bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Addressing the raven food subsidy challenge by engaging restaurants to close their dumpsters
Authors: Ocañas Alejandrina R. , Danoff‐Burg James A. , Mulroe Kyle , Walton Sonora R.
Published: April 2022

Ravens have benefitted from resource subsidies provided by humans so much that their population has increased by over 800% in the western Mojave desert over the last 50 years. Our food waste is an especially large subsidy. Raven predation is one of the greatest threats to desert tortoise survival in the California desert. We sought to create and evaluate a behavioral change program among restaurants in Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms, California in the western Mojave with elevated raven populations. Half of the 60 restaurants in these two communities received an intervention encouraging them to close their dumpsters while the other half served as controls with no intervention. Treatment restaurants received two in‐person visits to discuss the manifold importance of dumpster closure and laminated information signs to display and extend communication to staff. We surveyed all dumpsters for open/closed status five times before the intervention and five times again 3 months after the intervention. We found a significant increase in closure rates among treatment restaurants due to the interventions, with an average of 9.5% increase toward maximum possible lid closure. Restaurants achieving 80%+ closure received “Gold Star Awards” to further stimulate community‐wide behavior change by publicly recognizing and encouraging desired behaviors. We summarize dumpster closure rates from similar interventions in nearby Joshua Tree and across the Coachella Valley to illustrate how local social norms may influence behavior.
Parallel Worlds of Uzbek Migrants in Russia and Turkey
Authors: Urinboyev Rustamjon , Eraliev Sherzod
Published: April 2022

During our 15 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Russia from January 2014 through November 2019, we traveled extensively within Moscow, running from one side of the city to another in search of informants.
Migrant Labor Markets in Russia and Turkey
Authors: Urinboyev Rustamjon , Eraliev Sherzod
Published: April 2022

During our ethnographic fieldwork in Istanbul, we spent most of our time wandering the streets of the Kumkapi neighborhood, where it is possible to spot hundreds of Uzbek migrants who reside and/or work there.
The Shadow Economy and the Street World as a Migration Arena
Authors: Urinboyev Rustamjon , Eraliev Sherzod
Published: April 2022

According to the 2021 Rule of Law Index, one of the leading global indicators on the rule of law published annually by the World Justice Project, Russia and Turkey ranked 101st and 117th, respectively, among 139 countries (WJP. Rule of Law Index 2021 [online]. https://worldjusticeproject.org/our-work/research-and-data/wjp-rule-law-index-2021, 2021). The low positions of these two countries in the Rule of Law Index is unsurprising given that both Russia and Turkey are non-democracies where law enforcement remains arbitrary, corruption and shadow economic transactions proliferate, civil society’s capacity is constrained by legal and administrative restrictions and respect for and observance of human rights is poor.
Über den Forschungsstand zur Fragestellung
Authors: Logeswaran Araththy
Published: April 2022

Diskriminierung kann unterschiedlich erforscht werden. Grundsätzlich können drei Forschungsansätze unterschieden werden (vgl. Beigang et al. 2017: 19), wenn der Fokus primär auf die Diskriminierten gerichtet wird: Erstens kann untersucht werden, wie sich der Zugang zu ausgewählten Ressourcen zwischen Personengruppen gestaltet, so z. B. die Besetzung von Führungspositionen zwischen den Geschlechtern (vgl. Holst et al. 2015).
Methodologische und methodische Ausrichtung
Authors: Logeswaran Araththy
Published: April 2022

Bislang wurde aus einer theoretischen Ebene die Relevanz der Thematik herausgearbeitet. Da es sich hier um ein wenig bekanntes Phänomen handelt, wie Menschen mit Diskriminierung und den damit einhergehenden Erfahrungen umgehen, erschien es mir am naheliegendsten, eine qualitative Untersuchung anzustreben. Dabei sei erwähnt, dass qualitative Daten nicht alleine den Anspruch auf theoriegenerierende Daten erheben kann, sowie quantitative Daten nicht ausschließlich eine theorieprüfende Funktion innehaben (vgl. Breuer et al. 2019: 3), im Gegenteil. Beide Formen der Sozialforschung können vielfältig genutzt werden.
Empirische Forschungspraxis
Authors: Logeswaran Araththy
Published: April 2022

Die theoretische Aneignung von Erhebungs- und Auswertungsmethoden besteht hauptsächlich darin, sich die Schritte für die methodische Durchführung anzulesen und das Forschungsvorhaben für eine praktische Anwendung zu planerisch vorzubereiten. Während der Umsetzung können Herausforderungen für die Forschungspraxis entstehen, die während der Planung nicht mitbedacht wurden bzw. werden konnten. Forschende sind daher dazu aufgefordert, ihre Vorgehensweisen kontinuierlich zu reflektieren, um auch prozessorientiert (re-)agieren zu können.
Operators for generic effective field theory at any dimension: on-shell amplitude basis construction
Authors: Li Hao-Lin , Ren Zhe , Xiao Ming-Lei , Yu Jiang-Hao , Zheng Yu-Hui
Published: April 2022

