bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Lessons learned and questions raised during and post-COVID-19 anthropopause period in relation to the environment and climate
Authors: Zerefos Christos S. , Solomos Stavros , Kapsomenakis John , Poupkou Anastasia , Dimitriadou Lida , Polychroni Iliana D. , Kalabokas Pavlos , Philandras Constandinos M. , Thanos Dimitris 
Published: November 2020

AbstractIn the first part, this work reports that during the global “anthropopause” period, that was imposed in March and April 2020 for limiting the spread of COVID-19, the concentrations of basic air pollutants over Europe were reduced by up to 70%. During May and June, the gradual lift of the stringent measures resulted in the recovery of these reductions with pollution concentrations approaching the levels before the lockdown by the end of June 2020. In the second part, this work examines the alleged correlations between the reported cases of COVID-19 and temperature, humidity and particulate matter for March and April 2020 in Europe. It was found that decreasing temperatures and relative humidity with increasing concentrations of particulate matter are correlated with an increase in the number of reported cases during these 2 months. However, when these calculations were repeated for May and June, we found a remarkable drop in the significance of the correlations which leads us to question the generally accepted inverse relation between pandemics and air temperature at least during the warmer months. Such a relationship could not be supported in our study for SARS-CoV-2 virus and the question remains open. In the third and last part of this work, we examine the question referring to the origin of pandemics. In this context we have examined the hypothesis that the observed climate warming in Siberia and the Arctic and the thawing of permafrost could result to the release of trapped in the permafrost pathogens in the atmosphere. We find that although such relations cannot be directly justified, they present a possible horrifying mechanism for the origin of viruses in the future during the developing global warming of our planet in the decades to come. Overall the findings of our study indicate that: (1) the reduction of anthropogenic emissions in Europe during the “anthropopause” period of March and April 2020 was significant, but when the lockdown measures were raised the concentrations of atmospheric pollutants quickly recovered to pre-pandemic levels and therefore any possible climatic feedbacks were negligible; (2) no robust relationship between atmospheric parameters and the spread of COVID-19 cases can be justified in the warmer part of the year and (3) more research needs to be done regarding the possible links between climate change and the release of new pathogens from thawing of permafrost areas.
Effect of Electron-Beam Radiation and Other Sterilization Techniques on Structural, Mechanical and Microbiological Properties of Thermoplastic Starch Blend
Authors: Iuliano Anna , Fabiszewska Agata , Kozik Katarzyna , Rzepna Magdalena , Ostrowska Justyna , Dębowski Maciej , Plichta Andrzej 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThis work investigates the potential application of various sterilization methods for microorganism inactivation on the thermoplastic starch blend surface. The influence of the e-beam and UV radiation, ethanol, isopropanol and microwave autoclave on structural and packaging properties were studied. All the applied methods were successful in the inactivation of yeast and molds, however only the e-beam radiation was able to remove the bacterial microflora. The FTIR analysis revealed no significant changes in the polymer structure, nevertheless, a deterioration of the mechanical properties of the blend was observed. The least invasive method was the UV radiation which did not affect the mechanical parameters and additionally improved the barrier properties of the tested material. Moreover, it was proved that during the e-beam radiation the chain scission and cross-linking occurred. The non-irradiated and irradiated samples were subjected to the enzymatic degradation studies performed in the presence of amylase. The results indicated that irradiation accelerated the decomposition of material, which was confirmed by the measurements of weight loss, and mass of glucose and starch released to the solution in the course of biodegradation, as well as the FTIR and thermal analysis.
How academic researchers select collaborative research projects: a choice experiment
Authors: van Rijnsoever Frank J. , Hessels Laurens K. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractAlthough many studies have been conducted on the drivers of and barriers to research collaborations, current literature provides limited insights into the ways in which individual researchers choose to engage in different collaborative projects. Using a choice experiment, we studied the factors that drive this choice using a representative sample of 3145 researchers from Western Europe and North America who publish in English. We find that for most researchers, the expected publication of research in scientific journals deriving from a project is the most decisive factor driving their collaboration choices. Moreover, most respondents prefer to collaborate with other partners than industry. However, different factors’ influence varies across groups of researchers. These groups are characterised as going for the ‘puzzle’ (60% of the sample), the ‘ribbon’ (33%) or the ‘gold’ (8%), i.e., primarily oriented toward intellectual goals, recognition or money, respectively. This heterogeneity shows that a combination of interventions will be required for governments aiming to promote university–industry collaborations.
Globalization and populism in Europe
Authors: Bergh Andreas , Kärnä Anders 
Published: November 2020

