bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What is next for cases in teaching and learning evaluation? A call to action
Authors: Tovey Tiffany L. S. , Greene Jennifer C.
Published: February 2022

We take this final article to reflect on the “case” made for the use of cases in teaching and learning in evaluation. We provide an overview of what has been learned about teaching and learning with cases through this volume and discuss what counts as good case teaching and learning based on the other articles. This article identifies the critical importance of context in evaluation practice and shares our belief that there is no way we can adequately prepare future evaluation practitioners for their work without using cases in teaching and learning evaluation. We share the future efforts of the Case Collaborative, including the development and dissemination of a case repository for instructors of evaluation. We end by reflecting on how we can get new evaluators to think like professional, seasoned practitioners and providing a call to action to our readers.
Analysis of thermal radiation, Joule heating, and viscous dissipation effects on blood‐gold couple stress nanofluid flow driven by electroosmosis
Authors: Sridhar Vemulawada , Ramesh Katta , Tripathi Dharmendra , Vivekanand Vivekanand
Published: February 2022

Gold nanoparticles associated with DNA, RNA, proteins, oligonucleotides, and peptides are useful in therapies and drug delivery. The present article mainatins that gold nanoparticles play a tremendous role in remedying cancer and fatal diseases. A mathematical model is proposed for the two‐dimensional motion of the couple stress nanofluid consisting of gold nanoparticles under the application of peristaltic propulsion and electroosmosis mechanisms in an asymmetric microchannel. The effects of radiation with slip boundary have been employed. The governing equations are simplified under the assumptions of low Reynolds number and long wavelength and the Poisson‐Boltzmann equation is solved under Debye–Hückel linearization. Analytical solutions for the velocity of fluid motion, nanoparticle temperature, stream function, pressure gradient, are evaluated and analyzed graphically under the effects of various physical parameters. It is notable from the analysis that raising the Brinkman number boosts the nanoparticle temperature and heat transfer coefficient which validate the physical model and analysis. Moreover, it is noticed that sphere‐shaped gold nanoparticles enhance the temperature as compared to other geometries of nanoparticles. The present study results may assist in developing the technology, smart micropumps, drugs, and device for hemodialysis and other health care applications.
Nx4 attenuated stress‐induced activity of the anterior cingulate cortex—A post‐hoc analysis of a randomized placebo‐controlled crossover trial
Authors: Herrmann Luisa , Kasties Vanessa , Boden Cindy , Li Meng , Fan Yan , Van der Meer Johan , Vester Johannes C. , Seilheimer Bernd , Schultz Myron , Alizadeh Sarah , Walter Martin
Published: February 2022

Objective

Stress‐related symptoms are associated with significant health and economic burden. Several studies suggest Nx4 for the pharmacological management of the stress response and investigated the underlying neural processes. Here we hypothesized that Nx4 can directly affect the stress response in a predefined stress network, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is linked to various stress‐related symptoms in patients.

Methods

In a randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, crossover trial, 39 healthy males took a single dose of placebo or Nx4. Psychosocial stress was induced by the ScanSTRESS paradigm inside an MRI scanner, and stress network activation was analyzed in brain regions defined a priori.

Results

Using the placebo data only, we could validate the activation of a distinct neural stress pattern by the ScanSTRESS paradigm. For Nx4, we provide evidence of an attenuating effect on this stress response. A statistically significant reduction in differential stress‐induced activation in the right supracallosal ACC was observed for the rotation stress task of the ScanSTRESS paradigm. The results add to previously published results of Nx4 effects on emotion regulation.

Conclusions

Our results strengthen the hypothesis that Nx4 modulates the stress response by reducing the activation in parts of the neural stress network, particularly in the ACC.

Trial registration: NCT02602275; ClinicalTrials.gov
Long‐term incidence and survival trends in cancer of the gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden with etiological implications related to Thorotrast
Authors: Hemminki Kari , Försti Asta , Hemminki Otto , Liska Vaclav , Hemminki Akseli
Published: February 2022

Cancers of the gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts (called here “GBC” because gallbladder cancer is the main component) are rare in Europe, including the Nordic countries. Their incidence has varied for unknown reasons and we hypothesize that Thorotrast, a previously used carcinogenic radiographic contrast medium, has contributed to the incidence trends. We obtained incidence and survival data from the NORDCAN database, which includes cancer registry data from Denmark (DK), Finland (FI), Norway (NO) and Sweden (SE), which are globally the oldest national cancer databases, starting from 1943 in DK, 1953 in FI and NO and 1960 in SE, and extending to 2016. The incidence trend for GBC showed a broad maximum around 1980 in men (close to 3/100 000) and women (4/100 000), except for NO, where this phenomenon was not seen. In 1955, FI and NO incidence rates were equal but FI rates peaked and later declined similar to DK and SE rates. By 2010, the incidence was similar in all Nordic countries, for both men and women, at close to 2.0/100 000. Birth cohort analysis showed strong effects for countries other than NO. Relative 1‐year survival increased for men from 20% to about 50% and similarly for women although at a 5 percentage points lower level. Survival in NO was better than in other countries in the 1980s. Thorotrast, causing a high risk of GBC, was extensively used in the Nordic countries between 1930 and end of 1940s, with the exception of NO, where these was no documented use. These data suggest that Thorotrast influenced GBC epidemiology and probably worsened survival in certain periods.
Maternal and perinatal outcome of induction at 39 weeks versus expectant management in labor after cesarean section
Authors: Meyer Raanan , Levin Gabriel
Published: February 2022

