bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Eurasian otter Lutra lutra diet mirrors the decline of native fish assemblages in a semi-arid catchment (River Segura, SE Spain)
Authors: Dettori Ettore Emanuele , Balestrieri Alessandro , Zapata-Pérez Víctor Manuel , Palazón Santiago , Bruno Daniel , Rubio-Saura Nuria , Robledano-Aymerich Francisco 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn semi-arid environments, the effects of irregularly distributed rainfall, flow regulation and water inter-basin transfer enhance the spread of non-native fish to the detriment of native communities. In the River Segura, since the 1980s the number of non-native fish species has progressively increased, also because of the building of water transfer facility connecting the rivers Segura and Tajo. With the aim of highlighting how man-driven changes in the diversity of fish communities affect the diet of top-predators, we compared Eurasian otterLutra lutradiet in the span of 20 years, i.e. 1997–98 vs. 2016–19. As habitat quality affects the condition of Andalusian barbelLuciobarbus sclateri, the most widespread native fish, we also compared the size of preyed barbels to point out whether human activities may have lowered their profitability to otters. Fish and introduced red swamp crayfishProcambarus clarkiiformed the bulk of otter diet in both study periods. In 2016–19 the contribution of non-native species to otter diet increased significantly, both for crayfish and fish, which included ten non-native species. Otter feeding habits faithfully mirrored the variation in the composition of the fish community and confirmed the importance of crayfish as alternative-to-fish prey in the Iberian Peninsula. The average length of preyed barbels was significantly lower in the second study period, consistently with a decline in barbel profitability for otters.
Statistical methods for decision support systems in finance: how Benford’s law predicts financial risk
Authors: Cerqueti Roy , Maggi Mario , Riccioni Jessica 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThis paper merges the statistical analysis of data regularities and decision support systems for investors. Specifically, it discusses the Benford’s law as a decision support device for financial investments. In particular, we illustrate the role of such a property of financial data as risk predictor for financial markets. First of all, we show empirical evidence of accordance between data on market index daily returns and Benford’s law. Then, we highlight that on short time period (1 year) the deviations from Benford’s law are related to low risk and positive trend periods; the p value of the $$\chi ^2$$

χ
2

test against the Benford’s distribution displays some predicting power for the market average return and risk level.
Microbiological and chemical characteristics of beaches along the Taranto Gulf (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy)
Authors: De Giglio Osvalda , Narracci Marcella , Apollonio Francesca , Triggiano Francesco , Acquaviva Maria Immacolata , Caroppo Carmela , Diella Giusy , Di Leo Antonella , Fasano Fabrizio , Giandomenico Santina , Spada Lucia , Cavallo Rosa Anna , Montagna Maria Teresa 
Published: May 2022

