bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear suppression using time-delayed controller to excited Van der Pol–Duffing oscillator: analytical solution techniques
Authors: Moatimid Galal M. , Amer T. S.
Published: September 2022

To suppress the nonlinearity of an excited Van der Pol–Duffing oscillator (VdPD), time-delayed position and velocity are used throughout this study. The time delay is supplemental to prevent the nonlinear vibration of the considered system. The topic of this work is extremely current because technologies with a time delay have been the subject of several studies in the latest days. The classical homotopy perturbation method (HPM) is utilized to extract an approximate systematic explanation for the system at hand. Furthermore, a modification of the HPM reveals a more accurate approximate solution. This accuracy is tested through a comparison with the numerical solution. The practical approximate analytical methodology makes the work possible to qualitatively evaluate the results. The time histories of the obtained solutions are drawn for various values of the natural frequency and the time delay parameters. Discussion of the results is presented in light of the plotted curves. On the other hand, the multiple scale procedure examines the organized nonlinear prototypical approach. The influence of the diverse regulatory restrictions on the organization’s vibration performances is explored. Two important cases of resonance, the sub-harmonic and super-harmonic, are examined according to the cubic nonlinearity. The modulation equations achieved for these cases are examined graphically according to the impact of the used parameters.
Study of the variation of the 12-month prevalence of exposure to workplace bullying across national French working population subgroups
Authors: Niedhammer Isabelle , Pineau Elodie , Bertrais Sandrine
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The studies are lacking on the variation of the prevalence of exposure to workplace bullying according to subgroups of national working populations. The objectives were to assess the 12-month prevalence of bullying in the national French working population, to describe the reported reasons for bullying, and to study its variation according to various employment variables.

Methods

The study was based on the data of the 2013 national French working conditions survey. The study sample included 25,769 employees aged 15–65 working in the same job within the last 12 months. The 12-month prevalence of bullying was assessed using a 9-item questionnaire. Employment variables included: occupation, economic activity of the company, public/private sector, company size, permanent/temporary work contract, and full/part-time work. The analyses were performed using statistical methods for weighted survey data.

Results

The 12-month prevalence of bullying was 26.7% and 28.7% for men and women, respectively. The most prevalent forms of bullying were criticisms, exclusion, and deprivation of right of expression. The leading reasons for being bullied were related to occupation, age, and gender. The prevalence of bullying was higher among the younger employees, the employees working in medium/large companies (including the public sector), and among employees working full time. Though significant, the variations according to occupations and economic activities of the company were small.

Conclusion

Workplace bullying appeared as a widespread phenomenon in France. More attention should be given to young employees and the employees working in medium/large companies. Preventive measures should also target the whole working population comprehensively.
Your words went straight to my heart: the role of emotional prototypicality in the recognition of emotion-label words
Authors: Haro Juan , Calvillo Rocío , Poch Claudia , Hinojosa José Antonio , Ferré Pilar
Published: September 2022

Emotional words differ in how they acquire their emotional charge. There is a relevant distinction between emotion-label words (those that directly name an emotion, e.g., “joy” or “sadness”) and emotion-laden words (those that do not name an emotion, but can provoke it, e.g., “party” or “death”). In this work, we focused on emotion-label words. These words vary in their emotional prototypicality, which indicates the extent to which the word refers to an emotion. We conducted two lexical decision experiments to examine the role played by emotional prototypicality in the recognition of emotion-label words. The results showed that emotional prototypicality has a facilitative effect in word recognition. Emotional prototypicality would ease conceptual access, thus facilitating the retrieval of emotional content during word recognition. In addition to the theoretical implications, the evidence gathered in this study also highlights the need to consider emotional prototypicality in the selection of emotion-label words in future studies.
Resistance to fosfomycin is increasing and is significantly associated with extended-spectrum β-lactamase-production in urinary isolates of Escherichia coli
Authors: Ríos Esther , del Carmen López Diaz María , Culebras Esther , Rodríguez-Avial Iciar , Rodríguez-Avial Carmen
Published: September 2022

