bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survival and establishment of captive‐reared and translocated giant gartersnakes after release
Authors: Nguyen Allison M. , Todd Brian D. , Halstead Brian J.
Published: February 2023

Many imperiled species face increasing extinction risk that requires interventional management like translocation or captive rearing. The use of translocations to successfully restore or create populations requires that animals survive at recipient sites, information that is often lacking for imperiled species and that can be risky to acquire if not obtained before a species has dwindled in number. The giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas), a semiaquatic snake endemic to the Central Valley in California, USA, has declined after losing >90% of its historical habitat and may benefit from successful translocations to protected habitat. We released adult and captive‐reared juvenile snakes from 2 donor sites into a recently restored wetland in 2019 and 2020 and compared their survival, movement, and activity using radio‐telemetry through 2021. We monitored juvenile survival for 2 years in captivity after birth and then estimated post‐release survival at the recipient site using radio‐telemetry. Just 8% of translocated adult snakes survived >801 days (95% CI = 1–64%) compared with 39% of resident snakes at the donor sites surviving >1,154 days (95% CI = 23–68%). This equated to annualized survival rates of translocated adults ( = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.12–0.82) that were roughly half that of resident snakes ( = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.63–0.89). Translocation was negatively correlated with survival, but movement and activity received little support in models. Seventy‐six percent of juvenile snakes survived captivity and, once released, juvenile survival was 60% (95% CI = 38–94%) for the 4‐month monitoring period before winter. It is unclear why survival of translocated adult snakes was lower than that of resident snakes, but there was little evidence for differences in behavior (e.g., increased surface activity, average distance moved, emigration from the translocation site) that are commonly cited causes of mortality in other translocation studies. Our results suggest that, in the absence of a clear understanding as to what contributes to adult survival after release to a new site, future work using captive‐rearing and juvenile translocation may be more promising for establishing and recovering populations than just translocating adults given the high survival of juveniles.
Ultrafast Laser Writing in Different Types of Silica Glass
Authors: Lei Yuhao , Wang Huijun , Skuja Linards , Kühn Bodo , Franz Bernhard , Svirko Yuri , Kazansky Peter. G.
Published: February 2023

It is demonstrated that ultrafast laser writing in silica glass depends on the grade of silica glass associated with the method of its manufacture. Moreover, laser‐written modifications, in particular birefringent modifications, reveal a dependence on the geometry of writing, that is, the modification strength of voxels is smaller than that of single line structures and multi‐line scanned areas, which can be explained by free carrier diffusion and reduced electric field in scanning writing. The retardance of scanned birefringent region produced in the regime of anisotropic nanopores formation in silica glass manufactured by vapor axial deposition (VAD) is about five times higher than that in an electrically fused sample at the same laser writing parameters, while the difference in retardance of a nanograting based modification in synthetic and fused silica is only about 10%. The phenomenon is interpreted in terms of the higher concentration of oxygen deficient centers in the electrically fused silica glass, which can confine self‐trapped holes and prevent the nanopores formation. Improvement of high transmission optical elements is demonstrated in the VAD sample, and low cost multiplexed optical data storage with higher capacity and readout accuracy is realized in the electrically fused silica glass.
Wideband common‐mode suppression filter using defected corrugated reference plane structures
Authors: Yu Chung‐Ke , Lin Ding‐Bing , Lin Hsin‐Piao
Published: February 2023

This article describes a broadband common‐mode filter for suppressing common‐mode (CM) noise in high‐speed differential signals. The filter used a novel defected corrugated reference plane (DCRP) structure. It used structure changes to impact the characteristic impedances in the CM current return path, which caused many approach transmission zeros. The main purpose generated a larger CM noise stopband effect. The experimental results showed that the frequency domain can reduce the CM noise over 9.29 dB from 3.67 to 17.03 GHz. The fractional bandwidth was 129%. The CM noise can be improved by 68.2%. The insertion loss in differential mode (DM) was kept at less than −1.611 dB from DC to 20 GHz with good signal integrity. The eye diagram can support a 16 Gb/s transmission rate in the time domain. The DCRP structure filter supports high‐speed computer buses up to PCI Express 4.0, SATA Express, HDMI 1.4, and USB 3.2, which meet current computer products' needs.
Evidence‐Based Medicine in Otolaryngology Part 14: Falsehood and Bias
Authors: Mallur Pavan , Ikeda Allison , Patel Anju , Raol Nikhila , Ahanotu Adaobi , Suarez‐Goris Dany , Randolph Gregory W. , Shin Jennifer J.
Published: February 2023

Objective

Falsehood and bias can have tangible effects, whether related to the "hoax" of Corona virus disease/COVID‐19 or the impact of personal protective equipment in city‐wide news. The spread of false information requires the diversion of time and resources into rebolstering the truth. Our objective is thus to elucidate types of bias that may influence our daily work, along with ways to mitigate them.

Data Sources

Publications are included which delineate specific aspects of bias or address how to preempt, mitigate, or correct bias, whether conscious or unconscious.

