bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A sociotechnical perspective for the future of AI: narratives, inequalities, and human control
Authors: Sartori Laura , Theodorou Andreas
Published: January 2022

Different people have different perceptions about artificial intelligence (AI). It is extremely important to bring together all the alternative frames of thinking—from the various communities of developers, researchers, business leaders, policymakers, and citizens—to properly start acknowledging AI. This article highlights the ‘fruitful collaboration’ that sociology and AI could develop in both social and technical terms. We discuss how biases and unfairness are among the major challenges to be addressed in such a sociotechnical perspective. First, as intelligent machines reveal their nature of ‘magnifying glasses’ in the automation of existing inequalities, we show how the AI technical community is calling for transparency and explainability, accountability and contestability. Not to be considered as panaceas, they all contribute to ensuring human control in novel practices that include requirement, design and development methodologies for a fairer AI. Second, we elaborate on the mounting attention for technological narratives as technology is recognized as a social practice within a specific institutional context. Not only do narratives reflect organizing visions for society, but they also are a tangible sign of the traditional lines of social, economic, and political inequalities. We conclude with a call for a diverse approach within the AI community and a richer knowledge about narratives as they help in better addressing future technical developments, public debate, and policy. AI practice is interdisciplinary by nature and it will benefit from a socio-technical perspective.
Framing ethical issues associated with the UK COVID-19 contact tracing app: exceptionalising and narrowing the public ethics debate
Authors: Samuel G. , Lucivero F.
Published: January 2022

This paper explores ethical debates associated with the UK COVID-19 contact tracing app that occurred in the public news media and broader public policy, and in doing so, takes ethics debate as an object for sociological study. The research question was: how did UK national newspaper news articles and grey literature frame the ethical issues about the app, and how did stakeholders associated with the development and/or governance of the app reflect on this? We examined the predominance of different ethical issues in news articles and grey literature, and triangulated this using stakeholder interview data. Findings illustrate how news articles exceptionalised ethical debate around the app compared to the way they portrayed ethical issues relating to ‘manual’ contact tracing. They also narrowed the debate around specific privacy concerns. This was reflected in the grey literature, and interviewees perceived this to have emerged from a ‘privacy lobby’. We discuss the findings, and argue that this limited public ethics narrative masked broader ethical issues.
Trust in medical artificial intelligence: a discretionary account
Authors: Nickel Philip J.
Published: January 2022

This paper sets out an account of trust in AI as a relationship between clinicians, AI applications, and AI practitioners in which AI is given discretionary authority over medical questions by clinicians. Compared to other accounts in recent literature, this account more adequately explains the normative commitments created by practitioners when inviting clinicians’ trust in AI. To avoid committing to an account of trust in AI applications themselves, I sketch a reductive view on which discretionary authority is exercised by AI practitioners through the vehicle of an AI application. I conclude with four critical questions based on the discretionary account to determine if trust in particular AI applications is sound, and a brief discussion of the possibility that the main roles of the physician could be replaced by AI.
Critical Droplets and Sharp Asymptotics for Kawasaki Dynamics with Strongly Anisotropic Interactions
Authors: Baldassarri Simone , Nardi Francesca R.
Published: January 2022

In this paper we analyze metastability and nucleation in the context of the Kawasaki dynamics for the two-dimensional Ising lattice gas at very low temperature. Let$$\varLambda \subset {\mathbb {Z}}^2$$Λ⊂Z2be a finite box. Particles perform simple exclusion on$$\varLambda $$Λ, but when they occupy neighboring sites they feel a binding energy$$-U_1<0$$-U1<0in the horizontal direction and$$-U_2<0$$-U2<0in the vertical one. Thus the Kawasaki dynamics is conservative inside the volume$$\varLambda $$Λ. Along each bond touching the boundary of$$\varLambda $$Λfrom the outside to the inside, particles are created with rate$$\rho =e^{-\varDelta \beta }$$ρ=e-Δβ, while along each bond from the inside to the outside, particles are annihilated with rate 1, where$$\beta >0$$β>0is the inverse temperature and$$\varDelta >0$$Δ>0is an activity parameter. Thus, the boundary of$$\varLambda $$Λplays the role of an infinite gas reservoir with density$$\rho $$ρ. We consider the parameter regime$$U_1>2U_2$$U1>2U2also known as the strongly anisotropic regime. We take$$\varDelta \in {(U_1,U_1+U_2)}$$Δ∈(U1,U1+U2), so that the empty (respectively full) configuration is a metastable (respectively stable) configuration. We consider the asymptotic regime corresponding to finite volume in the limit as$$\beta \rightarrow \infty $$β→∞. We investigate how the transition from empty to full takes place with particular attention to the critical configurations that asymptotically have to be crossed with probability 1. The derivation of some geometrical properties of the saddles allows us to identify the full geometry of the minimal gates and their boundaries for the nucleation in the strongly anisotropic case. We observe very different behaviors for this case with respect to the isotropic ($$U_1=U_2$$U1=U2) and weakly anisotropic ($$U_1<2U_2$$U1<2U2) ones. Moreover, we derive mixing time, spectral gap and sharp estimates for the asymptotic transition time for the strongly anisotropic case.
Laser microdissection transcriptome data derived gene regulatory networks of developing rice endosperm revealed tissue- and stage-specific regulators modulating starch metabolism
Authors: Ishimaru Tsutomu , Parween Sabiha , Saito Yuhi , Masumura Takehiro , Kondo Motohiko , Sreenivasulu Nese
Published: January 2022

