bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal variations in water quality of a river–lake system during restoration treatments
Authors: Rosińska Joanna , Rybak Michał , Kowalczewska-Madura Katarzyna , Dondajewska-Pielka Renata , Kozak Anna , Gołdyn Ryszard
Published: August 2022

To fill the knowledge gap about the functioning of the lake–river system subjected to restoration treatments, two tributaries, a shallow, restored lake and its outflow, were examined. The quality of water inflows, lake and outflow was compared before (BR), during sustainable (SR, deep water aeration, phosphorus inactivation and biomanipulation for 3 years) and limited lake restoration (LR, only aeration for 2 years). Physico-chemical parameters were analysed monthly at five stations. The nutrient concentrations at the inflows decreased over the years due to the improvement of water and sewage management in the catchment (in Mielcuch from 18.0 to 8.0 mgN L−1 and 1.0 to 0.6 mgP L−1). The decline at the outflow was the result of a better quality of water at the tributaries and SR in the lake. During LR, decrease of phosphorus concentration still occurred (0.11 mgP L−1), but nitrogen concentration slightly increased (3.9 mgN L−1). Although the outflowing waters still transported a high content of chlorophyll a and suspended solids during SR, their amount was lower (34.5 μg L−1 and 17 mg L−1, respectively) than that during BR and LR. During restoration, it is significant to monitor the water quality not only in the lake but also at the outflow. The slow deterioration of water quality at the outflow indicated that introducing changes in the applied restoration methods must be done carefully because the previously achieved effect may be lost. Hence, restoration of the upstream lake and good quality of its tributaries are of great importance for water bodies located downstream.
Reinforcement online learning to rank with unbiased reward shaping
Authors: Zhuang Shengyao , Qiao Zhihao , Zuccon Guido
Published: August 2022

Online learning to rank (OLTR) aims to learn a ranker directly from implicit feedback derived from users’ interactions, such as clicks. Clicks however are a biased signal: specifically, top-ranked documents are likely to attract more clicks than documents down the ranking (position bias). In this paper, we propose a novel learning algorithm for OLTR that uses reinforcement learning to optimize rankers: Reinforcement Online Learning to Rank (ROLTR). In ROLTR, the gradients of the ranker are estimated based on the rewards assigned to clicked and unclicked documents. In order to de-bias the users’ position bias contained in the reward signals, we introduce unbiased reward shaping functions that exploit inverse propensity scoring for clicked and unclicked documents. The fact that our method can also model unclicked documents provides a further advantage in that less users interactions are required to effectively train a ranker, thus providing gains in efficiency. Empirical evaluation on standard OLTR datasets shows that ROLTR achieves state-of-the-art performance, and provides significantly better user experience than other OLTR approaches. To facilitate the reproducibility of our experiments, we make all experiment code available at https://github.com/ielab/OLTR.
Evidence of a reduced role for circumscribed interests in the social attention patterns of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Ambarchi Z , Boulton K. A. , Thapa R. , Thomas E. E. , DeMayo M. M. , Sasson N. J. , Hickie I. B. , Guastella Adam J.
Published: August 2022

Reduced social attention is characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It has been suggested to result from an early onset and excessive influence of circumscribed interests (CIs) on gaze behaviour, compared to typically developing (TYP) individuals. To date, these findings have been mixed. The current eye-tracking study utilised a visual preference paradigm to investigate the influence of CI versus non-CI objects on attention patterns in children with ASD (aged 3–12 years, n = 37) and their age-matched TYP peers (n = 30). Compared to TYP, social and object attention was reduced in the ASD group irrespective of the presence of CIs. Results suggest a reduced role for CIs and extend recent evidence of atypical attention patterns across social and non-social domains in ASD.
The Association of Embracing with Daily Mood and General Life Satisfaction: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study
Authors: Packheiser Julian , Malek Imke Marlene , Reichart Jacqueline Sophia , Katona Laura , Luhmann Maike , Ocklenburg Sebastian
Published: August 2022

Embracing has several positive health effects, such as lowering blood pressure and decreasing infection risk. However, its association with general life satisfaction and daily mood has not been researched in detail. Here, we used a smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approach to monitor the daily number of embraces and daily mood in a sample of 94 adults over the course of seven days. We found that embracing frequency differed slightly over the week, with embracing occurring more frequently on weekends than on weekdays. We also found that higher daily embracing frequencies were associated with better daily mood using multilevel modeling. Only singles benefitted from increases in average embracing regarding their life satisfaction, whereas individuals in a relationship were unaffected by their embracing tendencies. Although our results are strictly correlational and do not indicate any direction or causality, embraces may be important for daily mood and general life satisfaction, but their efficacy seems to depend on relationship status.
What semantic analysis can tell us about long term trends in the global STI policy agenda
Authors: Gokhberg Leonid , Meissner Dirk , Kuzminov Ilya
Published: August 2022

