bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psycholinguistic changes in the communication of adolescent users in a suicidal ideation online community during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Feldhege Johannes , Wolf Markus , Moessner Markus , Bauer Stephanie
Published: August 2022

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, increases in suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in adolescents have been registered. Many adolescents experiencing suicidal ideation turn to online communities for social support. In this retrospective observational study, we investigated the communication—language style, contents and user activity—in 7975 unique posts and 51,119 comments by N = 2862 active adolescent users in a large suicidal ideation support community (SISC) on the social media website reddit.com in the onset period of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found significant relative changes in language style markers for hopelessness such as negative emotion words (+ 10.00%) and positive emotion words (− 3.45%) as well as for social disengagement such as social references (− 8.63%) and 2nd person pronouns (− 33.97%) since the outbreak of the pandemic. Using topic modeling with Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), we identified significant changes in content for the topics Hopelessness (+ 23.98%), Suicide Methods (+ 17.11%), Social Support (− 14.91%), and Reaching Out to users (− 28.97%). Changes in user activity point to an increased expression of mental health issues and decreased engagement with other users. The results indicate a potential shift in communication patterns with more adolescent users expressing their suicidal ideation rather than relating with or supporting other users during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mechanisms of auditory masking in marine mammals
Authors: Branstetter Brian K. , Sills Jillian M.
Published: August 2022

Anthropogenic noise is an increasing threat to marine mammals that rely on sound for communication, navigation, detecting prey and predators, and finding mates. Auditory masking is one consequence of anthropogenic noise, the study of which is approached from multiple disciplines including field investigations of animal behavior, noise characterization from in-situ recordings, computational modeling of communication space, and hearing experiments conducted in the laboratory. This paper focuses on laboratory hearing experiments applying psychophysical methods, with an emphasis on the mechanisms that govern auditory masking. Topics include tone detection in simple, complex, and natural noise; mechanisms for comodulation masking release and other forms of release from masking; the role of temporal resolution in auditory masking; and energetic vs informational masking.
Automated privacy negotiations with preference uncertainty
Authors: Filipczuk Dorota , Baarslag Tim , Gerding Enrico H. , schraefel m. c.
Published: August 2022

Many service providers require permissions to access privacy-sensitive data that are not necessary for their core functionality. To support users’ privacy management, we propose a novel agent-based negotiation framework to negotiate privacy permissions between users and service providers using a new multi-issue alternating-offer protocol based on exchanges of partial and complete offers. Additionally, we introduce a novel approach to learning users’ preferences in negotiation and present two variants of this approach: one variant personalised to each individual user, and one personalised depending on the user’s privacy type. To evaluate them, we perform a user study with participants, using an experimental tool installed on the participants’ mobile devices. We compare the take-it-or-leave-it approach, in which users are required to accept all permissions requested by a service, to negotiation, which respects their preferences. Our results show that users share personal data 2.5 times more often when they are able to negotiate while maintaining the same level of decision regret. Moreover, negotiation can be less mentally demanding than the take-it-or-leave-it approach and it allows users to align their privacy choices with their preferences. Finally, our findings provide insight into users’ data sharing strategies to guide the future of automated and negotiable privacy management mechanisms.
Racial inequities in second-line treatment and overall survival among patients with metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Whitaker Kristen D. , Wang Xiaoliang , Ascha Mustafa , Showalter Timothy N. , Lewin Heather G. , Calip Gregory S. , Goldstein Lori J.
Published: August 2022

Background

Black women in the USA have a higher incidence and mortality of metastatic breast cancer (mBC) than White women, while Hispanic women have lower rates. Previous studies have focused on first-line (1L) treatment, but little is known about racial differences in treatment beyond 1L and their impact on outcomes.

Methods

This analysis utilized data from an electronic health record derived de-identified database and included patients with HR+HER2- mBC initiating 2L treatment (including CDK4/6-inhibitor [CDKi]-based, endocrine monotherapy, everolimus combination therapy, and chemotherapy and other systemic therapies) between 2/3/2015 and 7/31/2021. Real-world overall survival (rwOS) was defined as time from 2L initiation to death. Multinomial logistic regression assessed the likelihood of 2L treatment between race/ethnicity groups. Median rwOS was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and adjusted hazard ratios were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

Among all patients who received 2L, non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Hispanic/Latino patients were less likely to receive 2L CDKi compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients (36%, 39% vs 42%, respectively). Median rwOS was 20.4, 37.6, and 25.3 months, in NHB, Hispanic/Latino and NHW patients, respectively. The rwOS remained poorer among NHB patients after adjustment (HR = 1.16; p = 0.009). In stratified analysis, adjusted rwOS was similar between NHB and NHW patients among those who received 1L CDKi.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that among patients with HR+HER2- mBC, NHB patients had worse survival beyond front-line setting, mainly among the subset of women who did not receive CDKi at 1L. This inequities in rwOS between race/ethnicity groups was not observed among patients who received 1L CDKi.
Putative anoikis resistant subpopulations are enriched in lymph node metastases and indicate adverse prognosis in colorectal carcinoma
Authors: Mattila Taneli T. , Patankar Madhura , Väyrynen Juha P. , Klintrup Kai , Mäkelä Jyrki , Tuomisto Anne , Nieminen Pentti , Mäkinen Markus J. , Karttunen Tuomo J.
Published: August 2022

