Inventory Changes Research Articles

Simulations of ocean deoxygenation in the historical era: insights from forced and coupled models

Ocean deoxygenation due to anthropogenic warming represents a major threat to marine ecosystems and fisheries. Challenges remain in simulating the modern observed changes in the dissolved oxygen (O2). Here, we present an analysis of upper ocean (0-700m) deoxygenation in recent decades from a suite of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) ocean biogeochemical simulations. The physics and biogeochemical simulations include both ocean-only (the Ocean Model Intercomparison Project Phase 1 and 2, OMIP1 and OMIP2) and coupled Earth system (CMIP6 Historical) configurations. We examine simulated changes in the O2 inventory and ocean heat content (OHC) over the past 5 decades across models. The models simulate spatially divergent evolution of O2 trends over the past 5 decades. The trend (multi-model mean and spread) for upper ocean global O2 inventory for each of the MIP simulations over the past 5 decades is 0.03 ± 0.39×1014 [mol/decade] for OMIP1, −0.37 ± 0.15×1014 [mol/decade] for OMIP2, and −1.06 ± 0.68×1014 [mol/decade] for CMIP6 Historical, respectively. The trend in the upper ocean global O2 inventory for the latest observations based on the World Ocean Database 2018 is −0.98×1014 [mol/decade], in line with the CMIP6 Historical multi-model mean, though this recent observations-based trend estimate is weaker than previously reported trends. A comparison across ocean-only simulations from OMIP1 and OMIP2 suggests that differences in atmospheric forcing such as surface wind explain the simulated divergence across configurations in O2 inventory changes. Additionally, a comparison of coupled model simulations from the CMIP6 Historical configuration indicates that differences in background mean states due to differences in spin-up duration and equilibrium states result in substantial differences in the climate change response of O2. Finally, we discuss gaps and uncertainties in both ocean biogeochemical simulations and observations and explore possible future coordinated ocean biogeochemistry simulations to fill in gaps and unravel the mechanisms controlling the O2 changes.

Developing a New Oxygen Atlas of the World’s Oceans Using Data Interpolating Variational Analysis

Abstract We present a new global oxygen atlas. This atlas uses all of the available full water column profiles of oxygen, salinity, and temperature available as part of the World Ocean Database released in 2018. Instead of optimal interpolation, we use the Data Interpolating Variational Analysis (DIVA) approach to map the available profiles onto 108 depth levels between the surface and 6800 m, covering more than 99% of ocean volume. This 1/2° × 1/2° atlas covers the period 1955–2018 in 1-yr intervals. The DIVA method has significant benefits over traditional optimal interpolation. It allows the explicit inclusion of advection and boundary constraints, thus offering improvements in the representations of oxygen, salinity, and temperature in regions of strong flow and near coastal boundaries. We demonstrate these benefits of this mapping approach with some examples from this atlas. We can explore the regional and temporal variations of oxygen in the global oceans. Preliminary analyses confirm earlier analyses that the oxygen minimum zone in the eastern Pacific Ocean has expanded and intensified. Oxygen inventory changes between 1970 and 2010 are assessed and compared against prior studies. We find that the full ocean oxygen inventory decreased by 0.84% ± 0.42%. For this period, temperature-driven solubility changes explain about 21% of the oxygen decline over the full water column; in the upper 100 m, solubility changes can explain all of the oxygen decrease; for the 100–600 m depth range, it can explain only 29%, 19% between 600 and 1000 m, and just 11% in the deep ocean. Significance Statement The purpose of this study is to create a new oxygen atlas of the world’s oceans using a technique that better represents the effects of ocean currents and topographic boundaries, and to investigate how oxygen in the ocean has changed over recent decades. We find the total quantity of oxygen in the world’s oceans has decreased by 0.84% since 1970, similar to previous studies. We also examine how much of this change can be explained by changes in water temperature; we find that this can explain all the changes in the upper 100 m but only 21% of the oxygen decline over the whole water column.