Objective

To study induction of labor (IOL) at 39 weeks compared with expectant management among women undergoing labor after cesarean section (LAC) with no prior vaginal delivery.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study including all women undergoing LAC with no prior vaginal delivery, between March 2011 and January 2021. We allocated the study cohort into two groups: IOL at 390/7 to 396/7 and all LACs at ≥400/7 weeks of gestation. The primary outcome was a composite of adverse neonatal outcome. The secondary outcome was a composite of adverse maternal outcome.

Results

Overall, 1022 women met inclusion criteria, of whom 89 (8.7%) had IOL at 390/7–396/7 weeks and 933 (91.3%) had LAC at ≥400/7 weeks. The composite neonatal outcome rate was comparable between groups (0.186). There were three uterine ruptures (3.4%) in the IOL group and 11 (1.2%) in the LAC at ≥40 weeks group (P = 0.115). The rate of the composite maternal outcomes occurrence was higher in the IOL group (18.0% vs. 10.1%, P = 0.022).

Conclusion

IOL at 39 weeks among women undergoing LAC with no prior vaginal delivery is not associated with improved neonatal outcomes when compared with expectant management but may be associated with a higher rate of adverse maternal outcomes.
Rainfall in uncoupled and coupled versions of the Met Office Unified Model over Central Africa: Investigation of processes during the September–November rainy season
Authors: Taguela Thierry N. , Pokam Wilfried M. , Washington Richard
Published: February 2022

Although climate models are important for making projections of future climate, little attention has been devoted to model simulation of the complex climate of Central Africa (CA). This study investigates rainfall biases through processes in three versions of the Met Office Unified Model over CA with both coupled and atmosphere‐only formulations for each version. The study shows that the models depict a wet (dry) bias over the eastern (coastal western) CA in the September–November season with the wet (dry) bias stronger in coupled (atmosphere‐only) models. Here, we explore potential regional to large‐scale causes of these biases. Results reveal that the overestimation of the simulated sinking branch of the Atlantic‐Congo zonal overturning cell is associated with a strong near‐surface temperature and pressure gradient between CA and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. This leads to strong low‐level westerlies (LLWs) which dry the coastal western CA and strengthen the intensity of the Congo basin cell. Over eastern CA, the wet bias is partially due to the misrepresentation in the strength of both African easterly jet components that shift the mid‐tropospheric moisture flux convergence southward favouring more convection south of the equator. Furthermore, the overestimation in the simulated width and intensity of the Congo basin cell is associated with a strong low‐level moisture convergence over eastern CA which contributes to more precipitation. Remote contributions to the wet bias come from both the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. The simulated Atlantic‐Congo zonal overturning circulation dries the coast through its overestimated lower branch (LLWs) which moves further into the continent and advects more moisture to the eastern CA. In the meantime, during positive Indian Ocean Dipole years, the advected moisture from the Indian Ocean to the CA region is overestimated in models, much more in coupled models and contributes to the eastern CA wet bias.
Monitoring silver diamine fluoride application with optical coherence tomography and thermal imaging: An in vitro proof of concept study
Authors: Abdelaziz Marwa , Yang Vincent , Chang Nai‐Yuan Nicholas , Darling Cynthia , Fried William , Seto Jong , Fried Daniel
Published: February 2022

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to show that optical coherence tomography (OCT) and thermal imaging can be used to monitor changes in the structure and activity of caries lesions over time after treatment with silver diamine fluoride (SDF).

Methods

Artificial caries lesions were formed on enamel and dentin bovine blocks. Each block was partitioned into five windows with the central three windows exposed to a demineralization solution to create lesions: one sound window served as a sound control (SC), one sound window was exposed to SDF to serve as a test control (SCT), one lesion window served as a lesion control (LC), one lesion window received one application of SDF (L1), while the other lesion window received two applications of SDF (L2). Each window was scanned using OCT before SDF application, and every week subsequently, for 12 weeks after initial SDF treatment. Changes in the mean intensity and the width of the peak of increased reflectivity due to the lesion and SDF along with the intensity at a depth of 180 µm from the surface representing optical penetration through the lesion were monitored. Changes in the heat lost, ΔQ (temperature integrated over time) of each window during drying with air were also monitored using a thermal imaging camera. Transverse microradiography (TMR), and high‐resolution microscopy were also used for the analysis of selected samples.

