bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technological options and design evolution for recycling spent lithium‐ion batteries: Impact, challenges, and opportunities
Authors: Hossain Rumana , Sarkar Montajar , Sahajwalla Veena
Published: May 2023

The lithium‐ion battery (LIB) market is growing, driven by consumer demand and the imperative to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The socio‐environmental impacts of LIBs production are vast; thus, it is of paramount importance to acquire knowledge about the consequences of lithium metal mining on human health, farming and the overall ecosystem. The materials embedded in spent LIBs have high industrial value. To minimize environmental impacts and conserve declining natural resources, the global supply chain for the raw materials for LIBs should not rely solely on mining. Rather, manufacturers should have access to the critical materials recovered from waste, as a sustainable and reliable secondary source of valuable materials. It is also crucial to study the hazards and economic considerations associated with waste LIB management from disassembly to final recycling stage. This article evaluates and highlights various current approaches to recycling and reuse of LIBs, as well as potential future developments. The pros and cons of different technological options for recycling spent LIBs, and opportunities to use small‐scale recycling technology to overcome the associated barriers, are also discussed.

This article is categorized under:

Emerging Technologies > Energy Storage

Emerging Technologies > Materials

Policy and Economics > Research and Development
Is the Trade Agreement Between the EU and Colombia Coherent with European Support for Peacebuilding?
Authors: Bidarratzaga Aurre Eduardo , Díez Ángeles Sánchez
Published: May 2023

Trade agreements between central and peripheral countries or regional groups with very different commercial and productive specializations have been in place for several decades now, since they were first promoted in the 1990s, initially by the US government and later by the European Union (EU). This resulted in the promotion of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in the first case, and Association Agreements (AAs) in the second, turning different individual economies or Latin American regional groups into preferential partners in these agreements, in the latter based on a model with certain specific differentiating features.

This chapter analyses the main characteristics and consequences of the Trade Agreement signed in 2012 between the EU and Colombia, as well as its future prospects in the current context. We inquire to what extent the agreement is consistent with the rest of the EU's cooperation policies, where in recent years support for peacebuilding has gained great weight from a comprehensive perspective in order to end the root factors that generate conflict and promote lasting peace and development in Colombia.
Spatial Models of Cardiac Electrophysiology
Authors: Horgmo Jæger Karoline , Tveito Aslak
Published: May 2023

In Chapter 8, we introduced mathematical models of the action potential across a cell membrane. Understanding the properties of the cell membrane is absolutely essential in order to understand the electrophysiology of excitable cells. However, some essential properties can only be studied in spatially resolved models; i.e., in models representing spatial variation across a single cell or a collection of cells.
A System of Ordinary Differential Equations
Authors: Horgmo Jæger Karoline , Tveito Aslak
Published: May 2023

We will introduce numerical methods for systems of ODEs by considering the celebrated FitzHugh-Nagumo model published by FitzHugh [1] in 1961 and, independently, by Nagumo et. al. [2] in 1962. The model is a system of ordinary differential equations with two unknowns, and is commonly used as a simple model for the action potentials of excitable pacemaker cells.
Improved Accuracy
Authors: Horgmo Jæger Karoline , Tveito Aslak
Published: May 2023

In the examples we have considered so far, the error introduced by the numerical
scheme has been O(∆t). This can easily be improved as we will show through two
simple examples.
Membrane Models
Authors: Horgmo Jæger Karoline , Tveito Aslak
Published: May 2023

In the previous chapters, we introduced techniques that can be used to find numerical solutions of differential equations. The examples we considered were simple, theoretical differential equations without units. From this point forwards, we will look at how to apply the methods introduced in the previous chapters to differential equations that are set up to model aspects of electrophysiology.
The Cable Equation
Authors: Horgmo Jæger Karoline , Tveito Aslak
Published: May 2023

In Chapter 6, we studied a simple version of the cable equation, where a diffusion term was added to the FitzHugh-Nagumo equations. In this chapter, we will revisit the cable equation and go through a simple derivation of the model. In addition, we will consider the numerical solution of the cable equation for a neuronal axon with membrane dynamics modeled by the Hodgkin-Huxley model.
Multi-Augmentation Contrastive Learning as Multi-Objective Optimization for Graph Neural Networks
Authors: Li Xu , Chen Yongsheng
Published: May 2023

Recently self-supervised learning is gaining popularity for Graph Neural Networks (GNN) by leveraging unlabeled data. Augmentation plays a key role in self-supervision. While there is a common set of image augmentation methods that preserve image labels in general, graph augmentation methods do not guarantee consistent graph semantics and are usually domain dependent. Existing self-supervised GNN models often handpick a small set of augmentation techniques that limit the performance of the model.

