bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defining the Tradespace for Passively Defending Against Rogue Drones
Authors: Cummings Mary L. , Nassar Hala , Alaparthy Vishwa
Published: November 2021

While increasingly popular, small unmanned aerial vehicles, aka drones, are often flown illegally over outdoor public gatherings or public facilities like prisons, threatening the safety of those nearby. There is a clear need to address interloping drones in public spaces from a sociotechnical perspective, including understanding the tradespace of variables. Through surveys, interviews, technology and infrastructure design, and experimentation, we developed a tradespace model of those variables that managers and designers of high-risk settings like public spaces and prisons need to consider in their development or renovation. These include cost considerations, both capital and infrastructure, as well as technology design elements of range and false alarm rates potentially exacerbated by convolutional neural networks (aka, deep learning). Results also highlight that environmental design elements can provide a possible low-tech solution in the design of obstructions that either eliminate or complicate a drone pilot’s line of sight. This effort demonstrates that managers and designers of high-risk settings like public spaces and prisons will have to balance sometimes competing objectives to obtain the best possible outcomes for public safety.
Higher-level Inferences in the Strong-Kleene Setting: A Proof-theoretic Approach
Authors: Cobreros Pablo , La Rosa Elio , Tranchini Luca
Published: November 2021

Building on early work by Girard (1987) and using closely related techniques from the proof theory of many-valued logics, we propose a sequent calculus capturing a hierarchy of notions of satisfaction based on the Strong Kleene matrices introduced by Barrio et al. (Journal of Philosophical Logic 49:93–120, 2020) and others. The calculus allows one to establish and generalize in a very natural manner several recent results, such as the coincidence of some of these notions with their classical counterparts, and the possibility of expressing some notions of satisfaction for higher-level inferences using notions of satisfaction for inferences of lower level. We also show that at each level all notions of satisfaction considered are pairwise distinct and we address some remarks on the possible significance of this (huge) number of notions of consequence.
Interventions to improve medicines optimisation in frail older patients in secondary and acute care settings: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials and non-randomised studies
Authors: Saeed Dima , Carter Gillian , Parsons Carole
Published: November 2021

Background: Frailty is a geriatric syndrome in which physiological systems have decreased reserve and resistance against stressors. Frailty is associated with polypharmacy, inappropriate prescribing and unfavourable clinical outcomes. Aim: To identify and evaluate randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised studies of interventions designed to optimise the medications of frail older patients, aged 65 years and over, in secondary or acute care settings. Method: Literature searches were conducted across seven electronic databases and three trial registries from the date of inception to October 2021. All types of interventional studies were included. Study selection, data extraction, risk of bias and quality assessment were conducted by two independent reviewers. Results: Three RCTs were eligible for inclusion; two employed deprescribing as the intervention, and one used comprehensive geriatric assessment. All reported significant improvements in prescribing appropriateness. One study investigated the effect of the intervention on clinical outcomes including hospital presentations, falls, fracture, quality of life and mortality, and reported no significant differences in these outcomes, but did report a significant reduction in monthly medication cost. Two of the included studies were assessed as having ‘some concerns’ of bias, and one was judged to be at ‘high risk’ of bias. Conclusion: This systematic review demonstrates that medicines optimisation interventions may improve medication appropriateness in frail older inpatients. However, it highlights the paucity of high-quality evidence that examines the impact of medicines optimisation on quality of prescribing and clinical outcomes for frail older inpatients. High-quality studies are needed to address this gap.
Motivational Factors and Barriers Towards Initiating and Maintaining Strength Training in Women: a Systematic Review and Meta-synthesis
Authors: Vasudevan Aishwarya , Ford Elizabeth
Published: November 2021

Strength training (ST) or resistance training is important in the development and maintenance of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health in women of all ages; however, uptake of ST amongst women is low. To improve female musculoskeletal health, it is vital that more women are encouraged to participate in ST to maintain musculoskeletal integrity. This systematic review aimed to identify motivators and barriers to women initiating and maintaining ST. Following protocol registration and systematic search, studies were included if they were primary qualitative or mixed-method studies reporting participant verbatim quotes, included adult women, and focused on motivators and barriers for ST. Searches generated 2534 articles from 3 databases, with 20 studies (N = 402 participants) meeting eligibility criteria. Participant quotes and authors’ interpretations were analysed using thematic synthesis. The most frequently observed barriers were gender-based stigmas, discouragement, and negative comments, particularly in women currently engaging in ST. Other factors associated with poor adherence included boredom, poor knowledge of ST, poor gym accessibility, lack of supervision or routine, and difficulty in balancing work and family life. Social support from friends and family, words of affirmation, and accompaniment facilitated ST, particularly in older women. Women who saw expected results such as weight loss were motivated to continue ST. Interventions aimed at increasing participation in ST amongst women should focus on the specific benefits valued by women and the dissemination of accurate information to counter misconceptions and increase knowledge. The adaptation of gym environments to make them more welcoming to women, and reduce gender-focused criticism, is especially important.
Measuring symptoms severity in carpal tunnel syndrome: score agreement and responsiveness of the Atroshi-Lyrén 6-item symptoms scale and the Boston symptom severity scale
Authors: Möllestam Kamelia , Rosales Roberto S. , Lyrén Per-Erik , Atroshi Isam
Published: November 2021

Purpose

To assess score agreement between the Atroshi-Lyrén 6-item symptoms scale and the Boston 11-item symptom severity scale and compare their responsiveness in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome before and after carpal tunnel release surgery.