Key message

Laser microdissection applied on the developing rice endosperm revealed tissue- and stage-specific regulators modulating programmed cell death and desiccation tolerance mechanisms in the central starchy endosperm following starch metabolism.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) filial seed tissues are heterozygous in its function, which accumulate distinct storage compounds spatially in starchy endosperm and aleurone. In this study, we identified the 18 tissue- and stage-specific gene co-regulons in the developing endosperm by isolating four fine tissues dorsal aleurone layer (AL), central starchy endosperm (CSE), dorsal starchy endosperm (DSE), and lateral starchy endosperm (LSE) at two developmental stages (7 days after flowering, DAF and 12DAF) using laser microdissection (LM) coupled with gene expression analysis of a 44 K microarray. The derived co-expression regulatory networks depict that distinct set of starch biosynthesis genes expressed preferentially at first in CSE at 7 DAF and extend its spatial expression to LSE and DSE by 12 DAF. Interestingly, along with the peak of starch metabolism we noticed accumulation of transcripts related to phospholipid and glycolipid metabolism in CSE during 12 DAF. The spatial distribution of starch accumulation in distinct zones of starchy endosperm contains specific transcriptional factors and hormonal-regulated genes. Genes related to programmed cell death (PCD) were specifically expressed in CSE at 12DAF, when starch accumulation was already completed in that tissue. The aleurone layer present in the outermost endosperm accumulates transcripts of lipid, tricarboxylic acid metabolism, several transporters, while starch metabolism and PCD is not pronounced. These regulatory cascades are likely to play a critical role in determining the positional fate of cells and offer novel insights into the molecular physiological mechanisms of endosperm development from early to middle storage phase.
Linking rhizosphere processes across scales: Opinion
Authors: Schnepf A. , Carminati A. , Ahmed M. A. , Ani M. , Benard P. , Bentz J. , Bonkowski M. , Knott M. , Diehl D. , Duddek P. , Kröner E. , Javaux M. , Landl M. , Lehndorff E. , Lippold E. , Lieu A. , Mueller C. W. , Oburger E. , Otten W. , Portell X. , Phalempin M. , Prechtel A. , Schulz R. , Vanderborght J. , Vetterlein D.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Simultaneously interacting rhizosphere processes determine emergent plant behaviour, including growth, transpiration, nutrient uptake, soil carbon storage and transformation by microorganisms. However, these processes occur on multiple scales, challenging modelling of rhizosphere and plant behaviour. Current advances in modelling and experimental methods open the path to unravel the importance and interconnectedness of those processes across scales.

Methods

We present a series of case studies of state-of-the art simulations addressing this multi-scale, multi-process problem from a modelling point of view, as well as from the point of view of integrating newly available rhizosphere data and images.

Results

Each case study includes a model that links scales and experimental data to explain and predict spatial and temporal distribution of rhizosphere components. We exemplify the state-of-the-art modelling tools in this field: image-based modelling, pore-scale modelling, continuum scale modelling, and functional-structural plant modelling. We show how to link the pore scale to the continuum scale by homogenisation or by deriving effective physical parameters like viscosity from nano-scale chemical properties. Furthermore, we demonstrate ways of modelling the links between rhizodeposition and plant nutrient uptake or soil microbial activity.

Conclusion

Modelling allows to integrate new experimental data across different rhizosphere processes and scales and to explore more variables than is possible with experiments. Described models are tools to test hypotheses and consequently improve our mechanistic understanding of how rhizosphere processes impact plant-scale behaviour. Linking multiple scales and processes including the dynamics of root growth is the logical next step for future research.
Time to deterioration of patient-reported outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer: exploring different definitions
Authors: Walding Andrew , Skaltsa Konstantina , Casamayor Montserrat , Rydén Anna
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The clinical relevance of different time-to-deterioration (TTD) definitions for patient-reported outcomes were explored.

Methods

TTD definitions differing by reference score and deterioration event were used to analyse data from the phase 3 FLAURA trial of first-line osimertinib versus erlotinib or gefitinib in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Pre-specified key symptoms were fatigue, appetite loss, cough, chest pain and dyspnoea, scored using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13 questionnaires (≥ 10-point difference = clinically relevant).

Results

No significant treatment differences in TTD (distributions) were observed using definitions based on transient or definitive deterioration alone. TTD definitions based on definitive, sustained deterioration, with death not included as an event, yielded a significant treatment difference for dyspnoea (hazard ratio [HR] 0.71; P = 0.034) when baseline was the reference, and for cough (HR 0.70; P = 0.009) and dyspnoea (HR 0.71; P = 0.004) when best previous score was the reference. With death included as an event, treatment differences were significant for dyspnoea (HR 0.70; P = 0.025) when baseline was the reference, and for cough (HR 0.70; P = 0.011), dyspnoea (HR 0.71; P = 0.003) and chest pain (HR 0.71; P = 0.038) when best previous score was the reference. Irrespective of definition, TTD for appetite loss and fatigue did not differ significantly between arms.

