bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Firewood and Energy Sovereignty on Navajo Nation
Authors: Magargal Kate , Yellowman Jonah , Chee Shaniah , Wabel Molly , Macfarlan Shane , Codding Brian F.
Published: June 2023

Climate-induced drought jeopardizes future access to sufficient energy sources for many people reliant on firewood, especially those underrepresented in forest management decision-making. To identify where interventions might be most effective in facilitating self-determination and sustained firewood harvest, we investigate the case of Diné firewood harvesters. Using data from surveys, interviews and participant observations, we articulate who uses firewood and why, what the costs of firewood are, and who imposes those costs. Reducing both the cost and need for firewood for the Diné and others would support energy sovereignty by facilitating sustained access to firewood.
The Accessibility of Moral Virtue in the Context of Depressive Episodes
Authors: Neijzen Mara
Published: June 2023

Despite efforts to make virtue-acquisition more accessible, neo-Aristotelian accounts of virtue currently exclude those who occasionally experience depressive episodes from potentially possessing moral virtue. This problem of accessibility is especially relevant given the increased prevalence of depression due to, e.g., the COVID19 pandemic. Through an interdisciplinary analysis, I argue that one’s ability to adequately recognise and respond to virtuous possibilities for action is impoverished during a depressive episode. This is illustrated through the depressed agent’s field of affordances: the collection of possible actions an agent perceives. As moral virtues are conceptualised as stable dispositions, even a temporary yet significant decrease in moral competence excludes the agent from possessing the relevant virtue. To solve this problem of accessibility, I argue that, similar to Aristotle’s discussion of sleep, depressive episodes can be conceptualised as temporary states that cause one’s virtues to be inactive, rather than absent.
Military Training and Revisionist Just War Theory’s Practicability Problem
Authors: Surber Regina Sibylle
Published: June 2023

This article presents an analytic critique of the predominant revisionist theoretical paradigm of just war (henceforth: revisionism). This is accomplished by means of a precise description and explanation of the practicability problem that confronts it, namely that soldiers that revisionism would deem “unjust” are bound to fail to fulfil the duties that revisionism imposes on them, because these duties are overdemanding. The article locates the origin of the practicability problem in revisionism’s overidealized conception of a soldier as an individual rational agent analogous to the aggressor or defender in a case of lethal self-defense, who is capable of reflecting on the morality of his status in war and of the killing he performs and thus of recognizing his revisionist duties. Revisionism, however, ignores the following fact: Killing in war is not a natural human behavior. This is why training soldiers to kill is—and arguably always has been—a necessity for the existence of war and the killing that occurs in it. Moreover, this training involves a certain level of moral desensitization to violence whose goal is to prevent soldiers from thoroughly reflecting on the morality of the killing they engage in. Hence, war and killing can only exist if soldiers are trained in such a way that they do not reflect on whether they could be addressees of revisionist duties in the first place. This means that military training is a “constitutive condition” of soldiers and war, which is why it cannot excuse their noncompliance with revisionist duties, thus making these duties categorically overdemanding. The argument here draws on the paradigmatic example of modern US military killing conditioning (MC), but embeds it into a broader military-historical perspective that describes how soldiers have always needed to be mentally and morally influenced in order to enable war and killing. The article’s explanation of revisionism’s practicability problem has a constructive consequence for future theory-building in the ethics of war: It implies that a potentially revised ethical theory of war must necessarily analyze the institutions that allocate belligerent resources, if it aims to morally assess battlefield behavior in a practicable manner.
The effects of climate change on the timing of peak fall foliage in Acadia National Park
Authors: Spera Stephanie A. , Spangler Keith R. , Hubert M. Olivia , Gorman Marc G.
Published: June 2023

Context

In recent decades, most United States’ National Parks have experienced extreme temperature and precipitation regimes outside of their historical ranges of variability with unknown effects on fall phenology.

Objectives

We determine 1) how seasonal climate in Acadia National Park, Maine and the timing of peak fall foliage have changed between 1950 and 2021; 2) how changes in seasonal climate have affected fall foliage; and 3) how we might expect the timing of fall foliage to change given future climate projections.

Methods

We use ERA5-Land data to analyze changes in climate. We couple remotely sensed data with archival research to determine changes in the timing of peak fall foliage. We use multivariate regressions to understand the relationship between climate and fall foliage. We use CESM2 data to predict the timing of peak fall foliage coloration through 2060.

Results

Minimum temperatures, maximum temperatures, precipitation, and the number of warm nights, hot nights, warm days, hot days, and downpour days have all significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05). The timing of peak fall foliage is now occurring almost two weeks later (p ≤ 0.05). September temperature and precipitation and May precipitation were positively correlated with delayed peak fall foliage. Early October precipitation was negatively correlated. Future climate projections predict the timing of peak fall foliage to occur between October 30 and November 2 by 2060.

