bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Housing prices in Spain: convergence or decoupling?
Authors: Ghirelli Corinna , Leiva-León Danilo , Urtasun Alberto
Published: April 2023

In this article, we measure changes in the synchronization of housing price cycles across Spanish cities over time. We rely on a regime-switching framework that identifies the housing price cycles of pairs of cities and simultaneously infers the evolving relation between those cycles. These bilateral relationships are then summarized into an aggregate index of city-level housing cycle synchronization. The estimates suggest that Spanish housing prices have followed a convergence pattern that reached a peak in 2009 and decreased slightly afterward. We also identify the cities that have been the main contributors to this convergence process. Moreover, we show that differences in population growth and economic structure are key factors in explaining the evolution of housing price synchronization among Spanish cities.
Automotive safety approach for future eVTOL vehicles
Authors: Laarmann Lukas , Thoma Andreas , Misch Philipp , Röth Thilo , Braun Carsten , Watkins Simon , Fard Mohammad
Published: April 2023

The eVTOL industry is a rapidly growing mass market expected to start in 2024. eVTOL compete, caused by their predicted missions, with ground-based transportation modes, including  mainly passenger cars. Therefore, the automotive and classical aircraft design process is reviewed and compared to highlight advantages for eVTOL development. A special focus is on ergonomic comfort and safety. The need for further investigation of eVTOL’s crashworthiness is outlined by, first, specifying the relevance of passive safety via accident statistics and customer perception analysis; second, comparing the current state of regulation and certification; and third, discussing the advantages of integral safety and applying the automotive safety approach for eVTOL development. Integral safety links active and passive safety, while the automotive safety approach means implementing standardized mandatory full-vehicle crash tests for future eVTOL. Subsequently, possible crash impact conditions are analyzed, and three full-vehicle crash load cases are presented.
Can ultimate recoverable resources (URRs) be assessed? Does analyzing declining ore grades help?
Authors: Wellmer Friedrich-W. , Scholz Roland W. , Bastian Dennis
Published: April 2023

Inspired by a paper by Teseletso and Adachi (Miner Econ 8(10):21, 2021), the hypothesis regarding the declining grade of mined copper ore and its possible use as a guide to the future of ultimate recoverable resources (URRs) is tested. As a time axis, cumulative production is taken. Grades can be either grade of cumulative tonnage or annual production grade. Correlation can be linear (grade and tonnage) or semi-logarithmic (grade linear, tonnage logarithmic). We first show that the assumption that the highest correlation is the best guide to the future may be a fallacy. This is the linear correlation between grades of cumulative tonnage and cumulative tonnages since 1959, i.e., 85% of all copper mined historically with a near-perfect correlation approaching one (R2 = 0.97). This leads to implausibly low results of the URR, clearly demonstrating that this trend must shift in the future. Moreover, Teseletso and Adachi’s (Miner Econ 8(10):21, 2021) approach using a linear or semi-logarithmic correlation between annual grades with cumulative production leads to erroneous results. Here, the later the calculation of the correlation begins, the lower the extrapolated tonnages are at predetermined, postulated ultimate cutoff grades. This contradicts the accepted knowledge that with lower grades, the resource base is broadened—not narrowed. The only reasonable finding results from the correlation between linear grades of cumulative production with logarithmic cumulative production, i.e., the Lasky relationship, indicating a URR of 7.5 GT Cu, of which 6.7 GT remain to be mined, which is equivalent of close to 325 years of present production. The trend towards declining Cu grades with constant real Cu prices shows the potential for creative solutions for other metal as well.
Modified biomass adsorbents for removal of organic pollutants: a review of batch and optimization studies
Authors: Adegoke K. A. , Akinnawo S. O. , Adebusuyi T. A. , Ajala O. A. , Adegoke R. O. , Maxakato N. W. , Bello O. S.
Published: April 2023

Modification of the adsorbent surfaces has been considered a fascinating strategy that enhances biomass-based adsorption properties for efficient removal of organic pollutants. This is based on the attempt to replace the cost-ineffectiveness of the commercial activated carbon. The present study discusses different modification strategies and a review on modified biomass materials for the sorption of organic contaminants. Unlike previous literatures in the field, wider range of these pollutants are discussed in this study under different categories including pesticides (such as insecticides, herbicides, fungicides), pharmaceutical (e.g. analgesic and antipyretic drugs, antibiotic drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antimalaria drugs), and dyes (e.g. azo, xanthene, miscellaneous diagnostic, tri-aryl methane, and phenol-derived polymeric dyes). It was observed that the acid-activated Posidonia oceanica and HNO3-modified rice husk displayed the highest and lowest adsorption capacities of 2681.9 and 0.35 mg/g for removing Rhodamine B dye and methyl parathion pesticide, respectively. The mechanistic aspects of organic pollutants adsorption, their corresponding regeneration studies, and environmental challenges with chemical modifications are also discussed. The use of computational (optimization) models for modified biomass-based adsorbents to remove organic pollutants is devoid in previous reviews but discussed in the present study. To foster more advancement in this field, the concluding part presents various challenges and knowledge gaps for furthering research towards more realistic industrial implementations.
Active tectonics of the Circum-Pannonian region in the light of updated GNSS network data
Authors: Porkoláb Kristóf , Broerse Taco , Kenyeres Ambrus , Békési Eszter , Tóth Sándor , Magyar Bálint , Wesztergom Viktor
Published: April 2023

