bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of reliability indicators on usage, acceptance and preference of predictive process management decision support systems
Authors: Fröhlich Peter , Mirnig Alexander G. , Falcioni Damiano , Schrammel Johann , Diamond Lisa , Fischer Isabel , Tscheligi Manfred
Published: September 2022

Despite the growing availability of data, simulation technologies, and predictive analytics, it is not yet clear whether and under which conditions users will trust Decision Support Systems (DSS). DSS are designed to support users in making more informed decisions in specialized tasks through more accurate predictions and recommendations. This mixed-methods user study contributes to the research on trust calibration by analyzing the potential effects of integrated reliability indication in DSS user interfaces for process management in first-time usage situations characterized by uncertainty. Ten experts specialized in digital tools for construction were asked to test and assess two versions of a DSS in a renovation project scenario. We found that while users stated that they need full access to all information to make their own decisions, reliability indication in DSS tends to make users more willing to make preliminary decisions, with users adapting their confidence and reliance to the indicated reliability. Reliability indication in DSS also increases subjective usefulness and system reliability. Based on these findings, it is recommended that for the design of reliability indication practitioners consider displaying a combination of reliability information at several granularity levels in DSS user interfaces, including visualizations, such as a traffic light system, and to also provide explanations for the reliability information. Further research directions towards achieving trustworthy decision support in complex environments are proposed.
Contact herbicidal activity optimization of methyl capped polyethylene glycol ester of pelargonic acid
Authors: Campos Javier , Mansour Peter , Verdeguer Mercedes , Baur Peter
Published: September 2022

The loss of important contact herbicides like paraquat opens opportunities for more potentially sustainable solutions demanded by consumers and organizations. Frequently, for adequate weed control, the alternatives to classical synthetic products need well-defined and executed labels and even more detailed use descriptions. One novel candidate with rare contact activity is a pelargonic acid ester of methyl polyethylene glycol (PA-MPEG) with advantages over free pelargonic acid (PA), such as reduced volatility and ease of formulation. Here, we report on the role of the application parameters such as spray volume, rate, sprayer set-up, and climate conditions for weed control with PA-MPEG. At a dose rate of 12.8 kg ae ha−1 in a spray volume of 500 L ha−1, control of Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. and Solanum nigrum L. was excellent. These values for product rate and spray volume are lower than applications with commercial PA herbicides, at equal or better efficacy. Coverage was too low at spray volumes of 100 to 200 L ha−1, for adequate contact activity of both PA-MPEG and PA. Weed control was significantly increased when PA-MPEG application was made at lower boom height with reduced distance to weed canopy, or under warm and dry climate conditions. The results indicate the potential of PA-MPEG under optimal use conditions as a new contact herbicide in integrated weed management.
Early Toarcian (Jurassic) brachiopods from the Balearic Islands (Spain) and their paleobiogeographic context
Authors: García Joral Fernando , Goy Antonio , Rosales Idoia , Barnolas Antonio , Sevillano Ana , López-García José María
Published: September 2022

The record of brachiopods in the Lower Toarcian of the Balearic Islands is described after a reassessment of previous works and new samplings in the Tramuntana Range of Mallorca. The recognized species have been assimilated to the assemblages described in the Iberian Range in the Tenuicostatum and Serpentinum biozones. Moreover, a detailed comparison with other Western Tethys basins and the study of the dispersion of the brachiopod faunas in relation with the Early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event, allow to refine the paleobiogeographic relationship of the Balearic brachiopods. They belong to the Euro-Boreal Province of brachiopods in the Tenuicostatum Biochron and correspond to the”Spanish Fauna” that emerged after the deep paleobiogeographic disruption that took place at the base of Serpentinum Biochron. The occurrence ofPrionorhynchia msougariRousselle in the Serpentinum Zone of Mallorca indicates that, within this last assemblage, there would be a closer connection between the Balearic region and the southern margin of the Tethys (Betic and North African basins) than with the northern margin (Eastern Iberian Platform System and Eastern Pyrenees). This paleobiogeographic conclusion is consistent with the supposed position of the Balearic area in the Early Toarcian, on the southeastern margin of Iberia and near the Alboran and Kabylian margins.
Water-based air purifier with ventilation fan system: a novel approach for cleaning indoor/outdoor transitional air during the pandemic
Authors: Jumlongkul Arnon
Published: September 2022

This article presents the design and fabrication of an air purifier that uses a water-based technique to clean indoor/outdoor transitional air to provide a low-tech air purifier against the annual smog crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The air purifier was designed and built. All tests were conducted in a closed room as well as a semi-outdoor area. Particle sizes of PM0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 10 μm (particle/m3) were measured at an air inlet, air outlet, 2 m from an air inlet, and 4 m from an air outlet after 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min of air treatment, respectively, as well as CO2 levels and relative humidity (RH). The average airflow rate was also measured. When compare to 0 min, all parameters, except semi-outdoor PM0.3 and CO2 levels, tend to decrease in both indoor and semi-outdoor conditions. When measure by total airflow specification of a dual ventilation fan, the average airflow rate at an air outlet is reduced by 20 times.

