bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic cats, dogs and rabbits from Poland
Authors: Turlewicz-Podbielska Hanna , Ruszkowski Jakub Jędrzej , Gogulski Maciej , Pomorska-Mól Małgorzata
Published: January 2023

The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic cats, dogs and rabbits was evaluated. Samples from cats and dogs were collected from five veterinary practices from various parts of Poland - Poznan (wielkopolskie voivodeship), Przemysl (podkarpackie voivodeship), Kluczbork (opolskie voivodeship), Lublin (lubelskie voivodeship) and Deblin (lubelskie voivodeship). Moreover, the samples from rabbits were collected in Poznan. In total, serum samples from 193 cats, 204 dogs and 71 rabbits were randomly selected and tested for specific antibodies against T. gondii using a commercial ELISA test. Pathogen seroprevalence among cats and dogs was calculated at a 95% confidence interval (CI) for each sex and age category (up to 12 months, 1–3 years, 4–7 years and over 8 years) and compared with a chi-squared test. The highest seroprevalence of T. gondii was noted in cats − 49.74% (96/193; 95% CI: 42.76–56.73). In dogs, it reached 28.92% (59/204; 95% CI: 23.13–35.49). Only 1 rabbit (3-year-old male) was seropositive, and the seroprevalence in rabbits was 1.41% (1/71; 95% CI: 0.25–7.56). A statistically significant correlation between seropositivity and age (p < 0.05) was observed in cats and dogs. No statistically significant difference in seroprevalence concerning gender or location was found in cats and dogs. Our findings indicate that cat and dog serum samples had a high frequency of anti-T. gondii antibodies, while rabbit serum samples had low frequency and that these species are exposed to T. gondii in Poland and develop humoral response due to infection.
Schulprogramme zur Förderung der psychischen Gesundheit. Die psychische Gesundheitskompetenz von Lehrpersonen als wichtiger Umsetzungsfaktor
Authors: Robin Dominik , Albermann Kurt , Dratva Julia
Published: January 2023

Hintergrund

Weltweit sind bis zu einem Fünftel der Kinder und Jugendlichen von psychischen Störungen betroffen. Auffälligkeiten, die bereits im Schulalter auftreten, sind insbesondere für die Betroffenen, aber auch die Lehrpersonen belastend. Schulische Präventionsprogramme zur psychischen Gesundheit haben das Potenzial, die Belastungen beidseitig zu reduzieren. Die psychische Gesundheitskompetenz von Lehrpersonen, die nicht nur das Wissen und das Verständnis, sondern auch die Handlungen untersucht, gilt dabei als wichtiger Umsetzungsfaktor. Die Studienlage ist mager.

Ziele

Die Studie untersucht die psychische Gesundheitskompetenz von Lehrpersonen im Kontext von Belastungssituation der Schülerinnen und Schüler sowie das Vorhandensein entsprechender Schulprogramme.

Methoden

Im Schuljahr 2019/2020 wurden alle Lehrpersonen in einer Deutschschweizer Stadt zu einem Online-Survey eingeladen (n = 1514; Rücklauf: 38 %). Die Daten wurden quantitativ mittels bivariater und multivariater Methoden ausgewertet. Eine offene Frage zum Verständnis psychischer Störungen wurde qualitativ mittels einer Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet.

Resultate und Diskussion

Die Befragten betreuten oder unterrichteten im letzten Jahr durchschnittlich 4,7 psychisch belastete Schülerinnen und Schülern. Die Anzahl Betroffener unterschied sich nach Schulstufe und Schulfunktion. Die Lehrpersonen schätzten ihre Fähigkeit, Informationen zum Thema zu finden und zu verstehen als (sehr) gut ein, es fiel ihnen jedoch schwerer, zu beurteilen, ob die gefundenen Informationen korrekt sind. Die Handlungskompetenz der Lehrkräfte war partiell gering, beispielsweise beim Wissen über Störungsbilder und stellt ein Hindernis in der Umsetzung von Schulprogrammen dar. Lehrkräfte relativierten auffälliges Verhalten, was die Triage für weitere Abklärungen erschwert. Den Schulen wird zum einen empfohlen in die Eigeninitiative der Lehrpersonen zu investieren, zum anderen sollte die Steigerung der psychischen Gesundheitskompetenz nicht nur Aufgabe der Lehrpersonen sein, sondern durch eine entsprechende Schulkultur und gesellschaftlich gefördert werden.
Investigation of the Hot Deformation Behavior in VDM® Alloy 780 by In Situ High-Energy X-Ray Diffraction
Authors: Fritton Massimo , Kümmel Frank , Kirchmayer Andreas , Stark Andreas , Hafez Haghighat Masood , Gehrmann Bodo , Neumeier Steffen , Gilles Ralph
Published: January 2023

