bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new empirical equation for predicting the maximum initial amplitude of submarine landslide-generated waves
Authors: Sabeti Ramtin , Heidarzadeh Mohammad
Published: November 2021

The accurate prediction of landslide tsunami amplitudes has been a challenging task given large uncertainties associated with landslide parameters and often the lack of enough information of geological and rheological characteristics. In this context, physical modelling and empirical equations have been instrumental in developing landslide tsunami science and engineering. This study is focused on developing a new empirical equation for estimating the maximum initial landslide tsunami amplitude for solid-block submarine mass movements. We are motivated by the fact that the predictions made by existing equations were divided by a few orders of magnitude (10−1–104 m). Here, we restrict ourselves to three main landslide parameters while deriving the new predictive equation: initial submergence depth, landslide volume and slope angle. Both laboratory and field data are used to derive the new empirical equation. As existing laboratory data was not comprehensive, we conduct laboratory experiments to produce new data. By applying the genetic algorithm approach and considering non-dimensional parameters, we develop and examine 14 empirical equations for the non-dimensional form of the maximum initial tsunami amplitude. The normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) index between observations and calculations is used to choose the best equation. Our proposed empirical equation successfully reproduces both laboratory and field data. This equation can be used to provide a preliminary and rapid estimate of the potential hazards associated with submarine landslides using limited landslide parameters.
Social norms and perceptions drive women’s participation in agricultural decisions in West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Qanti Sara Ratna , Peralta Alexandra , Zeng Di
Published: November 2021

Increasing women’s participation in intrahousehold decision-making has been linked with increased agricultural productivity and economic development. Existing studies focus on identifying the decision-maker and exploring factors affecting women’s participation, yet the context in which households make decisions is generally ignored. This paper narrows this gap by investigating perceptions of women's participation and the roles of social norms in agricultural decision-making. It specifically applies a fine-scale quantitative responses tool and constructs a women’s participation index (WPI) to measure men’s and women’s perceptions regarding women’s participation in decisions about 21 agricultural activities. The study further examines the correlation between social norms in these perceptions as measured by the WPI for 439 couples in West Java, Indonesia. We find that first, men and women have different perceptions about women's decision-making in agricultural activities, but the same perceptions of the types of activities in which women have the most and the least participation. Second, joint decisions come in various combinations but overall, the women’s role is smaller. Third, social norms influence spouses' perceptions of decision-making participation, which explains most of the variation of the WPI. These results suggest that rigorous consideration of social norms is required to understand intrahousehold decision-making.
Voices of a generation the communicative power of youth activism
Authors: Eide Elisabeth , Kunelius Risto
Published: November 2021

Drawing from interviews with 31 young leading climate activists from 23 countries across the world this article aims to capture the contribution of the recent youth climate movement to communicating climate science and politics. We show that from the point of view of the youth activists, the movement powerfully connects personal and local experiences and emotions with climate science. This has enabled the activists to construct an authentic, generational and temporal identity that has helped them to carve out an autonomous position and voice with considerable moral authority among existing climate policy actors. Claiming to represent the future generation, we conclude that activists have offered an important added value to climate science as new ambassadors for scientific consensus and climate mitigation. The youth movement and the added value it brings communicating climate science is an example of the dynamics of the formation of “relational publics” and emphasizes the need to understand better the networked communication landscape where climate politics is debated.
Exploring the Heterogeneity and Trajectories of Positive Functioning Variables, Emotional Distress, and Post-traumatic Growth During Strict Confinement Due to COVID-19
Authors: Baños Rosa Mª , Garcés Juan J. , Miragall Marta , Herrero Rocío , Vara Mª Dolores , Soria-Olivas Emilio
Published: November 2021

COVID-19 pandemic-related confinement may be a fruitful opportunity to use individual resources to deal with it or experience psychological functioning changes. This study aimed to analyze the evolution of different psychological variables during the first coronavirus wave to identify the different psychological response clusters, as well as to keep a follow-up on the changes among these clusters. The sample included 459 Spanish residents (77.8% female, Mage = 35.21 years, SDage = 13.00). Participants completed several online self-reported questionnaires to assess positive functioning variables (MLQ, Steger et al. in J Loss Trauma 13(6):511–527, 2006. 10.1080/15325020802173660; GQ-6, McCullough et al. in J Person Soc Psychol 82:112–127, 2002. 10.1037/0022-3514.82.1.112; CD-RISC, Campbell-Sills and Stein in J Traum Stress 20(6):1019–1028, 2007. 10.1002/jts.20271; CLS-H, Chiesi et al. in BMC Psychol 8(1):1–9, 2020. 10.1186/s40359-020-0386-9; SWLS; Diener et al. in J Person Assess, 49(1), 71–75, 1985), emotional distress (PHQ-2, Kroenke et al. in Med Care 41(11):1284–1292, 2003. 10.1097/01.MLR.0000093487.78664.3C; GAD-2, Kroenke et al. in Ann Internal Med 146(5):317–325, 2007. 10.7326/0003-4819-146-5-200703060-00004; PANAS, Watson et al. in J Person Soc Psychol 47:1063–1070, 1988; Perceived Stress, ad hoc), and post-traumatic growth (PTGI-SF; Cann et al. in Anxiety Stress Coping 23(2):127–137, 2010. 10.1080/10615800903094273), four times throughout the 3 months of the confinement. Linear mixed models showed that the scores on positive functioning variables worsened from the beginning of the confinement, while emotional distress and personal strength improved by the end of the state of alarm. Clustering analyses revealed four different patterns of psychological response: “Survival”, “Resurgent”, “Resilient”, and “Thriving” individuals. Four different profiles were identified during mandatory confinement and most participants remained in the same cluster. The “Resilient” cluster gathered the largest number of individuals (30–37%). We conclude that both the heterogeneity of psychological profiles and analysis of positive functioning variables, emotional distress, and post-traumatic growth must be considered to better understand the response to prolonged adverse situations.
Machine-Learning-Enabled DDoS Attacks Detection in P4 Programmable Networks
Authors: Musumeci Francesco , Fidanci Ali Can , Paolucci Francesco , Cugini Filippo , Tornatore Massimo
Published: November 2021

