bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological distress and health-related quality of life among women with breast cancer: a descriptive cross-sectional study
Authors: Phoosuwan Nitikorn , Lundberg Pranee C.
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer found in women in Sweden and worldwide. Treatment leads to increased survival of patients, but they are at risk to experience psychological distress, including anxiety and depressive symptoms, and decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study investigated the relationship between psychological distress and HRQoL and related factors among women with breast cancer in Sweden.

Methods

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Sweden. A total of 481 women with breast cancer answered voluntarily a questionnaire about sociodemographic and support factors, psychological distress, and HRQoL. Data were subjected to Pearson’s correlation and linear regression analyses.

Results

Psychological distress was related to HRQoL in terms of body image, future perspective, side effects of systemic therapy, breast symptoms, arm symptoms, and hair loss. Women with lower age were associated with increased symptoms of anxiety, while those having undergone breast reconstruction were associated with increased symptoms of depression. Breast reconstruction and chemotherapy worsened body image, low support from partner decreased sexual functioning and enjoyment, and low support from physicians and nurses worsened future perspective, side effects of systemic therapy, breast symptoms, and indignation about hair loss.

Conclusions

Psychological distress was correlated with the HRQoL. Increased support from physicians, nurses, and husband/partner may increase the HRQoL among women with breast cancer. Breast cancer treatments such as breast reconstruction and chemotherapy were factors that decreased the psychological distress and increased the HRQoL.
Das Mikrobiom bei juveniler idiopathischer Arthritis, Teil 1
Authors: Köll Theresa , Brunner Jürgen
Published: December 2021

Die Entstehung der juvenilen idiopathischen Arthritis (JIA), der häufigsten rheumatischen Erkrankung im Kindesalter, wird durch genetische Prädisposition, umweltbezogene Faktoren und immunologische Mechanismen beeinflusst. Eine entscheidende Rolle wird der humanen Mikrobiota zugeschrieben, die sich in den Epithelzellen des Darms, der Haut und des Respirationstrakts befindet. Für die Entwicklung und Funktion einer gesunden Immunabwehr ist ein komplexes Zusammenspiel zwischen Immunsystem und Mikrobiota essenziell. Durch eine Störung des Gleichgewichts kommt es zur sogenannten Dysbiose, also einer pathologisch veränderten Zusammensetzung des Mikrobioms, die durch überschießende Immunreaktionen zu Entzündungsprozessen führt und damit die Entstehung immunmediierter Erkrankungen begünstigt. Ein pathologisch verändertes Mikrobiom rechtzeitig zu erkennen und das physiologische Gleichgewicht wiederherzustellen, könnte in der Prävention und in der Therapie mikrobiomassoziierter Erkrankungen neue Möglichkeiten eröffnen.
An Italian perspective on the development of financial mathematics from 1992 to 2008
Authors: Runggaldier Wolfgang J.
Published: December 2021

This paper is intended to be a survey of the development of financial mathematics as seen through the events that I organised, and partly co-organised, between 1992 and 2008. These events all took place in Italy between 1992 and 2003, while in 2008 I was involved in the organisation of an entire special semester in Linz (Austria); this semester is included here because it marks quite well the state-of-the-art of the period just before the so-called big financial crisis that lasted from, roughly, 2008 to 2012. Even if the survey may be affected by my personal views, it can still be seen as reflecting the actual global development since what I am going to describe here concerns major occurrences. For completeness, I also mention, although only briefly, some events that took place in Italy during the given period, but where I was not personally involved.
My journey through finance and stochastics
Authors: Musiela Marek
Published: December 2021

This year, Finance and Stochastics celebrates its 25th anniversary. The journal provides a platform for the community of researchers on which they can publish their ideas and results.

Publication is an outcome of research which may be conducted for a number of years before it reaches the required maturity. I find this research process to be very important. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to decode it from reading the research publications. This special issue of Finance and Stochastics gives me an opportunity to focus on it. I am grateful I can present my personal memory of this process. Understanding why questions are asked and how the answers are found is critical.
Uniformity and Efficacy of Dry Powders Delivered to the Lungs of a Mycobacterial-Surrogate Rat Model of Tuberculosis
Authors: Hirota Keiji , Hirai Yutaka , Nakajima Takehisa , Goto Satoru , Makino Kimiko , Terada Hiroshi
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Pulmonary administration of dry drug powder is a considered promising strategy in the treatment of various lung diseases such as tuberculosis and is more effective than systemic medication. However, in the pre-clinical study phase, there is a lack of devices for effective delivery of dry powders to the lungs of small rodents. In this study, an administration device which utilizes Venturi effect to deliver dry powders to the lungs homogeneously was developed.

Methods

A Venturi-effect administration device which synchronizes with breathes by use of a ventilator and aerosolizes the dry powders was created. Pulmonary distribution of inhalable dry powders prepared by spray-drying poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid and an antituberculosis agent rifampicin and anti-tuberculosis effect of the powders on mycobacteria infected rats by administration with the Venturi-effect administration device and a conventional insufflation device were evaluated.

