bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global Bifurcation for Corotating and Counter-Rotating Vortex Pairs
Authors: García Claudia , Haziot Susanna V.
Published: June 2023

The existence of a local curve of corotating and counter-rotating vortex pairs was proven by Hmidi and Mateu (in Commun Math Phys 350(2):699–747, 2017) via a desingularization of a pair of point vortices. In this paper, we construct a global continuation of these local curves. That is, we consider solutions which are more than a mere perturbation of a trivial solution. Indeed, while the local analysis relies on the study of the linear equation at the trivial solution, the global analysis requires on a deeper understanding of topological properties of the nonlinear problem. For our proof, we adapt the powerful analytic global bifurcation theorem due to Buffoni and Toland to allow for the singularity at the bifurcation point. For both the corotating and the counter-rotating pairs, along the global curve of solutions either the angular fluid velocity vanishes or the two patches self-intersect.
Fledging behaviour in colonial auks from the Alcini tribe: comparison of Little Auk Alle alle and Brünnich’s Guillemot Uria lomvia
Authors: Stempniewicz Lech
Published: June 2023

Colonial seabirds have adopted certain strategies to minimize breeding losses during fledging. This review focuses on the most numerous high-Arctic auks: Little AukAlle alleand Brünnich’s GuillemotUria lomvia. Colonies of Little Auks are usually situated farther from the sea than cliff-nesting guillemots. On departing the nest, Little Auk chicks are more advanced and can fly, while guillemot chicks, lacking flight feathers, jump from the cliff ledges and glide to the sea. Little Auk chicks lose weight before departure, thus improving their flight efficiency. In both species, fledglings have strong legs and a thick layer of feathers on the underside to prevent injury from hard landings. Some chicks reach the sea on foot. The fathers care for their fledglings, with whom they are in vocal contact. On land, chicks are hunted by Arctic foxesVulpes lagopusand gullsLarussp. When attacked by gulls at sea, young auks dive. In the air, however, only young Little Auks perform a characteristic nose-diving manoeuvre to confuse the predator. Guillemot parents can effectively counteract gull attacks on their young, while Little Auk parents do not directly defend their chicks. Unlike Little Auks, several adult guillemots usually accompany chicks during gliding and landing at sea. Adult guillemots gather near the colony during the fledging period and call loudly, thus indicating a safe landing place. In both species, fledging is highly synchronized and condensed into a few days and night-time hours, thus causing a swamping effect that reduces total losses among fledglings.
Symptomatic vs. non-symptomatic device-related thrombus after LAAC: a sub-analysis from the multicenter EUROC-DRT registry
Authors: Vij Vivian , Cruz-González Ignacio , Galea Roberto , Piayda Kerstin , Nelles Dominik , Vogt Lara , Gloekler Steffen , Fürholz Monika , Meier Bernhard , Räber Lorenz , O’Hara Gilles , Arzamendi Dabit , Agudelo Victor , Asmarats Lluis , Freixa Xavier , Flores-Umanzor Eduardo , De Backer Ole , Sondergaard Lars , Nombela-Franco Luis , McInerney Angela , Salinas Pablo , Korsholm Kasper , Nielsen-Kudsk Jens Erik , Afzal Shazia , Zeus Tobias , Operhalski Felix , Schmidt Boris , Montalescot Gilles , Guedeney Paul , Iriart Xavier , Miton Noelie , Saw Jacqueline , Gilhofer Thomas , Fauchier Laurent , Veliqi Egzon , Meincke Felix , Petri Nils , Nordbeck Peter , Gonzalez-Ferreiro Rocio , Bhatt Deepak L. , Laricchia Alessandra , Mangieri Antonio , Omran Heyder , Schrickel Jan Wilko , Rodes-Cabau Josep , Nickenig Georg , Sievert Horst , Sedaghat Alexander
Published: June 2023

Background

Device-related thrombus (DRT) after left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is associated with adverse outcomes, i.e. ischemic stroke or systemic embolism (SE). Data on predictors of stroke/SE in the context of DRT are limited.

Aims

This study aimed to identify predisposing factors for stroke/SE in DRT patients. In addition, the temporal connection of stroke/SE to DRT diagnosis was analyzed.

Methods

The EUROC-DRT registry included 176 patients, in whom DRT after LAAC were diagnosed. Patients with symptomatic DRT, defined as stroke/SE in the context of DRT diagnosis, were compared against patients with non-symptomatic DRT. Baseline characteristics, anti-thrombotic regimens, device position, and timing of stroke/SE were compared.

Results

Stroke/SE occurred in 25/176 (14.2%) patients diagnosed with DRT (symptomatic DRT). Stroke/SE occurred after a median of 198 days (IQR 37–558) after LAAC. In 45.8% stroke/SE occurred within one month before/after DRT diagnosis (DRT-related stroke). Patients with symptomatic DRT had lower left ventricular ejection fractions (50.0 ± 9.1% vs. 54.2 ± 11.0%, p = 0.03) and higher rates of non-paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (84.0% vs. 64.9%, p = 0.06). Other baseline parameters and device positions were not different. Most ischemic events occurred among patients with single antiplatelet therapy (50%), however, stroke/SE was also observed under dual antiplatelet therapy (25%) or oral anticoagulation (20%).

