bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in arterial identity correlate with neointimal hyperplasia after balloon injury
Authors: Gao Mingjie , Gao Xixiang , Taniguchi Ryosuke , Brahmandam Anand , Matsubara Yutaka , Liu Jia , Liu Hao , Zhang Weichang , Dardik Alan
Published: June 2022

Background

Endovascular treatment of atherosclerotic arterial disease exhibits sex differences in clinical outcomes including restenosis. However, sex-specific differences in arterial identity during arterial remodeling have not been described. We hypothesized that sex differences in expression of the arterial determinant erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptor interacting protein (Ephrin)-B2 occur during neointimal proliferation and arterial remodeling.

Methods and results

Carotid balloon injury was performed in female and male Sprague–Dawley rats without or 14 days after gonadectomy; the left common carotid artery was injured and the right carotid artery in the same animal was used as an uninjured control. Arterial hemodynamics were evaluated in vivo using ultrasonography pre-procedure and post-procedure at 7 and 14 days and wall composition examined using histology, immunofluorescence and Western blot at 14 days after balloon injury. There were no significant baseline sex differences. 14 days after balloon injury, there was decreased neointimal thickness in female rats with decreased smooth muscle cell proliferation and decreased type I and III collagen deposition, as well as decreased TNFα- or iNOS-positive CD68+ cells and increased CD206− or TGM2-positive CD68+ cells. Female rats also showed less immunoreactivity of VEGF-A, NRP1, phosphorylated EphrinB2, and increased Notch1, as well as decreased phosphorylated Akt1, p38 and ERK1/2. These differences were not present in rats pretreated with gonadectomy.

Conclusions

Decreased neointimal thickness in female rats after carotid balloon injury is associated with altered arterial identity that is dependent on intact sex hormones. Alteration of arterial identity may be a mechanism of sex differences in neointimal proliferation after arterial injury.
Learning inter-class optical flow difference using generative adversarial networks for facial expression recognition
Authors: Guo Wenping , Zhao Xiaoming , Zhang Shiqing , Pan Xianzhang
Published: June 2022

Facial expression recognition is a fine-grained task because different emotions have subtle facial movements. This paper proposes to learn inter-class optical flow difference using generative adversarial networks (GANs) for facial expression recognition. Initially, the proposed method employs a GAN to produce inter-class optical flow images from the difference between the static fully expressive samples and neutral expression samples. Such inter-class optical flow difference is used to highlight the displacement of facial parts between the neutral facial images and fully expressive facial images, which can avoid the disadvantage that the optical flow change between adjacent frames of the same video expression image is not obvious. Then, the proposed method designs four-channel convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to learn high-level optical flow features from the produced inter-class optical flow images, and high-level static appearance features from the fully expressive facial images, respectively. Finally, a decision-level fusion strategy is adopted to implement facial expression classification. The proposed method is validated on two public facial expression databases, BAUM_1a, SAMM and AFEW5.0, demonstrating its promising performance.
Low loss hybrid plasmonic photonic crystal waveguide for optical communication applications
Authors: Hassan Hala Mossad I. , Areed Nihal F. F. , El-Mikati H. A. , Hameed Mohamed Farhat O. , Obayya S. S. A.
Published: June 2022

In this paper, a new design of hybrid plasmonic photonic crystal (PhC) waveguide is proposed and analyzed at operating wavelength of 1550 nm. The suggested design consists of hybrid cylindrical core with periodic grating as a cladding region. The effective index (neff), propagation length (Lp), and normalized mode effective area (Aeff) of the supported modes are numerically investigated using full vectorial finite element method. The cladding geometry is tuned to obtain long propagation length with good field confinement. The reported plasmonic PhC with uniform grating achieves long propagation length and low propagation loss of 124 µm, and 0.035 dB/µm respectively. Further, the PhC with chirped cladding offers propagation length and low propagation loss of 162 µm, and 0.0268 dB/µm at λ = 1550 nm, respectively.
Model Transfer and Universal Patterns: Lessons from the Yule Process
Authors: Tieleman Sebastiaan
Published: June 2022

Model transfer refers to the observation that particular model structures are used across multiple distinct scientific domains. This paper puts forward an account to explain the inter-domain transfer of model structures. Central in the account is the role of validation criteria in determining whether a model is considered to be useful by practitioners. Validation criteria are points of reference to which model correctness for a particular purpose is assessed. I argue that validation criteria can be categorized as being mathematical, theoretical or phenomenological in nature. Model transfer is explained by overlap in validation criteria between scientific domains. Particular emphasis is placed on overlap between phenomenological criteria. Overlap in phenomenological criteria can be explained through the notion of universal patterns. Universal patterns are abstract structures that can be made to refer to multiple distinct phenomena when coupled with phenomena-specific empirical content. I present the case study of the Yule Process, in which universal patterns play a crucial role in explaining model transfer. This paper provides an account of model transfer that stays close to modelling practice and expands existing accounts by introducing the notion of universal patterns.
Relation Between the Number of Peaks and the Number of Reciprocal Sign Epistatic Interactions
Authors: Saona Raimundo , Kondrashov Fyodor A. , Khudiakova Ksenia A.
Published: June 2022

