bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is the Smartphone Friend and Foe? Benefits and Costs of Self-reported Smartphone Use for Important Life Domains in a Representative German Sample
Authors: Roos Yannick , Wrzus Cornelia
Published: August 2022

Smartphones are ubiquitous today, yet opinions differ as to whether the benefits or downsides of smartphone use predominate. Using the age-representative ‘Innovation Sample’ of the German Socio-Economic Panel study (N = 5,131, age M = 52.26, 17–96 years), this study examined associations between self-reported smartphone use and three life domains: individual well-being (psychological well-being, sleep); interpersonal relationships (social isolation, network size); and work (working hours, job satisfaction). For younger adults, increased smartphone use was associated with higher psychological well-being and longer sleep. In middle and late adulthood, moderate smartphone use was associated with the highest psychological well-being, and increased smartphone use was associated with less sleep. The more adults used the communicative functions of their smartphone, the more close friends they reported – irrespective of age. Employed adults who used work-related functions of their smartphone reported working more overtime and in the evening. Exploratory structural equation model trees examined non-linear combinations of smartphone use and demographic characteristics as moderators of these associations, but observed only few replicable patterns. The generally small associations might indicate that differences in ‘normal ranges’ of smartphone use are less consequential for the broad population than often assumed. We discuss challenges and future approaches for research on consequences of smartphone use.
Left-behind youth are not always bad! Relations between teacher autonomy support, narcissism, and prosocial behavior
Authors: Lan Xiaoyu
Published: August 2022

Prior research has widely demonstrated that children who remain in their original communities after one or both biological parents migrated (i.e., left-behind children) confront salient emotional and behavioral difficulties; however, an insufficient amount of research has been devoted to understanding their prosocial behavior. The current study extended prior research by comparing the prosocial behavior between left-behind children and their non-left-behind peers. Subsequently, this study examined the individual variations (i.e., narcissism and left-behind status) of the correlation between teacher autonomy support and prosocial behavior in a combined sample of left-behind and non-left-behind children. 738 youth (Nleft-behind = 246, Meanage = 15.77, 53.6% girls; Nnon-left-behind = 492, Meanage = 15.91, 55.1% girls) participated in the present research and completed a packet of well-established questionnaires. The results, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, showed that the prosocial behavior of left-behind children did not significantly differ from that of non-left-behind children. Furthermore, the results based on linear regression analysis exhibited teacher autonomy support was positively related to prosocial behavior, and high narcissism buffered against the adverse effect of low teacher autonomy support on left-behind children’s prosocial behavior. The current study indicates that creating an autonomy-supportive atmosphere at school and facilitating left-behind children’s narcissism are paramount to promoting their prosocial tendencies.
Secondary sclerosing cholangitis after COVID-19 pneumonia: a report of two cases and review of the literature
Authors: Bauer Ulrike , Pavlova Desislava , Abbassi Rami , Lahmer Tobias , Geisler Fabian , Schmid Roland M. , Ehmer Ursula
Published: August 2022

Secondary sclerosing cholangitis in critically ill patients (SC-CIP) is a rare disease characterized by chronic cholestasis. The underlying pathophysiology of SC-CIP is not fully understood, and prognosis in severe cases remains poor with liver transplantation remaining the only curative treatment option. There is a growing amount of literature describing patients with chronic cholangiopathy after COVID-19 infection. The vast majority of the patients described in these reports were male and had a poor outcome. While the exact percentage of patients with COVID-19-related SC-CIP cannot be estimated accurately due to a lack of larger studies, an increase in patients with long-term complications of chronic cholestatic liver disease after severe COVID19-pneumonia can be expected in the upcoming years. Treatment options remain limited and further research is needed to improve the dismal prognosis of SC-CIP. Here, we present the cases of two patients who developed SC-CIP after prolonged intensive care unit stay due to severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Both patients required invasive ventilation for 31 and 141 days, respectively, as well as extra-corporal membrane oxygenation for 23 and 87 days. The patients suffered from jaundice and severe pruritus, and typical features of SC-CIP were present by MRCP and ERC. Repeated removal of biliary casts resulted in some alleviation of their clinical symptoms, but cholestasis parameters remain elevated. Furthermore, an increased liver stiffness was indicative of advanced fibrosis in both patients. In addition to these two case reports, we provide a concise review of the literature of SC-CIP after COVID-19 infection and discuss risk factors, treatment options and prognosis.
New paleoecological perspectives on Late Pleistocene Neanderthals in northern Balkans: the rodent assemblages from Smolućka cave (Serbia)
Authors: Jovanović Mihailo , Bogićević Katarina , Nenadić Draženko , Agustí Jordi , Sánchez-Bandera Christian , López-García Juan Manuel , Blain Hugues-Alexandre
Published: August 2022

