bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyse der Bildungsentscheidungen von (ehemaligen) Sportler*innen der Sportfördergruppen der Bundeswehr
Authors: Vollmann Franziska , Ehnold Peter , Schlesinger Torsten
Published: August 2023

Die Sportfördergruppen der Bundeswehr stellen eine tragende Säule der Unterstützung von Spitzensportler*innen in Deutschland dar. Ziel der Sportförderung ist u. a. die Vereinbarkeit von Spitzensport und Beruf durch eine „Duale Karriere-/Laufbahnplanung“ sicherzustellen. Trotz wiederholter Kritik liegen jedoch bisher keine Befunde zu Dualen Karriereverläufen von Sportsoldat*innen vor. Der Beitrag untersucht, inwieweit Sportsoldat*innen während ihrer Zugehörigkeit zu den Sportfördergruppen Bildungsangebote nutzen und welche Faktoren ihre Entscheidungen beeinflussen. Die Analyse der Bildungsentscheidungen basiert auf dem Konzept der Humankapitaltheorie und berücksichtigt spezifische Besonderheiten des Spitzensports sowie institutionelle Förderbedingungen. In einer retrospektiven Längsschnittstudie wurden zeitbezogene Ereignisdaten zur Dualen Karriere von n = 712 (ehemaligen) Sportsoldat*innen erhoben. Von diesen sind 414 derzeit in einer Sportfördergruppe aktiv, während 298 Befragte die Sportförderguppen innerhalb der letzten zehn Jahre verlassen haben. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass insgesamt 80,6 % der (ehemaligen) Sportsoldat*innen mindestens eine Ausbildung begonnen haben. Während der Zugehörigkeit zu den Sportfördergruppen haben (bisher) 42,6 % eine Ausbildung (davon 86,7 % mindestens ein Studium) aufgenommen. Die Bildungsentscheidungen werden vorwiegend von Faktoren der Bildungsbiografie und der Förderung der Dualen Karriere in den Sportfördergruppen beeinflusst. Hingegen lässt sich keine (zu) optimistische Einschätzung der beruflichen Verwertbarkeit des im Spitzensport erworbenen symbolischen Kapitals (Reputation) feststellen.
Modelling overflow using mixed integer programming in short-term hydropower scheduling
Authors: Litlabø Tormod , Aaslid Per , Riise Tarjei Lid , Haugland Dag
Published: August 2023

Short-term hydropower scheduling seeks to find a production schedule that maximizes profit, but must also consider the hydrological balance and risk of overflow. Overflow is by nature a non-linear and non-convex phenomenon. Common approximations and relaxations may cause non-physical results such as overflow from reservoirs that are not full. This paper presents a mixed-integer linear programming formulation that can be used to prevent non-physical overflow behaviour, but that comes at a cost of significant higher solving time. To achieve an acceptable solving time, we propose a heuristic to provide tight upper bounds on the overflow variables in each time step. When applied on the model of the Fossdal watercourse in Norway, the proposed method reduces the solving time with more than 90% compared to using a conservative fixed coefficient for all time steps.
Connecting Wetland Flooding Patterns to Insect Abundance Using High-Resolution Inundation Frequency Data
Authors: Åhlén Imenne , Jarsjö Jerker , Hambäck Peter A.
Published: August 2023

Flood dynamics are important drivers of wetland biodiversity. With current climate and land-use changes affecting overall water cycling, many wetland ecosystems are at risk of degradation, affecting biodiversity support negatively. This emphasizes a need for understanding possible correlations between specific hydrological conditions and biodiversity support in wetlands, at least in terms of species composition. In this study, we used high resolution hydrological monitoring of water levels and insect sampling in a depressional wetland to investigate possible correlations between inundation patterns and insect abundance. Our results show that there is a high spatial and temporal heterogeneity in wetland inundation patterns and that this heterogeneity explains variation in insect abundance. This creates episodes of downstream wet and upstream dry conditions. In addition, the spatial variability was high between grid cells of 2 meter’s resolution. There were also indications that distance to stream affected insect community structure. The findings from this work show that that the local hydrological conditions can create heterogeneity in habitat conditions, which in turn lead to refuge habitats for species vulnerable to changes in inundation condition. This study also highlights the importance of acknowledging quantitative hydrological methods when assessing the relation to insect communities.
Development of DNA markers using next-generation sequencing approach for molecular authentication of Boerhavia diffusa L. and Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers
Authors: Sharma Anu Radha , Vohra Manik , Vinay Chigateri M. , Paul Bobby , Chakrabarty Sanjiban , Rai Padmalatha S.
Published: August 2023

The adulteration of plants and their materials used in herbal formulations poses a severe health concern. Hence, there is a need to establish a reliable, cost-effective, and robust molecular biomarker to distinguish among species and identify herbal plants and raw drugs from adulterants. The present study used suppressive subtractive hybridization and next-generation sequencing technology to identify novel DNA markers for Boerhavia diffusa L. and Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers. We identified two primer sets for B. diffusa and one for T. cordifolia. The DNA markers were validated in different accessions of B. diffusa and T. cordifolia and their common adulterants to determine the sensitivity and specificity of developed DNA markers. The designed DNA markers showed 100% sensitivity and specificity in detecting B. diffusa and T. cordifolia from their adulterants. The strategy described here can be extrapolated for developing DNA markers to authenticate other plant species.
Oral complications associated with metal ion release from oral piercings: a systematic review
Authors: Masood M. , Walsh L. J. , Zafar S.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

This systematic review explored dental complications associated with metal ion release from oral piercings using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines.

