bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organizational Culture as a Determinant of Outcome in Teams: Implications for the Pediatric Cardiac Specialist
Authors: McMahon Colin J. , Hickey Edward J. , Nolke Lars , Penny Daniel J.
Published: November 2022

Although enormous effort has focussed on how to build an effective culture in the business community, relatively little effort has addressed how to achieve this in the hospital environment, specifically related to the field of congenital heart disease teams. The examination of culture in pediatric cardiac care is particularly important for several key reasons: first, it represents high-stakes medicine, second, there are multiple stakeholders requiring collaboration between cardiologists, surgeons, anaesthesiologists, perfusionists, nursing staff, and allied health care professionals, and finally, both the patient and the family are intimately involved in the care pathway. This review article investigates some of the critical components to building an effective culture, drawing upon similarities in other disciplines, thereby fostering high performance multidisciplinary teams in congenital cardiology care. Strategies to change culture such as Kotter’s model of change are also discussed. High performance teams share one common vital characteristic: psychological safety for team members to speak their minds, thereby fostering an open culture, in which creativity can flourish to facilitate major breakthroughs. Adoption of the “Flight Plan” review promotes patient centric care and champions a psychologically safe culture.
Influence of warming climate and the green revolution on the optimum range of weather parameters of longan yield in Taiwan since 1909
Authors: Lai Li-Wei
Published: November 2022

Longans are the fruits of a subtropical evergreen tree (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) and are widely distributed in Southern China and Southeast Asia. However, there is a lack of historical records of these fruits. In addition to air temperature, other factors, such as the green revolution effect (GRE), sunshine duration, flower bud differentiation, flowering, and production period, may also be important for longan yield. This study incorporated Duncan’s multiple range tests, linear regression models, and multi-regression models, using the forward stepwise method. The results showed that a warming climate was unfavourable to the longan fruits yield (LFY), as the mean negative impact of climate change on LFY was 2489.6 ± 1072.2 kg/ha (mean difference ± 95% CI) under GRE. When considering warming climate and GRE, the results showed that, at the time of flower bud differentiation, the optimum ranges of mean air temperature and relative humidity (RH) were 18.0–19.4 °C and 73.9–75.7%, respectively; during flowering, the optimum ranges of cloud cover, sunshine-hour, and rainy days were 6.8–7.3 oktas, 381.3–476.6 h, and 28.9–41.9 days, respectively; during the production period, the optimum ranges of mean diurnal temperature and RH were 6.8–7.4 °C and 75.1–79.4% respectively. A smaller optimum range of weather parameters aids in a greater slope of the accumulated frequency of the LFY. The GRE and small optimum ranges of weather (stable weather conditions) were found to assist in ensuring stable LFY.
Truthful facility assignment with resource augmentation: an exact analysis of serial dictatorship
Authors: Caragiannis Ioannis , Filos-Ratsikas Aris , Frederiksen Søren Kristoffer Stiil , Hansen Kristoffer Arnsfelt , Tan Zihan
Published: November 2022

We study thetruthful facility assignmentproblem, where a set of agents with private most-preferred points on a metric space have to be assigned to facilities that lie on the metric space, under capacity constraints on the facilities. The goal is to produce such an assignment that minimizes the social cost, i.e., the total distance between the most-preferred points of the agents and their corresponding facilities in the assignment, under the constraint of truthfulness, which ensures that agents do not misreport their most-preferred points. We propose aresource augmentation framework, where a truthful mechanism is evaluated by its worst-case performance on an instance with enhanced facility capacities against the optimal mechanism on the same instance with the original capacities. We study a well-known mechanism, Serial Dictatorship, and provide an exact analysis of its performance. Among other results, we prove that Serial Dictatorship has approximation ratio$$g/(g-2)$$g/(g-2)when the capacities are multiplied by any integer$$g \ge 3$$g≥3. Our results suggest that with a limited augmentation of the resources we can achieve exponential improvements on the performance of the mechanism and in particular, the approximation ratio goes to 1 as the augmentation factor becomes large. We complement our results with bounds on the approximation ratio of Random Serial Dictatorship, the randomized version of Serial Dictatorship, when there is no resource augmentation.
Arctic charr phenotypic responses to abrupt generational scale temperature change: an insight into how cold-water fish could respond to extreme climatic events
Authors: Hooker Oliver E. , Adams Colin E. , Chavarie Louise
Published: November 2022

Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of an organism to express multiple phenotypes in response to the prevailing environmental conditions without genetic change, may result in a response to anthropogenic environmental change. Given that increasing climate variability is predicted to pose a greater risk than directional climate change, we tested the effect of a water temperature differential of 4 °C on the Arctic charr phenotypic within a single generation. We demonstrate that Arctic charr phenotype can respond rapidly and markedly to an environmental temperature cue. The plastic response to different temperature regimes comprised a shift in the mean expressed phenotype but also coupled with a reduction in the between-individual phenotypic variation in the expressed head shape. The magnitude of shape difference between temperature conditions was cumulative over time but the rate of divergence diminished as fish became larger. Overall, individuals raised in the elevated temperature treatment expressed a phenotype analogous to a benthivorous ecotype of this species, rather than that of the parental pelagic feeding form. The response of cold-water freshwater species to temperature change is likely to be an interaction between the capacity of the organism for phenotypic plasticity, the mean speed of change in the environment, and the degree of short interval variation in the environment.
Valorization of Waste Wood Flour and Rice Husk in Poly(Lactic Acid)-Based Hybrid Biocomposites
Authors: Lendvai László , Omastova Maria , Patnaik Amar , Dogossy Gábor , Singh Tej
Published: November 2022

This study explores the possibility of developing a new class of hybrid particulate-filled biocomposites using wood flour and rice husk wastes as environmentally friendly additives to poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as matrix material. Samples were prepared with fillers of different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 wt %), while the ratio of wood flour and rice husk was fixed at 1:1 in all cases. The preparation of biocomposites was performed through extrusion using a twin-screw extruder. Subsequently, they were formed into specimens by injection molding. Mechanical, thermal, thermomechanical, and morphological properties were examined. The addition of natural waste particles resulted in a remarkable improvement both in tensile and flexural modulus; however at a cost of impact strength and tensile strength. Meanwhile, flexural stress at conventional strain values were barely affected by the presence of wood flour and rice husk. The SEM images confirmed that there is a limited interfacial adhesion between the components, which supports the results obtained during mechanical tests. Both the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that the glass transition temperature of PLA was not affected by the incorporation of filler particles; however, the crystalline structure was gradually altered with increasing filler loading according to the DSC. Additionally, the particles were observed acting as nucleating agents, thereby increasing the overall crystallinity of PLA.
A closest point method library for PDEs on surfaces with parallel domain decomposition solvers and preconditioners
Authors: May Ian C. T. , Haynes Ronald D. , Ruuth Steven J.
Published: November 2022

The DD-CPM software library provides a set of tools for the discretization and solution of problems arising from the closest point method (CPM) for partial differential equations on surfaces. The solvers are built on top of the well-known PETSc framework, and are supplemented by custom domain decomposition (DD) preconditioners specific to the CPM. These solvers are fully compatible with distributed memory parallelism through MPI. This library is particularly well suited to the solution of elliptic and parabolic equations, including many reaction-diffusion equations. The software is detailed herein, and a number of sample problems and benchmarks are demonstrated. Finally, the parallel scalability is measured.
Science teachers’ interactions with resources for formative assessment purposes
Authors: Staberg Ragnhild Lyngved , Febri Maria Immaculata Maya , Gjøvik Øistein , Sikko Svein Arne , Pepin Birgit
Published: November 2022

Using a case-study approach, we aim to understand how teachers interact with both analogue and digital resources in the science classroom for formative assessment (FA) purposes and their justifications for such interactions. The study was conducted in the context of a European Union project on FA in science and mathematics education. The case involved two Norwegian primary school teachers teaching their grades 5 and 7 students a series of science lessons on the topic “how to prevent microorganisms from spreading.” The data set consisted of lesson plans, classroom observations, pre- and post-interviews conducted with teachers, student tasks, post-interviews with students, and student work. We identified eight analogue and digital resources, which were used to employ five FA strategies. The strategies that were most commonly used related to “engineering effective classroom discussions” that elicited evidence of student understanding and “activating students” as autonomous learners and peer instructors. The teachers’ rationales for using the selected resources were mainly connected to their effectiveness, practicality, and relevance. Teacher interactions with the selected resources are described, and educational implications are discussed.
Coherently synchronized reaction of methane oxidation by green oxidizer–hydrogen peroxide – over the biomimetic catalyst iron pentafluorotetraphenylporphyrin deposited on alumina
Authors: Nahmatova G. Ch. , Gasanova L. M. , Vodyankina O. V. , Dakhnavi E. M. , Nagiev T. M.
Published: November 2022

The activity of penta- FTPhPFe(III)/Al2O3 biomimetic catalyst in the reaction of methane direct conversion into methanol by green oxidant hydrogen peroxide was studied at T = 150–350 °C and atmospheric pressure, where methanol yield was 19.2% with methane conversion of 28%. Based on the results of the structural analysis of the Al2O3 support and the biomimetic catalyst sample the mesoporosity of support with pore size in the range of dp = 2.4–22.2 nm in the cylindric shape with an open end and the synthesized biomimetic nanostructure were determined. The data on the definition of the nature and quantitative assessment of Al2O3 support acid–base centers are given that made possible to describe probable mechanism of methane coherent-synchronized oxidation into methanol on the biomimetic.
Real-time monitoring solution with vibration analysis for industry 4.0 ventilation systems
Authors: Muñiz Rubén , Nuño Fernando , Díaz Juan , González María , J. Prieto Miguel , Menéndez Óliver
Published: November 2022

