bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying the Re-identification Risk in Published Process Models
Authors: Maatouk Karim , Mannhardt Felix
Published: March 2022

Event logs are the basis of process mining operations such as process discovery, conformance checking, and process optimization. Sensitive information may be obtained by adversaries when re-identifying individuals that relate to the traces of an event log. This re-identification risk is dependent on the assumed background information of an attacker. Multiple techniques have been proposed to quantify the re-identification risks for published event logs. However, in many scenarios there is no need to release the full event log, a discovered process model annotated with frequencies suffices. This raises the question on how to quantify the re-identification risk in published process models. We propose a method based on generating sample traces to quantify this risk for process trees annotated with frequencies. The method was applied on several real-life event logs and process trees discovered by Inductive Miner. Our results show that there can be still a significant re-identification risk when publishing a process tree; however, this risk is often lower than that for releasing the original event log.
Visualizing Trace Variants from Partially Ordered Event Data
Authors: Schuster Daniel , Schade Lukas , van Zelst Sebastiaan J. , van der Aalst Wil M. P.
Published: March 2022

Executing operational processes generates event data, which contain information on the executed process activities. Process mining techniques allow to systematically analyze event data to gain insights that are then used to optimize processes. Visual analytics for event data are essential for the application of process mining. Visualizing unique process executions—also called trace variants, i.e., unique sequences of executed process activities—is a common technique implemented in many scientific and industrial process mining applications. Most existing visualizations assume a total order on the executed process activities, i.e., these techniques assume that process activities are atomic and were executed at a specific point in time. In reality, however, the executions of activities are not atomic. Multiple timestamps are recorded for an executed process activity, e.g., a start-timestamp and a complete-timestamp. Therefore, the execution of process activities may overlap and, thus, cannot be represented as a total order if more than one timestamp is to be considered. In this paper, we present a visualization approach for trace variants that incorporates start- and complete-timestamps of activities.
Linac: A Smart Environment Simulator of Human Activities
Authors: Di Federico Gemma , Nikolajsen Erik Ravn , Azam Mamuna , Burattin Andrea
Published: March 2022

The identification and construction of datasets of human activities is an extremely time-consuming and resource intensive task, yet researchers cannot refrain from such datasets. The publicly available datasets may not reflect all the researchers’ requirements and are not scrupulously documented. In addition, these datasets can cope with just a limited and predefined set of behaviors. To address these challenges, we developed an instrument that allows to simulate the behavior of agents interacting with an environment. The environment is a customized configuration, equipped with sensors. The simulation generates as output a stream of events stemming from activated sensors. In addition, the agents behavior is not fully deterministic, so as to reflect the dynamic nature of human beings and to be as realistic as possible.
China Mainland’s Energy Transition: How to Overcome Financial, Societal, and Institutional Challenges in the Long Term
Authors: Lin Jiaqiao , Zhao Ang
Published: March 2022

The 2060 carbon neutrality goal announced by President Xi in 2020 sets the tone for the long-term Chinese climate policy. China has made considerable achievements in greening its energy mix in the past decade; solar power and wind power capacity both ranked top as of 2019. The current number of electric vehicles are, moreover, close to half of the total number of EVs in the world. However, there are conflicting signals from the coal power development plan and the increasing dependence on natural gas. There are many questions like these to be answered in a more reasonable and independent way. Discussion of China’s energy transition will start with the energy mix and energy governance structure, supplemented by the interaction of energy transition with climate change and air pollution issues. In particular, the institutional setting for national energy and climate policy will be discussed in this chapter, followed by inclusion of key elements that impact the interaction between energy democracy and energy transition process. Civil society organizations and industrial associations have been playing an important role in achieving a decentralized renewable energy system and accordingly promoting energy democracy. Special focus will be placed on the renewable energy corporates’ involvement in the transition.
Energy Democracy and Energy Transition in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Tze-Luen , Cheng Fang-Ting
Published: March 2022

The issue of post-carbon energy transition has received growing attention worldwide for several decades. Being one of the top 20 CO2 emitters in the world, Taiwan embarked on energy transitions in 2016 as a key strategy to address the climate change issue as well as to enhance its energy security. Moreover, it also plans to phase out nuclear power by 2025. The overall policy goal focuses not only on the energy technology shift, but also industrial structure transformation and environmental benefit improvement. This chapter outlines the energy transition from a multilevel governance perspective to explore prime movers, and the changing power relationships between central and local governments in implementing the transition in Taiwan. How has the current energy system been protected by the status quo? In what policy agendas has the energy transition been addressed through the current energy structures? What are the major obstacles for governments to achieve more effective energy governance? What institutional transitions might be required? This Chapter discusses why the political dimension is critical when it comes to post-carbon energy actions and how energy governance adapts to these challenges.
Universality (beyond leading log) of soft radiative corrections to $$ \hat{q} $$ in p⊥ broadening and energy loss
Authors: Arnold Peter
Published: March 2022

