bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genomics and justice: mitigating the potential harms and inequities that arise from the implementation of genomics in medicine
Authors: Clarke A. J. , van El C. G.
Published: April 2022

Advances in human genetics raise many social and ethical issues. The application of genomic technologies to healthcare has raised many questions at the level of the individual and the family, about conflicts of interest among professionals, and about the limitations of genomic testing. In this paper, we attend to broader questions of social justice, such as how the implementation of genomics within healthcare could exacerbate pre-existing inequities or the discrimination against social groups. By anticipating these potential problems, we hope to minimise their impact. We group the issues to address into six categories: (i) access to healthcare in general, not specific to genetics. This ranges from healthcare insurance to personal behaviours. (ii) data management and societal discrimination against groups on the basis of genetics. (iii) epigenetics research recognises how early life exposure to stress, including malnutrition and social deprivation, can lead to ill health in adult life and further social disadvantage. (iv) psychiatric genomics and the genetics of IQ may address important questions of therapeutics but could also be used to disadvantage specific social or ethnic groups. (v) complex diseases are influenced by many factors, including genetic polymorphisms of individually small effect. A focus on these polygenic influences distracts from environmental factors that are more open to effective interventions. (vi) population genomic screening aims to support couples making decisions about reproduction. However, this remains a highly contentious area. We need to maintain a careful balance of the competing social and ethical tensions as the technology continues to develop.
The impact of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic on work-related accidents in Austria in 2020
Authors: Huber Dominikus , Frank Roland , Crevenna Richard
Published: April 2022

Background

This study aims to investigate the impact of the lockdowns during the COVID-19 (Corona-Virus-Disease 19) pandemic in Austria on work-related accidents in the year 2020. Apart from the lockdowns, multiple work-related measures were introduced in 2020, such as the new law on short-term work and regulation on accidents during home-office. Their combined effects on work-related accidents are unknown and a secondary parameter of this study.

Methods

Daily data on the number of accepted and rejected cases of work-related accidents from the Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt were obtained for the years 2019 and 2020. Based on data provided by the World Health Organization and government publications, the beginning and end dates of national hard and soft lockdown periods were derived. From this database, a difference-in-differences regression analysis on the absolute number of daily work-related accidents was conducted.

Results

On average 272.3 work-related accidents per day were registered in 2019 and 199.4 in 2020, a statistically significant reduction of 72.9 accidents per day and total decrease of 26,164 less accidents compared to 2019. Both lockdowns had a statistically highly significant effect on work-related accidents: The hard lockdown reduced the average number of daily registered work-related accidents by 40%. The light lockdown phases reduced this number by an average of 51%. Weekends and holidays had the greatest impact on work-related accidents with a reduction of 69% and 73%, respectively.

Conclusion

Both lockdown qualities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria led to a significant reduction in work-related accidents for their duration. These findings merit further investigation with more detailed data on sectors and injury-quality.
Analysis and optimization of a Caco-2 cell culture model for infection with human norovirus
Authors: Pohl Clara , Szczepankiewicz Grit , Liebert Uwe Gerd
Published: April 2022

Human noroviruses (hNoVs) are an important cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. However, the lack of a reproducible in vitro cell culture system has impaired research and the development of preventive measures, therapeutic drugs, and vaccines. The aim of this study was to analyze and optimize a suitable cell line for in vitro cultivation of hNoV. The Caco-2 cell line, which is of colorectal origin and differentiates spontaneously into intestinal enterocyte-like cells, was chosen as a model. It was found that differentiated cells were more susceptible to infection with hNoV, resulting in a higher virus yield. This was accompanied by an increase in H type 1 antigen in the cell membrane during differentiation, which functions as an attachment factor for hNoV. Induced overexpression of H type 1 antigen in undifferentiated Caco-2 cells resulted in an increase in viral output to a level similar to that in differentiated cells. However, the relatively low level of viral output, which contrasts with what is observed in vivo, shows that the viral replication cycle is restricted in this model. The results indicate that there is a block at the level of viral release.
Patent portfolios and firms’ technological choices
Authors: Comino Stefano , Manenti Fabio M.
Published: April 2022

In many industrial sectors, firms amass large patent portfolios to reinforce their bargaining position with competitors. In a context where patents have a pure strategic nature, we discuss how the presence and effectiveness of a patent system affect the technology decisions of firms. Specifically, we present a game where firms choose whether to agglomerate (i.e. develop technologies for the same technological territory) or to separate (i.e. develop technologies for different territories) prior to taking their patenting decisions. We show that strong patents may distort technology choices causing firms to follow inefficient technology trajectories in an attempt to reduce their competitors’ patenting activity. We also discuss how such distortions change when a firm is prevented from obtaining its optimal number of patents.
The effect of citrate in cardiovascular system and clot circuit in critically ill patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy
Authors: Trakarnvanich Thananda , Sirivongrangson Phatadon , Trongtrakul Konlawij , Srisawat Nattachai
Published: April 2022