In this paper, we propose a common set of graph augmentation methods to a wide range of GNN tasks, and rely on the Pareto optimality to select and balance among these possibly conflicting augmented versions, called Pareto Graph Contrastive Learning (PGCL) framework. We show that while random selection of the same set of augmentation leads to slow convergence or even divergence, PGCL converges much faster with lower error rate. Extensive experiments on multiple datasets of different domains and scales demonstrate superior or comparable performance of PGCL.
Zielstellung und Lösungsansatz: Kommunikative Chancen für Energie- und Rohstoffakzeptanz in Sachsen
Authors: Walter Stefanie
Published: May 2023

Auf die kritische Reflexion des Stands des wissenschaftlichen Diskurses folgend, gilt es eine interdisziplinäre Thematik zu bearbeiten und die bestehenden Forschungslücken zu schließen. Dabei werden konkrete Zielstellungen verfolgt und anhand dieser das methodische Vorgehen abgeleitet. Dabei ist abzugrenzen, wie der Terminus Akzeptanz in dieser Arbeit verwendet und sein Ausprägungsgrad ermittelt wird. Um die Akzeptanzgenese positiv zu beeinflussen, müssen Kommunikationsmaßnahmen gruppiert und bewertet werden. Dies ermöglicht die systematische Aufbereitung der Ergebnisse und den Wissenstransfer in die Wirtschaft, der durch die Entwicklung einer Webapplikation geleistet werden soll.
Der Gründungsmythos der Interdisziplinarität und die Asymmetrie der Reflexionstheorie
Authors: Bora Alfons
Published: May 2023

Aus den bisherigen Überlegungen ist mit Blick auf die wenig erfolgreiche Entwicklung der Rechtssoziologie nach 1945 eine wissenschaftssoziologische These hervorgegangen. Sie besagt in ihrer vorläufigen und allgemeinen Form, dass die schwierige institutionelle Lage der Rechtssoziologie im deutschsprachigen Raum unter anderem ein Resultat spezifischer reflexionstheoretischer Konfigurationen ist. Das interdisziplinäre Feld der Rechtssoziologie, so war angenommen worden, hat keine reflexionstheoretisch nachhaltige Beschreibung seiner System-Umwelt-Relation hervorgebracht.
Responsive Interdisziplinarität – Aufbrüche und ungenutzte Chancen
Authors: Bora Alfons
Published: May 2023

Wie Kap. 3 gezeigt hat, erwuchs aus der Jurisprudenz des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts ein reflexionstheoretisches Konzept doppelter Autonomie, das sich in Interdisziplinaritätsdiskursen der Indifferenz (Ehrlich), der sachlichen Hierarchie als Dominanz entweder der Jurisprudenz (Kantorowicz) oder der Soziologie (Marx, Durkheim, Tönnies) niederschlug, aber auch schon Ansätze stärker responsiven Denkens zu Tage förderte (Weber, Geiger). Während die von der Autonomisierung der Rechtswissenschaft geprägten Diskurse die Frage nach deren gesellschaftlicher Praxis auf die Soziologie externalisierten – die gerade dadurch ihrerseits an Autonomie gewann –, mündete diese neue Autonomie der Soziologie als Erfahrungswissenschaft überraschend schnell in die Auslagerung der rechtstheoretischen Praxisbezüge (Weber) oder blieb theoriegeschichtlich ohne nachhaltigen Einfluss (Geiger). Die Gründungsphase der Rechtssoziologie, das sollte in den bisherigen Überlegungen deutlich geworden sein, war deshalb geprägt von einer Gemengelage widersprüchlicher Reflexionsdiskurse, aus der sich keine Identität des interdisziplinären Feldes bilden konnte.
Potenziale einer responsiven Rechtssoziologie
Authors: Bora Alfons
Published: May 2023

Wir haben bisher die diskursiven Entwicklungen rekonstruiert, die einerseits zur Schwäche der Rechtssoziologie in Deutschland mit beigetragen haben. Andererseits haben wir in diesen Diskursen die Spuren einer responsiven Rechtssoziologie identifizieren können, die sich aus nachvollziehbaren Gründen zunächst nicht durchgesetzt hat. Diese Gründe liegen, wie wir gesehen haben, in einer Konstellation konkurrierender Reflexionsdiskurse, welche die Ausformulierung einer responsiven Reflexionstheorie, eines symmetrischen Modells interdisziplinärer Kooperation, auch für die systemtheoretische Rechtssoziologie erschweren, obwohl diese über die theoriearchitektonischen Mittel dafür verfügt.
Subregion entropy for the doubly-holographic global black string
Authors: Karch Andreas , Perez-Pardavila Carlos , Riojas Marcos , Youssef Merna
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We study the growth of entanglement entropy in a doubly holographic model of gravity for a spherical AdS black hole. Compared to previous work, which was limited to the case of planar black holes, this introduces an extra scale to the problem. This allows us to analyze the interplay between the reorganization of entanglement entropy due to island formation and the onset of the Hawking-Page phase transition and to find the appearance of a new critical black hole radius unrelated to the thermodynamics. We also find that the geometry of the Ryu-Takayanagi surface capturing the physics of islands exhibits drastically different behavior than in the planar case.
Towards a nonperturbative construction of the S-matrix
Authors: Henning Brian , Murayama Hitoshi , Riva Francesco , Thompson Jedidiah O. , Walters Matthew T.
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We present a nonperturbative recipe for directly computing the S-matrix in strongly-coupled QFTs. The method makes use of spectral data obtained in a Hamiltonian framework and can be applied to a wide range of theories, including potentially QCD. We demonstrate the utility of this prescription in the specific example of the 2+1d O(N) model at large N, using energy eigenstates computed with Hamiltonian truncation to reproduce the full 2 → 2 scattering amplitude for arbitrary (complex) center-of-mass energy.
Entanglement and expansion
Authors: Boutivas K. , Pastras G. , Tetradis N.
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We study the entanglement entropy resulting from tracing out local degrees of freedom of a quantum scalar field in an expanding universe. It is known that when field modes become superhorizon during inflation they evolve to increasingly squeezed states. We argue that this causes the entanglement entropy to grow continuously as successive modes cross the horizon. The resulting entropy is proportional to the total duration of inflation. It is preserved during a subsequent radiation or matter dominated era, and thus it may be relevant for today’s universe. We demonstrate explicitly these features in a toy model of a scalar field in 1+1 dimensions.
Accelerating cosmology from Λ < 0 gravitational effective field theory
Authors: Antonini Stefano , Simidzija Petar , Swingle Brian , Van Raamsdonk Mark , Waddell Chris
Published: May 2023

