bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ENSO and Paraná flow variability: Long‐term changes in their connectivity
Authors: Antico Andrés , Vuille Mathias
Published: April 2022

The Paraná River of South America is one of the largest rivers in the world. Although the connection between Paraná streamflow and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has been studied before, little is known about the long‐term (interdecadal) changes of this connectivity. Here we reveal these changes by analysing long instrumental records of Paraná flow, ENSO indices and other climate variables. We find that flow and ENSO were connected in 1876–1940 and 1983–2016, but disconnected in 1941–1982. Flow variability was more related to central Pacific ENSO fluctuations in 1876–1940 but more linked with eastern Pacific ones in 1983–2016, probably because the ENSO–Paraná basin teleconnection was different in the two periods. ENSO‐related Pacific climate anomalies exhibited their smallest amplitudes during the disconnection period 1941–1982, suggesting that the ENSO–flow link vanishes when ENSO is weak. We also find that the ENSO–flow disconnection coincided with the coldest phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) in the study period. Thus, the IPO may be modulating the ENSO–flow connectivity. Interestingly, during the disconnection years (1941–1982), flow was related to climate variability observed in sectors of the southern South Atlantic and tropical North Atlantic oceans. This and the other empirical results presented here provide new insights into the Paraná response to ENSO and thus provide valuable information for future mechanistic studies on this response.
Changes of Age‐related Auricular Cartilage Plasticity and Biomechanical Property in a Rabbit Model
Authors: Chen Lili , Li Chenlong , He Aijuan , Tong Hua , Lu Xinyu , Yang Run , Chen Xin , Wu Xu , Wang Xin , Wang Shuqi , Ma Jing , Fu Yaoyao , Zhang Tianyu
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Ear molding is an emerging technique that can correct auricular deformities. Treatment initiation time is the most important prognostic determinant of ear molding. Here, we aimed to examine why auricular cartilage plasticity appeared to diminish with age. Thus, we characterized age‐related changes in the biomechanical, biochemical, and morphological properties of auricular cartilage.

Methods

New Zealand rabbits were used as the experimental animal. We examined immature [postnatal 0 day (P0), 5 days (P5), 15 days (P15)], young [2 months (2M)], and mature [6 months (6M)] rabbits. Rabbits' ears were splinted and folded using adhesive fixation strips. Folding duration ranged from 1 day to 5 days to 10 days. Photographs were taken to calculate the retained fold angle. Cartilage morphology and extracellular matrix (ECM) content were examined histologically (using hematoxylin–eosin, Safranin O, elastic Van Gieson, and Masson's trichrome). Water content, DNA content, and cell density were also analyzed. Biomechanical properties were measured using a Nano indenter.

Results

Immature ears had smaller angles after strip removal, and the angled deformation lasted a longer time. Cartilage matrix compositions, including glycosaminoglycan (GAG), elastin fiber, and collagen, increased over development. The water content, DNA content, and cell density decreased with age. Young's modulus was significantly higher in mature cartilage.

Conclusions

Here, we successfully established an animal model of ear molding and demonstrated that immature cartilage was associated with better plasticity. We also found that the cartilage's biomechanical property increased with the accumulation of ECM. The biomechanical change could underlie age‐related shape plasticity.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 133:88–94, 2023
Distribution of weight, stature, and growth status in children and adolescents with spinal muscular atrophy: An observational retrospective study in the United States
Authors: Darras Basil T. , Guye Sabrina , Hoffart Janine , Schneider Sophie , Gravestock Isaac , Gorni Ksenija , Fuerst‐Recktenwald Sabine , Scalco Renata S. , Finkel Richard S. , De Vivo Darryl C.
Published: April 2022

Introduction/Aims

Data regarding weight, height/length, and growth status of patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who have received only supportive care are limited. This cross‐sectional study describes these measurements in patients with Type 1 and Types 2/3 SMA and compares them with reference values from typically developing children.

Methods

Retrospective baseline data from three sites in the Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinical Research Network (Boston, New York, Philadelphia) were used. Descriptive statistics for weight, height/length, body mass index‐for‐age, as well as weight‐for‐length and absolute and relative deviations from reference values (ie, 50th percentile from World Health Organization/Centers for Disease Control growth charts) were calculated. Furthermore, growth status was reported.

Results

A total of 91 genetically confirmed patients with SMA receiving optimal supportive care and without any disease‐modifying treatment were stratified into Types 1 (n = 28) and 2/3 SMA (n = 63). Patients with Type 1 SMA weighed significantly less (median = −7.5%) compared with reference values and patients with Types 2/3 SMA were significantly shorter (mean = −3.0%) compared with reference values. The median weight was considerably below the 50th percentile in both groups of patients, even if they received a high standard of care and proactive feeding support.