AbstractRecent micro-level studies have suggested that globalization—in particular, economic globalization and trade with China—breeds political polarization and populism. This study examines whether or not those results generalize by examining the country-level association between vote shares for European populist parties and economic globalization. Using data on vote shares for 267 right-wing and left-wing populist parties in 33 European countries during 1980–2017, and globalization data from the KOF institute, we find no evidence of a positive association between (economic or other types of) globalization and populism. EU membership is associated with a 4–6-percentage-point larger vote share for right-wing populist parties.
Lower cognitive reappraisal capacity is related to impairments in attachment and personality structure in poly-drug use: an fMRI study
Authors: Hiebler-Ragger M. , Perchtold-Stefan C. M. , Unterrainer H. F. , Fuchshuber J. , Koschutnig K. , Nausner L. , Kapfhammer H. P. , Papousek I. , Weiss E. M. , Fink A. 
Published: November 2020

AbstractInsecure attachment, impaired personality structure and impaired emotion regulation figure prominently in substance use disorders. While negative emotions can trigger drug-use and relapse, cognitive reappraisal may reduce emotional strain by promoting changes in perspective. In the present study, we explored behavioral and neural correlates of cognitive reappraisal in poly-drug use disorder by testing individuals’ capability to generate cognitive reappraisals for aversive events (Reappraisal Inventiveness Test). 18 inpatients with poly-drug use disorder and 16 controls completed the Adult Attachment Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Wonderlic Personnel Test, and the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis Structure Questionnaire, as well as two versions of the Reappraisal Inventiveness Test (during fMRI and outside the lab). Compared to controls, polydrug inpatients reported impaired personality structure, attachment and emotion regulation abilities. In the Reappraisal Inventiveness Test, poly-drug inpatients were less flexible and fluent in generating reappraisals for anger-eliciting situations. Corresponding to previous brain imaging evidence, cognitive reappraisal efforts of both groups were reflected in activation of left frontal regions, particularly left superior and middle frontal gyri and left supplemental motor areas. However, no group differences in neural activation patterns emerged. This suggests that despite cognitive reappraisal impairments on a behavioral level, neural reflections of these deficits in poly-drug use disorder might be more complex.
Re-thinking the Zero Tolerance Approach to FGM/C: the Debate Around Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery
Authors: Boddy Janice 
Published: November 2020

AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo examine the ‘zero tolerance’ policy for female genital cutting (FGM/C) in the international health community in light of the growing popularity of FGCS (female genital cosmetic surgery) worldwide.Recent Findings‘Traditional’ FGM/C performed in Egypt and Sudan and cosmetic labiaplasty performed in Europe, the Americas, and Antipodes by medically trained gynaecologists and plastic surgeons are based on similar aesthetic logics: labia minora that protrude beyond the labia majora are deemed ugly, masculine, and ‘abnormal’. Drawing on the burgeoning medical, social science, and humanities literature surrounding labiaplasty, the paper documents the narrowing of aesthetic standards governing ‘normal’ genital appearance and finds that, in addition to adult women, thousands of (mainly Caucasian) adolescents have undergone these operations whose long-term health consequences are unknown.SummaryWestern heteronormativity, gender binarism, ageism, and the colonial association of protruding labia minora with animality contribute to body image insecurities and fuel the labiaplasty phenomenon, despite the ethical challenge that the procedures are clearly defined by the WHO as type II (a–c) female genital mutilations.
A deep learning based wearable system for food and drink intake recognition
Authors: Ortega Anderez Dario , Lotfi Ahmad , Pourabdollah Amir 
Published: November 2020

AbstractEating difficulties and the subsequent need for eating assistance are a prevalent issue within the elderly population. Besides, a poor diet is considered a confounding factor for developing chronic diseases and functional limitations. Driven by the above issues, this paper proposes a wrist-worn tri-axial accelerometer based food and drink intake recognition system. First, an adaptive segmentation technique is employed to identify potential eating and drinking gestures from the continuous accelerometer readings. A posteriori, a study upon the use of Convolutional Neural Networks for the recognition of eating and drinking gestures is carried out. This includes the employment of three time series to image encoding frameworks, namely the signal spectrogram, the Markov Transition Field and the Gramian Angular Field, as well as the development of various multi-input multi-domain networks. The recognition of the gestures is then tackled as a 3-class classification problem (‘Eat’, ‘Drink’ and ‘Null’), where the ‘Null’ class is composed of all the irrelevant gestures included in the post-segmentation gesture set. An average per-class classification accuracy of 97.10% was achieved by the proposed system. When compared to similar work, such accurate classification performance signifies a great contribution to the field of assisted living.
The environment as seen through the life of a journal: Ambio 1972–2022
Authors: Sörlin Sverker 
Published: November 2020

