bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Together we stand, divided we fall: Effects of livestock grazing on vegetation patches in a desert community
Authors: Pelliza Yamila Ivón , Fernandez Anahi , Saiz Hugo , Tadey Mariana
Published: March 2021

Questions

Vegetation patches formed by interacting xeric species are the main drivers of dryland structure and function. Plant aggregation enhances microclimatic conditions and triggers abiotic and biotic processes, such as nutrient cycling and accumulation, and species interactions. However, vegetation patches may be modified by disturbances in unpredictable ways. We tested whether livestock grazing affects vegetation structure and plant spatial associations in a desert community, by considering the role of plant species in ecological succession.

Location

Patagonian Monte Desert, Argentina.

Methods

We used high‐quality standardized photographs along transects to characterize plant community structure (i.e., cover, abundance, richness), spatial patterns (i.e. plant‐plant associations), and classified species based on their successional role (i.e. early, intermediate and late species). We used regression models and network analysis to evaluate the effect of grazing on vegetation.

Results

In general, grazing modified community structure, reducing total cover, abundance and richness. Grazing modulated community spatial patterns, simplifying and removing vegetation patches. The impact of grazing depended on the species successional role. The abundance and cover of early species were less affected by grazing than intermediate and late species, the latter being the most affected. However, species richness significantly decreased with increasing stocking rates, regardless of their successional role. Late species were present in most plant spatial associations, indicating a major contribution to multi‐specific vegetation patches formation.

Conclusions

The reduction in species richness and low abundance of late species highlights the need to prevent irreversible degradation caused by overgrazing. Late species emerge as key structures of vegetation in desert rangelands facilitating the establishment and protecting other plant species. Due to the critical role of vegetation patches in maintaining desert ecosystem functioning, conservation and management practices should focus on late species, while early species, responsible for vegetation patch formation in overgrazed situations, should be preferred for restoration practices.
Learner conceptions of health advocacy: ‘Going above & beyond’ or ‘kind of an expectation’
Authors: Hubinette Maria M. , Scott Ian , van der Goes Theresa , Kahlke Renate
Published: March 2021

Context

Health advocacy is a core component of physician competency frameworks. However, advocacy has lacked a clear definition and is understood and enacted variably across contexts. Due to their mobility across contexts, learners are uniquely positioned to provide insight into the tensions that have made this role so difficult to define, but that may be central to this role. The purpose of this study was to map the tensions and contours in conceptions of health advocacy among learners across a variety of learning contexts.

Methods

We used constructivist grounded theory and interviewed nine medical students and twenty residents in family, paediatric and internal medicine from across our university's distributed programmes. Data were analysed concurrently using open, focussed and theoretical coding to establish themes and relationships between themes.

Results

Learners understood health advocacy in two overlapping but distinct ways: as a set of behaviours and as a sense of ‘going above and beyond’, through additional effort, time or risk. These two conceptions overlapped and were often in tension. ‘Going above and beyond’ sometimes aligned with identifiable advocacy behaviours; at other times, ‘going above and beyond’ did not align with definitions of health advocacy in competency frameworks and aligned more closely with ‘patient‐centred care’.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that learners perceive that there are important elements of health advocacy that cannot be captured in universal behaviours that apply across contexts. ‘Going above and beyond’ describes a sense of grappling with sociocultural barriers to patient‐centred care and striving towards better systems and better care for individuals. This more abstract and contextually bound notion of health advocacy may not lend itself easily to definition in competency frameworks and thus adds challenges to both teaching and assessment.
Effect of habitat quality and phenotypic variation on abundance‐ and trait‐based early warning signals of population collapses
Authors: Baruah Gaurav , Clements Christopher F. , Ozgul Arpat
Published: March 2021

Loss of resilience in population numbers in response to environmental perturbations may be predicted with statistical metrics called early warning signals (EWS) that are derived from abundance time series. These signals, however, have been shown to have limited success, leading to the development of trait‐based EWS that are based on information collected from phenotypic traits such as body size. Experimental work assessing the efficacy of EWS under varying ecological and environmental factors are rare. In addition, disentangling how such warning signals are affected under varying ecological and environmental factors is key to their application in biological conservation. Here, we experimentally test how different rates of environmental forcing (i.e. warming) and varying ecological factors (i.e. habitat quality and phenotypic diversity) affected population stability and predictive power of early warning signals of population collapse. We analyzed population density and body size time series data from three phenotypically different populations of a protozoan ciliate Askenasia volvox in two levels of habitat quality subjected to three different treatments of warming (i.e. no warming, fast warming and slow warming). We then evaluated how well abundance‐ and trait‐based EWS predicted population collapses under different levels of phenotypic diversity, habitat quality and warming treatments. Our results suggest that habitat quality and warming treatments had more profound effects than phenotypic diversity had on both population stability and on the performance of abundance‐based signals of population collapse. In addition, trait‐based EWS generally performed well, were reliable and more robust in forecasting population collapse than abundance‐based EWS, regardless of variation in environmental and ecological factors. Our study points towards the development of a predictive framework that includes information from phenotypic traits such as body size as an indicator of loss of resilience of ecological systems in response to environmental perturbations.
Consent and capacity confidence and knowledge within optometric practice in Scotland
Authors: McGarva Emily , Rousselet Lesley
Published: March 2021

