bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Between- and Within-Individual Sociodemographic and Psychological Determinants of PrEP Adherence Among Men Who have Sex with Men Prescribed a Daily PrEP Regimen in Wales
Authors: Gillespie David , de Bruin Marijn , Hughes Dyfrig A. , Ma Richard , Williams Adam , Wood Fiona , Couzens Zoë , Jones Adam , Hood Kerenza
Published: November 2022

We investigated the determinants of daily PrEP use and coverage of condomless anal sex (CAS) by PrEP among men who have sex with men in Wales, UK. We measured PrEP use by electronic monitors and CAS by secure online surveys. We defined PrEP use based on daily medication cap openings and coverage as CAS episodes preceded by ≥ 3 days of PrEP use and followed by ≥ 2 days of PrEP use. We included 57 participants (5463 observations). An STI diagnosis was associated with lower PrEP use but also lower PrEP coverage. Older adults had higher PrEP use. A belief that other PrEP users took PrEP as prescribed was associated with lower PrEP coverage. An STI diagnosis is an important cue for an intervention, reflecting episodes of high-risk sexual behaviour and low PrEP coverage. Other results provide a basis for the development of an evidence-informed intervention for promoting coverage of PrEP.
Design and management of humanitarian supply chains: challenges, solutions, and frameworks
Authors: Dubey Rameshwar
Published: November 2022

The design and management of the humanitarian supply chain are the most critical aspects of the humanitarian aid supply chain. Despite enormous interest among the academic community and the practitioners, the design of a humanitarian supply chain is still not well understood. Most of the publications have attempted to address the mechanisms of the humanitarian relief operations. However, the elements of the humanitarian supply chain designs are not well understood in an integrated manner. In this special issue, we have accepted the articles based on six factors that shape the design and management of the humanitarian supply chain and the influencing factors (see Fig. 4). We have noted the research gaps and offered rich directions for future research.
MR-DoC2: Bidirectional Causal Modeling with Instrumental Variables and Data from Relatives
Authors: Castro-de-Araujo Luis F. S. , Singh Madhurbain , Zhou Yi , Vinh Philip , Verhulst Brad , Dolan Conor V. , Neale Michael C.
Published: November 2022

Establishing causality is an essential step towards developing interventions for psychiatric disorders, substance use and many other conditions. While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for causal inference, they are unethical in many scenarios. Mendelian randomization (MR) can be used in such cases, but importantly both RCTs and MR assume unidirectional causality. In this paper, we developed a new model, MRDoC2, that can be used to identify bidirectional causation in the presence of confounding due to both familial and non-familial sources. Our model extends the MRDoC model (Minică et al. in Behav Genet 48:337–349, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-018-9904-4, 2018), by simultaneously including risk scores for each trait. Furthermore, the power to detect causal effects in MRDoC2 does not require the phenotypes to have different additive genetic or shared environmental sources of variance, as is the case in the direction of causation twin model (Heath et al. in Behav Genet 23:29–50, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067552, 1993).
Pulmonary congestion during Exercise stress Echocardiography in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Pálinkás Eszter Dalma , Re Federica , Peteiro Jesus , Tesic Milorad , Pálinkás Attila , Torres Marco Antonio Rodrigues , Dikic Ana Djordjevic , Beleslin Branko , Van De Heyning Caroline M. , D’Alfonso Maria Grazia , Mori Fabio , Ciampi Quirino , de Castro Silva Pretto José Luis , Simova Iana , Nagy Viktória , Boda Krisztina , Sepp Róbert , Olivotto Iacopo , Pellikka Patricia A. , Picano Eugenio
Published: November 2022

Background

B-lines detected by lung ultrasound (LUS) during exercise stress echocardiography (ESE), indicating pulmonary congestion, have not been systematically evaluated in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Aim

To assess the clinical, anatomical and functional correlates of pulmonary congestion elicited by exercise in HCM.

Methods

We enrolled 128 HCM patients (age 52 ± 15 years, 72 males) consecutively referred for ESE (treadmill in 46, bicycle in 82 patients) in 10 quality-controlled centers from 7 countries (Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Spain). ESE assessment at rest and peak stress included: mitral regurgitation (MR, score from 0 to 3); E/e’; systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (SPAP) and end-diastolic volume (EDV). Change from rest to stress was calculated for each variable. Reduced preload reserve was defined by a decrease in EDV during exercise. B-lines at rest and at peak exercise were assessed by lung ultrasound with the 4-site simplified scan. B-lines positivity was considered if the sum of detected B-lines was ≥ 2.

Results

LUS was feasible in all subjects. B-lines were present in 13 patients at rest and in 38 during stress (10 vs 30%, p < 0.0001). When compared to patients without stress B-lines (n = 90), patients with B-lines (n = 38) had higher resting E/e’ (14 ± 6 vs. 11 ± 4, p = 0.016) and SPAP (33 ± 10 vs. 27 ± 7 mm Hg p = 0.002). At peak exercise, patients with B-lines had higher peak E/e’ (17 ± 6 vs. 13 ± 5 p = 0.003) and stress SPAP (55 ± 18 vs. 40 ± 12 mm Hg p < 0.0001), reduced preload reserve (68 vs. 30%, p = 0.001) and an increase in MR (42 vs. 17%, p = 0.013) compared to patients without congestion. Among baseline parameters, the number of B-lines and SPAP were the only independent predictors of exercise pulmonary congestion.