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks represent a major concern in modern Software Defined Networking (SDN), as SDN controllers are sensitive points of failures in the whole SDN architecture. Recently, research on DDoS attacks detection in SDN has focused on investigation of how to leverage data plane programmability, enabled by P4 language, to detect attacks directly in network switches, with marginal involvement of SDN controllers. In order to effectively address cybersecurity management in SDN architectures, we investigate the potential of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to perform automated DDoS Attacks Detection (DAD), specifically focusing on Transmission Control Protocol SYN flood attacks. We compare two different DAD architectures, called Standalone and Correlated DAD, where traffic features collection and attack detection are performed locally at network switches or in a single entity (e.g., in SDN controller), respectively. We combine the capability of ML and P4-enabled data planes to implement real-time DAD. Illustrative numerical results show that, for all tested ML algorithms, accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score are above 98% in most cases, and classification time is in the order of few hundreds of $$\upmu \text {s}$$

μ
s

in the worst case. Considering real-time DAD implementation, significant latency reduction is obtained when features are extracted at the data plane by using P4 language.

Graphic Abstract
Irritability, Defiant and Obsessive-Compulsive Problems Development from Childhood to Adolescence
Authors: Ezpeleta Lourdes , Penelo Eva , Navarro J. Blas , de la Osa Núria , Trepat Esther
Published: November 2021

Little is known about the coexistence of oppositionality and obsessive-compulsive problems (OCP) in community children and how it affects their development until adolescence to prevent possible dysfunctions. The co-development of oppositional defiant dimensions and OCP is studied in 563 children (49.7% female) from ages 6 to 13 years, assessed yearly with measures answered by parents and teachers. A 4-class model based on Latent Class Growth Analysis for three parallel processes (irritability, defiant, and OCP) was selected, which showed adequate fitting indexes. Class 1 (n = 349, 62.0%) children scored low on all the measures. Class 2 (n = 53, 9.4%) contained children with high OCP and low irritability and defiant. Class 3 (n = 108, 19.2%) clustered children with high irritability and defiant and low OCP. Class 4 (n = 53, 9.4%) clustered comorbid irritability, defiant, and OCP characteristics. The classes showed different clinical characteristics through development. The developmental co-occurrence of irritability and defiant plus obsessive-compulsive behaviors is frequent and adds severity through development regarding comorbidity, peer problems, executive functioning difficulties, and daily functioning. The identification of different classes when combining oppositional problems and OCP may be informative to prevent developmental dysfunctions and to promote good adjustment through development.
The Law of Negligence, Blameworthy Action and the Relationality Thesis: A Dilemma for Goldberg and Zipursky’s Civil Recourse Theory of Tort Law
Authors: Rodriguez-Blanco Veronica
Published: November 2021

In this paper, I discuss Goldberg and Zipursky’s Recognizing Wrongs and argue that there is a tension between their philosophy of action as applied to the law of negligence and the idea that the directive-based relationality thesis is central and, therefore, the action and conduct of the defendant should not be part of the core explanation of the tort of negligence.
Design and simulation of efficient combinational circuits based on a new XOR structure in QCA technology
Authors: Safaiezadeh Behrouz , Mahdipour Ebrahim , Haghparast Majid , Sayedsalehi Samira , Hosseinzadeh Mehdi
Published: November 2021

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA), due to its unique characteristics like low power consumption, nanoscale design, and high computing speed is considered as an emerging technology, and it can be used as an alternative for CMOS technology in circuit design for quantum computers in the near future. XOR gate has many applications in the design of digital circuits in QCA. In this paper, an efficient novel structure of XOR gate is proposed in QCA. Also, a novel 1-bit comparator circuit, 1-bit full adder, binary to gray and gray to binary convertor code based on the proposed XOR is designed and simulated using QCADesigner 2.0.3. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed structures provide improvements compared to previous works in terms of QCA cells count, area, and circuit cost.
The Working Conditions and Optimisation of a Large Rainwater Harvesting and Treatment System in an Area at a Risk of Erosion
Authors: Zubala Tomasz
Published: November 2021

