bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forensic Entomology: An introduction to the literature of the United States
Authors: Weidner Lauren M. , Byrd Jason , Sutton Lerah , Hans Krystal R.
Published: August 2021

Forensic entomology is a continuously growing field at a global level. However, available information is dependent upon the area in which forensic entomologists are located. Some areas lack basic foundational information including species composition, both spatially and temporally, as well as developmental data. This series of articles includes a comprehensive review of forensic entomological literature across the United States. Each article focuses on a specific geographic region of the United States, with a state level analysis, exposing areas that are currently lacking information related to forensically relevant insects. Using publications from the 1800s to June 2020, a total of 710 publications were found.

This article is categorized under:

Forensic Biology > Non‐Human DNA Profiling

Forensic Anthropology > Time Since Death Estimation

Crime Scene Investigation > Crime Scene Examination

Forensic Biology > Forensic Entomology
Observation of Soils: From the Field to the Microscope
Authors: Verrecchia Eric P. , Trombino Luca
Published: August 2021

As emphasized by W. Kubiëna, “… there exists no other method capable of revealing the nature and complexity of soil polygenesis in so much detail as thin-section micromorphology and at the same time enabling one to follow and explain its formation...”. This sentence, cited by Fedoroff (1971), highlights the aim of soil micromorphology: looking at a soil from the inside and at various scales, from the optical microscope to synchrotron imaging. Soils constitute multiscalar objects by definition, from their soilscape (at the landscape scale), to their profile and its horizons to the atomic interactions between the smallest minerals and organic molecules. Micromorphology enters the soil investigations at the multi-centimetre scale (see “File 3”) at which the thin section is made.
Basic Components
Authors: Verrecchia Eric P. , Trombino Luca
Published: August 2021

Mineral and organic constituents belong to the basic components observed in soil thin sections. They can appear, for instance, as large rock fragments, or single minerals as sand grains; they can constitute large areas of micromass formed by clay minerals or display parts of plant roots or leaf fragments, i.e. organic material. These constituents comprise the body of the soil itself, and in soil micromorphology, they belong to the groundmass, as well as the material constituting the pedofeatures (see “10.1007/978-3-030-67806-7_1#Sec9”). Two types of basic components are recognized by Stoops (2003, 2021), those recognizable at the magnifications of the optical microscope and those which are not. Stoops (2003, 2021) pointed out the problem of the optical microscope resolution and the thickness of conventional thin sections. Indeed, it is preferable not to have a standard size limit between coarse and fine materials.
Pedofeatures Associated to Soil Processes
Authors: Verrecchia Eric P. , Trombino Luca
Published: August 2021

As stipulated by G. Stoops, “the aim of micropedology is to contribute to solving problems related to the genesis, classification and management of soils, including soil characterization in palaeopedology and archaeology. The interpretation of features observed in thin sections is the most important part of this type of research, based on an objective detailed analysis and description” (Stoops et al. 2018). To answer such questions, two major books contributed to the comparative knowledge necessary to tackle this objective: the first one was published in 1985 and used micromorphology to distinguish between different classes of soils (Douglas and Thompson 1985); the second one is an extensive guide of more than 1000 pages to the interpretation of micromorphological features encountered in thin sections of soil (Stoops et al. 2018). The aim of this Atlas is neither to be a substitution for these books nor a way to enter directly into the interpretation of soil genesis and classification. Nonetheless, this chapter presents the imprints of major soil processes that can be easily deduced from specific features observed in thin sections. These processes involve the dynamics of (a) clay, both translocation and swelling, (b) water, such as waterlogging, evaporation, and its role as ice and frost, (c) carbonate, gypsum, and iron oxyhydroxides, and finally (d) biogeochemical reactions within the solum.
The Future of Soil Micromorphology
Authors: Verrecchia Eric P. , Trombino Luca
Published: August 2021

The advancement of technology opens up new opportunities to soil micromorphology. Although a description using an optical microscope of the fabric and the various constituents of soils will be always necessary to investigate soil evolution, the uncovered thin section leaves soil material on which analyses can be performed. Since the 1970s, it was possible to observe thin sections at high resolution with the scanning electron microscope in its backscattered electron mode (see “10.1007/978-3-030-67806-7_1#Sec7”). It was also possible to generate chemical images with electron microprobes. But these conventional techniques, as well as new ones, greatly improve the study of matter interactions in soils, not only by enhancing the spatial resolution with incredible precision but also by providing chemical and mineralogical images, which substantially increased the accuracy of micromorphological diagnostics. By coupling morphological and chemical approaches, including stable isotope imaging in soil material, the future of soil micromorphology will undoubtedly offer new opportunities to solve specific problems, especially in the field of organomineral interactions in soils. It is wise to say that soil micromorphology, with its analytical and holistic approaches, will make it possible to build the necessary solid foundations needed for investigations that are increasingly oriented towards nanoscale objects: it will remind us that the trees should not hide the forest.
Student Voice and Student Feedback: How Critical Pragmatism Can Reframe Research and Practice
Authors: Jones Mari-Ana , Hall Valerie
Published: August 2021

