bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resistance potential of soil bacterial communities along a biodiversity gradient in forest ecosystems
Authors: Kuang Jialiang , Deng Dongmei , Han Shun , Bates Colin T. , Ning Daliang , Shu Wensheng , Zhou Jizhong
Published: November 2022

Higher biodiversity is often assumed to be a more desirable scenario for maintaining the functioning of ecosystems, but whether species‐richer communities are also more disturbance‐tolerant remains controversial. In this study, we investigated the bacterial communities based on 472 soil samples from 28 forests across China with associated edaphic and climatic properties. We developed two indexes (i.e., community mean tolerance breadth [CMTB] and community mean response asynchrony [CMRA]) to explore the relationship between diversity and community resistance potential. Moreover, we examined this resistance potential along the climatic and latitudinal gradients. We revealed that CMTB was significantly and negatively related to species richness, resulting from the changes in balance between relative abundances of putative specialists and generalists. In comparison, we found a unimodal relationship between CMRA and richness, suggesting that higher biodiversity might not always lead to higher community resistance. Moreover, our results showed differential local patterns along latitude. In particular, local patterns in the northern region mainly followed general relationships rather than those for the southern forests, which may be attributed to the differences in annual means and annual variations of climate conditions. Our findings highlight that the community resistance potential depends on the composition of diverse species with differential environmental tolerance and responses. This study provides a new, testable evaluation by considering tolerance breadth and response asynchrony at the community level, which will be helpful in assessing the influence of disturbance under rapid shifts in biodiversity and species composition as a result of global environmental change.
Posterior estimation using deep learning: a simulation study of compartmental modeling in dynamic positron emission tomography
Authors: Liu Xiaofeng , Marin Thibault , Amal Tiss , Woo Jonghye , Fakhri Georges El , Ouyang Jinsong
Published: November 2022

Background

In medical imaging, images are usually treated as deterministic, while their uncertainties are largely underexplored.

Purpose

This work aims at using deep learning to efficiently estimate posterior distributions of imaging parameters, which in turn can be used to derive the most probable parameters as well as their uncertainties.

Methods

Our deep learning‐based approaches are based on a variational Bayesian inference framework, which is implemented using two different deep neural networks based on conditional variational auto‐encoder (CVAE), CVAE‐dual‐encoder, and CVAE‐dual‐decoder. The conventional CVAE framework, that is, CVAE‐vanilla, can be regarded as a simplified case of these two neural networks. We applied these approaches to a simulation study of dynamic brain PET imaging using a reference region‐based kinetic model.

Results

In the simulation study, we estimated posterior distributions of PET kinetic parameters given a measurement of the time–activity curve. Our proposed CVAE‐dual‐encoder and CVAE‐dual‐decoder yield results that are in good agreement with the asymptotically unbiased posterior distributions sampled by Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). The CVAE‐vanilla can also be used for estimating posterior distributions, although it has an inferior performance to both CVAE‐dual‐encoder and CVAE‐dual‐decoder.

Conclusions

We have evaluated the performance of our deep learning approaches for estimating posterior distributions in dynamic brain PET. Our deep learning approaches yield posterior distributions, which are in good agreement with unbiased distributions estimated by MCMC. All these neural networks have different characteristics and can be chosen by the user for specific applications. The proposed methods are general and can be adapted to other problems.
Dynamic mechanical behavior, microstructure evolution, and restoration mechanism of a β‐Ti alloy during hot compression deformation
Authors: Pan Xi , Li Pei , Chen Yang , Qi Zhixiang , Xu Hao , Cao Yuede , Lei Yuan , Zheng Gong , Chen Guang
Published: November 2022

Metastable β titanium alloys are promising materials for lightweight and energy‐efficient applications due to their high strength and low density. Thermal–mechanical processing (TMP) is one of the most effective ways to improve the mechanical properties of such alloys. This paper describes a systematic TMP investigation on a new metastable β titanium alloy, including its dynamic mechanical behavior, and microstructure evolution, via isothermal compression tests and electron back‐scattered diffraction characterizations. The results show that the compression stress increases with an increase in the strain rate and a decrease in the temperature. After yielding, the compression stress–strain pattern shows flow‐softening behavior at a low temperature and a high strain rate, while sustaining a steady flow state at a high temperature and a low strain rate. The temperature‐rise effect contributes to a large degree of flow softening at high strain rates. After the correction for temperature rise, the stress–strain constitutive relationships are established, showing that the compression behavior varies in different phase regions. Based on the microstructure characterizations, it is found that the dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization dominate the hot deformations in β phase region and at low strain rates, while the deformation band as an additional product is found in α + β phase region and at high strain rates. The results contribute to a better understanding of the TMP for the considered alloy and may also represent a useful database for β‐Ti alloy applications in lightweight mechanical systems.
The relationships between clinical teaching behaviour and transition shock in newly graduated nurses
Authors: Yun Bei , Su Qian , Ye Xuchun , Wu Yuhan , Chen Lian , Zuo Yamei , Liu Jia , Han Lin
Published: November 2022

Aim

To explore the relationships between clinical teaching behaviour and transition shock in newly graduated nurses and significant differences in the northwest and northeast China.

