bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular species of oxidized phospholipids in brain differentiate between learning- and memory impaired and unimpaired aged rats
Authors: Narzt Marie-Sophie , Kremslehner Christopher , Golabi Bahar , Nagelreiter Ionela-Mariana , Malikovic Jovana , Hussein Ahmed M. , Plasenzotti Roberto , Korz Volker , Lubec Gert , Gruber Florian , Lubec Jana
Published: July 2022

Loss of cognitive function is a typical consequence of aging in humans and rodents. The extent of decline in spatial memory performance of rats, assessed by a hole-board test, reaches from unimpaired and comparable to young individuals to severely memory impaired. Recently, proteomics identified peroxiredoxin 6, an enzyme important for detoxification of oxidized phospholipids, as one of several synaptosomal proteins discriminating between aged impaired and aged unimpaired rats. In this study, we investigated several components of the epilipidome (modifications of phospholipids) of the prefrontal cortex of young, aged memory impaired (AI) and aged unimpaired (AU) rats. We observed an age-related increase in phospholipid hydroperoxides and products of phospholipid peroxidation, including reactive aldehydophospholipids. This increase went in hand with cortical lipofuscin autofluorescence. The memory impairment, however, was paralleled by additional specific changes in the aged rat brain epilipidome. There was a profound increase in phosphocholine hydroxides, and a significant decrease in phosphocholine-esterified azelaic acid. As phospholipid-esterified fatty acid hydroxides, and especially those deriving from arachidonic acid are both markers and effectors of inflammation, the findings suggest that in addition to age-related reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, age-related impairment of spatial memory performance has an additional and distinct (neuro-) inflammatory component.
Testing the reliability of monocular obstacle detection methods in a simulated 3D factory environment
Authors: Wenning Marius , Backhaus Anton Akira , Adlon Tobias , Burggräf Peter
Published: July 2022

Automated driving in public traffic still faces many technical and legal challenges. However, automating vehicles at low speeds in controlled industrial environments is already achievable today. A reliable obstacle detection is mandatory to prevent accidents. Recent advances in convolutional neural network-based algorithms hypothetically allow the replacement of distance measuring laser scanners with common monocameras. In this paper, we present a photorealistic 3D simulated factory environment for testing vision-based obstacle detecting algorithms preceding field tests on the safety–critical system. We further test two obstacle detection methods employing state-of-the-art semantic segmentation and depth estimation in a range of challenging test scenarios. Both models performed well under common factory settings. Some edge cases, however, lead to vehicle crashes.
Common Contexts of Meaning in the European Legal Setting: Opening Pandora’s box?
Authors: Ioriatti Elena
Published: July 2022

The way comparative law methodology is handled by the variety of experiences of normative complexity around the world is, in itself, a stimulating and promising field of research. In particular, the “hybrid” character of the European Union legislation, being juridical and linguistic at the same time, remains the core of comparative law studies, but the dynamic relationship between law and language is constanlty producing ever-changing scenarios, calling for combined scientific approaches. Along with comparative law, semiotics in particular has ensured the proper reading of the complex juridical and linguistic interconnections between the EU legislation and the national courts interpreting and applying them, thanks to its implicit dynamicity and ability to favor the visualization of the real normative semantic flow. By means of a case study, the opening of this “Pandora’s box” will demonstrate that, despite the lack of correspondence among EU categorical and conceptual structure, legal language, court enforcement and spirit of the people (social group), shared contexts of meanings within the EU and the national contexts are already flourishing and become visible when approached from a specifically comparative and semiotics point of view, that's to say as legalformants and assigns andmeta-concepts.
Probabilistic assessment of equivalent fracture aperture constrained on quasi-real-time drilling mud loss data
Authors: Patani S. E. , Colombo I. , Russo E. R. , Chiaramonte M. A. , Guadagnini A.
Published: July 2022

We provide a rigorous workflow to quantify the effects of key sources of uncertainty associated with equivalent fracture aperture estimates w constrained through mud loss information acquired while drilling a well in a reservoir. A stochastic inverse modeling framework is employed to estimate the probability distribution of w. This choice is consistent with the quantity and quality of available data. The approach allows assessing the probability that values of w inferred from mud loss events exceed a given threshold. We rely on a streamlined analytical solution to model mud losses while drilling. We explicitly consider uncertainties associated with model parameters and forcing terms, including drilling fluid rheological properties and flow rates, pore fluid pressure, and dynamic drilling fluid pressure. A synthetic scenario is considered to provide a transparent reference setting against which our stochastic inverse modeling workflow can be appraised. The approach is then applied to a real-case scenario. The latter is associated with data monitored on a rig site. A direct comparison of the impact of data collected through two common techniques (respectively, relying on flow meter sensors or pump strokes) on the ensuing probability of w is provided. A detailed analysis of the uncertainty related to the level of data corruption is also performed, considering various levels of measurement errors. Results associated with the field setting suggest that the proposed workflow yields probability distribution of w that are compatible with interpretations relying on traditional analyses of image logs. Results stemming from direct and indirect flow data display similar shapes. This suggests the viability of the probabilistic inversion methodology to assist quasi-real-time identification of equivalent fracture apertures on the basis of routinely acquired information during drilling.
D-Shaped Tellurite Photonic Crystal Fiber Hydrogen and Methane Sensor Based on Four-Wave Mixing With SPR Effect
Authors: Liu Hai , Wu Bo , Chen Cong , Zhao Benlei , Zhang Xu , Zhang Hancheng
Published: July 2022