Discussion

More research is needed to understand which factors influence growth longitudinally, and how to accurately capture growth in patients with SMA. Further research should investigate the best time to provide feeding support to avoid underweight, especially in patients with Type 1, and how to avoid the risk of overfeeding, especially in patients with Types 2/3 SMA.
Validity of dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry for estimation of visceral adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue change after surgery‐induced weight loss in women with severe obesity
Authors: Ashby‐Thompson Maxine , Heshka Stanley , Rizkalla Bridgette , Zurlo Rosalie , Lemos Thaisa , Janumala Isaiah , Goodpaster Bret , DeLany James , Courcoulas Anita , Strain Gladys , Pomp Alfons , Kang Patrick , Lin Susan , Thornton John , Gallagher Dympna
Published: April 2022

Objective

Reliable and simple methods to quantify visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and VAT changes are needed. This study investigated the validity of dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for estimating VAT cross sectionally and longitudinally after surgery‐induced weight loss in women with severe obesity.

Methods

Women with obesity (n = 36; mean age 43 [SD 10] years; 89% White) with DXA and MRI before bariatric surgery (T0) at 12 (T12) and 24 months (T24) post surgery were included. CoreScan (GE Healthcare, Chicago, Illinois) estimated VAT from 20% of the distance between the top of the iliac crest and the base of the skull. MRI VAT (total VAT) was measured from the base of the heart to the sacrum/coccyx on a whole‐body scan.

Results

Mean DXA VAT was 45% of MRI VAT at T0, 46% at T12, and 68% at T24. DXA underestimated change in MRI VAT between T0 and T12 by 26.1% (0.81 kg, p = 0.03) and by 71.7% (0.43 kg, p < 0.001) between T12 and T24. The relationship between DXA VAT and MRI VAT differed between T12 and T24 (p value for interaction = 0.03).

Conclusions

CoreScan lacks validity for comparing VAT across individuals or for estimating the size of changes within individuals; however, within the limits of measurement error, it may provide a useful indicator of whether some VAT change has occurred within an individual.
Learning from Past Supply Chain Challenges
Authors: Minton Gabrielle
Published: April 2022

It's critical that the water and chemical sectors work together to effectively manage future supply challenges.
Operators Need to Know Advanced Treatment Processes
Authors: Adams Hunter , Ash Steve , Ikehata Keisuke , Southard Mark
Published: April 2022

Understanding advanced treatment processes is key to keeping up‐to‐date with industry advancements.
Identification of fatigue damage modes for carbon fiber/epoxy composites using acoustic emission monitoring under fully reversed loading
Authors: Guo Yi‐Er , Shang De‐Guang , Zuo Lin‐Xuan , Qu Lin‐Feng , Hou Geng , Cai Di , Jin Tian , Yin Xiang
Published: April 2022

In this study, the fatigue damage modes of carbon fiber/epoxy composite laminates with symmetrical architecture were investigated by acoustic emission (AE) technique under fully reversed loading. The principal component analysis and the K‐means cluster analysis using correlation AE characteristic parameters, including the energy, the amplitude, and the duration time, were performed to identify various damage modes during the fatigue test process. The analysis results of the AE signals indicated that the high‐intensity AE signals were generated by the compressive load and the low‐intensity AE signals were generated by the tensile load. The maximum energy and duration time generated by the compression load are approximately 20 and 10 times that of the tensile load, respectively, which was consistent with the force‐controlled static test results under tension and compression loadings. Therefore, the fatigue damage caused by the compressive load is much greater than that of tensile load under fully reversed loading. The results of the multi‐AE parametric clustering analysis combined with scanning electron microscope micromorphology revealed that the damage modes of the laminate specimens were classified into five types, namely matrix cracks, fiber/epoxy interface debonding, shear, delamination, and fiber breakage. In addition, the damage modes at different stages during the fatigue test process were also analyzed and discussed.
Variations of permafrost under freezing and thawing conditions in the coastal catchment Fuglebekken (Hornsund, Spitsbergen, Svalbard)
Authors: Majdański Mariusz , Dobiński Wojciech , Marciniak Artur , Owoc Bartosz , Glazer Michał , Osuch Marzena , Wawrzyniak Tomasz
Published: April 2022

Two seismic field surveys were organized in the Fuglebekken coastal catchment of Hornsund, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, to map frozen and unfrozen ground and assess the spatial and temporal state of the permafrost. Surveys were conducted during maximum thawing in September and maximum freezing in April of the following year. The obtained seismic wavefields were interpreted using three methods: the dispersion of surface waves, seismic refraction, and travel time tomography. The seismic experiments were supported by nearby boreholes with continuous thermal monitoring. In the frozen survey, a gradual increase in ice content of water‐filled sediments was found, farther from the coast. In September the shallow sensors in the boreholes validated positive ground temperatures down to 3.0 m depth, with below‐zero temperatures at greater depths. However, seismic tomography indicated that the ground was unfrozen down to 30 m. The ground probably remained unfrozen due to intrusion of high‐salinity seawater, even though it had been below 0°C. In April, in the area 300 m and farther from the coast, the ground below 3 m depth was frozen, except for a 19‐m‐deep open talik identified in a borehole at the slope of Fugle Mountain. We attribute the complex spatial extent, form, and condition of permafrost in the Fuglebekken coastal catchment to multiple factors, including variable solar energy, snow and ground cover, thermal and humidity properties of the soil, subsurface water flow, and seawater intrusion. The presented combination of seismic methods provides a new robust and precise approach to assess the spatial variability of permafrost in a coastal environment. The proposed interpretation shows deep percolation of subsurface flow into permafrost and its seasonal unfreezing at a depth of 30 m in both the zone of saltwater intrusion and the slope area.
Improving stratocumulus cloud turbulence and entrainment parametrizations in OpenIFS
Authors: Fitch A. C.
Published: April 2022