Purpose

With the remit of the optometric workforce expanding amidst a growing population, education around consent and capacity is crucial. The aim of this study is to gain an understanding of the current confidence and knowledge around consent and capacity within the optometric workforce in Scotland, to elicit whether there is an interest for training and education on the topic and to highlight areas of misunderstanding. Results will guide the content for the 2020 General Ophthalmic Services (Scotland) Mandatory Training module and any further workstreams.

Methods

The optometric workforce in Scotland was invited to participate in a voluntary online survey, open for 50 days in May 2019. The final survey consisted of 15 closed‐ended questions and six open‐ended questions, with an additional eight routed questions that were only available if respondents gave a particular response to one of the 15 bulk closed‐ended questions. The survey covered the following areas: respondent demographics; consent in optometric practice in Scotland; adults with incapacity in optometric practice in Scotland; education around consent and capacity; The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 and a final open question.

Results

One hundred and forty‐seven valid responses were received (9.1%): 85.7% were interested in future education around consent and capacity; 8.3% were not interested in training to allow them to issue a certificate of incapacity, with the remainder interested (37.2%) or requiring further information (54.5%).

Sixty percent were moderately or very confident assessing a patient’s capacity to consent and 74.8% were moderately or very confident at performing an eye examination on a patient who lacks capacity for all or part of the appointment or patient journey. Of respondents, 48.3% had either ‘never heard of’ or would rate themselves as ‘not at all knowledgeable’ of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 and 60.5% regarding certificates of incapacity. No respondents rated themselves as very knowledgeable and 15% or less felt they were moderately knowledgeable in either area.

Conclusions

Although there is moderate confidence around consent and capacity within the optometric workforce in Scotland, there is a lack of knowledge. Consent and capacity education is critical, and significant interest in such exists. The optometric workforce in Scotland must be supported to deliver safe and appropriate care in‐line with the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.
Long‐term cognitive outcomes of prematurely born infants: A longitudinal follow‐up of Denver II, Bayley III and WISC‐IV Tests
Authors: Direk Meltem Çobanoğulları , Makharoblidze Khatuna , Sevimli Eyşan , Çelik Yalçın , Taşdelen Bahar , Kömür Mustafa , Okuyaz Çetin
Published: March 2021

Background

Prematurity constitutes a risk factor for developmental delay in infancy and childhood. This study aims to: (i) determine long‐term cognitive outcomes in prematurely delivered children and compare them with term‐delivered children using the WISC‐IV and Stroop tests; (ii) examine the relation between Denver II, Bayley III and WISC‐IV, Stroop tests.

Methods

The study group consisted of children born prematurely who had been tested with Denver II and Bayley III in their first 2 years, and had been evaluated with WISC‐IV and Stroop tests under follow up, 6–10 years later.

Results

The study group (n = 60, 25 F, 35 M) was 8.0 ± 2.4 (6–10.7) years old when given WISC‐IV and Stroop tests. Gestational age in the study group was 34–37 weeks in 25%, 30–33 weeks in 48.3%, and <29 weeks in 26.7%. On WISC‐IV, the verbal comprehension index, perceptual reasoning index, working memory index, and full‐scale IQ scores were lower in the study group than the control group (P < 0.05). The study group took longer to complete the Stroop test (P < 0.05). Lower socioeconomic status (P = 0.005) and parental education level (P = 0.000) were associated with lower verbal comprehension index scores. Denver II and Bayley III test results were related to WISC‐IV results (P < 0.05) but not to the Stroop test results (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Our results showed prematurity negatively influences the results of WISC‐IV and Stroop tests at school age. Denver II and Bayley III tests applied at age 2 years likely predict WISC‐IV results.
GsCLC‐c2 from wild soybean confers chloride/salt tolerance to transgenic Arabidopsis and soybean composite plants by regulating anion homeostasis
Authors: Liu Xun , Liu Feng , Zhang Lu , Cheng Cong , Wei Peipei , Yu Bingjun
Published: March 2021

