Time Period Research Articles

Spatial distribution and movement of Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) are capable of long-distance migrations (hundreds of kilometers) but also exhibit resident behaviors in estuarine and coastal habitats. The aim of this study was to characterize the spatial distribution of juvenile tarpon and identify migration pathways of adult tarpon in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Spatial distribution of juvenile tarpon was investigated using gillnet data collected by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) over the past four decades. Generalized additive models (GAMs) indicated that salinity and water temperature played a significant role in tarpon presence, with tarpon occurrences peaking in the fall and increasing over the past four decades in this region. Adult tarpon caught off Texas (n = 40) and Louisiana (n = 4) were tagged with acoustic transmitters to characterize spatial and temporal trends in their movements and migrations. Of the 44 acoustic transmitters deployed, 18 of the individuals were detected (n = 16 west of the Mississippi River Delta and n = 2 east of the Mississippi River Delta). Tarpon tagged west of the Mississippi River Delta off Texas migrated south in the fall and winter into areas of south Texas and potentially into Mexico, while individuals tagged east of the delta migrated into Florida during the same time period, suggesting the presence of two unique migratory contingents or subpopulations in this region. An improved understanding of the habitat requirements and migratory patterns of tarpon inhabiting the Gulf of Mexico is critically needed by resource managers to assess the vulnerability of each contingent to fishing pressure, and this information will guide multi-state and multi-national conservation efforts to rebuild and sustain tarpon populations.

A Chronological Model for Inca Provincial Expansion: The Case of the Copiapo Valley

Abstract This article examines a new dataset of radiocarbon dates that provides insights into the progressive installation of Inca infrastructure in the Copiapo Valley, situated at the southern edge of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. It shows that the Inca imperial expansion in this region was not a linear process and was likely shaped by local negotiations and conflicts. The findings describe three main stages of Inca expansion. The first is the construction of the North–South Inca Road and the establishment of high-altitude mountain shrines. The next stage consisted of a physical intervention in a local village located in the upper valley, including the construction of administrative buildings and public spaces. The last stage involved indirect intervention in local villages, characterized by the presence of isolated administrative buildings that were potentially used for diplomacy and negotiation. I argue that the Inca imperial expansion, characterized by evolving strategies across regions and time periods, not only demonstrates the state's capacity for learning but also suggests the pivotal role of local actors in positions of power who wielded agency to shape these developments.

Quasi-experimental methods for pharmacoepidemiology: difference-in-differences and synthetic control methods with case studies for vaccine evaluation.

Difference-in-differences and synthetic control methods have become common study designs for evaluating the effects of changes in policies, including health policies. They also have potential for providing real-world effectiveness and safety evidence in pharmacoepidemiology. To effectively add to the toolkit of the field, however, designs-including both their benefits and drawbacks-must be well understood. Quasi-experimental designs provide an opportunity to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated without requiring the measurement of all possible confounding factors, and to assess population-level effects. This requires, however, other key assumptions, including the parallel trends or stable weighting assumptions, a lack of other concurrent events that could alter time trends, and an absence of contamination between exposed and unexposed units. The targeted estimands are also highly specific to the settings of the study, and combining across units or time periods can be challenging. Case studies are presented for 3 vaccine evaluation studies, showcasing some of these challenges and opportunities in a specific field of pharmacoepidemiology. These methods provide feasible and valuable sources of evidence in various pharmacoepidemiologic settings and can be improved through research to identify and weigh the advantages and disadvantages in those settings. This article is part of a Special Collection on Pharmacoepidemiology.

Nonparametric analysis of the relationship between income inequality and energy consumption in African countries

AbstractEnergy usage and disparities in income have emerged as the major threats that hinder the achievement of sustainable development goals in Africa. This study aims to assess the time‐varying impact of income inequality on both renewable and nonrenewable energy consumption, utilizing both parametric and nonparametric models across a panel of 18 African countries from 1990 to 2015. We find that, according to the parametric model, income inequality does not affect energy consumption. However, the nonparametric estimates point the presence of both positive and negative relationship between the two variables at different time period. The time varying impacts reveal that unfair income distribution affects renewable energy consumption via the dominance of some channels at specific times. Accordingly, the findings of this study emphasize that policymakers in African countries need to give particular heed to the role played by the income inequality in designing cleaner and greener energy transition policies.