Predictive maintenance has revealed as one of the paradigms of Industry 4.0. This paper addresses a complete system for the acquisition, computing, monitoring and communication of ventilation equipment in underground tunnels based on TCP/IP protocol and accessible via WEB services. Not only does the proposed system collect different sensor data (temperatures, vibrations, pressures, tilt angles or rotational speed), it performs local data processing as well. This feature is the newest and most important of all those provided by the system design, and there is no equipment that offers a similar performance in current ventilation systems. This paper shows the design and implementation of the equipment (system architecture and processing), as well as the experimental results obtained.
Policy-Relevant Indicators of Urban Emergency Medical Services COVID-19-Patient Encounters
Authors: Brennan Mark , Steil Justin , Dyer Sophia , Segal Laura , Salvia James , Serino Erin
Published: November 2022

In the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of Boston Emergency Medical Services, the City of Boston’s municipal ambulance service, had 7,689 encounters with confirmed-positive Boston residents. As COVID-19 virus strains continue to infect residents in Boston and across the country, understanding the correlation between population positivity, EMS encounters, and hospitalizations can inform healthcare response. This study examines urban virus-surveillance indicators that can serve as an early warning of the volume of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) encounters with COVID-19 positive patients and subsequently how EMS encounters with confirmed COVID-19 patients can serve as an early indicator of future hospital-demand surges. With daily data from Boston EMS and three other public agencies, we evaluate the relationship between five indicators and confirmed Boston EMS COVID-19 encounters by estimating separate Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average models and cross-correlating their residuals. This study finds a significant and positive correlation between new COVID-19 cases citywide and EMS encounters 6 days later (p < 0.01), as well as between confirmed EMS encounters with COVID-19 patients and the number of intensive care unit beds occupied 7- and 18 -days later (p < 0.01). This study provides city health leadership needed clarity on the specific ordering and associated time lag in which infections in the population increase, EMS members encounter positive patients, and hospitals deliver care.
The Relationship Between Psychosocial Interventions and Child Wellbeing in Zambia
Authors: Diwakar Vidya , Lenhardt Amanda , Tumusiime Emmanuel , Simbaya Joseph , Moonga Arthur
Published: November 2022

Psychosocial factors contribute to persistence of poverty, but are rarely addressed in poverty reduction programs. We use mixed methods to investigate the relationship between a psychosocial behaviour change approach—empowered worldview (EWV), and investment decisions in children wellbeing among smallholder farmers in Zambia. Three years after exposure to EWV, logistic regression model results suggest that exposure to EWV was associated with an increased probability of parents providing basic needs of children including school fees, clothes, and food. This probability increased with more trainings. Using a matched sample, the average treatment effect on the treated of EWV is positive and statistically significant. Qualitative results reveal EWV enhanced participant agency, spouses’ propensity to work together and with others in the community, and aspirations for themselves and their children. These results point to the prevalence of psychosocial constraints and the need for interventions to sustainably address them to support human development.
Best of ASCO 2022—bladder cancer
Authors: Pichler Martin
Published: November 2022

Although no game-changing studies in bladder cancer were presented this year at ASCO, we saw a series of interesting data including follow-up updates, exploratory analyses and promising results of phase I/II trials. An up-date analysis of the JAVELIN 100 Bladder study indicated a benefit of avelumab maintenance treatment irrespective of the response to platin-based first-line treatment and administration of second-line treatment. A new HER2-directed antibody drug conjugate, disitamab vedotin, showed promising results with high-response rates in HER2 high and low bladder cancer. Longer follow-up data confirmed the significant benefit of enfortumab-vedotin in the third-line treatment setting.
Regional differences in healthcare costs further explained: The contribution of health, lifestyle, loneliness and mastery
Authors: Meisters Rachelle , Westra Daan , Putrik Polina , Bosma Hans , Ruwaard Dirk , Jansen Maria
Published: November 2022

Healthcare costs in the Netherlands are rising and vary considerably among regions. Explaining regional differences in healthcare costs can help policymakers in targeting appropriate interventions in order to restrain costs. Factors usually taken into account when analyzing regional differences in healthcare costs are demographic structure and socioeconomic status (SES). However, health, lifestyle, loneliness and mastery have also been linked to healthcare costs. Therefore, this study analyzes the contribution of health, lifestyle factors (BMI, alcohol consumption, smoking and physical activity), loneliness, and mastery to regional differences in healthcare costs. Analyses are performed in a linked dataset (n = 334,721) from the Dutch Public Health Services, Statistics Netherlands, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (year 2016), and the healthcare claims database Vektis (year 2017) with Poisson and zero-inflated binomial regressions. Regional differences in general practitioner consult costs remain significant even after taking into account health, lifestyle, loneliness, and mastery. Regional differences in costs for mental, pharmaceutical, and specialized care are less pronounced and can be explained to a large extent. For total healthcare costs, regional differences are mostly explained through the factors included in this study. Hence, addressing lifestyle factors, loneliness and mastery can help policymakers in restraining healthcare costs. In this study, the region of Zuid-Limburg represents the reference region. Use compare regions for health and healthcare costs (Regiovergelijker gezondheid en zorgkosten) in order to select all other Dutch regions as reference region.
Performance evaluation of amino-functionalized mesoporous/PES nanofiltration membrane in anionic dye removal from aqueous solutions
Authors: Samari Mahya , Zinadini Sirus , Zinatizadeh Ali Akbar , Jafarzadeh Mohammad , Gholami Foad
Published: November 2022