The Pannonian basin is an extensional back-arc basin that has undergone neotectonic inversion and is currently shortening. The understanding and quantification of present-day deformation processes during this inversion are still incomplete. To this end, we investigate the active deformation of the Circum-Pannonian region via the interpolation of GNSS-derived velocity field and the derivation of the strain rate fields. For the interpolation of the velocity field, we use ordinary kriging, a strochastic interpolation method. Our results show that estimating a strain rate field that is virtually free of short-wavelength noise requires the scaling of the velocity uncertainties, i.e. assuming a minimum standard deviation of 1 mm/yr in our case. The deformation of the Circum-Pannonian region is defined by the 2–3 mm/yr, NNE-directed motion of the Dinarides, and by the 0.5–1.5 mm/yr, WSW to SSW directed motion of the eastern areas (European foreland, East Carpathians, South Carpathians, Transylvanian basin). These opposite-sense motions define a large-scale, on average NE-SW shortening and transpression-type deformation in the Dinarides as well as in the Pannonian basin, while the East and South Carpathians undergo regional N–S extension. Neotectonic structures generally show good agreement with the strain rate field, for example in the Dinarides, Eastern Alps, or in the western Pannonian basin. However, the presence of fault-parallel shortening or biaxial shortening along sinistral neotectonic structures in the central and eastern Pannonian basin show some discrepancy between current geodetic and observed neotectonic deformation. The vertical velocity field shows dominantly 100 and 1000 km wavelength signals, the former is probably related to the response of the Pannonian lithosphere-asthenosphere system to neotectonic basin inversion, while latter can possibly be explained by far-field subsidence patterns induced by the mantle response to melting of the Fennoscandian ice sheet during the current interglacial period.
A Lightweight Neural Network for Loop Closure Detection in Indoor Visual SLAM
Authors: Zhou Deyang , Luo Yazhe , Zhang Qinhan , Xu Ying , Chen Diansheng , Zhang Xiaochuan
Published: April 2023

Loop closure detection (LCD) plays an important role in visual simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM), as it can effectively reduce the cumulative errors of the SLAM system after a long period of movement. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have a significant advantage in image similarity comparison, and researchers have achieved good results by incorporating CNNs into LCD. The LCD based on CNN is more robust than traditional methods. As the deep neural network frameworks from AlexNet and VGG to ResNet have become smaller while maintaining good accuracy, indoor LCD does not need robots to finish a large number of complex processing operations. To reduce the complexity of deep neural networks, this paper presents a new lightweight neural network based on MobileNet V2. We propose a strategy to use Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) to insert into Compressed MobileNet V2 (ECMobileNet) for reducing operands while maintaining precision. A corresponding loop detection method is designed based on the average distribution of ECMobileNet feature vectors combined with Euclidean distance matching. We used TUM datasets to evaluate the results, and the experimental results show that this method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods. Although the model was trained only on the indoorCVPR dataset, it also demonstrated superior performance on the TUM datasets. In particular, the proposed approach is more lightweight and highly efficient than the current existing neural network approaches. Finally, we used TUM datasets to test LCD based on ECMobileNet in PTAM, and the experimental results show that this lightweight neural network is feasible.
Prediction of Glioma Grade by Tumor Heterogeneity Radiomic Analysis Based on Multiparametric MRI
Authors: Deng Shuangge , Zhu Yongqian
Published: April 2023

Predicting glioma grade plays a pivotal role in treatment and prognosis. However, several current methods for grading depend on the characteristics of the whole tumor. Predicting grade by analyzing tumor subregions has not been thoroughly investigated, which aims to improve the prediction performance. To predict glioma grade via analysis of tumor heterogeneity with features extracted from tumor subregions, it is mainly divided into four magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences, including T2-weighted (T2), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), pre-gadolinium T1-weighted (T1), and post-gadolinium T1-weighted methods. This study included the data of 97 patients with glioblastomas and 42 patients with low-grade gliomas before surgery. Three subregions, including enhanced tumor (ET), non-enhanced tumor, and peritumoral edema, were obtained based on segmentation labels generated by the GLISTRBoost algorithm. One hundred radiomic features were extracted from each subregion. Feature selection was performed using the cross-validated recursive feature elimination with a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. SVM classifiers with grid search were established to predict glioma grade based on unparametric and multiparametric MRI. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of the classifiers, and the performance of the subregions was compared with the results of the whole tumor. In uniparametric analysis, the features from the ET subregion yielded a higher AUC value of 0.8697, 0.8474, and 0.8474 than those of the whole tumor of FLAIR, T1, and T2. In multiparametric analysis, the ET subregion achieved the best performance (AUC = 0.8755), which was higher than the uniparametric results. Radiomic features from the tumor subregion can potentially be used as clinical markers to improve the predictive accuracy of glioma grades.
Global collaborations in antimicrobial stewardship: All hands on deck
Authors: Ashiru-Oredope Diane , Langford Bradley J. , Bonaconsa Candice , Nampoothiri Vrinda , Charani Esmita , Goff Debra A.
Published: April 2023

Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions is a key objective within the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Global Action on AMR. We outline the reasons why global collaborations for AMS are needed. We provide examples of global collaborations, and we offer considerations when starting on a global health journey focused on AMS.
Africa's Lame Ducks: Second-Term Presidents and the Rule of Law
Authors: Carbone Giovanni , Cassani Andrea
Published: April 2023

The vast majority of sub-Saharan countries have adopted constitutional clauses establishing that elected presidents cannot serve more than two mandates. While an extensive literature has examined why African leaders comply with or else try to manipulate term limits, the policy implications of the latter remain unexplored. Existing studies of other world regions suggest that setting a maximum number of terms presidents can serve tends to make them ‘lame ducks’ during their final mandate. We reconsider this argument, and posit and demonstrate empirically that constitutional limits can actually induce positive effects on second-term presidents' actions compared to their first terms. More specifically, the absence of electoral pressures, the concern for their post-presidential future and legacy-building motivations may lead to improvements in the rule of law, especially regarding the functioning of the judiciary. This article represents the first empirical investigation of the performance of Africa's second-term lame-duck presidents.
International alliance structure and effectiveness: evidence from law firms
Authors: Salvoldi Rany , Brock David M.
Published: April 2023

International alliances are important strategic vehicles to build geographic scope and enter foreign markets, especially for firms lacking the resources or facing limitations to direct foreign expansion. Addressing recent calls to study alliance structure, we investigate the design parameters of nonequity international alliances and their performance implications. Building on the resource-based view of the firm, we theorize the effect of three key structural dimensions – formalization, interface, and specialization – on firm effectiveness. Our empirical work focusses on the legal service industry where international interfirm alliances are common, and resources like expert workers and knowledge are essential. We study 121 French, German, Italian, and Spanish law firms; and our data include the structural features of the alliances to which they belong, as well as various measures of firm effectiveness. Our analyses via structural equation modelling point toward the importance of informality and strong interface for effectiveness in these contexts. This study contributes to a finer understanding of international alliances by directly addressing the structural variation among nonequity international alliances, and analyzes their implications for firms. We thus respond to calls to investigate structural dimensions of alliances, operationalizing relevant dimensions of alliance organizational structure. Second, we add to understanding of the performance effects of international alliances, showing the benefits of individual structural parameters for firm effectiveness. Finally, we extend research on the use of international alliances as a strategic vehicle to enter foreign markets, capturing essential aspects of the internal arrangements of these interorganizational collaborative relationships, and thus adding to understanding of this strategic entry mode.
WALLABY pre-pilot survey: Radio continuum properties of the Eridanus supergroup
Authors: Grundy J. A. , Wong O. I. , Lee-Waddell K. , Seymour N. , For B.-Q. , Murugeshan C. , Koribalski B. S. , Madrid J. P. , Rhee J. , Westmeier T.
Published: April 2023

We present the highest resolution and sensitivity$\sim$$1.4\,$GHz continuum observations of the Eridanus supergroup obtained as a part of the Widefield Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP)L-band Legacy All-sky Blind surveY (WALLABY) pre-pilot observations using the ASKAP. We detect 9461 sources at 1.37 GHz down to a flux density limit of$\sim$$0.1$mJy at$6.1''\times 7.9''$resolution with a median root mean square of 0.05 mJy beam$^{-1}$. We find that the flux scale is accurate to within 5 % (compared to NVSS at 1.4 GHz). We then determine the global properties of eight Eridanus supergroup members, which are detected in both radio continuum and neutral hydrogen (HI) emission, and find that the radio-derived star formation rates (SFRs) agree well with previous literature. Using our global and resolved radio continuum properties of the nearby Eridanus galaxies, we measure and extend the infrared-radio correlation (IRRC) to lower stellar masses and inferred SFRs than before. We find the resolved IRRC to be useful for: (1) discriminating between active galactic nuclei and star-forming galaxies; (2) identifying background radio sources; and (3) tracing the effects of group environment pre-processing in NGC 1385. We find evidence for tidal interactions and ram-pressure stripping in the HI, resolved spectral index and IRRC morphologies of NGC 1385. There appears to be a spatial coincidence (in projection) of double-lobed radio jets with the central HI hole of NGC 1367. The destruction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by merger-induced shocks may be driving the observedWISE W3deficit observed in NGC 1359. Our results suggest that resolved radio continuum and IRRC studies are excellent tracers of the physical processes that drive galaxy evolution and will be possible on larger sample of sources with upcoming ASKAP radio continuum surveys.
Trading integrity for competence? The public's varying preferences for bureaucratic types across government levels in China
Authors: Zhu Lin , Yang Feng
Published: April 2023

