bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Polar Fox Lagoon in Siberia harbours a community of Bathyarchaeota possessing the potential for peptide fermentation and acetogenesis
Authors: Berben Tom , Forlano Bó Franco , in ‘t Zandt Michiel H. , Yang Sizhong , Liebner Susanne , Welte Cornelia U.
Published: August 2022

Archaea belonging to the phylum Bathyarchaeota are the predominant archaeal species in cold, anoxic marine sediments and additionally occur in a variety of habitats, both natural and man-made. Metagenomic and single-cell sequencing studies suggest that Bathyarchaeota may have a significant impact on the emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, either through direct production of methane or through the degradation of complex organic matter that can subsequently be converted into methane. This is especially relevant in permafrost regions where climate change leads to thawing of permafrost, making high amounts of stored carbon bioavailable. Here we present the analysis of nineteen draft genomes recovered from a sediment core metagenome of the Polar Fox Lagoon, a thermokarst lake located on the Bykovsky Peninsula in Siberia, Russia, which is connected to the brackish Tiksi Bay. We show that the Bathyarchaeota in this lake are predominantly peptide degraders, producing reduced ferredoxin from the fermentation of peptides, while degradation pathways for plant-derived polymers were found to be incomplete. Several genomes encoded the potential for acetogenesis through the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, but methanogenesis was determined to be unlikely due to the lack of genes encoding the key enzyme in methanogenesis, methyl-CoM reductase. Many genomes lacked a clear pathway for recycling reduced ferredoxin. Hydrogen metabolism was also hardly found: one type 4e [NiFe] hydrogenase was annotated in a single MAG and no [FeFe] hydrogenases were detected. Little evidence was found for syntrophy through formate or direct interspecies electron transfer, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of the metabolism of these organisms.
Analysis of floor-to-column pounding of buildings founded on different soil types
Authors: Miari Mahmoud , Jankowski Robert
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the soil type on buildings experiencing floor-to-column pounding during earthquakes. Five buildings with 4-storeys, 6-storeys, and 7-storeys were considered. Three types of the 4-storey building with different total heights were taken into account which leads to floor-to-column pounding at 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3 of the height of the impacted column. Two pounding scenarios were considered, i.e. pounding between the 4-storey and 6-storey buildings (three cases when collisions occur at 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3 of the height of the impacted column) and pounding between the 4-storey and 7-storey buildings (three cases when collisions occur at 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3 of the height of the impacted column). In the first part of this study, the shear demands of the columns at the contact area were studied and compared with the no pounding case to investigate the effect of the floor-to-column pounding. Then, the shear demands of the columns at the contact area were studied for buildings founded on different soil types to investigate the effect of the soil type on the structural response. The results of this study illustrate that the shear demands of the impacted column significantly increase due to collisions and it exceeds the shear strength in all cases. Moreover, impacted column experiences higher shear demands for buildings founded on the soft clay soil, then for buildings founded on the stiff soil, then for buildings founded on very dense soil and soft rock, and finally for buildings founded on the rock and hard rock.
Mutual Intersection Points of Reduced Collision Integrals for Lennard–Jones (n-m), Hulburt–Hirschfelder, and Tang–Toennies Potential Energy Functions
Authors: Hohm Uwe
Published: August 2022

We investigate the reduced collision integrals $$\Omega ^{(\ell ,s)*}(T^*)$$

Ω

(
ℓ
,
s
)

∗

(

T
∗

)

for $$1 \le \ell \le 4$$

1
≤
ℓ
≤
4

, $$\ell \le s \le 7$$

ℓ
≤
s
≤
7

and $$\ell + s \le 8$$

ℓ
+
s
≤
8

for several isotropic potential energy functions: the Lennard–Jones $$(n-m)$$

(
n
-
m
)

, the Hulburt–Hirschfelder, and Tang–Toennies potential. It is observed that for a given $$\ell$$
ℓ
and s, $$\Omega ^{(\ell ,s)*}(T^*)$$

Ω

(
ℓ
,
s
)

∗

(

T
∗

)

shows a mutual intersection region at a reduced temperature $$0.39< T^*=T^*_{\ell s} < 2.22$$

0.39
<

T
∗

=

T

ℓ
s

∗

<
2.22

which is nearly independent of the potential energy function used.
Parallelization of Swarm Intelligence Algorithms: Literature Review
Authors: de Melo Menezes Breno Augusto , Kuchen Herbert , Buarque de Lima Neto Fernando
Published: August 2022

Swarm Intelligence (SI) algorithms are frequently applied to tackle complex optimization problems. SI is especially used when good solutions are requested for NP hard problems within a reasonable response time. And when such problems possess a very high dimensionality, a dynamic nature, or present intrinsic complex intertwined independent variables, computational costs for SI algorithms may still be too high. Therefore, new approaches and hardware support are needed to speed up processing. Nowadays, with the popularization of GPU and multi-core processing, parallel versions of SI algorithms can provide the required performance on those though problems. This paper aims to describe the state of the art of such approaches, to summarize the key points addressed, and also to identify the research gaps that could be addressed better. The scope of this review considers recent papers mainly focusing on parallel implementations of the most frequently used SI algorithms. The use of nested parallelism is of particular interest, since one level of parallelism is often not sufficient to exploit the computational power of contemporary parallel hardware. The sources were main scientific databases and filtered accordingly to the set requirements of this literature review.
Mothers’ Experiences Post-Childhood Cancer Treatment: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Davies Jenny , O’Connor Moira
Published: August 2022