Methods

Item retrieval from October 2022 to December 2022 from databases, such as Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science, using predefined search terms was undertaken by two independent reviewers. Data were extracted and risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist. From 1509 identified studies, 25 were included for analysis.

Results

Of the 25 studies, 20 included both clinical examination and questionnaire-based data. The remaining five studies were deemed low quality based on the Joanna Briggs Institute criteria. The average time piercings were worn ranged between 5 and 48 months. Most studies did not investigate complications from metal ion release. Only two studies examined the direct effects of metal ion release and showed that metal ions may cause hypersensitivity reactions and mucosal changes. Other soft tissue complications were reported, with gingival recession noted in 16 out of 25 studies, especially due to lip piercings. Studies reporting other complications were as follows: swelling (9), pain (8), infection (6), bleeding (6), inflammation (5), alterations to speech, eating and/or swallowing (5), changes to taste or metallic taste (5), and mucosal changes (4). Ten studies reported tooth chipping from tongue piercings.

Conclusion

Oral piercings leach metal ions into surrounding tissues which may cause local mucosal changes. Furthermore, oral piercings cause damage to both soft and hard oral tissues, particularly gingival recession for lip piercings and tooth chipping for tongue piercings. Thus, to prevent such adverse injuries, dental professionals should discourage patients against oral piercings.
Neurofilament-light chains (NF-L), a biomarker of neuronal damage, is increased in patients with severe sarcopenia: results of the SarcoPhAge study
Authors: Ladang Aurélie , Kovacs Stéphanie , Lengelé Laetitia , Locquet Médéa , Beaudart Charlotte , Reginster Jean-Yves , Bruyère Olivier , Cavalier Etienne
Published: August 2023

Background

As clinical tests, such as gait speed, require nervous system integrity to be performed properly, sarcopenia shares features with neurological diseases. Neurofilament light chains (NF-L) are now used as a blood-biomarker of neuronal damage, and its expression might be altered in sarcopenia. We aimed to assess NF-L concentrations in a large cohort of older individuals screened for sarcopenia.

Methods

The SarcoPhAge cohort is a Belgian cohort of 534 community-dwelling older adults with an ongoing 10-year follow-up. Sarcopenia diagnosis was established at inclusion according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) criteria. Muscle strength was evaluated with a hydraulic hand dynamometer, appendicular lean mass by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) and physical performance by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). NF-L was measured on all available sera collected at the time of inclusion (n = 409) using SiMoA technology (Quanterix°).

Results

In the multivariate model, NF-L was associated with performance tests such as gait speed (p < 0.0001) and SPPB scores (p = 0.0004). An association was also observed with muscle strength (p = 0.0123) and lean mass (p = 0.0279). In the logistic regression model, NF-L was an independent predictor of severe sarcopenia (p = 0.0338; OR = 20.0; 95% CI 1.39–287.7) with satisfactory diagnostic accuracy (AUC: 0.828) and subjects with an SPPB score ≤ 8 had higher odds of having increased NF-L (p < 0.0001; OR = 23.9; 95% CI 5.5–104).

Conclusions

These data highlight the potential for using NF-L to investigate the pathophysiology of sarcopenia severity and the neurological features associated with performance tests. However, these results need to be confirmed with other cohorts in different settings.
Equal Alternatives or Lower Standards for Immigrant Women—Analyzing Obstetric Care for Immigrant Women in Berlin Within the Framework of Cultural Health Capital
Authors: Großkreutz Claudia , Gürbüz Burcu , Borde Theda , Rancourt Rebecca C. , Henrich Wolfgang , David Matthias , Seidel Vera
Published: August 2023

In obstetric clinics in Berlin, Germany, more than half of the women are immigrants. The main objective of the qualitative study was to explore the staff’s experiences with obstetric care for immigrants and juxtapose it with the immigrants’ comments on their birth experiences. We analyze potential differences along the framework of a cultural health capital (CHC). Between May and August 2017, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 17 obstetricians and 17 midwives at four obstetric clinics in Berlin. The verbally transcribed interview material was subjected to a qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. Furthermore, a secondary data from an interview study was analyzed in the purpose of providing some insight into the practitioner study participant perspective. Between January and May 2017, in the postpartum ward at the Berlin Charité Campus Virchow Clinic, an interview study guided by the migrant-friendly maternity care questionnaire was conducted among 410 migrant and non-migrant women. For this study, the free-text comments on the pregnancy care were analyzed. The staff interviewees identified language barrier and legal status as risk factors for the late onset of obstetric care. CHC functioning potentially as alternatives to the established health care structures were voiced. Strong family ties among immigrant families bear a high potential for support. Gratefulness was voiced by the staff and immigrant patients as a source of satisfaction with care. Our study shows that obstetric care for immigrant women remains a challenge. CHC of immigrant women might partially compensate for exclusion.
Anti-allergen monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of allergies
Authors: Pengo Niccolo , Wuillemin Natascha , Bieli Dimitri , Gasser Pascal
Published: August 2023

