bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prenatal diagnosis, associated findings and postnatal outcome in fetuses with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries
Authors: Krummholz Andrea , Gottschalk I. , Geipel A. , Herberg U. , Berg C. , Gembruch U. , Hellmund A.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

To analyze anatomic features and associated malformations in 37 prenatally detected cases of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA) and to evaluate the prenatal course, neonatal outcome and mid-term follow-up.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of prenatal ultrasound of 37 patients with ccTGA in two tertiary centers between 1999 and 2019. All fetuses received fetal echocardiography and a detailed anomaly scan. Postnatal outcome and follow-up data were retrieved from pediatric reports.

Results

Isolated ccTGA without associated cardiac anomalies was found in 13.5% (5/37), in all other fetuses additional defects such as VSD (73.0%), pulmonary obstruction (35.1%), tricuspid valve anomalies (18.9%), aortic arch anomalies (13.5%), ventricular hypoplasia (5.4%) or atrioventricular block (5.4%) were present. The rate of extracardiac malformations or chromosomal aberrations was low. There were 91.9% (34/37) live births and postnatal survival rates reached 91.2% in a mean follow-up time of 4.98 years. The prenatal diagnosis of ccTGA was confirmed postnatally in all but one documented live birth and the prenatal counselling regarding the expected treatment after birth (uni- versus biventricular repair) was reassured in the majority of cases. The postnatal intervention rate was high, 64.7% (22/34) received surgery, the intervention-free survival was 36.7%, 35.0% and 25.0% at 1 month, 1 year and 10 years, respectively.

Conclusions

ccTGA is a rare heart defect often associated with additional heterogeneous cardiac anomalies that can be diagnosed prenatally. The presented study demonstrates a favorable outcome in most cases but the majority of patients require surgical treatment early in life.
Comparative use of aqueous humour 1H NMR metabolomics and potassium concentration for PMI estimation in an animal model
Authors: Locci Emanuela , Stocchero Matteo , Gottardo Rossella , De-Giorgio Fabio , Demontis Roberto , Nioi Matteo , Chighine Alberto , Tagliaro Franco , d’Aloja Ernesto
Published: November 2020

Estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI) remains a matter of concern in the forensic scenario. Traditional and novel approaches are not yet able to fully address this issue, which relies on complex biological phenomena triggered by death. For this purpose, eye compartments may be chosen for experimental studies because they are more resistant to post-mortem modifications. Vitreous humour, in particular, has been extensively investigated, with potassium concentration ([K+]) being the marker that is better correlated with PMI estimation. Recently, a 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomic approach based on aqueous humour (AH) from an animal model was proposed for PMI estimation, resulting in a robust and validated regression model. Here we studied the variation in [K+] in the same experimental setup. [K+] was determined through capillary ion analysis (CIA) and a regression analysis was performed. Moreover, it was investigated whether the PMI information related to potassium could improve the metabolome predictive power in estimating the PMI. Interestingly, we found that a part of the metabolomic profile is able to explain most of the information carried by potassium, suggesting that the rise in both potassium and metabolite concentrations relies on a similar biological mechanism. In the first 24-h PMI window, the AH metabolomic profile shows greater predictive power than [K+] behaviour, suggesting its potential use as an additional tool for estimating the time since death.
Operational sea passage scenario generation for virtual testing of ships using an optimization for simulation approach
Authors: Sandvik Endre , Nielsen Jørgen Bremnes , Asbjørnslett Bjørn Egil , Pedersen Eilif , Fagerholt Kjetil
Published: November 2020

In this paper, a model for implementation of sea passage operational scenarios in the context of simulation-based design of ships is presented. To facilitate the transition towards more energy-efficient shipping, the ability to evaluate and understand ship and ship system behaviour in operational conditions is central. By introducing an optimization model in virtual testing frameworks, operational scenarios can be generated that enhances scenario relevance and testing abilities. The optimization for simulation approach provides speed and course commands based on an optimization framework which factors in the operational considerations and sea state conditions in the area of operation. Impact on the understanding of ship system performance using simulation is assessed in a case study where a sea passage over the North Pacific is replicated for varying operational scenarios and seasons. It is found that the variation of operational scenario, affecting the sea state and speed relation, causes significant differences in required power and fuel consumption estimates. Sea passage control is found to be an important dimension in virtual testing approaches.
Wettbewerb in Zeiten der Pandemie
Authors: Benček David , Ceni-Hulek Lorela , Wambach Achim , Weche John
Published: November 2020

Zahlreiche Märkte sind durch die Coronavirus-Pandemie von Unternehmensaufgaben und Insolvenzen, Unternehmenszusammenschlüssen und verminderten Gründungsanreizen betroffen. Durch den Digitalisierungsschub infolge der Kontaktbeschränkungen ist zudem zu erwarten, dass Digitalmärkte mit Konzentrationstendenzen an Bedeutung gewinnen. Nachhaltige Strukturveränderungen mit wettbewerbsbeeinträchtigender Auswirkung sind also zu befürchten, und dies angesichts ohnehin bestehender Trends zu ansteigender Marktmacht und Konzentration in Teilbereichen der Wirtschaft. Bei den wirtschaftspolitischen Reaktionen auf die krisenbedingten Herausforderungen sollte vor diesem Hintergrund angestrebt werden, den Wettbewerb langfristig funktionsfähig zu erhalten. Wenn die Fusions- und Beihilfenkontrolle ohne materiell-rechtliche Abstriche angewendet würde und staatliche Unternehmensbeteiligungen durch wettbewerbsfördernde Maßnahmen flankiert würden, könnte dies gelingen.
Elektroautos und das Klima: die große Verwirrung
Authors: Weimann Joachim
Published: November 2020

