bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vaccine hesitancy
Authors: Weitz Lisa , Bellach Luise , Faltum Alicia , Berger Angelika , Maurer Wolfgang
Published: April 2020

In summer 2019 an extracurricular activity was started at the Medical University of Vienna (MUW) with the title: “Esoterism in Medicine”, where different chapters were evaluated by students. Here we present the subheading “Vaccine Hesitancy”. Three students formulated arguments from sceptic, hesitant or anti-vaccine groups and discussed the scientific literature to rebut it. Frequent objections were partly taken from the homepage of the German Robert-Koch-Institute, the home of the “Ständige Impfkommission”. Other objections were taken from blogs and social media. The students’ rebuttal was based on current scientific literature (preferentially pubmed), but also from other scientific sources like authorities.
Supervised machine learning for audio emotion recognition
Authors: Cunningham Stuart , Ridley Harrison , Weinel Jonathan , Picking Richard
Published: April 2020

The field of Music Emotion Recognition has become and established research sub-domain of Music Information Retrieval. Less attention has been directed towards the counterpart domain of Audio Emotion Recognition, which focuses upon detection of emotional stimuli resulting from non-musical sound. By better understanding how sounds provoke emotional responses in an audience, it may be possible to enhance the work of sound designers. The work in this paper uses the International Affective Digital Sounds set. A total of 76 features are extracted from the sounds, spanning the time and frequency domains. The features are then subjected to an initial analysis to determine what level of similarity exists between pairs of features measured using Pearson’srcorrelation coefficient before being used as inputs to a multiple regression model to determine their weighting and relative importance. The features are then used as the input to two machine learning approaches: regression modelling and artificial neural networks in order to determine their ability to predict the emotional dimensions of arousal and valence. It was found that a small number of strong correlations exist between the features and that a greater number of features contribute significantly to the predictive power of emotional valence, rather than arousal. Shallow neural networks perform significantly better than a range of regression models and the best performing networks were able to account for 64.4% of the variance in prediction of arousal and 65.4% in the case of valence. These findings are a major improvement over those encountered in the literature. Several extensions of this research are discussed, including work related to improving data sets as well as the modelling processes.
Multimodal interactions in insect navigation
Authors: Buehlmann Cornelia , Mangan Michael , Graham Paul
Published: April 2020

Animals travelling through the world receive input from multiple sensory modalities that could be important for the guidance of their journeys. Given the availability of a rich array of cues, from idiothetic information to input from sky compasses and visual information through to olfactory and other cues (e.g. gustatory, magnetic, anemotactic or thermal) it is no surprise to see multimodality in most aspects of navigation. In this review, we present the current knowledge of multimodal cue use during orientation and navigation in insects. Multimodal cue use is adapted to a species’ sensory ecology and shapes navigation behaviour both during the learning of environmental cues and when performing complex foraging journeys. The simultaneous use of multiple cues is beneficial because it provides redundant navigational information, and in general, multimodality increases robustness, accuracy and overall foraging success. We use examples from sensorimotor behaviours in mosquitoes and flies as well as from large scale navigation in ants, bees and insects that migrate seasonally over large distances, asking at each stage how multiple cues are combined behaviourally and what insects gain from using different modalities.
Apfelallergie – Toleranzentwicklung durch regelmäßigen Konsum allergenarmer Äpfel. Eine Beobachtungsstudie
Authors: Bergmann Karl-Christian , Zuberbier Jaron , Zuberbier Torsten , Zapp Jürgen , Hennebrüder Willi
Published: April 2020

Das pollenassoziierte Orale Allergie-Syndrom (OAS) ist eine Sonderform der IgE-vermittelten Nahrungsmittelallergien. Besonders bei Birkenpollenallergikern kommt es aufgrund der Ähnlichkeit der Epitope des Apfelallergens Mal d 1 und dem Birkenpollenallergen Bet v 1 häufig zu einer sog. Kreuzreaktion beim Essen handelsüblicher Supermarktäpfel. In einer prospektiven Kohortenstudie mit einem offenen Studiendesign wurde untersucht, ob eine Toleranzentwicklung bei „Apfelallergikern“ durch den regelmäßigen Konsum allergenarmer Äpfel erreicht werden kann. Hierzu wurde die Ausprägung oraler Symptome nach dem Essen einer Frucht der Sorte ‘Golden Delicious‘ vor und nach dem täglichen Konsum eines allergenarmen Apfels über 90 Tage untersucht.

Die Probanden zeigten signifikant geringere Symptome beim Essen des ‘Golden Delicious‘ nach dem regelmäßigen Verzehr der allergenarmen Äpfel alter Sorten.