Review Methods

We discuss: (1) the background and rationale for proactively considering potential sources of bias, (2) relevant definitions and concepts, (3) potential means to limit effects of inaccurate data sources, and (4) evolving frontiers in the management of bias. In doing so, we review epidemiological concepts and susceptibility to bias within study designs, including database studies, observational studies, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews, and meta‐analyses. We additionally discuss concepts such as the difference between disinformation and misinformation, differential or nondifferential misclassification, bias toward a null result, and unconscious bias, among others.

Conclusion

We have the means to mitigate sources of potential bias in database studies, observational studies, RCTs, and systematic reviews, beginning with education and awareness.

Implications for Practice

False information may spread faster than true information, so it is beneficial to understand potential sources of falsehood we face, in order to safeguard our daily impressions and decisions. Awareness of potential sources of falsehood and bias forms the foundation for accuracy in our everyday work.
Clinical Characteristics of the Cervical Inlet Patch: A Case Series
Authors: De La Chapa Julian S. , Harryman Christopher J. , McGarey Patrick O. , Daniero James J.
Published: February 2023

Objective

The goal of this study was to characterize the symptoms and outcomes of patients with a symptomatic cervical inlet patch (CIP).

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Setting

Tertiary care laryngology clinic in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of the patient's demographics, comorbidities, prior workup, interventions, and response to treatment was performed. All patients received flexible nasolaryngoscopy and barium swallow study. The analysis was descriptive.

Results

Eight patients (6 female) were followed for the management of symptoms related to CIP. The mean age at presentation to our clinic was 64.9 (standard deviation = 15.7). Five out of 8 patients presented with a chief complaint of dysphagia, and the remaining 3 with chronic coughs. Five out of 8 patients demonstrated findings of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) including vocal fold edema, mucosal erythema, or postcricoid edema. Swallow study demonstrated hiatal hernia in 3 of 8 patients, and cricopharyngeal (CP) dysfunction (CP hypertrophy, CP bar, and Zenker's diverticulum) in 3 of 8 patients. One patient presented with a history of Barrett's esophagus. Treatment included increased acid suppression therapy and management of coexisting esophageal pathologies. Ablative procedures were performed in 5 out of 8 cases, with 2 patients requiring repeat procedures. All patients experience subjective symptom improvement.

Conclusion

CIP tends to present in complex patients with multifactorial dysphagia, with the most common symptoms being dysphagia and cough. Clinical features of CIP overlap with other more common pathologies encountered by otolaryngologists including LPR and CP dysfunction, and future prospective studies in larger populations should seek to clarify these associations.
Impact of Electronic Cigarettes on the Upper Aerodigestive Tract: A Comprehensive Review for Otolaryngology Providers
Authors: Soo Joanne , Easwaran Meena , Erickson‐DiRenzo Elizabeth
Published: February 2023

Objective

The use and effects of electronic (e)‐cigarettes (e‐cigs) are particularly relevant for otolaryngology providers as tobacco plays a major role in benign and malignant diseases of the upper aerodigestive tract. This review aims to (1) summarize the recent policies regarding e‐cigs and important patterns of use and (2) serve as a comprehensive resource for clinical providers on the known biologic and clinical effects of e‐cigs on the upper aerodigestive tract.

Data Sources

PubMed/MEDLINE.

Review Methods

We conducted a narrative review on (1) general information on e‐cig use and informative findings in the lower respiratory system and a comprehensive review on (2) the effects of e‐cigs on cell and animal models and the clinical implications of these products on human health as is relevant to otolaryngology.

Conclusions

Although e‐cigs are likely less harmful than conventional cigarettes, preliminary research on e‐cigs suggest several deleterious effects including in the upper aerodigestive tract. Due to this, there has been increased interest in restricting e‐cig usage, particularly among the adolescent population, and caution in recommending e‐cigs to current smokers.

Implications for Practice

Chronic e‐cig use is likely to have clinical implications. It is critical for otolaryngology providers to be aware of the rapidly changing regulations and use patterns regarding e‐cigs and how e‐cigs influence human health, particularly with regards to the upper aerodigestive tract, to accurately council patients regarding potential risks and benefits of use.
Synthesis and testing of polyacrylamide‐grafted waste sand derived composite adsorbent for water purification
Authors: Garud Harshada B. , Jadhav Sushilkumar A. , Jadhav Sayali P. , Kalantre Vilas A. , Patil Pramod S. , Burungale Shivaji H.
Published: February 2023

In this work, waste sand derived polyacrylamide grafted sand particles (PAGSPs) were developed as an effective adsorbent for the adsorption of organic and inorganic pollutants from water. The composite particles were characterized using FESEM, EDX, ATR‐FTIR, XRD, TGA, and BET analyses. The FESEM results revealed the sizes of composite particles were in the micrometer range and BET analysis showed specific surface area of 10 m2 g−1 with average pore radius of 1.22 nm. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics of dyes namely Methyl Orange (MO) and Quinoline Yellow (QY) and Ni(II) and Cr(VI) metal ions were analyzed. The adsorption capacities for dyes MO and QY were 32.25 and 55.55 mg g−1 and for metal ions Ni(II) and Cr(VI) were 75.18 and 125 mg g−1 respectively, at experimental pH conditions. Because of the excellent regeneration capacity, the functional polymer based composite particles exhibit great potential for the removal of any organic and inorganic pollutants from wastewater.
A comprehensive review on plant‐based natural fiber reinforced polymer composites: Fabrication, properties, and applications
Authors: Akhil U. V. , Radhika N. , Saleh Bassiouny , Aravind Krishna S. , Noble Niveditha , Rajeshkumar L.
Published: February 2023

