bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The spring 2011 final stratospheric warming above Eureka: anomalous dynamics and chemistry
Authors: Adams C. , Strong K. , Zhao X. , Bourassa A. E. , Daffer W. H. , Degenstein D. , Drummond J. R. , Farahani E. E. , Fraser A. , Lloyd N. D. , Manney G. L. , McLinden C. A. , Rex M. , Roth C. , Strahan S. E. , Walker K. A. , Wohltmann I.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. In spring 2011, the Arctic polar vortex was stronger than in any other year on record. As the polar vortex started to break up in April, ozone and NO2 columns were measured with UV-visible spectrometers above the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) in Eureka, Canada (80.05° N, 86.42° W) using the differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) technique. These ground-based column measurements were complemented by Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and Optical Spectrograph and Infra-Red Imager System (OSIRIS) satellite measurements, Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) simulations, and dynamical parameters. On 8 April 2011, NO2 columns above PEARL from the DOAS, OMI, and GMI datasets were approximately twice as large as in previous years. On this day, temperatures and ozone volume mixing ratios above Eureka were high, suggesting enhanced chemical production of NO2 from NO. Additionally, GMI NOx and N2O fields suggest that downward transport along the vortex edge and horizontal transport from lower latitudes also contributed to the enhanced NO2. The anticyclone that transported lower-latitude NOx above PEARL became frozen-in and persisted in dynamical and GMI N2O fields until the end of the measurement period on 31 May 2011. Ozone isolated within this frozen-in anticyclone (FrIAC) in the middle stratosphere was depleted due to reactions with the enhanced NOx. Ozone loss was calculated using the passive tracer technique, with passive ozone profiles from the Lagrangian Chemistry and Transport Model, ATLAS. At 600 K, ozone losses between 1 December 2010 and 20 May 2011 reached 4.2 parts per million by volume (ppmv) (58%) and 4.4 ppmv (61%), when calculated using GMI and OSIRIS ozone profiles, respectively. This middle-stratosphere gas-phase ozone loss led to a more rapid decrease in ozone column amounts in April/May 2011 compared with previous years. Ground-based, OMI, and GMI ozone total columns within the FrIAC all decreased by more than 100 DU from 15 April to 20 May. Two lows in the ozone columns were also investigated and were attributed to a vortex remnant passing above Eureka at ~500 K on 12/13 May and an ozone mini-hole on 22/23 May.
Quantification of biogenic volatile organic compounds with a flame ionization detector using the effective carbon number concept
Authors: Faiola C. L. , Erickson M. H. , Fricaud V. L. , Jobson B. T. , VanReken T. M.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) are emitted into the atmosphere by plants and include isoprene, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and their oxygenated derivatives. These BVOCs are among the principal factors influencing the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere in forested regions. BVOC emission rates are often measured by collecting samples onto adsorptive cartridges in the field and then transporting these samples to the laboratory for chromatographic analysis. One of the most commonly used detectors in chromatographic analysis is the flame ionization detector (FID). For quantitative analysis with an FID, relative response factors may be estimated using the effective carbon number (ECN) concept. The purpose of this study was to determine the ECN for a variety of terpenoid compounds to enable improved quantification of BVOC measurements. A dynamic dilution system was developed to make quantitative gas standards of VOCs with mixing ratios from 20–55 ppb. For each experiment using this system, one terpene standard was co-injected with an internal reference, n-octane, and analyzed via an automated cryofocusing system interfaced to a gas chromatograph flame ionization detector and mass spectrometer (GC/MS/FID). The ECNs of 16 compounds (14 BVOCs) were evaluated with this approach, with each test compound analyzed at least three times. The difference between the actual carbon number and measured ECN ranged from −24% to −2%. The difference between theoretical ECN and measured ECN ranged from −22% to 9%. Measured ECN values were within 10% of theoretical ECN values for most terpenoid compounds.
The Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database: spatially distributed datasets of soil coverage and soil carbon storage in the northern permafrost regions
Authors: Hugelius G. , Tarnocai C. , Broll G. , Canadell J. G. , Kuhry P. , Swanson D. K.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. High latitude terrestrial ecosystems are key components in the global carbon (C) cycle. Estimates of global soil organic carbon (SOC), however, do not include updated estimates of SOC storage in permafrost-affected soils or representation of the unique pedogenic processes that affect these soils. The Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database (NCSCD) was developed to quantify the SOC stocks in the circumpolar permafrost region (18.7 × 106 km2). The NCSCD is a polygon-based digital database compiled from harmonized regional soil classification maps in which data on soil order coverage has been linked to pedon data (n = 1647) from the northern permafrost regions to calculate SOC content and mass. In addition, new gridded datasets at different spatial resolutions have been generated to facilitate research applications using the NCSCD (standard raster formats for use in Geographic Information Systems and Network Common Data Form files common for applications in numerical models). This paper describes the compilation of the NCSCD spatial framework, the soil sampling and soil analyses procedures used to derive SOC content in pedons from North America and Eurasia and the formatting of the digital files that are available online. The potential applications and limitations of the NCSCD in spatial analyses are also discussed. The database has the doi:10.5879/ecds/00000001. An open access data-portal with all the described GIS-datasets is available online at: http://dev1.geo.su.se/bbcc/dev/ncscd/.
