bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The cost of not knowing enough: mixed-integer optimization with implicit Lipschitz nonlinearities
Authors: Schmidt Martin , Sirvent Mathias , Wollner Winnifried
Published: November 2021

It is folklore knowledge that nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problems can be notoriously hard to solve in practice. In this paper we go one step further and drop analytical properties that are usually taken for granted in mixed-integer nonlinear optimization. First, we only assume Lipschitz continuity of the nonlinear functions and additionally consider multivariate implicit constraint functions that cannot be solved for any parameter analytically. For this class of mixed-integer problems we propose a novel algorithm based on an approximation of the feasible set in the domain of the nonlinear function—in contrast to an approximation of the graph of the function considered in prior work. This method is shown to compute approximate global optimal solutions in finite time and we also provide a worst-case iteration bound. In some first numerical experiments we show that the “cost of not knowing enough” is rather high by comparing our approach with the open-source global solver . This reveals that a lot of work is still to be done for this highly challenging class of problems and we thus finally propose some possible directions of future research.
Parteienwettbewerb und Wahrscheinlichkeit verschiedener Koalitionsoptionen bei der Bundestagswahl 2021
Authors: Debus Marc
Published: November 2021

Das komplexer gewordene bundesdeutsche Parteiensystem und die Angleichung in der Stärke der Parteien bei Wahlen führt zu einem ebenfalls komplexeren Koalitions- und Regierungsbildungsprozess auf Bundes- wie Landesebene. Diese Kurzanalyse präsentiert die programmatischen Profile der im Bundestag vertretenen Parteien auf der Grundlage ihrer zur Bundestagswahl 2021 verfassten Wahlprogramme. Im Anschluss daran wird – auf der Basis der Determinanten der Regierungs- und Koalitionsbildung in Deutschland in den Bundesländern und auf Bundesebene seit 1990 – mit Rückgriff auf unterschiedliche Szenarien der Sitzverteilung im 20. Deutschen Bundestag, die neben den sich aus dem Wahlergebnis ergebenden Parteienkonstellationen auch andere Koalitionsoptionen umfassen, die jeweils wahrscheinlichste Regierungskoalition ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen, dass die Regierungsbildung in Deutschland von office- und policy-orientierten Koalitionstheorien sowie den institutionell-kontextuellen Rahmenbedingungen entscheidend beeinflusst wird und eine „Ampelkoalition“ das wahrscheinlichste Ergebnis des Regierungsbildungsprozesses 2021 ist, wenn eine „große Koalition“ aus Union und SPD als ausgeschlossen betrachtet wird.
Die Thematisierung religiöser Vielfalt im katholischen Religionsunterricht. Eine explorative Videostudie
Authors: Riegel Ulrich , Gronover Matthias , Ambiel David , Brügge-Feldhake Malte , Jumpertz Sophia , Krämer Maximiliane , Boschki Reinhold
Published: November 2021

In religionspädagogischen Theorien zum Religionsunterricht spielt religiöse Vielfalt eine zentrale Rolle. Empirische Studien zur Rolle und Bedeutung dieser Vielfalt im vorfindlichen Religionsunterricht stellen aber nach wie vor ein Desiderat religionsdidaktischer Forschung dar. Dieser Beitrag adressiert dieses Desiderat, indem er im Rahmen einer explorativen Videostudie untersucht, wie religiöse Vielfalt im katholischen Religionsunterricht thematisiert wird. Dazu greift er auf ein vierdimensionales Modell zurück, das religiöse Differenz entlang einer positionellen, einer stilistischen, einer kontextuellen und einer biographischen Dimension erfasst. Der Befund zeigt, dass vorfindlicher Unterricht religiöse Vielfalt vor allem unter positionellen Aspekten verhandelt, wobei stilistische Aspekte eine Nebenrolle spielen. Dieser Befund wird abschließend diskutiert.
Silence as Self-care: Pregnant Adolescents and Adolescent Mothers Concealing Paternity in Mahama Refugee Camp, Rwanda
Authors: Ruzibiza Yvette
Published: November 2021

In Rwanda, sexual activity with and among adolescents under the age of 18 is a criminal offence. This is justified to reduce abuse and adolescent pregnancies. Despite this, the Burundian Mahama refugee camp in Rwanda is registering an escalating pregnancy rate among girls 13 to 15 years old. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted from December 2017 to April 2018, this paper shows how pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers navigate punitive legal structures to protect their baby’s father by concealing his identity. In a challenging socioeconomic context with limited opportunities, silence provides pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers with a strategy to protect their boyfriends from jail and to access humanitarian assistance available to single mothers. I suggest that silence can be a self-care strategy to negotiate and navigate temporalities as they seek to manage the circumstances in which they find themselves, whilst hoping for a better future for themselves and their children.
Increasing the deterrence of airport security checks by managing expectations through communication: a hypothetical scenario experiment
Authors: Bearth Angela , Hofer Franziska , Stotz Tamara , Ghelfi Signe
Published: November 2021

