bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of data distribution on Q-learning with function approximation
Authors: Santos Pedro P. , Carvalho Diogo S. , Sardinha Alberto , Melo Francisco S.
Published: June 2024

We study the interplay between the data distribution and Q-learning-based algorithms with function approximation. We provide a unified theoretical and empirical analysis as to how different properties of the data distribution influence the performance of Q-learning-based algorithms. We connect different lines of research, as well as validate and extend previous results, being primarily focused on offline settings. First, we analyze the impact of the data distribution by using optimization as a tool to better understand which data distributions yield low concentrability coefficients. We motivate high-entropy distributions from a game-theoretical point of view and propose an algorithm to find the optimal data distribution from the point of view of concentrability. Second, from an empirical perspective, we introduce a novel four-state MDP specifically tailored to highlight the impact of the data distribution in the performance of Q-learning-based algorithms with function approximation. Finally, we experimentally assess the impact of the data distribution properties on the performance of two offline Q-learning-based algorithms under different environments. Our results attest to the importance of different properties of the data distribution such as entropy, coverage, and data quality (closeness to optimal policy).
A Retrospective Cohort Study of Disparities in Urine Drug Testing During the Perinatal Period in an Urban, Academic Medical Center
Authors: Ganetsky Valerie S. , Yates Brianna , Salzman Matthew , Heil Jessica , Jones Iris , Hunter Krystal , Perry Robin L. , Baston Kaitlan E.
Published: June 2024

The purpose of this study was to evaluate disparities in urine drug testing (UDT) during perinatal care at a single academic medical center. This retrospective cohort study included patients who had a live birth and received prenatal care at our institution between 10/1/2015 and 9/30/2020. The primary outcomes were maternal UDT during pregnancy (UDTPN) and UDT only at delivery (UDTDEL). Secondary outcomes included the number of UDTs (UDTNUM) and the association between a positive UDT test result and race/ethnicity. Mixed model logistic regression and negative binomial regression with clustering based on prenatal care locations were used to control for confounders. Of 6,240 live births, 2,265 (36.3%) and 167 (2.7%) received UDTPN and UDTDEL, respectively. Black (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.54–2.84) and individuals of Other races (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.03–2.64) had greater odds of UDTPN compared to non-Hispanic White individuals. Black (beta = 1.12, p < 0.001) and Hispanic individuals (beta = 0.78, p < 0.001) also had a positive relationship with UDTNUM. Compared to individuals with non-Medicaid insurance, those insured by Medicaid had greater odds of UDTPN (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.11–2.49) and had a positive relationship with UDTNUM (beta = 0.89, p < 0.001). No significant associations were found for UDTDEL and race/ethnicity. Despite receiving more UDT, Black individuals were not more likely to have a positive test result compared to non-Hispanic White individuals (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.72–1.25). Our findings demonstrate persistent disparities in substance use testing during the perinatal period.
Ambient Air Pollution, Housing Context, and Birth Outcomes Among Wisconsin Mothers
Authors: Fottrell Amy K. , Curtis Marah A. , Weeks Fiona H.
Published: June 2024

Objectives

To assess the association between air pollution exposure and housing context during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes.

Methods

We linked air pollution data from the Environmental Protection Agency and housing data from the American Community Survey with birth records from Wisconsin counties over a 9-year period. We calculated average daily pregnancy exposure to fine particulate matter and ozone and modeled its relationship to preterm birth, low birthweight and NICU admission, adjusting for individual characteristics and housing context.

Results

Ozone exposure and housing cost-burden had substantive and statistically significant negative associations with birthweight and gestational age, and positive associations with NICU admission, while a poor-quality housing environment had a significant negative effect on weeks of gestation. Fine particulate matter exposure had a negligible correlation with these outcomes.

Conclusions for practice

An additional tenth of one part-per-million daily average exposure to ozone is associated with a 33 g decrease in birthweight. This decrease in birthweight is about the same size as the association of gestational diabetes (32 g), larger than the association of chronic hypertension (22 g), and about 40% the size of the effect of smoking during pregnancy on birthweight (84 g). Given the magnitudes of the associations with atmospheric ozone and adverse birth outcomes, reducing atmospheric ozone should be a public health priority. Inclusion of controls for housing cost-burden and poor-quality housing reduces the magnitude of the association with mothers who identify as Black, suggesting the importance of these structural factors in understanding adverse birth outcomes by race.
Protein vicinal thiols as intrinsic probes of brain redox states in health, aging, and ischemia
Authors: Foley Timothy D. , Huang Wen C. , Petsche Emily A. , Fleming Emily R. , Hornickle James C.
Published: June 2024

