bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Livestock impacts on an iconic Namib Desert plant are mediated by abiotic conditions
Authors: Kerby Jeffrey T. , Krivak-Tetley Flora E. , Shikesho Saima D. , Bolger Douglas T.
Published: May 2022

Resolving the relative contributions of top-down versus bottom-up drivers of vegetation dynamics is a major challenge in drylands. In the coming decades, growing livestock populations and shifts in water availability will simultaneously impact many arid systems, but a lack of empirical data on plant responses to these pressures limits understanding of how plants will respond. Here, we combine ground and drone observations from an herbivore exclosure experiment to identify ungulate visitation patterns and their impacts on the cover and melon production of !nara (Acanthosicyos horridus), a large, long-lived desert plant in the hyper-arid Namib Desert. !Nara are of key ecological, social, and economic importance to Namib ecosystems and to the local Topnaar people. At our study site, we find that among native and domestic herbivores, free-ranging donkeys have the largest impact on !nara cover and melon production. !Nara cover was negatively affected by herbivores close to the desert-ephemeral river ecotone during a dry period, whereas !nara cover increased on all plants across the landscape during a wetter period, regardless of herbivore access. !Nara near the river channel and those protected from herbivores had more mature melons, particularly during the wetter period. At this site, the potential for conflict between Topnaar !nara melon harvesting and pastoral practices varies with a plant’s distance from the river and prevailing abiotic conditions. This work advances monitoring approaches and adds empirical support to the understanding that top-down and bottom-up regulation of plant dynamics varies with spatiotemporal context, even within landscapes.
A new method based on Taylor expansion and nearest-node strategy to impose Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions in ordinary state-based Peridynamics
Authors: Scabbia Francesco , Zaccariotto Mirco , Galvanetto Ugo
Published: May 2022

Peridynamics is a non-local continuum theory which is able to model discontinuities in the displacement field, such as crack initiation and propagation in solid bodies. However, the non-local nature of the theory generates an undesired stiffness fluctuation near the boundary of the bodies, phenomenon known as “surface effect”. Moreover, a standard method to impose the boundary conditions in a non-local model is not currently available. We analyze the entity of the surface effect in ordinary state-based peridynamics by employing an innovative numerical algorithm to compute the peridynamic stress tensor. In order to mitigate the surface effect and impose Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions in a peridynamic way, we introduce a layer of fictitious nodes around the body, the displacements of which are determined by multiple Taylor series expansions based on the nearest-node strategy. Several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method.
The Sutureless Excimer Laser Anastomosis Clip Pilot Study: a feasibility and safety study
Authors: van der Zwan Albert , Gortzak Kiki , de Boer Bart , Redegeld Saskia , van Thoor Sander , Tulleken Cornelius
Published: May 2022

Background

The excimer laser-assisted non-occlusive anastomosis (ELANA) bypass technique may have the advantage of its non-occlusive design in the treatment of last-resort cases where endovascular treatment or direct clipping is considered to be unsafe. However, the technique remains technically challenging. Therefore, a sutureless ELANA Clip device (SEcl) was developed to simplify the technique avoiding tedious anastomosis stitching in depth.

The present study investigates the clinical feasibility and safety of the SEcl technique.

Methods

Three patients with complex and large aneurysms in the anterior circulation were selected after multidisciplinary consensus that the aneurysms were too complex for endovascular or direct clipping treatment options. Bypass surgery was considered as a last-resort treatment option, and after preoperative evaluation and informed consent, SEcl bypass surgery was performed. Applicability, technical aspects and patient outcomes are assessed.

Results

All aneurysms were excluded from the circulation. The creation of the intracranial anastomosis was easier and faster. No device-related serious adverse events were encountered, and all outcomes were favorable (one patient stable Modified Rankin Scale, two patients improved).

Conclusion

The SEcl anastomosis technique is feasible and, considering the severity of the disease, relatively safe. It can be considered a treatment option in very difficult-to treat last-resort aneurysm cases. From this study, further developments in minimizing clip size and application in cardiac surgery are initiated.
Fabricatable axis: an approach for modelling customized fabrication machines
Authors: Fossdal Frikk H. , Heldal Rogardt , Dyvik Jens , Rutle Adrian
Published: May 2022

Digital fabrication tools such as 3D printers, computer-numerically controlled (CNC) milling machines, and laser cutters are becoming increasingly available, ranging from consumer to industrial versions. Recent studies have shown that users, ranging from researchers, to industry professionals, to hobbyists, are interested in modifying and changing the inherit workflows these tools provide. As an answer to this, these users are increasingly modifying and customizing their machines by changing the work envelope, adding different end-effectors, and creating their own fabrication workflows in software. However, customizing, modifying and creating digital fabrication machines and the workflows they provide require extensive knowledge within multiple different engineering domains and is non-trivial. In this article we present a model-driven approach that enables users to expand their digital fabrication scope by providing a high-level tool that facilitates the customization of fabrication tools. We present The Farbicatable Axis, a model that enables users to create customized linear actuators. The model takes high-level input parameters such as length and gearing-parameters, and outputs a CAD model of a linear motion axis consisting of fabricatable parts. We then present how instances of the Fabricatable Axis can be combined and used to design and implement Fabricatable Machines.
Impact of Firefighting Sprays on the Fire Performance of Structural Steel Members
Authors: Janardhan Rahul Kallada , Shakil Saani , Hassinen Marko , Lu Wei , Puttonen Jari , Hostikka Simo
Published: May 2022

