bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The social and environmental drivers of corporate credit ratings: international evidence
Authors: Dorfleitner Gregor , Grebler Johannes 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWe provide evidence of the exogenous impact of environmental and social performance components on credit ratings in North America, Europe, and Asia. In particular, the product innovation dimension is clearly identified as being the dominating driver of credit ratings within the environmental performance in every subsample region. In the social performance dimension, the extent of diversity is a main driver for firms in North America and Europe, but due to cultural reasons, not in Asia. Our results show that the risk mitigation view holds for all significant corporate social or environmental performance variables, but the magnitude of impact differs regionally.
Asset Specificity and the Secondary Market for Productive Assets
Authors: Boccaletti Simone 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to explore how debt contracts are affected by investment in asset specialization and by the dynamics of the secondary market for collateralized productive assets. Before applying for a loan, financially constrained firms face a specificity trade-off: asset specialization increases firms’ project returns, but decreases the liquidation value of assets in the secondary market if the firm is in financial distress. To study this trade-off, the paper uses a theoretical model in which the choice of asset specificity and the outcome of the secondary market for distressed firms’ assets are endogenous. High redeployability costs and a small number of participants in the secondary market are associated to low recovery values and to a high cost of debt. The paper shows the conditions under which financial constraints reduce firms’ incentive to invest in asset specificity.
Gameplay Analysis of Multiplayer Games with Verified Action-Costs
Authors: Kavanagh William , Miller Alice 
Published: December 2020

AbstractMeasuring player skill cannot be done by considering their historical success alone as the relative skill of their opponents must be considered along with confounding factors such as luck and circumstance. With a specifically designed game, every possible player action can be attributed a cost, the value by which a player reduces their maximum probability of winning. By considering the costs of the actions made by a player we can obtain a more accurate representation of how skilful they are. We developed such a game, the mobile game RPGLite, and compared the actions players made with the cost values we had calculated. Through this analysis we made several observations about RPGLite which we share here to demonstrate the utility of action-costs for gameplay analysis. We show how they can be used to identify game states which players have difficulty making the best moves from, to measure how players learn over time and to compare the strengths and complexity of the characters of RPGLite. Commercial titles could benefit from similar tools—we discuss the feasibility of applying our approach to more complex games.
Operations supported by ketamine anesthesia in resource-limited settings: Surgeons’ perceptions and recommendations – Qualitative Study
Authors: Makin Jennifer , Suarez-Rebling Daniela , Suarez Sebastian , Leone Anna , Burke Thomas F. 
Published: December 2020

ABSTRACT

Background:
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, ketamine's wide safety margin led to its use as a sole anesthetic agent in resource-limited settings when no anesthetist was available. During this time of the pandemic the use of ketamine has increased, however there are few recommendations on approaches to intraoperative challenges associated with ketamine's unique properties. The objective of this study was to gain surgeons' perceptions on performing operations supported by ketamine and to recommend best practices and techniques.

Methods:
A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews of surgeons experienced with performing operations supported with ketamine as the sole anesthetic agent. Interviews continued until thematic saturation. Open-response data was analyzed using thematic analysis as well as iterative group discussions about emergent themes.

Results:
Sixteen surgeons were interviewed regarding their operative experiences supported by ketamine across 12 countries. Surgeons universally felt that ketamine is safe, saves lives, and that they would administer it to a loved one in support of an operation if no anesthetist was available. Although lack of muscle relaxation with ketamine may require additional strategies to gain exposure, few surgical technical changes are necessary. While ketamine side effects are manageable, a single provider must always be dedicated to ketamine administration and patient monitoring. Surgeons should advocate for global policies, training and access.

Conclusion:
Ketamine is safe, can provide increased access to emergency and essential surgery, and requires few operative technical changes. Global standards on ketamine training and use should be established.

Highlights
Mothers: The Invisible Instruments of Health Promotion
Authors: MacKay Kathryn L. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIn this article, I focus on two problematic aspects of British health-promotion campaigns regarding feeding children, particularly regarding breastfeeding and obesity. The first of these is that health-promotion campaigns around “lifestyle” issues dehumanize mothers with their imagery or text, stemming from the ongoing undervaluing and objectification of mothers and women. Public health-promotion instrumentalizes mothers as necessary components in achieving its aims, while at the same time undermining their agency as persons and interlocutors by tying “mother” to particular images. This has a double effect: first, it excludes mothers who do not fit the campaign picture of a mother; second, it encloses those who do (even vaguely) fit the picture into an objectified image of motherhood that is defined by and subject to the dominant white, heteropatriarchal gaze. The second problem is that campaigns place unjustified demands on mothers, which stem from a misinterpretation of the maternal duty to benefit. I argue that nutrition-related health concerns regarding children are improperly framed as individual failures of maternal duty, rather than as failures of a system to function correctly. These arguments ultimately support shifting the focus of responsibility for issues around childhood nutrition away from mothers and back toward policymakers.
Comparison of historical and recent accumulation rates on Abramov Glacier, Pamir Alay
Authors: Kronenberg Marlene , Machguth Horst , Eichler Anja , Schwikowski Margit , Hoelzle Martin 
Published: December 2020