In this study, the FSM-16 and FSM-16 modified by metformin (FSM-16-met) additives were applied as modifiers for polyethersulfone-based membranes. The modified membranes were evaluated in terms of morphology, surface roughness, hydrophilicity, pure water flux, pore size and porosity, and resistance ability. The obtained experimental data indicated promising enhancement in permeated flux and hydrophilicity after introducing the FSM-16-met nanomaterials into the membrane texture. In the case assessment of the fabricated membranes, dye removal capability was performed using the direct red-16 and methyl orange (30 mg/L). The modified membranes showed significantly higher dye rejection ability (> 97% for direct red-16 and 95% for methyl orange) compared to the bare membrane (76% for direct red-16 and 74% for methyl orange). The antifouling evaluations were run for milk powder (1000 mg/L) filtration and the best performance was obtained for the modified membrane with 0.1wt.% FSM-16-met (FRR = 95.55 ± 1.91%, Rir = 4.45 ± 0.089%). Also, the effect of the feed pH and concentration, temperature, and membrane driving force was considered on the membrane behavior. High stability in long-term performance was also observed for the modified membrane after 25 h re-running.
Analysis of car parking industry from social community perspective
Authors: Arhab Nabil , Oussalah Mourad , Kokkonen Henna , Ollakka Ari
Published: November 2022

In the era of web 2.0, social media has reshaped several industries nowadays, putting citizen’s view at the heart of their strategy and business model. This paper put forward a new approach to examine car parking industry ecosystem from social media perspective as revealed by the structure and insights inferred from hashtags network analysis. Starting with initial car-parking leading hashtags, Twitter data were collected with a special focus on monitoring various hashtags generated as part of this data collection process. An original approach that exploits social network attributes and a set of rational interpretation principles is devised to infer a set of explainable communities. Each community is next analyzed in terms of industry sector interactions, user’s engagement and presence of bots and global trends. The findings reveal useful insights in terms of comprehending the car-parking ecosystem as well as user’s parking behavior. Especially, the results indicate the prevalence of social, economical and technological aspects that impact all detected communities at various degree.
Genetic variation of Cerastium alpinum L. from Babia Góra, a critically endangered species in Poland
Authors: Milarska Sylwia Eryka , Androsiuk Piotr , Bednarek Piotr Tomasz , Larson Keith , Giełwanowska Irena
Published: November 2022

Babia Góra massif is the only site of occurrence of the Cerastium alpinum L. in Poland, an arctic-alpine perennial plant with a wide distribution in North America, northwestern Asia, and Europe. To determine whether the isolated Polish populations are genetically distinct, we have performed an evaluation of C. alpinum from Babia Góra with the use of iPBS markers. A total number of 133 individuals of C. alpinum from seven populations representing four localizations of the species were analyzed, i.e., from Babia Góra (Poland), Alps (Switzerland), Nuolja massif (Sweden), and Kaffiøyra (Svalbard, Norway). Genetic analysis of all C. alpinum samples using eight PBS primers identified 262 bands, 79.4% of which were polymorphic. iPBS markers revealed low genetic diversity (average He = 0.085) and high population differentiation (FST = 0.617). AMOVA results confirmed that the majority of the genetic variation (62%) was recorded among populations. The grouping revealed by PCoA showed that C. alpinum from Svalbard is the most diverged population, C. alpinum from Switzerland and Sweden form a pair of similar populations, whereas C. alpinum from the Babia Góra form a heterogeneous group of four populations. Results of isolation by distance analysis suggested that the spatial distance is the most probable cause of the observed differentiation among populations. Although significant traces of a bottleneck effect were noted for all populations of C. alpinum from Babia Góra, the populations still maintain a low but significant level of genetic polymorphism. These results are of great importance for developing conservation strategies for this species in Poland.
Field evaluation of CRISPR-Cas9-driven brachytic and jointless pedicel tomatoes identifies an association between the high extra-large-sized fruit yield of the brachytic-mediated shortened tomato and the jointless2
Authors: Lee Tong Geon , Klee Harry , Tieman Denise
Published: November 2022

