bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The dynamics of poverty in Europe: what has changed after the great recession?
Authors: Mussida Chiara , Sciulli Dario
Published: May 2022

This paper provides novel evidence on the importance of the phenomenon of poverty and its heterogeneity across European countries. We analyze the determinants of poverty in Europe and their evolution over time by disentangling the role of genuine state dependence and heterogeneity.

We apply alternative dynamic probit models accounting for endogenous initial conditions and correlated random effects to the pre-Great Recession period of 2005–2008 and the post- Great Recession period of 2015–2018 using EU-SILC longitudinal datasets for a sample of European countries in order to estimate genuine state dependence and uncover the role of observable and unobservable factors in determining the risk of poverty. Our findings suggest that the degree of genuine state dependence is relevant in Europe and that it increased slightly from pre- to post-Great Recession. This suggests that measures aimed at lifting individuals out of poverty, including cash transfers, have become even more important during the Europe 2020 decade. Our analysis also reveals that Europe is characterized by an increasing scarring effect of poverty, the trend of which has been exacerbated in the post-recession period. The analysis at the country level clarifies why the evolution of genuine state dependence was heterogeneous. While a clear pattern within macro-regions does not emerge, we find an association between country-level variation in genuine state dependence and some macroeconomic indicators. Finally, our results suggest that the protective role of higher education has diminished over time, while the role of employment stability and of childcare provision during early childhood has become even more important in the post-recession period.
Perceptions and Experiences of Caregivers on Child Injuries: A Qualitative Study from Central India
Authors: Pathak Ashish , Ogunbayo Akindayo , Trushna Tanwi , Khare Shweta , Mathur Aditya , Atkins Salla , Diwan Vishal
Published: May 2022

To explore caregivers’ perceptions of childhood injuries in the rural and urban areas of India, with a focus on causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment. We conducted eight focus group discussions with fifty female caregivers in rural and urban areas of Ujjain in Central India and used thematic content analysis. The caregivers identified how children injured themselves through falls, road traffic injuries, metallic nails and tool injuries, ingestions of foreign objects and poisons, burns, drowning, and suffocation. The reported consequences of injuries ranged from pain, infections, scar formation, phobia, stigma, and emotional stress to complications like physical disability, loss of eyesight, head injury, paralysis, and even death. Many caregivers blamed children and their mischievousness for the injuries and failed to realise/acknowledge the role of better supervision and environmental modifications in injury prevention. Caregivers used several first aid methods to respond to injuries. These included applying pressure to stop bleeding during fall and road traffic injuries, inducing vomiting by giving the poison victims saltwater to drink, and tobacco leaves to chew. In addition, some caregivers resorted to using coconut oil and toothpaste on burnt skin and giving back blows for choking. Caregivers in communities had experiences of different types of child injuries. Further education on need for better supervision, relevant environmental modification and appropriate first aid treatment of various injuries is required.
QSPRs for Predicting Equilibrium Partitioning in Solvent–Air Systems from the Chemical Structures of Solutes and Solvents
Authors: Brown Trevor N.
Published: May 2022

Poly-parameter Linear Free Energy Relationships (PPLFERs) based on the Abraham solvation model are a useful tool for predicting and interpreting equilibrium partitioning of solutes in solvent systems. The focus of this work is neutral organic solutes partitioning in neutral organic liquid solvent-air systems. This is a follow-up to previous work (Brown, 2021) which developed predictive empirical correlations between solute descriptors and system parameters, allowing system parameters to be predicted from the solute descriptors of the solvent. A database of solute descriptors, and a database of system parameters supplemented by empirical predictions, form the basis for the development of new Quantitative Structure Property Relationships (QSPRs). A total of 11 QSPRs have been developed for the E, S, A, B and L solute descriptors, and the s, a, b, v, l, and c system parameters. The QSPRs were developed using a group-contribution method referred to as Iterative Fragment Selection. The method includes robust internal and external model validation and a well-defined Applicability Domain, including estimates of prediction uncertainty. System parameters can also be predicted by combining the solute descriptor QSPRs and the empirical correlations. The predictive power of PPLFERs applied using different combinations of experimental data, empirical correlations, and QSPRs are externally validated by predicting partition ratios between solvents and air. The uncertainty for predicting the log10KSA of diverse solutes in diverse solvents using only the new QSPRs and empirical correlations is estimated to be one log10 unit or less.
A threshold explanation for the lack of variation in negative composite time trade-off values
Authors: Roudijk Bram , Donders Rogier , Stalmeier Peep
Published: May 2022

Background

Recent studies concluded that for health states considered worse than dead (WTD), as measured with the time trade-off (cTTO) method, negative mean values were insensitive to health state severity, which represents a validity problem for the cTTO. However, the aforementioned studies analysed negative values in isolation, which causes selection bias as the value distribution is truncated.