We aimed to evaluate the impact of citrate on hemodynamic responses and secondary outcomes, including the filter life span, metabolic complications, and levels of inflammatory cytokines, in critically ill patients who required CRRT compared with those who underwent the heparin-free method. This prospective, multicenter, open-label randomized trial compared regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) with a heparin-free protocol in severe acute kidney injury (AKI) patients who received continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) in the postdilution mode. We measured hemodynamic changes using the FloTrac Sensor/EV1000™ Clinical Platform at certain time points after starting CRRT (0, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h.). The levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-ɑ) were measured on days 1 and 3. Forty-one patients were recruited and randomized into the heparin (n = 20) and citrate groups (n = 21). The cardiac performances were not significantly different between the 2 groups at any time point. The inflammatory cytokines declined similarly in both treatment arms. The maximum filter survival time was insignificantly longer in the RCA group than in the heparin-free group (44.64 ± 26.56 h. vs p = 0.693 in citrate and heparin free group). No serious side effects were observed for either treatment arm, even in the group of liver dysfunction patients. RCA did not affect hemodynamic changes during CRRT. Inflammatory cytokines decreased similarly in both treatment arms.The filter life span was longer in the citrate group. RCA is a valid alternative to traditional anticoagulation and results in stable hemodynamic parameters.
Changes in tidal asymmetry in the German Wadden Sea
Authors: Hagen Robert , Winter Christian , Kösters Frank
Published: April 2022

The recent morphological development of the German Wadden Sea (North Sea, Europe) has been characterized by expanding intertidal flats and deepening, narrowing tidal channels at declining subtidal volume. This study analyzes the effect of these changes on tidal asymmetry, based on numerical modeling with high-resolution bathymetry data, and discusses possible adaptations of the import and export behavior in intertidal systems. As common descriptors of tidal asymmetry may show a high spatial variability in bathymetrically complex intertidal systems, we develop a novel subregion averaging approach for a more robust trend estimation. Our data reveal a statistically significant decrease in flood and flood current duration in the period from 1996 to 2016 resulting in declining flood dominance or enhanced ebb dominance in most tidal basins of the German Wadden Sea. Mean and peak current asymmetry also indicate significant decreases in mean flood current magnitude. We relate decreasing flood dominance mostly to local bathymetric volume changes rather than tidal amplitude. However, it appears likely that the sum of local effects facilitates the adaptation of regional tidal dynamics which affects especially the northern German Bight. This regional shift is explained by the deceleration of rising tides due to increased friction on laterally expanded intertidal flats and decreased subtidal channel volume. The decrease in flood or increase in ebb dominance, respectively, indicates that the recent trend of sediment accretion in Wadden Sea areas may cease soon.
A new membrane formulation for modelling the flow of stomatocyte, discocyte, and echinocyte red blood cells
Authors: Karandeniya D. M. W. , Holmes D. W. , Sauret E. , Gu Y. T.
Published: April 2022

In this work, a numerical model that enables simulation of the deformation and flow behaviour of differently aged Red Blood Cells (RBCs) is developed. Such cells change shape and decrease in deformability as they age, thus impacting their ability to pass through the narrow capillaries in the body. While the body filters unviable cells from the blood naturally, cell aging poses key challenges for blood stored for transfusions. Therefore, understanding the influence RBC morphology and deformability have on their flow is vital. While several existing models represent young Discocyte RBC shapes well, a limited number of numerical models are developed to model aged RBC morphologies like Stomatocytes and Echinocytes. The existing models are also limited to shear and stretching simulations. Flow characteristics of these morphologies are yet to be investigated. This paper aims to develop a new membrane formulation for the numerical modelling of Stomatocyte, Discocytes and Echinocyte RBC morphologies to investigate their deformation and flow behaviour. The model used represents blood plasma using the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) and the RBC membrane using the discrete element method (DEM). The membrane and the plasma are coupled by the Immersed Boundary Method (IBM). Previous LBM-IBM-DEM formulations represent RBC membrane response based on forces generated from changes in the local area, local length, local bending, and cell volume. In this new model, two new force terms are added: the local area difference force and the local curvature force, which are specially incorporated to model the flow and deformation behaviour of Stomatocytes and Echinocytes. To verify the developed model, the deformation behaviour of the three types of RBC morphologies are compared to well-characterised stretching and shear experiments. The flow modelling capabilities of the method are then demonstrated by modelling the flow of each cell through a narrow capillary. The developed model is found to be as accurate as benchmark Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) approaches while being significantly more computationally efficient.
Analysis of structure from motion and airborne laser scanning features for the evaluation of forest structure
Authors: Rodríguez-Vivancos Alejandro , Manzanera José Antonio , Martín-Fernández Susana , García-Cimarras Alba , García-Abril Antonio
Published: April 2022

Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) is widely extended in forest evaluation, although photogrammetry-based Structure from Motion (SfM) has recently emerged as a more affordable alternative. Return cloud metrics and their normalization using different typologies of Digital Terrain Models (DTM), either derived from SfM or from private or free access ALS, were evaluated. In addition, the influence of the return density (0.5–6.5 returns m-2) and the sampling intensity (0.3–3.4%) on the estimation of the most common stand structure variables were also analysed. The objective of this research is to gather all these questions in the same document, so that they serve as support for the planning of forest management. This study analyses the variables collected from 60 regularly distributed circular plots (r = 18 m) in a 150-ha of uneven-aged Scots pine stand. Results indicated that both ALS and SfM can be equally used to reduce the sampling error in the field inventories, but they showed differences when estimating the stand structure variables. ALS produced significantly better estimations than the SfM metrics for all the variables of interest, as well as the ALS-based normalization. However, the SfM point cloud produced better estimations when it was normalized with its own DTM, except for the dominant height. The return density did not have significant influence on the estimation of the stand structure variables in the range studied, while higher sampling intensities decreased the estimation errors. Nevertheless, these were stabilized at certain intensities depending on the variance of the stand structure variable.
PRINS: scalable model inference for component-based system logs
Authors: Shin Donghwan , Bianculli Domenico , Briand Lionel
Published: April 2022

Behavioral software models play a key role in many software engineering tasks; unfortunately, these models either are not available during software development or, if available, quickly become outdated as implementations evolve. Model inference techniques have been proposed as a viable solution to extract finite state models from execution logs. However, existing techniques do not scale well when processing very large logs that can be commonly found in practice. In this paper, we address the scalability problem of inferring the model of a component-based system from large system logs, without requiring any extra information. Our model inference technique, called PRINS, follows a divide-and-conquer approach. The idea is to first infer a model of each system component from the corresponding logs; then, the individual component models are merged together taking into account the flow of events across components, as reflected in the logs. We evaluated PRINS in terms of scalability and accuracy, using nine datasets composed of logs extracted from publicly available benchmarks and a personal computer running desktop business applications. The results show that PRINS can process large logs much faster than a publicly available and well-known state-of-the-art tool, without significantly compromising the accuracy of inferred models.
Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Integration in Business: Trends from a Bibliometric-Content Analysis
Authors: Kumar Satish , Lim Weng Marc , Sivarajah Uthayasankar , Kaur Jaspreet
Published: April 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain are the two disruptive technologies emerging from the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) that have introduced radical shifts in the industry. The amalgamation of AI and blockchain holds tremendous potential to create new business models enabled through digitalization. Although research on the application and convergence of AI and blockchain exists, our understanding of the utility of its integration for business remains fragmented. To address this gap, this study aims to characterize the applications and benefits of integrated AI and blockchain platforms across different verticals of business. Using bibliometric analysis, this study reveals the most influential articles on the subject based on their publications, citations, and importance in the intellectual network. Using content analysis, this study sheds light on the subject’s intellectual structure, which is underpinned by four major thematic clusters focusing on supply chains, healthcare, secure transactions, and finance and accounting. The study concludes with 10 application areas in business that can benefit from these technologies.
Novel cryoballoon to isolate pulmonary veins in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: long-term outcomes in a multicentre clinical study
Authors: Martin Andrew , Fowler Marina , Breskovic Toni , Ouss Alexandre , Dekker Lukas , Yap Sing-Chien , Bhagwandien Rohit , Albrecht Elizabeth M. , Cielen Nele , Richards Elizabeth , Tran Binh C. , Lever Nigel , Anic Ante
Published: April 2022

Background

Recently, a novel cryoballoon ablation catheter has demonstrated acute safety and efficacy in de novo pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). However, there are limited studies demonstrating the long-term efficacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of this novel cryoballoon in treating PAF.

Methods

This was a non-randomized, prospective, multicentre study enrolling 58 consecutive patients. Cryoablation was delivered for 180 s if time to isolation was ≤ 60 s. Otherwise a 240-s cryoablation was performed. One centre performed pre- and post-ablation high-density mapping (n = 9) to characterize lesion formation. After a 3-month blanking period, recurrence was defined as having any documented, symptomatic episode(s) of AF or atrial tachycardia. All patients were followed for 1 year.

Results

Acute PVI was achieved in 230 of 231 pulmonary veins (99.6%) with 5.3 ± 1.6 cryoablations per patient (1.3 ± 0.7 cryoablations per vein). Forty-three (77%) patients remained arrhythmia-free at 1-year follow-up. Four patients (6.9%) experienced phrenic nerve injury (3 resolved during the index procedure; 1 resolved at 6 months). One serious adverse device event was reported: femoral arterial embolism event occurring 2 weeks post-index procedure. For patients who underwent high-density mapping, cryoablation was antral with 50% of the posterior wall ablated.

