bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Disability Activism Advances Disability Bioethics
Authors: Stramondo Joseph A.
Published: May 2022

In this paper, I argue that, even when disability rights activists are most clearly acting as activists, they can advance the scholarly activity of disability bioethics. In particular, I will argue that even engaging in non-violent direct action, including civil disobedience, is an important way in which disability rights activists directly support the efforts of disability bioethics scholars. I will begin by drawing upon Hilde Lindemann’s work on relational narrative identity to describe how certain damaging master narratives about disability hinder the uptake of arguments from disability bioethics. Then, I will argue that disability activism, especially non-violent direct action and civil disobedience, provides an effective counterstory to some of the worst of these master narratives, thereby laying the groundwork for the scholarly argument s of disability bioethicists to be given more serious consideration. Ultimately, I conclude that the field of bioethics is improved when it abandons the gross grained, generalizations about who disabled people are and how they act put forth by oppressive master narratives in favor of the more nuanced self-descriptions offered by the counterstories being offered by disabled people themselves. So it is that, by challenging these oppressive master narratives that constrain and distort the social meaning of disability, disability activism can improve mainstream bioethics.
Efficacy of PEERS® for Adolescents via Telehealth Delivery
Authors: Estabillo Jasper A. , Moody Christine T. , Poulhazan Solene J. , Adery Laura H. , Denluck Elizabeth M. , Laugeson Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2022

PEERS® for Adolescents is an evidence-based social skills intervention for autistic youth and adolescents with other social challenges. The efficacy and effectiveness of PEERS® are well established; however, limited data on PEERS® via telehealth delivery exist. The current study aimed to examine the efficacy of PEERS® for Adolescents via telehealth and compare outcomes between telehealth and in-person modalities. Thirty-one adolescents (Mage = 13.77,SD = 2.14) participated in telehealth groups, and outcomes were compared with 212 adolescents (Mage = 14.02,SD = 2.00) from in-person groups. Findings demonstrate PEERS® for Adolescents via telehealth results in significant improvements in social skills knowledge, social responsiveness, overall social skills and problem behaviors, and social engagement. Telehealth outcomes are relatively equivalent to in-person delivery.
Deterministic Wireless Channel Characterization towards the Integration of Communication Capabilities to Enable Context Aware Industrial Internet of Thing Environments
Authors: Picallo Imanol , Iturri Peio López , Celaya-Echarri Mikel , Azpilicueta Leyre , Falcone Francisco
Published: May 2022

In order to provide interactive capabilities within the context of Internet of Thing (IoT) applications, wireless communication systems play a key role, owing to in-herent mobility, ubiquity and ease of deployment. However, to comply with Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics, coverage/capacity analysis must be performed, to account for the impact of signal blockage as well as multiple interference sources. This analysis is especially complex in the case of indoor scenarios, such as those derived from Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). In this work, a fully volumetric approach based on hybrid deterministic 3D Ray Launching is employed providing precise wireless channel characterization and hence, system level analysis of indoor scenarios. Coverage/capacity, interference mapping and time domain characterization estimations will be derived, considering different frequencies of operation below 6 GHz. The proposed methodology will be tested against a real measurement scenario, providing full flexibility and scalability for adoption in a wide range of IIoT capable environments.
The Intensity of the Plasmon–exciton of Three Spherical Metal Nanoparticles On the Semiconductor Quantum Dot Having Three External Fields
Authors: Ali Hagar M. , Abd-Elnabi Somia , Osman Kariman I.
Published: May 2022

The influence of the plasmon of three spherical metal nanoparticles (MNPs) on the semiconductor quantum dot (SQD) having three external fields is analyzed. The density matrix equations are modified for the description of the optical properties of the SQD-MNPs nanosystem. We study theoretically the role of the plasmon–exciton dipole coupling in the SQD-MNPs nanosystem. We investigate the dependence of the plasmon–exciton dipole coupling of the SQD-MNPs nanosystem on the position of three spherical MNPs with respect to SQD as well as on the material parameters of the hybrid nanosystem. The direction and detunings of the three external fields play an important role in the characterization of the SQD-MNPs nanosystem.
Robust hand tracking for surgical telestration
Authors: Müller Lucas-Raphael , Petersen Jens , Yamlahi Amine , Wise Philipp , Adler Tim J. , Seitel Alexander , Kowalewski Karl-Friedrich , Müller Beat , Kenngott Hannes , Nickel Felix , Maier-Hein Lena
Published: May 2022

Purpose

As human failure has been shown to be one primary cause for post-operative death, surgical training is of the utmost socioeconomic importance. In this context, the concept of surgical telestration has been introduced to enable experienced surgeons to efficiently and effectively mentor trainees in an intuitive way. While previous approaches to telestration have concentrated on overlaying drawings on surgical videos, we explore the augmented reality (AR) visualization of surgical hands to imitate the direct interaction with the situs.

Methods

We present a real-time hand tracking pipeline specifically designed for the application of surgical telestration. It comprises three modules, dedicated to (1) the coarse localization of the expert’s hand and the subsequent (2) segmentation of the hand for AR visualization in the field of view of the trainee and (3) regression of keypoints making up the hand’s skeleton. The semantic representation is obtained to offer the ability for structured reporting of the motions performed as part of the teaching.

