bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Redescription of Aspidogaster limacoides Diesing, 1834 (Aspidogastrea: Aspidogastridae) from freshwater fishes of northern Germany
Authors: Suthar Jaydipbhai , Al-Jufaili Sarah , Bray Rodney A. , Frank Marcus , Theisen Stefan , Palm Harry W.
Published: August 2021

Aspidogaster limacoides Diesing, 1834 (Aspidogastridae) is redescribed based on light and scanning electron microscopy of specimens from the stomach and intestine of Abramis brama, Rutilus rutilus and Scardinius erythrophthalmus (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae). The fishes were sampled during 2018 and 2019 at Lake Tollense in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. The prevalence of A. limacoides was highest in R. rutilus (61.7%) followed by Scardinius erythrophthalmus (7.7%) and A. brama (2.9%), while it was absent in Perca fluviatilis from the same lake. The following structures of A. limacoides are described for the first time: a depression on the ventral side of the neck, variations in the number and the arrangement of alveoli, numerous pits scattered all over the body surface, the presence of a few papillae-like structures posterior lateral to the mouth, the number of marginal organs represented by openings of exocrine multicellular glands as shown in histology and the subterminal position of the excretory pore. These characters can be used to distinguish three species of Aspidogaster, namely, A. ijimai, A. conchicola and A. limacoides, suggesting that SEM is a useful and promising tool in differentiating Aspidogaster species. Comparison of molecular data of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 regions showed a 94% similarity to A. limacoides from the European part of Russia. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the present specimens clustered in the same clade with A. limacoides sensu stricto, forming a distinct group to the exclusion of congeners.
Central auditory deficits associated with genetic forms of peripheral deafness
Authors: Michalski Nicolas , Petit Christine
Published: August 2021

Since the 1990s, the study of inherited hearing disorders, mostly those detected at birth, in the prelingual period or in young adults, has led to the identification of their causal genes. The genes responsible for more than 140 isolated (non-syndromic) and about 400 syndromic forms of deafness have already been discovered. Studies of mouse models of these monogenic forms of deafness have provided considerable insight into the molecular mechanisms of hearing, particularly those involved in the development and/or physiology of the auditory sensory organ, the cochlea. In parallel, studies of these models have also made it possible to decipher the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying hearing impairment. This has led a number of laboratories to investigate the potential of gene therapy for curing these forms of deafness. Proof-of-concept has now been obtained for the treatment of several forms of deafness in mouse models, paving the way for clinical trials of cochlear gene therapy in patients in the near future. Nevertheless, peripheral deafness may also be associated with central auditory dysfunctions and may extend well beyond the auditory system itself, as a consequence of alterations to the encoded sensory inputs or involvement of the causal deafness genes in the development and/or functioning of central auditory circuits. Investigating the diversity, causes and underlying mechanisms of these central dysfunctions, the ways in which they could impede the expected benefits of hearing restoration by peripheral gene therapy, and determining how these problems could be remedied is becoming a research field in its own right. Here, we provide an overview of the current knowledge about the central deficits associated with genetic forms of deafness.
The prevalence and consequences of abdominal rectus muscle diastasis among Finnish women: an epidemiological cohort study
Authors: Tuominen R. , Jahkola T. , Saisto T. , Arokoski J. , Vironen J.
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Post-pregnancy abdominal rectus diastasis (ARD) has raised attention in the field of surgery in recent years, but there is no consensus about when to consider surgery. Our aim was to find out what is the normal inter-rectus distance in fertile aged, female population in Finland and to examine whether there is a linea alba width that would predispose to diastasis-related problems after pregnancy.

Methods

For this prospective cohort study, women participating early pregnancy ultrasound in Helsinki University Hospital Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology during 1.1.2018–8.3.2019, were recruited. The width of linea alba was measured by ultrasound during the early pregnancy ultrasound. Symptoms were measured by questionnaire including Health-Related Quality of Life (RAND-36) and Oswestry Disability Index for back symptoms and disability.

Results

Linea alba width was measured in total of 933 women. The average inter-rectus distance (IRD) among nulliparous women was 1.81 ± 0.72 cm. After one previous pregnancy, the average linea alba width was 2.36 cm ± 0.83 cm and after more pregnancies 2.55 ± 1.09 cm. There was a positive correlation between previous pregnancies and the increased linea alba width (p = 0.00004). We did not perceive any threshold value of linea alba width that would predispose to back pain or movement control problems in this cohort, in which severe diastasis (over 5 cm) was rare.