Background

To tackle the growing allergy epidemic, novel therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. One promising avenue is the development of anti-allergen antibody therapies. This passive immunization approach stands out from traditional allergen immunotherapy by not exposing patients to the allergen but also by potentially treating patients who are less responsive or even unresponsive to allergen immunotherapies and providing immediate protection.

Methods

After a review of historical and recently published literature on the topic of anti-allergen antibodies, the status quo and recent advancements are presented. Anti-allergen antibody therapies in the context of immunological changes that occur during allergen immunotherapy are also discussed.

Results

While the protective role of anti-allergen antibodies was recognized decades ago, the advancement of antibody discovery technologies has fueled the field, and now different anti-allergen antibody therapies are approaching clinical use. These developments have also broadened our understanding of the allergens and allergenic epitopes responsible in different allergic diseases, and also the role played by immunoglobulins in shaping the immune system.

Conclusion

The development of anti-allergen antibody therapies offers great potential for the treatment of allergies. Of interest, the efficacy of passive immunization approaches will likely extend beyond allergen neutralization as in the presence of the allergen they might contribute to long-lasting disease modification.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Multidimensional fuzzy norms and cut sets in the context of medical decision making
Authors: Josen Jomal , John Sunil Jacob
Published: August 2023

This study introduces the concepts of complements, t-norms, t-conorms, and cut sets in the context of multi-dimensional fuzzy sets. Some fundamental results including DeMorgan-type identities, concerning these, are obtained. The advantage of using multidimensional fuzzy sets for analyzing data is that each element in the universe can be given individual attention as per the requirement. By utilizing this scope, as an application of the introduced concepts, stage identification of certain diseases based on Multidimensional fuzzy sets and intuitionistic fuzzy sets is provided together with a comparative study on typical biomedical data.
Formal Modelling for Multi-Robot Systems Under Uncertainty
Authors: Street Charlie , Mansouri Masoumeh , Lacerda Bruno
Published: August 2023

Purpose of Review

To effectively synthesise and analyse multi-robot behaviour, we require formal task-level models which accurately capture multi-robot execution. In this paper, we review modelling formalisms for multi-robot systems under uncertainty and discuss how they can be used for planning, reinforcement learning, model checking, and simulation.

Recent Findings

Recent work has investigated models which more accurately capture multi-robot execution by considering different forms of uncertainty, such as temporal uncertainty and partial observability, and modelling the effects of robot interactions on action execution. Other strands of work have presented approaches for reducing the size of multi-robot models to admit more efficient solution methods. This can be achieved by decoupling the robots under independence assumptions or reasoning over higher-level macro actions.

Existing multi-robot models demonstrate a trade-off between accurately capturing robot dependencies and uncertainty, and being small enough to tractably solve real-world problems. Therefore, future research should exploit realistic assumptions over multi-robot behaviour to develop smaller models which retain accurate representations of uncertainty and robot interactions; and exploit the structure of multi-robot problems, such as factored state spaces, to develop scalable solution methods.
An original donor-dependent spheroid system for the prediction of idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury risk
Authors: Cherradi Sara , Taulet Nicolas , Duong Hong Tuan
Published: August 2023

One major drawback of preclinical models to test drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is their inability to predict the interindividual difference of DILI effect in a population. Consequently, a high number of molecules that passed preclinical phases, fail clinical trials, and many FDA-approved drugs were removed from the market due to idiosyncratic DILI. We use a proprietary-depleted human serum-based cell educating technology to generate donor-dependent spheroids with distinct morphology and functionality. We demonstrate that educated spheroids could capture the large variations in susceptibility to drug-induced liver injury between donors. We show that the model could predict clinical apparent DILI risk with a high specificity and sensitivity. We provide evidence that the model could address non-genetic factor-associated DILI risk and severity such as age or sex. Our study supports the benefit of using donor-dependent educated spheroids for hepatotoxicity evaluation in preclinical phase or in an exploratory study clinical trial phase 2 to provide a robust safety profile to a drug.
Total factor productivity and regional difference of tourism industry of listed companies
Authors: Xu Hongyi , Shen Yaqi , Wu Yixi , Xu Peng
Published: August 2023

