bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk Analysis of Australia’s Victorian Dairy Farms Using Multivariate Copulae
Authors: Godfrey Sosheel Solomon , Ip Ryan H. L. , Nordblom Thomas Lee
Published: December 2021

The study provides comparative risk analyses of Australia’s three Victorian dairy regions. Historical data were used to identify business risk and financial viability. Multivariate distributions were fitted to the historical price, production, and input costs using copula models, capturing non-linear dependence among the variables. Monte Carlo simulation methods were then used to generate cash flows for a decade. Factors that influenced profitability the most were identified using sensitivity analysis. The dairies in the Northern region have faced water reductions, whereas those of Gippsland and South West have more positive indicators. Our analysis summarizes long-term risks and net farm profits by utilizing survey data in a probabilistic manner.
Arbitral Award of Oct. 3, 1899 (Guy. v. Venez.) (Decision on Jurisdiction) (I.C.J.)
Authors: Plant Brendan
Published: December 2021

On December 18, 2020, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down its decision on the jurisdiction of the Court in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela). By a 14–2 majority, the Court ruled that it has jurisdiction to decide certain elements of the application submitted unilaterally by Guyana against Venezuela, while it concluded unanimously that it lacks jurisdiction over other aspects of Guyana's application. Having established jurisdiction over certain elements of Guyana's application, the ICJ will now proceed to hear the merits of the claims.
Genealogies of “Verification”: Policing the Master–Servant Relationship in Colonial and Postcolonial India
Authors: Sinha Nitin
Published: December 2021

Police verification of domestic servants has become standard practice in many cities in contemporary India. However, the regularization of work, which brings domestic servants under protective labour laws, is still a work in progress. Examining a long timespan, this article shows how policing of the servant, through practices of identification and verification, came to be institutionalized. It looks at the history of registration within the larger mechanism of regulation that emerged for domestic servants in the late eighteenth century. However, the establishment of control over servants was not linear in its subsequent development; registration as a tool of control took on different meanings within the changing ecosystem of legal provisions. In the late eighteenth century, it was discussed as being directly embedded in the logic of master–servant regulation, a template that was borrowed from English law. In the late nineteenth century, it was increasingly seen as a proxy for formal means of regulation, although this viewpoint was not universally accepted. Charting this history of changing structures of inclusion and exclusion within the law, the article argues that overt policing of servants is a manifestation of the colonial legacy, in which the identity of the servant is fused with potential criminality.
The Active Ageing Index and policy making in Italy
Authors: Principi Andrea , Di Rosa Mirko , Domínguez-Rodríguez Antia , Varlamova Maria , Barbabella Francesco , Lamura Giovanni , Socci Marco
Published: December 2021

Although the active ageing concept generally has positive connotations, with expected benefits at the micro, meso and macro levels, the application of this concept in terms of policy making presents challenges and risks to be avoided (for instance, a predominantly productivist interpretation and a top-down imposition with limited possibilities for bottom-up exchanges; or a disregard for the risk of excluding older people with more disadvantaged backgrounds). Two crucial strategies to minimise risks are the implementation of policies by considering and respecting territorial diversity, and the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders in a participatory consultative and co-decisional approach. This paper entwines both strategies together by focusing on Italian in-country differences in terms of active ageing, and employing the Active Ageing Index for policy-making purposes. This activity is part of a governmental national pilot project aimed at promoting multilevel co-managed co-ordination of active ageing policies across Italy. The analysis identified five groups of regions that differ from the classical, geographic and socio-economic division between the North, Centre and South. Additional in-group analyses were conducted to investigate within-cluster differences. This study will inform a large multilevel stakeholder network for evidence-based policies and their monitoring at both the national and regional levels, in line with the perspective of mainstreaming ageing.
Early parental causal language input predicts children’s later causal verb understanding
Authors: AKTAN-ERCIYES Aslı , GÖKSUN Tilbe
Published: December 2021

How does parental causal input relate to children’s later comprehension of causal verbs? Causal constructions in verbs differ across languages. Turkish has both lexical and morphological causatives. We asked whether (1) parental causal language input varied for different types of play (guided vs. free play), (2) early parental causal language input predicted children’s causal verb understanding. Twenty-nine infants participated at three timepoints. Parents used lexical causatives more than morphological ones for guided-play for both timepoints, but for free-play, the same difference was only found at Time 2. For Time 3, children were tested on a verb comprehension and a vocabulary task. Morphological causative input, but not lexical causative input, during free-play predicted children’s causal verb comprehension. For guided-play, the same relation did not hold. Findings suggest a role of specific types of causal input on children’s understanding of causal verbs that are received in certain play contexts.
X-ray powder diffraction data for rivaroxaban, C19H18ClN3O5S
Authors: Shao Hua , Wang Zhen , Xie Shu , Liu Bin
Published: December 2021

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters, and space group for rivaroxaban, C19H18ClN3O5S, are reported [a = 9.010(3) Å, b = 10.986(6) Å, c = 11.230(1) Å, α = 63.439(5)°, β = 74.355(4)°, γ = 78.133(3)°, unit-cell volume V = 952.87 Å3, Z = 2, ρcal = 1.519 g cm−3, and space group P1]. All measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P1 space group. No detectable impurities were observed.
Pornographiekonsum in der Partnerschaft
Authors: Brun del Re Ursina , Hilpert Peter , Spahni Stefanie , Bodenmann Guy
Published: December 2021