Abstract

It has been known for many years that soft radiation can give potentially large double-logarithm corrections to p⊥ broadening of a high-energy particle traveling through QCD matter, but that this soft radiation correction can be absorbed into an effective value $$ \hat{q} $$

q
̂

eff for the medium p⊥-broadening parameter $$ \hat{q} $$

q
̂

. Here “soft” means high energy compared to medium scales but soft compared to the original high-energy particle traveling through the medium. A similar situation arises in the case of soft corrections to hard splitting of a high-energy particle, such as hard g→gg, where double logarithms can also be absorbed using the same effective $$ \hat{q} $$

q
̂

eff. In this paper, I study whether the same holds true for potentially large, subleading, single-logarthim corrections. The correspondence is more indirect for single logarithms, but I show (in the large-Nc limit) that single logarithms from soft radiation in the case of p⊥ broadening also determine the single logarithms from soft radiative corrections to hard g→gg splitting. Along the way, there is an interesting variation of the original BDMPS-Z calculation of splitting rates in the $$ \hat{q} $$

q
̂

approximation. I also discuss how, for soft-radiative corrections to hard splitting processes, there are two different types of “$$ \hat{q} $$

q
̂

eff” that come into play, which differ by “iπ” terms that multiply single logarithms.
Mirror thermodynamic Bethe ansatz for AdS3/CFT2
Authors: Frolov Sergey , Sfondrini Alessandro
Published: March 2022

Abstract

We consider superstrings on the pure-Ramond-Ramond AdS3 × S3 × T4 background. Using the recently-proposed dressing factors for the worldsheet S matrix, we formulate the string hypothesis for the mirror Bethe-Yang equations, and use it to derive the canonical mirror thermodynamic Bethe ansatz (TBA) equations of the model. For the first time, these equations account for all massive and massless modes of the model, and do not resort to any limit or special kinematics. We also discuss the simplified mirror TBA equations and the Y-system of the model.
Joint Interpretation of Magnetotelluric and Potential Field Data From North-Eastern Norrbotten, Sweden
Authors: Vadoodi Roshanak , Rasmussen Thorkild Maack
Published: March 2022

Potential field data in databases of the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) combined with newly acquired broadband magnetotelluric data are used to map and interpret geological units and structures of a 200 km by 250 km area in the Paleoproterozoic Norrbotten ore province (northern Sweden, latitudes 66°–68.5° and longitudes 19°–24°). In order to achieve this, a new approach is proposed with respect to extracting and analysing the possible correlation between modelled physical properties as well as their patterns with respect to depth variation within the crust. In this study, we propose the use of a neural net self-organising map procedure (SOM) for simplification, data reduction, and domain classification of the models derived from independent 3-D geophysical inversion of magnetotelluric, gravity, and magnetic data. The crustal model of the electrical conductivity structure was obtained from previous 3-D inversion of the magnetotelluric data. Processing and 3-D inversion of the regional magnetic and gravity field data were performed using an open-source object-oriented code called SimPEG. The input data to the SOM analysis contain resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and density model values within the Norrbotten area for some selected depth levels of the entire crust. The domain classification is discussed with respect to the geological boundaries and composition of the crust. Consistency between model domain classification and geological boundaries is observed in general but an apparent discrepancy is noted for some areas. The reason for the apparent discrepancy is likely related to that most geological boundaries represent surface features whereas the geophysical data includes information at depth.
Phototherapeutische Keratektomie bei Epithel-Basalmembran-Dystrophie
Authors: Adams C. , Mahler S. B. C. , Daas L. , Langenbucher A. , Seitz B.
Published: March 2022

Hintergrund

Die Excimerlaser-assistierte phototherapeutische Keratektomie (PTK) hat sich in der Behandlung der Epithel-Basalmembran-Dystrophie (EBMD) – auch Map-Dot-Fingerprint-Dystrophie (MDF) – als Goldstandard etabliert. An der Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes UKS in Homburg/Saar, kamen Systeme von Zeiss und Schwind zum Einsatz, die wir in dieser Studie bezüglich der postoperativen Ergebnisse verglichen haben.

Patienten und Methoden

In die retrospektive Studie eingeschlossen wurden Patienten, die im Zeitraum 2007 bis 2017 mit der Diagnose MDF mittels PTK behandelt wurden. Es erfolgten 170 Operationen mittels des Lasersystems Zeiss Meditec MEL-70 (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Deutschland) und 98 mittels Schwind eye-tech-solutions Amaris 750S (Schwind eye-tech-solutions GmbH, Kleinostheim, Deutschland). Erhoben wurden prä- und postoperative Werte zu Visus, Refraktion, Astigmatismus sowie Krümmungsdaten aus der Pentacam und Endothelzellcount. Der betrachtete Follow-up-Zeitraum betrug im Mittel 8 Monate.

Ergebnisse

In beiden Lasergruppen zeigten Patienten postoperativ eine signifikant bessere Sehschärfe (Zeiss: p < 0,001, Schwind p < 0,004). In der Schwind-Gruppe fiel diese jedoch geringer aus, wodurch ein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen den Lasersystemen mit Vorteil für die Zeiss-Gruppe bestand (p < 0,017). Zu signifikanten Veränderungen des sphärischen Äquivalents kam es weder im prä-/postoperativen Vergleich noch zwischen den Lasergruppen. Der Astigmatismus nahm postoperativ in der Zeiss-Gruppe ab (p < 0,042), während sich dieser bei Schwind-Patienten nicht signifikant änderte (p < 0,217). Dies führte postoperativ zu einem signifikanten Unterschied zwischen beiden Systemen (p < 0,014).