This chapter recognises the diverse definitions and practices of student feedback; focussing on how student feedback can facilitate dialogue and thus contribute to the development of schools as democratic communities. Student feedback is thus positioned as a part of student voice, which has its roots in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNICEF, 1989). We question the ways in which schools elicit the views of students and how students’ opinions are made use of, recognising the complexities arising from power relationships (Hart, 1992), the consumerisation of education (Whitty & Wisby, 2007) and the pressures of accountability. Furthermore, we consider ways in which researchers can address difficulties in the research-practice relationship (Chapman and Ainscow, 2019) and facilitate co-creation of research. We propose the perspective of critical pragmatism as a means to acknowledge the complexities of practice, whilst also highlighting the importance of critical reflection and dialogue. Critical pragmatism could move us from a “deconstructive scepticism toward a reconstructive imagination” (Forester, 2012, p. 6) in which schools and researchers collaborate to enable contextually rich practices of student feedback and student voice.
What Can We Learn from Research on Multisource Feedback in Organizations?
Authors: Fleenor John W.
Published: August 2021

This chapter provides a review of the current state of empirical research on the use of multisource feedback (MSF) in organizations (e.g., Church et al., 2019). The review covers key topics on the research and application of MSF for developing leaders in organizations. The focus of the chapter is on how research on MSF can be applied to the implementation of student feedback to teachers in schools. Based on this research, recommendations are offered for successfully executing student feedback in schools. Topics include: (a) characteristics of effective MSF, (b) how to implement an MSF process in an organization, (c) factors that affect the reliability and validity of MSF, (d) a discussion of agreement between self-ratings and the ratings of others, (e) how to facilitate feedback to leaders, and (f) reasons why MFS processes may fail in organizations. Finally, the transferability of these findings to student-to-teacher feedback in schools is discussed.
Student Feedback on Teaching in Schools: Current State of Research and Future Perspectives
Authors: Rollett Wolfram , Bijlsma Hannah , Röhl Sebastian
Published: August 2021

The aim of this volume was to give a comprehensive overview of the current state of the research on student perceptions of and student feedback on teaching. This chapter provides a resume of the important theoretical considerations and empirical evidence the authors contributed to this volume. First, evidence concerning the validity of student perceptions of teaching quality is discussed, highlighting the quality of the questionnaires used and accompanying materials provided by their authors. In the next step, empirical findings are summarized on student and teacher characteristics that can influence important processes within the feedback cycle. Subsequently, it is emphasized that the effectiveness of student feedback on teaching is significantly related to the nature of the individual school’s feedback culture. Furthermore, it is argued that the efficacy of student feedback depends on whether teachers are provided with a high level of support, when making use of the feedback information to improve their teaching practices. As the literature review impressively documents‚ teachers, teaching, and ultimately students can benefit substantially from student feedback on teaching in schools.
A Probabilistic Model for Feedback on Teachers’ Instructional Effectiveness: Its Potential and the Challenge of Combining Multiple Perspectives
Authors: van der Lans Rikkert
Published: August 2021

This chapter describes research into the validity of a teacher evaluation framework that was applied between 2012 and 2016 to provide feedback to Dutch secondary school teachers concerning their instructional effectiveness. In this research project, the acquisition of instructional effectiveness was conceptualized as unfolding along a continuum ranging from ineffective novice to effective expert instructor. Using advanced statistical models, teachers’ current position on the continuum was estimated. This information was used to tailor feedback for professional development. Two instruments were applied to find teachers’ current position on the continuum, namely the International Comparative Assessment of Learning and Teaching (ICALT) observation instrument and the My Teacher–student questionnaire (MTQ). This chapter highlights background theory and central concepts behind the project and it introduces the logic behind the statistical methods that were used to operationalize the continuum of instructional effectiveness. Specific attention is given to differences between students and observers in how they experience teachers’ instructional effectiveness and the resulting disagreement in how they position teachers on the continuum. It is explained how this disagreement made feedback reports less actionable. The chapter then discusses evidence of two empirical studies that examined the disagreement from two methodological perspectives. Finally, it makes some tentative conclusions concerning the practical implications of the evidence.
Effects of Student Feedback on Teaching and Classes: An Overview and Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies
Authors: Röhl Sebastian
Published: August 2021

Based on a comprehensive literature review of student feedback intervention studies in schools, this chapter provides an overview of found effects on teachers and teaching. The first part summarizes the self-reported cognitive, affective, and motivational effects of student feedback on teachers, which can subsequently lead to behavioral changes in the classroom. In the second part, the focus is on the extent to which these behavioral changes are perceived by students. For the first time, a meta-analysis of changes in students’ perceptions of teaching was carried out for the 18 existing longitudinal studies for this purpose. A small but significant positive weighted mean effect size of d=0.21 for students’ perceived improvement of teaching quality was found, while more in-depth analyses pointed to a beneficial effect of individual support measures for teachers regarding reflection and subsequent development of teaching. Implications for further research and practical implementation of student feedback in schools are discussed.
Regionales Monitoring von Infektionen mittels standardisierter Fallfatalitätsraten am Beispiel von SARS-CoV-2 in Bayern
Authors: Manz Kirsi , Mansmann Ulrich
Published: August 2021

Hintergrund

Karten zur zeitlichen Entwicklung der regionalen Verteilung einer gesundheitsbezogenen Maßzahl ermöglichen public-health-relevante Bewertungen des Gesundheitsgeschehens.