Conclusion

Mean inter-rectus distance in parous population exceeds stated normative values. Moderate ARD (3.0–5.0 cm) alone does not seem to explain low back pain or functional disability in population level. Severe post-pregnancy diastasis (over 5.0 cm) is rare.
Temperature and strain rate effects of jammed granular systems: experiments and modelling
Authors: Bartkowski Piotr , Suwała Grzegorz , Zalewski Robert
Published: August 2021

Jammed granular systems, also known as vacuum packed particles (VPP), have begun to compete with the well commercialized group of smart structures already widely applied in various fields of industry, mainly in civil and mechanical engineering. However, the engineering applications of VPP are far ahead of the mathematical description of the complex mechanical mechanisms observed in these unconventional structures. As their wider commercialization is hindered by this gap, in the paper the authors consider experimental investigations of granular systems, mainly focusing on the mechanical responses that take place under various temperature and strain rate conditions. To capture the nonlinear behavior of jammed granular systems, a constitutive model constituting an extension of the Johnson–Cook model was developed and is presented. green The extended and modified constitutive model for VPP proposed in the paper could be implemented in the future into a commercial Finite Element Analysis code, making it possible to carry out fast and reliable numerical simulations.
Removal of organic pollutants from produced water by batch adsorption treatment
Authors: Khader Eman Hashim , Mohammed Thamer Jassim , Mirghaffari Nourollah , Salman Ali Dawood , Juzsakova Tatjána , Abdullah Thamer Adnan
Published: August 2021

This paper studied the adsorption of chemical oxygen demand (COD), oil and turbidity of the produced water (PW) which accompanies the production and reconnaissance of oil after treating utilizing powdered activated carbon (PAC), clinoptilolite natural zeolite (CNZ) and synthetic zeolite type X (XSZ). Moreover, the paper deals with the comparison of pollutant removal over different adsorbents. Adsorption was executed in a batch adsorption system. The effects of adsorbent dosage, time, pH, oil concentration and temperature were studied in order to find the best operating conditions. The adsorption isotherm models of Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin were investigated. Using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models, the kinetics of oil sorption and the shift in COD content on PAC and CNZ were investigated. At a PAC adsorbent dose of 0.25 g/100 mL, maximum oil removal efficiencies (99.57, 95.87 and 99.84 percent), COD and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) were identified. Moreover, when zeolite X was used at a concentration of 0.25 g/100 mL, the highest turbidity removal efficiency (99.97%) was achieved. It is not dissimilar to what you would get with PAC (99.65 percent). In comparison with zeolites, the findings showed that adsorption over PAC is the most powerful method for removing organic contaminants from PW. In addition, recycling of the consumed adsorbents was carried out in this study to see whether the adsorbents could be reused. Chemical and thermal treatment will effectively regenerate and reuse powdered activated carbon and zeolites that have been eaten.

Graphic abstract
Covid-fatigued? A longitudinal study of Norwegian older adults’ psychosocial well-being before and during early and later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Hansen Thomas , Sevenius Nilsen Thomas , Knapstad Marit , Skirbekk Vegard , Skogen Jens , Vedaa Øystein , Nes Ragnhild Bang
Published: August 2021

As the pandemic continues, many older adults are facing prolonged isolation and stress while having less access to traditional ways of coping. There is widespread concern that the situation is increasingly taking its toll on older adults’ psychological and social well-being. We use linear mixed models to examine psychosocial impacts and predictors thereof among older Norwegians in early and later stages of the pandemic. Longitudinal data were collected online in the Norwegian Counties Public Health Survey right before the pandemic and in June and November–December 2020 in two counties (baseline n = 4,104; age 65–92). Outcomes include loneliness (single item, UCLA3), psychological ill-being (worried, anxious, depressed), and psychological well-being (satisfied, engaged, happy). From before to three months into the pandemic men’s psychosocial well-being remained stable, whereas women’s slightly declined. Five months later we observe broad and substantial declines in psychosocial well-being. These impacts disproportionately affect women (all outcomes) and single and older individuals (loneliness only) and are not moderated by educational level, urbanicity, or whether self or partner are reported “at risk” due to health problems. Pre-pandemic low social support and high psychological distress predict relatively improved psychosocial well-being. Older Norwegians seemed to manage the pandemic’s early stage without clear psychosocial impacts. However, we observe notably compromised well-being during the second wave of COVID-19 in late 2020. Lessons learned about the nature and distribution of the psychosocial impacts of prolonged health-threats and social distancing provide valuable knowledge for intervention design during this and future pandemics.
PFKFB3 gene deletion in endothelial cells inhibits intraplaque angiogenesis and lesion formation in a murine model of venous bypass grafting
Authors: Perrotta Paola , de Vries Margreet R. , Peeters Bart , Guns Pieter-Jan , De Meyer Guido R. Y. , Quax Paul H. A. , Martinet Wim
Published: August 2021

