bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical sensing platform based on screen-printed carbon electrode modified with plasma polymerized acrylonitrile nanofilms for determination of bupropion
Authors: Madej Maria , Trzcińska Agata , Lipińska Justyna , Kapica Ryszard , Fronczak Maciej , Porada Radosław , Kochana Jolanta , Baś Bogusław , Tyczkowski Jacek
Published: September 2023

A original electrochemical sensing platform, based on screen-printed electrodes modification with plasma polymerized acrylonitrile (pp-AN) nanofilms is proposed. For that purpose, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process was conducted in a parallel plate (13.56 MHz) plasma reactor for 2 min with discharge power of 10 W. The surface topography and electrochemical properties of prepared sensors were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical characteristics of pp-AN/SPCE and pp-AN/SPAuE sensors was investigated for model redox pair [Fe(CN)6]4−/3−. Conducted research confirmed the excellent chemical stability, durability, wide potential window, high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio, and, most importantly, the ability to standardize the sensors. The pp-AN/SPCE sensor was applied to the determination of bupropion, an antidepressant drug whose intake has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. The voltammetric response of pp-AN/SPCE for BUP was linear in two concentration ranges of 0.63–10.0 and 10.0–50.0 μmol L−1, with a detection limit of 0.21 μmol L−1. Satisfactory recoveries (96.2–102%) and good precision (RSD below 4.1%) obtained for environmental and biological samples confirmed the usefulness of the sensor for the analysis of various kinds of samples.

Graphical Abstract
Self-Induced Large-Scale Motions in a Three-Dimensional Diffuser
Authors: Miró Arnau , Eiximeno Benet , Rodríguez Ivette , Lehmkuhl Oriol
Published: September 2023

A direct numerical simulation of a three-dimensional diffuser at Reynolds number Re = 10,000 (based on inlet bulk velocity) has been performed using a low-dissipation finite element code. The geometry chosen for this work is the Stanford diffuser, introduced by Cherry et al. (Int. J. Heat Fluid Flow 29:803–811, 2008). Results have been exhaustively compared with the published data with a quite good agreement. Additionally, further turbulent statistics have been provided such as the Reynolds stresses or the turbulent kinetic energy. A proper orthogonal decomposition and a dynamic mode decomposition analyses of the main flow variables have been performed to identify the main characteristics of the large-scale motions. A combined, self-induced movement of the large-scales has been found to originate in the top-right expansion corner with two clear features. A low-frequency diagonal cross-stream travelling wave first reported by Malm et al. (J. Fluid Mech. 699:320–351, 2012), has been clearly identified in the spatial modes of the stream-wise velocity components and the pressure, associated with the narrow band frequency of $$St \in [0.083,0.01]$$

S
t
∈
[
0.083
,
0.01
]

. This movement is caused by the geometrical expansion of the diffuser in the cross-stream direction. A second low-frequency trait has been identified associated with the persisting secondary flows and acting as a back and forth global accelerating-decelerating motion located on the straight area of the diffuser, with associated frequencies of $$St < 0.005$$

S
t
<
0.005

. The smallest frequency observed in this work has been $$St = 0.0013$$

S
t
=
0.0013

. This low-frequency observed in the Stanford diffuser points out the need for longer simulations in order to obtain further turbulent statistics.
Transformations of glucuronoxylan during acid sulphite pulping of eucalyptus dissolving pulp
Authors: Mendes Inês S. F. , Prates António , Evtuguin Dmitry V.
Published: September 2023

Xylan is the main contaminant of hardwood sulphite dissolving pulp used for the production of regenerated cellulose. The amount of xylan in pulp should not exceed the minimum allowable values and which is not easy to achieve. To control the pulping process, a basic knowledge of xylan removal is essential. In this study, Eucalyptus globulus glucuronoxylan (GX) conversion during acidic Mg-base acid sulphite pulping of dissolving pulp was assessed for the first time in pilot experiments simulating the industrial process. The kinetics of GX degradation and changes in its structure and molecular weight along all pulping steps were evaluated. According to pentosans analysis, more than 60% of wood xylan was removed already in the heating-up step. A pseudo-first-order reaction for xylan degradation at the final pulping temperature of 140–148 °C was obtained with an activation energy of 133.4 kJ/mol. Removal of residual GX from pulp was hampered by its entrapment in cellulose fibril aggregates. The dynamics of xylan deacetylation and depolymerization during pulping in isolated samples was revealed by 2D NMR and SEC techniques, respectively. Overall, the residual xylan structure in pulp is predetermined by its structural heterogeneity in the cell wall, rather than by structural changes occurring during pulping.
Sea level rise risk interactions with coastal property values: a case study of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
Authors: Tarui Nori , Urbanski Seth , Lam Quang Loc , Coffman Makena , Newfield Conrad
Published: September 2023