Ziel der Arbeit

Die Arbeit führt das Konzept der standardisierten Fallfatalitätsrate (sFFR) ein. Sie beschreibt das Verhältnis der regionalen Abweichung in der Mortalität zur regionalen Abweichung im dokumentierten Infektionsprozess. Die regionalen sFFR-Werte werden in Karten dargestellt und die darin beobachtete zeitlich variierende regionale Heterogenität interpretiert.

Materialien und Methoden

Die regionale sFFR ist der Quotient der regionalen standardisierten Mortalitäts- und Fallrate. Sie wird mittels eines bivariaten Modells geschätzt. Die in Karten dargestellten sFFR-Werte basieren auf den SARS-CoV-2-Meldedaten aus Bayern seit Anfang April 2020 bis Ende März 2021. Es werden 4 Quartale (Q2/20, Q3/20, Q4/20, Q1/21) betrachtet.

Ergebnisse

In den betrachteten Quartalen liegen die bayerischen naiven FFR-Werte bei 5,0 %, 0,5 %, 2,5 % und 2,8 %. In Q2/20 sind die regionalen sFFR-Werte unregelmäßig über das Bundesland verteilt. Diese Heterogenität schwächt sich in der zweiten Welle der Epidemie ab. In Q1/21 zeigen sich in Südbayern nur vereinzelt Regionen mit erhöhter sFFR (> 1,25). Im Norden Bayerns bilden sich Cluster von Regionen mit einer sFFR > 1,25. Das Oberallgäu ist die Region mit dem niedrigsten sFFR-Wert (0,39, 95 % Kredibilitätsintervall: 0,25–0,55).

Diskussion

In Bayern zeigen sich heterogene regionale SARS-CoV-2-spezifische sFFR-Werte, die sich über die Zeit verändern. Sie schätzen das relative Risiko, als dokumentierter Infektionsfall an/mit COVID-19 zu versterben. Eine starke kleinräumige Variabilität der sFFR legt nahe, regionale gegenüber übergeordneten Maßnahmen zur Steuerung des Infektionsgeschehens vorzuziehen.
Bewegungsförderung während der kinderonkologischen Akuttherapie
Authors: Däggelmann J. , Walz T. , Otten S. , Prokop A. , Lösse V. , Jung L. , Maas V. , Bloch W. , Oschwald V.
Published: August 2021

Hintergrund

Obwohl Studien zeigen, dass Bewegungsinterventionen während der stationären kinderonkologischen Akuttherapie sicher durchführbar sind und positive Effekte haben, fehlt es an einer flächendeckenden sporttherapeutischen Versorgung.

Ziel der Arbeit

Die vorliegende Publikation analysiert Daten zur Teilnahme, zu Hindernissen und zur Gestaltung eines stationären Sportprogramms mit den Zielen, Hinweise für die Etablierung weiterer Sportangebote zu generieren und die Bewegungsförderung während der pädiatrisch-onkologischen Akuttherapie zu verbessern.

Material und Methoden

Die Daten wurden zwischen September 2015 und August 2019 im Rahmen eines stationären Sportprogramms für onkologisch erkrankte Kinder und Jugendliche im Alter zwischen 2 und 22 Jahren erhoben.

Ergebnisse

In das Sportprogramm wurden 63 Kinder und Jugendliche für durchschnittlich 26 Wochen eingebunden. Die Teilnehmer*innen absolvierten 14,83 ± 12,25 von 28,17 ± 20,05 angebotenen Einheiten (Teilnahmequote: 56 %). Medizinische Gründe waren die häufigste Ursache, weshalb eine Trainingseinheit nicht wahrgenommen wurde. Nur 10 % der Einheiten wurden aus mangelnder Motivation abgelehnt. Die Dauer der Trainingseinheiten betrug ca. 25 min. Die Intensität lag im leichten bis moderaten Bereich.

Diskussion

Die Ergebnisse belegen das Interesse der Betroffenen an einem stationären Bewegungsangebot. Die Vielfalt der Trainingsinhalte unterstreicht die Bedeutung einer individuellen Adaptation der Sporttherapie. Gleichzeitig wird die Notwendigkeit eines „Minimalprogramms“ mit sehr leichten Intensitäten hervorgehoben. Optimierungsmöglichkeiten bestehen u. a. in einer höheren zeitlichen Flexibilität des Angebotes sowie der Ergänzung um ein selbstständiges Training mithilfe eines Bewegungsplanes.
In medio stat victus: Labor Demand Effects of an Increase in the Retirement Age
Authors: Boeri Tito , Garibaldi Pietro , Moen Espen R.
Published: August 2021

After falling for four decades, statutory retirement ages are increasing in most OECD countries. The labor market adjustment to these reforms has not yet been thoroughly investigated by the literature. We draw on a major pension reform that took place in Italy in December 2011 that increased the retirement age by up to six years for some categories of workers. We have access to a unique dataset validated by the Italian social security administration (INPS), which identifies in each private firm, based on an administrative exam of eligibility conditions, how many workers were locked in by the sudden increase in the retirement age, and for how long. We find that firms mostly affected by the lock in are those that were downsizing even before the policy shock. The increase in the retirement age seems to displace more middle-aged workers than young workers. Furthermore, there is not a one-to-one increase in the number of older workers in the firms where some workers were locked in by the reform. We provide tentative explanations for these results, based on the interaction between retirement, employment protection legislation and liquidity constraints of firms.
High-quality percussion drilling with ultrashort laser pulses
Authors: Feuer A. , Weber R. , Feuer R. , Brinkmeier D. , Graf T.
Published: August 2021