The scope, complexity and the “volume” of knowledge accumulated render producing an overview of the core themes of science, technology and innovation policies difficult. Reviews of this policy domain mostly either refer to general issues without deep immersion into details or focus on specific narrower aspects. The paper uses semantic analysis to identify major themes of science, technology and innovation policies over the last three decades and to trace their evolution towards current policy setting. We use semantic tools for processing and analysing documents produced by one of the major and highly reputable international expert bodies, the OECD Working Party on Technology and Innovation Policy. We show that selected themes remain in the mainstream even though being affected by regular policy adjustments and refinements and which disappear or appear with new challenges and expected solutions. Other themes appear niche or exotic themes which are under discussion for some time only.
Effects of strict containment policies on COVID-19 pandemic crisis: lessons to cope with next pandemic impacts
Authors: Coccia Mario
Published: August 2022

The goal of the study here is to analyze and assess whether strict containment policies to cope with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis are effective interventions to reduce high numbers of infections and deaths. A homogenous sample of 31 countries is categorized in two sets: countries with high or low strictness of public policy to cope with COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The findings here suggest that countries with a low intensity of strictness have average confirmed cases and fatality rates related to COVID-19 lower than countries with high strictness in containment policies (confirmed cases are 24.69% vs. 26.06% and fatality rates are 74.33% vs. 76.38%, respectively, in countries with low and high strictness of COVID-19 public policies of containment). What this study adds is that high levels of strict restriction policies may not be useful measures of control in containing the spread and negative impact of pandemics similar to COVID-19 and additionally a high strictness in containment policies generates substantial social and economic costs. These findings can be explained with manifold socioeconomic and environmental factors that support transmission dynamics and circulation of COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, high levels of strictness in public policy (and also a high share of administering new vaccines) seem to have low effectiveness to stop pandemics similar to COVID-19 driven by mutant viral agents. These results here suggest that the design of effective health policies for prevention and preparedness of future pandemics should be underpinned in a good governance of countries and adoption of new technology, rather than strict and generalized health polices having ambiguous effects of containment in society.
Toward intraoperative tissue classification: exploiting signal feedback from an ultrasonic aspirator for brain tissue differentiation
Authors: Bockelmann Niclas , Schetelig Daniel , Kesslau Denise , Buschschlüter Steffen , Ernst Floris , Bonsanto Matteo Mario
Published: August 2022

Purpose

During brain tumor surgery, care must be taken to accurately differentiate between tumorous and healthy tissue, as inadvertent resection of functional brain areas can cause severe consequences. Since visual assessment can be difficult during tissue resection, neurosurgeons have to rely on the mechanical perception of tissue, which in itself is inherently challenging. A commonly used instrument for tumor resection is the ultrasonic aspirator, whose system behavior is already dependent on tissue properties. Using data recorded during tissue fragmentation, machine learning-based tissue differentiation is investigated for the first time utilizing ultrasonic aspirators.

Methods

Artificial tissue model with two different mechanical properties is synthesized to represent healthy and tumorous tissue. 40,000 temporal measurement points of electrical data are recorded in a laboratory environment using a CNC machine. Three different machine learning approaches are applied: a random forest (RF), a fully connected neural network (NN) and a 1D convolutional neural network (CNN). Additionally, different preprocessing steps are investigated.

Results

Fivefold cross-validation is conducted over the data and evaluated with the metrics F1, accuracy, positive predictive value, true positive rate and area under the receiver operating characteristic. Results show a generally good performance with a mean F1 of up to 0.900 ± 0.096 using a NN approach. Temporal information indicates low impact on classification performance, while a low-pass filter preprocessing step leads to superior results.

Conclusion

This work demonstrates the first steps to successfully differentiate healthy brain and tumor tissue using an ultrasonic aspirator during tissue fragmentation. Evaluation shows that both neural network-based classifiers outperform the RF. In addition, the effects of temporal dependencies are found to be reduced when adequate data preprocessing is performed. To ensure subsequent implementation in the clinic, handheld ultrasonic aspirator use needs to be investigated in the future as well as the addition of data to reflect tissue diversity during neurosurgical operations.
Genesis and soil environmental implications of intact in-situ rhizoliths in dunes of the Badain Jaran Desert, northwestern China
Authors: Sun Qingfeng , Zamanian Kazem , Huguet Arnaud , Bayat Omid , Wang Hong , Badawy Hanan S.
Published: August 2022

