bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Methodological Contributions of the Barometer of Social Capital (BARCAS) to the Measurement of Social Capital
Authors: Sudarsky John , García Diana , Sudarsky Jerónimo
Published: September 2022

This study examines the complexity of measuring social capital and presents the Barometer of Social Capital (BARCAS) as a comprehensive research methodology to do so. The BARCAS is a multilevel, multi-setting, multivariate, and cross-national instrument developed in Colombia and applied four times over two decades, in 1997, 2005, 2011, and 2017. Throughout each of the four measurements, a variety of methods were used to improve the explained variance of the model and disaggregate dimensions into variables and items to determine their contribution to a factor’s average change. The learning and refining processes undertaken to improve the BARCAS are described in detail. Ultimately, the 2017 iteration of the BARCAS presents us with four factors that make up social capital and explain 76% of the variance: Social Fabric, Civic Capital, Institutional Trust and Indirect Control of the State, and Faith in Unvalidated Sources of Information. Factor analysis of dimensions differentiated the factors and produced factor scores or dependent variables for each respondent. The surprising volatility of the factors’ composition and levels over time indicates that the current research strategy of piecemeal hypothesis testing should be complemented by a more clinical approach, given the wide variety of intervening elements present at any given place and time. Further research could uncover whether BARCAS dimensions and factors are universal to all societies. It is hoped that the lessons learned with the BARCAS can be used by other researchers in similar endeavors.
A proposal for a metaphysics of self-subsisting structures. I. Classical physics
Authors: Vassallo Antonio , Naranjo Pedro , Koslowski Tim
Published: September 2022

We present a new metaphysical framework for physics that is conceptually clear, ontologically parsimonious, and empirically adequate. This framework relies on the notion of self-subsisting structure, that is, a set of fundamental physical elements whose individuation and behavior are described in purely relational terms, without any need for a background spacetime. Although the specification of the fundamental elements of the ontology depends on the particular physical domain considered—and is thus susceptible to scientific progress—the empirically successful structural features of the framework are preserved through theory change. The kinematics and dynamics of these self-subsisting structures are technically implemented using the theoretical framework of Pure Shape Dynamics, which provides a completely relational physical description of a system in terms of the intrinsic geometry of a suitably defined space called shape space.
Visible Light–Driven Advanced Oxidation Processes to Remove Emerging Contaminants from Water and Wastewater: a Review
Authors: Zawadzki Piotr
Published: September 2022

The scientific data review shows that advanced oxidation processes based on the hydroxyl or sulfate radicals are of great interest among the currently conventional water and wastewater treatment methods. Different advanced treatment processes such as photocatalysis, Fenton’s reagent, ozonation, and persulfate-based processes were investigated to degrade contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) such as pesticides, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, disinfectants, dyes, and estrogenic substances. This article presents a general overview of visible light–driven advanced oxidation processes for the removal of chlorfenvinphos (organophosphorus insecticide), methylene blue (azo dye), and diclofenac (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). The following visible light–driven treatment methods were reviewed: photocatalysis, sulfate radical oxidation, and photoelectrocatalysis. Visible light, among other sources of energy, is a renewable energy source and an excellent substitute for ultraviolet radiation used in advanced oxidation processes. It creates a high application potential for solar-assisted advanced oxidation processes in water and wastewater technology. Despite numerous publications of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), more extensive research is needed to investigate the mechanisms of contaminant degradation in the presence of visible light. Therefore, this paper provides an important source of information on the degradation mechanism of emerging contaminants. An important aspect in the work is the analysis of process parameters affecting the degradation process. The initial concentration of CECs, pH, reaction time, and catalyst dosage are discussed and analyzed. Based on a comprehensive survey of previous studies, opportunities for applications of AOPs are presented, highlighting the need for further efforts to address dominant barriers to knowledge acquisition.
A new source of bacterial myrosinase isolated from endophytic Bacillus sp. NGB-B10, and its relevance in biological control activity
Authors: Youseif Sameh H. , Abdel-Fatah Hanan M. K. , Khalil Mary S.
Published: September 2022

Plant metabolism interacts strongly with the plant microbiome. Glucosinolates, secondary metabolites synthesized by Brassica plants, are hydrolyzed by myrosinase into bioactive compounds of great importance in human health and plant protection. Compared with myrosinase from plant sources, myrosinase enzymes of microbial origin have not been extensively investigated. Therefore, seven endophytic strains corresponding to Bacillus sp. were isolated from Eruca vesicaria ssp. sativa plants that could hydrolyse glucosinolates (sinigrin) in the culture medium and showed myrosinase activity (0.08–19.92 U mL−1). The bglA myrosinase-related gene encoding the 6-phospho-β-glucosidase (GH 1) from Bacillus sp. NGB-B10, the most active myrosinase-producing bacterium, was successfully identified. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to statistically optimize culture conditions for myrosinase production from Bacillus sp. strain NGB-B10. The Plackett–Burman design indicated that nitrogen concentration, incubation period, and agitation speed were the significant parameters in myrosinase production. The application of the Box–Behnken design of RSM resulted in a 10.03-fold increase in enzyme activity as compared to the non-optimized culture conditions. The myrosinase was partially purified by 40% fractionation followed by SDS-PAGE analysis which yielded two subunits that had a molecular weight of 38.6 and 35.0 KDa. The purified enzyme was stable under a broad range of pH (5.5–10) and temperatures (10–65 °C). The hydrolysis products released by bacterial myrosinase from some glucosinolate extracts had higher and/or equivalent in vitro antagonistic activity against several phytopathogenic fungi compared to the nystatin (a broad-spectrum antifungal agent). This study provides original information about a new source of bacterial myrosinase and affords an optimized method to enhance myrosinase production.
Single isocenter stereotactic irradiation for multiple brain metastases: current situation and prospects
Authors: Uto Megumi , Torizuka Daichi , Mizowaki Takashi
Published: September 2022

