bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-tier supply chain behavior with blockchain technology: evidence from a frozen fish supply chain
Authors: Tokkozhina Ulpan , Martins Ana Lucia , Ferreira Joao C.
Published: April 2023

Relationships in multi-tier supply chains (MTSCs) are complex and require constant information sharing. For MTSCs involved in perishable product distribution, blockchain technology (BCT) is one of the most promising technologies that can ensure products’ traceability and safety. This study examines a Portuguese MTSC for frozen fish products piloting BCT adoption for its supply chain (SC) practices. The goal is therefore to explore the consequences of information availability inherent for BCT adoption pilots in the SC context. This study follows a mixed-method approach, with qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques. Three semi-structured interviews with players from a single frozen fish SC, including supplier, transporter, and retailer were conducted. MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2022 software was used for further coding and data analysis. An online survey among retail chain consumers was conducted resulting in 112 responses. Regression analysis and Pearson correlation test were further performed via IBM SPSS Statistics software. Data collection for both parts took place between December 2021 and July 2022. This study explores four layers in the SC– including supplier, transporter, retailer and final consumer. Findings revealed a current lack of extensive and detailed information from upper tiers regarding products’ characteristics. Despite being hyped as a “trust-enabling” technology, BCT was found not to eliminate the need for trustful relationships between players prior to adoption, as information input requires human intervention. Even in those cases when the traceability option is not of major interest to final consumers, findings revealed a higher probability of purchasing fish products that have traceable information available.
Early maladaptive schema domains and suicide risk in major depressive disorder: the mediating role of patients’ illness-related self-regulation processes and symptom severity
Authors: Mavroeides Giorgos , Basta Maria , Vgontzas Alexandros , Karademas Evangelos , Simos Panagiotis , Koutra Katerina
Published: April 2023

Early maladaptive schemas (EMS), illness representations, and coping are associated with clinical outcomes of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the pathways that link these factors are largely unknown. The present prospective study aimed at investigating the possible mediating role of illness representations and coping in the associations among schema domains, symptom severity, and suicide risk in MDD. Participants were 135 patients diagnosed with MDD, aged 48.13 ± 14.12 (84.4% females). The Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form 3 was used to measure schema domains at baseline. Illness representations and coping were measured at approximately five months later (mean = 5.04 ± 1.16 months) with the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Mental Health and the Brief COPE Inventory, respectively. MDD outcomes were measured about 10 months after the baseline assessment (mean = 9.44 ± 2.36 months) with the Beck Depression Inventory and the Risk Assessment Suicidality Scale. SPSS AMOS 27 was used to conduct path analysis. Serial mediation Structural Equation Modelling, controlling for age, education, marital status, working status, MDD duration, pharmacotherapy, and psychotherapy, revealed that Impaired Autonomy and Performance was positively linked to suicide risk. Negative MDD impact representations and symptom severity serially mediated the aforementioned association. Finally, problem-focused coping was negatively related to symptom severity and suicide risk. This study’s main limitation was modest sample size. Representations regarding the impact and severity of MDD mediate the effects of Impaired Autonomy and Performance on future suicide risk in MDD. Healing Impaired Autonomy and Performance domain of EMS, restructuring patients’ representations of high MDD impact, and enhancing problem-focused coping could significantly reduce symptom severity and suicide risk in Schema Therapy with MDD individuals.
Improving reservoir permeability by electric pulse controllable shock wave
Authors: Zhu Xinguang , Feng Chun , Cheng Pengda
Published: April 2023

Controllable shock wave (CWS) parameters such as amplitude, operating area and number of operations are easy to control and have received extensive attention as a potential new technology for reservoir permeability enhancement. Based on the continuous-discontinuous element method (CDEM) and considering the coupling mechanism of reservoir deformation, failure, pore seepage and fracture flow, a multiphysical field coupling model of reservoir permeability enhancement under CWS is proposed. Under the fluid–solid coupling condition, the formation and development dynamic process of reservoir fractures are obtained, and the change of reservoir permeability is also obtained. The compression fracture zone, tensile fracture zone and undamaged zone are formed around the wellbore. After repeated impact, the number of fractures is more sensitive to tectonic stress, the fracture aperture is more sensitive to reservoir strength. Different from hydraulic fracturing, a large number of fractures in different directions will appear around the main fracture after repeated impact, forming a complex fracture network similar to spider web, which may be beneficial to improve reservoir permeability. The permeability of reservoirs with different tectonic stresses and strengths increases nonlinearly and monotonicly with repeated impacts. Based on CDEM, the change of reservoir permeability with tectonic stress, strength and impact times is obtained, which is a nonlinear monotonic three-dimensional relationship. Based on that relationship, the parameters of CWS can be controlled to predict the change of reservoir permeability, such as peak pressure, duration, impact times, etc. Therefore, it can optimize the reservoir fracturing scheme and improve the reservoir fracturing efficiency, which has considerable practical significance in engineering.
Rethinking Remote Work, Automated Technologies, Meaningful Work and the Future of Work: Making a Case for Relationality
Authors: Ugar Edmund Terem
Published: April 2023

