bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic on the use of personal protective equipment in hospitals
Authors: Ivanović Tijana , Gräbsch Carolin , Som Claudia , Nowack Bernd
Published: July 2023

The Covid pandemic has strongly affected the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the medical sector. Our aim was to assess the influence of Covid on PPE use within a German hospital by analyzing PPE use in four years prior to Covid and in 2020/2021. Numbers of items and mass of different types of PPE were determined based on procurement data. The results show that for the use of gloves the pandemic only had a small effect on the number of items. For body protection there was a clear trend toward a decrease in the number of items used in the years before the pandemic due to actions by the hospital toward a better environmental footprint which was partially reversed by the pandemic. The number of masks on the other hand doubled during the pandemic. Expressed in mass of PPE per patient and day, 15 g of masks, 121 g of gloves, and 183 g of body protection are used, resulting in a total of 319 g of PPE per patient and day. As medical waste has a specific treatment, no direct environmental effects of PPE use in hospitals in a region with well-developed waste treatment system are expected.
Braving the waves: exploring capability well-being patterns in seven European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Himmler Sebastian , van Exel Job , Brouwer Werner , Neumann-Böhme Sebastian , Sabat Iryna , Schreyögg Jonas , Stargardt Tom , Barros Pedro Pita , Torbica Aleksandra
Published: July 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic considerably impacted the lives of European citizens. This study aims to provide a nuanced picture of well-being patterns during the pandemic across Europe with a special focus on relevant socio-economic sub-groups. This observational study uses data from a repeated, cross-sectional, representative population survey with nine waves of data from seven European countries from April 2020 to January 2022. The analysis sample contains a total of 25,062 individuals providing 64,303 observations. Well-being is measured using the ICECAP-A, a multi-dimensional instrument for approximating capability well-being. Average levels of ICECAP-A index values and sub-dimension scores were calculated across waves, countries, and relevant sub-groups. In a fixed effects regression framework, associations of capability well-being with COVID-19 incidence, mortality, and the stringency of the imposed lockdown measures were estimated. Denmark, the Netherlands, and France experienced a U-shaped pattern in well-being (lowest point in winter 2020/21), while well-being in the UK, Germany, Portugal, and Italy followed an M-shape, with increases after April 2020, a drop in winter 2020, a recovery in the summer of 2021, and a decline in winter 2021. However, observed average well-being reductions were generally small. The largest declines were found in the well-being dimensions attachment and enjoyment and among individuals with a younger age, a financially unstable situation, and lower health. COVID-19 mortality was consistently negatively associated with capability well-being and its sub-dimensions, while stringency and incidence rate were generally not significantly associated with well-being. Further investigation is needed to understand underlying mechanisms of presented patterns.
Acaricide resistance of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus (Acari: Ixodidae) on commercial farms in South Africa: filling a gap in historical data
Authors: van Dalen Ellie M. S. P. , van Rensburg Candice Jansen
Published: July 2023

In South Africa, acaricides are widely used for tick control but very few reports are available on resistance development of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus Koch to chemical control on commercial farming systems in Africa, south of the Sahara. Resistance to different acaricide classes reported over the years was mostly from localised communal farming systems. This report addresses the lack of available information on resistance development by reviewing results found during a National Tick Resistance Survey carried out from 1998 to 2001, laying the foundation for more recent research on resistance development, and the evolution of resistance over the years. One hundred and eighty R. decoloratus populations were randomly collected from commercial farming systems, covering most of the provinces of South Africa. Larval immersion tests were used to determine phenotypic resistance for each tick population and 6.6% of the populations tested were found to be resistant to amitraz, 35.5% to cypermethrin, and 36.1% to chlorfenvinphos. Multi-resistance to all three acaricides was found in 1.2% of populations and a further 25.8% of the populations were resistant to two acaricides. The detection of resistance of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) species to currently used or new acaricides is an essential tool in resistance management. The acaricides tested for the resistance of R. decoloratus during the survey are currently still in use in South Africa and these historical results, never published before, can be valuable and can act as reference data to determine the evolution of resistance development to acaricides in more recent studies.
Influence of Flow Configuration and Thermal Wall Boundary Conditions on Turbulence During Premixed Flame-Wall Interaction within Low Reynolds Number Boundary Layers
Authors: Ahmed Umair , Chakraborty Nilanjan , Klein Markus
Published: July 2023

The influence of flow configuration on flame-wall interaction (FWI) of premixed flames within turbulent boundary layers has been investigated. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of two different flow configurations for flames interacting with chemically inert isothermal and adiabatic walls in fully developed turbulent boundary layers have been performed. The first configuration is an oblique wall interaction (OWI) of a V-flame in a turbulent channel flow and the second configuration is a head-on interaction (HOI) of a planar flame in a turbulent boundary layer. These simulations are representative of stoichiometric methane-air mixture under atmospheric conditions and the non-reacting turbulence for these simulations corresponds to the friction velocity based Reynolds number of $$Re_{\tau }=110$$