High Power Density Thermal Energy Storage With Phase Change Material in Enhanced Compact Heat Exchangers

Abstract Performance of a novel ultracompact thermal energy storage (TES) heat exchanger, designed as a microchannel finned-tube exchanger is presented. With water as the heating–cooling fluid in the microchannels, a salt hydrate phase change material (PCM), lithium nitrate trihydrate (LiNO3 · 3H2O), was encased on the fin side. To establish the hypothesis that small-length-scale encasement (<3 mm) of PCM substantially enhances heat transfer to yield very high power-density energy storage, heat exchanger designs with 10 and 24 fins/inch were considered. They were subjected to thermal cycling, or repeated heating (melting) and cooling (freezing), with inlet fluid flow mimicking diurnal variation between 42 °C and 25 °C (representing typical arid-region conditions) over an accelerated time period. By employing salt self-seeding to obviate subcooling during cooling or recrystallization, the TES was found to exhibit stable long-term (100 heating–cooling cycles) operation with very high PCM-side heat transfer coefficients (∼100–500 W/m2 K) and storage power density (∼160–175 kW/m3). In fact, with optimization of heating–cooling fluid flowrate for given charging–discharging time period and exchanger size, power density >300 kW/m3 can be achieved. The results clearly establish that highly compact heat exchangers used as TES units can provide very high-performance alternatives to conventional ones.

Linking northeastern North Pacific oxygen changes to upstream surface outcrop variations

Abstract. Understanding the response of the ocean to global warming, including the renewal of ocean waters from the surface (ventilation), is important for future climate predictions. Oxygen distributions in the ocean thermocline have proven an effective way to infer changes in ventilation because physical processes (ventilation and circulation) that supply oxygen are thought to be primarily responsible for changes in interior oxygen concentrations. Here, the focus is on the North Pacific thermocline, where some of the world's oceans' largest oxygen variations have been observed. These variations, described as bi-decadal cycles on top of a small declining trend, are strongest on subsurface isopycnals that outcrop into the mixed layer of the northwestern North Pacific in late winter. In this study, surface density time series are reconstructed in this area using observational data only and focusing on the time period from 1982, the first full year of the satellite sea surface temperature record, to 2020. It is found that changes in the annual maximum outcrop area of the densest isopycnals outcropping in the northwestern North Pacific are correlated with interannual oxygen variability observed at Ocean Station P (OSP) downstream at about a 10-year lag. The hypothesis is that ocean ventilation and uptake of oxygen is greatly reduced when the outcrop areas are small and that this signal travels within the North Pacific Current to OSP, with 10 years being at the higher end of transit times reported in other studies. It is also found that sea surface salinity (SSS) dominates over sea surface temperature (SST) in driving interannual fluctuations in annual maximum surface density in the northwestern North Pacific, highlighting the role that salinity may play in altering ocean ventilation. In contrast, SSS and SST contribute about equally to the long-term declining surface density trends that are superimposed on the interannual cycles.

Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to Swedish pre-washed rocket salad, Sweden, September to November 2022.

In September 2022, the Public Health Agency of Sweden observed an increase in domestic Salmonella Typhimurium cases through the Swedish electronic notification system, and an outbreak strain was identified with whole genome sequencing. Overall, 109 cases with symptom onset between 17 September and 24 November 2022 were reported from 20 of 21 Swedish regions. The median age of cases was 52 years (range 4-87 years) and 62% were female. A case-control study found cases to be associated with consumption of rocket salad (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.4-10, p value < 0.001) and bagged mixed salad (aOR = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.9-8.1, p value < 0.001). Trace-back, supported by Finnish authorities who identified the Swedish outbreak strain in a Finnish cluster during the same time period, identified rocket salad, cultivated, pre-washed and pre-packed in Sweden as the likely source of the outbreak. No microbiological analyses of rocket salad were performed. Our investigation indicates that bagged leafy greens such as rocket salad, regardless of pre-washing procedures in the production chain, may contain Salmonella and cause outbreaks, posing a health risk to consumers. We emphasise the need for primary producers of leafy greens to identify possible contamination points to prevent outbreaks.

