bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Von Real-World-Daten zur Real-World-Evidenz: eine praktische Anleitung
Authors: Schneeweiss Sebastian
Published: April 2023

Hintergrund

Die Real World Evidence (RWE) liefert Erkenntnisse über die Wirksamkeit von Behandlungen im klinischen Versorgungsalltag auf Basis von patientenindividuellen Längsschnittdaten, die im Routinebetrieb des Gesundheitssystems anfallen und ergänzt Erkenntnisse aus randomisierten kontrollierten Studien.

Fragestellung

Das Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, aufzuzeigen, wie robuste und handlungsrelevante RWE generiert werden.

Material und Methode

Bewährte Methoden wurden in einem umfassenden und dennoch prägnanten Überblick zusammengefasst.

Ergebnisse

Die Durchführung von RWE-Studien folgt einem strukturierten Ansatz: (1) Die Designebene verbindet die Forschungsfrage mit dem geeigneten Studiendesign, (2) die Messebene wandelt den longitudinalen Datenstrom auf Patientenebene in Variablen um, der die Studienpopulation, die Patientenmerkmale vor der Exposition, die Behandlung und die Ergebnisse identifiziert, und (3) eine Analyseebene konzentriert sich auf die Schätzung der kausalen Behandlungseffekte.

Schlussfolgerung

Sorgfältig geplante und durchgeführte RWE-Studien ergänzen den Erkenntnisgewinn von randomisierten Studien.
Incidence of Chronic Kidney Disease Following Acute Coronavirus Disease 2019 Based on South Carolina Statewide Data
Authors: Mathew Roy O. , Zhang Jiajia , Yang Xueying , Chen Shujie , Olatosi Bankole , Li Xiaoming
Published: April 2023

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was associated with severe acute illness including multiple organ failure. Acute kidney injury (AKI) was a common finding, often requiring dialysis support.

Objective

Define the incidence of new clinically identified chronic kidney disease (CKD) among patients with COVID-19 and no pre-existing kidney disease.

Design Participants

The South Carolina (SC) Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) COVID-19 mandatory reporting registry of SC residents testing for COVID-19 between March 2020 and October 2021 was included.

Design Main Measures

The primary outcome was a new incidence of a CKD diagnosis (N18.x) in those without a pre-existing diagnosis of CKD during the follow-up period of March 2020 to January 14, 2022. Patients were stratified by severity of illness (hospitalized or not, intensive care unit needed or not). The new incidence of CKD diagnosis was examined using logistic regression and cox proportional hazards analyses.

Key Results

Among patients with COVID-19 (N = 683,958) without a pre-existing CKD diagnosis, 8322 (1.2 %) were found to have a new diagnosis of CKD. The strongest predictors for subsequent CKD diagnosis were age ≥ 60 years hazard ratio (HR) 31.5 (95% confidence interval [95%CI] 25.5–38.8), and intervening (between COVID-19 and CKD diagnoses) AKI diagnosis HR 20.7 (95%CI 19.7–21.7). The presence of AKI was associated with an HR of 23.6, 95% CI 22.3–25.0, among those not hospitalized, and HR of 6.2, 95% CI 5.7–6.8 among those hospitalized, for subsequent CKD. COVID-19 was not significantly associated with subsequent CKD after accounting for the severity of illness and comorbidities.

Conclusion

Among SC residents, COVID-19 was not associated with CKD independent from indicators of the severity of illness, especially AKI diagnosis. Kidney-specific follow-up testing may be reserved for those high-risk for CKD development. Further prospective registries should examine the long-term kidney consequences to confirm these findings.
The Effects of Democratic and Nondemocratic Institutions on CO2 Emissions
Authors: Escher Romy , Walter-Rogg Melanie
Published: April 2023

Democratic institutions that coordinate diffuse interests might be beneficial for climate protection. Because the implementation of democratic institutions varies among democracies as well as among autocracies, this study examines whether institutional aspects of different models of democracy affect CO2emissions in democraciesandautocracies. Similar studies have assumed uniform effects of democratic aspects in regimes of both types. The extent of the dependence of autocratic leaders on the support of the ruling party, the military, and/or a hereditary council might make them less responsive to incentives generated by democratic institutions to reduce CO2emissions. This article, therefore, examines data on CO2emissions from 1990 to 2020 in 66 democracies and 69 autocracies separately and analyses whether nondemocratic institutions limit the effects of democratic institutions. As democratic institutions might affect climate outcomes only in the long term, we examine cross-national variation in the long-term development of CO2emissions and short-term changes in CO2emissions within countries. In democracies, civil society participation and social equality contribute to a decrease in the long-term development of CO2emissions. In autocracies, local and regional democracy contributes to lower CO2emissions in the long term, and social equality decreases annual changes in CO2emissions. Military influence limits these effects. In contrast, the dependence of the executive on a ruling party strengthens the negative effect of social equality on annual changes in CO2emissions.
The Clinical Value of Rodent Models in Understanding Preeclampsia Development and Progression
Authors: Ramdin Sapna , Baijnath Sooraj , Naicker Thajasvarie , Govender Nalini
Published: April 2023

Purpose of Review

Preeclampsia (PE) is a leading global cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The heterogeneity of this disorder contributes to its elusive etiology. Due to the ethical constraints surrounding human studies, animal models provide a suitable alternative for investigation into PE pathogenesis and novel therapeutic strategies. The purpose of this review is to compare and contrast the various rodent models used to study PE, in order to demonstrate their value in investigating and identifying different characteristics of this disorder.

