bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bio‐Inspired Functional Materials for Environmental Applications
Authors: Ede Sivasankara Rao , Yu Haitao , Sung Chao Hsuan , Kisailus David
Published: December 2023

With the global population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, there is an urgent need for advanced materials that can address existing and developing environmental issues. Many current synthesis processes are environmentally unfriendly and often lack control over size, shape, and phase of resulting materials. Based on knowledge from biological synthesis and assembly processes, as well as their resulting functions (e.g., photosynthesis, self‐healing, anti‐fouling, etc.), researchers are now beginning to leverage these biological blueprints to advance bio‐inspired pathways for functional materials for water treatment, air purification and sensing. The result has been the development of novel materials that demonstrate enhanced performance and address sustainability. Here, an overview of the progress and potential of bio‐inspired methods toward functional materials for environmental applications is provided. The challenges and opportunities for this rapidly expanding field and aim to provide a valuable resource for researchers and engineers interested in developing sustainable and efficient processes and technologies is discussed.
Controlling Vertical Asymmetry of Nanocrystals Through Anisotropic Etching‐Assisted Nanosphere Lithography
Authors: Ganguly Arnab , Zafar Humaira , Howells Calvyn Travis , Pereira Mauro Fernandes , Das Gobind
Published: December 2023

Nanosphere lithography, a low‐cost fabrication technique, depends on the self‐assembly of nanoscale features to create nanostructures in a hexagonally close‐packed structure. In this article, the fabrication of 3D nanostructures over a large surface‐area with anisotropy along the growth direction through the combination of chemical and physical plasma etching is reported. The anisotropy stems from etching the nanosphere mask and the substrate at different rates. Due to the dynamic masking effect, a systematic variation of etching time gives rise to intriguing nanostructures with sharp edges that have strong potential for plasmonic applications, with the possibility of manipulating electromagnetic radiation. The structures obtained include nanocylinders, truncated hexagon‐based pyramids, circular pads on a conical base, and nanocones from a single‐layer nanosphere mask. Simulations of the fabrication process offer further insight into the understanding of nanostructure formation. A good agreement between predicted results and experiments confirms the potential of our numerical design. In addition, the optical properties of the nanostructures are investigated by UV–vis and the experimental findings are consistent with simulations based on a finite‐difference time‐domain method. The nanostructures described in this study contribute to the emerging 3D plasmonics and 3D magnonics, with strong potential for a significant impact on biosensor applications.
Make It Make Sense: Fostering Children of Color from Minoritized Communities’ Comprehension Through Student‐Generated Decodable Readers
Authors: Lawson Amber
Published: December 2023

When young children of Color from minoritized communities read decodable readers mandated by their school districts, children approach reading the texts with the expectation that the texts will make sense. While decodable readers allow children to apply their knowledge of phonics skills in context to support their word recognition, they tend to lack meaning and are not written in typical oral speech patterns. Therefore, many children may benefit from engaging in weekly instruction using student‐generated decodable readers (SGDRs) that not only support their decoding development but support their reading comprehension as well. The author includes illustrative examples of how first and second‐graders created SGDRs to support their decoding and, simultaneously, their comprehension development.
Learn about the DOJ and ED's joint “Dear Colleague” letter regarding webpage accessibility
Authors: Masinter Michael R.
Published: December 2023

On May 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Education Department released a joint “Dear Colleague” letter outlining the Section 504 and Americans With Disabilities Act accessibility obligations that govern educational institutions’ public‐facing webpages. Although the “Dear Colleague” letter reiterates that all public‐facing web pages should be accessible to low vision, hearing impaired, and limited motor control users, it offers little new guidance on compliance timelines, suggesting instead that the Departments will afford some flexibility to institutions that have not yet come into compliance. Thus, while institutions already should have ensured as a matter of self‐interest that critical public‐facing web pages — including those related to applications, marketing, and news announcements — are accessible, institutions need not scour all public‐facing web pages to immediately root out inaccessible archival material.
The qualities of a good enrollment manager
Authors: Dennis Marguerite J.
Published: December 2023

In 1976, in an article in Boston College's Bridge Magazine, dean of admission John Maguire defined enrollment management as a process that brings together disparate functions related to recruiting, funding, tracking, and retaining students as they enroll, progress, and graduate.
Epidemiological landscape of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and its impact on amphibian diversity at global scale
Authors: Delia Basanta M. , Velasco Julián A. , González‐Salazar Constantino
Published: December 2023

Chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is a major driver of amphibian decline worldwide. The global presence of Bd is driven by a synergy of factors, such as climate, species life history, and amphibian host susceptibility. Here, using a Bayesian data‐mining approach, we modeled the epidemiological landscape of Bd to evaluate how infection varies across several spatial, ecological, and phylogenetic scales. We compiled global information on Bd occurrence, climate, species ranges, and phylogenetic diversity to infer the potential distribution and prevalence of Bd. By calculating the degree of co‐distribution between Bd and our set of environmental and biological variables (e.g. climate and species), we identified the factors that could potentially be related to Bd presence and prevalence using a geographic correlation metric, epsilon (ε). We fitted five ecological models based on 1) amphibian species identity, 2) phylogenetic species variability values for a given species assemblage, 3) temperature, 4) precipitation and 5) all variables together. Our results extend the findings of previous studies by identifying the epidemiological landscape features of Bd. This ecological modeling framework allowed us to generate explicit spatial predictions for Bd prevalence at global scale and a ranked list of species with high/low probability of Bd presence. Our geographic model identified areas with high potential for Bd prevalence (potential Bd‐risk areas) and areas with low potential Bd prevalence as potential refuges (free Bd). At the amphibian assemblage level, we found non‐relationship with amphibian phylogenetic signals, but a significantly negative correlation between observed species richness and Bd prevalence indicated a potential dilution effect at the landscape scale. Our model may identify species and areas potentially susceptible and at risk for Bd presence, which could be used to prioritize regions for amphibian conservation efforts and to assess species and assemblage at risks.
Justification of the exact asymptotics of the fundamental solution for a degenerate parabolic equation with a small parameter
Authors: Danilov Vladimir G. , Rakhel Mark A.
Published: December 2023

In this paper, we propose a scheme for constructing the asymptotics of the fundamental solution of a linear degenerate parabolic equation with a small parameter. The asymptotics is constructed using the operator representation of the Dirac delta function and the non‐oscillating Wentzel‐Kramers‐Brillouin (WKB) method. In addition, a method to justify the obtained asymptotics by proving the convergence of the formal series that arises when using the WKB method is shown. Several examples of degenerate parabolic equations are considered, for which a fundamental solution is constructed, and its main properties are indicated.
Holographic three-point correlators at finite density and temperature
Authors: Georgiou George , Zoakos Dimitrios
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We calculate holographically three-point functions of scalar operators with large dimensions at finite density and finite temperature. To achieve this, we construct new solutions that involve two isometries of the deformed internal space. The novel feature of these solutions is that the corresponding two-point function depends not only on the conformal dimension but also on the difference between the two angular momenta. After identifying the dual operators, we systematically calculate three-point correlators as an expansion in powers of the temperature and the chemical potential. Our analytic perturbative results are in agreement with the exact numerical computation. The three point correlator (when the background contains either temperature or density but not both) is always a monotonic function of the temperature or the chemical potential. However, when both parameters are present the three point correlator is no longer a monotonic function. For fixed finite temperature and small values of the chemical potential a minimum of the three-point function appears. Surprisingly, contributions from the internal space do not depend on the chemical potential or the temperature, as long as those are treated as perturbations.
Subleading effects in soft-gluon emission at one-loop in massless QCD
Authors: Czakon Michał , Eschment Felix , Schellenberger Tom
Published: December 2023

Abstract

We elucidate the structure of the next-to-leading-power soft-gluon expansion of arbitrary one-loop massless-QCD amplitudes. The expansion is given in terms of universal colour-, spin- and flavour-dependent operators acting on process-dependent gauge-invariant amplitudes. The result is proven using the method of expansion-by-regions and tested numerically on non-trivial processes with up to six partons. In principle, collinear-region contributions are expressed in terms of convolutions of universal jet operators and process-dependent amplitudes with two collinear partons. However, we evaluate these convolutions exactly for arbitrary processes. This is achieved by deriving an expression for the next-to-leading power expansion of tree-level amplitudes in the collinear limit, which is a novel result as well. Compared to previous studies, our analysis, besides being more general, yields simpler formulae that avoid derivatives of process-dependent amplitudes in the collinear limit.
High-protein home parenteral nutrition in malnourished oncology patients: a systematic literature review
Authors: Cotogni Paolo , Shaw Clare , Jimenez-Fonseca Paula , Partridge Dominic , Pritchett David , Webb Neil , Crompton Amy , Garcia-Lorda Pilar , Shepelev Julian
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Up to 83% of oncology patients are affected by cancer-related malnutrition, depending on tumour location and patient age. Parenteral nutrition can be used to manage malnutrition, but there is no clear consensus as to the optimal protein dosage. The objective of this systematic literature review (SLR) was to identify studies on malnourished oncology patients receiving home parenteral nutrition (HPN) where protein or amino acid delivery was reported in g/kg bodyweight/day, and to compare outcomes between patients receiving low (< 1 g/kg bodyweight/day), standard (1–1.5 g/kg/day), and high-protein doses (> 1.5 g/kg/day).

Methods

Literature searches were performed on 5th October 2021 in Embase, MEDLINE, and five Cochrane Library and Centre for Reviews and Dissemination databases. Searches were complemented by hand-searching of conference proceedings, a clinical trial registry, and bibliographic reference lists of included studies and relevant SLRs/meta-analyses.

Results

Nineteen publications were included; sixteen investigated standard protein, two reported low protein, and one included both, but none assessed high-protein doses. Only one randomised controlled trial (RCT) was identified; all other studies were observational studies. The only study to compare two protein doses reported significantly greater weight gain in patients receiving 1.15 g/kg/day than those receiving 0.77 g/kg/day.

