bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Rapid Arc and Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy in a True Beam Linear Accelerator for 6 MV: Application of AAPM TG‐119 tests in treatment planning and quality assurance
Authors: Roy Soumya , Sarkar Biplab , Pradhan Anirudh
Published: November 2023

Objective

We developed rapid arc (RA) and intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans based on the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group‐119 (AAPM TG‐119) proposals and compared the planning and quality assurance results.

Materials and Methods

Two treatment plans were used for each study patient: one using 7–9 IMRT fields and the other using the two full‐arc RA methods. Plan optimization and dose calculations were performed using 6 MV photons and EclipseTM with the anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA). Task group (TG)‐119 described the planning objectives used to evaluate the treatment plans generated for this study. Point dose, planar fluence measurement, and trajectory log file analysis are used for quality assurance.

Results

The conformity index (CI) for treatment plans varied between 0.76–0.91 when using IMRT and 0.75–0.93 when using RA. The homogeneity index (HI) was approximately 0.10–0.24 (IMRT) and 0.07–0.23 (RA). The ratio of the total number of monitor units required for IMRT to that required for RA was between 0.87 and 2.14. The treatment log files exhibited higher gamma passing with RA than with IMRT.

Conclusion

RA plans were more effective than IMRT plans in achieving the test goals. Point dose measurements and electronic portal imaging device (EPID)‐based planar fluence measurements showed statistically insignificant differences between the IMRT and RA plan quality assurance (QA) results. However, the trajectory log file analysis exhibited better gamma‐passing results for RA than for IMRT.
The student hat in professional development: Building epistemic empathy to support teacher learning
Authors: Lowell Benjamin R.
Published: November 2023

Professional development (PD) can support science teachers to learn about instructional reforms, but more work needs to be done on broadening our understanding of how specific PD activities support teacher learning. One understudied PD activity is the student hat: when teachers engage in student learning activities while considering ideas, language, and feelings students might have to build their empathy for how student experience reform instruction. Little is known about if and how student hat activities support teacher learning. I conducted a single embedded case study of a 2.5‐day PD for middle school science teachers using the OpenSciEd curriculum. I interviewed 12 participants to understand how they perceived the student hat activities and analyzed 36 hours of PD video, focusing specifically on moments in which participants struggled to act in student hat, to gain insights on how it helped them to learn. Teachers found student hat difficult, but it helped them better understand science ideas, their students, and the instructional approach. These learning outcomes likely occurred because of two mechanisms: creating a safe environment to be wrong and building epistemic empathy with students. By allowing teachers to feel safe expressing confusion with content ideas, the student hat helped teachers to build their science understanding. Developing teachers' epistemic empathy for students helped them to understand how students might think and feel while engaging in reform instruction.
Linking natural resources and environmental sustainability: A panel data approach based on the load capacity curve hypothesis
Authors: Erdogan Sinan
Published: November 2023

Economic development accelerated by natural resource use has caused many undesirable environmental consequences such as reducing the living standards of individuals and threatening human health. Therefore, whether natural resource abundance is a curse for individuals' welfare and environmental sustainability is one of the crucial topics in the literature. This study investigates the impact of natural resources on environmental sustainability by adopting the newly developed Load Capacity Curve hypothesis in the resource‐rich Sub‐Saharan African countries for the period from 1990 to 2020 by utilizing a set of panel data methods. The main estimation results can be outlined as follows: (i) cointegration tests show the existence of the long‐run relationship between variables, (ii) the Load Capacity Curve Hypothesis is valid in the model, and (iii) natural resource rent, energy consumption, and population density reduce environmental sustainability, (iv) empirical estimations for robustness check greatly confirm the finding obtained by baseline estimations. Therefore, policy‐makers in the resource‐rich Sub‐Saharan African countries should focus on establishing mechanisms for internalizing negative externalities of natural resource rent.
A Room‐Temperature Self‐Healing Liquid Metal‐Infilled Microcapsule Driven by Coaxial Flow Focusing for High‐Performance Lithium‐Ion Battery Anode
Authors: Lin Xirong , Chen An , Yang Chaoyu , Mu Kai , Han Tianli , Si Ting , Li Jinjin , Liu Jinyun
Published: November 2023

Liquid metals have attracted a lot of attention as self‐healing materials in many fields. However, their applications in secondary batteries are challenged by electrode failure and side reactions due to the drastic volume changes during the “liquid‐solid‐liquid” transition. Herein, a simple encapsulated, mass‐producible method is developed to prepare room‐temperature liquid metal‐infilled microcapsules (LMMs) with highly conductive carbon shells as anodes for lithium‐ion batteries. Due to the reasonably designed voids in the microcapsule, the liquid metal particles (LMPs) can expand freely without damaging the electrode structure. The LMMs‐based anodes exhibit superior capacity of rete‐performance and ultra‐long cycling stability remaining 413 mAh g−1 after 5000 cycles at 5.0 A g−1. Ex situ X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) reveal that the LMMs anode displays a stable alloying/de‐alloying mechanism. DFT calculations validate the electronic structure and stability of the room‐temperature LMMs system. These findings will bring some new opportunities to develop high‐performance battery systems.
Advances of Strategies to Increase the Surface Charge Density of Triboelectric Nanogenerators: A Review
Authors: Liang Yu , Xu Xinyu , Zhao Libin , Lei Chenyang , Dai Kejie , Zhuo Ran , Fan Beibei , Cheng E , Hassan Mohsen A. , Gao Lingxiao , Mu Xiaojing , Hu Ning , Zhang Chi
Published: November 2023

