bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of robust particle dampers using inner structures and coated container walls
Authors: Meyer Niklas , Seifried Robert
Published: January 2023

Classical particle dampers suffer from their non-robust damping behavior, i.e. they can only be efficiently applied to a specific frequency range and amplitude range. The reason for that is that particle motion, also called motion mode, and damper efficiency show a strong correlation. By changing particle or container properties the motion modes are shifted to other excitation conditions but their efficient range is not much affected. To increase the damping performance and robustness of particle dampers, two approaches are presented here by introducing new motion modes. Therefore, the particle dampers are analyzed experimentally using a shaker setup and numerically using the discrete element method. The first design approach uses inner structures inside the particle damper, manufactured by a 3D printer. The inner structures consist of different numbers of beams, placed perpendicular to the container moving direction. They lead to a much more robust damper as the transition between the motion modes gets smoother. For the second approach, the container walls are equipped with different soft polymers. In this way a new motion mode at low excitation intensities is observed, leading to a high efficiency possibly on a large excitation intensity range. For an easy calculation of the necessary wall’s Young’s modulus an analytical formula based on Hertz impact theory is derived.
Screening auf Sepsis in der Notfallmedizin – qSOFA ist uns nicht genug
Authors: Bauer Wolfgang , Galtung Noa , von Wunsch-Rolshoven Teruel Iris , Dickescheid Johannes , Reinhart Konrad , Somasundaram Rajan
Published: January 2023

Hintergrund

Die Sepsis ist eine häufige und lebensbedrohliche Komplikation einer akuten Infektion. In der Notfallmedizin hat sich zum Screening auf Sepsis der Quick Sequential-Organ-Failure-Assessment(qSOFA)-Score etabliert. Bereits mit der Einführung des Scores wurde dessen schwache Sensitivität kritisiert. Nun fordern aktuelle Leitlinien, den qSOFA-Score nicht mehr zum Screening auf Sepsis einzusetzen. Als eine Alternative wird der National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) vorgeschlagen.

Ziel der Arbeit

In einer Subanalyse einer Kohorte von notfallmedizinischen Patient*innen soll die diagnostische Aussagekraft des qSOFA-Scores und des NEWS2 zur Erkennung einer Sepsis verglichen werden. Zusätzlich soll gezeigt werden, inwieweit mithilfe von abweichenden Vitalparametern bereits eine Risikoerhöhung für eine Sepsis ableitbar ist.

Methodik

Mittels AUROC (Area Under Receiver Operating Characteristics) und Odds Ratios wurden die Scores bzw. die Vitalparameter auf ihre Fähigkeit untersucht, septische Patient*innen zu erkennen.

Ergebnisse

Von 312 eingeschlossenen Patient*innen wurde bei 17,9 % eine Sepsis diagnostiziert. Der qSOFA-Score erkannte eine Sepsis mit einer AUROC von 0,77 (NEWS2 0,81). Für qSOFA fand sich eine Sensitivität von 57 % (Spezifität 83 %), für NEWS2 96 % (Spezifität 45 %). Die Analyse der einzelnen Vitalparameter zeigte, dass unter Patient*innen mit einer akuten Infektion eine Vigilanzminderung als deutliches Warnsignal für eine Sepsis zu werten ist.

Diskussion

In der Notfallmedizin sollte qSOFA nicht als alleiniges Tool für das Screening auf Sepsis verwendet werden. Bei Verdacht auf eine akute Infektion sollten grundsätzlich sämtliche Vitalparameter erfasst werden, um das Vorliegen einer akuten Organschädigung und somit einen septischen Krankheitsverlauf frühzeitig zu erkennen.

Graphic abstract
Measuring economic diplomacy using event study method: the case of EU-China summit talks and Airbus stock price changes
Authors: Choi Sunkung
Published: January 2023

Economic diplomacy receives growing interest in the field of international relations research ever since the end of the cold war. Despite the vast number of literature on economic diplomacy, there are not many studies measuring the effect of economic diplomacy quantitatively. The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to measure economic diplomacy using the event study method that observes the influence of specific events on stock prices. In this study, the summit talks between the EU and China are selected as specific events that are considered as a form of economic diplomacy, and Airbus stock price, the proxy of the reaction to the economic diplomacy, was observed to verify the influence of it. The study categorized the summit talks by the type of participants whether the top politicians were included or not. The result shows that, among all summit talks, the summit talks between top politicians between the EU and China influence the stock price of Airbus positively, and it is statistically significant.
First report on classical biological control releases of the larval parasitoid Ganaspis brasiliensis against Drosophila suzukii in northern Italy
Authors: Fellin Lorenzo , Grassi Alberto , Puppato Simone , Saddi Alberto , Anfora Gianfranco , Ioriatti Claudio , Rossi-Stacconi Marco Valerio
Published: January 2023