Anoikis refers to apoptosis induced by the loss of contact with the extracellular matrix. Anoikis resistance is essential for metastasis. We have recently shown that it is possible to quantitatively evaluate putative anoikis resistant (AR) subpopulations in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). Abundance of these multi-cell structures is an independent marker of adverse prognosis. Here, we have quantified putative AR subpopulations in lymph node (LN) metastases of CRC and evaluated their prognostic value and relationship with the characteristics of primary tumors. A case series included 137 unselected CRC patients, 54 with LN metastases. Areal densities (structures/mm2) of putative AR structures in primary tumors had been analyzed previously and now were determined from all nodal metastases (n = 183). Areal density of putative AR structures was higher in LN metastases than in primary tumors. Variation of the areal density within different LN metastases of a single patient was lower than between metastases of different patients. Abundance of putative AR structures in LN metastases was associated with shorter cancer specific survival (p = 0.013), and this association was independent of T and N stages. Abundance of putative AR structures in primary tumors and LN metastases had a cumulative adverse effect on prognosis. Enrichment of putative AR subpopulations in LN metastases suggest that in metastasis formation, there is a selection favoring cells capable of forming these structures. Higher intra-case constancy relative to inter-case variation suggests that such selection is stable in metastasis development. Our findings indirectly support the biological validity of our concept of putative AR structures.
Prot2Prot: a deep learning model for rapid, photorealistic macromolecular visualization
Authors: Durrant Jacob D.
Published: August 2022

Molecular visualization is a cornerstone of structural biology, providing insights into the form and function of biomolecules that are difficult to achieve any other way. Scientific analysis, publication, education, and outreach often benefit from photorealistic molecular depictions rendered using advanced computer-graphics programs such as Maya, 3ds Max, and Blender. However, setting up molecular scenes in these programs is laborious even for expert users, and rendering often requires substantial time and computer resources. We have created a deep-learning model called Prot2Prot that quickly imitates photorealistic visualization styles, given a much simpler, easy-to-generate molecular representation. The resulting images are often indistinguishable from images rendered using industry-standard 3D graphics programs, but they can be created in a fraction of the time, even when running in a web browser. To the best of our knowledge, Prot2Prot is the first example of image-to-image translation applied to macromolecular visualization. Prot2Prot is available free of charge, released under the terms of the Apache License, Version 2.0. Users can access a Prot2Prot-powered web app without registration at http://durrantlab.com/prot2prot.
Drones, Real Estate Video Surveillance, and Neighbourhood Right to Privacy – The Potential Area of Normative Impact from the Perspective of the Polish Law
Authors: Stępień-Załucka Beata
Published: August 2022

The use of new technologies covers more and more areas of social life, including securing and protecting property, especially real estate. For these purposes cameras mounted on drones may be used, allowing the possibility to record vidoes containing an overview of the monitored property (real estate). However, this type of property protection may also be connected with the violation of rights of neighboring property owners which are monitored indirectly. These issues are presented in this paper, where the author discusses, inter alia, what risks are associated with the implementation of neighborhood video surveillance done with drones and its consequences. Based on the indicated research area, the author wonders in particular on the provisions of the constitutional right to privacy and personal rights defined in the private law legislation, including its international dimension connected with ECHR and GDPR. The presentation containes observations made from the point of view of the Polish law, where—as in many other legal jurisdictions—these issues have not yet been resolved legislatively, and where the search for an optimal model for resolving similar problems is still underway. For this reason, the author tries to outline the potential area of normative impact of the phenomenon of real estate monitoring by drones, which may become helpful in the forthcoming legislative projects concerning the normalization of this phenomenon.
Aliasing and adversarial robust generalization of CNNs
Authors: Grabinski Julia , Keuper Janis , Keuper Margret
Published: August 2022

Many commonly well-performing convolutional neural network models have shown to be susceptible to input data perturbations, indicating a low model robustness. To reveal model weaknesses, adversarial attacks are specifically optimized to generate small, barely perceivable image perturbations that flip the model prediction. Robustness against attacks can be gained by using adversarial examples during training, which in most cases reduces the measurable model attackability. Unfortunately, this technique can lead to robust overfitting, which results in non-robust models. In this paper, we analyze adversarially trained, robust models in the context of a specific network operation, the downsampling layer, and provide evidence that robust models have learned to downsample more accurately and suffer significantly less from downsampling artifacts, aka. aliasing, than baseline models. In the case of robust overfitting, we observe a strong increase in aliasing and propose a novel early stopping approach based on the measurement of aliasing.
The whole picture: Disentangling locality, logophoricity and subjecthood in English picture noun anaphora
Authors: Charnavel Isabelle , Bryant Shannon
Published: August 2022