Methods

This prospective cohort study included 3 cohorts that completed the A-L and Boston scales (conventional score 1–5) on the same occasion: a preoperative and short-term postoperative cohort (212 patients), a mid-term postoperative cohort (101 patients), and a long-term postoperative cohort (124 patients). Agreement was assessed with Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient and Passing-Bablok regression analysis. Analyses using item response theory were conducted on responses from the preoperative/short-term postoperative cohort including testing of item infit/outfit. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach alpha. Overall and sex-specific effect sizes were calculated using Cohen’s d.

Results

Lin’s CCCs were high (0.81–0.91). Passing-Bablok analysis showed constant and proportional differences in all cohorts except preoperative to short-term postoperative change. Both scales showed high reliability (alpha, 0.88–0.93). The IRT-based analyses showed infit/outfit values within the desired range. With IRT-based scoring, the A-L scale had significantly higher responsiveness than the Boston scale, overall (d, 2.02 vs 1.59), in women (d, 2.22 vs 1.77) and in men (d, 1.74 vs 1.36).

Conclusion

The Atroshi-Lyrén 6-item symptoms scale and the Boston 11-item symptom severity scale show good agreement but are not equivalent in measuring CTS-related symptoms severity. When using IRT-based scoring, the Atroshi-Lyrén scale demonstrated significantly higher responsiveness.
Engineering a feedback inhibition-insensitive plant dihydrodipicolinate synthase to increase lysine content in Camelina sativa seeds
Authors: Huang Alex , Coutu Cathy , Harrington Myrtle , Rozwadowski Kevin , Hegedus Dwayne D.
Published: November 2021

Camelina sativa(camelina) is emerging as an alternative oilseed crop due to its short growing cycle, low input requirements, adaptability to less favorable growing environments and a seed oil profile suitable for biofuel and industrial applications. Camelina meal and oil are also registered for use in animal and fish feeds; however, like meals derived from most cereals and oilseeds, it is deficient in certain essential amino acids, such as lysine. In higher plants, the reaction catalyzed by dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS) is the first committed step in the biosynthesis of lysine and is subject to regulation by lysine through feedback inhibition. Here, we report enhancement of lysine content inC. sativaseed via expression of a feedback inhibition-insensitive form of DHDPS fromCorynebacterium glutamicums(CgDHDPS). Two genes encodingC. sativaDHDPS were identified and the endogenous enzyme is partially insensitive to lysine inhibition. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to examine the impact of alterations, alone and in combination, present in lysine-desensitized DHDPS isoforms fromArabidopsis thalianaDHDPS (W53R),Nicotiana tabacum(N80I) andZea mays(E84K) onC. sativaDHDPS lysine sensitivity. When introduced alone, each of the alterations decreased sensitivity to lysine; however, enzyme specific activity was also affected. There was evidence of molecular or structural interplay between residues within theC. sativaDHDPS allosteric site as coupling of the W53R mutation with the N80V mutation decreased lysine sensitivity of the latter, but not to the level with the W53R mutation alone. Furthermore, the activity and lysine sensitivity of the triple mutant (W53R/N80V/E84T) was similar to the W53R mutation alone or theC. glutamicumDHDPS. The most active and most lysine-insensitiveC. sativaDHDPS variant (W53R) was not inhibited by free lysine up to 1 mM, comparable to theC. glutamicumsenzyme. Seed lysine content increased 13.6 -22.6% in CgDHDPS transgenic lines and 7.6–13.2% in the mCsDHDPS lines. The high lysine-accumulating lines from this work may be used to produce superior quality animal feed with improved essential amino acid profile.
Racist and Raciolinguistic Teacher Ideologies: When Bilingual Education is “Inherently Culturally Relevant” for Latinxs
Authors: Chávez-Moreno Laura C.
Published: November 2021