Seit einiger Zeit wird erbittert um die Frage gestritten, ob Elektroautos gegenüber konventionellen Fahrzeugen CO2 einsparen oder nicht. Dieser Streit wird allerdings in einer sehr unglücklichen Form ausgetragen. Vor allem basieren die Studien zu diesem Thema auf sehr unterschiedlichen und zum Teil unrealistischen Annahmen. Zudem vernachlässigen sie zwei zentrale Aspekte für die Beurteilung der Elektromobilität sträflich: den Emissionshandel und die Frage der Kosteneffizienz. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass die Förderung von Elektroautos die vermutlich ineffizienteste Form von Klimapolitik ist, die weltweit zurzeit betrieben wird.
Philosophy in the science classroom: How should biology teachers explain the relationship between science and religion to students?
Authors: Woodford Peter J.
Published: November 2020

This review explores Thomas Lessl’s “Demarcation as a classroom response to creationism: A critical examination of the National Academy of Science’s Science, Evolution, and Creationism (2008).” Lessl’s work examines philosophical debates about the relationship between science and religion from the perspective of communication dynamics between science teachers and audiences skeptical about evolution. His essay raises a number of important points that might help educators craft statements that are less likely to alienate religious students and to entrench any pre-existing opposition to evolutionary science. However, in this review, I raise a number of criticisms of Lessl’s account of the problems with the approach taken by the National Academy of Science. I argue that many of the criticisms of NAS’s approach to demarcation are not well-supported, and even were they to be strong criticisms, they do not justify skepticism toward evolution or science in general. Ultimately, I argue that addressing Lessl’s concerns means creating space for more intellectually rigorous and satisfying discussions of science and religion, but this is not appropriate in a biology classroom that merely wishes to introduce evolution. Addressing these concerns requires making more space for philosophy in the curriculum.
Reduction of Manganese Ores in CO-CO2 Atmospheres
Authors: Larssen Trine Asklund , Senk Dieter , Tangstad Merete
Published: November 2020

The reduction of higher manganese oxides to MnO in the prereduction zone of a ferromanganese furnace is largely decisive for the overall energy efficiency and climate gas emissions for the overall production process. Kinetics of the gas-solid reaction between the ore and CO(g) in the ascending furnace gas is dependent on the ore characteristics. The aim of this study was to elucidate the reduction steps during prereduction of two commercial manganese ores, Comilog and Nchwaning, in CO-CO2 atmosphere. Ore samples in various size fractions were exposed to isothermal and non-isothermal temperature regimes in various gas atmospheres utilizing a thermogravimetric furnace. Samples were characterized by titration, XRF, XRD, and SEM analyses. Comilog is a high oxygen ore, where the majority of the ore is constituted by various tetravalent manganese minerals. When heated in reducing atmosphere, MnO2-oxides were reduced to MnO in a single step at temperatures below 550 °C. The rate was dependent on the particle size and CO-concentration. When the temperature reached 550 °C, any present MnO2 rapidly decomposed to Mn2O3, which further continued to reduce to MnO. Nchwaning ore was found to be mainly constituted by Mn2O3-oxides, calcite and hematite. Manganese- and iron-oxides were found to reduce at similar temperature ranges, however the manganese oxide reduction was initiated prior to the iron oxides in smaller particle sizes (< 4 mm). Trivalent manganese oxides reduced to MnO in a single step, and the reduction of iron oxides subsided with the formation of wüstite. Carbonates decomposed at temperature range 800 °C to 1000 °C. Both ores obtained a promoted reaction rate with decreasing particle size and increased pctCO in CO-CO2 atmosphere.
Structural Reliability Analysis of Ship Hulls Accounting for Collision or Grounding Damage
Authors: Bužančić Primorac Branka , Parunov Joško , Guedes Soares C.
Published: November 2020

Classical structural reliability analysis of intact ship hulls is extended to the case of ships with collision or grounding damages. Still water load distribution and residual bending moment capacity are included as random variables in the limit state equation. The probability density functions of these random variables are defined based on random damage parameters given by the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization, while the proposed reliability formulation is consistent with international recommendations and thus may be valuable in the development of rules for accidental limit states. The methodology is applied on an example of an Aframax oil tanker. The proposed approach captures in a rational way complex interaction of different pertinent variables influencing safety of damaged ship structure.
Ruolo diagnostico, prognostico e predittivo di risposta del NETest nelle neoplasie neuroendocrine
Authors: Faggiano Antongiulio , Di Vito Valentina , Centello Roberta , Sesti Franz , Puliani Giulia , Feola Tiziana , Giannetta Elisa
Published: November 2020