Abstract

A large class of Λ < 0 cosmologies have big-bang/big crunch spacetimes with time-symmetric backgrounds and asymptotically AdS Euclidean continuations suggesting a possible holographic realization. We argue that these models generically have time-dependent scalar fields, and these can lead to realistic cosmologies at the level of the homogeneous background geometry, with an accelerating phase prior to the turnaround and crunch. We first demonstrate via explicit effective field theory examples that models with an asymptotically AdS Euclidean continuation can also exhibit a period of accelerated expansion without fine tuning. We then show that certain significantly more tuned examples can give predictions arbitrarily close to a ΛCDM model. Finally, we demonstrate via an explicit construction that the potentials of interest can arise from a superpotential, thus suggesting that these solutions may be compatible with an underlying supersymmetric theory.
Universal thermal corrections to symmetry-resolved entanglement entropy and full counting statistics
Authors: Ghasemi Mostafa
Published: May 2023

Abstract

In the presence of a global symmetry, the entanglement entropy of a quantum system can be decomposed among the individual symmetry sectors, dubbed symmetry-resolved entanglement entropy. For a conformal field theory with Abelian symmetry, it obeys the equipartition theorem in the scaling limit, i.e., at the leading order, the entanglement is distributed equally between different symmetry sectors. In this work, we examine the thermal corrections to a single interval symmetry-resolved Rényi and entanglement entropies for two-dimensional conformal field theories on a circle. Using a low-temperature expansion of the thermal density matrix, we find that in addition to the mass gap and the degeneracy of the first excited state, these universal corrections depend also on the four-point correlation function of the primary fields. We also obtain thermal corrections to the full counting statistics of the ground state and define the probability fluctuations function which scales as $$ {e}^{-2\pi {\Delta}_{\psi}\beta /L} $$

e

−
2
π

Δ
ψ

β
/
L

, where ∆ψ is the scaling dimension of the lowest weight states. As an example, we explicitly evaluate the thermal corrections to the symmetry-resolved entanglement entropy and FCS for the spinless fermions and find a term breaking entanglement equipartition at order (log l)−2.
On the universal behavior of $$ T\overline{T} $$-deformed CFTs: single and double-trace partition functions at large c
Authors: Apolo Luis , Song Wei , Yu Boyang
Published: May 2023

Abstract

We study universal properties of the torus partition function of $$ T\overline{T} $$
T

T
¯

-deformed CFTs under the assumption of modular invariance, for both the original version, referred to as the double-trace version in this paper, and the single-trace version defined as the symmetric product orbifold of double-trace $$ T\overline{T} $$
T

T
¯

-deformed CFTs. In the double-trace case, we specify sparseness conditions for the light states for which the partition function at low temperatures is dominated by the vacuum when the central charge of the undeformed CFT is large. Using modular invariance, this implies a universal density of high energy states, in analogy with the behavior of holographic CFTs. For the single-trace $$ T\overline{T} $$
T

T
¯

deformation, we show that modular invariance implies that the torus partition function can be written in terms of the untwisted partition function and its modular images, the latter of which can be obtained from the action of a generalized Hecke operator. The partition function and the energy of twisted states match holographic calculations in previous literature, thus providing further evidence for the conjectured holographic correspondence. In addition, we show that the single-trace partition function is universal when the central charge of the undeformed CFT is large, without needing to assume a sparse density of light states. Instead, the density of light states is shown to always saturate the sparseness condition.
Investigation of the Immunogenic Properties of Ovalbumin Modified by Urban Airborne Particulate Matter
Authors: Nowak Bernadeta , Wądołek Anna , Mazuryk Olga , Poznańska Anna , Majzner Katarzyna , Majka Grzegorz , Oszajca Maria , Barańska Małgorzata , Stochel Grażyna , Marcinkiewicz Janusz
Published: May 2023