265 Manger Space Restriction Does not Negatively Impact Growth Efficiency of Feedlot Heifers Program fed a Concentrate-Based Diet to Gain 1.36 kg Daily

Abstract The objective of this research was to determine the influence manger space restriction had on program fed feedlot heifers during the growing phase. Charolais × Angus heifers [initial body weight (BW) = 329 ± 22.1 kg] were used in a 109-d backgrounding phase study. Heifers were received from a ranch in western South Dakota approximately 60 days before study initiation. Initial processing (53 days before study initiation) included individual BW measurement, application of a unique identification tag, vaccination against viral respiratory pathogens (Bovi-Shield Gold 5, Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ) and clostridial species (Ultrabac/Somubac 7, Zoetis), and administration of doramectin pour-on (Dectomax, Zoetis) for control of internal and external parasites. All heifers were administered 36 mg of zeranol (Ralgro, Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ) at study initiation. Upon study initiation, heifers were assigned to 1 of 10 pens (n = 5 pens/treatment with 10 heifers/pen) in a randomized complete block design (blocked by location). Each pen was randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: 20.3 cm (8IN) or 40.6 cm (16IN) of linear bunk space/heifer. Heifers were individually weighed on days 1, 14, 35, 63, 84 and 109. Heifers were programmed to gain 1.36 kg daily based on predictive equations for a medium frame steer calf set forth by the California Net Energy System. To calculate predictive values, a final BW of 575 kg was assumed to be the mature BW of the heifers and tabular net energy values of 2.05 NEm and 1.36 NEg from d 1 to 22, 2.00 NEm and 1.35 NEg from d 23 to 82, and 1.97 NEm and 1.32 NEg from d 83 to 109 were used, because of ingredient inventory changes. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS 9.4 with manger space allocation as the fixed effect and block as the random effect. No differences (P > 0.35) were observed between 8IN or 16IN heifers for initial BW, final BW, average daily gain, dry matter intake, feed efficiency, variation in daily BW gain (within pen standard deviation) or applied energetic measures. No differences (P > 0.50) were observed between treatments for morbidity. Although not statistically analyzed, 8IN heifers appeared to have looser stools during the first two weeks compared with the 16IN heifers. These data suggest restricting manger space allocation from 40.6 cm to 20.3 cm did not negatively influence gain efficiency or the efficiency of dietary net energy utilization in heifers programmed fed a concentrate-based diet to gain 1.36 kg daily. The use of tabular net energy values and required net energy of maintenance and retained energy equations are an effective means to program cattle to a desired daily rate of gain during the growing phase.

Simulated inventory and distribution of 137Cs released from multiple sources in the global ocean

Radioactive cesium (137Cs) is distributed in the world's oceans as a result of global fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, releases from fuel reprocessing plants, and inputs from nuclear power plant accident. In order to detect future radionuclide contamination, it is necessary to establish a baseline global distribution of radionuclides such as 137Cs and to understand the ocean transport processes that lead to that distribution. In order to aid in the interpretation of the observed database, we have conducted a suite of simulations of the distribution of 137Cs using a global ocean general circulation model (OGCM). Simulated 137Cs radioactivity concentrations agree well with observations, and the results were used to estimate the changes in inventories for each ocean basin. 137Cs activity concentration from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests are expected to be detectable in the world ocean until at least 2030.

Pretreatment pupillary reactivity is associated with differential early response to 10 Hz and intermittent theta-burst repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD)

BackgroundRepetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is an effective treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Two common rTMS protocols, 10 Hz and intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), have comparable rates of efficacy in groups of patients. Recent evidence suggests that some individuals may be more likely to benefit from one form of stimulation than the other. The pretreatment pupillary light reflex (PLR) is significantly associated with response to a full course of rTMS using heterogeneous stimulation protocols. ObjectiveTo test whether the relationship between pretreatment PLR and early symptom improvement differed between subjects treated with iTBS or 10 Hz stimulation. MethodsPLR was measured in 52 subjects who received solely 10 Hz (n = 35) or iTBS (n = 17) to left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for the first ten sessions of their treatment course. Primary outcome measure was the percent change of Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology – Self Report (IDS-SR) from session 1 to session 10. ResultsThere was a positive association between normalized maximum constriction velocity (nMCV) and early improvement in subjects receiving 10 Hz stimulation (R = 0.48, p = 0.004) and a negative association in subjects receiving iTBS (R = −0.52, p = 0.03). ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between nMCV and the type of initial stimulation (p = 0.001). Among subjects with low nMCV, those initially treated with iTBS showed 2.6 times greater improvement after 10 sessions (p = 0.01) than subjects initially receiving 10 Hz stimulation. ConclusionnMCV may detect physiologic differences between those likely to benefit from 10 Hz or iTBS treatment. Future studies should examine whether PLR could guide prospective treatment selection.