The nature of brain redox metabolism in health, aging, and disease remains to be fully established. Reversible oxidations, to disulfide bonds, of closely spaced (vicinal) protein thiols underlie the catalytic maintenance of redox homeostasis by redoxin enzymes, including thioredoxin peroxidases (peroxiredoxins), and have been implicated in redox buffering and regulation. We propose that non-peroxidase proteins containing vicinal thiols that are responsive to physiological redox perturbations may serve as intrinsic probes of brain redox metabolism. Using redox phenylarsine oxide (PAO)-affinity chromatography, we report that PAO-binding vicinal thiols on creatine kinase B and alpha-enolase from healthy rat brains were preferentially oxidized compared to other selected proteins, including neuron-specific (gamma) enolase, under conditions designed to trap in vivo protein thiol redox states. Moreover, measures of the extents of oxidations of vicinal thiols on total protein, and on creatine kinase B and alpha-enolase, showed that vicinal thiol-linked redox states were stable over the lifespan of rats and revealed a transient reductive shift in these redox couples following decapitation-induced global ischemia. Finally, formation of disulfide-linked complexes between peroxiredoxin-2 and brain proteins was demonstrated on redox blots, supporting a link between protein vicinal thiol redox states and the peroxidase activities of peroxiredoxins. The implications of these findings with respect to underappreciated aspects of brain redox metabolism in health, aging, and ischemia are discussed.
Add-Vit: CNN-Transformer Hybrid Architecture for Small Data Paradigm Processing
Authors: Chen Jinhui , Wu Peng , Zhang Xiaoming , Xu Renjie , Liang Jia
Published: June 2024

The vision transformer(ViT), pre-trained on large datasets, outperforms convolutional neural networks (CNN) in computer vision(CV). However, if not pre-trained, the transformer architecture doesn’t work well on small datasets and is surpassed by CNN. Through analysis, we found that:(1) the division and processing of tokens in the ViT discard the marginalized information between token. (2) the isolated multi-head self-attention (MSA) lacks prior knowledge. (3) the local inductive bias capability of stacked transformer block is much inferior to that of CNN. We propose a novel architecture for small data paradigms without pre-training, named Add-Vit, which uses progressive tokenization with feature supplementation in patch embedding. The model’s representational ability is enhanced by using a convolutional prediction module shortcut to connect MSA and capture local features as additional representations of the token. Without the need for pre-training on large datasets, our best model achieved 81.25$$\%$$
%
accuracy when trained from scratch on the CIFAR-100.
SpanEffiDet: Span-Scale and Span-Path Feature Fusion for Object Detection
Authors: Liu Qunpo , Zhao Yi , Gao Ruxin , Bu Xuhui , Hanajima Naohiko
Published: June 2024

Lower versions of EfficientDet (such as D0, D1) have smaller network structures and parameter sizes, but lower detection accuracy. Higher versions exhibit higher accuracy, but the increase in network complexity poses challenges for real-time processing and hardware requirements. To meet the higher accuracy requirements under limited computational resources, this paper introduces SpanEffiDet based on the channel adaptive frequency filter (CAFF) and the Span-Path Bidirectional Feature Pyramid structure. Firstly, the CAFF module proposed in this paper realizes the frequency domain transformation of channel information through Fourier transform and effectively extracts the key features through semantic adaptive frequency filtering, thus, eliminating channel redundant information of EfficientNet. Simultaneously, the module has the ability to compute the weights across the channels and at fine granularity, and capture the detailed information of element features. Secondly, a two-way characteristic pyramid network multi-level cross-BIFPN, which can achieve multi-layer and multi-nodes, is proposed to build cross-level information transmission to incorporate both semantic and positional information of the target. This design enables the network to more effectively detect objects with significant size differences in complex environments. Finally, by introducing generalized focal Loss V2, reliable localization quality estimation scores are predicted from the distribution statistics of bounding boxes, thereby improving localization accuracy. The experimental results indicate that on the MS COCO dataset, SpanEffiDet-D0 achieved an AP improvement of 3.3% compared to the original EfficientDet series algorithms. Similarly, on the PASCAL VOC2007 and 2012 datasets, the mAP of SpanEffiDet-D0 is respectively 1.66 and 2.65% higher than that of EfficientDet-D0.
Some optical solitons and modulation instability analysis of (3 + 1)-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger and coupled nonlinear Helmholtz equations
Authors: Alsaud Huda , Youssoufa Mati , Inc Mustafa , Inan Ibrahim Enam , Bicer Harun
Published: June 2024

In this study, we acquired some optical solitons of (3 + 1) dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation (3DNLSE) and coupled nonlinear Helmholtz equations (CNLHE) by using generalized $$\left(\frac{{G}^{\prime}}{G}\right)$$

G

′

G

-expansion method (GEM). We are able to derive exponential, trigonometric, and hyperbolic solutions. We notice that Mathematica 11.2 offer the equations for these answers. Aside from that, we display some of the solution’s graphic performance. Recently, accurate traveling-wave solutions for nonlinear partial differential equations (NLPDEs) have been acquired using this technique. Through linear stability analysis, we derive an analytical expression for the instability gain and analyze its main characteristics. Finally, we assess the robustness and stability of the solitary waves through numerical simulations and compare the accuracy of the analytical and numerical results. The obtained ultra-short optical solitons can be widely used as a guide for practical applications in telecommunications domain.
Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms; the modern philosopher’s stone
Authors: Barrow N. J.
Published: June 2024