One‐pot Three‐component Synthesis of 1,2,4‐Triazolo[4,3‐a] pyrimidines Under the Catalytic Performance of TiO2−Bis[TMS−NH2+ C(NO2)3−] as a Novel Heterogeneous Nano‐catalyst

AbstractIn the current study, N1‐N4‐bis (3‐(trimethoxysilyl) propyl) butane‐1,4‐diammonium trinitromethanide on titanium dioxide {TiO2−Bis [TMS−NH2+ C(NO2)3−]} was synthesized and characterized using a variety of techniques including energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Then TiO2−Bis [TMS−NH2+ C(NO2)3−] was used as an efficient nano‐catalyst in the one‐pot synthesis of 1,2,4‐triazolo[4,3‐a] pyrimidine derivatives at 120 °C under the solvent‐free conditions with good to excellent yields. Easy separation of the products from the catalyst, short period of the reaction times, and reusability of the catalyst are among the most important features of the reported method.

Evaluation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of non obstructive azoospermia.

Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) represents an infertility problem that is usually difficult to treat. Such patients usually have testicular biopsy of germ cell aplasia or spermatogenic arrest. In recent decades, Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) had been studied thoroughly and proved safe and effective regarding their capability for trans-differentiation into different cell types. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of MSCs local intratesticular injection in induction of spermatogenesis. The current study included 87 infertile non-obstructive azoospermic patients. Clinical assessment and repeated semen analysis with centrifugation were done to confirm azoospermia. Karyotyping and AZF study were done. Some of the patients had previous testicular biopsy proving a lack of sperm in the testes. Single intratesticular injection of purified MSCs suspension was done. 20.7% of patients showed sperm in their semen after variable period of time. Hormonal profile among treated patients showed significant improvement regardless success of treatment. Also most of the treated patients appreciated the improvement of their sexual function and libido. Bone marrow derived MSCs could be a new hope and therapeutic modality for treatment of refractory cases of NOA.

Low Resource Competition, Availability of Nutrients and Water Level Fluctuations Facilitate Invasions of Australian Swamp Stonecrop (Crassula helmsii)

Australian swamp stonecrop (Crassula helmsii (Kirk) Cockayne) is invasive in Western Europe. Its small size and high potential for regeneration make it difficult to eliminate. Short-term experiments have demonstrated that the growth of C. helmsii depends on nutrient availability and resource competition. In order to confirm those mechanisms in the field, we studied the abundance of C. helmsii in Northern Europe over a longer period of time in relation to nutrient availability and co-occurring plant communities and plant species. C. helmsii impacted native species mainly by limiting their abundance. The native plant species present indicated that previous or periodic elevated nutrient availability were likely responsible for the proliferation of C. helmsii. When growing in submerged conditions, the dominance of C. helmsii depended on a high availability of CO2. A series of exceptionally dry summers allowed C. helmsii to increase in cover due to weakened biotic resistance and a loss of carbon limitation. Only Littorella uniflora (L.) Asch. and Juncus effusus L. were able to remain dominant and continue to provide biotic resistance. Based on our findings, minimizing nutrient (C and N) availability and optimizing hydrology provides native species with stable growth conditions. This optimizes resource competition and may prevent the proliferation of C. helmsii.

Dynamics and Dependencies in Regional Collaboration for Biodiversity Restoration: Reflections from the Netherlands.