Schlussfolgerung

In Zusammenschau aller Ergebnisse kann die PTK im Einklang mit der bisherigen Literatur und unabhängig von den untersuchten Lasersystemen als eine effektive Behandlungsmethode bei EBMD empfohlen werden. Patienten profitieren von einer langen Rezidivfreiheit bei gebessertem oder gleichbleibendem Visus und stabiler Refraktion.
Large volume scanning laser induced fluorescence measurement of a bluff-body stabilised flame in an annular combustor
Authors: Govender Dirren , Wiseman Samuel , Dawson James R. , Worth Nicholas A.
Published: March 2022

This study outlines a variant of three-dimensional OH planar laser-induced fluorescence and its application in characterising a single bluff body stabilised flame inside a 12 burner annular combustor. In this variant of the method a relatively large volume was scanned slowly in order to calculate the full three-dimensional Flame Surface Density (FSD) distribution. The method used a combination of two scanning directions to overcome bias errors associated with laser sheet positions close to the flame edges. The source of this bias error was confirmed numerically through a complimentary synthetic PLIF study, which was also used to refine the experimental setup. The bias error resulted in a reduction of FSD magnitude, although the method was still capable of capturing the flame structure. This was demonstrated by comparing the reconstructions from the two independent scan directions. Combining the data from both directions overcame the bias, and allowed flame asymmetry due to the confinement to be assessed. The FSD was used to determine the heat release rate of the flame with varying local azimuthal angle for different downstream regions. This highlighted the highly asymmetric structure, produced by the asymmetric confinement.

Graphical abstract
On the added value of statistical post-processing of regional climate models to identify homogeneous patterns of summer rainfall anomalies in Germany
Authors: Ibebuchi Chibuike Chiedozie , Schönbein Daniel , Paeth Heiko
Published: March 2022

A fuzzy classification scheme that results in physically interpretable meteorological patterns associated with rainfall generation is applied to classify homogeneous regions of boreal summer rainfall anomalies in Germany. Four leading homogeneous regions are classified, representing the western, southeastern, eastern, and northern/northwestern parts of Germany with some overlap in the central parts of Germany. Variations of the sea level pressure gradient across Europe, e.g., between the continental and maritime regions, is the major phenomenon that triggers the time development of the rainfall regions by modulating wind patterns and moisture advection. Two regional climate models (REMO and CCLM4) were used to investigate the capability of climate models to reproduce the observed summer rainfall regions. Both regional climate models (RCMs) were once driven by the ERA-Interim reanalysis and once by the MPI-ESM general circulation model (GCM). Overall, the RCMs exhibit good performance in terms of the regionalization of summer rainfall in Germany; though the goodness-of-match with the rainfall regions/patterns from observational data is low in some cases and the REMO model driven by MPI-ESM fails to reproduce the western homogeneous rainfall region. Under future climate change, virtually the same leading modes of summer rainfall occur, suggesting that the basic synoptic processes associated with the regional patterns remain the same over Germany. We have also assessed the added value of bias-correcting the MPI-ESM driven RCMs using a simple linear scaling approach. The bias correction does not significantly alter the identification of homogeneous rainfall regions and, hence, does not improve their goodness-of-match compared to the observed patterns, except for the one case where the original RCM output completely fails to reproduce the observed pattern. While the linear scaling method improves the basic statistics of precipitation, it does not improve the simulated meteorological patterns represented by the precipitation regimes.
Left atrial function index (LAFI) and outcome in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement
Authors: Shamekhi Jasmin , Nguyen Thi Quynh Anh , Sigel Helen , Maier Oliver , Piayda Kerstin , Zeus Tobias , Al-Kassou Baravan , Weber Marcel , Zimmer Sebastian , Sugiura Atsushi , Wilde Nihal , Kelm Malte , Nickenig Georg , Veulemans Verena , Sedaghat Alexander
Published: March 2022

Background

Clinical data regarding the association between the left atrial function index (LAFI) and outcome in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are limited.

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the association between the left atrial function index (LAFI) and outcome in patients undergoing TAVR.

Methods

In this retrospective multicenter study, we assessed baseline LAFI in 733 patients undergoing TAVR for severe aortic stenosis in two German high-volume centers between 2008 and 2019. Based on receiver operating characteristic curves, patients were stratified according to their baseline LAFI into two groups (LAFI ≤ 13.5 vs. LAFI > 13.5) and assessed for post-procedural outcome. The primary endpoint of our study was the 1-year all-cause mortality.