A series of modifications to the stratocumulus cloud turbulence and entrainment parametrizations in the Open Integrated Forecasting System (OpenIFS) model are performed in a Lagrangian single‐column model framework to determine whether they are able to improve the representation of the stratocumulus‐topped boundary layer and its transition to cloud break‐up. Two very different regimes are studied and compared with large‐eddy simulations: a subtropical marine stratocumulus‐to‐cumulus transition case driven by a warming sea‐surface temperature, and an Arctic air‐mass transformation case where warm and moist air is advected over sea ice during wintertime. The addition of nonlocal mixing driven by stratocumulus cloud‐top cooling for stable and dry convective boundary‐layer types is found to sustain the cloud deck for longer in the Arctic case, while it dissipates around one day earlier in the original OpenIFS. The assumption that cloud‐top‐driven mixing reaches the surface, forming a coupled boundary layer, is relaxed. The resulting eddy diffusivity profile is altered such that mixing at cloud top may be enhanced relative to cloud base, promoting decoupling. Decoupling in the subtropical boundary layer is further promoted when the cloud‐top turbulent velocity scale is based on the integral of the in‐cloud buoyancy flux, accounting for the turbulence generated by latent heat release within the cloud, which increases cloud‐top entrainment further relative to cloud base. Some long‐standing model issues persist, such as underestimation of the subtropical boundary‐layer deepening rate, which leads to a cold and moist bias in the boundary layer. In the Arctic, the boundary layer is generally too well mixed and warm at the surface. The degree of decoupling is also underestimated in both cases. However, the modifications discussed here lead to some improvement in OpenIFS.
Shelter from the storm: How perceived extreme event experience and government trust shape public support for climate change mitigation policy in the United States
Authors: Giordono Leanne , Zanocco Chad , Peterson Holly , Boudet Hilary
Published: April 2022

As emergency managers and other government and nongovernmental organizations in the United States cope with a variety of catastrophic events, including unprecedented natural disasters and a global pandemic, the role of government trust in responding to and addressing the threat from such events has gained attention among policy and public administration scholars. How changes in government trust following extreme events may influence public support for government‐led climate policy is an unknown, yet potentially important, dimension of climate mitigation policy preference formation. To address this gap, we analyze cross‐sectional survey responses (n = 1756) collected from 10 communities that experienced extreme weather events. We find that perceptions of event‐related harm are positively associated with an increase in self‐reported local government trust following an extreme weather event, and that increases in local and federal government trust are associated with higher levels of support for climate change mitigation policy. Our findings have implications for emergency managers, policymakers, and policy scholars as they consider how interactions with various levels of government during and after extreme events shapes public support for climate policy.
Recursive state estimation for multi‐rate time‐varying systems with multiplicative noises: Dealing with sensor resolutions
Authors: Shen Yuxuan , Wang Zidong , Liu Hongjian , Dong Hongli , Yi Xiaojian
Published: April 2022

In this article, the recursive state estimation problem is investigated for a class of multi‐rate systems with multiplicative noises where the measurement outputs are collected from sensors with certain resolutions. Due to the existence of the sensor resolution, the actual measurement output of the sensor might deviate from its true value and such a deviation, if not adequately taken into account, would lead to serious degradation of the estimation performance, and we are therefore motivated to develop an effective state estimation algorithm that is insensitive to the sensor‐resolution‐induced measurement distortions. The aim of the considered estimation problem is to design a state estimator such that an upper bound on the estimation error covariance is first guaranteed and then minimized by properly choosing the estimator gain. Moreover, a simulation example with application background on moving target tracking problem is presented to verify the validity of the developed recursive state estimation algorithm.
Size‐Selective Transfer of Lipid Nanoparticle‐Based Drug Carriers Across the Blood Brain Barrier Via Vascular Occlusions Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Khalin Igor , Adarsh Nagappanpillai , Schifferer Martina , Wehn Antonia , Groschup Bernhard , Misgeld Thomas , Klymchenko Andrey , Plesnila Nikolaus
Published: April 2022

The current lack of understanding about how nanocarriers cross the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) in the healthy and injured brain is hindering the clinical translation of nanoscale brain‐targeted drug‐delivery systems. Here, the bio‐distribution of lipid nano‐emulsion droplets (LNDs) of two sizes (30 and 80 nm) in the mouse brain after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is investigated. The highly fluorescent LNDs are prepared by loading them with octadecyl rhodamine B and a bulky hydrophobic counter‐ion, tetraphenylborate. Using in vivo two‐photon and confocal imaging, the circulation kinetics and bio‐distribution of LNDs in the healthy and injured mouse brain are studied. It is found that after TBI, LNDs of both sizes accumulate at vascular occlusions, where specifically 30 nm LNDs extravasate into the brain parenchyma and reach neurons. The vascular occlusions are not associated with bleedings, but instead are surrounded by processes of activated microglia, suggesting a specific opening of the BBB. Finally, correlative light‐electron microscopy reveals 30 nm LNDs in endothelial vesicles, while 80 nm particles remain in the vessel lumen, indicating size‐selective vesicular transport across the BBB via vascular occlusions. The data suggest that microvascular occlusions serve as “gates” for the transport of nanocarriers across the BBB.
High‐Efficiency P3HT‐Based All‐Polymer Solar Cells with a Thermodynamically Miscible Polymer Acceptor
Authors: Li Youle , Zhang Yue , Wu Baoqi , Pang Shuting , Yuan Xiyue , Duan Chunhui , Huang Fei , Cao Yong
Published: April 2022

Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is the most classical conjugated polymer for organic photovoltaics due to its low‐cost and synthetic scalability. However, P3HT‐based organic photovoltaics suffer from inferior device performance with respect to donor–acceptor copolymers. Particularly, the device performance of P3HT‐based all‐polymer solar cells (all‐PSCs) is rather poor due to the challenges in reaching ideal bulk‐heterojunction morphology. Herein, highly efficient P3HT‐based all‐PSCs by blending P3HT with a thermodynamic miscible polymer acceptor are reported. Among the three state‐of‐the‐art polymer acceptors (N2200, PYT, and DCNBT‐IDT), N2200 and PYT are thermodynamically immiscible with P3HT and thus led to excessive phase separation when blended with P3HT, whereas DCNBT‐IDT displayed proper thermodynamic miscibility with P3HT and generated the formation of well‐mixed fibrillary active layer morphology. As a result, a power conversion efficiency of 7.35% has been achieved by P3HT:DCNBT‐IDT blend, which is a new record for P3HT‐based all‐PSCs and largely higher than any previous results. Broad implication for further efficiency enhancement of P3HT‐based all‐PSCs is provided in the results and a promising pathway to realize highly efficient yet cost‐effective solar energy production is suggested.
In Situ Synthesis of Lipid Analogues Leading to Artificial Cell Growth and Division
Authors: Zhang Mingrui , Zhang Ying , Mu Wei , Dong Mingdong , Han Xiaojun
Published: April 2022

The bottom‐up construction of an artificial cell model system starting from inanimate components helps people better understand the working mechanism of cells. Phospholipids are natural components of the cell membrane system, which are widely used to construct artificial cells. However, it is difficult to synthesize natural phospholipids in situ. Chemically synthesized lipid analogues are similar in structure to natural phospholipids, so they can be used to mimic phospholipids to build vesicles. Here, four methods of the chemical synthesis of lipid analogues (including enzyme reactions, click chemistry reactions, native chemical ligation reactions, imine condensation and decomposition reactions) are described. The construction of artificial cells based on the lipid analogues, and their growth and division are also summarized. Finally, the challenges and future directions in the field of construction and division of artificial cells based on lipid analogues are proposed.
Asteroid-Generated Tsunamis: A Review
Authors: Berger Marsha
Published: April 2022

We study ocean waves caused by an asteroid airburst located over the ocean. The concern is that the waves would damage distant coastal cities. Simple qualitative analysis suggests that the wave energy is proportional to the ocean depth and the strength and speed of the blast. Computational simulations using GeoClaw and the shallow water equations show that explosions from realistic asteroids do not endanger distant cities. We explore the validity of the shallow water, Boussinesq, and linearized Euler equations to model these water waves.
An Iterative Thresholding Method for Topology Optimization for the Navier–Stokes Flow
Authors: Leng Haitao , Wang Dong , Chen Huangxin , Wang Xiao-Ping
Published: April 2022

We develop an efficient iterative thresholding method for topology optimization for the Navier–Stokes flow. The method is proposed to minimize an objective energy functional which consists of the potential power in the fluid and a fluid-solid interface perimeter penalization. The perimeter is approximated by a nonlocal energy, subject to a fluid volume constraint and the incompressible Navier–Stokes equation. The method is an iterative scheme which alternates two steps: (1) solving a system containing the Brinkman equation and an adjoint system, and (2) convolution and thresholding. Various numerical experiments in both two and three dimensions are given to show the performance of the proposed method.
Some Case Studies in Environmental and Industrial Mathematics
Authors: Bermúdez Alfredo
Published: April 2022

This presentation deals with four case studies in environmental and industrial mathematics developed by the mathematical engineering research group (mat+i) from the University of Santiago de Compostela and the Technological Institute for Industrial Mathematics (ITMATI). The first case involves environmental fluid mechanics: optimizing the location of submarine outfalls on the coast. This work, related to shallow water equations with variable depth, led us to develop a theory for numerical treatment of source terms in nonlinear first order hyperbolic balance laws. More recently, these techniques have been applied to solve Euler equations with source terms arising from numerical simulation of gas transportation networks when topography via gravity force is considered in the model. The last two problems concerns electromagnetism. One of them is related to nondestructive testing of car parts by using magnetic nanoparticles (the so-called magnetic particle inspection, MPI): mathematical modelling of magnetic hysteresis to simulate demagnetization. Finally, we present a mathematical procedure to reduce the computing time needed to achieve the stationary state of an induction electric machine when using transient numerical simulation.
Modelling Our Sense of Smell
Authors: Conca Carlos
Published: April 2022

