bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Microwaves on Burning Velocity, UV–VIS-Spectra, and Exhaust Gas Composition of Premixed Propane Flames
Authors: Eckart Sven , Dasari Sree Adinarayana , Collins Elizabeth , Behrend Ralph , Urbina Julio , Krause Hartmut
Published: February 2023

Microwaves can interact with the flame’s combustion zone and increase the energy density. This induces changes to the combustion properties by influencing the radical formation and significantly expanding the flame thickness. It is possible to combust low calorific gas mixtures in a stable process without preheating or co-firing with microwave assistance. Furthermore, the hybrid heating of gaseous fuels and electrical energy offers a solution for the improved use of volatile energy sources and the further improvement of the efficiencies of thermal systems. Moreover, microwaves can be used to heat materials internally, and when coupled with external heating, contribute to a more homogeneous process. This can be particularly beneficial in the glass industry and metal processing. However, the literature on basic behaviour of this coupling such as dielectric properties for higher temperature is limited, which prevents a comprehensive evaluation of the application potential. Thus, investigations with a newly designed, externally cooled, and symmetric resonator were conducted. Furthermore, the optimized resonator was improved by installing ports for burner installation and filter elements for exhaust gas probing and optical access. An axisymmetric burner was designed to generate a steady conical laminar premixed flame, which is stabilized on the outlet of a contoured nozzle. Combustion regimes with propane/air were tested within a range of equivalence ratios from 0.9 to 1.5. Experiments were carried out with an initial temperature of 298 K under atmospheric pressure and with microwave inlet power with a range of 200 to 800 W. The optical techniques used in the current survey are based on flame contour detection using OH* chemiluminescence imaging. Additionally, spectrally resolved flame emission measurement techniques were used to monitor excited state species. Significantly increased production rates of OH*, C2*, and CH* radicals were measured when there was an increased microwave power. The amount of NOx and CO were increased by 20% and 55% respectively in the exhaust gas, which was determined experimentally using a probe method. Numerical simulations of the electromagnetic field and its influence on combustion were carried out to confirm these findings. This enhanced reactivity by 22%, resulted in higher burning velocity, and provided knowledge on the emission performance of the combustion process under microwave influence. The numerical electromagnetic simulations using FEKO produced results that are consistent with the experimental results.
Flame Self-interaction and Flow Topology in Turbulent Homogeneous Mixture n-Heptane MILD Combustion
Authors: Abo-Amsha Khalil , Chakraborty Nilanjan
Published: February 2023

Moderate or Intense Low-oxygen Dilution (MILD) combustion has potential to achieve both high energy efficiency and ultra-low emissions. This analysis adopts the critical point theory to characterise the Flame-Self Interaction (FSI) events and flow topologies in turbulent, homogeneous mixture, n-Heptane MILD combustion using Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) with reduced chemical mechanism. The local flame geometry has also been categorised using the mean and Gauss curvatures. It was found that the Tunnel Formation (TF) and Tunnel Closure (TC) topologies are the most probable FSI events at all values of the reaction progress variable c, while the Unburned Pocket (UP) and Burned Pocket (BP) topologies were mostly present towards the unburned and burned mixtures of the flame, respectively. Moreover, increasing the turbulence intensity did not result in any significant changes in the distribution of FSI events. Investigation of the flow topology distribution showed that the features associated with non-zero dilatation rate did not exist in the MILD cases considered. This is a consequence of the negligible thermal expansion effect due to the small temperature rise in MILD combustion cases. Increasing the dilution factor caused a reduction in the frequency of FSI events for all c levels. The distributions of flame self-interaction events in homogeneous mixture MILD combustion have been found to be significantly different from previously reported distributions for conventional turbulent premixed combustion.
The Case for Parentalism at Work: Balancing Feminist Care Ethics and Justice Ethics through a Winnicottian approach: A School Case Study
Authors: Edwards Michaela , Gatrell Caroline , Sutton Adrian
Published: February 2023

Using an ethnographic case study based in a UK state school for 11- to 18-year-olds, this paper explores the tensions that arose when the senior leadership team (SLT) introduced a justice-based ethic-of-care that prioritized good grades and equal treatment for all pupils over a feminist ethic-of-care (preferred by most teachers in non-leadership roles) that accentuated individual pupil need and placed greater emphasis on a broader social education. Through highlighting the tensions between a feminist ethic-of-care and a more ‘masculine’ style, justice-based approach to care-ethics, the paper extends the organisational care-ethics literature. We emphasise that such tensions occurred whether the different ethics were enacted by men, women, or non-binary individuals. In order to better understand the tensions between these two ethical approaches, we draw upon the theoretical work of Donald Winnicott, which highlights the importance both of maternal and paternal roles during infancy. We update Winnicott’s ideas, noting how maternal and paternal caring roles can be undertaken by people of varied gender identities. Building on Winnicott’s theory, we propose a new ‘Parentalist’ ethic-of-care, which has the potential to balance and hold together ideas of both a feminist ethic-of-care, and a justice-based ethic. A Parentalist ethic-of-care could support teachers yet recognize the context of the contemporary neo-liberal environment, where most children need to attain formal qualifications in a marketized world, and where such measures of success are highly valued.
Rate Expectations: Jurors and the Self-Reinforcing Effect of Conviction Rates
Authors: Desmet Pieter T. M. , De Mot Jef , Faure Michael
Published: February 2023