Current management strategy of the invasive fruit fly Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) exploits different tools but relies mainly on chemical control. In the invaded areas, the local natural enemy community mostly consists of generalist pupal parasitoids unable to control the pest efficiently. Conversely, in the pest native area, there are more specialized sympatric larval parasitoids attacking D. suzukii. Following foreign explorations and quarantine risk assessments, the larval endoparasitoid Ganaspis brasiliensis (Ihering) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) was selected as the best candidate for classical biological control programs. In 2021, the first ever propagative biocontrol program using a Japanese G1 lineage of G. brasiliensis started in Italy. Here we report the results of the first year of releases in the province of Trento (Northeast Italy), wherein G. brasiliensis was released in 12 locations. Pre- and post-release samplings on fresh and fallen fruits were performed around the release points to assess the recapture rate, the impact of the exotic parasitoid on D. suzukii and its potential interactions with local non-target species. After releases, G. brasiliensis was recovered at 50% of the locations. The exotic parasitoid only emerged from D. suzukii, mostly from fresh fruit still on the plant. Post-overwintering monitoring revealed the presence of a four G. brasiliensis individuals at two release locations.
Assessment of Beauveria bassiana for the biological control of corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, in sweet maize by irrigation application
Authors: Feng Mengxia , Zhang Yunyue , Coates Brad Steven , Du Qian , Gao Yuebo , Li Lili , Yuan Haibin , Sun Wei , Chang Xue , Zhou Shuxiang , Wang Yangzhou
Published: January 2023

Kernels of sweet maize are directly consumed by humans. This high value crop is grown in arid and semi-arid regions of western Jilin Province, China where trickle irrigation is widely used and larvae of the corn borer,Ostrinia furnacalisGuenée (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), can cause significant kernel damage. Low humidity in arid regions is less conducive to the efficacy of the biological control agent,Beauveria bassiana(Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae). Simulated semi-arid conditions in greenhouse experiments were conducted comparingB. bassianaapplication on a granule carrier or in aqueous suspension to sweet maize. Applications ofB. bassianaadhered to granules and in suspension reducedO. furnacalisleaf feeding damage, number of boreholes and tunneling length. Treatments with a granular carrier showed the most significant reductions in maize damage when applied once at whorl stage and in combination with a second application at the ear. The greatest reductions in boring and tunneling attributed to these treatments occurred at internodes around the ear. Although reduced damage was greatest following granular compared to aqueous applications, the latter also provided significant reductions in feeding damage compared to controls. This study demonstrates the utility ofB. bassianaas a biological control agent for the reduction in damage caused by second-generation corn borer to sweet maize and existing irrigation equipment could be adapted for efficacious aqueous treatments by growers.
Genetic diversity and connectivity of moose (Alces americanus americanus) in eastern North America
Authors: Rosenblatt Elias , Gieder Katherina , Donovan Therese , Murdoch James , Smith Timothy P.L. , Heaton Michael P. , Kalbfleisch Theodore S. , Murdoch Brenda M. , Bhattarai Suraj , Pacht Emory , Verbist Emma , Basnayake Veronica , McKay Stephanie
Published: January 2023

Genetic diversity is critical to a population’s ability to overcome gradual environment change. Large-bodied wildlife existing in regions with relatively high human population density are vulnerable to isolation-induced genetic drift, population bottlenecks, and loss of genetic diversity. Moose (Alces americanus americanus) in eastern North America have a complex history of drastic population changes. Current and potential threats to moose populations in this region could be exacerbated by loss of genetic diversity and connectivity among subpopulations. Existing genetic diversity, gene flow, and population clustering and fragmentation of eastern North American moose are not well quantified, while physical and anthropogenic barriers to population connectivity already exist. Here, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of 507 moose spanning five northeastern U.S. states and one southeastern Canadian province indicated low diversity, with a high proportion of the genomes sharing identity-by-state, with no consistent evidence of non-random mating. Gene flow estimates indicated bidirectionality between all pairs of sampled areas, with magnitudes reflecting clustering and differentiation patterns. A Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components analysis indicated that these genotypic data were best described with four clusters and indicated connectivity across the Saint Lawrence River and Seaway, a potential physical barrier to gene flow. Tests for genetic differentiation indicated restricted gene flow between populations across the Saint Lawrence River and Seaway, and between many sampled areas facing expanding human activity. These results document current genetic variation and connectivity of moose populations in eastern North America, highlight potential challenges to current population connectivity, and identify areas for future research and conservation.
Assessing the Feasibility of a Peer Education Project to Improve Mental Health Literacy in Adolescents in the UK
Authors: Russell Abigail Emma , Curtin Esther , Widnall Emily , Dodd Steven , Limmer Mark , Simmonds Ruth , Kidger Judi
Published: January 2023