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Um die Einflüsse des Pornographiekonsums auf die Partnerschaft zu verstehen, werden Daten zum Erleben des eigenen und partnerschaftlichen Konsums benötigt. Fragestellung: Diese Studie soll einen Überblick über Häufigkeit, Einstellung, Motivation und Konsequenzen des Pornographiekonsums bei heterosexuellen Paaren geben. Methode: In der Schweiz lebende 18- bis 60-jährige Männer und Frauen in einer mindestens einjährigen Beziehung ( N = 1’091) wurden anhand eines anonymen Online-Fragebogens befragt. Ergebnisse: Frauen konsumieren aufgrund geringeren Bedürfnisses weniger und seltener allein Pornographie als Männer. Männer konsumieren eher zum Spannungsabbau, aus Unzufriedenheit mit der gemeinsamen Sexualität, eher heimlich, mit schlechtem Gewissen und zum Missfallen ihrer Frauen. Frauen konsumieren mit gutem Gefühl und von ihren Männern befürwortet. Schlussfolgerungen: Geschlechtsunterschiede beim Pornographiekonsum in der Partnerschaft geben für ein gewisses Konfliktpotential Anlass. Bei entsprechender Beratung und positiverer Einstellung kann der Konsum durchaus positive Wirkung auf die gemeinsame Sexualität haben.
Wie ist die Lage in Einrichtungen für frühkindliche Regulationsstörungen in Deutschland?
Authors: Schnatschmidt Marisa , Cattarius Barbara , Schneider Barbara , Jud Andreas , Schlarb Angelika A.
Published: December 2021

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Frühkindliche Regulationsprobleme stehen in Verbindung mit Schlafproblemen und unsicherem Elternverhalten. Störungsspezifische Behandlungsansätze sind vielfältig und unterscheiden sich deutlich hinsichtlich Qualität und Evidenzgrad. Fragestellung: Häufigkeiten von Schlafproblemen, elterliche Unsicherheiten, therapeutisch / beraterische Grundorientierungen und Konzepte werden erfasst und Unterschiede zwischen Einrichtungsarten untersucht. Methode: Die Umfrage wurde mit interdisziplinären Experten entwickelt. Eine deutschlandweite Datenbank (622 Einrichtungen) mit einer finalen Stichprobe von N = 160 wurde erstellt. Ergebnisse: Schlafprobleme gelten als häufigster Anmeldegrund (59 %), unsicheres Erziehungsverhalten als mehrheitlich relevant (66 %). Über 16 Behandlungskonzepte werden angewandt; je nach Einrichtungsart eher systemische ( d = 0.5), körperorientierte ( d = 0.5) oder somatisch-medizinische ( d = 0.7) Verfahren. Schlussfolgerung: Die schlafspezifische Expertise der Fachkräfte sollte gesichert sowie Transparenz und Überprüfbarkeit von Qualitätsstandards weiterentwickelt werden.
Further Evidence for the Binding and Retrieval of Control-States From the Flanker Task
Authors: Dignath David , Kiesel Andrea
Published: December 2021

Abstract. In response-interference tasks, congruency effects are reduced in trials that follow an incongruent trial. This congruence sequence effect (CSE) has been taken to reflect top-down cognitive control processes that monitor for and intervene in case of conflict. In contrast, episodic-memory accounts explain CSEs with bottom-up retrieval of stimulus-response links. Reconciling these opposing views, an emerging perspective holds that memory stores instances of control – abstract control-states – creating a shortcut for effortful control processes. Support comes from a study that assessed CSEs in a prime-target task. Here, repeating an irrelevant context feature boosted CSEs, possibly by retrieving previously stored control-states. We present a conceptual replication using the Eriksen flanker task because previous research found that CSEs in the flanker task reflect different control mechanisms than CSEs in the prime-target task. We measured CSEs while controlling for stimulus–response memory effects and manipulated contextual information (vertical spatial location) independently from the stimulus information, which introduced the conflict (horizontal spatial location). Results replicate previous findings – CSEs increased for context-repetition compared to context-changes. This study shows that retrieval of control-states is not limited to a specific task or context feature and therefore generalizes the notion that abstract control parameters are stored into trial-specific event files.
Distant Formation and Differentiation of Outer Main Belt Asteroids and Carbonaceous Chondrite Parent Bodies
Authors: Kurokawa H. , Shibuya T. , Sekine Y. , Ehlmann B. L. , Usui F. , Kikuchi S. , Yoda M.
Published: December 2021