Sommario

Il NETest è una metodica di biologia molecolare e, in particolare, di biopsia liquida, applicata alle neoplasie neuroendocrine (NEN), che si propone come nuovo biomarcatore altamente sensibile e specifico. Il NETest consente una sorta di gene signature del tumore, definendone il profilo trascrizionale mRNA, estratto dal sangue periferico. L’applicazione pratica è nella diagnosi, dove il NETest sembra identificare anche piccoli tumori localizzati, nella definizione prognostica, con l’identificazione dei tumori con maggiore tendenza alla progressione e alla recidiva post-chirurgica, nella riposta ai trattamenti, con l’identificazione precoce di progressione nel corso di terapie anti-tumorali. A fronte di risultati iniziali estremamente promettenti, il NETest necessita di una conferma su larga scala, in ampie casistiche multicentriche.
A Nano-Micro Engineering Nanofiber for Electromagnetic Absorber, Green Shielding and Sensor
Authors: Zhang Min , Han Chen , Cao Wen-Qiang , Cao Mao-Sheng , Yang Hui-Jing , Yuan Jie
Published: November 2020

Highlights

The role of electron transport characteristics in electromagnetic (EM) attenuation can be generalized to other EM functional materials.

The integrated functions of efficient EM absorption and green shielding open the view of EM multifunctional materials.

A novel sensing mechanism based on intrinsic EM attenuation performance and EM resonance coupling effect is revealed.

It is extremely unattainable for a material to simultaneously obtain efficient electromagnetic (EM) absorption and green shielding performance, which has not been reported due to the competition between conduction loss and reflection. Herein, by tailoring the internal structure through nano-micro engineering, a NiCo2O4 nanofiber with integrated EM absorbing and green shielding as well as strain sensing functions is obtained. With the improvement of charge transport capability of the nanofiber, the performance can be converted from EM absorption to shielding, or even coexist. Particularly, as the conductivity rising, the reflection loss declines from − 52.72 to − 10.5 dB, while the EM interference shielding effectiveness increases to 13.4 dB, suggesting the coexistence of the two EM functions. Furthermore, based on the high EM absorption, a strain sensor is designed through the resonance coupling of the patterned NiCo2O4 structure. These strategies for tuning EM performance and constructing devices can be extended to other EM functional materials to promote the development of electromagnetic driven devices.

Graphic Abstract
Der Entwurf zur 10. GWB Novelle: Interventionismus oder Laissez-faire?
Authors: Budzinski Oliver , Gaenssle Sophia , Stöhr Annika
Published: November 2020

Die 10. Novelle des Gesetzes gegen Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen („GWB-Digitalisierungsgesetz“) soll die deutschen Wettbewerbsregeln so reformieren, dass sie einen geeigneten Ordnungsrahmen für eine zunehmend digitalisierte Wirtschaft darstellen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag diskutieren wir den entsprechenden Referentenentwurf (Januar 2020) aus Sicht der modernen Wirtschaftstheorie. Dabei gehen wir insbesondere auf die Eignung der erheblichen Ausweitung der Missbrauchsaufsicht für einen besseren Wettbewerbsschutz in der Digitalwirtschaft ein. Die Schaffung eines Konzeptesüberlegener marktübergreifender Bedeutung(ÜMÜB) sowie die stärkere Betonung relativer Marktmacht und ökonomischer Abhängigkeit sind dabei grundsätzlich zu begrüßen, um moderne Versionen des Behinderungswettbewerbs effektiver bekämpfen zu können. Allerdings fehlen stellenweise Schranken für zu weit gehende Interventionen in den Leistungswettbewerb. Kritisch ist hingegen, dass die Zusammenschlusskontrolle tendenziell geschwächt wird. Wir schlagen vor, im Gegenteil die Ex-Ante-Strukturkontrolle zu stärken, indem das ÜMÜB-Konzept auch in die Zusammenschlusskontrolle integriert wird. Dies würde den gewünschten Ordnungsrahmen für die Digitalwirtschaft verbessern. Schließlich hinterfragen wir die Auswirkungen der geplanten Novellierung auf das europäische System der Wettbewerbspolitiken.
Investigation of microstructure and selected properties of Al2O3-Cu and Al2O3-Cu-Mo composites
Authors: Zygmuntowicz Justyna , Łoś Joanna , Kurowski Bernard , Piotrkiewicz Paulina , Kaszuwara Waldemar
Published: November 2020

The scope of work included the fabrication of ceramic-metal composites from the Al2O3-Cu and Al2O3-Cu-Mo and examining their microstructure and selected properties. The composites were fabricated by the slip casting method. The rheological behavior, microstructures, X-ray analysis, and mechanical properties were investigated. The rheological study demonstrated that all of the obtained slurries were non-Newtonian shear diluted fluids and stability on time. In both slurries, the flow limit is close to 0 Pa, which is very beneficial when casting the suspensions into molds. The X-ray analysis reveals Al2O3, Cu, and Mo phases in all specimens. No new phases were found in both types of composites after the sintering process. The results provided that the hardness for Al2O3-Cu-Mo composites was equal to 10.06 ± 0.49 GPa, while for Al2O3-Cu, it was equal to 6.81 ± 2.08 GPa. The K1C values measured, with the use of Niihara equation, for composites with and without the addition of Mo were equal to 6.13 ± 0.62 MPa m0.5 and 6.04 ± 0.55 MPa m0.5, respectively. It has been established that the mean specific wear rates of Al2O3-Cu and Al2O3-Cu-Mo samples were 0.35 × 10–5 ± 0.02 mm3 N−1 m−1 and 0.22 × 10–5 ± 0.04 mm3 N−1 m−1, respectively. It was found that molybdenum addition improved wear resistance properties of the composites.
Quantifying the volume of fluid resuscitation required to normalize lactate in septic patients (Cohort Study)
Authors: Hashim Yassar M. , Lin Ting-Lung , Wang Andrew , Dhillon Navpreet K. , Veatch Jessica M. , Barmparas Galinos , Singh Gagandeep , Ley Eric J.
Published: November 2020

