bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Psidium guajava L. phenolic compound-reinforced lamellar scaffold for tracheal tissue engineering
Authors: Amaral Venâncio A. , de Souza Juliana Ferreira , Alves Thais F. R. , de Oliveira Junior José M. , Severino Patrícia , Aranha Norberto , Souto Eliana B. , Chaud Marco V. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe aim of this work was to develop a dense lamellar scaffold, as a biomimetic material with potential applications in the regeneration of tracheal tissue after surgical tumor resection. The scaffolds were produced by plastic compression technique, exploiting the use of total phenolic compounds (TPC) from Psidium guajava Linn as a potential cross-linking agent in a polymeric mixture based on collagen (COL), silk fibroin (SF), and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed the chemical interactions between the polymers and the cross-linking of TPC between COL and SF. Morphological analyses showed scaffolds with porosity, interconnectivity, and a porous surface structure with a gyroid-like geometry. The analysis of the anisotropic degree resulted in anisotropic structures (0.1% TFC and 0.3% TFC) and an isotropic structure (0.5% TFC). In the mechanical properties, it was evidenced greater resistance for the 0.3% TFC formulation. The addition of TPC percentages did not result in a significant difference (p > 0.05) in swelling capacity and disintegration rate. The results confirmed that TPC were able to modulate the morphological, morphometric, and mechanical properties of scaffolds. Thus, this study describes a potential new material to improve the regeneration of major tracheal structures after surgical tumor removal.
Graphical Abstract
Factors Associated with COVID-19 Testing, Vaccination, and Use of Digital Contact Tracing Apps among Black and Latinx MSM (BLMSM) in Los Angeles
Authors: Wang Yan , Beltran Raiza M. , Cumberland William G. , Young Sean D. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThis study examines the factors associated with COVID-19 testing, vaccination intent (both individually and jointly), and willingness to use contact tracing digital apps among a cohort of Black and Latinx men who have sex with men (BLMSM) living in Los Angeles during the initial peak (July 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire detailing participants COVID-19 experiences was sent to 300 primarily BLMSM after the first state-wide COVID-19 lockdown. Logistic regression models with random cluster effects were used for analyses. Forty-two percent (42%) tested for COVID-19, 27% were willing to get vaccinated, and about 45% reported willingness to use contact tracing digital apps. Controlling for intervention participation, age, education, marital status, employment, health, tobacco, binge drinking, and self-reported anxiety, those who were depressed had 33% (95% CI: 0.13 to 0.82) odds of using a prevention strategy (either test for COVID-19 or vaccination intent) as the group who were not depressed. Those who had high school diploma or less had 23% (95% CI: 0.11 to 0.48) odds to use digital contact tracing apps as the group with education level of at least Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree. Without considering the format of the test kits, vaccine side effects, and ease of use for digital contact tracing apps, participants appeared to still be hesitant in using COVID-19 prevention strategies at the initial height of the pandemic. Our findings suggest the need for further investigation into this hesitancy to better inform and prepare for future epidemics.
Berücksichtigung psychischer Belastung in der betriebsärztlichen Praxis
Authors: Nolle Inga , Häberle Nicola , Lincke Hans-Joachim , Beck David 
Published: August 2023

Zusammenfassung
Hintergrund
Betriebsärzt:innen haben den Auftrag, Arbeitgeber:innen bei der Beurteilung von Arbeitsbedingungen und beim Schutz der Gesundheit der Beschäftigten zu beraten und zu unterstützen. Das gilt auch für die Gefährdung durch psychische Arbeitsbelastungen. Während sich diese Erwartung klar aus den entsprechenden Bestimmungen ergibt, ist dagegen weniger klar, wie sich die betriebsärztliche Praxis tatsächlich gestaltet.

Methodik
Mithilfe einer Literaturrecherche sowie 6 leitfadenstrukturierten Interviews mit praktisch tätigen Betriebsärzt:innen wurde 2021 exploriert, welchen Stellenwert die psychische Belastung in der arbeitsmedizinischen Vorsorge und Beratung hat, welcher Zugang zur Gefährdungsbeurteilung vorliegt und welche Voraussetzungen, förderlichen Bedingungen und Hemmnisse die Arbeit auf diesem Feld prägen.

Ergebnisse
Es gibt für Betriebsärzt:innen klare Empfehlungen und Leitfäden zur Befassung mit psychischer Belastung bei der Arbeit. Den (wenigen) verfügbaren Studien zufolge werden psychische Belastungen in der arbeitsmedizinischen Praxis jedoch nicht systematisch adressiert. Auch die Interviews mit den Expert:innen deuten auf eine schwache Kopplung von Empfehlung und Umsetzung hin. Das „Ob und Wie“ der Beschäftigung mit psychischen Belastungen zeigt sich stark vom Selbstverständnis des einzelnen Betriebsarztes/der einzelnen Betriebsärztin abhängig.

Diskussion
Die Interviews und Literatur lassen vermuten, dass das Potenzial der arbeitsmedizinischen Beratung und Vorsorge für das Thema „psychische Belastung“ (noch) nicht systematisch erschlossen und genutzt wird. Die vorgelegten Studienergebnisse können weitere Forschung anstoßen und über das bessere Verstehen betriebsärztlicher Haltungen dazu beitragen, praktische Maßnahmen wie die Gefährdungsbeurteilung weiter zu etablieren.
Optimizing the Production of Test Vehicles Using Hybrid Constrained Quantum Annealing
Authors: Glos Adam , Kundu Akash , Salehi Özlem 
Published: August 2023

AbstractOptimization of pre-production vehicle configurations is one of the challenges in the automotive industry. Given a list of tests requiring cars with certain features, it is desirable to find the minimum number of cars that cover the tests and obey the configuration rules. In this paper, we model the problem in the framework of satisfiability and solve it utilizing the newly introduced hybrid constrained quadratic model (CQM) solver provided by D-Wave. The problem definition is based on the “Optimizing the Production of Test Vehicles” use-case given in the BMW quantum computing challenge. We formulate a constrained quadratic model for the problem and use a greedy algorithm to configure the cars. We benchmark the results obtained from the CQM solver with the results from the classical solvers like coin-or branch and cut and Gurobi solver. We conclude that the performance of the CQM solver is comparable to the classical solvers in optimizing the number of test vehicles, given the noise-prone quantum hardware. However, the CQM solver takes much more time, which prohibits obtaining useful quantum advantages. As an extension to the problem, we describe how the scheduling of the tests can be incorporated into the model.
“We Are not into Politics, but Politics Is into Us”: The Politicization of the Ghana Armed Forces Through Patronage Exchanges between Political Elites and Military Leaders
Authors: Agyekum Humphrey Asamoah 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThroughout Ghana’s political history, soldiers have inspired socio-political change. Based on fieldwork with the Ghanaian military, this article contributes to literature on militaries and civil-military relations in Africa. Agyekum analyzes how the politicization of the military impacts dynamics within the barracks, while highlighting how the country’s political class endeavors to diminish the armed forces’ societal and political influence as a way to gain control over the institution through patronage exchanges. Since the early 2000s, the elite’s strategy entices individual soldiers as well as the whole institution through the politicization of promotions and appointments, recruitment, better service conditions, and infrastructural projects in the barracks.
The egg-thief architect: experimental oviraptorosaur nesting physiology, the possibility of adult-mediated incubation, and the feasibility of indirect contact incubation
Authors: Hogan Jason D. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractNumerous, high-quality reproduction-related oviraptorosaur fossils have been described. However, oviraptorosaur-style nests are unknown among extant animals, and their curious construction makes nesting behavior difficult to interpret. Experiments were undertaken to better understand oviraptorosaur nesting strategies. A surrogate was constructed and placed atop mock-oviraptorosaur nests built from sand and 36 infertile emu eggs (as Macroolithus approximations) arranged according to the most current nest reconstructions. Thermometers, placed within each egg and throughout the experimental area, recorded energy flow from the surrogate dinosaur into the nesting microenvironment. One experiment examined a basic open nest warmed from above; the second, a fully buried clutch warmed from above; and the third, a nest open like the first but with heating elements (representing hindlimbs) extending down into the nest. It was found that egg temperatures in each scenario surpassed ambient temperatures without requiring excessive energy input. Final clutch temperatures were below most avian values, closer to crocodilian incubation, but are likely conservative, considering experimental parameters. These results may support the idea that an oviraptorosaur could use adult-generated energy to warm a clutch above ambient conditions. Additionally, egg tiers would be warmer and more uniform in temperature if heated by elements within the nest, such as hindlimbs, instead of solely from above. Results from the second experiment indicate that an endothermic adult could possibly warm a clutch fully buried beneath itself despite a barrier. Although not likely a behavior exhibited by oviraptorosaurs, such results suggest an important evolutionary step bridging guarded subterranean eggs and contact-incubated subaerial eggs.
Spacetime Conventionalism Revisited
Authors: Tasdan Ufuk I. , Thébault Karim P. Y. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractWe provide five rearticulations of the thesis that the structure of spacetime is conventional, rather than empirically determined, based upon variation of the structures that are empirically underdetermined and modal contexts in which this underdetermination occurs. Three of the five formulations of conventionalism will be found to fail. Two are found to open up new interesting problems for researchers in the foundations of general relativity. In all five cases, our analysis explores the interplay between geometric identities, symmetry, conformal structure, and the dynamical content of physical theories with the conventionalism dialectic deployed as a tool of explication, clarification, and exploration.
Everyday Pain in Middle and Later Life: Associations with Daily and Momentary Present-Moment Awareness as One Key Facet of Mindfulness
Authors: Pauly Theresa , Nicol Anna , Lay Jennifer C. , Ashe Maureen C. , Gerstorf Denis , Graf Peter , Linden Wolfgang , Madden Kenneth M. , Mahmood Atiya , Murphy Rachel A. , Hoppmann Christiane A. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThis study investigated everyday associations between one key facet of mindfulness (allocating attention to the present moment) and pain. In Study 1, 89 community-dwelling adults (33–88 years; Mage = 68.6) who had experienced a stroke provided 14 daily end-of-day present-moment awareness and pain ratings. In Study 2, 100 adults (50–85 years; Mage = 67.0 years) provided momentary present-moment awareness and pain ratings three times daily for 10 days. Multi-level models showed that higher trait present-moment awareness was linked with lower overall pain (both studies). In Study 1, participants reported less pain on days on which they indicated higher present-moment awareness. In Study 2, only individuals with no post-secondary education reported less pain in moments when they indicated higher present-moment awareness. Findings add to previous research using global retrospective pain measures by showing that present-moment awareness might correlate with reduced pain experiences, assessed close in time to when they occur.
Empirical support for a model of risk and resilience in children and families during COVID-19: A systematic review & narrative synthesis
Authors: Shoychet Gillian , Kimber Melissa , Weiss Jonathan , Honest Olivia , Prime Heather 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBackground.The COVID-19 Family Disruption Model (FDM) describes the cascading effects of pandemic-related social disruptions on child and family psychosocial functioning. The current systematic review assesses the empirical support for the model.Methods.Study eligibility: 1) children between 2–18 years (and/or their caregivers); 2) a quantitative longitudinal design; 3) published findings during the first 2.5 years of COVID-19; 4) an assessment of caregiver and/or family functioning; 5) an assessment of child internalizing, externalizing, or positive adjustment; and 6) an examination of a COVID-19 FDM pathway. Following a search of PsycINFO and MEDLINE in August 2022, screening, full-text assessments, and data extraction were completed by two reviewers. Study quality was examined using an adapted NIH risk-of- bias tool.Results.Findings from 47 studies were summarized using descriptive statistics, tables, and a narrative synthesis. There is emerging support for bidirectional pathways linking caregiver-child functioning and family-child functioning, particularly for child internalizing problems. Quality assessments indicated issues with attrition and power justification.Discussion.We provide a critical summary of the empirical support for the model, highlighting themes related to family systems theory and risk/resilience. We outline future directions for research on child and family well-being during COVID-19. Systematic review registration. PROSPERO [CRD42022327191].
Spreading dynamics of a diffusive epidemic model with free boundaries and two delays
Authors: Chen Qiaoling , Tang Sanyi , Teng Zhidong , Wang Feng 
Published: August 2023

AbstractA delayed reaction-diffusion system with free boundaries is investigated in this paper to understand how the bacteria spread spatially to larger area from the initial infected habitat. Under the assumptions that the nonlinearities are of monostable type and the initial values satisfy some compatible condition, we show that the free boundary problem is well-posed and discuss the long-time behaviour of solution (including spreading and vanishing) in terms of the spatial-temporal risk index. Furthermore, to determine the spreading speed of free boundaries when spreading occurs, we first study the distribution of roots of a transcendental equation containing a polynomial of degree four and then establish the existence and uniqueness of monotone solution to a delay-induced nonlocal semi-wave problem by employing the approximation method, lower-upper solutions technique and Schauder fixed point theorem. It is shown that time delays slow down the spreading of bacteria.
Investigating the impact of adjunctive priming repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in late-life depression: a pilot single-blind randomized control study
Authors: Vidya Kote L. , Srivastava Shrikant , Singh Bhupendra , Kar Sujita K. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBackgroundConventional treatment methods have limited effectiveness in addressing late-life depression (LLD) that does not respond well. While a new approach called priming repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown promise in treating depression in adults, its effectiveness in LLD has not been explored. This study aimed to investigate the impact of priming rTMS on LLD.MethodsThis study investigated the effectiveness of priming rTMS in 31 patients with LLD who did not improve after an adequate trial of antidepressants. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either active priming rTMS or sham priming rTMS. Active priming rTMS was delivered over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 10 sessions, lasting 31 minutes each, over a period of 2 weeks.ResultsThe group receiving active priming rTMS demonstrated greater improvements in scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (p < 0.037; partial η2 0.141) and the Geriatric Depression Rating Scale (p < 0.045; partial η2 0.131) compared to the sham priming group, with a mild effect size. At the end of the second and fourth weeks, the priming rTMS group achieved a response rate of 50%, while the sham priming group had response rates of 26.7% and 6.7%, respectively. No adverse effects requiring intervention were observed.ConclusionPriming rTMS is well-tolerated for the treatment of LLD and not only reduces the severity of depression but also maintains the achieved response over time.
Alternative monetary policies and wealth and income inequality: the monetary instrument problem revisited
Authors: Turnovsky Stephen J. , Gokan Yoichi 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThis paper compares the impact of setting the money growth rate versus pegging the interest rate on aggregate real variables and their distributions. In either case, the monetary policy, in isolation, requires the price level to jump to ensure intertemporal solvency but has no real dynamic effects. The choice of monetary instrument has consequences for wealth and income inequality, doing so in potentially conflicting ways. Following real shocks, the accompanying monetary policy will influence the ensuing transition. For real variables, this operates entirely through its impact on the speed of convergence and is negligible. For financial variables, the impact also depends upon the initial jump in the price level. These effects vary more substantially between policies and have more significant distributional consequences. Overall, the impact on inequality is dominated by the real shocks themselves, rather than the accompanying monetary policy. Finally, we compare these two policies to inflation targeting, which is shown to be the least favorable for reducing wealth inequality, but the most favorable for reducing income inequality.