Exposure to air particulate matter (PM) is linked to the blood oxidative stress and systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether oxidative PM modification of ovalbumin (OVA), the major antioxidant serum protein, may alter its antigenicity and/or immunogenicity. Ovalbumin was exposed via dialysis to the standard urban PM (SRM 1648a) or to PM with removed organic content (encoded as LAP). Both structural changes and biological properties of PM-modified OVA were measured. T lymphocytes and dendritic cells (the major antigen-presenting cells) isolated from C57BL/6 and OT-II (323–339 epitope) OVA-specific T cell receptor (TCR)-transgenic mice were used to test the effect of PM on OVA immunogenicity. The immunogenicity of both SRM 1648a and LAP-modified OVA was significantly higher than that of control OVA, as measured by the epitope-specific T cell proliferation and interferon γ production by the stimulated cells. This effect was associated with mild oxidative changes in the carrier molecule outside the structure of the OVA epitope and with increased resistance to proteolysis of PM-modified OVA. Interestingly, dendritic cells showed enhanced capacity for the uptake of proteins when the cells were cultured with PM-modified OVA. Our results suggest that the enhanced immunogenicity of PM-modified OVA is not associated with altered antigenicity or antigen presentation. However, it may result from slower degradation and longer persistence of modified antigens in dendritic cells. Whether this phenomenon is associated with enhanced risk prevalence of autoimmune diseases observed in the areas with high urban PM pollution needs to be explained.
Analysis of stress development during kiln drying of beech timber
Authors: Majka Jerzy , Sydor Maciej
Published: May 2023

Before use, timber must have reduced moisture content. Kiln drying causes cracking risk. This study aims to evaluate the risk of cracking during the drying of beech wood samples using the response surface methodology. Additionally, we aim to develop an empirical model that describes critical tensile stress during the early drying stages and the air parameters commonly used in kiln-drying schedules for beech timber, specifically, the effects of dry-bulb temperature (DBT) and wet-bulb depression (WBD). Nine options of drying conditions were analyzed in the study according to the Central Composite Design assumptions; they were combinations of three options of DBT (30, 40, and 50 °C) and three options of WBD (4, 5, and 6 °C). During the experiments, tangential shrinkage of the wood samples was completely restrained with a load cell that measured generated tensile drying stresses. The results of the ANOVA analysis confirmed that the DBT is the only factor significantly influencing the tensile stress at failure (σf). The second-order effect between DBT and WBD has also been confirmed. The drying condition causing the highest risk of cracking was shown using the multiple contour plots of tensile stresses and the moisture content at failure (MCf). Reliability theory was used to predict the cracking risk of wood tissue. The analysis confirmed the dependence of the cracking risk of wood tissue on drying conditions. When DBT is equal to 30 °C, the cracking risk increases as the air relative humidity (RH) decreases. However, during the drying of beech wood samples at a temperature of 50 °C, decreasing the RH in a range corresponding to the increase of WBD from 4 to 6 °C reduces the cracking risk, which is indicated by the lower moisture content at failure (MCf) of the wood samples.

Graphical Abstract
Pilot study of a manualised mental health awareness and stigma reduction intervention for Black faith communities in the UK: ON TRAC project
Authors: Codjoe Louisa , N’Danga-Koroma Joelyn , Henderson Claire , Lempp Heidi , Thornicroft Graham
Published: May 2023

Background

Building partnerships between mental health services and Black faith communities to co-produce culturally tailored interventions is an essential step towards improving access to services and reducing stigma among the Black population. Given that Black faith organisations are considered a primary source of emotional and psychological support they are well positioned as ‘gatekeepers’ for services, to overcome barriers to engagement and build trusting relationships with the Black community. The aim of this paper is to pilot a manualised mental health awareness and stigma reduction intervention for Black faith communities in the UK, and to make an initial assessment of feasibility, acceptability and outcomes.

Methods

This study employed a mixed methods pre–post-design, based upon the Medical Research Council Framework (MRC) for complex interventions, and the Implementation Science Research Development.

Results

The qualitative assessments indicate that the intervention was found overall to be acceptable and feasible to the Black faith community population. This pilot study did not find statistically significant changes for the Mental Health Knowledge schedule (MAKS), Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale (RIBS), intended help-seeking or willingness to disclose (Attitudes to Mental Illness Survey) measures. However, the direction of all the non-significant changes in these measures suggests positive changes in mental health knowledge, a reduction in participants’ desire for social distance, and greater willingness to disclose personal experiences of mental health problems. A statistically significant improvement in the Community Attitudes towards Mental Illness (CAMI) scale results indicated a lower level of stigmatising attitudes towards people with lived experience of mental health conditions (PWLE), and an increase in tolerance and support towards PWLE after the intervention. Significant improvement in the willingness to disclose measure suggests increased preparedness to seek help amongst participants, a lesser desire for social distance, and greater willingness to engage with PWLE after the intervention. Three key themes, including 9 subthemes were identified from the qualitative data analysis: (i) initial implementation and intention to adopt; (ii) perceived suitability and usefulness of intervention to address cultural issues relating to mental health in the Black community; and (iii) strengthening the capacity of faith leaders.