Abstract

We describe a general procedure to construct the independent and complete operator bases for generic Lorentz invariant effective field theories, given any kind of gauge symmetry and field content, up to any mass dimension. By considering the operator as contact on-shell amplitude, the so-called amplitude operator correspondence, we provide a unified construction of the Lorentz and gauge and flavor structures by Young Tableau tensor. Several bases are constructed to emphasize different aspects: independence (y-basis and m-basis), repeated fields with flavors (p-basis and f-basis), and conserved quantum numbers (j-basis). We also provide new algorithms for finding the m-basis by defining inner products for group factors and the p-basis by constructing the matrix representations of the Young symmetrizers from group generators. The on-shell amplitude basis gives us a systematic way to convert any operator into such basis, so that the conversions between any other operator bases can be easily done by linear algebra. All of these are implemented in a Mathematica package: ABC4EFT (Amplitude Basis Construction for Effective Field Theories).
On a Lefschetz-type phenomenon for elliptic Calabi-Yaus
Authors: Fullwood J. , Cattaneo A.
Published: April 2022

Abstract

We consider 18 families of elliptic Calabi-Yaus which arise in constructing F-theory compactifications of string vacua, and show in each case that the upper Hodge diamond of a crepant resolution of the associated Weierstrass model coincides with the upper Hodge diamond of the (blown up) projective bundle in which the crepant resolution is naturally embedded. Such results are unexpected, as each crepant resolution we consider does not satisfy the hypotheses of the Lefschetz hyperplane theorem. In light of such findings, we suspect that all elliptic Calabi-Yaus satisfy such a ‘Lefschetz-type phenomenon’.
Unitarity bounds on effective field theories at the LHC
Authors: Cohen Timothy , Doss Joel , Lu Xiaochuan
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Effective Field Theory (EFT) extensions of the Standard Model are tools to compute observables (e.g. cross sections with partonic center-of-mass energy $$ \sqrt{\hat{s}} $$

s
̂

) as a systematically improvable expansion suppressed by a new physics scale M. If one is interested in EFT predictions in the parameter space where M <$$ \sqrt{\hat{s}} $$

s
̂

, concerns of self-consistency emerge, which can manifest as a violation of perturbative partial-wave unitarity. However, when we search for the effects of an EFT at a hadron collider with center-of-mass energy $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

using an inclusive strategy, we typically do not have access to the event-by-event value of $$ \sqrt{\hat{s}} $$

s
̂

. This motivates the need for a formalism that incorporates parton distribution functions into the perturbative partial-wave unitarity analysis. Developing such a framework and initiating an exploration of its implications is the goal of this work. Our approach opens up a potentially valid region of the EFT parameter space where M ≪ $$ \sqrt{s} $$

s

. We provide evidence that there exist valid EFTs in this parameter space. The perturbative unitarity bounds are sensitive to the details of a given search, an effect we investigate by varying kinematic cuts.
A Lyndon’s identity theorem for one-relator monoids
Authors: Gray Robert D. , Steinberg Benjamin
Published: April 2022

For every one-relator monoid $$M = \langle A \mid u=v \rangle $$

M
=
⟨
A
∣
u
=
v
⟩

with $$u, v \in A^*$$

u
,
v
∈

A
∗

we construct a contractible M-CW complex and use it to build a projective resolution of the trivial module which is finitely generated in all dimensions. This proves that all one-relator monoids are of type $$\mathrm{FP}_{\infty }$$

FP
∞

, answering positively a problem posed by Kobayashi in 2000. We also apply our results to classify the one-relator monoids of cohomological dimension at most 2, and to describe the relation module, in the sense of Ivanov, of a torsion-free one-relator monoid presentation as an explicitly given principal left ideal of the monoid ring. In addition, we prove the topological analogues of these results by showing that all one-relator monoids satisfy the topological finiteness property $$\mathrm{F}_\infty $$

F
∞

, and classifying the one-relator monoids with geometric dimension at most 2. These results give a natural monoid analogue of Lyndon’s Identity Theorem for one-relator groups.
Geschmacksneutrale Andickungsmittel? – Ein kompetitiver Vergleich
Authors: Schulz Steffen , Scholz Veronika , Lehnert Bernhard
Published: April 2022

Hintergrund

Das Andicken von Flüssigkeiten gehört zu den Standardverfahren der Dysphagietherapie. Diese adaptive Methode soll u. a. einem posterioren Leaking entgegenwirken und die Anforderung an verlangsamte Schutzreflexe durch eine reduzierte Fließgeschwindigkeit des Bolus senken. Bisherige Erhebungen zeigen jedoch aufgrund der Geschmacksperzeption eine ablehnende Haltung von Patienten gegenüber angedickten Flüssigkeiten. Diese Studie untersucht, ob zwischen verschiedenen Andickungsmitteln Geschmacksunterschiede bestehen.

Methoden

An der Studie haben 37 gesunde Probanden Teil genommen und 8 auf dem deutschen Markt erhältliche Andickungsmittel untereinander verglichen. Zur Testung wurden jeweils 2 mit Wasser angerührte Andickungsmittel einander gegenübergestellt. Die Probanden sollten dann entscheiden, welches sie geschmacklich präferierten. Bis zu 7 dieser Paarvergleiche wurden von jedem Probanden vorgenommen. Insgesamt wurden 224 Paarvergleiche durchgeführt. Aus diesen wurde mittels eines probabilistischen Modells eine relative Geschmacksgüte bestimmt und eine Signifikanztestung der Unterschiede durchgeführt.

Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerung

Zwischen den verschiedenen Andickungsmitteln zeigten sich signifikante Geschmacksunterschiede. Es kann vermutet werden, dass sich die Geschmacksunterschiede auf die Inhaltsstoffe der jeweiligen Andickungsmittel zurückführen lassen. Im therapeutischen Setting sollte für eine höhere Akzeptanz von Kostanpassungen nach Möglichkeit die Ausprobe unterschiedlicher Andickungsmittel erfolgen. Unklar bleibt, ob die hier gezeigten Geschmacksunterschiede sich auch zeigen, wenn anstelle von Wasser andere Flüssigkeiten wie Kaffee, Tee oder Säfte angedickt werden.
Considering plant functional connectivity in landscape conservation and restoration management
Authors: Goicolea Teresa , G. Mateo Rubén , Aroca-Fernández María José , Gastón Aitor , García-Viñas Juan Ignacio , Mateo-Sánchez M. Cruz
Published: April 2022

Landscape connectivity has traditionally been studied for animal species rather than for plants, especially under a multispecies approach. However, connectivity can be equally critical for both fauna and flora and, thus, an essential point in the selection of key management areas and measures. This paper explores a spatially explicit framework to assess the contribution of habitat patches in the conservation and enhancement of plant functional connectivity and habitat availability in a multispecies context. It relies on graph theory and a habitat availability index and differentiates between two management scenarios: (i) conservation; and (ii) restoration, by considering current and potential species distribution based on species distribution models together with a vegetation survey. The results mapped at high spatial resolution priority target areas to apply management measures. We found that intervening in a small proportion of the study area may lead to double the average overall landscape connectivity of the studied species. This study aimed at proposing an innovative methodology that allows studying connectivity for multiple plant species at landscape scale while integrating their individual characteristics. The proposed framework is a step toward incorporating connectivity concerns into plant biodiversity management, based on a better understanding of landscape structure and functionality. Here, we illustrated its significant potential for local conservation and restoration planning and resource optimization.
GPs´ Personal Spirituality, Their Attitude and Spiritual Competence: A Cross-Sectional Study in German General Practices
Authors: Mächler Ruth , Straßner Cornelia , Sturm Noemi , Krisam Johannes , Stolz Regina , Schalhorn Friederike , Valentini Jan , Frick Eckhard
Published: April 2022

To understand if GPs’ spiritual competence, their personal spirituality and attitude towards enquiring about spirituality in practice interrelate, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 30 German GPs regarding issues of SC. We found correlations between GPs’ personal spirituality, their spiritual competence and their attitudes towards SC. The ability to perceive spiritual needs of patients was the competence most strongly related to GPs’ attitude towards SC. The competence with the strongest correlation to personal spirituality was Self-awareness and Proactive opening. No correlation was found between affiliation to a spiritual community and GPs’ attitude towards SC. The results show that GPs’ personal spirituality and spiritual competence are indeed related to addressing spirituality with their patients. To foster SC, training programmes should raise awareness for one’s personal spirituality and encourage one to reflect on spiritual competence.
Scaling-up ecosystem functions of coastal heterogeneous sediments: testing practices using high resolution data
Authors: Schenone Stefano , Thrush Simon F.
Published: April 2022

Context

Heterogeneity in coastal soft sediments and the difficulty of data collection hinder our ability to scale up ecological data (necessarily obtained at small-scale) to large-scale. The use of scaling in marine ecology is not as common as in terrestrial ecology and current practices are often too simplistic and inadequate.

Objectives

We aimed to demonstrate that the use of different scaling approaches leads to considerably different results and that not accounting for ecological heterogeneity decreases our ability to accurately extrapolate measurements of ecosystem functions performed by intertidal soft sediment habitats.

Methods

High resolution raster maps of sediment denitrification, ammonia (NH4+) efflux and organic matter degradation were sampled to produce a simulated dataset and compare the performance of three different scaling approaches: direct scaling, spatial allometry and semivariogram/kriging.

Results

Direct scaling underestimated denitrification, NH4+efflux and organic matter degradation (84.1, 84.9 and 90.3% less) while allometry underestimated denitrification (81.9% less) but overestimated NH4+efflux and organic matter degradation (2594.1 and 14,879.9% more). Kriging produced more accurate results and the predicted functions only differed from the estimated values by 14.7, 29.4 and 3.9% respectively.