Results

According to a comprehensive validation based on a large data set comprising more than 14,000 annotated images with varying application-relevant conditions, our algorithm enables real-time hand tracking and is sufficiently accurate for the task of surgical telestration. In a retrospective validation study, a mean detection accuracy of 98%, a mean keypoint regression accuracy of 10.0 px and a mean Dice Similarity Coefficient of 0.95 were achieved. In a prospective validation study, it showed uncompromised performance when the sensor, operator or gesture varied.

Conclusion

Due to its high accuracy and fast inference time, our neural network-based approach to hand tracking is well suited for an AR approach to surgical telestration. Future work should be directed to evaluating the clinical value of the approach.
Effect of Significant Postoperative Complications on Decision Regret After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: a Case–Control Study
Authors: Bartosiak Katarzyna , Janik Michał R. , Walędziak Maciej , Paśnik Krzysztof , Kwiatkowski Andrzej
Published: May 2022

Background

Thus far, no data are available on decision regret about sleeve gastrectomy (SG), particularly in patients who experienced perioperative complications. This study aimed to assess whether patients with postoperative complications regret their decision to undergo laparoscopic SG more than patients with an uneventful postoperative course.

Methods

The study group comprised patients with complications after laparoscopic SG (cases). The control group comprised patients who did not experience any postoperative complications (controls). A telephone survey was conducted on all patients. Patients’ satisfaction regarding their decision to undergo surgery was assessed using the Decision Regret Scale.

Results

In total, 21 patients who experienced postoperative complications and 69 controls were included. The patients in the study and control groups achieved similar percentages of total weight loss (32.9 ± 11.9 vs. 33.8 ± 15.0, p = 0.717) and excessive body mass index loss (74.9 ± 30.7 vs. 73.1 ± 36.7, p = 0.398) at 1 year postoperatively. The difference in weight change at 12 months postoperatively was not significant in both groups. The mean regret scores in the study and control groups were 13.2 ± 1.2 (range, 28–63) and 13.3 ± 1.1 (range, 12–66) (p = 0.818), respectively. Moreover, no significant difference was found among patients who expressed regret between the study and control groups (regret score > 50; 4.76% vs. 4.35%) (p = 1.000).

Conclusion

This study suggests that patients with postoperative complications do not regret their decision to undergo SG more than patients with an uneventful postoperative course.

Graphical abstract
Performance of the aldosterone-to-renin ratio as a screening test for primary aldosteronism in primary care
Authors: Ariens Joshua , Horvath Andrea R. , Yang Jun , Choy Kay Weng
Published: May 2022

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common and potentially curable form of secondary hypertension, affecting 5–10% of primary care patients with hypertension. Primary care physicians have an important role in initiating the screening for PA in patients with hypertension and referring to a specialist service depending on the screening test results. The currently recommended screening test for PA is the plasma aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR). Test results are influenced by medications so careful patient preparation is required including adjusting existing antihypertensive medications to avoid diagnostic errors. A range of laboratory method-dependent ARR thresholds are used for the screening of PA around the world. Periodic clinical audits and case reviews by clinicians and the laboratory may help refine the local thresholds. Patients with an abnormally elevated ARR should be referred to a specialist for confirmatory testing while patients with a high pre-test probability but a normal ARR could have a repeat test in view of the within-individual variability. Despite the heterogenous ARR thresholds, measuring the ARR is still more likely to detect PA than not screening at all.
Cardiac mass many years after heart transplantation—a case report
Authors: Dallapellegrina Lucia , Sciatti Edoardo , Vizzardi Enrico , D’Aloia Antonio
Published: May 2022

The bi-atrial surgical technique of heart transplantation is associated with postoperative atrial dysfunction, sinus node dysfunction, valvular dysfunction, and bi-atrial enlargement predisposing to atrial arrhythmia with thrombus formation. This report deals with a very late thrombus formation in the neo-atrium of a heart transplanted using the bi-atrial technique. The absence of arrhythmia and absence of any history of intake of prothrombotic medications make it noteworthy.
Enablers for resilience and pandemic preparedness in food supply chain
Authors: Kumar Mukesh , Raut Rakesh D. , Sharma Mahak , Choubey Vikas Kumar , Paul Sanjoy Kumar
Published: May 2022