Recent Findings

Several approaches have been employed to create an appropriate animal model of PE, including surgical, genetic manipulation, and pharmacological methods in an attempt to mimic the maternal syndrome. Despite the absence of a model to completely model PE, these models have provided valuable information concerning various aspects of PE pathogenesis and novel therapeutic strategies and have led to the discovery of potential predictive markers of PE.

Rodent and murine models have contributed significantly to the study of the pathology associated with specific aspects of the disorder. As a single fully encompassing animal model of PE remains absent, the use of a combination of models has potential value in understanding its etiology as well as in new treatment and management strategies.
Exploring the Causal Relationship Between Telomere Biology and Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Kuan Xi-Yuen , Fauzi Nurul Syahira Ahmad , Ng Khuen Yen , Bakhtiar Athirah
Published: April 2023

Telomeres, also known as the “protective caps” of our chromosomes, shorten with each cell cycle due to the end replication problem. This process, termed telomere attrition, is associated with many age-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Despite the numerous studies conducted in this field, the role of telomere attrition in the onset of the disease remains unclear. To investigate the causal relationship between short telomeres and AD, this review aims to highlight the primary factors that regulate telomere length and maintain its integrity, with an additional outlook on the role of oxidative stress, which is commonly associated with aging and molecular damage. Although some findings thus far might be contradictory, telomere attrition likely plays a crucial role in the progression of AD due to its close association with oxidative stress. The currently available treatments for AD are only symptomatic without affecting the progression of the disease. The components of telomere biology discussed in this paper have previously been studied as an alternative treatment option for several diseases and have exhibited promising in vitro and in vivo results. Hence, this should provide a basis for future research to develop a potential therapeutic strategy for AD.

Graphical Abstract

(Created with BioRender.com)
Assessment of land suitability for irrigation in West Shewa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia
Authors: Tolera Abera Misgana , Haile Mesfin Mamo , Merga Tadesse Fufa , Feyisa Gemta Abdisa
Published: April 2023

The assessment of land suitability is the key to sustained agricultural output. Thus, the study aimed to assess the land suitability for irrigation development in the West Shewa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. A GIS-based analytical hierarchy process was applied to evaluate a multi-criteria land suitability analysis. The key factors such as soil (depth, drainage, texture, pH, organic carbon, available water content, and salinity), slope, land use/cover, proximity to the river, proximity to the road, proximity to urban areas, and rainfall deficit were considered. These factors were reclassified, weighted, and then overlaid using the weighted overlay tool of ArcGIS software. The study classified the agricultural lands in the area from highly suitable to permanently unsuitable for irrigation to determine the suitability of the classes. The results showed that 10.27% (1419.87 km2) was highly suitable, 73.23% (10,128.97 km2) was moderately suitable, 16.34% (2259.95 km2) was marginally suitable, and 0.16% (22.16 km2) was not suitable. The area in all woredas was mainly moderately suitable for irrigation. However, Metarobi had the most highly suitable land, followed by Elfata with the most moderately suitable land, and Abuna Gindeberet with the most marginally suitable land. The results revealed huge potential for irrigation development in the West Shewa zone. As a result, it can serve as the basis for zonal-level planning and future irrigation development. Therefore, the study helps to improve the community’s lifestyle in the study area by increasing agricultural production.
Seismic Hazard Analysis of China’s Mainland Based on a New Seismicity Model
Authors: Xu Weijin , Wu Jian , Gao Mengtan
Published: April 2023

Based on the seismic source model in the Fifth Generation Seismic Ground Motion Parameters Zonation Map of China (FGSGMPZMC), a new seismic fault model, the new zonation of seismic risk areas (SRAs), and the estimation of seismicity rates for 2021–2030, this study constructed a new time-dependent seismic source model of China’s mainland, and used the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis method to calculate seismic hazard by selecting the ground motion models (GMMs) suitable for seismic sources in China. It also provided the probabilities of China’s mainland being affected by earthquakes of modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) VI, VII, VIII, IX, and ≥ X in 2021–2030. The spatial pattern of seismic hazards presented in this article is similar to the pattern of the FGSGMPZMC, but shows more details. The seismic hazards in this study are higher than those in the FGSGMPZMC in the SRAs and fault zones that can produce large earthquakes. This indicates that the seismic source model construction in this study is scientific and reasonable. There are certain similarities between the results in this study and those of Rong et al. (2020) and Feng et al. (2020), but also disparities for specific sites due to differences in seismic source models, seismicity parameters, and GMMs. The results of seismic hazard may serve as parameter input for future seismic risk assessments. The hazard results can also be used as a basis for the formulation of earthquake prevention and mitigation policies for China’s mainland.
Conceptualizing Business Process Standardization: A Review and Synthesis
Authors: Goel Kanika , Bandara Wasana , Gable Guy
Published: April 2023

‘Business Process Standardization’ (BPS) is a practice intended to achieve consistency across underlying organizational processes, in support of service-delivery excellence and optimization of costs and benefits. Given the growing importance of BPS, there is need in both research and practice for clearer conceptual understanding of the notion. Following a systematic literature review approach, prior work on Business Process Standardization is synthesized and extended using tool-supported qualitative data analysis techniques, to derive an evidence-based, holistic conceptualization of BPS. We distil seven stages of BPS execution, propose a refined definition for BPS, and identify measures that gauge the several conceptual themes of BPS. The findings provide solid theoretical foundations, and practicable guidelines for future BPS researchers and practitioners.
Excavation pits—progress estimation and cause of delay identification
Authors: Vierling Axel , Groll Tobias , Meckel Dennis , Heim Kristina , Walter Daniel , Körkemeyer Dr. Karsten , Berns Dr. Karsten
Published: April 2023

