bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disparate continental scale patterns in floral host breadth of Australian colletid bees (Colletidae: Hymenoptera)
Authors: Slattery Patricia S. , Parslow Ben A. , Lee Michael S. Y. , Batley Michael , Walker Ken L. , Schwarz Michael P.
Published: March 2023

Plant-bee networks are rarely, if ever, studied quantitatively at continental scales, yet these have the potential to inform how biota and ecosystems are assembled beyond narrower regional biomes. The short-tongued bee family Colletidae comprises the major component of bee diversity in Australia, with three key subfamilies: the Neopasiphaeinae, Hylaeinae, and Euryglossinae. We use museum data (> 27,000 records) to record binary interactions between these bees (from each of these subfamilies, resolved to subgenera) and plants (resolved to genera). The resulting networks were analysed using bipartite graphs and associated indices of network structure. The three bee subfamilies showed markedly different network structures with their floral hosts. Euryglossinae had strong interactions with Myrtaceae and an otherwise relatively narrow host breadth, Neopasiphaeinae had little signal of host specialisation above genera and a very broad host breadth, and Hylaeinae appeared intermediate in network structure. Furthermore, Euryglossinae is more speciose within Australia (404 species, or ~ 25% of described Australian bee fauna) than Hylaeinae and Neopasiphaeinae, but these differences do not correspond to the stem ages of the three subfamilies, suggesting that time-since-origin does not explain bee species diversity or floral host breadth. Patterns of host breadth persist after rarefaction analyses that correct for differing numbers of observation records. We suggest that visitation networks could be influenced by evolutionary constraints to expansion of floral host breadth, but it is also possible that many bee-plant interactions are shaped by bees exploiting floral traits that are driven by non-bee fauna operating at large biogeographical scales.
Increasing influenza vaccination coverage in healthcare workers: analysis of an intensified on-site vaccination campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Schumacher Sofie , Salmanton-García Jon , Liekweg Andrea , Rolfes Muriel , Seidel Danila , Mellinghoff Sibylle C. , Cornely Oliver A.
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Influenza infections have substantial impact on healthcare institutions. While vaccination is the most effective preventive measure against influenza infection, vaccination coverage in healthcare workers is low. The study investigates the impact of an intensified influenza vaccination campaign in a maximum-care hospital on influenza vaccination coverage in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/21.

Methods

Building on findings from our previously published review Schumacher et al. (Infection 49(3): 387, 2021), an intensified influenza vaccination campaign comprising a mobile vaccination team providing on-site vaccination and vaccination at a recurring central vaccination site in addition to promotional measures was performed and analysed regarding vaccination coverage. A survey querying vaccination motivation was performed. Campaign strategies and vaccination coverage of influenza seasons between 2017/18 and 2019/20 were analysed.

Results

The influenza vaccination campaign 2020/21 led to a significant 2.4-fold increase yielding an overall vaccination coverage of 40% among healthcare workers. A significant increase in vaccination coverage was observed across all professional fields; especially among nurses, a 2.7-fold increase, reaching a vaccination coverage of 48%, was observed. The COVID-19 pandemic positively influenced vaccination decision in 72% of first time ever or first time in over ten years influenza vaccinees. Vaccination coverage during prior vaccination campaigns focusing on educational measures did not exceed 17%.

Conclusion

A mobile vaccination team providing on-site vaccination and vaccinations at a central vaccination site in addition to promotional measures can be implemented to increase influenza vaccination coverage in healthcare workers. Our concept can inform influenza and other vaccination campaigns for healthcare workers.
Variability in Running Economy of Kenyan World-Class and European Amateur Male Runners with Advanced Footwear Running Technology: Experimental and Meta-analysis Results
Authors: Knopp Melanie , Muñiz-Pardos Borja , Wackerhage Henning , Schönfelder Martin , Guppy Fergus , Pitsiladis Yannis , Ruiz Daniel
Published: March 2023

Background

Advanced footwear technology improves average running economy compared with racing flats in sub-elite athletes. However, not all athletes benefit as performance changes vary from a 10% drawback to a 14% improvement. The main beneficiaries from such technologies, world-class athletes, have only been analyzed using race times.

Objective

The aim of this study was to measure running economy on a laboratory treadmill in advanced footwear technology compared to a traditional racing flat in world-class Kenyan (mean half-marathon time: 59:30 min:s) versus European amateur runners.

Methods

Seven world-class Kenyan and seven amateur European male runners completed a maximal oxygen uptake assessment and submaximal steady-state running economy trials in three different models of advanced footwear technology and a racing flat. To confirm our results and better understand the overall effect of new technology in running shoes, we conducted a systematic search and meta-analysis.