Aim

To investigate the validity of aforementioned studies and of negative values in general.

Methods

The ‘threshold explanation’ was formulated: beyond a certain severity threshold, preferences change from better than dead (BTD) to WTD. This threshold differs between respondents. Thus, negative values across severity are obtained from different respondents, and responses added for higher severity contribute negative values close to zero, explaining the aforementioned insensitivity. This explanation was tested using data from the Dutch EQ-5D-5L valuation study. Respondents valued 10 health states. Based on respondents’ number of WTD preferences, segments were constructed, containing respondents with similar severity thresholds. Using regression models for each individual respondent, we examined the relation between values and severity and compared respondents between segments.

Results

Negative values, when analysed in isolation, were insensitive to severity. However, for individual respondents and within most segments, cTTO values and severity were negatively related. For individual respondents, negative slopes were steeper for segments with more WTD preferences, as predicted by the threshold explanation.

Discussion

Analysing negative values in isolation leads to biased estimates. Analyses of cTTO values for individual respondents refute the insensitivity of negative cTTO values.
Feasibility and validity of the EQ-5D-3L in the elderly Europeans: a secondary data analysis using SHARE(d) data
Authors: Buchholz Ines , Marten Ole , Janssen Mathieu F.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

To determine feasibility and validity of the EQ-5D-3L in the elderly European population.

Methods

Secondary data analysis based on the study of health, ageing, and retirement in Europe (SHARE) to determine the percentage of missing items for EQ-5D dimensions and EQ VAS, and to demonstrate convergent/divergent validity with measures included in the SHARE survey. Known-groups validity was tested using literature-based hypotheses. Correlation coefficients and Cohen’s f are reported.

Results

Missing values were below 3% across all EQ-5D dimensions and gender strata, slightly increasing with age. Individuals’ responses to each EQ-5D dimension were related to their ratings of other measures in expected directions. The EQ VAS and all EQ-5D dimensions (except anxiety/depression) moderately to strongly correlated with physical [e.g. number of limitations in activities of daily living (ADL): r = 0.313–0.658] and generic measures [CASP (control, autonomy, self-realization, pleasure)-19 scale, self-perceived health, number of symptoms: r = 0.318–0.622], while anxiety/depression strongly correlated with the EURO-D scale (r = 0.527). Both EQ-5D dimensions and EQ VAS discriminated well between two [or more] groups known to differ [e.g. anxiety/depression discriminated well between persons classified as depressed/not depressed using the EURO-D scale, f = 0.51; self-care differentiated best between individuals without and with 1 + ADL limitations, f = 0.69]. Sociodemographic variables like gender, education, and partner in household were hardly associated with EQ VAS scores (f < 0.25).

Conclusion

With item non-response of less than 3%, good discriminatory, and construct properties, the EQ-5D-3L showed to be a feasible and valid measure in the elderly Europeans.
Estimating South African Higher Education Productivity and Its Determinants Using Färe-Primont Index: Are Historically Disadvantaged Universities Catching Up?
Authors: Temoso Omphile , Myeki Lindikaya W.
Published: May 2022

Recent high dropout and low graduation rates in the South African higher education institutions as well as government funding cuts and the economic uncertainty due to COVID-19 pandemic have heightened the urgency for the higher education sector to improve its productivity. However, empirical evidence on the productivity growth of the sector remains unexplored. To address this gap, we applied a Färe-Primont index approach to a panel data of 22 public universities over an 8-year period to measure total factor productivity (TFP) and its components—technological change, technical, scale and mix efficiency changes. We also used a feasible generalised least squares model to assess the determinants of productivity and efficiency growth. The results show that the average TFP of the sector for the study period was 0.631, led by historically advantaged universities (0.894), whilst historically disadvantaged universities had lower average TFP (0.823). During the period, TFP increased by 3.43%, largely driven by scale and mix efficiency changes (5.32%) and technical efficiency change (0.83%), whilst technical change declined by 1.80%. In terms of university types, the comprehensive universities achieved the largest TFP growth (6.13%) followed by traditional universities (4.85%), and technology universities by 1.41%. TFP growth was positively influenced by student graduation rates, quality of academics and academic-student ratios. Therefore, policy considerations to improve the sector’s productivity and efficiency should consider investment on research and development, adoption of teaching and research innovations, re-skilling through training and education and aligning admission policies with staffing.
Should open access lead to closed research? The trends towards paying to perform research
Authors: Zhang Lin , Wei Yahui , Huang Ying , Sivertsen Gunnar
Published: May 2022