Ni-based superalloys are indispensable for applications in demanding environments, such as the heavily stressed rotating discs in the hot sections of modern gas turbines or jet engines. In this paper, the microstructure evolution during hot deformation to mimic the forging process was investigated in the polycrystalline VDM® Alloy 780 via
in situ X-ray diffraction at temperatures of 950, 1000, and 1050 °C. For the tested temperatures, the hot forming led to subgrain formation, the built-up of a texture by rotation of the matrix grains into preferred orientations, and dynamic recrystallization. The influence of the deformation was analyzed depending on the direction of the lattice plane normals to the load direction, for the first five γ-reflections in the diffraction pattern. During uniaxial compressive deformation intensity, maxima develop in the loading direction solely for the γ-(220) reflections, while intensity minima develop for the other reflections which correspond to the formation of a <110> fiber texture. In the transverse direction, all γ-reflections except the (220) have an increased intensity at the maximum specimen strain of 20 pct. Directly after the hot forming, three different cooling rates of 10, 100, and 1000 °C/min and their influence on the microstructure were investigated. The fast and medium cooling rates lead to low recrystallized fractions and a largely preserved deformation texture, whereas the low cooling rate leads to a high recrystallized fraction and a slight remaining texture. Additionally, the diffraction data are complemented by electron microscopy measurements.
Konsum von Missbrauchsabbildungen: Prävalenz, Ätiologie, Fallpriorisierung und Prognose
Authors: Lehmann Robert J. B. , Babchishin Kelly , Schmidt Alexander F.
Published: January 2023

Der Konsum von Missbrauchsabbildungen hat sich im Hellfeld in den letzten Jahren immer wieder verdoppelt. Dieses erhöhte Fallaufkommen stellt Polizei, Bewährungshilfe und forensische Therapeuten vor eine Vielzahl neuer Herausforderungen. In diesem Beitrag sollen daher aktuelle theoretische Modelle und empirische Erkenntnisse dargestellt werden, um Praktiker in ihrer täglichen Arbeit zu unterstützen. Im Einzelnen sollen das Ausmaß der Problematik und ätiologische Erklärungsmodelle dargestellt werden. Darauffolgend werden empirische Erkenntnisse zu Konsumenten von Missbrauchsabbildungen aufgeführt und diese mit Tätern, die zusätzlich auch Hands-On-Delikte begehen, verglichen. Ferner wird die Problematik von „Crossover“-Tätern diskutiert. Abschließend werden Ansätze vorgestellt, um Fälle in der polizeilichen Ermittlungsarbeit zu priorisieren sowie um das Rückfallrisiko von Konsumenten von Missbrauchsabbildungen vorherzusagen.
Money laundering as a service: Investigating business-like behavior in money laundering networks in the Netherlands
Authors: Kramer Jo-Anne , Blokland Arjan A. J. , Kleemans Edward R. , Soudijn Melvin R. J.
Published: January 2023

In order to launder large amounts of money, (drug) criminals can seek help from financial facilitators. According to the FATF, these facilitators are operating increasingly business-like and even participate in professional money laundering networks. This study examines the extent to which financial facilitators in the Netherlands exhibit business-like characteristics and the extent to which they organize themselves in money laundering networks. We further examine the relationship between business-like behavior and individual money launderers’ position in the social network. Using police intelligence data, we were able to analyze the contacts of 198 financial facilitators who were active in the Netherlands in the period 2016–2020, all having worked for drug criminals. Based on social network analysis, this research shows that financial facilitators in the Netherlands can be linked in extensive money laundering networks. Based on the facilitators’ area of expertise, roughly two main types of professional money laundering networks can be discerned. Some subnetworks operate in the real estate sector, while others primarily engage in underground banking. Furthermore, the application of regression models to predict business-like behavior using individual network measures shows that facilitators with more central positions in the network and those who collaborate with financial facilitators from varying expertise groups tend to behave more business-like than other financial facilitators.
Men’s Gender Norms and Gender-Hierarchy-Legitimizing Ideologies: The Effect of Priming Traditional Masculinity Versus a Feminization of Men’s Norms
Authors: Valsecchi Giulia , Iacoviello Vincenzo , Berent Jacques , Borinca Islam , Falomir-Pichastor Juan M.
Published: January 2023

Contemporary evidence suggests that masculinity is changing, adopting perceived feminine traits in the process. Implications of this new masculine norm on gender relations remain unclear. Our research aims to better understand the influence of changing masculine norms on men’s endorsement of gender-hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies. Based on Precarious Manhood Theory and Social Role Theory, we conducted two quasi-experimental studies (N = 412) in which we first assessed heterosexual men's motivation to protect traditional masculinity. Then, we informed them that men’s gender norms are becoming more feminine (feminization norm condition) or are remaining masculine in a traditional sense (traditional norm condition). In the third (baseline-control) condition, participants received no information about men’s gender norms. Finally, we assessed the extent to which participants endorsed gender-hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies, namely sexism (Study 1) and masculinist beliefs (Study 2). Results showed that men who were less motivated to protect traditional masculinity were less likely to endorse gender-hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies when exposed to the feminization and control conditions compared to the traditional norm condition. The implications of these findings for gender equality and gender relations are discussed.
Repeatability of a bending stiffness test for snowboarding wrist protectors
Authors: Leslie G. , Winwood K. , Wang W. , Hamilton N. , Allen T.
Published: January 2023