Every year in Australia, ~770 children aged under 15 years of age are diagnosed with cancer. Due to the increasing incidence and survival rates of paediatric cancer more families are contending with life post-childhood cancer. Research has demonstrated that mothers of children with cancer experience significant psychological distress. Our study explored the lived experiences of mothers of children diagnosed with cancer after completion of treatment. We recruited participants via notices distributed at a childhood cancer support group and on childhood cancer social media sites. The sample consisted of 14 mothers (aged 35–57 years, M = 45) whose children had completed treatment. Children’s age at diagnosis ranged from 14 months to 16 years old, 57% (n = 8) were male and 42% (n = 6) female. Our study employed a qualitative design using a phenomenological approach. Mothers participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Six themes were identified: cast adrift; fear never ends; guilt and loss (containing two sub-themes: siblings: ongoing guilt & lost opportunities; lack of self-care; everything is different (containing three sub-themes: lost connections; reassessment; and peer support); and a way forward. Our findings suggest mothers experience substantial negative effects. They often struggled to manage complex emotions and develop a new way of ‘mothering’ their children following cancer treatment. Mothers feared relapse and late effects and felt guilt about impact on siblings. These findings contribute to an understanding of mothers’ lived experience of childhood cancer, highlighting the need to improve post-treatment services. Findings can be used to formulate improvements in end of treatment.
On amine treated polyoxymethylene (POM) blends with low formaldehyde emission for metal injection moulding (MIM)
Authors: Lim Keemi , Hayat Muhammad Dilawer , Jena Kumar Debajyoti , Zhang Wen , Cao Peng
Published: August 2022

When polyoxymethylene (POM)—a common polymer used in metal injection moulding feedstock—is exposed to heat and oxygen during compounding, it can be easily decomposed, releasing undesired gaseous formaldehyde products. In order to reduce the formaldehyde emission from POM, amine treatment was performed. The effectiveness of propylamine at different concentrations and its role as a formaldehyde scavenger was studied via the UV–vis Spectrophotometry, Fourier Transform Infra-red, Thermogravimetric Analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and melt flow index. The results proved that a simple amine, such as propylamine, is a promising candidate for scavenging formaldehyde in POM. It is also demonstrated that the best concentration of propylamine is 2 wt.% (POM-PA2) with a minimum formaldehyde emission of 1.44 mg/L. Further, when used in formulating metal injection moulding feedstock (MIM), the POM-PA2 reveals good rheological properties and high green strength. These advantages make the modified polyoxymethylene (POM-PA2) a promising binder system for MIM feedstock.
Current observations on and around a deep-ocean island/reef: northern Palau and Velasco Reef
Authors: Teague William J. , Wijesekera Hemantha W. , Wang David W. , Hallock Zachariah R.
Published: August 2022

Current and hydrographic measurements were made in the equatorial Pacific Ocean between the westward-flowing North Equatorial Current and the eastward-flowing North Equatorial Counter Current. Nine moorings containing current profilers and hydrographic sensors were deployed on and around Velasco Reef, just north of Palau Island, from May 2016 to March 2017, when the Pacific Ocean was relaxing after the 2015/16 El Niño. Currents and their interactions with this abrupt bathymetric feature are characterized on spatial scales of 10–30 km, and frequencies from semidiurnal to intraseasonal. Currents near the reef displayed a two-layer structure and were not stationary due to the shifting of the major currents and eddy passages. Energy was significant at tidal and inertial periods, and at periods longer than ten days. Tides and higher frequency currents were responsible for about half the energy on the reef but for only about 20% of the energy in the deep water. Cyclonic (anticyclonic) vorticity occurred on the western (eastern) side of the reef during westward (eastward) flows, indicating recirculation on the leeward side of the reef. Vorticity west of the reef was much stronger than vorticity on the east side. When the cyclonic vorticity was large, the divergence flow patterns supported strong upwelling in the upper layer. Differences in both vertical and horizontal velocity coherences and correlations between moorings indicated that the reef affected the currents. The reef seemed to significantly impact water exchange. Currents near the reef are difficult to be described, particularly at depth by satellite products, making their prediction problematic.
A Novel Assay in Whole Blood Demonstrates Restoration of Mitochondrial Activity in Phagocytes After Successful HSCT in Hyperinflamed X-Linked Chronic Granulomatous Disease
Authors: Migliavacca Maddalena , Basso Ricci Luca , Farinelli Giada , Calbi Valeria , Tucci Francesca , Barzaghi Federica , Ferrua Francesca , Cicalese Maria Pia , Darin Silvia , Barzaghi Lina Raffaella , Giglio Fabio , Peccatori Jacopo , Fumagalli Francesca , Nicoletti Roberto , Giannelli Stefania , Sartirana Claudia , Bandiera Alessandro , Esposito Maria , Milani Raffaella , Mazzi Benedetta , Finocchi Andrea , Marktel Sarah , Assanelli Andrea , Locatelli Franco , Ciceri Fabio , Aiuti Alessandro , Bernardo Maria Ester
Published: August 2022

