bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of risk factors, scoring systems, and prognostic models in predicting the functional outcome in meningioma surgery: multicentric study of 552 skull base meningiomas
Authors: May Michaela , Sedlak Vojtech , Pecen Ladislav , Priban Vladimir , Buchvald Pavel , Fiedler Jiri , Vaverka Miroslav , Lipina Radim , Reguli Stefan , Malik Jozef , Netuka David , Benes Vladimir
Published: May 2023

Despite the importance of functional outcome, only a few scoring systems exist to predict neurologic outcome in meningioma surgery. Therefore, our study aims to identify preoperative risk factors and develop the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) models estimating the risk of a new postoperative neurologic deficit and a decrease in Karnofsky performance status (KPS). A multicentric study was conducted in a cohort of 552 consecutive patients with skull base meningiomas who underwent surgical resection from 2014 to 2019. Data were gathered from clinical, surgical, and pathology records as well as radiological diagnostics. The preoperative predictive factors of functional outcome (neurologic deficit, decrease in KPS) were analyzed in univariate and multivariate stepwise selection analyses. Permanent neurologic deficits were present in 73 (13.2%) patients and a postoperative decrease in KPS in 84 (15.2%). Surgery-related mortality was 1.3%. A ROC model was developed to estimate the probability of a new neurologic deficit (area 0.74; SE 0.0284; 95% Wald confidence limits (0.69; 0.80)) based on meningioma location and diameter. Consequently, a ROC model was developed to predict the probability of a postoperative decrease in KPS (area 0.80; SE 0.0289; 95% Wald confidence limits (0.74; 0.85)) based on the patient’s age, meningioma location, diameter, presence of hyperostosis, and dural tail. To ensure an evidence-based therapeutic approach, treatment should be founded on known risk factors, scoring systems, and predictive models. We propose ROC models predicting the functional outcome of skull base meningioma resection based on the age of the patient, meningioma size, and location and the presence of hyperostosis and dural tail.
Use of airfoils for enhancement of photosynthesis rate of microalgae in raceways
Authors: Inostroza Cristian , Dávila Javier , Román Sergio , Fernández-Sevilla José M. , Acién F. Gabriel
Published: May 2023

The lack of adequate vertical mixing is one of the factors limiting the productivity of open raceway microalgae reactors. The existence of large gradients of light involves the cells being mainly adapted to local irradiance instead of average irradiance, which would allow for maximizing the light utilization efficiency, thus maximizing the biomass productivity of microalgae cultures. To overcome this problem, different alternatives have been proposed, one of the more suitable being the utilization of airfoils to improve vertical mixing. In this work, numerical and experimental studies were performed to analyse the effect of the aerodynamic airfoils patented by the University of Seville (WO2020120818A1). The goal is to improve the photosynthetic efficiency, but also a better understanding of the light regime to which the microalgae cells are exposed in these systems and how to improve it. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used to optimize the flow generated by the airfoils. A dynamic photosynthesis model of Rubio Camacho et al. (Biotechnol Bioeng 81:459–473, 2003) was used to estimate the photosynthesis rate as a function of the light regime to which the cells are exposed, including photo-adaptation and photo-inhibition phenomena, the results confirm that the use of airfoils improves the vertical mixing and the photosynthesis rate. The photosynthetic benefits were observed 10 m downstream of the airfoils, resulting in an increase in photosynthesis rate and productivity by up to 30%. These results confirm the benefits of an increase in mixing in microalgae cultures, especially when focusing on the movement of the cells between the different illuminated zones while maintaining low energy consumption and capital expenses.
Using Precision Teaching to Improve Typically Developing Student’s Mathematical Skills Via Teleconferencing
Authors: Kapoor Geetika , Vostanis Athanasios , Mejía-Buenaño Suzy , Langdon Peter E.
Published: May 2023

This study evaluated the effects of Precision Teaching in improving typically developing students’ mathematical skills when delivered via teleconferencing in India. Four students received Precision Teaching, while nine acted as control participants. Precision teaching involved instruction in three mathematical skills; two prerequisite skills and the primary skill of mixed addition and subtraction facts. Instruction included untimed practice, timed practice, goal-setting, graphing, and a token economy. Participants who received Precision Teaching received ten practice sessions for the prerequisite skills and 55 sessions for the primary skill. The results demonstrated improvements in the prerequisite skills of varied magnitude and considerable improvements in the primary skill, which were maintained above baseline performance levels. In addition, those who received Precision Teaching were below the 15th percentile rank at the initial assessment and above the 65th percentile at the post-intervention assessment in the math fluency subtest of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement—Third Edition. Control participants did not demonstrate similar improvements. Results suggest that Precision Teaching could produce accelerated outcomes even when delivered via teleconferencing. Therefore, it could be a valuable system for helping students ameliorate potential learning losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
ERBB Receptors and Their Ligands in the Developing Mammary Glands of Different Species: Fifteen Characters in Search of an Author
Authors: Morato Alessia , Accornero Paolo , Hovey Russell C.
Published: May 2023

