bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Progress in the implementation of massively parallel sequencing for forensic genetics: results of a European-wide survey among professional users
Authors: Gross Theresa E. , Fleckhaus Jan , Schneider Peter M.
Published: April 2021

A European-wide online survey was conducted to generate an overview on the state-of-the-art using massively parallel sequencing (MPS) platforms for forensic DNA analysis and DNA phenotyping among forensic practitioners in Europe. The survey was part of the dissemination activities of the “VISible Attributes through GEnomics – VISAGE” Horizon 2020 funded European research project [30], in preparation of a series of educational training activities. A total of 105 replies from 32 European countries representing participants from police, governmental, academic, and private laboratories providing professional services in the field of forensic genetics were included in the final analysis. Of these, 73% already own an MPS platform or are planning to acquire one within the next 1–2 years. One-third of the participants have already carried out MPS-based STR sequencing, identity, or ancestry SNP typing. A total of 23–40% of participants are planning to explore all FDP applications showing the overall very high interest in using MPS for the whole range of forensic MPS markers and applications. About 50% of the participants have previously gathered experience using forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP) markers based on conventional (i.e., not MPS-based) DNA typing methods. A total of 55% of the participants have attended training on the general use of MPS technology, but 36% have received no training whatsoever. Accordingly, 90% have expressed high or medium interest to attend training on the analysis and interpretation of DNA phenotyping data for predicting appearance, ancestry, and age. The results of our survey will provide valuable information for organizing relevant training workshops on all aspects of MPS-based DNA phenotyping for the forensic genetics scientific community.
Clinical efficacy of the enzyme replacement therapy in patients with late-onset Pompe disease: a systematic review and a meta-analysis
Authors: Sarah Berli , Giovanna Brandi , Emanuela Keller , Nadi Najia , Josè Vitale , Alberto Pagnamenta
Published: April 2021

In patients with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD), the efficacy of the enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant human alpha-glucosidase (rhGAA) is difficult to evaluate, due to the clinical heterogeneity and the small sample sizes in published studies. Therefore, we conduct a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the literature to evaluate the efficacy of ERT in LOPD patients considering the walking distance, respiratory function and muscle strength. Particularly, six-minute walk test (6MWT), forced vital capacity (FVC), medical research council (MRC) grading, quantitative muscle testing (QMT), and quick motor function test (QMFT) were outcomes of interest. Overall, 619 studies were identified in PubMed, EMBASE and by manual search on July 18th, 2020. After an initial assessment, 16 studies were included in the meta-analysis, containing clinical data from 589 patients with LOPD. For the 6MWT, 419 patients were analyzed. Walking distance improved on average, 32.2 m greater during the observed period (p = 0.0003), compared to the distance at the baseline. The meta-analysis did not show any improvement in FVC and only a tendency towards better muscle strength after treatment with ERT, but the difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, the available data showed that ERT has a significant beneficial efficacy in the improvement of walking distance in LOPD patients and a non-significant improvement of muscle strength. No improvement in respiratory capacity was found. More prospective and controlled trials are needed to demonstrate a clear clinical benefit of ERT.
Modular megaprostheses in the treatment of periprosthetic fractures of the femur
Authors: Apprich Sebastian R. , Nia Arastoo , Schreiner Markus M. , Jesch Maximilian , Böhler Christoph , Windhager Reinhard
Published: April 2021

Background

Periprosthetic fractures (PPF) of the femur remain challenging, especially in patients with previous multiple revisions. Modular megaprostheses (mMPs) are rarely used in this indication; however, in some cases mMPs seem to be the last chance for limb salvage. We aimed to evaluate the clinical outcome of PPFs of the femur treated by modular mMPs at our institution.

Patients and methods

In this study 33 patients (27 female; mean age 79 years) with a PPF after total hip or total knee arthroplasty (no tumor indications) were treated using modular proximal (mPFR; n = 12), distal (mDFR; n = 14) or total (mTFR; n = 7) femur replacement. A retrospective evaluation regarding mortality and revision rates was performed. Failures with need for revision were classified.

Results

At a mean follow up of 60 months (range 0–178 months), the total mortality rate as well as total revision rate were both found to be 39%. At 1 year follow-up the mortality rate was highest within the mDFR group, and less revisions were necessary in the mPFR group, however both findings were not significantly. Those patients, who had revision surgery before PPF, were found to have higher revision rate after implantation of mMP. In the mPFR group, dislocation was the most frequent failure, within the mDFR and the mTFR group infection. In one case amputation of the lower limb was necessary.