Design

A cross‐sectional design.

Methods

A total of 211 (nurses) and 925 (preceptors) were recruited in six Third‐class different hospitals from July to August 2019.

Results

The transition shock is negatively correlated with the clinical teaching behaviour in northwest and northeast China, while the transition shock in the northwest is higher than that in the northeast for the behindhand economy and natural limit.

Conclusion

The transition process of newly graduated nurses in northeast China with ethnic minorities and the behindhand economy is more difficult. For newly graduated nurses, personal health and a supportive environment need further improvement. Teaching strategies for preceptors need to be enhanced. Two‐way feedback is more useful for both the newly graduated nurses and preceptors to improve quality care, and holistic care.
Digital experiences of children and adolescents in India: New challenges for school counsellors
Authors: Choudhury Tanni , Choudhury Rashmi
Published: November 2022

The work of school counsellors has become complex with the increasing technological advances and adolescents' dependency on them. There is a surprising lack of study in the Indian context, aimed at school counsellor's challenges in dealing with adolescents' digital use. This paper provides better understanding of the challenges of school counsellors involving adolescents' digital use in Indian schools. Three significant themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) negative aspects of digital use among Indian adolescents, (b) the need to effectively teach how to navigate the digital world and (c) the challenge of integrating technology with traditional counselling approaches to educate adolescents about their digital use. Furthermore, this paper presents implications for school counselling practice and research within Indian context.
Model‐based population pharmacokinetic analysis of tislelizumab in patients with advanced tumors
Authors: Budha Nageshwar , Wu Chi‐Yuan , Tang Zhiyu , Yu Tian , Liu Lucy , Xu Fengyan , Gao Yuying , Li Ruiying , Zhang Qiuyang , Wan Ya , Sahasranaman Srikumar
Published: November 2022

Tislelizumab, a humanized immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody, is a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) inhibitor designed to minimize Fc gamma receptor binding on macrophages to limit antibody‐dependent phagocytosis, a potential mechanism of resistance to anti–PD‐1 therapy. The pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of tislelizumab was analyzed with population PK modeling using 14,473 observed serum concentration data points from 2596 cancer patients who received intravenous (i.v.) tislelizumab at 0.5–10 mg/kg every 2 weeks or every 3 weeks (q3w), or a 200 mg i.v. flat dose q3w in 12 clinical studies. Tislelizumab exhibited linear PK across the dose range tested. Baseline body weight, albumin, tumor size, tumor type, and presence of antidrug antibodies were identified as significant covariates on central clearance, whereas baseline body weight, sex, and age significantly affected central volume of distribution. Sensitivity analysis showed that these covariates did not have clinically relevant effects on tislelizumab PK. Other covariates evaluated, including race (Asian vs. White), lactate dehydrogenase, estimated glomerular filtration rate, renal function categories, hepatic function measures and categories, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, therapy (monotherapy vs. combination therapy), and line of therapy did not show a statistically significant impact on tislelizumab PK. These results support the use of tislelizumab 200 mg i.v. q3w without dose adjustment in a variety of patient subpopulations.
Salidroside alleviates ulcerative colitis via inhibiting macrophage pyroptosis and repairing the dysbacteriosis‐associated Th17/Treg imbalance
Authors: Liu Xiaoman , Zhou Mingxia , Dai Zhenzhen , Luo Shangjian , Shi Yingying , He Zhenjuan , Chen Yingwei
Published: November 2022

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by flora disequilibrium and mucosal immunity disorder. Here, we report that salidroside effectively restricts experimental colitis from two aspects of intestinal macrophage pyroptosis and dysbacteriosis‐derived colonic Th17/Treg imbalance. In innate immunity, the upregulated TREM1 and pyroptosis‐related proteins in inflamed colons were inhibited by salidroside administration and further experiments in vitro showed that salidroside suppressed LPS/ATP‐induced bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMDMs) pyroptosis evident by the decline of LDH and IL‐1β release as well as the protein level of NLRP3, caspase‐1, and GSDMD p30. Moreover, the TREM1 inhibitor weakened the effect of salidroside on BMDMs pyroptosis, whereas salidroside still could downregulate TREM1 when NLRP3 was inhibited. In adaptive immunity, salidroside improved the gut microflora diversity and Th17/Treg ratio in DSS‐induced mice, especially promoting the abundance of Firmicutes. Clearance of the gut flora blocked the benefit of salidroside on colonic inflammation and Th17/Treg adaptive immunity, but transplanting salidroside‐treated foecal bacterium into flora‐depleted wild mice reproduced the resistance of salidroside to gut inflammation. Taken together, our data demonstrated that salidroside protected experimental colitis via skewing macrophage pyroptosis and Th17/Treg balance, indicating its potential effect on UC and other immune disorders.
Role of Cu‐doping in CdTe thin films: Experiments and simulations
Authors: Singh Ranveer , Vallet Maxime , Singh Vijay , Srivastava Sanjeev K. , Claverie Alain , Som Tapobrata
Published: November 2022