Conclusions

Two-thirds of HCM patients who develop pulmonary congestion on exercise had no evidence of B-lines at rest. Diastolic impairment and mitral regurgitation were key determinants of pulmonary congestion during ESE. These findings underscore the importance of evaluating hemodynamic stability by physiological stress in HCM, particularly in the presence of unexplained symptoms and functional limitation.
Health risk assessment of heavy metal concentration in muscle of Chelon auratus and Chelon saliens from the southern Caspian Sea
Authors: Bakhshalizadeh Shima , Liyafoyi Adeleh Rostamzadeh , Fazio Francesco , Mora-Medina Rafael , Ayala-Soldado Nahúm
Published: November 2022

Heavy metals are one of the most serious pollutants in aquatic ecosystems, and their accumulation in fish products causes harmful effects on human health. In this context, we set out to determine the concentrations of heavy metals in the muscle of two fish species of commercial interest, Chelon auratus and Chelon saliens on the south coast of the Caspian Sea. We aimed to assess the degree of environment contamination in this area and to estimate the potential risk to human health derived from the consumption of fish. The mean concentrations of the different metals analysed were very varied in both species. In fact, some concentrations exceeded the permissible limits for the protection of human health for Cd and Pb, and some values of As were above those referenced by other authors in same species in the Caspian Sea. None of the estimated daily intake values exceeded the tolerable intake based on the consumption under consideration. Nonetheless, the accumulative hazard values evidenced a potential risk to human health, Pb and Hg being those giving a higher target hazard quotient. The cancer risk from exposure to As from fish consumption in children was above the “acceptable” risk to life. Thus, in view of the accumulative nature of heavy metals, a moderate and non-abusive fish consumption in this area, particularly in children, would be recommendable.
Corporate Counterspeech
Authors: Ancell Aaron
Published: November 2022

Are corporations ever morally obligated to engage in counterspeech—that is, in speech that aims to counter hate speech and misinformation? While existing arguments in moral and political philosophy show that individuals and states have such obligations, it is an open question whether those arguments apply to corporations as well. In this essay, I show how two such arguments—one based on avoiding complicity, and one based on duties of rescue—can plausibly be extended to corporations. I also respond to several objections to corporate counterspeech.
Online scheduling using a fixed template: the case of outpatient chemotherapy drug administration
Authors: Hesaraki Alireza F. , Dellaert Nico P. , de Kok Ton
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we use a fixed template of slots for the online scheduling of appointments. The template is a link between planning the service capacity at a tactical level and online scheduling at an operational level. We develop a detailed heuristic for the case of drug administration appointments in outpatient chemotherapy. However, the approach can be applied to online scheduling in other application areas as well. The desired scheduling principles are incorporated into the cost coefficients of the objective function of a binary integer program for booking appointments in the template, as requests arrive. The day and time of appointments are decided simultaneously, rather than sequentially, where optimal solutions may be eliminated from the search. The service that we consider in this paper is an example to show the versatility of a fixed template online scheduling model. It requires two types of resource, one of which is exclusively assigned for the whole appointment duration, and the other is shared among multiple appointments after setting up the service. There is high heterogeneity among appointments on a day of this service. The appointments may range from fifteen minutes to more than eight hours. A fixed template gives a pattern for the scheduling of possibly required steps before the service. Instead of maximizing the fill-rate of the template, the objective of our heuristic is to have high performance in multiple indicators pertaining to various stakeholders (patients, nurses, and the clinic). By simulation, we illustrate the performance of the fixed template model for the key indicators.
Community-based Agency Delivery of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: Comparing Outcomes for Children with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Developmental Delays
Authors: Quetsch Lauren B. , Bradley Rebecca S , Theodorou Laurie , Newton Kathleen , McNeil Cheryl B.
Published: November 2022

While externalizing behaviors are common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a shortage of specialist community-based clinicians to provide treatment. Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an intervention designed to reduce child disruptive behaviors, may be effective for families of children with ASD but has rarely been studied outside of university-based research settings. We examined the effectiveness of PCIT delivered for children with (N = 109) and without (N = 2,324) ASD/developmental delays (DD) across community-based agencies in Oregon. Findings revealed significant reductions in disruptive behavior and positive changes in the parent-child relationship in both groups. These findings support PCIT as an efficacious intervention for children with ASD/DD and demonstrate PCIT’s promise in community-based agencies with non-specialized clinicians.
“It is more Important than food sometimes”; Meanings and Functions of Music in the Lives of Autistic Adults Through a hermeneutic-phenomenological Lense
Authors: Korošec Kaja , Osika Walter , Bojner-Horwitz Eva
Published: November 2022