The search for the mediaeval philosopher’s stone and the search for effective phosphate solubilizing microorganisms are analogous. Both are based on an erroneous assumption about nature. Advocates for phosphate solubilizing microorganisms think that P is present in soils as discrete compounds of iron, aluminium, and calcium. This is not consistent with many observations. Rather, P is adsorbed on, and penetrates, into variable-charge surfaces. Further, phosphate solubilizing microorganisms often do not compete with microorganisms already present or produce acid under soil conditions. When responses do occur, they are more likely to be caused by effects of decreased pH on uptake of P by plant roots rather than on release of P by soil We are more likely to conserve resources and to decrease water pollution by understanding that previous applications have changed soil conditions so that subsequent applications are more effective, and much less phosphate is required.
Values in public health: an argument from trust
Authors: Popa Elena
Published: June 2024

Research on the role of values in science and objectivity has typically approached trust through its epistemic aspects. Yet, recent work on public trust in science has emphasized the role of non-epistemic values in building and maintaining trust. This paper will use a concept of trust that adds concerns about justice to epistemic conditions to investigate this problem in relation to public health. I will argue that trust-conducive values, particularly justice, are relevant in deciding which value influences are legitimate in scientific decision-making. Drawing on public health ethics, I will provide a consequentialist justification for employing trust-conducive values. While several concepts of justice have been explored in the context of public health, I will further draw on public health ethics, focusing on a view that brings together both distributive and procedural aspects. For illustration, I will use the case of cardiovascular disease prevention, particularly how concerns about justice apply when choosing between population-based and individual-based approaches.
Urban eastern gray squirrels (sciurus carolinensis) show little seasonal variation in biochemical and hematological parameters
Authors: Rimbach Rebecca , Petritz Olivia A. , Balko Julie A. , Pontzer Herman
Published: June 2024

Urban wildlife faces unique physiological and behavioral challenges compared to conspecifics which live in less altered natural habitats. Animals in urban habitats are also exposed to urban stressors and commonly make use of inappropriate food sources from trash bins and dumpsters, which may affect their heath status. The goals of this study were to evaluate overall health of an urban population of eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and to assess seasonal changes in several health parameters. Squirrels (N = 45) were trapped in Durham, North Carolina, USA and briefly anesthetized with inhalant anesthetic for physical examination, body mass collection, and venipuncture via the femoral vein. Collected blood was analyzed for several health parameters via hematology and biochemistry analyses including assessment of lipids and kidney and liver values. Physical examinations were clinically unremarkable and similar across seasons. Females had higher cholesterol values and lower creatinine values compared to males. Seasonal differences occurred in few parameters and were detected only between summer and either fall or spring. Potassium and monocytes were higher in summer compared to spring, and creatinine, BUN and monocytes were higher in summer compared to fall. Overall, health parameters of urban eastern gray squirrels fell within published reference ranges for the species. Together, these results suggest that urban squirrels in this study population can maintain good health in an anthropogenic habitat.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: The complex lived experience of schizophrenia diagnosis: a thematic analysis of online forum posts
Authors: Lyons Minna , Gupta Veenu , Blaney Peter Sunny , Ogenyi Appey , Webster Elliot , Brewer Gayle
Published: June 2024

Receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia can be a life-changing experience with both negative and positive consequences. Previous research has identified important aspects of diagnosis, such as disagreement with the label, diagnostic shifts, stigma, and communication of the diagnosis. There is, however, relatively little research from the lived experience perspective. In this study, we investigated the lived experiences of receiving a schizophrenia diagnosis utilising a popular Reddit discussion forum. We used inductive thematic analysis to consider posts from 105 unique usernames and identified five themes. These were (i) Denial and acceptance; (ii) Stigma of diagnosis and selective disclosure; (iii) The complicated process of diagnosis; (iv) Losing, maintaining, and finding a sense of self; and (v) Receiving, finding, and providing support. Diagnosis is a complex personal experience where the same person can simultaneously accept and reject the diagnostic label. Greater attention is required to the lived experience of this diagnostic journey.
The Daubert Standards for Admissibility of Evidence Based on the Personality Assessment Inventory
Authors: Kurtz John E. , Pintarelli Emily M.
Published: June 2024