Results

The reflectivity and optical penetration of sound and lesion areas of enamel and dentin manifested significant changes in OCT images after SDF application. Thermal imaging showed significant differences in ΔQ indicative of permeability changes in the sound and lesion areas of enamel and dentin after SDF application.
High Barrier, Biodegradable Nanocomposite Films Based on Clay‐Coated and Chemically Modified Gum Kondagogu
Authors: Venkateshaiah Abhilash , Timmins Renee L. , Sehl Elmar , Wacławek Stanisław , Černík Miroslav , Padil Vinod V. T. , Agarwal Seema
Published: February 2022

Lately, environmentally benign packaging materials with biodegradability, flexibility, and high barrier properties are sought after as a substitute for conventional plastic packaging materials due to increasing plastic pollution and microplastics in the environment. Although natural polymers can be sustainable alternatives to petro‐sourced, non‐biodegradable plastics, they suffer from the poor barrier and mechanical properties. In this study, a mechanically stable, biodegradable film of tree gum kondagogu with remarkable barrier properties is fabricated. The introduction of spray‐coated, waterborne, large‐aspect ratio sodium‐hectorite dispersion on tree‐gum films ensured very high barrier properties even at high relative humidity conditions (oxygen transmission rate (OTR) ≈1.7 cm3 m−2 day−1 bar−1 at 75% relative humidity). The coating not only decreases gas permeability through the films but also minimizes the sensitivity of performance to humidity levels. The clay‐coated nanocomposite films outperformed various commercial polymers and are comparable to high‐performance packaging films in terms of oxygen barrier properties. Further, the coating improved the mechanical properties of the films rendering them a prospective packaging material. These biodegradable, high‐barrier and mechanically robust films are a promising advance in the field of sustainable packaging.
NJAMHAA campaign empowers diverse community, emphasizes funding needs
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: February 2022

Observing an urgent need for mental health and substance use disorder treatment and supports to address growing service demand, along with a need for investments to support the state's community behavioral health care system and grow its workforce, is the impetus behind a new campaign developed by the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies Inc. (NJAMHAA) with a call for increased contract funding and reimbursement rates to ensure service access.
Providers must step up to meet mental health needs of new mothers
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: February 2022

Wide socioeconomic and racial disparities remain in new mothers’ access to mental health care, and both specialty mental health and primary care providers can help remedy the problem, says a leading health scientist with the federal government.
Tribological performance of ionic liquid modified graphene oxide/silicone rubber composite and the correlation of properties using machine learning methods
Authors: P. S Sarath , Mahesh Therese Yamuna , Pandey Mrituanjay Kumar , Haponiuk Józef T. , Thomas Sabu , George Soney C.
Published: February 2022

This study investigates and predicts the tribological properties of an imidazolium ionic liquid modified graphene oxide (ILGO) with silicone rubber (QM) composite. The pin on the disc tribometer was utilized to conduct experimental tribological property analysis, with load, sliding velocity, and temperature as changing parameters. Coefficient of friction (COF) of QMILGO1.5 was 42% lower than that of pure QM. Study found that ionic liquid serves as a self‐lubricating layer for graphene, establishing a solid graphene‐to‐ionic liquid interface bond with the rubber matrix. The experimental data were utilized for training artificial neural networks (ANNs), which were then used to predict the COF of the nanocomposites for values for which the experiment was not performed. The produced composite's predictions of friction coefficient utilizing the ANN technique were quite close to experimental results. The work's fundamental goal is to buy experimentation verifies the COF of functionalized graphene oxide (ILGO) with silicone rubber composite, use the actual experimental values to train a deep neural network using Multilayer perceptron, and then use the trained network to predict the values of COF for which obtaining the values by experimentation was difficult.
Integration of mental health and supportive care in individuals with schizophrenia and cancer: Assertive community treatment model
Authors: Taylor‐Desir Monica J. , Sawchuk Craig N. , Crane Sarah J. , Carroll Jamie L. , Evans Whitney S. , Bogucki Olivia E. , Lewis Susan E. , Lapid Maria I.
Published: February 2022

Key points

Persons with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) experience disparities in accessing and initiating cancer treatment

The assertive community treatment (ACT) model promotes the integration of physical and mental health care and improves the quality of life for a patient diagnosed with cancer

The ACT model is essential in promoting decisional capacity of those with SPMI and cancer diagnoses

The ability to access 24‐h support from the ACT model provides psychological support to patients dealing with chronic physical health diagnoses

Collaboration between cancer treatment teams and the multidisciplinary ACT team can improve treatment engagement and enhance a patient's natural support system
The Protein Interactome of a Nanoparticle Population in Whole Cytoplasm under Near‐Native Conditions: A Pilot Study
Authors: Han Zhuang Zhuang , Schultz Michael C.
Published: February 2022