Open Access (OA) emerged as an important transition in scholarly publishing worldwide during the past two decades. So far, this transition is increasingly based on article processing charges (APC), which create a new paywall on the researchers’ side. Publishing is part of the research process and thereby necessary to perform research. This study analyses the global trends towards paying to perform research by combing observed trends in publishing from 2015 to 2020 with an APC price list. APC expenses have sharply increased among six countries with different OA policies: the USA, China, the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Norway. The estimated global revenues from APC among major publishers now exceed 2 billion US dollars annually. Mergers and takeovers show that the industry is moving towards APC-based OA as the more profitable business model. Research publishing will be closed to those who cannot make an institution or project money payment. Our results lead to a discussion of whether APC is the best way to promote OA.
The contribution of the spatial hydrological niche to species diversity in rare plant communities of English floodplain meadows
Authors: García-Baquero Moneo Gonzalo , Gowing David J. G. , Wallace Hilary
Published: May 2022

The hydrological niche is one of the few below ground spatial environmental niches, which has been shown to structure English floodplain meadows and other European and African herbaceous ecosystems. However, both the relative contribution of hydrological heterogeneity to the structure of English floodplain meadows across spatial scales and the forms of the individual species’ responses to hydrological heterogeneity remain largely unknown. Here, we use a survey database of 2440 evaluation units sampled in 15 English floodplain meadows to dissect the spatial architecture of this metacommunity and describe the relationship between the abundance of individual species and hydrological heterogeneity. Of the tested species, 65% responded to spatial hydrological heterogeneity, with both monotonic and hump-shaped responses. We found that between-site beta-diversity is much stronger than within-site beta-diversity, with between-site scale hydrological variation explaining twice as much variation in community structure as within-site scale. This leads to the conclusion that a conservation strategy of rare plant communities should include not only the preservation of the diversity of local hydrological regimes, but also, specially, the inclusion in the conservation system of as many and environmentally varied local plant communities as possible.
Transoral awake state neuromuscular electrical stimulation therapy for mild obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Nokes Brandon , Baptista Peter M. , de Apodaca Paula Martínez Ruiz , Carrasco-Llatas Marina , Fernandez Secundino , Kotecha Bhik , Wong Phui Yee , Zhang Henry , Hassaan Amro , Malhotra Atul
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder with major neurocognitive and cardiovascular sequelae. The treatment of symptomatic patients with mild OSA remains controversial given that adherence to positive airway pressure (PAP) has historically been suboptimal. With this notion in mind, we assessed a daily transoral neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) device for individuals with mild OSA.

Methods

The sample represents a subset of participants with a baseline AHI 5–14.9 events/hour, drawn from a parent study which also included participants with primary snoring. Outcome measures for the current study included changes in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and snoring levels before and after use of the NMES. 

Results

Among 65 participants (68% men) with median age of 49 years (range 24 to 79) and median BMI of 27.7 kg/m2 (range 20 to 34), the NMES device was used daily for 6 weeks. We observed a significant improvement in the AHI from 10.2 to 6.8 events/hour among all participants and from 10.4 to 5.0 events/h among responders. Statistically significant improvements in the ESS, PSQI, objectively measured snoring, and bed partner-reported snoring were observed. Adherence among all participants was 85%.

Discussion

This NMES device has the benefit of being a treatment modality of daytime therapy which confers a high level of tolerability and patient acceptance. It alleviates the need for an in situ device during sleep and leads to improvements in OSA severity, snoring, and subjective sleep metrics, potentially crucial in mild OSA. Further studies are needed to define which individuals may benefit most from the device across the wider spectrum of OSA severity and assess long-term therapeutic outcomes.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03829956.
Validation and psychometric properties of the Italian Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX-I) scale
Authors: Bruno Francesco , Laganà Valentina , Pistininzi Rebecca , Tarantino Francesca , Martin Leslie , Servidio Rocco
Published: May 2022

Despite the massive volume of scientific evidence on the benefits of immunisation, vaccine hesitancy is still a global health threat and represents an obstacle to controlling the spread of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and its associated COVID-19. Thus, the present study aimed to adapt and validate an Italian version of the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) scale. The Italian version of the scale (VAX-I), along with validation measures (general health perceptions, perceived sensitivity to medicines, intention to get the flu vaccine, and trust in health authorities) were administered to a sample of 534 Italian participants aged 18 to 87 (M = 32.41, SD = 15.35). The original version of the VAX scale was translated into Italian using a back-translation method. The parallel and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the scale’s four-factor structure fits the data well, as in the original version. Reliability coefficients indicated that the VAX-I scale showed good internal consistency and measurement invariance results demonstrated that the VAX-I scale is stable across gender. Construct validity was supported by the significant negative correlation with general health perceptions, intentions to get the flu vaccine, and trust in health authorities, and the weak but significant and positive correlation with perceived sensitivity to medicines. Overall, the VAX-I scale appears to be a valid instrument to assess vaccine hesitancy in the Italian context.
Participant experiences of Fearless Me! ©: Cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety in children with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Panditaratne Senali , Hronis Anastasia , Roberts Rachel , Kneebone Ian
Published: May 2022