This article considers the admissibility of expert testimony based on the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey in Personality Assessment Inventory professional manual. Psychological Assessment Resources (1991, 2007a)) from the Daubert standard for rules of evidence. Several topics of PAI research that have relevance to common court proceedings are reviewed, including psychological damages, prediction of recidivism, malingering, and concealed psychopathology. We conclude that the PAI will meet the Daubert standards in most cases. The PAI provides quantitative data that allows for empirical evaluation of reliability and validity. The PAI has been subject to extensive empirical evaluation by the scientific community. Cut scores on various PAI scales and indexes have demonstrated acceptable error rates. Standards exist for the appropriate education and training of PAI users and for proper administration procedures. Finally, the PAI is widely accepted and used by psychologists and other mental health professionals, including those who work in the forensic context.
Robots for Interventions: Proof-of-Concept Method for High-Speed Filling Line Interventions Towards the Removal of Gloves
Authors: Dekker Ivo , Waelbers Pieter , Tancer Wido , Kellens Karel , Demeester Eric
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Although pharmaceutical high-speed filling lines are fully automated, interventions are still performed by hand via glove ports. Bringing robots into the high-speed production lines for the handling of interventions could increase both the thoughput and the sterility of the system. The work presented in this manuscript proposes a semi-autonomous intervention strategy for the removal of erroneous plungers.

Methods

A YOLOv8-based computer vision algorithm continuously monitors the state of the plunger feed. Autonomous motion planning is used for large, general movements, while human-operated teleoperation with system guidance allows for small, precise motions. The combination of both creates a intuitive, gloveless intervention method.

Results

A user test with a group of 22 volunteers shows that an untrained operator can perform the teleoperated intervention via this system in an average of $$\pm 30$$

±
30

s and $$\pm 21$$

±
21

s when the plungers are static and dynamic respectively. Via a Likert-scale based questionnaire, it was found that the test group experienced the haptic system as very intuitive. Additionally, the system is capable of running completely remotely via a two-laptop setup, which has been tested at distances up to 100km.

Conclusion

An intuitive, haptic semi-autonomous teleoperation system is created for the execution of a plunger removal intervention. Both in a static and dynamic scenario, an improvement of the operating time is observed compared to the current glove-based method (2 to 3 min). The system can run fully remotely and was found to be very intuitive by the user group.
The non-apodiform Strisores (potoos, nightjars and allied birds) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze
Authors: Mayr Gerald , Kitchener Andrew C.
Published: June 2024

Abstract﻿

Fossils of the avian clade Strisores (nightjars, swifts and allies) are well represented in some early Eocene localities. These birds were also taxonomically diverse in the British London Clay, but most of the previously described fossils belong to the Apodiformes (swifts and allies), or are represented by very fragmentary specimens. Here we report substantial new material of non-apodiform taxa of the Strisores from Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex, UK) that bears on the diversity and affinities of aerial insectivores from the London Clay. In addition to specimens of the recently described archaeotrogonid Archaeodromus, we report partial skeletons of the enigmatic taxon Palaeopsittacus, as well as two new species of the Fluvioviridavidae. The new Archaeodromus fossils reveal previously unknown osteological details, including features of the skull. The Palaeopsittacus specimens suggest that this poorly known taxon may be the earliest stem group representative of the Nyctibiiformes. The specimens of the Fluvioviridavidae elucidate some aspects of the osteology of these birds and the quadrate shows a morphology that is distinct from all extant Strisores. The non-apodiform Strisores from Walton-on-the-Naze exhibit disparate morphologies, which indicate that there was already significant ecological diversification of these birds by the early Eocene, and the diversity of these aerial insectivores in Walton-on-the-Naze contrasts with the absence of bats in this locality and other sites of the London Clay.
Patient Perspectives on Mindfulness-Based Interventions During Hospitalization for Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Exploratory Interview Study
Authors: Tschenett Hannah , Funk Georg-Christian , Vafai-Tabrizi Florian , Nater Urs M.
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) suffer not only from somatic symptoms but also from symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to effectively reduce these symptoms in other conditions. In patients with AECOPD, MBIs are under-researched. The present study explored whether patients hospitalized for AECOPD perceive MBIs as appropriate and feasible, and how MBIs might be implemented and adapted for this patient group.

Method

In an exploratory qualitative study, one-time semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 patients hospitalized for AECOPD (65% women; Mage=70.85 years, SD=7.53). Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and a codebook approach.

Results

Most patients were interested in add-on treatment options such as MBIs and considered them as potentially beneficial (65%). Patients’ understanding of mindfulness varied and was difficult to separate from other mind-body practices (e.g., autogenic training). Previous experiences with mind-body practices and expectations regarding the effectiveness of MBIs influenced patients’ interest in MBIs. Context factors (e.g., short exercises) were more important than content factors (e.g., type of exercise). General barriers (e.g., scheduling issues) and COPD-related limitations (e.g., decreased mobility) hindered the self-administration of MBIs.

Conclusions

Most patients hospitalized for AECOPD interviewed in this study were interested in MBIs and rated them as potentially helpful and feasible to incorporate in health care settings and everyday life. Future studies investigating MBIs in COPD are needed and should carefully consider patients’ perspectives, addressing context factors (e.g., timing, exercise length), patients’ needs, and COPD-related limitations.