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous disruptions to supply chain (SCs). Border restrictions forced countless businesses to close either permanently or temporarily. However, the food industry is an essential sector that needs to be operational during a pandemic. Although the food industry has proactively worked towards fulfilling human needs, the food supply chain (FSC) faced numerous challenges, forcing SC managers to rethink their business strategy to cater to consumer demands effectively. In a pandemic situation, manufacturing operations need to repurpose and adapt to produce different high-demand products. Resilience initiatives help fight disruption phases in an uncertain environment by building capacity to resist and recover to a better position. This study identifies 14 key enablers to develop a resilient FSC and reveals the most significant enablers in India. We used a hybrid Delphi-interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (Fuzzy-DEMATEL) methodology to achieve these goals. The Delphi technique identified essential enablers, while the ISM analyzed the interrelationship among enablers and level of importance in a hierarchical structural model. Finally, the Fuzzy-DEMATEL categorized the enablers into the cause-effect group. This study helps SC decision-makers recognize the enablers and the contextual and causal relationships to improve resilience initiatives. It also helps them repurpose their manufacturing operations and shift to other highly required and high-demand production.
Distribution and Frequency of Salivary Gland Tumours: An International Multicenter Study
Authors: Alsanie Ibrahim , Rajab Shahad , Cottom Hannah , Adegun Oluyori , Agarwal Reshma , Jay Amrita , Graham Laura , James Jacqueline , Barrett A. William , van Heerden Willie , de Vito Mariano , Canesso Alessandra , Adisa Akinyele Olumuyiwa , Akinshipo Abdul-Warith Olaitan , Ajayi Oluseyi Folake , Nwoga Mark Chukwuemeka , Okwuosa Chukwubuzor Udokwu , Omitola Olufemi Gbenga , Orikpete Efetobo Victor , Soluk-Tekkesin Merva , Bello Ibrahim O. , Qannam Ahmed , Gonzalez Wilfredo , Pérez-de-Oliveira Maria Eduarda , Santos-Silva Alan Roger , Vargas Pablo Agustin , Toh Eu-Wing , Khurram Syed Ali
Published: May 2022

Background

Salivary gland tumours (SGT) are a relatively rare group of neoplasms with a wide range of histopathological appearance and clinical features. To date, most of the epidemiological studies on salivary gland tumours are limited for a variety of reason including being out of date, extrapolated from either a single centre or country studies, or investigating either major or minor glands only.

Methods

This study aimed to mitigate these shortcomings by analysing epidemiological data including demographic, anatomical location and histological diagnoses of SGT from multiple centres across the world. The analysed data included age, gender, location and histological diagnosis from fifteen centres covering the majority of the world health organisation (WHO) geographical regions between 2006 and 2019.

Results

A total of 5739 cases were analysed including 65% benign and 35% malignant tumours. A slight female predilection (54%) and peak incidence between the fourth and seventh decade for both benign and malignant tumours was observed. The majority (68%) of the SGT presented in major and 32% in the minor glands. The parotid gland was the most common location (70%) for benign and minor glands (47%) for malignant tumours. Pleomorphic adenoma (70%), and Warthin’s tumour (17%), were the most common benign tumours whereas mucoepidermoid carcinoma (26%) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (17%) were the most frequent malignant tumours.

Conclusions

This multicentre investigation presents the largest cohort study to date analysing salivary gland tumour data from tertiary centres scattered across the globe. These findings should serve as a baseline for future studies evaluating the epidemiological landscape of these tumours.
Genome-wide SNP analysis reveals the selection signatures of two indigenous buffalo breeds in Sichuan
Authors: Wang Wei , Fang Donghui , Shi Yi , He Fang , Gan Jia , Fu Maozhong , Deng Xiaodong , Zhang Tao , Shen Hongbing , Zhong Shengchao , Aguo Yueda , Chen Luxi , An Naza , Zhang Zhiguang , Yi Ji
Published: May 2022

Sichuan Province spawned abundant of indigenous buffalo varieties, which probably harbor valuable gene resources beneficial to the genetic improvement of buffalo. However, limited genetic information was publicly available. To better understand their selection signatures between different populations, we performed a restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to explore genome-wide SNPs among two indigenous breeds of Sichuan buffaloes. As a result, a total of 2,110,077 high-quality SNPs were finally obtained. Population genetic analysis indicated a obviously genetic differentiation between two breeds. The detection of selective genes showed that 995 and 910 protein-coding genes underwent positive selection in Yibin buffalo (GYBS) and Dechang buffalo (XCS). Further functional analysis revealed distinctly discrepant selection in two breeds. Candidate genes that positively selected from Yibin buffaloes have mainly occurred in functions closely related to meat quality, complex living environment adaption capability, and disease resistance. While they were significantly enriched in cell proliferation and cell components in Dechang buffalo, indicating the selection pressure primarily derived from the requirement of organism growth and development speed during breed formation. Our dataset constitutes a promising reservoir of genome-wide SNP markers of Sichuan buffaloes and provides potentially traits selected in different local populations. Such comprehensive genetic resources offer an unprecedented opportunity for genetic association analysis of economically important traits and precision breeding programs in buffaloes.
Concept learning consistency under three-way decision paradigm
Authors: Aranda-Corral Gonzalo A. , Borrego-Díaz Joaquín , Galán-Páez Juan
Published: May 2022

