bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Positive solutions to the nonlinear reactor model by variational iteration method
Authors: Kaźmierczak Anna , Orpel Aleksandra
Published: August 2022

We investigate the equation of the form $$(a(t)u^{\prime }(t))^{\prime }+Aa(t)u^{\prime }(t)+f(t,u(t))=0$$

(
a

(
t
)

u
′

(
t
)

)

′

+
A
a

(
t
)

u
′

(
t
)

+
f

(
t
,
u

(
t
)

)

=
0

a.e. in (0, 1) with boundary conditions $$u^{\prime }(0)=0,$$

u
′

(
0
)

=
0
,

$$u^{\prime }(1)+Au(1)=0$$

u
′

(
1
)

+
A
u

(
1
)

=
0

, which is associated with the classical Markus and Amundson’s model. The main goal of this paper is to show that He’s variational iteration method appears to be very useful in deriving formulas of approximate solutions and gives better results that other methods. This fact will be illustrated by a few representative examples of BVPs of the aforementioned type. The numerical part is preceded by the theoretical results devoted to existence of positive solutions to this problem and their properties. We also discuss the dependence of the solutions on functional parameters. Our approach allows us to consider sublinear and superlinear cases in which f can be singular with respect to the first variable.
The Parabolic Anderson Model on a Galton–Watson Tree Revisited
Authors: den Hollander F. , Wang D.
Published: August 2022

In den Hollander et al. (The parabolic Anderson model on a Galton-Watson tree, to appear in in and out of equilibrium 3: celebrating Vladas Sidoravicius. Progress in probability, Birkhäuser, Basel, 2021) a detailed analysis was given of the large-time asymptotics of the total mass of the solution to the parabolic Anderson model on a supercritical Galton–Watson random tree with an i.i.d. random potential whose marginal distribution is double-exponential. Under the assumption that the degree distribution has bounded support, two terms in the asymptotic expansion were identified under the quenched law, i.e., conditional on the realisation of the random tree and the random potential. The second term contains a variational formula indicating that the solution concentrates on a subtree with minimal degree according to a computable profile. The present paper extends the analysis to degree distributions with unbounded support. We identify the weakest condition on the tail of the degree distribution under which the arguments in den Hollander et al. (The parabolic Anderson model on a Galton-Watson tree, to appear in in and out of equilibrium 3: celebrating Vladas Sidoravicius. Progress in probability, Birkhäuser, Basel, 2021) can be pushed through. To do so we need to control the occurrence of large degrees uniformly in large subtrees of the Galton–Watson tree.
Supporting Teachers to Customize Curriculum for Self-Directed Learning
Authors: Gerard Libby , Bradford Allison , Linn Marcia C.
Published: August 2022

Guiding teachers to customize curriculum has shown to improve science instruction when guided effectively. We explore how teachers use student data to customize a web-based science unit on plate tectonics. We study the implications for teacher learning along with the impact on student self-directed learning. During a professional development workshop, four 7th grade teachers reviewed logs of their students’ explanations and revisions. They used a curriculum visualization tool that revealed the pedagogy behind the unit to plan their customizations. To promote self-directed learning, the teachers decided to customize the guidance for explanation revision by giving students a choice among guidance options. They took advantage of the web-based unit to randomly assign students (N = 479) to either a guidance Choice or a no-choice condition. We analyzed logged student explanation revisions on embedded and pre-test/post-test assessments and teacher and student written reflections and interviews. Students in the guidance Choice condition reported that the guidance was more useful than those in the no-choice condition and made more progress on their revisions. Teachers valued the opportunity to review student work, use the visualization tool to align their customization with the knowledge integration pedagogy, and investigate the choice option empirically. These findings suggest that the teachers’ decision to offer choice among guidance options promoted aspects of self-directed learning.
Positive predictive value of noninvasive prenatal testing for sex chromosome abnormalities
Authors: Guo Nan , Cai Meiying , Lin Min , Xue Huili , Huang Hailong , Xu Liangpu
Published: August 2022

Background

Early and intermediate serological screening cannot detect sex chromosome abnormalities. Currently, noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is the only procedure available for screening such disorders; however, its use is controversial.

Methods and Results

A total of 47,855 pregnant women underwent NIPT at our referral center from January 2014 to December 2020. Of the 314 patients with a positive NIPT indicating sex chromosome abnormalities, 260 were screened via karyotype analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array after amniotic fluid extraction; 96 cases were confirmed. Karyotype analysis and SNP array were consistent in the diagnosis of 88 out of the 96 fetuses. The positive predictive value (PPV) for sex chromosome abnormalities was found to be 36.9%. The PPV in patients aged 30–34 years was significantly higher than that in patients aged < 30 years. No statistically significant difference was observed on the PPV among patients with or without previous adverse pregnancy outcomes. Moreover, 83 women carrying fetuses were diagnosed with a sex chromosome abnormality terminated their pregnancy.