Volatile compositions of asteroids provide information on the Solar System history and the origins of Earth's volatiles. Visible to near‐infrared observations at wavelengths of <2.5 µm have suggested a genetic link between outer main belt asteroids located at 2.5–4 au and carbonaceous chondrite meteorites (CCs) that show isotopic similarities to volatile elements on Earth. However, recent longer wavelength data for large outer main belt asteroids show 3.1 μm absorption features of ammoniated phyllosilicates that are absent in CCs and cannot easily form from materials stable at those present distances. Here, by combining data collected by the AKARI space telescope and hydrological, geochemical, and spectral models of water‐rock reactions, we show that the surface materials of asteroids having 3.1 μm absorption features and CCs can originate from different regions of a single, water‐rock‐differentiated parent body. Ammoniated phyllosilicates form within the water‐rich mantles of the differentiated bodies containing NH3 and CO2 under high water‐rock ratios (>4) and low temperatures (<70°C). CCs can originate from the rock‐dominated cores, that are likely to be preferentially sampled as meteorites by disruption and transport processes. Our results suggest that multiple large main belt asteroids formed beyond the NH3 and CO2 snow lines (currently >10 au) and could be transported to their current locations. Earth's high hydrogen to carbon ratio may be explained by accretion of these water‐rich progenitors.
Tracking Pollution in the Breeze, with Trees
Authors: Scharping Nathaniel
Published: December 2021

New research outlines how pine needles offer a simple, low-cost means of assessing particulate matter pollution.
Low‐Latitude Zonal Ion Drifts and Their Relationship With Subauroral Polarization Streams and Auroral Return Flows During Intense Magnetic Storms
Authors: Huang Chao‐Song , Zhang Yongliang , Wang Wenbin , Lin Dong , Wu Qian
Published: December 2021

We analyze horizontal plasma drifts measured by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites during two intense magnetic storms. It is found, for the first time, that westward plasma flows associated with subauroral polarization streams (SAPS) in the dusk‐evening sector penetrate continuously to equatorial latitudes. The westward ion drifts between subauroral and equatorial latitudes occur nearly simultaneously. The latitudinal profile of the westward ion drifts at low latitudes (approximately within ±30° magnetic latitude [MLat]) is relatively flat, and the westward ion drifts at the magnetic equator reach 200–300 m s−1. In the dawn‐morning sector, eastward ion drifts at subauroral latitudes are also SAPS. The storm‐time dawnside auroral boundary moves to ∼±55° MLat, and the dawnside SAPS penetrate to ∼±20° MLat at 0930 local time. A dawnside SAPS flow channel appears to exist, although it is not as well defined as the duskside SAPS flow channel. Thermospheric wind data measured by the Challenging Minisatellite Payload satellite are analyzed, and zonal disturbance winds are derived. Disturbance winds can reach equatorial latitudes rapidly near midnight but are limited to ±40° geographic latitude or higher near noon. The effects of disturbance winds on the zonal ion drifts at middle and low latitudes are discussed. It is suggested that both the westward ion drifts at middle and low latitudes in the dusk‐evening sector and the eastward ion drifts at middle and lower latitudes in the dawn‐morning sector are caused primarily by penetration of the SAPS and auroral electric fields.
Hierarchical Exploration of Continuous Seismograms With Unsupervised Learning
Authors: Steinmann René , Seydoux Léonard , Beaucé Éric , Campillo Michel
Published: December 2021

Continuous seismograms contain a wealth of information with a large variety of signals with different origin. Identifying these signals is a crucial step in understanding physical geological objects. We propose a strategy to identify classes of signals in continuous single‐station seismograms in an unsupervised fashion. Our strategy relies on extracting meaningful waveform features based on a deep scattering network combined with an independent component analysis. Based on the extracted features, agglomerative clustering then groups these waveforms in a hierarchical fashion and reveals the process of clustering in a dendrogram. We use the dendrogram to explore the seismic data and identify different classes of signals. To test our strategy, we investigate a two‐day‐long seismogram collected in the vicinity of the North Anatolian Fault, Turkey. We analyze the automatically inferred clusters' occurrence rate, spectral characteristics, cluster size, and waveform and envelope characteristics. At a low level in the cluster hierarchy, we obtain three clusters related to anthropogenic and ambient seismic noise and one cluster related to earthquake activity. At a high level in the cluster hierarchy, we identify a seismic burst that includes around 200 events with similar waveforms and high‐frequent signals with correlating envelopes and an anthropogenic origin. The application shows that the cluster hierarchy helps to identify particular families of signals and to extract subclusters for further analysis. This is valuable when certain types of signals, such as earthquakes, are under‐represented in the data. The proposed method may also successfully discover new types of signals since it is entirely data‐driven.
Object‐Based Evaluation of Precipitation Systems in Convection‐Permitting Regional Climate Simulation Over Eastern China
Authors: Guo Ziyue , Tang Jianping , Tang Jie , Wang Shuguang , Yang Yubin , Luo Wei , Fang Juan
Published: December 2021

Based on an object‐based tracking (OT) algorithm, the precipitation systems in the convection‐permitting (CP, ∼4 km) regional climate model (RCM) are evaluated from the Lagrangian viewpoints. The characteristics of precipitation systems over eastern China during 1998–2007 derived from the CP RCM are compared with the satellite‐derived precipitation data set CMORPH. It is found that, with the cumulus parameterization switched off and reasonable representation of complex terrain, the precipitation systems in the CP RCM can propagate in the same direction as observation, but CP RCM tends to under‐/overpredict the precipitation systems with slow/fast propagation speed. Nevertheless, CP RCM can reasonably capture the average duration and eccentricity of all precipitation systems. The major deficiency in CP RCM is that the simulated precipitation systems are significantly weaker with larger coverage area. Over‐/underrepresentation of precipitation systems driven by large‐scale circulations/intense thunderstorms in CP RCM leads to wet and dry biases in the total precipitation of the longer‐duration (≥48 hr) and shorter‐duration (<48 hr) systems, respectively. It is suggested that assessment of the lifecycles of propagating precipitation systems in the Lagrangian framework is complementary to the traditional point‐to‐point Eulerian validation method.
Multi‐Instrument Investigation of the Impact of the Space Weather Events of 6–10 September 2017
Authors: Amaechi Paul O. , Akala Andrew O. , Oyedokun Johnson O. , Simi K. G. , Aghogho O. , Oyeyemi Elijah O.
Published: December 2021