We examined whether jurors who know that a prosecutor has a high conviction rate are more inclined to convict a defendant than jurors who know that the prosecutor has a low conviction rate. Using simulated criminal cases, we conducted two experimental studies with jury-eligible participants. Study 1 (N = 200) tested whether information about prior conviction rates (high or low) affected jurors’ estimations of the probability of guilt in the context of a robbery. Study 2 (N = 205) used another criminal trial context (murder) and another dependent variable (dichotomous guilty/not guilty verdicts). Study 2 also incorporated jury instructions on the reasonable doubt standard and included a control condition in which no information regarding the conviction rate was provided. In both studies, jurors in the high conviction rate treatment were significantly more likely to convict the accused than jurors in the low conviction rate treatment. When jurors are aware of a prosecutor's prior conviction rates, a self-reinforcing cycle may arise in which conviction rates determine conviction rates.
Access to justice in prisons or the limitations of prison defense
Authors: Carvacho Pablo
Published: February 2023

This article sought to understand the adequacy of criminal defense services within prisons. By analyzing secondary data and interviews, it describes the justiciable problems and legal needs, the lines of action, and the obstacles that the adult prison population encounters. The results show that the experience and needs that arise in prison surpass the institutional capabilities of the chilean Public Defender’s Office. Therefore, a new institutional framework must be created to meet the justice claims of prisoners.
Assessing Multiple Inequalities and Air Pollution Abatement Policies
Authors: Bonilla Jorge A. , Aravena Claudia , Morales-Betancourt Ricardo
Published: February 2023

Addressing inequality is recognized a worldwide development objective. The literature has primarily focused on examining economic or social inequality, but rarely on environmental inequality. Centering the discussion on economic or social factors does not provide a holistic view of inequality because it is multidimensional and several facets may overlap imposing a disproportionate burden on vulnerable communities. This study investigates the magnitude of air quality inequality in conjunction with economic and social inequalities in Bogotá (Colombia). It explores where inequalities overlap and assesses alleviation measures by tackling air pollution. We develop a composite index to estimate performance in socioeconomic and air quality characteristics across the city and evaluate inequality with a variety of measures. Using an atmospheric chemical transport model, we simulate the impact of three air pollution abatement policies: paving roads, industry fuel substitution, and diesel-vehicle renewal on fine particle concentrations, and compute their effect on inequality. Results show that allocation of air quality across Bogotá is highly unequal, exceeding economic or social inequality. Evidence also indicates that economic, social and air quality disparities intersect, displaying the southwest as the most vulnerable zone. Paving roads is found to be the most progressive and cost-effective policy, reducing overall inequality between 11 and 46 percent with net benefits exceeding US$1.4 billion.
High genetic diversity in an endemic and vulnerable species: evidence from Astragalus cyclophyllon (Fabaceae) in Iran
Authors: Aliabadi Fatemeh , Bagheri Ali , Abbasi Shabnam , Saeidi Hojjatollah , Blattner Frank R.
Published: February 2023

The genus Astragalus L. with about 3000 species is the largest genus of flowering plants. It is also the largest genus in the flora of Iran with more than 850 taxa. Astragalus cyclophyllon Beck is an endemic taxon belonging to Astragalus sect. Incani DC. It occurs scattered in the steppe and semi-steppe areas of the western and central parts of Iran. This species is one of the most important forage taxa of Astragalus. According to IUCN criteria it has been classified as a vulnerable taxon in Iran, as it occurs in habitats intensely used by herders for their livestock. Here we evaluate the genetic diversity of the populations of this species in Iran to see whether genetic diversity is high or if reductions have already happened. For this purpose, sampling was done in all geographical areas with A. cyclophyllon populations in Iran. In total, 80 individuals representing 29 populations were studied using 33 quantitative and qualitative morphological characters and 10 inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. ISSR revealed 240 bands which all were polymorphic. Neighbor-joining cluster analysis divided the individuals in four groups, Principal Coordinate Analysis and Bayesian population assignment analysis in Structure resulted in three genetic units. Morphological variation showed no correlation with the molecular data. The mean of Gst and Nm indices are 0.516 and 0.468, respectively, which indicate a very high genetic differentiation and low gene flow between the studied populations. According to these results, we conclude that genetic diversity is high in this species and that, therefore, the major threat for A. cyclophyllon is currently not related to inbreeding depression in populations, but might be due to livestock grazing that could change the population demographic structure by reducing regular establishment of new offspring.
The Need for Integration of Religion and Spirituality into the Mental Health Care of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations in Australia: A Rapid Review
Authors: Malviya Shikha
Published: February 2023