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have manifested a remarkable potential for harvesting environmental energy and have the prospects to be utilized for various uses, for instance, self‐powered sensing devices, flexible wearables, and marine corrosion protection. However, the potential for further development of TENGs is restricted on account of their low output power that in turn is determined by their surface charge density. The current review majorly focuses on the selection and optimization of triboelectric materials. Subsequently, various methods capable of enhancing the surface charge density of TENGs, including environmental regulation, charge excitation, charge pumping, electrostatic breakdown, charge trapping, and liquid–solid structure are comprehensively reviewed. Lastly, the review is concluded by highlighting the existing challenges in enhancing the surface charge density of TENGs and exploring potential opportunities for future research endeavors in this area.
Enhanced Thermal Conductivity of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotube with Axial Tensile Strain Enabled by Boron Nitride Nanotube Anchoring
Authors: Feng Ya , Sato Yuta , Inoue Taiki , Xiang Rong , Suenaga Kazu , Maruyama Shigeo
Published: November 2023

Thermal conductivity measurements are conducted by optothermal Raman technique before and after the introduction of an axial tensile strain in a suspended single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) through end‐anchoring by boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). Surprisingly, the axial tensile strain (<0.4 %) in SWCNT results in a considerable enhancement of its thermal conductivity, and the larger the strain, the higher the enhancement. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity reduction with temperature is much alleviated for the strained nanotube compared to previously reported unstrained cases. The thermal conductivity of SWCNT increases with its length is also observed.
Dynamic Fluorescence Sensing of Bromide Ions by Photochromic Bi(III)‐Coordination Polymers Based on a Ligand Integrated by Naphthalene Diimides and Pyridinium in Solution and Films
Authors: Shi Yong‐Sheng , Xiao Tong , Yang Dong‐Dong , Xia Zhong‐Gang , Zheng Xiang‐Jun
Published: November 2023

Bismuth(III)‐based complexes have garnered increasing attention in fluorescence sensing due to their environmentally friendly and sustainable characteristics. A Bismuth(III) coordination polymer (CP),1‐Cl based on a naphthalene diimides(NDI)‐pyridinium is synthesized by an in situ reaction method. Notable for its sensitivity to visible light, 1‐Cl shows excellent photochromic properties, and the integration of NDI and pyridinium in one ligand makes photogenerated radicals more stable. Structural analysis and theoretical calculations are employed to investigate the potential pathway of photoinduced electron transfer (ET) during the photochromic process. Notably, in aqueous solutions, 1‐Cl displays an extraordinary fluorescence enhancement response to bromide ion (Br‐), resulting in a distinct transition from yellow to orange in color. The potential mechanism of fluorescence sensing has been revealed through single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. This insight highlights a continuous substitution process where the Cl− ions are successively replaced by Br− ions. Consequently, a single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal transformation (SCSC) occurs, yielding the intermediate species, 1‐Cl‐Br, which ultimately transforms into the final product, 1‐Br. Finally, the photochromic film is successfully prepared and applied to practical applications such as ink‐free printing, information anti‐counterfeiting, and the visual detection of Br− ions. This work combines photochromism with fluorescence sensing, broadening the research field and practical application of photochromic materials.
“Rational overeating” in a feast‐or‐famine world: Economic insecurity and the obesity epidemic
Authors: Smith Trenton G. , Stillman Steven , Craig Stuart
Published: November 2023

Obesity has risen dramatically in the United States since the 1980s, but incidence varies across demographic groups. We investigate the potential role of economic insecurity—defined, roughly, as the extent to which a household faces the threat of catastrophic income loss–in explaining these changes. We construct a synthetic panel of demographic groups for 1988–2016 by combining the Economic Security Index (which measures the probability of a year‐on‐year drop in adjusted household income of 25% or more) with data from the NHANES surveys. This gives us a plausibly exogenous group‐level measure of economic insecurity while allowing us to control for both individual characteristics and various interactions of group and year fixed effects. We find robust evidence of a link between economic insecurity and obesity, suggesting a nearly one‐to‐one correspondence in percentage point changes in ESI and obesity, for both men and women. We further show that if we instead measure economic insecurity based on the changing occupational exposure of each demographic group to trade with China over time, we find similar qualitative results for men, but not for women. Taken together, these results are supportive of a causal interpretation of our findings.
Asymmetric Nonfused Ring Electron Acceptor Based on Benzotriazole Moiety for Efficient Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Chen Yue , Ma Haisheng , Zhang Chen , Duan Xiaopeng , Li Xiaoming , Ryu Hwa Sook , Sun Xiaobo , Woo Han Young , Sun Yanming
Published: November 2023