Article Highlights

Design and fabrication of a water-based air purifier.

A low-tech air purifier helping to protect against the annual smog crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The novel water-based air purifier effectively traps air particles ranging in size from 0.5 to 10 µm.
Predictive Analytics for Real-time Auction Bidding Support: a Case on Fantasy Football
Authors: Maniezzo Vittorio , Aspee Encina Fabian Andres
Published: September 2022

This work reports about an end-to-end business analytics experiment, applying predictive and prescriptive analytics to real-time bidding support for fantasy football draft auctions. Forecast methods are used to quantify the expected return of each investment alternative, while subgradient optimization is used to provide adaptive online recommendations on the allocation of scarce budget resources. A distributed front-end implementation of the prescriptive modules and the rankings of simulated leagues testify the viability of this architecture for actual support.
Value elicitation on a scenario of autonomous weapon system deployment: a qualitative study based on the value deliberation process
Authors: Verdiesen Ilse , Dignum Virginia
Published: September 2022

Ethical concerns on autonomous weapon systems (AWS) call for a process of human oversight to ensure accountability over targeting decisions and the use of force. To align the behavior of autonomous systems with human values and norms, the Design for Values approach can be used to consciously embody values in the deployment of AWS. One instrument for the elicitation of values during the design is participative deliberation. In this paper, we describe a participative deliberation method and results of a value elicitation by means of the value deliberation process for which we organized two panels each consisting of a mixture of experts in the field of AWS working in military operations, foreign policy, NGO’s and industry. The results of our qualitative study indicate not only that value discussion leads to changes in perception of the acceptability of alternatives, or options, in a scenario of AWS deployment, it also gives insight in to which values are deemed important and highlights that trust in the decision-making of an AWS is crucial.
Kantian Eudaimonism
Authors: ELIZONDO E. SONNY
Published: September 2022

My aim in this essay is to reorient our understanding of the Kantian ethical project, especially in relation to its assumed rivals. I do this by considering Kant's relation to eudaimonism, especially in its Aristotelian form. I argue for two points. First, once we understand what Kant and Aristotle mean by happiness, we can see that not only is it the case that, by Kant's lights, Aristotle is not a eudaimonist. We can also see that, by Aristotle's lights, Kant is a eudaimonist. Second, we can see that this agreement on eudaimonism actually reflects a deeper, more fundamental agreement on the nature of ethics as a distinctively practical philosophy. This is an important result, not just for the history of moral philosophy but for moral philosophy as well. For it suggests that both Kantians and Aristotelians may well have more argumentative resources available to them than is commonly thought.
Structured input–output analysis of stably stratified plane Couette flow
Authors: Liu Chang , Caulfield Colm-cille P. , Gayme Dennice F.
Published: September 2022

We employ a recently introduced structured input–output analysis (SIOA) approach to analyse streamwise and spanwise wavelengths of flow structures in stably stratified plane Couette flow. In the low-Reynolds-number (

$Re$

) low-bulk Richardson number (

$Ri_b$

) spatially intermittent regime, we demonstrate that SIOA predicts high amplification associated with wavelengths corresponding to the characteristic oblique turbulent bands in this regime. SIOA also identifies quasi-horizontal flow structures resembling the turbulent–laminar layers commonly observed in the high-

$Re$

high-

$Ri_b$

intermittent regime. An SIOA across a range of

$Ri_b$

and

$Re$

values suggests that the classical Miles–Howard stability criterion (

$Ri_b\leq 1/4$

) is associated with a change in the most amplified flow structures when the Prandtl number is close to one (

$Pr\approx 1$

). However, for

$Pr\ll 1$

, the most amplified flow structures are determined by the product

$PrRi_b$

. For

$Pr\gg 1$

, SIOA identifies another quasi-horizontal flow structure that we show is principally associated with density perturbations. We further demonstrate the dominance of this density-associated flow structure in the high

$Pr$

limit by constructing analytical scaling arguments for the amplification in terms of

$Re$

and

$Pr$

under the assumptions of unstratified flow (with

$Ri_b=0$

) and streamwise invariance.
The impact of hail on retail wine sales: Evidence from Switzerland
Authors: Mondoux Alexandre
Published: September 2022

This paper uses a difference-in-differences approach to analyze the treatment effect of a hail weather shock in a specific Swiss wine-growing region. We exploit a natural experiment from Switzerland's Three Lakes wine region in 2013 and examine its impact on the country's retail market. We find statistically significant (1%-level) effects of –22.8% and +2.8% for the volume and price of wine consumed, respectively. These effects can be interpreted as average treatment effects, which is the difference in outcomes between treatment and control groups using a pre-post shock study methodology. Several robustness checks confirm the statistical significance of the estimated effects and the initial assumptions.
Tracking the wines of the Judgment of Paris over time: The case of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars’ Cabernet Sauvignon
Authors: Gergaud Olivier , Ginsburgh Victor , Moreno-Ternero Juan D.
Published: September 2022