Conclusions

Improvements in detection and analytical technologies are needed to increase the accuracy of sex chromosome abnormalities detection. Pregnant women with a positive NIPT for these abnormalities may require invasive diagnostic procedures such as karyotype analysis and SNP array for better genetic counseling.
Development and Application of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assays for Rapid Diagnosis of the Bat White-Nose Disease Fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans
Authors: Niessen Ludwig , Fritze Marcus , Wibbelt Gudrun , Puechmaille Sebastien J.
Published: August 2022

Pseudogymnoascus destructans (= Geomyces destructans) is a psychrophilic filamentous fungus that causes White-Nose Disease (WND; the disease associated with White-Nose Syndrome, WNS) in hibernating bats. The disease has caused considerable reductions in bat populations in the USA and Canada since 2006. Identification and detection of the pathogen in pure cultures and environmental samples is routinely based on qPCR or PCR after DNA isolation and purification. Rapid and specific direct detection of the fungus in the field would strongly improve prompt surveillance, and support control measures. Based on the genes coding for ATP citrate lyase1 (acl1) and the 28S-18S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer (IGS) in P. destructans, two independent LAMP assays were developed for the rapid and sensitive diagnosis of the fungus. Both assays could discriminate P. destructans from 159 tested species of filamentous fungi and yeasts. Sensitivity of the assays was 2.1 picogram per reaction (pg/rxn) and 21 femtogram per reaction (fg/rxn) for the acl1 and IGS based assays, respectively. Moreover, both assays also work with spores and mycelia of P. destructans that are directly added to the master mix without prior DNA extraction. For field-diagnostics, we developed and tested a field-applicable version of the IGS-based LAMP assay. Lastly, we also developed a protocol for preparation of fungal spores and mycelia from swabs and tape liftings of contaminated surfaces or infected bats. This protocol in combination with the highly sensitive IGS-based LAMP-assay enabled sensitive detection of P. destructans from various sources.
An upwind DG scheme preserving the maximum principle for the convective Cahn-Hilliard model
Authors: Acosta-Soba Daniel , Guillén-González Francisco , Rodríguez-Galván J. Rafael
Published: August 2022

The design of numerical approximations of the Cahn-Hilliard model preserving the maximum principle is a challenging problem, even more if considering additional transport terms. In this work, we present a new upwind discontinuous Galerkin scheme for the convective Cahn-Hilliard model with degenerate mobility which preserves the maximum principle and prevents non-physical spurious oscillations. Furthermore, we show some numerical experiments in agreement with the previous theoretical results. Finally, numerical comparisons with other schemes found in the literature are also carried out.
Public peers, accounting comparability, and value relevance of private firms’ financial reporting
Authors: Bourveau Thomas , Chen Jason V. , Elfers Ferdinand , Pierk Jochen
Published: August 2022

We examine whether higher accounting comparability between public and private firms leads to higher value relevance of private firms’ reported financial information. To help develop our hypotheses, we conduct a series of interviews with M&A valuation experts. The experts indicate that comparable accounting between public and private firms allows them to apply public firms’ valuation multiples directly to private firms, which facilitates the use of private firms’ financial reporting in their valuations. Using a large sample of M&A transactions with private target firms in the European Union around the mandatory adoption of IFRS by public firms, we find that private firms’ reported financial information has higher value relevance when it has higher accounting comparability to that of public firms. Furthermore, we find that the impact of accounting comparability is stronger when public peer information is more precise. Our findings are consistent with higher accounting comparability facilitating a spillover of valuation information from public to private markets, which leads to greater value relevance of private firms’ reported financial information.
Temperature Distribution Measurement and Internal Flow Visualization in the Lubrication Film of Non-contacting Mechanical Seals
Authors: Sato Yuki , Ochiai Masayuki
Published: August 2022

The surface textures of non-contacting mechanical seals form a few micrometers thick lubrication film that aids in achieving high performance of the seal. Improved texture design can control internal fluid flow, improving the sealing performance and lubrication characteristics. However, film thickness is sensitive to thermal deformation, making seals vulnerable to heat. Excessive temperature increases and deviations in temperature distribution can cause performance degradation or damage to seals. Previous studies have suggested that heat transfer impacting these thermal issues may be influenced by the internal flow, however, experimental studies examining flow fields have not been conducted yet. This study presents the design of experimental equipment, measurement of temperature distributions and observation of flow fields in lubrication films with three different textures—non-textured, Rayleigh step, and spiral groove. Furthermore, the results were compared with those of numerical analysis. Temperature was found to be higher at the downstream end of the flow. In particular, the Rayleigh step seal exhibited a nonuniform temperature distribution that alternated between low and high-temperature areas. This was caused by cooling related to radial grooves that had a pumping effect. In contrast, a uniform temperature distribution was confirmed in the case of the spiral groove seal, which was formed by mixing outer and inner side fluids. The results indicate that the temperature distribution in lubrication films can be controlled via flow field by the surface texture shape or depth to protect against thermal degradation and to achieve high reliability of non-contacting mechanical seals.