This article provides a solution to the long-standing puzzle of English anaphors within so-called picture noun phrases, which superficially exhibit an exceptional binding behavior. In particular, picture noun anaphors seem, under certain conditions, to escape the locality conditions imposed by Condition A of Binding Theory. Previous proposals attribute such apparently exceptional behavior to various sources: the classical Binding Theory appeals to the possible presence of covert agents within NPs; predicate-based theories introduce the possibility of exemption from Condition A; others capitalize on possible homophony with (logophoric) pronouns. While all of these proposals provide valuable insight into some aspect of the puzzle, we show that they all fail to capture the full empirical picture. Based on a detailed examination of their behavior in various syntactic and interpretive conditions, we instead propose that English picture noun anaphors, like any other anaphor, systematically obey Condition A. Their apparent exemption from it in some cases derives from the possible implicitness of some binders, in particular, logophoric pronouns or nominal subjects. Furthermore, the availability of such covert binders is crucially affected by a binding-independent competition principle between weaker and stronger forms. Thus, the apparently irregular behavior of English picture noun anaphors results from the interaction between several factors (syntactic representation of logophoricity, syntactic projection of subjects in nouns, pronominal competition), which is responsible for the illusion that Condition A does not apply systematically. By disentangling these factors, we propose a solution that integrates previous insights without compromising on empirical adequacy or analytical parsimony.
Exploring the effects of climate change on the water balance of a continuously moving deep-seated landslide
Authors: Zieher T. , Gallotti G. , Rianna G. , Reder A. , Pfeiffer J.
Published: August 2022

Impacts of expected climate change on the water balance in mountain regions may affect the activity of hydro-meteorologically driven deep-seated landslides. In the present study, an extended empirical monthly water balance model is used for reproducing the current and future hydro-meteorological forcing of a continuously moving deep-seated earth slide in Vögelsberg, Tyrol (Austria). The model extension accounts for effects of land cover and soil properties and relies on time series of air temperature and precipitation as data input. Future projections of the water balance are computed until the end of the twenty-first century exploiting a bias-corrected subset of climate simulations under the RCP8.5 concentration scenario, providing a measure of uncertainty related to the long-term projections. Particular attention is paid to the agreement/disagreement of the projections based on the selected climate simulations. The results indicate that a relevant proxy for the landslide’s varying velocity (subsurface runoff) is generally expected to decrease under future climate conditions. As a consequence, it appears likely that the Vögelsberg landslide may accelerate less frequently considering climate change projections. However, the variability within the considered climate simulations still prevents results in full agreement, even under the ‘most severe’ scenario RCP8.5.
The conundrum of gender-science stereotypes: a review and discussion of measurements
Authors: De Gioannis Elena
Published: August 2022

Stereotypes do not have a unique definition, being mostly considered a generalized belief on the quality and characteristics of members of specific groups or social categories. Hence, various scales and measurements have been proposed to assess the endorsement of beliefs on the association of gender and scientific/language-related skills. The aim of the paper was to summarize, compare and discuss those measures, distinguishing between explicit, implicit and indirect measures. The review of the literature highlighted a huge but unrecognized heterogeneity in the constructs of gender stereotypes, especially for explicit measures. This can hamper findings comparability, reduce scales’ validity, affect the correlation between implicit and explicit measurements, and bias their interpretations due to ambiguous terminologies.
The varying rationality of weakness of the will: an empirical investigation and its challenges for a unified theory of rationality
Authors: Messerli Michael , Fink Julian , Reuter Kevin
Published: August 2022

Weakness of the will remains a perplexing issue. Though philosophers have made substantial progress in homing in on what counts as a weak will, there is little agreement on whether weakness of the will is irrational, and if so, why. In this paper, we take an empirical approach towards the rationality of weakness of the will. After introducing the philosophical debate, we present the results of an empirical study that reveals that people take a “dual sensitivity”, as we shall put it, towards assessing the rationality of weak-willed behavior. Put succinctly, intending X against your value judgements is assessed irrational; yet, in the same situation, intending X is assessed significantly less irrational if you judge X as something you ought to do. After discussing this result, we turn to the question of whether there is a plausible theory of rationality than can account for the dual sensitivity of the rationality assessments. We show that a success-based account can make sense of the dual sensitivity our empirical results reveal.
Gaps, gluts, and theoretical equivalence
Authors: Nicolai Carlo
Published: August 2022

When are two formal theories of broadly logical concepts, such as truth, equivalent? The paper investigates a case study, involving two well-known variants of Kripke–Feferman truth. The first, $$\mathtt {KF}+\mathtt {CONS}$$

KF
+
CONS

, features a consistent but partial truth predicate. The second, $$\mathtt {KF}+\mathtt {COMP}$$

