bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Key Areas of the Agricultural Science Development in Russia in the Context of Global Trends and Challenges
Authors: Orlova Nadezhda , Serova Evgenia , Popov Vladimir , Petukhova Marina
Published: January 2023

The modern Russian agrifood industry is a steadily developing sector of the national economy. The production of a number of goods has reached historically high levels. Russia has a strong position in the export of agricultural raw material commodities, while the country remains dependent on imports from other countries. This chapter examines critical areas of scientific research in Russia that will create opportunities for increasing competitiveness in the transition of the world food systems from conventional agriculture to Agriculture 4.0. Science and technology-based innovations for transforming food systems in Russia include productivity growth through breeding technologies and improved genetics, in combination with technologies that will ensure optimal realization of this potential (feed additives, fertilizers, plant protection products, animal health, and other so-called “package” solutions). The introduction of digital technologies and cross-platform solutions in agriculture, to reduce the gaps in labor productivity, will increase overall productivity and reduce food losses. Diversification of food products includes priorities for high-margin segments of healthy, functional and personalized nutrition, and the deep processing of agricultural commodities. The paper explores closed farming systems (including “urban farming”) that are independent of external climatic and biological factors. Development of the agricultural waste recycling sector is a priority too. Russia lags behind its competitors in terms of the scientific quality of its production. This is due to a lack of efficiency in the financing of agricultural science, as well as an imbalance within its structure. An increasingly acute problem of the transition of Russian food systems to the innovative path is the reduction of human resources. This trend is typical both in the scientific sector, where it is expressed in a decrease in the number of researchers and an aging staff (which threatens the continuity in the established scientific schools and the viability of research teams) and in agriculture as a whole.
In the Age of Pandemics, Connecting Food Systems and Health: A Global One Health Approach
Authors: Bron Gebbiena M. , Siebenga J. Joukje , Fresco Louise O.
Published: January 2023

The health of people, the health of animals, including aquatic species and insects, the health of plants and the environment, including soils, are connected, and this is captured by the One Health approach. The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare this interconnectedness. Zoonotic infectious disease spillover occurs most commonly where the agri-food system interfaces with natural ecosystems, as this is where humans, domesticated animals and wildlife interact. On the other hand, deficient human health adds to the favorable conditions for pathogen transmission. There are direct and indirect effects of pandemics on food systems and health; disease outbreaks disrupt overall mobility, the workforce and the supply chain. Such disruptions affect food security and, in many cases, workers’ income or the economic viability of businesses in the food system. In this chapter, we discuss the link between global food security and One Health, and how to prepare for, and minimize the chance of, future pandemics. Reducing the likelihood of spillover and onwards transmission risk of pathogens can be served through (i) reducing the need for natural habitat disruption, (ii) smart management of both sides of the interface between natural ecosystems and the agri-food system, and vigilance at the human-animal interface within the agri-food system, and (iii) improving overall human, animal and environmental health.
Science for Transformation of Food Systems: Opportunities for the UN Food Systems Summit
Authors: von Braun Joachim , Afsana Kaosar , Fresco Louise O. , Hassan Mohamed Hag Ali
Published: January 2023

Science offers many important contributions to achieving the SDGs, of which we highlight two here: first, science generates the basic inputs for innovations, i.e., policy and institutional innovations (including social and business innovations), as well as technology-based innovations to catalyze, support, and accelerate food system transformation; and second, science scrutinizes actions, i.e., assessing ambitions, targets and actions along pathways towards reaching them, for instance, through quantitative analyses and food system modeling. Seven science-driven innovations are elaborated in this chapter, each with some concrete examples. We stress that policy innovations, institutional innovations, and technology innovations are closely connected and actually need to be pursued in an integrated approach. Without accelerated interdisciplinary food system science, the necessary innovations for a sustainable food system will not be achieved. We note the need for systems innovations rather than only single-issue innovations, and call on the science communities to commit to enhanced collaboration among all relevant different disciplines of sciences for this purpose. Moreover, science is not naïve vis á vis power relations: social sciences explicitly uncover them and must identify options for innovations that help to overcome adverse effects. Food system science and food system policy need a stronger framework for constructive and evidence-based interaction for moving ahead. We call upon governments and UN agencies to initiate a process to explore options – existing as well as new – for a strengthened global science-policy interface for a sustainable food system.
Machine Learning for Combustion Chemistry
Authors: Echekki T. , Farooq A. , Ihme M. , Sarathy S. M.
Published: January 2023

Machine learning provides a set of new tools for the analysis, reduction and acceleration of combustion chemistry. The implementation of such tools is not new. However, with the emerging techniques of deep learning, renewed interest in implementing machine learning is fast growing. In this chapter, we illustrate applications of machine learning in understanding chemistry, learning reaction rates and reaction mechanisms and in accelerating chemistry integration.
Case Study III: Tuning of Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Bartz-Beielstein Thomas , Chandrasekaran Sowmya , Rehbach Frederik
Published: January 2023