Fosfomycin has become a therapeutic option in urinary tract infections. Our objective was to evaluate the in vitro activity of fosfomycin against Escherichia coli isolated from urine samples in 2013, 2018 and 2021. We also determined a putative association between fosfomycin resistance and extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) production. Fosfomycin activity was evaluated against 7367, 8128 and 5072 Escherichia coli urinary isolates in 2013, 2018 and 2021, respectively. We compare the prevalence of fosfomycin-resistant strains among the ESBL- and non-ESBL-producing isolates. MICs of fosfomycin, cefotaxime, and cefotaxime-clavulanate were determined by a microdilution method. 302 ESBL-producers were selected to determine MICs of fosfomycin by agar dilution and genes encoding ESBLs were detected by PCR. Among the total of ESBL-producing strains, 14.3%, 20.8% and 20% were resistant to fosfomycin in 2013, 2018 and 2021, respectively, whereas fosfomycin resistance in non-ESBL producers was 3.5%, 4.05% and 5.53% for each year (P ≤ 0.001). In the 302 selected ESBL-producing isolates, CTX-M was the main ESBL (228 isolates), being 50.7% CTX-M-15. Resistance to fosfomycin among these ESBL-producing strains was associated (P = 0.049) with isolates that produced the CTX-M type. Our data show that fosfomycin resistance is increasing in Escherichia coli urinary isolates and it is related to ESBL-production. A follow-up of fosfomycin resistance is required.
Measuring the indirect cost associated with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a nationwide cross-sectional study in China
Authors: Yang Yi , Xia Yu , Su Chunxia , Chen Jia , Long Enwu , Zhang Haibo , Gan Yuying , Yan Fei , Chen Yingyao
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study was conducted to estimate the indirect cost of locally advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without sensitizing EGFR and ALK alterations in China and explore the predictors from both patient and caregiver perspectives.

Methods

Data were obtained from a nationwide cross-sectional study for the patients with advanced NSCLC (stage IIIB–IV) and their caregivers. Indirect medical cost was estimated as health productivity loss based on self-reported income and loss of work time. The generalized linear model was used to assess the independent associations between statistically significant variables and indirect economic burden.

Results

611 pairs of patients and patient caregivers from 13 medical centers in five provinces in China participated in this investigation. The indirect medical cost associated with advanced NSCLC since the patient diagnosed was $1413 per capita in China. General linear regression results showed that the indirect medical cost was significantly influenced by duration of disease since diagnosis, treatment options, caregivers’ occupation and age (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The indirect economic burden linked to advanced NSCLC in China is considerable on patients, and their caregivers. To minimize the severe challenges of indirect economic burden related to advanced NSCLC, expanding the coverage of the medical insurance and assistance system to reimburse part of the indirect costs related to cancer, as well as strengthening the accessibility for more effective therapies to improve the prognosis of advanced NSCLC, and further promote the patients and their caregivers to return to work or normal life may be the potentially feasible approaches.
Choosing multiple linear regressions for weather-based crop yield prediction with ABSOLUT v1.2 applied to the districts of Germany
Authors: Conradt Tobias
Published: September 2022

ABSOLUT v1.2 is an adaptive algorithm that uses correlations between time-aggregated weather variables and crop yields for yield prediction. In contrast to conventional regression-based yield prediction methods, a very broad range of possible input features and their combinations are exhaustively tested for maximum explanatory power. Weather variables such as temperature, precipitation, and sunshine duration are aggregated over different seasonal time periods preceding the harvest to 45 potential input features per original variable. In a first step, this large set of features is reduced to those aggregates very probably holding explanatory power for observed yields. The second, computationally demanding step evaluates predictions for all districts with all of their possible combinations. Step three selects those combinations of weather features that showed the highest predictive power across districts. Finally, the district-specific best performing regressions among these are used for actual prediction, and the results are spatially aggregated. To evaluate the new approach, ABSOLUT v1.2 is applied to predict the yields of silage maize, winter wheat, and other major crops in Germany based on two decades of data from about 300 districts. It turned out to be absolutely crucial to not only make out-of-sample predictions (solely based on data excluding the target year to predict) but to also consequently separate training and testing years in the process of feature selection. Otherwise, the prediction accuracy would be over-estimated by far. The question arises whether performances claimed for other statistical modelling examples are often upward-biased through input variable selection disregarding the out-of-sample principle.
Difference in medical service use among Korean gastric cancer survivors according to regional healthcare vulnerabilities: a cohort study
Authors: Jeong Sung Hoon , Joo Jae Hong , Park Minah , Yun Choa , Kang Soo Hyun , Park Eun-Cheol , Han Yoon Dae , Jang Sung-In
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study investigated the relationship between medical service use and healthcare vulnerability, pre- and post-gastric cancer diagnosis. Differences between healthcare-vulnerable and healthcare-nonvulnerable regions identified inequities that require intervention.

Methods

This cohort study was done using the National Health Insurance claims data of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer between 2004 and 2013. The Position Value for Relative Comparison Index was used to determine whether the patients lived in a healthcare-vulnerable region. Medical service use was classified into annual outpatient treatment, hospitalization days, and emergency treatment. We used a generalized linear model to which the Poisson distribution was applied and compared regional differences in medical service use.

