bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knife cut marks inflicted by different blade types and the changes induced by heat: a dimensional and morphological study
Authors: Vachirawongsakorn Vijarn , Painter Jonathan , Márquez-Grant Nicholas
Published: October 2021

Detailed information on skeletal trauma analysis of burned bone is important to ascertain the manner and cause of death in forensic casework. This research used three different knife types, one with a non-serrated blade, one a fine-serrated blade, and one a coarse-serrated blade, to inflict trauma to manually maceratedSus scrofaribs (n = 240), and these ribs were later exposed to heat. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted using macroscopic and microscopic techniques to assess specific characteristics of the cut marks. Differences in cut mark dimension and morphology of the ribs were investigated. After heat exposure, the cut marks on the rib samples remained recognisable and did not alter considerably. A level of dimensional and morphological preservation was reliant on the cutting action and the features of the knife blade as well as surrounding bone injury. The cut marks inflicted by the non-serrated blade remained recognisable despite exposure to the burning process. However, the cut marks inflicted by the coarse-serrated blade were likely to change significantly when exposed to heat. This study leads to two important results: (1) identification of pre-existing cut marks prior to heat exposure is possible in reconstructed burned bone fragments, and (2) cut marks from different types of knife blades showed dissimilar responses to heat. The outcomes obtained in this study stressed the need to adopt great care with the effects of heat on skeletal trauma analysis.
Histopathological assessments reveal retinal vascular changes, inflammation, and gliosis in patients with lethal COVID-19
Authors: Jidigam Vijay K. , Singh Rupesh , Batoki Julia C. , Milliner Caroline , Sawant Onkar B. , Bonilha Vera L. , Rao Sujata
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess for histopathological changes within the retina and the choroid and determine the long-term sequelae of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods

Eyes from seven COVID-19-positive and six similar age-matched control donors with a negative test for SARS-CoV-2 were assessed. Globes were evaluated ex vivo with macroscopic, SLO and OCT imaging. Macula and peripheral regions were processed for Epon embedding and immunocytochemistry.

Results

Fundus analysis shows hemorrhagic spots and increased vitreous debris in several of the COVID-19 eyes compared to the controls. OCT-based measurements indicated an increased trend in retinal thickness in the COVID-19 eyes; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Histology of the retina showed presence of hemorrhages and central cystoid degeneration in several of the donors. Whole mount analysis of the retina labeled with markers showed changes in retinal microvasculature, increased inflammation, and gliosis in the COVID-19 eyes compared to the controls. The choroidal vasculature displayed localized changes in density and signs of increased inflammation in the COVID-19 samples.

Conclusions

In situ analysis of the retinal tissue suggests that there are severe subclinical abnormalities that could be detected in the COVID-19 eyes. This study provides a rationale for evaluating the ocular physiology of patients that have recovered from COVID-19 infections to further understand the long-term effects caused by this virus.
The creation of phenomena in interactive biorobotics
Authors: Datteri Edoardo
Published: October 2021

In so-called interactive biorobotics, robotic models of living systems interact with animals in controlled experimental settings. By observing how the focal animal reacts to the stimuli delivered by the robot, one tests hypotheses concerning the determinants of animal behaviour in social contexts. Building on previous methodological reconstructions of interactive biorobotics, this article reflects on the claim, made by several authors in the field, that this strategy may enable one to explain social phenomena in animals. The answer offered here will be negative: interactive biorobotics does not contribute to the explanation of social phenomena. However, it may greatly contribute to the study of animal behaviour by creating social phenomena in the sense discussed by Ian Hacking, i.e. by precisely defining new phenomena to be explained. It will be also suggested that interactive biorobotics can be combined with more classical robot-based approaches to the study of living systems, leading to a so-called simulation-interactive strategy for the mechanistic explanation of social behaviour in animals.
White-opaque flowable composite liner as a depth marker in composite restorations prevents tooth substance loss in filling removal: a randomized double-blinded in vitro study
Authors: Wolf Thomas Gerhard , Dekert Natalie , Campus Guglielmo , Ernst Claus-Peter
Published: October 2021

Objectives

Removal of esthetic restorations leads to loss of tooth structure and the extent of the loss is difficult to estimate due to exact-shade matching. This randomized double-blinded in vitro study aimed examining the influence of a white-opaque flowable composite depth marker as an optical removal aid for tooth substance preservation and shortened restoration removal time.

Materials and methods

Class II cavities (n = 100) in extracted healthy mandibular molars (n = 50, two runs) were prepared, filled, and the restoration removed. Tooth weight and volume (before and after) and removal time were measured and remnants visually documented. An optimal tooth shade-matched flowable composite liner was used as control.

Results

Tooth structure loss was significantly lower using a white-opaque liner. Mean values for volume/weight loss were 0.037 ± 0.030 g and 0.016 ± 0.005 cm3 (p < 0.01) for white-opaque liner; 0.067 ± 0.000 g and 0.028 ± 0.003 cm3 (p < 0.01) for tooth-colored composite. Removal time and number of pulp chamber perforations showed no significant differences (p = 0.80).