Australia is a multicultural and linguistically diverse country. Despite the vital role of religion/spirituality in the mental health of people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, it is not commonly included in their mental health care. A rapid review was conducted to critically evaluate the studies that identified relevant religious/spiritual aspects regarding mental health care for CALD communities. After a systematic search and screening, sixteen empirical studies were included. The findings of the review suggest that people from CALD backgrounds draw strength and comfort from their religion to support mental health. Religious/spiritual practices were identified as effective mental health strategies by CALD people. Religious leaders were noted to be important sources of mental health support and guidance for individuals from some CALD communities. Collaboration of religious leaders in the mental health care, and integration of religious/spiritual practices into mainstream mental health interventions, may improve mental health care for people with CALD backgrounds.
Set-Limited Functions and Polynomial-Time Interior-Point Methods
Authors: Nesterov Yurii
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we revisit some elements of the theory of self-concordant functions. We replace the notion of self-concordant barrier by a new notion of set-limited function, which forms a wider class. We show that the proper set-limited functions ensure polynomial time complexity of the corresponding path-following method (PFM). Our new PFM follows a deviated path, which connects an arbitrary feasible point with the solution of the problem. We present some applications of our approach to the problems of unconstrained optimization, for which it ensures a global linear rate of convergence even in for nonsmooth objective function.
R&D grants and R&D tax credits to foreign-owned subsidiaries: Does supporting multinational enterprises’ R&D pay off in terms of firm performance improvements for the host economy?
Authors: Lenihan Helena , Mulligan Kevin , Doran Justin , Rammer Christian , Ipinnaiye Olubunmi
Published: February 2023

The subsidiaries of foreign-owned multinational firms make significant contributions to national Research and Development (R&D) in many host countries. Policymakers in host countries often support subsidiaries’ R&D efforts, through R&D grants and R&D tax credits. A key objective of this funding is to leverage R&D-driven firm performance benefits for the host economy. However, the subsidiary's parent firm may decide not to commercially exploit the results from host country-funded R&D projects, in the host country. Therefore, supporting subsidiaries’ R&D presents a unique risk, that significant amounts of scarce public R&D funding may translate into little, or no firm performance payoffs for the host economy. To address this issue, we construct a unique panel dataset, containing 24,404 observations of firms in Ireland over a 10-year period. Using this rich data, we first evaluate the impact of R&D grants and R&D tax credits on subsidiaries’ R&D. We then examine the link between policy-induced R&D from each policy instrument, and subsidiaries’ firm performance in the host country. Our study provides the first evaluation of (1) whether public R&D funding stimulates additional R&D investment in subsidiaries, (2) whether policy-induced R&D drives subsidiaries’ firm performance in the host country, and (3) the differential effects of R&D grants and R&D tax credits. We find that both R&D policy instruments drive subsidiary R&D, and that the policy-induced R&D results in substantial host country improvements in turnover, exports, and value added. Our results suggest several policy implications, particularly for economies pursuing an R&D strategy which targets foreign-owned subsidiaries.
Women in CEO duality and firm performance in Europe
Authors: La Rocca Maurizio , Fasano Francesco , La Rocca Tiziana , Neha Neha
Published: February 2023

This paper investigates gender dimensions in the relationship between CEO duality and firm performance, combining feminist theories and stewardship arguments. Using a large sample of listed firms from 23 European countries in the 2014–2020 period, we have found that CEO duality has a positive effect on corporate performance when a woman holds both the roles of CEO and board chair. These findings highlight the ‘bright side’ of women in governance, suggesting the presence of women in double leadership positions can amplify benefits and/or limits costs related to CEO duality. Having a woman in CEO-chair leadership could optimize a firm’s use of its resources and more effectively contribute to improving performance. Directions for future research could include a better understanding of women in leadership in the organizational domain. Our results have a number of managerial and political implications.
Remaining Loads in a PH/M/c Queue with Impatient Customers
Authors: Swensen Anders Rygh
Published: February 2023

There are three contributions to the literature in this note. Firstly, we point out that under some weak conditions the result in Swensen (1986) on the remaining loads in a GI/M/c queue with impatient customers, derived under the assumption that the distribution of inter-arrival times is Coxian, is also valid for the more general phase type distribution. From this result the distributions of the virtual and the actual waiting time can easily be obtained. Secondly, the relation to an alternative expression for the distribution of the virtual waiting time derived by Kawanishi and Takine (2015) is also clarified. Finally, we explain how the results on the remaining loads can be used to find distributions describing particular fixed servers and provide a couple of numerical examples of how this can be done.
Weak transhumanism: moderate enhancement as a non-radical path to radical enhancement
Authors: Brennan Cian
Published: February 2023

