bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Wirklichkeit können wir neue sozioökonomische Realitäten imaginieren (lernen)
Authors: Göpel Maja
Published: November 2020

Menschen sind kreative und sinnsuchende Wesen. Wir lieben es, zu lernen, Rätsel zu lösen und Neues zu gestalten. Wir suchen nach Verständigung und Verständnis. Wir sind erzählende und reflektierende Wesen, die in einer Welt der Geschichten leben. Und diese Geschichten lernen wir natürlich durch unser soziales Umfeld und in unseren Bildungsinstitutionen. Sie wirken auf mindestens drei Ebenen: Als Individuum entwickelt jeder Mensch eine persönliche Sicht auf die Dinge, anhand derer wir Urteile und Entscheidungen treffen. Als soziale Wesen verwenden wir normative Kodizes und einen kanonisierten Alltagsverstand, um diese Entscheidungen gegenüber anderen zu vertreten und sich in Beziehung zu ihnen zu setzen. Im politischen Raum schließlich herrschen die großen gesellschaftlichen Erzählungen und Paradigmen, die als Referenzrahmen für angemessenes oder auch rationales Handeln gelten und damit auch das Gefühl einer Schicksalsgemeinschaft kreieren. Daher wirken die Geschichten auf den drei Ebenen auch immer aufeinander ein. Und der gigantische Entwicklungsfortschritt der Spezies Mensch liegt nicht zuletzt genau darin begründet, dass dadurch koordinierte Routinen, ausdifferenzierte Arbeitsteilung, komplexe Institutionen und bahnbrechende Innovationen über eine erzählerische Begründung ihrer Sinnhaftigkeit funktionieren. Allein deshalb kann die Bedeutung des Hinterfragens und Neuausrichtens der vielleicht zentralen Geschichte des 19. und vor allem 20. Jahrhunderts gar nicht überschätzt werden: die Gesellschaft des (grenzenlosen) monetären Wachstums.
Die globale Masernkrise – Ursachenvielfalt von bewaffneten Konflikten bis Impfskepsis
Authors: Denkel Luisa , Espelage Werner , Matysiak-Klose Dorothea , Morwinsky Thomas , Siedler Anette , Beermann Sandra
Published: November 2020

Hintergrund und Ziel

Obwohl seit vielen Jahren ein sicherer und effektiver Impfstoff verfügbar ist, nehmen Fälle von Masern seit 2018 weltweit wieder zu. Ziel dieses Berichts ist die Identifizierung möglicher Gründe für diese Entwicklung.

Methode

Es erfolgte eine selektive Literaturrecherche sowie die Auswertung aktueller Berichte und Daten der Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO), des Kinderhilfswerkes der Vereinten Nationen (UNICEF) und der Weltbank.

Ergebnisse

Madagaskar, die Ukraine und Israel wiesen laut WHO im Zeitraum vom 01.07.2018 bis 30.06.2019 die weltweit höchsten Inzidenzen für Masern auf. Masernausbrüche sind ein Zeichen unzureichender Impfquoten, die durch vielfältige strukturelle und psychologische Barrieren verursacht werden. Strukturelle Barrieren für Masernimpfungen, wie mangelnde Routineimpfprogramme, bestehen vor allem in fragilen Ländern u. a. durch bewaffnete Konflikte. Sie wurden jedoch auch in Subpopulationen einkommensstärkerer Länder als Hauptursachen für geringe Masernimpfquoten u. a. durch fehlende Ressourcen für Impfdienste identifiziert. Psychologische Barrieren und nachfolgende Impfskepsis waren hauptsächlich in entwickelten Ländern mit gut funktionierenden Gesundheitssystemen und hohem Lebensstandard verbreitet.

Diskussion

Die Gründe für die globale Masernkrise sind vielfältig und existieren teilweise schon seit Jahrzehnten. Sie scheinen sich jedoch inzwischen zu akkumulieren und seit 2018 dramatisch auf die Fallzahlen auszuwirken. Das Ziel, die Masern zu eliminieren, und die Aufrechterhaltung der hierfür notwendigen Impfprogramme sind ständige Herausforderungen, welche die strikte und permanente Einhaltung der WHO-Empfehlungen erfordern. Auch in Deutschland liegt die Anzahl der übermittelten Masernfälle immer noch auf einem Niveau deutlich über dem im Nationalen Impfplan festgelegten Leitziel zur Eliminierung der Masern. Immer wieder kommt es zu zeitlich begrenzten regionalen bis bundesweiten Ausbrüchen. Da Infektionserreger grenzübergreifend übertragen werden können, ist die internationale Perspektive ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der nationalen Gesundheitspolitik in Deutschland.
Complete mesocolic excision in minimally invasive surgery of colonic cancer: do we need the robot?
Authors: Wilhelm Dirk , Vogel Thomas , Neumann Philipp-Alexander , Friess Helmut , Kranzfelder Michael
Published: November 2020

Background

Robotic surgery offers favorable prerequisites for complex minimally invasive surgeries which are delivered by higher degrees of freedom, improved instrument stability, and a perfect visualization in 3D which is fully surgeon controlled. In this article we aim to assess its impact on complete mesocolic excision (CME) in colon cancer and to answer the question of whether the current evidence expresses a need for robotic surgery for this indication.