Rainwater harvesting and treatment systems (RHTS) are used in many places around the world as a part of sustainable water management. They decrease the risk of overloading the sewage network and environmental pollution. The efficiency and reasonableness of using such solutions in specific erosive conditions are not sufficiently understood. The aim of the study was to evaluate the operation of RHTS, receiving effluents from the wholesale market and fuel station (twenty years of observations). The studied system is located in an area endangered by water erosion. In the study period, due to the accumulation of erosive phenomena, it was necessary to optimise the system (including the installation of new devices and increasing the capacity of reservoirs). The analyses referred to the stability and work safety of the most important equipment and water treatment efficiency. The quality of water in the reservoirs was measured before and after the modernisation of the system. Selected physical, oxygen, biogenic and salinity indicators were determined in the water. During the study, RHTS had a positive effect on the quality of rainwater runoff – the values of many contaminants were reduced (RHTS 1: suspended solids, nitrogen, iron, potassium; RHTS 2: conductivity, suspended solids, nitrogen). Design and operational errors were noticed that in the long run may contribute to deteriorating the operational efficiency and even lead to a building collapse (intense erosive phenomena). This study clearly demonstrates that building a rainwater management system is a highly site-specific issue.
Can ambient odors influence the recognition of emotional words? A behavioral and event-related potentials study
Authors: Li Danyang , Wang Xiaochun
Published: November 2021

Odor context can affect the recognition of facial expressions. However, there is no evidence to date that odor can regulate the processing of emotional words conveyed by visual words. An emotional word recognition task was combined with event-related potential technology. Briefly, 49 adults were randomly divided into three odor contexts (pleasant odor, unpleasant odor, and no odor) to judge the valence of emotional words (positive, negative, and neutral). Both behavioral and Electroencephalography (EEG) data were collected. Both the pleasant odor and unpleasant odor contexts shortened the response time of the subjects to emotional words. In addition, negative words induced greater amplitudes of early posterior negativity (EPN) and late positive potential (LPP) than the positive and neutral words. However, the neutral words induced a larger N400 amplitude than the positive and negative words. More importantly, the processing of emotional words was found to be modulated by external odor contexts. For example, during the earlier (P2) processing stages, pleasant and unpleasant odor contexts induced greater P2 amplitudes than the no odor context. In the unpleasant odor context, negative words with the same odor valence induced greater P2 amplitudes than the positive words. During the later (N400) stages, various regions of the brain regions exhibited different results. For example, in the left and right frontal areas of the brain, exposure to positive words in a pleasant odor context resulted in a smaller N400 amplitude than exposure to neutral words in the same context. Meanwhile, in the left and right central regions, emotional words with the same valence as pleasant or unpleasant odor contexts elicited the minimum N400 amplitude. Individuals are very sensitive to emotional information. With deeper processing, different cognitive processes are reflected and they can be modulated by external odors. In the early and late stages of word processing, both pleasant and unpleasant odor contexts exhibited an undifferentiated dominance effect and could specifically modulate affectively congruent words.
Investigation of carbon dioxide photoreduction process in a laboratory-scale photoreactor by computational fluid dynamic and reaction kinetic modeling
Authors: Lu Xuesong , Luo Xiaojiao , Thompson Warren A. , Tan Jeannie Z. Y. , Maroto-Valer M. Mercedes
Published: November 2021

The production of solar fuels via the photoreduction of carbon dioxide to methane by titanium oxide is a promising process to control greenhouse gas emissions and provide alternative renewable fuels. Although several reaction mechanisms have been proposed, the detailed steps are still ambiguous, and the limiting factors are not well defined. To improve our understanding of the mechanisms of carbon dioxide photoreduction, a multi-physics model was developed using COMSOL. The novelty of this work is the computational fluid dynamic model combined with the novel carbon dioxide photoreduction intrinsic reaction kinetic model, which was built based on three-steps, namely gas adsorption, surface reactions and desorption, while the ultraviolet light intensity distribution was simulated by the Gaussian distribution model and Beer-Lambert model. The carbon dioxide photoreduction process conducted in a laboratory-scale reactor under different carbon dioxide and water moisture partial pressures was then modeled based on the intrinsic kinetic model. It was found that the simulation results for methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen yield match the experiments in the concentration range of 10−4 mol·m−3 at the low carbon dioxide and water moisture partial pressure. Finally, the factors of adsorption site concentration, adsorption equilibrium constant, ultraviolet light intensity and temperature were evaluated.
Dissimilar Metal Solution from Solid Alloys as Observed for Steels and Nickel‐Based Alloys in the Presence of Lead‐Based Liquid Alloys or Liquid Tin
Authors: Schroer Carsten
Published: November 2021