Results

Laboratory results revealed large variability in both world-class Kenyan road runners, which ranged from a 11.3% drawback to a 11.4% benefit, and amateur Europeans, which ranged from a 9.7% benefit to a 1.1% drawback in running economy of advanced footwear technology compared to a flat. The post-hoc meta-analysis revealed an overall significant medium benefit of advanced footwear technology on running economy compared with traditional flats.

Conclusions

Variability of advanced footwear technology performance appears in both world-class and amateur runners, suggesting further testing should examine such variability to ensure validity of results and explain the cause as a more personalized approach to shoe selection might be necessary for optimal benefit.
Estimating the Effect of Aerobic Exercise Training on Novel Lipid Biomarkers: A Systematic Review and Multivariate Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Wood Gina , Taylor Emily , Ng Vanessa , Murrell Anna , Patil Aditya , van der Touw Tom , Wolden Mitch , Andronicos Nick , Smart Neil A.
Published: March 2023

Background

Aerobic exercise training (AET) prescribed as lipid management treatment positively affects the standard lipid profile and reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Apolipoproteins, lipid and apolipoprotein ratios, and lipoprotein sub-fractions may more effectively predict CVD risk than the standard lipid profile but an AET response in these biomarkers has not been established.

Objectives

We conducted a quantitative systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to (1) determine the effects of AET on lipoprotein sub-fractions, apolipoproteins and relevant ratios; and (2) identify study or intervention covariates associated with change in these biomarkers.

Methods

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, all Web of Science and EBSCO health and medical online databases from inception to 31 December 2021. We included published RCTs of adult humans with ≥ 10 per group of participants; an AET intervention duration ≥ 12 weeks of at least moderate intensity (> 40% maximum oxygen consumption); and reporting pre/post measurements. Non-sedentary subjects, or those with chronic disease other than Metabolic Syndrome factors, or pregnant/lactating, as well as trials testing diet/medications, or resistance/isometric/unconventional training interventions, were excluded.

Results

Fifty-seven RCTs totalling 3194 participants were analysed. Multivariate meta-analysis showed AET significantly raised antiatherogenic apolipoproteins and lipoprotein sub-fractions (mmol/L mean difference (MD) 0.047 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.011, 0.082), P = .01); lowered atherogenic apoliproteins and lipoprotein sub-fractions (mmol/L MD − 0.08 (95% CI − 0.161, 0.0003), P = .05); and improved atherogenic lipid ratios (MD − 0.201 (95% CI − 0.291, − 0.111), P < .0001). Multivariate meta-regression showed intervention variables contributed to change in lipid, sub-fraction, and apoliprotein ratios.

Conclusion

Aerobic exercise training positively impacts atherogenic lipid and apolipoprotein ratios, alipoproteins, and lipoprotein sub-fractions; and antiatherogenic apolipoproteins and lipoprotein sub-fractions. Cardiovascular disease risk predicted by these biomarkers may be lowered when AET is prescribed as treatment or prevention.

PROSPERO ID

CRD42020151925.
Marcatori prognostici nelle neoplasie neuroendocrine (NEN)
Authors: Zatelli Maria Chiara , Gagliardi Irene , Bondanelli Marta , Ambrosio Maria Rosaria
Published: March 2023

Sommario

L’incidenza delle neoplasie neuroendocrine (NEN) sta incrementando significativamente, mentre la sopravvivenza dei pazienti non migliora con la stessa velocità, a causa di diagnosi tardive e della mancanza di criteri prognostici consolidati in base ai quali pianificare la gestione del paziente. Se in molti casi i pazienti affetti da NEN hanno una prognosi molto buona e necessitano di un follow-up post-chirurgico di tipo conservativo, in alcuni casi è necessario mettere in campo terapie aggressive e strategie terapeutiche innovative per cercare di garantire al paziente la migliore sopravvivenza. Molte caratteristiche tumorali (sede, dimensioni, indici proliferativi, attività ormonale, captazione di radiotraccianti) sono attualmente utilizzate per valutare la sopravvivenza dei pazienti con NEN, ma la loro accuratezza è ancora limitata. In questa rassegna vengono illustrati nuovi possibili marcatori prognostici, sia di tipo clinico che di laboratorio, che potrebbero nel prossimo futuro migliorare la valutazione dei pazienti con NEN, risparmiando i pazienti affetti da forme indolenti da strategie terapeutiche molto aggressive che andranno, al contrario, offerte da subito a pazienti con forme più aggressive. Questo approccio può consentire di risparmiare risorse sanitarie e, soprattutto, dare migliori risposte ai bisogni del paziente.
Recent Advances of Transition Metal Basic Salts for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction and Overall Water Electrolysis
Authors: Guo Bingrong , Ding Yani , Huo Haohao , Wen Xinxin , Ren Xiaoqian , Xu Ping , Li Siwei
Published: March 2023

Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been recognized as the bottleneck of overall water splitting, which is a promising approach for sustainable production of H2. Transition metal (TM) hydroxides are the most conventional and classical non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts for OER, while TM basic salts [M2+(OH)2-x(Am−)x/m, A = CO32−, NO3−, F−, Cl−] consisting of OH− and another anion have drawn extensive research interest due to its higher catalytic activity in the past decade. In this review, we summarize the recent advances of TM basic salts and their application in OER and further overall water splitting. We categorize TM basic salt-based OER pre-catalysts into four types (CO32−, NO3−, F−, Cl−) according to the anion, which is a key factor for their outstanding performance towards OER. We highlight experimental and theoretical methods for understanding the structure evolution during OER and the effect of anion on catalytic performance. To develop bifunctional TM basic salts as catalyst for the practical electrolysis application, we also review the present strategies for enhancing its hydrogen evolution reaction activity and thereby improving its overall water splitting performance. Finally, we conclude this review with a summary and perspective about the remaining challenges and future opportunities of TM basic salts as catalysts for water electrolysis.
Leben und Sterben des »Geistes«
Authors: Neuffer Moritz
Published: March 2023

Der Aufsatz fragt nach dem Beitrag einer kulturgeschichtlich orientierten Zeitschriftenforschung zu Historiografien des Wissens, der Künste und der Theorie. Zu den spezifischen Dynamiken des Mediums, so die These, gehören nicht zuletzt Konzeptionen und (Selbst‑)Imaginationen von Zeitschriften als Verkörperungen des »Geistes« in der Zeit.
Benefit for non-operative treatment of pediatric appendicitis with intra-abdominal abscess. A single-center report
Authors: Ghidini Filippo , Donà Daniele , Giacomini Edoardo , De Corti Federica , Tognon Costanza , Zuliani Monica , Gamba Piergiorgio , Virgone Calogero
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Non-operative treatment (NOT) for pediatric acute appendicitis complicated with intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) has been introduced in the last decade. The study aimed to report our experience with this approach and investigate potential predictors of success.

Methods

Medical records of patients affected by appendicitis complicated with IAA between January 2013 and December 2020 were reviewed. The interval before delayed appendectomy, rate of re-admission before delayed appendectomy and the rate of delayed appendectomy were the endpoints of NOT. The outcomes were compared between patients treated by NOT and patients who underwent urgent surgery for complicated appendicitis.

Results

In the study period, twenty-six patients (37%) underwent NOT, and 45 (63%) underwent urgent surgery for complicated appendicitis with IAA. A delayed appendectomy was performed in 24 children (92%). The median time before surgery was 32 days (IQR 20–58 days). Eight children (31%) were re-admitted before delayed appendectomy, and three cases presented a disease relapse. An appendicolith was detected in two of them.

Even though the overall hospital stay was longer for NOT (p = 0.0009), all these patients underwent laparoscopic appendectomy, and no conversions were reported (p = 0.0001; p = 0.0006). In addition, no difference in the rate of post-operative complications was found between the two groups (p = 0.62).

Conclusions

NOT presented a high rate of success. The presence of appendicolith at diagnosis might be considered a negative predictor of success. NOT might increase the success of mini-invasive surgery when compared to urgent surgery.
E-Sports Player Performance Metrics for Predicting the Outcome of League of Legends Matches Considering Player Roles
Authors: Bahrololloomi Farnod , Klonowski Fabio , Sauer Sebastian , Horst Robin , Dörner Ralf
Published: March 2023

Predicting results in electronic sports (e-sports) matches is not an easy task. Different methods can be used for this purpose. A well-known video game in the field of Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) is the game League of Legends (LoL), which has a relevant professional scene. An important part of professional gaming is analyzing past matches overall and an individual player’s performance to prepare for future matches. In this paper, we follow a design-oriented research methodology (analysis, design, and evaluation) and propose performance metrics that use data from past matches to evaluate a player’s performance. We analyze the necessary data which we acquire by selecting a player, analyzing the player’s latest games, and repeating the process recursively with the players found in his latest games. The data is utilized within a Machine Learning (ML) Model that computes an overall score from individual player variables. From this, we designed a heuristic approach and evaluated it by applying it to the challenge of winning predictions in e-sports. The difference in the influence of the individual player roles on the outcome of the game was also investigated. It was found that this difference is negligible and that the heuristic performance metric can predict the outcome of a game with an accuracy of 86%. Furthermore, the concept of a match calculator is explored, which calculates the outcome of a match using the ML model and different player stats.
Predicting the microstructure of compacted graphite iron using a fuzzy knowledge-based system
Authors: Gumienny Grzegorz , Macioł Andrzej , Macioł Piotr
Published: March 2023