Conclusion

mMPs represent a valuable option in PPFs of the femur. Infection and dislocation remain the most frequent complications. Prospective clinical studies are required to further define the outcome of mMPs in PPFs of the femur.
A Bayesian bivariate hierarchical model with correlated parameters for the analysis of road crashes in Italian tunnels
Authors: Caliendo Ciro , Guida Maurizio , Postiglione Fabio , Russo Isidoro
Published: April 2021

An analysis of crashes occurring in 252 unidirectional Italian motorway tunnels over a 4-year monitoring period is provided to identify the main causes of crashes in tunnels. In this paper, we propose a full Bayesian bivariate Poisson lognormal hierarchical model with correlated parameters for the joint analysis of crashes of two levels of severity, namely severe (including fatality and injury accidents only) and non-severe (property damage only), providing better insight on the available data with respect to an analysis based on severe and non-severe independent univariate models. In particular, the proposed model shows that for both of severity levels the crash frequency increases with some parameters: the average annual daily traffic per lane, the tunnel length, and the percentage of trucks, while the presence of the sidewalk provides a reduction in severe accidents. Also the presence of the third lane induces a reduction in severe accidents. Moreover, a reduction in the crash frequency of the two crash-types over years is present. The correlation between the parameters might offer additional insights into how some combinations can affect safety in tunnels. The results are critically discussed by highlighting strength and weakness of the proposed methodology.
Can a prison be self-managed? A study of the informal organisation of a bolivian prison
Authors: Iudici Antonio
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate the unique prisons of Bolivia. Their main features include the presence of wives and children, self-management of activities within the prison and the opportunity for inmates to take part in various activities. In particular, the general organisation of the prisons and the inmates’ experience, especially on an interpersonal level, is described in this study. The obtained data shows that functional and effective experiences of social rehabilitation can be promoted even under extreme conditions and, in some cases, this provides important insights into the prison systems of most developed countries.
Impacts of course type and student gender on distance learning performance: A case study in Taiwan
Authors: Hsiao Yu-Chen
Published: April 2021

The global outbreak of COVID-19 since January 2020 has forced the closure of schools and universities in over 180 countries to control the pandemic, affecting approximately 90% of students worldwide. Distance teaching has been adopted during school closures to suspend classes without suspending learning. Scholars have claimed that distance teaching is more effective than face-to-face teaching and can replace face-to-face courses. However, further investigation is required to confirm whether distance learning is suitable for all types of courses and all students. Thanks to the effective containment of COVID-19 outbreaks in Taiwan, universities in Taiwan face a less problematic situation than do those in other countries; however, plans and preparations remain essential. The present study recruited 18,085 students from a technology university in Taiwan and used the baseline data of the past three academic years before COVID-19 (2016–2018) to explore the influences of course type and gender on distance learning performance. The results revealed that compulsory courses are more suitable for distance learning courses, whereas face-to-face teaching is more suitable for elective and general education courses. The learning performance of males and females is also different: face-to-face courses are more suitable for males, whereas no significant difference between teaching methods was observed in females. This result suggests that not all courses offered by the university are suitable for distance learning courses, and not all students are adept at distance learning. Based on these results, it is recommended that a new teaching model be established for the post-COVID-19 era.
“I am part of the group, the others listen to me”: theorising productive listening in mathematical group work
Authors: Sjöblom Marie , Meaney Tamsin
Published: April 2021

Although group work is considered beneficial for problem solving, the listening that is needed for jointly solving mathematical problems is under-researched. In this article, the usefulness of two communication frameworks for understanding students’ listening is examined, using data from an educational design research study in an upper secondary mathematics classroom in Sweden. From the analysis, it was apparent that these frameworks did not provide sufficient information about the complexity of listening in this context. Consequently, a new framework, “productive listening,” is described which focuses on observable features connected to students’ ability to show willingness to listen and to request listening from others. This framework included the purpose for listening, connected to problem-solving stages, and social aspects to do with respecting the speaker’s contribution as being valuable and feeling that one’s own contribution would be listened to. These two aspects are linked to socio-mathematical norms about expecting to listen to others’ mathematical thinking and to ask clarifying questions about this thinking. By using this framework on the data from the earlier study, it was possible to better understand the complexity of listening in group work about mathematical problem solving.
A Review of Geophysical Modeling Based on Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Pace Francesca , Santilano Alessandro , Godio Alberto
Published: April 2021

This paper reviews the application of the algorithm particle swarm optimization (PSO) to perform stochastic inverse modeling of geophysical data. The main features of PSO are summarized, and the most important contributions in several geophysical fields are analyzed. The aim is to indicate the fundamental steps of the evolution of PSO methodologies that have been adopted to model the Earth’s subsurface and then to undertake a critical evaluation of their benefits and limitations. Original works have been selected from the existing geophysical literature to illustrate successful PSO applied to the interpretation of electromagnetic (magnetotelluric and time-domain) data, gravimetric and magnetic data, self-potential, direct current and seismic data. These case studies are critically described and compared. In addition, joint optimization of multiple geophysical data sets by means of multi-objective PSO is presented to highlight the advantage of using a single solver that deploys Pareto optimality to handle different data sets without conflicting solutions. Finally, we propose best practices for the implementation of a customized algorithm from scratch to perform stochastic inverse modeling of any kind of geophysical data sets for the benefit of PSO practitioners or inexperienced researchers.
On the Combinatory Nature of Knowledge Transfer Conditions: A Mixed Method Assessment
Authors: Bacon Emily , Williams Michael D. , Davies Gareth H.
Published: April 2021