During the Late Pleistocene, the Balkans came to be an important region with many isolated areas, enabling fauna, alongside Neanderthals, to thrive in the area. This work is focused on paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic changes that occurred in the northern Balkan Peninsula with a special focus on fossil record from Smolućka cave aging from MIS 5 to MIS 3. Based on available data, an attempt has been made to establish a synthetic chronological context for the faunal assemblages recovered from Smolućka cave. Tentative attribution of layer 5 to MIS 5 relies on the interstadial pattern of our reconstructions, with favorable climate conditions for a large diversity of species and with mean annual temperature (MAT) reaching up to 3 °C higher than present values and abundant rainfall in the area. Cold conditions for MIS 4 are not present in Smolućka, although layer 4 (late MIS 5 or early MIS 4) shows somewhat dryer and cooler climate when compared with other layers. Layers 3z and 3 (MIS 3) are characterized by temperate and humid conditions together with a complex system of mosaic habitats with high environmental heterogeny but generally favorable conditions for a large diversity of life. Although still not fully chronologically constrained, Smolućka cave presents an interesting opportunity for future research, in the time period when only Neanderthals occupied the Balkans and thrived in local conditions. The transition between the Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans has not yet been established but can be expected in future research.
Data modalities, consumer attributes and recommendation performance in the fashion industry
Authors: Sysko-Romańczuk Sylwia , Zaborek Piotr , Wróblewska Anna , Dąbrowski Jacek , Tkachuk Sergiy
Published: August 2022

This paper investigates determinants of recommendation systems’ performance in an online experiment in a large European Internet footwear store. By combining transactional data and archival customer records, a unique database was compiled from which proxy variables were extracted to represent dimensions of consumer loyalty and shopping involvement. These variables were combined in regression analysis with technical characteristics of two types of algorithms employed for generating recommendations: the EMDE algorithm, relying on the LSH method, and the industry-standard CF-RS. Statistical analysis reveals that recommendations are more successful when visual data modality is combined with behavioural data. Better recommendation performance was found to be associated with lower levels of consumer involvement in shopping, as well as higher levels of trust and engagement with the vendor. Experience with the vendor showed a negative correlation with recommendation performance through both its main effect and by its interactions with other consumer-related variables.
Time-Dependant Microstructural Evolution and Tribological Behaviour of a 26 wt% Cr White Cast Iron Subjected to a Destabilization Heat Treatment
Authors: Nayak U. Pranav , Mücklich Frank , Guitar María Agustina
Published: August 2022

By employing destabilization heat treatments (HT), it is possible to create microstructures possessing different fractions of carbides, martensite, and austenite, which lead to varying tribological responses in abrasion-resistant high-chromium white cast irons. In the current work, the destabilization temperature was kept constant at 980 °C, whereas the time was varied from 0 to 90 min. As a result, the microstructure of the 26 wt% Cr white cast iron had a mixture of M23C6 secondary carbides (SC), martensite, and a decrease in the amount of retained austenite (RA) with increasing destabilization holding time. The microstructures as well as their tribological characteristics were evaluated by combining confocal laser scanning microscopy, SEM, XRD, and EBSD, together with dry-sliding linear reciprocating wear tests. Results show that the volume fraction of SC were statistically comparable in samples destabilized for 0 and 90 min, although the average size was almost two-fold in the latter. This had direct implications on the wear properties where a decrease of up to 50% in the wear rate of destabilized samples compared to the non-treated material was observed. Furthermore, the sample with the lowest increase in the matrix hardness (~ 20% higher than non-treated), showed the highest wear resistance. This was attributed to a favourable distribution of the RA (~ 10%) and SC volume fraction (~ 5%), in combination with the harder martensitic matrix. Finally, the results obtained from this study shed light on the ability to alter the HT parameters to tune the microstructure depending upon the application prerequisite.

Graphical Abstract
Has the pandemic made us more digitally literate?
Authors: Pawlicka Aleksandra , Tomaszewska Renata , Krause Ewa , Jaroszewska-Choraś Dagmara , Pawlicki Marek , Choraś Michał
Published: August 2022

Digital literacy has been included in the set of the eight key competences, which are necessary to enjoy life to the full in the twenty-first century. According to the previous studies, women tend to possess lower digital competence than men; the older the person, the lower the level of digital literacy. To date, Polish citizens in general have worse skills than the European average. This may lead to people being socially excluded and vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, especially in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires them to work, study and shop using the Internet. The study concerned Polish women who work at universities, as scientists and teachers. Their perceived level of their digital literacy has been studied in the broad campaign, along with their awareness of the cybersecurity matters. Then, the collected results were processed with an association rules mining algorithm, uncovering the factors related to the shifts in them.
Development of an effective completion schedule for a petroleum reservoir with strong aquifer to control water production
Authors: Azamipour Vahid , Assareh Mehdi , Eshraghi Rana
Published: August 2022