Empirical essays of fitness landscapes suggest that they may be rugged, that is having multiple fitness peaks. Such fitness landscapes, those that have multiple peaks, necessarily have special local structures, called reciprocal sign epistasis (Poelwijk et al. in J Theor Biol 272:141–144, 2011). Here, we investigate the quantitative relationship between the number of fitness peaks and the number of reciprocal sign epistatic interactions. Previously, it has been shown (Poelwijk et al. in J Theor Biol 272:141–144, 2011) that pairwise reciprocal sign epistasis is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the existence of multiple peaks. Applying discrete Morse theory, which to our knowledge has never been used in this context, we extend this result by giving the minimal number of reciprocal sign epistatic interactions required to create a given number of peaks
Development of a Point-of-Care Ultrasound Track for Internal Medicine Residents
Authors: Nathanson Robert , Le Minh-Phuong T. , Proud Kevin C. , LoPresti Charles M. , Haro Elizabeth K. , Mader Michael J. , O’Rorke Jane , Wathen Patricia I. , Soni Nilam J.
Published: June 2022

Background

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training has been increasing among internal medicine (IM) residency programs, but few programs can provide longitudinal training due to barriers such as lack of trained faculty.

Aim

Describe the development of a longitudinal POCUS track for IM residents using local and external resources, including a national POCUS certificate program.

Setting

University-based IM residency program affiliated with a public and veterans affairs hospital.

Participants

Twelve IM residents from 2018 to 2021.

Program Description

Residents complete a national POCUS certificate program by attending live courses and completing online modules, an image portfolio, and final knowledge/skills assessments. Locally, residents participate in 1-month procedure and diagnostic POCUS rotations and provide peer-to-peer POCUS teaching of residents and medical students.

Program Evaluation

The POCUS track increased residents’ use and comfort with diagnostic and procedural applications. All residents rated being satisfied or very satisfied with the track and would recommend it to prospective applicants (100%). The most commonly reported barriers to utilizing POCUS per residents were time constraints (83%), lack of available ultrasound equipment (83%), and lack of trained faculty (58%).

Discussion

IM residency programs with limited faculty expertise in POCUS can leverage external resources to provide longitudinal POCUS training to its residents.
Introduction to coherent quantization
Authors: Neumaier Arnold , Farashahi Arash Ghaani
Published: June 2022

This paper studies coherent quantization, the way operators in the quantum space of a coherent space—defined in the recent book ’Coherent Quantum Mechanics’ by the first author—can be studied in terms of objects defined directly on the coherent space. The results may be viewed as a generalization of geometric quantization, including the non-unitary case. Care has been taken to work with the weakest meaningful topology and to assume as little as possible about the spaces and groups involved. Unlike in geometric quantization, the groups are not assumed to be compact, locally compact, or finite-dimensional. This implies that the setting can be successfully applied to quantum field theory, where the groups involved satisfy none of these properties. The paper characterizes linear operators acting on the quantum space of a coherent space in terms of their coherent matrix elements. Coherent maps and associated symmetry groups for coherent spaces are introduced, and formulas are derived for the quantization of coherent maps. The importance of coherent maps for quantum mechanics is due to the fact that there is a quantization map that associates homomorphically with every coherent map a linear operator from the quantum space into itself. The quantization map generalizes the second quantization procedure for free classical fields to symmetry groups of general coherent spaces. Field quantization is obtained by specialization to Klauder spaces, whose quantum spaces are the bosonic Fock spaces. Implied by the new approach is a short, coordinate-free derivation of all basic properties of creation and annihilation operators in Fock spaces.
Rapidly dissolving bilayer microneedles enabling minimally invasive and efficient protein delivery to the posterior segment of the eye
Authors: Wu Yu , Vora Lalitkumar K. , Donnelly Ryan F. , Singh Thakur Raghu Raj
Published: June 2022

The discovery of proteins that neutralise vascular endothelial growth factors, such as pegaptanib, ranibizumab and aflibercept, can inhibit the process of angiogenesis, thereby restoring eyesight in individuals with retinal vascular disorders. However, due to the posterior location and chronic nature of retinal diseases, a safe and effective intraocular protein delivery system is currently lacking. Thus, dissolving bilayer microneedles (MNs) with the potential to deliver proteins to the back of the eye in an efficient and minimally invasive manner were developed in this study. A model protein, ovalbumin (OVA), was incorporated into MNs fabricated from different polymers, including hyaluronic acid (HA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Optimised PVA/PVP MNs were demonstrated to be robust enough to pierce porcine sclera with > 75% of the needle length penetrating the sclera and dissolving within 150 s. SDS-PAGE and OVA-specific ELISA revealed that the bioactivity of the model protein was maintained during the manufacture of MNs. In hen’s egg-chorioallantoic membrane test, MNs fabricated from all chosen polymers were classified as non-irritants. Furthermore, ex vivo permeation studies showed that optimised MNs could permeate 86.99 ± 7.37% of OVA through the sclera, twice that of the needle-free patch (42.16 ± 3.95%), highlighting the capability of MNs to circumvent physical barriers and promote protein delivery to the posterior segment of the eye. In this work, a novel, efficient and safe intraocular protein delivery system was successfully established.