Organisations are increasingly creating inter-organisational ecosystem partnerships to innovate openly. Despite effective knowledge management significantly supporting ecosystem infrastructures, empirical insights into the importance of and interdependencies between conditions for successful knowledge exchange across ecosystem contexts remain unexplored within existing literature. This study implements a mixed-method approach to ascertain which conditions are responsible for knowledge transfer success across innovation ecosystems. Interpretive Structural Modelling was employed to analyse questionnaires with key ecosystem stakeholders, in order to impose a hierarchical structure upon the conditions. The configurational nature of these conditions, and their combinations into solutions for success was ascertained through analysing semi-structured interviews using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Results reveal multiple, mutually exclusive pathways to knowledge transfer success, grouped into three solution types, increasing understanding of the interrelated nature of the knowledge transfer conditions. Limitations and implications for future research are provided.
Evaluation of macroseismic intensity, strong ground motion pattern and fault model of the 19 July 2019 Mw5.1 earthquake west of Athens
Authors: Kouskouna V. , Ganas A. , Kleanthi M. , Kassaras I. , Sakellariou N. , Sakkas G. , Valkaniotis S. , Manousou E. , Bozionelos G. , Tsironi V. , Karamitros I. , Tavoularis N. , Papaioannou Ch. , Bossu R.
Published: April 2021

This paper presents a joint analysis of instrumental and macroseismic data regarding the 19 July 2019, Greece Mw5.1 earthquake occurred west of Athens. This earthquake ruptured a blind, south-dipping normal fault, 23 km WNW of the center of Athens, while its relocated epicentre lies in close vicinity to the one of the 1999 Mw6.0 earthquake. The maximum macroseismic intensity of the 2019 mainshock reached IEMS98 = 7.5. Scarce damage and intensities up to 5–6 were reported in the epicentral area. Higher intensities were observed at larger distances, 12–15 km east and ESE of the epicentre, alongside the banks of Kifissos River, likely related to ground motion amplification due to soft alluvial formations. Similar selectivity of increased ground motions to the east of the epicentre with respect to other azimuths, also observed during the 1981 and 1999 earthquakes, supports eastward rupture directivity of the 2019 mainshock, an effect that is possibly common for the region’s fault system. Damping of seismic effects was observed east of Aegaleo Mountain, a structure suggested to impose a stopping phase in the time histories of the 1999 and 2019 earthquakes (Fig. A1).
In the name of the family? Against parents’ refusal to disclose prognostic information to children
Authors: Rost Michael , Mihailov Emilian
Published: April 2021

Parents frequently attempt to shield their children from distressing prognostic information. Pediatric oncology providers sometimes follow parental request for non-disclosure of prognostic information to children, invoking what we call the stability of the family argument. They believe that if they inform the child about terminal prognosis despite parental wishes, cohesion and family structure will be severely hampered. In this paper, we argue against parental request for non-disclosure. Firstly, we present the stability of the family argument in more detail. We, then, set out the (conceptual, legal, systemic) entitativity of the family and the kind of value the stability of the family argument assumes, before we set on to critically evaluate the argument. Our analysis shows that disclosure of prognostic information to children does not necessarily destabilize the family to a greater extent than non-disclosure. In fact, a systemic perspective suggests that mediated disclosure is more likely to result in a (long-term) stability of the family than non-disclosure. It is in the interest of the family to resist the initial aversive reaction to delivering bad news. In the final part, we draw a set of recommendations on how to facilitate decision-making in face of parental request for non-disclosure.
The integral role of the clinical pharmacist in drug-assisted intubation at a newly established children’s major trauma center
Authors: Enright Kevin , Akram Shazia , Hussain Amna , Powell Colin V. E.
Published: April 2021

This commentary outlines how the clinical pharmacist can support the safe administration of emergency medications in trauma anesthesia for seriously injured children. Promoting the professional development of the clinical pharmacist provided an opportunity to strengthen a key step in our trauma care pathway. We describe the implementation of this process in a new hospital, which was to become the designated children’s trauma center for an entire country. Although the literature documents the use of pharmacists in emergency intubation, ours was a unique set of circumstances, where empowering the pharmacist in frontline clinical care provided additional quality assurance for rapid sequence induction and intubation in trauma. Medical simulation was a core part of socializing the advanced clinical practice role of pharmacy within the trauma team. It was our experience that the pharmacist helps to promote confidence and decision making among other members of the trauma team.
Mental well-being of the general population: direct and indirect effects of socioeconomic, relational and health factors
Authors: Soldevila-Domenech Natalia , Forero Carlos G. , Alayo Itxaso , Capella Jordina , Colom Joan , Malmusi Davide , Mompart Anna , Mortier Philippe , Puértolas Beatriz , Sánchez Néstor , Schiaffino Anna , Vilagut Gemma , Alonso Jordi
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to analyse the association between individual mental well-being and social, economic, lifestyle and health factors.

