bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Q﻿uality of Teaching Practices for All Students: Multilevel Analysis of Language-Responsive Teaching for Robust Understanding
Authors: Neugebauer Philipp , Prediger Susanne
Published: April 2022

The quality of curriculum resources and teaching practices can constrain or promote students’ opportunities for mathematics learning, in particular, students with diverse language proficiency. The video study investigates 18 classes that all used the same curriculum resources aimed at developing 367 seventh graders’ conceptual understanding of percentages to identify the interaction of quality dimensions, the enactment of given curriculum resources, and students’ mathematical achievement (when controlling for mathematical preknowledge and language proficiency). Multilevel regression analysis revealed that three quality dimensions that can easily be supported by the curriculum resources (Mathematical Richness, Cognitive Demand, and Connecting Registers) were on a high level, and their variance had no additional interaction with students’ achievement. In contrast, the 4 quality dimensions that were enacted in the teacher-student interaction with more variance (Agency, Equitable Access, Discursive Demand, and, in particular, Use of Student Contributions) had a significant additional impact on student achievement. These findings reveal important insights into the implementability of equitable instructional approaches.
Mediating Factors in Within-Person Developmental Cascades of Externalising, Internalising and ADHD Symptoms in Childhood
Authors: Speyer Lydia Gabriela , Obsuth Ingrid , Ribeaud Denis , Eisner Manuel , Luciano Michelle , Auyeung Bonnie , Murray Aja Louise
Published: April 2022

Previous studies have offered evidence for peer problems and academic achievement as mediators in developmental cascades from externalising to internalising problems, and from ADHD symptoms to both internalising and externalising problems. However, these mediators have not been found to fully account for these cascades, indicating that there may be additional mediators involved. This study investigated the role of harsh parenting and parental involvement alongside academic achievement and peer problems in mediating within-person developmental cascades from externalising to internalising problems and from ADHD symptoms to internalising and externalising problems using autoregressive latent trajectory models with structured residuals. Models were fit for parent- and teacher-reports on children’s psychosocial development as measured by the Social Behaviour Questionnaire (SBQ) collected over ages 7, 9, and 11 in an ethnically diverse Swiss longitudinal cohort study (z-proso; N = 1387, 51% male). Results indicated that, when appropriately disentangling within- from between-person effects, none of the considered factors acted as significant mediators in longitudinal within-person relations between ADHD, internalising and externalising problems; hence, mediating mechanisms in developmental cascades remain to be identified.
Association of the Delaware Contraceptive Access Now Initiative with Postpartum LARC Use
Authors: Caudillo Mónica L. , Hurtado-Acuna Constanza , Rendall Michael S. , Boudreaux Michel
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Although multi-component policy interventions can be important tools to increase access to contraception, we know little about how they may change contraceptive use among postpartum women. We estimate the association of the Delaware Contraceptive Access Now (DelCAN) initiative with use of postpartum Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC). DelCAN included Medicaid payment reform for immediate postpartum LARC use, provider training and technical assistance in LARC provision, and a public awareness campaign.

Methods

We used a difference-in-differences design and data from the 2012 to 2017 pregnancy risk assessment monitoring system to compare changes in postpartum LARC use in Delaware versus 15 comparison states, and differences in such changes by women’s Medicaid enrollment.

Results

Relative to the comparison states, postpartum LARC use in Delaware increased by 5.26 percentage points (95% CI 2.90–7.61, P < 0.001) during the 2015–2017 DelCAN implementation period. This increase was the largest among Medicaid-covered women, and grew over the first three implementation years. By the third year of the DelCAN initiative (2017), the relative increase in postpartum LARC use for Medicaid women exceeded that for non-Medicaid women by 7.24 percentage points (95% CI 0.12–14.37, P = 0.046).

Conclusions for Practice

The DelCAN initiative was associated with increased LARC use among postpartum women in Delaware. During the first 3 years of the initiative, LARC use increased progressively and to a greater extent among Medicaid-enrolled women. Comprehensive initiatives that combine Medicaid payment reforms, provider training, free contraceptive services, and public awareness efforts may reduce unmet demand for highly effective contraceptives in the postpartum months.
Numerical investigations of the vortex feature-based vorticity confinement models for the assessment in three-dimensional vortex-dominated flows
Authors: Fu Jinbin , Yuan Yi , Vigevano Luigi
Published: April 2022

In order to improve the vortex resolution in aerodynamic wakes, a locally normalized vortex feature-based vorticity confinement method is implemented into the multi-block, structured computational fluid dynamics solver (ROSITA). In this method, the second vorticity confinement (VC2) scheme with two well-known vortex feature detection methods (non-dimensional Q criterion, non-dimensional $$\lambda _2$$

λ
2

criterion) is employed to counterbalance the truncation error introduced by the numerical discretization of the convective term. The flow field of two benchmark three-dimensional steady vortex-dominated cases, the NACA0015 wing and the Caradonna–Tung hovering rotor, is simulated with the implemented method. The improvements in aerodynamics prediction, vorticity preservation, computational stability, and efficiency are demonstrated. From the numerical results, the vortex feature-based confinement models significantly improve the computational stability, the aerodynamic loads prediction and vorticity preservation capability, especially for the $$\lambda _2$$