Conclusion

At present, there is insufficient evidence to determine the optimal protein dosage for malnourished oncology patients receiving HPN. Data from non-HPN studies and critically ill patients indicate that high-protein interventions are associated with increased overall survival and quality of life; further studies are needed to establish whether the same applies in malnourished oncology patients.
Exploring antioxidant potential in two basidiomycetous mushrooms using high-performance thin-layer chromatography–DPPH–videodensitometry
Authors: Krüzselyi Dániel , Ott Péter G. , Móricz Ágnes M.
Published: December 2023

The antioxidant activity of the methanol extracts of fruiting bodies of two basidiomycetous mushroom species (Cyclocybe cylindracea and Leccinum duriusculum) was evaluated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) combined with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and videodensitometry. The HPTLC separation was achieved on a silica gel layer with acetonitrile–water–acetic acid (75:25:3, V/V). The results were compared with those obtained by the conventional microplate-based DPPH assay. The two methods provided similar results showing that the extract of the C. cylindracea had higher total antioxidant activity than the extract of the L. duriusculum, and the antioxidant activities of both extracts were much weaker than the antioxidant activities of ascorbic acid or gallic acid. Mushroom components in one zone of L. duriusculum extract and three zones of C. cylindracea extract assigned using HPTLC–DPPH–videodensitometry were mainly responsible for the antioxidant activity. Based on a previous study the β-carboline alkaloid C1-S diastereomer of brunnein B in C. cylindracea at hRF 49 contributed to the antioxidant effect the most, which corresponded to 52.0 ± 3.1 ng of ascorbic acid equivalent and 51.7 ± 3.7 ng of gallic acid equivalent.
Overlapping consensus in pluralist societies: simulating Rawlsian full reflective equilibrium
Authors: Lohse Richard
Published: December 2023

The fact of reasonable pluralism in liberal democracies threatens the stability of such societies. John Rawls proposed a solution to this problem: The different comprehensive moral doctrines endorsed by the citizens overlap on a shared political conception of justice, e.g. his justice as fairness. Optimally, accepting the political conception is for each citizen individually justified by the method of wide reflective equilibrium. If this holds, society is in full reflective equilibrium. Rawls does not in detail investigate the conditions under which a full reflective equilibrium is possible or likely. This paper outlines a new strategy for addressing this open question by using the formal model of reflective equilibrium recently developed by Beisbart et al. First, it is argued that a bounded rationality perspective is appropriate which requires certain changes in the model. Second, the paper rephrases the open question about Rawlsian full reflective equilibrium in terms of the model. The question is narrowed down by focusing on the inferential connections between comprehensive doctrines and political conception. Rawls himself makes a demanding assumption about which connections are necessary for a full reflective equilibrium. Third, the paper presents a simulation study design that is focused on simplicity. The results are discussed, they fit with Rawls’s assumption. However, because of the strong idealisations, they provide a useful benchmark rather than a final answer. The paper presents suggestions for more elaborate study designs.
Bacteria degrading both n-alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons are prevalent in soils
Authors: Brzeszcz Joanna , Steliga Teresa , Ryszka Przemysław , Kaszycki Paweł , Kapusta Piotr
Published: December 2023

This study was undertaken to determine the distribution of soil bacteria capable of utilizing both n-alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons. These microorganisms have not been comprehensively investigated so far. Ten contaminated (4046–43,861 mg of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) kg−1 of dry weight of soil) and five unpolluted (320–2754 mg TPH kg−1 of dry weight of soil) soil samples from temperate, arid, and Alpine soils were subjected to isolation of degraders with extended preferences and shotgun metagenomic sequencing (selected samples). The applied approach allowed to reveal that (a) these bacteria can be isolated from pristine and polluted soils, and (b) the distribution of alkane monooxygenase (alkB) and aromatic ring hydroxylating dioxygenases (ARHDs) encoding genes is not associated with the contamination presence. Some alkB and ARHD genes shared the same taxonomic affiliation; they were most often linked with the Rhodococcus, Pseudomonas, and Mycolicibacterium genera. Moreover, these taxa together with the Paeniglutamicibacter genus constituted the most numerous groups among 132 culturable strains growing in the presence of both n-alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons. All those results indicate (a) the prevalence of the hydrocarbon degraders with extended preferences and (b) the potential of uncontaminated soil as a source of hydrocarbon degraders applied for bioremediation purposes.
(Too) high hopes? How Austrian energy community actors construct their roles in the energy transition
Authors: Vogler Andrea , Kump Barbara
Published: December 2023