Conclusions

Our work shows that the choice of the scaling method is crucial in estimating intertidal soft sediment functions and highlights the need for empirical and theoretical models that link ecosystem functioning to biological attributes that can be measured remotely over large areas. Integrating measures of heterogeneity through the spatial structure of the data leads to outcomes that are more realistic and relevant to resource management.
A generalized Weisfeiler-Lehman graph kernel
Authors: Schulz Till Hendrik , Horváth Tamás , Welke Pascal , Wrobel Stefan
Published: April 2022

After more than one decade, Weisfeiler-Lehman graph kernels are still among the most prevalent graph kernels due to their remarkable predictive performance and time complexity. They are based on a fast iterative partitioning of vertices, originally designed for deciding graph isomorphism with one-sided error. The Weisfeiler-Lehman graph kernels retain this idea and compare such labels with respect to equality. This binary valued comparison is, however, arguably too rigid for defining suitable graph kernels for certain graph classes. To overcome this limitation, we propose a generalization of Weisfeiler-Lehman graph kernels which takes into account a more natural and finer grade of similarity between Weisfeiler-Lehman labels than equality. We show that the proposed similarity can be calculated efficiently by means of the Wasserstein distance between certain vectors representing Weisfeiler-Lehman labels. This and other facts give rise to the natural choice of partitioning the vertices with the Wasserstein k-means algorithm. We empirically demonstrate on the Weisfeiler-Lehman subtree kernel, which is one of the most prominent Weisfeiler-Lehman graph kernels, that our generalization significantly outperforms this and other state-of-the-art graph kernels in terms of predictive performance on datasets which contain structurally more complex graphs beyond the typically considered molecular graphs.
The New ICD-11 Prolonged Grief Disorder Guidelines in Japan: Findings and Implications from Key Informant Interviews
Authors: Killikelly Clare , Hasenöhrl Anna , Stelzer Eva-Maria , Maercker Andreas
Published: April 2022

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is a new mental health disorder, recently introduced in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), World Health Organization Classification of Diseases (WHO). The new ICD-11 guidelines reflect an emerging wave of interest in the global applicability of mental disorders. However, the selection of diagnostic core features in different cultural contexts has yet to be determined. Currently, there is debate in the field over the global applicability of these guidelines. Using semi-structured interviews with 14 key informants, we explored the acceptability of ICD-11 guidelines for PGD according to Japanese health professionals as key informants. The interviews revealed symptoms of grief possibly missing in the ICD-11 PGD guidelines including somatization and concepts such as hole in the heart. Additionally, sociocultural barriers such as stigma and beliefs about the social desirability of emotions may challenge patients’ and clinicians’ acceptance of the new ICD-11 criteria.
Challenges for independence-driven and context-repair responses to the proviso problem
Authors: Silk Alex
Published: April 2022

This note presents challenge cases for prominent pragmatic responses to the proviso problem. I offer examples of uses of conditionalsif $\psi,\,\phi_{P}$ψ,ϕPthat seem to commit the speaker unconditionally to the presuppositionPof the consequent clauseϕ, even though the sentence’s predicted semantic presuppositionψ⊃Pis antecedently satisfied (contrary to context-repair accounts), and independence betweenψandPisn’t antecedently assumed (contrary to independence-driven accounts). The examples provided avoid problems with other examples from the literature used against pragmatic accounts. I leave the matter as an unresolved challenge for satisfaction theories of presupposition.
Revisiting Paul de Grauwe’s Chaotic Exchange Rate Model: New Analytical Insights and Agent-Based Explorations
Authors: Mignot Sarah , Westerhoff Frank
Published: April 2022

We apply recent stability and bifurcation results to provide an analytical characterization of Paul de Grauwe’s chaotic exchange rate model. We prove that the model’s fundamental steady state becomes unstable due to a Neimark-Sacker bifurcation when chartists extrapolate past exchange rate trends too strongly, a phenomenon that gives rise to cyclical exchange rate dynamics. In contrast, fundamentalists’ mean reversion strength only has a stabilizing effect on the model’s dynamics when the exchange rate is out of equilibrium. We also show that agent-based versions of Paul de Grauwe’s exchange rate model may produce endogenous exchange rate dynamics, too.
A fuzzy-hybrid analysis of citizens’ perception toward immigrants in Europe
Authors: Martín Juan Carlos , Indelicato Alessandro
Published: April 2022

The public and political debate about immigration now play a big role in all European elections, and there is a trend increasing an anti-immigrant sentiment that receives important media attention. This work, based on the European Social Survey (ESS) round 9 data for 27 European countries, contributes to such debate by introducing a new method in the field, a Fuzzy-Hybrid Approach (FHA), that complements other methodological methods that have been used to measure citizens’ attitudes towards immigrants. The novel approach in the field provides a synthetic indicator that measures openness towards immigrants (OTISI). Then, we analyse the relationship that exists between some specific sociodemographic variables and the new index. Results show that country, political orientation, age, religion, economic situation, gender, birthplace, employment, education, universalism, and conformity are key drivers that explain different attitudes towards immigrants. Our findings concur with other previous studies showing that the results are robust and that the method can be applied in future social science studies.
Diffusion-weighted image analysis along the perivascular space (DWI–ALPS) for evaluating interstitial fluid status: age dependence in normal subjects
Authors: Taoka Toshiaki , Ito Rintaro , Nakamichi Rei , Nakane Toshiki , Sakai Mayuko , Ichikawa Kazushige , Kawai Hisashi , Naganawa Shinji
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interstitial fluid status in a wide range of age groups using diffusion-weighted image analysis along the perivascular space (DWI–ALPS) method, which is a simplified variation of diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI–ALPS).