Results

Homogeneous distribution of the dry powders in the lung was achieved by the Venturi-effect administration device due to efficient and recurring aerosolization of loaded dry powders while synchronizing with breathes. Amount of rifampicin delivered to the lungs by the Venturi-effect administration device was three times higher than that by a conventional insufflation device, demonstrating three times greater antimycobacterial activity.

Conclusions

The Venturi-effect administration device aerosolized inhalable antituberculosis dry powders efficiently, achieved uniform pulmonary distribution, and aided the dry powders to exert antituberculosis activity on lung-residing mycobacteria.
Joining of CFRT-steel hybrid parts via hole-forming and subsequent pin caulking
Authors: Römisch David , Popp Julian , Drummer Dietmar , Merklein Marion
Published: December 2021

In times of increasing global warming, the awareness of the necessity for significant CO2 reduction is growing. Especially in the transport and aerospace sector, lightweight construction has potential to achieve emission reduction goals by reducing the overall vehicle weight. Thereby, adding lightweight fibre-reinforced composites to materials such as steel and aluminium is used to achieve weight savings. Furthermore, continuous-fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTs) begin to replace more traditional thermoset thermoplastics due to their easier bulk production and uncomplicated storage. Hybrid parts often consist of a CFRT and a higher strength metal component. Here, the joining process poses the main challenge, due to different chemical and physical properties of the components. In the current state of the art, riveted and bolted joints are commonly used, leading to increased weight due to auxiliary elements and requiring precise bolt holes often destroying load-bearing fibres. Joining with cold formed pin structures is an innovative and versatile joining process, which avoids the need for auxiliary elements. These pins are subsequently inserted in warm formed holes in the CFRT component and then caulked to create a form-fitting hybrid joint. To obtain a fundamental understanding of this joining process, hole-forming and pin-caulking, are investigated in this study. First, the hole-forming with IR-radiation is investigated with regard to suitable process parameters and resulting fibre morphology. The formed holes are consequently mechanically characterized. Second, the caulking-process is investigated by iteratively upsetting a pin and subsequently measuring the geometry. Based on these findings two different suitable caulking degrees are defined and samples for mechanical as well as microscopic investigations are manufactured. The created joints are first investigated via micro-sections and reflected light microscopy to identify possible damage in the CFRT component, which can result from the pin caulking process. Second, a mechanical characterisation under shear load as well as pin extraction loads normal to the sample surface is conducted and the normal load tests are compared with the bearing strength of CFRT samples.
Modelling and simulation of atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion intakes via direct simulation Monte Carlo
Authors: Rapisarda Claudio
Published: December 2021

The Air-Breathing Ion Engine (ABIE) is an electric propulsion system capable of compensating for drag at low altitudes by ingesting the surrounding atmospheric particles to be utilized as propellant. The current state of the art of the ABIE performance is evaluated via Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), due to the rarefied nature of the atmosphere in Very-Low Earth Orbit (VLEO). Nevertheless, the scarce availability of relevant simulation methodologies in the literature limits the repeatability of such numerical studies. Therefore, this paper proposes an independent methodology applicable to the modelling and simulation of Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP) intakes that aims to validate the ABIE DSMC results retrieved from the literature. This is achieved by investigating the ABIE intake collection efficiency and compression ratio through the open-source solver dsmcFoam+ and by assessing the results against the available RARAC-3D DSMC data. First, the variation of grid transparency is discussed and compared between both solvers, yielding a mean percentage error of$$2.97\%$$2.97%for the compression ratio and$$2.06\%$$2.06%for the collection efficiency. Second, the absence of intermolecular collisions is verified for which errors of$$1.61\%$$1.61%for collection efficiency and$$3.49\%$$3.49%for compression ratio are observed. Then, the variation of flow incidence angle is simulated between$$0^{\circ }$$0∘and$$15^{\circ }$$15∘, yielding differences lower than$$1.80\%$$1.80%. Consecutively, the intake aspect ratio is varied between 10 and 40, for which a maximum discrepancy of$$1.83\%$$1.83%is measured and, finally, the drag coefficient of the intake is obtained in dsmcFoam+ to define the power density requirements.
Efficient structural pseudoinverse learning-based hierarchical representation learning for skin lesion classification
Authors: Deng Xiaodan , Yin Qian , Guo Ping
Published: December 2021

