bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictable timing behavior of gracefully degrading automotive systems
Authors: Weiss Philipp , Steinhorst Sebastian
Published: April 2023

Fail-operational behavior of safety-critical software for autonomous driving is essential as there is no driver available as a backup solution. In a failure scenario, safety-critical tasks can be restarted on other available hardware resources. Here, graceful degradation can be used as a cost-efficient solution where hardware resources are redistributed from non-critical to safety-critical tasks at run-time. We allow non-critical tasks to actively use resources that are reserved as a backup for critical tasks, which would be otherwise unused and which are only required in a failure scenario. However, in such a scenario, it is of paramount importance to achieve a predictable timing behavior of safety-critical applications to allow a safe operation. Here, it has to be ensured that even after the restart of safety-critical tasks a guarantee on execution times can be given. In this paper, we propose a graceful degradation approach using composable scheduling. We use our approach to present, for the first time, a performance analysis which is able to analyze timing constraints of fail-operational distributed applications using graceful degradation. Our method can verify that even during a critical Electronic Control Unit failure, there is always a backup solution available which adheres to end-to-end timing constraints. Furthermore, we present a dynamic decentralized mapping procedure which performs constraint solving at run-time using our analytical approach combined with a backtracking algorithm. We evaluate our approach by comparing mapping success rates to state-of-the-art approaches such as active redundancy and an approach based on resource availability. In our experimental setup our graceful degradation approach can fit about double the number of critical applications on the same architecture compared to an active redundancy approach. Combined, our approaches enable, for the first time, a dynamic and fail-operational behavior of gracefully degrading automotive systems with cost-efficient backup solutions for safety-critical applications.
Teachers’ data literacy for learning analytics: a central predictor for digital data use in upper secondary schools
Authors: Michos Konstantinos , Schmitz Maria-Luisa , Petko Dominik
Published: April 2023

Since schools increasingly use digital platforms that provide educational data in digital formats, teacher data use, and data literacy have become a focus of educational research. One main challenge is whether teachers use digital data for pedagogical purposes, such as informing their teaching. We conducted a survey study with N = 1059 teachers in upper secondary schools in Switzerland to investigate teacher digital data use and related factors such as the available technologies in schools. Descriptive analysis of the survey responses indicated that although more than half of Swiss upper-secondary teachers agreed with having data technologies at their disposal, only one-third showed a clear tendency to use these technologies, and only one-quarter felt positively confident in improving teaching in this way. An in-depth multilevel modeling showed that teachers’ use of digital data could be predicted by differences between schools, teachers’ positive beliefs towards digital technologies (will), self-assessed data literacy (skill), and access to data technologies (tool) as well as by general factors such as frequency of using digital devices in lessons by students. Teacher characteristics, such as age and teaching experience, were minor predictors. These results show that the provision of data technologies needs to be supplemented with efforts to strengthen teacher data literacy and use in schools.
Interpreting machine-learning models in transformed feature space with an application to remote-sensing classification
Authors: Brenning Alexander
Published: April 2023

Model-agnostic tools for the post-hoc interpretation of machine-learning models struggle to summarize the joint effects of strongly dependent features in high-dimensional feature spaces, which play an important role in semantic image classification, for example in remote sensing of landcover. This contribution proposes a novel approach that interprets machine-learning models through the lens of feature-space transformations. It can be used to enhance unconditional as well as conditional post-hoc diagnostic tools including partial-dependence plots, accumulated local effects (ALE) plots, permutation feature importance, or Shapley additive explanations (SHAP). While the approach can also be applied to nonlinear transformations, linear ones are particularly appealing, especially principal component analysis (PCA) and a proposed partial orthogonalization technique. Moreover, structured PCA and model diagnostics along user-defined synthetic features offer opportunities for representing domain knowledge. The new approach is implemented in the R package , which can be combined with existing explainable machine-learning packages. A case study on remote-sensing landcover classification with 46 features is used to demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach for model interpretation by domain experts. It is most useful in situations where groups of feature are linearly dependent and PCA can provide meaningful multivariate data summaries.
On a matrix element representation of the GKZ hypergeometric functions
Authors: Gerasimov A. A. , Lebedev D. R. , Oblezin S. V.
Published: April 2023

We develop a representation theory approach to the study of generalized hypergeometric functions of Gelfand, Kapranov and Zelevisnky (GKZ). We show that the GKZ hypergeometric functions may be identified with matrix elements of non-reductive Lie algebras $${\mathfrak L}_N$$

L
N

of oscillator type. The Whittaker functions associated with principal series representations of $$\mathfrak {gl}_{\ell +1}({\mathbb {R}})$$

gl

ℓ
+
1

(
R
)

being special cases of GKZ hypergeometric functions thus admit along with a standard matrix element representations associated with reductive Lie algebra $$\mathfrak {gl}_{\ell +1}({\mathbb {R}})$$

gl

ℓ
+
1

(
R
)

, another matrix element representation in terms of $${\mathfrak L}_{\ell (\ell +1)}$$

L

ℓ
(
ℓ
+
1
)