Vein grafting is a frequently used surgical intervention for cardiac revascularization. However, vein grafts display regions with intraplaque (IP) angiogenesis, which promotes atherogenesis and formation of unstable plaques. Graft neovessels are mainly composed of endothelial cells (ECs) that largely depend on glycolysis for migration and proliferation. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether loss of the glycolytic flux enzyme phosphofructokinase-2/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) in ECs inhibits IP angiogenesis and as such prevents unstable plaque formation. To this end, apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE−/−) mice were backcrossed to a previously generated PFKFB3fl/fl Cdh5iCre mouse strain. Animals were injected with either corn oil (ApoE−/−PFKFB3fl/fl) or tamoxifen (ApoE−/−PFKFB3ECKO), and were fed a western-type diet for 4 weeks prior to vein grafting. Hereafter, mice received a western diet for an additional 28 days and were then sacrificed for graft assessment. Size and thickness of vein graft lesions decreased by 35 and 32%, respectively, in ApoE−/−PFKFB3ECKO mice compared to controls, while stenosis diminished by 23%. Moreover, vein graft lesions in ApoE−/−PFKFB3ECKO mice showed a significant reduction in macrophage infiltration (29%), number of neovessels (62%), and hemorrhages (86%). EC-specific PFKFB3 deletion did not show obvious adverse effects or changes in general metabolism. Interestingly, RT-PCR showed an increased M2 macrophage signature in vein grafts from ApoE−/−PFKFB3ECKO mice. Altogether, EC-specific PFKFB3 gene deletion leads to a significant reduction in lesion size, IP angiogenesis, and hemorrhagic complications in vein grafts. This study demonstrates that inhibition of endothelial glycolysis is a promising therapeutic strategy to slow down plaque progression.
The Dutch National TissueArchive Portal enables efficient, consistent, and transparent procurement of diagnostic tissue samples for scientific use
Authors: Verjans Robin , Bruggink Annette H. , Kibbelaar Robby , Bart Jos , Debernardi Aletta , Schaaij-Visser Tieneke B. M. , Willems Stefan M. , Van Kemenade Folkert J.
Published: August 2021

Biobanks play a crucial role in enabling biomedical research by facilitating scientific use of valuable human biomaterials. The PALGA foundation—a nationwide network and registry of histo- and cytopathology in the Netherlands—was established to promote the provision of data within and between pathology departments, and to make the resulting knowledge available for healthcare. Apart from the pathology data, we aimed to utilize PALGA’s nationwide network to find and access the rich wealth of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissue samples for scientific use.
 We implemented the Dutch National TissueArchive Portal (DNTP) to utilize PALGA’s nationwide network for requesting FFPE tissue samples. The DNTP consists of (1) a centrally organized internet portal to improve the assessing, processing, harmonization, and monitoring of the procurement process, while (2) dedicated HUB-employees provide practical support at peripheral pathology departments. Since incorporation of the DNTP, both the number of filed requests for FFPE tissue samples and the amount of HUB-mediated support increased 55 and 29% respectively. In line, the sample procurement duration time decreased significantly (− 47%). These findings indicate that implementation of the DNTP improved the frequency, efficiency, and transparency of FFPE tissue sample procurement for research in the Netherlands. To conclude, the need for biological resources is growing persistently to enable precision medicine. Here, we access PALGA’s national, pathology network by implementation of the DNTP to allow for efficient, consistent, and transparent exchange of FFPE tissue samples for research across the Netherlands.
Non-productive binding of cellobiohydrolase i investigated by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy
Authors: Csarman Florian , Gusenbauer Claudia , Wohlschlager Lena , van Erven Gijs , Kabel Mirjam A. , Konnerth Johannes , Potthast Antje , Ludwig Roland
Published: August 2021

Future biorefineries are facing the challenge to separate and depolymerize biopolymers into their building blocks for the production of biofuels and basic molecules as chemical stock. Fungi have evolved lignocellulolytic enzymes to perform this task specifically and efficiently, but a detailed understanding of their heterogeneous reactions is a prerequisite for the optimization of large-scale enzymatic biomass degradation. Here, we investigate the binding of cellulolytic enzymes onto biopolymers by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy for the fast and precise characterization of enzyme adsorption processes. Using different sensor architectures, SPR probes modified with regenerated cellulose as well as with lignin films were prepared by spin-coating techniques. The modified SPR probes were analyzed by atomic force microscopy and static contact angle measurements to determine physical and surface molecular properties. SPR spectroscopy was used to study the activity and affinity of Trichoderma reesei cellobiohydrolase I (CBHI) glycoforms on the modified SPR probes. N-glycan removal led to no significant change in activity or cellulose binding, while a slightly higher tendency for non-productive binding to SPR probes modified with different lignin fractions was observed. The results suggest that the main role of the N-glycosylation in CBHI is not to prevent non-productive binding to lignin, but probably to increase its stability against proteolytic degradation. The work also demonstrates the suitability of SPR-based techniques for the characterization of the binding of lignocellulolytic enzymes to biomass-derived polymers.

Graphic abstract
The Relationship Between Bullying Victimization and Perpetration and Non-suicidal Self-injury: A Systematic Review
Authors: Serafini Gianluca , Aguglia Andrea , Amerio Andrea , Canepa Giovanna , Adavastro Giulia , Conigliaro Claudia , Nebbia Jacopo , Franchi Larissa , Flouri Eirini , Amore Mario
Published: August 2021

Experience of bullying may be a significant risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). This study had three aims: to systematically investigate the association between bullying and NSSI, analyze the possible mechanisms underlying the two phenomena, and evaluate any differences between bullying victimization and bullying perpetration with respect to NSSI. A systematic search about the association between bullying victimization and perpetration and NSSI was conducted using specific databases (PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct). The following keywords were used in all database searches: "bullying" AND "NSSI" OR "peer victimization" and NSSI. The searches in PubMed, Scopus and Science Direct revealed a total of 88 articles about bullying or peer victimization and NSSI. However, only 29 met our inclusion criteria and were used for the present review. Overall, all studies examined victimization; four studies also evaluated the effects of perpetration and one included bully-victims. According to the main findings, both being a victim of bullying and perpetrating bullying may increase the risk of adverse psychological outcomes in terms of NSSI and suicidality in the short and the long run. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to systematically evaluate the relation between bullying victimization/perpetration and NSSI. The main results support a positive association. Future research should evaluate the possible role of specific mediators/moderators of the association between experience of bullying and NSSI.
Participatory Design as the Temporal Flow of Coalescing Participatory Lines
Authors: Hayes Niall , Introna Lucas D. , Cass Noel
Published: August 2021