Many mental health problems begin in adolescence and occur on a spectrum of severity: early recognition and intervention is important. This study is a quantitative feasibility study of the Mental Health Foundation’s Peer Education Project (PEP). Attrition, psychometric properties of questionnaires, indications of improvement on a range of outcomes, and sample size required for a powered trial of effectiveness were assessed. 203 students completed the survey both pre and post-intervention. It was found that existing previously-validated measures had good psychometric properties, with two new questionnaires demonstrating reasonable reliability (self-help confidence alpha = 0.78, mental health knowledge alpha = 0.59). There were indications of improvement in help-seeking intentions, the number of sources likely to seek help from, and mental health knowledge from pre- to post-intervention. A future trial of PEP with a sample of approximately 36 schools, researcher-led data collections, and help-seeking intentions or sources as a primary outcome appears to be feasible.
Bending and Stretching in a Narrow Ribbon of Nematic Polymer Networks
Authors: Singh Harmeet , Virga Epifanio G.
Published: January 2023

We study the spontaneous out-of-plane bending of a planar untwisted ribbon composed of nematic polymer networks activated by a change in temperature. Our theory accounts for both stretching and bending energies, which compete to establish equilibrium. We show that when equilibrium is attained these energy components obey acomplementarityrelation: one is maximum where the other is minimum. Moreover, we identify ableachingregime: for sufficiently large values of an activation parameter (which measures the mismatch between the degrees of order in polymer organization in the reference and current configurations), the ribbon’s deformation is essentially independent of its thickness.
Do academic inventors have diverse interests?
Authors: Xu Shuo , Li Ling , An Xin
Published: January 2023

Academic inventors bridge science and technology, and have attracted increasing attention. However, little is known about whether they have more diverse research interests than researchers with a single role, and whether their important position for science–technology interactions correlates with their diverse interests. For this purpose, we describe a rule-based approach for matching and identifying academic inventors, and an author interest discovery model with credit allocation schemes is utilized to measure the diversity of each researcher’s interests. Finally, extensive empirical results on the DrugBank dataset provide several valuable insights. Contrary to our intuitive expectation, the research interests of academic inventors are the least diverse, while those of authors are the most. In addition, the important position of the researchers has a certain relation with the diversity of research interests. More specifically, the degree of centrality has a significant positive correlation with the diversity of interests, and the constraint presents a significant negative correlation. A significant weaker negative correlation can also be observed between the diversity of research interests of academic inventors and their closeness centrality. The normalized betweenness centrality seems be independent from interest diversity. These conclusions help understand the mechanisms of the important position of academic inventors for science–technology interactions, from the perspective of research interests.
Gender Gaps in Working Conditions
Authors: Antón José-Ignacio , Grande Rafael , Muñoz de Bustillo Rafael , Pinto Fernando
Published: January 2023

The evolution of the gender pay gap has received a great deal of attention from academia and public opinion alike, yet our understanding of the differences in non-monetary working conditions is much scarcer. Through the use of the European Working Conditions Survey and six composite indicators of job quality, this research aims to expand our knowledge on the gender gaps in job attributes across the European Union over the period 2005–2015 in three ways: firstly, we explore gender differences in working conditions, revealing the distinct patterns identified by the dimensions of job quality and country; secondly, we find that, on average, women’s relative position deteriorates in terms of the physical environment and working time quality; a result that again reflects considerable heterogeneity across the countries in the sample. Lastly, we find clear evidence of a catch-up process in job quality in all the non-monetary dimensions of working conditions across the European Union.
Systems Approach to Polarization Calibration for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST)
Authors: Harrington David M. , Sueoka Stacey R. , Schad Thomas A. , Beck Christian , Eigenbrot Arthur D. , de Wijn Alfred G. , Casini Roberto , White Amanda J. , Jaeggli Sarah A.
Published: January 2023

The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) advances studies of solar magnetism through high-precision and accuracy in polarimetry at frontier spatial and temporal scales. A system model for polarization response in azimuth and altitude has been developed to calibrate DKIST instruments. The DKIST team has developed several new modeling and performance-estimation techniques coupled with thorough metrology. These efforts ensure that quality polarimetry is delivered to meet stringent accuracy requirements. A custom spectropolarimetric calibration system was designed, installed, and used to perform end-to-end calibration of the telescope using the beam within the Cryo-NIRSP instrument. Extensive optical and polarization characterization efforts allow for the reduction of systematic errors within a detailed system model that includes elliptical calibration retarders. Coating witness samples for every relevant optic in the system have been measured. Aperture-dependent variations in polarizer, retarder, and optic-coating performance have been measured and used to simulate both the polarization dependence on field angle and errors within the optical-system model. Multiple observations on-Sun and with a calibration lamp agree well with each other and with the system model. Upcoming multi-instrument observations are expected to be well calibrated with detailed understanding of major error limitations.
Dynamic Curriculum Learning for Great Ape Detection in the Wild
Authors: Yang Xinyu , Burghardt Tilo , Mirmehdi Majid
Published: January 2023

