bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface Tension and Viscosity of Binary Mixtures of the Fluorinated and Non-fluorinated Ionic Liquids [PFBMIm][PF6] and [C4C1Im][PF6] by the Pendant Drop Method and Surface Light Scattering
Authors: Koller Thomas M. , Lenahan Frances D. , Schmidt Patrick S. , Klein Tobias , Mehler Julian , Maier Florian , Rausch Michael H. , Wasserscheid Peter , Steinrück Hans-Peter , Fröba Andreas P.
Published: August 2020

Mixtures of fluorinated and non-fluorinated ionic liquids (ILs) show a distinct structural organization in the bulk and at the surface. To understand how such microscopic effects influence the macroscopic bulk and surface properties of IL mixtures, knowledge of corresponding thermophysical properties including viscosity and surface tension is required yet lacking. With the intention of investigating surface enrichment effects of the fluorinated IL [PFBMIm][PF6] (3-methyl-1-(3,3,4,4,4-pentafluorobutyl)imidazolium hexafluorophosphate) in mixtures with the structurally similar, non-fluorinated IL [C4C1Im][PF6] (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) observed with angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS), the pendant drop method and surface light scattering (SLS) were applied in the present study to determine surface tension and dynamic viscosity between (293 and 368) K. By adding small amounts of [PFBMIm][PF6] up to 9 mol %, a distinct increase in the viscosity and decrease in the surface tension of the mixtures relative to the properties of pure [C4C1Im][PF6] was found. This behavior reflects the nanosegregated structure in the bulk and at the surface of the binary IL mixtures. Using the results about the pronounced surface enrichment of the fluorinated chain of [PFBMIm][PF6] quantified by ARXPS, a linear mixing rule for the surface tension of the IL mixtures based on the surface tensions of the pure ILs and the surface concentration of their most surface-active groups is suggested.
Attention-Based LSTM Network for Rumor Veracity Estimation of Tweets
Authors: Singh Jyoti Prakash , Kumar Abhinav , Rana Nripendra P. , Dwivedi Yogesh K.
Published: August 2020

Twitter has become a fertile place for rumors, as information can spread to a large number of people immediately. Rumors can mislead public opinion, weaken social order, decrease the legitimacy of government, and lead to a significant threat to social stability. Therefore, timely detection and debunking rumor are urgently needed. In this work, we proposed an Attention-based Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) network that uses tweet text with thirteen different linguistic and user features to distinguish rumor and non-rumor tweets. The performance of the proposed Attention-based LSTM model is compared with several conventional machine and deep learning models. The proposed Attention-based LSTM model achieved an F1-score of 0.88 in classifying rumor and non-rumor tweets, which is better than the state-of-the-art results. The proposed system can reduce the impact of rumors on society and weaken the loss of life, money, and build the firm trust of users with social media platforms.
A characterization of optimal multiprocessor schedules and new dominance rules
Authors: Walter Rico , Lawrinenko Alexander
Published: August 2020

The paper on hand approaches the classical makespan minimization problem on identical parallel machines from a rather theoretical point of view. Using an approach similar to the idea behind inverse optimization, we identify a general structural pattern of optimal multiprocessor schedules. We also show how to derive new dominance rules from the characteristics of optimal solutions. Results of our computational study attest to the efficacy of the new rules. They are particularly useful in limiting the search space when each machine processes only a few jobs on average.
A Coarse-to-Fine Approach for Intelligent Logging Lithology Identification with Extremely Randomized Trees
Authors: Xie Yunxin , Zhu Chenyang , Hu Runshan , Zhu Zhengwei
Published: August 2020

Lithology identification is vital for reservoir exploration and petroleum engineering. Recently, there has been growing interest in using an intelligent logging approach for lithology classification. Machine learning has emerged as a powerful tool in inferring lithology types with the logging curves. However, well logs are susceptible to logging parameter manual entry, borehole conditions and tool calibrations. Most studies in the field of lithology classification with machine learning approaches have focused only on improving the prediction accuracy of classifiers. Also, a model trained in one location is not reusable in a new location due to different data distributions. In this paper, a unified framework is provided for training a multi-class lithology classification model for a data set with outlier data. In this paper, a coarse-to-fine framework that combines outlier detection, multi-class classification with an extremely randomized tree-based classifier is proposed to solve these issues. An unsupervised learning approach is used to detect the outliers in the data set. Then a coarse-to-fine inference procedure is used to infer the lithology class with an extremely randomized tree classifier. Two real-world data sets of well-logging are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework. Comparisons are conducted with some baseline machine learning classifiers, namely random forest, gradient tree boosting, and xgboosting. Results show that the proposed framework has higher prediction accuracy in sandstones compared with other approaches.
A novel facial image recognition method based on perceptual hash using quintet triple binary pattern
Authors: Tuncer Turker , Dogan Sengul , Abdar Moloud , Pławiak Paweł
Published: August 2020