Selective security screenings are discussed as a potential strategy to reduce costs and waiting times at airports, while keeping security high. However, the limited literature suggests that traditional security screenings, where all passengers are screened, are perceived as more deterrent for criminal activity and more secure from passengers’ perspectives. The goal of this study was to investigate whether targeted communication on an airport’s website can counteract the detrimental effect of randomised airport security checks on deterrence. The study results confirm prior findings that people with illegal intentions prefer randomised security checks compared to traditional security checks. However, there are hints that tactical communication could be a tool to improve security at airports. All in all, the insights gathered in this study should be taken as a sign of caution, when considering switching to selective security screenings. Future directions for investigating the effect of tactical communication are discussed.
The genus Tristachya (Poaceae: Panicoideae) in Madagascar
Authors: Vorontsova Maria S. , Rakotomalala Nantenaina H.
Published: November 2021

We present a revision of the three species of Tristachya in Madagascar. The tussock-forming T. betsileensis is a rare endemic of the quartz outcrops in the Itremo Protected Area. The rhizomatous T. isalensis and T. humbertii are common components of the sandstone outcrop vegetation in the Isalo National Park. A new combination is made. Descriptions, conservation assessments, illustrations, and a distribution map are presented.
The development of telemedicine programs in Sub-Saharan Africa: Progress and associated challenges
Authors: Dodoo Joana Eva , Al-Samarraie Hosam , Alsswey Ahmed
Published: November 2021

Monitoring the progress of telemedicine use in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries has received a considerable attention from many health organizations and governmental agencies. This study reviewed the current progress and challenges in relation to the development of telemedicine programs in SSA. The results from reviewing 66 empirical studies revealed an unbalanced progress across SSA countries. Further, technological, organisational, legal and regulatory, individual, financial, and cultural aspects were identified as the major barriers to the success of telemedicine development in SSA. This study reported the current trends in telemedicine application, as well as highlighting critical barriers for consideration by healthcare decision makers. The outcomes from this study offer a number of recommendations to support wider implementation and sustainable usage of telemedicine in SSA.
Process Water Recirculation During Hydrothermal Carbonization as a Promising Process Step Towards the Production of Nitrogen-Doped Carbonaceous Materials
Authors: Dominik Wüst , Pablo Arauzo , Sonja Habicht , Fernando Cazaña , Luca Fiori , Andrea Kruse
Published: November 2021

Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC) refers to the conversion of biogenic wastes into char-like solids with promising perspectives for application, but a process water (PW) results which is difficult to dispose untreated. Thus, a biorefinery approach including one or two recirculation steps with the additional objective of improving the physico-chemical characteristics of the solid was performed in this study. During HTC, constitutive molecules such as saccharides, proteins and lignin of Brewer’s Spent Grains decompose into hundreds of organic compounds, following complex reactions. To get deeper insights a combination of proximate, ultimate and structural analysis for solid products as well as liquid chromatography for liquid products were the choice. The main reactions could be identified by key compounds of low and high molecular weight resulting from hydrolysis, dehydration, decarboxylation, deamination as well as amide formation and condensation reactions. Their intensity was influenced by the feedwater pH and reaction temperature. Via reactions of Maillard character up to around 90% of the dissolved nitrogen of the recirculated process water at 200, 220 and 240 °C result in the formation of nitrogen containing heterocycles or rather Quartnernary nitrogen incorporated into the hydrochar (HC). Thus, already one recirculation step during HTC at 240 °C promises the fabrication of high added-value materials, i.e. nitrogen doped carbonaceous materials.

Graphic Abstract
Geologically based integrated approach for zonation of a Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous carbonate reservoir; a case from Persian Gulf
Authors: Asadi Alireza , Rahimpour-Bonab Hossain , Aleali Mohsen , Arian Mehran
Published: November 2021

In this study, our attempt is to integrate sedimentological and petrophysical data for reservoir evaluation in the sequence stratigraphic framework. Petrographic analysis of the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous Fahliyan Formation reservoirs of two oilfields in the northwest of the Persian Gulf led to recognition of twelve microfacies. They can be classified into four facies associations, including open marine, shoal, lagoon and tidal flat, which are deposited in a homoclinal ramp carbonate. Sequence stratigraphy of the studied successions led to the recognition of three third-order depositional sequences based on vertical changes in microfacies and gamma ray analysis. Except for the upper boundary of the third sequence, the other sequence boundaries are type I (SBT.1). Dissolution is the most important diagenetic feature that affected the lower depositional sequence which is caused by the development of subaerial exposure after the deposition of the Fahliyan Formation, whereas cementation is the main diagenetic feature affecting the second- and third depositional sequences, causing their lower reservoir quality. In order to identify the flow units, the flow zone index methods, porosity throat radius (R35) and modified Lorenz based on stratigraphy were applied. The key wells studied in this area have shown good correlation throughout the studied oilfields which may potentially be used for hydrocarbon exploration and field development in the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous deposits of the Persian Gulf. This study integrates geological and petrophysical data (rock typing) toward sequence stratigraphic framework.
Identification of best fit crude oil of upper Assam basin for pipeline transportation
Authors: Robidas Bondita , Gogoi Subrata Borgohain
Published: November 2021

