bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Local organization for promoting energy efficiency—reform of local energy advice service in Sweden
Authors: Eriksson Linnea , Kjeang Are 
Published: December 2020

AbstractHomeowners are identified as a group in society that could change their energy behaviour towards greater energy efficiency and use of non-fossil fuels. External local energy advisors, who provide knowledge, motivation and service, can influence their decisions and thereby increase energy efficiency and dissemination of non-fossil fuels. In Sweden, the energy advice system has recently been reformed and this paper investigates this reform and analyses its early effects. The aim is to analyse how energy advisors manage the reform and how they work as middle actors to increase energy efficiency and non-fossil fuel use among homeowners. We use the theoretical framework of middle actors in the middle-out perspective together with the theory of institutional logics to analyse the case of the energy advisor reform. This qualitative analysis contributes to the discussion of energy advisors by focusing on the relevance of organizational structures and logics for their possibilities to influence homeowners’ energy practices. The reform has introduced a governance and New Public Management logic that runs parallel with the former energy advice logic, guiding the advisors’ work practice. The results show that the reform potentially has increased the energy advisors’ ability to act as middle actors. However, there are organizational practices following the reform, which greatly constrain the advisors’ abilities as middle actors. One conclusion is that the advisors are in need of more guidance from the Energy Agency to be able to perform more successful work.
Invariant densities for random systems of the interval
Authors: KALLE CHARLENE , MAGGIONI MARTA 
Published: December 2020

AbstractFor random piecewise linear systemsTof the interval that are expanding on average we construct explicitly the density functions of absolutely continuousT-invariant measures. If the random system uses only expanding maps our procedure produces all invariant densities of the system. Examples include random tent maps, randomW-shaped maps, random$\beta $-transformations and random Lüroth maps with a hole.
Effect of horizontal divergence on estimates of firn-air content
Authors: Horlings Annika N. , Christianson Knut , Holschuh Nicholas , Stevens C. Max , Waddington Edwin D. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIce-sheet mass-balance estimates derived from repeat satellite-altimetry observations require accurate calculation of spatiotemporal variability in firn-air content (FAC). However, firn-compaction models remain a large source of uncertainty within mass-balance estimates. In this study, we investigate one process that is neglected in FAC estimates derived from firn-compaction models: enhanced layer thinning due to horizontal divergence. We incorporate a layer-thinning scheme into the Community Firn Model. At every time step, firn layers first densify according to a firn-compaction model and then thin further due to an imposed horizontal divergence rate without additional density changes. We find that horizontal divergence on Thwaites (THW) and Pine Island Glaciers can reduce local FAC by up to 41% and 18%, respectively. We also assess the impact of temporal variability of horizontal divergence on FAC. We find a 15% decrease in FAC between 2007 and 2016 due to horizontal divergence at a location that is characteristic of lower THW. This decrease accounts for 16% of the observed surface lowering, whereas climate variability alone causes negligible changes in FAC at this location. Omitting transient horizontal divergence in estimates of FAC leads to an overestimation of ice loss via satellite-altimetry methods in regions of dynamic ice flow.
Morphometry of the shell in Scaphopoda (Mollusca): a tool for the discrimination of taxa
Authors: Souza Leonardo Santos de , Caetano Carlos Henrique Soares 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe alpha taxonomy of scaphopods is based mainly on the shell morphology, as it is for most molluscs. In the last three decades, the employment of morphometric variables of the shell in combination with statistics has considerably increased to aid species discrimination, but this has not been used above species level. In this study, a traditional morphometric approach was used to distinguish congeners, genera and families within the orders Dentallida and Gadilida. We studied 28 species of scaphopods from Brazil, belonging to 12 genera and five families. Twelve morphometric variables were measured, and a correlation test was done to select a set of variables without correlation as input data to perform a discriminant analysis. In the analysis of congeners, the discrimination power was high in both orders. Among the genera studied, the robustness of the analysis was drastically reduced in Dentaliida, while Gadilida maintained a high percentage of correct classifications. At the family level, both orders presented high percentages of correct classification, but the imbalance of cases for each taxon masks an inconsistent result. Based on our results, the morphometric approach was a useful tool to discriminate congeneric species of both orders and to discriminate the genera of Gadilida.