Es erscheint möglich, durch den regelmäßigen Verzehr von Äpfeln alter Sorten mit geringerem Allergengehalt eine orale Toleranz gegenüber hochallergenen Äpfeln zu erreichen.
Differential Contribution of Gap Junctions to the Membrane Properties of ON- and OFF-Bipolar Cells of the Rat Retina
Authors: Fournel Rémi , Hartveit Espen , Veruki Margaret Lin
Published: April 2020

Gap junctions are ubiquitous within the retina, but in general, it remains to be determined whether gap junction coupling between specific cell types is sufficiently strong to mediate functionally relevant coupling via electrical synapses. From ultrastructural, tracer coupling and immunolabeling studies, there is clear evidence for gap junctions between cone bipolar cells, but it is not known if these gap junctions function as electrical synapses. Here, using whole-cell voltage-clamp recording in rat (male and female) retinal slices, we investigated whether the gap junctions of bipolar cells make a measurable contribution to the membrane properties of these cells. We measured the input resistance (RN) of bipolar cells before and after applying meclofenamic acid (MFA) to block gap junctions. In the presence of MFA, RN of ON-cone bipolar cells displayed a clear increase, paralleled by block of the electrical coupling between these cells and AII amacrine cells in recordings of coupled cell pairs. For OFF-cone and rod bipolar cells, RN did not increase in the presence of MFA. The results for rod bipolar cells are consistent with the lack of gap junctions in these cells. However, for OFF-cone bipolar cells, our results suggest that the morphologically identified gap junctions between these cells do not support a junctional conductance that is sufficient to mediate effective electrical coupling. Instead, these junctions might play a role in chemical and/or metabolic coupling between subcellular compartments.
Refinements of behavioural abstractions for the supervisory control of hybrid systems
Authors: Yang Jung-Min , Moor Thomas , Raisch Jörg
Published: April 2020

A common approach to controller synthesis for hybrid systems is to first establish a discrete-event abstraction and then to use methods from supervisory control theory to synthesise a controller. In this paper, we consider behavioural abstractions of hybrid systems with a prescribed discrete-event input/output interface. We discuss a family of abstractions based on so called experiments which consist of samples from the external behaviour of the hybrid system. The special feature of our setting is that the accuracy of the abstraction can be carefully adapted to suit the particular control problem at hand. Technically, this is implemented as an iteration in which we alternate trial control synthesis with abstraction refinement. While localising refinement to where it is intuitively needed, we can still formally establish that the overall iteration will solve the control problem, provided that an abstraction-based solution exists at all.
Adherence to a plant-based, high-fibre dietary pattern is related to regression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in an elderly population
Authors: Alferink Louise J. M. , Erler Nicole S. , de Knegt Robert J. , Janssen Harry L. A. , Metselaar Herold J. , Darwish Murad Sarwa , Kiefte-de Jong Jessica C.
Published: April 2020

Dietary lifestyle intervention is key in treating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to examine the longitudinal relation between well-established dietary patterns as well as population-specific dietary patterns and NAFLD. Participants from two subsequent visits of the Rotterdam Study were included. All underwent serial abdominal ultrasonography (median follow-up: 4.4 years) and filled in a food frequency questionnaire. Secondary causes of steatosis were excluded. Dietary data from 389 items were collapsed into 28 food groups and a posteriori dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis. Additionally, we scored three a priori dietary patterns (Mediterranean Diet Score, Dutch Dietary Guidelines and WHO-score). Logistic mixed regression models were used to examine the relation between dietary patterns and NAFLD. Analyses were adjusted for demographic, lifestyle and metabolic factors. We included 963 participants of whom 343 had NAFLD. Follow-up data was available in 737 participants. Incident NAFLD was 5% and regressed NAFLD was 30%. We identified five a posteriori dietary patterns (cumulative explained variation [R2] = 20%). The patterns were characterised as: vegetable and fish, red meat and alcohol, traditional, salty snacks and sauces, high fat dairy & refined grains pattern. Adherence to the traditional pattern (i.e. high intake of vegetable oils/stanols, margarines/butters, potatoes, whole grains and sweets/desserts) was associated with regression of NAFLD per SD increase in Z-score (0.40, 95% CI 0.15–1.00). Adherence to the three a priori patterns all showed regression of NAFLD, but only the WHO-score showed a distinct association (0.73, 95% CI 0.53–1.00). Hence, in this large elderly population, adherence to a plant-based, high-fibre and low-fat diet was related to regression of NAFLD.
The End Time of SIS Epidemics Driven by Random Walks on Edge-Transitive Graphs
Authors: Figueiredo Daniel , Iacobelli Giulio , Shneer Seva
Published: April 2020

Network epidemics is a ubiquitous model that can represent different phenomena and finds applications in various domains. Among its various characteristics, a fundamental question concerns the time when an epidemic stops propagating. We investigate this characteristic on a SIS epidemic induced by agents that move according to independent continuous time random walks on a finite graph: agents can either be infected (I) or susceptible (S), and infection occurs when two agents with different epidemic states meet in a node. After a random recovery time, an infected agent returns to state S and can be infected again. The end of epidemic (EoE) denotes the first time where all agents are in state S, since after this moment no further infections can occur and the epidemic stops. For the case of two agents on edge-transitive graphs, we characterize EoE as a function of the network structure by relating the Laplace transform of EoE to the Laplace transform of the meeting time of two random walks. Interestingly, this analysis shows a separation between the effect of network structure and epidemic dynamics. We then study the asymptotic behavior of EoE (asymptotically in the size of the graph) under different parameter scalings, identifying regimes where EoE converges in distribution to a proper random variable or to infinity. We also highlight the impact of different graph structures on EoE, characterizing it under complete graphs, complete bipartite graphs, and rings.
Entrepreneurship, novel combinations, capital regrouping, and the structure-agency relationship: an introduction to the special issue on innovation and Austrian economics
Authors: Lewis Paul
Published: April 2020