This paper attempts to identify a crude oil (CO) from eight different CO samples with a wide range ofoAPI gravity from 13 to 43 belonging to Upper Assam Basin, India, to formulate the identified CO for pipeline transportation. Studies were conducted to understand the physical, rheological, and viscoelastic properties of the CO samples where physical properties included pour point (PP) andoAPI gravity, the rheological properties included viscosity (η), kinematic viscosity (K.V.), viscosity gravity constant (VGC), shear stress (τ) and shear strain (γʹ) and the viscoelastic properties were elastic modulus (G)' and viscous modulus (G''). This research aims at achieving PP < 9 °C for CO for the ease of flow through pipeline even during the extreme winter season in Assam when the ambient temperature drops below 10oC. SKO in 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% was added with all CO samples to determine the physical, rheological and viscoelastic properties at 30 °C, since PP of most of the CO samples was near 30 °C. However, the important properties of SKO, i.e. smoke point, flash point and boiling point, were not addressed here as SKO was used for improving flowability through pipeline. Correlation coefficients (CC) were determined using CORREL function in Microsoft Excel to investigate the relationship betweenoAPI gravity and the other properties for all the CO samples to identify the best fit CO. CO3 and CO8 were identified from the relationships as the most desired CO samples and CO3 was obtained as the best fit CO for the pipeline transportation.
Gender distribution across topics in the top five economics journals: a machine learning approach
Authors: Conde-Ruiz J. Ignacio , Ganuza Juan-José , García Manu , Puch Luis A.
Published: November 2021

We analyze text data in all the articles published in the top five (T5) economics journals between 2002 and 2019 in order to find gender differences in their research approach. We implement an unsupervised machine learning algorithm: the structural topic model (STM), so as to incorporate gender document-level meta-data into a probabilistic text model. This algorithm characterizes jointly the set of latent topics that best fits our data (the set of abstracts) and how the documents/abstracts are allocated to each topic. Latent topics are mixtures over words where each word has a probability of belonging to a topic after controlling by journal name and publication year (the meta-data). Thus, the topics may capture research fields but also other more subtle characteristics related to the way in which the articles are written. We find that females are unevenly distributed over the estimated latent topics. This and other findings rely on “automatically” generated built-in data given the contents in the abstracts of the articles in the T5 journals, without any arbitrary allocation of texts to particular categories (as JEL codes, or research areas).
Shine a light: Under-ice light and its ecological implications in a changing Arctic Ocean
Authors: Castellani Giulia , Veyssière Gaëlle , Karcher Michael , Stroeve Julienne , Banas S. Neil , Bouman A. Heather , Brierley S. Andrew , Connan Stacey , Cottier Finlo , Große Fabian , Hobbs Laura , Katlein Christian , Light Bonnie , McKee David , Orkney Andrew , Proud Roland , Schourup-Kristensen Vibe
Published: November 2021

The Arctic marine ecosystem is shaped by the seasonality of the solar cycle, spanning from 24-h light at the sea surface in summer to 24-h darkness in winter. The amount of light available for under-ice ecosystems is the result of different physical and biological processes that affect its path through atmosphere, snow, sea ice and water. In this article, we review the present state of knowledge of the abiotic (clouds, sea ice, snow, suspended matter) and biotic (sea ice algae and phytoplankton) controls on the underwater light field. We focus on how the available light affects the seasonal cycle of primary production (sympagic and pelagic) and discuss the sensitivity of ecosystems to changes in the light field based on model simulations. Lastly, we discuss predicted future changes in under-ice light as a consequence of climate change and their potential ecological implications, with the aim of providing a guide for future research.
Trace singularities in obstacle scattering and the Poisson relation for the relative trace
Authors: Fang Yan-Long , Strohmaier Alexander
Published: November 2021

We consider the case of scattering by several obstacles in $${\mathbb {R}}^d$$

R

d

, $$d \ge 2$$

d
≥
2

for the Laplace operator $$\Delta $$
Δ
with Dirichlet boundary conditions imposed on the obstacles. In the case of two obstacles, we have the Laplace operators $$\Delta _1$$

Δ
1

and $$\Delta _2$$

Δ
2

obtained by imposing Dirichlet boundary conditions only on one of the objects. The relative operator $$g(\Delta ) - g(\Delta _1) - g(\Delta _2) + g(\Delta _0)$$

g

(
Δ
)

-
g

(

Δ
1

)

-
g

(

Δ
2

)

+
g

(

Δ
0

)

was introduced in Hanisch, Waters and one of the authors in (A relative trace formula for obstacle scattering. arXiv:2002.07291, 2020) and shown to be trace-class for a large class of functions g, including certain functions of polynomial growth. When g is sufficiently regular at zero and fast decaying at infinity then, by the Birman–Krein formula, this trace can be computed from the relative spectral shift function $$\xi _\mathrm {rel}(\lambda ) = -\frac{1}{\pi } {\text {Im}}(\Xi (\lambda ))$$

ξ
rel

(
λ
)

=
-

1
π

Im

(
Ξ

(
λ
)

)