Results

A total of 1797 gastric cancer patients who had survived 5 years post-diagnosis were included in the study, of which 14.2% lived in healthcare-vulnerable regions. The patients in vulnerable regions surviving 5–7 years post-diagnosis had a higher number of outpatient visits than those in nonvulnerable regions. Furthermore, hospitalization days were lesser for patients in vulnerable regions who survived 6 years post-diagnosis than those in nonvulnerable regions; however, this number increased in the seventh year.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that gastric cancer survivors living in healthcare-vulnerable regions have a higher probability of increased medical service use 5 years post-diagnosis compared with patients in nonvulnerable regions, which may significantly increase healthcare disparities over time. Therefore, in the future, additional research is needed to elucidate the causes of the disparities in healthcare use and the results of the differences in health outcomes.
MEDIC: a multi-task learning dataset for disaster image classification
Authors: Alam Firoj , Alam Tanvirul , Hasan Md. Arid , Hasnat Abul , Imran Muhammad , Ofli Ferda
Published: September 2022

Recent research in disaster informatics demonstrates a practical and important use case of artificial intelligence to save human lives and suffering during natural disasters based on social media contents (text and images). While notable progress has been made using texts, research on exploiting the images remains relatively under-explored. To advance image-based approaches, we propose MEDIC (https://crisisnlp.qcri.org/medic/index.html), which is the largest social media image classification dataset for humanitarian response consisting of 71,198 images to address four different tasks in a multi-task learning setup. This is the first dataset of its kind: social media images, disaster response, and multi-task learning research. An important property of this dataset is its high potential to facilitate research on multi-task learning, which recently receives much interest from the machine learning community and has shown remarkable results in terms of memory, inference speed, performance, and generalization capability. Therefore, the proposed dataset is an important resource for advancing image-based disaster management and multi-task machine learning research. We experiment with different deep learning architectures and report promising results, which are above the majority baselines for all tasks. Along with the dataset, we also release all relevant scripts (https://github.com/firojalam/medic).
Irregular $${{\mathcal {B}}}$$-free Toeplitz sequences via Besicovitch’s construction of sets of multiples without density
Authors: Keller Gerhard
Published: September 2022

Modifying Besicovitch’s construction of a set$${{\mathcal {B}}}$$Bof positive integers whose set of multiples$${{\mathcal {M}}}_{{\mathcal {B}}}$$MBhas no asymptotic density, we provide examples of such sets$${{\mathcal {B}}}$$Bfor which$$\eta :=1_{{\mathbb {Z}}\setminus {{\mathcal {M}}}_{{\mathcal {B}}}}\in \{0,1\}^{\mathbb {Z}}$$η:=1Z\MB∈{0,1}Zis a Toeplitz sequence. Moreover our construction produces examples, for which$$\eta $$ηis not only quasi-generic for the Mirsky measure (which has discrete dynamical spectrum), but also for some measure of positive entropy. On the other hand, modifying slightly an example from Kasjan, Keller, and Lemańczyk, we construct a set$${{\mathcal {B}}}$$Bfor which$$\eta $$ηis an irregular Toeplitz sequence but for which the orbit closure of$$\eta $$ηin$$\{0,1\}^{\mathbb {Z}}$${0,1}Zis uniquely ergodic.
Characterization of shear zones in soft granular beds by means of a novel magnetic resonance imaging technique
Authors: Wang Jing , Farmani Zohreh , Dijksman Joshua A. , Lübeck Cindy , Speck Oliver , Stannarius Ralf
Published: September 2022

We introduce a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging technique to study the geometry of shear zones of soft, low-frictional and hard, frictional granular materials and their mixtures. Hydrogel spheres serve as the soft, low-frictional material component, while mustard seeds represent rigid, frictional grains. Some of the hydrogel spheres are doped with $$\hbox {CuSO}_4$$

CuSO
4

salt to serve as tracers. A cylindrical split-bottom cell is sheared stepwise and the shear profiles are determined from the differences of tomograms after successive shear steps, using Particle Imaging Velocimetry and Particle Tracking Velocimetry. We find that the shear zone geometry differs considerably between soft grains submersed in water and the same material without the embedding fluid.

Graphic abstract
New granulometric expressions for estimating permeability of granular drainages
Authors: Díaz-Curiel Jesús , Miguel María J. , Biosca Bárbara , Arévalo-Lomas Lucía
Published: September 2022

This paper describes a new formulation for estimating the permeability of drainages composed of natural sands with no clay content, starting from the parameters obtained from the grain size distribution. The conventional relationships for estimating permeability are functions of granulometric factors and porosity. However, for media typically used as drainage, the grain size grading is a determinant factor, so the porosity dependence can be replaced by a function of the average grain size and grading. The methodology used in this study consists of fitting a set of measured permeability values to a joint expression of the average grain size and the granulometric grading coefficient. To this end, a new effective diameter that can be obtained numerically and graphically is defined, and the permeability relationship is solely dependent on this diameter. To estimate later changes in drainage packing and the consequent variations in porosity, a contrasting modification of the Kozeny–Carman equation is established. This equation considers the grain size grading and is applicable to any granular media.
Cross-scale collaboration for adaptation to climate change: a two-mode network analysis of bridging actors in Switzerland
Authors: Braunschweiger Dominik
Published: September 2022