Regional effects of vegetation restoration on water yield across the Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Feng X. M. , Sun G. , Fu B. J. , Su C. H. , Liu Y. , Lamparski H.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. The general relationships between vegetation and water yield under different climatic regimes are well established at a small watershed scale in the past century. However, applications of these basic theories to evaluate the regional effects of land cover change on water resources remain challenging due to the complex interactions of vegetation and climatic variability and hydrologic processes at the large scale. The objective of this study was to explore ways to examine the spatial and temporal effects of a large ecological restoration project on water yield across the Loess Plateau region in northern China. We estimated annual water yield as the difference between precipitation input and modelled actual evapotranspiration (ET) output. We constructed a monthly ET model using published ET data derived from eddy flux measurements and watershed streamflow data. We validated the ET models at a watershed and regional levels. The model was then applied to examine regional water yield under land cover change and climatic variability during the implementation of the Grain-for-Green (GFG) project during 1999–2007. We found that water yield in 38% of the Loess Plateau area might have decreased (1–48 mm per year) as a result of land cover change alone. However, combined with climatic variability, 37% of the study area might have seen a decrease in water yield with a range of 1–54 mm per year, and 35% of the study area might have seen an increase with a range of 1–10 mm per year. Across the study region, climate variability masked or strengthened the water yield response to vegetation restoration. The absolute annual water yield change due to vegetation restoration varied with precipitation regimes with the highest in wet years, but the relative water yield changes were most pronounced in dry years. We concluded that the effects of land cover change associated with ecological restoration varied greatly over time and space and were strongly influenced by climatic variability in the arid region. The current regional vegetation restoration projects have variable effects on local water resources across the region. Land management planning must consider the influences of spatial climate variability and long-term climate change on water yield to be more effective for achieving environmental sustainability.
Precipitation observation using microwave backhaul links in the alpine and pre-alpine region of Southern Germany
Authors: Chwala C. , Gmeiner A. , Qiu W. , Hipp S. , Nienaber D. , Siart U. , Eibert T. , Pohl M. , Seltmann J. , Fritz J. , Kunstmann H.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. Measuring rain rates over complex terrain is afflicted with large uncertainties, because rain gauges are influenced by orography and weather radars are mostly not able to look into mountain valleys. We apply a new method to estimate near surface rain rates exploiting attenuation data from commercial microwave links in the alpine region of Southern Germany. Received signal level (RSL) data are recorded minutely with small data loggers at the towers and then sent to a database server via GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications). Due to the large RSL fluctuations in periods without rain, the determination of attenuation caused by precipitation is not straightforward. To be able to continuously process the RSL data from July 2010 to October 2010, we introduce a new method to detect wet and dry periods using spectral time series analysis. Its performance and limitations are presented, showing that the mean detection error rates of wet and dry periods can be reduced to 10% for all five links. After, the wet/dry classification rain rates are derived from the RSL and compared to rain gauge and weather radar measurements. The resulting correlations differ for different links and reach values of R2 = 0.81 for the link-gauge comparison and R2 = 0.85 for the link-radar comparison.
Use of laser-scan technology to analyse topography and flow in a weir pool
Authors: Dresel P. E. , Hekmeijer P. , Dean J. F. , Harvey W. , Webb J. A. , Cook P.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. The development of laser-scan techniques provides opportunity for detailed terrain analysis in hydrologic studies. Ground based scans were used to model the ground surface elevation in the area of a stream gauge weir over an area of 240 m2 at a resolution of 0.05 m. The terrain model was used to assess the possibility of flow bypassing the weir and to calculate stream flow during filling of the weir pool, prior to flow through the weir notch. The mapped surface shows a subtle low-lying area at the south end of the structure where flow could bypass the weir. The flow calculations quantify low-flows that do not reach the weir notch during small rain events and flow at the beginning of larger events in the ephemeral stream.
Decadal trends in beach morphology on the east coast of South Africa and likely causative factors
Authors: Corbella S. , Stretch D. D.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. Sandy shorelines are dynamic with constant changes that can cause hazards in developed areas. The causes of change may be either natural or anthropogenic. This paper evaluates evidence for shoreline changes and their causative factors using a case study on the east coast of South Africa. Beach morphology trends were found to be location-specific, but overall the beaches show a receding trend. It was hypothesized that wave, tide, sea level and wind trends as well as anthropogenic influences are causative factors, and their contributions to shoreline changes were evaluated. Maximum significant wave heights, average wave direction, peak period and storm event frequencies all show weak increasing trends, but only the increases in peak period and wave direction are statistically significant. The chronic beach erosion cannot be attributed to wave climate changes since they are still too small to explain the observations. Instead, the impacts of sea level rise and reductions in the supply of beach sediments are suggested as the main causative factors. The analysis also identifies a trend in the frequency of severe erosion events due to storms that coincide with a 4.5-yr extreme tide cycle, which demonstrates the potential impact of future sea level rise.
Review of Hypofractionated Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer
Authors: Spyropoulou Despina , Kardamakis Dimitrios
Published: August 2012

Hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate cancer has become of increasing interest with the recognition of a potential improvement in therapeutic outcome with treatments delivered in large-sized daily fractions. In addition, hypofractionation offers a reduction in fraction number and produces attractive cost and increased convenience for patients. There is convincing evidence, by several clinical trials, that biochemical control is significantly improved with higher administered radiation doses to the prostate gland. Furthermore, the improved radiation delivery techniques such as 3D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) or, better, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) allow high administered doses to the prostate while sparing the normal surrounding tissues. Several studies of the radiobiology of prostate cancer suggest that it may be more susceptible to large fraction sizes compared with conventional fractionation of external beam radiation.
Verification, Validation, and Testing of Kinetic Mechanisms of Hydrogen Combustion in Fluid-Dynamic Computations
Authors: Zhukov Victor P.
Published: August 2012

A one-step, a two-step, an abridged, a skeletal, and four detailed kinetic
schemes of hydrogen oxidation have been tested. A new skeletal kinetic
scheme of hydrogen oxidation has been developed. The CFD calculations
were carried out using ANSYS CFX software. Ignition delay times and speeds
of flames were derived from the computational results. The computational
data obtained using ANSYS CFX and CHEMKIN, and experimental data
were compared. The precision, reliability, and range of validity of the kinetic
schemes in CFD simulations were estimated. The impact of kinetic scheme
on the results of computations was discussed. The relationship between grid
spacing, time step, accuracy, and computational cost was analyzed.
Simultaneous Determination of Eleven Preservatives in Cosmetics by Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography
Authors: Wang Ping , Ding Xiaojing , Li Yun , Ang Uanyuan
Published: August 2012

A new method for the simultaneous quantitation of 11 preservatives—imidazolidinyl urea, benzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid, sorbic acid, phenoxyethanol, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and four parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl)—in cosmetics by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography was established and validated. The separation was performed using an uncoated fused-silica capillary (50 μm id × 60.2 cm, effective length 50 cm) with a running buffer consisting of 15 mmol/L sodium tetraborate, 60 mmol/L boric acid, and 100 mmol/L sodium dodecyl sulfate. A 1:10 dilution of the running buffer was used as the sample buffer to extract the cosmetic samples. The key factors, such as the concentration and pH of the running and sample buffers, which influence quantitative analysis of the above 11 preservatives in cosmetic samples, were investigated in detail. The linear ranges of the calibration curves for imidazolidinyl urea and the other 10 preservatives were 50–1000 and 10–200 mg/L, respectively. The correlation coefficients of the standard curves were all higher than 0.999. The recoveries at the concentrations studied ranged from 93.0 to 102.7%. RSDs were all less than 5%. The new method with simple sample pretreatment met the needs for routine analysis of the 11 preservatives in cosmetics.
Evaluation of Applied Biosystems MicroSEQ® Real-Time PCR System for Detection of Listeria spp. in Food and Environmental Samples
Authors: Petrauskene Olga V , Cao Yanxiang , Zoder Patrick , Wong Lily Y , Balachandran Priya , Furtado Manohar R , Tebbs Robert S
Published: August 2012

A complete system for real-time PCR detection of Listeria species was validated in five food matrixes and five environmental surfaces, namely, hot dogs, roast beef, lox (smoked salmon), pasteurized whole cow's milk, dry infant formula, stainless steel, plastic cutting board, ceramic tile, rubber sheets, and sealed concrete. The system consists of the MicroSEQ®Listeria spp. Detection Kit, two sample preparation kits (PrepSEQ® Nucleic Acid Extraction Kit and PrepSEQ Rapid Spin Sample Preparation Kit), the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR instrument, and the RapidFinder™ Express v1.1 Software for data analysis. The test method was compared to the ISO 11290-1 reference method using an unpaired study design. The MicroSEQ Listeria spp. Detection Kit and the ISO 11290-1 reference method showed equivalent detection based on Chi-square analysis for all matrixes except hot dogs. For hot dogs, the MicroSEQ method detected more positives than the reference method for the low- and high-level inoculations, with all of the presumptive positives confirmed by the reference method. An independent validation study confirmed these findings on lox and stainless steel surface. The MicroSEQ kit detected all 50 Listeria strains tested and none of the 31 nontarget bacteria strains.
Cloud Point Extraction of Copper, Lead, Cadmium, and Iron Using 2,6-Diamino-4-Phenyl-1,3,5-Triazine and Nonionic Surfactant, and Their Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Determination in Water and Canned Food Samples
Authors: Citak Demirhan , Tuzen Mustafa
Published: August 2012