Image classification (categorization) can be considered as one of the most breathtaking domains of contemporary research. Indeed, people cannot hide their faces and related lineaments since it is highly needed for daily communications. Therefore, face recognition is extensively used in biometric applications for security and personnel attendance control. In this study, a novel face recognition method based on perceptual hash is presented. The proposed perceptual hash is utilized for preprocessing and feature extraction phases. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and a novel graph based binary pattern, called quintet triple binary pattern (QTBP), are used. Meanwhile, the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms are employed for classification task. The proposed face recognition method is tested on five well-known face datasets: AT&T, Face94, CIE, AR and LFW. Our proposed method achieved 100.0% classification accuracy for the AT&T, Face94 and CIE datasets, 99.4% for AR dataset and 97.1% classification accuracy for the LFW dataset. The time cost of the proposed method isO(nlogn). The obtained results and comparisons distinctly indicate that our proposed has a very good classification capability with short execution time.
The I: A dimensional account
Authors: Fasching Wolfgang
Published: August 2020

I have a clear idea of what it means that I have experiences in the past or future, and it does not seem to mean that experiences take place that possess certain content-characteristics, but simply and irreducibly thatIexperience them – i.e. that they are, at the time of their occurrence, experientially presentto me–, whatever their contents may be. So the central question regarding personal identity is: What is this “I”to whomthe experiences are present, and what is the nature of its identity across changing experiences? Following Zahavi, I suggest that the subject is not to be conceived as a merely postulated trans-experiential entity but has its very being in experiential presence itself. Yet the question is how to conceive of this presence. When we understand it as a property or quality of the experiences (as Zahavi seems to do), the problem is that every experience that has ever been experienced possesses this property, and so it cannot account for what it means that some experiences are experiencedby meand not some other subject. In contrast, I suggest (following Klawonn’s “I-dimension” theory) understanding experiential presence not as a property of the experiences but as a dimension which is able to comprise many experiences and to abide as identical through their change – an idea that can also be found in some formulations of Zahavi’s, but which he does not distinguish with the necessary clarity from the quality account.
Characterization and catalytic activity of soft-templated NiO-CeO2 mixed oxides for CO and CO2 co-methanation
Authors: Atzori Luciano , Cutrufello Maria Giorgia , Meloni Daniela , Onida Barbara , Gazzoli Delia , Ardu Andrea , Monaci Roberto , Sini Maria Franca , Rombi Elisabetta
Published: August 2020

Nanosized NiO, CeO2 and NiO-CeO2 mixed oxides with different Ni/Ce molar ratios were prepared by the soft template method. All the samples were characterized by different techniques as to their chemical composition, structure, morphology and texture. On the catalysts submitted to the same reduction pretreatment adopted for the activity tests the surface basic properties and specific metal surface area were also determined. NiO and CeO2 nanocrystals of about 4 nm in size were obtained, regardless of the Ni/Ce molar ratio. The Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results proved the formation of defective sites at the NiO-CeO2 interface, where Ni species are in strong interaction with the support. The microcalorimetric and Fourier transform infrared analyses of the reduced samples highlighted that, unlike metallic nickel, CeO2 is able to effectively adsorb CO2, forming carbonates and hydrogen carbonates. After reduction in H2 at 400 °C for 1 h, the catalytic performance was studied in the CO and CO2 co-methanation reaction. Catalytic tests were performed at atmospheric pressure and 300 °C, using CO/CO2/H2 molar compositions of 1/1/7 or 1/1/5, and space velocities equal to 72000 or 450000 cm3·h−1·gcat−1. Whereas CO was almost completely hydrogenated in any investigated experimental conditions, CO2 conversion was strongly affected by both the CO/CO2/H2 ratio and the space velocity. The faster and definitely preferred CO hydrogenation was explained in the light of the different mechanisms of CO and CO2 methanation. On a selected sample, the influence of the reaction temperature and of a higher number of space velocity values, as well as the stability, were also studied. Provided that the Ni content is optimized, the NiCe system investigated was very promising, being highly active for the COx co-methanation reaction in a wide range of operating conditions and stable (up to 50 h) also when submitted to thermal stress.
Numerical Assessment of In-Line Rotor–Stator Mixers in High-Shear Melt Conditioning (HSMC) Technology
Authors: Lebon Gerard Serge Bruno , Lazaro-Nebreda Jaime , Patel Jayesh B. , Fan Zhongyun
Published: August 2020

High shear melt conditioning technology refines the as-cast structure of light alloy melts, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the casting and reducing the occurrence of defects, without requiring chemical grain refiners. To upscale the technology and apply it to processes involving larger melt volumes, a computational fluid dynamics study is conducted with three rotor–stator mixers operating in both batch and continuous modes. Analysis of the results show that rotor–stator mixers with smaller stator holes outperform those with larger ones because of larger shear rates—increasing the deagglomeration rate—and larger volume flow rates—increasing the dispersion of the intensively sheared melt in the bulk liquid. Compared with batch mode, continuous operation results in lower mass flow rate through the mixer and reduced mixing, although the mixer design has a larger impact on both measures.
Dragonflies of Dragon’s Blood Island: Atlas of the Odonata of the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen)
Authors: Van Damme Kay , Vahalík Petr , Ketelaar Robert , Jeziorski Petr , Bouwman Jaap , Morris Miranda , Suleiman Ahmed Saeed , Dumont Henri J.
Published: August 2020

