bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Political Determinants of Health: Health Care Privatization and Population Health in Europe
Authors: Moise Alexandru D. , Popic Tamara
Published: April 2024

Context: The extent to which health care reforms affect health remains understudied. Health care reforms result in policy outputs that determine provision of medical services, which have consequences for the health of the population. The authors scrutinize this relationship between health policy outputs and population health by focusing on legislative changes implying privatization of health care delivery and finance. They ask the following question: What is the relationship between reforms that privatize health care provision and population health in terms of health outcomes and inequalities?

Methods: They answer this question by relying on fixed-effects time-series cross-section models. The authors use an original dataset of health care reforms passed in 36 European countries from 1989 to 2019. Health outcomes are operationalized with measures of subjective health status, unmet health needs, and resulting health inequalities.

Findings: Their results show that privatization of health care is associated with higher rates of bad subjective health and unmet health needs several years after the passing of reforms. These effects are stronger for individuals in the lower tiers of income and education, resulting in greater socioeconomic inequalities.

Conclusions: The article contributes to conceptualization of the political determinants of health as health policy outputs and a better understanding of the relationship between policy outputs and population health outcomes.
Intimate Methods
Authors: Morgensen Scott L.
Published: April 2024

Queer anthropology inherits the deeply entangled inceptions of “sexuality” and social science, which this essay reexamines as signs of racial and colonial intimacy. Following Lisa Lowe’s analytic of “the intimacies of four continents,” the chapter traces the intimately racial and colonial methods that characterized the ethnography of sexuality within scientific precursors to queer anthropology. Turning from primitivist “ethnocartography” toward the first modernist ethnography of Western sexual minorities, the chapter illustrates how both projects normalize whiteness among their authors and audiences by obscuring the intimacies that condition and inflect their formation. As queer anthropology attends to modernity’s enduring structures and creative possibilities, revisiting modern legacies of sexual social science further reveals their power to reproduce the violences against which anthropologists work.
Διερεύνηση εφαρμογής του νέου λογιστικού πλαισίου της δεδουλευμένης βάσης στις οντότητες της γενικής κυβέρνησης και προοπτικές μετάβασης
Authors: Καραστογιάννης Παύλος
Published: April 2024

Στην Ελλάδα με το Π.Δ. 54/2018 νομοθετήθηκε για όλες τις οντότητες της Γενικής Κυβέρνησης η εισαγωγή της λογιστικής σε δεδουλευμένη βάση αρχικά την 1/1/2023 και έπειτα από την 1/1/2025. Σκοπός της παρούσας Διδακτορικής Διατριβής είναι η διερεύνηση της χρησιμότητας της λογιστικής σε δεδουλευμένη βάση, των προϋποθέσεων εφαρμογής της και των δυσκολιών που προκύπτουν. Η ανάγκη πηγάζει από την διεθνή τάση εφαρμογής εργαλείων του ιδιωτικού τομέα στο δημόσιο, τάση η οποία αποτυπώνεται στη θεωρία του New Public Management (NPM). Η έρευνα εστίασε στην Κεντρική Διοίκηση διότι είναι ο πρώτος υποτομέας της Γενικής Κυβέρνησης που εφαρμόζει το νέο λογιστικό πλαίσιο και εξέτασε σε βάθος τις αντιλήψεις και τις στάσεις των εργαζομένων της, χρησιμοποιώντας την ποιοτική και ποσοτική μέθοδο. Τα ερευνητικά ερωτήματα που τέθηκαν αφορούν τις επιπτώσεις της λογιστικής δεδουλευμένης βάσης στην χρηματοοικονομική πληροφόρηση, στην διαφάνεια, στην λογοδοσία και στον έλεγχο των οντοτήτων, τον βαθμό εφαρμογής του Π.Δ. 54/2018, των δυσκολιών που ανακύπτουν και την αναγκαιότητα εκπαίδευσης του προσωπικού. Τα ευρήματα ανέδειξαν την βελτίωση της χρηματοοικονομικής πληροφόρησης, της διαφάνειας, της λογοδοσίας και του ελέγχου και της συγκρισιμότητας των λογιστικών πληροφοριών. Η αρχική αναγνώριση των χρηματοοικονομικών στοιχείων και η κατάταξη των ταμιακών ροών φαίνεται να είναι δύσκολη. Απαιτείται εκπαίδευση των εργαζομένων, πρόσληψη νέων εργαζομένων, δημιουργία ειδικού τμήματος, συνεργασία μεταξύ εργαζομένων, αλλαγή νοοτροπίας και κουλτούρας των εργαζομένων και κατάλληλο πληροφοριακό σύστημα λογιστικής. Η παρούσα έρευνα συνεισφέρει στον επιστημονικό διάλογο περί αναγκαιότητας σύγκλισης της λογιστικής του δημοσίου τομέα με εκείνη του ιδιωτικού υπό το πρίσμα του NPM και αφετέρου παρέχει χρήσιμες πληροφορίες σε όλα τα εμπλεκόμενα μέρη της μεταρρύθμισης.
GEOGRAPHIES OF HOPE: READING BECKY CHAMBERS’ RECORD OF A SPACEBORN FEW AS UTOPIA
Authors: HERMIDA RAMOS BEATRIZ
Published: April 2024