Desert rhizoliths are generally found as weathered, broken and scattered samples on dune field surface, but rarely in-situ in their initial states buried under the soil of desert in the Badain Jaran Desert, northwest China. This study offers an assessment of the morphological, mineralogical, and chemical properties of intact and in-situ rhizoliths found in soils of swales and depressions among dune chains. The characteristics of these rare and precious objects were assessed using optical polarizing microscopy, cathodoluminescence, scanning electronic microscopy, radiocarbon dating, and stable isotopic analyses, providing the opportunity for discussion of the rhizolith formation mechanisms and associated environmental conditions. Field and laboratory investigations showed that the in-situ intact rhizoliths were formed only in the places where Artemisia shrubs are living, and the remaining root relicts within rhizoliths belong to this species. The spatial distribution of rhizoliths also suggested that low topographic positions on a landscape provided soil moisture, and redox environments favored rhizolith formation. A semi-closed redox environment in the subsoil at swales and depressions, where water is always present, along with the sandy soil texture, facilitated fast water percolation to deeper depths and condensation. Such a soil environment not only provides water for Artemisia growth, but also for the weathering of minerals such as felspars and calcite from primary carbonates, and for the decomposition of root relicts. Furthermore, harsh climatic conditions, such as strong winds and solar radiation, led to water evaporation through dead root channels and triggered the calcification along the root relicts. The entrapped lithogenic carbonates and to a lesser extent the decomposition of Artemisia roots provided the carbon sources for the rhizoliths formation, while the weathering of soil minerals, particularly feldspars and carbonates, was the main source of Ca. Rhizoliths in the Badain Jaran desert formed relatively quickly, probably over a few soil drying episodes. This led to the entrapment of a large quantity of lithogenic carbonates (more than 90% of carbon) within rhizolith cement. The re-dissolution of the entrapped lithogenic carbonates in rhizolith tubes should be taken into account in the paleoenvironmental interpretation of 14C ages, the latter suggesting that rhizoliths formed during the Holocene (~ 2053 years cal BP, based on root organic relicts).
Focus on Diagnosis and Prognosis to Guide Timing of Intervention in Valvular Heart Disease
Authors: Stassen Jan , Galloo Xavier , van der Bijl Pieter , Bax Jeroen J.
Published: August 2022

Purpose of Review

The present article reviews the role of multimodality imaging to improve risk stratification and timing of intervention in patients with valvular heart disease (VHD), and summarizes the latest developments in transcatheter valve interventions.

Recent Findings

Growing evidence suggests that intervention at an earlier stage may improve outcomes of patients with significant VHD. Multimodality imaging, including strain imaging and tissue characterization with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, has the ability to identify early markers of myocardial damage and can help to optimize the timing of intervention. Transcatheter interventions play an increasing role in the treatment of patients who remain at high surgical risk or present at a late stage of their disease.

Multimodality imaging identifies markers of cardiac damage at an early stage in the development of VHD. Together with technological innovations in the field of percutaneous valvular devices, these developments have the potential to improve current management and outcomes of patients with significant VHD.
Know Thyself! Predicting Subjective Well-Being from personality estimation discrepancy and self-insight
Authors: Nilsson August Håkan , Friedrichs Kira , Kajonius Petri
Published: August 2022

Discrepancies in views of the Self are suggested to be negatively related to well-being (Higgins, 1987). In the present study, we used a novel concept, Personality Estimation Discrepancy (PED), to test this classic idea. PED is defined as the computed difference between how one view oneself (Self-Perceived Personality) and a standard Big Five test (IPIP-NEO-30). In a pre-registered (osf.io) UK online study (N = 297; Mage = 37, SD = 14) we analyzed: (1) whether PED would predict Subjective Well-Being (SWB; Harmony in Life, Satisfaction with Life, Positive affect, Negative Affect) and Self-Insight, and (2) whether Self-Insight would mediate the relationship between PED and SWB. The results showed that underestimation of Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Stability indeed is associated with both high SWB and high Self-Insight. However, these effects mostly disappeared when controlling for the Big Five test scores. Furthermore, Self-Insight largely (42.9%) mediated the relationship between the mis-estimation and SWB. We interpret these finding such that the relationship of mis-estimating one’s personality with SWB and Self-Insight are mostly explained by the Big Five factors, yet the discrepancy is a dependent feature of scoring particularly high or low on certain personality traits.
Astragaloside IV alleviates senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells through activating Parkin-mediated mitophagy
Authors: Li Huijun , Xu Jialin , Zhang Yanan , Hong Lei , He Zhijian , Zeng Zhiheng , Zhang Li
Published: August 2022

Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), as one of the main active components of Astragalus membranaceus, has been reported to have cardiovascular protective effects. However, the role and molecular mechanism of AS-IV in vascular senescence have not been clearly stated. The in vitro aging model was constructed using bleomycin (BLM) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Cell senescence were assessed through Western blotting analysis of aging markers, flow cytometry, and the β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) kit. Mitophagy was determined through transmission electron microscopy, TMRM staining, and Western blotting analysis of p62. A model of aging blood vessels was induced by d-gal. The vascular wall thickness of mice was also evaluated by H&E staining. Our data proved that AS-IV plays an anti-senescent role in vitro and in vivo. Results showed that AS-IV effectively improved mitochondrial injury, raised MMP, and mediated mitophagy in BLM-induced senescent VSMCs and d-gal induced aging mice. Parkin expression strengthened AS-IV’s anti-senescent function. In conclusions, AS-IV attenuated BLM-induced VSMC senescence via Parkin to regulate mitophagy. Therefore, AS-IV-mediated Parkin might be a latent therapeutic agent and target for VSMC senescence.
Construction and performance of CdS/MoO2@Mo2C-MXene photocatalyst for H2 production
Authors: Jin Sen , Jing Huijuan , Wang Libo , Hu Qianku , Zhou Aiguo
Published: August 2022