R

e
τ

=
110

. It is found that the mean wall shear stress, mean wall friction velocity and the mean velocity statistics are affected during FWI and the behaviour for these quantities varies under the different flow configurations as well as for the different thermal wall boundary conditions. The behaviour of the quenching distance and mean wall heat flux under isothermal wall conditions is found to be significantly different between the two flow configurations. The variation of the non-dimensional temperature in wall units for cases with isothermal walls suggests that the temperature in the log-layer region is significantly altered by the evolving wall heat flux in both flow configurations. Statistics of the mean Reynolds stresses and turbulence dissipation rate show that the flame significantly alters the behaviour of turbulence due to thermal expansion effects and flow configuration plays an important role.
Collision Statistics of Droplets in Turbulence Considering Lubrication Interactions, Mobility of Interfaces, and Non-continuum Molecular Effects
Authors: Ababaei Ahmad , Michel Antoine , Rosa Bogdan
Published: July 2023

Collision statistics of same-size aerodynamically interacting droplets in homogeneous isotropic turbulence is examined via hybrid direct numerical simulations combined with Lagrangian particle tracking under a point-particle assumption and a one-way momentum coupling. The simulations are performed both in the absence and presence of gravity for various droplet Stokes numbers (0.1–2) over a wide range of liquid water contents (LWCs = 1–30 $$\text {g/m}^3$$

g/m
3

). Also, the effects of using different representations of the lubrication forces, i.e. a continuum and a non-continuum one, have been investigated. The results have highlighted the importance of considering the aerodynamic interaction, especially in the presence of gravity for the systems that have high LWCs. Likewise, taking the lubrication force into account shows a notable change in statistics, but a non-continuum representation yields results that are close to the continuum one. In addition, the impact of modeling droplets as fluid drops instead of rigid particles has been examined. Obtaining quite close statistics under both cases demonstrates that a rigid particle assumption for water droplets in air is sufficiently accurate owing to the high water-to-air viscosity ratio. Moreover, the collision efficiency is shown to be in the range 60–100% in the absence of gravity, which approaches 100% as the LWC is enlarged. In the presence of gravity, however, the efficiency grows, with both the Stokes number and the LWC, to values as high as 300%. Finally, for settling droplet systems, the enhancement factor due to turbulence is quantified, exhibiting a growth with the LWC and a reduction with the Stokes number.
Research on visual simulation for complex weapon equipment interoperability based on MBSE
Authors: Yang Haigen , Xia Zhun , Chen Yanqing , Zhu Linqun , Dai Luohao , Xu Ruotian , Sun GuiYing , Yu Hongyang , Xu Wenting
Published: July 2023

As military reforms continue to develop, the battlefield environment is becoming increasingly complex, and traditional single-service combat methods have evolved into integrated joint and collaborative information operations that break down service boundaries on land, sea, and air. The level of weapon system confrontation has also evolved into a system-to-system confrontation. Traditional document-based system architecture design methods can no longer address the complexity and emergent challenges of weapon system construction. In this paper, based on model-driven system engineering, an open, integrated, model-driven weapon equipment interaction system that supports human interaction was constructed using the SysML modeling language and Magicdraw modeling tool. The Unreal Engine 4 landscape building function was used to construct a virtual battlefield environment, and a communication server was developed using C# language to perform visual simulation of interoperability between weapon systems. Based on model-driven weapon equipment interoperability, visual simulation is used to ensure that the function of the weapon equipment system meets the requirements of combat and the combat effectiveness of the system is maximized.
Validation of the HRI-24 on Adolescents and Development of a Short Version of the Instrument
Authors: Colledani Daiana , Anselmi Pasquale , Monacis Lucia , Robusto Egidio , Genetti Bruno , Andreotti Alessandra , Gómez Pérez Luis J. , Mastrobattista Luisa , Mortali Claudia , Minutillo Adele
Published: July 2023

The Hikikomori phenomenon often starts during adolescence and, once it develops, it tends to persist. Thus, having an instrument specifically validated for detecting it at early ages could play a pivotal role to reduce the chronicity risk. This work aims to validate the 24-item Hikikomori Risk Inventory (HRI-24) on adolescents and to develop a short version of it. In Study 1, an exploratory structural equation model was used to evaluate the functioning of the HRI-24 and to select the items for inclusion in the short version. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analyses were run on the short version, and measurement invariance across gender and school levels was investigated. Structural validity and measurement invariance of the HRI-24 were supported. The psychometric properties of the short version, denoted as HRI-15, were satisfactory and analogous to those of the HRI-24, while accuracy and specificity in identifying at-risk individuals were slightly higher. Measurement invariance of the HRI-15 was supported as well. The validation of the HRI-24 on adolescents would help professionals to screen young people at the first onset of the Hikikomori phenomenon, and the short version could be highly useful in large epidemiological and screening studies.
Nonlinear stability analysis of a chemical reaction–diffusion system
Authors: Gentile Maurizio , Torcicollo Isabella
Published: July 2023