Subjective experiences of autistic adults remain under-researched, especially in the field of art. To learn more about their uses and functions of music, we interviewed 13 autistic adults and through a hermeneutic-phenomenological analysis found four overarching themes: Well-being, Identity and self-development, Connectedness, and Negative experiences. Findings show a broad and deep meaning of music in their lives, spanning from seemingly trivial functions such as making chores more enjoyable, to existential questions, such as choosing to stay alive. We discuss the often-overlooked negative effects or experiences of music, noting that positive and negative effects must always be addressed together if we are to use music to lower stress and support well-being.
IRAK1 Duplication in MECP2 Duplication Syndrome Does Not Increase Canonical NF-κB–Induced Inflammation
Authors: Gottschalk Ilona , Kölsch Uwe , Wagner Dimitrios L. , Kath Jonas , Martini Stefania , Krüger Renate , Puel Anne , Casanova Jean-Laurent , Jezela-Stanek Aleksandra , Rossi Rainer , Chehadeh Salima El , Van Esch Hilde , von Bernuth Horst
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Besides their developmental and neurological phenotype, most patients with MECP2/IRAK1 duplication syndrome present with recurrent and severe infections, accompanied by strong inflammation. Respiratory infections are the most common cause of death. Standardized pneumological diagnostics, targeted anti-infectious treatment, and knowledge of the underlying pathomechanism that triggers strong inflammation are unmet clinical needs. We investigated the influence of IRAK1 overexpression on the canonical NF-κB signaling as a possible cause for excessive inflammation in these patients.

Methods

NF-κB signaling was examined by measuring the production of proinflammatory cytokines and evaluating the IRAK1 phosphorylation and degradation as well as the IκBα degradation upon stimulation with IL-1β and TLR agonists in SV40-immortalized fibroblasts, PBMCs, and whole blood of 9 patients with MECP2/IRAK1 duplication syndrome, respectively.

Results

Both, MECP2/IRAK1-duplicated patients and healthy controls, showed similar production of IL-6 and IL-8 upon activation with IL-1β and TLR2/6 agonists in immortalized fibroblasts. In PBMCs and whole blood, both patients and controls had a similar response of cytokine production after stimulation with IL-1β and TLR4/2/6 agonists. Patients and controls had equivalent patterns of IRAK1 phosphorylation and degradation as well as IκBα degradation upon stimulation with IL-1β.

Conclusion

Patients with MECP2/IRAK1 duplication syndrome do not show increased canonical NF-κB signaling in immortalized fibroblasts, PBMCs, and whole blood. Therefore, we assume that these patients do not benefit from a therapeutic suppression of this pathway.
The Role of Attachment in Gambling Behaviors and Gambling Disorder: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ghinassi Simon , Casale Silvia
Published: November 2022

In recent years, a growing number of attachment-based studies have contributed to the understanding of both substance and behavioral addictions. Although gambling is a form of addictive behavior widespread all over the world, both among young people and adults, the evidence on the association between attachment-related phenomena and gambling has not yet been systematized in literature. The aim of the present study, therefore, is to provide a systematic literature review aimed at summarizing the empirical evidence on this topic. Following the updated 2020 PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search in four electronic scientific databases (Scopus, PubMed, PsycInfo and Web of Science) was conducted. After removing duplicates, 146 records were double-screened, with 12 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Additionally, by means of a backward search a further article was selected. Altogether, 13 articles were selected for the present systematic review. With few exceptions, the results underline the significant role played by attachment-related phenomena in gambling behaviors, highlighting that specific attachment contexts have a different influence on gambling, also depending on whether gamblers are youths or adults. In particular, while secure attachment has proven to be a protective factor for the onset of gambling behavior, insecure attachment has emerged to be a vulnerability factor in two ways. On the one hand, it directly favors gambling behaviors; on the other, it affects coping strategies and the individual’s ability to identify and regulate emotions, which in turn predict gambling. Limitations, strengths, and implications of the present systematic review are discussed.
Valuing Depression Using the Well-Being Valuation Approach
Authors: Andrén Daniela
Published: November 2022

The continuously dramatic rise of the number of people suffering from depression is attracting an increasing demand for effective ways of preventing depression. Besides the need for new interventions, there is also a continuous call for a more robust framework for economic evaluation of public interventions. Taking into account people’s preferences for public goods is not straightforward to quantify, and therefore, in addition to designing a new technique for valuing nonmarket goods and services, it is equally important to use valuation methods that are not yet established as traditional. One less commonly used method to assess the cost of depression in monetary terms is the well-being valuation method or the life satisfaction approach, which requires answers to only a few questions that are significantly less time demanding for the respondents than more traditional approaches. We added a well-being question to a contingent valuation web-survey that describes hypothetical interventions aimed to prevent depression in Sweden and estimated that the loss in life satisfaction for individuals who experienced depression varies between approximately 350 and 45,000 euros per year. The monetary compensation would be, on average, higher for individuals who experienced own depression than for those who know someone near, family or friend, who experienced depression, for men than for women, and for middle-aged than for younger and older individuals, respectively.
Piecewise-Tunneled Captive Processes and Corridored Random Particle Systems
Authors: Mengütürk Levent Ali , Mengütürk Murat Cahit
Published: November 2022

