bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early thrombocytopenia is associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury treated in the intensive care unit: a Finnish Intensive Care Consortium study
Authors: Lillemäe Kadri , Luostarinen Teemu , Reinikainen Matti , Bendel Stepani , Laitio Ruut , Hoppu Sanna , Ala-Kokko Tero , Niemi Tomi , Skrifvars Markus B. , Raj Rahul
Published: July 2022

Background

Coagulopathy after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with poor prognosis.

Purpose

To assess the prevalence and association with outcomes of early thrombocytopenia in patients with TBI treated in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods

This is a retrospective multicenter study of adult TBI patients admitted to ICUs during 2003–2019. Thrombocytopenia was defined as a platelet count < 100 × 109/L during the first day. The association between thrombocytopenia and hospital and 12-month mortality was tested using multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for markers of injury severity.

Results

Of 4419 patients, 530 (12%) had early thrombocytopenia. In patients with thrombocytopenia, hospital and 12-month mortality were 26% and 48%, respectively; in patients with a platelet count > 100 × 109/L, they were 9% and 22%, respectively. After adjusting for injury severity, a higher platelet count was associated with decreased odds of hospital mortality (OR 0.998 per unit, 95% CI 0.996–0.999) and 12-month mortality (OR 0.998 per unit, 95% CI 0.997–0.999) in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI. Compared to patients with a normal platelet count, patients with thrombocytopenia not receiving platelet transfusion had an increased risk of 12-month mortality (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.6–3.0), whereas patients with thrombocytopenia receiving platelet transfusion did not (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.6–1.7).

Conclusion

Early thrombocytopenia occurs in approximately one-tenth of patients with TBI treated in the ICU, and it is an independent risk factor for mortality in patients with moderate-to-severe TBI. Further research is necessary to determine whether this is modifiable by platelet transfusion.
Virtual reality application for real-time pedalling cadence estimation based on hip ROM tracking with inertial sensors: a pilot study
Authors: Rojo Ana , Raya Rafael , Moreno Juan C.
Published: July 2022

Virtual reality (VR) applications on rehabilitation a home-base exercise experiences have boomed in the last decade. This is mainly because their entertainment capacity creates a sense of immersion in the users, which enhances adherence to their use. In addition, offering body-related visual feedback is a proven approach to the physical training towards a goal. Recent literature showed the exercise of pedalling has the potential to provide a high number of flexion and extension repetitions of the lower limb in reasonable therapeutic time periods to improve muscle activity, strength and balance in elders, but also motor improvements in patients with neurological injuries. The objective of this work is to present a low-cost wireless application in virtual reality (VR) for pedalling exercises. The platform developed consists of a VR headset and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The VR headset processes the kinematic information of the IMU to estimate the cadence of the pedalling, while the IMU sensor tracks the angle of hip flexion/extension movement of the user. In order to confirm the suitability of this cadence estimation system, our approach is confronted with a cycling platform developed and validated in a previous study. In the present study, we carried out two repeated sessions with 13 subjects at 3 set speeds: slow (30 rpm), medium (60 rpm) and fast (90 rpm). The Spearman’s correlation (PC) between both systems for the 3 speeds and sessions shows high correlation values for low and medium speeds and moderate correlation for high speed. The SEM results for each system show low measurement error (about 1 cycle) for both systems at every target speed, except for the virtual cycling platform at the highest speed (SEM of VCP at 90 rpm = 3.24 cycles). The repeatability analysis based on ICC (3, 1) absolute agreement shows consistency in all measurements for both systems at high speed and also reflects the irregularity in measurements at low and medium speeds, where participants were less stable during testing due to entertainment from the VR system. All in all, it is concluded the validity of the cadence estimation system for pedalling exercises with low intensity. This development allows us to control the virtual environment by adapting the visual stimulus to cycling cadence. The proposed system can generate sensitive inputs to influence the user’s pedalling cadence.
A prosocial function of head-gaze aversion and head-cocking in common marmosets
Authors: Spadacenta Silvia , Dicke Peter W. , Thier Peter
Published: July 2022

Gaze aversion is a behavior adopted by several mammalian and non-mammalian species in response to eye contact, and is usually interpreted as a reaction to a perceived threat. Unlike many other primate species, common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) are thought to have a high tolerance for direct gaze, barely exhibiting gaze avoidance towards conspecifics and humans. Here we show that this does not hold for marmosets interacting with a familiar experimenter who suddenly establishes eye contact in a playful interaction (peekaboo). Video footage synchronously recorded from the perspective of the marmoset and the experimenter showed that the monkeys consistently alternated between eye contact and head-gaze aversion, and that these responses were often preceded by head-cocking. We hypothesize that this behavioral strategy helps marmosets to temporarily disengage from emotionally overwhelming social stimulation due to sight of another individual’s face, in order to prepare for a new round of affiliative face-to-face interactions.
Response of a mesocarnivore community to a new food resource: recognition, exploitation, and interspecific competition
Authors: Sanglas Ariadna , Palomares Francisco
Published: July 2022