A surrogate model based Hyperparameter Tuning (HPT) approach for Deep Learning (DL) is presented. This chapter demonstrates how the architecture-level parameters (hyperparameters) of Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) that were implemented in / can be optimized. The implementation of the tuning procedure is 100% accessible from R, the software environment for statistical computing. How the software packages (, , and ) can be combined in a very efficient and effective manner will be exemplified in this chapter. The hyperparameters of a standard DNN are tuned. The performances of the six Machine Learning (ML) methods discussed in this book are compared to the results from the DNN. This study provides valuable insights in the tunability of several methods, which is of great importance for the practitioner.
Global Study: Influence of Tuning
Authors: Zaefferer Martin , Mersmann Olaf , Bartz-Beielstein Thomas
Published: January 2023

Expanding the more focused analyses from previous chapters, this chapter takes a broader view at the tuning process. That means, rather than tuning an individual model, this investigation considers the tuning of multiple models, with different tuners, and varying data sets. The core aim is to see how characteristics of the data and the model choice may impact the tuning procedure. We investigate five hypotheses, concerning the necessity of tuning, the impact of data characteristics, the impact of the target variable type, the impact of model choice, and benchmarking. Not only does this entail an in-depth tuning study, but we also tie our results to a measure of problem difficulty and use consensus ranking to aggregate the diverse experimental results.
Case Study II: Tuning of Gradient Boosting (xgboost)
Authors: Bartz-Beielstein Thomas , Chandrasekaran Sowmya , Rehbach Frederik
Published: January 2023

This case study gives a hands-on description of Hyperparameter Tuning (HPT) methods discussed in this book. The Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) method and its implementation was chosen, because it is one of the most powerful methods in many Machine Learning (ML) tasks, especially when standard tabular data should be analyzed. This case study follows the same HPT pipeline as the first and third studies: after the data set is provided and pre-processed, the experimental design is set up. Next, the HPT experiments are performed. The R package is used as a “datascope” to analyze the results from the HPT runs from several perspectives: in addition to Classification and Regression Trees (CART), the analysis combines results from the surface, sensitivity, and parallel plots with a classical regression analysis. Severity is used to discuss the practical relevance of the results from an error-statistical point-of-view. The well-proven R package is used as a uniform interface from the methods of the packages and to the ML methods. The corresponding source code is explained in a comprehensible manner.
(De)legitimation Strategies in the Media Statements of Women’s Rights Organisations
Authors: Yoong Melissa
Published: January 2023

This chapter examines the (de)legitimation strategies that women’s movement organisations in Malaysia use to advance their policy and issue demands. Sustained pressure from activists has been important to get the state to implement reforms to improve women’s rights in this country. One of the frequent means by which they delegitimise the decisions and practices of the state and claim legitimacy for their own change agendas is through media statements which are widely published and reported in the mainstream press. This case study explores the strategies employed in English language media statements released by the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality, the Women’s Aid Organisation, and the All Women’s Action Society. More specifically, it focuses on statements pertaining to one of the key areas that the groups advocate, namely women’s right to safe, healthy, and gainful employment. Using frameworks on discursive (de)legitimation and social actor representation, this chapter examines the various ways the organisations frame and assess legislation, policies, and political actions that impact the experiences and livelihood of working women. It distinguishes and analyses four main (de)legitimation strategies used in the press statements, which are (de)legitimation through authorisation, rationalisation, discourses of nation-building and discourses of women as victims. The chapter argues that these devices may be effective in shaping public opinion and gender governance outcomes if they are perceived as representing or promoting national interests but potentially constrained by culturally dominant discourses that marginalise feminist ways of thinking.
(De)legitimizing the 2021 Budget Allocation for Tamil Schools in a Talk Show
Authors: Sinayah Malarvizhi , Perumal Thanalachime , Govaichelvan Kumanan , Ramalingam Selvajothi , Maruthai Elanttamil
Published: January 2023

Tamil vernacular schools provide access to education and career opportunities for Indian Malaysians. Tamil schools are perceived to be an important component of Indian minority rights, an avenue for the Tamil-speaking community to establish and institutionalize their language and cultural identity. However, the government reduced its allocation for these schools in the 2021 budget. Indian political leaders, shouldering the responsibility to channel the discontent among Indians, have raised concerns on various platforms, such as newspapers, social media, and television interviews. It is imperative to observe how Indian political leaders prioritize minority rights while preserving their own or parties’ political interests. Politicians utilize rhetoric to influence the public, but few studies are conducted on the political discourse of Indian Malaysians. This chapter studies an interview in Vizhuthugal-Samugathin Kural, a Tamil talk show televised on Astro Vaanavil. Grounded in discourse studies, this chapter analyzes the (de)legitimizing strategies used by two prominent Indian politicians from MIC and DAP. Although the two parties hold opposite ideologies, this chapter highlights their similarities in advocating minority rights for Indian Malaysians.
‘Remember Our Race, Our Religion and Our Progeny’: An Argumentation Analysis of Malay-Language Newspapers During General Election Campaigns
Authors: Mohamad Jamil Siti Nurnadilla
Published: January 2023