Abstracts

A reasonable solution, to deal with oil field water problem, is to minimize the amount of water associated with oil production using effective completion lengths. This work presents an effective method to optimize wells’ completion lengths in an oil reservoir with a strong aquifer. The suggested technique is formulated as a constrained optimization problem that defines a NPV objective function and a set of existing field/facility constraints. An effective algorithm translates the completion lengths to connections number in the dynamic simulation model. In this approach, a genetic algorithm (GA), an adaptive version of simulated annealing (ASA) and a particle swarm optimization (PSO) hybridized with polytope technique are applied to maximize NPV. A comparison is given for their performances in a strong water-drive reservoir where the combinatorial effects of wells’ completion lengths (decision variables) should be addressed. Optimizing the lengths of completions leads to an increased production period, total oil production, retarding water breakthrough, reducing total water production, and finally increasing ultimate recovery. The results showed that total oil production by GA, ASA and PSO algorithm is increased by 11.0%, 2.40% and 2.22%, respectively, related to the initial case. Total water productions are decreased by GA, 9.82%, by ASA 2.11%, and by PSO 1.82% relative to the initial schedule. The best performance belongs to the GA algorithm. Moreover, the average watercut of all wells is decreased through the optimization process. Besides, based on the numerical simulation, closing the worst connections with high watercut decreases total water production, and improves oil recovery, maximum well productivity, and NPV (oil–water ratio is increased 18.2%). Most connections are placed in the layers where water coning can occur later (considering near-well-bore permeability) and slightly far from full water zone.
On discrete $$L_p$$ Brunn–Minkowski type inequalities
Authors: Hernández Cifre María A. , Lucas Eduardo , Yepes Nicolás Jesús
Published: August 2022

$$L_p$$

L
p

Brunn–Minkowski type inequalities for the lattice point enumerator $$\mathrm {G}_n(\cdot )$$

G
n

(
·
)

are shown, $$p\ge 1$$

p
≥
1

, both in a geometrical and in a functional setting. In particular, we prove that $$\begin{aligned}\mathrm {G}_n\bigl ((1-\lambda )\cdot K +_p \lambda \cdot L + (-1,1)^n\bigr )^{p/n}\ge (1-\lambda )\mathrm {G}_n(K)^{p/n}+\lambda \mathrm {G}_n(L)^{p/n} \end{aligned}$$

G
n

(

(
1
-
λ
)

·
K

+
p

λ
·
L
+

(
-
1
,
1
)

n

)

p
/
n

≥

(
1
-
λ
)

G
n

(
K
)

p
/
n

+
λ

G
n

(
L
)

p
/
n

for any $$K, L\subset \mathbb {R}^n$$

K
,
L
⊂

R

n

bounded sets with integer points and all $$\lambda \in (0,1)$$

λ
∈
(
0
,
1
)

. We also show that these new discrete analogues (for $$\mathrm {G}_n(\cdot )$$

G
n

(
·
)

) imply the corresponding results concerning the Lebesgue measure.
Washington Square
Authors: James Henry
Published: August 2022

The Cambridge Edition of the Complete Fiction of Henry James provides, for the first time, a scholarly edition of a major writer whose work continues to be read, quoted, adapted and studied. Published in two volumes in 1880, Washington Square dramatises the plight of Catherine Sloper, a rich heiress, whose father, a successful doctor, identifies her one suitor, Morris Townsend, as a fortune-hunter. The novel thus draws on the sentimental tradition, which it develops with subtle, sympathetic irony, in a realist direction. This edition is the first to provide a full account of the context in which the book was composed and received, and to include the original illustrations by Punch-cartoonist George Du Maurier. Extensive explanatory notes enable modern readers to understand its nuanced historical, cultural and literary references, and its complex textual history.
The Effects of Armed Conflict on Investment Treaties
Authors: Ackermann Tobias
Published: August 2022

This book analyses the multi-faceted impact armed conflict has on investment treaties. Refuting the common association of the outbreak of hostilities with the termination or suspension of treaties, it not only makes a case for the continuity of investment treaties. The book argues that the impact of armed conflict on such agreements goes far beyond these questions: Changed factual circumstances and public interests as well as international humanitarian law heavily influence the application and interpretation of investment protection standards. The book argues that investment treaties can and must channel these effects to remain effective during armed conflict and strike a fair balance between investor and public interests. It shows ways in which contextual and systemic interpretation, respect for reasonable state action, and careful treaty design can ensure that investment treaties continue to fulfil their purpose of strengthening compliance with legal rules also in times of armed conflict.
A Concise History of Veterinary Medicine
Authors: Jones Susan D. , Koolmees Peter A.
Published: August 2022

