bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asymptotics of the Determinant of Discrete Laplacians on Triangulated and Quadrangulated Surfaces
Authors: Izyurov Konstantin , Khristoforov Mikhail
Published: July 2022

Consider a surface$$\Omega $$Ωwith a boundary obtained by gluing together a finite number of equilateral triangles, or squares, along their boundaries, equipped with a vector bundle with a flat unitary connection. Let$$\Omega ^{\delta }$$Ωδbe a discretization of this surface, in which each triangle or square is discretized by a bi-periodic lattice of mesh size$$\delta $$δ, possessing enough symmetries so that these discretizations can be glued together seamlessly. We show that the logarithm of the product of non-zero eigenvalues of the discrete Laplacian acting on the sections of the bundle is asymptotic to$$\begin{aligned} A|\Omega ^{\delta }|+B|\partial \Omega ^{\delta }|+C\log \delta +D+o(1). \end{aligned}$$A|Ωδ|+B|∂Ωδ|+Clogδ+D+o(1).HereAandBare constants that depend only on the lattice,Cis an explicit constant depending on the bundle, the angles at conical singularities and at corners of the boundary, andDis a sum of lattice-dependent contributions from singularities and a universal term that can be interpreted as a zeta-regularization of the determinant of the continuum Laplacian acting on the sections of the bundle. We allow for Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions, or mixtures thereof. Our proof is based on an integral formula for the determinant in terms of theta function, and the functional Central limit theorem.
K-Theoretic DT/PT Correspondence for Toric Calabi–Yau 4-Folds
Authors: Cao Yalong , Kool Martijn , Monavari Sergej
Published: July 2022

Recently, Nekrasov discovered a new “genus” for Hilbert schemes of points on $${\mathbb {C}}^4$$

C

4

. We extend its definition to Hilbert schemes of curves and moduli spaces of stable pairs, and conjecture a K-theoretic DT/PT correspondence for toric Calabi–Yau 4-folds. We develop a K-theoretic vertex formalism, which allows us to verify our conjecture in several cases. Taking a certain limit of the equivariant parameters, we recover the cohomological DT/PT correspondence for toric Calabi–Yau 4-folds recently conjectured by the first two authors. Another limit gives a dimensional reduction to the K-theoretic DT/PT correspondence for toric 3-folds conjectured by Nekrasov–Okounkov. As an application of our techniques, we find a conjectural formula for the generating series of K-theoretic stable pair invariants of $$\text {Tot}_{{\mathbb {P}}^1}({\mathcal {O}}(-1) \oplus {\mathcal {O}}(-1) \oplus {\mathcal {O}})$$

Tot

P

1

(
O

(
-
1
)

⊕
O

(
-
1
)

⊕
O
)

. Upon dimensional reduction to the resolved conifold, we recover a formula which was recently proved by Kononov–Okounkov–Osinenko.
Co-cultivation of filamentous microorganisms in the presence of aluminum oxide microparticles
Authors: Boruta Tomasz , Antecka Anna
Published: July 2022

In the present work, the approaches of submerged co-cultivation and microparticle-enhanced cultivation (MPEC) were combined and evaluated over the course of three case studies. The filamentous fungus Aspergillus terreus was co-cultivated with Penicillium rubens, Streptomyces rimosus, or Cerrena unicolor in shake flasks with or without the addition of aluminum oxide microparticles. The influence of microparticles on the production of lovastatin, penicillin G, oxytetracycline, and laccase in co-cultures was compared with the effects recorded for the corresponding monocultures. In addition, the quantitative analyses of morphological parameters, sugars consumption, and by-products formation were performed. The study demonstrated that the influence of microparticles on the production of a given molecule in mono- and co-culture may differ considerably, e.g., the biosynthesis of oxytetracycline was shown to be inhibited due to the presence of aluminum oxide in “A. terreus vs. S. rimosus” co-cultivation variants but not in S. rimosus monocultures. The differences were also observed regarding the morphological characteristics, e.g., the microparticles-induced changes of projected area in the co-cultures and the corresponding monocultures were not always comparable. In addition, the study showed the importance of medium composition on the outcomes of MPEC, as exemplified by lovastatin production in A. terreus monocultures. Finally, the co-cultures of A. terreus with a white-rot fungus C. unicolor were described here for the first time.

Key points

• Aluminum oxide affects secondary metabolites production in submerged co-cultures.

• Mono- and co-cultures are differently impacted by the addition of aluminum oxide.

• Effect of aluminum oxide on metabolites production depends on medium composition.
COVID-19 vaccination and carditis in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chou Oscar Hou In , Mui Jonathan , Chung Cheuk To , Radford Danny , Ranjithkumar Simon , Evbayekha Endurance , Nam Ronald , Pay Levent , Satti Danish Iltaf , Garcia-Zamora Sebastian , Bazoukis George , Çinier Göksel , Lee Sharen , Vassiliou Vassilios S. , Liu Tong , Tse Gary , Wong Ian Chi Kei ,   the Cardiovascular Analytics Group, the International Health Informatics Study Network, Chou Oscar Hou In , Liu Tong , Tse Gary
Published: July 2022

Background

Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccination has been associated with the development of carditis, especially in children and adolescent males. However, the rates of these events in the global setting have not been explored in a systematic manner. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to investigate the rates of carditis in children and adolescents receiving COVID-19 vaccines.