The ERBB tyrosine kinase receptors and their ligands belong to a complex family that has diverse biological effects and expression profiles in the developing mammary glands, where its members play an essential role in translating hormone signals into local effects. While our understanding of these processes stems mostly from mouse models, there is the potential for differences in how this family functions in the mammary glands of other species, particularly in light of their unique histomorphological features. Herein we review the postnatal distribution and function of ERBB receptors and their ligands in the mammary glands of rodents and humans, as well as for livestock and companion animals. Our analysis highlights the diverse biology for this family and its members across species, the regulation of their expression, and how their roles and functions might be modulated by varying stromal composition and hormone interactions. Given that ERBB receptors and their ligands have the potential to influence processes ranging from normal mammary development to diseased states such as cancer and/or mastitis, both in human and veterinary medicine, a more complete understanding of their biological functions should help to direct future research and the identification of new therapeutic targets.
High-Order Semi-implicit Schemes for Evolutionary Partial Differential Equations with Higher Order Derivatives
Authors: Sebastiano Boscarino
Published: May 2023

The aim of this work is to apply a semi-implicit (SI) strategy in an implicit-explicit (IMEX) Runge–Kutta (RK) setting introduced in Boscarino et al. (J Sci Comput 68:975–1001, 2016) to a sequence of 1D time-dependent partial differential equations (PDEs) with high order spatial derivatives. This strategy gives a great flexibility to treat these equations, and allows the construction of simple linearly implicit schemes without any Newton’s iteration. Furthermore, the SI IMEX-RK schemes so designed does not need any severe time step restriction that usually one has using explicit methods for the stability, i.e. $$\Delta t = {\mathcal {O}}(\Delta t^k)$$

Δ
t
=
O
(
Δ

t
k

)

for the kth ($$k \ge 2$$

k
≥
2

) order PDEs. For the space discretization, this strategy is combined with finite difference schemes. We illustrate the effectiveness of the schemes with many applications to dissipative, dispersive and biharmonic-type equations. Numerical experiments show that the proposed schemes are stable and can achieve optimal orders of accuracy.
Did the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid Expansion Change Cohabitation Trends?
Authors: Gough Courtney Margaret
Published: May 2023

This study builds on past research to examine whether the Medicaid expansion provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affected cohabitation rates among adults ages 18–40. This provision of the ACA was designed to expand health insurance coverage for low-income individuals. The expansion has been demonstrated to have effects beyond increased access to health services, including effects on financial health, marriage, fertility, and child support payments. Nationally representative data from the 2007 to 2019 Current Population Surveys (N = 45,129–695,629) were used to estimate difference-in-difference models of the effect of the Medicaid expansion on cohabitation. Results indicate generally positive effects of the Medicaid expansion on cohabitation, but effects are primarily limited to states expanding in 2014 and are seen 2 years after expansion. Subgroup analyses indicate some heterogeneity by parenthood and race/ethnicity; results are robust to the exclusion of early and late expansion states and to a wider age range. Findings are consistent with behavior around eligibility notches and changes in non-economic factors post-expansion that may influence cohabitation decisions. As states continue to expand Medicaid coverage, such trends may be increasingly evident.
Disentangling Occupational Sorting from Within-Occupation Disparities: Earnings Differences Among 12 Gender–Race/Ethnicity Groups in the U.S.
Authors: Alonso-Villar Olga , del Río Coral
Published: May 2023

This paper quantifies the role that occupations play in explaining wage differences among 12 gender–race/ethnicity groups without including occupations as control variables in wage equations. Our approach, based on a counterfactual analysis that involves a re-weighting scheme, has three advantages. First, it allows enlarging the small list of occupations usually employed in the literature. Second, it directly addresses the fact that occupational sorting is not a gender- and race-blind mechanism. Third, it allows for the comparison of all the groups simultaneously after controlling for characteristics. Our analysis shows that, after controlling for characteristics other than gender and race/ethnicity, occupational segregation accounts for around 40–50% of the earnings losses of White, Hispanic, Native American, and “other race” women (relative to the economy’s average wage) and it reaches 63% in the case of Black women. Black men’s occupational sorting also harms them after controlling for attributes, a finding that we do not see in any other male group. On the contrary, around half of the earnings advantages of White and Asian men arises from their occupational sorting. Additionally, this paper develops a decomposition that allows identifying the occupations that bring losses/gains to each group beyond what is expected based on its characteristics, which is also a novelty in respect to what has been done in the literature.
Universal Transfers, Tax Breaks and Fertility: Evidence from a Regional Reform in Norway
Authors: Hart Rannveig Kaldager , Galloway Taryn A.
Published: May 2023