ABSTRACT

Background:

Patients with sepsis have significant mortality and morbidity that may improve by normalization of lactate as indication of adequate resuscitation. We sought to quantify the volume of fluid associated with correction of lactate in septic surgical patients.

Material and methods:

A retrospective review was conducted in all patients with elevated lactate who were admitted to the SICU at a Level I trauma center from February 2016 to April 2018. Patients ≥18 years with sepsis, septic shock, infection, and lactate >2.5 mmol/l with subsequent lactate follow up were included. Patients on dialysis, liver failure, and trauma patients who received massive transfusion were excluded. Data was collected on patients’ demographics, hospital length of stay (LOS), mortality and volume of fluid given. The primary outcome was the volume of fluid required to correct lactate by 1 mmol/l. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to evaluate the association between fluid volume and lactate level.

Results:

Forty-eight patients were included. The mean age was 67 (14.2) years, 56.3% were males, and mortality was 22%. The mean elevated lactate was 4.90 (3.02) mmol/l. An average of 1372 (1809) cc of fluid was needed to reduce lactate by 1 mmol/l. The average time for correction was 5.2 (5.6) hours. There was weak correlation between resuscitation fluid volume and lactate correction (r = 0.29, p = 0.05).

Conclusions:

About 1400 cc of fluid was required to correct the lactate by 1 mmol/l. This value can help guide resuscitation in septic surgical patients. The weak correlation between resuscitation fluid volume and lactate correction highlights the importance of other interventions including the early administration antibiotics and source control.

Highlights:
The Value of Poetry
Authors: Falci Eric
Published: November 2020

Eric Falci's The Value of Poetry offers an evaluation and critique of the literary, cultural, and political value of poetry in the twenty-first century. Falci claims that some of the most vital, significant, and enduring human notions have been voiced and held in poems. Poems marble civilizations: they catch courses of thought, tracks of feeling, and acts of speech and embed these shapes in language that is, in some fashion, poised toward the future. Falci argues that poetry is a vital medium in addressing and understanding some of the most pressing issues of our time. Ranging widely across canonical and contemporary poetry, The Value of Poetry shows how poems matter, and what poetry offers to readers in the contemporary world.
Byzantine Gender
Authors: Neville Leonora
Published: November 2020

Why were virtuous Byzantine women described as manly? Why were boys' bodies thought to be closer in constitution to those of women than adult men? Did Byzantines think eunuchs were men? This lively and personal book explains some key aspects of how people of the Medieval Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) conceived of men and women, masculinity and femininity, and proper behaviour for men and women. By laying bare fundamental ideas about how gender was defined and performed, 'Byzantine Gender' enables readers to understand Byzantine society more fully. And by providing background information about Byzantine gender, it makes it easier to approach and appreciate the fascinating otherness of Byzantine culture.
Medieval Cityscapes Today
Authors: Clarke Catherine A. M.
Published: November 2020

This book explores medieval cityscapes within the modern urban environment, using place as a catalyst to forge connections between past and present, and investigating timely questions concerning theoretical approaches to medieval urban heritage, as well as the presentation and interpretation of that heritage for public audiences. Written by a specialist in literary and cultural history with substantial experience of multi-disciplinary research into medieval towns, 'Medieval Cityscapes Today' teases out stories and strata of meaning from the urban landscape, bringing techniques of close reading to the material fabric of the city, as well as textual artefacts associated with it.
Emergence of the English
Authors: Oosthuizen Susan
Published: November 2020

This book takes a critical approach to the dominant explanation for the transformation from post-Roman to 'Anglo-Saxon' society in Britain from the fifth to the eighth century: that change resulted from north-west European immigration into Britain. After testing this paradigm, the author explores the increasing amount of evidence for the gradual evolution of late Roman into early medieval England, and suggests some new directions for research that may lead to the development of more holistic explanatory models.
Jewish Poetry and Cultural Coexistence in Late Medieval Spain
Authors: Kaplan Gregory B.
Published: November 2020

This book offers a groundbreaking perspective on Judeo-Christian coexistence in medieval Spain, in particular on the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), one of the most important pilgrimage routes in Europe. The author uncovers new evidence of Judeo-Christian cooperation in Castilian monasteries on the Camino. It reveals that a collaborative climate endured in these monasteries as demonstrated by the transmission of 'cuaderna vía' poetry from Christians to Jews.
Christ on a Donkey – Palm Sunday, Triumphal Entries, and Blasphemous Pageants
Authors: Harris Max
Published: November 2020