Methods

PubMed, Embase and several Latin American databases were searched for studies. The number of events, and where available, at-risk populations were extracted. Rate ratios were calculated and expressed as a rate per million doses received. Subgroup analysis based on the dose administered was performed. Subjects ≤ 19 years old who developed pericarditis or myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination were included.

Results

A total of 369 entries were retrieved. After screening, 39 articles were included. Our meta-analysis found that 343 patients developed carditis after the administration of 12,602,625 COVID-19 vaccination doses (pooled rate per million: 37.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 23.57, 59.19). The rate of carditis was higher amongst male patients (pooled rate ratio: 5.04; 95% CI 1.40, 18.19) and after the second vaccination dose (pooled rate ratio: 5.60; 95% CI 1.97, 15.89). In 301 cases of carditis (281 male; mean age: 15.90 (standard deviation [SD] 1.52) years old) reported amongst the case series/reports, 261 patients were reported to have received treatment. 97.34% of the patients presented with chest pain. The common findings include ST elevation and T wave abnormalities on electrocardiography. Oedema and late gadolinium enhancement in the myocardium were frequently observed in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). The mean length of hospital stay was 3.91 days (SD 1.75). In 298 out of 299 patients (99.67%) the carditis resolved with or without treatment.

Conclusions

Carditis is a rare complication after COVID-19 vaccination across the globe, but the vast majority of episodes are self-limiting with rapid resolution of symptoms within days.

Graphical abstract

Central illustration. Balancing the benefits of vaccines on COVID-19-caused carditis and post-vaccination carditis.
Associations between food group intakes and circulating insulin-like growth factor-I in the UK Biobank: a cross-sectional analysis
Authors: Watling Cody Z. , Kelly Rebecca K. , Tong Tammy Y. N. , Piernas Carmen , Watts Eleanor L. , Tin Tin Sandar , Knuppel Anika , Schmidt Julie A. , Travis Ruth C. , Key Timothy J. , Perez-Cornago Aurora
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations have been positively associated with risk of several common cancers and inversely associated with risk of bone fractures. Intakes of some foods have been associated with increased circulating IGF-I concentrations; however, evidence remains inconclusive. Our aim was to assess cross-sectional associations of food group intakes with circulating IGF-I concentrations in the UK Biobank.

Methods

At recruitment, the UK Biobank participants reported their intake of commonly consumed foods. From these questions, intakes of total vegetables, fresh fruit, red meat, processed meat, poultry, oily fish, non-oily fish, and cheese were estimated. Serum IGF-I concentrations were measured in blood samples collected at recruitment. After exclusions, a total of 438,453 participants were included in this study. Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the associations of food group intakes with circulating IGF-I concentrations.

Results

Compared to never consumers, participants who reported consuming oily fish or non-oily fish ≥ 2 times/week had 1.25 nmol/L (95% confidence interval:1.19–1.31) and 1.16 nmol/L (1.08–1.24) higher IGF-I concentrations, respectively. Participants who reported consuming poultry ≥ 2 times/week had 0.87 nmol/L (0.80–0.94) higher IGF-I concentrations than those who reported never consuming poultry. There were no strong associations between other food groups and IGF-I concentrations.

Conclusions

We found positive associations between oily and non-oily fish intake and circulating IGF-I concentrations. A weaker positive association of IGF-I with poultry intake was also observed. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms which might explain these associations.
Real-time fMRI neurofeedback compared to cognitive behavioral therapy in a pilot study for the treatment of mild and moderate depression
Authors: Mel’nikov Mikhail Ye. , Bezmaternykh Dmitriy D. , Savelov Andrey A. , Petrovskiy Evgeniy D. , Kozlova Lyudmila I. , Natarova Kira A. , Larina Tatiana D. , Andamova Tatiana M. , Zvyagintsev Mikhail , Shtark Mark B. , Mathiak Klaus
Published: July 2022

Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) neurofeedback was found to reduce depressive symptoms. However, no direct comparison of drug-free patients with an active psychotherapy control group is available. The present study compared rt-fMRI neurofeedback with cognitive behavioral therapy, as the standard treatment in patients declining anti-depressants. Twenty adult, drug-free patients with mild or moderate depression were non-randomly assigned either to a course of eight half-hour sessions of neurofeedback targeting the left medial prefrontal cortex (N = 12) or to a 16-session course of cognitive behavioral therapy (N = 8). Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale was introduced at baseline, mid-treatment, and end-treatment points. In each group, 8 patients each remained in the study to a mid-treatment evaluation and 6 patients each to the study end-point. ANOVA revealed a depression reduction with a significant effect of Time (F(3,6) = 19.0, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.76). A trend to greater improvement in the cognitive behavioral therapy group compared to neurofeedback emerged (Group × Time; p = 0.078). Percent signal change in the region of interest between up- and down-regulation conditions was significantly correlated with session number (Pearson’s r = 0.85, p < 0.001) indicating a learning effect. As limitations, small sample size could lead to insufficient power and non-random allocation to selection bias. Both neurofeedback and cognitive behavioral therapy improved mild and moderate depression. Neurofeedback was not superior to cognitive behavioral therapy. Noteworthy, the neurofeedback training course was associated with continuous improvement in the self-regulation skill, without plateau. This study delivers data to plan clinical trials comparing neurofeedback with cognitive behavioral interventions.
The spectrum of chromosomal translocations in the Arab world: ethnic-specific chromosomal translocations and their relevance to diseases
Authors: Zedan Hadeel T. , Ali Fatma H. , Zayed Hatem
Published: July 2022

Chromosomal translocations (CTs) are the most common type of structural chromosomal abnormalities in humans. CTs have been reported in several studies in the Arab world, but the frequency and spectrum of these translocations are not well characterized. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review to estimate the frequency and spectrum of CTs in the 22 Arab countries. Four literature databases were searched: PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science, from the time of inception until July 2021. A combination of broad search terms was used to collect all possible CTs reported in the Arab world. In addition to the literature databases, all captured CTs were searched in three chromosomal rearrangement databases (Mitelman Database, CytoD 1.0 Database, and the Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics in Oncology and Hematology), along with PubMed and Google Scholar, to check whether the CTs are unique to the Arabs or shared between Arabs and non-Arabs. A total of 9,053 titles and abstracts were screened, of which 168 studies met our inclusion criteria, and 378 CTs were identified in 15 Arab countries, of which 57 CTs were unique to Arab patients. Approximately 89% of the identified CTs involved autosomal chromosomes. Three CTs, t(9;22), t(13;14), and t(14;18), showed the highest frequency, which were associated with hematological malignancies, recurrent pregnancy loss, and follicular lymphoma, respectively. Complex CTs were commonly reported among Arabs, with a total of 44 CTs, of which 12 were unique to Arabs. This is the first study to focus on the spectrum of CTs in the Arab world and compressively map the ethnic-specific CTs relevant to cancer. It seems that there is a distinctive genotype of Arabs with CTs, of which some manifested with unique clinical phenotypes. Although ethnic-specific CTs are highly relevant to disease mechanism, they are understudied and need to be thoroughly addressed.
Risk factors and outcome of hyperammonaemia in people with epilepsy
Authors: Vakrinou Angeliki , Murphy Elaine , Sisodiya Sanjay M. , Vivekananda Umesh , Balestrini Simona
Published: July 2022

Background

Hyperammonaemia is a recognised complication of antiseizure treatment but risk factors leading to individual patient susceptibility and outcome remain unclear.

Objective

To identify risk factors for hyperammonaemia and investigate the impact of its management on clinical outcomes.

Methods

We carried out a retrospective observational study of adults with epilepsy who had ammonia tested over a 3-year period. Hyperammonaemia was defined as ammonia level > 35 μmol/L. Patients were classified into two groups: hyperammonaemic and non-hyperammonaemic. Association analyses and linear regression analysis were used to identify risk factors for hyperammonaemia.

Results

We reviewed 1002 ammonia requests in total and identified 76 people with epilepsy who had ammonia concentration measured, including 26 with repeated measurements. 59/76 (78%) were found to have hyperammonaemia. There was borderline statistical significance of hyperammonaemia being less common in patients with an established monogenic/metabolic condition than in those with structural or cryptogenic epilepsy (P = 0.05). Drug resistance, exposure to stiripentol and oxcarbazepine were identified as risk factors for hyperammonaemia. We found a dose-dependent association between valproate and hyperammonaemia (P = 0.033). Clinical symptoms were reported in 22/59 (37%) of the hyperammonaemic group. Improved clinical outcomes with concurrent decrease in ammonia concentration were seen in 60% of patients following treatment adjustment.

Conclusions

Drug resistance and exposure to stiripentol, oxcarbazepine or high-dose valproate are associated with an increased risk of hyperammonaemia. Clinicians should consider symptoms related to hyperammonaemia in patients on high-dose valproate or multiple antiseizure treatments. Prompt identification of hyperammonaemia and subsequent treatment adjustments can lead to improved clinical outcomes.
Protective effects of education on the cognitive decline in a mental rotation task using real models: a pilot study with middle and older aged adults
Authors: Rahe Martina , Quaiser-Pohl Claudia
Published: July 2022