Graphical abstract
Coordinating visual and algebraic reasoning with quadratic functions
Authors: Wilkie Karina J.
Published: June 2022

Quadratics provide a foundational context for making sense of many important algebraic concepts, such as variables and parameters, nonlinear rates of change, and views of function. Yet researchers have highlighted students’ difficulties in connecting such concepts. This in-depth qualitative study with two pairs of Year 10 (15 or 16-year-old) students investigated the potential of figural pattern generalisation—a context not traditionally used for teaching quadratics—to stimulate students’ coordination of visual and algebraic reasoning and attention to quadratic function concepts. Theorisations of embodied visualisation, algebraic thinking, and student noticing were drawn on to analyse the pairs responding to 19 quadratic figural pattern generalisation tasks interspersed throughout their class topic on quadratic equations. It was found that students became adept at connecting the generality of different types of structural aspects of figures (square, rectangular, linear, constant/invariant) to their symbolic expression in quadratic equations. Students’ construction of numeric instantiations of figural aspects was found to support pairs in moving towards symbolic generalisation. Task prompts to find different (but equivalent) algebraic equations for the same pattern evidenced pairs beginning to distinguish among general, factorised and standard forms of quadratic equations. One pair’s attention to first and second differences (between total quantities of figures in a sequence) highlighted both the difficulty of and potential for connecting quadratic rate-of-change concepts and parameters visually. Implications for including figural pattern generalisation when teaching quadratics and suggestions for further research are shared.
A technoeconomic analysis of sewage sludge valorization for carbon emission reduction
Authors: Woo Desmond Chien Yang , Goh Qi Hao , Poh Phaik Eong , Chew Irene Mei Leng
Published: June 2022

Sewage sludge (SS) is a residual resulting from wastewater treatment that contains both organic and inorganic materials. Nowadays, SS management is a major issue owing to economic considerations and environmental pressure. It has been reported that the current sludge-to-landfill method would pose potential risks to human health and the environment. The incorporation of sustainable sludge valorization techniques (SVTs) into the SS treatment process could be a promising solution by transforming SS into value-added products, which mitigates the environmental impact of SS disposal. However, the selection of the most optimal process pathway from various SVTs is a challenging task. Hence, this paper proposes a mathematical optimization framework to determine the most sustainable SVT pathway using a single objective function of total annualized cost (TAC) minimization with the consideration of carbon pricing. A case study is conducted to evaluate the performance of the optimized SVT pathway compared to the conventional sludge management practice using different SS sources: (1) domestic sewage sludge and (2) a mixture of industrial sludge and domestic SS. The results reveal that the SVT pathway, which includes anaerobic digestion (AD) and followed by land application, is the most ideal route for domestic SS feed. For mixed SS feed, AD followed by landfilling is preferred due to the presence of hazardous constituents in mixed SS. Sensitivity analysis is performed to study the effect of SS quantity and carbon pricing on the SVT selection. It is expected that this study could provide critical insights into the development of a sustainable SS treatment process.
A Proposed Methodological Approach for Considering Community Resilience in Technology Development and Disaster Management Pilot Testing
Authors: Benekos Ioannis , Bekiaris Evangelos , Wodniak Katarzyna , Serhan Waleed , Sułkowski Łukasz , Gharrad Hana , Yasar Ansar
Published: June 2022

Nowadays, resilience has become an indispensable term in several aspects and areas of research and life. Reaching consensus on what actually constitutes “resilience,” “community,” and “community resilience” is still a task that guarantees a vivid exchange of opinions, sometimes escalating into debates, both in the scientific community and among practitioners. Figuring out how to practically apply resilience principles goes even a step further. This study attempts to circumvent the need for a universal agreement on the definition of “community resilience,” which may still be immature, if not impossible, at this time. We accomplish this by proposing a practical methodological approach with concrete methods on how to agree and implement commonly accepted community resilience principles in the context of technology development and pilot testing for disaster management. The proposed approach was developed, tested, and validated in the context of the Horizon 2020 EU-funded project Search and Rescue. Major aspects of the approach, along with considerations for further improvement and adaptation in different contexts, are addressed in the article.
Natural Stibnite for Lithium-/Sodium-Ion Batteries: Carbon Dots Evoked High Initial Coulombic Efficiency
Authors: Xiang Yinger , Xu Laiqiang , Yang Li , Ye Yu , Ge Zhaofei , Wu Jiae , Deng Wentao , Zou Guoqiang , Hou Hongshuai , Ji Xiaobo
Published: June 2022

Highlights

The chemical process of local oxidation–partial reduction–deep coupling for
stibnite reduction of carbon dots (CDs) is revealed by in-situ high-temperature X-ray
diffraction.

