bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The future of value in digitalised higher education: why data privacy should not be our biggest concern
Authors: Komljenovic Janja
Published: November 2020

Universities around the world are increasingly digitalising all of their operations, with the current COVID-19 pandemic speeding up otherwise steady developments. This article focuses on the political economy of higher education (HE) digitalisation and suggests a new research programme. I foreground three principal arguments, which are empirically, theoretically, and politically crucial for HE scholars. First, most literature is examining the impacts of digitalisation on the HE sector and its subjects alone. I argue that current changes in digitalising HE cannot be studied in isolation from broader changes in the global economy. Specifically, HE digitalisation is embedded in the expansion of the digital economy, which is marked by new forms of value extraction and rentiership. Second, the emerging research on the intersection of marketisation and digitalisation in HE seems to follow the theories of marketisation qua production and commodification. I argue that we need theories with better explanatory power in analysing the current digitalisation dynamics. I propose to move from commodification to assetisation, and from prices to rents. Finally, universities are digitalising in the time when the practice is superseding policy, and there is no regulation beyond the question of data privacy. However, digital data property is already a reality, governed by ‘terms of use’, and protected by the intellectual property rights regime. The current pandemic has led to ‘emergency pedagogy’, which has intensified overall digitalisation in the sector and is bypassing concerns of data value redistribution. I argue that we urgently need public scrutiny and political action to address issues of value extraction and redistribution in HE.
A Steak for Supper if the Cow Did Not Suffer: Understanding the Mechanisms Behind People’s Intention to Purchase Animal Welfare-Friendly (AWF) Meat Products
Authors: Beldad Ardion , Hegner Sabrina
Published: November 2020

People have become increasingly conscious of the moral implications of their meat product consumption. The view that farm animals deserve moral considerations has generated widespread public attention to those animals’ welfare. Meat products from ethically raised animals are distinguished from non-welfare products using animal welfare-friendly (AWF) labels, such as the Better Life Trademark in the Netherlands. AWF meat products have become popular in the Netherlands, as evidenced by a substantial growth in product sales. To address the question concerning the factors influencing people’s intention to purchase AWF meat products and the extent to which those factors relate to one another, an online survey was implemented with 233 consumers from the Netherlands. Structural equation modeling results confirm the complexity of the mechanism behind people’s willingness to buy AWF meat products. Two factors strongly predict purchase intention—attitude and moral obligation. Furthermore, the effects of predictors such as knowledge of and trust in AWF labels on purchase intention are not direct but go through attitude and moral obligation.
The light/dark cycle of microalgae in a thin-layer photobioreactor
Authors: Chiarini Alessandro , Quadrio Maurizio
Published: November 2020

A numerical study of the motion of algal cells in a representative thin-layer-cascade (TLC) photobioreactor is presented. The goal is to determine the time scale associated with the light/dark (L/D) cycle seen by the cells during their turbulent motion in the liquid culture. Owing to the limited reliability of the available numerical results which deal with time-averaged quantities and thus lack time-resolved information, the present study is based upon the Direct Numerical Simulation of the Navier-Stokes equations, a reliable but consequently expensive numerical approach which does not incur in turbulence modelling errors. Indeed, the simulation is successfully validated in terms of averaged velocity with experimental data. The availability of full temporal information allows algae cells to be followed in time along their trajectories. A large number (up to a million) of tracers is placed in the flow to mimic the algae cell. Their trajectories are statistically studied and linked to the turbulent mixing. Results indicate that, in a typical TLC reactor designed to mimic an experimental setup, cells undergo an L/D cycle with a time scale in the range 0.1–2 s. Such time scale, albeit much longer than the typical time scale of the photosynthesis, significantly benefits the productivity of the algae compared to a steady illumination.
Synthesis, characterisation and thermal behaviour of Cu-based nano-multilayer
Authors: Czagány M. , Varanasi D. , Sycheva A. , Janovszky D. , Koncz-Horváth D. , Kristaly F. , Baumli P. , Kaptay G.
Published: November 2020

Cu/AlN–Al2O3 nano-multilayer (NML) was deposited by magnetron sputtering method on 42CrMo4 steel samples, starting with a 15 nm AlN–Al2O3 layer and followed by 200 alternating layers of 5 nm thick Cu and 5 nm thick AlN–Al2O3 layers. The microstructure and thermal behaviour of the as-deposited and heat-treated multilayer was studied. Starting from about 400 °C, extensive coarsening of Cu nanocrystallites and the migration of Cu within the multilayer were observed via solid-state diffusion. Part of the initial Cu even formed micron-sized reservoirs within the NML. Due to increased temperature and to the different heat expansion coefficients of Cu and the AlN–Al2O3, the latter cracked and Cu appeared on the top surface of the NML at around 250 °C. Below 900 °C, the transport of Cu to the top surface of the NML probably took place as a solid-state flow, leading to faceted copper micro-crystals. However, above 900 °C, the Cu micro-crystals found on the top of the NML have rounded shape, so they were probably formed by pre-melting of nano-layered Cu due to its high specific surface area in the NML. Even if the Cu crystals appear on the top surface of the NML via solid-state flow without pre-melting, the Cu crystals on the top surface of the NML can be potentially used in joining applications at and above 250 °C.
Parental time restrictions and the cost of children: insights from a survey among mothers
Authors: Borah Melanie , Knabe Andreas , Pahlke Kevin
Published: November 2020