The first step in our sensing of smell is the conversion of chemical odorants into electrical signals. This happens when odorants stimulate ion channels along cilia, which are long thin cylindrical structures in our olfactory system. Determining how the ion channels are distributed along the length of a cilium is beyond current experimental methods. Here we describe how this can be approached as a mathematical inverse problem. Identification of specific functions of receptor neuron arrays is a major challenge today in both Mathematics and Biosciences. In this paper, two integral equations based mathematical models are studied for the inverse problem of determining the distribution of ion channels in cilia of olfactory neurons from experimental data.
Scaling Banana Bacterial Wilt Management Through Single Diseased Stem Removal in the Great Lakes Region
Authors: Kikulwe Enoch , Asindu Marsy , Ocimati Walter , Ajambo Susan , Tinzaara William , Iradukunda Francois , Blomme Guy
Published: April 2022

Xanthomonas wilt (XW) of banana caused by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum (Xvm) is an important emerging and non-curable infectious disease which can cause up to 100% yield loss. At the start of the XW epidemic, complete uprooting of diseased mats (CMU) was recommended. There was little adoption of CMU, especially by women farmers, because it was labor-intensive and it sacrificed banana production for up to 2 years. CMU assumed that infection on a single plant would systemically spread to all plants in a mat. However, field experiments showed that Xvm did not spread systemically in a mat and that latent infections occurred. As a result, not all shoots on an infected plant show symptoms. This led to the idea of removing only the visibly infected banana plants, referred to as single diseased stem removal (SDSR). The SDSR package comprises three innovations: (1) regularly cutting symptomatic stems at ground level, (2) sterilizing cutting tools with fire, and (3) early male bud removal using a forked stick. The SDSR package was promoted jointly with a set of complementary practices: (i) avoiding infections by browsing animals, (ii) using clean planting materials, (iii) bending leaves at the petiole level when intercropping in infected fields, (iv) training on disease recognition and epidemiology, and (v) demand-specific extension and knowledge sharing. Several approaches that have been used for scaling out XW management technologies are documented in this chapter. This review looks at the process, practices, challenges, lessons learned, and future policy implications associated with scaling of XW management practices.
Toolbox for Working with Root, Tuber, and Banana Seed Systems
Authors: Andrade-Piedra Jorge L. , Garrett Karen A. , Delaquis Erik , Almekinders Conny J. M. , McEwan Margaret A. , Kilwinger Fleur B. M. , Mayanja Sarah , Mulugo Lucy , Navarrete Israel , Omondi Aman Bonaventure , Rajendran Srinivasulu , Kumar P. Lava
Published: April 2022

Root, tuber, and banana (RT&B) crops are critical for global food security. They are vegetatively propagated crops (VPCs) sharing common features: low reproductive rates, bulky planting materials, and vulnerability to accumulating and spreading pathogens and pests through seed. These crops are difficult to breed, so new varieties may be released slowly relative to new emerging threats. VPC seed systems are complex and face several challenges: poor-quality seed of existing varieties, low adoption rates of improved varieties, and slow varietal turnover, limiting yield increases and farmers’ ability to adapt to new threats and opportunities. Addressing these challenges requires first identifying key knowledge gaps on seed systems to guide research for development in a holistic and coherent way. Working together across 10 crops and 26 countries in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America, the CGIAR seed systems research community has developed a “Toolbox for Working with Root, Tuber, and Banana Seed Systems,” which introduces 11 tools and a glossary to address four major gaps: (1) capturing the demand characteristics of different types of farmers; (2) identifying effective seed delivery pathways; (3) ensuring seed health and stopping the spread of disease; and (4) designing effective policies and regulations. We describe the toolbox and its creation and validation across 76 crop-and-country use cases, and illustrate how the tools, applied individually or in combination, are addressing the key knowledge gaps in RT&B seed systems. The tool developers are actively working to scale the toolbox, including identifying new partners and models for collaboration, developing new tools, and supporting new applications in VPCs, as well as for fruit, vegetable, grain, and pulse seed systems.
Innovation Models to Deliver Value at Scale: The RTB Program
Authors: Hambly Helen , Friedmann Michael , Proietti Claudio , Polar Vivian , Fernandes Sarah , Thiele Graham
Published: April 2022

Collaborative programs that facilitate innovation to deliver value at scale require attention to effective program design, management, governance, and leadership. The CGIAR has experimented with different collaborative program design options over its 50-year history, most recently with the CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) implemented from 2012 to 2021. This chapter examines the structure and processes of the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB). It unpacks the constituent institutional innovations that underpinned the RTB program, their key design principles, how they evolved over the 10 years of the program, the innovations achieved, and the outcomes to which they contributed. Turbulence and transformations in the CGIAR system influenced the CRPs’ emergence, design, and delivery. In this chapter, we discuss the RTB approach to collaborative governance and management as complex institutional innovations operating within this broader, dynamic system. This includes attention to opportunities, limitations, and other contextual factors influencing RTB’s work. Institutional innovations include stakeholder consultations and priority setting, a portfolio organized by aggregated innovations, or clusters of activities, articulated flagship projects, incentive funding, a dynamic interactive communication ability, and programmatic embedding of strategic and integrated gender research. RTB’s design, governance, and management innovations added value to the combined achievements of the participating centers in science and research for development outcomes, described in the following chapters.
Spacing statistics of energy spectra: random matrices, black hole thermalization, and echoes
Authors: Saraswat Krishan , Afshordi Niayesh
Published: April 2022