Adaptation to the impacts of climate change has become an increasingly important policy field in recent years, but it is complicated due to ambiguous responsibilities. To ensure the coherence of adaptation policies, cooperation is necessary between sectors as well as between administrative levels. As such, fragmentation between both sectors and levels is a huge challenge for the successful formulation and implementation of climate change adaptation policies. Bridging actors who coordinate actions across levels and sectors play an important role in overcoming this challenge. Through means of social network analysis, I investigate which actors occupy key bridging roles in the multi-level and federalist arrangement of Swiss climate change adaptation governance. I analyse a two-mode network of actors and climate change adaptation measures, conducting a complete inventory of all measures and policies carried out in the context of the Swiss adaptation strategy as well as all actors involved in their design, funding and implementation. I find that federal governmental actors occupy the most important bridging roles. However, for the most part, they seem more focused on building cross-sectoral ties than on building cross-level ties. The Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) stands out as the one national authority that managed to establish almost as many cross-level ties as cross-sectoral ties through the coordination of an adaptation funding programme. Thus, while adaptation measures will primarily be implemented on the municipal level, higher level actors still have a vital role to play in promoting municipal efforts, fostering collaboration and reducing fragmentation.
Natural and Indigenous sciences: reflections on an attempt to collaborate
Authors: Kater Ilona
Published: September 2022

Natural scientists are increasingly being encouraged to engage with local and Indigenous communities when carrying out research. However, these attempts at collaboration can repeatedly bring up challenges that have their root in how the different stakeholders relate to one another throughout the research process. This essay explores the experiences of the author, an early career researcher trained in the natural sciences, in her attempts to undertake interdisciplinary collaborative work with Sámi reindeer herders in Northern Europe. Whilst underpinned with good intent of creating decolonial, collaborative and locally useful research, the practice of this work lacked awareness of how to do so effectively, leading to multiple challenges in the project. This was largely due to the author having an inadequate understanding of key relevant discourses, including research fatigue, ethics of co-authorship, mismatching timelines, mismatching expectations between academics and relevant communities and power dynamics in interpersonal relationships. These are topics that have been explored in-depth in fields such as human geography, social sciences and anthropology, yet they are insufficiently considered in the natural sciences as a whole. The purpose of this essay is two-fold. The first is to signpost natural scientists wishing to engage in collaborative research towards key texts and concepts that could aid their work. It is not an extensive review, but rather what is hopefully an accessible introduction. It is, quite simply, an essay that the author would have appreciated having access to before undertaking her work. The second is to contribute to a wider discussion around the need for a more diverse and decolonial training in the natural sciences, so we all can respond to the many changes currently occurring on our planet using knowledge generated from well-informed, meaningful and effective collaborations.
A cost-utility analysis comparing endovascular coiling to neurosurgical clipping in the treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage
Authors: Ahmed Ayla , Ahmed Yonis , Duah-Asante Kwaku , Lawal Abayomi , Mohiaddin Zain , Nawab Hasan , Tang Alexis , Wang Brian , Miller George , Malawana Johann
Published: September 2022

Endovascular coiling (EC) has been identified in systematic reviews and meta-analyses to produce more favourable clinical outcomes in comparison to neurosurgical clipping (NC) when surgically treating a subarachnoid haemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm. Cost-effectiveness analyses between both interventions have been done, but no cost-utility analysis has yet been published. This systematic review aims to perform an economic analysis of the relative utility outcomes and costs from both treatments in the UK. A cost-utility analysis was performed from the perspective of the National Health Service (NHS), over a 1-year analytic horizon. Outcomes were obtained from the randomised International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT) and measured in terms of the patient’s modified Rankin scale (mRS) grade, a 6-point disability scale that aims to quantify a patient’s functional outcome following a stroke. The mRS score was weighted against the Euro-QoL 5-dimension (EQ-5D), with each state assigned a weighted utility value which was then converted into quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). A sensitivity analysis using different utility dimensions was performed to identify any variation in incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) if different input variables were used. Costs were measured in pounds sterling (£) and discounted by 3.5% to 2020/2021 prices. The cost-utility analysis showed an ICER of − £144,004 incurred for every QALY gained when EC was utilised over NC. At NICE’s upper willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of £30,000, EC offered a monetary net benefit (MNB) of £7934.63 and health net benefit (HNB) of 0.264 higher than NC. At NICE’s lower WTP threshold of £20,000, EC offered an MNB of £7478.63 and HNB of 0.374 higher than NC. EC was found to be more ‘cost-effective’ than NC, with an ICER in the bottom right quadrant of the cost-effectiveness plane—indicating that it offers greater benefits at lower costs. This is supported by the ICER being below the NICE’s threshold of £20,000–£30,000 per QALY, and both MNB and HNB having positive values (> 0).
A Novel Approach for Multiple Material Extrusion in Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Authors: Mazzocchi Tommaso , Guarnera Daniele , Trucco Diego , Restaino Francesco Rocco , Vannozzi Lorenzo , Siliberto Alessio , Lisignoli Gina , Zaffagnini Stefano , Russo Alessandro , Ricotti Leonardo
Published: September 2022

