bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dredging fundamentally reshapes the ecological significance of 3D terrain features for fish in estuarine seascapes
Authors: Borland Hayden P. , Gilby Ben L. , Henderson Christopher J. , Connolly Rod M. , Gorissen Bob , Ortodossi Nicholas L. , Rummell Ashley J. , Pittman Simon J. , Sheaves Marcus , Olds Andrew D.
Published: January 2022

Context

Landscape modification alters the condition of ecosystems and the structure of terrain, with widespread impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Seafloor dredging impacts a diversity of flora and fauna in many coastal landscapes, and these processes also transform three-dimensional terrain features. The potential ecological significance of these terrain changes in urban seascapes has, however, not been investigated.

Objectives

We examined the effects of terrain variation on fish assemblages in 29 estuaries in eastern Australia, and tested whether dredging changes how fish associate with terrain features.

Methods

We surveyed fish assemblages with baited remote underwater video stations and quantified terrain variation with nine complementary metrics (e.g. depth, aspect, curvature, slope, roughness), extracted from bathymetry maps created with multi-beam sonar.

Results

Fish diversity and abundance were strongly linked to seafloor terrain in both natural and dredged estuaries, and were highest in shallow waters and near features with high curvature. Dredging, however, significantly altered the terrain of dredged estuaries and transformed the significance of terrain features for fish assemblages. Abundance and diversity switched from being correlated with lower roughness and steeper slopes in natural estuaries to being linked to features with higher roughness and gentler slopes in dredged estuaries.

Conclusions

Contrasting fish-terrain relationships highlight previously unrecognised ecological impacts of dredging, but indicate that plasticity in terrain use might be characteristic of assemblages in urban landscapes. Incorporating terrain features into spatial conservation planning might help to improve management outcomes, but we suggest that different approaches would be needed in natural and modified landscapes.
Autonomous Reaction Network Exploration in Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis
Authors: Steiner Miguel , Reiher Markus
Published: January 2022

Autonomous computations that rely on automated reaction network elucidation algorithms may pave the way to make computational catalysis on a par with experimental research in the field. Several advantages of this approach are key to catalysis: (i) automation allows one to consider orders of magnitude more structures in a systematic and open-ended fashion than what would be accessible by manual inspection. Eventually, full resolution in terms of structural varieties and conformations as well as with respect to the type and number of potentially important elementary reaction steps (including decomposition reactions that determine turnover numbers) may be achieved. (ii) Fast electronic structure methods with uncertainty quantification warrant high efficiency and reliability in order to not only deliver results quickly, but also to allow for predictive work. (iii) A high degree of autonomy reduces the amount of manual human work, processing errors, and human bias. Although being inherently unbiased, it is still steerable with respect to specific regions of an emerging network and with respect to the addition of new reactant species. This allows for a high fidelity of the formalization of some catalytic process and for surprising in silico discoveries. In this work, we first review the state of the art in computational catalysis to embed autonomous explorations into the general field from which it draws its ingredients. We then elaborate on the specific conceptual issues that arise in the context of autonomous computational procedures, some of which we discuss at an example catalytic system.

Graphical Abstract
Adolescent Compliance with anti-COVID Measures. Is It Related to Substance Use?
Authors: Rodríguez-Ruiz Joaquín , Zych Izabela , Llorent Vicente J.
Published: January 2022

Prevalence rates of compliance with anti-COVID measures have been widely studied, but little is known about this issue in early adolescence. Moreover, the relation between substance use and compliance with anti-COVID regulations is still unexplored. Thus, this study aimed to determine the level of compliance with anti-COVID measures by adolescents and the link between substance use and compliance with anti-COVID regulations. This was a cross-sectional study including 909 participants (Mage = 12.57; SD = 0.81). The most complied measure was mask-wearing, followed by avoiding hug/kiss friends and, finally, social distancing. All substance use negatively correlated with compliance with measures. However, strong alcohol and tobacco were the only substances significantly related to less compliance of anti-COVID measures after controlling for covariates. These results provide evidence about the relation between substance use and compliance with anti-COVID measures. Strategies addressed to decrease substance use could be effective to reduce behaviours associated with coronavirus transmission.
Risk-Adjusting Mortality in the Nationwide Veterans Affairs Healthcare System
Authors: Prescott Hallie C , Kadel Rajendra P , Eyman Julie R , Freyberg Ron , Quarrick Matthew , Brewer David , Hasselbeck Rachael
Published: January 2022

Background

The US Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system began reporting risk-adjusted mortality for intensive care (ICU) admissions in 2005. However, while the VA’s mortality model has been updated and adapted for risk-adjustment of all inpatient hospitalizations, recent model performance has not been published. We sought to assess the current performance of VA’s 4 standardized mortality models: acute care 30-day mortality (acute care SMR-30); ICU 30-day mortality (ICU SMR-30); acute care in-hospital mortality (acute care SMR); and ICU in-hospital mortality (ICU SMR).

Methods

Retrospective cohort study with split derivation and validation samples. Standardized mortality models were fit using derivation data, with coefficients applied to the validation sample. Nationwide VA hospitalizations that met model inclusion criteria during fiscal years 2017–2018(derivation) and 2019 (validation) were included. Model performance was evaluated using c-statistics to assess discrimination and comparison of observed versus predicted deaths to assess calibration.