'Christ on a Donkey' reveals Palm Sunday processions and related royal entries as both processional theatre and highly charged interpretations of the biblical narrative. Harris's narrative ranges from ancient Jerusalem to modern-day Bolivia, from veneration to iconoclasm, and from Christ to Ivan the Terrible. A curious theme emerges: those representations of Christ's entry into Jerusalem that were labelled blasphemous or idolatrous by those in power were most faithful to the biblical narrative of Palm Sunday, while those that exalted power and celebrated military triumph were arguably blasphemous pageants.
The Congregation of Tiron
Authors: Cline Ruth Harwood
Published: November 2020

Tiron was a reformed Benedictine congregation founded ca. 1109 by Bernard of Abbeville. Though little known to medieval and religious historians, this in-depth study shows how it expanded from obscurity in the forests of the Perche to become an international congregation with headquarters in Chartres and Paris and abbeys and priories in France and the British Isles. The congregation become noted for building, crafts, education, and horse-breeding. Tiron preceded the Cistercians in Britain and traded in rising towns, and by 1147 it had a centrally-controlled network of riverine and coastal properties connecting its production hubs with towns and ports.
Vikings
Authors: Nordeide Saebjorg Walaker , Edwards Kevin J.
Published: November 2020

The prevailing image of a Viking is frequently that of a fierce male, associated with military expansion and a distinctive material culture, and the Vikings have maintained a resonance in the popular imagination to the present day. This book presents a fresh overview of the Vikings from both conceptual and material perspectives. In an engaging survey, Sæbjørg Walaker Nordeide and Kevin J. Edwards analyse Viking religion, economic life, and material culture in and beyond the Scandic homelands.
Encountering Water in Early Modern Europe and Beyond
Authors: Starkey Lindsay
Published: November 2020

Both the Christian Bible and Aristotle's works suggest that water should entirely flood the earth. Though many ancient, medieval, and early modern Europeans relied on these works to understand and explore the relationships between water and earth, particularly sixteenth-century Europeans were especially concerned with why dry land existed. This book investigates why sixteenth-century Europeans were so interested in water's failure to submerge the earth when their predecessors had not been. Analyzing biblical commentaries as well as natural philosophical, geographical, and cosmographical texts from these periods, Lindsay Starkey shows that European sea voyages to the Southern Hemisphere combined with the traditional methods of European scholarship and religious reformations led sixteenth-century Europeans to reinterpret water and earth's ontological and spatial relationships. The manner in which they did so also sheds light on how we can respond to our current water crisis before it is too late.
Disaster Cinema in Historical Perspective
Authors: Mathias Nikita
Published: November 2020

How do we experience disaster films in cinema? And where does disaster cinema come from? The two questions are more closely related than one might initially think. For the framework of the cinematic experience of natural disasters has its roots in the mid-eighteenth century when the aesthetic category of the sublime was re-established as the primary mode for appreciating nature's violent forces. In this book, the sublime is understood as a complex and culturally specific meeting point between philosophical thought, artistic creation, social and technical development, and popular imagination. On the one hand, the sublime provides a receptive model to uncover how cinematic disaster depictions affect our senses, bodies and minds. On the other hand, this experiential framework of disaster cinema is only one of the most recent agents within the historical trajectory of sublime disasters, which is traced in this book among a broad range of media: from landscape and history painting to a variety of pictorial devices like Eidophusikon, Panorama, Diorama, and, finally, cinema.
THE AESCHYLEAN STING INWASPS’ TALE: ARISTOPHANES’ ENGAGEMENT WITH THEORESTEIA
Authors: Wyles Rosie
Published: November 2020

The sting to Aristophanes’ ‘little tale’ inWasps(λογίδιον,Vesp.64) materializes from the comedy's interplay with theOresteia. This article argues that Aristophanes alludes to bothAgamemnonandEumenidesin the scenes running up to (and including) the trial scene, and that he exploits this intertext in the cloak scene (Vesp.1122–264). While isolated allusions to theOresteiahave been identified inWasps, a systematic consideration of these references has not been undertaken: a surprising absence in discussions of the ongoing competition between the comic and the tragic genres permeatingWasps’ dramatic action. Moreover, Aristophanes’ engagement with theOresteiaoffers a special type of tragic intertext, in which the first and the last plays of a connected trilogy are referenced simultaneously, provocatively destabilizing the original. Furthermore, this allusion has implications for our understanding of a scene which recent scholarship has established as pivotal within the comedy, namely the cloak scene. The first part of this article, therefore, establishes the extent ofWasps’ engagement with theOresteiaand considers the significance of the ‘pastiche’ formed through the combined intertextual references toAgamemnonand toEumenides. The second part explores the impact of this intertext on the interpretation of the cloak scene, revealing that its use of costume can be understood as a criticism of Aeschylus’ dramaturgy, inviting a negative reading of Bdelycleon's ideological stance and reinforcing the play's pessimistic view of the Athenian law courts.
Mediating bureaucrats: embedded economic action in the Mozambican sugar industry
Authors: Buur Lars , Nystrand Malin J.
Published: November 2020