People's willingness to forgive corrupt government officials has intrigued many researchers. According to a prominent explanation, citizens tolerate corrupt officials in exchange for their ability to deliver public benefits, such as promoting economic development. We contextualize this corruption–competence tradeoff thesis by assessing individuals' evaluations of local officials in China. We conduct a nationwide vignette experiment with 5527 citizens, and find that the corruption–competence tradeoff exists and is hierarchical. Respondents prefer competent but corrupt low-level officials over those who are honest but incompetent, but this relative preference vanishes when they evaluate high-level local officials. Our interviews reveal that proximity to citizens and position in the power hierarchy primarily drive citizens' sophisticated assessments of officials at different levels.
Anthropogenic activities in the páramo trigger ecological shifts in Tropical Andean lakes
Authors: Hagemans Kimberley , Donders Timme H. , Nooren Kees , Scheper Iris E.E. , Stekelenburg Martin C.A. , Theunissen Maud , Minderhoud Philip S.J. , Goldenberg-Vilar Alejandra , León-Yánez Susana , Ormaza Manuela , Wagner-Cremer Friederike , Cvetkoska Aleksandra
Published: April 2023

A robust understanding of the impact of anthropogenic activities on high-altitude tropical aquatic ecosystems is key for the conservation and protection of the Tropical Andean biodiversity hot spot. We present the results of a multiproxy study of lake sediments from the high Andean páramo of El Cajas National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve in Ecuador. The main site, Laguna Pallcacocha, is well known for recording El Niño–driven clastic flood layers that are triggered by high-intensity rainfall anomalies from the eastern Pacific. The second site, Laguna El Ocho, does not contain clastic laminations, providing a control. The records show abrupt shifts in diatom assemblages ca. AD 1991 in both high-elevation Andean lakes accompanied by local changes in páramo composition that suggest a sudden nutrient enrichment of the environment. The diatom assemblages from Laguna Pallcacocha, in relation to the clastic input events, are remarkably stable and do not show evident El Niño signals at the analysed resolution. Based on comparison with the nonlaminated El Ocho record, we deduce the main source of this nutrient enrichment to be the construction of a heavily transited road that runs through the park, while climate warming played secondary role by amplifying its effects.
REFINING CERAMIC CHRONOLOGY AND EPICLASSIC REOCCUPATION AT LA VENTILLA, TEOTIHUACAN USING TRAPEZOIDAL BAYESIAN MODELING
Authors: Buckley Gina M , Clayton Sarah C , Gómez Chávez Sergio , Cabrera Castro Rubén , Eccles Laurie , Culleton Brendan J , Kennett Douglas J
Published: April 2023

Accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dates (n = 78) from human bone collagen were analyzed in the largest high-resolution chronology study to date at the ancient city of Teotihuacan in central Mexico (ca. AD 1–550). Samples originate from the residential neighborhood of La Ventilla, located in the heart of this major urban center. Here, a trapezoidal model using Bayesian statistics is built from 14C dates combined with data derived from the stylistic analysis of ceramics from burial contexts. Based on this model, we suggest possible refinements to Teotihuacan’s ceramic chronology, at least within the La Ventilla neighborhood. We also explore the abandonment and reoccupation of La Ventilla after the political collapse of Teotihuacan in the Metepec and Coyotlatelco phases. Findings suggest that these ceramic phases began earlier than is currently projected and that the well-documented abandonment period of La Ventilla may have occurred more abruptly than originally estimated.
Momentum maps and the Kähler property for base spaces of reductive principal bundles
Authors: Greb Daniel , Miebach Christian
Published: April 2023

We investigate the complex geometry of total spaces of reductive principal bundles over compact base spaces and establish a close relation between the Kähler property of the base, momentum maps for the action of a maximal compact subgroup on the total space, and the Kähler property of special equivariant compactifications. We provide many examples illustrating that the main result is optimal.
Exploring implicit bias among ENT surgeons: an analysis of the implicit association test
Authors: Shah-Altaf Z , Ranford D , Miu K , Hopkins C , Surda P
Published: April 2023

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the presence of implicit bias among ENT surgeons and explore the impact of the results of the Implicit Association Test on the surgeons’ behaviour towards patients.

Method

Seven ENT surgeons who were not black, Asian or minority ethnic were asked to complete the Race Implicit Association Test. The surgeons also completed a survey about their perceptions of their implicit biases and the impact of the Race Implicit Association Test results on their behaviour towards patients.