This work presents a method for automated excavation speed and progress estimation. First, a measure for the progress speed of an excavation pit is taken from the literature and evaluated regarding the possibility of automation. For each possible parameter, an automated extraction algorithm is presented. The used system is an autonomous excavator arm of a backhoe loader where the used hardware and software system is described. An experimental evaluation of the presented approach has been done with the autonomous system for a small trench, including multiple digging cycles. The resulting measurements seem to include some systematic errors which could be identified and suitable sanity checks could be implemented, removing the erroneous measurements. The remaining measurements were used to determine the excavation speed of the autonomous excavator arm and compared to the values of experienced and amateur operators. The resulting speed and the relevant parameters are then sent to a web application called “DiBa” to notice a potential delay. If a measurement is smaller or larger than expected a fault identification is done in the DiBa.
Genderkompetenz messen – Erfassung der situationsbezogenen Fähigkeiten von Lehrpersonen in Bezug auf genderrelevante Aspekte im Physikunterricht
Authors: Atanasova Sanja , Robin Nicolas , Brovelli Dorothee
Published: April 2023

Gendersensibel zu unterrichten ist insbesondere in männlich konnotierten Fächern wie Physik eine anspruchsvolle Aufgabe. Lehrpersonen sind gefordert, vorherrschenden Geschlechterstereotypen und Genderungerechtigkeiten entgegenzuwirken und den Unterricht so zu gestalten, dass er alle Geschlechter anspricht und fördert. Zudem sollten Lehrpersonen auch kritische genderrelevante Aspekte im Unterricht wahrnehmen und adäquat darauf regieren. Diese situationsbezogenen Fähigkeiten werden als wichtiger Bestandteil der Genderkompetenz von Lehrpersonen angesehen. Sie sind im Zusammenhang mit der Überwindung der geschlechtsbezogenen Disparitäten im Physikunterricht von besonderem Interesse. Bislang fehlt es aber an geeigneten Instrumenten, um diese Fähigkeiten bei (angehenden) Lehrpersonen zu untersuchen. Deshalb wurde in der vorliegenden Studie ein textbasierter Vignettentest mit kritischen genderrelevanten Aspekten im Physikunterricht entwickelt. Die 16 kritischen Aspekte wurden theoriebasiert entwickelt und fokussieren vier Facetten eines gendersensiblen Physikunterrichts: (1) gendersensible Unterrichtsformen, (2) gendersensible Zugänge und Vermittlung von physikalischen Inhalten, (3) gendersensible Unterrichtsmaterialen und (4) gendersensible Feedbacks und Interaktionen. Mithilfe von Expert*innen (N = 6) wurde eine Befragung durchgeführt, um die inhaltliche Validität des Vignettentests sicherzustellen. Zusätzlich wurde der Vignettentest mit angehenden Lehrpersonen (N = 41) erprobt. Die Inhaltsvalidität wurde anhand des Content Validity Index (CVI) auf Item- (I-CVI) und Skalenebene (S-CVI) berechnet, sowie unter Einbezug des modifizierten Kappa-Koeffizienten (k*). Insgesamt kann im vorgestellten Vignettentest von einer sehr guten Inhaltsvalidität, im Sinne einer hohen Relevanz und Repräsentativität der genderrelevanten Aspekte, ausgegangen werden. Mit diesem Instrument wird ein Beitrag zur Weiterentwicklung der Lehrpersonenausbildung geleistet, in dem die Auseinandersetzung und Erforschung von genderrelevanten Aspekten im naturwissenschaftlichen Bereich ermöglicht wird.
Depth Estimation Based on Monocular Camera Sensors in Autonomous Vehicles: A Self-supervised Learning Approach
Authors: Li Guofa , Chi Xingyu , Qu Xingda
Published: April 2023

Estimating depth from images captured by camera sensors is crucial for the advancement of autonomous driving technologies and has gained significant attention in recent years. However, most previous methods rely on stacked pooling or stride convolution to extract high-level features, which can limit network performance and lead to information redundancy. This paper proposes an improved bidirectional feature pyramid module (BiFPN) and a channel attention module (Seblock: squeeze and excitation) to address these issues in existing methods based on monocular camera sensor. The Seblock redistributes channel feature weights to enhance useful information, while the improved BiFPN facilitates efficient fusion of multi-scale features. The proposed method is in an end-to-end solution without any additional post-processing, resulting in efficient depth estimation. Experiment results show that the proposed method is competitive with state-of-the-art algorithms and preserves fine-grained texture of scene depth.
ConsenTrack—Blockchain Based Framework for Open Banking Consent Data Tracking
Authors: Ghosh Abir , Mukhopadhyay Indraneel , Chakraborty Subhalaxmi
Published: April 2023