Dragonflies are important bioindicators of aquatic ecosystem health. We discuss the distribution and richness of the 22 dragon- and damselfly species known from the Socotra Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage Site (Yemen) in the western Indian Ocean. We compiled 841 records from literature, field data and museum collections, covering a surveying period of 123 years (1896–2019). Distribution of the only endemic, the Socotra BluetAzuragrion granti(McLachlan, 1903), an indicator of pristine lotic waters, is updated. Relatively higher dragonfly species richness occurs in eastern Socotra where suitable aquatic habitats are present all year. We observed a significant drop of the number of taxa over several decades in areas in the Hadiboh Plain where human development impacts are strongest. We discuss the indigenous people’s perception of dragonflies to assess the potential of these invertebrates as local flagships for aquatic biodiversity conservation. Our knowledge of the Socotran Odonata remains incomplete, yet they are now among the best studied animal groups in the archipelago. A new record of an OrientalAnaxindicates that the island’s dragonfly fauna may yet harbour surprises. Our compilation of odonate records is the first for Socotra and serves as a baseline for future monitoring of the archipelago’s vital aquatic habitats. We converted all records into a geodatabase which we uploaded to an online, freely available web mapping server and mobile application to facilitate research and conservation of the Socotran dragonflies (www.dragonfliesofsocotra.com).

Graphic abstract
Location of facilities and network design for reverse logistics of lithium-ion batteries in Sweden
Authors: Tadaros M. , Migdalas A. , Samuelsson B. , Segerstedt A.
Published: August 2020

Estimations of the amount of lithium-ion batteries reaching their end-of-life in 2025 and the amount being recycled indicates large deviations. To enable an efficient recycling process a well-defined and efficient supply chain network for the recovery of discarded lithium-ion batteries must be put in place. This includes analyzing the needs and restrictions of such a network. The aim of this paper is to provide decision support tools, to analyze input, and optimize a future supply chain for discarded lithium-ion batteries. A mixed integer programming model is developed and applied to the Swedish market. The findings show that several aspects will affect a reverse supply chain for discarded lithium-ion batteries, many of which are still uncertain and hard to predict.
Handwriting Biometrics: Applications and Future Trends in e-Security and e-Health
Authors: Faundez-Zanuy Marcos , Fierrez Julian , Ferrer Miguel A. , Diaz Moises , Tolosana Ruben , Plamondon Réjean
Published: August 2020

Online handwritten analysis presents many applications in e-security, signature biometrics being the most popular but not the only one. Handwriting analysis also has an important set of applications in e-health. Both kinds of applications (e-security and e-health) have some unsolved questions and relations among them that should be addressed in the next years. We summarize the state of the art and applications based on handwriting signals. Later on, we focus on the main achievements and challenges that should be addressed by the scientific community, providing a guide for future research. Among all the points discussed in this article, we remark the importance of considering security, health, and metadata from a joint perspective. This is especially critical due to the risks inherent when using these behavioral signals.
An anatomy of the Spanish current account adjustment: the role of permanent and transitory factors
Authors: Delgado-Téllez Mar , Moral-Benito Enrique , Viani Francesca
Published: August 2020

This paper investigates how much of the current account adjustment after the global financial crisis in Spain can be explained by cyclical factors. For this purpose, we extend the IMF’s external balance assessment methodology to allow for country-specific slopes and intercepts. The good fit of these cross-country regressions implies negligible residuals for most countries, and, as a result, the positive analysis of current account decompositions provides a more informative assessment of the external balance drivers. According to our findings, around 60% of the 11 pp. adjustment of the Spanish external imbalance over the years 2008–2015 can be explained by transitory factors such as the output gap, the oil balance, and the financial cycle—a share that diminished down to 50% during the more recent recovery period. The remaining adjustment of the Spanish external balance is explained by factors such as the cyclically adjusted fiscal consolidation, population ageing, lower growth expectations, or competitiveness gains, which can all be considered as more permanent phenomena.
On the space of Laplace transformable distributions
Authors: Debrouwere Andreas , Nigsch Eduard A.
Published: August 2020

We show that the space$${\mathcal {S}}'(\Gamma )$$S′(Γ)of Laplace transformable distributions, where$$\Gamma \subseteq {\mathbb {R}}^d$$Γ⊆Rdis a non-empty convex open set, is an ultrabornological (PLS)-space. Moreover, we determine an explicit topological predual of$${\mathcal {S}}'(\Gamma )$$S′(Γ).
Stress concentration at cruciform welded joints under axial and bending loading modes
Authors: Molski Krzysztof L. , Tarasiuk Piotr , Glinka Grzegorz
Published: August 2020