A cloud point extraction procedure was optimized for the separation and preconcentration of lead(II), cadmium(II), copper(II), and iron(III) ions in various water and canned food samples. The metal ions formed complexes with 2,6-diamino-4-phenyl- 1,3,5-triazine that were extracted by surfactant-rich phases in the nonionic surfactant Triton X-114. The surfactant-rich phase was diluted with 1 M HNO3 in methanol prior to its analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of the proposed method, such as sample pH, complexing agent concentration, surfactant concentration, temperature, and incubation time, were optimized. LOD values based on three times the SD of the blank (3Sb) were 0.38, 0.48, 1.33, and 1.85 μg/L for cadmium(II), copper(II), lead(II), and iron(III) ions, respectively. The precision (RSD) of the method was in the 1.86–3.06% range (n = 7). Validation of the procedure was carried out by analysis of National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material (NIST-SRM) 1568a Rice Flour and GBW 07605 Tea. The method was applied to water and canned food samples for determination of metal ions.
Rapid Liquid Chromatography for Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Analysis Using Superficially Porous Chromatography with AOAC Official MethodSM 2005.06
Authors: Hatfield Robert G , Turner Andrew D
Published: August 2012

The bioaccumulation of paralytic shellfish toxins in mussels, oysters, cockles, hard clams, razors, and king scallops is monitored in England, Scotland, and Wales by AOAC Official MethodSM 2005.06 LC-with fluorescence detection (FLD). One of the commonly perceived disadvantages of using this method is the long turnaround time and low throughput in a busy laboratory environment. The chromatographic analysis of each sample typically utilizes a 15 min cycle time to achieve toxin oxidation product separation and column equilibration prior to subsequent analysis. A standard RP C18 analytical column, used successfully in recent years, achieves good separation with a long column lifetime. The analysis of a 40 sample qualitative screening batch takes approximately 18 h, including blanks, standards, and other QC samples. The availability of superficially porous column technology has offered the potential to reduce analysis time while retaining column performance on existing hardware. In this study, AOAC Official Method 2005.06 with LC-FLD was transferred to two different commercially available superficially porous columns, and the method performance characteristics were evaluated. Both columns separated all toxins adequately with cycle times less than half that of the existing method. Linearity for each toxin was acceptable up to two times the European maximum permitted limit of 800 μg di-HCl saxitoxin equivalent/kg flesh. LOD and LOQ values were substantially improved for the majority of toxins, with gonyautoxin 1&4 and neosaxitoxin showing up to a two- and four-fold improvement, respectively, depending on the column used. Quantification results obtained from parallel analysis of contaminated samples were acceptable on both columns. Comparative screen results gave a slight increase in the occurrence of contaminated samples, which was attributed to the improved detection limit for most toxins. Issues with rapidly increasing back pressure, however, were identified with both columns, with a limit of around 500 injections. This compares to the >3000 cycles routinely obtained with the standard RP-C18 HPLC columns currently in use. Overall, the gain achieved with these columns through shorter analysis time and improved analytical sensitivity is potentially of benefit in a high-throughput environment. For the routine high-throughput screening of shellfish samples, however, an improved column lifetime is desirable.
Determination of Flavanol and Procyanidin (by Degree of Polymerization 1–10) Content of Chocolate, Cocoa Liquors, Powder(s), and Cocoa Flavanol Extracts by Normal Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography: Collaborative Study
Authors: Robbins Rebecca J , Leonczak Jadwiga , Li Julia , Johnson J Christopher , Collins Tom , Kwik-Uribe Catherine , Schmitz Harold H ,   Collaborators:, Austad J , Bhandari S , Cifuentes T , Derck V , Ellem S , Ellingson D , Gallegos T , Groves M , Grypa R , Gu L , Hongyu W , Huang D , Johnson J C , Jones M , Kremers B , Kuhnle G , Li J , Mateos A R , Ottavian J , Schaneberg B , Spencer J , Sullivan D , Vidts K , Wang W , Williamson G , Zapf M
Published: August 2012

An international collaborative study was conducted on an HPLC method with fluorescent detection (FLD) for the determination of flavanols and procyanidins in materials containing chocolate and cocoa. The sum of the oligomeric fractions with degree of polymerization 1–10 was the determined content value. Sample materials included dark and milk chocolates, cocoa powder, cocoa liquors, and cocoa extracts. The content ranged from approximately 2 to 500 mg/g (defatted basis). Thirteen laboratories representing commercial, industrial, and academic institutions in six countries participated in the study. Fourteen samples were sent as blind duplicates to the collaborators. Results from 12 laboratories yielded repeatability relative standard deviation (RSDr) values that were below 10% for all materials analyzed, ranging from 4.17 to 9.61%. The reproducibility relative standard deviation (RSDR) values ranged from 5.03 to 12.9% for samples containing 8.07 to 484.7 mg/g. In one sample containing a low content of flavanols and procyanidins (approximately 2 mg/g), the RSDR was 17.68%. Based on these results, the method is recommended for Official First Action for the determination of flavanols and procyanidins in chocolate, cocoa liquors, powder(s), and cocoa extracts.
Determination of Vitamin B12 in Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals Using HPLC After Purification on an Immunoaffinity Column: First Action 2011.09
Authors: Kirchner Ursula , Degenhardt Katharina , Raffler Guenther , Nelson Maria
Published: August 2012