The relatively high fertility in the Nordic countries has attracted considerable academic and political interest. Still, the causal relationship between economic circumstances and fertility in the Nordic context is poorly understood. This paper estimates the effect of tax breaks and universal transfers on fertility in the Nordic context. We analyze the fertility effects of a regional child benefit and tax reform implemented in the northern municipalities of the Norwegian county Troms, using the southern municipalities of the same county as a plausible and empirically similar control group. We use a difference-in-difference/event study design, and estimate multivariate models on individual-level data from administrative registers for the full population. The reform increased fertility among women in their early 20 s. The effects are concentrated among unmarried women, who received the largest subsidies. Our findings suggest that favorable economic conditions have contributed to the relatively high fertility in the Nordic countries.
International Society for Quality of Life Research commentary on the US Food and Drug Administration draft guidance for industry on core patient-reported outcomes in cancer clinical trials
Authors: Brady Keri J. S. , Peipert John Devin , Atkinson Thomas M. , Pompili Cecilia , Pinto Monica , Shaw James W. , Roydhouse Jessica ,   The International Society for Quality of Life Research Clinical Practice Special Interest Group, the International Society for Quality of Life Research Clinical Practice Special Interest Group, the International Society for Quality of Life Research Regulatory Health, Technology Assessment Engagement Special Interest Group, and the International Society for Quality of Life Research Psychometrics Special Interest Group
Published: May 2023

In June 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a draft guidance for industry on core patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and related considerations for instrument selection and trial design in registrational cancer clinical trials, building on prior communications about the use of PROs to assess efficacy and tolerability in oncology drug development. The International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL) Standards and Best Practices Committee led an initiative to draft a commentary about the guidance, focusing on its positive aspects and areas that would benefit from additional clarification and consideration. For comprehensiveness, the authors reviewed existing public comments on the draft guidance, and the commentary underwent a thorough review process through three ISOQOL Special Interest Groups (Psychometrics, Clinical Practice, and Regulatory and Health Technology Assessment Engagement) followed by the ISOQOL Board. The goal of this commentary is to situate this new and relevant guidance document within the context of recent regulatory efforts on PROs and highlight areas in which further work may ultimately benefit the field.
Health-related quality of life in patients with newly diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease: an observational prospective cohort study (IBSEN III)
Authors: Olsen Bjorn Christian , Opheim Randi , Kristensen Vendel A. , Høivik Marte Lie , Lund Charlotte , Aabrekk Tone Bergene , Johansen Ingunn , Holten Kristina , Strande Vibeke , Bengtson May-Bente , Ricanek Petr , Detlie Trond Espen , Bernklev Tomm , Jelsness-Jørgensen Lars-Petter , Huppertz-Hauss Gert
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This unselected, population-based cohort study aimed to determine the level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) at the time of diagnosis compared with a reference population and identify the demographic factors, psychosocial measures, and disease activity markers associated with HRQoL.

Methods

Adult patients newly diagnosed with CD or UC were prospectively enrolled. HRQoL was measured using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Norwegian Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaires. Clinical significance was assessed using Cohen’s d effect size and further compared with a Norwegian reference population. Associations between HRQoL and symptom scores, demographic factors, psychosocial measures, and disease activity markers were analyzed.

Results

Compared with the Norwegian reference population, patients with CD and UC reported significantly lower scores in all SF-36 dimensions, except for physical functioning. Cohen’s d effect sizes for men and women in all SF-36 dimensions were at least moderate, except for bodily pain and emotional role for men with UC and physical functioning for both sexes and diagnoses. In the multivariate regression analysis, depression subscale scores ≥ 8 on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, substantial fatigue, and high symptom scores were associated with reduced HRQoL.

Conclusion

Patients newly diagnosed with CD and UC reported statistically and clinically significantly lower scores in seven of the eight SF-36 dimensions than the reference population. Symptoms of depression, fatigue, and elevated symptom scores were associated with poorer HRQoL.
Study of the Relationship Between Sunspot Number and the Duration of the ≈ 1.6 – 2.2 Year Period in Neutron Monitor Counting Rates
Authors: López-Comazzi A. , Blanco J. J.
Published: May 2023

Neutron monitor counting rates show periodicities in the ≈ 1.6 – 2.2-year range. These periodicities have been associated with a solar origin affecting the cosmic ray propagation conditions through the heliosphere. Our hypothesis is that the periodicities in the ≈ 1.6 – 2.2-years range correspond to a single periodicity that changes its duration over time.

López-Comazzi and Blanco (Astrophys. J.927(2), 155, 2022) found that the duration of the ≈ 1.6 – 2.2-year period ($\tau $
τ
) is linearly related to the average sunspot number ($SSN_{a}$
S
S

N
a

) in each solar cycle. The relationship shows that shorter ≈ 1.6 – 2.2-year periods occur during stronger cycles when $SSN_{a}$
S
S

N
a

is higher. Therefore, the duration of this period varies from one solar cycle to another. This study focuses on this relation. For obtaining this relation, the values of the duration of the ≈ 1.6 – 2.2-year period in global neutron monitor counting rates (a virtual station determined by averaging of the different neutron monitor counting rates along the world) along the Solar Cycles 20 – 24 have been used. We extend the sample by adding the duration of the ≈ 1.6 – 2.2-year period in Huancayo neutron monitor counting rates along Solar Cycle 19 to this linear relationship. Once the linear relationship is extended, $\tau $
τ
for the current Solar Cycle 25 is computed giving ≈ 2.24 years. Drawing on this more accurate relationship given by $SSN_{a} = (-120 \pm 10) \: \tau + (320 \pm 20)$
S
S

N
a

=
(
−
120
±
10
)

τ
+
(
320
±
20
)
, we computed $\tau $
τ
for the cycles previous to the existence of neutron monitors (Solar Cycles 7 – 18).