This article develops the concept of ‘mediating bureaucrats’ by exploring their role during liberal reforms that led to rehabilitation of the sugar industry in Mozambique. By focusing on how relations between the state, government and business are mediated by a group of cadres who have occupied positions in different social domains, the article argues that these ‘mediating bureaucrats’ cannot easily be identified in one-dimensional terms as belonging to either the public or private sector, the state or the market. It is argued that as ‘socially embedded actors’, the group of ‘mediating bureaucrats’ are in a position to translate and mediate between diverse and sometimes conflicting interests and aspirations of the state, the government and business. We use the rehabilitation of the sugar industry in Mozambique to show how mediating bureaucrats adopted two practices – muddling through and translation – in order to straddle conflicting interests during different reform initiatives in post-independence Mozambique.
People who run African affairs: staffing and recruitment in the African Union Commission
Authors: Tieku Thomas Kwasi , Gänzle Stefan , Trondal Jarle
Published: November 2020

This study contributes to the field of International Public Administration (IPA) and the emerging area of Informal International Relations (IIR) by examining the politics of staffing and recruitment of the African Union Commission (AUC). Although the AUC has become a major political player in international affairs, there is a dearth of knowledge about the civil servants who work for the AUC and who run this paramount pan-African executive body. To address the void, this paper draws on a survey of 137 AUC staff, archival studies and interviews to explore recruitment of AUC staff. Combining organisational theory and informality as analytical lenses, the study demonstrates that, first, many informal international practices (IIPs) are embedded in AUC recruitment processes. Second, the AUC is composed largely of short-term, contracted staff. Finally, it shows that the AUC is dependent on lower-ranked personnel or that it is bottom-heavy. Many of these lower-ranked officials are intimately involved in the making of AUC policies and decisions, putting into question the assumption in existing scholarship that decision-makers of IOs are primarily reliant on top-ranked A-level officials (senior management).
Extra-hepatopulmonary cystic echinococcosis in Bulgaria: frequency, management and outcome of the disease
Authors: Harizanov Rumen N. , Rainova Iskra G. , Kaftandjiev Iskren T.
Published: November 2020

In the endemic countries, human cystic echinococcosis (CE) poses a serious medical and social problem. Because it most often affects the liver and lungs we aimed to define the proportion of cases with different organ localization, the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in such cases, and the outcome of them. For a period 2010–2019, a total of 2863 cases of CE were registered in Bulgaria, of which 148 (5.17%) with organ localization other than liver and/or lung. The majority of patients with extra-hepatopulmonary localization of CE were adults. The distribution by gender showed predominance of female patients (57.43%) over those of males and primary cases (85.14%) exceeded the cases of recurrence. According to our study most common is the spleen involvement, followed by involvement of the abdominal cavity, kidneys and muscle/subcutaneous tissue. Other extra-hepatopulmonary organ localizations are significantly less common. This study shows that the extra-hepatopulmonary localization of CE is not so rare, and in most cases it is a primary disease. In respect of this, clinicians should consider hydatidosis in the differential diagnosis when cystic formation(s) is found, regardless of the organ involved.
DUELING BANDIT PROBLEMS
Authors: Peköz Erol , Ross Sheldon M. , Zhang Zhengyu
Published: November 2020

There is a set of n bandits and at every stage, two of the bandits are chosen to play a game, with the result of a game being learned. In the “weak regret problem,” we suppose there is a “best” bandit that wins each game it plays with probability at least p > 1/2, with the value of p being unknown. The objective is to choose bandits to maximize the number of times that one of the competitors is the best bandit. In the “strong regret problem”, we suppose that bandit i has unknown value vi, i = 1, …, n, and that i beats j with probability vi/(vi + vj). One version of strong regret is interested in maximizing the number of times that the contest is between the players with the two largest values. Another version supposes that at any stage, rather than choosing two arms to play a game, the decision maker can declare that a particular arm is the best, with the objective of maximizing the number of stages in which the arm with the largest value is declared to be the best. In the weak regret problem, we propose a policy and obtain an analytic bound on the expected number of stages over an infinite time frame that the best arm is not one of the competitors when this policy is employed. In the strong regret problem, we propose a Thompson sampling type algorithm and empirically compare its performance with others in the literature.
THE OLMEC SPOON RECONSIDERED: MATERIAL MEANINGS OF JADE, NACREOUS SHELLS, AND PEARLS IN ANCIENT MESOAMERICA
Authors: Turner Andrew D.
Published: November 2020

Previous studies have interpreted greenstone objects referred to as Olmec “spoon” pendants based on hypothetical utilitarian functions that they might have served. This study argues that the unique form of these pendants is actually based on the shell of the wing oyster (Pteria), a nacreous pearl-forming bivalve found on either coast of Mesoamerica. The study of these skeuomorphic recreations of shells sheds light on conceptual relationships between jade and iridescent shell, as well as the ideological motivations behind such material substitutions. Although wing oyster pendants were produced during only the Formative period, the Classic Maya continued to value pearls, formed by such nacre-producing mollusks. This study demonstrates the frequent appearance of pearls in Mesoamerican artwork. Wing oyster pendants constitute an early basis for the ritual interchangeability of jade, shell, and pearl, and the widespread conceptual associations of these valued materials with breath, wind, and ancestors among later Mesoamerican traditions.
‘It’s like trying to ice a cake that’s not been baked’: a qualitative exploration of the contextual factors associated with implementing an evidence-based information intervention for family carers at the end of life
Authors: Mathieson Amy , Luker Karen , Grande Gunn
Published: November 2020

Aim:

To explore the introduction of an evidence-based information intervention – the ‘Caring for Someone with Cancer’ booklet – within home care and end-of-life care, to inform future implementation and practice development within this setting.

