bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HYDROCODE SIMULATIONS OF HYPERVELOCITY IMPACTS ON A DUCTILE IRON
Authors: CHOCRON SIDNEY , WALKER JAMES D. , GROSCH DON , ALEXANDER AMANDA , MARCHI SIMONE
Published: September 2022

To prepare for two NASA missions, Southwest Research Institute has been performing both laboratory tests and hydrocode computations of impacts at velocities between 2 and 5.5 km/s on rocks like pumice, sandstone, hematite, concrete, and on metals like aluminum and pure iron (ARMCO iron). All the targets were mounted on pendulums so that the momentum imparted by the projectile to the target could be measured. Note that, in general, the momentum acquired by the target after the impact is larger than the momentum of the projectile. This is due to the additional momentum from the ejecta that flies off the target in the opposite direction to the direction of the impact. Hydrocode computations with CTH and EPIC followed the experiments. This paper will present the laboratory results specifically on ARMCO iron, a material considered a “benchmark”, and the strength and weaknesses of the computations performed.
SIZE SCALING OF FAILURE PROCESSES IN IMPACT
Authors: WALKER JAMES D. , CHOCRON SIDNEY
Published: September 2022

When a high speed or hypervelocity impact occurs, a crater is formed. Size scaling of this event is of interest, meaning, for example, how the crater properties change as the projectile size increases. While penetration depth normalized by projectile radius is fairly insensitive to projectile size, there are other aspects of the cratering process that are quite sensitive to the size of the projectile, including mass of material liberated as ejecta and the amount of momentum that ejecta material has. It is show that there is reasonably good understanding of ejecta mass, but momentum enhancement is still a challenging topic, which we show through experimental results with two aluminums. We also discuss the same effects in concrete targets and the possibility of obtaining more understanding of the size scaling process with the upcoming DART impact into an asteroid.
A NOVEL EX-SITU ALUMINUM FOAM-FILLED FOURFOLD-TUBE NESTED SYSTEM AS THE ENERGY ABSORBER
Authors: XU BIN , WANG SHU , YAN WENMIN , QIN BIN
Published: September 2022

The present research introduces a novel thin-walled structure with an outer tube and three inner tubes as an energy absorber during the lateral compression process. Loaddisplacement response and energy absorption capability of the aluminum foam-filled/empty FT (fourfold-tube) nested tube systems, the TT (triple-tube) nested systems were investigated experimentally. In the quasi-static test, all nested systems were compressed laterally on the universal mechanical tester in compression operation, and the results were subsequently compared. Effects of the aluminum foam on the energy absorption capability and the deformation mode of the foam-filled FT system was analyzed. Experimental results show that the presence of aluminum foam improves the symmetry of deformation of the FT nested system, which is very important in enhancing the energy absorption capability of the FT nested system. In dynamic experiments, impact loading apparatuses SHPB (split Hopkinson pressure bar) and dynamic measurement techniques (high-speed imaging and dynamic strain gauge) were used to test the dynamic deformation mode and the shock resistance of the FT nested system and the TT nested system. Results of the FT nested system were compared with results of the TT system to highlights its advantages of the presented novel FT nested system. The researches demonstrate that the foam-filled FT system can provide a better efficient impact force reduction and desired deformation mode compared to empty FT system. The improved aluminum foam-filled FT nested system can be widely used in engineering fields for enhancing its crashworthiness under impact.
STUDY ON BLUNT IMPACT DEFECT OF BIONIC UPPER HUMAN TORSO
Authors: AN SHUO , MA XUEJIAO , DONG FANGDONG , YAN WENMIN , ZHANG TIANLONG
Published: September 2022

In order to explore the injury mechanism of human upper torso under soft protection, ballistic tests were carried out to simulate blunt effect of target on upper torso of bionic dummy under soft protection. Acceleration, pressure, force and other parameters are used to reflect the biological characteristics and injuries of human body under blunt impact effect. The acceleration, pressure, force and other parameters of each part were recorded by impacting the heart, liver, left and right lungs and spleen and stomach at five bullet speeds. Through comparative analysis of different parts of the incident, the parameters of each part of the comparison, study on the impact on the human body. The study of the test results is of great significance to the evaluation and testing of individual soldier protective gear and the study of the damage effect of anti-personnel ammunition on the protected personnel.
DEL AULA A LA CIUDAD. ARQUETIPOS URBANOS EN LAS ESCUELAS PRIMARIAS DE HERMAN HERTZBERGER
Authors: Mayoral-Campa Esther , Pozo-Bernal Melina
Published: September 2022

