bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human–Environment Interactions in the United Arab Emirates: An Archaeological Perspective
Authors: Power Timothy
Published: October 2023

This paper provides an archaeological perspective on pre-modern human-environment interactions in the United Arab Emirates over the past 200,000 years. It first outlines the key topographic and ecological zones and highlights localised subsistence strategies, then provides a summary of the development of human societies and their growing economic needs. It then goes on to explore past climate change and human adaptions, the social and economic implications of early farming and herding, and the transition from subsistence strategies to local industries. Generally, it is argued that human interactions with the natural world were driven largely by economic factors, with foreign demand leading to the exploitation of natural resources on an industrial scale.
The Bell Curve, Then and Now
Authors: Tucker William H.
Published: October 2023

In the fall of 1994, the national obsession with the murder trial of a legendary football player was temporarily interrupted by a controversy over a book—not some sensationalized biography of a celebrity but a chart-filled 845-page tome, co-authored by a Harvard research psychologist and a policy wonk at the conservative think tank, the American Enterprise Institute. Despite its more than 100 pages of appendices on logistic regression and other technical, statistical issues, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life became an instantaneous cause célèbre, providing its junior author, Charles Murray—Professor Richard J. Herrnstein having passed away only days before publication—with considerably more than his Warholian 15 minutes of fame and leading a reporter for the New York Times Magazine to designate him “the most dangerous” conservative in the country. Among the many “serious” periodicals to discuss the book at length, The New Republic devoted almost an entire issue to an essay by its authors along with a host of responses, and for some weeks Murray was a ubiquitous presence on television talk shows.
Meritocracy: Places, Everyone!
Authors: Tucker William H.
Published: October 2023

Although The BellCurve represented Murray’s first published discussion of genes and intelligence—as tactical support for his preferred policies ending assistance to the poor—his co-author had been writing on the topic for more than two decades. Herrnstein’s initial interest in intelligence marked a radical departure from his previous work. As a Harvard graduate student in the early 1950s, he had studied with the famous behaviorist B.F. Skinner, specializing in operant conditioning with pigeons. Appointed to a junior faculty position at Harvard in 1958, he received promotion and tenure only three years later, after formulating the “matching law,” an important theoretical result predicting that, when an organism is offered two response alternatives, the ratio between them will match the ratio of reinforcements associated with each alternative. His reputation well established as one of the world’s experts on pigeon behavior, Herrnstein went on to occupy an endowed chair at Harvard.
The Virtual Currency Schemes
Authors: Mooij Annelieke
Published: October 2023

This chapter starts in Sect. 3.2 by discussing the different virtual currency schemes currently in existence in virtual environments. It will analyse the different currency schemes in relation to the physical economy. Based on this analysis this chapter continues in Sect. 3.3 by discussing the currency schemes in the Metaverse. This chapter will then conclude in Sect. 3.4 by analysing the virtual currency schemes of the Metaverse in relation to the real physical economy.
Bers’ simultaneous uniformization and the intersection of Poincaré holonomy varieties
Authors: Baba Shinpei
Published: October 2023

We consider the space of ordered pairs of distinct ${\mathbb{C}{\mathrm{P}}}^{1}$-structures on Riemann surfaces (of any orientations) which have identical holonomy, so that the quasi-Fuchsian space is identified with a connected component of this space. This space holomorphically maps to the product of the Teichmüller spaces minus its diagonal.

In this paper, we prove that this mapping is a complete local branched covering map. As a corollary, we reprove Bers’ simultaneous uniformization theorem without any quasi-conformal deformation theory. Our main theorem is that the intersection of arbitrary two Poincaré holonomy varieties ($\operatorname{SL}_{2}\mathbb{C}$-opers) is a non-empty discrete set, which is closely related to the mapping.
Wheat bZIPC1 interacts with FT2 and contributes to the regulation of spikelet number per spike
Authors: Glenn Priscilla , Woods Daniel P. , Zhang Junli , Gabay Gilad , Odle Natalie , Dubcovsky Jorge
Published: October 2023

Key message

The wheat transcription factor bZIPC1 interacts with FT2 and affects spikelet and grain number per spike. We identified a natural allele with positive effects on these two economically important traits.

Loss-of-function mutations and natural variation in the gene FLOWERING LOCUS T2 (FT2) in wheat have previously been shown to affect spikelet number per spike (SNS). However, while other FT-like wheat proteins interact with bZIP-containing transcription factors from the A-group, FT2 does not interact with any of them. In this study, we used a yeast-two-hybrid screen with FT2 as bait and identified a grass-specific bZIP-containing transcription factor from the C-group, designated here as bZIPC1. Within the C-group, we identified four clades including wheat proteins that show Y2H interactions with different sets of FT-like and CEN-like encoded proteins. bZIPC1 and FT2 expression partially overlap in the developing spike, including the inflorescence meristem. Combined loss-of-function mutations in bZIPC-A1 and bZIPC-B1 (bzipc1) in tetraploid wheat resulted in a drastic reduction in SNS with a limited effect on heading date. Analysis of natural variation in the bZIPC-B1 (TraesCS5B02G444100) region revealed three major haplotypes (H1–H3), with the H1 haplotype showing significantly higher SNS, grain number per spike and grain weight per spike than both the H2 and H3 haplotypes. The favorable effect of the H1 haplotype was also supported by its increased frequency from the ancestral cultivated tetraploids to the modern tetraploid and hexaploid wheat varieties. We developed markers for the two non-synonymous SNPs that differentiate the bZIPC-B1b allele in the H1 haplotype from the ancestral bZIPC-B1a allele present in all other haplotypes. These diagnostic markers are useful tools to accelerate the deployment of the favorable bZIPC-B1b allele in pasta and bread wheat breeding programs.
Mind who’s testing: Turing tests and the post-colonial imposition of their implicit conceptions of intelligence
Authors: Fischbach Fabian , Vandemeulebroucke Tijs , van Wynsberghe Aimee
Published: October 2023