Tourism industry has become a breakthrough point for China’s economic growth. As of 2019, the tourism economy has been maintaining a faster growth than the GDP growth rate, the entry and exit market has been developing steadily, the structural reform on the supply side has been effective, and the per capita income of China’s residents has grown significantly. In this context, this paper selects fifteen listed tourism companies in China as samples, uses the Malmquist index method in DEA to measure the total factor productivity of these fifteen companies in China as samples, analyzes their resource allocation efficiency, and tests the robustness of the empirical results. Three conclusions are obtained: from the overall perspective, the total factor productivity of fifteen listed companies as a whole shows an upward trend during the 5-year period, mainly due to the technological progress; from the year perspective, the Malmquist productivity index of China’s tourism industry shows a turnaround change during the 5-year period, and the operational efficiency shows regional differences; the fluctuations of various listed tourism companies in China are influenced by the environment and policies.
Machine learning approach to predict adsorption capacity of Fe-modified biochar for selenium
Authors: Ullah Habib , Khan Sangar , Chen Baoliang , Shahab Asfandyar , Riaz Luqman , Lun Lu , Wu Naicheng
Published: August 2023

The accurate prediction of environmental Se (selenium) adsorption levels is critical for sustainable development and management perception. The concept of sorting massive quantities of data to find important information using machine learning (ML) has recently been applied to environmental remediation, particularly the science-based design of a 'green' carbonaceous and an effective functional material (e.g., biochar and Fe modified biochar) with high Selenium (Se) removal capacity. The present study focuses on presenting ML models that utilize the random-forest (RF) support vector regression (SVR) and SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) models to forecast the adsorption of Se by modified biochar. The RF, SVR and SHAP models, which were constructed using basic surface properties of Fe-modified biochar and environmental conditions showed accuracy and predictive performance for Se (removal capacity in the test group with R2 of 0.98, 0.98 and 0.95 and RMSE of 0.35, 0.14 and 0.23 mg-kg−1, respectively). The SVR model was highly effective for predicting Se adsorption, indicating potentially higher accuracy than the RF and SHAP models. This may be due to the small size of our data. According to the feature analysis and partial dependence plot analysis of all three models, the most significant component regulating Se adsorption was oxygen (%) followed by carbon (%), temperature, pH and Fe in all three models. The relative importance of variables may offer guidance for researchers to develop improved Se treatment of actual water and wastewater. Moreover, the ML models developed in this study took into account the surface functionalities of biochar and Fe-modified biochar to provide a more accurate prediction of Se removal, and offer a comprehensive guideline for the long-term development of biochar adsorbents for Se removal.

Graphical Abstract
Correlation between air temperature and surface ozone in their extreme ranges in the greater Tokyo region
Authors: Yoshikado Hiroshi
Published: August 2023

High-level ozone (O3) events observed around major urban regions in the middle latitudes are correlated with high temperatures (T-O3 correlation). Therefore, the effects of global warming on the future O3 levels are a matter of concern. The T-O3 correlation is caused by various physicochemical and meteorological processes, the importance of which can differ by region. This statistical analysis focused on the correlation in the extremely high ranges, because the lower ranges would only act as noise in elucidating the conditions at which high temperatures and high levels of O3 occur. This methodology was applied to the greater Tokyo region after 2001, where severe O3 events frequently occurred when the sea breeze system developed in summer. To select sample days for the analysis, this study set up twofold filtering: (1) a large threshold for midday sunshine duration and (2) a typical variation pattern to roughly judge sea breeze days, mostly essential weather pattern for high-level O3 events in the region. The most notable result was a decrease in O3 corresponding to the reduction in non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC) from Period I (2001–2007) to Period III (2017–2019). As the NMHC rank reduced, the linear regression line for the T-O3 correlation shifted downward, but its slope (ppb/°C) remained around 10, except that temporary spikes in O3 levels and temperatures occurred at moderate NMHC levels. From an urban meteorological perspective, the wind speed in the mature stage of the sea breeze is the major factor behind the T-O3 correlation.
The Critique of Judgment and the Unity of Kant's Critical System
Authors: Ostaric Lara
Published: August 2023

In this book, Lara Ostaric argues that Kant's seminal Critique of Judgment is properly understood as completing his Critical system. The two seemingly disparate halves of the text are unified under this larger project insofar as both aesthetic and teleological judgment indirectly exhibit the final end of reason, the Ideas of the highest good and the postulates, as if obtaining in nature. She relates Kant's discussion of aesthetic and teleological judgment to important yet under-explored concepts in his philosophy, and helps the reader to recognize the relevance of his aesthetics and teleology for our understanding of fine arts and genius, the possibility of pure judgments of ugliness, Kant's philosophy of history, his philosophy of religion, and his conception of autonomy. Ostaric's novel and thoroughly integrative presentation of Kant's system will be of interest not only to Kant scholars but also to those working in religious studies, art history, political theory, and intellectual history.
Evaluating the effectiveness of whistleblower protection: A new index
Authors: Baljija Shpresa Kaçiku , Min Kyoung-sun
Published: August 2023