Conclusions

This ON TRAC pilot study shows that the intervention was feasible and acceptable, and that it has promising positive impacts and next requires larger scale evaluation. These results demonstrate that the intervention was a culturally acceptable way to potentially increase mental health awareness and reduce stigma in Black faith communities.

Trial registration

ISRCTN12253092.
ESSKA and EBJIS recommendations for the management of infections after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL‐R): prevention, surgical treatment and rehabilitation
Authors: Pérez‐Prieto Daniel , Totlis Trifon , Madjarevic Tomislav , Becker Roland , Ravn Christen , Monllau Juan C. , Renz Nora
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Infection after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL‐R) is a rare but severe complication. Despite an increase in articles published on this topic over the last decade, solid data to optimized diagnostic and therapeutic measures are scarce. For this reason, the European Bone and Joint Infection Society (EBJIS) and the European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) collaborated in order to develop recommendations for the diagnosis and management of infections after ACL‐R. The aim of the workgroup was to perform a review of the literature and provide practical guidance to healthcare professionals involved in the management of infections after ACL‐R.

Methods

An international workgroup was recruited to provide recommendations for predefined clinical dilemmas regarding the management of infections after ACL‐R. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Scopus databases were searched for evidence to support the recommended answers to each dilemma.

Results

The recommendations were divided into two articles. The first covers etiology, prevention, diagnosis and antimicrobial treatment of septic arthritis following ACL‐R and is primarily aimed at infectious disease specialists. This article includes the second part of the recommendations and covers prevention of infections after ACL‐R, surgical treatment of septic arthritis following ACL‐R and subsequent postoperative rehabilitation. It is aimed not only at orthopedic surgeons, but at all healthcare professionals dealing with patients suffering from infections after ACL‐R.

Conclusion

These recommendations guide clinicians in achieving timely and accurate diagnosis as well as providing optimal management, both of which are paramount to prevent loss of function and other devastating sequelae of infection in the knee joint.

Level of evidence

V.
Temporary refugee protection and labor-market outcomes
Authors: Kilström Matilda , Larsen Birthe , Olme Elisabet
Published: May 2023

We study a Danish reform in 2002 that lowered the ex-ante probability of refugees receiving permanent residency by prolonging the period before they were eligible to apply for such residency. Adherence to the new rules was determined by the date of the asylum application, and the reform was implemented retroactively. Using registry-based micro data, we study the effects on labor-market outcomes and investments in education. While proponents of temporary protection regimes argue that stronger incentives to qualify for residency based on labor-market attachment will speed up the labor-market integration, we find no evidence of positive effects on labor-market outcomes.
Combined X-ray diffraction tomography imaging of tension and opposite wood tissues in young hybrid aspen saplings
Authors: Viljanen Mira , Help Hanna , Suhonen Heikki , Svedström Kirsi
Published: May 2023

Combining spatially localized X-ray diffraction (XRD) with X-ray microtomography (XMT) enables the mapping of the micro- and nanoscale structures simultaneously. The combination of these methods results in a powerful tool when considering the structural studies of hierarchical materials, allowing one to couple the relationships and connections of the structures at various scales. In this study, XMT was used to map the anatomy and cellular structures in 3D in tension and opposite wood with 1.5 µm resolution, while XRD was used to determine the cellulose crystallite widths and microfibril orientations with 100 µm spatial resolution within the same tissues. Tension wood (TW) has an important biological function with clearly distinct properties to opposite (OW) and normal wood, e.g. differing cellular structures with a higher cellulose content. This is the first study of very young hybrid aspen saplings (1-month-old) using the combined diffraction tomography method. The TW tissues could be identified from the OW tissues based on both the XMT and XRD results: TW had a higher average size of the cellulose crystallites and smaller mean microfibril angles (mMFA) than those in OW. With the XRD data, we were able to reconstruct the images of the cross sections of the saplings using the structural parameters (cellulose crystallite width and mMFA) as contrast mechanisms. As far as the authors know, there are no previous studies with images on any TW samples using the XRD-based contrast. Home laboratory bench-top set-up offers its advantages for these studies, considering the number of samples characterized, time-dependent studies and larger field of views.
Extreme Sensitivity of Fitness to Environmental Conditions: Lessons from #1BigBatch
Authors: Kinsler Grant , Schmidlin Kara , Newell Daphne , Eder Rachel , Apodaca Sam , Lam Grace , Petrov Dmitri , Geiler-Samerotte Kerry
Published: May 2023

The phrase “survival of the fittest” has become an iconic descriptor of how natural selection works. And yet, precisely measuring fitness, even for single-celled microbial populations growing in controlled laboratory conditions, remains a challenge. While numerous methods exist to perform these measurements, including recently developed methods utilizing DNA barcodes, all methods are limited in their precision to differentiate strains with small fitness differences. In this study, we rule out some major sources of imprecision, but still find that fitness measurements vary substantially from replicate to replicate. Our data suggest that very subtle and difficult to avoid environmental differences between replicates create systematic variation across fitness measurements. We conclude by discussing how fitness measurements should be interpreted given their extreme environment dependence. This work was inspired by the scientific community who followed us and gave us tips as we live tweeted a high-replicate fitness measurement experiment at #1BigBatch.
Structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of waste magnetic filler rubber nanocomposites
Authors: Reffaee A. A. , Ward A. A. , Khalaf A. I.
Published: May 2023