We introduce a family of processes that generalises captive diffusions, whereby the stochastic evolution that remains within a pair of time-dependent boundaries can further be piecewise-tunneled internally. The tunneling effect on the dynamics can be random such that the process has non-zero probability to find itself within any possible tunnel at any given time. We study some properties of these processes and apply them in modelling corridored random particles that can be observed in fluid dynamics and channeled systems. We construct and simulate mean-reverting piecewise-tunneled captive models for demonstration. We also propose a doubly-stochastic system in which the tunnels themselves are generated randomly by another stochastic process that jumps at random times.
Fast neutron induced gamma rays from (n,n’), (n,p) and (n,α) reactions on CaCO3
Authors: Ophoven Niklas , Ilic Zeljko , Mauerhofer Eric , Randriamalala Tsitohaina H. , Vezhlev Egor , Stieghorst Christian , Révay Zsolt , Brückel Thomas , Jolie Jan , Strub Erik
Published: November 2022

Emission of prompt gamma rays following (n,n’), (n,p) and (n,α) reactions induced by irradiation of a calcium carbonate (CaCO3) sample with a beam of fission neutrons was investigated with a modified version of the FaNGaS (Fast Neutron-induced Gamma-ray Spectrometry) instrument operated at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ) in Garching. The neutron spectrum has an average energy of 2.30 MeV and at sample position the fast neutron flux was (1.13 ± 0.04) × 108 cm−2 s−1. The measurement was performed at an angle of 90° between neutron beam and detector. In total, we claim the identification of 38 prompt gamma lines, from which we have assigned 12 to the (n,n’) reaction in calcium (7 for 40Ca, 1 for 42Ca and 4 for 44Ca), 1 to the 12C(n,n’)12C reaction, and 2 to the (n,n’) reaction in oxygen (1 for 16O and 1 for 18O). The other observed gamma lines are attributed to the 40Ca(n,p)40K reaction (20 lines) and to the 40Ca(n,α)37Ar reaction (3 lines). Relative intensities and fast neutron spectrum averaged partial cross sections of the gamma lines are presented and compared with available literature data. Our results were found to be in good agreement with available literature data but also improved and complemented it, as we have pointed out possible errors and identified new lines. Additionally, for a counting time of 12 h the detection limits of calcium, carbon and oxygen were determined as 5, 13 and 64 mg, respectively.
3DVerifier: efficient robustness verification for 3D point cloud models
Authors: Mu Ronghui , Ruan Wenjie , Marcolino Leandro S. , Ni Qiang
Published: November 2022

3D point cloud models are widely applied in safety-critical scenes, which delivers an urgent need to obtain more solid proofs to verify the robustness of models. Existing verification method for point cloud model is time-expensive and computationally unattainable on large networks. Additionally, they cannot handle the complete PointNet model with joint alignment network that contains multiplication layers, which effectively boosts the performance of 3D models. This motivates us to design a more efficient and general framework to verify various architectures of point cloud models. The key challenges in verifying the large-scale complete PointNet models are addressed as dealing with the cross-non-linearity operations in the multiplication layers and the high computational complexity of high-dimensional point cloud inputs and added layers. Thus, we propose an efficient verification framework, 3DVerifier, to tackle both challenges by adopting a linear relaxation function to bound the multiplication layer and combining forward and backward propagation to compute the certified bounds of the outputs of the point cloud models. Our comprehensive experiments demonstrate that 3DVerifier outperforms existing verification algorithms for 3D models in terms of both efficiency and accuracy. Notably, our approach achieves an orders-of-magnitude improvement in verification efficiency for the large network, and the obtained certified bounds are also significantly tighter than the state-of-the-art verifiers. We release our tool 3DVerifier via https://github.com/TrustAI/3DVerifier for use by the community.
Deontic Modality in the GDPR Based Finnish Privacy Notices in the Light of the Transparency Principle
Authors: Rydzewska-Siemiątkowska Joanna
Published: November 2022

Since its inception the General Data Protection Regulation has introduced a number of rights and obligations that relate to the personal data processing. As the Regulation requires that all information about data subjects’ rights be conveyed in a clear and plain language (transparency principle), this study focuses on the linguistic means of expressing rights and obligations in the GDPR based privacy notices. The article aims at scrutinising the features and context of deontic expressions which may influence the clear message. The research corpus consists of fourteen privacy notices of Finnish design companies which were analysed in order to identify deontic expressions. They were juxtaposed with the GDPR text and some discrepancies were found in their frequency and modal patterns. The qualitative analysis of the expressions with the help of Easy Language Meter criteria for Finnish revealed that privacy notices show simplifying tendencies like choice of modal expressions, the use of certain subjects and the way of addressing the reader. These comply with the Plain Language principles and thus the transparency principle highlighted in the GDPR.
Hereditarily Structurally Complete Intermediate Logics: Citkin’s Theorem Via Duality
Authors: Bezhanishvili Nick , Moraschini Tommaso
Published: November 2022