Consent management is most critical part of open banking. Customers, banks, third party service providers, regulators are various parties involved into this process. The recent data shows that open banking has not been greatly accepted yet by customers to the fullest capability. Recent surveys conducted on usage of open banking indicates the discomfort in customer mind about data sharing. Blockchain based framework implementation can bring the required transparency into the consent management process. To achieve that Blockchain technology needs to be embraced by banks and Third party providers (TPPs) to provide customers the open banking services in transparent manner. A blockchain based framework which can be easily integrated into banks’ existing technology landscape thus becomes need of the hour. Consortium permissioned blockchain based framework implemented in Corda is suggested in this paper which addresses challenges faced by customers and it tracks data sharing violation for communicating to customers. Data sharing between bank and TPPs happen as node to node transaction and regulatory bodies can have tracking of every such transactions as owner of Notary node. Based on the legal contract between bank and TPP, framework compares and finds out in real time if any data sharing violation happening. Real-time tracking of data sharing violation and communication to customer provides transparency into the framework which will boost customer confidence and trust into the system. Regulatory bodies need to actively own this part to share information with customers about the data handling if there is any violation.
Why Does Math Work … If It's Not Real?
Authors: Radulović Dragan
Published: April 2023

According to G. H. Hardy, the 'real' mathematics of the greats like Fermat and Euler is 'useless,' and thus the work of mathematicians should not be judged on its applicability to real-world problems. Yet, mysteriously, much of mathematics used in modern science and technology was derived from this 'useless' mathematics. Mobile phone technology is based on trig functions, which were invented centuries ago. Newton observed that the Earth's orbit is an ellipse, a curve discovered by ancient Greeks in their futile attempt to double the cube. It is like some magic hand had guided the ancient mathematicians so their formulas were perfectly fitted for the sophisticated technology of today. Using anecdotes and witty storytelling, this book explores that mystery. Through a series of fascinating stories of mathematical effectiveness, including Planck's discovery of quanta, mathematically curious readers will get a sense of how mathematicians develop their concepts.
Indigenous languages in the British Library catalogue: a critique of ‘Indians of North America—Languages’
Authors: Slatcher Rebecca
Published: April 2023

The British Library holds a significant collection of printed materials in, and about, North American Indigenous languages that largely speaks to a history of colonial and settler-colonial projects and collecting. This article suggests one way of exploring what that collecting context means for how we find, experience and encounter language texts in the library. It offers an approach to ‘reading’ catalogues that puts texts in conversation with cataloguing systems to both contextualise and challenge the legacies of collecting in knowledge organisation today. It traces a brief history of the Library of Congress Subject Heading (LCSH), ‘Indians of North America—Languages’, a term that reoccurs in the British Library's catalogue. This history shows how parts of the catalogue are artefacts of problematic bodies of knowledge, whilst also surfacing examples of Indigenous resistance that can be used to reframe the catalogue.
Teaching cataloguing ethics: an exploration of an ethics-infused knowledge organization curriculum
Authors: Lee Deborah
Published: April 2023

This article contemplates how cataloguing ethics might be taught within knowledge organization (KO). This exploration of cataloguing education considers the teaching of cataloguing ethics within an example Library and Information Studies programme. The first part focuses on how cataloguing ethics fits into the structure of KO teaching, including questions about whether it is a standalone topic or an integral part of the whole curriculum. The second part outlines three example activities with cataloguing ethics contents. Six pedagogical points are elicited, including ideas around the power held by the cataloguer, the relationship of cataloguing ethics to the wider library ecosystem and beyond, and the competing needs of library user/librarian/knowledge creator.
Dynamics throughout a complete surge of Iceberg Glacier on western Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic
Authors: Lauzon Benoît , Copland Luke , Van Wychen Wesley , Kochtitzky William , McNabb Robert , Dahl-Jensen Dorthe
Published: April 2023

This study provides the first comprehensive reconstruction of the dynamics of Iceberg Glacier, located on western Axel Heiberg Island, and reveals detailed observations of a complete surge for the first time in the Canadian Arctic. Historical aerial photographs, declassified intelligence satellite photographs, optical satellite imagery and synthetic aperture radar data were used to quantify changes in terminus position, ice velocity and glacier thickness since the 1950s. A surge initiated at the terminus in 1981 and terminated in 2003, suggesting a 22-year active phase. High surface velocities, reaching ~2300 m a−1 in 1991, were accompanied by a maximum terminus advance of >7 km and a large transfer of mass down-glacier, causing significant median trunk-wide surface elevation changes attaining >3 ± 1 m a−1. We suggest that the retreat from a pinning point, flotation of the terminus, the removal of sea-ice from the ice front, and an increase in subglacial meltwater availability from relatively high air temperatures in 1981 likely contributed to surge initiation. The ensuing quiescent period has seen a continual decrease in surface flow rates to an average centreline velocity of 11.5 m a−1 in 2020–21, a gradual steepening of the glacier surface and a > 2.5 km terminus retreat.
The geography and progression of blowouts in the coastal dunes along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan since 1938
Authors: McKeehan Kevin G. , Arbogast Alan F.
Published: April 2023

Coastal dunes along Lake Michigan's eastern shoreline are a unique system comprising perhaps the largest complex of freshwater coastal dunes in the world. Here, we examine the blowouts in this region and determine how they have evolved since the 1930s. We conducted a spatiotemporal analysis of 435 blowouts by comparing repeat aerial images of the coast beginning in 1938. Using an unsupervised machine learning classification known as iso-clustering, we mapped blowout morphologies at three timestamps: 1938, 1986–1988, and 2018. We then compared the blowout geographies through a technique known as a spatial-temporal analysis of moving polygons (STAMP) model, which allowed us to analyze how each blowout changed in time and space. Results show blowouts have contracted ~37% in size since 1938, mostly at the expense of vegetation, with many fragmenting. These findings comport with other regional and global studies detailing a trend in coastal dune stabilization from vegetation and suggest that an increase in precipitation or other environment drivers could be responsible. Moreover, we detected no new blowouts since 1938 along the ~500 km shoreline or on any of the Lake Michigan islands. This suggests blowouts here are artifacts of premodern conditions, perhaps the result of prior stormier or drier eras.
PURPLE WOOL: THE IMPERIAL TEXTURE OF TRIMALCHIO'S DOMESTIC JURISDICTION
Authors: Donati Laura
Published: April 2023