Abstract

Recent advances in AdS/CFT holography have suggested that the near-horizon dynamics of black holes can be described by random matrix systems. We study how the energy spectrum of a system with a generic random Hamiltonian matrix affects its early and late time thermalization behaviour using the spectral form factor (which captures the time-dependence of two-point correlation functions). We introduce a simple statistical framework for generating random spectra in terms of the nearest neighbor spacing statistics of energy eigenvalues, enabling us to compute the averaged spectral form factor in a closed form. This helps to easily illustrate how the spectral form factor changes with different choices of nearest neighbor statistics ranging from the Poisson to Wigner surmise statistics. We suggest that it is possible to have late time oscillations in random matrix models involving β-ensembles (generalizing classical Gaussian ensembles). We also study the form factor of randomly coupled oscillator systems and show that at weak coupling, such systems exhibit regular decaying oscillations in the spectral form factor making them interesting toy models for gravitational wave echoes. We speculate on the holographic interpretation of a system of coupled oscillators, and suggest that they describe the thermalization behaviour of a black hole geometry with a membrane that cuts off the geometry at the stretched horizon.
Entropy of Hawking radiation for two-sided hyperscaling violating black branes
Authors: Omidi Farzad
Published: April 2022

Abstract

In this paper, we study the von Neumann entropy of Hawking radiation SR for a d + 2-dimensional Hyperscaling Violating (HV) black brane which is coupled to two Minkowski spacetimes as the thermal baths. We consider two different situations for the matter fields: first, they are described by a CFTd+2 whose central charge c is very large. Second, they are described by a d+2 dimensional HV QFT which has a holographic gravitational theory that is a HV geometry at zero temperature. For both cases, we calculate the Page curve of the Hawking radiation as well as the Page time tPage. For the first case, SR grows linearly with time before the Page time and saturates after this time. Moreover, tPage is proportional to $$ \frac{2{S}_{\mathrm{th}}}{cT} $$

2

S
th

cT

, where Sth and T are the thermal entropy and temperature of the black brane. For the second case, when the hyperscaling violation exponent θm of the matter fields is zero, the results are very similar to those for the first case. However, when θm ≠ 0, the entropy of Hawking radiation grows exponentially before tPage and saturates after this time. Furthermore, the Page time is proportional to log $$ \left(\frac{1}{G_{\mathrm{N},\mathrm{r}}}\right) $$

1

G

N
,
r

, where GN,r is the renormalized Newton’s constant. It was also observed that for both cases, tPage is a decreasing and an increasing function of the dynamical exponent z and hyperscaling violation exponent θ of the black brane geometry, respectively. Moreover, for the second case, tPage is independent of zm, and for θm ≠ 0, it is a decreasing function of θm.
Conflicting Cultural and Religious Views on Cosmesis: The Modern Women’s Dilemma
Authors: Khattab Nada Raafat , Abdelraouf Noha , Ashour Tarek
Published: April 2022

Background

Women from countries with conflicting views on cosmesis may avoid these procedures for the fear of being rejected by the community. Understanding the motives that drive patients from these countries to seek cosmetic procedures helps discern possible causes of postoperative dissatisfaction, which can be prevented by careful selection of patients and individualizing their management protocols.

Objectives

This study helps identify the factors that affect Egyptian Muslim women’s attitude toward cosmetic procedures. The main factors tested were female gender role stress (FGRS), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and religious attitude. The secondary factors investigated were health evaluation, life satisfaction, self-satisfaction, social media use, TV exposure, spouse/friends/family influence, and internalization of beauty standards.

Methods

Women willing to undergo cosmetic procedures were compared with those who were not. A survey exploring demographics and the different motives were posted for the public online.

Results

Among 502 participants, 288 were willing to undergo cosmetic procedures and 214 were not. Our findings showed a statistically significant difference for the degree of BDD, FGRS, and religiousness between willing and unwilling groups. Moreover, greater pressure from partner to change appearance, influence of friends and family on opinion regarding beauty of oneself, internalization of beauty standards, and lower ratings of life and self-satisfaction showed statistically significant association with willingness to undergo cosmetic treatment.

Conclusion

BDD, FGRS, and religious attitude are among the highest predictors of the willingness of women to undergo cosmetic procedures together with many other factors. This study is the first of its kind to evaluate several unexplored motives and opens the door for future research.

Level of Evidence V

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authorswww.springer.com/00266.
Transport Patterns and Potential Sources of Atmospheric Pollution during the XXIV Olympic Winter Games Period
Authors: Zhang Yuting , Pan Xiaole , Tian Yu , Liu Hang , Chen Xueshun , Ge Baozhu , Wang Zhe , Tang Xiao , Lei Shandong , Yao Weijie , Ren Yuanzhe , Tian Yongli , Li Jie , Fu Pingqing , Xin Jinyuan , Sun Yele , Cao Junji , Wang Zifa
Published: April 2022