Conclusion

Stroke/SE are documented in 14.2% and occur both in close temporal relation to the DRT finding and chronologically independently therefrom. Identification of risk factors remains cumbersome, putting all DRT patients at substantial risk for stroke/SE. Further studies are necessary to minimize the risk of DRT and ischemic events.

Graphical Abstract
60 years of OR in Slovenia: development from a first conference to a vibrant community
Authors: Povh Janez , Zadnik Stirn Lidija , Žerovnik Janez
Published: June 2023

The paper provides a short history of the operations research (OR) in Slovenia. Some major events and achievements are mentioned and briefly discussed. The period starts in the year 1964, with the first symposium on OR in Slovenia. In the following decades, there were several important milestones: (1) the start of master’s and Ph.D. studies in OR in 1974, (2) the establishment of SSI-SSOR in 1992 (SSI-SSOR stands for the Slovenian Section for Operational Research within the Slovenian Society of Informatics), and (3) the start of a series of symposia in operations research in 1993. All these activities resulted in an extensive list of publications, projects, and monographs and international connections, proving that OR is still a vibrant field, which facilitates knowledge transfer from pure research to business applications.
Establishing Geomorphic Reference Criteria for Design of River Diversions Around Mine Pits in the Pilbara, Western Australia
Authors: Flatley Alissa , Rutherfurd Ian
Published: June 2023

The poor condition of river diversion channels can prevent mining companies from relinquishing their mine to the government after mining has ceased. Many regions lack a locally derived template for integrating appropriate geomorphic and hydraulic conditions from unmodified river channels into river diversion designs to help guide post-mining closure activities. Establishing baseline geomorphic reference criteria for unmodified catchments can guide restoration efforts to allow recovery and stability of the fluvial system. Design-wise, channels should be built so that flow conditions are able to move sediment, but not high enough to accelerate erosion in the channel. We used natural headwater channels to inform a regional guide for geomorphic criteria for artificial channels constructed in the Pilbara, Western Australia. We provide guideline hydraulic criteria for specific channel types, including velocity, stream power, and bed shear stress values for five key channel types: alluvial single thread (≥ cobble) and single thread (sand), bedrock/confined channel sections, island-barform channels, and heavily vegetated channels.
The efficacy of aspirin to inhibit platelet aggregation in patients hospitalised with a severe infection: a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial
Authors: van Zijverden Lieve Mees , Schutte Moya Henriëtte , Madsen Milou Cecilia , Bonten Tobias Nicolaas , Smulders Yvo Michiel , Wiepjes Chantal Maria , van Diemen Jeske Joanna Katarina , Thijs Abel
Published: June 2023

Patients with severe infection have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. A possible underlying mechanism is inflammation-induced platelet aggregation. We investigated whether hyperaggregation occurs during infection, and whether aspirin inhibits this. In this multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial, patients hospitalised due to acute infection were randomised to receive 10 days of aspirin treatment (80 mg 1dd or 40 mg 2dd) or no intervention (1:1:1 allocation). Measurements were performed during infection (T1; days 1–3), after intervention (T2; day 14) and without infection (T3; day > 90). The primary endpoint was platelet aggregation measured by the Platelet Function Analyzer® closure time (CT), and the secondary outcomes were serum and plasma thromboxane B2 (sTxB2 and pTxB2). Fifty-four patients (28 females) were included between January 2018 and December 2020. CT was 18% (95%CI 6;32) higher at T3 compared with T1 in the control group (n = 16), whereas sTxB2 and pTxB2 did not differ. Aspirin prolonged CT with 100% (95%CI 77; 127) from T1 to T2 in the intervention group (n = 38), while it increased with only 12% (95%CI 1;25) in controls. sTxB2 decreased with 95% (95%CI − 97; − 92) from T1 to T2, while it increased in the control group. pTxB2 was not affected compared with controls. Platelet aggregation is increased during severe infection, and this can be inhibited by aspirin. Optimisation of the treatment regimen may further diminish the persisting pTxB2 levels that point towards remaining platelet activity. This trial was registered on 13 April 2017 at EudraCT (2016-004303-32).
International immigration and final consumption expenditure composition
Authors: Addessi William , Etzo Ivan
Published: June 2023

Focusing on EU countries, we analyze the influence of immigration flows on the demand for different aggregate categories of final consumption goods. Using the cross-country heterogeneity in immigration flows and preference structures, we find that when people move from a country to another, the sectoral preferences characterizing the origin country affect the preference structure of the host country. Furthermore, we find evidence that the transmission mechanism is reinforced by both the intensity of the immigration flows and the share of immigrants already living in the host country, suggesting a higher propensity to assimilate different consumption standards in more pluralistic countries. Our contribution is twofold. First, differently from most of the literature that analyzes the supply-side consequences of immigration, this study focuses on the impact of immigration on the demand side at the aggregate level. Second, we show that sectoral consumer preferences, even if elicited only residually, represent aggregate variables that can be transferred across countries.
How do patients experience chronic kidney disease? A mixed-methods study among patients in Sweden
Authors: Wolpert Elisabeth Z. , Norman Sara , Eek Daniel , Holmesson Carina , Fernström Anders
Published: June 2023

Background

Advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) severely impacts patients’ lives. Nevertheless, little is known about patients’ own experiences of living with CKD in Sweden. The objective of this study was to describe the patient’s perspective on CKD—including diagnosis, treatment journey, and healthcare interactions—and how CKD impacts patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and work capacity.