A deductive system is said to be structurally complete if its admissible rules are derivable. In addition, it is called hereditarily structurally complete if all its extensions are structurally complete. Citkin (1978) proved that an intermediate logic is hereditarily structurally complete if and only if the variety of Heyting algebras associated with it omits five finite algebras. Despite its importance in the theory of admissible rules, a direct proof of Citkin’s theorem is not widely accessible. In this paper we offer a self-contained proof of Citkin’s theorem, based on Esakia duality and the method of subframe formulas. As a corollary, we obtain a short proof of Citkin’s 2019 characterization of hereditarily structurally complete positive logics.
Manganese Based Perovskites in Soot Oxidation: Far from Noble Metals?
Authors: Brusamarello Elena , Peron Giacomo , Nigrelli Filippo , Glisenti Antonella
Published: November 2022

Mn-based catalysts for soot oxidation have been developed without noble metals. The compositions are LaMn0.9Co0.1O3, La0.9K0.1Mn0.9Co0.1O3 (LKMC), Sr0.9K0.1Mn0.9Co0.1O3 and 0.1 K/La0.9Mn0.9Co0.1O3: Mn provides stability to the structure both in oxidizing and reducing atmospheres and efficiently exchanges oxygen. Moreover, Co doping enhances soot oxidation. Adding La or Sr as A-site cation in the perovskite composition allows comparing the behaviors of the so-obtained perovskites, and K doping was chosen to increase catalytic activity both in soot and NOx removal. After the wet synthesis, the catalysts were tested for soot oxidation in presence of oxygen and nitrogen monoxide in overstoichiometric oxygen content. Temperature Programmed Oxidation tests were performed and double doping increases the oxidative catalytic activity: LKMC shows the lowest soot conversion temperature (306 °C, soot in tight contact with the catalyst). Sr doping results in worse performances, due to the formation of SrCO3. K incorporation helps oxygen vacancies formation, beneficial to the catalytic activity, through the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism.
Cloudiness and water from cloud seeding in connection with plants distribution in the Republic of Moldova
Authors: Valjarević Aleksandar , Popovici Cristina , Štilić Anđelka , Radojković Milan
Published: November 2022

Clouds play an important role in maintaining the balance in the environment. Cloudiness can influence numerous important ecological drivers, including growth, survival and distribution of plants. The cloud cover dynamics and distribution may provide key information for delineating various types of plant and species distribution. During a year, different types of clouds on a territory can influence the distribution of plants and potential of cloud seeding. New properties of cloudiness may be important for new ecological patterns and new adapted values of ecological drivers. In the territory of the Republic of Moldova, 30 years of cloudiness were taken to show new distribution of clouds properties and their influence on sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) and grapes (Vitis vinifera). The main result of this research is the first established map with the location of water derived from cloud seeding. In the last decade (2010–2020), the cloudiness increased by more than 15%. Another important focus of this research is the possibility of cloud seeding in line with recent deficit of precipitation, especially in dry areas. The territory of Moldova has 37% of semiarid and 6% of arid zones. The distribution and the potential of cloud seeding has been analyzed by means of Remote Sensing and GIS techniques and methodology, along with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. Satellite data in the resolution of 1 km2 were downloaded for the period between 1990 and 2020. The exact distribution of clouds helped to determine the belts for the potential irrigation of crops. Extremely low cloudiness and a long period of drought may jeopardize the agricultural sector in the Republic of Moldova, and therefore, the irrigation from alternative water sources is of utmost importance.
Optimizing pump-and-treat method by considering important remediation objectives
Authors: Zeynali Mohammad Javad , Pourreza-Bilondi Mohsen , Akbarpour Abolfazl , Yazdi Jafar , Zekri Slim
Published: November 2022

The efficiency of groundwater remediation by pump-and-treat (PAT) method is affected by several components. The most important of these components include the pumping wells location, pumping rate, and remediation period. In this research, hybrid optimization-simulation models were developed to find the appropriate groundwater remediation strategy by PAT method. The GA-FEM and NSGA-II-FEM models were used to solve four optimization problems for a hypothetical and real aquifer. These optimization problems were investigated from one objective problem to a four-objectives problem. In the multi-objective problems, in each step, one objective function is added to the previous set of objective functions. In the one-objective case, the objective function was defined as minimizing the contaminant concentration by pumping at a constant rate, while in the two-objectives problem, minimizing the drawdown of groundwater head by pumping at a constant rate was added. In the three-objectives problem, the pumping rate was variable and the mean pumping rate from all the wells is minimized. Finally, minimizing the remediation period is added in the four-objective case. The results indicated that locating the pumping wells in the path of the contaminant flow and close to the source improves the efficiency of the PAT system. The wells with higher pumping rates would be in the path of contamination flow and the wells with lower pumping rates should be located in nodes near the Dirichlet boundary. It is concluded that the remediation period in the hypothetical and real aquifer cannot be less than almost 3000 and 760 days, respectively. Finally, it can be said, the most important component in choosing the proper PAT strategy is the proper location of pumping wells.
The application of the hybrid copula-GARCH approach in the simulation of extreme discharge values
Authors: Nazeri Tahroudi Mohammad , Mohammadi Mirali , Khalili Keivan
Published: November 2022