Results

The mean Race Implicit Association Test score for the ENT surgeons suggested a slight bias that favoured white over black people. Furthermore, 42 per cent of the surgeons thought that they had hidden or unconscious racial bias, 42 per cent said they would change their behaviour towards patients after receiving these results and 85 per cent thought that the Race Implicit Association Test was helpful for appraisal purposes.

Conclusion

The results suggest that ENT surgeons who are not black, Asian or minority ethnic may have implicit biases towards black patients. These findings highlight the need for interventions to reduce implicit bias among ENT surgeons and improve healthcare outcomes for marginalised populations.
Frontal sinus stenting in endoscopic sinus surgery: the 10-year Oxford experience
Authors: Bandino F , Pendolino AL , Bates J , Qureishi A , Martinez-Devesa P
Published: April 2023

Background

Frontal sinus stents have been introduced to reduce frontal sinus re-stenosis after surgery and to improve outcomes.

Method

This study was a retrospective analysis of 19 patients who had endoscopic sinus surgery with approach to the frontal sinus and insertion of a soft sinus stent.

Results

The frontal recess was patent in 78.9 per cent and stenosed in 21.1 per cent of patients; no completely closed recesses were observed. Mean follow up was 20.7 months, and time period of stenting was 9.8 months on average; complications were observed in 47.4 per cent of the patients, with post-operative sinonasal infection being the most common.

Conclusion

In the authors’ experience, indications for frontal sinus stenting include recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis after multiple functional endoscopic sinus surgeries (especially in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps), patients with history of important craniofacial surgery or trauma, and recurrent mucoceles. The stent was overall well tolerated as only minor complications were observed. Close clinical follow up is mandatory.
The making of ‘public opinion’: Media and open diplomacy in China’s strategy at Versailles and the May Fourth Movement
Authors: Wu Rong
Published: April 2023

This article makes an intervention in the study of the May Fourth Movement by examining the role the mass media played in the diplomatic and domestic mobilization processes set in motion by China’s experience at the Paris Peace Conference. In contrast with the mainstream narrative that constructs the May Fourth Movement as a spontaneous response to the loss of Shandong at Versailles, this article shows that it was preceded by a proactive diplomatic strategy to mobilize ‘public opinion’ over the Shandong question. The Chinese delegation’s decision to launch a media campaign in support of their diplomatic agendas at Versailles inadvertently turned domestic media into a platform for political debate. As a result of competition between the political elites who dominated the mediascape, discussions over the Shandong question shifted from focusing on international diplomacy to domestic politics in the spring of 1919. An examination of the ‘media war’ during the May Fourth Movement further demonstrates that the political elites’ variable ability to adopt media strategies to shape and channel public opinion resulted in changing the political landscape of the post-May Fourth era. By focusing on the role of the mass media in the diplomatic and domestic mobilization in China’s strategy at Versailles and during the May Fourth Movement, this article forges new connections between the international and the domestic. It also invites further reflections on the nature of the May Fourth Movement by showing that the media was a tool of political mobilization that connected the political elite to the masses.
Vaccine-preventable hospitalisations in adult mental health service users: a population study
Authors: Sara Grant , Gould Patrick , Curtis Jackie , Chen Wendy , Lau Michael , Ramanuj Parashar , Currow David , Burgess Philip
Published: April 2023

Background

Vaccine-preventable conditions cause preventable illness and may increase mortality in people living with mental illness. We examined how risks of hospitalisation for a wide range of vaccine-preventable conditions varied by age and sex among mental health (MH) service users.

Methods

Linked population data from New South Wales (NSW), Australia were used to identify vaccine-preventable hospitalisations (VPH) for 19 conditions from 2015 to 2020. Adult MH service users (n = 418 915) were compared to other NSW residents using incidence rates standardised for age, sex and socioeconomic status. Secondary analyses examined admissions for COVID-19 to September 2021.

Results

We identified 94 180 VPH of which 41% were influenza, 33% hepatitis B and 10% herpes zoster. MH service users had more VPH admissions [adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 3.2, 95% CI 3.1–3.3]. Relative risks were highest for hepatitis (aIRR 4.4, 95% CI 4.3–4.6), but elevated for all conditions including COVID-19 (aIRR 2.0, 95% CI 1.9–2.2). MH service users had a mean age of 9 years younger than other NSW residents at first VPH admission, with the largest age gap for vaccine-preventable pneumonias (11–13 years younger). The highest relative risk of VPH was among MH service users aged 45–65.