This chapter focuses on discursive strategies of legitimation in mainstream Malay-language newspapers during the 13th and 14th general election campaigns. It analyses how editorials and columns published in Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia constructed arguments during the campaign periods from 20 April to 4 May 2013 and 28 April to 8 May 2018. The chapter examines how particular relations of power were enacted, reproduced and legitimised within Malaysia’s government-owned mainstream media, where control was institutionalised. To contextualise and illuminate the discursive and social practices of both campaigns, the analysis is grounded in the discourse-historical approach’s conception of argumentation and pragma-dialectics’ ten rules for rational dispute and constructive arguing. This chapter, therefore, looks at the argumentation strategies employed in editorials and columns serving as a methodical justification of validity claims reflected linguistically using speech acts. The findings demonstrate the politics of fear that characterises much of Malaysian right-wing rhetoric, particularly how fear of the future was employed by Barisan Nasional as it struggled to maintain and retain legitimacy during both campaigns.
Contesting Views in the Representation of ICERD Ratification in English Language Newspapers
Authors: Ang Pei Soo , Kock Yoke Leng
Published: January 2023

The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) is a treaty endorsed by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 1965. It advocates ending discrimination based on ethnicity and prohibiting the circulation of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred towards ethnic origin. Malaysia is one of the 14 member states that has not ratified ICERD. When the Pakatan Harapan government announced a review of the treaty in October 2018, it sparked a series of protests expressing resentment, predominantly by political and religious leaders, although the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) explained that ratification of ICERD would help to mould a united Malaysia. This chapter aims to unpack how articles in mainstream English language newspapers discursively represent the sentiments of the various parties for and against ICERD. Employing the dialectical relational approach, and premised upon membership categorisation and identity politics, this chapter studiesNew Straits TimesandThe Starand unveils the interplay of racial, social, and political voices and the justifications for the positions taken. The findings indicate that ICERD is largely constructed by social actors using the discourses of fear, threat, and discrimination against the Bumiputeras, who seemingly would be undermined by the minorities. These are discursively manifested in hypothetical forms through the use of conditionals and modality as well as overlexicalisation of vocabulary to intensify the tone of extremity. The debates on ICERD employing the discourses of identity politics seem to be for political gains rather than for the interest of equality and human rights for all Malaysians.
Surgical Complications Requiring Reoperation in Open Versus Minimally Invasive Radical Nephrectomy: A Contemporary Analysis of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
Authors: El‐Asmar Jose M. , Ayoub Christian Habib , Kfoury Peter , Abou‐Mrad Anthony , El‐Hajj Albert
Published: January 2023

Background

To explore reoperation rates for different radical nephrectomy (RN) approaches that are experiencing a shift from open radical nephrectomy (ORN) toward minimally invasive surgery (MIS), we aimed to compare reoperation rates along with their culprit etiologies between the different types of surgical approaches for RN.

Methods

The national surgical quality improvement program dataset was used to select patients who underwent RN between the years 2012–2019. A 1:1 propensity score matched analysis was used. Reoperation rates and causes were then compared between open and MIS approach.

Results

The propensity matched cohort included 15,294 patients. Reoperation rates due to large bowel injury (0.01 vs. 0.14%), vascular injury (0.07 vs. 0.22%), and other abdominal (0.5 vs. 0.77%) were more common in ORN as compared to MIS (MIS vs. ORN, respectively, p < 0.034). Reoperation due to hernia (0.14 vs. 0.03%) was more common in MIS as compared to ORN (p = 0.027). No difference was seen for small bowel injury and incision/wound debridement. General reoperation (1.61 vs. 2.22%) and mortality (0.57 vs. 1.47%) were also more common in ORN as compared to MIS (p < 0.008).

Conclusion

Reoperation due to large bowel injury, vascular injury, and other abdominal was more likely to occur in ORN. Whereas reoperation due to hernia was more likely to occur in MIS. Surgical approach was an independent risk factor for immediate and early reoperation rates in RN patients. These results could be used to counsel patients pre‐operatively on possible surgical approaches and complications.
Comprehensive thermal analysis of a high stability Cu–Zr–Al bulk metallic glass subjected to high-pressure torsion
Authors: Révész Ádám , Arjmandabasi Talaye , Schafler Erhard , Browne David J. , Kovács Zsolt
Published: January 2023