From Ayurvedic texts to botanical medicines to genomics, ideas and expertise about veterinary healing have circulated between cultures through travel, trade, and conflict. In this broad-ranging and accessible study spanning 400 years of history, Susan D. Jones and Peter A. Koolmees present the first global history of veterinary medicine and animal healing. Drawing on inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary perspectives, this book addresses how attitudes toward animals, disease causation theories, wars, problems of food insecurity and the professionalization and spread of European veterinary education have shaped new domains for animal healing, such as preventive medicine in intensive animal agriculture and the need for veterinarians specializing in zoo animals, wildlife, and pets. It concludes by considering the politicization of animal protection, changes in the global veterinary workforce, and concerns about disease and climate change. As mediators between humans and animals, veterinarians and other animal healers have both shaped, and been shaped by, the social, cultural, and economic roles of animals over time.
Suppression of flow reversals via manipulating corner rolls in plane Rayleigh–Bénard convection
Authors: Zhao Chao-Ben , Wang Bo-Fu , Wu Jian-Zhao , Chong Kai Leong , Zhou Quan
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we report that reversals of the large-scale circulation in two-dimensional Rayleigh–Bénard (RB) convection can be suppressed by imposing sinusoidally distributed heating to the bottom plate. We examine how the frequency of flow reversals depends on the dimensionless wavenumber

$k$

of the spatial temperature modulation with various modulation amplitude

$A$

. For sufficiently large

$k$

, the flow reversal frequency is close to that in the standard RB convection under uniform heating. However, when

$k$

decreases, the frequency of flow reversal gradually becomes lower and can even be largely reduced. Furthermore, we examine the growth of the corner roll and the global flow structure based on Fourier mode decomposition, and reveal that the size of the corner roll diminishes as the wavenumber decreases. The reason is that the regions occupied by the cold phase can absorb heat from the hot plumes and thus lower their temperature, which reduces the corner roll's kinetic energy input provided by the buoyancy force, and weakens the feeding process of the corner rolls. This results in the locking of the corner roll into a smaller region near the corner, making it harder for a reversal to occur. Using the concept of horizontal convection caused by non-uniform heating, we find a relevant parameter

$k/A$

to describe briefly how the reversal frequency depends on wavenumber and modulation amplitude. The present work provides a new way to control the flow reversals in RB convection through modifying temperature boundary conditions.
The interaction of multiple bubbles in a Hele-Shaw channel
Authors: Keeler J.S. , Gaillard A. , Lawless J. , Thompson A.B. , Juel A. , Hazel A.L.
Published: August 2022

We study the dynamics of two air bubbles driven by the motion of a suspending viscous fluid in a Hele-Shaw channel with a small elevation along its centreline via physical experiment and numerical simulation of a depth-averaged model. For a single-bubble system we establish that, in general, the bubble propagation speed monotonically increases with bubble volume so that two bubbles of different sizes, in the absence of any hydrodynamic interactions, will either coalesce or separate in a finite time. However, our experiments indicate that the bubbles interact and that an unstable two-bubble state is responsible for the eventual dynamical outcome: coalescence or separation. These results motivate us to develop an edge-tracking routine and to calculate these weakly unstable two-bubble steady states from the governing equations. The steady states consist of pairs of ‘aligned’ bubbles that appear on the same side of the centreline with the larger bubble leading. We also discover, through time-dependent simulations and physical experiment, another class of two-bubble states that, surprisingly, are stable. In contrast to the ‘aligned’ steady states, these bubbles appear on either side of the centreline and are ‘offset’ from each other. We calculate the bifurcation structures of both classes of steady states as the flow rate and bubble volume ratio are varied. We find that they exhibit intriguing similarities to the single-bubble bifurcation structure, which has implications for the existence of

$n$

-bubble steady states.
Modelling the transport equation of the scalar structure function
Authors: Djenidi L. , Antonia R.A. , Tang S.L.
Published: August 2022

A model for the third-order mixed velocity–scalar structure function

$-\overline {(\delta u)( \delta \phi )^{2}}$

(

$\delta a$

represents the spatial increment of the quantity

$a$

;

$u$

is the velocity and

$\phi$

is a scalar) is proposed for closing the transport equation of the second-order moment of the scalar increment

$\overline {( \delta \phi )^{2}}$

. The closure model is based on a gradient-type hypothesis with an eddy-viscosity model which exploits the analogy between the turbulent kinetic energy and a passive scalar when the Prandtl number,

$Pr$

, is equal to 1. The solutions of the closed transport equation agree well with both measurements and numerical simulations, when

$Pr$

is not too different from 1. However, the agreement deteriorates when

$Pr$

differs significantly from 1. Nevertheless, the calculations capture the effect expected when

$Pr$

varies. For example, as

$Pr$

increases, a range of scales emerges where

$\overline {( \delta \phi )^{2}}$

remains constant. This emerging scaling range should correspond to the

$k^{-1}$

spectral range in the three-dimensional scalar spectrum commonly denoted the viscous–convective range. Also when

$Pr$

decreases below 1, the calculations reproduce the emergence of an expected inertial–diffusive range for scales larger than the Kolmogorov length scale.
New rhynchonellid and spire-bearing brachiopods from the Carboniferous of Mexico. Paleogeographical significance of the Oaxacan brachiopod fauna through the Serpukhovian–Moscovian
Authors: Torres-Martínez Miguel A. , Sour-Tovar Francisco
Published: August 2022