Nowadays, photocatalytic technologies are regarded as promising strategies to solve energy problems, and various photocatalysts have been synthesized and explored. In this paper, a novel CdS/MoO2@Mo2C-MXene photocatalyst for H2 production was constructed by a two-step hydrothermal method, where MoO2@Mo2C-MXene acted as a binary co-catalyst. In the first hydrothermal step, MoO2 crystals with an egged shape grew on the surface of two-dimensional (2D) Mo2C MXene via an oxidation process in HCl aqueous solution. In the second hydrothermal step, CdS nanorods were uniformly assembled on the surface of MoO2@Mo2C-MXene in ethylenediamine with an inorganic cadmium source and organic sulfur source. The CdS/MoO2@Mo2C-MXene composite with MoO2@Mo2C-MXene of 5 wt% exhibits an ultrahigh visible-light photocatalytic H2 production activity of 22,672 µmol/(g·h), which is ∼21% higher than that of CdS/Mo2C-MXene. In the CdS/MoO2@Mo2C-MXene composite, the MoO2 with metallic nature separates CdS and Mo2C MXene, which acts as an electron-transport bridge between CdS and Mo2C MXene to accelerate the photoinduced electron transferring. Moreover, the energy band structure of CdS was changed by MoO2@Mo2C-MXene to suppress the recombination of photogenerated carriers. This novel compound delivers upgraded photocatalytic H2 evolution performance and a new pathway of preparing the low-cost photocatalyst to solve energy problems in the future.
Inertial self-adaptive Bregman projection method for finite family of variational inequality problems in reflexive Banach spaces
Authors: Oyewole O. K. , Jolaoso L. O. , Aremu K. O. , Olayiwola M. O.
Published: August 2022

This paper considers an iterative approximation of a common solution of a finite family of variational inequailties in a real reflexive Banach space. By employing the Bregman distance and projection methods, we propose an iterative algorithm which uses a newly constructed adaptive step size to avoid a dependence on the Lipschitz constants of the families of the cost operators. The algorithm is carefully constructed so that the need to find a farthest element in any of its iterate is avoided. A strong convergence theorem was proved using the proposed method. We report some numerical experiments to illustrate the performance of the algorithm and also compare with existing methods in the literature.
Performance-based incentives and innovative activity in small firms: evidence from German manufacturing
Authors: Aschenbrücker Karl , Kretschmer Tobias
Published: August 2022

How are financial incentives and innovative activity linked? We analyze how firms’ use of financial incentives is associated with their employees’ innovative activity. The presence and transparency of financial incentives matter for the link between incentives and innovative activity, just like the activity profile of those receiving incentives. In a study of managers and workers in small German manufacturers, we find that financial incentives and explorative and exploitative innovative activity do interact. Financial incentives for managers (workers) are positively (negatively) associated with exploitative innovative activity, and negatively with exploratory innovative activity for both groups of employees. Furthermore, a transparent compensation system counteracts the negative association of financial incentives for workers on innovation activity, especially exploration. Our study qualifies the claim that extrinsic motivation crowds out innovative activity and specifies under which conditions the use of financial incentives in a firm is associated with different degrees of organizational exploitative and explorative innovative activity.
Neuro-oncological Ventral Antigen 2 Regulates Splicing of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 1 and Is Required for Endothelial Function
Authors: Kremer Veerle , Oppelaar Jetta J. , Gimbel Theresa , Koziarek Susanne , Ganzevoort Wessel , van Pampus Mariëlle G. , van den Born Bert-Jan , Vogt Liffert , de Groot Christianne , Boon Reinier A.
Published: August 2022

Pre-eclampsia (PE) affects 2–8% of pregnancies and is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. The maternal clinical syndrome (defined by hypertension, proteinuria, and organ dysfunction) is the result of endothelial dysfunction. The endothelial response to increased levels of soluble FMS-like Tyrosine Kinase 1 (sFLT1) is thought to play a central role. sFLT1 is released from multiple tissues and binds VEGF with high affinity and antagonizes VEGF. Expression of soluble variants of sFLT1 is a result of alternative splicing; however, the mechanism is incompletely understood. We hypothesize that neuro-oncological ventral antigen 2 (NOVA2) contributes to this. NOVA2 was inhibited in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and multiple cellular functions were assessed. NOVA2 and FLT1 expression in the placenta of PE, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and normotensive controls was measured by RT-qPCR. Loss of NOVA2 in HUVECs resulted in significantly increased levels of sFLT1, but did not affect expression of membrane-bound FLT1. NOVA2 protein was shown to directly interact with FLT1 mRNA. Loss of NOVA2 was also accompanied by impaired endothelial functions such as sprouting. We were able to restore sprouting capacity by exogenous VEGF. We did not observe statistically significant regulation of NOVA2 or sFLT1 in the placenta. However, we observed a negative correlation between sFLT1 and NOVA2 expression levels. In conclusion, NOVA2 was found to regulate FLT1 splicing in the endothelium. Loss of NOVA2 resulted in impaired endothelial function, at least partially dependent on VEGF. In PE patients, we observed a negative correlation between NOVA2 and sFLT1.
Evaluation of the Utilization Efficiency of Water Resources in China Based on ZSG-DEA: A Perspective of Water–Energy–Food Nexus
Authors: Zhang Tianming , Huang Jing , Xu Yejun
Published: August 2022