.
Inverted resonance capture cascade: modal interactions of a nonlinear energy sink with softening stiffness
Authors: Dekemele Kevin , Habib Giuseppe
Published: April 2023

Nonlinear energy sinks (NESs) are broadband passive vibration absorbers that are nonlinearly connected to a host system. If an NES is attached to a multi-degree-of-freedom mechanical host system under transient loading, the vibrations in the host system will transfer to and dissipate in the NES. During this transfer, the NES sequentially resonates with the modal frequencies of the host system, dissipating one mode at a time. This phenomenon is called resonance capture cascade (RCC). So far, RCC has only been investigated for NESs with a hardening nonlinear stiffness. Because of this stiffness, the transfer of modal vibrations happens from high to low frequency. In this study, an NES with a softening stiffness is proposed. Investigating the slow invariant manifolds reveals that an inverted resonance capture cascade occurs, where the transfer of vibrations to the NES is from low to high frequency. The analysis is carried out by exploiting high-dimensional slow invariant manifolds. The proposed NES is compared to the conventional NES with hardening stiffness.
Animal models of Soft Tissue Sarcoma for alternative anticancer therapy studies: characterization of the A-72 Canine Cell Line
Authors: Razzuoli Elisabetta , Chirullo Barbara , De Ciucis Chiara Grazia , Mecocci Samanta , Martini Isabella , Zoccola Roberto , Campanella Chiara , Varello Katia , Petrucci Paola , Di Meo Antonio , Bozzetta Elena , Tarantino Michela , Goria Maria , Modesto Paola
Published: April 2023

Canine Soft Tissue Sarcoma (STS) cell line A-72 has been largely employed for antiviral and antiproliferative studies. However, there are few information on their characteristics. Our aim was to evaluate A-72 expression level of genes and proteins involved in the innate immune response and cell cycle, their ability to respond to infective stressors and their possible use as a cellular model for anti-cancer studies in human and animal medicine. For this purpose, we evaluated the basal expression of immune-related, cell cycle and DNA repair genes on this cell line and tumoral tissues. A-72 ability to respond to a wild-type strain of Salmonella typhimurium was assessed. S. typhimurium showed ability to penetrate A-72 causing pro-inflammatory response accompanied by a decrease of cell viability. IL10 and IL18 genes were not expressed in A-72 while CXCL8, NOS2, CXCR4 and PTEN were highly expressed in all samples and TP53 was slightly expressed, as shown in human STS. Our results outline the ability of A-72 to respond to a bacterial agent by modifying the expression of important genes involved in innate immune response and provide a useful model for in vitro evaluation of new therapeutic approaches that could be translated into the human oncology.
Study of Adsorption Efficiency of Lignite, Biochar, and Polymeric Nanofibers for Veterinary Drugs in WWTP Effluent Water
Authors: Vrchovecká Stanislava , Asatiani Nikifor , Antoš Vojtěch , Wacławek Stanisław , Hrabák Pavel
Published: April 2023

The increased consumption, overuse, and subsequent difficult removal of pharmaceuticals using conventional processes lead to their rising prevalence in the environment. Adsorption belongs to the most efficient approaches to pharmaceuticals’ removal from wastewater. This study provides insight into the sorption properties of biochar, lignite, and polyamide nanofibers (PA-nanofibers) for sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, clarithromycin, azithromycin, and amoxicillin in ultrapure and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent water. The negative effect of WWTP effluent water was reflected in a reduction of the sorption capacity of biochar by 6.31–72.15%, 25.58–98.55% for lignite, and 4.21–67.71% for PA-nanofibers. Simultaneously, this study investigates the impact of the experimental setup. The sorption capacities were recorded in the range from 0.65 to 2.84 mg g−1 for biochar, 0.04 to 75.73 μg·g−1 for lignite, and 0.53 to 30.54 μg·g−1 for PA-nanofibers during the fixed-bed column tests with WWTP effluent water. Based on the results, biochar appears to be a suitable sorbent for selected pharmaceuticals in field conditions with running water. Lignite and PA represent complementary treatment technology or can act as a carrier for microbial degraders. Performed batch tests with ultrapure and WWTP effluent water and subsequent column tests highlighted the importance of conducting tests with the appropriate matrix and experimental setup to gain a realistic insight into the behavior of the sorbents under environmentally relevant conditions.