We propose a novel end-to-end curriculum learning approach for sparsely labelled animal datasets leveraging large volumes of unlabelled data to improve supervised species detectors. We exemplify the method in detail on the task of finding great apes in camera trap footage taken in challenging real-world jungle environments. In contrast to previous semi-supervised methods, our approach adjusts learning parameters dynamically over time and gradually improves detection quality by steering training towards virtuous self-reinforcement. To achieve this, we propose integrating pseudo-labelling with curriculum learning policies and show how learning collapse can be avoided. We discuss theoretical arguments, ablations, and significant performance improvements against various state-of-the-art systems when evaluating on the Extended PanAfrican Dataset holding approx. 1.8M frames. We also demonstrate our method can outperform supervised baselines with significant margins on sparse label versions of other animal datasets such as Bees and Snapshot Serengeti. We note that performance advantages are strongest for smaller labelled ratios common in ecological applications. Finally, we show that our approach achieves competitive benchmarks for generic object detection in MS-COCO and PASCAL-VOC indicating wider applicability of the dynamic learning concepts introduced. We publish all relevant source code, network weights, and data access details for full reproducibility.
An automatic unsupervised complex event processing rules generation architecture for real-time IoT attacks detection
Authors: Roldán-Gómez José , Martínez del Rincon Jesús , Boubeta-Puig Juan , Martínez José Luis
Published: January 2023

In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has grown rapidly, as has the number of attacks against it. Certain limitations of the paradigm, such as reduced processing capacity and limited main and secondary memory, make it necessary to develop new methods for detecting attacks in real time as it is difficulty to adapt as has the techniques used in other paradigms. In this paper, we propose an architecture capable of generating complex event processing (CEP) rules for real-time attack detection in an automatic and completely unsupervised manner. To this end, CEP technology, which makes it possible to analyze and correlate a large amount of data in real time and can be deployed in IoT environments, is integrated with principal component analysis (PCA), Gaussian mixture models (GMM) and the Mahalanobis distance. This architecture has been tested in two different experiments that simulate real attack scenarios in an IoT network. The results show that the rules generated achieved an F1 score of .9890 in detecting six different IoT attacks in real time.
Beyond conventional corporate responses to climate change towards deep decarbonization: a systematic literature review
Authors: Johnson Matthew P. , Rötzel Theresa S. , Frank Brigitte
Published: January 2023

Over the past 20 years, the literature on corporate responses to climate change has offered a vast array of theoretical and practical insights into organizational efforts to reduce business-related carbon emissions. However, it remains unclear whether these efforts will result in significant reductions of carbon emissions. Presently, it becomes crucial to understand, if, why, and how companies can effectively respond to the current challenges of deep decarbonization, defined as the process of emission reduction down to, or close to, zero to limit global warming. By means of a systematic literature review with 370 identified papers, we are able to categorize the main findings of the literature according to the four most common areas of investigation, including drivers, actions, barriers, and facilitators. Additionally, we conduct a comparative analysis of the literature along these four areas of investigation according to two categories: conventional responses and deep decarbonization responses. The results show that the literature on conventional responses to climate change (n = 321) extensively covers all four areas of investigation; however, it only touches on the descriptive (i.e., ‘what’) aspects of decarbonization. The recent and emerging literature on deep decarbonization responses (n = 49) provides novel insights on the prescriptive (i.e., ‘why’ and ‘how’) aspects of deep decarbonization. However, this literature is restricted to mostly regional and industrial foci, and it does not connect drivers, barriers, and facilitators in a systematic way. Thus, we highlight key implications for future research and practice in order to effectively address corporate deep decarbonization.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) on waste management options for derelict fishing gear
Authors: Schneider Falk , Parsons Sophie , Clift Sally , Stolte Andrea , Krüger Michael , McManus Marcelle
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Derelict fishing gear (DFG) is one of the most abundant and harmful types of marine litter that gets increasingly retrieved from the ocean. However, for this novel waste stream recycling and recovery pathways are not yet commonly established. To identify the most suitable waste management system, this study assesses the potential environmental impacts of DFG waste treatment options in Europe.

Methods

This study applies an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) to four DFG waste treatment scenarios, namely a mechanical recycling, syngas production, energy recovery and landfill disposal. The scope spans from the retrieval and transport processes to pre- and end-treatment steps until the outputs are sent to landfill or assumed to substitute products or energy. Primary data was collected from retrieval and waste treatment trials in Europe. Contribution, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were conducted using the LCA software SimaPro and ReCiPe as the impact methodology.

Results and discussion

The results show that the mechanical recycling and energy recovery achieve the lowest potential environmental impacts. The syngas production and landfill disposal scenario are not environmentally competitive because they require too much electricity, or their avoided production credits were too small to offset their emissions. Unlike the pre-treatment and transport processes, the retrieval and end-treatment processes have a significant impact on the overall results. The transport distances, energy mix and market and technological assumptions are least sensitive, while changes to the waste composition significantly affect the results. Especially a reduced lead content benefits the human toxicity impact potential of the landfill disposal scenario. The uncertainty analysis showed that the results are very robust in nine of twelve impact categories.

