bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Berücksichtigung verformbarer Fördergurte in DEM-Simulationen
Authors: Fimbinger Eric
Published: January 2021

Mit konventionellen Methoden der DEM-Simulation ist es nicht möglich, dynamisches Verhalten bzw. dynamische Verformungen von Fördergurten in Simulationen digitaler Prototypen zu berücksichtigen. Daher wurde eine entsprechende DEM Gurtsimulationsmethodik entwickelt, die es erlaubt, ein Gurtmodell in DEM-Simulationen als dynamisch interagierendes Objekt zu erstellen.

Generell ist die Berücksichtigung solch dynamischen Gurtverhaltens in DEM-Simulationen dann von Relevanz, wenn signifikanter Einfluss auf das Fördersystem durch dynamische Gurteffekte zu erwarten ist oder aber auch wenn der Gurt für bestimmte Analysezwecke ein solches Verhalten erfordert.

Die entwickelte Methodik umfasst dazu zwei wesentliche Kernelemente: betreffend Gurtaufbau und Gurtinitialisierung. Der Gurtaufbau beschreibt die Struktursystematik eines DE-Gurtes, bestehend aus miteinander systematisch verbundenen Gurtpartikeln (Bonded-Particle-Modell). Die Gurtinitialisierung beschreibt jene Methode, eine gewisse Gurtgeometrie für eine bestimmte Anwendung in die Simulationsumgebung zu laden. Dies erfolgt entsprechend der Methodik durch Gurtinitialisierung in einbauzustandsnaher Form, wobei eine gewünschte Gurtform basierend auf CAD-Daten mithilfe eines entwickelten Konvertierungsalgorithmus (implementiert als Softwareanwendung „BeltConverter“) initialisiert wird.

Anwendungs- und Analysebeispiele komplexer Gurtfördersystemen, wie Schlauchgurt- oder Doppelgurtförderer, verdeutlichen die generelle Eignung der Methodik und zeigen Möglichen zur Verwendung von dynamischen DE-Gurtmodellen erstellt nach der beschriebenen Simulationsmethodik.
Stem Cells and Gene Therapy in Progressive Hearing Loss: the State of the Art
Authors: Nourbakhsh Aida , Colbert Brett M. , Nisenbaum Eric , El-Amraoui Aziz , Dykxhoorn Derek M. , Koehler Karl Russell , Chen Zheng-yi , Liu Xue Z.
Published: January 2021

Progressive non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss (PNSHL) is the most common cause of sensory impairment, affecting more than a third of individuals over the age of 65. PNSHL includes noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and inherited forms of deafness, among which is delayed-onset autosomal dominant hearing loss (AD PNSHL). PNSHL is a prime candidate for genetic therapies due to the fact that PNSHL has been studied extensively, and there is a potentially wide window between identification of the disorder and the onset of hearing loss. Several gene therapy strategies exist that show potential for targeting PNSHL, including viral and non-viral approaches, and gene editing versus gene-modulating approaches. To fully explore the potential of these therapy strategies, a faithful in vitro model of the human inner ear is needed. Such models may come from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The development of new treatment modalities by combining iPSC modeling with novel and innovative gene therapy approaches will pave the way for future applications leading to improved quality of life for many affected individuals and their families.
Efficient approximation of solutions of parametric linear transport equations by ReLU DNNs
Authors: Laakmann Fabian , Petersen Philipp
Published: January 2021

We demonstrate that deep neural networks with the ReLU activation function can efficiently approximate the solutions of various types of parametric linear transport equations. For non-smooth initial conditions, the solutions of these PDEs are high-dimensional and non-smooth. Therefore, approximation of these functions suffers from a curse of dimension. We demonstrate that through their inherent compositionality deep neural networks can resolve the characteristic flow underlying the transport equations and thereby allow approximation rates independent of the parameter dimension.
The effect of self-practicing systematic clinical observations in a multiplayer, immersive, interactive virtual reality application versus physical equipment: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Berg Helen , Steinsbekk Aslak
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to investigate whether group self-practice of systematic clinical observation using the airway, breathing, circulation, disability and exposure (ABCDE) approach in a multiplayer, immersive, interactive virtual reality (VR) application provided a non-inferior learning outcome compared to practicing with physical equipment in first-year medical and nursing students. The study was a non-inferior, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. After a 15-min introduction session on the ABCDE approach, all students were randomly allocated to practice ABCDE in groups of three for 20 min either in a fully immersive, interactive, multiplayer virtual reality application (the VR group) or with physical equipment (the TP group). The primary outcome was the number of students who documented all predefined observations in the correct order of the ABCDE approach on a practical test performed immediately after group practice. A total of 84% of all eligible students participated, with 146 students in the VR group and 143 in the TP group. On the primary outcome, 20% in the VR group and 21% in the TP group got everything correct (absolute difference 1% point, one-sided 95% confidence interval 1.0–8.8% points), showing non-inferiority of the virtual reality application. For other outcomes, the results were mostly similar between the groups. Group self-practice of the ABCDE approach in multiplayer, immersive, interactive virtual reality application was non-inferior to practice with physical equipment.
The spatial distribution of ERGs reflecting luminance and L-/M-cone-opponent signals
Authors: Vidal Kallene Summer , Aher Avinash J. , Ventura Dora Fix , Kremers Jan
Published: January 2021

Purpose

To study the spatial retinal distribution of electroretinographic (ERG) responses that reflect signals in the L-/M-cone-opponent and luminance post-receptoral pathways.