Research shows that almost half of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience mental ill-health at any given time point. However, traditional cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) may not be appropriate for children with ID due to the cognitive deficits associated with their diagnosis. The Fearless Me! © CBT program for anxiety is adapted to accommodate the cognitive abilities of children with ID. The aim of the current study was to provide the first qualitative evaluation of the Fearless Me! © program by exploring participant experiences. Eight mother–child dyads were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. The responses were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Identified codes and themes were cross-checked with an independent researcher and discrepancies were resolved. Parents found the program to be positive and useful for acquiring knowledge. They commented on features of the program, significance of inter- and intra-personal factors and whether the program suited the capability of their child. They also discussed features of treatment outcomes. The qualitative results highlighted that experiences of the program varied. Themes identified included those relating to barriers and facilitators to participation and treatment-related change. The themes provide guidance for program revisions and can inform future delivery of the Fearless Me! © program.
Safety and efficacy of anagrelide in Japanese post-marketing surveillance, with subgroup analyses on the effect of previous cytoreductive therapies, age, and starting dose
Authors: Komatsu Norio , Hashimoto Yoshinori , Baba Terumi , Otsuka Manami , Akimoto Takafumi , Fernandez Jovelle
Published: May 2022

Background

In Japan, anagrelide has been approved for use in patients with essential thrombocythemia. Here, the safety and efficacy of anagrelide was assessed in clinical practice as post-marketing surveillance. Subgroup analyses were conducted to compare patients (1) with or without a history of cytoreductive therapy (CRT), (2) <60 or ≥60 years of age, and (3) with an anagrelide starting dose of ≤0.5 mg/day or 1.0 mg/day.

Methods

Data were collected for all patients who received anagrelide, with an observation period of 12 months after treatment initiation.

Results

Of the 648 patients, 54.3% experienced adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The most commonly reported ADRs were headaches, palpitations, and anemia. No significant difference was observed in overall ADRs across patient subgroups. A significantly higher incidence of headaches was observed in patients < 60 years versus those ≥ 60 years (P < 0.001). The incidence of anemia and serious ADRs were significantly higher in patients ≥ 60 years, and those with a history of CRT (P < 0.05). The discontinuation rate at 6 months was significantly lower in patients started at the lower anagrelide dose (P < 0.05). Platelet counts decreased in all analyzed groups.

Conclusions

This surveillance showed that anagrelide has a tolerable safety and efficacy profile.
Cantera Gorria and Red Ereño: Natural and Cultural Geoheritage (Basque Country, Spain)
Authors: Damas Mollá Laura , Aranburu Arantza , García-Garmilla Francisco , Uriarte Jesus Ángel , Zabaleta Ane , Bodego Arantxa , Sagarna Maialen , Antiguedad Iñaki
Published: May 2022

Construction and ornamental stones are important elements of cultural heritage and geoheritage. The quarries, where these materials are extracted, are a type of site that combines these two types of heritage. Both the ornamental character of the rock and its place of origin can be deeply rooted in the local society. Red Ereño is a red micritic limestone (Lower Cretaceous) with abundant white rudist fossil shells. This stone has been exploited since Roman times in the north of the Iberian Peninsula (Basque Country, Spain) and exported internationally. The main quarry related to the extraction of Red Ereño, Cantera Gorria, is currently a cultural and geoheritage site. This emblematic site brings together numerous geologic (palaeontological, petrological, geomorphological and tectonic) and mining features that make it a reference point for both research and teaching activities. The link between geoheritage and cultural heritage that exists in Cantera Gorria is evident and makes this place an essential point for dissemination of geology as well as for tourism. The quarry is currently abandoned, and because of this, there is an urgent need for its protection and development, and in order to increase awareness of its importance and potential use.
A systematic review of technologies and standards used in the development of rule-based clinical decision support systems
Authors: Papadopoulos Petros , Soflano Mario , Chaudy Yaelle , Adejo Wilson , Connolly Thomas M.
Published: May 2022

A Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) is a technology platform that uses medical knowledge with clinical data to provide customised advice for an individual patient's care. CDSSs use rules to encapsulate expert knowledge and rules engines to infer logic by evaluating rules according to a patient's specific information and related medical facts. However, CDSSs are by nature complex with a plethora of different technologies, standards and methods used to implement them and it can be difficult for practitioners to determine an appropriate solution for a specific scenario. This study's main goal is to provide a better understanding of different technical aspects of a CDSS, identify gaps in CDSS development and ultimately provide some guidelines to assist their translation into practice. We focus on issues related to knowledge representation including use of clinical ontologies, interoperability with EHRs, technology standards, CDSS architecture and mobile/cloud access.