This work describes a rhynchonellid and spire-bearing brachiopod fauna from the Ixtaltepec Formation of Oaxaca, Mexico.Leiorhynchoidea perrilliatae,Allorhynchus scientiana, andAnthracospirifer oaxacaensisare new species. The specific determination, along with information of previously described taxa, allowed the establishment of precise relative ages of the different fossiliferous intervals (API-1 to API-8) of the formation. The occurrence of Serpukhovian taxa in API-1 to API-3 allowed assignment of the strata to the Upper Mississippian. The presence of Bashkirian species allowed the assignment of the rocks of API-5 and API-6 to the Lower Pennsylvanian. Likewise, Middle Pennsylvanian brachiopods in API-7 and API-8 enabled correlation of the strata with the Moscovian stage. This study shows that the Ixtaltepec Formation is represented by a succession of well-delimited Serpukhovian, Bashkirian, and Moscovian rocks. Regarding paleogeography, the brachiopod fauna displays clear taxonomic variations that concur with global geological changes that occurred between the Serpukhovian to Moscovian. In the Serpukhovian intervals, we recorded numerous cosmopolitan taxa of tropical waters, coinciding with the migration pathway of the Rheic Ocean. For the Bashkirian, we observed a North American provincialism; however, because of the presence of Australian and South American species, it is proposed that the Austropanthalassic-Rheic corridor had a close connection with Oaxaca. The main provincialism was observed in the Moscovian association because most of those taxa have been reported from different localities in the United States. This study supports that the main resemblance between Oaxacan and North American faunas continued until the Pennsylvanian and not the Mississippian, as was previously proposed.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/181e49cf-a08a-4e99-8200-65f4a90dafcd
Birth Registration and the Administration of White Supremacy
Authors: Pearson Susan J.
Published: August 2022

Birth registration formed a key part of the administration of white supremacy between Reconstruction and World War II. In the allotment of Indigenous lands and the enforcement ofde juresegregation by states, birth registration served an important ideological and administrative function. Because allotment policy combined property transmission with family reorganization, it made documentation of identity more important to the federal Indian Office. The Office imposed nuclear family structures on complex kin networks to establish access to land title, and it used documentation to alter family relationships to fit with American property law. During the same years, southern states used birth registration to fix racial identity in order to determine access to school, marriage, and many other benefits. Racial classification through birth registration, in other words, worked less to record the truth than to help produce it.
The mnemonic consequences associated with sharing personal photographs on social media
Authors: Stone Charles B. , Zwolinski Ava
Published: August 2022

Social media provides an easy and ubiquitous means by which individuals can curate and share their personal experiences while also interacting with their friends, family, and the world at large. One means by which individuals can craft their personal past via social media is through their personal photographs. However, psychologists are only beginning to appreciate the mnemonic consequences associated with sharing personal photographs on social media. The aim of this manuscript is to distil the relevant, psychological research examining the mnemonic consequences associated with photography and sharing personal photographs on social media. To this end, we discuss how a psychological approach to memory has evolved from an individualist perspective to one that is beginning to appreciate the importance of a memory ecology. We then turn to photographs as an important component of one's memory ecology and how the act of photography and sharing photos on social media may have important consequences for how individuals remember their personal past. We then end with a discussion surrounding pertinent avenues for future research. We advocate that, moving forward, psychologists should better appreciate (1) the collective nature of social media, (2) an individual's memory ecology, and (3) the mnemonic consequences associated with social mediasilence. In addressing these issues, we believe that psychologists and memory researchers, more generally, will gain a fuller understanding of how, and in what way, personal photographs, and the act of sharing them via social media may shape the way individuals remember their personal past.
Beyond the “Add and Stir” Approach: Indigenizing Comprehensive Exam Reading Lists in Canadian Political Science
Authors: Wallace Rebecca Audrey
Published: August 2022

Have universities heeded the call from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and taken concrete action to integrate and promote Indigenous scholarship in their classrooms? In the field of Canadian political science, this question is vital but underanalyzed. Indigenous knowledges, histories, languages, customs, legal traditions, systems of governance and research methodologies are integral to Canadian politics, but calls for indigenization have often not been met. By analyzing comprehensive exam reading lists for Canadian politics doctoral students in programs across the country, this article argues that a fractured approach to indigenization begins early on in the training of faculty. Indigenous content remains largely underrepresented on exam lists and siloed into Indigenous- or diversity-focused sections of the political science literature. Most Indigenous politics readings engage centrally with sovereignty and the Constitution, with very few exploring the political dimensions of residential schools, gendered violence and other contemporary political issues.
Aerobic ammonia removal with heterotrophic nitrification and denitrification of Alcaligenes faecalis strain No.4 to mitigate nitrogenous pollution caused by piggery wastewater: a feasibility study
Authors: Takahashi Junichi , Shoda Makoto , Li Jianhua , Li Ning
Published: August 2022