Nonfused ring electron acceptors (NFREAs) have received much attention due to their distinguished advantages such as simple chemical structure, facile synthesis, and low cost. Herein, three NFREAs with asymmetric and symmetric terminal groups, named CY101, CY102, and CY103, respectively, are designed and synthesized. The effect of terminal groups on the photophysical, electrochemical, and charge transport properties of the NFREAs is further investigated, providing insight to the relationships between the molecular structures and properties of NFREAs. It is found that the asymmetric NFREA CY102‐based organic solar cells (OSCs) can yield a power conversion efficiency of 11.30%, which is higher than those of the symmetric CY101‐based OSCs (10.20%) and CY103‐based OSCs (8.99%). These results indicate that the asymmetric design strategy can be introduced into NFREAs to engage the high‐performance OSCs.
An enigmatic structure in the tail of vetulicolians from the Cambrian Chengjiang biota, South China
Authors: Yang Yang , Su Bi’ang , Ou Qiang , Cheng Meirong , Han Jian , Shu Degan
Published: November 2023

Cambrian vetulicolians have mosaic characteristics of both deuterostomes and protostomes, which has important implications for the origin and early evolution of the Deuterostomia. They are intriguing in their bizarre body plan with a series of pharyngeal gill slits. The anterior section is characterized by five pairs of gill pouches, while the paddle‐like posterior part is composed of seven or more segments. Although the overall external morphology and some internal anatomies of vetulicolians, such as pharyngeal cavity, gill system and alimentary canal, have largely been clarified, mysteries remain regarding some other internal structures, and their functional interpretations are highly controversial. In this study we identify an important but hitherto unrecognized feature: a sub‐rounded, wrinkled structure located ventrally at the posterior section (or ‘tail’) of weakly sclerotized members of vetulicolians, including Xidazoon stephanus and Didazoon haoae, from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota. The enigmatic structure consistently appears at or between the third and fourth segments of the posterior section. We show that the new structure is an internal organ in the body cavity of vetulicolians and infer that it might have functioned for reproduction, excretion or digestion. The finding of this enigmatic structure from X. stephanus and D. haoae enriches our understanding of vetulicolians and might facilitate further exploration of the anatomy and physiology of early deuterostomes.
Concurrent polycystic liver disease and bilateral renal dysplasia in a 20‐week‐old Great Dane
Authors: Knight Frances L. , Tavella Vincent J.
Published: November 2023

A 20‐week‐old, unneutered, female Great Dane was evaluated for failure to thrive and anorexia after 4 weeks of adequate caloric provision. Initial bloodwork results indicated elevated liver enzymes, azotaemia, hyperphosphataemia and non‐regenerative anaemia. Abdominal radiographs following a 24‐hour fast revealed hepatomegaly. Additional bloodwork was submitted to screen for possible infectious and immune‐mediated causes, of which none were discovered. The patient was referred to an American Veterinary College board‐certified internal medicine specialist for abdominal ultrasound, whose diagnostic findings were consistent with polycystic liver disease and bilateral renal dysplasia. Due to the grim prognosis provided by the ultrasonographic findings, the owners elected to euthanase the patient. To the authors’ knowledge, this is not only the first reported case of polycystic liver disease in a Great Dane, but its concurrence with bilateral renal dysplasia has also never been reported in any species.
Geodetic Heights and Holonomity
Authors: Sansò Fernando , Barzaghi Riccardo , Reguzzoni Mirko
Published: November 2023

It is sometimes stated in the geodetic literature that the normal height system, so important in both geodetic theory and practice, is nonholonomic, i.e. the normal height of a point in reality depends also on the integration path of a certain differential. On the contrary, this paper proves that the normal height system is holonomic also identifying the critical point on which the nonholonomic statement is based. Besides that, the general concepts related to the definition of the height system are revised and an overview of the current heights is given.

Indeed, given the theorical and practical importance of the subject, this is a key item in Geodesy that must be clearly stated by using definitions and results well known in mathematics.
Chiral magnets from string theory
Authors: Amari Yuki , Nitta Muneto
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Chiral magnets with the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction have received quite an intensive focus in condensed matter physics because of the presence of a chiral soliton lattice (CSL), an array of magnetic domain walls and anti-domain walls, and magnetic skyrmions, both of which are important ingredients in the current nanotechnology. In this paper, we realize chiral magnets in type-IIA/B string theory by using the Hanany-Witten brane configuration (consisting of D3, D5 and NS5-branes) and the fractional D2 and D6 branes on the Eguchi-Hanson manifold. In the both cases, we put constant non-Abelian magnetic fluxes on higher dimensional (flavor) D-branes, turning them into magnetized D-branes. The O(3) sigma model with an easy-axis or easy-plane potential and the DM interaction is realized on the worldvolume of the lower dimensional (color) D-branes. The ground state is the ferromagnetic (uniform) phase and the color D-brane is straight when the DM interaction is small compared with the scalar mass. However, when the DM interaction is larger, the uniform state is no longer stable and the ground state is inhomogeneous: the CSL phases and helimagnetic phase. In this case, the color D-brane is no longer straight but is snaky (zigzag) when the DM interaction is smaller (larger) than a critical value. A magnetic domain wall in the ferromagnetic phase is realized as a kinky D-brane. We further construct magnetic skyrmions in the ferromagnetic phase, realized as D1-branes (fractional D0-branes) in the former (latter) configuration. We see that the host D2-brane is bent around the position of a D0-brane as a magnetic skyrmion. Finally, we construct, in the ferromagnetic phase, domain-wall skyrmions, that is, composite states of a domain wall and skyrmions, and find that the domain wall is no longer flat in the vicinity of the skyrmion. Consequently, a kinky D2-brane worldvolume is pulled or pushed in the vicinity of the D0-brane depending on the sign of the skyrmion topological charge.
The Complete Solution of the Diophantine Equation $$\left( F_{n+1}^{(k)}\right) ^x - \left( F_{n-1}^{(k)}\right) ^x = F_{m}^{(k)}$$
Authors: Gómez Carlos A. , Gómez Jhonny C. , Luca Florian
Published: November 2023