One of the important engineering materials is compacted graphite iron (CGI). Obtaining an expected microstructure leading to desired material properties is relatively difficult. In this paper, we present an approach to predicting the microstructure with a fuzzy knowledge-based system. On the basis of the results of statistical analysis and expert knowledge, an original taxonomy of CGI casts was formulated. The procedure of data acquisition, specimen preparation, analysis procedure and microstructures obtained are presented. Methods for expert experience-supported knowledge extraction from experimental data, as well as methods for formalizing knowledge as fuzzy rules, are introduced. The proposed rulesets, the reasoning process, and exemplary results are provided. The verification results showed that, using our approach, it is possible to effectively predict the microstructure and properties of CGI casts even in the absence of sufficient data to use data-driven knowledge acquisition. On the basis of the results obtained, examples of possible applications of the developed approach are presented.
A novel collaborative decision-making method based on generalized abductive learning for resolving design conflicts
Authors: Cui Zhexin , Yue Jiguang , Tao Wei , Xia Qian , Wu Chenhao
Published: March 2023

In complex product design, lots of time and resources are consumed to choose a preference-based compromise decision from non-inferior preliminary design models with multi-objective conflicts. However, since complex products involve intensive multi-domain knowledge, preference is not only a comprehensive representation of objective data and subjective knowledge but also characterized by fuzzy and uncertain. In recent years, enormous challenges are involved in the design process, within the increasing complexity of preference. This article mainly proposes a novel decision-making method based on generalized abductive learning (G-ABL) to achieve autonomous and efficient decision-making driven by data and knowledge collaboratively. The proposed G-ABL framework, containing three cores: classifier, abductive kernel, and abductive machine, supports preference integration from data and fuzzy knowledge. In particular, a subtle improvement is presented for WK-means based on the entropy weight method (EWM) to address the local static weight problem caused by the fixed data preferences as the decision set is locally invariant. Furthermore, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) and Pearson correlation are adopted to quantify domain knowledge and obtain abducted labels. Multi-objective weighted calculations are utilized only to label and compare solutions in the final decision set. Finally, an engineering application is provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the superiority of which is illustrated by comparative analysis.
Self-pacing and multiple-attempt assessment to address student anxiety in pharmacy calculations
Authors: Bell Edward C.
Published: March 2023

Objective

Pharmacy calculations is a course that can be challenging and is often associated with student anxiety about assessments and grades. This study was conducted to determine if student anxiety would be reduced in pharmacy calculations using self-paced, multiple-attempt assessments.

Materials and methods

Self-paced, multiple-attempt assessments were presented to students as graded practice modules and as examinations. Pre-post surveys were used to measure student anxiety in pharmacy calculations. Module performance indices and exam performance indices were correlated with course grade outcomes.

Results

Fifty-four students participated in pre-surveys and forty-eight students participated in post-surveys. Westside Test Anxiety Scale survey results indicated use of self-paced, multiple-attempt assessments reduced students’ perceived anxiety about pharmacy calculations. Student comments about assessment methods were predominately positive. Course grades strongly correlated with module mean scores and high scores, and strongly correlated with mean exam scores. A negative correlation between course grades and belated module attempts alluded to harmful association between student procrastination and course performance in weaker students.

Conclusions

Self-paced, multiple-attempt assessment was associated with improved perception of student test anxiety about pharmacy calculations. With care taken to limit student procrastination, use of these types of assessment could be an effective means of improving student comfort while promoting mastery of the subject.
The Irresistible Attraction of Gravity
Authors: Rezzolla Luciano
Published: March 2023

The mystery of gravity has captivated us for centuries. But what is gravity and how does it work? This engaging book delves into the bizarre and often counter-intuitive world of gravitational physics. Join distinguished astrophysicist Professor Luciano Rezzolla on this virtual journey into Einstein's world of gravity, with each milestone presenting ever more fascinating aspects of gravitation. Through gentle exposure to concepts such as spacetime curvature and general relativity, you will discover some of the most curious consequences of gravitational physics, such as black holes, neutron stars and gravitational waves. The author presents and explains one of the most impressive scientific achievements of recent times: the first image of a supermassive black hole. Written by one of the key scientists involved in producing these results, you'll get a behind-the-scenes view of how the image was captured and discover what happens to matter and light near a black hole.
The Asian Law and Society Reader
Authors: Chua Lynette J. , Engel David M. , Liu Sida
Published: March 2023

The first reader on Asian law and society scholarship, this book features reading selections from a wide range of Asian countries – East, South, Southeast and Central Asia – along with original commentaries by the three editors on the theoretical debates and research methods pertinent to the discipline. Organized by themes and topical areas, the reader enables scholars and students to break out of country-specific silos to make theoretical connections across national borders. It meets a growing demand for law and society materials in institutions and universities in Asia and around the world. It is written at a level accessible to advanced undergraduate students and graduate students as well as experienced researchers, and serves as a valuable teaching tool for courses focused on Asian law and society in law schools, area studies, history, religion, and social science fields such as sociology, anthropology, politics, government, and criminal justice.
Wagner's Ring in 1848
Authors: Haymes Edward
Published: March 2023