The success of deep learning in skin lesion classification mainly depends on the ultra-deep neural network and the significantly large training data set. Deep learning training is usually time-consuming, and large datasets with labels are hard to obtain, especially skin lesion images. Although pre-training and data augmentation can alleviate these issues, there are still some problems: (1) the data domain is not consistent, resulting in the slow convergence; and (2) low robustness to confusing skin lesions. To solve these problems, we propose an efficient structural pseudoinverse learning-based hierarchical representation learning method. Preliminary feature extraction, shallow network feature extraction and deep learning feature extraction are carried out respectively before the classification of skin lesion images. Gabor filter and pre-trained deep convolutional neural network are used for preliminary feature extraction. The structural pseudoinverse learning (S-PIL) algorithm is used to extract the shallow features. Then, S-PIL preliminarily identifies the skin lesion images that are difficult to be classified to form a new training set for deep learning feature extraction. Through the hierarchical representation learning, we analyze the features of skin lesion images layer by layer to improve the final classification. Our method not only avoid the slow convergence caused by inconsistency of data domain but also enhances the training of confusing examples. Without using additional data, our approach outperforms existing methods in the ISIC 2017 and ISIC 2018 datasets.
High-Index Faceted Nanocrystals as Highly Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for High-Performance Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Jiang Bo , Tian Da , Qiu Yue , Song Xueqin , Zhang Yu , Sun Xun , Huang Huihuang , Zhao Chenghao , Guo Zhikun , Fan Lishuang , Zhang Naiqing
Published: December 2021

Precisely regulating of the surface structure of crystalline materials to improve their catalytic activity for lithium polysulfides is urgently needed for high-performance lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. Herein, high-index faceted iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanocrystals anchored on reduced graphene oxide are developed as highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts, effectively improving the electrochemical performance of Li–S batteries. The theoretical and experimental results all indicate that high-index Fe2O3 crystal facets with abundant unsaturated coordinated Fe sites not only have strong adsorption capacity to anchor polysulfides but also have high catalytic activity to facilitate the redox transformation of polysulfides and reduce the decomposition energy barrier of Li2S. The Li–S batteries with these bifunctional electrocatalysts exhibit high initial capacity of 1521 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and excellent cycling performance with a low capacity fading of 0.025% per cycle during 1600 cycles at 2 C. Even with a high sulfur loading of 9.41 mg cm−2, a remarkable areal capacity of 7.61 mAh cm−2 was maintained after 85 cycles. This work provides a new strategy to improve the catalytic activity of nanocrystals through the crystal facet engineering, deepening the comprehending of facet-dependent activity of catalysts in Li–S chemistry, affording a novel perspective for the design of advanced sulfur electrodes.
Stable Zinc Anodes Enabled by Zincophilic Cu Nanowire Networks
Authors: Xie Shiyin , Li Yang , Li Xu , Zhou Yujun , Dang Ziqi , Rong Jianhua , Dong Liubing
Published: December 2021

Zn-based electrochemical energy storage (EES) systems have received tremendous attention in recent years, but their zinc anodes are seriously plagued by the issues of zinc dendrite and side reactions (e.g., corrosion and hydrogen evolution). Herein, we report a novel strategy of employing zincophilic Cu nanowire networks to stabilize zinc anodes from multiple aspects. According to experimental results, COMSOL simulation and density functional theory calculations, the Cu nanowire networks covering on zinc anode surface not only homogenize the surface electric field and Zn2+ concentration field, but also inhibit side reactions through their hydrophobic feature. Meanwhile, facets and edge sites of the Cu nanowires, especially the latter ones, are revealed to be highly zincophilic to induce uniform zinc nucleation/deposition. Consequently, the Cu nanowire networks-protected zinc anodes exhibit an ultralong cycle life of over 2800 h and also can continuously operate for hundreds of hours even at very large charge/discharge currents and areal capacities (e.g., 10 mA cm−2 and 5 mAh cm−2), remarkably superior to bare zinc anodes and most of currently reported zinc anodes, thereby enabling Zn-based EES devices to possess high capacity, 16,000-cycle lifespan and rapid charge/discharge ability. This work provides new thoughts to realize long-life and high-rate zinc anodes.
Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty
Authors: Hobbs Harry , Williams George
Published: December 2021

Political disagreement is a fact of life. Such conflict can prompt people to stand for public office and seek to realise political change. Others take a different route; they start their own country. Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty is the first comprehensive examination of the phenomenon of people purporting to secede and create their own country. It analyses why micronations are not states for the purposes of international law, considers the factors that motivate individuals to separate and found their own nation, examines the legal justifications that they offer and explores the responses of recognised sovereign states. In doing so, this book develops a rich body of material through which to reflect on conventional understandings of statehood, sovereignty and legitimate authority. Authored in a lively and accessible style, Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty will be valuable reading for scholars and general audiences.
Mobile Assisted Language Learning
Authors: Stockwell Glenn
Published: December 2021

The increased use of sophisticated mobile devices opens up new possibilities and challenges for language teachers and learners, which has led to an increasing need to consider issues relating to mobile technologies specifically. To date, there is no comprehensive book-length treatment of issues relating to mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). This book fills that gap, providing a resource for present and future language teachers, and for graduate students of applied linguistics and TESOL, to understand how mobile devices can best be used for language teaching. It is founded on existing research, practice and theory, and offers a balanced perspective, based on the author's own experiences with mobile learning - considering the limitations of such an approach, as well as the benefits. Written in a practical and approachable tone, it provides a much-needed guide to MALL, and its fascinating insights promote further debate within the field.
A system-wide health sciences faculty mentor training program is associated with improved effective mentoring and institutional climate
Authors: Trejo JoAnn , Wingard Deborah , Hazen Virginia , Bortnick Alexandra , Van Hoesen Karen , Byars-Winston Angela , Pfund Christine , Reznik Vivian
Published: December 2021