This study performs a systematic literature review of rule-based CDSSs that discuss the underlying technologies used and have evaluated clinical outcomes. From a search that yielded an initial set of 1731 papers, only 15 included an evaluation of clinical outcomes. This study has found that a large majority of papers did not include any form of evaluation and, for many that did include an evaluation, the methodology was not sufficiently rigorous to provide statistically significant results. From the 15 papers shortlisted, there were no RCT or quasi-experimental studies, only 6 used ontologies to represent domain knowledge, only 2 integrated with an EHR system, only 5 supported mobile use and only 3 used recognised healthcare technology standards (and all these were HL7 standards). Based on these findings, the paper provides some recommendations for future CDSS development.
A computational framework to support the treatment of bedsores during COVID-19 diffusion
Authors: Di Martino Ferdinando , Orciuoli Francesco
Published: May 2022

The treatment of pressure ulcers, also known as bedsores, is a complex process that requires to employ specialized field workforce assisting patients in their houses. In the period of COVID-19 or during any other non-trivial emergency, reaching the patients in their own house is impossible. Therefore, as well as in the other sectors, the adoption of digital technologies is invoked to solve, or at least mitigate, the problem. In particular, during the COVID-19, the social distances should be maintained in order to decrease the risk of contagion. The Project Health Management Systems proposes a complete framework, based on Deep Learning, Augmented Reality. Pattern Matching, Image Segmentation and Edge Detection approaches, to support the treatment of bedsores without increasing the risk of contagion, i.e., improving the remote aiding of specialized operators and physicians and involving inexperienced familiars in the process.
PTCH1-null induced pluripotent stem cells exclusively differentiate into immature ectodermal cells with large areas of medulloblastoma-like tissue
Authors: Nagao Kazuaki , Kato Chise , Ikemoto Yu , Motojima Toshino , Fujii Katsunori , Umezawa Akihiro , Miyashita Toshiyuki
Published: May 2022

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) is an autosomal dominant disorder with an increased incidence of tumors, such as basal cell carcinomas and medulloblastomas. The PTCH1 gene, responsible for NBCCS, suppresses the hedgehog signaling pathway, which is recognized as one of the important pathways in tumorigenesis and, thus, is a therapeutic target in cancer. In the present study, we generated PTCH1−/− induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from NBCCS patient-derived iPSCs (PTCH1+/−) by gene editing. The proliferation of PTCH1−/− iPSCs was accelerated due to the activation of the hedgehog signaling pathway. When PTCH1−/− iPSCs were subcutaneously injected into immunodeficient mice, the resulting teratomas almost exclusively contained immature ectodermal lineage cells expressing medulloblastoma markers, and the percentages of the area occupied by medulloblastoma-like tissue were larger in PTCH1−/− teratomas than in PTCH1+/− teratomas. In contrast, in PTCH1+/+ teratomas, medulloblastoma-like tissue positive for all of these medulloblastoma markers was not observed. The present results indicate the importance of PTCH1 in medulloblastoma formation and the suitability of these gene-edited iPSCs and PTCH1−/− teratomas as models for the formation of tumors, such as medulloblastomas and Hh-related tumors.
High light quantity suppresses locomotion in symbiotic Aiptasia
Authors: Strumpen Nils F. , Rädecker Nils , Pogoreutz Claudia , Meibom Anders , Voolstra Christian R.
Published: May 2022

Many cnidarians engage in endosymbioses with microalgae of the family Symbiodiniaceae. In this association, the fitness of the cnidarian host is closely linked to the photosynthetic performance of its microalgal symbionts. Phototaxis may enable semi-sessile cnidarians to optimize the light regime for their microalgal symbionts. Indeed, phototaxis and phototropism have been reported in the photosymbiotic sea anemone Aiptasia. However, the influence of light quantity on the locomotive behavior of Aiptasia remains unknown. Here we show that light quantity and the presence of microalgal symbionts modulate the phototactic behavior in Aiptasia. Although photosymbiotic Aiptasia were observed to move in seemingly random directions along an experimental light gradient, their probability of locomotion depended on light quantity. As photosymbiotic animals were highly mobile in low light but almost immobile at high light quantities, photosymbiotic Aiptasia at low light quantities exhibited an effective net movement towards light levels sufficient for positive net photosynthesis. In contrast, aposymbiotic Aiptasia exhibited greater mobility than their photosymbiotic counterparts, regardless of light quantity. Our results suggest that photosynthetic activity of the microalgal symbionts suppresses locomotion in Aiptasia, likely by supporting a positive energy balance in the host. We propose that motile photosymbiotic organisms can develop phototactic behavior as a consequence of starvation linked to symbiotic nutrient cycling.
Exaptation in the Co-evolution of Technology and Mind: New Perspectives from Some Old Literature
Authors: Schlaudt Oliver
Published: May 2022