Climate change-induced sea level rise (SLR) will affect a range of coastal assets and prompt difficult decisions about coastal land use across the world. Several recent studies find that current and projected SLR is associated with relatively lower property values. We contribute to this growing body of research with a case study of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, which is famed for its beaches as well as valuable coastal real estate. We leverage a dataset that unpacks multiple types of SLR exposure and coastal parcel attributes. We apply property transaction data for the island of O‘ahu through 2019 to investigate the effect of current and expected SLR exposure on residential property prices. We find that exposed properties have already experienced declines in transaction prices, at 9 to 14%, attributed to expectations of exposure to chronic inundation (as opposed to seasonal flooding). The price declines are mainly for multi-dwelling homes as opposed to single family homes. The market response of residential properties to SLR has important implications for coastal management strategies, in particular the viability and timing of programs for retreat.
When Shepherds Shed: Trajectories of Weight-Related Behaviors in a Holistic Health Intervention Tailored for US Christian Clergy
Authors: Yao Jia , Steinberg Dori , Turner Elizabeth L. , Cai Grace Y. , Cameron Jacqueline R. , Hybels Celia F. , Eagle David E. , Milstein Glen , Rash Joshua A. , Proeschold-Bell Rae Jean
Published: September 2023

Maintaining healthy behaviors is challenging. Based upon previous reports that in North Carolina (NC), USA, overweight/obese clergy lost weight during a two-year religiously tailored health intervention, we described trajectories of diet, physical activity, and sleep. We investigated whether behavior changes were associated with weight and use of health-promoting theological messages. Improvements were observed in sleep, calorie-dense food intake, and physical activity, with the latter two associated with weight loss. While theological messages were well-retained, their relationship with behaviors depended on the specific message, behavior, and timing. Findings offer insights into weight loss mechanisms, including the role of theological messages in religiously tailored health interventions.
Establishing the link: Does web traffic from various marketing channels influence direct traffic source purchases?
Authors: Filippou Georgios , Georgiadis Athanasios G. , Jha Ashish Kumar
Published: September 2023

Marketing professionals and business owners strive to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing investments. With multiple marketing channels at their disposal, understanding how these channels interact and influence each other is crucial. Digital analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, tend to measure the isolated success of each marketing channel. However, the intertwined effects and interdependencies between channels are often undervalued. This study, therefore, ventures into this territory. It focuses on the association between website traffic from various digital marketing channels and the purchases made by users visiting websites through direct traffic sources. We analyzed 89,394 purchases from an e-commerce business in Europe. We conclude that three marketing channels can explain 61% of the variance. By shedding light on this overlooked aspect, we aim to guide advertisers toward a more holistic understanding of digital marketing channels.
Auto/biographical research on old Mexican women: a methodological and reflexive account
Authors: Makita Meiko
Published: September 2023

When it comes to presenting qualitative research in a language other than the participants’ native language the decision-making processes involved are not often fully addressed. Drawing on research with 32 Mexican women aged 60 and over and addressing a significant gap in guidance available to bilingual novice researchers and/or aspiring Ph.D. candidates, this article discusses the complexities of shifting between languages while conducting auto/biographical research. It also explores the researcher’s own positionality as insider/outsider and how these issues impact the research outcomes and knowledge production. It particularly highlights the dual role as researcher and Spanish–English translator and provides details about the methodological decisions undertaken regarding wording selection and interpretation across languages. Ultimately, this article contends that cross-language researchers need to systematically address the unique translation issues involved and make explicit the dilemmas and consequences of moving between languages in which participants’ auto/biographies are analysed, written-up and published.
Expression of CD13 and CD26 on extracellular vesicles in canine seminal plasma: preliminary results
Authors: Troisi Alessandro , Schrank Magdalena , Bellezza Ilaria , Fallarino Francesca , Pastore Sara , Verstegen John P. , Pieramati Camillo , Di Michele Alessandro , Talesa Vincenzo Nicola , Martìnez Barbitta Marcelo , Orlandi Riccardo , Polisca Angela
Published: September 2023

Canine seminal plasma is a complex fluid containing proteins, peptides, enzymes, hormones as well as extracellular vesicles that are involved in many physiological and pathological processes including reproduction. We examined the expression of the extracellular vesicles surface antigens Aminopeptidase-N (CD13) and Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (CD26) by flow cytometry. For this study, third fraction of the ejaculate, from fertile adult male German Shepherd dogs, was manually collected twice, two days apart. FACS analyses revealed that CD13 and CD26 are co-expressed on the 69.3 ± 3.7% of extracellular vesicles and only a 2.0 ± 0.5% of extracellular vesicles express CD26 alone. On the other hand, 28.6 ± 3.6% of seminal EVs express CD13 alone. Our results agree with the hypothesis that CD26 needs to be co-expressed with other signal-transducing molecules, while CD13, can perform functions independently of the presence or co-expression of CD26. The results obtained in normal fertile dogs could represent physiological expression of these enzymes. Therefore, it would be interesting to carry out further studies to evaluate the expression of CD13 and CD26 on extracellular vesicles as biomarker for prostate pathological condition in dogs.
Pleistocene-dated genomic divergence of avocado trees supports cryptic diversity in the Colombian germplasm
Authors: Berdugo-Cely Jhon A. , Cortés Andrés J. , López-Hernández Felipe , Delgadillo-Durán Paola , Cerón-Souza Ivania , Reyes-Herrera Paula H. , Navas-Arboleda Alejandro A. , Yockteng Roxana
Published: September 2023