X-linked chronic granulomatous disease is a rare disease caused by mutations in the CYBB gene. While more extensive knowledge is available on genetics, pathogenesis, and possible therapeutic options, mitochondrial activity and its implications on patient monitoring are still not well-characterized. We have developed a novel protocol to study mitochondrial activity on whole blood of XCGD patients before and after transplantation, as well as on XCGD carriers. Here we present results of these analyses and of the restoration of mitochondrial activity in hyperinflamed X-linked Chronic Granulomatous Disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Moreover, we show a strong direct correlation between mitochondrial activity, chimerism, and DHR monitored before and after transplantation and in XCGD carriers. In conclusion, based on these findings, we suggest testing this new ready-to-use marker to better characterize patients before and after treatment and to investigate disease expression in carriers.
Biochemical and Biophysical Characterization of Carbonic Anhydrase VI from Human Milk and Saliva
Authors: Yrjänäinen Alma , Patrikainen Maarit S. , Azizi Latifeh , Tolvanen Martti E. E. , Laitaoja Mikko , Jänis Janne , Hytönen Vesa P. , Nocentini Alessio , Supuran Claudiu T. , Parkkila Seppo
Published: August 2022

Carbonic anhydrases (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) catalyze the hydration of carbon dioxide and take part in many essential physiological processes. In humans, 15 CAs are characterized, including the only secreted isoenzyme CA VI. CA VI has been linked to specific processes in the mouth, namely bitter taste perception, dental caries, and maintenance of enamel pellicle, and implicated in several immunity-related phenomena. However, little is known of the mechanisms of the above. In this study, we characterized human CA VI purified from saliva and milk with biophysical methods and measured their enzyme activities and acetazolamide inhibition. Size-exclusion chromatography showed peaks of salivary and milk CA VI corresponding to hexameric state or larger at pH 7.5. At pH 5.0 the hexamer peaks dominated. SDS- PAGE of milk CA VI protein treated with a bifunctional crosslinker further confirmed that a majority of CA VI is oligomers of similar sizes in solution. Mass spectrometry experiments confirmed that both of the two putative N-glycosylation sites, Asn67 and Asn256, are heterogeneously glycosylated. The attached glycans in milk CA VI were di- and triantennary complex-type glycans, carrying both a core fucose and 1 to 2 additional fucose units, whereas the glycans in salivary CA VI were smaller, seemingly degraded forms of core fucosylated complex- or hybrid-type glycans. Mass spectrometry also verified the predicted signal peptide cleavage site and the terminal residue, Gln 18, being in pyroglutamate form. Thorough characterization of CA VI paves way to better understanding of the biological function of the protein.
A vision-based deep learning approach for independent-users Arabic sign language interpretation
Authors: Balaha Mostafa Magdy , El-Kady Sara , Balaha Hossam Magdy , Salama Mohamed , Emad Eslam , Hassan Muhammed , Saafan Mahmoud M.
Published: August 2022

More than 5% of the people around the world are deaf and have severe difficulties in communicating with normal people according to the World Health Organization (WHO). They face a real challenge to express anything without an interpreter for their signs. Nowadays, there are a lot of studies related to Sign Language Recognition (SLR) that aims to reduce this gap between deaf and normal people as it can replace the need for an interpreter. However, there are a lot of challenges facing the sign recognition systems such as low accuracy, complicated gestures, high-level noise, and the ability to operate under variant circumstances with the ability to generalize or to be locked to such limitations. Hence, many researchers proposed different solutions to overcome these problems. Each language has its signs and it can be very challenging to cover all the languages’ signs. The current study objectives: (i) presenting a dataset of 20 Arabic words, and (ii) proposing a deep learning (DL) architecture by combining convolutional neural network (CNN) and recurrent neural network (RNN). The suggested architecture reported 98% accuracy on the presented dataset. It also reported 93.4% and 98.8% for the top-1 and top-5 accuracies on the UCF-101 dataset.
Polynomial Recurrent Neural Network-Based Adaptive PID Controller With Stable Learning Algorithm
Authors: Hanna Youssef F. , Khater A. Aziz , El-Nagar Ahmad M. , El-Bardini Mohammad
Published: August 2022

This paper introduces a novel structure of a polynomial weighted output recurrent neural network (PWORNN) for designing an adaptive proportional—integral—derivative (PID) controller. The proposed adaptive PID controller structure based on a polynomial weighted output recurrent neural network (APID-PWORNN) is introduced. In this structure, the number of tunable parameters for the PWORNN only depends on the number of hidden neurons and it is independent of the number of external inputs. The proposed structure of the PWORNN aims to reduce the number of tunable parameters, which reflects on the reduction of the computation time of the proposed algorithm. To guarantee the stability, the optimization, and speed up the convergence of the tunable parameters, i.e., output weights, the proposed network is trained using Lyapunov stability criterion based on an adaptive learning rate. Moreover, by applying the proposed scheme to a nonlinear mathematical system and the heat exchanger system, the robustness of the proposed APID-PWORNN controller has been investigated in this paper and proven its superiority to deal with the nonlinear dynamical systems considering the system parameters uncertainties, disturbances, set-point change, and sensor measurement uncertainty.
The weak link of democracy and the challenges of educating toward global citizenship
Authors: Dominici Piero
Published: August 2022