Energy communities (ECs), as forms of social innovation, have the potential to contribute to sustainability transitions in the energy system. Hence, policymakers place great hopes in ECs as drivers of the energy transition and impose 'transformative goals' on EC actors. However, earlier work revealed differentiated motives (e.g., personal gain, hedonism, economic reasons) on the part of these actors, with system transformation not always being the most important goal. Hence, this empirical study aims to provide a more nuanced picture of how individual actors, namely, founders, intermediaries, and influential early members of ECs, set about understanding and constructing their roles in the energy transition. Using the concept of actor roles in transitions and taking a discourse–theoretical approach, we study the case of Austria, where recent legislative changes enabled the formation of renewable ECs. Drawing on extensive desk research, 15 in-depth interviews, and participant observations in four community meetings, we identify four ideal–typical role constructions of EC actors: grassroots, entrepreneurial, local hero, and techno-centric. In fact, these roles vary significantly in their transformative potential, with the grassroots role emphasizing empowerment for a profound social and ecological transition, the techno-centric focusing on technological advancement, while the entrepreneurial role prioritizes economic aspects, and the local hero role centers on a limited, small-scale approach. Our findings challenge the widespread assumption of EC actors taking a 'transformative' role and reveal novel insights into the different roles’ main concerns that need to be considered in the implementation of energy policies.
Numeracy and consistency in age declarations: a case study on nineteenth and twentieth century Catalonia
Authors: Pujadas-Mora Joana María , Pérez-Artés María Carmen
Published: December 2023

A rich tradition exists on measuring human capital in historical societies through basic mathematical skills using the method of age heaping. In this article, we novelty propose to calculate it also through the analysis of the consistency in individual consecutive age declaration statements in five towns of Baix Llobregat’s county (Barcelona, Spain) during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The region underwent a proto-industrialization in the eighteenth century and was one of the main wool and cotton textile producers in the nineteenth century in Catalonia. Our main results show that (I) numeracy levels in this county were above the Spanish average in the whole period and, during the first years of the nineteenth century, ahead of countries such as Italy, Portugal and the USA. However, its numeracy dropped from 1880’s due the early industrialization of Catalonia in the Spanish and Southern Europe context, the existence of child labor in the factories and that also coincided with the phylloxera crisis. (II) To this effect, women presented lower levels of numeracy than men, but their levels tended to converge. (III) As regards emigrants, those who came to the rest of Spain had the lowest level of numeracy compared to the natives. (IV) Moreover, we found that literacy, the 1901 education reform and a higher socioeconomic status had a positive effect on reporting ages consistently over time. (V) Finally, we prove a positive association between systematically reporting ages ending in 0 or 5 and having a higher individual error in age statements along the life course.
Bounds for theta sums in higher rank. II
Authors: Marklof Jens , Welsh Matthew
Published: December 2023

In the first paper of this series we established new upper bounds for multi-variable exponential sums associated with a quadratic form. The present study shows that if one adds a linear term in the exponent, the estimates can be further improved for almost all parameter values. Our results extend the bound for one-variable theta sums obtained by Fedotov and Klopp in 2012.
An experimental investigation of gas permeability of a low permeability sandstone under deviatoric loading with loading/unloading cycles
Authors: Zhang Yu , Jiang Siqi , Mei Songhua , Tao Zizhuo , Hou Shaohao
Published: December 2023

Low permeability sandstones are widely found in oil and gas reservoirs. To gain a better understanding of the mechanical behavior of low-permeability sandstones, the permeability evolution of sandstone is investigated experimentally under triaxial compression loading, especially with multiple loading/unloading cycles, using two groups of experimental tests. The one is the triaxial compression tests with and without loading/unloading cycles. The other one is gas permeability tests in triaxial compression. The test results show that the stress–strain curves exhibited obvious nonlinear behavior and softening characteristics. It was demonstrated that important strain hysteresis occurred during the loading and unloading test. The permeability evolution of sandstone exhibited three phases: slow decrease, slow increase and rapid increase. Meanwhile, the permeability evolution followed the evolution of damage. The permeability under different confining pressures was different when the damage variable was approximate to 0.1. As the confining pressure increases, the permeability and the damage variable tend to be constant. The total permeability change is 0.568 when the confining pressure is 30 MPa. Moreover, a deviatoric stress threshold 0.8$${\sigma }_{\rm p}$$

σ
p

is observed in the process of permeability evolution. When the applied stress is less than the threshold, the influence of confining pressure doesn’t play a dominant role in the permeability evolution. When the applied stress is larger than the threshold, the permeability evolution depends on the combination of axial stress and confining pressure.
Predicting the Addition of Information Regarding Clinically Significant Adverse Drug Reactions to Japanese Drug Package Inserts Using a Machine-Learning Model
Authors: Watanabe Takashi , Ambe Kaori , Tohkin Masahiro
Published: December 2023

Purpose

To develop a machine learning (ML)-based model for predicting the addition of clinically significant adverse reaction (CSAR)-associated information to drug package inserts (PIs) based on information of adverse drug reaction (ADR) cases during the post-marketing stage in Japan.

Methods

We collected data on CSARs added to PIs from August 2011 to March 2020. ADR cases that led to CSARs resulting in PI revisions were considered as a positive case, and ML was used to construct a binary classification model to predict the PI revisions. We selected 34 features based on the ADR aggregate data collected 6 months before PI revisions. Prediction performance was evaluated using the Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC).

Results

We found CSAR information added to PIs in 617 cases, 334 of which were due to the accumulation of domestic cases, and used only domestic case data for the prediction model. Among prediction models developed using several kinds of algorithms, the support vector machine with the radial basis function kernel with feature selection showed the highest predictive performance, having an MCC of 0.938 for the cross-validation and 0.922 for the test dataset. The feature with the highest importance in the model was the “average number of patients reported per quarter.”

