bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating the Black Birth Experience: A Race-Stratified Analysis of Preterm Birth Risk and Exposure to Metropolitan Statistical Area-Level Police-Related Deaths, US 2018–2019
Authors: Dyer Lauren , Judson Jé , Jahn Jaquelyn L. , Wallace Maeve
Published: May 2024

Police-related violence may be a source of chronic stress underlying entrenched racial inequities in reproductive health in the USA. Using publicly available data on police-related fatalities, we estimated total and victim race-specific rates of police-related fatalities (deaths per 100,000 population) in 2018–2019 for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) and counties within MSAs in the USA. Rates were linked to data on live births by maternal MSA and county of residence. We fit adjusted log-Poisson models with generalized estimating equations and cluster-robust standard errors to estimate the relative risk of preterm birth associated with the middle and highest tertiles of police-related fatalities compared to the lowest tertile. We included a test for heterogeneity by maternal race/ethnicity and additionally fit race/ethnicity-stratified models for associations with victim race/ethnicity-specific police-related fatality rates. Fully adjusted models indicated significant adverse associations between police-related fatality rates and relative risk of preterm birth for the total population, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White groups separately. Results confirm the role of fatal police violence as a social determinant of population health outcomes and inequities, including preterm birth.
Wo soll’s hingehen, kleiner Fisch? Eine konzeptuelle Replikation von Dumont et al. (2017) zu Schulformeffekten auf akademisches Selbstkonzept, schulische Motivation und die Einschätzung eigener Ausbildungschancen am Ende der Sekundarstufe I
Authors: Grünthal Sarah , Kretschmann Julia , Brunner Martin
Published: May 2024

Als konzeptuelle Replikation von Dumont et al. (2017) untersucht diese Studie Effekte der Schulform auf das akademische Selbstkonzept, die Einschätzung eigener Ausbildungschancen und die schulische Motivation von Schüler:innen an nicht-gymnasialen Schulzweigen gegen Ende der Pflichtschulzeit in Klasse 9. Dabei wird anhand von Mehrebenenanalysen geprüft, inwiefern der antizipierte Schulabschluss (mittlerer Schulabschluss [MSA] vs. Hauptschulabschluss [HSA]) und die Klassenzusammensetzung zur Erklärung der Schulformeffekte beitragen. Grundlage der Analysen bilden NEPS-Daten der Startkohorte 3 aus fünf Bundesländern. Um zu prüfen, ob die Effekte über die Zeit variieren, wird zusätzlich zu Klasse 9 (N = 1277) noch ein weiterer Messzeitpunkt in Klasse 5 herangezogen (N = 1572). Die Ergebnisse bestätigen, dass Schüler:innen, die einen mittleren Schulabschluss anstrebten, unter Kontrolle ihrer eigenen Testleistung, der Testleistungen ihrer Mitschüler:innen und der besuchten Schulform, nicht nur höhere Selbstkonzepte im Bereich Lesen und allgemein Schule berichteten, sondern auch eine höhere leistungs- und berufsbezogene Lernmotivation vorwiesen, als Schüler:innen, die planten, die Schule mit einem Hauptschulabschluss zu beenden. Dabei fielen die Ergebnisse zu beiden Messzeitpunkten ähnlich aus. Lehrkräfte sollten also dafür sensibilisiert werden, dass schon die Antizipation des Erwerbs eines niedrigeren Schulabschlusses, über Effekte von Schulform und Klassenzusammensetzung hinaus, Nachteile für die motivationale Entwicklung der Schüler:innen mit sich bringen kann.
Reversibility of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Markers During Long-Term Glucose Starvation in Astrocytes
Authors: Voelz Clara , Schaack Lena E. M. , Kogel Vanessa , Beyer Cordian , Seitz Jochen , Trinh Stefanie
Published: May 2024

Previous studies have demonstrated a brain volume decrease linked to long-term starvation in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). Food intake is critically diminished in this disorder, leading to one of the highest mortality rates within the psychiatric disease spectrum. As reported in animal models, astrocytes seem to be the most affected cell type in AN. In a recently established primary cell culture model, an elevated unfolded protein response (UPR) was observed in long-term glucose semi-starved astrocytes. A well-functioning protein machinery is essential for every cell, and prolonged UPR will lead to cell death. As a nucleic acid stress-sensing pathway with the activator located in the endoplasmic reticulum, the regulation of the cGAS-STING pathway (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase/stimulator of interferon genes) was additionally investigated in the starvation context. In the current study, a glucose semi-starvation protocol of 15 days, during which cells were supplied with 2 mM glucose in the medium, was prolonged with an additional 6-day long recovery period. Our findings showed that increased UPR mRNA expression was reversible after re-establishing the standard glucose concentration of 25 mM. Furthermore, we were able to verify the presence of cGAS and STING in astrocytes with a characteristic presence of cGAS in the astrocyte nucleus during starvation. A correlation between STING and the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) could be established, hinting at a conditional presence of STING with a specific astrocyte phenotype.