Results

Among 1,143,351 hospitalizations eligible for the acute care SMR-30 during 2017–2019, in-hospital mortality was 1.8%, and 30-day mortality was 4.3%. C-statistics for the SMR models in validation data were 0.870 (acute care SMR-30); 0.864 (ICU SMR-30); 0.914 (acute care SMR); and 0.887 (ICU SMR). There were 16,036 deaths (4.29% mortality) in the SMR-30 validation cohort versus 17,458 predicted deaths (4.67%), reflecting 0.38% over-prediction. Across deciles of predicted risk, the absolute difference in observed versus predicted percent mortality was a mean of 0.38%, with a maximum error of 1.81% seen in the highest-risk decile.

Conclusions and Relevance

The VA’s SMR models, which incorporate patient physiology on presentation, are highly predictive and demonstrate good calibration both overall and across risk deciles. The current SMR models perform similarly to the initial ICU SMR model, indicating appropriate adaption and re-calibration.
Knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices (KAP) towards hand hygiene in medical students versus the public
Authors: Mwesigye Patience , Sekhon Baljot , Punni Amit , McDonnell Gemma , Salman Omar , Hyde Sarah , O’Donnell Patrick E.
Published: January 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated morbidity, mortality, and economic disruption has reignited interest in simple protective and preventive measures.

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of hand hygiene in a sample of medical students in Ireland and members of the public to evaluate these within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explored any differences between the two groups.

Methods

A 35-question survey was formulated and circulated to potential participants comprising Irish medical students and members of the public. The data was analysed using Microsoft Excel with P-values being calculated using chi-squared goodness-of-fit analysis.

Results

There were 356 responses to the survey, categorised into medical students and general public populations. Incomplete surveys were removed leaving 303 responses. There was no statistical difference between the groups for attitudes and self-reported practices towards hand hygiene. Statistical differences were found between the two groups in terms of knowledge.

Conclusions

The study showed that medical students and the public had a good knowledge base and positive attitude in regards to hand hygiene. Both groups displayed consensus that the practices are essential, especially within the current pandemic context. However, larger studies, involving multiple universities and a larger portion of the public, may be useful to ascertain whether there is a true difference in the KAP between healthcare students and the general public.
The influence of family firm image on access to financial resources in family SMEs: a signaling theory perspective
Authors: Arzubiaga Unai , De Massis Alfredo , Maseda Amaia , Iturralde Txomin
Published: January 2022

This study investigates whether a projected family firm image can affect access to financial resources, which is key to providing broader strategic options and meeting short-term financial needs, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Building on the signaling literature, we consider the family SME leaders’ perspective and conceptually and empirically examine whether they believe a projected family firm image acts as a credible signal to the lender. We also examine additional boundary conditions influencing the family SME’s projected image–access to financial resources relationship, by specifically investigating whether firm age and size alter the degree of the signaling effect. Our unique data on 289 Spanish family SMEs reveal that projected family firm image can act as an attractive signal to lenders, leading to better access to financial resources for SMEs. Furthermore, firm size reinforces the role of the projected family firm image as a positive signal. These findings address an important practical issue in terms of family firm stakeholder perceptions, offering contributions to the corporate branding, family business, and financing literature.
Moderne Therapieoptionen der Trikuspidalklappeninsuffizienz
Authors: Hell Michaela M. , Treede Hendrik , Münzel Thomas , von Bardeleben Ralph Stephan
Published: January 2022

Das fehlende Bewusstsein für die klinische Relevanz der Trikuspidalklappeninsuffizienz (TI) sowie die hohe intrahospitale Mortalität führten bis vor Kurzem zu einer späten Patientenvorstellung mit häufig bereits irreversibler rechtsventrikulärer Schädigung. Innovative Therapietechniken, neue Bildgebungstechniken und das bessere hämodynamische Verständnis des rechten Herzens revolutionierten in den letzten Jahren die Behandlungsmöglichkeiten der TI. Die vorliegende Arbeit diskutiert die Bedeutung der Rechtsherzfunktion für die Trikuspidalklappentherapie und stellt moderne interventionelle und minimal-invasive chirurgische Techniken vor. Zudem gibt sie einen Ausblick über die aktuelle Entwicklung der innovativen Transkatheter-Trikuspidalklappenersatz-Systeme.
How Ethical Issues Raised by Human–Robot Interaction can Impact the Intention to use the Robot?
Authors: Etemad-Sajadi Reza , Soussan Antonin , Schöpfer Théo
Published: January 2022

