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A 13,500-year-old record from Langohr Wetland in the Gallatin Range of southwestern Montana offers new insights into the vegetation and fire history at middle elevations within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Pollen data suggest that following deglaciation, a tundra–steppe established until warmer and wetter conditions than before could support Picea parkland. The development of an open, predominantly Pinus mixed-conifer forest from ca. 9300–7000 cal yr BP suggests warming summer temperatures led to an increase in forest cover and fire activity; the increase in tree abundance supported infrequent, stand-replacing fires approximately every 600 years. Picea and Pseudotsuga increased their presence at ca. 7000 cal yr BP, and the mixed-conifer forest became denser during the Mid- and Late Holocene, suggesting summers became cooler and wetter. The additional fuel load led to increased fire activity, with stand-replacing fires occurring approximately every 350 years in the Late Holocene. The forest surrounding Langohr Wetland experienced less change in vegetation composition and structure and fewer fire episodes than other low- and high-elevation sites in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The stability of this forested ecosystem over thousands of years is likely a result of its cool mesic mid-elevation setting, limiting the frequency of intense fire episodes.
Detecting cracks in underwater dams is crucial for ensuring the quality and safety of the dam. However, underwater dam cracks are easily obscured by aquatic plants. Traditional single-view visual inspection methods cannot effectively extract the feature information of the occluded cracks, while multi-view crack images can extract the occluded target features through feature fusion. At the same time, underwater turbulence leads to nonuniform diffusion of suspended sediments, resulting in nonuniform flooding of image feature noise from multiple viewpoints affecting the fusion effect. To address these issues, this paper proposes a multi-view fusion network (MVFD-Net) for crack detection in occluded underwater dams. First, we propose a feature reconstruction interaction encoder (FRI-Encoder), which interacts the multi-scale local features extracted by the convolutional neural network with the global features extracted by the transformer encoder and performs the feature reconstruction at the end of the encoder to enhance the feature extraction capability and at the same time in order to suppress the interference of the nonuniform scattering noise. Subsequently, a multi-scale gated adaptive fusion module is introduced between the encoder and the decoder for feature gated fusion, which further complements and recovers the noise flooding detail information. Additionally, this paper designs a multi-view feature fusion module to fuse multi-view image features to restore the occluded crack features and achieve the detection of occluded cracks. Through extensive experimental evaluations, the MVFD-Net algorithm achieves excellent performance when compared with current mainstream algorithms.
In this article, we consider the relationship between conceptual blending, creativity and morphological change, within the framework of Diachronic Construction Morphology (DCxM; Norde & Trousdale 2023). In particular, we suggest that a refinement to models of creativity in the literature might help to account better for different types of morphological change (Norde & Trousdale 2024). This is achieved via a contrastive analysis of two different sets of changes: (a) the creation of English libfixes (Zwicky 2010; Norde & Sippach 2019), e.g. snowmaggedon and spooktacular, and (b) the development of Dutch pseudoparticiples (Norde & Trousdale 2024), e.g. bebrild ‘bespectacled’ and ontstekkerd ‘with all plugs removed’.
Semantic extensibility captures the semantic side of productivity. It is the likelihood that a given sense of a linguistic expression will support extension to new senses. Even though linguistic expressions are naturally polysemous, semantic extensibility is constrained. In previous literature, it has been argued that semantic extensions are motivated by mostly one-directional conceptual operations such as metaphor and metonymy, and that in any polysemous expression only one or a few so-called ‘sanctioning’ senses have privileged status in supporting new extensions. One factor believed to determine sanctioning status is high frequency. Drawing on three case studies from the history of English, involving change in the adjective awful, the preposition and adverb about and the multifunctional item so, this article provides diachronic evidence from semantic loss to support this view. On the one hand, it is shown that when old sanctioning senses go into decline, this also impacts the senses derived from them, underscoring the motivational relations that tie extended senses to sanctioning senses. On the other hand, what typically initiates a decline in a sanctioning sense is a frequency increase elsewhere in the polysemy network coincident with the emergence of a new sanctioning sense, underscoring the role of frequency in determining sanctioning status and the directionality of sanctioning relations.