Preregistration

This study is not preregistered.
Predicting prostate adenocarcinoma patients’ survival and immune signature: a novel risk model based on telomere-related genes
Authors: Zheng Jiefang , Chen Jiahui , Li Hongxiao , Li Yuanchao , Dong Weimin , Jiang Xianhan
Published: June 2024

Alterations in telomeres constitute some of the earliest occurrences in the tumourigenesis of prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) and persist throughout the progression of the tumour. While the activity of telomerase and the length of telomeres have been demonstrated to correlate with the prognosis of PRAD, the prognostic potential of telomere-related genes (TRGs) in this disease remains unexplored. Utilising mRNA expression data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we devised a risk model and a nomogram to predict the survival outcomes of patients with PRAD. Subsequently, our investigations extended to the relationship between the risk model and immune cell infiltration, sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs, and specific signalling pathways. The risk model we developed is predicated on seven key TRGs, and immunohistochemistry results revealed significant differential expression of three TRGs in tumours and paracancerous tissues. Based on the risk scores, PRAD patients were stratified into high-risk and low-risk cohorts. The Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses corroborated the exceptional predictive performance of our novel risk model. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the risk score was an independent risk factor associated with Overall Survival (OS) and was significantly associated with T and N stages of PRAD patients. Notably, the high-risk group exhibited a greater response to chemotherapy and immunosuppression compared to the low-risk group, offering potential guidance for treatment strategies for high-risk patients. In conclusion, our new risk model, based on TRGs, serves as a reliable prognostic indicator for PRAD. The model holds significant value in guiding the selection of immunotherapy and chemotherapy in the clinical management of PRAD patients.
Exploring the enigma: history, present, and future of long non-coding RNAs in cancer
Authors: Naseer Qais Ahmad , Malik Abdul , Zhang Fengyuan , Chen Shengxia
Published: June 2024

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are more than 200 nucleotides in length and do not encode proteins, play crucial roles in governing gene expression at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. These molecules demonstrate specific expression patterns in various tissues and developmental stages, suggesting their involvement in numerous developmental processes and diseases, notably cancer. Despite their widespread acknowledgment and the growing enthusiasm surrounding their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, the precise mechanisms through which lncRNAs function remain inadequately understood. A few lncRNAs have been studied in depth, providing valuable insights into their biological activities and suggesting emerging functional themes and mechanistic models. However, the extent to which the mammalian genome is transcribed into functional noncoding transcripts is still a matter of debate. This review synthesizes our current understanding of lncRNA biogenesis, their genomic contexts, and their multifaceted roles in tumorigenesis, highlighting their potential in cancer-targeted therapy. By exploring historical perspectives alongside recent breakthroughs, we aim to illuminate the diverse roles of lncRNA and reflect on the broader implications of their study for understanding genome evolution and function, as well as for advancing clinical applications.
Filter Bubbles and the Unfeeling: How AI for Social Media Can Foster Extremism and Polarization
Authors: Rodilosso Ermelinda
Published: June 2024

Social media have undoubtedly changed our ways of living. Their presence concerns an increasing number of users (over 4,74 billion) and pervasively expands in the most diverse areas of human life. Marketing, education, news, data, and sociality are just a few of the many areas in which social media play now a central role. Recently, some attention toward the link between social media and political participation has emerged. Works in the field of artificial intelligence have already pointed out that there is a close link between the use of machine learning algorithms in social media and possible epistemic isolation, which could lead to political radicalization. The idea supporting this paper is that artificial intelligence for social media can actively put users’ deliberative capacity at risk and foster political extremism. To prove these claims, I proceed along two lines of inquiry. First, I focus on filter bubbles, namely the result of selections made by algorithms that recommend contents that meet users’ expectations and opinions. To analyze this phenomenon, I refer to the Deweyan model of experience. Second, I connect the filter bubbles problem to the Deweyan idea of deliberative and participatory democracy and Nussbaum’s concept of political compassion. The purpose of this paper is to provide a philosophical foundation that can both (1) effectively serve as a method for analyzing machine learning algorithms and their potential problems in relation to political extremism, and (2) be adopted as a standard to counter the danger of extremism associated with social media experience.
Generating Composite Material Maps from Numerical Simulation of Hailstone Impact
Authors: Macdonald John. R. , Stack Margaret M.
Published: June 2024