Sb2S3@xCDs anode delivers high initial coulombic efficiency in lithium ion
batteries (85.2%) and sodium ion batteries (82.9%), respectively.

C–S bond influenced by oxygen-rich carbon matrix can restrain the conversion of
sulfur to sulfite, well confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
characterization of solid electrolyte interphase layers helped with density
functional theory calculations.

CDs-induced Sb–O–C bond is proved to effectively regulate the interfacial
electronic structure.

The application of Sb2S3 with marvelous theoretical capacity for alkali metal-ion batteries is seriously limited by its poor electrical conductivity and low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE). In this work, natural stibnite modified by carbon dots (Sb2S3@xCDs) is elaborately designed with high ICE. Greatly, chemical processes of local oxidation–partial reduction–deep coupling for stibnite reduction of CDs are clearly demonstrated, confirmed with in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction. More impressively, the ICE for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is enhanced to 85%, through the effect of oxygen-rich carbon matrix on C–S bonds which inhibit the conversion of sulfur to sulfite, well supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization of solid electrolyte interphase layers helped with density functional theory calculations. Not than less, it is found that Sb–O–C bonds existed in the interface effectively promote the electronic conductivity and expedite ion transmission by reducing the bandgap and restraining the slip of the dislocation. As a result, the optimal sample delivers a tremendous reversible capacity of 660 mAh g−1 in LIBs at a high current rate of 5 A g−1. This work provides a new methodology for enhancing the electrochemical energy storage performance of metal sulfides, especially for improving the ICE.
Empirical evaluation of fully Bayesian information criteria for mixture IRT models using NUTS
Authors: AlHakmani Rehab , Sheng Yanyan
Published: June 2022

This study is to evaluate the performance of fully Bayesian information criteria, namely, LOO, WAIC and WBIC in terms of the accuracy in determining the number of latent classes of a mixture IRT model while comparing it to the conventional model via non-random walk MCMC algorithms and to further compare their performance with conventional information criteria including AIC, BIC, CAIC, SABIC, and DIC. Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to evaluate these criteria under different situations. The results indicate that AIC, BIC, and their related CAIC and SABIC tend to select the simpler model and are not recommended when the actual data involve multiple latent classes. For the three fully Bayesian measures, WBIC can be used for detecting the number of latent classes for tests with at least 30 items, while WAIC and LOO are suggested to be used together with their effective number of parameters in choosing the correct number of latent classes.
Teachers’ Perceptions of an Early Intervention Coaching Program
Authors: Tupou Jessica , Waddington Hannah , Sigafoos Jeff
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Inclusive preschools appear to be logical settings for the delivery of early intervention for young autistic children. Regular preschool teachers may also be well-suited to delivering early intervention. This study is part of a larger study, in which three preschool teachers participated in a coaching program based around the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), a promising early intervention model for young autistic children. The aim of the present study was to evaluate teachers’ perceptions regarding the social validity of the coaching program and the ESDM techniques.

Methods

A quantitative questionnaire and semi-structured qualitative interviews were used to explore teachers’ perceptions of the acceptability and effectiveness of the intervention. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.

Results

Overall, findings suggest that teachers perceived the coaching program and the ESDM strategies to be highly acceptable and effective; however, there was some variation in teachers’ perceptions of specific elements and strategies. Teachers suggested that the program could be further improved through the provision of more targeted coaching support focused on behavioral teaching strategies and more time for one-on-one practice with target children.

Conclusions

This research could be viewed as providing preliminary support for the social validity of the focus intervention for this group of teachers. It seems important for future research to address the identified limitations in the present research and to examine in further detail the social validity of this intervention for ECE teachers in inclusive preschool settings.

Trial Registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): Registration no. 12618000324213.
Die Rolle der Europawahl 2019 in der Online-Medienberichterstattung. Eine Blended Reading Analyse am Beispiel von Spiegel-Online
Authors: Reiter Florence
Published: June 2022

Die quasi unbegrenzte Anzahl an frei verfügbaren Daten im Internet birgt für die politikwissenschaftliche Forschung große Chancen, aber auch methodische Herausforderungen. Letztere zeigen sich vor allem in der Erhebung, Speicherung und Verarbeitung von webbasierten Daten wie beispielsweise Medienwebsites, die wissenschaftlichen Standards entsprechen. Insbesondere intersubjektive Nachvollziehbarkeit und Reliabilität sollten im Umgang mit internetbasierten Daten gewährleistet werden können. Dabei ist es beispielsweise nicht ausreichend zur intersubjektiv nachvollziehbaren Erhebung die URL einer Webseite abzuspeichern. Die hohe Fluidität dieser Art von Daten kann dazu führen, dass die Webseite bereits wenige Minuten nach der Speicherung der URL nicht mehr dem Bild entspricht, das die Forscher*in zum Speicherzeitpunkt hatte. Webarchivierung zur Datenerhebung und -speicherung sowie der Blended Reading Ansatz zur Analyse dieser Datenmengen bieten vielversprechende Möglichkeiten für Forschende, mit diesen Herausforderungen umzugehen. Daher führt der vorliegende Beitrag eine exemplarische Analyse durch: Auf Basis von via Event-Crawl erhobenen Daten soll mit einem Blended Reading Ansatz analysiert werden, welche Rolle der Europawahl 2019 in der Online-Medienberichterstattung am Beispiel von Spiegel-Online zugeschrieben wird. Dabei geht es darum, an einem bewusst begrenzt gehaltenen Datensatz exemplarisch aufzuzeigen, über welches Potenzial die Durchführung dieser Methodenkombination verfügen und wie sie Forschung und Lehre bereichern kann.
Automatic Detection and Decryption of AES Using Dynamic Analysis
Authors: Kokeš Josef , Matějka Jonatan , Lórencz Róbert
Published: June 2022