Conclusions

Within the limitations of this randomized double-blinded in vitro study, the use of a white-opaque flowable liner as a depth marker may provide the practitioner a visual aid in the replacement of a composite restoration and may protect against tooth structure loss.

Clinical relevance

When restoration replacement is indicated, removal of esthetic restorations often causes tooth structure loss due to difficult optical color matching. Using a white-opaque flowable liner as a depth marker clinically aids in restoration removal and protects against tooth structure loss.
Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are sensitive to the correlation between pitch and timbre in human speech
Authors: Sturdy Sasha K. , Smith David R. R. , George David N.
Published: October 2021

The perceived pitch of human voices is highly correlated with the fundamental frequency (f0) of the laryngeal source, which is determined largely by the length and mass of the vocal folds. The vocal folds are larger in adult males than in adult females, and men’s voices consequently have a lower pitch than women’s. The length of the supralaryngeal vocal tract (vocal-tract length; VTL) affects the resonant frequencies (formants) of speech which characterize the timbre of the voice. Men’s longer vocal tracts produce lower frequency, and less dispersed, formants than women’s shorter vocal tracts. Pitch and timbre combine to influence the perception of speaker characteristics such as size and age. Together, they can be used to categorize speaker sex with almost perfect accuracy. While it is known that domestic dogs can match a voice to a person of the same sex, there has been no investigation into whether dogs are sensitive to the correlation between pitch and timbre. We recorded a female voice giving three commands (‘Sit’, ‘Lay down’, ‘Come here’), and manipulated the recordings to lower the fundamental frequency (thus lowering pitch), increase simulated VTL (hence affecting timbre), or both (synthesized adult male voice). Dogs responded to the original adult female and synthesized adult male voices equivalently. Their tendency to obey the commands was, however, reduced when either pitch or timbre was manipulated alone. These results suggest that dogs are sensitive to both the pitch and timbre of human voices, and that they learn about the natural covariation of these perceptual attributes.
Fast climatic changes place an endemic Canary Island macroalga at extinction risk
Authors: Alfonso Beatriz , Hernández José Carlos , Sangil Carlos , Martín Laura , Expósito Francisco Javier , Díaz Juan Pedro , Sansón Marta
Published: October 2021

Global warming and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) affect marine organisms worldwide. However, we still lack knowledge about the consequences of these environmental changes to range-restricted macroalgae species, such asGelidium canariense, a habitat-forming endemic of the Canary Islands. The aim of this study is to provide useful data for analyzing the conservation status of this endemic species. To do this, (1) we compared distributional data from 1987 with the data collected in 2008 and 2019 along the northern coast of Tenerife; (2) we assessed the variation in macroalgae assemblages dominated byG. canarienseover the last decade on this same cost; and (3) we explored the correlation of these results with the actual trends of sea surface temperature (SST), air temperature at 2 m above the sea surface (T2m), UVR, and downward solar radiation (DSR). The results showed significant changes in the distribution ofG. canariensein the last 30 years at Tenerife. More than 90% of its populations have declined. The endemic macroalgae have been replaced by the globally distributed speciesPterocladiella capillaceaat nearly all the sites studied. The cover ofG. canarienseandGelidium arbusculadecreased significantly with increasing SST and T2m. Additionally,G. canarienseis negatively related to the rise in UVR. These results highlight the vulnerability of both species ofGelidiumto global warming and UVR, but especially ofG. canariense. The drastic decline of this species reveals the need to upgrade its conservation status and implement protection measures to reduce the damage that predicted global change scenario may have to their relict populations.
In Vitro Oxidative Crosslinking of Recombinant Barnacle Cyprid Cement Gland Proteins
Authors: Cleverley Robert , Webb David , Middlemiss Stuart , Duke Phillip , Clare Anthony , Okano Keiju , Harwood Colin , Aldred Nick
Published: October 2021

Barnacle adhesion is a focus for fouling-control technologies as well as the development of bioinspired adhesives, although the mechanisms remain very poorly understood. The barnacle cypris larva is responsible for surface colonisation. Cyprids release cement from paired glands that contain proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, although further compositional details are scant. Several genes coding for cement gland-specific proteins were identified, but only one of these showed database homology. This was a lysyl oxidase-like protein (lcp_LOX). LOX-like enzymes have been previously identified in the proteome of adult barnacle cement secretory tissue. We attempted to produce recombinant LOX in E. coli, in order to identify its role in cyprid cement polymerisation. We also produced two other cement gland proteins (lcp3_36k_3B8 and lcp2_57k_2F5). lcp2_57k_2F5 contained 56 lysine residues and constituted a plausible substrate for LOX. While significant quantities of soluble lcp3_36k_3B8 and lcp2_57k_2F5 were produced in E. coli, production of stably soluble lcp_LOX failed. A commercially sourced human LOX catalysed the crosslinking of lcp2_57k_2F5 into putative dimers and trimers, and this reaction was inhibited by lcp3_36k_3B8. Inhibition of the lcp_LOX:lcp2_57k_2F5 reaction by lcp3_36k_3B8 appeared to be substrate specific, with no inhibitory effect on the oxidation of cadaverine by LOX. The results demonstrate a possible curing mechanism for barnacle cyprid cement and, thus, provide a basis for a more complete understanding of larval adhesion for targeted control of marine biofouling and adhesives for niche applications.
On the relation of the lunar recession and the length-of-the-day
Authors: Maeder Andre M. , Gueorguiev Vesselin G.
Published: October 2021