Graphical Abstract
Disaster Collaborative Exercises for Healthcare Teamwork in a Saudi Context
Authors: Sultan Mohammed Ali Salem , Khorram-Manesh Amir , Sørensen Jarle Løwe , Berlin Johan , Carlström Eric
Published: April 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the development of healthcare teamwork during and after the collaboration tabletop exercises, through observation and interview methods. Integration and maturity theoretical models were employed to explain the collaborative challenges in teams that may suffer from unequally distributed power, hierarchies, and fragmentation. Using three-level collaboration tabletop exercises and the Command and control, Safety, Communication, Assessment, Treatment, Triage, Transport (CSCATTT) instrument, 100 healthcare workers were observed during each step in the implementation of the CSCATTT instrument using two simulated scenarios. The results show a lack of integration and team maturity among participants in the first scenario, leading to the delayed start of the activity, task distribution, and decision making. These shortcomings were improved in the second scenario. In-depth interviews with 20 participants in the second phase of the study revealed improved knowledge and practical skills, self-confidence, and ability in team building within trans-professional groups in the second scenario, which in concordance with the integration theory, was due to the attempts made in the first scenario. Additionally, there was an improvement in the team’s maturity, which in concordance with the maturity theory, was due to the knowledge and practical skills during scenario plays. These results indicate the importance of continuous tabletop training, and the use of CSCATTT as a collaborative instrument, to promote the development of collaboration and to test the concept of preparedness.
Spatial Industrial Accident Exposure and Social Vulnerability Assessment of Hazardous Material Sites, Chemical Parks, and Nuclear Power Plants in Germany
Authors: Fekete Alexander , Neuner Steffen
Published: April 2023

Industrial accidents have shown that many people can be affected, such as in Seveso, Italy, in 1976. Industrial accidents in nuclear power plants have also led to fatalities and evacuations. To better guide preparedness against and mitigation of industrial accidents, an assessment is necessary to evaluate hazard exposure and the type of potentially vulnerable social groups that need to be taken into account. This study conducted a spatial assessment of three types of industrial facilities in Germany: facilities registered under the Seveso Directive, chemical parks, and nuclear power plants. The method consisted of a spatial assessment using a Geographic Information System of exposure around hazardous sites registered under the Seveso Directive in Germany and of census data to analyze social vulnerability. Hazards analyzed included industrial accidents and earthquakes. The results revealed that most industrial sites are in urban areas and that population density, the numbers of foreigners, and smaller housing unit sizes are higher in close proximity to these sites. The buffer zones analyzed in circles between 1 and 40 km show a decreasing vulnerability with more distance. This can guide emergency management planners and other stakeholders to better prepare for major accidents and better devise disaster risk reduction strategies specifically for different social groups.
Gaps, challenges and possible solution for prediction of wheel–rail rolling contact fatigue crack initiation
Authors: Zhang Shuyue , Liu Qiyue , Spiryagin Maksym , Wu Qing , Ding Haohao , Wen Zefeng , Wang Wenjian
Published: April 2023

The prediction of wheel/rail rolling contact fatigue (RCF) crack initiation during railway operations is an important task. Since RCF crack evolution is influenced by many factors, its prediction process is complex. This paper reviews the existing approaches to predict RCF crack initiation. The crack initiation region is predicted by the shakedown map. By combining the shakedown map with various initiation criteria and the critical plane method, the crack initiation life is calculated. The classification, methodologies, theories and applications of these approaches are included in this paper. The advantages and limitations of these methods are analyzed to provide recommendation for RCF crack initiation prediction. This review highlights that wheel/rail dynamic characteristic, complex working conditions, surface defects and wear all affect the RCF crack initiation. The optimal selection of criteria is essential in the crack initiation prediction. Based on the research gap regarding the challenging process of crack initiation prediction detailed in this review, a proposed prediction process of RCF crack initiation is proposed to achieve a more accurate result.
Medical Faculty and Medical Student Opinions on the Utility of Questions to Teach and Evaluate in the Clinical Environment
Authors: Rucker Lloyd , Rucker Garrett , Nguyen Angelica , Noel Maria , Marroquin Maria , Streja Elani , Hennrikus Eileen
Published: April 2023

Objectives

We sought to report medical student and faculty perceptions of the purpose and utility of questions on clinical rounds.

Methods

We developed and administered a survey to third and fourth-year medical students and teaching physicians. The survey elicited attitudes about using questions to teach on rounds in both benign and malignant learning environments.

Results

Ninety-seven percent of faculty and 85% of students predicted they will use questions to teach. Nine percent of students described learning-impairing stress during benign bedside teaching. Fifty-nine percent of faculty felt questions were mostly for teaching; 74% of students felt questions were mostly for evaluation. Forty-six percent of students felt questions underestimated their knowledge. Students felt questions were more effective for classroom teaching than bedside teaching. Faculty and students agreed that a malignant environment detrimentally affected learning and performance.

Conclusions

Students and faculty supported the use of questions to teach and evaluate, especially in benign teaching environments. Many students described stress severe enough to affect their learning and performance, even when questioned in benign teaching environments. Faculty underestimated the degree to which students experience stress-related learning impairment and the degree to which students see questions as evaluation rather than teaching. Nearly half of students felt that questions underestimated their own knowledge. Students feel more stress and less learning when questioned with a patient present. Faculty must realize that even in the best learning environment some students experience stress-impaired learning and performance, perhaps because of the conflict between learning and evaluation.
Effects of UV radiation on natural and synthetic materials
Authors: Andrady A. L. , Heikkilä A. M. , Pandey K. K. , Bruckman L. S. , White C. C. , Zhu M. , Zhu L.
Published: April 2023