The feasibility of coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element (FE) simulations to aid the planning of fire intervention tactics and the effectiveness of structural cooling during firefighting were investigated. Water sprays, generated using fire monitors, were characterized using bucket tests and the results were used for calibrating the CFD spray model. The cooling ability of the sprays was measured experimentally by applying them onto a fire exposed steel beam. The experimental results showed that water application produces a sudden drop in steel temperatures and after 10–15 s, no significant further reduction in temperature was observed. The CFD-FE coupling was performed using the adiabatic surface temperature method, extended here to include the cooling by water droplets. The coupled CFD-FE model was validated using the experimental data and applied to simulate the intervention to a developing warehouse fire, showing how an attempt to cool the structure reduces the temperatures but does not stall the fire-spread. In fact, the intervention -induced vapor generation was found to enhance the flow of hot gases and accelerate the fire-spread if the water resources are inadequate. Thermal and stress analyses of the cooled and uncooled truss beams were performed, showing how the spray cooling halted the truss mid-span deformation.
Teaching under lockdown: the change in the social practice of teaching
Authors: Kovacs Helena , Zufferey Jessica Dehler , Tormey Roland , Jermann Patrick
Published: May 2022

Due to the unprecedented situation caused by a global pandemic, the traditional way of teaching that is reliant on face-to-face interaction between teachers and students has been dismantled. This article looks into university teachers’ experiences of teaching under lockdown, with an intention to understand what the change meant in terms of social practice. The research follows a qualitative design, in which ten university teachers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Three themes interwoven with a common thread were identified through teachers’ reflections, including displacement, routine, and role. The common thread was identified as the interaction between teachers and students, and analysing the quality of this interaction led to understanding the social kernel of teaching as embedded in social practice, suggesting that physical dislocation demands teachers to recreate meaning in the new situation. This change has been seen as difficult, yet unpacking teachers’ perceptions provided valuable lessons for the future.
Development of Numerical Model of the Thermal State of an Asteroid with Locally Rough Surface and Its Application
Authors: Senshu Hiroki , Sakatani Naoya , Morota Tomokatsu , Yokota Yasuhiro , Shimaki Yuri , Maximilian Hamm , Tanaka Satoshi , Okada Tatsuaki , Arai Takehiko , Takeuchi Hiroshi
Published: May 2022

We present a numerical method for simulating a disk-resolved thermal image of an asteroid with small-scale roughness. In our method, we carry out numerical thermal evolution model of a small but rough area taking into account its latitude, shadowing effect, and re-absorption of the thermal radiation by neighbor. By visualization of the resulting temperature distribution for an observation direction, we obtain the thermal flux from the area as a function of the observation direction. Then thermal image of an asteroid with random topography is constructed. The resulting daytime temperature evolution profile is different from the well-known parabolic shape due to the surface roughness, implying that the daytime temperature evolution profile is a diagnostic to evaluate the surface roughness. Although this model is inapplicable to a morphologically complex asteroid such as Itokawa, the target body of Hayabusa2, Ryugu is generally convex and suitable for application of our model. Furthermore, the study presents predictions of the location shift of Ryugu trajectory after one orbital rotation due to the thermal moment caused by the rebound force from thermally emitted photons known as the Yarkovsky effect. This model is thus verifiable by precise calculation of the ephemeris of Ryugu.
The Critical Value of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) to Graduate Training in Public Health: A Framework to Guide Education, Research and Practice
Authors: Deardorff Julianna , Tissue Michelle Menser , Elliott Patricia , Handler Arden , Vamos Cheryl , Bonilla Zobeida , Turchi Renee , Obeng Cecilia Sem , Liu Jihong , Grason Holly
Published: May 2022

Introduction

In light of persistent health inequities, this commentary describes the critical role of maternal and child health (MCH) graduate training in schools and programs of public health (SPPH) and illustrates linkages between key components of MCH pedagogy and practice to 2021 CEPH competencies.

Methods

In 2018, a small working group of faculty from the HRSA/MCHB-funded Centers of Excellence (COEs) was convened to define the unique contributions of MCH to SPPH and to develop a framework using an iterative and consensus-driven process. The working group met 5 times and feedback was integrated from the broader faculty across the 13 COEs. The framework was further revised based on input from the MCHB/HRSA-funded MCH Public Health Catalyst Programs and was presented to senior MCHB leaders in October 2019.

Results

We developed a framework that underscores the critical value of MCH to graduate training in public health and the alignment of core MCH training components with CEPH competencies, which are required of all SPPH for accreditation. This framework illustrates MCH contributions in education, research and evaluation, and practice, and underscores their collective foundation in the life course approach.

