bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meeting a person with pedophilia: Attitudes towards pedophilia among psychology students: A pilot study
Authors: Heron Rebecca L. , Schwiekert Lena , Karsten Julie
Published: February 2021

People with pedophilia (PWP) are highly stigmatized. Public opinion is strongly pre-consolidated – it is often assumed that every PWP commits child sex offenses. This presumption not only affects PWP negatively. Research suggests that this stigmatization may cohere with PWP actually committing child sex offenses. Various recent studies have investigated different kinds of anti-stigma interventions and their effectiveness. Direct contact to a PWP has not yet been investigated. The present pilot study aimed at finding out whether a dichotomous anti-stigma intervention can change psychology students’ attitudes towards PWP regarding perceived dangerousness, intentionality, deviance, and punitive attitudes. In a one sample pre-post design, we presented 162 students of the University of Groningen with both an educational lecture and direct contact to a PWP. Participants learned about child sex offending and pedophilia. Then, Gabriel, a PWP shared his experiences about growing up, coping, and living with pedophilia. Results of the one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed significantly diminished negative attitudes towards PWP after the intervention. Students perceived PWP as less dangerous, having less intent, and being less psychologically deviant. Additionally, students’ punitive attitudes towards PWP diminished significantly. Also, a thematic analysis revealed that students were highly interested in the topic of pedophilia and greatly appreciative of Gabriel sharing his story. This pilot study was the first to provide evidence for the effectiveness of a combination of an educational lecture and direct contact to a PWP as an anti-stigma intervention.
Factors associated with the quitting intention among Chinese adults: Application of protection motivation theory
Authors: Lin Hao-xiang , Chang Chun
Published: February 2021

The main objective of this study was to examine the use of protection motivation theory (PMT) in explaining smokers’ quitting intentions among Chinese adults with the goal of providing valuable evidence to promote theory-guided and culturally appropriate cessation interventions. This cross-sectional study included 613 participants randomly selected from 26 provinces in Mainland China. Cronbach’s alpha and interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to assess the reliability of individual PMT constructs. A multiple linear regression was used for the multivariable analysis. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the 23 items was 0.74. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of all the subscales varied from 0.71 to 0.74. Stronger quitting intentions were significantly associated with higher perceived vulnerability (Coef. = 0.13, P < 0.01), self-efficacy (Coef. = 0.28, P < 0.01), and response efficacy (Coef. = 0.23, P < 0.01) but inversely associated with intrinsic rewards (Coef. = −0.15, P < 0.01). Greater quitting intentions were significantly associated with higher threat (Coef. = 0.19, P < 0.01) and coping appraisals (Coef. = 0.25, P < 0.01). Regarding behaviour, longer quitting attempts were significantly associated only with self-efficacy (Coef. = 0.13, P < 0.01) and response cost (Coef. = −0.18, P < 0.01) Our results confirmed the applicability of PMT for predicting the quitting intention in Chinese adults. Self-efficacy is the only factor that has a predictive effect on both the intention and behaviour. To improve the effectiveness of smoking-cessation interventions, specific attention should be directed during their design to the more influential PMT constructs.
The Prognostic Value of a Validated and Automated Intravascular Ultrasound-Derived Calcium Score
Authors: Neleman Tara , Liu Shengnan , Tovar Forero Maria N. , Hartman Eline M. J. , Ligthart Jurgen M. R. , Witberg Karen T. , Cummins Paul , Zijlstra Felix , Van Mieghem Nicolas M. , Boersma Eric , van Soest Gijs , Daemen Joost
Published: February 2021

Background

Coronary calcification has been linked to cardiovascular events. We developed and validated an algorithm to automatically quantify coronary calcifications on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). We aimed to assess the prognostic value of an IVUS-calcium score (ICS) on patient-oriented composite endpoint (POCE).

Methods

We included patients that underwent coronary angiography plus pre-procedural IVUS imaging. The ICS was calculated per patient. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, and revascularization (POCE).

Results

In a cohort of 408 patients, median ICS was 85. Both an ICS ≥ 85 and a 100 unit increase in ICS increased the risk of POCE at 6-year follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.51, 95%CI 1.05–2.17, p value = 0.026, and aHR 1.21, 95%CI 1.04–1.41, p value = 0.014, respectively).

Conclusions

The ICS, calculated by a validated automated algorithm derived from routine IVUS pullbacks, was strongly associated with the long-term risk of POCE.