Materials and methods

This retrospective study included data from 128 patients who underwent clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, including DWI, and were found to have no abnormal findings in the brain on MRI. Three motion-probing gradients of the DWI were applied in an orthogonal direction to the imaging plane. Apparent diffusion coefficient images in thex-,y-, andz-axes were retrospectively generated, and composite color images were created to locate the projection and association fiber area on the slice including the body of the lateral ventricle. ALPS indices were calculated, and correlations with age were evaluated using linear and second-degree regression analysis. Linear regression analysis was also performed for a subgroup of patients older than 40 years. In addition, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test among the generations was performed.

Results

The linear regression analysis between age and the ALPS index showed a correlation coefficient of −0.20 for all age group and −0.51 for the subgroup older than 40 years. The second-degree regression analysis showed a correlation coefficient of 0.39. ANOVA showed that the 40’s generation showed a statistically significant higher value of ALPS index compared to all other generations except for the 30’s generation. While, the 70’s generation showed a statistically significant lower value of the ALPS index compared to all other generations.

Conclusions

The analysis of the DWI–APLS method showed a correlation between age and the ALPS index in second-degree distribution which peaked in the 40’s generation. This finding in normal subjects may be fundamental in the analysis of disease cases.

Secondary abstract

We tried to evaluate the glymphatic system status in a wide range of age groups using diffusion-weighted image analysis along the perivascular space (DWI–ALPS) method, and the results showed a correlation between age and the ALPS index in second-degree distribution which peaked in the 40’s generation.
West African medicinal plants and their constituent compounds as treatments for viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19
Authors: Popoola Temidayo D. , Segun Peter A. , Ekuadzi Edmund , Dickson Rita A. , Awotona Olanrewaju R. , Nahar Lutfun , Sarker Satyajit D. , Fatokun Amos A.
Published: April 2022

Objectives

The recent emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic (caused by SARS-CoV-2) and the experience of its unprecedented alarming toll on humanity have shone a fresh spotlight on the weakness of global preparedness for pandemics, significant health inequalities, and the fragility of healthcare systems in certain regions of the world. It is imperative to identify effective drug treatments for COVID-19. Therefore, the objective of this review is to present a unique and contextualised collection of antiviral natural plants or remedies from the West African sub-region as existing or potential treatments for viral infections, including COVID-19, with emphasis on their mechanisms of action.

Evidence acquisition

Evidence was synthesised from the literature using appropriate keywords as search terms within scientific databases such as Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar.

Results

While some vaccines and small-molecule drugs are now available to combat COVID-19, access to these therapeutic entities in many countries is still quite limited. In addition, significant aspects of the symptomatology, pathophysiology and long-term prognosis of the infection yet remain unknown. The existing therapeutic armamentarium, therefore, requires significant expansion. There is evidence that natural products with antiviral effects have been used in successfully managing COVID-19 symptoms and could be developed as anti-COVID-19 agents which act through host- and virus-based molecular targets.

Conclusion

Natural products could be successfully exploited for treating viral infections/diseases, including COVID-19. Strengthening natural products research capacity in developing countries is, therefore, a key strategy for reducing health inequalities, improving global health, and enhancing preparedness for future pandemics.

Graphical abstract
Can Science-Based Targets Make the Private Sector Paris-Aligned? A Review of the Emerging Evidence
Authors: Bjørn Anders , Tilsted Joachim Peter , Addas Amr , Lloyd Shannon M.
Published: April 2022

Purpose of Review

Companies increasingly set science-based targets (SBTs) for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We review literature on SBTs to understand their potential for aligning corporate emissions with the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.

Recent Findings

SBT adoption by larger, more visible companies in high-income countries has accelerated. These companies tend to have a good prior reputation for managing climate impacts and most appear on track for meeting their scope 1 and 2 SBTs. More research is needed to distinguish between substantive and symbolic target-setting and understand how companies plan to achieve established SBTs. There is no consensus on whether current target-setting methods appropriately allocate emissions to individual companies or how much freedom companies should have in setting SBTs. Current emission accounting practices, target-setting methods, SBT governance, and insufficient transparency may allow companies to report some emission reductions that are not real and may result in insufficient collective emission reductions. Lower rates of SBT diffusion in low- and middle-income countries, in certain emission-intensive sectors, and by small- and medium-sized enterprises pose potential barriers for mainstreaming SBTs. While voluntary SBTs cannot substitute for more ambitious climate policy, it is unclear whether they delay or encourage policy needed for Paris alignment.

We find evidence that SBT adoption corresponds to increased climate action. However, there is a need for further research from a diversity of approaches to better understand how SBTs may facilitate or hinder a just transition to low-carbon societies.
Not Non-Lethal Weapons: the Counter-Personnel Behavioral Effects Weapons Framework for Armament Engineers
Authors: Mezzacappa E. , Cooke G. , Short K. R. , Jovanovic N. , Cheng D. T. , Rodriguez J. J.
Published: April 2022