The deleterious effects of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation on construction materials, especially wood and plastics, and the consequent impacts on their useful lifetimes, are well documented in scientific literature. Any future increase in solar UV radiation and ambient temperature due to climate change will therefore shorten service lifetimes of materials, which will require higher levels of stabilisation or other interventions to maintain their lifetimes at the present levels. The implementation of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments on substances that deplete the ozone layer, controls the solar UV-B radiation received on Earth. This current quadrennial assessment provides a comprehensive update on the deleterious effects of solar UV radiation on the durability of natural and synthetic materials, as well as recent innovations in better stabilising of materials against solar UV radiation-induced damage. Pertinent emerging technologies for wood and plastics used in construction, composite materials used in construction, textile fibres, comfort fabric, and photovoltaic materials, are addressed in detail. Also addressed are the trends in technology designed to increase sustainability via replacing toxic, unsustainable, legacy additives with ‘greener’ benign substitutes that may indirectly affect the UV stability of the redesigned materials. An emerging class of efficient photostabilisers are the nanoscale particles that include oxide fillers and nanocarbons used in high-performance composites, which provide good UV stability to materials. They also allow the design of UV-shielding fabric materials with impressive UV protection factors. An emerging environmental issue related to the photodegradation of plastics is the generation of ubiquitous micro-scale particles from plastic litter exposed to solar UV radiation.

Graphical abstract
All superconducting tokamak: EAST
Authors: Hu Jiansheng , Xi Weibin , Zhang Jian , Huang Liansheng , Yao Damao , Zang Qing , Hu Yanlan , Zuo Guizhong , Yuan Qiping , Qian Jinping , Zhou Zhiwei , Zhang Xinjun , Wang Mao , Xu Handong , Xie Yahong , Wang Zhengchu , Liu Haiqing , Sun Youwen , Wang Liang , Li Guoqiang , Yin Hongxing , Yang Yao , Gong Xianzu , Lu Kun , Xu Guosheng , Chen Junling , Liu Fukun , Li Jiangang , Song Yuntao ,   the EAST team
Published: April 2023

Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) was built to demonstrate high-power, long-pulse operations under fusion-relevant conditions, with major radius R = 1.9 m, minor radius a = 0.5 m, and design pulse length up to 1000s. It has an ITER-like D-shaped cross-section with two symmetric divertors at the top and bottom, accommodating both single null and double null divertor configurations. EAST construction was started in 2000, and its first plasma was successfully obtained in 2006. In the past 15 years, plasma-facing components, plasma heating, diagnostics, and other systems have been upgraded step by step to meet its mission on exploring of the scientific and technological bases for fusion reactors and studying the physics and engineering technology issues with long pulse steady-state operation. An advanced steady-state plasma operation scenario has been developed, and plasma parameters were greatly improved. Meanwhile, front physics on the magnetic confinement plasmas have been systemically investigated and lots of fruitful results were realized, covering transport and confinement, MHD stabilities, pedestal physics, divertor and scrap-off layer (SOL) physics, and energetic particle physics. This brief review of EAST on engineering upgrading, stand-steady operation scenario development, and plasma physics investigation would be useful for the reference on construction and operation of a superconducting tokamak, such as ITER and future fusion reactor.
Recalibrating Transplant Eligibility Criteria: Ensuring Equitable Access to Organ Transplantation for Intellectually Disabled Persons
Authors: Peña Adam
Published: April 2023

The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act have made little progress towards preventing disability-based discrimination within the organ transplant evaluation process. Intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) pose a unique problem for transplant teams and transplant physicians because I/DDs can simultaneously be a legitimate contraindication for transplantation and a mechanism for invidious discrimination against intellectually disabled persons. A culprit for ongoing disability-based discrimination is a transplant center’s authority to develop its own eligibility criteria. While medical criteria for eligibility are generally well-settled, psychosocial criteria — an amorphous constellation of risk factors for post-transplant success — can serve as a facially neutral disguise for social worth determinations of individuals with I/DDs. Consequently, individuals with I/DDs are unjustifiably denied eligibility for organ transplantation and transplant-related services.

This Article begins by identifying the pitfalls of current federal antidiscrimination legislation. It then discusses the foreseen benefits and drawbacks of House Resolution (H.R.) 8981, a recently proposed federal bill, that expressly prohibits disability-based discrimination within the organ transplant evaluation process. The Article ends by offering potential solutions for professional organizations and transplant centers that aim to provide for equitable access to organ transplantation and transplant-related services for intellectually disabled individuals.
Use of the HESPER Web to Assess Perceived Needs Immediately After Multiple Disaster Events in Fiji
Authors: Hugelius Karin , Semrau Maya , Holmefur Marie
Published: April 2023

Objective:

In January 2022, Fiji was hit by multiple natural disasters, including a cyclone causing flooding, an underwater volcanic eruption, and a tsunami. This study aimed to investigate perceived needs among the disaster-affected people in Fiji and to evaluate the feasibility of the Humanitarian Emergency Settings Perceived Needs Scale (HESPER Web) during the early stage after multiple natural disasters.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study using a self-selected, non-representative study sample was conducted. The HESPER Web was used to collect data.

