bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Predictors of perceived stress and quality of life amongst dental master and doctoral students
Authors: Meira Thiago Martins , Ronsani Maiara Medeiros , Ignácio Sérgio Aparecido , Miyoshi Caio Seiti , Pithon Matheus Melo , Tanaka Orlando Motohiro 
Published: January 2022

AbstractObjectivesThis study aimed to identify predictors of perceived stress and quality of life (QoL) amongst dental master and doctoral students.Materials and MethodsThis is a cross‐sectional study with Brazilian students as participants (n = 707). The following instruments were administered: Perceived stress scale (PSS), the WHOQOL‐BREF and a socio‐demographic questionnaire. A linear regression model was estimated.ResultsThe results showed that female was associated with higher scores of PSS and lower scores of QoL. A negative correlation was observed between PSS and all four domains of QoL. Multivariate analysis revealed that the set of selected variables partially explained the variability of PSS score (28%) and the four QoL domains: physical (52%), psychological (62%), social relationships (25%) and environment (37%). The variable number of children, hours of sleep, concurrent work and study, leisure time and physical activity practice were associated with positive changes on QoL, whilst PSS and medication intake with negative. Lower PSS score was associated with the variables age, hours of sleep, leisure time and physical activity.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that perceived stress and medication intake due to study are important predictors of lower QoL in dental master and doctoral students, especially in the psychological domain. More hours of sleep, leisure time and physical activity improved both QoL and perceived stress scores and might be feasible coping strategies for these outcomes in this population.
Phenotypic plasticity is aligned with phenological adaptation on both micro‐ and macroevolutionary timescales
Authors: De Lisle Stephen P. , Mäenpää Maarit I. , Svensson Erik I. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractIn seasonally variable environments, phenotypic plasticity in phenology may be critical for adaptation to fluctuating environmental conditions. Using an 18‐generation longitudinal dataset from natural damselfly populations, we show that phenology has strongly advanced. Individual fitness data suggest this is likely an adaptive response towards a temperature‐dependent optimum. A laboratory experiment revealed that developmental plasticity qualitatively matches the temperature dependence of selection, partially explaining observed advance in phenology. Expanding our analysis to the macroevolutionary level, we use a database of over 1‐million occurrence records and spatiotemporally matched temperature data from 49 Swedish Odonate species to infer macroevolutionary dynamics of phenology. Phenological plasticity was more closely aligned with adaptation for species that have recently colonised northern latitudes, but with higher phenological mismatch at lower latitudes. Our results show that phenological plasticity plays a key role in microevolutionary dynamics within a single species, and such plasticity may have facilitated post‐Pleistocene range expansion in this insect clade.
Can Scharpf be proved wrong? Modelling the EU into a competitive social market economy for the next generation
Authors: Crespy Amandine 
Published: January 2022

AbstractCriticism of the EU’s social deficit has become more vivid than ever following the socially regressive handling of the 2008–10 financial and debt crisis. In 2010, Fritz Scharpf famously argued that the EU ‘cannot be a social market economy’ owing to its institutional architecture, legal features, and collective action issues. The COVID‐19 pandemic has nevertheless led to a new agenda combining investment, social concerns, the green transition and more fiscal solidarity. However, a lot remains to be done, it is argued, to bridge the social gap. A three‐pronged model is outlined to conceive of the EU’s role in enhancing national, inter‐national and transnational social cohesion. The paper furthermore points to where the EU’s action must be intensified to make significant progress on the way to a competitive and social market economy. In many respects, the hard political battles remain to be fought.
How to ensure that national parliaments (truly) ‘contribute actively to the good functioning of (tomorrow's) EU’?
Authors: Fromage Diane 
Published: January 2022