Graphical abstract
Multiband emission from single β-NaYF4(Yb,Er) nanoparticles at high excitation power densities and comparison to ensemble studies
Authors: Frenzel Florian , Würth Christian , Dukhno Oleksii , Przybilla Frédéric , Wiesholler Lisa M. , Muhr Verena , Hirsch Thomas , Mély Yves , Resch-Genger Ute
Published: February 2021

Ensemble and single particle studies of the excitation power density (P)-dependent upconversion luminescence (UCL) of core and core-shell β-NaYF4:Yb,Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) doped with 20% Yb3+ and 1% or 3% Er3+ performed over a P regime of 6 orders of magnitude reveal an increasing contribution of the emission from high energy Er3+ levels at P > 1 kW/cm2. This changes the overall emission color from initially green over yellow to white. While initially the green and with increasing P the red emission dominate in ensemble measurements at P < 1 kW/cm2, the increasing population of higher Er3+ energy levels by multiphotonic processes at higher P in single particle studies results in a multitude of emission bands in the ultraviolet/visible/near infrared (UV/vis/NIR) accompanied by a decreased contribution of the red luminescence. Based upon a thorough analysis of the P-dependence of UCL, the emission bands activated at high P were grouped and assigned to 2–3, 3–4, and 4 photonic processes involving energy transfer (ET), excited-state absorption (ESA), cross-relaxation (CR), back energy transfer (BET), and non-radiative relaxation processes (nRP). This underlines the P-tunability of UCNP brightness and color and highlights the potential of P-dependent measurements for mechanistic studies required to manifest the population pathways of the different Er3+ levels.
Texture, mineralogy and geochemistry of Teri sediments from the Kuthiraimozhi deposit, Southern Tamilnadu, India: implications on provenance, weathering and palaeoclimate
Authors: Alagaiah Venu Udayanapillai , Velmayil Perumal
Published: February 2021

The study examines about the red sand dune deposit locally designated as teri deposits; it is an omnipresent geomorphologic feature present in the coastal region of Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu, India. One of the inland teri sand dune outcrops is located around the Kuthiraimozhi village of Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu, India. Textural, mineralogical and geochemical studies were carried out in the teri sediments and its compact sandstone outcrops. The sediments are moderately sorted to well-sorted and finely skewed nature which indicates that fluvio-marine depositional environment. Geochemical analysis results of major, trace and rare earth elements for teri deposits help to predict the provenance, weathering status, depositional environment and climate. The geochemical study reveals that the sediments were derived from marine and non-marine sources. Teri sediments are geochemically classified as lithic arenite or wacke. Petrography and X-ray diffraction analysis reveal the predominance of quartz and feldspars along with the accessory minerals like ilmenite, rutile, garnet, magnetite, hematite, zircon, diopside, hypersthenes and biotite. Mineralogical observation illustrates that the teri sediments have originated from the weathering of felsic and mafic source rocks. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) values of sediments represent moderate to the high status of weathering conditions in the source area. The depositional environment indicates that the sediments are fine-grained with high maturity index. Despite that the sediments are formed by fluvio-marine sources, the reddening character in the teri deposits is due to oxidation and leaching of iron-bearing minerals by percolating surface water from high rainfall and groundwater fluctuation of the aquifer under arid and semi-arid climate conditions.
Estimation of the spatial climate comfort distribution using tourism climate index (TCI) and inverse distance weighting (IDW) (case study: Fars Province, Iran)
Authors: Masoudi Malihe
Published: February 2021

This article was conducted to perform a temporal and spatial analysis in order to identify suitable climatic regions for tourism. We investigated tourism climate conditions in Fars province from 2006 to 2016 using tourism climate index (TCI). Also, modified inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation is applied to generate the optimal spatial pattern of the TCI distribution. The relationship between the interpolation accuracy and a critical IDW parameter, called power value (β), was evaluated for optimization. The results revealed that during four months of May, April, October, and November, 70–83% of cities in Fars province show excellent and ideal climatic comfort. In the four months of July, December, January, and March, about 45–54% of Fars province provide good and very good conditions for tourism activities. The spatial distribution of TCI also shows that the cities in the northern part generally have the most desirable conditions during the hot season, while the southern cities of Fars province are more suitable for tourism during the cold season. Also, analysis of optimization steps demonstrated that power value (β) affects interpolation accuracy. As our study suggests, using the optimal power values (β) of 1 and 2 can lead to optimal spatial interpolation of the TCI distribution. Overall, we found IDW and TCI as reliable tools for assessing bioclimatic comfort conditions, considering β-value as an influential factor that should be evaluated to achieve optimal interpolation results.
Wound infection in colorectal cancer resections through a laparoscopic approach: a single-center prospective observational study of over 3000 cases
Authors: Ikeda Atsushi , Fukunaga Yosuke , Akiyoshi Takashi , Nagayama Satoshi , Nagasaki Toshiya , Yamaguchi Tomohiro , Mukai Toshiki , Hiyoshi Yukiharu , Konishi Tsuyoshi
Published: February 2021

Objectives

This prospective observational study aimed to clarify the incidence and independent risk factors of wound infection after laparoscopic surgery for primary colonic and rectal cancer.

Methods

A prospective surveillance of surgical site infection (SSI) was conducted in consecutive patients with primary colorectal cancer, who underwent elective laparoscopic surgery in a single comprehensive cancer center between 2005 and 2014. The outcomes of interest were the incidence and risk factors of wound infection.

Results

In total, 3170 patients were enrolled in the study. The overall incidence of wound infection was 3.0%. The incidence of wound infection was significantly higher in rectal surgery than in colonic surgery (4.7 vs. 2.1%, p < 0.001). In rectal surgery, independent risk factors for developing wound infection included abdominoperineal resection (p < 0.001, odds ratio [OR] = 11.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.04–24.8), body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 (p = 0.041, OR = 1.97, 95% CI, 1.03–3.76), and chemoradiotherapy (p = 0.032, OR = 2.18, 95% CI, 1.07–4.45). In laparoscopic colonic surgery, no significant risk factors were identified.