Concept Mining is one of the main challenges both in Cognitive Computing and in Machine Learning. The ongoing improvement of solutions to address this issue raises the need to analyze whether the consistency of the learning process is preserved. This paper addresses a particular problem, namely, how the concept mining capability changes under the reconsideration of the hypothesis class. The issue will be raised from the point of view of the so-called Three-Way Decision (3WD) paradigm. The paradigm provides a sound framework to reconsider decision-making processes, including those assisted by Machine Learning. Thus, the paper aims to analyze the influence of 3WD techniques in the Concept Learning Process itself. For this purpose, we introduce new versions of the Vapnik-Chervonenkis dimension. Likewise, to illustrate how the formal approach can be instantiated in a particular model, the case of concept learning in (Fuzzy) Formal Concept Analysis is considered.
Attitudes Towards Parents of Trans Children and Their Rights: An Australian Study
Authors: Riggs Damien W. , Rosenberg Shoshana , Navarro Danielle J.
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Trans children and their parents face challenges in both their private and public lives. In terms of the latter, public attitudes toward trans children and their parents can significantly impact experiences of inclusion or exclusion, including in terms of rights. Yet, to date, while a substantive body of research has focused on attitudes toward trans people in general, lacking is a focus on trans children and their parents.

Methods

The study reported in this paper involved data collected in 2021 with a convenience sample of people living in Australia, who were asked to respond to a series of vignettes featuring accounts of parents of children of different gender modalities and genders, and participants were asked to rate the parents of the children in the vignettes. Participants also completed measures about traditional views of motherhood and fatherhood, a social dominance measure, a measure of values, and a measure of attitudes towards trans rights.

Results

The findings suggest mothers were rated more negatively than fathers, those with more traditional views about mothers and fathers rated all vignettes more negatively, and those with more positive attitudes toward trans rights rated all vignettes more positively. There were no differences in ratings of parents based on the gender modality of the child; however, parents of non-binary children were rated most negatively.

Conclusions

Together, the findings suggest broad support for trans children and their parents among the sample.

Policy Implications

The findings suggest that any restrictions to the rights or inclusion of trans children and their parents would likely not align with the views of people living in Australia.
Fractional Euler numbers and generalized proportional fractional logistic differential equation
Authors: Nieto Juan J.
Published: May 2022

We solve a logistic differential equation for generalized proportional Caputo fractional derivative. The solution is found as a fractional power series. The coefficients of that power series are related to the Euler polynomials and Euler numbers as well as to the sequence of Euler’s fractional numbers recently introduced. Some numerical approximations are presented to show the good approximations obtained by truncating the fractional power series. This generalizes previous cases including the Caputo fractional logistic differential equation and Euler’s numbers.
An eco-epidemic model with seasonal variability: a non-autonomous model
Authors: Gupta Jyoti , Dhar Joydip , Sinha Poonam
Published: May 2022

Seasonal variability strongly affects the animal population in wildlife. It becomes essential to model seasonality in eco-epidemic dynamics to know the effect of system parameters in a periodic environment. This article presents a set of non-autonomous differential equations with time-varying disease transmission rates among prey and predators, the mortality rate of a diseased predator, the predation rate of healthy prey, and an additional food supply. The positiveness, boundedness, and presence of solution are derived. We have proved that the infection-free state is stable if periodic basic reproduction number $$R_C(t)<1$$

R
C

(
t
)

<
1

. The stability of the coexistence state is shown at $$R_C(t)>1$$

R
C

(
t
)

>
1

using the Poincare map and comparison theory. The significance of the parameters related to disease transmission and prevalence is described using sensitivity analysis. Numerical simulation verified our analytical findings and proved that the predator control strategies in the periodic environment via controlling predation rate, disease transmission rate among predators, and death rate of diseased prey lead the system towards an infection-free environment.
Non-contact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Epidemiology in Team-Ball Sports: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis by Sex, Age, Sport, Participation Level, and Exposure Type
Authors: Chia Lionel , De Oliveira Silva Danilo , Whalan Matthew , McKay Marnee J. , Sullivan Justin , Fuller Colin W. , Pappas Evangelos
Published: May 2022

Background

Not all anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are preventable. While some ACL injuries are unavoidable such as those resulting from a tackle, others that occur in non-contact situations like twisting and turning in the absence of external contact might be more preventable. Because ACL injuries commonly occur in team ball-sports that involve jumping, landing and cutting manoeuvres, accurate information about the epidemiology of non-contact ACL injuries in these sports is needed to quantify their extent and burden to guide resource allocation for risk-reduction efforts.

Objective

To synthesize the evidence on the incidence and proportion of non-contact to total ACL injuries by sex, age, sport, participation level and exposure type in team ball-sports.

Methods

Six databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, Scopus and SPORTDiscus) were searched from inception to July 2021. Cohort studies of team ball-sports reporting number of knee injuries as a function of exposure and injury mechanism were included.

