bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Covid and China's BRI in Iraq and Syria
Authors: Hoh Anchi 
Published: October 2021

AbstractDuring the Covid‐19 pandemic, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in the Middle East first struggled but soon stabilized. This article studies the why and how by examining the cases of Iraq and Syria to observe the ways China handled its international business operations in the time of Covid. Prior to that, despite international criticism and doubts, China's BRI had continued to thrive. In the Middle East and North Africa, China had been forming partnerships under BRI with many countries and sought to connect with national development plans such as Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, Kuwait's Vision 2035, and Qatar's Vision 2030. After the Covid‐19 outbreak in December 2019, in anticipation of a resultant global economic recession, China's economy experienced a 6.8 percent contraction in the first quarter of 2020. Recently, China reported 2.3 percent overall GDP growth in 2020 and an 18.3 percent growth spurt in the first quarter of 2021. These developments prompt one to ask, what impact has Covid‐19 had—or what effects will it have—on China's BRI projects in the Middle East?To search for an answer, this study zooms in to two of the hardest‐hit Arab countries: Iraq and Syria. Both represent an investment environment entirely different from those of the affluent Gulf Arab states. Throughout Covid‐19, Iraq and Syria have been facing insufficient public‐health facilities and a lack of medical equipment, on top of political instability and economic challenges. This study looks at how China managed its BRI operations in Iraq and Syria during this crisis.
Damage detection of nonlinear structures using probability density ratio estimation
Authors: Zhang Yulong , Macdonald John H.G. , Liu Song , Harper Paul W. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThis study focuses on vibration‐based damage detection for a structure that has nonlinear behavior even in the undamaged state. Based on the vibration responses of a single sensor, a non‐Gaussian multivariate probability density function (PDF) is developed and used as a feature. The change between the PDF of the undamaged state and that of a potentially damaged state is used to indicate the damage. Since what of interest is the change of the PDF, instead of estimating the two PDFs separately, the ratio of them is estimated directly using a density ratio estimation method. In addition, principal component analysis is applied to reduce the dimensionality of the PDFs. The effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method are demonstrated in two case studies: an experimental nonlinear beam and simulations of an offshore wind turbine subjected to nonlinear pile‐soil interaction. Compared with a second‐order statistical method, the proposed method shows better damage detection performance due to the integration of higher order statistical information.
On the set of robust sustainable thresholds
Authors: Gajardo Pedro , Hermosilla Cristopher , Picarelli Athena 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIn natural resource management, or more generally in the study of sustainability issues, the objective often consists of maintaining the state of a given system within a desirable configuration, typically established in terms of standards or thresholds. For instance, in fisheries management, the procedure for designing policies may include maintaining the spawning stock biomass over a precautionary threshold and ensuring minimal catches. With the evolution of some natural resources, under the action of controls and uncertainties, being represented by a dynamical system in discrete time, the aim of this paper is to characterize the set of robust sustainable thresholds. That is, the thresholds for which there exists a trajectory satisfying, for all possible uncertainty scenarios, prescribed constraints parametrized by such thresholds. This set provides useful information to users and decision‐makers, illustrating the tradeoffs between constraints. Using optimal control, maximin and level‐set approaches, we characterize the weak Pareto front of the set of robust sustainable thresholds and derive a numerical method for computing the entire set, as we show with a numerical example relying on renewable resource management.Recommandation for Resource Managers

For biological, ecological or social systems, identifying robust sustainable thresholds that it is possible not to exceed over time regardless of uncertain future scenarios, is a fundamental challenge to operate in a sustainable way.
The set of robust sustainable thresholds provides useful information to users and decision‐makers, illustrating the tradeoffs between constraints.
The computation of the weak‐Pareto front of the set of sustainable thresholds provides a tool for the management and visualization of multiple objectives related to sustainability that can be accomplished in a robust manner, allowing to observe the (in)compatibility of multiple objectives and their tradeoffs.
Can Policies Stall the Fertility Fall? A Systematic Review of the (Quasi‐) Experimental Literature
Authors: Bergsvik Janna , Fauske Agnes , Hart Rannveig Kaldager 
Published: October 2021