The solution of elements from metallic alloys is analyzed, notably the initial stage characterized by solution in proportion to the alloy composition and subsequent selective leaching of alloying elements. For the latter stage of the process, characteristic features of the originating depletion zone are derived for different formation mechanisms. The results are compared with observations for steels and nickel-based alloys after exposure to lead-based liquid alloys or liquid tin, and, where possible, the prevailing mechanism is identified. Furthermore, the influence of dissolved oxygen and formation of intermetallic compounds are addressed.
Occurrence of Aculus mosoniensis (Ripka, 2014) (Acari; Prostigmata; Eriophyoidea) on tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima Mill.) is expanding across Europe. First record in France confirmed by Barcoding
Authors: Kashefi Javid , Vidović B. , Guermache F. , Cristofaro M. , Bon M. C.
Published: November 2021

In May 2020, populations of Eriophyid mites were detected on tree of heaven,AilanthusaltissimaMill., in a recreative park in the city of Colombes, near Paris, and later in August and September in four locations, in Southern France. Morphological examination supplemented with sequencing data for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) assigned all collected mites to a single species,Aculusmosoniensis(Ripka) (Acari; Prostigmata; Eriophyoidea). This is the first record of this species in France and the first insights into its intraspecific variability based on a barcode dataset. In Europe, this species is considered one of the most promising biological control agents of tree of heaven. This new record provides encouraging evidence that the geographic occurrence of this species is expanding in Europe which may be indicative of its dispersal and establishment abilities, two key factors for a future biological control program.
Morphological and genetic data suggest a complex pattern of inter-island colonisation and differentiation for mining bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila: Andrena) on the Macaronesian Islands
Authors: Kratochwil Anselm , Paxton Robert J. , Schwabe Angelika , Aguiar Antonio Miguel Franquinho , Husemann Martin
Published: November 2021

Oceanic islands have long been considered engines of differentiation and speciation for terrestrial organisms. Here we investigated colonisation and radiation processes in the Madeira Archipelago and the Canary Islands of the Andrena wollastoni group of bees (subgenus Micrandrena), which comprises six endemic species and five endemic subspecies on the islands. Mitochondrial COI sequences support the monophyly of the four species of the Canary Islands and the two species of the Madeira Archipelago and suggest a relatively young age for all taxa. The data do not support a simple stepping-stone model (eastern-western colonisation from the mainland, with splitting into new taxa), but suggest Andrena gomerensis (extant on La Gomera and La Palma) or its ancestor as the basal lineage from which all other taxa evolved. Andrena lineolata (Tene-rife) or its putative ancestor (A. gomerensis) is sister to A. dourada (Porto Santo), A. catula (Gran Canaria), and A. acuta (also Tenerife). Andrena dourada (Porto Santo) and A. wollastoni (Madeira Island) are sister species. Morphologically and morphometrically defined subspecies were not distinguishable with COI DNA sequences. Colonisation likely led from the Canary Islands to the Madeira Archipelago and not from the mainland directly to the latter.
From measurement to classificatory practice: improving psychiatric classification independently of the opposition between symptom-based and causal approaches
Authors: Basso Alessandra
Published: November 2021

The article advances a new way of thinking about classifications in general and the classification of mental disorders in particular. By applying insights from measurement practice to the context of classification, I defend a notion of epistemic accuracy that allows one to evaluate and improve classifications by comparing different classifying methods to each other. Progress in classification arises from the mutual development of classification systems and classifying methods. Based on this notion of accuracy, the article illustrates with an example how psychiatric classifications can be improved via circumscribed comparisons of different perspectives on mental disorders, without relying on complete models of their complex aetiology. When applying this strategy, the traditional opposition between symptom-based and causal approaches is of little consequence for making progress in the epistemic accuracy of psychiatric classification.
Comments on fixed point results in classes of function with values in a b–metric space
Authors: Brzdęk Janusz
Published: November 2021

We prove and discuss several fixed point results for nonlinear operators, acting on some classes of functions with values in a b-metric space. Thus we generalize and extend a recent theorem of Dung and Hang (J Math Anal Appl 462:131–147, 2018), motivated by several outcomes in Ulam type stability. As a simple consequence we obtain, in particular, that approximate (in some sense) eigenvalues of some linear operators, acting in some function spaces, must be eigenvalues while approximate eigenvectors are close to eigenvectors with the same eigenvalue. Our results also provide some natural generalizations and extensions of the classical Banach Contraction Principle.
Comprehensive study of the wet and dry spells and their extremes in the Mediterranean climate basin Northern Tunisia
Authors: Mathlouthi Majid , Lebdi Fethi
Published: November 2021