, where $$\Xi (\lambda )$$

Ξ
(
λ
)

is holomorphic in the upper half-plane and fast decaying. In this paper we study the wave-trace contributions to the singularities of the Fourier transform of $$\xi _\mathrm {rel}$$

ξ
rel

. In particular we prove that $${\hat{\xi }}_\mathrm {rel}$$

ξ
^

rel

is real-analytic near zero and we relate the decay of $$\Xi (\lambda )$$

Ξ
(
λ
)

along the imaginary axis to the first wave-trace invariant of the shortest bouncing ball orbit between the obstacles. The function $$\Xi (\lambda )$$

Ξ
(
λ
)

is important in the physics of quantum fields as it determines the Casimir interactions between the objects.
Medawar and Hamilton on the selective forces in the evolution of ageing
Authors: Giaimo Stefano
Published: November 2021

Both Medawar and Hamilton contributed key ideas to the modern evolutionary theory of ageing. In particular, they both suggested that, in populations with overlapping generations, the force with which selection acts on traits declines with the age at which traits are expressed. This decline would eventually cause ageing to evolve. However, the biological literature diverges on the relationship between Medawar’s analysis of the force of selection and Hamilton’s. Some authors appear to believe that Hamilton perfected Medawar’s insightful, yet ultimately erroneous analysis of this force, while others see Hamilton’s analysis as a coherent development of, or the obvious complement to Medawar’s. Here, the relationship between the two analyses is revisited. Two things are argued for. First, most of Medawar’s alleged errors that Hamilton would had rectified seem not to be there. The origin of these perceived errors appears to be in a misinterpretation of Medawar’s writings. Second, the mathematics of Medawar and that of Hamilton show a significant overlap. However, different meanings are attached to the same mathematical expression. Medawar put forth an expression for the selective force on age-specific fitness. Hamilton proposed a full spectrum of selective forces each operating on age-specific fitness components, i.e. mortality and fertility. One of Hamilton’s expressions, possibly his most important, is of the same form as Medawar’s expression. But Hamilton’s selective forces on age-specific fitness components do not add up to yield Medawar’s selective force on age-specific fitness. It is concluded that Hamilton’s analysis should be considered neither as a correction to Medawar’s analysis nor as its obvious complement.
A novel PID-like particle swarm optimizer: on terminal convergence analysis
Authors: Wang Chuang , Wang Zidong , Han Fei , Dong Hongli , Liu Hongjian
Published: November 2021

In this paper, a novel proportion-integral-derivative-like particle swarm optimization (PIDLPSO) algorithm is presented with improved terminal convergence of the particle dynamics. A derivative control term is introduced into the traditional particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm so as to alleviate the overshoot problem during the stage of the terminal convergence. The velocity of the particle is updated according to the past momentum, the present positions (including the personal best position and the global best position), and the future trend of the positions, thereby accelerating the terminal convergence and adjusting the search direction to jump out of the area around the local optima. By using a combination of the Routh stability criterion and the final value theorem of the Z-transformation, the convergence conditions are obtained for the developed PIDLPSO algorithm. Finally, the experiment results reveal the superiority of the designed PIDLPSO algorithm over several other state-of-the-art PSO variants in terms of the population diversity, searching ability and convergence rate.
Balancing capacity and epidemic spread in the global airline network
Authors: Harper Robert , Tee Philip
Published: November 2021

The structure of complex networks has long been understood to play a role in transmission and spreading phenomena on a graph. Such networks form an important part of the structure of society, including transportation networks. As society fights to control the COVID-19 pandemic, an important question is how to choose the optimum balance between the full opening of transport networks and the control of epidemic spread. In this work we investigate the interplay between network dismantling and epidemic spread rate as a proxy for the imposition of travel restrictions to control disease spread. For network dismantling we focus on the weighted and unweighted forms of metrics that capture the topological and informational structure of the network. Our results indicate that there is benefit to a directed approach to imposing travel restrictions, but we identify that more detailed models of the transport network are necessary for definitive results.
Verstehen heißt Übersetzen – Übersetzen heißt Verstehen!
Authors: Manuwald Henrike
Published: November 2021

Bei der Übertragung mittelhochdeutscher Texte ins Neuhochdeutsche wird der enge Zusammenhang zwischen Übersetzen und Verstehen relevant, wie er in der Linguistik, Hermeneutik und Übersetzungswissenschaft bereits breit diskutiert wird. Die fremd-vertrauten Gegenstände machen im Übersetzungsprozess hermeneutische Grundoperationen notwendig, die eine reflektierte Auseinandersetzung mit Alterität und der eigenen Standortgebundenheit anregen können. Diese Dimension gewinnt vor dem Hintergrund aktueller identitätspolitischer Diskussionen zum Übersetzen an Gewicht.
Verstehen, Interpretation, Modellierung
Authors: Kunkel Nico
Published: November 2021

