pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Reconstruction of changes in the Amundsen Sea and Bellingshausen Sea sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet since the Last Glacial Maximum

AbstractMarine and terrestrial geological and marine geophysical data that constrain deglaciation since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) of the sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) draining into the Amundsen Sea and Bellingshausen Sea have been collated and used as the basis for a set of time-slice reconstructions. The drainage basins in these sectors constitute a little more than one-quarter of the area of the WAIS, but account for about one-third of its surface accumulation. Their mass balance is becoming increasingly negative, and therefore they account for an even larger fraction of current WAIS discharge. If all of the ice in these sectors of the WAIS were discharged to the ocean, global sea level would rise by ca 2 m.There is compelling evidence that grounding lines of palaeo-ice streams were at, or close to, the continental shelf edge along the Amundsen Sea and Bellingshausen Sea margins during the last glacial period. However, the few cosmogenic surface exposure ages and ice core data available from the interior of West Antarctica indicate that ice surface elevations there have changed little since the LGM. In the few areas from which cosmogenic surface exposure ages have been determined near the margin of the ice sheet, they generally suggest that there has been a gradual decrease in ice surface elevation since pre-Holocene times. Radiocarbon dates from glacimarine and the earliest seasonally open marine sediments in continental shelf cores that have been interpreted as providing approximate ages for post-LGM grounding-line retreat indicate different trajectories of palaeo-ice stream recession in the Amundsen Sea and Bellingshausen Sea embayments. The areas were probably subject to similar oceanic, atmospheric and eustatic forcing, in which case the differences are probably largely a consequence of how topographic and geological factors have affected ice flow, and of topographic influences on snow accumulation and warm water inflow across the continental shelf.Pauses in ice retreat are recorded where there are “bottle necks” in cross-shelf troughs in both embayments. The highest retreat rates presently constrained by radiocarbon dates from sediment cores are found where the grounding line retreated across deep basins on the inner shelf in the Amundsen Sea, which is consistent with the marine ice sheet instability hypothesis. Deglacial ages from the Amundsen Sea Embayment (ASE) and Eltanin Bay (southern Bellingshausen Sea) indicate that the ice sheet had already retreated close to its modern limits by early Holocene time, which suggests that the rapid ice thinning, flow acceleration, and grounding line retreat observed in this sector over recent decades are unusual in the context of the past 10,000 years
Variations in cognitive abilities across the life course: Cross-sectional evidence from Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Study

AbstractBackgroundPopulations worldwide are aging. Cognitive decline is an important precursor of dementia, illness and death and, even within the normal range, is associated with poorer performance on everyday tasks. However, the impact of age on cognitive function does not always receive the attention it deserves.MethodsWe have explored cross-sectional associations of age with five cognitive tests (word recall, verbal fluency, subtraction, number sequence, and numerical problem solving) in a large representative sample of over 40,000 men and women aged 16 to 100 living in the UK.ResultsWomen performed better on word recall tests and men had higher scores for subtraction, number sequence and numerical problem solving. However, age-cognition associations were generally similar in both genders. Mean word recall and number sequence scores decreased from early adulthood with steeper declines from the mid-60s onwards Verbal fluency, subtraction and numerical problem solving scores remained stable or increased from early to mid-adulthood, followed by approximately linear declines from around age 60. Performance on all tests was progressively lower in respondents with increasingly worse self-rated health and memory. Age-related declines in word recall, verbal fluency and number sequence started earlier in those with the worst self-rated health. There was no compelling evidence for age dedifferentiation (that the general factor of cognitive ability changes in strength with age).ConclusionsWe have confirmed previously observed patterns of cognitive aging using a large representative population sample
Quadratures associated with pseudo-orthogonal rational functions on the real half line with poles in [−∞,0]