AbstractEmerging after World War II “the environment” as a modern concept turned in the years around 1970 into a phase of institutionalization in science, civic society, and politics. Part of this was the foundation of journals. The majority became “environmental specialist journals”, typically based in established disciplines. Some became “environmental generalist journals”, covering broad knowledge areas and often with an ambition to be policy relevant. A significant and early member of the latter category wasAmbio, founded 1972. This article presents an overview of the journal’s first 50 years, with a focus on main changes in scientific content, political context, and editorial directions. A key finding is that the journal reflects an increasing pluralization of “the environment” with concepts such as global change, climate change, Earth system science, Anthropocene, resilience, and environmental governance. Another finding is that the journal has also itself influenced developments through publishing work on new concepts and ideas.
Two New Quinazoline Derivatives from the Moss Endophytic Fungus Aspergillus sp. and Their Anti-inflammatory Activity
Authors: Wang Ning-Ning , Liu Chun-Yu , Wang Tian , Li Yue-Lan , Xu Ke , Lou Hong-Xiang 
Published: November 2020

Abstract
Two new quinazoline derivatives versicomides E (1) and F (2), and 10 known compounds (3–12) were isolated from the moss endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis and ECD calculations. Among them, the compound 7 (6-hydroxy-3-methoxyviridicatin) was first reported as a natural product. Inhibition on LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages found that compounds 5, 7 and 8 showed significant inhibitory effects on NO production, with IC50 values of 49.85, 22.14 and 46.02 μM respectively.

Graphic Abstract
Hospitality to difference: LGBT, religious education and the Catholic school
Authors: Coll Roisín 
Published: November 2020

AbstractThere has been a rise in claims of LGBTI youth in schools generally across the UK with a surge in young people self-identifying. This is a ‘theme’ or ‘matter’ or ‘question’ that has been insufficiently ventilated in relation to the Catholic school. It is shrouded in inhibition, confusion, evasion or fear. Burying our heads in the sand is not helping us move forward and there is a potential political threat to the mission of Catholic schools from failing to engage. A key driver of this paper is the rapidly changing climate of opinion and activism around LGBTI experiences in schools and society. From an essentially rights based perspective, and supported by powerful equality legislation, people are campaigning vigorously through formal and informal groups for what they perceive as a redress of longstanding exclusion and discrimination. The concern in particular for LGBTI rights and recognition for under 18s has inevitably drawn schools into these national debates. Three narratives are worthy of discussion around this theme and are inextricably linked: the legal, theological and pastoral narratives. This paper will consider these and suggest the impact that developments are having on the Catholic school sector, and in particular, the teaching of Religious education.
Investigations on PM10, PM2.5, and Their Ratio over the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Authors: Abuelgasim Abdelgadir , Farahat Ashraf 
Published: November 2020

AbstractWorldwide monitoring of ambient outdoor air quality is critical for planning mitigation measures and controls for public safety. Several airborne pollutants are measured and continuously monitored by multiple government environmental agencies. Such pollutants include particulate matter (PM) levels, both PM10 and PM2.5, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, lead, and volatile organic compounds. However, scientific studies related to air pollution and the temporal variability of PM levels in the United Arab Emirates are limited. This study comprehensively analyzes the spatiotemporal variations in PM10, PM2.5, and the PM2.5/PM10 ratio over the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates during 2017–2018. The PM levels are high during April–September, peaking in July each year, likely because of intense dust and sandstorms; the same levels are low during October–March. Industrial areas have higher annual average PM10 levels (162 μg/m3) compared to urban core areas (132 μg/m3) and suburban areas (131 μg/m3). In general, the values of the PM2.5/PM10 ratio are low ranging between annual averages of 0.29 and 0.49 across the industrial, urban core, and desert/suburban areas. This is a characteristic particular to arid and semi-arid environments owing to the prevalence of high quantities of PM10 leading to a low PM2.5/PM10 ratio. In addition, this low ratio indicates that, within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, air pollution is primarily driven by natural processes related to sand particle uplift, movement, and deposition rather than by human activities.
Role of mitochondria, oxidative stress and the response to antioxidants in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: A possible approach to SARS‐CoV‐2 ‘long‐haulers’?
Authors: Wood Emily , Hall Katherine H. , Tate Warren 
Published: November 2020

AbstractA significant number of SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) pandemic patients have developed chronic symptoms lasting weeks or months which are very similar to those described for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. This study reviews the current literature and understanding of the role that mitochondria, oxidative stress and antioxidants may play in the understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of chronic fatigue. It describes what is known about the dysfunctional pathways which can develop in mitochondria and their relationship to chronic fatigue. It also reviews what is known about oxidative stress and how this can be related to the pathophysiology of fatigue, as well as examining the potential for specific therapy directed at mitochondria for the treatment of chronic fatigue in the form of antioxidants. This study identifies areas which require urgent, further research in order to fully elucidate the clinical and therapeutic potential of these approaches.
Fanvids
Authors: Stevens E. Charlotte 
Published: November 2020