Mental rotation is the ability to rotate objects in one’s mind. Large age-related decreases in accuracy and processing time are often found in studies using paper-and-pencil or computerized mental rotation tests. For older participants, these tests are often too difficult. In the present study, real models consisting of cube figures were used to assess the mental rotation performance of middle and older aged adults. It should be investigated whether these tests were comparable to paper-and-pencil or chronometric tests and if very old participants were able to solve them. Eighty-four participants (49 females) between 40 and 90 years took part and were divided into middle (40–68 years) and older aged (69–90 years) and groups with higher (with college degree) and lower education (without college degree). For accuracy, main effects of gender and age group as well as interactions of age group and education were found. Younger participants outperformed older ones only in the group with lower education. For processing time, a main effect of age group as well as an interaction of age group and education was found. The age-related cognitive decline in the higher educated group was moderate, while a large effect appeared for the group without college degree. Age and gender effects of our new test with real objects were comparable to paper–pencil and computerized tests. Furthermore, a protective effect of education on the cognitive decline in mental rotation performance is discussed.
Real world data on IO-based therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Stühler Viktoria , Herrmann Lisa , Rausch Steffen , Stenzl Arnulf , Bedke Jens
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Immune-based (IO)-combinations are the backbone in the systemic therapy of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Despite phase III clinical trial data, real world data are of special importance to reflect clinical practice.

Methods

This retrospective study included 201 mRCC patients receiving first-line systemic therapy from January 2006. Clinicopathological and treatment-related data were recorded. Progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Kaplan–Meier analysis.

Results

Over the years, IO-based therapies have increased significantly. The collective comprises 76 patients with first-line IO-based therapy (IO-IO:55, TKI-IO:21) and 125 patients with TKI-monotherapy. PFS was significantly improved with TKI-IO combinations if compared to both TKI-monotherapy (23.9 vs. 10.3 months, HR 0.48, p = 0.034) and IO-IO combination (23.9 vs. 6.1 months, HR 0.37, p = 0.012). OS for TKI-IO treated patients was longer compared to TKI-monotherapy (HR 0.37, p = 0.050) at median follow-up of 24.1 versus 29.9 months. In a subanalysis of nivolumab treated patients, starting from second-line (n = 40), PFS was 5.5 months. The addition of nivolumab either in second-or later lines improved OS compared to repeated TKI- or mTOR-therapies alone (6.13 vs. 2.61 years, HR 0.46, p = 0.003).

Conclusion

Both first-line IO-based combinations and nivolumab after first-line TKI-monotherapy prolong OS in a real-world setting.
A survey of historical document image datasets
Authors: Nikolaidou Konstantina , Seuret Mathias , Mokayed Hamam , Liwicki Marcus
Published: July 2022

This paper presents a systematic literature review of image datasets for document image analysis, focusing on historical documents, such as handwritten manuscripts and early prints. Finding appropriate datasets for historical document analysis is a crucial prerequisite to facilitate research using different machine learning algorithms. However, because of the very large variety of the actual data (e.g., scripts, tasks, dates, support systems, and amount of deterioration), the different formats for data and label representation, and the different evaluation processes and benchmarks, finding appropriate datasets is a difficult task. This work fills this gap, presenting a meta-study on existing datasets. After a systematic selection process (according to PRISMA guidelines), we select 65 studies that are chosen based on different factors, such as the year of publication, number of methods implemented in the article, reliability of the chosen algorithms, dataset size, and journal outlet. We summarize each study by assigning it to one of three pre-defined tasks: document classification, layout structure, or content analysis. We present the statistics, document type, language, tasks, input visual aspects, and ground truth information for every dataset. In addition, we provide the benchmark tasks and results from these papers or recent competitions. We further discuss gaps and challenges in this domain. We advocate for providing conversion tools to common formats (e.g., COCO format for computer vision tasks) and always providing a set of evaluation metrics, instead of just one, to make results comparable across studies.
Finding geodesics joining given points
Authors: Noakes Lyle , Zhang Erchuan
Published: July 2022

Finding a geodesic joining two given points in a complete path-connected Riemannian manifold requires much more effort than determining a geodesic from initial data. This is because it is much harder to solve boundary value problems than initial value problems. Shooting methods attempt to solve boundary value problems by solving a sequence of initial value problems, and usually need a good initial guess to succeed. The present paper finds a geodesic$$\gamma :[0,1]\rightarrow M$$γ:[0,1]→Mon the Riemannian manifoldMwithγ(0) =x0andγ(1) =x1by dividing the interval [0,1] into several sub-intervals, preferably just enough to enable a good initial guess for the boundary value problem on each subinterval. Then a geodesic joining consecutive endpoints (local junctions) is found by single shooting. Our algorithm then adjusts the junctions, either (1) by minimizing the total squared norm of the differences between associated geodesic velocities using Riemannian gradient descent, or (2) by solving a nonlinear system of equations using Newton’s method. Our algorithm is compared with the knownleapfrog algorithmby numerical experiments on a 2-dimensional ellipsoid Ell(2) and on a left-invariant 3-dimensional special orthogonal groupSO(3). We find Newton’s method (2) converges much faster than leapfrog when more junctions are needed, and that a good initial guess can be found for (2) by starting with Riemannian gradient descent method (1).
Intersectional Stigma and Implementation of HIV Prevention and Treatment Services for Adolescents Living with and at Risk for HIV: Opportunities for Improvement in the HIV Continuum in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Embleton Lonnie , Logie Carmen H. , Ngure Kenneth , Nelson LaRon , Kimbo Liza , Ayuku David , Turan Janet M. , Braitstein Paula
Published: July 2022

Adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically adolescent girls and young women, young men who have sex with men, transgender persons, persons who use substances, and adolescents experiencing homelessness experience intersectional stigma, have a high incidence of HIV and are less likely to be engaged in HIV prevention and care. We conducted a thematic analysis informed by the Health and Discrimination Framework using a multiple case study design with five case studies in 3 sub-Saharan African countries. Our analysis found commonalities in adolescents’ intersectional stigma experiences across cases, despite different contexts. We characterize how intersectional stigma impacts the uptake and implementation of HIV prevention and treatment services along the continuum for adolescents. Findings reveal how intersectional stigma operates across social-ecological levels and worsens HIV-related outcomes for adolescents. We identify opportunities for implementation science research to address stigma-related barriers to the uptake and delivery of HIV services for adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.
Incorporating causality in energy consumption forecasting using deep neural networks
Authors: Sharma Kshitij , Dwivedi Yogesh K. , Metri Bhimaraya
Published: July 2022

Forecasting energy demand has been a critical process in various decision support systems regarding consumption planning, distribution strategies, and energy policies. Traditionally, forecasting energy consumption or demand methods included trend analyses, regression, and auto-regression. With advancements in machine learning methods, algorithms such as support vector machines, artificial neural networks, and random forests became prevalent. In recent times, with an unprecedented improvement in computing capabilities, deep learning algorithms are increasingly used to forecast energy consumption/demand. In this contribution, a relatively novel approach is employed to use long-term memory. Weather data was used to forecast the energy consumption from three datasets, with an additional piece of information in the deep learning architecture. This additional information carries the causal relationships between the weather indicators and energy consumption. This architecture with the causal information is termed as entangled long short term memory. The results show that the entangled long short term memory outperforms the state-of-the-art deep learning architecture (bidirectional long short term memory). The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed in terms of decision-making and energy management systems.
Supporting thinking about thinking: examining the metacognition theory-practice gap in higher education
Authors: Dennis Jayne L. , Somerville Matthew P.
Published: July 2022

Metacognition is the knowledge and regulation of one’s cognition and has been associated with academic performance across all levels of education, including higher education (HE). Previously, a gap has been reported between extensive metacognition research and elaboration of theory versus minimal inclusion of metacognition in teaching practice in primary and secondary education. The present study investigated whether this theory-practice gap extends to HE. Furthermore, we took a novel approach to evaluating academics’ broad and implicit inclusion of metacognitive supportive practices (MSPs) in their teaching practice. A questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to evaluate awareness of metacognition and inclusion of 16 MSPs in undergraduate teaching among 72 academics in scientific disciplines at a UK research-intensive university. We found that a minority of academics (27/72, 37.5%) were familiar with metacognition and, of those who were, they typically emphasised knowledge of cognition, rather than regulation of cognition. Nonetheless, all respondents incorporated at least two MSPs in their teaching, although typically in a limited fashion, emphasising knowledge and understanding of discipline content rather than cognitive regulation. Compared to academics without a teaching qualification, respondents holding or working towards a teaching qualification used significantly more MSPs, earlier in their career, and used significantly more MSPs aligned with regulation of cognition. This study demonstrates that the metacognition theory-practice gap extends to HE and highlights the scope for staff development programmes to better support students’ metacognitive development relevant for their studies and post-graduation careers.
Adoption of Artificial Intelligence and Cutting-Edge Technologies for Production System Sustainability: A Moderator-Mediation Analysis
Authors: Chatterjee Sheshadri , Chaudhuri Ranjan , Kamble Sachin , Gupta Shivam , Sivarajah Uthayasankar
Published: July 2022

Cutting-edge technologies like big data analytics (BDA), artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, blockchain, and digital twins have a profound impact on the sustainability of the production system. In addition, it is argued that turbulence in technology could negatively impact the adoption of these technologies and adversely impact the sustainability of the production system of the firm. The present study has demonstrated that the role of technological turbulence as a moderator could impact the relationships between the sustainability the of production system with its predictors. The study further analyses the mediating role of operational sustainability which could impact the firm performance. A theoretical model has been developed that is underpinned by dynamic capability view (DCV) theory and firm absorptive capacity theory. This model was verified by PLS-SEM with 412 responses from various manufacturing firms in India. There exists a positive and significant influence of AI and other cutting-edge technologies for keeping the production system sustainable.
The Eurovision Song Contest: voting rules, biases and rationality
Authors: Ginsburgh Victor , Moreno-Ternero Juan D.
Published: July 2022