The influence of the laser fluence on the quality of percussion-drilled holes was investigated both experimentally and by an analytical model. The study reveals that the edge quality of the drilled microholes depends on the laser fluence reaching the rear exit of the hole and changes with the number of pulses applied after breakthrough. The minimum fluence that must reach the hole’s exit in order to obtain high-quality microholes in stainless steel was experimentally found to be 2.8 times the ablation threshold.
How safe is BDSM? A literature review on fatal outcome in BDSM play
Authors: Schori Anouk , Jackowski Christian , Schön Corinna A.
Published: August 2021

A noteworthy number of people are interested in BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism, and masochism). Fatal outcomes while participating in BDSM activities occur. The aim of this literature review is to give a better insight into potential dangerous BDSM play by summarizing published data on BDSM fatalities. A literature search was conducted. It was searched for non-natural death related to BDSM activity. Seventeen cases were found. The age of the deceased ranged between 23 and 49 years (mean age 34.9 years). Strangulation in the course of erotic asphyxiation was the most common cause of death (88.2%). In 13 cases, a toxicology report for the deceased was mentioned, of which in eight cases (61.5%) toxicology analysis was positive. In four of these cases, the BDSM partner was also tested positive with the same substance. Drugs or alcohol was involved in 64.3% of fatal BDSM play. In nine cases, the level of experience in BDMS activity of the deceased and the partner was described, and in all of them, the deceased and the partner were not new to BDSM play. Fatal outcomes of BDSM plays are rarer than autoerotic fatalities and natural deaths related to sexual activities. Safeguards and education on medical aspects exist in the BDSM communities. If they are followed by the practitioners, the risks of BDMS play can be reduced. Cases of non-natural death connected to BDSM are rare incidents and can be prevented.
High degree of non-genetic phenotypic variation in the vascular system of crayfish: a discussion of possible causes and implications
Authors: Scholz Stephan , Göpel Torben , Richter Stefan , Wirkner Christian S.
Published: August 2021

In this study, the hemolymph vascular system (HVS) in two cambarid crayfishes, i.e. the Marbled Crayfish, Procambarus virginalis Lyko, 2017 and the Spiny Cheek Crayfish, Faxonius limosus (Rafinesque, 1817), is investigated in regard of areas of non-genetic phenotypic variation. Despite their genetic identity, specimens of P. virginalis show variability in certain features of the HVS. Thus, we describe varying branching patterns, sporadic anastomoses, and different symmetry states in the vascular system of the marbled crayfish. We visualize our findings by application of classical and modern morphological methods, e.g. injection of casting resin, micro-computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy. By comparing our findings for P. virginalis to the vasculature in sexually reproducing crayfishes, i.e. F. limosus and Astacus astacus, we discuss phenotypic variation of the HVS in arthropods in general. We conclude that constant features of the HVS are hereditary, whereas varying states identified by study of the clonal P. virginalis must be caused by non-genetic factors and, that congruent variations in sexually reproducing F. limosus and A. astacus are likely also non-genetic phenotypic variations. Both common causal factors for non-genetic phenotypic variation, i.e., phenotypic plasticity and stochastic developmental variation are discussed along our findings regarding the vascular systems. Further aspects, such as the significance of non-genetic phenotypic variation for phylogenetic interpretations are discussed.
UK experience of ofatumumab in recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis post-kidney transplant
Authors: Reynolds Ben C. , Lamb Angela , Jones Caroline A. , Yadav Pallavi , Tyerman Kay S. , Geddes Colin C.
Published: August 2021

Background

Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS), commonly caused by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), is associated with progression to stage 5 chronic kidney disease, requirement for kidney replacement therapy and a risk of disease recurrence post-kidney transplantation. Ofatumumab (OFA) is a fully humanised monoclonal antibody to CD20, with similar mechanisms of action to rituximab (RTX).

Methods

We report a case series of seven UK patients (five paediatric, two adult), all of whom developed FSGS recurrence after kidney transplantation and received OFA as part of their therapeutic intervention. All also received concomitant plasmapheresis. The 2-year outcome of these seven patients is reported, describing clinical course, kidney function and proteinuria.

Results

Four patients (all paediatric) achieved complete urinary remission with minimal proteinuria 12 months post-treatment. Three of those four also had normal graft function. Two patients showed partial remission—brief improvement to non-nephrotic proteinuria (197 mg/mmol) in one patient, maintained improvement in kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate 76 ml/min/1.73 m2) in the other. One patient did not demonstrate any response.