This introduction outlines some key aspects of an Austrian perspective on innovation, which is viewed as an ongoing, dynamic process in which entrepreneurs combine heterogeneous capital resources in new ways order to develop and deploy new technologies, products, and methods of business organisation. It goes on to introduce the contributions to this special issue on Austrian economics and innovation.
Argumentative landscapes: the function of models in social epistemology
Authors: Aydinonat N. Emrah , Reijula Samuli , Ylikoski Petri
Published: April 2020

We argue that the appraisal of models in social epistemology requires conceiving of them as argumentative devices, taking into account the argumentative context and adopting a family-of-models perspective. We draw up such an account and show how it makes it easier to see the value and limits of the use of models in social epistemology. To illustrate our points, we document and explicate the argumentative role of epistemic landscape models in social epistemology and highlight their limitations. We also claim that our account could be fruitfully used in appraising other models in philosophy and science.
Volunteering and Policy Makers: The Political Uses of the UK Conservative Party’s International Development Volunteering Projects
Authors: Hjort Mattias , Beswick Danielle
Published: April 2020

What motivates a political party to develop overseas development volunteering projects for members? How do such activities affect individual volunteers and the party, more broadly? To address these questions, this paper analyses the UK Conservative Party’s international development volunteering projects. Our data comprise 38 interviews with former volunteers and participant observation of one volunteering project in Rwanda in 2017 by one author. This predominantly self-reported data are supplemented with publicly available sources. We draw on employer-supported and state-supported volunteering literature to develop a framework for analysing drivers and effects of party-supported volunteering. We argue that political parties are under-researched sending communities, and that development volunteering constitutes a strategic resource that can be invoked to legitimise engagement with, and authority in, international development as part of the everyday political identity of Party members. As such, how volunteering is used to signal authority in a policy area warrants further research.
Analyzing values-based modes of production and consumption: Community-supported agriculture in the Austrian Third Food Regime
Authors: Plank Christina , Hafner Robert , Stotten Rike
Published: April 2020

Current globalized agricultural and food systems operate with an unsustainable capitalist model of production and consumption. The middle and upper classes of the global North and, increasingly, of emerging economies live at the expense of the global South. This has been referred to as the “imperial mode of living”. An alternative model of production and consumption that fosters localized food systems in the corporate food regime is community supported agriculture (CSA), which aims to redefine consumer-producer relations along not just economic values. Against this background, the paper introduces an interdisciplinary conceptual framework for values-based modes of production and consumption where three categories—institutions, values and materiality—inform the empirical analysis. It examines the extent to which CSA can realize their values-based approach and how they transform the third food regime. The paper links CSA to the currently dominant third food regime and shows that, so far, CSA is just a niche in Austria. In the Austrian context, different forms of solidarity and attachment to the community are central shared ideals of CSA members and their supporters. Those values also respect nature and its materiality. However, at the same time, CSA initiatives, when implemented in daily practices, are confronted with institutional, social and material challenges. These need to be addressed if CSA is to continue long-term.
Occurrence and Morphology of Martensite in β-Cu-Zn Alloys with Minor Al Additions
Authors: Kaaden T. , Wutzler P. , Lippmann S.
Published: April 2020

The limits of occurrence and the morphology of martensite in Cu-Zn-Al alloys with 30 to 50 wt pct Zn and ≤ 1.5 wt pct Al have been investigated. In samples with concentration gradients, various conditions for the competition between martensitic and massive transformation have been observed. Microstructural details of martensite were obtained by combining vibration polishing, chemical or plasma etching and polarized light, backscattered electron channeling contrast or electron backscatter diffraction analysis. Depending on the cooling rate, martensite undergoes a morphological change from self-accommodating thin plates to lenticular shaped plates, which is documented for the first time in Cu-based alloys. The number of martensite twins in the investigated compositional range was found to be significantly smaller than that in commercial Cu-Zn-Al alloys that are used as shape memory alloys.
Another umbrella murder? – A rare case of Minamata disease
Authors: Albers Anne , Gies Ursula , Raatschen Hans-Jurgen , Klintschar Michael
Published: April 2020