An important aspect when analyzing economic inequality between households with children is time. At given monetary incomes, the material well-being of families may be very different depending on how much time parents have at their disposal. In this paper, we provide estimates of the subjectively perceived cost of children depending on the extent of parental time restrictions. Building on a study by Koulovatianos, Schröder and Schmidt (J. Bus. Econ. Stat. 27:42–51, 2009) that introduces a novel way of using subjective income evaluation data for such estimations, we conduct a refined version of the underlying survey, focusing on young women with children in Germany. Our study confirms that the perceived monetary cost of children is substantial and increases with parental nonmarket time restrictions. The experienced loss in material living standards associated with supplying time to the labor market is sizeable for families with children.
Past, ongoing, and future debate on the interplay between internationalization and digitalization
Authors: Bergamaschi Mara , Bettinelli Cristina , Lissana Elena , Picone Pasquale Massimo
Published: November 2020

The interplay between internationalization and digitalization (IDI) is a relatively young research domain that is finding its way into numerous academic journals, which motivates us to systematically portray the proceedings and evolutions of this interplay over time, analyze its methodological and theoretical background and, more importantly, provide insights to guide future research on these phenomena. Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, we analyze 68 peer-reviewed international business and management papers to explore the structure of knowledge production and identify the emerging trends. Our research reveals four key stages of the debate: (a) how IDI influencesinterorganizational aspects (1996–2004), (b) how digitalization influences the balance between perceived risk and returns in internationalization (2005–2009), (c) how digital advances and available internationalization channel alternatives influence IDI (2010–2014), and (d) how IDI influencesintraorganizational aspects (2015–2019). Moreover, our analysis reveals heterogeneity across theoretical perspectives, methods, and research themes over the years. Finally, we identify theoretical and methodological challenges related to IDI research.
Medians are Below Joins in Semimodular Lattices of Breadth 2
Authors: Czédli Gábor , Powers Robert C. , White Jeremy M.
Published: November 2020

Let L be a lattice of finite length and let d denote the minimum path length metric on the covering graph of L. For any $\xi =(x_{1},\dots ,x_{k})\in L^{k}$
ξ
=
(

x

1

,
…
,

x

k

)
∈

L

k

, an element y belonging to L is called a median of ξ if the sum d(y,x1) + ⋯ + d(y,xk) is minimal. The lattice L satisfies the c1-median property if, for any $\xi =(x_{1},\dots ,x_{k})\in L^{k}$
ξ
=
(

x

1

,
…
,

x

k

)
∈

L

k

and for any median y of ξ, $y\leq x_{1}\vee \dots \vee x_{k}$
y
≤

x

1

∨
⋯
∨

x

k

. Our main theorem asserts that if L is an upper semimodular lattice of finite length and the breadth of L is less than or equal to 2, then L satisfies the c1-median property. Also, we give a construction that yields semimodular lattices, and we use a particular case of this construction to prove that our theorem is sharp in the sense that 2 cannot be replaced by 3.
Ocular Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling for Ointment Formulations
Authors: Le Merdy Maxime , Spires Jessica , Lukacova Viera , Tan Ming-Liang , Babiskin Andrew , Xu Xiaoming , Zhao Liang , Bolger Michael B.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to show how the Ocular Compartmental Absorption & Transit (OCAT™) model in GastroPlus®can be used to characterize ocular drug pharmacokinetic performance in rabbits for ointment formulations.

Methods

A newly OCAT™ model developed for fluorometholone, as well as a previously verified model for dexamethasone, were used to characterize the aqueous humor (AH) concentration following the administration of multiple ointment formulations to rabbit. The model uses the following parameters: application surface area (SA), a fitted application time, and the fitted Higuchi release constant to characterize the rate of passage of the active pharmaceutical ingredient from the ointment formulations into the tears in vivo.

Results

Parameter sensitivity analysis was performed to understand the impact of ointment formulation changes on ocular exposure. While application time was found to have a significant impact on the time of maximal concentration in AH, both the application SA and the Higuchi release constant significantly influenced both the maximum concentration and the ocular exposure.