Mammalian carnivores with generalist feeding behaviour should trace and exploit new and predictable food resources quicker and more easily than more specialised species. On the other hand, if the new food resource is spatially and temporally predictable, interference or exploitation competition should arise among members of the carnivore guild, with the expectation that smaller species will not use the food resource or will change their foraging behaviour to avoid conflict with larger species. Here, we studied the response to a new food resource of a mammalian mesocarnivore community in south-western Iberian Peninsula. We installed artificial feeding points supplied with a novel food source and tracked them by camera trapping to investigate whether (1) the new artificial food resource was visited, recognised and exploited by the mesocarnivore guild species; (2) how frequently they used the food; and (3) in case of co-occurrence, if dominant species excluded or reduced the feeding options of subordinates. All target species except the badger recognised and exploited the novel food. More generalist species trended to visit feeding points more frequently and spent more time feeding than less generalist species, even though significant differences were not achieved in all cases. When co-occurring at the same feeding point, the arrival of larger species reduced either the visitation rates, feeding probability or time spent feeding of smaller species. Moreover, some smaller species showed a shift in their normal activity pattern at the feeding points when a larger competitor started to use the food source. Overall, we conclude that active avoidance combined with temporal segregation may help reduce agonistic interactions among competitors for shared resources.
Sex as a Moderator Between Parent Ratings of Executive Dysfunction and Social Difficulties in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Torske Tonje , Nærland Terje , Quintana Daniel S. , Hypher Ruth Elizabeth , Kaale Anett , Høyland Anne Lise , Hope Sigrun , Johannessen Jarle , Øie Merete G. , Andreassen Ole A.
Published: July 2022

Girls and boys might differ in autistic symptoms and associated cognitive difficulties such as executive function (EF). We investigated sex differences in the relationship between parent rated EF and autistic symptoms in 116 children and adolescents (25 girls) aged 5–19 years with an intelligence quotient above 70 and an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. They were rated with the behavior rating inventory of executive function (BRIEF) and the autism diagnostic interview revised (ADI-R). We found a positive association between EF and the ADI-R domains of reciprocal social interaction (p < 0.001) and communication (p = 0.001) in girls, while these relationships were small and non-significant in boys. Our results provide a greater understanding of the sex-specific characteristics of children and adolescents with ASD.
Agile methods in the German banking sector: some evidence on expectations, experiences and success factors
Authors: Brühl Volker
Published: July 2022

The importance of agile methods has increased in recent years, not only to manage IT projects but also to establish flexible and adaptive organisational structures, which are essential to deal with disruptive changes and build successful digital business strategies. This paper takes an industry-specific perspective by analysing the dissemination, objectives and relative popularity of agile frameworks in the German banking sector. The data provides insights into expectations and experiences associated with agile methods and indicates possible implementation hurdles and success factors. Our research provides the first comprehensive analysis of agile methods in the German banking sector. The comparison with a selected number of fintechs has revealed some differences between banks and fintechs. We found that almost all banks and fintechs apply agile methods in IT projects. However, fintechs have relatively more experience with agile methods than banks and use them more intensively. Scrum is the most relevant framework used in practice. Scaled agile frameworks are so far negligible in the German banking sector. Acceleration of projects is apparently the most important objective of deploying agile methods. In addition, agile methods can contribute to cost savings and lead to improved quality and innovation performance, though for banks it is evidently more challenging to reach their respective targets than for fintechs. Overall our findings suggest that German banks are still in a maturing process of becoming more agile and that there is room for an accelerated adoption of agile methods in general and scaled agile frameworks in particular.
Cynaropicrin Averts the Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation in Ischemic/Reperfusion Injury Through the Modulation of NF-kB
Authors: Jin Tao , Leng Bing
Published: July 2022

Cerebral ischemia and successive reperfusion are the prevailing cause of cerebral stroke. Currently cerebral stroke is considered to be one of the prior causes for high mortality, disability, and morbidity. Cynaropicrin, a sesquiterpene lactone, exhibits various pharmacologic properties and also has an anti-inflammatory property associated with the suppression of the key pro-inflammatory NF-κB pathway. The protective effect of cynaropicrin against oxidative stress and neuroinflammation during CIR injury through the modulation of NF-κB pathway was studied in the current investigation. The experimental rats split into 5 groups as sham-operated control group (group 1), middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-induced rats (group 2), MCAO rats treated with cynaropicrin (diluted in saline) immediately 2 h after MCAO with 5, 10, and 25 mg/kg administration orally were designated as groups 3, 4, and 5, respectively. In MCAO-induced animals, the severity of ischemic was evident by the elevated level nitrate, MDA, MMPs, inflammatory mediators, Bax, caspase-3, and NF-κB. The level of Nrf-2, antioxidant enzymes, Bcl-2, and IL-10 was reduced in the MCAO-induced animals. Treatment with cynaropicrin in dosage-based manner increased the level of antioxidant enzymes, IL-10, Nrf-2, and Bcl-2 in the animals which indicates the antioxidative effect of cynaropicrin. The level of nitrate, MDA, MMPs, proinflammatory cytokines, inflammatory mediators, Bax, caspase-3, and NF-κB was reduced in the rats treated with cynaropicrin in a dosage-based manner. Experimental animals treated with cynaropicrin in a dosage-dependent way showed a defensive mechanism against oxidative stress and neuroinflammation by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway.
Study on polymer mechanical degradation in core plugs versus in capillary tubes
Authors: Cao Dongqing , Han Ming , Leng Zhenpeng , Wang Jinxun
Published: July 2022