The term exaptation, describing the phenomenon that an existing trait or tool proves to be of new adaptive value in a new context, is flourishing in recent literature from cultural evolution and cognitive archaeology. Yet there also exists an older literature from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries which studied more or less systematically the phenomenon of “change of function” in culture and tool use. Michel Foucault and Ludwig Noiré, who devoted themselves to the history of social institutions and material tools, respectively, occupy an important place among them. This article offers a brief overview of this literature and attempts to show that it provided ideas that remain relevant to current approaches to cognitive archaeology, in particular regarding attempts to understand the impact of technological evolution on the human mind.
Habitat characteristics around dens in female brown bears with cubs are density dependent
Authors: Uzal A. , Martinez-Artero J. , Ordiz A. , Zarzo-Arias A. , Penteriani V.
Published: May 2022

The mechanisms determining habitat use in animal populations have important implications for population dynamics, conservation, and management. Here, we investigated how an increase in annual numbers of brown bear females with cubs of the year (FCOY) in a growing, yet threatened population, could explain differences in the habitat characteristics around reproductive dens. Habitat characteristics around FCOY dens were compared between a low bear density period (1995–2005) and a period when the population was increasing (2006–2016). We also compared the distance to the nearest breeding area and to all other breeding areas observed during the same year. The results suggested that during the second period, breeding areas were closer to rivers, fruit trees, and anthropogenic sources of disturbance (trails, highways) than in 1995–2005. There were also shorter distances to the closest neighboring breeding area, while the mean distance among FCOY breeding areas increased as the population grew and expanded at the landscape level. These changes may reflect that the best den locations were increasingly occupied (i.e., ideal-despotic distribution), and may be further explained by the avoidance of conspecifics by FCOY in a critical time of the year, when newborn cubs are most vulnerable. We suggest that both density-dependent factors and human-related features of the landscape are crucial to understanding long-term dynamics in the habitat use of a threatened species.
Robust Joule-heating ceramic reactors for catalytic CO oxidation
Authors: Liu Fangsheng , Zhao Zhibo , Ma Yuyao , Gao Yi , Li Jiajie , Hu Xun , Ye Zhengmao , Ling Yihan , Dong Dehua
Published: May 2022

Joule-heating reactors have the higher energy efficiency and product selectivity compared with the reactors based on radiative heating. Current Joule-heating reactors are constructed with electrically-conductive metals or carbon materials, and therefore suffer from stability issue due to the presence of corrosive or oxidizing gases during high-temperature reactions. In this study, chemically-stable and electrically-conductive (La0.80Sr0.20)0.95FeO3 (LSF)/Gd0.1Ce0.9O2 (GDC) ceramics have been used to construct Joule-heating reactors for the first time. Taking the advantage of the resistance decrease of the ceramic reactors with temperature increase, the ceramic reactors heated under current control mode achieved the automatic adjustment of heating to stabilize reactor temperatures. In addition, the electrical resistance of LSF/GDC reactors can be tuned by the content of the high-conductive LSF in composite ceramics and ceramic density via sintering temperature, which offers flexibility to control reactor temperatures. The ceramic reactors with dendritic channels (less than 100 urn in diameter) showed the catalytic activity for CO oxidation, which was further improved by coating efficient MnO2 nanocatalyst on reactor channel wall. The Joule-heating ceramic reactors achieved complete CO oxidation at a low temperature of 165 °C. Therefore, robust ceramic reactors have successfully demonstrated effective Joule heating for CO oxidation, which are potentially applied in other high-temperature catalytic reactions.
On Learning to Anticipate in Youth Sport
Authors: Buszard Tim
Published: May 2022

Elite sport offers a suitable setting to understand the ability to anticipate future events—a phenomenon that is central to animal life. Critically, however, whilst anticipation in sport has been studied for several decades, there have been few attempts to understand its development throughout childhood and adolescence. Additionally, whilst it is widely acknowledged that the need to anticipate emerges from temporal pressure, there has been no effort to understand the nonlinear effect that temporal demands have on the development of anticipatory skill. This is important as its consequences have different implications for sports authorities compared to an individual player. To bridge the gap in our understanding, this article draws attention to the mathematical concepts of concavity and convexity to explain the nonlinear relationship between temporal demands and the development of anticipatory skill. This viewpoint has implications for the design of junior sport, including the modification of rules, which has gained worldwide interest in recent years.
Stability analysis of rib pillars in highwall mining under dynamic and static loads in open-pit coal mine
Authors: Wu Haoshuai , Chen Yanlong , Lv Haoyan , Xie Qihang , Chen Yuanguang , Gu Jun
Published: May 2022