Subject and methods

A mixed-methods approach was used that incorporated (i) a quantitative online survey with study-specific questions and assessments of HRQoL and work impairment among 178 patients with CKD in Sweden, and (ii) 40 qualitative interviews to gain an in-depth understanding of the patient experience.

Results

HRQoL and work capacity were notably impacted by CKD and deteriorated with advancing disease stage. Patients experienced numerous symptoms long before diagnosis, but still found diagnosis unexpected. Fatigue was the most frequently reported symptom impacting all areas of patients’ lives. In the interviews, patients reported that they worried what their future life would be like, a dread of dialysis and organ transplantation, and how they implemented lifestyle changes to mitigate progression. In primary healthcare, patients struggled to have their symptoms taken seriously. Once referred to kidney specialists, patients were satisfied with healthcare. Patients wished they had been diagnosed sooner in their disease journey.

Conclusion

These findings highlight an unmet need from the patient’s perspective in primary healthcare, driven primarily by lack of early CKD diagnosis. In Sweden, there is a need for increased education on CKD in primary care, and a need for increased availability of specialized kidney care.
Welcome on Board? Appointment Dynamics of Women as Directors
Authors: Schoonjans Eline , Hottenrott Hanna , Buchwald Achim
Published: June 2023

Increasing the participation of women in top-level corporate boards is high on the agenda of policy-makers. Yet, we know little about director appointment dynamics and the drivers and impediments of women appointments. This study builds on organizational and group-level behavior theories and empirically investigates how ex-ante board structures and gender-specific board dynamics impact the representation of women on corporate boards. We study boards of listed firms in Europe between 2002 and 2019 and find a declining appointment probability for every additional woman, i.e., the share of women already on the board negatively predicts the likelihood of additional women appointments. Further, we find evidence of a replacement effect, i.e., the likelihood of a woman being appointed as director is significantly larger when a woman, compared to when a man, leaves the board. We do not find spillover effects from non-executive to executive boards. These results are robust to econometric model specifications that address potential endogeneity concerns using matching and instrumental variables. Our results confirm that board director appointments are gender specific and suggest that demand-side factors such as explicit and implicit norms drive women appointments up to a certain threshold.
Charged boson stars revisited
Authors: López José Damián , Alcubierre Miguel
Published: June 2023

We consider again stationary solutions to the spherically symmetric Einstein–Maxwell–Klein–Gordon system, commonly known as “charged boson stars”, originally studied by Jetzer and Van Der Bij (Phys Lett B 227:341, 1989). We construct families of charged boson stars in the ground state, for different values of the charge parameter q, and different values of the central scalar field. Following Jetzer and Van Der Bij, one can define a critical value for the charge $$q=q_c$$

q
=

q
c

that corresponds to the value for which the Coulomb repulsion of the bosonic particles exactly cancels their newtonian gravitational attraction. We confirm the claim made by Pugliese et al. (Phys Rev D, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.88.024053) that super-critical solutions exist for a limited range of charges above the critical value $$q>q_c$$

q
>

q
c

(though we find an even smaller range of q for which this is possible). Our analysis indicates, however, that all such super-critical solutions are gravitationally unbound, and are therefore expected to be unstable. One of the main results of our analysis is the fact that, even though we do find a family of slightly super-critical solutions in the sense that $$q>q_c$$

q
>

q
c

, there are no super-critical solutions in the sense that the total charge Q is larger than the total mass M of the system.
Interactional Contingencies in Rehearsing a Theater Scene: The Consequentiality of Body Arrangements as Action Unfolds
Authors: Lefebvre Augustin , Mondada Lorenza
Published: June 2023

Based on video-recordings of several weeks of rehearsals of a Japanese theater piece played by French actors, and adopting an ethnomethodological and conversation analytic perspective, this paper focuses on how the same few lines of a scene are subsequently enacted. In particular, it explores how the scene is played, not only in relation to the script but also to the situated moment-by-moment unfolding of embodied movements constituting the actions and achieving their detailed formatting and meaning. Whereas the dialogue refers to the scripted text, we argue that the multimodal details of each scene constitute a unique situated course of action achieved for ‘another first time,’ whose multimodal configuration depends on the temporality and the shape of each step, gesture, and body posture, as they are embodied and responded to in the vivid present and its contingencies. We demonstrate this by revealing how variations of the scene are performed, explored, and serendipitously found by the actors. We focus in particular on embodied details like walking, sitting, hugging and kissing, and the sequential and temporal positions at which they co-occur with the lines of the script. The analysis demonstrates both the indexicality of the script interpretations and the creative contingencies of the embodied work of the actors. In this way, it aims at contributing to current growing literature revisiting theater rehearsal as a situated activity and an interactional multimodal achievement.
Investigation of the structural and temperature-dependent electrical properties of MZnO (M = Ce and Sm) Schottky diode devices fabricated using the sol–gel spin-coating technique
Authors: Ahmed Mustafa A. M. , Meyer W. E. , Nel J. M.
Published: June 2023