Polymer flooding has been recognized as an effective technology to improve oil recovery. While synthetic polymers have been widely used in this process, mechanical degradation tends to occur at near-wellbore regions where flow rate is high. In this paper, we evaluated the polymer mechanical degradation in both core samples and capillary tubes. Results showed that the degradation tended to be severer when the polymer solution flowing through tighter core samples or through capillary tubes with smaller diameter. After mechanical degradation, the polymer average molecular weight was lower and its distribution became wider, indicating the irreversible fragmentation of polymer molecules. The critical shear rate, beyond which evident polymer degradation occurred, tended to be lower for sandstone cores than that for carbonate cores in the same permeability range. On the other hand, the critical shear rates obtained from capillary tubes were significantly higher than those from the core samples. Correlations between the polymer degradation in core samples and in capillary tubes were established, which can be used to estimate the polymer mechanical degradation in reservoir rocks from the more convenient measurement using capillary tubes. This study provides a robust technique for polymer evaluation, and the results are also helpful for better understanding of the polymer flow in porous media.
Commissioning of laser electron gamma beamline SLEGS at SSRF
Authors: Wang Hong-Wei , Fan Gong-Tao , Liu Long-Xiang , Xu Hang-Hua , Shen Wen-Qing , Ma Yu-Gang , Utsunomiya Hiroaki , Song Long-Long , Cao Xi-Guang , Hao Zi-Rui , Chen Kai-Jie , Jin Sheng , Yang Yu-Xuan , Hu Xin-Rong , Li Xin-Xiang , Kuang Pan
Published: July 2022

The Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source (SLEGS) is a powerful gamma source that provides MeV gamma-ray beams for nuclear science and technology. It was developed as one of the 16 beamline stations in the Phase II Project of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The slant-scattering mode is for the first time systematically employed in laser Compton scattering at SLEGS to produce energy-tunable quasi-monoenergetic gamma-ray beams. The SLEGS officially completed its commissioning from July to December 2021. Gamma rays in the energy range of 0.25–21.7 MeV with a flux of 2.1 × 104–1.2 × 107 photons/s and an energy spread of 2–15% were produced during the test. This paper reports the results from commissioning the SLEGS beamline.
Modulational Instability and Discrete Localized Modes in Two Coupled Atomic Chains with Next-Nearest-Neighbor Interactions
Authors: Nfor Nkeh Oma , Yamgoué Serge Bruno
Published: July 2022

A pair of one dimensional atomic chains which are coupled via the Klein-Gordon potential is considered in this study, with each chain experiencing both nearest and next-nearest-neighbor interactions. The discrete nonlinear Schrödinger amplitude equation with next-nearest-neighbor interactions is thus derived from the out-phase equation of motion of the coupled chains. This is achieved by using the rotating wave approximations perturbation method, in which both the carrier wave and envelope are explicitly treated in the discrete regime. It is shown that the next-nearest-neighbor interactions greatly modifies the region of observation of modulational instability in the atomic chain. By exploring the discrete Hirota-Bilinear method, we obtain the discrete one-soliton solution which is localized around the origin and structurally stable because it conserves it form as time evolves. However when the atomic chain is purely subjected to a symmetric coupling potential, we observe a structurally unstable discrete excitation that changes into an up-and-down asymmetric localized modes; both in the presence and absence of next-nearest-neighbor interactions. Results of numerical simulations clearly depicts the long term evolution of these discrete nonlinear excitations, that evolve from symmetric to asymmetric localized modes in the atomic chain.
Sport and Modernity in Late Imperial Ethiopia
Authors: Bromber Katrin
Published: July 2022

An innovative study of the role of sports in modernity in Africa.
Teacher Blame as the Grammar of Public School Reform
Authors: Pawlewicz Diana D'Amico
Published: July 2022

Historical policy stories that situate teachers as the root cause of problems in public schools have long accompanied educational reforms, including No Child Left Behind. This article portrays the history of teacher blame as a defining component of the grammar of American educational reform. Nineteenth- and twentieth-century reformers identified teacher quality—a later trademark of NCLB—as a panacea for school improvement, but it remained an amorphous idea bound up in gendered and racialized assumptions. The historical results were a swirl of policies that increased standardization across the schools. This article concludes that teacher blame was a critical driver for federal intervention in local public education, and that the roots of that intervention extend far deeper than historians have allowed.
Diet and risk of Barrett’s oesophagus: Melbourne collaborative cohort study
Authors: Wang Sabrina E. , Hodge Allison , Dashti S Ghazaleh , Dixon-Suen Suzanne C. , Castaño-Rodríguez Natalia , Thomas Robert , Giles Graham , Boussioutas Alex , Kendall Bradley , English Dallas R.
Published: July 2022