Remote work, understood here as a working environment different from the traditional office working space, is a phenomenon that has existed for many years. In the past, workers voluntarily opted, when they were allowed to, to work remotely rather than commuting to their traditional work environment. However, with the emergence of the global pandemic (corona virus-COVID-19), people were forced to work remotely to mitigate the spread of the virus. Consequently, researchers have identified some benefits and adverse effects of remote work, especially in the age of COVID-19, ranging from flexible time and environment to technostress and isolation. In this paper, using a phenomenological approach, specifically, the sub-Saharan African experiences, I contend that remote work in the age of advanced technologies has obscured the value of relationality due to the problem of isolation in sub-Saharan African workplaces. For sub-Saharan Africans, relationality is a prerequisite moral value to becoming a person. In addition, relationality contributes to meaningfulness in the workspace. Obscuring the value of relationality in the aforementioned locale leads to meaninglessness in the workspace. Furthermore, this paper contributes to the existing literature on meaningful work by critically showing the importance of the value of relationality as a key element that adds meaning to work in sub-Saharan Africa.
Ganzheitliche Klärung des Interventionsbedarfs bei gefährdeter beruflicher Teilhabe an der Schnittstelle von Rehabilitation und Betriebsmedizin
Authors: Fauser David , Boos Nele , Dötsch Saskia , Langer Claudia , Kleineke Vera , Kindel Claudia , Bethge Matthias
Published: April 2023

Einleitung

Bei Mitarbeiter*innen mit gefährdeter beruflicher Teilhabe ist eine ganzheitliche und arbeitsplatzorientierte Diagnostik erforderlich, um Gesundheitsprobleme zu verstehen und individuelle Lösungsansätze zu finden. Wir entwickelten eine neuartige diagnostische Leistung zur Sicherung beruflicher Teilhabe, die rehabilitative und betriebsärztliche Expertise verbindet. Ziel der Machbarkeitsstudie war die Bewertung der Implementierung sowie die Analyse von Veränderungen von Gesundheit und Arbeitsfähigkeit.

Methoden

Die Beobachtungsstudie (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien: DRKS00024522) schloss Mitarbeiter*innen mit gesundheitlichen Einschränkungen und eingeschränkter Arbeitsfähigkeit ein. Die Teilnehmenden erhielten ein betriebsärztliches Erstgespräch, eine zweitägige ganzheitliche Diagnostik in einer Rehabilitationseinrichtung und bis zu vier betriebliche Nachsorgegespräche. Fragebogendaten, die im Erstgespräch und im letzten Nachsorgegespräch erhoben wurden, umfassten subjektive Arbeitsfähigkeit (0–10 Punkte) und allgemeine Gesundheit (0–10).

Ergebnisse

Für die Analyse wurden Daten von 27 Teilnehmenden berücksichtigt. Die Teilnehmenden waren zu 63 % weiblich und im Durchschnitt 46 Jahre alt (SD = 11,5). Vom betriebsärztlichen Erstgespräch zum letzten Nachsorgegespräch berichteten die Teilnehmenden eine Verbesserung ihrer allgemeinen Gesundheit (Differenz = 1,52; 95 % KI 0,37–2,67; d = 0,97).

Diskussion und Fazit

Das Modellvorhaben GIBI bietet einen niedrigschwelligen Zugang zu einem vertrauensvollen, ganzheitlichen und arbeitsplatzorientierten Angebot, das die berufliche Teilhabe stärken kann. Eine erfolgreiche Durchführung von GIBI erfordert eine enge und intensive Zusammenarbeit zwischen Betriebsärzt*innen und Rehabilitationseinrichtungen. Zur Bewertung der Wirksamkeit wird aktuell eine randomisierte kontrollierte Studie (n = 210) mit Wartekontrollgruppe durchgeführt.
Addressing Racism in Medical Education: A Longitudinal Antiracism Discussion Curriculum for Medical Students
Authors: Carrera Daniel , Tejeda Christian , Kakani Preeti , Napolitano Jason
Published: April 2023

Although recent efforts have been engaged to combat bias in medical education, minimal attention has been dedicated to developing antiracism curricula for medical students. We developed a year-long discussion curriculum for 175 first-year medical students centered around Ibram X. Kendi’s How to be an Antiracist. The discussion curriculum consisted of six, 2 hour seminars. We evaluated students’ perceptions regarding discussing and actively addressing racism. Students reported an improved ability and comfort to discuss and address racism within healthcare settings. These data suggest that antiracism discussion curricula may be effective for training medical students to address racism in their future careers.
Modeling ash deposition and shedding during oxy-combustion of coal/rice husk blends at 70% inlet O2
Authors: Krishnamoorthy Gautham
Published: April 2023