Conclusion

This exploratory work showed that different TTD definitions yield different magnitudes of treatment difference, highlighting the importance of pre-specifying TTD definitions upfront in clinical trials.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02296125.
Assessing Progress Towards SDGs Implementation Using Multiple Reference Point Based Multicriteria Methods: The Case Study of the European Countries
Authors: Ricciolini E. , Rocchi L. , Cardinali M. , Paolotti L. , Ruiz F. , Cabello J. M. , Boggia A.
Published: January 2022

To achieve the UN 2030 Agenda Goals, and considering their complexity and multidisciplinary, Multi-criteria analysis appears to be a suitable approach to give a true support to public decision makers in defining policy lines. This study focuses on the application of the Multiple Reference Point Weak-Strong Composite Indicators (MRP-WSCI) and its partially compensatory version (MRP-PCI), to assess, in the framework of the UN 2030 Agenda, the sustainability of the 28 members of the European Union (pre-Brexit). Countries were analyzed and compared according to their conditions and progress against the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, considering three reference years: 2007, 2012 and 2017. The analysis shows that Nordic countries reach a good level of global sustainability, with values of the indicators, W-W-W and S-W-W, between 2 and 3; while the States of east Europe, in particular Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, stay at the worst levels, having overall indicators values less than 1.5. Furthermore, the results highlight how countries in the lower group have difficulties especially in social and economic sustainability. On the other hand, states with a good overall condition record the worst results in the environmental dimension, such as the Netherlands, which shows, for the year 2017, a value for this sphere less than 2, while in the other two show a good value (over 2.5).
Accountability as a Warrant for Trust: An Experiment on Sanctions and Justifications in a Trust Game
Authors: Herne Kaisa , Lappalainen Olli , Setälä Maija , Ylisalo Juha
Published: January 2022

Accountability is present in many types of social relations; for example, the accountability of elected representatives to voters is the key characteristic of representative democracy. We distinguish between two institutional mechanisms of accountability, i.e., opportunity to punish and requirement of a justification, and examine the separate and combined effects of these mechanisms on individual behavior. For this purpose, we designed a decision-making experiment where subjects engage in a three-player trust game with two senders and one responder. We ask whether holding the responder accountable increases senders’ and responders’ contributions in a trust game. When restricting the analysis to the first round, the requirement of justification seems to have a positive impact on senders’ contributions. When the game is played repeatedly, the experience of previous rounds dominates the results and significant treatment effects are no longer seen. We also find that responders tend to justify their choices in terms of reciprocity, which is in line with observed behavior. Moreover, the treatment combining punishment and justification hinders justifications that appeal to pure self-interest.
Evaluating the Repeatability of Friction Coefficient Measurements and Tactile Perceptions in Skin–Textile Interactions Across Body Regions
Authors: Temel Mevra , Johnson Andrew A. , Lloyd Alex B.
Published: January 2022

Measuring the friction between human skin and textiles is essential to preventing skin-related health problems and wearer discomfort. This study sought to evaluate the repeatability of friction coefficient measurements and tactile perceptions at various human body regions, using a recently developed portable friction measuring device. Using the device, a cotton textile was applied to six test locations. The friction coefficient and tactile perceptions were taken three times, at each test site. The repeatability of friction coefficient was excellent with ICC of 0.91 ± 0.05 for static and 0.91 ± 0.06 for dynamic friction coefficient, and tactile perception showed good to excellent repeatability. The friction coefficient and tactile perception significantly differed across the body regions (p = 0.008 and p = 0.003, respectively). The chest showed the highest static friction coefficient with 0.90 ± 0.19 and dynamic friction coefficient with 0.79 ± 0.20, whereas the dorsal forearm with static 0.31 ± 0.07 and dynamic 0.25 ± 0.05 was the lowest. The ratings of tactile perceptions were independent of friction coefficient when the changes in the coefficient of friction were induced by regional difference, and/or the range of the coefficient of friction values were small. Moreover, skin temperature and friction coefficient correlated positively, whilst cutaneous hydration and friction coefficient did not.
A Linear Chirp Wireless Transmission Method utilizing Doppler Effect
Authors: Qiu Sihai , Zhao Dongyan , Wang Yubo , Tang Xiaoke , Zhao Xu , Zhang Yubing
Published: January 2022

The Chirp Spread Spectrum(CSS) based wireless communication has been widely used in Wireless Sensor Network(WSN). These sensors generally have slow speed, and is becoming more demand for higher data rate. However, due to the low transmission rate of CSS, there are still many problems to be studied. A new modulation method based on the linear chirps is introduced in this paper. Unlike the BOK(Binary Orthogonal Keying) and DM(Direct Modulation) methods, this modulation technique is to implant Doppler frequency shift into the linear chirps. M-ary modulation is realized in a single pulse by this proposed modulation technique. Demodulation is accomplished by calculating the position of the compress pulse peak within the pulse duration, or by using different reference chirp signals in the matching filter.
Quambalaria shoot blight resistance in marri (Corymbia calophylla): genetic parameters and correlations between growth rate and blight resistance
Authors: Duong Hoa Thanh , Mazanec Richard , McComb Jennifer A. , Burgess Treena , Hardy Giles E. St. J.
Published: January 2022