Introduction:

Mentorship is critical for faculty success, satisfaction, and engagement. However, many faculty, particularly underrepresented racial/ethnic (UR) faculty, lack access to high-quality mentoring. In an effort to improve mentoring for all faculty, we developed and implemented a formally structured faculty mentor training program (FMTP) across UC San Diego Health Sciences, which included institutional support, mentorship training, and department/division mentorship programs.

Methods:

FMTP impact was evaluated using three primary outcome variables: mentoring quality, mentoring behaviors, and institutional climate. Participants’ self-assessed mentoring competencies were measured using validated instruments.

Results:

A total of 391 (23%) of Health Sciences faculty participated in FMTP. Participation rate was higher for women than men (30% versus 17%) and highest for UR faculty (39%). FMTP was implemented in 16 of 19 departments. Self-reported mentoring improved for FMTP participants with mentoring quality (p = 0.009) and meeting mentees’ expectations (p = 0.01) continuing to improve for up to 2 years after training. However, participants were unsure if they were meeting UR mentees’ expectations. FMTP participants were significantly more satisfied with mentoring quality (p < 0.001) compared to non-participants, with the greatest increase in satisfaction reported by UR faculty (38–61%). UR faculty reported improved overall morale (51–61%) and a perception that the environment was supportive for UR faculty (48–70%).

Conclusion:

The implementation of a system-wide formal structured FMTP was associated with improved faculty satisfaction, quality of mentoring, and institutional climate, especially for UR faculty.
Management Measures Implemented at the West China Hospital may help Prevent and Contain COVID-19 and Similar Outbreaks
Authors: Liu Sijia , He Chengqi
Published: December 2021

This article presents management processes for dealing with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. From January to March 2020, the West China Hospital of Sichuan University established response structures and protocols, as well as integrated out-of-hospital resources, to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 8066 patients were screened, and 345 COVID-19 patients were isolated for treatment. Hospital command systems, emergency management protocols, as well as process, space, and personnel management, strengthening material reserves, and social responsibility strategies were implemented. Outbreak management aspects that required improvement included estimates of the anticipated number of cases, timely collection of patient information and feedback on the effect of outreach and online consultation methods.
Improving Oxygen Capacity at ITBP Referral Hospital During the Second Wave of COVID-19 Infections in Greater Noida, India: An Operative Targeted Intervention
Authors: Stroffolini Giacomo , Cortellaro Francesca , Raviolo Mario , Tommasoni Nicola , Kumar Manoj Gupta , Marotta Claudia
Published: December 2021

Objectives:

Due to factors that still remain under debate, both social and virological, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has continued to flare up in India, particularly in northern and western areas. This has led to an incidence of approximately 350,000 cases per day and a daily death toll of around 4000 in the weeks between May 1 and 14, 2021. The current pandemic is testing the adaptability of the oxygen distribution and consumption.

Methods:

Following India’s request for support, the European Union (EU) Civil Protection Mechanism coordinated the response agreed by EU Member States providing shipments of oxygen and equipment. In this scenario, our Emergency Medical Team (EMT)-2, based in Italy, organized a cargo and a 12-member team of technicians and medical professionals with the main objective of installing a novel source of oxygen.

Results:

The installation of a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plant provided the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) hospital in Greater Noida, India, with a sustainable solution to combat oxygen shortage in less than 48 h.

Conclusions:

The supply of oxygen could not be deemed a successful intervention without a proper plan to guarantee the rational use of the source so additional training was carried out. Our EMT were among the first responders in mitigating this public health crisis.
Floods, landslides and COVID-19 in the Uttarakhand State, India: Impact of Ongoing Crises on Public Health
Authors: Corriero Anna Chiara , Khan Fatima Muhammad Asad , Bassey Esther Edet , Bouaddi Oumnia , dos Santos Costa Ana Carla , Outani Oumaima , Hasan Mohammad Mehedi , Ahmad Shoaib , Essar Mohammad Yasir
Published: December 2021

The Uttarakhand State, known for its Himalayan Mountains, is a territory in Northern India that is extremely vulnerable to earthquakes, landslides, and floods. Currently, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, India is facing the dual challenge of containing a pandemic and responding to natural disasters. This situation can have a negative impact on the health and the economic development of the region, leading to a long-lasting humanitarian crisis that can disrupt even more, the already overburdened health service. In addition, it can pose serious threats to the wellbeing of the population as it complicates physical distancing and other COVID-19 prevention measures. It is of utmost importance to analyse the impact of floods, landslides, and COVID-19 pandemic on the health system of the Uttarakhand State, and how these crises interact with each other.
INTERPRETING A FIELD IN ITS HEISENBERG GROUP
Authors: ALVIR RACHAEL , CALVERT WESLEY , GOODMAN GRANT , HARIZANOV VALENTINA , KNIGHT JULIA , MILLER RUSSELL , MOROZOV ANDREY , SOSKOVA ALEXANDRA , WEISSHAAR ROSE
Published: December 2021