Many international organisations have recently acknowledged the significance of whistleblowing in preventing institutional corruption, particularly in the public sector. Likewise, many countries have enacted whistleblower protection laws, though a robust whistleblower protection system certainly requires much more than legislation. One challenge in developing effective protection systems is finding empirical evidence to evaluate existing systems. Can we measure the effectiveness of whistleblower protection systems accross different countries? What conditions do we need to make the whistleblower protection system work effectively in the public sector? This paper investigates two cases: South Korea and the Republic of Kosovo. South Korean data comes from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission of South Korea, while its counterpart from Kosovo comes from a survey of 400 public officials about whistleblower protection. By analysing both datasets, this paper creates a new index that evaluates the effectiveness of whistleblower protection. Composed of quantitative and qualitative sub-indices, the index serves as a digital comparison tool for assessing whistleblower protection systems across different countries and at different times. In addition to enacting high-quality laws, this index identifies several additional measures that can strengthen whistleblower protection systems in the public sector.
Nonsolidity of uniruled varieties
Authors: Campo Livia , Duarte Guerreiro Tiago
Published: August 2023

We give conditions for a uniruled variety of dimension at least 2 to be nonsolid. This study provides further evidence to a conjecture by Abban and Okada on the solidity of Fano 3-folds. To complement our results we write explicit birational links from Fano 3-folds of high codimension embedded in weighted projective spaces.
Non-Galilean Taylor–Culick law governs sheet dynamics in unsteady fragmentation
Authors: Wang Y. , Bourouiba L.
Published: August 2023

We present the results of a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of sheet evolution, expansion and retraction, under unsteady fragmentation upon drop impact on a surface of comparable size to that of the drop. We quantify and model the effect of the continuous time-varying – unsteady – shedding of droplets from the sheet via its bounding rim. We present and validate especially developed advanced image processing algorithms that quantify, with high accuracy, the key quantities involved in such unsteady fragmentation, from sheet, to rim, to ligaments, to droplet properties. With these high precision measurements, we show the important effect of continuous unsteady droplet shedding on the sheet dynamics. We combine experiments and theory to derive and validate governing equations of the sheet that incorporate such continuous shedding – associated with continuous loss of momentum and mass – from unsteady fragmentation. Combining this theory with the universal unsteady rim dynamics discovered in Wang et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 120, 2018, 204503), we show that the governing equation of the sheet can be reduced to a continuous-shedding, non-Galilean Taylor–Culick law, from which we deduce new analytical expressions for the time evolution of the sheet radius. We show the robustness of the predictions to changes of fluid properties, including surface tension and moderate fluid viscosity and elasticity, including use of physiological mucosalivary fluid. We also reconcile prior literature's inconsistent experimental results on the sheet dynamics upon drop impact.
Affective polarization and the destabilization of core political values
Authors: Ollerenshaw Trent
Published: August 2023

Analyses of US panel surveys from 1992 to 1996 have found extremity in political values was associated with increased affective polarization, but that affective polarization was not associated with changes in value extremity during this period (Enders and Lupton, 2021). This note reevaluates the relationships between political value extremity and affective polarization using a 2016–2020 panel survey. Replicating Enders and Lupton's analytical procedures as closely as possible with this more recent sample, I find value extremity is sometimes associated with increased affective polarization. In contrast to Enders and Lupton (2021), however, affective polarization is strongly associated with increased value extremity between 2016 and 2020. These findings suggest that the relationships between political values and affective polarization may have changed since the 1990s, and that values are now influenced by Americans' evaluations of salient political objects, such as parties, presidential candidates, and ideological groups.
14CO2 ACTIVITY IN AIR SAMPLES AND DILUTION FACTOR EVALUATION OF KAKRAPAR GUJARAT SITE, INDIA
Authors: Chandrakar A , Patra A K , Joshi C P , Jain A , Nankar D P , Badhai D , Karthik S , Saradhi I V , Kumar A V
Published: August 2023

14CO2 activity in air samples collected at Kakrapar Gujarat Site, India, was measured, and site-specific dilution factor for 14CO2 has been evaluated. 14CO2 activity in air samples was monitored for 72 different sampling events at onsite stack of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and at ESL meteorology laboratory (at 1.6 km from NPP stack). 14CO2 activity in air at stack of NPP and at ESL meteorology laboratory was observed to 0.10–0.18 TBq (GWe.year)–1, with mean value 0.12 TBq (GWe.year)–1 and ≤0.04–0.13 Bq m–3, with mean value 0.08 Bq m–3 respectively. The results were correlated with meteorological parameters. Site specific dilution factor for 14CO2 in air was evaluated at 1.6 km and was found to be in the range of 4.6E-05 to 21E-05 s m–3. Inter angle (degree) between plume direction and fixed sampling location and rainfall (mm) are found to be the important influencing parameters for dilution factor of 14CO2 in air.
To Marry or Not to Marry? Gender and Interethnic Group Trust
Authors: Shair-Rosenfield Sarah , Liu Amy H.
Published: August 2023