We report a rare case of fatal intoxication in a 40-year-old man caused by injection of a fluid containing organic mercury, allegedly in an attack with a syringe fixed to the tip of an umbrella. The man suffered from severe neurological symptoms and progressive multiorgan failure and died 10 months later in refractory status epilepticus. Autopsy revealed severe brain atrophy and non-specific kidney damage. Neuropathological examination showed neuronal loss especially in the occipital lobe, distinct granule cell necrosis in the cerebellum and Wallerian degeneration in the brainstem. Postmortem toxicological analysis revealed extremely increased levels of mercury in liver and kidney tissue as well as methylmercury levels in peripheral blood.
Stability Test of PACAP in Eye Drops
Authors: Kovacs Anita K. , Atlasz Tamas , Werling Dora , Szabo Edina , Reglodi Dora , Toth Gabor K.
Published: April 2020

PACAP is a neuropeptide with widespread distribution and diverse biological functions. It has strong cytoprotective effects mediated mainly through specific PAC1 receptors. Experimental data show protective effects of PACAP in the retina and cornea in several pathological conditions. Although intravitreal injections are a common practice in some ocular diseases, delivery of therapeutic agents in the form of eye drops would be more convenient and would lead to fewer side effects. We have previously shown that PACAP, in the form of eye drops, is able to pass through the ocular barriers and can exert retinoprotective effects. As eye drops represent a promising form of administration of PACAP in ocular diseases, it is important to investigate the stability of PACAP in solutions used in eye drops. In this study, the stability of PACAP1-27 and PACAP1-38 in eye drops was measured in four common media and a commercially available artificial tear solution at both room temperature and +4 °C. Mass spectrometry results show that the highest stability was gained with PACAP1-38 in water and 0.9% saline solution at +4 °C, representing 80–90% drug persistence after 2 weeks. PACAP1-38 in the artificial tear showed very fast degradation at room temperature, but was stable at +4 °C. In summary, PACAP1-38 has higher stability than PACAP1-27, with highest stability at +4 °C in water solution, but both peptides in each medium can be stored for relatively longer periods without significant degradation. These data can provide reference for future therapeutic use of PACAP in eye drops.
Chinese Students Choosing Hungarian Tertiary Education: a Systematic Review
Authors: Xueyan Li
Published: April 2020

China has been the leading source of foreign students pursuing tertiary degrees in other countries. The incoming Chinese students in Hungary comprised the third highest number of foreign students in the country in 2016. This paper examines the Chinese students’ motivations for choosing the Hungarian education system, with the purpose of gaining a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the flow of Chinese students to Hungary. In terms of methodology, this paper uses the systematic review protocol by retrieving relevant literatures. The author developed the main factors influencing Chinese students’ choice of the Hungarian education system, which are social class inequality and the modernization process from the Chinese perspective; meanwhile, the state policy perceptions, the institution, and community influence are encouraging from the Hungarian views. Moreover, individual motivation and the challenges of “invisible academic performance in the classroom” are explored with regard to Chinese students in Hungary. This article practically contributes to policy implications for Hungarian higher education in the international environment and inspires Chinese students who are from the lower socioeconomic classes.
PYTAF: A Python Tool for Spatially Resampling Earth Observation Data
Authors: Zhao Guangyu , Yang Muqun , Gao Yizhao , Zhan Yizhe , Lee H. Joe , Di Girolamo Larry
Published: April 2020

Earth observation data have revolutionized Earth science and significantly enhanced the ability to forecast weather, climate and natural hazards. The storage format of the majority of Earth observation data can be classified into swath, grid or point structures. Earth science studies frequently involve resampling between swath, grid and point data when combining measurements from multiple instruments, which can provide more insights into geophysical processes than using any single instrument alone. As the amount of Earth observation data increases each day, the demand for a high computational efficient tool to resample and fuse Earth observation data has never been greater. We present a software tool, called pytaf, that resamples Earth observation data stored in swath, grid or point structures using a novel block indexing algorithm. This tool is specially designed to process large scale datasets. The core functions of pytaf were implemented in C with OpenMP to enable parallel computations in a shared memory environment. A user-friendly python interface was also built. The tool has been extensively tested on supercomputers and successfully used to resample the data from five instruments on the EOS-Terra platform at a mission-wide scale.
Carbon Sources in the Sediments of a Restoring vs. Historically Unaltered Salt Marsh
Authors: Drexler Judith Z. , Davis Melanie J. , Woo Isa , De La Cruz Susan
Published: April 2020