These ≈ 1.6 – 2.2-year periodicities in neutron monitor counting rates could be produce by variations in the solar magnetic field due to an internal mechanism of the solar dynamo called Rossby waves. Concretely, the harmonic of fast Rossby waves with $m=1$
m
=
1
and $n=8$
n
=
8
fit with the detected ≈ 1.6 – 2.2-year periodicity. In addition, the variation of the solar magnetic-field strength from weaker to stronger solar cycles could explain the different periods detected in each cycle. Based on the detected periodicities using the dispersion relation for fast Rossby waves, a solar tachocline magnetic-field strength of ≈ 7 – 25 kG has been estimated.
A mathematical programming approach for resource allocation of data analysis workflows on heterogeneous clusters
Authors: Mohammadi Somayeh , PourKarimi Latif , Droop Felix , De Mecquenem Ninon , Leser Ulf , Reinert Knut
Published: May 2023

Scientific communities are motivated to schedule their large-scale data analysis workflows in heterogeneous cluster environments because of privacy and financial issues. In such environments containing considerably diverse resources, efficient resource allocation approaches are essential for reaching high performance. Accordingly, this research addresses the scheduling problem of workflows with bag-of-task form to minimize total runtime (makespan). To this aim, we develop a mixed-integer linear programming model (MILP). The proposed model contains binary decision variables determining which tasks should be assigned to which nodes. Also, it contains linear constraints to fulfill the tasks requirements such as memory and scheduling policy. Comparative results show that our approach outperforms related approaches in most cases. As part of the post-optimality analysis, some secondary preferences are imposed on the proposed model to obtain the most preferred optimal solution. We analyze the relaxation of the makespan in the hope of significantly reducing the number of consumed nodes.
Biochar, but not soil microbial additives, increase the resilience of urban plant species to low water availability
Authors: Manea Anthony , Tabassum Samiya , Lambert Martin , Cinantya Ariningsun , Ossola Alessandro , Leishman Michelle R.
Published: May 2023

Impervious surfaces that characterise urban areas can make them harsh, water-limited places for plants to grow. To help alleviate plant stress under these challenging drought conditions, a range of soil additives can be utilised. Although well-studied individually, our understanding of the interaction between different soil additives in alleviating drought stress in urban areas is rudimentary. The aim of this study was to (1) assess the growth of urban horticultural plant species under drought stress and (2) determine whether drought stress in these species is alleviated by the use of soil additives, both individually and in combination. We grew six plant species (three trees, three graminoids) commonly planted in Australian urban areas under two watering regimes (drought-stressed, well-watered) and four soil additive treatments (no additive, microbial additive only, biochar only, microbial additive and biochar), and assessed their performance. We found that drought stress significantly reduced the growth of the six study species. Surprisingly, this decrease in growth was not reduced with the use of soil additives, despite biochar increasing soil water content and mycorrhizal colonisation when used in combination with the microbial additive. However, the addition of biochar significantly delayed the visual onset of drought stress across all species. Our results show that soil additives can be used as a cost-effective management strategy to increase plant resilience to drought stress in urban areas.
VOC species controlling O3 formation in ambient air and their sources in Kaifeng, China
Authors: Chen Yijia , Shi Yuqi , Ren Jie , You Guiying , Zheng Xudong , Liang Yue , Simayi Maimaiti , Hao Yufang , Xie Shaodong
Published: May 2023

The concentration of ozone has been in a rising crescendo in the last decade while the fine particles (PM2.5) is gradually decreasing but still at a high level in central China. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the vital precursors of ozone and PM2.5. A total of 101 VOC species were measured in four seasons at five sites from 2019 to 2021 in Kaifeng. VOC sources and geographic origin of sources were identified by the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and the hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory transport model. The source-specific OH loss rates (LOH) and ozone formation potential (OFP) were calculated to estimate the effects of each VOC source. The average mixing ratios of total VOCs (TVOC) were 43.15 parts per billion (ppb), of which the alkanes, alkenes, aromatics, halocarbons, and oxygenated VOCs respectively accounted for 49%, 12%, 11%, 14%, and 14%. Although the mixing ratios of alkenes were comparatively low, they played a dominant role in the LOH and OFP, especially ethene (0.55 s−1, 7%; 27.11 μg/m3, 10%) and 1,3-butadiene (0.74 s−1, 10%; 12.52 μg/m3, 5%). The vehicle-related source which emitted considerable alkenes ranked as the foremost contributing factor (21%). Biomass burning was probably influenced by other cities in the western and southern Henan and other provinces, Shandong and Hebei.
Navigating the Ethical and Methodological Dimensions of a Farm Safety Photovoice Project
Authors: Becot Florence A. , Inwood Shoshanah M. , Buchanan Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2023