Natural fiber‐reinforced polymer composites (NFPCs) have gained limelight in many applications during the recent years, owing to their availability, as well as superior mechanical characteristics, cost‐effectiveness, biodegradability, and lightweight. A comprehensive understanding of the manufacturing methods, proeprties and characteristics of natural fibers pave way for begetting a wide spectrum of applications for the NFPCs in automobile, aerospace, electronics, and other engineering fields. The current review article is about natural fiber‐reinforced composites, the commonly used fabrication methods, including fiber pre‐treatments, and numerous intermediate steps added to achieve improved bonding, processability of these composites, their properties and application prospects. Various state‐of‐the‐art methods like additive manufacturing, vaccum bag molding, and autoclave has also been discussed. The mechanical properties obtained through various fiber reinforcements in accordance with process parameters has a substantial impact in the industrial applications of NFPCs. The tribological applications of NFPCs are becoming increasingly important in order to deal with the mechanical and chemical wear and tear during their service life in contact applications. Flammability behavior and biodegradability assessment of NFPCs are important for high‐temperature and outdoor environmental applications of these materials. The review also includes a comprehensive discussion about the trending applications and future prospects for NFPCs.
A thermal conductivity computation model of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer/aramid fiber reinforced polymer laminate considering the bi‐material composite interfaces
Authors: Bao Yongjie , Ma Yuxin , Zheng Zhi , Yang Yuxing , Ji Xiukun
Published: February 2023

A thermal conductivity computation model for carbon fiber reinforced polymer/aramid fiber reinforced polymer bi‐material composites was proposed, where thermal resistances of the fibers and matrix were regarded as the electrical resistances in circuit, and was validated by thermal response test with relative error less than 7.5%. After effect of thickness of the aramid fiber layer and that of heating temperature were discussed, it was applied to analyze the thermal response under the deep‐sea oil‐lifting condition. It was found that: (1) specimen with more than two layers (>0.56 mm) of aramid fibers shows better thermal insulation; (2) the higher the heating temperature is, the better the thermal insulation effect is, especially for specimens with multi‐layer aramid fibers.
Ambrisentan for in pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension: A cost‐utility analysis
Authors: Buendía Jefferson A. , Patiño Diana G. , Lindarte Erika F.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Despite the growing evidence of efficacy, little is known regarding the efficiency of ambrisentan to decrease cost and improve the functional classes of pediatric patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. This study aims to determine the cost‐utility of ambrisentan regarding sildenafil to treat pediatric patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension in Colombia.

Methods

A decision tree model was used to estimate the cost and quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs) of ambrisentan, or sildenafil in pediatric patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Multiple sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the robustness of the model. Cost‐effectiveness was evaluated at a willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) value of US$5180.

Results

The base‐case analysis showed that compared with sildenafil, ambrisentan was associated with higher costs and higher QALYs. The expected annual cost per patient with ambrisentan was US$16,105 and with sildenafil was US$1431. The QALYs per person estimated with ambrisentan was 0.40 and for sildenafil was 0.39. The estimated improvement in quality of life and reduced costs results in an estimate of economic dominance for sildenafil over ambrisentan.

Conclusion

Our economic evaluation shows that ambrisentan is not cost‐effective regarding sildenafil to treat pediatric patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension in Colombia. Our study provides evidence that should be used by decision‐makers to improve clinical practice guidelines.
Effect of Cooling Rate on the Crystalline Morphology of Bi2O3‐Fe2O3 Pseudo‐Binary System
Authors: Zhuang Yiwen , Pan Xiuhong , Liu Xuechao , Chen Kun
Published: February 2023

Herein, the crystallographic morphology of the 80%Bi2O3‐20%Fe2O3 pseudo‐binary system under different cooling rates (100, 6.3, 0.12 K s−1) is investigated using an optical microscopy system. The interfacial morphology evolution and interfacial kinetics in two dimensions during crystal growth are systematically studied. At the low cooling rate (ΔT < 10 K), blade‐like crystals appear slowly in the melt. In turn, the emergence of numerous irregularly shaped grains in the melt at the high cooling rate (ΔT > 100 K) indicates a rapid solidification process. Tetragonal crystals appear typically during melt solidification accompanied with triangular crystals simultaneously (15 K < ΔT < 35 K). The X‐ray diffraction and EDS data reveal that both kinds of polygonal crystals are attributed to Bi25FeO40. In addition, the crystal growth kinetics are presented as the dependence of the growth rate on the subcooling, and thus the growth mechanism of crystals is discussed. According to the results, Bi25FeO40 crystals grow through a two‐dimensional nucleation mechanism.
Assimilation of aircraft observations over the Indian monsoon region: Investigation of the effects of COVID‐19 on a reanalysis
Authors: Rani S. Indira , Jangid Buddhi Prakash , Francis Timmy , Sharma Priti , George Gibies , Kumar Sumit , Thota Mohan S. , George John P. , Nath Sankar , Das Gupta Munmun , Mitra Ashis Kumar
Published: February 2023