This paper aims to show that dominant conceptions of intelligence used in artificial intelligence (AI) are biased by normative assumptions that originate from the Global North, making it questionable if AI can be uncritically applied elsewhere without risking serious harm to vulnerable people. After the introduction in Sect. 1 we shortly present the history of IQ testing in Sect. 2, focusing on its multiple discriminatory biases. To determine how these biases came into existence, we define intelligence ontologically and underline its constructed and culturally variable character. Turning to AI, specifically the Turing Test (TT), in Sect. 3, we critically examine its underlying intelligence conceptions. The test has been of central influence in AI research and remains an important point of orientation. We argue that both the test itself and how it is used in practice risk promoting a limited conception of intelligence which solely originated in the Global North. Hence, this conception should be critically assessed in relation to the different global contexts in which AI technologies are and will be used. In Sect. 4, we highlight how unequal power relations in AI research are a real threat, rather than just philosophical sophistry while considering the history of IQ testing and the TT’s practical biases. In the last section, we examine the limits of our account and identify fields for further investigation. Tracing colonial continuities in AI intelligence research, this paper points to a more diverse and historically aware approach to the design, development, and use of AI.
Critical assessment of the endocrine potential of Linalool and Linalyl acetate: proactive testing strategy assessing estrogenic and androgenic activity of Lavender oil main components
Authors: Hareng Lars , Kolle Susanne N. , Gomes Caroline , Schneider Steffen , Wahl Markus
Published: October 2023

The acyclic linear monoterpenes Linalool (Lin) and Linalyl acetate (LinAc) occur in nature as major constituents of various essential oils such as lavender oils. A potential endocrine activity of these compounds was discussed in literature including premature thelarche and prepubertal gynecomastia due to lavender product use. This study aims to follow-up on these critical findings reported by testing Lin and LinAc in several studies in line with current guidance and regulatory framework. No relevant anti-/ER and AR-mediated activity was observed in recombinant yeast cell-based screening tests and guideline reporter gene in vitro assays in mammalian cells. Findings in the screening test suggested an anti-androgenic activity, which could not be confirmed in the respective mammalian cell guideline assay. Mechanistic guideline in vivo studies (Uterotrophic and Hershberger assays) with Lin did not show significant dose related changes in estrogen or androgen sensitive organ weights and a guideline reproductive toxicity screening study did not reveal evident effects on sex steroid hormone sensitive organ weights, associated histopathological findings and altered sperm parameters. Estrous cycling and mating/fertility indices were not affected and no evident Lin-related steroid hormone dependent effects were found in the offspring. Overall, the initial concerns from literature were not confirmed. Findings in the yeast screening test were aberrant from follow-up guideline in vitro and in vivo studies, which underlines the need to apply careful interpretation of single in vitro test results to support a respective line of evidence and to establish a biologically plausible link to an adverse outcome.
BCLAF1-induced HIF-1α accumulation under normoxia enhances PD-L1 treatment resistances via BCLAF1-CUL3 complex
Authors: Yao Bowen , Lu Ye , Li Yazhao , Bai Yixue , Wei Xinyu , Yang Yuanyuan , Yao Demao
Published: October 2023

Bcl-2-associated transcription factor-1 (BCLAF1), an apoptosis-regulating protein of paramount significance, orchestrates the progression of various malignancies. This study reveals increased BCLAF1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, in whom elevated BCLAF1 levels are linked to escalated tumor grades and diminished survival rates. Moreover, novel BCLAF1 expression is particularly increased in HCC patients who were not sensitive to the combined treatment of atezolizumab and bevacizumab, but not in patients who had tumors that responded to the combined regimen. Notably, overexpression of BCLAF1 increases HCC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, while the conditioned medium derived from cells overexpressing BCLAF1 strikingly enhances the tube-formation capacity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Furthermore, compelling evidence demonstrates that BCLAF1 attenuates the expression of prolyl hydroxylase domain protein 2 (PHD2) and governs the stability of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) under normoxic conditions without exerting any influence on transcription, as determined by Western blot and RT‒qPCR analyses. Subsequently, employing coimmunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence, we validated the reciprocal interaction between BCLAF1 and Cullin 3 (CUL3), through which BCLAF1 actively upregulates the ubiquitination and degradation of PHD2. The Western blot and RT‒qPCR results suggests that programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is one of the downstream responders to HIF-1α in HCC. Thus, we reveal the pivotal role of BCLAF1 in promoting PD-L1 transcription and, through binding to CUL3, in promoting the accumulation of HIF-1α under normoxic conditions, thereby facilitating the ubiquitination and degradation of PHD2.
High-pressure melting in metapelites of a 2 Ga old subducted oceanic crust (Usagaran belt, Tanzania): implications from melt inclusions, fluid inclusions and thermodynamic modelling
Authors: Herms Petra , Raase Peter , Giehl Christopher , Aradi László E. , Fußwinkel Tobias , Rohrbach Arno , Möller Andreas
Published: October 2023