We review the problem of the consistency between the observed values of the lunar recession from Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) and of the increase of the length-of-the-day (LOD). From observations of lunar occultations completed by recent IERS data, we derive a variation rate of the LOD equal to 1.09 ms/cy from 1680 to 2020, which compares well with McCarthy and Babcock (Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 44: 281, 1986) and Sidorenkov (Astron. Astrophys. Trans. 24: 425, 2005). This rate is lower than the mean rate of 1.78 ms/cy derived by Stephenson et al. (Proc. R. Soc. A 472: 20160404, 2016) on the basis of eclipses in the Antiquity and Middle Age. The difference in the two observed rates starts at the epoch of a major change in the data accuracy with telescopic observations. The observed lunar recession appears too large when compared to the tidal slowing down of the Earth determined from eclipses in the Antiquity and Middle Age and even much more when determined from lunar occultations and IERS data from 1680 to 2020. With a proper account of the tidal effects and of the detailed studies on the atmospheric effects, the melting from icefields, the changes of the sea level, the glacial isostatic adjustment, and the core-mantle coupling, we conclude that the long-standing problem of the presence or absence of a local cosmological expansion is still an open question.
User encoding for clustering in very sparse recommender systems tasks
Authors: Pérez-Núnez Pablo , Díez Jorge , Luaces Oscar , Bahamonde Antonio
Published: October 2021

Recommender Systems are a very useful tool which let companies and service providers focus in the preferences of their customers, helping them to avoid an overwhelming variety of choices. In this context, clustering tools can play an important role to detect groups of customers with similar tastes. Thus, companies can make personalized marketing campaigns, offering to their users new products which have been consumed by other users with comparable preferences. In this paper we present a general framework to cluster users with respect to their tastes when the registers stored about the interactions between users and products are extremely scarce. Commonly, clustering methods employ the values of features describing the samples to be clustered (users in our case), but such features are not always available. We propose some alternative representations for users, in which their tastes are gathered to some extent, so that clustering algorithms can take advantage and make more homogeneous groups in this regard. To illustrate the performance of the whole framework, we tested it on six popular datasets commonly used as a benchmark for recommender systems, as well as on an extremely sparse real-world dataset that records the preferences of readers to click promoted links in digital publications. In the experimental section we compare our proposed representations to other common user encodings. We show that clustering users attending only to their feature values or to the items they have evaluated gives rise to the worst scores in terms of taste homogeneity.
Determining the Spatial Pattern of Blackleg Diseased Potato Plants in the Field and Simulated Post-Harvest Tuber Infections in Potato Crates
Authors: Been Thomas H. , Beniers Johanna E. , van der Wolf Jan M.
Published: October 2021

Experiments were carried out in 2012 and 2013 to answer two basic questions in the testing of potato blackleg causing agents before and after harvest. Firstly, what is the spatial distribution of symptomatic plants in the field. Secondly, what is the distribution of infected tubers over the crates and the resulting detection probability using the standard method of collecting 200 tubers from the top crates in storage. In both years, ten farmers were equipped with a global positioning system (Garmin GPSMAP 62) and asked to register the position of blackleg diseased plants every time they scouted their potato lot for diseases. To answer the second question, potatoes marked with four nails (only visible internally after harvest) and potatoes with a different skin colour were added to one-hectare (ha) fields of seed potatoes in different patterns of aggregation ranging from random, to aggregated distribution, up to one big hotspot prior to harvest. The invisibly marked tubers were used for the unbiased collection of twenty 200-tuber samples from the storage crates, while the coloured skin tubers were used to ascertain, when the potatoes were graded, the distribution of ‘infected’ potatoes over the storage crates. The experiment was carried out with 0.05 and 0.1% disease incidence, in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Twenty two out of 26 fields proved to have a random pattern of diseased plants at harvest, which indicates that the blackleg diseased plants came into the field as infected seed potatoes. Two of the four aggregated patterns detected, started out as random distributions but became aggregated later in time, indicating spread in the field. A random spatial pattern in the field at harvest proved to result in a uniform distribution of infected tubers in the crates and, consequently, sampling of only the top crates for the 200-tuber sample does not introduce any bias. Fifty percent of the infected farmer lots were detected by the Nederlandse Algemene Keuringsdienst inspectors performing their official field surveys, which was a better performance than the 18% detection obtained by the standard 200-tuber sampling method. Only 6 out of 80 samples from the ‘infected’ lots with 0.05% disease incidence level, and 22 out of 80 samples at the 0.1% disease incidence level were detected by the latter method. It was concluded that intensifying the field survey would be cheaper and more successful than enlarging the tuber sample size to increase the probability for detection of infected seed lots.
„Wir sind auf der Suche nach einer Mediatorin, die uns coacht …“
Authors: Schroeter Kirsten
Published: October 2021