Conclusions

Laparoscopic rectal surgery has a higher risk of wound infection than colonic surgery. Laparoscopic rectal surgery involving abdominoperineal resection, patients with higher BMI, and chemoradiotherapy requires careful observation in wound care and countermeasures against wound infection.
External validation of nomogram for predicting malignant intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN): from the theory to the clinical practice using the decision curve analysis model
Authors: Casadei Riccardo , Ricci Claudio , Ingaldi Carlo , Cornacchia Alessandro , Migliori Marina , Di Marco Mariacristina , Pagano Nico , Serra Carla , Alberici Laura , Minni Francesco
Published: February 2021

The management of IPMNs is a challenging and controversial issue because the risk of malignancy is difficult to predict. The present study aimed to assess the clinical usefulness of two preoperative nomograms for predicting malignancy of IPMNs allowing their proper management. Retrospective study of patients affected by IPMNs. Two nomograms, regarding main (MD) and branch duct (BD) IPMN, respectively, were evaluated. Only patients who underwent pancreatic resection were collected to test the nomograms because a pathological diagnosis was available. The analysis included: 1-logistic regression analysis to calibrate the nomograms; 2-decision curve analysis (DCA) to test the nomograms concerning their clinical usefulness. 98 patients underwent pancreatic resection. The logistic regression showed that, increasing the score of both the MD-IPMN and BD-IPMN nomograms, significantly increases the probability of IPMN high grade or invasive carcinoma (P = 0.029 and P = 0.033, respectively). DCA of MD-IPMN nomogram showed that there were no net benefits with respect to surgical resection in all cases. DCA of BD-IPMN nomogram, showed a net benefit only for threshold probability between 40 and 60%. For these values, useless pancreatic resection should be avoided in 14.8%. The two nomograms allowed a reliable assessment of the malignancy rate. Their clinical usefulness is limited to BD-IPMN with threshold probability of malignancy of 40–60%, in which the patients can be selected better than the “treat all” strategy.
Innovative agronomic practices for sustainable intensification in sub-Saharan Africa. A review
Authors: Kuyah Shem , Sileshi Gudeta Weldesemayat , Nkurunziza Libère , Chirinda Ngonidzashe , Ndayisaba Pierre Celestin , Dimobe Kangbéni , Öborn Ingrid
Published: February 2021

Africa’s need to double food production and feed the burgeoning human population, without compromising its natural resource base, has raised the momentum for sustainable agricultural intensification on the continent. Many studies describe agronomic practices that can increase productivity on existing agricultural land without damaging the environment and without increasing the agricultural carbon footprint. However, there is limited information on specific practices with the greatest potential to contribute to sustainable intensification on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa, while simultaneously keeping the carbon footprint low. The objectives of this review were to (1) identify good agronomic practices with potential for contributing to sustainable intensification across sub-Saharan Africa, (2) synthesize available information on benefits and synergies from these technologies, and (3) discuss bottlenecks in their adoption in order to obtain insights that inform the formulation of supportive policies. Agroforestry, cereal-legume intercropping, conservation agriculture, doubled-up legume cropping, fertilizer micro-dosing, planting basins, and push-pull technology were identified as key agronomic innovations widely promoted in sub-Saharan Africa. We show that these innovations can build synergies and increase resource use efficiency while reducing agricultural carbon footprint. We outline the benefits, trade-offs, and limitations of these practices and discuss their potential role in strengthening food sovereignty and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Assessment of physiological races of Exserohilum turcicum isolates from maize in Argentina and Brazil
Authors: Navarro Barbara Ludwig , Ramos Romero Lucia , Kistner María Belén , Iglesias Juliana , von Tiedemann Andreas
Published: February 2021

Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) is one of the most important diseases in maize worldwide. It is caused by the fungus Exserohilum turcicum, which exhibits a high genetic variability for virulence, and hence physiological races have been reported. Disease control is based mainly on fungicide application and host resistance. Qualitative resistance has been widely used to control NCLB through the deployment of Ht genes. Known pathogen races are designated according to their virulence to the corresponding Ht gene. Knowledge about of E. turcicum race distribution in maize-producing areas is essential to develop and exploit resistant genotypes. Maize leaves showing distinct elliptical grey-green lesions were collected from maize-producing areas of Argentina and Brazil, and 184 monosporic E. turcicum isolates were obtained. A total of 66 isolates were collected from Argentina during 2015, 2018 and 2019, while 118 isolates from Brazil were collected during 2017, 2018 and 2019. All isolates were screened on maize differential lines containing Ht1, Ht2, Ht3 and Htn1 resistance genes. In greenhouse experiments, inoculated maize plants were evaluated at 14 days after inoculation. Resistance reaction was characterized by chlorosis, and susceptibility was defined by necrosis in the absence of chlorosis. The most frequent race was 0 in both Argentina (83%) and Brazil (65%). Frequencies of race 1 (6% and 24%) and race 23N (5% and 10%) were very low in Argentina and Brazil, respectively. The high frequency of race 0 isolates provides evidence that qualitative resistance based on the tested Ht genes is not being used extensively in Argentina and Brazil to control NCLB. This information may be relevant for growers and breeding programs as the incidence of NCLB is increasing in both countries.
Multi-layer perceptron-Markov chain-based artificial neural network for modelling future land-specific carbon emission pattern and its influences on surface temperature
Authors: Fattah Md.Abdul , Morshed Syed Riad , Morshed Syed Yad
Published: February 2021