Investigation of polymineralic melt inclusions preserved in garnet of eclogite-facies metapelites of the Usagaran belt, Tanzania, is of particular importance as these metapelites, intercalated in oceanic metabasites, document the rare case of partial melting at high temperatures in a subducted oceanic crust. With an age of 2 Ga the rocks represent one of the oldest oceanic crusts and confirm a subduction process already at Paleoproterozoic times. Partial melting probably was initiated by dehydration melting under the presence of a CO2-rich fluid phase. The melt is preserved in siliceous polymineralic inclusions, while CO2 locally reacted with the garnet host to form dolomite-quartz-kyanite inclusions. During this reaction, the REE spectrum of garnet is adopted by the dolomite. Furthermore, graphite inclusions in garnet must have precipitated from the CO2 fluid by reduction. The highly ordered graphite structure indicates a formation temperature of at least 700 °C. Rehomogenization experiments of the siliceous polymineralic inclusions yield a homogeneous melt of rhyolitic, peraluminous composition. Thermodynamic modelling enables to deduce a P–T path in accordance with high P–T conditions (minimum 2.0 GPa, 900 °C) where a partial melt formed due to phengite breakdown leading to the preserved peak mineral assemblage garnet, alkali feldspar, kyanite, quartz and rutile. A very fast uplift of the oceanic crustal rocks can be deduced from the occurrence of very finely exsolved metastable ternary feldspar and from the preserved prograde zoning in garnet.
Multipeaked breakthrough curves in karstic rivers: effects of a diffluence-confluence system
Authors: Deleu Romain , Poulain Amaël , Rochez Gaëtan , Soares-Frazao Sandra , Van Rentergem Guy , De Poorter Eli , Hallet Vincent
Published: October 2023

In karstic environments, it is not unusual for an underground river to split into two or more streams (diffluence) and merge back together downstream (confluence). This kind of behavior can generate multipeaked breakthrough curves (BTCs) in dye tracing at a sampling site located downstream of the confluence(s). It is also possible that such a phenomenon is difficult to highlight with dye tracing if the tracer clouds coming from the different streams reach the sampling locations at the same time. In this study, an attempt at quantifying the importance of different criteria in the occurrence of a multipeaked BTC is done by performing a dye tracing campaign in a two-tributaries diffluence-confluence (DC) system and using a one-dimensional solute transport model. The results from both field data and the solute transport model suggest that a double-peaked BTC occurs downstream of a DC system if the following conditions are met: (1) the injection is done close enough to the diffluence, (2) the sampling point is located not too far from the confluence, and (3) the two (or more) streams have sufficiently contrasted travel times from the diffluence to the confluence. The paper illustrates that, even if a diffluence occurs in a karstic river, multipeaked BTCs are not necessarily observed downstream of the confluence if these three conditions are not met. Therefore, characterizing a DC system using dye tracing is a real challenge. This could explain why publications that report studies involving multipeaked BTCs are quite rare.
The H9c2(2-1) cell-based sulforhodamine B assay is a non-animal alternative to evaluate municipal wastewater quality over time
Authors: Rodrigues Elsa T. , Pereira Eduarda , Oliveira Paulo J. , Pardal Miguel A.
Published: October 2023

The present study validates the potential of the in vitro H9c2(2-1) cell-based sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay to evaluate the temporal variability of wastewater quality. The impact of effluent disposal on water quality and the efficiency of the wastewater treatment process were also assessed. To correlate standard analytical method results with in vitro results, a total of 16 physicochemical parameters, such as nutrients, pH, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids and metals, were determined in both raw and treated wastewater samples. Results revealed that the H9c2(2-1) cell-based SRB assay has an enormous potential to evaluate municipal wastewater quality over time and to discriminate influent and effluent toxic characteristics, as well as for water quality monitoring and surveillance of the efficacy of treatment processes. Finally, the gathered results alerted to the impact of phosphates in a biological system, leading us to recommend the selection of this parameter as a potential environmental health indicator.
Brief Report: Single and Repeat Screening with the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-Revised in Young Children at Higher Likelihood for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Parikh Chandni , Ozonoff Sally
Published: October 2023