Conclusion

Understanding how climate is affecting leaf senescence both is crucial in a national park where fall tourism brings large gains to the local economy and provides key information to park managers planning for a resilient, sustainable future.
Treatment of Perinatal Depression and Correlates of Treatment Response Among Pregnant Women Living with HIV in Uganda
Authors: Faherty Laura J. , Gwokyalya Violet , Dickens Akena , McBain Ryan , Ngo Vicky , Nakigudde Janet , Nakku Juliet , Mukasa Barbara , Beyeza-Kashesya Jolly , Wanyenze Rhoda K. , Wagner Glenn J.
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Perinatal depression is common among women living with HIV, but depression care is limited in low-resource settings. We examined (1) characteristics of women receiving Problem Solving Therapy (PST) versus antidepressant therapy (ADT), (2) treatment response by modality, and (3) correlates of treatment response.

Methods

This analysis used data from 191 Ugandan women in the intervention arm of a cluster randomized controlled trial of task-shifted, stepped-care depression treatment for pregnant women living with HIV (PWLWH). Treatment response was defined as scoring < 5 on the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine characteristics of women by treatment group and correlates of treatment response.

Results

Of 134 participants with depression, 129 (96%) were treated: 84 (65%) received PST and 45 (35%) received ADT. Severe depression at treatment initiation was more common in those receiving ADT (28.9% versus 4.8%, Fischer’s Exact Test < 0.001). Treatment response was higher for PST (70/84; 83.3%) than ADT (30/45; 66.7%; p = .03). ADT side effects were rare and minor; no infants had serious congenital defects. Of 22 participants (19%) who did not respond to treatment, only five received intensified management. Social support and interpersonal violence were associated with treatment response (adjusted odds ratio, [aOR] = 3.06, 95% CI = 1.08–8.66 and aOR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.44–0.93).

Discussion

Both depression treatment modalities yielded high response rates in Ugandan PWLWH; ADT was well-tolerated. Our results highlight a need to build capacity to implement the stepped-care protocol for non-responders and screen for social support and interpersonal violence.
What we know when we act
Authors: Kearl Timothy
Published: June 2023

Two traditions in action theory offer different accounts of what distinguishes intentional action from mere behavior. According to the causalist tradition, intentional action has certain distinguished causal antecedents, and according to the Anscombian tradition, intentional action has certain distinguished epistemological features. I offer a way to reconcile these ostensibly conflicting accounts of intentional action by way of appealing to “ability-constituting knowledge”. After explaining what such knowledge is, and in particular its relationship to inadvertent virtue and knowledge-how, I suggest that, among other things, appealing to ability-constituting knowledge can help us flesh out what it is for an agent’s reasons to non-deviantly cause and sustain her purposive behavior.
Near term algorithms for linear systems of equations
Authors: Pellow-Jarman Aidan , Sinayskiy Ilya , Pillay Anban , Petruccione Francesco
Published: June 2023

Finding solutions to systems of linear equations is a common problem in many areas of science and engineering, with much potential for a speed up on quantum devices. While the Harrow–Hassidim–Lloyd (HHL) quantum algorithm yields up to an exponential speed up over classical algorithms in some cases, it requires a fault-tolerant quantum computer, which is unlikely to be available in the near-term. Thus, attention has turned to the investigation of quantum algorithms for noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices where several near-term approaches to solving systems of linear equations have been proposed. This paper focuses on the Variational Quantum Linear Solvers (VQLS), and other closely related methods and adaptions. Several contributions are made in this paper, which include: the first application of the Evolutionary Ansatz to the VQLS (EAVQLS), the first implementation of the Logical Ansatz VQLS (LAVQLS), based on the Classical Combination of Quantum States (CQS) method, a proof of principle demonstration of the CQS method on real quantum hardware and a method for the implementation of the Adiabatic Ansatz on the VQLS (AAVQLS). These approaches are implemented and contrasted. The CQS method is run with moderate success on a real quantum device. The EAVQLS and AAVQLS show promise as possible improvements to the standard VQLS algorithm once refined.
Appearance Satisfaction Among Adolescent Girls in Australia, China, India, and Iran: The Role of Perceived Actual-Ideal Discrepancies in Facial and Bodily Attributes
Authors: Kakar Vani , Fardouly Jasmine , Rapee Ronald M. , Guo Mingchun , Arman Soroor , Niazi Elham
Published: June 2023

The current study examined the associations between perceived actual-ideal discrepancies in facial and bodily attributes and adolescent girls’ appearance satisfaction and whether these relationships were moderated by the importance associated with the attributes and/or the country of the participants. A multilingual survey was completed by 900 girls aged 12–18 years old living in Australia, China, India, and Iran. Girls in India and Iran were most satisfied with their appearance followed by girls in China and Australia. Iranian girls had the highest perceived actual-ideal discrepancies in facial and bodily attributes. Chinese and Indian girls perceived their facial attributes to be more important to their overall sense of appearance than their bodily attributes, whereas Australian and Iranian girls valued them equally. Higher perceived actual-ideal facial discrepancies were related to lower appearance satisfaction only for Iranian girls and higher perceived bodily discrepancies were linked to lower appearance satisfaction only for Australian girls. The importance associated with physical attributes and/or the country of participants did not moderate the relationship between perceived discrepancies and appearance satisfaction for facial or bodily attributes. Findings underscore the critical role of cultural nuances in understanding body image among adolescent girls and determinants of appearance satisfaction.
Mechanisms involved in alien maples (Acer sp.) invasion process in the Central Europe. Testing hypotheses associated with species fitness
Authors: Ferus Peter
Published: June 2023