Snowboarding wrist protectors are typically designed to limit impact forces and prevent wrist hyperextension. The standard for snowboarding wrist protectors (ISO 20320:2020) includes a test for measuring their bending stiffness, when fitted to a wrist surrogate. This test serves as a simple means of assessing the ability of wrist protectors to prevent wrist hyperextension. Wrist protector bending stiffness measurements have been shown to be influenced by surrogate design, protector strapping condition, and surrogate surface compliance. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge on the repeatability of bending stiffness measurements, as previous studies have conducted tests during one session. This study investigated the repeatability of a bending stiffness test, by testing two snowboarding wrist protectors (short and long) on two wrist surrogates (compliant and stiff), under three protector strapping conditions (loose, moderate, tight), across three repeated test sessions. Test session had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on torque values, with a large effect size ($$\eta_{{\text{p}}}^{2}$$

η

p

2

 > 0.14), indicating the test had limited repeatability between test sessions. Despite this limited repeatability, torque values increased with both wrist angle and strap tightness, as reported before, indicating consistent trends in results. The outer surface compliance of the surrogate did not significantly affect the protector’s sensitivity to test session nor strapping condition.
Clinical expert consensus document on rotational atherectomy from the Japanese association of cardiovascular intervention and therapeutics: update 2023
Authors: Sakakura Kenichi , Ito Yoshiaki , Shibata Yoshisato , Okamura Atsunori , Kashima Yoshifumi , Nakamura Shigeru , Hamazaki Yuji , Ako Junya , Yokoi Hiroyoshi , Kobayashi Yoshio , Ikari Yuji
Published: January 2023

The Task Force on Rotational Atherectomy of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics (CVIT) proposed the expert consensus document to summarize the techniques and evidences regarding rotational atherectomy (RA) in 2020. Because the revascularization strategy to severely calcified lesions is the hottest topic in contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), many evidences related to RA have been published since 2020. Latest advancements have been incorporated in this updated expert consensus document.
Solving fractional time-delay diffusion equation with variable-order derivative based on shifted Legendre–Laguerre operational matrices
Authors: Farhood Adnan Khalaf , Mohammed Osama H. , Taha Bushra A.
Published: January 2023

This article adopts a novel technique to numerical solution for fractional time-delay diffusion equation with variable-order derivative (VFDDEs). As a matter of fact, the variable-order fractional derivative (VFD) that has been used is in the Caputo sense. The first step of this technique is constructive on the construction of the solution using the shifted Legendre–Laguerre polynomials with unknown coefficients. The second step involves using a combination of the collocation method and the operational matrices (OMs) of the shifted Legendre–Laguerre polynomials, as well as the Newton–Cotes nodal points, to find the unknown coefficients. The final step focuses on solving the resulting algebraic equations by employing Newton’s iterative method. To illustrate and demonstrate the technique’s efficacy and applicability, two examples have been provided.
Effects of pore size on the lubrication properties of porous polyimide retainer material
Authors: Chen Wenbin , Wang Wenzhong , Zhu Pengzhe , Ge Xiangyu
Published: January 2023

An oil-impregnated porous polyimide (PI) retainer is used in space rolling bearings to improve the lubrication performance, which depends on the release of lubricant from the pores, and therefore is closely related to the pore size. To study the effect of pore size, in this work, PI materials with different pore sizes were prepared by preheating the retainer tube billet during the limit pressing process, and then the friction tests were conducted with the ball-on-ring mode. The results show that the applied load deforms the pores, allowing the lubricant to be squeezed out from the pore; the centrifugal effect induced by rotation also makes the lubricant migrate out of the pore. Therefore, for the same pore sizes, the friction coefficients decrease with the increasing loads and rotation speeds. In addition, it was found that there exists an optimal pore size for the best lubrication properties of porous PI material. Furthermore, the optimal pore size should be larger for lubricants with high viscosity. The microscopic mechanism for lubricant outflow from pores is clarified by molecular dynamic simulations. The insights gained in this study can guide the preparation of oil-impregnated porous retainers under different working conditions.
Complex Mathematics Education: An Integrated and Inquiry-Based Mathematics Teaching Method
Authors: Kiss Anna
Published: January 2023

Little is available in mathematics education research about what the teacher can anticipate from the students when applying inquiry-based learning (IBL). Even less is known about how to recognize and exploit on the spot when a mathematical domain, other than the one in focus, is activated in the students’ minds. Yet, in tests, in everyday life, and the labour market, it is common to face problems that require interrelated mathematical thinking. Although one of the unique advantages of complex mathematics education (CME) is the coherence between different domains and CME has been practiced for over half a century in Hungary, the Hungarian line of IBL has only recently joined the international methodological mainstream. In this paper, I summarize a segment of IBL correspondent to CME and integrated mathematics education, and I illustrate the possible divergence of solutions during implementation with an example that emerged about a probability game in a fifth-grade class.
Effects of biochar carried microbial agent on compost quality, greenhouse gas emission and bacterial community during sheep manure composting
Authors: Wang Zhe , Xu Yilin , Yang Tong , Liu Yongqi , Zheng Tingting , Zheng Chunli
Published: January 2023

Although composting is a very effective way to dispose agricultural wastes, its development is greatly limited by the low compost quality and greenhouse gas emissions. At present, there is a lack of effective means to solve these two problems simultaneously. Here, the effects of three additives of compound microbial agent, biochar and biochar carried microbial agent on the composting performance, nitrogen transformation, greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions, and bacterial communities were investigated in sheep manure composting during 28 days. Results showed that biochar carried microbial agent prolonged the thermophilic stage and promoted compost maturity. At the same time, it was confirmed by the increase of the decomposition of organic nitrogen and the transformation of NH4+-N to NO3−-N. Besides, adding biochar carried microbial agent decreased CH4, NH3 and N2O emissions by 65.23%, 42.05% and 68.64%, respectively. The gas emissions were mainly correlated to Chloroflexi, Myxococcota, Acidobacteriota, Firmicutes, and Gemmatimonadota. Redundancy analysis showed that EC and TKN were closely related to bacterial community. Therefore, biochar carried microbial agent is recommended as an effective additive to enhance compost quality and reduce gas emissions during sheep manure composting.