Conclusions

Initial multicentre clinical experience with a novel cryoballoon has demonstrated safety and efficacy of PVI in patients with PAF. Ablation with this cryoballoon provides a wide, antral lesion set with significant debulking of the posterior wall of the left atrium.
An integrated modeling scheme for characterizing 3D hydrogeological heterogeneity of the New Jersey shelf
Authors: Thomas Ariel T. , von Harten Jan , Jusri Tomi , Reiche Sönke , Wellmann Florian
Published: April 2022

Continental shelves around the globe are hosts to vast reservoirs of offshore freshened groundwater. These systems show considerable complexity, often as a function of the geological heterogeneity. Data needed to characterise these systems are often sparse, and numerical models rely on generalized simplifications of the geological environment. In order to improve our understanding of these systems, it is necessary to implement modelling approaches that can produce large-scale geologically representative models using sparse data. We present an interdisciplinary stochastic modelling workflow incorporating borehole data, 2D depth-migrated seismic profiles, seismic attributes, and prior knowledge of the depositional setting. We generate a conditioned Gaussian field of porosity on the New Jersey shelf. We also perform a petrophysical conversion to a corresponding permeability distribution. The model dimensions are 134 km × 69 km × 1.7 km, with an adjustable resolution that can be adapted for process-based models of flow and solute transport. The integrated approach successfully translates small-scale porosity variations to a shelf-scale model that honors key characteristics of the New Jersey shelf wave-dominated depositional environment. The model was generated using open-source packages. All data and code to reproduce the complete workflow are provided along with this study so the model can be reproduced at any resolution for further studies of continental shelf processes offshore New Jersey.
The Role of the Social Environment in the Relationship Between Group-Focused Enmity Towards Social Minorities and Politically Motivated Crime
Authors: Krieg Yvonne
Published: April 2022

Politically motivated crime against a person is characterised by the fact that the victims are interchangeable in the sense that individuals are seen as representatives of their social or ethnic group. The current study examines whether the existence of group-focused enmity (GFE) is linked to the perpetration of discriminatory behaviour, in the form of politically motivated crime, which is considered a classic example of the attitude–behaviour relationship. Although various survey studies show connections between group-focused enmity towards social minorities and discriminatory behavioural intentions, there is less knowledge available on whether attitudes can also be regarded as potential risk factors for actual behaviour. The role of the social environment in this relationship, as well as how the attitudes of the social environment are related to the perpetration of politically motivated crime, regardless of personal group-focused enmity, are further analysed. Using a representative student sample from the year 2018 (N = 2824), results show that anti-immigrant, anti-gay, ableist and anti-homeless attitudes are potential risk factors for the perpetration of politically motivated crime against these social minority groups, even after controlling for various other correlates of politically motivated crime. Group-focused enmity has an even greater effect when the student has a like-minded friendship group. Moreover, if the adolescent’s friendship group (hypothetically) approves of such discriminatory behaviour, the likelihood of acting in a politically violent manner is increased, even for adolescents who do not support group-focused enmity.
Interfacial Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Explosively Welded Mg/Al Alloy Plates
Authors: Mihara-Narita Mami , Asai Konosuke , Sato Hisashi , Watanabe Yoshimi , Mori Hisashi , Saito Naobumi , Chino Yasumasa
Published: April 2022

The interfacial microstructure and hardness of cladding plates produced by explosive welding between magnesium alloys having different aluminum concentrations and A6005C aluminum alloy were investigated. Further, measurements of residual stress at the interface of cladding plates were performed. In all cladding plates, the bonding interface had a wavy shape. Adiabatic shear bands were formed at the interface on the magnesium alloy side and deformation twins appeared at the interface due to the impact of explosive welding. Microstructure observation using scanning transmission electron microscope revealed that a thin interlayer was formed at the interface in all cladding plates. The thickness of the interlayer increased with an increase in aluminum concentration in the magnesium alloy, while the thickness was 1 μm or less. In the cross-section of the cladding plate, aluminum alloy showed a relatively higher Vickers hardness value compared with the magnesium alloy, and the hardness value increased when approaching the interface. However, nanoindentation tests revealed no increase in hardness was observed at the interface. Measurements of the residual stress using synchrotron radiation x-rays at the interface of cladding plates revealed a tendency for the occurrence of tensile residual stress on the magnesium alloy side and compressive residual stress on the aluminum alloy side. This might be due to a difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the magnesium and aluminum alloys.
First records of Calamagrostis purpurea (Poaceae) in the Carpathians, a relict species new to the flora of Slovakia, Ukraine, and Romania
Authors: Kobiv Yuriy , Koutecký Petr , Štech Milan , Pachschwöll Clemens
Published: April 2022