Active wake control (AWC) has emerged as a promising strategy for enhancing wind turbine wake recovery, but accurately modelling its underlying fluid mechanisms remains challenging. This study presents a computationally efficient wake model that provides end-to-end prediction capability from rotor actuation to wake recovery enhancement by capturing the coupled dynamics of wake meandering and mean flow modification, requiring only two inputs: a reference wake without control and a user-defined AWC strategy. The model combines physics-based resolvent modelling for large-scale coherent structures and an eddy viscosity modelling for small-scale turbulence. A Reynolds stress model is introduced to account for the influence of both coherent and incoherent wake fluctuations, so that the time-averaged wake recovery enhanced by the AWC can be quantitatively predicted. Validation against large-eddy simulations (LES) across various AWC approaches and actuating frequencies demonstrates the model’s predictive capability, accurately capturing AWC-specific and frequency-dependent mean wake recovery with less than 8 % error from LES while reducing computational time from thousands of central-processing-unit hours to minutes. The efficiency and accuracy of the model makes it a promising tool for practical AWC design and optimization of large-scale wind farms.
CBRN incidents require specialized hazmat decontamination protocols to prevent secondary contamination and systemic toxicity. While wet decontamination is standard, it can present challenges in cold weather or when resources are limited. Dry decontamination offers an alternative and supportive approach, though its effectiveness across different contaminants remains unclear. This scoping review evaluates the effectiveness, advantages, and limitations of dry decontamination in hazmat incidents.
Methods
A scoping review was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, and other databases. Following the PRISMA-ScR approach, 9 studies were selected from 234 identified articles. The review assessed decontamination techniques, materials, and effectiveness across different contaminants.
Results
Dry decontamination is rapid, resource-efficient, and suitable for immediate use in pre-hospital and hospital settings, especially during mass casualty incidents (MCIs). Dry decontamination is highly effective for liquid contaminants, with blue roll and sterile trauma dressings removing over 80% of contaminants within minutes. However, dry decontamination is less effective for hair and particulate contaminants. Blotting and rubbing techniques significantly enhance decontamination efficiency.
Conclusions
Dry decontamination can be an effective alternative for wet decontamination, particularly for liquid contaminants, as a first-line approach for scenarios where wet decontamination is not a practical solution for logistical and environmental reasons. However, dry decontamination is less effective than wet decontamination for hair and particulate contaminants. Combining dry and wet decontamination is shown to be more effective. Identifying the need for including dry decontamination as an integral part of the CBRN response plan improves the efficacy of decontamination.
Despite an early surge in copper-ore mining during the sixth and fifth millennia BC (the ‘boom’), evidence for metal production in the Balkans dwindles in the fourth millennium (the ‘bust’). Here, the authors present new evidence for copper mining at Curak in south-west Serbia, c. 3800 cal BC, during this apparent downturn. By integrating field surveys, excavations and provenance analyses, they explore activity at the site, challenging the visibility bias in the archaeological record of this region for this key period. Rather than a societal collapse, the authors argue, fewer artefacts may instead reflect a widening Balkan sphere of influence.
In this paper, we investigate the relation between head movement and the synthesis-periphrasis distinction in the verbal domain. We use the term synthesis to refer to verbal expressions in which the lexical verb bears all the verbal inflection in a clause (e.g. rode in English). In contrast, a periphrastic verbal expression additionally contains an auxiliary verb (specifically, be or have), and verbal inflection is distributed between the lexical verb and the auxiliary (e.g. had ridden). We argue for two crosslinguistic generalizations: AfTonomy and *V-Aux. According to AfTonomy, affixal Ts vary as to whether they are in a head movement relation with a verb. *V-Aux states that in periphrasis, the lexical verb and the auxiliary cannot be related by head movement. Existing analyses of periphrasis can account for one or the other generalization, but not for both. We further argue that this tension between the two generalizations is resolved if we adopt the hypothesis that both head movement and periphrasis are tied to selection. More specifically, we propose that head movement is parasitic on a selectional relation (following Svenonius 1994, Julien 2002, Matushansky 2006, Pietraszko 2017, Preminger 2019) and that auxiliaries are merged as specifiers selected by functional heads such as T (Pietraszko 2017, 2023).