A reaction–diffusion model, known as the Sel’kov–Schnakenberg model, is considered. The nonlinear stability of the constant steady state is studied by using a special Liapunov functional and a maximum principle for regular solutions.
Evolution of Vitamin D Status and Vitamin D Receptor Gene Expression Among Professional Handball Athletes During a Competitive Period. Relationship with Body Composition, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorous
Authors: Molina-López Jorge , Herrera-Quintana Lourdes , Vázquez-Lorente Héctor , Planells Elena
Published: July 2023

Introduction: A generalized risk of vitamin D deficiency exists worldwide affecting also professional and elite athletes. This study assesses the evolution of vitamin D status and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene expression and their relationship with body composition, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorous (P) among professional handball athletes during a competitive period. Methods: A total of 26 male subjects were recruited: 13 professional handball athletes and 13 non-athlete controls. An observational follow-up study was conducted in 2 time points over a 16-week period. Nutritional intake, body composition, and routinary biochemical parameters were measured via 24-hours recall, bioimpedance and enzyme immunoassay, respectively. Ca and Mg were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and P was determined with the colorimetric method of Fiske-Subbarow. 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25(OH)D) levels and its forms (i.e., 25(OH)D3 and 25(OH)D2) were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), whereas VDR gene expression was measured by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: A total of 54% of the athletes showed deficient vitamin D status. Moreover, a prevalence of insufficient vitamin D status in handball players affected 46% at baseline, reaching 61% after 16 weeks. Vitamin D showed no evolution during the competitive period and no differences between groups were observed (all p ≥ 0.05). Handball players increased the VDR expression, enhanced body composition, Ca and Mg levels at 16-weeks follow-up (all p < 0.05). VDR gene expression was positively related with body mass and body mass index at follow-up in athletes (all p ≤ 0.038; r ≥ 0.579) and with Ca at baseline in controls (p = 0.026; r = 0.648). Finally, 25(OH)D2 form was directly associated with P in athletes at 16 weeks of study (p = 0.034; r = 0.588). Conclusion: Players of indoor team sports such as handball would be a population at risk of vitamin D deficiency. The 16-weeks competition improved VDR gene expression, body composition, Ca and Mg levels. The associations observed between VDR gene expression and the variables of the study evidenced the importance of this receptor as a marker involved in health status in handball athletes despite vitamin D − although in a deficient status −, Ca, Mg and P showed no remarkable changes during the competition period.
Associations for Sense of Purpose with Smoking and Health Outcomes Among Adults with Diabetes
Authors: Weston Sara J. , Hill Patrick L. , Mroczek Daniel K.
Published: July 2023

Background

Health complications from diabetes place major strain on individuals, financially and emotionally. The onset and severity of these complications are largely driven by patients’ behaviors, making psychosocial factors that influence behaviors key targets for interventions. One promising factor is sense of purpose or the degree to which a person believes their life has direction.

Method

The current study investigated whether sense of purpose predicts self-rated health, cardiovascular disease, and smoking status among adults with diabetes concurrently and prospectively. Moreover, it tested whether these associations held across multiple samples and cultures. Coordinated analysis using 12 datasets cross-sectionally and eight longitudinally (total N = 7277) estimated the degree to which sense of purpose is associated with subjective health, smoking status, and cardiovascular disease among adults with diabetes. Coordinated analysis allows for greater generalizability of results across cultures, time periods, and measurement instruments. Datasets were included if they concurrently included a measure of sense of purpose and diabetes status and at least one health measure: self-rated health, current smoking status, or heart condition status.

Results

Sense of purpose was associated with higher self-rated health, smoking status, and cardiovascular disease cross-sectionally and self-rated health prospectively. Purpose was unassociated with changes in health over time.

Conclusion

These results highlight the relationship of a key individual difference, sense of purpose, to the behaviors and outcomes of adults with diabetes. While more research is needed to determine the boundaries of this relationship, it seems sense of purpose may be considered in the future as a potential target for intervention.
What Promotes Positive Parenting During Breast Cancer? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Social Support, Emotion Regulation, and Meaning in Life
Authors: Kelada L. , Zamir O.
Published: July 2023

Background

Motherhood and maintaining the child-parent relationship are top priorities for mothers with breast cancer (BC). The current study aimed to assess the positive intra- and inter-personal resources related to positive parenting among mothers with BC, as these may be promotive factors for positive parenting. Specifically, we examined whether social support (family, friend, spiritual), emotion regulation, and a sense of meaning in life are related to positive parenting among mothers undergoing BC treatments.

Methods

The sample consisted of 100 Israeli mothers (mean age = 46.02 years, SD = 6.06 years) who were undergoing treatment for BC. Participating mothers had at least one child aged 6–17 years. Participants were recruited via closed social media groups to complete a questionnaire containing: the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, Cancer Perceived Agents of Social Support tool, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), and sociodemographic and clinical questions. We used structural equation modeling to regress the study variables on positive parenting.