AbstractNational parliaments have long been neglected in the European integration process, although the Lisbon Treaty significantly improved their status. Nonetheless, this article argues that there is still some margin for improvement. This article explains why this situation must be urgently remedied and proposes some pragmatic solutions to this end. It is argued that national parliaments should receive more information directly, that mechanisms to guarantee the collective accountability of the Council and the European Council should be introduced, and that certain safeguards are needed to ensure a level playing field among national parliaments in their relationship to EU institutions and bodies. This would help to address the existing imbalance between the way in which today's EU operates, and national parliaments' limited possibility to participate at the EU level.
Shark teeth can resist ocean acidification
Authors: Leung Jonathan Y. S. , Nagelkerken Ivan , Pistevos Jennifer C. A. , Xie Zonghan , Zhang Sam , Connell Sean D. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractOcean acidification can cause dissolution of calcium carbonate minerals in biological structures of many marine organisms, which can be exacerbated by warming. However, it is still unclear whether this also affects organisms that have body parts made of calcium phosphate minerals (e.g. shark teeth), which may also be impacted by the ‘corrosive’ effect of acidified seawater. Thus, we examined the effect of ocean acidification and warming on the mechanical properties of shark teeth (Port Jackson shark, Heterodontus portusjacksoni), and assessed whether their mineralogical properties can be modified in response to predicted near‐future seawater pH (–0.3 units) and temperature (+3°C) changes. We found that warming resulted in the production of more brittle teeth (higher elastic modulus and lower mechanical resilience) that were more vulnerable to physical damage. Yet, when combined with ocean acidification, the durability of teeth increased (i.e. less prone to physical damage due to the production of more elastic teeth) so that they did not differ from those raised under ambient conditions. The teeth were chiefly made of fluorapatite (Ca5(PO4)3F), with increased fluoride content under ocean acidification that was associated with increased crystallinity. The increased precipitation of this highly insoluble mineral under ocean acidification suggests that the sharks could modulate and enhance biomineralization to produce teeth which are more resistant to corrosion. This adaptive mineralogical adjustment could allow some shark species to maintain durability and functionality of their teeth, which underpins a fundamental component of predation and sustenance of the trophic dynamics of future oceans.
A Borehole Test for Chlorinated Solvent Diffusion and Degradation Rates in Sedimentary Rock
Authors: Allen‐King Richelle M. , Kiekhaefer Rebecca L. , Goode Daniel J. , Hsieh Paul A. , Lorah Michelle M. , Imbrigiotta Thomas E. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractWe present a new field measurement and numerical interpretation method (combined termed “test”) to parameterize the diffusion of trichloroethene (TCE) and its biodegradation products (DPs) from the matrix of sedimentary rock. The method uses a dual‐packer system to interrogate a low‐permeability section of the rock matrix adjacent to a previously contaminated borehole and uses the borehole monitoring history to establish the pretest condition. TCE and its DPs are removed from the groundwater between the packers at the onset of the testing. The parameters estimated by fitting a radial diffusion model to the concentration history and borehole concentration data, also termed back diffusion, are the tortuosity factor and sorption coefficients of TCE and DPs in the rock matrix and the TCE and DP biodegradation rate coefficients in the borehole. We demonstrate the equipment design and the interpretive method using a borehole accessing the gray mudstone at a TCE contaminated site in the Newark Basin. In this test, both nonreactive (bromide) and reactive (trichlorofluoroethene) tracers are used to constrain the estimated parameters; however, the bromide tracer was not needed to estimate the parameters in this test. The parameters estimated from the field test are consistent with values measured independently in laboratory experiments using field samples of similar lithology. From the interpretation, we compute the TCE and DP concentration distributions in the rock matrix prior to the test to illustrate how the results can be used to enhance understanding of contaminant distribution in the rock matrix.
PETTY CORRUPTION AND CITIZEN REPORTS
Authors: Angelucci Charles , Russo Antonio 
Published: January 2022

AbstractWhen offering incentive schemes to low‐ranking officials, a tension exists between the dual goals of enforcing regulations and preventing corruption. Recent efforts to curb abuses have inspired government interest in using new communication technologies to collect information directly from citizens. We propose a model where a corruptible official is tasked with recommending the government to grant or deny the permit an entrepreneur needs to undertake production. The government tolerates corruption when it does not communicate directly with the entrepreneur. A simple scheme whereby the entrepreneur can report her own noncompliance to the government deters corruption and improves regulatory enforcement.
Fluoride‐mediately solvothermal synthesis and tunable photocatalytic selectivity of urchin‐like ZrO2 hollow microspheres
Authors: Jing Wenjia , Hou Baoqiang , Wang Jinxiao , Zhi Qiang , Yang Jianfeng , Wang Bo 
Published: January 2022