A new D-shaped tellurite photonic crystal fiber sensor based on the four-wave mixing (FWM) effect with the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect is designed and optimized. The substrate of the D-shaped photonic crystal fiber (D-PCF) is tellurite glass, and the polished surface is plated with the gold film and hydrogen gas-sensitive film. An air hole of the inner cladding, which is plated with the gold film and methane gas-sensitive film, is selected as the second sensing channel to simultaneously measure the concentration of hydrogen and methane. Based on the four-wave mixing, the wavelength shifts of the Stokes and anti-Stokes spectra resulting from the variation of the gas concentration can be used to accurately detect the concentrations of methane and hydrogen. Meanwhile, it is found that the SPR effect can increase the wavelength shifts, which means the sensitivity of methane and hydrogen augment. After parameter optimization, the maximum sensitivities of methane and hydrogen are 4.03 nm/% and −14.19 nm/%, respectively. Both the linearities are up to 99.9%. The resolution of methane is 1.25×10−2% and hydrogen is 7.14×10−3%. Moreover, the fiber length of this sensor is only 20 mm, which is conducive to the construction of a compact or ultra-compact embedded FWM fiber sensor.
Prediction of strawberry fruit yield based on cultivar-specific growth models in the tunnel-type greenhouse
Authors: Jo Jung Su , Kim Dong Sub , Jo Won Jun , Sim Ha Seon , Lee Hye Jin , Moon Yu Hyun , Woo Ui Jeong , Jung Soo Bin , Kim Steven , Mo Xiaoming , Ahn Su Ran , Kim Sung Kyeom
Published: July 2022

The strawberry growth and fruit yield of five Korean cultivars in the tunnel-type greenhouse predicted using their growth. The number of leaves, petiole length, leaf length and width, crown diameter, and the ratio of red and far-red (RFR) of the five Korean cultivars were measured during the cultivation period. The number of leaves of all cultivars exhibited a similar trend during this period; the plant and petiole length of ‘Maehyang’ were the longest, leaf length exhibited similar trends in all five cultivars except for ‘Jukhyang’, the leaf width of ‘Arihyang’, was the longest, and crown diameter of ‘Keumsil’ was the thickest. The leaf length, crown diameter, and RFR were associated with the fruit yield in the multiple linear regression. When a single model was used to predict the yield of all five cultivars, the correlation between expected yield and actual yield was r = 0.53. When cultivar-specific models were built for the prediction, the correlation increased to r = 0.77. The results indicated that the fruit yield of strawberry cultivars could be better predicted by considering cultivar-specific information, so it may be necessary to consider individual cultivars specifically rather than all cultivars simultaneously.
Forging a New Security Order in Eurasia: China, the SCO, and the Impacts on Regional Governance
Authors: Yuan Jingdong
Published: July 2022

Beijing played a critical role in establishing the SCO in the aftermath of the break of the former Soviet Union in response to the emerging non-traditional security challenges. Overtime, the SCO has evolved into a regional institution critical to China’s growing interests in Central Asia/Eurasia and increasingly, Beijing seeks to influence and shape the organization in support of its institutional balancing strategy—inclusive in soliciting Russian endorsement of its diplomatic agendas in the region ranging from energy security and greater economic integration, and exclusive in resisting and preventing US influence in the region. Lately, that strategy has also been displayed in the SCO membership expansion to India to minimize chance of a Washington–Delhi axis against China, at least not where SCO-wide (that would include China) interests are concerned. But the most critical transformation of the SCO as a regional institution is its utility in Beijing’s exclusive institutional balancing strategy against the US, to prevent the latter from gaining access and influence in Central Asia/Eurasia; to foster trust among member states, and develop the SCO into a regional security community, and to safeguard Chinese interests in both geo-economic (trade and energy) and geopolitical (security and regional stability) terms.
Effects of insect net coverage in field vegetables on pests, diseases, natural enemies, and yield
Authors: Böckmann Elias
Published: July 2022

With the reduced availability of effective plant protection products, alternative control measures gain importance. Insect net covers are a promising tool in this regard, because they can reduce pest damage on crop by exclusion of pests. However, as under practical conditions, most crop net covers need to be removed several times during a crop cycle to manage weeds and apply fertilizers, a complete exclusion of pests is not always feasible. In addition, net covers also have an impact on natural enemies, on microclimate, and may cause direct crop damage due to their tracking weight. Therefore, effects of net applications have to be assessed accordingly, depending on the specific crops and pests. In the current paper, effects on pests, on yield, and on the occurrence of diseases are assessed in Chinese cabbage, carrot, and leek. Whereas control of Delia radicum, Phyllotreta spp. and thrips was enhanced, aphids and mining flies showed increased population build ups and caused higher damages under net cover once they had been able to invade. Some plant diseases such as Puccinia spp. and Alternaria spp. did increase under the net covers. Pitfall trap catches in carrots and Chinese cabbage were lower in almost all natural enemy groups monitored under net covers as compared to open field plots. Yield was higher with net coverage in case of Chinese cabbage and leek, but not in carrot. Results are discussed and take into account the exclusion of natural enemies and measured changes in microclimate and photosynthetically active radiation.
COVID-19 and Seasonal Adjustment
Authors: Abeln Barend , Jacobs Jan P. A. M.
Published: July 2022