Bulk metallic glass of Cu38Zr54Al8 nominal composition was synthesized by copper mold casting into 6 mm diameter rods. Disks of the as-cast glass were subjected to severe plastic deformation by high-pressure torsion for different number of revolutions. The microstructure and the thermal behavior of the as-cast, isothermally annealed and deformed glass have been investigated by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. Continuous heating experiments revealed a two-stage devitrification event with excellent glass forming parameters, such as glass transition (Tg = 671 K), supercooled liquid region (∆Tx = 80 K), reduced glass transition (Tr = 0.57) and gamma parameter (γ = 0.41). Power law crystal growth during diffusion-controlled homogeneous nucleation was observed for isothermal annealings. Glassy state was preserved almost in the entire sample volume of the as-cast alloy during the high-pressure torsion process, corresponding to the extreme stability of the Cu38Zr54Al8 alloy against deformation-induced devitrification. This is in accordance with the transition of the reversible specific heat from the glassy to supercooled liquid state measured by modulated calorimetry. It was also concluded that glassy structure is more ordered in the severely deformed state.
High-operating-temperature mid-infrared photodetectors via quantum dot gradient homojunction
Authors: Xue Xiaomeng , Chen Menglu , Luo Yuning , Qin Tianling , Tang Xin , Hao Qun
Published: January 2023

Due to thermal carriers generated by a narrow mid-infrared energy gap, cooling is always necessary to achieve ideal photodetection. In quantum dot (QD), the electron thermal generation should be reduced with quantum confinement in all three dimensions. As a result, there would be a great potential to realize high-operating-temperature (HOT) QD mid-IR photodetectors, though not yet achieved. Taking the advantages of colloidal nanocrystals’ solution processability and precise doping control by surface dipoles, this work demonstrates a HOT mid-infrared photodetector with a QD gradient homojunction. The detector achieves background-limited performance with D* = 2.7 × 1011 Jones on 4.2 μm at 80 K, above 1011 Jones until 200 K, above 1010 Jones until 280 K, and 7.6 × 109 Jones on 3.5 μm at 300 K. The external quantum efficiency also achieves more than 77% with responsivity 2.7 A/W at zero bias. The applications such as spectrometers, chemical sensors, and thermal cameras, are also approved, which motivate interest in low-cost, solution-processed and high-performance mid-infrared photodetection beyond epitaxial growth bulk photodetectors.
Dielectric Mie voids: confining light in air
Authors: Hentschel Mario , Koshelev Kirill , Sterl Florian , Both Steffen , Karst Julian , Shamsafar Lida , Weiss Thomas , Kivshar Yuri , Giessen Harald
Published: January 2023

Manipulating light on the nanoscale has become a central challenge in metadevices, resonant surfaces, nanoscale optical sensors, and many more, and it is largely based on resonant light confinement in dispersive and lossy metals and dielectrics. Here, we experimentally implement a novel strategy for dielectric nanophotonics: Resonant subwavelength localized confinement of light in air. We demonstrate that voids created in high-index dielectric host materials support localized resonant modes with exceptional optical properties. Due to the confinement in air, the modes do not suffer from the loss and dispersion of the dielectric host medium. We experimentally realize these resonant Mie voids by focused ion beam milling into bulk silicon wafers and experimentally demonstrate resonant light confinement down to the UV spectral range at 265 nm (4.68 eV). Furthermore, we utilize the bright, intense, and naturalistic colours for nanoscale colour printing. Mie voids will thus push the operation of functional high-index metasurfaces into the blue and UV spectral range. The combination of resonant dielectric Mie voids with dielectric nanoparticles will more than double the parameter space for the future design of metasurfaces and other micro- and nanoscale optical elements. In particular, this extension will enable novel antenna and structure designs which benefit from the full access to the modal field inside the void as well as the nearly free choice of the high-index material for novel sensing and active manipulation strategies.
A novel community‐based local electricity market for multiple communities with joint energy trading considering the risk of participation
Authors: Moradi Mehran , Parsa Moghaddam Mohsen , Zamani Reza , Sheikh‐El‐Eslami Mohammad Kazem
Published: January 2023

Growing penetration of distributed energy resources (DER) leads to emerging changes and issues in future power systems. A system oprator aims to maximise demnad side energy trading while minimising energy improts from upstream grid. This paper proposes a reliable local energy market (LEM) trading mechanism in which consumers and prosumers can trade self‐produced energy in a multiple community‐based market (MCBM) framework to optimally provide the balance. The proposed framework intends to maximise social welfare by fair allocation of resources, increasing the provided reserve for the main grid, and shaving the peak power resulting in enhancement of network flexibility. The overall model is formulated in the style of a bi‐level problem in which the lower‐level clears the market and the upper‐level is designated to redistribute the costs and benefits among market participants. Furthemore, the conditional value at risk (CVaR) approach is employed to evaluate how risk affects social welfare. Moreover, the impact of multiple communities and joint energy trading on the outcomes of the market is examined. The proposed model has been evaluated by analysing IEEE 33‐bus standard test system, and numerical studies verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Climate change is redefining Arctic wildfires
Authors: Lopatka Alex
Published: January 2023

The summers of 2019–21 have seen temperatures high enough to melt snow unseasonably early and alter polar atmospheric circulation.
A computing hardware approach aspires to emulate the brain
Authors: Kramer David
Published: January 2023

Neuromorphic computing promises energy savings, a deeper understanding of the human brain, and smarter sensors.
Ethics in physics: The need for culture change
Authors: Houle Frances A. , Kirby Kate P. , Marder Michael P.
Published: January 2023