Conclusions

This new framework aims to enhance training for the next generation of public health leaders. It is intended to guide new, emerging, and expanding SPPH that may currently offer little or no MCH content. The framework invites further iteration, adaptation and customization to the range of diverse and emerging public health programs across the nation.
Does a prolonged hardship reduce life span? Examining the longevity of young men who lived through the 1930s Great Plains drought
Authors: Atherwood Serge
Published: May 2022

The Great Plains drought of 1931–1939 was a prolonged socio-ecological disaster with widespread impacts on society, economy, and health. While its immediate impacts are well documented, we know much less about the disaster’s effects on distal human outcomes. In particular, the event’s effects on later life mortality remain almost entirely unexplored. Closing this gap would contribute to our understanding of the long-term effects of place-based stress. To help fill this gap, I use a new, massive, linked mortality dataset to investigate whether young men’s exposure to drought and dust storms in 341 Great Plains counties was linked to a higher risk of death in early-old age. Contrary to expectations, results suggest exposure to drought conditions had no obvious adverse effect among men aged 65 years or older at time of death—rather, the average age at death was slightly higher than for comparable men without exposure. This effect also appears to have been stronger among Plainsmen who stayed in place until the drought ended. A discussion of potential explanations for these counterintuitive results is provided.
Die Rolle der Religion in der UNESCO-Bildungsarbeit. Normative und didaktische Impulse
Authors: Štimac Zrinka , Fehlhaber Anna Lena
Published: May 2022

Welche Rolle spielt Religion in der schulischen Bildung der Zukunft? Die UNESCO, die OSCE/ODIHR und der Europarat geben jeweils ihre eigenen Antworten. Seit 2009 und der Publikation „Human Rights Education in Schools of Europe, Central Asia and North America: A Compendium of Good Practice“ sind sie jedoch auch gemeinsam im globalen Bildungssegment aktiv. Wissend, dass die internationalen Akteure in einem gemeinsamen globalen Diskurs stehen, und ausgehend davon, dass die UNESCO die längste Tradition in der Auseinandersetzung mit Religion aufweist, wird in diesem Aufsatz die UNESCO-Arbeit im Hinblick auf Religion im schulischen Bildungssegment und in diachroner Perspektive qualitativ und quantitativ analysiert. Die Untersuchung ausgewählter normativer Dokumente, relevanter Bildungsprojekte und dazugehöriger Handbücher liefert Antworten auf die Fragen, mit welchen Religions- und Bildungsbegriffsbegriffen und mit welchen didaktischen Zugängen die UNESCO den Herausforderungen der globalen Welt begegnet.
Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Albuminuria in Non-Diabetic Non-Hypertensive Patients with Severe Obesity: a Short-Term Outcome
Authors: Fathy Ehab , Aisha Hesham Ahmed Abou , Abosayed Amir K. , ElAnsary Ahmed Mohammed Salah Eldeen Othman , Al Aziz Ahmad Abd
Published: May 2022

Background

Obesity is a risk factor for chronic kidney disease and albuminuria. Despite the well-documented obesity association with diabetes mellitus and hypertension, its predisposition to albuminuria is not related to these comorbidities, and, in some times, its occurrence is independent of DM or hypertension.

Purpose of the study

The present study aimed to evaluate bariatric surgery effect on albuminuria in patients with severe obesity with no DM or hypertension.

Materials and methods

The study consisted of 137 patients with extreme obesity and albuminuria scheduled for bariatric surgery and did not have diabetes or hypertension. They underwent an assessment for 24-h urinary albumin at baseline (T0) and 6 months postoperatively (T2).

Results

Albuminuria remission occurred in 83% of patients; there was a statistically highly significant difference between the baseline and the 6-month postoperative in the 24-h urinary albumin assessment. Weight loss and BMI at T2 were independent predictors of albuminuria remission.

Conclusion

The current work emphasizes the importance and promising role of bariatric surgery as an effective weight reduction management method in improving albuminuria, an early sign of chronic kidney disease, and a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Treatment of Hypertension Among Non-Cardiac Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Chaganti Bhanu , Lange Richard A.
Published: May 2022

Purpose of Review

This review provides a contemporary perspective and approach for the treatment of hypertension (HTN) among patients hospitalized for non-cardiac reasons.

Recent Findings

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a common dilemma encountered by physicians, but guidelines are lacking to assist providers in managing hospitalized patients with elevated BP. Inpatient HTN is common, and management remains challenging given the paucity of data and misperceptions among training and practicing physicians. The outcomes associated with intensifying BP treatment during hospitalization can be harmful, with little to no long-term benefits. Data also suggests that medication intensification at discharge is not associated with improved outpatient BP control.