This paper argues that the existing literature on participatory design (PD) tends to focus on frontstage design interactions (workshops, participants, methodologies, techniques, etc.) to facilitate PD ‘here and now’—referred to as theinteractional approach. In contrast, the paper proposes to contribute to an evolving literature, referred to as thetransformational approach, that takes a more longitudinal line and which attends to both the frontstage and backstage within an extended temporal frame. To do this the paper draws on the work of the social anthropologist Tim Ingold, in particular, his concept of the happening of ongoing life as a bundle of flowing lines. The paper argues that PD becomes possible when ongoing participation is conceived of as a set ofcorresponding(or coalescing) and conditioning lines of flow—each line with its own history, attentionality, rhythms, tempos and so forth. To illustrate what this reorientation might mean for PD the paper draws on an in-depth action research study of a PD initiative that sought to develop a digital service to address loneliness and social isolation in a rural location in the UK. The paper explores how project members, individual participants, non-governmental organisation, government representatives, evaluators and funders co-responded to each other (or not) as they engaged, or became implicated, in the PD process. The paper concludes with some practical implications of what such an Ingoldian reorientation might mean for the ongoing development of PD as a transformational methodology.
Long-Term Climate Treaties with a Refunding Club
Authors: Gersbach Hans , Hummel Noemi , Winkler Ralph
Published: August 2021

We show that an appropriately-designed “Refunding Club” can simultaneously solve both free-riding problems in mitigating climate change—participating in a coalition with an emission reduction target and enduring voluntary compliance with the target once the coalition has been formed. Countries in the Club pay an initial fee into a fund that is invested in assets. In each period, part of the fund is distributed among the Club members in relation to the emission reductions they have achieved, suitably rescaled by a weighting factor. We show that an appropriate refunding scheme can implement any feasible abatement path a Club wants to implement. The contributions to the initial fund can be used to disentangle efficiency and distributional concerns and/or to make a coalition stable. Making the grand coalition stable in the so-called “modesty approach” requires less than 0.5% of World GDP. Finally, we suggest ways to foster initial participation, to incorporate equity concerns with regard to developing countries, and ways to ease the burden to fill the initial fund.
Artificial Intelligence and Business Value: a Literature Review
Authors: Enholm Ida Merete , Papagiannidis Emmanouil , Mikalef Patrick , Krogstie John
Published: August 2021

Artificial Intelligence (AI) are a wide-ranging set of technologies that promise several advantages for organizations in terms off added business value. Over the past few years, organizations are increasingly turning to AI in order to gain business value following a deluge of data and a strong increase in computational capacity. Nevertheless, organizations are still struggling to adopt and leverage AI in their operations. The lack of a coherent understanding of how AI technologies create business value, and what type of business value is expected, therefore necessitates a holistic understanding. This study provides a systematic literature review that attempts to explain how organizations can leverage AI technologies in their operations and elucidate the value-generating mechanisms. Our analysis synthesizes the current literature and highlights: (1) the key enablers and inhibitors of AI adoption and use; (2) the typologies of AI use in the organizational setting; and (3) the first- and second-order effects of AI. The paper concludes with an identification of the gaps in the literature and develops a research agenda that identifies areas that need to be addressed by future studies.
Analytical angular solutions for the atom–diatom interaction potential in a basis set of products of two spherical harmonics: two approaches
Authors: Pawlak Mariusz , Stachowiak Marcin
Published: August 2021

We present general analytical expressions for the matrix elements of the atom–diatom interaction potential, expanded in terms of Legendre polynomials, in a basis set of products of two spherical harmonics, especially significant to the recently developed adiabatic variational theory for cold molecular collision experiments [J. Chem. Phys. 143, 074114 (2015); J. Phys. Chem. A 121, 2194 (2017)]. We used two approaches in our studies. The first involves the evaluation of the integral containing trigonometric functions with arbitrary powers. The second approach is based on the theorem of addition of spherical harmonics.
Does agricultural intensification cause tipping points in ecosystem services?
Authors: Watson Stephen C. L. , Newton Adrian C. , Ridding Lucy E. , Evans Paul M. , Brand Steven , McCracken Morag , Gosal Arjan S. , Bullock James M.
Published: August 2021

Context

Agricultural intensification is being widely pursued as a policy option to improve food security and human development. Yet, there is a need to understand the impact of agricultural intensification on the provision of multiple ecosystem services, and to evaluate the possible occurrence of tipping points.

Objectives

To quantify and assess the long-term spatial dynamics of ecosystem service (ES) provision in a landscape undergoing agricultural intensification at four time points 1930, 1950, 1980 and 2015.

Determine if thresholds or tipping points in ES provision may have occurred and if there are any detectable impacts on economic development and employment.