Statistical analysis and simulation of annual maximum discharge values, while considering the corresponding maximum daily rainfall, provide a comprehensive view of flood management. This research presents the application of copula functions for simulating and modeling two variables of annual maximum discharge and corresponding precipitation. In this research, the performance of copula-based models and ARCH-based models including VAR-GARCH, copula, and copula-GARCH models was then evaluated to simulate the annual maximum discharge values. The simulation results of all three models were evaluated using NSE and NRMSE statistics. According to the 95% confidence intervals, the accuracy of all three models was confirmed. The correlation results of the studied pair variables confirmed the possibility of using copula-based models. The results of simulations revealed that a higher accuracy of the copula-GARCH approach compared with two models copula and VAR-GARCH. Considering 76% efficiency (NSE = 0.76) of the copula-GARCH approach, the results indicated 20 and 2.7% improvements in the performance of the proposed approach compared to both VAR-GARCH and copula models. The results also illustrated that by combining nonlinear ARCH models with copula-based simulations, the reliability of simulation results increased. The results obtained in this study suggest that the proposed method is very effective for increasing the certainty of frequency analysis of two variables. Because the copula-GARCH approach simulates the average values, the first and third quarters, as well as the amplitude of changes of 5 and 95% of the data better than the other two models.

Graphical abstract

Violin plot of AMD series in copula scale
Use of two hybrid algorithms in the investigation and prediction of the values of five quantitative traits of guar beans in different deficit irrigation methods
Authors: Mirhashemi Seyed Hassan
Published: November 2022

Nowadays, deficit irrigation is of particular importance in areas facing the water shortage and drought. This study focused on the investigation and prediction of the values of five quantitative traits of guar beans under different deficit irrigation methods. Deficit irrigation methods were carried out at the initial, development, mid, and late plant growth stages. The experiment was carried out in 25 treatments each with four replications in 2018 and 2019. Initially, the values of five quantitative traits of guar beans were divided into three categories, the values of which were clustered using the K-means algorithm. Then, clusters were predicted using a combination of K-means and CART algorithms. Finally, the relationship between different deficit irrigation methods and clusters was investigated by a combination of K-means and Apriori algorithms. The results of two hybrid algorithms determined that the amount of irrigation in the mid-stage of plant growth significantly affected the five quantitative traits of guar beans. After the mid-stage of the plant growth, the amount of irrigation in the development, initial, and late growth stages had the greatest effect on the quantitative traits of guar beans. Among the deficit irrigation methods, irrigation rates of 60% in the primary stage, 80% in the development stage, 100% in the mid-stage, and 40% in the late stage of the plant growth were the best deficit irrigation methods in the four stages of growth.
Groundwater budgeting of Nari and Gaj formations and groundwater mapping of Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Sohail Muhammad Tayyab , Hussan Asrar , Ehsan Muhsan , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Akhter Malik Muhammad , Manzoor Zaira , Elbeltagi Ahmed
Published: November 2022

Groundwater depletion is an emerging problem worldwide due to changes in climate and an increase in urbanization. Two significant water-bearing formations, the Oligocene-aged Nari and the Miocene-aged Gaj, were utilized as a case study exposed near Karachi, Pakistan. Groundwater budgeting was performed through a classical equation. The inflow of groundwater in the formations was calculated by thermo-pluviometric data and water loss of Hub Dam. The potential of evapotranspiration (PET) was calculated by the Thornthwaite method. The groundwater inflow from Hub Dam was estimated by using 20 years of annual water loss data by removing PET. The total mean annual inflow of groundwater in the formations was 2414.12 US Gallons per Second (gps). The annual mean outflow was estimated by calculation of groundwater usage for industries and domestic purposes and the mean annual groundwater outflow was 5562.61 US gps and an annual deficit of groundwater was 3148.5 US gps. The research is composed of validating the groundwater budget. Direct Current Electrical Resistivity (DCER) and static water level data from existing industrial wells were used for groundwater maps. The DCER data indicates A-Type and K-Type sub-surface with high resistivity in the three-layer model. The average water table of residential areas in 2019 was 60 m and in industrial areas was 130 m. The oscillation of the groundwater table over the last 20 years and the deficit of the groundwater budget shows an alarming condition for the future. If the same scenario persists, then by 2025, the water table will decline up to 140 m.
Utilizing deep learning machine for inflow forecasting in two different environment regions: a case study of a tropical and semi-arid region
Authors: Saab Saad Mawlood , Othman Faridah , Tan Chee Ghuan , Allawi Mohammed Falah , Sherif Mohsen , El-Shafie Ahmed
Published: November 2022