Conclusion

Our model accurately predicted PI revisions using information on ADR cases that occurred 6 months before. This is the first ML model that can predict the necessary safety measures and is an efficient method for guiding the decision to adopt additional safety measures early.
Irreducible worlds of inexhaustible meaning: early 1950s machine learning as subjective decision making, creative imagining and remedy for the unforeseen
Authors: Mendon-Plasek Aaron
Published: December 2023

Little historical work examines the problems, practices and values of ‘machine learning’ as it was understood and justified within pattern recognition research communities prior to the 1980s. This omission has led to a failure to appreciate how the efficacy of machine learning was often justified by its perceived capacity for ‘originality’ rooted in machine (and human) subjectivity. This paper examines why and how early 1950s pattern recognition researchers came to see ‘machine learning’ as a technical and epistemological set of nominalist strategies for performing induction and abduction given incomplete, complex or contradictory information that might also spur ‘creative’ insight in such diverse activities as political judgement and scientific inquiry. I document local research problems, epistemological commitments, institutional contexts and the circulation of ‘machine-learning’ practices and values through three cases of early-career researchers imagining, building and programming digital computers to ‘learn’ from 1950 to 1953. This machine learning implemented in learning programs came to be seen by some researchers as more efficacious descriptions of the natural and social world because these descriptions were perspective-dependent, profoundly contingent and contextually non-exhaustive. Often indexed as colloquial appeals to greater ‘generality’, conceptions of machine learning's efficacy as the capacity to make meaning from contradictory information continues to inform contemporary debates regarding artificial intelligence, society and possibility.
Validation of a brief screener for broad-spectrum mental and substance-use disorders in South Africa
Authors: Stockton Melissa Ann , Mazinyo Ernesha Webb , Mlanjeni Lungelwa , Nogemane Kwanda , Ngcelwane Nondumiso , Sweetland Annika C. , Basaraba Cale Neil , Bezuidenhout Charl , Sansbury Griffin , Lovero Kathryn L. , Olivier David , Grobler Christoffel , Wall Melanie M. , Medina-Marino Andrew , Nobatyi Phumza , Wainberg Milton L.
Published: December 2023

In low-resource settings, valid mental health screening tools for non-specialists can be used to identify patients with psychiatric disorders in need of critical mental health care. The Mental Wellness Tool-13 (mwTool-13) is a 13-item screener for identifying adults at risk for common mental disorders (CMDs) alcohol-use disorders (AUDs), substance-use disorders (SUD), severe mental disorders (SMDs), and suicide risk (SR). The mwTool-13 is administered in two steps, specifically, only those who endorse any of the initial three questions receive the remaining ten questions. We evaluated the performance of mwTool-13 in South Africa against a diagnostic gold standard. We recruited a targeted, gender-balanced sample of adults, aged ≥18 years at primary and tertiary healthcare facilities in Eastern Cape Province. Of the 1885 participants, the prevalence of CMD, AUD, SMD, SR, and SUD was 24.4%, 9.5%, 8.1%, 6.0%, and 1.6%, respectively. The mwTool-13 yielded high sensitivities for CMD, SMD, and SR, but sub-optimal sensitivities for AUD and SUD (56.7% and 64.5%, respectively). Including a single AUD question in the initial question set improved the tool’s performance in identifying AUD and SUD (sensitivity > 70%), while maintaining brevity, face-validity, and simplicity in the South African setting.
Derivation and simulation of a two-phase fluid deformable surface model
Authors: Bachini Elena , Krause Veit , Nitschke Ingo , Voigt Axel
Published: December 2023

To explore the impact of surface viscosity on coexisting fluid domains in biomembranes we consider two-phase fluid deformable surfaces as model systems for biomembranes. Such surfaces are modelled by incompressible surface Navier–Stokes–Cahn–Hilliard-like equations with bending forces. We derive this model using the Lagrange–d’Alembert principle considering various dissipation mechanisms. The highly nonlinear model is solved numerically to explore the tight interplay between surface evolution, surface phase composition, surface curvature and surface hydrodynamics. It is demonstrated that hydrodynamics can enhance bulging and furrow formation, which both can further develop to pinch-offs. The numerical approach builds on a Taylor–Hood element for the surface Navier–Stokes part, a semi-implicit approach for the Cahn–Hilliard part, higher-order surface parametrizations, appropriate approximations of the geometric quantities, and mesh redistribution. We demonstrate convergence properties that are known to be optimal for simplified subproblems.
Numerical study on the non-equilibrium characteristics of high-speed atmospheric re-entry flow and radiation of aircraft based on fully coupled model
Authors: Du Yaowen , Sun Surong , Tan Meijing , Huang Heji , Yan Cong , Meng Xian , Chen Xuan , Wang Haixing
Published: December 2023

