bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The endocast of Euparkeria sheds light on the ancestral archosaur nervous system
Authors: Fabbri Matteo , Bhullar Bhart‐Anjan S. 
Published: November 2022

AbstractUnderstanding the evolution of the tetrapod brain is essential to trace the history of ecomorphological diversification of modern clades. While previous studies focused on the morphological transformation of the nervous system along the dinosaur–bird transition, little is known about the brain anatomy of archosauriformes and early archosaurs. Here, we describe the endocast of Euparkeria capensis, a small bodied, terrestrial archosauriform closely related to Archosauria, with the goal of resolving the current uncertainties surrounding the ancestral condition of the archosaurian nervous system. The endocast of Euparkeria is sigmoidal, with large olfactory bulbs, an expanded cerebral hemisphere and an elongated flocculus. We suggest that this pivotal taxon was an active predator with a remarkable olfactory acuity. Overall, the endocast of Euparkeria resembles the ones observed in phytosaurs, crocodilians and early dinosaurs, implying that modern crocodilians retain an archosaurian plesiomorphic brain morphology.
Combining ability of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) genotypes for root traits across diverse environments
Authors: Castiano Binaissa U. Levene , Kimurto Paul K. , Ojwang Pascal P. Okwiri 
Published: November 2022

AbstractRoot system architecture is important for common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) adaptability to diverse environments. Beans employ complex adaptive root mechanisms for coping with multiple stresses in production environments. Understanding genetic control of root traits is central to improvement of common bean for adaptation to marginal environments. The objectives of this study were to (i) determine combining ability of root and agronomic traits and (ii) estimate the heritability and genetic correlation of root and agronomic traits in common bean. Four bean lines with superior root traits were crossed with four locally adapted varieties in a North Carolina II mating scheme to generate 16 crosses. The 16 F1s were selfed and advanced to F2 generation. Eight parents and their F2 progenies were evaluated in an alpha‐Lattice design with two replications. General and specific combing ability mean squares were significant (p ≤ .05) for all traits measured. General predictability ratios ranged from .47 to .68 across locations suggesting that both additive and non‐additive gene action modulate root traits and seed yield. Positive and significant (p ≤ .05) phenotypic and genetic correlations revealed significant association between root traits and yield. Moderate to high heritability estimates of between .43 and .67 were realized. Such estimates point to possible deployment of a successful selection programme. Genotype AFR398 displayed significant positive GCA effects among its crosses for both root and agronomic traits hence a potential candidate genotype for inclusion in a bean genetic improvement programme for marginal environments.
Burnout, mental health symptoms, and empathy in healthcare workers who care for children treated in a liver transplant center
Authors: Cansel Neslihan , Varol Fatma İlknur 
Published: November 2022

AbstractObjectiveThe healthcare workers in pediatric liver transplantation units are exposed to various stresses; however, their burnout has not been clarified yet. This study aimed to determine burnout, psychological symptoms and empathy levels in healthcare workers, to examine the relationship between these variables and to investigate the predictors of burnout.MethodThis cross‐sectional study was conducted on healthcare workers in Turgut Özal Medical Center Pediatric Liver Transplant Institute. The participants filled out a questionnaire that investigating demographic and occupational characteristics, and including questions from Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Brief Symptom Inventory.ResultsFifty healthcare workers participated in the study. Based on moderate and higher severity scores, 48% of the participants were emotionally exhausted, 22% of them were depersonalized. All of them had a high perception of personal accomplishment. There was a correlation between psychological symptoms level and emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment as well as empathy and personal accomplishment. Not choosing the profession and the department willingly, age, education level, marital status, duration of profession, unit, not receiving in‐service training, empathy, depressive symptoms and hostility scores predicted different aspects of burnout.ConclusionConsidering that burnout and psychological stress lead to reduced professional abilities and the development of serious complications, the results obtained can guide managers on the measures to be taken.
Transparency and corruption: Measuring real transparency by a new index
Authors: Mungiu‐Pippidi Alina 
Published: November 2022

