bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear dynamic analysis of a microsegment gear system with a time-varying base circle
Authors: Huang Kang , Xu Fengwei , Xiong Yangshou , Sang Meng , Yi Yong
Published: August 2019

A systematic dynamic analysis of a microsegment gear system with a time-varying base circle, time-varying mesh stiffness, and gear backlash is carried out in this paper. By discretizing the meshing process, a six degree-of-freedom nonlinear dynamic model of a microsegment gear pair is established. To study the dynamic response of the microsegment gear and involute gear under various operating conditions, the numerical integration method is adopted. The dynamic transmission error (DTE) of the two gears is analysed in terms of time history charts, phase diagrams, fast Fourier transformation spectra, and Poincaré maps. The effects of support damping and support stiffness on radial vibration are also investigated. Results reveal that, compared with the involute gear system, the microsegment gear system is more stable at the high-speed condition and has a smaller amplitude of DTE under medium-speed and heavy-load, high-speed, and heavy-load conditions. The support damping and support stiffness have great effects on the resonant peak in the radial direction of the microsegment gear. Both the proposed model and numerical results are expected to provide a useful source of reference for the dynamic design of the microsegment gear system.
Design of the Baseband Physical Layer of NarrowBand IoT LTE Uplink Digital Transmitter
Authors: Mohamed Basma H. , Taha Ahmed , Shawky Ahmed , Ahmed Essraa , Mohamed Ali , Mohsen Manar , Samy Rodina , ELHosiny Amr , Ibrahim Ahmed , Mostafa Hassan
Published: August 2019

With the new age of technology and the release of the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution, there is a need to connect a wide range of devices with varying throughput and performance requirements. In this paper, a digital transmitter of NarrowBand Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is proposed targeting very low power and delay-insensitive IoT applications with low throughput requirements. NB-IoT is a new cellular technology introduced by 3GPP in release 13 to provide wide-area coverage for the IoT. The low-cost receivers for such devices should have very low complexity, consume low power and hence run for several years. In this paper, the implementation of the data path chain of digital uplink transmitter is presented. The standard specifications are studied carefully to determine the required design parameters for each block. And the design is synthesized in UMC 130-nm technology.
Cascade calculation with schematic interactions
Authors: Wolfe Levering , Zamick Larry
Published: August 2019

In previous works we considered schematic Hamiltonians represented by simplified matrices. We defined two transition operators and calculated transition strengths from the ground state to all excited states. In many cases the strengths decreased nearly exponentially with the excitation energy. Now we do the reverse. We start with the highest energy state and calculate the cascade of transitions until the ground state is reached. On a log plot we show the average transition strength as a function of the number of energy intervals that were crossed. We give an analytic proof of exponential behavior for transition strength in the weak coupling limit for the [Formula: see text] transition operator.
Numerical Simulation of Wind-Driven Rain on a Long-Span Bridge
Authors: Huang Shenghong , Li Qiusheng , Liu Man , Chen Fubin , Liu Shun
Published: August 2019

Wind-driven rain (WDR) and its interactions with structures is an important research subject in wind engineering. As bridge spans are becoming longer and longer, the effects of WDR on long-span bridges should be well understood. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive numerical simulation study of WDR on a full-scale long-span bridge under extreme conditions. A validation study shows that the predictions of WDR on a bridge section model agree with experimental results, validating the applicability of the WDR simulation approach based on the Eulerian multiphase model. Furthermore, a detailed numerical simulation of WDR on a long-span bridge, North Bridge of Xiazhang Cross-sea Bridge is conducted. The simulation results indicate that although the loads induced by raindrops on the bridge surfaces are very small as compared to the wind loads, extreme rain intensity may occur on some windward surfaces of the bridge. The adopted numerical methods and rain loading models are validated to be an effective tool for WDR simulation for bridges and the results presented in this paper provide useful information for the water-erosion proof design of future long-span bridges.
Norm-compatible systems of cohomology classes for GU(2,2)
Authors: Cauchi Antonio
Published: August 2019

We describe work of Faltings on the construction of étale cohomology classes associated to symplectic Shimura varieties and show that they satisfy certain trace compatibilities similar to the ones of Siegel units in the modular curve case. Starting from those, we construct a two-variable family of trace compatible classes in the cohomology of a unitary Shimura variety.
The constant factor in the asymptotic for practical numbers
Authors: Weingartner Andreas
Published: August 2019

An integer [Formula: see text] is said to be practical if every natural number [Formula: see text] can be expressed as a sum of distinct positive divisors of [Formula: see text]. The number of practical numbers up to [Formula: see text] is asymptotic to [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a constant. In this paper, we show that [Formula: see text]
Mathematical modeling and analysis of innate and humoral immune responses to dengue infections
Authors: Perera Sulanie , Perera S. S. N.
Published: August 2019