Genomic characterization of ex situ plant collections optimizes the utilization of genetic resources by identifying redundancies among accessions, capturing cryptic variation, establishing reference collections, and ultimately assisting pre-breeding and breeding efforts. Yet, the integration of evolutionary genomic analyses is often lacking when studying the biodiversity of crop gene pools. Such is the case in the avocado, Persea americana Mill., an iconic American fruit tree crop that has seen an unprecedented expansion worldwide because of its nutritional properties. However, given a very restricted number of commercial clones, avocado plantations are becoming more vulnerable to diseases and climate change. Therefore, exploring new sources of evolutionary novelty and genetic diversity beyond the commercial varieties derived from traditional genetic pools in Mexico and Central America is imperative. To fill this gap, we aimed to characterize the genomic diversity of Colombian avocado trees. Specifically, we constructed reduced representation genomic libraries to genotype by sequencing 144 accessions from the Colombian National genebank and 240 materials from local commercial orchards in the Colombian northwest Andes. We merged the resulting reads with available sequences of reference genotypes from known avocado groups (also named as races), Mexican, Guatemalan, and West Indian, to discover 4931 SNPs. We then analyzed the population structure and phylogenetic diversity, and reconstructed evolutionary scenarios, possibly leading to new genetic groups in Colombian germplasm. We detected demographic stratification despite evidence of intergroup gene flow. Besides the classical three avocado groups, we found an exclusive Colombian group with a possible genetic substructure related to the geographical origin (Andean and Caribbean). Phylogenetic and ABC demographic modeling suggested that the Colombian group evolved in the Pleistocene before human agriculture started, and its closest relative from the three recognized races would be the West Indian group. We conclude that northwest South America offers a cryptic source of allelic novelty capable of boosting avocado pre-breeding strategies to select rootstock candidates well adapted to specific eco-geographical regions in Colombia and abroad.
Hair disorders associated with post-COVID-19 infection in females: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Awad Nehal El Hendawy Ali , Obaid Zakaria M. , Zaky Mohamed S. , Elsaie Mohamed L.
Published: September 2023

Background

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) currently named SARS-CoV-2 is a contagious disease caused by a coronavirus. The virus may infect the hair follicles directly or indirectly through systemic changes in the immune or hormonal systems.

Aims

In the current study we aimed to determine the prevalence of hair disorders in females infected with COVID-19.

Methods

Data was collected using a questionnaire covering four main domains: personal data, past medical history, COVID-19 history and treatment, and existence of any hair problems and their management. No identifier or sensitive data were collected. Those complaining of hair loss were subjected to complete general and local hair examination using trichoscopy to confirm hair loss.

Results

Hair problems were reported in 307 (61.4%) of COVID-19-infected female subjects. A total of 68.1% patients reported that hair loss existed and increased after COVID-19; 29.6% reported their hair problems only post-COVID-19 while 2.3% had hair shedding issues during infection only. The main reported hair problems were telogen effluvium (60.8%), increased gray hair (13.8%), seborrheic dermatitis (5.6%) trichotillomania (3.6%), and alopecia areata (2.2%).

Conclusion

In conclusion, we reported prevalence of post-COVID hair fall that was confirmed by trichoscopy and which affected approximately 61.4% of infected females.
The Utility of Preclinical Models in Understanding the Bone Health of Transgender Individuals Undergoing Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy
Authors: Venkatesh Varun S. , Nie Tian , Zajac Jeffrey D. , Grossmann Mathis , Davey Rachel A.
Published: September 2023

Purpose of Review

To summarise the evidence regarding the effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) on bone health in transgender people, to identify key knowledge gaps and how these gaps can be addressed using preclinical rodent models.

Recent Findings

Sex hormones play a critical role in bone physiology, yet there is a paucity of research regarding the effects of GAHT on bone microstructure and fracture risk in transgender individuals. The controlled clinical studies required to yield fracture data are unethical to conduct making clinically translatable preclinical research of the utmost importance. Novel genetic and surgical preclinical models have yielded significant mechanistic insight into the roles of sex steroids on skeletal integrity.