Graphical Abstract
Harmonic Spinors in the Ricci Flow
Authors: Baldauf Julius
Published: May 2024

This paper provides a new definition of the Ricci flow on closed manifolds admitting harmonic spinors. It is shown that Perelman’s Ricci flow entropy can be expressed in terms of the energy of harmonic spinors in all dimensions, and in four dimensions, in terms of the energy of Seiberg–Witten monopoles. Consequently, Ricci flow is the gradient flow of these energies. The proof relies on a weighted version of the monopole equations, introduced here. Further, a sharp parabolic Hitchin–Thorpe inequality for simply-connected, spin 4-manifolds is proven. From this, it follows that the normalized Ricci flow on any exotic K3 surface must become singular.
Germline polymorphisms of the NOD2 pathway may predict the effectiveness of radioiodine in differentiated thyroid cancer treatment
Authors: Borowczyk M. , Kaczmarek-Ryś M. , Hryhorowicz S. , Sypniewski M. , Filipowicz D. , Dobosz P. , Oszywa M. , Ruchała M. , Ziemnicka K.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) presents a complex clinical challenge, especially in patients with distant metastases and resistance to standard treatments. This study aimed to investigate the influence of specific genes and their germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to both inflammatory processes and other neoplasms on the clinical and pathological characteristics of DTC, particularly their potential impact on radioiodine (RAI) treatment efficacy.

Methods

This retrospective analysis involved a cohort of 646 patients diagnosed with DTC after thyroidectomy. Study covering 1998–2014, updated in 2023, included 567 women and 79 men (median age: 49; range: 7–83). SNP selection targeted functional significance, while mutational status was assessed by pyrosequencing for comprehensive characterization. Patient genetic profiles were assessed for associations with disease characteristics, RAI response, and cancer pathology.

Results

Significant correlations emerged between certain SNPs and DTC features. Notably, the NOD2 c.802 T > C variant (rs2066842) was identified as a marker distinguishing between papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and follicular thyroid cancer (FTC). Moreover, the c.802 T allele was associated with an enhanced response to RAI treatment, indicating a more substantial decrease in posttreatment stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) concentrations. The NFKB1A allele c.126A (rs696) exhibited connections with lower FTC stages and a reduced probability of multifocality.

Conclusion

This study explored the molecular mechanisms of particular SNPs, highlighting the role of NOD2 in innate immunity and the stress response, and its potential impact on RAI efficacy. This research underscores the clinical promise of SNP analysis and contributes to personalized treatment strategies for DTC, emphasizing the relevance of genetic factors in cancer progression and treatment outcomes.
Sound event detection in traffic scenes based on graph convolutional network to obtain multi-modal information
Authors: Jiang Yanji , Guo Dingxu , Wang Lan , Zhang Haitao , Dong Hao , Qiu Youli , Zou Huiwen
Published: May 2024

Sound event detection involves identifying sound categories in audio and determining when they start and end. However, in real-life situations, sound events are usually not isolated. When one sound event occurs, there are often other related sound events that take place as co-occurrences or successive occurrences. The timing relationship of sound events can reflect their characteristics. Therefore, this paper proposes a sound event detection method for traffic scenes based on a graph convolutional network, which considers this timing relationship as a form of multimodal information. The proposed method involves using the acoustic event window method to obtain co-occurrences or successive occurrences of relationship information in the sound signal while filtering out possible noise relationship information. This information is then represented as a graphical structure. Next, the graph convolutional neural network is improved to balance relationship weights between neighbors and itself and to avoid excessive smoothing. It is used to learn the relationship information in the graph structure. Finally, the convolutional recurrent neural network is used to learn the acoustic feature information of sound events, and the relationship information of sound events is obtained by multi-modal fusion to enhance the performance of sound event detection. The experimental results show that using multi-modal information with the proposed method can effectively improve the performance of the model and enhance the perception ability of smart cars in their surrounding environment while driving.
Branch-Chain-Rich Diisopropyl Ether with Steric Hindrance Facilitates Stable Cycling of Lithium Batteries at − 20 °C
Authors: Li Houzhen , Kang Yongchao , Wei Wangran , Yan Chuncheng , Ma Xinrui , Chen Hao , Sang Yuanhua , Liu Hong , Wang Shuhua
Published: May 2024

Li metal batteries (LMBs) offer significant potential as high energy density alternatives; nevertheless, their performance is hindered by the slow desolvation process of electrolytes, particularly at low temperatures (LT), leading to low coulombic efficiency and limited cycle stability. Thus, it is essential to optimize the solvation structure thereby achieving a rapid desolvation process in LMBs at LT. Herein, we introduce branch chain-rich diisopropyl ether (DIPE) into a 2.5 M Li bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide dipropyl ether (DPE) electrolyte as a co-solvent for high-performance LMBs at − 20 °C. The incorporation of DIPE not only enhances the disorder within the electrolyte, but also induces a steric hindrance effect form DIPE’s branch chain, excluding other solvent molecules from Li+ solvation sheath. Both of these factors contribute to the weak interactions between Li+ and solvent molecules, effectively reducing the desolvation energy of the electrolyte. Consequently, Li (50 μm)||LFP (mass loading ~ 10 mg cm−2) cells in DPE/DIPE based electrolyte demonstrate stable performance over 650 cycles at − 20 °C, delivering 87.2 mAh g−1, and over 255 cycles at 25 °C with 124.8 mAh g−1. DIPE broadens the electrolyte design from molecular structure considerations, offering a promising avenue for highly stable LMBs at LT.
Optimizing energy modeling in PBF-LB/M metal additive manufacturing: a detailed analysis of resource and energy demand based on standard tensile test specimen
Authors: Brinkmann Joachim , Aurich Jan C. , te Heesen Henrik
Published: May 2024