Due to its outstanding physical properties, CdTe is used to fabricate high efficiency solar cells. However, its high work function poses a challenge, and hence, to fabricate an efficient CdTe‐based solar cell, Cu‐doping may be useful. Here, we present the role of temperature‐dependent Cu‐doping in radio frequency sputter‐deposited CdTe films and the related changes occurring in their optical, electrical, structural and microstructural properties. For instance, Cu‐doping at different temperatures leads to an increase in the grain size and a reduction in the optical reflectance with increasing temperature. In addition, Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements reveal that the work function is found to be smaller corresponding to the annealing temperature of 473 K, whereas resistivity measurements show that it decreases with increasing temperature (the lowest value of resistivity is found to be 1.8 × 10−2 Ω‐cm). To understand the electronic structure of CdTe before and after Cu‐doping, we have carried out first‐principles density functional theory (DFT) simulation, which reveals a strong hybridization among Cu, Cd and Te atoms. This study paves the way to fabricate efficient Cu‐doped CdTe‐based solar cells.
Synthesis of LiErF4 and LiGdF4 Core‐Shell Nanocrystals and Tunable Upconversion Emission from Red to Green
Authors: Gan Lin , Wang Youfa
Published: November 2022

In this study, LiErF4 and related LiGdF4 core‐shell nanocrystals were synthesized via thermal decomposition, and the upconversion luminescence under an excitation of 980 nm was investigated. The phase of LiErF4 was not changed by a low content of Gd3+ dopant, whereas orthorhombic GdF3 formed as an impurity when the amount of Gd3+ was increased. The upconversion luminescence intensity of LiErF4 was enhanced by a suitable Gd3+ content. Considering the enhanced upconversion emission of LiErF4 and synthesis of pure tetragonal phase LiGdF4, a core–shell structure of LiErF4@LiGdF4:Yb,Er was designed, characterized, and compared to LiYF4@LiGdF4:Yb,Er. LiErF4@LiGdF4:Yb,Er had a yellow upconversion emission output, which was attributed to the combination of the upconversions in the core and shell. Additionally, a series of relevant derivatives of LiErF4@LiGdF4:Yb,Er were prepared for further investigation of their luminescence performance, and red‐to‐green tunable upconversion luminescence was obtained for these core–shell nanocrystals.
Body mass index trajectories from childhood concerning emotional states in young adulthood: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study
Authors: Mahani Fatemeh , Mehrabi Fahimeh , Cheraghi Leila , Zareie‐Shabkhaneh Amirali , Azizi Fereidoun , Amiri Parisa
Published: November 2022

This study aimed to identify body mass index (BMI) trajectories from childhood and their relationships with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in young adulthood. A total of 687 children aged 4–18 years were recruited from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Throughout 18 years of follow‐up, BMI was measured every 3 years for a maximum of 6 data points. Participants completed the depression, anxiety, and stress scale in their young adulthood (aged 22–36). The group‐based trajectory modelling was applied to identify BMI patterns. The logistic regression model was used to assess the association between BMI trajectories and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in adulthood. Two BMI trajectories were identified from childhood to young adulthood: healthy weight (HW = 69.6%) and persistent increasing overweight/obesity (PIO = 30.4%). After adjusting for potential confounders, compared with the HW group, men in the PIO group were more likely to experience higher stress levels (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 0.99–2.63; p = 0.05). No significant association was observed between the PIO trajectory and depression and anxiety among both sexes and stress symptoms in females. Our results highlight that developing overweight and obesity from childhood may be related to increased stress in males.
The Emerging Development of Multicolor Carbon Dots
Authors: Li Jiurong , Gong Xiao
Published: November 2022

As a relatively new type of fluorescent carbon‐based nanomaterials, multicolor carbon dots (MCDs) have attracted much attention because of their excellent biocompatibility, tunable photoluminescence (PL), high quantum yield, and unique electronic and physicochemical properties. The multicolor emission characteristics of carbon dots (CDs) obviously depend on the carbon source precursor, reaction conditions, and reaction environment, which directly or indirectly determines the multicolor emission characteristics of CDs. Therefore, this review is the first systematic classification and summary of multiple regulation methods of synthetic MCDs and reviews the recent research progress in the synthesis of MCDs from a variety of precursor materials such as aromatic molecules, small organic molecules, and natural biomass, focusing on how different regulation methods produce corresponding MCDs. This review also introduces the innovative applications of MCDs in the fields of biological imaging, light‐emitting diodes (LEDs), sensing, and anti‐counterfeiting due to their excellent PL properties. It is hoped that by selecting appropriate adjustment methods, this review can inspire and guide the future research on the design of tailored MCDs, and provide corresponding help for the development of multifunctional MCDs.
Physicochemical Properties of High‐Entropy Oxides
Authors: Ma Yue , Chen Yichuan , Sun Mengtao , Zhang Yun
Published: November 2022

The development of industry has triggered an increasingly severe demand for new functional materials. In recent years, researches on high‐entropy oxides (HEOs) are more comprehensive and in‐depth, and their fascinating properties are gradually known to the public. The unique elemental synergistic effect and lattice distortion endow the high‐entropy family with various untapped potential, and wide application fields and outstanding performance of HEOs make them candidates for future materials. In this review, the concept, structure, and synthesis of HEOs are firstly highlighted. Secondly, a variety of excellent properties and applications in the fields of mechanics, electrics, thermotics, optics and magnetics are summarized. This work provides a comprehensive overview about HEOs, facilitating the development of modern functionalities of the high‐entropy family.
BVA highlights challenges facing the veterinary sector in Northern Ireland
Authors: Cotton Helena
Published: November 2022