Behavioral effects weapons (BEW) are devices that are intended to change the behavior of their human target. The article describes the critical considerations and a framework to guide the development of BEW. Human physiology is the fundamental basis for the theoretical framework of BEW engineering. Effectiveness of BEW starts with the physiological effects induced by stimuli or energy generated by a weapon. These physiological effects, in turn, affect target behavior. Behaviors are altered by (1) changing the motivation of the targeted individual(s) to perform the behavior and (2) changing the ability of the targeted individual(s) to perform the behavior. In addition to the thresholds for effectiveness of BEW, the limitations due to risk of signification injury (RSI) define the solution space for armament engineers. Finally, ethical considerations for the armaments developer are presented. It is hoped that the information in this article will serve as a guide for the armaments engineering community in order to fill a critical weapon capability gap.
Rational functions as new variables
Authors: Andrei Diana , Nevanlinna Olavi , Vesanen Tiina
Published: April 2022

In multicentric calculus, one takes a polynomial p with distinct roots as a new variable and represents complex valued functions by $${\mathbb {C}}^d$$

C

d

-valued functions, where d is the degree of p. An application is e.g. the possibility to represent a piecewise constant holomorphic function as a convergent power series, simultaneously in all components of $$|p(z)| \le \rho$$

|
p
(
z
)
|
≤
ρ

. In this paper, we study the necessary modifications needed, if we take a rational function $$r=p/q$$

r
=
p
/
q

as the new variable instead. This allows to consider functions defined in neighborhoods of any compact set as opposed to the polynomial case where the domains $$|p(z)| \le \rho$$

|
p
(
z
)
|
≤
ρ

are always polynomially convex. Two applications are formulated. One giving a convergent power series expression for Sylvester equations $$AX-XB =C$$

A
X
-
X
B
=
C

in the general case of A, B being bounded operators in Banach spaces with distinct spectra. The other application formulates a K-spectral result for bounded operators in Hilbert spaces.
ORDER TYPES OF MODELS OF FRAGMENTS OF PEANO ARITHMETIC
Authors: GALEOTTI LORENZO , LÖWE BENEDIKT
Published: April 2022

The complete characterisation of order types of non-standard models of Peano arithmetic and its extensions is a famous open problem. In this paper, we consider subtheories of Peano arithmetic (both with and without induction), in particular, theories formulated in proper fragments of the full language of arithmetic. We study the order types of their non-standard models and separate all considered theories via their possible order types. We compare the theories with and without induction and observe that the theories without induction tend to have an algebraic character that allows model constructions by closing a model under the relevant algebraic operations.
Exploring hypoxic biology to improve radiotherapy outcomes
Authors: Li Chun , Wiseman Lucy , Okoh Ene , Lind Michael , Roy Rajarshi , Beavis Andrew W. , Pires Isabel M.
Published: April 2022

Ionising radiotherapy is a well-established, effective cancer treatment modality, whose efficacy has improved with the application of newer technological modalities. However, patient outcomes are governed and potentially limited by aspects of tumour biology that are associated with radioresistance. Patients also still endure treatment-associated toxicities owed to the action of ionising radiation in normoxic tissue adjacent to the tumour mass. Tumour hypoxia is recognised as a key component of the tumour microenvironment and is well established as leading to therapy resistance and poor prognosis. In this review, we outline the current understanding of hypoxia-mediated radiotherapy resistance, before exploring targeting tumour hypoxia for radiotherapy sensitisation to improve treatment outcomes and increase the therapeutic window. This includes increasing oxygen availability in solid tumours, the use of hypoxia-activated prodrugs, targeting of hypoxia-regulated or associated signalling pathways, as well as the use of high-LET radiotherapy modalities. Ultimately, targeting hypoxic radiobiology combined with precise radiotherapy delivery modalities and modelling should be associated with improvement to patient outcomes.
Second-Generation Iranian Zoroastrians in a New American Homeland: A Case Study in California
Authors: Niechciał Paulina
Published: April 2022

The article contributes to filling the research gap concerning Iranian Zoroastrians in diaspora. Using a narrative approach, it explores how second-generation Zoroastrians raised in the United States learn and practice religion while facing the challenges of a pluralistic American society. The article includes a case study of two young Zoroastrian women interviewed in 2019, members of the Californian community. The contrastive cases shed light on the internal heterogeneity of Zoroastrianism, different ways the religion is perceived and experienced, and different ideas about future preservation of the ethno-religious heritage. The study contributes to an understanding of how Zoroastrianism evolves on a new continent and how it differs from what Zoroastrian immigrants brought from Iran.
THE APPLICATION OF POLLEN RADIOCARBON DATING AND BAYESIAN AGE-DEPTH MODELING FOR DEVELOPING ROBUST GEOCHRONOLOGICAL FRAMEWORKS OF WETLAND ARCHIVES
Authors: Cadd Haidee , Sherborne-Higgins Bryce , Becerra-Valdivia Lorena , Tibby John , Barr Cameron , Forbes Matt , Cohen Tim J , Tyler Jonathan , Vandergoes Marcus , Francke Alexander , Lewis Richard , Arnold Lee J , Jacobsen Geraldine , Marjo Chris , Turney Chris
Published: April 2022