Reservoir inflow (Qflow) forecasting is one of the crucial processes in achieving the best water resources management in a particular catchment area. Although physical models have taken place in solving this problem, those models showed a noticeable limitation due to their requirements for huge efforts, hydrology and climate data, and time-consuming learning process. Hence, the recent alternative technology is the development of the machine learning models and deep learning neural network (DLNN) is the recent promising methodology explored in the field of water resources. The current research was adopted to forecast Qflow at two different catchment areas characterized with different type of inflow stochasticity, (semi-arid and topical). Validation against two classical algorithms of neural network including multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) and radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) was elaborated and discussed. The research was further investigated the potential of the feature selection algorithm “genetic algorithm (GA)”, for identifying the appropriate predictors. The research finding confirmed the feasibility of the developed DLNN model for the investigated two case studies. In addition, the DLNN model confirmed its capability in solving daily scale Q more accurately in comparison with the monthly scale. The applied GA as feature selection algorithm was reduced the dimension and complexity of the learning process of the applied predictive model. Further, the research finding approved the adequacy of the data span used in the current investigation development of computerized ML algorithm.
The complexity analysis of cerebral oxygen saturation during pneumoperitoneum and Trendelenburg position: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Wang Xiaoxiao , Liu Chang , Zhang Kai , Zhang Yunliang , Yu Yao , Mi Weidong , Li Hao
Published: November 2022

Background

The human brain is a highly complex and nonlinear system, nonlinear complexity measures such as approximate entropy (ApEn) and sample entropy (SampEn) can better reveal characteristics of brain dynamics. However, no studies report complexity of perioperative physiological signals to reveal how brain complexity associates with age, varies along with the development of surgery and postoperative neurological complications.

Aim

This study examined the complexity of intraoperative regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2), aiming to reveal brain dynamics during surgery.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients who scheduled for robot-assisted urological surgery. Intraoperative rSO2 was continuously monitored throughout the surgery. Postoperative delirium (POD) was diagnosed by the Confusion Assessment Method. ApEn and SampEn were used to characterize the complexity of rSO2. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to measure the correlation between complexity of rSO2 and age. The association between complexity of rSO2 and POD was examined using T tests.

Results

A total of 68 patients (mean [SD] age, 63.0 (12.0) years; 47 (69.1%) males) were include in this analysis. There was a significant reverse relationship between the complexity of rSO2 and age (The correlation coefficients range between − 0.32 and − 0.28, all p < 0.05). Patients  ≥ 75 years showed significantly lower complexity of rSO2 than the other two groups. Older age remained an independent factor influencing complexity of rSO2 after adjusting for a number of covariates. Six patients (8.8%) developed POD, and POD patients had lower complexity of rSO2 compared with non-POD patients.

Conclusions

The complexity of rSO2 may serve as a new candidate marker of aging and POD prediction.
Vagheit als Chance verstehen
Authors: Felder Ekkehard
Published: November 2022

Vagheit wird in der öffentlichen Debatte über angemessenen Sprachgebrauch häufig als ein Problem dargestellt. Die Diagnose sprachlicher Vagheit in Bezug auf ein Lexem oder eine Äußerung unterstellt in der Regel eine Absicht – so auch der Titel dieses Themenheftes »Veruneindeutigungen« mit dem Verweis auf »Uneindeutigkeit als Strategie« (Call for Paper, S. 1). Veruneindeutigung präsupponiert einen (aktiven) Agens, der veruneindeutigt – vermutlich intentional. Hierbei wird das Eindeutige als Standard-/default-Wert sprachlicher Kommunikation insinuiert. Pragmalinguistisch gewendet fokussiert dies strukturell paradigmatische und mentalistisch kontrastive Aspekte von Bestimmtheit und Nicht-Bestimmtheit beim Sprachhandeln. Gegenstand dieses Beitrages ist die in Sprache angelegte Eigenschaft der Vagheit, die durch die Arbitrarität von Ausdrucksseite und Inhaltsseite gegeben ist und durch Konventionalisierung des Sprachgebrauchs entschärft wird. Es werden daher zwei Seiten der Vereindeutigung, der pragma-semiotischen Erdung aufgezeigt. Dazu wird die aktive Rolle der rezipierenden Individuen beim Verstehen von uneindeutigen bzw. veruneindeutigten Kommunikationsprozessen fokussiert.
“Xylella is the Enemy that Must be Fought”: Representations of the X. Fastidiosa Bacterium in the Media Discourse
Authors: Pavlović Tijana Vesić , Đorđević Danijela
Published: November 2022