Vor dem Hintergrund einer allgemeinen Debatte um den derzeitigen Stellenwert der Hermeneutik in den Literatur- und Geisteswissenschaften fokussiert das Statement die Funktion hermeneutischer Verfahren in den digitalen Literaturwissenschaften sowie den Begriff einer ›digitalen Hermeneutik‹. Obwohl dieser ein eigenes Hermeneutikverständnis digitaler literaturwissenschaftlicher Studien suggeriert, zeichnen sich diese vielmehr durch eine verstärkte Formalisierung aus. Neben den traditionellen hermeneutischen Begriffen des ›Verstehens‹ und ›Interpretierens‹ lässt sich daher das ›Modellieren‹ als eine zentrale Aktivität der digitalen Literaturwissenschaften ausmachen.
Selbstverständlichkeit
Authors: Gebert Bent
Published: November 2021

Welcher Status kommt der literaturwissenschaftlichen Hermeneutik in aktuellen Lehr- und Forschungszusammenhängen der germanistischen Mediävistik zu, die trotz methodischer Innovationen und konzeptueller Pluralisierung immer weniger zu theoretischen Grundsatzdebatten aufgelegt scheint? Und was macht es gegenwärtig so schwierig, den Status von Lektüreverfahren explizit zu bestimmen? Der Essay entwickelt die These, dass Hermeneutik derzeit weniger als Theorieentscheidung zur Debatte steht, mit der konzeptueller Klärungsbedarf oder operative Leistungsfähigkeit der Geisteswissenschaften verhandelt würden, sondern öfter und alltäglicher noch in einem stilistischen Verhältnis gepflegt wird: als selbstverständlicher Lektüremodus diesseits von literaturtheoretischen Begründungs- und Legitimationsgefechten. Ausgangspunkt bildet die Vermutung, dass nicht generelle Theoriemüdigkeit, sondern spezieller noch die Abkehr von Epistemologien der Provokation solche Selbstverständlichkeit in neuer Weise attraktiv machen. Auch mediävistische Lektüren erweisen sich dabei als spannungsvolle Praxis, die über das Herstellen, Lesen und Interpretieren mittelalterlicher Texte weit hinausgeht. Der Essay umreißt vier Perspektiven, in denen hermeneutischer Stil weitaus weniger selbstverständlich erscheint: als unaufgeregte Beschreibungspraxis jenseits von Forschungslogiken der Irritation; als Kontinuitätspraxis angesichts anti-disziplinärer Tektonik; als Explikationspraxis angesichts zunehmender Latenzwahrnehmungen digitaler Gesellschaft; und als Praxis der Gegenstandsbindung angesichts von methodologischer Heterogenisierung. Wenn die hermeneutische Lektüre gegenwärtig als selbstverständlicher Modus erscheint, gründet dies nicht bloß in der Unhintergehbarkeit von Verstehensprozessen, sondern reagiert ebenso auf den gravierenden Wandel dieser Perspektiven.
Piedmont deposits as seismic energy dissipators, Sierras Pampeanas of Argentina
Authors: Gutiérrez Adolfo Antonio , Mon Ricardo , Arnous Ahmad , Aranda-Viana Rodolfo Germán
Published: November 2021

This study shows the neotectonic deformation occurred in the southern piedmont of the Cumbres Calchaquíes, in the Amaicha and Tafí valleys. Neotectonic deformation manifests itself through faults, folds and diversions of drainage channels. The Amaicha valley is bounded to the north by the Tafí del Valle fault and to the south by the Los Cardones fault. The Cumbres Calchaquíes ride over the Sierra de Aconquija through the Los Cardones and Carapunco faults. The Carapunco fault also has a synestral component, responsible for generating an imbricated system of contractional fractures. In the study region many earthquakes of ≥ 3 and ≥ 4 magnitude coincide with regional faults evidencing its neotectonic activity. The seismic energy dissipated through materials with less cohesion that form the fill of the valleys, generating discrete fault scarps and strongly folded conglomerate strata. The foothills deposits of the Cumbres Calchaquíes absorbed most of the seismic energy released during the reactivation of the faults. Tectonic activity is deforming 630 a BP deposits in the Cumbres Calchaquíes piedmont.
Youth Attitudes Towards Their Future: the Role of Resources, Agency and Individualism in the UK
Authors: Keating Avril , Melis Gabriella
Published: November 2021

Young adults tend to be more optimistic about the future than older people, even during social and economic crises such as those created by the COVID pandemic. In this paper, we analyse survey data from a previous economic crisis to examine why young adults remain optimistic about their personal futures, and to consider what lessons, if any, this can help us with thinking about a post-COVID future. The data in question are drawn from a unique cross-sectional survey of young adults aged 22–29 in England, Scotland and Wales conducted in 2014, when youth unemployment in the UK was still extraordinarily high. Using these data, we assess the effect of resources, agency and individualism on young adults’ optimism. Multiple regression models of these data show that individual resources and individual attitudes not only have an independent effect on levels of youth optimism, but they can also interact. In particular, we argue that self-efficacy is the strongest predictor of youth optimism, together with educational resources, but we also show that some youth attitudes (namely individualism) affect youth optimism in different ways, depending on the level of individual-level resources available to the young person. These findings highlight the complexity of understanding youth optimism and point us towards possibilities for supporting young adults in post-pandemic times.
The technical impacts of the carbon tax in China
Authors: Chen Shuyang
Published: November 2021