Results:

In all, 242 people participated. The number of perceived serious needs ranged between 2 and 14 (out of a possible 26), with a mean of 6 (SD = 3). The top 3 most reported needs were access to toilets (60%), care for people in the community who are on their own (55%), and distress (51%). Volunteers reported fewer needs than the general public.

Conclusions:

The top 3 needs reported were related to water and sanitation and psychosocial needs. Such needs should not be underestimated in the emergency phase after natural disasters and may require more attention from responding actors. The HESPER Web was considered a usable tool for needs assessment in a sudden onset disaster.
What does security look like? Exploring interpretive photography as method
Authors: Ferhani Adam , Nyman Jonna
Published: April 2023

IR’s visual turn has emphasised visual analysis over visual method, centring images of war and crisis. Meanwhile security studies centres great power politics and moments of rupture. Together, they reinforce a dominant image of security as spectacular. This article unites two ethnographic projects focused on everyday security: one examining everyday security landscapes in China, and one examining health security at the UK border. Both found a gap between the dominant image of security and what we saw, and explored this gap through photography. Building on the everyday and visual turns, the article introduces interpretive photography as method to make two contributions. The first is methodological: it introduces interpretive photography as a distinct critical qualitative method that operates on five modes: enabling the seeing-capturing-making-sharing of visual artefacts, it also disrupts dominant visions and contributes to the construction of international relations. The second contribution is empirical: a deeper, richer account of what security looks like. While the discipline associates security with emergency politics or a state of exception, Nyman’s photographs show the exception-made-everyday, while Ferhani’s photos reject the exception by showing banal routines. In this way, photography engages the visuality of security, and can change how we see security.
Linear and nonlinear stability of Rayleigh–Bénard convection with zero-mean modulated heat flux
Authors: Christopher T.W. , Le Bars M. , Llewellyn Smith Stefan G.
Published: April 2023

Linear and nonlinear stability analyses are performed to determine critical Rayleigh numbers (${Ra}_{cr}$) for a Rayleigh–Bénard convection configuration with an imposed bottom boundary heat flux that varies harmonically in time with zero mean. The${Ra}_{cr}$value depends on the non-dimensional frequency$\omega$of the boundary heat-flux modulation. Floquet theory is used to find${Ra}_{cr}$for linear stability, and the energy method is used to find${Ra}_{cr}$for two different types of nonlinear stability: strong and asymptotic. The most unstable linear mode alternates between synchronous and subharmonic frequencies at low$\omega$, with only the latter at large$\omega$. For a given frequency, the linear stability${Ra}_{cr}$is generally higher than the nonlinear stability${Ra}_{cr}$, as expected. For large$\omega$,${Ra}_{cr} \omega ^{-2}$approaches an$O(10)$constant for linear stability but zero for nonlinear stability. Hence the domain for subcritical instability becomes increasingly large with increasing$\omega$. The same conclusion is reached for decreasing Prandtl number. Changing temperature and/or velocity boundary conditions at the modulated or non-modulated plate leads to the same conclusions. These stability results are confirmed by selected direct numerical simulations of the initial value problem.
Intermittent swimming of two self-propelled flexible fins with laterally constrained heaving motions in a side-by-side configuration
Authors: Jeong Young Dal , Kim Min Je , Lee Jae Hwa
Published: April 2023

Inspired by the intermittent locomotion of fish schools, numerical simulations are performed with two self-propelled flexible fins in a side-by-side configuration with anti-phase oscillation actuated by laterally constrained heaving motions. For an intermittent swimming gait, one type of the half-tail-beating mode (HT mode) and two types of multiple-tail-beating modes coasting at the smallest (MTS mode) and largest (MTL mode) lateral gap distances are applied. Similar to the continuous-tail-beating mode (CT mode), equilibrium lateral gap distances between two fins with HT and MTL modes exist, whereas two fins with MTS mode do not maintain a lateral equilibrium state. Although the cycle-averaged lateral force acting on two fins with CT and MTL modes is mostly determined by an outward deflected jet and enhanced positive pressure between two fins, an added-mass lateral force related to an asymmetric flapping kinematics by passive flexibility also plays an important role in MTL mode to achieve a stable state with a lateral gap distance smaller than that in CT mode. When the cruising speed or the cycle-averaged input power is identical in a stable state, the cost of transport (COT) for two fins with MTL mode is smaller than that with CT mode due to not only a benefit from the intermittent swimming gait but also an enhanced schooling benefit with a small equilibrium lateral gap distance. The COT for two fins with CT mode is reduced further when the bending rigidity increases, whereas it is opposite with MTL mode.
Hydrodynamic clogging of micro-particles in planar channels under electrostatic forces
Authors: Di Vaira Nathan J. , Łaniewski-Wołłk Łukasz , Johnson Raymond L. , Aminossadati Saiied M. , Leonardi Christopher R.
Published: April 2023