Conclusions

MH service users have increased risk of hospitalisation for many vaccine-preventable conditions. This may be due to reduced vaccination rates, more severe illness requiring hospitalisation, greater exposure to infectious conditions or other factors. People living with mental illness should be prioritised in vaccination strategies.
Of children and social robots
Authors: Goldman Elizabeth J. , Baumann Anna-Elisabeth , Poulin-Dubois Diane
Published: April 2023

In the target article, Clark and Fischer argue that little is known about children's perceptions of social robots. By reviewing the existing literature we demonstrate that infants and young children interact with robots in the same ways they do with other social agents. Importantly, we conclude children's understanding that robots are artifacts (e.g., not alive) develops gradually during the preschool years.
How deep is AI's love? Understanding relational AI
Authors: Gillath Omri , Abumusab Syed , Ai Ting , Branicky Michael S. , Davison Robert B. , Rulo Maxwell , Symons John , Thomas Gregory
Published: April 2023

We suggest that as people move to construe robots as social agents, interact with them, and treat them as capable of social ties, they might develop (close) relationships with them. We then ask what kind of relationships can people form with bots, what functions can bots fulfill, and what are the societal and moral implications of such relationships.
A collaborative collision avoidance strategy for autonomous ships under mixed scenarios
Authors: Wang Shaobo , Zhang Yingjun , Song Feifei , Mao Wengang
Published: April 2023

Ship collision avoidance has always been one of the classic topics in the field of marine research. In traditional encounter situations, officers on watch (OOWs) usually use a very high frequency (VHF) radio to coordinate each other. In recent years, with the continuous development of autonomous ships, there will be a mixed situation where ships of different levels of autonomy coexist at the same time. Under such a scenario, different decision makers have different perceptions of the current scene and different decision-making logic, so conventional collision avoidance methods may not be applicable. Therefore, this paper proposes a collaborative collision avoidance strategy for multi-ship collision avoidance under mixed scenarios. It builds a multi-ship cooperative network to determine cooperative objects and timing, at the same time. Based on a cooperative game model, a global collision avoidance responsibility distribution that satisfies group rationality and individual rationality is realised, and finally achieves a collaborative strategy according to the generalised reciprocal velocity obstacle (GRVO) algorithm. Case studies show that the strategy proposed in this paper can make all ships pass each other clearly and safely.
Exploring structural database use in crystallography: a workshop series of the U.S. National Committee for Crystallography
Authors: Ferreras Ana , Miller Mitchell D.
Published: April 2023

The U.S. National Committee for Crystallography (USNC/Cr) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provided an online workshop series for researchers on the use, development, and maintenance of crystallographic and structural databases in the Spring of 2022. Encompassing macromolecular, small molecule, and powder diffraction information, the series included 11 modules each meeting for 1 or 2 days. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty members and researchers in any of the crystallographic, diffraction, and imaging sciences affiliated with the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) were encouraged to register and participate in the training sessions that interest them.
Recruiting controls from an online panel for a case–control study enabled a timely and reliable foodborne Salmonella outbreak investigation, Germany 2021
Authors: Łuczyńska Anna , Dreesman Johannes , Mertens Elke , Wollenweber Mareike , Perriat Delphine , Rosner Bettina M
Published: April 2023

We explored the feasibility, suitability, and reliability of using controls recruited among members of a non-probabilistic online panel (‘panel controls’) in a case–control study (CCS) to investigate a Salmonella Braenderup outbreak in Germany. For comparison, another control group was recruited via random digit dialling (‘classical controls’). Panel members received questionnaires by email; classical controls were interviewed by phone. Both control groups were frequency-matched to cases by age and sex; the classical controls also by federal state. Cases and controls were queried mainly about fruit consumption since melons were the suspected infection vehicle. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using single-variable and multivariable logistic regression. The study included 32 cases, 81 panel controls and 110 classical controls. Analyses identified melons, particularly Galia melons, as the most likely infection vehicle using either control group (panel controls – aOR 12, CI 2.7–66; classical controls – aOR 55, CI 8–1100). Recruitment of panel versus classical controls required substantially less person-time (8 vs. 111 hours) and was about 10 times less expensive. We recommend this timely and reliable control recruitment method when investigating diffuse foodborne outbreaks with CCS.
The importance of landscape heterogeneity and vegetation structure for the conservation of the Ortolan BuntingEmberiza hortulana
Authors: Löffler Franz , Fartmann Thomas
Published: April 2023

Over the last decades, European farmland birds have strongly declined, mainly driven by agricultural intensification. The Ortolan BuntingEmberiza hortulanahas suffered one of the most severe declines among farmland specialists. In order to maintain viable populations of the species in the long run, there is a vital need for evidence-based conservation measures. The main goal of this study was to detect the key drivers of breeding-territory selection and mating success of the species in an agricultural landscape in central Europe. We found that the landscape structure within the territories of Ortolan Bunting breeding pairs strongly varied from the overall habitat availability in the study area on both the territory and home-range scales. However, the environmental conditions also differed between the territories of breeding pairs and those of unpaired males. While landscape structure played an important role in breeding-territory selection, it had only weak effects on mating success. In contrast, crop type and vegetation height at potential nesting sites were important drivers of mating success. Overall, our study revealed that Ortolan Bunting has very complex breeding-habitat requirements. Only heterogeneous agricultural landscapes where (1) suitable song posts, (2) appropriate nesting sites, and (3) sufficient foraging habitats occur in close proximity are suitable for breeding. According to the findings of our study, agri-environmental schemes should primarily facilitate low-intensity farming practices that promote landscape heterogeneity, provide suitable nesting sites, and sustain a high abundance of invertebrate prey in farmlands.
Patterns and prevalence of cognitive dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Raghunath Sudha , Glikmann-Johnston Yifat , Vincent Fabien B. , Morand Eric F. , Stout Julie C. , Hoi Alberta
Published: April 2023

Objective:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease, in which cognitive dysfunction is common, but poorly understood. This study aims to characterize the prevalence and patterns of cognitive dysfunction in SLE.