Herman Hertzberger pertenece a ese grupo de arquitectos que, desde comienzos del siglo XX hasta nuestros días, han entendido el binomio arquitectura–pedagogía como indisoluble, como dos disciplinas complementarias en el proceso de aprendizaje que recrean un modelo de sociedad y, por ende, del espacio donde esta se desarrolla. Hertzberger entiende la arquitectura como instrumento pedagógico y como oportunidad esencial para la configuración de un espacio de relación. Su obra nos desvela una preocupación máxima por el usuario, por los valores colectivos, en un entendimiento de la arquitectura como soporte de libertad, cuyo antecedente inmediato fue el ideario de su maestro Aldo van Eyck. Pero es en su arquitectura escolar donde esto se observa de forma más radical. A través de los numerosos proyectos realizados vinculados a la educación, se recorren todas las etapas de aprendizaje del hombre desde la infancia hasta la universidad, en los cuales se desarrolla un amplio repertorio de estrategias proyectuales vinculadas a la Escuela Activa como modelo de aprendizaje y más concretamente al Método Montessori. Su dilatada obra vinculada a la enseñanza le permite ensayar en todos los registros posibles la idea de un edificio como ciudad, difuminando los límites entre espacios privados y públicos en todas las escalas entre la escuela y su entorno, en un recorrido que va del aula a la ciudad.
Infinite-Dimensional Fisher Markets and Tractable Fair Division
Authors: Gao Yuan , Kroer Christian
Published: September 2022

Fisher market equilibrium models have long been a central topic in economics and computation. Recently, they have been widely used in the design and implementation of Internet marketplaces. Although the classical models are well studied and can be solved via tractable optimization characterizations, they only allow a finite number of items and thus face scalability issues when the item space is huge or even continuous. In “Infinite-Dimensional Fisher Markets and Tractable Fair Division,” Gao and Kroer propose infinite-dimensional convex programs and show that they capture market equilibria for infinite and possibly continuous item spaces, extending the classical Eisenberg-Gale framework. Using these results, the authors show that a challenging cake-cutting problem for piecewise linear agent valuations is equivalent to finding a market equilibrium and admits a tractable convex optimization characterization. Thus, it can be solved in polynomial time in theory and highly efficiently by numerical optimization software.
Can Public Organizations Perform Like Private Firms? The Role of Heterogeneous Resources and Practices
Authors: Teodorovicz Thomaz , Lazzarini Sérgio , Cabral Sandro , Nardi Leandro
Published: September 2022

Despite the well-known governance problems in public (state-owned) organizations, such as process rigidity, limited autonomy, and weak incentives, public organizations exhibit substantial performance heterogeneity, with some performing similarly to their private counterparts. In this paper, we scrutinize those sources of heterogeneous performance based on the interplay of management practices and resources. We argue that the governance constraints in public organizations inhibit the adoption of performance-enhancing practices. However, this negative effect is attenuated by the presence of distinct resources, such as human capital. We examine these effects in the context of over 9,000 public and private schools in Brazil. We find that private schools are more likely to use internal operational practices, such as planning and human resource management, as well as practices of engaging with external stakeholders. Differential adoption of these practices partially explains why private schools outperform their public counterparts in terms of student learning. Yet, access to highly educated teachers in public schools attenuates the negative association between public governance and the adoption of superior practices. In other words, schools with skilled teachers are more likely to adopt superior practices, thus reducing their performance gap compared with private schools. This result suggests that heterogeneous resource endowments—in our context, human capital—can soften governance constraints that inhibit performance-enhancing practices in public organizations. We thus show that heterogeneous practices and resources jointly explain not only performance differences across public and private organizations but also variations in the performance of organizations with the same governance form.

Funding: This work was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [Grant 428670/2016-4]; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo [Grants 2016/18423-3 and 2017/07423-5].

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1634 .
Effect of Potassium Application Rate on Dry Matter Yield and Forage Nutritive Value in Alfalfa
Authors: Min Doohong , Baral Rudra
Published: September 2022

The United States is the largest producer of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) however there is still a wide variation in yield among states. Potassium (K) is one of the key plant macronutrients that affect alfalfa yield and stand persistence. To the best of our knowledge, the evaluation of K rates on alfalfa forage yield and quality attributes has not been done in the United States. Thus, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of K rates along with harvesting intervals (HI) and varieties on alfalfa dry matter yield (DMY), forage nutritive value, and soil K content. The experiment was carried out in a split-split plot with two HI (28 and 35-day after the first cut), two varieties (Hi–Gest 360: reduced-lignin and AFX 457: conventional), and four K application rates (0, 56, 112, and 168 kg K2O ha-1) in a randomized complete block with four replications. The results indicated that harvesting alfalfa at a shorter interval (28-day) resulted in higher dry matter yield and forage nutritive value than a longer harvest interval (35-day). Yield, nutritive values, and soil K content were, however, not significantly influenced by alfalfa variety and K rates. Further research is essential to quantify the actual trade-off between applied K and soil and plant K content in alfalfa production.
Constraints of Improved Forage Adoption in East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia
Authors: Desta Alemu Gashe
Published: September 2022