In agriculture, the characterization of dry spells is essential whether it is to calibrate the water needs of crops or the flow rates of rivers. This study seeks to develop a discretization of dry and wet spells on a monthly scale while evaluating the risk of extremes using the renewal wet-dry spell model. This model consists of defining the wet spell according a negligible precipitation threshold. The structure of the model is that all parameters of the climate cycle, including its length, are random variables. To study the trend of the parameters we use the Mann–Kendall test, while the magnitude is evaluated by the Sen’s estimation method. The approach is applied to Ichkeul Lake basin in northern Tunisia to demonstrate its capacity. This region is of great agricultural and water importance, although it holds six large dams. The results show that the duration of the dry and wet spells reach’s, respectively, 49 days and 17 days. The maximum dry spell was 49 days in 1982. The Mann–Kendall test revealed three stations with significant positive trend of the monthly extreme dry spell length (at March) located in south and east of the basin. The trend analysis of the seasonal rainfall number showed one station with significant negative trend in east and one station with significant negative trend in the center of the basin. Results indicated that no significant changes in the start and end of rainy season have occurred over the past years. But a great relation with a subsequent length exists. The results of this research assist farmers and managers in establishing drought management plans. It allow, among other things, to calibrate simulation models for a more realistic management of water reservoirs. It also makes it possible to plan irrigations on a more different basis from that of observations made at regular time intervals.

Highlights

We analyze the trends of the drought in Ichkeul lake basin, Northern Tunisia, characterized from the daily rainfall data of five stations. The alternating wet-dry spell model and a precipitation threshold value are used to define the rainfall/dry event. The Mann–Kendall test and the Sen’s estimation method were used to analyze the possible trends and the magnitude of variables analyzed, respectively.

The results show an increasing trend of maximum monthly dry spells. No significant changes in the start and end of rainy season have occurred over the past years.

These analyses provide useful information for science and society and make it possible to minimize unexpected damage due to long dry spells and to have effective and efficient planning for various stakeholders.
Interrupted time-series analysis to evaluate the impact of a behavioral change outpatient antibiotic stewardship intervention
Authors: Morgan Brittany L. , Bettencourt Haylee , May Larissa
Published: November 2021

Objective:

We evaluated the effect of a behaviorally enhanced quality improvement intervention in reducing the number of antibiotic prescriptions written for antibiotic nonresponsive acute respiratory infections (ARIs). A secondary objective was identifying whether a reduction in inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions, if present, persisted after the immediate implementation of the intervention.

Design:

Nonrandomized, quasi-experimental study conducted from January 2017 through February 2020.

Setting:

University of California, Davis Health outpatient clinics. In total, 21 pediatric, family, and internal medicine practices in 10 cities and towns were included.

Patients:

Patients evaluated by a participating physician at an enrolled practice site during the study period with diagnoses (primary and secondary) from the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes consistent with antibiotic nonresponsive ARI diagnoses.

Intervention:

A behaviorally enhanced quality improvement intervention to reduce inappropriate prescribing for antibiotic nonresponsive ARI.

Results:

In total, 63,028 eligible patient visits across 21 locations were included in the analysis. The most frequently prescribed antibiotic for antibiotic nonresponsive ARI was azithromycin (n = 3,551), followed by amoxicillin (n = 924). Overall, the intervention was associated with an immediate 46% reduction in antibiotic prescriptions for antibiotic nonresponsive ARI (P = .001) following the intervention. We detected no significant change in the month-to-month trend after the intervention was implemented (P = .87), indicating that the reduction was sustained throughout the postintervention period.

Conclusion:

Our findings demonstrate that a behaviorally enhanced quality improvement intervention to reduce inappropriate prescribing for antibiotic nonresponsive ARI in ambulatory care encounters was successful in reducing potentially inappropriate prescriptions for presumed antibiotic nonresponsive ARI.
Constitutional Design of Electoral Governance in Federal States
Authors: Pal Michael
Published: November 2021

This article explores the constitutional politics of electoral governance in federations by focusing on the role of election commissions, drawing mainly on examples from Asia. All democracies face the challenge of insulating electoral governance from interference and capture. Compared to unitary states, federations confront the additional dilemma of how to disperse authority over electoral governance across multiple orders of government. Federal democracies must decide whether electoral governance should be a matter for the center or the states. I argue that the basic choice is between what I will call the ‘unitary model’ and the ‘division of powers model.’ The main institution of electoral governance is the electoral management body or ‘EMB.’ In the unitary model, a central EMB administers both national and state-level elections. In the ‘division of powers model’, both a central and state-level EMBs exist, with the state commissions administering elections in the component units of the federation. In federal democracies generally, but especially in Asia, the allure of the unitary model has been strong. The article draws on the example of the Constituent Assembly in India to illustrate what is at stake in how federal constitutions allocate authority over electoral governance.
Grading the College: A History of Evaluating Teaching and Learning
Authors: Clark Daniel A.
Published: November 2021