In the present study, the Schottky diode devices based on Ce and Sm co-doped ZnO thin films were fabricated using the sol–gel spin-coating technique with Pd and Pt as Schottky contacts. The structural and electrical properties of the fabricated Schottky diode devices were investigated at room temperature and in the temperature range of 320–160 K. The crystalline structure of the prepared films was studied using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. The I–V characteristics of the fabricated Schottky diode devices based on Pd and Pt Schottky contacts manifest good diode behavior with the rectification of nine and ten orders of magnitudes, respectively. The ideality factor for Pd-based Schottky diode was found to decrease with temperature, and the lowest value obtained at 160 K was 1.3, while for the Pt-based Schottky diode, the ideality factor was found to increase with decreasing temperature. Moreover, by using two Gaussian models, the barrier height for Pt Schottky diodes was found to decrease with decreasing temperature indicating the inhomogeneity in the barrier height. Furthermore, alongside the thermionic emission theory, the fabricated Schottky diode parameters were also analyzed with Cheung–Cheung and the modified Nord methods. Finally, the current transport mechanism in both fabricated Pd and Pt was found to be controlled by an Ohmic, trap-filled voltage and space-charge-limited current mechanisms in the low, moderate and higher voltage bias, respectively.
Candida spp. in Human Intestinal Health and Disease: More than a Gut Feeling
Authors: Kreulen Irini A. M. , de Jonge Wouter J. , van den Wijngaard René M. , van Thiel Isabelle A. M.
Published: June 2023

Fungi are an essential part of the normal collection of intestinal microorganisms, even though their collective abundance comprises only 0.1–1% of all fecal microbes. The composition and role of the fungal population is often studied in relation to early-life microbial colonization and development of the (mucosal) immune system. The genus Candida is frequently described as one of the most abundant genera, and altered fungal compositions (including elevated abundance of Candida spp.) have been linked with intestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. These studies are performed using both culture-dependent and genomic (metabarcoding) techniques. In this review, we aimed to summarize existing data on intestinal Candida spp. colonization in relation to intestinal disease and provide a brief overview of the biological and technical challenges in this field, including the recently described role of sub-species strain variation of intestinal Candida albicans. Together, the evidence for a contributing role of Candida spp. in pediatric and adult intestinal disease is quickly expanding, even though technical and biological challenges may limit full understanding of host-microbe interactions.
Just-in-time defect prediction for mobile applications: using shallow or deep learning?
Authors: van Dinter Raymon , Catal Cagatay , Giray Görkem , Tekinerdogan Bedir
Published: June 2023

Just-in-time defect prediction (JITDP) research is increasingly focused on program changes instead of complete program modules within the context of continuous integration and continuous testing paradigm. Traditional machine learning-based defect prediction models have been built since the early 2000s, and recently, deep learning-based models have been designed and implemented. While deep learning (DL) algorithms can provide state-of-the-art performance in many application domains, they should be carefully selected and designed for a software engineering problem. In this research, we evaluate the performance of traditional machine learning algorithms and data sampling techniques for JITDP problems and compare the model performance with the performance of a DL-based prediction model. Experimental results demonstrated that DL algorithms leveraging sampling methods perform significantly worse than the decision tree-based ensemble method. The XGBoost-based model appears to be 116 times faster than the multilayer perceptron-based (MLP) prediction model. This study indicates that DL-based models are not always the optimal solution for software defect prediction, and thus, shallow, traditional machine learning can be preferred because of better performance in terms of accuracy and time parameters.
Explanatory efficiency: A framework for analyzing the dynamic properties of explanatory games
Authors: Lipski Jonas
Published: June 2023

In this paper I will discuss the problem of evaluating dynamic properties of the procedural rules that govern science. I will propose a novel framework for evaluating dynamic properties of such rules. This framework is based upon an analogy from New Institutional Economics. I will argue that the concept of ‘adaptive efficiency’, as it has been developed by Douglass North, solves a problem in economics that is analogous to the problem of evaluating dynamic properties of the procedural rules that govern science. I will propose to apply the main ideas underlying this concept to Chrysostomos Mantzavinos’s theory of Explanatory Games. Based on these ideas, I will develop the concept of ‘explanatory efficiency’. This concept is meant to provide the means to evaluate the dynamic properties of Explanatory Games. I will argue that the proposed analogy also motivates more general applications of New Institutional Economics to traditional problems of philosophy of science.
Water Quality and Microbiological Assessment of Burullus Lake and Its Surrounding Drains
Authors: Al-Afify Afify D. G. , Abdo Mohamed H. , Othman Amal A. , Abdel-Satar Amaal M.
Published: June 2023