Aiding and Abetting Suicide: The Current Debate in Italy
Authors: TUROLDO FABRIZIO 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe article analyzes the recent ruling of the Italian Constitutional Court amending article 580 of the Italian Criminal Code, relating to aid and incitement to suicide. According to the first Assize Court of Milan, article 580, conceived in 1930, reflects the fascist culture of its author. The problem of the Constitutional Court was therefore to establish whether a democratic state can still place limits on aid for suicide and in what terms it can do so.
Bioethical Issues in Antarctica
Authors: ISERSON KENNETH V. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThis paper describes the Antarctic environment, the mission and work setting at the U.S. research stations, the general population and living conditions, and the healthcare situation. It also dispels some common misconceptions that persist about this environment and about the scope and quality of medicine practiced there. The paper then describes specific ethical issues that arise in this environment, incorporating examples drawn from both the author’s experiences and those of his colleagues. The ethics of providing healthcare in resource-poor environments implies two related questions. The first is: What can we do with the available resources? This suggests that clinicians must not only know how to use all available equipment and supplies in the standard manner, but also that they must be willing and able to go beyond standard procedures and improvise, when necessary. The second question is: Of all the things we can do, which ones should we do? This paper addresses both questions in relation to Antarctic medical care. It describes the wide range of activities required of healthcare providers and some specific ethical issues that arise. Finally, it suggests some remedies to ameliorate some of those issues.
Further Reflections: Surrogate Decisionmaking When Significant Mental Capacities are Retained
Authors: HAWKINS JENNIFER 
Published: December 2020

AbstractMackenzie Graham has made an important contribution to the literature on decisionmaking for patients with disorders of consciousness. He argues, and I agree, that decisions for unresponsive patients who are known to retain some degree of covert awareness ought to focus on current interests, since such patients likely retain the kinds of mental capacities that in ordinary life command our current respect and attention. If he is right, then it is not appropriate to make decisions for such patients by appealing to the values they had in the past, either the values expressed in an advance directive or the values recalled by a surrogate. There are two things I wish to add to the discussion. My first point is somewhat critical, for although I agree with his general conclusion about how, ideally, such decisions should be approached, I remain skeptical about whether his conclusion offers decisionmakers real practical help. The problem with these cases is that the evidence we have about the nature of the patient’s current interests is minimal or nonexistent. However—and this is important—Graham’s conclusion will be extremely relevant if in the future, our ability to communicate with such patients improves, as I hope it will. This leads to my second point. Graham’s conclusion illustrates a more general problem with our standard framework for decisionmaking for previously competent patients, a problem that has not been adequately recognized. So, in what follows, I explain the problem I see and offer some brief thoughts about solutions.
Choroidal metastases: case report and review
Authors: Duque Victor , de la Pinta Carolina , Corral Ciriaco , Vallejo Carmen , Martin Margarita , Hernanz Raul , Mezherane Elsa Margarita , Pelari Lira , Hernandez Antonio , Valero Mireia , Sancho Sonsoles 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIntroduction:Choroidal metastases are the most frequent intraocular secondary tumours, with a prevalence of 2–7% according to the literature. Our aim was to review a clinical case of choroidal metastasis.We present a case of a 63-year-old male patient diagnosed in 2018 with lung adenocarcinoma cT4N0M1. The patient had three metastases in the brain, which were successfully treated with radiosurgery (RS). The patient was treated with chemotherapy with pemetrexed–cisplatin schedule. Five months after diagnosis, the patient presented with decreased vision in the right eye. After ophthalmologic evaluation, he was diagnosed with a right choroidal metastasis, which was treated with external beam radiotherapy with 20 Gy in five fractions, resulting in improved visual acuity and a complete clinical and radiological response.The patient took part in a clinical trial that continued with systemic chemotherapy. Twenty-two months after radiotherapy to the eye, the patient has good visual acuity without any side effects.Conclusions:Choroidal metastasis treated with radiotherapy achieves good local control, with limited side effects, allowing an improvement in visual acuity and consequently, an improvement in the patient´s quality of life.