AbstractIn the course of the twentieth century, social scientists and policy analysts have produced a large volume of literature on whether policies boost fertility. This paper describes the results of a systematic review of the literature on the effects of policy on fertility since 1970 in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Australia. Empirical studies were selected through extensive systematic searches, including studies using an experimental or quasi‐experimental design. Thirty‐five studies were included, covering reforms of parental leave, childcare, health services, and universal child transfers. In line with previous reviews, we find that childcare expansions increase completed fertility, while increased cash transfers have temporary effects. New evidence on parental leave expansions, particularly from Central Europe, suggests larger effects than previously established. High‐earning couples benefit more from parental leave expansions, while expanding childcare programs can reduce social inequalities on other domains. Subsidizing assisted reproductive treatments shows some promise of increasing birth rates for women over the age of 35. Countries that to date have limited support for families can build on solid evidence if they choose to expand these programs.
Combined drought and bark beetle attacks deplete non‐structural carbohydrates and promote death of mature pine trees
Authors: Erbilgin Nadir , Zanganeh Leila , Klutsch Jennifer G. , Chen Shih‐hsuan , Zhao Shiyang , Ishangulyyeva Guncha , Burr Stephen J. , Gaylord Monica , Hofstetter Richard , Keefover‐Ring Ken , Raffa Kenneth F. , Kolb Thomas 
Published: October 2021

AbstractHow carbohydrate reserves in conifers respond to drought and bark beetle attacks are poorly understood. We investigated changes in carbohydrate reserves and carbon‐dependent diterpene defences in ponderosa pine trees that were experimentally subjected to two levels of drought stress (via root trenching) and two types of biotic challenge treatments (pheromone‐induced bark beetle attacks or inoculations with crushed beetles that include beetle‐associated fungi) for two consecutive years. Our results showed that trenching did not influence carbohydrates, whereas both biotic challenges reduced amounts of starch and sugars of trees. However, only the combined trenched‐bark beetle attacked trees depleted carbohydrates and died during the first year of attacks. While live trees contained higher carbohydrates than dying trees, amounts of constitutive and induced diterpenes produced did not vary between live and beetle‐attacked dying trees, respectively. Based on these results we propose that reallocation of carbohydrates to diterpenes during the early stages of beetle attacks is limited in drought‐stricken trees, and that the combination of biotic and abiotic stress leads to tree death. The process of tree death is subsequently aggravated by beetle girdling of phloem, occlusion of vascular tissue by bark beetle‐vectored fungi, and potential exploitation of host carbohydrates by bark beetle symbionts as nutrients.
Maternal versus paternal living kidney transplant donation is associated with lower rejection in young pediatric recipients: A Collaborative Transplant Study report
Authors: Engels Geraldine , Döhler Bernd , Tönshoff Burkhard , Oh Jun , Kruchen Anne , Müller Ingo , Süsal Caner 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundApproximately 1700 children per year with end‐stage kidney disease undergo kidney transplantation in Europe and the United States of America; 30%–50% are living donor kidney transplantations. There may be immunological differences between paternal and maternal donors due to transplacental exchange of cells between the mother and fetus during pregnancy leading to microchimerism. We investigated whether the outcome of living‐related kidney transplantation in young children is different after maternal compared with paternal organ donation.MethodsUsing the international Collaborative Transplant Study (CTS) database, we analyzed epidemiological data of 7247 children and adolescents aged <18 years who had received a kidney transplant from either mother or father. Risk of treated rejection episodes and death‐censored graft failure were computed using the Kaplan‐Meier method and multivariable Cox regression.ResultsIn the recipient age group 1–4 years, the rate of treated rejection episodes in recipients of kidneys from maternal donors (N = 195) during the first 2 years post‐transplant was significantly lower (hazard ratio HR = 0.47, p = .004) than in patients receiving kidneys from paternal donors (N = 179). This association between donor sex and risk of treated rejections was not observed in children aged 5–9 years. The 5‐year death‐censored graft survival in children aged 1–4 years with a maternal or paternal donor was comparable.ConclusionsMaternal kidney donation in young pediatric renal transplant recipients is associated with an approximately 50% lower rate of treated rejection than paternal kidney donation. Whether this phenomenon is due to maternal microchimerism‐induced donor‐specific hyporesponsiveness must be evaluated in prospective mechanistic studies.
Meta‐analysis of whether influenza vaccination attenuates symptom severity in vaccinated influenza patients
Authors: Pan Ye , Du Lijiang , Gan Quan , Ma Wei , Wang Meifen , Lu Zhiying , Luo Yunjiao 
Published: October 2021

AbstractBackgroundInfluenza vaccination has been associated with decreased risk of influenza‐related infections. However, associations between influenza vaccination and the severity of influenza cases have not been systematically summarized. We conducted a meta‐analysis to evaluate whether influenza vaccination could attenuate symptom severity in vaccinated influenza patients.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Scopus databases. A quantitative synthesis of the data was conducted using a fixed/random effects model in the meta‐analysis.ResultsA total of seven studies, involving 6342 vaccinated and 7036 non‐vaccinated patients were included. Compared with non‐vaccinated, vaccinated patients were significantly less likely to develop a fever (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.43–0.89), be admitted to the ICU (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.64–0.97), suffer mortality (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.34–0.89), stay in the ICU (WMD = ‐1.37, 95% CI: ‐2.15 to ‐0.60) or stay in the hospital (WMD = ‐0.32, 95% CI: ‐0.61 to ‐0.04).ConclusionThose benefits that could be highlighted in the communication material to enhance the uptake of influenza vaccination among both the public health nurses and the community as a whole.
Histological characterization of the early‐stage infection events of Setosphaeria turcica in maize
Authors: Fang Ya‐Li , Zhou Yao‐Yao , Li Xin , Gao Yue , Wang De‐Long , Liu Min‐Jie , Zhang Zhi‐Jia 
Published: October 2021