During the “Standards Development and International Harmonization: AOAC INTERNATIONAL Mid-Year Meeting,” on June 29, 2011, the method “Determination of Vitamin B12 in Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals Using HPLC After Purification on an Immunoaffinity Column” was recommended by an Expert Review Panel and adopted as AOAC Official First Action status. The method is applicable for the determination of vitamin B12 in milk-based infant formula. Vitamin B12 is extracted from the sample in sodium acetate buffer in the presence of potassium cyanide. After purification and concentration with an immunoaffinity column (IAC), vitamin B12 is determined by LC with UV detection (361 nm). Data supplied by CLF demonstrated linear response over a wide range of concentrations (1.4–39 μg/100 mL). The analytical range is 0.2–10 μg/100 g, depending on the capacity of the IACs (0.01–0.5 μg), the input weight, and dilutions. Recovery rates were assessed using National Institute of Standards and Technology SRM 1849, and determined to be 95.1%, with SD of 0.34 and CV of 9.0. Measurement uncertainty (UE) was 0.8 μg/100 g, which was calculated from the validation data. It is an expanded measurement uncertainty and was obtained through multiplication with a coverage factor k. LOQ values were reported as 0.10 μg/100 g. The performance characteristics of the method met the standard method performance requirements set forth by the AOAC Stakeholder Panel on Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals; thus, the method was determined to be appropriate for First Action status.
How Is Chimpanzee Self-Control Influenced by Social Setting?
Authors: Evans Theodore A. , Perdue Bonnie M. , Parrish Audrey E. , Menzel Emilie C. , Brosnan Sarah F. , Beran Michael J.
Published: August 2012

Self-control is often required in natural situations involving interactions with other individuals, and personal self-control can be compromised if other individuals act impulsively. In this study, we tested self-control in pairs of chimpanzees in a variety of settings where at least one chimpanzee of each pair performed an established test for self-control in which candies accumulated one at time as long as the chimpanzee did not eat any of them. When tested alone, some chimpanzees exhibited greater self-control as compared to when tested alongside a chimpanzee that independently performed the same type of test. However, when the nonfocal animal freely consumed rewards while the focal chimpanzee performed the accumulation task, the self-control of some focal chimpanzees was elevated as compared to when working alone. Finally, when the focal and nonfocal animals worked jointly on the same test and the number of rewards accumulated was dependent on both animals’ continued ability to inhibit eating the items, chimpanzees performed the same when housed together or in adjacent enclosures. On the whole, the effects of social setting were modest, but these results may relate to the literature on vicarious depletion of self-control, and they present interesting avenues for future research.
Paradox of Deontology
Authors: Hurley Paul
Published: June 2024

Intuitively, it is wrong to kill even to prevent two other people from killing. Consequentialists have argued that reflection on such moral restrictions engenders an air of paradox: how can it be morally wrong to lie or kill if by doing so I prevent more lyings and killings? The air of paradox arises because the persisting intuitive appeal of such restrictions is called into question by the attempt to explain their deep intuitive appeal. The threat of paradox can be dissipated by demonstrating either that the intuitive appeal of such restrictions dissipates on reflection, or by showing that there is after all a plausible theoretical explanation for them. Both consequentialists and their opponents have recently offered theoretical explanations supporting such restrictions. Consequentialist strategies propose either shifting the focal point of evaluations away from actions to rules or motives, or refining the standpoints from which the outcomes to be promoted are ranked. Their critics argue that there are perfectly good, nonparadoxical explanations of such restrictions through appeal to value, but that such explanations are elided from view by the assumption, built into the case for paradox, that any such appeal to the value must be an appeal to the value of outcomes to be promoted. Reject the consequentialist's outcome‐centered constraint on value, they argue, and plausible explanations are readily available for why it is much worse to violate such a restriction even though the outcome of doing so would in some sense be better.
Dignity/Worth
Authors: FitzPatrick William J.
Published: June 2024

The concept of dignity is famously multifaceted, with such varied applications that some have even dismissed it as incoherent. This entry explores some central dimensions, applications, and philosophical questions surrounding the notion of dignity as a kind of moral status involving possession of an inherent, unearned form of worth that calls for respect and plausibly grounds basic moral rights. Some central issues concern the source or grounds of dignity; the locus of dignity; the distinction between possessing dignity and having a sense of dignity; conditions fitting to human dignity; relations between dignity and inviolability, human rights, and human equality or equal human worth; the kind of respect relevant to dignity; and implications of dignity for issues in medical ethics.
Atonement
Authors: Radzik Linda
Published: June 2024

Atonement involves a response to wrongdoing performed by, or at least with the participation of, a wrongdoer with the aim of correcting the wrong and reconciling the wrongdoer to the victim, the community, or God. Etymologically, the term comes from “at‐one‐ment,” and in earlier usages was equivalent to “reconciliation.” However, it more commonly refers to actions and attitudes of the wrongdoer that bring about reconciliation. The concept of atonement is deeply rooted in theological contexts, where differing views about the means to salvation have been central to major debates within Western religions. In secular moral philosophy, the term “atonement” is used more rarely. However, the category of a wrongdoer's corrective response to their own misdeeds is essential to a thorough philosophical account of what morality requires in the aftermath of wrongdoing. Atonement is part of a family of concepts that articulate what is involved in being morally responsible for one's actions. To be culpable for wrongdoing is to be subject to a host of negative responses from one's victim, one's community, and one's self. Atonement is a means by which such negative consequences can be ameliorated or avoided.
International Research Ethics
Authors: Schuklenk Udo
Published: June 2024