The goal of this research is to focus on the ethical issues linked to the interaction between humans and robots in a service delivery context. Through this user study,
we want to see how ethics influence user’s intention to use a robot in a frontline service context. We want to observe the importance of each ethical attribute on user’s intention to use the robot in the future. To achieve this goal, we incorporated a video that showed Pepper, the robot, in action. Then respondents had to answer questions about their perception of robots based on the video. Based on a final sample of 341 respondents, we used structural equation modeling (SEM)
to test our hypotheses. The results show that the most important ethical issue is the Replacement and its implications for labor. When we look at the impact of the ethical issues on the intention to use, we discovered that the variables impacting the most are Social cues, Trust and Safety.
Diversity and time-series analyses of Caribbean deep-sea coral and sponge assemblages on the tropical island slope of Isla de Roatán, Honduras
Authors: Etnoyer Peter J. , Messing Charles G. , Stanley Karl A. , Baumiller Tomasz K. , Lavelle Kate , Shirley Thomas C.
Published: January 2022

Shore-based submersible operations, from 2006 to 2020, have allowed us to examine megabenthic assemblages along the island margin of Isla de Roatán from depths of about 150 to 750 m, including repeated observations of the same organisms. These dives were used to photo-document a diverse benthic assemblage and observe the health and condition of the sessile fauna in a well-explored but relatively undocumented area of the Mesoamerican Reef. Samples were collected by dip net, and some dives profiled the water column chemistry in the year 2011. The deep-sea coral assemblage observed off Roatan exhibits high abundance and diversity. The sessile habitat-forming taxa consist primarily of at least 20 different octocorals (e.g., Plexauridae, Primnoidae, Coralliidae, Isididae, and Ellisellidae) and 20 different sponges each (Demospongiae and Hexactinellida), with several known and unknown taxa of Zoantharia, Antipatharia (Bathypathesspp), and Scleractinia (e.g.,Desmophyllum pertusum,Dendrophyllia alternata,Madracis myriaster, and solitary taxa). Crinoidea were also abundant and diverse, represented by at least nine species. Epifaunal assemblages associated with corals include at least 24 macroinvertebrate species dominated byAsteroschema laeve(Ophiuroidea) andChirostylusspp. (Decapoda: Anomura). Repeated observations of a few large octocoral colonies over many years illustrate patterns of predation, recolonization, and epibiont host fidelity, including a 14-year record of decline in a plexaurid octocoral (putativelyParamuriceasp.) and loss of its resident ophiuroids. The shore-based submersible provides a practical and relatively inexpensive platform from which to study coral and sponge assemblages on a deep tropical island slope. The deep-sea coral gardens are likely to harbor new species and new discoveries if more samples can be acquired and made available for taxonomic research.
Comparison of Weightlifting, Traditional Resistance Training and Plyometrics on Strength, Power and Speed: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis
Authors: Morris Stephanie J. , Oliver Jon L. , Pedley Jason S. , Haff G. Gregory , Lloyd Rhodri S.
Published: January 2022

Background

Weightlifting training (WLT) is commonly used to improve strength, power and speed in athletes. However, to date, WLT studies have either not compared training effects against those of other training methods, or been limited by small sample sizes, which are issues that can be resolved by pooling studies in a meta-analysis. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of WLT compared with traditional resistance training (TRT), plyometric training (PLYO) and/or control (CON) on strength, power and speed.

Methods

The systematic review included peer-reviewed articles that employed a WLT intervention, a comparison group (i.e. TRT, PLYO, CON), and a measure of strength, power and/or speed. Means and standard deviations of outcomes were converted to Hedges’ g effect sizes using an inverse variance random-effects model to generate a weighted mean effect size (ES).

Results

Sixteen studies were included in the analysis, comprising 427 participants. Data indicated that when compared with TRT, WLT resulted in greater improvements in weightlifting load lifted (4 studies, p = 0.02, g = 1.35; 95% CI 0.20–2.51) and countermovement jump (CMJ) height (9 studies, p = 0.00, g = 0.95; 95% CI 0.04–1.87). There was also a large effect in terms of linear sprint speed (4 studies, p = 0.13, g = 1.04; 95% CI − 0.03 to 2.39) and change of direction speed (CODS) (2 studies, p = 0.36, g = 1.21; 95% CI − 1.41 to 3.83); however, this was not significant. Interpretation of these findings should acknowledge the high heterogeneity across the included studies and potential risk of bias. WLT and PLYO resulted in similar improvements in speed, power and strength as demonstrated by negligible to moderate, non-significant effects in favour of WLT for improvements in linear sprint speed (4 studies, p = 0.35, g = 0.20; 95% CI − 0.23 to 0.63), CODS (3 studies, p = 0.52, g = 0.17; 95% CI − 0.35 to 0.68), CMJ (6 studies, p = 0.09, g = 0.31; 95% CI − 0.05 to 0.67), squat jump performance (5 studies, p = 0.08, g = 0.34; 95% CI − 0.04 to 0.73) and strength (4 studies, p = 0.20, g = 0.69; 95% CI − 0.37 to 1.75).