AbstractWe consider a positive measure on [0,∞) and a sequence of nested spaces ℒ0⊂ℒ1⊂ℒ2⋯ of rational functions with prescribed poles in [−∞,0]. Let {φk}k=0∞, with φ0∈ℒ0 and φk∈ℒk∖ℒk−1, k=1,2,… be the associated sequence of orthogonal rational functions. The zeros of φn can be used as the nodes of a rational Gauss quadrature formula that is exact for all functions in ℒn⋅ℒn−1, a space of dimension 2n. Quasi- and pseudo-orthogonal functions are functions in ℒn that are orthogonal to some subspace of ℒn−1. Both of them are generated from φn and φn−1 and depend on a real parameter τ. Their zeros can be used as the nodes of a rational Gauss–Radau quadrature formula where one node is fixed in advance and the others are chosen to maximize the subspace of ℒn⋅ℒn−1 where the quadrature is exact. The parameter τ is used to fix a node at a preassigned point. The space where the quadratures are exact has dimension 2n−1 in both cases but it is in ℒn−1⋅ℒn−1 in the quasi-orthogonal case and it is in ℒn⋅ℒn−2 in the pseudo-orthogonal case
Search for a doubly-charged boson in four-lepton final states in type II seesaw

AbstractCMS and ATLAS have searched for a doubly-charged boson H±± which may arise from type II seesaw in the 7 TeV run at the LHC by considering pair or associated production of doubly-charged bosons under the assumption of degenerate triplet scalars. In this work, we consider non-degenerate triplet components with the mass gap ΔM∼1–40 GeV which leads to enhanced pair-production cross-sections of H±± added by the gauge decays of the heavier neutral and singly-charged bosons. We reevaluate the constraints in the ΔM–MH++ plane depending on the triplet vacuum expectation value vΔ in the type II seesaw model which are much more stringent than the current search limits. We further study the possibility of observing same-sign tetra-lepton signals in the allowed parameter space which can be probed in the future runs of the LHC
Taking forward a ‘One Health’ approach for turning the tide against the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus and other zoonotic pathogens with epidemic potential

SummaryThe appearance of novel pathogens of humans with epidemic potential and high mortality rates have threatened global health security for centuries. Over the past few decades new zoonotic infectious diseases of humans caused by pathogens arising from animal reservoirs have included West Nile virus, Yellow fever virus, Ebola virus, Nipah virus, Lassa Fever virus, Hanta virus, Dengue fever virus, Rift Valley fever virus, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, and Zika virus. The recent Ebola Virus Disease epidemic in West Africa and the ongoing Zika Virus outbreak in South America highlight the urgent need for local, regional and international public health systems to be be more coordinated and better prepared. The One Health concept focuses on the relationship and interconnectedness between Humans, Animals and the Environment, and recognizes that the health and wellbeing of humans is intimately connected to the health of animals and their environment (and vice versa). Critical to the establishment of a One Health platform is the creation of a multidisciplinary team with a range of expertise including public health officers, physicians, veterinarians, animal husbandry specialists, agriculturalists, ecologists, vector biologists, viral phylogeneticists, and researchers to co-operate, collaborate to learn more about zoonotic spread between animals, humans and the environment and to monitor, respond to and prevent major outbreaks. We discuss the unique opportunities for Middle Eastern and African stakeholders to take leadership in building equitable and effective partnerships with all stakeholders involved in human and health systems to take forward a ‘One Health’ approach to control such zoonotic pathogens with epidemic potential
Management of infections in critically ill returning travellers in the intensive care unit—II: clinical syndromes and special considerations in immunocompromised patients

SummaryThis position paper is the second ESCMID Consensus Document on this subject and aims to provide intensivists, infectious disease specialists, and emergency physicians with a standardized approach to the management of serious travel-related infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) or the emergency department. This document is a cooperative effort between members of two European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) study groups and was coordinated by Hakan Leblebicioglu and Jordi Rello for ESGITM (ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Travellers and Migrants) and ESGCIP (ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Critically Ill Patients), respectively. A relevant expert on the subject of each section prepared the first draft which was then edited and approved by additional members from both ESCMID study groups. This article summarizes considerations regarding clinical syndromes requiring ICU admission in travellers, covering immunocompromised patients
Effect of gestational age at birth on neonatal outcomes in gastroschisis