The strong coupling interactions of non-equilibrium flow, microscopic particle collisions and radiative transitions within the shock layer of hypersonic atmospheric re-entry vehicles makes accurate prediction of the aerothermodynamics challenging. Therefore, in this study a self-consistent non-equilibrium flow, collisional–radiative reactions and radiative transfer fully coupled model are established to study the non-equilibrium characteristics of the flow field and radiation of vehicle atmospheric re-entry. The comparison of the present calculation results with flight data of FIRE II and previous results in the literature shows a reasonable agreement. The thermal, chemical and excited energy level non-equilibrium phenomena are obtained and analysed for the different FIRE II trajectory points, which form the critical basis for studying the heat transfer and radiation. The non-equilibrium distribution of excited energy levels significantly exists in the post-shock and near-wall regions due to the rapid vibrational dissociation and electronic under-excitation, as well as the wall catalytic reactions. The analysis of stagnation-point heating of FIRE II illustrates that the translational–rotational convection and the dissociation component diffusion play key roles in the aerodynamic heating of the wall region. The spectrally resolved radiative intensity in the entire flow field indicates that the vacuum ultraviolet radiation caused by the high-energy nitrogen atomic spectral lines makes the main contribution to the radiative transfer. Finally, it is found that the non-equilibrium flow–radiation coupling effect can exacerbate the excited energy level non-equilibrium, and further affect the gas radiative properties and radiative transfer. This fully coupled study provides an effective method for reasonable prediction of atmospheric re-entry flow and radiation fields.
DILOGARITHM IDENTITIES IN CLUSTER SCATTERING DIAGRAMS
Authors: NAKANISHI TOMOKI
Published: December 2023

We extend the notion of y-variables (coefficients) in cluster algebras to cluster scattering diagrams (CSDs). Accordingly, we extend the dilogarithm identity associated with a period in a cluster pattern to the one associated with a loop in a CSD. We show that these identities are constructed from and reduced to trivial ones by applying the pentagon identity possibly infinitely many times.
The Amazigh Musical Style of Rouicha: Transcending Linguistic and Cultural Boundaries
Authors: Mnouer Mounia
Published: December 2023

Mohammed Rouicha is an Amazigh musical legend. Rouicha came to prominence in his teenage years in the mid-sixties in Morocco and continued to evolve and rise internationally until his death in 2012. An artist and a musician, he was ahead of his time in that he believed that people and communities should connect with one another through music, regardless of ethnicity or language. Rouicha appreciated art in all its shapes and forms and was fascinated by Amazigh, Arab, and Hindi Music. He sang in both Tamazight (the language of the Indigenous Amazigh) and Arabic, winning him accolades among listeners in both languages. In this article, I draw on Rouicha's biography and artistic repertoire in Tamazight to analyze his lyrical and musical style. Rouicha's songs revolved around three primary themes: love, struggle, and resistance, and he painted his lyrics with the beauty and imagery of Tamazgha (Amazigh lands), giving a voice to Moroccans’ embodied experiences. His songs represent an imagined Morocco: a place where Amazigh identity is an integral part of the national identity. I argue that Rouicha represented the hope that an imagined linguistic and cross-cultural interconnectedness would unite all of Morocco within their differences.
The Proverb and its Function in Abdellah Mohia's Play “Menttif akka wala seddaw uẓekka”
Authors: Hacid Farida
Published: December 2023

Until the nineteenth century, Kabyle literature was primarily oral, passed down through word of mouth and limited to various genres such as poetry, proverbs, riddles, tales, myths, and legends. The nineteenth century marked the beginning of the transition to writing in the Kabyle language through the transcription of oral literature. However, the true departure from orality occurred in the twentieth century with the emergence of an intellectual movement within the Kabyle community that started to write in Kabyle to develop it as a written language. These writers introduced new universal literary genres such as novels, short stories, and theater.

The transition to writing in a language long confined to orality was not without its challenges. Writers often drew upon the rich oral expressions of the Kabyle language to overcome the difficulties of expressing new ideas, which became a hallmark of the writing of that era. Mohia Abdellah (1950-2004), faced the particular challenge of promoting his language by translating and adapting universal theater texts. Nevertheless, his translations and adaptations found great success by leveraging the Kabyle language's rich lexicon, especially its proverbs, which contributed to elevating the status of the Kabyle language as a written medium. This article examines some of these Kabyle proverbs reinvested by the dramatist Mohia Abdellah in his play titled “Menttif akka wala seddaw uẓekka” (literally, “better this than being in the grave”), an adaptation of the Russian playwright Nicolai Erdman's work “The Suicide.” Through an intertextual approach, the article highlights the significance of proverbial expressions in Kabyle writing due to their exceptional ability to convey complex ideas from another world. To achieve this, the article initially defines the traditional functions of Kabyle proverbs and subsequently compares them with their counterparts in the source text to better appreciate Mohia's efforts in translating and adapting foreign texts.
EgCF mediates macrophage polarisation by influencing the glycolytic pathway
Authors: Feng Yeye , Xu Junying , Lu Junxia , Hou Jun , Wang Lianghai , Dong Dan , Wang Xian , Wang Xiaofang , Wu Xiangwei , Chen Xueling
Published: December 2023

Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disorder triggered by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) and predominantly occurred in the liver and lungs. The M2 macrophage level is considerably elevated among the liver of patients with hepatic CE and performs an integral function in liver fibrosis. However, the mechanism of CE inducing polarisation of macrophage to an M2 phenotype is unknown. In this study, macrophage was treated with E. granulosus cyst fluid (EgCF) to explore the mechanism of macrophage polarisation. Consequently, the expression of the M2 macrophage and production of anti-inflammatory cytokines increased after 48 h treatment by EgCF. In addition, EgCF promoted polarisation of macrophage to an M2 phenotype by inhibiting the expression of transcriptional factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), which increased the expression of glycolysis-associated genes, including hexokinase 2 (HK2) and pyruvate kinase 2 (PKM2). The HIF-1α agonist ML228 also inhibited the induction of macrophage to an M2 phenotype by EgCF in vitro. Our findings indicate that E. granulosus inhibits glycolysis by suppressing the expression of HIF-1α.
First record of Warren's sixgill sawshark Pliotrema warreni (Pristiophoriformes: Pristiophoridae) and the West African catshark Scyliorhinus cervigoni (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) in Namibia, and notes on the habitat of the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae)
Authors: Leeney Ruth H. , Ebert David A. , Grobler Kolette
Published: December 2023

Warren's sixgill sawshark, Pliotrema warreni, is confirmed for the first time in Namibian waters, from two specimens. One specimen was collected by fisheries observers on a vessel fishing in southern Namibian waters in March 2010. The other was found dead on a beach in central coastal Namibia, in August 2014. The West African catshark, Scyliorhinus cervigoni, is documented for the first time in northern Namibia, from a specimen recorded during surveys of chondrichthyan bycatch on a commercial bottom trawler. This extends the species' range southwards from Angola. Records of bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas are also documented, providing a better understanding of their distribution in Namibia. Several anglers have reported catching bull sharks in the Kunene River (from the riverbank on the Namibian side) and just south of the river mouth, along the Namibian coast.
Is Global History Global? Convergences and Inequalities
Authors: David Thomas , Richard Anne-Isabelle , Singaravélou Pierre
Published: December 2023

Over the last twenty years, global history has experienced a considerable boom, breaking with traditional historical approaches that privileged the national framework and very often adopted a Eurocentric perspective. This triumphalist discourse about the field of global history should not, however, obscure the local and national specificities of this field of research, be they epistemological, institutional, thematic, or historiographical, nor the disciplinary, political, and economic obstacles with which researchers are confronted. This conversation explores the intellectual and structural specificities and constraints of global history.
The Good and the Wrong of Hypocritical Blaming
Authors: Upadhyaya Kartik
Published: December 2023

Provided we blame others accurately, is blaming them morally right even if we are guilty of similar wrongdoing ourselves? On the one hand, hypocrisy seems to render blame morally wrong, and unjustified; but on the other, even hypocritical blaming seems better than silence. I develop an account of the wrongness of hypocritical blaming which resolves this apparent dilemma. When holding others accountable for their moral failings, we ought to be willing to reason, together with them, about our own, similar failings. Hypocrisy undermines this process of mutual deliberation. Thus, even if better than silence, hypocritical blaming is second-best, and that is why it is wrong.
Food as medicine: a quasi-randomized control trial of two healthy food interventions for chronic disease management among ambulatory patients at an urban academic center
Authors: Kibera Peris W. , Ofei-Tenkorang Nana A. , Mullen Chanda , Lear Aaron M. , Davidson Elliot B.
Published: December 2023

Background:

Globally, poor nutrition is a driver of many chronic diseases and is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor. Accordingly, there is growing interest in the direct provision of healthy foods to patients to tackle diet-linked chronic diseases and mortality.

Aim:

To assess the effect of two healthy food interventions in conjunction with nutrition counseling and education on select chronic disease markers, food insecurity, diet quality, depression, and on self-efficacy for healthy eating, healthy weight, and chronic disease management.

Methods:

This parallel-arm quasi-randomized control trial will be conducted between January 2022 and December 2023. Seventy adult patients recruited from a single academic medical center will be randomly assigned to receive either: i) daily ready-made frozen healthy meals or ii) a weekly produce box and recipes for 15 weeks. Participants will, additionally, take part in one individual nutrition therapy session and watch videos on healthy eating, weight loss, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Data on weight, height, glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and diabetes and blood pressure medications will be collected in-person at the baseline visit and at 16 weeks from baseline and via medical chart review at six months and 12 months from enrollment. The primary outcome of the study is weight loss at 16 weeks from baseline. Pre- and post-intervention survey data will be analyzed for changes in food insecurity, diet quality, depression, as well as self-efficacy for health eating, healthy weight, and chronic disease management. Through retrospective chart review, patients who received standard of care will be matched to intervention group participants as controls based on body mass index, type 2 diabetes, and/or hypertension.