Conclusion

Overall, these findings support the notion that if the training goal is to improve strength, power and speed, supplementary weightlifting training may be advantageous for athletic development. Whilst WLT and PLYO may result in similar improvements, WLT can elicit additional benefits above that of TRT, resulting in greater improvements in weightlifting and jumping performance.
The Hughes Court
Authors: Tushnet Mark V.
Published: January 2022

The Hughes Court: From Progressivism to Pluralism, 1930 to 1941 describes the closing of one era in constitutional jurisprudence and the opening of another. This comprehensive study of the Supreme Court from 1930 to 1941 – when Charles Evans Hughes was Chief Justice – shows how nearly all justices, even the most conservative, accepted the broad premises of a Progressive theory of government and the Constitution. The Progressive view gradually increased its hold throughout the decade, but at its end, interest group pluralism began to influence the law. By 1941, constitutional and public law was discernibly different from what it had been in 1930, but there was no sharp or instantaneous Constitutional Revolution in 1937 despite claims to the contrary. This study supports its conclusions by examining the Court's work in constitutional law, administrative law, the law of justiciability, civil rights and civil liberties, and statutory interpretation.
The Long Arc of Legality
Authors: Dyzenhaus David
Published: January 2022

The Long Arc of Legality breaks the current deadlock in philosophy of law between legal positivism and natural law by showing that any understanding of law as a matter of authority must account for the interaction of enacted law with fundamental principles of legality. This interaction conditions law's content so that officials have the moral resources to answer the legal subject's question, 'But, how can that be law for me?' David Dyzenhaus brings Thomas Hobbes and Hans Kelsen into a dialogue with H. L. A. Hart, showing that philosophy of law must work with the idea of legitimate authority and its basis in the social contract. He argues that the legality of international law and constitutional law are integral to the main tasks of philosophy of law, and that legal theory must attend both to the politics of legal space and to the way in which law provides us with a 'public conscience'.
Understanding Intelligence
Authors: Richardson Ken
Published: January 2022

Have you ever wondered why psychologists still can't agree on what intelligence is? Or felt dismayed by debates around individual differences? Criticising the pitfalls of IQ testing, this book explains the true nature of intelligent systems, and their evolution from cells to brains to culture and human minds. Understanding Intelligence debunks many of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding intelligence. It takes a new look at the nature of the environment and the development of 'talent' and achievement. This brings fresh and radical implications for promoting intelligence and creativity, and prompts readers to reconsider their own possibilities and aspirations. Providing a broad context to the subject, the author also unmasks the ideological distortions of intelligence in racism and eugenics, and the suppressed expectations across social classes and genders. This book is a must-read for anyone curious about our own intelligence.
The Mordell Conjecture
Authors: Ikoma Hideaki , Kawaguchi Shu , Moriwaki Atsushi
Published: January 2022

The Mordell conjecture (Faltings's theorem) is one of the most important achievements in Diophantine geometry, stating that an algebraic curve of genus at least two has only finitely many rational points. This book provides a self-contained and detailed proof of the Mordell conjecture following the papers of Bombieri and Vojta. Also acting as a concise introduction to Diophantine geometry, the text starts from basics of algebraic number theory, touches on several important theorems and techniques (including the theory of heights, the Mordell–Weil theorem, Siegel's lemma and Roth's lemma) from Diophantine geometry, and culminates in the proof of the Mordell conjecture. Based on the authors' own teaching experience, it will be of great value to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in algebraic geometry and number theory, as well as researchers interested in Diophantine geometry as a whole.
Structural and System Reliability
Authors: Der Kiureghian Armen
Published: January 2022

Based on material taught at the University of California, Berkeley, this textbook offers a modern, rigorous and comprehensive treatment of the methods of structural and system reliability analysis. It covers the first- and second-order reliability methods for components and systems, simulation methods, time- and space-variant reliability, and Bayesian parameter estimation and reliability updating. It also presents more advanced, state-of-the-art topics such as finite-element reliability methods, stochastic structural dynamics, reliability-based optimal design, and Bayesian networks. A wealth of well-designed examples connect theory with practice, with simple examples demonstrating mathematical concepts and larger examples demonstrating their applications. End-of-chapter homework problems are included throughout. Including all necessary background material from probability theory, and accompanied online by a solutions manual and PowerPoint slides for instructors, this is the ideal text for senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses on structural and system reliability in departments of civil, environmental and mechanical engineering.
Autonomous and cooperative control of UAV cluster with multi-agent reinforcement learning
Authors: Xu D. , Chen G.
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we expolore Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) methods for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cluster. Considering that the current UAV cluster is still in the program control stage, the fully autonomous and intelligent cooperative combat has not been realised. In order to realise the autonomous planning of the UAV cluster according to the changing environment and cooperate with each other to complete the combat goal, we propose a new MARL framework. It adopts the policy of centralised training with decentralised execution, and uses Actor-Critic network to select the execution action and then to make the corresponding evaluation. The new algorithm makes three key improvements on the basis of Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (MADDPG) algorithm. The first is to improve learning framework; it makes the calculated Q value more accurate. The second is to add collision avoidance setting, which can increase the operational safety factor. And the third is to adjust reward mechanism; it can effectively improve the cluster’s cooperative ability. Then the improved MADDPG algorithm is tested by performing two conventional combat missions. The simulation results show that the learning efficiency is obviously improved, and the operational safety factor is further increased compared with the previous algorithm.
Late Acheulean Lithic Assemblages From Locality 010 at Gürgürbaba Hill (Eastern Anatolia)
Authors: Baykara İsmail , Sarıkaya M. Akif , Şahin Serkan , Dinçer Berkay , Ünal Esin
Published: January 2022