Dengue is an acute arthropode-borne virus, belonging to the family Flaviviridae. Currently, there are no vaccines or treatments available against dengue. Thus it is important to understand the dynamics of dengue in order to control the infection. In this paper, we study the long-term dynamics of the model that is presented in [S. D. Perera and S. S. N. Perera, Simulation model for dynamics of dengue with innate and humoral immune responses, Comput. Math. Methods Med. 2018 (2018) 8798057, 18 pp. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8798057 ] which describes the interaction of virus with infected and uninfected cells in the presence of innate and humoral immune responses. It was found the model has three equilibria, namely: infection free equilibrium, no immune equilibrium and endemic equilibrium, then analyzed its stability analytically. The analytical findings of each model have been exemplified by numerical simulations. Given the fact that intensity of dengue virus replication at early times of infection could determine clinical outcomes, it is important to understand the impact of innate immunity, which is believed to be the first line of defense against an invading pathogen. For this we carry out a simulation case study to investigate the importance of innate immune response on dengue virus dynamics. A comparison was done assuming that innate immunity was active; innate immunity was in quasi-steady state and innate immunity was inactive during the virus replication process. By a further analysis of the qualitative behavior of the quasi-steady state, it was observed that innate immune response plays a pivotal role in dengue virus dynamics. It can change the dynamical behavior of the system and is essential for the virus clearance.
The State of ICSE
Authors: Elbaum Sebastian
Published: August 2019

In this state of the conference I want to share a short reflection about my four years as steering committee chair, some highlights of the upcoming ICSE operational guidelines, and a quick update on the next ICSEs.
Universal Basic Income: Some Theoretical Aspects
Authors: Ghatak Maitreesh , Maniquet François
Published: August 2019

In this article, we review the desirability and feasibility of a universal basic income (UBI) scheme from the theoretical point of view. We first discuss the possible theoretical justifications of UBI, contrasting the unconditionality of UBI with the many conditions that typically accompany other welfare policies. These justifications range from pure normative reasons to practical reasons due to the problem of screening beneficiaries and imperfections in institutions in charge of implementing tax and welfare policies. Next, we explore the conditions that determine the feasibility and size of a UBI. The broad picture that emerges from our review is that both normative and practical considerations make UBI easier to defend as a tool of poverty alleviation in developing countries than as a tool to achieve social justice in developed ones.
Performance Analysis of V2V and V2I LiFi Communication Systems in Traffic Lights
Authors: Hernandez-Oregon Gerardo , Rivero-Angeles Mario E. , Chimal-Eguía Juan C. , Campos-Fentanes Arturo , Jimenez-Gallardo Jorge G. , Estevez-Alva Ulises O. , Juarez-Gonzalez Omar , Rosas-Calderon Pedro O. , Sandoval-Reyes Sergio , Menchaca-Mendez Rolando
Published: August 2019

Vehicular networks is a key technology for efficiently communicating both user’s devices and cars for timely information regarding safe driving conditions and entertaining applications like social media, video streaming, and gaming services, among others. In view of this, mobile communications making use of cellular resources may not be an efficient and cost-effective alternative. In this context, the implementation of light-fidelity (LiFi) in vehicular communications could be a low-cost, high-data-rate, and efficient-bandwidth usage solution. In this work, we propose a mathematical analysis to study the average throughput in a road intersection equipped with a traffic light that operates as a server, which is assumed to have LiFi communication links with the front lights of the vehicles waiting for the green light. We further assume that the front vehicle (the car next to the traffic light) is able to communicate to the car immediately behind it by using its own tail lights and the front lights of such vehicle, and so on and so forth. The behavior of the road junction is modeled by a Markov chain, applying the Queueing theory with an M/M/1 system in order to obtain the average queue length. Then, Little’s theorem is applied to calculate the average waiting delay when the red light is present in the traffic light. Finally, the mathematical expression of the data throughput is derived.
A Presence- and Performance-Driven Framework to Investigate Interactive Networked Music Learning Scenarios
Authors: Delle Monache Stefano , Comanducci Luca , Buccoli Michele , Zanoni Massimiliano , Sarti Augusto , Pietrocola Enrico , Berbenni Filippo , Cospito Giovanni
Published: August 2019

Cooperative music making in networked environments has been subject of extensive research, scientific and artistic. Networked music performance (NMP) is attracting renewed interest thanks to the growing availability of effective technology and tools for computer-based communications, especially in the area of distance and blended learning applications. We propose a conceptual framework for NMP research and design in the context of classical chamber music practice and learning: presence-related constructs and objective quality metrics are used to problematize and systematize the many factors affecting the experience of studying and practicing music in a networked environment. To this end, a preliminary NMP experiment on the effect of latency on chamber music duos experience and quality of the performance is introduced. The degree of involvement, perceived coherence, and immersion of the NMP environment are here combined with measures on the networked performance, including tempo trends and misalignments from the shared score. Early results on the impact of temporal factors on NMP musical interaction are outlined, and their methodological implications for the design of pedagogical applications are discussed.
Microvesicle-Mediated Delivery of Minicircle DNA Results in Effective Gene-Directed Enzyme Prodrug Cancer Therapy
Authors: Kanada Masamitsu , Kim Bryan D. , Hardy Jonathan W. , Ronald John A. , Bachmann Michael H. , Bernard Matthew P. , Perez Gloria I. , Zarea Ahmed A. , Ge T. Jessie , Withrow Alicia , Ibrahim Sherif A. , Toomajian Victoria , Gambhir Sanjiv S. , Paulmurugan Ramasamy , Contag Christopher H.
Published: August 2019

