bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communication competencies, culture and SDGs: effective processes to cross-cultural communication
Authors: Aririguzoh Stella
Published: March 2022

Globalization has made it necessary for people from different cultures and nations to interact and work together. Effective cross-cultural communication seeks to change how messages are packaged and sent to people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Cross-cultural communication competencies make it crucial to appreciate and respect noticeable cultural differences between senders and receivers of information, especially in line with the United Nations’ (UN) recognition of culture as an agent of sustainable development. Miscommunication and misunderstanding can result from poorly encrypted messages that the receiver may not correctly interpret. A culture-literate communicator can reduce miscommunication arising from a low appreciation of cultural differences so that a clement communication environment is created and sustained. This paper looks at the United Nations’ recognition of culture and how cultural differences shape interpersonal communication. It then proposes strategies to enhance cross-cultural communication at every communication step. It advocates that for the senders and receivers of messages to improve communication efficiency, they must be culture and media literates.
Modification of energetic modes for transitional flow control
Authors: Das Gupta Arnob , Roy Subrata
Published: March 2022

We introduce a mechanism of using collocated serpentine shaped plasma actuators for controlling the flow via an input electrical signal to either advance or delay transition by amplification or annihilation of energetic modes of turbulent structures. A wall resolved implicit large eddy simulation is conducted to examine the process of turbulent flow control due to this mechanism. Collocation allows for selective superposition of different energetic modes, which can either subtract or add energy to the baseline flow resulting in turbulent streak manipulation. Unlike most flow control methods that use either a localized large amplitude forcing or a low amplitude distributed forcing, this mechanism uses a localized low amplitude forcing to cause reduction in skin friction of more than 53% across the plate. This is achieved by manipulating strength as well as the spacing between the low-speed turbulent streaks, which are ubiquitous in a turbulent flow field. Reduction in skin friction drag can result in decreasing fuel consumption and in turn reducing pollution.
Au-coated carbon fabric as Janus current collector for dendrite-free flexible lithium metal anode and battery
Authors: Li Dongdong , Gao Yuan , Xie Chuan , Zheng Zijian
Published: March 2022

Composite lithium metal anodes with three-dimensional (3D) conductive fabric present great potential to be used in high-energy-density flexible batteries for next-generation wearable electronics. However, lithium dendrites at the top of the fabric anode increase the risk of separator piercing and, therefore, cause a high possibility of short circuits, especially when undergoing large mechanical deformation. To ensure the safe application of the flexible lithium metal batteries, we herein propose a 3D Janus current collector by a simple modification of the bottom side of carbon fabric (CF) with a lithiophilic Au layer to construct highly flexible, stable, and safe Li metal anodes. The Janus Au layer can guide an orientated deposition of Li to the bottom of the CF. The lithium dendrite problem can be largely alleviated due to the lithium-free interface between the anode and separator, and meanwhile, the porous upper skeleton of the CF also provides large space to buffer the volume expansion of lithium metal. The resulting composite lithium metal anode exhibits a significant improvement in the life cycle (∼two fold) compared to the traditional top deposition of lithium metal. More importantly, assembled full batteries using the Janus anode structure exhibit high stability and safety during severe mechanical deformation, indicating the opportunity of the orientated deposition strategy to be used in future flexible and wearable electronics.
Surface modification and stability performance of black phosphorus nanosheets based on metal ions/graphene
Authors: Huo Lianyi , Shi Xuetao , Chen Siming
Published: March 2022

As a novel two-dimensional nanomaterial, black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNs) have good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and broadband saturable light absorption properties and, thus, have become a hot research topic in the biomedical field. However, BPNs suffer from poor stability caused by easy oxidative degradation and deactivation, and how to surface functionalize BPNs to improve their stability is a key issue to be solved. In this paper, we propose to realize the preparation of BPNs by the liquid-phase exfoliation method and study the surface functionalization modification of BPNs by silver ions (Ag+) and graphene oxide (GO). First, the preparation and characterization of BPNs were carried out by the liquid-phase exfoliation method to investigate the effect of process condition regulation on the planar size and thickness of BPNs, and the functionalization modification of BPNs by Ag+ and GO was carried out around the goal of enhancing the stability of BPNs. The experimental results showed that the stability of BPNs@Ag+ and BPNs@GO was significantly enhanced compared with that of unmodified BPNs. This study can be a reference for the future development of BP in the medical field.
Agronomic biofortification and productivity of wheat with soil zinc and diazotrophic bacteria in tropical savannah
Authors: Jalal Arshad , Oliveira Carlos Eduardo da Silva , Freitas Leandro Alves , Galindo Fernando Shintate , Lima Bruno Horschut , Boleta Eduardo Henrique Marcandalli , da Silva Edson Cabral , Nascimento Vagner do , Nogueira Thiago Assis Rodrigues , Buzetti Salatiér , Teixeira Filho Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto
Published: March 2022