The surface interactions of nanoparticles (NPs) with proteins are intensively studied because they partly determine the biological fate of these reagents. The protein interaction trajectory of NPs delivered from complex biofluids into the cytosol of vertebrate cells however remains poorly characterized. This topology is explored using isolated whole cytoplasm and carboxylated superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs (SPIONs). SPIONs are introduced into the cytoplasm in naked form or with an adsorbed cargo of serum proteins as an example of a complex NP “corona.” By filtering interactome datasets with information about protein localization and absolute cytosolic concentration, the soluble cytoplasmic proteins that contribute to corona formation in the cytoplasm are identified. These include a subset of glycolytic enzymes and proteins in soluble ribosomes. In the cytoplasm, the proteins of the serum corona are quickly removed from SPIONs by a non‐proteolytic mechanism. Although naked SPIONs and SPIONs with a serum corona capture the same 65 cytosolic proteins, their overall interaction trajectory in the cytoplasm is not identical. In particular, they diverge in engagement with macroscale cell parts such as mitochondria. This knowledge of the interaction landscape of NPs in the cytoplasm is expected to support hypothesis development in projects aimed at improving NP reagents for biomedical applications.
A novel cardiovascular systems model to quantify drugs effects on the inter‐relationship between contractility and other hemodynamic variables
Authors: Fu Yu , Taghvafard Hadi , Said Medhat M. , Rossman Eric I. , Collins Teresa A. , Billiald‐Desquand Stéphanie , Leishman Derek , van der Graaf Piet H. , van Hasselt J. G. Coen , Snelder Nelleke
Published: February 2022

The use of systems‐based pharmacological modeling approaches to characterize mode‐of‐action and concentration‐effect relationships for drugs on specific hemodynamic variables has been demonstrated. Here, we (i) expand a previously developed hemodynamic system model through integration of cardiac output (CO) with contractility (CTR) using pressure‐volume loop theory, and (ii) evaluate the contribution of CO data for identification of system‐specific parameters, using atenolol as proof‐of‐concept drug. Previously collected experimental data was used to develop the systems model, and included measurements for heart rate (HR), CO, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and CTR after administration of atenolol (0.3–30 mg/kg) from three in vivo telemetry studies in conscious Beagle dogs. The developed cardiovascular (CVS)‐contractility systems model adequately described the effect of atenolol on HR, CO, dP/dtmax, and MAP dynamics and allowed identification of both system‐ and drug‐specific parameters with good precision. Model parameters were structurally identifiable, and the true mode of action can be identified properly. Omission of CO data did not lead to a significant change in parameter estimates compared to a model that included CO data. The newly developed CVS‐contractility systems model characterizes short‐term drug effects on CTR, CO, and other hemodynamic variables in an integrated and quantitative manner. When the baseline value of total peripheral resistance is predefined, CO data was not required to identify drug‐ and system‐specific parameters. Confirmation of the consistency of system‐specific parameters via inclusion of data for additional drugs and species is warranted. Ultimately, the developed model has the potential to be of relevance to support translational CVS safety studies.
Restraint of FAM60A has a cancer‐inhibiting role in pancreatic carcinoma via the effects on the Akt/GSK‐3β/β‐catenin signaling pathway
Authors: Zhang Yan , Li Jun‐Hui , Yuan Qing‐Gong , Yang Wen‐Bin
Published: February 2022

Family with sequence similarity 60A (FAM60A) has been reported as a new cancer‐related protein that affects the malignant progression of some cancers. However, whether FAM60A plays a part in pancreatic carcinoma is undetermined. This work was designed to examine the impact of FAM60A in pancreatic carcinoma. Abundant expression of FAM60A was observed in the primary tumor tissue of pancreatic carcinoma. Moreover, a high FAM60A level was related to a poor overall survival in pancreatic carcinoma patients. Malignant behaviors of pancreatic carcinoma cells, such as proliferation and invasiveness, were markedly affected by FAM60A depletion. In addition, FAM60A depletion enhanced the drug sensitivity of pancreatic carcinoma cells to gemcitabine. Further study revealed that FAM60A depletion impaired the activities of Akt and β‐catenin. Inhibiting the activity of Akt abolished FAM60A‐mediated β‐catenin activation. Re‐expression of β‐catenin partially diminished the FAM60A‐depletion‐mediated cancer suppressive effect in pancreatic carcinoma cells. In vivo experiments demonstrated that FAM60A depletion prohibited the xenograft formation of pancreatic carcinoma cells, with concurrent reductions of Akt and β‐catenin activities. Collectively, our findings indicate that FAM60A exerts a cancer‐promoting role in pancreatic carcinoma through affection of the Akt/β‐catenin pathway. This work indicates that FAM60A acts as a tumor promoter in pancreatic carcinoma and can be utilized as a potential target for anti‐pancreatic carcinoma therapy development.
$$ \mathcal{N} $$ = (2, 2) AdS3 from D3-branes wrapped on Riemann surfaces
Authors: Couzens Christopher , Macpherson Niall T. , Passias Achilleas
Published: February 2022

Abstract

We construct $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= (2, 2) supersymmetric AdS3 solutions of type IIB supergravity, dual to twisted compactifications of 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 4 super-Yang-Mills on Riemann surfaces. We consider both theories with a regular topological twist, and a twist involving the isometry group of the Riemann surface. These solutions are interpreted as the near-horizon of black strings asymptoting to AdS5× S5. As evidence for the proposed duality we compute the central charge of the gravity solutions and show that it agrees with the field theory result.
Machine learning and power relations
Authors: Maas Jonne
Published: February 2022