In this paper we propose a set of algorithms that can automatically detect the use of AES and automatically recover both the encryption key and the plaintext, assuming that we can control the code flow of the encrypting program, e.g., when an application is performing encryption without the user’s permission. The first algorithm makes use of the fact that we can monitor accesses to the AES S-Box and deduce the desired data from these accesses; the approach is suitable to software-based AES implementations, both naïve and optimized. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach we designed a tool which implements the algorithm for Microsoft Windows running on the Intel x86 architecture. The tool has been successfully tested against a set of applications using different cryptographic libraries and common user applications. We also discuss the options of recovering the same data when hardware-assisted AES implementations on Intel-compatible architectures are used.
The Low Submuscular Reservoir Placement with Transfascial Fixation for Inflatable Penile Prostheses
Authors: Khoei Amelia , Racik Nikola , Bansal Utsav , Flores Felipe , Khera Mohit
Published: June 2022

Background

Several techniques have been described for placement of inflatable penile prostheses (IPP) reservoirs, with variable satisfaction. Standard placement in the Space of Retzius can present with several complications and may be technically difficult in patients with a violated space. Concerns with ectopic reservoir placement have included reservoir herniation and lack of reservoir concealability.

Aim

To present a novel technique to achieve reservoir concealment with decreased postoperative complications as an alternative to standard approaches of ectopic reservoir placement.

Methods

We describe our novel low submuscular reservoir (LSM) placement with transfascial fixation (TFF) for inflatable penile prostheses.

Outcomes

Patient satisfaction with reservoir concealment, complication rate or need for additional surgeries.

Results

A total of 31 cases successfully underwent our technique. The low submuscular placement with TFF of the IPP reservoir offers an optimal approach for reservoir placement with a high degree of patient satisfaction with significant ease of placement compared to alternative methods.

Clinical Implications

Penile prosthetic surgeons should be familiar with several techniques for concealment of reservoir as an option to improve patient satisfaction.

Strengths and Limitations

Given the small sample size of patients who have undergone this novel technique, current literature regarding the topic is limited.

Conclusion

Low submuscular reservoir placement with transfascial fixation for IPPs is a technically feasible approach that can be employed to achieve patient satisfaction and decrease the risk of reservoir herniation.
Energy Storage Applications in Transmission and Distribution Grids
Authors: Othman Hisham
Published: June 2022

The application of energy storage within transmission and distribution grids as non-wire alternative solutions (NWS) is hindered by the lack of readily available analysis tools, standardized planning processes, and practical know-how. This Element provides a theoretical basis along with examples and real-world case studies to guide grid planners in the siting, sizing, and lifetime techno-economic evaluation of storage systems. Many applications are illustrated including feeder peak shaving, feeder reliability improvements, transmission reliability, transmission congestion relief, and renewable integration. Three case studies, based on the author's consulting experience, illustrate the versatility of the analysis methods and provide a guide to grid planners while tackling real world problems.
The Ethics of Consciousness
Authors: Glannon Walter
Published: June 2022

This Element examines the main ethical aspects of consciousness  It argues that consciousness is not intrinsically valuable but has value or disvalue for individuals depending on its phenomenology (what it is like to be aware) and content (what one is aware of). These two components of awareness shape normative judgments about how ordered, disordered, altered, restored, diminished and suppressed conscious states can benefit or harm individuals. They also influence moral judgments about whether intentionally causing these states is permissible or impermissible and how these states can affect behavior. After describing its neurobiological basis, this Element discusses ethical and legal issues in six categories of consciousness: phenomenal and access consciousness; intraoperative awareness; prolonged disorders of consciousness, dissociative disorders, the role of consciousness in determining death; and altering and suppressing awareness near the end of life.
Increasing COVID-19 vaccination intentions: a field experiment on psychological ownership
Authors: Keppeler Florian , Sievert Martin , Jilke Sebastian
Published: June 2022