Despite the significant impacts of technology on the socioeconomic effects of climate policies, many previous researchers neglected the induced technical impacts and thus resulted in biased evaluations of climate policies. Hence, it is important that the induced technology should be endogenized in the policy evaluation framework. The purpose of this paper is the quantification of the technical impacts of the Chinese carbon tax using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. The technical impacts are denoted by the induced technological change (ITC), which is a function of the energy-use efficiency (EUE), energy-production efficiency (EPE), and nonenergy-production efficiency (ENE). The carbon tax will increase the energy cost share because of the internalisation of the abatement costs. This paper empirically shows that the carbon tax will decrease the energy cost share and production efficiency but increase the energy use and nonenergy production efficiency. Under the carbon tax, the ITC will decrease the energy use and production efficiency but increase the nonenergy production efficiency. The ITC will increase the RGDP, decrease the household welfare, and increase the average social cost of carbon (ASCC). This finding implies that the ITC of the carbon tax is biased towards the technical progress of nonenergy sectors; the emission abatement will become costlier under the ITC impacts. Although the quantification method of the technical impacts was from an existing published paper, the CGE analysis of the ITC impacts of the carbon tax in China is original in this paper.
Effects of Resistant Starch on Symptoms, Fecal Markers, and Gut Microbiota in Parkinson’s Disease — The RESISTA-PD Trial
Authors: Becker Anouck , Schmartz Georges Pierre , Gröger Laura , Grammes Nadja , Galata Valentina , Philippeit Hannah , Weiland Jacqueline , Ludwig Nicole , Meese Eckart , Tierling Sascha , Walter Jörn , Schwiertz Andreas , Spiegel Jörg , Wagenpfeil Gudrun , Faßbender Klaus , Keller Andreas , Unger Marcus M.
Published: November 2021

The composition of the gut microbiota is linked to multiple diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD). Abundance of bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and fecal SCFA concentrations are reduced in PD. SCFAs exert various beneficial functions in humans. In the interventional, monocentric, open-label clinical trial “Effects of Resistant Starch on Bowel Habits, Short Chain Fatty Acids and Gut Microbiota in Parkinson  ’s  Disease” (RESISTA-PD; ID: NCT02784145), we aimed at altering fecal SCFAs by an 8-week prebiotic intervention with resistant starch (RS). We enrolled 87 subjects in three study-arms: 32 PD patients received RS (PD + RS), 30 control subjects received RS, and 25 PD patients received solely dietary instructions. We performed paired-end 100 bp length metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples using the BGISEQ platform at an average of 9.9 GB. RS was well-tolerated. In the PD + RS group, fecal butyrate concentrations increased significantly, and fecal calprotectin concentrations dropped significantly after 8 weeks of RS intervention. Clinically, we observed a reduction in non-motor symptom load in the PD + RS group. The reference-based analysis of metagenomes highlighted stable alpha-diversity and beta-diversity across the three groups, including bacteria producing SCFAs. Reference-free analysis suggested punctual, yet pronounced differences in the metagenomic signature in the PD + RS group. RESISTA-PD highlights that a prebiotic treatment with RS is safe and well-tolerated in PD. The stable alpha-diversity and beta-diversity alongside altered fecal butyrate and calprotectin concentrations call for long-term studies, also investigating whether RS is able to modify the clinical course of PD.
The Letters in the Story
Authors: Bannet Eve Tavor
Published: November 2021

The long tradition of mixta-genera fiction, particularly favoured by women novelists, which combined fully-transcribed letters and third-person narrative has been largely overlooked in literary criticism. Working with recognized formal conventions and typical thematic concerns, Tavor Bannet demonstrates how narrative-epistolary novels opposed the real, situated, transactional and instrumental character of letters, with their multi-lateral relationships and temporally shifting readings, to merely documentary uses of letters in history and law. Analyzing issues of reading and misreading, knowledge and ignorance, communication and credulity, this study investigates how novelists adapted familiar romance plots centred on mysteries of identity to test the viability of empiricism's new culture of fact and challenge positivism's later all-pervading regime of truth. Close reading of narrative-epistolary novels by authors ranging from Aphra Behn and Charlotte Lennox to Frances Burney and Wilkie Collins tracks transgenerational debates, bringing to light both what Victorians took from their eighteenth-century forbears and what they changed.
The Viennese Ballroom in the Age of Beethoven
Authors: Buurman Erica
Published: November 2021

The repertoire of the early Viennese ballroom was highly influential in the broader histories of both social dance and music in nineteenth-century Europe. Yet music scholarship has traditionally paid little attention to ballroom dance music before the era of the Strauss dynasty, with the exception of a handful of dances by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. This book positions Viennese social dances in their specific performing contexts and investigates the wider repertoire of the Viennese ballroom in the decades around 1800, most of which stems from dozens of non-canonical composers. Close examination of this material yields new insights into the social contexts associated with familiar dance types, and reveals that the ballroom repertoire of this period connected with virtually every aspect of Viennese musical life, from opera and concert music to the emerging category of entertainment music that was later exemplified by the waltzes of Lanner and Strauss.
Diagnosing Human Capital as a Binding Constraint to Growth
Authors: Santos Miguel Angel , Hani Farah
Published: November 2021