KF
+
COMP

, an inconsistent but complete truth predicate. It is known that the two truth predicates are dual to each other. We show that this duality reveals a much stricter correspondence between the two theories: they are intertraslatable. Intertranslatability, under natural assumptions, coincides with definitional equivalence, and is arguably the strictest notion of theoretical equivalence different from logical equivalence. The case of $$\mathtt {KF}+\mathtt {CONS}$$

KF
+
CONS

and $$\mathtt {KF}+\mathtt {COMP}$$

KF
+
COMP

raises a puzzle: the two theories can be proved to be strictly related, yet they appear to embody remarkably different conceptions of truth. We discuss the significance of the result for the broader debate on formal criteria of conceptual reducibility for theories of truth.
Aggressive policing and undermined legitimacy: assessing the impact of police stops at gunpoint on perceptions of police in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Oliveira Thiago R.
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Test the effects of a recent police stop and a recent police stop at gunpoint on changes in attitudes towards the police among residents of Brazil’s biggest city.

Methods

A three-wave longitudinal survey of São Paulo residents (2015–2019) measured people’s beliefs about police legitimacy, expectations of police procedural fairness, effectiveness, and overpolicing, whether they were recently stopped by the police, and whether officers had pointed a gun at them during that stop. A novel causal estimand focused on the effect of change in treatment status is estimated using matching methods for panel data combined with difference-in-differences.

Results

While estimates are too imprecise to suggest an effect of a recent police stop on attitudinal change, recent police stops at gunpoint decrease public expectations of procedural fairness, increase expectations of overpolicing, and harm public beliefs of police legitimacy.

Conclusions

Under a credible conditional parallel trends assumption, this study provides causal evidence on the relationship between aggressive policing practices and legal attitudes, with implications to public recognition of legal authority in a major Global South city.
Characterisation of P2Y receptor subtypes mediating vasodilation and vasoconstriction of rat pulmonary artery using selective antagonists
Authors: Dales Markie O. , Mitchell Callum , Gurney Alison M. , Drummond Robert M. , Kennedy Charles
Published: August 2022

Pulmonary vascular tone is modulated by nucleotides, but which P2 receptors mediate these actions is largely unclear. The aim of this study, therefore, was to use subtype-selective antagonists to determine the roles of individual P2Y receptor subtypes in nucleotide-evoked pulmonary vasodilation and vasoconstriction. Isometric tension was recorded from rat intrapulmonary artery rings (i.d. 200–500 µm) mounted on a wire myograph. Nucleotides evoked concentration- and endothelium-dependent vasodilation of precontracted tissues, but the concentration–response curves were shallow and did not reach a plateau. The selective P2Y2 antagonist, AR-C118925XX, inhibited uridine 5′-triphosphate (UTP)- but not adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP)-evoked relaxation, whereas the P2Y6 receptor antagonist, MRS2578, had no effect on UTP but inhibited relaxation elicited by uridine 5′-diphosphate (UDP). ATP-evoked relaxations were unaffected by the P2Y1 receptor antagonist, MRS2179, which substantially inhibited responses to adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP), and by the P2Y12/13 receptor antagonist, cangrelor, which potentiated responses to ADP. Both agonists were unaffected by CGS1593, an adenosine receptor antagonist. Finally, AR-C118925XX had no effect on vasoconstriction elicited by UTP or ATP at resting tone, although P2Y2 receptor mRNA was extracted from endothelium-denuded tissues using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction with specific oligonucleotide primers. In conclusion, UTP elicits pulmonary vasodilation via P2Y2 receptors, whereas UDP acts at P2Y6 and ADP at P2Y1 receptors, respectively. How ATP induces vasodilation is unclear, but it does not involve P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y12, P2Y13, or adenosine receptors. UTP- and ATP-evoked vasoconstriction was not mediated by P2Y2 receptors. Thus, this study advances our understanding of how nucleotides modulate pulmonary vascular tone.
Prevalence and species distribution of Candida bloodstream infection in children and adults in two teaching university hospitals in Egypt: first report of Candida kefyr
Authors: Reda Nashwa Mohamed , Hassan Reem Mostafa , Salem Sherifa Tarek , Yousef Reham Hamed A.
Published: August 2022

Background

Candidemia is a pervasive problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality in health care settings. This study aimed to determine the changing distribution of Candida species and the emergence of uncommon species.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study performed in two Cairo University hospitals between 2019 and 2020. All Candida species isolates recovered from blood cultures of adults and pediatrics patients admitted to the hospitals were included. Candida isolates were identified by chromogenic Candida agar and Vitek2 YST identification card. Candida kefyr was confirmed by chip array.

Results

Candida species were responsible for 1.6% of bloodstream infections in adults and 10.8% in pediatric patients. C. albicans was the most prevalent species representing 27.8% in adults and 48.3% in pediatrics. Non-albicans species (NAC) represented the most isolated Candida species among adults and pediatrics (72.2% and 51.6%, respectively) with the predominance of C. tropicalis (27.8% and 22.5%, respectively) followed by C. parapsilosis (16.7% and 10.8%, respectively). The uncommon Candida, which is Candida species other than C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, and C. krusei, represents 16.6% and 14% of all candidemia in adults and pediatrics, respectively. Only one of each of C. lusitaniae, C. utilis, and C. kefyr were detected in adults. C. lusitaniae was the most frequently recovered uncommon Candida among pediatrics resulting in 6.4% of candidemia followed by C. famata (4.3%), C. utilis (2.2%), and C. kefyr (1.1%).