Der Beitrag gibt einen Überblick zum aktuellen Stand der Mediation in Deutschland mit einem Schwerpunkt auf der Mediation in Organisationen. Der Beitrag nimmt einen doppelten Blickwinkel ein: Einerseits geht es um aktuelle Debatten aus der konkreten Praxis der Mediation in Organisationen, andererseits um die Bestandsaufnahme einer sich entwickelnden Profession. Auf beiden Ebenen wird Mediation als ein Format im Spektrum der Verfahren in Organisationen betrachtet, die sich (auch) der Bearbeitung von Konflikten widmen. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wird auf Verbindungslinien und Abgrenzungsmomente zu den Formaten Supervision und Coaching gelegt.
Restoration of FMRP expression in adult V1 neurons rescues visual deficits in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome
Authors: Yang Chaojuan , Tian Yonglu , Su Feng , Wang Yangzhen , Liu Mengna , Wang Hongyi , Cui Yaxuan , Yuan Peijiang , Li Xiangning , Li Anan , Gong Hui , Luo Qingming , Zhu Desheng , Cao Peng , Liu Yunbo , Wang Xunli , Luo Min-hua , Xu Fuqiang , Xiong Wei , Wang Liecheng , Li Xiang-yao , Zhang Chen
Published: October 2021

Many people affected by fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorders have sensory processing deficits, such as hypersensitivity to auditory, tactile, and visual stimuli. Like FXS in humans, loss of Fmr1 in rodents also cause sensory, behavioral, and cognitive deficits. However, the neural mechanisms underlying sensory impairment, especially vision impairment, remain unclear. It remains elusive whether the visual processing deficits originate from corrupted inputs, impaired perception in the primary sensory cortex, or altered integration in the higher cortex, and there is no effective treatment. In this study, we used a genetic knockout mouse model (Fmr1KO), in vivo imaging, and behavioral measurements to show that the loss of Fmr1 impaired signal processing in the primary visual cortex (V1). Specifically, Fmr1KO mice showed enhanced responses to low-intensity stimuli but normal responses to high-intensity stimuli. This abnormality was accompanied by enhancements in local network connectivity in V1 microcircuits and increased dendritic complexity of V1 neurons. These effects were ameliorated by the acute application of GABAA receptor activators, which enhanced the activity of inhibitory neurons, or by reintroducing Fmr1 gene expression in knockout V1 neurons in both juvenile and young-adult mice. Overall, V1 plays an important role in the visual abnormalities of Fmr1KO mice and it could be possible to rescue the sensory disturbances in developed FXS and autism patients.
Die „kleine Hormonschule“ oder: Was der Frauenarzt grundsätzlich zur Hormonanalytik wissen muss
Authors: Keck Christoph
Published: October 2021

Hormondiagnostik gehört zu den zentralen diagnostischen Massnahmen in der gynäkologischen Praxis. Um aus den Ergebnissen der Untersuchung die richtigen therapeutischen Schlüsse zu ziehen, müssen bestimmte Grundvoraussetzungen zur Präanalytik, Analytik und Interpretation der Befunde beachtet werden. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt hierzu entsprechende Empfehlungen und beschreibt das konkrete Vorgehen in der Praxis.
Influencing Factors for Complication with Aneurysm Rupture of the Fetal Posterior Communicating Artery After Clipping Through the Lateral Supraorbital Approach and Prognosis
Authors: Chen Yunxiang , Cai Yurong , Chen Huahui , Lin Xiafeng , Zhou Gezhi , Yuan Jianlie , Fan Yuejun
Published: October 2021

Background

To explore the influencing factors for complication with aneurysm rupture of the fetal posterior communicating artery after clipping through the lateral supraorbital (LSO) approach and prognosis.

Methods

A total of 119 patients with posterior communicating artery aneurysm (PCoAA) accompanied by fetal posterior cerebral artery (fPCA), who underwent clipping through the LSO approach from January 2014 to December 2019, were selected. They were aged 50–70 years old, (60.5 ± 13.7) on average. The treatment outcome, incidence of complications and follow-up results were analyzed. Based on the follow-up results, univariate comparative analysis was conducted for the clinical data of patients with good or poor prognosis. The statistically significant factors were incorporated into multivariate Cox regression analysis, and the nomogram prediction model for prognosis was established. The accuracy of the model was assessed using the Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test.

Results

Clipping through the LSO approach was successful in all cases. Perioperative complications occurred in 41 patients. According to the follow-up results, 89 patients had good prognosis, while 30 had poor prognosis. Age of > 65 years old, history of hypertension, high Hunt–Hess grade and high modified Fisher grade were independent risk factors for the poor prognosis of patients with PCoAA accompanied by fPCA after clipping through the LSO approach. The results obtained by the established model were consistent with the actual ones.