In this paper we study the impact of COVID-19 on seasonal adjustment. We focus on whether special adjustments are required to treat the COVID-19 crisis as an outlier as suggested by Eurostat in the application of three seasonal adjustment procedures: X13-ARIMA-SEATS, the industry standard, Seasonal-Trend decomposition based on Loess (STL) and a new method CAMPLET, a acronym of its tuning parameters. In addition we investigate whether revisions occur. We show results of seasonal adjustments for the quarterly series real GDP in the Netherlands, and the weekly series U.S. Initial Claims. Seasonal adjustment with X13-ARIMA-SEATS and CAMPLET requires modifications in the implementation of the standard procedure to treat the COVID-19 crisis as an outlier; STL can be applied straightforwardly. Differences in seasonally adjusted values are generally small around COVID-19. Finally, X13-ARIMA-SEATS and STL seasonal adjustments are subject to revision, which probably will lead to the COVID-19 crisis becoming less deep when new observations become available.
High-Resolution-Manometrie des Ösophagus: Wegweiser zur optimalen Therapie
Authors: Schlager Hansjörg , Konrad Julia , Baumann-Durchschein Franziska
Published: July 2022

Die Dysphagie und der nichtkardiale Thoraxschmerz stellen Alarmsymptome dar. Nach Gastroskopie und bioptischem Ausschluss von morphologischen Ursachen sollten funktionelle diagnostische Tests durchgeführt werden. Als Goldstandard hat sich die Ösophagusmanometrie nach dem Chicago-Protokoll 4.0 etabliert. Ergänzend kommen vor allem bei unklaren Befunden weitere diagnostische Tests, wie der EndoFLIP (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) und das „timed barium esophagram“ (TBE), zum Einsatz. Der EndoFLIP kann unter anderem vor allem bei Patient*Innen hilfreich sein, die die Manometriesonde nicht tolerieren. Das TBE ist sowohl zur Diagnose von Motilitätsstörungen als auch zur Evaluierung des Therapieerfolgs dem konventionellen Videoschluckaktröntgen deutlich überlegen. Die Achalasie ist eine primäre Motilitätsstörung des Ösophagus, bei der eine gestörte Relaxation des unteren Schließmuskels vorliegt. Anhand der Manometrie können 3 Achalasietypen unterschieden werden. Ziel der Therapie ist es, die Beschwerdesymptomatik zu verringern bzw. zu beseitigen und damit eine Verbesserung der Lebensqualität zu schaffen. Aktuell stehen verschiedene Therapieoptionen zur Auswahl: die pneumatische Dilatation, die laparoskopische Heller-Myotomie und die perorale endoskopische Myotomie (POEM). Bei der Typ-III-Achalasie sollte die POEM präferiert werden. Die Verwendung von Botoxinjektionen sollte nur noch bei ausgewählten Patient*Innen erfolgen. Die EGJOO ist ein schlecht definiertes Krankheitsbild, bei dem eine Behinderung des Bolustransports im Bereich des Ausflusstrakts der Speiseröhre vorliegt. Mit voreiligen therapeutischen Maßnahmen sollte man hier zurückhaltend sein, da in bis zu 92 % der Fälle eine spontane Remission der Beschwerden beschrieben wird. Bei ausgeprägter Symptomatik kann jedoch ein Therapieversuch mit Botox erfolgen.
Making comparable measurements of bacterial respiration and production in the subtropical coastal waters
Authors: Guo Cui , Ke Ying , Chen Bingzhang , Zhang Shuwen , Liu Hongbin
Published: July 2022

Accurate estimates of bacterial carbon metabolic rates are indispensable for understanding the regulation of carbon fluxes in aquatic environments. Here, changes in bacterial growth, production, and cell volume in both pre-filtered and unfiltered seawater during 24 h incubation were monitored. The methodological artifacts during Winkler bacterial respiration (BR) measurements in subtropical Hong Kong coastal waters were assessed. Bacterial abundance increased by 3- and 1.8-fold in the pre-filtered and unfiltered seawater after incubation, respectively. Bacterial production (BP) and cell volume also showed significant enhancement. Compared with the BR measurements obtained by the Winkler method, the instantaneous free-living BR measurements, after correction, decreased by ~ 70%. The time-integrated free-living BR and BP during 24 h incubation in the pre-filtered sample provided an improved estimate of bacterial growth efficiency, which increased by ~ 52% compared to the common estimations using the noncomparable measurements of integrated free-living BR and instantaneous total BP. The overestimation of BR also exaggerated the contribution of bacteria to community respiration, affecting the understanding on the metabolic state of the marine ecosystems. Furthermore, the BR estimates by the Winkler method may be more biased in environments with a higher bacterial growth rate and tightly coupled grazing mortality, as well as in those with higher nutrient concentrations. These results reveal obvious problems associated with the BR methodology and raise a warning for caution when comparing BP and BR, as well as when making estimations of carbon flow through the complex microbial networks in aquatic ecosystems.
Homogeneous vector bundles and G-equivariant convolutional neural networks
Authors: Aronsson Jimmy
Published: July 2022