λ
2

–based VC2 model. In addition, it allows the use of higher confinement parameters on a coarse grid with a relatively higher computational efficiency to obtain better results than those of a finer grid.
PET Imaging in Preclinical Anti-Aβ Drug Development
Authors: Syvänen Stina , Meier Silvio R. , Roshanbin Sahar , Xiong Mengfei , Faresjö Rebecca , Gustavsson Tobias , Bonvicini Gillian , Schlein Eva , Aguilar Ximena , Julku Ulrika , Eriksson Jonas , Sehlin Dag
Published: May 2022

Positron emission tomography (PET), a medical imaging technique allowing for studies of the living human brain, has gained an important role in clinical trials of novel drugs against Alzheimer’s disease (AD). For example, PET data contributed to the conditional approval in 2021 ofaducanumab, an antibody directed towards amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates, by showing a dose-dependent reduction in brain amyloid after treatment. In parallel to clinical studies, preclinical studies in animal models of Aβ pathology may also benefit from PET as a tool to detect target engagement and treatment effects of anti-Aβ drug candidates. PET is associated with a high level of translatability between species as similar, non-invasive protocols allow for longitudinal rather than cross-sectional studies and can be used both in a preclinical and clinical setting. This review focuses on the use of preclinical PET imaging in genetically modified animals that express human Aβ, and its present and potential future role in the development of drugs aimed at reducing brain Aβ levels as a therapeutic strategy to halt disease progression in AD.
sAuth: a hierarchical implicit authentication mechanism for service robots
Authors: Zhang Xiaomei , Zhang Pengming , Zeng Xin , Wang Yajie , Chi Chi-hung
Published: April 2022

With advances in networks, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things, humanoid robots are rising in many areas, including elderly care, companion, education, and services in public sectors. Given their sensing and communication functionality, information leakage and unauthorized access will be of big concern. Very often, authentication techniques for service robots, especially those related to behavioral identification, have been developed, in which behavior models are created using raw data from sensors. However, behavioral-based authentication and re-authentication is still an open area for research, including cold start problems, accuracy, and uncertainty. This paper proposes a hierarchical implicit authentication system by joint built-in sensors and trust evaluation, coined sAuth, which exploits sensor data-based sliding window trust model to identify the service robot and its expected users. In order to mitigate the fluctuations of identification results in the real world environment, the trust evaluation is computed via combining the weighted intermediate identification probability of various small sliding windows. The performance of sAuth is evaluated under different scenarios where we show that (i) approximately 5–7% higher accuracy and 2–18% lower equal error rate can be achieved by our method compared to other works; and (ii) the hierarchical scheme with joint sensors and trust sliding windows improves the authentication accuracy significantly by comparing it with only sensor-based authentication.
Design, Development and Evaluation of the Citizen Science Cancer Curriculum (CSCC): a Design and Development Case Study
Authors: Valle Natercia , Brishke Janet , Shenkman Elizabeth , Ritzhaupt Albert D.
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this design and development case study is to provide an in-depth account of the needs analysis (through surveys and interviews), design, development and formative evaluation of the Citizen Science Cancer Curriculum (CSCC). The curriculum was developed as an online, self-paced educational program distributed as an Open Educational Resource using Creative Commons licensing. The instructional approach described in this design and development case study was informed by the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) framework. The case reflects a new frontier in the development of community stakeholder engagement models and describes how evidence-based instructional design practices and approaches (e.g., storytelling) can be used to support Citizen Scientists’ interests, learning and motivation to engage in cancer-related research. Results from quantitative and qualitative analyses indicate that the CSCC supported Citizen Scientists’ learning performance and motivation. More specifically, the use of storytelling as an instructional approach supported Citizen Scientists’ psychological needs, especially relatedness and competence, which translated into their behavioral intentions to contribute to cancer-related research. We share context-specific challenges and opportunities in working with Citizen Scientists as well as with cancer researchers and clinicians during the design and development of the curriculum.
Study on steel plate scratch detection based on improved MSR and phase consistency
Authors: Yang Luya , Huang Xinbo , Ren Yucheng , Zhang Yun
Published: April 2022

In the casting process of the steel plate, due to the influence of rolling equipment and technology, the defects such as cracks and scratches appear on the surface of steel plate, which affect the performance of steel plate and even cause production accidents. In this paper, an automatic detection method for steel plate scratch is proposed. Firstly, the steel plate image is decomposed by channel and the enhanced image is obtained by the improved MSR (Multi-Scale Retinex) enhancement algorithm. Then, the phase consistency is detected after the Log Gabor wavelet transform and the scratch areas are obtained by the threshold segmentation and intersection of three channels. Finally, the scratch position is identified and the scratch characteristics such as width and length can be calculated. The results show that the minimum error of the characteristics measurement is only 2.28% in the experimental environment and 4.15% in the field environment, and the mean running time is 0.2826 s in the experimental environment and 0.3193 s in the field environment. It verifies that the proposed method is effective and practical.
Chemical Immobilization of Carboxymethyl Chitosan on Polycaprolactone Nanofibers as Osteochondral Scaffolds
Authors: Kabirkoohian Anita , Bakhshi Hadi , Irani Shiva , Sharifi Fereshteh
Published: April 2022

Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) as a bio-based osteochondral inductive material was chemically immobilized on the surface of polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers to fabricate scaffolds for osteochondral tissue engineering applications. The chemical immobilization process included the aminolysis of ester bonds and bonding of the primary amines with glutaraldehyde as a coupling agent. The SEM and FTIR results confirmed the successfulness of the CMC immobilization. The fabricated scaffolds presented cell viabilities of > 82% and supported the attachment and proliferation of the human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). The CMC-immobilized scaffolds concentration dependently induced the diverse osteochondral differentiation pathways for the hBM-MSCs without using any external differential agents. According to the Alcian Blue and Alizarin Red staining and immunocytochemistry results, scaffolds with a higher content of CMC presented more chondro-inductivity and less osteoinductivity. Thus, the CMC-immobilized scaffolds can be employed as great potential candidates for osteochondral tissue engineering applications.
Minority stress and the inner critic/oppressive sociocultural schema mode among sexual and gender minorities
Authors: Cardoso Bruno Luiz Avelino , Paim Kelly , Catelan Ramiro Figueiredo , Liebross Ethan H.
Published: April 2022

Several adverse psychological outcomes among sexual and gender minorities (SGM) are well documented in the literature. Notwithstanding the emergence of these data, SGM still receive little attention regarding psychological interventions, which include Schema Therapy (ST), an emerging integrative psychotherapy approach. Even though revisions have been proposed to expand ST’s understanding of emotional needs, schemas, domains, and schema modes, there is a gap in our understanding of SGM. Based on that, the main goal of this theoretical essay is to propose a specific ST intervention for SGM, addressing sociocultural aspects aiming at promoting a healthy functioning that can interpose oppression and internalized prejudice. To this end, we will present (a) the minority stress theoretical framework; (b) the ST model applying to SGM clients; and (c) a few strategies of ST intervention for SGM clients, highlighting the need for strengthening individuals’ healthy schema mode. It should be noted that, despite clinical work being relevant, there are social variables supporting and maintaining maladaptive structures. We hope the therapeutic interventions proposed promote dialogue on this subject and encouraging positive societal changes.
Radiofrequency Ablation of Incompetent Short Saphenous Vein: a Case Series
Authors: Elshafei Amr M. , Abdelgawad Mohamed S. , Saad Ehab M. , Fahmy Dalia Mounir , Khafagy Tamer Abdelhay
Published: April 2022

Short saphenous vein (SSV) incompetence proved to be an obstacle in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) treatment in the endovascular era. In our study, we used to prove that radiofrequency ablation could be done safely with low incidence of side effects. In this prospective case series study, 34 patients suffered from leg varicosity (either primary or recurrent) attended to outpatient clinic and were referred for duplex scan to ensure SSV incompetency. SSV ablation was done using radiofrequency catheter. Operative findings were recorded, and patients were followed for up to 12 months post-surgical procedure to look for complications or recurrences. Successful obliteration of short saphenous vein was done in 52 legs with mean diameter 4.9 SD 1.0 mm and operative time 37.5 SD 13.7 min, the incidence of sural nerve paresthesia was 9%, and no reported cases with DVT. On 12-month follow-up, VCSS reduced significantly from 13 (IQR 12) to 3 (IQR 6) and AVVQ reduced significantly from 27.1 (IQR 18.8) to 5.6 (IQR 7.2); the rate of short saphenous vein obliteration was 98.1% at 6 months and 94.2% at 12 months. Radiofrequency ablation can be recommended for patients with incompetent SSV.
An assessment of bone tool cleaning procedures in preparation for traceological analysis
Authors: Mateo-Lomba Paula , Fernández-Marchena Juan Luis , Cazalla Irene , Valtierra Noé , Cáceres Isabel , Ollé Andreu
Published: April 2022

The preparation of samples for traceological analysis is a key methodological aspect in the correct interpretation of use-wear; however, it is often poorly reflected in the archaeological literature. The treatment of osseous tissues is particularly overlooked, and receives even less attention than lithic raw materials. The presence of residues and contaminants on the surface of artefacts can conceal or even be mistaken for use-wear features, thereby affecting their interpretation. Therefore, the objective of this work is to contribute to the systematization of cleaning protocols and the preparation of experimental bone tools for traceological analysis. Through a sequential experiment, we tested the effects of different cleaning agents on experimental samples. Microscopic observation of the samples was complemented with microhardness testing. Our results made it possible to evaluate the cleaning effectiveness of the tested products, to determine how each product affects the bone surface at a microscopic level, and to assess the effects of these products on the treated bone tools in terms of cutting performance.
Optimal experiment design for a bottom friction parameter estimation problem
Authors: Warder Simon C. , Piggott Matthew D.
Published: April 2022