Results

Patients with a LAFI ≤ 13.5 had significantly more often atrial fibrillation (p < 0.001), lower LVEF (p < 0.001) and higher levels of NT-proBNP (p < 0.001). After TAVR, a significant improvement in the LAFI as compared to baseline was observed at 12 months after the procedure (28.4 vs. 32.9; p = 0.001). Compared to patients with a LAFI > 13.5, those with a LAFI ≤ 13.5 showed significantly higher rate of 1-year mortality (7.9% vs. 4.0%; p = 0.03). A lower LAFI has been identified as independent predictor of mortality in multivariate analysis (HR (95% CI) 2.0 (1.1–3.9); p = 0.03).

Conclusion

A reduced LAFI is associated with adverse outcome and an independent predictor of mortality in TAVR patients. TAVR improves LAFI within 12 months after the procedure.

Graphical abstract

Left Atrial Function Index (LAFI) in Patients undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation. A Kaplan–Meier survival analysis of 1-year all-cause mortality in patients with LAFI ≤ 13.5 compared with patients with LAFI > 13.5. Comparing rates of 1-year all-cause mortality between the different LAFI groups, we found a significant association between left atrial function and mortality. LAFI Left atrial function index. B Comparison of the mean LAFI before and after TAVR. After long-term follow-up the LAFI improved significantly. LAFI Left atrial function index; FU follow-up. C Assessment of the left atrial function index using the pre-procedural transthoracic echocardiography. A Measurement of the minimal left atrial volume (LAEDV). B Assessment of the maximal left atrial volume (LAESV).
Approximating Multistage Matching Problems
Authors: Chimani Markus , Troost Niklas , Wiedera Tilo
Published: March 2022

In multistage perfect matching problems, we are given a sequence of graphs on the same vertex set and are asked to find a sequence of perfect matchings, corresponding to the sequence of graphs, such that consecutive matchings are as similar as possible. More precisely, we aim to maximize the intersections, or minimize the unions between consecutive matchings. We show that these problems are NP-hard even in very restricted scenarios. As our main contribution, we present the first non-trivial approximation algorithms for these problems: On the one hand, we devise a tight approximation on graph sequences of length two (2-stage graphs). On the other hand, we propose several general methods to deduce multistage approximations from blackbox approximations on 2-stage graphs.
Die Messung und Berechnung modaler Dämpfungen als Näherungsbeschreibung realer Systeme
Authors: Jaeger Markus , Franck Marius , Hameyer Kay
Published: March 2022

Nach dem Stand der Technik ist es nicht möglich, die Geräuschcharakteristik eines elektrischen Antriebsstrangs mit zufriedenstellender Genauigkeit vorherzuberechnen. Eine Herausforderung stellt die strukturdynamische Beschreibung und insbesondere die Dämpfungsmodellierung dar. Ursache sind die verschiedenen zum Teil nicht linearen Mechanismen, welche zur Dämpfung beitragen. Unter anderem sind hier die Materialdämpfung, Schallabstrahlung und Fügestellendämpfung zu nennen. In dieser Arbeit werden für eine mögliche EMKS geeignete modale Dämpfungen am Beispiel von Aluminiumkörpern berechnet, indem die Beiträge durch Materialdämpfung und Schallabstrahlung unabhängig betrachtet werden. Auf Herausforderungen der Dämpfungsmessung zur Validierung wird im Detail eingegangen. Der Fehler durch die Modellierung eines nicht proportionalen Systems durch proportionale Dämpfung wird anhand einer berechneten FRF abgeschätzt. Die Methode ist für orthotrope Materialien anwendbar und kann prinzipiell auch Fügestellendämpfung abdecken.
Autistic traits and alcohol use in adolescents within the general population
Authors: Pijnenburg Lisa J. , Kaplun Anais , de Haan Lieuwe , Janecka Magdalena , Smith Lauren , Reichenberg Abraham , Banaschewski Tobias , Bokde Arun L. W. , Quinlan Erin Burke , Desrivières Sylvane , Grigis Antoine , Garavan Hugh , Gowland Penny , Heinz Andreas , Ittermann Bernd , Martinot Jean-Luc , Martinot Marie-Laure Paillère , Nees Frauke , Orfanos Dimitri Papadopoulos , Paus Tomáš , Poustka Luise , Hohmann Sarah , Millenet Sabina , Fröhner Juliane H. , Smolka Michael N. , Walter Henrik , Whelan Robert , Schumann Gunter , Velthorst Eva ,   IMAGEN Consortium
Published: March 2022

It has been suggested that autistic traits are associated with less frequent alcohol use in adolescence. Our study seeks to examine the relationship between autistic traits and alcohol use in a large adolescent population. Leveraging data from the IMAGEN cohort, including 2045 14-year-old adolescents that were followed-up to age 18, we selected items on social preference/skills and rigidity from different questionnaires. We used linear regression models to (1) test the effect of the sum scores on the prevalence of alcohol use (AUDIT-C) over time, (2) explore the relationship between autistic traits and alcohol use patterns, and (3) explore the specific effect of each autistic trait on alcohol use. Higher scores on the selected items were associated with trajectories of less alcohol use from the ages between 14 and 18 (b = − 0.030; CI 95% = − 0.042, − 0.017; p < 0.001). Among adolescents who used alcohol, those who reported more autistic traits were also drinking less per occasion than their peers and were less likely to engage in binge drinking. We found significant associations between alcohol use and social preference (p < 0.001), nervousness for new situations (p = 0.001), and detail orientation (p < 0.001). Autistic traits (social impairment, detail orientation, and anxiety) may buffer against alcohol use in adolescence.
Introducing seasonal snow memory into the RUSLE
Authors: Mouris Kilian , Schwindt Sebastian , Haun Stefan , Morales Oreamuno Maria Fernanda , Wieprecht Silke
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The sediment supply to rivers, lakes, and reservoirs has a great influence on hydro-morphological processes. For instance, long-term predictions of bathymetric change for modeling climate change scenarios require an objective calculation procedure of sediment load as a function of catchment characteristics and hydro-climatic parameters. Thus, the overarching objective of this study is to develop viable and objective sediment load assessment methods in data-sparse regions.