We improve on and generalize a 1960 result of Maltsev. For a field F, we denote by
$H(F)$
the Heisenberg group with entries in F. Maltsev showed that there is a copy of F defined in
$H(F)$
, using existential formulas with an arbitrary non-commuting pair of elements as parameters. We show that F is interpreted in
$H(F)$
using computable
$\Sigma _1$
formulas with no parameters. We give two proofs. The first is an existence proof, relying on a result of Harrison-Trainor, Melnikov, R. Miller, and Montalbán. This proof allows the possibility that the elements of F are represented by tuples in
$H(F)$
of no fixed arity. The second proof is direct, giving explicit finitary existential formulas that define the interpretation, with elements of F represented by triples in
$H(F)$
. Looking at what was used to arrive at this parameter-free interpretation of F in
$H(F)$
, we give general conditions sufficient to eliminate parameters from interpretations.
Business Cycles and Alcohol Consumption: Evidence from a Nonlinear Panel ARDL Approach
Authors: Sadik-Zada Elkhan Richard , Niklas Britta
Published: December 2021

This study revisits the relationship between economic variables and alcohol consumption from a macro perspective. Focusing explicitly on the asymmetries of the responsiveness of alcohol consumption during the expansion and contraction phases of the business cycle, asymmetric panel estimators are employed. We employ a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag model for a panel of 24 countries for the period 1961 to 2014. Findings show that expansion leads to a long-term increase in average alcohol consumption, while during contraction, the level of average alcohol consumption persists. Expansion, together with a pronounced reduction in the unemployment rate could, however, lead to a net reduction of gross alcohol and wine consumption. Nonetheless, if the recession corresponds with a surge in unemployment, this leads to a long-run increase in the level of total gross alcohol consumption but a decrease in wine and beer consumption. Reduction in unemployment does not lead to a reduction in beer consumption, as pre-expansion levels of beer consumption persist. (JEL Classifications: E32, I19, L66)
Comparative study of the pencil-and-paper and digital formats of the Spanish DARS scale
Authors: Arrua-Duarte Elsa , Migoya-Borja Marta , Barahona Igor , Quilty Lena C. , Rizvi Sakina J. , Kennedy Sidney H. , Baca-García Enrique , Barrigon Maria L.
Published: December 2021

The Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) is a novel questionnaire to assess anhedonia of recent validation. In this work, we aim to study the equivalence between the traditional paper-and-pencil and the digital format of DARS. Sixty-nine patients filled the DARS in a paper-based and digital versions. We assessed differences between formats (Wilcoxon test), validity of the scales [Kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs)], and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha and Guttman’s coefficient). We calculated the comparative fit index and the root mean squared error (RMSE) associated with the proposed one-factor structure. Total scores were higher for paper-based format. Significant differences between both formats were found for three items. The weighted Kappa coefficient was approximately 0.40 for most of the items. Internal consistency was greater than 0.94, and the ICC for the digital version was 0.95 and 0.94 for the paper-and-pencil version (F = 16.7, p < 0.001). Comparative Adjustment Index was 0.97 for the digital DARS and 0.97 for the paper-and-pencil DARS, and RMSE was 0.11 for the digital DARS and 0.10 for the paper-and-pencil DARS. We concluded that the digital DARS is consistent in many respects with the paper-and-pencil questionnaire, but equivalence with this format cannot be assumed without caution.
Predictors of successful discontinuation of antipsychotics and antidepressants
Authors: Lincoln Tania M. , Sommer Daniel , Quazzola Mariana , Witzgall Tatjana , Schlier Björn
Published: December 2021

Background

To offer support for patients who decide to discontinue antipsychotic and antidepressant medication, identifying which potentially modifiable factors correlate with discontinuation success is crucial. Here, we analyzed the predictive value of the professional support received, circumstances prior to discontinuation, a strategy of discontinuation, and use of functional and non-functional coping strategies during discontinuation on self-reported discontinuation success and on objective discontinuation.

Methods

Patients who had attempted discontinuing antipsychotics (AP) and/or antidepressants (AD) during the past 5 years (n = 316) completed an online survey including questions on subjective and objective discontinuation success, sociodemographic, clinical and medication-related factors, and scales to assess the putative predictors.

Results

A regression model with all significant predictors explained 20–30% of the variance in discontinuation success for AD and 30–40% for AP. After controlling for baseline sociodemographic, clinical and medication-related factors, the most consistent predictor of subjective discontinuation success was self-care behavior, in particular mindfulness, relaxation and making use of supportive relationships. Other predictors depended on the type of medication: For AD, good alliance with the prescribing physician predicted higher subjective success whereas gradual tapering per se was associated with lower subjective success and a lower chance of full discontinuation. In those tapering off AP, leaving time to adjust between dose reductions was associated with higher subjective success and fewer negative effects.