We analyzed the space weather events of 6–10 September 2017 using the multi‐instrument approach. We focused on the four X‐class flares which emanated from the Active Region AR 12673 and the Ground Induced Currents hazard associated with the geomagnetic storm of 7–8 September 2017. The flare effect on the equatorial electrojet (EEJ) recorded on board the SWARM satellite and on the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field (H) records of ground‐based magnetometers was further examined. During the X2.2/X1.3 flares of 6/7 September, the maximum percentage Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) increase was 6.9%/5.0% in Dakar/Porto Velho. During the X9.3/X8.2 flare of 6/10 September it was 7.9%/18.8% in Ascension Island/Kourou. The strongest Solar Flare Effect occurred in Mbour and Kourou during the respective flare. However, the highest EEJ increase was observed during the X2.2 and X9.3 flares. Interestingly, the X.9.3 flare resulted in a stronger ionospheric response than the X8.2 flare. Furthermore, global TEC map showed a higher response in the African and South American longitude during the respective event. The total radio fade‐out lasted from 30 to 90 min at the Hermanus and Sao Luis ionosondes during the flares, while the risk level to critical ground infrastructures based on the geomagnetically induced currents hazard was very low risk. Our results highlight the potential GPS positioning errors induced by sudden increase in TEC and the loss of high‐frequency communication and GNSS navigation signals associated with these solar events.
Systematic review of centrifugal valving based on digital twin modeling towards highly integrated lab-on-a-disc systems
Authors: Ducrée Jens
Published: December 2021

Current, application-driven trends towards larger-scale integration (LSI) of microfluidic systems for comprehensive assay automation and multiplexing pose significant technological and economical challenges to developers. By virtue of their intrinsic capability for powerful sample preparation, centrifugal systems have attracted significant interest in academia and business since the early 1990s. This review models common, rotationally controlled valving schemes at the heart of such “Lab-on-a-Disc” (LoaD) platforms to predict critical spin rates and reliability of flow control which mainly depend on geometries, location and liquid volumes to be processed, and their experimental tolerances. In absence of larger-scale manufacturing facilities during product development, the method presented here facilitates efficient simulation tools for virtual prototyping and characterization and algorithmic design optimization according to key performance metrics. This virtual in silico approach thus significantly accelerates, de-risks and lowers costs along the critical advancement from idea, layout, fluidic testing, bioanalytical validation, and scale-up to commercial mass manufacture.
Effects of comorbid disorders on reward processing and connectivity in adults with ADHD
Authors: Grimm Oliver , van Rooij Daan , Tshagharyan Asya , Yildiz Dilek , Leonards Jan , Elgohary Ahmed , Buitelaar Jan , Reif Andreas
Published: December 2021

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a long trajectory into adulthood where it is often comorbid with depression, substance use disorder (SUD) or obesity. Previous studies described a dysregulated dopaminergic system, reflected by abnormal reward processing, both in ADHD as well as in depression, SUD or obesity. No study so far however tested systematically whether pathologies in the brain’s reward system explain the frequent comorbidity in adult ADHD. To test this, we acquired MRI scans from 137 participants probing the reward system by a monetary incentive delay task (MIDT) as well as assessing resting-state connectivity with ventral striatum as a seed mask. No differences were found between comorbid disorders, but a significant linear effect pointed toward less left intrastriatal connectivity in patients depending on the number of comorbidities. This points towards a neurobiologically impaired reward- and decision-making ability in patients with more comorbid disorders. This suggests that less intrastriatal connectivity parallels disorder severity but not disorder specificity, while MIDT abnormalities seem mainly to be driven by ADHD.
Hybrid light-matter networks of Majorana zero modes
Authors: Contamin L. C. , Delbecq M. R. , Douçot B. , Cottet A. , Kontos T.
Published: December 2021

Topological excitations, such as Majorana zero modes, are a promising route for encoding quantum information. Topologically protected gates of Majorana qubits, based on their braiding, will require some form of network. Here, we propose to build such a network by entangling Majorana matter with light in a microwave cavity QED set-up. Our scheme exploits a light-induced interaction which is universal to all the Majorana nanoscale circuit platforms. This effect stems from a parametric drive of the light-matter coupling in a one-dimensional chain of physical Majorana modes. Our set-up enables all the basic operations needed in a Majorana quantum computing platform such as fusing, braiding, the crucial T-gate, the read-out, and importantly, the stabilization or correction of the physical Majorana modes.
Dominance of the residential sector in Chinese black carbon emissions as identified from downwind atmospheric observations during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Kanaya Yugo , Yamaji Kazuyo , Miyakawa Takuma , Taketani Fumikazu , Zhu Chunmao , Choi Yongjoo , Ikeda Kohei , Tanimoto Hiroshi , Yamada Daichi , Narita Daiju , Kondo Yutaka , Klimont Zbigniew
Published: December 2021