Methods

Retrospective analysis and review of the current literature on complete mesocolic excision for colon cancer comparing the outcome after open, laparoscopic, and robotic approaches.

Results

Complete mesocolic excision results in improved disease-free survival and reduced local recurrence, but turns out to be complex and prone to complications. Introduced in open surgery, the transfer to minimally invasive surgery resulted in comparable results, however, with high conversion rates. In comparison, robotic surgery shows a reduced conversion rate and a tendency toward higher lymph node yield. Data, however, are insufficient and no high-quality studies have been published to date. Almost no oncologic follow-up data are available in the literature.

Conclusion

The current data do not allow for a reliable conclusion on the need of robotic surgery for CME, but show results which hypothesize an equivalence if not superiority to laparoscopy. Due to recently published technical improvements for robotic CME and supplementary features of this method, we suppose that this approach will gain in importance in the future.
General error mitigation for quantum circuits
Authors: Jattana Manpreet Singh , Jin Fengping , De Raedt Hans , Michielsen Kristel
Published: November 2020

A general method to mitigate the effect of errors in quantum circuits is outlined. The method is developed in sight of characteristics that an ideal method should possess and to ameliorate an existing method which only mitigates state preparation and measurement errors. The method is tested on different IBM Q quantum devices, using randomly generated circuits with up to four qubits. A large majority of results show significant error mitigation.
A predictive approach to the antioxidant capacity assessment of green and black tea infusions
Authors: Muzolf-Panek Małgorzata , Kaczmarek Anna , Gliszczyńska-Świgło Anna
Published: November 2020

Contemporary consumers drink significant amounts of tea because of its health–benefits mainly associated to the presence of polyphenols with high antioxidant activity. Therefore, the information how to obtain tea infusion of the highest quality, i.e. with high antioxidant capacity is needed. In this study, the various models for the prediction of total polyphenols and antioxidant activity of green and black tea infusions were developed and compared. Three mathematical equations: Spiro’s, Peleg’s and logarithmic, and two data mining techniques: multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used to build the predictive models. The results obtained show that Spiro’s model could be used for the prediction of green tea quality expressed as total phenolic content or the antioxidant activity (determination coefficients above 0.99), whereas Peleg’s model is more suitable for black tea quality prediction (determination coefficients above 0.99). Data mining techniques (MARS and ANNs) enable to create models fast and of simple application with very good acceptability (determination coefficients above 0.99).
Causation and Information: Where Is Biological Meaning to Be Found?
Authors: Pharoah Mark
Published: November 2020

The term ‘information’ is used extensively in biology, cognitive science and the philosophy of consciousness in relation to the concepts of ‘meaning’ and ‘causation’. While ‘information’ is a term that serves a useful purpose in specific disciplines, there is much to the concept that is problematic. Part 1 is a critique of the stance that information is an independently existing entity. On this view, and in biological contexts, systems transmit, acquire, assimilate, decode and manipulate it, and in so doing, generate meaning. I provide a detailed proposal in Part 2 that supports the claim that it is the dynamic form of a system that qualifies the informational nature of meaningful interactive engagement, that is, that information is dependent on dynamic form rather than that it exists independently. In Part 3, I reflect on the importance of the distinction between the independent and dependent stances by looking specifically at the implications for how we might better interpret causation and emergence.
Dynamics and Factors of Innovation Gap Between the European Union and China
Authors: Kowalski Arkadiusz Michał
Published: November 2020

The article focuses on the problem of innovation gap in the world economy, as there are in general countries with developed national innovation systems, playing the role of technology leaders, and those with developing innovation systems, acting as innovation followers. Western European economies belong usually to the first group whereas China is traditionally classified in the second group; however, the analysis conducted in this study reveals a continuous catch-up process of this country towards the European Union in terms of the level of innovativeness of the economy. The purpose of this paper is to measure the dynamics of innovation gap between China and the EU average, and to identify the determinants of its evolution. Although for most of the analyzed indicators related to innovation, China’s performance is much below the EU average, the growth rates for Chinese economy in 2008–2018 have been higher than these of the EU, indicating convergence process. The key to development success in China lies in closing the technological gap by importing existing technology, and strengthening internal capabilities to utilize and improve on those technologies. Different reasons for China’s economy improvement in terms of innovativeness are analyzed, including external factors (e.g., foreign direct investments, which are concentrated mostly in eastern provinces, and associated technology transfer) and internal aspects (like science, technology and innovation policy, investment in research and development, and emergence of innovative regional clusters). The conclusion is that dynamic processes of increasing innovative potential of China provide with a solid fundamental for further convergence and diminishing innovation gap between this country and the European Union.
Hydrometallurgical Processes for the Recovery of Metals from Steel Industry By-Products: A Critical Review
Authors: Binnemans Koen , Jones Peter Tom , Manjón Fernández Álvaro , Masaguer Torres Victoria
Published: November 2020