The paper is concerned with the problem of stress concentration in cruciform fillet welded joints subjected to axial and bending load. Extended numerical analyses were carried out with the help of the finite element method. It made it possible to estimate stress concentration factors Kt for a variety of geometrical parameters defining the geometry of cruciform welded joints. It has been found that approximate Kt formulas, available in the literature, have two disadvantages, i.e. an unknown accuracy and small range of application with respect to geometrical parameters defining the weld shape. For these reasons, more general and accurate new formulas for stress concentration factors Kt have been derived. Even though the present approach is applicable to all types of welded joints, the analysis presented below has been conducted for a cruciform joint with the weld flank angle of θ = 45°. Final solutions have been given in the form of polynomial expressions, and they can be easily used in computer-aided design procedures.
Employees’ Perceptions of the Implementation of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Automation (RAIA) on Job Satisfaction, Job Security, and Employability
Authors: Bhargava Amisha , Bester Marais , Bolton Lucy
Published: August 2020

The study aimed at qualitatively exploring working adult’s perceptions of the implementation of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation (RAIA) on their job security, job satisfaction, and employability. By means of a cross-sectional and exploratory design, the researchers conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample. The heterogeneous sample came from numerous industries for instance consulting, accounting and finance, and hospitality and varied seniority levels. The thematic analysis led to the emergence of five high-level themes and several sub-themes. The findings indicate that (a) “human touch” and “soft skills” remain irreplaceable and cannot be replicated by RAIA, (b) employees need to perceive RAIA as an opportunity and not a threat, (c) employees might experience a job satisfaction dilemma, and (d) organizations have to be well prepared pre- and post-industrial change. The findings could be used by industrial and organizational psychologists, human resource practitioners, and strategic information technology decision-makers when managing RAIA-related technological changes in organizations. Employees’ suggestions and perceptions could be considered to mitigate the consequences of technological changes in organizations. Both employees and employers need to change their perspective toward RAIA technology, work with a flexible, open mind, and embrace the potential impact of RAIA advancements on job roles and responsibilities. Employees will have to follow a path of continuous learning and keep up with technology.
On the spectral characterization of Besse and Zoll Reeb flows
Authors: Ginzburg Viktor L. , Gürel Başak Z. , Mazzucchelli Marco
Published: August 2020

A closed contact manifold is called Besse when all its Reeb orbits are closed, and Zoll when they have the same minimal period. In this paper, we provide a characterization of Besse contact forms for convex contact spheres and Riemannian unit tangent bundles in terms of

S^{1}

-equivariant spectral invariants. Furthermore, for restricted contact type hypersurfaces of symplectic vector spaces, we give a sufficient condition for the Besse property via the Ekeland–Hofer capacities.
Accuracy of self-reported BMI using objective measurement in high school students
Authors: Allison Chelsea , Colby Sarah , Opoku-Acheampong Audrey , Kidd Tandalayo , Kattelmann Kendra , Olfert Melissa D. , Zhou Wenjun
Published: August 2020

Self-reported measures for body mass index (BMI) are considered a limitation in research design, especially when they are a primary outcome. Studies have found some populations to be quite accurate when self-reporting BMI; however, there is mixed research on the accuracy of self-reported measurements in adolescents. The aim of this study is to examine the accuracy of self-reported BMI by comparing it with measured BMI in a sample of U.S. adolescents and to understand gender differences. This cross-sectional study collected self-reported height and weight measurements of students from five high schools in four states (Tennessee, South Dakota, Kansas and Florida). Trained researchers took height and weight of students for an objective measurement. BMI was calculated from both sources and categorized (underweight, normal, overweight and obese) using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's BMI-for-age percentiles. Participants (n 425; 51⋅0 % female) had a mean age of 16⋅3 years old, and the majority were White (47⋅5 %). Limits of agreement (LOA) analysis revealed that BMI and weight were underreported, and height was overreported in the overall sample, in females, and in males. LOA analysis was fair for BMI in all three groups. Overall agreement in BMI categorisation was considered substantial (Κ 0⋅71, P < 0⋅001). As BMI increased, more height and weight inaccuracies led to decreased accuracy in BMI categorisation, and the specificity of obese participants was low (50⋅0 %). This study's findings suggest that using self-reported values to categorize BMI is more accurate than using continuous BMI values when self-reported measures are used in health-related interventions.
Refining Kaminaljuyu Chronology: New Radiocarbon Dates, Bayesian Analysis, and Ceramics Studies
Authors: Arroyo Bárbara , Inomata Takeshi , Ajú Gloria , Estrada Javier , Nasu Hiroo , Aoyama Kazuo
Published: August 2020

Since Kaminaljuyu was first systematically excavated in the 1930s, the chronology of the site has been fraught with confusion and scholarly disagreement. In recent years, scholars generally adopted the chronology presented by Shook and Popenoe de Hatch (1999) as the most authoritative account. In 2014, however, Inomata and colleagues proposed a revision of this chronology by shifting its Preclassic portion (including the Las Charcas and Providencia phases) roughly 300 years later in time. In this article, we analyze a total of 108 radiocarbon dates with Bayesian statistics, tying them to detailed ceramic analysis. These dates include previously reported dates, measured after the year 2000, as well as 68 new radiocarbon dates obtained from Kaminaljuyu and nearby sites. The results largely support Inomata and coauthors’ (2014) revised Preclassic chronology, placing the Las Charcas–Providencia transition around 350 BC and the Providencia–Verbena transition around 75 BC. In addition, we present new dates on the Early Classic period, although some ambiguity remains for the Esperanza phase, when Teotihuacan-related elements were introduced to Kaminaljuyu. The revised chronology, combined with environmental data, suggests an explosive increase in population and construction activity during the Verbena and Arenal phases.
Predictors of the diets consumed by adolescent girls, pregnant women and mothers with children under age two years in rural eastern India
Authors: Unisa Sayeed , Saraswat Abhishek , Bhanot Arti , Jaleel Abdul , Parhi Rabi N. , Bhattacharjee Sourav , Purty Apollo , Rath Sudhira , Mohapatra Babita , Lumba Avinash , Sinha Sonali , Kejrewal Nita , Agrawal Neeraj , Bhatia Vikas , Ruikar Manisha , Sethi Vani
Published: August 2020