Emissions of black carbon (BC) particles from anthropogenic and natural sources contribute to climate change and human health impacts. Therefore, they need to be accurately quantified to develop an effective mitigation strategy. Although the spread of the emission flux estimates for China have recently narrowed under the constraints of atmospheric observations, consensus has not been reached regarding the dominant emission sector. Here, we quantified the contribution of the residential sector, as 64% (44–82%) in 2019, using the response of the observed atmospheric concentration in the outflowing air during Feb–Mar 2020, with the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic and restricted human activities over China. In detail, the BC emission fluxes, estimated after removing effects from meteorological variability, dropped only slightly (− 18%) during Feb–Mar 2020 from the levels in the previous year for selected air masses of Chinese origin, suggesting the contributions from the transport and industry sectors (36%) were smaller than the rest from the residential sector (64%). Carbon monoxide (CO) behaved differently, with larger emission reductions (− 35%) in the period Feb–Mar 2020, suggesting dominance of non-residential (i.e., transport and industry) sectors, which contributed 70% (48–100%) emission during 2019. The estimated BC/CO emission ratio for these sectors will help to further constrain bottom-up emission inventories. We comprehensively provide a clear scientific evidence supporting mitigation policies targeting reduction in residential BC emissions from China by demonstrating the economic feasibility using marginal abatement cost curves.
DCE-MRI of esophageal carcinoma using star-VIBE compared with conventional 3D-VIBE
Authors: Deng He-Ping , Li Xue-Ming , Yang Liu , Wang Yi , Wang Shao-Yu , Zhou Peng , Lu Yu-Jie , Ren Jin , Wang Min
Published: December 2021

To investigate the value of the star-VIBE sequence in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of esophageal carcinoma under free breathing conditions. From February 2019 to June 2020, 60 patients with esophageal carcinoma were prospectively enrolled to undergo dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) with the K-space golden-angle radial stack-of-star acquisition scheme (star-VIBE) sequence (Group A) or conventional 3D volumetric-interpolated breath-hold examination (3D-VIBE) sequence (Group B), completely randomized grouping. The image quality of DCE-MRI was subjectively evaluated at five levels and objectively evaluated according to the image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-noise ratio (CNR). The DCE-MRI parameters of volume transfer constant (Ktrans), rate constant (Kep) and vascular extracellular volume fraction (Ve) were calculated using the standard Tofts double-compartment model in the post-perfusion treatment software TISSUE 4D (Siemens). Each group included 30 randomly selected cases. There was a significant difference in subjective classification between the groups (35.90 vs 25.10, p = 0.009). The study showed that both the SNR and CNR of group A were significantly higher than those of group B (p = 0.004 and < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in Ktrans, Kep or Ve between the groups (all p > 0.05). The star-VIBE sequence can be applied in DCE-MRI examination of esophageal carcinoma, which can provide higher image quality than the conventional 3D-VIBE sequence in the free breathing state.
Spatial and temporal patterns in the sex ratio of American lobsters (Homarus americanus) in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada
Authors: Koepper S. , Revie C. W. , Stryhn H. , Clark K. F. , Scott-Tibbetts S. , Thakur K. K.
Published: December 2021

An approximate 1:1 sex ratio of American lobsters can be skewed due to environmental factors or fisheries management. Substantial skewness can impact mating behaviour and lower reproduction which could have far-reaching ecological and economic consequences. The aim was to investigate the sex ratio patterns of lobsters in two lobster fishing areas (LFAs) in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada and identify factors associated with skewed sex ratios. This study analyzed biological data from more than 270,000 lobsters sampled over ten years (2010–2019) by the Fishermen and Scientists Research Society. A mixed effect logistic regression model evaluated the effect of spatial, temporal and environmental factors as well as size on the sex ratio of lobsters. There were significant temporal patterns in sex ratios that differed by LFA. After the effects of sampling month, year and LFA were accounted for, lower bottom temperature and deeper water depth were associated with a higher prevalence of females, especially in larger lobsters. We present the first long term analyses of sex ratio patterns in H. americanus in Atlantic Canada’s most commercially important region for this species and provide evidence that these patterns are influenced by environmental factors and fisheries. In view of future climate change scenarios, monitoring the population dynamics of this iconic fishery species is crucial to ensure sustainable fisheries and healthy lobster stocks.
Development of an affective database made of interactive virtual environments
Authors: Dozio Nicolò , Marcolin Federica , Scurati Giulia Wally , Nonis Francesca , Ulrich Luca , Vezzetti Enrico , Ferrise Francesco
Published: December 2021