Additive manufacturing is an essential tool in modern production processes. Competitive quality and the increasing importance of local manufacturing have allowed companies to maintain their production despite supply chains disrupted by the pandemic. However, the rising awareness of society towards environmental and climate protection, the increasing demand for resource-efficient products, and recent developments in energy costs are leading to a rethink in manufacturing processes. Additive manufacturing offers great potential for resource saving components. This study uses standard tensile test specimens to analyze AM processes regarding energy and material flows. The results show a high dependence of energy demand on process time and are transformed into a data-based energy model. Compared to previous energy models, the accuracy can be significantly improved using model data in combination with specific and system-oriented approaches. In addition to system-related saving potentials, design-related optimization potentials can be identified. Innovative and highly resource-saving components can be designed with a design methodology adapted to the extended degrees of freedom of AM. Further saving and recycling potentials can be identified along the material flows. A long-term goal is optimizing and predicting of resource demand in additive manufacturing with a view to the entire product lifecycle.
Development of a method to investigate the influence of engine oil and its additives on combustion anomalies in hydrogen engines
Authors: Gschiel Kevin , Wilfling Kevin , Schneider Michael
Published: May 2024

To counteract the anticipated consequences of climate change, significant efforts are required across all industries. The use of hydrogen in internal combustion engines can make a valuable contribution as a carbon-neutral bridging technology. One challenge in developing a suitable combustion process is the high ignition propensity of hydrogen, impacting combustion stability due to combustion anomalies. Avoiding such combustion phenomena is of utmost relevance to ensure a long-term stable engine operation. Oil entry into the combustion chamber can impact the occurrence of combustion anomalies. Therefore, a specific method for controlled oil entry into the combustion chamber has been developed, and this method is detailed in the following article.
“Maybe They Don’t Necessarily Realize the Damage They Can Do…”: A Qualitative Study on Bystanders to Non-consensual Forwarding of Nudes Among Adolescents in Switzerland
Authors: Barrense-Dias Yara , Suris Joan-Carles , Chok Lorraine
Published: May 2024

Peers can positively or negatively influence situations where nudes are forwarded without the original sender’s consent. This study aims to explore opinions and representations of adolescents regarding bystanders’ reactions to nudes being forwarded without consent. Discussions through focus groups (FG) were facilitated with vignettes using quotes related to bystanders. While discussions revolved around the quotes, acting as scenarios, most participants referred to personal experiences as most knew such situations in their social circles. Between May and June 2021, 42 adolescents (23 females) aged between 14 and 17 years participated in eight online FG. A thematic content analysis was performed. Participants reported different levels of bystanders’ responsibility depending on whether one does nothing, reacts by laughing or insulting, or continues to share, this last action being, for most, the most serious one. Several active behaviors were mentioned: shunning the victim, gossiping, laughing, mocking, insulting, and prolonging the sharing. Peer pressure, fear of retaliation, emotional management, friendships, age, and gender were explanations for the different bystanders’ behaviors. There is a lack of awareness of peers’ responsibility regarding nudes being forwarded without consent. It is essential to include bystanders in prevention strategies to make them aware of their influential role within the social dynamic. Demonstrating the weight that the group, collectively, can have in such situations could encourage bystanders to play a proactive role, fostering a sense of responsibility and empowerment. Deconstructing gender stereotypes from an early age is crucial to reduce violence related to power imbalances, discrimination, or expectations associated with gender roles.
Parental Perspectives on Principals’ Responses to Homophobic, Biphobic, and Transphobic Bullying in Australian High Schools: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Hanlon Laura G. , Webb Stephanie N. , Chonody Jill M. , Price Deborah A. , Kavanagh Phillip S.
Published: May 2024

School principals may be well-placed to establish safe and affirming school climates for gender and sexuality diverse students by upholding zero-tolerance policies for homophobic, biphobic, and/or transphobic (HBT) bullying. Few qualitative investigations have examined how leaders are perceived, by those with vested interest, to be exercising their powers in this regard. Parents and caregivers (N = 16) completed a qualitative online questionnaire about their experiences navigating school responses to the HBT bullying of their child. Responses were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings indicate that principals were often either a first point of contact or an option for escalation. Intervention efforts were favourably appraised where empathy for the targeted student was accompanied by quick and decisive action. When this did not occur, participants described the injurious effects of inaction, prejudiced attitudes, and minimisation of the impact of non-physical bullying on both them and their child. We discuss implications for principals and schools with respect to the significant consequences of non-intervention.
Improving and Predicting the Surface Roughness and the Machining Accuracy in Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Milling
Authors: Baraya Mohamed , Yan Jiwang , Hossam Mohab
Published: May 2024

The present research work amis to develop a controlled vibratory system for improving the performance of slotting process based on the vibration-assisted milling technique. In addition, the establishment of a statistical model for predicting the process efficiency was a key aim target.