Biodiversity restoration on a landscape level requires people with different backgrounds to connect and collaborate over an extended period of time. Hence, understanding how conservation and restoration goals are negotiated and achieved necessitates an understanding of the dynamics of the social fabric: the social networks and interactions that develop, underpin, and sustain collective action. This paper identifies patterns and factors that have contributed to constructive collaboration for biodiversity in the rural area of Ooijpolder-Groesbeek, which has been at the vanguard of nature and landscape development in the Netherlands. We conducted a historical analysis of the period between 1985 and 2022, based on a broad range of literature and interviews with key actors in the region. We provide a narrative account of the tipping points and the preceding processes that propelled the region to its current state. The emergence of these tipping points is analyzed through the lens of a conceptual framework on the dynamic interplay between practices, social interactions, events, and circumstances. Our findings reveal how an integrative landscape approach, the use of suitable boundary objects, and continuous network building and relation management across various levels have contributed to the success of the collective effort.

Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Testing in New York 2011-2022 Reveals Increase in Non-O157 Identifications.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are an important cause of bacterial enteric infection. STEC strains cause serious human gastrointestinal disease, which may result in life-threatening complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome. They have the potential to impact public health due to diagnostic challenges of identifying non-O157 strains in the clinical laboratory. The Wadsworth Center (WC), the public health laboratory of the New York State Department of Health, has isolated and identified non-O157 STEC for decades. A shift from initially available enzyme immunoassay testing to culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) has increased the uptake of testing at clinical microbiology laboratories. This testing change has resulted in an increased number of specimen submissions to WC. During a 12-year period between 2011 and 2022, WC received 5037 broths and/or stool specimens for STEC confirmation from clinical microbiology laboratories. Of these, 3992 were positive for Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and/or stx2) by real-time PCR. Furthermore, culture methods were utilized to isolate, identify, and characterize 2925 STEC from these primary specimens. Notably, WC observed a >200% increase in the number of STEC specimens received in 2021-2022 compared with 2011-2012 and an 18% increase in the number of non-O157 STEC identified using the same methodologies. During the past decade, the WC testing algorithm has been updated to manage the increase in specimens received, while also navigating the novel COVID-19 pandemic, which took priority over other testing for a period of time. This report summarizes updated methods for confirmation, surveillance, and outbreak detection of STEC and describes findings that may be related to our algorithm updates and the increased use of CIDTs, which is starting to elucidate the true incidence of non-O157 STEC.

Research on energy-saving control of agricultural hybrid tractors integrating working condition prediction.

To address the issues of tractors using too much fuel and not being energy efficient, a predictive control strategy based on Pontryagin's minimum principle integrating working condition prediction is proposed for agricultural hybrid tractors. The Dongfanghong 1804 tractor is being used for research. Firstly, the main parameters of the hybrid drive system are determined and modeled. Secondly, based on the adaptive cubic exponential forecasting method, the working condition information for a period of time in the future is predicted through historical working condition information. Furthermore, combining the predicted working conditions information, the goal is to minimize the total energy consumption cost of the entire machine. Motor power and diesel engine power are control variables. The battery state of charge is a state variable. Subsequently, a predictive control strategy based on Pontryagin's minimum principle integrating working condition prediction is proposed. Finally, the simulation test is carried out based on the MATLAB simulation platform. Research indicates: under plowing conditions, compared with the power following control strategy, the proposed predictive control strategy can effectively manage the performance of the diesel engine and motor, ensuring they operate at their most efficient level. The total energy consumption costs of the power following control and predictive control strategies are 37.17 China Yuan (CNY) and 33.67 CNY, respectively. The cost of energy used is decreased by 9. 42%, which helps make tractor field plowing more efficient and economical.