This article offers a new interpretation of the theme of servile ‘crime and punishment’ in the Cena Trimalchionis. Focussing on scenes that directly involve the dinner host, it argues that the domestic justice system that they flesh out adds nuance to the satirical bite of the episode. An initial overview of the instances of ‘crime and punishment’ involving enslaved characters demonstrates how these scenes parade not just Trimalchio's wealth but his masterly power overreaching that of private domini. While previous scholarship understood Trimalchio's questionable chastisements as indicative of this parvenu's pretensions, this article shows that they cumulatively develop an image of a jumbled execution of justice—brought to life through the presence of state functionaries, judicial infrastructures and penalties normally executed by the state. The climax of this image is hidden in plain sight, in a hitherto underappreciated scene involving purple wool (54.3–5), discussion of which proves in conclusion that the instances of servile ‘crime and punishment’ craftily build a subplot that plays on the freedman's imperial authority. The imperial matrix already recognized in several dimensions of the Cena in earlier scholarship unmistakably characterizes Trimalchio's domestic jurisdiction too; arbitrary and unfair, it offers biting comment on the state of Roman justice during the Principate with the progressive channelling of justice through the sole authority of the emperor. In sum, the servile ‘crime and punishment’ theme works as a fierce attack on the imperial government, encouraging broader reconsideration of the target of Petronius’ satirical pen.
THE NUZHIH PLOT AND IRANIAN POLITICS
Authors: Gasiorowski Mark J.
Published: April 2023

On the night of 9–10 July 1980, several hundred active-duty and retired Iranian paratroopers made their way to the Nuzhih air-force base near the city of Hamadan to initiate a coup d'état against Iran's fledgling Islamic regime. The Iranian government had learned of the plot, and many of the paratroopers were arrested as they arrived at the base. Several hundred additional participants in the plot were arrested in the following days. Those arrested were soon put on trial, and many were executed. Fearing that other military personnel were linked to the plot or sympathized with it, the government carried out an extensive purge of the armed forces in the following months. Hundreds of other participants in the plot were never apprehended, however, and many continued to plot against the Islamic regime, though they never again posed a serious threat to it.
Improved modellisation of laser–particle interaction in particle-in-cell simulations
Authors: Bourgeois Pierre-Louis , Davoine Xavier
Published: April 2023

A new method named B-TIS (Bourgeois & Davoine, J. Comput. Phys., vol. 413, 2020, 109426) has recently been proposed for suppressing the influence of numerical Cherenkov radiation that appears in particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA). However, while this method provides good results when applied to the already accelerated electrons, we show here that it cannot model correctly most of the plasma electron bulk interacting with the laser field. We thus investigate in this paper the origins of this limitation and propose an improved method for which this limitation is removed. This new method, named B-TIS3, can now be applied to a much broader variety of problems and improve the performance in comparison with the standard PIC algorithm. We show that, for an electron interacting directly with a laser pulse, this new technique offers greater accuracy in terms of momentum and motion than the conventional scheme used in many PIC codes. These improvements translate into more faithful energy spectrum and electric charge for the accelerated beam in simulations of vacuum laser acceleration (VLA) or LWFA involving direct laser acceleration (DLA) at low plasma density. This new method, easy to implement and not computationally demanding, should then prove useful to study in depth and help develop novel VLA, DLA and LWFA techniques.
Is God's prescription of eternal hell for kâfirūn (infidels) in the Quran evil? Contesting Aijaz's understanding of kufr (infidelity) and an analysis of eternal punishment in the Quran
Authors: Ünügür Tabur Ayşenur
Published: April 2023

This article concerns the problem of eternal hell in Islam as an aporetic problem of evil with a focus on Aijaz's description of the Islamic soteriology. I contest his description of Islamic culpability and his claim that all non-Muslims are regarded as kâfir and consigned to eternal hell. First, I aim to illustrate the pitfalls in his line of argumentation such as crude generalizations and selective reading of the Islamic sources, which seem to render his argument a strawman fallacy. I offer a more accurate analysis of the Islamic view, by arguing that only a limited group of people who fight against truth through evil actions are considered as kâfir. Second, building on my analysis of the notion of kâfir, I address the question whether God's perfect love and wisdom are compatible with limited salvific exclusivism. Thus, I aim to elaborate on the rationale behind the prescription of eternal punishment for the kâfir in the Quran in the rest of the article, by arguing that the kâfir is incapable of genuine repentance due to his character formed by his free choices. This, in turn, makes it impossible to achieve retributive justice through a finite punishment concerning the kâfir's evil actions.
The power of rap in music education: a study of undergraduate students’ original rap creations
Authors: McElroy Jonathan
Published: April 2023