With the increasing availability of life-saving vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, government agencies face the challenge of promoting vaccine uptake. Thus, encouraging vaccine uptake marks an urgent policy challenge in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. This study builds on the theory of psychological ownership to design a behaviorally inspired local government vaccination campaign. We conducted a large-scale, cluster-randomized field experiment (N = 27,298 residents nested in 6,442 addresses) delivered to all registered residents of a German municipality via an official mailing campaign. The campaign included a psychological ownership intervention designed to boost residents’ intentions to get vaccinated – measured through unique link clicks on a municipal website where people can schedule a COVID-19 vaccination appointment. Findings suggest that adding possessive pronouns (i.e., ‘YOUR vaccination’) increases vaccination intentions by 39%, or 2.5 percentage points (p < 0.0001 [95% CI = 1.8%, 3.3%], control letter: 6.4%, treatment letter: 8.9%). The discussion outlines the value of using psychological ownership-based nudge interventions to increase vaccine uptake and other desirable behaviors.
Agentic preferences: a foundation for nudging when preferences are endogenous
Authors: Fabian Mark , Dold Malte
Published: June 2022

Since the publication of the seminal book Nudge by Thaler and Sunstein, several critics have highlighted preference endogeneity as a serious obstacle to nudging. When individuals hold preferences that are dynamic and endogenous to the nudge frame, it is unclear what the normative benchmark for libertarian paternalistic policies should be. While acknowledging this issue, the pro-nudging camp has not yet sufficiently addressed it. This article aims to fill this void by presenting a conditional defence of nudging when preferences are endogenous. We explain the learning process through which individuals establish ‘agentic’ preferences: preferences that are sufficiently stable, reasonable, autonomous and associated with organismic well-being to ground the ‘welfare’ principle of libertarian paternalism. To describe this process, we draw on theories from psychological science, in particular self-discrepancy theory and self-determination theory. We argue that agentic preferences are not only welfare-relevant and thus appropriate to libertarian paternalism but can also be identified by choice architects.
Assessment of existing anthropometric indices for screening sarcopenic obesity in older adults
Authors: Kim Jin Eui , Choi Jimi , Kim Miji , Won Chang Won
Published: June 2022

Sarcopenic obesity is defined as the presence of high fat mass and low muscle mass combined with low physical function, and it is closely related with the onset of cardiovasular diseases (CVD). The existing anthropometric indices, which are being utilised in clinical practice as predictors of CVD, may also be used to screen sarcopenic obesity, but their feasibility remained unknown. Using cross-sectional data of 2031 participants aged 70–84 years (mean age, 75·9 ± 3·9 years; 49·2 % women) from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study, we analysed the association of anthropometric indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) with sarcopenic obesity. Body composition was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Higher WWI, WHtR and WC quartiles were associated with higher risk of sarcopenic obesity; the odds ratio (OR) of sarcopenic obesity were highest in the fourth quartile of the WWI (OR: 10·99, 95 % CI: 4·92–24·85, Pfor trend < 0·001). WWI provided the best diagnostic power for sarcopenic obesity in men (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0·781, 95 % CI: 0·751–0·837). No anthropometric indices were significantly associated with sarcopenic obesity in women. WWI was the only index that was negatively correlated with physical function in both men and women. WWI showed the strongest association with sarcopenic obesity, defined by high fat mass and low muscle mass combined with low physical function only in older men. No anthropometric indices were associated with sarcopenic obesity in older women.
COMIC SEX AND ‘FRAGMENTARY THINKING’: DAMOXENUS, FR. 3PCG
Authors: Wright Matthew
Published: June 2022

Our extant texts never give a fully comprehensive or representative impression of classical literature. Fragments are valuable because they tell—or hint at—a different story. They represent vestigial traces of a counterfactual alternative version of literary history, and they offer tantalizing glimpses of voices or varieties of human experience that were (accidentally or deliberately) excluded from the classical canon. To ‘think fragmentarily’ is to think beyond the canon and to question traditionally dominant modes of thought. This article uses a neglected fragment of Damoxenus (fr. 3 PCG) as a case study for ‘fragmentary thinking’. This extraordinary fragment reveals that Damoxenus’ comedy dramatized a homosexual love story, in sharp contrast to the familiar heteronormative marriage plots of Menander and other Greek and Roman comic playwrights. Careful examination of a single fragment can prompt us to re-examine conventional scholarly narratives of sexuality in New Comedy.
General Average, Human Jettison, and the Status of Slaves in Early Modern Europe
Authors: Dyble Jake
Published: June 2022

This article proposes a transition in Western European thinking on slavery by examining the legality of slave jettison and its indemnification in the seventeenth-century Christian Mediterranean and comparing this with the late eighteenth-century Atlantic. Under the law of general average (GA), a shipmaster may legally sacrifice cargo or parts of a vessel to save a maritime venture from peril. GA then mandates that the costs of this sacrifice be shared proportionally between all interested parties. However, the status of human cargo with respect to pre-modern GA remains unclear, beyond the well-known example of the eighteenth-century British slave ship, theZong. A jettison, a moment of crisis, forces the slave's dual conception as person and property to be definitively resolved. This article uses historical GA records and early modern jurisprudence on human jettison to shed light on the legal conceptualization of the slave in the two contexts. It finds that seventeenth-century jurisprudence generally ruled against slave jettison and that such a jettison could not be indemnified. In some Mediterranean operational contexts, slaves were excluded from GA altogether. To a certain extent, this finding justifies the conceptual divide historians have placed between Atlantic bondage and earlier forms of slavery.
Branchial cleft cyst and branchial cleft cyst carcinoma, or cystic lymph node and cystic nodal metastasis?
Authors: Stefanicka P , Profant M
Published: June 2022

Background

Lateral cervical cysts are usually considered as of branchial cleft origin, despite many studies showing that branchial cysts do not arise from the remnants of the branchial apparatus. In the same way, some authors still consider that a true clinicopathological entity such as ‘branchial cleft cyst carcinoma’ could exist, at least in theory. Despite insufficient evidence in support of the branchial theory, a number of publications continue to emphasise this concept.