Salt marshes provide the important ecosystem service of carbon storage in their sediments; however, little is known about the sources of such carbon and whether they differ between historically unaltered and restoring systems. In this study, stable isotope analysis was used to quantify carbon sources in a restoring, sparsely vegetated marsh (Restoring) and an adjacent, historically unaltered marsh (Reference) in the Nisqually River Delta (NRD) of Washington, USA. Three sediment cores were collected at “Inland” and “Seaward” locations at both marshes ~ 6 years after restoration. Benthic diatoms, C3 plants, C4 plants, and particulate organic matter (POM) were collected throughout the NRD. δ13C and δ15N values of sources and sediments were used in a Bayesian stable isotope mixing model to determine the contribution of each carbon source to the sediments of both marshes. Autochthonous marsh C3 plants contributed 73 ± 10% (98 g C m−2 year−1) and 89 ± 11% (119 g C m−2 year−1) to Reference-Inland and Reference-Seaward sediment carbon sinks, respectively. In contrast, the sediment carbon sink at the Restoring Marsh received a broad assortment of predominantly allochthonous materials, which varied in relative contribution based on source distance and abundance. Marsh POM contributed the most to Restoring-Seaward (42 ± 34%) (69 g C m−2 year−1) followed by Riverine POM at Restoring-Inland (32 ± 41%) (52 g C m−2 year−1). Overall, this study demonstrates that largely unvegetated, restoring marshes can accumulate carbon by relying predominantly on allochthonous material, which comes mainly from the most abundant and closest estuarine sources.
Seven Paradoxes of Business Process Management in a Hyper-Connected World
Authors: Beverungen Daniel , Buijs Joos C. A. M. , Becker Jörg , Di Ciccio Claudio , van der Aalst Wil M. P. , Bartelheimer Christian , vom Brocke Jan , Comuzzi Marco , Kraume Karsten , Leopold Henrik , Matzner Martin , Mendling Jan , Ogonek Nadine , Post Till , Resinas Manuel , Revoredo Kate , del-Río-Ortega Adela , La Rosa Marcello , Santoro Flávia Maria , Solti Andreas , Song Minseok , Stein Armin , Stierle Matthias , Wolf Verena
Published: April 2020

Business Process Management is a boundary-spanning discipline that aligns operational capabilities and technology to design and manage business processes. The Digital Transformation has enabled human actors, information systems, and smart products to interact with each other via multiple digital channels. The emergence of this hyper-connected world greatly leverages the prospects of business processes – but also boosts their complexity to a new level. We need to discuss how the BPM discipline can find new ways for identifying, analyzing, designing, implementing, executing, and monitoring business processes. In this research note, selected transformative trends are explored and their impact on current theories and IT artifacts in the BPM discipline is discussed to stimulate transformative thinking and prospective research in this field.
Preparation and quality evaluation of sardines sauce rich in omega-3 using the combination of pineapple fruit extracts and fermentation times
Authors: Mahrus H. , Zulkifli Lalu , Rasmi Dewa Ayu Citra , Sedijani Prapti
Published: April 2020

A present study aimed at evaluating sardine sauce quality used a treatment combination of pineapple fruit extract, and fermentation times. It used a completely randomized design with a factorial pattern. The results showed a pineapple fruit extracts and fermentation times affected significantly on sardine sauce quality (P < 0.05). There was an interaction between pineapple fruit extract and fermentation times on sardine sauce quality. A pineapple fruit extract of 10% and fermentation times of 13 days produced sardine sauce best quality, with a protein content (17.38%), moisture (74.45%), omega-3 (19.68%), pH (5.23), taste value of 3.68, color of 4.52, and aroma of 2.99, respectively, but, consumers did not like it so much. It has passed a National Standard of Indonesia, which sets the minimum level of protein of 5%, and pH ranges from 5.0 to 6.0.
War, Health and Ecosystem: Generative Metaphors in Cybersecurity Governance
Authors: Slupska Julia
Published: April 2020

Policy-makers involved in cybersecurity governance should pay close attention to the ‘generative metaphors’ they use to describe and understand new technologies. Generative metaphors structure our understanding of policy problems by imposing mental models of both the problem and possible solutions. As a result, they can also constrain ethical reasoning about new technologies, by uncritically carrying over assumptions about moral roles and obligations from an existing domain. The discussion of global governance of cybersecurity problems has to date been dominated by the metaphor of ‘cyber war’. In this paper, I argue that this metaphor diminishes possibilities for international collaboration in this area by limiting states to reactive policies of naming and shaming rather than proactive actions to address systemic features of cyberspace. We suggest that alternative metaphors—such as health, ecosystem, and architecture—can help expose the dominance of the war metaphor and provide a more collaborative and conceptually accurate frame for negotiations.
Red flags for a concomitant giant cell arteritis in patients with vertebrobasilar stroke: a cross-sectional study and systematic review
Authors: Elhfnawy Ahmed Mohamed , Elsalamawy Doaa , Abdelraouf Mervat , Schliesser Mira , Volkmann Jens , Fluri Felix
Published: April 2020