Conclusions

OFA may represent a useful addition to therapeutic options in the management of FSGS recurrence post-transplantation, including where RTX has shown no benefit. Concomitant plasmapheresis in all patients prevents any definitive conclusion that OFA was the beneficial intervention.
Logical English meets legal English for swaps and derivatives
Authors: Kowalski Robert , Datoo Akber
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we present an informal introduction to Logical English (LE) and illustrate its use to standardise the legal wording of the Automatic Early Termination (AET) clauses of International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Agreements. LE can be viewed both as an alternative to conventional legal English for expressing legal documents, and as an alternative to conventional computer languages for automating legal documents. LE is a controlled natural language (CNL), which is designed both to be computer-executable and to be readable by English speakers without special training. The basic form of LE is syntactic sugar for logic programs, in which all sentences have the same standard form, either as rules of the formconclusion if conditionsor as unconditional sentences of the formconclusion.However, LE extends normal logic programming by introducing features that are present in other computer languages and other logics. These features include typed variables signalled by common nouns, and existentially quantified variables in theconclusionsof sentences signalled by indefinite articles. Although LE translates naturally into a logic programming language such as Prolog or ASP, it can also serve as a neutral standard, which can be compiled into other lower-level computer languages.
Invading parasites: spillover of an alien nematode reduces survival in a native species
Authors: Romeo Claudia , Piscitelli Anna Pia , Santicchia Francesca , Martinoli Adriano , Ferrari Nicola , Wauters Lucas A.
Published: August 2021

It is widely assumed that spillover of alien parasites to native host species severely impacts naïve populations, ultimately conferring a competitive advantage to invading hosts that introduced them. Despite such host-switching events occurring in biological invasions, studies demonstrating the impact of alien macroparasites on native animal hosts are surprisingly few. In Europe, native red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) are replaced by introduced North American grey squirrels (S. carolinensis) mainly through resource competition, and, only in the United Kingdom and Ireland, by competition mediated by a viral disease. In Italy such disease is absent, but spillover of an introduced North American nematode (Strongyloides robustus) from grey to red squirrels is known to occur. Here, we used long-term (9 years) capture-mark-recapture and parasitological data of red squirrels in areas co-inhabited by grey squirrels in Northern Italy to investigate the impact of this alien helminth on naïve native squirrels’ body mass, local survival, and reproduction of females. We found no negative effect of the alien parasite on body mass or reproductive success, but intensity of infection by S. robustus reduced survival of both male and female squirrels. Significantly, survival of squirrels co-infected by their native nematode, Trypanoxyuris sciuri, was less affected by S. robustus, suggesting a protective effect of the native helminth against the new infection. Hence, we demonstrate that alien S. robustus spillover adds to the detrimental effects of resource competition and stress induced by grey squirrels, further reducing the fitness of the native species in the presence of the invasive competitor.
Addition of Al(OH)3 versus AlO(OH) nanoparticles on the optical, thermo-mechanical and heat/oxygen transmission properties of microfibrillated cellulose films
Authors: Kolar Tjaša , Mušič Branka , Korošec Romana Cerc , Kokol Vanja
Published: August 2021

Differently structured aluminum (tri/mono) hydroxide (Al(OH)3 /AlO(OH)) nanoparticles were prepared and used as thermal-management additives to microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), cast-dried in thin-layer films. Both particles increased the thermal stability of the MFC film, yielding 20–23% residue at 600 °C, and up to 57% lowered enthalpy (to 5.5–7.5 kJ/g) at 0.15 wt% of loading, while transforming to alumina (Al2O3). However, the film containing 40 nm large Al(OH)3 particles decomposed in a one-step process, and released up to 20% more energy between 300 and 400 °C as compared to the films prepared from smaller (21 nm) and meta-stable AlO(OH), which decomposed gradually with an exothermic peak shifted to 480 °C. The latter resulted in a highly flexible, optically transparent (95%), and mechanically stronger (5.7 GPa) film with a much lower specific heat capacity (0.31–0.28 J/gK compared to 0.68–0.89 J/gK for MFC-Al(OH)3 and 0.87–1.26 for MFC films), which rendered it as an effective heat-dissipating material to be used in flexible opto-electronics. Low oxygen permeability (2192.8 cm3/m2day) and a hydrophobic surface (> 60°) also rendered such a film useful in ecologically-benign and thermosensitive packaging.
COVID-19, emergency remote teaching evaluation: the case of Indonesia
Authors: Cahyadi Ani , Hendryadi  , Widyastuti Sri , Suryani
Published: August 2021

The global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged educational institutions worldwide to rapidly shift to an online mode of teaching. In this paper, we discuss the concept of emergency remote teaching (ERT), including its implementation and evaluation, in the context of higher education in Indonesia. The Context, Input, Process, and Product framework was used to evaluate the implementation of ERT based on the experiences of 45 faculty members and 82 students from seven universities and colleges in three provinces in Indonesia. This study revealed several points of view. First, the shift to the ERT process depends on various aspects: internal organizational resources (curriculum, staff development, and technology), and external challenges (lack of access to a fast, affordable, and reliable Internet connection and the socioeconomic problems of the participants). Second, the ERT learning design needs to be framed using three principles: simplicity, flexibility, and empathy. The schools/administrators understand that this is not a normal situation in which learning competency standards must be rigorously met. In a crisis, given the facts that show disparities in technology and Internet networks, curriculum fulfillment is not the sole issue; it is also important to care for and support learners during this difficult time. This study provides recommendations that will serve as input for future strategies and educational policies in Indonesia, and developing countries in general. Additionally, this study can also be used as a benchmark for evaluating learning in similar situations in other countries.
The role of non-invasive imaging modalities in cardiac allograft vasculopathy: an updated focus on current evidences
Authors: Sciaccaluga C , Ghionzoli N , Mandoli GE , Sisti N , D’Ascenzi F , Focardi M , Bernazzali S , Vergaro G , Emdin M , Valente S , Cameli M
Published: August 2021