Before discussing the prospects for educating young people toward becoming global citizens, we must ask ourselves: is global citizenship reality or illusion? What can be stated is that plain citizenship itself can no longer be considered merely a legal or judicial question. Today, citizenship is only partially linked to rights and duties deriving from the recognition of an individual as belonging to a community (local, national or international). Future citizens of the digitally hyper-connected global village face two dangers: simulation of participation and the illusion of having a less asymmetrical relationship to power. The rules of engagement are not being written by legislators but by agencies producing and sharing knowledge; citizenship (global or otherwise) is intimately correlated with access to quality education. Three concepts form the basis for educating toward global citizenship: awareness that citizenship and education are inseparable, awareness that democracy and education are inseparable, and awareness that democracy is complexity.
A machine learning model for non-invasive detection of atherosclerotic coronary artery aneurysm
Authors: Rostam-Alilou Ali A. , Safari Marziyeh , Jarrah Hamid R. , Zolfagharian Ali , Bodaghi Mahdi
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Atherosclerosis plays a significant role in the initiation of coronary artery aneurysms (CAA). Although the treatment options for this kind of vascular disease are developing, there are challenges and limitations in both selecting and applying sufficient medical solutions. For surgical interventions, that are novel therapies, non-invasive specific patient-based studies could lead to obtaining more promising results. Despite medical and pathological tests, these pre-surgical investigations require special biomedical and computer-aided engineering techniques. In this study, a machine learning (ML) model is proposed for the non-invasive detection of atherosclerotic CAA for the first time.

Methods

The database for study was collected from hemodynamic analysis and computed tomography angiography (CTA) of 80 CAAs from 61 patients, approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The proposed ML model is formulated for learning by a one-class support vector machine (1SVM) that is a field of ML to provide techniques for outlier and anomaly detection.

Results

The applied ML algorithms yield reasonable results with high and significant accuracy in designing a procedure for the non-invasive diagnosis of atherosclerotic aneurysms. This proposed method could be employed as a unique artificial intelligence (AI) tool for assurance in clinical decision-making procedures for surgical intervention treatment methods in the future.

Conclusions

The non-invasive diagnosis of the atherosclerotic CAAs, which is one of the vital factors in the accomplishment of endovascular surgeries, is important due to some clinical decisions. Although there is no accurate tool for managing this kind of diagnosis, an ML model that can decrease the probability of endovascular surgical failures, death risk, and post-operational complications is proposed in this study. The model is able to increase the clinical decision accuracy for low-risk selection of treatment options.
Nozzle Designs in Powder-Based Direct Laser Deposition: A Review
Authors: Guner Ahmet , Bidare Prveen , Jiménez Amaia , Dimov Stefan , Essa Khamis
Published: August 2022

Laser-based Direct Energy Deposition (L-DED) is one of the most commonly employed metal additive manufacturing technologies. In L-DED, a laser beam is employed as a heat source to melt the metal powder that is deposited on a substrate layer by layer for the generation of a desired component. The powder is commonly fed through a nozzle into the molten pool by means of a carrier gas and therefore, a nozzle design that ensures optimal deposition of the material is of critical importance. Additionally, its design also affects the powder and gas flows that arise in the nozzle and during the deposition. This, in turn will affect the characteristics of the generated clad and the performance of the whole deposition. Therefore, an optimization of deposition nozzle geometry can be as important as the controlling of deposition process parameters in order to obtain best component qualities. In this context, the present review work is aimed at analysing the different nozzle designs employed in powder-based L-DED processes and the influence of different geometrical features and configurations on the resulting powder and gas flows. Concretely, the main characteristics of each design, their advantages and their possible shortcomings are analysed in detail. Additionally, a review of most relevant numerical models employed during the development of new and optimised nozzle designs are also addressed.
An evaluation of groundwater vulnerability assessment methods in a rapidly urbanizing city: evidence from Dakar, Senegal
Authors: Pouye Abdoulaye , Faye Seynabou Cissé , Diédhiou Mathias , Gaye Cheikh Becaye , Taylor Richard G.
Published: August 2022