The responses of the GsCLC‐c2 gene and its promoter to NaCl stress, as well as the Cl−/salt tolerance of GsCLC‐c2‐transgenic Arabidopsis and overexpressed or RNAi wild soybean hairy root composite plants, were investigated. Results showed that both GsCLC‐c2 and its promoter display enhanced induction under salt stress. In the transgenic Arabidopsis WT‐GsCLC‐c2 and atclc‐c‐GsCLC‐c2 seedlings, the salt‐induced growth reduction was markedly ameliorated; plant fresh weight, leaf area, and relative water content (RWC) increased; relative electrolytic leakage (REL), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in shoots decreased significantly. In addition, accumulation of Cl− and K+, especially Cl−, increased markedly in roots to minimize Cl− transport to shoots and maintain higher and lower Cl−/NO3− ratios in roots and shoots, respectively. When compared to GsCLC‐c2‐RNAi wild soybean composite plants under salt stress, clear advantages, such as growth appearance, plant height, and leaf area, were displayed by GsCLC‐c2‐overexpressing composite plants. Moreover, their REL values in roots and leaves declined significantly. The accumulation of absorbed Cl− and Na+ in the roots increased, as the transportation to the stems and leaves decreased, the NO3− content in roots, stems, and leaves significantly increased, and the changes in K+ contents were small, which resulted in the maintenance of a low Cl−/NO3− ratio in all plant parts and low Na+/K+ ratio in stems and leaves. Taken together, these results highlight the role of GsCLC‐c2 in regulating anionic homeostasis in NaCl‐stressed transgenic Arabidopsis and soybean composite plants to maintain lower Cl−/NO3− ratios in shoots, thus conferring enhanced Cl−/salt tolerance.
Acclimation of mesophyll conductance and anatomy to light during leaf aging in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Carriquí Marc , Nadal Miquel , Flexas Jaume
Published: March 2021

Mesophyll conductance (gm), a key limitation to photosynthesis, is strongly driven by leaf anatomy, which is in turn influenced by environmental growth conditions and ontogeny. However, studies examining the combined environment × age effect on both leaf anatomy and photosynthesis are scarce, and none have been carried out in short‐lived plants. Here, we studied the variation of photosynthesis and leaf anatomy in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana (Col‐0) grown under three different light intensities at two different leaf ages. We found that light × age interaction was significant for photosynthesis but not for anatomical characteristics. Increasing growth light intensities resulted in increases in leaf mass per area, thickness, number of palisade cell layers, and chloroplast area lining to intercellular airspace. Low and moderate—but not high—light intensity had a significant effect on all photosynthetic characteristics. Leaf aging was associated with increases in cell wall thickness (Tcw) in all light treatments and in increases in leaf thickness in plants grown under low and moderate light intensities. However, gm did not vary with leaf aging, and photosynthesis only decreased with leaf age under moderate and high light, suggesting a compensatory effect between increased Tcw and decreased chloroplast thickness on the total CO2 diffusion resistance.
Stress and aging: A neurovisceral integration perspective
Authors: Thayer Julian F. , Mather Mara , Koenig Julian
Published: March 2021

Darwin emphasized the intimate relationship between the brain and the heart over 150 years ago. Healthy aging is associated with significant changes in both the brain and the heart. The changes between these, the two most important organs of the body, are linked via the vagus nerve. In this review, we examine the normative changes with aging and the effect that stress may have on how the brain–heart connection changes with age. We provide a framework based on the concept of neurovisceral integration and propose that stress regulation is emotion regulation. As such, studies that have investigated emotion regulation may yield insights into successful stress regulation that helps protect people from age‐related decline. In addition, interventions that improve brain health also improve heart health and vice versa. We conclude by noting that significant sex and ethnic differences exist but that future studies are needed to more fully explicate how they may moderate the associations between stress and aging.
Nutrient‐use strategy and not competition determines native and invasive species response to changes in soil nutrient availability
Authors: Knauf Amanda E. , Litton Creighton M. , Cole Rebecca J. , Sparks Jed P. , Giardina Christian P. , Gerow Kenneth G. , Quiñones‐Santiago Melanie
Published: March 2021

Non‐native invasive plants often outcompete native species under high resource availability. Restoration techniques that lower resources may, therefore, create favorable conditions for resource conservative native species over resource exploitative invasive species. Research on this topic has focused on temperate grass and forb‐dominated ecosystems and has rarely been tested for woody species or tropical vegetation. We evaluated growth, resource‐use efficiency (RUE), ecophysiology, and competition (i.e. a relative interaction index based on biomass) of four woody native and two dominant invasive species from Hawaiian wet and dry tropical ecosystems in a greenhouse experiment. Density of plants was constant and species were grown with either a conspecific or the invasive species from that ecosystem type across a gradient of soil nutrient availability. Instantaneous photosynthetic rates varied minimally across nutrient availability. However, both invasive and one native species increased leaf area as nutrients increased, providing more photosynthetic area and increasing total biomass. Nitrogen RUE decreased with increasing nutrient availability for all but one native species, while phosphorus RUE remained constant for all but one native species. Competitive interactions were weak, variable, and not significantly impacted by soil nutrients. Overall, plants categorized as invasive or resource exploitative had larger changes in response variables with increasing soil nutrients compared to those categorized as native or resource conservative. These results suggest that manipulating soil nutrient availability is a potentially viable restoration tool for at least some woody species in tropical ecosystems. However, predicting restoration success requires understanding species‐specific ecophysiological traits determining response to altered environmental conditions.
Rates, patterns, and drivers of tree reinvasion 15 years after large‐scale meadow‐restoration treatments
Authors: Halpern Charles B. , Antos Joseph A.
Published: March 2021