Routine inpatient HTN control in the absence of end-organ damage has not shown to be helpful and may have deleterious effects. Since routine use of intravenous antihypertensives in hospitalized non-cardiac patients has been shown to prolong inpatient stay without benefits, their routine use should be avoided for inpatient HTN control. Future large-scale trials measuring clinical outcomes during prolonged follow-up may help to identify specific circumstances where inpatient HTN control may be beneficial.
Intensive management of obesity in people with Prader-Willi syndrome
Authors: Nolan Brendan J. , Proietto Joseph , Sumithran Priya
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is characterised by childhood-onset hyperphagia and obesity however limited data are available to guide treatment of obesity in this population. We aimed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of intensive medical weight loss interventions (very-low-energy diets [VLED] and/or pharmacotherapy) in individuals with PWS attending a specialist obesity management service.

Methods

A retrospective audit was undertaken of individuals with PWS attending the Austin Health Weight Control Clinic between January 2010-April 2021. Main outcome measures were weight outcomes, duration of use, and adverse effects.

Results

Data were available for 18 patients, of whom 15 were treated with intensive weight loss interventions. Median (interquartile range, IQR) age at baseline was 20 years (19–32) with median body weight 90 kg (75–118) and BMI 37 kg/m2 (30–51). Median weight loss during VLED (n = 7) was 14 kg (1–20 kg) over 60 weeks. Median weight loss with phentermine-topiramate (n = 7) was 17 kg (IQR 9–19 kg) over 56 weeks. Median weight loss with liraglutide 0.6–3 mg (n = 7), prescribed with topiramate in 3 individuals, was 9 kg (2–14 kg) over 96 weeks. Naltrexone-bupropion resulted in weight loss in 2 of 4 individuals. Thirteen individuals achieved ≥10% weight loss but only 5 individuals maintained ≥10% weight loss at last follow-up. Five individuals discontinued pharmacotherapy due to adverse effects.

Conclusions

VLED and pharmacotherapy can achieve substantial weight loss in some individuals with PWS though non-adherence results in substantial weight regain. Adverse effects were ascribed to phentermine and topiramate, whereas liraglutide was well-tolerated in this population.
Hydraulic Opulence: Artesian Wells and bathing in Mexico, 1850–1900
Authors: Walsh Casey
Published: May 2022

Before 1850 Mexico City’s scarce water resources were produced by a handful of nearby springs channeled through centuries-old city infrastructures to a limited number of taps in large houses and to public fountains that served the majority of the population. In the second half of the nineteenth century, artesian wells tapping the Valley of Mexico’s aquifers enabled landowners and businessmen to produce copious amounts of water almost anywhere with little effort. Private access to groundwater supplied newly built bathhouses and propelled changes to, and the rapid expansion of, social practices of bathing and swimming. This infrastructure, expanded supply, and new practices gave shape to a widely shared and historically durable assumption that there are no limits to the supply of water – what I call hydraulic opulence. After 1900 hydraulic opulence fueled soaring demand and continuous efforts by the state to expand hydraulic infrastructure and supply.
Research on bridge structure SAM based on real-time monitoring
Authors: Zhu Eryu , Bai Zhengwei , Zhu Li , Li Yujie
Published: May 2022

To study the problems of frequent omissions and false alarms in the early warning system due to defects in the safety assessment method (SAM) of the existing bridge health monitoring systems (BHMS). In this paper, the current safety evaluation methods of BHMS are deeply studied through fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and derive a new type of bridge health monitoring system SAM based on the safety evaluation vector. At the same time, combined with the concept of membership function, the result vector is accurately quantified, and a specific evaluation method for evaluating the safety level of the bridge structure is obtained. Combining the data of the three bridge health detection systems of 3 × 30 m continuous girder bridge, simply supported beam bridge, and steel–concrete composite girder bridge in the Beijing Metro Line 5 project, the daily and monthly safety assessment results of the three BHMS were verified. The research results show that the structural SAM proposed in this paper can accurately and in real-time evaluate the safety status of small and medium-span simply supported bridge structures. However, for the evaluation of continuous girder bridges and composite girder bridges, it is necessary to make specific judgments based on the actual conditions of the bridges. Moreover, the research in this paper can also consolidate the theoretical foundation for establishing the bridge structure monitoring data, early warning model. The research method in this paper can promote the further development of the bridge structural health monitoring system.
3D curve regularization
Authors: Alvarez Luis
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we study the regularization of 3D curves connecting two points. We propose an energy-based formulation which is an extension to 3D of the geodesic active contours introduced in 2D by Caselles et al. in 1997. By minimizing this energy we try to minimize the curve length but keeping the curve close to the original one. The energy depends on a regularization parameter which determines the smoothness of the regularized curve. We show the Euler-Lagrange equation of the proposed energy using the arc-length parameterization of the curve. We interpret the Euler-Lagrange equation in terms of the Frenet–Serret frame and we study some qualitative properties of the energy minima. We apply the steepest-descent method to approximate the local minima of the energy using an evolution equation. We propose a numerical scheme to solve the evolution equation and we present some experiments on real data in the context of aortic centerline regularization.
Wildfire, Smoke Exposure, Human Health, and Environmental Justice Need to be Integrated into Forest Restoration and Management
Authors: D’Evelyn Savannah M. , Jung Jihoon , Alvarado Ernesto , Baumgartner Jill , Caligiuri Pete , Hagmann R. Keala , Henderson Sarah B. , Hessburg Paul F. , Hopkins Sean , Kasner Edward J. , Krawchuk Meg A. , Krenz Jennifer E. , Lydersen Jamie M. , Marlier Miriam E. , Masuda Yuta J. , Metlen Kerry , Mittelstaedt Gillian , Prichard Susan J. , Schollaert Claire L. , Smith Edward B. , Stevens Jens T. , Tessum Christopher W. , Reeb-Whitaker Carolyn , Wilkins Joseph L. , Wolff Nicholas H. , Wood Leah M. , Haugo Ryan D. , Spector June T.
Published: May 2022