Many schools attempt to address the needs of “English-language learners,” who usually are Spanish-dominant Latinxs, by offering dual-language (DL) bilingual education. While undertaking a larger ethnographic study of one such secondary-level dual-language program, I examined how dual-language teachers understood the program as equitable for Latinxs. I found that teachers believed DL met Latinxs’ needs by providing Spanish-language/biliteracy schooling, which deemphasized the need for explicitly enhancing youths’ critical consciousness. This teacher ideology of assuming DL is “inherently culturally relevant” led to significant issues. For example, teachers believed DL would improve Latinxs’ academic achievement, but when teachers perceived Latinx achievement was not on par with White dual-language students’ outcomes, teachers made sense of Latinxs’ underperformance in DL through racist explanations and did not interrogate the program’s cultural relevance. Specifically, teachers pointed to the program not providing Latinxs the needed Spanish input even though the Latinx students self-identified as bilingual and were the “Spanish-dominant” students, and teachers pointed to Latinxs’ cultural and familial deficits. I argue teachers overlooked critical-racial consciousness as an important component of an equitable education. Implications include for teachers to cultivate their critical-racial consciousness, interrogate raciolinguistic ideologies, and define an equitable DL as centering critical-racial consciousness.
The anthropogenic consequences of energy consumption in the presence of uncertainties and complexities: evidence from World Bank income clusters
Authors: Adedoyin Festus Fatai , Satrovic Elma , Kehinde Maureen Njideka
Published: November 2021

In environmental management, many studies have examined the energy consumption-emission nexus in detail. However, for the first time in the literature, this study considers how the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) and economic policy uncertainty (EPU) moderate the contribution of energy consumption to emissions for the four World Bank Income clusters. The system generalised methods of moments are applied to data for 109 countries from 1996 to 2016. Based on the main model (grouped clusters) estimations, the result revealed the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Also, an increase in air transport and consumption of energy releases more carbon emissions to the climate. Interestingly, ECI decreases carbon emission significantly while EPU does not have a significant impact. Moreover, the study revealed that ECI moderated the impact of other variables on emission, but EPU is not a significant moderator. Furthermore, a comparative analysis among the four incomes suggests that the EKC hypothesis holds only in the high-income clusters; ECI is a significant predictor of carbon emission in the four clusters, but it only decreases the emission in high-income clusters. This corroborates the debate on climate change and the productive capacity of high-income countries. Given the foregoing, several policy measures were recommended.
lca_algebraic: a library bringing symbolic calculus to LCA for comprehensive sensitivity analysis
Authors: Jolivet Raphaël , Clavreul Julie , Brière Raphaël , Besseau Romain , Prieur Vernat Anne , Sauze Marie , Blanc Isabelle , Douziech Mélanie , Pérez-López Paula
Published: November 2021

Purpose

In this paper, we present new tools to ease the analysis of the effect of variability and uncertainty on life cycle assessment (LCA) results.

Methods

The tools consist of a standard protocol and an open-source library: lca_algebraic. This library, written in Python and based on the framework Brightway2 (Mutel in J Open Source Softw 2(12):236, 2017) provides functions to support sensitivity analysis by bringing symbolic calculus to LCA. The use of symbolic calculus eases the definition of parametric inventories and enables a very fast evaluation of impacts by factorizing the background activities. Thanks to this processing speed, a large number of Monte Carlo simulations can be generated to evaluate the variation of the impacts and apply advanced statistic tools such as Sobol indices to quantify the contribution of each parameter to the final variance (Sobol in Math Comput Simul 55(1–3):271–280, 2001). An additional algorithm uses the key parameters, identified from their high Sobol indices, to generate simplified arithmetic models for fast estimates of LCA results.

Results and discussion

The protocol and library were validated through their application to the assessment of impacts of mono crystalline photovoltaic (PV) systems. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis was performed based on the protocol and the complementary functions provided by lca_algebraic. The proposed tools helped building a detailed parametric reference LCA model of the PV system to identify the range of variation of multi-criterion LCA results and the key foreground-related parameters explaining these variations. Based on these key parameters, we generated simplified arithmetic models for quick and simple multi-criteria environmental assessments to be used by non-expert LCA users. The resulting models are both compact and aligned with the reference parametric LCA model of crystalline silicon PV systems.

Conclusion

This work brings powerful and practical tools to the LCA community to better understand, identify, and quantify the sources of variation of environmental impacts and produce simplified models to spread the use of LCA among non-experts. The library mainly explores the uncertainties of the foreground activities. Further work could also integrate the uncertainty of background activities, described, for example, by pedigree matrices.
Reciprocal interactions between aphids and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi across plant generations
Authors: Chitty Ruth P. , Gange Alan C.
Published: November 2021