Graphical Abstract
The effect of varying levels of purified condensed tannins on performance, blood profile, meat quality and methane emission in male Bapedi sheep fed grass hay and pellet-based diet
Authors: Ngámbi J. W. , Selapa M. J. , Brown D. , Manyelo T. G.
Published: August 2022

This study determined the effect of purified condensed tannin inclusion levels in a diet on production, haematological indices, blood biochemical components, meat quality and methane emission by yearling indigenous male Bapedi sheep on a grass hay and sheep pellet-based diet in a 28-day trial. The diets contained similar (P > 0.05) nutrients but with different (P < 0.05) purified condensed tannin supplementation levels. A complete randomized design was used. Twenty-four yearling male Bapedi sheep were assigned to four dietary treatments having different purified condensed tannin levels of 0 (GH80P20PCT0), 30 (GH80P20PCT30), 40 (GH80P20PCT40) and 50 (GH80P20PCT50) g/kg DM. A quadratic type of equation was also used to determine condensed tannin supplementation levels for optimal performance and methane emission reduction by sheep. Supplementing diets with purified condensed tannins did not affect (P > 0.05) diet intake, digestibility and live weight gain of male Bapedi sheep. Supplementing diets with purified condensed tannins did not affect (P > 0.05) blood components of male Bapedi sheep. Inclusion of condensed tannins in the diets did not affect (P > 0.05) Bapedi sheep meat pH and sensory attributes. However, supplementing diets with purified condensed tannins decreased (P < 0.05) methane emission by 51 to 60%. A 49.08 g supplementation level with purified condensed tannins per kg DM diet was calculated, with the use of quadratic equations, to result in the lowest methane emission by male Bapedi sheep. The meat of male Bapedi rams on diets containing 30, 40 or 50 g of purified condensed tannins per kg DM contained higher (P < 0.05) antioxidant activities than those from rams fed a diet without purified condensed tannins. These results indicate that purified condensed tannin supplementation levels of 0, 30, 40 or 50 g/kg DM diet had no adverse effects on growth performance, blood profiles and meat sensory attributes of male Bapedi sheep. However, supplementation levels of 30, 40 or 50 g of purified condensed tannins per kg DM diet reduced methane emission by 51 to 60%, and increased sheep meat antioxidant activity values. Supplementing diets with purified condensed tannins has the potential to reduce methane production and emission by sheep. However, long-term studies are recommended to ascertain the present findings.
Shoot herbivory by grasshoppers has stronger effects on root morphology than clipping
Authors: Heinze Johannes , Krumpholz Laura , Blaum Niels , Hoefgen Rainer , Ogden Michael
Published: August 2022

Studies investigating the effect of aboveground herbivory on plants often use clipping to simulate the effects of herbivores, for practical reasons. However, herbivore movements and transfer of oral secretions during herbivory may cause a different response in plant physiology and morphology compared to clipping. While studies have compared effects of real herbivory vs. clipping on biomass production, plant physiology, and shoot morphology, no study has compared such effects on root morphology. Therefore, we investigated the effect of herbivory by grasshoppers, herbivory simulated by clipping, and no herbivory on root morphological traits of ten grassland plant species. Root morphological traits were differently affected by the two herbivory treatments. Grasshopper herbivory significantly changed root morphology toward thinner roots with increased specific root length and root area, and decreased root tissue density compared to untreated control plants. Clipping had mostly similar, but weaker effects on root morphology than grasshopper herbivory. On the species level, grasshopper herbivory led to strongest changes in root morphology in almost all cases. In contrast, depending on the species, clipping resulted in varying root morphological trait values similar to grasshopper-damaged plants, or in some cases, more closely aligned with control plants. Though clipping was partly able to mimic the effects of herbivory by grasshoppers, results also indicate that, depending on the species, grasshopper herbivory had different but mostly stronger effects. We, therefore, recommend that future studies apply herbivory with real herbivores to better reflect natural responses in plants and related processes that root morphological traits mediate.
Extraction optimization for the antioxidants from Nigella sativa seeds using response surface methodology
Authors: Muzolf-Panek Małgorzata , Gliszczyńska-Świgło Anna
Published: August 2022

Although many studies have explored the bioactive compound content ofNigella sativa(black seed – BS) essential oil, data on the phenolic compound content in the extracts ofNigella sativaseeds gives inconclusive results [1–3]. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) with a central composite plan (CCP) was used for the experimental design and identification of the optimal conditions for maximizing the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of BS extract. The independent variables were as followed: temperature (22.9–67.1ºC), time (31.7–208.2 min), and methanol concentration in water (5.9–94.1% v/v). Different response variables (total polyphenols – TPC, total flavonoids – TFC and the antioxidant activity – DPPH and TEAC) required different optimal conditions to maximize them. The multi-response optimization was performed to determine the extraction conditions, which would simultaneously ensure the highest phenolic content and the antioxidant activity. The optimal conditions derived from the multi-response desirability function were as followed: 120 min, 56 °C and 50% methanol, giving the TPC = 7.05 mg/g, TFC = 3.05 mg/g, DPPH = 9.04 µmol/g and TEAC = 33.24 µmol/g (with desirability function coefficient = 0.83). Solvent concentration was established as a crucial parameter for the extraction of antioxidants from BS. A quercetin derivative and two derivatives of kaempferol were determined by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) analysis of the BS extract at the optimal conditions. The accuracy of the models for all response variables was confirmed by a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.99) between the experimental values and those predicted under optimal conditions.
Intimate partner violence and the spatial pattern of maternal healthcare services utilization among parous married women in northern Nigeria
Authors: Adewoyin Yemi , Odimegwu Clifford O. , Alabi Olatunji , Akinyemi Joshua O. , Omisakin Olusola A.
Published: August 2022