Purpose of Review

Increasing wildfire size and severity across the western United States has created an environmental and social crisis that must be approached from a transdisciplinary perspective. Climate change and more than a century of fire exclusion and wildfire suppression have led to contemporary wildfires with more severe environmental impacts and human smoke exposure. Wildfires increase smoke exposure for broad swaths of the US population, though outdoor workers and socially disadvantaged groups with limited adaptive capacity can be disproportionally exposed. Exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with a range of health impacts in children and adults, including exacerbation of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, worse birth outcomes, and cardiovascular events. Seasonally dry forests in Washington, Oregon, and California can benefit from ecological restoration as a way to adapt forests to climate change and reduce smoke impacts on affected communities.

Recent Findings

Each wildfire season, large smoke events, and their adverse impacts on human health receive considerable attention from both the public and policymakers. The severity of recent wildfire seasons has state and federal governments outlining budgets and prioritizing policies to combat the worsening crisis. This surging attention provides an opportunity to outline the actions needed now to advance research and practice on conservation, economic, environmental justice, and public health interests, as well as the trade-offs that must be considered.

Scientists, planners, foresters and fire managers, fire safety, air quality, and public health practitioners must collaboratively work together. This article is the result of a series of transdisciplinary conversations to find common ground and subsequently provide a holistic view of how forest and fire management intersect with human health through the impacts of smoke and articulate the need for an integrated approach to both planning and practice.
Provability logic: models within models in Peano Arithmetic
Authors: Berarducci Alessandro , Mamino Marcello
Published: May 2022

In 1994 Jech gave a model-theoretic proof of Gödel’s second incompleteness theorem for Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory in the following form: $${{\,\mathrm{\mathrm {ZF}}\,}}$$

ZF

does not prove that $${{\,\mathrm{\mathrm {ZF}}\,}}$$

ZF

has a model. Kotlarski showed that Jech’s proof can be adapted to Peano Arithmetic with the role of models being taken by complete consistent extensions. In this note we take another step in the direction of replacing proof-theoretic by model-theoretic arguments. We show, without the need of formalizing the proof of the completeness theorem within $${{\,\mathrm{\mathrm {PA}}\,}}$$

PA

, that the existence of a model of $${{\,\mathrm{\mathrm {PA}}\,}}$$

PA

of complexity $$\Sigma ^0_2$$

Σ
2
0

is independent of $${{\,\mathrm{\mathrm {PA}}\,}}$$

PA

, where a model is identified with the set of formulas with parameters which hold in the model. Our approach is based on a new interpretation of the provability logic of Peano Arithmetic where $$\Box \phi $$

□
ϕ

is defined as the formalization of “$$\phi $$
ϕ
is true in every $$\Sigma ^0_2$$

Σ
2
0

-model”.
Andrological effects of SARS-Cov-2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Corona G. , Vena W. , Pizzocaro A. , Pallotti F. , Paoli D. , Rastrelli G. , Baldi E. , Cilloni N. , Gacci M. , Semeraro F. , Salonia A. , Minhas S. , Pivonello R. , Sforza A. , Vignozzi L. , Isidori A. M. , Lenzi A. , Maggi M. , Lombardo F.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The short- and long-term andrological effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have not been clarified. Our aim is to evaluate the available evidence regarding possible andrological consequences of COVID-19 either on seminal or hormonal parameters. The safety of the COVID-19 vaccines in terms of sperm quality was also investigated.

Methods

All prospective and retrospective observational studies reporting information on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) mRNA semen and male genitalia tract detection (n = 19), as well as those reporting data on semen analysis (n = 5) and hormonal parameters (n = 11) in infected/recovered patients without any arbitrary restriction were included.

Results

Out of 204 retrieved articles, 35 were considered, including 2092 patients and 1138 controls with a mean age of 44.1 ± 12.6 years, and mean follow-up 24.3 ± 18.9 days. SARS-CoV-2 mRNA can be localized in male genitalia tracts during the acute phase of the disease. COVID-19 can result in short-term impaired sperm and T production. Available data cannot clarify long-term andrological effects. Low T observed in the acute phase of the disease is associated with an increased risk of being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit or death. The two available studies showed that the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines does not affect sperm quality.