The conditions experienced by one plant generation can influence the growth of the offspring generation. These maternal effects can reduce performance of foliar-feeding insects, through accumulation of plant defences. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inhabit the roots of plants and are known to influence the performance of foliar-feeding insects. However, all published studies of the interactions between insects and AMF have taken place within one plant generation, but none across generations. Thus, in the present study, Senecio vulgaris plants were grown with or without aphids and AMF (termed ‘induction events’), and seeds from each treatment were used to grow plants experiencing that same treatment over four successive generations, all grown in identical environmental conditions. Naïve aphids were reared on Senecio plants whose parents had experienced 0, 1, 2 or 3 induction events. We found strong negative maternal effects of herbivory on aphid growth, which were not mitigated by the mycorrhiza. However, teneral weight and growth rate showed a gradual recovery; aphids reared on plants whose previous three generations suffered attack were similar in size to those at the beginning of the study. Herbivory had positive or negative effects on the mycorrhiza, dependent upon the number of previous generations suffering attack or having mycorrhizal associations. We conclude that the outcome of many insect plant fungal experiments is likely to have been influenced by and need to account for maternal effects of the parental plant’s growth conditions.
Nox4-IGF2 Axis Promotes Differentiation of Embryoid Body Cells Into Derivatives of the Three Embryonic Germ Layers
Authors: Kim Jusong , Kim Jaewon , Lim Hee Jung , Lee Sanghyuk , Bae Yun Soo , Kim Jaesang
Published: November 2021

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play important roles as second messengers in a wide array of cellular processes including differentiation of stem cells. We identified Nox4 as the major ROS-generating enzyme whose expression is induced during differentiation of embryoid body (EB) into cells of all three germ layers. The role of Nox4 was examined using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated from Nox4 knockout (Nox4−/−) mouse. Differentiation markers showed significantly reduced expression levels consistent with the importance of Nox4-generated ROS during this process. From transcriptomic analyses, we found insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), a member of a gene family extensively involved in embryonic development, as one of the most down-regulated genes in Nox4−/− cells. Indeed, addition of IGF2 to culture partly restored the differentiation competence of Nox4−/− iPSCs. Our results reveal an important signaling axis mediated by ROS in control of crucial events during differentiation of pluripotent stem cells.

Graphical Abstract
Personality profile of team handball referees at expert level
Authors: Dodt Marcus , Fasold Frowin , Memmert Daniel
Published: November 2021

Referees play a central role in every sport. Particularly at national level, referees must meet ever higher demands due to increasing professionalisation. While cognitive and conditional aspects have already been investigated intensively, personality traits of handball referees have so far only received little attention. In addition to a profound understanding of the game and knowledge of the rules, however, it is precisely the demands on referees’ personalities that are becoming increasingly important. Individual differences in personality are related to job performance in sports, especially with regard to coping with pressure and stress. Thus, personality is considered an essential component of the performance profile of referees and is required in the context of efficient game management. In this study, the personality profiles of male handball referees at expert level (N = 163) were examined for the first time, using the German version of the Big Five Inventory 2 (BFI-2). Standard values of the German general population from a population survey were used for comparison. Referees scored higher values in extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness and a lower value in negative emotionality. The results of this cross-sectional study provide initial insights into the personality of this group of referees and thus lay the foundation for further research. A study with referees from different performance levels or cultural backgrounds could provide information on whether the results of this study only apply to German handball referees at expert level or are valid for all handball referees.
Probing ‘operational coherence’ in Hasok Chang’s pragmatic realism
Authors: El Mawas Omar
Published: November 2021

Hasok Chang is developing a new form of pragmatic scientific realism that aims to reorient the debate away from truth and towards practice. Central to his project is replacing truth as correspondence with his new notion of ‘operational coherence’, which is introduced as: 1) A success term with probative value to judge and guide epistemic activities. 2) A more useful alternative than truth as correspondence in guiding scientific practice. I argue that, given its current construal as neither necessary nor sufficient for success, operational coherence is too weak and fails to satisfy both 1) and 2). I offer a stronger construal of operational coherence which aims to improve on Chang’s account by tying it to systematic success. This makes operational coherence necessary and sufficient for (systematic) success. This new account, if successful, rescues 1) but not 2). I then take a step back and try to locate Chang’s pragmatic realism within the broader pragmatist tradition by comparing his views to the founding fathers Peirce, James and Dewey. I also assess to what extent we should consider Chang’s position ‘realist’, arguing that despite the many relativists threads running through it, Chang’s pragmatic realism is deserving of the realist label because its aims to maximize our learning from reality, even if it falls short of what many traditional realist are happy to accept as realism. I finish with comments on the epistemology of science pointing out that there is nothing intrinsic about a practice-based philosophy of science that precludes having both operational coherence and correspondence and highlighting that given a proper understanding these two notions could, in fact, be understood as complementary. I suggest one way this could be done.
Studies on natural gas production prediction and risk quantification of Sinian gas reservoir in Sichuan Basin
Authors: Yu Guo , Chen Yanru , Li Haitao , Liu Linqing , Wang Chenyu , Chen Yu , Zhang Dongming
Published: November 2021

The Sinian gas reservoir in the Sichuan Basin has the potential for natural gas exploration and development. Production prediction and risk quantification are important in planning of natural gas resources. Ultimate recoverable reserves (URRs) of Sinian gas reservoir are estimated. Hubbert and Gauss models are used to predict the growth trend of production in the gas reservoir. Based on the prediction results, the Monte Carlo simulation is used to calculate the probability of production realization. The evaluation matrix of risk level is established by using indices of production realization probability and dispersion degree for assessing the risk level of natural gas production. The results show that: (1) compared to the Hubbert model, the production prediction results of the Gauss model have higher accuracy. The Sinian gas reservoir will reach peak production of $$\left( {140 - 285} \right) \times 10^{8} {\text{m}}^{3} /{\text{a}}$$