Methods

Cross-sectional study on a representative sample of 13,632 participants (> 15y/o) from the Catalan Health Interview Survey 2013–2016 editions. Mental well-being was assessed with the Warwick–Edinburg Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). Linear regressions were fitted to associate well-being and sociodemographic, relational, lifestyle and health variables according to minimally sufficient adjustment sets identified using directed acyclic graphs. Predictors entered the model in blocks of variable types and analysed individually. Direct and total effects were estimated.

Results

Health factors significantly contributed to mental well-being variance. Presence of a mental disorder and self-reported health had the largest effect size (eta2 = 13.4% and 16.3%). The higher individual impact from a variable came from social support (β = − 12.8, SE = 0.48, eta2 = 6.3%). A noticeable effect gradient (eta2 = 4.2%) from low to high mental well-being emerged according to economic difficulties (from β = 1.59, SE = 0.33 for moderate difficulties to β = 6.02 SE = 0.55 for no difficulties). Younger age (β = 5.21, SE = 0.26, eta2 = 3.4%) and being men (β = 1.32, SE = 0.15, eta2 = 0.6%) were associated with better mental well-being. Direct gender effects were negligible.

Conclusions

This study highlights health and social support as the most associated factors with individual mental well-being over socioeconomic factors. Interventions and policies aimed to these factors for health promotion would improve population mental well-being.
Improving biological production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) co-polymer: a critical review
Authors: Policastro Grazia , Panico Antonio , Fabbricino Massimiliano
Published: April 2021

Although poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is the most promising biopolymer for petroleum-based plastics replacement, the low processes productivity as well as the high sale price represent a major barrier for its widespread usage. The present work examines comparatively the existing methods to enhance the yield of the PHBV co-polymer biologically produced and/or reduce their costs. The study is addressed to researchers working on the development of new biological production methods and/or the improvement of those currently used. At this aim, the authors have considered the analysis of some crucial aspects related to substrates and microorganism’s choice. The production strategies have been individuated, presented and discussed, either based on a single aspect (type of substrate or microorganism) or based on combined aspects (type of substrate and microorganism). Process operating conditions have been discussed as well. The analysis indicates that the addition of 3HV precursors is capable to dramatically enhance the hydroxyvalerate fraction in the produced biopolymers. On the other hand, due to the high costs of the 3HV precursors, the utilization of wild bacterial species capable to produce the hydroxyvalerate fraction from unrelated carbon sources (i.e. no 3HV precursors) also can be considered a valuable strategy for costs reduction. Moreover, metabolic engineering techniques can be successfully used to promote 3HV precursors-independent biosynthesis pathways and enhance the process productivity. The use of mixed cultures or extremophile bacteria avoids the need of sterile working conditions, and therefore favours the process scale-up. The utilization of the organic waste as substrate plays a key role for a sharp reduction of production costs. Finally, the selection of the most suitable substrate-microorganism combination cannot be separated by the adoption of an appropriate choice of reactor configuration and abiotic factors.

Graphic abstract
Secondary School Students’ Reasoning About Science and Personhood
Authors: Billingsley Berry , Nassaji Mehdi
Published: April 2021

Scientific advances, particularly in evolutionary biology, genetics, neuroscience and artificial intelligence, present many challenges to religious and popular notions of personhood. This paper reports the first large-scale study on students’ beliefs about the interactions between science and widely held beliefs about personhood. The paper presents findings from a questionnaire survey (n = 530) administered to English secondary school students (age 15–16) in which their beliefs and concepts regarding personhood and the position of science were investigated. The survey was motivated in part by an interview study and a previous, smaller survey which revealed that many students struggle to reconcile their beliefs with what they suppose science to say and also that some have reluctantly dismissed the soul as a ‘nice story’ which is incompatible with scientific facts. The results from this larger-scale survey indicate that a majority of the students believe in some form of soul. Even so, and regardless of whether or not they identified themselves as religious, most students expressed a belief that human persons cannot be fully explained scientifically, a position that some students perceived as a partial rejection of what it means to hold a scientific worldview.
Modelling ourselves: what the free energy principle reveals about our implicit notions of representation
Authors: Sims Matt , Pezzulo Giovanni
Published: April 2021

Predictive processing theories are increasingly popular in philosophy of mind; such process theories often gain support from the Free Energy Principle (FEP)—a normative principle for adaptive self-organized systems. Yet there is a current and much discussed debate about conflicting philosophical interpretations of FEP, e.g., representational versus non-representational. Here we argue that these different interpretations depend on implicit assumptions about what qualifies (or fails to qualify) as representational. We deploy the Free Energy Principle (FEP) instrumentally to distinguish four main notions of representation, which focus on organizational, structural, content-related and functional aspects, respectively. The various ways that these different aspects matter in arriving at representational or non-representational interpretations of the Free Energy Principle are discussed. We also discuss how the Free Energy Principle may be seen as a unified view where terms that traditionally belong to different ontologies—e.g., notions of model and expectation versus notions of autopoiesis and synchronization—can be harmonized. However, rather than attempting to settle the representationalist versus non-representationalist debate and reveal something about what representations aresimpliciter, this paper demonstrates how the Free Energy Principle may be used to reveal something about those partaking in the debate; namely, whatourhidden assumptions about what representations are—assumptions that act as sometimes antithetical starting points in this persistent philosophical debate.
Groups discipline resource use under scarcity
Authors: Diekert Florian , Brekke Kjell Arne
Published: April 2021