G-equivariant convolutional neural networks (GCNNs) is a geometric deep learning model for data defined on a homogeneous G-space $$\mathcal {M}$$
M
. GCNNs are designed to respect the global symmetry in $$\mathcal {M}$$
M
, thereby facilitating learning. In this paper, we analyze GCNNs on homogeneous spaces $$\mathcal {M} = G/K$$

M
=
G
/
K

in the case of unimodular Lie groups G and compact subgroups $$K \le G$$

K
≤
G

. We demonstrate that homogeneous vector bundles are the natural setting for GCNNs. We also use reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHS) to obtain a sufficient criterion for expressing G-equivariant layers as convolutional layers. Finally, stronger results are obtained for some groups via a connection between RKHS and bandwidth.
Reflecting on earlier affected areas that shaped COVID-19 mental health efforts
Authors: Narayan Shawna K. , Tsang Vivian W. L. , Qian Yue
Published: July 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious public health threat that many countries in the world are facing. While several measures are being taken to minimize the spread of infection, mental health efforts must address psychological challenges due to the pandemic. This commentary reflects on original research from earlier epicenters of COVID-19 and identifies effective practices and suggestions applicable to mental health interventions in the North American context. Tailored mental health services need to be provided for populations that are at high risk of infection. Suggested interventions targeting specific population groups, such as healthcare workers, COVID-19 patients, and vulnerable populations, are discussed.
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and (Mis)perception of Risk
Authors: Sax Joanna K.
Published: July 2022

This Article tackles the critical problem of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and provides a normative framework for legal policies to address such hesitancy in the ongoing pandemic. The foundation of this Article rests in decision-making theories that allow policymakers to understand individual misperception of risk as compared to evidence-based assessment of risk. Vaccine-hesitant individuals assign a high risk to the COVID-19 vaccine and a low risk to the disease—a perception that is disconnected from the science. The backbone of this Article is the timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic and the underlying science of the disease and vaccines. The timeline provides a factual background to demonstrate how vaccine hesitancy to the COVID-19 vaccine emerged. The instant pandemic also demonstrates changes in how individuals see themselves in society, receive information, and are persuaded by economic forces. This Article combines the individual’s decision-making process with modern day variables to suggest interventions that can undo anti-vaccine damage. While the novelty of the normative framework provided herein is instructive for current COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy issues, this framework can be applied to other areas in which individual’s perceptions of risk are disconnected from evidence-based assessment of risk.
Increasing LGBTQ+ Access to Legal Services via Medical-Legal Partnerships
Authors: Melas Amelia
Published: July 2022

This Note details and proposes a solution to the deficit in access to justice and to care faced by the LGBTQ+ community due to historical and ongoing homophobia and transphobia in both the legal and medical fields. The proposed solution is the integration of medical-legal partnerships (“MLPs”) into LGBTQ+ resource organizations. These organizations already serve and have the trust of the queer community, which lowers one barrier to access medical and legal services for the LGBTQ+ community: mistrust and negative past experiences. MLPs are the ideal solution to this problem because they would not only allow LGBTQ+ individuals to access medical and legal services, but to receive holistic services that account for their personal circumstances as well as their physical health. Underlying this premise is the concept of social determinants of health, which are environmental and social factors that create systemic roadblocks to wellness. By creating an integrated MLP, professionals can address these social determinants head on and remedy the underlying causes of poor health. This is especially important for LGBTQ+ people whose minoritized identities often lead them to have multiple negative social determinants of health. The integration of MLPs into LGBTQ+ resource organizations would allow queer individuals to get the care they need—not just physically, but socially and environmentally.
Pharmacists as important prescribers of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) antivirals
Authors: Mahoney Monica V. , Bhagat Hita , Christian Robbie , del Rio Carlos , Hohmeier Kenneth C. , Klepser Michael E. , Pogue Jason M.
Published: July 2022

Although pharmacists are key members of the healthcare team, they are currently ineligible to independently prescribe the oral coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) antivirals. We report the roles pharmacists have undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide evidence for the support of independent oral COVID-19 antiviral prescribing.
Staphylococcal decolonization to prevent surgical site infection: Is there a role in colorectal surgery?
Authors: Raslan Rasha , Doll Michelle , Albert Heather , Shah Hirsh , Bohl Jaime , Cooper Kaila , Stevens Michael P. , Bearman Gonzalo
Published: July 2022

Objective:

We implemented a preoperative staphylococcal decolonization protocol for colorectal surgeries if efforts to further reduce surgical site infections (SSIs).

Design:

Retrospective observational study.

Setting:

Tertiary-care, academic medical center.

Patients:

Adult patients who underwent colorectal surgery, as defined by National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), between July 2015 and June 2020. Emergent cases were excluded.

Methods:

Simple and multivariable logistic regression were performed to evaluate the relationship between decolonization and subsequent SSI. Other predictive variables included age, sex, body mass index, procedure duration, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score, diabetes, smoking, and surgical oncology service.

