bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unbundling, Markets, and Regulation
Authors: Morrison Eleanor J.
Published: May 2022

Energy market restructuring and liberalisation has produced mixed results. While wholesale market design and competition has matured, retail competition has remained static. This chapter discusses the reasons that contribute to the success and failure of energy market unbundling with the use of global examples. The new trends and policies in energy markets are discussed from a regulatory perspective including active investor participation, technological innovation, and the growth in renewable energy.
Economics of Access to Energy
Authors: Falchetta Giacomo , Tagliapietra Simone
Published: May 2022

Energy services underpin the socio-economic development of nations and their prosperity. This chapter discusses the key obstacles that have so far prevented 840 million people worldwide from gaining access to electricity and 2.9 billion from accessing clean cooking facilities. The authors argue that the problem of access to modern commercial energy is fundamentally an economic one. They explore the different yet common roots linking energy access to technological, governance, and financing aspects. The electricity and clean cooking challenges are firstly discussed separately to highlight the specific techno-economic issues underlying each service. This is beneficial to a conclusive discussion of the key economic policy instruments and financing approaches necessary to achieve universal access to modern energy.
Energy and the Economy in China
Authors: Meidan Michal
Published: May 2022

China’s rapid economic growth has generated a voracious appetite for energy. Despite large domestic resources of coal, oil and gas, the country has emerged as a key importer of oil and natural gas, exposing it to vulnerabilities associated with import dependence. Over the course of China’s economic expansion, its energy policy has been geared towards ensuring adequate supplies at affordable prices to end-users, preferring to use administrative measures to regulate supply and demand rather than market mechanisms. Yet as the country’s economic structure shifts away from heavy industry and towards consumer services, its energy needs and choices are changing, while the role of markets is expanding. And the negative environmental impact of China’s energy choices has now become a social concern, as well as an industrial opportunity.
Energy and the Economy in Europe
Authors: Hafner Manfred , Raimondi Pier Paolo
Published: May 2022

Europe’s energy landscape is characterized by a great heterogeneity due to differences in terms of population, economy, energy resources (availability of different energy sources) and differing policies in favor or against specific energy sources. Over the decades, the European energy mix has undergone important transformations. The EU set an energy policy framework based on three pillars (security of supply, competitiveness and sustainability) with the goal to address three different priorities: competitiveness (affordable prices), security (of energy supply) and sustainability (clean energy). These three pillars appear to pursue contradictory goals, especially in the short term, but they are seen as converging in the longer term. This chapter aims to analyze how these different objectives have been key drivers of the European energy policy and economics. To illustrate this, the authors also present five case studies: the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany and Poland. Lastly, the chapter presents the “European Green Deal”, whose ultimate goal is to reach carbon-neutrality by 2050. The chapter analyzes how a climate-neutrality goal requires a substantial transformation of the EU economy, which comes with some internal and external frictions.
Hydropower
Authors: Blume-Werry Eike , Everts Martin
Published: May 2022

Hydropower is one of the oldest power generation technologies and the source of the largest power stations in the world. Despite a phenomenal rise of new renewable generation technologies, hydropower remains responsible for most of the renewable electricity generation around the globe. This chapter explores the economics of power generation from hydro and its advantages as well disadvantages. It describes the characteristics of the three hydropower generation types: run-of-river, hydro storage and pumped storage in detail and provides an outlook on the future role of hydropower in modern energy systems.
The Introduction of Pension, Accident, and Health Insurance in Urban China
Authors: ten Brink Tobias , Müller Armin , Liu Tao
Published: May 2022

Since the initiation of reform and opening policies, social protection for urban workers in China has transformed massively. Before the 1980s, state-owned enterprises were responsible for protecting workers from social risks such as old age, accidents, and illness. Today, these three areas are organised as contribution-based social insurance systems with Chinese characteristics. This chapter identifies the causal mechanisms that led to the introduction of insurance schemes in the 1990s and early 2000s. We find three causal mechanisms: (neutral and strategic) policy experimentation, top-leader intervention, and (consensus-based and enforced) elite cooperation. Moreover, we demonstrate that the presence or absence of complementarity between the international environment and the domestic actor constellation had a decisive effect on how those mechanisms played out.
Causal Mechanisms in the Introduction of Mandatory Health Insurance in the Post-Soviet Region
Authors: Heinrich Andreas , Isabekova Gulnaz , Pleines Heiko
Published: May 2022

After the end of the Soviet Union, mandatory health insurance (MHI) emerged as the most popular reform model. This chapter first describes the resistance avoidance mechanism leading to its legal introduction. Actual implementation of MHI schemes, however, faced severe problems. We identify two causal mechanisms which were at the core of these problems: Fight for state funding and informalisation. We argue that against this background, (partially) successful introduction of MHI was only possible if the reform supporter mechanism occurred, meaning that a strong supporter in favour of the new healthcare model was created in the form of a centralised MHI Fund.
Appropriating the Colonial State: The Emergence of Social Insurance in Tunisia and Uganda
Authors: Thyen Kressen , Schlichte Klaus
Published: May 2022