The prognosis of patients with brain metastases has dramatically improved, and long-term tumor control and reduction of the risk of late toxicities, including neurocognitive dysfunction, are important for patient quality of life. Stereotactic irradiation for multiple brain metastases, rather than whole-brain radiotherapy, can result in high local control rate with low incidence of neurocognitive deterioration and leukoencephalopathy. Recent advances in radiotherapy devices, treatment-planning systems, and image-guided radiotherapy can realize single isocenter stereotactic irradiation for multiple brain metastases (SI-STI-MBM), in which only one isocenter is sufficient to treat multiple brain metastases simultaneously. SI-STI-MBM has expanded the indications for linear accelerator-based stereotactic irradiation and considerably reduced patient burden. This review summarizes the background, methods, clinical outcomes, and specific consideration points of SI-STI-MBM. In addition, the prospects of SI-STI-MBM are addressed.
Groundwater arsenic poisoning in a primary educational institution: health risks to school-going children
Authors: Rana Md. Sohel , Alam Md. Jahangir , Musa Md. Abu , Kumar Sazal , Rahman Md. Aminur
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to estimate arsenic (As) and iron (Fe) content in tubewell water (n = 58) in primary educational institutions and subsequently assess the health risks to school-going children. Results described that the As concentration ranged between 0.002 and 0.994 mg L−1 with an average value of 0.044 mg L−1; which exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) provisional guideline value of 0.01 mg L−1. Similarly, the Fe content varied from 0.05 to 10 mg L−1 averaging to 2.84 mg L−1. Samples of 55.17% contained a greater As concentration than 0.01 mg L−1 and 18.97% greater than Bangladesh drinking water quality (BDWQ) standard of 0.05 mg L−1, respectively. Meanwhile, 75.86% of samples contained a higher Fe concentration than the maximum Bangladesh permissible limit of 1 mg L−1. Health risk assessment indicated that girls are more vulnerable than boys are. The average hazard quotients (HQs) for As intake through drinking water were 6.01 ± 17.85 and 7.41 ± 22.03 for boys and girls, respectively, implying non-carcinogenic health risks to both genders. The HQs for Fe intake were less than threshold value of 1 indicating no health issues may arise from Fe intake alone. However, consumption of As and Fe may trigger health risks to students as indicated by the hazard index (HI), which was higher than 1. The average cancer risk (CR) values for both boys (0.0027 ± 0.008) and girls (0.0033 ± 0.0099) exceeded the threshold limit of 10–6–10–4, suggesting a possibility of lifetime cancer risks to the school-going children. Consequently, school authorities should find alternative ways to ensure safe drinking water for school-going children to avoid possible cancer and non-cancer health risks through consumption of As-poisoning water.
Band depth based initialization of K-means for functional data clustering
Authors: Albert-Smet Javier , Torrente Aurora , Romo Juan
Published: September 2022

The k-Means algorithm is one of the most popular choices for clustering data but is well-known to be sensitive to the initialization process. There is a substantial number of methods that aim at finding optimal initial seeds for k-Means, though none of them is universally valid. This paper presents an extension to longitudinal data of one of such methods, the BRIk algorithm, that relies on clustering a set of centroids derived from bootstrap replicates of the data and on the use of the versatile Modified Band Depth. In our approach we improve the BRIk method by adding a step where we fit appropriate B-splines to our observations and a resampling process that allows computational feasibility and handling issues such as noise or missing data. We have derived two techniques for providing suitable initial seeds, each of them stressing respectively the multivariate or the functional nature of the data. Our results with simulated and real data sets indicate that our Functional Data Approach to the BRIK method (FABRIk) and our Functional Data Extension of the BRIK method (FDEBRIk) are more effective than previous proposals at providing seeds to initialize k-Means in terms of clustering recovery.
Neuroprotective Effect of Sonic Hedgehog Mediated PI3K/AKT Pathway in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Model Mice
Authors: Qi Yan , Yang Chen , Zhao Hui , Deng Zhanjin , Xu Jin , Liang Weijing , Sun Zhitang , Nieland John Dirk Vestergaard
Published: September 2022

The Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway is related to the progression of various tumors and nervous system diseases. Still, its specific role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), remains studied. This research investigates the role of SHH and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway proteins on ALS development in a SOD1-G93A transgenic mouse model. After injection of SHH and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibitors or agonists in hSOD1-G93A (9 weeks of age) transgenic mice, we studied skeletal muscle pathology using immunohistochemical staining and Western blot methods. In addition, recorded data on rotation time, weight, and survival were analyzed for these mice. Our study showed that the expression of SHH, Gli-1 and p-AKT in ALS mice decreased with the progression of the disease. The expression of p-AKT changed together with Gli-1 while injecting PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibitor or agonist; SHH and Gli-1 protein expression remained unchanged; p-AKT protein expression significantly decreased while injecting PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibitor. These results indicate that SHH has a regulatory effect on PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In behavioral experiments, we found that the survival time of hSOD1-G93A mice was prolonged by injection of SHH agonist while shortened by injection of SHH inhibitor. In conclusion, we confirmed that the SHH pathway played a neuroprotective role in ALS by mediating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Arthroscopic surgery or exercise therapy for degenerative meniscal lesions: a systematic review of systematic reviews
Authors: Rotini M. , Papalia G. , Setaro N. , Luciani P. , Marinelli M. , Specchia N. , Gigante A.
Published: September 2022

Background

Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) is widely applied for the treatment of degenerative meniscal lesions in middle-aged patients; however, such injury is often associated with mild or moderate osteoarthritis and has been reported by MRI in asymptomatic knees. Previous studies suggested, in most patients, a lack of benefit of surgical approach over conservative treatment, yet many controversies remain in clinical practice. Our aims were to assess the functional and pain scores between exercise therapy and arthroscopic surgery for degenerative meniscal lesions and to evaluate the methodological quality of the most recent systematic reviews (SRs).

Methods

Two authors independently searched PubMed and Google Scholar for SRs comparing the outcome (in knee pain and functionality) of arthroscopic treatment and exercise therapy or placebo for degenerative meniscal lesions. The timeframe set was from 2009 to 2019 included.

Results

A total of 13 SRs were selected. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each paper using the AMSTAR 2 tool: seven scored as “moderate,” four obtained a “low” grade while the remaining two were evaluated as “critically low.” SRs agreed that in middle-aged patients with degenerative meniscal lesions arthroscopic surgery appears to grant no long-term improvement in pain and function over exercise therapy or placebo.

Conclusions

Conservative treatment based on physical therapy should be the first-line management. However, most SRs revealed subgroups of patients that fail to improve after conservative treatment and find relief when undergoing surgery. In the future, randomized controlled trials, evidence should be looked for that APM can be successful in case of the unsatisfactory results after physical therapy.
„Frieden verbessert das Klima“ – Zivile Konfliktbearbeitung als Beitrag zur sozial-ökologischen Transformation
Authors: Pastoors Daniela , Drees Lukas , Fickel Thomas , Scheffran Jürgen
Published: September 2022

Die Zusammenhänge zwischen Klimawandel und Konflikten sind vielfältig und werden in Politik und Forschung zunehmend thematisiert. Die Verbindung von nachhaltigem Frieden und Klimagerechtigkeit ist hingegen wenig erforscht. Dieser Beitrag adressiert diese Lücke konzeptionell und zeigt auf, dass Zivile Konfliktbearbeitung wirksame Mittel zu Bewältigung der Klimakrise bereithält. Klimaschutz, Klimaanpassung und Konfliktbearbeitung müssen genauso wie Frieden, Umwelt und Entwicklung zusammengedacht werden, um sozial-ökologische Transformationen zu gestalten.
Biological indicators as tools for monitoring water quality of a hot spot area on the Egyptian Mediterranean Coast
Authors: Shams El-Din Nihal G. , El-Sheekh Mostafa M. , El-Kassas Hala Y. , Essa D. I. , El-Sherbiny Basma A.
Published: September 2022

El-Mex Bay is a semi-sheltered coastal embayment located west of Alexandria, the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea. It is considered as a hot spot area receiving industrial, agricultural, and domestic wastes from the adjacent Lake Mariut through El-Umum Drain. To evaluate the water quality of the bay, phytoplankton and macroalgae as biological tools were investigated seasonally concerning physicochemical parameters from 2018 to 2019. The results indicated that the Bay harbored a diversified phytoplankton community (162 species), comprising 99 freshwater forms, 38 marine, 22 euryhaline, and only 3 brackish forms. The total average phytoplankton abundance was 419,414 unit/L. Few species were responsible for the main bulk of phytoplankton namelyMerismopedia tenuissima,Cylindrotheca closterium,Cyclotellasp.,Skeletonema costatum, Scenedesmus quadricauda,Scenedesmus bijugus, andTetradesmus dimorphus.During the study period, El-Mex Bay was affected by the presence of 13 harmful and /or toxic algal species, among which the mediophyte speciesSkeletonema costatumwas responsible for the peak occurring during autumn (2018). The results of the recorded nutrients indicated that the Bay is highly loaded, where NH4,NO2,NO3, PO4, and SiO4attained 141.68 µM, 25.61 µM, 151.16 µM, 10.73 µM, and 232.86 µM, respectively. The macroalgal flora was represented only by the two opportunistic species (Ulva fasciataandUlva intestinalis). Both species could survive in freshwater conditions exhibiting very broad salinity tolerance (6.51–38.41‰) and a high level of nitrogenous compounds. Those results revealed that El-Mex Bay suffers from pollution and deterioration of water quality.
Petrochemical attributes of glazed architectural elements from Middle-Elamite to Achaemenid excavation sites in Iran
Authors: Raith Michael M. , Abdali Negar , Yule Paul A.
Published: September 2022