Conclusions

This is the first LCA study that compares waste treatment options for marine litter. The results indicate that a disposal of DFG is hazardous and should be replaced with mechanical recycling or energy recovery. While this may be technologically possible and environmentally beneficial, economic and social factors should also be considered before a final decision is made. To further reduce environmental impacts, marine litter prevention should play a more important role.

Graphical abstract
The effect of polypropylene fiber on the curing time of class G oil well cement and its mechanical, petrophysical, and elastic properties
Authors: Ahmed Abdulmalek , Mahmoud Ahmed Abdulhamid , Elkatatny Salaheldin
Published: January 2023

The cement paste is subjected to various loads throughout a well’s life, which may compromise some of its essential characteristics and impair its performance. When the cement paste is first being formed and the cement’s characteristics have not yet fully matured, these loadings take on greater importance. In this study, the early properties of cement used in oil wells that contains polypropylene fiber are assessed. Five different curing times were used to prepare ten cement samples (6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h). Five samples contained polypropylene fiber, while the remaining five samples were without polypropylene fibers. After the samples were prepared, the examination of several early cement properties took place. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to describe each sample in order to determine how the curing times affected the cement’s porosity. The findings demonstrated that both cement systems’ compressive and tensile strengths increased with curing time, and that adding polypropylene fiber enhanced the cement’s strength. The porosity and permeability of the cement specimens were significantly reduced with the incorporation of polypropylene fibers, as well as with time during the curing process for both cement samples. The reduction of Young’s modulus and the increase in Poisson’s ratio show that the addition of polypropylene fibers also makes the cement more elastic. To express variations in porosity as well as compressive and tensile strengths, logarithmic relationships were constructed. While the Poisson’s ratio, Young’s modulus, density variations, and permeability were precisely modeled by power-law equations.
Comparative analysis between traditional and emerging technologies: economic and viability evaluation in a real case scenario
Authors: Pinho Correia Valério Bernardo Catarina , Marques Lameirinhas Ricardo A. , Neto Torres João Paulo , Baptista António
Published: January 2023

This research work aims to study photovoltaic systems that generate energy for self-consumption using different traditional technologies, such as silicon, and emerging technologies, like nanowires and quantum. The photovoltaic system without batteries was implemented in a residential property in three different places, in Portugal. According to Portuguese Law, the sale of surplus energy to the grid is possible but the respective value for its selling is not defined. To evaluate the project viability, two different analyses are considered: with and without the sale of surplus energy to the grid. Results show that if there is no sale of excess energy produced to the grid, the project is not economically viable considering the four different technologies. Otherwise, using traditional technologies, the project is economically viable, presenting a payback time lower than 10 years. This shows that the introduction of nanostructures in solar cells is not yet a good solution in the application of solar systems namely with the current law. Furthermore, independently of the used technology, the current Portuguese law seems to difficult the investment return, which should not be the way to encourage the use of renewable sources.
On $$\sigma $$-Solubility Criteria for Finite Groups
Authors: Ballester-Bolinches A. , Kamornikov S. F. , Pérez-Calabuig V. , Tyutyanov V. N.
Published: January 2023

In this paper, the structure of finite groups in which maximal subgroups of some Sylow subgroups have a $$\sigma $$
σ
-soluble or $$\sigma $$
σ
-nilpotent supplement, where $$\sigma $$
σ
is a partition of the set of all prime numbers, is investigated. Some solubility, $$\sigma $$
σ
-solubility and $$\sigma $$
σ
-nilpotency criteria leading to some significant improvements of earlier results are given.
Wollen und können ältere Beschäftigte länger erwerbstätig bleiben, wenn sich ihre Arbeit verbessert?
Authors: Garthe Nina , Hasselhorn Hans Martin
Published: January 2023

Hintergrund

Im Kontext politischer Bemühungen, ältere Beschäftigte in Deutschland länger im Erwerbsleben zu halten, wird untersucht, wie lange diese noch erwerbstätig sein wollen und können und wie sich tatsächliche Veränderungen von Arbeitsbedingungen auf ihre Erwerbsperspektive auswirken.

Methodik

Datengrundlage der Analysen sind die zweite (2014) und dritte (2018) Welle der lidA-Studie, welche repräsentativ für sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigte der Geburtsjahrgänge 1959 und 1965 in Deutschland ist. In deskriptiven Quer- und Längsschnittanalysen werden die Veränderungen von den vier Arbeitsfaktoren schwere körperliche Arbeit, das Arbeiten im Schichtdienst, die Anerkennung von Leistungen und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten im Zusammenhang mit der Veränderung der Erwerbsperspektive („Bis zu welchem Alter wollen bzw. können Sie erwerbstätig bleiben?“) untersucht.