Conclusions

This initial model for ointment ophthalmic formulations is a first step to better understand the interplay between physiological factors and ophthalmic formulation physicochemical properties and their impact on in vivo ocular drug pharmacokinetic performance in rabbits.
Fertility Intentions in Times of Rising Economic Uncertainty: Evidence from Italy from a Gender Perspective
Authors: Novelli Marco , Cazzola Alberto , Angeli Aurora , Pasquini Lucia
Published: November 2020

This study analyses the socio-economic determinants of the short-term fertility plans of Italian women and men living as couples, before and shortly after the onset of the 2007/2008 Great Recession, which may have affected their reproductive plans through a climate of rising economic uncertainty. Using multilevel models, we investigate how fertility intentions are related to the individual characteristics of the respondents and their partners as well as to changes in the economic context. The findings confirm that the Great Recession modified the determinants of short-term fertility intentions differently for women and men. Among the most relevant issues, we outline the importance of couples’ working conditions and the contextual labour market indicators.
Influence of Grain Refiners on the Wettability of Al2O3 Substrate by Aluminum Melt
Authors: Yang Jiawei , Bao Sarina , Akhtar Shahid , Shen Ping , Li Yanjun
Published: November 2020

It is well known that grain refiner additions in aluminum melts significantly reduce the filtration efficiency of ceramic foam filters (CFF). However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this work, the influence of grain refiners on the wettability of alumina substrate by aluminum melt was studied by both conventional sessile drop and improved sessile drop methods at different temperatures and vacuums. Commercial purity aluminum (CP-Al) and grain refiner master alloys Al-3Ti-1B, Al-5Ti-1B, Al-3Ti-0.15C were used. It is found that master alloy melts wet alumina substrate better than CP-Al. Generally, a lower temperature or lower vacuum results in a higher contact angle. The roles of grain refiner particles in improving the wettability were studied by analyzing the solidification structure of post wetting-test droplets using SEM. Strong sedimentation of grain refiner particles at the metal-substrate interface was observed, which is attributed to the higher density of grain refiner particles compared to the Al melt. Meanwhile, a large fraction of grain refiner particles agglomerates at the oxide skin of the aluminum droplets, showing a strong adhesion between the particles and oxide skin. Such adhering of grain refiner particles is proposed to enhance the rupture of the original oxide skin of the droplets and slow down the reoxidation process at the surface layer. Both adherence of grain refiner particles to surface oxide skin and sedimentation of particles at the metal-substrate interface are responsible for the wetting improvement.
Time-Series Analysis of Surface-Water Quality in Xiong’an New Area, 2016–2019
Authors: Wang Mingxiu , Yao Yue , Shen Qian , Gao Hongjie , Li Junsheng , Zhang Fangfang , Wu Qingshuang
Published: November 2020

The Xiong'an New Area was established by the Chinese government on 1 April 2017 as a new district in the Hebei Province, and soon after its establishment, investigations on the waterbodies of the district began to initiate governance. In this study, data from 105 Sentinel-2 cloudless images for the period April 2016–September 2019 were analysed to understand the changes in the concentrations of chlorophyll-a and water turbidity in surface waterbodies of the Xiong'an New Area. The results suggest that (1) the water quality shows an overall improving trend owing to surface-water pollution control measures by the Chinese government in the region; (2) the turbidity of the surface waterbody declined gradually particularly after the spring of 2017; (3) the concentration of chlorophyll-a shows a weak decreasing trend, with a low value in spring and a high value in summer with a four-year average of 31.3 μg/L; and (4) by comparing the results of the water quality of two ponds inside and outside the Lake Baiyangdian and the overall water quality of Xiong'an New Area, the changes in turbidity and chlorophyll-a concentration during the study period were consistent.
Model-Based Feature Information Network (MFIN): A Digital Twin Framework to Integrate Location-Specific Material Behavior Within Component Design, Manufacturing, and Performance Analysis
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Saikiran , Hartman Nathan W. , Sangid Michael D.
Published: November 2020

The digital transformation of manufacturing requires digitalization, including automatic and efficient data exchange. Model-based definitions (MBDs) capture digital product definitions, in order to eliminate error-prone information exchange associated with traditional paper-based drawings and to provide contextual information through additional metadata. The flow of MBDs extends throughout the product lifecycle (including the design, analysis, manufacturing, in service life, and retirement stages) and can be extended beyond the typical geometry and tolerance information within a computer-aided design. In this paper, the MBDs are extended to include materials information, via dynamic linkages. To this end, a model-based feature information network (MFIN) is created to provide a comprehensive framework that facilitates storing, updating, searching, and retrieving of relevant information across a product’s lifecycle. The use case of a damage tolerant analysis for a compressor bladed-disk (blisk) is demonstrated, in Ti-6Al-4V blade(s) linear friction welded to the Ti-6Al-4V disk, creating well-defined regions exhibiting grain refinement and high residuals stresses. By capturing the location-specific microstructure and residual stress values at the weld regions, this information is accessed within the MFIN and used for downstream damage tolerant analysis. The introduction of the MFIN framework facilitates access to dynamically evolving data for use within physics-based models (resulting in the opportunity to reduce uncertainty in subsequent prognosis analyses), thereby enabling a digital twin description of the component or system.
Quantitative analysis of the tribological properties of phosphate glass at the nano- and macro-scales
Authors: Qi Huimin , Hu Wen , He Hongtu , Zhang Yafeng , Song Chenfei , Yu Jiaxin
Published: November 2020