Barrett’s oesophagus (BE) is the precursor of oesophageal adenocarcinoma, which has become the most common type of oesophageal cancer in many Western populations. Existing evidence on diet and risk of BE predominantly comes from case–control studies, which are subject to recall bias in measurement of diet. We aimed to investigate the potential effect of diet, including macronutrients, carotenoids, food groups, specific food items, beverages and dietary scores, on risk of BE in over 20 000 participants of the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. Diet at baseline (1990–1994) was measured using a food frequency questionnaire. The outcome was BE diagnosed between baseline and follow-up (2007–2010). Logistic regression models were used to estimate OR and 95 % CI for diet in relation to risk of BE. Intakes of leafy vegetables and fruit were inversely associated with risk of BE (highest v. lowest quartile: OR = 0·59; CI: 0·38, 0·94; P-trend = 0·02 and OR = 0·58; CI: 0·37, 0·93; P-trend = 0·02 respectively), as were dietary fibre and carotenoids. Stronger associations were observed for food than the nutrients found in them. Positive associations were observed for discretionary food (OR = 1·54; CI: 0·97, 2·44; P-trend = 0·04) and total fat intake (OR per 10 g/d = 1·11; CI: 1·00, 1·23), the association for fat was less robust in sensitivity analyses. No association was observed for meat, protein, dairy products or diet scores. Diet is a potential modifiable risk factor for BE. Public health and clinical guidelines that incorporate dietary recommendations could contribute to reduction in risk of BE and, thereby, oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
The effects of guar gum supplementation on lipid profile in adults: a GRADE-assessed systematic review, meta-regression and dose–response meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials
Authors: Setayesh Leila , Pourreza Sanaz , Zeinali Khosroshahi Mohammad , Asbaghi Omid , Bagheri Reza , Rezaei Kelishadi Mahnaz , Wong Alexei , Clark Cain C.T. , Larky Damoon Ashtary , Suzuki Katsuhiko , Ghanavati Matin
Published: July 2022

Recent meta-analytic work indicated that guar gum supplementation might improve lipid profile markers in different populations. However, critical methodological limitations such as the use of some unreliable data and the lack of inclusion of several relevant studies, and the scarcity in assessments of regression and dose-specific effects make it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions from the meta-analysis. Therefore, current evidence regarding the effects of guar gum supplementation on lipid profile remains unclear. The present systematic review, meta-regression and dose–response meta-analysis aimed to examine the effects of guar gum supplementation on lipid profile (total cholesterol (TC), LDL, TAG and HDL) in adults. Relevant studies were obtained by searching the PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase and Web of Science databases (from inception to September 2021). Weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95 % CI were estimated via a random-effects model. Heterogeneity, sensitivity analysis and publication bias were reported using standard methods. Pooled analysis of nineteen randomised controlled trials (RCT) revealed that guar gum supplementation led to significant reductions in TC (WMD: −19·34 mg/dl, 95 % CI −26·18, −12·49, P < 0·001) and LDL (WMD: −16·19 mg/dl, 95 % CI −25·54, −6·83, P = 0·001). However, there was no effect on TAG and HDL among adults in comparison with control group. Our outcomes suggest that guar gum supplementation lowers TC and LDL in adults. Future large RCT on various populations are needed to show further beneficial effects of guar gum supplementation on lipid profile and establish guidelines for clinical practice.
Connection between maternal suicide attempt and chronic morbidity in children
Authors: Auger Nathalie , Low Nancy , Ayoub Aimina , Chang Jungmin , Luu Thuy Mai
Published: July 2022

Background

Maternal suicide attempts are associated with adverse psychosocial outcomes in children, but the association with chronic morbidity is poorly understood. We examined the relationship between maternal suicide attempt and risk of hospitalization for potentially preventable conditions in offspring.

Methods

We analyzed a longitudinal cohort of 1 032 210 children born in Quebec, Canada between 2006 and 2019. The main exposure measure was maternal suicide attempt before or during pregnancy. Outcomes included child hospitalizations for potentially preventable conditions, including infectious diseases, dental caries, atopy, and injury up to 14 years after birth. We used adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of maternal suicide attempt with risk of hospitalization for these outcomes.

Results

Compared with no suicide attempt, children whose mothers attempted suicide had an increased risk of hospitalization for infectious diseases (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.06–1.16), dental caries (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.15–1.48), and injury (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.03–1.31). Risk of hospitalization for any of these outcomes was greater if mothers attempted suicide by hanging (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.22–1.75), had their first attempt between the age of 25 and 34 years (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.13–1.42), and had 3 or more attempts (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.27–1.91). Maternal suicide attempts were more strongly associated with child hospitalization before 10 years of age.