Methods

ERG recordings to heterochromatic stimuli (sinusoidal counter-phase modulation of red and green LED light sources) were performed, while varying fractions of red and green modulation. Two temporal frequencies of the stimuli were employed: 12 Hz to record ERGs that reflect L-/M-cone-opponent signal and 36 Hz for recording ERG signals sensitive to stimulus luminance. Stimuli were about 20° in diameter and projected on various retinal locations: the fovea and four eccentricities (10°, 19°, 28° and 35°), each presented nasally, temporally, inferiorly and superiorly from the fovea.

Results

The 36 Hz stimuli elicited responses that strongly varied with red fraction and were minimal at iso-luminance. Moreover, response phases changed abruptly at the minimum by 180°. In contrast, the responses to the 12 Hz stimuli had amplitudes and phases that changed more gradually with red fraction. The 36 Hz response amplitudes were maximal close to the fovea and sharply decreased with increasing distance from the fovea. The responses to 12 Hz stimuli were more broadly distributed across the retina.

Conclusions

In the present study, it was found that retinal eccentricity and direction from the fovea have distinct effects on ERGs reflecting different post-receptoral mechanisms. The results are in accord with previous findings that ERGs to 12 Hz stimuli are predominantly determined by the red–green chromatic content of the stimuli, thus reflecting activation in the L-/M-cone-opponent pathway, while responses to 36 Hz stimuli manifest post-receptoral luminance-dependent activation. We found that the response in the cone-opponent pathway is broadly comparable across the retina; in comparison, response amplitude of the luminance pathway strongly depends on retinal stimulus position.
Towards trustworthy blockchains: normative reflections on blockchain-enabled virtual institutions
Authors: Teng Yan
Published: January 2021

This paper proposes a novel way to understand trust in blockchain technology by analogy with trust placed in institutions. In support of the analysis, a detailed investigation of institutional trust is provided, which is then used as the basis for understanding the nature and ethical limits of blockchain trust. Two interrelated arguments are presented. First, given blockchains’ capacity for being institution-like entities by inviting expectations similar to those invited by traditional institutions, blockchain trust is argued to be best conceptualized as a specialized form of trust in institutions. Keeping only the core functionality and certain normative ideas of institutions, this technology broadens our understanding of trust by removing the need for third parties while retaining the value of trust for the trustor. Second, the paper argues that blockchains’ decentralized nature and the implications and effects of this decentralization on trust issues are double-edged. With the erasure of central points, the systems simultaneously crowd out the pivotal role played by traditional institutions and a cadre of representatives in meeting their assigned obligations and securing the functional systems’ trustworthy performances. As such, blockchain is positioned as a technology containing both disruptive features that can be embedded with meaningful normative values and inherent ethical limits that pose a direct challenge to the actual trustworthiness of blockchain implementations. Such limits are proposed to be ameliorated by facilitating a shift of responsibility to the groups of people directly associated with the engendering of trust in the blockchain context.
Mandevillian Virtues
Authors: Astola Mandi
Published: January 2021

Studies in collective intelligence have shown that suboptimal cognitive traits of individuals can lead a group to succeed in a collective cognitive task, in recent literature this is called mandevillian intelligence. Analogically, as Mandeville has suggested, the moral vices of individuals can sometimes also lead to collective good. I suggest that this mandevillian morality can happen in many ways in collaborative activities. Mandevillian morality presents a challenge for normative virtue theories in ethics. The core of the problem is that mandevillian morality implies that individual vice is, in some cases, valuable. However, normative virtue theories generally see vice as disvaluable. A consequence of this is that virtue theories struggle to account for the good that can emerge in a collective. I argue that normative virtue theories can in fact accommodate for mandevillian emergent good. I put forward three distinctive features that allow a virtue theory to do so: a distinction between individual and group virtues, a distinction between motivational and teleological virtues, and an acknowledgement of the normativity of “vicious” roles in groups.
Supervision und Coaching als Resonanzraum für berührende Transformation
Authors: Schwarz Renate
Published: January 2021

Im Zusammenhang von Supervision und Coaching wird folgender Dreiklang untersucht: das auf einem phänomenologischen Ansatz basierende Prinzip Resonanz und die damit entstehende Intersubjektivität; das Phänomen der Transformation als möglicher Effekt von Resonanz; die Entstehung eines Resonanzraums, eines Ermöglichungsraums für berührende, das heißt sinnerweiternde Transformation im Rahmen von Beratung.
Correction to: Effect of increased serum 25(OH)D and calcium on structure and function of post-menopausal women: a pilot study
Authors: Hillstrom H. J. , Soeters R. , Miranda M. , Backus S. I. , Hafer J. , Gibbons M. , Thaqi I. , Lenhoff M. , Hannan M. T. , Endo Y. , Sculco T. , Lane J.
Published: January 2021