Transhumanism aims to bring about radical human enhancement. In ‘Truly Human Enhancement’ Agar (2014) provides a strong argument against producing radically enhancing effects in agents. This leaves the transhumanist in a quandary—how to achieve radical enhancement whilst avoiding the problem of radically enhancing effects? This paper aims to show that transhumanism can overcome the worries of radically enhancing effects by instead pursuing radical human enhancement via incremental moderate human enhancements (Weak Transhumanism). In this sense, weak transhumanism is much like traditional transhumanism in its aims, but starkly different in its execution. This version of transhumanism is weaker given the limitations brought about by having to avoid radically enhancing effects. I consider numerous objections to weak transhumanism and conclude that the account survives each one. This paper’s proposal of ‘weak transhumanism’ has the upshot of providing a way out of the ‘problem of radically enhancing effects’ for the transhumanist, but this comes at a cost—the restrictive process involved in applying multiple moderate enhancements in order to achieve radical enhancement will most likely be dissatisfying for the transhumanist, however, it is, I contend, the best option available.
Pandemics and the precautionary principle: an analysis taking the Swedish Corona Commission’s report as a point of departure
Authors: Nordgren Anders
Published: February 2023

In the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sweden’s response stood out as an exception. For example, Sweden did not introduce any lockdowns, while many other countries did. In this paper I take the Swedish Corona Commission’s critique of the initial Swedish response as a point of departure for a general analysis of precaution in relation to pandemics. The Commission points out that in contrast to many other countries Sweden did not follow ‘the precautionary principle’. Based on this critique, the Commission proposes that the precautionary principle should be included among Sweden’s guiding principles for crisis management. However, as the debate on this principle during the last 30 years indicates, the principle is loaded with problems. I discuss one of these problems, namely its lack of clarity. I argue, however, that this problem is not unsurmountable. A principle is lacking clarity precisely by being a principle and not a rule with a well-defined meaning. As a principle it indicates a direction but does not prescribe a specific action. However, to be action-guiding its content needs to be specified by rational deliberation. With this in mind, I propose a framework for specification of the precautionary principle as applied to pandemics. The framework focuses on the principle’s four key elements: threat, uncertainty, action and responsibility. I also suggest certain general ethical restrictions on specification.
Should responsibility be used as a tiebreaker in allocation of deceased donor organs for patients suffering from alcohol-related end-stage liver disease?
Authors: Hu Diehua , Primc Nadia
Published: February 2023

There is a long-standing debate concerning the eligibility of patients suffering from alcohol-related end-stage liver disease (ARESLD) for deceased donor liver transplantation. The question of retrospective and/or prospective responsibility has been at the center of the ethical discussion. Several authors argue that these patients should at least be regarded as partly responsible for their ARESLD. At the same time, the arguments for retrospective and/or prospective responsibility have been strongly criticized, such that no consensus has been reached. A third option was proposed as a form of compromise, namely that responsibility should only be used as a tiebreaker in liver allocation. The present study provides an ethical investigation of this third option. First, we will provide an overview of the main arguments that have been offered for and against the use of responsibility as an allocation criterion. Second, we will explore the concept of responsibility as a tiebreaker in detail and discuss several types of situations, in which responsibility could be used as a tiebreaker, as well as the main ethical challenges associated with them. As we will show, an ethical justified use of responsibility as a tiebreaker is limited to a very restricted number of cases and is associated with a number of ethical concerns. For this reason, waiting time should be preferred as a tiebreaker in liver allocation, even though the criterion of waiting time, too, raises a number of equity-related concerns.
Order-Preserving Self-Maps of Complete Lattices
Authors: Ganter Bernhard
Published: February 2023

We study isotone self-maps of complete lattices and their fixed point sets, which are complete lattices contained as suborders, but not necessarily as subsemilattices. We develop a representation of such maps by means of relations and show how to navigate their fixed point lattices using a modification of the standard Next closure algorithm. Our approach is inspired by early work of Shmuely [8] and Crapo [1]. We improve and substantially extend our earlier publication [4].
Efficient and portable Winograd convolutions for multi-core processors
Authors: Dolz Manuel F. , Martínez Héctor , Castelló Adrián , Alonso-Jordá Pedro , Quintana-Ortí Enrique S.
Published: February 2023

We take a step forward towards developing high-performance codes for the convolution operator, based on the Winograd algorithm, that are easy to customise for general-purpose processor architectures. In our approach, augmenting the portability of the solution is achieved via the introduction of vector instructions from Intel SSE/AVX2/AVX512 and ARM NEON/SVE to exploit the single-instruction multiple-data capabilities of current processors as well as OpenMP pragmas to exploit multi-threaded parallelism. While this comes at the cost of sacrificing a fraction of the computational performance, our experimental results on three distinct processors, with Intel Xeon Skylake, ARM Cortex A57 and Fujitsu A64FX processors, show that the impact is affordable and still renders a Winograd-based solution that is competitive when compared with the lowering gemm-based convolution.
Expertise and information: an epistemic logic perspective
Authors: Singleton Joseph , Booth Richard
Published: February 2023