We analyze and evaluate the rules and results at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. We first concentrate on the various voting procedures and explore several alternatives (inspired by classical contributions in social choice and game theory) that could make a difference for the results. We also discuss other important issues, such as simplicity, contrast effects and whether experts are better judges than tele-voters. Our findings raise the question of whether the voting procedures used by the Eurovision Song Contest authorities are fail-safe. We endorse instead the use of the so-called Shapley voting procedure for judges as well as tele-voters.
Mother-Child Relationship Representations of Children Born of Sexual Violence in Post-WWII Germany
Authors: Roupetz Sophie , Stein Jacob Y. , Anderson Kimberley , Kaiser Marie , Mitreuter Saskia , Glaesmer Heide
Published: July 2022

It is estimated around 1.9 million German women were raped in the post-World War II period. Unwanted pregnancies were common and many women went on to raise these children born of sexual violence (CBSV). Now more than 70 years later, we sought to explore the perceptions of past and present relationships of CBSV with their mothers. Using a combination of qualitative methodologies, we analyzed autobiographical interviews of participants born between 1945–1955 across Germany. Narratives were first coded for mother-child content (allowing a comparison between participants), and later examined as a holistic unit (to address within-participant data). Three categories of mother-child relationships were identified: conflictual relationships, an emotionally absent parent, and positive upbringings. By employing a collective case study, we were then able to place these along three axes of relationality that positioned the participants’ perception of their relationships with their mothers and allowed interactions between the different perceived roles in those relationships to emerge: accountability and agency vs. exoneration and victimhood of the mother; accountability and agency vs. exoneration and victimhood of the child and longing vs. detachment. This study complements other research among those born during post-WWII occupation in Germany and Austria and highlights the diverse experiences CBSV have with their mothers. It serves as a reminder of the necessity for personal narratives to continue being documented, particularly given the frequency with which children are born of sexual violence in conflicts today. Appreciating the potential life-long impact for these individuals is key to initiating change.
Stay home, stay safe? High habitat suitability and environmental connectivity increases road mortality in a colonizing mesocarnivore
Authors: Frangini Lorenzo , Sterrer Ursula , Franchini Marcello , Pesaro Stefano , Rüdisser Johannes , Filacorda Stefano
Published: July 2022

Context

Anthropogenic structures have considerable effects on ecosystems, disrupting natural population processes and representing a serious risk in terms of vehicle collisions. The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is a mesocarnivore species whose range is expanding in Europe. Roadkills are one of the main human-induced mortalities in Italy to the species.

Objectives

Identify road-related characteristics and ecological factors related to golden jackal roadkill risk in Italy.

Methods

We used habitat suitability (Maxent) and connectivity (Circuit theory) models to derive 15 metrics potentially affecting roadkill risk. We tested their influence using Bayesian generalized linear models and generalized linear models comparing golden jackal roadkill locations to random locations. Furthermore, we tested if there were significant sex, age-related and seasonal differences among road-killed individuals.

Results

We found that roadkill risk was higher in areas characterized by higher values of habitat suitability and connectivity, habitat fragmentation and along highways. It was lower with increasing distance to the source population and in the presence of guardrails. No significant differences were detected in terms of roadkill risk between sexes, age classes and season

Conclusions

The identified factors affecting road mortality of golden jackals in Italy provide insights on how to mitigate wildlife-vehicle collisions. Crossing areas, and visual and acoustic warnings for wildlife, as well as the importance of managing fences along high traffic volume roads could help mitigate further damage. Finally, there is a need to further investigate the effectiveness of mitigation measures in the light of the golden jackal’s ongoing expansion in a human-modified landscape.
New and emerging forms of data and technologies: literature and bibliometric review
Authors: Radanliev Petar , De Roure David
Published: July 2022

With the increased digitalisation of our society, new and emerging forms of data present new values and opportunities for improved data driven multimedia services, or even new solutions for managing future global pandemics (i.e., Disease X). This article conducts a literature review and bibliometric analysis of existing research records on new and emerging forms of multimedia data. The literature review engages with qualitative search of the most prominent journal and conference publications on this topic. The bibliometric analysis engages with statistical software (i.e. R) analysis of Web of Science data records. The results are somewhat unexpected. Despite the special relationship between the US and the UK, there is not much evidence of collaboration in research on this topic. Similarly, despite the negative media publicity on the current relationship between the US and China (and the US sanctions on China), the research on this topic seems to be growing strong. However, it would be interesting to repeat this exercise after a few years and compare the results. It is possible that the effect of the current US sanctions on China has not taken its full effect yet.
Digital Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting in the Water Industry
Authors: Almeida Rita , Pérez-López José Ángel , Abreu Rute
Published: July 2022

Companies in the Water Industry present digital Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda and, also, the social and environmental commitment to their stakeholders through the websites. The purpose of this research is to assess the digital CSR in Portuguese companies of the Water Industry. Furthermore, the research examines factors that impacts on the digital status of the online disclosure. The authors analyze the CSR information published on their websites of the Portuguese companies, operating in bottle water industry using empirical analysis. The data was collected based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI 2021a) standards that details the level of disclosure in this industry and highlight areas of underreporting. The results point to factors that need to improve to companies’ digital CSR report good practices and weak points based on the companies’ size, number of employees and turnover as factors that influence this level of disclosure.
Inverse Flood Routing Using Simplified Flow Equations
Authors: Gąsiorowski Dariusz , Szymkiewicz Romuald
Published: July 2022