In the current investigation, an ultrasonic vibratory device was designed to provide vibration oscillations in the cutting feed direction to the 7075 aluminum alloy workpiece side at 34.7 kHz frequency and 10 μm amplitude. A LabView code has been developed to control the input vibration parameters. A full factorial design of experiments with 4 factors and 2 levels was conducted. An in-depth statistical analysis is then implemented to study the effect of machining and vibration parameters on the process performance. Then, a statistical model for predicting the process response in terms of cutting force, surface roughness, and machining accuracy has been established.

Some experiments showed a significant reduction in cutting force up to 50% in the feed direction. Additionally, an improvement in workpiece surface roughness was recorded. Regarding the machined surface accuracy, introducing ultrasonic vibrations significantly reduces the produced slot width error compared to Conventional Milling (CM).

The developed statistical model shows a very well agreement with the experimental results. Therefore, the developed VAM technique is suitable for manufacturing parts that require high geometrical and dimensional accuracy.
Synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticle conjugated-chalcones and their evaluation for antimalarial, cytotoxicity and haemolytic potential at in vitro level
Authors: Sinha Shweta , Kaur Amandeep , Sehgal Rakesh
Published: May 2024

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have shown a wide range of antimicrobial activities over the last 2 decades, but little is known about their antimalarial activity. Therefore, in the present study, AgNPs were surface functionalized by chalcones to create an efficient bioactive molecular surface that can enhance the antimalarial competency of both chalcones as well as chemically synthesized AgNPs. The AgNPs-conjugated chalcones have been synthesized using a chemical method employing the EDC-NHS coupling method. The characterization of AgNPs and AgNPs-conjugated chalcones was done through various analytical techniques. The SYBR Green I assay was performed for in vitro antimalarial activity, and cell cytotoxicity was done on HeLa cell line with MTT assay to calculate the IC50 and CC50, respectively. Haemolytic effect on fresh RBCs of these nanoconjugates were observed for 3 h and 24 h. AgNPs and AgNPs-conjugated chalcones have spectra at 420 nm and between 350 and 375 nm, respectively. The IC50 values of all the three conjugates for antimalarial activity ranged from 0.30 to 0.80 μg/mL. The present study provides a new method of synthesizing AgNPs-conjugated chalcones. Also, these synthesized conjugates show better antimalarial potential and reduced cellular toxicity compared to bared chalcones under an in vitro culture system. However, a further pre-clinical study on the murine model of malaria along with toxicity parameters is needed to provide more clarity.

Graphical abstract
Agricultural producer and non-producer perceptions of crop residue burning: a focus on arkansas
Authors: Hyink Jillian , Bresnahan Ryan , McFadden Brandon R. , Shew Aaron M. , Mitchell James
Published: May 2024

Agricultural producers adopt management practices that positively and negatively affect the lives of non-producers in their communities. CRB has important environmental and human health implications, and local non-producers might have different perceptions and attitudes from agricultural producers about crop residue burning. In this paper, we use a multi-stakeholder approach to study the issue of crop residue burning (CRB). Survey data were collected from a sample of producers in Arkansas who burn crop residue and a sample of non-producers who resided in the same counties as the producers. Non-producers may not be willing to compensate producers at an amount that would reduce the use of CBR. Non-producers do not fully understand some of the benefits of CRB, like reduced tillage or equipment savings cost, and producers are less likely to perceive increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a negative externality associated with CRB. A multi-stakeholder approach can provide more depth and breadth to understanding complex decisions about farm management practices, and these results have implications for policies that incentivize adopting best farm management practices.
Addressing corrigibility in near-future AI systems
Authors: Firt Erez
Published: May 2024

When we discuss future advanced autonomous AI systems, one of the worries is that these systems will be capable enough to resist external intervention, even when such intervention is crucial, for example, when the system is not behaving as intended. The rationale behind such worries is that such intelligent systems will be motivated to resist attempts to modify or shut them down so they can preserve their objectives. To mitigate and face these worries, we want our future systems to be corrigible, i.e., to tolerate, cooperate or assist many forms of outside correction. One important reason for considering corrigibility as an important safety property is that we already know how hard it is to construct AI agents with a generalized enough utility function; and the more advanced and capable the agent is, the more it is unlikely that a complex baseline utility function built into it will be perfect from the start. In this paper, we try to achieve corrigibility in (at least) systems based on known or near-future (imaginable) technology, by endorsing and integrating different approaches to building AI-based systems. Our proposal replaces the attempts to provide a corrigible utility function with the proposed corrigible software architecture; this takes the agency off the RL agent – which now becomes an RL solver – and grants it to the system as a whole.
Evaluating ChatGPT-4 in medical education: an assessment of subject exam performance reveals limitations in clinical curriculum support for students
Authors: Mackey Brendan P. , Garabet Razmig , Maule Laura , Tadesse Abay , Cross James , Weingarten Michael
Published: May 2024