Quambalaria shoot blight (QSB) has emerged recently as a severe disease of Corymbia calophylla (marri). In this study, QSB damage and growth were assessed in Corymbia calophylla trees at 4 and 6 years of age in two common gardens consisting of 165 and 170 open-pollinated families representing 18 provenances across the species’ natural distribution. There were significant differences between provenances for all traits. The narrow-sense heritability for growth traits and QSB damage at both sites were low to moderate. The genetic correlation between QSB damage and growth traits was negative; fast-growing families were less damaged by QSB disease. Age-age genetic correlations for individual traits at four and six years were very strong, and the type-B (site–site) correlations were strongly positive for all traits. Provenances from cooler wetter regions showed higher resistance to QSB. The QSB incidence at 6 years was significantly correlated with environmental factors of the provenance’s origin. The QSB incidence at years four and six was not correlated with the QSB expression in 3-month-old seedlings. Based on these results, selection for resistance could be undertaken using 4-year-old trees. There is potential for a resistance breeding program to develop populations of marri genetically diverse and resistant to QSB.
A Nutrigenetic Update on CETP Gene–Diet Interactions on Lipid-Related Outcomes
Authors: Wuni Ramatu , Kuhnle Gunter G. C. , Wynn-Jones Alexandra Azzari , Vimaleswaran Karani Santhanakrishnan
Published: January 2022

Purpose of Review

An abnormal lipid profile is considered a main risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and evidence suggests that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene contribute to variations in lipid levels in response to dietary intake. The objective of this review was to identify and discuss nutrigenetic studies assessing the interactions between CETP SNPs and dietary factors on blood lipids.

Recent Findings

Relevant articles were obtained through a literature search of PubMed and Google Scholar through to July 2021. An article was included if it examined an interaction between CETP SNPs and dietary factors on blood lipids. From 49 eligible nutrigenetic studies, 27 studies reported significant interactions between 8 CETP SNPs and 17 dietary factors on blood lipids in 18 ethnicities. The discrepancies in the study findings could be attributed to genetic heterogeneity, and differences in sample size, study design, lifestyle and measurement of dietary intake. The most extensively studied ethnicities were those of Caucasian populations and majority of the studies reported an interaction with dietary fat intake. The rs708272 (TaqIB) was the most widely studied CETP SNP, where ‘B1’ allele was associated with higher CETP activity, resulting in lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher serum triglycerides under the influence of high dietary fat intake.

Overall, the findings suggest that CETP SNPs might alter blood lipid profiles by modifying responses to diet, but further large studies in multiple ethnic groups are warranted to identify individuals at risk of adverse lipid response to diet.
The Effects of UPcomplish on Office Workers’ Sedentary Behaviour, Quality of Life and Psychosocial Determinants: A Stepped-Wedge Design
Authors: Berninger Nathalie M. , Plasqui Guy , Crutzen Rik , Ruiter Robert A. C. , Kok Gerjo , Ten Hoor Gill A.
Published: January 2022

Background

Sedentary behaviour (SB) affects cardiometabolic health and quality of life (QoL). We examine the effects of UPcomplish, a 12-week data-driven intervention, on SB, QoL and psychosocial determinants among office workers.

Methods

Participants were recruited via judgement sampling. Five groups starting with time-lags of 7 weeks (n = 142, 96 females) received 14 feedback messages (FBMs) which were tailored to SB patterns, goals and hurdles. Participants received questionnaires at the beginning, middle and end of the intervention and wore an accelerometer measuring SB, operationalized as proportions (compositional data approach, CoDA) and summed squared sitting bouts (SSSB). We used linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts for weeks (between-subjects) and individuals (within-subjects).

Results

UPcomplish did not reduce SB. Within-subjects compared to baseline, FBM #3 (βCoDA = 0.24,p < .001, 95% CI [0.15, 0.33]; βSSSB = 20.83,p < .001, 95% CI [13.90, 27.28]) and #4 (βCoDA = 0.20,p < .001, 95% CI [0.11, 0.29]; βSSSB = 24.80,p < .001, 95% CI [15.84, 33.76]) increased SB. QoL was unaffected. Perceived susceptibility was lower after FBMs #6 to #8 (βbetween = − 0.66,p = .04, 95% CI [− 1.03, − 0.30]; βwithin = − 0.75,p = .02, 95% CI [− 1.18, − 0.32]). Within-subjects, intentions to sit less were higher after FBMs #1 to #5 (1.14,p = .02, 95% CI [0.61, 1.66]). Improvements in determinants and in SB were not associated, nor were improvements in SB and in QoL.