A Correction to this paper has been published: 10.1007/s11657-020-00875-5
Short-term stochastic movements of electricity prices and long-term investments in power generating technologies
Authors: Mari Carlo
Published: January 2021

Modeling probability distributions for the long-term dynamics of electricity prices is of key importance to value long-term investments under uncertainty in the power sector, such as investments in new generating technologies. Starting from accurate modeling of the short-term behavior of electricity prices, we derive long-term stationary probability distributions. Then, investments in new baseload generating technologies, namely gas, coal and nuclear power, are discussed. In order to compute the stochastic Net Present Value of investments in new generating technologies, the revenues from selling electricity in power markets as well as the costs which come from buying fuels at uncertain market prices must be evaluated over very long time horizons, i.e., over the whole lifetime of the plants. Starting from accurate short-term stochastic models of fuel prices in addition to electricity prices, we provide long-run probability distributions which are used to compute revenues and costs incurring during the whole lifetime of the plants. Five sources of uncertainty are taken into account, namely electricity market prices, fossil fuel prices (natural gas and coal prices), nuclear fuel prices and $$\hbox {CO}_{\text{2 }}$$

CO

2

prices. Our evaluation model is calibrated on empirical data to account for both historical market prices and macroeconomic views about future trends of electricity and fuel prices. The full probability density of the stochastic Net Present Value is thus determined for each generation technology considered in this study.
Intra-articular Injection of Chitosan-Based Supramolecular Hydrogel for Osteoarthritis Treatment
Authors: Mou Donggang , Yu Qunying , Zhang Jimei , Zhou Jianping , Li Xinmin , Zhuang Weiyi , Yang Xuming
Published: January 2021

Background:

Pain and cartilage destruction caused by osteoarthritis (OA) is a major challenge in clinical treatment. Traditional intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) can relieve the disease, but limited by the difficulty of long-term maintenance of efficacy.

Methods:

In this study, an injectable and self-healing hydrogel was synthesized by in situ crosslinking of N-carboxyethyl chitosan (N-chitosan), adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH), and hyaluronic acid–aldehyde (HA-ALD).

Results:

This supramolecular hydrogel sustains good biocompatibility for chondrocytes. Intra-articular injection of this novel hydrogel can significantly alleviate the local inflammation microenvironment in knee joints, through inhibiting the inflammatory cytokines (such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17) in the synovial fluid and cartilage at 2- and even 12-weeks post-injection. Histological and behavioral test indicated that hydrogel injection protected cartilage destruction and relieved pain in OA rats, in comparison to HA injection.

Conclusion:

This kind of novel hydrogel, which is superior to the traditional HA injection, reveals a great potential for the treatment of OA.
Lifestyle and silymarin: a fight against liver damage in NAFLD associated - prediabetic disease
Authors: Colletta Cosimo , Colletta Alessandro , Placentino Giuseppe
Published: January 2021

Background

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is common in both prediabetic patients and healthy overweight individuals, yet it remains understudied. This study investigates the effects of hepatic steatosis on fibrosis and evaluates the major predictors of liver injury in prediabetes and whether this damage is reversible with Mediterranean diet and administration of the nutraceutical silymarin.

Methods

First, a case-control study was conducted in which 212 patients with prediabetes, not known to have NAFLD, and 126 healthy controls underwent clinical evaluation, transient elastography with measurement of liver stiffness (LS) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). Subsequently, the 212 prediabetic patients were enrolled into a prospective randomized interventional study: 104 were allocated to Mediterranean diet alone while 108 followed Mediterranean diet plus supplementation with silymarin (a flavonolignan complex isolated fromSilybum marianumandMorus alba). The administered silymarin dose was 210 mg twice daily for 6 months. Clinical and instrumental evaluations were repeated at the end of the 6 month-study period. Prediabetics were genotyped for patatin like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3).

Results

In the case-control study, 29% of prediabetic patients have significant fibrosis defined as LS ≥ 7.9 kPa vs only 3% of controls (p < 0.001). PNPLA3 genotype CG/GG are significantly associated with significant fibrosis LS ≥ 7.9 relative to CC genotype χ2(1) = 76.466,p < 0.001. Binomial regression analysis shows that increase in BMI, ALT and AST are significantly associated with increased likelihood of significant fibrosis (χ2(7) = 191.9,p < .001) prior to intervention. In the randomized interventional study, prediabetics following Mediterranean diet alone (group 1) experienced a significant regression of fibrosis and decrease in ALT, HbA1c, FBS after 6 months (p < 0.001); similar findings were observed in patients following Mediterranean diet plus silymarin regimen (group 2); group 2 had a significant decrease in HbA1c relative to group 1 (95% CI: 37.8–38.6 vs 39.5–40.3,p < 0.001).