This study evaluates the proficiency of ChatGPT-4 across various medical specialties and assesses its potential as a study tool for medical students preparing for the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 and related clinical subject exams. ChatGPT-4 answered board-level questions with 89% accuracy, but showcased significant discrepancies in performance across specialties. Although it excelled in psychiatry, neurology, and obstetrics and gynecology, it underperformed in pediatrics, emergency medicine, and family medicine. These variations may be potentially attributed to the depth and recency of training data as well as the scope of the specialties assessed. Specialties with significant interdisciplinary overlap had lower performance, suggesting complex clinical scenarios pose a challenge to the AI. In terms of the future, the overall efficacy of ChatGPT-4 indicates a promising supplemental role in medical education, but performance inconsistencies across specialties in the current version lead us to recommend that medical students use AI with caution.
Making the Holy Roman Empire Holy
Authors: Sulovsky Vedran
Published: May 2024

How did the Holy Roman Empire (sacrum imperium) become Holy? In this innovative book, Vedran Sulovsky explores the reign of Frederick Barbarossa (1152–1190), offering a new analysis of the key documents, artworks, and contemporary scholarship used to celebrate and commemorate the imperial regime, especially in the imperial coronation site and Charlemagne's mausoleum, the Marienkirche in Aachen. By dismantling the Kulturkampf-inspired view of the history of the Holy Roman Empire – which was supposedly desacralised in the Investiture Controversy, and then resacralised by Barbarossa and the Reichskanzler Rainald of Dassel – Sulovsky, using new evidence, reveals the personal relations between various courtiers which led to the rise of the new, holy name of the Empire. Annals, chronicles, charters, forgeries, letters, liturgical texts and objects, relics, insignia, seals, architecture and rituals have all been exploited by Sulovsky to piece together a mosaic that shows the true roots of sacrum imperium.
Exclusion and Extremism
Authors: Williams Kipling D.
Published: May 2024

The question of how people develop extreme, radical or even terrorist ideas and behaviors is one which is attracting more and more scientific attention. There are many factors that contribute to such extremist attitudes. This book focuses on one specific contributor which has received only little attention in the past: social exclusion. Recent research shows that being kept apart from others, physically or emotionally, is a powerful event in people's lives. The chapters provide an overview of the existing body of research for the first time and explore the exclusion-extremism link in depth by gathering together a seminal collection of essays, written by leading social psychologists. Timely, novel, and highly instructive, this volume delivers an expert understanding of psychological underpinnings of such behavior and offer inspiration for future research.
A cluster of Candida parapsilosis displaying fluconazole-trailing in a neonatal intensive care unit successfully contained by multiple infection-control interventions
Authors: Baba Hiroaki , Kanamori Hajime , Nakayama Asami , Sato Takami , Katsumi Makoto , Chida Takae , Ikeda Shinobu , Seki Rio , Arai Teppei , Kamei Katsuhiko , Tokuda Koichi
Published: May 2024

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate and contain a cluster of invasive candidiasis cases caused by fluconazole-resistant Candida parapsilosis (FRC) in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Methods:

Active surveillance was initiated. Direct observations of hand-hygiene compliance (HHC) among staff were conducted before and after the implementation of hand-hygiene (HH) education. Thirty-five environmental cultures were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis of FRC was performed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and microsatellite genotyping.

Results:

A total of 14 patients (mean birth weight = 860 g, gestational age = 25 weeks) infected with FRC were identified using the fully automated analyzer, including 5 with clinical infection (three with catheter-related bloodstream infection, one with cutaneous infection, and one with fatal peritonitis) and 9 with colonization. The HHC rate in nurses before performing a sterile or aseptic procedure significantly improved after the HH education (P < .05). Sinks near the patients were contaminated with FRC. All FRC strains were confirmed to be susceptible to fluconazole using the CLSI method, and the microdilution procedure indicated a trailing effect. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all the fluconazole-trailing isolates from patients were clustered together and had the same genotype. Sinks were successfully decontaminated using accelerated hydrogen peroxide and drainage pipes were replaced. Ultraviolet-C decontamination was applied in the milk preparation room. No new cases were detected after the education and disinfection interventions.