Since March 2020, the COVID‐19 pandemic has significantly reduced the availability of global aircraft‐based observations (ABOs), which has been restored later in 2021. This study focuses on the impact of ABOs on a regional reanalysis. Indian Monsoon Data Assimilation and Analysis (IMDAA) is a regional reanalysis for a period from 1979 to 2020 (originally up to 2018) over India and surrounding regions produced at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), India, in collaboration with the UK Met Office. A comparison of the impact of ABOs on other conventional and satellite observations assimilated in the NCMRWF global model and IMDAA during 2019 and 2020 revealed the importance of ABOs, particularly in IMDAA, since it did not assimilate the latest satellite data as the IMDAA system was frozen in October 2016. A data denial experiment that removes all the ABOs from the IMDAA assimilation system for a period from March to November 2019 is designed. The results from the IMDAA reanalysis run, which assimilates ABOs during the same period, are compared with the data denial experiment. Assimilation of ABOs strengthened the upper tropospheric circulation, the Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ), during the Indian summer monsoon compared to the data denial experiment. Analysis of the features of two cyclones that developed over the North Indian Ocean during the study period revealed that ABO assimilation played a key role in simulating the track and intensity of these cyclones when they were in the ‘severe’ category. Since the sample is small, more cyclone cases need to be analysed to consolidate the result.
Microwave‐Assisted Rapid Substitution of Ti for Zr to Produce Bimetallic (Zr/Ti)UiO‐66‐NH2 with Congenetic “Shell–Core” Structure for Enhancing Photocatalytic Removal of Nitric Oxide
Authors: Liu Jiayou , Huang Xiaoxiang , Jia Liuhu , Liu Linfeng , Nie Qianqian , Tan Zhongchao , Yu Hesheng
Published: February 2023

Efficient nitric oxide (NO) removal without nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emission is desired for the control of air pollution. Herein, a series of (Zr/Ti)UiO‐66‐NH2 with congenetic shell–core structure, denoted as Ti‐UION, are rapidly synthesized by microwave‐assisted post‐synthetic modification for NO removal. The optimal Ti‐UION (i.e., 2.5Ti‐UION) exhibits the highest activity of 80.74% without NO2 emission with moisture, which is 21.65% greater than that of the UiO‐66‐NH2. The NO removal efficiency of 2.5Ti‐UION further increases to 95.92% without photocatalyst deactivation under an anhydrous condition. This is because selectively produced NO2 in photocatalysis is completely adsorbed into micropores, refreshing active sites for subsequent reaction. In addition, the enhanced photocatalytic activity after Ti substitution is due to the presence of Ti electron acceptor, the potential difference between the shell and core of Ti‐UION crystal, and the high conductivity of TiO units. Additionally, the improved adsorption of gas molecules not only favors NO oxidation, but also avoids the emission of NO2. This work provides a feasible strategy for rapid metal substitution in metal‐organic frameworks and insights into enhanced NO photodegradation.
Construction of Exosome SORL1 Detection Platform Based on 3D Porous Microfluidic Chip and its Application in Early Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Li Peilong , Chen Jiaci , Chen Yuqing , Song Shangling , Huang Xiaowen , Yang Yang , Li Yanru , Tong Yao , Xie Yan , Li Juan , Li Shunxiang , Wang Jiayi , Qian Kun , Wang Chuanxin , Du Lutao
Published: February 2023

Exosomes are promising new biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis, due to their rich biological fingerprints and high level of stability. However, the accurate detection of exosomes with specific surface receptors is limited to clinical application. Herein, an exosome enrichment platform on a 3D porous sponge microfluidic chip is constructed and the exosome capture efficiency of this chip is ≈90%. Also, deep mass spectrometry analysis followed by multi‐level expression screenings revealed a CRC‐specific exosome membrane protein (SORL1). A method of SORL1 detection by specific quantum dot labeling is further designed and the ensemble classification system is established by extracting features from 64‐patched fluorescence images. Importantly, the area under the curve (AUC) using this system is 0.99, which is significantly higher (p < 0.001) than that using a conventional biomarker (carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), AUC of 0.71). The above system showed similar diagnostic performance, dealing with early‐stage CRC, young CRC, and CEA‐negative CRC patients.
Road Map for In Situ Grown Binder‐Free MOFs and Their Derivatives as Freestanding Electrodes for Supercapacitors
Authors: Dennyson Savariraj Antonysamy , Justin Raj Chellan , Kale Amol Marotrao , Kim Byung Chul
Published: February 2023