The outcome of the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris, a blind wine tasting of ten wines by nine French judges, brought American wines to the forefront of the wine business. A Californian wine, the 1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon, was declared the winner, surpassing four highly prized French wines (Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970, Château Montrose 1970, Château Haut-Brion 1970, and Château Léoville Las Cases 1971). We collect ratings from experts for (almost) all vintages of the same ten wines over the years 1968–2021 and find that the Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon is far from being first. We conclude that either the 1973 vintage was overrated by the experts who tasted it in 1976, or 1973 was merely an outlier in this winery.
The Driving Forces Behind the Phenomenal Rise of the Digital Economy in China
Authors: Ma Chong , Mao Ji-Ye , An Xiao-Peng
Published: September 2022

This research commentary responds to Jiang and Murmann (2022), by offering further explanations for the miraculous growth of the digital economy in China from both the demand and supply perspectives. To complement their views, we identify several additional important factors, and classify them in three categories in an explanatory model. We believe that factors on the demand side played a primary role, along with innovative and entrepreneurial e-commerce service providers on the supply side. Infrastructures and government policies provided the foundation and a facilitating environment. We conclude that digital transformation of traditional industries will become the next wave of digital economy, stronger than the previous wave of e-commerce. Implications for research and practices are also discussed. In addition, we highlight emerging trends and turbulences. In conclusion, despite short-term turbulences, we expect that the digital economy in China will make big-stride progress in the long term, with strong potential to continue its growth.
Moderates
Authors: FOWLER ANTHONY , HILL SETH J. , LEWIS JEFFREY B. , TAUSANOVITCH CHRIS , VAVRECK LYNN , WARSHAW CHRISTOPHER
Published: September 2022

Moderates are often overlooked in contemporary research on American voters. Many scholars who have examined moderates argue that these individuals are only classified as such due to a lack of political sophistication or conflicted views across issues. We develop a method to distinguish three ways an individual might be classified as moderate: having genuinely moderate views across issues, being inattentive to politics or political surveys, or holding views poorly summarized by a single liberal–conservative dimension. We find that a single ideological dimension accurately describes most, but not all, Americans’ policy views. Using the classifications from our model, we demonstrate that moderates and those whose views are not well explained by a single dimension are especially consequential for electoral selection and accountability. These results suggest a need for renewed attention to the middle of the American political spectrum.
Effects of inulin supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers and clinical symptoms of women with obesity and depression on a calorie-restricted diet: a randomised controlled clinical trial
Authors: Vaghef-Mehrabani Elnaz , Harouni Roya , Behrooz Maryam , Ranjbar Fatemeh , Asghari-Jafarabadi Mohammad , Ebrahimi-Mameghani Mehrangiz
Published: September 2022

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is regarded as an inflammatory disorder. Gut microbiota dysbiosis, observed in both MDD and obesity, leads to endotoxemia and inflammatory status, eventually exacerbating depressive symptoms. Manipulation of gut microbiota by prebiotics might help alleviate depression. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of inulin supplementation on psychological outcomes and biomarkers of gut permeability, endotoxemia, inflammation, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in women with obesity and depression on a calorie-restricted diet. In a double-blind randomised clinical trial, forty-five women with obesity and MDD were allocated to receive 10 g/d of either inulin or maltodextrin for 8 weeks; all the patients followed a healthy calorie restricted diet as well. Anthropometric measures, dietary intakes, depression, and serum levels of zonulin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), inflammatory biomarkers (TNF-α, IL-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, toll-like receptor-4 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), and BDNF were assessed at baseline and end of the study. Weight and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores decreased in both groups; between-group differences were non-significant by the end of study (P = 0·333 for body weight and P = 0·500 for HDRS). No between-group differences were observed for the other psychological outcomes and serum biomarkers (P > 0·05). In this short-term study, prebiotic supplementation had no significant beneficial effects on depressive symptoms, gut permeability, or inflammatory biomarkers in women with obesity and depression.
Linking maize yields in Veneto Italy, to large-scale atmospheric variability, circulation regimes and weather types
Authors: Salinger M. J. , Verdi L. , Dalla Marta A. , Dalu G. , Baldi M. , Messeri G. , Vallorani R. , Morabito M. , Crisci A. , Altobelli F. , Orlandini S. , Gozzini B. , Messeri A.
Published: September 2022