American author Becky Chambers has become well-known for her science fiction works that denounce social inequality while still enunciating kinder and more hopeful worlds. This research paper is centered around her third novel, Record of a Spaceborn Few (2018), which follows the Exodus Fleet, a group of spaceships that harbors the descendants of the last humans to leave Earth after a series of environmental catastrophes. The Fleet is presented as a somewhat literal vehicle of hope, as life inside the starships is organized according to Marxist principles of mutual support, solidarity and horizontal care. The aim of this paper is to examine Chambers’ alternative worlds as a site of hope, both physical and metaphorical, while exploring how Chambers hopeful speculation exemplifies the potential of science fiction as a genre to imagine different realities that not only question the nature of what is normal and possible, but also go beyond capitalist and neoliberal imaginaries.
Los poderes implícitos del Consejo de Seguridad de las Naciones Unidas: ¿la ratificación fáctica del organismo más poderoso del derecho internacional público?
Authors: Riaño Tovar Camilo Elías
Published: April 2024

Este capítulo tiene como principal objetivo esbozar las razones por las cuales se considera que el Consejo de Seguridad de la Organización de Naciones Unidas es una de las instituciones más poderosas del sistema jurídico internacional. Esta situación ha representado la persecución de los objetivos de la ONU y aún más como un organismo referente en el derecho internacional moderno en lo que concierne al posicionamiento de las estructuras multilaterales con derroteros globales, regionales o de mayor especificidad jurídica en el sistema jurídico internacional y de la teoría de la gobernanza mundial como tema inherente de la fundación y consolidación del derecho internacional público. No obstante, salta a la vista del planeta entero el poder que el Consejo de Seguridad ha poseído en el escenario jurídico internacional y, a su vez, tiene poderes implícitos otorgados por la misma Carta de las Naciones Unidas, que por instantes han otorgado un impacto positivo y negativo en procura de su objetivo de ser el principal garante o protector de la paz y la seguridad internacional. En este capítulo, se busca exponer los cuatro poderes implícitos identificados como principales ejes temáticos desde una perspectiva jurídica, internacional y de los impactos que han conseguido en el ámbito internacional.
La asistencia militar: una figura de garantía de los derechos humanos en Colombia
Authors: o Gil Osorio Juan Fernando , Reyes Pulido Oscar Leonardo
Published: April 2024

Este capítulo tratará la figura de la asistencia militar y su importancia frente a la garantía y protección de los derechos humanos en Colombia. Pretende evidenciar cómo la asistencia militar es una herramienta fundamental para el Estado colombiano al responder a sus respectivos desafíos en materia de seguridad. Por ello, en un primer momento, se describirán los desafíos sobre seguridad que enfrenta Colombia, de tal manera que se pretende demostrar la situación particularmente compleja en la que se ve inmerso el país para el cumplimiento de su función de seguridad. Posteriormente, se definirá qué es asistencia militar, en qué consiste y cómo está regulada en la ley. Finalmente, se analizará de qué manera la asistencia militar contribuye a la garantía y protección de los derechos humanos en Colombia. Esta secuencia apunta a demostrar por qué en un escenario complejo como el colombiano la asistencia militar se constituye en una figura indispensable para el cumplimiento de los fines del Estado, entre estos, la protección de los derechos humanos de su población. Es decir, se entiende que la asistencia militar es indispensable para que la población colombiana pueda gozar de sus derechos y garantías.
Perspectivas del third-party funding en el arbitraje de inversiones
Authors: Castro Quintero Pablo , López Pito Isabel , Camayo Ortiz Sebastián Camilo
Published: April 2024

En este capítulo, analizamos las diferentes perspectivas que ha generado la financiación de terceros (third-party funding [TPF]) en el arbitraje internacional de inversión. Con el propósito de y a través de una revisión bibliográfica, abordamos la definición del TPF y las razones principales por las que esta figura se usa en el arbitraje de inversión; luego, identificamos algunos de los mayores problemas que ha generado este fenómeno en el Sistema de Solución de Controversias entre Inversionistas y Estados (SCIE) y, finalmente, esbozamos las perspectivas institucionales respecto del TPF que han adoptado la Comisión de las Naciones Unidas para el Derecho Mercantil Internacional (CNUDMI) y el Centro Internacional de Arreglo de Diferencias Relativas a Inversiones (CIADI).
Reducing Interference Bias in Online Marketplace Experiments Using Cluster Randomization: Evidence from a Pricing Meta-experiment on Airbnb
Authors: Holtz David , Lobel Felipe , Lobel Ruben , Liskovich Inessa , Aral Sinan
Published: April 2024