Over the lifetime of a wind turbine, the blades receive significant erosion to the leading edge caused by precipitation, leading to large losses in aerodynamic performance and therefore power output. It is therefore prudent to study the mechanics of the erosion process in order to predict and mitigate these losses. Whilst leading edge erosion due to raindrop impact has received much research attention in recent years, very little research has focussed the role of hailstone impact in erosion in wind turbine blades. This paper aims to use a computational simulation model to investigate and characterise the physics of the impact of a hailstone on a flat plate of composite glass fibre material typical of those used in the construction of wind turbine blades. This was achieved by modelling the ice projectile using a Single-Particle Hydrodynamic approach in the software package LS-DYNA. This simulation was used to determine how the impact response in the target plate was affected by various parameters of the impact scenario. Simulations were run using diameters of hailstone between 5 and 20 mm, impact speeds between 80 and 120 ms−1, and at angles of incidence between 90 and 0 degrees. The paper presents these observations in the form of “maps” of the material response at each angle of incidence. It was observed that whilst at low velocities, the material response varies linearly with diameter and velocity and at higher velocities, more complicated behaviour arises due to the interaction between the initial stress wave and the remainder of the impacting projectile.
Geometric deep learning for enhanced quantitative analysis of microstructures in X-ray computed tomography data
Authors: Lapenna M. , Tsamos A. , Faglioni F. , Fioresi R. , Zanchetta F. , Bruno G.
Published: June 2024

Quantitative microstructural analysis of XCT 3D images is key for quality assurance of materials and components. In this paper we implement a Graph Convolutional Neural Network (GCNN) architecture to segment a complex Al-Si Metal Matrix composite XCT volume (3D image). We train the model on a synthetic dataset and we assess its performance on both synthetic and experimental, manually-labeled, datasets. Our simple GCNN shows a comparable performance, measured via the Dice score, to more standard machine learning methods, but uses a greatly reduced number of parameters (less than 1/10 of parameters), features low training time, and needs little hardware resources. Our GCNN thus achieves a cost-effective reliable segmentation.
First dietary assessment of a generalist mesocarnivore, the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Austria
Authors: Hatlauf Jennifer , Lanszki József
Published: June 2024

The golden jackal (Canis aureus) has rapidly expanded its range in Europe, prompting questions about its ecological impact and management. The species’ expansion strategy differs from other European countries. Despite its presence demonstrated for thirty years, it still has a limited presence in Austria; its successful reproduction has just recently been confirmed. Our study provides the first comprehensive insights into the dietary habits of jackals in Austria. The analysed jackal stomachs, with 48 food items, revealed a diverse diet. The primary foods were wild ungulates, mostly from scavenging, mostly cervids and partially wild boar, making up nearly half of their diet. Domestic animals and household food comprised secondary sources, while plant matter had tertiary importance. The consumption of small mammals, birds, and invertebrates had little importance. We detected the consumption of a smaller carnivore, a marten. Our findings align with observations from other central-southeastern European regions, indicating that jackals exhibit diverse and opportunistic foraging behavior. This adaptability will likely contribute to their continued expansion in Austria and Europe. Further research is needed to explore potential ecological implications. Addressing the golden jackal's expansion requires coordinated conservation and management to balance its coexistence with humans and local biodiversity preservation.
Revitalizing Ethiopia’s highland soil degradation: a comprehensive review on land degradation and effective management interventions
Authors: Solomon Negasi , Birhane Emiru , Tilahun Mesfin , Schauer Mark , Gebremedhin Mewcha Amha , Gebremariam Filmon Tquabo , Gidey Tesfay , Newete Solomon W.
Published: June 2024

Land degradation is one of the major challenges causing food insecurity and instability in Ethiopia. A comprehensive study on trends and drivers of land degradation and, socioeconomic and ecological impact of land degradation is necessary for an effective and sustainable mitigation measures. This study reviewed the drivers, trends and impacts of land degradation, existing sustainable land management (SLM) practices, and policies for land use and resources management. We employed the keyword research acquisition approach to review 122 scientific papers, reports, and other documents. The scientific literatures in the study were accessed through as the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar search engines, while reports and other additional materials were sourced from a variety of repositories and governmental offices. There has been a substantial increase in soil erosion since the 1980s in the highlands of Ethiopia. Illegal logging, poor land management system, overgrazing of pasturelands, population growth, insecure land tenure, war and conflict, poverty, ineffective government policies and programs, institutional issues, poor rural markets, and low agricultural inputs remained the major drivers for land degradation in Ethiopia causing huge loss of agricultural production and environmental unsustainability. Biological and physical soil and water conservation measures, exclosure establishment, afforestation, and reforestation programs are the most common intervention measures of preventing and restoring degraded lands. SLM practices such as intercropping systems, composting, crop rotation, zero grazing, minimum tillage, agroforestry and rotational grazing has been implemented across the country. However, land security and the absence of clearly defined property rights are the major factors that influence farmers’ decisions for a long-term investment on land resources. Thus the SLM practices and various restoration interventions remain a critical requirement to address the growing concerns of land degradation in Ethiopia.
State-of-the-art thermocatalytic systems for CH4 and CO production via CO2 hydrogenation: critical comparison, mechanistic considerations and structure-performance insights
Authors: Lykaki Maria , Mandela Evridiki , Varvoutis Georgios , Lampropoulos Athanasios , Marnellos George E. , Konsolakis Michalis
Published: June 2024