140
-
285

×

10
8

m

3

/
a

in 2036 and will have stable production from 2032 to 2040. By the end of the stable production stage, the URR exploitation degree is about 60% and (2) the Monte Carlo method can be used to obtain the production realization probability for each year. The risk level evaluation matrix can be established by taking the probability of realization and the dispersion degree as evaluation indices, which can provide the systematization of the risk levels. The study can help to better understand the guiding significance for the natural gas exploration and development.
Constraining tectonic components during a geomechanics-aided successful hydrofracturing campaign of tight gas exploration field
Authors: Kumar Rajeev Ranjan , Molenaar Menno Mathieu , Subbiah Surej Kumar
Published: November 2021

The horizontal stress profile plays an important role, extending from wellbore stability analysis to well completion optimization of tight gas reservoirs. When considering exploration fields with planned wells being drilled to 5500-m TVD, it is imperative to quantify tectonic effects at the well location. In addition, accurately predicting stress profile and fracture initiation values in vertical wells is required to identify sweet zones and barriers. This paper presents the details of a pre-fracture geomechanical model using breakouts and advanced acoustic data for post-fracture analysis. The analysis contains a history match of fracture initiation pressure, which consider the effects of filter cake around permeable sand, variation in tensile strength, and quantification of horizontal stress contrast in the different fields. Overall, three reservoirs have been analyzed, each containing more than eight wells with operations history. Core tests were used to calibrate dynamic-to-static rock elastic and mechanical properties, both of which reduced uncertainty in the model. The poroelastic horizontal strain method was used to build a continuous stress profile. Typically, the rock fabric found in the cores, images, and anisotropy data from the three reservoirs is different and required various dynamic-to static conversions. The Aeolian deposits-based reservoir has a wide variation in horizontal stress, and fracture height is typically governed by the stiffness of the layers. The lower permeability zones have relatively higher tensile strength, compared with higher permeability zones leading to relatively higher fracture initiation values. Overall, the ratio of maximum horizontal stress-to-minimum horizontal stress varies between 1.20 and 1.28 based on post-fracture analysis, which correlates well with regional tectonics and structural data. Depending on lithological variation and structure changes, the horizontal strain component varies at the layer level within regional tectonics. Inversion of fracturing data helped to constrain horizontal strain and stress variations in the field.
Field application of a modular multiple thermal fluid generator for heavy oil recovery
Authors: Zhong Liguo , Wang Cheng , Liu Yigang , Zhang Wei , Han Xiaodong , Sun Yongtao
Published: November 2021

A modular multiple thermal fluid generator is introduced to enhance heavy oil production, which consists of water treatment system, fuel injection system, air compressor, central burning and heat exchanging system, and measuring and controlling system. All the components are mounted in three separated light shelters, which are easy to be lifted and installed, especially on the offshore production platform. It could be operated under 350 ℃ and 20 MPa, and the temperature and GWR (ratio of the volume of gas to the equivalent water volume of steam under standard conditions) could be adjusted by the water injection rate under the given heating capability of the central burning chamber. The temperature of the generated fluid is usually 200–300 ℃ with GWR of 200–300 m3/m3. Compared to conventional steam generator, such compact multiple thermal fluid generator is easy to be installed on the offshore oil production platform, and the generated multiple thermal fluid is potential to enhance heavy oil production in mechanisms of reducing heavy oil viscosity by both heating and injected gas, enlarging the heating reservoir chamber, and pressure by injected gas. In the past 10 years, the multiple thermal fluid generator has been applied to more than 40 wells in Bohai Offshore Oilfield and Xinjiang Oilfield in cyclic multiple thermal fluid stimulation (CMTFS in short) process. As a result, the multiple thermal fluid generators were operated soundly, and the heavy oil production of these wells was enhanced remarkably. (The oil production rate was 2–3 times more than cold production.)
Insight into Debye Hückel length (κ−1): smart gravimetric and swelling techniques reveals discrepancy of diffuse double layer theory at high ionic concentrations
Authors: AL-Bazali Talal
Published: November 2021