Maples (Acer sp.) are trees/shrubs of extraordinary aesthetic value, what favours them for wide utilisation in urban greenery. However, some of the non-native species became invasive in the new range and represent a threat to natural ecosystems. Therefore, after the definition of their frequency and planting history in Slovak cities and reinvestigation of ecological status, based on analysis of growth, reproduction biology, fruit dispersal, phenotypic plasticity and allelopathic potential, invasion hypotheses related to the species fitness were tested in non-invasive alien species, in respect of invasive box elder (A. negundo L.). Parks and residential areas from the socialistic era were dominated by silver maple (A. saccharinum L.) and private gardens by palm maple (A. palmatum Thunb.) cultivars. A shift to ´locally naturalised´ was confirmed in the former, and palm maple was taken into consideration in the alien flora list (as casual). The fastest growth was found in silver maple and box elder. The latter showed also extraordinary reproduction earliness, largest fruit production, flight range and seed viability. Specific leaf area mostly decreased in box elder towards summer, indicating its large phenotypic plasticity. However, the largest allelopathic effect was observed in silver maple. Hence, ´limiting similarity hypothesis´, ´ideal weed hypothesis´, ´propagule pressure hypothesis´ and ´phenotypic plasticity hypothesis´ were essential for box elder invasion success. On the other hand, ´ideal weed hypothesis´ and ´novel weapon hypothesis´ seem to be crucial for silver maple naturalisation. Palm maple failed in all studied aspects, indicating colonisation stage of the invasion process.
Transformer-Based Context Condensation for Boosting Feature Pyramids in Object Detection
Authors: Chen Zhe , Zhang Jing , Xu Yufei , Tao Dacheng
Published: June 2023

Current object detectors typically have a feature pyramid (FP) module for multi-level feature fusion (MFF) which aims to mitigate the gap between features from different levels and form a comprehensive object representation to achieve better detection performance. However, they usually require heavy cross-level connections or iterative refinement to obtain better MFF result, making them complicated in structure and inefficient in computation. To address these issues, we propose a novel and efficient context modeling mechanism that can help existing FPs deliver better MFF results while reducing the computational costs effectively. In particular, we introduce a novel insight that comprehensive contexts can be decomposed and condensed into two types of representations for higher efficiency. The two representations include a locally concentrated representation and a globally summarized representation, where the former focuses on extracting context cues from nearby areas while the latter extracts general contextual representations of the whole image scene as global context cues. By collecting the condensed contexts, we employ a Transformer decoder to investigate the relations between them and each local feature from the FP and then refine the MFF results accordingly. As a result, we obtain a simple and light-weight Transformer-based Context Condensation (TCC) module, which can boost various FPs and lower their computational costs simultaneously. Extensive experimental results on the challenging MS COCO dataset show that TCC is compatible to four representative FPs and consistently improves their detection accuracy by up to 7.8% in terms of average precision and reduce their complexities by up to around 20% in terms of GFLOPs, helping them achieve state-of-the-art performance more efficiently. Code will be released at https://github.com/zhechen/TCC.
Examining the Pathways from General Trust Through Social Connectedness to Subjective Wellbeing
Authors: Adedeji Adekunle , Olawa Babatola Dominic , Hanft-Robert Saskia , Olonisakin Tosin Tunrayo , Akintunde Tosin Yinka , Buchcik Johanna , Boehnke Klaus
Published: June 2023

The broad conceptualisation of wellbeing has allowed researchers to establish subjective wellbeing as a valid indicator of social development. However, changing social patterns, norms, and values suggest changes in how social determinants may predict subjective wellbeing. The current analysis tests a serial mediation hypothesis in which social participation and social resources mediate the effect of general trust on subjective wellbeing.

Data from 8725 participants were pooled from the German part of the European Social Survey (ESS) Wave 10. Structural models were estimated to access the path from general trust to subjective wellbeing (SWB). Three separate mediation analyses were performed to test (1) the indirect effect of general trust on SWB through social participation, (2) through social resources and (3) through social participation and social resources. A full-mediation model reveals the direct and indirect paths predicting SWB through general trust, social participation, and social resources. Gender, age, education, and household size were included as control variables.

The full-mediation model suggests significant results for direct paths from general trust to social participation, social resources, and SWB. Direct paths from social participation to social resources and SWB were also significant. However, the path from social resources to SWB became non-significant.

Results highlight general trust as a critical predictor of SWB. The finding that social participation is significant while social resources are not significant in a mediation model suggests that social participation directly affects wellbeing, independent of the effect of social resources. This highlights the importance of social participation in promoting wellbeing.
Trocar localisation for robot-assisted vitreoretinal surgery
Authors: Birch Jeremy , Da Cruz Lyndon , Rhode Kawal , Bergeles Christos
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Robot-assisted vitreoretinal surgery provides precise and consistent operations on the back of the eye. To perform this safely, knowledge of the surgical instrument’s remote centre of motion (RCM) and the location of the insertion point into the eye (trocar) is required. This enables the robot to align both positions to pivot the instrument about the trocar, thus preventing any damaging lateral forces from being exerted.