Conclusions

C. albicans is still the primary species isolated from pediatrics and adults with candidemia despite the considerable shift to the non-albicans species. C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis are the most prevalent NAC. The increased prevalence of uncommon Candida species is alarming and necessitates a prompt stewardship program.
Exploring Young Millennials’ Motivations for Grieving Death Through Social Media
Authors: King Rachel , Carter Pelham
Published: August 2022

Past research has explored social media grief; however, the motivations for using a range of social media sites, specifically by young millennials, to grieve death fail to be explored expansively in existing thanatology research. Fourteen young millennials participated in individual semi-structured interviews, specifically questioning their motivations for using social media sites to grieve. The interviews were analysed using the thematic analysis framework identified by Braun and Clarke (2013). Four themes were generated: online influence, to announce the death, personal benefit and the hypocrisy of online mourning. The online influence theme suggests that individuals are motivated to grieve due to online influence and pressure. The personal benefit theme suggested social media present many benefits for the bereaved, including continuing bonds, which motivated them to use these platforms. The analysis also indicated that within the motivations there was hypocrisy regarding how young millennials perceive their grief posting activity when compared to others.
Computing graph edit distance on quantum devices
Authors: Incudini Massimiliano , Tarocco Fabio , Mengoni Riccardo , Di Pierro Alessandra , Mandarino Antonio
Published: August 2022

Distance measures provide the foundation for many popular algorithms in Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition. Different notions of distance can be used depending on the types of the data the algorithm is working on. For graph-shaped data, an important notion is the Graph Edit Distance (GED) that measures the degree of (dis)similarity between two graphs in terms of the operations needed to make them identical. As the complexity of computing GED is the same as NP-hard problems, it is reasonable to considerapproximatesolutions. In this paper, we present a QUBO formulation of the GED problem. This allows us to implement two different approaches, namely quantum annealing and variational quantum algorithms, that run on the two types of quantum hardware currently available: quantum annealer and gate-based quantum computer, respectively. Considering the current state of noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers, we base our study on proof-of-principle tests of their performance.
Modeling acute and cumulative erythemal sun exposure on vulnerable body sites during beach vacations utilizing behavior-encoded 3D body models
Authors: Schmalwieser Alois W. , Lohr Matthew A. , Daly Susan M. , Williams Joshua D.
Published: August 2022

Vacationers in a high-solar-intensity beach setting put themselves at risk of ultraviolet radiation (UV) over-exposure that can lead to acute and chronic health consequences including erythema, photoaging, and skin cancer. There is a current gap in existing dosimetry work on capturing detailed time-resolved anatomical distributions of UV exposure in the beach vacation setting. In this study, a radiative transfer model of the solar conditions of Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA (27.8°N, 82.8°W) is combined with an in silico three-dimensional body model and data on typical beach vacation behaviors to calculate acute and cumulative body-site-specific UV exposure risk during a beach vacation. The resulting cumulative UV exposure calculated for a typical mix of clothing choices, settings, and activities during a week-long (7-day) beach vacation is 172.2 standard erythemal doses (SED) at the forearm, which is comparable with the average total annual UV exposure of European and North American residents and consistent with existing dosimetry studies. This model further estimates that vacationers choosing to spend a full day exclusively in the beach or pool setting can experience UV exposure in excess of 50 SED a day at multiple body sites. Such exposure indicates that significant sun protective measures would be required to prevent sunburn across all skin types in this setting. This work clarifies the significant role that beach vacations play in UV exposure and corresponding acute and cumulative health risks and highlights the importance of behavioral choices (including clothing, activity and photoprotection) as crucial factors in differentiating personal solar exposure risks.

Graphical abstract
Machine learning for the definition of landslide alert models: a case study in Campania region, Italy
Authors: Pota Marco , Pecoraro Gaetano , Rianna Guido , Reder Alfredo , Calvello Michele , Esposito Massimo
Published: August 2022

Landslide early warning systems at regional scale are typically based on correlations between landslides that occurred in the past and rainfall monitoring data in order to identify trigger rainfall thresholds. Recently, the availability of large datasets of atmospheric measurements allows including additional variables, increasing the reliability of the models. However, conducting the analyses with traditional techniques can be quite complex and time-consuming. The purpose of this preliminary study is to demonstrate that machine learning techniques can be used to analyze monitoring data in order to select the most relevant variables for the triggering of shallow rainfall-induced landslides at regional scale. The models developed herein were tested in one of the alert zones defined by civil protection for the management of geo-hydrological risk in Campania region, Italy. Two data sources were used in the analysis. The atmospheric variables are derived from the ERA5-Land atmospheric reanalysis. The data on landslide events are retrieved from “FraneItalia”, a georeferenced catalog of landslides occurred in Italy developed by consulting online sources from 2010 onwards. The models developed were calibrated and validated in order to define combinations of rainfall variables and soil water content for the prediction of the occurrence of landslides. Finally, the performance of the models was assessed using statistical indicators derived from contingency matrices.
Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder in Parkinson’s Disease: A Survey-Based Study
Authors: Bruno Veronica , Ruiz-Lopez Marta , Terroba-Chambi Cinthia , Freitas Maria Eliza , Rajalingam Rajasumi , Chang Anna , Fox Susan Helen , Lang Anthony Edward
Published: August 2022