Conclusions:

Sinks are an important reservoir of C. parapsilosis. Active surveillance, environmental hygiene, and constant staff education on maintaining a high level of HHC are necessary to limit the spread of C. parapsilosis.
Organically Grown Archaeological Databases and their ‘Messiness’: Hobby Metal Detecting in Norway
Authors: Axelsen Irmelin , Fredriksen Caroline
Published: May 2024

Hobby metal detecting in Norway has grown since 2014. In the Norwegian recording system, all finds are catalogued by professionals at five regional museums. The examination of the dataset thus created allows the authors to look at regional and national patterns and discuss the inherently messy and ‘human’ nature of a seemingly quantitative material. Their study suggests that both archaeologists and detectorists influence the quality of the evidence and how representative the data are. They argue that metal detecting patterns are primarily the result of modern activities, such as management practices and the endeavours of a few very prolific detectorists in certain areas. Understanding these biases and systematically recording the activities of the actors involved is crucial if we are to make full use of the metal-detected material.
Psychological interventions for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties aged 5–12 years: An evidence review
Authors: Brown Felicity L. , Lee Catherine , Servili Chiara , Willhoite Ann , Van Ommeren Mark , Hijazi Zeinab , Kieselbach Berit , Skeen Sarah
Published: May 2024

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), children and families face a multitude of risk factors for mental health and well-being. These risks are even further exacerbated in humanitarian emergencies. However, access to effective mental health services in such settings is severely limited, leading to a large mental health treatment gap. Middle childhood (5–12 years) is a crucial period for human development during which symptoms of emotional distress often emerge, with one in three mental disorders developing prior to age 14. However, there is little evidence of effective psychological interventions for children in this developmental stage, and suitable for implementation within LMICs and humanitarian emergencies. We conducted this evidence review to inform the development of a new intervention package based on existing best practice for this age group, drawing insights from both global and LMIC resources. Our review synthesizes the findings of 52 intervention studies from LMICs and humanitarian settings; 53 existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses covering both LMICs and high-income countries, and 15 technical guidelines. Overall, there is limited high-quality evidence from which to draw recommendations for this age group; however, some promising intervention approaches were identified for children experiencing externalizing and internalizing symptoms, traumatic stress and a combination of difficulties. Several effective interventions utilize cognitive-behavioral techniques for children, in either group or individual format, and incorporate caregiver skills training into treatment, although the findings are mixed. Most evaluated interventions use specialists as delivery agents and are lengthy, which poses challenges for scale-up in settings where financial and human resources are scarce. These findings will inform the development of new psychological interventions for children in this age group with emotional and behavioral difficulties.
Socialist Sex Education and Its Transnational Entanglements: Monika Krause and the Effort to “Teach Tenderness” to the People
Authors: Töpper Daniel
Published: May 2024

This article traces the transnational circulation of socialist reforms in the field of sex education through the work of Monika Krause, a citizen of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) who migrated to Cuba and became the “Cuban Queen of Condoms.” For Krause, the overarching goal of sex education was to “teach tenderness” to the people. The socialist state’s mission to prepare the population for love, marriage, partnership, and family in Cuba and the GDR involved using complex measures. This paper describes these, contextualizes them in transnational debates, and explains some of the internal reasoning behind their institutionalization. It also explains why looking at state-level efforts to “teach tenderness to the people” matters for a transnational history of sex education.
The effects of dry heat and steam on germination of dry and imbibed seeds of the invasive garden lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl.)
Authors: Blomqvist Elin L. , Orlikowska Ewa H. , Paikert Hanna , Eckstein R. Lutz
Published: May 2024

Regularly mown road verges are an important habitat for conservation of grassland vegetation. Disturbance and movement of seed-contaminated soil during road construction and maintenance makes road verges susceptible to the establishment of invasive alien plants such as garden lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl.). To combat the spread of L. polyphyllus via seeds, we tested methods for seed destruction using heat. This study aimed at developing heat eradication methods for dry and imbibed L. polyphyllus seeds applying dry heat (88, 93, 98, 103 C for 1, 3, 5, 10 min) in a laboratory, steam (85, 90, 95 C for 3, 5, 10 min) in a test box steaming device, and (97 C at 10 to 17 min; dry seeds only) in a stationary soil-steaming machine (S30). To speed up water absorption and posttreatment germination, the imbibed seeds were manually scarified before the heat treatment and the dry seeds afterward. Additionally, germination of two seed batches of different ages was tested applying dry heat (88, 98 C at 3, 5 min). Steam treatments inhibited seed germination more than dry heat in both dry and imbibed seeds. Germination dropped to <5% when steamed at ≥90 C or dry heated at >100 C. Seed germination decreased with higher temperatures and longer exposure times. Imbibed seeds exhibited lower germination compared with dry seeds for dry and steam heat. Approximately 0.5% of dry seeds germinated when steamed using the S30. The seeds collected in 2022 were less sensitive to dry heat than seeds from 2020. In conclusion, hot steam is more effective in reducing L. polyphyllus seed germination than dry heat. Thus, to successfully eradicate L. polyphyllus seeds in soil masses, we recommend steaming them at 97 C for at least 10 min.
Unifying constitutive law of vibroconvective turbulence in microgravity
Authors: Huang Ze-Lin , Wu Jian-Zhao , Guo Xi-Li , Zhao Chao-Ben , Wang Bo-Fu , Chong Kai Leong , Zhou Quan
Published: May 2024

We report the unified constitutive law of vibroconvective turbulence in microgravity, i.e.