The well-known Fibonacci sequence has several generalizations, among them, thek-generalized Fibonacci sequence denoted by$$F^{(k)}$$F(k). The firstkterms of this generalization are$$0, \ldots , 0, 1$$0,…,0,1and each one afterward corresponds to the sum of the precedingkterms. For the Fibonacci sequence the formula$$F_{n+1}^2 - F_{n-1}^2 = F_{2n}$$Fn+12-Fn-12=F2nholds for every$$n \ge 1$$n≥1. In this paper, we study the above identity on thek-generalized Fibonacci sequence terms, completing the work done by Bensella et al. (On the exponential Diophantine equation$$(F_{m+1}^{(k)})^x - (F_{m-1}^{(k)})^x = F_n^{(k)}$$(Fm+1(k))x-(Fm-1(k))x=Fn(k), 2022.arxiv:2205.13168).
State-of-the-art review of applications of image processing techniques for tool condition monitoring on conventional machining processes
Authors: Pimenov Danil Yu. , da Silva Leonardo R. R. , Ercetin Ali , Der Oğuzhan , Mikolajczyk Tadeusz , Giasin Khaled
Published: November 2023

In conventional machining, one of the main tasks is to ensure that the required dimensional accuracy and the desired surface quality of a part or product meet the customer needs. The successful accomplishment of these parameters in milling, turning, milling, drilling, grinding and other conventional machining operations directly depends on the current level of tool wear and cutting edge conditions. One of the proven non-contact methods of tool condition monitoring (TCM) is measuring systems based on image processing technologies that allow assessing the current state of the machined surface and the quantitative indicators of tool wear. This review article discusses image processing for tool monitoring in the conventional machining domain. For the first time, a comprehensive review of the application of image processing techniques for tool condition monitoring in conventional machining processes is provided for both direct and indirect measurement methods. Here we consider both applications of image processing in conventional machining processes, for the analysis of the tool cutting edge and for the control of surface images after machining. It also discusses the predominance, limitations and perspectives on the application of imaging systems as a tool for controlling machining processes. The perspectives and trends in the development of image processing in Industry 4.0, namely artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, the internet of things and big data, were also elaborated and analysed.
Deep learning–based inline monitoring approach of mold coating thickness for Al-Si alloy permanent mold casting
Authors: Deng Fangtian , Rui Xingyu , Lu Shuang , Liu Zhang , Sun Haoran , Volk Wolfram
Published: November 2023

In the permanent mold casting process, the distribution of mold coating thickness is a significant variable with respect to the coating’s thermal resistance, as it strongly influences the mechanical properties of cast parts and the thermal erosion of expensive molds. However, efficient online coating thickness measurement is challenging due to the high working temperatures of the molds. To address this, we propose an indirect monitoring concept based on the analysis of the as-cast surface corresponding to the coated area. Our previous research proves linear correlations between the as-cast surface roughness parameter known as arithmetical mean height (Sa) and the coating thickness for various coating materials. Based on these correlations, we can derive the coating thickness from the analysis of the corresponding as-cast surface. In this work, we introduce a method to quickly evaluate the as-cast surface roughness by analyzing optical images with a deep-learning model. We tested six different models due to their high accuracies on ImageNet: Vision Transformer (ViT), Multi-Axis Vision Transformer (MaxViT), EfficientNetV2-S/M, MobileNetV3, Densely Connected Convolutional Networks (DenseNet), and Wide Residual Networks (Wide ResNet). The results show that the Wide ResNet50-2 model achieves the lowest mean absolute error (MAE) value of 1.060 µm and the highest R-squared (R2) value of 0.918, and EfficientNetV2-M reaches the highest prediction accuracy of 98.39% on the test set. The absolute error of the surface roughness prediction remains well within an acceptable tolerance of ca. 2 µm for the top three models. The findings presented in this paper hold significant importance for the development of an affordable and efficient online method to evaluate mold coating thickness. In future work, we plan to enrich the sample dataset to further enhance the stability of prediction accuracy.
Optimization of laser beam parameters during processing of ASA 3D-printed plates
Authors: Kechagias John D. , Ninikas Konstantinos , Vakouftsi Foteini , Fountas Nikolaos A. , Palanisamy Sivasubramanian , Vaxevanidis Nikolaos M.
Published: November 2023