In most African countries, social insurance has played a limited role in ensuring social protection for the wider populace. Based on a most-dissimilar case comparison of Tunisia and Uganda, we argue that the segmented and exclusive social insurance systems go back to colonial social policies. Original colonial pension schemes emerged via imperial staffing, the employment of “indigenous” public service and military personnel. With decolonisation, the appropriation of colonial structures and policies perpetuated the segmented feature of social insurance. Its expansion into the private sector after independence was mediated by two context-specific mechanisms: labour incorporation in more industrialised economies led to broader social insurance coverage, which could not be realised via insurance funds in the logic of top-down public resource accumulation.
Policy Pollination as a Causal Mechanism Explaining Social Protection Adoption in Africa
Authors: Devereux Stephen
Published: May 2022

This chapter focuses on the instrumental role of international development agencies in the rapid and sustained rise of social protection as a policy agenda throughout Africa in the early twenty-first century. These agencies acted as “policy pollinators,” using various tactics to persuade African governments to implement social protection programmes. Such tactics included generating empirical evidence that cash transfers have beneficial impacts, financing social protection programmes, building state capacity to deliver social protection, and commissioning national social protection policies. Nonetheless, some governments resisted these pressures and inducements, because their political interests and national priorities were not well aligned with the agendas of development agencies. Questions arise about whether the adoption of social protection by African governments should be understood as a nationally owned or “donor-driven” process.
Against All Odds: Introducing Social Health Insurance in Albania. An Actor-Centred Approach to Causal Mechanisms
Authors: Druga Ertila
Published: May 2022

Scholarship on international development acknowledges the World Bank as a coercive actor, constraining developing countries to accept and adopt its prescribed policies through conditional structural adjustment loans. While less research examines the non-coercive, persuasive side of the World Bank, this chapter attempts to fill this gap by investigating Social Health Insurance introduction in post-communist Albania. Focused on the interaction between the Albanian Government and the World Bank and applying an actor-centred perspective, the analysis reveals a complex causal mechanism of transnational cooperation, which occurs in a non-coercive form, that explains the process. Next, it illustrates three elementary causal mechanisms that comprise the complex one. They are the rational orientation of the Albanian Government, the normatively-embedded calculatory orientation, and the reflective orientation of the World Bank.
Helium Nanodroplets: Formation, Physical Properties and Superfluidity
Authors: Toennies J. Peter
Published: May 2022

In this introductory chapter, we begin by informing the reader about the fascinating history of superfluidity in bulk liquid helium. This is followed by relating attempts in using liquid helium as a low temperature matrix for spectroscopy. After a brief review of the thermodynamic properties of helium in Sect. 1.2, the different types of free jet expansions used in experiments to produce clusters and nanodroplets of different sizes are described in Sect. 1.3. First it is shown how they depend on the nature and location in the phase diagram of the isentropes which determine the course of the expansion. Depending on the four regimes of isentropes, different number sizes and distributions are expected. Next in Sect. 1.4, the results of theoretical and, where available, experimental results on the total energies, excited states, radial density distributions, and temperatures of clusters and droplets are discussed. Finally, in Sect. 1.5 the theoretical and experimental evidence for the superfluidity of nanodroplets is briefly reviewed. For more information on the production and characteristics of nanodroplets, the reader is referred to the chapters in this book and to the reviews in Appendix.
Ultrafast Dynamics in Helium Droplets
Authors: Bruder Lukas , Koch Markus , Mudrich Marcel , Stienkemeier Frank
Published: May 2022

Helium nanodroplets are peculiar systems, as condensed superfluid entities on the nanoscale, and as vessels for studies of molecules and molecular aggregates and their quantum properties at very low temperature. For both aspects, the dynamics upon the interaction with light is fundamental for understanding the properties of the systems. In this chapter we focus on time-resolved experiments in order to study ultrafast dynamics in neat as well as doped helium nanodroplets. Recent experimental approaches are reviewed, ranging from time-correlated photon detection to femtosecond pump-probe photoelectron and photoion spectroscopy, coherent multidimensional spectroscopy as well as applications of strong laser fields and novel, extreme ultraviolet light sources. The experiments examined in more detail investigate the dynamics of atomic and molecular dopants, including coherent wave packet dynamics and long-lived vibrational coherences of molecules attached to and immersed inside helium droplets. Furthermore, the dynamics of highly-excited helium droplets including interatomic Coulombic decay and nanoplasma states are discussed. Finally, an outlook concludes on the perspectives of time-resolved experiments with helium droplets, including recent options provided by new radiation sources of femto- or even attosecond laser pulses up to the soft X-ray range.
The Emerging Legal Framework for Smart Cities in Vietnam
Authors: Van Cuong Nguyen
Published: May 2022