Online marketplace designers frequently run randomized experiments to measure the impact of proposed product changes. However, given that marketplaces are inherently connected, total average treatment effect (TATE) estimates obtained through individual-level randomized experiments may be biased because of violations of the stable unit treatment value assumption, a phenomenon we refer to as “interference bias.” Cluster randomization (i.e., the practice of randomizing treatment assignment at the level of “clusters” of similar individuals) is an established experiment design technique for countering interference bias in social networks, but it is unclear ex ante if it will be effective in marketplace settings. In this paper, we use a meta-experiment or “experiment over experiments” conducted on Airbnb to both provide empirical evidence of interference bias in online marketplace settings and assess the viability of cluster randomization as a tool for reducing interference bias in marketplace TATE estimates. Results from our meta-experiment indicate that at least 20% of the TATE estimate produced by an individual-level randomized evaluation of the platform fee increase we study is attributable to interference bias and eliminated through the use of cluster randomization. We also find suggestive, nonstatistically significant evidence that interference bias in seller-side experiments is more severe in demand-constrained geographies and that the efficacy of cluster randomization at reducing interference bias increases with cluster quality.

This paper was accepted by Chris Forman, information systems.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2020.01157 .
The assessment and management of foot and toe oedema as part of holistic lower limb care
Authors: Everett Jeanne , Lawrance Sue , Cooper Karen , Phillips Natalie
Published: April 2024

Toe and foot swelling can manifest as lymphoedema or chronic oedema but can also be a complication of the treatment of these conditions. In this article, the authors discuss the assessment and treatment options for toe and foot swelling, highlighting the importance of prevention in the first instance.
Labile verbs in Ṭuroyo - Marginal phenomenon or structured innovation
Authors: Kuzin Nikita
Published: April 2024

The paper examines the phenomenon of labile verbs in Ṭuroyo. In simple terms, labile verbs are such verbs that can be used both transitively and intransitively without a formal change. The question that is in the background of this study is whether labile verbs in Ṭuroyo are a regular grammatical phenomenon, competing with stem morphology and other grammatical constructions, or they are merely isolated lexical items that have emerged spontaneously. To answer this question, we present synchronic corpus data on labile verbs. Keywords: Neo-Aramaic, Ṭuroyo, voice, valency change, labile verbs
Rückweisende Pronomen in arabischen substantivischen Relativsätzen
Authors: Blohm Dieter
Published: April 2024

Rückweisende Pronomen kommen im Arabischen in Topic-Comment-Sätzen (Kopulativsätzen) sowie in attributiven und substantivischen Relativsätzen vor und binden sie an ein Leitwort im übergeordneten Satz. In substantivischen Relativsätzen können sie als Personalsuffixe in Objektposition vor allem weggelassen werden, wenn sie nach häufig vorkommenden Modalverben wie šāˀa, ˀarāda, istaṭāˁa, Verben der sinnlichen Wahrnehmung wie raˀā, samiˁa, sowie qāla und faˁala stehen. Verben ohne Personalsuffix befinden sich dabei häufig am Ende kurzer Relativsätze oder Satzgefüge. Keywords: Arabisch, Rückweisende Pronomen, Kopulativsatz, attributiver Relativsatz, substantivischer Relativsatz
Die rhetorische Bedeutung der Pausa-Setzung (waqf) für die Koranrezitation
Authors: Schewe Stephanie
Published: April 2024

Zu den Vortragsregeln für die Koranrezitation gehören neben phonetischen Ausspracheregeln auch Vorgaben für die Textsegmentierung. Beide Bereiche sind in den taǧwīd-Regeln zusammengefasst. Die Textsegmentierung betrifft das Setzen von Pausa (waqf) und den (Vers-)Beginn (ibtidāʾ) nach einer Pausa. Es hat in der Ausgestaltung dieses umfangreichen Regelwerks mehrere Versionen des Pausa-Systems gegeben. Syntaktische, semantische und grammatische Aspekte sind ausschlaggebend für die Setzung von Pausa. Inwiefern die Setzung der Pausa auch als rhetorisches Stilmittel verstanden werden kann, welches innerhalb der Koranrezitation zur Anwendung kommt, wird im Folgenden besprochen. Keywords: Koranrezitation, taǧwīd, waqf wa ibtidāʾ, Pausa, Rhetorik, Saǧāwandī
Small, green, and prickly - Local botanical knowledge in Modern South Arabian languages
Authors: Boom Andrea
Published: April 2024

This paper examines factors leading to loss of diversity in Southern Arabia. Conservation strategies have failed to mitigate this loss (Titon 2016; Shahina Ghazanfar p.c. 2021) so new approaches to sustainability are needed. I propose building resilience into the biocultural system by managing adaptations to changes. Current and proposed strategies for adaptation include raising the prestige of local languages and ecological knowledge, supporting clear communication of that knowledge, and applying the knowledge to current sustainability issues. Similar situations of rapid cultural shift and language loss are used to demonstrate how some of these strategies have been applied in North America and West Africa. Keywords: Modern South Arabian languages, traditional knowledge, biocultural diversity
Settler Colonialism in Araucanía: The Mapuche's Defense of Their Lands and Citizenship Rights Through the Medium of Letters in Nineteenth Century Chile
Authors: Herr Pilar M.
Published: April 2024