Results:

In total, 1,683 patients underwent nonemergent NHSN-defined colorectal surgery, and 33.7% underwent the staphylococcal decolonization protocol. SSI occurred in 92 (5.5%); 53 were organ-space infections and 39 were superficial wound infections. We detected no difference in overall SSIs between those decolonized and not decolonized (P = .17). However, superficial wound infections were reduced in the group that received decolonization versus those that did not: 7 (1.2%) of 568 versus 32 (2.9%) of 1,115 (P = .04).

Conclusions:

Staphylococcal decolonization may prevent a subset of SSIs in patients undergoing colorectal surgery.
Amycenone reduces excess body weight and attenuates hyperlipidaemia by inhibiting lipogenesis and promoting lipolysis and fatty acid β-oxidation in KK-Ayobese diabetic mice
Authors: Kudo Maya , Hayashi Misa , Sun Boju , Wu Lili , Liu Tonghua , Gao Ming
Published: July 2022

Excess body weight and hyperlipidaemia cause severe health problems and have social implications. Amycenone is an active substance extracted from Yamabushitake mushrooms with no reports of its activity against excess body weight and hyperlipidaemia. This research clarifies the effects and mechanisms of action of amycenone on the inhibition of body weight excess and hyperlipidaemia attenuation using KK-Aymice. Amycenone or water was administered to 8-week-old male KK-Aymice by gavage for 8 weeks. Their body weight and food intake were recorded during the experiment. At the end of the experimental period, the mice were dissected, and blood samples, lipid metabolism-related organs and tissues were collected and stored for further analysis. Amycenone treatment suppressed body weight gain and improved serum levels of fasting blood glucose and non-esterified fatty acids. Additionally, serum and hepatic cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels were reduced after this treatment, whereas the phosphorylation levels of AMPK, PKA and HSL increased and the expression level of FAS decreased. The protein level of C/EBPβ and gene expression level ofCpt1were higher in the perirenal adipose tissue of amycenone-treated KK-Aymice. Furthermore, amycenone phosphorylated AMPK, PKA and ACC, and PPARγ expression was lower in the mesenteric adipose tissue. The phosphorylation levels of AMPK, LKB1, PKA and ACC were also induced, and FAS expression level was reduced in the liver of the amycenone-treated group. Amycenone could reduce excess body weight and attenuate hyperlipidaemia in KK-Aymice by inhibiting lipogenesis and promoting lipolysis through lipid metabolism pathway stimulation and fatty acid β-oxidation acceleration.
Asymptotics of the overflow in urn models
Authors: Gouet Raul , Hitczenko Paweł , Wesołowski Jacek
Published: July 2022

Consider a finite or infinite collection of urns, each with capacity r, and balls randomly distributed among them. An overflow is the number of balls that are assigned to urns that already contain r balls. When
$r=1$
, this is the number of balls landing in non-empty urns, which has been studied in the past. Our aim here is to use martingale methods to study the asymptotics of the overflow in the general situation, i.e. for arbitrary r. In particular, we provide sufficient conditions for both Poissonian and normal asymptotics.
EMBEDDINGS INTO OUTER MODELS
Authors: ESKEW MONROE , FRIEDMAN SY-DAVID
Published: July 2022

We explore the possibilities for elementary embeddings
$j : M \to N$
, where M and N are models of ZFC with the same ordinals,
$M \subseteq N$
, and N has access to large pieces of j. We construct commuting systems of such maps between countable transitive models that are isomorphic to various canonical linear and partial orders, including the real line
${\mathbb R}$
.
Study on influential factors and reference values for thyroid volume in Chinese children aged 6–12 years
Authors: An Shuli , Li Weidong , Wang Xiaofeng , Wang Yanling , Xu Xian , Mao Guangming , Zhu Xiaonan , Li Ming , Liu Lanchun , Cao Xiaotao , Meng Fangang , Liu Peng
Published: July 2022

The purpose of the current study was to research the factors influencing thyroid volume (TVOL) in 6–12-year-old children and update the reference values. A cross-sectional study was carried out in iodine-sufficient areas of four provinces in China. Urine, edible salt and drinking water samples were collected from children. Children’s height, weight and TVOL were measured. Ridge regression was used to screen variables for solving the multicollinearity problem. Quantile regression was used to analyse the relationship between the quantiles of TVOL and other variables. In total, 5653 children aged 6–12 years were enrolled in this study, including 2838 boys and 2815 girls. There was no significant difference in TVOL between boys and girls (P > 0·05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that total TVOL was positively correlated with age, height, weight, body surface area (BSA) and BMI, and the correlation coefficients were 0·616, 0·663, 0·669, 0·685 and 0·479, respectively. Among them, the correlation between TVOL and BSA was the strongest. According to the ridge regression results, age and BSA influenced TVOL, and the ridge regression coefficients were 0·13 and 0·94, respectively. Quantile regression further showed that age and BSA had significant influences on the whole TVOL distribution (P < 0·001). Therefore, the TVOL of children aged 6–12 years in China was mainly influenced by age and BSA, and reference values for TVOL of different genders based on age and BSA were established.
Detrital zircon geochronology of the Permian Lower Shihezi Formation, northern Ordos Basin, China: time constraints for closing of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean
Authors: Chen Rong , Wang Feng , Li Zhen , Evans Noreen J , Chen Hongde
Published: July 2022