The unprecedented increase of atmospheric CO2 concentration and the associated climate change calls for the urgent implementation of CO2 mitigation approaches. Among the various proposed measures, CO2 capture from several industrial point sources or directly from air and its subsequent hydrogenation via renewable H2 towards value-added products formation has gained particular attention. Specifically, the production of CO or CH4 is of great importance for the eventual generation of liquid fuels or synthetic natural gas, respectively. Herein, an overview of the state-of-the-art noble and non-noble metal-based catalysts employed for the thermocatalytic CO2 hydrogenation towards CO (reverse water–gas shift reaction, rWGS) or CH4 (Sabatier reaction) is elaborated. A brief description of fundamental considerations is initially provided for each reaction, involving thermodynamic, mechanistic and kinetics considerations. Then, the recent catalytic studies on rWGS and Sabatier reactions over both noble metal and non-noble metal catalysts (e.g., metal oxides, carbides, metal organic frameworks) are discussed from the perspective of structure–property relationships. Lastly, the most important conclusions arising from the comparative analysis of the most promising catalysts are summarized and are complemented with proposed outlooks associated with future directions towards the rational design of highly active and selective catalytic materials for each process.
Enhancing knowledge construction in emerging technologies: the role of imagination training in immersive virtual reality environments
Authors: Pflieger Laura Claudia Johanna , Hartmann Christian , Bannert Maria
Published: June 2024

In the rapidly evolving landscape of educational technologies, Immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) stands out as a transformative tool for teaching and learning. The learner must actively engage, particularly when visual and auditory knowledge information is presented simultaneously. Generative learning strategies support learners in processing and integrating the information provided effectively and help them select, organize, and integrate information into a coherent mental model. Yet, learners often do not use such strategies spontaneously, so pre-training of the learning strategy is recommendable. IVR provides a spatial context for learning, where an essential strategy for promoting learning is to integrate auditory knowledge information into visually perceived space. We hypothesize that this can be done effectively through imagination, i.e., learners mentally visualize auditory information. This study investigated an imaginative pre-training strategy that targets integrating visual-spatial and auditory knowledge information. In a pre-post between-subjects design, we tested the effects of imaginative strategy pre-training. Students received either a pre-training (EG = 30) or no training (CG = 30) before exploring an iVR learning environment. Against our expectations, the EG did not outperform the CG on semantic and spatial knowledge. These findings may be explained by the demands on learners to process sensory input, and focus directed attention in a spatial iVR environment, suggesting that imagination strategies need to be anchored and complemented by other selection and organization strategies. This study contributes to a critical understanding of the possibilities and limitations of iVR in education, shedding light on the learners' processes and needs.
Ancient Christians and the Power of Curses
Authors: Nasrallah Laura Salah
Published: June 2024

Ancient Christians and their non-Christian contemporaries lived in a world of 'magic.' Sometimes, they used curses as ritual objects to seek justice from gods and other beings; sometimes, they argued against them. Curses, and the writings of those who polemicized against curses, reveal the complexity of ancient Mediterranean religions, in which materiality, poetics, song, incantation, and glossolalia were used as technologies of power. Laura Nasrallah's study reframes the field of religion, the study of the Roman imperial period, and the investigation of the New Testament and ancient Christianity. Her approach eschews disciplinary aesthetics that privilege the literature and archaeological remains of elites, and that defines curses as magical materials, separable from religious ritual. Moreover, Nasrallah's imaginative use of art and 'research creations' of contemporary Black painters, sculptors, and poets offer insights for understanding how ancient ritual materials embedded into art work intervene into the present moment and critique injustice.
Analysis of the Stress Field Around Concealed Active Fault From Minor Faults‐Slip Data Collected by Geological Survey: An Example in the 1984 Western Nagano Earthquake Region
Authors: Nishiyama N. , Nakajima T. , Goto A. , Hakoiwa H. , Nagata M. , Shimada K. , Niwa M.
Published: June 2024

Earthquakes with magnitudes of 6–7 have been reported even in various active tectonic settings where fault deformation topography have not been detected. Therefore, delineating concealed active faults generating such earthquakes is necessary to reduce earthquake damage; however, few studies exist to provide its clues regarding such faults. The 1984 Western Nagano Earthquake in Japan was a main shock with a magnitude of Mj 6.8 and a depth of 2 km at the source. Solid bedrocks are well‐exposed in the earthquake source region; however, no surface rupture have been identified, and the active fault is known to be concealed. In this study, we collected data on striations observed in fractures by geological survey around the source area of the 1984 Western Nagano Earthquake. Using the collected data, the multiple inverse method was used to estimate the stresses that affected the striation formation. Consequently, stresses similar to acting faults in this area were detected in minor faults around the known concealed active fault. This suggests that the minor faults might be part of the damage zone that has been developed around the concealed active fault. Some minor faults were recognized in Quaternary volcanic rocks, confirming that they experienced displacements recently. This study indicates the possibility of detecting concealed active faults in the bedrock by geological survey.
The Significance of Interseismic Vertical Land Movement at Convergent Plate Boundaries in Probabilistic Sea‐Level Projections for AR6 Scenarios: The New Zealand Case
Authors: Naish T. , Levy R. , Hamling I. , Hreinsdóttir S. , Kumar P. , Garner G. G. , Kopp R. E. , Golledge N. , Bell R. , Paulik R. , Lawrence J. , Denys P. , Gillies T. , Bengtson S. , Howell A. , Clark K. , King D. , Litchfield N. , Newnham R.
Published: June 2024