Conclusions

Compared to VitaBit only, UPcomplish was not beneficial. Environmental restructuring might be superior, but detailed analyses of moderators of effectiveness are needed.
About the effectiveness of a hydrophobic surface treatment of Baumberger Sandstones
Authors: Orlowsky Jeanette , Groh Melanie , Braun Franziska
Published: January 2022

The Baumberger Sandstone, a sandy limestone, is used since the Middle Ages as a building material not only in the surrounding Münster region of North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), where it is quarried since to date. To prevent the ingress of water and reduce weathering processes conservation methods, mostly in form of organosilicon compounds, were used. This study deals with the performance of applied hydrophobing agents on Baumberger Sandstone samples and their influence on the weathering processes during long-term exposure. The samples were exposed at several locations in Germany to different climatic conditions for up to 24 years. Afterwards, investigations concerning the water absorption behaviour and the degree of superficial damages were carried out. With an evaluation method on basis of NMR measurements, a very low and uneven distributed effective hydrophobic zone could be detected. This caused an ingress of water in the uppermost part and a progressive weathering of investigated natural stones. Thus the hydrophobic surface treatment did not lead to a significant decrease of weathering or damaging processes. Based on these results a hydrophobic surface treatment of Baumberger Sandstone seems not to be suitable.
„Ich stehe jeden Dienst mit mir selbst im Konflikt“–„Moral distress“ bei Altenpflegenden während der COVID-19-Pandemie
Authors: Begerow A. , Gaidys U.
Published: January 2022

Hintergrund

Aufgrund der COVID-Pandemie-bedingten Veränderungen sind Pflegende im Setting der stationären Altenpflege besonderen Belastungen ausgesetzt und können in Bezug auf ihre moralische Verantwortung Dilemmata erleben.

Ziel

Ziel dieser Untersuchung ist es, die Auswirkungen und Wahrnehmungen hinsichtlich der Entstehung von Moral distress von Pflegenden im Setting der Altenpflege während der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie in Deutschland zu explizieren und daraus Schlussfolgerungen für die Gestaltung von Pflege in stationären Pflegeeinrichtungen zu ziehen.

Methode

Auf der Basis einer Subgruppenanalyse (n = 510) des qualitativen Surveys der COVID-19-Pflegestudie werden Wahrnehmungen von Altenpflegenden während der Pandemie in Deutschland dargestellt und hinsichtlich der Entwicklung von Moral distress ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse

Durch die Analyse können 5 Kategorien („Dass wir keine Zeit haben, um ordentlich pflegen zu können“, „Vereinsamung“, „Konflikte mit Angehörigen und Bewohnern“,„Ständige Angst um Patientensicherheit, aber auch um die eigene Sicherheit“und „Trauer, Stress und Wut“) identifiziert werden, die differenzierte Kriterien zum Entstehen von Moral distress bei den Altenpflegenden sowie deren Auswirkungen darlegen.

Schlussfolgerungen

Aus den Erkenntnissen ist zu schlussfolgern, dass strukturelle und fachliche Lösungen entwickelt werden müssen, die es Pflegenden ermöglichen, ihr eigenes Arbeitsumfeld zu gestalten und fachliche Versorgungsentscheidungen selbstständig zu übernehmen.
The EU Sustainable Finance Agenda: Developing Governance for Double Materiality in Sustainability Metrics
Authors: Chiu Iris H-Y
Published: January 2022

This article argues that the regulatory steers in the recent EU Sustainable Disclosure and Taxonomy Regulations rely heavily on the outworking of market-based governance to meet public interest goals in sustainable finance. Hence, additional work in sustainability metrics development that informs the investment sector of sustainable performance in companies would be of key importance. This article argues that there remain gaps in EU leadership for governing metrics development, and suggests that EU-level governance can be designed appropriately, especially in a multi-stakeholder manner, for metrics development and in relation to key information intermediaries in this space.
Isolation and characterization of ginseng-derived exosome-like nanoparticles with sucrose cushioning followed by ultracentrifugation
Authors: Kim Jisu , Lee Yeon-Hee , Wang Jianxin , Kim Youn Kyung , Kwon Il Keun
Published: January 2022