Method:

SLE patients (n = 95) and demographically matched healthy controls (n = 48) underwent cross-sectional cognitive testing using the 1-hr conventional neuropsychological test battery recommended by the American College of Rheumatology for use in SLE. We used standard deviations (SD) from the healthy control group to define impairment. For each cognitive test we compared SLE and control groups using independent samples t-tests (or alternatives when needed). We performed cluster analysis using a machine learning algorithm to look for patterns of cognitive dysfunction.

Results:

The SLE group performed significantly worse than healthy controls on every cognitive test. The largest differences were in the domains of verbal fluency, working memory and attention, while fine motor and psychomotor speed were the least affected domains. As expected, the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction varied depending on the SD cut-off used, with 49% of participants being >1.5 SD below the healthy control mean in at least two cognitive domains. Heat mapping showed variability in the pattern of dysfunction between individual patients and cluster analysis confirmed the presence of two clusters of patients, which were those significantly impaired versus those having preserved cognition.

Conclusions:

Cognitive dysfunction is common in SLE but markedly heterogeneous across both cognitive domains and across the SLE group. Cluster analysis supports the use of a binary definition of cognitive dysfunction in SLE.
The emotions experienced by family medicine residents and interns during their clinical trainings: a qualitative study
Authors: Tanriover Ozlem , Peker Sukran , Hidiroglu Seyhan , Kitapcioglu Dilek , Inanici Sinem Yildiz , Karamustafalioglu Nesrin , Gulpinar M. Ali
Published: April 2023

Background:

The family medicine residents and final year medical students are challenged with increased workload and they experience various emotions during their clinical trainings. They are confronted with uncertainties in their role descriptions and they witness illness, suffering and deaths as part of their everyday duties which may lead to burnout. Only several studies have focused on these experiences to find out what the family medicine residents and medical students were literally feeling.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to explore the family medicine residents’ and final year medical students’ emotions during their clinical trainings.

Method:

This qualitative study was performed with 15 family medicine residents and 24 final-year medical students using a convenience sample from two medical faculties to explore and analyze their emotions. Data were gathered by means of focus group interviews, including six interviews conducted and recorded through online meetings. Data were analyzed for themes using a thematic analysis approach. Since the interviews reached saturation in terms of content, the interviews were terminated at the end of sixth focus group meetings. Each interview took an average of 45–60 min.

Results:

Three main themes emerged from the data regarding residents’ and interns’ emotions. These were the “clinical climate’s role”, “emotions during patient encounters” and “coping strategies with negative emotions”. The most commonly encountered emotions were tension and anxiety followed by frustration and uncertainty.

Conclusions:

The family medicine residents and final-year medical students are challenged with emotions during their clinical trainings. Therefore, medical educators have to be aware of the need to support them in reflecting their emotions by prioritizing residents’and interns’ well-being.
The Third Annual US Celebration of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day: A virtual coming together to unify the global palliative care community
Authors: Rosa William E. , Pandey Shila , Epstein Andrew S. , Connor Stephen R. , Andersen Laurie J. , Blackler Liz , Desai Anjali V. , Koranteng Lauren Akua , Breitbart William S. , Nelson Judith E.
Published: April 2023

Objectives

On 3–4 October 2022, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Supportive Care Service and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences hosted the Third Annual United States (US) Celebration of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (WHPCD). The purpose of this article is to reflect on the event within the broader context of the international WHPCD theme: “healing hearts and communities.” We describe lessons learned in anticipation of the fourth annual conference to be held on 3–4 October 2023.

Methods

Description of the third annual event, conference planning team reflection, and attendee evaluation responses.

Results

The Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance launched WHPCD in 2005 as an annual unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care globally. Since 2020, the conference has attracted an increasing number of attendees from around the world. Two primary aims continue to guide the event: community building and wisdom sharing. Fifty-two interprofessional palliative care experts, advocates, patients, and caregivers provided 13 unique interactive sessions. Four hundred and fifty-eight multidisciplinary registrants from at least 17 countries joined the program. Free registration for colleagues in low- and middle-income countries, students and trainees, and individuals experiencing financial hardship remains a cornerstone of inclusion and equitable access to the event.