Co-firing rice husk (RH) and coal with carbon capture using oxy-combustion presents a net carbon negative energy production opportunity. In addition, the high fusion temperature of the non-sticky, silica rich, RH can mitigate ash deposition as well as promote shedding of deposits. To identify the optimum operating conditions, fuel particle sizes, and blend ratios that minimize ash deposition, a Computational Fluid Dynamic methodology with add-on ash deposition and shedding models were employed to predict outer ash deposition and shedding rates during co-combustion of coal/RH in AIR and O2/CO2 (70/30 vol%, OXY70) oxidizer compositions. After ensuring that the fly-ash particle size distributions and particle Stokes numbers near the deposition surface were accurately represented (to model impaction), appropriate models for coal ash and RH ash viscosities that were accurate in the temperature region (1200–1300 K) of interest in this study were identified. A particle viscosity and kinetic energy (PKE) based capture criterion was enforced to model the ash capture. An erosion/shedding criterion that takes the deposit melt fraction and the energy consumed during particle impact into account was also implemented. Deposition rate predictions as well as the deposition rate enhancement (OXY70/AIR) were in good agreement with measured values. While the OXY70 scenario was associated with a significant reduction (60%–70%) in flue gas velocities, it also resulted in larger fly-ash particles. As a result, the PKE distributions of the erosive RH ash were similar in both scenarios and resulted in similar shedding rates.
Die Professionalisierung hochschuldidaktisch Tätiger – eine empirische Untersuchung
Authors: Kraut Matthias , Merkt Marianne , Preiß Jennifer
Published: April 2023

Mit der dynamischen Entwicklung des beruflichen Feldes hochschuldidaktisch Tätiger im Kontext von Förderlinien zur Qualitätsentwicklung in Studium und Lehre des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) stellt sich die Frage nach der Professionalisierung der Hochschuldidaktik. In einer qualitativen Untersuchung wurden Kategorien der Professionalisierung hochschuldidaktisch Tätiger in Anlehnung an die Grounded Theory konzeptualisiert. Sie verweisen darauf, dass die berufliche Identitätsentwicklung hochschuldidaktisch Tätiger sowohl von individuellen Professionalisierungsbestrebungen als auch von den organisationalen Rahmenbedingungen hochschuldidaktischer Tätigkeitsfelder abhängen. Im Artikel werden die Untersuchungsergebnisse vor dem Hintergrund von Erkenntnissen zu individueller Professionalisierung in der Erwachsenenbildung analysiert.
Parameterizing network graph heterogeneity using a modified Weibull distribution
Authors: Ozbay Sinan A. , Nguyen Maximilian M.
Published: April 2023

We present a simple method to quantitatively capture the heterogeneity in the degree distribution of a network graph using a single parameter $$\sigma$$
σ
. Using an exponential transformation of the shape parameter of the Weibull distribution, this control parameter allows the degree distribution to be easily interpolated between highly symmetric and highly heterogeneous distributions on the unit interval. This parameterization of heterogeneity also recovers several other canonical distributions as intermediate special cases, including the Gaussian, Rayleigh, and exponential distributions. We then outline a general graph generation algorithm to produce graphs with a desired amount of heterogeneity. The utility of this formulation of a heterogeneity parameter is demonstrated with examples relating to epidemiological modeling and spectral analysis.
Accessibility strategies to promote inclusive mobility through multi-objective approach
Authors: Silva Tânia , Verde David , Paiva Sara , Barreto Luís , Pereira Ana I.
Published: April 2023

In recent decades, urban mobility has assumed a need for adaptation due to the more significant congestion experienced in cities and the growing focus on sustainability. Several solutions are proposed to help citizens move around in an urban environment. Most are not yet aware of the universal and accessible aspect that these solutions must have. This paper proposes a route support system embedded in a mobile application, Viana+Acessível, using a multi-objective approach. The application aims to promote accessible mobility within the city, contributing to physical and psychological well-being for citizens with reduced mobility, temporary or permanently, such as people with spectrum autism disorder, the visually impaired, wheelchair users, pregnant, and the elderly. For the evaluation of the algorithms, four objective measures were considered: accessibility, slope, time, and length of the paths. The tests carried out with different routing algorithms showed that the A-Star presented the fastest results in terms of execution time compared to the Dijkstra, Floyd–Warshall, and Bellman–Ford. When analysing in a multi-objective approach, time, slope and accessibility were demonstrated to be conflicting objectives. Bi-objective and tri-objective were applied and Pareto front was explored.

Graphical abstract
An experimental study on the abrasive flow machining of aluminum alloy (AA 2024)
Authors: Choopani Yahya , Khajehzadeh Mohsen , Razfar Mohammad Reza
Published: April 2023

The drilling and boring of the aluminum alloys tubes have a significant challenge in surface defects and burr phenomena. There is an ever-increasing demand for the surface modification and deburring of these components in the manufacturing industries. Most of the advanced machining processes have technological restrictions to overcome these challenges. This paper proposes abrasive flow machining (AFM) to meet these requirements. To explore the machining performance, experiments were conducted on the internal surface of tubes made of aluminum alloys (AA2024) in the various number of AFM cycles for studying and observing its behavior on the surface roughness (Ra) and material removal (MR) characteristics with an empirical approach. The empirical findings prove that the AFM process is effective and efficient for machining the internal surface of tubes AA2024 because the Ra value has been remarkably reduced from 1.785 to 0.474 µm and the maximum value of MR has been obtained up to the range of 42 mg. Moreover, surface morphology analysis shows that the boring operation has generated a rough surface full of surface defects. In contrast, the AFM process has produced a smooth surface without surface defects, improving the surface integrity of tubes AA2024.
Heterogeneous tail generalized common factor modeling
Authors: Hediger Simon , Näf Jeffrey , Paolella Marc S. , Polak Paweł
Published: April 2023