In rapidly growing cities in the tropics, unregulated urban development presents a major risk to groundwater quality. Here, we assess the vulnerability of an unconfined aquifer of Quaternary sands in the Thiaroye area of Dakar (Senegal) to contamination using four GIS-based indices (DRASTIC, DRASTIC_N, SINTACS, SI). Our correlation of assessed vulnerability to observed impact is semi-quantitative, relating observed groundwater quality, based on nitrate concentrations and tryptophan-like fluorescence to vulnerability degrees (i.e. coincidence rates). We show that considerably more of the Thiaroye area has a “very high vulnerability” according to SI (36%) relative to DRASTIC (5%) and SINTACS (9%); “high vulnerability” is estimated using DRASTIC_N (100%), DRASTIC (66%) and SINTACS (69%). Single-parameter sensitivity tests show that groundwater depth, soil, topography, land use and redox parameters strongly influence assessments of groundwater vulnerability. Correlation with observed nitrate concentrations reveals aquifer vulnerability is better represented by SI (coincidence rates of 56%) relative to DRASTIC_N (43%), SINTACS (38%) and DRASTIC (34%). The underestimation of groundwater vulnerability in Dakar using DRASTIC, DRASTIC_N and SINTACS is attributed to their reliance on an assumed capacity of the unsaturated zone to attenuate surface or near-surface contaminant loading, which in the low-income (Thiaroye) area of Dakar is thin and affords limited protection. The inclusion of a land-use parameter in SI improves the characterization of groundwater vulnerability in this low-income, rapidly urbanizing area of Dakar.
Unsupervised video object segmentation: an affinity and edge learning approach
Authors: Muthu Sundaram , Tennakoon Ruwan , Hoseinnezhad Reza , Bab-Hadiashar Alireza
Published: August 2022

This paper presents a new approach, called TMNet, to solve unsupervised video object segmentation (UVOS) problem. The UVOS is still a challenging problem as prior methods suffer from issues like generalization errors in unseen test videos, over reliance on optic flow, and capturing fine details at object boundaries. These issues make the UVOS an ill-defined problem, particularly in presence of multiple objects. Our focus is to constrain the problem and improve the segmentation results by fusion of multiple available cues such as appearance and motion, as well as image and flow edges. To constrain the problem, instead of predicting segmentation directly, we predict affinities between neighbouring pixels for being part of the same object and cluster those to obtain category agnostic segmentation. To further improve the segmentation, we fuse multiple-sources of information through a novel Temporal Motion Attention (TMA) module that uses neural attention to learn powerful spatio-temporal features. In addition, we also design an edge refinement module (using image and optic flow edges) to refine and improve the accuracy of object segmentation boundaries. The overall framework is capable of segmenting and finding accurate objects’ boundaries without any heuristic post processing. This enables the method to be used for unseen videos. Experimental results on challenging DAVIS16 and multi object DAVIS17 datasets show that our proposed TMNet performs favorably compared to the state-of-the-art methods without post processing.
Evolution of Melt Pool and Porosity During Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Ti6Al4V Alloy: Numerical Modelling and Experimental Validation
Authors: Ransenigo Chiara , Tocci Marialaura , Palo Filippo , Ginestra Paola , Ceretti Elisabetta , Gelfi Marcello , Pola Annalisa
Published: August 2022

Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is one of the most promising additive manufacturing technologies for metals. In this work, the discrete element method (DEM) was used to reproduce a powder bed of particles distributed in a random way to be as close as possible to reality. Single and multiple scan tracks simulations were performed for Ti6Al4V alloy using a commercial CFD software, FLOW-3D AM®. The output from the numerical simulations was elaborated to obtain shape and size of melt pools, morphology of scan track surfaces and porosity content. In particular, a specific model was used in order to predict air entrainment in the melt pool and, therefore, to estimate gas porosity content, as an innovative approach to predict such defects. Results from simulations were compared with experimental data from Ti6Al4V samples produced by L-PBF in terms of melt pools size and morphology, as well as density. The good agreement between calculated and experimental results indicates that simulation of L-PBF can represent a powerful tool not only for the optimization of process parameters, but also for the prediction of porosity level.
NATO defense demand, free riding, and the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2022
Authors: George Justin , Sandler Todd
Published: August 2022

The article applies the economic theory of alliances to uncover military expenditure burden sharing in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during 1991–2020, prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In so doing, our analysis accounts for the relative locations of NATO allies through various spatial or economic weights applied to the allies’ defense spending. Such weights include NATO membership status, contiguity, US power projection, inverse distance between members’ capitals, economic trade, and contiguity to Russia. In the post-Cold War era, we uncover allies’ free riding on the aggregate military expenditure of other allies. Free riding also included reliance on the defense spending of NATO allies in proximity to Russia. Surprisingly, NATO allies reduced their defense spending as Russia increased its defense spending. The pattern of free riding and lack of response to heightened Russian defense spending likely encouraged the Russian invasion as NATO appeared divided.
Guidelines to Foster Consumer Acceptance of Products Made from Recycled Plastics
Authors: Polyportis Athanasios , Magnier Lise , Mugge Ruth
Published: August 2022