AbstractGlaciers located in western High Mountain Asia (HMA) have shown mass gain or limited mass losses compared to other mountain regions since ~2000. Increases in accumulation may be responsible. Although no contemporary measurements exist to explore this hypothesis, extensive historic measurements including firn density, stratigraphy and accumulation rates at ~4400 m a.s.l. on Abramov Glacier, Pamir Alay, provide valuable indications of accumulation changes. Abramov Glacier is located at the northern margin of western HMA. In this study, we assess unique historical firn data of Abramov Glacier from the 1970s to evaluate past firn conditions in this data sparse region. The current firn state is investigated based on a series of in situ measurements including firn cores and ground-penetrating radar measurements performed in 2018. We compare the legacy data with contemporary firn characteristics. Our results indicate a high year-to-year variability, but generally increasing net accumulation during the last 60 years on Abramov Glacier, with 0.84 ± 0.22 m w.e. for 2011–18 compared to 0.68 ± 0.32 m w.e. for 1965–72 and 0.59 ± 0.22 m w.e. for 1970–97. These results from in situ data provide ground truth for the data-sparse western HMA.
Application of an improved surface energy balance model to two large valley glaciers in the St. Elias Mountains, Yukon
Authors: Hill Tim , Dow Christine F. , Bash Eleanor A. , Copland Luke 
Published: December 2020

AbstractGlacier surficial melt rates are commonly modelled using surface energy balance (SEB) models, with outputs applied to extend point-based mass-balance measurements to regional scales, assess water resource availability, examine supraglacial hydrology and to investigate the relationship between surface melt and ice dynamics. We present an improved SEB model that addresses the primary limitations of existing models by: (1) deriving high-resolution (30 m) surface albedo from Landsat 8 imagery, (2) calculating shadows cast onto the glacier surface by high-relief topography to model incident shortwave radiation, (3) developing an algorithm to map debris sufficiently thick to insulate the glacier surface and (4) presenting a formulation of the SEB model coupled to a subsurface heat conduction model. We drive the model with 6 years of in situ meteorological data from Kaskawulsh Glacier and Nàłùdäy (Lowell) Glacier in the St. Elias Mountains, Yukon, Canada, and validate outputs against in situ measurements. Modelled seasonal melt agrees with observations within 9% across a range of elevations on both glaciers in years with high-quality in situ observations. We recommend applying the model to investigate the impacts of surface melt for individual glaciers when sufficient input data are available.
A new, giant ricinuleid (Arachnida, Ricinulei), from the Pennsylvanian of Illinois, and the identification of a new, ontogenetically stable, diagnostic character
Authors: Whalen Niall , Selden Paul 
Published: December 2020

AbstractA new fossil ricinuleid,Curculioides bohemondin. sp., from the Pennsylvanian Energy Shale of Illinois is described from a single specimen. It is the largest ricinuleid species yet described, living or extinct. The Energy Shale represents a new geographic locale for fossil ricinuleids, a sparsely distributed group. The species is distinguished from other members within the genus by the possession of very large (0.09 mm) carapace tubercles at a very low (30 mm-2) density. Statistical analyses are performed on extant and fossil ricinuleids to determine how their tubercles change throughout ontogeny, culminating in the recovery of a new ontogenetically stable diagnostic character: the tubercle coefficient (a measure of the size of the tubercles relative to body size).UUID:http://zoobank.org/aa9f2de5-c49d-4f70-bba5-db12fdee406f.
Associations of carbohydrates and carbohydrate-rich foods with incidence of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Olsson Kjell , Ramne Stina , González-Padilla Esther , Ericson Ulrika , Sonestedt Emily 
Published: December 2020