Methods

Building on a system developed in previous work, this study presents a trocar localisation method that uses a micro-camera mounted on a vitreoretinal surgical forceps, to track two ArUco markers attached on either side of a trocar. The trocar position is the estimated midpoint between the markers.

Results

Experimental evaluation of the trocar localisation was conducted. Results showed an RMSE of 1.82 mm for the localisation of the markers and an RMSE of 1.24 mm for the trocar localisation.

Conclusions

The proposed camera-based trocar localisation presents reasonable consistency and accuracy and shows improved results compared to other current methods. Optimum accuracy for this application would necessitate a 1.4 mm absolute error margin, which corresponds to the trocar’s radius. The trocar localisation results are successfully found within this margin, yet the marker localisation would require further refinement to ensure consistency of localisation within the error margin. Further work will refine these position estimates and ensure the error stays consistently within this boundary.
Transforming universities
Authors: Loorbach Derk A. , Wittmayer Julia
Published: June 2023

The dominant model of universities, especially in the social sciences, is often based upon academic disciplines, objectivity, and a linear knowledge-transfer model. It facilitates competition between academics, educating students for specific professions from an objective, descriptive, and neutral position. This paper argues that this institutional model of universities is inadequate to contribute effectively to societal transitions towards just and sustainable futures. Taking the Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), the Netherlands, as an example, this paper illustrates the problems with the dominant (twentieth century) model of universities in the social sciences and explores what strategies universities can develop to transform. It introduces the notions of transformative research and transformative education: transdisciplinary, collaborative, and action-oriented academic work that explicitly aims to support societal transitions. It presents the design impact transition (DIT) platform as an ‘institutional experiment’ at the EUR and a concerted and strategic effort that lays bare current lock-ins of the dominant university model and the kind of institutional work needed to transform universities.
Numerical Approaches to Pedestrian Impact Simulation with Human Body Models: A Review
Authors: Wdowicz Daniel , Ptak Mariusz
Published: June 2023

The review paper discusses numerical human body models of pedestrians. The background of current trends in physical and mathematical pedestrian research is presented. Development, validation and areas of application of pedestrian body models are described. The differences between multibody models and finite element models are presented. Accident-based and experimental approaches to validation of the models are discussed. As a novelty, this paper presents an overview of multibody models used in forensic investigations, discusses their usefulness, and differences between their design and the design of more advanced multibody and finite element models. Finally, the most recent trends in human body modelling are discussed, including open-source approaches to model distribution and replacement of physical tests by digital simulations.
Irish general practitioner (GP) perspectives on impact of direct access radiology on patient care in the community: results from a mixed-methods study
Authors: O’Callaghan Michael Edmund , Fawsitt Ronan , Gao Jiaran , Broughan John , McCombe Geoff , Phelan Amy , Quinlan Diarmuid , Collins Claire , Stanley Fintan , Cullen Walter
Published: June 2023

Background

Since winter 2020/21, general practitioners (GPs) in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) have been granted access to diagnostic imaging studies on a new publicly funded pathway, expediting access to services previously obtained via hospital-based doctors.

Aims

Outline GP perspectives on imaging studies obtained via the new “GP Access to Community Diagnostics” initiative.

Methods

A mixed-methods design was employed. Referrals over the first six months of 2019 and 2021 were collated by a private imaging provider, and a randomly selected subset of 2021 studies (maximum 30 referrals per GP) was returned to participating GPs to provide detail on the impact on each patient’s care. In-depth qualitative interviews were also conducted with participating GPs.

Results

Eleven GPs supplied detailed information on 81 studies organized through the new initiative. GPs reported that the initiative had led to a large proportion of cases being managed solely in general practice, with an 81% reduction in referrals to acute hospital settings and a 58% reduction in referrals to secondary care clinics. GPs felt imaging studies improved patient care in 86% of cases and increased GP workload in 58% of cases. GP qualitative interviews revealed four key themes: improved patient care, increased GP workload, reduction in hospital referrals, and opinions on ongoing management of such initiatives, including guidelines.