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) may affect the brain-supplying arteries, resulting in ischemic stroke, whereby the vertebrobasilar territory is most often involved. Since etiology is unknown in 25% of stroke patients and GCA is hardly considered as a cause, we examined in a pilot study, whether screening for GCA after vertebrobasilar stroke might unmask an otherwise missed disease. Consecutive patients with vertebrobasilar stroke were prospectively screened for GCA using erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), hemoglobin, and halo sign of the temporal and vertebral artery on ultrasound. Furthermore, we conducted a systematic literature review for relevant studies. Sixty-five patients were included, and two patients (3.1%) were diagnosed with GCA. Patients with GCA were older in age (median 85 versus 69 years, p = 0.02). ESR and CRP were significantly increased and hemoglobin was significantly lower in GCA patients compared to non-GCA patients (median, 75 versus 11 mm in 1 h, p = 0.001; 3.84 versus 0.25 mg/dl, p = 0.01, 10.4 versus 14.6 mg/dl, p = 0.003, respectively). Multiple stenoses/occlusions in the vertebrobasilar territory affected our two GCA patients (100%), but only five (7.9%) non-GCA patients (p = 0.01). Our literature review identified 13 articles with 136 stroke patients with concomitant GCA. Those were old in age. Headache, increased inflammatory markers, and anemia were frequently reported. Multiple stenoses/occlusions in the vertebrobasilar territory affected around 70% of stroke patients with GCA. Increased inflammatory markers, older age, anemia, and multiple stenoses/occlusions in the vertebrobasilar territory may be regarded as red flags for GCA among patients with vertebrobasilar stroke.
Gas generation from coal: taking Jurassic coal in the Minhe Basin as an example
Authors: Fu Deliang , Xu Guosheng , Ma Li , Yang Fu , He Dan , Duan Zhonghui , Ma Yu
Published: April 2020

The gas generation features of coals at different maturities were studied by the anhydrous pyrolysis of Jurassic coal from the Minhe Basin in sealed gold tubes at 50 MPa. The gas component yields (C1, C2, C3, i-C4, n-C4, i-C5, n-C5, and CO2); the δ13C of C1, C2, C3, and CO2; and the mass of the liquid hydrocarbons (C6+) were measured. On the basis of these data, the stage changes of δ13C1, δ13C2, δ13C3, and δ13CO2 were calculated. The diagrams of δ13C1–δ13C2 vs ln (C1/C2) and δ13C2–δ13C1 vs δ13C3–δ13C2 were used to evaluate the gas generation features of the coal maturity stages. At the high maturity evolution stage (T > 527.6 °C at 2 °C/h), the stage change of δ13C1 and the CH4 yield are much higher than that of CO2, suggesting that high maturity coal could still generate methane. When T < 455 °C, CO2 is generated by breaking bonds between carbons and heteroatoms. The reaction between different sources of coke and water may be the reason for the complicated stage change in $$\delta^{{{13}}} {\text{C}}_{{{\text{CO}}_{{2}} }}$$

δ
13

C

CO
2

when the temperature was higher than 455 °C. With increasing pyrolysis temperature, δ13C1–δ13C2 vs ln (C1/C2) has four evolution stages corresponding to the early stage of breaking bonds between carbon and hetero atoms, the later stage of breaking bonds between carbon and hetero atoms, the cracking of C6+ and coal demethylation, and the cracking of C2–5. The δ13C2–δ13C1 vs δ13C3–δ13C2 has three evolution stages corresponding to the breaking bonds between carbon and hetero atoms, demethylation and cracking of C6+, and cracking of C2–5.
A perspective of citrus Huanglongbing in the context of the Mediterranean Basin
Authors: Wang Nian
Published: April 2020

Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most catastrophic citrus diseases. HLB pathogensCandidatusLiberibacter asiaticus (Las),Ca. L. africanus (Laf), andCa. L. americanus (Lam) and their insect vectors Asian citrus psyllids (ACP,Diaphorina citri) and African citrus psyllids (AfCP,Trioza erytreae) are invading citrus producing regions where HLB was absent previously, including the Mediterranean basin. Importantly, the Mediterranean region is one of the two major citrus producing areas without HLB. Here, I provide a short perspective regarding a) information related to the distribution of the HLB pathogens and psyllid vectors in this region and neighboring countries, b) predicted distribution of the HLB for this region, c) the possible evolution of Liberibacters and how they could have established their relationship with different hosts, and d) approaches to fend off HLB. Specifically, I emphasized the following measurements: quarantine measures against AfCP, ACP, Las, Laf, and Lam, early detection and diagnosis of HLB and removal of inoculum, surveillance of AfCP and ACP and eradication of citrus psyllids once identified.
Die Grenzen des Wettbewerbs. Zur Evaluation der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (nicht nur) aus universitärer Sicht
Authors: Bonacker Thorsten
Published: April 2020

Der Beitrag reagiert auf Empfehlungen des Wissenschaftsrats zur Weiterentwicklung der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung. Er zeichnet nach, wie sich die Friedens- und Konfliktforschung in einer Zeit der Umstellung von einer planerischen auf eine wettbewerblich orientierte Wissenschaftspolitik an Universitäten verankern konnte. Entscheidend dafür waren neben Erfolgen in der Forschungs- und insbesondere in der Verbundforschungsförderung die Einführung von Masterstudiengängen. Inzwischen zeichnen sich allerdings zunehmend auch die Grenzen einer solchen „Verwettbewerblichung“ (Winter 2012) für die Entwicklung eines interdisziplinären Forschungsfeldes ab, die in den Empfehlungen des Wissenschaftsrats zum Ausdruck kommen. Im Anschluss an diese Diagnose werden Vorschläge für neue Formen der institutionellen Zusammenarbeit in der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung formuliert.
Assessment of knowledge, practices and associated factors toward prevention of hepatitis B virus infection among students of medicine and health sciences in Debre Berhan University, NorthShewa, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Allene Mengesha Dessie , Delelegn Geberehana Gebere
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACT

Background:

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major public health problems in the world. HBV can be transmitted from one infected person to another easily by different mechanism. In our institution, the knowledge and practices of trainees in the health professions towards occupational risk of HBV was not investigated. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practices toward prevention of HBV infection and identify predictors among students of medicine and health sciences.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was undertaken. A total of 355 students of healthcare professions were approached for the study using a simple random sampling technique. Data towards HBV was assessed by using a pre validated self-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed by using SPSS version 22.0. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify associated factors with knowledgeand practice.