An emerging approach for cancer treatment employs the use of extracellular vesicles, specifically exosomes and microvesicles, as delivery vehicles. We previously demonstrated that microvesicles can functionally deliver plasmid DNA to cells and showed that plasmid size and sequence, in part, determine the delivery efficiency. In this study, delivery vehicles comprised of microvesicles loaded with engineered minicircle (MC) DNA that encodes prodrug converting enzymes developed as a cancer therapy in mammary carcinoma models. We demonstrated that MCs can be loaded into shed microvesicles with greater efficiency than their parental plasmid counterparts and that microvesicle-mediated MC delivery led to significantly higher and more prolonged transgene expression in recipient cells than microvesicles loaded with the parental plasmid. Microvesicles loaded with MCs encoding a thymidine kinase (TK)/nitroreductase (NTR) fusion protein produced prolonged TK-NTR expression in mammary carcinoma cells. In vivo delivery of TK-NTR and administration of prodrugs led to the effective killing of both targeted cells and surrounding tumor cells via TK-NTR–mediated conversion of codelivered prodrugs into active cytotoxic agents. In vivo evaluation of the bystander effect in mouse models demonstrated that for effective therapy, at least 1% of tumor cells need to be delivered with TK-NTR–encoding MCs. These results suggest that MC delivery via microvesicles can mediate gene transfer to an extent that enables effective prodrug conversion and tumor cell death such that it comprises a promising approach to cancer therapy.
The NCCN Criterion “Young Age at Onset” Alone is Not an Indicator of Hereditary Breast Cancer in Iranian Population
Authors: Ebrahimi Elmira , Sellars Erin , Shirkoohi Reza , Harirchi Iraj , Ghiasvand Reza , Mohebbi Elham , Zendehdel Kazem , Akbari Mohammad R.
Published: August 2019

Because the contribution of genetic factors to the burden of breast cancer is not well investigated in Iran, we aimed to examine the prevalence of mutations in breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1/2 and PALB2, and to investigate the predictive potential of hereditary breast cancer risk criteria for genetic testing in Iranian population. Next-generation sequencing was conducted on a population consisting of 299 and 125 patients with breast cancer, with and without hereditary cancer risk criteria for genetic testing, respectively. The pathogenic mutation frequency rate was 10.7% in patients with hereditary cancer criteria versus 1.6% in no criteria group (P = 0.0017). None of the 107 tested patients with only young age at onset (<40) criterion had a pathogenic mutation. Patients who had only a single heritable risk criterion [OR, 6.15; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26–58.59; P = 0.009] and patients with multiple heritable risk criteria (OR, 22.5; 95% CI, 5.19–201.31; P < 0.0001) had higher probabilities of carrying a mutation compared with no criteria group. Our results showed that young age at onset alone is not an indicator of hereditary breast cancer at least in the Iranian population. This is while women with multiple hereditary breast cancer risk criteria were enriched for BRCA1/2 mutations. Given such high risk of identification of a disease-causing mutation, multiple hereditary criteria should be regarded as a strong predictor for a hereditary breast cancer syndrome. These findings are important concerning the optimization of genetic counseling and furthermore establishing criteria for BRCA1/2 testing of the Iranian population.
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: Time to Replace 17OHP with 21-Deoxycortisol
Authors: Miller Walter L.
Published: August 2019

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) has a worldwide incidence of 1 in 15–20,000. Affected individuals have adrenal insufficiency and androgen excess; the androgen excess begins during fetal life, typically resulting in 46,XX disordered sexual development. In 21OHD, 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP), the steroid proximal to 21-hydroxylase, accumulates. Most industrialized countries have newborn screening programs that measure 17OHP; such screening has permitted rapid detection of newborns with 21OHD, saving lives previously lost to mineralocorticoid deficiency and salt wasting. However, newborn screening is plagued by false positives. 17OHP is above most “cutoff values” in the first 24 h of life, is high in otherwise normal premature infants, and in many term infants with physiologic stress from unrelated diseases. In addition, newborn 17OHP may be elevated in other forms of CAH, including 11-hydroxylase deficiency, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency, and P450 oxidoreductase deficiency. In 21OHD, some of the accumulated intra-adrenal 17OHP is converted to 21-deoxycortisol (21-deoxy) by 11β-hydroxylase (CYP11B1); 21-deoxy is not elevated in premature infants or in other forms of CAH, and hence is a more specific marker for 21OHD. However, 21-deoxy assays have not been generally available until recently, hence experience is limited. We urge clinical investigators, commercial reference laboratories, and newborn screening programs to investigate replacing 17OHP with 21-deoxy as the analyte of choice for studies of 21OHD.
Impact of Spacing and Orientation on the Scar Threshold With a High-Density Grid Catheter
Authors: Takigawa Masateru , Relan Jatin , Kitamura Takeshi , Martin Claire A. , Kim Steven , Martin Ruairidh , Cheniti Ghassen , Vlachos Konstantinos , Massoullié Grégoire , Frontera Antonio , Thompson Nathaniel , Wolf Michael , Bourier Felix , Lam Anna , Duchateau Josselin , Pambrun Thomas , Denis Arnaud , Derval Nicolas , Pillois Xavier , Magat Julie , Naulin Jerome , Merle Mathilde , Collot Florent , Quesson Bruno , Cochet Hubert , Hocini Mélèze , Haïssaguerre Michel , Sacher Frederic , Jaïs Pierre
Published: August 2019

Background:

Multipolar catheters are increasingly used for high-density mapping. However, the threshold to define scar areas has not been well described for each configuration. We sought to elucidate the impact of bipolar spacing and orientation on the optimal threshold to match magnetic resonance imaging-defined scar.