Results

Friend support (β = .35, p = .009) and meaning in life (β = .30, p = .012) were significantly related to positive parenting. Family support, spiritual support, cognitive reappraisal, and the sociodemographic and clinical variables were not related to positive parenting.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that promoting meaning in life and friend support may be key to helping mothers to sustain positive parenting behaviors throughout their cancer treatment. Future research may examine whether psychosocial interventions which foster meaning in life and friend support impact positive parenting among mothers with BC.
Geo-investigation and Slope Stability Analysis of Debris Slides along Ramban-Gool Road Network, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Authors: Aziz Kainat , Sarkar Shantanu , Sahu Paulami
Published: July 2023

The prevalent landslides in the Kashmir Himalaya are the result of a combination of several geo-environmental parameters in a precarious terrain and extensive developmental activities. The Ramban-Gool road network is one of the landslide prone regions in the valley which has witnessed a constant increase in the landslides, damaging the public property apart from creating major threat to human life and geo-environment. Keeping in view the peril of slope failures, stability assessment of a few vulnerable slopes was carried out along with geological and geotechnical investigation. The stability analysis was carried out using two-dimensional numerical simulation tool limit equilibrium method (LEM) and finite element method (FEM) in both dry and saturated conditions. The results obtained from the study have very clearly demarcated the stability of the slopes in terms of factor of safety. The factor of safety obtained revealed that except for two slopes having factor of safety marginally greater than 1, the other four slopes have factor of safety less than 1 under dry condition indicating unstable condition. The factor of safety further decreases for all the slopes under saturated condition. Furthermore, results obtained from both LEM and FEM show a close approximation with values varying from 1.33 to 0.75 in case of LEM analysis while FEM values vary from 1.31 to 0.76. From FEM analysis, total displacement was also determined for each slope to assess the extent of potential damage.
Channel Dynamics of a Middle Reach of Rapti River, Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain, India
Authors: Singh Rathore Vijay Kumar , Kumar Verma Pramod , Kumar Singh Anjani , Patel Adesh , Singh M. M. , Bhatt S. C. , Kumar Singh Sudhir
Published: July 2023

The Rapti a foothills-fed river is emerging from the Lesser Himalayan zone of southern Nepal. It has shifted its course at its foothills and middle reaches several times and has been affecting many localities in the last few decades. Keeping this in view a severely affected 94 km. long stretch of Rapti river flowing in the Shravasti district of eastern Uttar Pradesh was selected for the study of channel dynamics. In the present work, the geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) techniques were used to evaluate the river shifting and assessment of related effects on the adjacent landscapes between the years 1980 to 2020. Satellite image of Landsat and Sentinel was also used to determine the spatio-temporal changes occurring in the river channel for the last forty years. The river channels, their centre lines and bars were digitized in a GIS environment and all channels were divided into four reaches, viz. A, B, C and D. Twenty cross-sections perpendicular to the centre line representing the position of the channel in the year 1980 were drawn. The sinuosity index, measurements of the channel migration, channel width and bank line shift of the channel were calculated.

The sinuosity indices of the river channels for the years 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 were computed as 1.52, 1.47, 1.47, 1.70 and 1.48, respectively. Temporal changes in sinuosity exhibit the meandering pattern of the river channel. Overlayed active channel centre lines of the years 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 show the migrational trend of the river channel. The maximum migration has occurred along reaches A and D. The extensive migration and sedimentation in the channel also alter the channel width that varies significantly along reaches A and C. Apart from this, the geomorphic features viz. channel migration, bank line erosion, abandoned channels, expansion of meanders, oxbow lake, chute cut off, neck cut off, etc. were identified as indicators of active erosion on the flood plain of the Rapti. It has been observed that river migration and bank line erosion are severely affecting the many rural settlements situated in the active flood plain. This study infers that the Rapti river channel has been migrating frequently for the last forty years and is increasing the vulnerability of flood hazards in its active flood plains.
Mobility and Income Distribution
Authors: Piluso Nicolas , Colletis Gabriel , Blanchet Adrien , Badra Mehdi
Published: July 2023

This article presents a model for income distribution among factors of production in the context of a globalised economy. Previous models are most often static and do not take into account the geographical location of the factors of production nor the mobility costs that result. We have created a dynamic Nash bargaining model that integrates the geographical distance between companies and the mobility costs for each production factor. The main result of this model is that income distribution closely depends on mobility costs: production factors with low mobility costs are those whose incomes increase most rapidly.
Rare Earth and Critical Element Chemistry of the Volcanic Ash-fall Parting in the Fire Clay Coal, Eastern Kentucky, USA
Authors: Liu Jingjing , Dai Shifeng , Berti Debora , Eble Cortland F. , Dong Mengjun , Gao Yan , Hower James C.
Published: July 2023