Results

Forty-five studies covering 13 team ball-sports were included. The overall proportion of non-contact to total ACL injuries was 55% (95% CI 48–62, I2 = 82%; females: 63%, 95% CI 53–71, I2 = 84%; males: 50%, 95% CI 42–58, I2 = 86%). The overall incidence of non-contact ACL injuries was 0.07 per 1000 player-hours (95% CI 0.05–0.10, I2 = 77%), and 0.05 per 1000 player-exposures (95% CI 0.03–0.07, I2 = 97%). Injury incidence was higher in female athletes (0.14 per 1000 player-hours, 95% CI 0.10–0.19, I2 = 40%) than male athletes (0.05 per 1000 player-hours, 95% CI 0.03–0.07, I2 = 48%), and this difference was significant. Injury incidence during competition was higher (0.48 per 1000 player-hours, 95% CI 0.32–0.72, I2 = 77%; 0.32 per 1000 player-exposures, 95% CI 0.15–0.70, I2 = 96%) than during training (0.04 per 1000 player-hours, 95% CI 0.02–0.07, I2 = 63%; 0.02 per 1000 player-exposures, 95% CI 0.01–0.05, I2 = 86%) and these differences were significant. Heterogeneity across studies was generally high.

Conclusion

This study quantifies several key epidemiological findings for ACL injuries in team ball-sports. Non-contact ACL injuries represented over half of all ACL injuries sustained. The proportion of non-contact to total ACL injuries and injury incidence were higher in female than in male athletes. Injuries mostly occurred in competition settings.
The Dynamics of Complex Box Mappings
Authors: Clark Trevor , Drach Kostiantyn , Kozlovski Oleg , Strien Sebastian van
Published: May 2022

In holomorphic dynamics, complex box mappings arise as first return maps to well-chosen domains. They are a generalization of polynomial-like mapping, where the domain of the return map can have infinitely many components. They turned out to be extremely useful in tackling diverse problems. The purpose of this paper is:

To illustrate some pathologies that can occur when a complex box mapping is not induced by a globally defined map and when its domain has infinitely many components, and to give conditions to avoid these issues.

To show that once one has a box mapping for a rational map, these conditions can be assumed to hold in a very natural setting. Thus, we call such complex box mappings dynamically natural. Having such box mappings is the first step in tackling many problems in one-dimensional dynamics.

Many results in holomorphic dynamics rely on an interplay between combinatorial and analytic techniques. In this setting, some of these tools are:

the Enhanced Nest (a nest of puzzle pieces around critical points) from Kozlovski, Shen, van Strien (Ann Math 165:749–841, 2007), referred to below as KSS;

the Covering Lemma (which controls the moduli of pullbacks of annuli) from Kahn and Lyubich (Ann Math 169(2):561–593, 2009);

the QC-Criterion and the Spreading Principle from KSS.

The purpose of this paper is to make these tools more accessible so that they can be used as a ‘black box’, so one does not have to redo the proofs in new settings.

To give an intuitive, but also rather detailed, outline of the proof from KSS and Kozlovski and van Strien (Proc Lond Math Soc (3) 99:275–296, 2009) of the following results for non-renormalizable dynamically natural complex box mappings:

puzzle pieces shrink to points,

(under some assumptions) topologically conjugate non-renormalizable polynomials and box mappings are quasiconformally conjugate.

We prove the fundamental ergodic properties for dynamically natural box mappings. This leads to some necessary conditions for when such a box mapping supports a measurable invariant line field on its filled Julia set. These mappings are the analogues of Lattès maps in this setting.

We prove a version of Mañé’s Theorem for complex box mappings concerning expansion along orbits of points that avoid a neighborhood of the set of critical points.
Violence Against Black Lives Matter Protestors: a Review
Authors: Chaudhary Mihir J. , Richardson Joseph
Published: May 2022

Purpose of Review

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests against racialized police violence represents the most prolific mass social movement in modern times. It has been met by sustained and repressive violence by state authorities and right-wing groups. This review seeks to synthesize existing scholarly, journalistic, case report, and crowd sourced data on violence directed against BLM protestors.

Recent Findings

Data from various sources suggests that police disproportionately target BLM protests for violent intervention. There is also mounting evidence of organized and vigilante right-wing violence targeting BLM protestors. While police frequently use chemical irritants and projectiles, right-wing protestors often use car ramming to bluntly injure protestors. The true scale and nature of injuries affecting BLM protestors remains unknown though injuries resulting in the need for intensive care, operative intervention, permanent morbidity, and mortality have been reported.

State and conservative civilian violence against BLM protestors represents an ongoing threat to the right to organize and publicly dissent. The use of force manifested by police and right-wing groups against BLM protestors resulted in significant injury and mortality.
COVID-19 and 5G conspiracy theories: long term observation of a digital wildfire
Authors: Langguth Johannes , Filkuková Petra , Brenner Stefan , Schroeder Daniel Thilo , Pogorelov Konstantin
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the lives of people worldwide, and consequently, it has dominated world news since March 2020. Thus, it is no surprise that it has also been the topic of a massive amount of misinformation, which was most likely amplified by the fact that many details about the virus were not known at the start of the pandemic. While a large amount of this misinformation was harmless, some narratives spread quickly and had a dramatic real-world effect. Such events are called digital wildfires. In this paper we study a specific digital wildfire: the idea that the COVID-19 outbreak is somehow connected to the introduction of 5G wireless technology, which caused real-world harm in April 2020 and beyond. By analyzing early social media contents we investigate the origin of this digital wildfire and the developments that lead to its wide spread. We show how the initial idea was derived from existing opposition to wireless networks, how videos rather than tweets played a crucial role in its propagation, and how commercial interests can partially explain the wide distribution of this particular piece of misinformation. We then illustrate how the initial events in the UK were echoed several months later in different countries around the world.
Design and development of methodology for construction of thin white topping for rural roads in India
Authors: Patil R. Y. , Ranadive M. S.
Published: May 2022