In this paper we present a modal logic framework to reason about the expertise of information sources. A source is considered an expert on a proposition $$\varphi $$
φ
if they are able to correctly refute $$\varphi $$
φ
in any possible world where $$\varphi $$
φ
is false. Closely connected with expertise is a notion of soundness of information: $$\varphi $$
φ
is said to be “sound” if it is true up to lack of expertise of the source. That is, any statement logically weaker than $$\varphi $$
φ
on which the source has expertise must in fact be true. This is relevant for modelling situations in which sources make claims beyond their domain of expertise. Particular attention is paid to the connection between expertise and knowledge: we show that expertise and soundness admit precise interpretations in terms of S4 and S5 epistemic logic, under certain conditions. We go on to extend the framework to multiple sources, defining two notions of collective expertise. These also have epistemic interpretations via distributed and common knowledge from multi-agent epistemic logic. On the technical side, we give several sound and complete axiomatisations of various classes of expertise models.
BS-QUAL: Measuring student perceptions of service quality in business schools, an exploratory study
Authors: Bagur-Femenias Llorenç , Llach Josep , Buil Marian
Published: February 2023

The number of Business Schools (BS) and their market share had increased in the last decades. Positioning strategy of BS is crucial in today’s competitive and changing environments. Thus, paying attention to student’s satisfaction and the factors, which motivate their selection, are relevant for service quality assurance in BS. This paper designs a scale to measure these perceptions as a useful tool for BS managers in the pursuit of excellence. Using a mixed analysis methodology, the most prominent dimensions detected in the literature were validated by BS managers and later by BS graduates. Internal and external dimensions compose the resulting scale, named BS-QUAL. The internal dimensions are related to Academic staff, Services, Facilities, and Sustainability while the external factors are related to Preparation for the future, Internationalization and Notoriety. BS-QUAL could be useful for the top management of BS to develop strategies that minimize the distance between student expectations and service provided.
Effects of the inclusion of coffee pulp silage in the diet on the performance and profitability of crossbred milk cows in the middle tropics
Authors: Flórez-Delgado Dixon Fabián , de Jesús Gil-Herrera Richard , Maza-Ortega Román Enrique
Published: February 2023

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of coffee pulp silage (CPS) on the performance and profitability of crossbred cows in the middle tropics. The research took place at the Villa Marina Experimental Farm of the University of Pamplona, Pamplonita, Colombia. Four lactating multiparous bovines with a body weight of 380 ± 10 kg, 6 ± 0.03 years of age and a body condition of 3.8 on a scale of 1 to 5. The animals were distributed in a balanced 4 × 4 Latin square for residual effect. The experiment consisted of four subperiods of 21 days each, being the first 14 days of adaptation to the experimental diet and 7 days for taking samples. The base diet consisted ofPennisetumsp. forage, concentrated in a proportion of 0.2% of body weight, water, and mineralized salt at will. The inclusion of the CPS was included in levels of 4, 8, and 12% of the dry matter (DM) intake. DM intake parameters, nutrient digestibility, milk production and composition, blood parameters, and economic analysis were evaluated. Treatments were compared using orthogonal contrasts; contrasts were constructed in order to evaluate the effects of inclusion of CPS, and the linear and quadratic effects of level inclusion in the DM of the diet. For the variables which did not present inclusion of CPS effect but a linear or quadratic effect was significant, a Dunnett’s test was performed to identify whether a supplemented treatment differed from the control. Significance was considered atP < 0.05 and tendencies when 0.05 < P ≤ 0.10. The inclusion of CPS in the diet increases (P < 0.05) the voluntary intake in kg day−1of DM, organic matter (OM), CP, ethereal extract (EE), non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC), digested OM (DM), neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (NDFap), DNDF and dietary NTD concentration, the total digestibility of DM and OM, and dietary DOM content. The production and chemical composition of milk was not affected (P > 0.10) by the inclusion of EPC in the diet. The inclusion of CPS increased (P < 0.05) the concentration of albumin and globulins in the blood. The inclusion of CPS in the diet improved the productive efficiency of dairy cattle. The inclusion of 4% CPS in the DM of the diet is a nutritional strategy, which improves the nutritional characteristics and the concentration of albumin and globulins in the blood of crossed dairy cows in the middle tropics and benefit: cost ratio without affecting milk production.
Medical Expenditures Associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among Adults in the United States by Age, 2015–2019
Authors: Witrick Brian , Zhang Donglan , Su Dejun , Li Yan , McCall William V. , Hendricks Brian , Shi Lu
Published: February 2023

Background

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is a common disorder that affects both children and adults. However, for adults, little is known about ADHD-attributable medical expenditures.

Objective

To estimate the medical expenditures associated with ADHD, stratified by age, in the US adult population.