Assessment of Groundwater Sustainability and Identifying Factors Inducing Groundwater Depletion in India
Authors: Nair Akhilesh S. , Indu J. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe alarming decline in groundwater (GW) storage threatens the sustainable development of the water‐energy‐food linkages of a country. India has experienced severe dry spells during the years 2002, 2004, 2009, and 2012. However, the relative contribution of factors affecting GW depletion (such as variability in precipitation rate and groundwater extraction) still remains unknown. Here, we first evaluate the current GW condition by implementing reliability, resilience, and vulnerability analysis on the 5,988 monitoring well observations spanning over a period of two decades. Our study further improves the existing studies by isolating the quantity of GW depletion due to precipitation and nonprecipitation (GW extraction) factors using a multivariate regression model. Our study indicates that the nonprecipitation factor is most responsible for GW depletion in North India at a rate of 3.5 cm per year.
Potential Link Between 2020 Mentone, West Texas M5 Earthquake and Nearby Wastewater Injection: Implications for Aquifer Mechanical Properties
Authors: Tung Sui , Zhai Guang , Shirzaei Manoochehr 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe M5 Mentone earthquake that occurred on March 26, 2020, was the largest event recorded over the last 2 decades in West Texas within the Delaware Basin, a U.S. major petroleum‐producing area. Also, numerous hydrofracturing and wastewater disposal wells are spread across this region. Within a 30 km distance to mainshock, eight class‐II injection wells for industrial wastewater disposal target the deep porous Ellenburger aquifer at an average rate of 1.36 × 106 barrel (BBL) per month during 2012–2020. Poroelastic models of fluid diffusion show these nearby injectors collectively imparted up to 80.5 kPa of Coulomb stress at the mainshock location, capable of triggering this M5 event. Assuming the Mentone event occurs when pore‐pressure increase is maximum, the time delay between peak injection and the M5 occurrence corresponds with an optimal permeability of 6.76 × 10‐14 m2 for the Ellenburger aquifer layer, in agreement with independent estimates.
Is Mesospheric Quasi Biennial Oscillation Ephemeral?
Authors: Kumar Karanam Kishore 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe time evolution of mesospheric quasi biennial oscillation (MQBO) in the 82–98 km altitude region using long‐term meteor radar observations over low and equatorial latitudes and TIMED Doppler Interferometer (TIDI) observations is discussed for the first time. The wavelet spectra of monthly mean zonal winds over Serpog (6.4°S, 106.7°E; 1993–1998), Koto Tabang (0.2°S, 100.3°E; 2003–2012) and Thumba (8.5°N, 76.9°E; 2006–2015) show the transient nature of the MQBO amplitudes, thus, questioning its perpetuity in the mesosphere‐lower thermosphere (MLT). The time period of the MQBO as well as its amplitude show variability with time. The latitude‐height structures of the MQBO at four time periods (24, 26, 28, and 30 months) are constructed using TIDI measurements, which show diverse latitudinal structure. The significance of the present study lies in bringing out the time evolution of the MQBO and addressing a few outstanding issues on its ephemerality and discrepancies in its amplitudes.
Statistical Distribution of Bifurcation of Earth's Inner Energetic Electron Belt at Tens of keV
Authors: Hua Man , Ni Binbin , Li Wen , Ma Qianli , Gu Xudong , Fu Song , Cao Xing , Guo Yingjie , Liu Yangxizi 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWe present a survey of the bifurcation of the Earth's energetic electron belt (tens of keV) using 6‐year measurements from Van Allen Probes. The inner energetic electron belt usually presents one‐peak radial structure with high flux intensity at L < ∼2.5, which however can be bifurcated to exhibit a double‐peak radial structure. By automatically identifying the events of bifurcation based on Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment data, we find that the bifurcation is mostly observed at ∼30–100 keV with a local flux minimum at L = ∼2.0 to ∼2.3 under relatively quiet geomagnetic conditions, typically after a significant flux enhancement due to radial diffusion or injections to L < ∼2.5. The bifurcation typically lasts for a few days during quiet periods until interrupted by injections or radial diffusion. The L‐shell, energy, and seasonal dependences of the occurrence of bifurcated inner electron belt support the important role of electron scattering by very low‐frequency transmitter waves in the bifurcation formation.