Seasonal Tropospheric Distribution and Air‐Sea Fluxes of Atmospheric Potential Oxygen From Global Airborne Observations

AbstractSeasonal change of atmospheric potential oxygen (APO ∼ O2 + CO2) is a tracer for air‐sea O2 flux with little sensitivity to the terrestrial exchange of O2 and CO2. In this study, we present the tropospheric distribution and inventory of APO in each hemisphere with seasonal resolution, using O2 and CO2 measurements from discrete airborne campaigns between 2009 and 2018. The airborne data are represented on a mass‐weighted isentropic coordinate (Mθe) as an alternative to latitude, which reduces the noise from synoptic variability in the APO cycles. We find a larger seasonal amplitude of APO inventory in the Southern Hemisphere relative to the Northern Hemisphere, and a larger amplitude in high latitudes (low Mθe) relative to low latitudes (high Mθe) within each hemisphere. With a box model, we invert the seasonal changes in APO inventory to yield estimates of air‐sea flux cycles at the hemispheric scale. We found a larger seasonal net outgassing of APO in the Southern Hemisphere (518 ± 52.6 Tmol) than in the Northern Hemisphere (342 ± 52.1 Tmol). Differences in APO phasing and amplitude between the hemispheres suggest distinct physical and biogeochemical mechanisms driving the air‐sea O2 fluxes, such as fall outgassing of photosynthetic O2 in the Northern Hemisphere, possibly associated with the formation of the seasonal subsurface shallow oxygen maximum. We compare our estimates with four model‐ and observation‐based products, identifying key limitations in these products or in the tools used to create them.

Low-intensity shockwave therapy improves baseline erectile function: a randomized sham-controlled crossover trial

Abstract Background Low-intensity shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction is emerging as a promising treatment option. Aim This randomized sham-controlled crossover trial assessed the efficacy of low-intensity shockwave therapy in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Methods Thirty-three participants with organic erectile dysfunction were enrolled and randomized to shockwave therapy (n = 17) or sham (n = 16). The sham group was allowed to cross over to receive shockwave therapy after 1 month. Outcomes Primary outcomes were the changes in Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) score and Erection Hardness Score at 1 month following shockwave therapy vs sham, and secondary outcomes were erectile function measurements at 1, 3, and 6 months following shockwave therapy. Results At 1 month, mean SHIM scores were significantly increased in the shockwave therapy arm as compared with the sham arm (+3.0 vs −0.7, P = .024). Participants at 6 months posttreatment (n = 33) showed a mean increase of 5.5 points vs baseline (P < .001), with 20 (54.6%) having an increase ≥5. Of the 25 men with an initial Erection Hardness Score <3, 68% improved to a score ≥3 at 6 months. When compared with baseline, the entire cohort demonstrated significant increases in erectile function outcomes at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. Clinical Implications In this randomized sham-controlled crossover trial, we showed that 54.6% of participants with organic erectile dysfunction met the minimal clinically important difference in SHIM scores after treatment with low-intensity shockwave therapy. Strengths and Limitations Strengths of this study include a sham-controlled group that crossed over to treatment. Limitations include a modest sample size at a single institution. Conclusions Low-intensity shockwave therapy improves erectile function in men with erectile dysfunction as compared with sham treatment, which persists even 6 months after treatment. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04434352.

Pengaruh Pengeluaran Lembaga Non-Profit Rumah Tangga Dan Perubahan Inventori Terhadap Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Barat

This study aims to determine the effect of spending on household non-profit institutions and inventory changes on economic growth in West Nusa Tenggara Province from 2019 to 2022 using panel data regression with a total of 10 districts/cities in West Nusa Tenggara Province using the eviews 12 program. The data used are secondary data sourced from the official website of the Statistics Indonesia. The estimation used in this study is the Fixed Effect (FEM) model. The results showed that the household non-profit expenditure variable (X1) had a positive but not significant effect on economic growth, while the inventory change variable (X2) had a positive but not significant effect on economic growth. In addition, simultaneously the expenditure variables of household non-profit institutions (X1) and inventory changes (X2) have a significant or jointly significant effect on economic growth (Y) in West Nusa Tenggara Province in 2019-2022.