Who moves first? Resource price interdependence through time‐varying Granger causality

AbstractThis paper investigates the interdependence among natural resource prices. Commodities belonging to three different groups (energy commodities, metals, agricultural commodities) are considered. The analysis is performed via a battery of time‐varying Granger causality tests. They allow to assess whether price interdependence occurs and to identify the candidate first movers. These tests also allow observing how long and in which subperiods these causality relationships occur. The approach is applied to the monthly prices of 11 natural resources over the 1980–2021 period. Results suggest that interdependence is weak for energy and agricultural commodities and often concerns limited time periods, while it seems stronger and longer lasting among metals. Moreover, if an overall price driver has to be identified, agricultural commodities more than oil seem to be the best candidates.

Trends in management and outcomes of colon cancer in the United States over 15 years: Analysis of the National Cancer Database.

Management of colon cancer has changed over the last few decades. We assessed the trends in management and outcomes using the US National Cancer Database (NCDB). A retrospective analysis of all patients with colonic adenocarcinoma between 2005 and 2019 was conducted. The cohort was divided into three equal time periods: Period 1 (2005-2009), Period 2 (2010-2014), and Period 3 (2015-2019) to examine treatment and outcomes trends. The primary outcome was 5-year overall survival (OS). The study included 923,275 patients. A significant increase in patients with stage IV disease was noted in Period 3 compared to Period 1 (47.9% vs. 27.9%, respectively), whereas a reciprocal reduction was seen in patients with locally advanced disease (stage II: 20.8%-12%; stage III: 14.5%-7.7%). Use of immunotherapy significantly increased from 0.3% to 7.6%. Mean 5-year OS increased (43.6 vs. 42.1 months) despite the increase in metastatic disease and longer time from diagnosis to definitive surgery (7 vs. 14 days). A reduction in 30-day readmission (5.1%-4.2%), 30- (3.9%-2.8%), and 90-day mortality (7.1%-5%) was seen. Laparoscopic and robotic surgery increased from 45.8% to 53.1% and 2.9% to 12.7%, respectively. Median postoperative length of hospital stay decreased by 2 days. Rate of positive resection margins (7.2%-6%) and median number of examined lymph nodes (14-16) also improved. Minimally invasive surgery and immunotherapy for colon cancer significantly increased in recent years. Patient outcomes including OS improved over time.

Fantastic Flails and Where to Find Them: The Body of Evidence for the Existence of Flails in the Early and High Medieval Eras in Western, Central, and Southern Europe

Flails are one of the most contentious and misunderstood classes of medieval weaponry, despite their prevalence in popular media: some researchers question their existence entirely and the bulk of historians are skeptical of widespread temporal and geographical prevalence, while others, and a significant volume of period evidence, would argue the contrary. While the expansive use of flails in Eastern Europe and Byzantium is familiar, many Central, Western, and Southern European sources are less well known or largely forgotten, especially those stemming from the later-early and early high medieval eras (up to 1250). In this work, I collate and discuss the bulk of the available literary references and artistic depictions of flails and their use alongside some of the archaeological finds from Western, Central, and Southern Europe, with an emphasis on the 12th and 13th centuries. The significance of this volume of evidence is examined, and an assessment of flails as a part of medieval culture and warfare is considered. Collectively, this would suggest that knowledge of flails as instruments of war and associated cultural connotations, if not their actual prevalence and use in warfare, was far more widespread across Europe this time period than has been previously estimated.

Excremental mobilities and minimal technopolitics: Toilets, race, and expulsion in Tanzania

ABSTRACT Centreing an everyday form of human expulsion – defecation – this article demonstrates that toilets produced colonial racial orders in colonial Tanzania through the different excremental mobilities their materialities allowed, including both movement and immobility. It specifically argues that colonial pit toilets affixed excrement to African spaces and helped create a form of minimal technopolitics that expelled infrastructural possibilities from subsequent time periods.