The province of Van in north-eastern Turkey served as a land bridge between Africa and Eurasia during the Palaeolithic. The region is of particular relevance for understanding the movement of hominins between these continents. This study concerns the lithic remains from a locality at Gürgürbaba Hill, named Locality 010, north of the village of Ulupamir (Erciş district). Locality 010 was dated to 311±32 kya by terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides method, which coincides with Marine Isotope Stage 9 (MIS 9), a Middle Pleistocene interglacial period. The assemblage from this site is attributed to the Late Acheulean and resembles that of the southern Caucasus. This similarity indicates that the artefacts from Locality 010 were probably produced by late Lower Palaeolithic technology in a broad sense. These findings suggest local adaptations of late Middle Pleistocene hominins to high plateau environments.
The robustness of land equivalent ratio as a measure of yield advantage of multi-crop systems over monocultures
Authors: Deb Debal , Dutta Sreejata
Published: January 2022

Land equivalent ratio (LER) is a most widely used indicator of yield advantage of multi-crop farms over sole-crop farms, and usually measured using crop biomass yield per unit area. Most often, crop yields are compared between both systems using the same area. In this paper, we demonstrate that although the yield per unit area and the yield per plant are widely different, LER remains invariant. As a corollary, area time equivalent ratio and land use efficiency, derived from LER, also remain unchanged when using the two different measures of crop yields. We recommend that when the estimation of the exact land area is difficult due to complex crop planting designs, yield per plant estimate is much easier and equally valid for estimation of LER and its derivative indices.
Unconditional uniqueness for the energy-critical nonlinear Schrödinger equation on
Authors: Chen Xuwen , Holmer Justin
Published: January 2022

We consider the$\mathbb {T}^{4}$cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLS), which is energy-critical. We study the unconditional uniqueness of solutions to the NLS via the cubic Gross–Pitaevskii hierarchy, an uncommon method for NLS analysis which is being explored [24, 35] and does not require the existence of a solution in Strichartz-type spaces. We proveU-Vmultilinear estimates to replace the previously used Sobolev multilinear estimates. To incorporate the weaker estimates, we work out new combinatorics from scratch and compute, for the first time, the time integration limits, in the recombined Duhamel–Born expansion. The new combinatorics and theU-Vestimates then seamlessly conclude the$H^{1}$unconditional uniqueness for the NLS under the infinite-hierarchy framework. This work establishes a unified scheme to prove$H^{1}$uniqueness for the$ \mathbb {R}^{3}/\mathbb {R}^{4}/\mathbb {T}^{3}/\mathbb {T}^{4}$energy-critical Gross–Pitaevskii hierarchies and thus the corresponding NLS.
Sacrifice of the chorda tympani nerve during middle-ear surgery can lead to resolution of dysgeusia
Authors: Lau K L , Tustin H , Stafford F
Published: January 2022

Background

Cholesteatoma often presents with persistent otorrhoea, conductive hearing loss or vestibular dysfunction. Rarely, cholesteatoma can cause dysgeusia if the lesion invades into the chorda tympani nerve. This paper presents an individual with cholesteatoma whose dysgeusia resolved following a mastoidectomy in which the chorda tympani was sacrificed. The current literature was reviewed for explanations behind this phenomenon.

Case report

A previously fit 57-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of persistent otorrhoea and the complaint of a metallic taste in the mouth, and was diagnosed with cholesteatoma. The patient underwent radical mastoidectomy and the chorda tympani nerve was sacrificed. On post-operative review, he reported complete resolution of dysgeusia.

Conclusion

The sense of taste is mediated by a complex neural network. It is possible that once the diseased chorda tympani is transected, compensation arises from other parts of the network. Sectioning of the chorda tympani could lead to a beneficial outcome in selected patients.
The syntax of peripheral adverbial clauses
Authors: BADAN LINDA , HAEGEMAN LILIANE
Published: January 2022

This paper explores the relation between the interpretations ofwhilein English andmentrein Italian introducing adverbial clauses. Centralwhile/mentreclauses express a temporal/aspectual modification of the proposition in the host clause. Peripheralwhile/mentreclauses make accessible a proposition from the discourse context enhancing the relevance of the host proposition. In one approach, clauses introduced by adversativewhile/mentreare analyzed as ‘less integrated’ with the associated clause than those introduced by temporalwhile/mentre.In another approach, adverbial clauses introduced by adversativewhile/mentreare considered not syntactically integrated with the host clause. This paper re-examines the nature of the syntactic integration of the adverbial clauses with the host clause, revealing a parallelism between the adversative peripheralwhile/mentreclauses and speaker-related sentential adverbs, leading to the conclusion that the non-integration analysis is not appropriate for this type of peripheral clauses and that any analysis must be aligned with that of the relevant non-clausal adverbials, supporting Frey (2018, 2020a, b). We also argue that central adverbial clauses recycled as speech event modifiers must be considered non-integrated. Concretely, we propose that they are integrated in discourse, through a specialized layer FrameP (Haegeman & Greco 2018).
Spiaking Singlish: The politics of ludic English in Singapore
Authors: Lee Tong King
Published: January 2022