AbstractPhotocatalysts often show excellent performances on the basis of their surface state of exposed faces with high reactivity, but unfortunately surfaces of this type are usually concealed into the interior of crystals for their high surface energy. We report here a possibility that for fluorine‐terminated surfaces of monoclinic ZrO2, these higher‐energy surfaces could be retained and exposed. Urchin‐like ZrO2 hollow microspheres (UZHS) composed of nanoribbons with exposed (010) facets are obtained through a fluoride mediately solvothermal method. We prove the stabilization effect of fluorine adsorption on (010) facets by density functional theory calculations. More interestingly, UZHS exhibit tunable photocatalytic selectivity in dye degradation. The fluorinated UZHS exhibit good performances both on decomposing Congo red (CR) and methylene blue, while the surface‐modified UZHS by calcination only favor decomposition of CR.
Reactive flash sintering and electrical transport properties of high‐entropy (MgCoNiCuZn)1‐xLixO oxides
Authors: Ma Baisheng , Zhu Yan , Wang Kewei , Sun Zhenzhong , Ren Ke , Wang Yiguang 
Published: January 2022

AbstractIn this paper, high‐entropy (MgCoNiCuZn)1‐xLixO oxides (x = 0, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 0.3) were synthesized via reactive flash sintering (RFS), and the effect of RFS process on the microstructure and electrical property of the materials were studied. The Li‐doped materials exhibited a mixed ionic–electronic transport behavior. The oxidation of Co2+ into Co3+ upon Li incorporation into the materials synthesized via the conventional solid‐state reaction route was not evidenced in the flash sintered materials. Instead, the charge unbalance in the Li‐doped materials synthesized via RFS was compensated by oxygen vacancies and holes in the valence band of the oxides, which were accounted for the ionic conduction and electronic conduction, respectively. The ionic conductivity increased upon increasing the Li concentration as more oxygen vacancies were formed. The attraction between defects with different charges (LiM/ and VO••), which formed defect complexes, led to a decrease in the mobility of the defects, thus resulting in a less pronounced increase in the ionic conductivity at high Li concentrations. The change in the charge compensation mechanism of the materials indicates that the microstructure of such kind of oxides could be altered through RFS, and thus the property may be manipulated.
The association between type 2 diabetes and anhedonic subtype of major depression in hypertensive individuals
Authors: Willame Hadrien , Wacquier Benjamin , Point Camille , Dosogne Marjorie , Al Faker Mohammed , Loas Gwenolé , Hein Matthieu 
Published: January 2022

AbstractGiven the limited data in the literature, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between type 2 diabetes and anhedonic subtype of major depression in hypertensive individuals. Demographic and polysomnographic data from 323 hypertensive individuals recruited from the database of the Erasme Hospital Sleep Laboratory were analysed. Only individuals with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes according to the diagnostic criteria of the American Diabetes Association at admission were included in the “diabetes group”. Logistic regression analyses were used to study the association between type 2 diabetes and anhedonic subtype of major depression in hypertensive individuals. The rate of type 2 diabetes was 18.9% in our sample of hypertensive individuals. After adjusting for major confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated that unlike the non‐anhedonic subtype of major depression, only the anhedonic subtype of major depression was significantly associated with higher likelihood of having type 2 diabetes in hypertensive individuals. In this study, the authors demonstrated that the anhedonic subtype of major depression is significantly associated with type 2 diabetes in hypertensive individuals, which could potentially open up new perspectives for the development of therapeutic strategies complementary to conventional treatments for type 2 diabetes in this subpopulation at high risk of complications related to the co‐occurrence of this metabolic disorder.
Hyperlipidemic plasma molecules bind and inhibit adiponectin activity
Authors: Zhang Yan‐Qing , Fan Sen , Wang Wen‐Qing , Lau Wayne Bond , Dai Jian‐Li , Zhang Hai‐Feng , Wang Xiao‐Ming , Liu Xiao‐Gang , Li Rong 
Published: January 2022