Burullus Lake, which is the second-largest coastal lagoon in Egypt, is deteriorating due to nutrient enrichment and pollutant loading. The study aims to assess the lake’s water quality using water quality indices and microbiological assessment. Surface water samples were collected from Burullus Lake in winter and summer, as well as samples from drains that discharge waste into the lake. Most lake stations are classified in the marginal category based on the water quality index (WQI). Dissolved oxygen, ammonia, copper, and cadmium have the greatest impact on WQI, reflecting pollution loads. Based on the contamination index, heavy metal classification results ranged from “lowly polluted” to “highly polluted.” According to the Nemerow Index, human activity has significantly impaired the ecology of the lake and surrounding drains through copper and cadmium pollution. The fecal coliform/fecal streptococci ratio was less than 0.6 in lake water samples, suggesting fecal contamination from domesticated animal wastes. Drain water contaminated with fecal streptococci indicated frequent contamination. Several drains allow a significant amount of effluent, including high amounts of pesticides and fertilizers, to enter the lake, causing serious metal and microbiological pollution Dredging and deepening the inlet link between the lake and Mediterranean Sea have had a positive impact on water quality. However, there are still other options for improving the lake’s health. Therefore, it is recommended to routinely check Burullus Lake’s water quality and its surrounding drains to keep track of its condition and assess any improvement efforts’ effectiveness.
Health risk assessment of lake water contaminated with microcystins for fruit crop irrigation and farm animal drinking
Authors: Redouane El Mahdi , Tazart Zakaria , Lahrouni Majida , Mugani Richard , Elgadi Sara , Zine Hamza , Zerrifi Soukaina El Amrani , Haida Mohammed , Martins José Carlos , Campos Alexandre , Oufdou Khalid , Vasconcelos Vitor , Oudra Brahim
Published: June 2023

The health risks linked to the consumption of microcystin-accumulating crops have been increasing worldwide in toxic cyanobloom-occurring regions. The bioaccumulation of microcystins (MCs) in agricultural produce at environmentally realistic concentrations is poorly investigated. In this field study, we assessed the health risks of MCs in raw water used for irrigating fruit crops (bioaccumulation) and watering farm animals in the Lalla Takerkoust agricultural region (Marrakesh, Morocco). Thus, MCs were extracted from water and fruit samples and quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in order to calculate the health risk indicators. MCs posed a high health-risk level to poultry and horses, with estimated daily intakes (EDI) being 14- and 19-fold higher than the recommended limits (3.1 and 2.3 μg MC-LR L−1), respectively. Furthermore, pomegranate posed the same level of risk, with EDI being 22- and 53-fold higher than the limit dose (0.04 μg MC-LR kg−1) for adults and children, respectively. There was an urgent need for guidelines regarding water use and management in MC-polluted areas, besides the setup of nature-based tools for toxin removal from raw water used in farming practices. Moreover, MCs could contaminate the human food chain, which implies further investigations of their potential accumulation in livestock- and poultry-based food.
Epidemic Management via Imperfect Testing: A Multi-criterial Perspective
Authors: Palma Giuseppe , Caprioli Damiano , Mari Lorenzo
Published: June 2023

Diagnostic testing may represent a key component in response to an ongoing epidemic, especially if coupled with containment measures, such as mandatory self-isolation, aimed to prevent infectious individuals from furthering onward transmission while allowing non-infected individuals to go about their lives. However, by its own nature as an imperfect binary classifier, testing can produce false negative or false positive results. Both types of misclassification are problematic: while the former may exacerbate the spread of disease, the latter may result in unnecessary isolation mandates and socioeconomic burden. As clearly shown by the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving adequate protection for both people and society is a crucial, yet highly challenging task that needs to be addressed in managing large-scale epidemic transmission. To explore the trade-offs imposed by diagnostic testing and mandatory isolation as tools for epidemic containment, here we present an extension of the classical Susceptible-Infected-Recovered model that accounts for an additional stratification of the population based on the results of diagnostic testing. We show that, under suitable epidemiological conditions, a careful assessment of testing and isolation protocols can contribute to epidemic containment, even in the presence of false negative/positive results. Also, using a multi-criterial framework, we identify simple, yet Pareto-efficient testing and isolation scenarios that can minimize case count, isolation time, or seek a trade-off solution for these often contrasting epidemic management objectives.
How brand familiarity influences advertising effectiveness of non-profit organizations
Authors: García-Madariaga Jesús , Simón Sandoval Pamela , Moya Burgos Ingrit
Published: June 2023

Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) find themselves in a very competitive environment, as everyday consumers are constantly exposed to numerous advertisements; thus, they must find ways to capture consumers’ attention. The objective of this study is to explore how the different elements (image, text, logo) of print advertisements of NPOs using different emotional appeals (positive and negative) of a familiar and unfamiliar brand influence donation behaviour and the attitude toward the ad (Aad). Using eye-tracking technology and a survey, we conducted two experiments, one with unfamiliar brands of NPOs and another with a familiar brand. The results showed the advertisement areas on which participants fixated and their relationship with participants’ attitude towards the advertisement and donation behaviour. For unfamiliar NPOs, the less time it took the participant to first fixate on the logo area, the more positive attitude toward the ad when the advertisement used a negative frame. Also, participants spent more time in the image area of negatively framed ads when they had a more positive attitude toward the ad. On the other hand, for a familiar brand, the time to first fixate on the logo area had a negative correlation with the donation behaviour, indicating that the less time it takes to first fixate on the logo area, the more participants chose to donate.
Evaluating climate change impact on the hydrology of Kessie Watershed, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia
Authors: Amognehegn Asnake Enawgaw , Nigussie Asmare Belay , Ayalew Dessalegn Worku , Abera Fikru F. , Ayana Mihret
Published: June 2023