This article is a case study on how Singaporean intellectuals articulate resistant language ideologies by enregistering the local vernacular, Singlish. The case in point is Gwee Li Sui's 2018 companion Spiaking Singlish, lauded as the first book to be written in Singlish about Singlish. It is argued that in tactically leveraging Singlish in a folk-lexicographical project, Gwee takes the vernacular to the third indexical order; and in so doing, he performs a ludic and extreme form of Singlish through which an everyday tongue turns into a fetish object. Contextualising Gwee's polemics within his tension with the language establishment in Singapore, the article highlights the ethical dilemma implicit in the celebration of languages speaking to an egalitarian ethos, suggesting that in enunciating a vernacular on the order of reflexive performance, intellectuals may inadvertently fashion it into a more elitist language than that which is spoken on the streets. (Singlish, Singapore, enregisterment, performativity, indexicality)
Research trends of blended language learning: A bibliometric synthesis of SSCI-indexed journal articles during 2000–2019
Authors: Li Rui
Published: January 2022

This study aims to synthesize research trends of blended language learning studies over the past two decades, from 2000 to 2019. Data were collected from the Web of Science, and a total of 60 SSCI-indexed journal articles were retrieved for bibliometric synthesis. Drawing on the revised technology-based learning model, participants, learning strategies, research methods, research foci, adopted technologies, and application effectiveness, advantages, and challenges were addressed. The findings demonstrated that publications were increasing rapidly, and that most articles were published in computer-assisted language learning, educational technology, and applied linguistic journals. The most common target language was English as a foreign language, and the most common learners were college students. In most studies, technologies were mainly used for the purposes of practice or exercises. Mixed, quantitative, and qualitative methods were frequently adopted, with a particular eye on the experiment design, questionnaires, and other specific methods in the second decade. Productive language skills, along with autonomy, satisfaction, and motivation, were major research foci. Language management systems and computer and web-based applications were frequently adopted technologies. Findings of application effectiveness, advantages, and challenges were summarized.
Socioeconomic Status and Group Belonging: Evidence from Early-Nineteenth-Century Colonial West Africa
Authors: Galli Stefania
Published: January 2022

This study provides a novel analysis of occupational stratification in Sierra Leone from a historical perspective. By employing census data for early-nineteenth-century colonial Sierra Leone, the present study offers a valuable snapshot of a colony characterized by a heterogenous population of indigenous and migratory origin. The study shows that an association between colonial group categorization and socioeconomic status existed despite the colony being of very recent foundation implying a hierarchical structure of the society. Although Europeans and “mulattoes” occupied most high-status positions, as common in the colonies, indigenous immigrants were also represented in high socioeconomic strata thanks to the opportunities stemming from long- and short-distance trading. However, later arrivals, especially liberated slaves, belonged within the lowest socioeconomic strata of the society and worked as farmers or unskilled labor, suggesting that the time component may also have influence socioeconomic opportunities.
How Does Air‐Sea Wave Interaction Affect Tropical Cyclone Intensity? An Atmosphere‐Wave‐Ocean Coupled Model Study Based on Super Typhoon Mangkhut (2018)
Authors: Li Zhenning , Tam Chi‐Yung , Li Yubin , Lau Ngar‐Cheung , Chen Junwen , Chan S. T. , Dickson Lau Dick‐Shum , Huang Yiyi
Published: January 2022

Capturing TC intensity change remains a great challenge for most state‐of‐the‐art operational forecasting systems. Recent studies found TC intensity forecasts are sensitive to three‐dimensional ocean dynamics and air‐sea interface processes beneath extreme winds. By performing a series of numerical simulations based on hierarchical atmosphere‐wave‐ocean (AWO) coupling configurations, we showed how atmosphere‐ocean and atmosphere‐sea wave coupling can affect the intensity of super typhoon Mangkhut (2018). The AWO coupled model can simulate TC‐related strong winds, oceanic cold wake, and wind waves with high fidelity. With atmosphere‐ocean (AO) coupling implemented, the simulated maximum surface wind speed is reduced by 7 m s−1 compared to the atmosphere‐only run, due to TC‐induced oceanic cold wakes in the former experiment. In the fully coupled AWO simulations, the wind speed deficit can be completely compensated by the wave‐air coupling effect. Further analyses showed that, in the AWO experiment, two mechanisms contribute to the improvement of TC intensity. First, in the high wind scenario (>28 m s−1), the surface drag coefficient reaches an asymptotic level, assisting extreme wind speed to be maintained within the eyewall. Second, the wind speed distribution is modulated and becomes broader; higher wind within the TC area helps to offset the negative effect due to leveling off of the heat exchange coefficient as wind speed increases. Overall, the simulated TC in the AWO run can extract 8–9% more total heat energy from the ocean to maintain its strength, compared to that from the AO experiment.
Adjoint Waveform Tomography of South America
Authors: Ciardelli Caio , Assumpção Marcelo , Bozdağ Ebru , van der Lee Suzan
Published: January 2022