While there has been work on whether women are more tolerant of outgroups, the ethnic politics literature has generally overlooked the role of gender in explaining interethnic trust. Whatever attention exists often focuses on the gender of the subject—that is, who is doing the trusting—with mixed results. One reason is that the object being entrusted is either not specified or assumed genderless. In this paper, we call attention to the gender of an important entrusted object in interethnic relations: children. We argue people are less willing to have their daughters—compared to their sons—marry an ethnic outgroup. Additionally, this willingness declines as the cultural distance widens. We test this using a survey experiment in Romania where we leverage the diversity in ethnicity and a gendered language structure. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for gender-based differences in studying interethnic trust.
On the Jones polynomial modulo primes
Authors: Aiello Valeriano , Baader Sebastian , Ferretti Livio
Published: August 2023

We derive an upper bound on the density of Jones polynomials of knots modulo a prime number
$p$
, within a sufficiently large degree range:
$4/p^7$
. As an application, we classify knot Jones polynomials modulo two of span up to eight.
Weil Sums over Small Subgroups
Authors: OSTAFE ALINA , SHPARLINSKI IGOR E. , VOLOCH JOSÉ FELIPE
Published: August 2023

We obtain new bounds on short Weil sums over small multiplicative subgroups of prime finite fields which remain nontrivial in the range the classical Weil bound is already trivial. The method we use is a blend of techniques coming from algebraic geometry and additive combinatorics.
Selected issues of optimising parameters on square riggers to maximise speed
Authors: Rafał Szymański , Cezary Specht
Published: August 2023

Due to the exceptional complexity of the propulsion system (sails), square-riggers form a special group of sailing vessels. In modern pleasure and sport sailing, simple Bermuda (triangular) sailing rigging prevails, which is widely discussed in the literature, both in terms of theory and numerous experiments. The literature on the theory on square-riggers is, in turn, limited mainly to the description of good sailing practice developed over the centuries. Its important element was maximising vessel speed, but this discussion has not been documented by scientific research. This paper presents the significant parameters influencing the speed of a square-rigged sailing vessel and selects those which are the most important from the point of view of its maximisation. The paper also proposes methods and measurement systems which optimise selected parameters affecting the achievement of higher speeds. The paper describes the types of speeds of typical sailing vessels, provides a historical synthesis of sailing ships with respect to their speed, and presents a selection and description of the parameters affecting the speed of modern square-rigged vessels. The paper ends with a proposed method and measurement system for experimental research aiming at rigging optimisation in a square-rigged sailing vessel from the point of view of maximising its speed.
Health needs assessment for the double burden of malnutrition: a community-based study on nutrition facilitators and barriers in rural Tanzania
Authors: von Salmuth Victoria , Buijs Lieke , Chirangi Bwire , Vreugdenhil Anita CE , van Schayck Onno CP
Published: August 2023

Objective:

The aim of this study is to explore nutrition-related health needs, the perceptions and beliefs regarding the double burden of malnutrition, as well as barriers and facilitators in accessing nutritious food among the local population in rural Tanzania.

Design:

A qualitative study design using semi-structured individual interviews and focus-group discussions (FGD) was used. Basic socio-demographic information was obtained from all participants.

Setting:

The study was conducted in four villages within the catchment area of the Shirati KMT Hospital in Rorya district, in north-western Tanzania.

Participants:

Men and women in the reproductive age as well as Community Health Workers (CHW) were included.

Results:

In total, we performed fourteen interviews (N 41), consisting of four FGD, one dual and nine individual interviews. The three most significant topics that were identified are the large knowledge gap concerning overweight and obesity as a health problem, changing weather patterns and its implications on food supply and the socio-cultural drivers including gender roles and household dynamics.

Conclusion:

Environmental and socio-cultural factors play a crucial role in the determinants for DBM, which underlines the importance of understanding the local context and the nutrition practices and beliefs of the communities. Future nutritional interventions should aim towards more inclusion of men in project implementation as well as support of women empowerment. CHW could play a key role in facilitating some of the suggested interventions, including nutritional counselling and increasing awareness on the drivers of the double burden of malnutrition.
Tap water perceptions and water filter use vary with socio-demographic characteristics and are associated with water and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in university students
Authors: Slotnick Melissa J , Wolfson Julia A , Leung Cindy W
Published: August 2023

Objective:

The goal of this study is to evaluate university students’ perceptions of tap water safety and water filter use and determine how these perceptions and behaviours affect water and sugar-sweetened beverage intake.

Design:

Cross-sectional; online survey conducted in Fall 2021.

Setting:

A large, public Midwestern university in the USA.

Participants:

Seven-hundred ninety-three university students.

Results:

Students who experienced food insecurity, were on a Pell grant, were first-generation college students or were racial/ethnic minorities were less likely to trust tap water safety. Tap water filtration behaviour also varied by age and race/ethnicity. Students who did not agree with the statement ‘my local tap water is safe to drink’ had lower odds of consuming ≥ 3 cups of total water per day (OR = 0·45, 95 % CI: 0·32, 0·62), lower odds of consuming tap water ≥ 3 times/d (OR = 0·46, 95 % CI: 0·34, 0·64), higher odds of drinking bottled water ≥ 1 time per day (OR = 1·80, 95 % CI: 1·22, 2·66) and higher odds of drinking SSB ≥ 1 time per day (OR = 1·47, 95 % CI: 1·01, 2·14) than those who agreed. Students who always or sometimes filtered their tap water had lower odds of consuming ≥ 3 cups of total water per day (OR = 0·59, 95 % CI: 0·39, 0·90) than students who never filtered their tap water.