Helena Cotton, BVA public affairs manager, reflects on our recent visit to Stormont, during which we championed issues affecting members living and working in Northern Ireland.
Help us keep the Kept Animals Bill on the government's agenda
Authors: Ramsay Alison
Published: November 2022

Following the recent upheavals in Westminster, BVA is keen for this important piece of legislation to complete its passage through parliament, as Alison Ramsay, BVA head of policy and public affairs, explains.
Engaging students with animal welfare
Authors: Tatbak Sian
Published: November 2022

With the new university term now in full swing, Sian Tatbak, grants and events officer at the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), invites applications for the charity's 2023 student grant scheme and announces the launch of a new suite of student talks.
Canine fertility clinics – reporting a concern
Authors: Duggal Girija
Published: November 2022

With the number of canine fertility clinics on the increase, Girija Duggal, BVA media officer, provides some useful information to help vets report any concerns they may have to relevant authorities.
Pandemie- und Kontexteffekte – Aktuelle und strukturelle Einbettung der Daten im Länderbericht zum Deutschen Freiwilligensurvey 2019
Authors: Holtmann Everhard , Jaeck Tobias , Wohlleben Odette
Published: November 2022

Grundlage der vorliegenden Länderauswertung ist der Deutsche Freiwilligensurvey (FWS) 2019. Nur kurze Zeit nach Abschluss der Feldphase des FWS erreichte die Coronapandemie Deutschland. Dieser Umstand hatte, bis der Krieg in der Ukraine ab Februar 2022 das politische Geschehen abermals tiefgreifend veränderte, erhebliche Auswirkungen auf alle wichtigen Politikfelder und Lebensbereiche.
Landesspezifische Ausprägungen unterschiedlicher Indikatoren und Erscheinungsformen zivilgesellschaftlichen Handelns
Authors: Holtmann Everhard , Jaeck Tobias , Wohlleben Odette
Published: November 2022

In der folgenden Abbildung sind die prozentualen Anteile öffentlich gemeinschaftlich aktiver Personen, gemessen an der Bevölkerung in Privathaushalten ab 14 Jahren in Deutschland im Erhebungsjahr 2019, aufgeschlüsselt nach Bundesländern abgebildet.
Länderprofile
Authors: Holtmann Everhard , Jaeck Tobias , Wohlleben Odette
Published: November 2022

Im nachstehenden Teil des Länderberichts werden die insgesamt 15 an dem Bericht beteiligten Länder in der Form von Landesprofilen jeweils gesondert präsentiert. Die Landesprofile sind in jeweils 4 Abschnitte gegliedert, nämlich:

öffentlich gemeinschaftliche Aktivitäten,

freiwilliges Engagement,

Kontexteffekte auf Engagement,

abschließende Bemerkungen zu Stand und Perspektiven des landesspezifischen Engagements.
Morphologic, dynamic and high-resolution microscopy MRI in early-onset spondyloarthritis finger dactylitis
Authors: Scarano Enrico , Gilio Michele , Belmonte Gianfranco , Borraccia Francesco , Padula Angela , Guglielmi Giuseppe , D’Angelo Salvatore
Published: November 2022

Objective

Up to now, the pathophysiology of SpA dactylitis has not been entirely clarified. It is not clear which are the involved tissues and which is the primary lesion of the “sausage-like” digit. The aim of our study was to examine the finger structures in early-onset finger dactylitis using high-resolution microscopy MRI together with morphologic and dynamic MRI.

Subjects and methods

In a 6-month period, 13 SpA patients (7 females and 6 males), mean age 54.07 years (range 37–73 years) and mean disease duration 7.07 years (range 1–44 years) with early-onset finger dactylitis (less than 3 months) were recruited. Nine patients had PsA, 3 HLA-B27-positive uSpA and 1 HLA-B27-negative uSpA. One patient had 2 dactylitis fingers. Ten healthy volunteers matched for age and sex with no personal and family history of SpA were enrolled. All dactylitis fingers and randomly selected fingers of the normal control subjects were imaged by morphologic, dynamic and high-resolution microscopy MRI.

Results

We have found flexor tenosynovitis in all the 14 dactylitis fingers, joint synovitis in 5 and oedema in the finger soft tissue in 10. In 2 dactylitis fingers, there was oedema at the insertion of the joint capsule suggesting enthesitis. In 5 dactylitis fingers, there was only mild enhancement at the enthesis organ (collateral ligament, flexor and extensor tendons).