Graphical Abstract
Role of biochar toward carbon neutrality
Authors: Wang Liuwei , Deng Jiayu , Yang Xiaodong , Hou Renjie , Hou Deyi
Published: January 2023

Carbon neutrality by the mid-twenty-first century is a grand challenge requiring technological innovations. Biochar, a traditional soil amendment which has been used for fertility improvement and contaminant remediation, has revealed new vitality in this context. In this review we highlight the huge potential of biochar application in different fields to mitigate as high as 2.56 × 109 t CO2e total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per year, accounting for 5.0% of the global GHG emissions. Soil applications of biochar as either a controlled-release fertilizer or an immobilization agent offer improved soil health while simultaneously suppressing the emissions of CH4and N2O. Non-soil applications of biochar also contribute to carbon neutrality in unique ways. Firstly, biochar application as a ruminant feed decreases CH4emissions via physical sorption and enhanced activities of methanotrophs. Secondly, biochar can be used as a green catalyst for biorefinery. Besides, biochar as an additive to Portland cement and low impact development (LID) infrastructure lowers the carbon footprint and builds resilience to climate change. Furthermore, biochar can be used as novel batteries and supercapacitors for energy storage purposes. Finally, the high CO2adsorption capacity makes it possible for biochar being used as a sorbent for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). We advocate that future research should further explore the effectiveness of biochar systems for climate change mitigation in large scale applications, and assess the economic and social viability of local biochar systems to combat climate change.

Graphical Abstract
Nature immersions: teaching reading through a real-world curriculum
Authors: Bates Katherine
Published: January 2023

Debates about teaching reading have long been a part of educational vernacular, frequently reduced to polarised views about phonics. This attention can unnecessarily divert from the cumulative skills required for learning to read and comprehensive research, which indicates the positive influence of systematic phonics instruction on students’ reading outcomes. Australian education has recently moved beyond these reading wars to include explicit phonics instruction in a reformed national English Curriculum. This provides an opportune time to engage preservice teachers entering the workforce with strategies that explicitly teach these skills while nurturing young people’s ecological consciousness through positive nature connections. With this focus in mind, a participatory action research project involving preservice teachers was undertaken, from which an Eco-Conceptual Framework ensued. The project put immersive activities in place, promoting transdisciplinary ways to develop learners’ connections with nature using images collected from participants’ real world when learning to read. Results indicate that action research energised preservice teachers’ perceived knowledge, self-efficacy about teaching early reading utilising place and skills in designing visual resources. It brings attention to the critical influence of preservice teachers’ dispositions and preferred natural spaces on what images are collected and offered when designing early reading activities utilising the natural world.
On New Notions of Algorithmic Dimension, Immunity, and Medvedev Degree
Authors: Webb David J.
Published: January 2023

We prove various results connected together by the common thread of computability theory.

First, we investigate a new notion of algorithmic dimension, the inescapable dimension, which lies between the effective Hausdorff and packing dimensions. We also study its generalizations, obtaining an embedding of the Turing degrees into notions of dimension.

We then investigate a new notion of computability theoretic immunity that arose in the course of the previous study, that of a set of natural numbers with no co-enumerable subsets. We demonstrate how this notion of
$\Pi ^0_1$
-immunity is connected to other immunity notions, and construct
$\Pi ^0_1$
-immune reals throughout the high/low and Ershov hierarchies. We also study those degrees that cannot compute or cannot co-enumerate a
$\Pi ^0_1$
-immune set.

Finally, we discuss a recently discovered truth-table reduction for transforming a Kolmogorov–Loveland random input into a Martin-Löf random output by exploiting the fact that at least one half of such a KL-random is itself ML-random. We show that there is no better algorithm relying on this fact, in the sense that there is no positive, linear, or bounded truth-table reduction which does this. We also generalize these results to the problem of outputting randomness from infinitely many inputs, only some of which are random.

Abstract prepared by David J. Webb.