The empirical literature on the contributions of human capital investments to economic growth shows mixed results. While evidence from OECD countries demonstrates that human capital accumulation is associated with growth accelerations, the substantial efforts of developing countries to improve access to and quality of education, as a means for skill accumulation, did not translate into higher income per capita. In this Element, we propose a framework, building on the principles of 'growth diagnostics', to enable practitioners to determine whether human capital investments are a priority for a country's growth strategy. We then discuss and exemplify different tests to diagnose human capital in a place, drawing on the Harvard Growth Lab's experience in different development context, and discuss various policy options to address skill shortages.
Topological Data Analysis with Applications
Authors: Carlsson Gunnar , Vejdemo-Johansson Mikael
Published: November 2021

The continued and dramatic rise in the size of data sets has meant that new methods are required to model and analyze them. This timely account introduces topological data analysis (TDA), a method for modeling data by geometric objects, namely graphs and their higher-dimensional versions: simplicial complexes. The authors outline the necessary background material on topology and data philosophy for newcomers, while more complex concepts are highlighted for advanced learners. The book covers all the main TDA techniques, including persistent homology, cohomology, and Mapper. The final section focuses on the diverse applications of TDA, examining a number of case studies drawn from monitoring the progression of infectious diseases to the study of motion capture data. Mathematicians moving into data science, as well as data scientists or computer scientists seeking to understand this new area, will appreciate this self-contained resource which explains the underlying technology and how it can be used.
Surgical closure of nasal septal perforation using mucosal flaps and interposed graft: a case series of 154 patients and literature review
Authors: Heywood E G , Daoud M , Talawdekar A , Ashraf N , Raghavan U
Published: November 2021

Background

Nasal septal perforations are defects of the septum. Symptomatic patients failing conservative measures may be considered for surgery; however, the surgery is challenging. This study describes a technique involving mucosal advancement flaps and autologous or acellular porcine interposition grafts and assessed the long-term closure rate and symptom control.

Method

This study looked at patients with symptomatic septal perforations who underwent surgery between 2005 and 2017. Symptoms were assessed pre- and post-operatively using a visual analogue scale. A literature search was performed for septal perforation repair techniques and outcomes.

Results

A total of 95 per cent of patients had complete closure of their septal perforations, 90 per cent had complete symptom control. There were statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-operative mean visual analogue scale score for epistaxis (p < 0.001), crusting (p < 0.001), whistling (p < 0.001) and nasal obstruction (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Surgical closure of nasal septal perforations with mucosal advancement flaps and an interposition graft is a reliable technique with excellent long-term outcomes.
Lateral temporal bone resections for peri-auricular cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: prognostic indicators and radiological predictive values
Authors: Kwok M M K , Choong K W K , Virk J , Kleid S , Magarey M J R
Published: November 2021

Background

Lateral temporal bone resections are used in the management of locally advanced peri-auricular cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas, but there is still conflicting evidence regarding the staging, surgical and adjuvant treatment decisions.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on all patients who underwent lateral temporal bone resection for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma between January 2015 and December 2019 at a dedicated tertiary oncology referral centre.

Results

Twenty-nine patients were included, with a median age of 77 years. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography showed good diagnostic accuracy in identifying disease in the parotid gland, external auditory canal and mastoid bone, but had poor sensitivity in identifying cervical nodal metastasis. Six patients had recurrence at a median of 4.8 months post-operatively. Tumour differentiation (p= 0.0040) and post-operative radiotherapy (p= 0.0199) were associated with significantly better recurrence-free survival.

Conclusion

Lateral temporal bone resection for peri-auricular cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma requires careful surgical planning using clinico-radiological correlation, particularly in patients with poorly differentiated tumours.
Shedding light on the tympanic membrane: a brief history of the description and understanding of its anatomy
Authors: Baudouin R , Denoyelle F , Simon F
Published: November 2021

Objective

For centuries, the tympanum has remained the only visible structure of the organ of hearing. This study aimed to trace the understanding of the tympanic membrane from antiquity to the early twentieth century.

Methods

A review was conducted of primary and secondary historical and scientific literature describing the tympanic membrane anatomy.

Results

Although ancient polymaths sensed that sounds were vibrations that could spread in the air and be perceived by the hearing organ, there were numerous misconceptions about the tympanum until human dissections performed during the Renaissance. The tympanum was correctly described only centuries later when technological advances enabled otologists to understand it as a fundamental part of the hearing organ.

Conclusion

The tympanic membrane history reflects key stages in medical knowledge; limited for centuries, a great technological leap was possible in the nineteenth century, contributing to the emergence of otologists and laying the foundations of modern otology.
Prenatal maternal stress, child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and the moderating role of parenting: findings from the Norwegian mother, father, and child cohort study
Authors: Clayborne Zahra M. , Nilsen Wendy , Torvik Fartein Ask , Gustavson Kristin , Bekkhus Mona , Gilman Stephen E. , Khandaker Golam M. , Fell Deshayne B. , Colman Ian
Published: November 2021

Background

Few studies have examined how parenting influences the associations between prenatal maternal stress and children's mental health. The objectives of this study were to examine the sex-specific associations between prenatal maternal stress and child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and to assess the moderating effects of parenting behaviors on these associations.