Although Jonathan Zimmerman's The Amateur Hour: A History of College Teaching in America and Scott M. Gelber's Grading the College: A History of Evaluating Teaching and Learning cover much of the same historical terrain, the focus of each book proves quite distinct and yet highly complementary. Zimmerman best articulates the stark paradox at the center of both studies. As the United States developed the most elaborate system of higher education and the scholarly endeavors of faculty members evolved into a “highly professionalized enterprise, marked by elaborate codes of credentialing and practice” (p. 10), college teaching in contrast remained a game of chance, conducted by “amateurs, working according to folkloric traditions rather than codified ones” (p. 226). Zimmerman's work attempts a simple and yet daunting task: to supply a history of college teaching in America. Zimmerman excels in discussing the stories of great lecturers and efforts for reform, but often leaves more questions than answers when it comes to the myriad attempts (usually dismissed by faculty) to systematically assess college teaching, exactly where Gelber's work fills in the gaps. As Gelber notes in his conclusion, the evaluation of collegiate teaching and learning “ranks among the greatest unsolved problems of academia—a basic scholarly dilemma” (p. 156). Taken together, these two books may help academicians begin to work toward solutions, simply by finally offering accessible historical overviews of their related areas, though Gelber seems the more optimistic of the two with regard to the possibility (or necessity) of positive change.
Transient electromagnetic fields generated in experiments at the PHELIX laser facility
Authors: Scisciò M. , Consoli F. , Salvadori M. , Andreev N. E. , Borisenko N. G. , Zähter S. , Rosmej O.
Published: November 2021

Large-amplitude electromagnetic radiofrequency fields are created by the charge-separation induced in interactions of high-intensity, short-pulse lasers with solid targets and have intensity that decreases with the distance from the target. Alternatively, it was experimentally proved very recently that charged particles emitted by petawatt laser–target interactions can be deposited on a capacitor-collector structure, far away from the target, and lead to the rapid (nanosecond-scale) generation of large quasi-static electric fields ($\mathrm{MV}/\mathrm{m}$), over wide regions. We demonstrate here the generation of both these fields in experiments at the PHELIX laser facility, with approximately$20\;\mathrm{J}$energy and approximately${10}^{19}\;\mathrm{W}/\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^2$intensity, for picoseconds laser pulses, interacting with pre-ionized polymer foams of near critical density. Quasi-static fields, up to tens of kV/m, were here observed at distances larger than$1\;\mathrm{m}$from the target, with results much higher than the radiofrequency component. This is of primary importance for inertial-confinement fusion and laser–plasma acceleration and also for promising applications in different scenarios.
Do plexiglass barriers reduce the risk for transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)?
Authors: Cadnum Jennifer L. , Jencson Annette L. , Donskey Curtis J.
Published: November 2021

Barriers are commonly installed in workplace situations where physical distancing cannot be maintained, but their effectiveness in decreasing viral transmission is unknown. In simulations, physical barriers with no openings were effective in reducing contamination with an aerosolized benign virus or fluorescent microspheres, but barriers with openings were not.
THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF STATE REPRESSION ON POLITICAL BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES: EVIDENCE FROM TAIWAN
Authors: Chiou Fang-Yi , Hong Ji Yeon
Published: November 2021

This article examines how violence against citizens affects their political attitudes and behavior in the long run, and how those effects vary over time. We construct and analyze a novel dataset on the victims of Taiwan's February 28 Incident, in 1947, with survey data spanning 1990 to 2017. Our empirical analysis shows that cohorts having directly or indirectly experienced the Incident are less likely to support the Kuomintang Party (KMT), the former authoritarian ruling party responsible for the Incident. They tend to disagree with the key conventional policy stand of the KMT (unification with mainland China), are more likely to self-identify as Taiwanese, and are less likely to vote for KMT presidential candidates. Taiwan's residents who were born in towns with larger number of casualties during the Incident are more likely to reject unification. Finally, the effects are found to vary over the period following democratization.
Size-driven preservational and macroecological biases in the latest Maastrichtian terrestrial vertebrate assemblages of North America
Authors: Brown Caleb M. , Campione Nicolás E. , Wilson Mantilla Gregory P. , Evans David C.
Published: November 2021

The end-Cretaceous (K/Pg) mass extinction event is the most recent and well-understood of the “big five” and triggered establishment of modern terrestrial ecosystem structure. Despite the depth of research into this event, our knowledge of upper Maastrichtian terrestrial deposits globally relies primarily on assemblage-level data limited to a few well-sampled formations in North America, the Hell Creek and Lance Formations. These assemblages disproportionally affect our interpretations of this important interval. Multiple investigations have quantified diversity patterns within these assemblages, but the potential effect of formation-level size-dependent taphonomic biases and their implications on extinction dynamics remains unexplored. Here, the relationship between taphonomy and body size of the Hell Creek Formation and Lance Formation dinosaurs and mammals are quantitatively analyzed. Small-bodied dinosaur taxa (<70 kg) are consistently less complete, unlikely to be articulated, and delayed in their description relative to their large-bodied counterparts. Family-level abundance (particularly skeletons) is strongly tied to body mass, and the relative abundance of juveniles of large-bodied taxa similarly is underrepresented. Mammals show similar but nonsignificant trends. The results are remarkably similar to those from the Campanian-aged Dinosaur Park Formation, suggesting a widespread strong taphonomic bias against the preservation of small taxa, which will result in their seemingly depauperate diversity within the assemblage. This taphonomically skewed view of diversity and abundance of small-bodied taxa amid our best late Maastrichtian samples has significant implications for understanding speciation and extinction dynamics (e.g., size-dependent extinction selectivity) across the K/Pg boundary.
Frank Wesley
Authors: Wheeler Geraldine
Published: November 2021