A new American Physical Society survey shows that although ethics education is more prevalent than it was nearly two decades ago, unethical research practices and harassment are still significant problems in the physics community.
The angry caregiver
Authors: Moran Mary Jeanette
Published: January 2023

The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall and the One Crazy Summer trilogy by Rita Williams-Garcia complicate the societal image of selfless maternal caring by legitimizing caregiving girls’ anger at the burdens placed on them by family members, gendered and racialized social roles, and their own complicity. These children’s texts depict the benefits of female anger, along with other instances of what Teresa Langle de Paz calls ‘feminist emotion,’ for an intersectional feminist ethics of care. Moreover, Williams-Garcia’s books, set during the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s, show that by learning to voice anger and make productive use of that often-abject emotion, young people can gain an apprenticeship in political action alongside a reshaping of interpersonal relationships.
Emotion and the work of decolonization
Authors: Dumas Margaret , Reimer Mavis , Wolf Doris
Published: January 2023

This chapter takes up a moment in the production of the Rocky Cree picturebook,
Pīsim Finds Her Miskanaw (2020), when a gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous ways of knowing was made evident to team members involved in the project. In thinking through this event, which centred on the portrayal of dignity in a key scene of the book, we turn to Dian Million’s conceptualization of felt theory (2009, 2013) to consider the extent to which the work of emotion must be understood as part of larger discursive structures of colonization and the uses of emotional knowledge for decolonial practices, specifically including the decolonization of the academic sector. Building on Million’s work in the second part, we use Sara Ahmed’s theorization of repetition and accumulation in the work of emotion (2004) to demonstrate more precisely the ways in which representations of dignity in the picturebook contribute to the project’s goal of decolonizing education.
Secondary senses of the verb afrancesar/se throughout history
Authors: Barrajón López Elisa
Published: January 2023

The objective of this paper is to check whether the secondary meliorative or pejorative senses that the morphological gentilic francés [French] has acquired over time, which are also subject to various circumstances (historical, cultural, social, etc.) have affected the meaning of the verb that has been generated from it: afrancesar/se [to frenchify]. For this purpose, the two syntactic variants that characterize this verb (both the transitive afrancesar and the intransitive afrancesarse) are examined on account of examples extracted from various diachronic and current corpora. These examples are meant to illustrate the notable evolution of the verbal lexeme through the acquisition of the properties represented by the derivational base, which are determined extralinguistically by a shared common knowledge.
Les consonants que separen el catalanovalencià de l’occità
Authors: Cassany-Bates Jordi
Published: January 2023

In this paper we verify the lists of linguistic differences that multiple authors have presented to characterize Catalan-Valencian in contrast to Occitan. From all the phenomena that have been put forward, we look at the 29 oppositions of the field of sounds – which is the most discussed aspect by the authors – and we study a majority of them, namely the 17 consonantal pairs. In light of current dialectology and historical linguistics, we establish the evolutionary relationship between the opposed forms (especially if one evolved from the other) and their synchronic and diachronic geographical distribution within Catalan-Valencian and Occitan. This analysis provides results that clearly show that those lists simplify reality in excess and invisibilize the intense relationship of Catalan-Valencian with the rest of Occitano-Romance. Therefore, they are not adequate nor sufficient to characterize Catalan-Valencian in contrast to Occitan, at least in the domain of consonants.
Langue minor(is)ée, “langue désirée”?
Authors: Boyer Henri
Published: January 2023

On rend compte et on interroge dans cette contribution de nouvelles pratiques scripturales de l’occitan tout particulièrement dans les domaines du commerce de l’agroalimentaire: la langue dominée, minorée, y apparaît sous les auspices d’une mise en scène de dénominations de produits de consommation. Il s’agit là d’usages (très) minoritaires et relativement récents mais dont la visibilité est inversement proportionnelle à leur normalité. Ils rappellent (mais dans quelle mesure?) un phénomène analysé par ailleurs sous la désignation de “marchandisation” (commodification en anglo-américain).. Ce qui est paradoxal, c’est l’émergence de tels micro-actes glottopolitiques (d’identité) concernant une langue dont la transmission s’est désormais interrompue et dont les usages sociaux “normaux ” sont quasi inexistants. Et ce, dans une concurrence inédite entre la graphie mistralienne et la graphie classique de la langue d’oc.
Production and perception of consonant clusters in nonwords by Southern Iraqi and Najdi Speakers
Authors: Albuarabi Saja , Park Hanyong
Published: January 2023

We investigate the production and perception of Arabic consonant clusters in word-initial and word-final positions, from two dialects, Southern Iraqi and Najdi, which differ in their phonological constraints in allowing consonant clusters. An AX discrimination task and a reading task were conducted using nonsense Arabic words to evaluate perception and production, respectively. The results indicate that Najdi speakers performed better than Southern Iraqi speakers in both production and perception tasks, only for the word-initial position. We also observed a close production-perception link existing at an individual level.
Raising in Arabic
Authors: Camilleri Maris , Sadler Louisa
Published: January 2023