Conclusions

Children whose mothers have a history of suicide attempt have an elevated risk of hospitalization for potentially preventable conditions.
An accurate identification method based on double weighting for inertial parameters of robot payloads
Authors: Xu Tian , Fan Jizhuang , Fang Qianqian , Zhu Yanhe , Zhao Jie
Published: July 2022

The inertial parameters of payloads attached to the end effector of robots benefit to several robotics applications, such as the model-based control, the task optimization, and so on. These applications require the accurate estimation of the inertial parameters. In the existing payload estimation approaches, however, the data weighting technique, which can reduce the adverse effects of outliers and significantly improve the final results, has not been applied yet. In this article, an accurate identification method based on double weighting for inertial parameters of robot payloads is proposed. In order to obtain the weighting matrices, a modified dynamic parameter identification method with two loops is firstly proposed. Then, based on the identified results of dynamic parameters, a payload identification model based on double weighting is constructed. In addition, the variations of both nonlinear friction parameters and linear friction parameters caused by the payload are considered in this model. Finally, experimental comparisons between our method and another four methods are conducted. The results confirm that our method shows the best performance, especially on improving the identification accuracy of mass and center of mass of the payload.
The Fermi paradox: impact of astrophysical processes and dynamical evolution
Authors: Schleicher Dominik R.G. , Bovino Stefano
Published: July 2022

The Fermi paradox has given rise to various attempts to explain why no evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations was found so far on Earth and in our Solar System. Here, we present a dynamical model for the development of such civilizations, which accounts for self-destruction, colonization and astrophysical destruction mechanisms of civilizations including gamma-ray bursts, type Ia and type II supernovae as well as radiation from the supermassive black hole. We adopt conservative estimates regarding the efficiency of such processes and find that astrophysical effects can influence the development of intelligent civilizations and change the number of systems with such civilizations by roughly a factor of $2$; potentially more if the feedback is enhanced. Our results show that non-equilibrium evolution allows for solutions in-between extreme cases such as ‘rare Earth’ or extreme colonization, including scenarios with civilization fractions between $10^{-2}$ and $10^{-7}$. These would imply still potentially large distances to the next such civilizations, particularly when persistence phenomena are being considered. As previous studies, we confirm that the main uncertainties are due to the lifetime of civilizations as well as the assumed rate of colonization. For SETI-like studies, we believe that unbiased searches are needed considering both the possibilities that the next civilizations are nearby or potentially very far away.
NORMALISED TANGENT BUNDLE, VARIETIES WITH SMALL CODEGREE AND PSEUDOEFFECTIVE THRESHOLD
Authors: Fu Baohua , Liu Jie
Published: July 2022

We propose a conjectural list of Fano manifolds of Picard number
$1$
with pseudoeffective normalised tangent bundles, which we prove in various situations by relating it to the complete divisibility conjecture of Francesco Russo and Fyodor L. Zak on varieties with small codegree. Furthermore, the pseudoeffective thresholds and, hence, the pseudoeffective cones of the projectivised tangent bundles of rational homogeneous spaces of Picard number
$1$
are explicitly determined by studying the total dual variety of minimal rational tangents (VMRTs) and the geometry of stratified Mukai flops. As a by-product, we obtain sharp vanishing theorems on the global twisted symmetric holomorphic vector fields on rational homogeneous spaces of Picard number
$1$
.
Asymmetrical fed Calendula flower-shaped four-port 5G-NR band (n77, n78, and n79) MIMO antenna with high diversity performance
Authors: Addepalli Tathababu , Vidyavathi T. , Neelima K. , Sharma M. , Kumar D.
Published: July 2022

This research reports a four-port multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna designed for 5G-NR band applications including n77: 3.30–4.20 GHz, n78: 3.30–3.80 GHz, and n79: 4.40–5.00 GHz. The proposed design is analyzed in two parts, one single-element asymmetrical fed Calendula flower-shaped antenna and the other four-port modified MIMO antenna with the connected ground. The evolution of the MIMO antenna is studied based on the characteristics and optimized single-element antenna. The measured 5G-NR bandwidth offers a very high matching of impedance for MIMO configuration and higher isolation in the same band. The MIMO antenna offers an average peak gain of 3.51 dBi with a radiation efficiency of more than 90%. The radiation patterns plotted at 3.51, 4.00, 4.50, and 5.00 GHz match with almost omni-directional and dipole patterns in H- and E-radiating planes respectively. The MIMO antenna also records good diversity performance (ECC, DG, CCL, MEG, and TARC) in n77, n78, and n79 5G bands.
Sports psychiatry: Discipline, areas of activity, collaboration, and training
Authors: Claussen Malte Christian , Imboden Christian , Hemmeter Ulrich Michael , Iff Samuel
Published: July 2022