Preclinical models of GAHT have the potential inform clinical approaches to preserve skeletal integrity and prevent fractures in transgender people undergoing GAHT. This review highlights the key considerations required to ensure the information gained from preclinical models of GAHT are informative.
Heap-Based Optimizer Algorithm with Chaotic Search for Nonlinear Programming Problem Global Solution
Authors: Rizk-Allah Rizk M. , Eldesoky Islam M. , Aboali Ekram A. , Nasr Sarah M.
Published: September 2023

In this paper, a heap-based optimizer algorithm with chaotic search has been presented for the global solution of nonlinear programming problems. Heap-based optimizer (HBO) is a modern human social behavior-influenced algorithm that has been presented as an effective method to solve nonlinear programming problems. One of the difficulties that faces HBO is that it falls into locally optimal solutions and does not reach the global solution. To recompense the disadvantages of such modern algorithm, we integrate a heap-based optimizer with a chaotic search to reach the global optimization for nonlinear programming problems. The proposed algorithm displays the advantages of both modern techniques. The robustness of the proposed algorithm is inspected on a wide scale of different 42 problems including unimodal, multi-modal test problems, and CEC-C06 2019 benchmark problems. The comprehensive results have shown that the proposed algorithm effectively deals with nonlinear programming problems compared with 11 highly cited algorithms in addressing the tasks of optimization. As well as the rapid performance of the proposed algorithm in treating nonlinear programming problems has been proved as the proposed algorithm has taken less time to find the global solution.
Observing effective classroom management in early instruction in primary school: rating instrument construction and its link to teacher knowledge
Authors: König Johannes , Glutsch Nina , Weyers Jonas , Casale Gino , Hanke Petra , Knips Chantal , Pohl Thorsten , Waschewski Tina , Becker-Mrotzek Michael , Schabmann Alfred , Träuble Birgit
Published: September 2023

This study presents a novel standardized rating instrument for observing and measuring effective classroom management (ECM) as part of the teaching and learning environments in primary school. The instrument comprises eight high-inferent items on organizational aspects (lack of disruptions/discipline problems, withitness, effective time use, clear rules, clear routines, appreciation) and instructional aspects (structuring, goal clarity). It was applied in second grade classrooms of German primary school teachers (n = 35) providing early reading and writing instruction. Pairs of trained raters (student teachers) observed one to three lessons in each classroom over 3–4 months, reaching acceptable interrater agreement. The instrument showed acceptable internal consistency. Factor analyses revealed structures with good to acceptable fit indices, with confirming the differentiation into organizational and instructional ECM aspects. Correlations between observed ECM and facets of teacher knowledge (that were directly assessed by using paper–pencil tests) provide divergent and convergent validity evidence: Whereas no significant correlations could be found between pedagogical content knowledge for early reading and writing instruction and ECM, findings show significant correlations between general pedagogical knowledge and the ECM. The added value of the study is therefore to provide a novel instrument that can be applied in future empirical research on primary school classroom management.
Illuminating the Word in the Early Middle Ages
Authors: Nees Lawrence
Published: September 2023

This richly illustrated study addresses the essential first steps in the development of the new phenomenon of the illuminated book, which innovatively introduced colourful large letters and ornamental frames as guides for the reader's access to the text. Tracing their surprising origins within late Roman reading practices, Lawrence Nees shows how these decorative features stand as ancestors to features of printed and electronic books we take for granted today, including font choice, word spacing, punctuation and sentence capitalisation. Two hundred photographs, nearly all in colour, illustrate and document the decisive change in design from ancient to medieval books. Featuring an extended discussion of the importance of race and ethnicity in twentieth-century historiography, this book argues that the first steps in the development of this new style of book were taken on the European continent within classical practices of reading and writing, and not as, usually presented, among the non-Roman 'barbarians'.
A Political Theory of Money
Authors: Kapadia Anush
Published: September 2023

Understanding money's nature as political, institutional, and material answers today's big money questions. Money remains a foundational question of social theory. What is money? Why does something so insubstantial have value? How do money systems make promises function like valuable things? Why are money systems always hierarchical yet variable? The answer, the book argues, is politics. Money is institutionalised social power. Politics generates institutions that differentially lock into the future product of political and economic collectives. Money emerges from the institutionalisation of social antagonisms to encapsulate a collective's productive potential in a flexible, tradable instrument. This takes a system. Money is built in hierarchical layers out of the inherently variable material of politics and at various economic scales. This book outlines these variable processes theoretically and through case studies.
Mercenaries of Knowledge
Authors: Montcher Fabien
Published: September 2023

From Lisbon to Rome via the Gulf of Guinea and the sugar mills of northern Brazil, this book explores the strategies and practices that displaced scholars cultivated to navigate the murky waters of late Renaissance politics. By tracing the life of the Portuguese jurist-scholar Vicente Nogueira (1586–1654) across diverse social, cultural, and pol-itical spaces, Fabien Montcher reveals a world of religious conﬂicts and imperial rivalries. Here, European agents developed the practice of 'bibliopolitics'– using local and international systems for buying and selling books and manuscripts to foster political communication and debate, and ultimately to negotiate their survival. Bibliopolitics fostered the advent of a generation of 'mercenaries of knowledge' whose stories constitute a key part of seventeenth-century social and cultural history. This book also demonstrates their crucial role in creating an inter-national and dynamic Republic of Letters with others who helped shape early modern intellectual and political worlds.
A Caribbean Enlightenment
Authors: Shelford April G.
Published: September 2023