Tree encroachment threatens the biodiversity and ecological functioning of grasslands worldwide. Reversing effects of encroachment requires not only removing trees, but limiting subsequent invasions, which can stall grassland reassembly. We quantified rates and patterns of conifer reinvasion of mountain grasslands (meadows) in western Oregon, 7 and 15 years after experimental tree removal with or without burning. We assessed frequency (percentage of 100 m2 subplots) and density of reinvading trees in six 1‐ha plots as a function of burn treatment, abundance in the adjacent forest (a proxy for seed availability), and distance to or orientation of forest edges. After 15 years, frequency and density of colonists varied widely among plots (24–57% of subplots and 60–250 trees/ha, respectively), but burning had no effect on either measure. Abies grandis, which dominated adjacent forests, was the principal invader. Colonization by less‐common Pinus contorta and A. procera was correlated with species' density and basal area in adjacent forests, suggesting that establishment was seed limited. Annualized rates of invasion were similar between early and late sampling intervals (9–10/trees/ha). Establishment was generally greater along the forested edges of plots (0–10 m) than in the core (10–50 m). Prominence of shade‐tolerant A. grandis along northerly‐facing edges suggests strong microclimatic controls on establishment. In sum, tree removal, with or without prescribed fire, is successful in reversing effects of conifer encroachment. Despite abundant seed rain, reinvasion is slow and spatially restricted. Periodic hand removal of colonizing trees, while they are small, can be done efficiently and economically.
The present and future of grassland restoration
Authors: Török Péter , Brudvig Lars A. , Kollmann Johannes , N. Price Jodi , Tóthmérész Béla
Published: March 2021

Grasslands contribute greatly to biodiversity and human livelihoods; they support 70% of the world's agricultural area, but are heavily degraded by human land use. Grassland restoration research and management receives less attention than forests or freshwater habitats, although grasslands are critical for sustaining ecosystems multifunctionality and capacity to support biodiversity. In this article, we introduce a Special Issue which considers major trends and prospects in grassland restoration. We identified three key topics: First, restoration must confront widespread seed and site limitations, and new monitoring methods, including remote sensing techniques, are critical for restoration projects. Second, we highlight that restored grasslands typically require ongoing disturbance management and that research is required to determine optimal approaches for implementing this management during restoration. Third, global and regional restoration agendas should be harmonized with site‐level goals, and syntheses of current knowledge and research needs must guide grassland restoration across scales. We also identify research gaps to be filled, and challenges which grasslands face in the future: (1) a need for careful target vegetation selection and climate‐adaptive restoration; (2) lack of knowledge in dynamics and restoration of several regions and grassland types, including drylands and (sub)tropical regions; (3) increased importance of species arrival sequence, and high stochasticity of species establishment; and finally (4) issues of post‐restoration management to guarantee long‐term sustainability of restored sites. A new generation of research and restoration projects to bridge these gaps is necessary to mitigate environmental challenges spanning localities to the globe as we commence the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
A framework for measuring the effects of disturbance in restoration projects
Authors: Cowan Ebony L. , Standish Rachel J. , Miller Ben P. , Enright Neal J. , Fontaine Joseph B.
Published: March 2021

Ecological resilience is widely acknowledged as a vital attribute of successful ecosystem restoration, with potential for restoration practice to contribute to this goal. Hence, defining common metrics of resilience to naturally occurring disturbances is essential for restoration planning, efforts, and monitoring. Here, we reviewed how plant community ecologists have measured resilience of restoration projects to disturbances and propose a framework to guide measurement of restoration projects to disturbance. We found 22 studies that investigated the impact of disturbances on restoration projects, from three continents and for three disturbance types. Over half of the studies were from Australia, with the dataset biased toward fire responses of restored, or partially restored, forest ecosystems. Native plant species richness, cover, and density were common response variables. Studies varied in restoration context, design, response variables, and statistical approaches, limiting generalizations. Nonetheless we have identified several response variables that offer potential as lagging indicators (e.g. species richness) and leading indicators (e.g. recruitment) of resilience in diverse vegetation types exposed to a variety of disturbance regimes. We suggest a third set of variables, proxy measures of resilience (e.g. functional redundancy), to complement lagging and leading indicators. We conclude with a framework to guide decisions about when to use each of the three types of measures to assess resilience of restoration projects to disturbance, providing some clarity to decision‐making despite the uncertainty of changing disturbance regimes. Lastly, we invite researchers to understand the impact of disturbance on the resilience of restoration projects, rather than assume resilience.
Equity in ecosystem restoration
Authors: Wells Harry B. M. , Kirobi Elijah H. , Chen Cadia L. , Winowiecki Leigh A. , Vågen Tor‐Gunnar , Ahmad Muhammad N. , Stringer Lindsay C. , Dougill Andrew J.
Published: March 2021