Inadequate quality and quantity of animal feed is a highly significant factor that affects production of livestock in Ethiopia. The major feed sources (crop residue and natural pasture) did not support even the annual maintenance requirement of livestock feed. Thus, to fill this gap, the production of cultivated forage is essential. However, the production and utilization of improved forage to animal feed is low in the highlands of Ethiopia due to different constraints. So, identifying constraints and opportunities of improved forage production is important for designing forage development strategies and intervention options for forage and livestock production. So, this study was conducted to identify the main constraints of forage production in three agroecologies. Of all agroecologies, two districts were selected by simple random sampling system, and a total of 12 peasant associations from six districts (two peasant associations from each district) were selected by simple random sampling system. Thus, a total of 30 respondents were selected by simple random sampling system from each peasant association. Of all agroecologies, a total of 360 respondents were interviewed by simple random sampling system. The data were gathered through focus group discussion and interviewing of individuals and analyzed by SPSS. Approximately 51% of the respondents did not produce cultivated forage crops due to land shortages, lack of awareness and seed, and fear of farmers towards birds set on forages. Thus, awareness on forage production, efficient utilization of cultivated land, utilization of fallow land for forage production, and planting or sowing of improved forage crops with food crops, in contour strips areas and homesteads areas can enhance the adoption of improved forage production in the study areas.
Common Property Resources, Forest Extraction and Livelihood: An Insight to WSHG Entrepreneurs of Tribal Odisha
Authors: Rajpal Navin Kumar , Tamang Sharmila
Published: September 2022

The ownership of common property resources was always in conflict within community and community vs government. Definition about common property resources are advanced on the mainly upon their priority, visibility, accessibility and understanding. Further, its broad classification includes harvesting, extraction and natural production. The nature of dependency among Common Property Resources(CPRs) and Private Property Resources(PPRs) follows higher exploitation with initial compared to the later. The present study is carried out in Tribal dominated district of Odisha, India i.e. Mayurbhanj through stratified and multi-stage random sampling to answer how important are CPRs for tribal across Mayurbhanj and their dependency upon types of resources with utilisation and limitation. The assessment of LDI (Livelihood Dependency Index) reveals higher dependency of sample respondents of Mayurbhanj upon CPRs for livelihood continuation even after having an average membership in Self Help Group programme from last seven years. There exist massive need of making diversified occupation adjustment especially for population residing nearby forest like engagement in transport of forest items, maintenance, local auction, daily wage based leaf collection and storage for government auction, maintenance and engaging women members in manufacturing of CPR based items.
Study of Agricultural Commodities Production and Price Movement in Gujarat Region: Demand and Sustainable Livelihoods
Authors: M Joshi Aditi , G Patel Sanjay
Published: September 2022

Since ancient times, agriculture has been one of the chief factors in the advancement of many nations. Also, it has been a huge contributor to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). But the farmers and the small-scale retailers are still unaware of the demand and supply of the commodities in mandis. Ultimately, they are compelled to use the repetitive pattern of crops. Through knowledge of the intra-mandi prices for seasonal crops is necessary to gain the desired profit. Price trends in several Gujarat markets were investigated for Ajwain and Isabgol (Psyllium Husk) in order to forecast price volatility and problems that produce mandi-level projections, enhancing its usefulness. Given that medicinal crops have various medical and culinary uses, boosting their productivity could increase farmers' profits in comparison to typical pattern crops. So, the aim of this study is to evaluate the optimum preferred crop conditions for important commodities like Isabgol, Ajwain, Fenugreek, Mint and Raw turmeric with respect to profit. A data from the past decade was screened to observe the variation in prices of the crops along with production analysis. Also, it was validated statistically by various statical measures like Standard Deviation, Mean and Coefficient of Variation. We examined intra-mandi prices and found that prices fluctuate over the whole peak season, with notable fluctuations in modal prices among several mandis. To demonstrate the variations in pricing reported for certain mandis on specific days, we've given a few instances. A low standard deviation implies that the commodities price is clustered around the mean, whereas a large standard deviation shows that the commodities price is more dispersed. Price volatility is the discrepancy between what is anticipated and what occurs.
Capturing School Context Characteristics Using the Job Demands-Resources Model: Adaptation and Validation
Authors: Li Bing , Li Zheng
Published: September 2022