Nanocomposites based on acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and ethylene–proplene diene monomer (EPDM) (50/50) filled with different concentrations of nano-waste magnetic filler (nWMF) up to 120 phr were prepared by two laboratory two roll mill mixer. nWMF was characterized using XRD, TEM and VSM. The prepared nanocomposites were investigated by different techniques: SEM, TGA, and DSC. In addition the rheological, mechanical, dielectric and magnetic properties were studied. However, the miscibility of NBR/EPDM/nWMF nanocomposites is enhanced after the addition of nano-waste magnetic filler (nWMF). Also, it is found that the thermal stability of NBR/EPDM blend is improved by increasing nWMF loadings. The incorporation of nWMF in rubber matrix increased minimum/maximum torque, cure rate index and reinforcing factor but decreased both optimum cure and scorch time. The mechanical properties showed an enhancement up to 40 phr of nWMF. Further, the magnetization shows a continuous increase with nWMF loading. In addition, the values ε′ and ε″ increased upon rising nWMF concentration. The nanocomposite containing 40 phr shows promising mechanical and dielectric properties which validate its use for insulating and antistatic purposes.
Upper part-load instability in a reduced-scale Francis turbine: an experimental study
Authors: Amini Ali , Vagnoni Elena , Favrel Arthur , Yamaishi Kazuhiko , Müller Andres , Avellan François
Published: May 2023

Francis turbines with medium or high specific speeds may experience a particular type of instability in the upper part load in which the precessing vortex has an elliptical shape. The occurrence of the upper part-load instability (UPLI) is accompanied by large-amplitude pressure fluctuations at a distinct frequency between 2 and 4 times the runner rotational speed. This paper experimentally investigates UPLI for a reduced-scale Francis turbine. To investigate the causal factors of this instability, draft tube pressure measurements, particle image velocimetry, and high-speed flow visualizations have been performed at several operating points under cavitation and cavitation-free conditions. It is shown for the first time that for an operating point within the UPLI range, the vortex always features a circular section in cavitation-free conditions, which is preserved even after the initial appearance of cavitation. It is only below a certain Thoma number that the vortex section turns into an ellipse and shows an abrupt increase in pressure fluctuations. Analysis of the phase-averaged velocity fields reveals that a concentrated vortex with a large precession radius is a prerequisite for UPLI, while the instantaneous velocity fields clearly illustrate the asymmetric velocity distribution around the elliptical vortex. The existence of a breathing mode and the intermittent formation of two side vortices along the elliptical vortex rope are also evidenced by high-speed flow visualizations. These results provide a much deeper insight into the flow structures that favor the development of UPLI and help delimit its thresholds to higher precision, and thus, prevent its occurrence during turbine operations.
Recursion Formulas for Integrated Products of Jacobi Polynomials
Authors: Beuchler Sven , Haubold Tim , Pillwein Veronika
Published: May 2023

From the literature it is known that orthogonal polynomials as the Jacobi polynomials can be expressed by hypergeometric series. In this paper, the authors derive several contiguous relations for terminating multivariate hypergeometric series. With these contiguous relations one can prove several recursion formulas of those series. This theoretical result allows to compute integrals over products of Jacobi polynomials in a very efficient recursive way. Moreover, the authors present an application to numerical analysis where it can be used in algorithms which compute the approximate solution of boundary value problem of partial differential equations by means of the finite elements method. With the aid of the contiguous relations, the approximate solution can be computed much faster than using numerical integration. A numerical example illustrates this effect.
Central and peripheral myeloid-derived suppressor cell-like cells are closely related to the clinical severity of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Ortega María Cristina , Lebrón-Galán Rafael , Machín-Díaz Isabel , Naughton Michelle , Pérez-Molina Inmaculada , García-Arocha Jennifer , Garcia-Dominguez Jose Manuel , Goicoechea-Briceño Haydee , Vila-del Sol Virginia , Quintanero-Casero Víctor , García-Montero Rosa , Galán Victoria , Calahorra Leticia , Camacho-Toledano Celia , Martínez-Ginés María Luisa , Fitzgerald Denise C. , Clemente Diego
Published: May 2023