Abstract: As Chilean citizens, the Mapuche peoples were landowners of large tracts of lands in Araucanía, Chile's southern borderlands region between the Bío- Bío and Toltén rivers. This article analyzes a series of letters that Mapuche leaders wrote to state authorities and others in the middle of the nineteenth century. The content of these letters reveals multiple ways that Mapuche leaders argued for the protection of their lands and interests, as the state created policies that actively worked to undermine them through a settler colonization plan. This strategy included appropriating Mapuche lands for outside settlers and denying the Mapuche their citizen rights as Chilean citizens.
Piston-based specimen holder for rapid surgical and biopsy specimen imaging
Authors: Huang Chi Z. , Ching-Roa Vincent D. , Heckman Connor M. , Sipprell William H , Ibrahim Sherrif F. , Smoller Bruce R. , Giacomelli Michael G.
Published: April 2024

Advanced fluorescence imaging modalities such as confocal microscopy and two photon fluorescence microscopy can provide rapid, real-time histology images, but the mounting of fresh tissue specimens in standard orientations required for diagnosis without embedding and sectioning remains an unsolved problem. Here, we introduce a piston-based specimen holder designed for consistent, even pressure distribution. We improve upon previous designs by incorporating an air piston system with a flexible membrane and wick that extracts fluid during compression. We combine this with support fixtures to aid in the distribution of pressure, enabling imaging of specimens with small surface areas relative to their thickness, such as bisected shave skin biopsies in standard orientation without embedding or sectioning. We image both fresh biopsy specimens and diagnostic Mohs first stage specimens during clinical procedures, demonstrating improved visualization of the tissue surface in real time. Finally, we show that conventional cryosectioning can exaggerate the extent of margin positivity, which can be avoided using the piston-based holder.
Cluster sampling and scalable Bayesian optimization with constraints for negative tone development resist model calibration
Authors: Ma Le , Ma Xingyu , Hao Shaogang , Dong Lisong , Wei Yayi , Tian Zhengguo
Published: April 2024

As the semiconductor technology node continues to shrink, achieving smaller critical dimension in lithography becomes increasingly challenging. Negative tone development (NTD) process is widely employed in advanced node due to their large process window. However, the unique characteristics of NTD, such as shrinkage effect, make the NTD resist model calibration more complex. Gradient descent (GD) and heuristic methods have been applied for calibration of NTD resist model. Nevertheless, these methods depend on initial parameter selection and tend to fall into local optima, resulting in poor accuracy of the NTD model and massive computational time. In this paper, we propose cluster sampling and scalable Bayesian optimization (BO) with constraints method for NTD resist model calibration. This approach utilizes cluster sampling strategy to enhance the capability for global initial sampling and employs scalable BO with constraints for global optimization of high-dimensional parameter space. With this approach, the calibration accuracy is significantly enhanced in comparison with results from GD and heuristic methods, and the computational efficiency is substantially improved compared with GD. By gearing up cluster sampling strategy and scalable BO with constraints, this method offers a new and efficient resist model calibration.
X-ray focusing below 3 nm with aberration-corrected multilayer Laue lenses
Authors: Dresselhaus J. Lukas , Zakharova Margarita , Ivanov Nikolay , Fleckenstein Holger , Prasciolu Mauro , Yefanov Oleksandr , Li Chufeng , Zhang Wenhui , Middendorf Philipp , Egorov Dmitry , De Gennaro Aquino Ivan , Chapman Henry N. , Bajt Saša
Published: April 2024

Multilayer Laue lenses are volume diffractive optical elements for hard X-rays with the potential to focus beams to sizes as small as 1 nm. This ability is limited by the precision of the manufacturing process, whereby systematic errors that arise during fabrication contribute to wavefront aberrations even after calibration of the deposition process based on wavefront metrology. Such aberrations can be compensated by using a phase plate. However, current high numerical aperture lenses for nanometer resolution exhibit errors that exceed those that can be corrected by a single phase plate. To address this, we accumulate a large wavefront correction by propagation through a linear array of 3D-printed phase correcting elements. With such a compound refractive corrector, we report on a point spread function with a full-width at half maximum area of 2.9 × 2.8 nm2 at a photon energy of 17.5 keV.
Embedded parallel-actuated technology for deformable space segmented mirror
Authors: Dong Deyi , Xue Donglin , Xiao Junze , Li Chao , Sun Yuxin , Zhang Yu , Qiao Guanbo
Published: April 2024

The deployable segmented space imaging system is an important solution for future ultra-large aperture space optical systems. To achieve the imaging capability of an equivalent aperture monolithic mirror, it requires not only to ensure the positional accuracy in the cophasing process, but also to have extremely high surface accuracy and curvature consistency of the sub-mirrors. However, this work is extremely challenging due to the manufacturing error of the sub-mirrors and the complex space environment. Active optical technology can ensure the surface shape accuracy of the spliced mirror by controlling the mirror surface deformation and compensating for the wavefront aberration. This article compares and analyzes the control ability of two types of deformable mirrors actuated by vertical and parallel methods. We explored the characteristics of the influence function mathematical models of the two types of actuation forms and compared the aberration and curvature correction abilities of them through finite element analysis, summarizing the advantages of the parallel actuation forms. Finally, a 300mm aperture embedded parallel-actuated deformable mirror was designed and manufactured, and relevant experiments were conducted to verify its adjustment ability. By comparing and analyzing the experimental results with the design results, the adjustment ability of the embedded parallel-actuated deformable mirror was verified.
Chirped flicker optoretinography for in vivo characterization of human photoreceptors’ frequency response to light
Authors: Tomczewski Sławomir , Węgrzyn Piotr , Wojtkowski Maciej , Curatolo Andrea
Published: April 2024