Conclusions

The results of our analysis clearly suggest that each patient recovering from COVID-19 should be monitored to rule out sperm and T abnormalities. The specific contribution of reduced T levels during the acute phase of the infection needs to be better clarified.
The Prevalence, Patterns and Correlates of Childhood Trauma Exposure in a Nationally Representative Sample of Young People in Northern Ireland
Authors: Redican Enya , Murphy Jamie , McBride Orla , Bunting Lisa , Shevlin Mark
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Childhood trauma (CT) exposure is common, with many young people affected by multiple co-occurring traumas.

Methods

Participants were a representative sample of 11–19-year-olds (n = 1293), who participated in the largest ever representative survey of youth mental health in Northern Ireland (NI) – the NI Youth Wellbeing Prevalence Survey 2020. This study used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify typologies that were most representative of trauma experience and co-occurrence among young people living in NI. Demographic, parental and deprivation variables were then used within a multinomial logistic regression analysis to describe trauma class membership.

Results

Over 35% (n = 478) of participants reported exposure to at least one CT, with over 50% (n = 259) of trauma-exposed young people reporting multiple trauma exposure. LCA results provided support for a three-class model; ‘low-exposure’, ‘moderate-exposure: community-victimization’ and ‘high-exposure: sexual-trauma’. While none of the child, parental or familial covariates differentiated members of the ‘moderate-exposure: community-victimization’ from ‘low-exposure’, those in ‘high-exposure: sexual-trauma’ were over four and a half times more likely to belong to a family in receipt of income benefits and over ten times more likely to have experienced some form of out-of-home care.

Conclusions

This study highlights the presence of three distinct trauma classes in the NI adolescent population. In particular, this study identifies a small minority of young people who have experienced multiple CT’s, including sexually based traumas, with these traumas most likely to have occurred in the context of out-of-home care and familial poverty.
Algebraic properties of Levi graphs associated with curve arrangements
Authors: Pokora Piotr , Römer Tim
Published: May 2022

In the present paper, we study algebraic properties of edge ideals associated with plane curve arrangements via their Levi graphs. Using combinatorial properties of such Levi graphs, we are able to describe those monomial algebras being Cohen–Macaulay, Buchsbaum, and sequentially Cohen–Macaulay. We also consider the projective dimension and the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity for these edge ideals. We provide effective lower and upper bounds on them. As a by-product of our study, we connect, in general, various Buchsbaum properties of squarefree modules.
A decomposition-based many-objective evolutionary algorithm with optional performance indicators
Authors: Wang Hao , Sun Chaoli , Yu Haibo , Li Xiaobo
Published: May 2022

Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) have shown excellent performance for solving optimization problems with multiple objectives as they can get a set of compromising solutions on a single run. However, when the number of objectives increases, an efficient selection is significant to find a good set of solutions. In this paper, a decomposition-based many-objective evolutionary algorithm with optional performance indicators is proposed, in which the decomposition strategy is utilized to convert a many-objective optimization problem into a set of single-objective optimization problems, and the criterion to select a solution for the next generation along each reference is randomly set to convergence or diversity performance. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated on two sets of benchmark problems, and the experimental results showed the efficiency of the proposed method compared with seven state-of-the-art MaOEAs.
Traffic and Pollution Modelling for Air Quality Awareness: An Experience in the City of Zaragoza
Authors: Ilarri Sergio , Trillo-Lado Raquel , Marrodán Lorena
Published: May 2022

Air pollution due to the presence of small particles and gases in the atmosphere is a major cause of health problems. In urban areas, where most of the population is concentrated, traffic is a major source of air pollutants (such as nitrogen oxides or$$\hbox {NO}_x$$NOxand carbon monoxide or CO). Therefore, for smart cities, carrying out an adequate traffic monitoring is a key issue, since it can help citizens to make better decisions and public administrations to define appropriate policies. Thus, citizens could use these data to make appropriate mobility decisions. In the same way, a city council can exploit the collected data for traffic management and for the establishment of suitable traffic policies throughout the city, such as restricting the traffic flow in certain areas. For this purpose, a suitable modelling approach that provides the estimated/predicted values of pollutants at each location is needed. In this paper, an approach followed to model traffic flow and air pollution dispersion in the city of Zaragoza (Spain) is described. Our goal is to estimate the air quality in different areas of the city, to raise awareness and help citizens to make better decisions; for this purpose, traffic data play an important role. In more detail, the proposal presented includes a traffic modelling approach to estimate and predict the amount of traffic at each road segment and hour, by combining historical measurements of real traffic of vehicles and the use of the SUMO traffic simulator on real city roadmaps, along with the application of a trajectory generation strategy that complements the functionalities of SUMO (for example, SUMO’s calibrators). Furthermore, a pollution modelling approach is also provided, to estimate the impact of traffic flows in terms of pollutants in the atmosphere: an R package calledVehicular Emissions INventories (VEIN)is used to estimate the amount of$$\hbox {NO}_x$$NOxgenerated by the traffic flows by taking into account the vehicular fleet composition (i.e., the types of vehicles, their size and the type of fuel they use) of the studied area. Finally, considering this estimation of$$\hbox {NO}_x$$NOx, a service capable of offering maps with the prediction of the dispersion of these atmospheric pollutants in the air has been established, which uses theGraz Lagrangian Model (GRAL)and takes into account the meteorological conditions and morphology of the city. The results obtained in the experimental evaluation of the proposal indicate a good accuracy in the modelling of traffic flows, whereas the comparison of the prediction of air pollutants with real measurements shows a general underestimation, due to some limitations of the input data considered. In any case, the results indicate that this first approach can be used for forecasting the air pollution within the city.
A Blockchain-Based System for Agri-Food Supply Chain Traceability Management
Authors: Marchese Angelo , Tomarchio Orazio
Published: May 2022