The idea of the “smart city” is widely understood in Vietnam today. On 1 August 2018, the prime minister issued a decision to approve a national plan for development of smart sustainable cities during 2018–2025, with a vision toward 2030. This decision sets a target to turn the four biggest cities in Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Can Tho) into cities with core smart functions by 2025 or 2030. However, most of the smart city projects remain at the pilot stage. There are several legal issues to be addressed to help those projects run smoothly. This paper traces the evolution of the legal framework for smart cities in Vietnam in recent years and the driving forces behind this evolution. It shows that the legal framework for smart city projects in Vietnam is still in an early stage of development with room for improvement, especially in the areas of legal rules for information and communication technology (ICT) application (especially digital signatures), urban governance of infrastructure, construction and engineering laws, intellectual property rights, and protection of personal data (data rights law and privacy law).
Dual theory for maximally $$ \mathcal{N} $$ extended flat supergravity
Authors: Banerjee Nabamita , Bhattacharjee Arindam , Biswas Surajit , Neogi Turmoli
Published: May 2022

Abstract

Maximally $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
extended 2 + 1 dimensional flat supergravity theories exist for a class of super-Poincaré algebras for arbitrary $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
. They have rich asymptotic structures and contain all interesting topological supergravity solutions in presence of non-trivial holonomy. For the asymptotic symmetry algebra being a suitable flat limit of the superconformal algebra, which is an infinite dimensional extension of two copies of Osp($$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
|2; R) group, we have found the 1 + 1 dimensional chiral WZW model as the dual quantum field theory that describes the dynamics of these solutions. In the Hamiltonian analysis, the reduced phase space resembles a flat super Liouville theory.
The Twisted Hilbert Space Ideals
Authors: Cabello Sánchez Félix , García Ricardo
Published: May 2022

We study those operators on a Hilbert space that can be lifted or extended to any twisted Hilbert space. We prove that these form an ideal of operators which contains all the Schatten classes. We characterize those multiplication operators on $$\ell _p$$

ℓ
p

that are liftable/extensible through centralizers.
Social influence for societal interest: a pro-ethical framework for improving human decision making through multi-stakeholder recommender systems
Authors: Fabbri Matteo
Published: May 2022

In the contemporary digital age, recommender systems (RSs) play a fundamental role in managing information on online platforms: from social media to e-commerce, from travels to cultural consumptions, automated recommendations influence the everyday choices of users at an unprecedented scale. RSs are trained on users’ data to make targeted suggestions to individuals according to their expected preference, but their ultimate impact concerns all the multiple stakeholders involved in the recommendation process. Therefore, whilst RSs are useful to reduce information overload, their deployment comes with significant ethical challenges, which are still largely unaddressed because of proprietary constraints and regulatory gaps that limit the effects of standard approaches to explainability and transparency. In this context, I address the ethical and social implications of automated recommendations by proposing a pro-ethical design framework aimed at reorienting the influence of RSs towards societal interest. In particular, after highlighting the problem of explanation for RSs, I discuss the application of beneficent informational nudging to the case of conversational recommender systems (CRSs), which rely on user-system dialogic interactions. Subsequently, through a comparison with standard recommendations, I outline the incentives for platforms and providers in adopting this approach and its benefits for both individual users and society.
Patients’ and clinicians’ perspectives on the clinical utility of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foot Disease Activity Index
Authors: Hoque Anika , Steultjens Martijn , Dickson Diane M. , Hendry Gordon J.
Published: May 2022

Although patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are recommended in clinical practice, their application in routine care is limited. The Rheumatoid Arthritis Foot Disease Activity Index (RADAI-F5) is a validated PROM for assessing foot disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To explore patient and clinician opinions and perceptions of the clinical utility of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foot Disease Activity Index (RADAI-F5), eight RA patients and eight clinicians routinely involved in the management of RA patients participated in one semi-structured remote video-based interview. They provided their perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to clinical implementation of the RADAI-F5. Three global themes were identified; 'Feet are a priority' as the impact of RA on the feet negatively impacted upon patient quality of life. The second theme was 'Need for a clinically feasible foot PROM' as participants recognised the current lack of a clinically feasible tool to determine RA foot disease. The third global theme of ‘Implementation’ was drawn together to form two subordinate themes: ‘Facilitators to RADAI-F5 implementation’ as the tool can promote communication, guide management, help screen foot symptoms, monitor foot disease status and treatments, and promote patient education and; ‘Barriers to RADAI-F5 implementation’ as there were associated practical difficulties, including lack of appointment time, administrative burdens, IT barriers and preference for further RADAI-F5 validation using imaging. The RADAI-F5 has significant potential as a clinical tool to aid foot disease management. However, implementation challenges must be overcome before broad adoption in rheumatology clinics.
Stabilisation of transverse mode purity in a radially polarised Ho:YAG laser using machine learning
Authors: Jefferson-Brain Thomas L. , Barber Matthew J. , Coupe Azaria D. , Clarkson W. Andrew , Shardlow Peter C.
Published: May 2022