A large proportion of villages in India have been connected with water bound macadam (WBM) or bituminous roads. Rural roads usually have a low volume of traffic, consisting mostly of light transport vehicles with less frequency of heavy traffic. Maintenance of these roads is neglected because of the paucity of funds and the created road asset is in deteriorated condition. The non-availability of suitable soil and aggregates has made projects unviable and cost prohibitive. This aggregate scarcity will increase further as a result of environmental conservation and restriction on mining. There is a need to develop alternative pavement designs to construct sustainable and durable rural roads. The stabilization of soil/aggregate is being used worldwide towards optimal usage of scarce resources. The concepts of soil/aggregate stabilization and Cold In Place Recycling technique provide a comprehensive solution for rehabilitation of existing road and greenfield road construction. Cold In Place Recycling process allows usage of locally available marginal materials. The stabilization process can use a wide range of stabilization agents such as soil-aggregate mix, lime, cement, fly ash, foamed bitumen, emulsion, polymers, and other proprietary chemical stabilizers. Two rural roads are identified under Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Research and Development Scheme. Pavements are designed considering cement treated base. These roads are constructed using the Cold In Place Recycling technique. The existing water bound macadam (WBM)/deteriorated bituminous surface is stabilized with cement. Bituminous concrete and Thin White Topping are provided as wearing course. The performance of pavement is evaluated after 2 years of construction. Also, the balance life of the pavement is checked and the results are satisfactory. The stabilized pavements offer superior strength and longevity, even in extreme climatic conditions, and provide better performance. The design charts for Thin White Topping for rural roads are not available, hence the design charts for Thin White Topping of M30/M35/M40 grade concrete on Cement Treated Base of varying thickness and different subgrade CBR are prepared based on IRC 62-2014 for traffic less than 50 CVPD, 51 to 150 CVPD, and less than 450 CVPD. These charts are ready to use and act as a guide to the Field Engineers. The optimum thickness of Thin White Topping can be selected from the chart for known subgrade CBR and Traffic. The effect of variation of CTB thickness on Thin White Topping thickness can be determined from the chart.
Image-guided color mapping for categorical data visualization
Authors: Zheng Qian , Lu Min , Wu Sicong , Hu Ruizhen , Lanir Joel , Huang Hui
Published: May 2022

Appropriate color mapping for categorical data visualization can significantly facilitate the discovery of underlying data patterns and effectively bring out visual aesthetics. Some systems suggest predefined palettes for this task. However, a predefined color mapping is not always optimal, failing to consider users’ needs for customization. Given an input categorical data visualization and a reference image, we present an effective method to automatically generate a coloring that resembles the reference while allowing classes to be easily distinguished. We extract a color palette with high perceptual distance between the colors by sampling dominant and discriminable colors from the image’s color space. These colors are assigned to given classes by solving an integer quadratic program to optimize point distinctness of the given chart while preserving the color spatial relations in the source image. We show results on various coloring tasks, with a diverse set of new coloring appearances for the input data. We also compare our approach to state-of-the-art palettes in a controlled user study, which shows that our method achieves comparable performance in class discrimination, while being more similar to the source image. User feedback after using our system verifies its efficiency in automatically generating desirable colorings that meet the user’s expectations when choosing a reference.
The Complete Set of Thermo-mechanical-Radiation Methods, Simulations and Results for a Swarm of Nanorovers Deployed on the Moon’s Surface (Lunar Zebro Mission)
Authors: Tejeda J. M. , Fajardo P. , Verma M. K. , Verhoeven C.
Published: May 2022

Lunar Zebro’s mission is heading the race for deploying the world’s smallest and lightest swarm of nanorovers on the surface of Moon. The concept validation of a single nanorover is of crucial importance, as it will be the launching pad for deploying a swarm of those nanorovers thereafter. Then, they will get connected in a network, acting as a single device and performing scientific missions analyzing data from remote points on the Moon’s surface. In the current study, the complete set of thermo-mechanical-radiation analyses for Lunar Zebro nanorovers are carried out. These range from the Ground Segment to the Moon environment, taking also into account the extreme mechanical and thermal environment at launch-transit conditions when the nanorover is attached to the lander. An innovative ray tracing method to evaluate the effect of the thermal environment on the Lunar Zebro nanorovers is explained in this paper. Material choices, structural design, and mechanical/thermal strategies for the nanorover to overcome the launch, space and Moon’s conditions are shown. The different analyses methods used, expected loads and results obtained should serve as a baseline for evaluating the behaviour of other small devices attached to a lander when aiming for any space mission. More specifically, for those aiming to go to the Moon, the environmental and mechanical expectations here can also be implemented. The ultimate outcome of the paper is the environmental survivability assurance from an analytical perspective of these nanorovers when being sent to the Moon. The validation of the survivability of a single nanorover will be a breakthrough in the space swarm robotics’ field, resulting in the successful performance of the lightest swarm of nanorovers ever deployed on the Moon’s surface.
Determinants of under-five malnutrition, significant changes, and policy implications in the Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey, 2019
Authors: Wondimu Habtamu , Dejene Kassahun
Published: May 2022