Hydrodynamic clogging in planar channels is studied via direct numerical simulation for the first time, utilising a novel numerical test cell and stochastic methodology with special focus on the influence of electrostatic forces. Electrostatic physics is incorporated into an existing coupled lattice Boltzmann-discrete element method framework, which is verified rigorously. First, the dynamics of the problem is governed by the Stokes number,

$St$

. At low

$St$

, the clogging probability,

$P$

, increases with

$St$

due to increasing collision frequency. At high

$St$

, however,

$P$

decreases with

$St$

due to quadratic scaling of hydrodynamic force acting on arches. Under electrostatic forces, clogging is well represented by the wall adhesion number,

$Ad_w$

. For

$Ad_w \lesssim 4$

, the mechanical dependence on

$St$

is exhibited, while for

$4 < Ad_w < 20$

, there is a transition to high

$P$

as sliding along, and attachment to, the channel surface occurs increasingly. For

$Ad_w \gtrsim 20$

, clogging occurs with

$P > 0.95$

. Particle agglomeration, however, can also decrease

$P$

due to diminished interaction with channel walls. Distinct parametric regions of clogging are also observed in relation to the channel width, while a critical width

$w/d^*=2.6$

is reported, which increases to

$w/d^*=4$

with strong electrostatic surface attachment. The number of particles that form stable arches across a planar channel is determined to be

$n=\left \lceil {w/d}\right \rceil + 1$

. Finally, sensitivity to the Coulomb friction coefficient is determined in favour of calibrating numerical parameters to bulk system behaviour. The greatest sensitivities occur in situations where the arch stability is lowest, while clogging becomes independent of friction for strong wall adhesion.
Death of parent, sibling, spouse, and child in a Swedish national sample and risk of subsequent stress reaction, major depression, alcohol-use disorder, and drug-use disorder
Authors: Kendler Kenneth S. , Lönn Sara L. , Sundquist Jan , Sundquist Kristina
Published: April 2023

Background

To determine, in a general population, how much rates of stress reactions (SR), major depression (MD), alcohol-use disorder (AUD) and drug-use disorder (DUD) increase after the death of close relatives.

Methods

SR, MD, AUD, and DUD registrations were assessed from national Swedish registries. From the population followed from 2000 to 2018, those exposed to death of a close relative in 2002–2016 were matched to unexposed controls and analyzed in males and females by a controlled pre-post design using a difference-in-difference method.

Results

Substantial, brief increases in risk for SR and more modest prolonged increases in MD were observed after death of relatives in both men and women greatest with children, followed by spouses, parents, and siblings. Relatively long-lasting modest increases in AUD but not DUD were also observed following death of relatives. The absolute increases for SR and MD were greater in females than males and for AUD greater in males than females. However, logistic regression analyses showed most effects did not differ significantly by sex. Consistently larger increases in disorder risk were seen with the death of younger v. older parents, siblings, and spouses and with accidental v. non-accidental death in children.

Conclusions

Applying a matched cohort design to Swedish population registries, death of close relatives was associated with, and likely caused, substantial increases in rates of SR, MD, and AUD, consistent with smaller prior clinical investigations. Through such registries, we can, in large representative samples, integrate the impact of exposures to selected environmental adversities into disorder risk pathways.
Evaluating whether a peer-led dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program prevents onset of each eating disorder type
Authors: D'Adamo Laura , Ghaderi Ata , Rohde Paul , Gau Jeff M. , Shaw Heather , Stice Eric
Published: April 2023

Background

This study tested whether the dissonance-based Body Project eating disorder prevention program reduced onset of subthreshold/threshold anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and purging disorder (PD) over long-term follow-up.

Methods

Data were combined from three prevention trials that targeted young women at high-risk for eating disorders (N = 1092; M age = 19.3). Participants were randomized to Body Project groups led by peer educators or expressive writing/educational controls and completed masked diagnostic interviews over 2- to 4-year follow-ups. Logistic regressions tested whether onset of each eating disorder over follow-up differed between Body Project and control participants.

Results

Peer-led Body Project groups produced a 46% reduction in onset of subthreshold/threshold BN and a 62% reduction in onset of PD relative to controls over follow-up. Rates of onset of subthreshold/threshold AN and BED did not significantly differ between peer-led Body Project participants and control participants.

Conclusions

Results support the dissemination of the peer-led Body Project for reducing future onset of BN and PD. This study and recent research suggest that thin-ideal internalization, the risk factor for eating disorders targeted in the Body Project, may be more relevant for predicting onset of BN and PD compared to AN and BED. Findings support the development of a version of the Body Project aimed to reduce risk factors that have predicted future onset of all four types of eating disorders (e.g. overvaluation of weight/shape, fear of weight gain), which may more effectively prevent all eating disorder types.
Older workers’ employment and Social Security spillovers through the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Goda Gopi Shah , Jackson Emilie , Nicholas Lauren Hersch , Stith Sarah See
Published: April 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a large and immediate drop in employment among U.S. workers, along with major expansions of unemployment insurance (UI) and work from home. We use Current Population Survey and Social Security application data to study employment among older adults and their participation in disability and retirement insurance programs through the second year of the pandemic. We find ongoing improvements in employment outcomes among older workers in the labor force, along with sustained higher levels in the share no longer in the labor force during this period. Applications for Social Security disability benefits remain depressed, particularly for Supplemental Security Income. In models accounting for the expiration of expanded UI, we find some evidence that the loss of these additional financial supports resulted in an increase in disability claiming. Social Security retirement benefit claiming is approximately 3% higher during the second year of the pandemic.
Deference and defiance in Malaysia's China policy: determinants of a dualistic diplomacy
Authors: Kuik Cheng-Chwee , Lai Yew Meng
Published: April 2023