Research ethics came into its own as an ongoing academic and regulatory concern in the aftermath of the Nuremberg trials. Knowledge of the Nazi experiments led to the first international guidelines stipulating basic ethics standards for research involving human participants. Subsequent scandals – including but not limited to the Tuskegee syphilis study – led to further and improved ethics guidelines such as the World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki as well as such national regulatory documents as the landmark Belmont Report in the United States. Academic and policy analyses in research ethics are marked by reasonably clear dividing lines between clinical and nonclinical investigations, as well as between research conducted in developed countries and research in developing countries. A few issues cut across these dividing lines, such as concerns about academic misconduct like the falsification of data, arguments about legitimate claims to authorship of a scientific publication, and plagiarism. Most of the latter concerns have been successfully addressed in international guidance documents.
Addams, Jane
Authors: Seigfried Charlene Haddock
Published: June 2024

As an advocate of social justice, Jane Addams (1860–1935) was one of the most admired women of her time. In 1889 she and Ellen Gates Starr cofounded the Hull House settlement in the working‐class, immigrant neighborhood of Chicago. She was both its public spokesperson and its theorist. Her innovative approach to cooperatively investigating and resolving the crushing social, economic, and political ills exacerbated by rapid industrialization preceded and influenced the creation of the department of sociology at the University of Chicago. Addams was prominent in the many progressive reform movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including women's suffrage and child labor. In the area of civil rights, she cofounded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the American Civil Liberties Union. She was a pioneer in the peace movement, cofounding the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and winning the Nobel Peace Prize for 1931. The guiding themes informing her work and explained in her writings inspired both William James and John Dewey and characterize her original pragmatist feminism. These include the participatory nature of experience; the experimental method in social reform; addressing the unconscious biases inherent in both perspectival understanding and social, ethnic, gender, and other forms of privilege; the mutual interdependency of all levels of society; developmental ethics; democracy as a way of life; and the peaceful resolution of local as well as international conflicts. In short, Addams's philosophical position emphasizes sympathetic understanding and cooperative action.
Pore Wall Engineered Polar COFs as Size‐Matched Nanotraps Enable Highly Efficient Capture of Long‐Chain Alkylamines
Authors: Jin Weiliang , Li Shaocong , Zhou Hongzhi , Ma Shenghua , Zhu Lina , Kong Deming
Published: June 2024

Long‐chain alkylamines are widely used as surfactants and inevitably cause environmental pollution. However, there is still a lack of adsorbents that can efficiently remove them due to the scarcity of available binding sites. Herein, this study demonstrates that pore wall‐engineered polar covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with tailored pore size can be used as promising nanotraps for the rapid and highly efficient capture of octadecylamine (ODA, a typical long‐chain alkylamine) from complex practical samples (e.g., salt lake brine). Under the optimized conditions, nitro‐functionalized COFs (TpPa‐NO2 and TpBD‐NO2) show much better ODA adsorption performances than unfunctionalized TpPa, and TpPa‐NO2, whose pore size matches the ODA molecule best, obtained an ODA adsorption capacity as high as 128.5 mg g−1 within 20 min. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations elucidate the underlying adsorption mechanisms, revealing that COFs provide multiple interaction forces, including electrostatic, polar, van der Waals, hydrogen bond, hydrophobic, and C─H σ–π interactions, which synergistically contribute to the highly efficient capture of ODA in the 1D polar nanotraps of TpPa‐NO2. This study provides a theoretical foundation and experimental evidence for utilizing COFs as long‐chain alkylamine adsorbents and offers a strategy for designing functionally tailored COFs for environmental applications.
Giant Spin‐Charge Conversion in Ultrathin Films of the MnPtSb Half‐Heusler Compound
Authors: Longo E. , Markou A. , Felser C. , Belli M. , Serafini A. , Targa P. , Codegoni D. , Fanciulli M. , Mantovan R.
Published: June 2024

Half‐metallic half‐Heusler compounds with strong spin‐orbit‐coupling and broken inversion symmetry in their crystal structure are promising materials for generating and absorbing spin‐currents, thus enabling the electric manipulation of magnetization in energy‐efficient spintronic devices. In this work, the spin‐to‐charge conversion in the sputtered half‐Heusler MnPtSb within thickness (t) range from 1 to 6 nm is reported. A combination of X‐ray and transmission electron microscopy measurements evidence the epitaxial nature of these ultrathin non‐centrosymmetric layers, with a clear (111)‐orientation on top of (0001) single‐crystal sapphire. By broadband ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), a four orders of magnitude tunable spin accumulation in the MnPtSb‐based heterostructures, within t = 1–6 nm range, is observed. By using spin pumping FMR, a remarkable t‐dependent spin‐charge conversion in the MnPtSb layers is measured, which clearly demonstrates the interfacial origin of the conversion. When interpreted within the inverse Edelstein effect (IEE), the spin‐charge conversion efficiency extracted at room temperature for the thinnest MnPtSb layer reaches λIEE≈3 nm, representing an extremely high conversion. The still never explored ultrathin regime of the MnPtSb films studied in this work and the discovery of their outstanding functionality are two ingredients that demonstrate the potentiality of such materials for future applications in spintronics.
Bioactive Nanotherapeutic Ultrasound Contrast Agent for Concurrent Breast Cancer Ultrasound Imaging and Treatment
Authors: Fang Junyue , Tan Jiabao , Lin Li , Cao Yuan , Xu Rui , Lin Chunhao , He Gui , Xu Xiaoding , Xiao Xiaoyun , Jiang Qiongchao , Saw Phei Er
Published: June 2024

Contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) plays a crucial role in cancer diagnosis. The use of ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) is inevitable in CEUS. However, current applications of UCAs primarily focus on enhancing imaging quality of ultrasound contrast rather than serving as integrated platforms for both diagnosis and treatment in clinical settings. In this study, a novel UCA, termed NPs‐DPPA(C3F8), is innovatively prepared using a combination of nanoprecipitation and ultrasound vibration methods. The DPPA lipid possesses inherent antiangiogenic and antitumor activities, and when combined with C3F8, it functions as a theranostic agent. Notably, the preparation of NPs‐DPPA(C3F8) is straightforward, requiring only one hour from raw materials to the final product due to the use of a single material, DPPA. NPs‐DPPA(C3F8) exhibits inherent antiangiogenic and biotherapeutic activities, effectively inhibiting triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) angiogenesis and reducing VEGFA expression both in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, NPs‐DPPA(C3F8) enables simultaneous real‐time imaging, tumor assessment, and antitumor activity. Additionally, through ultrasound cavitation, NPs‐DPPA(C3F8) can overcome the dense vascular walls to increase accumulation at the tumor site and facilitate internalization by tumor cells. The successful preparation of NPs‐DPPA(C3F8) offers a novel approach for integrating clinical diagnosis and treatment of TNBC.
Cellular Scale Curvature in Bioceramic Scaffolds Enhanced Bone Regeneration by Regulating Skeletal Stem Cells and Vascularization
Authors: Liu Yang , Wang Yue , Lin Minmin , Liu Hongzhi , Pan Yonghao , Wu Jianqun , Guo Ziyu , Li Jiawei , Yan Bingtong , Zhou Hang , Fan Yuanhao , Hu Ganqing , Liang Haowen , Zhang Shibo , Siu Ming‐Fung Francis , Wu Yongbo , Bai Jiaming , Liu Chao
Published: June 2024

Critical‐sized segmental bone defects cannot heal spontaneously, leading to disability and significant increase in mortality. However, current treatments utilizing bone grafts face a variety of challenges from donor availability to poor osseointegration. Drugs such as growth factors increase cancer risk and are very costly. Here, a porous bioceramic scaffold that promotes bone regeneration via solely mechanobiological design is reported. Two types of scaffolds with high versus low pore curvatures are created using high‐precision 3D printing technology to fabricate pore curvatures radius in the 100s of micrometers. While both are able to support bone formation, the high‐curvature pores induce higher ectopic bone formation and increased vessel invasion. Scaffolds with high‐curvature pores also promote faster regeneration of critical‐sized segmental bone defects by activating mechanosensitive pathways. High‐curvature pore recruits skeletal stem cells and type H vessels from both the periosteum and the marrow during the early phase of repair. High‐curvature pores have increased survival of transplanted GFP‐labeled skeletal stem cells (SSCs) and recruit more host SSCs. Taken together, the bioceramic scaffolds with defined micrometer‐scale pore curvatures demonstrate a mechanobiological approach for orthopedic scaffold design.
Tuning the Optical Anisotropy in Gradient Porous Germanium on Si Substrate
Authors: Zhu Ying , Li Bowen , Hu Jiacheng , Xia Guangrui (Maggie) , Wen Rui‐Tao
Published: June 2024

Porous semiconductors have garnered significant attention owing to their distinctive physical and chemical properties. In this study, optical anisotropy is presented in porous germanium (PGe) on a Si (001) substrate. Both n‐ and p‐type PGe, achieved through bipolar electrochemical etching, exhibit optical anisotropy along the Ge <001> direction, as determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Birefringence and depolarization factors are controllable by adjusting the etching parameters and doping concentration of the epitaxial Ge layer. The gradient porosity and pore distribution in PGe can be well captured by the optical models. The findings of optical anisotropy in PGe‐on‐Si hold promise for applications in optical elements or sensors for gas or biomolecules.
Long‐term survival of an infant with complete tetraploidy: A case report
Authors: Okamura Tomoka , Yoshimoto Junko , Morimoto Daisaku , Wanatabe Hirokazu , Washio Yosuke
Published: June 2024