Calibration with respect to a bottom friction parameter is standard practice within numerical coastal ocean modelling. However, when this parameter is assumed to vary spatially, any calibration approach must address the issue of overfitting. In this work, we derive calibration problems in which the control parameters can be directly constrained by available observations, without overfitting. This is achieved by carefully selecting the ‘experiment design’, which in general encompasses both the observation strategy, and the choice of control parameters (i.e. the spatial variation of the friction field). In this work we focus on the latter, utilising existing observations available within our case study regions. We adapt a technique from the optimal experiment design (OED) literature, utilising model sensitivities computed via an adjoint-capable numerical shallow water model, Thetis. The OED method uses the model sensitivity to estimate the covariance of the estimated parameters corresponding to a given experiment design, without solving the corresponding parameter estimation problem. This facilitates the exploration of a large number of such experiment designs, to find the design producing the tightest parameter constraints. We take the Bristol Channel as a primary case study, using tide gauge data to estimate friction parameters corresponding to a piecewise-constant field. We first demonstrate that the OED framework produces reliable estimates of the parameter covariance, by comparison with results from a Bayesian inference algorithm. We subsequently demonstrate that solving an ‘optimal’ calibration problem leads to good model performance against both calibration and validation data, thus avoiding overfitting.
Understanding Student Characteristics in the Development of Active Learning Strategies
Authors: Mehta Seema , Schukow Casey P. , Takrani Amar , Ritchie Raquel P. , Wilkins Carol A. , Faner Martha A.
Published: April 2022

Student evaluations after non-lecture, active learning sessions at Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine, have yielded bipartite responses with one group responding favorably and the other group negatively. The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics, motivation, and learning strategies of medical students that find value in, appreciate, and perceive active learning sessions to be beneficial and those of students that do not. We generated a survey, based on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), that included questions regarding overall student motivations for learning, learning strategies that students employed throughout medical school, and their perceptions of active learning. Following an active learning session on hyperammonemia, we administered the modified MSLQ survey. Using the results of this survey, we validated the modified MSLQ and identified correlations between student characteristics and their perception of the active learning session. We found that, in general, students with high task value, intrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy for learning and performance, and control of learning beliefs felt more positively about their experience in the active learning session. Understanding the characteristics, motivations, and learning strategies that help students find value in active learning sessions will help medical educators develop future curricular material so that these exercises will better engage and be more effective with a greater number of learners.
A novel method to estimate incomplete PLTS information based on knowledge-match degree with reliability and its application in LSGDM problem
Authors: Xiao Huimin , Wu Shouwen , Wang Liu
Published: April 2022

In recent years, large-scale group decision making (LSGDM) has been researched in various fields. Probabilistic linguistic term set (PLTS) is an useful tool to describe evaluation information of experts when solving the LSGDM problem. As decision-making becomes more complex, in most cases, decision makers are unable to give complete evaluations over alternatives, which leads to the lack of evaluation information. To estimate missing information, this paper proposes a new method based on knowledge-match degree with reliability that knowledge-match degree means the matching level between evaluation values provided by individual and ones from group. The possession of reliability associated with evaluation information depends on fuzzy entropy of PLTS. Compared with previous methods, this approach can enhance accuracy and reliability of estimated values of missing evaluation information. Based on this method, we develop a complete decision process of LSGDM including information collection, subgroup detecting, consensus reaching process (CRP), information aggregation and ranking alternatives. Subsequently, a case about pharmaceutical manufacturer selection is used to illustrate the proposed decision method. To verify effectiveness and superiority, we make a comparative analysis with other methods and finally draw a conclusion.
Vertically Aligned Silicon Carbide Nanowires/Boron Nitride Cellulose Aerogel Networks Enhanced Thermal Conductivity and Electromagnetic Absorbing of Epoxy Composites
Authors: Pan Duo , Yang Gui , Abo-Dief Hala M. , Dong Jingwen , Su Fengmei , Liu Chuntai , Li Yifan , Bin Xu Ben , Murugadoss Vignesh , Naik Nithesh , El-Bahy Salah M. , El-Bahy Zeinhom M. , Huang Minan , Guo Zhanhu
Published: April 2022

With the innovation of microelectronics technology, the heat dissipation problem inside the device will face a severe test. In this work, cellulose aerogel (CA) with highly enhanced thermal conductivity (TC) in vertical planes was successfully obtained by constructing a vertically aligned silicon carbide nanowires (SiC NWs)/boron nitride (BN) network via the ice template-assisted strategy. The unique network structure of SiC NWs connected to BN ensures that the TC of the composite in the vertical direction reaches 2.21 W m−1 K−1 at a low hybrid filler loading of 16.69 wt%, which was increased by 890% compared to pure epoxy (EP). In addition, relying on unique porous network structure of CA, EP-based composite also showed higher TC than other comparative samples in the horizontal direction. Meanwhile, the composite exhibits good electrically insulating with a volume electrical resistivity about 2.35 × 1011 Ω cm and displays excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance with a minimum reflection loss of − 21.5 dB and a wide effective absorption bandwidth (< − 10 dB) from 8.8 to 11.6 GHz. Therefore, this work provides a new strategy for manufacturing polymer-based composites with excellent multifunctional performances in microelectronic packaging applications.
Explainability of the COVID-19 epidemiological model with nonnegative tensor factorization
Authors: Balasubramaniam Thirunavukarasu , Warne David J. , Nayak Richi , Mengersen Kerrie
Published: April 2022