Scholars have noted persistent high rates of agricultural health and safety incidents and the need to develop more effective interventions. Participatory research provides an avenue to broaden the prevailing research paradigms and approaches by allowing those most impacted to illuminate and work to solve those aspects of their lives. One such approach is photovoice, an emancipatory visual narrative approach. Yet, despite its broad appeal, photovoice can be hard to implement. In this article, we leverage our experience using photovoice for a farm children safety project to describe and reflect on the ethical and methodological aspects broadly relevant to agricultural health and safety topics. We first contextualize the tensions of navigating between photovoice, the research ethics committees (RECs) regulatory frameworks, and competing views on visual representations in agriculture. We then discuss the sources of risks to participants and researchers, how we addressed these risks, and how these risks unfolded during the research phase of the photovoice activity. We conclude with three lessons we (re)learned: the importance of collaborating with RECs, the need to increase preparation to limit psychological risks to participants and researchers, and avenues to augment the emancipatory power of photovoice in a virtual environment.
The association of Ned Kelly tattoos with suicide and homicide in a forensic context—a confirmatory prospective study
Authors: Byard Roger W. , Maxwell-Stewart Hamish
Published: May 2023

Ned Kelly, an iconic figure in contemporary Australian mythology, was a bushranger (outlaw) who was executed in 1880 for the murder of a serving police officer, Constable Thomas Lonigan. Kelly is often commemorated by tattoos which depict his armour and helmet or his alleged last words of “Such is life”. A study was undertaken from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2020, at Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, South Australia, of all cases with such tattoos. De-identified case details included the year of death, age, sex and cause and manner of death. There were 38 cases consisting of 10 natural deaths (26.3%) and 28 unnatural (73.7%). The latter included 15 cases of suicide (39.5%), 9 accidents (23.7%) and 4 homicides (10.5%). Of the 19 suicides and homicides, there were 19 males and no females (age range 24–57 years; average 44 years). The number of suicides in the general South Australian forensic autopsy population in 2020 was 216/1492 (14.5%) which was significantly lower than in the study population in which 39.5% of cases were suicides (2.7 times higher; p < 0.001). A similar trend occurred for homicides which accounted for 17/1492 in the general forensic autopsy population (1.1%), significantly lower than in the study population which had 10.5% homicides (approximately 9.5 times higher; p < 0.001). Thus, in the select population referred for medicolegal autopsy, there appears no doubt that Ned Kelly tattoos are associated with suicides and homicides. While this is not a population-based study, it may provide useful information for forensic practitioners dealing with such cases.
A Model of the Sea–Land Transition of the Mean Wind Profile in the Tropical Cyclone Boundary Layer Considering Climate Changes
Authors: Wang Jiayao , Tse Tim K. T. , Li Sunwei , Fung Jimmy C. H.
Published: May 2023

The tropical cyclone boundary layer (TCBL) connecting the underlying terrain and the upper atmosphere plays a crucial role in the overall dynamics of a tropical cyclone system. When tropical cyclones approach the coastline, the wind field inside the TCBL makes a sea–land transition to impact both onshore and offshore structures. So better understanding of the wind field inside the TCBL in the sea–land transition zone is of great importance. To this end, a semiempirical model that integrates the sea–land transition model from the Engineering Sciences Data Unit (ESDU), Huang’s refined TCBL wind field model, and the climate change scenarios from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) is used to investigate the influence of climate changes on the sea–land transition of the TCBL wind flow in Hong Kong. More specifically, such a semiempirical method is employed in a series of Monte-Carlo simulations to predict the wind profiles inside the TCBL across the coastline of Hong Kong under the impact of future climate changes. The wind profiles calculated based on the Monte-Carlo simulation results reveal that, under the influences of the most severe climate change scenario, slightly higher and significantly lower wind speeds are found at altitudes above and below 400 m, respectively, compared to the wind speeds recommended in the Hong Kong Wind Code of Practice. Such findings imply that the wind profile model currently adopted by the Hong Kong authorities in assessing the safety of low- to high-rise buildings may be unnecessarily over-conservative under the influence of climate change. On the other hand, the coded wind loads on super-tall buildings slightly underestimate the typhoon impacts under the severe climate change conditions anticipated for coastal southern China.
Experimental study of the effect of fallen leaf shading on the polarization characteristics of photovoltaic modules
Authors: Zhu Darong , Wang Duanbiao , Wang Fangbin , Gong Xue , Yang Gang , Yan Ruiyang
Published: May 2023