The paper considers the problem of inverse flood routing in reservoir operation strategy. The aim of the work is to investigate the possibility of determining the hydrograph at the upstream end based on the hydrograph required at the downstream end using simplified open channel flow models. To accomplish this, the linear kinematic wave equation, the diffusive wave equation and the linear Muskingum equation are considered. To achieve the hydrograph at the upstream end, an inverse solution of the afore mentioned equations with backward integration in the x direction is carried out. The numerical solution of the kinematic wave equation and the Muskingum equation bases on the finite difference scheme. It is shown that both these equations are able to provide satisfying results because of their exceptional properties related to numerical diffusion. In the paper, an alternative approach to solve the inverse routing using the diffusive wave model is also presented. To this end, it is described by a convolution which involves the instantaneous unit hydrograph (IUH) corresponding to the linear diffusive wave equation. Consequently, instead of a solution of partial or ordinary differential equations, the integral equation with Laguerre polynomials, used for the expansion of the upstream hydrograph, is solved. It was shown that the convolution approach is more reliable comparing to the inverse solution of the simplified models in the form of differential equations.
Human induced fish declines in North America, how do agricultural pesticides compare to other drivers?
Authors: Brain Richard Aaron , Prosser Ryan Scott
Published: July 2022

Numerous anthropogenic factors, historical and contemporary, have contributed to declines in the abundance and diversity of freshwater fishes in North America. When Europeans first set foot on this continent some five hundred years ago, the environment was ineradicably changed. Settlers brought with them diseases, animals, and plants via the Columbian Exchange, from the old world to the new, facilitating a process of biological globalization. Invasive species were thus introduced into the Americas, displacing native inhabitants. Timber was felled for ship building and provisioning for agriculture, resulting in a mass land conversion for the purposes of crop cultivation. As European colonization expanded, landscapes were further modified to mitigate against floods and droughts via the building of dams and levees. Resources have been exploited, and native populations have been overfished to the point of collapse. The resultant population explosion has also resulted in wide-spread pollution of aquatic resources, particularly following the industrial and agricultural revolutions. Collectively, these activities have influenced the climate and the climate, in turn, has exacerbated the effects of these activities. Thus, the anthropogenic fingerprints are undeniable, but relatively speaking, which of these transformative factors has contributed most significantly to the decline of freshwater fishes in North America? This manuscript attempts to address this question by comparing and contrasting the preeminent drivers contributing to freshwater fish declines in this region in order to provide context and perspective. Ultimately, an evaluation of the available data makes clear that habitat loss, obstruction of streams and rivers, invasive species, overexploitation, and eutrophication are the most important drivers contributing to freshwater fish declines in North America. However, pesticides remain a dominant causal narrative in the popular media, despite technological advancements in pesticide development and regulation. Transitioning from organochlorines to organophosphates/carbamates, to pyrethroids and ultimately to the neonicotinoids, toxicity and bioaccumulation potential of pesticides have all steadily decreased over time. Concomitantly, regulatory frameworks designed to assess corresponding pesticide risks in Canada and the USA have become increasingly more stringent and intensive. Yet, comparatively, habitat loss continues unabated as agricultural land is ceded to the frontier of urban development, globalized commerce continues to introduce invasive species into North America, permanent barriers in the form of dams and levees remain intact, fish are still being extracted from native habitats (commercially and otherwise), and the climate continues to change. How then should we make sense of all these contributing factors? Here, we attempt to address this issue.
A state-dependent hyperelastic-plastic constitutive model considering shear-induced particle breakage in granular soils
Authors: Irani Nazanin , Lashkari Ali , Tafili Merita , Wichtmann Torsten
Published: July 2022

An elastic–plastic constitutive model considering particle breakage for simulation of crushable granular soils behavior is proposed. In the model, elastic strain rates are derived from a modified Helmholtz free energy function, and the influence of plastic shear work-induced particle breakage on the elastic properties of sand is taken into account as an elastic–plastic coupling mechanism. A stress ratio-driven mechanism is employed for calculation of the plastic strain rates. The proposed model is capable of tracking the evolution of the grain size distribution (GSD) due to shear-induced particle breakage. The evolving breakage index of Einav (2007) (J Mech Phys Solids 55(6):1274–1297, 2007) is interrelated to the plastic shear work to avoid overestimation of shear-induced particle breakage in loose sands. A direct comparison between the model simulations and laboratory data has been carried out for five series of drained/undrained monotonic and cyclic triaxial tests covering a wide range of initial states. For the sake of comparison, predicted behaviors from a hypoplastic constitutive model specially developed for crushable granular soils are also included. It is shown that the proposed constitutive model can provide reasonable predictions using a single set of parameters for each series of the laboratory data.
Sensitive detection for nicotine using nickel/copper nanoparticle–modified carbon paste electrode
Authors: Zaki M. , Shafie Ezz El , Abdel-Gawad Soha A. , Fekry Amany M. , Shehata M.
Published: July 2022