Makes available in reliable English translation Wagner's original Siegfried libretto and his early essay on the Nibelung myth.
Chaucer and Petrarch
Authors: Rossiter William
Published: March 2023

First full study of Chaucer's readings and translations of Petrarch suggests a far greater influence than has hitherto been accepted.
Verification & validation of lifting line - and -formulations for 3-D planforms under viscous flows
Authors: Chreim J.R. , Dantas J.L.D. , Burr K.P. , Assi G.R.S. , Pimenta M.M.
Published: March 2023

Many adaptations of the lifting-line theory have been developed since its conception to aid in preliminary aerodynamic wing design, but they typically fall into two main formulations, named
$\alpha $
- and
$\Gamma $
-formulation, which differ in terms of the control points chordwise location and the variable updated during the iterative scheme. This paper assess the advantages and drawbacks of both formulations through the implementation of the respective methods and application of standard verification and validation procedures. Verification showed that the
$\Gamma $
-method poorly converges for wings with nonstraight quarter-chord lines, while the
$\alpha $
-method presents adequate convergence rates and uncertainties for all geometries; it also showed that the
$\Gamma $
-method agrees best with analytic results from the cassic lifting-line theory, indicating that it tends to overpredict wing lift. Validation and comparison to other modern lifting-line methods was done for similar geometries, and not only corroborated the poor converge and lift overprediction of the
$\Gamma $
-method, but also showed that the
$\alpha $
-method presented the closest results to experimental data for almost all cases tested, concluding that this formulation is typically superior regardless of the wing geometry. These results indicate that the implemented
$\alpha $
-method has a greater potential for the extension of the lifting-line theory to more geometrically complex lifting surfaces other than fixed wings with straight quarter-chord lines and wakes constrained to the planform plane.
Anne Conway's Ontology of Creation: A Pluralist Interpretation
Authors: GREY JOHN
Published: March 2023

Does Anne Conway (1631–79) hold that the created world consists of a single underlying substance? Some have argued that she does; others have argued that she is a priority monist and so holds that there are many created substances, but the whole created world is ontologically prior to each particular creature. Against both of these proposals, this article makes the case for a substance pluralist interpretation of Conway: individual creatures are distinct substances, and the whole created world is not ontologically prior to the individual creatures that compose it. The basic argument for such a view draws on Conway's claims about the freedom and moral responsibility of individual creatures. The pluralist reading is straightforwardly compatible with these claims, while the monistic readings are not.
African Studies Keywords: Queer
Authors: Otu Kwame E. , van Klinken Adriaan
Published: March 2023

“Queer” is a relatively recent and somewhat controversial term in African studies. Yet it is proving to be productive, not only for understanding African subjectivities of sexuality and gender, but also for situating Africa’s position in the larger economy of knowledge. Otu and van Klinken explore the productive tensions between “queer” and “Africa,” and aim to read Africa as queer and to read queer from Africa. Thus, rather than imagining Africa and queer as polar opposites, the authors seek to harness the critical, productive, and creative affinities between these two terms that are vital for the project of decolonizing and queering queer Africa.
The Roles of School Counsellors in the Philippines: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Harrison Mark G. , King Ronnel B. , Hocson Sheila Marie G.
Published: March 2023

School counselling has the potential to deliver significant support for the wellbeing of children. However, much of the research on school counsellors has been conducted in developed Western countries, with very limited research into factors influencing the effectiveness of counsellors in lower middle-income countries or in Asia. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions of Filipino counsellors about their roles, and factors that supported or impeded their effectiveness. Seventeen school counsellors in the Philippines were interviewed, and the data were analysed thematically. Our findings suggest that Filipino school counsellors often carry out dual roles, experience a lack of role clarity, and are systemically disempowered in their schools. Relationships with school principals have a significant influence on counsellors’ roles and positioning in schools, and therefore on their effectiveness. The ability of principals to foster a school ethos supportive of counselling is essential in enabling counsellors to leverage the multifunctional nature of their work, become embedded and centrally positioned in the school community, and enhance their effectiveness. Doing so can enable counselling to be more culturally accessible to young people.
On the probability of rumour survival among sceptics
Authors: Esmaeeli Neda , Sajadi Farkhondeh Alsadat
Published: March 2023

We study a sceptical rumour model on the non-negative integer line. The model starts with two spreaders at sites 0, 1 and sceptical ignorants at all other natural numbers. Then each sceptic transmits the rumour, independently, to the individuals within a random distance on its right after s/he receives the rumour from at least two different sources. We say that the process survives if the size of the set of vertices which heard the rumour in this fashion is infinite. We calculate the probability of survival exactly, and obtain some bounds for the tail distribution of the final range of the rumour among sceptics. We also prove that the rumour dies out among non-sceptics and sceptics, under the same condition.
The COVID-19 pandemic and obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review of comparisons between males and females
Authors: Jalalifar Erfan , Arad Amirreza , Rastkar Mohsen , Beheshti Rasa
Published: March 2023