Conclusion

PNPLA3 genotype CG/GG and elevated BMI are the major predictors of significant fibrosis in prediabetic patients prior to intervention in this study. Mediterranean diet either alone or with silymarin treatment for 6 months leads to significant regression of liver damage and improvement of the glycemic profile in prediabetic patients. Yet, as combination treatment of silymarin with Mediterranean diet shows significant reduction of HbA1c when compared to diet alone, this suggests that silymarin may exert an independent anti-glycemic action.
A Rare Pulmonary Arterio-venous Malformation with Circular Shunting Due to Inferior Phrenic Artery Supply with Pulmonary Venous Drainage: a Case Report
Authors: Dobson James Whiteley , Barnor-Ahiaku Edem , Puppala Sapna , McPherson Simon John
Published: January 2021

A rare case of a pulmonary arterio-venous malformation not requiring treatment is reported. An incidental peripheral right lower lobe intrapulmonary pulmonary arterio-venous malformation was identified on computed tomography. On catheter angiography, no pulmonary artery supply was identified. Systemic artery catheter arteriography identified systemic arterial supply from a conjoined inferior phrenic artery with pulmonary venous drainage to the left atrium. Due to this lung abnormality being a systemic arterial circulation to pulmonary venous circulation (left to left or circular) shunt, no treatment was indicated.
Evaluation and minimization of moment coefficient of tall buildings with trilateral cross-section via a surrogate model
Authors: Noormohamadian M. , Salajegheh E.
Published: January 2021

Wind load is commonly regarded as the dominant lateral load in designing tall buildings. Thus, it is of necessity to investigate the parameters affecting wind-induced loads. One of these parameters is the exterior shape of tall building, which using its aerodynamic shape modifications, wind loads, can be decreased. In this research, the exterior shape of different tall buildings with trilateral cross-section is constructed via the polynomial parameterization method. The advantage of the proposed method in producing the building geometry is that it is able to apply all aerodynamic modifications to triangular buildings. Then, the effect of each geometrical parameter on the moment coefficient along the drag is investigated as the aerodynamic response of tall buildings. Using geometric parameters screening, it was found that two geometrical parameters (T, b1) have the maximum impact on the aerodynamic response of the tall buildings which apply twist and curved sides modifications, respectively. Then, using the polynomial regression method, explicit relation of the mean moment coefficient in terms of these two geometrical parameters is illustrated using a third-order polynomial, which can be used as a surrogate model to evaluate the moment coefficient instead of computational fluid dynamic analysis. The surrogate model can significantly reduce the computational cost, and operate as an appropriate guide for building designers to investigate the effect of building geometrical variables on aerodynamic performance. Finally, the minimum point of the proposed model is determined as the optimal shape of the tall building. In addition, a comparative analysis of the aerodynamic responses of the optimal model with the basic triangle model shows that the moment coefficient is reduced by 56%. This demonstrates the considerable effect of these two geometrical parameters in improving the aerodynamic performance.
Optoelectronic, thermodynamic and vibrational properties of intermetallic MgAl2Ge2: a first-principles study
Authors: Karim A. M. M. Tanveer , Helal M. A. , Alam M. A. , Ali M. A. , Ara I. , Naqib S. H.
Published: January 2021

Intermetallic compounds with CaAl2Si2-type structure have been studied extensively due to their exciting set of physical properties. Among various alumo-germanides, MgAl2Ge2 is the new representative of CaAl2Si2-type structures. Our previous study explores the structural aspects, mechanical behaviors and electronic features of intermetallic MgAl2Ge2. The present work discloses the results of optoelectronic, thermodynamic and vibrational properties of MgAl2Ge2 via density functional theory-based investigations. The band structure calculations suggest that MgAl2Ge2 possesses slight electronic anisotropy and the compound is metallic. The Fermi surface topology reveals that both electron- and hole-like sheets are present in MgAl2Ge2. The electron charge density map indicates toward the dominance of covalent bonding in MgAl2Ge2. The optical parameters are found to be independent of the state of the polarization of incident electric field. The large value of the reflectivity in the visible-to-ultraviolet region up to ~ 15 eV suggests that MgAl2Ge2 might be a good candidate as coating material to avoid solar heating. The thermodynamic properties have been calculated using the quasi-harmonic Debye approximation. We have found indications of lattice instability at the Brillouin zone boundary in the trigonal $$P\overline{3}m1$$

P

3
¯

m
1

phase from the phonon dispersion curves. However, the compound might be stable at elevated temperature and as a function of pressure. All the theoretical findings herein have been compared with the reported results (where available). Various implications of our results have been discussed in detail.