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is an obliterative and diffuse form of vasculopathy affecting almost 50% of patients after 10 years from heart transplant and represents the most common cause of long-term cardiovascular mortality among heart transplant recipients. The gold standard diagnostic technique is still invasive coronary angiography, which however holds potential for complications, especially contrast-related kidney injury and procedure-related vascular lesions. Non-invasive and contrast-sparing imaging techniques have been advocated and investigated over the past decades, in order to identify those that could replace coronary angiography or at least reach comparable accuracy in CAV detection. In addition, they could help the clinician in defining optimal timing for invasive testing. This review attempts to examine the currently available non-invasive imaging techniques that may be used in the follow-up of heart transplant patients, spanning from echocardiography to nuclear imaging, cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography angiography, weighting their advantages and disadvantages.
Effect on Jarlskog Determinant Above the GUT Scale Within Four Flavor Neutrino Framework
Authors: Nautiyal Vivek Kumar , Koranga Bipin Singh
Published: August 2021

We study the Planck scale effects on Jarlskog determiant in the four flavor framework. On electroweak symmetry breaking, quantum gravitational effects lead to an effective SU(2) × U(1) invariant dimension-5 Lagrangian including neutrino and Higgs forces, which perturbed the neutrino mass term and produce an extra terms in the neutrino mass matrix. We consider that gravitational interaction is independent from flavor and compute the Jarlskog determiant due to Planck scale effects. In the case of leptonic sector, the strentgh of CP violation is measured by Jarlskog determiant. We applied our approach to study Jarlskog determinant in the four flavor neutrino mixing above the GUT scale.
YBa2Cu3O7 films grown onto SrTiO3 and YSZ substrates by chemical solution deposition of trifluoroacetates
Authors: Domínguez A. Bustamante , De Los Santos Valladares L. , Cornejo H. Sanchez , Osorio-Anaya A. M. , Santibañez J. Flores , Sovero L. Sanchez , Barnes C. H. W.
Published: August 2021

We report the preparation and characterization of YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films grown onto SrTiO3 and YSZ substrates by the trifluoroacetates chemical solution deposition method and following sintering with oxygen atmosphere at 860 °C. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals (00ℓ) – oriented crystallites indicating epitaxial growth of the films in the c-direction. Despite granular morphology and the presence of Y2BaCuO5 and CuO as minor secondary phases, the technique shows the successful formation of the superconducting YBCO and preventing the formation of the unwanted BaCO3 phase. Rocking curve measurements of the (005) reflection for the YBCO/SrTiO3 was fitted with one Gaussian function with full width at the half maximum (FWHM) of 0.44° confirming that it consists of YBCO crystallites with different texture. For the sample grown on YSZ, the rocking curve was fitted with two Gaussian functions, one corresponding to the YBCO layer (FWHM = 0.4°) and another to the substrate (FWHM = 0.3°). The magnetic measurements taken in zero field cooling and field cooling modes confirm the formation of the superconducting YBCO with critical temperatures (TC) 91.8 and 85.7 K for the samples grown onto YSZ and SrTiO3, respectively. The critical current density (JC) curves indirectly calculated by using the Bean´s model from the M(T) loops were JC ~ 109 A/cm2 for the sample deposited onto YSZ and JC ~ 107A/cm2 for the YBCO deposited onto SrTiO3. Overall, the difference in TC and JC values between both samples could be related to their difference in oxygen content, porosity, hole concentration per Cu ion and the presence of secondary phases.
W[1]-hardness of the k-center problem parameterized by the skeleton dimension
Authors: Blum Johannes
Published: August 2021

We study the k-Center problem, where the input is a graph $$G=(V,E)$$

G
=
(
V
,
E
)

with positive edge weights and an integer k, and the goal is to select k center vertices $$C \subseteq V$$

C
⊆
V

such that the maximum distance from any vertex to the closest center vertex is minimized. In general, this problem is $$\mathsf {NP}$$
NP
-hard and cannot be approximated within a factor less than 2. Typical applications of the k-Center problem can be found in logistics or urban planning and hence, it is natural to study the problem on transportation networks. Common characterizations of such networks are graphs that are (almost) planar or have low doubling dimension, highway dimension or skeleton dimension. It was shown by Feldmann and Marx that k-Center is $$\mathsf {W[1]}$$

W
[
1
]

-hard on planar graphs of constant doubling dimension when parameterized by the number of centers k, the highway dimension $$hd$$

hd

and the pathwidth $$pw$$

pw

(Feldmann and Marx 2020). We extend their result and show that even if we additionally parameterize by the skeleton dimension $$\kappa $$
κ
, the k-Center problem remains $$\mathsf {W[1]}$$

W
[
1
]