The retained coal in the end slope of an open-pit mine can be mined by the highwall mining techniques. However, the instability mechanism of the reserved rib pillar under dynamic loads of mining haul trucks and static loads of the overlying strata is not clear, which restricts the safe and efficient application of highwall mining. In this study, the load-bearing model of the rib pillar in highwall mining was established, the cusp catastrophe theory and the safety coefficient of the rib pillar were considered, and the criterion equations of the rib pillar stability were proposed. Based on the limit equilibrium theory, the limit stress of the rib pillar was analyzed, and the calculation equations of plastic zone width of the rib pillar in highwall mining were obtained. Based on the Winkler foundation beam theory, the elastic foundation beam model composed of the rib pillar and roof under the highwall mining was established, and the calculation equations for the compression of the rib pillar under dynamic and static loads were developed. The results showed that with the increase of the rib pillar width, the total compression of the rib pillar under dynamic and static loads decreases nonlinearly, and the compression of the rib pillar caused by static loads of the overlying strata and trucks has a decisive role. Numerical simulation and theoretical calculation were also performed in this study. In the numerical simulation, the coal seam with a buried depth of 122 m and a thickness of 3 m is mined by highwall mining techniques. According to the established rib pillar instability model of the highwall mining system, it is found that when the mining opening width is 3 m, the reasonable width of the rib pillar is at least 1.3 m, and the safety factor of the rib pillar is 1.3. The numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the results of theoretical calculation, which verifies the feasibility of the theoretical analysis of the rib pillar stability. This research provides a reference for the stability analysis of rib pillars under highwall mining.
Convergence of fundamentalisms? Ultra-Orthodox nationalists (Hardalim) in Israel
Authors: Mahla Daniel
Published: May 2022

The article investigates the phenomenon of ultra-Orthodox nationalists (Hardalim) in the modern State of Israel. Hardalim emerged out of ideological transformations in the ideological settlement movement during the 1980s and 1990s, combining aspects of the two major religious milieus in the country, national-religious Judaism and ultra-Orthodoxy. Such a fusion is cause for great concern among those, who fear a fundamentalist assault on the democratic state. Based on the definition of the editors of this volume, the article asks how far the classification of Hardalim as fundamentalists helps us to grasp the specifics of their group. I argue that the concept is useful insofar as it highlights some of the movement’s core characteristics that distinguish it from traditionalist Judaism and other forms of religious activism and lifestyle, but that at the same time a strict focus on the fundamentalist features of the Hardalim runs the risk of ignoring the group’s intimate ties and dynamics with other groups in Israeli society.
Quantum reinforcement learning: the maze problem
Authors: Dalla Pozza Nicola , Buffoni Lorenzo , Martina Stefano , Caruso Filippo
Published: May 2022

Quantum machine learning (QML) is a young but rapidly growing field where quantum information meets machine learning. Here, we will introduce a new QML model generalising the classical concept of reinforcement learning to the quantum domain, i.e. quantum reinforcement learning (QRL). In particular, we apply this idea to the maze problem, where an agent has to learn the optimal set of actions in order to escape from a maze with the highest success probability. To perform the strategy optimisation, we consider a hybrid protocol where QRL is combined with classical deep neural networks. In particular, we find that the agent learns the optimal strategy in both the classical and quantum regimes, and we also investigate its behaviour in a noisy environment. It turns out that the quantum speedup does robustly allow the agent to exploit useful actions also at very short time scales, with key roles played by the quantum coherence and the external noise. This new framework has the high potential to be applied to perform different tasks (e.g. high transmission/processing rates and quantum error correction) in the new-generation noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices whose topology engineering is starting to become a new and crucial control knob for practical applications in real-world problems. This work is dedicated to the memory of Peter Wittek.
Neutral lightweight engineering: a holistic approach towards sustainability driven engineering
Authors: Kupfer Robert , Schilling Levin , Spitzer Sebastian , Zichner Marco , Gude Maik
Published: May 2022

The continuously growing social and political pressure to provide sustainable products is forcing also the lightweight industry to rethink current development and manufacturing processes. While established development approaches in lightweight engineering mainly focus on technical and economical product requirements they usually do not consider sustainability criteria. To address these challenges, a new class within the lightweight disciplines is proposed—theNeutral Lightweight Engineering. Its basic goal is to integrate sustainability criteria in all decisions along the development chain of a lightweight component. The decision makers in lightweight engineering thereby have to consider the whole life cycle of a product system from material sourcing to end-of-life part management. To implement this idea, advanced development methods are necessary, using established and emerging materials as well as efficient production and end-of-life strategies. This concept article introduces the idea ofNeutral Lightweight Engineeringand exemplary highlights some of its aspects before the background of scientific literature.
Distributed constrained aggregative games of uncertain Euler-Lagrange systems under unbalanced digraphs
Authors: Zhang Yanqiong , Liu Chaoqun , Tian Yu-Ping
Published: May 2022