Graphic abstract
Representative volume element based micromechanical modelling of rod shaped glass filled epoxy composites
Authors: Sharma Aanchna , Munde Yashwant , Kushvaha Vinod
Published: January 2021

In this study, Representative Volume Element based micromechanical modeling technique has been implemented to assess the mechanical properties of glass filled epoxy composites. Rod shaped glass fillers having an aspect ratio of 80 were used for preparing the epoxy composite. The three-dimensional unit cell model of representative volume element was prepared with finite element analysis tool ANSYS 19 using the periodic square and hexagonal array with an assumption that there is a perfect bonding between the filler and the epoxy matrix. Results revealed that the tensile modulus increases and Poisson’s ratio decreases with increase in the volume fraction of the filler. To study the effect of filler volume fraction, the pulse echo techniques were used to experimentally measure the tensile modulus and Poisson’s ratio for 5% to 15% volume fraction of the filler. A good agreement was found between the RVE based predicted values and the experimental results.
“We Just Followed the Lead of the Sources”: An Investigation of How Teacher Candidates Developed Critical Curriculum through Subject Matter Knowledge
Authors: Colley Lauren , Mueller Rebecca , Thacker Emma
Published: January 2021

Subject matter knowledge influences instructional decision-making, particularly for novice teachers. Moreover, teacher candidates’ abilities to create critical pedagogy is influenced by their subject matter knowledge and their opportunity to interact with critical curriculum. Using a researcher-designed task intended to develop teacher candidates’ subject matter knowledge, this qualitative action research study investigated the degree to which the task supported candidates’ critical consciousness and their selection and framing of content for an instructional unit. The findings illustrate inconsistencies in candidates’ abilities to use new subject matter knowledge in ways that conceptualize social studies curriculum in critical ways. These inconsistencies suggest that teacher educators should consider using a critical rationale-based pedagogy as a means to assist teacher candidates to move towards critical pedagogy in ways that subject matter knowledge alone cannot.
The Jews in Late Antiquity
Authors: Cohen Rodrigo Laham
Published: January 2021

The lack of source material makes it challenging, but this short book uses the available evidence to present facts and debates around Jews in late antiquity and to provide a first step towards the understanding of this little-known period in Jewish history. It focuses on seven different regions: Italy, North Africa (except Egypt), Gaul, Spain, Egypt, the Land of Israel, and Babylonia.
Climate Strategy
Authors: The Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy
Published: January 2021

According to the UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, current global changes in climate are 90-95% likely to have been caused, at least in part, by human activity. This challenging analysis of the current global climate struggle suggests three courses of necessary action for solving the climate problem and demonstrates their viability: adaptation to the changed climate, selection of worldwide strategies for mitigation until 2050, and an internationally coordinated effort to implement these policies. A highly readable and accessible addition to climate strategy and policy, this volume provides a refreshingly innovative look at current global climate initiatives.
The Ayatollahs and Democracy in Iraq
Authors: Cole Juan R.I.
Published: January 2021

The troubled transition to democracy in Iraq has led many to wonder how the country's Shiâ'ites and Sunnis will balance their religious beliefs with political pressures. In this volume, historian Juan R. I. Cole explores clerical participation within Iraq's emerging democracy, including that of the Daâ'wa Party, the al-Sadr Movement, and the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution. Ideal for students and scholars of foreign affairs, Cole's thought-provoking analysis will be important reading for anyone concerned about the future of Iraq.
Local Identities
Authors: Gerritsen Fokke
Published: January 2021

Gerritsen's study investigates how small groups of people 'households, or local communities' constitute and represent their social identity by shaping the landscape around them. Examining things like house building and habitation, cremation and burial, and farming and ritual practice, Gerritsen develops a new theoretical and empirical perspective on the practices that create collective senses of identity and belonging. An explicitly diachronic approach reveals processes of cultural and social change that have previously gone unnoticed, providing a basis for a much more dynamic history of the late prehistoric inhabitants of this region.
The Lute in the Dutch Golden Age
Authors: Burgers Jan W. J.
Published: January 2021

The lute’s cultural impact throughout the Dutch Golden Age can be compared to that of the piano in the 19th century. It was the universal instrument for solo music-making, as well as in ensembles and to accompany singers, mainly associated with the social elite - the aristocracy and the prosperous burghers. This richly illustrated book is the first to showcase famous and obscure lutenists, professional musicians and amateurs, the lute music in books and manuscripts, the lute makers and the international lute trade, while also exploring the place of the instrument in the Dutch literature and art of the period.
The Superstition that Maims the Vulnerable: Establishing the Magnitude of Witchcraft-Driven Mistreatment of Children and Older Women in Ghana
Authors: Owusu Emmanuel Sarpong
Published: January 2021

Witchcraft-triggered violence is widespread in contemporary African societies. This study establishes the magnitude and identifies the principal features, motivations and socio-cultural contexts of witchcraft-driven mistreatment of children and older women in Ghana. It achieves this aim by embarking on an in-depth analysis of cases of witchcraft-related abuse publicised in three renowned local Ghanaian media outlets between 2014 and 2020 and comparing the results with the findings of extant empirical studies. The data support the view that witchcraft-fuelled abuse is endemic in Ghana, and the worst victims are children and older women of low socio-economic background. It demonstrates that the commonest forms of mistreatment and violence resulting from belief in witchcraft are murder and torture (perpetrated with various weapons/tools), forcible confinement and enslavement, neglect and child labour. The most dominant motivations for such violations are the suspicion that the alleged witches are responsible for family or community members’ death or illness and the supposed victims’ economic or financial predicament. The study stresses the need to criminalise witchcraft accusations and bring pastors and traditional spiritualists under closer scrutiny since many witchcraft allegations and the ensuing persecutions are largely encouraged by their dubious activities.
Effect of an orientation-dependent non-linear grain fluidity on bulk directional enhancement factors
Authors: Rathmann Nicholas M. , Hvidberg Christine S. , Grinsted Aslak , Lilien David A. , Dahl-Jensen Dorthe
Published: January 2021