While raising has been allegedly claimed to not exist in Arabic, we here present data from the vernacular varieties to illustrate how these have lexicalized and grammaticalized innovative lexical raising predicates meaning ‘seem, appear, as though’, and by association, the grammaticalization of the raising structures in which such predicates appear. The full array of it-expletive type constructions, subj-to-subj raising and copy raising structures are manifest in the dialects. In the latter construction, as is the case in Standard Arabic, some dialects employ a designate complementizer form. Our discussion on raising reveals that hyperraising, a sub-type of subj-to-subj raising involving a finite embedded clause, is available across the vernacular varieties. The comparative overview taken in this work suggests that canonical lexical verbal raising predicates are not the norm in Arabic, and that in the overwhelming majority of the dialects, the lexical verbal predicates that mean ‘appear, seem’ either stop short from subcategorizing for a clausal complement, or if they do, they only allow an it-expletive type of structure. This has in turn paved the way for a range of verbal, nominal and prepositional items to undergo a number of semantic, functional, and structural developments that synchronically avail the vernacular varieties with the possibility of varied sorts of raising structures.
Plant growth-promoting yeasts (PGPY), the latest entrant for use in sustainable agriculture: a review
Authors: Nimsi K A , Manjusha K , Kathiresan K , Arya H
Published: January 2023

Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are being extensively used in agriculture in order to increase food production to feed the rapidly growing world population. This has negatively affected the soil microbes thereby reducing the agricultural produce. As a safer alternative, microbial fertilizers are now being used as plant growth promoters to improve agricultural yields. A large number of studies are focused on the role of bacteria and multicellular fungi, but plant growth-promoting traits of yeasts, the unicellular fungi are little known. Hence, the present article reviewed the diverse groups of yeasts with the potential to act as plant growth promoters. Plant growth-promoting yeasts (PGPY) have been mainly isolated from the rhizosphere and phyllosphere of major crop plants such as wheat, maize, and rice. Twenty-three genera of yeasts have been reported to have the potential for plant growth promotion (PGP), most of which belong to the phylum Ascomycetes. Dominant PGPY genera include Candida spp., Rhodotorula spp., Cryptococcus spp., and Saccharomyces sp. PGPY are known to exhibit phyto-beneficial attributes viz phytohormone production, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, improved soil fertility, aid plants to tolerate abiotic stress and also compete effectively against plant pathogens. Over and above these traits, PGPY is Generally Recognized as Safe, making it an ideal candidate to be effectively employed as part of sustainable agricultural practices to ensure food security. The review warrants a need for an in-depth study on the different sources of PGPY other than rhizosphere/phyllosphere and the genes controlling PGP traits.
Selective decline of bacteria colonizing the calf hindgut during colostrum to milk transition, with persistence of taxa correlating with host passive immunity
Authors: Castillo-Lopez Ezequias , Perez-Avendaño Rene , Ramirez-Alvarez Hugo , Cuchillo-Hilario Mario , Diaz-Sanchez Victor M
Published: January 2023

In neonate calves, the association between gut microbial colonization and passive immunity acquisition remains largely unknown. We evaluated the effect of transition from colostrum to milk on the hindgut microbiota, and the correlations between acquired passive immunity and this microbiome. In 14 Holstein calves, colostrum quality and host passive immunity were measured, feces were sampled when feeding colostrum and after transition to milk. Then, in eight calves displaying a wide range of passive immunity, the hindgut microbiota was evaluated with DNA sequencing; differential abundance was analyzed with Maaslin2. With transition from colostrum to milk, many initial bacterial colonizers did not survive; genus Ralstonia decreased, but Lactobacillus and Bacteroides increased. When feeding colostrum, the amount of immunoglobulins consumed positively correlated with abundance of Lactobacillaceae and Lachnospiraceae, but Escherichia–Shigella and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 correlated negatively with host passive immunity. After transition to milk, acquired passive immunity negatively correlated with Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Ralstonia, and Veillonella. Overall, many initial hindgut colonizers did not thrive during transition from colostrum to milk, homogenizing the bacterial profile with prevalence of milk digesters. Several bacterial taxa showed strong correlation with host passive immunity, suggesting an interplay between calf passive immunity acquisition and the colonizing microbiota.
Hepatitis A virus detection by RT-qPCR in shellfish samples from three Moroccan Atlantic coastal areas: Dakhla, Oualidia, and Moulay Bousselham
Authors: Boussettine Rihabe , Hassou Najwa , Maanan Mehdi , Bessi Hlima , Ennaji Moulay Mustapha
Published: January 2023

This comparative study assessed hepatitis A virus (HAV) contamination in shellfish harvesting areas in Morocco, and the correlations between viral contamination and rainfall. To this aim, HAV contamination was evaluated in 156 shellfish samples collected at three Moroccan coastal areas (52 samples/area): Dakhla (class A), Oualidia (class B), and Moulay Bousselham (class C). Samples were collected monthly between March 2018 and March 2019, and included oysters from different farms at the Oualidia and Dakhla coastal areas, and wild mussels at the Moulay Bousselham lagoon. HAV was detected by RT-qPCR in 24/156 (15.38%) samples: 16/145 (11.03%) mussel (Mytillus galloprovincialis) and 8/156 (5.13%) oyster (Crassostea gigas) samples.