Result:

Out of 422 distributed questionnaires, 355 were returned with a response rate of 84.12%. Majority of the students 268 (75.49%) were in the age group 20–24 and 279 (78.59%) of the respondents were male. Our study showed that the overall knowledge regarding HBV, its mode of transmission and prevention was high 276 [77.75%; 95%CI= (64.43–91.82)].

Conclusions:

Our study found that trainees in health profession are at a very high risk of contracting HBV infection during their training owing to the low HBV vaccine uptake rate and high rate of accidental exposure to blood. Thus, we recommend that all students in the health profession should be vaccinated prior to their entry into professional practices.

Highlights:
Cutting the Internet's Environmental Footprint: An Analysis of Consumers’ Self-Attribution of Responsibility
Authors: Elgaaied-Gambier Leila , Bertrandias Laurent , Bernard Yohan
Published: April 2020

This research project investigates consumers’ willingness to adopt online pro-environmental behaviors. First, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study that revealed respondents’ low awareness of the environmental impact of Internet usage and reluctance to change their online behaviors. Consumers tend to decline all responsibility and expect companies and public authorities to take the necessary measures. Moreover, they are led by contradictory motives: not harming the environment on the one hand and continuing to use the Internet the way they currently do on the other. Based on these findings, two quantitative studies were conducted to investigate the determinants of consumers’ self-attribution of responsibility to reduce the digital footprint of their online activity (e.g., using an eco-friendly search engine). Our conceptual model emphasizes the mechanisms of cognitive dissonance and highlights the crucial role of skepticism toward pro-environmental solutions. Implications for IT companies and public policy makers are discussed.
Essentials for selecting a network monitoring tool
Authors: Wright Cary
Published: April 2020

Enterprises are increasingly aware of how essential it is to have efficient tools in place to monitor for cyber security and performance issues. However, the selection process can be daunting and some organisations are not clear on the key features to look for in a network-monitoring tool.

Enterprises are increasingly aware of how essential it is to have efficient tools in place to monitor for cyber security and performance issues.

However, the selection process can be daunting and some organisations are not clear on the key features to look for in a network-monitoring tool. The state of the art in security operations is to deploy a mix of monitoring solutions, with integrated workflows that allow analysts to pivot from an alert or issue to the packet level evidence needed for quick resolution, explains Cary Wright of Endace.
Innovation and risk walk hand-in-hand with 5G and IoT
Authors: Higgins David
Published: April 2020

The UK Government recently approved the rollout of 5G technologies into limited areas of the country's telecoms infrastructure, propelling the country closer to the promised future of smart cities and driverless cars. 1 Connectivity's label as a ‘luxury’ has now faded and Internet access is close to being considered a fundamental right of every citizen. Simultaneously, the global number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is projected to triple by 2025. 2
Uncovering the cyber security challenges in healthcare
Authors: Hockey Alyn
Published: April 2020

The now infamous WannaCry hack of May 2017 not only sent shockwaves through the healthcare industry in the UK, but also caused cyber security concerns to understandably balloon across all sectors. It made people sit up and question the extent to which large, household name organisations like the National Health Service were acting to protect the critical data held about individuals under their care.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Health System and Community Response to a Text Message (Text4Hope) Program Supporting Mental Health in Alberta
Authors: Agyapong Vincent I. O.
Published: April 2020

In an effort to support the mental health of Albertans during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Alberta Health Services launched a supportive text message (Text4Mood) program on March 23, 2020. The program was simultaneously approved for funding by the 6 regional health foundations and launched within 1 week of conception. Residents of Alberta can subscribe to the program by texting “COVID19HOPE” to a sort code number. Each subscriber receives free daily supportive text messages, for 3 months, crafted by a team of clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health therapist, and mental health service users. Within 1 week of the launch of Text4Hope, 32 805 subscribers had signed up to the program, and there have been expressions of interests from other jurisdictions to implement a similar program to support the mental health of those in quarantine, isolation, or lockdown.
Outbreak Trends of Coronavirus Disease–2019 in India: A Prediction
Authors: Tiwari Sunita , Kumar Sushil , Guleria Kalpna
Published: April 2020

Objective:

The objective of this paper is to prepare the government and citizens of India to take or implement the control measures proactively to reduce the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Method:

In this work, the COVID-19 outbreak in India has been predicted based on the pattern of China using a machine learning approach. The model is built to predict the number of confirmed cases, recovered cases, and death cases based on the data available between January 22, 2020, and April 3, 2020. The time series forecasting method is used for prediction models.