Articular cartilage defects and degenerative diseases are pathological conditions that cause pain and the progressive loss of joint functionalities. The most severe cases are treated through partial or complete joint replacement with prostheses, even if the interest in cartilage regeneration and re-growth methods is steadily increasing. These methods consist of the targeted deposition of biomaterials. Only a few tools have been developed so far for performing these procedures in a minimally invasive way. This work presents an innovative device for the direct deposition of multiple biomaterials in an arthroscopic scenario. The tool is easily handleable and allows the extrusion of three different materials simultaneously. It is also equipped with a flexible tip to reach remote areas of the damaged cartilage. Three channels are arranged coaxially and a spring-based dip-coating approach allows the fabrication and assembly of a bendable polymeric tip. Experimental tests were performed to characterize the tip, showing the ability to bend it up to 90° (using a force of ~ 1.5 N) and to extrude three coaxial biomaterials at the same time with both tip straight and tip fully bent. Rheometric analysis and fluid-dynamic computational simulations were performed to analyze the fluids’ behavior; the maximum shear stresses were observed in correspondence to the distal tip and the channel convergence chamber, but with values up to ~ 1.2 kPa, compatible with a safe extrusion of biomaterials, even laden with cells. The cells viability was assessed after the extrusion with Live/Dead assay, confirming the safety of the extrusion procedures. Finally, the tool was tested arthroscopically in a cadaveric knee, demonstrating its ability to deliver the biomaterial in different areas, even ones that are typically hard-to-reach with traditional tools.
Intentional- but not Unintentional Medication Non-adherence was Related with Beliefs about Medicines Among a Multi-Ethnic Sample of People with HIV
Authors: Castelan Anjuly , Nellen Jeannine F , van der Valk Marc , Nieuwkerk Pythia T
Published: September 2022

Medication non-adherence can be intentional or unintentional. We investigated the prevalence of unintentional and intentional non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the relationship with beliefs about medicines, sociodemographic- and HIV-related variables among people with HIV (PWH) attending the HIV clinic of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers. Participants completed the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS) and the Beliefs about Medicines (BMQ) questionnaire. About half of 80 participants reported unintentional non-adherence and 20% reported intentional non-adherence. Both unintentional and intentional non-adherence were associated with younger age. Additionally, intentional non-adherence was associated with being a migrant from Suriname /Netherlands Antilles, having more concerns about negative effects of ART and stronger beliefs that medicines in general are overused/ overprescribed. In conclusion, intentional but not unintentional non-adherence was associated with beliefs about medicines. Eliciting and discussing beliefs about medicines may be a promising avenue to address patients’ concerns and perceptions thereby potentially enhancing medication adherence.
Comparative Effectiveness of Integrated Peer Support and Clinical Staffing Models for Community-Based Residential Mental Health Rehabilitation: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Parker Stephen , Arnautovska U. , Korman N. , Harris M. , Dark F.
Published: September 2022

This observational study compared the outcomes of consumers receiving community-based residential mental health rehabilitation support in Australia under a clinical staffing model and an integrated staffing model where Peer Support Workers are the majority component of the staffing profile. Reliable and clinically significant (RCS) change between admission and discharge in functional and clinical assessment measures were compared for consumers receiving care under the clinical (n = 52) and integrated (n = 93) staffing models. Covariate analyses examined the impact of known confounders on the outcomes of the staffing model groups. No statistically significant differences in RCS improvement were identified between the staffing models. However, logistic regression modelling showed that consumers admitted under the integrated staffing model were more likely to experience reliable improvement in general psychiatric symptoms and social functioning. The findings support the clinical and integrated staffing models achieving at least equivalent outcomes for community-based residential rehabilitation services consumers.
Identifying potential causal effects of age at menopause: a Mendelian randomization phenome-wide association study
Authors: Magnus Maria C. , Borges Maria Carolina , Fraser Abigail , Lawlor Deborah A.
Published: September 2022