This paper describes the relationships between large-scale modes of climate variability and its related weather types with the fluctuations in the yield of maize crops in Veneto, Italy. The teleconnections analysed in this work are the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the summer North Atlantic Oscillation (SNAO); the West African monsoon (WAM) and the Intertropical Front (ITF). Despite that these indices are not rigorously linked to one another, they result in being considerably related to atmospheric circulation regimes and associated weather types. They have an impact on temperature and precipitation patterns in Italy and on yields of maize crops in Veneto, a region located in northeast Italy. Yields are strongly affected by large-scale temperate and tropical variability directly through three main circulation regimes. Troughing weather regimes that produced below average temperatures depress yields over the entire Veneto region, as does the zonal regime that affects rainfall. Results confirm the relevance of large-scale modes and associated weather regimes and types on maize crop yields fluctuations in Veneto.
Nusakambangan in context: Life and labour conditions in a late colonial penal plantation in the Netherlands Indies, 1905–42
Authors: Stutje Klaas
Published: September 2022

This article examines the history of the Indonesian penal island of Nusakambangan between 1905 and 1942, based on quantitative and qualitative archival research. It compares labour conditions of inmates in Nusakambangan to those of workers in private plantations to intervene in a decades-long scholarly debate over the colonial state's role in managing labour conditions in the late colonial period. In a second part, this article describes everyday life on the island from an inmates’ perspective. While several imposed rounds of classification determined the inmates’ prospects of survival, corruption crucially created space for negotiation between inmates and guards, making the ‘ill-disciplined prison’ function.
Our mountains and rivers have changed: Nature and empire in the Ming colonisation of Đại Việt, 1407–28
Authors: Baldanza Kathlene
Published: September 2022

Scholars have yet to fully recognise the central role environment played in inspiring, and stymying, the Ming dynasty invasion and colonisation of Đại Việt (1407–27) and subsequent Vietnamese resistance movement. During the initial campaign, the Yongle emperor and his generals identified miasma, the illness-inducing hot and misty climate of the Sino-Vietnamese uplands (‘the Dong World’), as their primary obstacle and obsessed over strategies to avoid it. For Lê Lợi, the Vietnamese dynastic founder who expelled the Ming troops from Đại Việt, resistance to Ming environmental exploitation of Vietnamese resources was a rallying cry. The ecology and flora and fauna of Đại Việt helped inform an articulation of Vietnamese difference and independence. Despite the anticolonial rhetoric of the early Lê, the dynasty was soon engaging in a project of imperial expansion not dissimilar from that of the Ming. The Vietnamese state that emerged following Ming colonisation was in turn limited by the miasmic uplands.
Resistance and collaboration: The Japanese Occupation of Leyte, Philippines, and the role of the masses in wartime violence
Authors: Ara Satoshi
Published: September 2022

Philippine historiography has long ignored the significant but complex role played by the people at the margins of society during the Japanese Occupation, except for some rural movements such as the Hukbalahap in central Luzon. During the Second World War, besides the coercion and violence perpetrated or orchestrated by the Japanese occupying forces from 1942, the people of Leyte experienced many kinds and levels of violence, including among local factions. At the onset of the invasion and from late 1944, Leyte was also the site of major naval and land battles between the returning American forces and the Japanese army, each side seeking to incorporate locals in their campaigns. This essay traces violent episodes involving and among members of the local elite and masses alike in Leyte, during and in the aftermath of the Japanese Occupation and the return of Americans up to Philippine Independence, to show how such violence was not only unleashed by war, but also had deep and complicated roots in colonial history, local politics and rural poverty.
Domestic Relations in Brazil: Legacies and Horizons
Authors: de Santana Pinho Patricia , Silva Elizabeth B.
Published: September 2022

Grounded in literature review and an ethnographic study, this article examines contemporary Brazilian domestic life. Relations among women (employers and maids) and between women and men are analyzed with a focus on the home as a space in which gender, race, and class inequalities are constantly reproduced. The article argues that what happens in domestic life is constitutive of wider social divisions and that the domestic is a universe integral to the national social context. A case in point is the connection between the widespread use of paid domestic labor and the naturalization of black women as subservient, complementing the pairing of whiteness and class entitlement. Another case is the buffering role of maids in the development of gender conflicts in well-off homes, thus blurring gender hierarchies at a broader scale. Locating the domestic within the recent discussion on global domestic labor, the article compares particularities of Brazilian domestic life to those elsewhere.
Evaluating the Impact of Brazil's Bolsa Família: Cash Transfer Programs in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Soares Fábio Veras , Ribas Rafael Perez , Osório Rafael Guerreiro
Published: September 2022

This note reviews the targeting performance of Bolsa Família and its impact on inequality, poverty, consumption, education, health care, and labor force participation. Bolsa Família has several design and implementation characteristics that distance it from a pure human-capital-based conditional cash transfer model. For that reason, we compare the impact of Bolsa Família to that of other conditional cash transfer programs in Latin America, such as in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Chile. We show that, as have other programs, Bolsa Família has helped reduce inequality and extreme poverty and has improved education outcomes, without having a negative impact on labor force participation. Where the program has failed to have its intended impact, in health and nutrition, supply-side constraints seem to be the principal problem.
Metazoan parasites of some meso- and bathypelagic fish from the Perdido region, southern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Soler-Jiménez Lilia C. , Aguirre-Macedo Ma. Leopoldina , Vega-Cendejas Ma. Eugenia , García-Teh Jhonny G. , Enríquez-Ortiz Cecilia E. , Vidal-Martínez Víctor M.
Published: September 2022