In the search for rare earth and other critical elements in coal measures, the coals are emphasized with lesser consideration for the accompanying rocks. In this investigation, the focus is on a lanthanide-rich, 315–317 Ma (after Machlus et al., Chemical Geology, 539, art. no. 119485, 2020) volcanic ash-fall trachyandesite to trachyte tonstein which occurs in association with the Middle Pennsylvanian Duckmantian-age Fire Clay coal in eastern Kentucky. The tonstein was deposited largely during peat accumulation, although it is known to occur at the base of the coal or within the underclay. The mineralogy is dominated by kaolinite with illite and quartz as minor to major minerals. A number of accessory minerals, as detected by X-ray diffraction + Siroquant XRD software and scanning and transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM), include REE-bearing phosphates (apatite, crandallite, florencite, monazite), and Y-bearing zircon. The highest rare earth element + Y concentrations occur in the weathered tonsteins, probably due to the concentration of these minerals after weathering of kaolinite from the rock.
Mineralogy and Geochemistry of a Bentonite Pellets Column Heated for 10 years
Authors: Villar M. V. , Cuevas J. , Zabala A. B. , Ortega A. , Melón A. M. , Ruiz A. I. , Iglesias R. J.
Published: July 2023

A common design of a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal system consists of the waste canisters emplaced in tunnels or shafts, with the space between the heat-emitting canisters and the surrounding rock filled with a bentonite-based material. Understanding the behavior of this barrier, in particular the effect of prolonged heating on its properties, is important to assess the barrier’s long-term performance. The objective of the present study was to add to this understanding and to supply experimental data about the state of bentonite hydrated and heated for a long period of time. To that end, a 50 cm long column of Wyoming-type bentonite pellets was heated at its base at 140 °C (simulating the waste canister) while a synthetic sodium-chloride-rich groundwater including sulfate, calcium, and magnesium was supplied through its upper surface for almost 10 y. At the end of the experiment the upper half of the column was saturated, but in the lower half the water content decreased sharply toward the heater, where it was close to 0%. No relevant mineralogical changes occurred, and the main component of the bentonite continued to be a predominantly sodium montmorillonite with no structural changes with respect to the initial one. In the area where the temperatures were >60°C and the material very dry, however, the smectite was not able to completely develop the 1-layer hydrate after 48 h of stabilization at RH 55%, although its expandability was fully recovered when the smectite was hydrated with liquid water. The ions solubilized as a result of the water-content increase were transported toward the heater and concentrated in two distinct areas: sodium and calcium chlorides closer to the heater than calcium and sodium sulfates. At the heater contact, the bentonite microstructure was of dense packets with carbon and Na-S-coated cavities. Precipitation of calcite and calcium sulfates and possibly dissolution of silica minerals also took place close to the heater.
Ceramics Properties of Indurated-Shale Quarry Wastes from Abakaliki, Southeastern Nigeria: Application as Raw Materials in Roofing-Tile Production
Authors: Nweke Obisi M. , Omeokachie Adolphus I.
Published: July 2023

The present study describes research carried out to evaluate the mineralogical, geochemical and technological properties of indurated shale-quarry wastes and assess the suitability of these low-cost and locally available quarry wastes generated from crushed indurated shales for possible use as alternatives to fresh raw materials in the manufacture of roofing-tile products. Firstly, the mineralogical and chemical properties of the indurated shales were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence, while their physical properties were identified by grain-size distribution, Atterberg limits, and clay activity. Samples of indurated shale-quarry wastes (ISQWs) were subjected to heat treatment at elevated firing temperatures to provide the required strength and durability and their ceramics properties (linear shrinkage, weight loss, water absorption, bulk density, and flexural strength) were determined. From the results, the ISQWs were composed predominantly of fine particles with medium plasticity and clay activity with values generally >0.75. The mineralogy revealed a predominance of aluminosilicates (illite-kaolinite-smectite-chlorite) with large quartz contents and variable percentages of carbonate and feldspar. The oxides were dominated by SiO2 and Al2O3, small amounts of ferromagnesian minerals, and considerable amounts of alkalis (K2O and Na2O) which act as fluxes. The CaO concentrations were variable and related to carbonate contents. Characterizations based on compositional ternary (total clay mineral-carbonate-quartz + feldspar) systems, Casagrande clay workability charts, and Winkler and McNally diagrams revealed their suitability for ceramics applications as the majority of ISQW samples fell within the specifications for roofing tiles. The ISQWs fired at a high temperature of 1000°C revealed considerable weight loss, reduction in both linear shrinkage and water absorption with insignificant increase in flexural strength. In order to achieve excellent ceramics properties and further reduce sintering temperature for their suitability as raw materials in the production of roofing tiles, beneficiations of ISQWs are highly recommended.
Ocellatuspyrones A‒G, new antibacterial polypropionates from the Chinese mollusk Placobranchus ocellatus
Authors: Li Song-Wei , Yu Dan-Dan , Su Ming-Zhi , Yao Li-Gong , Wang Hong , Liu Xueting , Guo Yue-Wei
Published: July 2023