Fresh-market tomato is one of the most important vegetables in the United States (US), and novel, cost-effective labor solutions are an important issue in current fresh-market tomato production. The shortened stem driven by the brachytic (br) and the jointless pedicel driven by the jointless2 (j2) are two important traits that would contribute to knowledge-based breeding; based on these traits, an appropriate plant architecture can be designed for ground cultivation systems that will ultimately enable mechanical harvesting. We aimed to evaluate the effect of CRISPR-Cas9-driven shortened plant architecture and jointless pedicel on the yield and horticultural performance of fresh-market tomatoes using a ground cultivation system in an open field. We conducted field trials during three successive seasons in 2020 and 2021 using the fresh-market tomato variety Fla. 8059 (a non-brachytic jointed pedicel tomato; BR/BR:J2/J2; wild-type) and its three different CRISPR-Cas9-driven mutants, a brachytic jointed pedicel Fla. 8059 (br/br:J2/J2), a non-brachytic jointless pedicel Fla. 8059 (BR/BR:j2/j2), and a brachytic jointless pedicel Fla. 8059 (br/br:j2/j2). Field evaluations confirmed that the total yield of the mutants was not significantly different from the yield of the wild-type. However, there was a significant association between the high extra-large-sized fruit yield of the br mutant and the j2 mutation. Field evaluations also revealed a clear positive impact of the br mutation on the high proportion of fruits laying on the raised plastic bed. Our results contribute to the optimization of fresh-market tomato architecture for developing shortened jointless pedicel varieties and the adoption of low input management practices.
Assessment of ecological quality in Northwest China (2000–2020) using the Google Earth Engine platform: Climate factors and land use/land cover contribute to ecological quality
Authors: Wang Jinjie , Ding Jianli , Ge Xiangyu , Qin Shaofeng , Zhang Zhe
Published: November 2022

The ecological quality of inland areas is an important aspect of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The ecological environment of Northwest China is vulnerable to changes in climate and land use/land cover, and the changes in ecological quality in this arid region over the last two decades are not well understood. This makes it more difficult to advance the UN SDGs and develop appropriate measures at the regional level. In this study, we used the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products to generate remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to examine the relationship between ecological quality and environment in Xinjiang during the last two decades (from 2000 to 2020). We analyzed a 21-year time series of the trends and spatial characteristics of ecological quality. We further assessed the importance of different environmental factors affecting ecological quality through the random forest algorithm using data from statistical yearbooks and land use products. Our results show that the RSEI constructed using the GEE platform can accurately reflect the ecological quality information in Xinjiang because the contribution of the first principal component was higher than 90.00%. The ecological quality in Xinjiang has increased significantly over the last two decades, with the northern part of this region having a better ecological quality than the southern part. The areas with slightly improved ecological quality accounted for 31.26% of the total land area of Xinjiang, whereas only 3.55% of the land area was classified as having a slightly worsen (3.16%) or worsen (0.39%) ecological quality. The vast majority of the deterioration in ecological quality mainly occurred in the barren areas Temperature, precipitation, closed shrublands, grasslands and savannas were the top five environmental factors affecting the changes in RSEI. Environmental factors were allocated different weights for different RSEI categories. In general, the recovery of ecological quality in Xinjiang has been controlled by climate and land use/land cover during the last two decades and policy-driven ecological restoration is therefore crucial. Rapid monitoring of inland ecological quality using the GEE platform is projected to aid in the advancement of the comprehensive assessment of the UN SDGs.
Covid-19 detection using chest X-rays: is lung segmentation important for generalization?
Authors: Bassi Pedro R. A. S. , Attux Romis
Published: November 2022

Purpose

We evaluated the generalization capability of deep neural networks (DNNs) in the task of classifying chest X-rays as Covid-19, normal or pneumonia, when trained in a relatively small and mixed datasets.

Methods

We proposed a DNN to perform lung segmentation and classification, stacking a segmentation module (U-Net), an original intermediate module and a classification module (DenseNet201). To evaluate generalization capability, we tested the network with an external dataset (from distinct localities) and used Bayesian inference to estimate the probability distributions of performance metrics. Furthermore, we introduce a novel evaluation technique, which uses layer-wise relevance propagation (LRP) and Brixia scores to compare the DNN grounds for decision with radiologists.

Results

The proposed DNN achieved 0.917 AUC (area under the ROC curve) on the external test dataset, surpassing a DenseNet without segmentation, which showed 0.906 AUC. Bayesian inference indicated mean accuracy of 76.1% and [0.695, 0.826] 95% HDI (high-density interval, which concentrates 95% of the metric’s probability mass) with segmentation and, without segmentation, 71.7% and [0.646, 0.786].