Methods

This study uses the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the SEdiment Delivery Distributed (SEDD) model to predict soil erosion and sediment transport in data-sparse catchments. The novel algorithmic methods build on free datasets, such as satellite and reanalysis data. Novelty stems from the usage of freely available datasets and the introduction of a seasonal snow memory into the RUSLE. In particular, the methods account for non-erosive snowfall, its accumulation over months as a function of temperature, and erosive snowmelt months after the snow fell.

Results

Model accuracy parameters in the form of Pearson’s r and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency indicate that data interpolation with climate reanalysis and satellite imagery enables viable sediment load predictions in data-sparse regions. The accuracy of the model chain further improves when snow memory is added to the RUSLE. Non-erosivity of snowfall makes the most significant increase in model accuracy.

Conclusion

The novel snow memory methods represent a major improvement for estimating suspended sediment loads with the empirical RUSLE. Thus, the influence of snow processes on soil erosion and sediment load should be considered in any analysis of mountainous catchments.
Exploring the Role of Problematic Social Network Site Use in the Link Between Reflective Functioning and Identity Processes in Adolescents
Authors: Imperato Chiara , Mancini Tiziana , Musetti Alessandro
Published: March 2022

Literature highlighted that problematic social network site use might have relevant detrimental consequences on users’ well-being, particularly in adolescence. However, it is still not clear which variables could be considered protective or risk factors for such problematic use. The present study aimed to fill this gap, examining the relationship between reflective functioning and adolescents’ identity development, while taking problematic SNS use into account. A sample of 354 students (age range = 13–19; Mage = 16.18, SD = 1.58; 19.9% males) from two Italians high schools participated in the study. Results from structural equation modeling showed that adolescents with high levels of reflective functioning reported lower levels of problematic SNS use. Furthermore, problematic SNS use mediated the relationship between reflective functioning and identity development, by disfavouring identity in-depth exploration and favouring reconsideration of commitment. We discussed clinical and research implications.
Cancer Predisposition Genes in Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs): a Review Paper from the Italian AYA Working Group
Authors: Toss Angela , Quarello Paola , Mascarin Maurizio , Banna Giuseppe Luigi , Zecca Marco , Cinieri Saverio , Peccatori Fedro Alessandro , Ferrari Andrea
Published: March 2022

Purpose of Review

The present narrative systematic review summarizes current knowledge on germline gene mutations predisposing to solid tumors in adolescents and young adults (AYAs).

Recent Findings

AYAs with cancer represent a particular group of patients with specific challenging characteristics and yet unmet needs. A significant percentage of AYA patients carry pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants (PV/LPVs) in cancer predisposition genes. Nevertheless, knowledge on spectrum, frequency, and clinical implications of germline variants in AYAs with solid tumors is limited.

The identification of PV/LPV in AYA is especially critical given the need for appropriate communicative strategies, risk of second primary cancers, need for personalized long-term surveillance, potential reproductive implications, and cascade testing of at-risk family members. Moreover, these gene alterations may potentially provide novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets that are lacking in AYA patients. Among young adults with early-onset phenotypes of malignancies typically presenting at later ages, the increased prevalence of germline PV/LPVs supports a role for genetic counseling and testing irrespective of tumor type.
Analysing paradoxes in design decisions: the case of “multiple-district” paradox
Authors: Franceschini Fiorenzo , Maisano Domenico A.
Published: March 2022

In early design stages, a team of designers may often express conflicting preferences on a set of design alternatives, formulating individual rankings that must then be aggregated into a collective one. The scientific literature encompasses a variety of models to perform this aggregation, showing strengths and weaknesses. In particular situations, some of these models can lead to paradoxical results, i.e., contrary to logic and common sense. This article focuses on one of these paradoxes, known asmultiple-district paradox, providing a new methodology aimed at identifying the reason of its potential triggering. This methodology can be a valid support for several decision problems. Some examples accompany the description.
To be or not to be egalitarian, that is the question: Understanding the complexity of ethnic prejudice in the workplace
Authors: Cuadrado Isabel , Estevan-Reina Lucía , López-Rodríguez Lucía , Constantin Andreea A.
Published: March 2022