Age at natural menopause (ANM) is associated with a range of health-related traits, including bone health, female reproductive cancers, and cardiometabolic health. Our objective was to conduct a Mendelian randomization phenome-wide association study (MR-pheWAS) of ANM. We conducted a hypothesis-free analysis of the genetic risk score (GRS) for ANM with 18,961 health-related traits among 181,279 women in UK Biobank. We also stratified the GRS according to the involvement of SNPs in DNA damage response. We sought to replicate our findings in independent cohorts. We conducted a negative control MR-pheWAS among men. Among women, we identified potential effects of ANM on 221 traits (1.17% of all traits) at a false discovery rate (P value ≤ 5.83 × 10–4), and 91 (0.48%) potential effects when using Bonferroni threshold (P value ≤ 2.64 × 10–6). Our findings included 55 traits directly related to ANM (e.g. hormone replacement therapy, gynaecological conditions and menstrual conditions), and liver function, kidney function, lung function, blood-cell composition, breast cancer and bone and cardiometabolic health. Replication analyses confirmed that younger ANM was associated with HbA1c (adjusted mean difference 0.003 mmol/mol; 95% CI 0.001, 0.006 per year decrease in ANM), breast cancer (adjusted OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.95, 0.98), and bone-mineral density (adjusted mean difference − 0.05; 95% CI − 0.07, − 0.03 for lumbar spine). In men, 30 traits were associated with the GRS at a false discovery rate (P value ≤ 5.49 × 10–6), and 11 potential effects when using Bonferroni threshold (P value ≤ 2.75 × 10–6). In conclusion, our results suggest that younger ANM has potential causal effects on a range of health-related traits.
Performance and evolutionary adaptation of heterogeneous wheat populations
Authors: Baresel Jörg Peter , Bülow Lorenz , Finckh Maria Renate , Frese Lothar , Knapp Samuel , Schmidhalter Urs , Weedon Odette
Published: September 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of heterogeneous composite cross populations (CCPs) to increase sustainability and resilience of wheat cropping systems, a so far largely neglected approach. For this purpose, 10 CCPs originating from one CCP created in 2001 and having evolved under different environmental conditions since the F5, were compared in the F15 and F16 with 10 recently released cultivars and 10 inbred lines extracted randomly from the populations. Field trials were performed over 2 years at 2 organic and 2 conventional locations. Under organic conditions, yields of the CCPs were similar to those of recent commercial cultivars with comparable protein content, and considerably higher than that of the inbred lines. Under conventional conditions, conventionally-bred cultivars outyielded the other experimental entries. The organically-bred cultivars had the highest protein contents in both farming systems followed by the CCPs and the conventionally-bred cultivars. The yield stability and foliar disease resistances of CCPs was on average higher than that of the commercial cultivars and considerably higher than that of the inbred lines, indicating that the higher stability of the CCPs was due to their high genetic diversity, not to their genetic background. CCPs that had evolved in different environments differed in some morphological and phenological traits, indicating that adaptation to environmental conditions had taken place through natural selection. Greater tillering capacity and increased soil cover of CCPs in the juvenile stage compared to the inbred lines indicates niche complementarity in the CCPs, that may contribute to improved resource use and to an overall ecological intensification. We conclude, that the cultivation of CCPs or similar heterogeneous populations represents an important opportunity to increase the resilience of wheat cultivation, which should be given greater consideration in future research and breeding.
Attitudes toward global and national climate policies in Finland – The significance of climate change risk perception and urban/rural-domicile
Authors: Sivonen Jukka
Published: September 2022

This paper examines public support for global- and national-level climate policy instruments in Finland, and the ways urban/rural-domicile and climate change risk perception predict people’s attitudes toward climate policies. Moreover, this study analyzes the degree to which perception of closeness to the district modifies people’s climate policy attitudes. The research method employed was ordinal logistic regression and data were from the demographically representative Finland 2019-survey (n = 1742 and response activity = 44%). According to the results, subsidizing renewable energy is an especially popular climate policy instrument, whereas approving new nuclear plants is rather unpopular. Policy instruments were typically more popular at the global level than they were at the national level. Perception of climate change risk was especially strongly linked with support for a national carbon tax. The effect of urban/rural-domicile and subjective closeness to the district on the attitudes was highly dependent on the policy instrument in question. The study contributes to the understanding of how climate policy attitudes vary depending on the climate change risk perception, urban/rural-domicile, and the instrument-type.
Developing food waste biorefinery: using optimized inclined thin layer pond to overcome constraints of microalgal biomass production on food waste digestate
Authors: Chuka-ogwude David , Mickan Bede S. , Ogbonna James C. , Moheimani Navid R.
Published: September 2022

Diversion of food waste from landfill through anaerobic digestion is a sustainable form of energy production (biogas) and the waste effluent (digestate) can be utilised as nutrient supply for microalgae cultivation. However, digestate has very high nutrient concentrations and is highly turbid, making it difficult to utilize as a nutrient source with conventional microalgae cultivation systems. Here we compared the efficiencies of a conventional open raceway pond (ORWP) and an improved inclined thin layer photobioreactor (ITLP) for the utilization and treatment of food waste derived digestate by Chlorella sp. The ITLP improved on volumetric and areal productivities by 17 and 3 times over the ORWP, with values of 0.563 and 31.916 g m −2 day −1 respectively. Areal nutrient removal via microalgae biomass were 2359.759 ± 64.75 and 260.815 ± 7.16 mg m −2 day −1 for nitrogen and phosphorous respectively in the ITLP, which are 2.8 times higher than obtained in the ORWP. The ITLP’s superiority stems from its ability to support a much higher average biomass yield of 6.807 g L −1, which was 7 times higher than in the ORWP. Mean irradiance in-situ was higher in the ITLP, irradiance distribution and utilization by the culture in the ITLP was 44% more efficient than in the ORWP. Our results indicate that the ITLP is a far more productive system than conventional raceway ponds. This demonstrates that integration of ITLP microalgae cultivation using digestate has the potential to make digestate management yield net benefit in food waste biorefinery settings.
Dopamine as a bioinspired adhesion promoter for the metallization of multi-responsive phase change microcapsules
Authors: Zimmerer Cordelia , Fredi Giulia , Putzke Sascha , Boldt Regine , Janke Andreas , Krause Beate , Drechsler Astrid , Simon Frank
Published: September 2022