Glazed decoration in Iran from the Middle Elamite to the Achaemenid periods includes world art milestones. With the exception of Hasanlu IVB, for most sites, comprehensive chemical and mineralogical data are lacking, owing to the generally profound alteration of the vitreous material. To bridge the information gap, and to enable to reconstruct operation production chains in a diachronic fashion, thirty-six glazed artefacts from Qalaichi, Rabat, Hasanlu, Ziwiye, Chogha Zanbil, Susa and Persepolis are studied. The microstructural make-up and alteration phenomena of glazes are characterized by petrographic microscopy, back-scattered electron (BSE) imaging and electron probe microanalysis (WDS-EPMA) on high-quality polished thin sections. Pristine glaze domains at all sites show plant ash soda-lime glass compositions and indicate the use of regionally specific halophyte species for soda production. A distinct feature in the composition of white and turquoise glazes from Qalaichi, Ziwiye and Achaemenid Susa is the employment of sodium-antimonate as white colourant and opacifier. Inter-diffusion and dissolution-precipitation are identified as regionally and temporally contrasting alteration processes.
Multi-analytical study of the medieval wall paintings from the rupestrian church Grotta del Crocifisso at Lentini (eastern Sicily): new evidence of the use of woad (Isatis tinctoria)
Authors: Montana Giuseppe , Giarrusso Renato , D’Amico Raffaella , Di Natale Barbara , Vizzini Mirko Andrea , Ilardi Vincenzo , Mulone Angelo , Randazzo Luciana , Bordenca Claudio Ventura
Published: September 2022

This study presents the results of the examination and characterisation of the wall paintings that decorate the rupestrian church named Grotta del Crocifisso, which is located in the territory of Lentini (eastern Sicily, few tens of kilometres from Catania and Syracuse). The earliest mural paintings in the church date back to the twelfth century AD. A multi-analytical approach was adopted for the characterisation of stone materials, secondary degradation products, and pigments. For this purpose, the following techniques were used: reflected light microscopy (RLM), polarised light microscopy on thin sections (PLM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), portable X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy (RS). The lithic substrate and the plaster’s coating layers were thoroughly characterised from compositional and textural points of view, and the use of locally available raw materials was established. Similarly, the newly formed crystalline phases produced by alteration processes of the original materials were recognised. The red, yellow, brown, and green pigments were easily identified by p-XRF and SEM-EDS. The use of “earth pigments” widely available in the surrounding area (various types of ochre) was thus highlighted. The recognition of the dark blue pigment created some additional issues in its identification, making further diagnostic methods necessary. In fact, the use of the most common mineral pigments was categorically excluded by both p-XRF and SEM-EDS, since no chromophore metallic elements were highlighted with the exception of trace amounts of iron. A combination of detailed microscopic observations together with the application of FTIR and RS supported the use of an organic pigment obtained from the maceration of woad (Isatis tinctoria). The green pigment is the result of a mixture between woad and yellow ochre. Woad is even today easily available in Sicily, and some additional experimental tests were carried out on Isatis tinctoria that had been freshly collected in the area (treated with traditional procedures). Over the past centuries, woad was widely used for dyeing fabrics, but its practice for wall paintings has only been sporadically proven. The identification reported in this case study could be considered a novelty at least in the Sicilian panorama.
Effects of Mindful Practices on Terror of Mortality: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Anālayo Bhikkhu , Medvedev Oleg N. , Singh Nirbhay N. , Dhaussy Marie R.
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Early Buddhist thought clearly recognizes the need for learning how to face one’s own mortality, for which purpose mindfulness practice has a central role to play. Fear of death has also been studied in cognitive psychology, leading to what is known as the terror management theory. Actual research evidence in psychology has already shown that mindfulness practice may reduce fear and anxiety in general. However, there is a lack of research examining the specific effects of brief mindfulness practices on the fear of death and dying. In this study we tested the hypothesis that brief mindfulness practices used daily over a period of 6 weeks will result in a reduction of the fear of death and dying when compared to brief contemplative practices used as an active control condition.

Methods

Participants (n = 89) were randomly assigned to the mindfulness (n = 44) and the contemplation (n = 45) conditions and completed validated scales measuring four distinct fears related to either the process of dying or the final event of death (dying of oneself, death of oneself, dying of others, and death of others), mindfulness, and self-compassion at baseline, post-intervention (at 6 weeks) and follow up (1‒3 weeks after the end of the 6-week intervention). ANOVA was used to investigate the effects of both interventions on outcome variables over time and between groups.