Ensuring high quality and safety of food products has become a key factor on one hand to protect and improve consumers health and, on the other one, to gain market share. For this reason, much effort in the last year has been devoted to the development of integrated and innovative Agriculture and Food (Agri-Food) supply chains management systems, which should be responsible, in addition to track and store orders and deliveries, to guarantee transparency and traceability of the food production and transformation process. In this paper, differently from traditional supply chains which are based on centralized systems, we propose a fully distributed approach, based on blockchain technology, to define a supply chain management system able to provide quality, integrity and traceability of the entire supply chain process. The proposed framework is based on the Hyperledger Fabric technology, which is a permissioned blockchain system: a prototype has been developed and, by using some use cases, we show the effectiveness of the approach.
The relationship between prices and output in the UK and the US
Authors: Caporale Guglielmo Maria , Claudio-Quiroga Gloria , Gil-Alana Luis Alberiko
Published: May 2022

This paper aims to provide new evidence on the relationship between prices and output in both the US and the UK (which is important to discriminate between different macroeconomic theories) by focusing on the long run. For this purpose, it applies fractional integration and long-range dependence techniques that are more general than the standard modelling approach based on the stationary I (0) versus nonstationary I (1) dichotomy which has been used in previous studies. All series appear to be highly trended and to exhibit high degrees of integration and persistence, especially in the case of CPI. Since the two variables have different degrees of integration in each of the two countries, fractional cointegration tests cannot be carried out. We assume instead weak exogeneity of each of them in turn and test for causality by regressing the other variable against lagged values of the weakly exogenous one. We find that the only significant relationship implies the existence of a lagged effect of prices on output in the case of the US, which suggests a dominant role for demand shocks.
Adsorption behaviour of molecular sieve and activated carbon for CO2 adsorption at cold temperatures
Authors: Wang Shiqing , Wang Yutong , Kuang Yue , Xu Shisen , Gao Shiwang , Liu Lianbo , Niu Hongwei , Xiao Ping , Huang Bing
Published: May 2022

At present, insufficient works have provided insights into the application of adsorption to remove CO2 in flue gas below room temperatures under ambient pressure. In this work, the effects of temperature, CO2 partial pressure and moisture on dynamic adsorption characteristics for CO2 are conducted for various adsorbents. Based on our findings, lower the adsorbing temperature can drastically enhance the adsorption of carbon dioxide over molecular sieves and activated carbon. Among various adsorbents, 13X molecular sieve shows highest adsorption capacity. With a concentration of 10% CO2 in flue gas, the specific adsorption capacity of CO2 over 13X molecular sieve is 0.11, 2.54 and 5.38 mmol/g at 80 °C, 0 °C and − 80 °C, respectively. In addition, the partial pressure of CO2 also has a significant impact on the adsorption capacity. With the increment of the concentration of CO2 from 1% to 10% under 0 °C, the specific capacity of 13X molecular sieve increases from 1.212 mmol/g to 2.538 mmol/g. Water vapor in flue gas can not only reduce the specific adsorption capacity of CO2 due to competing adsorption, but also increase the heat penalty of molecular sieve regeneration due to the water adsorption. An overall analysis is conducted on the energy penalty of capture 1 ton CO2 at various adsorption temperatures between − 80 °C and 80 °C, considering both the heat penalty of molecular sieve regeneration as well as the energy penalty for cooling the adsorber. It is found that the lowest energy penalty is about 2.01 GJ/ton CO2 when the adsorption is conducted at 0 °C.
130 Novel Testosterone Gel Improves Aging Males' Symptoms in Patients with Late-Onset Hypogonadism: Active Control Equivalence, Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Pilot Study
Authors: Shirai M , Mizushima K , Tsuru T , Kurosawa M , Kure A , Uesaka Y , Nozaki T , Tsujimura A
Published: May 2022

Introduction

The standard treatment for late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) is testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). In Japan, testosterone enanthate intramuscular injection is recommended for LOH. But it needs regular clinic visits every 2-3 week, and it elicit pain. The 2% testosterone gel (AndroForte2®) is available for treatment LOH. Because of imported drug, AndroForte2® (AF2) is expensive. We have created a 2 % novel testosterone gel (NTG).

Objective

We hypothesized that our NTG improves Aging males' symptoms (AMS) scores, and serum testosterone in patients with LOH.