Reliable and accurate environmental state prediction can help in long-term sustainable planning and management. Enormous land-use/ land-cover (LULC) transformation has been increasing the carbon emissions (CEs) and land surface temperature (LST) around the world. The study aimed to (i) examine the influences of land specific CEs on LST dynamics and (ii) simulate future potential LULC, CEs and LST pattern of Khulna City Corporation. Landsat satellite images of the year 2000, 2010 and 2020 were used to derive LULC, LST and CEs pattern and change. The correlation between land-use indices (NDBI, NDVI, NDWI) and LST was examined to explore the impacts of LULC change on LST. Unplanned urbanization has increased 11.79 Km2(26.10%) buildup areas and 25,268 tons of CEs during 2000–2020. The calculated R2 value indicates the strong positive correlation between CEs and LST. To simulate the future LULC, CEs and LST pattern for the year 2030 and 2040, multi-layer perceptron-Markov chain (MLP-MC)-based artificial neural network model was utilized with the accuracy rate of 94.12%, 99% and 98.48% for LULC, LST and CEs model, respectively. The simulation shows that by 2040, buildup area will increase to 87.33%, net CEs will increase by 19.82 × 104tons, and carbon absorptions will decrease by 23. 55 × 104tons and 69.54% of the total study area's LST will be above 390C. Such predictions signify the necessity of implementing a sustainable urban development plan immediately for the sustainable, habitable and sound urban environment.
Characterizing RNA Pseudouridylation by Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: He Xuan , Zhang Sai , Zhang Yanqing , Lei Zhixin , Jiang Tao , Zeng Jianyang
Published: February 2021

Pseudouridine (Ψ) is the most prevalent post-transcriptional RNA modification and is widespread in small cellular RNAs and mRNAs. However, the functions, mechanisms, and precise distribution of Ψs (especially in mRNAs) still remain largely unclear. The landscape of Ψs across the transcriptome has not yet been fully delineated. Here, we present a highly effective model based on a convolutional neural network (CNN), called PseudoUridyLation Site Estimator (PULSE), to analyze large-scale profiling data of Ψ sites and characterize the contextual sequence features of pseudouridylation. PULSE, consisting of two alternatively-stacked convolution and pooling layers followed by a fully-connected neural network, can automatically learn the hidden patterns of pseudouridylation from the local sequence information. Extensive validation tests demonstrated that PULSE can outperform other state-of-the-art prediction methods and achieve high prediction accuracy, thus enabling us to further characterize the transcriptome-wide landscape of Ψ sites. We further showed that the prediction results derived from PULSE can provide novel insights into understanding the functional roles of pseudouridylation, such as the regulations of RNA secondary structure, codon usage, translation, and RNA stability, and the connection to single nucleotide variants. The source code and final model for PULSE are available at https://github.com/mlcb-thu/PULSE.
Excuses and Alternatives
Authors: Chevarie-Cossette Simon-Pierre
Published: February 2021

A version of the principle of alternate possibilities (PAP) claims that one is only blameworthy for actions which one was able to avoid. Much of the discussion about PAP concerns Frankfurt’s counterexamples to it. After fifty years of refined debates, progress might seem hopeless. Yet, we can make headway by asking: “what’s our reason for believing PAP?” The best answer is this: lacking eligible alternatives—alternatives whose cost is not too high to reasonably opt for—is a good excuse. Yet, this principle is subject to straightforward counterexamples, unless it is given an epistemicised reading. And in this latter case, it does not support PAP. So, PAP is unsupported, at least for now.
Why Parties Displace Their Voters: Gentrification, Coalitional Change, and the Demise of Public Housing
Authors: CHOU WINSTON , DANCYGIER RAFAELA
Published: February 2021

Across advanced economies, affordable housing shortages are pushing low-income voters out of cities. Left governments frequently exacerbate these shortages by eliminating public housing. Why does the Left pursue policies that displace its voters? We argue that the Left’s long-term rebalancing towards the middle class and away from an increasingly stigmatized “underclass” has significantly attenuated the trade-offs inherent in reducing affordable housing. Focusing on the UK, we demonstrate that by alienating low-income voters politically and reshuffling them across districts, housing crises have significant costs for Labour. Yet, drawing on interviews, we show that displacement is nonetheless compatible with electoral interests: the displaced make room for richer voters whom politicians believe will also support Labour. A quantitative analysis of Greater London’s 32 local authorities and 624 wards further documents trends in line with coalitional rebalancing. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that electoral foundations are key to understanding housing crises and gentrification.
Associations of the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay diet with cardiac remodelling in the community: the Framingham Heart Study
Authors: Walker Maura E. , O’Donnell Adrienne A. , Himali Jayandra J. , Rajendran Iniya , Melo van Lent Debora , Ataklte Feven , Jacques Paul F. , Beiser Alexa S. , Seshadri Sudha , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Xanthakis Vanessa
Published: February 2021