The circular economy can reduce the environmental footprint of today’s consumption and close the resource loop through circular material flows. Companies are encouraged to follow circular principles, such as using more recycled plastic materials. This initiative seems promising; however, it will only be successful if consumers are willing to adopt products that are made from recycled plastics. Consumers often have a positive image of products made from recycled plastics; however, they are also concerned about the perceived product risks. How can companies increase the appeal of recycled plastics to consumers? In this paper, we propose a set of seven guidelines intended to highlight the value of products made from recycled plastics, tackle any perceived risks, and thereby enhance consumer acceptance of such products. Specifically, we highlight how aspects related to product design, marketing elements and business models, can increase consumer evaluations and adoption of products made from recycled plastics. The proposed guidelines provide future directions that could be inspiring for both academics and managers interested in the topics of consumer behaviour, circular economy, and sustainability.
Contentious Politics in Emergency Critical Junctures
Authors: della Porta Donatella
Published: August 2022

Social movements have often played an important role in emergencies, mobilising in defence of those rights that they perceive as being at risk or more urgently needed than ever. In general, progressive social movements develop in moments of intense change, mobilising with the aim of turning them to their advantage. the variable mix of challenges and opportunities related to a critical juncture. The specific balance of challenges and opportunities faced by progressive social movements during the Covid-19 crisis is a central question addressed in this volume. Based on existing research on the first phases of the pandemic Covid-19, this Element addresses the ways in with the health emergency had an impact on the repertoire of action, the organizational networks and the collective framing of progressive social movements that adapted to the pandemic conditions and the related crises, but also tried to transform them.
Providing peer navigation services to women with a history of opioid misuse pre- and post-release from jail: A program description
Authors: Tillson Martha , Fallin-Bennett Amanda , Staton Michele
Published: August 2022

Background:

Justice system-involved women with opioid use disorder (OUD) experience layered health risks and stigma, yet peer navigation services during reentry may support positive outcomes. This manuscript offers a program description of a women’s peer navigation intervention delivered pre- and post-release from jail to remove barriers to women’s access to OUD treatment, including medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

Methods:

All data were collected as part of a NIH/NIDA-funded national cooperative, the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) project. Through the larger study’s intervention, women in jail with OUD are connected via videoconference to a peer navigator, who provides an initial reentry recovery assessment and 12+ weeks of recovery support sessions post-release. Qualitative analyses examined peers’ notes from initial sessions with women (N = 50) and in-depth interviews with peers (N = 3).

Results:

Peers’ notes from initial sessions suggest that women anticipate challenges to successful recovery and community reentry. More than half of women (51.9%) chose OUD treatment as their primary goal, while others selected more basic needs (e.g. housing, transportation). In qualitative interviews, peers described women’s transitions to the community as unpredictable, creating difficulties for reentry planning, particularly for rural women. Peers also described challenges with stigma against MOUD and establishing relationships via telehealth, but ultimately believed their role was valuable in providing resource referrals, support, and hope for recovery.

Conclusions:

For women with OUD, peer navigation can offer critical linkages to services at release from jail, in addition to hope, encouragement, and solidarity. Findings provide important insights for future peer-based interventions.
The challenge of radical reform in pluralist democracies
Authors: Bagchi Aditi
Published: August 2022

Martijn Hesselink proposes a new European charter of private law that would correct the deficiencies in private law identified by Katharina Pistor. While Hesselink aims to achieve radical reform by way of radical democracy, this article argues that radical democracy is unlikely to realise a radically progressive vision of private law. Citizens of wealthy, post-industrial democracies lack certainty about both the material consequences of reform and the demands of justice. Because their caution renders them averse to far-reaching, bundled reform packages, public discourse in post-industrial societies as we find them is more likely to produce incremental than radical substantive reform.
Double Shine: Hegel's Logical Theory of Concept
Authors: Xiong Zhili
Published: August 2022

The current debate surrounding Hegel's logical theory of the concept revolves around Hegel's concept of ‘double shine’. After presenting the relevant positions of the discussants and elucidating their differences, the author tries to advance the current discussion by commenting on these differences. In doing so, the author argues that the essence- and concept-logical background of ‘shine’ and ‘double shine’ respectively is crucial for the understanding of the double shine.
Filling the early Eocene gap of paguroids (Decapoda, Anomura): a new highly diversified fauna from the Spanish Pyrenees (Serraduy Formation, Graus-Tremp Basin)
Authors: Ferratges Fernando A. , Artal Pedro , van Bakel Barry W.M. , Zamora Samuel
Published: August 2022

A highly diversified fauna of hermit crabs associated with reef environments from the Serraduy Formation (lower Eocene) in the southern Pyrenees (Huesca, Spain) is described. Other European Eocene outcrops have yielded paguroids associated with a single environment; however, the studied association represents one of the highest paguroid diversities in a single Eocene outcrop worldwide. The new material increases the diversity of known fossil paguroids, including eight species from which six are new:Clibanarius isabenaensisn. sp.,Parapetrochirus serratusn. sp.,Dardanus balaitusn. sp., ?Petrochirussp.,Eocalcinus veterisn. sp., ?Pagurussp.,Paguristes perlatusn. sp., andAnisopagurus primigeniusn. sp. We erected a new combination forPaguristes sossanensisDe Angeli and Caporiondo, 2009 andPaguristes cecconiDe Angeli and Caporiondo, 2017 and transfer them to the genusClibanarius. This association contains the oldest record of the generaEocalcinusandAnisopagurus. Our data demonstrate that paguroids were diverse by the early Eocene in coral-reef environments and fill an important gap between the poorly known Paleocene assemblages and the more diverse mid- to late Eocene ones.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/091f7a79-946c-4cd9-bdad-f727695e8503
Early Maize in the Maya Area
Authors: Lohse Jon C. , Morgan Molly , Jones John G. , Brenner Mark , Curtis Jason , Hamilton W. Derek , Cardona Karla
Published: August 2022