Methods

We used the InVEST suite of software models together with a time series of historical land cover maps and an Input–Output model to evaluate these dynamics over an 85-year period in the county of Dorset, southern England.

Results

Results indicated that trends in ES were often non-linear, highlighting the potential for abrupt changes in ES provision to occur in response to slight changes in underlying drivers. Despite the fluctuations in provision of different ES, overall economic activity increased almost linearly during the study interval, in line with the increase in agricultural productivity.

Conclusions

Such non-linear thresholds in ES will need to be avoided in the future by approaches aiming to deliver sustainable agricultural intensification. A number of positive feedback mechanisms are identified that suggest these thresholds could be considered as tipping points. However, further research into these feedbacks is required to fully determine the occurrence of tipping points in agricultural systems.
Metasequents and Tetravaluations
Authors: French Rohan
Published: August 2021

In this paper we treat metasequents—objects which stand to sequents as sequents stand to formulas—as first class logical citizens. To this end we provide a metasequent calculus, a sequent calculus which allows us to directly manipulate metasequents. We show that the various metasequent calculi we consider are sound and complete w.r.t. appropriate classes of tetravaluations where validity is understood locally. Finally we use our metasequent calculus to give direct syntactic proofs of various collapse results, closing a problem left open in French (Ergo, 3(5), 113–131 2016).
A mortar formulation for frictionless line-to-line beam contact
Authors: Bosten Armin , Cosimo Alejandro , Linn Joachim , Brüls Olivier
Published: August 2021

This paper describes the quasi-static formulation of frictionless line contact between flexible beams by employing the mortar finite element approach. Contact constraints are enforced in a weak sense along the contact region using Lagrange multipliers. A simple projection appropriate for thin beams with circular cross-sections is proposed for the computation of contact regions. It is combined with the geometrically exact beam formalism on the Lie group $SE(3)$
S
E
(
3
)
. Interestingly, this framework leads to a constraint gradient and a tangent stiffness invariant under rigid body transformations. The formulation is tested in some numerical examples.
Monitoring or payroll maximization? What happens when workers enter the boardroom?
Authors: Gleason Cristi A. , Kieback Sascha , Thomsen Martin , Watrin Christoph
Published: August 2021

We examine whether worker representation on corporate boards results in improved monitoring or payroll maximization. Several economic theories predict that worker representatives would use control and voting rights in the boardroom to transform firm assets into private benefits and increased wages, but labor contract models suggest that workers’ inside information should permit improved monitoring. To investigate this conflict, we use mandatory worker representation on corporate boards in Germany. Using hand-collected data, our results suggest that the worker representatives’ payroll maximization incentives dominate their monitoring duties. Specifically, worker representatives reduce real earnings management when it results in wage cuts or job losses but not when it increases payroll or job security. Similarly, worker representatives are generally associated with improved monitoring of tax planning activities. However, when the risk of offshoring jobs is high, worker representatives do not promote tax planning for low-aggression firms and instead block aggressive tax planning for high-aggression firms. This evidence helps policymakers and researchers better understand the role of workers in corporate governance systems and contributes to the ongoing public debate about introducing worker representation in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Solar Rotation Multiples in Space-Weather Effects
Authors: Gil Agnieszka , Modzelewska Renata , Wawrzaszek Anna , Piekart Bozena , Milosz Tadeusz
Published: August 2021

The solar rotation period is the most prominent mid-term periodicity in the temporal behaviour of solar, heliospheric, and geomagnetic parameters. It is also a cause of the repeatedly appearing geomagnetic storms originating from the corotating interaction regions (CIRs). Since geomagnetic CIR-driven storms have a natural periodic character, and geomagnetic storms impact energy infrastructure via geomagnetically induced currents, it is of interest whether this periodic character is also noticeable in the temporal behaviour of electrical-grid failures (EGFs), which, at least to some extent, might be of solar origin.
From groundlessness—to freedom: The theme of ‘awakening’ in the thought of Lev Shestov
Authors: Ogden Marina G.
Published: August 2021

The philosopher Lev Shestov aimed to establish a new free way of thinking, which manifested itself as a struggle against the delusion that we have a rational grasp of the necessary truths on matters that are of the greatest importance to us, such as the questions of life and death. Philosophy, as the Russian philosopher understood it, is not pure thinking, but ‘some kind of inner doing, inner regeneration, or second birth’ (Shestov in Lektsii po Istorii Grecheskoi Filosofii [Lectures on the history of Greek philosophy], YMCA-PRESS, Moscow, 2001, p. 53). Having adopted the notion of the ‘regeneration of one’s convictions’ from Dostoevsky’s vocabulary in his earlier works, Shestov developed the idea of ‘awakening’ further in his mature thought, in which the motif of ‘awakening’ comprised one of the main ideas of his philosophy: the fight for the individual’s right to freedom and to creative transformation at a time when she is in despair or on the brink of death. In this article, I analyse Shestov’s idea of ‘awakening’ as one of the key tropes and developmental characteristics of his philosophical vision. In particular, I argue that, having stemmed from Shestov’s earlier interpretations of Dostoevsky, Shakespeare and Plotinus, in his later writings, the notion of ‘awakening’—the possibility of a fundamental, inner transformation of one’s worldview (probuzhdenie, pererozhdenie)—marked the beginning of a new salvific mode in his writing.
MPI-dot2dot: A parallel tool to find DNA tandem repeats on multicore clusters
Authors: González-Domínguez Jorge , Martín-Martínez José M. , Expósito Roberto R.
Published: August 2021