Conclusions

Our MRI study on early-onset dactylitis demonstrates that flexor tenosynovitis, joint synovitis and oedema of the digit soft tissue are the predominant alterations visible in the early phase of evolution of dactylitis and that, therefore, enthesitis may not be considered the primary lesion of dactylitis.
Sense of coherence or self-efficacy as predictors of health-related quality of life in sickle cell disease patients
Authors: Ahmadi Mehrnaz , Beiranvand Samira , Poormansouri Saeed , Matbouei Mahsa , Rohani Camelia
Published: November 2022

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) suffer from impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to determine the level of HRQoL, sense of coherence (SOC), and self-efficacy (SE) in a sample of SCD patients, and to explore predictors of their physical and mental HRQoL. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 83 SCD patients of one university hospital. The data of the study was collected through Persian versions of the Short-Form Health Survey SF-36 (RAND 36-item), the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13), and the Sickle Cell Self-Efficacy Scale (SCSES). The mean age of the patients was 26.34 ± 8.19 years old. Patients’ mean scores for the Physical Component Summary (PCS), Mental Component Summary (MCS), SOC, and SCSES were 40.57 ± 17.18 (range: 0–100), 50.44 ± 17.95 (range: 0–100), 52.40 ± 15.35 (range: 13–91), 26.40 ± 6.96 (range: 9–45), respectively. Regression models showed that the level of the patients’ SOC, was the main predictor of the MCS (β = 0.37, p < 0.001). However, the level of the patients’ SE was the main predictor of the PCS (β = 0.30, p = 0.004). Also, “blood transfusion history” in patients was a common predictor for both the PCS (β =  − 0.28, p = 0.008) and the MCS (β =  − 0.29, p = 0.003). These results can assist nurses and clinicians to plan clinical interventions for SCD patients by focusing on increasing the level of the SOC and SE and improving SCD patients’ HRQoL. Furthermore, measuring the level of the SOC and self-efficacy as screening tests are useful to find patients with a greater risk of impaired HRQoL.
What are the influencing factors on the outcome in lateral incisional hernia repair? A registry-based multivariable analysis
Authors: Schaaf S. , Willms A. , Adolf D. , Schwab R. , Riediger H. , Köckerling F.
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Incisional hernias following lateral abdominal wall incisions with an incidence of 1–4% are less common than following medial incisions at 14–19%. The proportion of lateral incisional hernias in the total collective of all incisional hernias is around 17%. Compared to midline defects, lateral incisional hernias are more difficult to repair because of the more complex anatomy and localization. A recent systematic review identified only 11 publications with a total of 345 patients reporting on lateral incisional hernia repair. Therefore, further studies are urgently needed.

Methods

Multivariable analysis of the data available for 6,306 patients with primary elective lateral incisional hernia repair was performed to assess the confirmatory pre-defined potential influence factors and their association with the perioperative and one-year follow-up outcomes.

Results

In primary elective lateral incisional hernia repair, open onlay, open IPOM and suture procedures were found to have an unfavorable effect on the recurrence rate. This was also true for larger defect sizes and higher BMI. A particularly unfavorable relationship was identified between larger defect sizes and perioperative complications. Laparoscopic-IPOM presented a higher risk of intraoperative, and open sublay of postoperative, complications. The chronic pain rates were especially unfavorably influenced by the postoperative complications, preoperative pain and female gender.

Conclusion

Open-onlay, open IPOM and suture procedures, larger defect sizes, female gender, higher BMI, preoperative pain and postoperative complications are associated with unfavorable outcomes following primary elective lateral incisional hernia repair.
Accelerated Diffusion-Weighted MR Image Reconstruction Using Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Aamir Fariha , Aslam Ibtisam , Arshad Madiha , Omer Hammad
Published: November 2022

Under-sampling in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) decreases the scan time that helps to reduce off-resonance effects, geometric distortions, and susceptibility artifacts; however, it leads to under-sampling artifacts. In this paper, diffusion-weighted MR image (DWI-MR) reconstruction using deep learning (DWI U-Net) is proposed to recover artifact-free DW images from variable density highly under-sampled k-space data. Additionally, different optimizers, i.e., RMSProp, Adam, Adagrad, and Adadelta, have been investigated to choose the best optimizers for DWI U-Net. The reconstruction results are compared with the conventional Compressed Sensing (CS) reconstruction. The quality of the recovered images is assessed using mean artifact power (AP), mean root mean square error (RMSE), mean structural similarity index measure (SSIM), and mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). The proposed method provides up to 61.1%, 60.0%, 30.4%, and 28.7% improvements in the mean AP value of the reconstructed images in our experiments with different optimizers, i.e., RMSProp, Adam, Adagrad, and Adadelta, respectively, as compared to the conventional CS at an acceleration factor of 6 (i.e., AF = 6). The results of DWI U-Net with the RMSProp, Adam, Adagrad, and Adadelta optimizers show 13.6%, 10.0%, 8.7%, and 8.74% improvements, respectively, in terms of mean SSIM with respect to the conventional CS at AF = 6. Also, the proposed technique shows 51.4%, 29.5%, 24.04%, and 18.0% improvements in terms of mean RMSE using the RMSProp, Adam, Adagrad, and Adadelta optimizers, respectively, with reference to the conventional CS at AF = 6. The results confirm that DWI U-Net performs better than the conventional CS reconstruction. Also, when comparing the different optimizers in DWI U-Net, RMSProp provides better results than the other optimizers.
Phosphorus and water supply independently control productivity and soil enzyme activity responses to elevated CO2 in an understorey community from a Eucalyptus woodland
Authors: Piñeiro Juan , Ochoa-Hueso Raúl , Serrano-Grijalva Lilia , Power Sally A.
Published: November 2022

Aims

While it is well-established that nitrogen (N) availability regulates elevated [CO2] (eCO2) effects on plant growth and soil carbon (C) storage in N-limited environments, there are fewer studies investigating the role of phosphorous (P) supply on such responses in P-limited environments. In this study, we explored whether P fertilization influences the response of plant growth, soil enzyme activity and C fluxes to eCO2, and determined how different levels of water availability regulate these processes.