The history of maize in Central America and surrounding areas has implications for the slow transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture. The spread of early forms of domesticated maize from southern Mexico across Mesoamerica and into South America has been dated to about 8,700–6,500 years ago on the basis of a handful of studies relying primarily on the analysis of pollen, phytoliths, or starch grains. Recent genomic data from southern Belize have been used to identify Archaic period south-to-north population movements from lower Central America, suggesting this migration pattern as a mechanism that introduced genetically improved maize races from South America. Gradually, maize productivity increased to the point that it was suitable for use as a staple crop. Here we present a summary of paleoecological data that support the late and uneven entry of maize into the Maya area relative to other regions of Central America and identify the Pacific coastal margin as the probable route by which maize spread southward into Panama and South America. We consider some implications of the early appearance of maize for Late Archaic populations in these areas; for example, with respect to the establishment of sedentary village life.
Effect of COVID-19 outbreak on the diet, body weight and food security status of students of higher education: a systematic review
Authors: Jehi Tony , Khan Raihan , Halawani Reham , Dos Santos Hildemar
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted college students’ lifestyles and placed them at a greater risk of obesity and food insecurity. The purpose of the systematic review was to consolidate evidence for the effect of Covid-19 on students’ dietary quality, dietary habits, body weight and food security status. A comprehensive literature search was conducted utilising various databases including Google Scholar, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, Embase and Scopus to identify relevant studies. To be incorporated in this review, studies had to include higher education students, measure the prevalence of food insecurity and assess the dietary and body weight changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The studies showed that the diet quality of college students was compromised during the pandemic in many nations due to the decrease in the intake of whole grains, dairy products, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables and the increase in consumption of alcohol, confectionery products and refined grains. There was an increase in the frequency of cooking, binge eating, breakfast skipping and unhealthy snacking. These modifications, in return, were associated with body weight changes, with no less than 20 to 30 % of students gaining weight during the pandemic. The pandemic also impacted food security status of students, with over 30% being food insecure worldwide. The COVID-19 outbreak has exacerbated the students’ diet quality and dietary habits and placed them under high risk of weight gain and food insecurity. Higher education institutions and governments should improve students’ access to nutritious foods and incorporate nutrition education interventions in the curricula.
ASSPLAY IN ASINARIA
Authors: Gellar-Goad T.H.M.
Published: August 2022

This note argues that repeated uses of onus ‘burden’ in Plaut. Asin. 591–745 pun on Greek ὄνος ‘ass’ and, in so doing, activate a network of other puns and hints at the play's title, asses (the animal), and both homoerotic and anal sex.
Action principles and conservation laws for Chew–Goldberger–Low anisotropic plasmas
Authors: Webb G.M. , Anco S.C. , Meleshko S.V. , Zank G.P.
Published: August 2022

The ideal Chew–Goldberger–Low (CGL) plasma equations, including the double adiabatic conservation laws for the parallel ($p_\parallel$) and perpendicular pressure ($p_\perp$), are investigated using a Lagrangian variational principle. An Euler–Poincaré variational principle is developed and the non-canonical Poisson bracket is obtained, in which the non-canonical variables consist of the mass flux${\boldsymbol {M}}$, the density$\rho$, the entropy variable$\sigma =\rho S$and the magnetic induction${\boldsymbol {B}}$. Conservation laws of the CGL plasma equations are derived via Noether's theorem. The Galilean group leads to conservation of energy, momentum, centre of mass and angular momentum. Cross-helicity conservation arises from a fluid relabelling symmetry, and is local or non-local depending on whether the gradient of$S$is perpendicular to${\boldsymbol {B}}$or otherwise. The point Lie symmetries of the CGL system are shown to comprise the Galilean transformations and scalings.
Changing Svalbard: Tracing interrelated socio-economic and environmental change in remote Arctic settlements
Authors: Sokolickova Zdenka , Meyer Alexandra , Vlakhov Andrian Viktorovich
Published: August 2022