Marine invertebrates serve as rich sources of secondary metabolites with intriguing chemical diversities and a wide spectrum of biological activities. Particularly, marine shell-less sacoglossan mollusks have attracted much attentions due to the fact that mollusks apply complex metabolites as chemical defense agents against to their predators. With the purpose of discovering bioactive secondary metabolites to develop marine-derived medicines from the South China Sea, we have conducted a chemical study on the photosynthetic mollusk Placobranchus ocellatus. As a result, seven new γ-pyrone polypropionates, namely ( ±)-ocellatuspyrone A (1), ( ±)-ocellatuspyrone B (2), and ocellatuspyrones C−G (5, 9−12), along with five known polypropionates, have been isolated and characterized from the South China Sea photosynthetic mollusk Placobranchus ocellatus. Extensive spectroscopic analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, modified Mosher’s method, ECD comparison, CD exciton chirality method, TDDFT-ECD calculation, and chemical conversion were used to determine the structures and absolute configurations of the new compounds and the stereochemistry of undefined known compounds 4, 6 and 7. All these isolated polypropionates were evaluated in bioassays for their biological activities, including antibacterial, neuroprotective effect, anti-inflammatory, PTP1B inhibitory, and antiviral activities. Compounds 7, 8 and 11 were found for the first time to show antibacterial activity against fish pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus parauberis (the main pathogen causing fish streptococcal infections and acute death) with MIC values of 35.8, 34.2, and 37.4 μg/mL, respectively, which might be potential novel antibacterial agents for the treatment of fish infectious diseases.
The Local Impact of the International Criminal Court
Authors: Wierda Marieke
Published: July 2023

The International Criminal Court seeks to end impunity for the world's worst crimes, to contribute to their prevention. But what is its impact to date? This book takes an in-depth look at four countries under scrutiny of the ICC: Afghanistan, Colombia, Libya, and Uganda. It puts forward an analytical framework to assess the impact of the ICC on four levels: on the domestic legal systems (systemic effect); on peace negotiations and agreements (transformative effect); on victims (reparative effect); and on the perceptions of affected populations (demonstration effect). It concludes that the ICC is having a normative impact on domestic legal systems and peace agreements, but it has brought little reparative justice for victims, and it does not necessarily correspond with how affected populations view justice priorities. The book concludes that justice for the world's worst crimes has no 'universal formula' that can easily be captured in law by one institution.
The Rise of the Graphic Novel
Authors: Dunst Alexander
Published: July 2023

Bringing digital humanities methods to the study of comics, this monograph traces the emergence of the graphic novel at the intersection of popular and literary culture. Based on a representative corpus of over 250 graphic novels from the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, it shows how the genre has built on the visual style of comics while adopting selected features of the contemporary novel. This argument positions the graphic novel as a crucial case study for our understanding of twenty-first-century culture. More than simply a niche format, graphic novels demonstrate how contemporary literature reworks elements of genre narrative, reconfiguring rather than abolishing distinctions between high and low. The book also puts forward a new historical periodization for the graphic novel, centered on integration into the literary marketplace and leading to an explosive growth in page length and a diversification of aesthetic styles.
From Spinors to Supersymmetry
Authors: Dreiner Herbi K. , Haber Howard E. , Martin Stephen P.
Published: July 2023

Supersymmetry is an extension of the successful Standard Model of particle physics; it relies on the principle that fermions and bosons are related by a symmetry, leading to an elegant predictive structure for quantum field theory. This textbook provides a comprehensive and pedagogical introduction to supersymmetry and spinor techniques in quantum field theory. By utilising the two-component spinor formalism for fermions, the authors provide many examples of practical calculations relevant for collider physics signatures, anomalies, and radiative corrections. They present in detail the component field and superspace formulations of supersymmetry and explore related concepts, including the theory of extended Higgs sectors, models of grand unification, and the origin of neutrino masses. Numerous exercises are provided at the end of each chapter. Aimed at graduate students and researchers, this volume provides a clear and unified treatment of theoretical concepts that are at the frontiers of high energy particle physics.
Kynanthropic and vampirism delusions: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Mulholland K. , McLoughlin A. , McDonald C. , Hallahan B.
Published: July 2023

Zooanthropy (delusional beliefs of turning into an animal) is a rare but well recognised psychiatric phenomenon. This case describes the presence of kynanthropic delusions (delusional beliefs of turning into a dog). Multiple other psychotic symptoms were also evident including unusually the additional presence of delusions of vampirism. Delusional beliefs in this case were associated with behavioural changes including growling and barking, and less commonly an expressed craving for biting people’s necks to suck human blood. Symptom intensity was associated with increased psychosocial stressors for this patient, with some benefit noted from very high doses of anti-psychotic medications. Brief admissions to the acute psychiatric inpatient unit and thus removal from environmental stressors has been associated with an amelioration in symptomatology.
Subrepresentations in the homology of finite covers of graphs
Authors: Flamm Xenia
Published: July 2023

Let
$p \;:\; Y \to X$
be a finite, regular cover of finite graphs with associated deck group
$G$
, and consider the first homology
$H_1(Y;\;{\mathbb{C}})$
of the cover as a
$G$
-representation. The main contribution of this article is to broaden the correspondence and dictionary between the representation theory of the deck group
$G$
on the one hand and topological properties of homology classes in
$H_1(Y;\;{\mathbb{C}})$
on the other hand. We do so by studying certain subrepresentations in the
$G$
-representation
$H_1(Y;\;{\mathbb{C}})$
.