AbstractDietary carbohydrates have long been expected to be associated with risk of type 2 diabetes; however, the associations for many carbohydrates and carbohydrate-rich foods remain inconclusive. This study analysed associations between intakes of six types of carbohydrates and thirteen carbohydrate-rich foods with incident type 2 diabetes in 26 622 participants (61 % women) in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study in southern Sweden. Dietary intake was assessed at baseline (1991–1996) by using a modified diet history method. During mean follow-up of 18 years, 4046 cases were identified. Adjusting for potential confounders (including lifestyle, BMI and dietary factors), comparing highest v. lowest quintile of intake, monosaccharides (hazard ratio (HR) 0·88; 95 % CI 0·79, 0·98; Ptrend = 0·02) and fruits (HR 0·91; 95 % CI 0·82, 1·01; Ptrend = 0·03) were inversely associated with incident type 2 diabetes, while disaccharides (HR 1·17; 95 % CI 1·04, 1·30; Ptrend = 0·002) and sweets (HR 1·09; 95 % CI 1·00, 1·19; Ptrend = 0·02) were positively associated. After stratification by sex, marmalade/honey/jam (HR 0·82; 95 % CI 0·72, 0·94; Ptrend < 0·001) and vegetables (HR 0·85; 95 % CI 0·73, 0·98; Ptrend = 0·06) were inversely associated with incident type 2 diabetes in men and chocolate (HR 1·26; 95 % CI 1·09, 1·46; Ptrend < 0·001) was positively associated in women. In conclusion, we identified inverse associations for intake of monosaccharides and fruits with type 2 diabetes risk, and positive associations for disaccharides and sweets. Additional sex-specific associations were also identified. Future studies are needed to explore these associations further.
Ecology of the meadow spittlebug Philaenus spumarius in the Ajaccio region (Corsica) – I: spring
Authors: Albre Jérôme , García Carrasco José María , Gibernau Marc 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), is the main vector in Europe of the recently detected plant pathogen bacterium Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae). While the ecology of continental populations is well documented, nothing is known about the insular populations of P. spumarius, such as in Corsica, where the bacterium was detected in 2015. Hence, in an epidemiological context, the ecology of P. spumarius has been studied in a maquis landscape in the Ajaccio region between 2017 and 2019. Adults and nymphs were almost exclusively collected on Cistus monspeliensis L. (Cistaceae). However, very few specimens were collected in summer, suggesting a movement of the adults to sheltered habitats. Unfortunately, despite several trapping methods used, the location of adult summer habitat remains unknown for the studied population. It might be tempting to destroy the central plant host of P. spumarius populations. However, as spittlebug nymphs are highly polyphagous on low-growing plant species and as the females can lay eggs in any dead plant tissues, such practice could have limited the impact. Instead, the strong relationship between P. spumarius and C. monspeliensis could be used to monitor spittlebug populations, to limit/concentrate the means of insect control, or in an agronomic context to lure insects away from crops. Maintaining natural arboreal vegetation around agronomic systems could help decrease insect abundance – and potentially, pathogen load – on cultivated species. Such hypotheses need to be further studied by landscape experiments.
Effects of high and low frequency ultrasound on the production of volatile compounds in milk and milk products – a review
Authors: Thi Hong Bui Anh , Cozzolino Daniel , Zisu Bogdan , Chandrapala Jayani 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe effects of low and high frequency ultrasound on the production of volatile compounds along with their derivation and corresponding off-flavours in milk and milk products are discussed in this review. The review will simultaneously discuss possible mechanisms of applied ultrasound and their respective chemical and physical effects on milk components in relation to the production of volatile compounds. Ultrasound offers potential benefits in dairy applications over conventional heat treatment processes. Physical effects enhance the positive alteration of the physicochemical properties of milk proteins and fat. However, chemical effects propagated by free radical generation cause redox oxidations which in turn produce undesirable volatile compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, acids, esters, alcohols and sulphur, producing off-flavours. The extent of volatile compounds produced depends on ultrasonic processing conditions such as sonication time, temperature and frequency. Low frequency ultrasound limits free radical formation and results in few volatile compounds, while high ultrasonic frequency induces greater level of free radical formation. Furthermore, the compositional variations in terms of milk proteins and fat within the milk systems influence the production of volatile compounds. These factors could be controlled and optimized to reduce the production of undesirable volatiles, eliminate off-flavours, and promote the application of ultrasound technology in the dairy field.
Parmenides on ‘naming’ and ‘meaning’: a disjunctivist reading of the Poem
Authors: Di Iulio Erminia 
Published: December 2020