Design

Using a two-part model, we analyzed data from Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 2015 to 2019. The first part of the model predicts the probability that individuals incurred any medical costs during the calendar year using a logit model. The second part of the model estimates the medical expenditures for individuals who incurred any medical expenses in the calendar year using a generalized linear model. Covariates included age, sex, race/ethnicity, geographic region, Charlson comorbidity index, insurance, asthma, anxiety, and mood disorders.

Participants

Adults (18 +) who participated in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 2015 to 2019 (N = 83,776).

Main Measures

Overall and service specific direct ADHD-attributable medical expenditures.

Key Results

A total of 1206 participants (1.44%) were classified as having ADHD. The estimated incremental costs of ADHD in adults were $2591.06 per person, amounting to $8.29 billion nationally. Significant adjusted incremental costs were prescription medication ($1347.06; 95% CI: $990.69–$1625.93), which accounted for the largest portion of total costs, and office-based visits ($724.86; 95% CI: $177.75–$1528.62). The adjusted incremental costs for outpatient visits, inpatient visits, emergency room visits, and home health visits were not significantly different. Among older adults (31 +), the incremental cost of ADHD was $2623.48, while in young adults (18–30), the incremental cost was $1856.66.

Conclusions

The average medical expenditures for adults with ADHD in the US were substantially higher than those without ADHD and the incremental costs were higher in older adults (31 +) than younger adults (18–30). Future research is needed to understand the increasing trend in ADHD attributable cost.
Probabilistic stability of uncertain composite plates and stochastic irregularity in their buckling mode shapes: A semi-analytical non-intrusive approach
Authors: Maleki Arash Tavakoli , Parviz Hadi , Khatibi Akbar A. , Zakeri Mahnaz
Published: February 2023

In this study, the mechanical properties of the composite plate were considered Gaussian random fields and their effects on the buckling load and corresponding mode shapes were studied by developing a semi-analytical non-intrusive approach. The random fields were decomposed by the Karhunen-Loève method. The strains were defined based on the assumptions of the first-order and higher-order shear-deformation theories. Stochastic equations of motion were extracted using Euler–Lagrange equations. The probabilistic response space was obtained by employing the non-intrusive polynomial chaos method. Finally, the effect of spatially varying stochastic properties on the critical load of the plate and the irregularity of buckling mode shapes and their sequences were studied for the first time. Our findings showed that different shear deformation plate theories could significantly influence the reliability of thicker plates under compressive loading. It is suggested that a linear relationship exists between the mechanical properties’ variation coefficient and critical loads’ variation coefficient. Also, in modeling the plate properties as random fields, a significant stochastic irregularity is obtained in buckling mode shapes, which is crucial in practical applications.
Cognitive and behavioral abnormalities in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, and subjective memory complaints
Authors: Warren Samuel L. , Reid Edwina , Whitfield Paige , Helal Ahmed M. , Abo Hamza Eid G. , Tindle Richard , Moustafa Ahmed A. , Hamid Mohamed S.
Published: February 2023

In this study, we investigated the ability of commonly used neuropsychological tests to detect cognitive and functional decline across the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) continuum. Moreover, as preclinical AD is a key area of investigation, we focused on the ability of neuropsychological tests to distinguish the early stages of the disease, such as individuals with Subjective Memory Complaints (SMC). This study included 595 participants from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset who were cognitively normal (CN), SMC, mild cognitive impairment (MCI; early or late stage), or AD. Our cognitive measures included the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), the Everyday Cognition Questionnaire (ECog), the Functional Abilities Questionnaire (FAQ), the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA), and the Trail Making test (TMT-B). Overall, our results indicated that the ADAS-13, RAVLT (learning), FAQ, ECog, and MoCA were all predictive of the AD progression continuum. However, TMT-B and the RAVLT (immediate and forgetting) were not significant predictors of the AD continuum. Indeed, contrary to our expectations ECog self-report (partner and patient) were the two strongest predictors in the model to detect the progression from CN to AD. Accordingly, we suggest using the ECog (both versions), RAVLT (learning), ADAS-13, and the MoCA to screen all stages of the AD continuum. In conclusion, we infer that these tests could help clinicians effectively detect the early stages of the disease (e.g., SMC) and distinguish the different stages of AD.
Device indication for calcified coronary lesions based on coronary imaging findings
Authors: Ikari Yuji , Saito Shigeru , Nakamura Shigeru , Shibata Yoshisato , Yamazaki Seiji , Tanaka Yutaka , Ako Junya , Yokoi Hiroyoshi , Kobayashi Yoshio , Kozuma Ken
Published: February 2023