Adolescents, pregnant women and mothers of children under 2 years of age are in stages of life characterized by higher nutritional demands. The study measured the dietary diversity of 17,680 adolescent girls, pregnant women and mothers of children under age 2 years in the eastern Indian states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha using data from the Swabhimaan baseline survey conducted in 2016. The association of women’s mean Dietary Diversity Scores with socioeconomic, health and nutrition service indicators was assessed. The sampled population was socioeconomically more vulnerable than the average Indian population. There was not much variation in the types of foods consumed daily across target groups, with diet being predominantly cereal (98%) and vegetable (83%) based. Nearly 30% of the mothers had low Dietary Diversity Scores, compared with 25% of pregnant women and 24% of adolescent girls. In each target group, more than half of the respondents were unable to meet the Minimum Dietary Diversity score of at least five of ten food groups consumed daily. Irrespective of their background characteristics, mean Dietary Diversity Scores were significantly lower in Bihar than in Chhattisgarh and Odisha for all target groups. Having at least 6 years of education, belonging to a relatively rich household and possessing a ration card predicted mean dietary diversity. Project interventions of participatory women’s group meetings improved mean Dietary Diversity Scores for mothers and adolescent girls. Considering the association between poverty and dietary diversity, the linkage between girls and women and nutrition-focused livelihoods and supplementary nutrition programmes needs to be tested.
Investigating explicit and implicit L2 knowledge and learning: Replications of Erlam (2005) and Roehr-Brackin and Tellier (2019)
Authors: Roehr-Brackin Karen
Published: August 2020

This paper makes the case for close and approximate replications of Erlam (2005) and a conceptual replication of Roehr-Brackin and Tellier (2019). The two studies recommended for replication are informed by research on explicit and implicit knowledge, learning and teaching. They are ecologically valid classroom studies with either adolescent or child learners as participants and thus investigated as yet relatively under-represented populations in the field of instructed second language acquisition (SLA). Erlam (2005) identified a levelling effect of a particular method of explicit instruction, while Roehr-Brackin and Tellier (2019) showed that language-analytic ability has a role to play even in younger children's language learning. The researchers’ approaches duly reflect the need to take into account cognitive individual learner differences when working in intact classrooms. As the findings of each of the original studies have potentially profound implications for theory and practice in the field, replication is deemed both timely and desirable. In order to facilitate this endeavour, the key features of the original studies are summarised, and specific proposals on the methodological characteristics of suitable replication studies are put forward.
Capsular polysaccharide and lipopolysaccharide O type analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates by genotype in China
Authors: Zhang Z. Y. , Qin R. , Lu Y. H. , Shen J. , Zhang S. Y. , Wang C. Y. , Yang Y. Q. , Hu F. P. , He P.
Published: August 2020

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common pathogen associated with nosocomial infections and is characterised serologically by capsular polysaccharide (K) and lipopolysaccharide O antigens. We surveyed a total of 348 non-duplicate K. pneumoniae clinical isolates collected over a 1-year period in a tertiary care hospital, and determined their O and K serotypes by sequencing of the wbb Y and wzi gene loci, respectively. Isolates were also screened for antimicrobial resistance and hypervirulent phenotypes; 94 (27.0%) were identified as carbapenem-resistant (CRKP) and 110 (31.6%) as hypervirulent (hvKP). isolates fell into 58 K, and six O types, with 92.0% and 94.2% typeability, respectively. The predominant K types were K14K64 (16.38%), K1 (14.66%), K2 (8.05%) and K57 (5.46%), while O1 (46%), O2a (27.9%) and O3 (11.8%) were the most common. CRKP and hvKP strains had different serotype distributions with O2a:K14K64 (41.0%) being the most frequent among CRKP, and O1:K1 (26.4%) and O1:K2 (17.3%) among hvKP strains. Serotyping by gene sequencing proved to be a useful tool to inform the clinical epidemiology of K. pneumoniae infections and provides valuable data relevant to vaccine design.
Global dynamics and spatio-temporal patterns of predator–prey systems with density-dependent motion
Authors: JIN HAI-YANG , WANG ZHI-AN
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we investigate the global boundedness, asymptotic stability and pattern formation of predator–prey systems with density-dependent prey-taxis in a two-dimensional bounded domain with Neumann boundary conditions, where the coefficients of motility (diffusiq‘dfdon) and mobility (prey-taxis) of the predator are correlated through a prey density-dependent motility function. We establish the existence of classical solutions with uniform-in time bound and the global stability of the spatially homogeneous prey-only steady states and coexistence steady states under certain conditions on parameters by constructing Lyapunov functionals. With numerical simulations, we further demonstrate that spatially homogeneous time-periodic patterns, stationary spatially inhomogeneous patterns and chaotic spatio-temporal patterns are all possible for the parameters outside the stability regime. We also find from numerical simulations that the temporal dynamics between linearised system and nonlinear systems are quite different, and the prey density-dependent motility function can trigger the pattern formation.
Healthy and unhealthy food environments are linked with neighbourhood socio-economic disadvantage: an innovative geospatial approach to understanding food access inequities
Authors: Hallum Shirelle H , Hughey S Morgan , Wende Marilyn E , Stowe Ellen W , Kaczynski Andrew T
Published: August 2020