Smart gravimetric and swelling techniques were utilized in this work to examine the validity of the Debye Hückel length (κ−1) equation when shale interacts with highly concentrated salt solutions. The swelling and shrinkage behavior of two different shales, when exposed to monovalent and divalent ionic solutions (NaCl, KCl and CaCl2) at concentrations ranging from 2 to 22%w/w was observed and measured. Shale swelling and shrinkage results show that Debye Hückel length (κ−1) equation seems to work adequately at low ionic concentrations where osmotic water flow out of shale plays a major role in decreasing the diffuse double layer thickness by withdrawing water out and thereby shrinking κ−1. At high ionic concentration levels, the flow of associated water into the diffuse double layer negates the withdrawal of osmotic water out of the diffuse double layer which could maintain κ−1 or possibly increase it. Data on measured ionic uptake into shale suggests that excessive ionic diffusion into shale, especially at high concentrations, leads to higher electrical repulsion between alike ions in the diffuse layer which could lead to the expansion of the diffuse double layer thickness. Furthermore, swelling and shrinkage data analysis for shale suggests the existence of a ‘critical concentration’ below which the Debye Hückel length equation works. Above the critical concentration, the validity of the Debye Hückel length equation might be in question. The critical concentration is different for all ions and depends on ionic valence, hydrated ion diameter, and clay type.
Oral health-related quality of life in children with osteogenesis imperfecta
Authors: Cachia Mintoff J. M. , Riddington M. , Parekh S.
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) results from mutations in the genes involved in the modification or biosynthesis of collagen. This study aimed to assess the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children with OI.

Methodology

Participants were recruited from a highly specialised OI centre for children. The Child Oral-Health Impact Profile—Short Form (COHIP-SF) was used, adding demographic and qualitative questions. Children aged 8–16 years participated between January and October 2019. Statistical analysis was carried out. A higher COHIP-SF score indicates better OHRQoL (maximum score, 76).

Results

One hundred and six (106) children participated (44 female, mean age 11.93 years). COHIP-SF median score was 59. Children reporting mild OI (n = 55) had higher median scores (62) compared to severe OI (n = 7) with median scores of 55 (P = 0.087). When comparing mixed (< 12 years, n = 46) and permanent dentition (≥ 12, n = 60), no significant difference in OHRQoL was seen (P = 0.977). There was no significant difference between severities for each COHIP-SF domain. Limited data on the presence of dentinogenesis imperfecta did not impact overall score (P = 0.109), but was significant in the oral-health domain (P = 0.033).

Qualitative

Common themes were the need for braces, discolouration, pain and function.

Conclusion

This study confirmed that children with OI have dental concerns in areas including oral health, functional well-being and socio-emotional well-being. This was related to severity of OI.
Advances in Cable Yarding: A Review of Recent Developments in Skyline Carriage Technology
Authors: Varch Thomas , Erber Gernot , Visser Rien , Spinelli Raffaele , Harrill Hunter , Stampfer Karl
Published: November 2021

Purpose of Review

Carriages are an integral component of cable yarding systems that are used to harvest timber on steep terrain. They provide the mobility component by allowing a payload to be pulled along a skyline that spans a harvest setting, as opposed to a brute force pulling a load along a slope. While yarder machinery and cable yarding systems are extensively studied and reported, this paper provides a first detailed review of recent developments in carriage technology.

Recent Findings

There has been significant development in carriage technology in the last decade. In addition to step changes in functionality, they are now also used as technology platforms. This includes integration of geospatial and camera technology to provide for higher levels of automation. There are clear regional drivers that have differentiated carriage development. The need for low mass, versatility, and energy efficiency has generated a demand for electric carriages in the central European market. A focus on safety has driven New Zealand designers to work almost exclusively grapple carriages that no longer need choker setters on the ground being exposed to danger. North American developments include carriages capable of larger payloads to increase productivity and off-set high operation cost.

Carriages have developed over time to become complex systems and provide additional capabilities instead of just providing a mobility and transfer mechanism within the yarding systems. By integrating new technologies that provide for greater efficiency and/or automation, carriage developments will help cable yarding systems remain cost-competitive, with high safety standard and environmentally sound.
Orientations and matrix function-based centralities in multiplex network analysis of urban public transport
Authors: Bergermann Kai , Stoll Martin
Published: November 2021

We study urban public transport systems by means of multiplex networks in which stops are represented as nodes and each line is represented by a layer. We determine and visualize public transport network orientations and compare them with street network orientations of the 36 largest German as well as 18 selected major European cities. We find that German urban public transport networks are mainly oriented in a direction close to the cardinal east-west axis, which usually coincides with one of two orthogonal preferential directions of the corresponding street network. While this behavior is present in only a subset of the considered European cities it remains true that none but one considered public transport network has a distinct north-south-like preferential orientation. Furthermore, we study the applicability of the class of matrix function-based centrality measures, which has recently been generalized from single-layer networks to layer-coupled multiplex networks, to our more general urban multiplex framework. Numerical experiments based on highly efficient and scalable methods from numerical linear algebra show promising results, which are in line with previous studies. The centrality measures allow detailed insights into geometrical properties of urban systems such as the spatial distribution of major transport axes, which can not be inferred from orientation plots. We comment on advantages over existing methodology, elaborate on the comparison of different measures and weight models, and present detailed hyper-parameter studies. All results are illustrated by demonstrative graphical representations.
The effect of maker and entrepreneurial education on self-efficacy and creativity
Authors: Unterfrauner Elisabeth , Voigt Christian , Hofer Margit
Published: November 2021