The ammonia removal ability of heterotrophic bacteria Alcaligenes faecalis strain No.4 isolated from sewage sludge was examined in a batch operation to mitigate ammonia from piggery wastewater, consequently preventing pollution by the inflow of wastewater from piggeries adjacent to rivers. If this process works functionally, it can be effective in controlling nitrous oxide (N2O) and nitrate (NO3−) emissions derived from animal agriculture, the heterotrophic nitrifying and the aerobic denitrifying effect of A. faecalis strain No.4 on high-strength ammonium (NH4+-N) were evaluated in wastewater collected from a piggery. The removal rate by A. faecalis strain No.4 on high-strength ammonium (NH4+-N) was 0.97 kg N/m3/day which was more than 100 fold greater than that achieved using conventional aerobic nitrification and anaerobic denitrification processes. An aerobic one-step denitrification system using A. faecalis strain No.4 can be proposed to remove ammonia and phytopathogens from piggery wastewater with high efficiency and prevent water pollution in adjacent rivers.
Guests of the Guerrilla: Integrated Spectacle and Disintegrating Peace, an Ethnographic Analysis of the FARC's Tenth (and Final?) Guerrilla Conference
Authors: Fattal Alexander L.
Published: August 2022

During a week in September of 2016, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC) held its tenth guerrilla conference, the Décima, in the plains of Yarí in southern Colombia. The guerrilla group blew the event open to the media, orchestrating a festival cum eco-conflict-tourism extravaganza to mark its transition to legal politics. This photo/ethnographic analysis of the Décima illuminates the FARC's symbolic and discursive formation at a pivotal transitional moment and how the group imagined its political possibilities at the cusp of its demobilisation. By engaging with Guy Debord's concept of ‘integrated spectacle’, I argue that the FARC's vanguardist structure led it to brand itself as the leader of a broad political mobilisation, even as it struggled to retain the allegiance of its former combatants. The article considers the ongoing relevance of the integrated spectacle for scholars and activists and opens a path for further research into politics of spectacle in Latin America.
Control of parasitic diseases in aquaculture
Authors: Buchmann Kurt
Published: August 2022

Finfish aquaculture in freshwater and marine environments is continuously expanding globally, and the potential for a substantial further increase is well documented. The industry is supplying fish products for human consumption to the same extent as capture fisheries, and new fish species for domestication are still being selected by the industry. The challenge faced by all aquacultured species, classical and novel, is the range of pathogens associated with each new fish type. A fish host in its natural environment carries a series of more or less specific parasites (specialists and generalists). Some of these show a marked ability to propagate in aquaculture settings. They may then elicit disease when infection intensities in the confined aquaculture environment reach high levels. In addition, the risk of transmission of parasites from aquaculture enterprises to wild fish stocks adds to the parasitic challenge. Control programmes of various kinds are needed and these may include chemotherapeutants and medicines as the farmer's first and convenient choice, but mechanical, biological, immunological and genetic control methods are available solutions. New methods are still to be developed by scrutinizing the life cycle of each particular parasite species and pin-pointing the vulnerable stage to be targeted. As parasites exhibit a huge potential for adaptation to environmental changes, one must realize that only one approach rarely is sufficient. The present work therefore elaborates on and advocates for implementation of integrated control strategies for diseases caused by protozoan and metazoan parasites.
Managing Hospital Capacity: Achievements and Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: de Koning Enrico R. , Boogers Mark J. , Beeres Saskia LMA , Kramer Iwona D. , Dannenberg Wouter J. , Schalij Martin J.
Published: August 2022

Introduction:

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic challenged health care systems in an unprecedented way. Due to the enormous amount of hospital ward and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, regular care came to a standstill, thereby overcrowding ICUs and endangering (regular and COVID-19-related) critical care. Acute care coordination centers were set up to safely manage the influx of COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, treatments requiring ICU surveillance were postponed leading to increased waiting lists.

Hypothesis:

A coordination center organizing patient transfers and admissions could reduce overcrowding and optimize in-hospital capacity.

Methods:

The acute lack of hospital capacity urged the region West-Netherlands to form a new regional system for patient triage and transfer: the Regional Capacity and Patient Transfer Service (RCPS). By combining hospital capacity data and a new method of triage and transfer, the RCPS was able to effectively select patients for transfer to other hospitals within the region or, in close collaboration with the National Capacity and Patient Transfer Service (LCPS), transfer patients to hospitals in other regions within the Netherlands.

Results:

From March 2020 through December 2021 (22 months), the RCPS West-Netherlands was requested to transfer 2,434 COVID-19 patients. After adequate triage, 1,720 patients with a mean age of 62 (SD = 13) years were transferred with the help of the RCPS West-Netherlands. This concerned 1,166 ward patients (68%) and 554 ICU patients (32%). Overcrowded hospitals were relieved by transferring these patients to hospitals with higher capacity.