Purpose: To compare the utility of single versus repeated autism screening in a sample at higher likelihood (HL) for ASD, following both screen positives and all screen negatives to diagnostic outcome. Methods: Using a prospective infant sibling design, the current study followed 135 toddlers at HL for ASD and conducted diagnostic evaluations on the full sample at 18, 24, and 36 months. The psychometric properties of the M-CHAT-R using both concurrent and predictive diagnostic evaluations were compared in a group screened once (at 18 months only, n = 60) or twice (at both 18 and 24 months, n = 75). The study also examined consistency in reporting of ASD symptoms across the M-CHAT-R and a developmental concerns interview, comparing the HL group to a group with lower likelihood (LL) for ASD (n = 88). Results: Sensitivity and specificity of the M-CHAT-R were high (75 − 95%), consistent with previous research. Positive predictive value (43 − 76%) was higher in this HL group than in previous community samples. Repeat screening improved sensitivity with little cost to specificity. At both 18 and 24 months, HL parents were more consistent in their reporting on the M-CHAT-R and a concerns interview than LL parents. Conclusion: The M-CHAT-R has strong psychometric properties when used with groups at HL for ASD, suggesting that scores over the screening cutoff of 3 should lead to prompt diagnostic evaluation referrals in children with older siblings on the spectrum.
Reinforcement Learning With Stereo-View Observation for Robust Electronic Component Robotic Insertion
Authors: Bartyzel Grzegorz , Półchłopek Wojciech , Rzepka Dominik
Published: October 2023

In modern manufacturing, assembly tasks are a major challenge for robotics. In the manufacturing industry, a wide range of insertion tasks can be found, from peg-in-hole insertion to electronic parts assembly. Robotic stations designed for this problem often use conventional hybrid force-position control to perform preprogrammed trajectories, such as e.g. a spiral path. However, electronic parts require more sophisticated techniques due to their complex geometry and susceptibility to damage. Production line assembly tasks require high robustness to initial position and rotation variations due to component grip imperfections. Robustness to partially obscured camera view is also mandatory due to multi stage assembly process. We propose a stereo-view method based on reinforcement learning (RL) for the robust assembly of electronic parts. Applicability of our method to real-world production lines is verified through test scenarios. Our approach is the most robust to applied perturbations of all tested methods and can potentially be transferred to environments unseen during learning.
99mTc generator using molybdenum nanoparticles
Authors: Takahashi Naruto , Fujiwara Mamoru , Kurosawa Maki , Tamura Masoto , Kosuge Yoshiaki , Kubota Takumi , Abe Naoya , Takahashi Toshiharu
Published: October 2023

A novel 99mTc generator was proposed herein using nanoparticles consisting of natural Mo and an alumina column for 99mTc scintigraphy. 99mTc was obtained from 99Mo decay produced via the irradiation of nanoparticles consisting of natural Mo with bremsstrahlung γ-rays using a 30 MeV electron beam. The irradiated nanoparticles were placed in an alumina column, and the 99mTc daughter from 99Mo decay was separated by the removal of the ion-exchanged water or saline. This separation procedure was repeated at regular intervals for one week. The maximum separation yield of 99mTc was 14.4 ± 0.7%, which is sufficiently high to produce 99mTc suitable for medical use.
Preparation and properties of PDMS elastomer cross-linked with hydrolyzate of tetraethoxysilane, hexaethoxydisiloxane, and octaethoxytrisiloxane: influence of cross-linker structure
Authors: Sato Yohei , Hayami Ryohei , Yamamoto Kazuki , Gunji Takahiro
Published: October 2023

Ethoxysilanes were hydrolyzed, and the resulting hydrolyzates were dimethylsilylated to produce Si–H terminated oligosiloxanes (CLs). These CLs were characterized using gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicated the formation of highly condensed cyclic siloxanes, four-membered cyclic siloxanes, and linearly condensed cyclic siloxanes when derived from tetraethoxysilane, hexaethoxydisiloxane, and octaethoxytrisiloxane, respectively. The CLs were subsequently reacted with vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane in the presence of the Karstedt catalyst to yield PDMS elastomers, which are comprised of di- and quadra-functional silicones. Tests for transmittance, thermal properties, tensile strength, and swelling in toluene were conducted to assess the impact of the molecular weight and microstructure of the CLs on the final products. As the number of silicon atoms in the ethoxysilanes increased, there was a rise in the secant modulus and a reduction in the degree of swelling. These findings suggest that the structure of PDMS elastomers can be tailored by varying the structure of the ethoxysilanes used as a cross-linking agent.

Graphical Abstract
The compound YK 3-237 promotes pig sperm capacitation-related events
Authors: Martín-Hidalgo David , Solar-Málaga Soraya , González-Fernández Lauro , Zamorano José , García-Marín Luis Jesús , Bragado María Julia
Published: October 2023