Objective:

To characterize Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms based on the presence, onset time, and severity of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and their association with impulse control disorders (ICD).

Background:

RBD is a frequent non-motor symptom in PD, usually described as prodromal. The severity of RBD according to the start time and its relationship with ICD in PD needs further clarification.

Methods:

A survey-based study was performed to determine the presence of RBD symptoms, their severity, and the temporal relationship with the PD onset. The survey included RBD1Q, the Mayo Sleep, and the RBDQ-HK questionnaires and questions about clinical characteristics, including ICD. Only PD patients with care partners spending night hours in the same room were included.

Results:

410 PD patients were included: 206 with RBD (50.2%) and 204 non-RBD (49.8%). The PD-RBD patients were younger and their daily levodopa dose was higher than the non-RBD group. Most of these patients developed RBD symptoms after the onset of clinical PD were younger at motor symptom onset and had higher scores in the hallucinations and psychosis subsection of MDS-UPDRS-I. RBD group had a more severe non-motor phenotype, including more ICD than those without RBD, mainly due to higher compulsive eating.

Conclusions:

In our study, most patients recognized RBD symptoms after the onset of the PD motor symptoms and the clinical features of PD with and without RBD were distinctive, supporting the hypothesis that PD-RBD might represent a variant pattern of neurodegeneration.
Work-up and Management of Asymptomatic Extracranial Traumatic Vertebral Artery Injury
Authors: Maclean Mark A. , Touchette Charles J. , Duda Taylor , Almojuela Alysa , Bergeron David , Kameda-Smith Michelle , Persad Amit R.L. , Sader Nicholas , Alant Jacob , Christie Sean D.
Published: August 2022

Background:

Non-penetrating head and neck trauma is associated with extracranial traumatic vertebral artery injury (eTVAI) in approximately 1–2% of cases. Most patients are initially asymptomatic but have an increased risk for delayed stroke and mortality. Limited evidence is available to guide the management of asymptomatic eTVAI. As such, we sought to investigate national practice patterns regarding screening, treatment, and follow-up domains.

Methods:

A cross-sectional, electronic survey was distributed to members of the Canadian Neurosurgical Society and Canadian Spine Society. We presented two cases of asymptomatic eTVAI, stratified by injury mechanism, fracture type, and angiographic findings. Screening questions were answered prior to presentation of angiographic findings. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results:

One hundred-eight of 232 (46%) participants, representing 20 academic institutions, completed the survey. Case 1: 78% of respondents would screen for eTVAI with computed topography angiography (CTA) (97%), immediately (88%). The majority of respondents (97%) would treat with aspirin (89%) for 3–6 months (46%). Respondents would follow up clinically (89%) or radiographically (75%), every 1–3 months. Case 2: 73% of respondents would screen with CTA (96%), immediately (88%). Most respondents (94%) would treat with aspirin (50%) for 3–6 months (35%). Thirty-six percent of respondents would utilize endovascular therapy. Respondents would follow up clinically (97%) or radiographically (89%), every 1–3 months.

Conclusion:

This survey of Canadian practice patterns highlights consistency in the approach to screening, treatment, and follow-up of asymptomatic eTVAI. These findings are relevant to neurosurgeons, spinal surgeons, stroke neurologists, and neuro-interventionalists.
Advection-diffusion-settling of deep-sea mining sediment plumes. Part 1: Midwater plumes
Authors: Ouillon Raphael , Muñoz-Royo Carlos , Alford Matthew H. , Peacock Thomas
Published: August 2022

The evolution of midwater sediment plumes associated with deep-sea mining activities is investigated in the passive-transport phase using a simplified advection–diffusion-settling model. Key metrics that characterize the extent of plumes are defined based on a concentration threshold. Namely, we consider the volume flux of fluid that ever exceeds a concentration threshold, the furthest distance from and maximum depth below the intrusion where the plume exceeds the threshold, and the instantaneous volume of fluid in excess of the threshold. Formulas are derived for the metrics that provide insight into the parameters that most strongly affect the extent of the plume. The model is applied to a reference deep-sea mining scenario around which key parameters are varied. The results provide some sense of scale for deep-sea mining midwater plumes, but more significantly demonstrate the importance of the parameters that influence the evolution of midwater plumes. The model shows that the discharge mass flow rate and the concentration threshold play an equal and opposite role on setting the extent of the plume. Ambient ocean turbulence and the settling velocity distribution of particles play a lesser yet significant role on setting the extent, and can influence different metrics in opposing ways.
Exploring the impact of green human resource management on firm sustainable performance: roles of green supply chain management and firm size
Authors: Jawaad Mehwish , Hasan Tania , Amir Abeera , Imam Hassan
Published: August 2022