Scarcity sharpens the conflict between short term gains and long term sustainability. Psychological research documents that decision makers focus on immediate needs under scarcity and use available resources more effectively. However, decision makers also borrow too much from future resources and overall performance decreases as a consequence. Using an online experiment, we study how scarcity affects borrowing decisions in groups. We first document that scarcity affects groups in a similar way as individuals. Then, we go on to show that the negative effect of scarcity is weaker for groups than for individuals. Even in a minimal design that excludes direct interaction or communication, the fact that participants know that their own behavior affects and can be partly observed by another participant disciplines their use of scarce resources. Our results thus highlight the benefit of groups as units of human organization.
Integrating knowledge on biophysical and socioeconomic potential to map clusters for future milk production in Ethiopia
Authors: Ndambi Oghaiki Asaah , Ceccarelli Tomaso , Zijlstra Jelle , van Eupen Michiel , Berhanu Tinsae Beyenne , Vernooij Adriaan , van der Lee Jan
Published: April 2021

Despite growing milk demand and imports, market-oriented milk production and formal processing in Ethiopia is limited to areas around Addis Ababa, notwithstanding its competing land use demand. This study assessed biophysical and market potential for developing the dairy sector, characterizing Ethiopian dairy clusters. Biophysical data from geographic information system (GIS) sources and information from key informants were combined in mapping and ranking these clusters on milk production potential. Twenty-four indicators in six major categories were applied for this assessment: feed availability, environmental conditions for dairy cattle, current production status, access to inputs and services, output market access, and production expansion potential. Feed availability (fodder, crop residues, and agro-industrial by-products as well as land availability and affordability) were the main drivers for dairy development, followed by the current production status, mainly driven by number of (improved) dairy cattle and (formal) milk volumes. Dairy clusters close to Addis Ababa had the highest overall scores for development potential, mainly determined by local demand and access to inputs. For dairy sustainable dairy development in Ethiopia, companies seeking long-term opportunities may avoid the Addis Ababa area and develop dairy production and processing in other clusters especially in Amhara and Tigray regions, with good milk production potential but less developed market infrastructure. The combination of biophysical data and key informant knowledge offered key strengths in delivering valuable results within a short time span. It however requires a careful selection of knowledgeable key informants whose expertise cover a broad scope of the dairy value chain.
2D and 3D Palmprint and Palm Vein Recognition Based on Neural Architecture Search
Authors: Jia Wei , Xia Wei , Zhao Yang , Min Hai , Chen Yan-Xiang
Published: April 2021

Palmprint recognition and palm vein recognition are two emerging biometrics technologies. In the past two decades, many traditional methods have been proposed for palmprint recognition and palm vein recognition and have achieved impressive results. In recent years, in the field of artificial intelligence, deep learning has gradually become the mainstream recognition technology because of its excellent recognition performance. Some researchers have tried to use convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for palmprint recognition and palm vein recognition. However, the architectures of these CNNs have mostly been developed manually by human experts, which is a time-consuming and error-prone process. In order to overcome some shortcomings of manually designed CNN, neural architecture search (NAS) technology has become an important research direction of deep learning. The significance of NAS is to solve the deep learning model’s parameter adjustment problem, which is a cross-study combining optimization and machine learning. NAS technology represents the future development direction of deep learning. However, up to now, NAS technology has not been well studied for palmprint recognition and palm vein recognition. In this paper, in order to investigate the problem of NAS-based 2D and 3D palmprint recognition and palm vein recognition in-depth, we conduct a performance evaluation of twenty representative NAS methods on five 2D palmprint databases, two palm vein databases, and one 3D palmprint database. Experimental results show that some NAS methods can achieve promising recognition results. Remarkably, among different evaluated NAS methods, ProxylessNAS achieves the best recognition performance.
Can stress turn trees hair white? Hair covering of stems improves resilience of corticular photosynthesis against heat-stress
Authors: Wittmann Christiane , Kelsch Barbara , Reßing Franziska , Pfanz Hardy
Published: April 2021

The hypothesis was tested that hair covering of stems improves resilience of corticular photosynthesis against heat stress. Hairy and non-hairy outer bark of Quercus ilex L. and Quercus robur L. trees was removed and optical properties measured. Additionally, structural bark traits and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters during heat stress treatment were studied. Optical analysis revealed a protective role of hairy outer bark (OB) against overheating of the underlying cortex of the stems. Hairiness decreased OB transmittance and increased thermal insulation of stems by an increased absorptance and reflectance of OB in the visible (380–720 nm) and an increased reflectance in the infrared part of the spectrum (720–900 nm). Simple linear regression analysis revealed no significant effect of stem structural traits (OB thickness (OBT), cortex density (Dcortex), cortex water content (Wcortex)) on corticular photochemistry (PScort), while optical traits of outer bark were significantly (P < 0.01) correlated with PScort. OB reflectance explained up to 91% of the variation in PSII quantum yield under heat stress. At high temperatures (> 45 °C) PScort of the hairy species showed a higher resilience and a better post-stress-recovery as compared to the non-hairy one. It is concluded that stem hairs play a physiologically significant role in modulating the stem energy balance due to a close interaction between optical characteristics of hairy OB and stem photochemical processes.
On the three ball theorem for solutions of the Helmholtz equation
Authors: Berge Stine Marie , Malinnikova Eugenia
Published: April 2021