Six years of continuous carbon isotope composition measurements of methane in Heidelberg (Germany) – a study of source contributions and comparison to emission inventories

Abstract. Mitigation of greenhouse gases requires a precise knowledge of their sources at both global and regional scales. With improving measurement techniques, in situ δ(13C,CH4) records are analysed in a growing number of studies to characterise methane emissions and to evaluate inventories at regional and local scales. However, most of these studies cover short time periods of a few months, and the results show a large regional variability. In this study, a 6-year time record of in situ δ(13C,CH4), measured with a cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) analyser in Heidelberg, Germany, is analysed to obtain information about seasonal variations and trends of CH4 emissions. The Keeling plot method is applied to atmospheric measurements on different timescales, and the resulting source contributions are used to evaluate the CH4 emissions reported by two emission inventories: the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR v6.0) and the inventory of the State Institute for the Environment Baden-Württemberg (LUBW). The mean isotopic carbon source signature for the Heidelberg catchment area derived from atmospheric measurements is (-52.3±0.4) ‰ and shows an annual cycle with 5.8 ‰ more depleted values in summer than in winter. This annual cycle can only be partly explained by seasonal variations in the 13C-enriched emissions from heating and reveals strong seasonal variations in biogenic CH4 emissions in the Heidelberg catchment area, which are not included in EDGAR v6.0. The comparison with emission inventories also shows that EDGAR v6.0 overestimates the CH4 emissions from less depleted sources. In situ CH4 isotope analysers at continental and urban monitoring stations can make an important contribution to the verification and improvement of emission inventories.

The evolution of regional triple helix food sector SME interventions: a longitudinal study, Wales, UK

ABSTRACT This paper explores the effectiveness of regional intervention strategies aimed at enhancing ‘low-tech’ SMEs’ sustainable competitive advantage and innovation activities, employing the food sector in Wales (UK) as a case study. It utilizes the triple helix model to analyse these interventions, emphasising collaboration between government, academia, and industry to stimulate knowledge-based economic development. The food sector represents an ideal subject for innovation-focused regional development policies because of its global importance, sustainability concerns, health impact and economic outcomes. A mixed-methods longitudinal case study approach was taken, evaluating a series of intervention programmes over an extended period (12 years in total), all funded by the European Union via the Welsh Government. Data sources included program reports, management committee reports, interviews, and case study testimonials. Frequent intervention activities included quality systems development, technical support, and skills training. They notably improved product and processing innovation for SMEs, key performance indicators revealing over 1,800 new products, safeguarding around 2,300 food sector jobs, and supporting 64 new business start-ups. Findings emphasized the value of consistent policies over an extended time period, albeit with the potential for lock-in effects. Future programme goals should be adapted for broader sustainable development outcomes – these are not uniquely Welsh challenges.

Indicators of cerebral venous drainage with non-thrombotic disorders in extracranial veins

The growing number of studies on cerebral venous circulation disorders associated with extrinsic stenosis of the internal jugular veins, as well as attempts to surgically influence the restoration of blood flow, are an indicator of the importance of this problem. Studies show that extracranial outflow disorders are associated with a wide range of neurological clinical manifestations and may contribute to the development of congestive intracranial hypertension. Anatomical variants of the development of the extracranial venous system, constitutional insufficiency and stenosis often play similar roles in the development of disorders of the cerebral venous outflow, but differ parametrically. There are no standard diagnostic criteria for differential diagnosis, normal and pathological parameters are contradictory, and the diagnosis largely depends on the combined use of imaging techniques. The history of attempts to study disorders of the cerebral venous circulation is quite long, associated with the technical innovations in every period of time. The most non-invasive, accessible and safe tools for diagnosing non-thrombotic lesions and anomalies of the internal jugular veins are currently recognized as ultrasound scanning and MR venography in tandem. Researchers note both local hemodynamic disturbances at the level of stenosis and changes in the overall picture of the venous vascular network of the neck with certain patterns of its remodeling. The pathological significance of the compensatory expansion of nonjugular outflow tracts (vertebral, paraspinal collateral, spinal epidural veins, etc.) is still a controversial issue. MRI and ultrasound combined show a high degree of agreement between the results, which should stimulate further research into the pathophysiology and differentiation of various causes and severity of non-thrombotic lesions of the jugular veins.