Radially polarised solid-state lasers offer attractive improvements in materials processing applications, but selection and stabilisation of the appropriate radially polarised mode is much more challenging than for the fundamental mode. Here, we demonstrate automated stabilisation of a radially polarised Ho:YAG laser by utilising laser mode analysis computed from a convolutional neural network. The neural network predicts the transverse modal content from single plane intensity images with high accuracy on timescales of a few milliseconds, permitting real-time self-adjustment of the laser cavity. Radially polarised emission has been maintained across a 30 W range of pump power, with the stabilisation of other arbitrary laser modes using the same neural network also demonstrated.
The comprehensive complication index as a tool for reporting the burden of complications after mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy: is it time to leave the Clavien–Dindo classification behind?
Authors: Boeri Luca , Turetti Matteo , Silvani Carlo , Fulgheri Irene , Jannello Letizia Maria Ippolita , Garbagnati Susanna , Malfatto Matteo , Galbiati Gilda , Pozzi Efrem , Zanetti Stefano Paolo , Longo Fabrizio , De Lorenzis Elisa , Albo Giancarlo , Salonia Andrea , Montanari Emanuele
Published: May 2022

Purpose

To validate the comprehensive complication index (CCI) for mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mPCNL).

Methods

Data from 287 patients who underwent mPCNL were analyzed. Complications after mPCNL were classified using both the CCI and the Clavien–Dindo classification (CDC). Descriptive statistics and linear/logistic regression analyses detailed the association between clinical predictors and mPCNL outcomes.

Results

After mPCNL, 83 (28.9%) patients had complications, of which 12 (4.2%) patients with multiple complications had a higher CCI score compared to the traditional CDC system accounting only for the highest grade. The CCI enabled a more accurate prediction of length of stay (LOS) than CDC (CCI: r = 0.32; p < 0.01 vs. CDC: r = 0.26; p = 0.01). Patients with multiple complications had higher stone volume (p = 0.02), longer operative time and LOS (all p < 0.01). A higher rate of post-operative hospital readmission (33.3% vs. 9.9%, p = 0.02) and lower rate of stone free (33.3% vs. 64.7%, p = 0.04) were found in patients with multiple complications than in those with single complication. Linear regression analysis revealed that multiple complications were associated with longer LOS (p < 0.001) after accounting for BMI and stone volume. Similarly, having multiple complications was associated with fivefold higher risk of readmission (p = 0.02).

Conclusion

The CCI is a valuable metric for assessing post-operative complications after mPCNL. The cumulative CCI is a better predictor of LOS than the CDC for mPCNL. Minor complications not captured by the highest CDC score are relevant since patients with multiple complications have longer LOS and higher rate of readmission than those with single ones.
Effects of enriched seafood sticks (heat-inactivated B. animalis subsp. lactis CECT 8145, inulin, omega-3) on cardiometabolic risk factors and gut microbiota in abdominally obese subjects: randomized controlled trial
Authors: Companys Judit , Calderón-Pérez Lorena , Pla-Pagà Laura , Llauradó Elisabet , Sandoval-Ramirez Berner Andrée , Gosalbes Maria José , Arregui Ainara , Barandiaran Maddi , Caimari Antoni , del Bas Josep Maria , Arola Lluís , Valls Rosa M. , Solà Rosa , Pedret Anna
Published: May 2022

Purpose

To assess the effects of enriched seafood sticks with postbiotic and bioactive compounds on CMD risk factors and the gut microbiota in abdominally obese individuals.

Methods

Randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled trial with abdominally obese individuals. Participants (n = 120) consumed 50 g/day of enriched seafood sticks containing SIAP: (1010 colony forming units (CFUs) of heat-inactivated B. animalis subsp. lactis CECT8145, 370 mg/day omega 3 and 1.7 g/day inulin), or 50 g/day of placebo seafood sticks for 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, an acute single-dose study of 4 h was performed.

Results

Sustained SIAP2 consumption significantly decreased the insulin by − 5.25 mg/dL and HOMA-IR (homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) by − 1.33. In women, SIAP2 consumption significantly decreased the pulse pressure (PP) by − 4.69 mmHg. Gut microbiota analysis showed a negative association between glycemic parameter reduction and Alistipes finegoldii and Ruminococcaceae, and between PP reduction and Prevotella 9-ASV0283 and Christensenellaceae. In the acute single dose-study 4-h, SIAP2 consumption produced a lower increase in the postprandial circulating triglyceride levels [23.9 (7.03) mg/dL (mean [standard error])] than the observed with placebo [49.0 (9.52)] mg/dL.

Conclusion

In abdominally obese individuals, enriched seafood sticks induce a potential protection against type 2 diabetes development by the reduction in the insulin and HOMA-IR; and in cardiovascular disease, in women, by the PP reduction. These effects are accompanied by partial changes in the gut microbiota composition. The enriched seafood sticks reduce the atherogenic triglyceride postprandial concentrations. Our results support the use of enriched seafood sticks as a complementary strategy in the management of CMD risk factors.