AbstractDespite the salience of transparency in policy and democracy debates a global measurement of transparency has always been missing. In its absence, measuring the impact of transparency on accountability and corruption for a large number of countries has been difficult, with scholars using more or less adequate proxies. This paper introduces a new measurement of real transparency—the T‐index—using 14de factocomponents, based on direct observations of official websites in 129 countries and fivede jurecomponents, based on the transparency laws and conventions adopted. The resulting index is a measurement with very good internal and external validity and moderate precision. The paper argues thatde factotransparency must be considered alongsidede jure(legal) transparency if we are to judge the impact (or lack of) transparency against accountability and corruption, as a large implementation gap exists, in particular in poor countries, between legal commitments and real transparency. The T‐index has significant impact on both perception and objective indicators of corruption, including perceived change in corruption over time as measured by the Global Corruption Barometer. An analysis of outliers shows that high transparency alone is not sufficient to achieve control of corruption, especially in countries with low human development and poor rule of law, although transparency is a robust predictor of corruption with GDP controls. The data with all sources is available for download as T‐index 2022 dataset: DOI10.5281/zenodo.7225627and an interactive webpage developed for updates is available atwww.corruptionrisk.org/transparency.
An analysis of Fundeb's contribution to the quality of public education in Brazilian municipalities
Authors: Becker Kalinca Léia 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThis study analyzed the effect of the Fund for the Maintenance and Development of Basic Education and for the Appreciation of Education Professionals (Fundeb) on the National System of Basic Education Assessment (Saeb) results of Brazilian municipalities by estimating a spatial panel model with information from 2007 and 2017, which include the 10 years of the fund's implementation. The results indicated that the 10% increase in the Fundeb amount per student received by the municipality raised the Saeb score by approximately one point. Furthermore, the increase in the fund's value in neighboring municipalities contributed to increasing the municipality's Saeb score by approximately three points. These results are evidence in favor of the hypothesis that Fundeb has encouraged the management and adoption of good practices in municipal education, which influence the decisions and behavior of the neighboring municipalities’ managers to also improve their practices and results.
Molecular and serological analysis of the D variant in the Chinese population and identification of seven novel RHD alleles
Authors: Wen Jizhi , Jia Shuangshuang , Wang Zhen , Chen Jingwang , Liang Qianni , Wei Ling , Richard Gaëlle , Fichou Yann , Luo Guangping , Ji Yanli 
Published: November 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe molecular basis of the D variant phenotype in the Chinese differs greatly from that of the Caucasian. Adapting a specific D typing strategy to the spectrum of prevalent RHD variant alleles is necessary.Study Design and MethodsBlood samples with ambiguous D phenotypes were collected in the Southern Chinese population. A special three‐step typing strategy was applied. First, the common DVI type 3 was identified from epitope profiles of D antigen. Then, another common weak D type 15 (RHD*845A) was identified by epitope profiles of D antigen and Sanger sequencing of RHD exon 6. Finally, the remaining D variants were genotyped mainly by Sanger sequencing. For the novel RHD alleles in the coding region and exon–intron junction, in vitro transfection and minigene splicing assays were performed, respectively. The anti‐D investigation was performed.ResultsDVI type 3 (65/253, 25.7%) and weak D type 15 (62/253, 24.5%) were common Chinese D variants, and RHD*960A, DFR, RHD*weak D type 25, 72, and 136 were frequent variant RHD alleles. Besides, twenty‐two sporadic and seven novel RHD alleles (RHD*188A; RHD*688C; RHD*782 T; RHD*1181C; RHD*165 T, 993A; RHD*148 + 3G > T and RHD*1227 + 5G > C) were identified. The deleterious effect of the novel RHD alleles on D antigen or mRNA expression was confirmed. Anti‐D was detected in two DVI type 3 pregnant women.DiscussionThe three‐step typing strategy provides an effective approach for Chinese D variant typing. It can be anticipated that commercially available RHD genotyping kits have limitations for testing Chinese D variants, as some of the frequent variants are not interrogated.
War in Ukraine: The options for Europe's energy supply
Authors: Aitken Christopher , Ersoy Erkal 
Published: November 2022

AbstractEurope is likely to remain reliant on Russian gas in the short term. In the absence of this gas supply, the continent is likely to experience shortages and associated inflation. Immediate solutions include diversification of Europe's natural gas supply and the use of alternative fossil fuels, such as coal, but the latter would come with significant climate costs. Over a longer period, there is more scope for reshaping Europe's energy policy and diversifying its energy supply, but these would come at a cost. Expanding renewable energy capacity within Europe is critical. Fine‐tuning policy to balance climate objectives against the security of the energy supply will be difficult. To ensure energy security and emerge from this conflict greener, the answer may be renewable energy produced in Europe. Investment in renewables in developing countries, particularly in the continent's trading partners, also holds promise, as it would allow more natural gas imports into Europe while contributing to Europe's climate commitments.
A Chronology of Seeing
Authors: Abazeri Mariam 
Published: November 2022

ABSTRACTParticipatory video (PV) is a collective videomaking practice used to identify and address shared issues among its participants. In this article, I discuss the promises and challenges of this process by examining a long‐term PV project carried out among young rural women in Kerman, Iran. The project, which took place over six years, offers a unique window into the multiple ways participants coupled PV with other social interventions to challenge and reassert gender norms and narratives in their community, inspire personal transformation, build communal networks, and engage in incremental social change.
Teachers’ language attitudes and production patterns in St. Kitts
Authors: Schmalz Mirjam 
Published: November 2022