Coverings have an important impact on the output and safety of photovoltaic (PV) modules. However, due to the complex on-site environment and difficult identification, it is difficult to obtain timely and effective cleaning. In this paper, the optical polarization characteristics of fallen leaf are studied to find the difference for the PV modules with or without fallen leaves covered, which is one of the typical coverings, based on the basic theory of polarization imaging. Firstly, a polarimetric imaging platform with a SALSA camera for PV modules is built. Then, several experiments are conducted and the corresponding images of PV modules shaded by heather or camphor leaves are obtained. Finally, shaded by the impacts on the polarization characteristics of the PV module from fallen leaves, the waveband of the incident light, and the observation angle are analyzed. The results show that the optical polarization characteristics of PV modules at bands of 420 nm and 546 nm are significantly different from others, wherever there existed shading leaves or not; The degree of polarization decreases and then increases with the observation angle from 0° to 70° at 9:00–12:00 a.m. on sunny days; At 0° observation angle, the stokes parameter $$S_{0}$$

S
0

of PV modules with or without fallen leaves has the greatest difference. Highlights

The influence of fallen leaves on the polarization characteristics of PV modules is studied.

The polarization characteristic parameter with the largest difference between the PV modules with and without fallen leaves is obtained.

This parameter is more conducive to detecting fallen leaves on the surface of PV modules.
Pre-pregnancy stress induces maternal vascular dysfunction during pregnancy and postpartum
Authors: O’Donnell Mary Gemmel , Stumpp Lauren , Gallaher Marcia J. , Powers Robert W.
Published: May 2023

An estimated 20% of women suffer from a stress-related mood disorder including depression and anxiety during and after pregnancy, making these disorders among the most common complications of pregnancy. These stress-related disorders are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes including gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, which are associated with poor cardiometabolic health postpartum. Despite these associations, the direct impact of stress and related disorders on maternal vascular health, and contributing mechanisms, remain understudied. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-pregnancy stress on maternal vascular outcomes in a BALB/c mouse model of chronic unpredictable stress. Maternal blood pressure and ex-vivo vascular function were investigated during pregnancy and postpartum. Offspring characteristics were assessed at the end of pregnancy and postpartum. Main findings show that pre-pregnancy stress exposure increased blood pressure during mid and late pregnancy and impaired ex vivo vascular function at the end of pregnancy. These effects persisted into the postpartum period, suggesting a long-term effect of stress on maternal vascular health, which appear to be partially attributable to disruptions in nitric oxide (NO) pathway signaling. These data suggest exposure to stress and related disorders, even prior to pregnancy, can contribute to vascular complications during pregnancy and postpartum.
Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers’ Characteristics Affect Disaster Survival
Authors: Brannen Donald E , Howell Melissa , Bidigare Cecilia M , Shuster Jaime L
Published: May 2023

Objective:

Medical Reserve Corps’ volunteers underwent stop-the-bleed, triage, and disaster preparedness training to improve victim survival of a mass casualty event.

Methods:

Volunteer responses to 16 disaster vignettes were recorded as ‘survived’ if correct, or ‘died’ if incorrect. Volunteers’ characteristics were evaluated based on the health outcomes of the vignette victims via logistic regression.

Results:

Overall, 69 volunteers evaluated 1104 vignette victims. STB training significantly improved survival from 77.2% to 93.2% (P< 0.001). The training did not improve disaster preparedness (75.5% to 73%) nor triage (33.5% to 35.1%). Volunteer first care provider training in psychological first aid improved victim survival from 10.32 (9.6 - 10.9, 95% CI) to 11.9 (11.28 - 12.5, 95% CI). The odds of survival increased when disaster victims received first care from a volunteer who had a positive perception of the public authority’s truthfulness (1.50, range 1.07 - 2.10); stated a willingness to volunteer (1.65, range 1.2 - 2.26); completed psychological first aid training (1.557, range 1.08 - 2.22); or had 4-or-more years of post-secondary education (1.30, range 1.00 - 1.701).

Conclusion:

Psychological first aid training should be a basic requirement for disaster volunteers. Trust in public authority to provide protective public health recommendations increases disaster survival.
Heat transfer, vapour diffusion and Stefan flow around levitating droplets near a heated liquid surface
Authors: Davis Jacob E. , Kabov Oleg A. , Zaitsev Dmitry V. , Ajaev Vladimir S.
Published: May 2023

We consider a slowly condensing droplet levitating near the surface of an evaporating layer, and develop a mathematical model to describe diffusion, heat transfer and fluid flow in the system. The method of separation of variables in bipolar coordinates is used to obtain the series expansions for temperature, vapour concentration and the Stokes stream function. This framework allows us to determine temperature profiles and condensation rates at the surface of the droplet, and to calculate the upward force that allows the droplet to levitate. Somewhat counter-intuitively, condensation is found to be the strongest near the bottom of the droplet, which faces the hot liquid layer. The experimentally observed deviations from the classical law predicting the square of the radius to grow linearly in time are explained by the model. A spatially non-uniform phase change rate results in a contribution to the force not considered in previous studies, and comparable to droplet weight and the upward force calculated from the Stokes drag law. The levitation conditions are formulated accordingly, resulting in the prediction of levitation height as a function of droplet size without any fitting parameters. A simple criterion is formulated to define the parameter ranges in which levitation is possible. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data except that the model tends to slightly underpredict the levitation height.
Nonlinear internal wave reflection and transmission at an interface
Authors: McHugh John P.
Published: May 2023