AbstractCoastal habitats provide important ecosystem services, such as the maintenance of ecological sustainability, water quality regulation, nutrient recycling, and sandy beaches which are important areas for recreation and tourism. The quality of seawater is generally measured by determining the concentrations ofEscherichia coliand intestinal Enterococci, which might be affected by the persistent populations of these bacteria in sand. Sand might thus be a significant source of pathogen exposure to beachgoers. The quality of coastal recreational waters can also be affected by eutrophication, water discoloration, and harmful algal blooms, which pose additional human health risks. Here, we conducted a monitoring of the beaches quality along the Taranto Gulf by determining the concentrations of fecal indicator organisms, as well as other parameters that are not traditionally measured (physicochemical parameters,Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and harmful microalgae), in shallow seawater and sand sampled from three beaches. The concentrations of bacteria were determined using both standard microbiological methods and the IDEXX system. Our results demonstrate the utility of measuring a greater number of parameters in addition to those conventionally measured, as well as the importance of assessing the health risks posed by the sand matrix. Additional work is needed to develop rapid analytical techniques that could be used to monitor the microbiological parameters of solid matrices.
Declining pollination success reinforces negative climate and fire change impacts in a serotinous, fire-killed plant
Authors: Souto-Veiga Rodrigo , Groeneveld Juergen , Enright Neal J. , Fontaine Joseph B. , Jeltsch Florian 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Climate change projections predict that Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs) are becoming hotter and drier and that fires will become more frequent and severe. While most plant species in these important biodiversity hotspots are adapted to hot, dry summers and recurrent fire, the Interval Squeeze framework suggests that reduced seed production (demographic shift), reduced seedling establishment after fire (post fire recruitment shift), and reduction in the time between successive fires (fire interval shift) will threaten fire killed species under climate change. One additional potential driver of accelerated species decline, however, has not been considered so far: the decrease in pollination success observed in many ecosystems worldwide has the potential to further reduce seed accumulation and thus population persistence also in these already threatened systems. Using the well-studied fire-killed and serotinous shrub species Banksia hookeriana as an example, we apply a new spatially implicit population simulation model to explore population dynamics under past (1988–2002) and current (2003–2017) climate conditions, deterministic and stochastic fire regimes, and alternative scenarios of pollination decline. Overall, model results suggest that while B. hookeriana populations were stable under past climate conditions, they will not continue to persist under current (and prospective future) climate. Negative effects of climatic changes and more frequent fires are reinforced by the measured decline in seed set leading to further reduction in the mean persistence time by 12–17%. These findings clearly indicate that declining pollination rates can be a critical factor that increases further the pressure on the persistence of fire-killed plants. Future research needs to investigate whether other fire-killed species are similarly threatened, and if local population extinction may be compensated by recolonization events, facilitating persistence in spatially structured meta-communities.
Numerical study on the influence of porous baffle interface and mesh typology on the silencer flow analysis
Authors: Kyaw Oo D’Amore Giada , Morgut Mitja , Biot Marco , Mauro Francesco 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe study of the internal component geometries (i.e. perforated elements) is relevant for the acoustic performance optimisation of a silencer. During the design phase, the evaluation of the properties of a silencer is performed by numerical analysis. In the literature, there is a lack of general guidelines and comparisons among different modelling strategies. So, in this study, the influence of grid type (i.e. trimmed vs tetrahedral) on the numerical prediction of the flow inside a reactive silencer is analysed. Moreover, using a porous baffle interface to model the perforated pipe is investigated, searching for a faster and easier way to model perforated elements. The simulations are carried out with the commercial CFD software STAR-CCM+. The comparison of the obtained axial velocity with a literature case study assesses the numerical model reliability. The analysis highlights that velocity and pressure predicted with both the mesh typologies does not significantly differ, but the trimmed mesh allows to save cells number, reducing the computational cost. Instead, obtain a reliable flow description using the porous baffle interface is strictly correlated to the settings of the resistance coefficient. This assumption does not provide accurate results for the analysed perforated pipe. On the other hand, using a simplified model allows to easily perform a comparison between different muffler geometries, as the holes have not to be drowned and meshed after each modification.
Predicting and explaining employee turnover intention
Authors: Lazzari Matilde , Alvarez Jose M. , Ruggieri Salvatore 
Published: May 2022

AbstractTurnover intention is an employee’s reported willingness to leave her organization within a given period of time and is often used for studying actual employee turnover. Since employee turnover can have a detrimental impact on business and the labor market at large, it is important to understand the determinants of such a choice. We describe and analyze a unique European-wide survey on employee turnover intention. A few baselines and state-of-the-art classification models are compared as per predictive performances. Logistic regression and LightGBM rank as the top two performing models. We investigate on the importance of the predictive features for these two models, as a means to rank the determinants of turnover intention. Further, we overcome the traditional correlation-based analysis of turnover intention by a novel causality-based approach to support potential policy interventions.
Wie gut eignet sich das onomastische Verfahren zur Ziehung einer Zufallsstichprobe von Muslim*innen mit Migrationshintergrund verschiedener muslimisch geprägter Herkunftsländer?
Authors: Stichs Anja , Pfündel Katrin 
Published: May 2022