When do smaller states defer to and when do they defy stronger powers? How and why? This article traces and explains the changing patterns of deference and defiance in Malaysia's China policy. There are three findings. First, deference and defiance are essential elements in all inter-state relations, especially asymmetric ones. The greater the power asymmetry, the greater the inclination to defer and defy. Second, states often pursue defiance and deference concurrently and selectively, with approaches adapted in accordance with changing external and internal conditions. The concurrent adoption of the two behaviors often manifest in hedging, an insurance-seeking policy aimed at offsetting multiple risks by counteracting the effects of the other behavior: deference without defiance risks subservience and dependency; defiance without deference invites hostility and confrontation. Third, the specific patterns and proportions of the deference–defiance mix are attributable more to domestic than external determinants, i.e., the needs to balance security, prosperity, and autonomy, as necessitated by the prevailing pathways of elite legitimation. This explains why Malaysia's open deference vis-à-vis China has been accompanied by an indirect and quiet defiance especially in recent years, as best evidenced by the second Mahathir administration's dualistic approaches toward the Belt and Road, South China Sea, and Xinjiang.
Do Reserved Seats Work? Evidence from Tribal Representatives in Maine
Authors: DeHart Cameron , Mamet Elliot
Published: April 2023

Do reserved seats yield substantive representation for traditionally marginalized groups? To answer that question, we turn to a remarkable and little-studied institution: reserved seats for Native American tribes in the Maine House of Representatives. Tribal representatives, who can participate in debate but lack a vote, have represented tribes in Maine’s House of Representatives since statehood in 1820. We take advantage of a 1995 rule change that allowed tribal representatives to initiate legislation, and an original dataset of pro-tribal bills, to estimate the effect of reserved seats on the production of pro-tribal bills. We find that once tribal representatives were allowed to write bills, they produced over half of all tribal-related legislation during a 36-year period. Legislators with tribal constituents sponsored fewer relevant bills after the reform but continued to cosponsor pro-tribal legislation. Although our results show tribal representatives contribute to the legislative process, we caution that reserved seats are not a panacea for improving Indigenous representation.
The ABCs of CBASP
Authors: Berthold-Losleben Mark , Swan John S. , Liebing-Wilson Marianne
Published: April 2023

Cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy (CBASP) is designed to help patients with chronic depression improve the negative social and personal impacts of this disorder. This volume, written by experienced practitioners of CBASP, creatively explores the principles and practice of CBASP in a new, unusual, and engaging fashion. Interspersed between theoretical chapters, you will find yourself in the therapy room with Maggie (the therapist) and Chris (the patient).
Using authentic dialog, you will experience how the different stages of therapy unfold: How, from their first-person perspectives, Christopher and Maggie experience the application of the CBASP model, and how Helen (the supervisor) helps Maggie to understand difficult encounters in therapy. This book helps you prepare for your CBASP sessions by providing essential information and prompts in a clearly arranged manner, as well as exercises to verify your progress and learning goals.
This creative and descriptive approach to understanding the hopes, fears, and concerns of patients and therapists engaged in a course of CBASP psychotherapy is essential reading for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, other mental health professionals, as well as students wanting to know how to successfully apply CBASP.
Tracking Changes in Vegetation Structure Following Fire in the Cerrado Biome Using ICESat‐2
Authors: Konduri Venkata Shashank , Morton Douglas C. , Andela Niels
Published: April 2023

Fires mediate grass and tree competition and alter vegetation structure in savanna ecosystems, with important implications for regional carbon, water, and energy fluxes. However, direct observations of how fire frequency influences vegetation structure and post‐fire recovery have been limited to small experimental field studies. Here, we combined lidar‐derived canopy height and canopy cover from NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite‐2 with over two decades of burned area data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sensors to provide the first biome‐wide estimates of post‐fire changes in canopy structure for major vegetation types in the Cerrado (Brazil). Mean canopy height decreased with increasing burn frequency for all natural cover types, with the greatest decline observed for forests and savannas. The ability to separate changes in fractional canopy cover from height growth using lidar data highlighted the long‐time scales of vegetation recovery in forests and savannas after fire. For forests in medium and high precipitation areas, canopy cover returned to unburned values within 5 years following fire, whereas mean canopy height remained below unburned values, even in the oldest fires (14–20 years). Recovery times increased with decreasing rainfall, with average values of both fractional cover and canopy height below unburned areas after 14–20 years for savannas. We observed gradual recovery of vegetation height and cover over decades, even in mesic or wet savanna regions like the Cerrado. Infrequent fire activity, particularly in areas with greater land management, influences ecosystem structure across the biome, with important consequences for biodiversity conservation.
Reevaluating the protective effect of smoking on preeclampsia risk through the lens of bias
Authors: Rodriguez-Lopez Merida , Escobar Maria Fernanda , Merlo Juan , Kaufman Jay S.
Published: April 2023