AbstractNorthern corn leaf blight (NCLB) caused by Setosphaeria turcica is a major foliar disease of maize. The early‐stage infection events of this pathogen on maize leaves are unclear. We investigated the optimum temperature for conidial germination and appressorium formation, and characterized penetration and growth of S. turcica in maize leaf sheath and onion epidermis cells, including use of histological staining to assess plant cell viability. The results showed that the optimum temperature for conidial germination and appressorium formation was 20°C. On the maize leaf sheath, the appressoria were formed by germinated conidia, and penetration on the epidermal cells occurred at 8 h postinoculation (hpi). Round vesicles developed beneath the appressoria. Between 16 and 24 hpi, the branched invasive hyphae invaded three to five adjacent cells at most infection sites. The invasive hyphae tended to move along the cell wall and crossed from one cell to another. In the onion epidermis cells, the appressoria formed at 8 hpi, and in most cases the epidermal cells were penetrated through the juncture of the cell walls. At 16–24 hpi, the primary hyphal terminus swelled to a vesicle. The maize leaf sheath cells died at 8 hpi, whereas the onion cells did not. Our findings documented in detail the penetration and invasive hyphal growth in maize leaf sheath and onion epidermis, as well as viability of plant cells, at the early stages of infection, and provide a foundation for elucidating the underlying mechanism of S. turcica–maize interactions.
Growth and transpiration of soybean genotypes with HaHB4® transcription factor for drought tolerance
Authors: Minussi Winck José Eduardo , Sarmento Luiz Felipe Vieira , Zanon Alencar Junior , Librelon Samira Santiago , Garcia Alexandre , Streck Nereu Augusto 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe expression of HaHB4® transcription factor reduces soybean sensitivity to abiotic stresses, such as water deficit. Studies that quantify the tolerance of HaHB4® soybean to the soil water content in comparison with cultivars currently sown in Brazil are lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the level of drought tolerance of soybean genotypes expressing the HaHB4® transcription factor (TS18‐6‐610108 and TS18‐6‐610084) and commercial cultivars (TMG 7063 IPRO and BS IRGA 1642 IPRO) subjected to water deficit during the vegetative phase. We used the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) approach. Parameters related to leaf transpiration, dry matter accumulation, water use efficiency (WUE), and transpiration coefficient (TC) were evaluated in the four soybean genotypes and two treatments (T1—100% replacement of transpired water and T2—without replacement of transpired water). The FTSW threshold for the decline in transpiration was evaluated to identify the onset of water stress in soybean. TS18‐6‐610108 and BS IRGA 1642 IPRO maintains potential transpiration at low FTSW values. The TS18‐6‐610108 genotype has 14% higher WUE than the sensitive cultivar under water deficit. Under well‐irrigated conditions, the HaHB4® genotypes showed the highest TC values, which indicate well‐functioning physiological processes.
On Identifiability and Consistency of The Nugget in Gaussian Spatial Process Models
Authors: Tang Wenpin , Zhang Lu , Banerjee Sudipto 
Published: October 2021

AbstractSpatial process models popular in geostatistics often represent the observed data as the sum of a smooth underlying process and white noise. The variation in the white noise is attributed to measurement error, or microscale variability, and is called the ‘nugget’. We formally establish results on the identifiability and consistency of the nugget in spatial models based upon the Gaussian process within the framework of in-fill asymptotics, that is the sample size increases within a sampling domain that is bounded. Our work extends results in fixed domain asymptotics for spatial models without the nugget. More specifically, we establish the identifiability of parameters in the Matérn covariogram and the consistency of their maximum likelihood estimators in the presence of discontinuities due to the nugget. We also present simulation studies to demonstrate the role of the identifiable quantities in spatial interpolation.
A Discrete Kernel Stick-Breaking Model for Detecting Spatial Boundaries in Hydraulic Fracturing Wastewater Disposal Well Placement Across Ohio
Authors: Warren Joshua L. , Cai Jiachen , Johnson Nicholaus P. , Deziel Nicole C. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractDetecting sharp differences, or boundaries, in areal data can uncover important biological, physical and/or social differences between spatial regions. We introduce a new discrete areal data kernel function for use in the kernel stick-breaking process framework that is shown to yield improved (i) detection of spatial boundaries, (ii) estimation of regression parameters and (iii) model fit through a simulation study and comparison with existing approaches. We use the model to analyse county-level hydraulic fracturing Class II injection well counts in Ohio, where interesting boundary patterns may exist due to the close connection between hydraulic fracturing and shale rock formations. Class II injection wells are used for disposing hydraulic fracturing liquid waste and may pose an environmental risk for surrounding communities. Counties located on the Devonian shale with increased poverty, less income equality, smaller proportion of the population that is white, and increased population density are found to contain more wells, with the relationship reversed for counties off the shale. Results suggest that the new method provides improved model fit and is robust to the exclusion of an important spatially varying covariate, while also detecting boundaries surrounding different shale rock formations. The method is implemented in the R package KSBound.
The relationship between periodontal disease and cognitive impairment in older adults of Korea
Authors: Kim Dong‐Hee , Han Gyeong‐Soon 
Published: October 2021