New developments in manufacturing processes impose the need for experimental studies concerning the determination of beneficial process-related parameter settings and optimization of objectives related to quality and efficiency. This work aims to improve cutting geometry, surface texture, and arithmetic surface roughness average in the case of post-processing of filament material extrusion 3D-printed acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) thin plates by a low-power CO2 laser cutting apparatus. This material was selected owing to its unique properties for thin-walled customized constructions. Three parameters, namely focal distance, plate thickness, and cutting speed, were examined with reference to the Box-Behnken design of experiments (BBD) and regression modeling. Four responses were considered: mean kerf width, Wm (mm); down width, Wd (mm); upper width, Wu (mm); and average surface roughness Ra (μm) of cut surfaces. Different regression models were tested for their efficiency in terms of predicting the objectives with an emphasis on full quadratic regression. The results showed that a focal distance of 6.5 mm and 16 mm/s speed optimizes all quality metrics for the three plate thicknesses. The regression models achieved adequate correlation among independent process-related parameters and optimization objectives, proving that they can be used to improve the laser cutting process and support practical applications.
A Novel Bifidobacterium/Klebsiella Ratio in Characterization Analysis of the Gut and Bile Microbiota of CCA Patients
Authors: Zhang Ningning , Zhu Wenwen , Zhang Shuwen , Liu Tian , Gong Lan , Wang Zeyu , Zhang Wei , Cui Yunlong , Wu Qiang , Li Jingtong , Yu Hao , El-Omar Emad M. , Hao Jihui , Lu Wei
Published: November 2023

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a serious health problem worldwide. The gut and bile microbiota have not been clearly characterized in patients with CCA, and better noninvasive diagnostic approaches for CCA need to be established. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the gut and bile microbiota in CCA patients. Forty-two CCA patients and 16 healthy normal controls (HNCs) were enrolled. DNA was extracted from fecal and bile samples and subjected to 16S rRNA gene analysis. We found that there were significant differences in the species diversity, structure, and composition of the microbial communities between the CCA group and the HNC grouAt the phylum level, compared with that in the HNC group, the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteriota was significantly decreased in the CCA group, whereas Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota were significantly enriched. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidota (F/B) ratio significantly decreased in the CCA group compared to the HNC grouThe relative abundance of Klebsiella in the CCA group was significantly higher than that in the HNC group, while the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium was significantly decreased. The Bifidobacterium/Klebsiella (B/K) ratio was established as a novel biomarker and was found to be significantly decreased in the CCA group compared with the HNC grouOur findings provide evidence supporting the use of Klebsiella and Bifidobacterium as noninvasive intestinal microbiomarkers for improving the diagnosis of CCA.
Morphometric approaches to Cannabis evolution and differentiation from archaeological sites: interpreting the archaeobotanical evidence from bronze age Haimenkou, Yunnan
Authors: Dal Martello Rita , Min Rui , Stevens Chris J. , Qin Ling , Fuller Dorian Q.
Published: November 2023

Cannabis grains are frequently reported from archaeological sites in Asia, and hypothesized centers of origins are China and Central Asia. Chinese early cannabis remains are often interpreted as evidence of hemp fabric production, in line with early textual evidence describing ritualistic hemp cloth use and hemp cultivation as a grain crop. Modern measurements on cannabis varieties show distinct sizes between fibre or oil/fibre and psychoactive varieties, the former having larger seeds on average than the latter. This paper reviews the current macro-botanical evidence for cannabis across East, Central and South Asia and builds a comparative framework based on modern cannabis seed measurements to help identify cannabis use in the past, through the metric analysis of archaeologically preserved seeds. Over 800 grains of cannabis were retrieved from the 2008 excavation of Haimenkou, Yunnan, Southwest China, dating to between 1650 and 400 bc. These are compared with other known archaeological cannabis and interpreted through the metric framework. This offers a basis for exploration of the seed morphometrics potential to infer cannabis cultivation and diversification in uses. At Haimenkou, cannabis seeds size mostly plot in the range of overlapping psychoactive/fibre types; we therefore suggest that the cannabis assemblage from Haimenkou is indicative of a crop beginning to undergo evolution from its early domesticated form towards a diversified crop specialized for alternative uses, including larger oilseed/fibre adapted varieties.
Clustered Sparse Structural Equation Modeling for Heterogeneous Data
Authors: Takasawa Ippei , Tanioka Kensuke , Yadohisa Hiroshi
Published: November 2023