The homology class of a lift of a primitive element in
$\pi _1(X)$
spans an induced subrepresentation in
$H_1(Y;\;{\mathbb{C}})$
, and we show that this property is never sufficient to characterize such homology classes if
$G$
is Abelian. We study
$H_1^{\textrm{comm}}(Y;\;{\mathbb{C}}) \leq H_1(Y;\;{\mathbb{C}})$
—the subrepresentation spanned by homology classes of lifts of commutators of primitive elements in
$\pi _1(X)$
. Concretely, we prove that the span of such a homology class is isomorphic to the quotient of two induced representations. Furthermore, we construct examples of finite covers with
$H_1^{\textrm{comm}}(Y;\;{\mathbb{C}}) \neq \ker\!(p_*)$
.
Effect of crude glycerin supplementation via drinking water on feed intake, water intake and productive performance of dairy ewes
Authors: Santos Felipe Santiago , de Sá Hemilly Cristina Menezes , de Lima Luciano Soares , Martins Tássia Ludmila Teles , Alvarenga Flávio Augusto Pereira , André Junior José , Guedes Luciana Freitas , Alves Leonardo de Rago Nery , Campolina Joana Palhares , Macedo Júnior Gilberto de Lima , Borges Iran
Published: July 2023

This study was performed to determine the effects of crude glycerin (CG) supplementation in drinking water on DM and nutrient intake, milk production, milk composition, and serum glucose. Twenty multiparous Lacaune × East Friesian ewes were randomly distributed into four dietary treatments throughout the lactation cycle. Treatments consisted of doses of CG supplementation via drinking water as follows: (1) no CG supplementation, (2) 15.0 g CG/kg DM, (3) 30.0 g CG/kg DM, and (4) 45.0 g CG/kg DM. DM and nutrient intake were reduced linearly with CG supplementation. CG linearly reduced water intake when expressed as kg d−1. However, no effect of CG was observed when it was expressed as a percentage of body weight or metabolic body weight. The water to DM intake ratio was increased linearly with CG supplementation. No effect of CG doses on serum glucose was observed. The production of standardized milk decreased linearly with the experimental doses of CG. Protein, fat, and lactose yield were linearly reduced with the experimental doses of CG. Milk urea concentration was quadratically increased with CG doses. Feed conversion was quadratically increased by treatments during the pre-weaning period (P < 0.05), in which the worst values were observed when the ewes were supplemented with 15 and 30 g CG/kg DM. The N-efficiency was linearly increased with CG supplementation in drinking water. Our results suggest that dairy sheep can be supplemented with CG up to 15 g/kg DM in drinking water. Greater doses are not beneficial for feed intake, milk production, and the yield of milk components.
‘How to stop a nosebleed’: a combined objective and subjective assessment of YouTube videos on first-aid management of epistaxis
Authors: Devakumar Haran , Tailor Bhavesh V , Perkins Victoria , Ioannidis Dimitris
Published: July 2023

Objective

A previous study in 2016 found that the quality of YouTube videos on epistaxis first-aid management was highly variable. This study aimed to reassess the accuracy and patient understandability of such YouTube videos.

Method

YouTube was searched using the phrase ‘How to stop a nosebleed’. The highest 50 ranking videos, based on relevance, were screened. Each video was assessed objectively using a standardised ‘advice score’, and subjectively using a video understandability and actionability checklist, the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (‘PEMAT-A/V’).

Results

The mean advice score was 4.1 out of 8. The mean (standard deviation) understandability and actionability scores were 76 per cent (17 per cent) and 89 per cent (18 per cent), respectively. There was a strong positive correlation between the actionability scores and the advice scores (ρ = 0.634; p < 0.001), and between the actionability scores and the understandability scores (ρ = 0.519; p = 0.002).

Conclusion

YouTube videos are providing increasingly relevant advice for patients seeking healthcare information. YouTube is proposed as a useful medium for teaching epistaxis management to patients and community practitioners.
Complications and audiological results of percutaneous bone-anchored hearing devices
Authors: Succar Ana Carolina Soares , Sassi Tyuana Sandim da Silveira , Brito Neto Rubens Vuono de , Lourençone Luiz Fernando Manzoni
Published: July 2023

Objective

To describe the post-operative complications and audiological results related to percutaneous bone-anchored hearing devices.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted of 44 patients with bilateral conductive or mixed hearing loss who were implanted with unilateral Baha Connect or Ponto devices. A generalised linear model for repeated measurements was used.