Results

Both mindfulness and contemplative practices were equally effective in reducing fear related to dying of oneself and death of others while increasing fear of dying of others, mindfulness, and self-compassion. No significant intervention effects were found for fear related to death of oneself only.

Conclusions

These results suggest that fears related to dying of oneself and death of others can be reduced using both mindfulness and contemplative practices that may simultaneously increase mindfulness and self-compassion.
Energy-optimized approaches: a challenge from the perspectives of pilots and air traffic controllers
Authors: Gerber Martin , Schreiber York , Abdelmoula Fethi , Kühne Christoph G. , Jäger D. , Wunderli J. M.
Published: September 2022

Carrying out an approach that is as economical and safe as possible remains a challenge for flight crews, with a multitude of requirements to meet simultaneously. For an aircraft to descend from cruise altitude to touchdown with the lowest possible fuel consumption and noise signature, an approach is required that is both at idle thrust in the ideal speed and follows an ideal vertical profile without using speed brakes, extending the landing gear too early, or flying unnecessary horizontal segments with high thrust settings. In September 2019, a total of 90 test approaches were carried out at Zurich Airport on DLR's Airbus A320 Advanced Technology Research Aircraft (ATRA) using the low noise augmentation system (LNAS) pilot assistance system for the most economical and quiet approaches possible. The aim of this paper is to present the challenges from the pilots' and controllers' point of view for an idle approach and its execution by means of LNAS, to show the potential for fuel savings and noise reduction on the basis of flight test data and to discuss the next development steps. The assistance system reduces the crew's workload and provides support for all these tasks during an approach. The key information needed to perform optimum approaches is the expected distance from the actual aircraft position to the runway. The approaches carried out with the assistance system were significantly more economical and quieter on average than the approaches performed by a pilot group tasked with conducting minimum-fuel and low-noise approaches without the assistance system.
Clinical effectiveness of restorative materials for the restoration of carious lesions in pulp treated primary teeth: a systematic review
Authors: Amend S. , Boutsiouki C. , Bekes K. , Kloukos D. , Gizani S. , Lygidakis N. N. , Frankenberger R. , Krämer N.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

To systematically review the clinical performance of restorative materials after pulp therapy of carious primary teeth. It is part 2 of a systematic review on the clinical effectiveness of restorative materials for the management of carious primary teeth supporting the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (EAPD) guideline development.

Methods

Four electronic databases were systematically searched up to December 28th, 2020. Randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) on restorative materials for the restoration of carious primary teeth after pulp therapy were included. Failure rate, annual failure rate (AFR) and reasons for failure were recorded. Studies were sorted by restorative materials. The Cochrane Risk of bias tool for randomised trials (RoB 2.0) was used for quality assessment.

Results

After identification of 1685 articles and screening of 41 papers from EAPD review group 1, 5 RCTs were included. Restored primary molars with pulpotomy presented the following AFRs: composite resin (CR) 0%, preformed metal crowns (PMCs) 2.4–2.5%, resin-modified glass-ionomer cement combined with CR 3.8%, compomer 8.9%, and amalgam 14.3%. Maxillary primary incisors receiving pulpectomy exhibited AFRs of 0–2.3% for composite strip crowns (CSCs) depending on the post chosen. Reasons for failure were secondary caries, poor marginal adaptation, loss of retention and fracture of restoration. All studies were classified as high risk of bias. Meta-analyses were not feasible given the clinical/methodological heterogeneity amongst studies.

Conclusion

Considering any limitations of this review, CR and PMCs can be recommended for primary molars after pulpotomy, and CSCs for primary incisors receiving pulpectomy. However, a need for further well-designed RCTs was observed.
Thyroid hormones and platelet activation in COVID-19 patients
Authors: Colonnello E. , Criniti A. , Lorusso E. , Curreli M. , Santulli M. , Angeloni A. , Gnessi L. , Gandini O. , Lubrano C.
Published: September 2022

Purpose

To retrospectively describe the association between thyroid hormones (TH) and platelet activation, as represented by mean platelet volume (MPV), in a cohort of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 with no known thyroid disease, and to correlate these data with the severity of COVID-19 and the occurrence of death/ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome).

Methods

103 patients with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing-confirmed COVID-19 and hospitalized were enrolled. Serum samples were collected from patients upon admission before starting any treatment. Chi-squared test was used to determine the association between euthyroid sick syndrome (ESS) and COVID-19 severity. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate the best independent predictors of COVID-19 deaths/ARDS.

Results

39/103 (37.9%) of patients were found to have ESS, and this condition was an independent predictor for the severity of COVID-19 (p = 0.003). Lower TSH and lower FT3/FT4 ratio correlated with higher MPV (p = 0,001 and p = 0.010), with an opposite trend with respect to what has been documented in non-COVID patients. Increasing MPV and lower FT3 significantly increased the risk, in COVID-19 patients, of an adverse outcome of death/ARDS.