The expression of prejudice has mutated over the last century, and most Western countries now legally support equality. However, for ethnic minorities, work discrimination is one of the most evident challenges they have to face. Three preregistered experiments, with an overall sample of 1,507 participants, analyzed the effect of a job applicant’s ethnicity and other characteristics (e.g., gender, attractiveness), which were manipulated with a CV, as well as possible moderator variables (tolerance and racism), on participants’ judgments about the candidate: stereotypes (competence, sociability, morality, and immorality); emotions (admiration, contempt, compassion, and envy); and active and passive facilitation tendencies at work. The results indicated that tolerance and racism modulated the effect of ethnicity on the dependent variables in an administrative occupation (Studies 1 and 2) and in the hostelry industry (Study 3). A pooled analysis revealed that egalitarian participants (high tolerance or low racism) reported an unexpected positive bias toward a Moroccan candidate compared to a Spanish candidate. Non-egalitarian participants (low tolerance or high racism) showed the expected ingroup bias only for (im)morality: they perceived Moroccan applicants as less moral and more immoral than Spanish candidates. Studies 2 and 3 confirmed that the Moroccan candidate was perceived as less prototypical of his/her category than the Spanish applicant was. We discussed the primacy of (im)morality in social perception as well as the relevance of distinguishing between egalitarian and non-egalitarian people when trying to understand the complexity of new expressions of prejudice and to identify strategies to avoid discrimination in the workplace.
A comparison between Fukushima-Halley algorithm and Trilateration algorithm for geodetic conversion
Authors: Eleiche Mohamed
Published: March 2022

The geodetic transformation of Cartesian coordinates into their elliptical equivalent is a fundamental problem in geodesy. The Fukushima algorithm accelerated by Halley method (Fukushima-Halley) is considered the standard in this conversion. The Trilateration algorithm is a recent algorithm solving the conversion problem through a computational geometry approach. This study compared the Trilateration algorithm to the Fukushima-Halley algorithm in aspects of accuracy of results, time efficiency, and space efficiency. Also, the parallel version of both algorithms was established using the Master-Slave technique and compared. The Trilateration Algorithm showed a slightly higher accuracy compared to Fukushima-Halley algorithm, which allocated less space in memory, and was 2.6 faster in sequential version compared to 1.9 in the parallel version. The study introduced a benchmark for arithmetic operation on the testing machine to be used in time efficiency comparison.
An extensive search algorithm to find feasible healthy menus for humans.
Authors: Martos-Barrachina F. , Delgado-Antequera L. , Hernández M. , Caballero R.
Published: March 2022

Promoting healthy lifestyles is nowadays a public priority among most public entities. The ability to design an array of nutritious and appealing diets is very valuable. Menu Planning still presents a challenge which complexity derives from the problems’ many dimensions and the idiosyncrasies of human behavior towards eating. Among the difficulties encountered by researchers when facing the Menu Planning Problem, being able of finding a rich feasible region stands out. We consider it as a system of inequalities to which we try to find solutions. We have developed and implemented a two-phase algorithm -that mainly stems from the Randomized Search and the Genetic- that is capable of rapidly finding an pool of solutions to the system with the aim of properly identifying the feasible region of the underlying problem and proceed to its densification. It consists of a hybrid algorithm inspired on a GRASP metaheuristic and a later recombination. First, it generates initial seeds, identifying best candidates and guiding the search to create solutions to the system, thus attempting to verify every inequality. Afterwards, the recombination of different promising candidates helps in the densification of the feasible region with new solutions. This methodology is an adaptation of other previously used in literature, and that we apply to the MPP. For this, we generated a database of a 227 recipes and 272 ingredients. Applying this methodology to the database, we are able to obtain a pool of feasible (healthy and nutritious) complete menus for a given D number of days.
Towards a better understanding of historic mortar production—burning experiments on calcareous nannofossils
Authors: Falkenberg Janina , Mutterlose Joerg
Published: March 2022

Calcareous nannofossils are < 30 µm sized calcitic fossil remains of single-celled marine photoautotrophic algae. Carbonate-rich sedimentary rocks, containing these fossils, are used as raw material for lime-based mortars. The carbonates (CaCO3) are heated up to approx. 900 °C. The burning process, which causes the thermal decomposition of CaCO3into CaO (= quicklime) and CO2, destroys the calcitic fossils. Surprisingly, remains of these calcareous algae were recently encountered in historic mortars and mortar-based materials. To gain a better understanding of the behaviour of calcareous nannofossils during the calcination procedure, four sample sets were heated to nine temperature levels (100 °C, 300 °C, 500 °C, 600 °C, 700 °C, 750 °C, 800 °C, 850 °C, 900 °C). For each sample set, the initial and the heated material of all nine temperature levels were analysed with respect to its nannofossil content and preservation by using settling slides. Our results show a decrease of absolute abundance and preservation from 500 °C onwards; rare nannofossils are preserved up to 900 °C. Changes in the relative abundance of individual species document that certain taxa are more heat resistant than others. This pattern is explained by different crystal sizes and forms of the relevant taxa. Differences in the calcareous nannofossil assemblages, observed in the raw material and in the mortar produced from it, can be used to estimate the temperature reached during quicklime production.
Dietary Date Palm Leaves Ensiled with Fibrolytic Enzymes Decreased Methane Production, and Improved Feed Degradability and Fermentation Kinetics in A Ruminal In Vitro System
Authors: Kholif Ahmed E. , Gouda Gouda A. , Morsy Tarek A. , Matloup Osama H. , Fahmy Mahmoud , Gomaa Ali S. , Patra Amlan K.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The present experiment aimed to evaluate date palm leaves (DPL) treated without or with fibrolytic enzymes as a feed for ruminants.