AbstractThis study looks at language attitudes and production patterns of teachers in St. Kitts in the Eastern Caribbean, based on metalinguistic interviews conducted with nine teachers and one principal, as well as field notes from classroom observations. The analysis of these data shows generally positive attitudes towards Kittitian Creole (KC) amongst the teachers, who value KC for its cultural significance. However, KC was rather seen as ancillary in the education setting, with English taking centre stage. The classroom observations exhibit a majority use of standardised English by the teachers, with instances of KC in certain situations, such as for direct questions, scolding, or motivating, indicating ‘functional mixing’ (Youssef, 2014, p. 201) by teachers. This article provides first insights into de facto language policies in Kittitian classrooms, adding data from a lesser studied variety to the academic discourse on the role of English and Creole in Caribbean education.
Effectiveness of game‐based exercise interventions on modifiable cardiovascular risk factors of individuals with type two diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Lim Ye Sheng , Ho Ben , Goh Yong‐Shian 
Published: November 2022

AbstractBackgroundSedentary lifestyles have been identified as a major risk factor for cardiovascular complications for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Using video‐gaming components, game‐based exercise interventions can encourage these individuals to engage in regular physical activity (PA), given their favorable interactive interfaces, feedback, and on‐demand flow experiences.AimTo evaluate the effectiveness of game‐based exercise interventions, on modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, quality of life, and PA levels among individuals with T2DM.MethodsPublished and unpublished studies were retrieved from eight electronic databases and reference lists of the included studies. Articles included in this study were from the inception of the databases to January 2022. Two reviewers performed screening, quality appraisal, and data extraction independently. Meta‐analyses were conducted for the primary and secondary outcomes through RevMan. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022298894).ResultsOf the 11 selected studies involving 1045 individuals of both genders with T2DM, 9 were included in the meta‐analyses for glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure (BP), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, quality of life, and physical activity levels. The meta‐analyses reported very small to large effect sizes favoring game‐based exercise interventions. Large effect sizes were reported for systolic BP, diastolic BP, and quality of life measured through SF‐12 Mental Component Summary scores.Linking Evidence to ActionGame‐based exercise interventions may improve modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, quality of life, and PA levels among individuals with T2DM. Supervision, PA levels, or motivation can affect the effectiveness of game‐based exercise interventions.
Coherent Flow Structures Near Tongue Region in a Centrifugal Fan With Forward-Curved Blades
Authors: Shaofei Wang , Haowen Xu , Zhongyang Qi , Chong Pan 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
The unsteady characteristics of the velocity field around the tongue of the volute in a centrifugal fan with forward-curved blades were investigated by time-resolved particle image velocimetry and mode decomposition analysis, i.e., proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD). Both POD and SPOD analysis reveal the existence of two types of unsteadiness in the flow field in the volute, one is the large-scale fluctuations at rotation frequency and its high-order harmonics in the main outlet flow, the other is due to the jet–wake structures at blade passing frequency in the cutoff clearance region. Additionally, SPOD analysis reveals a third type of disturbance, which is characterized as strip-like velocity structures at the intermediate frequency. The geometric and dynamic features of these coherent flow structures are inspected by the eigenfunction and their reduced-order reconstruction. In comparison with the POD analysis, the SPOD analysis enables the examination of the spatial pattern of each frequency component due to its dual-orthogonality nature. These structures direct impact the tongue, and thus might be responsible for the generation of strong wall-pressure fluctuation on the nose of the tongue. Due to the frequency mixing limitation of POD analysis, they cannot be easily identified from the leading-order POD modes. Furthermore, the frequency range of these three groups of disturbances, as well as their spatial extension, are determined via SPOD analysis and reduced-order reconstruction.
A Focused Regions Identification Method for Nonlinear Least Squares Curve Fitting Problems
Authors: Zhang Guanglu , Allaire Douglas , Cagan Jonathan 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
Important for many science and engineering fields, meaningful nonlinear models result from fitting such models to data by estimating the value of each parameter in the model. Since parameters in nonlinear models often characterize a substance or a system (e.g., mass diffusivity), it is critical to find the optimal parameter estimators that minimize or maximize a chosen objective function. In practice, iterative local methods (e.g., Levenberg-Marquardt method) and heuristic methods (e.g., genetic algorithms) are commonly employed for least squares parameter estimation in nonlinear models. However, practitioners are not able to know whether the parameter estimators derived through these methods are the optimal parameter estimators that correspond to the global minimum of the squared error of the fit. In this paper, a focused regions identification method is introduced for least squares parameter estimation in nonlinear models. Using expected fitting accuracy and derivatives of the squared error of the fit, this method rules out the regions in parameter space where the optimal parameter estimators cannot exist. Practitioners are guaranteed to find the optimal parameter estimators through an exhaustive search in the remaining regions (i.e., focused regions). The focused regions identification method is validated through a case study in which the Michaelis-Menten model is fitted to an experimental data set. The case study shows that the focused regions identification method can find the optimal parameter estimators and the corresponding global minimum effectively and efficiently.