The reflection and transmission of internal waves at a horizontal interface between layers of constant buoyancy frequency are treated. This interface is a simple model of the atmospheric tropopause. The waves are weakly nonlinear and obey the nonlinear Schrödinger equation away from the interface. The waves are horizontally periodic and vertically confined to a long packet. The interfacial conditions are formally taken to third order, and include higher-order linear as well as nonlinear effects. The higher-order linear affects show an instability at the interface for steep waves. Numerical results for shorter wave packets show that the higher-order linear terms result in non-physical wave generation, and are ultimately neglected for such cases. Nonlinear effects result in a decrease in the reflected wave amplitudes and an increase in the transmitted wave amplitudes when compared to linear theory. Overall, the nonlinear effects make the interface more transparent to upwardly propagating internal waves.
English in the Slovak glocalized urban space
Authors: Bohuslavska Olha , Ciprianová Elena
Published: May 2023

Over the last few decades English has become an integral part of urban signage while taking different forms and performing a variety of functions. Numerous studies of linguistic landscapes, such as Gorter (2006), Huebner (2006), Cenoz and Gorter (2009), Lanza and Woldemariam (2009), Bolton (2012), and Tupas and Rubdy (2015) have demonstrated that the investigation of linguistic landscapes in multilingual settings can increase our understanding of the close relationship between English and globalization. Slovakia being no exception, the widespread use of English is observed on a large amount of public and private signs in the country's urban environment. Since Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, frequently becomes a meeting point for diverse languages and cultures, this study focuses on the phenomenon of glocalization and investigates the ways in which the English utilized in the signage mirrors the interaction between the global and the local. The results based on the corpus of 464 signs collected in the city centre indicate not only the substantial extent to which English penetrates the Slovak urban space but also shed some new light on how English, mainly through carrying its symbolic value, contributes to the construction of social reality and participates in the processes of glocalization.
The Washington Principles à rebours: Explaining Poland’s current restitution policy
Authors: Manikowska Ewa
Published: May 2023

This article inquiries into Poland’s current approach to the implementation of the Washington Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art. It argues that it is more focused on the recovery of national heritage than on providing justice to Holocaust victims and their heirs. First, it discusses the outputs of the Expert Group established in 2009 to implement provenance research in line with the Washington Principles’s recommendations. It explains the failure of this initiative by bringing into focus the wider context of the inheritance of the war-time displacements and splitting of collections. It argues that Holocaust victims’ assets are one of many problematic items in Polish memory institutions and that the unresolved issue of post-war nationalizations are often perceived as an argument that hinders the Washington Principles’s implementation. It outlines the notions of “Polish war losses” and “national cultural goods” and discusses in detail the Polish provenance research databases. It notices that restitution in Poland is increasingly considered as an important national identity-building tool and analyzes several recent educational and branding initiatives of this kind.
Clinical epidemiology and a novel predicting nomogram of central line associated bloodstream infection in burn patients
Authors: Wang Yangping , Li Qimeng , Shu Qin , Liu Menglong , Li Ning , Sui Wen , Yuan Zhiqiang , Luo Gaoxing , Li Haisheng
Published: May 2023

Burn patients are at high risk of central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). However, the diagnosis of such infections is complex, resource-intensive, and often delayed. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of CLABSI and develop a prediction model for the infection in burn patients. The study analysed the infection profiles, clinical epidemiology, and central venous catheter (CVC) management of patients in a large burn centre in China from January 2018 to December 2021. In total, 222 burn patients with a cumulative 630 CVCs and 5,431 line-days were included. The CLABSI rate was 23.02 CVCs per 1000 line-days. The three most common bacterial species were Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; 76.09% of isolates were multidrug resistant. Compared with a non-CLABSI cohort, CLABSI patients were significantly older, with more severe burns, more CVC insertion times, and longer total line-days, as well as higher mortality. Regression analysis found longer line-days, more catheterisation times, and higher burn wounds index to be independent risk factors for CLABSI. A novel nomogram based on three risk factors was constructed with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) value of 0.84 (95% CI: 0.782–0.898) with a mean absolute error of calibration curve of 0.023. The nomogram showed excellent predictive ability and clinical applicability, and provided a simple, practical, and quantitative strategy to predict CLABSI in burn patients.
Monkeypox: a review of epidemiological modelling studies and how modelling has led to mechanistic insight
Authors: Banuet-Martinez Marina , Yang Yang , Jafari Behnaz , Kaur Avneet , Butt Zahid A. , Chen Helen H. , Yanushkevich Svetlana , Moyles Iain R. , Heffernan Jane M. , Korosec Chapin S.
Published: May 2023