Significance of results

The US WHPCD celebration provides a virtual platform that offers opportunities for scientific dissemination and collective reflection on hospice and palliative care delivery amid significant local and global changes in clinical practice, research, policy and advocacy, and population health. We remain committed to ensuring an internationally relevant, culturally diverse, and multidisciplinary agenda that will continue to draw increased participation worldwide during future annual events.
Refractory Dissolved Organic Matter has Similar Chemical Characteristics but Different Radiocarbon Signatures With Depth in the Marine Water Column
Authors: White Margot E. , Nguyen Tran B. , Koester Irina , Lardie Gaylord Mary C. , Beman J. Michael , Smith Kenneth L. , McNichol Ann P. , Beaupré Steven R. , Aluwihare Lihini I.
Published: April 2023

The >5,000‐year radiocarbon age (14C‐age) of much of the 630 ± 30 Pg C oceanic dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reservoir remains an enigma in the marine carbon cycle. The fact that DOC is significantly older than dissolved inorganic carbon at every depth in the ocean forms the basis of our current framing of the marine DOC cycle, where some component persists over multiple cycles of ocean mixing. As a result, 14C‐depleted, aged DOC is hypothesized to be present as a uniform reservoir with a constant 14C signature and concentration throughout the water column. However, key requirements of this model, including direct observations of DOC with similar 14C signatures in the surface and deep ocean, have never been met. Despite decades of research, the distribution of Δ14C values in marine DOC remains a mystery. Here, we applied a thermal fractionation method to compare operationally defined refractory DOC (RDOC) from different depths in the North Pacific Ocean. We found that RDOC shares chemical characteristics (as recorded by OC bond strength) throughout the water column but does not share the same 14C signature. Our results support one part of the current paradigm—that RDOC is comprised of structurally related components throughout the ocean that form a “background” reservoir. However, in contrast to the current paradigm, our results are consistent with a vertical concentration gradient and a vertical and inter‐ocean Δ14C gradient for RDOC. The observed Δ14C gradient is compatible with the potential addition of pre‐aged DOC to the upper ocean.
Magnetic Perturbations in Electron Phase‐Space Holes: Contribution of Electron Polarization Drift
Authors: Yang Fan , Zhou Xu‐Zhi , Zhuang Yan , Yue Chao , Zong Qiu‐Gang , Liu Zhi‐Yang , Artemyev Anton V.
Published: April 2023

Electron phase‐space holes, sometimes referred to as electron holes, are Debye‐scale plasma structures commonly observed in space plasmas. Although they are usually thought of as electrostatic structures, recent observations have shown that these structures are often accompanied by magnetic field perturbations. Such magnetic perturbations may originate from Lorentz transformation of the electric field, although it has been also suggested that localized currents caused by the electron E × B motion may also play a role. In this paper, we consider the contribution of electron polarization drift to the current and therefore the magnetic field perturbations, which is validated by comparison to Magnetospheric MultiScale observations of 69 electron holes based on a superposed epoch technique. Our results show that the magnetic perturbations caused by the electron polarization drift can be significant compared to Lorentz transformation effect, especially in regions with low magnetic strength and large electron density.
How Bi‐Modal Are Jupiter's Main Aurora Zones?
Authors: Mauk B. H. , Szalay J. R. , Allegrini F. , Bagenal F. , Bolton S. J. , Clark G. , Connerney J. E. P. , Gladstone G. R. , Haggerty D. K. , Kollmann P. , Kurth W. S. , Paranicas C. P. , Sulaiman A. H.
Published: April 2023

Using Juno‐measured >30 keV electrons, three regions with substantial ultraviolet emissions were identified previously for Jupiter's main aurora (excluding the polar cap): low‐latitude diffuse aurora, mid‐latitude Zone I of downward acceleration, and higher latitude Zone II of bi‐directional acceleration. Zone I, associated with upward magnetic field‐aligned currents, was represented as bimodal: sometimes supporting coherent downward electron electrostatic acceleration and sometimes downward electron broadband acceleration, with broadband acceleration usually delivering the most intense electron energy flux at Juno. Recent observations of up‐going ion beams within Zone I represent a challenge as to whether coherent electrostatic acceleration invariably accompanies broadband acceleration. Is this region strictly bi‐modal, or is there a continuum between these two modes? We address these questions by combining multiple ion and electron data sources to diagnose electrostatic potentials both above and below the spacecraft. We find: (a) During Zone I downward electron broadband events, there are examples where evidence of downward electron electrostatic acceleration completely disappears and examples where it endures at some level. (b) Most often, evidence of downward electron electrostatic acceleration is strongly suppressed with strong downward electron broadband acceleration. Residual potentials most often (not always) have values small (<10 kV) compared to the electron characteristic energies of 100–400 keV. (c) Care must be exercised in these studies because plasmasheet electron precipitation spectra can mimic broadband acceleration spectra. At least for weaker auroral broadband accelerations, there is likely to be a continuum of electrostatic and broadband participation. Why either process is favored at any one time is unknown.