The paper explores media representations of Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterium that causes severe plant diseases, using data from online sources in English which reported on the developments in the bacterium spreading and treatment from 2015 to 2020. Two directions of analysis are pursued, the quantitative and qualitative one. Quantitative analysis reveals that the bacterium and its effects are described via the terms belonging to the lexical fields of fear, diseases, change, the supernatural, hostility, destruction, killing and war, with the latter three being the most dominant statistically speaking. Further, qualitative analysis attests that some of these terms are used metaphorically as instantiations of the war metaphor, which is generally effective in communicating the severity of the X. fastidiosa induced diseases and mobilising the necessary support. Based on the results, it may be argued that the language used in the media for describing X. fastidiosa fits into the prevalent “catastrophe discourse”, with the purpose of raising awareness of the gravity of the threat the bacterium poses, as well as justifying the severe measures undertaken to contain it.
Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralisation in Soils and Nutrient Efficiency of Digestates from Fruit and Vegetable Wastes
Authors: Álvarez-Alonso Cristina , Clemente Rafael , Bernal María Pilar
Published: November 2022

A significant amount of fruit and vegetable wastes is generated annually in markets, supermarkets, restaurants and households. Anaerobic digestion allows their appropriate management and helps to complete the cycle of the circular economy as it converts wastes into resources: biogas, a renewable source of energy, and digestate, rich in nutrients of interest for agriculture. The aim of this study was to define the agronomic value of digestate from fruit and vegetable wastes. Two digestates from fruit and vegetable residues were used in incubation experiments for C and N mineralisation in the soil, and in a pot experiment with crops (cardoon and maize), to calculate their fertiliser potential in comparison with a mineral fertiliser. The digestate quickly mineralised in the soil and nitrification processes led to fast formation of NO3−-N. However, increasing the digestate application rate enhanced N-immobilisation and reduced N-mineralisation in the soil. The addition of digestates to the soil resulted in adequate plant growth and nutrient composition, without any negative effects on the plants or soil. However, special attention should be paid to the salt accumulation in the soil for long-term digestate application. The nutrient recovery efficiency indicated that digestate could replace mineral fertiliser completely in cardoon crops and partially (44.5–82.6%) for maize, with an associated economic benefit. The salinity of the digestates limits their quality and their agricultural use to salt-sensitive crops should be limited.
Seeing Through Each Other’s Hearts: Inferring Others’ Heart Rate as a Function of Own Heart Rate Perception and Perceived Social Intelligence
Authors: Arslanova Irena , Galvez-Pol Alejandro , Kilner James , Finotti Gianluca , Tsakiris Manos
Published: November 2022

Successful social interactions require a good understanding of the emotional states of other people. This information is often not directly communicated but must be inferred. As all emotional experiences are also imbedded in the visceral or interoceptive state of the body (i.e., accelerating heart rate during arousal), successfully inferring the interoceptive states of others may open a window into their emotional state. But how well can people do that? Here, we replicate recent results showing that people can discriminate between the cardiac states (i.e., the resting heartrate) of other people by simply looking at them. We further tested whether the ability to infer the interoceptive states of others depends on one’s own interoceptive abilities. We measured people’s performance in a cardioception task and their self-reported interoceptive accuracy. Whilst neither was directly associated to their ability to infer the heartrate of another person, we found a significant interaction. Specifically, overestimating one’s own interoceptive capacities was associated with a worse performance at inferring the heartrate of others. In contrast, underestimating one’s own interoceptive capacities did not have such influence. This pattern suggests that deficient beliefs about own interoceptive capacities can have detrimental effects on inferring the interoceptive states of other people.
Functional Fibers and Functional Fiber-Based Components for High-Power Lasers
Authors: Chen Xiao , Yao Tianfu , Huang Liangjin , An Yi , Wu Hanshuo , Pan Zhiyong , Zhou Pu
Published: November 2022

The success of high-power fiber lasers is fueled by maturation of active and passive fibers, combined with the availability of high-power fiber-based components. In this contribution, we first overview the enormous potential of rare-earth doped fibers in spectral coverage and recent developments of key fiber-based components employed in high-power laser systems. Subsequently, the emerging functional active and passive fibers in recent years, which exhibit tremendous advantages in balancing or mitigating parasitic nonlinearities hindering high-power transmission, are outlined from the perspectives of geometric and material engineering. Finally, novel functional applications of conventional fiber-based components for nonlinear suppression or spatial mode selection, and correspondingly, the high-power progress of function fiber-based components in power handling are introduced, which suggest more flexible controllability on high-power laser operations.

Graphical abstract
Reducing potassium deficiency by using sodium fertilisation
Authors: Thorne Sarah J. , Maathuis Frans J. M.
Published: November 2022

Potassium (K) is the most abundant cation in the vast majority of plants. It is required in large quantities which, in an agronomic context, typically necessitates application of K in the form of potash or other K fertilisers. Recently, the price of K fertiliser has risen dramatically, a situation that is paralleled by increasing K deficiency of soils around the globe. A potential solution to this problem is to reduce crop K fertiliser dependency by replacing it with sodium (Na) fertiliser which carries a much smaller price tag. In this paper we discuss the physiological roles of K and Na and the implications of Na fertilisation for crop cultivation and soil management. By using greenhouse growth assays we show distinct growth promotion after Na fertilisation in wheat, tomato, oilseed and sorghum. Our results also show that up to 60% of tissue K can be substituted by Na without growth penalty. Based on these data, simple economic models suggest that (part) replacement of K fertiliser with Na fertiliser leads to considerable savings.