Methods

In this active control equivalence, randomized, double-blind, crossover study, it enrolled that were men with low serum free-testosterone (defined as below 11.8pg/mL), and symptoms of androgen deficiency (defined as AMS scores more than 27). The patients were randomly divided into two groups (A group, men receiving the NTG first; and B group, men receiving the AF2 first). Men with LOH received 2% AF2 for 28 days or 2% NTG for another 28 days separated by a 14-day washout period. The AMS score and serum hormonal data, and adverse events were assessed.

Results

Twenty-three patients aged 42–71 years old were enrolled in and concluded the study with no adverse events experienced. Serum testosterone and free-testosterone concentrations were significantly higher with NTG and AF2. And more, both concentrations were significantly higher in NTG than AF2. The AMS total score, physical subscore, mental subscore, and sexual subscore were significantly improved with NTG, but not significant with AF2.

Conclusions

This is the first study to show that our NTG may not be effective for improvement serum testosterone level but also for physical, mental, and sexual symptoms in patient with LOH.

Disclosure

Work supported by industry: no.
Homosexuality and Invisibility in Revolutionary Cuba
Authors: López María Encarnación
Published: May 2022

This work offers an alternative insight into the longstanding and conflicting relationship between politics and the (gay) intelligentsia in Cuba by looking closely at political texts, film, documentaries and literature from prior to Fidel Castro's regime until the present day. The book offers new readings of the work, letters and interviews of two influential voices, Reinaldo Arenas and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. Arenas's material reveals a new account of the nature of 'the voice of the invisibles' and the key elements of the construction of a Cuban national rhetoric that looks at (governmental) power and (gay) resistance as being in perpetual tension, which often increases the feeling of moral panic and even social exclusion and displacement among citizens. The book also offers a new interpretation of Gutiérrez Alea's renowned film Fresa y Chocolate (1994), resulting from the use of unpublished and revealing testimonies of the Cuban dance critic and writer Roger Salas and the secret messages inferred in his short story 'Helados de pasión: El cordero, la lluvia y el hombre desnudo' (1998).  Dr María E. López is a Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies and Sociology at London Metropolitan University and an Associate Fellow at the Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of London.
Lascars and Indian Ocean Seafaring, 1780-1860
Authors: Jaffer Aaron
Published: May 2022

Lascars were seamen from the Indian subcontinent and other areas of the Indian Ocean region who were employed aboard European ships from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. They experienced difficult working conditions and came from a wide variety of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, which created considerable scope for friction between them and their European officers.

This book, based on extensive original research, examines the role of lascars employed aboard country ships, East Indiamen and other British sailing vessels. The focus is on protest in its various forms, from mild unrest to violent acts of mutiny in which lascar crews murdered officers, seized ships and then sought refuge with local rulers. It is only through descriptions of such events - found in logbooks, seafaring diaries and the East India Company's judicial records - that many aspects of lascar life at sea become visible and lascar voices can be heard. Through the study of mutiny and other forms of protest, the book provides a detailed insight into shipboard conditions amongst lascars employed during this period. Aaron Jaffer completed his doctorate in history at the University of Warwick.
God and the Gawain-Poet
Authors: Hatt Cecilia A.
Published: May 2022

Pearl, Cleanness, Patience and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are accomplished examples of four different literary genres and represent some of the finest poetry in Middle English. They are, by turns, fast and funny, powerfully dramatic, gentle and ironic, telling of painful bereavement and the terror of victims of disaster and violence, as well as the comic bewilderment of people entangled in alarmingly mysterious situations. The anonymous poet's evident delight in the pleasures and artistry of courtly life has led some readers to suggest that he was a gifted but complacent frequenter of courts, his attention dedicated to the wealthy and his sympathies to the powerful, and moreover, that his poems pay the merest lipservice to religious observance. God and the Gawain-poet argues that, on the contrary, the poet's wide-ranging engagement with all human life explicitly acknowledges all material creation as God's gift, revelling in its physicality, in bodily senses and movement and the ways a community celebrates itself. Dr Hatt shows how, in exhorting readers to recognize and respond to the narrative of divine gift, he appears as an energetic Christian poet and a humane and compassionate observer. Cecilia Hatt gained her D.Phil from Oxford University.
Leprosy and Charity in Medieval Rouen
Authors: Brenner Elma
Published: May 2022

Between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, Rouen was one of the greatest cities in western Europe. The effective capital of the 'Angevin Empire' between 1154 and 1204 and thereafter a leading cityin the realm of the Capetian and Valois kings of France, it experienced substantial growth, the emergence of communal government and the ravages of plague and the Hundred Years' War. This book examines the impact of leprosy upon Rouen during this period, and the key role played by charity in the society and religious culture of the city and its hinterland. Based upon extensive archival research, and focusing in particular on Rouen's leper houses, it offers a new understanding of responses to disease and disability in medieval Europe. It charts how attitudes towards lepers, and perceptions of their disease, changed over time, explores the relationship between leprosy, charity and practices of piety, and considers how leprosy featured in growing concerns about public health. It also sheds important new light on the roles and experiences of women, as both charitable patrons and leprosy sufferers, and on medical practice and practitioners in medieval France. Elma Brenner is Specialist in Medieval and Early Modern Medicine at the Wellcome Library, London.