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder that is usually diagnosed after 20 weeks’ gestation. Despite the deleterious effect of smoking on cardiovascular disease, it has been frequently reported that smoking has a protective effect on preeclampsia risk and biological explanations have been proposed. However, in this manuscript, we present multiple sources of bias that could explain this association. First, key concepts in epidemiology are reviewed: confounder, collider, and mediator. Then, we describe how eligibility criteria, losses of women potentially at risk, misclassification, or performing incorrect adjustments can create bias. We provide examples to show that strategies to control for confounders may fail when they are applied to variables that are not confounders. Finally, we outline potential approaches to manage this controversial effect. We conclude that there is probably no single epidemiological explanation for this counterintuitive association.
Safety and tolerability of oral vorolanib for neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration: a phase I, open-label study
Authors: Gao Yunxia , Lu Fang , Li Xiaoxin , Dai Hong , Liu Kun , Liu Xiaoling , Sun Zuhua , Xiang Jin , Ding Lieming , Liang Chris , Wang Yang , Shen Zhilin , Zhang Ming
Published: April 2023

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral vorolanib for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods

In the dose escalation, participants received ascending doses of oral vorolanib (25–100 mg daily). In the dose expansion, participants received recommended doses (25 and 50 mg daily).

Results

Between March 15, 2015, and January 23, 2019, 41 participants were enrolled in 6 centres in China. At the data cut-off (November 14, 2019), two dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed during dose escalation (one in the 75 mg cohort and one in the 100 mg cohort). The maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 33 (80.5%) participants, and grade 3 or higher TRAEs occurred in 12 (29.3%) participants. No fatal TRAEs were observed. Increases in the mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline to Day 360 of +7.7 letters (range, −5–29; n = 41) were observed in participants who were administered vorolanib. Corresponding reductions in mean central subfield thickness (CST) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) area at Day 360 were observed in these three groups.

Conclusions

Oral administration of vorolanib improved visual outcomes in participants with nAMD with manageable systemic safety profiles.
Trade-off between critical metal requirement and transportation decarbonization in automotive electrification
Authors: Zhang Chunbo , Zhao Xiang , Sacchi Romain , You Fengqi
Published: April 2023

Automotive electrification holds the promise of mitigating transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, yet at the expense of growing demand for critical metals. Here, we analyze the trade-off between the decarbonization potential of the road transportation sector and its critical metal requirement from the demand-side perspective in 48 major countries committing to decarbonize their road transportation sectors aided by electric vehicles (EVs). Our results demonstrate that deploying EVs with 40–100% penetration by 2050 can increase lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese demands by 2909–7513%, 2127–5426%, 1039–2684%, and 1099–2838%, respectively, and grow platinum group metal requirement by 131–179% in the 48 investigated countries, relative to 2020. Higher EV penetration reduces GHG emissions from fuel use regardless of the transportation energy transition, while those from fuel production are more sensitive to energy-sector decarbonization and could reach nearly “net zero” by 2040.
Comparative epidemic expansion of SARS-CoV-2 variants Delta and Omicron in the Brazilian State of Amazonas
Authors: Arantes Ighor , Bello Gonzalo , Nascimento Valdinete , Souza Victor , da Silva Arlesson , Silva Dejanane , Nascimento Fernanda , Mejía Matilde , Brandão Maria Júlia , Gonçalves Luciana , Silva George , da Costa Cristiano Fernandes , Abdalla Ligia , Santos João Hugo , Ramos Tatyana Costa Amorim , Piantham Chayada , Ito Kimihito , Siqueira Marilda Mendonça , Resende Paola Cristina , Wallau Gabriel Luz , Delatorre Edson , Gräf Tiago , Naveca Felipe Gomes
Published: April 2023

The SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) Delta and Omicron spread globally during mid and late 2021, respectively. In this study, we compare the dissemination dynamics of these VOCs in the Amazonas state, one of Brazil’s most heavily affected regions. We sequenced the virus genome from 4128 patients collected in Amazonas between July 1st, 2021, and January 31st, 2022, and investigated the viral dynamics using a phylodynamic approach. The VOCs Delta and Omicron BA.1 displayed similar patterns of phylogeographic spread but different epidemic dynamics. The replacement of Gamma by Delta was gradual and occurred without an upsurge of COVID-19 cases, while the rise of Omicron BA.1 was extremely fast and fueled a sharp increase in cases. Thus, the dissemination dynamics and population-level impact of new SARS-CoV-2 variants introduced in the Amazonian population after mid-2021, a setting with high levels of acquired immunity, greatly vary according to their viral phenotype.