Fanvids, or vids, are short videos created in media fandom. Made from television and film sources, they are neither television episodes nor films; they resemble music videos but are non-commercial fanworks that construct creative and critical analyses of existing media. The creators of fanvids-called vidders-are predominantly women, whose vids prompt questions about media historiography and pleasures taken from screen media. Vids remake narratives for an attentive fan audience, who watch with a deep knowledge of the source text(s), or an interest in the vid form itself. Fanvids: Television, Women, and Home Media Re-Use draws on four decades of vids, produced on videotape and digitally, to argue that the vid form's creation and reception reveals a mode of engaged spectatorship that counters academic histories of media audiences and technologies. Vids offer an answer to the prevalent questions: What happens to television after it's been aired? How and by whom is it used and shared? Is it still television?
Death and Afterlife in the Pages of Gregory of Tours
Authors: E. Jones Allen 
Published: November 2020

Gregory of Tours was a bishop of late antiquity who was famously devoted to promoting the efficacy of saintly powers. In his writings, both historical and hagiographical, Gregory depicted the saints and reprobates of his age. This book analyses Gregory's writings about death and the afterlife, thereby illuminating the bishop's pastoral imperative to save souls and revealing his opinions about the fates of Merovingian royals, among many others he mentions in his voluminous text. The study provides insight into Gallic peoples living at the dawning of the Middle Ages and their hopes and fears about the otherworld. It affords an original, nuanced interpretation of Gregory's motives for penning his works, particularly the Historiae, which remained unfinished upon the author's death.
Trends in central-line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections in a large acute-care hospital system in New York City, 2016-2019
Authors: Kaminski Monica A. , Episcopia Briana , Malik Saquib , Fornek Mary , Landman David , Xavier Geralda , Quale John 
Published: November 2020

AbstractBackground:Central-line bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) negatively impact clinical outcomes and hospital reimbursement. In this report, 4 year trends involving 11 hospitals in New York City were examined.Methods:Data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) were extracted for 11 acute-care hospitals belonging to the NYC Health + Hospital system from 2016 through 2019. Trends in device infections per 1,000 patient days, device utilization ratios, and standardized infection ratios (SIRs) were examined for the 11 hospitals and for the entire system.Results:Over the 4-year period, there were progressive declines in central-line days, infections per 1,000 central-line days, and device utilization ratios for the system. The average annual SIRs for the system also declined: 1.40 in 2016, 1.09 in 2017, 1.04 in 2018, and 0.82 in 2019. Case-mix indices correlated with SIRs for CLABSIs. Level 1 trauma centers had higher SIRs and a disproportionately greater number of CLABSIs in patients located in NHSN-defined surgical intensive care units. Similar trends with CAUTIs were noted, with progressive declines in catheter days, infections per 1,000 patient days, device utilization ratios, and SIRs (1.42 in 2016, 0.93 in 2017, 1.18 in 2018, and 0.78 in 2019) over the 4-year period.Conclusions:Across an 11-hospital system, continuing efforts to reduce device utilization and infection rates resulted in declining SIRs for CLABSIs and CAUTIs. Hospitals with higher case-mix indices, and particularly level 1 trauma centers, had significantly higher central-line infection rates and SIRs.
A myna problem: alien species no obstacle to recovery for the Mangaia kingfisher
Authors: Thacker Tom , Seddon Philip J. , van Heezik Yolanda , McCormack Gerald 
Published: November 2020

AbstractEndemic island species are of conservation interest as unique taxa, often with restricted populations, but many are data poor. The Mangaia kingfisherTodiramphus ruficollaris, known locally as the tanga‘eo, is endemic to the island of Mangaia in the Cook Islands, and categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The population size has not been estimated since 1996, despite concerns over habitat loss and competition with an invasive species, the common mynaAcridotheres tristis. We provide new population estimates for both the tanga‘eo and the common myna, using the same methodology as previous estimates. During December 2018–February 2019 we surveyed with distance sampling along 73 line transects walked across the six habitat types on Mangaia. We estimate there are 4,106 tanga‘eo on Mangaia (95% CI 3,191–5,283), a dramatic 7–8 fold increase compared to the previous estimate of 393–764. We estimate there are 13,350 common myna (95% CI 10,998–16,206), a slight increase, although densities in the two most favoured habitats for myna have declined. There is no evidence that the common myna poses a threat to the viability of the tanga‘eo population, as the latter has increased despite a much larger population of common myna. Presumed declines in the tanga‘eo population in the past were probably a result of habitat loss as a result of the cultivation of pineapplesAnanas comosusfor export, an industry that collapsed in the 1980s. We recommend a review of the IUCN Red List status of the tanga‘eo.