Normal cardiac function is directly associated with the maintenance of cerebrovascular health. Whether the Mediterranean-Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet, designed for the maintenance of neurocognitive health, is associated with cardiac remodelling is unknown. We evaluated 2512 Framingham Offspring Cohort participants who attended the eighth examination cycle and had available dietary and echocardiographic data (mean age 66 years; 55 % women). Using multivariable regression, we related the cumulative MIND diet score (independent variable) to left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, left atrial emptying fraction, LV mass (LVM), E/e’ ratio (dependent variables; primary), global longitudinal strain, global circumferential strain (GCS), mitral annular plane systolic excursion, longitudinal segmental synchrony, LV hypertrophy and aortic root diameter (secondary). Adjusting for age, sex and energy intake, higher cumulative MIND diet scores were associated with lower values of indices of LV diastolic (E/e’ ratio: logβ = −0·03) and systolic function (GCS: β = −0·04) and with higher values of LVM (logβ = 0·02), all P ≤ 0·01. We observed effect modification by age in the association between the cumulative MIND diet score and GCS. When we further adjusted for clinical risk factors, the associations of the cumulative MIND diet score with GCS in participants ≥66 years (β = −0·06, P = 0·005) and LVM remained significant. In our community-based sample, relations between the cumulative MIND diet score and cardiac remodelling differ among indices of LV structure and function. Our results suggest that favourable associations between a higher cumulative MIND diet score and indices of LV function may be influenced by cardiometabolic and lifestyle risk factors.
Locked Out of College: When Admissions Bureaucrats Do and Do Not Discriminate
Authors: Brown Jacob R. , Hilbig Hanno
Published: February 2021

How does an individual's criminal record shape interactions with the state and society? This article presents evidence from a nationwide field experiment in the United States, which shows that prospective applicants with criminal records are about 5 percentage points less likely to receive information from college admission offices. However, this bias does not extend to race: there is no difference in response rates to Black and White applicants. The authors further show that bias is all but absent in public bureaucracies, as discrimination against formerly incarcerated applicants is driven by private schools. Examining why bias is stronger for private colleges, the study demonstrates that the private–public difference persists even after accounting for college selectivity, socio-economic composition and school finances. Moving beyond the measurement of bias, an intervention designed to reduce discrimination is evaluated: whether an email from an advocate mitigates bias associated with a criminal record. No evidence is found that advocate endorsements decrease bureaucratic bias.
Medieval Saints and Their Miraculous Songs: Ritual Singing, Funerary Piety, and the Construction of Female Sanctity in Thirteenth-Century Liège
Authors: Wang Luo
Published: February 2021

This article explores the conspicuous role of singing in the hagiographical construction of saintly women in the thirteenth-century Diocese of Liège. The constellation of Lives about Liégeois women occupies a prominent place in the “origin story” of the new spirituality in the later Middle Ages. However, one aspect of these women's perceived religiosity—their musical and vocal talent—though omnipresent in the sources, has received only sparse attention from scholarship. This article focuses on two of the most important Lives in this group, those of Mary of Oignies and Christina of Sint-Truiden, and demonstrates that hagiographers, mobilizing liturgical vocabulary and ritual ideas identifiable to a local audience, consistently represented women's singing as magnificent ritual performance. By doing so, the hagiographers highlighted these women's privileged access to the divine and distinct potency as intercessors for the living and the dead. This article also intends to show the highly sophisticated ways in which Latin liturgy and its vernacular appropriation, popular ideas and scholastic theories about music were negotiated, developed, and together contributed to a distinctive religious rhetoric in the articulation of female sanctity in thirteenth-century Europe.
Intelligent Target Visual Tracking and Control Strategy for Open Frame Underwater Vehicles
Authors: Sun Chaoyu , Wan Zhaoliang , Huang Hai , Zhang Guocheng , Bao Xuan , Li Jiyong , Sheng Mingwei , Yang Xu
Published: February 2021

Visual tracking is an essential building block for target tracking and capture of the underwater vehicles. On the basis of remotely autonomous control architecture, this paper has proposed an improved kernelized correlation filter (KCF) tracker and a novel fuzzy controller. The model is trained to learn an online correlation filter from a plenty of positive and negative training samples. In order to overcome the influence from occlusion, the improved KCF tracker has been designed with an added self-discrimination mechanism based on system confidence uncertainty. The novel fuzzy logic tracking controller can automatically generate and optimize fuzzy rules. Through Q-learning algorithm, the fuzzy rules are acquired through the estimating value of each state action pairs. An S surface based fitness function has been designed for the improvement of learning based particle swarm optimization. Tank and channel experiments have been carried out to verify the proposed tracker and controller through pipe tracking and target grasp on the basis of designed open frame underwater vehicle.
ESTIMATION AND INFERENCE FOR MOMENTS OF RATIOS WITH ROBUSTNESS AGAINST LARGE TRIMMING BIAS
Authors: Sasaki Yuya , Ura Takuya
Published: February 2021

Researchers often trim observations with small values of the denominator A when they estimate moments of the form