Processing (grinding, polishing) of phosphate laser (PL) glass involves material removal at two vastly different (spatial) scales. In this study, the nano- and macro-tribological properties of PL glass are investigated by rubbing the glass against a SiO2 counter-surface in both dry and humid conditions. The results indicate that the friction of the PL glass/SiO2 pair has opposing trends at the nano- and macro-scales. At the nanoscale, the friction coefficient (COF) in humid air is much higher than in dry air, which is attributed to the capillary effect of the absorbed water-film at the interface. At the macroscale, on the other hand, the COF in humid air is lower than in dry air, because the water-related mechanochemical wear makes the worn surface less susceptible to cracking. Material removal for PL glass is better facilitated by humid air than by dry air at both scales, because the stress-enhanced hydrolysis accelerates the material-removal process in glass. Moreover, the material-removal is more sensitive to contact pressure at the macroscale, because stronger mechanical-interaction occurs during material removal at the macroscale with the multi asperity contact mode. At the macroscale, the material removal is more sensitive to contact pressure in humid air compared to dry air. Because almost all mechanical energy is used to remove material in humid air, and most of the mechanical energy is used to produce cracks in PL glass in dry air. The results of this study can help optimize the multi-scale surface processing of optical glasses.
Penetration and lubrication evaluation of vegetable oil with nanographite particles for broaching process
Authors: Xu Ming , Yu Xin , Ni Jing
Published: November 2020

With increasing environmental concerns, the substitution of mineral oil-based cutting fluid has become an urgent issue. Using vegetable soybean oil as base fluid, nanofluid cutting fluids (NFCFs) were prepared by adding different weight concentrations of nanographite particles (NGPs), and their penetration and lubrication performances were studied. A novel simulated tool-chip slit with micrometer-sized geometry was manufactured to evaluate and quantify the penetration rate of the NFCFs by image analysis approach. Moreover, a large number of comparative experiments on the closed-type broaching machine were carried out to compare the performance of the proposed NFCFs and a commercial cutting fluid in terms of cutting force, workpiece surface roughness, and metal chip. It is found that there is an optimal NGP concentration in NFCF for practical cutting applications. When the concentration of NGP is 0.4 wt%, the broaching process lubrication exhibits an ideal mixed lubricate state, resulting in minimal friction resistance, and thus, both the cutting force and chip curling angle reach their corresponding best values. Moreover, the proposed NGP-based vegetable-oil cutting fluid exhibits excellent environment-friendliness and low-cost consumption in the minimal quantity lubrication (MQL) method; this demonstrates its potential for replacing the traditional broaching cutting fluid.
Is this the end for ‘encro’ phones?
Authors: O’Rourke Catherine
Published: November 2020

Encrypted, or ‘encro’, phones are the communication method of choice for organised crime groups (OCGs) across the UK and Europe.

Until 2020, the encro was seen as a completely secure and anonymous way of organised criminal groups contacting each other without fear of detection or tracing. However, the apparent ‘hack’ of one encro phone operator and the compromise of a number of devices, followed by multiple arrests, suggest that the previously airtight encro phones are not as reliable as users once thought, explains Catherine O’Rourke at JMW.

Encrypted phones, or ‘encro’ phones, are the communication method of choice for organised crime groups (OCGs) across the UK and Europe, because of their apparent entirely secure features. Encro phones were originally designed for military use, but more recently, they have been associated with celebrities wishing to secure their privacy, and for criminal activity.
The Russian Conquest of Central Asia
Authors: Morrison Alexander
Published: November 2020

The Russian conquest of Central Asia was perhaps the nineteenth century's most dramatic and successful example of European imperial expansion, adding 1.5 million square miles and at least 6 million people - most of them Muslims - to the Tsar's domains. Alexander Morrison provides the first comprehensive military and diplomatic history of the conquest to be published for over a hundred years. From the earliest conflicts on the steppe frontier in the 1830s to the annexation of the Pamirs in the early 1900s, he gives a detailed account of the logistics and operational history of Russian wars against Khoqand, Bukhara and Khiva, the capture of Tashkent and Samarkand, and the bloody subjection of the Turkmen, as well as Russian diplomatic relations with China, Persia and the British Empire. Based on archival research in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and India, memoirs and Islamic chronicles, this book explains how Russia conquered a colonial empire in Central Asia, with consequences that still resonate today.
Finding Archaeological Relevance during a Pandemic and What Comes After
Authors: Gamble Lynn H. , Claassen Cheryl , Eerkens Jelmer W. , Kennett Douglas J. , Lambert Patricia M. , Liebmann Matthew J. , Lyons Natasha , Mills Barbara J. , Rodning Christopher B. , Schneider Tsim D. , Silliman Stephen W. , Alt Susan M. , Bamforth Douglas , Hays-Gilpin Kelley , Prentiss Anna Marie , Rick Torben C.
Published: November 2020