Ergebnisse

Ältere Beschäftigte in Deutschland wollen deutlich früher aus dem Erwerbsleben aussteigen als sie – den eigenen Einschätzungen nach – noch erwerbstätig sein könnten – Männer dabei länger als Frauen, und ältere Beschäftigte länger als jüngere. Im Längsschnitt zeigt sich, dass sich sowohl das Wollen als auch das Können bei vielen älteren Beschäftigten mit der Annäherung an die Regelaltersgrenze verlängern. Zudem gehen Verbesserungen von Arbeitsbedingungen meist mit einer Verlängerung der Erwerbsperspektive einher.

Diskussion

Die Ergebnisse offenbaren unterschiedliche Muster, jeweils unterschiedlich in Bezug auf die untersuchten Arbeitsfaktoren, das Wollen und Können sowie das Geschlecht. Die Geschlechtsunterschiede können zum Teil durch die geschlechtstypisch unterschiedlichen Berufe der betroffenen Gruppen erklärt werden. Wenn Entlastungen im höheren Erwerbsalter mit einer Verlängerung der Erwerbsperspektive assoziiert sind, könnte dies auf freigelegte Ressourcen bei den Beschäftigten hinweisen. Dort, wo Entlastungen nicht mit einer Verlängerung der Erwerbsperspektive einhergehen, deutet dies darauf, dass sie eine dringend überfällige Entlastungsmaßnahme darstellen.
Inequality and Elections in Italy, 1994–2018
Authors: Bloise Francesco , Chironi Daniela , della Porta Donatella , Pianta Mario
Published: January 2023

The increase in income and wealth inequality in Italy is well documented, but less attention has been devoted to its association with social and political outcomes. This article investigates the association between inequality and several variables on socio-economic conditions with the evolution of Italian politics over the 1994–2018 period. Voting in Italy’s regions for the centre-left and centre-right coalitions—with a focus on the Lega—is examined in seven rounds of general elections, before and after the 2008 crisis, which emerges as a key divide in these relationships. The centre-left vote is higher in the regions with an increase in mean wealth and employment rates and shows a reversal after 2008 in the support of part time employees. The centre-right vote is associated with impoverished middle classes and an increase in disparities of Southern regions. The associations shown by Lega voting are distinct from those of other centre-right forces. While political and cultural factors are important to understand political changes, our findings show that a more unequal and distressed society is clearly associated with changes in electoral behaviour.
A Systematic Review of Qualitative Research Focusing on Emotional Distress Among Adolescents: Perceived Cause and Help-Seeking
Authors: O‘Neill Alisha , Humphrey Neil , Stapley Emily
Published: January 2023

Causal attributions and help-seeking is not well explored among adolescents, despite evidence of perceived causes for difficulties influencing how adults engage with treatment and seek help. This study reviewed extant literature to understand what adolescents at increased risk of developing mental health difficulties and those with clinically significant symptoms perceive to be the cause of emotional distress; to determine the extent to which perceived cause influences help-seeking; and to identify potential differences/commonalities between these groups. A systematic review and qualitative thematic synthesis were conducted. 3,691 articles were identified, 18 were eligible to be included and were synthesized using thematic synthesis. Six main themes related to perceived cause are reported. Three of those themes were shared between the clinical and at-risk groups: (1) challenging social factors and perceived difference, (2) problematic family dynamics, and (3) cause is complex and multifaceted. Three themes were not: (4) unfairness and perceived lack of agency and (5) concern for self and others, were exclusive to the at-risk group, and (6) coping with a mental health difficulty was exclusive to the clinical group. Four main themes related to causal attributions and help-seeking were found, including: (1) cause and implications for self-preservation; (2) the degree of personal and wider knowledge and understanding of cause; (3) perceived extent of control in managing cause; and (4) cause having potential to affect others. The findings of this review demonstrate that perceived cause for emotional distress plays a role in help-seeking among adolescent groups and highlights likely differences in how adolescents at-risk of mental health difficulties and those with clinically significant symptoms attribute cause for their difficulties and subsequently seek help. This has important implications for how to support young people experiencing or at risk of mental health difficulties and presents a strong case for pursuing more research in this area.
Topology optimization for the design of a 3D-printed rotating shaft balance
Authors: Noordman Bram , Ton Yoeri , van den Toorn Jort , de Smit Marc , Haagsma Ralph , Koenis Tim , van den Brink Wouter
Published: January 2023