Conclusions:

Tap water perceptions and behaviours affect tap and bottled water and SSB intake among university students. Tap water perceptions and behaviours in this demographic provide important context for university programming promoting healthy beverage initiatives.
NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS FOR LARGELY DEFORMED BEAMS AND RINGS ADOPTING A NONTENSILE SMOOTHED PARTICLE HYDRODYNAMICS ALGORITHM
Authors: TRAN-DUC THIEN , MEYLAN MICHAEL H. , THAMWATTANA NGAMTA
Published: August 2023

Three typical elastic problems, including beam bending, truss extension and compression, and two-rings collision are simulated with smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) using Lagrangian and Eulerian algorithms. A contact-force model for elastic collisions and equation of state for pressure arising in colliding elastic bodies are also analytically derived. Numerical validations, on using the corresponding theoretical models, are carried out for the beam bending, truss extension and compression simulations. Numerical instabilities caused by largely deformed particle configurations in finite/large elastic deformations are analysed. The numerical experiments show that the algorithms handle small deformations well, but only the Lagrangian algorithm can handle large elastic deformations. The numerical results obtained from the Lagrangian algorithm also show a good agreement with the theoretical values.
Querying Data Exchange Settings Beyond Positive Queries
Authors: CALAUTTI MARCO , GRECO SERGIO , MOLINARO CRISTIAN , TRUBITSYNA IRINA
Published: August 2023

Data exchange, the problem of transferring data from a source schema to a target schema, has been studied for several years. The semantics of answering positive queries over the target schema has been defined in early work, but little attention has been paid to more general queries. A few proposals of semantics for more general queries exist but they either do not properly extend the standard semantics under positive queries, giving rise to counterintuitive answers, or they make query answering undecidable even for the most important data exchange settings, for example, with weakly-acyclic dependencies.

The goal of this paper is to provide a new semantics for data exchange that is able to deal with general queries. At the same time, we want our semantics to coincide with the classical one when focusing on positive queries, and to not trade-off too much in terms of complexity of query answering. We show that query answering is undecidable in general under the new semantics, but it is
$\text{co}\text{NP}\text{-complete}$
when the dependencies are weakly-acyclic. Moreover, in the latter case, we show that exact answers under our semantics can be computed by means of logic programs with choice, thus exploiting existing efficient systems. For more efficient computations, we also show that our semantics allows for the construction of a representative target instance, similar in spirit to a universal solution, that can be exploited for computing approximate answers in polynomial time.
Immediate Learning Benefits of Retrieval Tasks
Authors: Endres Tino , Kubik Veit , Koslowski Kenneth , Hahne Florian , Renkl Alexander
Published: August 2023

Abstract: We investigated immediate learning benefits of retrieval tasks when followed by a self-regulated relearning opportunity, compared to a restudy task. We aimed to unravel the underlying metacognitive and motivational mechanisms. In a mixed-factorial design ( N = 104), we manipulated review task (retrieval vs. restudy) as a within-subjects factor in two experimental sessions, and task granularity (coarse- vs. fine-grained) as a between-subjects factor. The retrieval task led to an immediate learning benefit compared to a restudy task in Session 1, but not across sessions. The review-task order influenced the emergence of an immediate retrieval-practice effect. Mediation analyses for Session 1 revealed that decreased levels of both judgments of learning (JOL) and self-efficacy partially mediated the retrieval-task effect on the learning outcome. Fine-grained tasks increased JOL regulation accuracy; however, this increase did not translate into better relearning. Retrieval tasks can improve learning outcomes, also after short delays, specifically when relearning opportunities are provided.
Physical Model of Gusty Coherent Structure in Atmospheric Boundary Layer
Authors: Li Qilong , Cheng Xueling , Ma Yubin , Wu Lin , Zeng Qingcun
Published: August 2023

Coherent structure is an important phenomenon in the fluid field, and also exists in atmospheric boundary layer. For example, after the passage of a cold front in spring in northern China, there is a rather regular gusty wind with a period of approximately 3 min superimposed on the basic strong wind, and the gusty wind possesses a coherent structure: the vertical velocity is upward when horizontal velocity is in the valley phase, but downward when horizontal velocity is in the peak phase. The coherence makes transport of momentum and matter more effective. It was later found that this gusty coherent structure is a phenomenon of mechanical turbulence, which occurs in weakly stable, neutral and unstable stratification. However, research on the physical mechanism of this coherent structure is still lacking. This paper shows that the gusty coherent structure can be explained by quasi‐streamwise vortex pairs and high and low speed streaks induced by quasi‐streamwise vortexes. The coherent structure can be obtained from the three‐dimensional Navier‒Stokes (N‒S) equations. The maximum intensities of vortices and streaks are located at 20.7% and 12.1% of the boundary layer heights respectively, which are consistent with the observed results at 200 and 120 m.
Finding new and better treatments for psychiatric disorders
Authors: Paul Steven M. , Potter William Z.
Published: August 2023