Method:

The HD-Grid catheter uniquely allows for different spatially stable bipolar configurations to be tested. We analyzed the electrograms with settings of HD-16 (3 mm spacing in both along and across bipoles) and HD-32 (1 mm spacing in along bipoles and 3 mm spacing in across bipoles) and determined the optimal cutoff for scar detection in 6 infarcted sheep.

Results:

From 456 total acquisition sites (mean 76±12 per case), 14 750 points with the HD-16 and 32286 points with the HD-32 configuration for bipolar electrograms were analyzed. For bipolar voltages, the optimal cutoff value to detect the magnetic resonance imaging-defined scar based on the Youden’s Index, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) differed depending on the spacing and orientation of bipoles; across 0.84 mV (AUROC, 0.920; 95% CI, 0.911–0.928), along 0.76 mV (AUROC, 0.903; 95% CI, 0.893–0.912), north-east direction 0.95 mV (AUROC, 0.923; 95% CI, 0.913–0.932), and south-east direction, 0.87 mV (AUROC, 0.906; 95% CI, 0.895–0.917) in HD-16; and across 0.83 mV (AUROC, 0.917; 95% CI, 0.911–0.924), along 0.46 mV (AUROC, 0.890; 95% CI, 0.883–0.897), north-east direction 0.89 mV (AUROC, 0.923; 95% CI, 0.917–0.929), and south-east direction 0.83 mV (AUROC, 0.913; 95% CI, 0.906–0.920) in HD-32. Significant differences in AUROC were seen between HD-16 along versus across (
P
=0.002), HD-16 north-east direction versus south-east direction (
P
=0.01), HD-32 north-east direction versus south-east direction (
P
<0.0001), and HD-16 along versus HD-32 along (
P
=0.006). The AUROC was significantly larger (
P
<0.01) when only the best points on each given site were selected for analysis, compared with when all points were used.

Conclusions:

Spacing and orientation of bipoles impacts the accuracy of scar detection. Optimal threshold specific to each bipolar configuration should be determined. Selecting one best voltage point among multiple points projected on the same surface is also critical on the Ensite-system to increase the accuracy of scar-mapping.
Cardiovascular Manifestations of Systemic Sclerosis: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study
Authors: Butt Sheraz A. , Jeppesen Jørgen L. , Torp‐Pedersen Christian , Sam Flora , Gislason Gunnar H. , Jacobsen Søren , Andersson Charlotte
Published: August 2019

Background

Cardiovascular involvement in systemic sclerosis (
SS
c) comprises a wide range of manifestations with prevalence and incidence that remain uncertain.

Methods and Results

In the Danish administrative registries between 1995 and 2015, all patients aged ≥18 years with a first diagnosis of
SS
c were matched by age and sex with controls (1:5) from the general population. Prevalence of cardiovascular diseases at the time of the
SS
c diagnosis and incidence during follow‐up were assessed by in‐ and outpatient discharge diagnoses. Conditional logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used respectively to calculate odds ratios for prevalent cardiovascular diseases and hazard ratios (
HRs
) for incident diseases associated with
SS
c. Patients with
SS
c (n=2778; 76% women; mean±SD age: 55±15 years) had more established cardiovascular risk factors than their respective controls at baseline, including greater prevalence of hypertension (31.2% versus 21.0%,
P
<0.0001) and treated dyslipidemia (9.8% versus 8.5%,
P
=0.02).
SS
c was associated with an increased relative risk of developing most cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (HR: 2.08; 95% CI, 1.65–2.64), peripheral vascular disease (HR: 5.73; 95% CI, 4.63–7.09), pulmonary hypertension (HR: 21.18; 95% CI, 14.73–30.45), mitral regurgitation (HR: 4.60; 95% CI, 3.12–6.79), aortic regurgitation (HR: 3.78; 95% CI, 2.55–5.58), aortic stenosis (HR: 2.99; 95% CI, 2.25–3.97), pericarditis (HR: 8.78; 95% CI, 4.84–15.93), heart failure (HR: 2.86; 95% CI, 2.43–3.37), atrial fibrillation (HR: 1.75; 95% CI, 1.51–2.04), and venous thromboembolism (HR: 2.10; 95% CI, 1.65–2.67). Additional adjustment for medications and comorbidities yielded results similar to the main analyses.