Conclusions

GPs felt enhancing access to diagnostics improved patient care by expediting diagnosis, decision-making, and treatment and by reducing hospital referrals. GPs were generally positive about the initiative and made some suggestions on future management of the initiative.
Le projet husserlien de réforme de la logique et ses prolongements chez Gian-Carlo Rota
Authors: Lobo Carlos
Published: June 2023

Gian-Carlo Rota est l’un des rares grands mathématiciens de la deuxième moitié du xxe siècle dont l’intérêt pour la logique formelle soit aussi ouvertement déclaré et ne se soit jamais démenti, depuis sa formation d’étudiant à Princeton jusqu’à ses derniers écrits. Plus exceptionnel encore, il fait partie des rares lecteurs assidus de Husserl à s’être aperçu que la phé-noménologie poursuivait un projet de réforme de la logique formelle. L’article propose d’attester l’existence d’un tel projet chez Husserl ; d’en examiner la réappropriation et les prolongements chez Rota.
La Fundierung selon Gian-Carlo Rota. Une option dynamique pour la phénoménologie
Authors: Lanciani Albino Attilio
Published: June 2023

Le concept de Fundierung est introduit dans la IIIe Recherche Logique de Husserl et, malgré sa fonctionnalité apparente, il n’est pratiquement plus utilisé dans la suite de son oeuvre. En revanche, ce concept manifeste une puissance latente que le travail de Gian-Carlo Rota permet d’exalter. Entre les mains du mathématicienphilosophe, la Fundierung devient l’un des piliers fondamentaux d’une logique phénoménologique encore in fieri. Une logique qui voudrait prendre ses distances tant avec la « logique philosophique » traditionnelle qu’avec la « logique mathématique » qui s’est désormais imposée en tant que standard de la rigueur et fascine souvent les philosophes. Cet article se propose de décrire comment l’interprétation de Rota enrichit le concept originel de Husserl et de quelle manière sa démarche ouvre la possibilité d’une évolution.
« Quels sont vos grands auteurs ? » Réflexions sur l’écriture et le style en mathématique
Authors: André Yves
Published: June 2023

Ce texte est la transposition d’un exposé de l’auteur à l’IRCAM dans le cadre du séminaire MaMuPhi où dialoguent mathématiciens, musiciens (compositeurs, interprètes, théoriciens) et philosophes. Ni glose sur les théories du style en mathématique, ni prolégomènes à une stylistique future, encore moins galerie de portraits d’auteurs, il s’agit d’un essai plutôt que d’une étude : un court essai, catalysé en partie par les caustiques « décalogues » de Gian-Carlo Rota, où l’on évalue la place de l’auteur et essaie de dégager les enjeux, essentiels plutôt que décoratifs, des questions d’écriture et de style dans la mathématique d’aujourd’hui.
Artificial Intelligence for Cognitive Health Assessment: State-of-the-Art, Open Challenges and Future Directions
Authors: Javed Abdul Rehman , Saadia Ayesha , Mughal Huma , Gadekallu Thippa Reddy , Rizwan Muhammad , Maddikunta Praveen Kumar Reddy , Mahmud Mufti , Liyanage Madhusanka , Hussain Amir
Published: June 2023

The subjectivity and inaccuracy of in-clinic Cognitive Health Assessments (CHA) have led many researchers to explore ways to automate the process to make it more objective and to facilitate the needs of the healthcare industry. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have emerged as the most promising approaches to automate the CHA process. In this paper, we explore the background of CHA and delve into the extensive research recently undertaken in this domain to provide a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art. In particular, a careful selection of significant works published in the literature is reviewed to elaborate a range of enabling technologies and AI/ML techniques used for CHA, including conventional supervised and unsupervised machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, natural language processing, and image processing techniques. Furthermore, we provide an overview of various means of data acquisition and the benchmark datasets. Finally, we discuss open issues and challenges in using AI and ML for CHA along with some possible solutions. In summary, this paper presents CHA tools, lists various data acquisition methods for CHA, provides technological advancements, presents the usage of AI for CHA, and open issues, challenges in the CHA domain. We hope this first-of-its-kind survey paper will significantly contribute to identifying research gaps in the complex and rapidly evolving interdisciplinary mental health field.
Isolation and Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria With Probiotic Attributes From Different Parts of the Gastrointestinal Tract of Free-living Wild Boars in Hungary
Authors: Keresztény Tibor , Libisch Balázs , Orbe Stephanya Corral , Nagy Tibor , Kerényi Zoltán , Kocsis Róbert , Posta Katalin , Papp Péter P. , Olasz Ferenc
Published: June 2023

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the microbiota play an important role in human and animal health and, when used as probiotics, can contribute to an increased growth performance in livestock management. Animals living in their native habitat can serve as natural sources of microorganisms, so isolation of LAB strains from wild boars could provide the opportunity to develop effective probiotics to improve production in swine industry. In this study, the probiotic potential of 56 LAB isolates, originated from the ileum, colon, caecum and faeces of 5 wild boars, were assessed in vitro in details. Their taxonomic identity at species level and their antibacterial activity against four representative strains of potentially pathogenic bacteria were determined. The ability to tolerate low pH and bile salt, antibiotic susceptibility, bile salt hydrolase activity and lack of hemolysis were tested. Draft genome sequences of ten Limosilactobacillus mucosae and three Leuconostoc suionicum strains were determined. Bioinformatic analysis excluded the presence of any known acquired antibiotic resistance genes. Three genes, encoding mesentericin B105 and two different bacteriocin-IIc class proteins, as well as two genes with possible involvement in mesentericin secretion (mesE) and transport (mesD) were identified in two L. suionicum strains. Lam29 protein, a component of an ABC transporter with proved function as mucin- and epithelial cell-adhesion factor, and a bile salt hydrolase gene were found in all ten L. mucosae genomes. Comprehensive reconsideration of all data helps to select candidate strains to assess their probiotic potential further in animal experiments.
Same-Sex Parenting in Italy: An Affective and Developmental Psychocultural Analysis
Authors: Carbone Agostino , Gennaro Alessandro , Valerio Paolo , Scandurra Cristiano
Published: June 2023

Introduction

The study focuses on the issue of same-sex parenting in Italy, one of the few Western countries where it is not legally permitted. The aim of the research is to collect the experience of parents who have had a child abroad through reproduction and/or gestation procedures not ratified and recognized by the national legal system.