Registration number of Clinical Trial

(www.ClinicalTrials.gov): NCT03630588 (August 15, 2018).
Positive schizotypy is associated with amplified mnemonic discrimination and attenuated generalization
Authors: Vass Ágota , Becske Melinda , Szőllősi Ágnes , Racsmány Mihály , Polner Bertalan
Published: May 2022

Tendency to experience inaccurate beliefs alongside perceptual anomalies constitutes positive schizotypal traits in the general population and shows continuity with the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. It has been hypothesized that the positive symptomatology of schizophrenia, and by extension, the odd beliefs and unusual perceptual experiences in the general population, are associated with specific alterations in memory functions. An imbalance between memory generalization and episodic memory specificity has been proposed on several counts; however, the direction of the imbalance is currently unclear. Here, we evaluated the association between positive schizotypy, and memory alterations related to hippocampal computations in a general population sample enriched for positive schizotypy. We found that memory generalization is attenuated while memory specificity is elevated in participants with more pronounced positive schizotypal traits. Our findings show that people who are prone to irrational beliefs and unusual experiences also show measurable alterations in memory and likely have difficulty grasping the global picture and rather be overpowered by fragments of information.
Towards a national strategy for digital pathology in Switzerland
Authors: Janowczyk Andrew , Baumhoer Daniel , Dirnhofer Stefan , Grobholz Rainer , Kipar Anja , de Leval Laurence , Merkler Doron , Michielin Olivier , Moch Holger , Perren Aurel , Rottenberg Sven , Rubbia-Brandt Laura , Rubin Mark A. , Sempoux Christine , Tolnay Markus , Zlobec Inti , Koelzer Viktor Hendrik ,   the Swiss Digital Pathology Consortium (SDiPath)
Published: May 2022

Precision medicine is entering a new era of digital diagnostics; the availability of integrated digital pathology (DP) and structured clinical datasets has the potential to become a key catalyst for biomedical research, education and business development. In Europe, national programs for sharing of this data will be crucial for the development, testing, and validation of machine learning–enabled tools supporting clinical decision-making. Here, the Swiss Digital Pathology Consortium (SDiPath) discusses the creation of a Swiss Digital Pathology Infrastructure (SDPI), which aims to develop a unified national DP network bringing together the Swiss Personalized Health Network (SPHN) with Swiss university hospitals and subsequent inclusion of cantonal and private institutions. This effort builds on existing developments for the national implementation of structured pathology reporting. Opening this national infrastructure and data to international researchers in a sequential rollout phase can enable the large-scale integration of health data and pooling of resources for research purposes and clinical trials. Therefore, the concept of a SDPI directly synergizes with the priorities of the European Commission communication on the digital transformation of healthcare on an international level, and with the aims of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) for advancing research and innovation in the digitalization domain. SDPI directly addresses the needs of existing national and international research programs in neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases by providing unprecedented access to well-curated clinicopathological datasets for the development and implementation of novel integrative methods for analysis of clinical outcomes and treatment response. In conclusion, a SDPI would facilitate and strengthen inter-institutional collaboration in technology, clinical development, business and research at a national and international scale, promoting improved patient care via precision medicine.
Spinal manipulative therapy in older adults with chronic low back pain: an individual participant data meta-analysis
Authors: Jenks Alan , de Zoete Annemarie , van Tulder Maurits , Rubinstein Sidney M. ,   International IPD-SMT group, Bronfort G , Cecchi F , Ferreira ML , Gudavalli MR , Hidalgo B , Hondras MA , Hsieh CJ , Petersen T , Rasmussen-Barr E , Skillgate E ,   UK Beam Trial Team
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Many systematic reviews have reported on the effectiveness of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) for low back pain (LBP) in adults. Much less is known about the older population regarding the effects of SMT.

Objective

To assess the effects of SMT on pain and function in older adults with chronic LBP in an individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis.

Setting

Electronic databases from 2000 until June 2020, and reference lists of eligible trials and related reviews.

Design and subjects

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which examined the effects of SMT in adults with chronic LBP compared to interventions recommended in international LBP guidelines.

Methods

Authors of trials eligible for our IPD meta-analysis were contacted to share data. Two review authors conducted a risk of bias assessment. Primary results were examined in a one-stage mixed model, and a two-stage analysis was conducted in order to confirm findings.

Main outcomes and measures

Pain and functional status examined at 4, 13, 26, and 52 weeks.

Results

10 studies were retrieved, including 786 individuals, of which 261 were between 65 and 91 years of age. There is moderate-quality evidence that SMT results in similar outcomes at 4 weeks (pain: mean difference [MD] − 2.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] − 5.78 to 0.66; functional status: standardized mean difference [SMD] − 0.18, 95% CI − 0.41 to 0.05). Second-stage and sensitivity analysis confirmed these findings.