Methods

We used soil collected from a temperate, P-limited Eucalyptus woodland containing the native soil seed bank to grow a potted replica of local understory communities. We exposed the emerging communities to eCO2 under two contrasting water levels and two levels of P fertilization. We assessed plant biomass allocation, the rhizosphere activity of extracellular enzymes related to C, N and P cycles, and pot-level CO2 fluxes.

Results

The positive effects of eCO2 on plant production and ecosystem C dynamics were strongly constrained by low levels of P availability. Enhanced water supply increased rhizosphere enzyme activity with minor impacts on plant biomass responses to eCO2. Our data also suggest that plant and microbial mechanisms that increase nutrient release from SOM may not be able to overcome this P limitation.

Conclusions

While current Earth System Models predict positive feedback responses of terrestrial ecosystems on C storage under eCO2, here we emphasize the importance of accounting for the widespread phenomenon of P-limitation in such responses.
Research on the Bearing Performance of Prefabricated New Type Subway Track Slab with Basalt Fiber
Authors: Liu Dan , Zhao Zexu , Wu Mengdi , Li Peigang , Li Junqi , Qian Xiaoyi
Published: November 2022

Currently, most ballastless tracks in Chinese subways are traditional cast-in-situ concrete structures, which require long construction progress. In contrast, prefabricated ballastless tracks can greatly reduce the construction period. However, there are few theoretical and experimental analyses on the prefabricated new type of subway slab track. Hence, to study the mechanical properties of the new type of subway track slab, static bending crack tests of one standard slab track and nine prefabricated full-scale track slabs with basalt fiber were carried out in this paper. The influence of the reinforcement arrangement method and the basalt fiber content on the performance of the track slabs was studied. Results showed that with the increase in the basalt fiber content in the range of 0.1–0.3%, the load–strain curve growth rate increased, the stiffness decreased, and the flexural resistance reduced. All the specimens exhibited a linear portion (elastic) and then a nonlinear portion (plastic) followed by flexural failure. During the elastic stage, the basalt fiber helped to improve the rigidity of the track slab. During the plastic stage, the influence of the basalt fiber content on the failure load varied with different reinforcement arrangements. With the reinforcement arrangement F2 and 0.1% basalt fiber content, the specimen had the smallest load–strain curve growth rate and the best overall flexural performance and crack resistance, and its strain was 23.35 με at an elastic limit of 95 kN. The results can provide a reference for the design of the prefabricated slab ballastless track.
Diverse Glycosides from Gardenia latifolia with Antiviral Activity and Chemosystematic Significance
Authors: Mohamed Shaymaa M. , Ross Samir A. , Ahmed Mai A. M.
Published: November 2022

Several influenza pandemics have impacted our life, each with variable prevalence and severity. In a search for natural antivirals, further phytochemical investigation of Gardenia latifolia Aiton, Rubiaceae, was conducted. As a result, five structurally diverse glycosides were isolated, offering valuable chemotaxonomic data. Using the crystal violet technique, three isolates, canthoside C, (6R,7S,8S)-7α-[(β-d-glucopyranosyl) oxy] lyoniresinol, and ecdysanrosin A, were evaluated for their anti-influenza A (H1N1) activities. Based on previously reported anti-inflammatory activity of the guaiane class, we investigated the inhibitory effect of (1R,7R,8S,10R)-7,8,11-trihydroxy-guai-4-ene-3-one 8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, a rare guaiane sesquiterpene glucoside, on inducible nitric oxide (NO) production by Griess assay. Regarding antiviral assay, canthoside C was the most active. It considerably inhibited H1N1 infectivity at an IC50 value of 10.93 µg/ml, showing a selectivity index (SI) of 12.88, compared with acyclovir as a standard. Besides, ecdysanrosin A displayed a moderate selective antiviral activity with an IC50 value of 28.03 µg/ml. Considering their low cytotoxicity on the host cells, canthoside C and ecdysanrosin A have additional merit as potential antiviral agents. Despite the claimed anti-inflammatory activity of guaianes, (1R,7R,8S,10R)-7,8,11-trihydroxy-guai-4-ene-3-one 8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside showed a limited anti-inflammatory activity.
Concept and design of a hall-effect thruster with integrated thrust vector control
Authors: Stark Willy , Gondol Norman , Tajmar Martin
Published: November 2022