Performing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for calcified lesions is still a major challenge. Calcified lesions are a cause of inadequate dilatation, leading to poor short- and long-term PCI outcomes. It has been suggested that modification for calcification before stent implantation might improve outcomes by providing adequate dilation. Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) is available under insurance reimbursement in December 2022 in Japan. IVL is one candidate for a treatment device to modify calcified lesions in addition to atherectomy, such as rotational and orbital atherectomy, and special balloons, such as scoring and cutting balloons. Although the evidence for the indications, of these devices is insufficient, they must be used appropriately in clinical practice. In this report, we propose a method for determining an indication of these devices solely as per the coronary imaging findings with intravascular ultrasound or optical coherent tomography. This consensus document represents the collective opinion of experts on the best current indications and should be changed based on future evidence. However, we believe that it represents the optimal criteria for selecting treatment options in the current situation.
Preliminary Results of Cloud Seeding Experiments for Air Pollution Reduction in 2020
Authors: Ku Jung Mo , Chang Ki-Ho , Chae Sanghee , Ko A.-Reum , Ro Yonghun , Jung Woonseon , Lee Chulkyu
Published: February 2023

In previous studies, cloud seeding has been primarily used to increase precipitation; however, its use for the purpose of reducing particulate matter concentration has not yet been adequately addressed. In this study, we investigated the effect of cloud seeding on the reduction of fine dust concentration by conducting two airborne experiments in west Korea along the Yellow Sea coast on November 1, 2020. Numerical simulations showed that the seeding material diffused in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Chungcheongnam-do as observed from the prevailing wind direction. We also observed enhanced radar reflectivity in these areas, and analysis of aircraft observation data revealed that the average concentration of cloud, drizzle, and precipitation particles increased after seeding as compared with the observations before and during seeding. Further, the precipitation particles had large diameters after seeding; particularly, PM10 (particulate matter with size ≤ 10 µm) concentration tended to decrease owing to precipitation in the areas affected by cloud seeding; however, it remained unchanged in the unaffected areas. Although it is necessary to conduct further experiments to obtain more comprehensive results, the findings of this study highlight the possibility of reducing fine dust concentration in the atmosphere via cloud seeding.
Pushing the Electrochemical Performance Limits of Polypyrrole Toward Stable Microelectronic Devices
Authors: Tahir Muhammad , He Liang , Li Lihong , Cao Yawei , Yu Xiaoxia , Lu Zehua , Liao Xiaoqiao , Ma Zeyu , Song Yanlin
Published: February 2023

Conducting polymers have achieved remarkable attentions owing to their exclusive characteristics, for instance, electrical conductivity, high ionic conductivity, visual transparency, and mechanical tractability. Surface and nanostructure engineering of conjugated conducting polymers offers an exceptional pathway to facilitate their implementation in a variety of scientific claims, comprising energy storage and production devices, flexible and wearable optoelectronic devices. A two-step tactic to assemble high-performance polypyrrole (PPy)-based microsupercapacitor (MSC) is utilized by transforming the current collectors to suppress structural pulverization and increase the adhesion of PPy, and then electrochemical co-deposition of PPy-CNT nanostructures on rGO@Au current collectors is performed. The resulting fine patterned MSC conveyed a high areal capacitance of 65.9 mF cm−2 (at a current density of 0.1 mA cm−2), an exceptional cycling performance of retaining 79% capacitance after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles at 5 mA cm−2. Benefiting from the intermediate graphene, current collector free PPy-CNT@rGO flexible MSC is produced by a facile transfer method on a flexible substrate, which delivered an areal capacitance of 70.25 mF cm−2 at 0.1 mA cm−2 and retained 46% of the initial capacitance at a current density of 1.0 mA cm−2. The flexible MSC is utilized as a skin compatible capacitive micro-strain sensor with excellent electromechanochemical characteristics.
Robots, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and Psychology: a Bibliometric Analysis and a Case Made for Robopsychology
Authors: Krägeloh Christian U. , Bharatharaj Jaishankar , Heerink Marcel , Hannon Daniel , Albo-Canals Jordi
Published: February 2023

Objectives

Robots have the potential to enable new ways to improve the lives of people with special needs. This bibliometric review explored the nature of research that had referred to robots in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders and psychology, outlining the range of research areas, most prolific researchers, outlets for research dissemination, and trends.

Method

Using the database Scopus, publications were identified that mentioned in the abstract robot as well as one of several common neurodevelopmental disorders. Results were analyzed and visually presented using the software VOSviewer. An additional search identified publications about robots in the context of psychological research more broadly.

Results

Studies about autism spectrum disorder and social communication skills were the most frequent. Much of this work is disseminated as publications related to engineering and neuroscience, which is also consistent with the background of the most prolific and cited researchers of this bibliometric search. A notable trend is the increasing role played by psychology in robotics research.