The main resources needed for human survival are water, energy and food, and the research on the relationship among the three resources has become the research topic. Due to the shortage of natural resources, research on the efficiency of water–energy–food (WEF) nexus has become a hot issue among scholars and governments all over the world. The simple models cannot study the correlation among them; the methods of WEF nexus gradually shift from single to integrated model. The data envelopment analysis (DEA) model is the most simple and effective model, which can measure the efficiency value of each decision-making unit (DMU) and overcomes the shortcoming that the evaluation index system needs to give the weight. The DEA can calculate the efficiency value, but it cannot improve the efficiency value of DMU by changing the input. In this paper, the zero-sum gain (ZSG) DEA model is constructed based on zero-sum game theory. The initial efficiency values of 30 provinces in China are calculated, and each DMU is proportionally allocated according to the proportional subtractive method. After several iterations, the efficiency values of all DMUs reach 1, indicating that global optimization has been achieved. Under the condition of effectiveness, the initial input water resources are reconfigured. Finally, some conclusions are made, and optimization strategies are proposed for 30 provinces in China with low water resource utilization efficiency.
The Theory and Philosophy of History
Authors: Ohara João
Published: August 2022

This Element argues for a broad and inclusive understanding of the 'theory and philosophy of history', a goal that has proven elusive. Different intellectual traditions have competing, often incompatible definitions of what could or should count as proper 'theory/philosophy of history'. By expanding on the traditional versions of the 'history of the theory and philosophy of history' and including contexts from the Global South, particularly Latin America, the author hopes to offer a broader, more inclusive perspective on the theoretical reflections about history.
Early Christian Women
Authors: LaValle Norman Dawn
Published: August 2022

In this Element the author argues that genre deeply affects how early Christian female philosophers are characterized across different works. The included case studies are three women who feature in both narrative and dialogic texts: Thecla, Macrina the Younger and Monica. Based on these examples, the author demonstrates that the narrative sources tend to eschew secular education, while the dialogic sources are open to displays of secular knowledge. Philosophy was not only seen as a way of life, but sometimes also as a mode of educated argumentation. The author further argues that these female philosophers were held up in their femininity as models for imitation by both women and men.
Quantum Information and Quantum Optics with Superconducting Circuits
Authors: García Ripoll Juan José
Published: August 2022

Superconducting quantum circuits are among the most promising solutions for the development of scalable quantum computers. Built with sizes that range from microns to tens of metres using superconducting fabrication techniques and microwave technology, superconducting circuits demonstrate distinctive quantum properties such as superposition and entanglement at cryogenic temperatures. This book provides a comprehensive and self-contained introduction to the world of superconducting quantum circuits, and how they are used in current quantum technology. Beginning with a description of their basic superconducting properties, the author then explores their use in quantum systems, showing how they can emulate individual photons and atoms, and ultimately behave as qubits within highly connected quantum systems. Particular attention is paid to cutting-edge applications of these superconducting circuits in quantum computing and quantum simulation. Written for graduate students and junior researchers, this accessible text includes numerous homework problems and worked examples.
Body Mass Index as a Predictor of Symptom Duration in COVID-19 Outpatients
Authors: Jabbari Parnian , Taraghikhah Nazanin , Jabbari Forouq , Ebrahimi Saied , Rezaei Nima
Published: August 2022

Background:

Obesity is a risk factor for various diseases and can affect the disease course. Studies have shown detrimental effects of obesity on patients affected with SARS-CoV-2 including increased hospitalization and more severe disease. This study aims to investigate the effects of obesity on symptom duration in patients with COVID-19, and also explore the possibility of using BMI as a predictor of symptom duration in outpatient settings.

Methods:

Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between June and October 2020, who had no other comorbidities, and were planned to receive treatment in the outpatient setting were enrolled in the study. Duration of the symptoms was determined based on participants’ self-report of their symptoms. Linear regression was used to create predictive models based on participants’ BMI, age, sex, disease presentation, and their self-reported symptom duration.

Results:

A total of 210 patients were included in the final analysis. Patients with higher BMI had significantly longer symptom duration. Linear regression models showed highest correlation between BMI and symptom duration compared to other covariates.

Conclusion:

Low error in predictions and high coverage of data variability showed BMI can be used as a predictive factor for symptom duration in COVID-19 patients treated in outpatient settings.
Sociodemographic Predictors of Depression in US Rural Communities During COVID-19: Implications for Improving Mental Healthcare Access to Increase Disaster Preparedness
Authors: Cannon Clare EB , Ferreira Regardt , Buttell Fredrick , Anderson Chase
Published: August 2022

Objective:

The objective of this research is to identify sociodemographic predictors of depression for a rural population in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance mental health disaster preparedness.