Among several electrocatalysts for energy storage purposes including supercapacitors, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), and their derivatives have spurred wide spread interest owing to their structural merits, multifariousness with tailor‐made functionalities and tunable pore sizes. The electrochemical performance of supercapacitors can be further enhanced using in situ grown MOFs and their derivatives, eliminating the role of insulating binders whose “dead mass” contribution hampers the device capability otherwise. The expulsion of binders not only ensures better adhesion of catalyst material with the current collector but also facilitates the transport of electron and electrolyte ions and remedy cycle performance deterioration with better chemical stability. This review systematically summarizes different kinds of metal–ligand combinations for in situ grown MOFs and derivatives, preparation techniques, modification strategies, properties, and charge transport mechanisms as freestanding electrode materials in determining the performance of supercapacitors. In the end, the review also highlights potential promises, challenges, and state‐of‐the‐art advancement in the rational design of electrodes to overcome the bottlenecks and to improve the capability of MOFs in energy storage applications.
High‐Temperature Equilibrium of 3D and 2D Chalcogenide Perovskites
Authors: Kayastha Prakriti , Tiwari Devendra , Holland Adam , Hutter Oliver S. , Durose Ken , Whalley Lucy D. , Longo Giulia
Published: February 2023

Chalcogenide perovskites have been recently proposed as novel absorber materials for photovoltaic applications. BaZrS3, the most investigated compound of this family, shows a high absorption coefficient, a bandgap of around 1.8 eV, and excellent stability. In addition to the 3D perovskite BaZrS3, the Ba–Zr–S compositional space contains various 2D Ruddlesden–Popper phases Ban + 1ZrnS3n + 1 (with n = 1, 2, 3) which have recently been reported. Herein, it is shown that at high temperature the Gibbs free energies of 3D and 2D perovskites are very close, suggesting that 2D phases can be easily formed at high temperatures. The product of the BaS and ZrS2 solid‐state reaction, in different stoichiometric conditions, presents a mixture of BaZrS3 and Ba4Zr3S10. To carefully resolve the composition, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy analysis are complemented with Raman spectroscopy. For this purpose, the phonon dispersions, and the consequent Raman spectra, are calculated for the 3D and 2D chalcogenide perovskites, as well as for the binary precursors. This thorough characterization demonstrates the thermodynamic limitations and experimental difficulties in forming phase‐pure chalcogenide perovskites through solid‐state synthesis and the importance of using multiple techniques to soundly resolve the composition of these materials.
Bovine TB vaccine trials move to next phase
Authors: Mills Georgina
Published: February 2023

Georgina Mills reports on news that trials of a bovine TB vaccine and DIVA skin test are progressing.
‘Cultural Buzz’ on the Neighbourhood: The Impact of the URBAN I Initiative on Cultural Consumption Opportunities
Authors: Mateos Mora Cristina , Navarro Yáñez Clemente J.
Published: February 2023

Urban development projects typically include policy actions to change neighbourhoods as cultural spaces. These actions try to promote quality of life among residents through cultural services and to generate opportunities for local economic development: educational and instrumental strategies in relation to the role of cultural policies in local development, respectively. This chapter briefly analyses the ‘cultural contents’ of local plans in terms of their orientation towards educational and instrumental strategies This is followed by an analysis of the impact of urban projects on the ‘cultural scenes’ of neighbourhoods. The cultural scenes approach examines neighbourhoods as a cluster of cultural consumption opportunities in terms of existing cultural amenities and the lifestyles they promote. The chapter compares two types of cultural scenes: communitarian (oriented to residents) and innovative (oriented to promote economic development and tourism attraction). Comparing experimental and control neighbourhoods between 1991 and 2001 shows that local projects enable a trend towards less communitarian cultural scenes.
Evaluating the Design of Integrated Urban Development Strategies: Evaluability, Plan Quality and Planning Learning Processes
Authors: Guerrero-Mayo María José , Rodríguez-García María Jesús
Published: February 2023

Policy design is a growing area of study in policy studies due to its importance in ensuring good implementation and impact. A ‘good design’ ensures good implementation processes and the proposed policy outcomes. Nevertheless, this issue has received little attention in urban initiatives promoted by the EU, at least through the analysis of local policy portfolios from a comparative perspective. This chapter applies the CUPPA approach to analyse the quality of local strategies design from a comparative perspective applying the comparative urban policy portfolio approach. The chapter establishes quality dimensions of local plans for each phase of the policy cycle (from diagnosis to evaluation); and two broad dimensions to analyse local plans’ evaluability: the practical dimension (information needed to evaluate local plans) and the analytical dimension (the coherence between problems, objectives and planned actions). The analysis of URBAN and URBANA Initiatives shows a medium level of quality of local plans design, although very low regarding evaluation. The comparison between URBAN and URBANA local projects shows learning processes regarding the design of governance processes and mechanisms in local strategies, a better definition of instruments designed to ensure coordination among policy sector departments in local governments, between local and supra-municipal authorities, and between public and societal actors. Therefore, portfolio design analysis shows a growing trend towards multi-level governance in urban initiatives, but it also indicates evaluation is a dimension that needs improvements (low levels of quality and no improvements between programmes analysed).
The Integrated Strategy as Urban Policy Innovation Proposed by the EU: Do Cities Apply It?
Authors: Pastor-Seller Enrique , Dorado-Rubín María José , Guerrero-Mayo María José , Navarro Yáñez Clemente J.
Published: February 2023