Flicker electroretinography (ERG) has served as a valuable noninvasive objective tool for investigating retinal physiological function through the measurement of electrical signals originating from retinal neurons in response to temporally modulated light stimulation. Deficits in the response at certain frequencies can be used as effective biomarkers of cone-pathway dysfunction. In this Letter, we present the progress we made on its optical counterpart—photopic flicker optoretinography (f-ORG). Specifically, we focus on the measurement of the response of light-adapted retinal photoreceptors to a flicker stimulus with chirped frequency modulation. In contrast to measurements performed at discrete frequencies, this technique enables a significantly accelerated characterization of photoreceptor outer segment optical path length modulation amplitudes in the nanometer range as a function of stimulus frequency, enabling the acquisition of the characteristic frequency response in less than 2 sec.
Spatial photoluminescence and lifetime mappings of quasi-2D perovskites coupled with a dielectric metasurface
Authors: Son Bui Hai Xuan , Thi Doan Tuyet , Tri Luong Nhan Ha , Khue Luu Dang , Thu Do Ha Thi , Ha Chu Linh , Pham Duong , Kim Vu Oanh Thi , Tung Bui Son , Tran Nguyen Thuat , Khuyen Bui Xuan , Lam Vu Dinh , Son Nguyen Hai , Son Ha Tung , Le-Van Quynh
Published: April 2024

Light–matter interaction between quantum emitters and optical cavities plays a vital role in fundamental quantum photonics and the development of optoelectronics. Resonant metasurfaces are proven to be an efficient platform for tailoring the spontaneous emission (SE) of the emitters. In this work, we study the interplay between quasi-2D perovskites and dielectric TiO2 metasurfaces. The metasurface, functioning as an open cavity, enhances electric fields near its plane, thereby influencing the emissions of the perovskite. This is verified through angle-resolved photoluminescence (PL) studies. We also conducted reflectivity measurements and numerical simulations to validate the coupling between the quasi-2D perovskites and photonic modes. Notably, our work introduces a spatial mapping approach to study Purcell enhancement. Using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), we directly link the PL and lifetimes of the quasi-2D perovskites in spatial distribution when positioned on the metasurface. This correlation provides unprecedented insights into emitter distribution and emitter–resonator interactions. The methodology opens a new (to the best of our knowledge) approach for studies in quantum optics, optoelectronics, and medical imaging by enabling spatial mapping of both PL intensity and lifetime, differentiating between uncoupled quantum emitters and those coupled with different types of resonators.
Optical to terahertz frequency conversion using near zero-index nonlinear hybrid waveguides
Authors: Ma Xiaofei , Wang Nengyu , Cao Runzhi , Sheng Chong , Zhu Shining , Liu Hui
Published: April 2024

Terahertz communications has emerged as an excellent candidate for the next generation of wireless communication networks. Despite of significant advances, one still looks for a high-efficiency terahertz source using nonlinear optics, such as optical refraction and difference-frequency generation. Concurrently, recent years have witnessed significant progress in metamaterials-assisted nonlinear optical processes. In this study, we propose a theoretical approach using near zero-index nonlinear hybrid waveguides to realize a high generation efficiency of terahertz waves via on-chip difference-frequency generation. Remarkably, thanks to the simultaneous realization of near zero-index both at terahertz and telecom frequencies, such a nonlinear hybrid waveguide can overcome two major bottlenecks in the conversion from optical wave to terahertz waves: phase mismatch and weak nonlinear optical-terahertz waves interactions, resulting in a high conversion as 2.2 × 10−3W−1 just within the propagation length of several terahertz wavelengths. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of an on-chip terahertz source, offering unique properties such as high integration and ultra-low power consumption for terahertz communication systems.
Twisted vortex Gaussian Schell-model beams, generalized ABCD systems, and multidimensional Hermite polynomials
Authors: Hyde Milo , Wilson Benjamin , Bose-Pillai Santasri
Published: April 2024

We derive the cross-spectral density (CSD) function for a twisted vortex partially coherent beam at the output of a general ABCD system in terms of multidimensional Hermite polynomials (MDHPs). MDHPs, which to our knowledge have not been applied in classical optics, offer notational and computational advantages over prior CSD function representations, which use common (one-dimensional) Hermite polynomials. We explain how to compute MDHPs using the recurrence relation given in the literature and include MATLAB code to generate MDHPs of any order. Lastly, we validate our work experimentally by comparing the measured spectral density of a twisted vortex beam at the output of an asymmetric optical system to predictions from our theoretical CSD function.
Quantifying and evaluating strategies to decrease carbon dioxide emissions generated from tourism to Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Wilkins Emily J. , Dagan Dani T. , Smith Jordan W.
Published: April 2024