Conclusion

SMT provides similar outcomes to recommended interventions for pain and functional status in the older adult with chronic LBP. SMT should be considered a treatment for this patient population.
A novel gammapolyomavirus in a great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Authors: Fehér Enikő , Kaszab Eszter , Bali Krisztina , Hoitsy Márton , Sós Endre , Bányai Krisztián
Published: May 2022

In this study, the complete genome of a novel polyomavirus detected in a great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) was characterized. The 5133-bp-long genome of the cormorant polyomavirus has a genomic structure typical of members of the genus Gammapolyomavirus, family Polyomaviridae, containing open reading frames encoding the large and small tumor antigens, viral proteins 1, 2, and 3, and the X protein. The large tumor antigen of the cormorant polyomavirus shares 45.6–50.4% amino acid sequence identity with the homologous sequences of other gammapolyomaviruses. These data, together with results of phylogenetic analysis, suggest that this cormorant polyomavirus should be considered the first member of a new species within the genus Gammapolyomavirus, for which we propose the name “Phalacrocorax carbo polyomavirus 1”.
Cost-effectiveness of the MitraClip device in German heart failure patients with secondary mitral regurgitation
Authors: Estler Bent , Rudolph Volker , Seleznova Yana , Shukri Arim , Stock Stephanie , Müller Dirk
Published: May 2022

Aim

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the MitraClip device (MitraClip) in addition to optimal medical therapy (OMT) in patients with heart failure and secondary mitral regurgitation in Germany.

Methods and results

A model-based economic evaluation was performed to estimate the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for patients with a moderate-to-severe or severe secondary mitral regurgitation receiving MitraClip plus OMT compared with OMT alone from the statutory health insurance (SHI) perspective. Transition probabilities, data on survival rates, and hospitalization rates were obtained from the COAPT trial, a randomized-controlled multicenter trial. Data on health utility and costs were taken from published evidence. To assess parameter uncertainty, several deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. The incremental costs per QALY gained were € 59,728 (costs/incremental life years gained: € 42,360). The results were most sensitive to the transition probabilities and the hospitalization rates. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the MitraClip strategy was cost-effective with a probability of 80% at a willingness-to-pay threshold of € 67,000/QALY.

Conclusions

Depending on the willingness-to-pay threshold, for patients with heart failure and a moderate-to-severe or severe secondary mitral regurgitation the MitraClip can be cost-effective from the perspective of the German SHI.

Graphical abstract
Wildlife trade and the establishment of invasive alien species in Indonesia: management, policy, and regulation of the commercial sale of songbirds
Authors: Nijman Vincent , Ardiansyah Ahmad , Siriwat Penthai , Birot Hélène , Winnasis Swiss , Damianou Evros , Imron Muhammad Ali , Langgeng Abdullah , Lewis Beth , Nekaris K. Anne-Isola
Published: May 2022

In Southeast Asia, mynas (genusAcridotheres) are amongst the most invasive bird species. Information is largely lacking as to where they have established themselves. The spread of invasive, non-native mynas is partially or largely driven by the massive trade in these species as songbirds. While preventing unintentional introductions early is the most effective management option, these species continue to be traded in bird markets throughout the region. We focus on the trade of native and non-native species of mynas, and the establishment of non-native mynas on the Indonesian islands of Java, Bali, and Lombok. Between 2016 and 2019, through field surveys and use of citizen science data (e.g., Burungnesia, iNaturalist, birding reports), we assessed where non-native mynas have been recorded in the wild on these three islands; through bird market surveys we established in which cities these birds are traded. We recorded common myna in Yogyakarta, one of our three survey areas. Combining all records, the areas where alien invasive mynas are established are Greater Jakarta (common and jungle myna), Yogyakarta (common myna), Bali (common and bank myna) and Lombok (common and Javan myna). Two-thirds of the records come from farmlands, home gardens and urbanised areas. In the bird markets, we recorded ~ 23,000 mynas of five species for sale, with Greater Jakarta, Bali and Lombok standing out as areas with high numbers of potentially invasive alien species offered for sale. Restrictions on the sale of wild-caught birds are not adhered to. Well-intended policies concerning the breeding and sale of legally protected species, whereby 10% of the stock is bred to be released in the wild, exacerbate the risk of the establishment of non-native species. We surmise that one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of the accidental or deliberate release of potentially invasive alien mynas (and indeed other birds) into the wild is for governments and conservationists to work more closely with the retailers who hold the key to informing and educating consumers.
A Paradox of Ethics: Why People in Good Organizations do Bad Things
Authors: Kaptein Muel
Published: May 2022

This article takes a novel approach to explaining the causes of unethical behavior in organizations. Instead of explaining the unethical behavior of employees in terms of their bad organization, this article examines how a good organization can lead to employees’ unethical behavior. The main idea is that the more ethical an organization becomes, the higher, in some respects, is the likelihood of unethical behavior. This is due to four threatening forces that become stronger when an organization becomes more ethical. These forces are the upward, downward, backward, and forward forces. Each of these forces is illustrated with two effects and each effect is explained by a specific theory. The effects are the effects of the gold digger, high-jump bar, retreating-cat, forbidden-fruit, cheese slicer, moving-spotlight, repeat-prescription, and keeping-up appearances. This paradox of ethics, when goodness breeds badness, opens new research directions.
The Holocaust and Disciplinary Myopia in Criminology and Sociology: Social injury as a response to the challenges of legal formalism
Authors: Dallier Douglas J.
Published: May 2022