This article emerged as the human species collectively have been experiencing the worst global pandemic in a century. With a long view of the ecological, economic, social, and political factors that promote the emergence and spread of infectious disease, archaeologists are well positioned to examine the antecedents of the present crisis. In this article, we bring together a variety of perspectives on the issues surrounding the emergence, spread, and effects of disease in both the Americas and Afro-Eurasian contexts. Recognizing that human populations most severely impacted by COVID-19 are typically descendants of marginalized groups, we investigate pre- and postcontact disease vectors among Indigenous and Black communities in North America, outlining the systemic impacts of diseases and the conditions that exacerbate their spread. We look at how material culture both reflects and changes as a result of social transformations brought about by disease, the insights that paleopathology provides about the ancient human condition, and the impacts of ancient globalization on the spread of disease worldwide. By understanding the differential effects of past epidemics on diverse communities and contributing to more equitable sociopolitical agendas, archaeology can play a key role in helping to pursue a more just future.
JULIAN, AETIUS AND ‘THE GALILEANS’
Authors: Marcos Moysés
Published: November 2020

By the mid fourth centuryc.e., violently divergent Christian communities had developed across the Roman empire: Nicene or Homoousian (God and Jesus ‘are of the same substance’), Homoiousian (‘are of similar substance’), Homoian (Jesus is ‘like’ God), Anomoean or Heterousian (God and Jesus ‘are of different substance’) and others. The first emperor to be a strong supporter of traditional cult in more than a generation, Julian ruled over an empire of numerous religious groups that were often at variance with one another, both extra- and intra-communally, and how all of these should be treated was one of the chief problems pressing the emperor upon his accession in late 361. Julian's religious thought and action during his short sole reign (3 November 361 to 26 June 363) has long exercised scholars, its impact on Christians and Christianity in particular. To be sure, Julian tended to be hostile to Christians and Christianity, but he was by no means hostile to all, and he even favoured some Christians, some of whom he counted among his friends and officials. The emperor's Christian policy thus was complicated. One of the best examples of this complexity is Julian's epistle to the Heterousian Christian leader Aetius (Ep. 15 Wright = 46 Bidez). In a shorter note published in this journal, Pierre-Louis Malosse focussed his attention on Julian's letter to Aetius, which dates to early 362 and which is the only such epistle to this future bishop that is extant. As transmitted, Julian's missive to Aetius is critical for the light it helps to shed on the emperor's views and treatments of Christians at the outset of his sole reign, and my conclusions on this missive differ from those of Malosse.
Early Jurassic (Toarcian) warming identified from lacustrine sediments of eastern Liaoning, China
Authors: Zhang Qian , Gong Enpu , Zhang Yongli , Guan Changqing
Published: November 2020

This study focuses on the Tianshifu Basin, eastern Liaoning, China, which is filled with Lower–Middle Jurassic fluviolacustrine sediments rich in macroplants. Our aim is to explore the continental climate features of the late Early Jurassic period. The composition of the Early–Middle Jurassic flora and the carbon isotopic ratios of organic matter, total organic carbon, total organic nitrogen and sulphur of the rock samples from the Changliangzi section (the upper part of the Lower Jurassic deposits) have been investigated. Based on the flora, eastern Liaoning was generally characterized by temperate and humid conditions during the Early–Middle Jurassic period, but with rising temperatures during late Early Jurassic time. The sediments of the Changliangzi section show a transformation from shallow-lake facies to deep-lake facies. A positive organic carbon isotope excursion correlates with the deepening of this palaeolake, considered to be caused by climate warming. The late Early Jurassic climate warming indicated by floral and isotopic evidence corresponds to the climatic events recorded elsewhere in marine and continental sequences during the Toarcian Age, the so-called Toarcian Anoxic event, and may be associated with enhanced global greenhouse warming. This study provides new continental data supporting global warming during the late Early Jurassic period.
ISRAEL'S “SECURITY NETWORK” AND ITS IMPACT: AN EXPLORATION OF A NEW APPROACH
Authors: Barak Oren , Sheffer Gabriel
Published: November 2020

This article discusses a critical factor that has influenced Israel's politics, society, economy, and public discourse since this state's establishment in 1948, and particularly after the 1967 war: a highly informal but at the same time very potent “Security Network.” This Network has been critically involved in the political, social, economic, and cultural spheres, and its impact is felt in major and lesser issues. It is made up of actors who (a) are connected by informal, nonhierarchical ties; (b) share common values and perceptions regarding Israel's security and the ways to promote it; (c) have identical or similar individual and collective interests; and (d) are capable of joining hands to influence policymaking on different levels and in various spheres of the country's public life.
Enhanced laser-driven proton acceleration with gas–foil targets
Authors: Levy Dan , Davoine X. , Debayle A. , Gremillet L. , Malka V.
Published: November 2020