The tourism industry needs strategies to reduce emissions and hasten the achievement of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction targets. Using a case study approach, we estimated CO2 emissions related to park tourism in Yellowstone National Park (USA) generated from transit to and from the park, transit within the park, accommodations, and park operations. Results indicate tourism to Yellowstone National Park produces an estimated 1.03 megaton (1.03 billion kg) of CO2-equivalent emissions annually, with an average of 479 kg CO2 per visitor. Almost 90% of these emissions were attributable to transit to and from the destination, while 5% were from transit within the park, 4% from overnight accommodations, and about 1% from other park operations (e.g., visitor centers, museums, shops, restaurants, etc.). Visitors who fly only made up about 35% of all visitors, but produced 72% of the emissions related to transit to and from the park. Future scenarios that alter transit to and from the park can reduce emissions the most; this includes a greater proportion of local or regional visitors, fewer visitors flying, and increased fuel efficiency of vehicles. The method developed in this work, and applied specifically to Yellowstone National Park, can be adopted elsewhere and used to help decision makers evaluate the effectiveness of potential emission reduction strategies.
Centering healthcare workers in digital health design: Usability and acceptability of two-way texting to improve retention in antiretroviral therapy in a public HIV clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi
Authors: Mureithi Maryanne , Ng’aari Leah , Wasunna Beatrice , Kiruthu-Kamamia Christine , Sande Odala , Chiwaya Geldert Davie , Huwa Jacqueline , Tweya Hannock , Jafa Krishna , Feldacker Caryl
Published: April 2024

New initiates on antiretroviral therapy (ART) are at high risk of treatment discontinuation, putting their health at risk. In low- and middle-income countries, like Malawi, appropriate digital health applications (apps) must fit into local clinic, connectivity and resource constraints. We describe the human centered design (HCD) and development process of an open-source, hybrid, two-way texting (2wT) system to improve ART retention. We detail the critical role of diverse healthcare workers (HCWs) in the HCD process to inform app usability, create buy-in, and ensure appropriate optimization for the local context. We optimized 2wT usability and acceptability over three HCD phases: 1) informal feedback sessions with diverse 2wT stakeholders, 2) a small pilot, and 3) key informant interviews. Phase one included four sessions with diverse HCWs, including “expert ART clients”, clinical, technical, supervisory, and evaluation teams to inform 2wT design. In phase 2, a small pilot with 50 participating ART clients aimed to inform implementation improvement. Phase three included interviews with ten HCWs to deepen understanding of 2wT acceptability and usability, documenting strengths and weaknesses to inform optimization. Multi-phase feedback sessions with HCWs helped refine 2wT language and message timing for both weekly and tailored client-specific visit reminders. The pilot led to improvements in educational materials to guide client responses and ease interaction with HCWs. In interviews, the HCWs appreciated the HCD co-creation process, suggested ways to increase access for low-literacy clients or those without consistent phone access, and felt integrating 2wT with other eHealth platforms would improve scalability. Inclusion of HCWs across phases of HCD design, adaption, and optimization increased 2wT usability and acceptability among HCWs in this setting. Engaging HCWs into 2wT co-ownership from inception appears successful in co-creation of an app that will meet HCW needs, and therefore, enhance support for 2wT clients to attend visits and remain in care.
Ventilation during COVID-19 in a school for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)
Authors: Zand Martin S. , Spallina Samantha , Ross Alexis , Zandi Karen , Pawlowski Anne , Seplaki Christopher L. , Herington Jonathan , Corbett Anthony M. , Kaukeinen Kimberly , Holden-Wiltse Jeanne , Freedman Edward G. , Alcantara Lisette , Li Dongmei , Cameron Andrew , Beaumont Nicole , Dozier Ann , Dewhurst Stephen , Foxe John J.
Published: April 2024

Background

This study examined the correlation of classroom ventilation (air exchanges per hour (ACH)) and exposure to CO2 ≥1,000 ppm with the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 over a 20-month period in a specialized school for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). These students were at a higher risk of respiratory infection from SARS-CoV-2 due to challenges in tolerating mitigation measures (e.g. masking). One in-school measure proposed to help mitigate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in schools is increased ventilation.

Methods

We established a community-engaged research partnership between the University of Rochester and the Mary Cariola Center school for students with IDD. Ambient CO2 levels were measured in 100 school rooms, and air changes per hour (ACH) were calculated. The number of SARS-CoV-2 cases for each room was collected over 20 months.

Results

97% of rooms had an estimated ACH ≤4.0, with 7% having CO2 levels ≥2,000 ppm for up to 3 hours per school day. A statistically significant correlation was found between the time that a room had CO2 levels ≥1,000 ppm and SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests normalized to room occupancy, accounting for 43% of the variance. No statistically significant correlation was found for room ACH and per-room SARS-CoV-2 cases. Rooms with ventilation systems using MERV-13 filters had lower SARS-CoV-2-positive PCR counts. These findings led to ongoing efforts to upgrade the ventilation systems in this community-engaged research project.