An undergraduate music class was examined that incorporated the creation of students’ individual original raps. Research was conducted to understand the value of studying rap and its impact upon students’ education. This instrumental case study utilised students’ individual raps as an art-based research component to address three research questions: 1.) How, if at all, does studying hip-hop through the creation of a rap provide a transformative experience and growth in students? 2.) How are student experiences reflected in the use of music composition through the creation of an original rap? and 3.) How does the process of creating an original rap provide insight into students’ experiences?
Role of horizontal gene transfers and microbial ecology in the evolution of fluxes through the tricarboxylic acid cycle
Authors: Sokolskyi Tymofii , DasSarma Shiladitya
Published: April 2023

The origin of carbon fixation is a fundamental question in astrobiology. While the Calvin cycle is the most active on the modern Earth, the reductive tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle (rTCA) pathway for carbon fixation has been proposed to have played an important role in early evolution. In this study, we examined the evolution of key enzymes in the rTCA, which are rare in extant organisms, occurring in a few groups of Bacteria and Archaea. We investigated one of the least common reactions of this pathway, cleavage of citrate into oxaloacetate and acetyl-CoA, which can be performed by either a two-enzyme system (CCS/CCL) or a single enzyme (ACL) that is assumed to be the result of fusion of the two active sites into a single polypeptide. For broader context, we also studied functionally diverged homologues of these enzymes, succinyl-CoA synthetase (SCS) and citrate synthase. Our phylogenetic analysis of these enzymes in Bacteria and Archaea shows that SCS, a homologue of CCS from distant bacterial taxa capable of citrate cleavage, are monophyletic, suggesting linked horizontal gene transfers of SCS and citrate cleavage enzymes. We also found evidence of the horizontal transfer of SCS from a clade of anaerobic Archaea (Archaeoglobi, Methanomicrobia or Crenarchaeota) to an ancestor of Cyanobacteria/Melainabacteria clade – both of which share a succinate semialdehyde shunt in their oxidative TCA cycles. We identified new bacterial and archaeal taxa for which complete rTCA cycles are theoretically possible, including Syntrophobacter, Desulfofundulus, Beggiatoa, Caldithrix, Ca. Acidulodesulfobacterales and Ca. Micrarchaeota. Finally, we propose a mechanism for syntrophically-regulated fluxes through oxidative and rTCA reactions in microbial communities particularly Haloarchaea-Nanohaloarchaea symbiosis and its implications for carbon fixation during retinal-based phototrophy and the Purple Earth hypothesis. We discuss how the inclusion of an ecological perspective in the studies of evolution of ancient metabolic pathways may be beneficial to understanding the origin of life.
Higher dietary flavonol and isoflavonoid intakes are associated with lower incidence of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Esfandiar Zohreh , Hosseini-Esfahani Firoozeh , Mirmiran Parvin , Azizi Fereidoun
Published: April 2023

Abstract: Background: Adequate evidence supports beneficial effects of plant-derived phytochemicals against type 2 diabetes (T2D). Among phytochemicals, dietary flavonoids is one of the superb candidates. The whole studies are carried out in Western populations, so it is needed to investigate the risk of T2D by dietary flavonoid intakes in ethnic origins and other regions to confirm these relations. This study was conducted to investigate whether the daily consumption of total flavonoid and its subclasses can affect the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the Iranian population. Methods: Eligible adults ( n=6547) were selected from among participants of the Tehran lipid and glucose study with an average follow-up of 3.0 years. Dietary intakes were assessed using a valid and reliable 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the development of T2D in relation to total intake of flavonoids. Results: This study was conducted on 2882 men and 3665 women, aged 41.3±14.6 and 39.0±13.4 years, respectively. After adjustment for several potential confounders (age, sex, diabetes risk score, physical activity, energy, fiber and total fat intakes), risk of T2D decreased from tertiles 1 to 3 for flavonols (HR (95% CI): 1.00, 0.86 (0.64–1.16), 0.87 (0.63–0.93), Ptrend=0.01) and isoflavonoids (HR (95% CI): 1.00, 0.84 (0.62–1.13), 0.64 (0.46–0.88), Ptrend=0.02), whereas non-significant results were found for total flavonoid and other subclasses of flavonoid. Conclusion: These results emphasize the potential protective role of flavonols and isoflavonoids rich food (e.g. apple, tea, soy, and dark chocolate) in the prevention of T2D.
Funktionelle neurologische Störungen – eine häufige, aber häufig nicht erkannte Diagnose
Authors: Barth Rike , Gegusch Michaela
Published: April 2023

Zusammenfassung: Funktionelle neurologische Störungen sind häufig und in der klinischen Präsentation vielgestaltig. Psychologische Faktoren spielen in der Entstehung und Aufrechterhaltung der Symptome eine Rolle; psychiatrische Komorbiditäten können, müssen jedoch nicht immer vorhanden sein und sind kein obligates Diagnosekriterium. Die Diagnosestellung erfolgt primär anhand anamnestischer Angaben sowie klinischer Positivzeichen. Im ärztlichen Gespräch sollten die Häufigkeit und Reversibilität des Krankheitsbildes betont und in der klinischen Untersuchung die positiven klinischen Zeichen aufgezeigt werden. Wissenschaftlich fundierte Erklärungsmodelle sowie das bio-psycho-soziale Modell können helfen, die Diagnose anschaulich zu erläutern und das therapeutisch relevante Krankheitsverständnis zu fördern. Wichtig ist es hierbei, auf die Formulierung zu achten und den neutralen und anschaulichen Begriff «funktionelle neurologische Störung» zu verwenden. Die Behandlung der prinzipiell reversiblen Erkrankung erfolgt interdisziplinär und multimodal.
Ärztliche Weiterbildung in der Schweiz – ein Narrativ
Authors: Brodmann Maeder Monika
Published: April 2023