Conclusion

Employing an analysis based on LRP and Brixia scores, we discovered that areas where radiologists found strong Covid-19 symptoms are the most important for the stacked DNN classification. External validation showed smaller accuracies than internal, indicating difficulty in generalization, which is positively affected by lung segmentation. Finally, the performance on the external dataset and the analysis with LRP suggest that DNNs can successfully detect Covid-19 even when trained on small and mixed datasets.
Association patterns and community structure among female bottlenose dolphins: environmental, genetic and cultural factors
Authors: Marfurt Svenja M. , Allen Simon J. , Bizzozzero Manuela R. , Willems Erik P. , King Stephanie L. , Connor Richard C. , Kopps Anna M. , Wild Sonja , Gerber Livia , Wittwer Samuel , Krützen Michael
Published: November 2022

Social structuring from assortative associations may affect individual fitness, as well as population-level processes. Gaining a broader understanding of social structure can improve our knowledge of social evolution and inform wildlife conservation. We investigated association patterns and community structure of female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, assessing the role of kinship, shared culturally transmitted foraging techniques, and habitat similarity based on water depth. Our results indicated that associations are influenced by a combination of uni- and biparental relatedness, cultural behaviour and habitat similarity, as these were positively correlated with a measure of dyadic association. These findings were matched in a community level analysis. Members of the same communities overwhelmingly shared the same habitat and foraging techniques, demonstrating a strong homophilic tendency. Both uni- and biparental relatedness between dyads were higher within than between communities. Our results illustrate that intraspecific variation in sociality in bottlenose dolphins is influenced by a complex combination of genetic, cultural, and environmental aspects.
Corporate Liability for Human Rights Abuses in Latin American Courts: Some Recent Developments
Authors: Cantú Rivera Humberto , Barboza López Miguel
Published: November 2022

The third pillar of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) is often considered the ‘forgotten pillar’,1 especially when compared with the first pillar, where some of the ‘governance gaps’ the State must address in order to comply with its duty to protect under international human rights law are developed with some level of detail. The same happens in relation to the second pillar, which proposes a practical approach for the proactive involvement of companies in the identification and management of the risks their activities and business relationships may produce on human rights.2 However, the third pillar is not necessarily ‘forgotten’, as it is based on one of the core rights of the international human rights regime. In this regard, not only are the various elements and procedures for access to justice developed within each country’s domestic law and within the international legal system, but they have also been subject to detailed studies by the international and regional human rights community.3 However, it is the least proactive pillar of the UN framework on business and human rights, and the one that faces the greatest challenges in terms of making a specific, substantive contribution in light of the vast existence of civil, criminal, administrative and constitutional proceedings in domestic jurisdictions.
From Linear to Circular Value Chains: A Role for Tort Liability in Recycling Practices?
Authors: Ulfbeck Vibe
Published: November 2022

This article examines the extent to which tort law can be used to incentivise the creation of the circular value chain and the design of products that live up to the requirements of the circular economy. In doing so, this article focuses in particular on the concepts of product liability and value chain liability. It shows that whereas the product liability framework has clearly been thought out to fit the linear value chain, central product liability concepts are also sufficiently flexible to be able to take in circularity considerations. The same goes for the concept of value chain liability. This article also shows how both types of liability become intertwined in the circular value chain.
Anaemia and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in agrarian community of Bale zone: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Tegegne Mekonnen , Abate Kalkidan Hassen , Belachew Tefera
Published: November 2022

Anaemia remains among the most prevalent nutritional problems among children in developing countries. In Ethiopia, more than half of children <5 years of age are anaemic. In the early stages of life, it leads to poor cognitive performance, delay psychomotor development and decreases working capacity in later life. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of anaemia among children aged 6–23 months in the Bale zone. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 to 30 June 2021. Multistage stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select 770 samples. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic, child health and feeding practices. Haemoglobin levels were estimated using a portable Hemosmart machine. Children with haemoglobin values below 11 g/dl were considered anaemic. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with anaemia. Statistical significance was set at P < 0⋅05. The prevalence of anaemia was 47⋅9 % (95 % CI (44⋅4, 51⋅5)). The multivariate analysis showed that child age (6–11 months) (AOR 1⋅47; 95 % CI (1⋅06, 2⋅03)), household food insecurity (AOR 1⋅44; 95 % CI (1⋅01, 2⋅04)), having diarrhoea and cough in the past 2 weeks (AOR 1⋅70; 95 % CI (1⋅18, 2⋅44)) and (AOR 1⋅97; 95 % CI (1⋅28, 3⋅04), respectively), not consuming the recommended dietary diversity (AOR 2⋅72; 95 % CI (1⋅96, 3⋅77)) and stunting (AOR 1⋅88; 95 % CI (1⋅31, 2⋅70)) were significantly associated with anaemia. Anaemia in children aged 6–23 months was a severe public health problem in the study area. Integrated nutritional interventions combined with iron fortification and supplementation is recommended.
Maternal nutritional status, decision-making autonomy and the nutritional status of adolescent girls: a cross-sectional analysis in the Mion District of Ghana
Authors: Agaba Monicah , Azupogo Fusta , Brouwer Inge D.
Published: November 2022