$\mathbb {E}[B/A]$
. Large trimming is common in practice to reduce variance, but it incurs a large bias. This paper provides a novel method of correcting the large trimming bias. If a researcher is willing to assume that the joint distribution between A and B is smooth, then the trimming bias may be estimated well. Along with the proposed bias correction method, we also develop an inference method. Practical advantages of the proposed method are demonstrated through simulation studies, where the data generating process entails a heavy-tailed distribution of

$B/A$
. Applying the proposed method to the Compustat database, we analyze the history of external financial dependence of U.S. manufacturing firms for years 2000–2010.
Right arch with prostaglandin-dependent coarctation and aberrant left carotid artery in a 22q11.2 deletion infant
Authors: Kobayashi Kei , Harada Gen , Shinkawa Takeshi
Published: February 2021

Right aortic arch in association with coarctation of the aorta and vascular ring is a rare anatomy. We present an infant with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion, who had the right aortic arch with retroesophageal aberrant left subclavian artery and left internal carotid artery. The left external carotid artery and right common carotid artery originated together from the ascending aorta as a bovine branch. The infant also had severe coarctation, which was prostaglandin dependent.
Sensory characteristics of vegetables consumed by Australian children
Authors: Cox David N , Baird Danielle L , Rebuli Megan A , Hendrie Gilly A , Poelman Astrid AM
Published: February 2021

Objectives:

Consumption is driven by children’s sensory acceptance, but little is known about the sensory characteristics of vegetables that children commonly eat. A greater understanding could help design more effective interventions to help raise intakes, thus realising beneficial health effects. This study sought to: (1) Understand the vegetable consumption patterns in children, with and without potatoes, using the Australian and WHO definitions. (2) Describe the sensory characteristics of vegetables consumed by children by age group, level of intake and variety. (3) Determine the vegetable preferences of children, by age group, level of intake and variety.

Design:

Analysis of National Nutrition Survey data, combining reported vegetable intake with sensory characteristics described by a trained panel.

Setting:

Australia

Participants:

A nationally representative sample of Australian children and adolescents aged 2–17·9 years (n 2812).

Results:

While consumption increased in older age groups, variety remained constant. Greater variety, however, was associated with higher vegetable consumption. Potato intake increased with consumption, contributing over one-third of total vegetable intake for highest vegetable consumption and for older age groups. Children favoured relatively sweet vegetables and reported lower consumption of bitter vegetables. There were no differences in the sensory properties of vegetables consumed by children in different age groups. After potatoes, carrots, sweetcorn, mixtures, fruiting and cruciferous types were preferred vegetables.

Conclusion:

Children tend to prefer vegetables with sensory characteristics consistent with innate taste preferences (sweet and low bitterness). Increasing exposure to a variety of vegetables may help increase the persistently low vegetable consumption patterns of children.
A “Fresh New Music Mix” for the 1980s: Broadcasting Multiculturalism on Crossover Radio
Authors: CODDINGTON AMY
Published: February 2021

This article examines the racial politics of radio programming in the United States by focusing on the development of a new radio format in the late 1980s. This new format, which the radio industry referred to as Crossover, attracted a coalition audience of Black, white, and Latinx listeners by playing up-tempo dance, R&B, and pop music. In so doing, this format challenged the segregated structure of the radio industry, acknowledging the presence and tastes of Latinx audiences and commodifying young multicultural audiences. The success of this format influenced programming on Top 40 radio stations, bringing the sounds of multicultural publics into the US popular music mainstream. Among these sounds was hip hop, which Crossover programmers embraced for its ability to appeal across diverse audiences; these stations helped facilitate the growth of this burgeoning genre. But like many forms of liberal multiculturalism in the 1980s and 1990s, the racial politics of these stations were complex, as they decentered individual minority groups’ interests in the name of colorblindness and inclusion.
Battlestar Galacticaand Space Opera: Transforming a Subgenre
Authors: FRANCISCO MEGAN
Published: February 2021

Ron Moore, creator and producer of the reimaginedBattlestar Galacticatelevision series, outlined his proposed show's aesthetic in a manifesto aptly titled “Naturalistic Science Fiction or Taking the Opera out of Space Opera.” The title of this essay took a stand against the science fiction subgenre of space opera, asserting that it was outdated, overdone, and unrealistic. Moore's vision for his series revolutionized iconic elements of classic television space operas. Though Moore resisted the stigma of space opera, his reimagined series holds an inherent “operaticness”—a term first coined by opera scholar Marcia Citron.Battlestar Galacticahas many operatic qualities, particularly in its narrative structure, cinematography, characters, and music. After analyzingGalactica'sexplicit evocations of opera, this article will explore the operatic features of the soundtrack and evaluate the characters intimately tied to the opera by tracing the tropes of gendered opera as outlined by Susan McClary and Catherine Clément. Through a detailed analysis of three episodes, I will demonstrate how Moore successfully constructed a series that relied deeply upon operatic qualities and resonances.
Effects of Intergroup Vicarious Ostracism on Individual Prejudicial Attributions and Aggressive Intentions
Authors: Yang Xiaoli , Xin Tongtong , Zhao Qinghua
Published: February 2021