The state of the art for the recovery of metals from steel industry by-products using hydrometallurgical processes is reviewed. The steel by-products are different slags, dusts, and sludges from a blast furnace (BF), basic oxygen furnace (BOF), electric arc furnace (EAF), and sinter plant, as well as oily mill scale and pickling sludge. The review highlights that dusts and sludges are harder to valorize than slags, while the internal recycling of dusts and sludges in steelmaking is inhibited by their high zinc content. Although the objectives of treating BF sludges, BOF sludges, and EAF dust are similar, i.e., the removal of zinc and the generation of an Fe-rich residue to be returned to the steel plant, these three classes of by-products have specific mineralogical compositions and zinc contents. Because wide variations in the mineralogical composition and zinc content occur, it is impossible to develop a one-size-fits-all flow sheet with a fixed set of process conditions. The reason for the interest in EAF dust is its high zinc content, by far the highest of all steel by-products. However, EAF dust is usually studied from the perspective of the zinc industry. There are not only different concentrations of zinc, but also variations in the all-important ZnO/ZnFe2O4 (zincite-to-franklinite) ratio. In many chemical processes, only the ZnO dissolves, while the ZnFe2O4 is too refractory and reports to the residue. It only dissolves in concentrated acids, or if the dust is pre-treated, e.g., with a reductive roasting step. The dissolution of ZnFe2O4 in acidic solutions also brings significant amounts of iron in solution. Finally, due to its high potassium chloride content, sinter-plant dust could be a source of potassium for the fertilizer industry.

Graphical Abstract
A Simulated Investigation of Ductile Response of GaAs in Single-Point Diamond Turning and Experimental Validation
Authors: Fan Pengfei , Ding Fei , Luo Xichun , Yan Yongda , Geng Yanquan , Wang Yuzhang
Published: November 2020

In this paper, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation was adopted to study the ductile response of single-crystal GaAs during single-point diamond turning (SPDT). The variations of cutting temperature, coordination number, and cutting forces were revealed through MD simulations. SPDT experiment was also carried out to qualitatively validate MD simulation model from the aspects of normal cutting force. The simulation results show that the fundamental reason for ductile response of GaAs during SPDT is phase transition from a perfect zinc blende structure (GaAs-I) to a rock-salt structure (GaAs-II) under high pressure. Finally, a strong anisotropic machinability of GaAs was also found through MD simulations.
Pädagogische Interaktionen als Grundbaustein der Lehrperson-Schüler*innen-Beziehung. Die Erfassung mit State Space Grids
Authors: Scherzinger Marion , Roth Benjamin , Wettstein Alexander
Published: November 2020

Die Lehrperson-Schüler*innen-Beziehung ist eine wichtige Grundlage für Lehr-Lern-Prozesse. Die vorliegende Studie geht der Frage nach, inwieweit die globale Einschätzung der LS-Beziehung (Makroebene) mit den Interaktionen zwischen Lehrperson und Schüler*innen im Unterricht (Mikroebene) von 5. und 6. Primarschulklassen in der Schweiz zusammenhängen. Dazu wurden videografierte Unterrichtsstunden von 16 Lehrpersonen mit State Space Grids (SSG) analysiert. Diese Methode ermöglicht es, Interaktionen im Unterricht grafisch darzustellen und auszuwerten. Die mikrogenetischen Ergebnisse wurden anschließend mit den Fragebogeneinschätzungen der LS-Beziehung aus Sicht der Schüler*innen und der Lehrpersonen korreliert. Die Ergebnisse der Korrelationsanalysen zeigen, dass die globale Beziehungseinschätzung der Schüler*innen stärker mit den im Unterricht ablaufenden Interaktionen zusammenhängt als die der Lehrpersonen. Eine negative Beziehungseinschätzung (Fragebogen) korreliert mit beobachtetem gegenseitig unfreundlichem Verhalten im Unterricht und einer hohen Variabilität der unterrichtlichen Interaktionen (Videobeobachtung). Die Erkenntnisse liefern Anregungen zur Reflexion der LS-Beziehung in der Aus- und Weiterbildung von Lehrpersonen.
Locked in a vicious cycle: the connection between genomic instability and a loss of protein homeostasis
Authors: Huiting Wouter , Bergink Steven
Published: November 2020

Cardiomyopathies, neuropathies, cancer and accelerated ageing are unequivocally distinct diseases, yet they also show overlapping pathological hallmarks, including a gradual loss of genomic integrity and proteotoxic stress. Recent lines of evidence suggest that this overlap could be the result of remarkably interconnected molecular cascades between nuclear genomic instability and a loss of protein homeostasis. In this review, we discuss these complex connections, as well as their possible impact on disease. We focus in particular on the inherent ability of a wide range of genomic alterations to challenge protein homeostasis. In doing so, we provide evidence suggesting that a loss of protein homeostasis could be a far more prevalent consequence of genomic instability than generally believed. In certain cases, such as aneuploidy, a loss of protein homeostasis appears to be a crucial mechanism for pathology, which indicates that enhancing protein quality control systems could be a promising therapeutic strategy in diseases associated with genomic instability.
How to Organize an OR Workshop: the AIROYoung Experience
Authors: Cavagnini Rossana , Sasso Veronica Dal , Morandi Valentina , Raffaele Alice
Published: November 2020