The attainment of suitable ambient air quality standards is a matter of great concern for successfully hosting the XXIV Olympic Winter Games (OWG). Transport patterns and potential sources of pollutants in Zhangjiakou (ZJK) were investigated using pollutant monitoring datasets and a dispersion model. The PM2.5 concentration during February in ZJK has increased slightly (28%) from 2018 to 2021, mostly owing to the shift of main potential source regions of west-central Inner Mongolia and Mongolian areas (2015–18) to the North China Plain and northern Shanxi Province (NCPS) after 2018. Using CO as an indicator, the relative contributions of the different regions to the receptor site (ZJK) were evaluated based on the source-receptor-relationship method (SRR) and an emission inventory. We found that the relative contribution of pollutants from NCPS increased from 33% to 68% during 2019–21. Central Inner Mongolia (CIM) also has an important impact on ZJK under unfavorable weather conditions. This study demonstrated that the effect of pollution control measures in the NCPS and CIM should be strengthened to ensure that the air quality meets the standard during the XXIV OWG.
Erfahrungen älterer, multimorbider Menschen in der COVID-19-Pandemie: eine qualitative Studie
Authors: Boehlen F. H. , Kusch M. K. P. , Reich P. , Wurmbach V. S. , Seidling H. M. , Wild B.
Published: April 2022

Hintergrund/Ziel der Studie

Die COVID-19-Pandemie und die Maßnahmen zu deren Eindämmung haben das soziale Leben auf ungeahnte Weise verändert. Multimorbide, ältere Menschen, die ein hohes Risiko für schwerwiegende Krankheitsverläufe haben, wurden mit Nachdruck gebeten, Kontakte zu meiden, um das Infektionsrisiko zu mindern. Während dies von einem psychosozialen Standpunkt besorgniserregend wirkt, gibt es auch Hinweise, dass Ältere gelassener mit der Krise umgehen. Ziel der Studie war es, die Haltung von multimorbiden, älteren Menschen in der Pandemie zu beschreiben. Dazu wurden ihr Erleben, ihre sozialen Kontakte und die Erfahrungen mit medizinischer Versorgung ausgewertet.

Material und Methoden

Zu 4 unterschiedlichen Zeitphasen (Juli 2020, September 2020, November 2020, Januar 2021) wurden halbstrukturierte Kurzinterviews zum Erleben der COVID-19-Pandemie mit multimorbiden, älteren Menschen in stationär-internistischer Behandlung geführt. Die Interviews wurden mithilfe der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse analysiert.

Ergebnisse

Es wurden die Daten von 21 Personen (Alter: 58 bis 88 Jahre) ausgewertet. Es wurde deutlich, dass die COVID-19 Pandemie – auch über die Zeit – sehr unterschiedlich erlebt wurde. Während in Phasen hoher Infektionsraten starke Affekte formuliert wurden, zeigte sich im Verlauf eine stärkere Differenzierung bis zur Verschiebung der Sorgen auf die gesellschaftliche Entwicklung. Das Verhältnis gegenüber Präventionsmaßnahmen oder der ärztlichen Versorgung war von Akzeptanz und Unterstützung geprägt.

Diskussion

Diese Studie zeigt exemplarisch das Erleben älterer, multimorbider Menschen im Verlauf der Pandemie. Diese zeigen in vielen Bereichen ein hohes Maß an Anpassung und Reflexion sowie Akzeptanz der Umstände und sozialen Änderungen.
Wirkungen von Cariprazin auf Negativsymptome und kognitive Störungen bei Schizophrenie
Authors: Sachs Gabriele , Erfurth Andreas
Published: April 2022

Negativsymptome und kognitive Beeinträchtigungen sind ein zentrales Merkmal der Schizophrenie. In den letzten Jahrzehnten hat das Interesse an Negativsymptomen und Kognition zugenommen. Eine moderne klinische Testung mit für diese Symptomatik spezifischen Messmethoden trägt zu einer angemessenen Diagnostik bei. Neuere Forschungen haben gezeigt, dass die Negativsymptomatik und die Kognition das psychosoziale Funktionsniveau, das Funktionieren im realen Leben, stark beeinträchtigen, insbesondere wenn sie primär und anhaltend sind. Trotz der Therapie der Schizophrenie mit Antipsychotika stellen Beeinträchtigungen der Alltagsfunktion immer noch ein großes Behandlungsproblem dar. Die Therapie der Negativsymptome und der Kognition ist zu einem vorrangigen Behandlungsziel bei Schizophrenie geworden. Cariprazin, mit bevorzugter Bindung zum Dopamin D3-Rezeptor, könnte als ein neuer Therapieansatz zur gezielten Behandlung von Negativsymptomen und kognitiver Dysfunktion hilfreich sein.
Striatal dopamine transporter imaging in Parkinson’s disease drug-naïve patients: focus on sexual dysfunction
Authors: Contaldi Elena , Magistrelli Luca , Gallo Silvia , Comi Cristoforo
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Dopamine is involved in sexual behavior, but dopaminergic imaging studies establishing the relationship between nigrostriatal dopaminergic degeneration and sexual dysfunction (SD) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are lacking.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed clinical and 123I-FP-CIT SPECT data of 43 drug-naïve PD patients. Based on the sexual function domain of the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS), we identified 23 patients with sexual concerns (WSC), reporting a score ≥ 2 due to hyposexuality, and 20 patients without sexual concerns (NoSC). Dopamine transporter (DAT) uptake was assessed through semi-quantitative analysis in the most and least affected putamen (maP, laP), and most and least affected caudate (maC, laC). Total putamen-to-caudate ratio and total striatal binding ratio (tSBR) were also quantified.