Methods

A literature review of articles in Medline and PubMed databases was carried out to retrieve papers relevant to the topic.

Results and conclusion

The evidence from lateral cervical cyst studies and knowledge about cystic metastasis of Waldeyer's ring could be applicable for both diagnoses. Terms such as ‘branchial cleft cyst’ and ‘branchial cleft cyst carcinoma’ are confusing and misleading, and it is questionable as to whether their usage is still tenable.
A critical appraisal of clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Authors: Pandya S , Suresh N V , Shah V , Romeo D , De Ravin E , Barrette L-X , Moreira A , Rajasekaran K
Published: June 2022

Background

Delays in the diagnosis and therapy of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can greatly impact quality of life and increase healthcare costs for patients. This study aimed to appraise the quality of clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Methods

A comprehensive database search of clinical practice guidelines was completed up to 30 October 2021. Four independent reviewers used the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II instrument in the quality appraisal.

Results

The highest score was in ‘clarity and presentation’ (58.33 ± 22.7). The lowest score was in ‘applicability’ (13.96 ± 30.1). Overall, four clinical practice guidelines were ‘low quality’ and only one guideline was ‘high quality’.

Conclusion

This review identified a significant lack of quality in clinical practice guideline development for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, highlighting the need for a more rigorous approach for future guideline development.
Energetic bounds on gyrokinetic instabilities. Part 2. Modes of optimal growth
Authors: Plunk G.G. , Helander P.
Published: June 2022

We introduce modes of instantaneous optimal growth of free energy for the fully electromagnetic gyrokinetic equations. We demonstrate how these ‘optimal modes’ arise naturally from the free energy balance equation, allowing its convenient decomposition, and yielding a simple picture of energy flows. Optimal modes have a number of other favourable features, such as their low dimensionality, efficiency of computation and the fact that their growth rates provide a rigorous and ‘tight’ upper bound on both the nonlinear growth rate of energy, and the linear growth rate of traditional gyrokinetic (normal mode) instabilities. We provide simple closed-form solutions for the optimal growth rates in a number of asymptotic limits, and compare these with our previous bounds.
Wisdom comes with age? The role of grammatical gender in predictive processing in Russian children and adults
Authors: Aumeistere Anna , Bultena Sybrine , Brouwer Susanne
Published: June 2022

This study investigated whether adult and 3- to 6-year-old native speakers of Russian can use gender-marked adjectives to predict the upcoming noun during sentence comprehension. In a visual world paradigm, participants heard questions (e.g., Где хороший синий ёжик? Gde horošij sinij ëžik? “Where is the nicemasc bluemasc hedgehogmasc?”) including two gender-marked adjectives and a noun while seeing pictures of a target and a distractor of either the same (e.g., ёжик ëžik “hedgehogmasc,” мишка miška “bearmasc”) or different gender (e.g., ёжик ëžik “hedgehogmasc,” собачка sobačka “dogfem”) on the screen. We examined whether participants could use gender-marking anticipatorily (i.e., before the onset of the noun). Mixed-effects logistic regression analyses revealed that both adults and children anticipated the upcoming noun before its onset. The magnitude of the anticipation effect was stronger for adults than children. Subsequent analyses on the child data did not show evidence that age modulated their anticipation ability. The results of this study extend and improve knowledge regarding the role of adjectives that carry a grammatical gender cue in online sentence processing.
Dietary changes based on food purchase patterns following a type 2 diabetes diagnosis
Authors: Edenbrandt Anna Kristina , Ewers Bettina , Storgaard Heidi , Smed Sinne
Published: June 2022

Objective:

The study explores whether type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis affects food consumption patterns in line with the dietary recommendations provided to individuals in relation to a diagnosis.

Design:

Based on detailed food purchase data, we explore which dietary changes are most common following a T2D diagnosis. Changes are investigated for several energy-adjusted nutrients and food groups and overall adherence to dietary guidelines.

Setting:

We use data on diagnosis of T2D and hospitalisation in relation to T2D for a sample of adult Danes registered in the official patient register. This is combined with detailed scanner data on food purchases, which are used as a proxy for dietary intake.

Participants:

We included 274 individuals in Denmark who are diagnosed during their participation in a consumer panel where they report their food purchases and 16 395 individuals who are not diagnosed.