The archipelago of Svalbard is a good example of an Arctic locale undergoing rapid changes on multiple levels. This contribution is a joint effort of three anthropologists with up-to-date ethnographic data from Svalbard (mostly Longyearbyen and Barentsburg) to frame and interpret interconnected changes. The processes impacting Svalbard are related to issues such as geopolitical interests, and increasing pressure by the Norwegian government to exercise presence and control over the territory. Our interpretations are based on a bottom-up approach, drawing on experiences living in the field. We identify three great ruptures in recent years – the avalanche of 2015, the gradual phasing out of mining enterprises and the COVID-19 pandemic – and show how they further impact, accelerate or highlight preexisting vulnerabilities in terms of socio-economic development, and environmental and climate change. We discuss the shift from coal mining to the industries of tourism, education, and research and development, and the resulting changed social and demographic structure of the settlements. Another facet is the complexity of environmental drivers of change and how they relate to the socio-economic ones. This article serves as an introductory text to the collection of articles published in Polar Record in 2021/2022 with the overarching theme “changing Svalbard”. Issues discussed range from socio-economic change and its implications for local populations including identity of place, through tourism (value creation, mediation, human–environment relations, environmental dilemmas, balancing contradictory trends), to security and risk perception, and environmental and climate change issues.
The association between rainforest disturbance and recovery, tree community composition, and community traits in the Yangambi area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Depecker Jonas , Asimonyio Justin A. , Miteho Ronald , Hatangi Yves , Kambale Jean-Léon , Verleysen Lauren , Stoffelen Piet , Janssens Steven B. , Dhed’a Benoit , Vandelook Filip , Honnay Olivier
Published: August 2022

Despite their key role in biodiversity conservation, forests in the Congo Basin are increasingly threatened by human activities, but it remains challenging to assess the impact of forest degradation under a more or less intact canopy. Likewise, forest recovery following agricultural abandonment remains poorly understood in the Congo Basin. Here, we surveyed 125 vegetation quadrats across 25 forest inventory plots in the Yangambi area. We aimed to find associations between both selective logging and forest recovery, and a range of forest community and tree community trait characteristics, as compared to reference undisturbed old-growth forest. We found that plots in undisturbed old-growth forest harboured both more tree individuals and tree species with a higher wood density as compared to plots in disturbed old-growth forest. In addition, their tree community composition was significantly different, whereas species diversity recovered since relatively recent agricultural abandonment (< 60 years), community composition and forest structure remained significantly different from the plots in undisturbed old-growth forest. Our study provides some insights into the rate of forest recovery in the Congo basin after agricultural abandonment and highlights the need of proper conservation of the remaining relatively undisturbed old-growth forests. Finally, we stress the need for more extensive vegetation surveys in the Congo Basin to further unravel the effects of anthropogenic disturbance.
Scale Mean and Variance Differences in MTurk and Non-MTurk Samples
Authors: Keith Melissa G. , Stevenor Brent A. , McAbee Samuel T.
Published: August 2022

Abstract. We meta-analytically examined mean and variance differences between MTurk and non-MTurk samples for a variety of scales used in the organizational sciences. The influence of moderators (i.e., construct domain and valence, sample type, use of qualifications, and data cleaning procedures) was also examined. Across all scales (120 scales, N = 110,090), we found that, overall, MTurk and non-MTurk samples do not have significantly different scale means or variances. Our moderator analyses, however, indicated that MTurk samples may have larger variances than non-MTurk samples under certain conditions. Additionally, our results highlight the importance of data screening and cleaning procedures such that MTurk samples had larger variances than non-MTurk samples when MTurk samples were subjected to more stringent data screening and cleaning procedures.
Congruence in Perceived Employee–Peer Overqualification and Organizational Citizenship Behavior
Authors: Li Yi , Weng Haolin , Zhang Man , Zhu Ting , Wang Fan , Liu Huiyun , Das Anupam Kumar
Published: August 2022

Abstract. Drawing on equity theory and person–group fit theory, we examined the association between (in)congruence in employee and peer overqualification and perceived insider status. We further proposed that perceived insider status is related to employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The results of multilevel polynomial regressions using data collected with 211 employees from 55 teams supported the hypothesized congruence effect. Specifically, employees’ perceived insider status was greater, and their OCB was maximized, when employees and their peers had congruent perceptions of their overqualification levels. Furthermore, when both employees and their peers perceived their overqualification levels as low, perceived insider status and OCB were higher than when both perceived their overqualification levels as high. These findings highlight the pivotal role of congruence between employee and peer perceptions of overqualification at work.
Introducing New Metrics for the Atmospheric Pressure Adjustment to Thermal Structures at the Ocean Surface
Authors: Meroni Agostino N. , Desbiolles Fabien , Pasquero Claudia
Published: August 2022

Thermal structures at the sea surface are known to affect the overlying atmospheric dynamics over various spatio‐temporal scales, from hourly and sub‐kilometric to annual and O(1,000 km). The relevant mechanisms at play are generally identified by means of correlation coefficients (in space or time) or by linear regression analysis using appropriate couples of variables. For fine spatial scales, where sea surface temperature (SST) gradients get stronger, the advection might disrupt these correlations and, thus, mask the action of such mechanisms, just because of the chosen metrics. For example, at the oceanic sub‐mesoscale, around 1–10 km and hourly time scales, the standard metrics used to identify the pressure adjustment mechanism (that involves the Laplacian of sea surface temperature, SST, and the wind divergence) may suffer from this issue, even for weak wind conditions. By exploiting high‐resolution realistic numerical simulations with ad hoc SST forcing fields, we introduce some new metrics to evaluate the action of the pressure adjustment atmospheric response to the surface oceanic thermal structures. It is found that the most skillful metrics is based on the wind divergence and the SST second spatial derivative evaluated in the across direction of a locally defined background wind field.