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a highly heterogeneous demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that needs for reliable biomarkers to foresee disease severity. Recently, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) have emerged as an immune cell population with an important role in MS. The monocytic-MDSCs (M-MDSCs) share the phenotype with Ly-6Chi-cells in the MS animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), and have been retrospectively related to the severity of the clinical course in the EAE. However, no data are available about the presence of M-MDSCs in the CNS of MS patients or its relation with the future disease aggressiveness. In this work, we show for the first time cells exhibiting all the bona-fide phenotypical markers of M-MDSCs associated with MS lesions, whose abundance in these areas appears to be directly correlated with longer disease duration in primary progressive MS patients. Moreover, we show that blood immunosuppressive Ly-6Chi-cells are strongly related to the future severity of EAE disease course. We found that a higher abundance of Ly-6Chi-cells at the onset of the EAE clinical course is associated with a milder disease course and less tissue damage. In parallel, we determined that the abundance of M-MDSCs in blood samples from untreated MS patients at their first relapse is inversely correlated with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) at baseline and after a 1-year follow-up. In summary, our data point to M-MDSC load as a factor to be considered for future studies focused on the prediction of disease severity in EAE and MS.
Integrating eQTL and GWAS data characterises established and identifies novel migraine risk loci
Authors: Ghaffar Ammarah ,   The International Headache Genetics Consortium, Nyholt Dale R.
Published: May 2023

Migraine—a painful, throbbing headache disorder—is the most common complex brain disorder, yet its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have proven successful in identifying migraine risk loci; however, much work remains to identify the causal variants and genes. In this paper, we compared three transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) imputation models—MASHR, elastic net, and SMultiXcan—to characterise established genome-wide significant (GWS) migraine GWAS risk loci, and to identify putative novel migraine risk gene loci. We compared the standard TWAS approach of analysing 49 GTEx tissues with Bonferroni correction for testing all genes present across all tissues (Bonferroni), to TWAS in five tissues estimated to be relevant to migraine, and TWAS with Bonferroni correction that took into account the correlation between eQTLs within each tissue (Bonferroni-matSpD). Elastic net models performed in all 49 GTEx tissues using Bonferroni-matSpD characterised the highest number of established migraine GWAS risk loci (n = 20) with GWS TWAS genes having colocalisation (PP4 > 0.5) with an eQTL. SMultiXcan in all 49 GTEx tissues identified the highest number of putative novel migraine risk genes (n = 28) with GWS differential expression at 20 non-GWS GWAS loci. Nine of these putative novel migraine risk genes were later found to be at and in linkage disequilibrium with true (GWS) migraine risk loci in a recent, more powerful migraine GWAS. Across all TWAS approaches, a total of 62 putative novel migraine risk genes were identified at 32 independent genomic loci. Of these 32 loci, 21 were true risk loci in the recent, more powerful migraine GWAS. Our results provide important guidance on the selection, use, and utility of imputation-based TWAS approaches to characterise established GWAS risk loci and identify novel risk gene loci.
The experience of interval scans for adults living with primary malignant brain tumors
Authors: Boele Florien W. , Rudkin Sarah E. , Absolom Kate , Latchford Gary , Short Susan C. , Booth Thomas C.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

People with primary malignant brain tumors (PMBT) undergo anti-tumor treatment and are followed up with MRI interval scans. There are potential burdens and benefits to interval scanning, yet high-quality evidence to suggest whether scans are beneficial or alter outcomes of importance for patients is lacking. We aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of how adults living with PMBTs experience and cope with interval scanning.

Methods

Twelve patients diagnosed with WHO grade III or IV PMBT from two sites in the UK took part. Using a semi-structured interview guide, they were asked about their experiences of interval scans. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyze data.

Results

Although most participants found interval scans uncomfortable, they accepted that scans were something that they had to do and were using various coping methods to get through the MRI scan. All participants said that the wait between their scan and results was the most difficult part. Despite the difficulties they experienced, all participants said that they would rather have interval scans than wait for a change in their symptoms. Most of the time, scans provided relief, gave participants some certainty in an uncertain situation, and a short-term sense of control over their lives.

Conclusion

The present study shows that interval scanning is important and highly valued by patients living with PMBT. Although interval scans are anxiety provoking, they appear to help people living with PMBT cope with the uncertainty of their condition.
The optimal Hölder exponent in Massari’s regularity theorem
Authors: Schmidt Thomas , Schütt Jule Helena
Published: May 2023

We determine the optimal Hölder exponent in Massari’s regularity theorem for sets with variational mean curvature in$$\textrm{L}^p$$Lp. In fact, we obtain regularity with improved exponents and at the same time provide sharp counterexamples.
On the notion of ground state for nonlinear Schrödinger equations on metric graphs
Authors: De Coster Colette , Dovetta Simone , Galant Damien , Serra Enrico
Published: May 2023

We compare ground states for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation on metric graphs, defined as global minimizers of the action functional constrained on the Nehari manifold, and least action solutions, namely minimizers of the action among all solutions to the equation. In principle, four alternative cases may take place: ground states do exist (thus coinciding with least action solutions); ground states do not exist while least action solutions do; both ground states and least action solutions do not exist and the levels of the two minimizing problems coincide; both ground states and least action solutions do not exist and the levels of the two minimizing problems are different. We show that in the context of metric graphs all four alternatives do occur. This is accomplished by a careful analysis of doubly constrained variational problems. As a by-product, we obtain new multiplicity results for positive solutions on a wide class of noncompact metric graphs.
Comparative results of arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis vs. open arthrodesis in patients with diabetes-associated Charcot Neuro-Arthropathy
Authors: Gutteck Natalia , Delank Karl-Stefan , Schilde Sebastian
Published: May 2023

Background

Several studies demonstrated a considerable complication rate for open ankle or TTC arthrodesis in patients with diabetes, revision surgery and ulceration. Extensive approaches in combination with multimorbide patients have been suggested as the rationale behind the increased complication rate.