A mother's nutritional status and participation in household decision-making, a proxy for empowerment, are known determinants of improved nutrition and health outcomes for infants and young children; however, little is known about the association among adolescents. We examined the association between maternal nutritional status, decision-making autonomy and adolescent girls’ nutritional status. We analysed data of 711 mother–adolescent girl pairs aged 10–17 years from the Mion District, Ghana. Maternal nutritional status and decision-making autonomy were the independent variables while the outcomes were adolescent girls’ nutritional status as defined by anaemia, stunting and body mass index-for-age Z-score categories. Girl-level (age, menarche status and the frequency of animal-source food consumption), mother-level (age, education level, and monthly earnings) and household-level (wealth index, food security status and family size) covariates were adjusted for in the analysis. All associations were examined with hierarchical survey logistic regression. There was no association between maternal height and adolescent girls being anaemic, underweight or overweight/obese. Increasing maternal height reduced the odds of being stunted [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0⋅92, 95 % CI (0⋅89, 0⋅95)] for the adolescent girl. Maternal overweight/obesity was positively associated with the girl being anaemic [OR 1⋅35, 95 % CI (1⋅06, 1⋅72)]. The adolescent girl was more than five times likely to be thin [OR 5⋅28, 95 % CI (1⋅64–17⋅04)] when the mother was underweight. Maternal decision-making autonomy was inversely associated with stunting [OR 0⋅88, 95 % CI (0⋅79, 0⋅99)] among the girls. Our findings suggest that intergenerational linkages of a mother's nutritional status are not limited to childhood but also during adolescence.
Crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) patterns in uniaxially compressed deuterated ice: quantitative analysis of historical data
Authors: Hunter Nicholas J. R. , Wilson Christopher J. L. , Luzin Vladimir
Published: November 2022

Strain, temperature and strain rate are crucial factors governing the development of crystallographic preferred orientations (CPO) in ice. To better understand how CPO patterns change in response to these variables, we performed quantitative analyses on neutron diffraction data between 2010 and 2019, collected in situ during uniaxial compression experiments on deuterium ice. At strains >10% and temperatures <−10°C, thec-axis pattern switches from a single maximum (‘cluster’) to small circle (‘cone’), both oriented parallel to shortening. The diameter and mean width of the cone pattern decrease as strain and/or strain rate increases. Prismatic axis (aandm) patterns are characterised by great circles parallel to the pole figure margin and may be distinguishable from the patterns in ice deformed under simple shear. While strain has the main influence on the degree of preferred orientation (or CPO ‘strength’), both temperature and strain rate have minor influences, which limits the extent to which CPOs can be used to measure strain. As cluster patterns can be observed in thec-axes of ice deformed under both pure and simple shear settings, this may complicate interpretations of flow geometry in terrestrial ice unless the prismatic axis patterns are also considered.
Working memory modulates the effect of music on word learning
Authors: Ong Jia Hoong , Chan Alice H. D.
Published: November 2022

While anecdotal evidence suggests that music may facilitate verbal memory, empirical evidence for this is less clear. Here, we examined whether learners’ characteristics such as age, working memory (WM), and musical training may influence the effect of music on word learning. Young and older adults learned novel word-referent mappings presented in three music conditions (spoken in the presence of background music, sung in-key, and sung out-of-key) and a control condition (spoken in quiet) and their performance was assessed immediately after learning. We found that whereas age and, to an extent, musical training had a general effect on word learning, WM modulated the effect of music: performance was worse in the music conditions relative to the control condition for learners with lower WM whereas the opposite pattern was observed for those with higher WM. Our results thus highlight the importance of considering individual characteristics in determining the effect of music on verbal memory.
Ecosystem natural capital accounting: The landscape approach at a territorial watershed scale
Authors: Argüello Jazmin , Weber Jean-Louis , Negrutiu Ioan
Published: November 2022

Most approaches to estimate ecological value use monetary valuation. Here, we propose a different framework accounting ecological value in biophysical terms. More specifically, we are implementing the ecosystem natural capital accounting framework as an operational adaptation and extension of the UN System of Economic and Environmental Accounting/Ecosystem Accounting. The proof-of-concept study was carried out at the Rhône river watershed scale (France). Four core accounts evaluate land use, water and river condition, bio-carbon content of various stocks of biomass and its uses, and the state of ecosystem infrastructure. Integration of the various indicators allows measuring ecosystems overall capability and their degradation. The 12-year results are based on spatial–temporal geographic information and local statistics. Increasing levels of intensity of use are registered over time, that is, the extraction of resources surpasses renewal. We find that agriculture and land artificialisation are the main drivers of natural capital degradation.
Major and rare earth element mineral chemistry of low-grade assemblages inform dynamics of hydrothermal ocean-floor metamorphism in the Dinaridic Neotethys
Authors: Šegvić Branimir , Slovenec Damir , Badurina Luka
Published: November 2022