Objective:

This study examined the separate relationships between socio-economic disadvantage and the density of multiple types of food outlets, and relationships between socio-economic disadvantage and composite food environment indices.

Design:

Cross-sectional data were analysed using geospatial kernel density techniques. Food outlet data included convenience stores, discount stores, fast-food and fast casual restaurants, and grocery stores. Controlling for urbanicity and race/ethnicity, multivariate linear regression was used to examine the relationships between socio-economic disadvantage and density of food outlets.

Setting:

This study occurred in a large Southeastern US county containing 255 census block groups with a total population of 474 266, of which 77·1 % was Non-Hispanic White, the median household income was $48 886 and 15·0 % of residents lived below 125 % of the federal poverty line.

Participants:

The unit of analysis was block groups; all data about neighbourhood socio-economic disadvantage and food outlets were publicly available.

Results:

As block group socio-economic disadvantage increased, so too did access to all types of food outlets. The total food environment index, calculated as the ratio of unhealthy food outlets to all food outlets, decreased as block group disadvantage increased.

Conclusions:

Those who reside in more disadvantaged block groups have greater access to both healthy and unhealthy food outlets. The density of unhealthy establishments was greater in more disadvantaged areas; however, because of having greater access to grocery stores, disadvantaged populations have less obesogenic total food environments. Structural changes are needed to reduce access to unhealthy food outlets to ensure environmental injustice and reduce obesity risk.
How will the COVID-19 pandemic shape the future of meat consumption?
Authors: Attwood Sophie , Hajat Cother
Published: August 2020

Since its recent onset, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the daily lives of millions around the world. One area particularly affected is our diets, with food supply chain disruptions, media coverage of food safety issues and restaurant closures all influencing consumer dietary behaviour. Given this situation, we pose a timely question – what is the impact of the current pandemic on longer-term meat consumption patterns? This issue is pertinent given accumulating evidence that overconsumption of meat, particularly red meat, is associated with negative environmental and health outcomes. Here, we discuss how the current pandemic has already begun to shift public awareness of illnesses linked to animals and has resulted in short-term changes in patterns of meat consumption. Past zoonotic outbreaks, such as SARS and swine flu, are also referred to, and we find that these led to similar short-term reductions in meat intake, a shift in the type of meat chosen and longer-lasting impacts on consumer perceptions of the health risks associated with meat. We conclude that, if immediate changes in eating patterns as a result of COVID-19 are retained in the longer term, one possible opportunity to emerge from the current pandemic may be a shift away from overconsumption of meat, leading to potential health and environmental benefits in the longer term.
Can we Modify our Pleasures? A New Look at Kant on Pleasure in the Agreeable
Authors: Holberg Erica A.
Published: August 2020

Many of us are all too familiar with the experience of taking pleasure in things we feel we ought not, and of finding it frustratingly hard to bring our pleasures into line with our moral judgements. As a value dualist, Kant draws a sharp contrast between the two sources of practical motivation: pleasure in the agreeable and respect for the moral law. His ethics might thus seem to be an unpromising source for help in thinking about how we can bring our agreeable pleasures into line with our moral values. But I argue that a careful reading of Kant’s texts reveals a helpfully realistic view about the extent to which we can modify our agreeable pleasures. On my interpretation, Kant shows us how to hold together two seemingly incompatible ideas: on the one hand, that pleasure in the agreeable is resistant to rational direction, and on the other hand, that we can cultivate these pleasures with a view to ethical self-transformation.
Communal Ownership and Kant’s Theory of Right
Authors: Love S. M.
Published: August 2020

The article argues that Kant’s argument for ownership entails a standard of meaningful use by which property regimes can be evaluated: a regime must make it possible for usable objects to be meaningfully used. A particular form of fully communal ownership can satisfy this standard. Further, this form of communal ownership is compatible with Kantian freedom more broadly. I conclude that, if this is so, there is a great deal of space for further consideration of the rightfulness of diverse regimes of ownership and exchange within a Kantian framework.
The Case against Different-Sex Marriage in Kant
Authors: Sticker Martin
Published: August 2020