The 16 mussel-positive samples (16/52) were collected at Moulay Bousselham, and the eight oyster-positive samples (8/52) were collected at Oualidia, and none at Dakhla (class A). The highest HAV contamination rate was recorded at Moulay Bousselham lagoon (class C) (30.77%), while it did not exceed 8% at Oualidia (class A). A nonsignificant, positive correlation between HAV-positive samples and mean rainfall was observed. The important HAV presence in bivalve mollusks from the Oualidia and Moulay Bousselham lagoons indicate the need of viral surveillance of bivalve mollusks and of improving wastewater quality to enhance shellfish safety.
Effect of processing parameters on the morphology of hydrothermally synthesized calcium borate powders
Authors: Akçakoca İremnur , Karayazıcı Mustafa , Topateş Gülsüm
Published: January 2023

The present study aimed to examine the effect of pH and time on the final morphology of calcium borate powders. Primarily, aqueous solutions that mainly consisted of borax and calcium chloride were prepared with five different pH values varying between 2 and 15. Hydrothermal synthesis temperature was determined as 200°C, and four different times from 30 min to 24 h were selected. Phase formation and powder morphology were examined via an X‐ray diffractometer and scanning electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to identify the type of borate groups. Results revealed that pH directly determines the growth mechanism of calcium borate crystals. Lower pH induced nonclassical growth by forming self‐assembled nano‐plates. Individual, rodlike particles were observed for alkali solution. At weak basic conditions, priceite (4CaO·5B2O3·7H2O) and alkali condition parasibirskite (2CaO·B2O3·H2O) phases were obtained.
Loss of loess in the geological record due to poor preservation
Authors: Meijer Niels , van der Meulen Bas
Published: January 2023

Loess deposits are widespread in the Quaternary, but relatively rare in older geological records. This disparity is commonly linked to the unique climate conditions of the Quaternary, but those cannot fully explain the scarcity of loess in older records. Instead, we propose that the poor preservation of loess also plays an essential role. To test this hypothesis, we assess the preservation potential of loess by quantifying its modern‐day distribution in active sedimentary basins. This analysis shows that on the global scale only 20% of loess occurs in basins of which the majority is in a foreland setting. This could be due to nearby silt‐producing mountains and the effects of rain shadow aridity. The other 80% is ultimately either eroded or reworked and therefore poorly preserved in the long term. This conclusion implies that loess deposits may have been more common in pre‐Quaternary periods, despite being less abundant in the geological record.
Folate shapes plant root architecture by affecting auxin distribution
Authors: Li Ying , Luo Jinying , Chen Rong , Zhou Yuhong , Yu Huiyang , Chu Zhuannan , Lu Yongen , Gu Xiaofeng , Wu Shuang , Wang Pengwei , Kuang Hanhui , Ouyang Bo
Published: January 2023

Folate (vitamin B9) is important for plant root development, but the mechanism is largely unknown. Here we characterized a root defective mutant, folb2, in Arabidopsis, which has severe developmental defects in the primary root. The root apical meristem of the folb2 mutant is impaired, and adventitious roots are frequently found at the root–hypocotyl junction. Positional cloning revealed that a 61‐bp deletion is present in the predicted junction region of the promoter and the 5′ untranslated region of AtFolB2, a gene encoding a dihydroneopterin aldolase that functions in folate biosynthesis. This mutation leads to a significant reduction in the transcript level of AtFolB2. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed that the contents of the selected folate compounds were decreased in folb2. Arabidopsis AtFolB2 knockdown lines phenocopy the folb2 mutant. On the other hand, the application of exogenous 5‐formyltetrahydrofolic acid could rescue the root phenotype of folb2, indicating that the root phenotype is indeed related to the folate level. Further analysis revealed that folate could promote rootward auxin transport through auxin transporters and that folate may affect particular auxin/indole‐3‐acetic acid proteins and auxin response factors. Our findings provide new insights into the important role of folic acid in shaping root structure.
Don't Get Stuck in the "Con" Game
Authors: Helland Pat
Published: January 2023

"Eventual consistency" is a popular phrase with a fuzzy definition. People are even inconsistent in their use of consistency. But two other terms, "convergence" and "confluence", that have crisper definitions and are more easily understood.
Bond Strength Survival of a Novel Calcium Phosphate-Enriched Orthodontic Self-Etching System after Various Ageing Protocols: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Garma Noor M. H. , Ibrahim Ali I.
Published: January 2023

Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the orthodontic bond strength and enamel-preserving ability of a hydroxyapatite nanoparticles-containingself-etch system following exposure to various ageing methods. Materials and Methods. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAp) were incorporated into an orthodontic self-etch primer (SEP, Transbond™ plus) in three different concentrations (5%, 7%, and 9% wt) and tested versus the plain SEP (control) for shear bond strength (SBS), adhesive remnant index (ARI) scores, and enamel damage in range-finding experiments using premolar teeth. The best-performing formulation was further exposed to the following four artificial ageing methods: initial debonding, 24 h water storage, one-month water storage, and one-month acid challenge. A field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) was used to examine the integrity of debonded enamel surfaces and calcium-phosphates (CaPs) reprecipitation. Results. The best-performing formulation (7% nHAp-SEP) resulted in significantly lower SBS (

p
<
0.001

) than the control SEP following the four artificial ageing methods. Nevertheless, it survived the ageing protocols and yielded clinically acceptable SBS with the advantages of leaving minimal adhesive residue, preserving enamel integrity and smoothness, and inducing CaP reprecipitation as confirmed by FE-SEM images. Conclusions. A newly developed SEP produced adequate orthodontic bond strengths and left unblemished debonded enamel surfaces with minimal remnant adhesive and remineralisation potential, thereby suggesting simpler and safer bonding/debonding procedures.
A Secure and Efficient Access Control Scheme for Shared IoT Devices over Blockchain
Authors: Deng Yinjuan , Wang Shangping , Zhang Qian , Wang Jifang
Published: January 2023

The concept of shared IoT devices has attracted much attention from the industry sector, academia, and financial institutions, providing various benefits, such as saving resources, reducing personal expenses, and providing convenience. Although shared IoT devices facilitate people’s lives and work, the information exchange is over wireless networks that may suffer from some security attacks such as unauthorized access to a shared device or some private information of legitimate users being leaked. It makes the secure access control to the shared IoT devices become an intractable issue. In order to guarantee the access right of the legitimate users, to prevent the problems of privacy leakage and unnecessary economic disputes, a secure decentralized access control scheme for shared IoT devices is proposed leveraging the technologies of blockchain and a proposed authentication protocol in this paper. The new lightweight authentication protocol is proposed to perform mutual authentication between the user and the IoT device. To protect the privacy of the user, the instruction data are encrypted by a temporary session key negotiated between the user and the IoT device with the help of blockchain which enables nontamperable transactions and prevents central corruption and single point of failure. In our scheme, blockchain is maintained by the gateway nodes an acts as a distributed database and a smart contract for shared service is deployed on it. The smart contract has three functions in our scheme: (1) achieving the prepayment of users and settlement for the service contributor, (2) participating in a verification step during the key negotiation to prevent some malicious behaviour from users or devices, (3) recording the workload of the gateway. Finally, a comprehensive analysis on the safety and reliability of the entire scheme is carried out; extensive simulation experiments are conducted to reveal the authentication protocol is efficient and the scheme is feasible.
Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Video Capsule as an Alternative to Oesophago-Gastro-Duodenoscopy in Clinical Practice
Authors: Nwaezeigwe Mary , O’Grady John , Nolan Lorraine , O’Neill Julie , Kaar Aidan , Quinlivan Lucy , Buckley Martin
Published: January 2023

Introduction. Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) video capsule endoscopy (VCE) provides a possible alternative to conventional oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (OGD). In Ireland, the COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented change in endoscopy services, accelerating the need for UGI VCE to help reduce patient exposure but allow the continuation of endoscopy services. We report on using UGI VCE as an alternative to OGD throughout all phases of COVID-related endoscopy adjustments. Aims/Background. Prospective observational study to assess identification of relevant UGI anatomical landmarks on UGI VCE as defined in the British Society of Gastroenterology. Method. Inclusion criteria were: patients with dyspepsia under 40 years of age with no alarm symptoms; known cirrhosis for variceal screening; UGI bleeds with the Blatchford

score
≤
2

. A protocol for preparation and a series of positional movements were adapted for the procedure. Landmarks and pathology detection were evaluated by two independent endoscopists. Results. 127 UGI VCE was performed from June 2020 to December 2021, of which 22 required further evaluation with OGD. The most common indications were dyspepsia and abdominal pain, 71% and 19%, respectively. With the use of the dual-facing camera, clear views of the OGJ in 100% of cases, cardia 100%, fundus 97%, greater curve 99%, lesser curve 98%, incisura angularis 95%, antrum 95%, pylorus 94%, D1/bulb 83%, and D2 82% were obtained. The main findings at UGI VCE were reflux oesophagitis and gastritis, with normal mucosa observed in 48% of cases. Findings suggesting a neoplastic lesion at the OG junction were detected in 1 case. Conclusion. Since June 2020, 81% (

N
=
103

) of a selected cohort of patients referred for UGI endoscopy avoided invasive traditional endoscopy and were successfully managed by VCE, thus reducing endoscopy waiting lists. UGI VCE may serve as a clinical diagnostic tool, used alongside OGD in appropriate cases, to help improve patient services and care delivery.