Methods

The research involved 32 same-sex parents, specifically 22 mothers (Mage = 41.3; SD = 6.5) and 10 fathers (Mage = 43.8; SD = 7.4) of at least one child. Data were collected in the first part of 2022, using a narrative interview designed to collect parents’ representation of same-sex parenting in Italy. The interviews were analyzed using Emotional Textual Analysis, a text mining methodology for tracing the emotional dimensions of text.

Results

The factorial analysis generated four thematic clusters (1—loneliness; 2—denied rights; 3—starting a family; and 4—future of LGBTQ+ liberation process) and two factors (1—minority stress; 2—conservatorism).

Conclusions

The results highlight a strong cultural backwardness in Italy on LGBTQ+ parental rights. Participants experience the desire and the practice of being parents within a cultural framework that, in the absence of legislative norms that protect these forms of generativity, emphasizes their sense of difference and isolation.

Policy Implications

Future policies should be concerned with the need for cultural and legislative advances, supported by progressive movements and associations, as well as the development of psychological-clinical settings capable of supporting an emotional position in the parents based on trust about the context and the future.
Burnout im Homeoffice: Auswirkungen von Arbeitsanforderungen und Arbeitsressourcen im Homeoffice auf Burnout und Schlafqualität
Authors: Bogodistov Yevgen , Moormann Jürgen , Schweigkofler Mirjam
Published: June 2023

Die Zahl der Abwesenheiten von Mitarbeitenden aufgrund von Burnout steigt mit jedem Jahr weiter an. Gleichzeitig hat sich aufgrund der Corona-Pandemie der Trend zum Homeoffice als neue Arbeitsform massiv verstärkt. Für Unternehmen entsteht daraus die Notwendigkeit, ihre Mitarbeitenden darin zu unterstützen, mit diesen Veränderungen umzugehen. In dem vorliegenden Beitrag werden die Auswirkungen von Arbeitsanforderungen (Job Demands) und Arbeitsressourcen (Job Resources) im Homeoffice auf Burnout und Schlafqualität untersucht. Die empirischen Ergebnisse, die mittels einer Online-Umfrage erhoben wurden, zeigen, dass die Arbeitsanforderungen zum Auftreten von persönlichem und arbeitsbezogenem Burnout beitragen, während die Arbeitsressourcen keinen Effekt auf die Linderung von Burnout haben. Die Studie zeigt zudem, dass ein arbeitsbezogener Burnout das Risiko eines persönlichen Burnouts erhöht. Persönlicher Burnout erhöht die Schlaflosigkeit, während arbeitsbezogener Burnout die Schlaflosigkeit nur indirekt beeinflusst. Arbeitsanforderungen und Arbeitsressourcen erhöhen die Schlafprobleme nicht direkt; allerdings verschärfen die Arbeitsanforderungen indirekt (über Burnout) die Schlaflosigkeit. Die in dieser Arbeit gewonnenen Ergebnisse bilden den Grundstein für zukünftige Studien zum Themenbereich Neue Arbeitsformen, Burnout und Schlafqualität.

Praktische Relevanz: Die Arbeit im Homeoffice ist inzwischen in vielen Branchen zur Selbstverständlichkeit geworden. In diesem Beitrag wird anhand des Job Demands-Resources Model untersucht, inwiefern sich Arbeitsanforderungen und Arbeitsressourcen im Homeoffice-Bereich auf Burnout und Schlafqualität auswirken.
Treatment of Persistent Posttraumatic Headache with the Anti-CGRP Receptor Antibody Erenumab: a Case Report
Authors: Papenhoff Mike , Dudda Marcel
Published: June 2023

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) has only recently emerged as a potential target in posttraumatic headache. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a patient with persistent posttraumatic headache following severe traumatic head injury who has been treated with the CGRP receptor monoclonal antibody erenumab. A 56-year-old man presented with a 30-year history of frequent migraine-like posttraumatic headaches following a high-voltage head injury that he treated with an excessive intake of peripheral analgesics. Although amitriptyline was reasonably effective, it had to be discontinued when the patient developed restless legs syndrome in the second year of treatment. Under therapy with erenumab, he achieved a rapid and stable reduction in his symptoms down to only 2–3 headache days per month without adverse events. This case demonstrates that the inhibition of the CGRP-receptor with erenumab could be an effective treatment option in migraine-like posttraumatic headache even decades after the traumatic event.
Clostridioides difficile outbreak detection: Evaluation by ribotyping and whole-genome sequencing of a surveillance algorithm based on ward-specific cutoffs
Authors: Edman-Wallér Jon E. , Toepfer Michael , Karp Johan , Rizzardi Kristina , Jacobsson Gunnar , Werner Maria
Published: June 2023

Objective:

We evaluated the performance of an early-warning algorithm, based on ward-specific incidence cutoffs for detecting Clostridioides difficile transmission in hospitals. We also sought to determine the frequency of intrahospital Clostridioides difficile transmission in our setting.