Exploring the intersection of Enlightenment ideas and colonial realities amongst White, male colonists in the eighteenth-century French and British Caribbean, A Caribbean Enlightenment recovers a neglected aspect of the region's history. Physicians to planters, merchants to publishing entrepreneurs were as inspired by ideologies of utility and improvement as their metropolitan counterparts, and they adapted 'enlightened' ideas and social practices to understand their place in the Atlantic World. Colonists collected botanical specimens for visiting naturalists and books for their personal libraries. They founded periodicals that created arenas for the discussion and debate of current problems. They picked up the pen to complain about their relationship with the home country. And they read to make sense of everything from parenting to personal salvation, to their new societies and the enslaved Africans on whom their prosperity depended. Ultimately, becoming 'enlightened' was a colonial identity that rejected metropolitan stereotypes of Caribbean degeneracy while validating the power to enslave on a cultural basis.
Essential Electromyography
Authors: Jarratt John A.
Published: September 2023

The principles of electromyography, including single-fibre electromyography and nerve conduction studies, are described simply, supported by clear diagrams and screenshots of high quality recordings. After a brief overview of anatomy, physiology, pathology and technical matters including electrodes, amplifiers and volume conduction, the way these principles aid the diagnosis of disorders of nerves, muscles and neuromuscular junctions is explained. The book concludes with the findings in common clinical conditions and explores the concept of normal vs abnormal values. This is an invaluable introductory text for trainees in clinical neurophysiology. Clinicians in specialties such as neurology, orthopaedic surgery, rheumatology, general medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation will benefit from guidance on selecting patients for referral and assistance with the interpretation of the results. Based on the expertise of an author who has spent 25 years practising and teaching the subject, readers can be assured of a wealth of knowledge within these pages.
Resetting Archaeological Interpretations of Precontact Indigenous Agriculture: Maize Isotopic Evidence from Three Ancestral Mohawk Iroquoian Villages
Authors: Hart John P. , Winchell-Sweeney Susan
Published: September 2023

Archaeologists working in eastern North America typically refer to precontact and early postcontact Native American maize-based agriculture as shifting or swidden. Based on a comparison with European agriculture, it is generally posited that the lack of plows, draft animals, and animal manure fertilization resulted in the rapid depletion of soil nitrogen. This required Indigenous farmers to move their fields frequently. In Northern Iroquoia, depletion of soil fertility is frequently cited as one reason why villages were moved to new locations every 20 to 40 years. Recent analysis of δ15N ratios of maize macrobotanical remains from Northern Iroquoia, however, suggests that Iroquoian farmers were able to maintain soil nitrogen in their maize fields. An expanded analysis of maize kernel δ15N ratios from three ancestral Mohawk villages indicates that farmers from those villages maintained soil nitrogen throughout the occupational spans of their villages. It further suggests that precontact Iroquoian agronomy was consistent with contemporary conservation agriculture practices.
The effects of Veganuary on meal choices in workplace cafeterias: an interrupted time series analysis
Authors: McPhedran Robert , Zhuo Shi , Zamperetti Letizia , Gold Natalie
Published: September 2023

Meat-based food production has a detrimental impact on the environment and health. In response, Veganuary (an international non-profit organisation) encourages people to go vegan each January. We investigated the effects of a Veganuary campaign in workplace cafeterias which increased the availability and salience of plant-based products. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis on a large dataset from a UK catering company, which comprised 2,255,404 meals sold between 2016 and 2022, with Veganuary activity starting from 2019. Analysis indicated that Veganuary activity had a positive effect on sales of vegan products in 2020, 2021 and 2022, estimated at an initial increase of 86–113% in the proportion of weekly sales (relative to the baseline, depending on year). The effects of the 2020 and 2021 campaigns were still present – at approximately one third of their initial magnitude – one year following the campaigns. There was a positive effect on vegetarian products in 2019, 2021 and 2022; initial effects were smaller – 23–79% – due to higher levels of pre-campaign consumption. The effects of the 2019 and 2021 campaigns endured, with a small impact present after one year for 2019 and six months for 2021.
Nation branding and feminist diplomacy after crisis: France’s response to SEA allegations in Central African Republic
Authors: Holmes Georgina , White Sabrina
Published: September 2023

This article makes the case that gender and racial analyses of the constitutive interplay between nation branding and diplomacy advance understandings of how liberal states use feminist agendas in response to political crises. Adopting a feminist post-colonial approach and drawing on a discourse analysis of French diplomatic speeches made in the UN Security Council between July 2011 and December 2019, the article examines how male and female diplomats address France’s accountability failures when French peacekeepers sexually abused children in Central African Republic in 2014–15, widely known as the Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, or SEA crisis. Operating as embodied brand ambassadors, diplomats use affective and performative strategies to progress through the political crisis life cycle quickly and re-establish France’s ontological security. It is contended that while feminist foreign policy and feminist diplomacy serve as short-term solutions to reputational damage, France’s longer-term nation-branding project, which follows a masculine, white-supremacist neoliberal logic, stabilises the grand narrative of the middle power and its projected image as a legitimate strategic leader in global governance. Yet in attempting to control the narrative on the SEA crisis, French diplomats downplay the global crisis of accountability surrounding sexual exploitation and abuse and silence the personal crises of SEA survivors.
Periodic solutions of four-order degenerate differential equations with finite delay in vector-valued function spaces
Authors: Bu Shangquan , Cai Gang
Published: September 2023