The importance of equity has been emphasized in climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and ecosystem restoration. However, equity implications are rarely considered explicitly in restoration projects. Although the role of equity has been studied in the context of biodiversity conservation and environmental governance, environmental variables are often ignored in equity studies, and spatial analyses of equity are lacking. To address these gaps, we use a mixed methods approach, integrating spatially explicit ecological and social data to evaluate, through an equity lens, a restoration project in a semi‐arid rangeland socioecological system in Kenya. We use questionnaires and semi‐structured key informant interviews to explore four dimensions of equity: distributional, procedural, recognitional, and contextual. Our results show that restoration employment and distance to the restoration site strongly influence perceived distributional and procedural equity. Employment and distance to restoration site can interact in counterintuitive ways in their influence on aspects of perceived equity, in this case, the fairness of site selection. Our findings exemplify that equity dimensions are intimately linked, and trade‐offs can occur between equity dimensions, across socio‐temporal scales, and in choosing the ethical framework to apply. Our work demonstrates how restoration is influenced by different dimensions of equity and we opine that incorporating equity in project planning and implementation processes can improve restoration outcomes. We emphasize the importance of respecting plurality in the values systems and ethical frameworks that underlie what is considered equitable, while negotiating trade‐offs between diverse ethical positions in the design and implementation of ecosystem restoration projects.
Potential benefits to breeding seabirds of converting abandoned coconut plantations to native habitats after invasive predator eradication
Authors: Carr Peter , Trevail Alice , Bárrios Sara , Clubbe Colin , Freeman Robin , Koldewey Heather J. , Votier Stephen C. , Wilkinson Tim , Nicoll Malcolm A. C.
Published: March 2021

On many Pacific and Indian Ocean islands, colonization by humans brought invasive species, native vegetation destruction, and coconut plantations, leading to the decimation of seabird populations. The coconut industry on oceanic islands has since crashed, leaving the legacy of altered, impoverished ecosystems. Many island restoration projects eradicate invasive species, particularly rats, with the goal of restoring seabird‐driven ecosystems. However, in the absence of converting abandoned plantations to habitat conducive to breeding seabirds, seabird‐driven ecosystems may not fully recover after rat eradication. Here we quantify and, by resource selection function, confirm seabird habitat selection within the Chagos Archipelago, before estimating the potential difference in breeding abundance following rat eradication with and without active management of abandoned plantations. Using Ile du Coin as our primary example, we estimate that following rat eradication, but without plantation conversion, this island could potentially support 4,306 (±93) pairs of breeding seabird; if restored to habitat representative of associated rat‐free islands, 138,878 (±1,299) pairs. If 1 km2 of plantation is converted to produce 0.5 km2 each of native forest and savanna, it could theoretically support 319,762 (±2,279) breeding pairs—more than the entire archipelago at present. Our research indicates that when setting restoration goals in the Chagos Archipelago, at least 55% of the restored habitat should be composed of native forest and savanna in order to support a viable seabird community. Our research enhances the prospects of successfully restoring seabird islands across the tropical landscape with wider benefits to native biodiversity.
Household income changes and suicidal ideation in South Korea: Findings from a longitudinal study
Authors: Lee Doo Woong , Youn Hin Moi , Kang Soo Hyun , Jang Sung‐In , Park Eun‐Cheol
Published: March 2021

Introduction

This study aimed to provide evidence for the need for social and welfare support in suicide prevention.

Methods

Data were collected from the Korean Welfare Panel Study, 2011–2016. The study sample consisted of 7504 people (male: 3080 and female: 4424; mean age: 54.4 ± 16.6), with annual follow‐ups until 2016. A generalized linear mixed‐effects model using a logit link function with random intercept for longitudinal binary data was employed to identify the association between household income change and suicidal ideation status.

Results

Suicidal ideation was found in 279 (3.7%) people at the baseline year. A drastic reduction in household income was associated with an increased probability of having suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio: 2.205, 95% confidence interval: 1.326–3.666). Using interaction analyses, those who had a drastic reduction in household income and were married, males, aged 40–49, and previously in a middle‐ to high‐income group showed a higher probability of having suicidal ideation.