There has been an increased focus within the AI ethics literature on questions of power, reflected in the ideal of accountability supported by many Responsible AI guidelines. While this recent debate points towards the power asymmetry between those who shape AI systems and those affected by them, the literature lacks normative grounding and misses conceptual clarity on how these power dynamics take shape. In this paper, I develop a workable conceptualization of said power dynamics according to Cristiano Castelfranchi’s conceptual framework of power and argue that end-users depend on a system’s developers and users, because end-users rely on these systems to satisfy their goals, constituting a power asymmetry between developers, users and end-users. I ground my analysis in the neo-republican moral wrong of domination, drawing attention to legitimacy concerns of the power-dependence relation following from the current lack of accountability mechanisms. I illustrate my claims on the basis of a risk-prediction machine learning system, and propose institutional (external auditing) and project-specific solutions (increase contestability through design-for-values approaches) to mitigate domination.
Characterization and clinical relevance of PDGFRA pathway copy number variation gains across human cancers
Authors: Liu Lizhu , Wu Lihong , Shan Dan , Han Bo
Published: February 2022

We investigated the copy number variation (CNV) of PDGFRA pathway across all common cancer types as well as its clinical relevance. This study included a total of 10,678 patients with pan-cancerous species involving 33 types of cancers and patient information was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. According to the PDGFRA pathway CNV, all samples were divided into copy number gain (CN gain) group and No CN gain group. The analysis of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) fraction, CNV burden, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and the number of immunogenic mutations were performed, as well as the correlation analysis of PDGFRA pathway CN gain with tumor-related signaling pathways and tumor-infiltrating immune cell subpopulations. The results showed that CN gain of PDGFRA pathway in the cancer patients was associated with significantly shorter overall survival. The CN gain of PDGFRA pathway was identified as a prognostic risk factor for some tumors. CN gain was accompanied by an altered percentage of LOH, CNV burden, TMB, the number of immunogenic mutations were increased and tumor-infiltrating immune cell subpopulations were less. While certain tumor-related signaling pathways, such as hypoxia, cell cycle, DNA repair, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition were more enriched in the CN gain group, quiescence, and inflammation pathways were more enriched in the No CN gain group. In conclusion, PDGFRA pathway CNV gain may be a poor prognostic factor in cancer patients.
High efficiency transmission grating for the ESO CUBES UV spectrograph
Authors: Zeitner Uwe D. , Dekker Hans , Burmeister Frank , Flügel-Paul Thomas , Bianco Andrea , Zanutta Alessio
Published: February 2022

CUBES is the Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph, a high-efficiency instrument operating in the UV spectral range between 300 nm and 400 nm with a resolution not less than 20,000. CUBES is to be installed at a Cassegrain focus of the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory. The paper briefly reviews various types of devices used as dispersing elements in astronomical spectrographs to achieve high resolution, before identifying binary transmission gratings produced by microlithography as the best candidate technology for the CUBES instrument. We describe the lithographic fabrication technology in general, two different design considerations to achieve the required high-resolution transmission grating, its prototyping by a direct-write lithographic fabrication technology, and the characterization of the achieved optical performance. An outlook to the realization of the grating for the final instrument, taking the most recent developments of lithographic writing capabilities into consideration is given.
Oocyte aging: looking beyond chromosome segregation errors
Authors: Bebbere Daniela , Coticchio Giovanni , Borini Andrea , Ledda Sergio
Published: February 2022

The age‐associated decline in female fertility is largely ascribable to a decrease in oocyte quality. This phenomenon is multifaceted and influenced by numerous interconnected maternal and environmental factors. An increase in the rate of meiotic errors is the major cause of the decline in oocyte developmental competence. However, abnormalities in the ooplasm accumulating with age — including altered metabolism, organelle dysfunction, and aberrant gene regulation — progressively undermine oocyte quality. Stockpiling of maternal macromolecules during folliculogenesis is crucial, as oocyte competence to achieve maturation, fertilization, and the earliest phases of embryo development occur in absence of transcription. At the same time, crucial remodeling of oocyte epigenetics during oogenesis is potentially exposed to interfering factors, such as assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) or environmental changes, whose impact may be enhanced by reproductive aging. As the effects of maternal aging on molecular mechanisms governing the function of the human oocyte remain poorly understood, studies in animal models are essential to deepen current understanding, with translational implications for human ARTs. The present mini review aims at offering an updated and consistent view of cytoplasmic alterations occurring in oocytes during aging, focusing particularly on gene and epigenetic regulation. Appreciation of these mechanisms could inspire solutions to mitigate/control the phenomenon, and thus benefit modern ARTs.
Deliberation and confidence change
Authors: Heinzelmann Nora , Hartmann Stephan
Published: February 2022

We argue that social deliberation may increase an agent’s confidence and credence under certain circumstances. An agent considers a proposition H and assigns a probability to it. However, she is not fully confident that she herself is reliable in this assignment. She then endorses H during deliberation with another person, expecting him to raise serious objections. To her surprise, however, the other person does not raise any objections to H. How should her attitudes toward H change? It seems plausible that she should (i) increase the credence she assigns to H and, at the same time, (ii) increase the reliability she assigns to herself concerning H (i.e. her confidence). A Bayesian model helps us to investigate under what conditions, if any, this is rational.
Tap Water Quality Degradation in an Intermittent Water Supply Area
Authors: Shakya Bijay Man , Nakamura Takashi , Shrestha Sadhana , Pathak Sarad , Nishida Kei , Malla Rabin
Published: February 2022