Despite the great potential of Virtual Reality (VR) to arouse emotions, there are no VR affective databases available as it happens for pictures, videos, and sounds. In this paper, we describe the validation of ten affective interactive Virtual Environments (VEs) designed to be used in Virtual Reality. These environments are related to five emotions. The testing phase included using two different experimental setups to deliver the overall experience. The setup did not include any immersive VR technology, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but the VEs were designed to run on stereoscopic visual displays. We collected measures related to the participants’ emotional experience based on six discrete emotional categories plus neutrality and we included an assessment of the sense of presence related to the different experiences. The results showed how the scenarios can be differentiated according to the emotion aroused. Finally, the comparison between the two experimental setups demonstrated high reliability of the experience and strong adaptability of the scenarios to different contexts of use.
Factors associated with psychiatric disorders and treatment seeking behaviour among older adults in India
Authors: Srivastava Shobhit , Sulaiman KM , Drishti Drishti , Muhammad T.
Published: December 2021

Since untreated or undertreated late-life mental disorders is associated with grave consequences including poor quality of life and increased mortality rates, this study investigates the associated factors of psychiatric disorders and its treatment seeking among older adults in India. Data for this study were derived from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) conducted during 2017–2018. The effective sample size was 31,464 older adults aged 60 years and above. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were used to present the preliminary results. Chi-square test was used to find the significance level for bivariate association. Additionally, the Heckprobit selection model was employed to fulfil the objectives. It was revealed that about 2.8% of older adults had psychiatric disorder and of those who were suffering from psychiatric disorder, 41.3% (out of 2.8%) sought medical treatment. It was found that older adults who ever worked but currently not working, who had low level of life satisfaction, had poor self-rated health, had difficulty in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL and had symptoms of psychological distress had higher probability of suffering from psychiatric disorder in reference to their counterparts. Older adults from oldest-old age group, who were females, from poorest wealth quintile, from Scheduled Tribe and from eastern region had lower probability of seeking treatment for psychiatric disorder in reference to their counterparts. The findings of the present study urge that greater attention be devoted at detecting and preventing late-life psychiatric disorder particularly among those who are at greater risk vis., male gender, working status as “ever worked but currently not working”, having low life satisfaction, poor SRH, ADL and IADL difficulties, higher psychological distress, belonging to higher wealth quintile and rural place of residence.
Comprehensive exploration of chemical space using trisubstituted carboranes
Authors: Asawa Yasunobu , Hatsuzawa Saki , Yoshimori Atsushi , Yamada Kentaro , Katoh Akira , Kouji Hiroyuki , Nakamura Hiroyuki
Published: December 2021

A total of 42 trisubstituted carboranes categorised into five scaffolds were systematically designed and synthesized by exploiting the different reactivities of the twelve vertices of o-, m-, and p-carboranes to cover all directions in chemical space. Significant inhibitors of hypoxia inducible factor transcriptional activitay were mainly observed among scaffold V compounds (e.g., Vi–m, and Vo), whereas anti-rabies virus activity was observed among scaffold V (Va–h), scaffold II (IIb–g), and scaffold IV (IVb) compounds. The pharmacophore model predicted from compounds with scaffold V, which exhibited significant anti-rabies virus activity, agreed well with compounds IIb–g with scaffold II and compound IVb with scaffold IV. Normalized principal moment of inertia analysis indicated that carboranes with scaffolds I–V cover all regions in the chemical space. Furthermore, the first compounds shown to stimulate the proliferation of the rabies virus were found among scaffold V carboranes.
Pre-procedural determination of device size in left atrial appendage occlusion using three-dimensional cardiac computed tomography
Authors: Cho Iksung , Kim William D. , Lee Oh Hyun , Cha Min Jae , Seo Jiwon , Shim Chi Young , Pak Hui-Nam , Joung Boyoung , Hong Geu-Ru , Gransar Heidi , Shin Seung Yong , Kim Jung-Sun
Published: December 2021

The complex structure of the left atrial appendage (LAA) brings limitations to the two-dimensional-based LAA occlusion (LAAO) size prediction system using transesophageal echocardiography. The LAA anatomy can be evaluated more precisely using three-dimensional images from cardiac computed tomography (CT); however, there is lack of data regarding which parameter to choose from CT-based images during pre-procedural planning of LAAO. We aimed to assess the accuracy of measurements derived from cardiac CT images for selecting LAAO devices. We retrospectively reviewed 62 patients with Amplatzer Cardiac Plug and Amulet LAAO devices who underwent implantation from 2017 to 2020. The minimal, maximal, average, area-derived, and perimeter-derived diameters of the LAA landing zone were measured using CT-based images. Predicted device sizes using sizing charts were compared with actual successfully implanted device sizes. The mean size of implanted devices was 27.1 ± 3.7 mm. The perimeter-derived diameter predicted device size most accurately (mean error = − 0.8 ± 2.4 mm). All other parameters showed significantly larger error (mean error; minimal diameter = − 4.9 ± 3.3 mm, maximal diameter = 1.0 ± 2.9 mm, average diameter = − 1.6 ± 2.6 mm, area-derived diameter = − 2.0 ± 2.6 mm) than the perimeter-derived diameter (allpfor difference < 0.05). The error for other parameters were larger in cases with more eccentrically-shaped landing zones, while the perimeter-derived diameter had minor error regardless of eccentricity. When oversizing was used, all parameters showed significant disagreement. The perimeter-derived diameter on cardiac CT images provided the most accurate estimation of LAAO device size regardless of landing zone eccentricity. Oversizing was unnecessary when using cardiac CT to predict an accurate LAAO size.
Effect of histone H4 tail on nucleosome stability and internucleosomal interactions
Authors: Stormberg Tommy , Vemulapalli Sridhar , Filliaux Shaun , Lyubchenko Yuri L.
Published: December 2021