Conclusion

Increased platelet activation, as represented by increased MPV, has already been reported to correlate with COVID-19 severity, possibly as a consequence of cytokine release. We demonstrated, in a cohort of 103 patients with COVID-19, that MPV is inversely correlated to TH levels, in particular in the case of ESS, where downregulation of TH axis may occur in case of systemic cytokine inflammation and more severe outcomes (death/ARDS). That ESS itself may directly cause platelet activation, as demonstrated by higher MPV in these patients, is an interesting hypothesis which deserves further investigation.
Pull–push: a measure of over- or underpersonalization in recommendation
Authors: Gebremeskel Gebrekirstos G. , de Vries Arjen P.
Published: September 2022

A recommender system imposes differences between users, by presenting to them different recommendation lists, which they respond to, resulting in different “reaction” lists. Comparison of the differences in the recommendation and reaction lists can indicate different user states. Users can approve the imposed difference, end up narrowing the difference between them (pulling each other closer) by consuming more of the items in common or enlarge the difference between them (pushing each other further apart) by consuming the items not in common. When users do not approve the differences, they are either in a push state (implicitly disapproving under-personalization) or in a pull state (implicitly disapproving over-personalization). We offer the pull–push metric to quantify the magnitude of pull or push—measures of disapproval by the users of, respectively, over-personalization and under-personalization. Application on simulated datasets shows that users can push each other away up to disjoint sets or pull each other closer up to identical sets. On real-world datasets, we find that the particular recommender system was under-personalizing its recommendations. We show how the pull–push metric can be merged with another metric of personalization to come up with a measure of the potential for improvement in a recommender system and discuss its relationship to popularity bias.
Market Inefficiency, Entry Order and Coordination
Authors: Kultti Klaus , Zheng Yi
Published: September 2022

The causes of market inefficiency are many. We suggest an additional cause — buyers’ random entry order. In a market where identical sellers compete for buyers of heterogeneous valuations, first come first served is the norm. Since all buyers choose the cheapest available good, a low-valuation buyer who enters the market late may find the remaining goods unaffordable, which causes markets not to clear. We therefore propose a coordination solution to the market inefficiency problem. We find that in a market where all the high-valuation buyers enter first and all the low-valuation buyers enter afterwards, the market clears effectively. Moreover, we find the inefficiency arising from buyers’ entry order becomes less of a problem in larger economies and vanishes in the limit.
Mismatch repair is a double-edged sword in the battle against microsatellite instability
Authors: Miller Carson J. , Usdin Karen
Published: September 2022

Roughly 3% of the human genome consists of microsatellites or tracts of short tandem repeats (STRs). These STRs are often unstable, undergoing high-frequency expansions (increases) or contractions (decreases) in the number of repeat units. Some microsatellite instability (MSI) is seen at multiple STRs within a single cell and is associated with certain types of cancer. A second form of MSI is characterised by expansion of a single gene-specific STR and such expansions are responsible for a group of 40+ human genetic disorders known as the repeat expansion diseases (REDs). While the mismatch repair (MMR) pathway prevents genome-wide MSI, emerging evidence suggests that some MMR factors are directly involved in generating expansions in the REDs. Thus, MMR suppresses some forms of expansion while some MMR factors promote expansion in other contexts. This review will cover what is known about the paradoxical effect of MMR on microsatellite expansion in mammalian cells.
Geometrical dependence of optimal bounds in Taylor–Couette flow
Authors: Kumar Anuj
Published: September 2022

This paper is concerned with the optimal upper bound on mean quantities (torque, dissipation and the Nusselt number) obtained in the framework of the background method for the Taylor–Couette flow with a stationary outer cylinder. Along the way, we perform the energy stability analysis of the laminar flow, and demonstrate that below radius ratio

$0.0556$

, the marginally stable perturbations are not the axisymmetric Taylor vortices but rather a fully three-dimensional flow. The main result of the paper is an analytical expression of the optimal bound as a function of the radius ratio. To obtain this bound, we begin by deriving a suboptimal analytical bound using analysis techniques. We use a definition of the background flow with two boundary layers, whose relative thicknesses are optimized to obtain the bound. In the limit of high Reynolds number, the dependence of this suboptimal bound on the radius ratio (the geometrical scaling) turns out to be the same as that of numerically computed optimal bounds in three different cases: (1) the perturbed flow only satisfies the homogeneous boundary conditions but need not be incompressible; (2) the perturbed flow is three-dimensional and incompressible; (3) the perturbed flow is two-dimensional and incompressible. We compare the geometrical scaling with the observations from the turbulent Taylor–Couette flow, and find that the analytical result indeed agrees well with the available direct numerical simulations data. In this paper, we also dismiss the applicability of the background method to certain flow problems and therefore establish the limitation of this method.
Observational constraints on the sensitivity of two calving glaciers to external forcings
Authors: Kneib-Walter Andrea , Lüthi Martin P. , Funk Martin , Jouvet Guillaume , Vieli Andreas
Published: September 2022