Decentralized tap water systems are an important drinking water source worldwide. A good quality, high-pressure continuous water supply (CWS) is always the target of any urban settlement. However, tap water in some areas are reported with deteriorated water quality even though treated well before supplying. Such deterioration of tap water quality is reported widely from areas with low water availability and in economically poor countries where water are supplied intermittently (IWS). This study focuses in identifying tap water quality in IWS and causes of water quality degradation using nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) as an indicator and stable isotopes of hydrogen (δD) as tracer. Nine water reservoirs and ninety municipal tap water (ten per reservoir) samples were collected during the wet (June–September) and dry (November–February) seasons in the Kathmandu Valley (KV), Nepal. Ten percent of the tap water samples exhibited higher NO3-N than those of their respective reservoirs during the wet season, while 16% exhibited higher concentrations during the dry season. Similarly, the isotopic signatures of tap water exhibited 3% and 23% higher concentrations than those of their respective reservoirs during the wet and dry seasons, respectively. Coupling analysis between NO3-N and δD demonstrates close connection of groundwater and tap water. The results indicate groundwater intrusion as the primary component in controlling tap water quality variations within the same distribution networks during IWS. Meanwhile, the obtained results also indicate probable areas of intrusion in the KV as well as usefulness of δD as a tool in the assessment of tap water systems.
Environmental Drivers of Nearshore Fish Community Composition and Size Structure in Glacially Influenced Gulf of Alaska Estuaries
Authors: Lundstrom Nina C. , Beaudreau Anne H. , Mueter Franz J. , Konar Brenda
Published: February 2022

Coastal ecosystems in Alaska are undergoing rapid change due to warming and glacier recession. We used a natural gradient of glacierized to non-glacierized watersheds (0–60% glacier coverage) in two regions along the Gulf of Alaska—Kachemak Bay and Lynn Canal—to evaluate relationships between local environmental conditions and estuarine fish communities. Multivariate analyses of fish community data collected from five sites per region in 2019 showed that region accounted for the most variation in community composition, suggesting that local effects of watershed type were masked by regional-scale variables. Seasonal shifts in community composition were driven largely by the influx of juvenile Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in late spring. Spatiotemporal differences among fish communities were partly explained by salinity and temperature, which accounted for 19.5% of the variation in community composition. We used a multi-year dataset from Lynn Canal (2014–2019) to examine patterns of mean length for two dominant species. Generalized additive mixed models indicated that Pacific staghorn sculpin (Leptocottus armatus) mean length varied along site-specific seasonal gradients, increasing gradually through the summer in the least glacially influenced sites and increasing rapidly to an asymptote of ~ 150 mm in the most glacially influenced sites. Starry flounder (Platichthys stellatus) mean length was more strongly related to environmental conditions, increasing with temperature and turbidity. Together, our findings suggest that community compositions of estuarine fishes show greater variation at the regional scale than the watershed scale, but species-specific variation in size distributions may indicate differences in habitat quality across watershed types within regions.
Changes in demographics, treatment and outcomes in a consecutive cohort who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation between 2005 and 2020
Authors: De Ronde-Tillmans M. J. A. G. , Nuis R. M. , Goudzwaard J. A. , Cummins P. A. , Hokken T. W. , Van Wiechen M. P. H. , Ooms J. F. W. , Daemen J. , Van Mieghem N. M. D. A. , Mattace-Raso F. U. S. , Lenzen M. J. , de Jaegere P. P. T.
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has matured to the treatment of choice for most patients with aortic stenosis (AS). We sought to identify trends in patient and procedural characteristics, and clinical outcomes in all patients who underwent TAVI between 2005 and 2020.

Methods

A single-centre analysis was performed on 1500 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI, divided into three tertiles (T) of 500 patients treated between November 2005 and December 2014 (T1), January 2015 and May 2018 (T2) and June 2018 and April 2020 (T3).

Results

Over time, mean age and gender did not change (T1 to T3: 80, 80 and 79 years and 53%, 55% and 52% men, respectively), while the Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score declined (T1: 4.5% to T3: 2.7%, p < 0.001). Use of general anaesthesia also declined over time (100%, 24% and 1% from T1 to T3) and transfemoral TAVI remained the default approach (87%, 94% and 92%). Median procedure time and contrast volume decreased significantly (186, 114 and 56 min and 120, 100 and 80 ml, respectively). Thirty-day mortality (7%, 4% and 2%), stroke (7%, 3% and 3%), need for a pacemaker (19%, 22% and 8%) and delirium (17%, 12% and 8%) improved significantly, while major bleeding/vascular complications did not change (both approximately 9%, 6% and 6%). One-year survival was 80%, 88% and 92%, respectively.