Cancer Pain Management in Patients Receiving Inpatient Specialized Palliative Care Services

ContextCancer pain is a common complication that is frequently undertreated in patients with cancer. ObjectivesThis study is aimed at assessing the time needed to achieve cancer pain management goals through specialized palliative care (SPC). MethodsThis was a multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study of inpatients with cancer pain who received SPC. Patients were continuously followed up until they considered cancer pain management successful, and we estimated this duration using the Kaplan–Meier method. We investigated the effectiveness of pain management using multiple patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and quantitative measures, including pain intensity change in the Brief Pain Inventory. A paired-sample t-test was used to compare the pain intensity at the beginning and end of the observation period. ResultsCancer pain management based on the PROs was achieved in 87.9% (385/438) of all cases. In 94.5% (364/385) of these cases, cancer pain management was achieved within 1 week, and the median time to pain management was 3 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 2–3). The mean worst pain intensity in the last 24 h at the start and end of observation were 6.9 ± 2.2 and 4.0 ± 2.3, respectively, with a difference of −2.9 (95% CI, −3.2 to −2.6; p < 0.01). Overall, 81.6% of the patients reported satisfaction with cancer pain management, and 62 adverse events occurred. ConclusionSPC achieved cancer pain management over a short period with a high level of patient satisfaction resulting in significant pain reduction and few documented adverse events.

Antineutrino detection concepts for safeguarding spent nuclear fuel

Abstract. Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from nuclear power generation requires long-term safeguards in interim storage and final disposal. Current safeguarding approaches for spent fuel storage facilities (SFSFs) propose a combination of material accountancy, containment and surveillance, and design information verification. Antineutrino emissions from the ongoing beta decay of fission fragments could provide complementary information on the potential diversion of nuclear material and misuse of the facility or assist in reverification scenarios as antineutrinos pass through any shielding, structure, or geology effectively unhindered. Antineutrino-based safeguards approaches have been discussed and have been under development for nuclear reactor sites for several years. In this relatively recent field of applied antineutrino monitoring, several approaches have been developed, ranging from scintillator-based technologies to large water Cherenkov detectors, each of which is suitable for different deployment scenarios. Utilising this principle for SNF is uniquely challenging, as the antineutrino flux of cooling fuel elements is several orders of magnitude lower than of an active core. In addition, the typical beta decays in SNF emit a softer antineutrinos energy spectrum, requiring large detectors sensitive to signals close to the inverse beta decay energy threshold. This study investigates a range of current technologies that have been proposed for reactor monitoring, along with a novel antineutrino detection concept using a liquid organic (LOr) time projection chamber (TPC). The LOr-TPC concept combines the scalability and high-resolution particle reconstruction of TPCs with the large quantity of target hydrogen atoms provided by organic compounds. The expected signal rate, sensitivity to inventory changes, and directional capabilities of all technologies are estimated and compared against each other for two simplified storage sites, namely one based on an interim storage facility and one based on a geological repository. For each simplified site, varying fuel ages, cask distributions, and detector deployment scenarios are investigated. This comparison will be used to determine the feasibility and potential of antineutrino monitoring as a complementary safeguards tool for SNF storage sites.

PENGARUH PERSEDIAAN, INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY SET DAN KURS VALUTA ASING TERHADAP RETURN SAHAM

This study aims to determine and describe the effect of inventory, investment opportunity set and foreign exchange rates.The population in this study includes all automotive and component sub-sector companies listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange for the 2018-2021 period. Determination of the sample used in this study as a representative form of the population using a purposive sampling technique. The use of data analysis techniques in this study is descriptive and verification analysis. The selected sample data in this study were then tested using a multiple linear regression analysis model.The results of the research that has been done inform that inventory has no effect on stock returns. investment opportunity set has a significant effect on stock returns.foreign exchange rates have no effect on stock returns inventory, investment opportunity set and foreign exchange rates simultaneously have no significant effect on stock returns. The result of testing the analysis of the coefficient of determination is that the value of the coefficient of determination (Adjusted R Square) This value informs that changes in inventory, investment opportunity sets and foreign exchange rates affect changes in stock returns by 13.80% influenced by other variables outside this study.