The first records of Calamagrostis purpurea, an apomictic wetland grass species with a Euro-Siberian, predominantly boreal distribution, are reported for the Carpathians. This significantly expands the species’ range in Central Europe eastwards from the known localities in Austria and Czechia. Due to in situ finds and revision of the herbarium vouchers, C. purpurea was discovered in the Western Carpathians in Slovakia (the Nízke Tatry Mts) as well as in the Eastern Carpathians in Ukraine (the Chornohora Mts) and Romania (Dorna Depression, the Harghita, Bodoc Mts, Intorsura Buzaului Depression) at 6 sites in total. All these newly found localities are situated within 870–1570 m a.s.l. The locality in the Nízke Tatry Mts is at the highest elevation, while those in the Romanian Carpathians are the southeasternmost in Central Europe. In the Carpathians, C. purpurea is confined to undisturbed wetland habitats, which implies its relict origin in the region. A distribution map, habitat characteristics, morphological description, and images of the plants from the Carpatians are provided. Carpathian populations tested with flow cytometry are DNA-octoploid (the predominant ploidy level of the species in Europe). Because of the species’ rarity and vulnerability, it is suggested to include C. purpurea in the next editions of the Red Data Books and/or Red Lists of the corresponding countries.
Determination of Rate-Dependent Properties in Cohesive Frictional Materials by Instrumented Indentation
Authors: Rueda-Ruiz Mario , Beake Ben D. , Molina-Aldareguia Jon M.
Published: April 2022

The extraction of the elastoplastic constitutive behavior from instrumented sharp indentation is still a subject of research. Several approaches have been proposed to solve this problem, mainly based on the use of numerical techniques. This work proposes an inverse analysis approach based on dimensional analysis calibrated with finite element modeling, to extract the elastoplastic properties from instrumented sharp indentation in rate- and pressure-dependent materials, which is the typical behavior that most polymers exhibit. Pressure sensitivity was modeled with a Drucker-Prager yield criterion, while rate dependency was introduced through a power-law dependence on strain rate of the yield stress. A set of master curves is proposed that relate the experimental metrics of instrumented indentation tests with the parameters of the proposed material model. Furthermore, the analysis was experimentally validated by testing several materials, including PMMA, coarse grain copper, and ultrafine grain copper. The predictions of the inverse analysis correlated well with the known material properties.
Friction reduction behavior of oil-infused natural wood
Authors: Liu Shutian , Dong Conglin , Yuan Chengqing , Bai Xiuqin
Published: April 2022

Natural materials tend to exhibit excellent performance in the engineering field because of their structure and special functions. A natural red willow, called natural porous wood material (NPWM), was found, and wear tests were conducted to determine its potential as an oil-impregnated material by utilizing its special porous structure. Fluorination treatment was adopted to improve the NPWM properties for absorbing and storing lubricating oil. The different contributions of soaking and fluorination-soaking treatments on the tribological properties of NPWMs and their respective mechanism of effect were revealed. The results showed that the fluorination-soaking treatment helped absorb and store sufficient lubricating oil in the NPWM porous structure; therefore, more lubricating oil would be squeezed out and function as a tribol-film between contacting surfaces during the friction process, thus ultimately contributing to stable and smooth wear responses even under prolong friction. However, the formation of an oil-in-water emulsion, caused by the buoyancy effect, destroyed the oil films on the worn NPWM surface in a water environment, resulting in higher coefficients of friction (COFs) under water conditions than under dry friction, even after the fluorination-soaking treatment. The knowledge gained herein could not only verify the potential of NPWM as an excellent oil-impregnated material in the engineering field but also provide a new methodology for the design of artificial porous materials with stable and smooth friction processes.
Adhesion at friction and wear
Authors: Markov Dmitry P.
Published: April 2022

Our understanding of the surrounding world, from friction to the origin of life, depends on how we imagine the contact interaction of condensed bodies. What are the forces acting in contact with solids? Do they attract (adhesive) or repel (dehesive)? Theory and research at the atomic-molecular level have shown that the force are adhesive, but everyday experiences cast doubt on this conclusion. This article addresses this issue by considering the mistakes made in experimental and theoretical tribology and surface physics. Taking into account the theories of hybridization and dehybridization of electron orbitals and valence bonds, the views on the structure of the surfaces of condensed bodies and the force arising during contact interaction are revised. The influence of van der Waals, hydrogen, covalent, metallic, and ionic bonds on the properties of lubricants is evaluated. The contours of the dehesive-deformation theory of friction and wear are also outlined.
Nanotribological properties and scratch resistance of MoS2 bilayer on a SiO2/Si substrate
Authors: Kim Si-hwan , Ahn Hyo-sok
Published: April 2022