The low uptake of maternal healthcare services (MHS) in Nigeria is implicated in the country’s poor maternal health outcomes. In northern Nigeria where these outcomes are poorest, not much is known about the contribution of violence within unions on married women’s uptake of MHS. Using data on antenatal care (ANC) utilisation and place of delivery, and their sociodemographic confounders from the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey, this study investigates this relationship. Results of univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses show that 46.4% and 22.1% of the women had at least four ANC sessions and had health facility delivery respectively. At the subregional level however, the North-Central zone had the highest utilisation rates while the North-West zone had the lowest. The prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) ranged from 8.2% (sexual violence) to 16.7% (physical violence) and 35.8% (emotional violence). Subregional analysis of IPV shows that the North-West zone had the lowest prevalence rates. Contrary to some literature evidence, women who experienced IPV in the study area had higher odds of utilising MHS (P < 0.001). When the sociodemographic characteristics of the women were adjusted for, the relationship became statistically insignificant however. The association between the women’s socioeconomic characteristics and their MHS uptake suggests that attention be paid to the wealth and educational status of the population because of their propensity for sustaining the higher uptake recorded. The role of religion in the outcomes further suggests that it be used as a tool to promote the uptake of MHS in the region.
On some effects of dependencies on an insurer’s risk exposure, probability of ruin, and optimal premium loading
Authors: Gudmundarson R. L. , Guerra M. , Moura A. B.
Published: August 2022

We study how the presence of dependencies between risks in a population of prospective insurance customers translates into risk exposure for an insurance company, depending on the company’s market share on the various risks. It turns out that the dependency structure in the insurer’s portfolio may differ significantly from the dependency structure of those risks in the general population, even when policyholders for different risks are selected independently. We obtain an upper bound for the difference between the ruin probability and its estimate based on the company’s portfolio marginal distributions. Under certain conditions, dependencies between risks in the portfolio of a company with small market shares are mild. We characterize the optimal loadings and market shares, assuming generic demand functions for the different risks.
Monkeypox in-patients with severe anal pain
Authors: Pfäfflin Frieder , Wendisch Daniel , Scherer Roland , Jürgens Linda , Godzick-Njomgang Gisèle , Tranter Eva , Tober-Lau Pinkus , Stegemann Miriam Songa , Corman Victor Max , Kurth Florian , Schürmann Dirk
Published: August 2022

Berlin is amongst the cities most affected by the current monkeypox outbreak. Here, we report clinical characteristics of the first patients with confirmed monkeypox admitted to our center. We analyzed anamnestic, clinical, and laboratory data. Within a period of 2 weeks, six patients were hospitalized in our unit. All were MSM and had practiced condomless receptive anal intercourse in the weeks preceding admission. The chief complaint in all patients but one was severe anal pain unprecedented in severity. Investigations revealed proctitis, as well as anal and rectal ulcers with detection of monkeypox virus. Our findings support the hypothesis that sexual transmission plays a role in the current outbreak.
Zunahme von Bildungsungerechtigkeit durch die COVID-19-Pandemie beim Übergang in die Sekundarstufe II: Leistungsschwache und wenig motivierte Schüler*innen als besonders vulnerable Gruppe
Authors: Schreiner Claudia , Kraler Christian , Berger Fred , Hagleitner Wolfgang , Jesacher-Rößler Livia , Roßnagl Susanne
Published: August 2022

Das Distanzlernen stellt an die Lernenden im Vergleich zum gewöhnlichen Schulalltag wesentlich höhere Anforderungen an deren Selbstregulationsfähigkeit. Zur erfolgreichen Bewältigung des Distanzlernens ist ein hohes Ausmaß an Selbstmanagement, Selbstmotivation und Selbstorganisation erforderlich. Hierbei können – entsprechend dem Ressourcenmodell der Lebensbewältigung (Fend et al. 2009) – familiäre, schulische und personale Ressourcen unterstützen. Basierend auf diesem theoretischen Zugang wurden 593 Schüler*innen, welche im Herbst 2021 in die weiterführenden Schulen und Ausbildungen der Sekundarstufe II gewechselt waren, zum Distanzlernen sowie dafür relevanten Ressourcen befragt. Diese hatten etwa einen Monat nach dem Wechsel eine viermonatige Distanzlernphase zu bewältigen. Im Rahmen der Datenanalyse wurden vier Regressionsmodelle berechnet, in die schrittweise die Merkmale einzelner im Beitrag beschriebener Ressourcenblöcke aufgenommen wurden. Die Analyse bestätigt insbesondere die große Bedeutung personaler Ressourcen (schulisches Leistungsniveau, Lernmotivation, allgemeine Selbstwirksamkeitsüberzeugung) für die Bewältigung der Anforderungen des Distanzunterrichts. Leistungsschwache und wenig motivierte Schüler*innen erweisen sich daher als besondere Risikogruppe im Kontext des Distanzunterrichts. Demnach benötigt diese vulnerable Gruppe sowohl in zukünftigen Phasen von Distanzunterricht als auch im Nachgang der Pandemie besondere Aufmerksamkeit und Unterstützung.
Sindrome poliendocrina autoimmune (SPA) o sindrome autoimmune multipla (SAM): una panoramica
Authors: Betterle Corrado , Sabbadin Chiara , Scaroni Carla , Presotto Fabio
Published: August 2022