Zusammenfassung: Die ärztliche Bildung muss auf neue Herausforderungen wie Digitalisierung, Zunahme von chronischen und komplexen Erkrankungen, Ökonomisierung reagieren. Das Konzept der kompetenzbasierten Bildung (Competency-Based Medical Education, CBME) wurde in der universitären Ausbildung in der Schweiz implementiert. Die Weiterbildung ist in die grundlegende Reformation unter anderem mit der Entwicklung von Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) eingestiegen, mittels Anpassung der Weiterbildungsprogramme oder «Teach the Teachers»-Kursen. Damit der damit verbundene Kulturwandel erfolgreich ist, braucht es das Commitment der Fachgesellschaften, der Weiterbildungsstätten, der Spitäler, aber auch die Unterstützung von Seiten der Gesundheits- und Bildungspolitik.
GLP-1-Rezeptor-Agonisten: Für welche Personen mit Diabetes mellitus Typ 2?
Authors: Mächler Tobias , Wiesli Peter
Published: April 2023

Zusammenfassung: In den vergangenen Jahren wurde im Rahmen von Studien zur kardiovaskulären Sicherheit mit SGLT-2-Hemmern und den GLP-1-Rezeptor-Agonisten gezeigt, dass sie das Risiko kardiorenaler Endpunkte bei Patientinnen und Patienten mit Typ-2-Diabetes verglichen mit den anderen Antidiabetika signifikant senken, dies unabhängig von den zeitgleich eingesetzten anderen Therapien. Dieser Zusatznutzen der SGLT-2-Hemmer ist in der Praxis bereits gut etabliert und diese Substanzklasse wird immer häufiger eingesetzt, aber gemäss der aktuellsten Evidenz sollten auch GLP-1-Rezeptor-Agonisten früh in der Behandlung des Diabetes mellitus Typ 2 eingesetzt werden. Bei Personen mit sehr hohem kardiovaskulärem Risiko ist die Kombinationstherapie eines GLP-1-Rezeptor-Agonisten mit einem SGLT-2-Hemmer eine interessante Therapieoption.
Eisschwimmen
Authors: Weiss Katja , Nikolaidis Pantelis T. , Knechtle Beat
Published: April 2023

Zusammenfassung: Noch vor wenigen Jahren konnte sich niemand vorstellen, dass sich Eisschwimmen zu einem Wettkampfsport entwickeln könnte. Früher wurden Menschen, die in eiskaltem Wasser geschwommen sind, als Verrückte bezeichnet und im günstigen Fall als wissenschaftliche Objekte untersucht. Heute gibt es mittlerweile offizielle Wettkämpfe für das Eis- bzw. Winterschwimmen über verschiedene kürzere Strecken (50m, 100m, 200m, 1000m) und Disziplinen (Freistil, Brustschwimmen, Rückenschwimmen, Delfin). Dabei werden auch Landesmeisterschaften bis hin zu Kontinental- und Weltmeisterschaften ausgetragen. Regelmässig werden neue Rekorde aufgestellt. In dieser Übersicht stellen wir die geschichtliche Entwicklung des Eisschwimmens bis hin zum Wettkampfsport zusammen und weisen auf die Risiken in dieser neuen Sportdisziplin hin.
Going Beyond Observable Actions
Authors: Arslan Burcu , Tenison Caitlin , Finn Bridgid
Published: April 2023

Abstract: Pauses represented in process data captured from digital learning and assessment tasks are defined as the time elapsed between two subsequent events. Pauses are used as a marker of unobservable cognitive processes, such as encoding, problem-solving, and planning, that underlie test takers’ subsequent observable actions in educational assessment. To make valid inferences about the underlying cognitive processes represented by pauses, we argue that applying a task-specific cognitive modeling approach is required. We discuss and demonstrate how to apply a task-specific, theoretical cognitive modeling approach for interpreting pauses. We believe that this approach will have value for educational researchers seeking to make valid, task-general inferences about test-taker cognition from pauses represented in process data.
Theory-Based Behavioral Indicators for Children’s Purchasing	Self-Control in a Computer-Based Simulated Supermarket
Authors: Drake Philine , Hartig Johannes , Froitzheim Manuel , Mau Gunnar , Schramm-Klein Hanna , Schuhen Michael
Published: April 2023

Abstract: The present study aims to investigate elementary school children’s self-control as an important aspect of their purchasing literacy in a simulated supermarket. To this end, 136 children were asked to shop on a limited budget and work through a given shopping list. We processed the data of this task in two ways: First, we combined process and product data into a common score for a differentiated assessment of task performance. Second, we derived theory-based behavioral indicators from the log data. By means of a structural equation model, we confirmed that the covariance between them could be explained by a factor of self-control. Within the structural equation model, we also investigated whether self-controlled behavior mediated the relationship between self-reported impulsivity and task performance. This could not be confirmed, even though self-controlled behavior was positively related to task performance. Self-control and impulsivity both correlated positively with a distrustful attitude toward advertising. Higher self-control was also significantly related to better monitoring one’s finances at the point of sale.
An Ontological Turn for Psychology in the Age of the Machine and Global Warming
Authors: Sundararajan Louise
Published: April 2023