E-mail: dwebb@math.hawaii.edu

URL: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2209.05659.pdf
Spectral analysis of the evolution of energy-containing eddies
Authors: Kannadasan Ezhilsabareesh , Atkinson Callum , Soria Julio
Published: January 2023

Energy-containing eddies (energy-eddies) are the elementary structures of wall turbulence that carry most of the kinetic energy and momentum. Despite the consensus that energy-eddies can self-sustain at each relevant length scale, their precise origin and spatial evolution are currently not well understood. In this study, we examine the spatial evolution of energy-eddies by quenching them at the inflow of a turbulent channel flow. Our study shows that the eddies involved in the energy cascade cannot be sustained without the energy-eddies. The streamwise velocity spectra of the evolving flow start to recover at a spanwise wavelength of

$\lambda _z^+ \simeq 100$

, equal to the near-wall spacing of streaks in the buffer layer located at

$y^+ \simeq 15$

, whereas there are no active vortical motions in the streamwise vorticity spectra until the energy at the streak location is re-established. Hence, the present study demonstrates that in a spatially evolving flow, the formation of near-wall streaks is the primary process necessary in the recovery of energy-eddies.
Global instability and mode selection in flow fields around rectangular prisms
Authors: Zhang Zhanbiao , Kareem Ahsan , Xu Fuyou , Jiang Hongyi
Published: January 2023

Large-eddy simulations of the unsteady flows around rectangular prisms with chord-to-depth ratios (B/D) ranging from 3 to 12 are carried out at a Reynolds number of 1000. A particular focus of the study is the physical mechanisms governing the global instability of the flow. The coherent structures and velocity spectra reveal that large-scale leading-edge vortices (L vortices) are formed by the coalescence of Kelvin–Helmholtz rollers. Based on dynamic mode decomposition, the interactions between the L vortex and the trailing-edge vortex (T vortex) at different B/D values are revealed. It is found that the phase difference between the L and T vortices is the critical factor promoting a stepwise increase in the Strouhal number with increasing B/D. According to the phase analysis, there are two types of pressure feedback-loop mechanisms maintaining the self-sustained oscillations. When B/D = 4–5, the feedback loop covers the separation region, and the global instability is controlled by the impinging shear-layer instability. When B/D = 3 and 6–12, the feedback loop covers the entire chord, and the global instability is controlled by the impinging leading-edge vortex shedding instability. Self-sustained oscillations of the shear layer still exist after a splitter plate is placed in the near wake, indicating that the T vortex shedding is not essential in triggering the global instability. Nevertheless, with the participation of the T vortex, the primary instability mode may be reselected due to the upper and lower limits of the shedding frequency imposed by the T vortex.
The Design and Welfare Implications of Mandatory Pension Plans
Authors: Larsen Linda S. , Munk Claus
Published: January 2023

In a rich, calibrated life-cycle model, we show that well-designed mandatory pension plans significantly improve the welfare of individuals procrastinating on savings, and even improve most rational individuals’ welfare through a return tax advantage and fair annuitization. For a group of heterogeneous savers, in terms of preferences and sophistication, the best plan has contributions of 10% of income from age 30, a glidepath investment strategy, payouts following a variable lifelong annuity, and options to choose a different investment strategy and to modify the annuitization feature. This plan generates an average welfare gain of $175,000 per individual.
The Central Arctic Ocean fisheries moratorium: A rare example of the precautionary principle in fisheries management
Authors: Calderwood Cayla , Ulmer Frances Ann
Published: January 2023

On 25 June 2021, a historic fisheries Agreement entered into force: The Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean (CAO). Nine countries and the European Union agreed to refrain from any commercial fishing in the CAO and to jointly undertake a scientific effort to understand ecosystem dynamics, including fish populations. This was the first multilateral Agreement to take a legally binding, precautionary approach to protect an area from commercial fishingbeforefishing had begun. The Agreement is a textbook example of the precautionary principle as it works to take “preventive action in the face of uncertainty.” However, despite the precautionary principle’s popularity with natural resource academics, it is rare for countries to forego economic benefits and to adopt this approach in managing resources. So, what made this Agreement possible? And what can we learn from this Agreement that could provide guidance on other resource management challenges? This paper explores the unique conditions that made this Agreement possible and examines how success was achieved by the interrelationships of science, policy, legal structures, politics, stakeholder collaboration, and diplomacy. In summary, this paper concludes that a series of factors helped make this Agreement possible, including but not limited to: scientific breakthroughs coupled with science-based legal frameworks; proactive partnerships between industry, environmental non-profits, and government; willingness of international stakeholders to learn from prior mistakes; and a nation willing to be the first-mover in foregoing future economic profits within their own Exclusive Economic Zone to order to benefit ecosystems beyond their waters.
JD Brown's essential bookshelf: Connected speech
Authors: Brown James Dean
Published: January 2023

James Dean Brown (“JD”) is Professor Emeritus of Second Language Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He has spoken and taught in places ranging from Albuquerque to Zagreb and published hundreds of articles and 27 books on language testing, curriculum design, research methods, and connected speech. His books on reduced forms and connected speech are: Perspectives on teaching connected speech to second language learners, edited with K. Kondo-Brown (University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa NFLRC, 2006); New ways of teaching connected speech, Editor (TESOL, 2012a); and Shaping students’ pronunciation: Teaching the connected speech of North American English, co-authored with D. Crowther (Routledge, 2022).
Informing decision makers about public preferences for different modalities of cancer treatment in the Rhône–Alps region in France
Authors: Margier Jennifer , Gafni Amiram , Moumjid Nora
Published: January 2023

Background

Alternative options to hospital care like home care or local health centers (LHCs) are being advocated. However, no study has measured citizens’ preferences (who will finance these services via taxation) for these options.

Objectives

We measured (i) citizens’ preferences for these services, that is, respondents stated where they would like to get the treatment; (ii) the strength of their preference.