ZusammenfassungIn dem Beitrag wird auf Basis von Daten der Studie „Muslimisches Leben in Deutschland 2020 (MLD 2020)“ untersucht, inwieweit der Einsatz namensbasierter (onomastischer) Verfahren bei der Ziehung einer Zufallsstichprobe von Muslim*innen mit Migrationshintergrund aus muslimisch geprägten Ländern sinnvoll ist. Die Analysen verdeutlichen, dass die Zielgruppe onomastisch gut eingegrenzt werden kann. Bei 94 % der Personen, bei denen die onomastische Zuordnung einen Migrationshintergrund aus einem muslimischen geprägten Land vermuten lässt, trifft dies zu. Von Nachteil ist, dass die Religionszugehörigkeit nicht erkannt wird. Der Anteil der muslimischen Religionsangehörigen unter den Personen aus muslimisch geprägten Herkunftsländern ist mit 80 % jedoch relativ hoch, so dass der Befragungsaufwand deutlich reduziert werden kann. Eine weitere Schwierigkeit bei Umsetzung eines geschichteten Stichprobenkonzepts besteht darin, dass sich die Namen verschiedener muslimisch geprägter Herkunftsländer nur schwer voneinander abgrenzen lassen.
Den Kalten Krieg neu denken? Neue Studien zum Kalten Krieg
Authors: Bönker Kirsten 
Published: May 2022

ZusammenfassungNeuere Studien dekonstruieren die Binarität des Kalten Krieges mit globalen, transnationalen und kulturgeschichtlichen Perspektiven. Sie zeigen, dass bestimmte Interpretationsrahmen wie Interdependenz, Konvergenz der Systeme, Globalisierung oder Dekolonisierung bereits von Zeitgenoss_innen mit dem Narrativ des Kalten Krieges verbunden wurden. Dies bereichert das Bild der innenpolitischen Positionen und außenpolitischen Interessen, die im Westen gegenüber der Sowjetunion vertreten worden sind. Neuere Forschungen zeigen aber auch, dass es an wirtschafts- oder mediengeschichtlichen Studien mangelt, die sich auf beide Seiten des Eisernen Vorhangs konzentrieren.
On the effect of inter compressor duct length on compressor performance
Authors: Dygutsch T. , Kasper A. , Voss C. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractCompression systems of modern, civil aircraft engines consist of three components: Fan, low-pressure compressor (LPC) and high-pressure compressor (HPC). The efficiency of each component has improved over the last decades by means of rising computational power which made high level aerodynamic optimisations possible. Each component has been addressed individually and separated from the effects of upstream and downstream components. But as much time and effort has been spend to improve performance of rotating components, the stationary inter-compressor duct (ICD) has only received minor attention. With the rotating compression components being highly optimised and sophisticated their performance potential is limited. That is why more aggressive, respectively shorter, ICDs get more and more into the focus of research and engine manufacturers. The length reduction offers high weight saving and thus fuel saving potential as a shorter ICD means a reduction in aircraft engine length. This paper aims at evaluating the impact of more aggressive duct geometries on LPC and HPC performance. A multi objective 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) aerodynamic optimisation is performed on a preliminary design of a novel two spool compressor rig incorporating four different operating line and two near-stall (NST) conditions which ensure operability throughout the whole compressor operating range. While the ICD is free to change in length, shape and cross-section area, the blades of LPC and HPC are adjusted for changing duct aerodynamics via profile re-staggering to keep number of free parameters low. With this parametrisation length, reductions for the ICD of up to 40% are feasible while keeping the reduction in isentropic efficiency at aerodynamic design point for the compressor below 1%pt. Three geometries of the Pareto front are analysed in detail focusing on ICD secondary flow behaviour and changes of aerodynamics in LPC and HPC. In order to asses changes in stall margin, speedlines for the three geometries are analysed.
Direct prime subshifts and canonical covers
Authors: KOPRA JOHAN 
Published: May 2022

AbstractWe present a new sufficient criterion to prove that a non-sofic half-synchronized subshift is direct prime. The criterion is based on conjugacy invariant properties of Fischer graphs of half-synchronized shifts. We use this criterion to show as a new result that all n-Dyck shifts are direct prime, and we also give new proofs of direct primeness of non-sofic beta-shifts and non-sofic S-gap shifts. We also construct a class of non-sofic synchronized direct prime subshifts which additionally admit reversible cellular automata with all directions sensitive.
Genomic surveillance uncovers ongoing transmission of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) and identifies actionable routes of transmissions in an endemic setting
Authors: Ong Sean Wei Xiang , Rao Pooja , Khong Wei Xin , Ong Victor Yi Fa , Sridatta Prakki Sai Rama , Thevasagayam Natascha May , Ho Benjamin Choon Heng , Ang Brenda Sze Peng , De Partha Pratim , Ng Oon Tek , Marimuthu Kalisvar 
Published: May 2022