Methods:

This study uses t-tests to differentiate between gender and ethnicity groups regarding depression status; binary logistic regression to identify socio-demographic characteristics that predict depression status; and t-test to differentiate between average depression scores, measured by the PHQ-9, pre-COVID-19 pandemic (2019) and after it’s start (2020).

Results:

Results indicate that men were less likely than women to report depression. Clients who identified as Latinx/Hispanic were 2.8 times more likely than non-Hispanics to report depression and clients who did not reside in public housing were 19.9% less likely to report depression. There was a statistically significant difference between mean PHQ-9 scores pre- and post-pandemic, with pre-pandemic scores lower on average, with a small effect size.

Conclusions:

Building on findings from this study, we propose ways to increase rural access to mental health services, through equitable access to telemedicine, to meet the needs of rural clients to increase disaster preparedness.
Changes in the properties of pure cotton surgical gowns and drapes with clinical use and reprocessing
Authors: Bouwman Berendina Elsina , Tessarolo Francesco , Braios Alexandre , Piccoli Federico , Maniglio Devid , Costa Dayane de Melo , Tipple Anaclara Ferreira Veiga
Published: August 2022

The impact of repeated in-hospital reprocessing on 100% cotton fabric continues to be debated. We analyzed the properties of surgical gowns and drapes over 15 months of clinical use. The amount of linting fibers and the water absorption rate increased significantly, but microbial and blood penetration was preserved.
Effecting the culture: Impact of changing urinalysis with reflex to culture criteria on culture rates and outcomes
Authors: Penney Jessica A. , Rodday Angie Mae , Sebastiani Paola , Snydman David R. , Doron Shira
Published: August 2022

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of changes to urinalysis with reflex to culture (UARC) reflex criteria on culture performance and clinical decision outcomes.

Design:

Retrospective study utilizing interrupted time series analysis from December 2018 to November 2020. Primary outcomes were measures of culture performance. Secondary outcomes were rates of antimicrobial prescription for suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). We also assessed harmful events related to antimicrobial prescription for all causes and UTI, UTI symptoms, and sepsis.

Setting:

A 415-bed, academic, tertiary-care, medical center.

Patients:

Hospitalized adult patients with urine testing performed.

Intervention:

UARC reflex criteria were changed on October 22, 2019, from ≥5×109/L white blood cells (WBCs) or trace leukocyte esterase or positive nitrite units on urinalysis to only ≥15×109/L WBCs.

Results:

The study included 11,322 unique UARC tests. We detected a significant decrease in the rate of urine cultures performed from UARC after the intervention (32.5–8.7 cultures per 1,000 patient days; P < .001), with improved diagnostic efficacy (ie, culture positivity increased from 34.8% to 62.1%). CAUTI rates did not change. We detected a significant decrease in antimicrobial prescription rates (P = .05), this was primarily driven by preintervention changes. One case of sepsis occurred secondary to a missed UTI, and UTIs were rarely missed after the intervention.

Conclusions:

Implementation of a stricter UARC reflex criterion was associated with a decrease in culture rates with improved diagnostic efficacy without significant adverse events. Continued education is needed to change antimicrobial prescribing practices.
Confinement effects in laminar swirling jets
Authors: Douglas Christopher M. , Lesshafft Lutz
Published: August 2022

This paper explores the effect of axial and radial confinement on the flow topology of laminar swirling jets. Its objective is to provide a unifying perspective toward swirling jet mechanics that connects earlier reports across a variety of confined and unconfined flow situations, and over a range of swirl ratio

$S$

values. The analysis focuses separately on the influence of the jet's injection depth

$L$

in a radially unconfined flow and of the chamber diameter

$C$

in radially confined jets. In the former case, it shows that axial confinement influences strongly the jet's behaviour when

$L$

is small, allowing bistable steady states: a central jet (CJ) solution with or without a small central recirculation zone (CRZ), and a wall jet (WJ) solution with a wide-open CRZ spreading along the reservoir's edge. Similar behaviour is identified for radially confined jets, where bistable CJ and WJ states appear over a range of moderate

$C$

values, and the WJ state adopts a conical CRZ. In either case, the WJ solution appears or disappears via saddle–node bifurcations when the confinement is made sufficiently strong or weak, respectively. This dynamics is attributed to an exchange of dominance between central and outer low-pressure regions as the flow transitions from CJ to WJ, or vice versa. The findings demonstrate that the hysteresis associated widely with swirling jets is controlled not just by vortex breakdown, but also by confinement through the Coandă effect. Such confinement is found to alter significantly the state-space structure even when the walls are far from the nozzle.
Remembering in the wild: recontextualising and reconciling studies of media and memory
Authors: Fawns Tim
Published: August 2022