A multivariate normal mean–variance heterogeneous tails mixture distribution is proposed for the joint distribution of financial factors and asset returns (referred to as Factor-HGH). The proposed latent variable model incorporates a Cholesky decomposition of the dispersion matrix to ensure a rich dependency structure for capturing the stylized facts of the data. It generalizes several existing model structures, with or without financial factors. It is further applicable in large dimensions due to a fast ECME estimation algorithm. The advantages of modelling financial factors and asset returns jointly under non-Gaussian errors are illustrated in an empirical comparison study between the proposed Factor-HGH model and classical financial factor models. While the results for the Fama–French 49 industry portfolios are in line with Gaussian-based models, in the case of highly tail heterogeneous cryptocurrencies, the portfolio based on the Factor-HGH model almost doubles the average return while keeping the volatility, the maximum drawdown, the turnover, and the expected shortfall at a low level.
Triangulations and Error Estimates for Interpolating Lyapunov Functions
Authors: Giesl Peter , Hafstein Sigurdur
Published: April 2023

The CPA method to compute Lyapunov functions depends on a triangulation of the relevant part of the state space. In more detail, a CPA (Continuous and Piecewise Affine) function is affine on each simplex of a given triangulation and is determined by the values at the vertices of the triangulation. Two important aspects in the proof that the CPA method is always able to generate a CPA Lyapunov function if the triangulation is sufficiently fine, are (a) the geometry of the simplices of the triangulation and (b) error estimates of CPA interpolations of functions. In this paper the aspect (a) is tackled by extending the notion of (h, d)-boundedness, which so far has depended on the order of the vertices in each simplex, and it is shown that it is essentially independent of the order and can be expressed in terms of the condition number of the shape matrix. Concerning (b), existing error estimates are generalised to other norms to increase the flexibility of the CPA method. In particular, when the CPA method is used to verify Lyapunov function candidates generated by other methods. Parts of the results were presented in Giesl and Hafstein (Uniformly regular triangulations for parameterizing Lyapunov functions. In: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Informatics in Control, Automation and Robotics (ICINCO), 549–557, 2021).
Monogenity in totally real extensions of imaginary quadratic fields with an application to simplest quartic fields
Authors: Gaál István
Published: April 2023

We describe an efficient algorithm to calculate generators of power integral bases in composites of totally real fields and imaginary quadratic fields with coprime discriminants. We show that the calculation can be reduced to solving index form equations in the original totally real fields. We illustrate our method by investigating monogenity in the infinite parametric family of imaginary quadratic extensions of the simplest quartic fields.
Effect of gas spacing and resonance frequency on theoretical performance of thermoacoustic refrigerators
Authors: Prashantha B. G. , Seetharamu S. , Narasimham G. S. V. L. , Manjunatha K.
Published: April 2023

In this paper, the design and analysis of 500 W thermoacoustic refrigerators for the temperature difference of 28 K using helium and air are discussed. Helium is the best working gas, but air is chosen to study the possibility of replacing helium for the future cost-effective refrigerator since it is much cheaper than helium. Heat and work flow equations of thermoacoustic refrigerators are discussed. The refrigerator models are optimized by normalizing the design parameters using Rott’s linear thermoacoustic theory. The effect of gas spacing expressed in terms of the thermal penetration depth in stack-heat exchanger unit at 85% porosity is discussed. The effect of the resonance frequency of air on the stack-heat exchanger sheets spacing and thickness and on the theoretical performance is discussed. The effect of the resonance frequency of air on the theoretical performance at 200 Hz, 300 Hz, and 400 Hz is discussed. The cooler shows better COP of 1.72 at 300 Hz for air and 1.53 at 400 Hz for helium. The theoretical results are compared with the DeltaEC software results. The DeltaEC predicts cooling power and COP of 347 W at 1.02 for helium and 224 W at 0.79 for air, respectively.
Ancient Greek Housing
Authors: Nevett Lisa C.
Published: April 2023

The temples and theatres of the ancient Greek world are widely known, but there is less familiarity with the houses in which people lived. In this book, Lisa Nevett provides an accessible introduction to the varied forms of housing found across the Greek world between c. 1000 and 200 BCE. Many houses adopted a courtyard structure which she sets within a broader chronological, geographical and socio-economic context. The book explores how housing shaped - and was shaped by – patterns of domestic life, at Athens and in other urban communities. It also points to a rapid change in the scale, elaboration and layout of the largest houses. This is associated with a shift away from expressing solidarity with peers in the local urban community towards advertising personal status and participation in a network of elite households which stretched across the Mediterranean. Instructors, students and general readers will welcome this stimulating volume.
Imperial Germany and the Great War, 1914–1918
Authors: Chickering Roger
Published: April 2023