Work environments are pivotal to teachers’ professional development. However, effective instruments assessing teachers’ perceived work context are still lacking. The principal aim of the present study was to validate a Work Environments Inventory for Teachers (WEIT) constructed using the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. Two studies were implemented on two independent samples totaling 696 (232 for Study 1 and 464 for Study 2) schoolteachers in Mainland China. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were employed to cross-validate the WEIT. The external construct validity of the WEIT was estimated through investigating its connection with the Thinking Styles in Teaching Inventory. Findings indicated that the WEIT is an adequate measure to map the characteristics of work environments for schoolteachers. Limitations are discussed and implications for future studies are suggested.
Driving system for Mach–Zehnder electro-optic modulators in microwave photonics
Authors: Yue Jiantao , Kang Jiehu , Li Hongtong , Hou Yibing , Zhang Zhen , Wu Bin
Published: September 2022

In order to obtain a modulation signal with high bandwidth and highly stable output power without distortion, an electro-optic modulator driving system with quick response to the input signal is designed in this paper. The system mainly includes three parts: power supply module, microwave signal generation module, and automatic gain control (AGC) module. The power supply module provides appropriate voltage and current for other two modules. The microwave signal generation module is used to generate microwave signals. The AGC module adopts the digital AGC control structure and the PID control principle to achieve stable control of the output power of the microwave signal. The hardware is developed, and the software algorithm is integrated into the driving system to verify the effectiveness and stability. The experimental results show that the bandwidth of the AGC module reaches 20 GHz. The proposed AGC module can effectively stabilize the output power of the microwave signal at 10 dBm with fluctuations less than ±1.5 dB, and its stability is improved by 74.95% compared to existing instrument. When the input power changes at 10 KHz, the system can still achieve stable control performance and has exhibited excellent dynamic response characteristics.
Experimental analysis of high-temperature creep in FV566 steel based on
digital image correlation
Authors: Wang Huanqing , Ge Pengxiang , Wen Wu , Wang Yonghong , Wang Biao
Published: September 2022

Digital image correlation (DIC) is an optical measurement method of material strain/displacement based on visible light illumination, which can be used for the measurement of long-term mechanical behavior. In this paper, an experimental method for analyzing high-temperature creep in FV566 steel material based on DIC was independently designed. Aiming at the problems of glass observation window medium refraction and thermal airflow disturbance in high-temperature testing, the corresponding correction methods were proposed to improve the measurement accuracy. Based on the above methods, high-temperature creep tests were carried out on three specimens with different shapes, and the strain concentration area at 600°C was calculated. Then, the influences of shape and other properties on material creep failure, stress distribution, and actual strain were investigated. Finally, the DIC calculation results were analyzed and compared with results of finite element analysis and the final fracture position of the specimen. The three results had a high degree of consistency, which verified that the proposed method can accurately measure and analyze the creep behavior of materials.
Model transfer method based on piecewise direct standardization in laser-induced-breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Xie Ge , Sun Lanxiang , Shang Dong , Gao Yuan , Ling Xin , Liu Xiuye
Published: September 2022

A large number of certified samples are usually required to build models in the quantitative analysis of complicated matrices in laser-induced-breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Because of differences among instruments, including excitation and collection efficiencies, a quantitative model made on one instrument is difficult to apply directly to other instruments. Each instrument requires a large number of samples to model, which is very labor intensive and will hinder the rapid application of the LIBS technique. To eliminate the differences in spectral data from different instruments and reduce the cost of building new models, a piecewise direct standardization method combined with partial least squares (PLS_PDS) is studied in this work. Two portable LIBS instruments with the same configuration are used to obtain spectral data, one of which is called a master instrument because its calibration model is directly built on a large number of labeled samples, and the other of which is called a slave instrument because its model is obtained from the master instrument. The PLS_PDS method is used to build a transfer function of spectra between the master instrument and slave instrument to reduce the spectral difference between two instruments, and thus one calibration model can adapt to different instruments. Results show that for multiple elemental analyses of aluminium alloy samples, the number of samples required for slave modeling was reduced from 51 to 14 after model transferring by PLS_PDS, and the quantitative performance of the slave instrument was close to that of the master instrument. Therefore, the model transfer method can obviously reduce the sample number of building models for slave instruments, and it will be beneficial to advance the application of LIBS.
Electronic phase detection with a sub-10 fs timing jitter for terahertz time-domain spectroscopy systems
Authors: Paries Felix , Boidol Oliver , von Freymann Georg , Molter Daniel
Published: September 2022

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy systems based on resonator-internal repetition-rate modulation, such as SLAPCOPS and ECOPS, rely on electronic phase detectors which are typically prone to exhibit both a non-negligible random and systematic timing error. This limits the quality of the recorded information significantly. Here, we present the results of our recent attempt to reduce these errors in our own electronic phase detection systems. A more than six-fold timing-jitter reduction from 59.0 fs to 8.6 fs led to a significant increase in both exploitable terahertz bandwidth and signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, utilizing our interferometrically monitored delay line as a calibration standard, the systematic error could be removed almost entirely and thus, excellent resolution of spectral absorption lines be accomplished. These improvements increased the accuracy of our multi-layer thickness measurements based on electronic phase detection by more than a factor of five, pushing the overall performance well into the sub-μm regime.
HTRSD: Hybrid Taylor Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction
Authors: Chen Ni , Wang Congli , Heidrich Wolfgang
Published: September 2022