Conclusion

Over our 15 years’ experience, patient age remained unchanged but the patient risk profile became more favourable. Simplification of the TAVI procedure occurred in parallel with major improvement in outcomes and survival. Bleeding/vascular complications and the need for pacemaker implantation remain the Achilles’ heel of TAVI.
Investigating the effect of TiO2-based nanofluids in the stability of crude oil flow: parametric analysis and Gaussian process regression modeling
Authors: Shnain Zainb Y. , Mageed Alyaa K. , Majdi Hasan Sh. , Mohammadi Majid , AbdulRazak Adnan A. , Abid Mohammad F.
Published: February 2022

Study has shown that the precipitation of asphaltenes could be the most detrimental mechanism that significantly influences well productivity during crude oil processing. The flow of the crude oil could seriously be affected if the effect of the asphaltenes is not inhibited. This study aims to investigate the effect of TiO2-based nanofluid in stabilizing crude oil flow. The effect of the ratio of TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposite in the organic nanofluid, the salinity of the nanofluid, and pH on the amount of organic solvent (n-heptane) added to stabilize the crude oil flow was investigated using Gaussian Process Progression (GPR) with five kernel functions [exponential square kernel (model 1), rotational quadratic (model 2), Matern 5/2 (model 3), exponential (model 4), and non-isotopic rotational quadratic (model 5)]. The GPR using the various kernel function had good modeling of the relationship between the ratio of TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposite in the organic nanofluid, the salinity of the nanofluid, the pH, and the amount of organic solvent (n-heptane) added to stabilize the crude oil flow. This is evidence from the R2 of 0.820, 0.999, 0.999, 0.999, 0.999 for model 1, model 2, model 3, model 4, and model 5, respectively. Each of the models had low prediction errors as indicated by the MSE, RMSE, and MAE. Based on the sensitivity analysis, the ratio of TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposite in the organic nanofluid had the most significant influence on the amount of n-heptane added to stabilize the crude oil.
A Case of Female Orgasm Without Genital Stimulation
Authors: Pfaus James G. , Tsarski Karolin
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Orgasm is a complex, multimodal reflex induced typically by genital stimulation. Genitally stimulated orgasms (GSOs) activate excitatory neurochemical pathways in the brain and spinal cord that ultimately stimulate sympathetic outflow and the inhibition of parasympathetic spinal circuits in the lower lumbar cord. However, some women claim to have orgasms spontaneously without genital stimulation.

Aims

To report the case of a 33-year-old woman who developed the ability to attain and control the duration of a subjective orgasmic state without genital stimulation after tantric training.

Methods

Blood was taken at weekly intervals before, during, and after spontaneously-induced orgasms that lasted 5 or 10 minutes, or after a 10-minutes period of book reading. Plasma was analyzed using ELISA for luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, free testosterone, and prolactin. The woman also provided subjective scores for different types of orgasms using the Mah and Binik (2002) Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS).

Results

Prolactin levels post orgasm increased by 25% and 48%, respectively, after the 5- or 10-minutes non-genitally stimulated orgasm (NGSO), and were still elevated from baseline 30 minutes after orgasm. No changes were observed in FSH or free testosterone. The pattern of sensory, affective, and evaluative orgasm ratings after a 10-minutes NGSO was similar to orgasms induced by clitoral or anal stimulation. Book reading did not result in any change in prolactin.

Conclusion

Prolactin surges after orgasm are an objective marker of orgasm quality. The increase in prolactin after her NGSOs indicate that they induce the same physiological changes as GSOs and result from “top-down” processing in the brain.
Physiological Influences of Music in Perception and Action
Authors: Wright Shannon E. , Bégel Valentin , Palmer Caroline
Published: February 2022

This Element reviews literature on the physiological influences of music during perception and action. It outlines how acoustic features of music influence physiological responses during passive listening, with an emphasis on comparisons of analytical approaches. It then considers specific behavioural contexts in which physiological responses to music impact perception and performance. First, it describes physiological responses to music that evoke an emotional reaction in listeners. Second, it delineates how music influences physiology during music performance and exercise. Finally, it discusses the role of music perception in pain, focusing on medical procedures and laboratory-induced pain with infants and adults.
Marie-Louise von Motesiczky: Re-negotiating the self-portrait as a woman émigré artist in the Nazi era
Authors: Cleary MaryKate
Published: February 2022

Born in Vienna in 1906 to a wealthy, assimilated Jewish family, the painter Marie-Louise von Motesiczky enjoyed a lively social life among the prominent figures of intellectual and cultural Vienna in the closing years of the Habsburg dynasty. She studied at art schools in Vienna, Paris, and the Netherlands, including with German painter Max Beckmann in Frankfurt. The Nazi rise to power cut short Marie-Louise Motesiczky’s career in Central Europe. She fled Vienna for permanent refuge in England. Like her mentor, Beckmann and her contemporary and fellow émigré artist, Oskar Kokoschka, Motesiczky considered the artistic practice of the self-portrait an occasion for self-questioning, self-affirmation, and self-discovery. Unlike her mentors, from early in her career, Motesiczky’s self-portraits had to negotiate the representation of a female subject. This article will investigate the ways in which Motesiczky’s emigration compelled her to reexamine the gendered parameters of the self-portrait and how that reassessment manifests itself specifically in regard to her engagement with the spectatorial gaze. Her position as an émigré artist will not be analyzed as a burden to be overcome but, rather, as the impetus for reexamining techniques and strategies of female self-portraiture.
A hostage of the Cold War: The return of the monastery treasure of Pechory
Authors: Schmiegelt-Rietig Ulrike
Published: February 2022