Coronavirus disease, one of the most disastrous epidemics, has caused a worldwide crisis, and the containment measures applied to decelerate the progression of the pandemic can increase the risk of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Identifying vulnerable groups in this area can lead us to better resource expenditure, and therefore, this systematic review aims to make a comparison between males and females to determine which of the two groups was most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic regarding OCD. Also, a meta-analysis was designed to investigate the prevalence of OCD during the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive search was conducted among three databases (Medline, Scopus, Web of Science) until August 2021 which resulted in 197 articles, and 24 articles met our inclusion criteria. Overall, more than half of the articles stated the role of gender in OCD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several articles emphasized the role of the female gender, and some others the role of the male gender. The meta-analysis revealed a 41.2% overall prevalence of OCD during the COVID pandemic and 47.1% and 39.1% OCD prevalence for female and male genders respectively. However, the difference between the two genders was not statistically significant. Generally, it seems that females are at greater risk of OCD during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the following groups, the female gender may have acted as a risk factor: under-18 years students, hospital staff, and the studies in the Middle East. In none of the categories, male gender was clearly identified as a risk factor.
The development of an efficient ornithopter wing
Authors: DeLaurier J. D.
Published: March 2023

Analysis and testing have been used to develop a flapping wing which can efficiently produce lift and thrust for ornithopter flight. With the assumption that the only imposed motion is dihedral flapping at its root, the wing's spanwise distribution of pitching and bending is due to its aeroelastic response. Numerical studies revealed criteria for efficient designs, which then guided the development and construction of an example wing tested in a windtunnel. The experimental results for average thrust and lift compared very favourably with the theoretical predictions, confirming that such aeroelastically tailored designs provide a means for achieving mechanical flapping-wing flight.
Transonic shockwave/turbulent boundary layer interactions on a porous surface
Authors: Chokani N. , Squire L. C.
Published: March 2023

Transonic shockwave/turbulent boundary layer interactions on a porous surface above a closed plenum chamber have been studied experimentally in the choked flow of a windtunnel test-section. The equivalent freestream Mach number is 0.76 and results were obtained for three shock strengths. Without the porous surface the Mach numbers ahead of the shock were 1.13, 1.18 and 1.26. The respective shock Mach numbers with the porous surface were 1.10, 1.11 and 1.19. Laser holographic interferometry results are used to measure the density flowfield and examine the nature of the interaction. These results show that the interaction on the porous surface is modified by a thin shear layer adjacent to the surface and the weakening of the Shockwave is attributed to this. The interaction was also studied by solving the two-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations together with the two-layer algebraic eddy-viscosity model of Baldwin-Lomax modified with appropriate corrections for surface transpiration. The computed results show excellent agreement with the experimental data. The examination of these numerical results shows that the surface transpiration occurs at a low subsonic velocity and suggests that the effect of the transpiration through the porous surface on the interaction may be optimised.
A study of mechanical flapping-wing flight
Authors: DeLaurier J. D. , Harris J. M.
Published: March 2023

The feasibility of mechanical flapping-wing flight has been studied by analyses and experiments. The key results from this work include the development of an efficient wing with unique features for twisting and lift balance, as well as a lightweight and reliable drive mechanism. These were incorporated into a radio-controlled, engine-powered, flapping-wing aeroplane (ornithopter), whose flight tests have been the proof-of-concept focus of this research. In September 1991, this aircraft achieved successful sustained flights, demonstrating the practicability of this particular solution for mechanical flapping-wing flight.
Modeling Spatial Heterogeneity and Historical Persistence: Nazi Concentration Camps and Contemporary Intolerance
Authors: PEPINSKY THOMAS B. , GOODMAN SARA WALLACE , ZILLER CONRAD
Published: March 2023

A wealth of recent research in comparative politics examines how spatial variation in historical conditions shapes modern political outcomes. In an article in the American Political Science Review, Homola, Pereira, and Tavits argue that Germans who live nearer to former Nazi concentration camps are more likely to display out-group intolerance. Clarifying the conceptual foundations of posttreatment bias and reviewing the historical record on postwar state creation in Germany, we argue that state-level differences confound the relationship between distance to camps and out-group intolerance. Using publicly available European Values Survey data and electoral results from 2017, we find no consistent evidence that distance to camps is related to contemporary values. Our findings have implications for literatures on historical persistence, causal inference with spatial data, Holocaust studies, and outgroup tolerance.
Soybean seed protein concentration is limited by nitrogen supply in tropical and subtropical environments in Brazil
Authors: Figueiredo Moura da Silva E. H. , Cafaro La Menza N. , Munareto G. G. , Zanon A. J. , Santos Carvalho K. , Marin F. R.
Published: March 2023