In this article, we revisit the notion of some hyperbolicity introduced by Pujals and Sambarino [A sufficient condition for robustly minimal foliations. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.26(1) (2006), 281–289]. We present a more general definition that, in particular, can be applied to the symplectic context (something that was not possible for the previous one). As an application, we construct $C^1$ robustly transitive derived from Anosov diffeomorphisms with mixed behaviour on centre leaves.
Though ubiquitous in many engineering applications, including drug delivery, the compound droplet hydrodynamics in confined geometries have been barely surveyed. For the first time, this study thoroughly investigates the hydrodynamics of a ferrofluid compound droplet (FCD) during its migration in a microchannel under the presence of a pressure-driven flow and a uniform external magnetic field (UEMF) to manipulate its morphology and retard its breakup. Finite difference and phase-field multiple-relaxation time lattice Boltzmann approaches are coupled to determine the magnetic field and ternary flow system, respectively. First, the influence of the magnetic Bond number (${Bo}_m$) on the FCD morphology is explored depending on whether the core or shell is ferrofluid when the UEMF is applied along $\alpha =0^\circ$ and $\alpha =90^\circ$ relative to the fluid flow. It is ascertained that imposing the UEMF at $\alpha =0^\circ$ when the shell is ferrofluid can postpone the breakup. Intriguingly, when the core is ferrofluid, strengthening the UEMF enlarges the shell deformation. Afterwards, the effects of the capillary number (${Ca}$), density ratio, viscosity ratio, radius ratio and surface tension coefficients are scrutinised on the FCD deformation and breakup. The results indicate that augmenting the core-to-shell viscosity and density ratios accelerates the breakup process. Additionally, surface tension between the core and shell suppresses the core deformation. Moreover, increasing the ${Ca}$ intensifies the viscous drag force exerted on the shell, flattening its rear side, which causes a triangular-like configuration. Ultimately, by varying ${Bo}_m$ and ${Ca}$, five distinct regimes are observed, whose regime map is established.
To describe the mitigation strategies for a Candida auris outbreak in a cardiothoracic transplant intensive care unit (CTICU) and its implications for infection prevention practices.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study from July 2023 to February 2024.
Setting:
A large academic medical center.
Methods:
A multidisciplinary team convened to conduct the outbreak investigation and develop mitigation strategies in the CTICU.
Results:
From July 2023 to February 2024, 34 possible hospital-onset cases of C. auris were identified in our CTICU. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis based on pairwise single nucleotide polymorphism (WG-SNP) distance revealed two distinct outbreak clusters. Of the 34 patients, 11 (32.3%) were solid organ transplant recipients and 12 (35.3%) had a mechanical circulatory support device. Of the cohort, only 11/34 (32.3%) had prior exposure to high-risk healthcare facilities within six months prior to admission, as follows: acute inpatient rehabilitation facilities (AIRs) (n = 5, 14.7%), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) (n = 3, 8.8%), and long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) (n = 3, 8.8%). The cohort had a median of 22.0 antibiotic-days prior to their positive results. Five (14.7%) patients had C. auris candidemia, three of whom expired likely due to infection. Infection Prevention (IP) interventions addressed several modes of transmission, including healthcare personnel hands, shared patient equipment, and the environment.
Conclusion:
Our experience suggests that the epidemiology of C. auris may be changing, pointing towards a rising prevalence in acute care settings. IP interventions targeting hand hygiene behavior and promoting centralizing cleaning and disinfection of shared patient equipment may have contributed to outbreak resolution.