The world is witnessing the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each country responded to contain the spread of the virus in the early stages through diverse response measures. Interpreting these responses and their patterns globally is essential to inform future responses to COVID-19 variants and future pandemics. A stochastic epidemiological model (SEM) is a well-established mathematical tool that helps to analyse the spread of infectious diseases through communities and the effects of various response measures. However, interpreting the outcome of these models is complex and often requires manual effort. In this paper, we propose a novel method to provide the explainability of an epidemiological model. We represent the output of SEM as a tensor model. We then apply nonnegative tensor factorization (NTF) to identify patterns of global response behaviours of countries and cluster the countries based on these patterns. We interpret the patterns and clusters to understand the global response behaviour of countries in the early stages of the pandemic. Our experimental results demonstrate the advantage of clustering using NTF and provide useful insights into the characteristics of country clusters.
Longitudinal Impact of Social Restrictions on Sexual Health in the Italian Population
Authors: Vedovo Francesca , Capogrosso Paolo , Di Blas Lisa , Cai Tommaso , Arcaniolo Davide , Privitera Salvatore , Palumbo Fabrizio , Palmieri Alessandro , Trombetta Carlo
Published: May 2022

Background

Several trials have reported on the impact of social restrictions due to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic on sexual function and psycho-physical well-being. However, data showing modifications of these outcomes over time and at the end of lock-down are scant.

Aim

We investigated the longitudinal changes in sexual function during social restrictions for COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.

Methods

A web-based survey was administered to Italian citizens of legal age via social networks. The Beck Depression Inventory Primary Care, the General Health Survey, Female Sexual Function Index, International Index of Erectile Function, UCLA Loneliness Scale-version 3 questionnaires were used to test mental, physical and sexual well-being. The questionnaires were administered at the beginning of the lockdown (T0), 15 days from the first assessment (T1) and 1 month after the end of the restrictions in 2020 (T2).

Outcomes

Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were applied to investigate changes in sexual function over and at the end of social restrictions.

Results

Data were available for 2543 people (47.2% of men; 43.4% women; 9.4% undefined). Mean age was 48.3 ± 15.1 years for males and 43.9 ± 13.4 for females. Overall, 2.6% reported depressive symptoms according to Beck Depression Inventory Primary Care, 7.4% reported a high level of UCLA loneliness and 19.4% low levels of general mental health. Mild to severe erectile dysfunction was reported by 59.1% of men at T0, while 68.4% of women reported sexual dysfunction. Sexual function levels remain generally unchanged at further follow-up over the social restriction time period (T1), although those who were sexually active at baseline showed a decrease in sexual function scores. At T2, there was an overall improvement in sexual function scores with a rate of severe erectile dysfunction decreasing from 37.1% to 24.1% from T0 to T2 among males and a significant decrease of female sexual dysfunction from 68.4% to 51.2%.

Clinical Implications

Young individuals and those with good mental and physical health were more likely to improve sexual function at the end of social restrictions.

Strengths & Limitations

Valid and reliable questionnaires and longitudinal approach design represent strengths; a large but convenient sample and lack of pre-pandemic baseline data represent limits.

Conclusion

Social restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in sexual dysfunctions in both genders. However, these conditions appeared temporary since an overall improvement was observed at the end of lockdown and especially in younger individuals with higher psycho-physical well-being.
Kant and the Claims of the Empirical World
Authors: Geiger Ido
Published: April 2022

Kant announces that the Critique of the Power of Judgment will bring his entire critical enterprise to an end. But it is by no means agreed upon that it in fact does so and, if it does, how. In this book, Ido Geiger argues that a principal concern of the third Critique is completing the account of the transcendental conditions of empirical experience and knowledge. This includes both Kant's analysis of natural beauty and his discussion of teleological judgments of organisms and of nature generally. Geiger's original reading of  the third Critique shows that it forms a unified whole - and that it does in fact deliver the final part of Kant's transcendental undertaking. His book will be valuable to all who are interested in Kant's theory of the aesthetic and conceptual purposiveness of nature.
The Abe Experiment and the Future of Japan
Authors: Banno Junji , Yamaguchi Jirō
Published: April 2022