Sommario

Oltre 100 malattie sono oggi definite “autoimmuni” e si stima che esse colpiscano circa il 7% della popolazione generale. Tali patologie tendono ad aggregarsi in un individuo o in una famiglia, definendo una sindrome poliendocrina autoimmune (SPA), chiamata anche sindrome autoimmune multipla (SAM). In questa Rassegna si descrivono i diversi tipi di SPA/SAM, valutandone le loro caratteristiche, l’epidemiologia, la genetica, le caratteristiche immunologiche, la gestione e la terapia.
Rational Design of Atomic Site Catalysts for Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction Reaction: One Step Closer to Optimum Activity and Selectivity
Authors: Ying Yiran , Fan Ke , Qiao Jinli , Huang Haitao
Published: August 2022

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) has been one of the most intriguing catalytic reactions in recent years, providing an energy-saving and environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional Haber–Bosch process for ammonia production. However, the activity and selectivity issues originating from the activation barrier of the NRR intermediates and the competing hydrogen evolution reaction result in the unsatisfactory NH3 yield rate and Faradaic efficiency of current NRR catalysts. Atomic site catalysts (ASCs), an emerging group of heterogeneous catalysts with a high atomic utilization rate, selectivity, and stability, may provide a solution. This article undertakes an exploration and systematic review of a highly significant research area: the principles of designing ASCs for the NRR. Both the theoretical and experimental progress and state-of-the-art techniques in the rational design of ASCs for the NRR are summarized, and the topic is extended to double-atom catalysts and boron-based metal-free ASCs. This review provides guidelines for the rational design of ASCs for the optimum activity and selectivity for the electrocatalytic NRR.

Graphical Abstract

Rational design of atomic site catalysts (ASCs) for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) has both scientific and industrial significance. In this review, the recent experimental and theoretical breakthroughs in the design principles of transition metal ASCs for NRR are comprehensively discussed, and the topic is also extended to double-atom catalysts and boron-based metal-free ASCs.
Analysis and visualization of team performances of football games
Authors: Obata Tsuneshi , Izumi Shizue
Published: August 2022

It is well known that the number of goals in a football game follows a Poisson distribution very well. Therefore, the intensity parameters of Poisson distributions, followed by the number of goals gained/lost by a team, can be regarded as the indices of the offensive/defensive performance of the team. Teams belonging to a professional football league have many games throughout the season. The performances of such teams should be considered not to be constant throughout the season. A Poisson regression model with varying coefficients is proposed to analyze and visualize the time-varying performance indices of football teams. It is also applicable to estimating the performances up to the middle of a season, and estimated performances can be used to predict the future game’s outcome probabilities. These methods are demonstrated with the data of the Japanese professional football league.
The Metaverse as a virtual form of data-driven smart urbanism: platformization and its underlying processes, institutional dimensions, and disruptive impacts
Authors: Bibri Simon Elias , Allam Zaheer , Krogstie John
Published: August 2022

The emerging phenomenon of platformization has given rise to what has been termed "platform society,“ a digitally connected world where platforms have penetrated the heart of urban societies—transforming social practices, disrupting social interactions and market relations, and affecting democratic processes. One of the recent manifestations of platformization is the Metaverse, a global platform whose data infrastructures, governance models, and economic processes are predicted to penetrate different urban sectors and spheres of urban life. The Metaverse is an idea of a hypothetical set of “parallel virtual worlds” that incarnate ways of living in believably virtual cities as an alternative to future data-driven smart cities. However, this idea has already raised concerns over what constitutes the global architecture of computer mediation underlying the Metaverse with regard to different forms of social life as well as social order. This study analyzes the core emerging trends enabling and driving data-driven smart cities and uses the outcome to devise a novel framework for the digital and computing processes underlying the Metaverse as a virtual form of data-driven smart cities. Further, it examines and discusses the risks and impacts of the Metaverse, paying particular attention to: platformization; the COVID-19 crisis and the ensuing non-spontaneous "normality" of social order; corporate-led technocratic governance; governmentality; privacy, security, and trust; and data governance. A thematic analysis approach is adopted to cope with the vast body of literature of various disciplinarities. The analysis identifies five digital and computing processes related to data-driven smart cities: digital instrumentation, digital hyper-connectivity, datafication, algorithmization, and platformization. The novelty of the framework derived based on thematic analysis lies in its essential processual digital and computing components and the way in which these are structured and integrated given their clear synergies as to enabling the functioning of the Metaverse towards potentially virtual cities. This study highlights how and why the identified digital and computing processes—as intricately interwoven with the entirety of urban ways of living—arouse contentions and controversies pertaining to society’ public values. As such, it provides new insights into understanding the complex interplay between the Metaverse as a form of science and technology and the other dimensions of society. Accordingly, it contributes to the scholarly debates in the field of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) by highlighting the societal and ethical implications of the platformization of urban societies through the Metaverse.
Health and Physical Education
Authors: Miller Judith , Wilson-Gahan Susan , Garrett Robyne , Haynes John
Published: August 2022