Conclusion

Age, history of hypertension, Hunt–Hess grade and modified Fisher grade are independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with PCoAA accompanied by fPCA after clipping through the LSO approach.
News Media Translation
Authors: Zanettin Federico
Published: October 2021

As digital convergence marks the transition from print to screen culture, translation plays an increasingly important role of in the production and dissemination of the news. The translation of information in the news media is a pervasive set of practices that affects the daily consumption of the news and a topic of relevance to scholars in several areas of the humanities and the social sciences. This book provides a wide-ranging and accessible introduction to research in news media translation practices, products and processes, illustrating and discussing historical, theoretical and descriptive perspectives. Inter- and multi-disciplinary research spans fields such as Translation Studies, Linguistics, Journalism and Media Studies, and includes approaches from Critical Discourse Analysis and narrative theory to Systemic Functional Linguistics and Corpus Linguistics. The book also offers first-hand analyses of news texts in English and Italian, approaching news translation from an ethnomethodological perspective.
A Methodological Framework for Free and Open-Source UAV-Based Archaeological Research
Authors: Reese Kelsey M. , Field Sean
Published: October 2021

Full-coverage pedestrian survey to record cultural features on unexplored archaeological landscapes is costly in terms of time, money, and personnel. Over the past two decades, researchers have implemented remote sensing and landscape data collection techniques using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to combat some of these burdens, but the initial cost of equipment, software, and processing power has hindered the ubiquitous implementation of UAV technology as an accessible companion tool to traditional archaeological survey. This article presents a free and open-source, technology-independent analytical framework for the collection and processing of UAV images to produce high-resolution digital terrain models limited only by the equipment available to the researcher. Results from the free and open-source protocol are directly compared to those produced using proprietary software to illustrate the capabilities of freely available data processing tools for UAV-collected images. By replicating the methods outlined here, researchers should be able to identify and target areas of interest to increase fieldwork efficiency, decrease costs of implementing this technology, and produce high-resolution digital terrain models to conduct spatial analyses that pursue a deeper understanding of cultural landscapes.
From apathy through anxiety to action: emotions as motivators for youth climate strike leaders
Authors: Bright Maria L. , Eames Chris
Published: October 2021

The climate strikes of 2019 motivated millions worldwide onto the street and provided a platform for youth voices that demanded global climate action. This article explores the experiences of climate strike leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand questioning the motivational factors behind the youth action. In-depth interviews with 15 climate strike leaders identified emotions that influenced engagement and could motivate action. Climate strike leaders reported experiencing a series of turbulent emotional stages from apathy to action. Their experiences suggest that anxiety and anger are important stages in the emotional journey towards action. Using Boler’s Pedagogy of Discomfort, this paper examines these emotional stages that can disable or enable action. Considering youth perspectives increases our understanding of a suitable climate change educational framework that potentially supports both educators and students on this challenging journey.
Equality, Non-Interference, and Sovereignty: President Ahmadou Ahidjo and the Making of Cameroon-U.S. Relations
Authors: Amin Julius A.
Published: October 2021

Scholars often dismiss the importance of local archives in the reconstruction of postcolonial African history, stating that they are superficial, unorganized, and unreliable. Amin challenges that notion and argues that those archives are central to the study of African diplomatic history. Based on extensive and previously unused documents, he argues that Cameroon’s Ahmadou Ahidjo leveraged his U.S. policy to develop his country and protect its sovereignty while maintaining a firm grip on power. This reappraisal of Ahidjo’s actions engages debates about the contours of U.S.-African foreign policy and the challenges new nations face as they navigate external relations.
A Review on the Surgical Management of Insular Gliomas
Authors: Renfrow Jaclyn J. , Julian Bao-Quynh , Brown Desmond A. , Tatter Stephen B. , Laxton Adrian W. , Lesser Glenn J. , Strowd Roy E. , Parney Ian F.
Published: October 2021

The surgical treatment of insular gliomas requires specialized knowledge. Over the last three decades, increased momentum in surgical resection of insular gliomas shifted the focus from one of expectant management to maximal safe resection to establish a diagnosis, characterize tumor genetics, treat preoperative symptoms (i.e., seizures), and delay malignant transformation through tumor cytoreduction. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed regarding insular glioma classification/genetics, insular anatomy, surgical approaches, and patient outcomes. Modern large, published series of insular resections have reported a median 80% resection, 80% improvement in preoperative seizures, and postsurgical permanent neurologic deficits of less than 10%. Major complication avoidance includes recognition and preservation of eloquent cortex for language and respecting the lateral lenticulostriate arteries.
Biogeographic, stratigraphic, and environmental distribution ofBasilosaurus(Mammalia, Cetacea) in North America with a review of the late Eocene shoreline in the southeastern coastal plain
Authors: Smith Kathlyn M. , Hastings Alexander K. , Bebej Ryan M. , Uhen Mark D.
Published: October 2021