AbstractObjective:In our center, previous infection prevention and control (IPC) resources were concentrated on multidrug-resistant organisms other than CRAB because the rate of CRAB was stable with no evidence of outbreaks. Triggered by an increase in the baseline rate of CRAB isolated in clinical cultures, we investigated horizontal transmission of CRAB to guide targeted IPC actions.Methods:We prospectively collected clinical data of patients with positive CRAB cultures. We identified genetic relatedness of CRAB isolates using whole-genome sequencing. Findings were regularly presented to the IPC committee, and follow-up actions were documented.Results:During the study period, 66 CRAB isolates were available for WGS. Including 12 clinical isolates and 10 environmental isolates from a previous study, a total of 88 samples were subjected to WGS, of which 83 were successfully sequenced and included in the phylogenetic analysis. We identified 5 clusters involving 44 patients. Genomic transmissions were explained by spatiotemporal overlap in 12 patients and by spatial overlap only in 12 patients. The focus of transmission was deduced to be the intensive care units. One cluster was related to a retrospective environmental isolate, suggesting the environment as a possible route of transmission. Discussion of these findings at multidisciplinary IPC meetings led to implementation of measures focusing on environmental hygiene, including hydrogen peroxide vapor disinfection in addition to terminal cleaning for rooms occupied by CRAB patients.Conclusions:We showed that WGS could be utilized as a “tool of persuasion” by demonstrating the presence of ongoing transmission of CRAB in an endemic setting, and by identifying actionable routes of transmission for directed IPC interventions.
Similar duration of viral shedding of the severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) delta variant between vaccinated and incompletely vaccinated individuals
Authors: Kandel Christopher E. , Banete Andra , Taylor Maureen , Llanes Andrea , McCready Janine , Crowl Gloria , Young Matthew , Li Angel X. , Chien Emily , Yim Winfield , Yip Lily , Kozak Robert , McGeer Allison J. , Mubareka Samira , Powis Jeff E. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractAmong outpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to the severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) δ (delta) variant who did and did not receive 2 vaccine doses at 7 days after symptom onset, there was no difference in viral shedding (cycle threshold difference 0.59, 95% CI, −4.68 to 3.50; P = .77) with SARS-CoV-2 cultured from 2 (7%) of 28 and 1 (4%) of 26 outpatients, respectively.
Phonetic variation and its spatial distribution in urban Austria: /l/-vocalization as a sociolinguistic marker?
Authors: Fischer Ann Kathrin , Kleczkowski Nina , Ziegler Arne 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThis paper investigates German /l/-vocalization in the dialect region of South/Central Bavarian. In Austria, /l/-vocalization is said to be restricted to Central Bavarian, constituting the most salient dialect feature. However, its existence within the transition zone of South/Central Bavarian, including the urban and surrounding area of Graz, is often assumed. By analyzing natural speech data of different age groups from Greater Graz in a formal and an informal communication situation, we see that /l/-vocalization is already a well-established phenomenon, whereby the older age-group vocalizes considerably more often than the younger one. This suggests that /l/-vocalization serves as a sociolinguistic rather than a dialect marker indicating regional identity.
Paleolakes, archaeology, and late Quaternary paleoenvironments in northwestern Mongolia
Authors: Morgan Christopher , Jamsranjav Bayarsaikhan , Tumurbaatar Tuvshinjargal , Barton Loukas 
Published: May 2022