The tribological properties and scratch resistance of MoS2 bilayer deposited on SiO2/Si substrates prepared via chemical vapor deposition are investigated. Friction force microscopy (FFM) is employed to investigate the friction and wear properties of the MoS2 bilayer at the nanoscale by applying a normal load ranging from 200 to 1,000 nN. Scratch resistance is measured using the scratch mode in FFM based on a linearly increasing load from 100 to 1,000 nN. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is performed to locally measure the surface potential in the tested surface to qualitatively measure the wear/removal of MoS2 layers and identify critical loads associated with the individual failures of the top and bottom layers. The analysis of the contact potential difference values as well as that of KPFM, friction, and height images show that the wear/removal of the top and bottom layers in the MoS2 bilayer system occurred consecutively. The FFM and KPFM results show that the top MoS2 layer begins to degrade at the end of the low friction stage, followed by the bottom layer, thereby resulting in a transitional friction stage owing to the direct contact between the diamond tip and SiO2 substrate. In the stable third stage, the transfer of lubricious MoS2 debris to the tip apex results in contact between the MoS2-transferred tip and SiO2. Nanoscratch test results show two ranges of critical loads, which correspond to the sequential removal of the top and bottom layers.
On finiteness theorems of polynomial functions
Authors: Koike Satoshi , Paunescu Laurentiu
Published: April 2022

Letdbe a positive integer. We show a finiteness theorem for semialgebraic$$\mathscr {RL}$$RLtriviality of a Nash family of Nash functions defined on a Nash manifold, generalising Benedetti–Shiota’s finiteness theorem for semialgebraic$$\mathscr {RL}$$RLequivalence classes appearing in the space of real polynomial functions of degree not exceedingd. We also prove Fukuda’s claim, Theorem 1.3, and its semialgebraic version Theorem 1.4, on the finiteness of the local$${\mathscr {R}}$$Rtypes appearing in the space of real polynomial functions of degree not exceedingd.
Prevalence and Reasons for the Absence of Vaginal Intercourse in Chinese Middle-Aged and Elderly Men
Authors: Lu Yi , Zhang Jianzhong , Ma Chengquan , Su Hao , Li Hongjun
Published: April 2022

Introduction

As the global population ages, research on the health of middle-aged and elderly men has intensified.

Aim

To report a paucity of data on the prevalence, etiology, and risk factors associated with lack of vaginal intercourse in middle-aged and elderly Chinese men.

Methods

Between January, 2018, and May, 2020, 6,096 men aged 40-90 years old who reside in mainland China were included in the community-based study. Validated scales related to erectile dysfunction (EHS and IIEF-5) and late-onset hypogonadism (ADAM and AMS), and in-person interview method were used to collect data. Multivariable analysis was performed to examine the risk factors associated with the absence of intercourse.

Outcomes

Prevalence estimate of no current vaginal intercourse and its associations with basic factors and medical comorbidities. Reasons for no current vaginal intercourse.

Results

The prevalence of intercourse absence was 19.8% (95% CI; 18.8–20.8%) in middle-aged and elderly Chinese males, and this proportion was significantly higher in older age groups (8.6%, 11.5%, 24.1%, and 34.2% for men aged 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, and 70–90, respectively; P < .05). Among the men who attributed the lack of intercourse to themselves, 168 (21.4%, 95% CI; 18.7–24.4%) had erectile problems and were apprehensive about erectile failure during intercourse. Strained spousal relationships (35 men, 8.4%, 95% CI; 6.1–11.4%), marital issues (163 men, 39%, 95% CI; 34.4–-43.8%), and poor health of the partner (179 men, 42.8%, 95% CI; 38.2–47.6%) were described as reasons for lack of intercourse with spouses. Same risk factors were also found in the multivariate analysis.

Clinical implications

Modifiable factors that are related to lack of intercourse may be beneficial to Chinese middle-aged and elderly men.

Strength & limitations

The main strength of the study is that it involved real-world settings. The limitations are as follows. Firstly, psychological data, data on sexual frequency and data regarding types of sex other than vaginal intercourse were not recorded. Secondly, this is a cross-sectional study, from which definite or causative conclusions can't be drawn. Thirdly, the spouses of the participants were not included in the study, and hence the data represent the perceptions of males only. Finally, objective data are required.

Conclusion

Modifiable factors related to both the patients and their partners were associated with an increased rate of no intercourse in Chinese middle-aged and elderly men. Guidance for sexual life may benefit men with an absence of intercourse. Future studies are warranted to reexamine our findings.
The Affects of Populism
Authors: TIETJEN RUTH REBECCA
Published: April 2022

The current rise of populism is often associated with affects. However, the exact relationship between populism and affects is unclear. This article addresses the question of what is distinctive about populist (appeals to) affects. It does so against the backdrop of a Laclauian conception of populism as a political logic that appeals to a morally laden frontier between two homogenous groups, ‘the people’ and ‘those in power’, in order to establish a new hegemonic order. I argue that it is distinctive of populism that it breaks with the dominating feeling rules by overtly appealing to affects and reclaiming them for the realm of the political. The article explores three groups of affective phenomena: discontent, anger, and fear; empathetic, sympathetic, group-based, and shared emotions; and collective passions of enthusiasm and love. It shows how an appeal to these affects relates to the political logic of populism itself by contributing to the concretization, collectivization, and unification of affects.
Haste Makes Waste: Why China's New Plea Leniency System is Doomed to Fail
Authors: Li Enshen
Published: April 2022