Conclusions

In this nationwide study,
SS
c was associated with greater risks of distinct cardiovascular diseases for patients than for matched controls, suggesting a significant disease‐related adverse impact across the vascular bed and specific cardiac structures.
Incidence and Etiologies of Stroke Mimics After Incident Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack
Authors: Khanevski Andrej Netland , Kvistad Christopher E. , Novotny Vojtech , Næss Halvor , Thomassen Lars , Logallo Nicola , Bjerkreim Anna Therese
Published: August 2019

Background and Purpose—

Stroke mimics (SM) pose a common clinical challenge, but the burden of SM in patients with previous ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack is unknown. The objective of this study was to calculate the incidence of SM in IS survivors, compare it with the incidence of recurrent stroke in the same population, and explore the time-dependent patterns of SM etiologies.

Methods—

This prospective cohort study registered SM events and etiologies among 1872 IS and transient ischemic attack survivors diagnosed with index stroke at Haukeland University Hospital stroke unit from 2007 to 2013 by review of medical records. Cumulative incidences of SM were estimated with a competing risks Cox model and compared with incidence of recurrent stroke in the same population.

Results—

During 8172 person-years of follow-up, 339 patients had 480 SM events. The cumulative incidence rate of SM during follow-up was 58.7 per 1.000 person-years (95% CI, 53.7–64.2) compared with 34.0 per 1.000 person-years (95% CI, 30.2–38.2) for recurrent stroke in the same time period. The risks of SM and recurrent stroke were highest the first year after index IS or transient ischemic attack. The most frequent SM diagnoses were sequelae of cerebral infarction (19.8%), medical observation, and evaluation for suspected cerebrovascular disease (15.6%) and infections (14.0%). The 2 most frequent and unspecific diagnoses (sequelae of cerebral infarction and medical observation) were clustered in the first months after index stroke.

Conclusions—

SM after IS or transient ischemic attack are more frequent than recurrent stroke and the risk is especially high in the early period. SMs are multietiological and unspecific diagnoses are most frequent early after index stroke.
The Under-Appreciated Rodent: Harbingers of Plague From the Middle Ages to the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Hardy Anne
Published: August 2019

The history of the rat and the wider rodent family in relation to bubonic plague suggests multiple ways in which different research disciplines can contribute to the understanding of mortality, morbidity, and epidemics in the past: For instance, demographic approaches can can clarify long-term trends in, and disruptions to, patterns of mortality; the study of psychological responses to disease since 1850 can lend insights into past disease behaviors; and archaeological discoveries and the still-developing technology of ancient dna analysis can help in the determination of causes and effects. As the link between the black rat and bubonic plague shows, without the collaboration of interdisciplinary methods, our understanding would surely suffer. The history of plague and the Black Death encompasses far more than the involvement of rats, but the enduring sylvatic reservoirs of plague infection that the rats and their many rodent cousins constituted in the past, and still constitute, should not be blithely discounted.
Philo’s Eschatology, Personal and Cosmic
Authors: Penner Ken M.
Published: August 2019

Although first-century writings in the New Testament, Dead Sea Scrolls, and the pseudepigrapha are widely recognized for their descriptions of the ultimate destiny of individuals and the world, the views of Philo of Alexandria do not get the same attention. To situate the apocalyptic eschatologies of Jesus, the Qumran sectarians, and Enoch in their context, we must compare them to the eschatology of this contemporary Hellenistic Jew. I demonstrate that Philo’s eschatology is shaped by two convictions: (1) that God is good and can do no evil, and (2) virtue must be developed within people in this life. These convictions entail that the purpose of punishment must be solely for correction, and that God provides unlimited opportunity for souls to improve. Philo held that reincarnation provides just such an ever-improving spiral in which souls finally become wise by honoring God and consequently the world becomes a peaceful, prosperous paradise.
Some Improvements for the Restored Hormasia Tables
Authors: Najock Dietmar
Published: August 2019

The lost hormasia tables, as restored in my previous article, are modified in the present contribution by some corrections or improvements. The improved tables at least theoretically provide a refined system of accompaniment by two-note chords, essentially fifths or fourths, picked out of the latter part of the left hand row. Furthermore, this part can be used for playing a second voice in parallel fifths, fourths, seconds and thirds (or their octaves). The fourth section presents some comparable phenomena, both from medieval European theory and from old folklore which is likely to be rooted in Byzantine or even ancient music. A note on ancient ‘polyphony’ is added, together with some general remarks on the possibilities of restoring the lost tables.
On the Cooling-to-Space Approximation
Authors: Jeevanjee Nadir , Fueglistaler Stephan
Published: August 2019