A little-known piece of Queensland’s art history is that the Indian artist Frank Wesley lived and worked in Queensland for nearly thirty years. From Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Wesley completed his art studies in India, Japan and the United States. He won the competition to design the urn that would hold the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi and had paintings exhibited in the Vatican Museum in Rome in 1950. His Blue Madonna painting was reproduced on the first UNICEF Christmas card. Wesley spent the last third of his life in Nambour. While he may chiefly be considered a watercolourist in the Indian Lucknow style, his media and practice were far more diverse. This article seeks to provide a brief overview of the work achieved by Wesley over this time, featuring biblical and Christian themes, and also landscapes and figurative pieces in a wide range of media and styles from various traditions. Among these are styles that emerged in more distinctive ways during his Nambour years, including the incorporation of the human figure or the hand of God in the landscape after seeing Indigenous rock art, and also the contrasting designs for two stained-glass windows.
Why Bother? Supporters of Locally Weaker Parties Are Less Likely to Vote or to Vote Sincerely
Authors: Cutler Fred , Rivard Alexandre , Hodgson Antony
Published: November 2021

Voters are deterred from casting a vote and more likely to vote strategically if their preferred choice is less competitive in their electoral district. We use 2019 Canadian Election Study data to show that respondents’ answers to a “how likely are you to vote” question depend on their estimate of their preferred party's local chances of winning, relative to other parties. This deterrent effect on turnout from the competitiveness of a voter's preferred party is concentrated among certain parties (NDP, Green, People's Party of Canada). Under first-past-the-post (FPTP), voters with particular policy perspectives are systematically deterred from voting, relative to other voters. Furthermore, we find that despite supporters of all parties having an incentive to vote strategically if their party is outside the top two in the district, strategic voting is heavily concentrated among voters who prefer parties other than the nationally most competitive two parties.
THE RETURN OF THE PIPERS: IN SEARCH OF NARRATIVE MODELS FOR THEAITIONOF THEQVINQVATRVS MINVSCVLAE
Authors: Wysłucha Kamila
Published: November 2021

The article argues that the famous story about the strike, exile and return of the Romanaulosplayers, which is recorded in the sixth book of Ovid'sFastiand referred to by other Latin and Greek sources, is based on a narrative model that already existed in Greece in the Archaic period. The study draws parallels between the tale of the pipers and the myth of the return of Hephaestus to Olympus, suggesting that, apart from similar plots, the two stories share many motifs, such as references to themes derived from comedy and satyr drama. Searching for a possible channel of transmission of the story from Archaic Greece to Augustan Rome, the study explores the presence of satyric motifs in Etruscan vase-painting and Roman processional rites. It is furthermore emphasized that many of these motifs, which also appeared in lost satyr-plays, are echoed in Augustan poetry.
Geochemistry of the Laiyang Group from outcrops and Lingke-1 core on Lingshan Island, Shandong Province, Eastern China: implications for provenance, tectonic setting and palaeo-environment
Authors: Ma Qing , Zhou Yaoqi , Mu Hongyu , Zhou Tengfei , Zhao Hanjie , Yin Xingcheng , Liu Yanzi
Published: November 2021

Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of Lingshan Island, located along the continental margin of East Asia, have received increased attention. The Lingke-1 core mainly belongs to the Lower Cretaceous Laiyang Group. We investigate provenance, tectonic setting, palaeoclimate and palaeoredox conditions in the study area using elemental geochemistry, thereby elucidating the depositional history of the Lower Cretaceous sediments and reconstructing the palaeo-environment. To achieve this, 90 siltstones and 76 mudstones were sampled from this core and other outcrops on Lingshan Island. The chemical index of alternation (CIA) values for the majority of the samples and the bivariate diagrams indicate that the sedimentary rocks were subjected to minor weathering processes. Geochemical results suggest that source rocks for the region are felsic igneous and metamorphic rocks, along with minor proportions of intermediate igneous rocks. Major- and trace-element discrimination diagrams, deciphering the tectonic history, indicate that source rocks mainly originated from the continental island-arc and active continental margin. Several representative geochemical indices and the bivariate plots based on elemental contents show that the Laiyang Group was predominantly deposited in arid conditions. Sr/Ba values suggest a palaeosalinity transition from brackish to saline, demonstrating a depositional transformation from lacustrine facies for the lower Laiyang Group to marine facies in the upper Laiyang Group. U/Th and V/(V+Ni) ratios and Ce anomalies in the rocks indicate anoxic conditions. We conclude that the conspicuous decline in the trends of the above three geochemical indices, ranging between 400 and 800 m, may be related to the latest Hauterivian oceanic anoxic event.
The Nazca Drift System – palaeoceanographic significance of a giant sleeping on the SE Pacific Ocean floor
Authors: Calvès Gérôme , Mix Alan , Giosan Liviu , Clift Peter D. , Brusset Stéphane , Baby Patrice , Vega Mayssa
Published: November 2021