Rotating shaft balances (RSBs) are devices that are used to measure rotor blade forces and moments of wind tunnel models during wind tunnel tests. The design of an RSB can be challenging, because it has to comply with many and sometimes contradicting requirements such as high stiffness and high strain gauge bridge outputs. The manufacturing of a conventional RSB consists of different subsequent steps, which can be time consuming, expensive and associated with many risks. Therefore, in this work, the authors investigate if a RSB can be designed by topology optimization and manufactured by 3D printing. A topology optimization method was developed with as design objective the minimization of strain energy with constraints for the volume of the RSB’s midsection, defined stresses at strain gauge locations used for the measurement of axial force and torque and an overhang constraint for additive manufacturing. The optimal preliminary design found by topology optimization was translated into a final printable design with the highest bridge sensitivity for axial force and torque, sufficient output for in-plane forces and moments and an acceptable safety factor on strength for combined loads. After adding extra supports required for printing, the RSB was successfully printed in metal by the laser powder bed fusion process, resulting in a product without external defects. The same topology optimization and manufacturing method can potentially be used for other balance types, leading to a reduction in total lead time and manufacturing costs while increasing the design freedom.
Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in Tuberculosis Patients: a Cross-Sectional Study Using the EuroQoL EQ-5D-3L Scale
Authors: Amer Muhammad , Akhlaq Muhammad , Rafique Maryam , Fatima Seerat , Shafqat Iqra , Abbasi Aasiya Haqiq , Naqvi Syeda Urooj , Pokhrel Ashmita , Fatima Anam , Ahmed Ali
Published: January 2023

The measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients is important since TB significantly affects the patient’s health and sufferings worldwide. HRQoL indicates the consciousness of patients regarding their physical and mental health. It is, therefore, very relevant in comprehending and measuring the exact impact of the disease state. The current study assessed the HRQoL of TB patients and the correlation between the EQ-5D index score and visual analogue scale (VAS) score. A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in February–March, 2022, at Rawalpindi Leprosy Hospital. A total of 400 patients with TB were included in the study. HRQoL was measured by using a validated Urdu version of EuroQol 5 dimensions 3 level (EQ-5D-3L) and visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). The overall mean score of EQ-5D and the visual analogue scale (VAS) score were (0.56 ± 0.43) and (65.56 ± 17.02), respectively. The correlation coefficient of r = 0.521 between VAS and EQ-5D indicates that our results are statistically significant. Multivariate linear regression analysis implied that gender and education have a significant impact on the patient quality of life. The current study indicated that tuberculosis negatively affects the mental health, social function, and emotional aspects of the patient’s quality of life. The HRQoL data from this study could be used to design future interventions and help prescribers to gain insight into the factors in which patient’s health-related quality of life can be improved.
Disruption, Slowness, and Collective Effervescence: Children’s Perspectives on COVID-19 Lockdowns
Authors: Fattore Tobia , Drake Gabrielle , Falloon Jan , Mason Jan , Mogensen Lise
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic represented not only a health crisis, but a social crisis for children, one that has disrupted notions of what a good childhood is. However, the longer-term implications of the pandemic are still to be seen, for children, their families and communities. This article is concerned with what these ongoing changes may be, based on a qualitative multi-stage study that asks children about their experiences of well-being before the pandemic, during lockdowns and post-COVID-19 lockdowns. This included asking seven children in online semi-structured interviews about what aspects of life brought on by COVID-19 restrictions they would like to see continue post-lockdown. We outline some of our findings. We describe new rituals and ways of organising time developed by children, facilitated by the use of digital technologies. We describe these new ways of managing time as task-based rather than rule-based, with children experiencing slowness of and greater control over their time. We found that lockdowns provided a possibility for children to assert a public agency through banal acts of sociability, for example, by conforming to public health measures such as mask-wearing and hand-washing. Whilst small acts, children discussed these in terms of being moral agents (protecting the safety of others) and as part of a larger civic attitude they observed around them. Thus, their acts can be seen as expressions of larger forms of social solidarity that contributed to a sense of collective effervescence.
Recent advances in understanding of the epigenetic regulation of plant regeneration
Authors: Liu Xuemei , Zhu Kehui , Xiao Jun
Published: January 2023

Ever since the concept of “plant cell totipotency” was first proposed in the early twentieth century, plant regeneration has been a major focus of study. Regeneration-mediated organogenesis and genetic transformation are important topics in both basic research and modern agriculture. Recent studies in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and other species have expanded our understanding of the molecular regulation of plant regeneration. The hierarchy of transcriptional regulation driven by phytohormone signaling during regeneration is associated with changes in chromatin dynamics and DNA methylation. Here, we summarize how various aspects of epigenetic regulation, including histone modifications and variants, chromatin accessibility dynamics, DNA methylation, and microRNAs, modulate plant regeneration. As the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation are conserved in many plants, research in this field has potential applications in boosting crop breeding, especially if coupled with emerging single-cell omics technologies.
Fostering the Circular Economy with Blockchain Technology: Insights from a Bibliometric Approach
Authors: Corsini Filippo , Gusmerotti Natalia Marzia , Frey Marco
Published: January 2023