Let$$u_{k}$$ukbe a solution of the Helmholtz equation with the wave numberk,$$\varDelta u_{k}+k^{2} u_{k}=0$$Δuk+k2uk=0, on (a small ball in) either$${\mathbb {R}}^{n}$$Rn,$${\mathbb {S}}^{n}$$Sn, or$${\mathbb {H}}^{n}$$Hn. For a fixed pointp, we define$$M_{u_{k}}(r)=\max _{d(x,p)\le r}|u_{k}(x)|.$$Muk(r)=maxd(x,p)≤r|uk(x)|.The following three ball inequality$$M_{u_{k}}(2r)\le C(k,r,\alpha )M_{u_{k}}(r)^{\alpha }M_{u_{k}}(4r)^{1-\alpha }$$Muk(2r)≤C(k,r,α)Muk(r)αMuk(4r)1-αis well known, it holds for some$$\alpha \in (0,1)$$α∈(0,1)and$$C(k,r,\alpha )>0$$C(k,r,α)>0independent of$$u_{k}$$uk. We show that the constant$$C(k,r,\alpha )$$C(k,r,α)grows exponentially ink(whenris fixed and small). We also compare our result with the increased stability for solutions of the Cauchy problem for the Helmholtz equation on Riemannian manifolds.
Ni-Based CW6MC: Effect of the Internal Revert Recycle on the Soundness of the Alloy
Authors: Gruttadauria Andrea , Barella Silvia , Guerra Anna
Published: April 2021

The CW6MC alloy is a nickel-based alloy used to withstand acidic environments, especially in the oil and gas industry where it is used in the production of valves, impellers, and pipes. This alloy is the foundry counterpart of the best known A625 for plastic deformation. Regarding nickel-based alloys, a scrap market like that in the case of steel has not yet been established, therefore, especially in the case of foundries, scrap generally comes from internal recycling (casting waste, feeders, sprues, runners, etc.) to be certain of the origin and quality of the material. In this work, four castings with different percentage of recycled content (0%, 30%, 70%, 100%) were produced in accordance with the technical specifications and analysed to evaluate the effect of scrap on the final chemical composition, the microstructure, the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Following the analyses carried out, it was determined that the amount of acceptable scrap content (of those analysed) without compromising the material properties corresponds to 30%.
O-Töne in Fernsehnachrichten im Spannungsfeld von Narration und Argumentation
Authors: Luginbühl Martin
Published: April 2021

Der Beitrag erläutert – vor dem Hintergrund des re-konstruktiven Charakters medialer Berichterstattung (Abschnitt 1) – das Konzept der ›News Narratives‹ (2). Dann wird auf die Rolle und bisherigen Untersuchungen von O‑Tönen und deren narrative Integration eingegangen (3). Auf Erläuterungen zu Fragestellung, Korpus und Methode (4) folgen quantitative und dann ausführlicher exemplarische qualitative Analysen (5). Hier werden Beiträge der Schweizer »Tagesschau« und der amerikanischen »CBS Evening News« seit den 1960er-Jahren analysiert. Es zeigt sich, dass die Beiträge zunehmend narrativ in einem engeren Sinn gestaltet werden, dass diese Entwicklung in den USA früher stattgefunden hat und dass die argumentative Funktionalisierung von O‑Tönen rekonstruiert werden kann, aber implizit bleibt.
Von Gutmenschen, guten Menschen und geflüchteten Menschen
Authors: Raters Marie-Luise
Published: April 2021

Viele Menschen erwarten Dankbarkeit von den Geflüchteten, die in Europa aufgenommen werden. Nun kann mit dem Satz „Geflüchtete sollen dankbar sein“ eine moralische Pflicht oder ein Ratschlag gemeint sein. Mein Essay zeigt in einem ersten Schritt, dass es keine Pflicht zur Dankbarkeit geben kann. Dankbarkeit ist vielmehr Supererogation, nämlich eine moralisch wertvolle Handlungsweise, die keine Pflicht sein kann. Das gilt auch für Geflüchtete. Anschließend zeige ich, dass Dankbarkeit als sympathischer Ausdruck einer Tugendhaltung jedermann anzuraten ist. Wer sich für erwiesene Wohltaten dankbar zeigt, wird gemocht und geschätzt. Das gilt wiederum auch für Geflüchtete. Mein Essay schließt mit einem kurzen Ausblick zu der Frage, wofür und in welchem Umfang Geflüchteten Dankbarkeit anzuraten ist.
French Romance, Medieval Sweden and the Europeanisation of Culture
Authors: Lodén Sofia
Published: April 2021