The evolution and resulting morphology of a contourite drift system in the SE Pacific oceanic basin is investigated in detail using seismic imaging and an age-calibrated borehole section. The Nazca Drift System covers an area of 204 500 km2and stands above the abyssal basins of Peru and Chile. The drift is spread along the Nazca Ridge in water depths between 2090 and 5330 m. The Nazca Drift System was drilled at Ocean Drilling Program Site 1237. This deep-water drift overlies faulted oceanic crust and onlaps associated volcanic highs. Its thickness ranges from 104 to 375 m. The seismic sheet facies observed are associated with bottom current processes. The main lithologies are pelagic carbonates reflecting the distal position relative to South America and water depth above the carbonate compensation depth during Oligocene time. The Nazca Drift System developed under the influence of bottom currents sourced from the Circumpolar Deep Water and Pacific Central Water, and is the largest yet identified abyssal drift system of the Pacific Ocean, ranking third in all abyssal contourite drift systems globally. Subduction since late Miocene time and the excess of sediments and water associated with the Nazca Drift System may have contributed to the Andean orogeny and associated metallogenesis. The Nazca Drift System records the evolution in interactions between deep-sea currents and the eastward motion of the Nazca Plate through erosive surfaces and sediment remobilization.
Did the Colonial mita Cause a Population Collapse? What Current Surnames Reveal in Peru
Authors: Carpio Miguel Angel , Guerrero María Eugenia
Published: November 2021

We present quantitative evidence that themitaintroduced by the Spanish crown in 1573 caused the decimation of the native-born male population. The mass baptisms after the conquest of Peru in 1532 resulted in the assignation of surnames for the first time. We argue that past mortality displacement and mass out-migration were responsible for differences in the surnames observed inmitaandnon-mitadistricts today. Using a regression discontinuity and data from the Peruvian Electoral Roll of 2011, we find thatmitadistricts have 47 log points fewer surnames thannon-mitadistricts, and fewer surnames exclusive to one location.
Dividend Smoothing and Firm Valuation
Authors: Brockman Paul , Hanousek Jan , Tresl Jiri , Unlu Emre
Published: November 2021

We examine the relationship between dividend smoothing and firm valuation across 21 countries using several empirical methods and smoothing measures. Our main results show that dividends are capitalized at significantly larger values for high-smoothing firms than for low-smoothing firms. We also find that dividend-smoothing premiums are higher in countries with weak shareholder protection – suggesting that smoothing serves as a substitute mechanism to reduce agency costs. Overall, our findings support the view that managers use dividend smoothing predominantly as a bonding mechanism to reduce agency costs (Leary and Michaely (2011)), and not as a rent extraction mechanism (Lambrecht and Myers (2012)).
The Role of the Discount Rate in Investment and Employment Decisions
Authors: Møller Stig Vinther , Priestley Richard
Published: November 2021

Time variation in the discount rate affects investment and employment decisions in a manner consistent with Q-theory predictions. This evidence is uncovered when using cyclical consumption as a proxy for the discount rate. The results, which are consistent across both U.S. and international data, suggest that firms respond rationally to variations in the cost of capital and that the discount rate has a substantial impact on macroeconomic dynamics and hence business cycle fluctuations.
Microsurgical anatomy of the internal carotid artery at the skull base
Authors: Prasad K C , Gupta A , Induvarsha G , Anjali P K , Vyshnavi V
Published: November 2021

Background

The aetiology and significance of internal carotid artery variations at the skull base remain controversial after decades, with limited available literature. Approximately 10–40 per cent of the general population has parapharyngeal internal carotid artery variations.

Method

A prospective observational study was conducted on internal carotid artery variations in 36 cadavers, in a tertiary care hospital, between March 2019 to March 2020.

Results

The most common internal carotid artery variation observed in the specimens was tortuosity, in 30 per cent, followed by kinking in 18 per cent and coiling in 10 per cent. Thirty per cent of specimens had variations present bilaterally. A loop pattern of the internal carotid artery was identified. Coiling of the internal carotid artery may present as a node; hence, meticulous dissection is advocated near the skull base to avoid complications. These variations hold utmost importance for otorhinolaryngologists performing pharyngeal and nasopharyngeal surgical procedures.

Conclusion

A detailed knowledge of anatomy, along with its variations, and surgical expertise, will help reduce the incidence of surgical complications.