In 2016, China introduced an ‘Admission of Guilt and Acceptance of Punishment’ system (known as ‘plea leniency’) premised primarily on the ideal of punishing crime efficiently while advancing the protection of human rights. In this article, I challenge this official rationale by critically examining the legitimacy of plea leniency as a rights-based approach to crime. Drawing on procedural justice theory, I use extant research data and online criminal judgments from the courts in Shanghai to unravel manifold mismatches between the plea leniency process and a procedurally just decision-making process that respects individual rights. My contention is that the operational dynamics of plea leniency is weighed heavily towards efficacy with little regard for the fundamental norms of due process and fairness in which the procedural legitimacy of this new form of summary dispositions is grounded. By tying the expedition of criminal proceedings to guilty pleas, plea leniency represents a discursive continuity of China's broader criminal justice culture, and as such, it fails in operating on a more just, respectful, and communicative basis to accommodate defendants’ interests which stand at the core of its operation.
Nonlinear evolution and low-frequency acoustic radiation of ring-mode coherent structures on subsonic turbulent circular jets
Authors: Zhang Zhongyu , Wu Xuesong
Published: April 2022

By adapting the triple decomposition of an instantaneous turbulent flow into a time-averaged mean field, large-scale coherent motion and fine-scale random fluctuations, and treating the coherent motion as instability modes on the mean flow, a mathematical theory is developed to describe the nonlinear spatial–temporal modulation and acoustic radiation of a coherent structure (CS) on a circular jet in the form of a wavepacket consisting of an axisymmetric (ring) mode and its sideband components. The effect of fine-scale turbulence on the CS is characterised via a gradient closure model, and the non-parallelism due to the axial variation and radial velocity of the mean flow is taken into account. By employing the matched asymptotic expansion and multi-scale techniques, a strongly nonlinear system is derived, which governs the envelope of the CS and its vorticity and temperature in the critical layer. Numerical solutions to the evolution system show that the theory captures the nonlinear amplitude attenuation and vorticity roll-up as observed in experiments. The large-distance asymptotic properties of the CS allow us to describe and predict its acoustic radiation on the basis of first principles. The CS is trapped within the jet, but its self-interaction generates a temporally and axially modulated mean-flow distortion, which acts as the emitter to radiate low-frequency sound waves, with the Reynolds stresses driving this mean-flow distortion being identified unambiguously to be the physical source in the present context. An equivalent source in the Lighthill type of acoustic analogy is also identified. For the present ring-mode CS in the fully developed region of a circular jet, the equivalent source can be determined before the acoustic field is, and the intensity of the radiated sound waves is found to be

$O(\epsilon ^3)$

, where

$\epsilon$

measures the magnitude of the CS. The directivity and spectrum of the acoustic far field are calculated for representative parameters, and the predicted features resemble experimental measurements.
Twenty-six moment equations for the Enskog–Vlasov equation
Authors: Struchtrup Henning , Frezzotti Aldo
Published: April 2022

The Enskog–Vlasov equation is a phenomenological kinetic equation that extends the Enskog equation for the dense (non-ideal) hard-sphere fluid by adding an attractive soft potential tail to the purely repulsive hard-sphere contribution. Simplifying assumptions about pair correlations lead to a Vlasov-like self-consistent force field that adds to the Enskog non-local hard-sphere collision integral. Within the limitations imposed by the underlying assumptions, the extension gives the Enskog–Vlasov equation the ability to give a unified description of ideal and non-ideal fluid flows as well as of those fluid states in which liquid and vapour regions coexist, being separated by a resolved interface. Furthermore, the Enskog–Vlasov fluid can be arbitrarily far from equilibrium. Thus the Enskog–Vlasov model equation provides an excellent, although approximate, tool for modelling processes with liquid–vapour interfaces and adjacent Knudsen layers, and allows us to look at slip, jump and evaporation coefficients from a different perspective. Here, a set of 26 moment equations is derived from the Enskog–Vlasov equation by means of the Grad moment method. The equations provide a meaningful approximation to the underlying kinetic equation, and include the description of Knudsen layers. This work focuses on the – rather involved – derivation of the moment equations, with only a few applications shown.
A Foundation for Russia? Memories of World War II for Young Russians
Authors: Krawatzek Félix , Frieß Nina
Published: April 2022