Background:

Family carers’ contribution is crucial to enable care and death of people at home. The ‘Caring for Someone with Cancer’ booklet received positive responses from family carers and District Nurses and is an evidence-based intervention designed to support carers to deliver basic nursing tasks. Further feasibility work was required to establish how it should be implemented. Little is known about how to successfully translate interventions into practice, particularly within home care settings and end-of-life care.

Methods:

Implementation of the ‘Caring for Someone with Cancer’ booklet, utilising a qualitative case study approach, in four home care sites. Semi-structured interviews, informed by Normalization Process Theory (NPT), were undertaken at implementation sites in May 2016–June 2017. Participants were generalist and specialist nurses, managers, and Healthcare Assistants (HCAs). A framework approach to analysis was adopted.

Findings:

Forty-five members of staff participated. Failed implementation was associated with organisational-level characteristics and conditions, including workforce composition and predictability of processes. Unstable work environments meant home care providers focused on short-term rather than long-term goals, precluding practice development. Staff’s perceptions of the time available to engage with and implement the intervention inhibited adoption, as many participants were“just getting through the day”. Implementation was successful in sites with explicit management support, including proactive implementation attempts by managers, which legitimatised the change process, and if all staff groups were engaged. To encourage uptake of evidence-based interventions in home care settings, practitioners should be given opportunities to critically reflect upon taken-for-granted practices. Future implementation should focus on work pertaining to the NPT construct ‘Collective Action’, including how staff interact and build confidence in new practices.
Assisted reproductive technology and long-term ophthalmic morbidity of the offspring
Authors: Tsumi Erez , Lavy Yotam , Sheiner Eyal , Barrett Chiya , Harlev Avi , Hagbi Bal Maayan , Wainstock Tamar
Published: November 2020

In this study, we investigate if children born following assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) are at an increased risk for long-term ophthalmic complications. For this purpose, a population-based cohort analysis was conducted which included all deliveries between 1991 and 2014 at a single tertiary medical center. Offspring were classified relative to conception method as ART or spontaneous pregnancies. Offspring hospitalizations up to the age of 18 years involving ophthalmic morbidities were evaluated according to a predefined set of ICD-9 codes. A Kaplan–Meier survival curve was used to compare cumulative hospitalization rates in exposed (ART) and unexposed offspring (spontaneous), and a Cox proportional hazards model was used to control for potential confounders. A total of 243,682 deliveries were included in the study. In that, 1.8% of the deliveries (4364) were of mothers who underwent fertility treatments and 98.2% (239,318) were conceived spontaneously. Offspring born to mothers who underwent fertility treatments had a significantly higher hospitalization rate involving ophthalmic morbidity, as compared to spontaneously conceived offspring (1.2% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.04). The Kaplan–Meier survival curve pointed to a significantly higher cumulative incidence of ophthalmic morbidity following ART (log rank p = 0.02). Cox proportional hazards model was adjusted for maternal age, preterm delivery, maternal hypertensive disorders, diabetes, and mode of delivery which demonstrated ART as an independent risk factor for long-term pediatric ophthalmic morbidity (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.37, CI 1.04–1.80, p-value = 0.02). We concluded that ART is an independent risk factor for long-term ophthalmic morbidity of the offspring.
Well-meaning discourses of climate delay
Authors: Stern Paul C.
Published: November 2020

Non-technical summary

Lamb et al. (2020) identified 12 discourses used by a counter-movement to delay or weaken action to limit climate change. This commentary notes three discourses used by those promoting such action that can also delay meaningful action: insisting on transformational change to the exclusion of incremental change, downplaying the value of emissions targets, and focusing attention on adaptation.
UT ANIMALIUM PICTURA: ARISTOTLE'S HEART IN THE POETRY OF GIACOMO DA LENTINI
Authors: PACE MATTEO
Published: November 2020

The essay analyzes the formation of the oft-cited trope of the image engraved (or painted) in the heart, topical in the Sicilian lyric of the thirteenth century, and the ways in which it re-discusses a painstaking issue of Aristotelian physiology. The trope of the “pintura nel core” (figure in the heart), as described in Giacomo da Lentini'sMeravigliosa⋅menteandMadonna mia, a voi mando, is immediately assimilated to the faculty of memory, and the human ability to represent external reality by means ofsigna. This process of formation that happens in the heart and allows the poet to fall in love is reworked in the image of the “pintura” carved like a seal into wax. The lexical choices of Giacomo's poems point to an Aristotelian understanding of sense perception, centered around the key role of the heart, dependent upon the fluidity of its bodily part, and resulting in an internal representation of phenomenal reality. The link between love lyric poetry and physiological learning shows the interdependence of these two fields of medieval culture, and the ways in which a debated scientific issue can be illuminated by the comparative analysis of vernacular literature and philosophical investigation. Giacomo's reworking of these Aristotelian physiological tenets testifies to his poetical ability to engage with medicine and aesthetic representation.
Skewness of Temperature Data Implies an Abrupt Change in the Climate System Between 1985 and 1991
Authors: Skelton A. , Kirchner N. , Kockum I.
Published: November 2020