Ginseng is a traditional medicine that has been used for millennia. Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) has multiple pharmacological properties. To determine the efficacy of ginseng-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (GDEs), GDEs should be isolated and characterized. GDEs from P. ginseng were isolated via sequential centrifugation using 68 and 27% of sucrose cushioning followed by ultracentrifugation. The size distribution, zeta potential, and morphology of GDEs were evaluated using DLS, NTA, and TEM. GDEs were quantified by measuring the total RNA and protein concentration. The stability of the freeze-dried GDEs was evaluated for 90 days. Uniform and reproducible GDEs were successfully isolated with high yield and purity. GDEs were found to be spherical with an average diameter of 105.8 nm and a negative surface charge of − 20.7 mV. Substantial amounts of nanoparticles of GDEs were counted using NTA, with a concentration of 2.05 × 1013 particles/mL. According to the evaluation of their protein and total RNA concentration, the freeze-dried GDEs were stable for up to 60 days at room temperature. The results suggest the utility of a brief isolation protocol using sucrose double fractionation, which can be used for the mass production of plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles. In addition, the stability of GDEs was maintained even after freeze-drying and storage for 60 days. This method has potential for application in the research for plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles, where cost-effective exosome isolation with high yield and purity is an important step.
Ordinary Magic in Extraordinary Circumstances: Factors Associated with Positive Mental Health Outcomes for Early Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ashworth Emma , Putwain David W. , McLoughlin Shane , Saini Pooja , Chopra Jennifer , Rosser Benjamin , Eames Catrin
Published: January 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions have had a negative impact on the mental health and wellbeing of many people worldwide, but this may have been particularly challenging for adolescents. However, there is a paucity of research examining the factors associated with good mental health during this time. The aim of the current study was to identify the protective factors amongst early adolescents in the UK that were associated with better mental health outcomes (internalising and externalising difficulties, and wellbeing) during the first national COVID-19 lockdown. Between September and December 2020, 290 11–14 year olds across North West England completed an online survey consisting of several measures pertaining to experiences of lockdown, and mental health and wellbeing. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyse the data. Results indicated that higher participant-rated lockdown experience (the extent to which it was fun, easy, and good) and higher levels of optimism were protective factors for all three outcomes of interest. Greater adherence to government guidance was a protective factor for internalising difficulties and wellbeing only, while family keyworker status was protective for externalising difficulties and wellbeing only. Community and school connection were protective factors for internalising difficulties; family connection and number of parents at home were protective factors for externalising difficulties; and peer support and family knowledge of COVID-19 were protective factors for wellbeing. In summary, the ‘ordinary magic’ of supportive relationships and positive experiences appear to be some of the key factors needed to maintain adolescents’ mental health and wellbeing, and to help them overcome difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acceptance and Fear of Artificial Intelligence: associations with personality in a German and a Chinese sample
Authors: Sindermann Cornelia , Yang Haibo , Elhai Jon D. , Yang Shixin , Quan Ling , Li Mei , Montag Christian
Published: January 2022

Understanding individual differences in attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) is of importance, among others in system development. Against this background, we sought to investigate associations between personality and attitudes towards AI. Relations were investigated in samples from two countries—Germany and China—to find potentially replicable, cross-culturally applicable associations. In German (N = 367, n = 137 men) and Chinese (N = 879; n = 220 men) online surveys, participants completed items on sociodemographic variables, the Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence (ATAI) scale, and the Big Five Inventory. Correlational analysis revealed among others significant positive associations between Neuroticism and fear of AI in both samples, with similar effect sizes. In addition to a significant association of acceptance of AI with gender, regression analyses revealed a small but significant positive association between Neuroticism and fear of AI in the German sample. In the Chinese sample, regression analyses showed positive associations of acceptance of AI with age, Openness, and Agreeableness. Fear of AI was only significantly negatively related to Agreeableness in the Chinese sample. The association of fear of AI with Neuroticism just failed to be significant in the regression model in the Chinese sample. These results reveal important insights into associations between certain personality traits and attitudes towards AI. However, given mostly small effect sizes of relations between personality and attitudes towards AI, other factors aside from personality traits seem to be of relevance to explain variance in individuals’ attitudes towards AI, as well.
Development of a digital twin operational platform using Python Flask
Authors: Bonney Matthew S. , de Angelis Marco , Dal Borgo Mattia , Andrade Luis , Beregi Sandor , Jamia Nidhal , Wagg David J.
Published: January 2022

The digital twin concept has developed as a method for extracting value from data, and is being developed as a new technique for the design and asset management of high-value engineering systems such as aircraft, energy generating plant, and wind turbines. In terms of implementation, many proprietary digital twin software solutions have been marketed in this domain. In contrast, this paper describes a recently released open-source software framework for digital twins, which provides a browser-based operational platform using Python and Flask. The new platform is intended to maximize connectivity between users and data obtained from the physical twin. This paper describes how this type of digital twin operational platform (DTOP) can be used to connect the physical twin and other Internet-of-Things devices to both users and cloud computing services. The current release of the software—DTOP-Cristallo—uses the example of a three-storey structure as the engineering asset to be managed. Within DTOP-Cristallo, specific engineering software tools have been developed for use in the digital twin, and these are used to demonstrate the concept. At this stage, the framework presented is a prototype. However, the potential for open-source digital twin software using network connectivity is a very large area for future research and development.
Why Think for Yourself?
Authors: Matheson Jonathan
Published: January 2022

In this paper, I explore an underappreciated tension between two epistemic values: epistemic autonomy and the love of truth. On the one hand, it seems as though any healthy intellectual life includes thinking about a number of issues for oneself. On the other hand, it seems as though taking inquiry seriously requires you to take the best available route to the answer, and typically that is not thinking for yourself. For nearly any question you want to investigate, there is someone who is in a better epistemic position than you are to determine the answer. In what follows, I will first clarify our central question and sharpen this novel puzzle regarding epistemic autonomy. Having done so, I will argue that autonomous deliberation can be epistemically valuable to inquirers both when it is successful, as well as when it is unsuccessful. I conclude by gesturing at how these considerations point us toward an account of epistemic autonomy as an intellectual virtue.
Reproductive and developmental toxicities of 5-fluorouracil in model organisms and humans
Authors: Naren Gerile , Guo Jiaojiao , Bai Qiujuan , Fan Na , Nashun Buhe
Published: January 2022