This study examined the impact of green human resource management (GHRM) and green supply chain management (GSCM) on the economic, social, and environmental performance of 272 (ISO-certified) textile firms in Pakistan. It investigated how a firm's size and the number of years since adopting GSCM practices influence performance. Survey data were collected from these firms through a cluster sampling approach and then analyzed through structural equation modeling. Results highlighted that GHRM positively influences a firm's environmental and social performance. Results further indicated that inbound and outbound GSCM activities mediate between GHRM and a firm's environmental and social performance. The moderation results revealed that a firm's size is crucial for improving performance. From an emerging economy perspective, this study draws the attention of policymakers and managers, concluding that implementing GHRM improves the green orientation of all the departments within a firm and helps organizations achieve sustainability goals.
STRONG COMPACTNESS, SQUARE, GCH, AND WOODIN CARDINALS
Authors: APTER ARTHUR W.
Published: August 2022

We show the consistency, relative to the appropriate supercompactness or strong compactness assumptions, of the existence of a non-supercompact strongly compact cardinal
$\kappa _0$
(the least measurable cardinal) exhibiting properties which are impossible when
$\kappa _0$
is supercompact. In particular, we construct models in which
$\square _{\kappa ^+}$
holds for every inaccessible cardinal
$\kappa $
except
$\kappa _0$
, GCH fails at every inaccessible cardinal except
$\kappa _0$
, and
$\kappa _0$
is less than the least Woodin cardinal.
Reduced cortical cerebral blood flow in antipsychotic-free first-episode psychosis and relationship to treatment response
Authors: Selvaggi Pierluigi , Jauhar Sameer , Kotoula Vasileia , Pepper Fiona , Veronese Mattia , Santangelo Barbara , Zelaya Fernando , Turkheimer Federico E. , Mehta Mitul A. , Howes Oliver D.
Published: August 2022

Background

Altered cerebral blood flow (CBF) has been found in people at risk for psychosis, with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and with chronic schizophrenia (SCZ). Studies using arterial spin labelling (ASL) have shown reduction of cortical CBF and increased subcortical CBF in SCZ. Previous studies have investigated CBF using ASL in FEP, reporting increased CBF in striatum and reduced CBF in frontal cortex. However, as these people were taking antipsychotics, it is unclear whether these changes are related to the disorder or antipsychotic treatment and how they relate to treatment response.

Methods

We examined CBF in FEP free from antipsychotic medication (N = 21), compared to healthy controls (N = 22). Both absolute and relative-to-global CBF were assessed. We also investigated the association between baseline CBF and treatment response in a partially nested follow-up study (N = 14).

Results

There was significantly lower absolute CBF in frontal cortex (Cohen's d = 0.84, p = 0.009) and no differences in striatum or hippocampus. Whole brain voxel-wise analysis revealed widespread cortical reductions in absolute CBF in large cortical clusters that encompassed occipital, parietal and frontal cortices (Threshold-Free Cluster Enhancement (TFCE)-corrected <0.05). No differences were found in relative-to-global CBF in the selected region of interests and in voxel-wise analysis. Relative-to-global frontal CBF was correlated with percentage change in total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale after antipsychotic treatment (r = 0.67, p = 0.008).

Conclusions

These results show lower cortical absolute perfusion in FEP prior to starting antipsychotic treatment and suggest relative-to-global frontal CBF as assessed with magnetic resonance imaging could potentially serve as a biomarker for antipsychotic response.
Hayek’s dream: International investment law and the denigration of politics
Authors: Schneiderman David
Published: August 2022

This article argues that the operational logic of international investment law, in part, is to tame states by legally requiring that they behave as if they were profit-seeking enterprises. This is suggested by a small set of awards, arising out of contractual disputes, that work a binary between normal contractual behaviour and sovereign acts of public authority behaviour. Non-contractual behaviour is deemed ‘political’ and likely to give rise to liability under investment law strictures. This complements well Hayek’s approach to the rule of law, where, outside of their ‘framework’ functions, states are expected to behave ‘in the same manner as any private person’. In an age of ever-increasing disparity, this renders it more difficult for states and citizens to take up measures that Polanyi associates with the protective counter movements, shielding citizens from the deleterious effects of free markets.
From theories on styles to their transfer in text: Bridging the gap with a hierarchical survey
Authors: Troiano Enrica , Velutharambath Aswathy , Klinger Roman
Published: August 2022

Humans are naturally endowed with the ability to write in a particular style. They can, for instance, rephrase a formal letter in an informal way, convey a literal message with the use of figures of speech or edit a novel by mimicking the style of some well-known authors. Automating this form of creativity constitutes the goal of style transfer. As a natural language generation task, style transfer aims at rewriting existing texts, and specifically, it creates paraphrases that exhibit some desired stylistic attributes. From a practical perspective, it envisions beneficial applications, like chatbots that modulate their communicative style to appear empathetic, or systems that automatically simplify technical articles for a non-expert audience.