Conclusions

Research work on robots in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders and psychology has traditionally been developed by researchers with a background primarily in engineering and computer science. As psychology is getting ready to play a more prominent role, there is a chance to apply specific psychological theory and methods. Such application may be facilitated by the establishment of a relevant scientific infrastructure, such as through a specialist journal on robopsychology.
ATMOSPHERIC RADIOCARBON FOR THE PERIOD 1910–2021 RECORDED BY ANNUAL PLANTS
Authors: Carbone Mariah S , Ayers Tina J , Ebert Christopher H , Munson Seth M , Schuur Edward A G , Richardson Andrew D
Published: February 2023

We present a timeseries of 14CO2 for the period 1910–2021 recorded by annual plants collected in the southwestern United States, centered near Flagstaff, Arizona. This timeseries is dominated by five commonly occurring annual plant species in the region, which is considered broadly representative of the southern Colorado Plateau. Most samples (1910–2015) were previously archived herbarium specimens, with additional samples harvested from field experiments in 2015–2021. We used this novel timeseries to develop a smoothed local record with uncertainties for “bomb spike” 14C dating of recent terrestrial organic matter. Our results highlight the potential importance of local records, as we document a delayed arrival of the 1963–1964 bomb spike peak, lower values in the 1980s, and elevated values in the last decade in comparison to the most current Northern Hemisphere Zone 2 record. It is impossible to retroactively collect atmospheric samples, but archived annual plants serve as faithful scribes: samples from herbaria around the Earth may be an under-utilized resource to improve understanding of the modern carbon cycle.
Three new species of siphuloid lichens, with a first key to the genusParasiphula
Authors: Kantvilas Gintaras
Published: February 2023

The term ‘siphuloid’ is introduced for a suite of distinct lichen genera with a superficially similar foliose to fruticose morphology, notablySiphula,Siphulella,Siphulopsis,ParasiphulaandKnightiellastrum. Three new species are described:Parasiphula squamosaKantvilas (from Tasmania and New Zealand), characterized by a whitish grey, squamulose or minutely foliose thallus lacking lichen substances or containing traces of atranorin;Siphula capensisKantvilas (from southern Africa), containing baeomycesic and squamatic acids, and characterized by robust, broadly flattened, rounded lobes with thickened apices; andS. crittendenii(from the Caribbean but with an outlying collection from Queensland, Australia), an epiphytic species containing thamnolic acid, with fragile, flattened lobes mostly to 10 mm long and 1−5 mm wide, with ragged or much-divided apices. Salient features of the species ofParasiphulaare summarized and a first key for this genus is presented. Infrageneric problems inSiphulaare also discussed briefly.
Two new species of the lichenized genus Lasioloma (Byssolomataceae) from Asia
Authors: Wang Wei-Cheng , Abas Azlan , Wei Xin-Li , Qian Xu , Wei Jiang-Chun
Published: February 2023

Two new species of the lichenized genus Lasioloma are described from Asia: Lasioloma longiramosum W. C. Wang & A. Abas (collected from Malaysia), is characterized by a distinct woolly prothallus between dispersed thallus patches, comparatively small, muriform ascospores, long filiform conidia (main branch 22–28 μm in length, the other three branches 65–80 μm) and a foliicolous habitat; L. verrucosum W. C. Wang & X. L. Wei (collected from China), is characterized by a warted thallus, filiform conidia (main branch 22–32 μm in length, the other three branches 50–65 μm) and a corticolous habitat. The placement of both new species was confirmed by a molecular phylogenetic approach based on combined ITS, mtSSU and mtLSU sequences, and both are compared in detail to other similar species of the genus. Our study also revealed that the length of the conidial branches, which has not been explored in previous studies, should be regarded as an important feature for species delimitation in Lasioloma.
On the road to self-sustainability: reintroduced migratory European northern bald ibisesGeronticus eremitastill need management interventions for population viability
Authors: Drenske Sinah , Radchuk Viktoriia , Scherer Cédric , Esterer Corinna , Kowarik Ingo , Fritz Johannes , Kramer-Schadt Stephanie
Published: February 2023

The northern bald ibisGeronticus eremitadisappeared from Europe in the Middle Ages. Since 2003 a migratory population has been reintroduced in Central Europe. We conducted demographic analyses of the survival and reproduction of 384 northern bald ibises over a period of 12 years (2008–2019). These data also formed the basis for a population viability analysis simulating the possible future development of the northern bald ibis population under different scenarios. We analysed life stage-specific survival rates, rearing protocols and colonies, and the influence of stochastic catastrophic events and reinforcement translocations on population growth. Life stage-specific survival probabilities were 0.64–0.78. Forty-five per cent of the mature females reproduced, with a mean fecundity of 2.15 fledglings per nest. The complementary population viability analysis indicated that the Waldrappteam population is close to self-sustainability, with an estimated population growth rate of 0.95 and a 24% extinction probability within 50 years. Of the 326 future scenarios tested, 94% reached the criteria of extinction probabilities < 5% and population growth rates > 1. Stochastic catastrophic events had only a limited effect. Despite comparatively high survival and fecundity rates the population viability analysis indicated that to achieve self-sustainability the Waldrappteam population needs further translocations to support population growth and the implementation of effective measures against major mortality threats: illegal hunting in Italy and electrocution on unsecured power poles. The findings of this study are to be implemented as part of a second European LIFE project.