We present a preliminary taxonomic survey of the metazoan parasites from meso- and bathypelagic fish hosts from the Perdido region, western Gulf of Mexico. In total, 187 individual fish were collected, belonging to five families and 12 species: Cyclothone acclinidens, Cyclothone alba, Cyclothone braueri, Cyclothone pallida, Cyclothone pseudopallida, Cyclothone sp., Manducus maderensis (Gonostomatidae), Notolychnus valdiviae (Myctophidae), Dibranchus atlanticus (Ogcocephalidae), Peristedion greyae (Peristediidae), Sternoptyx pseudobscura (Sternoptychidae), and Chauliodus sloani (Stomiidae). The metazoan parasites collected were the digenean Lethadena profunda from Cyclothone sp., four tetraphillidean larval cestodes from C. acclinidens, Cyclothone sp., C. sloani and P. greyae, a species of Echeneibotrium from D. atlanticus, a species of Anisakis from C. sloani, and the nematode Mooleptus rabuka from C. alba. Four of the parasite species found had already been previously recorded for the northern Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, we report two parasites not recorded before for meso- or bathypelagic fish in the entire Gulf of Mexico: M. rabuka from C. alba and Cyclothone sp.; and the copepods of the family Pennellidae from Cyclothone sp. and P. greyae.
A systematic literature review of randomized controlled trials evaluating prognosis following treatment for adults with chronic fatigue syndrome
Authors: Ingman Tom , Smakowski Abigail , Goldsmith Kimberley , Chalder Trudie
Published: September 2022

This systematic review investigated randomized controlled trials evaluating cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) for adults with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The objective was to determine prognosis following treatment. Studies were eligible if they were peer-reviewed and investigated treatment at least 12 weeks in duration. Studies were excluded if they used co-morbid diagnoses as entry criteria or if they did not measure fatigue, disability, or functioning. Literature published between 1988 and 2021 was searched using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project assessment tool. Outcomes were synthesized when three or more studies reported outcomes obtained from the same validated measurement tool. The review included 15 publications comprising 1990 participants. Following CBT, and at short-term to medium-term follow-up, 44% considered themselves better and 11% considered themselves worse. Following GET, and at post-treatment to short-term follow-up, 43% considered themselves better and 14% considered themselves worse. These outcomes were 8–26% more favorable compared to control conditions. Two-thirds of studies were of moderate quality and the remainder were of weak quality. Limitations of this review relate to the clinical heterogeneity of studies and that most outcomes were self-reported. Results suggest some support for the positive effects of CBT and GET at short-term to medium-term follow-up although this requires further investigation given the inconsistent findings of previous reviews. Findings may not be generalizable to severe CFS. This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018086002).
Effects of self-stereotype on older adults' self-integrity through the intervening effects of sense of coherence and empathy
Authors: Rasool Abida , Zhang Baoshan , Dang Qingxiu , Lin Yao
Published: September 2022

Self-integrity plays a vital role in the psychological wellbeing of older adults. The present study investigated whether or not the confrontation with negative, self-stereotyped information leads to a deterioration of older adults' self-integrity. Additionally, the current study attempted to examine the mediating effects of sense of coherence and empathy on the relationship between self-stereotype and self-integrity. A total of 825 Chinese older adults aged 55 or above from Xi'an and Beijing were recruited as research participants. A self-stereotype scale, sense of coherence scale, interpersonal reactivity index and self-integrity scale were used. Results showed that self-stereotypes are negatively associated with sense of coherence, empathy and self-integrity. Furthermore, sense of coherence and empathy are positively associated with self-integrity and played important roles in mediating the relationship between self-stereotype and self-integrity. Findings of this study can contribute to an improved understanding of the mechanism of associations between self-stereotype and self-integrity in older adults. Lastly, results obtained can provide guidance for effectively improving older adults' self-integrity to limit the negative effects of self-stereotypes.
Weighted sufficientarianisms: Carl Knight on the excessiveness objection
Authors: Timmer Dick
Published: September 2022

Carl Knight argues that lexical sufficientarianism, which holds that sufficientarian concerns should have lexical priority over other distributive goals, is ‘excessive’ in many distinct ways and that sufficientarians should either defend weighted sufficientarianism or become prioritarians. In this article, I distinguish three types of weighted sufficientarianism and propose a weighted sufficientarian view that meets the excessiveness objection and is preferable to both Knight’s proposal and prioritarianism. More specifically, I defend a multi-threshold view which gives weighted priority to benefits directly above and below its thresholds, but gives benefits below the lowest threshold lexical priority over benefits above the highest threshold.
The Econ within or the Econ above? On the plausibility of preference purification
Authors: Beck Lukas
Published: September 2022