This work reports on an environmentally friendly method to produce encapsulated phase change material with a thin nickel coating, applicable for heat conversion, storage and thermal management of heat-sensitive components and suitable for active heating by electromagnetic radiation. A critical issue for the metallization is the adhesion between the polymer capsule shell and the metal layer. Based on previous studies using the bio-molecule dopamine as adhesion promoter in composites and for plastics metallization, commercial paraffin microcapsules were coated with an ultrathin polydopamine film via a simple wet chemical process. Subsequently, a thin, uniform and compact nickel layer was produced by electroless metallization. The successful deposition of both layers was verified with a broad range of imaging and spectroscopic techniques. For the first time, surface-enhanced IR spectroscopy was used to study the deposition of ultrathin PDA films. The combination of SEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy allowed resolving the spatial distribution of the elements Ni, N, and O in the MC shell. Electrically conducting paths in the Ni shell were verified by conductive AFM. Thermal analysis revealed that the coated microcapsules show a phase change enthalpy of approx. 170 J/g, suitable for thermal storage and management. Additionally, the nickel layer enhanced the thermal diffusivity of the microcapsule powders and enables a fast heating of the PCM microcapsules by microwave radiation, demonstrating the applicability of the metallized MCs for controlled heating applications.

Graphical abstract
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Teacher Delivered Interventions for Externalizing Behaviors
Authors: Aldabbagh R. , Glazebrook C. , Sayal K. , Daley D.
Published: September 2022

This systematic review and meta-analysis explores the effectiveness of teacher interventions supporting children with externalizing behaviors based on teacher and child outcomes. A systematic search was conducted using 5 electronic databases. From 5714 papers, 31 papers that included interventions delivered directly to teachers and aimed to benefit either teachers and/or children with externalizing behaviors were included. The review focused on qualified teachers working with children aged 2–13. The results of the current meta-analysis revealed a positive effect of teacher intervention on teacher and child outcomes, including the increased use of teacher-appropriate strategies, as well as significant and moderate improvements in teacher–child closeness, and small reductions in teacher–child conflict. For child outcomes, the interventions reduced externalizing behavior problems and ADHD symptoms and enhanced prosocial behavior. Only one fully blinded analysis for conduct problems was possible and revealed a moderate but significant reduction in favor of intervention. These findings provide evidence to support the role of teacher interventions for both teachers and children with externalizing behaviors. Future research should include more PBLIND measurements so that MPROX findings can be confirmed. More research should be done to evaluate the influence of teacher interventions on teachers’ well-being.
Ecological impacts of N-deposition in a remote, high-elevation lake in the Three River Headwaters Region, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Luo Yuxin , Taylor Karen J. , Potito Aaron P. , Molloy Karen , Beilman David W. , Tang Ya
Published: September 2022

This study provides a new record of nitrogen (N) deposition and ecological response at a remote, high-elevation lake within the ecologically fragile Three River Headwaters Region, northwest China, from the early 20thCentury to the past decade. A multi-proxy investigation of a lake sediment core including analyses of chironomids (non-biting midge), lake sediment geochemistry (δ15N, δ13C, TN, TOC, OC:TN), pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs and 210Pb-dating. Results were compared with regional pollution forcings, including fertiliser application, atmospheric nitrate and dust deposition, and a localised multiscale air quality modelling system for N-deposition. Our data reflect a mesotrophic lake for the majority of the 20th Century with minimal anthropogenic impact. A shift in the lake conditions is evident after 1985 with increased nutrient enrichment. Low δ15N, OC:TN and increasing TN values, together with an increase in chironomid taxa associated with eutrophic conditions and macrophytes are exhibited in the record, particularly since 2002. These changes are consistent with nutrient loading causing a change in trophic status. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and partial RDAs verified TN as an important driver behind the shift in chironomid community composition in recent decades, explaining 22.2% of the variance on its own and 16.9% with other environmental variables partialled out. While temperature change since 1960 was not a primary control on the chironomid community of Lake Bander, a step-change increase in summer temperatures since the 1990s coincided with the disappearance of cold stenotherms from the record and seems to have exacerbated the shift to more productive conditions. This study highlights the reach of airborne N from modern agricultural and industrial activity to remote locations, and demonstrates the utility of palaeolimnological techniques as part of modern ecosystem assessment for conservation.
Self-similar analysis of the time-dependent compressible and incompressible boundary layers including heat conduction
Authors: Barna Imre Ferenc , Bognár Gabriella , Mátyás László , Hriczó Krisztián
Published: September 2022