Abstract: This essay pays homage to indigenous psychology by reiterating its central theme – decolonization – through a variant of the theme in the call for an ontological turn. Ontology refers to human’s basic commitments and assumptions about reality, namely what things are, and what they could be. It is argued that ontologies have consequences. The ontology of objects privileged in science facilitates the acquisition of objective knowledge in the physical world, but cannot improve our understanding of the culturally different other whose lives may be shaped by ontology of subjects. Ethnographic data from Southeast Asia are used as illustration of how ontology of subjects may fill a moral vacuum in value-neutral science and give psychology better insights into the problems of advanced technology ranging from automatization to global warming.
Emergent Constraint for Future Decline in Arctic Phytoplankton Concentration
Authors: Noh Kyung Min , Lim Hyung‐Gyu , Yang Eun Jin , Kug Jong‐Seong
Published: April 2023

In recent decades, the Arctic Ocean has experienced continuous warming and freshening, affecting biogeochemical factors such as nutrient supply, light availability, chlorophyll, and productivity. While Arctic marine productivity is projected to increase due to the expansion of the open ocean and increased chlorophyll concentration, uncertainties related to chlorophyll and nutrients may distract the fidelity of productivity in current Earth system models (ESMs). Here, we analyze the existing uncertainty in the Arctic chlorophyll projections using the 26 ESMs participating in Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects 5 and 6 (CMIP5 and CMIP6). We found that the uncertainty in the Arctic chlorophyll projections in the CMIP6 ESMs is greater than in the CMIP5 ESMs due to increasing uncertainty in the background nitrate concentration. A significant relationship between background nitrate and projected chlorophyll (r = 0.86) is demonstrated using the observational climatology of nitrate. Based on this strong relationship, the emergent constraint is applied to reduce the uncertainty of future chlorophyll projections. Declines in chlorophyll concentration based on emergent constraint are estimated to be further decreased in the future (44.9% % to 50.9% %) than at present, which is about three‐fold larger than the multi‐model mean projection (−13.5% %). Comparing cumulative density functions before and after the emergent constraint, the probability of the decreasing chance of chlorophyll is increased by approximately 36% from 60% in prior CMIP5,6 to 93%–96% after constraint. Our results imply that reducing the uncertainty in background nitrate concentration can improve the fidelity of future projections of the Arctic ecosystem in the ESMs.
Lithium Isotope Fractionation During Intensive Felsic Magmatic Differentiation
Authors: Yang Jie‐Hua , Chen Heng , Zhou Mei‐Fu , Hu Rui‐Zhong , Williams‐Jones Anthony E.
Published: April 2023

The Xihuashan and Yaogangxian granitic plutons in South China comprise highly evolved multiphase Li‐rich granites and host quartz‐vein‐type tungsten deposits. The δ7Li values of Phase A (early stage), B (middle stage), and C (late stage) from the Xihuashan pluton are 1.0–1.2‰, 1.1–3.0‰, and 2.4–2.8‰ respectively, increasing through chemical evolution. The granites from the Yaogangxian pluton also display gradually enriched in heavy Li isotopes in a later stage, although systematically lighter than those of the Xihuashan pluton. In both plutons, the δ7Li shows good correlations with SiO2 and Li concentrations as well as Rb/Sr, Nb/Ta, and Zr/Hf ratios, indicating Li isotopic fractionation most likely caused by magmatic differentiation. In situ analyses show that the minerals of Xihuashan pluton record a continuous elemental spectrum, reflecting the results of progressive magmatic differentiation. The δ7Li values of quartz, feldspar, mica, and zircon all correlate well with the chemical evolutions of granitic magma, systematically elevated in Phases B and C relative to Phase A. The Li isotope data of the mineral separates further document that the enrichment of 7Li in the residual melt was most likely due to the equilibrium fractionation between the mineral and melts. The data are interpreted to reflect that intense magmatic differentiation was responsible for Li isotopic variations coupled with the enrichment in the Li, F, P, and rare metals in the late‐phase granites of the Xihuashan pluton. The lithium isotope behavior documented in this study provides new insights into magmatic differentiation and associated rare‐metal mineralization.
Edge‐Driven Convection Melting Before the Emplacement of the Afar Mantle Plume Head Inferred From 40Ar/39Ar Dating
Authors: Yoshimura Yutaka , Ishizuka Osamu , Yamazaki Toshitsugu , Ahn Hyeon‐Seon , Kidane Tesfaye , Yamamoto Yuhji , Sekimoto Shun , Sano Takashi , Otofuji Yo‐ichiro
Published: April 2023

The Ethiopia‐Yemen flood basalts are spatially zoned with progressively lower TiO2 lavas from near the Afar depression toward the margins. The timing and rate of emplacement of low TiO2 (LT) lavas are poorly known compared with the ultra‐high TiO2 (HT2) lavas. We measured two high‐precision 40Ar/39Ar ages of 29.63 ± 0.14 and 30.02 ± 0.22 Ma (2σ) from basalts of the 2‐km‐thick LT lava sequence at the Afar plume head margin. Using our eruption age model constructed from our and previous 40Ar/39Ar ages with the paleomagnetic directions, we estimate that the LT lava eruption continued over Chrons C12r‐C12n‐C11r. The eruption of the plume head margin started earlier than the plume head axis emplacement in C12n. Also, the eruption rate was low at the margin, high at the axis. We estimate that the LT lavas are induced by the edge‐driven convection, the result of a plume‐lithosphere interaction, not a plume head.