AbstractAimsA potential association between the periodontal disease and cognitive impairment has been suggested, but the results are not yet conclusive. This study investigated the association between the two diseases.Methods and resultsThis study included 140 individuals (M: 48, F: 92, average age: 77.2). For assessing cognitive ability, MMSE‐KC was used. The BGI index categorizes the periodontal disease based on important clinical parameters. In model 1 using the BGI index and the number of residual teeth as independent variables, the cognitive function status was significantly lower in the DL/MB group (β = ‐0.294), DL/LB group (β = ‐0.237). In Model 2 including systemic disease was the DL/MB group (β = ‐0.316) and in Model 3 which also added demographic characteristics, the DL/MB group (β = ‐0.229) was identified as a related factor (p < .05).ConclusionIt can be concluded that periodontal disease is strongly associated with cognitive ability.
Parental perception of oral health related quality of life and barriers to access dental care among children with intellectual needs in Kottayam, central Kerala‐A cross sectional study
Authors: Puthiyapurayil Jeeva , Anupam Kumar TV , Syriac Gibi , R Maneesha , KT Raseena , Najmunnisa  
Published: October 2021

AbstractAimTo evaluate the parental perception of oral health related quality of life and barriers to access dental care among children with intellectual needs.MethodThis cross sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 300 parents of children aged 4–12 years with intellectual needs (mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism). Data on oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) were collected with parental‐caregivers perceptions questionnaire (P‐CPQ). DMFT/dmft index was used to express caries prevalence as per World Health Organisation. Chi–squared test, analysis of variance,t–test and correlation were performed.ResultsParents of children who fell in the high severity DMFT category reported higher score in all four domains of OHRQoL when compared to low severity and moderate severity. Parents of children suffering from autism had higher score in all four domain of OHRQoL (p = .000).Majority of the parents rated their children's oral health as either fair (47%) or poor (42%). Predominant barriers for access dental care were financial difficulties (35.3%), lack of knowledge about dental care (24%), transportation difficulties (15%).ConclusionThe present study revealed that higher caries prevalence has negative impact on OHRQoL of children with intellectual needs and their parents faced certain barriers for accessing dental care.
Longitudinal associations between parental and offspring’s leisure‐time physical activity: The Young Finns Study
Authors: Yang Xiaolin , Kukko Tuomas , Hirvensalo Mirja , Biddle Stuart J.H. , Rovio Suvi P. , Pahkala Katja , Hutri‐Kähönen Nina , Raitakari Olli T. , Tammelin Tuija H. 
Published: October 2021

PurposeThe longitudinal influence of parental leisure‐time physical activity (LTPA) on their offspring's LTPA is poorly understood. This study examined the longitudinal associations between parental LTPA and offspring's LTPA at two‐time intervals.MethodChild (offspring) participants (N = 3596) were enrolled from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study in 1980. Their LTPA was self‐rated through nine phases from baseline to 2018 and categorized by year into youth (1980‒1986) and adult (1992‒2018) LTPA. Parental LTPA was assessed with a single self‐reported question at three phases from 1980 to 1986. Latent growth curve modeling stratified by gender was fitted to estimate the potential pathways between parental LTPA and offspring's youth and adult LTPA.ResultsHigher initial levels of paternal and maternal LTPA were independently associated with greater initial levels of youth and adult LTPA of offspring in both genders, respectively, except maternal LTPA, which did not associate with male offspring's adult LTPA. The initial levels of paternal LTPA were directly related to changes in male offspring's youth LTPA after adjusting for age, residential place, paternal education and occupation, having siblings, and offspring's body mass index.ConclusionOur study demonstrates that the initial levels of parental LTPA are directly linked to the initial levels of offspring's LTPA during youth and adulthood, while changes in parental LTPA are unrelated to changes in offspring's youth and adult LTPA for either gender over time. These results imply that higher initial levels of LTPA in parents may serve as a predictor of offspring's LTPA across life stages.