-hard. Moreover, we prove that under the Exponential Time Hypothesis there is no exact algorithm for k-Center that has runtime $$f(k,hd,pw,\kappa ) \cdot \vert V \vert ^{o(pw+ \kappa + \sqrt{k+hd})}$$

f

(
k
,
h
d
,
p
w
,
κ
)

·

|
V
|

o
(
p
w
+
κ
+

k
+
h
d

)

for any computable function f.
Factors Associated with Stunted Growth in Children Under Five Years in Antananarivo, Madagascar and Bangui, Central African Republic
Authors: Vonaesch Pascale , Djorie Serge Ghislain , Kandou Kaleb Jephté Estimé , Rakotondrainipiana Maheninasy , Schaeffer Laura , Andriatsalama Prisca Vega , Randriamparany Ravaka , Gondje Bolmbaye Privat , Nigatoloum Synthia , Vondo Sonia Sandrine , Etienne Aurélie , Robinson Annick , Hunald Francis Allen , Raharimalala Lisette , Giles-Vernick Tamara , Tondeur Laura , Randrianirina Frédérique , Bastaraud Alexandra , Gody Jean-Chrysostome , Sansonetti Philippe Jean , Randremanana Rindra Vatosoa ,   AFRIBIOTA Investigators, Barbot-Trystram Laurence , Barouki Robert , Bastaraud Alexandra , Collard Jean-Marc , Doria Maria , Etienne Aurélie , Djorie Serge Ghislain , Giles-Vernick Tamara , Godje Bolmbaye Privat , Gody Jean-Chrysostome , Hunald Francis Allen , Kapel Nathalie , Lombart Jean-Pierre , Manirakiza Alexandre , Nigatoloum Synthia Nazita , Raharimalala Lisette , Rakotondrainipiana Maheninasy , Randremanana Rindra , Randriamizao Harifetra Mamy Richard , Randrianirina Frédérique , Robinson Annick , Rubbo Pierre-Alain , Sansonetti Philippe , Schaeffer Laura , Gouandjika-Vassilache Ionela , Vonaesch Pascale , Vondo Sonia Sandrine , Vigan-Womas Inès
Published: August 2021

Objectives

With a fourth of all under-five children affected, stunting remains one of the biggest health challenges worldwide. Even though the main underlying factors are known, the exact pathways to stunting varying in affected regions, and interventions thus need to be tailored to the local contexts. This study aimed assessing and comparing factors associated with stunting in two understudied sub-Saharan urban contexts with some of the highest stunting prevalence globally: Bangui, Central African Republic (~ 36%) and Antananarivo, Madagascar (42%).

Methods

We performed a case–control study on 175 + 194 stunted and 237 + 230 non-stunted control children aged 2–5 years and matched for age, gender and district of residency. Factors associated with stunting were identified using a standardized, paper questionnaire delivered by trained interviewers. Statistical analysis was done using logistic regression modelling.

Results

In both sites, formal maternal education lowered the risk of being stunted and restricted access to soap, suffering of anaemia and low birth weight were associated with higher risk of stunting. Short maternal stature, household head different from parents, diarrhoea and coughing were associated with an increased risk and continuing breastfeeding was associated with a lower risk of stunting in Antananarivo. Previous severe undernutrition and dermatitis/ fungal skin infections were associated with higher and changes in diet during pregnancy with lower risk of stunting in Bangui.

Conclusions

Our results suggest maternal education, antenatal care, iron supplementation and simple WASH interventions such as using soap and infection control as general and breastfeeding (Antananarivo) or better nutrition (Bangui) as area-specified interventions.
Smartphone-based food recognition system using multiple deep CNN models
Authors: Fakhrou Abdulnaser , Kunhoth Jayakanth , Al Maadeed Somaya
Published: August 2021

People with blindness or low vision utilize mobile assistive tools for various applications such as object recognition, text recognition, etc. Most of the available applications are focused on recognizing generic objects. And they have not addressed the recognition of food dishes and fruit varieties. In this paper, we propose a smartphone-based system for recognizing the food dishes as well as fruits for children with visual impairments. The Smartphone application utilizes a trained deep CNN model for recognizing the food item from the real-time images. Furthermore, we develop a new deep convolutional neural network (CNN) model for food recognition using the fusion of two CNN architectures. The new deep CNN model is developed using the ensemble learning approach. The deep CNN food recognition model is trained on a customized food recognition dataset.The customized food recognition dataset consists of 29 varieties of food dishes and fruits. Moreover, we analyze the performance of multiple state of art deep CNN models for food recognition using the transfer learning approach. The ensemble model performed better than state of art CNN models and achieved a food recognition accuracy of 95.55 % in the customized food dataset. In addition to that, the proposed deep CNN model is evaluated in two publicly available food datasets to display its efficacy for food recognition tasks.
Gone and forgotten: facilitative effects of intercropping combinations did not carry over to affect barley performance in a follow-up crop rotation
Authors: Kumar Amit , Rosinger Christoph , Chen Hao , Protic Siobhan , Bonkowski Michael , Temperton Vicky M.
Published: August 2021

Aim

Intercropping often leads to improved productivity of individual species compared to monocultures. We have practically little knowledge of facilitation effects in different intercropping systems and their importance in creating soil legacies that can indirectly affect the succeeding crop in a crop rotation through plant-soil feedback (PSF) effects.