Conclusion

A drastic reduction in household income was associated with a higher probability of suicidal ideation, with specific differences according to gender, age, previous household income level, and marital status. This study reinforces the need for social and welfare support in suicide prevention policies and programs.
Protecting Black mothers: How the history of midwifery can inform doula activism
Authors: Cancelmo Cara M.
Published: March 2021

In response to the crisis of racist disparities in maternal mortality, many activists are pushing for increased access to birth doulas for Black women. As states and municipalities respond by incorporating doulas into hospital settings with increasingly common requirements for doula certification, it is more important than ever to investigate the role of doulas, and how that role might change under the medical model of birth within US hospitals. Will activism for doulas turn into arguments for the “right” to a doula? Without the full privileges of citizenship—will the most marginalized women be left out of that right despite their health and safety being at the origins of the activist struggle? To investigate these questions, we can look to the history of midwives in the United States, and examine how the midwifery model of childbirth changed as activists fought for increased access to midwives to improve birth outcomes.
Lonely Hearts, Empty Booths? The Relationship between Loneliness, Reported Voting Behavior and Voting as Civic Duty
Authors: Langenkamp Alexander
Published: March 2021

Objective

The study investigates the relationship between perceived loneliness and the individuals' attitude whether voting is a civic duty. With that, it is the first study to shed light on the mechanism linking perceived loneliness to voting behavior.

Methods

Two independent, cross‐sectional, and representative datasets from Germany (n = 1641) and the Netherlands (n = 1431) are analyzed.

Results

The regression results and effect decomposition techniques show that loneliness is associated with reduced intention to vote as well as a lower sense of duty to vote. The effect of loneliness on voting behavior is partially mediated through a reduced sense of duty.

Conclusion

Loneliness is associated with political disengagement. The study provides empirical evidence that the relationship between loneliness and turnout is partially mediated through sense of duty. This showcases that lonely individuals tend to feel detached from society and are less likely to feel obligated to participate in the electoral process.
Prognostic value of immunohistochemical markers in canine cutaneous mast cell tumours: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Freytag Jennifer Ostrand , Queiroz Mariana Ramos , Govoni Verônica Mollica , Pereira Isabel Veloso Alves , Pulz Lidia Hildebrand , de Francisco Strefezzi Ricardo , Queiroga Felisbina Luisa , Cogliati Bruno
Published: March 2021

Histological grading systems remain cornerstones in the prognosis of canine cutaneous mast cell tumours (MCTs), but the distinct biological behaviour of each tumour often necessitates the use of complementary markers. Although a plethora of immunohistochemical markers have been proposed as prognostic factors, few are presently applied in routine diagnosis. This systematic review and meta‐analysis was designed to establish which immunohistochemical markers have verifiable prognostic value for cutaneous MCTs in dogs. A Boolean search of five databases identified 200 articles for screening, of which 73 were selected for full‐text assessment and 24 ultimately included in the systematic review. Odds Ratio (OR) was adopted as the summary measure for subsequent meta‐analysis but only 15 articles, relating to the immunomarkers Ki‐67 (9), KIT (5), and BAX (2), provided either a value for OR or sufficient data to calculate this statistic. Meta‐analysis verified that canine cutaneous MCTs with elevated expression of Ki‐67 or BAX, as well aberrant immuno‐expression of KIT, showed an increased odds of death, with respective OR values of 11.2 (95% CI 6.3‐20.0;p < .01), 9.9 (95% CI 1.3‐73.6;p = .03), and 4.1 (95% CI 1.1‐15.3;p = .03). Despite KIT, Ki67, and BAX arise as suitable prognostic factor for canine MCTs, this study highlighted the lack of important clinical and statistical data in many published articles, rendering it impossible to complete the meta‐analysis of several potentially valuable immunohistochemical markers.
Co-creating a Young Persons' Guide to a Sustainable Future: Analysis of Learning Steps in a Transdisciplinary Honours Course
Authors: Smeers Inge , Himpens Jonas , Grancitelli Louise , Snick Anne
Published: March 2021

The Covid-19 crisis reveals that our expanding human population and globalised economic system create unprecedented risks, such as massive new health threats that impact our social and economic wellbeing. In the current era, called the Anthropocene, human activity disturbs life-supporting
planetary processes. Surviving the Anthropocene, therefore, requires 'unlearning' the model that brought us here. This model treats nature as a mere resource for humans to exploit with a view to technological progress and economic growth, and serves unrestrained human population increase.
This has disturbed the human–nature balance to such a degree that we now have the potential to eliminate all human life. Current crises make us understand we need a regenerative vision of the future, building on new kinds of knowledge, values, skills, and attitudes.
 Universities
are still grounded in a linear model of research and education, with disciplines studying separate domains of reality without grasping how new, more complex system behaviour emerges from the interaction among those fields. In response to this changing context, the Institute for the Future
at KU Leuven runs an Honours Programme Transdisciplinary Insights, offering group learning through real societal challenges and innovative teaching practices. The challenge we present and discuss here tackled the question of how to prepare young people, the leaders of tomorrow, for this complex
world (Supplement 1). What are the potential building blocks of an educational trajectory towards a more sustainable future? The challenge was inspired by a theoretical analysis of increasing complexity and its implications for research and education (Snick, 2020). During one academic year
(2019–2020) the authors all took part in this challenge, as students and as a coach. In this article we evaluate our learning experiences. The hypothesis underlying our challenge was that co-creating a vision of a possible future, inspired by emerging regenerative social and economic
initiatives, allows students to develop new skills and capacities that the traditional educational approach does not offer. Our learning path involved boot camps with a series of workshops, reading scientific books, watching a documen tary, (walking) meetings, field visits, design exercises,
co-creative workshops, and group discussions. In this article, we evaluate how these helped us foster our response-ability for co-creating a life-sustaining civilisation. Our findings show that unlearning the old paradigm takes time and that empowering young persons to contribute to a sustainable
society requires learning with the head, heart, hands, and hope. These insights can be inspirational to all societal actors who understand that we urgently need to move towards a 'new normal' and that the university has a vital role in this transition.
Turbulent Flows With Drops and Bubbles: What Numerical Simulations Can Tell Us—Freeman Scholar Lecture
Authors: Soligo Giovanni , Roccon Alessio , Soldati Alfredo
Published: March 2021