We present the case of a girl with complete tetraploidy who has survived to her present age of 4 years and 1 month. Infants with complete tetraploidy have been described to have a limited lifespan owing to complications. We report her characteristics, medical history, and development.
Unexpected Elevated Working Voltage by Na+/Vacancy Ordering and Stabilized Sodium‐Ion Storage by Transition‐Metal Honeycomb Ordering
Authors: Wang Yao , Jin Junteng , Zhao Xudong , Shen Qiuyu , Qu Xuanhui , Jiao Lifang , Liu Yongchang
Published: June 2024

Na+/vacancy ordering in sodium‐ion layered oxide cathodes is widely believed to deteriorate the structural stability and retard the Na+ diffusion kinetics, but its unexplored potential advantages remain elusive. Herein, we prepared a P2‐Na0.8Cu0.22Li0.08Mn0.67O2 (NCLMO‐12 h) material featuring moderate Na+/vacancy and transition‐metal (TM) honeycomb orderings. The appropriate Na+/vacancy ordering significantly enhances the operating voltage and the TM honeycomb ordering effectively strengthens the layered framework. Compared with the disordered material, the well‐balanced dual‐ordering NCLMO‐12 h cathode affords a boosted working voltage from 2.85 to 3.51 V, a remarkable ~20 % enhancement in energy density, and a superior cycling stability (capacity retention of 86.5 % after 500 cycles). The solid‐solution reaction with a nearly “zero‐strain” character, the charge compensation mechanisms, and the reversible inter‐layer Li migration upon sodiation/desodiation are unraveled by systematic in situ/ex situ characterizations. This study breaks the stereotype surrounding Na+/vacancy ordering and provides a new avenue for developing high‐energy and long‐durability sodium layered oxide cathodes.
Non‐extractive fish diversity assessment in Mediterranean rhodolith beds
Authors: Cabrito Andrea , Maynou Francesc , Simide Remy , Mouillot David , Lossent Julie , de Juan Silvia
Published: June 2024

Rhodolith beds, recognized as biodiversity hotspots with high ecological and conservation importance, face local anthropic pressures, including trawl fishing. However, monitoring the diversity associated with this sensitive biogenic habitat in the deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea is challenging.

Traditional monitoring methods, such as experimental trawling and trammel nets, are extractive and have sampling limitations in providing comprehensive diversity inventories. In this work, we explore three alternative techniques (still video cameras, environmental DNA [eDNA] and bioacoustics) to monitor fish assemblages associated with rhodolith beds in the Menorca Channel at 45–80 m depth.

Ten sites were surveyed with eDNA, and 66 fish taxa were identified, including endangered sharks and cryptic species. The molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) richness varied significantly according to habitat heterogeneity, being higher in homogeneous bottoms, and to exposure to trawling, with higher richness in non‐exposed areas.

Bioacoustics, though limited by a reduced library of fish sounds, detected differences in sound richness between habitat types, and the highest abundance of sounds was recorded in the areas with the greatest small‐scale habitat heterogeneity.

Underwater video revealed limitations in species detection but proved effective for characterizing small‐scale habitat types and heterogeneity.

In summary, each technique provides valuable information at different spatial scales and levels of detail. To assess the feasibility of these techniques for long‐term monitoring, we explored their capabilities and limitations in terms of costs, survey logistics and data output.
World health assembly resolution for preventing micronutrient deficiencies and associated neural tube defects—A case study of global partnerships for a successful resolution adoption
Authors: Kancherla Vijaya
Published: June 2024

Background

On May 29, 2023, the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) unanimously adopted the resolution entitled, “Accelerating efforts for preventing micronutrient deficiencies and their consequences, including spina bifida and other neural tube defects, through safe and effective food fortification.” The Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention published their resolution in 2015 supporting mandatory fortification of staple foods with folic acid and recommendations aiming to achieve global total prevention of folate‐sensitive spina bifida and anencephaly, setting a goal to achieve by the year 2024. The WHA resolution provides another global push for the cause, with recommendations to member nations for food fortification to be achieved by the year 2030.

Methods

This short communication documents the steps, from inception up to the passage, of the 76th WHA resolution on food fortification, with a narrative on the nature of strategic advocacy efforts by multiple governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

Results

WHA resolutions can take many years to be introduced and passed by the assembly; however, this is a case study of the swiftness of the process enabled by powerful global partnership.

Conclusion

The documentation of this process serves as an example for developing and processing future WHA resolutions aiming to improve global maternal and child health.
Cited2 is a key regulator of placental development and plasticity
Authors: Kuna Marija , Soares Michael J.
Published: June 2024

The biology of trophoblast cell lineage development and placentation is characterized by the involvement of several known transcription factors. Central to the action of a subset of these transcriptional regulators is CBP‐p300 interacting transactivator with Glu/Asp‐rich carboxy‐terminal domain 2 (CITED2). CITED2 acts as a coregulator modulating transcription factor activities and affecting placental development and adaptations to physiological stressors. These actions of CITED2 on the trophoblast cell lineage and placentation are conserved across the mouse, rat, and human. Thus, aspects of CITED2 biology in hemochorial placentation can be effectively modeled in the mouse and rat. In this review, we present information on the conserved role of CITED2 in the biology of placentation and discuss the use of CITED2 as a tool to discover new insights into regulatory mechanisms controlling placental development.