This book explores the impact of the First World War on Imperial Germany and examines military aspects of the conflict, as well as the diplomacy, politics, and industrial mobilization of wartime Germany. Including maps, tables, and illustrations, it also offers a rich portrait of life on the home front - the war's pervasive effects on rich and poor, men and women, young and old, farmers and city-dwellers, Protestants, Catholics, and Jews. It analyzes the growing burdens of war and the translation of hardship into political opposition. The new edition incorporates the latest scholarship and expands the coverage of military action outside Europe, military occupation, prisoners of war, and the memory of war. This survey represents the most comprehensive history of Germany during the First World War. It will be of interest to all students of German and European history, as well as the history of war and society.
Effectiveness of employer-provided financial education programs
Authors: Clark Robert L.
Published: April 2023

While there have been numerous studies illustrating the rather low level of financial knowledge of Americans, there have been only a few efforts to examine the effectiveness of employer-provided programs in enhancing financial literacy and the ability of these programs to modify worker retirement and saving decisions. In this paper, I summarize the findings from a series of studies conducted over the past 20 years. All of the studies were done in conjunction with employers. The primary objectives of this research have been to evaluate the effectiveness of onboarding and retirement planning programs and the financial education provided in these programs. In addition, employer nudges to mid-career employees are examined. I describe the impact of financial planning programs on worker knowledge of key financial concepts and their ability to make better decisions concerning saving decisions and the timing of retirement. I also provide recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of workplace financial education programs.
Spillover effects of financial education: The impact of school-based programs on parents
Authors: Frisancho Veronica
Published: April 2023

This paper studies whether school-based financial education has spillover effects from children to parents. Leveraging data from a large-scale experiment with public high schools in Peru and credit bureau records on the parents of the youth targeted, this study measures the impact of providing personal finance lessons during secondary school on parental financial behavior. Financial education lessons in the school yield limited average spillover effects, but lead to sizable effects on parental financial behavior within disadvantaged households. Among parents from poorer households, the treatment reduces default probability by 26%, increases credit scores by 5%, and increases current debt levels by 40%. The treatment has stronger effects among the parents of daughters, who experience a significant 6.7% increase in their credit score and a 28% reduction in their loan portfolio in arrears. Among the parents of boys, most of the spillover effects are muted.
The fear of missing out on cryptocurrency and stock investments: Direct and indirect effects of financial literacy and risk tolerance
Authors: Gerrans Paul , Abisekaraj Sherin Babu , Liu Zhangxin (Frank)
Published: April 2023

The “Fear of Missing Out” or FoMO has become an accepted motivator of behaviours extending from the purchase of limited-edition sneaker brands to social media use and cryptocurrency investment. As a motivator of individual financial behaviours, such as cryptocurrency and stock investment, it is unclear how FoMO relates to consumer financial literacy and other consumer traits, including risk tolerance and personality. We propose, and assess, a model of reported investment behaviour and investment behaviour intention. We find a larger association between FoMO and crypto ownership, both current and intended, compared with stocks. FoMO has a small association with current stock ownership, relative to the association of financial literacy and risk tolerance. Context matters when measuring FoMO with the more context-specific measures having the largest associations with investment behaviour and investment intentions. Finally, our results suggest financial literacy is an antecedent of FoMO, more so for stocks.
Increased markers of inflammation after cannabis cessation and their association with psychotic symptoms
Authors: Romeo Bruno , Lestra Valentine , Martelli Catherine , Amirouche Ammar , Benyamina Amine , Hamdani Nora
Published: April 2023

Introduction:

A dysbalance of the immune system in psychotic disorders has been well investigated. However, despite a higher prevalence of cannabis (THC) consumption in patients with psychosis, few studies have investigated the impact of this use on inflammatory markers.

Methods:

One hundred and two inpatients were included in this retrospective study. Leukocytic formula, hsCRP, fibrinogen levels and urinary THC were measured, and comparisons were performed at baseline and after 4 weeks of cannabis cessation between cannabis users (THC+) and non-users (THC−).

Results:

After cannabis cessation, we found a greater increase in leucocyte level (p < 0.01), monocyte level (p = 0.05) and a statistical trend to a highest increase of lymphocyte level (p = 0.06) between baseline and 4 weeks in the THC+ group as compared to the THC− group. At 4 weeks, highest leucocyte (p = 0.03), lymphocyte (p = 0.04) and monocyte (p < 0.01) counts were found in the THC+ group, whereas at baseline no difference was found. A positive correlation was found between monocyte count at 4 weeks and baseline Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative subscore (p = 0.045) and between the variation of monocyte count between baseline and 4 weeks and the PANSS total score at 4 weeks (p = 0.05).

Conclusion:

THC cessation is associated with an increase in inflammatory markers, including white blood cell, lymphocyte and monocyte levels, which correlates with symptomatology of patients with psychosis.
K-STABLE DIVISORS IN OF DEGREE
Authors: CHELTSOV IVAN , FUJITA KENTO , KISHIMOTO TAKASHI , OKADA TAKUZO
Published: April 2023

We prove that every smooth divisor in$\mathbb {P}^1\times \mathbb {P}^1\times \mathbb {P}^2$of degree$(1,1,2)$is K-stable.
Sensitivity Analysis for Survey Weights
Authors: Hartman Erin , Huang Melody
Published: April 2023