Temporal constraints on the closure of the eastern segment of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean along the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC) remain unclear. As a part of the NCC, the sedimentation and tectonic evolution of the Late Palaeozoic Ordos Basin were closely related to the opening and closing of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean. We use petrology, quantitative mineralogical analysis, U–Pb geochronology and trace element signatures of detrital zircons of the Lower Shihezi Formation from two sections in the eastern north Ordos Basin and two sections in the western north Ordos Basin to reconstruct the sedimentary provenance and tectonic background of the northern Ordos Basin. The results show that the sediments of the western sections were mainly derived from the Yinshan orogenic belt and Alxa block, and that those in the eastern sections only came from the Yinshan orogenic belt. The trace element ratios in detrital zircons from the Late Palaeozoic sandstones indicate that the source areas were mainly subduction-related continental arcs, closely related to the continued subduction of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean in the Late Palaeozoic. Since the main Late Palaeozoic magmatic periods vary on the east and west sides of the northern margin of the Ordos Basin, two main collisions related to Palaeo-Asian Ocean closure are recorded. The collision on the west side occurred significantly earlier than that in the east. This study implies that the Palaeo-Asian Ocean began to subduct beneath the NCC in the Carboniferous and gradually closed from west to east thereafter.
Can Stimulating Demand Drive Costs Down? World War II as a Natural Experiment
Authors: Lafond François , Greenwald Diana , Farmer J. Doyne
Published: July 2022

U.S. military production during World War II increased at an impressive rate and led to large declines in unit costs. However, the literature has focused on elucidating detailed mechanisms behind this relationship, using small datasets on specific products. Here we take a step back and, looking at an unprecedently large collection of data, we show that both exogenous technological progress and endogenous effects from increasing production experience were important, in roughly similar proportions. The demand for military products was largely exogenous, and the correlation between production, cumulative production, and time was weak, limiting issues of reverse causality and multicollinearity.
Market Development, Information Diffusion, and the Global Anomaly Puzzle
Authors: Cai Charlie X. , Keasey Kevin , Li Peng , Zhang Qi
Published: July 2022

Previous literature finds anomalies are at least as prevalent in developed markets as in emerging markets; namely, the global anomaly puzzle. We show that while market development and information diffusion are linearly related, information diffusion has a nonlinear impact on anomalies. This is consistent with theoretical developments concerning the process of information diffusion. In extremely low-efficiency regimes, without newswatchers sowing the seeds of price discovery and ensuring the long-run convergence of price to fundamentals, initial mispricing and subsequent correction will not occur. The concentration of emerging countries in low-efficiency regimes provides an explanation to the puzzle.
Positive Bank-to-Bank Spillovers
Authors: Shakya Shasta
Published: July 2022

This paper provides the first evidence of positive bank-to-bank spillovers. I show that geographic linkages between banks that engage in home lending in the same geographic region transmit positive shocks from one bank to another. I exploit shocks to the deposit base of banks located in counties experiencing shale oil booms and show that a nonshocked bank in a nonboom county expands lending more if its linkages have greater exposure to shale booms. Results show that the shock exposure of linkages has a positive impact on home prices of nonboom counties, and nonshocked banks located therein respond with increased lending.
Legolas: magnetohydrodynamic spectroscopy with viscosity and Hall current
Authors: De Jonghe J. , Claes N. , Keppens R.
Published: July 2022

Many linear stability aspects in plasmas are heavily influenced by non-ideal effects beyond the basic ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) description. Here, the extension of the modern open-source MHD spectroscopy code Legolas with viscosity and the Hall current is highlighted and benchmarked on a stringent set of historic and recent findings. The viscosity extension is demonstrated in a cylindrical set-up featuring Taylor–Couette flow and in a viscoresistive plasma slab with a tearing mode. For the Hall extension, we show how the full eigenmode spectrum relates to the analytic dispersion relation in an infinite homogeneous medium. We quantify the Hall term influence on the resistive tearing mode in a Harris current sheet, including the effect of compressibility, which is absent in earlier studies. Furthermore, we illustrate how Legolas mimics the incompressible limit easily to compare with literature results. Going beyond published findings, we emphasise the importance of computing the full eigenmode spectrum, and how elements of the spectrum are modified by compressibility. These extensions allow for future stability studies with Legolas that are relevant to ongoing dynamo experiments, protoplanetary disks or magnetic reconnection.
Site fidelity, population identity and demographic characteristics of humpback whales in the New York Bight apex
Authors: Brown D. M. , Robbins J. , Sieswerda P. L. , Ackerman C. , Aschettino J. M. , Barco S. , Boye T. , DiGiovanni R. A. , Durham K. , Engelhaupt A. , Hill A. , Howes L. , Johnson K. F. , Jones L. , King C. D. , Kopelman A. H. , Laurino M. , Lonergan S. , Mallette S. D. , Pepe M. , Ramp C. , Rayfield K. , Rekdahl M. , Rosenbaum H. C. , Schoelkopf R. , Schulte D. , Sears R. , Stepanuk J. E. F. , Tackaberry J. E. , Weinrich M. , Parsons E. C. M. , Wiedenmann J.
Published: July 2022