AbstractIntroductionAdiponectin is a potent vascular protective molecule. Recent findings have suggested adiponectin resistance during early diabetes. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible remain unidentified. Here, we took an unbiased approach to identify whether hyperlipidemic plasma molecules exist that bind and inhibit adiponectin function, contributing to adiponectin resistance and diabetic vascular injury.MethodsAdult rats were randomly assigned to receive either a normal or a high‐fat diet for 8 weeks. Plasma was co‐immunoprecipitated with anti‐APN antibody and analyzed by mass spectrometry. The APN binding molecules and their effect upon APN biological activity were determined.ResultsAs expected, the high‐fat‐diet increased plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low‐density lipoprotein. Importantly, the circulating APN level was significantly increased at this time point. Mass spectrometry identified 18 proteins with increased APN binding in hyperlipidemic plasma, among which four proteins critical in lipid metabolism, including apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1), APOA4, APOC1, and paraoxonase 1, were further investigated. Incubating recombinant APN with APOA1 markedly (P < 0.01), and incubating with APOC1 significantly (P < 0.05), inhibited APN activity as evidenced by the reduced AMPK activation in HUVECs. APOA4 and paraoxonase 1 incubation had no effect upon APN activity. Finally, plasma APOA1 was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in hyperlipidemic plasma compared with the control plasma.ConclusionsIt was demonstrated for the first time that increased APOA1 and APOC1 in hyperlipidemic plasma binds and inhibits APN activity. This result not only identifies a novel molecular mechanism responsible for adiponectin resistance during early stage diabetes, but also provides additional new insight into the diverse/controversial (protective and harmful) functions of high‐density lipoprotein.
Development of a new machine vision algorithm to estimate potato's shape and size based on support vector machine
Authors: Shen Dili , Zhang Shengfei , Ming Wuyi , He Wenbin , Zhang Guojun , Xie Zhuobin 
Published: January 2022

AbstractDevelopment of a new machine vision‐based algorithm, to estimate potato's shape and size, will have great significance to agricultural industry in developing countries. Machine vision, one of hot technique, uses machines to execute measurement, calculating, and judgment instead of human eyes. In this study, a new machine vision algorithm, based on support vector machine, was proposed for estimating potato's shape and size. After captured the square RGB image with 512 × 512 pixels, the original image was processed by gray scale and linear transformation, filtering, entity, and boundary detecting. Then, geometric characteristics, image wavelet moment, and fractal dimension of boundary were extracted for marking the potato's characteristic. In addition, the effect of four kind of support vector machine (SVM) kernel function was comparing by several experiments with 64 potato samples. By experimental confirmation, SVM based on the polynomial kernel is more suitable for discriminating potato's shape with an accuracy of 88.89%; SVM based on the linear kernel is more suitable for estimating potato's size with an accuracy of 87.41%.Practical applicationsPotato is a high‐yield, nutrient‐rich crop with high nutritional value. This study proposes a potato shape and size estimation algorithm based on machine vision. Through experimental verification, the detection accuracy of the algorithm initially meets the actual engineering application. The shape and size of potatoes can be detected to classify potatoes. In the process of food processing such as potato chips, the classification of potatoes is conducive to improving the quality of food processing.
How do Intermediaries Build Inclusive Markets? The Role of the Social Context
Authors: Bhatt Babita , Qureshi Israr , Sutter Christopher 
Published: January 2022