Climate change affects ecosystems, agriculture, human health, forestry, and water resource availability. This study is mainly aimed at assessing the climate change effect on the water resources of the Kessie Watershed in the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. The updated Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP-6) data outputs were used. The three climate model outputs: ACESS_ESM1-5, FGOALS_g3, and GFDL_ESM4 with two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) scenarios, were used. The climate model output rainfall and temperature data were downscaled to the station level through bias correction. The catchment hydrology was represented by the SWAT—Soil and Water Assessment Tool—through calibration and validation. Future temperatures and rainfall change were evaluated by the Mann–Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope estimator. Future climate change trend analysis and streamflow simulation were done on two time horizons: the 2050s (2041–2070) and the 2080s (2071–2100). The baseline streamflow data (1985–2014) were used as a reference. The global climate model projection data indicated mean annual precipitation and temperatures show a slight increase for the future in both scenarios for all climate model outputs. According to the SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, respectively, mean annual precipitation is expected to increase by 5% and 4.89% in the 2050s and 10.13% and 6.8% in the 2080s based on ACCESS_ESM1-5; 4.7% and 3.8% in the 2050s and 4.3% and 4.84% in the 2080s based on FGOALS_g3; and 4.67% and 3.81% in the 2050s and 4.67% and 3.81% based on GFDL_ESM4 models data. Yearly average maximum temperature may increase by 3.62 °C and 1.87 °C in the 2050s and 3.31 °C and 2.99 °C in the 2080s based on ACCESS ESM1-5, 1.76 °C and 1.25 °C in the 2050s and 3.44 °C and 2.61 °C in the 2080s based on FGOALS-g3, and 2.15 °C and 3.83 °C in the 2050s and 1.37 °C and 2.66 °C in the 2080s based on GFDL-ESM4 model data. Similarly, the mean annual minimum temperature is also expected to increase by 2.73 °C and 1.90 °C in the 2050s and 5.63 °C and 4.52 °C in the 2080s based on ACCESS ESM1-5, 3.04 °C and 2.43 °C in the 2050s and 3.55 °C and 4.36 °C in the 2080s based on FGOALS-g3, and 2.31 °C and 3.29 °C in the 2050s, and 3.16 °C and 3.87 °C in the 2080s based on GFDL-ESM4 model data. The streamflow is also expected to increase. In the 2050s, simulated annual streamflow is expected to increase from 12.1 to 21.8% and 9.8 to 15.4% in SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, respectively, whereas in the 2080s, the change is expected to increase from 15.14 to 24.08% and 13.08 to 41% in SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, respectively. Future water resource potential of the case study watershed seems able to support irrigation and other projects.
Healthy Foods, Healthy Diets, and Healthy Eating: Beyond Ethics and Political Philosophy
Authors: Borghini Andrea
Published: June 2023

Healthy Eating Policy and Political Philosophy: A Public Reason Approach by Barnhill and Bonotti is a terrific effort to provide a systematic method for appraising the ethical aspects, broadly understood, of regulations and policies connected to food, diet, and eating. In this commentary I purport to highlight the originality and the merits of the volume by considering what it doesn’t accomplish in three of its parts. I first call attention to the specific construction of the subject matter, namely on the question whether to be at stake are eating behaviors, dietary patterns, or certain food items; while Barnhill and Bonotti do not problematize it, this question is arguably pivotal to design effective policies and to adequately assess them. Second, I discuss the technical concept of “constitutive evaluative standards,” used by Barnhill and Bonotti to lay out their view, as this part of their work calls for an alignment with research on the philosophy of nutritional science and, more generally, philosophy of science. Finally, I take up the technical concept of “accessible reason,” which plays a central role in ascribing the public status to reasons, advocating for a more thorough determination of this concept based on recent work in epistemology.
Structural Analysis of the Evolution Mechanism of Online Public Opinion and its Development Stages Based on Machine Learning and Social Network Analysis
Authors: Liu Zixuan , Wu Xianwen
Published: June 2023