This study explores the effects of intergroup vicarious ostracism on individual prejudicial attributions and aggressive intentions. It takes Tibetan and Hui college students in northwestern China as participants. Study 1 and Study 2 explore the difference in observers' prejudicial attributions and aggressive intentions, respectively, when the group members who experienced ostracism (Tibetan college students) observed an in-group member being ostracized by out-group members versus an in-group member being ostracized by in-group members. Results show that those in-group participants, i.e., the Tibetan college students, who observed an in-group member being ostracized by out-group members, showed much higher prejudicial attributions, F(1, 106) = 19.65, p < .001, ηp2 = .156, and aggressive intentions, F(1, 108) = 10.51, p = .002, ηp2 = .089, toward ostracizers than those who observed an in-group member being ostracized by in-group members. In Study 3, Hui college students were recruited as participants to further test the results of Study 1 and Study 2. In addition, we also found that under the out-group conditions, prejudicial attribution mediates the effects of inclusionary status on aggressive intentions (95% bias-corrected confidence interval did not include zero; 95% CI [0.15, 0.69]). This study shows that ostracizers’ group membership could affect observers' prejudicial attributions and their aggressive intentions toward the ostracizers.
Characteristics and Perceptions of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Who Utilized a National Sexual and Gender Minority-Focused Crisis Service
Authors: Mereish Ethan H. , Feinstein Brian A. , Mamey Mary Rose , Goldbach Jeremy T.
Published: February 2021

Abstract. Background: Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) have heightened risk of suicidality; yet, we know little about their experiences when utilizing crisis services. Aims: The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics and experiences of SGMY when in contact with SGMY-specific suicide crisis services. Method: Data were from 592 SGMY who contacted the most widely utilized national US SGMY-specific crisis services provider. Results: High rates of suicide ideation (65.2%) and attempts (31.9%) were documented, with gender minority youth endorsing higher rates of suicide attempts. Participants contacted the center by phone (57.8%) more than by online chat/text (42.2%). Participants reported discussing their sexual orientation (60.6%), gender identity (43.8%), and identity disclosure stress (56.6%) with counselors. Participants rated the crisis service as helpful. The counselors were perceived as warm, compassionate, and knowledgeable about common concerns for SGMY and they were likely to contact the crisis center again. Participants reported using chat/text over phone because it provided them with more confidentiality and privacy; however, phone contacts were rated more positively than text/chat. Limitations: The sample was predominately White and was not representative of the broader population of SGMY, limiting the generalizability of the results. Conclusion: SGMY reported positive experiences with a national SGMY-specific crisis service. The findings highlight the critical need for and utility of SGMY-specific suicide prevention crisis services.
Conditioning Multiple‐Point Statistics Simulation to Inequality Data
Authors: Straubhaar Julien , Renard Philippe
Published: February 2021

Stochastic modeling is often employed in environmental sciences for the analysis and understanding of complex systems. For example, random fields are key components in uncertainty analysis or Bayesian inverse modeling. Multiple‐point statistics (MPS) provides efficient simulation tools for simulating fields reproducing the spatial statistics depicted in a training image (TI), while accounting for local or block conditioning data. Among MPS methods, the direct sampling algorithm is a flexible pixel‐based technique that consists in first assigning the conditioning data values (so‐called hard data) in the simulation grid, and then in populating the rest of the simulation domain in a random order by successively pasting a value from a TI cell sharing a similar pattern. In this study, an extension of the direct sampling method is proposed to account for inequality data, that is, constraints in given cells consisting of lower and/or upper bounds for the simulated values. Indeed, inequality data are often available in practice. The new approach involves the adaptation of the distance used to compare and evaluate the match between two patterns to account for such constraints. The proposed method, implemented in the DeeSse code, allows generating random fields both reflecting the spatial statistics of the TI and honoring the inequality constraints. Finally examples of topography simulations illustrate and show the capabilities of the proposed method.
GPS Scintillations and TEC Variations in Association With a Polar Cap Arc
Authors: Wang Yong , Cao Zheng , Xing Zan‐Yang , Zhang Qing‐He , Jayachandran P. T. , Oksavik K. , Balan Nanan , Shiokawa K.
Published: February 2021

A unique example of a polar cap arc producing clear amplitude and phase scintillations in GPS L‐band signals is presented using observations from an all‐sky imager and a GPS receiver and a digital ionosonde at Resolute Bay and the SuperDARN Inuvik radar. During the southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) condition, the polar cap arc moved quickly from the dusk‐side to the midnight auroral oval at a speed of ∼700 m/s, as revealed by all‐sky 557.7 and 630.0 nm images. When it intersected the raypath of GPS signals, both amplitude and phase scintillations appeared, which is very different from previous results. Moreover, the scintillations were precisely determined through power spectral analysis. We propose that the strong total electron content (TEC) enhancement (∼6 TECU) and flow shears in association with the polar cap arc under the southward IMF condition were creating the scintillations. It provides evidence for the existence of polar cap arc scintillations that may be harmful for satellite applications even through L‐band signals.
Comparison of Coincident Optical Particle Counter and Lidar Measurements of Polar Stratospheric Clouds Above McMurdo (77.85°S, 166.67°E) From 1994 to 1999
Authors: Snels Marcel , Cairo Francesco , Di Liberto Luca , Scoccione Andrea , Bracaglia Marco , Deshler Terry
Published: February 2021