Policy integration is a central aspect of urban initiatives promoted by the EU since the 1990s. However, analyses about this issue usually define and measure policy integration as the diversity of policy sectors included in local plans portfolios. Nevertheless, this chapter sustains that policy integration and diversity are different concepts. Integration means interrelation among policy sectors and actors to cope with the complexity of urban problems. Diversity means the variety of policy sectors or actors included in local strategies portfolios. Therefore, diversity does not ensure integration into local strategies. Applying the CUPPA approach, both aspects are analysed by proposing specific measurement tools. The analysis shows that diversity and integration are different concepts, that the levels of policy integration are low in local strategies, and the increase of integration in their policy agenda from 1993 to 2013. Therefore, policy-learning processes exist regarding this central aspect of local strategies to promote sustainable urban development.
Opening the Black Box of Integrated Urban Development Strategies: On Causal Mechanisms and Policy Theories
Authors: Navarro Yáñez Clemente J. , Rodríguez-García María Jesús
Published: February 2023

This chapter is devoted to analysing the policy theory used by local plans to implement integrated policy mixes. Based on the theory-driven evaluation and social mechanism perspectives, the chapter analyses the causal process established by local plans to ensure the link between objectives and their expected results; and, therefore, the relation between goal and implementation tools. From an analytical point of view, four main causal processes are proposed as combinations of two main aspects. First, goals according to the classical distinction in urban policies between context and actors. Second, the causal mechanism behind policy tools is distinguished according to two main types: oriented to modify opportunity structures and to change actors’ preferences or resources. These causal processes are identified by analysing each policy action implemented in local plans portfolios. The comparison between URBAN and URBANA programmes shows a progressive change from causal processes based on motivational mechanisms targeted at specific groups to re-equilibrate social inequalities to causal processes centred on context improvements to enhance their attractiveness.
The Impact of EU-Integrated Urban Development Initiatives: Research Strategies Beyond ‘Good Practices’
Authors: Domínguez-González Alicia , Navarro Yáñez Clemente J.
Published: February 2023

After reviewing previous research strategies applied to evaluate the impacts of EU urban initiatives, and previous evaluative assessments of similar place-based initiatives, this chapter proposes the use of ‘controlled comparisons’ to perform this crucial task for the urban dimension of the European Cohesion Policy: analyses should compare changes before and after interventions between territorial targets and appropriate contrafactual. Previous studies on policy effectiveness have analysed programme outcomes or case studies, but their results do not provide information about initiatives’ impacts due to the lack of contrafactual comparison. Besides, urban initiatives establish some ‘eligibility criteria’ to select their territorial targets. Therefore, contrafactual should be chosen according to the criteria. Based on these ideas, this chapter applies propensity score matching to select appropriate experimental and control groups to evaluate the impact of EU urban initiatives in Spain. The following chapters use the chosen neighbourhoods (experimental and control groups) to perform impact analyses using different methodological approaches.
Intersex Euphorias! Positive Experiences of Intersex Variations on and After Diagnoses
Authors: Jones Tiffany
Published: February 2023

People with intersex variations are mostly framed within conservative psycho-medical research challenging their autonomy, or critical empowerment Intersex Studies literature noting discrimination. Resisting deficit-based framings, this chapter uses the concept ‘euphoria’ to investigate when, why and how 272 Australian online survey participants (aged 16-87yrs) had positive experiences of their intersex variations. Upon diagnosis, under one fifth described what this piece callsCategory Validation, Difference Legitimisation, Knowledge Integration,Medical Sense-makingorSudden Hope euphorias. Post-diagnosis euphorias were more common, most oftenBody Positivity euphoria. Also,Acceptance, Autonomous Control, Relative Gains,orFitness Edge euphoriasemerged. Euphorias had different feelings, stimuli, processes, and impacts.Body Positivity euphoriawas most connected and conducive to other euphorias, and has external stimuli which could be invested in further.
Introduction: What This Study Is Not and What It Aspires to Be
Authors: Tausch Arno
Published: February 2023

This study, financed by the Austrian “Dokumentationsstelle Politischer Islam”, attempts an analysis of what can be said about the phenomenon of “political Islam” in the Arab world and what can be said about religiously motivated political extremism (hereafter abbreviated RMPE) in an international comparison from the perspective of international, empirically oriented social sciences. We use open, internationally accessible data from the Arab Barometer and the World Values Survey to analyse these two phenomena. In this chapter, we describe the general outline of our study. We emphasise that we follow the example of Cammett et al. (2020), in attempting to present our own empirical data from recognised social science surveys on political Islam. In doing so, the focus is on a tradition influenced by the mathematical logic and analytical philosophy of the Vienna Circle through Rudolf Carnap (1988), of relying on the extension of a contested concept. In our case—of “political Islam”—the research of the Arab Barometer as well as Francois Burgat, but also Jocelyne Cesari, John Esposito, Gilles Kepel and Oliver Roy have in any case very clearly outlined which important value patterns the adherents of political Islam represent (five items from the Arab Barometer) and which political movements and governments of countries can be assigned to the extension of the phenomenon, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Sudan and Jordan, Jamaat-i-Islami in South Asia, the Refah Party in Turkey, the Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria, al Nahda in Tunisia, Hizballah in Lebanon, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Palestinian territories and Gamaa Islamiyya and Jihad in Egypt. It is certainly also legitimate, in the light of the above literature, to describe the current AKP government in Turkey and the Islamist regime in Iran as “political Islam in power”. Our measurement of “political Islam” thus adopts this perspective without “ifs” and “buts” and 1:1. After all, according to the “Arab Barometer” team, “political Islam” occurs whenever the following opinions are held in the region:

It is better for religious leaders to hold public office

Religious leaders should influence government decisions

Religious leaders are less corrupt than civilian ones

Religious leaders should influence elections

Religious practice is not a private matter.
“Political Islam”—A Contested Term
Authors: Tausch Arno
Published: February 2023

This chapter shows that there is a very broad consensus in research in the leading peer-reviewed journals of the social sciences and in the publications of the world’s leading book publishers to work with the concept of “political Islam”, whereby this analytical-conceptual consensus also includes those who, such as former US President Barack Obama, in his famous Presidential Study Directive No 11, even see an opportunity for cooperation with political Islam, which rejects terrorism, or the French sociologist Francois Burgat, who aggressively argues for an alliance of political Islam with the political left of the West. Important research figures in international Middle East studies, such as Francois Burgat, but also Jocelyne Cesari, John Esposito, Gilles Kepel, Oliver Roy, all of them, and for all the differences they may have in their approach to the phenomenon, have all written important texts on political Islam. We strongly oppose the fact that the Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung), which is subordinate to the German Ministry of the Interior, writes that whoever uses this term is engaging in “alarmist thinking, placing Muslims under a “general suspicion”, fishing in the right-wing pond of voters, and using a term that has incitement potential”. This view, expressed by the Federal Agency for Civic Education in Bonn in the language that is so common in Europe today and that covers large sections of the academic community and the opinion columns of the major daily newspapers, seems to be becoming more and more popular.
Methods and Design of Our Own Empirical Study
Authors: Tausch Arno
Published: February 2023

The empirical analyses of our study are based on IBM-SPSS-24 promax factor analyses of 24 variables according to the Arab Barometer, explicitly measure political Islam with five variables and also determine the environment (19 variables) of political Islam and its consequences, such as the lack of tolerance towards other religions, identification with states that today clearly represent political Islam, such as the regime in Iran, President Erdogan in Turkey, restrictive gender norms as defined by the UNDP Human Development Report, 2019, the belief that Muslims should enjoy greater rights in a state than non-Muslims, the negative fixation against the USA, UK and Israel in world politics, the call for a Sharia that explicitly introduces corporal punishment and restricts women’s rights, and expressing a sympathetic understanding of acts of anti-American terror in the Middle East. In this chapter, we debate the design of our study, the quantitative statistical methodology, the multivariate methods, especially based on promax factor analysis, the error margins, the problem of traceability, and the macro-quantitative cross-national data used in our comparisons. The chapter duly discusses the Arab Barometer and the files of the World Values Survey.
Discussion and Conclusions of This Study in the Context of the Empirical Results Obtained
Authors: Tausch Arno
Published: February 2023

We have emphasised in this chapter that our findings do not fit into any simple political template of thinking that has existed for many years on the topic of “Islam” and “migration”. Our findings show that surveys authoritatively designed by Arab social science clearly measure “political Islam”, but that the phenomenon is less pronounced in the population that says it wants to emigrate to the West than in the Arab population as a whole. We have also clearly pointed out that the RMPE cannot be separated from the climate of lawlessness that many observers unfortunately now see rampant, especially in Western industrialised countries, and secondly, that the drivers of the key variables of the RMPE are rooted in such patterns of thought and values as the demand for a redistributive state, the apolitical young generation, the rejection of the neoliberal market economy, corruption and lawlessness as well as racism and xenophobia. The best blockades against the RMPE are feminism and secularism. An honest examination of the phenomenon of RMPE will also not be able to ignore the fact that especially in Catholic countries, where the decay of traditional values is progressing particularly fast, not only the acceptance of corruption but also of political violence is on the rise again. This problem also arises in countries with a confessional orientation towards Eastern religions. The rejection of free-market competition (competition is harmful) is also clearly linked to a higher acceptance of political violence, according to the World Values Survey. The results of our study on political Islam in the Arab world certainly also have some very shocking aspects that cannot simply be swept under the carpet. Weighted by population, the Arab Barometer data show that more than 70% of Arabs have a (sympathetic) understanding of the anti-American terror that culminated in 9/11 in Manhattan. More than 44% of Arabs favour Sharia with corporal punishment, more than 37% want the rights of non-Muslims in society to be less than those of Muslims, and more than 34% also want Sharia to restrict the rights of women. We finally highlight that following the late Harvard economist Alberto Alesina (1957–2020), social trust is an essential general production factor of any social order, and the institutions of national security of the democratic West would do well to make good use of this capital of trust that also exists among Muslims living in the West.
Heinrich Wieleitner (1874–1931) und Die Geburt der modernen Mathematik – Wissenschaftskommunikation und Mathematikgeschichtsschreibung in der Weimarer Zeit
Authors: Remenyi Maria M.
Published: February 2023