We study numerically the mechanisms of proton acceleration in gas–foil targets driven by an ultraintense femtosecond laser pulse. The target consists of a near-critical-density hydrogen gas layer of a few tens of microns attached to a$2\ \mathrm {\mu }$m-thick solid carbon foil with a contaminant thin proton layer at its back side. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that, at optimal gas density, the maximum energy of the contaminant protons is increased by a factor of$\sim$4 compared with a single foil target. This improvement originates from the near-complete laser absorption into relativistic electrons in the gas. Several energetic electron populations are identified, and their respective effect on the proton acceleration is quantified by computing the electrostatic fields that they generate at the protons’ positions. While each of those electron groups is found to contribute substantially to the overall accelerating field, the dominant one is the relativistic thermal bulk that results from the nonlinear wakefield excited in the gas, as analysed recently by Debayleet al.(New J. Phys., vol. 19, 2017, 123013). Our analysis also reveals the important role of the neighbouring ions in the acceleration of the fastest protons, and the onset of multidimensional effects caused by the time-increasing curvature of the proton layer.
Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for Antarctica
Authors: Hughes Kevin A. , Convey Peter
Published: November 2020

To date, Antarctica is the only continent to have escaped the COVID-19 pandemic. This was facilitated by the continent's isolation and low human presence, combined with the global emergence of the pandemic at the end of the Antarctic summer season and the rapid action of those national governmental operators and other actors still active on and around the continent during the early phases of the outbreak. Here, we consider the implications of the pandemic for Antarctic governance, national operator logistics, science, tourism and the fishing industry, as well as for Antarctic environmental protection. Global disruption will result in a temporary decrease in human activity in Antarctica, in turn leading to a reduction in environmental impacts for a period, but also a reduced capacity to respond to environmental incidents. Given the diversity of transmission routes and vectors, preventing the introduction of the virus will be difficult, even with stringent quarantine procedures in place, and the risks and implications of virus transmission to Antarctic wildlife are largely unknown. With control of the pandemic a major global challenge, international cooperation will be essential if Antarctica is to remain free of coronavirus.
ProserpinaUnbound: John Ruskin, Maria La Touche, and Victorian Floriculture
Authors: Wells Lindsay
Published: November 2020

Filled with caustic statements on artificial plant breeding and florist flowers, John Ruskin's botanical essay collection,Proserpina(1875–86), advances a cogent argument against commercial floriculture and, by extension, the commodification of vegetal life. However, the eco-political stakes of this text have received limited attention. Past studies have primarily interpretedProserpinaas a testament to Ruskin's disquiet about Darwinism and as a memorial to his late love, Rose La Touche. In this article, I argue that beneath these scientific and personal imperatives,Proserpinaurges readers to resist the consumption of floral commodities engineered by Victorian nurserymen and florists. My reading draws together the history of nineteenth-century flower breeding with recent inquiries from the field of critical plant studies in order to illuminate how Ruskin's botanical prose dovetails with present-day debates on vegetal ethics. Flower-breeding motifs figure prominently in a series of letters written forProserpinaby Rose's mother, Maria La Touche, whose contributions to this book have long been overlooked. AnalyzingProserpina's floricultural subtext will not only recover La Touche's letters from the shadow of Ruskin's love life but also underscore an unexplored facet of Ruskin's antipathy toward Darwin, who celebrated florist flowers in his own botanical writings.
“For Thee America! For Thee Syria?”: Alexander Maloof, Orientalist Music, and the Politics of the SyrianMahjar
Authors: BOTHWELL BEAU
Published: November 2020

In 1894 Syrian émigré Alexander Maloof arrived in the United States to join the thriving community in New York's “Syrian Quarter.” Working first as a music instructor and pianist, Maloof found success as a bandleader, composer, arranger, and publisher, integrating Arabic and US popular music and light classical styles. He wrote and edited Arabic-language piano songbooks for the Arabophone communities in the United States, and ran the Maloof Records label, the “Oriental” division of the Gennett Company's “race records” enterprise. Drawing on Arabic-language discourse from around the Syrianmahjar(diaspora), this article uses Maloof's output to demonstrate music's role in the vibrant and contested political conversations taking place in Arabic around the world, from the homelands around Beirut and Damascus, to the initial Syrian settlements in Cairo and Paris, to the American colonies in Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and New York. Concluding with a discussion of the 1919 “American Maid” (composed under a pseudonym), I argue that a thorough understanding of the history of Orientalist popular music in the Americas requires a decentering of European American audiences in order to examine those questions animating the New Yorkmahjar, most centrally the political fate of greater Syria.
Altered Auditory Self-recognition in People with Schizophrenia
Authors: Pan Chaochao C. , Zhou Aibao B.
Published: November 2020

Self-recognition is of great significance to our sense of self. To date, disturbances in the processing of visual self-recognition are well studied in people with schizophrenia, whereas relatively few studies have focused on the processing of self in other domains, such as auditory. An investigation of auditory self-recognition contributes to delineate changes related to self and the potential roots of the described psychopathological aspects connoting schizophrenia. By applying unimodal task and multisensory test, this study investigated auditory self-recognition in people with schizophrenia under unimodal and bimodal circumstances. Forty-six adults diagnosed with schizophrenia and thirty-two healthy controls were involved in this study. Results suggested that people with schizophrenia seemed to have significantly lower perceptual sensitivity in detecting self-voice, and also showed stricter judgment criteria in self-voice decision. Furthermore, in the presentation of stimuli that combined the stimulation of others’ faces with one’s own voice, people with schizophrenia mistakenly attributed the voices of others as their own. In conclusion, altered auditory self-recognition in people with schizophrenia was found.
By Land or Sea: How Did Mammals Get to the Caribbean Islands?
Authors: M�nch Philippe , Antoine Pierre-Olivier , Marcaillou Boris
Published: November 2020