Survey weighting allows researchers to account for bias in survey samples, due to unit nonresponse or convenience sampling, using measured demographic covariates. Unfortunately, in practice, it is impossible to know whether the estimated survey weights are sufficient to alleviate concerns about bias due to unobserved confounders or incorrect functional forms used in weighting. In the following paper, we propose two sensitivity analyses for the exclusion of important covariates: (1) a sensitivity analysis for partially observed confounders (i.e., variables measured across the survey sample, but not the target population) and (2) a sensitivity analysis for fully unobserved confounders (i.e., variables not measured in either the survey or the target population). We provide graphical and numerical summaries of the potential bias that arises from such confounders, and introduce a benchmarking approach that allows researchers to quantitatively reason about the sensitivity of their results. We demonstrate our proposed sensitivity analyses using state-level 2020 U.S. Presidential Election polls.
A careful consideration of CLARIFY: simulation-induced bias in point estimates of quantities of interest
Authors: Rainey Carlisle
Published: April 2023

Some work in political methodology recommends that applied researchers obtain point estimates of quantities of interest by simulating model coefficients, transforming these simulated coefficients into simulated quantities of interest, and then averaging the simulated quantities of interest (e.g., CLARIFY). But other work advises applied researchers to directly transform coefficient estimates to estimate quantities of interest. I point out that these two approaches are not interchangeable and examine their properties. I show that the simulation approach compounds the transformation-induced bias identified by Rainey (2017), adding bias with direction and magnitude similar to the transformation-induced bias. I refer to this easily avoided additional bias as “simulation-induced bias.” Even if researchers use simulation to estimate standard errors, they should directly transform maximum likelihood estimates of coefficient estimates to obtain point estimates of quantities of interest.
On ρ-conjugate Hopf–Galois structures
Authors: Truman Paul J.
Published: April 2023

The Hopf–Galois structures admitted by a Galois extension of fields $ L/K $ with Galois group G correspond bijectively with certain subgroups of $ \mathrm{Perm}(G) $. We use a natural partition of the set of such subgroups to obtain a method for partitioning the set of corresponding Hopf–Galois structures, which we term ρ-conjugation. We study properties of this construction, with particular emphasis on the Hopf–Galois analogue of the Galois correspondence, the connection with skew left braces, and applications to questions of integral module structure in extensions of local or global fields. In particular, we show that the number of distinct ρ-conjugates of a given Hopf–Galois structure is determined by the corresponding skew left brace, and that if $ H, H^{\prime} $ are Hopf algebras giving ρ-conjugate Hopf–Galois structures on a Galois extension of local or global fields $ L/K $ then an ambiguous ideal $ \mathfrak{B} $ of L is free over its associated order in H if and only if it is free over its associated order in Hʹ. We exhibit a variety of examples arising from interactions with existing constructions in the literature.
Causality and the Procession of the Holy Spirit in Manuel Kalekas’s De fide deque principiis catholicae fidei
Authors: Lynch Reginald M.
Published: April 2023

This article examines the way in which Manuel Kalekas describes the procession of the trinitarian persons in one of his earliest systematic treatises. As a member of so-called “Kydones circle,” Kalekas was part of a fourteenth-century group of Latinophrone Byzantine theologians who were interested in ecclesial union with the Latin West and in Latin theological sources. In addition to certain texts from Augustine, during the fourteenth century several works by Thomas Aquinas became available in Greek translation. Kalekas’s De fide is of interest because it integrates conceptual and structural insights from Aquinas even as it draws on Greek traditions from Cappadocia and Byzantium. Although the importance of Aquinas’s Summa contra gentiles for the work of the Kydones circle is often cited, this article argues that Aquinas’s Summa theologiae was also a significant influence for Kalekas.
Fragmented but Enduring Authoritarianism: Supply-side Reform and Subnational Entrepreneurialism in China's Rail Delivery Services
Authors: Tjia Linda Yin-nor
Published: April 2023

China's economic reform since 1978 has turned a shortage economy into an economy of overcapacity. To curb the capacity surplus, the government put forward a sweeping proposal of “supply-side structural reform,” although without any specifics of implementation. This vagueness has resulted in fragmentation between China's central leadership and local agents. Based on two rail delivery services – China Railway Express Delivery (Zhongtie kuaiyun 中铁快运, CRED) and China–Europe Rail Freight (Zhong–Ou banlie 中欧班列, CERF) – this article argues that fragmentation in authority has allowed and even encouraged local actors to carve profit-making opportunities out of the excess capacities (including idle assets). In so doing, they give substance to what would otherwise be hollow policy rhetoric. Such subnational entrepreneurialism and the resulting tacit dynamics between state and local-level actors add another layer to the fine-grained theorization of fragmented authoritarianism in China: despite fragmentation, China's authoritarian governance endures, but with outcomes now shaped by a cyclical process of decentralization and re-centralization as well as continuous central–local interplay.
Coherent differentiation
Authors: Ehrhard Thomas
Published: April 2023