With an author’s foreword written on the day that the Abe cabinet decided to ‘revise the Japanese Constitution by reinterpretation’ (Tuesday, 1 July 2014), this timely examination of Japan’s post-war history by two leading historians committed to democratic politics is highly instructive and prompts serious reflection by anyone concerned with the future of Japan. Originally published in Japan by Iwanami Shinsho, The Abe Experiment and the Future of Japan records a wide-ranging dialogue between two eminent Japanese scholars - Junji Banno, a political historian, and Jirō Yamaguchi, a political scientist - regarding Japan’s modern political history. The focus of the conversation is on what they perceive as disturbing parallels between the 1930s and the recent policy trajectory of the Abe government, in which relations with Japan’s immediate neighbours have seriously deteriorated. The translation is by the distinguished Oxford scholar and author Arthur Stockwin, formerly Director of the Nissan Institute.
The Private Diplomacy of Shibusawa Eiichi
Authors: Masahide Shibusawa
Published: April 2022

This book offers an account of the life of Shibusawa Eiichi, who may be considered the first ‘internationalist’ in modern Japan, and is written by his great grandson Masahide and published in 1970 under the title Taiheiyo ni kakeru hashi (Building Bridges over the Pacific). Japan had a tortuous relationship with internationalism between 1840, when Shibusawa was born, and 1931, the year the nation invaded Manchuria and when he passed away. The key to understanding Shibusawa’s thoughts against the background of this history, the author shows, lies in the concept of ‘people’s diplomacy,’ namely an approach to international relations through non-governmental connections. Such connections entail more transnational than international relations.
The Ghost of Namamugi
Authors: Fletcher Robert S. G.
Published: April 2022

In 1862, a British merchant was killed by samurai at Namamugi, a quiet village near Yokohama. One year later, a British fleet bombarded Kagoshima to extract reparations, reducing much of this south-western city to ash. This captivating re-telling locates the story firmly within the wider context of British imperial expansion in East Asia.
Mediating Empire
Authors: Hillier Andrew
Published: April 2022

As part of the growing scholarship on family and empire, this study examines Britain's presence in China through the lens of one family, arguing that, as the physical embodiment of the imperial project, it provided a social and cultural mechanism for mediating Britain's imperial power, authority and presence, and forging connections and networks throughout the expanding British world. Drawing on public and private papers, it breaks significant new ground in its development of those themes.
Early Japanese Trade, Administration and Interactions with the West
Authors: Cullen Louis
Published: April 2022

Throughout his academic career Louis Cullen's main research interest has been foreign trade - originally that of England, Ireland and France, but from the mid-1990s, his focus turned to Japanese history resulting in his critically acclaimed A history of Japan 1582-1941: Internal and External Worlds. Subsequently, he concentrated on the analysis of archival sources and of the problems they pose for the interpretation of Japanese history: papers on some of these themes and their associated statistical dimensions have appeared in Nichibunken's Japan Review and are republished here together with a collection of other papers including interpreting Tokugawa history and the knowledge and the use of Japanese by the Dutch on Dejima island.
A cross-sectional survey study on the nutrition patterns of patients	with peripheral artery disease
Authors: Wolbert Lara , Kreutzburg Thea , Zyriax Birgit-Christiane , Adegbola Abiodun , Westenhöfer Joachim , Jagemann Bettina , Alexander Neumann Felix , Preuß Mark , Debus E. Sebastian , Rieß Henrik C. , Behrendt Christian-Alexander
Published: May 2022

Summary: Background: Even though nutrition was demonstrated to have an impact on chronic atherosclerotic disease, there is a paucity of corresponding recommendations for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). A Mediterranean Diet based on daily intake of fruits and vegetables with high fibre, vegetable oil, and unsalted nuts including fish several times a week may have protective effects. This cross-sectional survey aimed to determine nutritional patterns amongst inpatients with PAD. Methods: All inpatients with symptomatic PAD who underwent revascularisation at a single centre between 1st May 2018 and 31st December 2021 were asked to fill out a questionnaire on nutritional intake. An 8-item frequency rating scale (from never to three times a day) was used for 15 food groups. For 11 of them, an adapted Mediterranean Diet score was calculated using the answers. The descriptive results were stratified by sex and disease stage (intermittent claudication vs. chronic limb-threatening ischaemia). Results: A total of 319 patients (31.7% female, 69.4 years in mean) were included. Thereof, 71.8% reported they did never receive any nutritional information considering their PAD disease. The mean adapted Mediterranean Diet score was 2.7 points (of maximum 11) with most patients not achieving the recommended servings per week for fruits (1.6%), vegetables (1.0%), and unsalted nuts (12.2%). The intake of cereals was sufficient (43.3%). When compared with men, women consumed more fruits and less meat. Conclusions: This survey demonstrated that although healthy nutrition may have a positive impact on patients with PAD, the education and adherence to a Mediterranean Diet was inappropriate. Nutritional patterns should be more focused in future PAD studies to derive specific recommendations and nutritional programmes as well as patient education in clinical practice.
Moisture Sources and Climatic Controls of Precipitation Stable Isotopes Over the Tibetan Plateau in Water‐Tagging Simulations
Authors: Man Wenmin , Zhou Tianjun , Jiang Jie , Zuo Meng , Hu Jun
Published: May 2022