Soybean production contributes to ca. 60% of global plant-based protein used for food and feed. Brazil is the largest soybean producer and exporter, with 60% from tropical and 40% from subtropical environments. Nitrogen (N) can play an essential role in the storage of proteins in seeds; thus, it could be a key factor in increasing the quantity and quality of seeds in high-yielding soybean crops. Unlike in temperate environments, there is a gap of knowledge on whether soybean grown under tropical and subtropical climates are limited by N-fertilization to sustain the seed yield increase without detriments in seed protein concentration. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of N-fertilization on soybean seed yield, protein and oil concentrations in tropical and subtropical environments in Brazil, thus contributing to agricultural intensification procedures and food security studies. Two levels of N-fertilization (0 and 1000 ka/ha) were tested across 11 tropical or subtropical environments. The range of latitudes explored here was from 12°S to 29°S, representing the major soybean-producing regions in Brazil either under rainfed or irrigated conditions. We found that seed yield responses to N-fertilization were significant (in some environments under rainfed with an average increase of 7%) or not significant (in irrigated). Seed protein increases due to improved N-fertilization (on average 4% for irrigated and 12% for rainfed conditions) were much higher than previous reports from temperate environments. Regardless of N supply and water deficit, there was a trend of seed protein and oil concentration increasing toward lower latitudes.
Distolambrus maltzami (Miers, 1881) (Brachyura: Parthenopidae) with observed and modelled distribution in the North-east Atlantic
Authors: Close Hayden L. , Barry Peter J. , McIlwaine Paul S.O. , Marzloff Martin P. , Folliot Benjamin , Vasquez Mickael , Laffargue Pascal , Tan S.H.
Published: March 2023

We present the distribution of the parthenopid crab species Distolambrus maltzami from the North-east Atlantic with a first record from UK seas. The distribution of D. maltzami in the Celtic-Biscay area in the eastern Atlantic, is both described based on recent records from survey data and estimated from modelling its environmental niche. The predicted probability of occurrence is greatest in areas with fluctuating tidal currents and water masses that are rich in chlorophyll-a, cold (minimum bottom temperature lower than 10°C) and oxygen-rich. We include a simple key to distinguish the two parthenopid crab species previously encountered in the region and highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to fisheries data collection.
How to believe in immortality
Authors: Zaleski Carol
Published: March 2023

All the cards seem to be stacked against belief in immortality. Nonetheless, the resources of particular religious traditions may avail where generic philosophical solutions fall short. With attention to the boredom and narcissism critiques, intimations of deathlessness in Śāntideva's radical altruism, and recent Christian debates on the soul and the intermediate state, I propose two criteria for a coherent religion-specific belief in immortality: (1) the belief is supported by a fully realized religious tradition, (2) the belief satisfies the demand for self-transcendence as well as for self-preservation. Where self-transcendence and self-preservation are kept in balance, and where the whole idea rests upon the lattice-work of a fully realized religious tradition, immortality is a fitting object of belief. Moreover, such belief is compatible with considerable speculative freedom concerning matter and spirit, body and soul, and personal identity over time.
Relativity, categories and principles in the diuisio aristotelea 67M/32DL
Authors: Granieri Roberto
Published: March 2023

The Diuisio Aristotelea 67M/32DL draws a distinction between two categories of beings, per se and relatives. I defend three main theses. First, that the relation of dependence characterizing the members of the latter category is modal and symmetrical in nature and, accordingly, the per se-relatives contrast cannot be equivalent to the substance-accidents contrast. Second, that the type of relativity relevant to this diuisio is both ontological and semantic in nature (but with different emphases depending on the version of the diuisio considered). Third, I argue, against a widespread opinion, that the last line of the DL version of the diuisio does not concern metaphysical principles. Here I also compare the diuisio to other Early Academic bicategorial schemes and show that they differ from one another significantly, especially as far as the alleged connection between categories and metaphysical principles is concerned.
World in the making: On the global visual politics of climate engineering
Authors: Benner Ann-Kathrin , Rothe Delf
Published: March 2023