AIROYoung is the Young Researchers Chapter of AIRO (Italian Association of Operations Research). In this work, we focus on the AIROYoung Workshop, an annual event which has been reuniting young researchers constituting this community from 2017. Describing all the editions of the initiative, we highlight the main guidelines we have been following so far to organize it (e.g., no registration fee, grants for free accommodation, no parallel sessions, and a look to sustainability). We analyze surveys filled by participants to present qualitative and quantitative data about our workshops and to show how interest and attendance have increased through the years. We talk about some innovations we have introduced to improve quality (e.g., the PhD school “from young researchers to young researchers” and the pitch talk session). We then share our personal opinion and, last but not least, we invite young researchers to join in the preparation of the next AIROYoung Workshops.
China’s Grand Design of People’s Smart Courts
Authors: ZHENG George G.
Published: November 2020

While online dispute resolution (ODR) and online courts have become a global phenomenon, China is unique in its way of constructing a “smart-courts” system. This paper argues that the Chinese smart courts are embedded in China’s larger strategy of capturing new opportunities offered by the information and communications technology (ICT) revolution. Adoption of cutting-edge ICT by courts is not an initiative taken by the courts themselves; rather, it is a call from the party-state with strong policy push. The paper also makes two observations on the nature of smart courts in China. One is that Chinese courts are using ICT, especially artificial intelligence, both to enhance hierarchical control and to improve the formal quality of law. Another is that the “Internet courts” are established to solve disputes arising from online transactions, rather than serve as piloting courts with general implications for the shape of future courts in China. Therefore, while boldly experimenting new technologies (such as blockchains) in the judicial process, Internet courts in China are also charged with the responsibility of developing legal doctrines in cases within their jurisdictions. The case of China thus shows the profound interaction between law and technology. Whether technology is disruptive depends on human design and efforts.
Computable Følner monotilings and a theorem of Brudno
Authors: MORIAKOV NIKITA
Published: November 2020

A theorem of Brudno says that the Kolmogorov–Sinai entropy of an ergodic subshift over

$\mathbb {N}$
equals the asymptotic Kolmogorov complexity of almost every word in the subshift. The purpose of this paper is to extend this result to subshifts over computable groups that admit computable regular symmetric Følner monotilings, which we introduce in this work. For every

$d \in \mathbb {N}$
, the groups

$\mathbb {Z}^d$
and

$\mathsf{UT}_{d+1}(\mathbb {Z})$
admit computable regular symmetric Følner monotilings for which the required computing algorithms are provided.
Lattice isomorphisms between projection lattices of von Neumann algebras
Authors: Mori Michiya
Published: November 2020

Generalizing von Neumann’s result on type II

$_1$

von Neumann algebras, I characterise lattice isomorphisms between projection lattices of arbitrary von Neumann algebras by means of ring isomorphisms between the algebras of locally measurable operators. Moreover, I give a complete description of ring isomorphisms of locally measurable operator algebras when the von Neumann algebras are without type II direct summands.
Scaramouche, Scaramouche: Sibelius on Stage
Authors: BROAD LEAH
Published: November 2020

Sibelius’s only balletic pantomime,Scaramouche, composed in 1913, remains one of his least-known works, even though it is one of his longest dramatic scores and belongs to his period of compositional re-evaluation. This article explores the pantomime in the context of its first production, performed in 1922 in Denmark and 1924 in Sweden. It argues that the pantomime’s reception both illuminates the importance of dance as a formative ‘modern’ genre within the Nordic countries during this period, and demonstrates that the score is defined by stylistic plurality, which was key to its theatrical success. The article calls for increased musicological attention to Nordic theatrical music, a genre that was extremely popular among early twentieth-century Nordic composers. It provided musicians with musical spaces that were more liberating than the concert hall or the opera house for the purposes of cultivating their musical language.
Strategies of Conquest and Defence: Encounters with the Object in Twentieth-Century Music
Authors: WILSON SAMUEL
Published: November 2020

Reacting to recent materialist developments in music studies and beyond, I argue for the value of dialectics in accounting for compositional orientations vis-à-vis their objects – be these objects sound-producing, non-human entities, such as musical instruments, or the object that is ‘sound itself ’. Engaging the compositional thought and practice of Busoni, Russolo, Varèse, Cage and Tudor by way of example, I highlight two intersecting tendencies: the first constitutes a presumed mastery over the object in question; the second is suggestive of an exploration of the object on its own terms. Interweaving aspects of post-Marxist and psychoanalytic theory, I argue that, ultimately, our orientation towards the object manifests a negotiation of the self in a changing material world.
Satire, Empire and Chromaticism in Dargomyzhsky’s Orchestral Fantasias
Authors: ZIKANOV KIRILL
Published: November 2020

In 1863, Alexander Dargomyzhsky hatched plans for a gallery of humorous fantasias that would depict nationalities residing on the western border of the Russian Empire, including Baltic Germans, Poles, Ukrainians and Finns. On the one hand, this gallery of satirical portraits was an effective way of capturing the attention of domestic audiences, since the western borderlands were at the forefront of Russian popular attention in the wake of the Polish uprising. On the other hand, Dargomyzhsky repeatedly reiterated his intention that the fantasias should function as a means of achieving international recognition, and a year later he actually set off on a promotional tour across Europe. Together, the imperial implications of the three resulting fantasias, Dargomyzhsky’s attempts to market them abroad and the compositional inventiveness of the final fantasia, theChukhon Fantasy, locate Dargomyzhsky’s orchestral oeuvre as a crucial node in the convoluted aesthetic and cultural negotiations of Russian nineteenth-century music.
Prospecting genomic regions associated with milk production traits in Egyptian buffalo
Authors: Abdel-Shafy Hamdy , Awad Mohamed A. A. , El-Regalaty Hussein , El-Assal S. E.-D. , Abou-Bakr Samy
Published: November 2020