Tandem Repeats (TRs) are segments that occur several times in a DNA sequence, and each copy is adjacent to other. In the last few years, TRs have gained significant attention as they are thought to be related with certain human diseases. Therefore, identifying and classifying TRs have become a highly important task in bioinformatics in order to analyze their disorders and relationships with illnesses. Dot2dot, a tool recently developed to find TRs, provides more accurate results than the previous state-of-the-art, but it requires a long execution time even when using multiple threads. This work presents MPI-dot2dot, a novel version of this tool that combines MPI and OpenMP so that it can be executed in a cluster of multicore nodes and thus reduces its execution time. The performance of this new parallel implementation has been tested using different real datasets. Depending on the characteristics of the input genomes, it is able to obtain the same biological results as Dot2dot but more than 100 times faster on a 16-node multicore cluster (384 cores). MPI-dot2dot is publicly available to download from https://sourceforge.net/projects/mpi-dot2dot.
A NOMA-Combined Hybrid Approach for SDMA Improvement in Wireless Powered Communication Networks
Authors: Maeng Juhyun , Dahouda Mwamba Kasongo , Joe Inwhee
Published: August 2021

Wireless Powered Communication Network (WPCN) consists of Hybrid Access Point (HAP) that performs power transmission and data collection at the same time, and multiple nodes that can transmit data. In WPCN, depending on the wireless communication environment, the nodes cannot be able to transmit data because they can fail to receive power. Hence, increasing the transmission rate under a given resource is one of the very important issues. In ordinary mobile communications, a cell is divided into several sectors and the data is collected through multiple antennas to increase the transmission rate using SDMA. As a result, if the number of nodes in the one sector increases, the interference between nodes increases, and the transmission rate may decrease. Accordingly, in order to maximize performance, the number of nodes that can exist in a sector must be limited. The transmission rate between nodes according to the distance difference may not be fair because the nodes far from the HAP charge a small amount of power by attenuation of the signal, and the nodes close to the HAP charge a relatively large amount of power. Therefore, we propose Hybrid SDMA and Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) as a way to maximize the performance in term of both Sum-Throughput and Fairness. Also, we prove that there is a tradeoff between Sum-Throughput and Fairness according to the number of sectors. The simulation results show that the Hybrid SDMA and NOMA improves the performance substantially compared to the conventional SDMA.
Aberrant Cerebello-Cerebral Connectivity in Remitted Bipolar Patients 1 and 2: New Insight into Understanding the Cerebellar Role in Mania and Hypomania
Authors: Olivito Giusy , Lupo Michela , Gragnani Andrea , Saettoni Marco , Siciliano Libera , Pancheri Corinna , Panfili Matteo , Cercignani Mara , Bozzali Marco , Chiaie Roberto Delle , Leggio Maria
Published: August 2021

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a major mental illness characterized by periods of (hypo) mania and depression with inter-episode remission periods. Functional studies in BD have consistently implicated a set of linked cortical and subcortical limbic regions in the pathophysiology of the disorder, also including the cerebellum. However, the cerebellar role in the neurobiology of BD still needs to be clarified. Seventeen euthymic patients with BD type1 (BD1) (mean age/SD, 38.64/13.48; M/F, 9/8) and 13 euthymic patients with BD type 2 (BD2) (mean age/SD, 41.42/14.38; M/F, 6/7) were compared with 37 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects (HS) (mean age/SD, 45.65/14.15; M/F, 15/22). T1 weighted and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) scans were acquired. The left and right dentate nucleus were used as seed regions for the seed based analysis. FC between each seed and the rest of the brain was compared between patients and HS. Correlations between altered cerebello-cerebral connectivity and clinical scores were then investigated. Different patterns of altered dentate-cerebral connectivity were found in BD1 and BD2. Overall, impaired dentate-cerebral connectivity involved regions of the anterior limbic network specifically related to the (hypo)manic states of BD. Cerebello-cerebral connectivity is altered in BD1 and BD2. Interestingly, the fact that these altered FC patterns persist during euthymia, supports the hypothesis that cerebello-cerebral FC changes reflect the neural correlate of subthreshold symptoms, as trait-based pathophysiology and/or compensatory mechanism to maintain a state of euthymia.
Brief Online Negative Affect Focused Functional Imagery Training Improves 2-Week Drinking Outcomes in Hazardous Student Drinkers: a Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: Shuai Ruichong , Bakou Alexandra Elissavet , Andrade Jackie , Hides Leanne , Hogarth Lee
Published: August 2021

Background

Negative affect plays an important role in motivating problematic alcohol use. Consequently, training imagery-based adaptive responses to negative affect could reduce problematic alcohol use. The current study tested whether personalised online functional imagery training (FIT) to utilise positive mental imagery in response to negative affect would improve drinking outcomes in hazardous negative affect drinking students.