AbstractA well-established tradition has argued that it is not legitimate to attribute to Parmenides a Fregean semantics, i.e. the distinction between ‘naming’ and ‘meaning’. Nonetheless, Parmenides claims more than once (B 8.53, B 9.1) that mortalsdo namereality, although incorrectly. As many scholars have emphasised, because it is fair neither to conclude that mortals’ names are ‘empty names’ nor dismiss Opinion's account (i.e., broadly speaking, the mortals’ account of reality) itself as meaningless, it seems that Parmenides is suggesting that some kind of distinction between what names refer to and what names mean must be drawn. In view of this, what is Parmenides’ account of names?My suggestion is that in order to explain the Eleatic philosophy of language (and the Eleatic account of names) a step back is required. More specifically, Parmenides’ epistemology has to be taken into account. Indeed, if we assume that Parmenides is arguing for an ‘epistemological disjunctivism’ – such that the veridical and truthful state and the erroneous and deceptive state are essentially different – it will be clear that he is further arguing for what could be defined as a ‘semantic disjunctivism’, so that true speech and false speech are essentially different as well.
Price gouging and the duty of easy rescue
Authors: Brake Elizabeth 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWhat, if anything, is wrong with price gouging? Its defenders argue that it increases supply of scarce necessities; critics argue that it is exploitative, inequitable and vicious. In this paper, I argue for its moral wrongness and legal prohibition, without relying on charges of exploitation, inequity or poor character. What is fundamentally wrong with price gouging is that it violates a duty of easy rescue. While legal enforcement of such duties is controversial, a special case can be made for their legal enforcement in this context. This account distinguishes, morally, price gouging by corporations from that of individual entrepreneurs.
Developing recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease: the role of the patient's perspective in a controversial environment
Authors: Pomey Marie-Pascale , Bush Paula L. , Demers-Payette Olivier , L'Espérance Audrey , Lochhead Louis , Ganache Isabelle , Roy Denis 
Published: December 2020

AbstractContextThe Ministry of Health in Québec requested the National Institute of Excellence in Health and Social Services to produce clinical and implementation recommendations for the prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease.Objectives(i) Describe the process of trialing different modalities of patient engagement as a means to integrate a diversity of patient perspectives and (ii) Describe the learning process of INESSS regarding the integration of the patient perspective.MethodologyAll documents were analyzed, and a survey with all advisory committee members and semi-structured interviews with stakeholders were conducted. Each interview was transcribed verbatim and imported into QDA miner software for the purposes of analysis. Data analysis was carried out concurrently with data collection to allow for an iterative approach between data collection and analysis.ResultsFive methods to integrate the perspectives of patients were used: (i) interviews with patients, (ii) inclusion of patient partners within the advisory committee, (iii) literature review, (iv) focus groups with one patient association, and (v) feedback from patient associations on recommendations intended for decision makers and other targeted stakeholders. The patient partners influenced decisions by sharing their experiential knowledge. The patient interviews and the literature review added an in-depth perspective on the disease and experience with the healthcare system. The patient association members shared their perspectives and helped disseminate the recommendation to sustain a practice change.ConclusionThe combination of methods to collect and integrate patients’ knowledge and patient associations’ perspectives helped develop a comprehensive understanding of a controversial object of evaluation.
International Institutions, Institutional Balancing, and Peaceful Order Transition
Authors: He Kai , Feng Huiyun 
Published: December 2020

AbstractAs part of the roundtable “International Institutions and Peaceful Change,” this essay focuses on the “Kindleberger trap,” a term coined by Joseph Nye Jr. referring to the situation in which no country takes the lead to maintain international institutions in the international system. President Trump's destructive policies toward many international institutions seem to push the current international order to the brink of the Kindleberger trap. Ironically, China has pledged, at least rhetorically, to support and even save these existing international institutions. Based on an institutional-balancing perspective, we suggest that the worry about the Kindleberger trap is unwarranted because the international institutional order will not easily collapse after the decline of U.S. hegemony. Institutional competition among great powers and institutional changes within the institutional order have become two remedies to maintain international institutions and to avoid the Kindleberger trap during the international order transition. What states, including the United States and China, should do is to reembrace and reinvigorate the role of multilateralism in world politics so that the dynamics of institutional balancing and consequential institutional changes in the context of U.S.-China competition do not deprive international society of the public goods and normative values of international institutions. The future international order should not be led by a single country, but by dynamic and balanced international institutions.
Whither the Liberal International Order? Authority, Hierarchy, and Institutional Change
Authors: Lake David A. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe liberal international order is being challenged today by populism and unilateralism. Though it has been resilient in the past, the current challenges from within the order are unprecedented. Without being too pessimistic, I expect the LIO will survive but retract to its original core states in North America, Europe, and Northeast Asia, shedding some of its universal pretensions. States that remain within the liberal order, in turn, will compete with an alternative Chinese-led international hierarchy built around all or part of the current Belt and Road Initiative countries. While international institutions can facilitate cooperation, they do not bridge this emerging divide sufficiently to forestall conflict and, in any event, will not be sufficiently robust to prevent a new cold war. As part of the roundtable “International Institutions and Peaceful Change,” this brief essay sketches this argument and concludes with some possible ways of moderating future conflicts.