A multidisciplinary team is jointly investigating mammal evolution and subduction dynamics to unravel how flightless land mammals migrated to the Greater Antilles and other Caribbean islands.
Unveiling the detection dynamics of semiconductor nanowire photodetectors by terahertz near-field nanoscopy
Authors: Pogna Eva A. A. , Asgari Mahdi , Zannier Valentina , Sorba Lucia , Viti Leonardo , Vitiello Miriam S.
Published: November 2020

Semiconductor nanowire field-effect transistors represent a promising platform for the development of room-temperature (RT) terahertz (THz) frequency light detectors due to the strong nonlinearity of their transfer characteristics and their remarkable combination of low noise-equivalent powers (<1 nW Hz−1/2) and high responsivities (>100 V/W). Nano-engineering an NW photodetector combining high sensitivity with high speed (sub-ns) in the THz regime at RT is highly desirable for many frontier applications in quantum optics and nanophotonics, but this requires a clear understanding of the origin of the photo-response. Conventional electrical and optical measurements, however, cannot unambiguously determine the dominant detection mechanism due to inherent device asymmetry that allows different processes to be simultaneously activated. Here, we innovatively capture snapshots of the photo-response of individual InAs nanowires via high spatial resolution (35 nm) THz photocurrent nanoscopy. By coupling a THz quantum cascade laser to scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) and monitoring both electrical and optical readouts, we simultaneously measure transport and scattering properties. The spatially resolved electric response provides unambiguous signatures of photo-thermoelectric and bolometric currents whose interplay is discussed as a function of photon density and material doping, therefore providing a route to engineer photo-responses by design.
Smart lasers tame complex spatiotemporal cavity dynamics
Authors: Grelu Philippe
Published: November 2020

By associating multimode fibers, optical wavefront manipulation, and a feedback loop controlled by a genetic algorithm, researchers have demonstrated that nonlinear spatiotemporal dynamics can be flexed within the laser cavity to achieve a user-specified objective, such as the lasing wavelength, output power, beam profile or pulsed operation.
ELN risk stratification and outcomes in secondary and therapy-related AML patients consolidated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Jentzsch Madlen , Grimm Juliane , Bill Marius , Brauer Dominic , Backhaus Donata , Goldmann Karoline , Schulz Julia , Niederwieser Dietger , Platzbecker Uwe , Schwind Sebastian
Published: November 2020

Secondary or therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (s/tAML) differs biologically from de novo disease. In general s/tAML patients have inferior outcomes after chemotherapy, compared to de novo cases and often receive allogeneic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for consolidation. The European LeukemiaNet (ELN) risk stratification system is commonly applied in AML but the clinical significance is unknown in s/tAML. We analyzed 644 s/tAML or de novo AML patients receiving HSCT. s/tAML associated with older age and adverse risk, including higher ELN risk. Overall, s/tAML patients had similar cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), but higher non-relapse mortality (NRM) and shorter overall survival (OS). In multivariate analyses, after adjustment for ELN risk and pre-HSCT measurable residual disease status, disease origin did not impact outcomes. Within the ELN favorable risk group, CIR was higher in s/tAML compared to de novo AML patients likely due to a different distribution of genetic aberrations, which did not translate into shorter OS. Within the ELN intermediate and adverse group outcomes were similar in de novo and s/tAML patients. Thus, not all s/tAML have a dismal prognosis and outcomes of s/tAML after allogeneic HSCT in remission are comparable to de novo patients when considering ELN risk.
Functional compensation precedes recovery of tissue mass following acute liver injury
Authors: Walesky Chad M. , Kolb Kellie E. , Winston Carolyn L. , Henderson Jake , Kruft Benjamin , Fleming Ira , Ko Sungjin , Monga Satdarshan P. , Mueller Florian , Apte Udayan , Shalek Alex K. , Goessling Wolfram
Published: November 2020

The liver plays a central role in metabolism, protein synthesis and detoxification. It possesses unique regenerative capacity upon injury. While many factors regulating cellular proliferation during liver repair have been identified, the mechanisms by which the injured liver maintains vital functions prior to tissue recovery are unknown. Here, we identify a new phase of functional compensation following acute liver injury that occurs prior to cellular proliferation. By coupling single-cell RNA-seq with in situ transcriptional analyses in two independent murine liver injury models, we discover adaptive reprogramming to ensure expression of both injury response and core liver function genes dependent on macrophage-derived WNT/β-catenin signaling. Interestingly, transcriptional compensation is most prominent in non-proliferating cells, clearly delineating two temporally distinct phases of liver recovery. Overall, our work describes a mechanism by which the liver maintains essential physiological functions prior to cellular reconstitution and characterizes macrophage-derived WNT signals required for this compensation.
Locomotion in virtual environments predicts cardiovascular responsiveness to subsequent stressful challenges
Authors: Rodrigues João , Studer Erik , Streuber Stephan , Meyer Nathalie , Sandi Carmen
Published: November 2020