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) exhibit maternally driven fidelity to feeding grounds, and yet occasionally occupy new areas. Humpback whale sightings and mortalities in the New York Bight apex (NYBA) have been increasing over the last decade, providing an opportunity to study this phenomenon in an urban habitat. Whales in this area overlap with human activities, including busy shipping traffic leading into the Port of New York and New Jersey. The site fidelity, population composition and demographics of individual whales were analysed to better inform management in this high-risk area. Whale watching and other opportunistic data collections were used to identify 101 individual humpback whales in the NYBA from spring through autumn, 2012–2018. Although mean occurrence was low (2.5 days), mean occupancy was 37.6 days, and 31.3% of whales returned from one year to the next. Individuals compared with other regional and ocean-basin-wide photo-identification catalogues (N = 52) were primarily resighted at other sites along the US East Coast, including the Gulf of Maine feeding ground. Sightings of mother-calf pairs were rare in the NYBA, suggesting that maternally directed fidelity may not be responsible for the presence of young whales in this area. Other factors including shifts in prey species distribution or changes in population structure more broadly should be investigated.
The privilege of the Indian passport (1947–1967): Caste, class, and the afterlives of indenture in Indian diplomacy
Authors: Natarajan Kalathmika
Published: July 2022

This article examines the postcolonial Indian state's 20-year-long discretionary passports policy until 1967, often in collaboration with the British government in its efforts to limit growing numbers of Indian immigrants. While a vast scholarship has shown the racialized limits to mobility perpetuated by the passport and visa system against ‘coloured immigrants’, this article considers the Indian state's own restrictions over the emigration of a particular category of its ‘undesirable’ citizens. This passport regime was based on Indian diplomatic notions of the ‘international’ realm as one shaped by the journeys of migrants and imbued with discourses of indenturequacaste. The Indian state sought to prevent the mobility of ‘lower’ caste and class migrants who were deemed to be legatees of the dreaded ‘coolie’ and therefore unworthy of travelling abroad as representatives of India. Such a reading of the postcolonial Indian passport as a document of caste and class privilege goes beyond the existing literature which largely focuses on its use in the context of partition. In so doing, this article posits the histories and afterlives of indenture as a constitutive element in the making of Indian diplomacy, demonstrating that a focus on indenture facilitates a much-needed recovery of the narratives and euphemisms of caste in Indian diplomacy.
Reforming Women, Protecting Men: The Prosecution of Infanticide in Venezuela's Early Republic, 1820–60
Authors: Zahler Reuben
Published: July 2022

Court records for infanticide present several mysteries. In three centuries of colonial rule, Venezuela’s Mérida province had just one court case for infanticide. During the first three decades of Venezuela’s independence, the province had over thirty cases, while the country’s other provinces had none. The defendants in these cases were all poor, illiterate, single women. Curiously, court officials endeavored to acquit even in the face of incriminating evidence, such that the courts convicted only those mothers that confessed. This article explores how these women explained to officials why they killed and/or hid the body, and why the judicial system prosecuted these cases, given that the colonial system did not and officials were inclined to acquit. The investigation finds that the mothers explained their actions as principally due to economic and emotional desperation, including fear of punishment from their parents, rather than an intent to preserve their feminine honor. Further, the provincial judicial system began to prosecute this crime as part of a larger project to build a liberal, patriarchal republic. The prosecutions facilitated civilian-state relations, legitimized nascent institutions, sought to protect the mothers and “reform” their morals, and shielded fathers from responsibility for illicit sex.
A novel approach to estimate the local population denominator to calculate disease incidence for hospital-based health events in England
Authors: Campling James , Begier Elizabeth , Vyse Andrew , Hyams Catherine , Heaton Dave , Southern Jo , Finn Adam , Madhava Harish , Gessner Bradford D. , Ellsbury Gillian
Published: July 2022

While incidence studies based on hospitalisation counts are commonly used for public health decision-making, no standard methodology to define hospitals' catchment population exists. We conducted a review of all published community-acquired pneumonia studies in England indexed in PubMed and assessed methods for determining denominators when calculating incidence in hospital-based surveillance studies. Denominators primarily were derived from census-based population estimates of local geographic boundaries and none attempted to determine denominators based on actual hospital access patterns in the community. We describe a new approach to accurately define population denominators based on historical patient healthcare utilisation data. This offers benefits over the more established methodologies which are dependent on assumptions regarding healthcare-seeking behaviour. Our new approach may be applicable to a wide range of health conditions and provides a framework to more accurately determine hospital catchment. This should increase the accuracy of disease incidence estimates based on hospitalised events, improving information available for public health decision making and service delivery planning.
Current status of the Critically Endangered Black-winged Trumpeter Psophia obscura in one of its last strongholds
Authors: CARVALHO ELILDO A. R. , MENDONÇA ELOÍSA N. , LOPES ALEXANDRE M. C. , HAUGAASEN TORBJØRN
Published: July 2022