Recently, a number of Kantians have argued that despite Kant’s own disparaging comments about same-sex intercourse and marriage, his ethical and legal philosophy lacks the resources to show that they are impermissible. I go further by arguing that his framework is in fact more open to same-sex than to different-sex marriage. Central is Kant’s claim that marriage requires equality between spouses. Kant himself thought that men and women are not equal, and some of his more insightful remarks on the issue reveal that he was also aware that, as a matter of fact, women were disenfranchised by society, and suffer legal and other forms of discrimination. Kant, according to his own account, cannot approve of heterosexual marriage. Same-sex couples, by contrast, can satisfy the crucial equality condition. I conclude with a suggestion for refocus with respect to the issues at hand, calling for attention to more complex and insidious forms of inequality than deprivation of rights and full civil participation.
Kant’s Mathematical Sublime: The Absolutely Great in Aesthetic Estimation
Authors: Wang Weijia
Published: August 2020

According to Kant’s Critique of the Power of Judgement, in the end all estimation of magnitude is sensible, or ‘aesthetic’, and the absolutely great in aesthetic estimation is called ‘the mathematical sublime’. This article identifies the relevant sensible element with an inner sensation of a temporal tension: in aesthetic comprehension, the imagination encounters an inevitable tension between the successive reproduction of a magnitude’s individual parts and the simultaneous unification of these parts. The sensation of this tension varies in degree and facilitates aesthetic estimation in general. But in the special case where it comes to involve a sense of exceeding our imagination’s limit, we judge a magnitude to be mathematically sublime. Pace Kant, I argue that this limit is private and contingent rather than transcendental, such that the judgement of the mathematical sublime is neither universal a priori nor necessary.
Effect of Betaine Supplementation on Liver Tissue and Ultrastructural Changes in Methionine–Choline-Deficient Diet-Induced NAFLD
Authors: Vesković Milena , Labudović-Borović Milica , Mladenović Dušan , Jadžić Jelena , Jorgačević Bojan , Vukićević Dušan , Vučević Danijela , Radosavljević Tatjana
Published: August 2020

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of betaine on ultrastructural changes in the mouse liver with methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced NAFLD. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into groups: Control—fed with standard chow, BET—standard chow supplemented with betaine (1.5% w/v drinking water), MCD—fed with MCD diet, and MCD + BET—MCD diet with betaine supplementation for 6 weeks. Liver samples were taken for pathohistology and transmission electron microscopy. The MCD diet-induced steatosis, inflammation, and balloon-altered hepatocytes were alleviated by betaine. MCD diet induced an increase in mitochondrial size versus the control group (p < 0.01), which was decreased in the betaine-treated group. In the MCD diet-fed group, the total mitochondrial count decreased versus the control group (p < 0.01), while it increased in the MCD + BET group versus MCD (p < 0.01). Electron microscopy showed an increase in the number of autophagosomes in the MCD and MCD + BET group versus control, and a significant difference in autophagosomes number was detected in the MCD + BET group by comparison with the MCD diet-treated group (p < 0.05). Betaine decreases the number of enlarged mitochondria, alleviates steatosis, and increases the number of autophagosomes in the liver of mice with NAFLD.
Gender pension gaps along the distribution: An application to the French case
Authors: Bonnet Carole , Meurs Dominique , Rapoport Benoit
Published: August 2020

In this article we estimate the relative contributions to the gender pension gap of career duration and income earned at different points along the pension income distribution, as well as the role played by minimum pensions and other partly or wholly non-contributory policies in reducing this gap. Our research covers all retirees in France in 2012 employed in the public or private sector at least once in their lifetimes. We first highlight that at every point in the distribution, the gender pension gap is wider for private-sector retirees than for those in the public sector. This is because public sector careers are less fragmented and because the calculation of the public sector reference wage does not penalize career interruptions so heavily. This relative advantage of women in the public sector is probably an additional factor explaining their over-representation in this sector. Applying the decomposition method proposed by Firpo et al. (2007, 2009), we show that composition differences in the gender pension gap are essentially due to differences in contribution periods and wages, with a smaller effect of career duration in the public sector than in the private. In the first deciles, the gap can be attributed largely to differences in career duration. This effect gradually weakens, and differences in the reference wage become the main explanation. We also show that minimum contributory pensions play an extremely important role in limiting the gender pension gap in the first deciles, essentially in the private sector. Last, we show that in all cases the unexplained share of the pension gap is substantial only at the bottom of the distribution and, to a lesser extent, in the top decile. The unexplained share is generally smaller than the explained one and favours men.
Comorbidity within mental disorders: a comprehensive analysis based on 145 990 survey respondents from 27 countries
Authors: McGrath J. J. , Lim C. C. W. , Plana-Ripoll O. , Holtz Y. , Agerbo E. , Momen N. C. , Mortensen P. B. , Pedersen C. B. , Abdulmalik J. , Aguilar-Gaxiola S. , Al-Hamzawi A. , Alonso J. , Bromet E. J. , Bruffaerts R. , Bunting B. , de Almeida J. M. C. , de Girolamo G. , De Vries Y. A. , Florescu S. , Gureje O. , Haro J. M. , Harris M. G. , Hu C. , Karam E. G. , Kawakami N. , Kiejna A. , Kovess-Masfety V. , Lee S. , Mneimneh Z. , Navarro-Mateu F. , Orozco R. , Posada-Villa J. , Roest A. M. , Saha S. , Scott K. M. , Stagnaro J. C. , Stein D. J. , Torres Y. , Viana M. C. , Ziv Y. , Kessler R. C. , de Jonge P.
Published: August 2020

Aims

Epidemiological studies indicate that individuals with one type of mental disorder have an increased risk of subsequently developing other types of mental disorders. This study aimed to undertake a comprehensive analysis of pair-wise lifetime comorbidity across a range of common mental disorders based on a diverse range of population-based surveys.