Instrumental records of mean annual temperature extend back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries at multiple sites in Europe. For such long time series, we expect and find that histograms of mean annual temperature data become skewed toward higher temperatures with time because of global warming. However, we also find that skewness changed abruptly and started increasing between 1985 and 1991 (95% confidence) at 17 sites. We argue that this finding may imply an abrupt change in the climate system affecting Europe which probably occurred at this time. We investigate possible causes and find Arctic sea ice loss, potentially linked to reduced sulfate aerosol emissions and coupled to temperature by an albedo feedback mechanism, a likely candidate. This is based on good correlations of sea ice extent and sulfate aerosol emissions with skewness of mean annual temperature data.
Extreme Outliers in Lower Stratospheric Water Vapor Over North America Observed by MLS: Relation to Overshooting Convection Diagnosed From Colocated Aqua‐MODIS Data
Authors: Werner F. , Schwartz M. J. , Livesey N. J. , Read W. G. , Santee M. L.
Published: November 2020

Convectively injected water vapor (H2O) in the North American (NA) summer lowermost stratosphere results in significant outliers in the 100‐hPa H2O measurements from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). MLS statistics from 15 years confirm that the NA region contains over 60% of global 100‐hPa H2O > 12 ppmv, despite having only ∼1.8% of all MLS observations. A profile sampled in August 2019 stands out, with
 ppmv, far exceeding the prior record and the median ∼4.5‐ppmv abundance in NA. This particular outlier is associated with a large overshooting convective event (OCE) that spanned multiple U.S. states and persisted for several hours. Colocation of the MLS data over NA with cloud observations from Aqua's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) reveals the unique character of this case, as only 2.3% of MLS profiles are as close to an OCE and only 0.024% of OCEs cover as large an area within a 500‐km perimeter of a profile.
Larger Sensitivity of Arctic Precipitation Phase to Aerosol than Greenhouse Gas Forcing
Authors: Pan Shifeng , Dou Tingfeng , Lin Lei , Yang Jiao , Zhang Feng , Duan Mingkeng , Zhao Chuanfeng , Liao Hong , Xiao Cunde
Published: November 2020

The sensitivity of the Arctic precipitation phases (solid and liquid) to the forcings from greenhouse gases (GHGs) and aerosols over 2016–2080 was investigated by using the Community Earth System Model Version 1. Results show that the warming caused by the two forcings results in an increasing trend in total precipitation and a solid‐to‐liquid precipitation transition in the Arctic. Under RCP8.5 scenario, the increased rate of Arctic mean precipitation with global warming forced by aerosol reduction (7.7%/°C) is twice greater than that by increased GHG emission (3.5%/°C). The sensitivity of rainfall to precipitation ratio (RPR) to various forcings is much higher than that of total precipitation in the Arctic. The increased rate of RPR due to global aerosol forcing (8.4%/°C) is approximately 3 times that due to GHG forcing (2.9%/°C) in the Arctic, the differences even larger over Greenland and the eastern Arctic Ocean, resulting in more rainfall in these areas.
A Comparison of Convective Raindrop Size Distributions in the Eyewall and Spiral Rainbands of Typhoon Lekima (2019)
Authors: Bao Xuwei , Wu Liguang , Zhang Shuai , Yuan Huizhen , Wang Huihui
Published: November 2020

A reliable shape–slope (μ‐Λ) relationship for polarimetric retrieval in tropical cyclones (TCs) is unavailable due to the lack of raindrop size distribution (RSD) measurements within the TC eyewall. This study presents an analysis of the convective RSDs in the eyewall and spiral rainbands, based on ~26 hr of measurement from 17 Thies disdrometers during the landfall of Typhoon Lekima (2019) in eastern China. A μ‐Λ relationship for polarimetric retrieval in the eyewall is derived, which is different from those in spiral rainbands of Lekima. The average raindrop diameter parameter Dm (concentration parameter log10Nw) is found to generally decrease (increase) radially from the TC center, but note that most rain samples with intense rain rate >50 mm hr−1 occur in the convection‐dominated portion of inner rainbands. To explain why, an equilibrium RSD is proposed as a constraint on the growth of Dm and log10Nw with increasing rain rate.
Interplanetary Shock Impact Angles Control Magnetospheric ULF Wave Activity: Wave Amplitude, Frequency, and Power Spectra
Authors: Oliveira Denny M. , Hartinger Michael D. , Xu Zhonghua , Zesta Eftyhia , Pilipenko Vyacheslav A. , Giles Barbara L. , Silveira Marcos V. D.
Published: November 2020

We present the first clear observational connection between interplanetary shock impact angles and magnetospheric ultralow frequency (ULF) wave activity. We perform a comparative study of two solar wind shocks with relatively similar strengths, but one being nearly frontal and, the other, highly inclined. We utilize multipoint observations with magnetometers based in space and on the ground for comparisons. For satellites and ground stations occupying similar local time positions, we find that the ULF waves have larger amplitudes and tend to be more narrowband in the case of the nearly head‐on impact, confirming previous simulation results. Additionally, we provide evidence that, due to their symmetric compression nature, nearly frontal shocks can excite only odd mode waves, while asymmetric compressions caused by inclined shocks can excite both odd and even mode waves. These results suggest that shock impact angles play crucial roles in mediating ULF wave‐particle interactions in the inner magnetosphere.