Understanding the climate controls of precipitation δ18O in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is crucial for paleoclimate reconstructions from a wealth of regional archives. We use the outputs of iCAM5 model to quantify the different moisture contribution to local precipitation δ18O and to understand the climate controls of precipitation δ18O in the TP based on water‐tagging. The model shows some deficiencies in simulating the spatial and temporal characteristics of precipitation δ18O and the local climatic controls across the TP. Among all the tagged source regions, South Asia and the Indian Ocean contribute the most to the precipitation δ18O in the monsoon‐controlled domain, followed by the East Asia source region. The westerlies are identified as major moisture sources to the precipitation δ18O in the westerlies‐controlled domain. South Asia and the Indian Ocean also contribute substantially for the westerlies‐controlled domain. On interannual time scales, summer precipitation δ18O in the monsoon‐controlled domain is dominated by rainout processes occurring along the moisture transport pathway, indicating that precipitation δ18O variations here potentially record changes in the regional upstream convection. The δ18O signal can be altered by changes in the moisture source location, which implies that enhanced moisture delivery from remote source regions leads to more negative precipitation δ18O due to an increase in the rainout effect during transport. Our results have implications for the interpretation of past variations of archives with precipitation stable isotopes, such as ice cores, tree rings, lake sediments, and speleothems in the TP and surrounding regions.
Regional and Seasonal Variability of the Oceanic Thermal Skin Effect
Authors: Luo Bingkun , Minnett Peter J. , Szczodrak Malgorzata , Akella Santha
Published: April 2022

The heat exchange between the ocean and atmosphere through turbulent and radiative processes is a fundamental component of the climate system. An accurate representation of the physical processes at the ocean thermal skin layer in numerical weather prediction and climate models is critical to the skill of the model forecasts and the fidelity of derived fields. Over many years we have deployed instruments on many ships to measure the sea‐surface skin temperature and variables that control surface exchanges. Here, the nighttime cool skin and daytime diurnal warming characteristics are investigated using our ship data in the Caribbean region. Overall comparisons with existing parameterizations and models show encouraging results: the biases of various cool skin schemes vary between −0.128 and 0.028 K; a new cool skin equation was derived. Several diurnal warming models are evaluated, with their accuracies being related to the wind speed, time, shortwave‐radiation, and air‐sea temperature difference.
Thank You to Our 2021 Reviewers
Authors: Beal Lisa M. , Chambers Don , Friedrichs Marjorie A. M. , Gnanaseelan Chellappan , Goodkin Nathalie F. , Hetland Robert D. , Mulligan Ryan P. , Nagai Takeyoshi , O’Callaghan Joanne (Joe) , Padman Laurence (Laurie) , Pinardi Nadia , Power Hannah E. , Singh Arvind , Umlauf Lars , Wåhlin Anna , Xu Fanghua , Zhou Lei
Published: April 2022

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Thank you to the 1,371 reviewers who provided 2,661 reviews during 2021 to ensure the same quality and integrity of JGR‐O manuscripts.
Mitochondrial calcium uptake regulates tumour progression in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma
Authors: Chiu Hsin Yao , Loh Amos Hong Pheng , Taneja Reshma
Published: April 2022

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) is characterised by a failure of cells to complete skeletal muscle differentiation. Although ERMS cells are vulnerable to oxidative stress, the relevance of mitochondrial calcium homoeostasis in oncogenesis is unclear. Here, we show that ERMS cell lines as well as primary tumours exhibit elevated expression of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU). MCU knockdown resulted in impaired mitochondrial calcium uptake and a reduction in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) levels. Phenotypically, MCU knockdown cells exhibited reduced cellular proliferation and motility, with an increased propensity to differentiate in vitro and in vivo. RNA-sequencing of MCU knockdown cells revealed a significant reduction in genes involved in TGFβ signalling that play prominent roles in oncogenesis and inhibition of myogenic differentiation. Interestingly, modulation of mROS production impacted TGFβ signalling. Our study elucidates mechanisms by which mitochondrial calcium dysregulation promotes tumour progression and suggests that targeting the MCU complex to restore mitochondrial calcium homoeostasis could be a therapeutic avenue in ERMS.
Revisiting the standard for modeling the spread of infectious diseases
Authors: Nikolaou Michael
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 epidemic brought to the forefront the value of mathematical modelling for infectious diseases as a guide to help manage a formidable challenge for human health. A standard dynamic model widely used for a spreading epidemic separates a population into compartments—each comprising individuals at a similar stage before, during, or after infection—and keeps track of the population fraction in each compartment over time, by balancing compartment loading, discharge, and accumulation rates. The standard model provides valuable insight into when an epidemic spreads or what fraction of a population will have been infected by the epidemic’s end. A subtle issue, however, with that model, is that it may misrepresent the peak of the infectious fraction of a population, the time to reach that peak, or the rate at which an epidemic spreads. This may compromise the model’s usability for tasks such as “Flattening the Curve” or other interventions for epidemic management. Here we develop an extension of the standard model’s structure, which retains the simplicity and insights of the standard model while avoiding the misrepresentation issues mentioned above. The proposed model relies on replacing a module of the standard model by a module resulting from Padé approximation in the Laplace domain. The Padé-approximation module would also be suitable for incorporation in the wide array of standard model variants used in epidemiology. This warrants a re-examination of the subject and could potentially impact model-based management of epidemics, development of software tools for practicing epidemiologists, and related educational resources.
Relay charge transport in thunderclouds and its role in lightning initiation
Authors: Syssoev A. A. , Iudin D. I. , Iudin F. D. , Klimashov V. Yu. , Emelyanov A. A.
Published: April 2022