River Response to Anthropogenic Modification: Channel Steepening and Gravel Front Fading in an Incising River
Authors: Ylla Arbós C. , Blom A. , Viparelli E. , Reneerkens M. , Frings R. M. , Schielen R. M. J. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWhile most of the world's large rivers are heavily engineered, channel response to engineering measures on decadal to century and several 100 km scales is scarcely documented. We investigate the response of the Lower Rhine River (Germany‐Netherlands) to engineering measures, in terms of channel slope and bed surface grain size. Field data show domain‐wide incision, primarily associated with extensive channel narrowing. Remarkably, the channel slope has increased in the upstream end, which is uncommon under degradational conditions. We attribute the observed response to two competing mechanisms: bedrock at the upstream boundary increases the channel slope over the upstream part of the alluvial reach to compensate for the reduction of net annual sediment mobility, and extensive channel narrowing reduces the equilibrium slope. Another striking feature is the advance and flattening of the gravel‐sand transition, suggesting its gradual fading due to an increasingly reduced slope difference between the gravel and sand reaches.
Prompt Emergence and Disappearance of EMIC Waves Driven by the Sequentially Enhanced Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure
Authors: Xue Zuxiang , Yuan Zhigang , Yu Xiongdong 
Published: December 2020

AbstractVan Allen Probes (VAPs) and multiple ground‐based stations simultaneously observed prompt emergences and disappearances of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves driven by the sequentially enhanced solar wind dynamic pressures in the dayside inner magnetosphere on November 6, 2015. The measured hot protons (>60 keV) display enhancements of perpendicular temperature during compressions, which provides sufficient temperature anisotropies for the EMIC wave generation so that the calculated linear growth rate also agrees well with the observed wave spectrum. There are bidirectionally propagating EMIC waves observed by VAPs at off‐equator regions (MLAT from ∼ 13° to ∼ 18°), which indicates local wave excitation under the compressions’ impact. The quick responses of waves and particle distributions to the compressions and decompressions at multiple points in the dayside suggest that the external pressure pulses can be a direct driver for the inner magnetospheric wave evolution and energetic particle dynamics.
Evolution of Pitch Angle Distributions of Relativistic Electrons During Geomagnetic Storms: Van Allen Probes Observations
Authors: Greeley Ashley D. , Kanekal Shrikanth G. , Sibeck David G. , Schiller Quintin , Baker Daniel N. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWe present a study analyzing relativistic and ultra relativistic electron energization and the evolution of pitch angle distributions using data from the Van Allen Probes. We study the connection between energization and isotropization to determine if there is a coherence across storms and across energies. Pitch angle distributions are fit with a J0sinnθ function, and the variable “n” is characterized as the pitch angle index and tracked over time. Our results show that consistently across all storms with ultra relativistic electron energization, electron distributions are most anisotropic within around a day of Dstmin and become more isotropic in the following week. Also, each consecutively higher energy channel is associated with higher anisotropy after storm main phase. Changes in the pitch angle index are reflected in each energy channel; when 1.8 MeV electron pitch angle distributions increase (or decrease) in pitch angle index, so do the other energy channels. We show that the peak anisotropies differ between coronal mass ejection (CME)‐ and corotating interaction region (CIR)‐driven storms and measure the relaxation rate as the anisotropy falls after the storm. The isotropization rate in pitch angle index for CME‐driven storms is −0.15 ± 0.02 day−1 at 1.8 MeV, −0.30 ± 0.01 day−1 at 3.4 MeV, and −0.39 ± 0.02 day−1 at 5.2 MeV. For CIR‐driven storms, the isotropization rates are −0.10 ± 0.01 day−1 for 1.8 MeV, −0.13 ± 0.02 day−1 for 3.4 MeV, and −0.11 ± 0.02 day−1 for 5.2 MeV. This study shows that there is a global coherence across energies and that storm type may play a role in the evolution of electron pitch angle distributions.