We used 3D spectral‐element seismic wave simulations and data from 112 earthquakes and 1,311 seismic stations, totalizing 20,884 unique ray paths, to construct an adjoint waveform tomographic model of South America. We performed 23 conjugate‐gradient iterations using exponentiated phase (EP) measurements. Our final model (SAAM23, South American Adjoint Model—iteration 23) shows a 50% decrease in the EP misfit relative to its 3D starting model. We further assessed the phase misfit reduction by using cross‐correlation travel‐time measurements of 53 earthquakes not included in the inversion. We estimated SAAM23 resolution using point‐spread function tests and density coverage analysis. The Nazca Slab is well imaged and is shown to be continuous in the 300–500 km depth range. Beneath northern South America, the slab traverses the mantle transition zone and continues into the lower mantle. In the central and southern part of South America, the slab appears to flatten near the 650 km discontinuity before continuing into the lower mantle. In the stable Precambrian platform, both cratons (Amazonian and São Francisco), as well as covered cratonic blocks beneath the intracratonic Paraná and Parnaíba basins (Paranapanema and Parnaíba, respectively), show high velocities at lithospheric depths. The seismic Lithosphere/Asthenosphere boundary (LAB) agrees well with published values obtained by S‐wave receiver functions. In the Amazonian craton, the positive lithospheric S‐wave velocity anomalies and LAB depth increase with the average age of the geochronological provinces. No lithospheric high‐velocity anomalies were found beneath the Río de la Plata Craton.
Microcontinent Breakup and Links to Possible Plate Boundary Reorganization in the Northern Gulf of California, México
Authors: Higa Justin T. , Brown Nathan D. , Moon Seulgi , Stock Joann M. , Sabbeth Leah , Bennett Scott E. K. , Martín‐Barajas Arturo , Argueta Marina O.
Published: January 2022

Faults on microcontinents record the dynamic evolution of plate boundaries. However, most microcontinents are submarine and difficult to study. Here, we show that the southern part of the Isla Ángel de la Guarda (IAG) microcontinent, in the northern Gulf of California rift, is densely faulted by a late Quaternary‐active normal fault zone. To characterize the onshore kinematics of this Almeja fault zone, we integrated remote fault mapping using high‐resolution satellite‐ and drone‐based topography with neotectonic field‐mapping. We produced 13 luminescence ages from sediment deposits offset or impounded by faults to constrain the timing of fault offsets. We found that north‐striking normal faults in the Almeja fault zone continue offshore to the south and likely into the nascent North Salsipuedes basin southwest of IAG. Late Pleistocene and Holocene luminescence ages indicate that the most recent onshore fault activity occurred in the last ∼50 kyr. These observations suggest that the North Salsipuedes basin is kinematically linked with and continues onshore as the active Almeja fault zone. We suggest that fragmentation of the evolving IAG microcontinent may not yet be complete and that the Pacific‐North America plate boundary is either not fully localized onto the Ballenas transform fault and Lower Delfin pull‐apart basin or is in the initial stage of a plate boundary reorganization.
A Flood Risk Framework Capturing the Seasonality of and Dependence Between Rainfall and Sea Levels—An Application to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Authors: Couasnon A. , Scussolini P. , Tran T. V. T. , Eilander D. , Muis S. , Wang H. , Keesom J. , Dullaart J. , Xuan Y. , Nguyen H. Q. , Winsemius H. C. , Ward P. J.
Published: January 2022

State‐of‐the‐art flood hazard maps in coastal cities are often obtained from simulating coastal or pluvial events separately. This method does not account for the seasonality of flood drivers and their mutual dependence. In this article, we include the impact of these two factors in a computationally efficient probabilistic framework for flood risk calculation, using Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) as a case study. HCMC can be flooded subannually by high tide, rainfall, and storm surge events or a combination thereof during the monsoon or tropical cyclones. Using long gauge observations, we stochastically model 10,000 years of rainfall and sea level events based on their monthly distributions, dependence structure and cooccurrence rate. The impact from each stochastic event is then obtained from a damage function built from selected rainfall and sea level combinations, leading to an expected annual damage (EAD) of $1.02 B (95th annual damage percentile of $2.15 B). We find no dependence for most months and large differences in expected damage across months ($36–166 M) driven by the seasonality of rainfall and sea levels. Excluding monthly variability leads to a serious underestimation of the EAD by 72–83%. This is because high‐probability flood events, which can happen multiple times during the year and are properly captured by our framework, contribute the most to the EAD. This application illustrates the potential of our framework and advocates for the inclusion of flood drivers' dynamics in coastal risk assessments.
Machine Learning Algorithms Help Scientists Explore Mars
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: January 2022

Researchers applied machine learning algorithms to several distinct chemical compositions of Mars and suggest that these algorithms could be a powerful tool to map the planet’s surface on a large scale.
Drop in Rain Forest Productivity Could Speed Future Climate Change
Authors: Fritts Rachel
Published: January 2022

As temperatures rise, tropical forests will become more stressed and photosynthesize less.
Dentin tubule occlusion by a 38% silver diamine fluoride gel: an in vitro investigation
Authors: Kiesow Andreas , Menzel Matthias , Lippert Frank , Tanzer Jason M. , Milgrom Peter
Published: January 2022

Objective

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is effective in treatment of dentin hypersensitivity and caries lesions. However, the non-viscous solution does not easily allow clinicians to control the application area. A 38% SDF experiment gel was compared in vitro to commercial SDF for its ability to penetrate and occlude dentinal tubules.