Scholars disagree about the plausibility of preference purification. Some see it as a familiar phenomenon. Others denounce it as conceptually incoherent, postulating that it relies on the psychologically implausible assumption of an inner rational agent. I argue that different notions of rationality can be leveraged to advance the debate: procedural rationality and structural rationality. I explicate how structural rationality, in contrast to procedural rationality, allows us to offer an account of the guiding idea behind preference purification that avoids inner rational agents. Afterward, I address two pressing challenges against preference purification that emerge under the structural rationality account.
The Polar Silk Road and the future governance of the Northern Sea Route
Authors: Liu Nengye , Solski Jan Jakub
Published: September 2022

This article examines China’s Polar Silk Road (PSR) and its legal implications for the future governance of the Northern Sea Route (NSR). It first discusses China’s economic and geopolitical interests in the so-called Polar Silk Road. The article then focuses on comparing Russian regulation of the NSR and Chinese regulation of foreign vessels as a coastal state. Both China and Russia are contracting parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The comparison of domestic legislations aims to provide a detailed analysis on convergence and divergence of their implementation and enforcement of the UNCLOS on issues related to freedom of navigation, especially when it comes to foreign vessels, including military vessels, within national jurisdiction. The comparative study, therefore, helps determine to what extent China could vocally shape the development the NSR regulations in an era of climate change.
Brainstem auditory-evoked responses among children afflicted by severely hypoxic CHD
Authors: Pliego-Rivero F. Bernardo , Isaac-Olivé Keila , Otero Gloria A.
Published: September 2022

Main aim:

To electrophysiologically determine the impact of moderate to severe chronic hypoxia (H) resulting from a wide array of CHD (HCHD) conditions on the integrity of brainstem function.

Materials and methods:

Applying brainstem auditory-evoked response methodology, 30 chronically afflicted HCHD patients, who already had undergone heart surgery, were compared to 28 healthy control children (1–15 yo) matched by age, gender and socioeconomic condition. Blood oxygen saturation was clinically determined and again immediately before brainstem auditory-evoked response testing.

Results:

Among HCHD children, auditory wave latencies (I, III and V) were significantly longer (medians: I, 2.02 ms; III, 4.12 ms, and; V, 6.30 ms) compared to control (medians: I, 1.67ms; III, 3.72 ms, and; V, 5.65 ms), as well as interpeak intervals (HCHD medians: I-V, 4.25 ms, and; III-V, 2.25ms; control medians: I-V, 3.90 ms and, III-V, 1.80 ms) without significant differences in wave amplitudes between groups. A statistically significant and inverse correlation between average blood oxygen saturation of each group (control, 94%; HCHD, 78%) and their respective wave latencies and interpeak intervals was found.

Conclusions:

As determined by brainstem auditory-evoked responses, young HCHD patients manifestly show severely altered neuronal conductivity in the auditory pathway strongly correlated with their hypoxic condition. These observations are strongly supported by different brainstem neurological and image studies showing that alterations, either in microstructure or function, result from the condition of chronic hypoxia in CHD. The non-altered wave amplitudes are indicative of relatively well-preserved neuronal relay nuclei.
The Evolution of Clinician-Academics in Paramedicine: Completing the Picture of Professionalism
Authors: Meadley Ben N. , Andrews Tim , Delardes Belinda J. , Shannon Brendan P.
Published: September 2022

Paramedicine is an evolving and integral component of the health system, though the profession has historically relied on medicine and nursing to drive a research agenda. Now, with a well-established research presence, still lacking is the formalized role of the clinician-academic. In this opinion piece, the authors detail how paramedic clinician-academics can drive the profession forward, contribute to enhanced patient care, systems design, and staff well-being.
Validation of the NIH Toolbox-Cognition Battery against legacy neurocognitive measures in adults with cognitive impairments: An exploratory analysis
Authors: Kringle Emily A. , Novelli Enrico M. , Butters Meryl A. , Skidmore Elizabeth R.
Published: September 2022

Objective:

The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe associations between NIH Toolbox-Cognition Battery subtests and legacy measures of neurocognitive function in two samples with neurological conditions (stroke and sickle cell disease (SCD)).

Method:

This exploratory secondary analysis uses data from two studies that assessed cognition at one time point using the NIH Toolbox-Cognition Battery, the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and subtests from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Functions System (DKEFS). People with stroke (n = 26) and SCD (n = 64) were included. Associations between the NIH Toolbox-Cognition Battery subtests and corresponding legacy measures were examined using linear correlations, Bland–Altman analysis, and Lin’s Concordance Correlation Coefficient.

Results:

Linear correlations and Lin’s Concordance Correlation Coefficient were poor to strong in both samples on NIH Toolbox-CB subtests: Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention (r = .35 to .48, Lin CCC = .27 to .37), Pattern Comparison Processing Speed (r = .40 to .65, Lin CCC = .37 to .62), Picture Sequence Memory (r = .19 to .55, Lin CCC = .18 to .48), Dimensional Change Card Sort (r = .39 to .77, Lin CCC = .38 to .63), Fluid Cognition Composite (r = .88 to .90, Lin CCC = .60 to .79), and Total Cognition Composite (r = .64 to .83, Lin CCC = .60 to .78). Bland–Altman analyses demonstrated wide limits of agreement across all subtests (–3.17 to 3.78).