Bulk directional enhancement factors are determined for axisymmetric (girdle and single-maximum) orientation fabrics using a transversely isotropic grain rheology with an orientation-dependent non-linear grain fluidity. Compared to grain fluidities that are simplified as orientation independent, we find that bulk strain-rate enhancements for intermediate-to-strong axisymmetric fabrics can be up to a factor of ten larger, assuming stress homogenization over the polycrystal scale. Our work thus extends previous results based on simple basal slip (Schmid) grain rheologies to the transversely isotropic rheology, which has implications for large-scale anisotropic ice-flow modelling that relies on a transversely isotropic grain rheology. In order to derive bulk enhancement factors for arbitrary evolving fabrics, we expand the c-axis distribution in terms of a spherical harmonic series, which allows the rheology-required structure tensors through order eight to easily be calculated and provides an alternative to current structure-tensor-based modelling.
COMBINING ORAL TRADITIONS AND BAYESIAN CHRONOLOGICAL MODELING TO UNDERSTAND VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT IN THE GULF OF PAPUA (PAPUA NEW GUINEA)
Authors: Urwin Chris , Hua Quan , Arifeae Henry
Published: January 2021

When European colonists arrived in the late 19th century, large villages dotted the coastline of the Gulf of Papua (southern Papua New Guinea). These central places sustained long-distance exchange and decade-spanning ceremonial cycles. Besides ethnohistoric records, little is known of the villages’ antiquity, spatiality, or development. Here we combine oral traditional and 14C chronological evidence to investigate the spatial history of two ancestral village sites in Orokolo Bay: Popo and Mirimua Mapoe. A Bayesian model composed of 35 14C assays from seven excavations, alongside the oral traditional accounts, demonstrates that people lived at Popo from 765–575 cal BP until 220–40 cal BP, at which time they moved southwards to Mirimua Mapoe. The village of Popo spanned ca. 34 ha and was composed of various estates, each occupied by a different tribe. Through time, the inhabitants of Popo transformed (e.g., expanded, contracted, and shifted) the village to manage social and ceremonial priorities, long-distance exchange opportunities and changing marine environments. Ours is a crucial case study of how oral traditional ways of understanding the past interrelate with the information generated by Bayesian 14C analyses. We conclude by reflecting on the limitations, strengths, and uncertainties inherent to these forms of chronological knowledge.
SOME OBSERVATIONS AND SPECULATIONS ON PARTITIONS INTO d-TH POWERS
Authors: ULAS MACIEJ
Published: January 2021

The aim of this article is to provoke discussion concerning arithmetic properties of the function

$p_{d}(n)$
counting partitions of a positive integer n into dth powers, where

$d\geq 2$
. Apart from results concerning the asymptotic behaviour of

$p_{d}(n)$
, little is known. In the first part of the paper, we prove certain congruences involving functions counting various types of partitions into dth powers. The second part of the paper is experimental and contains questions and conjectures concerning the arithmetic behaviour of the sequence

$(p_{d}(n))_{n\in \mathbb {N}}$
, based on computations of

$p_{d}(n)$
for

$n\leq 10^5$
for

$d=2$
and

$n\leq 10^{6}$
for

$d=3, 4, 5$
.
BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE VEGETABLE SHOWS, ALLOTMENT CULTURE, AND LIFE BEHIND THE LINES DURING THE GREAT WAR
Authors: MAYHEW ALEX
Published: January 2021

Popular perceptions of 1914–18 focus on the trenches. Yet, much of soldiers’ time was spent in rear areas and many men never reached the frontlines. By studying life behind the lines it is possible to offer new perspectives on the experience of the Great War. In August 1917 and 1918, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) took over the usually quiet paths and lawns of Le Havre's Jardin St Roche, which the mayor of the town had agreed to loan to the base commandant. Rather than engaging in battle with the enemy, BEF servicemen and Belgian military personnel, alongside French civilians, were displaying the fruits (and vegetables) of their more peaceful labours. As part of a programme encouraging the cultivation of unused land around the surrounding camps, a vegetable competition was organized in which it was onions, beets, and kale rather than bullets, grenades, and shells that were the produce of war. This article explores the ways in which the organization of these events can throw light on the broader history of the British Army during the First World War. In doing so, it provides novel insights into the functioning of the BEF and the experiences of the men serving in it.
Planned mode of birth after previous caesarean section and women's use of psychotropic medication in the first year postpartum: a population-based record linkage cohort study
Authors: Fitzpatrick Kathryn E. , Quigley Maria A. , Smith Daniel J. , Kurinczuk Jennifer J.
Published: January 2021

Background

Policy in many high-income settings supports giving pregnant women with previous caesarean section a choice between an elective repeat caesarean section (ERCS) or planning a vaginal birth after previous caesarean (VBAC), provided they have no contraindications to VBAC. Despite the potential for this choice to influence women's mental health, evidence about the associated effect to counsel women and identify potential targets for intervention is limited. This study investigated the association between planned mode of birth after previous caesarean and women's subsequent use of psychotropic medications.