Wetland sediments are valuable archives of environmental change but can be challenging to date. Terrestrial macrofossils are often sparse, resulting in radiocarbon (14C) dating of less desirable organic fractions. An alternative approach for capturing changes in atmospheric 14C is the use of terrestrial microfossils. We 14C date pollen microfossils from two Australian wetland sediment sequences and compare these to ages from other sediment fractions (n = 56). For the Holocene Lake Werri Berri record, pollen 14C ages are consistent with 14C ages on bulk sediment and humic acids (n = 14), whilst Stable Polycyclic Aromatic Carbon (SPAC) 14C ages (n = 4) are significantly younger. For Welsby Lagoon, pollen concentrate 14C ages (n = 21) provide a stratigraphically coherent sequence back to 50 ka BP. 14C ages from humic acid and >100 µm fractions (n = 13) are inconsistent, and often substantially younger than pollen ages. Our comparison of Bayesian age-depth models, developed in Oxcal, Bacon and Undatable, highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the different programs for straightforward and more complex chrono-stratigraphic records. All models display broad similarities but differences in modeled age-uncertainty, particularly when age constraints are sparse. Intensive dating of wetland sequences improves the identification of outliers and generation of robust age models, regardless of program used.
Dietary trajectories through the life course: opportunities and challenges
Authors: Chong Mary Foong-Fong
Published: April 2022

Studying the dynamic patterns of dietary changes or stability (otherwise known as dietary trajectories) across the life course can provide important information about when and in whom to intervene with nutritional interventions. This article reviews evidence from longitudinal studies that describe dietary trajectories through the different life stages, covering early life, adolescence to young adulthood and from mid to late adulthood. Current findings suggest that the establishment of diet patterns likely occurs before 3 years of age and allude to other potential ‘windows of change’ in the life course such as the period of 7–9 years of age and during the period of adolescence and early adulthood. Examining diets using various diet parameters appears to be valuable in elucidating different aspects of the diet that can be changed to potentially alter trajectories. In adults, examining long-term diet trends at a population level can reveal shifts in eating patterns as countries undergo epidemiological and nutrition transitions and elucidate the longer-term impact of adherence to particular diets on the development of chronic diseases. While challenges such as the availability of adequate diet data points, consistency in the dietary assessment tools used and the limitations of statistical methods for trajectory modelling remain, integrating diet data with other lifestyle behaviours, high-dimensional biomarkers and genetics data into pattern analyses and examining them from a longitudinal approach, open up potential opportunities to gain deeper insights into diet–disease relationships and support the development of more holistic lifestyle disease prevention recommendations stratified for population groups.
A longitudinal study on the consequences of the take-up of informal care on work hours, labour market exit and workplace absenteeism due to illness
Authors: Josten Edith J. C. , Verbakel Ellen , de Boer Alice H.
Published: April 2022

Little is known about the effects of informal care-giving on employees' absenteeism due to illness. This paper therefore provides a longitudinal analysis of the consequences of taking on informal care-giving for men's and women's working hours and workplace absenteeism due to illness. Data were taken from the Dutch Labour Supply Panel (waves 2004–2018); 495 of the 6,452 male observations in this panel and 696 of the 5,961 female observations had taken on informal care-giving. It was tested whether respondents who became (intensive) informal carers were more likely than respondents who remained non-care-givers to reduce their work hours or stop working between waves t and t1, or to be absent from work due to illness in wave t1. (Multinomial) logistic regression analyses showed that taking on informal care reduced women's working hours when the care they provided was intensive, but not men's. The predicted probability of women reducing their work hours was 12 per cent if they had remained non-care-givers between waves t and t1, 15 per cent if they had started giving non-intensive care and 19 per cent if they had begun providing intensive help. In addition, starting to provide (non-intensive) informal care increased the risk of workplace absenteeism among both women and men. The study highlights the need for workplace policies that prevent female carers from reducing their work hours, and enable male and female carers to continue working in a healthy way.
The Evolution of Data and Freedom of Expression and Hate Speech Concerns with Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Intahchomphoo Channarong , Tschirhart Christian
Published: April 2022

This opinion article, by Channarong Intahchomphoo and Christian Tschirhart, explains the evolution of data and how it becomes useful information and then insightful knowledge. In the current era we are witnessing a high increase in the development and adaptation of artificial intelligence (AI) in society. AI technologies have the ability to process large volumes of data and information to help in finding insightful knowledge. However, AI is not perfect and there are ethical concerns, particularly when unintended negative consequences result from it; this paper also discusses ethical concerns currently confronting our society related to the freedom of expression and hate speech issues with AI. Importantly, this paper notes that governments are working to find ways to regulate social media and internet companies through legal channels as governments are no longer confident in the ability of social media and internet companies to self-regulate and thereby to guide society on what content is right or wrong. This is a critical new development in internet and AI governance that information and technology professionals and public and private organizations need to monitor closely the situation as it evolves.
Psychological impact of the quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic on the general European adult population: a systematic review of the evidence
Authors: Bonati M. , Campi R. , Segre G.
Published: April 2022

Aims

Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) different countries implemented quarantine measures to limit the spread of the virus. Many studies analysed the mental health consequences of restrictive confinement, some of which focused their attention on specific populations. The general public's mental health also requires significant attention, however. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 quarantine on the general population's mental health in different European countries. Risk and protective factors associated with the psychological symptoms were analysed.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted on four electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and Google Scholar). Studies published up until 20th April 2021, and following eligibility criteria were selected for this review. One thousand three hundred thirty-five (1335) studies were screened, 105 of which were included. Via network analysis, the current study investigated the pathways that underlie possible risk factors for mental health outcomes.