Conclusions:

The NIH Toolbox-Cognition Battery subtests may behave similarly to legacy measures as an overall assessment of cognition across samples at risk for neurological impairment. Findings should be replicated across additional clinical samples.
Longitudinal change in serial position scores in older adults with entorhinal and hippocampal neuropathologies
Authors: Gicas Kristina M. , Honer William G. , Leurgans Sue E. , Wilson Robert S. , Boyle Patricia A. , Schneider Julie A. , Bennett David A.
Published: September 2022

Objective:

Serial position scores on verbal memory tests are sensitive to early Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related neuropathological changes that occur in the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. The current study examines longitudinal change in serial position scores as markers of subtle cognitive decline in older adults who may be in preclinical or at-risk states for AD.

Methods:

This study uses longitudinal data from the Religious Orders Study and the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Participants (n = 141) were included if they did not have dementia at enrollment, completed follow-up assessments, and died and were classified as Braak stage I or II. Memory tests were used to calculate serial position (primacy, recency), total recall, and episodic memory composite scores. A neuropathological evaluation quantified AD, vascular, and Lewy body pathologies. Mixed effects models were used to examine change in memory scores. Neuropathologies and covariates (age, sex, education, APOE e4) were examined as moderators.

Results:

Primacy scores declined (β = −.032, p < .001), whereas recency scores increased (β = .021, p = .012). No change was observed in standard memory measures. Greater neurofibrillary tangle density and atherosclerosis explained 10.4% of the variance in primacy decline. Neuropathologies were not associated with recency change.

Conclusions:

In older adults with hippocampal neuropathologies, primacy score decline may be a sensitive marker of early AD-related changes. Tangle density and atherosclerosis had additive effects on decline. Recency improvement may reflect a compensatory mechanism. Monitoring for changes in serial position scores may be a useful in vivo method of tracking incipient AD.
Food security and feeding behaviours in low-income, Latinx families with preschool-aged children
Authors: Foster Byron A , Linville Deanna , Miller-Bedell Emma Rose , Mahjoub Hannah
Published: September 2022

Objective:

To examine the association between food security and feeding practices in Latinx parents of pre-school-aged children and examine possible effect modification by parental self-efficacy.

Design:

Cross-sectional assessment using the US Department of Agriculture screener for food insecurity as the exposure and sub-scales of the Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire as the outcome with the General Self-Efficacy Scale as an effect modifier. Non-parametric descriptive statistics were used to compare groups based on food security status.

Setting:

Two Latinx communities with low-socioeconomic status in Texas in 2017 and in Oregon in 2018–2019.

Participants:

Latinx parents of preschool aged children, English and Spanish speaking. Dyads were excluded if they had moderate-severe developmental disabilities, a seizure disorder with a restrictive diet or taking medications known to influence typical growth.

Results:

Of the 168 families in Oregon, 65 (38 %) reported food insecurity, and 10 (21 %) of the 48 families in Texas reported food insecurity. Food security was associated with greater parental monitoring practices in both the Texas and Oregon samples. We observed no differences in creating a healthy home food environment by food security status in either sample. Parental general self-efficacy showed evidence of effect modification in Oregon - only parents with lower self-efficacy showed a significant association between food security and feeding practices.

Conclusions:

Latinx parents of preschool children experience high levels of food insecurity, which are associated with maladaptive parental feeding practices. Greater parental general self-efficacy moderates this association and could buffer the effects of food insecurity on children’s health.
Die Spiegelkonfrontationstherapie zur Behandlung von Körperbildstörungen bei Essstörungen – Evidenz, Wirkmechanismen und Vorgehensweise
Authors: Naumann Eva , Werthmann Jessica , Vocks Silja , Svaldi Jennifer , Hartmann Andrea S.
Published: September 2022