A new mechanism of charge transport inside a thundercloud is suggested and numerically investigated. The considered mechanism can be called “relay” because it is provided by a dynamical network of a relatively small amount of continuously decaying and arising conducting plasma formations. It manifests itself in two consecutive modes corresponding to pre-streamer and streamer/leader stages of thundercloud development. The first one is provided by dynamics of conducting ionic spots recently described by Iudin et al.1 that prepare conditions for initiation of positive streamers. The second mode relies on dynamical network of streamer/leader discharges and finally results in the formation of a compact well-conducting structure that bridges an area of strong electric field inside a thundercloud and can be associated with a lightning “seed”. The effectiveness of relay charge transport strongly depends on the relative proportion of conductive elements (plasma formations) and drastically increases in the field-dependent case.
Molecular dynamics simulations of the secondary-binding site in disaccharide-modified glycopeptide antibiotics
Authors: Olademehin Olatunde P. , Shuford Kevin L. , Kim Sung J.
Published: April 2022

Oritavancin is a semisynthetic glycopeptide antibiotic used to treat severe infections by multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. Oritavancin is known to be a thousand times more potent than vancomycin against Gram-positive bacteria due to the additional interactions with bacterial peptidoglycan (PG) facilitated by a secondary-binding site. The presence of this secondary-binding site is evident in desleucyl-oritavancin, an Edman degradation product of oritavancin, still retaining its potency against Gram-positive bacteria, whereas desleucyl-vancomycin is devoid of any antimicrobial activities. Herein, using explicit solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, steered MD simulations, and umbrella sampling, we show evidence of a secondary-binding site mediated by the disaccharide-modified hydrophobic sidechain of oritavancin interactions with the pentaglycyl-bridge segment of the PG. The interactions were characterized through comparison to the interaction of PG with chloroeremomycin, vancomycin, and the desleucyl analogs of the glycopeptides. Our results show that the enhanced binding of oritavancin to PG over the binding of the other complexes studied is due to an increase in the hydrophobic effect, electrostatic and van der Waals interactions, and not the average number of hydrogen bonds. Our ranking of the binding interactions of the biomolecular complexes directly correlates with the order based on their experimental minimum inhibitory concentrations. The results of our simulations provide insight into the modification of glycopeptides to increase their antimicrobial activities or the design of novel antibiotics against pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria.
Prevalence of anemia and association with mortality in community-dwelling elderly in Thailand
Authors: Karoopongse E. , Srinonprasert V. , Chalermsri C. , Aekplakorn W.
Published: April 2022

Anemia is one of the most common health problems in the elderly in low and middle income countries. Evidence from studies in high income countries suggests that the presence of anemia may predict mortality. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of anemia and the determine the relationship of hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mortality in community dwelling Thai elderly. Data from subjects aged ≥ 60 years from the Fourth Thai National Health Examination Survey were analyzed. Comorbidity and hematologic indexes including MCV were obtained. The Cox proportional hazard model was applied to explore associations with mortality. Data from 8,935 subjects were obtained. The mean age of participants was 69.2 years (SD 6.8). 3446 (38.2%) of subjects had anemia; 1931(56%) of these were classified as mild and normocytic. With a total 51,268 person-year of follow up, 753 participants with anemia died, and the cumulative all-cause mortality was 38.5 per 1,000 person-years. The presence of anemia was associated with an increased risk of mortality with HR of 1.66 (95% CI = 1.50–1.84 , p < 0.001). Among subjects with low MCV, hemoglobin level < 10 g/dl in men and < 9 g/dl in women significantly increased the risk of mortality (HR of 2.71, 95% CI = 1.88–3.91 and HR of 3.14, 95%CI = 2.11–4.67, respectively) Persons with anemia and normal MCV, the association with mortality was evident at hemoglobin levels below 11 g/dl for both males and females. (HR of 1.98, 95% CI = 1.67–2.35). Anemia is a moderate to severe public health significant in the population for community dwelling elderly in Thailand. At the same level of Hemoglobin, low MCV population seem to have lower mortality rate than normal MCV. Systematic screening for anemia should be implemented to identify patients at increased risk of mortality. The future research should be focus on causes of anemia and factors contributing to increased mortality in normal to high MCV would be of interest. If this could lead to identifying modifiable causes, it would be beneficial for improving mortality risk among older people.