This contribution provides insights into ocean-floor hydrothermal metamorphism of the fast-evolving Dinaridic Neotethys. Mineralogical, geochemical and Sr isotope data collected from altered ophiolites and non-ophiolite basalts/andesites and tuffs of the active continental margin are consistent with hydrothermal alteration trajectories that reflect the host-rock composition. This suggests that hydrothermal fluxes were restricted within a simple closed seawater-fed system. Based on the initial isotopic ratios of Sr, two fluid–rock interaction trends are established: (a) low-to-medium degrees of metasomatism in pre-Middle Jurassic anorogenic ophiolites that progressively abated, and (b) increased intensities of metasomatism in post-Middle Jurassic orogenic ophiolites. This agrees with chlorite thermometry and Ca-Al-(Fe)-silicate phase chemistry. The metamorphic assemblages belong to the zeolite, prehnite-pumpellyite, prehnite-actinolite and greenschist facies. The facies is reliant on the temperature of hydrothermal systems and their fluid chemistry. Rare earth element (REE) phase geochemistry shows (a) variable fluid–rock ratios in chlorite and pumpellyite dependent on fluid temperatures, (b) prominent Eu and Ce anomalies that reflect the fluid oxidation state, (c) light REE/heavy REE mobilization attributed to prevalent ligand complexation, and (d) multi-phase fluid percolation across reaction zones of heterogeneous permeability. This study proposes initiation of simple hydrothermal system(s) at or near a spreading centre(s) in the infancy of the Dinaridic Neotethys. Such a system became more complex during Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous time with reactive hydrothermal fluids passing the recharge area and reaching the hot reaction zone. An abrupt obliteration of the established high-temperature regime ensued, following the final closure of the Neotethys.
Gender differences in social environmental factors of psychological distress among Indonesian adolescents: Findings from the 2015 Global School-based Student Health Survey
Authors: Putra I Gusti Ngurah Edi , Pradnyani Putu Erma , Putra Gede Wirabuana , Astiti Ni Luh Eka Purni , Derayanti Ni Wayan , Artini Ni Nyoman Astri , Astuti Putu Ayu Swandewi , Dendup Tashi , Ratan Zubair Ahmed
Published: November 2022

Background:

This study aimed to investigate gender differences in social environmental factors of psychological distress among Indonesian adolescents.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study using the data from the 2015 Indonesia Global School-based Student Health Survey. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the influences of main independent variables – social environmental factors (i.e., peer support, having close friends, bullying victimisation, physical fight, physical attack, parental supervision, connectedness, bonding), demographic characteristics, and health-related behaviours on the measures of psychological distress (loneliness, anxiety-induced sleep disturbance, and a combination of both measures as psychological distress).

Results:

The prevalence of psychological distress measured as loneliness, anxiety-induced sleep disturbance, and combined psychological distress was 6.12%, 4.52%, and 8.04%, respectively. Findings from multivariate analyses indicated that bullying victimisation, physical attack, experience of hunger (a proxy of socioeconomic status), and sedentary behaviour were associated with all measures of psychological distress. Meanwhile, age, gender, drug use, parental connectedness and bonding, and having no close friends were correlates of one or two measures of psychological distress. Based on gender-stratified analyses, experience of hunger, sedentary behaviour, bullying victimisation, and having no close friends were consistently associated with measures of psychological distress among both girls and boys. In addition, the influence of some social environmental factors, such as parental connectedness, peer support, and physical attack, were more salient among girls.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that social environmental factors, demographic characteristics, and health-related behaviours were associated with psychological distress, and the associations appeared to differ by gender. Interventions that include improving positive social environmental factors (e.g., reducing interpersonal violence, encouraging positive relationships with parents and peers) and promoting healthy behaviours (e.g., less sedentary behaviour, preventing substance use) might help reduce the risk of psychological distress among Indonesian adolescents.
Remembering a forgotten war: The Vietnamese state, war veterans and the commemoration of the Sino-Vietnamese War (1979–89)
Authors: Grossheim Martin
Published: November 2022

This article argues that in the last few years the Vietnamese state and the Vietnamese Communist Party have upgraded the commemoration of a Sino-Vietnamese War (1979–89) that had fallen into oblivion after the normalisation of Sino-Vietnamese relations in 1991. The first part of the article analyses the way in which Vietnam officially commemorated the 40th anniversary of the outbreak of the war against China in 2019. Vietnamese authorities such as the Department of Propaganda and Edcuation stepped up the commemoration of the war, but in comparison with that of the war against the Pol Pot regime it was much more subdued and low-key. The second part of the article shows that the veterans of the Vị Xuyên battle in Hà Giang province where fierce battles had taken place between 1984 and 1989 have actively shaped the commemoration of the war by organising commemorative activities on the old battlefield and reaching out to state media and social media. This highlights the significance of ‘agents of remembrance’ in Vietnam who, along with the official Vietnamese ‘memory machine’, also make important contributions to the commemoration of the past.