Before fertilization of the oocyte, the spermatozoa must undergo through a series of biochemical changes in the female reproductive tract named sperm capacitation. Spermatozoa regulates its functions by post-translational modifications, being historically the most studied protein phosphorylation. In addition to phosphorylation, recently, protein acetylation has been described as an important molecular mechanism with regulatory roles in several reproductive processes. However, its role on the mammal’s sperm capacitation process remains unraveled. Sirtuins are a deacetylase protein family with 7 members that regulate protein acetylation. Here, we investigated the possible role of SIRT1 on pig sperm capacitation-related events by using YK 3-237, a commercial SIRT1 activator drug. SIRT1 is localized in the midpiece of pig spermatozoa. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation (focused at p32) is an event associated to pig sperm capacitation that increases when spermatozoa are in vitro capacitated in presence of YK 3-237. Eventually, YK 3-237 induces acrosome reaction in capacitated spermatozoa: YK 3-237 treatment tripled (3.40 ± 0.40 fold increase) the percentage of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa compared to the control. In addition, YK 3-237 induces sperm intracellular pH alkalinization and raises the intracellular calcium levels through a CatSper independent mechanism. YK 3-237 was not able to bypass sAC inhibition by LRE1. In summary, YK 3-237 promotes pig sperm capacitation by a mechanism upstream of sAC activation and independent of CatSper calcium channel.
Fibrinogen in mice cerebral microvessels induces blood–brain barrier dysregulation with aging via a dynamin-related protein 1–dependent pathway
Authors: Chandra Partha K. , Panner Selvam Manesh Kumar , Castorena-Gonzalez Jorge A. , Rutkai Ibolya , Sikka Suresh C. , Mostany Ricardo , Busija David W.
Published: October 2023

We previously reported evidence that oxidative stress during aging leads to adverse protein profile changes of brain cortical microvessels (MVs: end arterioles, capillaries, and venules) that affect mRNA/protein stability, basement membrane integrity, and ATP synthesis capacity in mice. As an extension of our previous study, we also found that proteins which comprise the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and regulate mitochondrial quality control were also significantly decreased in the mice’s cortical MVs with aging. Interestingly, the neuroinflammatory protein fibrinogen (Fgn) was increased in mice brain MVs, which corresponds with clinical reports indicating that the plasma Fgn concentration increased progressively with aging. In this study, protein–protein interaction network analysis indicated that high expression of Fgn is linked with downregulated expression of both BBB- and mitochondrial fission/fusion–related proteins in mice cortical MVs with aging. To investigate the mechanism of Fgn action, we observed that 2 mg/mL or higher concentration of human plasma Fgn changed cell morphology, induced cytotoxicity, and increased BBB permeability in primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). The BBB tight junction proteins were significantly decreased with increasing concentration of human plasma Fgn in primary HBMECs. Similarly, the expression of phosphorylated dynamin-related protein 1 (pDRP1) and other mitochondrial fission/fusion–related proteins were also significantly reduced in Fgn-treated HBMECs. Interestingly, DRP1 knockdown by shRNA(h) resulted in the reduction of both BBB- and mitochondrial fission/fusion–related proteins in HBMECs. Our results suggest that elevated Fgn downregulates DRP1, leading to mitochondrial-dependent endothelial and BBB dysfunction in the brain microvasculature.
Mathematics and interdisciplinary STEM education: recent developments and future directions
Authors: Goos Merrilyn , Carreira Susana , Namukasa Immaculate Kizito
Published: October 2023

This special issue introduces recent research on mathematics in interdisciplinary STEM education. STEM education is widely promoted by governments around the world as a way of boosting students’ interest and achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and preparing STEM-qualified workers for twenty-first century careers. However, the role of mathematics in STEM education often appears to be marginal, and we do not understand well enough how mathematics contributes to STEM-based problem-solving or how STEM education experiences enhance students’ learning of mathematics. In this survey paper, we present a narrative review of empirical and conceptual research literature, published between 2017 and 2022. These literature sources are organised by a framework comprising five thematic clusters: (1) interdisciplinary curriculum models and approaches; (2) student outcomes and experiences; (3) teacher preparation and professional development; (4) classroom implementation and task design; and (5) policy, structures, and leadership. We use the framework to provide an overview of the papers in this issue and to propose directions for future research. These include: investigating methods and rationales for connecting the constituent STEM disciplines so as to preserve the disciplinary integrity of mathematics; clarifying what is meant by student “success” in interdisciplinary STEM programs, projects, and other educational approaches; moving beyond classroom practices that position mathematics as just a tool for solving problems in other disciplines; understanding what makes a STEM task mathematically rich; and asking how STEM education research can productively shape STEM education policy.
Sports Heart Monitors as Reliable Diagnostic Tools for Training Control and Detecting Arrhythmias in Professional and Leisure-Time Endurance Athletes: An Expert Consensus Statement
Authors: Gajda Robert , Gajda Jacek , Czuba Miłosz , Knechtle Beat , Drygas Wojciech
Published: October 2023