Makerspaces and the availability of digital maker tools offer opportunities to create with their hands. Makerspaces and making have increasingly found their ways into institutions of formal and informal education but have yet not been explored in entrepreneurship education. Maker education holds the premise that learners work in a self-regulated and interdisciplinary way and develop a mind-set that enhances their self-organisation and self-efficacy. In the context of a European project, an educational programme, which combined maker and entrepreneurial education for fostering entrepreneurial thinking, skills and attitudes, was developed. This paper aims to understand and evaluate the direct effect of this maker educational programme on the development of non-cognitive (entrepreneurial) skills and attitudes, i.e. in relation to self-efficacy and creativity, as core elements of an “entrepreneurial spirit”. A creativity drawing test as well as a self-efficacy questionnaire were used to evaluate the maker educational programme and to measure individual effects on study participants. The analysis of the results shows a positive effect at the individual level in both creativity and self-efficacy when taking age and gender differences into account. A better understanding of the relationship between age as well as location specific settings and the resulting benefits in creativity and self-efficacy would be a worthwhile follow up research.
Bagging-gradient boosting decision tree based milling cutter wear status prediction modelling
Authors: Xu Weiping , Li Wendi , Zhang Yao , Zhang Taihua , Chen Huawei
Published: November 2021

Aiming to monitor wear condition of milling cutters in time and provide tool change decisions to ensure manufacturing safety and product quality, a tool wear monitoring model based on Bagging-Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (Bagging-GBDT) is proposed. In order to avoid incomplete tool state information contained in a single domain feature parameter, a multi-domain combination method is used to extract candidate characteristic parameter sets from time domain, frequency domain, and time–frequency domain. Then top 21 significant features are screened by eXtreme Gradient Boosting selection method. Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique technology is integrated during feature selection to overly sample feature vectors, so that wear condition categories can be well balanced. Bagging idea is then introduced for parallel calculation of the gradient boosting decision tree and to improve its generalization ability. A Bagging-GBDT milling cutter wear condition prediction model is constructed and verified by public ball-end milling data set. Experiments show that random features and training samples selection can effectively improve prediction performance and generalization ability of prediction model. Our Bagging-GBDT model gains F1 score of 0.99350, which is 0.2% and 13.2% higher than the random forest algorithm and basic GBDT model, respectively.
Fast and versatile polarization control of X-ray by segmented cross undulator at SPring-8
Authors: Miyawaki Jun , Yamamoto Susumu , Hirata Yasuyuki , Horio Masafumi , Harada Yoshihisa , Matsuda Iwao
Published: November 2021

An X-ray is the well-known probe to examine structure of materials, including our own bodies. The X-ray beam, especially at the wavelength of nanometers, has also become significant to directly investigate electronic states of a sample. Such an X-ray is called a soft X-ray and polarization dependence of the light-matter interaction further unveils the microscopic properties, such as orbitals or spins of electrons. Generation of high brilliant beams of the polarized X-ray has linked to development of our experimental science, and it has been made by radiation from relativistic electrons at the synchrotron radiation facilities over the world. Recently, we constructed a new polarization-controlled X-ray source, the segmented cross undulator, at SPring-8, the largest synchrotron radiation facility in the world. The operation is based on interference of X-ray beams, which is sharply contrast to the conventional method of regulating electron trajectory by the mechanical control of magnets. The paradigm shift opened the measurement innovations and allowed us to design new experimental approaches to capture signals that have been hidden in materials. The present review describes the novel X-ray source with the principle of operation and the technical details of optimization. Examples of the frontier spectroscopies that use unique optical properties of the source are introduced, followed by the future prospects for next generation synchrotron radiation facilities.
Collaborative Elementary Civics Curriculum Development to Support Teacher Learning to Enact Culturally Sustaining Practices
Authors: Enright Esther A. , Toledo William , Drum Stacy , Brown Sarah
Published: November 2021

This article compares case studies to better understand how third grade teachers, serving low-income (including Title I) schools, adapted their instruction in the midst of a global pandemic to better support their students’ learning about locally-relevant civic issues. Civic perspective-taking components were embedded in the unit design with the aim of building deliberative, inclusive classrooms. The team designed lessons drawing from theories of culturally sustaining pedagogy. Using semi-structured interview data, we examined teachers’ reported thinking and perceptions about students’ needs and their own struggles to deliver purposeful, equitable instruction. Findings indicate that as teachers collaboratively designed the lessons they discussed how to balance relevance and sensitivity in relation to content that mirrored students lived realities. This study advances our understanding of what challenges teachers overcome to integrate culturally-sustaining practices in their social studies instruction.
New Theory Connects Tree Uprooting and Sediment Movement
Authors: Sidder Aaron
Published: November 2021