Validation of ICON‐MIGHTI Thermospheric Wind Observations: 1. Nighttime Red‐Line Ground‐Based Fabry‐Perot Interferometers
Authors: Makela Jonathan J. , Baughman Matthew , Navarro Luis A. , Harding Brian J. , Englert Christoph. R. , Harlander John M. , Marr Kenneth D. , Benkhaldoun Zouhair , Kaab Mohamed , Immel Thomas J. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractObservations of the nighttime thermospheric wind from two ground‐based Fabry‐Perot Interferometers are compared to the level 2.1 and 2.2 data products from the Michelson Interferometer Global High‐resolution Thermospheric Imaging (MIGHTI) onboard National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Ionospheric Connection Explorer to assess and validate the methodology used to generate measurements of neutral thermospheric winds observed by MIGHTI. We find generally good agreement between observations approximately coincident in space and time with mean differences less than 11 m/s in magnitude and standard deviations of about 20–35 m/s. These results indicate that the independent calculations of the zero‐wind reference used by the different instruments do not contain strong systematic or physical biases, even though the observations were acquired during solar minimum conditions when the measured airglow intensity is weak. We argue that the slight differences in the estimated wind quantities between the two instrument types can be attributed to gradients in the airglow and thermospheric wind fields and the differing viewing geometries used by the instruments.
Excellent age hardenability with the controllable microstructure of AXW100 magnesium sheet alloy
Authors: Jo Sumi , Whitmore Lawrence , Woo Sangkyu , Aramburu Ainhoa Urrutia , Letzig Dietmar , Yi Sangbong 
Published: December 2020

AbstractAge-hardenability and corresponding improvement of the mechanical properties of Mg–1Al–0.7Ca and Mg–1Al–0.7Ca–0.7Y alloy sheets are addressed with respect to the microstructure and texture evolution during thermomechanical treatments. A fine grain structure and weak texture with the basal pole split into the sheet transverse direction are retained in the Mg–1Al–0.7Ca–0.7Y sheet even after the homogenization at 500 °C, due to the grain boundary pinning by Y-containing precipitates possessing a high thermal stability. Contrarily, the Mg–1Al–0.7Ca sheet shows a coarse microstructure and basal-type texture after the homogenization. The peak-aged condition is attained after the aging at 250 °C for 1800 s of both homogenized sheets, while the Y-containing sheet shows a higher hardness than the Mg–1Al–0.7Ca sheet. TEM analysis and thermodynamic calculation show the formation of metastable precipitates composed of Al, Ca, Y and Mg in the Mg–1Al–0.7Ca–0.7Y sheet at the homogenized and peak-aged conditions. A significant increase in the yield strength is obtained in the peak-aged condition from 162 MPa after the homogenization to 244 MPa, which arises from the increased size and number density of the precipitates. The high age-hardenability of the Mg–1Al–0.7Ca–0.7Y sheet attributes to the superior mechanical properties with an improved ductility promoted by the weak texture.
Grafted human induced pluripotent stem cells improve the outcome of spinal cord injury: modulation of the lesion microenvironment
Authors: Bellák Tamás , Fekécs Zoltán , Török Dénes , Táncos Zsuzsanna , Nemes Csilla , Tézsla Zsófia , Gál László , Polgári Suchitra , Kobolák Julianna , Dinnyés András , Nógrádi Antal , Pajer Krisztián 
Published: December 2020

AbstractSpinal cord injury results in irreversible tissue damage followed by a very limited recovery of function. In this study we investigated whether transplantation of undifferentiated human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into the injured rat spinal cord is able to induce morphological and functional improvement. hiPSCs were grafted intraspinally or intravenously one week after a thoracic (T11) spinal cord contusion injury performed in Fischer 344 rats. Grafted animals showed significantly better functional recovery than the control rats which received only contusion injury. Morphologically, the contusion cavity was significantly smaller, and the amount of spared tissue was significantly greater in grafted animals than in controls. Retrograde tracing studies showed a statistically significant increase in the number of FB-labeled neurons in different segments of the spinal cord, the brainstem and the sensorimotor cortex. The extent of functional improvement was inversely related to the amount of chondroitin-sulphate around the cavity and the astrocytic and microglial reactions in the injured segment. The grafts produced GDNF, IL-10 and MIP1-alpha for at least one week. These data suggest that grafted undifferentiated hiPSCs are able to induce morphological and functional recovery after spinal cord contusion injury.