Chromatin structure is dictated by nucleosome assembly and internucleosomal interactions. The tight wrapping of nucleosomes inhibits gene expression, but modifications to histone tails modulate chromatin structure, allowing for proper genetic function. The histone H4 tail is thought to play a large role in regulating chromatin structure. Here we investigated the structure of nucleosomes assembled with a tail-truncated H4 histone using Atomic Force Microscopy. We assembled tail-truncated H4 nucleosomes on DNA templates allowing for the assembly of mononucleosomes or dinucleosomes. Mononucleosomes assembled on nonspecific DNA led to decreased DNA wrapping efficiency. This effect is less pronounced for nucleosomes assembled on positioning motifs. Dinucleosome studies resulted in the discovery of two effects- truncation of the H4 tail does not diminish the preferential positioning observed in full-length nucleosomes, and internucleosomal interaction eliminates the DNA unwrapping effect. These findings provide insight on the role of histone H4 in chromatin structure and stability.
Deep dissection of the antiviral immune profile of patients with COVID-19
Authors: Atanackovic Djordje , Avila Stephanie V. , Lutfi Forat , de Miguel-Perez Diego , Fan Xiaoxuan , Sanchez-Petitto Gabriela , Vander Mause Erica , Siglin Jonathan , Baddley John , Mannuel Heather D. , Alkhaldi Hanan , Hankey Kim G. , Lapidus Rena , Kleinberg Michael , Rabin Joseph , Shanholtz Carl , Rolfo Christian , Rapoport Aaron P. , Dahiya Saurabh , Luetkens Tim
Published: December 2021

In light of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants potentially undermining humoral immunity, it is important to understand the fine specificity of the antiviral antibodies. We screened 20 COVID-19 patients for antibodies against 9 different SARS-CoV-2 proteins observing responses against the spike (S) proteins, the receptor-binding domain (RBD), and the nucleocapsid (N) protein which were of the IgG1 and IgG3 subtypes. Importantly, mutations which typically occur in the B.1.351 “South African” variant, significantly reduced the binding of anti-RBD antibodies. Nine of 20 patients were critically ill and were considered high-risk (HR). These patients showed significantly higher levels of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), and lower levels of CD4+ T cells expressing LAG-3 compared to standard-risk (SR) patients. HR patients evidenced significantly higher anti-S1/RBD IgG antibody levels and an increased neutralizing activity. Importantly, a large proportion of S protein-specific antibodies were glycosylation-dependent and we identified a number of immunodominant linear epitopes within the S1 and N proteins. Findings derived from this study will not only help us to identify the most relevant component of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 humoral immune response but will also enable us to design more meaningful immunomonitoring methods for anti-COVID-19 vaccines.
Back to feedback: aberrant sensorimotor control in music performance under pressure
Authors: Furuya Shinichi , Ishimaru Reiko , Oku Takanori , Nagata Noriko
Published: December 2021

Precisely timed production of dexterous actions is often destabilized in anxiogenic situations. Previous studies demonstrated that cognitive functions such as attention and working memory as well as autonomic nervous functions are susceptible to psychological stress in skillful performance while playing sports or musical instruments. However, it is not known whether the degradation of sensorimotor functions underlies such a compromise of skillful performance due to psychophysiological distress. Here, we addressed this issue through a set of behavioral experiments. After artificially delaying the timing of tone production while playing the piano, the local tempo was abnormally disrupted only under pressure. The results suggest that psychological stress degraded the temporal stability of movement control due to an abnormal increase in feedback gain. A learning experiment further demonstrated that the temporal instability of auditory-motor control under pressure was alleviated after practicing piano while ignoring delayed auditory feedback but not after practicing while compensating for the delayed feedback. Together, these findings suggest an abnormal transition from feedforward to feedback control in expert piano performance with psychological stress, which can be mitigated through specialized sensorimotor training that involves piano practice while volitionally ignoring the artificially delayed provision of auditory feedback.
Customizing skills for assistive robotic manipulators, an inverse reinforcement learning approach with error-related potentials
Authors: Batzianoulis Iason , Iwane Fumiaki , Wei Shupeng , Correia Carolina Gaspar Pinto Ramos , Chavarriaga Ricardo , Millán José del R. , Billard Aude
Published: December 2021

Robotic assistance via motorized robotic arm manipulators can be of valuable assistance to individuals with upper-limb motor disabilities. Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) offer an intuitive means to control such assistive robotic manipulators. However, BCI performance may vary due to the non-stationary nature of the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. It, hence, cannot be used safely for controlling tasks where errors may be detrimental to the user. Avoiding obstacles is one such task. As there exist many techniques to avoid obstacles in robotics, we propose to give the control to the robot to avoid obstacles and to leave to the user the choice of the robot behavior to do so a matter of personal preference as some users may be more daring while others more careful. We enable the users to train the robot controller to adapt its way to approach obstacles relying on BCI that detects error-related potentials (ErrP), indicative of the user’s error expectation of the robot’s current strategy to meet their preferences. Gaussian process-based inverse reinforcement learning, in combination with the ErrP-BCI, infers the user’s preference and updates the obstacle avoidance controller so as to generate personalized robot trajectories. We validate the approach in experiments with thirteen able-bodied subjects using a robotic arm that picks up, places and avoids real-life objects. Results show that the algorithm can learn user’s preference and adapt the robot behavior rapidly using less than five demonstrations not necessarily optimal.
Aesthetic appraisals of literary style and emotional intensity in narrative engagement are neurally dissociable
Authors: Hartung Franziska , Wang Yuchao , Mak Marloes , Willems Roel , Chatterjee Anjan
Published: December 2021