AbstractIntroductionInduced birth of fetuses with gastroschisis from 34weeks gestational age (GA) has been proposed to reduce bowel damage. We aimed to determine the effect of birth timing on time to full enteral feeds (ENT), length of hospital stay (LOS), and sepsis.MethodsA retrospective analysis (2000–2014) of gastroschisis born at ≥34weeks GA was performed. Associations between birth timing and outcomes were analyzed by Mann–Whitney test, Cox regression, and Fisher's exact test.Results217 patients were analyzed. Although there was no difference in ENT between those born at 34–36+6weeks GA (median 28 range [6–639] days) compared with ≥37weeks GA (27 [8–349] days) when analyzed by Mann–Whitney test (p=0.5), Cox regression analysis revealed that lower birth GA significantly prolonged ENT (p=0.001). LOS was significantly longer in those born at 34–36+6weeks GA (42 [8–346] days) compared with ≥37weeks GA 34 [11–349] days by both Mann–Whitney (p=0.02) and Cox regression analysis (p<0.0005). Incidence of sepsis was higher in infants born at 34–36+6weeks (32%) vs. infants born at ≥37weeks (17%; p=0.02).ConclusionsEarly birth of fetuses with gastroschisis was associated with delay in reaching full enteral feeds, prolonged hospitalization, and a higher incidence of sepsis
From Ξb→Λbπ to Ξc→Λcπ

AbstractUsing a successful framework for describing S-wave hadronic decays of light hyperons induced by a subprocess s→u(u¯d), we presented recently a model-independent calculation of the amplitude and branching ratio for Ξb−→Λbπ− in agreement with a LHCb measurement. The same quark process contributes to Ξc0→Λcπ−, while a second term from the subprocess cs→cd has been related by Voloshin to differences among total decay rates of charmed baryons. We calculate this term and find it to have a magnitude approximately equal to the s→u(u¯d) term. We argue for a negligible relative phase between these two contributions, potentially due to final state interactions. However, we do not know whether they interfere destructively or constructively. For constructive interference one predicts B(Ξc0→Λcπ−)=(1.94±0.70)×10−3 and B(Ξc+→Λcπ0)=(3.86±1.35)×10−3. For destructive interference, the respective branching fractions are expected to be less than about 10−4 and 2×10−4
In-situ H2 production via low temperature decomposition of ammonia: Insights into the role of cesium as a promoter

AbstractCesium-promoted ruthenium nanoparticles supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes catalysts are shown to be highly active for hydrogen production by ammonia decomposition. Its low temperature activity is significantly improved as the cesium loading increases, reducing the activation energy from 96.7 kJ/mol in the absence of cesium to 59.3 kJ/mol with a cesium/ruthenium molar ratio of 3. Hydrogen production was observed to proceed below 590 K which represents a breakthrough towards the use of ammonia as chemical storage for in-situ hydrogen production on fuel cells. The catalytic enhancement is shown to be due to the electronic modification of ruthenium by the electron donating cesium promoter located on the ruthenium surface and in close proximity on the CNT surface. However, higher promoter loadings above a cesium/ruthenium ratio of 3 leads to ammonia inaccessibility to the catalytic active sites
Intestinal Blood Flow in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure A Link With Bacterial Growth, Gastrointestinal Symptoms, and Cachexia