Joint analysis with clustering and structural equation modeling is one of the most popular approaches to analyzing heterogeneous data. The methods involved in this approach estimate a path diagram of the same shape for each cluster and interpret the clusters according to the magnitude of the coefficients. However, these methods have problems with difficulty in interpreting the coefficients when the number of clusters and/or paths increases and are unable to deal with any situation where the path diagram for each cluster is different. To tackle these problems, we propose two methods for simplifying the path structure and facilitating interpretation by estimating a different form of path diagram for each cluster using sparse estimation. The proposed methods and related methods are compared using numerical simulation and real data examples. The proposed methods are superior to the existing methods in terms of both fitting and interpretation.
News and Perspectives: Words matter in primatology
Authors: Bezanson Michelle , Cortés-Ortiz Liliana , Bicca-Marques Júlio César , Boonratana Ramesh , Carvalho Susana , Cords Marina , de la Torre Stella , Hobaiter Catherine , Humle Tatyana , Izar Patrícia , Lynch Jessica W. , Matsuzawa Tetsuro , Setchell Joanna M. , Zikusoka Gladys Kalema , Strier Karen B.
Published: November 2023

Postings on social media on Twitter (now X), BioAnthropology News (Facebook), and other venues, as well as recent publications in prominent journals, show that primatologists, ecologists, and other researchers are questioning the terms “Old World” and “New World” due to their colonial implications and history. The terms are offensive if they result in erasing Indigenous voices and history, ignoring the fact that Indigenous peoples were in the Americas long before European colonization. Language use is not without context, but alternative terminology is not always obvious and available. In this perspective, we share opinions expressed by an international group of primatologists who considered questions about the use of these terms, whether primatologists should adjust language use, and how to move forward. The diversity of opinions provides insight into how conventional terms used in primatological research and conservation may impact our effectiveness in these domains.
Diversification of forest management can mitigate wind damage risk and maintain biodiversity
Authors: Potterf Mária , Eyvindson Kyle , Blattert Clemens , Triviño María , Burner Ryan C. , Burgas Daniel , Mönkkönen Mikko
Published: November 2023

Mitigating future forest risks, safeguarding timber revenues and improving biodiversity are key considerations for current boreal forest management. Alternatives to rotation forestry likely have an important role, but how they will perform under a changing climate remains unclear. We used a boreal forest growth simulator to explore how variations on traditional clear-cutting, in rotation length, thinning intensity, and increasing number of remaining trees after final harvest (green tree retention), and on extent of continuous cover forestry will affect stand-level probability of wind damage, timber production, deadwood volume, and habitats for forest species. We used business-as-usual rotation forestry as a baseline and compared alternative management adaptations under the reference and two climate change scenarios. Climate change increased overall timber production and had lower impacts on biodiversity compared to management adaptations. Shortening the rotation length reduced the probability of wind damage compared to business-as-usual, but also decreased both deadwood volume and suitable habitats for our focal species. Continuous cover forestry, and management with refraining from thinnings, and extension of rotation length represent complementary approaches benefiting biodiversity, with respective effects of improving timber revenues, reducing wind damage risk, and benefiting old-growth forest structures. However, extensive application of rotation length shortening to mitigate wind damage risk may be detrimental for forest biodiversity. To safeguard forest biodiversity over the landscape, shortening of the rotation length could be complemented with widespread application of regimes promoting old-growth forest structures.
Genetic surfing during the range expansion of an endangered large carnivore
Authors: Tensen Laura , Currat Mathias , Davies-Mostert Harriet , Plessis Cole du , Fischer Klaus
Published: November 2023

In an effort to halt the global decline of large carnivores, reintroductions have become increasingly popular to establish satellite populations and reduce the risk of stochastic events. These artificial range expansions are typically formed by a small number of founders, which can lead to changes in population genetic structure. For instance, serial founder events can lead to neutral and even deleterious alleles reaching higher than expected frequencies along the front end of an expansion, referred to as gene surfing. One of the world’s most extensive range expansion programmes has been for endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). In this study, we examine the effect of continent-wide translocations on spatial genetic diversity, by determining what effect genetic surfing has on population structure in wild dogs, and measuring how long it will take for population structure to homogenize in the face of ongoing dispersal. We used a set of microsatellite loci to look at surfing alleles in five populations across southern Africa, and simulated the movement of these alleles forward in time under the current demographic scenario. We found that it would take about 150 generations for the expanding population to be 50% introgressed with genes from the free-roaming population. With the current rate of translocations, genetic differentiation in southern Africa will disappear, overturning the effects of genetic drift or surfing alleles. Understanding genetic patterns in expanding populations is of great interest to conservation, and we demonstrate that reintroduction programmes can help restore genetic diversity, and consequently adaptive potential, in recovering wildlife populations.
A Randomized, Controlled, Preliminary Study to Assess the Efficacy of Logic-Based Therapy in Reducing Anxiety and/or Depression in Family Caregivers
Authors: Cohen Elliot D. , Piozzini Barbara , Bapat Chinmay , Cheng Jiuqing , Soza Pablo Tagore Palma , Punjani Vishakha N. , Chaukar Himani
Published: November 2023