Methods

A population-based cohort study of 31 131 women with one or more previous caesarean sections who gave birth to a term singleton in Scotland between 2010 and 2015 with no prior psychotropic medications in the year before birth was conducted using linked Scottish national datasets. Cox regression was used to investigate the association between planned mode of birth and being dispensed psychotropic medications in the first year postpartum adjusted for socio-demographic, medical, pregnancy-related factors and breastfeeding.

Results

Planned VBAC (n= 10 220) compared to ERCS (n= 20 911) was associated with a reduced risk of the mother being dispensed any psychotropic medication [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78–0.92], an antidepressant (aHR 0.83, 95% CI 0.76–0.90), and at least two consecutive antidepressants (aHR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75–0.91) in the first year postpartum.

Conclusions

Women giving birth by ERCS were more likely than those having a planned VBAC to be dispensed psychotropic medication including antidepressants in the first year postpartum. Further research is needed to establish the reasons behind this new finding.
A Passage to India: Rhetoric and Diplomacy between Muscovy and Central Asia in the Seventeenth Century
Authors: Abdurasulov Ulfat
Published: January 2021

It is broadly assumed that attempts by the Russian state of Muscovy to establish stable diplomatic and mercantile channels to India via Central Asia were started upon the initiative of the Emperor Peter I (1682–1725). Such attempts are generally interpreted as being part of a large-scale project that reflected the growing imperial and colonial ambitions of Russia and which, in turn, entailed strong antagonism from the ruling elites of Central Asia, thereby setting a tone for relations that would continue for the next century and more of reciprocal relations between the local principalities and Russia. By exploring chancellery documents from seventeenth-century Muscovy, we find that the first diplomatic communications between Russia, Khiva, and Bukhara can in fact be dated to long before the reign of Peter I. The first Romanov tsars sought to initiate exchanges with Khiva and Bukhara as a means of establishing diplomatic and commercial ties with the Mughal emperors; at the same time, meanwhile, the authorities in Khiva and Bukhara had their own reasons for pushing Muscovy to engage with Central Asia as a conduit to India. Over the course of the seventeenth century, Central Asian diplomats went to great lengths—both in diplomatic correspondence and through direct interpersonal contacts—to convince their Russian counterparts of the region's attractiveness as a source of precious Indian commodities and as a logistically convenient passage to India. Despite such rhetoric, however, the authorities in Khiva and Bukhara were in fact highly reluctant to “open” the region to Russian agents: repeated attempts by Muscovy to engage in diplomatic fact-finding as a means of establishing influence in the region invariably foundered in the face of Central Asian resistance. Bukharan and Khivan circles seem, in fact, to have held out the enticing idea of “a passage to India” simply as a rhetorical device to secure recognition in Muscovy for their own diplomatic and mercantile missions.
Immunogenicity and safety of rapid scheme vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis in HIV-1 infected persons
Authors: Jilich D. , Maly M. , Kosina P. , Fleischhans L. , Machala L.
Published: January 2021

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a vector-borne infection associated with a variety of potentially serious complications and sequelae. Vaccination against TBE is strongly recommended for people living in endemic areas. There are two TBE vaccination schemes – standard and rapid – which differ in the onset of protection. With vaccination in a rapid schedule, protection starts as early as 4 weeks after the first dose and is therefore especially recommended for non-immune individuals travelling to endemic areas. Both schemes work reliably in immunocompetent individuals, but only little is known about how TBE vaccination works in people with HIV infection. Our aim was to assess the immunogenicity and safety of the rapid scheme of TBE vaccination in HIV-1 infected individuals. Concentrations of TBE-specific IgG > 126 VIEU/ml were considered protective. The seroprotection rate was 35.7% on day 28 and 39.3% on day 60. There were no differences between responders and non-responders in baseline and nadir CD4 + T lymphocytes. No serious adverse events were observed after vaccination. The immunogenicity of the TBE vaccination was unsatisfactory in our study and early protection was only achieved in a small proportion of vaccinees. Therefore, TBE vaccination with the rapid scheme cannot be recommended for HIV-1 infected individuals.
Indexes to assess feeding practices of children under 2 years old: a systematic review
Authors: Silva Priscila O , Lyrio Amanda O , da Cruz Simone S , Santos Leonor MP , Gubert Muriel B
Published: January 2021

Objective:

To systematically review studies that used indexes to assess feeding practices of children under 2 years.

Design:

Seven databases were searched with no limit on language or publication date.

Setting:

The reviewed studies included thirteen Asian, ten Latin American, four European, four North American, three Oceanian and three African.