AbstractBackgroundBlood flow in the intestinal arteries is reduced in patients with stable heart failure (HF) and relates to gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and cardiac cachexia.ObjectivesThe aims of this study were to measure arterial intestinal blood flow and assess its role in juxtamucosal bacterial growth, GI symptoms, and cachexia in patients with HF.MethodsA total of 65 patients and 25 controls were investigated. Twelve patients were cachectic. Intestinal blood flow and bowel wall thickness were measured using ultrasound. GI symptoms were documented. Bacteria in stool and juxtamucosal bacteria on biopsies taken during sigmoidoscopy were studied in a subgroup by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Serum lipopolysaccharide antibodies were measured.ResultsPatients showed 30% to 43% reduced mean systolic blood flow in the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries and celiac trunk (CT) compared with controls (p < 0.007 for all). Cachectic patients had the lowest blood flow (p < 0.002). Lower blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery and CT was correlated with HF severity (p < 0.04 for all). Patients had more feelings of repletion, flatulence, intestinal murmurs, and burping (p < 0.04). Burping and nausea or vomiting were most severe in patients with cachexia (p < 0.05). Patients with lower CT blood flow had more abdominal discomfort and immunoglobulin A–antilipopolysaccharide (r = 0.76, p < 0.02). Antilipopolysaccharide response was correlated with increased growth of juxtamucosal but not stool bacteria. Patients with intestinal murmurs had greater bowel wall thickness of the sigmoid and descending colon, suggestive of edema contributing to GI symptoms (p < 0.05). In multivariate regression analysis, lower blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery, CT (p < 0.04), and inferior mesenteric artery (p = 0.056) was correlated with the presence of cardiac cachexia.ConclusionsIntestinal blood flow is reduced in patients with HF. This may contribute to juxtamucosal bacterial growth and GI symptoms in patients with advanced HF complicated by cachexia
The influence of melt flux and crustal processing on Re–Os isotope systematics of ocean island basalts: Constraints from Galápagos

AbstractNew rhenium–osmium data for high-MgO (>9 wt.%) basalts from the Galápagos Archipelago reveal a large variation in 187Os/188Os (0.1304 to 0.173), comparable with the range shown by primitive global ocean island basalts (OIBs). Basalts with the least radiogenic 187Os/188Os occur closest to the Galápagos plume stem: those in western Galápagos have low 187Os/188Os, moderate 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 206Pb/204Pb and high 3He/4He whereas basalts in the south also have low 187Os/188Os but more radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 206Pb/204Pb and 3He/4He. Our new Os isotope data are consistent with the previously established spatial zonation of the common global isotopic mantle reservoir “C” and ancient recycled oceanic crust in the mantle plume beneath western and southern parts of Galápagos, respectively.Galápagos basalts with the most radiogenic 187Os/188Os (up to 0.1875) typically have moderate MgO (7–9 wt.%) and low Os (<50 pg g−1) but have contrastingly unenriched Sr, Nd and Pb isotope signatures. We interpret this decoupling of chalcophile and lithophile isotopic systems as due to assimilation of young Pacific lower crust during crystal fractionation. Mixing models show the assimilated crust must have higher contents of Re and Os, and more radiogenic 187Os/188Os (0.32), than previously proposed for oceanic gabbros. We suggest the inferred, exceptionally-high radiogenic 187Os of the Pacific crust may be localised and due to sulfides precipitated from hydrothermal systems established at the Galápagos Spreading Centre.High 187Os/188Os Galápagos basalts are found where plume material is being dispersed laterally away from the plume stem to the adjacent spreading centre (i.e. in central and NE parts of the archipelago). The extent to which crustal processing influences 187Os/188Os appears to be primarily controlled by melt flux: as distance from the stem of the Galápagos plume increases, the melt flux decreases and crustal assimilation becomes proportionally greater, accounting for co-variations in Os and 187Os/188Os. The Os concentration threshold below which the 187Os/188Os of Galápagos basalts are contaminated (100 pg g−1) is higher than the canonical value (<50 pg g−1) assumed for many other global OIBs (e.g. for Iceland, Grande Comore and Hawaii). This most likely reflects the low overall melt flux to the crust from the Galápagos plume, which has only a moderate excess temperature and buoyancy flux. Our findings have implications for the interpretation of 187Os/188Os ratios in other ocean island settings, especially those where large variations in 187Os/188Os have been linked to heterogeneity in mantle lithology or sulfide populations: the effect of crustal contamination on 187Os/188Os may be greater than previously recognised, particularly for basalts associated with weak, low melt flux mantle plumes, such as Tristan, Bouvet, Crozet and St Helena
Absence of high-temperature ballistic transport in the spin-1/2 XXX chain within the grand-canonical ensemble