Health and Physical Education provides readers with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to successfully teach health and physical education in Australia. With emphasis on the development of movement competence and health literacy from the early years to secondary, this book brings together research, theory, curriculum and pedagogy in an engaging introduction for pre-service teachers. Now in its fourth edition, Health and Physical Education has been thoroughly updated, and features a new chapter covering ethics, morals the and duty of care and their practical application in school health and physical education. Maintaining strong connections to learners of all ages, the text links closely to the Early Years Learning Framework and the recently updated Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education. Each chapter is framed by the five propositions of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, and includes vignettes, activities and discussion and review questions to encourage reflection and group work.
The Trade in Rare Books and Manuscripts between Britain and America c. 1890–1929
Authors: Magnusson Danielle , Cleaver Laura
Published: August 2022

This Element examines the trade in rare books and manuscripts between Britain and America during a period known as the 'Golden Age' of collecting. Through analysis of contemporary press reports, personal correspondence, trade publications and sales records, this study contrasts American and British perspectives as rare books passed through the commercial market. The aim is to compare the rhetoric and reality of the book trade in order to assess its impact on emerging cultural institutions, contemporary scholarship and shifting notions of national identity. By analysing how markets emerged, dealers functioned and buyers navigated the market, this Element interrogates accepted narratives about the ways in which major rare book and manuscript collections were formed and how they were valued by contemporaries.
Real-time suicide surveillance supporting policy and practice
Authors: Benson R. , Brunsdon C. , Rigby J. , Corcoran P. , Ryan M. , Cassidy E. , Dodd P. , Hennebry D. , Arensman E.
Published: August 2022

Suicide mortality rates are a strong indicator of population mental-health and can be used to determine the efficacy of prevention measures. Monitoring suicide mortality rates in real-time provides an evidence-base to inform targeted interventions in a timely manner and accelerate suicide prevention responses. This paper outlines the importance of real-time suicide surveillance in the context of policy and practice, with a particular focus on public health and humanitarian crises.
Antimicrobial stewardship for sepsis in the intensive care unit: Survey of critical care and infectious diseases physicians
Authors: Vazquez Guillamet M. Cristina , Burnham Jason P. , Pérez Maria , Kollef Marin H. , Manthous Constantine A. , Jeffe Donna B.
Published: August 2022

Objective:

To evaluate the attitudes of infectious diseases (ID) and critical care physicians toward antimicrobial stewardship in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Design:

Anonymous, cross-sectional, web-based surveys.

Setting:

Surveys were completed in March–November 2017, and data were analyzed from December 2017 to December 2019.

Participants:

ID and critical care fellows and attending physicians.

Methods:

We included 10 demographic and 17 newly developed, 5-point, Likert-scaled items measuring attitudes toward ICU antimicrobial stewardship and transdisciplinary collaboration. Exploratory principal components analysis (PCA) was used for data reduction. Multivariable linear regression models explored demographic and attitudinal variables.

Results:

Of 372 respondents, 315 physicians had complete data (72% attendings, 28% fellows; 63% ID specialists, and 37% critical care specialists). Our PCA yielded a 3-item factor measuring which specialty should assume ICU antimicrobial stewardship (Cronbach standardized α = 0.71; higher scores indicate that ID physicians should be stewards), and a 4-item factor measuring value of ICU transdisciplinary collaborations (α = 0.62; higher scores indicate higher value). In regression models, ID physicians (vs critical care physicians), placed higher value on ICU collaborations and expressed discomfort with uncertain diagnoses. These factors were independently associated with stronger agreement that ID physicians should be ICU antimicrobial stewards. The following factors were independently associated with higher value of transdisciplinary collaboration: female sex, less discomfort with uncertain diagnoses, and stronger agreement with ID physicians as ICU antimicrobial stewards.

Conclusions:

ID and critical care physicians endorsed their own group for antimicrobial stewardship, but both groups placed high value on ICU transdisciplinary collaborations. Physicians who were more uncomfortable with uncertain diagnoses reported preference for ID physicians to coordinate ICU antimicrobial stewardship; however, physicians who were less uncomfortable with uncertain diagnoses placed greater value on ICU collaborations.
The Urban and Beyond in Latin America
Authors: Jashari Denisa
Published: August 2022

This essay reviews the following works:

Concrete Dreams: Practice, Value, and Built Environments in Post-crisis Buenos Aires. By Nicholas D’Avella. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2019. Pp. 312. $27.95 paperback. ISBN: 9781478005117.

Black Market Capital: Urban Politics and the Shadow Economy in Mexico City. By Andrew Konove. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2018. Pp ix + 304. $29.95 paperback. ISBN: 9780520293687.

Mapping the Megalopolis: Order and Disorder in Mexico City. Edited by Glen David Kuecker and Alejandro Puga. Lanham, MD: Roman and Littlefield, 2017. Pp vii + 304. $110.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9781498559782.