Hall-effect thrusters (HETs) are among the most commonly used propulsion systems for attitude and orbit control of satellites. As an arrangement in a cluster or individually, equipped with a mechanical suspension, thrust in all three spatial directions can be generated, but requires additional mechanisms and components. Therefore, the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden) is currently working on a concept for developing a Hall-effect thruster with integrated thrust vector control, which would allow steering in all three spatial directions with just a single thruster. This new concept is intended to work solely by influencing the ion beam and should not have any additional mechanical components. The HET will come with a segmented anode to set different electrical potentials at the anode and cause an inhomogeneous distribution of the electric field within the discharge channel, which results in an inhomogeneous force vector distribution at the exit plane. It is assumed that this will generate turning moments around the center of gravity. Deliberately causing those turning moments can therefore be used for steering with just one thruster. This work presents the concept of the propulsion system, gives an outlook on the advantages of its technology and shows capabilities for space applications.
History and Systems of Psychology
Authors: Brennan James F. , Houde Keith A.
Published: November 2022

History and Systems of Psychology provides an engaging introduction to the rich story of psychology's past. Retaining its trademark clarity and accessibility, the Eighth Edition also features expanded coverage of non-western traditions in psychology as well as added coverage of nineteenth-century advances in philosophy and science. The emergence of applications of psychology in clinical, educational, neuroscientific, and social settings are further emphasized within the twenty-first-century landscape of psychology as a cognitive and a positive science. Assuming little prerequisite knowledge, the authors discuss the people, places, and concepts that have shaped psychology's story, and show that we remain fascinated and perplexed by the same enduring questions that confronted our ancestors – namely, our wonder at our subjectivity and consciousness of self. The Eighth Edition is supported by rich online resources including a manual, test bank, and lecture slides for instructors, and study guides and links to primary source literature for students.
Keynes in Action
Authors: Clarke Peter
Published: November 2022

John Maynard Keynes died in 1946 but his ideas and his example remain relevant today. In this distinctive new account, Peter Clarke shows how Keynes's own career was not simply that of an academic economist, nor that of a modern policy advisor. Though rightly credited for reshaping economic theory, Keynes's influence was more broadly based and is assessed here in a rounded historical, political and cultural context. Peter Clarke re-examines the full trajectory of Keynes's public career from his role in Paris over the Versailles Treaty to Bretton Woods. He reveals how Keynes's insights as an economic theorist were rooted in his wider intellectual and cultural milieu including Bloomsbury and his friendship with Virginia Woolf as well as his involvement in government business. Keynes in Action uncovers a much more pragmatic Keynes whose concept of 'truth' needs to be interpreted in tension with an acknowledgement of 'expediency' in implementing public policy.
Kinks and Domain Walls
Authors: Vachaspati Tanmay
Published: November 2022

Kinks and domain walls are the simplest kind of solitons and are invaluable for testing various ideas and for learning about non-perturbative aspects of field theories. They are the subject of research in essentially every branch of physics, ranging from condensed matter to cosmology. This book, first published in 2006, is an introduction to kinks and domain walls and their principal classical and quantum properties. The book examines classical solitons, building from examples in elementary systems to more complicated settings. The formation of solitons in phase transitions, their dynamics and their cosmological consequences are further discussed. The volume concludes with an explicit description of a few laboratory systems containing solitons. This text will be of interest to both graduate students and academic researchers in theoretical physics, particle physics, cosmology and condensed matter physics. This book has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.
The Theory and Applications of Instanton Calculations
Authors: Paranjape Manu
Published: November 2022

Instantons, or pseudoparticles, are solutions to the equations of motion in classical field theories on a Euclidean spacetime. Instantons are found everywhere in quantum theories as they have many applications in quantum tunnelling. Diverse physical phenomena may be described through quantum tunnelling, for example: the Josephson effect, the decay of meta-stable nuclear states, band formation in tight binding models of crystalline solids, the structure of the gauge theory vacuum, confinement in 2+1 dimensions, and the decay of superheated or supercooled phases. Drawing inspiration from Sidney Coleman's Erice lectures, this volume provides an accessible, detailed introduction to instanton methods, with many applications, making it a valuable resource for graduate students in many areas of physics, from condensed matter, particle and nuclear physics, to string theory. This title, first published in 2017, has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.
Adapting Telecommunications Regulation to Competition: A Selection of Key Issues for Reform in the Philippines
Authors: UY Krystal Lyn
Published: November 2022

Despite gains from liberalisation and deregulation in the 1990s, the Philippines telecommunications industry continues to be hampered by poor quality of service, high prices, with high barriers to entry and lack of meaningful alternatives for citizens. This article argues that liberalisation of the telecommunications industry is insufficient in facilitating economic growth and improving consumer welfare. Competition is a necessary precondition for this to occur, and to this end, an environment that will allow competition to flourish is indispensable. Hence, telecommunications regulation must be infused with competition law principles to ensure a robust, competitive sector that improves consumer welfare.
On the sociopolitical configurations of digital identity principles
Authors: Whitley Edgar A. , Schoemaker Emrys
Published: November 2022