The cooling-to-space (CTS) approximation says that the radiative cooling of an atmospheric layer is dominated by that layer’s emission to space, while radiative exchange with layers above and below largely cancel. Though the CTS approximation has been demonstrated empirically and is thus fairly well accepted, a theoretical justification is lacking. Furthermore, the intuition behind the CTS approximation cannot be universally valid, as the CTS approximation fails in the case of pure radiative equilibrium. Motivated by this, we investigate the CTS approximation in detail. We frame the CTS approximation in terms of a novel decomposition of radiative flux divergence, which better captures the cancellation of exchange terms. We also derive validity criteria for the CTS approximation, using simple analytical theory. We apply these criteria in the context of both gray gas pure radiative equilibrium (PRE) and radiative–convective equilibrium (RCE) to understand how the CTS approximation arises and why it fails in PRE. When applied to realistic gases in RCE, these criteria predict that the CTS approximation should hold well for H2O but less so for CO2, a conclusion we verify with line-by-line radiative transfer calculations. Along the way we also discuss the well-known “τ = 1 law,” and its dependence on the choice of vertical coordinate.
Detected Changes in Precipitation Extremes at Their Native Scales Derived from In Situ Measurements
Authors: Risser Mark D. , Paciorek Christopher J. , O’Brien Travis A. , Wehner Michael F. , Collins William D.
Published: August 2019

The gridding of daily accumulated precipitation—especially extremes—from ground-based station observations is problematic due to the fractal nature of precipitation, and therefore estimates of long period return values and their changes based on such gridded daily datasets are generally underestimated. In this paper, we characterize high-resolution changes in observed extreme precipitation from 1950 to 2017 for the contiguous United States (CONUS) based on in situ measurements only. Our analysis utilizes spatial statistical methods that allow us to derive gridded estimates that do not smooth extreme daily measurements and are consistent with statistics from the original station data while increasing the resulting signal-to-noise ratio. Furthermore, we use a robust statistical technique to identify significant pointwise changes in the climatology of extreme precipitation while carefully controlling the rate of false positives. We present and discuss seasonal changes in the statistics of extreme precipitation: the largest and most spatially coherent pointwise changes are in fall (SON), with approximately 33% of CONUS exhibiting significant changes (in an absolute sense). Other seasons display very few meaningful pointwise changes (in either a relative or absolute sense), illustrating the difficulty in detecting pointwise changes in extreme precipitation based on in situ measurements. While our main result involves seasonal changes, we also present and discuss annual changes in the statistics of extreme precipitation. In this paper we only seek to detect changes over time and leave attribution of the underlying causes of these changes for future work.
UV Reflectance of the Ocean from DSCOVR/EPIC: Comparisons with a Theoretical Model and Aura/OMI Observations
Authors: Vasilkov Alexander , Lyapustin Alexei , Mitchell B. Greg , Huang Dong
Published: August 2019

Ultraviolet (UV) data collected over the ocean by the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) on theDeep Space Climate Observatory(DSCOVR) are used. The Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm adapted for EPIC processing performs cloud detection, aerosol retrievals, and atmospheric correction providing the water-leaving reflectance of the ocean at 340 and 388 nm. The water-leaving reflectance is an indicator of the presence of absorbing and scattering constituents in seawater. The retrieved water-leaving reflectance is compared with full radiative transfer calculations based on a model of inherent optical properties (IOP) of ocean water in UV. The model is verified with data collected on the Aerosol Characterization Experiments (ACE) Asia cruise supported by the NASA Sensor Intercomparison for Marine Biological and Interdisciplinary Ocean Studies (SIMBIOS) project. The model assumes that the ocean water IOPs are parameterized through a chlorophyll concentration. The radiative transfer simulations were carried out using the climatological chlorophyll concentration from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board theAquasatellite. The EPIC-derived water-leaving reflectance is also compared with climatological Lambertian-equivalent reflectivity (LER) of the ocean derived from measurements of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on board the NASA polar-orbitingAurasatellite. The EPIC reflectance agrees well (within 0.01) with the model reflectance except for oligotrophic oceanic areas. For those areas, the model reflectance is biased low by about 0.01 at 340 nm and up to 0.03 at 388 nm. The OMI-derived climatological LER is significantly higher than the EPIC water-leaving reflectance, largely due to the surface glint contribution. The globally averaged difference is about 0.04.
Educator licensure overlap in the early grades: Why it occurs, why it matters, and what to do about it
Authors: Fowler R. Clarke
Published: August 2019

In the United States, 48 states have recognized the educational importance of the early years by awarding stand-alone early childhood education (ECE) licenses that require specialized training in teaching young children. Yet, at the same time, teachers with elementary education (ELED) licenses are allowed to teach kindergarten in 34 states and 1st through 3 rd grade in more than 45 states. This means that teachers may be licensed to teach young children without receiving specialized early childhood training. R. Clarke Fowler explores the extent of the licensure overlap, the reasons for it, and the effects it has on early childhood education. He recommends moving toward a preK-3 license that requires teachers to learn developmentally appropriate practices for the education of young children.
Washington View: Education on the campaign trail
Authors: Ferguson Maria
Published: August 2019

The 2020 presidential campaign has already touched on a variety of education issues. Maria Ferguson describes how the campaigns have addressed issues related to higher education, such as student debt and the rising cost of college. She predicts that the ongoing plight of public school teachers, brought to the spotlight by teacher strikes across the nation, will also remain an issue throughout the campaign. Charter schools have been targeted by some candidates as one of the causes of public schools’ struggles. And racial inequity hit the spotlight in the June Democratic debate when Kamala Harris shared her personal experience with busing. Ferguson predicts that education will remain a visible issue throughout the campaign and the candidate who speaks clearly and directly about the education issues that matter most to voters will score a win.
On media censorship, freedom of expression and the risks of journalism in Mexico
Authors: González-Quiñones Fidel , Machin-Mastromatteo Juan D
Published: August 2019