Conclusions

There was a statistically significant correlation between the total time of room CO2 concentrations ≥1,000 and SARS-CoV-2 cases in an IDD school. Merv-13 filters appear to decrease the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This research partnership identified areas for improving in-school ventilation.
Fluid face but not gender: Enfacement illusion through digital face filters does not affect gender identity
Authors: Provenzano Luca , Gohlke Hanna , Saetta Gianluca , Bufalari Ilaria , Lenggenhager Bigna , Lesur Marte Roel
Published: April 2024

It has been shown that observing a face being touched or moving in synchrony with our own face increases self-identification with the former which might alter both cognitive and affective processes. The induction of this phenomenon, termed enfacement illusion, has often relied on laboratory tools that are unavailable to a large audience. However, digital face filters applications are nowadays regularly used and might provide an interesting tool to study similar mechanisms in a wider population. Digital filters are able to render our faces in real time while changing important facial features, for example, rendering them more masculine or feminine according to normative standards. Recent literature using full-body illusions has shown that participants’ own gender identity shifts when embodying a different gendered avatar. Here we studied whether participants’ filtered faces, observed while moving in synchrony with their own face, may induce an enfacement illusion and if so, modulate their gender identity. We collected data from 35 female and 33 male participants who observed a stereotypically gender mismatched version of themselves either moving synchronously or asynchronously with their own face on a screen. Our findings showed a successful induction of the enfacement illusion in the synchronous condition according to a questionnaire addressing the feelings of ownership, agency and perceived similarity. However, we found no evidence of gender identity being modulated, neither in explicit nor in implicit measures of gender identification. We discuss the distinction between full-body and facial processing and the relevance of studying widely accessible devices that may impact the sense of a bodily self and our cognition, emotion and behaviour.
How children generalize novel nouns: An eye-tracking analysis of their generalization strategies
Authors: Stansbury Eleanor , Witt Arnaud , Bard Patrick , Thibaut Jean-Pierre
Published: April 2024

Recent research has shown that comparisons of multiple learning stimuli which are associated with the same novel noun favor taxonomic generalization of this noun. These findings contrast with single-stimulus learning in which children follow so-called lexical biases. However, little is known about the underlying search strategies. The present experiment provides an eye-tracking analysis of search strategies during novel word learning in a comparison design. We manipulated both the conceptual distance between the two learning items, i.e., children saw examples which were associated with a noun (e.g., the two learning items were either two bracelets in a “close” comparison condition or a bracelet and a watch in a “far” comparison condition), and the conceptual distance between the learning items and the taxonomically related items in the generalization options (e.g., the taxonomic generalization answer; a pendant, a near generalization item; versus a bow tie, a distant generalization item). We tested 5-, 6- and 8-year-old children’s taxonomic (versus perceptual and thematic) generalization of novel names for objects. The search patterns showed that participants first focused on the learning items and then compared them with each of the possible choices. They also spent less time comparing the various options with one another; this search profile remained stable across age groups. Data also revealed that early comparisons, (i.e., reflecting alignment strategies) predicted generalization performance. We discuss four search strategies as well as the effect of age and conceptual distance on these strategies.
Data reduction for SVM training using density-based border identification
Authors: Shalaby Mohammed , Farouk Mohamed , Khater Hatem A.
Published: April 2024

Numerous classification and regression problems have extensively used Support Vector Machines (SVMs). However, the SVM approach is less practical for large datasets because of its processing cost. This is primarily due to the requirement of optimizing a quadratic programming problem to determine the decision boundary during training. As a result, methods for selecting data instances that have a better likelihood of being chosen as support vectors by the SVM algorithm have been developed to help minimize the bulk of training data. This paper presents a density-based method, called Density-based Border Identification (DBI), in addition to four different variations of the method, for the lessening of the SVM training data through the extraction of a layer of border instances. For higher-dimensional datasets, the extraction is performed on lower-dimensional embeddings obtained by Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP), and the resulting subset can be repetitively used for SVM training in higher dimensions. Experimental findings on different datasets, such as Banana, USPS, and Adult9a, have shown that the best-performing variations of the proposed method effectively reduced the size of the training data and achieved acceptable training and prediction speedups while maintaining an adequate classification accuracy compared to training on the original dataset. These results, as well as comparisons to a selection of related state-of-the-art methods from the literature, such as Border Point extraction based on Locality-Sensitive Hashing (BPLSH), Clustering-Based Convex Hull (CBCH), and Shell Extraction (SE), suggest that our proposed methods are effective and potentially useful.
Leadership dynamics in musical groups: Quantifying effects of musical structure on directionality of influence in concert performance videos
Authors: Sabharwal Sanket Rajeev , Breaden Matthew , Volpe Gualtiero , Camurri Antonio , Keller Peter E.
Published: April 2024