In this paper, we mainly investigate the well-posedness of the four-order degenerate differential equation (

$P_4$

):

$(Mu)''''(t) + \alpha (Lu)'''(t) + (Lu)''(t)$

 

$=\beta Au(t) + \gamma Bu'(t) + Gu'_t + Fu_t + f(t),\,( t\in [0,\,2\pi ])$

in periodic Lebesgue–Bochner spaces

$L^p(\mathbb {T}; X)$

and periodic Besov spaces

$B_{p,q}^s\;(\mathbb {T}; X)$

, where

$A$

,

$B$

,

$L$

and

$M$

are closed linear operators on a Banach space

$X$

such that

$D(A)\cap D(B)\subset D(M)\cap D(L)$

and

$\alpha,\,\beta,\,\gamma \in \mathbb {C}$

,

$G$

and

$F$

are bounded linear operators from

$L^p([-2\pi,\,0];X)$

(respectively

$B_{p,q}^s([-2\pi,\,0];X)$

) into

$X$

,

$u_t(\cdot ) = u(t+\cdot )$

and

$u'_t(\cdot ) = u'(t+\cdot )$

are defined on

$[-2\pi,\,0]$

for

$t\in [0,\, 2\pi ]$

. We completely characterize the well-posedness of (

$P_4$

) in the above two function spaces by using known operator-valued Fourier multiplier theorems.
Depression is associated with reduced outcome sensitivity in a dual valence, magnitude learning task
Authors: Pulcu Erdem , Lin Wanjun , Han Sungwon , Browning Michael
Published: September 2023

Background

Learning from rewarded and punished choices is perturbed in depressed patients, suggesting that abnormal reinforcement learning may be a cognitive mechanism of the illness. However, previous studies have disagreed about whether this behavior is produced by alterations in the rate of learning or sensitivity to experienced outcomes. This previous work has generally assessed learning in response to binary outcomes of one valence, rather than to both rewarding and punishing continuous outcomes.

Methods

A novel drifting reward and punishment magnitude reinforcement-learning task was administered to patients with current (n = 40) and remitted depression (n = 39), and healthy volunteers (n = 40) to capture potential differences in learning behavior. Standard questionnaires were administered to measure self-reported depressive symptom severity, trait and state anxiety and level of anhedonic symptoms.

Results

Our findings demonstrate that patients with current depression adjust their learning behaviors to a lesser degree in response to trial-by-trial variations in reward and loss magnitudes than the other groups. Computational modeling revealed that this behavioral signature of current depressive state is better accounted for by reduced reward and punishment sensitivity (all p < 0.031), rather than a change in learning rate (p = 0.708). However, between-group differences were not related to self-reported symptom severity or comorbid anxiety disorders in the current depression group.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that current depression is associated with reduced outcome sensitivity rather than altered learning rate. Previous findings reported in this domain mainly from binary learning tasks seem to generalize to learning from continuous outcomes.
Working memory, L2 proficiency, and task complexity: Independent and interactive effects on L2 written performance
Authors: Manchón Rosa Maria , McBride Sophie , Mellado Martínez María Dolores , Vasylets Olena
Published: September 2023

This study examined the independent effects of working memory (WM) and the interactive effects of WM/L2 proficiency and WM/task complexity on L2 written performance. The study followed a within–between-participant factorial design, with two levels of task complexity as the within-participant variable and L2 proficiency and WM as between-participants variables. The outcome measure was L2 writing performance as measured by CAF indices. Two groups of undergraduate students from a degree in English studies were invited to complete the simple and complex version of the “Fire-Chief” task. Task complexity was operationalized in terms of reasoning demands, and tasks were counterbalanced to avoid unwanted order effects. Participants also completed the Oxford Placement Test and a working memory test (n-back). Regarding independent effects, results show that WM did not have an effect on L2 writing performance. In contrast, L2 proficiency was the variable most connected to various dimensions of the text produced. As for interactive effects, no significant interaction between WM, proficiency, or task complexity was found. In contrast, L2 proficiency emerged as the sole significant predictor of L2 writing performance at both levels of task complexity.
Immunogenicity and safety of COVID-19 vaccines among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhao Tianyu , Yang Zongxing , Wu Yuxia , Yang Jin
Published: September 2023