Proposals for large-scale technical interventions into the Earth system to mitigate global warming – or climate engineering – have sparked considerable debate about their potential implications for international security and global governance. The article furthers this debate by bringing it into dialogue with the literature on visual global politics to develop a more ‘imagistic’ concept of climate engineering imaginaries. Based on a novel visual dataset, three major visual clusters in the public discourse on climate engineering are identified: images of the human–nature relationship, of climate engineering as tangible infrastructure, and of the actors involved in climate engineering projects. The analysis shows how images and other visuals do not only shape the dominant understanding of climate engineering but also competing imaginaries of future political orders in which such approaches might be deployed. Three main results of this analysis stand out. First, dominant ways of seeing climate engineering can further reinforce already dominant discursive frames by adding ‘visual proof’ to their underlying claims. Second, climate engineering visuality can also enable the politicisation of climate engineering by rendering concrete projects visible and hence contestable. Third, climate engineering images can paradoxically limit the scope of imagination as they often revolve around powerful visual icons and symbols of the past and present.
The added value of applying a disinvestment approach to the process of health technology assessment in Italy
Authors: Cadeddu Chiara , Regazzi Luca , Di Brino Eugenio , Basile Michele , Cascini Fidelia , Paladini Andrea , Rumi Filippo , Cicchetti Americo , Ricciardi Walter
Published: March 2023

Objectives

The objective of the present policy analysis was to understand how a disinvestment approach to the process of health technology assessment (HTA), applied to the field of medical devices, might help Italian policymakers to properly spend the resources in healthcare.

Methods

Previous international and national experiences in disinvestment for medical devices were reviewed. Precious insights for the rational expenditure of the resources were derived by assessing the evidence available.

Results

The disinvestment of ineffective or inappropriate technologies or interventions with an inadequate value-for-money ratio has become a growing priority for National Health Systems. Different international disinvestment experiences of medical devices were identified and described through a rapid review. Although most of them have a strong theoretical framework, their practical application remains difficult. In Italy, there are no examples of large and complex HTA-based disinvestment practices, but their importance is becoming increasingly acknowledged, especially given the need to prioritize the funds provided by Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Conclusions

Anchoring decisions on health technologies without reassessing the current technological landscape through a robust HTA model might expose to the risk of not ensuring the best employment of the resources available. Thus, it is necessary to develop a strong HTA ecosystem in Italy through adequate consultation with stakeholders to enable a data-driven and evidence-based prioritization of resources toward choices characterized by high value for both patients and society as a whole.
The prediction from MLAT to L2 achievement is largely due to MLAT assessment of underlying L1 abilities
Authors: Sparks Richard L. , Dale Philip S.
Published: March 2023

Widespread use of the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) in L2 studies of individual differences implicitly assumes that L2 aptitude is a distinct cognitive facet. There is considerable evidence for prediction from L1 abilities to L2 learning. In this longitudinal study, L1-MLAT-L2 relations were examined in 307 US secondary students based on six L1 and six L2 measures of language and literacy, and the MLAT. Mediation and regression analyses revealed that each L1 measure individually predicted all L2 scores and MLAT; the L1 measures collectively substantially predicted MLAT scores; MLAT is a significant but moderate mediator of prediction from L1 to L2 scores; and prediction from MLAT to L2 scores is significantly and substantially due to variance in L1 abilities captured by MLAT. Overall, prediction from MLAT is due primarily to its functioning as a measure of L1 abilities, although substantial L1 variance which predicts L2 scores is not captured by the MLAT.
Personalism and European Integration: Jacques Delors and the Legacy of the 1930s
Authors: Zaccaria Benedetto
Published: March 2023

This article addresses the influence of personalism – an anti-liberal, anti-socialist intellectual movement which developed in France in the 1930s – on the process of European integration during the European Commission presidency of Jacques Delors (1985–95). The received wisdom is that the personalist tradition contributed to shaping the early developments in European integration in the 1950s but its influence later declined with the consolidation of the bipolar equilibrium in Europe. Instead, this work shows that personalism gradually re-emerged during the mid-1970s and 1980s and inspired the Commission's search for an anti-individualist European social model, the supranational democratisation of the integration process and the continental vision of European integration after 1989.
Is the Requirement for First-Person Experience of Psychedelic Drugs a Justified Component of a Psychedelic Therapist’s Training?
Authors: Emmerich Nathan , Humphries Bryce
Published: March 2023

Recent research offers good reason to think that various psychedelic drugs—including psilocybin, ayahuasca, ketamine, MDMA, and LSD—may have significant therapeutic potential in the treatment of various mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, existential distress, and addiction. Although the use of psychoactive drugs, such as Diazepam or Ritalin, is well established, psychedelics arguably represent a therapeutic step change. As experiential therapies, their value would seem to lie in the subjective experiences they induce. As it is the only way for trainee psychedelic therapists to fully understand their subjective effects, some have suggested that firsthand experience of psychedelics should form part of training programs. We question this notion. First, we consider whether the epistemic benefits offered by drug-induced psychedelic experience are as unique as is supposed. We then reflect on the value it might have in regard to the training of psychedelic therapists. We conclude that, absent stronger evidence of the contribution drug-induced experiences make to the training of psychedelic therapists, requiring trainees to take psychedelic drugs does not seem ethically legitimate. However, given the potential for epistemic benefit cannot be entirely ruled out, permitting trainees who wish to gain first-hand experience of psychedelics may be permissible.