Abstract. Introduction: Sports psychiatry, a field of psychiatry, is a young medical discipline. The aim of this study was to gauge opinions on the following: sports psychiatry as a specialized subdiscipline, its areas of activity among professionals, the desire for interdisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation, and the need for specific sports psychiatry training. Methods: An online survey was performed to assess the views on sports psychiatry of German-speaking professionals in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria in the field of sports psychiatry. Results: Data from 183 professionals were included in the analysis. Most participants classified sports psychiatry as a field of psychiatry (89%), followed by sports medicine (61%) and child and adolescent psychiatry (49%). Mental health and disorders in competitive and elite sport (94%), sport and exercise for the prevention of and as therapy for mental disorders (84%), and sport-specific mental health problems and disorders in popular sport (80%) were reported by all the participants as areas of activity within sports psychiatry. Most of the participants stated the importance of interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration with sports psychiatry’s areas of activity. While 84% of the participants emphasized the necessity for specific training in sports psychiatry, a different picture emerged as to whether such training should be independent or integrated with postgraduate training for psychiatric or sports medicine. Conclusion: The results provide insight into sports psychiatry and its areas of activity and should be used for, and integrated with, the further development of the field.
Seasonal Air–Sea Exchange Dynamics of Polychlorinated Biphenyls Over the East China Marginal Seas: The Role of Water Masses in a Complex Coastal–Ocean Current System
Authors: Yu H. M. , Lin T. , Guo T. F. , Sun X. , Cao Y. B. , Duan L. , Sun X. S. , Guo Z. G.
Published: July 2022

Continental marginal seas are key reservoirs of anthropogenic pollutants. Understanding the physical processes controlling the air–sea exchange dynamics of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the continental margin seas is crucial to constrain the contribution of PCBs from land and rivers to the ocean; however, the transport and fate of PCBs, and their controlling factors of air–sea exchange in the continental marginal seas still remain poorly understood. Here, we collected atmospheric and surface water samples from the Yellow Sea (YS) and East China Sea (ECS) in summer 2018 and winter 2019, and examined the PCB concentrations. The PCB air–sea gas exchange fluxes showed higher net volatilization in winter, largely due to southward movement of the strengthened Yellow Sea Coastal Current and Yangtze River Diluted Water with high PCB concentrations. Both the dissolved PCB concentrations in seawater and wind speed were the primary factors influencing the PCB air–sea exchange fluxes in winter. By contrast, weak PCB volatilization fluxes occurred when the Taiwan Warm Current with low PCB concentrations dominated in the ECS in summer. In comparison, the accumulation and release of some PCB homologues caused by a green tide in the coastal YS could lead to increased volatilization flux in summer. Our results suggest the transfer of air–sea exchange dynamics of PCBs from a water concentration‐dominated pattern to an environmental parameter‐controlled one due to their decreased land‐based input, and highlight the impact of water mass‐triggered changes (environmental parameters and algal blooms) on the air–sea exchange behavior of PCBs in the continental marginal sea.
Representation and Annual to Decadal Predictability of Euro‐Atlantic Weather Regimes in the CMIP6 Version of the EC‐Earth Coupled Climate Model
Authors: Delgado‐Torres C. , Verfaillie D. , Mohino E. , Donat M. G.
Published: July 2022

Weather regimes are large‐scale atmospheric circulation states that frequently occur in the climate system with persistence and recurrence, and are associated with the occurrence of specific local weather conditions. This study evaluates the representation of the four Euro‐Atlantic weather regimes in uninitialized historical forcing simulations and initialized decadal predictions performed with the EC‐Earth3 coupled climate model. The four weather regimes are the positive and negative phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO+ and NAO−, respectively), Blocking, and Atlantic Ridge in winter; and the NAO−, Blocking, Atlantic Ridge, and Atlantic Low in summer. We also analyze the impact that the model initialization toward the observed state of the climate system has on the ability to predict the variability of the weather regimes' seasonal frequency of occurrence. We find that the EC‐Earth3 model correctly reproduces the spatial patterns and climatological occurrence frequencies of the four weather regimes. By contrast, the skill in predicting the inter‐annual to decadal variations of the weather regimes' seasonal frequencies is generally low, and the initialization does not significantly improve such skill. The observed teleconnections between the weather regimes and the North Atlantic sea surface temperatures are generally not reproduced by the model, which could be a reason for the low skill in predicting the temporal variations of the weather regime frequencies.
Assimilation of Global Satellite Leaf Area Estimates Reduces Modeled Global Carbon Uptake and Energy Loss by Terrestrial Ecosystems
Authors: Fox Andrew M. , Huo Xueli , Hoar Timothy J. , Dashti Hamid , Smith William K. , MacBean Natasha , Anderson Jeffrey L. , Roby Matthew , Moore David J. P.
Published: July 2022

Carbon, water and energy exchange between the land and atmosphere controls how ecosystems either accelerate or ameliorate the effect of climate change. However, evaluating improvements to processes controlling carbon cycling, water use and energy exchange in global land surface models (LSMs) remains challenging in part because of persistent model errors in estimating leaf area. Here we evaluate the changes in global carbon, water and energy exchange brought about when a LSM prognostic estimates of leaf area are made consistent with estimates from satellites. This approach achieves two aims; first to quantify the effect of ignoring errors in leaf area index (LAI) on land‐atmosphere fluxes and second, to evaluate how closely this LSM replicates fluxes with and without an LAI constraint. We implemented an ensemble Kalman filter with spatiotemporal adaptive inflation to more closely match community land model (CLM5.0) estimates of leaf area to those from the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies leaf area index (LAI3g) product. We then evaluate the model's estimates of gross primary productivity (GPP) and latent heat flux (LE) against well established global estimates of these fluxes. We find that the model is biased high by 27% relative to the LAI3g product. Moreover, the effect of bias in LAI is substantial for GPP (18%) and LE (6%) and likely to confound efforts to refine processes controlling these fluxes. This data assimilation approach serves as a method to evaluate the efficacy of refinements to flux processes until the processes controlling the dynamics of LAI are better resolved in LSMs.
Land‐Use Intensity Increases Benthic N2O Emissions Across Three Sub‐Tropical Estuaries
Authors: Chen Jian‐Jhih , Wells Naomi S. , Erler Dirk V. , Eyre Bradley D.
Published: July 2022