AbstractIntermediaries – organizations that connect actors who could not otherwise transact – play an important role in building inclusive markets. However, we know little about how the specific characteristics of the social context influence the effectiveness of intermediary activities. The purpose of this study is to unpack how the fit between intermediaries’ activities and the social context shapes the success of efforts to build inclusive markets. Using an in‐depth qualitative study in India, we examine how intermediaries’ activities fit with two central features of the social context – inequality and dependence. Our study contributes to the literature by suggesting a contingent view of the process by which intermediaries build inclusive markets.
Effects of melatonin on intestinal function and bacterial compositions in sucking piglets
Authors: Xia Siting , Gao Wei , Li Yunxia , Ma Jie , Gong Saiming , Gao Zhipeng , Tang Wenjie , Tian Wen , Tang Shengguo 
Published: January 2022

AbstractMelatonin has been reported to affect intestinal function by targeting microbiome, morphological structure, barrier integrity and nutrient absorptive system. While the effect of melatonin on intestinal development in newborn infants is obscure, thus, this study firstly attempted to investigate the hypothesis that melatonin treatment improves intestinal development in sucking piglets. 14 healthy newborn piglets received 10 ml melatonin solution (1 mg/ml) or drinking water (n = 7) for 21 days. The results showed that oral administration of melatonin increased liver relative weight (p < 0.05) but failed to affect growth performance in sucking piglets (p > 0.05). Immunostaining jejunal samples from melatonin group showed high expressions of nnos and claudin1, indicating that melatonin improved intestinal neural development and barrier integrity. Also, melatonin promoted intestinal absorptive function evidenced by the increased serum proline concentration in melatonin‐treated piglets compared with the control (p < 0.05). Gut microbiota compositions were tested by 16S rDNA sequencing and the results showed that melatonin increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria compared with the control (p < 0.05) at the phylum level. However, Selenomonadales was markedly reduced compared with the control at the order level (p < 0.05). Gut and faecal volatile fatty acids were tested to evaluate the microbiota metabolism, but no difference was noticed in volatile fatty acid concentrations (p > 0.05). Melatonin improved intestinal development by affecting neural development, barrier integrity, nutrient absorption and microbiota in sucking piglets.
When the master’s tools fail: Racial euphemism in Shakespeare appropriation, or, the activist value of Premodern Critical Race Studies
Authors: Corredera Vanessa I. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractAs premodern studies continues to develop tools for anti‐racist scholarship and pedagogy, this essay establishes the stakes of adaptation/appropriation studies especially committing to these efforts. Turning to the novel The Serpent of Venice, I demonstrate how appropriations that engage with race too often employ what I frame as racial euphemism: palliative engagements with race that sidestep questions of power and inequity. This is especially true for those attempting to maintain distance between Shakespeare and questions of race, and especially racism, often under the guise of historical accuracy. This racially euphemistic approach, therefore, disseminates to especially wide audiences white supremacist approaches to race. Premodern Critical Race Studies provides a vital activist framework, and with it, important conceptual and methodological tools, that help adaptation/appropriation scholars identify racial euphemism in premodern retellings, while at the same time offering appropriators scholarship that can help them craft anti‐racist appropriations that resist the idea of a race‐neutral past.
Stochastic lattice discrete particle modeling of fracture in pervious concrete
Authors: Fascetti Alessandro , Ichimaru Sonoko , Bolander John E. 
Published: January 2022

AbstractThis article presents a stochastic modeling approach for simulating the mechanical behavior of pervious concrete, based on novel extensions of the lattice discrete particle model. Selected digital images of the internal mesostructure, obtained from physical specimens, are used to survey material features and produce statistically representative descriptions of the pore networks. A procedure for estimating the statistical features of the mesostructure is proposed, and samples of a spatially correlated random field are utilized to numerically reproduce the distribution of the large, connected pores in the material. The numerical samples are linked to the topology of the lattice network by means of two novel techniques proposed herein: (1) a random placement procedure for the poly‐sized spheres representing coarse aggregate and (2) a ray tracing technique, which is used to evaluate the effective distributions of mass, stiffness, and strength of each lattice element according to the local distribution of porosity. Numerical results demonstrate how the proposed model is capable of simulating both the large scatter in strength and the variety of failure modes that are observed when testing physical specimens of pervious concrete. The proposed procedure is generally applicable to different types of materials with varying porosity, opening up new possibilities for the simulation of porous media by means of lattice discrete particle modeling techniques.