Studies that locate memory entirely within the head may pay less attention to the properties, practices or cultures of the media with which people remember than studies of ‘memory in the wild’, where memory is seen to extend beyond the individual, into the distributed activities of people and material things. While memory in the head is, apparently, individual and susceptible to universal effects, memory in the wild is emergent and relational. Studies of memory in the wild, therefore, produce results that are harder to pin down but may form a stronger basis for interpreting the importance of context. It is an important, interdisciplinary challenge to reconcile evidence from studies based on these different conceptions, so that we can better understand how people remember and forget, individually and collectively, and the relationship between context, environment, and memory. I argue that wherever memory is located or studied, all remembering can be framed as in the wild, and that doing so supports ecological validity, conceptual precision, reflexivity, and realistic application of conclusions beyond the research context. A key part of my argument is that the relationship between media, technology, and memory is situated, highly complex, and not easily generalisable. Remembering in the wild supports the conceptual precision needed to understand the subtle and entangled implications of technological change in relation to memory.
Fluid inclusions and C–H–O–S–Pb isotope systematics of the Senj Mo–Cu deposit, Alborz magmatic belt, northern Iran: implications for fluid evolution and regional mineralization
Authors: Tale Fazel Ebrahim , Mehrabi Behzad , Zamanian Hassan , Hayatolgheybi Masome
Published: August 2022

The Middle Eocene Senj Mo–Cu deposit (1.3 Mt at 1.5 wt % Cu and 0.2 wt % Mo) is located in the central Alborz magmatic belt, northern Iran. Mineralization is characterized by multistage veins, which are hosted in volcanic and volcano-sedimentary strata of the Karaj Formation (c. 41–45 Ma), genetically associated with the Senj Mafic Sill (c. 40 Ma). Four generations of veins are documented based on mineral assemblages and cross-cutting relationships, sequentially: quartz–biotite–chalcopyrite (QBC veins), quartz–molybdenum (QM veins), quartz–pyrite (QP veins) and late calcite (LC veins). Three types of fluid inclusions (FIs) are present in multistage veins: liquid-rich two-phase (L-type), vapour-rich two-phase (V-type) and solid-bearing multi-phase (S-type) inclusions. FIs in the QBC and QM veins are predominantly V-type and S-type, together with minor L-type, whereas the QP and LC vein minerals only contain L-type fluid inclusions. The homogenization temperatures of FIs from QBC to LC veins vary from 320 to 425 °C, 308 to 390 °C, 214 to 288 °C and 145 to 243 °C, and their salinities range from 5.3 to 49.0, 6.2 to 39.7, 5.7 to 13.0, and 2.1 to 7.2 wt % NaCl equiv., respectively. The H–O–C isotope compositions favour a dominantly magmatic origin for the hydrothermal fluids, which were gradually diluted by meteoric waters. The S–Pb isotope data of sulphide minerals indicate that the sulphur and metals were sourced from a deep-seated magmatic reservoir. The Senj Mafic Sill and associated Mo–Cu mineralization was developed in a back-arc extension regime, which faults and crustal fracture systems served as conduits for hydrothermal fluid circulation and Mo-rich veining.
Present but not detected: new records increase the jaguar's area of occupancy in the coastal Atlantic Forest
Authors: Fusco-Costa Roberto , Ingberman Bianca , Shimokawa Magezi Gabriel , Leite de Araujo Monteiro-Filho Emygdio
Published: August 2022

The jaguar Panthera onca has lost 85% of its habitat in the Atlantic Forest, where it persists in small and isolated populations in the largest fragments. In the absence of recent records, the jaguar had previously been presumed extinct in the large Atlantic Forest fragments of the Serra do Mar in southern Brazil. However, as this region is mountainous, densely forested and difficult to access, the jaguar could still be present, but undetected. We carried out an intensive survey using camera traps and interviews with local people in a large (c. 6,500 km2) forest block. During 2011–2019, 98 camera-trap stations were established (14,239 trap-days), and 249 interviews were conducted in 102 grid cells of 5 × 5 km. We obtained the first images of the jaguar in the region, from which five individuals were identified, and interviewees provided records of the jaguar in 24 grid cells. Our findings increase the range of this species in the Atlantic Forest by 9%, and we recommend that the area should be classified as a jaguar conservation unit. As the area we surveyed is adjacent to the Serra do Mar jaguar conservation unit, the combined area of 19,262 km2 is the largest priority area for jaguar conservation in the Atlantic Forest. This proposed jaguar conservation unit could serve as a vital source of jaguar individuals for the coastal forests further south. We recommend that surveys are extended southwards to Santa Catarina state to determine whether the presumed extinction of jaguars in this state is another case of a false absence.
Assessing parasite epidemiology in the epidemiological importance of Patagonian Late Holocene rockshelters using carnivore coprolites in the past: new data from Piedra Parada, Argentina
Authors: Fugassa Martín H. , Fernández Pablo M. , Bellelli Cristina , Carballido Calatayud Mariana
Published: August 2022