The need of quick testing of nicotine (NIC) is vital because of its hurtful impacts on human. NIC detection has been successfully developed using a novel sensitive simple electrochemical sensor. The sensor system is based on modifying a carbon paste electrode (CPE) using Ni and Cu nanoparticles to develop the new nickel/copper nanoparticle–modified carbon paste electrode (NCNMCPE) with low-cost and simple procedure. The sensor showed excellent electrocatalytic activity for NIC oxidation in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0) at a lower voltage of 1.3 V, with a linear response from 6.0 to 1000.0 µM. The detection limit (LOD) was estimated to be 0.14 nM. The sensing performance of the NCNMCPE for the electro-oxidation of NIC was examined utilizing cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) techniques were used to achieve surface characteristics.
Comprehensive Analysis of Improvements in Health-Related Quality of Life and Establishment of QALY Gains in a Government-Funded Bariatric Surgical Program with 5-Year Follow-up
Authors: Chadwick Chiara , Burton Paul R. , Reilly Jennifer , Playfair Julie , Laurie Cheryl , Shaw Kalai , Brown Wendy A.
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Bariatric surgery is an efficacious intervention for substantial and sustained weight reduction in individuals with morbid obesity resulting in health improvements. However, the changes to a patient’s health related quality of life (HRQoL) in the medium to longer term after bariatric surgery have not been adequately characterized. Our aim was to evaluate the change to patient HRQoL 5 years following bariatric surgery in an Australian government-funded hospital system and determine the significance of relationships between change in physical and mental assessment scores and HRQoL utility scores.

Materials and Methods

We performed a longitudinal panel study of 81 adult patients who underwent primary bariatric surgery at an Australian tertiary government-funded hospital and completed multi-attribute utility (MAU), multi-attribute non-utility (MA), and disease-specific adjusted quality of life (AQoL) questionnaires before and after bariatric surgery.

Results

At a mean (SD) 5.72 (1.07) years postbariatric surgery, participants demonstrated statistically significant improvements in mean AQoL-8D utility (0.135 (0.21); P < 0.0001), yielding a mean 3.2 (1.67) QALYs gained. Beck Depression Inventory-II scores improved (baseline mean 17.35 (9.57); 5-year mean 14.7 (11.57); P = 0.037). Short Form-36 scores improved in the domains of physical functioning and role limitations due to physical health and general health. Change in depression scores and patient satisfaction with surgery were found to be significant predictors of follow up AQoL utility scores.

Conclusions

Bariatric surgery improves physical and psychological quality of life measures over 5 years. The improvement of patient QALYs provide insight to the potential cost utility of publicly funded bariatric surgery in the medium term.

Graphical abstract
Demands and challenges for construction of marine infrastructures in China
Authors: Li Huajun , Liu Yong , Liang Bingchen , Liu Fushun , Wu Guoxiang , Du Junfeng , Hou Huimin , Li Aijun , Shi Luming
Published: July 2022

The oceans are crucial to human civilization. They provide core support for exploitation and utilization of marine space, resources, and energy. Thus, marine infrastructures are vital to a nation’s economic sustainable development. To this end, this article first describes the main challenges in current ocean utilization, and then reviews the China’s ocean engineering progress. As such, six major sectors are evaluated: 1) global climate change and marine environment, 2) comprehensive utilization of marine space, 3) marine transportation infrastructure interconnection, 4) ocean clean energy development and maricultural facilities, 5) ecological crisis and marine engineering countermeasures, and 6) marine infrastructure operation safety and maintenance. Finally, perspectives on future directions of ocean utilization and marine infrastructure construction in China are provided.
Tenecteplase or Alteplase: What Is the Thrombolytic Agent of the Future?
Authors: Mahmood Ammad , Muir Keith W.
Published: July 2022

Purpose of review

Alteplase has been the thrombolytic of choice for acute ischaemic stroke for more than two decades. A thrombolytic which is easier to administer and with improved or comparable safety and efficacy is desirable. Tenecteplase has emerged as a potential successor, and its off-license use in acute ischaemic stroke has increased in recent years. We aimed to examine the evidence base for each drug and discuss their use in varying patient populations in acute ischaemic stroke.

Recent findings

Several trials comparing tenecteplase and alteplase have reported very recently with the results of the ACT trial strengthening the argument in favour of non-inferiority of tenecteplase to alteplase. Ongoing trials such as ATTEST-2 are of interest, and trials such as TASTE and TEMPO-2 will shed further light on use of tenecteplase in specific populations.

A single thrombolytic agent for all indications for thrombolysis in acute ischaemic stroke is desirable in streamlining workflows. Based on recent and upcoming trials, guidelines may soon recommend tenecteplase as a suitable alternative to alteplase. The use of tenecteplase in specific subgroups will depend on further recruitment to ongoing clinical trials.