Design:

Diagnostic performance of the algorithm was tested with confirmed transmission events as the comparison criterion. Transmission events were identified by a combination of high-molecular-weight typing, ward history, ribotyping, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS).

Setting:

The study was conducted in 2 major and 2 minor secondary-care hospitals with adjacent catchment areas in western Sweden, comprising a total population of ∼480,000 and ∼1,000 hospital beds.

Patients:

All patients with a positive PCR test for Clostridioides difficile toxin B during 2020 and 2021.

Methods:

We conducted culturing and high-molecular-weight typing of all positive clinical samples. Ward history was determined for each patient to find possible epidemiological links between patients with the same type. Transmission events were determined by PCR ribotyping followed by WGS.

Results:

We identified 4 clusters comprising a total of 10 patients (1.5%) among 673 positive samples that were able to be cultured and then typed by high-molecular-weight typing. The early-warning algorithm performed no better than chance; patient diagnoses were made at wards other than those where the transmission events likely occurred.

Conclusions:

In surveillance of potential transmission, it is insufficient to consider only the ward where diagnosis is made, especially in settings with high strain diversity. Transmission within wards occurs sporadically in our setting.
A NOTE ON THE GOORMAGHTIGH EQUATION CONCERNING DIFFERENCE SETS
Authors: FUJITA YASUTSUGU , LE MAOHUA
Published: June 2023

Let p be a prime and let r, s be positive integers. In this paper, we prove that the Goormaghtigh equation
$(x^m-1)/(x-1)=(y^n-1)/(y-1)$
,
$x,y,m,n \in {\mathbb {N}}$
,
$\min \{x,y\}>1$
,
$\min \{m,n\}>2$
with
$(x,y)=(p^r,p^s+1)$
has only one solution
$(x,y,m,n)=(2,5,5,3)$
. This result is related to the existence of some partial difference sets in combinatorics.
Magnetic Recording Stability of Taenite‐Containing Meteorites
Authors: Devienne José A. P. M. , Berndt Thomas A. , Williams Wyn , Nagy Lesleis
Published: June 2023

Sub‐μm taenite and tetrataenite grains observed in a number of (stony‐)iron meteorite groups are promising sources of paleomagnetic records in meteorites. While slowly‐cooled meteorites form tetrataenite—an extremely good recorder—, fast‐cooled meteorites may contain fine‐grained taenite, which was considered unsuitable for paleomagnetic studies. In this work, however, we show that nm‐sized taenite grains are stable over billion‐year timescales, indicating that taenite‐bearing meteorites are reliable sources of paleomagnetic information. We find a range of sizes for which taenite forms stable single‐domain structures, which coincides with the grain sizes observed in the cloudy zone of most fast cooled IVA meteorites. These meteorites, therefore, can provide reliable paleomagnetic information recorded as a stable crystallization remanent magnetization as taenite grains grown. Vortex states observed in larger (>50 nm) grain sizes are also highly stable, indicating that coarse‐grained taenite observed in meteoritic microstructures can also provide reliable records of paleomagnetic fields.
The March 1940 Superstorm: Geoelectromagnetic Hazards and Impacts on American Communication and Power Systems
Authors: Love Jeffrey J. , Rigler E. Joshua , Hartinger Michael D. , Lucas Greg M. , Kelbert Anna , Bedrosian Paul A.
Published: June 2023

An analysis is made of geophysical records of the 24 March 1940, magnetic storm and related reports of interference on long‐line communication and power systems across the contiguous United States and, to a lesser extent, Canada. Most long‐line system interference occurred during local daytime, after the second of two storm sudden commencements and during the early part of the storm's main phase. The high degree of system interference experienced during this storm is inferred to have been due to unusually large‐amplitude and unusually rapid geomagnetic field variation, possibly driven by interacting interplanetary coronal‐mass ejections. Geomagnetic field variation, in turn, induced geoelectric fields in the electrically conducting solid Earth, establishing large potential differences (voltages) between grounding points at communication depots and transformer substations connected by long transmission lines. It is shown that March 1940 storm‐time communication‐ and power‐system interference was primarily experienced over regions of high electromagnetic surface impedance, mainly in the upper Midwest and eastern United States. Potential differences measured on several grounded long lines during the storm exceeded 1‐min resolution voltages that would have been induced by the March 1989 storm. In some places, voltages exceeded American electric‐power‐industry benchmarks. It is concluded that the March 1940 magnetic storm was unusually effective at inducing geoelectric fields. Although modern communication systems are now much less dependent on long electrically conducting transmission lines, modern electric‐power‐transmission systems are more dependent on such lines, and they, thus, might experience interference with the future occurrence of a storm as effective as that of March 1940.
On a Possible Mechanism of Space Stem Formation in Negative Long Sparks
Authors: Zhao Xiangen , Popov Nikolay A. , Gan Quan , Ding Yuxuan , Du Yaping , He Junjia
Published: June 2023