This study, which used data from the 2019 mini DHS, was to look at the determinants of under-five malnutrition, policy implications, and significant changes in the Ethiopian demographic survey between 2016 and 2019 concerning its determinant factors. This data is the fifth and latest demographic and health survey in Ethiopia, conducted from March 21, 2019, to June 28, 2019. The EDHS 2019 interviewed 9012 women, but only 8885 completed the questionnaire. This EDHS provides a detailed examination of Ethiopia’s overall population, child health, and maternal issues using a cross-sectional study design. The results showed that 24–35 (AOR = 4.11, 95% CI [2.13, 7.94]) and 12–17-month-old children faced severe stunting more than three times as often compared to children who were less than eleven months old (AOR = 3.11, 95% CI [1.13, 7.94]). The problem of child wasting was also highly severe in Ethiopian-Somalia and Gambela, with 32% in both. Children in these regions were two or three times more vulnerable to wasting compared to the other areas (AOR = 3.42, 95% CI [0.42–0.55]) and (AOR = 2.99, 95% CI [0.75–1.57]). This study found that stunting prevalence increased by 22% among children aged 6–8 months and by 44% among children aged 48–59 months. Nonetheless, the highest rate (45%) of stunting, wasting, and underweight was observed in children aged 24–35 months, and it was significantly higher in males (40%) than in females (33%). Comparatively, the Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey of 2019 showed a slight reduction in the problems of stunting, wasting, and underweight issues among children under five, at 37%. Still, based on the findings, the authors recommend that multi-factor treatments be used to address the nutritional condition of children. By providing essential services, policy measures that reduce the impact of undernutrition may be implemented to increase access to health care. Moreover, this study recommends the federal government pay attention to children’s well-being above 24 months, and it might be resolved through the Agricultural Development Led Industrialization (ADLI) strategy and related food security initiatives.
Completely Solving the Quintic by Iteration
Authors: Crass Scott
Published: May 2022

In the late nineteenth century, Felix Klein revived the problem of solving the quintic equation from the moribund state into which Galois had placed it. Klein’s approach was a mix of algebra and geometry built on the structure of the regular icosahedron. His method’s key feature is the connection between the quintic’s Galois group and the rotational symmetries of the icosahedron. Roughly a century after Klein’s work, Doyle and McMullen developed an algorithm for solving the quintic that also exploited icosahedral symmetry. Their innovation was to employ a symmetrical dynamical system in one complex variable. In effect, the dynamical behavior provides for a partial breaking of the polynomial’s symmetry and the extraction of two roots following one iterative run of the map. The recent discovery of a map whose dynamics breaks all of the quintic’s symmetry allows for five roots to emerge from a single pass. After sketching some algebraic and geometric background, the discussion works out an explicit procedure that deploys the special map in order to solve the quintic in a complete sense.
Epistemic demarcations as social erasures: taste and the politics of distinction from the ‘revolutions of wisdom’ to the ‘Green Revolution’
Authors: Hamati-Ataya Inanna
Published: May 2022

The epistemic and aesthetic dimensions of taste are always inscribed in conceptions of the social order that the discourse on taste simultaneously enacts and rationalizes, while veiling the logics of difference and power it thereby affirms and reproduces. This article illustrates the entanglement of social and intellectual hierarchies that anchors the resolution of the problem of taste in the mechanisms of social distinction and erasure. It does so by examining four socio-epistemic configurations in the history of Western knowledge. The first vignette contextualizes the original devaluation of taste in the competition between the Socratic philosophers and epistemic labourers whose elevation of taste disrupted the Athenian aristocratic order. The second vignette explores the entanglement of humoural theory with the racial and religious orders of the premodern age, as imperial encounters threatened European identity brought into contact with the tastes of others. The third vignette examines how the epistemic status of gustatory taste became anchored in the hierarchy of cultural taste within British empirical philosophy. Finally, the paper tracks new forms of social distinction in the resistance to the globalization of food systems and to the democratization of culinary tastes, as manifested in the constitution of an exclusivist ‘standard of taste’ for wine appreciation.
Identification and physical disconnect in Russian foreign policy: Georgia as a Western proxy once again?
Authors: Wilhelmsen Julie
Published: May 2022

Evolving official Russian identifications of Georgia amount to a dangerous securitisation of this small neighbour – achieved through a focus not on Georgia itself but on Western engagement in the region. With the long absence of face-to-face diplomatic encounters and contact, the Russian idea of Georgia as a ‘Western proxy’ has become entrenched. This article advances a social explanation of Russian foreign policy that speaks to geopolitical explanations in foregrounding great power interaction and security by drawing on insights from a discourse-theoretical reading of securitisation theory. It adds value to social explanations by showing how the identification of another political entity can be changed into that of a ‘proxy’ through its integration into a larger ‘radically different other’, and how this expansion occurs in interplay with interpretations of physical manifestations of the larger ‘radically different other’ in the ‘proxy’. Finally, it draws attention to the impact of physical encounters on foreign policy in these times of COVID-19, war, and growing isolationism in world affairs.
Chow rings of stacks of prestable curves I
Authors: Bae Younghan , Schmitt Johannes , Skowera Jonathan
Published: May 2022