Internet public opinion is a complex and changeable system, and its trend development is characterized by explosive, evolutionary uncertainty, concealment and interactivity due to the participation of the vast number of Internet users. Today, with the rapid development of network information technology, public opinion has an increasing influence on the stable development of society. Computational intelligence is the frontier field of artificial intelligence development, and computational intelligence is used to mine and analyze public opinion text information and study the evolution of online public opinion. This paper uses the Changchun Changsheng Vaccine Incident as an example, and the netizens’ degree of attention to emergency-related keyword searches in the Baidu Index as a descriptive variable for the development of network public opinion. After applying the optimal segmentation algorithm, the development of public opinion is divided into phases. On this basis, a social network analysis is adopted to analyze the spatial and topological structure of each phase of network public opinion, using data from the Sina Weibo platform. Based on optimal segmentation, the development of network public opinion of the Changchun Changsheng Vaccine Incident can be divided into four phases, namely latent, spreading, control, and stable; each phase has different spatial and topological characteristics. Corresponding policy suggestions on network public opinion governance are put forward for each phase.
Numerical Simulation by Using the Spectral Collocation Method for Williamson Nanofluid Flow Over an Exponentially Stretching Sheet with Slip Velocity
Authors: Khader M. M. , Babatin M. M. , Megahed Ahmed M.
Published: June 2023

The current research examines the rate of heat and mass transfer in MHD non-Newtonian Williamson nanofluid flow across an exponentially permeable stretched surface sensitive to heat generation/absorption and mass suction. The influences of Brownian motion and thermophoresis are included. In addition, the stretched surface is subjected to an angled outside magnetic field. This study incorporates the variable viscosity, viscous dissipation, and slip velocity. The fundamental rules of motion and heat transmission have been constructed mathematically to fit the current flow problem. By using appropriate self-similarity transformations, the supplied system of PDEs is transformed into a nonlinear system of ODEs. Here, we use the spectral collocation method with the help of Vieta-Lucas polynomials approximation. This procedure converts the present model to a system of algebraic equations which is developed as a constrained optimization problem, which is then optimized to get the solution and the unknown coefficients. Calculations are made for the skin friction, wall temperature gradient, and wall concentration gradient. By comparing our findings in some special cases to those in the literature, a review of the literature confirms the results described here.
Teaching Shakespeare and His Sisters
Authors: Whipday Emma
Published: June 2023

What are we teaching, when we teach Shakespeare? Today, the Shakespeare classroom is often also a rehearsal room; we teach Shakespeare plays as both literary texts and cues for theatrical performance. This Element explores the possibilities of an 'embodied' pedagogical approach as a tool to inform literary analysis. The first section offers an overview of the embodied approach, and how it might be applied to Shakespeare plays in a playhouse context. The second applies this framework to the play-making, performance, and story-telling of early modern women – 'Shakespeare's sisters' – as a form of feminist historical recovery. The third suggests how an embodied pedagogy might be possible digitally, in relation to online teaching. In so doing, this Element makes the case for an embodied pedagogy for teaching Shakespeare.
Conditions for indexability of restless bandits and an algorithm to compute whittle index – CORRIGENDUM
Authors: Akbarzadeh Nima , Mahajan Aditya
Published: June 2023

This note corrects an error in the formula to obtain the Whittle index using the Sherman–Morrison formula in Akbarzadeh and Mahajan (2022). Also, some other minor typos are highlighted.
Data collaborations at a local scale: Lessons learnt in Rennes (2010–2021)
Authors: Chignard Simon , Glatron Marion
Published: June 2023

Data sharing is a requisite for developing data-driven innovation and collaboration at the local scale. This paper aims to identify key lessons and recommendations for building trustworthy data governance at the local scale, including the public and private sectors. Our research is based on the experience gained in Rennes Metropole since 2010 and focuses on two thematic use cases: culture and energy. For each one, we analyzed how the power relations between actors and the local public authority shape the modalities of data sharing and exploitation. The paper will elaborate on challenges and opportunities at the local level, in perspective with the national and European frameworks.
Evaluating probabilistic forecasts for maritime engineering operations
Authors: Astfalck Lachlan , Bertolacci Michael , Cripps Edward
Published: June 2023

Maritime engineering relies on model forecasts for many different processes, including meteorological and oceanographic forcings, structural responses, and energy demands. Understanding the performance and evaluation of such forecasting models is crucial in instilling reliability in maritime operations. Evaluation metrics that assess the point accuracy of the forecast (such as root-mean-squared error) are commonplace, but with the increased uptake of probabilistic forecasting methods such evaluation metrics may not consider the full forecasting distribution. The statistical theory of proper scoring rules provides a framework in which to score and compare competing probabilistic forecasts, but it is seldom appealed to in applications. This translational paper presents the underlying theory and principles of proper scoring rules, develops a simple panel of rules that may be used to robustly evaluate the performance of competing probabilistic forecasts, and demonstrates this with an application to forecasting surface winds at an asset on Australia’s North–West Shelf. Where appropriate, we relate the statistical theory to common requirements by maritime engineering industry. The case study is from a body of work that was undertaken to quantify the value resulting from an operational forecasting product and is a clear demonstration of the downstream impacts that statistical and data science methods can have in maritime engineering operations.
The Logic of Measurement: A Defense of Foundationalist Empiricism
Authors: Thalos Mariam
Published: June 2023