Methods

The experiment employed an in vitro wireless gas production system to evaluate the dietary inclusion of DPL as sun-dried, DPL ensiled without or with fibrolytic enzymes for 45 days. The different forms of DPL replaced berseem hay (300 g/kg diet) at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% in the diet.

Results

Dried DPL linearly decreased the asymptotic total gas production (GP), rate of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) production, and acid detergent fiber degradability, and increased the lag of total GP (P < 0.05). The ensiled DPL also linearly decreased (P < 0.05) the asymptotic total GP, asymptotic CH4, asymptotic CO2 production and the rate of CH4 and CO2 productions, but dry matter degradability and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations were unaffected. Date palm leaves treated with fibrolytic enzymes linearly decreased the asymptotic total GP, CH4 and CO2 productions, and the rate of CH4 and CO2 production. Ensiling of DPL with fibrolytic enzymes increased (P < 0.05) dry matter and fiber degradability and the concentrations of ruminal ammonia-N and total VFA.

Conclusion

It is concluded that DPL treated with fibrolytic enzymes can replace berseem hay up to 100% in the diet to reduce CH4 production from ruminants. Ensiling with fibrolytic enzymes is recommended as a sustainable strategy to reduce environmental pollution and utilization of DPL.

Graphical Abstract
Conceptualizing controversies in the EU circular bioeconomy transition
Authors: Starke Jan R. , Metze Tamara A. P. , Candel Jeroen J. L. , Termeer Catrien J. A. M.
Published: March 2022

The transition towards a circular bioeconomy (CBE) in the European Union is not without contestation. In particular, research has highlighted potential trade-offs of the large-scale production of bio-resources, for instance with environmental quality goals. To date, however, it remains underexplored in the CBE literature how controversies develop throughout a transition process. To address this gap, this paper explores where controversies are situated in a transition, how they change throughout, and how they influence the transition process. First, we suggest that controversies can be situated on and between different system layers within a transition. Second, we offer an explanation of how controversies evolve, as actors confirm, integrate, disintegrate and polarize underlying storylines. Third, these controversies can have both productive and unproductive outcomes while they unfold throughout a transition. We illustrate this understanding with the example of biorefineries as CBE key technology and discuss a research agenda on controversies in sustainability transitions.
How Participatory is Participatory Flood Risk Mapping? Voices from the Flood Prone Dharavi Slum in Mumbai
Authors: Samaddar Subhajyoti , Si Ha , Jiang Xinyu , Choi Junho , Tatano Hirokazu
Published: March 2022

Participatory flood risk mapping (PFRM) is a well-recognized and widely implemented tool for meaningful community involvement in disaster risk reduction (DRR). The effectiveness of PFRM remains anecdotal. The PFRM exercise has rarely been applied identically in two different places by two different organizations, which produces varied and uncertain outcomes. In the absence of any agreed and comprehensive framework for participatory DRR, existing studies struggle to provide a scientific account of how the structure, design, and process of PFRM ensure the effective participation of local communities. This study, examines what factors and methods make PFRM an effective participatory DRR tool. In this study, we first identified the process-based criteria of participation. Then we briefly introduced a participatory flood risk mapping exercise conducted in a flood-prone informal settlement in Dharavi, Mumbai. The exercise was carefully designed to meet the process criteria of effective participation. Finally, using qualitative research methods, we evaluated the effectiveness of our PFRM from the local community perspective. The findings show that ensuring community livelihood security and true involvement of marginalized groups, preparing an action plan, and incorporating fun and cultural connotations into the facilitation process are critical components that enhance community participation through PFRM in DRR.
Bismut-Stroock Hessian formulas and local Hessian estimates for heat semigroups and harmonic functions on Riemannian manifolds
Authors: Chen Qing-Qian , Cheng Li-Juan , Thalmaier Anton
Published: March 2022

In this article, we develop a martingale approach to localized Bismut-type Hessian formulas for heat semigroups on Riemannian manifolds. Our approach extends the Hessian formulas established by Stroock (An estimate on the Hessian of the heat kernel: 355–371, 1996) and removes in particular the compact manifold restriction. To demonstrate the potential of these formulas, we give as application explicit quantitative local estimates for the Hessian of the heat semigroup, as well as for harmonic functions on regular domains in Riemannian manifolds.
Causal Inference Challenges and New Directions for Epidemiologic Research on the Health Effects of Social Policies
Authors: Matthay Ellicott C. , Glymour M. Maria
Published: March 2022

Purposeof Review

Epidemiologic research on the health effects of social policies is growing rapidly because of the potentially large impact of these policies on population health and health equity. We describe key methodological challenges faced in this nascent field and promising tools to enhance the validity of future studies.