Zusammenfassung. Körperbildprobleme sind ein Kernmerkmal von Essstörungen. Daher gilt eine Verbesserung des Körperbildes bei der Behandlung von Essstörungen als zentrales Therapieziel. Verschiedene empirische Befunde weisen auf die Spiegelkonfrontation als wirksame Methode zur Reduktion von Körperbildstörungen hin. Ziel dieses Übersichtsartikels ist es, den aktuellen Stand der wissenschaftlichen Literatur zum Thema Spiegelkonfrontationstherapie bei Essstörungen darzulegen. Insbesondere sollen die Wirksamkeitsstudien getrennt für nicht-klinische, körperunzufriedene Gruppen mit und ohne Übergewicht sowie die verschiedenen Essstörungsgruppen systematisiert und unterschiedliche Vorgehensweisen beschrieben werden. Der Übersichtsartikel liefert Hinweise dafür, dass die Spiegelkonfrontationstherapie bei Hochrisikogruppen mit erhöhter Körperunzufriedenheit sowie bei Essstörungen zu positiven Veränderungen hinsichtlich der kognitiv-affektiven und behavioralen Komponente des Körperbildes führt. Jedoch mangelt es insgesamt an randomisiert-kontrollierten Studien, die die Wirksamkeit der Spiegelkonfrontationstherapie mit ausreichend großen Stichproben gezielt untersuchen – vor allem bei der Anorexia nervosa. Der Übersichtsartikel schließt mit einer Diskussion über mögliche Wirkmechanismen, (Kontra–)‌Indikationen und einem Ausblick für zukünftige Forschung ab.
Seismic Scattering Property Changes Correlate With Ground Deformation at Suwanosejima Volcano, Japan
Authors: Hirose Takashi , Ueda Hideki , Fujita Eisuke
Published: September 2022

Continuous estimation of changes in seismic velocity and seismic scattering property by passive interferometry using seismic ambient noise is a promising tool for monitoring volcanoes. To improve the usefulness of this method, it is necessary not only to detect subsurface structural changes but also to quantitatively compare the estimated changes in seismic wave velocity and seismic wave scattering property with other observations, such as ground deformation. We applied passive interferometry to continuous seismic records from the Suwanosejima volcano, Japan, recorded between April 2017 and December 2021. We detected repeated significant waveform decorrelations in seismic ambient noise cross‐correlation functions (CCFs), indicating changes in seismic scattering property in the shallow areas of the volcano. These decorrelations were observed from 2 weeks to a few days before the increase in the number of explosions, suggesting that seismic scattering properties changed significantly during that period. We found that the timing of the decorrelation in seismic ambient noise CCFs and tilt changes related to magma accumulation and injection beneath Suwanosejima were well synchronized. The high correlation between the amounts of decorrelation and the tilt change during the magma accumulation period possibly suggests that a large volume of accumulated magma caused great changes in the scattering property. These results provide a significant first step toward a quantitative comparison of the amount of changes in the scattering property with the amount of magma accumulation beneath volcanoes.
Dental stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles transfer miR-330-5p to treat traumatic brain injury by regulating microglia polarization
Authors: Li Ye , Sun Meng , Wang Xinxin , Cao Xiaoyu , Li Na , Pei Dandan , Li Ang
Published: September 2022

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) contributes to the key causative elements of neurological deficits. However, no effective therapeutics have been developed yet. In our previous work, extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) offered new insights as potential strategies for functional recovery of TBI. The current study aims to elucidate the mechanism of action, providing novel therapeutic targets for future clinical interventions. With the miRNA array performed and Real-time PCR validated, we revealed the crucial function of miR-330-5p transferred by SHED-derived EVs (SHED-EVs) in regulating microglia, the critical immune modulator in central nervous system. MiR-330-5p targeted Ehmt2 and mediated the transcription of CXCL14 to promote M2 microglia polarization and inhibit M1 polarization. Identified in our in vivo data, SHED-EVs and their effector miR-330-5p alleviated the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and resumed the motor functional recovery of TBI rats. In summary, by transferring miR-330-5p, SHED-EVs favored anti-inflammatory microglia polarization through Ehmt2 mediated CXCL14 transcription in treating traumatic brain injury.
A 3D-printed molybdenum-containing scaffold exerts dual pro-osteogenic and anti-osteoclastogenic effects to facilitate alveolar bone repair
Authors: Tian Beimin , Li Xuan , Zhang Jiujiu , Zhang Meng , Gan Dian , Deng Daokun , Sun Lijuan , He Xiaotao , Wu Chengtie , Chen Faming
Published: September 2022

The positive regulation of bone-forming osteoblast activity and the negative feedback regulation of osteoclastic activity are equally important in strategies to achieve successful alveolar bone regeneration. Here, a molybdenum (Mo)-containing bioactive glass ceramic scaffold with solid-strut-packed structures (Mo-scaffold) was printed, and its ability to regulate pro-osteogenic and anti-osteoclastogenic cellular responses was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. We found that extracts derived from Mo-scaffold (Mo-extracts) strongly stimulated osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and inhibited differentiation of osteoclast progenitors. The identified comodulatory effect was further demonstrated to arise from Mo ions in the Mo-extract, wherein Mo ions suppressed osteoclastic differentiation by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibiting mitochondrial biogenesis in osteoclasts. Consistent with the in vitro findings, the Mo-scaffold was found to significantly promote osteoblast-mediated bone formation and inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption throughout the bone healing process, leading to enhanced bone regeneration. In combination with our previous finding that Mo ions participate in material-mediated immunomodulation, this study offers the new insight that Mo ions facilitate bone repair by comodulating the balance between bone formation and resorption. Our findings suggest that Mo ions are multifunctional cellular modulators that can potentially be used in biomaterial design and bone tissue engineering.