Agronomic biofortification of staple food with zinc (Zn) in combination with diazotrophic bacteria is one sustainable and feasible strategy to improve plant nutrition, nutrient use efficiency and production and combat Zn malnutrition in human beings. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food of the global population and has a prospective role in agronomic Zn biofortification. In this context, the effect of diazotrophic bacterial inoculations in seeds (no inoculation – Control, Azospirillum brasilense, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens) in association with soil Zn application (without (0) and 8 kg/ha) was evaluated on Zn nutrition, growth, yield and Zn use efficiencies in wheat in the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons. Soil Zn application in combination with P. fluorescens improved Zn concentration in the leaf (38.8 and 45.9%), shoot (25.0 and 31%) and grain (34.0 and 33.3%) with greater shoot dry matter (9.4 and 9.9%) and grain yield (20.3 and 20.6%) as compared to controls in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Also, inoculation of P. fluorescens with Zn application improved Zn shoot and grain accumulation, zinc use efficiency, recovery and utilisation efficiency. With daily wheat consumption, these improvements would be associated with a with higher estimated Zn intake for the human population globally and within Brazil. However, agro-physiological efficiency was increased with inoculation of Bacillus subtilis. Therefore, inoculation of P. fluorescens in association with soil Zn application is recommended for agronomic biofortification, and to increase productivity and Zn use efficiencies in wheat in the tropical savannah of Brazil.
Subtropical-temperate forested wetlands of coastal south-eastern Australia – an analysis of vegetation data to support ecosystem risk assessment at regional, national and global scales
Authors: Tozer M. G. , Simpson C. S. , Keith D. A.
Published: March 2022

Context Forested wetlands occurring on fluvial sediments are among the most threatened ecosystems in south-east Australia. The first quantitative diagnosis of forested wetland types in NSW was completed in 2005. Since then, there has been a three-fold increase in survey data on coastal floodplains, vegetation classification systems have been developed in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, and methods for the assessment of ecosystem conservation risks have been adopted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Aims To ensure an evidence base that can support conservation decisions and national conservation assessments, there is a need to review and update the classification of forested wetlands and integrate classification schemes across jurisdictions. Methods We evaluated the efficacy of a multi-stage clustering strategy, applied to data from different sources with largely unknown methodological idiosyncrasies, to retrieve ecologically meaningful clusters. We assessed the veracity and robustness of the 2005 classification of forest wetlands as a framework for national risk assessments over an expanded range. Key results We derived a quantitative, cross-jurisdictional classification of forested wetlands based on a synthesis of 5173 plot samples drawn from three states and identified the status of our units in relation to IUCN's Global Ecosystem Typology. Conclusions Our analyses support the retention of the five legacy types which are the basis for threatened ecosystem listings under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Implications Our results will support revised assessments of current listings and facilitate their integration at state, national and global scales.
Trauma Outcomes in Nonfatal Road Traffic Accidents: A Portuguese Medico-Legal Approach
Authors: Cunha-Diniz Flávia , Taveira-Gomes Tiago , Teixeira José Manuel , Magalhães Teresa
Published: March 2022

The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of nonfatal road traffic accidents by the victims’ age group and sex. We used the Portuguese medico-legal rules for personal injury assessment, in the scope of the Civil Law in that country, which includes a three-dimensional methodology. This was a retrospective study including 667 victims of road traffic accidents aged 3–94 years old. Their final medico-legal reports all used the Portuguese methodology for personal injury assessment. Outcomes were analysed by the victims’ age group (children, working-age adults, and older people) and sex. Road traffic accidents were generally serious (ISS mean 9.5), with higher severity in children and older people. The most frequent body sequelae were musculoskeletal (64.8%), which were associated with functional and situational outcomes. Temporary damage resulted in an average length of impairment of daily life of 199.6 days, 171.7 days to return to work, and an average degree of quantum doloris (noneconomic damage related to physical and psychological harm) of 3.7/7. The average permanent damage was 7.3/100 points for Permanent Functional Deficit, 0.43/3 for Permanent Professional Repercussion, 2/7 for Permanent Aesthetic Damage, 3.9/7 for Permanent Repercussion on Sexual Activity and 3.2/7 for Permanent Repercussion on Sport and Leisure Activities. Overall, 19% of people became permanently dependent (10.6% needed third-party assistance). The medico-legal methodology used, considering victims’ real-life situation, allows a comprehensive assessment. There were several significant differences among the three age groups but none between sexes. These differences and the impact of the more severe cases justify further detailed medico-legal studies in these specific situations on children, older people, and severely injured victims. Key PointsThis was a retrospective study of accident mechanisms and injury outcomes in Portugal, and considered the outcomes in the victims’ real-life situation.Lesions from road traffic accidents were generally serious, with higher severity among children and older people.The most frequent sequels were musculoskeletal, and associated with functional and situational outcomes.Both temporary and permanent outcomes had repercussions for the victims.There were significant differences between children, working-age adults and older people, but none between sexes.
The CD3ζ adaptor structure determines functional differences between human and mouse CD16 Fc receptor signaling
Authors: Aguilar Oscar A. , Fong Lam-Kiu , Ishiyama Kenichi , DeGrado William F. , Lanier Lewis L.
Published: March 2022