The objectives of the current study were to detect putative genomic loci and to identify candidate genes associated with milk production traits in Egyptian buffalo. A total number of 161 479 daily milk yield (DMY) records and 60 318 monthly measures for fat and protein percentages (FP and PP, respectively), along with fat and protein yields (FY and PY, respectively) from 1670 animals were used. Genotyping was performed using Axiom® Buffalo Genotyping 90 K array. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) for each trait was performed using PLINK. After Bonferroni correction, 47 SNPs were associated with one or more milk production traits. These SNPs were distributed over 36 quantitative trait loci (QTL) and located on 20 buffalo chromosomes (BBU). For the 47 SNPs, one was overlapped for three traits (DMY, FY, and PY), six were associated with two traits (one for PP and PY and five for FY and PY) while the rest were associated with only one trait. Out of 36 identified QTL, eleven were overlapped with previously reported loci in buffalo and/or cattle populations. Some of these SNPs are placed within or close to potential candidate genes, for example: TPD52, ZBTB10, RALYL and SNX16 on BBU15, ADGRD1 on BBU17, ESRRG on BBU5 and GRIP1 on BBU4. This is the first reported study between genome-wide markers and milk components in Egyptian buffalo. Our findings provide useful information to explore the genetic mechanisms and relevant genes contributing to the variation in milk production traits. Further confirmation studies with larger population size are necessary to validate the findings and detect the causal genetic variants.
Longitudinal changes in mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study
Authors: Daly Michael , Sutin Angelina R. , Robinson Eric
Published: November 2020

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a range of negative social and economic effects that may contribute to a rise in mental health problems. In this observational population-based study, we examined longitudinal changes in the prevalence of mental health problems from before to during the COVID-19 crisis and identified subgroups that are psychologically vulnerable during the pandemic.

Methods

Participants (N = 14 393; observations = 48 486) were adults drawn from wave 9 (2017–2019) of the nationally representative United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) and followed-up across three waves of assessment in April, May, and June 2020. Mental health problems were assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12).

Results

The population prevalence of mental health problems (GHQ-12 score ⩾3) increased by 13.5 percentage points from 24.3% in 2017–2019 to 37.8% in April 2020 and remained elevated in May (34.7%) and June (31.9%) 2020. All sociodemographic groups examined showed statistically significant increases in mental health problems in April 2020. The increase was largest among those aged 18–34 years (18.6 percentage points, 95% CI 14.3–22.9%), followed by females and high-income and education groups. Levels of mental health problems subsequently declined between April and June 2020 but remained significantly above pre-COVID-19 levels. Additional analyses showed that the rise in mental health problems observed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic was unlikely to be due to seasonality or year-to-year variation.

Conclusions

This study suggests that a pronounced and prolonged deterioration in mental health occurred as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in the UK between April and June 2020.
AVERAGE DERIVATIVE ESTIMATION UNDER MEASUREMENT ERROR
Authors: Dong Hao , Otsu Taisuke , Taylor Luke
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we derive the asymptotic properties of the density-weighted average derivative estimator when a regressor is contaminated with classical measurement error and the density of this error must be estimated. Average derivatives of conditional mean functions are used extensively in economics and statistics, most notably in semiparametric index models. As well as ordinary smooth measurement error, we provide results for supersmooth error distributions. This is a particularly important class of error distribution as it includes the Gaussian density. We show that under either type of measurement error, despite using nonparametric deconvolution techniques and an estimated error characteristic function, we are able to achieve a$\sqrt {n}$-rate of convergence for the average derivative estimator. Interestingly, if the measurement error density is symmetric, the asymptotic variance of the average derivative estimator is the same irrespective of whether the error density is estimated or not. The promising finite sample performance of the estimator is shown through a Monte Carlo simulation.
Prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection using a seroepidemiological survey
Authors: Shakiba M. , Nazemipour M. , Heidarzadeh A. , Mansournia M. A.
Published: November 2020

The prevalence of asymptomatic infection by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a critical measure for effectiveness of mitigation strategy has been reported to be widely varied. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic infection using serosurvey on general population. In a cross-sectional seroprevalence survey in Guilan province, Iran, the specific antibody against COVID-19 in a representative sample was detected using rapid test kits. Among 117 seropositive subjects, prevalence of asymptomatic infection was determined based on the history of symptoms during the preceding 3 months. The design-adjusted prevalence of asymptomatic infection was 57.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) 44–69). The prevalence was significantly lower in subjects with previous contacts to COVID-19 patients (12%, 95% CI 2–49) than others without (69%, 95% CI, 46–86). The lowest prevalence was for painful body symptom (74.4%). This study revealed that more than half of the infected COVID-19 patients had no symptoms. The implications of our findings include the importance of adopting public health measures such as social distancing and inefficiency of contact tracing to interrupt epidemic transmission.
Community movement and COVID-19: a global study using Google's Community Mobility Reports
Authors: Sulyok M. , Walker M.
Published: November 2020