Results:

Results suggest some changes in dietary composition following diagnosis, as measured by a Healthy Eating Index and for specific food groups and nutrients, although the long-term effects are limited. Socio-economic characteristics are poor predictors of dietary changes following diagnosis. Change in diet following diagnosis vary with the pre-diagnosis consumption patterns, where individuals with relatively unhealthy overall diets prior to diagnosis improve overall healthiness more compared to individuals with relatively healthy diets prior to diagnosis.

Conclusions:

Adherence to dietary advice is low, on average, but there is large variation in behavioural change between the diagnosed individuals. Our results stress the difficulty for diagnosed individuals to shift dietary habits, particularly in the long term.
Astrophysical existential threats: a comparative analysis
Authors: Burns Niamh , Parsons William T.
Published: June 2022

Using a simple, coarse-grained Poisson process model, we calculate – for seven types of astrophysical catastrophe – both their individual and combined threat to complex lifeforms (extraterrestrial intelligences (ETIs)) throughout the Milky Way Galaxy. In terms of cumulative effects, we calculate that ETIs are likely to be astrophysically driven extinct on timescales of roughly once every 100 million years. In terms of comparative effects, large bolide impactors represent the most significant type of astrophysical contribution to the galaxy-wide debilitation of hypothesized ETI civilizations. Nonetheless, we conclude that astrophysical existential threats – whether taken singly or in combination – are likely insufficient, alone, to explain the Fermi Paradox. Astrophysical catastrophes, while both deadly and ubiquitous, do not appear to be frequent enough to wipe out every species in the Galaxy before they can attain or utilize spacefaring status.
Choking Phobia in an Older Adult
Authors: Lau-Zhu Alex , Dow Rebecca
Published: June 2022

Abstract. Fear of choking is a relatively understudied phenomenon in older adults, despite the higher incidence of choking to death in this population and the associated mental health burden. This case report presents the use of a cognitive-behavioral (CBT) approach to treating choking phobia in an older adult in her 80s, with sessions conducted over the telephone during the COVID-19 pandemic. A reliable change in self-reported avoidance of solid food was observed, although indices of general distress appeared to have remained stable. By placing a seemingly focal problem (choking phobia) within a comprehensive conceptualization framework using gerontology, we were able to consider additional complexity related to aging-related beliefs and experiences of distress to address therapeutic opportunities and challenges, including the COVID-19 context.
Upscaling Hydrological Processes for Land Surface Models With a Two‐Hydrologic‐Variable Model: Application to the Little Washita Watershed
Authors: Picourlat Fanny , Mouche Emmanuel , Mügler Claude
Published: June 2022

Land Surface Models (LSMs) are key components of Earth System Models, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change relies on in many of their studies. However, these models either neglect or oversimplify basin‐scale hydrological processes that produce the land surface water balance. Bringing the dominant physical processes from the local scale up to the LSMs presents a significant challenge for improving the models. This article presents an upscaling (or bottom‐up) approach to identify the basin‐scale driving variables that need to be exported into LSMs. The approach is developed on the Little Washita Watershed (OK, USA) using 20‐year hydrology (1993–2013). A physically based 3D model built with HydroGeoSphere first produces a reference simulation. An equivalent hillslope model is then able to capture both 3D simulated water balance and local water table dynamics with reasonable accuracy. The physical analysis of the water balance in the different hillslope compartments leads to the identification of two driving variables: seepage face extension and water table slope. The two variables are then implemented in a conceptual model. Results show a good capacity of this model to capture the water balance of hillslopes having different lengths and slopes. Moreover, the model is able to capture the water balance of the reference simulation with reasonable accuracy. The proposed approach thus reduces the 3D watershed model to a two‐variable conceptual model that constitutes a basis for developing an improved LSM hydrology.
Relationship Between Lightning, Precipitation, and Environmental Characteristics at Mid‐/High Latitudes From a GLM and GPM Perspective
Authors: Heuscher Lena , Liu Chuntao , Gatlin Patrick , Petersen Walter A.
Published: June 2022

This study applies new satellite datasets and methodologies to build on previous research exploring the physical relationship between lightning and precipitation in mid‐/high latitudes. Specifically, 3 years of Geostationary Lightning Mapper and Global Precipitation Measurement Mission core satellite coincident observations are examined to investigate relationships between lightning flash rate and microwave characteristics of convective precipitation features (cPFs) over the Americas and surrounding oceans between ±50° latitude. Mid‐/high latitude cPFs with lightning are characterized by colder temperatures of maximum 30 dBz echo top height and a smaller range of microwave brightness temperatures when compared to the tropics. Brightness temperature characteristics of electrically active cPFs are highly correlated to radar‐diagnosed ice mass and largely insensitive to synoptic‐scale proxies for convective strength and organization. Low flash density cPFs tend to be more sensitive to synoptic‐scale instability and shear than high flash density cPFs. Regional differences in the environmental forcing and characteristics of electrically active cPFs are shown. For example, the elevated terrain surrounding the Amazon River Basin is characterized by stronger vertical updrafts indicated by higher values of normalized CAPE while the La Plata River Basin is characterized by both stronger updrafts and higher values of radar‐diagnosed ice water mass.