Methods

The WHO World Mental Health (WMH) surveys assessed 145 990 adult respondents from 27 countries. Based on retrospectively-reported age-of-onset for 24 DSM-IV mental disorders, associations were examined between all 548 logically possible temporally-ordered disorder pairs. Overall and time-dependent hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. Absolute risks were estimated using the product-limit method. Estimates were generated separately for men and women.

Results

Each prior lifetime mental disorder was associated with an increased risk of subsequent first onset of each other disorder. The median HR was 12.1 (mean = 14.4; range 5.2–110.8, interquartile range = 6.0–19.4). The HRs were most prominent between closely-related mental disorder types and in the first 1–2 years after the onset of the prior disorder. Although HRs declined with time since prior disorder, significantly elevated risk of subsequent comorbidity persisted for at least 15 years. Appreciable absolute risks of secondary disorders were found over time for many pairs.

Conclusions

Survey data from a range of sites confirms that comorbidity between mental disorders is common. Understanding the risks of temporally secondary disorders may help design practical programs for primary prevention of secondary disorders.
Suicidal Behaviors in the Ghana Police Service
Authors: Quarshie Emmanuel Nii-Boye , Odame Samuel Kofi , Annor Francis
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Background: Despite recent media reports showing disturbing trends of police suicides in Ghana, no published studies are available from the country. Aims: We sought to estimate the prevalence and describe some of the correlates of suicidal behaviors among police officers in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Method: We surveyed a convenience sample of 268 police officers, using the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised to assess suicidal ideation, planning, threat, and attempt. Results: Whereas lifetime suicidal ideation (28%), planning (3%), threat (21.6%), and 12-month suicidal ideation (26.9%) were reported, no participating police officer reported ever attempting suicide. Moonlighting showed the strongest statistically significant association with 12-month suicidal ideation, while age, marital status, and job satisfaction also emerged as statistically significant correlates of suicidal ideation. Limitations: The busy nature of police work precluded random selection. The criminalized and tabooed status of attempted suicide in Ghana might have led participants to provide guarded and socially desirable responses. Conclusion: Intervention efforts are needed to prevent the onset of suicidal ideation and possible transition to suicide among police officers in Ghana.
Meta-Cognition Predicts Attitude Depolarization and Intentions to Engage With the Opposition Following Pro-Attitudinal Advocacy
Authors: Abeywickrama Ravini S. , Laham Simon M.
Published: August 2020

Abstract. Across two studies we show that attitudes can paradoxically depolarize when people advocate for their own opinions. In Study 1 ( n = 276), we show that attitude depolarization is driven by how much meta-cognitive confidence people place in their advocacy attempt, such that those who experience low confidence during advocacy are more likely to depolarize. In Study 2 ( n = 495), we show that meta-cognitive confidence predicts communicative intentions, such as intentions to engage with those holding dissimilar views. In Study 2, we also show that the confidence–polarization and confidence–engagement links are unaffected by audience attitudes, but are moderated by Need-for-Cognition. The findings suggest that confidence and level of elaboration may predict some self-persuasive effects of pro-attitudinal advocacy.
Is the Substorm Current Wedge an Ensemble of Wedgelets?: Revisit to Midlatitude Positive Bays
Authors: Ohtani Shinichi , Gjerloev Jesper W.
Published: August 2020

The goal of the present study is to observationally test the idea that the substorm current wedge (SCW) is an ensemble of wedgelets, mesoscale current systems that correspond to plasma sheet flow channels. According to this hypothesis, the SML index, SuperMAG equivalent to the AL index, represents a single particular wedgelet at a given time, whereas midlatitude positive bays are a sum of the remote effects of all wedgelets but with more weighting on ones closer in longitude. However, both event‐based and statistical studies of isolated substorms show that (1) midlatitude N (northward) and E (eastward) ground magnetic variations are highly correlated with SML even far from midnight; (2) the correlation between midlatitude magnetic variations and SML are organized by the magnetic local time (MLT) of the peak westward electrojet intensity (as identified by SML), and their longitudinal structures are consistent with the conventional SCW model; and (3) eastward and westward midlatitude E variations observed at dusk and dawn, respectively, are well correlated. If the SCW is an ensemble of wedgelets, these results would imply that wedgelets with similar intensities are formed side by side throughout the SCW and evolve in parallel with each other, which is highly questionable from both physical and morphological points of view. Instead, it is suggested that the SCW is basically a globally coherent system. Although the SCW may evolve from a wedgelet formed at the onset of substorms, wedgelets are probably not a primary constituent of the SCW for most of the subsequent expansion phase.