Results

WSC and NoSC had similar demographic and disease-related characteristics. WSC displayed lower uptake values in maC (p = 0.016), maP (p = 0.004), laC (p = 0.019), laP (p = 0.009), and tSBR (p = 0.006). Pearson correlation analysis revealed, in the WSC group, moderate inverse correlations between the log-transformed SD scores and the uptake in maP (r =  − 0.473, p = 0.023), maC (r =  − 0.428, p = 0.042), laP (r = -0.437, p = 0.037), and tSBR (r =  − 0.460, p = 0.027). After controlling in a two-way ANCOVA model for age and sex, between-group differences,between WSC and NoSC remained statistically significant only for dopaminergic denervation in maP [F(1,38) = 7.478, p = 0.009)], laP [F(1,38) = 4.684, p = 0.037)], and tSBR [F(1,38) = 5.069, p = 0.030].

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the relationship between the severity of SD and specific patterns of nigrostriatal dopaminergic denervation (especially involving both putamina) in newly diagnosed drug-naïve PD patients.
A Tighter Relaxation for the Relative Pose Problem Between Cameras
Authors: Garcia-Salguero Mercedes , Briales Jesus , Gonzalez-Jimenez Javier
Published: April 2022

This paper tackles the resolution of the Relative Pose problem with optimality guarantees by stating it as an optimization problem over the set of essential matrices that minimizes the squared epipolar error. We relax this non-convex problem with its Shor’s relaxation, a convex program that can be solved by off-the-shelf tools. We follow the empirical observation that redundant but independent constraints tighten the relaxation. For that, we leverage equivalent definitions of the set of essential matrices based on the translation vectors between the cameras. Overconstrained characterizations of the set of essential matrices are derived by the combination of these definitions. Through extensive experiments on synthetic and real data, our proposal is empirically proved to remain tight and to require only 7 milliseconds to be solved even for the overconstrained formulations, finding the optimal solution under a wide variety of configurations, including highly noisy data and outliers. The solver cannot certify the solution only in very extreme cases, e.g.noise $$100~{\texttt {pix}} $$

100

pix

and number of pair-wise correspondences under 15. The proposal is thus faster than other overconstrained formulations while being faster than the minimal ones, making it suitable for real-world applications that require optimality certification.
Pathogen disgust sensitivity: Individual differences in pathogen perception or pathogen avoidance?
Authors: van Leeuwen Florian , Jaeger Bastian
Published: April 2022

The emotion disgust motivates the avoidance of pathogens and contaminants. Individuals differ in their tendency to experience disgust and this is referred to as pathogen disgust sensitivity. Yet, it remains unclear which differences in psychological processes are captured by pathogen disgust sensitivity. We tested two hypotheses about how the information processing structure underlying pathogen avoidance might give rise to individual differences in pathogen disgust sensitivity. Participants (n = 998) rated the perceived health of individuals with or without facial blemishes and indicated how comfortable they would feel about having physical contact with them. For participants with high disgust sensitivity, facial blemishes were more indicative of poor health and perceived health was more strongly related to comfort with physical contact. These findings suggest that pathogen disgust sensitivity reflects individual differences in the tendency to interpret stimuli as an infection risk and the weight given to estimated infection risk when deciding who should be approached or avoided.
Sound of guns: digital forensics of gun audio samples meets artificial intelligence
Authors: Raponi Simone , Oligeri Gabriele , Ali Isra Mohamed
Published: April 2022

Classifying a weapon based on its muzzle blast is a challenging task that has significant applications in various security and military fields. Most of the existing works rely on ad-hoc deployment of spatially diverse microphone sensors to capture multiple replicas of the same gunshot, which enables accurate detection and identification of the acoustic source. However, carefully controlled setups are difficult to obtain in scenarios such as crime scene forensics, making the aforementioned techniques inapplicable and impractical. We introduce a novel technique that requires zero knowledge about the recording setup and is completely agnostic to the relative positions of both the microphone and shooter. Our solution can identify the category, caliber, and model of the gun, reaching over 90% accuracy on a dataset composed of 3655 samples that are extracted from YouTube videos. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of applying Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in gunshot classification eliminating the need for an ad-hoc setup while significantly improving the classification performance.
The impact of external auditors on firms’ financial restatements: a review of archival studies and implications for future research
Authors: Velte Patrick
Published: April 2022

A systematic literature review includes 69 archival studies on the impact of external auditors on firms’ financial restatements, based on principal agent theory. In more detail, we separate between auditor incentives and auditor competencies to supply a high audit quality. Financial restatements represent one of the most important proxies of audit quality in archival audit research, stressing an increased relevance in empirical research, business practice and regulatory initiatives. The review highlights that many studies on auditor incentives and competencies show inconclusive results on firms’ financial restatements (e.g., fee and rotation studies). But there are indications that especially auditor expertise and audit firm size significantly decrease financial restatements. In discussing potential future research, we emphasize the need for a more detailed analysis of restatements proxies, controls for audit risk, inclusion of (corporate) governance mechanisms as possible moderators or mediators, and sustainability issues of the audit team.