Criminological and sociological discourse recognizes the impact of structure on crime, but generally eschews the consideration of structural damage and human suffering emanating from malevolent social movements (e.g., the Holocaust). Legal formalism presents conceptual challenges that has hindered analysis of harmful macroscopic phenomena, as it created jurisprudential impediments to be surmounted by the architects of the Nuremberg Tribunals. In considering these issues, a new ‘dark figure’ is identified that is compatible with phenomena examined from the social harm perspective, and to remediate disciplinary myopia, a specification of Edwin Sutherland’s (1945) concept of social injury is suggested and contrasted with Galtung’s (1969) construct of structural violence. Social injury refers to the recursive damage to social structure and human potential through the functional impairment of social institutions.
University students’ views regarding gender in STEM studies: Design and validation of an instrument
Authors: Verdugo-Castro Sonia , Sánchez-Gómez Mª Cruz , García-Holgado Alicia
Published: May 2022

Differences in the representation of diversity in higher education, emphasising the gender gap in some areas, are issues addressed from different research domains. Socially, gender roles have been constructed and are also related to professions. In this context, the Social Cognitive Career Theory explores the possible causes of segregation. This segregation is evident in Europe and Spain, as indicated by the European Institute for Gender Equality. This paper describes the design and validation process of an instrument to find out what opinions university students have about higher education studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), according to gender. After drafting the questionnaire, it was piloted in a non-experimental quantitative design in Spain. Subsequently, a validity and reliability study was applied to validate the items and construct their dimensionality. The process was implemented using Reliability Analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis. Also, the dimensionality consists of five scales: Gender Ideology, Perception and Self-perception, Expectations about Science, Attitudes and Interests. Based on the results, it is concluded that the opinion about STEM studies is conditioned by personal elements, such as motivations, educational background and family and social influences, such as people who judged their decision, were their references or studied STEM programs. Finally, it is essential to pay socio-educational attention to the modulating components of decisions about which higher education studies to pursue. Awareness of the factors involved in the decision helps the educational community to establish mechanisms to prevent horizontal gender segregation. The instrument designed, validated and presented in this study provides a glimpse of possible causes for the gender gap in STEM higher education.
Exploring and mitigating potential bias when genetic instrumental variables are associated with multiple non-exposure traits in Mendelian randomization
Authors: Yang Qian , Sanderson Eleanor , Tilling Kate , Borges Maria Carolina , Lawlor Deborah A.
Published: May 2022

With the increasing size and number of genome-wide association studies, individual single nucleotide polymorphisms are increasingly found to associate with multiple traits. Many different mechanisms could result in proposed genetic IVs for an exposure of interest being associated with multiple non-exposure traits, some of which could bias MR results. We describe and illustrate, through causal diagrams, a range of scenarios that could result in proposed IVs being related to non-exposure traits in MR studies. These associations could occur due to five scenarios: (i) confounding, (ii) vertical pleiotropy, (iii) horizontal pleiotropy, (iv) reverse causation and (v) selection bias. For each of these scenarios we outline steps that could be taken to explore the underlying mechanism and mitigate any resulting bias in the MR estimation. We recommend MR studies explore possible IV—non-exposure associations across a wider range of traits than is usually the case. We highlight the pros and cons of relying on sensitivity analyses without considering particular pleiotropic paths versus systematically exploring and controlling for potential pleiotropic or other biasing paths via known traits. We apply our recommendations to an illustrative example of the effect of maternal insomnia on offspring birthweight in UK Biobank.
Influence of asymptotically-limiting micromechanical properties on the effective behaviour of fibre-supported composite materials
Authors: Doman Eleanor A. , Shipley Rebecca J. , Ovenden Nicholas C.
Published: May 2022

The macroscale tensile behaviour of slender fibre-supported composite bodies is examined via an asymptotic homogenisation approach. A series of semi-analytic three-dimensional models for linearly elastic fibre-reinforced materials under extreme, but realistic, limiting microscale mechanical properties are derived, and implemented using COMSOL Multiphysics. The key limits investigated are cases involving incompressibility of one component material, and those where dramatic differences in the shear moduli of the component materials exist within the composite body. Discrepancies are observed between the effective macroscale properties obtained from a standard model, based on the published literature, and those obtained from the models of micromechanical limiting behaviours derived here. Such discrepancies have significant implications when using such models to optimise the material properties of composite materials.
Viscosity and Interfacial Tension of Binary Mixtures Consisting of an n-Alkane, Branched Alkane, Primary Alcohol, or Branched Alcohol and a Dissolved Gas Using Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Kankanamge Chathura J. , Lenahan Frances D. , Klein Tobias , Fröba Andreas P.
Published: May 2022