SMART Standards: Modularization Approach for Engineering Standards
Authors: Luttmer Janosch , Ehring Dominik , Pluhnau Robin , Kocks Christine , Nagarajah Arun 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
Standards are a valuable source of knowledge in product development and support engineering activities throughout the entire product development process. However, against the industry-wide trend of digitization, the provision and usage of standards has not changed significantly over the last decade. To satisfy customer requirements, standards development organizations are increasingly interested in publishing their content outside of traditional formats such as print or PDF. One example is the content-based modularization rather than the provision of whole documents (Content-as-a-Service). This paper examines existing modularization approaches as well as their transferability towards the domain of standardization. Based on these approaches, a concept for the modularization of formulas and especially the development of a formula module is designed and elaborated. Therefore, descriptive elements of formulas are identified and structured. The module then serves as template for the future documentation of formulas in XML standards. Afterwards, the identified modules are integrated into an existing SMART standards expert system in order to demonstrate possible applications of content-based standard provision. Future work will investigate methods for the automatic extraction of the identified descriptive formula elements as well as their semantic modelling in knowledge graphs. Moreover, the described concept serves as starting point for future research in modularization of engineering standards.
Topology Optimization Realization of a Spatially Parallel Compliant Mechanism With Constant Motion Transmission Characteristics
Authors: Liang Kaixian , Zhu Dachang , Liu Jie 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
This paper presents a new topology optimization method of spatial compliant parallel mechanism. The constant motion transmission characteristic matrix of a special parallel mechanism is analyzed. Combining the matrix with topology optimization, a new multi-objective topology optimization formula of multiple input and output compliant mechanism is proposed. The strategy is capable of optimizing the compliant mechanism free of considering the replacement of rigid hinges by flexible ones, so as to obtain a compliant mechanism with higher motion accuracy and there is a linear mapping relationship between input and output. Through several numerical examples, it is verified that the compliant mechanism obtained by this method is isomorphic with the original parallel mechanism in kinematics.
Assessments and Evaluation Methods for Upper Limb Exoskeleton - a Literature Survey
Authors: Lee Seunghun , Xiang Yujiang , Xia Ting , Yang James 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
Exoskeleton technology has gained great interests in several fields including robotics, medicine, rehabilitation, ergonomics, and military. Especially, upper-limb exoskeletons are developed aiming to increase worker’s physical ability such as stability, force and power production and reduce biomechanical loads, working fatigue, which relieves overexertion risk. Extensive research has been conducted to assess existing and newly proposed exoskeletons, but they still have trade-off and user convenience issues to resolve. Therefore, the primary purpose of this paper is to review classification of the upper-limb exoskeletons and functional assessment, particularly regarding the complex interactions between human and exoskeleton. Secondly the paper is to provide insight in issues associated with the upper-limb exoskeletons. Finally, discussion on future directions for upper limb exoskeleton development and assessment is presented.
Optimal Position of Cameras Design in a 4D Foot Scanner
Authors: Tajdari Farzam , Eijck Christiaan , Kwa Felix , Versteegh Christiaan , Huysmans Toon , Song Yu 
Published: November 2022

Abstract
Optical motion capturing explains the three-Dimensional (3D) position estimation of points through triangulation employing several depth cameras. Prosperous performance relies on level of visibility of points from different cameras and the overlap of captured meshes in-between. Generally, the accuracy of the estimation is practically based on the camera parameters e.g., location and orientations. Accordingly, the camera network configurations play a key role in the quality of the estimated mesh. This paper proposes an optimal approach for camera placement based on characteristics of a depth camera D435i - Intel RealSense. The optimal problem includes a cost function that contains several minimisation and maximisation terms. The minimisation terms are distance of the cameras to the center of the scanning object, resolution error, and sparsity. And the maximisation terms are distance between each two pair of cameras, percent of captured point from an object, and the level of overlap between cameras. The object is designed based on practical experiments of human walking and is a bounding box around one step of dynamic foot work-space from heel strike posture to toe-off posture. The accuracy and robustness of the algorithms are assessed via experiment measurement, and sensitivity to the number of cameras is investigated. Accordingly, the experiment results determined that the scanning accuracy can be as high as 2.5 % based on a reference scan with a high-end scanner (Artec Eva).