Am Beispiel des Mathematikhistorikers Heinrich Wieleitner untersucht der Aufsatz zum einen die enge personelle und inhaltliche Verflechtung von Mathematikgeschichtsschreibung, Mathematikdidaktik und Mathematikkommunikation und verweist so auf die vielfältigen Wechselbeziehungen zwischen externer und interner Wissenschaftskommunikation.

Die Fallstudie eröffnet darüber hinaus unter Einbeziehung medienhistorischer Aspekte neue Einblicke in die personelle, institutionelle und inhaltliche Struktur mathematischer Öffentlichkeitsarbeit im 20. Jahrhundert. Der Fokus liegt dabei auf der Weimarer Zeit, deren kulturelle Debatten das Selbstverständnis der Mathematik nicht nur auf besondere Weise herausforderten. Sie erwiesen sich, wie im Folgenden gezeigt wird, unter den Bedingungen einer sich verändernden Medienlandschaft auch als Chance für eine publizistisch erfolgreiche Selbstdarstellung der Disziplin.
Leistenhernienoperationen – immer ambulant?
Authors:   DACH-Konsensusgruppe ambulante Leistenhernienchirurgie, Niebuhr H. , Köckerling F. , Fortelny R. , Hoffmann H. , Conze J. , Holzheimer R. G. , Koch A. , Köhler G. , Krones C. , Kukleta J. , Kuthe A. , Lammers B. , Lorenz R. , Mayer F. , Pöllath M. , Reinpold W. , Schwab R. , Stechemesser B. , Weyhe D. , Wiese M. , Zarras K. , Meyer H.-J.
Published: February 2023

Leistenhernienoperationen stellen mit ca. 300.000 Eingriffen jährlich in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz (DACH-Region) die häufigste Operation überhaupt dar. Trotz des bekundeten politischen Willens und des zunehmenden Drucks der Gesetzgeber zur Vermeidung kostenintensiver stationärer Behandlungen, so viele Operationen wie möglich ambulant durchzuführen, spielt in der DACH-Region die ambulante Versorgung bislang nur eine untergeordnete Rolle. Die Vorstände der Fachgesellschaften Deutsche Hernien Gesellschaft (DHG), Chirurgische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Hernien (CAH der DHG), Österreichische Hernien Gesellschaft (ÖHG) und Schweizerische Arbeitsgruppe für Hernienchirurgie (SAHC) setzen sich mit diesem Problem auseinander, schildern die Ausgangslage und bewerten die aktuelle Situation.
A decade of violence and empty stadiums in Egypt: when does emotion from the terraces affect behaviour on the pitch?
Authors: Singleton Carl , Reade J. James , Schreyer Dominik
Published: February 2023

In less than a decade, the Egyptian Premier League has experienced three distinct changes between periods of competition in either crowded or empty stadiums. We exploit this unique sequence of natural experiments, to answer two questions neglected by the still emerging literature on the effects of crowds on behaviour and decision making. First, does reinstating a supportive crowd after a long period of absence affect performances on the pitch? Second, is any reduced home advantage from competing in empty stadiums robust to repeating such an experiment? We find that eliminating crowds decreased or even reversed home advantage after an incident of extreme crowd violence in 2012, but there were no significant effects when crowds were reinstated in 2018 and once more excluded in 2020.
Analytical applications of smartphones for agricultural soil analysis
Authors: Tobiszewski Marek , Vakh Christina
Published: February 2023

Soil is one of the most important farming resources. Appropriate managing of its quality promotes productive and sustainable agriculture. The valuable farm practice in soil quality managing is based on regular soil analysis with the aim of determining the exact amount of nutrients or other chemical, physical, and biological soil properties. Soil analysis usually requires sample collection at the desired sampling depth followed by sample delivery to chemical laboratories. However, laboratory analyses are resource-intensive and costly, and require a lot of time, effort, and equipment. A low-cost, fast, and effective alternative for soil quality control is the application of smartphones to perform chemical analyses directly in the field or on the farm. In this paper, an overview of recent developments on smartphone-based methodologies for agricultural purposes and portable evaluation of soil quality and its properties is presented. The discussion focuses on recent applications of smartphone-based devices for the determination of basic soil parameters, content of organic matter, mineral fertilizers, and organic or inorganic pollutants. Obvious advantages of using smartphones, such as convenience and simplicity of use, and the main shortcomings, such as relatively poor precision of the results obtained, are also discussed. The general trend shows the huge interest from researchers to move the technology into the field with the aim of providing cost-effective and rapid soil analysis. This paper can broaden the understanding of using smartphones for chemical analysis of soil samples, as it is a relatively new area and is expected to be developed rapidly.

Graphical Abstract