Human monkeypox (mpox) virus is a viral zoonosis that belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family, which presents with similar symptoms as those seen in human smallpox patients. Mpox is an increasing concern globally, with over 80,000 cases in non-endemic countries as of December 2022. In this review, we provide a brief history and ecology of mpox, its basic virology, and the key differences in mpox viral fitness traits before and after 2022. We summarize and critique current knowledge from epidemiological mathematical models, within-host models, and between-host transmission models using the One Health approach, where we distinguish between models that focus on immunity from vaccination, geography, climatic variables, as well as animal models. We report various epidemiological parameters, such as the reproduction number,R0, in a condensed format to facilitate comparison between studies. We focus on how mathematical modelling studies have led to novel mechanistic insight into mpox transmission and pathogenesis. As mpox is predicted to lead to further infection peaks in many historically non-endemic countries, mathematical modelling studies of mpox can provide rapid actionable insights into viral dynamics to guide public health measures and mitigation strategies.
Two mechanisms for direction selectivity in a model of the primate starburst amacrine cell
Authors: Wu Jiajia , Kim Yeon Jin , Dacey Dennis M. , Troy John B. , Smith Robert G.
Published: May 2023

In a recent study, visual signals were recorded for the first time in starburst amacrine cells of the macaque retina, and, as for mouse and rabbit, a directional bias observed in calcium signals was recorded from near the dendritic tips. Stimulus motion from the soma toward the tip generated a larger calcium signal than motion from the tip toward the soma. Two mechanisms affecting the spatiotemporal summation of excitatory postsynaptic currents have been proposed to contribute to directional signaling at the dendritic tips of starbursts: (1) a “morphological” mechanism in which electrotonic propagation of excitatory synaptic currents along a dendrite sums bipolar cell inputs at the dendritic tip preferentially for stimulus motion in the centrifugal direction; (2) a “space–time” mechanism that relies on differences in the time-courses of proximal and distal bipolar cell inputs to favor centrifugal stimulus motion. To explore the contributions of these two mechanisms in the primate, we developed a realistic computational model based on connectomic reconstruction of a macaque starburst cell and the distribution of its synaptic inputs from sustained and transient bipolar cell types. Our model suggests that both mechanisms can initiate direction selectivity in starburst dendrites, but their contributions differ depending on the spatiotemporal properties of the stimulus. Specifically, the morphological mechanism dominates when small visual objects are moving at high velocities, and the space–time mechanism contributes most for large visual objects moving at low velocities.
Active Service and Environmental Damage in Revolutionary Ireland
Authors: Stover Justin Dolan
Published: May 2023

The Irish Revolution inflicted significant damage to built-up and natural landscapes between 1916 and 1923. Destruction transcended national and ideological divisions and remained a fixture within Irish urban and rural landscapes years after independence, presenting an Ireland politically transformed yet physically disfigured. An environmental reading of this transformative period calls into question many of its established lessons and interpretative boundaries, including the agency and considerations of those who participated in and witnessed it. This article examines the extent and impacts of environmental destruction experienced on communal levels throughout the revolution, and how a war that was waged on higher ideological grounds very often disrupted and alienated the everyday lives of communities and individuals.
Salt Diapir‐Driven Recycling of Gas Hydrate
Authors: Burton Zachary F. M. , Dafov Laura N.
Published: May 2023

By harnessing both hypothetical, synthetic basin and gas hydrate (GH) system models and real‐world models of well‐studied salt diapir‐associated GH sites at Green Canyon (Gulf of Mexico) and Blake Ridge (U.S. Atlantic coast), we propose and demonstrate salt movement (and in particular, diapirism) to be a new mechanism for the recycling of marine GH. At Green Canyon, for example, we show that by considering this newly proposed diapir‐driven recycling mechanism in conjunction with previously proposed lithological control on sandy‐reservoir‐hosted hydrate at the base of the GH stability zone (BGHSZ; ∼bottom‐simulating reflector, BSR), modeled GH saturations match drilling data. Overall, salt diapir movement‐induced GH recycling provides a temperature‐driven mechanism by which GH saturations at the BGHSZ may reach >90 vol. % and by which GH volumes near and free gas volumes beneath the BGHSZ may be increased significantly through time. Interestingly, comparison of salt diapir‐driven recycling and sediment burial‐driven recycling scenarios suggests notably higher rates of recycling via diapir‐driven versus burial‐driven processes. Our results suggest that GH and associated free gas accumulations above salt diapir crests represent particularly attractive targets for unconventional and conventional hydrocarbon resource exploration and for scientific and academic drilling expeditions aimed at exploiting GH systems. Salt basins containing GH systems—including passive margin basins of the Gulf of Mexico, southeastern Brazil, and southwestern Africa—are therefore compelling localities for studying salt‐driven GH recycling and for salt diapir‐associated natural gas exploration.