We study the Chow ring of the moduli stack

$\mathfrak {M}_{g,n}$

of prestable curves and define the notion of tautological classes on this stack. We extend formulas for intersection products and functoriality of tautological classes under natural morphisms from the case of the tautological ring of the moduli space

$\overline {\mathcal {M}}_{g,n}$

of stable curves. This paper provides foundations for the paper [BS21].

In the appendix (jointly with J. Skowera), we develop the theory of a proper, but not necessary projective, pushforward of algebraic cycles. The proper pushforward is necessary for the construction of the tautological rings of

$\mathfrak {M}_{g,n}$

and is important in its own right. We also develop operational Chow groups for algebraic stacks.
Point Degree Spectra of Represented Spaces
Authors: Kihara Takayuki , Pauly Arno
Published: May 2022

We introduce the point degree spectrum of a represented space as a substructure of the Medvedev degrees, which integrates the notion of Turing degrees, enumeration degrees, continuous degrees and so on. The notion of point degree spectrum creates a connection among various areas of mathematics, including computability theory, descriptive set theory, infinite-dimensional topology and Banach space theory. Through this new connection, for instance, we construct a family of continuum many infinite-dimensional Cantor manifolds with property C whose Borel structures at an arbitrary finite rank are mutually nonisomorphic. This resolves a long-standing question by Jayne and strengthens various theorems in infinite-dimensional topology such as Pol’s solution to Alexandrov’s old problem.
Russkiias the NewRossiiskii? Nation-Building in Russia After 1991
Authors: Blakkisrud Helge
Published: May 2022

Russia’s post-1991 nation-building project has been torn between competing interpretations of national identity. Whereas the other former Soviet republics opted for nation-building centered on the titular nation, Russia’s approach to national identity was framed by the fact that the RSFSR had been definednotas a designated national homeland but as a multi-ethnic federation. This, coupled with Russia’s definition as the legal successor of the Soviet Union, suggesting continuity and a history of uninterrupted statehood, has enabled a range of rivaling understandings of how to define the “nation.” Focusing on top-down official nation-building, this article examines how, against a backdrop of shifting political contexts, structural constraints, and popular attitudes, the Kremlin has gradually revised its understanding of what constitutes the “Russian nation.” Four models for post-Soviet Russian nation-building are identified – the ethnic, the multi-national, the civic, and the imperial. Over time, the correlation of forces among these has shifted. The article concludes that, despite some claims of an ethno-nationalist turn after 2014, the Kremlin still employs nationalism instrumentally: National identity has undoubtedly become morerusskii-centered, but, at the same time, the Kremlin keeps the definition of “Russianness” intentionally vague, blurring the boundaries between “nation” and “civilization.”
Morphological and molecular study of Didymodiclinus marginati n. sp. (Trematoda: Didymozoidae) gill parasite of Epinephelus marginatus from the central and western Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Mele Salvatore , De Benedetto Giovanni , Giannetto Alessia , Riolo Kristian , Oliva Sabrina , Reñones Olga , Garippa Giovanni , Merella Paolo , Gaglio Gabriella
Published: May 2022

The current study provides a morphological and molecular characterization of a new species of Didymodiclinus (Trematoda: Didymozoidae) infecting the dusky grouper, Epinephelus marginatus (Teleostei: Serranidae) from the Mediterranean Sea. A total of 279 dusky grouper specimens were examined for didymozoid gill parasites from the Mediterranean Sea between 1998 and 2020. New species differs from the most similar congeneric species by the rudiments of female reproductive organs in functional male specimens, and the seminal receptacle, Mehlis gland and accessory gland cells in functional female specimens, not observed in Didymodiclinus branchialis (Yamaguti, 1970), Didymodiclinus epinepheli (Abdul-Salam, Sreelatha and Farah, 1990) and Didymodiclinus pacificus (Yamaguti, 1938), respectively. These species are also characterized by their different hosts and location within the host tissues, being from other geographical localities. Moreover, this is the first species reported in E. marginatus from the central and western Mediterranean Sea. Genetic analyses were performed on partial 28S and partial internal transcribed spacer-2 ribosomal RNA regions and the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (cox1) gene by polymerase chain reaction. Comparison of genetic sequences of Didymodiclinus marginati n. sp. with the available deposited sequences of 28S revealed that the new isolates cluster with several unidentified didymozoids and groups as a sister clade of the Nematobothrinae subfamily. Moreover, 28S and cox1 phylogenetic trees evidenced that Didymodiclinae is well separated from Didymozoinae and other gonochoric didymozoids. Following both morphological and genetic results, a key of identification for the genus Didymodiclinus is proposed.