Findings:

By elucidating the healthy food intervention with better health outcomes, this study aims to offer evidence that can guide providers in their recommendations for healthy eating options to patients.
Western diet components that increase intestinal permeability with implications on health
Authors: Jaquez-Durán Gilberto , Arellano-Ortiz Ana Lidia
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Intestinal permeability is a physiological property that allows necessary molecules to enter the organism. This property is regulated by tight junction proteins located between intestinal epithelial cells. However, various factors can increase intestinal permeability (IIP), including diet. Specific components in the Western diet (WD), such as monosaccharides, fat, gluten, salt, alcohol, and additives, can affect the tight junctions between enterocytes, leading to increased permeability. This review explains how these components promote IIP and outlines their potential implications for health. In addition, we describe how a reduction in WD consumption may help improve dietary treatment of diseases associated with IIP. Research has shown that some of these components can cause changes in the gut microbiota, leading to dysbiosis, which can promote greater intestinal permeability and displacement of endotoxins into the bloodstream. These endotoxins include lipopolysaccharides derived from gram-negative bacteria, and their presence has been associated with various diseases, such as autoimmune, neurological, and metabolic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, nutrition professionals should promote the reduction of WD consumption and consider the inclusion of healthy diet components as part of the nutritional treatment for diseases associated with increased intestinal permeability.
Auswirkungen des Lockdowns im Frühjahr 2020 während der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie auf das Alkoholkonsumverhalten bei Raucherinnen und Rauchern
Authors: Koopmann Anne , Wetzel Lea , Hoffmann Sabine , Hillemacher Thomas , Georgiadou Ekaterini , Kiefer Falk
Published: December 2023

Zusammenfassung: Zielsetzung: Die Restriktionen während der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie hatten massive Auswirkungen auf den Alltag der Allgemeinbevölkerung. Ein vermehrter Alkohol- oder Tabakkonsum stellte in dieser Situation eine mögliche Bewältigungsstrategie im Umgang mit den unangenehm erlebten Gefühlen dar. In dieser Studie untersuchten wir die Veränderungen des Alkohol- und Tabakkonsums von Raucherinnen und Rauchern während des Lockdowns im Frühjahr 2020. Methodik: An der anonymen Online- Befragung zu Veränderungen des Tabak- und Alkoholkonsumverhaltens während des Lockdowns im Frühjahr 2020 konnten Raucherinnen und Raucher zwischen 18 und 80 Jahren teilnehmen. Die Umfrage war online verfügbar zwischen dem 8. April und dem 11. Mai 2020. Ergebnisse: 41.8 % der 913 Teilnehmenden gaben an, mehr zu rauchen während des Lockdowns, 39.5 % berichteten, mehr Alkohol zu trinken. 22.02 % aller Studienteilnehmenden erhöhten sowohl den Alkohol- als auch den Tabakkonsum. Ein erhöhtes Stressempfinden im Zusammenhang mit der SARS-CoV-2-Pandemie, die Zugehörigkeit zur Altersgruppe der 25–34-Jährigen und das Anzweifeln der Sinnhaftigkeit der Restriktionsmaßnahmen erhöhten die Wahrscheinlichkeit für eine kombinierte Konsumsteigerung von Tabak und Alkohol. Schlussfolgerungen: Aufgrund dieser Ergebnisse sollten Behandler Raucherinnen und Raucher auf die Gesundheitsrisiken, infolge einer kombinierten Erhöhung des Alkohol- und Tabakkonsums hinweisen. Insbesondere sollte das erhöhte Risiko für die Entwicklung einer Alkoholabhängigkeit thematisiert werden.
Wirkung von Sportinterventionen auf die psychische Gesundheit von Jugendlichen: Ein systematisches Review mit Praxisbeispiel Boulderpsychotherapie
Authors: Donath Carolin , Atzmüller Lukas , Florack Jakob , Engel Caroline , Luttenberger Katharina
Published: December 2023

Zusammenfassung: Die psychische Gesundheit von Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland ist derzeit stark belastet. Aufgrund der psychotherapeutischen Versorgungssituation sind leicht zugängliche, weniger stigmatisierende und effiziente Angebote dringend erforderlich. Sporttherapeutische Angebote wären eine Option. Allerdings muss die Wirksamkeit solcher Angebote nachgewiesen sein. Daher wurde eine aktuelle systematische Übersichtsarbeit zur Wirksamkeit von Bewegungstherapie auf die psychische Gesundheit von Kindern und Jugendlichen durchgeführt und Studien ab 2020 eingeschlossen. Insgesamt wurden 17 Interventionsstudien nach dem PRISMA-Statement ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sporttherapeutische Interventionen in bestimmten Populationen signifikante Effekte haben: Bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätsstörung wurden Aufmerksamkeit und kognitive Fähigkeiten signifikant verbessert. Bei Depressionen wurden positive Auswirkungen auf den Affekt festgestellt. Vereinzelt wurden populationsübergreifend signifikante Auswirkungen auf die Lebens- und Schlafqualität berichtet. Bei Kindern und Jugendlichen mit Autismus oder Lernbehinderungen konnten positive Effekte auf das Sozialverhalten nachgewiesen werden. Bewegungstherapeutische Angebote sind daher laut Literatur eine empfehlenswerte Therapieoption für Kinder und Jugendliche mit psychischen Problemen. Zur Veranschaulichung wird eine Boulderintervention als kombinierte Therapie aus Bewegungsintervention und Psychotherapie und deren Durchführbarkeit als mögliches Praxisbeispiel vorgestellt.