The adaptation of French texts into medieval Swedish reveals the progress of a Europe-wide literary culture.
Note on the Rhaetian fish fauna from a subrosion pipe in Winterswijk (the Netherlands), with a discussion on the validity of the genus Severnichthys Storrs, 1994
Authors: Diependaal Henk J. , Reumer Jelle W.F.
Published: April 2021

Fossil remains of fishes found in Rhaetian (Late Triassic, c.208.5–201.3 Ma) sediments collected from a subrosion pipe in the Winterswijk quarry are described. The fauna shows great similarity to material known from the British Triassic of the Penarth Group and from other localities in Northwestern Europe. Both chondrichthyan and osteichthyan teeth and scales are present. Most abundant are the sharks Lissodus minimus and Rhomphaiodon minor and the actinopterygians Gyrolepis albertii, Saurichthys longidens and Birgeria acuminata. Isolated teeth of the latter two taxa were known under the name Severnichthys acuminatus, but the genus Severnichthys is here considered a nomen dubium; it should be suppressed in order to make the taxonomy less complicated.
The Structure of Political Choices: Distinguishing Between Constraint and Multidimensionality
Authors: Marble William , Tyler Matthew
Published: April 2021

In the literatures on public opinion and legislative behavior, there are debates over (1) how constrained preferences are and (2) whether they are captured by a single left–right spectrum or require multiple dimensions. But insufficient formalization has led scholars to equate a lack of constraint with multidimensional preferences. In this paper, we refine the concepts of constraint and dimensionality in a formal framework and describe how they translate into separate observable implications for political preferences. We use this discussion to motivate a cross-validation estimator that measures constraint and dimensionality in the context of canonical ideal point models. Using data from the public and politicians, we find that American political preferences are one-dimensional, but there is more constraint among politicians than among the mass public. Furthermore, we show that differences between politicians and the public are not explained by differences in agendas or the incentives faced by the actors.
Intercontinental transmission and local demographic expansion of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Hu Hong-yin , Yan Fang , Zhu Jia-ming , Karuno Alex Plimo , Zhou Wei-wei
Published: April 2021

The global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is greatly threatening the public health in the world. We reconstructed global transmissions and potential demographic expansions of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 based on genomic information. We found that intercontinental transmissions were rare in January and early February but drastically increased since late February. After world-wide implements of travel restrictions, the transmission frequencies decreased to a low level in April. We identified a total of 88 potential demographic expansions over the world based on the star-radiative networks and 75 of them were found in Europe and North America. The expansion numbers peaked in March and quickly dropped since April. These findings are highly concordant with epidemic reports and modelling results and highlight the significance of quarantine validity on the global spread of COVID-19. Our analyses indicate that the travel restrictions and social distancing measures are effective in containing the spread of COVID-19.
High-order and tunable balanced bandpass filters using mixed technology resonators
Authors: Simpson Dakotah , Psychogiou Dimitra
Published: April 2021

This paper reports on high-order balanced bandpass filters (BPFs) that are continuously tunable in terms of frequency and bandwidth and can be intrinsically switched-off. They use a hybrid integration scheme based on two different types of capacitively loaded resonators—ceramic coaxial and microstrip—that reduce the filter size, enhance its out-of-band selectivity and common-mode suppression, and allow for multiple levels of transfer function tuning. High selectivity is obtained in the differential mode due to the high number of poles and transmission zeros present. The common mode is highly suppressed through the introduction of additional transmission zeros and resistively loaded resonators. Furthermore, the use of ceramic coaxial resonators results in supplementary transmission zeros that are used to lower the out-of-band transmission in the differential mode. Multiple levels of tuning are obtained by reconfiguring only the frequency of the BPF's resonators. For experimental validation, a tunable mixed-technology microstrip prototype was manufactured and measured at S-band. It exhibited frequency tuning between 2.22 and 2.94 GHz, bandwidth tuning between 104 and 268 MHz, and an intrinsically switched-off mode with isolation >50 dB in the differential mode. For all states, the common mode was suppressed by at least 35 dB at the center frequency and within a wide range.
Refugees to the Rescue? Motivating Pro-Refugee Public Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Adida Claire L. , Lo Adeline , Prather Lauren , Williamson Scott
Published: April 2021