We investigate the incompressible and compressible heat conducting boundary layer with applying the two-dimensional self-similar Ansatz. Analytic solutions can be found for the incompressible case which can be expressed with special functions. The parameter dependencies are studied and discussed in details. In the last part of our study we present the ordinary differential equation (ODE) system which is obtained for compressible boundary layers.
Nonlinear steady state vibrations of beams made of the fractional Zener material using an exponential version of the harmonic balance method
Authors: Lewandowski Roman
Published: September 2022

This paper presents the application of an exponential version of the harmonic balance method to the analysis of steady state vibration of geometrically nonlinear systems. A detailed description of the method and of the corresponding numerical procedure is provided. The von Karman theory is used to describe the effects of geometric nonlinearity. The material of the beams is modelled with the help of the Zener model using the fractional calculus. The problem is solved using an exponential version of the harmonic balance method. In the above-mentioned version, the complex calculus is used in contrast to the ordinary harmonic balance method, where the steady state vibrations are described with the help of the trigonometric functions. It significantly simplifies derivation of the amplitude equations. Moreover, the exponential version of the harmonic balance method is more elegant in comparison with the ordinary one. A detailed derivation of the amplitude equations is presented. The modified continuation method is proposed to solve the nonlinear amplitude equations and to determine the response curves. Moreover, the results of the exemplary calculation are presented and compared with known results in order to justify the efficiency and the correctness of the proposed approach.
A Prospective Cohort Study of Changes in Access to Contraceptive Care and Use Two Years after Iowa Medicaid Coverage Restrictions at Abortion-Providing Facilities Went into Effect
Authors: Kavanaugh Megan L. , Zolna Mia , Pliskin Emma , MacFarlane Katrina
Published: September 2022

Inequities in access to contraception based on ability to pay can interfere with individuals’ reproductive autonomy. This study examines the impact of a 2017 state-level policy in Iowa restricting Medicaid coverage at abortion-providing health care centers on patients’ access to contraceptive care and subsequent contraceptive use. We draw on a unique panel dataset of individuals who originally sought care at a publicly supported family planning site in Iowa in 2018–2019 and then participated in subsequent follow-up surveys every 6 months for 2 years to examine an effect of access to care on contraceptive use. Among our final analytic sample of 368 individuals, our findings indicate that receipt of recent contraceptive care decreased over the study period; this coincided with patients shifting away from getting contraceptive care at sites potentially impacted by the 2017 Iowa Medicaid policy restriction while those getting this care at non-impacted sites remained relatively steady over the study period. At the same time, nonuse of contraception increased while use of a contraceptive method that carries cost, use of a provider-involved method, and satisfaction with one’s method decreased. We find that, after controlling for patient characteristics, those who shifted toward receiving contraceptive care experienced increases in these three contraceptive outcomes. We interpret this as preliminary descriptive evidence demonstrating an impact of disruptions in access to contraceptive care on contraceptive outcomes. Supportive payment and funding strategies for contraception, rather than policies that impede or restrict access, are needed to enable people to realize full reproductive autonomy.
Evaluation of different crop model-based approaches for variable rate nitrogen fertilization in winter wheat
Authors: Gobbo S. , De Antoni Migliorati M. , Ferrise R. , Morari F. , Furlan L. , Sartori L.
Published: September 2022

Several remote sensing-based methods have been developed to apply site-specific nitrogen (N) fertilization in crops. They consider spatial and temporal variability in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum to modulate N applications to the actual crop nutrient status and requirements. However, deriving fertilizer N recommendations exclusively from remote proximal and remote sensing data can lead to substantial inaccuracies and new, more complex approaches are needed.

Therefore, this study presents an improved approach that integrates crop modelling, proximal sensing and forecasts weather data to manage site-specific N fertilization in winter wheat. This improved approach is based on four successive steps: (1) optimal N supply is estimated through the DSSAT crop model informed with a combination of observed and forecast weather data; (2) actual crop N uptake is estimated using proximal sensing; (3) N prescription maps are created merging crop model and proximal sensing information, considering also the contribution of the soil N mineralisation; (4) N-Variable Rate Application (N-VRA) is implemented in the field. A VRA method based on DSSAT fed with historical weather data and a business-as- usual uniform fertilization were also compared.

The methods were implemented in a 23.4 ha field in Northern Italy, cropped to wheat and characterized by large soil variability in texture and organic matter content. Results indicated that the model-based approaches consistently led to higher yields, agronomic efficiencies and gross margins than the uniform N application rate. Furthermore, the proximal sensing-based approach allowed capturing of the spatial variability in crop N uptake and led to a substantial reduction of the spatial variability in yield and protein content. This study grounds the development of web-based software as a friendly tool to optimize the N variable rate application in winter cereals.