Conclusions

The findings can inform evidence-based clinical guidelines and interventions aiming to support patients during discontinuation. Further studies powered to take interactions between variables into account are needed to improve the prediction of successful discontinuation.
Variation in Breton word stress: new speakers and the influence of French
Authors: Kennard Holly J.
Published: December 2021

This paper investigates stress patterns in Breton across speakers of different ages and with different linguistic backgrounds. Centuries of contact with French have led to French influence in Breton lexis, phonology and morphosyntax, and Breton's current status as an endangered minority language makes it vulnerable to further change. Additionally, younger ‘new speakers’ of Breton, who have acquired the language through Breton-medium education, are said to transfer features from French into their Breton. Analysis of stress usage shows that older, traditional speakers use stress largely as expected, while there is a greater degree of interspeaker variation among younger, new speakers. These data are used to form a metrical analysis of stress in Breton, taking into account lexical exceptions, loanwords and the variability of younger speakers. Rather than widespread transfer of French stress patterns into Breton, some younger speakers seem to be using two competing stress systems.
The diachronic origins of Lyman's Law: evidence from phonetics, dialectology and philology
Authors: Vance Timothy J. , Kawahara Shigeto , Miyashita Mizuki
Published: December 2021

Modern Japanese has a set of morphophonemic alternations known collectively as rendaku that involve initial consonants in second elements of compounds, as in /jama+dera/ ‘mountain temple’ (cf. /tera/ ‘temple’). An alternating element like /tera/ ~ /dera/ has an initial voiced obstruent in its rendaku allomorph and an initial voiceless obstruent in its non-rendaku allomorph. Lyman's Law blocks rendaku in a second element containing a medial voiced obstruent. This paper gives three arguments that Lyman's Law originated as a constraint prohibiting prenasalisation in consecutive syllables. First, constraints on similar consonants in close proximity generally apply not to voicing but to features with phonetic cues that are more spread out, such as prenasalisation. Second, in some Japanese dialects with prenasalised voiced obstruents, rendaku cannot occur if it would result in adjacent syllables containing these marked consonants. Third, phonographically attested Old Japanese compounds are consistent with a constraint on adjacent syllables.
Indirect aggression, anxiety, and empathy: Disaggregating between and within person longitudinal associations during childhood and adolescence
Authors: Farrell Ann H. , Vaillancourt Tracy
Published: December 2021

Although indirectly aggressive behavior and anxiety symptoms can co-occur, it is unclear whether anxiety is an antecedent or outcome of indirect aggression at the individual level and whether other personality traits can contribute to these longitudinal associations. Therefore, the between- and within-person associations among indirect aggression, anxiety symptoms, and empathic concern were examined across adolescence from ages 11 to 16 in a cohort of individuals followed annually (N= 700; 52.9% girls; 76.0% White) controlling for direct aggression and demographic variables. Results of autoregressive latent trajectory models with structured residuals supported an acting out model at the within-person level. Specifically, anxiety symptoms positively predicted indirect aggression and indirect aggression negatively predicted empathic concern at each adjacent time point. These findings suggest that methods of reducing worries about the self and increasing healthy self-confidence could prevent indirect aggression and help build concern and compassion toward others.
ESEM Methodology for the Study of Ice Samples at Environmentally Relevant Subzero Temperatures: “Subzero ESEM”
Authors: Závacká Kamila , Neděla Vilém , Tihlaříková Eva , Šabacká Pavla , Maxa Jiří , Heger Dominik
Published: December 2021

Frozen aqueous solutions are an important subject of study in numerous scientific branches including the pharmaceutical and food industry, atmospheric chemistry, biology, and medicine. Here, we present an advanced environmental scanning electron microscope methodology for research of ice samples at environmentally relevant subzero temperatures, thus under conditions in which it is extremely challenging to maintain the thermodynamic equilibrium of the specimen. The methodology opens possibilities to observe intact ice samples at close to natural conditions. Based on the results of ANSYS software simulations of the surface temperature of a frozen sample, and knowledge of the partial pressure of water vapor in the gas mixture near the sample, we monitored static ice samples over several minutes. We also discuss possible artifacts that can arise from unwanted surface ice formation on, or ice sublimation from, the sample, as a consequence of shifting conditions away from thermodynamic equilibrium in the specimen chamber. To demonstrate the applicability of the methodology, we characterized how the true morphology of ice spheres containing salt changed upon aging and the morphology of ice spheres containing bovine serum albumin. After combining static observations with the dynamic process of ice sublimation from the sample, we can attain images with nanometer resolution.
Classical Astronomy as an educational resource in a Faculty of Education
Authors: Eff-Darwich Antonio , Stengler Erik , El-Qady Gad , Rahona Usama , Shaker Ashraf , Ibrahim Makram , Núñez Manuel , Medina Victor , Yanes Adán , Pallé Pere Ll. , Martínez-Frías Jesús
Published: December 2021