Results

Anxiety, depression, distress and post-traumatic symptoms are frequently experienced during the COVID-19 quarantine and are often associated with changes in sleeping and eating habits. Some socio-demographic and COVID-19-related variables were found to be risk factors for an individual's wellbeing. In particular, being female, young, having a low income, being unemployed and having COVID-19-like symptoms or chronic disorders, were found to be the most common risk factors for mental health symptoms.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic represented an unprecedented threat to mental health globally. In order to prevent psychological morbidity and offer support tailored to short-, medium- and long-term negative outcomes, it is essential to identify the direct and indirect psychosocial effects of the lockdown and quarantine measures, especially in certain vulnerable groups. In addition to measures to reduce the curve of viral transmission, policy makers should urgently take into consideration provisions to alleviate hazards to mental health.
Körperliche Aktivität in der Prävention und Behandlung von Essstörungen
Authors: Wyssen Andrea , Munsch Simone
Published: April 2022

Zusammenfassung. Auf der einen Seite stellt exzessive oder mangelnde körperliche Aktivität ein phänomenologisches Merkmal von Essstörungen dar und ist ein wesentlicher ätiologischer Faktor. Auf der anderen Seite hat eine gesunde, angepasste körperliche Aktivität das Potenzial, die Wirksamkeit von präventiven und therapeutischen Massnahmen im Bereich der Essstörungen zu unterstützen. Es liegen Studienergebnisse vor, die den Nutzen von Interventionen mit Fokus auf die körperliche Aktivität als Ergänzung zur Psychotherapie bestätigen und aufzeigen, dass professionell geplante und begleitete Interventionen dieser Art nicht kontraproduktiv oder gefährlich sind, sondern das Behandlungsergebnis positiv beeinflussen können. Die aktuelle Studienlage erlaubt eine vorläufige Formulierung von Handlungsleitlinien zur Einbettung von körperlicher Aktivität als Ergänzung von evidenzbasierten Behandlungsansätzen. Fokus der Interventionen ist der Abbau von ungesunder, exzessiver und der Aufbau von flexibler körperlicher Aktivität.
Tetrahedral framework nucleic acid carrying angiogenic peptide prevents bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw by promoting angiogenesis
Authors: Zhao Dan , Xiao Dexuan , Liu Mengting , Li Jiajie , Peng Shuanglin , He Qing , Sun Yue , Xiao Jingang , Lin Yunfeng
Published: April 2022

The significant clinical feature of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is the exposure of the necrotic jaw. Other clinical manifestations include jaw pain, swelling, abscess, and skin fistula, which seriously affect the patients’ life, and there is no radical cure. Thus, new methods need to be found to prevent the occurrence of BRONJ. Here, a novel nanoparticle, tFNA-KLT, was successfully synthesized by us, in which the nanoparticle tetrahedral framework nucleic acid (tFNA) was used for carrying angiogenic peptide, KLT, and then further enhanced angiogenesis. TFNA-KLT possessed the same characteristics as tFNA, such as simple synthesis, stable structure, and good biocompatibility. Meanwhile, tFNA enhanced the stability of KLT and carried more KLT to interact with endothelial cells. First, it was confirmed that tFNA-KLT had the superior angiogenic ability to tFNA and KLT both in vitro and in vivo. Then we apply tFNA-KLT to the prevention of BRONJ. The results showed that tFNA-KLT can effectively prevent the occurrence of BRONJ by accelerating angiogenesis. In summary, the prepared novel nanoparticle, tFNA-KLT, was firstly synthesized by us. It was also firstly confirmed by us that tFNA-KLT significantly enhanced angiogenesis and can effectively prevent the occurrence of BRONJ by accelerating angiogenesis, thus providing a new avenue for the prevention of BRONJ and a new choice for therapeutic angiogenesis.
One step synthesis of efficient red emissive carbon dots and their bovine serum albumin composites with enhanced multi-photon fluorescence for in vivo bioimaging
Authors: Zhang Huiqi , Wang Gang , Zhang Zhiming , Lei Josh Haipeng , Liu Tzu-Ming , Xing Guichuan , Deng Chu-Xia , Tang Zikang , Qu Songnan
Published: April 2022

Efficient red emissive carbon dots (CDs) in aqueous solutions are very scarce for high performance bioimaging applications. In this work, we report a one-step solvothermal treatment to synthesize pure red emissive CDs (FA-CDs) from citric acid and urea in formic acid without complicated purification procedures. Photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 43.4% was observed in their dimethyl sulfoxide solutions. High PLQY up to 21.9% in aqueous solutions was achieved in their bovine serum albumin (BSA) composites (FA-CDs@BSA) with significantly enhanced multi-photon fluorescence. The strong surface electron-withdrawing structure of FA-CDs caused by the high content of C = O groups contributes for their pure red emission. Owing to the significantly enhanced single and multi-photon red fluorescence and enlarged particle sizes after composing with BSA, in vivo tumor imaging and two-photon fluorescence imaging of blood vessels in mouse ear have been realized via intravenous injection of FA-CDs@BSA aqueous solutions.