We present a classification of the types of censorship of media to frame the various issues that journalism and freedom of expression face in Mexico, which mainly include the role of the State in preventing or enforcing censorship, the monopoly of a few corporate groups that control most of the mass media and dictate fixed editorial lines throughout all of them, the effect of violence on journalism and the issues that are emerging around the freedom of expression in social media.
Cardiopulmonary bypass and dual antiplatelet therapy: a strategy to minimise transfusions and blood loss
Authors: Karlsson Mattias , Hannuksela Matias , Appelblad Micael , Hällgren Oskar , Johagen Daniel , Wahba Alexander , Svenmarker Staffan
Published: August 2019

Background:

Patients with preoperative dual antiplatelet therapy prior to coronary artery bypass surgery are at risk of bleeding and blood component transfusion. We hypothesise that an optimised cardiopulmonary bypass strategy reduces postoperative blood loss and transfusions.

Methods:

In total, 60 patients admitted for coronary artery bypass grafting with ticagrelor and aspirin medication withdrawn <96 hours before surgery were prospectively randomised into two equal sized groups. Cardiopulmonary bypass combined a closed Cortiva® heparin-coated circuit with low systemic heparinisation (activated clotting time < 250 seconds) and intraoperative cell salvage in the study group, whereas the control group used a Balance® coated open circuit, full systemic heparinisation (activated clotting time > 480 seconds) and conventional cardiotomy suction. This perfusion strategy was evaluated by the chest drain volume after 24 hours, perioperative haemoglobin and platelet loss accompanied by global coagulation assessments.

Results:

Patients in the study group demonstrated significantly better outcomes signified by lower blood loss 554 ± 224 versus 1,100 ± 989 mL (p < 0.001), reduced packed red cell transfusion 7% versus 53% (p < 0.001), reduced haemoglobin −28 ± 15 versus −40 ± 14 g/L (p = 0.004) and platelet loss −35 ± 36 versus −82 ± 67 × 109/L (p = 0.001). Indices of rotational thromboelastometry indicated shorter clotting times within the internal and external pathways. Adenosine diphosphate activated platelet function was within normal range based on Multiplate® aggregometry, while ROTEM® platelet analyses indicated inhibited function both preoperatively and post-bypass. Platelet inhibition by aspirin was verified throughout the perioperative period. Platelet function showed no intergroup differences.

Conclusion:

A stringent perfusion strategy reduced blood loss and transfusions in dual antiplatelet therapy patients requiring urgent surgery.
Recurrence of a symptomatic spinal intradural arachnoid cyst 29 years after fenestration
Authors: Nakahashi Masahiro , Uei Hiroshi , Tokuhashi Yasuaki
Published: August 2019

Symptomatic arachnoid cysts are relatively rare, and no case reports have described recurrence of such cysts almost 30 years after surgery. We herein report a case in which a symptomatic intradural arachnoid cyst recurred 29 years after fenestration of the primary lesion. The patient was a 64-year-old woman who presented with paralysis of the left lower limb. She had undergone surgical treatment for an intradural arachnoid cyst at the T12 level 29 years previously. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an intradural mass at the T12–L1 level. The mass was compressing the spinal cord and cauda equina. Its localization and shape on MRI were similar to those of the primary cyst 29 years previously. Partial resection was performed under a diagnosis of a recurrent intradural arachnoid cyst. After surgery, the patient’s left lower limb paralysis improved. The pathological findings were suggestive of an intradural arachnoid cyst. The MRI findings 29 years previously provided useful information. The possibility of very late recurrence should be considered in patients who undergo surgical removal of intradural arachnoid cysts.
Investigating the image deficit of vocational education and training: Occupational prestige ranking depending on the educational requirements and the skill content of occupations
Authors: Abrassart Aurélien , Wolter Stefan C
Published: August 2019

Vocational education and training (VET) often suffers from a lack of social standing among students and their families. Parents have been shown to discard vocational education because of social status maintenance considerations. How adults perceive the social prestige of occupations might therefore be key in understanding the reasons of the image deficit of VET. While the existing literature on occupational prestige ranking stresses the role of the salience in science or the training intensiveness of occupations for the perception of their social prestige, it fails at accounting for the distinct types of knowledge involved and the variety of the skill content of occupations. More precisely, differences in the salience of physical tasks and cognitive skills should be particularly relevant. We contribute to the literature by analysing a unique data set in Switzerland, a country characterized by a well-established and well-functioning vocational education and system, based on a survey of adults’ perception of the social prestige of occupations requiring academic or vocational education. Using several dimensions of the skill content of occupations, we find that the sophistication of skills performed within occupations, whether manual or intellectual, clearly improves the social prestige of the occupations investigated. However, the negative or positive effect of the previous dimensions of the skill content of occupations is small to inexistent at lower levels of educational requirements and becomes stronger as occupations become more training intensive. The desirability of occupations requiring vocational education depends therefore less on the skill content of occupations than on the level of education that is required.
Problematising Symbolic Reparation: ‘Complex Political Victims’, ‘Dead Body Politics’ and the Right to Remember
Authors: Hearty Kevin
Published: August 2019