History, Maths and Astronomy are all mixed up in an innovative educational project that is being carried out in the Faculty of Education of the Universidad de La Laguna, in Spain. Students learn how to teach (to primary school students) about the shape of the Earth, the distances to the Moon, the Sun and other planets, collecting their own data with simple instrumentation and, most important, to connect ideas and different disciplines. The structure and contents of this project are presented, as well as examples of the activities that are carried out.
Astronomy Education in Covid Times
Authors: Hasan Priya , Hasan S N
Published: December 2021

We shall describe the various activities done by us in Covid Times including outreach and educational workshops in Physics and Astronomy. We shall discuss the caveats in virtual teaching of Astronomy and the lessons learnt in the process.
Integrated Active Learning Utilizing the Stories of Tomorrow at Elementary School in Japan
Authors: Tomita Akihiko , Kubo Fumihito , Maeda Masashi , Doran Rosa
Published: December 2021

In 2018, two schools from Japan participated in Stories of Tomorrow, a computer-based STEAM educational practice for primary school students. We were able to learn from the students’ feedback that through problem-solving, a spirit of collaboration, a spirit of overcoming failure, and a deep understanding of scientific research and technology development have been nurtured. We also confirmed the importance of translation and coordination to cross over the language barrier.
Astronomy through Continents
Authors: Molenda–Żakowicz Joanna , Kokociński Maciej , Kołomański Sylwester , Ziółkowska–Kuflińska Magdalena
Published: December 2021

We present recommendations for teachers and educators of science, based on the results of a survey carried out among secondary-school students from Poland, Australia, and the USA.
Contribution of the student conferences “Physics of Space” to the continuing astronomy education system
Authors: Kuznetsov Eduard , Bisikalo Dmitry , Inisheva Olga , Kholshevnikov Konstantin , Shustov Boris , Sobolev Andrej
Published: December 2021

Ural Federal University is one of the main and most effective centers for educating young astronomers in Russia. The traditional student scientific conferences “Physics of Space” have been successfully held annually in Kourovka Astronomical Observatory of the Ural Federal University for 50 years and have gained recognition not only in Russia. The conference initiated many educational initiatives both in the Ural region and, in general, in Russia. The astronomy education system implemented by UrFU and partners includes the following activities: 1) education and career guidance of schoolchildren in the Lyceum of UrFU, 2) activities to attract applicants, 3) training at the speciality, undergraduate, and graduate level, 4) participation in the student conferences “Physics of Space”, 5) postgraduate studies, 6) cooperation in the field of education. This activity ensures the attraction of promising youth to scientific research.
Mars – a target for teachers and science students
Authors: Sundin Maria , Bernhardt Peter , Ekberg Peter , Enger Jonas , Johnsson Andreas
Published: December 2021

An interdisciplinary course about Mars for teachers and science students is presented. The focus of the course is on planning for a journey with humans to the planet Mars. Issues in ethics, morality, rights and obligations, conflict management and human psychology as well as rocket orbits, fuel economy, radiation hazards and knowledge of the solar system are included. Examination of the teacher students include interpretation of the course material for future pedagogical usage.
The United Nations Open Universe Initiative
Authors: Barres de Almeida Ulisses
Published: December 2021

In this contribution I will briefly introduce the concept and objectives of the Open Universe Initiative, as well as describe the first steps of its implementation by Brazil, in conjunction with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), aiming to encourage new interested parties to join the Initiative.
Astronomy education and culture
Authors: Stavinschi Magda , Stavinschi Alexandra Corina
Published: December 2021

The 2020 pandemics has brought about a revolution in education, thanks to the pervasiveness of online teaching. Contents, methods and techniques can now be rapidly shared across the globe. On the downside, a number of disciplines have been neglected or dropped altogether. Our paper aims to address the following questions: How has Astronomy in culture been affected? Why is it important to keep it alive? What are the solutions? We suggest that it has been dismissed for two reasons: first, it is perceived as a niche topic – some sort of erudite chatter about non-essential curiosities – that can be sacrificed in favour of more practical information; second, it is heavily culture-specific, meaning that it requires extra effort from the teachers, as it cannot be easily copied or translated from other sources.
Astronomical collections in Observatories: promoting preventive conservation
Authors: Carotenuto Maria Rosalia , Chinnici Ileana , Randazzo Donatella
Published: December 2021