Google's ‘Community Mobility Reports’ (CMR) detail changes in activity and mobility occurring in response to COVID-19. They thus offer the unique opportunity to examine the relationship between mobility and disease incidence. The objective was to examine whether an association between COVID-19-confirmed case numbers and levels of mobility was apparent, and if so then to examine whether such data enhance disease modelling and prediction. CMR data for countries worldwide were cross-correlated with corresponding COVID-19-confirmed case numbers. Models were fitted to explain case numbers of each country's epidemic. Models using numerical date, contemporaneous and distributed lag CMR data were contrasted using Bayesian Information Criteria. Noticeable were negative correlations between CMR data and case incidence for prominent industrialised countries of Western Europe and the North Americas. Continent-wide examination found a negative correlation for all continents with the exception of South America. When modelling, CMR-expanded models proved superior to the model without CMR. The predictions made with the distributed lag model significantly outperformed all other models. The observed relationship between CMR data and case incidence, and its ability to enhance model quality and prediction suggests data related to community mobility could prove of use in future COVID-19 modelling.
Obesity and the increased risk for COVID-19: mechanisms and nutritional management
Authors: Morais Ana Heloneida de Araújo , Passos Thais Sousa , de Lima Vale Sancha Helena , da Silva Maia Juliana Kelly , Maciel Bruna Leal Lima
Published: November 2020

The global COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has become a complex problem that overlaps with a growing public health problem, obesity. Obesity alters different components of the innate and adaptive immune responses, creating a chronic and low-grade state of inflammation. Nutritional status is closely related to a better or worse prognosis of viral infections. Excess weight has been recognised as a risk factor for COVID-19 complications. In addition to the direct risk, obesity triggers other diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, increasing the risk of severe COVID-19. The present review explains the diets that induce obesity and the importance of different foods in this process. We also review tissue disruption in obesity, leading to impaired immune responses and the possible mechanisms by which obesity and its co-morbidities increase COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Nutritional strategies that support the immune system in patients with obesity and with COVID-19 are also discussed in light of the available data, considering the severity of the infection. The discussions held may contribute to combating this global emergency and planning specific public health policy.
Prediction of disability-adjusted life years for diseases due to low fruit intake in 2017–2040 in Japan
Authors: Yoneoka Daisuke , Nomura Shuhei , Tanaka Shiori , Ishizuka Aya , Peter Ueda , Rauniyar Santosh Kumar , Nakamura Keiji , Uneyama Hisayuki , Hayashi Naoki , Shibuya Kenji
Published: November 2020

Objective:

The current study aimed to predict disability-adjusted life years (DALY) rate in Japan through 2040 with plausible future scenarios of fruit intake for neoplasms, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes and kidney diseases (DKD).

Design:

Data from National Health and Nutrition Surveys and the Global Burden of Diseases study in 2017 were used. We developed an autoregressive integrated moving average model with four future scenarios. Reference scenario maintains the current trend. Best scenario assumes that the goal defined in Health Japan 21 is achieved in 2023 and is kept constant afterwards. Moderate scenario assumes that the goal is achieved in 2040. Constant scenario applies the same proportion of 2016 for the period between 2017 and 2040.

Setting:

DALY rates in Japan were predicted for the period between 2017 and 2040.

Participants:

Population aged more than than 20 years old.

Results:

In our reference forecast, the DALY rates in all-ages group were projected to be stable for CVD and continue increasing for neoplasms and DKD. Age group-specific DALY rates for these three disease groups were forecasted to decrease, with some exceptions. Among men aged 20–49 years, DALY attributable to CVD differed substantially between the scenarios, implying that there is a significant potential for reducing the burden of CVD by increasing fruit intake at the population level.

Conclusions:

Our scenario analysis shows that higher fruit intake is associated with lower disease burden in Japan. Further research is required to assess which policies and interventions can be used to achieve an increase in fruit intake as modelled in the scenarios of the current study.
Food insecurity and obesity among US young adults: the moderating role of biological sex and the mediating role of diet healthfulness
Authors: Li Yufei , Rosenthal Samantha R
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To examine the association between food insecurity (FI) and obesity, measured by BMI and waist circumference (WC), among young adults and test the moderating role of biological sex and the mediating role of diet healthfulness (DH).

Design:

Cross-sectional.

Setting:

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2016.

Participants:

The sample included 4667 young adults aged 18–35 years.

Results:

Given the interaction terms between sex and FI, biological sex was a moderator between both FI and WC (P = 0·031) and FI and BMI (P = 0·007) among young adults. FI was associated with a 1·16 kg/m2 higher BMI (95 % CI 0·27, 2·05) and a 2·09 cm larger WC (95 % CI 0·05, 4·14) among young female adults, while FI was associated with a 0·26 kg/m2 higher BMI (95 % CI –0·65, 1·16) and a 0·78 cm larger WC (95 % CI −1·13, 2·89) among young male adults. DH mediated the relationships between both FI and BMI (indirect effect β = 0·14; 95 % CI 0·05, 0·23) and FI and WC (indirect effect β = 0·31; 95 % CI 0·10, 0·51) among females. Females with FI had poorer DH and thus had higher BMI and larger WC.