Results:

The COVID-19 effects are predicted to be at peak between the third and fourth weeks of April 2020 in India. This outbreak is predicted to be controlled around the end of May 2020. The total number of predicted confirmed cases of COVID-19 might reach around 68 978, and the number of deaths due to COVID-19 are predicted to be 1557 around April 25, 2020, in India. If this outbreak is not controlled by the end of May 2020, then India will face a severe shortage of hospitals, and it will make this outbreak even worse.

Conclusion:

The COVID-19 pandemic may be controlled if the Government of India takes proactive steps to aggressively implement a lockdown in the country and extend it further. This presented epidemiological model is an effort to predict the future forecast of COVID-19 spread, based on the present scenario, so that the government can frame policy decisions, and necessary actions can be initiated.
Estimating the longevity of glaciers in the Xinjiang region of the Tian Shan through observations of glacier area change since the Little Ice Age using high-resolution imagery
Authors: Liu Julia , Lawson Daniel E. , Hawley Robert L. , Chipman Jonathan , Tracy Brian , Shi Xun , Chen Yaning
Published: April 2020

Glacial retreat in response to warming climates in the arid Xinjiang region of northwestern China directly impacts downstream water resources available for local communities. We used high-resolution satellite imagery from 1969 to 2014 to delineate spatial changes in 54 active glaciers in the upper Kaidu River Basin in the Tian Shan as well as their past expanses during the Little Ice Age (LIA). We manually delineated their boundaries based on the interpretation of glacial, geomorphic and topographic features. From the total glacier surface area, we estimated glacier volume and mass. From 1969 to 2014, glacier area decreased by 10.1 ± 1.0 km2 (relative loss of 34.2 ± 3.5%) and mass by 1.025 ± 0.108 Gt (relative loss of 43 ± 4.6%). From the LIA maximum (est. 1586 CE) to 1969, relative losses were less (25.7 ± 4.3% area loss and 33.1 ± 5.7% mass loss). Our results indicate that glacier recession is accelerating over time and that the glaciers are currently losing over 1.5 times more relative area than elsewhere in the Tian Shan. Using linear and non-linear projections, we estimate that these glaciers may disappear between 2050 and 2150 CE if climatic warming continues at the same pace.
Perceived ethnic discrimination as a risk factor for psychotic symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bardol Olivier , Grot Stéphanie , Oh Hans , Poulet Emmanuel , Zeroug-Vial Halima , Brunelin Jérôme , Leaune Edouard
Published: April 2020

Background

Previous studies have shown an elevated risk of psychotic symptoms (PS) and experiences (PEs) among ethnic minority groups, with significant variation between groups. This pattern may be partially attributable to the unfavorable socio-environmental conditions that surround ethnic minority groups. Perceived ethnic discrimination (PED) in particular has been a salient putative risk factor to explain the increased risk.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to assess the impact of PED on reporting PS/PEs in ethnic minorities. This review abides by the guidelines set forth by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The included studies were obtained from the databases: Medline, PsycINFO, and Web Of Science. Sub-group analyses were performed assessing the effect of PED in different subtypes of PS, the influence of ethnicity and moderating/mediating factors.

Results

Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria, and nine were used to conduct the meta-analysis. We found a positive association between PED and the occurrence of PS/PEs among ethnic minorities. The combined odds ratio were 1.77 (95% CI 1.26–2.49) for PS and 1.94 (95% CI 1.42–2.67) for PEs. We found that the association was similar across ethnic groups and did not depend on the ethnic origin of individuals. Weak evidence supported the buffering effects of ethnic identity, collective self-esteem and social support; and no evidence supported the moderating effect of ethnic density. Sensitivity to race-based rejection significantly but only slightly mediated the association.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that PED is involved in the increased risk of PS/PEs in ethnic minority populations.
Older people's views about ageing well in a rural community
Authors: Neville Stephen , Napier Sara , Adams Jeffery , Shannon Kay , Clair Valerie Wright-St
Published: April 2020

Maintaining physical, psychological and social wellbeing is integral to older adults being able to age well in their community. Therefore, an environment that facilitates and supports ageing well is imperative. The aim of this study was to explore the views of older people about their preparation for ageing well in a rural community. Forty-nine community-dwelling older people aged between 65 and 93 years participated in a semi-structured and digitally recorded interview. The resulting qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach. Three main themes were identified: (a) ‘sensible planning: the right place and the right people’; (b) ‘remaining independent: “it's up to me”’; and (c) ‘facing challenges: “accepting my lot”’. Findings from this study identify that across all age groups, these older people were actively and realistically preparing for ageing well. All valued their independence, believing individually they were responsible for being independent and planning for their future. Consequently, environmental planners, policy makers and practitioners need to understand that older people are a heterogeneous group and ageing policies should be geared towards older people's individual abilities and circumstances. Consideration of diversity enables inclusion of older people with a wide range of abilities and needs to achieve the perceived goals of ageing well.