Tree throw from extreme wind events plays an important role in the movement of sediment and erosion on forested hillslopes. A new theory offers a novel way to measure its impact.
Time‐Scale Dependent Relations Between Earth Observation Based Proxies of Vegetation Productivity
Authors: Linscheid Nora , Mahecha Miguel D. , Rammig Anja , Carvalhais Nuno , Gans Fabian , Nelson Jacob A. , Walther Sophia , Weber Ulrich , Reichstein Markus
Published: November 2021

Much uncertainty remains in measuring the inter‐annual and longer‐term dynamics of vegetation gross and net primary productivity (GPP, NPP) and the connected land carbon sink. Potential for better GPP estimation lies in newer satellite products representing different processes or vegetation states, but how they capture interannual GPP dynamics remains to be explored. Here, we differentiate shorter‐ and longer‐term vegetation dynamics and their drivers for several Earth‐observation‐based vegetation proxies and a GPP estimate using time series decomposition. We find that relations between proxies can significantly differ between time scales, along land cover and climate gradients. For GPP estimated at FLUXNET sites, seasonal and multiannual slopes differ by at least 25% for half of the cases investigated, indicating considerable mismatch if multiannual relations were derived from seasonal slopes. Considering time‐scale‐specific sensitivities between proxies of vegetation productivity may improve estimates of interannual variability in vegetation productivity.
Does Regional Hydroclimate Change Scale Linearly With Global Warming?
Authors: Lehner Flavio , Coats Sloan
Published: November 2021

Many aspects of climate change scale linearly with global warming. However, nonlinear changes are possible, especially in the context of hydroclimate, and under emissions scenarios with stabilized global temperature, as aspired to by current climate targets. In CMIP5 and 6, a progressively larger land area shows nonlinear changes as a function of global warming when considering precipitation, evaporation, and soil moisture, with the latter showing nonlinearity over ∼50% of global land. Using ensemble simulations with the Community Earth System Model 1, in which individual forcing factors are held constant, we illustrate how nonadditive responses to anthropogenic greenhouse gases and industrial and fire‐related aerosols can yield complex soil moisture changes in certain regions. This complexity contributes to uncertainty in regional soil moisture projections and suggests that the timing of, as well as model response uncertainty to, future aerosol reductions will have significant impacts on regional hydroclimate change as global temperatures stabilize.
Magnitude and Uncertainty of Nitrous Oxide Emissions From North America Based on Bottom‐Up and Top‐Down Approaches: Informing Future Research and National Inventories
Authors: Xu R. , Tian H. , Pan N. , Thompson R. L. , Canadell J. G. , Davidson E. A. , Nevison C. , Winiwarter W. , Shi H. , Pan S. , Chang J. , Ciais P. , Dangal S. R. S. , Ito A. , Jackson R. B. , Joos F. , Lauerwald R. , Lienert S. , Maavara T. , Millet D. B. , Raymond P. A. , Regnier P. , Tubiello F. N. , Vuichard N. , Wells K. C. , Wilson C. , Yang J. , Yao Y. , Zaehle S. , Zhou F.
Published: November 2021

We synthesized N2O emissions over North America using 17 bottom‐up (BU) estimates from 1980–2016 and five top‐down (TD) estimates from 1998 to 2016. The BU‐based total emission shows a slight increase owing to U.S. agriculture, while no consistent trend is shown in TD estimates. During 2007–2016, North American N2O emissions are estimated at 1.7 (1.0–3.0) Tg N yr−1 (BU) and 1.3 (0.9–1.5) Tg N yr−1 (TD). Anthropogenic emissions were twice as large as natural fluxes from soil and water. Direct agricultural and industrial activities accounted for 68% of total anthropogenic emissions, 71% of which was contributed by the U.S. Our estimates of U.S. agricultural emissions are comparable to the EPA greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, which includes estimates from IPCC tier 1 (emission factor) and tier 3 (process‐based modeling) approaches. Conversely, our estimated agricultural emissions for Canada and Mexico are twice as large as the respective national GHG inventories.
Emerging Global Ocean Deoxygenation Across the 21st Century
Authors: Gong Hongjing , Li Chao , Zhou Yuntao
Published: November 2021

Ocean deoxygenation (i.e., loss of oxygen) due to climate change can result in marine environment deterioration. Here we applied a time of emergence method to detect when and where the signals of oceanic oxygen change would emerge from its internal variability in the epipelagic, mesopelagic, and bathypelagic zones. The results from climate model simulations under low‐emission conditions (XGHG) and high‐emission conditions (RCP8.5) show that the emergence of deoxygenation is projected to occur earliest and most widespread in the mesopelagic zone. Under the RCP8.5 scenario, more than 72% of the global ocean is projected to experience an emergence of deoxygenation before 2080 for all three vertical zones. Regionally, the emergence of deoxygenation is projected to be widespread below the epipelagic zone of the western North Pacific, North Atlantic, and Southern Oceans before 2080. ToE and the spatial coverage of deoxygenation are both important for fisheries and other marine resources protection.