The categorical models of differential linear logic (LL) are additive categories and those of the differential lambda-calculus are left-additive categories because of the Leibniz rule which requires the summation of two expressions. This means that, as far as the differential lambda-calculus and differential LL are concerned, these models feature finite nondeterminism and indeed these languages are essentially non-deterministic. We introduce a categorical framework for differentiation which does not require additivity and is compatible with deterministic models such as coherence spaces and probabilistic models such as probabilistic coherence spaces.
Training and development experiences of nursing associate trainees based in primary care across England: a qualitative study
Authors: King Rachel , Laker Sara , Alden Sarah , Ryan Tony , Wood Emily , Tod Angela , Senek Michaela , Taylor Bethany , Robertson Steven
Published: April 2023

Background:

The nursing associate role was first deployed in England in 2019 to fill a perceived skills gap in the nursing workforce between healthcare assistants and registered nurses and to offer an alternative route into registered nursing. Initially, trainee nursing associates were predominantly based in hospital settings; however, more recently, there has been an increase in trainees based in primary care settings. Early research has focussed on experiences of the role across a range of settings, particularly secondary care; therefore, little is known about the experiences and unique support needs of trainees based in primary care.

Aim:

To explore the experiences and career development opportunities for trainee nursing associates based in primary care.

Methods:

This study used a qualitative exploratory design. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 11 trainee nursing associates based in primary care from across England. Data were collected between October and November 2021, transcribed and analysed thematically.

Findings:

Four key themes relating to primary care trainee experiences of training and development were identified. Firstly, nursing associate training provided a ‘valuable opportunity for career progression’. Trainees were frustrated by the ‘emphasis on secondary care’ in both academic content and placement portfolio requirements. They also experienced ‘inconsistency in support’ from their managers and assessors and noted a number of ‘constraints to their learning opportunities’, including the opportunity to progress to become registered nurses.

Conclusion:

This study raises important issues for trainee nursing associates, which may influence the recruitment and retention of the nursing associate workforce in primary care. Educators should consider adjustments to how the curriculum is delivered, including primary care skills and relevant assessments. Employers need to recognise the resource requirements for the programme, in relation to time and support, to avoid undue stress for trainees. Protected learning time should enable trainees to meet the required proficiencies.
Disentangling the Link between Diverse Social Networks and Creativity: The Role of Personality Traits
Authors: Soler-Pastor Elia , Bobowik Magdalena , Benet-Martínez Verónica , Repke Lydia
Published: April 2023

Past studies have shown that being exposed to ethnocultural diversity can positively impact individual creativity. Yet, little is known about the interplay between situational (i.e., diversity) and dispositional (e.g., personality) factors in predicting creativity. Taking a person-situation approach, we use social network data to test the moderating role of personality in the relationship between having an ethnoculturally diverse network and creativity. Moreover, we investigate these questions in a diverse community sample of immigrants residing in the city of Barcelona (N= 122). Moderation analyses revealed that network diversity predicted higher levels of creativity in migrant individuals with medium to high levels of extraversion, and in those with low to medium levels of emotional stability. These results highlight the need to acknowledge the important role played by interacting individual-level dispositions and more objective meso-level contextual conditions in explaining one’s ability to think creatively, especially in samples that have traditionally been underrepresented in previous literature.
Nondestructive monitoring of annealing and chemical–mechanical planarization behavior using ellipsometry and deep learning
Authors: Sun Qimeng , Yang Dekun , Liu Tianjian , Liu Jianhong , Wang Shizhao , Hu Sizhou , Liu Sheng , Song Yi
Published: April 2023

The Cu-filling process in through-silicon via (TSV-Cu) is a key technology for chip stacking and three-dimensional vertical packaging. During this process, defects resulting from chemical–mechanical planarization (CMP) and annealing severely affect the reliability of the chips. Traditional methods of defect characterization are destructive and cumbersome. In this study, a new defect inspection method was developed using Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry. TSV-Cu with a 3-μm-diameter and 8-μm-deep Cu filling showed three typical types of characteristics: overdishing (defect-OD), protrusion (defect-P), and defect-free. The process dimension for each defect was 13 nm. First, the three typical defects caused by CMP and annealing were investigated. With single-channel deep learning and a Mueller matrix element (MME), the TSV-Cu defect types could be distinguished with an accuracy rate of 99.94%. Next, seven effective MMEs were used as independent channels in the artificial neural network to quantify the height variation in the Cu filling in the z-direction. The accuracy rate was 98.92% after training, and the recognition accuracy reached 1 nm. The proposed approach rapidly and nondestructively evaluates the annealing bonding performance of CMP processes, which can improve the reliability of high-density integration.
Monkeypox virus quadrivalent mRNA vaccine induces immune response and protects against vaccinia virus
Authors: Sang Ye , Zhang Zhen , Liu Fan , Lu Haitao , Yu Changxiao , Sun Huisheng , Long Jinrong , Cao Yiming , Mai Jierui , Miao Yiqi , Wang Xin , Fang Jiaxin , Wang Youchun , Huang Weijin , Yang Jing , Wang Shengqi
Published: April 2023