Computing wave propagation is of the utmost importance in computational optics, especially three-dimensional optical imaging and computer-generated hologram. The angular spectrum method, based on fast Fourier transforms, is one of the efficient approaches; however, it induces sampling issues. We report a Hybrid Taylor Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction (HTRSD) that achieves more accurate and faster wave propagation than the widely used angular spectrum method.
Once and future changes in climate and phenology within the Adirondack uplands (New York, USA)
Authors: Stager J. Curt , Wiltse Brendan , Murphy Skylar
Published: September 2022

Long-term monitoring of the spring and autumn phenology of five animal species, four plant species, phytoplankton communities, lake temperatures and ice cover on the Paul Smith’s College Phenology Trail in the uplands of the Adirondack State Park (NY, USA) has produced time series spanning 1990–2020 for the biological and water temperature records and 1909–2020 for lake ice. In conjunction with climate records from three nearby weather stations these observations demonstrate that the ice on Lower Saint Regis Lake now thaws one week earlier, on average, than it did in 1909 while the region as a whole warmed by 1.7°C and received 19 cm more precipitation annually. Statistically significant warming trends between 1990 and 2020 were restricted to July and September and therefore contributed to a scarcity of temporal shifts in the spring phenologies of species and lake ice during that shorter time frame, but the lake surface warmed by 1.9°C on average in October. Although most of the phenological records displayed no statistically significant directional change within the 1990–2020 time interval they revealed strong correlations between phenology and monthly air temperatures that are of predictive value. Together with projections from regionally down-scaled climate models these relationships suggest that the phenologies of the species and ice dynamics in question could shift by ca. 1–3 weeks by 2100 depending on the analytical approach used and the magnitude of fossil fuel emissions during this century. As Adirondack winters become shorter and milder before potentially losing snow and ice altogether over the longer term, the unique cultural ecology of the region’s human residents will face profound existential challenges along with the ecosystems and species around them.
Unmasking legislative constraints: An institutional ethnography of linkage and engagement in HIV healthcare for African, Caribbean, and Black people in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Odhiambo Apondi J. , Forman Lisa , Nelson LaRon E. , O’Campo Patricia , Grace Daniel
Published: September 2022

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic significantly impacts African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) immigrants in Canada. Health scholarship has revealed striking injustices within Canada’s public healthcare system that restrict access to healthcare and violate the human rights of ACB immigrants living with HIV who are marginalized. We conducted an institutional ethnography to comprehensively understand how HIV healthcare in Ontario is organized and experienced by ACB immigrants, focusing on unjust and discriminatory legislative frameworks and institutional practices regulating access to publicly funded healthcare resources and services. We interviewed 20 ACB immigrants and 15 healthcare workers, including specialists, primary care providers, immigration physicians, and social workers. We found a disjuncture between the organization of HIV healthcare in Ontario and how ACB immigrants experienced access to care. We uncovered how immigration, public health and healthcare laws and related institutional practices intersect to produce structural violence which create barriers and missed opportunities to timely linkage and engagement in HIV healthcare. Black immigrants’ accounts revealed that they underwent mandatory HIV under the Immigration Medical Examination policy (IME) without providing informed consent and receiving pre and post-test counselling. Furthermore, Black immigrants did not receive referrals and were not adequately linked to care following HIV diagnosis. Troubling encounters with immigration and public health state agents and healthcare legislative barriers including difficulty finding a physician, the 3-month waiting period under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), long wait times, lack of drug coverage, and stigma, discrimination, and anti-Black racism shaped and affected Black people’s linkage and engagement in HIV care. We elucidate how the legislative and structural organization of healthcare regulated and constrained health service access for ACB immigrants living with HIV, including their ability to “achieve” HIV undetectability.
Female zebrafish (Danio rerio) demonstrate stronger preference for established shoals over newly-formed shoals in the three-tank open-swim preference test
Authors: Velkey Andrew J. , Koon Caroline H. , Danstrom Isabel A. , Wiens Katie M.
Published: September 2022