Turbulent flows laden withlarge, deformable drops or bubbles are ubiquitous in nature and a number of industrial processes. These flows are characterized by physics acting at many different scales: from the macroscopic length scale of the problem down to the microscopic molecular scale of the interface. Naturally, the numerical resolution of all the scales of the problem, which span about eight to nine orders of magnitude, is not possible, with the consequence that numerical simulations of turbulent multiphase flows impose challenges and require methods able to capture the multiscale nature of the flow. In this review, we start by describing the numerical methods commonly employed and by discussing their advantages and limitations, and then we focus on the issues arising from the limited range of scales that can be possibly solved. Ultimately, the droplet size distribution, a key result of interest for turbulent multiphase flows, is used as a benchmark to compare the capabilities of the different methods and to discuss the main insights that can be drawn from these simulations. Based on this, we define a series of guidelines and best practices that we believe to be important in the analysis of the simulations and the development of new numerical methods.
Sound Transmission Tuned by Active Feedback Control Attached to Elastic Wave Metamaterials Immersed in Water
Authors: He Zhi-Hua , Wang Yi-Ze , Wang Yue-Sheng
Published: March 2021

Elastic wave metamaterials have been widely exploited with their dynamic superior properties and outstanding acoustic responses. However, it is difficult to directly manipulate sound pressure in low frequencies. In this study, we propose a new kind of elastic wave metamaterial which consists of vertical and lateral resonators as well as orthogonal stiffeners. The active feedback control system is applied to extend to the tunable scope for both lower and higher frequency regions and change the characteristics of acoustic-structure coupling. Its effective mass density is also discussed with different feedback constants. In order to present effects of the fluid–solid interaction, we considered that the elastic wave metamaterial is immersed in different fluid medium and its sound transmission loss (STL) is calculated. This work provides a feasible method for creating mechanical/acoustic models with multi-functional potentials.
Design of a Flexure Rotational Time Base With Varying Inertia
Authors: Thalmann E. , Henein S.
Published: March 2021

Flexure oscillators are promising time bases, thanks to their high quality factor and monolithic design compatible with microfabrication. In mechanical watchmaking, they could advantageously replace the traditional balance and hairspring oscillator, leading to improvements in timekeeping accuracy, autonomy, and assembly. As MEMS oscillators, their performance can rival that of the well-established quartz oscillator. However, their inherent nonlinear elastic behavior can introduce a variation of their frequency with amplitude called isochronism defect, a major obstacle to accurate timekeeping in mechanical watches. Previous research has focused on addressing this issue by controlling the elastic properties of flexure oscillators. Yet, these oscillators exhibit other amplitude-related frequency variations caused by changes of inertia with amplitude. In this article, we not only improve existing models by taking into account inertia effects but also present a new way of using them to adjust the isochronism defect. This results in a better understanding of flexure oscillators and an alternative way of tuning isochronism by acting on inertia instead of stiffness. This also opens the door to promising architectures such as the new rotation–dilation coupled oscillator (RDCO) whose symmetry has the advantage of minimizing the influence of linear accelerations on its frequency (the other major limitation of flexure oscillators). We derive analytical models for the isochronism of this oscillator, show a dimensioning with compensating inertia and stiffness variations, and present a practical method for post-fabrication isochronism tuning by displacing masses. The models are validated by finite element method (FEM) and mockups serve as preliminary proof-of-concept.
Gear Root Bending Strength: A Comparison Between Single Tooth Bending Fatigue Tests and Meshing Gears
Authors: Bonaiti Luca , Bayoumi Ahmed Bayoumi Mahmoud , Concli Franco , Rosa Francesco , Gorla Carlo
Published: March 2021