To study the mechanism of space stem formation, the high‐speed direct imaging technique and Schlieren photography are used to simultaneously observe the space stems in a 1.35‐m air gap under the lightning impulse voltage. It is found that the average length and diameter of the space stem is approximately 5 and 0.5 mm, which is about 1/3 of the length and 1/10 of the diameter of the local luminous region respectively. Moreover, the space stem exhibits a non‐uniform distributed temperature with a maximum value of several hundred Kelvin for tens of microseconds. Accordingly, a possible mechanism is proposed that the space stem is formed at the primary corona streamer boundary as a result of the propagation of a secondary ionization wave from the HV electrode and survives long enough (to finish the polarization) due to the fast gas heating and production of atomic oxygen.
The Impacts of Gustiness on the Evolution of Surface Gravity Waves
Authors: Lyu Meng , Potter Henry , Collins Clarence O. , Yang Xin , Wang Xiaoqi
Published: June 2023

Surface gravity waves are formed by kinetic energy transfer across the air‐sea interface. Significant improvements have been made in understanding the influence of wind on the energy input of waves. However, the impact of gustiness remains underexplored, and little is known about the mechanisms through which gusts alter the wavy surface. In this study, we utilize three‐months observational data collected during the 2010 Impact of Typhoons on the Ocean in the Pacific experiment to investigate the relationship between waves and gustiness. Results show that gustiness increases sea roughness and wave energy, leading to wave development beyond the theoretical peak of Pierson‐Moskowitz spectrum. We further find that the Hasselmann enhancement factor linearly increases with gustiness, indicating gustiness alters the wave development. We suggest that this occurs via two pathways, first, through direct coupling between swell and gustiness which increases wave‐wave interaction, and second through instantaneous reduction in wave age.
Pore Pressure Drop During Dynamic Rupture and Conditions for Dilatancy Hardening
Authors: Parez S. , Kozakovic M. , Havlica J.
Published: June 2023

Pore pressure drop brought about by fault dilatancy during accelerating slip may suppress nucleation of earthquakes. Yet, direct measurements of pore pressure during dynamic slip are challenging to produce. We present results of a physics‐based model simulating onset of slip in saturated granular layers coupled to a constant fluid pressure reservoir. Grain rearrangements required for slip to commence induce incipient rapid dilatation during which the maximum pore pressure drop is generated. We find that up to a critical slip rate the pore pressure drop is consistent with a prediction derived for an incompressible fluid flow. In this “drained” regime, excess pore pressure is efficiently relaxed and has little effect on slip stability. Above the critical slip rate, marking the onset of undrained conditions, the pore pressure drop decays slowly, inhibits dilatation rate, and significantly increases strength of the layer, stabilizing the rupture growth. The magnitude of the pore pressure drop increases monotonically with the drainage number given as the ratio of the dilatation rate to a characteristic fluid infiltration rate. The pore pressure drop in the undrained regime also depends on a second non‐dimensional parameter, , where β is storage capacity, and is the effective normal stress. Low values of this parameter enhance localization of strain near the drained boundaries of the layer, promoting fluid flow into the layer. Our results can be used to better constrain drainage conditions associated with changes in slip rate, the magnitude of the generated pore pressure and the corresponding fault strengthening.
The Viscoplastic Behavior of Natural Hydrate‐Bearing Sandy‐Silts Under Uniaxial Strain Compression (K0 Loading)
Authors: Cardona Alejandro , Bhandari Athma R. , Heidari Mahdi , Flemings Peter B.
Published: June 2023

The in‐situ stress state and geomechanical properties of hydrate‐bearing sediments impact hydrate formation and gas production strategies. We explore the uniaxial strain compression and stress evolution of natural hydrate‐bearing sandy‐silts from Green Canyon Block 955 in the deep‐water Gulf of Mexico. We performed constant rate of strain uniaxial strain experiments, interrupted by periods where we held the axial stress constant, to explore the vertical deformation and the evolution of the ratio of lateral to axial effective stress (K0) with time. The hydrate‐bearing sandy‐silt is stiffer and has a larger K0 than the equivalent hydrate‐free sediment upon loading. During stress holds, the void ratio decreases sigmoidally with the log of time, and K0 converges to isotropic conditions. We interpret that during loading, the hydrate bears the load and deforms. With time, the hydrate redistributes the load and K0 increases. We used a viscoelastic model to describe the behavior. The model accurately captures deformation and K0 trends but does not reproduce all the complex interactions of the hydrate with the porous skeleton. We anticipate that viscous effects within hydrate sediments will impact reservoir compression and stresses during production (hours to days), result in isotropic stress state over geological timescales, and explain the creeping movement in submarine landslides.