Methods

Single-centre, prospective case-control study compared arthroscopic vs. open ankle arthrodesis in patients with Charcot Neuro-Arthropathy of the foot. 18 patients with septic Charcot Neuro-Arthropathy Sanders III–IV received an arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis with TSF (Taylor Spatial Frame®) fixation combined with different additional procedures required for infect treatment and hindfoot realignment. The ankle arthrodesis was required for the realignment of the hindfoot in Sanders IV patients, arthritis or in case of infection. 12 patients were treated with open ankle arthrodesis and TSF fixation combined with various additional procedures.

Results

A significant improvement has been shown in radiological data in both groups. A significant lower complication rate has been registered in arthroscopic group. A significant correlation was seen between major complications and therapeutic anticoagulation as well as smoking.

Conclusion

In high-risk patients with diabetes and plantar ulceration excellent results could be demonstrated in arthroscopically performed ankle arthrodesis with midfoot osteotomy using TSF as fixation devise.
The biological interactions between kynurenine and AhR in melanocytes: in vitro studies
Authors: Walczak Katarzyna , Szalast Karolina , Krasowska Dorota
Published: May 2023

Kynurenine (KYN), a tryptophan metabolite, is endogenously produced by the skin cells and is present in human sweat. The aim of this study was to determine the molecular mechanism of the antiproliferative activity of KYN on human epidermal melanocytes. KYN significantly inhibited the metabolic activity of HEMa cells by decreasing cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) levels via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway. The results suggested that KYN might be involved in the regulation of physiological and pathological processes mediated by melanocytes.
Are aligners capable of inducing palatal bodily translation or palatal root torque of upper central incisors? A biomechanical in vitro study
Authors: Elkholy Fayez , Weber Sophia , Repky Stefan , Jäger Rudolf , Schmidt Falko , Lapatki Bernd G.
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Previous studies have shown that aligners have limited ability to control root movements. The purpose of this study was to investigate which modification geometry and foil thickness are optimal for generating the force-moment (F/M) systems required for palatal root torque of maxillary central incisors.

Materials and methods

Tooth 11 was separated from a maxillary acrylic model and connected to a movement unit via a 3D F/M sensor. Different modification geometries (crescent, capsular, double-spherical) with different depths were digitally implemented in the labio-cervical region of tooth 11 to induce an increased contact force. We evaluated the F/M systems exerted by aligners with thicknesses of 0.4–1.0 mm. F/M measurements were taken with tooth 11 in the neutral position and during palatal displacement of tooth 11 (simulating its initial clinical movement).

Results

The mechanical requirements of palatal root torque are a palatally directed force (− Fy) and a palatal root torquing moment (− Mx). These requirements were reliably achieved with modification depths > 0.5 mm. The modification depth and foil thickness had a significant influence on − Fy magnitudes (linear mixed-effect models, p < 0.01). With the 0.75-mm aligners combined with 1.5-mm deep modifications, the palatal root torque range (palTR) started after an initial palatal crown displacement of 0.09, 0.12, and 0.12 mm for the capsular, crescent, and double-spherical modification geometries, respectively.

Conclusions

A relatively early start of the palatal torque range (after a 0.1-mm palatal crown displacement) and appropriate − Fy magnitudes were achieved with 0.75-mm-thick aligners containing 1.5-mm deep capsular or crescent pressure regions. Subsequent clinical trials are required to confirm the clinical effects of these modifications.

Clinical relevance

In vitro testing indicated that modified aligners are capable of generating the F/M components required for palatal root torque of upper central incisors.
Ethnic differences in treatment outcome for children and young people accessing mental health support
Authors: Ruphrect-Smith H. , Davies S. , Jacob J. , Edbrooke-Childs J.
Published: May 2023

Children and Young People (CYP) from minoritized ethnic backgrounds experience structural inequalities in Children and Young People’s Mental Health Settings (CYPMHS). This mixed methods study explores whether CYP’s ethnicity is associated with their treatment outcomes (operationalised as ‘measurable change’) from CYPMHS. A multilevel multi-nominal regression analysis, controlling for age, gender, referral source, presenting difficulty, case closure reason, suggests that CYP from Asian backgrounds (OR = 0.82, CI [0.70, 0.96]) and Mixed-race (odds ratio (OR) = 0.80; 95% CI [0.69, 0.92]) are less likely to report measurable improvement in mental health difficulties compared to White British CYP. Three themes from a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 15 CYP from minoritized ethnic backgrounds focused on views and experiences of ending mental health support are also presented. CYP view personalised support and the right therapist as conducive to good endings and valued a range of outcomes pertaining to empowerment. Experiences of stigma and inequalities may begin to explain the less positive outcomes experienced by Asian and Mixed-race CYP found in the regression analysis. The implications of these findings and future areas of research are suggested.