Methods

This study is based on 15 963 mother–child dyads from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). A broad measure of prenatal maternal stress was constructed using 41 self-reported items measured during pregnancy. Three parenting behaviors (positive parenting, inconsistent discipline, and positive involvement) were assessed by maternal report at child age 5 years. Child symptoms of internalizing and externalizing disorders (depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and oppositional-defiant disorder) were assessed by maternal report at age 8. Analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling techniques.

Results

Prenatal maternal stress was associated with child internalizing and externalizing symptoms at age 8; associations with externalizing symptoms differed by sex. Associations between prenatal maternal stress and child depression, and conduct disorder and oppositional-defiant disorder in males, became stronger as levels of inconsistent discipline increased. Associations between prenatal maternal stress and symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in females were attenuated as levels of parental involvement increased.

Conclusions

This study confirms associations between prenatal maternal stress and children's mental health outcomes, and demonstrates that these associations may be modified by parenting behaviors. Parenting may represent an important intervention target for improving mental health outcomes in children exposed to prenatal stress.
The relationship between types of life events and the onset of functional neurological (conversion) disorder in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Morsy Shimaa K. , Aybek Selma , Carson Alan , Nicholson Timothy R. , Stone Jon , Kamal Ahmed M. , Abdel-Fadeel Nashaat A. , Hassan Maha A. , Kanaan Richard A. A.
Published: November 2021

Adverse life events precede the onset of functional neurological disorder (FND, also known as conversion disorder) more commonly than other neuropsychiatric conditions, but their aetiological role is unclear. We conducted a systematic review and quantitative analysis of the type, timing and number of life events preceding the onset of FND in adults, and a meta-analysis of the proportions of types of events in controlled studies. Fifty-one studies of different designs, covering 4247 patients, were eligible for inclusion. There was no clear majority of any type of preceding event. Family problems were the most common category of events, followed by relationship problems. Females were more likely to experience preceding family/relationship problems than males, who reported more work problems. Family problems were the commonest type of preceding event in studies in developing countries, whereas family and health problems were equally common in developed countries. Abuse was associated with early symptom onset, while patients with later onset were more likely to report family problems. The median number of events was one, and the events occurred closer to onset than in controls. Meta-analysis found that family, relationship and work events were all relatively more common in patients than pathological controls, as were events where symptoms might provide a solution to the stressor. In conclusion, although a range of events precede the onset of FND, they do not appear to do so uniformly. This may support a different aetiological role for stressors than in other disorders, although the support is indirect and the quality generally low.
Machine learning v. traditional regression models predicting treatment outcomes for binge-eating disorder from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Forrest Lauren N. , Ivezaj Valentina , Grilo Carlos M.
Published: November 2021

Background

While effective treatments exist for binge-eating disorder (BED), prediction of treatment outcomes has proven difficult, and few reliable predictors have been identified. Machine learning is a promising method for improving the accuracy of difficult-to-predict outcomes. We compared the accuracy of traditional and machine-learning approaches for predicting BED treatment outcomes.

Methods

Participants were 191 adults with BED in a randomized controlled trial testing 6-month behavioral and stepped-care treatments. Outcomes, determined by independent assessors, were binge-eating (% reduction, abstinence), eating-disorder psychopathology, and weight loss (% loss, ⩾5% loss). Predictors included treatment condition, demographic information, and baseline clinical characteristics. Traditional models were logistic/linear regressions. Machine-learning models were elastic net regressions and random forests. Predictive accuracy was indicated by the area under receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC), root mean square error (RMSE), and R2. Confidence intervals were used to compare accuracy across models.

Results

Across outcomes, AUC ranged from very poor to fair (0.49–0.73) for logistic regressions, elastic nets, and random forests, with few significant differences across model types. RMSE was significantly lower for elastic nets and random forests v. linear regressions but R2 values were low (0.01–0.23).

Conclusions

Different analytic approaches revealed some predictors of key treatment outcomes, but accuracy was limited. Machine-learning models with unbiased resampling methods provided a minimal advantage over traditional models in predictive accuracy for treatment outcomes.
Likelihood ratio comparisons and logconvexity properties ofp-spacings from generalized order statistics
Authors: Alimohammadi Mahdi , Esna-Ashari Maryam , Navarro Jorge
Published: November 2021

Due to the importance of generalized order statistics (GOS) in many branches of Statistics, a wide interest has been shown in investigating stochastic comparisons of GOS. In this article, we study the likelihood ratio ordering of$p$-spacings of GOS, establishing some flexible and applicable results. We also settle certain unresolved related problems by providing some useful lemmas. Since we do not impose restrictions on the model parameters (as previous studies did), our findings yield new results for comparison of various useful models of ordered random variables including order statistics, sequential order statistics,$k$-record values, Pfeifer's record values, and progressive Type-II censored order statistics with arbitrary censoring plans. Some results on preservation of logconvexity properties among spacings are provided as well.