In light of the increasing importance of commemoration and memorialisation within the study of transitional justice, this article attempts to stimulate further critical discussion on the right to remember in societies transitioning out of prolonged conflict. Located within a wider exploration of the problematic overlap between the ‘politics of reparations’ and ‘dead body politics’ commonly found in transitioning societies, it argues that any prospective right to remember creates a tension between competing collective rights held by various constituencies. On the one hand, there emerges the right of remembrance owed to certain constituencies, yet at the same time this must be balanced against the right of acknowledgment owed to other constituencies. Despite this tension, the article posits that affording a right to remember in the case of ‘complex political victims’ is necessary for reparative imbalance to be avoided, for a fuller insight into the causes and consequences of past violence to be gained and for movement towards the goal of non-recurrence.
Cytopathological Features of SMARCA4-Deficient Thoracic Sarcoma: Report of 2 Cases and Review of the Literature
Authors: Takeda Maiko , Tani Yoko , Saijo Nobuhiko , Shimizu Shigeki , Taniguchi Yoshihiko , Otsuka Kenji , Nakao Keiko , Tamiya Akihiro , Okishio Kyoichi , Atagi Shinji , Ohbayashi Chiho , Kasai Takahiko
Published: August 2019

SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcoma (SMARCA4-DTS) is a recently described entity of thoracic sarcomas with an undifferentiated rhabdoid morphology and SMARCA4 inactivation. Regardless of some reports about the histopathological findings so far, there have been only a few reports about the cytological features. In this article, we present the pathological features of 2 SMARCA4-DTS cases, including the cytological findings. Histopathologically, the tumor cells showed atypical loosely cohesive large epithelioid cells focally with geographic necrosis. Some cells were characterized by rhabdoid cells. Both patients showed intrathoracic masses with a history of smoking, and loss of SMARCA4 expression was confirmed with histopathological specimens. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells of both cases were at least focally positive for cytokeratin, CD34, CD99, synaptophysin, SOX2, and SALL4. In addition, tumor cells demonstrated significantly reduced expression of BRG1/SMARCA4 and SMARCA2. In conclusion, SMARCA4-DTS should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of tumors with undifferentiated rhabdoid morphology involving the thoracic region.
What can sociologists of globalization and development learn from Nicos Poulantzas?
Authors: Mueller Jason C.
Published: August 2019

Several decades ago scholars studying the state, political economy, and power relations were obliged to engage with the ideas of Nicos Poulantzas. Today, his ideas are hard to find in most sociological theorizing—particularly in the United States. This trend is unfortunate, but not unavoidable. This article proposes that we reconsider the insights of Poulantzas as well as the growing community of scholars building a neo-Poulantzasian approach for studies on international politics, economics, and the state. I discuss Poulantzas’s prescient but often neglected work on the internationalization of capital and nation-states, along with his theoretical approach to studying the state as a social relation. After highlighting their significance I focus on several neo-Poulantzasian analytical concepts that have extended his insights in creative ways. I argue that Poulantzas and contemporary neo-Poulantzasians offer ideas that are ripe for exploration, elaboration, and incorporation into multiple burgeoning and interrelated areas of inquiry for sociology and beyond. These include studies on the political-economy of development, studies on internationalization and its effect on national-level governance, and studies of the state in the (semi-) periphery. If successful, this article will provoke scholars to engage in innovative transdisciplinary research grounded in the unique and underexplored theories of Nicos Poulantzas.
Carotid Duplex Study of the Left External Carotid Artery Transposition for the Repair of the Left Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm
Authors: Noh Cassey Y.
Published: August 2019

This case study reports a carotid duplex study of a rare case of the extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm, and an unconventional procedure for the repair, transposition of the external carotid artery into the internal carotid artery. The pre-operative and post-operative computed tomography images confirm these findings.
Reliability improvement and risk reduction by inequalities and segmentation
Authors: Todinov Michael
Published: August 2019

The article introduces new domain-independent methods for improving reliability and reducing risk based on algebraic inequalities and chain-rule segmentation. Two major advantages of algebraic inequalities for reducing risk have been demonstrated: (1) ranking risky prospects in the absence of any knowledge related to the individual building parts and (2) reducing the variability of a risk-critical output parameter. The article demonstrates a highly counter-intuitive result derived using inequalities. If no information about the component reliability characterising the individual suppliers is available, purchasing components from a single supplier or from the smallest possible number of suppliers maximises the probability of a high-reliability assembly. The article also demonstrates the benefits from combining domain-independent methods and domain-specific knowledge for achieving risk reduction in several unrelated domains, decision-making, manufacturing, strength of components and kinematic analysis of complex mechanisms. In this respect, the article introduces the chain-rule segmentation method and applies it to reduce the risk of computational errors in kinematic analysis of complex mechanisms. Finally, the article demonstrates that combining the domain-independent method of segmentation and domain-specific knowledge in stress analysis leads to a significant reduction of the internal stresses and reduction of the risk of overstress failure.