Methods

A computerized survey composed of (i) a decision aid to inform respondents about the three options; (ii) three scenarios, from light-to-heavy care, that respondents should rank from the most to the least preferred option of care. (iii) a contingent valuation survey (CVS) to assess how much respondents were willing to pay for their preferred option (except for hospital care if chosen, because it is the default option and free). (iv) a socio-demographic questionnaire.

Results

Data were collected from a representative sample of citizens living in the Rhône–Alps Region (n = 800). The heavier the care was, the more respondents preferred hospital care. Willingness to pay for additional taxation per household/month varied from €13.9 for light care in LHC to €19.1 for heavy home care. The small number of protesting respondents and outliers, and the close correlation between preferences, income, and WTP supports the validity of the CVS.

Conclusion

In France, for cancer, not all citizens would prefer to be treated at home rather than in a hospital. Only less than a quarter would prefer LHC. These results show the mismatch between public health policies and the citizens’ preferences.
Governing Rural Poverty on Urban Streets: Guangzhou's Management of Beggars in the Reform Era
Authors: Flock Ryanne
Published: January 2023

This study investigates how discourses on panhandling intertwine with the governance of beggars on China's urban streets. It focuses on local policy implementation in Guangzhou city, led by the bureau of civil affairs along with its centres for “custody and repatriation” and “assistance stations.” The study aims to understand how the state regulates panhandling and engages with beggars in public spaces. Exploring the internal logic of the state's approach and how it has changed during the 40 years of reform, it also considers the junctures at which contradictions and conflicts arise. Based on fieldwork data (2011 to 2014) and the analysis of government documents, yearbooks, academic and mass media discourses, I argue that the state's treatment of panhandlers poses a conundrum as welfare measures conflict with control. While several layers of state regulation and actors contradict each other and create grey areas of state-induced informality, people who beg for alms are continuously criminalized and excluded from public space.
Wine and France: A Brief History
Authors: Estreicher Stefan K.
Published: January 2023

The earliest archaeological evidence of wine making in Southern France is dated 425 bce. Viticulture was present along the Mediterranean coast of France when the Romans arrived (second century bce) and flourished everywhere by the time they left (fifth century ce). For several centuries, long-distance trade virtually disappeared and the infrastructure fell apart. Profitable viticulture remained mostly local and was concentrated in the hands of the wealthy nobility and the Church. After the turn of the first Millennium, towns became cities and a middle-class emerged. In the twelfth century, the wine trade with England gained importance. Wines were shipped from Rouen, Nantes, La Rochelle, and later Bordeaux. Monastic orders controlled the most fertile land, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. In the thirteenth century, the Languedoc became a part of France. During the Avignon papacy, new vineyards were planted, in particular Châteauneuf-du-Pape. After the Renaissance, scientific studies gradually improved viticulture and wine-making. Ultimately, fermentation was understood. The Dutch greatly expanded the wine trade. Then, the first intentionally bubbly wines, distilled wines, and noble-rot wines were made. Informal rankings of Bordeaux wines led to the famous 1855 classification. In the late nineteenth century, nature-made catastrophes, especially phylloxera, transformed France into the largest wine-importing country in the world. Sub-standard and blended wines became common, hurting the reputation of all French wines. The two world wars, the Great Depression and Prohibition shrunk the market for wines. The way out involved strict quality-control measures and hard work. The next problem could well be global warming.
Attempts on the Image in Literature
Authors: Zenkin Sergey
Published: January 2023

Nineteenth-century European narrative literature repeatedly refers to the deliberate destruction (or intentions, attempts to destroy) of artificial images. The old artist in Honoré de Balzac’s novella The Unknown Masterpiece burns his collection of art; the hero of Alexander Pushkin’s poem The Bronze Horseman threatens the monument to the Emperor Peter the Great in St Petersburg; the inhabitants of a French village in Prosper Mérimée’s novella The Venus of Ille re-melt the ‘evil’ antique statue found in the soil; the painter in Nikolai Gogol’s novel The Portrait compulsively buys and destroys masterpieces of painting; another picture, in Emile Zola’s novel L’Œuvre, is burned after the suicide of its author; the hero of Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray attempts to stab his own portrait, which is displaying his sins; in The Adventure of the Six Napoleons, a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, six busts of the French emperor are broken, in turn first by a thief, and finally by a detective. Being destroyed or disappearing seems to be the recurrent destiny of intradiegetic images (material images included into a narrative text as its actors), and the attempts of their obliteration always constitute a highlighted, spectacular moment in the narrative, and not just an outward sign of someone’s inner feelings; they are typically presented as a sacrifice of ‘excessive’ (magical, demonic) objects. In some cases, they are explained by a deviant behaviour of the character (madness, delinquency), but the literary text is organized in order to make the reader sympathize with the experiences of that ‘iconoclast’, and mentally reproduce his acts. An analysis of texts should disclose the mechanism of this self-identification and put the stories about the attempts on the image into the general framework of nineteenth-century visual and literary culture.
Improvement of helical tomotherapy treatment plan efficiency with block techniques for left-sided post-mastectomy radiation therapy
Authors: Chirawattana Arisara , Chitapanarux Imjai , Nobnop Wannapha
Published: January 2023

Purpose:

To limit the entrance dose to normal tissue and achieve the appropriate treatment time (TT) by using three different virtual structures with directional blocks for left-sided post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) with regional nodal irradiation (RNI).