The practice of preventive conservation of cultural heritage consists of “all measures and actions aimed at avoiding and minimizing future deterioration or loss” of it (ICOM-CC, 2008). Unlike conservation treatments, preventive conservation deals with entire collections and their surrounding environment. It is known that exposing historical objects to the environment has a significant impact on their degradation process. Studying and managing risk factors is an indispensable practice within the management policies of any cultural institution. The National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) holds some valuable historical collections, heritage derived from the Italian contribution to astronomy over the centuries. The management and protection of these collections faces many challenges. A preventive conservation plan, aimed at assessing and managing risks that threaten the collections, may offer many long-term benefits, allowing us to use available resources in the best possible way. In the past few years INAF-Astronomical Observatory “G.S.Vaiana” of Palermo has been working on the development of preventive conservation projects for its archival, bibliographic and scientific heritage. The present contribution reports on these ongoing experiences and intends to stimulate a discussion within the scientific community in order to individuate the problems we are called to respond to in Astronomical Observatories.
School Workshops on Astronomy – an extracurricular activity for secondary school pupils
Authors: Kołomański Sylwester , Molenda–Żakowicz Joanna
Published: December 2021

Interdisciplinary and egalitarian, the School Workshops on Astronomy have been being in their educational mission since 14 years. Here we present the concept, methods, and some example results of that educational technique.
A User Centred Inclusive Web Framework for Astronomy
Authors: Díaz-Merced Wanda , Walker-Holmes Mizzani , Hettlage Christian , Green Paul , Casado Johanna , García Beatriz
Published: December 2021

This contribution presents the ongoing work to develop the Sensing the Dynamic Universe (SDU) webpage elements, based on the sonoUno framework, a user centered software for sonification of astronomical data. The SDU provides an inclusive experience that transcends the approach of assuming and limiting design based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and ISO recommendations.
Solar eclipses: A pump of curiosity for early humans?
Authors: Jones Graham
Published: December 2021

The dramatic nature and irregular frequency of solar eclipses may have helped trigger the development of human curiosity. If the kind of solar eclipses we experience on Earth are rare within the Universe, human-like curiosity may also be rare.
The uniqueness of astronomical observatory publications
Authors: Ellegaard Ole , Dorch Bertil F.
Published: December 2021

Astronomical observatory publications include the work of local astronomers from observatories around the world and are traditionally exchanged between observatories through their libraries. However, large collections of these publications appear to be rare and are often incomplete. In order to assess the unique properties of the collections, we compare observatories present in our own collection from the university at Copenhagen, Denmark with two collections from the USA: one at the Woodman Library at Wisconsin-Madison and another at the Dudley Observatory in Loudonville, New York.
Herschel and the invisible end of the rainbow
Authors: Kerschbaum Franz , Brunner Madalena
Published: December 2021

The communication project “Herschel and the invisible end of the rainbow” features the year 1800 discovery and today’s application of infrared radiation through diverse methods and different media in order to reach a wide audience. The discovery of the sun’s infrared radiation by the Herschels is demonstrated in a creative way through the publication and performance of a theatre play and accompanying audio play. The documentation of the historical discovery, which changed both science and our daily life, is further supplemented by background information e.g. on the role of women in science in the late 18th and early 19th century. By this, the history of the discovery of infrared radiation becomes alive and easily comprehensible. Additionally, we carry out interactive experiments and demonstrations using a capable thermal infrared camera by which a mostly unknown and strange infrared world becomes visible for all generations. Our recent findings with the infrared space telescope Herschel are used to exemplify modern science use. With this colourful, diverse and interactive communication concept, which is easily extendable and adaptable, we already took part in several science festivals, workshops and training events.
Astronomy in romanic churches
Authors: Viñuales Gavn Ederlinda
Published: December 2021

In this poster we present a study of the orientation of the church of San Adrián de Sasabé in Borau, Huesca (Spain) in a practical way. This church is a characteristic Romanesque construction, predominant in the High Middle Ages, mainly in southwestern Europe.

The apse of Romanesque churches are oriented towards the east. But, in some churches, the apse has three windows and these are oriented in the direction of the sunrises on the days of the solstices and equinoxes. But sunrises and sunsets depend on the latitude of the place.

The church of San Adrián de Sasabé, the object of our study, has three windows in the apse, which allows us to carry out the necessary calculations to determine its orientation with precision outside the church.
SciAccess: Making Space for All
Authors: Voelker Anna , O’Brien Caitlin , Deming Michaela
Published: December 2021

The SciAccess Initiative (“SciAccess”) is dedicated to advancing disability inclusion and diversity in STEM education, outreach, and research. In this paper, the authors present an overview of accessible STEM programs run by the SciAccess Initiative, including an annual conference, international working group, and space science mentorship program for blind youth. Recommendations for creating accessible mentorship programs and networking events, both virtually and in-person, are detailed so that these inclusion-focused efforts may be replicated by others.
Students’ Preconceptions in Astrophysics — How to break them down?
Authors: Lavinia Toma Corina
Published: December 2021

At any stage of education, the students begin to study astrophysics with previous incorrect preconceptions that impedes the understanding of new scientific notions. It is a waste of time to add new concepts on a “weak basis”. In this case the duty of any teacher is to spend more time to carefully remove preconceptions from students’ minds. In the present article there are reviewed some of the most common preconceptions of the students when they are learning astrophysics with the right solutions to break them down using some active teaching methods, especially experiments and models.