This paper analyzes the findings of a preliminary, controlled efficacy study conducted by the National Philosophical Counseling Association of a prominent modality of philosophical counseling, Logic-Based Therapy (LBT). In this study, the latter modality was compared to a mindfulness activity. The study included 20 caretakers randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The hypothesis investigated was that a one-hour LBT session is more effective in reducing the level of (state or trait) anxiety and/or depression in family caregivers than a one-hour mindfulness session. Utilizing data compiled from study participants’ responses to the State Trait Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-2), two-way mixed ANOVA tests on three variables (state anxiety, trait anxiety, and depression (BDI-2) scores) were performed as well as paired analyses yielding the preliminary conclusion (pending a more extensive study) that LBT shows promise as an effective intervention for reducing state anxiety as compared to the control condition, the mindfulness activity.
Fitted mesh scheme for singularly perturbed parabolic convection–diffusion problem exhibiting twin boundary layers
Authors: Bullo Tesfaye Aga , Kusi Gemadi Roba
Published: November 2023

In this paper, fitted mesh numerical scheme is presented for solving singularly perturbed parabolic convection–diffusion problem exhibiting twin boundary layers. To approximate the solution, we discretize the temporal variable on uniform mesh and discretize the spatial one on piecewise uniform mesh of the Shishkin mesh type. The resulting scheme is shown to be almost first order convergent that accelerated to almost second order convergent by applying the Richardson extrapolation technique. Stability and consistency of the proposed method are established very well in order to guarantee the convergence of the method. Further, the theoretical investigations are confirmed by numerical experiments. Moreover, the present scheme is stable, consistent and gives more accurate solution than existing methods in the literature.
Same product, different score: how methodological differences affect EPD results
Authors: Konradsen Freja , Hansen Kristine Sofie Holse , Ghose Agneta , Pizzol Massimo
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Demand for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) is already high and increasing in the construction and building sectors. The overall purpose of EPDs is comparability of product environmental performance, and they are thus developed in accordance with product category rules (PCRs): requirements and guidelines for how to make EPDs for one or more product groups. Since several organisations publish PCRs, there is a risk of creating conflicting rules leading to inconsistencies and jeopardising the objective of comparability.

Methods

This study analyses the causes for inconsistency and the consequences in terms of difference in the results across the life cycle assessment (LCA) models underlying the EPDs. Taking four EPD programmes and their actors as cases, first a document analysis was conducted to identify qualitative and quantitative differences in their guidelines. Further focusing on selected quantitative differences, a series of LCA models were designed for the same triple-glazed window product by adhering to the PCRs of each operator, to highlight the differences in results that occur when performing the same assessment via different but all formally selectable operators and compliant EPDs.

Results and discussion

Results show that the EPD of a specific product can return very different impact scores if one or the other guideline is followed. Results can vary more than 10% from the base scenarios, what we consider a significant variation. This is observed across all impact categories. Focusing specifically on the climate change impact, the results show that differences are due to the choice of energy mix, reference service life and other parameters. It is thus the combination of several modelling differences that leads to a overall divergence in results, rather than one single methodological choice.

Conclusions

Numerous different but at the same time compliant EPDs can be obtained for the same product, highlighting a serious harmonisation issue within the EPD system. EPDs are thus not necessarily accurate, and it remains doubtful whether EPD comparability can be achieved. This weakness of the EPD system can in the worst case be exploited by producers to obtain lower results and undermines the system.

Recommendations

Besides recommending using LCA for learning and process improvement rather than just for external communication and compliance, to increase harmonisation in the EPD system, we recommend limiting the number of product-specific PCRs (e.g. complementary PCRs), align default values, learn from verification, use just one background database, increase transparency and move towards one centralized operator.
Introducing a new pathosystem for marine pathogens – the green alga Urospora neglecta and its pathogen Sirolpidium litorale sp. nov.
Authors: Buaya Anthony T. , Tsai Ichen , Klochkova Tatyana A. , Thines Marco
Published: November 2023

Holocarpic oomycetes, which had fallen into relative scientific obscurity for quite some time, recently regained scientific interest. Among these organisms, some stand out for infecting commercially valuable red algae, such as the nori algae of the genus Pyropia, rendering them economically significant. After having observed simple holocarpic pathogens of green algae in previous sampling trips, most of which we could not fully characterise due to their scarcity, we now discovered a parasite of the widespread littoral green algae Urospora neglecta. This previously unnoticed parasite turned out to be distinct from another green algae-infesting species, Sirolpidium bryopsidis. This finding led us to formally describe it as Sirolpidium litorale, marking the first new species of holocarpic oomycetes of green algae to be found on the shores of Blávík, East Iceland. The ease of cultivation of U. neglecta offers a unique opportunity to establish a genetically tractable system for studying how Sirolpidium interacts with algae. This could help uncover the underlying mechanisms behind the pathogenicity of the species of this genus and provide valuable insights into their ecological roles and evolutionary history.
Performance of artificial intelligence-based software for the automatic detection of lung lesions on chest radiographs of patients with suspected lung cancer
Authors: Takamatsu Atsushi , Ueno Midori , Yoshida Kotaro , Kobayashi Takeshi , Kobayashi Satoshi , Gabata Toshifumi
Published: November 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the commercially available artificial intelligence-based software CXR-AID for the automatic detection of pulmonary nodules on the chest radiographs of patients suspected of having lung cancer.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study included 399 patients with clinically suspected lung cancer who underwent CT and chest radiography within 1 month between June 2020 and May 2022. The candidate areas on chest radiographs identified by CXR-AID were categorized into target (properly detected areas) and non-target (improperly detected areas) areas. The non-target areas were further divided into non-target normal areas (false positives for normal structures) and non-target abnormal areas. The visibility score, characteristics and location of the nodules, presence of overlapping structures, and background lung score and presence of pulmonary disease were manually evaluated and compared between the nodules detected or undetected by CXR-AID. The probability indices calculated by CXR-AID were compared between the target and non-target areas.