Macroscopic stratospheric aerosol properties such as surface area density (SAD) and volume density (VD) are required by modern chemistry climate models. These quantities are in continuous need of validation by observations. Direct observation of these parameters is not possible, but they can be derived from optical particle counters (OPCs) which provide concentration (number density) and size distributions of aerosol particles, and possibly from ground‐based and satellite‐borne lidar observations of particle backscatter coefficients and aerosol type. When such measurements are obtained simultaneously by OPCs and lidars, they can be used to calculate backscatter and extinction coefficients, as well as SAD and VD. Empirical relations can thus be derived between particle backscatter coefficient, extinction coefficient, and SAD and VD for a variety of aerosols (desert dust, maritime aerosols, stratospheric aerosols) and be used to approximate SAD and VD from lidar measurements. Here we apply this scheme to coincident measurements of polar stratospheric clouds above McMurdo Station, Antarctica, by ground‐based lidar and balloon‐borne OPCs. The relationships derived from these measurements will provide a means to obtain values of SAD and VD for supercooled ternary solutions (STS) and nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) PSCs from the backscatter coefficients measured by lidar. Coincident lidar and OPC measurements provided 15 profile comparisons. Empirical expressions of SAD and VD as a function of particle backscatter coefficient, β, were calculated from fits of the form log(SAD/VD) = A + B log(β) using β from the lidar and SAD/VD from the OPC. The PSCs were classified as STS and NAT mixtures, ice being absent.
Polygenic hazard score is associated with prostate cancer in multi-ethnic populations
Authors: Huynh-Le Minh-Phuong , Fan Chun Chieh , Karunamuni Roshan , Thompson Wesley K. , Martinez Maria Elena , Eeles Rosalind A. , Kote-Jarai Zsofia , Muir Kenneth , Schleutker Johanna , Pashayan Nora , Batra Jyotsna , Grönberg Henrik , Neal David E. , Donovan Jenny L. , Hamdy Freddie C. , Martin Richard M. , Nielsen Sune F. , Nordestgaard Børge G. , Wiklund Fredrik , Tangen Catherine M. , Giles Graham G. , Wolk Alicja , Albanes Demetrius , Travis Ruth C. , Blot William J. , Zheng Wei , Sanderson Maureen , Stanford Janet L. , Mucci Lorelei A. , West Catharine M. L. , Kibel Adam S. , Cussenot Olivier , Berndt Sonja I. , Koutros Stella , Sørensen Karina Dalsgaard , Cybulski Cezary , Grindedal Eli Marie , Menegaux Florence , Khaw Kay-Tee , Park Jong Y. , Ingles Sue A. , Maier Christiane , Hamilton Robert J. , Thibodeau Stephen N. , Rosenstein Barry S. , Lu Yong-Jie , Watya Stephen , Vega Ana , Kogevinas Manolis , Penney Kathryn L. , Huff Chad , Teixeira Manuel R. , Multigner Luc , Leach Robin J. , Cannon-Albright Lisa , Brenner Hermann , John Esther M. , Kaneva Radka , Logothetis Christopher J. , Neuhausen Susan L. , De Ruyck Kim , Pandha Hardev , Razack Azad , Newcomb Lisa F. , Fowke Jay H. , Gamulin Marija , Usmani Nawaid , Claessens Frank , Gago-Dominguez Manuela , Townsend Paul A. , Bush William S. , Roobol Monique J. , Parent Marie-Élise , Hu Jennifer J. , Mills Ian G. , Andreassen Ole A. , Dale Anders M. , Seibert Tyler M. ,   UKGPCS collaborators,   APCB (Australian Prostate Cancer BioResource),   NC-LA PCaP Investigators,   The IMPACT Study Steering Committee and Collaborators,   Canary PASS Investigators,   The Profile Study Steering Committee,   The PRACTICAL Consortium
Published: February 2021

Genetic models for cancer have been evaluated using almost exclusively European data, which could exacerbate health disparities. A polygenic hazard score (PHS1) is associated with age at prostate cancer diagnosis and improves screening accuracy in Europeans. Here, we evaluate performance of PHS2 (PHS1, adapted for OncoArray) in a multi-ethnic dataset of 80,491 men (49,916 cases, 30,575 controls). PHS2 is associated with age at diagnosis of any and aggressive (Gleason score ≥ 7, stage T3-T4, PSA ≥ 10 ng/mL, or nodal/distant metastasis) cancer and prostate-cancer-specific death. Associations with cancer are significant within European (n = 71,856), Asian (n = 2,382), and African (n = 6,253) genetic ancestries (p < 10−180). Comparing the 80th/20th PHS2 percentiles, hazard ratios for prostate cancer, aggressive cancer, and prostate-cancer-specific death are 5.32, 5.88, and 5.68, respectively. Within European, Asian, and African ancestries, hazard ratios for prostate cancer are: 5.54, 4.49, and 2.54, respectively. PHS2 risk-stratifies men for any, aggressive, and fatal prostate cancer in a multi-ethnic dataset.