In this paper, the constrained Nash equilibrium seeking problem of aggregative games is investigated for uncertain nonlinear Euler-Lagrange (EL) systems under unbalanced digraphs, where the cost function for each agent depends on its own decision variable and the aggregate of all other decisions. By embedding a distributed estimator of the left eigenvector associated with zero eigenvalue of the digraph Laplacian matrix, a dynamic adaptive average consensus protocol is employed to estimate the aggregate function in the unbalanced case. To solve the constrained Nash equilibrium seeking problem, an integrated distributed protocol based on output-constrained nonlinear control and projected dynamics is proposed for uncertain EL players to reach the Nash equilibrium. The convergence analysis is established by using variational inequality technique and Lyapunov stability analysis. Finally, a numerical example in electricity market is provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Two-stage reward allocation with decay for multi-agent coordinated behavior for sequential cooperative task by using deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Miyashita Yuki , Sugawara Toshiharu
Published: May 2022

We propose a two-stage reward allocation method with decay using an extension of replay memory to adapt this rewarding method for deep reinforcement learning (DRL), to generate coordinated behaviors for tasks that can be completed by executing a few subtasks sequentially by heterogeneous agents. An independent learner in cooperative multi-agent systems needs to learn its policies for effective execution of its own responsible subtask, as well as for coordinated behaviors under a certain coordination structure. Although the reward scheme is an issue for DRL, it is difficult to design it to learn both policies. Our proposed method attempts to generate these different behaviors in multi-agent DRL by dividing the timing of rewards into two stages and varying the ratio between them over time. By introducing the coordinated delivery and execution problem with an expiration time, where a task can be executed sequentially by two heterogeneous agents, we experimentally analyze the effect of using various ratios of the reward division in the two-stage allocations on the generated behaviors. The results demonstrate that the proposed method could improve the overall performance relative to those with the conventional one-time or fixed reward and can establish robust coordinated behavior.
Management of Live Insects in the External Auditory Canal: A Wilderness Perspective
Authors: Giltmier Andrew , Aunins Benjamin , Ishman Stacey L. , Roche Conal
Published: May 2022

A live insect within the external auditory canal is an unpleasant possibility during wilderness recreation. To our knowledge, no study has attempted to quantify the risk of this event occurring in the wilderness. However, such events anecdotally seem to occur with some regularity in a variety of climates. Most cases are benign, but a small subset of patients can develop complications including infection, hearing loss, and vestibular complaints related to the foreign body. In the emergency department or clinic, removal of the insect is a simple procedure in most circumstances; however, the material and expertise required for backcountry removal of the insect are often limited. With this consideration in mind, we offer a conservative approach to backcountry insect removal based on a selective review of the published literature on this topic. Where published data are lacking, we make recommendations based on anecdotal experience of the authors dealing with this condition in austere environments and in the emergency department. We recommend insect removal only if the patient is acutely symptomatic and the insect is visualized and graspable with the instrument used for removal. In any other circumstance, intervention should be deferred until definitive care is reached because of risks of complications associated with removal, including infection, bleeding, and tympanic membrane damage.
Loneliness, Belonging, and Mental Health in Australian University Students Pre- and Post-COVID-19
Authors: Dingle Genevieve A. , Han Rong , Carlyle Molly
Published: May 2022

The move to online learning during COVID-19 deprived first-year students of friendships and other sources of social support that could buffer against stress during their transition to university. These effects may have been worse for international students than domestic students as many were subjected to travel restrictions or quarantine in addition to the usual stressors. This study examined the impact of COVID-19 on social connectedness and mental health of first-year students enrolled in a metropolitan university in Australia. The study involved 1239 students (30.4% international) and used a 3 (cohorts: 2019, 2020, 2021) × 2 (enrolment status: domestic and international) between-group design. Results showed that both loneliness and university belonging were significantly worse during the first year of COVID-19 compared to the year before or after. Contrary to expectation, domestic students were lonelier than international students across all cohorts. Multiple-group memberships did not change. As predicted, loneliness was moderately to highly correlated with the number of stressors, psychological distress, and (lower) well-being, whereas university belonging and multiple-group memberships were related to positive mental health outcomes. These findings highlight the need for initiatives that promote student connectedness and mental health as the university sector recovers from COVID-19.
A Historical Social Network Analysis of John Pinney’s Nevis–Bristol Network: Change over Time, the “Network Memory,” and Reading Against the Grain of Historical Sources
Authors: Buckles Peter
Published: May 2022

Social network analysis is an increasingly common tool for historians seeking to understand the interrelations between individuals. A significant concern, however, is how we might measure changes within networks over time and between periods. Historians have favored examining the network as it stands at particular points in time. However, this approach fails to capture the instability within networks and does not incorporate the perceptions of contemporaries. One solution is to integrate network data into a time series that is built around conceptualizations of the “network memory.” In a case study on John Pinney’s late eighteenth-century Nevis–Bristol network, I use a two-year moving total to model the lingering nature of ephemeral interactions on the memories of those involved in the plantation trade. Using this historical social network analysis as the basis for an iterative approach to the primary material, I explore what being a part of this network meant for the enslaved people on Pinney’s plantation and for the women in his family. This article demonstrates the value of the approach and highlights the ways in which historians can use it to contribute to the historiography of early modern business networks.