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) share a considerable amount of biological similarity with mammals, including identical or homologous gene expression pathways, neurotransmitters, hormones, and cellular receptors. Zebrafish also display complex social behaviors like shoaling and schooling, making them an attractive model for investigating normal social behavior as well as exploring impaired social function conditions such as autism spectrum disorders. Newly-formed and established shoals exhibit distinct behavior patterns and inter-member interactions that can convey the group’s social stability. We used a three-chamber open-swim preference test to determine whether individual zebrafish show a preference for an established shoal over a newly-formed shoal. Results indicated that both sexes maintained greater proximity to arena zones nearest to the established shoal stimulus. In addition, we report the novel application of Shannon entropy to discover sex differences in systematicity of responses not revealed by unit-based measurements; male subjects spent more time investigating between the two shoals than female subjects. This novel technique using established versus newly-formed shoals can be used in future studies testing transgenics and pharmacological treatments that mimic autism spectrum disorder and other disorders that affect social interaction.
Long-term performance assessment of fully automatic biomedical glottis segmentation at the point of care
Authors: Groh René , Dürr Stephan , Schützenberger Anne , Semmler Marion , Kist Andreas M.
Published: September 2022

Deep Learning has a large impact on medical image analysis and lately has been adopted for clinical use at the point of care. However, there is only a small number of reports of long-term studies that show the performance of deep neural networks (DNNs) in such an environment. In this study, we measured the long-term performance of a clinically optimized DNN for laryngeal glottis segmentation. We have collected the video footage for two years from an AI-powered laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy imaging system and found that the footage image quality is stable across time. Next, we determined the DNN segmentation performance on lossy and lossless compressed data revealing that only 9% of recordings contain segmentation artifacts. We found that lossy and lossless compression is on par for glottis segmentation, however, lossless compression provides significantly superior image quality. Lastly, we employed continual learning strategies to continuously incorporate new data into the DNN to remove the aforementioned segmentation artifacts. With modest manual intervention, we were able to largely alleviate these segmentation artifacts by up to 81%. We believe that our suggested deep learning-enhanced laryngeal imaging platform consistently provides clinically sound results, and together with our proposed continual learning scheme will have a long-lasting impact on the future of laryngeal imaging.
Genetic signature of blind reintroductions of Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) in Catalonia, Northeast Spain
Authors: Barros Tânia , Fernandes Joana M. , Ferreira Eduardo , Carvalho João , Valldeperes Marta , Lavín Santiago , Fonseca Carlos , Ruiz-Olmo Jordi , Serrano Emmanuel
Published: September 2022

The Iberian ibex is one of the most singular species of the Iberian Peninsula. Throughout the years, this species suffered several threats which led the population to its decline. Many reintroductions and translocations were made, however, none of those actions took into account the genetic patterns of both reintroduced individuals and the target populations. In this paper, we explored the genetic traits of three populations of Iberian ibex in Catalonia, which experienced blind reintroductions in past years: The populations of Iberian ibex from Els Ports de Tortosa i Beseit National Game Reserve (TBNGR), Montserrat Natural Park (Monserrat) and Montgrí, les Illes Medes i el Baix Ter Natural Park (Montgrí) Based on the genetic patterns of the three populations coupled with the absence of genetic introgression with domestic goats–inferred using mitochondrial and nuclear markers–we propose that these should be regarded as two different management units: TBNGR coupled with Montserrat, and Montgrí. Montserrat population should be targeted as a population model for ecology and evolution studies. Although we did not detect evidences of recent bottleneck events, this population seems to be monomorphic for the mtDNA haplotype. Our results suggest that the blind reintroductions from TBNGR to Montserrat failed on maximizing the genetic diversity of the latter. We enhance the importance of genetic monitoring of both the source population and the selected individuals to be re-introduced. We conclude that the three studied population of Iberian ibex must be monitored to explore which strategy would be advantageous for maintaining the genetic diversity. On the other hand, TBNGR should be monitored to assess the existence of its singular genetic variation, where stochastic events could preserve this lost genetic variation.
Socio-economic deprivation and cancer incidence in England: Quantifying the role of smoking
Authors: Payne Nick W. S. , Brown Katrina F. , Delon Christine , Kotrotsios Yannis , Soerjomataram Isabelle , Shelton Jon
Published: September 2022

Background

More deprived populations typically experience higher cancer incidence rates and smoking prevalence compared to less deprived populations. We calculated the proportion of cancer cases attributable to smoking by socio-economic deprivation in England and estimated the impact smoking has on the deprivation gap for cancer incidence.

Methods

Data for cancer incidence (2013–2017), smoking prevalence (2003–2007) and population estimates (2013–2017) were split by sex, age-group and deprivation quintile. Relative risk estimates from meta-analyses were used to estimate the population attributable fraction (PAF) for 15 cancer types associated with smoking. The deprivation gap was calculated using age-specific incidence rates by deprivation quintile.

Results

Smoking-related cancer PAFs in England are 2.2 times larger in the most deprived quintile compared to the least deprived quintile (from 9.7% to 21.1%). If everyone had the same smoking prevalence as the least deprived quintile, 20% of the deprivation gap in cancer incidence could have been prevented. If nobody smoked, 61% of the deprivation gap could have been prevented.