Materials and methods

Human root surface dentin specimens were treated with gelled or standard 38% SDF or negative control. Penetration behavior was established by Drop Shape Analysis. Precipitates at the surface and within tubules were analyzed by SEM and EDX after treatment; Results: penetration depths up to 500 µm were observed for both SDF formulations. Both formulations occluded dentinal tubules similarly. Precipitates on the dentin surface and within dentinal tubules were found for both SDF formulations, with a slight tendency for the experimental gel SDF product to be more abundant than the commercially available one. Discussion: behavior of the experimental 38% SDF gel formulation appeared indistinguishable from the commercial 38% SDF product with respect to dentinal tubule penetration and occlusion.

Conclusions

The experimental 38% SDF gel may be a suitable intervention for the prevention of dentin hypersensitivity.
Handheld SERS coupled with QuEChERs for the sensitive analysis of multiple pesticides in basmati rice
Authors: Logan Natasha , Haughey Simon A. , Liu Lin , Burns D. Thorburn , Quinn Brian , Cao Cuong , Elliott Christopher T.
Published: January 2022

Pesticides are a safety issue globally and cause serious concerns for the environment, wildlife and human health. The handheld detection of four pesticide residues widely used in Basmati rice production using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is reported. Different SERS substrates were synthesised and their plasmonic and Raman scattering properties evaluated. Using this approach, detection limits for pesticide residues were achieved within the range of 5 ppb-75 ppb, in solvent. Various extraction techniques were assessed to recover pesticide residues from spiked Basmati rice. Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERs) acetate extraction was applied and characteristic spectral data for each pesticide was obtained from the spiked matrix and analysed using handheld-SERS. This approach allowed detection limits within the matrix conditions to be markedly improved, due to the rapid aggregation of nanogold caused by the extraction medium. Thus, detection limits for three out of four pesticides were detectable below the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) of 10 ppb in Basmati rice. Furthermore, the multiplexing performance of handheld-SERS was assessed in solvent and matrix conditions. This study highlights the great potential of handheld-SERS for the rapid on-site detection of pesticide residues in rice and other commodities.
Elucidating functional epitopes within the N-terminal region of malaria transmission blocking vaccine antigen Pfs230
Authors: Miura Kazutoyo , Takashima Eizo , Pham Thao P. , Deng Bingbing , Zhou Luwen , Huang Wei-Chiao , Diouf Ababacar , Gebremicale Yonas T. , Tachibana Mayumi , Ishino Tomoko , Richter King C. , Lovell Jonathan F. , Long Carole A. , Tsuboi Takafumi
Published: January 2022

Pfs230 is a leading malaria transmission blocking vaccine (TBV) candidate. Comprising 3135 amino acids (aa), the large size of Pfs230 necessitates the use of sub-fragments as vaccine immunogens. Therefore, determination of which regions induce functional antibody responses is essential. We previously reported that of 27 sub-fragments spanning the entire molecule, only five induced functional antibodies. A “functional” antibody is defined herein as one that inhibitsPlasmodium falciparumparasite development in mosquitoes in a standard membrane-feeding assay (SMFA). These five sub-fragments were found within the aa 443–1274 range, and all contained aa 543–730. Here, we further pinpoint the location of epitopes within Pfs230 that are recognized by functional antibodies using antibody depletion and enrichment techniques. Functional epitopes were not found within the aa 918–1274 region. Within aa 443–917, further analysis showed the existence of functional epitopes not only within the aa 543–730 region but also outside of it. Affinity-purified antibodies using a synthetic peptide matching aa 543–588 showed activity in the SMFA. Immunization with a synthetic peptide comprising this segment, formulated either as a carrier-protein conjugate vaccine or with a liposomal vaccine adjuvant system, induced antibodies in mice that were functional in the SMFA. These findings provide key insights for Pfs230-based vaccine design and establish the feasibility for the use of synthetic peptide antigens for a malaria TBV.
Measuring operational and quality-adjusted efficiency of Chilean water companies
Authors: Sala-Garrido Ramon , Mocholí-Arce Manuel , Molinos-Senante Maria , Maziotis Alexandros
Published: January 2022

The path to a sustainable management of the urban water cycle requires the assessment of both operational and quality-adjusted efficiency in a unified manner. This can be done by the use of non-radial Data Envelopment Analysis models. This study used Range Adjusted Measure models to evaluate the operational, quality-adjusted, and operational & quality-adjusted efficiency (O&QAE) scores of the Chilean water industry including water leakage and unplanned interruptions as undesirable outputs. It was found that on average water utilities presented large O&QAE scores over time. The mean O&QAE score was 0.964 which means that water utilities could further reduce costs and undesirable outputs by 3.6% on average, while trying to expand the scale of operation. This finding suggests that excellent quality-adjusted efficiency at an efficient expenditure could be feasible. It was also evidenced that customer density, mixed water resources, and ownership influenced the O&QAE of Chilean water companies.