Estuaries play an important role in regulating nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes to the atmosphere, but little is known about how catchment land‐use changes influence benthic N2O cycling. We measured seasonal benthic N2O fluxes and constructed N2O budgets in three sub‐tropical estuaries draining catchments with contrasting levels of land‐use intensity. Benthic habitats were a net N2O sink in the minimally impacted Noosa River Estuary (−287 nmol m−2 h−1) and a net source of N2O in the highly impacted Brisbane River Estuary (126 nmol m−2 h−1). Vegetated habitats can act as an important sink of N2O with uptakes of −286 and −35 nmol m−2 h−1 in the Noosa and Maroochy River Estuaries, respectively. Benthic N2O fluxes were significantly correlated with benthic NO3− fluxes, suggesting NO3− availability was an important control on benthic N2O fluxes. Combining benthic flux data with surface water N2O emissions measurements showed that increased benthic N2O fluxes helped drive increasing water–air N2O emissions over the land‐use intensity gradient. Overall, our results show that land‐use driven changes to both the diversity and sediment composition of benthic habitats play an important role in regulating N2O dynamics in estuarine ecosystems. This highlights that both sediment quality and nitrogen loading need to be considered in order to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the coastal ecosystems.
Investigation of humans individual differences as predictors of their animal interaction styles, focused on the domestic cat
Authors: Finka Lauren R. , Ripari Lucia , Quinlan Lindsey , Haywood Camilla , Puzzo Jo , Jordan Amelia , Tsui Jaclyn , Foreman-Worsley Rachel , Dixon Laura , Brennan Marnie L.
Published: July 2022

Humans’ individual differences including their demographics, personality, attitudes and experiences are often associated with important outcomes for the animals they interact with. This is pertinent to companion animals such as cats and dogs, given their social and emotional importance to humans and degree of integration into human society. However, the mechanistic underpinnings and causal relationships that characterise links between human individual differences and companion animal behaviour and wellbeing are not well understood. In this exploratory investigation, we firstly quantified the underlying structure of, and variation in, human’s styles of behaviour during typical human-cat interactions (HCI), focusing on aspects of handling and interaction known to be preferred by cats (i.e. ‘best practice’), and their variation. We then explored the potential significance of various human individual differences as predictors of these HCI styles. Seven separate HCI styles were identified via Principal Component Analysis (PCA) from averaged observations for 119 participants, interacting with sociable domestic cats within a rehoming context. Using General Linear Models (GLMs) and an Information Theoretic (IT) approach, we found these HCI PC components were weakly to strongly predicted by factors including cat-ownership history, participant personality (measured via the Big Five Inventory, or BFI), age, work experience with animals and participants’ subjective ratings of their cat behaviour knowledge. Paradoxically, greater cat ownership experiences and self-assessed cat knowledge were not positively associated with ‘best practice’ styles of HCI, but were instead generally predictive of HCI styles known to be less preferred by cats, as was greater participant age and Neuroticism. These findings have important implications regarding the quality of human-companion animal relationships and dyadic compatibility, in addition to the role of educational interventions and their targeting for optimal efficacy. In the context of animal adoption, these results strengthen the (limited) evidence base for decision making associated with cat-adopter screening and matching. In particular, our results suggest that greater cat ownership experiences and self-reports of cat knowledge might not necessarily convey advantages for cats in the context of HCI.
The regional impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the air quality in Ji'nan, China
Authors: Li Kun , Ni Ruiqiang , Jiang Tenglong , Tian Yaozhen , Zhang Xinwen , Li Chuanrong , Xie Chunying
Published: July 2022