In contrast to most fields of medicine, progress to discover and develop new and improved psychiatric drugs has been slow and disappointing. The vast majority of currently prescribed drugs to treat schizophrenia, mood and anxiety disorders are arguably no more effective than the first generation of psychiatric drugs introduced well over 50 years ago. With only a few exceptions current psychiatric drugs work via the same fundamental mechanisms of action as first-generation agents. Here we describe the reasons for this slow progress and outline a number of areas of research that involve a greater reliance on experimental therapeutics utilizing recent advances in neuroscience to better understand disease biology. We exemplify the potential impact of these areas of research focus with several recent examples of novel agents that have emerged and which support our optimism that newer, more effective and better tolerated agents, are on the horizon. Together with existing drugs these newer agents and novel mechanisms could offer markedly improved functional outcomes for the millions of people still disabled by psychiatric disorders.
PARP1-catalyzed PARylation of YY1 mediates endoplasmic reticulum stress in granulosa cells to determine primordial follicle activation
Authors: Chen Wei , E Qiukai , Sun Bo , Zhang Pengxue , Li Nan , Fei Shujia , Wang Yingnan , Liu Shuting , Liu Xiaoqiu , Zhang Xuesen
Published: August 2023

Although only a small number of primordial follicles are known to be selectively activated during female reproductive cycles, the mechanisms that trigger this recruitment remain largely uncharacterized. Misregulated activation of primordial follicles may lead to the exhaustion of the non-renewable pool of primordial follicles, resulting in premature ovarian insufficiency. Here, we found that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) enzymatic activity in the surrounding granulosa cells (GCs) in follicles determines the subpopulation of the dormant primordial follicles to be awakened. Conversely, specifically inhibiting PARP1 in oocytes in an in vitro mouse follicle reconstitution model does not affect primordial follicle activation. Further analysis revealed that PARP1-catalyzed transcription factor YY1 PARylation at Y185 residue facilitates YY1 occupancy at Grp78 promoter, a key molecular chaperone of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), and promotes Grp78 transcription in GCs, which is required for GCs maintaining proper ERS during primordial follicle activation. Inhibiting PARP1 prevents the loss of primordial follicle pool by attenuating the excessive ERS in GCs under fetal bisphenol A exposure. Together, we demonstrate that PARP1 in GCs acts as a pivotal modulator to determine the fate of the primordial follicles and may represent a novel therapeutic target for the retention of primordial follicle pool in females.
Regulation of CD8+ T memory and exhaustion by the mTOR signals
Authors: Chen Yao , Xu Ziyang , Sun Hongxiang , Ouyang Xinxing , Han Yuheng , Yu Haihui , Wu Ningbo , Xie Yiting , Su Bing
Published: August 2023

CD8+ T cells are the key executioners of the adaptive immune arm, which mediates antitumor and antiviral immunity. Naïve CD8+ T cells develop in the thymus and are quickly activated in the periphery after encountering a cognate antigen, which induces these cells to proliferate and differentiate into effector cells that fight the initial infection. Simultaneously, a fraction of these cells become long-lived memory CD8+ T cells that combat future infections. Notably, the generation and maintenance of memory cells is profoundly affected by various in vivo conditions, such as the mode of primary activation (e.g., acute vs. chronic immunization) or fluctuations in host metabolic, inflammatory, or aging factors. Therefore, many T cells may be lost or become exhausted and no longer functional. Complicated intracellular signaling pathways, transcription factors, epigenetic modifications, and metabolic processes are involved in this process. Therefore, understanding the cellular and molecular basis for the generation and fate of memory and exhausted CD8+ cells is central for harnessing cellular immunity. In this review, we focus on mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), particularly signaling mediated by mTOR complex (mTORC) 2 in memory and exhausted CD8+ T cells at the molecular level.
Truck platooning reshapes greenhouse gas emissions of the integrated vehicle-road infrastructure system
Authors: Cheng Huailei , Wang Yuhong , Chong Dan , Xia Chao , Sun Lijun , Liu Jenny , Gao Kun , Yang Ruikang , Jin Tian
Published: August 2023

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions has turned into a pillar of climate change mitigation. Truck platooning is proposed as a strategy to lower emissions from vehicles on roads. However, the potential interactive impacts of this technology on road infrastructure emissions remain unclear. Here, we evaluate the decarbonization effects of truck platooning on the integrated vehicle-road system at a large-scale road network level, spanning 1457 road sections across North America. We show that truck platooning decreases emissions induced by truck operations, but it degrades faster the durability of road infrastructure and leads to a 27.9% rise in road emissions due to more frequent maintenance work. Overall, truck platooning results in a 5.1% emission reduction of the integrated vehicle-road system. In contrast to the benefits of emission reduction, truck platooning leads to additional financial burdens on car users and transportation agencies, calling for the consideration of tradeoffs between emissions and costs and between agencies and users. Our research provides insights into the potential applications of truck platooning to mitigate climate change.