(Invited) Development and Application of Titration Gas Chromatography in Elucidating the Behavior of Anode in Lithium Batteries

The accelerated transition to renewable energy systems worldwide has triggered increasing interest in energy storage technologies, especially in lithium batteries. Accurate diagnosis and understanding of the batteries degradation mechanism are essential. Titration Gas Chromatography (TGC) has been developed to quantitively understand the anode. The inactive Li in the cycled anode can be categorized into two kinds: 1) trapped Li0 (such as trapped lithiated graphite (LixC6), Li0, and lithium silicon alloy (LixSi)) and 2) solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) Li+. Noted that only trapped Li0 can react with the protic solvent to generate the hydrogen (H2), while SEI (Li+) does not1. Therefore, the H2 gas quantification can be correlated to the trapped Li0 as the foundation mechanism of TGC. With the optimal solvent selection, we successfully applied TGC to investigated: 1) the degradation behavior of Si-based anode materials2, 3; 2) corrosion effects on electrochemically deposited Li metal anode4; 3) the cycling behavior of Gr anode; 4) Li inventory quantification in practical Li metal battery5. We demonstrate the various application of TGC techniques in quantitatively examining the Li inventory changes of the anode. Beyond that, the results can provide unique insights into identifying the critical bottlenecks that facilitate battery performance development.

Augmented Reality for Perioperative Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Surgery

Both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have had increasing applications in medicine, including medical training, psychology, physical medicine, rehabilitation, and surgical specialties, such as neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery. There are little data on AR's effect on patients' anxiety and experiences. To determine whether the use of an AR walkthrough effects patient perioperative anxiety. This randomized clinical trial was conducted at an outpatient surgery center in 2021 to 2022. All patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery with the senior author were randomized to the treatment or control group. Analyses were conducted per protocol. Data analysis was performed in November 2022. AR experience explaining to patients what to expect on their day of surgery and walking them through the surgery space. The control group received the standard educational packet. The main outcome was change in State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) from the screening survey to the preoperative survey. A total of 140 patients were eligible, and 45 patients either declined or were excluded. Therefore, 95 patients (63 [66.3%] male; mean [SD] age, 38 [16] years) were recruited for the study and included in the final analysis; 46 patients received the AR intervention, and 49 patients received standard instructions. The AR group experienced a decrease in anxiety from the screening to preoperative survey (mean score change, -2.4 [95% CI, -4.6 to -0.3]), while the standard care group experienced an increase (mean score change, 2.6 [95% CI, 0.2 to 4.9]; P = .01). All patients postoperatively experienced a mean decrease in anxiety score compared with both the screening survey (mean change: AR, -5.4 [95% CI, -7.9 to -2.9]; standard care, -6.9 [95% CI, -11.5 to -2.2]; P = .32) and preoperative survey (mean change: AR, -8.0 [95% CI, -10.3 to -5.7]; standard care, -4.2 [95% CI, -8.6 to 0.2]; P = .19). Of 42 patients in the AR group who completed the postoperative follow-up survey, 30 (71.4%) agreed or strongly agreed that they enjoyed the experience, 29 (69.0%) agreed or strongly agreed that they would recommend the experience, and 28 (66.7%) agreed or strongly agreed that they would use the experience again. No differences were observed in postoperative pain levels or narcotic use. In this randomized clinical trial, the use of AR decreased preoperative anxiety compared with traditional perioperative education and handouts, but there was no significant effect on postoperative anxiety, pain levels, or narcotic use. These findings suggest that AR may serve as an effective means of decreasing preoperative patient anxiety. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04727697.

The Changing Landscape of Intercultural Mindset in 616 Doctor of Physical Therapy Students Over the Past 7 Years and the Implications for Doctor of Physical Therapy Cultural Competence Education.

This prospective longitudinal study will report the results of a quantitative analysis of the change in Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) scores and the distribution of students in 5 orientations along the Intercultural Developmental Continuum (IDC) in 8 cohorts of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students during their academic preparation. The expanding interest in developing intercultural sensitivity in an increasingly more complex and diverse health care environment calls for the dissemination of research on the effectiveness of innovative curricular models that include psychometrically strong outcome measures. Research suggests that health care providers can develop intercultural sensitivity when provided with didactic knowledge, experiential learning, self-reflection, mentoring, and a systematic individualized development plan. The participants were from a sample of convenience of 616 DPT students from the graduating classes of 2015-2022. The study is a repeated-measure design. The IDI was selected to guide targeted intervention and assessment of intercultural sensitivity at an individual level and group level and was administered in semesters 3 and 8 as part of the DPT program course requirements. There was significant improvement in the IDI Perceived and Developmental Orientation (DO; P < .001) scores between semesters 3 and 8. There was a significant change (P = .0001) in the distribution of students along the 5 DOs of the IDC with 10% of students regressing 1 orientation, 51.7% of students remaining the same, 33.3% of students advancing 1 orientation, and 5% of students advancing 2 orientations along the IDC. Nearly 40% of participants had a positive shift along the IDC. The results of this study suggest that intercultural sensitivity or mindset, as measured by the IDI, can be developed in DPT students who participate in a targeted intercultural development curriculum based on the Process Model of Cultural Competence by Deardorff and the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity by Bennett.