Results

Twenty patients were Baha Connect users, and 24 were implanted with Ponto devices. Twenty-seven patients experienced complications. No fewer complications were found in the group of patients using longer abutments. When we compared the frequency of complications between Ponto and Baha Connect users, there was no statistically significant difference (p = 0.90). Free-field hearing thresholds were statistically significantly improved when we compared pre- and post-operative results (p < 0.001). Average speech perception also improved (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Despite percutaneous bone-anchored hearing devices having a high rate of complications, they provide significant audiological benefits.
Government spending multipliers with the Real Cost channel
Authors: Nie He
Published: July 2023

In the benchmark New Keynesian (NK) model, I introduce the real cost channel to study government spending multipliers and provide simple Markov chain closed-form solutions. This model departs fundamentally from most previous interpretations of the nominal cost channel by flattening the NK Phillips Curve in liquidity traps. At the zero lower bound, I show analytically that following positive government spending shocks, the real cost channel can make inflation rise less than in a model without this channel. This then causes a smaller drop in real interest rates, resulting in a lower output gap multiplier. Finally, I confirm the robustness of the real cost channel’s effect on multipliers using extensions of two models.
Timescale of Emplacement and Rheomorphism of the Green Tuff Ignimbrite (Pantelleria, Italy)
Authors: Scarani A. , Faranda C. F. , Vona A. , Speranza F. , Giordano G. , Rotolo S. G. , Romano C.
Published: July 2023

We present a multidisciplinary study based on Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), paleomagnetic analysis, and numerical modeling to gain information on the timescales of syn‐ and post‐depositional ductile deformation of the strongly welded and rheomorphic Green Tuff ignimbrite (GT; Pantelleria, Italy). DSC measurements allow the determination of glass fictive temperatures (Tf; i.e., the parameter accounting for the cooling dependence of glass structure and properties). Using a Tf‐based geospeedometry procedure, we infer the cooling rate (qc) experienced by the glassy phases in different lithofacies within the GT formation. Glass shards from the basal pumice fall deposit record a fast qc of ∼10°C/s. In contrast, the ignimbrite body returns slow qc values depending on the stratigraphic position and lithofacies (basal/upper vitrophyres, fiamme‐rich and rheomorphic layers), ranging from ∼10−2 to ∼10−6 °C/s. Moreover, paleomagnetic analyses of the natural remanent magnetization of ignimbrite matrix and embedded lithic clasts indicate an emplacement temperature higher than 550–600°C. By integrating calorimetric and paleomagnetic datasets, we constrain a conductive cooling model, describing the ignimbrite's temperature‐time‐viscosity (T–t–η) evolution from the eruptive temperature to below Tf. Outcomes suggest that the upper and basal vitrophyres deformed and quenched over hours, indicating that the entire GT underwent intense syn‐depositional ductile deformation. Furthermore, the central body remained above Tf for a much longer timespan (>1 month), enabling post‐emplacement rheomorphic flow. Lastly, we discuss the critical role of mechanisms such as shear heating and retrograde solubility of volatiles, in locally controlling the rheological behavior of the GT.
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center Radiation Advisories for the International Civil Aviation Organization
Authors: Bain H. M. , Copeland K. , Onsager T. G. , Steenburgh R. A.
Published: July 2023

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA/SWPC) issues several solar radiation storm products: the long standing proton Warnings and Alerts that are based on particle intensity levels observed by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites; and the more recent International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) radiation advisories which specify effective dose rates at aviation flight levels. SWPC ICAO advisories are supported by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) CARI‐7A model. In this paper we use CARI‐7A modeling results for the Ground Level Enhancement 69 (GLE69) solar radiation storm which occurred on the 20th of January 2005 to demonstrate the ICAO advisory format. For the onset and peak of GLE69, we find that a severe (SEV) radiation advisory would have been issued for altitudes above 32,000 ft, for polar and mid latitude regions of the northern and southern hemisphere. At lower altitudes, down to 25,000 ft, the moderate (MOD) radiation threshold would have been exceeded. In total, 10 ICAO radiation advisories would have been issued over 6.5 hr. From the retrospective modeling of GLE69, and feedback from users, we identify ways in which the ICAO advisories should be improved.
The Impacts of El Niño Diversity on Northern Hemisphere Atmospheric Blocking
Authors: McKenna Madeline , Karamperidou Christina
Published: July 2023

Atmospheric blocking events are persistent quasi‐stationary geopotential height anomalies that divert the jet stream from its climatological path in the mid‐ to high‐latitudes. Previous studies have found that different phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence the characteristics of blocking, but none have considered the spatial diversity of El Niño. In this study, we examine Northern Hemisphere blocking events with respect to the “Central Pacific” (CP) and “Eastern Pacific” (EP) flavors of El Niño in 83 years of ERA5 reanalysis. The two El Niño flavors have dissimilar patterns of forcing on atmospheric circulation that impact the strength and placement of the upper‐level jet stream, thus affecting blocking event frequency and duration. Significant contrasts in blocking characteristics between CP and EP years are disregarded when a single ENSO index is used, and we emphasize that El Niño flavors should be considered in future investigations of blocking and ENSO‐related variability.