zhao Tongfeng
Published: December 2021

Extracellular acidosis-induced mitochondrial damage of cardiomyocytes leads to cardiac dysfunction, but no detailed mechanism or efficient therapeutic target has been reported. Here we found that the protein levels of MIC60 were decreased in H9C2 cells and heart tissues in extracellular acidosis, which caused mitochondrial damage and cardiac dysfunction. Overexpression of MIC60 maintains H9C2 cells viability, increases ATP production and mitochondrial membrane potential, mitigates the disruptions of mitochondrial structure and cardiac injury. Mechanistically, extracellular acidosis excessively promoted MIC60 ubiquitin-dependent degradation. TRAP1 mitigated acidosis-induced mitochondrial impairments and cardiac injury by directly interacting with MIC60 to decrease its ubiquitin-dependent degradation in extracellular acidosis.
Comparing alternatives to the fixed degree sequence model for extracting the backbone of bipartite projections
Authors: Neal Zachary P. , Domagalski Rachel , Sagan Bruce
Published: December 2021

Projections of bipartite or two-mode networks capture co-occurrences, and are used in diverse fields (e.g., ecology, economics, bibliometrics, politics) to represent unipartite networks. A key challenge in analyzing such networks is determining whether an observed number of co-occurrences between two nodes is significant, and therefore whether an edge exists between them. One approach, the fixed degree sequence model (FDSM), evaluates the significance of an edge’s weight by comparison to a null model in which the degree sequences of the original bipartite network are fixed. Although the FDSM is an intuitive null model, it is computationally expensive because it requires Monte Carlo simulation to estimate each edge’s p value, and therefore is impractical for large projections. In this paper, we explore four potential alternatives to FDSM: fixed fill model, fixed row model, fixed column model, and stochastic degree sequence model (SDSM). We compare these models to FDSM in terms of accuracy, speed, statistical power, similarity, and ability to recover known communities. We find that the computationally-fast SDSM offers a statistically conservative but close approximation of the computationally-impractical FDSM under a wide range of conditions, and that it correctly recovers a known community structure even when the signal is weak. Therefore, although each backbone model may have particular applications, we recommend SDSM for extracting the backbone of bipartite projections when FDSM is impractical.
Changes in proportionate cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic infectious and inflammatory conditions in the United States, 1999–2018
Authors: Groenendyk Jacob W. , Rivera Adovich S. , Sinha Arjun , Lloyd-Jones Donald M. , Feinstein Matthew J.
Published: December 2021

Treatment options for several chronic infectious and inflammatory conditions have expanded in recent years. This may have implications for evolving competing risks for chronic inflammation-associated comorbidities, including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Yet sparse data exist on patterns over time in cardiovascular mortality for chronic infectious and inflammatory conditions. We used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1999–2018 Multiple Causes of Death database to investigate patterns in CVD mortality from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2018 in several infectious and inflammatory conditions. Specifically, we determined age-adjusted proportionate CVD mortality separately for patients with the following conditions (as well as the general population): hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), psoriasis (PSO), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Proportionate CVD mortality differed significantly in 1999 and 2018 for each condition compared with the general population (p < 0.0001). Proportionate CVD mortality decreased steadily in the general population (40.9 to 30.6%) but increased for patients with HCV (7.0 to 10.2%) and HIV (1.9 to 6.7%). For IBD, PSO, RA, and SLE, proportionate CVD mortality initially decreased followed by plateauing or increasing rates. Underlying disease-specific pathophysiologies, changes in natural history, and competing risks of chronic end-organ diseases contributing to these differences merit further study.