$Nu \sim a^{-1} Re_{os}^\beta$

where the Nusselt number

$Nu$

measures the global heat transport,

$a$

is the dimensionless vibration amplitude,

$Re_{os}$

is the oscillational Reynolds number and

$\beta$

is the universal exponent. We find that the dynamics of boundary layers plays an essential role in vibroconvective heat transport and the

$Nu$

-scaling exponent

$\beta$

is determined by the competition between the thermal boundary layer (TBL) and vibration-induced oscillating boundary layer (OBL). Then a physical model is proposed to explain the change of scaling exponent from

$\beta =2$

in the TBL-dominant regime to

$\beta = 4/3$

in the OBL-dominant regime. Our finding elucidates the emergence of universal constitutive laws in vibroconvective turbulence, and opens up a new avenue for generating a controllable effective heat transport under microgravity or even microfluidic environment in which the gravity effect is nearly absent.
Series expansions for random disc-polygons in smooth plane convex bodies
Authors: Fodor Ferenc , Montenegro Pinzón Nicolás A.
Published: May 2024

We establish power-series expansions for the asymptotic expectations of the vertex number and missed area of random disc-polygons in planar convex bodies with
$C^{k+1}_+$
-smooth boundaries. These results extend asymptotic formulas proved in Fodor et al. (2014).
Late glacial to Holocene fluvial dynamics in the Upper Rhine alluvial plain, France
Authors: Abdulkarim Mubarak , Schmitt Laurent , Fülling Alexander , Rambeau Claire , Ertlen Damien , Mueller Daniela , Chapkanski Stoil , Preusser Frank
Published: May 2024

High-resolution sedimentological and geochronological investigations of paleochannel systems in the Ried Central d'Alsace (northeastern France) allow for the reconstruction of the late glacial and Holocene fluvial evolution of this section of the Upper Rhine alluvial plain. During the Oldest Dryas, the landscape featured a dominant braided Rhine system and, to a lesser extent, a braided Fecht system. The shift to the Bølling-Allerød saw a narrowing of the Rhine's active channel belt, the development of a complex channel pattern, and the genesis of the Ill River. The river channel patterns remained unchanged during the Younger Dryas. In the Early Holocene, the Rhine's active belt narrowed further, and the Rhine and Ill Rivers developed braided-anastomosing and anastomosing channel patterns, respectively. Throughout the Holocene, both rivers maintained their channel patterns while migrating east and west across the alluvial plain, respectively. In the late glacial, fluvial dynamics in this section of the Upper Rhine plain were primarily influenced by climate-related environmental and hydrogeomorphological changes. Conversely, during the Holocene, the evolution of the fluvial hydrosystems was driven by a complex interaction of climatic and non-climatic factors, including human activity at the catchment scale, alluvial plain architecture, and local neotectonics.
A 1179-yr (417–1595 CE) tree-ring oxygen isotope chronology for northern Japan validated using the 774–775 CE radiocarbon spike
Authors: Sano Masaki , Li Zhen , Tsushima Akane , Kimura Katsuhiko , Nakamura Toshio , Ohyama Motonari , Sakamoto Minoru , Nakatsuka Takeshi , Hakozaki Masataka
Published: May 2024

We present an annual-resolution, millennium-long tree-ring chronology for northern Japan. The chronology is based on 5309 measurements of tree-ring δ18O from 37 samples of Hiba arbor-vitae (Thujopsis dolabrata var. hondae). Although the exact geographical origin of 27 of the samples is unknown because they were extracted from excavated archaeological material, pattern matching of the tree-ring δ18O variations was robust among all 37 samples. The floating chronology constructed using all samples was cross-dated against a previously published δ18O chronology from central Japan, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.26 (t = 9.0; p < 0.01), resulting in a temporal coverage of 417–1595 CE (i.e., 1179 yrs). The global 14C spike event at 774–775 CE was clearly recorded in the annual 14C data, which provides independent support for the dating of tree rings using oxygen isotopes. Furthermore, this δ18O chronology from northern Japan was used to successfully cross-date a wood sample buried during the “Millennium Eruption” of Baitoushan, which is located on the border between China and North Korea.
TOM ARMSTRONG BOWES, HERNE BAY MUSEUM AND THE LOWER PALAEOLITHIC OF THE KENTISH STOUR
Authors: Knowles Peter Geoffrey , Wickstead Helen , White Mark John
Published: May 2024

The Palaeolith collection of the antiquarian Dr Tom Armstrong Bowes was the founding component of Herne Bay’s first museum and became one of the larger and more significant collections in the British Palaeolithic record. Its value to debates on the British Palaeolithic, however, has been limited by a stark lack of contextual data. Previously unstudied museum archives have now begun to unlock the lost provenance of this large collection so that it once again can contribute to long-standing regional questions on Acheulean typologies.
A variational principle of amenable random metric mean dimensions
Authors: Tang Dingxuan , Li Zhiming
Published: May 2024

In the context of random amenable group actions, we introduce the notions of random upper metric mean dimension with potentials and the random upper measure-theoretical metric mean dimension. Besides, we establish a variational principle for the random upper metric mean dimensions. At the end, we study the equilibrium state for random upper metric mean dimensions.
Comprehension of complex sentences containing temporal connectives: How children are led down the event-semantic kindergarten-path
Authors: Makrodimitris Christos , Schulz Petra
Published: May 2024