Chemotherapy, as an important clinical treatment, has greatly enhanced survival in cancer patients, but the side effects and long-term sequelae bother both patients and clinicians. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) has been widely used as a chemotherapeutic agent in the clinical treatment of various cancers, but several studies showed its adverse effects on reproduction. Reproductive toxicity of 5-FU often associates with developmental block, malformation and ovarian damage in the females. In males, 5-FU administration alters the morphology of sexual organs, the levels of reproductive endocrine hormones and the progression of spermatogenesis, ultimately reducing sperm numbers. Mechanistically, 5-FU exerts its effect through incorporating the active metabolites into nucleic acids directly, or inhibiting thymidylate synthase to disrupt the function of DNA and RNA, leading to profound effects on cellular metabolism and viability. However, some studies suggested that the toxicity of 5-FU on reproduction is reversible and certain drugs used in combination with 5-FU during chemotherapy could protect reproductive systems from 5-FU damage both in females and males. Herein, we summarise the recent findings and discuss underlying mechanisms of the 5-FU-induced reproductive toxicity, providing a reference for future research and clinical treatments.
Improvements in appropriate ambulatory antibiotic prescribing using a bundled antibiotic stewardship intervention in general pediatrics practices
Authors: Katz Sophie E. , Spencer Preston , Cates Janet , Harnack Lora , Xu Meng , Banerjee Ritu
Published: January 2022

Objective:

To improve appropriate antibiotic prescribing for children in Tennessee.

Design:

We performed a before-and-after intervention study with 3 comparison periods: period 1 (P1, baseline) May 2018–September 2019; period 2 (P2, intervention before the COVID-19 pandemic) November 11, 2019–March 20, 2020; and period 3 (P3, intervention during the coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19] pandemic) March 21, 2020–November 10, 2020. We additionally surveyed participating providers to assess acceptance of the intervention.

Setting:

Community general pediatrics practices.

Participants:

In total, 81 general pediatricians, family medicine physicians, and nurse practitioners in 5 general pediatrics practices participated in this study.

Interventions:

Each practice identified a practice and operations champion for the project. Practices chose 2–4 implementation strategies previously shown to be effective at reducing outpatient antibiotic use to implement in their practice throughout the study intervention period. Study personnel also held quarterly meetings with all providers to review deidentified peer comparison feedback both across practices enrolled in the study and at the provider level within each practice.

Results:

We detected improvements in guideline-concordant antibiotic use in the pre-COVID-19 intervention period, and they were sustained in the study period during the pandemic (P3): otitis media (P1 72.14% vs P2 81.42% vs P3 86.11%), group A streptococcal pharyngitis (P1 66.13% vs P2 81.56% vs P3 80.44%), pneumonia (P1 70.6% vs P2 76.2% vs P3 100%), sinusitis (P1 76.2% vs P2 83.78% vs P3 82.86%), skin and soft-tissue infections (P1 97.18% vs P2 100% vs P3 100%).

Conclusions:

Bundled implementation strategies led to significant increases in guideline-concordant antibiotic prescribing for all diagnoses. Survey results demonstrate that the bundled implementation strategies were well-accepted by providers.
A local approximation model for macroscale transport of biased active Brownian particles in a flowing suspension
Authors: Fung Lloyd , Bearon Rachel N. , Hwang Yongyun
Published: January 2022

A dilute suspension of motile microorganisms subjected to a strong ambient flow, such as algae in the ocean, can be modelled as a population of non-interacting, orientable active Brownian particles (ABPs). Using the Smoluchowski equation (i.e. Fokker–Planck equation in space and orientation), one can describe the non-trivial transport phenomena of ABPs such as taxis and shear-induced migration. This work transforms the Smoluchowski equation into a transport equation, in which the drifts and dispersions can be further approximated as a function of the local flow field. The new model can be applied to any global flow field due to its local nature, unlike previous methods such as those utilising the generalised Taylor dispersion theory. The transformation shows that the overall drift includes both the biased motility of individual particles in the presence of taxis and the shear-induced migration in the absence of taxis. In addition, it uncovers other new drifts and dispersions caused by the interactions between the orientational dynamics and the passive advection–diffusion of ABPs. Finally, the performance of this model is assessed using examples of gyrotactic suspensions, where the proposed model is demonstrated to be most accurate when the biased motility of particles (i.e. taxis) is weak.
Asian Paleocene charophyte records demonstrate Eocene dispersals from Asia to Europe
Authors: Cao Wenxin , Li Sha , Li Qiang , Stidham Thomas A. , Wan Xiaoqiao , Ni Xijun
Published: January 2022