Humans are deeply affected by stories, yet it is unclear how. In this study, we explored two aspects of aesthetic experiences during narrative engagement - literariness and narrative fluctuations in appraised emotional intensity. Independent ratings of literariness and emotional intensity of two literary stories were used to predict blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal changes in 52 listeners from an existing fMRI dataset. Literariness was associated with increased activation in brain areas linked to semantic integration (left angular gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and precuneus), and decreased activation in bilateral middle temporal cortices, associated with semantic representations and word memory. Emotional intensity correlated with decreased activation in a bilateral frontoparietal network that is often associated with controlled attention. Our results confirm a neural dissociation in processing literary form and emotional content in stories and generate new questions about the function of and interaction between attention, social cognition, and semantic systems during literary engagement and aesthetic experiences.
Tunable single-mode chip-scale mid-infrared laser
Authors: Shim Euijae , Gil-Molina Andres , Westreich Ohad , Dikmelik Yamac , Lascola Kevin , Gaeta Alexander L. , Lipson Michal
Published: December 2021

Portable mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectroscopy and sensing applications require widely tunable, chip-scale, single-mode sources without sacrificing significant output power. However, no such lasers have been demonstrated beyond 3 μm due to the challenge of building tunable, high quality-factor (Q) on-chip cavities. Here we demonstrate a tunable, single-mode mid-IR laser at 3.4 μm using a tunable high-Q silicon microring cavity and a multi-mode Interband Cascade Laser. We achieve single-frequency lasing with 0.4 mW output power via self-injection locking and a wide tuning range of 54 nm with 3 dB output power variation. We further estimate an upper-bound effective linewidth of 9.1 MHz and a side mode suppression ratio of 25 dB from the locked laser using a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer. Our laser platform based on a tunable high-Q microresonator can be expanded to higher wavelength quantum-cascade lasers and lead to the development of compact, high-performance mid-IR sensors for spectroscopic applications.
Diet and lifestyle behaviour disruption related to the pandemic was varied and bidirectional among US and UK adults participating in the ZOE COVID Study
Authors: Mazidi Mohsen , Leeming Emily R. , Merino Jordi , Nguyen Long H. , Selvachandran Somesh , Pujal Joan Capdavila , Maher Tyler , Kadé Kirstin , Murray Benjamin , Graham Mark S. , Sudre Carole H. , Wolf Jonathan , Hu Christina , Drew David A. , Steves Claire J. , Ourselin Sebastien , Gardner Christopher , Spector Tim D. , Chan Andrew T. , Franks Paul W. , Gibson Rachel , Berry Sarah E.
Published: December 2021

Evidence of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health behaviours in the general population is limited. In this retrospective longitudinal study including UK and US participants, we collected diet and lifestyle data pre-pandemic (896,286) and peri-pandemic (291,871) using a mobile health app, and we computed a bidirectional health behaviour disruption index. Disruption of health behaviour was higher in younger, female and socio-economically deprived participants. Loss in body weight was greater in highly disrupted individuals than in those with low disruption. There were large inter-individual changes observed in 46 health and diet behaviours measured peri-pandemic compared with pre-pandemic, but no mean change in the total population. Individuals most adherent to less healthy pre-pandemic health behaviours improved their diet quality and weight compared with those reporting healthier pre-pandemic behaviours, irrespective of relative deprivation; therefore, for a proportion of the population, the pandemic may have provided an impetus to improve health behaviours. Public policies to tackle health inequalities widened by the pandemic should continue to prioritize diet and physical activity for all, as well as more targeted approaches to support younger females and those living in economically deprived areas.
Evolution of eastern Tibetan river systems is driven by the indentation of India
Authors: Chen Yi , Wu Baosheng , Xiong Zhongyu , Zan Jinbo , Zhang Bangwen , Zhang Ruoyin , Xue Yuan , Li Minhui , Li Bingshuai
Published: December 2021

The main rivers that originate from the Tibetan Plateau are important as a resource and for the sedimentary and biogeochemical exchange between mountains and oceans. However, the dominant mechanism for the evolution of eastern Tibetan river systems remains ambiguous. Here we conduct geomorphological analyses of river systems and assess catchment-average erosion rates in the eastern Tibetan Plateau using a digital elevation model and cosmogenic radionuclide data. We find that major dividing ranges have northeast oriented asymmetric geometries and that erosion rates reduce in the same direction. This coincides with the northeastward indentation of India and we suggest this indicates a primarily tectonic influence on the large-scale configuration of eastern Tibetan river systems. In contrast, low-level streams appear to be controlled by fluvial self-organization processes. We propose that this distinction between high- and low-order channel evolution highlights the importance of local optimization of optimal channel network models in tectonically active areas.