Music ensemble performance provides an ecologically valid context for investigating leadership dynamics in small group interactions. Musical texture, specifically the relative salience of simultaneously sounding ensemble parts, is a feature that can potentially alter leadership dynamics by introducing hierarchical relationships between individual parts. The present study extended previous work on quantifying interpersonal coupling in musical ensembles by examining the relationship between musical texture and leader-follower relations, operationalised as directionality of influence between co-performers’ body motion in concert video recordings. It was hypothesised that the directionality of influence, indexed by Granger Causality, would be greater for ‘homophonic’ textures with a clear distinction between melody and accompaniment parts than for ‘polyphonic’ textures with less distinction between melody and accompaniment. This hypothesis was tested by using pose estimation algorithms to track instrumentalists’ body movements in a string quartet and a clarinet quintet, and then applying Granger Causality analysis to their head motion to estimate directional influence between instrumentalist pairs for sections of the pieces that varied in texture. It was found that Granger Causality values were generally higher (indicating greater directionality of influence) for homophonic than polyphonic textures. Furthermore, considering melody and accompaniment instrument roles revealed more evidence for the melody instrument influencing accompanying instruments than vice versa, plus a high degree of directionality among accompanying instruments, in homophonic textures. These observed patterns of directional information flow in co-performer body motion are consistent with changing leader-follower relations depending on hierarchical relations between ensemble parts in terms of the relative salience of melodic material in the musical texture. The finding that automatic pose estimation can detect modulations of leadership dynamics in standard video recordings under naturalistic performance conditions has implications for investigating interpersonal coordination in large-scale music video datasets representing different cultural traditions, and for exploring nonverbal communication in group activities more generally.
Anna Karenina as a promoter of microbial diversity in the cosmopolitan agricultural pest Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera, Tephritidae)
Authors: Mullens Nele , Hendrycks Wouter , Bakengesa Jackline , Kabota Sija , Tairo Jenipher , Svardal Hannes , Majubwa Ramadhani , Mwatawala Maulid , De Meyer Marc , Virgilio Massimiliano
Published: April 2024

Gut microbial communities are critical in determining the evolutive success of fruit fly phytophagous pests (Diptera, Tephritidae), facilitating their adaptation to suboptimal environmental conditions and to plant allelochemical defences. An important source of variation for the microbial diversity of fruit flies is represented by the crop on which larvae are feeding. However, a “crop effect” is not always the main driver of microbial patterns, and it is often observed in combination with other and less obvious processes. In this work, we aim at verifying if environmental stress and, by extension, changing environmental conditions, can promote microbial diversity inZeugodacus cucurbitae(Coquillett), a cosmopolitan pest of cucurbit crops. With this objective, 16S rRNA metabarcoding was used to test differences in the microbial profiles of wild fly populations in a large experimental setup in Eastern Central Tanzania. The analysis of 2,973 unique ASV, which were assigned to 22 bacterial phyla, 221 families and 590 putative genera, show that microbialαdiversity (as estimated by Abundance Coverage Estimator, Faith’s Phylogenetic Diversity, Shannon-Weiner and the Inverse Simpson indexes) as well as β microbial diversity (as estimated by Compositional Data analysis of ASVs and of aggregated genera) significantly change as the species gets closer to its altitudinal limits, in farms where pesticides and agrochemicals are used. Most importantly, the multivariate dispersion of microbial patterns is significantly higher in these stressful environmental conditions thus indicating that Anna Karenina effects contribute to the microbial diversity ofZ.cucurbitae. The crop effect was comparably weaker and detected as non-consistent changes across the experimental sites. We speculate that the impressive adaptive potential of polyphagous fruit flies is, at least in part, related to the Anna Karenina principle, which promotes stochastic changes in the microbial diversity of fly populations exposed to suboptimal environmental conditions.
Sleep duration time and human papillomavirus infection risk: The U-shaped relationship revealed by NHANES data
Authors: Hu Huangyu , Wu Yue , Zhao Min , Liu Jiaqi , Xie Ping
Published: April 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between sleep factors (sleep duration time [SDT] and obstructive sleep apnea [OSA]) and human papillomavirus (HPV)/high-risk HPV(HR-HPV) infection, utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using NHANES data, focusing on SDT and OSA’s association with HPV/HR-HPV infection. The primary statistical methods included weighted multivariate linear regression and logistic regression to assess the association between SDT, OSA, and HPV/HR-HPV infection. The study employed restricted cubic splines (RCS) for evaluating potential non-linear relationships between SDT and HPV/HR-HPV infection. Subgroup analyses were conducted. Interaction terms were used to examine the heterogeneity in associations across different subgroups.

Results

The study identified a U-shaped relationship between SDT and HPV infection. Specifically, 7 hours of sleep was associated with the lowest risk of HPV infection. In comparison, SDT less than 7 hours resulted in a 26.3% higher risk of HPV infection (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.26, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.029, 1.549), and more than 9 hours of sleep showed a 57.4% increased risk (OR = 1.574, 95% CI: 1.116, 2.220). The relationship between SDT and HR-HPV infection was significant in the first two models, but not in the fully adjusted model. No significant interaction was found between sleep duration and other covariates. There was no association between OSA and HPV/HR-HPV infection.

Conclusion

The study underscores the complex relationship between sleep duration and HPV infection risk, suggesting both very short and very long sleep durations may increase HPV infection likelihood. The findings highlight the need for further research to explore the biological mechanisms underpinning this association and to consider broader population groups and more precise sleep assessment methods in future studies.