Children up to school age are known to have difficulty comprehending complex sentences with temporal connectives, but the reasons remain controversial. We tested six- to twelve-year-old children to assess how the iconicity of event-language mapping, type of connective, and clause order mediate the comprehension of temporal sentences. Sixty monolingual Greek-speaking children and 15 adult controls completed a picture-sequence selection task in which they judged after- and before-sentences in iconic and non-iconic order. Up to age twelve, children did not reach full adult-like comprehension of the connectives; performance in non-iconic after-sentences was significantly lower than in the other three conditions across all ages. We conclude that neither iconicity, connective, nor clause order can fully explain these findings and propose an account based on the interaction of iconicity and clause order: non-iconic, sentence-medial after requires revision of the initial event representation, resulting in an event-semantic kindergarten-path that children find difficult to overcome.
“Doing the Work of Science”: Tibetan Environmentalists and the Changing Dynamics of Ecological Conservation in China
Authors: Bum Tsering
Published: May 2024

In the context of China's “Constructing ecological civilization” initiative, Tibetan environmentalists are proactively incorporating ecological science into their wildlife conservation efforts. This ethnographic study explores the logics, rationales and motivations behind this approach among Tibetans in Qinghai province. The article contends that Tibetan environmentalists adopt ecological science to gain legibility in the eyes of both the state and the wider environmental conservation community, thereby enhancing their political legitimacy and social recognition. On one hand, this practice counters the stigmatizing narratives that depict Tibetan pastoralists as backward. By embracing scientific discourses and practices, they challenge such derogatory views and position themselves as forward-thinking conservationists. On the other hand, this strategy indirectly preserves the traditional knowledge of pastoralists. Through their involvement with ecological science, they merge traditional insights with scientific methodologies, ensuring the protection of their cultural heritage while adapting to the sociopolitical landscape of contemporary conservation dynamics in China.
A Grand Jury Exhortation
Authors: Keener Benjamin
Published: May 2024

This essay brings to light a rare feature of the Stewart legal system. Grand jury charges remain understudied, partly for want of primary source materials. The brief historical and biographical sketches of the essay are appended by a unique and relevant artifact of the time: a preamble or exhortation to a grand jury charge, ostensibly delivered by a Justice of the King's Bench, John Dodderidge.
The Effect of Energy Deposition Hemispherical Asymmetry on Characteristics of LSTIDs During 17 March 2015 Geomagnetic Storm
Authors: Terefe Dejene Ambisa , Nigussie Melessew , Habarulema John Bosco
Published: May 2024

This article presents the effect of energy deposition hemispherical asymmetry on characteristics of large scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) such as the amplitude and velocity during the geomagnetic storm of 17–18 March 2015. LSTIDs are quantified using total electron content (TEC) derived from Global Navigation Satellite System observations considering a longitude range of 50° over the America, Europe‐Africa, and Asia‐Australia sectors at geomagnetic Conjugate Regions (CR). We applied the cross‐correlation method between time series of change in TEC (ΔTEC) to estimate meridional velocities of LSTIDs in all sectors of both hemispheres. Our results revealed that amplitude of LSTIDs are larger most of the time in the northern hemisphere than the geomagnetic CR in the southern hemisphere which may partly be accounted for by hemispherical energy imbalance during storm time. In addition, on average higher meridional LSTIDs velocities are observed in northern hemisphere in all sectors during 17 March 2015 geomagnetic storm.
Orientation of IMF Discontinuity Normals Across the Solar Cycles
Authors: Lee S. H. , Sibeck D. G. , Weimer D. R. , Omidi N.
Published: May 2024

Transient events like hot flow anomalies and foreshock bubbles are common in the Earth's foreshock. These foreshock transients may play an important role in the solar wind‐magnetosphere interaction. They typically occur when backstreaming ions accumulate at the intersection of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) discontinuities with the bow shock. Discontinuity orientations play a key role in determining when and where transients form in the foreshock and strike the magnetopause. They also play a role in determining the amplitude, and significance, of individual transients. We investigate properties of the IMF discontinuity normals across two solar cycles. We compare Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) IMF discontinuity observations for 2001, 2002, 2012, and 2014 (solar maximum) and 2008, 2009, 2019, and 2020 (solar minimum). We employ both the Minimum variance analysis (MVA) and Cross‐product methods to determine phase front normals. Most discontinuity normals point earthward and dawnward at longitudes ranging from 180° to 250°. A greater range of normal can be seen during solar minimum than during solar maximum. Normals lie further from the Sun‐Earth line when solar wind densities are low and velocities are high. This provides a natural explanation for the observed tendency of transients to occur for low solar wind densities and high velocities in terms of longer discontinuity interaction times with the bow shock.
Forests, Water, and Livelihoods in the Lesser Himalaya
Authors: Bruijnzeel L. , Sun Ge , Zhang Jun , Tiwari Krishna , Hao Lu
Published: May 2024

Complex changes in land use, land cover, climate, and demographics are combining to stress water security for millions of people in the region.