Several style-aware paraphrasing methods have attempted to tackle style transfer. A handful of surveys give a methodological overview of the field, but they do not support researchers to focus on specific styles. With this paper, we aim at providing a comprehensive discussion of the styles that have received attention in the transfer task. We organize them in a hierarchy, highlighting the challenges for the definition of each of them and pointing out gaps in the current research landscape. The hierarchy comprises two main groups. One encompasses styles that people modulate arbitrarily, along the lines of registers and genres. The other group corresponds to unintentionally expressed styles, due to an author’s personal characteristics. Hence, our review shows how these groups relate to one another and where specific styles, including some that have not yet been explored, belong in the hierarchy. Moreover, we summarize the methods employed for different stylistic families, hinting researchers towards those that would be the most fitting for future research.
Perceptions of the meaning of life among Korean patients with advanced cancer: A mixed-methods study
Authors: Koh Su-Jin , Kang Kyung-Ah , Kim Hyeyeong , Cheon Jaekyung , Im Hyeon-Su , Lee Jae-Hon , Ock Minsu , Cho Juhee , Lee Eun-Hye
Published: August 2022

Objective

This study aimed to explore perceptions of the meaning of life among Korean patients living with advanced cancer.

Method

The study employed a mixed-methods design, and 16 participants were included in the analysis. Qualitative data gathered from in-depth interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman's ρ correlation.

Results

Participants experienced both the existence of meaning and the will to find meaning in terms of four categories: “interpersonal relationships based on attachment and cohesion” (three themes — family as the core meaning of one's life, supportive and dependent interconnectedness with significant others, and existential responsibility embedded in familism), “therapeutic relationships based on trust” (one theme — communication and trust between the patient and medical staff), “optimism” (two themes — positivity embodied through past experiences and a positive attitude toward the current situation), and “a sense of purpose with advanced cancer” (two themes — the will to survive and expectations for the near future). The meaning in life questionnaire (MLQ) and the purpose in life scale (PIL) showed a significant positive correlation tendency with the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-spiritual well-being scale (FACIT-Sp). The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) showed significant negative correlation tendency with both the MLQ-presence of meaning (MLQ-PM) and PIL-Initiative (PIL-I) questionnaires.

Significance of results

Finding meaning in life helps advanced cancer patients realize their will to live. It also acts as a coping mechanism that palliates negative experiences in the fight against the disease. In particular, among advanced cancer patients in the Korean culture, the dynamics of relationships with family and medical staff was a key axis that instilled optimism and will to live. These results suggest that considering the meaning of life in advanced cancer patients by reflecting Korean culture in the treatment process improves the quality of care.
Depressive symptoms and suicidality by menopausal stages among middle-aged Korean women
Authors: An Se Young , Kim Yejin , Kwon Ria , Lim Ga-young , Choi Hye Rin , Namgoung Sunju , Jeon Sang Won , Chang Yoosoo , Ryu Seungho
Published: August 2022

Aims

There has been increasing evidence of hormonal changes during reproductive events that lead to mood changes. However, studies on the severity of psychological problems according to the menopausal stage are limited. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between menopausal stages, depression and suicidality.

Methods

A total of 45 177 women who underwent regular health check-ups between 2015 and 2018 at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital were included. Participants were stratified into four groups (pre-menopause, early transition, late transition and post-menopause) based on the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop Criteria. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (CESD) was used to evaluate depressive symptoms, and the degree of depressive symptoms was classified as moderate (CESD score 16–24) or severe (CESD score ⩾ 25). To measure suicide risk, we administered questionnaires related to suicidal ideation.

Results

Overall, the prevalence of CESD scores of 16–24 and ⩾ 25 was 7.6 and 2.8%, respectively. Menopausal stages were positively associated with depressive symptoms in a dose-dependent manner. Multivariable-adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs, 95% confidence intervals) for CESD scores of 16–24 comparing the stages of the early menopausal transition (MT), late MT and post-menopause to pre-menopause was 1.28 (1.16–1.42), 1.21 (1.05–1.38) and 1.58 (1.36–1.84), respectively. The multivariable-adjusted PRs for CESD scores ⩾ 25 comparing the stages of the early MT, late MT and post-menopause to pre-menopause were 1.31 (1.11–1.55), 1.39 (1.12–1.72), 1.86 (1.47–2.37), respectively. In addition, the multivariable-adjusted PRs for suicidal ideation comparing the early MT, late MT and post-menopause stages to the pre-menopause stage were 1.24 (1.12–1.38), 1.07 (0.93–1.24) and 1.46 (1.25–1.70) (p for trend <0.001), respectively.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that the prevalence of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation increases with advancing menopausal stage, even pre-menopause.