This study aims to characterize binary mixtures consisting of a liquid with a dissolved gas by determining their dynamic viscosity and interfacial tension using equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations in the temperature range between (298 and 573) K and for solute mole fractions up to 0.20. With the help of a systematic variation of solvent and solute molecules, the influence of their molecular characteristics, e.g., in form of size, shape, or polarity, on the thermophysical properties of the mixtures is discussed. For this, eight different alkanes and alcohols with a carbon number between 12 and 40 as solvents and seven solutes in form of hydrogen, helium, methane, water, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, or carbon dioxide are studied. Using EMD simulations, the liquid dynamic viscosity is determined in the slightly compressed liquid phase close to saturation conditions. Simulations at vapor–liquid-equilibrium (VLE) are performed to determine the interfacial tension and to calculate the solute molecules at the vapor–liquid interface. To check the applicability of the EMD simulations, data for the dynamic viscosity and interfacial tension from this work are compared to experimental data of binary mixtures with the same solutes and similar solvents. The results from this work show that the impact of the dissolved gas on the thermophysical properties is strongly depending on its molecular characteristics. For example, the properties of mixtures containing dissolved He are usually within combined uncertainties with the ones of the pure solvent. In contrast, dissolving CO2 leads to a pronounced reduction in both properties at comparable solute mole fractions. For the molecular characteristics of the solvent, the carbon chain length is shown to influence mainly the interfacial tension and the polarity mainly influences the viscosity.
The Dimensional Structure of the Gambling Attitudes and Beliefs Survey: Challenging the Assumption of the Unidimensionality of Gambling-Specific Cognitive Distortions
Authors: Gehlenborg Josefine , Moritz Steffen , Bücker Lara
Published: May 2022

The aim of the present study was to examine the dimensional structure of the Gambling Attitudes and Beliefs Survey (GABS). The GABS was administered to a sample of 415 individuals with self-reported problem or pathological gambling who were taking part in two different treatment studies preregistered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00013888) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03372226). Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor structure. We labeled the factors sensation seeking/illusion of control, luck/gambler’s fallacy, and attitude/emotions. Subsequent confirmatory factor analyses proved the three-factor model superior to the one-factor model proposed by the developers of the GABS. All dimensions were significantly correlated with symptom severity scores. Group comparisons showed significantly higher factor scores on the first factor (sensation seeking/illusion of control) for individuals reporting both skill-based and chance-based gambling compared to those reporting only chance-based gambling. The present study questions the unidimensionality of the GABS. A multidimensional assessment of gambling-related cognitive biases, beliefs, and positively valued attitudes may be useful in determining treatment outcomes and goals and in the development of novel interventions.
The Impact of Structured and Standardized Documentation on Documentation Quality; a Multicenter, Retrospective Study
Authors: Ebbers Tom , Kool Rudolf B. , Smeele Ludi E. , Dirven Richard , den Besten Chrisje A. , Karssemakers Luc H. E. , Verhoeven Tim , Herruer Jasmijn M. , van den Broek Guido B. , Takes Robert P.
Published: May 2022

The reuse of healthcare data for various purposes will become increasingly important in the future. To enable the reuse of clinical data, structured and standardized documentation is conditional. However, the primary purpose of clinical documentation is to support high-quality patient care. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of increased structured and standardized documentation on the quality of notes in the Electronic Health Record. A multicenter, retrospective design was used to assess the difference in note quality between 144 unstructured and 144 structured notes. Independent reviewers measured note quality by scoring the notes with the Qnote instrument. This instrument rates all note elements independently using and results in a grand mean score on a 0–100 scale. The mean quality score for unstructured notes was 64.35 (95% CI 61.30–67.35). Structured and standardized documentation improved the Qnote quality score to 77.2 (95% CI 74.18–80.21), a 12.8 point difference (p < 0.001). Furthermore, results showed that structured notes were significantly longer than unstructured notes. Nevertheless, structured notes were more clear and concise. Structured documentation led to a significant increase in note quality. Moreover, considering the benefits of structured data recording in terms of data reuse, implementing structured and standardized documentation into the EHR is recommended.
Weaker inhibition after happy faces: evidence from an attentional blink task with emotional and neutral faces
Authors: Monachesi Bianca , Pecchinenda Anna
Published: May 2022

In two experiments using a Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) we investigated how emotional and neutral faces (T1) modulate temporal attention for a following neutral face (T2). Typically, performance for T2 is spared when T2 immediately follows T1 (lag 1 sparing) but it is impaired when T2 is presented within 500 ms from T1 (Attentional Blink). Experiment 1 shows a shorter attentional blink following happy faces, relative to neutral and sad faces, which did not differ. Experiment 2 shows a lag 1 sparing only after happy T1s, but not after angry or neutral T1s, and a greater attentional blink following happy and angry T1-faces, compared to neutral T1-faces. Results indicate that happy faces exert different effects on temporal attention than negative (angry or sad) faces. Findings are discussed in terms of an interplay of resource depletion, due to emotional salience, and emotion-specific inhibitory mechanisms.