Methods and materials:

Ten breast cancer patients who received PMRT by helical tomotherapy were enrolled. Three virtual structures were created for each patient: Organ-based, L-shaped (LB) and C-shaped (CB). The dose to the target and organ at risk (OARs), TT, the volume which received dose 5 Gy (V5Gy), integral dose (ID) and block structure contouring workload (BSCW) of the three virtual block techniques were evaluated. The performance scores were used to explore the suitable technique.

Results:

The CB plans showed a significantly better V5Gy, ID and contralateral breast-sparing. However, the CB plans revealed the longest TT and BSCW (p < 0·001). Contrary to the LB, the LB plans showed a significantly reduced TT and BSCW and provided the balance of plan efficiency with the highest score.

Conclusion:

The LB technique is considered to be the suitable technique for left-sided PMRT with RNI and provided the advantage of TT, V5Gy, ID and BSCW while maintaining acceptable criteria for the target and OARs.
Längsschnittliche psychometrische Analysen des Fragebogens zur Beziehungszufriedenheit – Kurzform (FBZ-K)
Authors: Hahlweg Kurt , Schulz Wolfgang
Published: January 2023

Zusammenfassung: Kurze diagnostische Instrumente zur Erfassung von Beziehungsqualität sind für den klinischen Alltag notwendig, wie z. B. die sieben Items umfassende Abbreviated Dyadic Adjustment Scale (ADAS; dt.: Fragebogen zur Beziehungszufriedenheit – Kurzform, FBZ-K). Ziel ist es, die psychometrische Qualität der FBZ-K zu untersuchen und mit den Daten der ADAS zu vergleichen. Für den Vergleich wurden in einer ersten Studie 422 Mütter rekrutiert. In einer zweiten Studie wurden Daten von 424 Eltern (223 Mütter, 201 Väter) verwendet, die im Rahmen einer Langzeitstudie über 10 Jahre zu sechs Messzeitpunkten untersucht wurden. Die psychometrischen Kennwerte der FBZ-K entsprachen denen der ADAS. Die interne Konsistenz mit α = .84 und die 1-Jahres-Retest-Reliabilität mit r = .75 sind gut, die Konstrukt- und prognostische Validität zur Vorhersage von Scheidung kann als in hohem Maße als gegeben gelten. Die FBZ-K kann daher als Screening-Instrument in epidemiologischen Studien und in der klinischen Praxis zur Eingangsmessung und Prozessforschung empfohlen werden.
Mechanistic Analysis and Numerical Simulation of the 2021 Post‐Fire Debris Flow in Xiangjiao Catchment, China
Authors: Ouyang Chaojun , Xiang Wen , An Huicong , Wang Fulei , Yang Weibin , Fan Jiying
Published: January 2023

Wildfires are becoming a global natural disaster under climate change. A worthwhile concern is that the rainfall thresholds that trigger debris flows in catchments affected by recent wildfires are much lower than those that trigger debris flows in catchments with similar environments but that have not experienced wildfires. In this study, we investigated a major post‐fire debris flow event in Xiangjiao catchment triggered by heavy rainfall in 2021. Through the combination of field observation, laboratory experiments and several numerical models (rainfall interception, infiltration, erosion and runoff models), the physical mechanistic analysis and numerical simulation of the post‐fire debris flow in Xiangjiao catchment was carried out. Results show that the simulated deposited area, erosion depth, and the occurrence time of debris‐flow initiation correlate well with the actual situation. It is demonstrated that the numerical simulation method used in this study can be used to effectively describe the characteristics of the initial and propagation stages of the post‐fire debris flow generated by runoff and provide important insights and guidance for the prediction and prevention of debris‐flow disasters in catchments affected by wildfire.
Dual‐Band Reflectarray Antennas Using Integrated Resonant and Non‐Resonant Natures of Metallic Waveguide Elements at Millimeter Wave Frequencies
Authors: Chou H.‐T. , Wang N.‐N. , Fang M. , Wang L.‐Q. , Akkaraekthalin P. , Torrungrueng D.
Published: January 2023

Pure metallic reflectarray antennas have good power efficiency and low fabrication cost, limited to single‐band operation in the past. A dual‐band reflectarray antenna is developed for two directional beams by two feeds. The reflecting elements are metal waveguides and have novel properties of both resonant and non‐resonant modes at the two frequency bands. The low and high‐frequency bands can be easily separated by the cutoff frequency of waveguide modes. The phase‐changing mechanisms via ray optics and fundamental waveguide modes, respectively, provide simple formulations for the elemental structure design of directional beams. Radiation characteristics of the linear and circular polarizations are cross‐examined with a good performance by full‐wave simulations using HFSS, FEKO, and CST at 28 and 60 GHz bands for 5G front‐haul network applications. In particular, we have used HFSS to simulate the reflecting elements' basic characteristics of phase variation, FEKO to simulate the linear polarization antenna case, and CST to simulate the circular polarization antenna case, respectively.
Lateral septum-lateral hypothalamus circuit dysfunction in comorbid pain and anxiety
Authors: Wang Di , Pan Xiangyu , Zhou Yu , Wu Zifeng , Ren Kunpeng , Liu Hanyu , Huang Chaoli , Yu Yumei , He Teng , Zhang Xiao , Yang Ling , Zhang Hongxing , Han Ming-Hu , Liu Cunming , Cao Jun-Li , Yang Chun
Published: January 2023