Method

Participants were 52 hazardous student drinkers who drink to cope with negative affect. Participants in the active group (n = 24) were trained online over 2 weeks to respond to personalised negative drinking triggers by retrieving a personalised adaptive strategy they might use to mitigate negative affect, whereas participants in the control group (n = 28) received standard risk information about binge drinking at university. Measures of daily drinking quantity, drinking motives, self-efficacy and use of protective behavioural strategies were obtained at baseline and 2 weeks follow-up.

Results

There were three significant interactions between group and time in a per-protocol analysis: the active intervention group showed increased self-efficacy of control over negative affect drinking and control over alcohol consumption and decreased social drinking motives from baseline to 2-week follow-up, relative to the control intervention group. There were no effects on drinking frequency.

Conclusion

These findings provide initial evidence that online training to respond to negative affect drinking triggers by retrieving mental imagery of adaptive strategies can improve drinking-related outcomes in hazardous, student, negative affect drinkers. The findings support the utility of FIT interventions for substance use.
Markov Chain Analysis of Rainfall over East Asia: Unusual Frequency, Persistence, and Entropy in the Summer 2020
Authors: Lee Yoon-Kyoung , Kim Hye-Sil , Kim Jung-Eun Esther , Choi Yong-Sang , Yoo Changhyun
Published: August 2021

Record-breaking rainfall occurred over East Asia during the summer of 2020. However, in which aspect the summer of 2020 can be differentiated from the other years remains to be quantified. To this end, this study employs Markov chain analysis to quantify summer rainfall variability over East Asia using three Markov descriptors for heavy precipitation events of over 10 mm day−1: frequency, persistence, and entropy (i.e., irregularity). It is found that the heavy rainfall during the summer of 2020 can be attributed to an anomalously high frequency of rainfall in the central China and Japan and greater rainfall persistence over eastern China and Korea. Empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) are used to analyze interannual variation in the descriptors using a few primary modes. For the summer 2020 period, the first and second modes for frequency account for the enhanced frequency over central China, and this is linked to sea surface temperature anomalies over the North Pacific, the equatorial eastern Pacific, and tropical Indian Ocean. For persistence, the first mode dominates the anomalous rainfall persistence observed during the summer of 2020. Similar but weak behavior can be also seen by the modes for entropy.
A Comparative Study on the Microbial Communities of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Red Palm Weevil)-Infected and Healthy Palm Trees
Authors: Alshammari N. , Alazmi Meshari , Alanazi Naimah A. , Sulieman Abdel Moneim E. , Veettil Vajid N. , Ponce-Alonso Manuel
Published: August 2021

Several studies have investigated palm trees’ microbiota infected with red palm weevil (RPW) (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), the major pest of palm trees. This study compared the microbial communities of infected and uninfected palm trees in the Hail region, Northern Saudi Arabia, determined by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing by Illumina MiSeq. The results indicated that taxonomic diversity variation was higher for infected tree trunk than the healthy tree trunk. Soil samples from the vicinity of healthy and infected trees did not have a significant variation in bacterial diversity. Myxococcota, Acidobacteriota, and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in RPW-infected tree trunk, and Pseudomonadaceae was the most prominent family. This study is the first report on the characterization of RPW-infected and healthy palm trees’ microbiome.
Epidemiological models and COVID-19: a comparative view
Authors: Iranzo Valeriano , Pérez-González Saúl
Published: August 2021

Epidemiological models have played a central role in the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly when urgent decisions were required and available evidence was sparse. They have been used to predict the evolution of the disease and to inform policy-making. In this paper, we address two kinds of epidemiological models widely used in the pandemic, namely, compartmental models and agent-based models. After describing their essentials—some real examples are invoked—we discuss their main strengths and weaknesses. Then, on the basis of this analysis, we make a comparison between their respective merits concerning three different goals: prediction, explanation, and intervention. We argue that there are general considerations which could favour any of those sorts of models for obtaining the aforementioned goals. We conclude, however, that preference for particular models must be grounded case-by-case since additional contextual factors, as the peculiarities of the target population and the aims and expectations of policy-makers, cannot be overlooked.
Prävention und Management von COVID-19-Ausbrüchen auf Handelsschiffen
Authors: Dengler Dorothee , von Münster Thomas , Kordsmeyer Ann-Christin , Belz Lukas , Mojtahedzadeh Natascha , Heidrich Jan , Hewelt Elisabeth , Dirksen-Fischer Martin , Boldt Matthias , Harth Volker , Oldenburg Marcus
Published: August 2021

Hintergrund

Eine Pandemie ist eine besondere medizinische Herausforderung für Seeleute, die ohne Arzt/Ärztin an Bord unterwegs sind. Gleichzeitig ist es eine Notwendigkeit für die weltweite Bekämpfung der COVID-19-Pandemie, Warenströme durch eine widerstandsfähige Handelsschifffahrt aufrechtzuerhalten. Für die Infektionsprävention und das Infektionsmanagement an Bord benötigen Verantwortliche ein Portfolio von Schutzmaßnahmen, die auf Schiffen angewendet werden können.