How do young Russians relate to World War II and the violence of the wartime period? This article explores the degree to which societal and elite-driven narratives about history converge in the context of a crucial historical anniversary. We demonstrate that the memory of World War II serves as an integrative historical event for an abstract, temporally transcendent idea of Russia. Our analysis draws on focus groups conducted among young people of different political orientation in June 2019, survey data targeting urban youth, conducted over three consecutive years (2018–2020), and cultural artifacts such as film and literature. There is significant overlap between the views that young people express about victory and commemoration and the prevailing cultural, political, educational, and historical discourses. However, there is significant controversy when it comes to the actual ways in which the current political regime remembers the victory, the role of Stalin, and how to understand violence against the civilian population. The shared historical view that the Putin regime has created therefore remains contested. Disagreement limits the extent to which memory can be a foundation for today’s political Russia as young respondents differentiate between their support for an abstract ideal of Russia and the existing political system.
THE NEW THINGS: PROPERTY RIGHTS IN DIGITAL FILES?
Authors: Michels Johan David , Millard Christopher
Published: April 2022

This paper looks at the property status of digital files, such as electronic documents, under English law. We argue that, while mere information is rightly not considered property, digital files are not mere information. Instead, they are distinct virtual objects that exist at the logical – or software – layer of a computer system. Property law could recognise digital files as a new, third kind of thing, alongside things in possession and in action. Doing so might help resolve disputes over access to digital files, by providing proprietary remedies similar to those available for paper documents.
Existence of solution for a class of activator–inhibitor systems
Authors: Figueiredo Giovany , Montenegro Marcelo
Published: April 2022

We prove the existence of a solution for a class of activator–inhibitor system of type
$- \Delta u +u = f(u) -v$
,
$-\Delta v+ v=u$
in
$\mathbb{R}^{N}$
. The function f is a general nonlinearity which can grow polynomially in dimension
$N\geq 3$
or exponentiallly if
$N=2$
. We are able to treat f when it has critical growth corresponding to the Sobolev space we work with. We transform the system into an equation with a nonlocal term. We find a critical point of the corresponding energy functional defined in the space of functions with norm endowed by a scalar product that takes into account such nonlocal term. For that matter, and due to the lack of compactness, we deal with weak convergent minimizing sequences and sequences of Lagrange multipliers of an action minima problem.
Teacher perspective on music performance anxiety: an exploration of coping strategies used by music teachers
Authors: MacAfee Erin , Comeau Gilles
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this study was to explore music performance anxiety (MPA) from music teachers’ perspectives by identifying and describing common coping strategies teachers use to support students with MPA. A quantitative content analysis of scientific and non-scientific MPA literature identified preparation, open communication, realistic expectations, exposure therapy and deep breathing as the five most common coping strategies mentioned in the literature. Qualitative thematic analyses of existing literature and interview transcripts from five piano teacher participants provided descriptions of the five commonly identified coping strategies. A comparison of literature and interview results suggests a gap between research knowledge of MPA and practical teaching application. While music teachers employ a variety of strategies to help students cope with MPA, they may also benefit from formal MPA training opportunities grounded in research to provide additional resources for effectively managing students with MPA.
Rare combination in an infant patient: trisomy 7p and tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Guvenc Osman , Saygi Murat , Duman Tugba A.
Published: April 2022

This case report presents an infant patient with the association of trisomy 7p and tetralogy of Fallot(ToF). Patients diagnosed with trisomy 7p should certainly be scheduled for an echocardiographic exam and be scanned for any CHD that may accompany it. The CHD that most frequently accompany this syndrome include atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosis. Yet, it should be known that ToF may also be present, albeit rarely.
Dietary intake of individuals receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and food pantry assistance in North Texas
Authors: Jain Seema , Shahan Kathryn , Bowen Michael , Pruitt Sandi L
Published: April 2022

Objective:

Food pantries and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are widely available resources for individuals facing food insecurity, yet the dietary quality of individuals using both programmes is not well characterised. We describe the dietary intake of individuals in North Texas who use both food pantries and SNAP to identify nutritional gaps and opportunities to improve food assistance programmes.

Design:

We analysed baseline data from a randomised controlled trial examining food security and dietary intake. At baseline, we administered the validated, 26-item Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ). We calculated descriptive statistics for dietary intake variables and compared with the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended intake values.

Setting:

Two large food pantries in Dallas County, TX.

Participants:

Eligible participants were English or Spanish speaking adults receiving SNAP benefits who had used the food pantry within the last 4 months.

Results:

We analysed baseline DSQ data from 320 participants (mean age 47 years; 90% female; 45% Black or African American; 37% Hispanic or Latino). Despite receiving SNAP benefits and food pantry assistance, most participants did not meet the minimum recommended intake values for fruits (88.4%), vegetables (97.4%), fibre (90·7%), whole grains (99·7%), dairy products (98·4%) and Ca (83·4%). Furthermore, 73·2% of participants exceeded the maximum recommended intake for added sugar. Still, the gap between median daily intake and recommended daily intake could be partially bridged with food obtained through current food assistance programmes.

Conclusions:

Multilevel, coordinated approaches within both SNAP and food pantry networks are needed to improve diet quality in individuals receiving food assistance.