Results

Among the 450 nodules detected in 399 patients, 331 nodules detected in 313 patients were visible on chest radiographs during manual evaluation. CXR-AID detected 264 of these 331 nodules with a sensitivity of 0.80. The detection sensitivity increased significantly with the visibility score. No significant correlation was observed between the background lung score and sensitivity. The non-target area per image was 0.85, and the probability index of the non-target area was lower than that of the target area. The non-target normal area per image was 0.24. Larger and more solid nodules exhibited higher sensitivities, while nodules with overlapping structures demonstrated lower detection sensitivities.

Conclusion

The nodule detection sensitivity of CXR-AID on chest radiographs was 0.80, and the non-target and non-target normal areas per image were 0.85 and 0.24, respectively. Larger, solid nodules without overlapping structures were detected more readily by CXR-AID.
Umweltverhalten mit Hand und Fuss(-abdruck)
Authors: Ernst Andreas
Published: November 2023

Die Klimaerwärmung stellt Gesellschaften ebenso wie Individuen vor bislang völlig unzureichend gelöste Probleme. Nullemissionen von Treibhausgasen sind zwar notwendig und werden politisch auch angestrebt, dennoch steigen sie immer schneller an. Um eine Transformation zur Nachhaltigkeit zu erreichen, ist ein sozialer Kipppunkt nötig. Bereits bekannte soziale Kipppunkte aus der jüngeren Vergangenheit sowie Hindernisse auf dem Weg zur Nachhaltigkeit werden vorgestellt. Der Fußabdruck bezeichnet den individuellen Umweltverbrauch. Er wird ergänzt um den Handabdruck, der bürgerschaftliches Engagement und politischen Aktivismus zur Veränderung der systemischen, nicht-nachhaltigen Zwänge meint. Ethisches Coaching wird als eine Form des Handabdrucks vorgeschlagen.
Integrating State of the Art Zirconia Thermal Barriers with Ytterbium Silicate Environmental Barriers for Silicon-Based Ceramic Turbine Components
Authors: Gildersleeve Edward J. , Bakan Emine , Vaßen Robert
Published: November 2023

As gas turbine firing temperatures continue to increase for the sake of improved operating efficiency, the material's transition from Ni-based superalloy components toward ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) is concurrently in progress. Due to the complex nature of the turbine operating environment (envisaged ultrahigh temperatures, presence of water vapor, etc.), coating solutions for these CMCs are still on the forefront of design optimizations. Typically, rare-earth (RE) silicate environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) have been utilized to protect the CMCs from impinging water vapor; however, they lack the thermal insulation properties to enable continued use of simple and/or easily accessible bond coat materials (i.e., silicon). Combined thermal-environmental barrier coatings (T-EBCs) are such a multifaceted surface solution. T-EBCs have been considered in the past, but to this point have not been demonstrated to be technologically robust either due to high implementation costs or complex processing. This study utilizes and combines straightforward and well-established processes—such as plasma-sprayed 7 wt.% yttria-stabilized zirconia—to demonstrate the feasibility of MultiLayered T-EBCs comprised of zirconia-based oxides and RE silicate EBCs in a single coating. The results show that despite high thermal mismatch strains, the structures cannot only be deposited, but also in certain circumstances sustain cyclic thermomechanical loading.
Preserving Derivative Information while Transforming Neuronal Curves
Authors: Athey Thomas L. , Tward Daniel J. , Mueller Ulrich , Younes Laurent , Vogelstein Joshua T. , Miller Michael I.
Published: November 2023

The international neuroscience community is building the first comprehensive atlases of brain cell types to understand how the brain functions from a higher resolution, and more integrated perspective than ever before. In order to build these atlases, subsets of neurons (e.g. serotonergic neurons, prefrontal cortical neurons etc.) are traced in individual brain samples by placing points along dendrites and axons. Then, the traces are mapped to common coordinate systems by transforming the positions of their points, which neglects how the transformation bends the line segments in between. In this work, we apply the theory of jets to describe how to preserve derivatives of neuron traces up to any order. We provide a framework to compute possible error introduced by standard mapping methods, which involves the Jacobian of the mapping transformation. We show how our first order method improves mapping accuracy in both simulated and real neuron traces under random diffeomorphisms. Our method is freely available in our open-source Python package brainlit.
Strafen – wozu?
Authors: Dörr Margret , Gastauer Dirk
Published: November 2023

Der Beitrag leitet in den Schwerpunkt „Strafen – wozu?“ ein und gibt eine knappe Übersicht über dessen Beiträge.