The collection of liturgical objects of the Pechory Monastery close to the city of Pskov on Lake Peipus was deployed as a repository in Germany by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg during World War II. After the war, it was not subject to intergovernmental restitution but was stored away in the Wiesbaden Central Collecting Point and subsequently handed over to the newly founded Icon Museum of Recklinghausen before being restituted to the monastery almost two decades later. This article gives a description of the treasure itself and its history. It traces the odyssey of the treasure in Germany until its restitution and examines the different stages of its journey. The handling of this case in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is symptomatic of the official German attitude toward National Socialist cultural loot and of the changing debates around this subject throughout the decades. These debates form a micro-history that reflects the FRG’s master narratives about World War II and its consequences, the division of Germany, and its changing, but questionable, relationship to the Soviet Union. In addition, it closely follows the political mainstream from the deep anti-Soviet attitudes of the postwar years to Chancellor Willy Brandt’s policy of détente in the 1970s, which made the restitution actually possible. The act in its entity can be seen as a typical example of Nazi Germany’s art looting in the occupied parts of Europe and of the particular conditions in Central and Eastern Europe as well as the after-war restitution policies of the Western allies and the FRG. It is nonetheless typical of the Soviet Union’s policy of denying restitutions later on, including immediate postwar restitutions as well as later acts such as the one involving the Pechory treasure, which has sometimes been repeated up to the present day.
A triple-band dual-fed frequency-flexible SIW cavity-backed slot antenna
Authors: A. Althuwayb Ayman , Chaturvedi Divya
Published: February 2022

This article presents a novel dual-fed triple-frequency bands antenna using quarter-mode (QM)/ Eight-mode (EM) substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity resonators. A V-shaped slot is etched into the patch to divide the half-mode cavity into one QM and two EM cavities. One section of the EM cavity and QM cavity are excited with the help of individual micro-strip feedlines. This configuration yields two distinct frequency bands at 4.85 GHz due to TE110 mode of the EMSIW cavity and 5.87 GHz due to TE110 mode of the QMSIW cavity confirming the self-diplexing property. Later, when both the EM cavity sections are joined with the help of two metallic strips, an additional resonance appears at 7.34 GHz due to the excitation of TE120 mode. As compared to the conventional counterparts, the proposed structure is compact and simple. The footprint of the top patch is 0.6λ1 × 0.3λ1. To authenticate the proposed idea, the design is experimentally verified, and the measured results show a good covenant with the simulated results.
KlingMuslims in Sixteenth-Century Ayutthaya: Towards Aggregating the Fragments
Authors: Joll Christopher M. , Aree Srawut
Published: February 2022

This article reconstructs the history ofKlingMuslims’ contribution to the religious and ethnic cosmopolitanism of sixteenth-century Ayutthaya. This study's argument is constructed based on an aggregate of written fragments about theKlingin both Portuguese primary sources and the wider academic literature. We reveal that, amongst the many ways in which Siam benefited from the Iberian invasion of Melaka in 1511, the dramatic geopolitical rupture of the invasion re-routed trade across the Bay of Bengal. As a result,Klingmerchants began arriving in Ayutthaya in greater numbers via the new network of Siamese-controlled ports and portages. Moreover, this study demonstrates the utility of greater synergy among South Asian, Southeast Asian, Thai, and Malay Studies through focusing on the exonyms employed in primary and secondary sources. Finally, this article contends that Ayutthaya's ethnic and religious cosmopolitanism was impacted by the arrival of South Asian Muslims, referred to asKlingin the Malay World andKhaekin Siam, approximately one century before Persians arrived in greater numbers. This, among others, was an unintended result of Portugal's sixteenth-century interventions into, and alliances with, the Siamese.
An Enjoyable Story, a Persuasive Story
Authors: Lee Tae Kyoung , Kim Hye Kyung
Published: February 2022

Abstract. Applying disposition theory to narrative persuasion, this study examined how audience members’ enjoyment of a narrative promotes persuasion differently than transportation and identification. In a 2 (affective disposition: liked vs. disliked story character) × 2 (framing: gain vs. loss framed story) between-subject experiment, participants ( N = 295) read a story in which a liked or disliked character has either a positive outcome (a gain frame) or a negative outcome (a loss frame) dependent on the story character’s engagement in sun protection behaviors. Consistent with disposition theory, participants enjoyed the story more when a liked character was in a gain-framed (vs. loss-framed) narrative; however, no framing effect was found for a disliked character. This interactive effect on enjoyment, in turn, mediated participants’ intentions to engage in sun protection behaviors. Affective disposition and framing independently influenced transportation and identification. Transportation mediated the effect of affective disposition on behavioral intention, but identification did not. This study demonstrates distinctive narrative conditions that prompt enjoyment, transportation, and identification in different ways and, in turn, lead to persuasive effects.