Methods

To test this, we used a two-phased field experiment where we combined intercropping and crop rotation. During intercropping, we grew maize, faba bean, and lupine in monocultures or two-species crop combinations. The following season, we grew winter barley on the soil previously used for intercropping to test PSF effects under field conditions.

Results

We found evidence for facilitative effects on aboveground biomass production that were species-specific with faba bean and maize biomass benefitting when intercropped compared to their expected biomasses in monocultures. Lupine, in contrast, performed best in monocultures. After the intercropping phase, total soil mineral nitrogen was higher in legume monocultures creating soil legacies but this did not affect soil microbial parameters and barley biomass production in the follow-up rotation phase.

Conclusions

We found support for species-specific positive and negative interactions in intercropping. Our results also demonstrated that soil legacies play no significant role under moderately high nutrient environments.
Fueling the Populist Divide: Nativist and Cosmopolitan Preferences for Representation at the Elite and Mass Level
Authors: Campbell Rosie , Heath Oliver
Published: August 2021

Although populist leaders often employ an anti-elite discourse which presents the elite as unable or unwilling to represent ordinary citizens, we know very little about who elites actually think should be represented, or how this differs, if at, all from what ordinary citizens want. In this article we find that there is a considerable difference between the groups that voters want to see represented in parliament and those which political elites want to see represented. In particular, we find that political elites tend to hold far more ‘cosmopolitan’ preferences than ordinary voters, and prioritize the representation of greater diversity in parliament based on the groups politicised by the new social movements and identity politics of the 60s and 70s, such as women, ethnic minorities, LGBT and the disabled. By contrast, voters more often hold nativist preferences than political elites and more often prioritize the representation of groups such as the working class, and white local people. Moreover, British voters who hold nativist preferences of political representation are more likely to be politically alienated and more likely to support Brexit.
Understanding Frege’s notion of presupposition
Authors: Sander Thorsten
Published: August 2021

Why did Frege offer only proper names as examples of presupposition triggers? Some scholars claim that Frege simply did not care about the full range of presuppositional phenomena. This paper argues, in contrast, that he had good reasons for employing an extremely narrow notion of ‘Voraussetzung’. On Frege’s view, many devices that are now construed as presupposition triggers either express several thoughts at once or merely ‘illuminate’ a thought in a particular way. Fregean presuppositions, in contrast, are essentially tied to names.
Metastable attunement and real-life skilled behavior
Authors: Bruineberg Jelle , Seifert Ludovic , Rietveld Erik , Kiverstein Julian
Published: August 2021

In everyday situations, and particularly in some sport and working contexts, humans face an inherently unpredictable and uncertain environment. All sorts of unpredictable and unexpected things happen but typically people are able to skillfully adapt. In this paper, we address two key questions in cognitive science. First, how is an agent able to bring its previously learned skill to bear on a novel situation? Second, how can an agent be both sensitive to the particularity of a given situation, while remaining flexibly poised for many other possibilities for action? We will argue that both the sensitivity to novel situations and the sensitivity to a multiplicity of action possibilities are enabled by the property of skilled agency that we will callmetastable attunement. We characterize a skilled agent’s flexible interactions with a dynamically changing environment in terms of metastable dynamics in agent-environment systems. What we find in metastability is the realization of two competing tendencies: the tendency of the agent to express their intrinsic dynamics and the tendency to search for new possibilities. Metastably attuned agents are ready to engage with a multiplicity of affordances, allowing for a balance between stability and flexibility. On the one hand, agents are able to exploit affordances they are attuned to, while at the same time being ready to flexibly explore for other affordances. Metastable attunement allows agents to smoothly transition between these possible configurations so as to adapt their behaviour to what the particular situation requires. We go on to describe the role metastability plays in learning of new skills, and in skilful behaviour more generally. Finally, drawing upon work in art, architecture and sports science, we develop a number of perspectives on how to investigate metastable attunement in real life situations.
A reliable authentication scheme of personal health records in cloud computing
Authors: Liu Chia-Hui , Chen Tzer-Long , Chang Chien-Yun , Wu Zhen-Yu
Published: August 2021

A patient-centered personal health records system has been actively promoted in recent years. Its purpose is to maintain long-term personal records and health improvement plans. It combines a cloud computing environment to build a personal health records system to quickly collect personal information and transfer it to the back end for storage for future access. However, in a cloud environment, the message transmission process is more open. Therefore, a lack of an authority security mechanism for the users of such an architecture will result in distrust and doubt by the users. This adversely affects the implementation and quality of long-term health plans. To protect the crucial privacy of the users from malicious attacks or theft, it is necessary to ensure that the users have different authority to access their personal health records under the cloud computing environment and manage the openness of their authority to other users. A secured identify authentication mechanism can ensure that only legitimate users can log in to the system and obtain system service resources through verification. For a personal health records system in the cloud computing environment, this study proposes a secure and reliable user authentication mechanism allowing relevant users access to the user’s PHR in the cloud based on their authority. The proposed authentication method uses a password combined with a smart card, allowing the owner and authorized users to log in to the system and access the relevant personal records. In this study, an authentication method based on bilinear pairing was used to verify the identity of users and to effectively prevent malicious intrusion and theft.