Conclusions:

Young female adults with FI were more likely to experience overall and abdominal obesity compared with their male counterparts. Results also suggest that females with FI had poorer DH and thus had increased risk of both abdominal and overall obesity.
Association of serum levels of antioxidant micronutrients with mortality in US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2002
Authors: Peeri Noah C , Chai Weiwen , Cooney Robert V , Tao Meng-Hua
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To examine associations between serum antioxidant levels and mortality (all-cause, cancer and CVD) among US adults.

Design:

We examined the risk of death from all-cause and cause-specific mortality associated with serum antioxidant (vitamin E and carotenoids) and vitamin A levels using Cox regression models to estimate hazards ratios (HR) and 95 % CI.

Setting:

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2002 was followed up through 31 December 2015.

Participants:

The NHANES 1999–2002 cohort included 8758 participants aged ≥ 20 years. Serum carotenoid levels were only assessed for the 1999–2000 cycle. Therefore, sample size for each assessed antioxidant ranged from 4633 to 8758.

Results:

Serum vitamin E level was positively associated with all-cause mortality (HR = 1·22, 95 % CI 1·04, 1·43, highest v. lowest quartile). No other antioxidants were associated with mortality in overall analysis. In race/ethnicity-specific analyses, high vitamin E and α-tocopherol levels were associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality among non-Hispanic Whites. Among non-Hispanic Blacks, serum α-tocopherol level was associated with decreased risk of cancer mortality (HR = 0·30, 95 % CI 0·12, 0·75, third v. first quartile) and total carotenoid levels with reduced risk of CVD mortality (HR = 0·26; 95 % CI 0·07, 0·97, second v. lowest quartile). Hispanics with high β-carotene levels had reduced risk of CVD mortality.

Conclusions:

Serum antioxidant levels may be related to mortality; these associations may differ by race/ethnicity and appeared to be non-linear for all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Further studies are needed to confirm our results.
Degrowth and a sustainable future for archaeology
Authors: Flexner James L.
Published: November 2020

It is increasingly acknowledged that 21st-century archaeology faces serious challenges from a variety of directions, ranging from the theoretical to the practical. Above all, the discipline’s entanglement with capitalism, capitalist ideologies and capitalist institutions is simply unsustainable. The concept ofdegrowthinvolves a reconceptualization of archaeology’s possible future(s) in terms of a withdrawal from capitalism and an emphasis on collective and caring praxis looking towards both a sustainable future and the possibilities of the immediate present. A degrowth approach to archaeology can provide a useful supplement to existing critiques and proposed alternatives to current practices. Degrowth proposals such as reorienting economic behaviours towards cooperative, convivial anddépense(communal use of surplus) activities while freeing people to pursue work they find meaningful have potential applications in archaeological practice that address some of the problems currently facing the discipline.
Archaeological heritage in the age of digital colonialism
Authors: Stobiecka Monika
Published: November 2020

Digital archaeologists claim that their practices have proven to be an important tool for mediating conflict, ensuring that the digital turn in archaeology entails engaging in current political issues. This can be questioned by analysing a copy of the Syrian Arch of Triumph. The original was destroyed in 2015. A year later, a copy was carved out of Egyptian marble; the replica was constructed thanks to digital documentation, which allowed archaeologists to create a 3D model. The arch was placed in various Western locations; however, it never reached Syria. Hybridity, the cultural and political significance of the arch’s replica and its ‘Grand Tour’ invite us to think about different interpretive layers of this artefact of ideological discourse (ontological, epistemological, ethical). In this paper, the replica of the Syrian arch will be analysed through the frameworks of post-colonial theory and technology studies. Both perspectives provide an insight into promising advantages and alarming drawbacks of such digital practices. This paper argues that the case of a copy of the Syrian Arch of Triumph on the one hand reflects the contemporary colonial technocracy in heritage politics (an ethical dimension), and on the other demonstrates that an ideological aspect of its digital reconstruction emerges from a speculative anticipation of what might constitute the universal value of world heritage in the future (an onto-epistemological dimension).
Impact ofin vitroembryo culture and transfer on blood pressure regulation in the adolescent lamb
Authors: Padhee Monalisa , McMillen I. Caroline , Zhang Song , MacLaughlin Severence M. , Armitage James A. , Head Geoffrey A. , Darby Jack R. T. , Kelly Jennifer M. , Rudiger Skye R. , Kleemann David O. , Walker Simon K. , Morrison Janna L.
Published: November 2020