Practitioners of science treat evidence as a separate and objective body of materials that is independent of, and possibly also prior to, all of theorizing. Philosophers of science, by contrast, are increasingly wary of the role of theory in testing and measurement contexts, and hence have problematized the notion of evidence as prior or independent, even in the context of measurement. This paper argues that there is an important sense in which empirical certification of a quantity, via measurement, is indeed prior to theorizing, albeit not necessarily in order of time. The case for this priority distinguishes between the certification of the measurability of a given quantity, as a quantity appropriately measured on a specified scale, and the epistemic warrant due to an assignment of a specific magnitude to that quantity on a given occasion. The result is an account of the certification of a measurable quantity, independent of any theory in which that quantity features. The effect is to render certification of quantities theory-neutral. The aim of the essay is thus to bolster and re-establish a more nuanced empiricist view, via building a case for quantity certification as the epistemic basis (i.e., foundation) of the scientific enterprise.
Engaging with the Failures of Racial Empathy
Authors: Sandoval Ashlie
Published: June 2023

In the face of media attention that has recently spotlighted police brutality, racialized COVID-19 deaths, and the renewed visibility of white-supremacy groups, scholars, tech entrepreneurs, and media pundits are calling for an increase in empathy, claiming that it may move white and non-Black people of color beyond feelings of pity to dismantling anti-Black racism. However, in the context of anti-Blackness, is racial empathy possible? And what can we expect from it? Examining philosophical critiques of empathy's capabilities by philosophers and scholars engaged in feminist philosophy and Black studies, alongside Heidi Maibom's four-part definition of empathy, I focus on what empathy's limitations might tell us about the emotional and material structures that prevent empathy from achieving the results its advocates often hope for. I argue that the feelings of racial empathy, which may activate in empathy-inducing activities, may instead paradoxically point to the very anti-Black psychological structures that prevent empathetic action. I also contend that the feelings of racial empathy do not themselves undo the relations of anti-Blackness, but tracing the racism implicit in their activation may serve as a self-reflexive tool, an ongoing process, for understanding how anti-Blackness has shaped one's sense of self, embodied awareness, and lifeworld.
THE NORTH BRITON NO. 45 AND THE DOCTRINAL ORIGINS OF EXEMPLARY DAMAGES
Authors: Sinanis Nicholas
Published: June 2023

The companion 1763 tort cases of Huckle v Money and Wilkes v Wood hold a mythical status in the Anglo-American common law imagination. Few modern accounts of the doctrinal origins of exemplary (or punitive) damages omit reference to them. This article contends that the assumption that these two cases combined to provide damages above and beyond compensation a positive basis at English common law is misconceived. Set back into their historical context, it shows that their true significance is at odds with the decidedly lawmaking significance often ascribed to them by modern judges and scholars alike.
τὸ ἐξαίφνης and Time in Plato's Parmenides
Authors: Khan Asadullah
Published: June 2023

I argue, through Heidegger, that the notion of τὸ ἐξαίφνης in the Parmenides does not signify eternity, or a trace of eternity in time, but rather implies a primordial conception of time. In deduction two, the relationship between stasis and kinesis becomes problematic due to the notion of τὸ νῦν. This leads Parmenides, in deduction three, to posit the notion of τὸ ἐξαίφνης to solve this problematic relationship, implying a primordial conception of time.
Investigating association between inflammatory bowel disease and rotavirus vaccination in a paediatric cohort in the UK
Authors: Flatt Aidan , Inns Thomas , Fleming Kate M. , Iturriza-Gómara Miren , Hungerford Daniel
Published: June 2023

In the UK, the incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in paediatric populations. Environmental factors including acute gastroenteritis episodes (AGE) may impact IBD development. Infant rotavirus vaccination has been shown to significantly reduce AGE. This study aims to explore the association between vaccination with live oral rotavirus vaccines and IBD development. A population-based cohort study was used, analysing primary care data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum. Participants included children born in the UK from 2010 to 2015, followed from a minimum of 6 months old to a maximum of 7 years old. The primary outcome was IBD, and the primary exposure was rotavirus vaccination. Cox regression analysis with random intercepts for general practices was undertaken, with adjustment for potential confounding factors. In a cohort of 907,477 children, IBD was recorded for 96 participants with an incidence rate of 2.1 per 100,000 person-years at risk. The univariable analysis hazard ratio (HR) for rotavirus vaccination was 1.45 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93–2.28). Adjustment in the multivariable model attenuated the HR to 1.19 (95% CI 0.53–2.69). This study shows no statistically significant association between rotavirus vaccination and development of IBD. However, it provides further evidence for the safety of live rotavirus vaccination.
On the Justified Use of AI Decision Support in Evidence-Based Medicine: Validity, Explainability, and Responsibility
Authors: Holm Sune
Published: June 2023

When is it justified to use opaque artificial intelligence (AI) output in medical decision-making? Consideration of this question is of central importance for the responsible use of opaque machine learning (ML) models, which have been shown to produce accurate and reliable diagnoses, prognoses, and treatment suggestions in medicine. In this article, I discuss the merits of two answers to the question. According to the Explanation View, clinicians must have access to an explanation of why an output was produced. According to the Validation View, it is sufficient that the AI system has been validated using established standards for safety and reliability. I defend the Explanation View against two lines of criticism, and I argue that within the framework of evidence-based medicine mere validation seems insufficient for the use of AI output. I end by characterizing the epistemic responsibility of clinicians and point out how a mere AI output cannot in itself ground a practical conclusion about what to do.