Gear tooth breakage due to bending fatigue is one of the most dangerous failure modes of gears. Therefore, the precise definition of tooth bending strength is of utmost importance in gear design. Single tooth bending fatigue (STBF) tests are usually used to study this failure mode since they allow to test gears, realized and finished with the actual industrial processes. Nevertheless, STBF tests do not reproduce exactly the loading conditions of meshing gears. The load is applied in a predetermined position, while in meshing gears, it moves along the active flank; all the teeth can be tested and have the same importance, while the actual strength of a meshing gear, practically, is strongly influenced by the strength of the weakest tooth of the gear. These differences have to be (and obviously are) taken into account when using the results of STBF tests to design gear sets. The aim of this article is to investigate in detail the first aspect, i.e. the role of the differences between two tooth root stress histories. In particular, this article presents a methodology based on high-cycle multi-axial fatigue criteria to translate STBF test data to the real working condition; residual stresses are also taken into account.
An Experimental Study of the Leakage Flow Effect on the Film Cooling Effectiveness of a Gas Turbine Shroud
Authors: Kim Gi Mun , Lee Soo In , Jeong Jin Young , Kwak Jae Su , Kim Seokbeom , Choi Jung Uk
Published: March 2021

In the vicinity of gas turbine blades, a complex flow field is formed due to the flow separation, reattachment, and secondary flows, and this results in a locally non-uniform and high heat transfer on the surfaces. The present study experimentally investigates the effects of leakage flow through the slot between the gas turbine vane and blade rows on the film cooling effectiveness of the forward region of the shroud ring segment. The experiment is carried out in a linear cascade with five blades. Instead of the vane, a row of rods at the location of the vane trailing edge is installed to consider the wake effect. The leakage flow is introduced through the slot between the vane and blade rows, and additional coolant air is injected from the cooling holes installed at the vane’s outer zone. The effects of the slot geometry, cooling hole configuration, and blowing ratio on the film cooling effectiveness are experimentally investigated using the pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) technique. CO2 gas and a mixture of SF6 and N2 (25% + 75%) are used to simulate the leakage flow to the mainstream density ratios of 1.5 and 2.0, respectively. The results indicate that the area-averaged film cooling effectiveness is affected more by the slot width than by the cooling hole configuration at the same injection conditions, and the lower density ratio cases show higher film cooling effectiveness than the higher density ratio case at the same cooling configuration.
Discretized Convolution Method for Vibration Analysis of Mechanical Systems With Local Dry Friction
Authors: Shih Hui-Ru
Published: March 2021

This paper presents a discretized convolution formulation for the vibration analysis of mechanical systems with local dry friction. For a system composed of several linear subsystems, the discretized convolution method is used to calculate the response of each of the linear subsystems. In the computational procedure, the coupling forces at nonlinear locations are treated as external forces of the subsystems. At each time increment, the magnitude of the coupling forces are predicted and corrected by the iterative method. This paper shows that the discretized convolution method can effectively handle the vibration analysis of a system with local dry friction, and also can substantially save the computational time.
The PIER Parallel FEA Program Generator
Authors: Sharma Naveen , Wang Paul S.
Published: March 2021

In this paper we describe a coupled symbolic-numeric approach for solving PDE-based mathematical models on sequential and parallel computers. PIER, an experimental software system that we are developing, synthesizes F77 subroutines for finite element modeling directly from very-high level user input specifications. The system is being developed in Common Lisp and uses MAXIMA computer algebra system for symbolic mathematical computations.

PIER input syntax provide high-level statements to specify finite element discretization and methods for solving systems of equations. The user composes the finite element analysis process using MAXIMA input syntax and F77 statements along with these statements. Symbolic quantities for element formulation like shape functions, element equations etc. are automatically derived. The input model characteristics, derived formulae, desired solution methods, and the target machine knowledge are then used to generate numerical code for FEA solution steps.

The benefits of this approach include: 1) substantially reducing the time and effort required to solve mathematical models, 2) ability to solve models in higher-dimensions, and 3) automatic retargeting of numeric computations to multiple parallel architectures. Currently, we are applying the techniques developed in our research to the numeric solution of problems in computational liquid crystal physics and the theory of elasticity. Sequent shared-memory multiprocessor is the current target parallel computer.
The Practical Application of Advanced Statistical Techniques for Computer-Based Quality Control
Authors: Robinson David C. , Mazharsolook Ebrahim , Sanders David A.
Published: March 2021

Innovative methods are explored for computer based quality control of parts manufacture. The approach is based on the use of analysis of variance techniques and regression modelling to formulate a description (model) of the product and process in terms of product quality. This model is then employed in a computer based on-line quality control strategy in which the aim is to optimise manufacturing quality by attempting to compensate for product deviations.

Available quality control software is based on methodologies developed in the 1920s [1]. It is concerned with the presentation of data and off-line analysis rather than the decision making process. By integrating statistics and quality control strategies, computer based decisions can be formulated based on larger quantities of data than a human could assimilate. Such decisions can be made more accurately and in a fraction of the time taken by manual means.

A case study is presented which is concerned with the implementation of computer based on-line quality control of manufacture. This case study was successfully completed with a reduction in the first time reject rate from thirty percent to below four percent. The case study shows the generic nature of the method and also the diversity of application.