The circular economy is an emerging paradigm with important economic, environmental, and societal implications. As the world faces such paradigm shifts, new and radical technologies are urgently needed to enable it; blockchain technology can assist to accomplish the aforementioned circular economy shift given its decentralization and distributiveness principles as well as its smart contract capability. This study represents one of the first attempts to analyze those academic research domains together adopting a science mapping technique. By adopting such approach, the study envisages research challenges, highlights important research gaps, and proposes future paths in the blockchain and circular economy fields. Among the others, key findings show that blockchain technology as a tool for promoting the circular economy has been extensively researched at the micro (i.e., firm) and meso levels (i.e., supply chain) more effort on how blockchain can support the development of circular smart cites and measurement tools for providing information to stakeholders and assisting in policy creation expresses the greatest potential in terms of novel research. Moreover, the research suggests that another possible stream of research might be dealing on how blockchain together with physical technologies (e.g., 3D printing, RFID), can support the transition towards the circular economy.
Evil and Theodicy
Authors: Ekstrom Laura W.
Published: January 2023

Suffering is ubiquitous. Quests to make sense of it in relation to the existence of God – and to find meaning in our lives in the face of it – are significant aspects of the human experience. Evil and Theodicy motivates the project of theodicy by examining arguments rooted in evil against God's existence and by critically assessing the response of skeptical theism. Ekstrom explores eight different lines of theodicy. She argues that, even if the prospects for theodicy are dim with respect to defending the rationality of theistic belief in light of suffering, nonetheless, work in theodicies is practically useful.
The Meaning of Democracy in Southeast Asia
Authors: Fossati Diego , i Coma Ferran Martinez
Published: January 2023

This Element contributes to existing research with an analysis of public understandings of democracy based on original surveys fielded in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. It conceptualises democracy as consisting of liberal, egalitarian and participatory ideals, and investigates the structure of public understandings of democracy in the five countries. It then proceeds to identify important relationships between conceptions of democracy and other attitudes, such as satisfaction with democracy, support for democracy, trust in institutions, policy preferences and political behaviour. The findings suggest that a comprehensive analysis of understandings of democracy is essential to understand political attitudes and behaviours.
Reorganizing the Escudo Zone: Portuguese Monetary Policy and Empire-Union in Africa in the 1960s
Authors: Mata Maria Eugénia
Published: January 2023

In the 1960s, the escudo zone, comprising Portugal and its African colonies, countered the trend of European decolonization. The Portuguese state reorganized monetary relations in the empire-state with the help of a new legal framework. The aim of this imperial economic reorganization was to establish a balance of payment relations which was expected to facilitate Portugal’s economic modernization and the country’s association with liberalizing economies in Western Europe that were experiencing rapid economic growth. However, the escudo zone soon became dysfunctional. Mata explains why the designs of economy building in a Portuguese empire-state could not be realized, given the trend toward independent political and economic development in Lusophone Africa.
Projected sea-level contributions from tidewater glaciers are highly sensitive to chosen bedrock topography: a case study at Hansbreen, Svalbard
Authors: Möller Marco , Navarro Francisco , Huss Matthias , Marzeion Ben
Published: January 2023

Calculation of the calving loss of tidewater glaciers depends on accurate bedrock information. In regional to global-scale projections of future tidewater glacier evolution this dependence is problematic. Bedrock topographies are often unknown and can only be modelled from surface properties. Existing approaches, however, mostly underestimate the ice thickness towards the calving fronts of marine-terminating glaciers. This implies a compromised performance of global-scale projection models which often employ functions of water depth at the calving fronts of tidewater glaciers. Here, we present a sensitivity study that analyses the impact of five different bedrock datasets on projected mass losses from the tidewater glacier Hansbreen in southern Svalbard. Our modelling study calculates the glacier's response to artificial mass-balance forcing. We show that bedrock inaccuracies may lead to a substantially deviating retreat behaviour. The common underestimation of frontal ice thickness/water depth in the modelled bedrock datasets induces an underestimation of sea level-relevant mass losses over the first several decades of modelling. The duration of this period is reduced when assuming warmer climates. Our results thus underline the importance of accurate bedrock topography data for the reliability of glacier evolution projections and for the accuracy of the temporal trajectories of related sea level-relevant mass losses.
Sympatric speciation driving evolution of Late Ordovician brachiopodZygospirain eastern North America
Authors: Sproat Colin D. , McLeod Jessica S.A.
Published: January 2023

The morphology ofZygospira, an early atrypide brachiopod, was analyzed using a multivariate approach. Principal component analysis and discriminant analysis clearly differentiated species as they are currently defined primarily based on differences in shell size and ornamentation but not in terms of overall shell shape. The olderZygospira modestawas able to persist into the late Katian (Richmondian) while smaller early species in other brachiopod lineages mostly went extinct. This may have been possible through niche partitioning because the smaller shells have been found attached to other filter feeders and no larger species have been found in these associations so far. This could represent a rare example of sympatric speciation preserved in the fossil record. In the future, detailed study of the spiralia and their associated structures may provide clues as to the ultimate evolutionary affinities of this group in relation to the other atrypide brachiopods evolving at this time.