There are countless types of portable heart rate monitoring medical devices used variously by leisure-time exercisers, professional athletes, and chronically ill patients. Almost all the currently used heart rate monitors are capable of detecting arrhythmias, but this feature is not widely known or used among their millions of consumers. The aims of this paper were as follows: (1) to analyze the currently available sports heart rate monitors and assess their advantages and disadvantage in terms of heart rate and rhythm monitoring in endurance athletes; (2) to discuss what types of currently available commercial heart rate monitors are most convenient/adjustable to the needs of different consumers (including occasionally physically active adults and cardiac patients), bearing in mind the potential health risks, especially heart rhythm disturbances connected with endurance training; (3) to suggest a set of “optimal” design features for next-generation smart wearable devices based on the consensus opinion of an expert panel of athletes, coaches, and sports medicine doctors. Ninety-two experts aged 20 years and over, involved in endurance sports on a daily basis, were invited to participate in consensus-building discussions, including 56 long-distance runners, 18 cyclists, nine coaches, and nine physicians (sports medicine specialists, cardiologists, and family medicine doctors). The overall consensus endorsed by these experts indicates that the “optimal” sports heart rate monitor should be a one-piece device of the smartwatch type (with two or more electrodes), with integrated smartphone features, and able to collect and continually transmit data without exhibiting artifacts. It should continuously record at least a single-lead electrocardiography, send an alert after an unexpected fall, be of reasonable weight, come at an affordable price, and be user friendly.
Benchmarking study of 10 MW TLB floating offshore wind turbine
Authors: Ramzanpoor Iman , Nuernberg Martin , Tao Longbin
Published: October 2023

This paper presents a benchmarking study of four floating wind platform’ motion and dynamic tension responses to verify an innovative design with the intention of overall cost reduction of a durable, reliable, safe design. An aero-hydro-servo-elastic code is applied to benchmark a 10 MW tension leg buoy (TLB) floating wind turbine to the current leading technology types for floating offshore wind platforms, specifically spar buoy, Semi-submersible and tension leg platform (TLP) floating wind turbines. This study assumes that the platforms will deploy in the northern region of the North Sea, with a water depth of 110 m under various environmental conditions, including wind field descriptions covering uniform wind to fluctuating turbulent wind. The obtained dynamic response results showed low motion responses for the TLB platform for all design load cases. More specifically, the TLB surge and pitch motion responses are insignificant under both operational and survival conditions, allowing decreased spacing between individual wind turbines and increasing wind farms' total energy generation capacity. An additional benefit is that the wind turbine systems can be installed without significant pitch modification to the control system. The TLB platform is less complex which simplifies the construction process and has the potential for significant cost reductions.
Adapting Fe–Mn–Si–Cr shape memory alloy for laser powder bed fusion by adjusting the Mn content
Authors: Gärtner Eric , Meyenborg Inga , Toenjes Anastasiya
Published: October 2023

Shape memory alloys (SMA) are functional materials exhibiting the shape memory effect. Conventional standard manufacturing technologies for shape memory alloys include melting, casting, and forming. These often require additional machining steps to achieve the final component shape, limiting the geometric design. The production of SMAs using additive manufacturing technologies opens up new possibilities, but research has been limited, especially for iron-based SMAs. The present study investigated whether an iron-based SMA alloy powder suitable for the additive manufacturing process can be produced via atomization and subsequently 3D printed with laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M). Two FeMnSi SMAs with varying manganese contents of 23.6% and 28.5% were successfully atomized and laser processed. The effect of the manganese content on the shape memory characteristics was investigated by means of dilatometry. A 5 wt% change in manganese content was found to impact the onset of the keyhole fusion mode for PBF-LB/M as well as the resulting shape memory characteristics. Reduced manganese content is shown to enhance the shape memory effect of FeMnSi.
Yarn ball knots and faster computations
Authors: Bar-Natan Dror , Bar-Natan Itai , Halacheva Iva , Scherich Nancy
Published: October 2023

We make use of the 3D nature of knots and links to find savings in computational complexity when computing knot invariants such as the linking number and, in general, most finite type invariants. These savings are achieved in comparison with the 2D approach to knots using knot diagrams.
Urban planning role in environmental development, transportation potentials: Al-Baha region
Authors: Aldossary Naief A.
Published: October 2023

This paper analyzes the potential for energy generation using the transport system in Al-Baha city by investigating its road hierarchy and evaluate traffic in selected location across the city. Urban systems to manage the transport hierarchy are important, and exploiting them to minimize CO2 emissions rates is critical. The used approach is to investigate the urban planning of Al-Baha city by referring to its approved master plan detailing the road hierarchy, and second, conducting a traffic survey at selected points across the city. The data collection process, involved accessing the master plan for Al-Baha city held by the ministry of the municipality for the Al-Baha region. Additional data related to traffic congestion and demand was gathered physically at chosen sites. The output of the study illustrates the potential for energy generation exploiting traffic mobility at six different sites across Al-Baha city. Furthermore, attractive features that effect the transport system in Al-Baha city were highlighted and the potential for energy saving employing energy generation using the transport system discussed. The research contributes on highlighting the potential for renewable energy, minimizes the need to burn fossil fuels, and can be replicated in other cities characterized by high demand transport systems.
Recognition Method with Deep Contrastive Learning and Improved Transformer for 3D Human Motion Pose
Authors: Liu Datian , Yang Haitao , Lei Zhang
Published: October 2023