A number of strict lockdown measures were implemented in the areas most affected by COVID-19 in China, including Ji’nan city, from 24 January to 7 February 2020. Due to these forced restrictions, the pollution levels in cities across the country drastically decreased within just a few days. Since traffic pollution and industrial emissions are important factors affecting regional air quality, congestion has a significant impact on the environment. Therefore, using the aid of air quality data for six pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO and O3) from 11 monitoring stations (located in urban, suburban and urban-industrial regions) across Ji’nan, we employed the air quality index (AQI) to investigate the spatial pattern of air quality in the pre-COVID-19 (pre-COVID) and COVID-19-related lockdown (COVID lockdown) periods. The results showed that air quality significantly improved during the COVID lockdown period. Among the selected pollutants, compared to the corresponding pre-COVID levels, the greatest reduction was observed for the concentration of NO2 (54.02%), while the smallest reduction was observed for the concentration of SO2 (27.92%). The PM2.5 (38.73%), PM10 (44.92%) and CO (30.60%) levels also decreased during the COVID lockdown period; only the O3 concentration increased (37.42%) during this period. Overall, air quality improved by approximate improvements of 37.33% during the COVID lockdown period. Approximately 35.48%, 37.01% and 43.43% in the AQI were observed in urban, suburban and urban-industrial regions, respectively. Therefore, the AQI exhibited remarkable regional differences in Ji'nan. This study demonstrates the contributions of the transportation sector and local emissions to improving air quality in typical urban areas, and these research results can provide guidance for the further monitoring of air pollution in northern Chinese cities.
Application of QUBO solver using black-box optimization to structural design for resonance avoidance
Authors: Matsumori Tadayoshi , Taki Masato , Kadowaki Tadashi
Published: July 2022

Quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) solvers can be applied to design an optimal structure to avoid resonance. QUBO algorithms that work on a classical or quantum device have succeeded in some industrial applications. However, their applications are still limited due to the difficulty of transforming from the original optimization problem to QUBO. Recently, black-box optimization (BBO) methods have been proposed to tackle this issue using a machine learning technique and a Bayesian treatment for combinatorial optimization. We propose a BBO method based on factorization machine to design a printed circuit board for resonance avoidance. This design problem is formulated to maximize natural frequency and simultaneously minimize the number of mounting points. The natural frequency, which is the bottleneck for the QUBO formulation, is approximated to a quadratic model in the BBO method. For the efficient approximation around the optimum solution, in the proposed method, we probabilistically generate the neighbors of the optimized solution of the current model and update the model. We demonstrated that the proposed method can find the optimum mounting point positions in shorter calculation time and higher success probability of finding the optimal solution than a conventional BBO method. Our results can open up QUBO solvers’ potential for other applications in structural designs.
High gain DC/DC converter with continuous input current for renewable energy applications
Authors: Mansour Arafa S. , Amer AL-Hassan H. , El-Kholy Elwy E. , Zaky Mohamed S.
Published: July 2022

In this paper, a new design of a non-isolated high-voltage gain DC/DC converter that operates at a reasonable duty cycle, by merging the dual boost converter with the switched inductor structure, is presented as a solution for the high-conversion ratio requirement. The proposed converter operates in discontinuous-current mode (DCM) with zero current switching for all switches and diodes. Wide duty cycle range operation, high output voltage gain, low switching stress, small switching losses, and high efficiency are achieved efficiently. Operating the converter in DCM can support a wide range of the duty cycle operation, maintain lower voltage stress of all devices, ensure the same current sharing among inductors, make it easy to control, provide more stability, and require a smaller inductor which reduces size and weight of the proposed converter. Moreover, the converter operates with a continuous input current. These features make the converter a good choice for many applications such as photovoltaic, x-ray, fuel cells, etc. To prove the converter’s effectiveness, theoretical analysis, project specifications, and operation principles are presented and studied. Experimental results in an open and closed-loop, and a comparison with other recent converters are also introduced to confirm the validity of the proposed converter.
Optimization design of hump phenomenon of low specific speed centrifugal pump based on CFD and orthogonal test
Authors: Yu-qin Wang , Ze-wen Ding
Published: July 2022

Aiming to eliminate the hump phenomenon in a low specific speed centrifugal pump, its structural parameters were optimized using the computational fluid dynamics method. Based on the $$k - \varepsilon$$

k
-
ε

turbulence model, a 3D steady analysis of the internal flow field was carried out. The $$L_{9} \left( {3^{4} } \right)$$

L
9

3
4

orthogonal table was established, and four structural parameters, including the impeller outlet diameter, impeller outlet width, number of blades, and blade outlet angle, were selected as influencing factors. Nine orthogonal test schemes were developed and the results were analyzed through the weight matrix analysis method, obtaining the weight of the selected factors on the test results. The optimal scheme was selected according to the weight and the weight matrix analysis results have shown that the impeller outlet width had the dominant influence on the head, shaft power, and efficiency. Further, the blade number was the main influencing factor for shaft power and efficiency. The centrifugal pump flow control test bench was built to carry out the numerical simulation and test all the prototype and optimization pump indexes. Through the external characteristic test, it can be seen that the $$\beta_{2} Z^{0.773}$$

β
2

Z

0.773

of the optimized pump is 87.889, which is 24.89% lower than that of the prototype pump, which effectively optimizes the hump phenomenon of the centrifugal pump. The experimental results have shown that in underrated working conditions, the working performance of the optimized pump was improved significantly. The head size was reduced by 1.424%, and the efficiency was increased by 7.896%. By optimizing the structural pump parameters, its jet-wake hydraulic loss was reduced, and the head curve hump phenomenon was effectively eliminated. All the performance indexes of the optimized pump were higher than those of the prototype, verifying both the accuracy and reliability of the orthogonal test and weight matrix analysis method. Finally, obtained results provide a reference for the structural design of high-performance centrifugal pumps.