Future mass loss projections of the Greenland ice sheet require understanding of the processes at a glacier terminus, especially of iceberg calving. We present detailed and high-rate terrestrial radar interferometer observations of Eqip Sermia and Bowdoin Glacier, two outlet glaciers in Greenland with comparable dimensions and investigate iceberg calving, surface elevation, velocity, strain rates and their links to air temperature, tides and topography. The results reveal that the two glaciers exhibit very different flow and calving behaviour on different timescales. Ice flow driven by a steep surface slope with several topographic steps leads to high velocities, areas of extension and intense crevassing, which triggers frequent but small calving events independent of local velocity gradients. In contrast, ice flow under smooth surface slopes leaves the ice relatively intact, such that sporadic large-scale calving events dominate, which initiate in areas with high shearing. Flow acceleration caused by enhanced meltwater input and tidal velocity variations were observed for terminus sections close to floatation. Firmly grounded terminus sections showed no tidal signal and a weak short-term reaction to air temperature. These results demonstrate reaction timescales to external forcings from hours to months, which are, however, strongly dependent on local terminus geometry.
Does the dual-class share structure help stock markets attract issuers? Empirical lessons from global financial centres
Authors: Chen Fa
Published: September 2022

Financial globalisation has given issuers more freedom to carry out jurisdiction shopping. As a policy response, a growing number of stock markets have introduced the dual-class share structure to enhance global competitiveness. However, does the dual-class share structure help stock markets attract issuers? It is a question rarely examined empirically in existing scholarly work. This paper explores the practices of three jurisdictions with global financial centres, ie the US, China and Hong Kong, to narrow the research gap. Based on hand-collected data, it explains the infrequent listings with the dual-class share structure in China and Hong Kong in the post-reform era in two ways: low demand due to the use of substitutes; and limited allowance caused by the harsh ex ante regulation, and is the first comparative quantitative study in this field. Drawing on the empirical lessons, this paper recommends that China relax its ex ante regulation and suggests the wider community consider the necessity of introducing the dual-class share structure and the balance they aim to achieve between investor protection and market openness.
GENERALIZED ZETA INTEGRALS ON CERTAIN REAL PREHOMOGENEOUS VECTOR SPACES
Authors: LI WEN-WEI
Published: September 2022

Let X be a real prehomogeneous vector space under a reductive group G, such that X is an absolutely spherical G-variety with affine open orbit. We define local zeta integrals that involve the integration of Schwartz–Bruhat functions on X against generalized matrix coefficients of admissible representations of
$G(\mathbb {R})$
, twisted by complex powers of relative invariants. We establish the convergence of these integrals in some range, the meromorphic continuation, as well as a functional equation in terms of abstract
$\gamma $
-factors. This subsumes the archimedean zeta integrals of Godement–Jacquet, those of Sato–Shintani (in the spherical case), and the previous works of Bopp–Rubenthaler. The proof of functional equations is based on Knop’s results on Capelli operators.
A BRICK VERSION OF A THEOREM OF AUSLANDER
Authors: SENTIERI FRANCESCO
Published: September 2022

We prove that a finite-dimensional algebra
$ \Lambda $
is
$ \tau $
-tilting finite if and only if all the bricks over
$ \Lambda $
are finitely generated. This is obtained as a consequence of the existence of proper locally maximal torsion classes for
$ \tau $
-tilting infinite algebras.
Discussion of Searle, ‘Tectonic evolution of the Caledonian orogeny in Scotland: a review based on the timing of magmatism, metamorphism and deformation’
Authors: Dewey John F. , Ryan Paul D.
Published: September 2022

Searle (2022) argues, based on data from Scotland alone, that the deformation and metamorphism of the Scottish Highlands is continuously diachronous from the early Ordovician (Grampian) in the Dalradian of the Grampian Highlands to the mid-Silurian (Scandian) in the Moine of the Northwest Highlands. Necessarily, he disputes substantial offset along the Great Glen Fault (GGF). He compares the Scottish Caledonides with the Himalayas. We take the different view, which also considers evidence from along-strike in Ireland and Newfoundland, that the Grampian and Scandian orogenies were discrete events. The Grampian Orogeny involved major deformation and metamorphism across the Grampian and Northwest Highlands to the Moine Thrust Zone, whereas the Scandian Orogeny affected only the Northwest Highlands. The early Ordovician Grampian Orogeny was generated by the collision and obduction of an oceanic arc-ophiolite with and onto the Laurentian continent. The mid-Silurian Scandian Orogeny was caused by continental collision between Laurentia and Baltica. Late Silurian – early Devonian sinistral slip along the GGF emplaced the the Moine of the Northwest Highlands from a distant location to the north in the Scandian collision zone, against the Dalradian, which had not been involved in the Scandian collision. We outline several (eight) arguments that we believe contradict evidence for progressive northwestward propagation of a Himalaya-style thrust wedge from the early Ordovician to the mid-Silurian.
Reply to Dewey and Ryan Comment on Searle, MP (2021) ‘Tectonic evolution of the Caledonian orogeny in Scotland: a review based on the timing of magmatism, metamorphism and deformation’
Authors: Searle Michael P.
Published: September 2022