Do baseline patient reported outcome measures predict changes in self-reported function, following a chronic pain rehabilitation programme?

Background Interdisciplinary pain management programmes, based on cognitive-behavioural principles, aim to improve physical and psychological functioning and enhance self-management in people living with chronic pain. Currently there is insufficient evidence about whether psychological, biological or social factors are predictive of positive outcomes following pain rehabilitation. This study aims to evaluate predictors of change in Brief Pain Inventory – pain interference score (BPI) in a clinical data set to determine whether age, sex and baseline outcome measures are predictive of improvement in pain interference following pain rehabilitation. Methods A retrospective, pragmatic observational analysis of routinely collected clinical data in two pain rehabilitation programmes, Balanced Life Programme (BLP) and Get Back Active (GBA) was conducted. Standard regression and hierarchical regression analyses were used to identify predictors of change to assess temporal changes in BPI. Responder analysis was also conducted. Results Standard regression analyses of 208 (BLP) and 310 (GBA) patients showed that higher baseline BPI and better physical performance measures predicted better improvement in BPI across both programmes. Hierarchical regression showed that age and sex accounted for 2.7% (BLP) and 0.002% (GBA) of the variance in change in BPI. After controlling for age and sex, the other measures explained an additional 23% (BLP) and 19% (GBA) of the variance, p = &lt; .001 where BPI and physical performance measures were consistently statistically significant predictors, p &lt; .05. Responder analysis also showed that pain interference and physical performance were significantly associated with improvement ( p = &lt; .0005). Conclusions The combination of high self-reported pain interference and better physical performance measures may be a useful indicator of who would benefit from interdisciplinary rehabilitation. Further validation of the results is required.

Neutronic and fuel cycle performance analysis of fluoride and chloride fuels in Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR)

The signification of fast breeder reactors as an inexhaustible source of energy has been elucidated by many researchers. Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) show great promise in fuel cycle performance. Fuel selection for MSRs is a key parameter due to its effect on many fundamental parameters of neutronic, safety, and fuel cycle through the neutron spectrum changes. choosing the fuel for MSRs has many degrees of freedom due to the variety of salts, carrier salts, and fissile and fertile isotope types. The foremost objective of this paper is a comparison of performance of fluoride and chloride fuels with the Th-U cycle for Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR) concept. For this purpose, six fuels with start-up fissile isotopes of 233U, TRansUranium (TRU), and TRU/enrU are modeled by Monte Carlo Serpent 2 code. According to the MSFR design, the fuel compositions of three fluoride fuels are chosen from different conceptual designs. Chloride fuels, however, are selected based on the limit of the maximum melting point of salts (565 °C), criticality at the beginning of the cycle (BOC), and inherent safety criteria (temperature reactivity coefficients). The most important evaluated parameters include the energy spectrum, absorption and fission reaction rate, kinetic parameters, temperature reactivity coefficients, power density distribution, breeding ratio, and inventory changes of important isotopes during the burnup cycle. The results reveal neutron spectrum is less fast with fluoride salt; in contrast neutron leakage of chloride fuels are more than fluoride fuels due to their harder spectrum and transparency. Furthermore, the high leakage reduces the neutron budget required for breeding 232Th to 233U and the low density of chloride fuels causes a lower loading of fissile and fertile isotopes in the reactor. Therefore, using chloride fuels leads to larger core volume and need a proper reflector to reduce neutron leakage; Anyway, the U-Pu cycle shows better indications of the breeding for chloride fuels than the Th-U cycle. By the way corrosion and radioactivity of generated elements in chloride fuel circuit are serious problems.

HOUSEHOLD INVENTORY, TEMPORARY SALES, PRICE INDICES

AbstractThis study addresses the large bias in chained price indices that persists even at lower frequencies. The bias arises from intertemporal substitution caused by consumer hoarding, and is problematic for purchase‐based data. In order to resolve this issue, we propose a method for calculating changes in inventories and consumption using retailer scanner data. We construct a partial equilibrium model to estimate inventories and consumption and show that the model accurately predicts the sign and size of the bias. We also demonstrate that the bias is smaller for consumption‐based data and propose a particular type of price index that eliminates intertemporal substitution bias.