The aim of this research was to analyse the variability of parasite assemblages on a small spatial scale, by examining carnivore coprolites from the archaeological site Campo Moncada 2 (CM2), Piedra Parada area, Chubut province, Argentina, and comparing the results with those previously obtained from the archaeological site Campo Cerda 1 (CCe1), located in the same area. Six carnivore coprolites from CM2 were analysed: 4 obtained in sub-level 2a and 2 obtained in sub-level 2a/b. Two radiocarbon dates associated with the coprolites placed the samples chronologically between 780 ± 80 and 860 ± 80 years before present. The rehydrated sediments were sieved and then allowed to sediment spontaneously. The sediment was used for parasitological examination under light microscopy. Conservative estimation of total parasite richness resulted in 21 parasitic taxa. The taxa with the highest fecal prevalence (>50%) corresponded to parasites prevalent in modern carnivores (Alaria sp., Toxocara cf. canis, Toxascaris sp., Eucoleus cf. aerophila, Trichuris sp. and Ancylostomatidae gen. sp.). Assuming that the fox coprolites are contemporaneous, the total fecal parasite richness estimated for CM2 and previously for CCe1 was similar. The high total parasite richness found suggests a network of host–parasite relationships that could include regional hunter-gatherers. The results obtained in carnivore coprolites allow us to infer a very diverse biological community in Piedra Parada area, so the regional caves and rockshelters could have a proportional epidemiological importance as parasite exchange nodes.
Ethics, Economics and Sustainability
Authors: O'Neill John
Published: August 2022

On the dominant economic approach to environmental policy, environmental goods are conceptualised as forms of capital that provide services for human well-being. These services are assigned a monetary value to be weighed against the values of other goods and services. David Wiggins has offered a set of arguments against central assumptions about the nature of well-being, practical reason and ethical deliberation that underpin this dominant economic approach. In this paper I outline these arguments and consider their implications for understanding ethical demands across generations. The paper focuses, in particular, on their implications for understanding the nature and requirements of sustainability.
Respect for Nature, Respect for Persons, Respect for Value
Authors: Seidman Jeffrey
Published: August 2022

I elucidate a frame of mind that David Wiggins callsrespect for nature, which he understands as a special attitude toward asui generisobject, Natureas such. A person with this frame of mind takes nature to impose defeasible limits on her action, so that there are some courses of action that she will refuse even to entertain, except in circumstances of dire exigency. I defend the reasonableness of respect for nature, drawing upon considerations in Wiggins's work. But I argue that the natural systems that comprise the proper object of respect for nature are notsui generis; they are kindred, for practical reason, to complex social, political, and economic systems that we inhabit. I argue that it is reasonable to treat all such valuable systems with a similar respect, and that this respect is continuous with the respect we owe to persons and to valuable objects more generally. In all of these cases, respect consists, in part, in a disposition to defeasible constraints on practical deliberation.
L'évolution séculaire de l'industrie du verre à vitres et de la glacerie en Belgique de 1823 à 1913
Authors: Douxchamps Yves
Published: August 2022

L'industrie du verre à vitres existait en Belgique dès le Moyen Age, mais elle ne connut une certaine ampleur qu'à partir du XVe et surtout du XVIe siècle, au cours duquel l'usage de verre se répandit parmi les classes aisées de la population en remplacement du papier huilé. Sous l'influence des artisans italiens émigrés dans le pays, elle se développa fortement, particulièrement dans la vallée de la Sambre, ainsi que dans le Brabant. La technique était encore primitive et l'habileté manuelle des souffleurs leur procurait déjà des salaires très élevés par rapport aux autres métiers.
Backlash Politics in America's Disunited and Polarized State
Authors: Patashnik Eric M.
Published: August 2022

The policy feedback literature developed in an era in which the level of polarization and the intensity of party competition were far lower than today. These background conditions narrowed the scope of many policy debates and facilitated the consolidation of programmatic expansions after their enactment. As a result, the feedback literature emphasized the ways that new policies build supportive constituencies and become entrenched. While the core insight that policies can generate major political repercussions remains solid, American political development (APD) scholars should pay greater attention to the role of negative feedback processes and backlash politics in an era of disunity. Based on a review of New York Times articles mentioning policy backlash between 1960 and 2019, I show that the 2010s was a period of heightened countermobilization. Backlash forces have diffused from civil rights into many other arenas—including health, trade, and immigration—due to partisan polarization, conflicts over cultural shifts, and the negative feedback from activist government itself.
“To Render Prompt Justice”: The Origins and Construction of the U.S. Court of Claims
Authors: Dichio Michael , Strother Logan , Williams Ryan J.
Published: August 2022

This article examines the institutional development of the U.S. Court of Claims (USCC), in order to shed new light on the nature of constitutional and institutional change in the early Republic. From the founding period through the mid-nineteenth century, members of Congress believed that empowering other institutions to award claimants monies from the Treasury would violate two core doctrines: separation of powers and sovereign immunity. However, as claims against the government ballooned over the first half of the nineteenth century, Congress fundamentally changed its interpretation of the Constitution's requirements in order to create the USCC and thus to alleviate its workload. This story of institutional development is an example of constitutional construction and creative syncretism in that the institutional development of the USCC came from continuous interactions among political actors, working iteratively to refashion institutions capable of solving practical problems of governance. This close study of the court's creation shows something important about American constitutional development: Certain fundamental ideas of the early Republic, including sovereign immunity and separation of powers, were altered or jettisoned not out of some grand rethinking of the nature of the American state, but out of the need to solve a mundane problem.