Three-dimensional (3D) human pose recognition techniques based on spatial data have gained attention. However, existing models and algorithms fail to achieve desired precision. We propose a 3D human motion pose recognition method using deep contrastive learning and an improved Transformer. The improved Transformer removes noise between human motion RGB and depth images, addressing orientation correlation in 3D models. Two-dimensional (2D) pose features are extracted from de-noised RGB images using a kernel generation module in a graph convolutional network (GCN). Depth features are extracted from de-noised depth images. The 2D pose features and depth features are fused using a regression module in the GCN to obtain 3D pose recognition results. The results demonstrate that the proposed method captures RGB and depth images, achieving high recognition accuracy and fast speed. The proposed method demonstrates good accuracy in 3D human motion pose recognition.
Economic Comparison of Spring-Calving Dates and Cold Injury in the US Southern Plains
Authors: Upton Amanda , Bir Courtney , DeVuyst Eric
Published: October 2023

Calving date affects feed costs, calf weaning weights, marketing dates, labor availability, and, potentially, calf health. Employing recent estimates of calf weaning weights and surveys of producers, feedlot operators, and veterinarians, we model expected profits as a function of calving date. January-calving herds had the highest annualized net returns, a result driven by older weaning dates and heavier weaning weights. However, survey results show March and April were the most common calving months. This may be due to both weather and labor demand concerns. If weaning ages are restricted to 205 days, January calving was the least profitable because of higher feed costs.
The law and facts of the preliminary reference procedure: a critical assessment of the EU Court of Justice’s source of knowledge
Authors: Passalacqua Virginia , Costamagna Francesco
Published: October 2023

The preliminary reference procedure is today the ‘infringement procedure of the European citizen’. Although it was initially designed as a mechanism for judicial cooperation, the procedure soon became an instrument for supranational judicial review of national legislation. Such a discrepancy between the intended role of the preliminary reference procedure and its actual use in practice has important consequences that are yet to be fully explored in the literature. Indeed, how can the Court of Justice appropriately review national legislation through a procedure designed for interpreting EU law? Is the procedure governing the preliminary reference mechanism suitable to perform such a role? In this paper, we focus on one issue in particular: the way in which the Court of Justice gains information regarding the legal and factual background of the case. The Court has long recognised that appropriate knowledge of the factual and legal context of the referred case is a necessary prerequisite to performing its scrutiny and that, in accordance with the judicial cooperation model, such information is provided by the national judge. The Article critically examines the rules of procedures and the case law to show that the national judge certainly plays a key role, but other actors contribute to shaping the Court’s knowledge too. After an analysis of each actor’s role, the Article concludes that the procedure offers few guarantees as to the effective participation of individual parties to the advantage of other actors in the proceedings, increasing the risk of having partial or unbalanced information regarding the legal and factual background of the cases.
Flow structure transition in thermal vibrational convection
Authors: Guo Xi-Li , Wu Jian-Zhao , Wang Bo-Fu , Zhou Quan , Chong Kai Leong
Published: October 2023

This study investigates the effect of vibration on the flow structure transitions in thermal vibrational convection (TVC) systems, which occur when a fluid layer with a temperature gradient is excited by vibration. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) of TVC in a two-dimensional enclosed square box is performed over a range of dimensionless vibration amplitudes

$0.001 \le a \le 0.3$

and angular frequencies

$10^{2} \le \omega \le 10^{7}$

, with a fixed Prandtl number of 4.38. The flow visualisation shows the transition behaviour of flow structure upon the varying frequency, characterising three distinct regimes, which are the periodic-circulation regime, columnar regime and columnar-broken regime. Different statistical properties are distinguished from the temperature and velocity fluctuations at the boundary layer and mid-height. Upon transition into the columnar regime, columnar thermal coherent structures are formed, in contrast to the periodic oscillating circulation. These columns are contributed by the merging of thermal plumes near the boundary layer, and the resultant thermal updrafts remain at almost fixed lateral position, leading to a decrease in fluctuations. We further find that the critical point of this transition can be described nicely by the vibrational Rayleigh number

${{Ra}}_{vib}$

. As the frequency continues to increase, entering the so-called columnar-broken regime, the columnar structures are broken, and eventually the flow state becomes a large-scale circulation (LSC), characterised by a sudden increase in fluctuations. Finally, a phase diagram is constructed to summarise the flow structure transition over a wide range of vibration amplitude and frequency parameters.
Who is chronically obese in Indonesia? The role of individual preferences
Authors: Ismail Affandi , Nuryakin Chaikal
Published: October 2023

Numerous studies have confirmed the relationship between individual risk and time preference and obesity. Nevertheless, none has studied the effect of these attitudes on chronic (long-term) obesity. This study used Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) data from 16,366 individuals. It tracked their obesity status in 2007 and 2014 by calculating body mass index, the ratio between body weight and square of height. Besides the conventional risk-averse and risk-tolerant behaviour, the IFLS sample includes people who fear uncertainty related to the status quo bias. The ordered logit regression results show that past impatience, risk tolerance, and status quo bias behaviour (in 2007) are associated with transient or chronic obesity, while only current behaviour of status quo bias (in 2014) is associated with obesity. Furthermore, our study confirms that chronic obesity in Indonesia is prevalent among highly educated, high-income, and urban-centric individuals, exacerbated by impatience, risk tolerance, and uncertainty aversion. Thus, providing information on the risk of obesity and food calories, giving the incentive to avoid obesity, and improving the quality of built environments such as public parks, public transportation, and footpath could help prevent the rising obesity prevalence.
Community Health Impacts From Natural Gas Pipeline Compressor Stations
Authors: Davis Curtis D. , Frazier Clara , Guennouni Nihal , King Rachael , Mast Hannah , Plunkett Emily M. , Quirk Zack J.
Published: October 2023