Conclusion:

The health care system in the region West-Netherlands benefitted from the RCPS for both ward and ICU occupation. Due to the coordination by the RCPS, regional ICU occupation never exceeded the maximal ICU capacity, and therefore patients in need for acute direct care could always be admitted at the ICU. The presented method can be useful in reducing the waiting lists caused by the delayed care and for coordination and transfer of patients with new variants or other infectious diseases in the future.
Fewer Basins Will Follow Their Budyko Curves Under Global Warming and Fossil‐Fueled Development
Authors: Jaramillo Fernando , Piemontese Luigi , Berghuijs Wouter R. , Wang‐Erlandsson Lan , Greve Peter , Wang Zhenqian
Published: August 2022

The Budyko framework consists of a curvilinear relationship between the evaporative ratio (i.e., actual evaporation over precipitation) and the aridity index (i.e., potential evaporation over precipitation) and defines evaporation's water and energy limits. A basin's movement within the Budyko space illustrates its hydroclimatic change and helps identify the main drivers of change. On the one hand, long‐term aridity changes drive evaporative ratio changes, moving basins along their Budyko curves. On the other hand, historical human development can cause river basins to deviate from their curves. The question is if basins will deviate or follow their Budyko curves under the future effects of global warming and related human developments. To answer this, we quantify the movement in the Budyko space of 405 river basins from 1901–1950 to 2051–2100 based on the outputs of seven models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project ‐ Phase 6 (CMIP6). We account for the implications of using different potential evaporation models and study low‐ and high‐emissions scenarios. We find considerable differences of movement in Budyko space regarding direction and intensity when using the two estimates of potential evaporation. However, regardless of the potential evaporation estimate and the scenario used, most river basins will not follow their reference Budyko curves (>72%). Furthermore, the number of basins not following their curves increases under high greenhouse gas emissions and fossil‐fueled development SP585 and across dry and wet basin groups. We elaborate on the possible explanations for a large number of basins not following their Budyko curves.
Extended Rift‐Associated Volcanism in Ganis Chasma, Venus Detected From Magellan Radar Emissivity
Authors: Brossier J. , Gilmore M. S. , Head J. W.
Published: August 2022

Exploration of Venus in the 1970–1990s revealed that the geology of Venus, the most Earth‐like of the terrestrial planets, was decidedly un‐Earth‐like, with no plate tectonics, and no record of the first 80% of its history. A major outstanding question is whether Venus is still volcanically active today. We find that regions of Ganis Chasma have low radar emissivity values, due to low volumes of high dielectric minerals formed by surface‐atmosphere weathering on the timescales of around 10 s Ma. This confirms the presence of geologically recent volcanism in association with this major tectonic rift zone. The spatial correspondence of this emissivity signature with transient thermal anomalies suggests that Venus has been volcanically active at this site for at least the last few decades, a prediction that can be tested with space missions to Venus in the coming decade.
A Natural Limit to the Spectral Hardness of Worst Case Electron Radiation in the Terrestrial Van Allen Belt
Authors: Olifer L. , Mann I. R. , Claudepierre S. G. , Baker D. N. , Spence H. E. , Ozeke L. G.
Published: August 2022

The flux of relativistic electrons in the terrestrial Van Allen radiation belt can vary by orders of magnitude during a geomagnetic storm. The response is typically assumed to be controlled by an often delicate balance between acceleration and loss processes. Here we analyze all 133 magnetic storms from the NASA Van Allen Probes era. We show how the belts demonstrate a repeatable response which limits not only the worst case flux, but also controls and delivers a limit to the severity of the spectral hardness, consistent with the theory of Kennel and Petschek first developed over 50 years ago. When this theory is extended to relativistic energies, the observed electron flux is seen to reach a naturally limited worst case with a clear energy dependence. Here we show how the Kennel‐Petschek theory can explain the evolution and hardening of the electron spectrum during geomagnetic storms. It also introduces an energy‐dependent maximum flux limit. This limit is never reached during the Van Allen Probes era at energies above 2.6 MeV, meanwhile, it is reached within hours at lower energies (∼100 keV) in almost every storm. No current radiation belt models include this effect; without it, they cannot accurately predict the consequent radiation dynamics. Overall, our results demonstrate how this creates a remarkable absolute natural limit to both the spectral hardness and the severity of extreme electron space radiation.
Sediment Transport Modeling Based on Geological Data for Holocene Coastal Evolution: Wave Source Estimation of Sandy Layers on the Coast of Hidaka, Hokkaido, Japan
Authors: Nakanishi Ryo , Ashi Juichiro
Published: August 2022