Available data suggest that the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines might decrease in the immunocompromised population, but data on vaccine immunogenicity and safety among people living with HIV (PLWH) are still lacking. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to compare the immunogenicity and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in PLWH with healthy controls. We comprehensively searched the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE. The risk ratio (RR) of seroconversion after the first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine was separately pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Seroconversion rate was lower among PLWH compared with healthy individuals after the first (RR = 0.77, 95% conﬁdent interval (CI) 0.64–0.92) and second doses (RR = 0.97, 95%CI 0.95–0.99). The risk of total adverse reactions among PLWH is similar to the risk in the healthy group, after the first (RR = 0.87, 95%CI 0.70–1.10) and second (RR = 0.83, 95%CI 0.65–1.07) doses. This study demonstrates that the immunogenicity and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in fully vaccinated HIV-infected patients were generally satisfactory. A second dose was related to seroconversion enhancement. Therefore, we considered that a booster dose may provide better seroprotection for PLWH. On the basis of a conventional two-dose regimen for COVID-19 vaccines, the booster dose is very necessary.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF APPARATUS-INDUCED DISPERSION FOR DENSITY-DEPENDENT SOLUTE TRANSPORT IN POROUS MEDIA
Authors: ZHANG H. , BARRY D. A. , SEYMOUR B. , HOCKING G.
Published: September 2023

The effects of apparatus-induced dispersion on nonuniform, density-dependent flow in a cylindrical soil column were investigated using a finite-element model. To validate the model, the results with an analytical solution and laboratory column test data were analysed. The model simulations confirmed that flow nonuniformities induced by the apparatus are dissipated within the column when the distance to the apparatus outlet exceeds
$3R/2$
, where R represents the radius of the cylindrical column. Furthermore, the simulations revealed that convergent flow in the vicinity of the outlet introduces additional hydrodynamic dispersion in the soil column apparatus. However, this effect is minimal in the region where the column height exceeds
$3R/2$
. Additionally, it is found that an increase in the solution density gradient during the solute breakthrough period led to a decrease in flow velocity, which stabilized the flow and ultimately reduced dispersive mixing. Overall, this study provides insights into the behaviour of apparatus-induced dispersion in nonuniform, density-dependent flow within a cylindrical soil column, shedding light on the dynamics and mitigation of flow nonuniformities and dispersive mixing phenomena.
The roles and challenges of the primary health care systems in epidemic management: a scoping review
Authors: Shami Elham , Gholipour Kamal , Naghibi Deniz , Azami-Aghdash Saber
Published: September 2023

Background and aim:

During the early stage of pandemics, primary health care (PHC) is the first point of contact with the health system for people. This study aimed to find the leading roles and challenges of the PHC system in dealing with the outbreak of infectious diseases

Methods:

The current scoping review was conducted in 2022 using the Arkesy and O’Malley framework. A bibliographic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Following a Google Scholar search, a manual search in some journals, reference checks for articles, and a review of organizational reports, websites, and other sources of information were also conducted. Data were analyzed using the content-analysis method.

Findings:

Finally, 65 documents (42 articles and 23 reports, books, and news) were included in the study. Initially, 626 codes were extracted, and 132 final codes were categorized into eight main themes and 44 sub-themes. The main themes for the roles of PHC included: service provision, education and knowledge, surveillance, access, coordination and communication, management and leadership, infrastructure change and rapid preparation, and patient and community management. Regarding the challenges faced by PHC in the epidemic of infectious diseases, 24 key challenges were identified and categorized into four major areas.

Conclusions:

Based on the results of the present study, there is a need for further studies to formulate and theorize the specific roles of PHC in managing infectious disease epidemics. The results of this study can be utilized by researchers and officials to inform their efforts in addressing this purpose.
Ultra-Wideband Six-Port Network Miniaturization—Matching
Authors: Empliouk Tzichat M. , Bantavis Petros I. , Koltsidas Christos I. , Kaifas Theodoros N. F. , Kyriacou George A.
Published: September 2023

In this paper, a new design approach for the six-port (SP) junction is introduced. The proposed design includes a generalized broadband matching and smooth miniaturization scheme and is extendable for any passive multiport structure. A multilayer technology and a microstrip to slot coupling operation are employed for the designed SP, which comprises power divider and three hybrid couplers. The conducted measurements of the constructed SP junctions validates the design approach. Optimal performance of the SP network in terms of miniaturization, bandwidth, and response accuracy were obtained for the 5G low band.
A 10-Year Observational Study on Twin Pregnancy: Role of Fetal Sex Pairing on Obstetric Outcome
Authors: Vannuccini Silvia , Bolzonella Sara , Colucci Chiara , Nicchi Costanza , Strambi Noemi , Di Tommaso Mariarosaria
Published: September 2023

Fetal sex contributes to the determination of obstetric outcome, as pregnancies carrying male babies seem to have an increased risk of maternal-fetal complications. Most studies have been conducted on singleton pregnancies, whereas less evidence is available for twins. A 10-year retrospective observational study was conducted on a cohort of 1180 women with twin pregnancy delivered at a single tertiary hospital. Clinical data on maternal characteristics, and obstetric and neonatal outcomes were collected, and the analysis was performed on monochorionic (MC) and dichorionic (DC) diamniotic twins separately. The group of DC twins included 837 cases, and those conceived by assisted reproductive technologies (ART) were more likely to have one or both female fetuses rather than males. The incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) was higher in same-sex pairs than in opposite-sex pairs. No differences were found regarding other obstetric and neonatal outcomes among the three sex-pairing groups. The MC twins group included 228 cases, and in female-carrying pregnancies a higher incidence of gestational diabetes (GDM) was observed compared to the male group. Furthermore, male pairs had significantly lower Apgar scores than females. Fetal sex seems to have a mild effect in twins compared to singleton pregnancies, suggesting a more complex set of factors contributing to pregnancy outcome in multiple pregnancies. However, we observed a higher incidence of HDP among same-sex DC pairs, a higher rate of GDM among MC female-female pairs, and a worse adaptation to extrauterine life among male-male pairs in MC twins.
Non‐Triggering and Then Triggering of a Repeating Aftershock Sequence in the Dead Sea by the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake Pair: Implications for the Physics of Remote Delayed Aftershocks
Authors: Inbal A. , Ziv A. , Lior I. , Nof R. N. , Eisermann A. S.
Published: September 2023