Conclusions

The majority of the deprivation gap in cancer incidence could have been prevented in England between 2013–2017 if nobody had smoked. Policy makers should ensure that tobacco control policies reduce overall smoking prevalence by tackling smoking inequalities.
The effect of shareholder litigation rights on female board representation: A quasi-natural experiment
Authors: Chatjuthamard Pattanaporn , Kijkasiwat Ploypailin , Jiraporn Pornsit
Published: September 2022

Employing as a quasi-natural experiment an unexpected judgment by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that raised the difficulty of shareholder litigation, we explore the effect of shareholder litigation rights on board gender diversity. Our difference-in-difference estimates show that an exogenous reduction in shareholder litigation risk results in significantly less female board representation, a decline by 11.44% in particular. Our findings corroborate the view that strong shareholder litigation rights strengthen internal governance such as board oversight. Therefore, when shareholder litigation rights are weakened, there is a drop in board quality. Additionally, we document a decline in board independence and an increase in board size following the Ninth Circuit ruling, both of which are associated with poorer board monitoring. Further analysis validates the results. i.e., propensity score matching, entropy balancing, GMM dynamic panel data estimation, and Oster’s (2019) testing for coefficient stability. Based on a quasi-natural experiment, our conclusion probably reflects a causal influence, rather than a mere correlation.
Non-prescription acquisition of antibiotics: Prevalence, motives, pathways and explanatory factors in the Swedish population
Authors: Munthe Christian , Malmqvist Erik , Rönnerstrand Björn
Published: September 2022

Prior studies indicate prevalence of unregulated non-prescription use of antibiotics also in the northern European countries. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent to which antibiotics are acquired without prescription in Sweden, and people’s attitudes and motives linked to this practice. We use data from an online survey of a representative sample of the Swedish general population which included questions about respondents’ antibiotic use, attitudes towards antibiotics, health care contacts, self-rated health and trust in health care. We also asked about their reason for obtaining/not obtaining antibiotics without a prescription. The results show that, in the last five years, 2,3% of the respondents had acquired antibiotics in other ways than from a Swedish physician having issued a prescription, and 4,3% reported that they are likely to do so in the future. We also show that the two most important reasons for non-prescription acquisition were physicians’ refusal to prescribe antibiotics followed by travel abroad. The most important reason for not obtaining antibiotics without a prescription was to not contribute to antibiotic resistance. Using logistic regression, we show that non-prescription acquisition of antibiotics, and the intention to engage in this practice in the future, are strongly associated with low trust in health care.
Induced resistance to Fusarium wilt of banana caused by Tropical Race 4 in Cavendish cv Grand Naine bananas after challenging with avirulent Fusarium spp.
Authors: García-Bastidas Fernando A. , Arango-Isaza Rafael , Rodriguez-Cabal Hector A. , Seidl Michael F. , Cappadona Giulio , Segura Rafael , Salacinas Maricar , Kema Gert H. J.
Published: September 2022

In the last century, Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB) destroyed the banana cultivar Gros Michel. The Cavendish cultivars saved the global banana industry, and currently they dominate global production (~50%) and the export trade (~95%). However, a new strain called Tropical Race 4 (TR4) surfaced in the late 1960’s, spread globally and greatly damages Cavendish plantations as well as manifold local varieties that are primarily grown by small holders. Presently, there is no commercially available replacement for Cavendish and hence control strategies must be developed and implemented to manage FWB. Here, we studied whether it is possible to induce resistance to TR4 by pre-inoculations with different Fusarium spp. Only pre-treatments with an avirulent Race 1 strain significantly reduced disease development of TR4 in a Cavendish genotype and this effect was stable at various nutritional and pH conditions. We then used transcriptome analysis to study the molecular basis of this response. Several genes involved in plant defence responses were up-regulated during the initial stages of individual infections with TR4 and Race 1, as well as in combined treatments. In addition, a number of genes in the ethylene and jasmonate response pathways as well as several gibberellin synthesis associated genes were induced. We observed upregulation of RGA2 like genes in all treatments. Hence, RGA2 could be a key factor involved in both R1 and TR4 resistance. The data support the hypothesis that activating resistance to Race 1 in Cavendish bananas affects TR4 development and provide a first insight of gene expression during the interaction between various Fusarium spp. and banana.
Effectiveness of online mindfulness-based interventions in improving mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Witarto Bendix Samarta , Visuddho Visuddho , Witarto Andro Pramana , Bestari Damba , Sawitri Brihastami , Melapi Tando Abner Sivile , Wungu Citrawati Dyah Kencono
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Psychotherapies, such as mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), are currently needed to tackle mental health problems. Online MBIs have become promising since face-to-face interventions are limited during the COVID-19 pandemic due to lockdown and social distancing. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effect of online MBIs in improving mental health, mainly depression, anxiety, and stress.