A new specimen ofBasilosaurus cetoideswas discovered on the banks of the Flint River in Albany, Georgia, USA, in 2010. This fossil, which was the most complete specimen of the species from Georgia to date, consisted of five nearly complete and two partial post-thoracic vertebrae, tentatively identified as S4 through Ca6. During excavation, however, the site was looted and most of the specimen was lost to science. Nonetheless, we use this discovery as an opportunity to update the current state of knowledge on the stratigraphic, biogeographic, and environmental distribution ofBasilosaurusin North America, as well as the position of the late Eocene shoreline in the southeastern United States. The results show thatBasilosauruswas most abundant across the southeastern coastal plain during the early to middle Priabonian, coincident with the late Eocene maximum marine transgression. The decline inBasilosauruslocalities is associated with the retreating shoreline of the terminal Eocene. The majority ofBasilosauruslocalities fall well south of the position of the late Eocene shoreline hypothesized in this study, suggesting the genus favored middle to outer neritic zones of the epicontinental sea. The comparatively low number of Priabonian specimens in the Atlantic Coastal Plain versus the Gulf Coastal Plain, then, suggests the presence of shallow zones in the Atlantic Coastal Plain that may have limited the distribution ofBasilosaurusacross the region. The hypothesized shoreline of this study ultimately differs from earlier reconstructions by extending the Mississippi embayment at the Bartonian/Priabonian boundary farther north than previously noted.
HIGHER MILLER FORCING MAY COLLAPSE CARDINALS
Authors: MILDENBERGER HEIKE , SHELAH SAHARON
Published: October 2021

We show that it is independent whether club
$\kappa $
-Miller forcing preserves
$\kappa ^{++}$
. We show that under
$\kappa ^{<\kappa }> \kappa $
, club
$\kappa $
-Miller forcing collapses
$\kappa ^{<\kappa }$
to
$\kappa $
. Answering a question by Brendle, Brooke-Taylor, Friedman and Montoya, we show that the iteration of ultrafilter
$\kappa $
-Miller forcing does not have the Laver property.
Post Post-Broadcast Democracy? News Exposure in the Age of Online Intermediaries
Authors: STIER SEBASTIAN , MANGOLD FRANK , SCHARKOW MICHAEL , BREUER JOHANNES
Published: October 2021

Online intermediaries such as social network sites or search engines are playing an increasingly central role in democracy by acting as mediators between information producers and citizens. Academic and public commentators have raised persistent concerns that algorithmic recommender systems would negatively affect the provision of political information by tailoring content to the predispositions and entertainment preferences of users. At the same time, recent research indicates that intermediaries foster exposure to news that people would not use as part of their regular media diets. This study investigates these unresolved questions by combining the web browsing histories and survey responses of more than 7,000 participants from six major democracies. The analysis shows that despite generally low levels of news use, using online intermediaries fosters exposure to nonpolitical and political news across countries and personal characteristics. The findings have implications for scholarly and public debates on the challenges that high-choice digital media environments pose to democracy
On the Ethics of Vaccine Nationalism: The Case for the Fair Priority for Residents Framework
Authors: Emanuel Ezekiel J. , Buchanan Allen , Chan Shuk Ying , Fabre Cécile , Halliday Daniel , Leland R. J. , Luna Florencia , McCoy Matthew S. , Norheim Ole F. , Schaefer G. Owen , Tan Kok-Chor , Wellman Christopher Heath
Published: October 2021

COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be scarce for years to come. Many countries, from India to the U.K., have demonstrated vaccine nationalism. What are the ethical limits to this vaccine nationalism? Neither extreme nationalism nor extreme cosmopolitanism is ethically justifiable. Instead, we propose the fair priority for residents (FPR) framework, in which governments can retain COVID-19 vaccine doses for their residents only to the extent that they are needed to maintain a noncrisis level of mortality while they are implementing reasonable public health interventions. Practically, a noncrisis level of mortality is that experienced during a bad influenza season, which society considers an acceptable background risk. Governments take action to limit mortality from influenza, but there is no emergency that includes severe lockdowns. This “flu-risk standard” is a nonarbitrary and generally accepted heuristic. Mortality above the flu-risk standard justifies greater governmental interventions, including retaining vaccines for a country's own citizens over global need. The precise level of vaccination needed to meet the flu-risk standard will depend upon empirical factors related to the pandemic. This links the ethical principles to the scientific data emerging from the emergency. Thus, the FPR framework recognizes that governments should prioritize procuring vaccines for their country when doing so is necessary to reduce mortality to noncrisis flu-like levels. But after that, a government is obligated to do its part to share vaccines to reduce risks of mortality for people in other countries. We consider and reject objections to the FPR framework based on a country: (1) having developed a vaccine, (2) raising taxes to pay for vaccine research and purchase, (3) wanting to eliminate economic and social burdens, and (4) being ineffective in combating COVID-19 through public health interventions.
On the correctness of monadic backward induction
Authors: BREDE NURIA , BOTTA NICOLA
Published: October 2021