Most aftershocks occur in areas experiencing large co‐seismic stress changes, yet some occur long after the mainshock in remote lightly stressed regions. The triggering mechanism of these remote delayed aftershocks is not well understood. Here, we study aftershocks occurring in the Dead Sea (DS) area following the 2023 Mw7.8 and Mw7.6 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Most aftershocks cluster along previously quiescent structures off‐ the main DS fault strand. Visual inspection disclosed three aftershocks instantaneously triggered by the Mw7.6 in the northern DS basin, and match‐filtering revealed a delayed aftershock. Waveform similarity and temporal clustering suggest the northern DS aftershocks re‐rupture a stick‐slip patch loaded by surrounding creep. Velocity‐gradient seismograms show the Mw7.6 exerted larger transient stresses than the Mw7.8, which may explain triggering by the Mw7.6, but not by the Mw7.8. This account of instantaneously triggered repeaters underscores the role of interactions between aseismic and seismic slip in remote triggering.
Calibrating Non‐Thermal Effects on Planktic Foraminiferal Mg/Ca for Application Across the Cenozoic
Authors: Haynes Laura L. , Hönisch Bärbel , Holland Kate , Eggins Stephen , Rosenthal Yair
Published: September 2023

Foraminiferal Mg/Ca has proven to be a powerful paleothermometer for reconstructing past sea‐surface temperature, which, among other applications, is a critical parameter for boron isotope reconstructions of past surface ocean pH and PCO2. However, recent laboratory culture studies indicate seawater pH and the total dissolved inorganic carbon content (DIC) may both exert a significant additional control on foraminiferal Mg/Ca, likely influencing paleotemperature records as a result of seawater chemistry evolution on geologic timescales. In addition, the seawater Mg/Ca composition (Mg/Casw) has been shown to reduce the sensitivity of foraminiferal Mg/Ca to temperature and possibly its sensitivity to the carbonate system as well. Here we present new Mg/Ca data from laboratory culture experiments with living planktic foraminifera— Globigerinoides ruber (p), Trilobatus sacculifer, and Orbulina universa— grown under a range of different pH and/or seawater DIC conditions and in low Mg/Casw to mimic the chemical composition of the Paleocene ocean. We also conducted targeted [Ca] experiments to help define Mg/Cacalcite–Mg/Casw relationships for each species and conducted new pH experiments with G. bulloides. We find that pH effects on foraminiferal Mg/Ca are reduced or absent at Mg/Casw = 1.5 mol/mol in all three species, and that T. sacculifer is generally insensitive to variable DIC and pH, making it the ideal species for Mg/Ca SST reconstructions back to 20 Ma. We apply our new T. sacculifer calibration to a Middle Miocene Mg/Ca record and provide recommendations for interpreting Mg/Ca records from extinct species.
Emotions behind a mask: the value of disgust
Authors: Pavlova Marina A. , Moosavi Jonas , Carbon Claus-Christian , Fallgatter Andreas J. , Sokolov Alexander N.
Published: September 2023

The impact of face masks on social cognition and interaction became a popular topic due to the long-lasting COVID-19 pandemic. This theme persists in the focus of attention beyond the pandemic, since face covering not only reduces the overall amount of face information available but also introduces biases and prejudices affecting social perception at large. Many questions are still open. One of them is whether gender of beholders affects inferring of emotions covered by face masks. Reading covered faces may be particularly challenging for individuals with mental disorders, most of which are gender-specific. Previous findings are not only sparse, but inconclusive because most research had been conducted online with resulting samples heavily dominated by females. Here in a face-to-face study, females and males were presented with a randomized set of faces covered by masks. In a two-alternative forced-choice paradigm, participants had to indicate facial emotions displayed by posers. In general, the outcome dovetails with earlier findings that face masks affect emotion recognition in a dissimilar way: Inferring some emotions suffers more severely than others, with the most pronounced influence of mask wearing on disgust and close to ceiling recognition of fear and neutral expressions. Contrary to our expectations, however, males were on overall more proficient in emotion recognition. In particular, males substantially excelled in inferring disgust. The findings help to understand gender differences in recognition of disgust, the forgotten emotion of psychiatry, that is of substantial value for a wide range of mental disorders including schizophrenia. Watch Prof. Marina Pavlova discussing this her work and this article: https://vimeo.com/860126397/5966610f49?share=copy.