Nutrition during the periconceptional period influences postnatal cardiovascular health. We determined whetherin vitroembryo culture and transfer, which are manipulations of the nutritional environment during the periconceptional period, dysregulate postnatal blood pressure and blood pressure regulatory mechanisms. Embryos were either transferred to an intermediate recipient ewe (ET) or culturedin vitroin the absence (IVC) or presence of human serum (IVCHS) and a methyl donor (IVCHS+M) for 6 days. Basal blood pressure was recorded at 19–20 weeks after birth. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were measured before and after varying doses of phenylephrine (PE). mRNA expression of signaling molecules involved in blood pressure regulation was measured in the renal artery. Basal MAP did not differ between groups. Baroreflex sensitivity, set point, and upper plateau were also maintained in all groups after PE stimulation. Adrenergic receptors alpha-1A (αAR1A), alpha-1B (αAR1B), and angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R) mRNA expression were not different from controls in the renal artery. These results suggest there is no programmed effect of ET or IVC on basal blood pressure or the baroreflex control mechanisms in adolescence, but future studies are required to determine the impact of ET and IVC on these mechanisms later in the life course when developmental programming effects may be unmasked by age.
Higher Temperature Sensitivity of Soil C Release to Atmosphere From Northern Permafrost Soils as Indicated by a Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Ren Shuai , Ding Jinzhi , Yan Zhengjie , Cao Yingfang , Li Juan , Wang Yonghui , Liu Dan , Zeng Hui , Wang Tao
Published: November 2020

The loss of carbon from soils to the atmosphere resulting from climate change is projected to be large, but these projections exhibit significant uncertainty, largely due to insufficient knowledge of the patterns and controls of the temperature sensitivity of soil microbial respiration. Here we synthesized data from 52 soil incubation studies across the Northern Hemisphere to assess the spatial patterns of Q10 and its key drivers in different soil layers and geographic zones. The mean Q10 was 2.51 ± 1.13 across the northern ecosystems, but it exhibited significant variability. After averaged by ecosystem types, the highest mean Q10 value was observed in the northern permafrost soils, where the Q10 values were nearly 18% higher than those in nonpermafrost regions. The temperature sensitivity was larger in subsoil than in topsoil layers, particularly in permafrost subsoils. Besides, the dominant factors that correlate with Q10 values are the carbon input, described by satellite‐derived net primary productivity (NPP) in the topsoil and the soil C:N ratio in the subsoil. Based on the main factors affecting Q10, we provide a gridded Q10 data set for the midhigh‐latitude areas, which further indicates that northern permafrost regions are more sensitive to climate warming than others. These results highlight the key role played by the permafrost in the temperature sensitivity of soil C release, and the necessity of including depth‐specific soil C release processes in models, if we are to make better predictions of the soil C dynamics in future climate change scenarios.
On the First Observed Wave‐Induced Stress Over the Global Ocean
Authors: Chen Sheng , Rutgersson Anna , Yin Xunqiang , Xu Ying , Qiao Fangli
Published: November 2020

Despite many investigations/studies on the surface wave‐induced stress, the global feature of the wave‐induced stress has not been obtained previously as that requires a simultaneous observation of wave spectra and wind on a global scale. The China France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT) provided an opportunity for the first time to evaluate the global wave‐induced stress and its contribution to the total wind stress. In this study, the global spatial distributions of wave‐induced stress and its correlated index for August to November in 2019 are presented using the simultaneous ocean surface winds and wave spectra from the CFOSAT. The main results show that the wave‐induced stress is fundamentally dependent on the wind and wave fields on a global scale and shows significant temporal and spatial variations. Further analyses indicate that there is an upward momentum flux under strong swells and low wind speeds (below ∼5 m/s), and an anticorrelation between the dimensionless wave‐induced stress and the proportion of swell energy to the total. Finally, the variations of the surface wave induced wind stress are clear asymmetric between northern and southern hemispheres in late summer but symmetric in late fall, which are closely associated with the seasonal changes in large‐scale atmospheric circulation.
Prediction and Analysis of Lake Ice Phenology Dynamics Under Future Climate Scenarios Across the Inner Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Ruan Yongjian , Zhang Xinchang , Xin Qinchuan , Qiu Yubao , Sun Ying
Published: November 2020

How climate change influences lake ice phenology is important in understanding the climate‐lake interactions. This study investigates the response of lake ice phenology to future climate scenarios. Thirty‐five lakes in the Tibetan Plateau were studied. Firstly, we applied a random forest (RF) model to simulate lake ice condition under different representative concentration pathways (RCPs). The results of the virtual experiments show that lake ice freeze‐up start date (FUSD) and break‐up end date (BUED) are well simulated by the RF model, with R2FUSD > 0.91 under different RCPs, and R2BUED > 0.84, except in RCP2.6 (R2 = 0.74). Secondly, two non‐parametric methods (Mann‐Kendall and Sen's slope estimator) were used for analyzing the trends in lake ice phenology and its response to various emission scenarios. Lake ice phenology was largely affected by temperature changes under different RCPs, and it had a larger inter‐annual variability in the early period (2002–2050) than in the later period (2050–2099). FUSD of 35 lakes delayed by an average of 0.01, 0.04, and 0.04 days/yr from 2002 to 2098 under RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5, whereas BUED advanced by an average of 0.04, 0.11, and 0.21 days/yr from 2003 to 2099. Both delays in FUSD and advances in BUED contributed to shortened average ice duration of 35 lakes, which shortened by 0.05, 0.14, and 0.25 days/yr from 2002 to 2098 under RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5, respectively. These findings could help to tackle the impacts of climate change on the lake systems.