Anticipating and managing the impacts of sea‐level rise for nations astride active tectonic margins requires understanding of rates of sea surface elevation change in relation to coastal land elevation. Vertical land motion (VLM) can either exacerbate or reduce sea‐level changes with impacts varying significantly along a coastline. Determining rate, pattern, and variability of VLM near coasts leads to a direct improvement of location‐specific relative sea level (RSL) estimates for coastal hazard risk assessment. Here, we utilize vertical velocity field from interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data, calibrated with campaign and continuous Global Navigation Satellite System data, to determine the VLM for the entire coastline of New Zealand. Guided by available knowledge of the seismic cycle, the VLM data infer secular, interseismic rates of land surface deformation. Using the Framework for Assessing Changes to Sea‐level (FACTS), we build probabilistic RSL projections using the same emissions scenarios employed in IPCC Assessment Report 6 and local VLM data at 8,179 sites, thereby enhancing spatial coverage that was previously limited to four tide gauges. We present ensembles of probability distributions of RSL for each scenario to 2150, and for low confidence sea‐level processes to 2300. Where land subsidence is occurring at rates >2 mm/y VLM makes a significant contribution to RSL projections for all scenarios out to 2150. Our approach can be applied to similar locations across the world and has significant implications for adaptation planning, as timing of threshold exceedance for coastal inundation can be brought forward (or delayed) by decades.
The Timing of Detectable Increases in Seasonal Soil Moisture Droughts Under Future Climate Change
Authors: Chen Sisi , Yuan Xing
Published: June 2024

Global warming exacerbates the increase of soil moisture drought by accelerating the water cycle, posing potential threats to food security and ecological sustainability. The design of drought prevention and mitigation policies should be based on the reliable detection of the future change signal in droughts, so it is critical to know when the signal can be detected (Time of Emergence, ToE) in the background noise of the climate system. While the ToE framework has been successfully applied for temperature‐related signal detection, the ToE for changes in drought has not been well studied. Based on 66 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 model ensemble members under four Shared Socio‐economic Pathways, we conduct a global ToE analysis of seasonal soil moisture drought characteristics and discuss the impact of different warming levels. Six subregions with robust increase in soil moisture droughts are identified. For drought frequency, most of the subregion's ToE is centered around 2080, however for drought intensity it is much earlier and can even reach around 2040 in AMZ. For drought frequency and drought intensity, approximately 14%–22% and 47%–49% of global land areas would reach ToE in 21st century. The global land areas with ToE of increasing droughts would increase by at least 1/5 when global warming level is kept to 2°C rather than 1.5°C above pre‐industrial conditions. This suggests that limiting global warming can significantly delay the emergence time of increases in seasonal soil moisture droughts, allowing additional adaptation time for the drought‐related sectors.
Simulation of Nighttime Medium‐Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances in the Midlatitude Ionosphere During Stormtime
Authors: Wang Xiaochuan , Lei Jiuhou , Zhang Shun‐Rong , Li Zezhong , Dang Tong , Luan Xiaoli , Dou Xiankang
Published: June 2024

The generation of medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) in the mid‐latitude F region ionosphere, particularly in the presence of sporadic E (Es) layers or geomagnetically conjugate features, has been the focus of extensive investigation using both observational and numerical modeling approaches. Recent observations have revealed the occurrence of nighttime MSTIDs over the continental US during storm conditions even without invoking the Es instability. While this phenomenon is considered to be electrified and likely associated with the Perkins instability, the influences of storm‐enhanced density (SED), electric fields, and winds on the excitation of nighttime MSTIDs remain a complicated issue and require further quantitative analysis. In this study, we develop a two‐dimensional numerical model of the nighttime ionospheric electrodynamics at midlatitudes using the ionospheric ion continuity equation and the electric field Poisson equation to investigate the characteristics of MSTIDs in the SED base region during storm conditions. We demonstrate that the magnetic inclination effect can explain the lower latitude preference of the MSTIDs during magnetic storms, while the development of MSTIDs is primarily influenced by intense storm electric fields under the background ionospheric condition of large density gradients associated with SED. However, the impact of neutral winds on the MSTIDs growth varies, depending on their specific direction determined by the strongly dynamic spatiotemporal variation of the thermosphere and ionosphere during storms. Therefore, the MSTIDs stormtime scenario results from a combination of multiple important factors.