Materials and methods

A systematic literature search was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines on several databases for eligible studies up to October 17, 2021. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane’s Risk of Bias 2 tool. Effect sizes were presented as standardized mean difference (Hedges’ g) between the online MBIs and control groups at post-test and follow-up using a random-effects model.

Results

Eight randomized controlled trials involving 868 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled adherence rate to online MBIs was 94% (95% CI = 91% to 98%). The findings revealed that online MBIs had a statistically significant small to moderate effect in reducing depression (g = -0.32; 95% CI = -0.49 to -0.14; I2 = 0%), a small effect on anxiety (g = -0.25; 95% CI = -0.43 to -0.06; I2 = 27%), and a moderate effect on stress (g = -0.62; 95% CI = -1.09 to -0.16; I2 = 83%). In addition, significant small effects at follow-up were observed for depression (g = -0.26; 95% CI = -0.48 to -0.04; I2 = 0%) and anxiety (g = -0.28; 95% CI = -0.48 to -0.08; I2 = 0%), but not for stress.

Conclusion

Online MBIs have beneficial effects on mental health, particularly depression, anxiety, and stress, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the limitations of the current study, future trials that specifically consider potential effect influencing factors, longer follow-up evaluation, and methodological quality are warranted.
Computational gene expression analysis reveals distinct molecular subgroups of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Mikhaylenko Nathan , Wahnschaffe Linus , Herling Marco , Roeder Ingo , Seifert Michael
Published: September 2022

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare blood cancer with poor prognosis. Overexpression of the proto-oncogeneTCL1Aand missense mutations of the tumor suppressorATMare putative main drivers of T-PLL development, but so far only little is known about the existence of T-PLL gene expression subtypes. We performed an in-depth computational reanalysis of 68 gene expression profiles of one of the largest currently existing T-PLL patient cohorts. Hierarchical clustering combined with bootstrapping revealed three robust T-PLL gene expression subgroups. Additional comparative analyses revealed similarities and differences of these subgroups at the level of individual genes, signaling and metabolic pathways, and associated gene regulatory networks. Differences were mainly reflected at the transcriptomic level, whereas gene copy number profiles of the three subgroups were much more similar to each other, except for few characteristic differences like duplications of parts of the chromosomes 7, 8, 14, and 22. At the network level, most of the 41 predicted potential major regulators showed subgroup-specific expression levels that differed at least in comparison to one other subgroup. Functional annotations suggest that these regulators contribute to differences between the subgroups by altering processes like immune responses, angiogenesis, cellular respiration, cell proliferation, apoptosis, or migration. Most of these regulators are known from other cancers and several of them have been reported in relation to leukemia (e.g.AHSP,CXCL8,CXCR2,ELANE,FFAR2,G0S2,GIMAP2,IL1RN,LCN2,MBTD1,PPP1R15A). The existence of the three revealed T-PLL subgroups was further validated by a classification of T-PLL patients from two other smaller cohorts. Overall, our study contributes to an improved stratification of T-PLL and the observed subgroup-specific molecular characteristics could help to develop urgently needed targeted treatment strategies.
Investigation of cell signalings and therapeutic targets in PTPRK-RSPO3 fusion-positive colorectal cancer
Authors: Jeong Jae Heon , Yun Jae Won , Kim Ha Young , Heo Chan Yeong , Lee Sejoon
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most deadly and common diseases in the world, accounting for over 881,000 casualties in 2018. The PTPRK-RSPO3 (P:R) fusion is a structural variation in CRC and well known for its ability to activate WNT signaling and tumorigenesis. However, till now, therapeutic targets and actionable drugs are limited in this subtype of cancer.

Materials and method

The purpose of this study is to identify key genes and cancer-related pathways specific for P:R fusion-positive CRC. In addition, we also inferred the actionable drugs in bioinformatics analysis using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data.

Results

2,505 genes were altered in RNA expression specific for P:R fusion-positive CRC. By pathway analysis based on the altered genes, ten major cancer-related signaling pathways (Apoptosis, Direct p53, EGFR, ErbB, JAK-STAT, tyrosine kinases, Pathways in Cancer, SCF-KIT, VEGFR, and WNT-related Pathway) were significantly altered in P:R fusion-positive CRC. Among these pathways, the most altered cancer genes (ALK, ACSL3, AXIN, MYC, TP53, GNAQ, ACVR2A, and FAS) specific for P:R fusion and involved in multiple cancer pathways were considered to have a key role in P:R fusion-positive CRC. Based on the drug-target network analysis, crizotinib, alectinib, lorlatinib, brigatinib, ceritinib, erdafitinib, infigratinib and pemigatinib were selected as putative therapeutic candidates, since they were already used in routine clinical practice in other cancer types and target genes of the drugs were involved in multiple cancer-pathways.