Monkeypox has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization. There is an urgent need for efficient and safe vaccines against the monkeypox virus (MPXV) in response to the rapidly spreading monkeypox epidemic. In the age of COVID-19, mRNA vaccines have been highly successful and emerged as platforms enabling rapid development and large-scale preparation. Here, we develop two MPXV quadrivalent mRNA vaccines, named mRNA-A-LNP and mRNA-B-LNP, based on two intracellular mature virus specific proteins (A29L and M1R) and two extracellular enveloped virus specific proteins (A35R and B6R). By administering mRNA-A-LNP and mRNA-B-LNP intramuscularly twice, mice induce MPXV specific IgG antibodies and potent vaccinia virus (VACV) specific neutralizing antibodies. Further, it elicits efficient MPXV specific Th-1 biased cellular immunity, as well as durable effector memory T and germinal center B cell responses in mice. In addition, two doses of mRNA-A-LNP and mRNA-B-LNP are protective against the VACV challenge in mice. And, the passive transfer of sera from mRNA-A-LNP and mRNA-B-LNP-immunized mice protects nude mice against the VACV challenge. Overall, our results demonstrate that mRNA-A-LNP and mRNA-B-LNP appear to be safe and effective vaccine candidates against monkeypox epidemics, as well as against outbreaks caused by other orthopoxviruses, including the smallpox virus.
Leveraging the microbiome to understand clinical heterogeneity in depression: findings from the T-RAD study
Authors: Chin Fatt Cherise R. , Asbury Sarah , Jha Manish K. , Minhajuddin Abu , Sethuram Sangita , Mayes Taryn , Kennedy Sidney H. , Foster Jane A. , Trivedi Madhukar H.
Published: April 2023

Alterations in the gut microbiome have been linked to a variety of mental illnesses including anxiety and depression. This study utilized advanced bioinformatics tools that integrated both the compositional and community nature of gut microbiota to investigate how gut microbiota influence clinical symptoms in a sample of participants with depression. Gut microbiota of 179 participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) in the Texas Resilience Against Depression (T-RAD) study were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing of stool samples. Severity of anxiety, depression, and anhedonia symptoms were assessed with General Anxiety Disorder – 7 item scale, Patient Health 9-item Questionnaire, and Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale, respectively. Using weighted correlation network analysis, a data-driven approach, three co-occurrence networks of bacterial taxa were identified. One of these co-occurrence networks was significantly associated with clinical features including depression and anxiety. The hub taxa associated with this co-occurrence module –one Ruminococcaceae family taxon, one Clostridiales vadinBB60 group family taxon, and one Christencenellaceae family taxon– were connected to several additional butyrate-producing bacteria suggesting that deficits in butyrate production may contribute to clinical symptoms. Therefore, by considering the community nature of the gut microbiome in a real world clinical sample, this study identified a gut microbial co-occurrence network that was significantly associated with clinical anxiety in a cohort of depressed individuals.
Reshaping the tumour immune microenvironment in solid tumours via tumour cell and immune cell DNA methylation: from mechanisms to therapeutics
Authors: Zhong Fengyun , Lin Yilin , Zhao Long , Yang Changjiang , Ye Yingjiang , Shen Zhanlong
Published: April 2023

In recent years, the tumour microenvironment (TME) of solid tumours has attracted more and more attention from researchers, especially those non-tumour components such as immune cells. Infiltration of various immune cells causes tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) heterogeneity, and results in different therapeutic effects. Accumulating evidence showed that DNA methylation plays a crucial role in remodelling TIME and is associated with the response towards immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). During carcinogenesis, DNA methylation profoundly changes, specifically, there is a global loss of DNA methylation and increased DNA methylation at the promoters of suppressor genes. Immune cell differentiation is disturbed, and exclusion of immune cells from the TME occurs at least in part due to DNA methylation reprogramming. Therefore, pharmaceutical interventions targeting DNA methylation are promising. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTis) enhance antitumor immunity by inducing transcription of transposable elements and consequent viral mimicry. DNMTis upregulate the expression of tumour antigens, mediate immune cells recruitment and reactivate exhausted immune cells. In preclinical studies, DNMTis have shown synergistic effect when combined with immunotherapies, suggesting new strategies to treat refractory solid tumours.
KDM4C silencing inhibits cell migration and enhances radiosensitivity by inducing CXCL2 transcription in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zeng Zhen , Li Zixuan , Xue Jun , Xue Huichan , Liu Zhiwei , Zhang Wenxuan , Liu Hongli , Xu Shuangbing
Published: April 2023

KDM4C, which is a histone lysine demethylase, has been proposed to participate in the malignant transformation and progression of several types of cancer. However, its roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain poorly understood. Here, we find that KDM4C protein expression is increased in HCC and promotes HCC cell growth, proliferation and migration. Furthermore, we provide evidence that depletion of KDM4C leads to a defective G2/M checkpoint, increases radiation-induced DNA damage, impairs DNA repair and enhances radiosensitivity in HCC cells. Using RNA sequencing, we identify that the chemokine CXCL2 is a downstream effector of KDM4C. KDM4C knockdown increases the binding of H3K36me3 to the promoter of CXCL2, thus upregulating CXCL2 expression and promoting CXCL2 secretion in HCC cells. Importantly, the observed effects of KDM4C depletion in HCC cells can be partially rescued by CXCL2 silencing. Thus, our findings reveal that KDM4C is involved in cell migration and radiosensitivity by modulating CXCL2 transcription, indicating that KDM4C may be a potential therapeutic target in HCC.