Compressor stations maintain pressure along natural gas pipelines to sustain gas flow. Unfortunately, they present human health concerns as they release chemical pollutants into the air, sometimes at levels higher than national air quality standards. Further, compressor stations are often placed in rural areas with higher levels of poverty and/or minority populations, contributing to environmental justice concerns. In this paper we investigate what chemical pollutants are emitted by compressor stations, the impacts of emitted pollutants on human health, and local community impacts. Based on the information gained from these examinations, we provide the following policy recommendations with the goal of minimizing harm to those affected by natural gas compressor stations: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and relevant state agencies must increase air quality monitoring and data transparency; the EPA should direct more resources to monitoring programs specifically at compressor stations; the EPA should provide free indoor air quality monitoring to homes near compressor stations; the EPA needs to adjust its National Ambient Air Quality Standards to better protect communities and assess cumulative impacts; and decision‐makers at all levels must pursue meaningful involvement from potentially affected communities. We find there is substantial evidence of negative impacts to strongly support these recommendations.
Multi‐Year Predictability of Global Sea Surface Temperature Using Model‐Analogs
Authors: Ding Hui , Alexander Michael A.
Published: October 2023

The multi‐year predictability of global sea surface temperature (SST) is examined by applying a model‐analog method to four control simulations to make forecasts at leads of 1–36 months over 1961–2015. The forecasts are found to have skill for annual mean SST at Year 2 (i.e., leads of 13–24 months) or even Year 3 (i.e., leads of 25–36 months) in the tropical Pacific, the North and South Pacific, the southwest Indian Ocean, and the northwestern tropical Atlantic. The seasonality in forecast skill suggests that July is the best time to initialize multi‐year forecasts. The evolution of forecast skill for tropical Pacific SSTs indicates that the predictability of some El Niño Southern Oscillation events is nearly the same at leads of 6 and 18 or 24 months. Further, these El Niño and La Niña events can be predicted at leads of up to 24 and 30 months, respectively.
Effects of Past Nd Seawater Concentrations on Nd‐Isotope Paleocirculation Reconstructions: A Bayesian Approach
Authors: Yehudai Maayan , Tweed Lucy E. , Ridge Sean , Wu Yingzhe , Goldstein Steven L.
Published: October 2023

Neodymium (Nd) isotope ratios are potentially valuable for paleo‐ocean circulation reconstructions because they trace water‐mass transport and mixing in the present‐day oceans. Moreover, the Atlantic and Pacific global end‐member Nd‐isotope values can be constrained through time, and at in‐between sites their proportions vary with past climate changes. However, an important source of uncertainty about Nd‐isotopes' applicability for paleo‐circulation studies arises from the inability to constrain past Nd‐concentrations of the end‐members. Here we address this “paleo‐[Nd] problem” through a Bayesian analysis. Results show that even large variability in end‐member Nd‐concentrations over the Pleistocene is unlikely to significantly impact their concentration ratio, therefore end‐member concentration changes likely have only small impacts on Nd‐isotope ratios at in‐between locations. The results support their applicability to reconstruct past Atlantic paleo‐circulation. In addition, a Nd‐isotope mass balance for Antarctic Bottom Water shows that its present‐day Nd‐isotope values are consistent with the input from its sources.
Numerical Simulations and an Updated Parameterization of the Breaking Internal Solitary Wave Over the Continental Shelf
Authors: He Xiao , Chen Xu , Li Qun , Xu Tao , Meng Jing
Published: October 2023

The breaking of internal solitary waves (ISWs) over slope‐shelf topography induces energy dissipation and enhances mixing. In this work, high‐resolution, laboratory‐scale simulations are employed to investigate the instability mechanisms and dissipation of ISWs. We find that the increasing nonhydrostatic pressure during deformation contributes to an adverse pressure gradient, which induces plunging flow for overturning. Shear instability and convective instabilities trigger wave breaking. Wave‐induced vortexes induce strong shearing and enhance the dissipation of energy by 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than that which occurs under stable conditions. Furthermore, based on laboratory results, we evaluate two commonly used parameterizations (Pacanowski & Philander, 1981, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0485(1981)011<1443:povmin>2.0.co;2, i.e., PP81; Klymak & Legg, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2010.02.005, i.e., KL10) in coarser‐resolution global ocean models by modifying the horizontal resolution from 100 grids every wavelength to approximately 30. The results show that PP81 and KL10 can both improve the estimation of the energy loss, but can only depict strong shear within the pycnocline and bottom boundary regions, respectively. Finally, an updated parameterization is presented that can effectively describe the strong shear in two regions during wave breaking. The flow field and dissipation are more consistent with the laboratory results using the new parameterization. This study improves the understanding of the mixing parameterizations in simulating the continuous processes of strong internal wave breaking.