In control theory, to solve a finite-horizon sequential decision problem (SDP) commonly means to find a list of decision rules that result in an optimal expected total reward (or cost) when taking a given number of decision steps. SDPs are routinely solved using Bellman’s backward induction. Textbook authors (e.g. Bertsekas or Puterman) typically give more or less formal proofs to show that the backward induction algorithm is correct as solution method for deterministic and stochastic SDPs. Botta, Jansson and Ionescu propose a generic framework for finite horizon,monadicSDPs together with a monadic version of backward induction for solving such SDPs. In monadic SDPs, the monad captures a generic notion of uncertainty, while a generic measure function aggregates rewards. In the present paper, we define a notion of correctness for monadic SDPs and identify three conditions that allow us to prove a correctness result for monadic backward induction that is comparable to textbook correctness proofs for ordinary backward induction. The conditions that we impose are fairly general and can be cast in category-theoretical terms using the notion of Eilenberg–Moore algebra. They hold in familiar settings like those of deterministic or stochastic SDPs, but we also give examples in which they fail. Our results show that backward induction can safely be employed for a broader class of SDPs than usually treated in textbooks. However, they also rule out certain instances that were considered admissible in the context of Bottaet al.’s generic framework. Our development is formalised in Idris as an extension of the Bottaet al.framework and the sources are available as supplementary material.
Prevalence of fatigue in adults with congenital heart disease
Authors: Ternrud Linda , Hlebowicz Joanna , Sandberg Camilla , Johansson Bengt , Sparv David
Published: October 2021

Aims:

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the prevalence of the multidimensional phenomenon of fatigue in adults with congenital heart disease.

Background:

Adults with congenital heart disease are a growing population, and patient-reported outcomes can provide valuable information about the patient’s experience of living with CHD. Fatigue is a multidimensional phenomenon that can be described as an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion with a reduced capacity of mental and physical work. Fatigue can be observed clinically in adults with congenital heart disease, but the actual prevalence is unknown.

Methods:

Fatigue was assessed by the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory which enables the respondent to report the presence of fatigue according to five dimensions: “general fatigue,” “physical fatigue,” “mental fatigue,” “reduced motivation,” and “reduced activity.” The questionnaire was sent to 463 patients in Lund and Umeå. Four groups with complex CHD and two groups with moderately complex CHD were included. The reliability (internal consistency) of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory was tested for all dimensions and groups of diagnosis.

Results:

The response rate was 56.6% (n= 262). In patients with complex CHD, 40.0–59.4% reported severe to very severe general fatigue, and patients with a single ventricle reported the highest prevalence (59.4%). Among patients with complex CHD, 29.2–40.0% reported severe to very severe mental fatigue. The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory had a high reliability measured with Cronbach’s alpha.

Conclusions:

The study findings show a relatively high prevalence of fatigue in adults with congenital heart disease, and general fatigue was the most prevalent. Further studies are needed regarding fatigue and its causes and consequences in adults with congenital heart disease.

Relevance to clinical practice:

The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory proved to be an instrument with high reliability and low internal loss, which suggests that the instrument may be suitable to use as a patient-reported outcome in the care of adults with congenital heart disease, preferably at repeated occasions.
A semantic parsing pipeline for context-dependent question answering over temporally structured data
Authors: Chen Charles , Bunescu Razvan , Marling Cindy
Published: October 2021

We propose a new setting for question answering (QA) in which users can query the system using both natural language and direct interactions within a graphical user interface that displays multiple time series associated with an entity of interest. The user interacts with the interface in order to understand the entity’s state and behavior, entailing sequences of actions and questions whose answers may depend on previous factual or navigational interactions. We describe a pipeline implementation where spoken questions are first transcribed into text which is then semantically parsed into logical forms that can be used to automatically extract the answer from the underlying database. The speech recognition module is implemented by adapting a pre-trained long short-term memory (LSTM)-based architecture to the user’s speech, whereas for the semantic parsing component we introduce an LSTM-based encoder–decoder architecture that models context dependency through copying mechanisms and multiple levels of attention over inputs and previous outputs. When evaluated separately, with and without data augmentation, both models are shown to substantially outperform several strong baselines. Furthermore, the full pipeline evaluation shows only a small degradation in semantic parsing accuracy, demonstrating that the semantic parser is robust to mistakes in the speech recognition output. The new QA paradigm proposed in this paper has the potential to improve the presentation and navigation of the large amounts of sensor data and life events that are generated in many areas of medicine.
Influencing mechanisms of lifestyle and dietary factors on chronic diseases among community residents: updated evidence in Shanghai, China
Authors: Yang Yan , Jin Hua , Zhang Peipei , Cheng Mingwang , Liu Xiang , Cao Zilong , Gao Xiang , Zhou Liang , Lv Yipeng , Huang Jiaoling , Chen Ning , Wang Zhaoxin , Shi Jianwei , Yu Wenya
Published: October 2021

Objectives:

This study aimed to determine the risk factors for chronic diseases and to identify the potential influencing mechanisms from the perspectives of lifestyle and dietary factors. The findings could provide updated and innovative evidence for the prevention and control of chronic diseases.

Design:

A cross-sectional study.

Setting:

Shanghai, China.

Participants:

1005 adults from Yangpu district of Shanghai participated in the study, and responded to questions on dietary habits, lifestyle and health status.