Sediment transport modeling (STM) is a potentially effective tool for estimating the magnitude of tsunamis and earthquakes without historical records. However, the application of STM to prehistorical tsunamis is challenging because of multiple uncertainties in topography and roughness. Along the coast of Hidaka, Hokkaido, Japan, there is potential to conduct STM even in the absence of historical records because comprehensive geological data for the coastal evolution during the Holocene are available here. The tsunami deposits in Hokkaido indicate the presence of events on a larger scale than historical tsunamis; in particular, the seventeenth‐century tsunami had multiple potential wave sources other than a Kuril Trench earthquake, inhibiting its magnitude estimation. In this study, we applied STM to paleotsunamis for the coast of Hidaka, where comprehensive geological data are available, although the wave source is unknown. The modeling parameters—paleotopography, roughness, grain size, initial sand source, sea level, and beach ridge height—were estimated using data obtained from geological surveys and sensitivity tests. The modeling of a tsunami induced by a Kuril Trench earthquake reproduced the sediment distributions and sedimentary structures of the observed sand layers better than that of extreme storms and volcanic tsunamis. Because the conventional fault model is reasonably suitable in the western area from the Kuril Trench, a much wider rupture zone is less likely. Parameters such as sand source area, roughness, ridge height, and paleo sea level are important for geologists and modelers when applying STM to paleotsunamis.
Quantitative electroencephalography parameters as neurophysiological biomarkers of schizophrenia-related deficits: A Phase II substudy of patients treated with iclepertin (BI 425809)
Authors: Schultheis Christian , Rosenbrock Holger , Mack Salome Rebecca , Vinisko Richard , Schuelert Niklas , Plano Andrea , Süssmuth Sigurd D.
Published: August 2022

Patients with schizophrenia experience cognitive impairment related to neural network dysfunction and deficits in sensory processing. These deficits are thought to be caused by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction and can be assessed in patient populations using electroencephalography (EEG). This substudy from a Phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study investigating the safety and efficacy of the novel glycine transporter-1 inhibitor, iclepertin (BI 425809), assessed the potential of EEG parameters as clinically relevant biomarkers of schizophrenia and response to iclepertin treatment. Eligible patients were randomized to once-daily add-on iclepertin (2, 5, 10, or 25 mg), or placebo (1:1:1:1:2 ratio) for 12 weeks. EEG data were recorded from a subgroup of patients (n = 79) at baseline and end of treatment (EoT). EEG parameters of interest were mismatch negativity (MMN), auditory steady-state response (ASSR), and resting state gamma power, and their correlations with clinical assessments. At baseline, MMN and ASSR exhibited consistent correlations with clinical assessments, indicating their potential value as neurophysiological biomarkers of schizophrenia-related deficits. ASSR measures were positively correlated to the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery overall and neurocognitive composite scores; MMN amplitude was positively correlated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores. However, correlations between change from baseline (CfB) at EoT in clinical assessments, and baseline or CfB at EoT for EEG parameters were modest and inconsistent between dose groups, which might indicate low potential of these EEG parameters as predictive and treatment response biomarkers. Further methodological refinement is needed to establish EEG parameters as useful drug development tools for schizophrenia.
Identification of novel genes whose expression in adipose tissue affects body fat mass and distribution: an RNA-Seq and Mendelian Randomization study
Authors: Konigorski Stefan , Janke Jürgen , Patone Giannino , Bergmann Manuela M. , Lippert Christoph , Hübner Norbert , Kaaks Rudolf , Boeing Heiner , Pischon Tobias
Published: August 2022

Many studies have shown that abdominal adiposity is more strongly related to health risks than peripheral adiposity. However, the underlying pathways are still poorly understood. In this cross-sectional study using data from RNA-sequencing experiments and whole-body MRI scans of 200 participants in the EPIC-Potsdam cohort, our aim was to identify novel genes whose gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue has an effect on body fat mass (BFM) and body fat distribution (BFD). The analysis identified 625 genes associated with adiposity, of which 531 encode a known protein and 487 are novel candidate genes for obesity. Enrichment analyses indicated that BFM-associated genes were characterized by their higher than expected involvement in cellular, regulatory and immune system processes, and BFD-associated genes by their involvement in cellular, metabolic, and regulatory processes. Mendelian Randomization analyses suggested that the gene expression of 69 genes was causally related to BFM and BFD. Six genes were replicated in UK Biobank. In this study, we identified novel genes for BFM and BFD that are BFM- and BFD-specific, involved in different molecular processes, and whose up-/downregulated gene expression may causally contribute to obesity.
The causes and consequences of Alzheimer’s disease: phenome-wide evidence from Mendelian randomization
Authors: Korologou-Linden Roxanna , Bhatta Laxmi , Brumpton Ben M. , Howe Laura D. , Millard Louise A. C. , Kolaric Katarina , Ben-Shlomo Yoav , Williams Dylan M. , Smith George Davey , Anderson Emma L. , Stergiakouli Evie , Davies Neil M.
Published: August 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has no proven causal and modifiable risk factors, or effective interventions. We report a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) of genetic liability for AD in 334,968 participants of the UK Biobank study, stratified by age. We also examined the effects of AD genetic liability on previously implicated risk factors. We replicated these analyses in the HUNT study. PheWAS hits and previously implicated risk factors were followed up in a Mendelian randomization (MR) framework to identify the causal effect of each risk factor on AD risk. A higher genetic liability for AD was associated with medical history and cognitive, lifestyle, physical and blood-based measures as early as 39 years of age. These effects were largely driven by the APOE gene. The follow-up MR analyses were primarily null, implying that most of these associations are likely to be a consequence of prodromal disease or selection bias, rather than the risk factor causing the disease.