Pain and anxiety comorbidities are a common health problem, but the neural mechanisms underlying comorbidity remain unclear. We propose that comorbidity implies that similar brain regions and neural circuits, with the lateral septum (LS) as a major candidate, process pain and anxiety. From results of behavioral and neurophysiological experiments combined with selective LS manipulation in mice, we find that LS GABAergic neurons were critical for both pain and anxiety. Selective activation of LS GABAergic neurons induced hyperalgesia and anxiety-like behaviors. In contrast, selective inhibition of LS GABAergic neurons reduced nocifensive withdrawal responses and anxiety-like behaviors. This was found in two mouse models, one for chronic inflammatory pain (induced by complete Freund’s adjuvant) and one for anxiety (induced by chronic restraint stress). Additionally, using TetTag chemogenetics to functionally mark LS neurons, we found that activation of LS neurons by acute pain stimulation could induce anxiety-like behaviors and vice versa. Furthermore, we show that LS GABAergic projection to the lateral hypothalamus (LH) plays an important role in the regulation of pain and anxiety comorbidities. Our study revealed that LS GABAergic neurons, and especially the LSGABAergic-LH circuit, are a critical to the modulation of pain and anxiety comorbidities.
Quantifying the local adaptive landscape of a nascent bacterial community
Authors: Ascensao Joao A. , Wetmore Kelly M. , Good Benjamin H. , Arkin Adam P. , Hallatschek Oskar
Published: January 2023

The fitness effects of all possible mutations available to an organism largely shape the dynamics of evolutionary adaptation. Yet, whether and how this adaptive landscape changes over evolutionary times, especially upon ecological diversification and changes in community composition, remains poorly understood. We sought to fill this gap by analyzing a stable community of two closely related ecotypes (“L” and “S”) shortly after they emerged within theE. coliLong-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE). We engineered genome-wide barcoded transposon libraries to measure the invasion fitness effects of all possible gene knockouts in the coexisting strains as well as their ancestor, for many different, ecologically relevant conditions. We find consistent statistical patterns of fitness effect variation across both genetic background and community composition, despite the idiosyncratic behavior of individual knockouts. Additionally, fitness effects are correlated with evolutionary outcomes for a number of conditions, possibly revealing shifting patterns of adaptation. Together, our results reveal how ecological and epistatic effects combine to shape the adaptive landscape in a nascent ecological community.
Hyperaminoacidemia induces pancreatic α cell proliferation via synergism between the mTORC1 and CaSR-Gq signaling pathways
Authors: Gong Yulong , Yang Bingyuan , Zhang Dingdong , Zhang Yue , Tang Zihan , Yang Liu , Coate Katie C. , Yin Linlin , Covington Brittney A. , Patel Ravi S. , Siv Walter A. , Sellick Katelyn , Shou Matthew , Chang Wenhan , Danielle Dean E. , Powers Alvin C. , Chen Wenbiao
Published: January 2023

Glucagon has emerged as a key regulator of extracellular amino acid (AA) homeostasis. Insufficient glucagon signaling results in hyperaminoacidemia, which drives adaptive proliferation of glucagon-producing α cells. Aside from mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), the role of other AA sensors in α cell proliferation has not been described. Here, using both genders of mouse islets and glucagon receptor (gcgr)-deficient zebrafish (Danio rerio), we show α cell proliferation requires activation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2) by the AA-sensitive calcium sensing receptor (CaSR). Inactivation of CaSR dampened α cell proliferation, which was rescued by re-expression of CaSR or activation of Gq, but not Gi, signaling in α cells. CaSR was also unexpectedly necessary for mTORC1 activation in α cells. Furthermore, coactivation of Gq and mTORC1 induced α cell proliferation independent of hyperaminoacidemia. These results reveal another AA-sensitive mediator and identify pathways necessary and sufficient for hyperaminoacidemia-induced α cell proliferation.
Analysis of transcriptional changes in the immune system associated with pubertal development in a longitudinal cohort of children with asthma
Authors: Resztak Justyna A. , Choe Jane , Nirmalan Shreya , Wei Julong , Bruinsma Julian , Houpt Russell , Alazizi Adnan , Mair-Meijers Henriette E. , Wen Xiaoquan , Slatcher Richard B. , Zilioli Samuele , Pique-Regi Roger , Luca Francesca
Published: January 2023

Puberty is an important developmental period marked by hormonal, metabolic and immune changes. Puberty also marks a shift in sex differences in susceptibility to asthma. Yet, little is known about the gene expression changes in immune cells that occur during pubertal development. Here we assess pubertal development and leukocyte gene expression in a longitudinal cohort of 251 children with asthma. We identify substantial gene expression changes associated with age and pubertal development. Gene expression changes between pre- and post-menarcheal females suggest a shift from predominantly innate to adaptive immunity. We show that genetic effects on gene expression change dynamically during pubertal development. Gene expression changes during puberty are correlated with gene expression changes associated with asthma and may explain sex differences in prevalence. Our results show that molecular data used to study the genetics of early onset diseases should consider pubertal development as an important factor that modifies the transcriptome.