Participants:

Children under 2 years.

Results:

We analysed thirty-six studies: twenty-two presenting original indexes and fourteen using adapted indexes. Among the original indexes, thirteen assess breast-feeding, fourteen food consumption, ten food groups, and ten other feeding practices. Original indexes were mainly adapted to fit the data available in the study, to update for current nutritional recommendations or to add components not present in the original indexes. Seven studies evaluated the associations between the indexes and nutrient intake or nutritional status. The main limitations cited by the authors were: flaws in the definition of the index components, criteria for cut-off points and weighting of the evaluated index components.

Conclusions:

The assessment of feeding practices for young children and its comparison across countries remains a challenge, especially due to the lack of consensus on the construction of indexes and regional differences in dietary recommendations and practices. Lack of validation for some indexes also makes it difficult to choose the most appropriate index for a given objective. Adapting existing indexes is a viable option. We point out relevant recommendations that may contribute to future research. Validation and longitudinal studies in diverse populations are favourable to qualify the assessment of feeding practices in this group.
Reducing stigma and discrimination associated with COVID-19: early stage pandemic rapid review and practical recommendations
Authors: Gronholm P. C. , Nosé M. , van Brakel W. H. , Eaton J. , Ebenso B. , Fiekert K. , Milenova M. , Sunkel C. , Barbui C. , Thornicroft G.
Published: January 2021

Aims

To develop recommendations for strategies and interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), through reviewing and synthesising evidence in relation to COVID-19 and other disease outbreaks and infectious/stigmatised conditions from systematic reviews and primary studies and recommendations from additional materials.

Methods

Rapid review, drawing on the World Health Organization's (WHO) methodology for developing interim guidelines during health emergencies. PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central and Campbell Collaboration searched up to mid-April 2020. Searches were supplemented by reference-searching and expert recommendations. Searches were designed to identify: (1) systematic reviews (<10 years), or (2) primary intervention studies (no date limit) reporting evidence on anti-stigma interventions (in relation to COVID-19 or other infectious/stigmatised conditions) or (3) additional relevant materials. Data were extracted on population, intervention, outcome and results. These data were compiled into evidence summary tables and narrative overviews. Recommendations on strategies for COVID-19 stigma-reduction were developed using the WHO ‘Evidence to Decision’ framework approach. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (registration ID: CRD42020177677).

Results

The searches identified a total of 4150 potentially relevant records, from which 12 systematic reviews and 29 additional articles were included. Overarching considerations and specific recommendations focus on: (1) language/words used in relation to COVID-19 and affected people; (2) media/journalistic practices; (3) public health interventions; (4) targeted public health interventions for key groups and (5) involving communities and key stakeholders.

Conclusions

These recommendations represent the first consolidated evidence-based guidance on stigma and discrimination reduction in relation to COVID-19. Mitigating the impact of stigma is critical in reducing distress and negative experiences, and strengthening communities' resolve to work together during exceptional circumstances. Ultimately, reducing stigma helps addressing structural inequalities that drive marginalisation and exacerbate both health risks and the impact of stigma. Administrations and decision makers are urged to consider integrating these recommendations into the ongoing COVID-19 response.
Drivers of Air‐Sea CO2 Flux Seasonality and its Long‐Term Changes in the NASA‐GISS Model CMIP6 Submission
Authors: Lerner Paul , Romanou Anastasia , Kelley Maxwell , Romanski Joy , Ruedy Reto , Russell Gary
Published: January 2021

Climate change will affect both the mean state and seasonality of marine physical and biogeochemical properties, with important implications for the oceanic sink of atmospheric CO2. Here, we investigate the seasonal cycle of the air‐sea exchange of CO2 and pCO2,sw (surface seawater pCO2) and their long term changes using the CMIP6 submission of the NASA‐GISS modelE (GISS‐E2.1‐G). In comparison to the CMIP5 submission (GISS‐E2‐R), we find that on the global scale, the seasonal cycles of the CO2 flux and NPP have improved, while the seasonal cycles of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), alkalinity, and macronutrients have deteriorated. Moreover, for all ocean biogeochemistry fields, changes in skill between E2.1‐G and E2‐R display large regional variability. For E2.1‐G, we find similar modeled and observed CO2 flux seasonal cycles in the subtropical gyres, where seasonal anomalies of pCO2,sw and the flux are temperature‐driven, and the Southern Ocean, where anomalies are DIC‐driven. Biases in these seasonal cycles are largest in the subpolar and equatorial regions, driven by a combination of biases in temperature, DIC, alkalinity, and wind speed. When comparing the historical simulation to a simulation with an idealized increase in atmospheric pCO2, we find that the seasonal amplitudes of the CO2 flux and pCO2,sw generally increase. These changes are produced by increases in the sensitivity of pCO2,sw to its respective drivers. These findings are consistent with the notion that the seasonality of pCO2,sw is expected to increase due to the increase of atmospheric pCO2, with changes in the seasonality of temperature, DIC, and alkalinity having secondary influences.