Defiant Geographies: Race and Urban Space in 1920s Rio de Janeiro. By Lorraine Leu. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2020. Pp. 238. $42.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9780822946007.

The Street Is Ours: Community, the Car, and the Nature of Public Space in Rio de Janeiro. By Shawn William Miller. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2018. Pp viii + 349. $120.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9781108426978.

New World Cities: Challenges of Urbanization and Globalization in the Americas. Edited by John Tutino and Martin V. Melosi. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2019. Pp. xii + 344. $34.95 paperback. ISBN: 9781469648750.

The Invention of the Favela. By Licia do Prado Valladares. Translated by Robert N. Anderson. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2019. Pp. xxxii + 286 pages. $32.50 paperback. ISBN: 9781469649986.

A City on a Lake: Urban Political Ecology and the Growth of Mexico City. By Matthew Vitz. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2018. Pp ix + 352. $27.95 paperback. ISBN: 9780822370406.
Litigation Risk Management Through Corporate Payout Policy
Authors: Arena Matteo P. , Julio Brandon
Published: August 2022

Firms modify their payout policy in anticipation of future litigation costs. We examine a comprehensive sample of U.S. corporate lawsuits and find that firms facing significant litigation risk pay lower dividends, and in some cases omit dividends while distributing more cash through share repurchases. Litigation risk changes the distribution of payouts but not the total payout yield as the increase in share repurchases offsets the decrease in dividends. Cash-poor firms cut share repurchases when settlement costs are incurred. The results suggest that firms at a higher risk of litigation increase their payout flexibility.
Regulating Commission-Based Financial Advice: Evidence from a Natural Experiment
Authors: Sokolinski Stanislav
Published: August 2022

Do limitations on commissions paid to financial advisers reduce prices of financial products and stimulate investment? I examine these questions by estimating the causal effects of regulating commissions for mutual fund distribution. I exploit the unique institutional setting in Israel and the 2013 policy change when the government reduced commissions differently for different fund types. The reform led to a major decline in fund expense ratios and a consequent increase in fund flows. Funds with price-sensitive investors experienced 35% larger inflows. I interpret these results as investor responses to price competition fostered by a reduction in distribution costs.
Strandings of a neonate and a pregnant Sowerby's beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens(Sowerby, 1804)) in Ireland
Authors: O'Callaghan Seán A. , Overy Louise , Hunt Lucy , Foxall Damian , Collins Maurice , O'Connell Mick
Published: August 2022

Sowerby's beaked whale is a deep-diving cetacean species specialized to live in the deep waters of the North Atlantic, including offshore Irish waters. Sightings of Sowerby's beaked whales in this area are infrequent and a substantial increase in our knowledge of their presence comes from recent static acoustic monitoring (SAM) and passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). However, most information on this species has been derived from stranding records, which provide opportunistic insights into this elusive species' cryptic life history. Here we report on the live stranding of a 1200 mm long neonate and an adult 5 m female Sowerby's beaked whale in July 2015 and on the stranding of a 4.9 m pregnant female in September 2020 with a 495 mm long male foetus in the south-west of Ireland. These stranding events provide an important insight into the reproductive life history of this species and provide further evidence that Sowerby's beaked whales calve in offshore Irish waters.
Monotherapy and combination chemotherapy for Chagas disease treatment: a systematic review of clinical efficacy and safety based on randomized controlled trials
Authors: Santana Nogueira Silas , Cardoso Santos Eliziária , Oliveira Silva Roberta , Vilela Gonçalves Reggiani , Lima Graziela Domingues Almeida , Dias Novaes Rômulo
Published: August 2022

From a systematic review framework, we analysed the clinical evidence on the effectiveness and safety of monotherapy and combination chemotherapy for Chagas disease (ChD) treatment. The research protocol was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and patient, intervention, comparison and outcome strategy. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) were retrieved from Embase, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Diagnostic tools, treatment protocols, seroconversion rates and adverse events were investigated. Fifteen RCT mainly concentrated in endemic countries were identified. ChD diagnosis was mainly based on haemagglutination, immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and polymerase chain reaction. Benznidazole (BNZ), nifurtimox, fosravuconazole, posaconazole, allopurinol and thioctic acid were the identified drugs. The best negative seroconversion results (100, 96, 94 and 91.3%) were, respectively, based on BNZ (5 mg kg day−1, 200 mg day−1, 150 mg day−1 and 2.5 mg kg−1) administration for 60 days. Negative seroconversion was not achieved with allopurinol (300 mg day−1 for 60 days). Adverse reactions ranged from 5 to 73% in patients receiving antiparasitic chemotherapy. Treatment discontinuation (1.5–57%) was mainly associated with gastrointestinal, cutaneous and neurological manifestations. Current RCT-based evidence indicates that BNZ is the most viable option for ChD treatment. However, new protocols need to be developed to mitigate side effects and increase patient adherence to antiparasitic chemotherapy. Therefore, shorter regimens, lower concentrations and treatments combining BNZ with posaconazole, fosravuconazole or ravuconazole may be viable to ensure comparable efficacy to BZN-based monotherapy, contributing to reduce dose- and time-dependent toxicity reactions.
Digitally Networked Social Services: Mapping the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) online network in Queensland, Australia
Authors: HENMAN PAUL W. FAY , DAI DAN , BORG SAMANTHA J. , HUMMELL ELOISE , FOSTER MICHELE , FISHER KAREN R.
Published: August 2022