I welcome the comment from Dewey and Ryan on my paper (Searle, 2021), and the chance to clarify some conflicting Caledonian tectonic models and new ideas. As outlined in the paper, my review was based on the geology of Scotland, not Ireland, Newfoundland or the rest of the Caledonian orogeny beyond, mainly because of length constraints, and the fact that my personal field experience lies mainly in Scotland. The Great Glen fault and the Moine Supergroup are not exposed at all in Ireland, so critical parts, and half of the Caledonian orogeny are missing in Ireland. I argue that the Caledonian geology of Scotland can be explained by a Laurentia – Midland valley arc-microcontinent collision, progressing from NW-directed ophiolite obduction in the Late Cambrian to crustal thickening and regional metamorphism during the Ordovician and Silurian, across the Dalradian and Moine metamorphic rocks. Caledonian structures do continue north into Greenland, as summarized by Leslie et al. (2008), but the geological evolution of the Scottish Caledonides does not require any collision with Baltica. The Dewey and Ryan comment raises major tectonic questions, which this reply addresses.
Malaysia's expansion of its maritime jurisdiction and the World Oil Crisis, 1973–80
Authors: Choong Wah Lam
Published: September 2022

In this article, I argue that Malaysia joined the South China Sea dispute during the 1970s as a reaction to the World Oil Crisis instead of asserting historical claims as in the cases of Vietnam and China. Malaysia expanded its maritime jurisdiction to include several highly disputed maritime features at the height of the oil crisis. The crisis was initiated by an oil embargo imposed by the Arab states, which imposed domestic inflationary pressures on Malaysia's economy. These two factors, external and domestic, resulted in Malaysia's bolstering of its offshore hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation culminating in the expansion of its maritime jurisdiction. In particular, Malaysia expanded its maritime jurisdiction in 1976 and 1979, which coincidentally corresponded with the aftermath of major oil price hikes that occurred in October 1975 and December 1978. Compared to China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, all of whom issued their maritime claims on the South China Sea based on historical or new discoveries, Malaysia's expansion was a mere reaction towards the oil crisis rather than a deliberate move.
A forgotten philology
Authors: Hunter Thomas M.
Published: September 2022

Richard Fox's More than words represents a sea change in the way we look at philology and textuality by decisively addressing a problem that was identified by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in Metaphors we live by. In this work, Lakoff and Johnson developed the idea of conduit metaphors, the notion that thought is communicated by first being packaged and conveyed in script language and then unpackaged at the receiving end of communication. According to the conduit metaphor and its descendants and allies, there is an ineffable mental picture of thought, or thought as an ineffable presence in communication, that can be communicated across languages and cultural systems. While this idea has been expressed by different thinkers in different ways, in all variations of it, languages are conceived as a value-free tool for conveying a message. Some, like Walter Ong, tried to question this paradigm; but Ong's work on noetics ultimately also carried forth the old metaphor of script and language as a kind of packaging and thus did not provide us with a way to get beyond the conduit.
Bali, Java andKawiletters: Translating more than words
Authors: Sears Laurie J.
Published: September 2022

I am not a specialist on Bali. I did live in Bali for more than a year in total over the past several decades, thus witnessing first hand its changing lifeways. I am a cultural and intellectual historian of Bali's neighbouring island of Java, and I carried out research on the central Javanese, specifically Solonese, shadow theatre in the early part of my career. I spent around five years in the city of Solo between 1972 and 1984, half of that time attending performances, and the other half hanging out with puppet masters, shadow theatre aficionados, and students of shadow theatre, and organising a project on collecting branch stories, stories that deviate from the trunk stories of the Solonese shadow theatre repertoire. The repertoire I was researching was the Javanese Mahabharata and Ramayana stories, a repertoire with which I was quite familiar. I was asked to be part of this special review to offer comparative insights between southern Balinese and central Javanese cultures from the point of view of the performing arts. From this perspective, I felt exhilarated to read Richard Fox'sMore than wordsand to read how literally alive Balinese letters, writ large and small, are in present-day Bali.
Resistindo a partir do discurso e da cultura: Indígenas no conflito armado colombiano: uma outra visão sobre guerra e paz no país
Authors: Ranincheski Sônia , Moreno Renata
Published: September 2022

O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar a reação da organização indígena na região do norte do Cauca, na Côlombia, em face do confronto armado em seu território no período 2000–2005, tentando explicar como esta organização consegue realizar um tipo de resistência ativa ao conflito. O estudo é essencialmente do tipo etnográfico e trabalha com uma perspectiva que privilegia o estudo dos elementos culturais e identitários para a compreensão das ações coletivas, aos moldes de Sonia Alvarez, Evelina Dagnino e Arturo Escobar (2001) em seu livro “Política Cultural e Cultura Política nos Movimentos Sociais Latino-Americanos”.

O artigo apresenta as interpretações e definições de conflito armado e paz encontradas nos discursos dos membros do movimento indígena nortecaucano. Argumenta-se que, no caso indígena, a cultura e seu processo identitário no âmbito da organização são fontes importantes de elementos simbólicos que sustentam os processos de resistência e ao mesmo tempo criam um espaço alternativo importante sobre o tema do conflito armado e da paz no país a partir da sociedade civil, em contraponto às visões tanto do Estado quanto dos atores armados e suas propostas sobre este tema.