A new inventory of High Mountain Asia surging glaciers derived from multiple elevation datasets since the 1970s

Abstract. Glacier surging is an unusual instability of ice flow, and inventories of surging glaciers are important for regional glacier mass balance studies and glacier dynamic studies. Glacier surges in High Mountain Asia (HMA) have been widely reported. However, the completeness of available inventories of HMA surging glaciers is hampered by the insufficient spatial and temporal coverage of glacier change observations or by the limitations of the identification methods. In this study, we established a new inventory of HMA surging glaciers based on glacier surface elevation changes and morphological changes over 4 decades. Three elevation change datasets based on four elevation sources (the KH-9 DEM, NASA DEM, COP30 DEM, and HMA DEM) and long-term Landsat satellite image series were utilized to assess the presence of typical surge features over two time periods (1970s–2000 and 2000–2020). A total of 890 surging and 336 probably or possibly surging glaciers were identified in HMA. Compared to the most recent inventory of surging glaciers in HMA, our inventory incorporated 253 previously unidentified surging glaciers. The number and area of surging glaciers accounted for ∼2.49 % (excluding glaciers smaller than 0.4 km2) and ∼16.59 % of the total glacier number and glacier area in HMA, respectively. Glacier surges were found in 21 of the 22 subregions of HMA (except for the Dzhungarsky Alatau); however, the density of surging glaciers is highly uneven. Glacier surges occur frequently in the northwestern subregions (e.g., Pamir and Karakoram) but less often in the peripheral subregions. The inventory further shows that surge activity is more likely to occur for glaciers with a larger area, longer length, and wider elevation range. Among glaciers with similar areas, the surging ones usually have steeper slopes than non-surging ones. The inventory and elevation change products of identified surging glaciers are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7961207 (Guo et al., 2023).

Pretreatment pupillary reactivity is associated with outcome of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

BackgroundPre-treatment biomarkers for outcome of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) have proven elusive. One promising family of biomarkers involves the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is dysregulated in individuals with MDD. MethodsWe examined the relationship between the pre-treatment pupillary light reflex (PLR) and rTMS outcome in 51 MDD patients. Outcome was measured as the percent change in the 30-item Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self Rated (IDS-SR) score from baseline to treatment 30. ResultsPatients showed significant improvement with rTMS treatment. There was a significant correlation between baseline pupillary Constriction Amplitude (CA) and clinical improvement over the treatment course (R = 0.41, p = 0.003). LimitationsWe examined a limited number of subjects who received heterogeneous treatment protocols. Almost all patients in the study received psychotropic medications concomitant with rTMS treatment. ConclusionPLR measured before treatment may be a predictive biomarker for clinical improvement from rTMS in subjects with MDD.

The Addition of Fish Oil to Cognitive Behavioral Case Management for Youth Depression: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Clinical Trial

BackgroundClinical trials suggest that long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) (fish oil) may reduce depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder. Therefore, n-3 PUFAs may be a potential treatment for depression in youth. MethodsParticipants were 15- to-25 year-old individuals with major depressive disorder who sought care in one of three government-funded mental health services for young people in metropolitan Melbourne, Perth, or Sydney, Australia. Participants were randomly assigned in a double-blind, parallel-arm design to receive either fish oil (840 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 560 mg of docosahexaenoic acid) or placebo capsules as adjunct to cognitive behavioral case management. All participants were offered 50-minute cognitive behavioral case management sessions every 2 weeks delivered by qualified therapists (treatment as usual) at the study sites during the intervention period. The primary outcome was change in the interviewer-rated Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, Adolescent Version, score at 12 weeks. Erythrocyte n-3 PUFA levels were assessed pre-post intervention. ResultsA total of 233 young people were randomized to the treatment arms: 115 participants to the n-3 PUFA group and 118 to the placebo group. Mean change from baseline in the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology score was −5.8 in the n-3 PUFA group and −5.6 in the placebo group (mean difference, 0.2; 95% CI, −1.1 to 1.5; p = .75). Erythrocyte PUFA levels were not associated with depression severity at any time point. The incidence and severity of adverse events were similar in the two groups. ConclusionsThis placebo-controlled trial and biomarker analysis found no evidence to support the use of fish oil for treatment in young people with major depressive disorder.