A latest Paleocene charophyte flora collected from the South Gobi area in the Junggar Basin, western China, includes the geographically widespread taxa Peckichara torulosa var. varians (Dollfus and Fritel, 1919) Sanjuan, Vicente, and Eaton, 2020, Lychnothmanus vectensis (Groves, 1926) Soulié-Märsche, 1989, and Gyrogona lemani capitata Grambast and Grambast-Fessard, 1981. Lychnothmanus vectensis (as Lychnothmanus aff. L. vectensis) is known from the Cretaceous–Paleocene transition in eastern China and the latest Paleocene in western China, with likely additional records from the United States (Utah). The earliest European records of L. vectensis are from the late Eocene to early Oligocene in Spain, France, and England. Similarly, the oldest record of G. lemani capitata is from the latest Paleocene in the South Gobi area, with younger records from the middle Eocene of France. These latest Paleocene gyrogonite assemblages demonstrate the origin of these charophyte lineages in Asia. The dispersal of these charophytes from Asia to Europe in the middle to late Eocene appears to have occurred before the retreat of the Turgai Strait in both the Tarim area and the Siberian Basin by the end of the late Eocene and before the “Grande Coupure” in Europe and the Mongolian Remodelling in Asia during the Eocene–Oligocene transition. We hypothesize that waterbirds may have facilitated this intercontinental dispersal, and that idea is supported by the shared occurrence of avian groups in Central Asia and Europe in the middle and late Eocene.
Answers at Gunpoint: On Livengood and Sytsma’s Revolver Case
Authors: Bauer Alexander Max , Romann Jan
Published: January 2022

Jonathan Livengood and Justin Sytsma have published a series of studies on “Actual Causation and Compositionality,” in which they investigate causal attributions of laypeople. We use one of their vignettes to follow up on their research. Our findings cast doubt on their conclusion that ordinary causal attributions tend to violate the compositionality constraint if one looks at cases in which someone is responsible for an effect by way of an intermediary that does not share in the responsibility.
Why Do Directors Join Poorly Performing Firms?
Authors: Dou Ying , Zhang Emma Jincheng
Published: January 2022

Prior research has suggested that sitting on the board of a poorly performing firm (PPF) can be undesirable to directors. Still, almost 60% of such firms are able to appoint new directors following director departures. Contrary to a quality matching explanation, we do not find that only poorly performing directors join these firms. Upon joining PPFs, directors are more likely to fill leadership positions without necessarily receiving higher pay. These directors subsequently receive career benefits, especially those who are relatively junior in the pool. As such, the evidence is consistent with the leadership positions providing a certification effect.
Facial neuritis in coronavirus disease 2019 associated mucormycosis: study on clinico-radiological correlates
Authors: Jaiswal A S , Sikka K , Bhalla A S , Manchanda S , Goel G , Verma H , Thakar A
Published: January 2022

Objective

To elucidate the aetiopathogenesis of facial neuritis in coronavirus disease 2019 associated mucormycosis.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted of coronavirus disease 2019 associated mucormycosis patients who presented with peripheral facial nerve palsy from January 2021 to July 2021. The clinico-radiological details of four patients were assessed to examine the potential mechanism of facial nerve involvement.

Results

Serial radiological evaluation with contrast-enhanced computed tomography and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging revealed infratemporal fossa involvement in all cases, with the inflammation extending along fascial planes to reach the stylomastoid foramen. Ascending neuritis with an enhancement of the facial nerve was demonstrated in all cases.

Conclusion

The likely explanation for facial palsy in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 associated mucormycosis, backed by radiology, is the disease abutting the facial nerve at the stylomastoid foramen and causing ascending neuritis of the facial nerve.
A heavy hand or a helping hand? Information provision and citizen preferences for anti-crime policies
Authors: Gingerich Daniel W. , Scartascini Carlos
Published: January 2022

Anti-crime policy is often unresponsive to reductions in crime. To address why, we provide a model and empirical test of how citizens’ anti-crime policy preferences respond to information. Our model shows that preferences for anti-crime policy hinge on expectations about the crime rate: punitive policies are preferred in high crime contexts, whereas social policies are preferred in low crime contexts. We evaluate these expectations through an information experiment embedded in the 2017 Latin American Public Opinion Project survey conducted in Panama. As expected by our theory, a high crime message induced stronger preferences in favour of punitive policies. Unanticipated by our theory, but in line with cursory evidence and survey results, we find that a low crime message did not induce stronger preferences in favour of social policies. These findings are consistent with policy ratcheting: punitive policies increase during periods of high crime and remain in place during periods of low crime.
Scots in the English Atlantic from 1603 to 1660: Policy, Patronage, and Subjecthood
Authors: Wagner Joseph
Published: January 2022

This article examines the legal and sociopolitical position that Scots held in the English Atlantic world from the union of the crowns in 1603 to the restoration of the Stuart dynasty in 1660. It demonstrates that Scots gained access to colonial opportunities through the royal patronage of James VI and I and Charles I. The policy of those monarchs also largely supported Scottish endeavours in the transatlantic arena: in land ownership, commerce, and colonial leadership. The Wars of the Three Kingdoms, the Commonwealth, and the Protectorate disrupted the colonial opportunities that were opened to Scots in the preceding decades. They lost their access to royal patronage, and the concept of Commonwealth subjecthood displaced the earlier concept of postnati subjecthood. By tracing how concepts of subjecthood developed in this period, the article contextualises the Restoration period when Scots were labelled as aliens in the English Navigation Acts to restrict their access to the English Atlantic.