The ‘Critically Endangered’ Black-winged Trumpeter Psophia obscura is endemic to the Belém Centre of Endemism in extreme eastern Amazonia and has a declining population and range. Here we report on a five-year (2016–2020) systematic camera-trap (n = 61) study of the species in Gurupi Biological Reserve, one of its most important conservation areas. We used a multi-season occupancy model to identify factors affecting occupancy rates and to assess occupancy trends in the reserve. Occupancy was negatively related to elevation and site-level tree density, and was positively related to post-logging recovery times. Average annual occupancy rates remained stable throughout the study period (ranging between 0.57 and 0.67) and this stability was largely driven by high between-year survival rates. Results confirm that the Black-winged Trumpeter is an interior-forest specialist that is highly sensitive to forest disturbance, which underlines the importance of the Gurupi Biological Reserve as a core site for the conservation of the species. However, the species is long-lived, so continuous monitoring is needed to further clarify population trends. We also recommended that the status of the species in other forest remnants, most of which remain unprotected, is assessed.
STEM/STEAM 2022
Authors: Humphrey Elaine
Published: July 2022

Many universities, commercial companies, and science organizations who use microscopy have outreach programs. The members of such generally love to share their enthusiasm and passion with the next generation. Content and confidence on providing such a program often comes from sharing ideas with like-minded scientists. These programs are typically delegated with the acronym STEM or STEAM: science, technology, engineering, art, and math. One of MSA's outreach programs is ProjectMICRO. Included are some STEAM ideas to share.
Variation in placental microRNA expression associates with maternal family history of cardiovascular disease
Authors: Tehrani Jesse M. , Kennedy Elizabeth M. , Tian Fu-Ying , Everson Todd M. , Deyssenroth Maya , Burt Amber , Hermetz Karen , Hao Ke , Chen Jia , Koestler Devin C. , Marsit Carmen J.
Published: July 2022

In the United States, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and the rate of maternal mortality remains among the highest of any industrialized nation. Maternal cardiometabolic health throughout gestation and postpartum is representative of placental health and physiology. Both proper placental functionality and placental microRNA expression are essential to successful pregnancy outcomes, and both are highly sensitive to genetic and environmental sources of variation. Placental pathologies, such as preeclampsia, are associated with maternal cardiovascular health but may also contribute to the developmental programming of chronic disease in offspring. However, the role of more subtle alterations to placental function and microRNA expression in this developmental programming remains poorly understood. We performed small RNA sequencing to investigate microRNA in placentae from the Rhode Island Child Health Study (n = 230). MicroRNA counts were modeled on maternal family history of cardiovascular disease using negative binomial generalized linear models. MicroRNAs were considered to be differentially expressed at a false discovery rate (FDR) less than 0.10. Parallel mRNA sequencing data and bioinformatic target prediction software were then used to identify potential mRNA targets of differentially expressed microRNAs. Nine differentially expressed microRNAs were identified (FDR < 0.1). Bioinformatic target prediction revealed 66 potential mRNA targets of these microRNAs, many of which are implicated in TGFβ signaling pathway but also in pathways involving cellular metabolism and immunomodulation. A robust association exists between familial cardiovascular disease and placental microRNA expression which may be implicated in both placental insufficiencies and the developmental programming of chronic disease.
Evaluation of competency-driven training for facilitators delivering a psychological intervention for children in Lebanon: a proof-of-concept study
Authors: Jordans M. J. D. , Steen F. , Koppenol-Gonzalez G. V. , El Masri R. , Coetzee A. R. , Chamate S. , Ghatasheh M. , Pedersen G. A. , Itani M. , El Chammay R. , Schafer A. , Kohrt B. A.
Published: July 2022

Aims

The mounting evidence for effective delivery of psychological interventions by non-specialists in low- and middle-income settings has led to a rapid expansion of mental health and psychosocial support trainings globally. As such, there is a demand for strategies on how to train and implement these services to attain adequate quality. This study aims to evaluate the added value of a competency-driven approach to training of facilitators for a group intervention for children with severe emotional distress in Lebanon.

Methods

In a controlled before and after study, 24 trainees were randomly allocated to participate in either a competency-driven training (CDT) or training-as-usual (TAU) (1 : 1) for a psychological intervention for children with severe emotional distress. We assessed the change in demonstrated competencies, using standardised role-plays, before and after the training. Measures included the 13-item Working with children-Assessment of Competencies Tool (WeACT), the 15-item ENhancing Assessment of Common Therapeutic factors (ENACT) and the 6-item Group facilitation: Assessment of Competencies Tool (GroupACT). The trainer in the experimental arm used pre-training and during training competency assessment scores to make real-time adjustment to training delivery. Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, all activities were done remotely.

Results

CDT resulted in significantly better outcomes on increasing competencies on the WeACT (repeated measures analysis of variance; F(1, 22) = 6.49, p < 0.018) and on the GroupACT (Mann–Whitney U = 22, p < 0.003), though not statistically significant on the ENACT. There is no significant between-group difference on the reduction of harmful behaviours, mainly because both forms of training appear equally successful in eliminating such behaviours.

Conclusions

This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential of CDT, using standardised assessment of trainee competencies, to contribute to better training outcomes without extending the duration of training. CDT can result in up to 18% greater increase in adequate competency, when compared to TAU. The study also yields recommendations for further enhancing the benefits of competency-driven strategies. A fully powered trial is needed to confirm these findings.