AbstractThe climatic, hydrographic, and environmental regimes of terminal Pleistocene and Holocene northwestern Mongolia are reconstructed using archaeological and pedological data sets at Bayan Nuur, a lake on the northwestern perimeter of the Altan Els dune field in eastern Uvs Province, Mongolia. The archaeological data consist of land-use patterns controlled for time via time-sensitive, diagnostic artifacts. The pedological data consist of soil classifications and radiocarbon dating of paleosols that track lake levels and water table. These data are combined using a geographic information system (GIS) to ascertain site and paleosol geographic relationships to modern lake levels at Bayan Nuur. They point to a more xeric Younger Dryas than previously recognized, significant Holocene lake regressions, and to Mid- to Late Holocene lake standstills/transgressions, the scale of which had previously been unrecognized. Combined, these data point to a complex late Quaternary picture of paleoclimate and paleoenvironment across the region and the importance of using multiple proxies, including archaeological data, in paleoecological reconstructions.
The emerging importance of tackling sleep–diet interactions in lifestyle interventions for weight management
Authors: Hall Wendy L. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractSleep habits are directly related to risk of obesity, and this relationship may be partly mediated through food choices and eating behaviour. Short sleep duration, impaired sleep quality and suboptimal sleep timing are all implicated in weight gain and adverse cardiometabolic health, at least partly mediated through their associations with diet quality. Short-term sleep restriction leads to increased energy intake, and habitually short sleepers report dietary intakes that indicate a less healthy diet compared with adequate sleepers. Evidence is emerging that sleep extension interventions in short sleepers may reduce intake of sugars and overall energy intake. Poor sleep quality, night shift work patterns and social jetlag are also associated with lower diet quality and consumption of energy-dense foods. Incorporating sleep advice into weight management interventions may be more effective than energy-restricted diets and exercise advice alone. However, there are a lack of intervention studies that aim to lengthen sleep, improve sleep quality or adjust irregular sleep timing to investigate the impact on dietary intakes and eating behaviour in participants aiming to lose weight or maintain weight loss. Finally, future research should take account of individual characteristics such as age, sex, life stage and changing working practices when designing combined lifestyle interventions including sleep behaviour change for health and well-being.
The Reception of Thomas Delaune's Plea for the Non-Conformists in England and America, 1684–1870
Authors: Lewis Simon 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn a 1683 sermon, Benjamin Calamy, an Anglican priest, claimed that the separation of Dissenters from the Church of England was unjustifiable. Thomas Delaune, a London Baptist schoolmaster, responded in A Plea for the Non-Conformists (1684), which compared seventeenth-century Dissenters to sixteenth-century Reformers who had escaped from the “Church of Rome.” The Restoration authorities judged the book to be a seditious libel, for which Delaune was arrested, tried, and imprisoned in Newgate, where he was soon joined by his poverty-stricken wife and two children. By 1685, the whole family had perished in Newgate. This tragic story guaranteed Delaune's status as a martyr for generations of Nonconformists. Indeed, the Plea achieved amongst Dissenters the reputation of an “unanswerable” text. Its enduring appeal transcended denominational and geographical boundaries. This paper explores the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century reception of the Plea, which Dissenters, both in England and America, repurposed for various politico-theological circumstances. Throughout the eighteenth century, Dissenters invoked the Plea against perceived cases of episcopal tyranny. By the pluralistic nineteenth century, however, this external, episcopal threat had largely been replaced with an internal one, prompting Dissenters to deploy the Plea against corruption and lethargy within their own denominations.
Gender, Knighthood, and Spiritual Imagination in Henry Suso's Life of the Servant
Authors: Randolph Jacob 
Published: May 2022

AbstractTwenty-first-century scholarship on the late medieval Dominican mystic Henry Suso has seen a marked interest in gendered explorations of his Vita in the realms of authorship, authority, and social and religious prescriptions. In particular, the position of the nun Elsbeth Stagel, Suso's longtime friend, mentee, and narrative subject in the Vita, has come to the forefront as a site of contestation. Moreover, Suso's portrayal of the monastic life as one of a knightly contest has challenged the meaning and function of his work as a didactic text for women religious, as chivalric themes typically carry certain gendered presuppositions. I argue that, contrary to the interpretation of the Vita as opposed to female emulation of the Servant, a close reading of the work suggests that the Servant not only allowed but encouraged Stagel and, by extension, Dominican nuns in Suso's care, to don the persona of a knight for Christ, thus broadening the spiritual imaginations of his readers beyond traditional gendered conventions.