Results:

Residents suffering from chronic diseases accounted for about 34·99 % of the respondents. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, diet quality, amount of exercise and tea drinking were related to chronic diseases. Age > 60 and overeating (Diet Balance Index total score > 0) had negative additive interaction on the occurrence of chronic disease, while overexercise (Physical Activity Index > 17·1) and tea drinking had negative multiplicative interaction and negative additive interaction on the occurrence of chronic disease. Diet quality, physical activity and tea drinking were incomplete mediators of the relationship between types of medical insurance residents participating in and chronic diseases.

Conclusions:

The residents in Yangpu District of Shanghai have a high prevalence of chronic diseases. Strengthening access of residents to health education and interventions to prevent chronic diseases and cultivating healthy eating and exercise habits of residents are crucial. The nutritional environment of the elderly population should be considered, and the reimbursement level of different types of medical insurance should be designed reasonably to improve the accessibility of medical and health services and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
Internationalizing Revolution: The Nicaraguan Revolution and the World, 1977–1990
Authors: Harmer Tanya , van Ommen Eline
Published: October 2021

This special issue traces its roots to a workshop on the international, transnational and global dimensions of the Nicaraguan Revolution held at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in May 2019. Convened by Dr. Eline van Ommen and Dr. Tanya Harmer, the editors of this special issue, the workshop was generously funded by the LSE Department of International History and the LSE Latin America and Caribbean Centre. Most of the articles that follow were first presented at this workshop, where a lively exchange took place on the revolution's history and present-day legacies.
Fortnightly Variation of the Tsushima Warm Current on the Continental Shelf in the Southwestern Japan Sea
Authors: Takikawa Tetsutaro , Morimoto Akihiko , Kyushima Moeto , Ichikawa Kaoru , Yufu Kei
Published: October 2021

The first and second branches of the Tsushima Warm Current flow on the continental shelf and along the shelf break/slope in the southwestern Japan Sea, respectively. The second branch corresponds to the offshore side of the bottom temperature front between the offshore cold and nearshore warm waters. Across the Tsushima Warm Current on the continental shelf and the shelf edge, five bottom‐mounted ADCPs with temperature sensors were deployed between middle June and late July 2014. At the shelf edge, the bottom temperature varied with the diurnal tidal cycle. The offshore bottom cold‐water intruded into the continental shelf region in conjunction with the fortnightly spring‐neap (2‐week) cycle which is the modulation of the diurnal K1 and O1 internal tides. The bottom temperature front and the first branch of the Tsushima Warm Current on the continental shelf intensified in response to the bottom cold‐water intrusion.
Subglacial Channels, Climate Warming, and Increasing Frequency of Alpine Glacier Snout Collapse
Authors: Egli Pascal E. , Belotti Bruno , Ouvry Boris , Irving James , Lane Stuart N.
Published: October 2021

Alpine glacier retreat has increased markedly since the late 1980s and is commonly linked to the effects of rising temperature on the surface melt. Less considered are processes associated with glacier snout‐marginal surface collapse. A survey of 22 retreating Swiss glaciers suggests that collapse events have increased in frequency since the early 2000s, driven by ice thinning and reductions in glacier‐longitudinal ice flux. Detailed measurement of a collapse event at one glacier showed 0.02 m/day vertical surface deformation above a meandering main subglacial channel. However, with low rates of longitudinal flux (<1.3 m/year), this was insufficient to close the channel in the snout marginal zone. We hypothesize that an open channel maintains contact between subglacial ice and the atmosphere, allowing greater incursion of warm air up‐glacier, thus enhancing melt from below. The associated meandering of subglacial channels at glacier snouts leads to surface collapse and removal of ice via fluvial processes.
The Role of Fluid Seepage in the Erosion of Mesozoic Carbonate Escarpments
Authors: Micallef Aaron , Paull Charles K. , Saadatkhah Nader , Bialik Or
Published: October 2021

Mesozoic submarine carbonate escarpments are erosional features that host box canyons, the formation of which had been attributed to seepage erosion in view of their similarity to subaerial box canyons. The latter had been cited as diagnostic of groundwater activity, although the efficacy of fluid seepage as an erosive agent in bedrock remains controversial. Here we use multibeam echosounder data from the Blake, Campeche, Malta and Florida Escarpments to demonstrate that box canyon formation is, in general, a significant process eroding carbonate escarpments. Numerical modeling based on parameters from the Florida Escarpment shows that box canyons can initiate and retrogressively evolve by fluid seeping via joints, which causes a reduction in rock strength due to fluid pressure and dissolution, resulting in periodic block failure at the canyon head. Box canyon elongation is promoted by an exponential distribution of joint density, an increase in joint density, joints oriented perpendicular and parallel to the escarpment, or an increase in the thickness of the flowing groundwater zone and slope gradient of the escarpment. The angularity of the canyon head decreases with a decrease in joint density and when joint density is uniform, whereas the canyon width is regulated by the extent of the joint set zone. Since the key factors contributing to box canyon formation along the Florida Escarpment appear to characterize the Blake, Campeche and Malta Escarpments, the groundwater model for box canyon formation should be applicable to these escarpments as well.