Recent Findings

In epidemiologic studies of social policies, causal identification is most commonly pursued through confounder-control but use of instrument-based approaches is increasing. Researchers face challenges measuring relevant policy exposures; addressing confounding and positivity violations arising from co-occurring policies and time-varying confounders; deriving precise effect estimates; and quantifying and accounting for interference. Promising tools to address these challenges can enhance both internal validity (randomization, front door criterion for causal identification, new estimators that address interference and practical positivity violations) and external validity (data-driven methods for evaluating heterogeneous treatment effects; methods for transporting and generalizing effect estimates to new populations).

Common threats to validity in epidemiologic research play out in distinctive ways in research on the health effects of social policies. This is an active area of methodologic development, with ongoing advances to support causal inferences and produce policy-relevant findings. Researchers must navigate the tension between research questions of greatest interest and research questions that can be answered most accurately and precisely with the data at hand. Additional work is needed to facilitate integration of modern epidemiologic methods with econometric tools for policy evaluation and to increase the size and measurement quality of datasets.
Questionnaire and tools: clinical powerful instrument in acromegaly diagnosis and management
Authors: Camerini S. , Wennberg A. , Adriani M. , Martin B. , Vettor R. , Maffei P. , Dassie F.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Acromegaly is a rare chronic disease characterized by systemic comorbidity and reduced quality of life. Although achieving biochemical control has always been the primary goal of acromegaly therapy, recent evidence has shown that the traditional assessment does not adequately capture the complexity of symptoms and patients’ perception. These findings result in the need to improve a fast decision-making process of the clinician, who should not only take into account biochemical–instrumental criteria, but also patients’ symptoms. With the aim of supporting the clinician in the diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making process several disease-specific tools have been developed. The aim of this review is to provide a description of the acromegaly-specific tools, presenting their main features, their application in daily practice, and their efficacy and utility.

Methods

A systematic search of Medline/PubMed, ISI-Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar databases was done.

Results

Specific instruments and questionnaires have recently been developed to assist clinicians in the assessment of acromegaly. These are either Patient-Reported Outcome tools, such as Acromegaly Quality of Life Questionnaire (AcroQoL) and Pain Assessment Acromegaly Symptom Questionnaire (PASQ), or Clinician-Reported Outcome tools, such as ACROSCORE, SAGIT® and Acromegaly Disease Activity Tool (ACRODAT®). Such tools are extremely flexible and, therefore, have been widely adopted by endocrinologists and other professionals, so much so that they have also been included as recommendations in the 2018 international guidelines.

Conclusion

Questionnaires and tools are useful in the management of acromegaly patients. They help clinicians evaluate patients’ symptoms and could assist in the evaluation of disease activity.
Extending Validation of a Social Emotional Health Measure For Middle School Students
Authors: Furlong Michael J. , Paz Jennica L. , Carter Delwin , Dowdy Erin , Nylund-Gibson Karen
Published: March 2022

The Social Emotional Health Survey-Secondary-2020 (SEHS-S-2020) is a well-studied option for assessing social emotional health to support students within a multitiered system of school support. While a growing body of literature supports the SEHS-S-2020 measure for assessing student covitality, there is less validation evidence specifically for middle-school-aged students. The present study aimed to fill this gap in the literature by examining its use for younger adolescents. Study participants were from two samples, including a cross-sectional sample with 9,426 students in Grades 7–8 from 32 counties in California and a longitudinal sample with 414 students in Grades 6–8 from two middle schools. Data analyses examined structural validity, internal consistency, measurement invariance, criterion validity, predictive validity, and response stability. Results indicate excellent fit indices for a four-level higher-order measurement model, with adequate concurrent and one-year predictive validity coefficients, supporting the use of the SEHS-S-2020 measure with young adolescents in middle school settings. The discussion focuses on implications for assessing students’ psychosocial assets, universal school-based screening, and cultural and intersectionality considerations when interpreting SEHS-S-2020 responses.
Framing Effects in the Elicitation of Risk Aversion: An Experimental Study
Authors: Congiu Luca
Published: March 2022

In most risk elicitation tasks, lotteries are presented through a verbal description stating the outcomes and their likelihoods (e.g., “Win $5 with probability 10%”, “1 in 10 chance to win $5”), sometimes accompanied by a pictorial representation (a pie chart or bar graph). Literature on risk communication suggests that alternative but supposedly equivalent numeric formats (e.g., percentages vs ratios) and pictorial displays (e.g., continuous vs discrete) may lead to a different perception of risk and concern for it. The present experiment (N = 95) tests for numeric and pictorial framing effects in a multiple price list (MPL), where risk information is presented either as percentages (“10%”) or as ratios (“1 out of 10”) and is accompanied by either two-slice or ten-slice pies. Results show that neither the numeric framing (adopting ratios) nor the pictorial framing (slicing pies) significantly altered per se the average elicited risk aversion. Nonetheless, the pictorial framing significantly reduced the elicited risk aversion for those participants who focused on the probability of the lottery’s high outcome in their decisions.