Individuals differ in their physiological responsiveness to stressful challenges, and stress potentiates the development of many diseases. Heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of cardiac vagal break, is emerging as a strong index of physiological stress vulnerability. Thus, it is important to develop tools that identify predictive markers of individual differences in HRV responsiveness without exposing subjects to high stress. Here, using machine learning approaches, we show the strong predictive power of high-dimensional locomotor responses during novelty exploration to predict HRV responsiveness during stress exposure. Locomotor responses are collected in two ecologically valid virtual reality scenarios inspired by the animal literature and stress is elicited and measured in a third threatening virtual scenario. Our model’s predictions generalize to other stressful challenges and outperforms other stress prediction instruments, such as anxiety questionnaires. Our study paves the way for the development of behavioral digital phenotyping tools for early detection of stress-vulnerable individuals.
Functional characterisation guides classification of novel BAP1 germline variants
Authors: Hong Jing Han , Chong Siao Ting , Lee Po-Hsien , Tan Jing , Heng Hong Lee , Ishak Nur Diana Binte , Chan Sock Hoai , Teh Bin Tean , Ngeow Joanne
Published: November 2020

We have identified six patients harbouring distinct germline BAP1 mutations. In this study, we functionally characterise known BAP1 pathogenic and likely benign germline variants out of these six patients to aid in the evaluation and classification of unknown BAP1 germline variants. We found that pathogenic germline variants tend to encode truncated proteins, show diminished expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, are localised in the cytosol and have reduced deubiquitinase capabilities. We show that these functional assays are useful for BAP1 variant curation and may be added in the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) criteria for BAP1 variant classification. This will allow clinicians to distinguish between BAP1 pathogenic and likely benign variants reliably and may aid to quickly benchmark newly identified BAP1 germline variants. Classification of novel BAP1 germline variants allows clinicians to inform predisposed patients and relevant family members regarding potential cancer risks, with appropriate clinical interventions implemented if required.
Stroke promotes the development of brain atrophy and delayed cell death in hypertensive rats
Authors: Sayed Mohammed A. , Eldahshan Wael , Abdelbary Mahmoud , Pillai Bindu , Althomali Waleed , Johnson Maribeth H. , Arbab Ali S. , Ergul Adviye , Fagan Susan C.
Published: November 2020

Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a major source of disability, affecting up to two thirds of stroke survivors with no available therapeutic options. The condition remains understudied in preclinical models due to its delayed presentation. Although hypertension is a leading risk factor for dementia, how ischemic stroke contributes to this neurodegenerative condition is unknown. In this study, we used a model of hypertension to study the development of PSCI and its mechanisms. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were compared to normotensive rats and were subjected to 1-h middle cerebral artery occlusion or sham surgery. Novel object recognition, passive avoidance test and Morris water maze were used to assess cognition. In addition, brain magnetic resonance images were obtained 12-weeks post-stroke and tissue was collected for immunohistochemistry and protein quantification. Stroked animals developed impairment in long-term memory at 4-weeks post-stroke despite recovery from motor deficits, with hypertensive animals showing some symptoms of anhedonia. Stroked SHRs displayed grey matter atrophy and had a two-fold increase in apoptosis in the ischemic borderzone and increased markers of inflammatory cell death and DNA damage at 12 weeks post-stroke. This indicates that preexisting hypertension exacerbates the development of secondary neurodegeneration after stroke beyond its acute effects on neurovascular injury.
How Joannites’ economy eradicated primeval forest and created anthroecosystems in medieval Central Europe
Authors: Lamentowicz Mariusz , Marcisz Katarzyna , Guzowski Piotr , Gałka Mariusz , Diaconu Andrei-Cosmin , Kołaczek Piotr
Published: November 2020

During European states’ development, various past societies utilized natural resources, but their impact was not uniformly spatially and temporally distributed. Considerable changes resulted in landscape fragmentation, especially during the Middle Ages. Changes in state advances that affected the local economy significantly drove trajectories of ecosystems’ development. The legacy of major changes from pristine forest to farming is visible in natural archives as novel ecosystems. Here, we present a high-resolution densely dated multi-proxy study covering the last 1500 years from a peatland located in CE Europe. The economic activity of medieval societies was highly modified by new rulers—the Joannites (the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller). We studied the record of these directorial changes noted in the peat profile. Our research revealed a rapid critical land-use transition in the late Middle Ages and its consequences on the peatland ecosystem. The shift from the virgin forest with regular local fires to agriculture correlates well with the raising of local economy and deforestations. Along with the emerging openness, the wetland switched from alkaline wet fen state to acidic, drier Sphagnum-dominated peatland. Our data show how closely the ecological state of wetlands relates to forest microclimate. We identified a significant impact of the Joannites who used the novel farming organization. Our results revealed the surprisingly fast rate of how feudal economy eliminated pristine nature from the studied area and created novel anthroecosystems.