Migrants are often scapegoated during public health crises. Can such crises create opportunities for migrant inclusion instead? As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, many refugee organizations have stepped up their outreach with stories of refugees helping out in the crisis. We have partnered with the country’s leading refugee advocate organizations to test whether solidarity narratives increase public engagement with refugee advocates. We employ a Facebook experimental design to evaluate the effectiveness of refugee narratives. We test whether (1) migrant narratives framed in the context of COVID-19, (2) COVID-19 migrant narratives targeted to more or less local communities, and (3) COVID-19 migrant narratives labeled as refugee vs. immigrant efforts enhance public engagement with refugee organizations. Our results indicate that migrant narratives framed in the context of COVID-19 do not motivate greater engagement than those that make no mention of the pandemic. Our results provide suggestive evidence that locally targeted efforts motivate greater engagement. Finally, we find no difference between the “refugee” and “immigrant” label, but we show that both labels can motivate greater engagement than ads that include neither. Importantly, this is true even in the context of COVID-19, an uncertain environment where worries of backlash might be warranted. These results suggest promising strategies for migrant policy organizations to promote engagement during and possibly after the pandemic.
Distribution, Source, and Burial of Sedimentary Organic Carbon in Kermadec and Atacama Trenches
Authors: Xu Yunping , Li Xinxin , Luo Min , Xiao Wenjie , Fang Jiasong , Rashid Harunur , Peng Yongbo , Li Wenpeng , Wenzhöfer Frank , Rowden Ashley A. , Glud Ronnie N.
Published: April 2021

Knowledge of sedimentary organic carbon (OC) in hadal trenches, the deepest ocean realm, is rudimentary. Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of total OC (TOC), stable and radio‐carbon isotopes (δ13C and Δ14C), and biomarkers (e.g., n‐alkanes, n‐alkanols and n‐fatty acids) in 12 sediment cores collected from hadal (trench axis) and non‐hadal (abyssal plains and slopes) settings of the Kermadec Trench (Southwestern Pacific) and Atacama Trench (Southeastern Pacific) regions. Our results show that the TOC in the Atacama Trench region (0.86% ± 0.69%) is significantly higher than that of the Kermadec Trench region (0.29% ± 0.08%), likely related to different surface primary productivity. In both trench regions, the hadal sites are generally characterized by more negative δ13C, higher TOC/TN ratio, and similar or higher abundance ratio of terrigenous/marine biomarkers as compared to the non‐hadal sites, suggesting the selective preservation of terrigenous biogenic/fossil OC at the hadal trench axis. The linear increase in 14C age with sediment depth in non‐hadal cores reflects steady depositional conditions, whereas seven out of eight hadal sediment cores show 14C age reversals presumably due to occasional mass‐transport deposits. Our results suggest (1) a strong heterogeneity in sedimentary OC characteristics between trenches and within each trench and (2) relatively high accumulation rates of terrigenous OC in both the Kermadec Trench (0.35 ± 0.04 g m−2 yr−1) and the Atacama Trench (1.4 ± 0.5 g m−2 yr−1). Thus, hadal trenches appear to represent an important environment for terrigenous carbon deposition in the deep ocean.
Semi‐Analytical Modeling of Rate‐Dependent Relative Permeability in Heterogeneous Formations
Authors: Moreno Ziv , Anto‐Darkwah Evans , Rabinovich Avinoam
Published: April 2021

Relative permeability (kr) is an important property characterizing multi‐phase flow in porous media, in particular considering applications of oil and gas production or CO2 storage in subsurface formations. Coreflooding experiments are the most common method of determining kr, usually conducted at a given total injection rate. However, kr is known to be a rate dependent effective property due to capillary heterogeneity effects and therefore full characterization requires conducting experiments at different flow rates, a complex and time consuming process. This work presents a new approach for calculating rate dependent effective kr curves based on a 1D semi‐analytical solution for steady state flow. The method entails calibrating a 1D permeability structure to represent the 3D flow of coreflooding experiments. Then, the calibrated 1D model is used to estimate kr curves at varying rates. We apply the method to three cases, two synthetic and one based on experimental data. Results show applicability for a wide range of flow rates.
A systematic review of neuroimaging and acute cannabis exposure in age-of-risk for psychosis
Authors: Cupo Lani , Plitman Eric , Guma Elisa , Chakravarty M. Mallar
Published: April 2021

Acute exposure to cannabis has been associated with an array of cognitive alterations, increased risk for neuropsychiatric illness, and other neuropsychiatric sequelae including the emergence of acute psychotic symptoms. However, the brain alterations associating cannabis use and these behavioral and clinical phenotypes remains disputed. To this end, neuroimaging can be a powerful technique to non-invasively study the impact of cannabis exposure on brain structure and function in both humans and animal models. While chronic exposure studies provide insight into how use may be related to long-term outcomes, acute exposure may reveal interesting information regarding the immediate impact of use and abuse on brain circuits. Understanding these alterations could reveal the connection with symptom dimensions in neuropsychiatric disorders and, more specifically with psychosis. The purpose of the present review is to: 1) provide an update on the findings of pharmacological neuroimaging studies examining the effects of administered cannabinoids and 2) focus the discussion on studies that examine the sensitive window for the emergence of psychosis. Current literature indicates that cannabis exposure has varied effects on the brain, with the principal compounds in cannabis (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol) altering activity across different brain regions. Importantly, we also discovered critical gaps in the literature, particularly regarding sex-dependent responses and long-term effects of chronic exposure. Certain networks often characterized as dysregulated in psychosis, like the default mode network and limbic system, were also impacted by THC exposure, identifying areas of particular interest for future work investigating the potential relationship between the two.