Within growing marketisation of publicly funded services, the internet has provided new opportunities for marketing, delivery, and coordination of those services. Using web scraping and hyperlink network analysis techniques, this paper examines the ways in which organisations operating in Australia’s evolving National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) system inter-connect online. Social media plays the most important role in the online network. Government agencies also play a central role, with many disability service organisations linking their web users to them. Government agency websites do not hyperlink to disability service providers, suggesting that governments do not see their role as assisting access to such services. Advocacy and peak disability organisations are important in online connections between the websites of government and service organisations. Innovative uses of the internet for online brokerage of disability services are evident. The implications of these findings for service delivery are discussed.
The Distribution of Clay Minerals and Their Impact on Diagenesis in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars
Authors: Rudolph A. , Horgan B. , Johnson J. , Bennett K. , Haber J. , Bell J. F. , Fox V. , Jacob S. , Maurice S. , Rampe E. , Rice M. , Seeger C. , Wiens R.
Published: August 2022

Glen Torridon (GT) is a recessive‐trough feature on the northwestern slope of “Mt. Sharp” in Gale crater, Mars with the highest Fe‐/Mg‐phyllosilicates abundances detected by the Curiosity rover to date. Understanding the origin of these clay minerals and their relationship with diagenetic processes is critical for reconstructing the nature and habitability of past surface and subsurface environments in Gale crater. We aim to constrain the distribution and extent of diagenesis using compositional and morphological trends observed by visible‐to‐near infrared reflectance spectra in GT from Mastcam and ChemCam, supported by high‐resolution images from the Mars Hand Lens Imager. Spectral features consistent with nontronite and fine‐grained red hematite are ubiquitous throughout lower GT, and are strongest where diagenetic features are limited, suggesting that both were formed early, before burial. Diagenetic features increase in both abundance and diversity farther up‐section, and we observe morphologic evidence for multiple episodes of diagenesis, with the edge of a diagenetic front partially preserved in the middle stratigraphic member, Knockfarril Hill. Near the contact between GT and the overlying Greenheugh pediment capping unit, we observe a lack of clay minerals with signatures consistent instead with coarse‐grained gray hematite, likely formed through late‐diagenetic alteration. We hypothesize that the sandstone‐dominant Stimson formation acted as a conduit for diagenetic fluid flow into the area and that the clay‐rich impermeable GT slowed the flow of those fluids, leading to enhanced alteration surrounding the clay‐rich portions of GT, including within the nearby Vera Rubin ridge.
NASA Satellite Measurements Show Global‐Scale Reductions in Free Tropospheric Ozone in 2020 and Again in 2021 During COVID‐19
Authors: Ziemke Jerry R. , Kramarova Natalya A. , Frith Stacey M. , Huang Liang‐Kang , Haffner David P. , Wargan Krzysztof , Lamsal Lok N. , Labow Gordon J. , McPeters Richard D. , Bhartia Pawan K.
Published: August 2022

NASA satellite measurements show that ozone reductions throughout the Northern Hemisphere (NH) free troposphere reported for spring‐summer 2020 during the COronaVIrus Disease 2019 pandemic have occurred again in spring‐summer 2021. The satellite measurements show that tropospheric column ozone (TCO) (mostly representative of the free troposphere) for 20°N–60°N during spring‐summer for both 2020 and 2021 averaged ∼3 Dobson Units (DU) (or ∼7%–8%) below normal. These ozone reductions in 2020 and 2021 were the lowest in the 2005–2021 record. We also include satellite measurements of tropospheric NO2 that exhibit reductions of ∼10%–20% in the NH in early spring‐to‐summer 2020 and 2021, suggesting that reduced pollution was the main cause for the low anomalies in NH TCO in 2020 and 2021. Reductions of TCO ∼2 DU (7%) are also measured in the Southern Hemisphere in austral summer but are not associated with reduced NO2.
Impact of Vertical Mixing Parameterizations on Internal Gravity Wave Spectra in Regional Ocean Models
Authors: Thakur Ritabrata , Arbic Brian K. , Menemenlis Dimitris , Momeni Kayhan , Pan Yulin , Peltier W. R. , Skitka Joseph , Alford Matthew H. , Ma Yuchen
Published: August 2022

We present improvements in the modeling of the vertical wavenumber spectrum of the internal gravity wave continuum in high‐resolution regional ocean simulations. We focus on model sensitivities to mixing parameters and comparisons to McLane moored profiler observations in a Pacific region near the Hawaiian Ridge, which features strong semidiurnal tidal beams. In these simulations, the modeled continuum exhibits high sensitivity to the background mixing components of the K‐Profile Parameterization (KPP) vertical mixing scheme. Without the KPP background mixing, stronger vertical gradients in velocity are sustained in the simulations and the modeled kinetic energy and shear spectral slopes are significantly closer to the observations. The improved representation of internal wave dynamics in these simulations makes them suitable for improving ocean mixing estimates and for the interpretation of satellite missions such as the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission.