bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of trade facilitation on African SMEs’ performance
Authors: Hansen-Addy Andrew E. , Parrilli Davide M. , Tingbani Ishmael 
Published: April 2023

AbstractWhilst contemporary literature indicates that the business environment (BE) impacts almost all entrepreneurial activities, there are indications that the unique business and institutional setting in Africa (with its challenges and opportunities) and the nature of SMEs (their strengths and weaknesses), among other factors, lead to the context-specific impact of regulations on the performance of African SMEs. Using regressions and propensity score matching methods on a panel of 39,461 firm observations (27 African countries) from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys, we unearthed evidence to suggest that whilst enabling tax administration and business licensing regulations improve SMEs’ performance, trade facilitation impedes African SMEs’ performance. Furthermore, the institutional context of competition (from foreign firms) worsens trade facilitation’s negative impact on African SMEs’ performance. These findings suggest a fine-tuning of BE regulations in African countries. Trade facilitation, for example, must be carefully thought through and implemented in a way to benefit SMEs.
When Arne met J. L.: attitudes to scientific method in empirical semantics, ordinary language philosophy and linguistics
Authors: Chapman Siobhan 
Published: April 2023

AbstractIn the autumn of 1959, Arne Naess and J. L. Austin, both pioneers of empirical study in the philosophy of language, discussed their points of agreement and disagreement at a meeting in Oslo. This article considers the fragmentary record that has survived of that meeting, and investigates what light it can shed on the question of why the two philosophers apparently found so little common ground, given their shared commitment to the importance of data in the study of language. Naess and Austin held different views about two significant aspects of the relationship between scientific method and philosophical investigation. The first aspect concerns the nature of experimental data; Naess used the statistical analysis of data collected from non-philosophical informants while Austin advocated deliberation leading to agreement over usage by a few skilled experts. The second aspect relates to their respective attitudes to the role of theory in philosophical inquiry, attitudes which drew on discussions of scientific method, and its relevance to philosophy, from the early decades of the twentieth century. This article traces the evidence for these views on scientific method in Naess’s and Austin’s respective published work, and in the record of their Oslo meeting. It concludes with a brief overview of opinions about scientific method manifest in the decades since that meeting in various branches of linguistics. These opinions speak to the enduring importance of attitudes to scientific method in relation to our study and understanding of human language.
Macro-superlubricity in sputtered MoS2-based films by decreasing edge pinning effect
Authors: Dong Chunmeng , Jiang Dong , Fu Yanlong , Wang Desheng , Wang Qinqin , Weng Lijun , Hu Ming , Gao Xiaoming , Sun Jiayi 
Published: April 2023

AbstractTo date, MoS2 can only be achieved at microscale. Edge pinning effect caused by structure defects is the most obvious barrier to expand the size of structural superlubricity to macroscale. Herein, we plan to pin edge planes of MoS2 with nanospheres, and then the incommensurate structure can be formed between adjacent rolling nanoparticles to reduce friction. The sputtered MoS2 film was prepared by the physical vapor deposition (PVD) in advance. Then enough Cu2O nanospheres (∼40 nm) were generated in situ at the edge plane of MoS2 layers by liquid phase synthesis. An incommensurate structure (mismatch angle (θ) = 8°) caused by MoS2 layers was formed before friction. The friction coefficient of the films (5 N, 1,000 r/min) was ∼6.0×10−3 at the most. During friction, MoS2 layers pinned on numerous of Cu2O nanoparticles reduced its edge pinning effect and decreased friction. Moreover, much more incommensurate was formed, developing macro-superlubricity.
Uncovering Early Traces of Bark Beetle Induced Forest Stress via Semantically Enriched Sentinel-2 Data and Spectral Indices
Authors: Mandl Lisa , Lang Stefan 
Published: April 2023

AbstractForest ecosystems are shaped by both abiotic and biotic disturbances. Unlike sudden disturbance agents, such as wind, avalanches and fire, bark beetle infestation progresses gradually. By the time infestation is observable by the human eye, trees are already in the final stages of infestation—the red- and grey-attack. In the relevant phase—the green-attack—biochemical and biophysical processes take place, which, however, are not or hardly visible. In this study, we applied a time series analysis based on semantically enriched Sentinel-2 data and spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) to detect early traces of bark beetle infestation in the Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany. Our approach used a stratified and hierarchical hybrid remote sensing image understanding system for pre-selecting candidate pixels, followed by the use of SVIs to confirm or refute the initial selection, heading towards a 'convergence of evidence approach’. Our results revealed that the near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave-infrared (SWIR) parts of the electromagnetic spectrum provided the best separability between pixels classified as healthy and early infested. Referring to vegetation indices, we found that those related to water stress have proven to be most sensitive. Compared to a SVI-only model that did not incorporate the concept of candidate pixels, our approach achieved distinctively higher producer’s accuracy (76% vs. 63%) and user’s accuracy (61% vs. 42%). The temporal accuracy of our method depends on the availability of satellite data and varies up to 3 weeks before or after the first ground-based detection in the field. Nonetheless, our method offers valuable early detection capabilities that can aid in implementing timely interventions to address bark beetle infestations in the early stage.
Effects of forest roads and an assessment of their disturbance of the natural enviroment based on GIS spatial multi-criteria analysis: case study of the University Forest of Taxiarchis, Chalkidiki, Greece
Authors: Kolkos Georgios , Stergiadou Anastasia , Kantartzis Apostolos , Tampekis Stergios , Arabatzis Garyfallos 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe forest road network contributes to all aspects of the management and protection of natural ecosystems, such as fire protection and access to settlements, infrastructure and forest recreation. This has led to a constant demand for new roads and increased road density in forest areas. However, due to the environmental impact of such roads, a tool that takes into account all the parameters that they affect and evaluates the spatial distribution of forest-road-induced disturbance is needed. The present research highlights a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE), based on a spatial approach that utilizes geographical information systems (GIS), for estimating both the impact of the forest road network and the absorptiveness of the natural environment for that impact. The University Forest of Taxiarchis, Greece, was selected as it combines both timber production and recreation characteristics. Primary data were collected through the management plan for the area and the road network was categorized. A variety of factors regarding forestry, wood extraction methods and production, and social and topographical criteria were examined and scored based on their weighting factors. The results regarding the impact and the absorptiveness were analyzed in order to assess the spatial disturbance. The analysis showed that the spatial environmental impact of the forest roads is crucial and that MCE methods should be applied in environmental impact assessment (EIA) in order to support decision-making systems (DMS) for new road construction and to enhance environmental integration.
Religious Speech and the Quest for Freedoms in the Anglo-American World
Authors: Bird Wendell 
Published: April 2023

In the secular, contemporary world, many people question the relevance of religion. Many also wonder whether religiously-informed speech and beliefs should be tolerated in the public square, and whether religions hinder freedom. In this volume, Wendell Bird reminds us that our basic freedoms are the important legacies of religious speech arising from the Judeo-Christian tradition. Bird demonstrates that religious speech, rather than secular or irreligious speech based on other belief systems, historically made the demands and justifications for at least six critical freedoms: speech and press, rights for the criminally accused, higher education, emancipation from slavery, and freedom from discrimination. Bringing an historically-informed approach to the development of some of the most important freedoms in the Anglo-American world, this volume provides a new framework for our understanding of the origins of crucial freedoms. It also serves as a powerful reminder of an aspect of history that is steadily being forgotten or overlooked-that many of our basic freedoms are the historical legacies of religious speech arising from Judeo-Christian faiths.
Surveiller sans punir : la place du droit dans la prévention des risques professionnels
Authors: Juston Morival Romain , Pélisse Jérôme 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThis article analyzes the role of law in the surveillance and prevention of occupational risks within a large public bureaucracy in France, based on a comparison of three services: a listening unit, an occupational health service, and an inspection mission. Each of these services offers legal intermediation activities that frame forms of legality, ranging from the most spontaneous to the most formal normative references. These references to the law make it possible to differentiate situations in order to create an occupational risk prevention policy that favors actions within the organization rather than external recourse. Deprived of any judicial horizon to use effectively to transform working conditions, the legal intermediaries in charge of occupational health and safety are nevertheless relying, even if in a differentiated way, on the law to work towards better risk prevention.
Perseverance and consistency of interest in underrepresented post-doctoral fellows and early-career faculty
Authors: Thakar Maya S. , Mitchell-Miland Chantele , Morone Natalia E. , Althouse Andrew D. , Murrell Audrey J. , Rubio Doris M. , White Gretchen E. 
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Introduction:
Underrepresented researchers face more challenges than their well-represented counterparts. Perseverance and consistency of interest are associated with career success in well-represented physicians. Therefore, we examined associations of perseverance and consistency of interest with Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory (CRAI), science identity, and other factors related to career success among underrepresented post-doctoral fellows and early-career faculty.

Methods:
This is a cross-sectional analysis of data collected from September to October 2020 among 224 underrepresented early-career researchers at 25 academic medical centers in the Building Up Trial. We used linear regression to test associations of perseverance and consistency of interest scores with CRAI, science identity, and effort/reward imbalance (ERI) scores.

Results:
The cohort is 80% female, 33% non-Hispanic Black, and 34% Hispanic. The median perseverance and consistency of interest scores were 3.8 (25th–75th percentile: 3.7,4.2) and 3.7 (25th–75th percentile: 3.2, 4.0), respectively. Higher perseverance was associated with a higher CRAI score (β = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.30, 1.33, p = 0.002) and science identity (β = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.19, 0.68, p = 0.001). Higher consistency of interest was associated with a higher CRAI score (β = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.23, 0.96, p = 0.001) and higher science identity score (β = 0.20; 95% CI = 0.03, 0.36, p = 0.02), while lower consistency of interest was associated with imbalance favoring effort (β = –0.22; 95% CI = –0.33, –0.11, p = 0.001).

Conclusions:
We found that perseverance and consistency of interest are related to CRAI and science identity, indicating that these factors may positively influence one’s decision to stay in research.
Rapid Expansion and Adaptability of California Medical Disaster Teams
Authors: Rymer Thérèse , Breyre Amelia M. , Lovett-Floom LeAnne , Devereaux Asha , Staats Katherine , Noste Erin E. , Backer Howard 
Published: April 2023

Abstract
The California Medical Assistance Team (CAL-MAT) program is coordinated by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA). The program was developed to deploy and support medical personnel for disaster medical response. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the program and missions grew rapidly in response to medical surge, programs for testing and vaccination, and other concurrent disasters. CAL-MAT enrollment increased 10-fold from approximately 200 members at the beginning of 2020, to an estimated 2200 members by June 2021. This article describes the flexible use of a state-managed disaster medical response program within California and some of the challenges associated with rapid expansion and varied demands during the COVID-19 surges of March 2020–March 2022. CAL-MAT may serve as a model for development of similar state-sponsored or other disaster medical response teams.
Two Asian cricetodontine-like muroid rodents from the Neogene of western North America
Authors: Martin Robert A. , Kelly Thomas S. , Holroyd Patricia 
Published: April 2023

AbstractWe appraise the morphology and potential origin of two Neogene cricetodontine-like muroids, Pliotomodon primitivus from Late Miocene sediments in northern California and an undescribed muroid from the late Oligocene or Early Miocene of central Oregon. Superficial resemblance of the dentition of Pliotomodon with members of the North American galushamyinan neotominins is considered a result of parallel evolution, as shown by the large size and unreduced M3/m3 of the former. Dental features of Pliotomodon are similar to those of Eurasian genera such as Byzantinia, Hispanomys, and Ruscinomys, but the unusual morphology of M3/m3, with continuous enamel connections across their lingual surfaces closing the hypoflexus and posteroflexid, respectively, plus retention of only three roots on M1, suggests Pliotomodon arose from an ancestor distinct from the one that gave rise to the large late Neogene hypsodont cricetodontines of the Old World. In the absence of known ancestral taxa in North America, we postulate Pliotomodon dispersed to North America across Beringia during the Hemphillian (ca. 8.6 Ma, Hh-1). Another archaic cricetodontine-like rodent, from the Warm Springs region of the John Day Formation in Oregon, is named as a new species of Deperetomys, D. dingusi new species. Deperetomys dingusi n. sp. likely descended from a species of Deperetomys intermediate between archaic species such as D. calefactus and D. magnus and more dentally derived species such as D. intermedius and D. hagni, dispersing to North America during the late Oligocene or Early Miocene (Arikareean; ca. 23 Ma, Ar3 or Ar4).UUID: http://zoobank.org/b691db3a-79de-4d3e-8af0-3bda4957b119
Design framework for programmable mechanical metamaterial with unconventional damping properties under dynamic loading conditions
Authors: Kaal William , Becker Michael M. , Specht Marius , Fischer Sarah C.L. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractA theoretical and experimental framework for novel metamaterial with programmable damping properties is presented. This material system is able to switch between elastic-dominated and damping-dominated regimes with different overall stiffness under dynamic loading depending on the external stimulus. The unit cell combines an auxetic and a bellow-like layer separated by an interface through which the amount of media flow can be tuned depending on the lateral strain. A simplified analytical model is derived to analyse the programmable damping effect. The model is further extended with a fluid-dynamics approach to link the effective damping properties with geometrical parameters to aid with the practical design of the metamaterial. Afterward, experiments are conducted on a macroscopic level using laser-sintered unit cells to validate the functionality of the concept both with air and water as media within the unit cells. To conclude the work, initial results on microscopic-level unit cells fabricated by two-photon lithography are introduced to showcase the scalability of the concept. This work provides an experimentally validated theoretical framework for future investigations to design unit cells with programmable damping on different length scales for applications requiring tailored dynamic energy dissipation.
A meta-analysis on the uncinate fasciculus in depression
Authors: Xu Ellie P. , Nguyen Lynn , Leibenluft Ellen , Stange Jonathan P. , Linke Julia O. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractAberrant microstructure of the uncinate fasciculus (UNC), a white matter (WM) tract implicated in emotion regulation, has been hypothesized as a neurobiological mechanism of depression. However, studies testing this hypothesis have yielded inconsistent results. The present meta-analysis consolidates evidence from 44 studies comparing fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD), two metrics characterizing WM microstructure, of the UNC in individuals with depression (n = 5016) to healthy individuals (n = 18 425). We conduct meta-regressions to identify demographic and clinical characteristics that contribute to cross-study heterogeneity in UNC findings. UNC FA was reduced in individuals with depression compared to healthy individuals. UNC RD was comparable between individuals with depression and healthy individuals. Comorbid anxiety explained inter-study heterogeneity in UNC findings. Depression is associated with perturbations in UNC microstructure, specifically with respect to UNC FA and not UNC RD. The association between depression and UNC microstructure appears to be moderated by anxiety. Future work should unravel the cellular mechanisms contributing to aberrant UNC microstructure in depression; clarify the relationship between UNC microstructure, depression, and anxiety; and link UNC microstructure to psychological processes, such as emotion regulation.
Older and still voting? A mixed-methods study of voting amongst the older old in Europe and in the North-West of England
Authors: Purdam K. , Taylor H. 
Published: April 2023

AbstractThe implications of an ageing population for democracy are far reaching, however, older people are often treated as a homogenous group. This article used survey data from 29 countries across Europe, alongside qualitative interviews with the older old (people aged 70 and older) in the North-West of England (United Kingdom). The findings suggest that voting declines amongst the older old and women aged 85 and older were less likely to report having voted compared to men in the same age group. Older women aged 85 and older were also less likely to feel that people like them could have an influence on politics. In terms of a sense of the future, having grandchildren was associated with the likelihood of reporting having voted, but being older than the country average life expectancy was not. The interviews with the older old in the North-West of England revealed that many could remember the first time they had voted and its lasting personal significance. However, many also described becoming politically disengaged in their late old age. Older people also reported barriers to voting, including difficulties in accessing polling stations and in using postal voting. There was a desire amongst the older old to see more young people voting and frustration about their lack of interest, including amongst their own children and grandchildren. This suggests a concern for democracy and future generations. As the population ages and people are living longer, it is important to develop the understanding of voter turnout amongst the older old at different ages and the barriers they can face.
Rates of Inpatient Hospitalizations Across a 2-Year Time Horizon Between reSET-O and Control Patients: A Difference in Differences Approach
Authors: Shah Neel , Mahon Rowan , Murphy Sean M. , Velez Fulton F. , Maricich Yuri 
Published: April 2023

AbstractIntroductionreSET-O® is an FDA-authorized prescription digital therapeutic (PDT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) providing cognitive behavioral therapy as an adjunct to buprenorphine therapy. This analysis describes differences in inpatient hospitalization rates over a 2-year period between patients treated with the PDT and those who were not.MethodsA real-world claims analysis using the HealthVerity Private Source 20 database compared inpatient hospitalization rates (including intensive care unit stays and rehospitalizations) in patients who filled a reSET-O prescription (“cases”) to patients not filling their prescription (“controls”). Index date was date of reSET-O initiation for cases, and prescription date for controls, from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. Pre- and post-index incidence rates of HCRU were compared with the incidence rate ratio (IRR) using a repeated-measures negative binomial model, adjusted for age, sex, region, payer type, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score, and number of similar services in the 12 months pre-index with an offset for number of days in the 12-month post-index period. Adjusted differences in inpatient hospitalizations in cases vs. controls were evaluated at 3-month intervals beginning at 12 months pre-index through 12 months post-index, using a difference in differences (DID) approach.ResultsIn this analysis, 901 cases (median age 36 years, 62.4% female, 73.9% Medicaid recipients, 95% treated with buprenorphine in the post-index period) were compared with 978 controls (median age 38 years, 55.1% female, 65.4% Medicaid recipients, 95% treated with buprenorphine in the post-index period). Incidence rate ratios of inpatient stays trended lower in later pre-post comparison periods among cases (IRRs 0.80, 0.95, 0.87, and 0.75 at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12 months pre-post, respectively), and trended higher in later pre-post periods in controls (IRRs 0.93, 0.83, 0.86, 0.88 at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month intervals respectively). The DID for controls vs. cases during the 12-month post interval compared to the 12-month pre-index rates, represented a 44% lower incidence of inpatient hospitalizations vs. controls between the first and last quarters of observation.ConclusionsThis difference in difference analysis showed a lower 12-month pre-post incidence rate ratio of inpatient hospitalizations for patients using reSET-O vs. controls, and a 24-month change in quarterly inpatient hospitalizations in reSET-O patients that was almost half that of controls.FundingPear Therapeutics (US), Inc.