Fragestellung

In der Übersicht wird der Fragestellung nachgegangen, welche technischen, organisatorischen und persönlichen Schutzmaßnahmen auf einem Handelsschiff angewandt werden können, um COVID-19-Ausbrüche an Bord zu verhindern oder bewältigen zu können.

Material und Methoden

Richtlinien, Informationen und Arbeitsschutzstandards aus dem maritimen Setting, aber auch aus anderen Arbeitsbereichen wurden gesichtet, damit Verantwortliche diese angepasst an die Lage (z. B. Schiffsgröße, Ausstattung, Witterung, Betriebszustand, Arbeitsanforderungen, Kontakt mit Schiffsfremden, medizinische Probleme) variabel einsetzen können.

Ergebnisse

Eine Handreichung, die konkrete, im maritimen Kontext erklärte technische, organisatorische und persönliche Schutzmaßnahmen für Crews zur anlassbezogenen Nutzung enthält, wurde erstellt. Kombinationsmöglichkeiten und Timing von Sicherheitsbarrieren werden darin zielgruppenorientiert erklärt.

Fazit

Eine Fülle der aus arbeitsmedizinischer Literatur und den Erfahrungen des Hafenärztlichen Dienstes in Hamburg abgeleiteten Schutzmaßnahmen sind auf hoher See umsetzbar. Handelsschiffe sollten in Pandemiezeiten vorausschauend ausgestattet (z. B. mit Schnelltests) und Verantwortliche ermächtigt werden, begründete Infektionsschutzmaßnahmen angepasst an die Situation an Bord einzusetzen. Seeleute sollten unabhängig von ihrer nationalen Herkunft prioritäre Impfangebote erhalten.
Der psychotechnologische Komplex – Die Automatisierung mentaler Prozesse als demokratietheoretisches Problem
Authors: Bösel Bernd
Published: August 2021

Die Digitalisierung umfasst neben vielen anderen Aspekten auch die Automatisierung psychischer Prozesse. Damit wird allerdings ein wesentlicher Aspekt für ein demokratisches und progressives Politikverständnis unterlaufen. Der Artikel setzt sich mit der Verflechtung von Psyche, Technik und Politik zunächst anhand einer Diskussion des französischen Philosophen Bernard Stiegler (1952–2020) auseinander, der in seinen späteren Arbeiten Medien als Psychotechnologien zu konzipieren begann und dafür plädierte, die seit Foucault in vielen Disziplinen häufig gebrauchte Kategorie der Biomacht um diejenige der „Psychomacht“ zu ergänzen. Der in dieser Diskussion ebenfalls aufblitzende Begriff „Psychopolitik“ wird anschließend mit zwei deutschsprachigen Theoretiker*innen, Alexandra Rau und Byung-Chul Han, konkretisiert. Auf dieser begrifflichen wie zeitdiagnostischen Grundlage wird in der zweiten Hälfte des Artikels das „psychotechnologische Arsenal“ der Gegenwart umrissen: Gemeint sind damit jene digitaltechnologischen Innovationen, die auf die Beeinflussung psychischer Prozesse von Nutzer*innen abzielen, und zu denen man u. a.persuasive technologies, Micro-Targeting, Apps für Wellness und psychische Gesundheit sowieaffective computingzählen kann. All diese Entwicklungen erzwingen zum Schluss eine Auseinandersetzung mit der vielfach beobachteten Rückkehr des Behaviorismus unter datenwissenschaftlichem Vorzeichen sowie mit der Frage, wie die Fähigkeit zu politischem Handeln innerhalb dieser Konstellation noch bewahrt werden kann, bevor der im Entstehen begriffene „psychotechnologische Paternalismus“ die psychische Kapazitäten zur freien Deliberation und vor allem auch zur politischen Imagination völlig außer Gefecht setzt.
Trade-off between job losses and the spread of COVID-19 in Japan
Authors: Hoshi Kisho , Kasahara Hiroyuki , Makioka Ryo , Suzuki Michio , Tanaka Satoshi
Published: August 2021

This paper quantitatively analyzes the trade-off between job losses and the spread of COVID-19 in Japan. We derive an empirical specification from the social planner’s resource constraint under the susceptible, infected, recovered, and deaths (SIRD) model and estimate how job losses and the case growth rate are related to people’s mobility using the Japanese prefecture-level panel data on confirmed cases, involuntary job losses, people’s mobility, and teleworkability. Our findings are summarized as follows. First, we find that a decrease in mobility driven by containment policies is associated with an increase in involuntary job separations, but the high teleworkability mitigates the negative effect of decreased mobility on job losses. Second, estimating how the case growth is related to people’s mobility and past cases, we find that the case growth rate is positively related to an increase in people’s mobility but negatively associated with past confirmed cases. Third, using these estimates, we provide a quantitative analysis of the trade-off between job losses and the number of confirmed cases. Taking Tokyo in July 2020 as a benchmark, we find that the cost of saving 1 job per month is 2.3 more confirmed cases per month in the short run of 1 month. When we consider a trade-off for 3 months from July to September of 2020, protecting 1 job per month requires 6.6 more confirmed cases per month. Therefore, the trade-off becomes worse substantially in the longer run of 3 months, reflecting the exponential case growth when the people’s mobility is high.