An audit of the dissemination strategies and plan included in international food-based dietary guidelines
Authors: Yoong Sze Lin , Turon Heidi , Wong Carrie K , Bayles Lyndal , Finch Meghan , Barnes Courtney , Doherty Emma , Wolfenden Luke 
Published: August 2023

AbstractObjective:Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) are an important resource to improve population health; however, little is known about the types of strategies to disseminate them. This study sought to describe dissemination strategies and content of dissemination plans that were available for FBDG.Design:A cross-sectional audit of FBDG with a published English-language version sourced from the United Nations FAO repository. We searched for publicly available dissemination strategies and any corresponding plans available in English language. Two authors extracted data on strategies, which were grouped according to the Model for Dissemination Research Framework (including source, audience, channel and message). For guidelines with a dissemination plan, we described goals, audience, strategies and expertise and resources according to the Canadian Institute for Health Research guidance.Setting:FBDG from fifty-three countries mostly from high-income (n 28, 52·8 %), and upper-middle income (n 18, 34 %) areas were included.Participants:n/a.Results:The source of guidelines was most frequently health departments (79·2 %). The message included quantities and types of foods, physical activity recommendations and 88·7 % included summarised versions of main messages. The most common channels were infographics and information booklets, and the main end-users were the public. For twelve countries (22·6 %), we were able to source an English-language dissemination plan, where none met all recommendations outlined by the Canadian Institute for Health Research.Conclusions:The public was the most frequently identified end-user and thus most dissemination strategies and plans focused on this group. Few FBDG had formal dissemination plans and of those there was limited detailed provided.
Cannibalizing Bach: Villa-Lobos in Europe, 1936
Authors: SATO EDUARDO 
Published: August 2023

AbstractDuring the 1930s, Heitor Villa-Lobos concentrated his efforts on coordinating Brazilian musical education. As such, he changed his compositional style and did not travel to Europe again until 1936. This article examines Villa-Lobos's trip to Europe in 1936, drawing on Florencia Garramuño's call to ‘incorporate avant-garde voyages as founding moments’ for an autochthonous national character in music. During his journey, Villa-Lobos represented Brazil in different settings: as a deputy at the International Congress of Music Education in Prague and as a composer in under-the-radar political negotiations with Nazi Germany in Berlin. Considering the authoritarian Vargas Regime, Brazilian modernism, and the dialectical relation between nationalism and internationalism, I argue that this trip served as a catalyst for a new creative phase, culminating in the series of Bachianas brasileiras, a resignification of J. S. Bach's music and legacy in the context of his interpretation of Brazilian Antropofagia (cultural cannibalism).
How Unexpected Was the 2022 Summertime Heat Extremes in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River?
Authors: Hua Wenjian , Dai Aiguo , Qin Minhua , Hu Yuhan , Cui Yazhu 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe 2022 heatwave in China featured record‐shattering high temperatures, raising questions about its origin and possible link to global warming. Here we show that the maximum temperature anomalies over Central China reached 13.1°C in the summer of 2022, which is ∼4.2σ above the 1981–2010 mean with a return period of tens of thousands of years. Our results suggested that the persistent high‐pressure anomaly and associated extreme heatwave likely resulted mainly from internal variability, although anthropogenic warming has increased the probability of such extreme heatwaves. We also estimate that the 2022‐like heatwave becomes six to seven times more likely under persistent high‐pressure conditions when compared to stochastic circulation states. Due to a shift toward warmer mean temperatures and a flattening of the probability distribution function, such rare extreme heatwaves are projected to become much more common at a global warming level of 4°C, occurring once about every 8.5 years.
Coastal Polynyas Enable Transitions Between High and Low West Antarctic Ice Shelf Melt Rates
Authors: Moorman Ruth , Thompson Andrew F. , Wilson Earle A. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractMelt rates of West Antarctic ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea track large decadal variations in the volume of warm water at their outlets. This variability is generally attributed to wind‐driven variations in warm water transport toward ice shelves. Inspired by conceptual representations of the global overturning circulation, we introduce a simple model for the evolution of the thermocline, which caps the warm water layer at the ice‐shelf front. This model demonstrates that interannual variations in coastal polynya buoyancy forcing can generate large decadal‐scale thermocline depth variations, even when the supply of warm water from the shelf‐break is fixed. The modeled variability involves transitions between bistable high and low melt regimes, enabled by feedbacks between basal melt rates and ice front stratification strength. Our simple model captures observed variations in near‐coast thermocline depth and stratification strength, and poses an alternative mechanism for warm water volume changes to wind‐driven theories.