AbstractWhether in the thermodynamic limit, vanishing magnetic field h→0, and nonzero temperature the spin stiffness of the spin-1/2 XXX Heisenberg chain is finite or vanishes within the grand-canonical ensemble remains an unsolved and controversial issue, as different approaches yield contradictory results. Here we provide an upper bound on the stiffness and show that within that ensemble it vanishes for h→0 in the thermodynamic limit of chain length L→∞, at high temperatures T→∞. Our approach uses a representation in terms of the L physical spins 1/2. For all configurations that generate the exact spin-S energy and momentum eigenstates such a configuration involves a number 2S of unpaired spins 1/2 in multiplet configurations and L−2S spins 1/2 that are paired within Msp=L/2−S spin–singlet pairs. The Bethe-ansatz strings of length n=1 and n>1 describe a single unbound spin–singlet pair and a configuration within which n pairs are bound, respectively. In the case of n>1 pairs this holds both for ideal and deformed strings associated with n complex rapidities with the same real part. The use of such a spin 1/2 representation provides useful physical information on the problem under investigation in contrast to often less controllable numerical studies. Our results provide strong evidence for the absence of ballistic transport in the spin-1/2 XXX Heisenberg chain in the thermodynamic limit, for high temperatures T→∞, vanishing magnetic field h→0 and within the grand-canonical ensemble
Glueball Regge trajectories and the pomeron: a lattice study

AbstractWe perform lattice calculations of the lightest J=0,2,4,6 glueball masses in the D=3+1 SU(3) gauge theory and extrapolate to the continuum limit. Assuming that these masses lie on linear Regge trajectories we find a leading glueball trajectory α(t)=0.93(24)+0.28(2)αR′t, where αR′≃0.9 GeV−2 is the slope of the usual mesonic Regge trajectory. This glueball trajectory has an intercept and slope similar to that of the pomeron trajectory. We contrast this with the situation in D=2+1 where the leading glueball Regge trajectory is found to have too small an intercept to be important for high-energy cross sections. We interpret the observed states and trajectories in terms of open and closed string models of glueballs. We discuss the large-N limit and perform an SU(8) calculation that hints at new states based on closed strings in higher representations
Access to financial services: The case of the ‘Mzansi’ account in South Africa

AbstractThe presence of rationing of financial services in the developing countries is a major obstacle to achieving sustainable growth. In recent years there have been co-ordinated efforts to increase the level of financial inclusion, i.e. to reduce the supply-side constraints restricting access to finance. This paper aims to understand household's latent behaviour decision making in accessing financial services, by analysing an entry level Mzansi account in South Africa. The willingness to access financial services is not taken as given, but it is instead defined by perceptions and attitudes. The Mzansi intervention is appealing to individuals with basic but insufficient financial education. Aspirations seem to be very influential in revealing the choice of financial services and to this end, Mzansi is perceived as a pre-entry account not meeting the aspirations of individuals aiming to climb up the financial services ladder
Correlation widths in quantum-chaotic scattering

AbstractAn important parameter to characterize the scattering matrix S for quantum-chaotic scattering is the width Γcorr of the S-matrix autocorrelation function. We show that the “Weisskopf estimate” d/(2π)∑cTc (where d is the mean resonance spacing, Tc with 0⩽Tc⩽1 the “transmission coefficient” in channel c and where the sum runs over all channels) provides a good approximation to Γcorr even when the number of channels is small. That same conclusion applies also to the cross-section correlation function
The Vaccine Formulation Laboratory: A platform for access to adjuvants

AbstractAdjuvants are increasingly used by the vaccine research and development community, particularly for their ability to enhance immune responses and for their dose-sparing properties. However, they are not readily available to the majority of public sector vaccine research groups, and even those with access to suitable adjuvants may still fail in the development of their vaccines because of lack of knowledge on how to correctly formulate the adjuvants. This shortcoming led the World Health Organization to advocate for the establishment of the Vaccine Formulation Laboratory at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. The primary mission of the laboratory is to transfer adjuvants and formulation technology free of intellectual property rights to academic institutions, small biotechnology companies and developing countries vaccine manufacturers. In this context, the transfer of an oil-in-water emulsion to Bio Farma, an Indonesian vaccine manufacturer, was initiated to increase domestic pandemic influenza vaccine production capacity as part of the national pandemic influenza preparedness plan