Digital identity systems are not devised for their own sake, rather they are developed by institutions as part of their pursuit of specific goals—such as economic, social, and developmental outcomes through enabling individual rights and facilitating access to basic services and entitlements. A growing number of organizations and institutions are advancing specific principles, frameworks, and “imaginaries” of what “good” digital identity looks like—yet it is often not clear how much influence they have or what their underlying worldview is to those designing, developing, and deploying these systems. This paper introduces sociopolitical configurations as a means of studying these underlying worldviews. Sociopolitical configurations combine elements from technological frames, expectations, and imaginations as well as developmental discourses to provide a basis for critically examining three key documents in this space.
Rethinking direct effect and its evolution: a proposal
Authors: Gallo Daniele
Published: November 2022

This article revisits the present and future of the direct effect principle and submits solutions for its appropriate understanding and enforcement. Once the topic has been put into context and it has been shown why direct effect is an evolving notion whose scope goes beyond the Van Gend & Loos judgement and the doctrine originating from it, the study presents five intertwined arguments. First, direct effect has two facets since, aside from a subjective-substitutive form of direct effect, there exists an objective-oppositive manifestation of direct effect, whereby a directly effective European Union (EU) provision entails the disapplication of national law, without either conferring immediately an individual right or replacing the domestic norm in governing the case at hand. Second, the article claims that the obligation to disapply is triggered always by primacy and direct effect, never by primacy alone. In fact, justifying disapplication on the basis only of the primacy principle and not on primacy and direct effect is likely to undermine the logic implied in the relationship between the EU legal order and domestic legal systems. Third, there are legitimate derogations from the obligation to immediately disapply a conflicting domestic provision with EU law endowed with direct effect in so far as they are admitted by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on the condition that the replacement of a national provision by an EU norm may harm individual rights and/or question the national identity clause enshrined in Article 4(2) Treaty on European Union (TEU). Fourth, the test on clarity, precision and unconditionality for assessing whether an EU norm is directly effective, as it was conceived by the CJEU, is no longer a pillar in the conceptualisation and practice of direct effect. As a matter of fact, only unconditionality, in practice, proves to be the core element of direct effect. Moreover, direct effect and direct applicability are equivalent concepts since unconditionality, as the condicio sine qua non of direct effect, coincides with direct applicability. Fifth, a distinctive quality of direct effect, along with unconditionality, is the creation of an advantage resulting from the application of EU law and the subsequent disapplication of national law. This implies that an EU directly effective provision can never be only in malam partem (ie, detrimental for the individual) and thus disapplication, lacking the existence of an advantage for the individual, shall never come into play. The article concludes that the duty to refine the doctrine of direct effect must be performed, ultimately, by the CJEU. Indeed, only the CJEU can offer guidance to national authorities, since it has an interpretive monopoly on the ifs, whens and hows of direct effect. To this end, it is vital that the EU judges, by rejecting argumentative minimalism brought to its extreme, come to reassert their constitutional role and re-establish the common core of the EU system, beginning with the principles that created and shaped it.
Disconnecting agricultural workers’ exploitation from migration policies: a trend towards a business and human rights approach in the European Union
Authors: Corcione Elena
Published: November 2022

Seasonal migrants’ exploitation in Europe, especially in agriculture, is often seen as having its origins in failure of migration or labour policies. Indeed, the virtual impossibility to enter a country as a regular non-European Union (EU) worker coupled with the needs of agricultural work, requiring low-skilled workforce and short time notice for recruitment, generates a perfect environment for exploitation and the related phenomenon of gangmastering. However, work exploitation in agriculture is nowadays a structural problem, requiring structural changes in the way food is produced and intended by the agri-food supply chain as a whole. Indeed, a truly preventative approach needs not only to protect seasonal migrants from human rights violations, but also to involve agribusiness in tackling the root causes of migrants’ exploitation. Building on international standards on business and human rights, the aim of this contribution is to propose a more holistic view of the phenomenon workers exploitation in agriculture. Recent European policies seem to have understood this need, calling enterprises and farmers to bear their responsibility by introducing an accountability discourse for the agribusiness and the food supply chain, either indirectly or directly. The new social conditionality clause in the Common Agricultural Policy, the Directive on Unfair Practices in Agriculture and the recent Commission proposal for a Directive on mandatory human rights due diligence should therefore be read in conjunction with major developments in international law that call for the responsibility of powerful private actors operating in agri-food sector.
Path dependent policymaking in the post-Brexit United Kingdom: what’s new about the ‘points-based’ labour migration system?
Authors: Dias-Abey Manoj
Published: November 2022

The end of free movement as a consequence of the United Kingdom (UK)’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU) meant that it was necessary for the UK to devise a new migration system when the transition period came to an end. One aim of this article is to determine in what respects the new system, which came into force on 1 January 2021, draws on or differs from the previous immigration system. To the extent that this inquiry reveals some similarities, another aim is to uncover how the policymaking process produced these continuities. Drawing on the concept of path dependency from the ‘new institutionalism’ literature, the analysis reveals that two critical decisions taken by the New Labour government (1997–2010) set in train a path dependent policy process that has shaped immigration law and policy today. Two mechanisms of path dependency are identified. First, there were continuities in the operation of conceptual frameworks, methodologies and conclusions amongst organisations tasked with designing the new immigration system. Second, the position adopted by employing enterprises favoured the retention of key features of the previous system.