Natural killer (NK) cells can detect antibody-coated cells through recognition by the CD16 Fc receptor. The importance of CD16 in human NK cell biology has long been appreciated, but how CD16 functions in mouse NK cells remains poorly understood. Here, we report drastic differences between human and mouse CD16 functions in NK cells. We demonstrate that one of the adaptor molecules that CD16 associates with and signals through, CD3ζ, plays a critical role in these functional differences. Using a systematic approach, we demonstrate that residues in the transmembrane domain of the mouse CD3ζ molecule prevent efficient complex formation with mouse CD16, thereby dampening receptor function. Mutating these residues in mouse CD3ζ to those encoded by human CD3ζ resulted in rescue of CD16 receptor function. We reveal that the mouse CD3ζ transmembrane domain adopts a tightly packed confirmation, preventing association with CD16, whereas human CD3ζ adopts a versatile configuration that accommodates receptor assembly.
Impurity effects on binding energy, diamagnetic susceptibility and photoionization cross-section of chalcopyrite AgInSe2 nanotadpole
Authors: Mantashian Grigor A , Hayrapetyan David B
Published: March 2022

Recently the interest in chalcopyrite semiconductor nanostructures has increased because of their non-toxicity and their wide direct bandgap. Likewise, structures with non-trivial geometry are particularly interesting because of their electronic, optical, and magnetic properties. In the current article, the finite element method was used in conjunction with the effective mass approximation to theoretically investigate the properties of a chalcopyrite AgInSe2 nanotadpole in the presence of an hydrogen like shallow off-center impurity. The morphology of the nanotadpole gives it excellent hydrodynamic properties and is ideal for a wide range of applications. The probability densities for various impurity positions and energy levels were obtained. The results suggested a strong dependence of the behavior of the electron on the impurity positions and the orientation of the wave function. The investigation of the nanotadpole’s energy spectra and their comparison with the cylindrical and spherical quantum dots suggest that the spectrum has degenerate states similar to the spherical case, however at some ranges, the levels behave similarly to the cylindrical case. The binding energy’s dependence on the nanotadpole’s size and the impurity position was obtained. The dependence of the diamagnetic susceptibility on the impurity position was calculated. An extensive investigation of the photoionization cross-section was carried out for the ground and the first two excited states as the initial states and the first twenty excited states as the final states.
Changes of the linear energy transfer (LET) and beam width of therapeutic carbon ion beam in density heterogeneous phantoms
Authors: Yang Shiyan , Zhao Jingfang , Zhuo Weihai , Shen Hao , Chen Bo
Published: March 2022

This work aims to investigate the changes in the linear energy transfer (LET) spectra distribution and the beam spot width of a therapeutic carbon ion beam in density heterogeneous phantoms. Three different heterogeneous phantoms were fabricated using a combination of solid water, lung, and bone tissue slabs and irradiated by a single energy carbon beam (276.5 MeV u−1). CR-39 detectors were used for experimental measurements and the Monte Carlo toolkit Geant4 was employed for theoretical simulations. The results demonstrated that the measured LET spectra agree well with the simulation results. The lung and bone tissues displayed no obvious effect on the spectral distribution of LET. The dose-average LET was invariant and showed no obvious difference in the different materials, while the track-average LET increased in the lung and decreased in the bone materials. Similarly, the beam spot size increased in the lung, and decreased in the bone materials. Additionally, the fluence of the secondary fragments varied in different tissues. These findings are expected to provide cross-validation data for the quality assurance of carbon ion therapy and to be beneficial for validating the base data in treatment planning systems.
A time-frequency sparse strategy based on optimal flux atom and scale lp approximation operator
Authors: Han Changkun , Lu Wei , Wang Pengxin , Song Liuyang , Wang Huaqing
Published: March 2022

Periodic impulse features caused by damage to rotating mechanical components are often overwhelmed by redundant components, which seriously affect the fault detection and diagnosis of equipment. Therefore, the time-frequency sparse (TFS) strategy based on optimal flux atom (OFA) and scale lp approximation operator (lp-AO) is proposed to extract periodic fault features. The OFA is determined by short-time Fourier transform (STFT) and correlation analysis of the signals. The convolutional coefficients are obtained by one-dimensional convolutional denoising based on the OFA. The convolution coefficients retain the main timing features of the signal. The scale lp-AO sparse model extracts the main frequency features of the convolutional coefficients in the frequency domain. The solution of the lp-AO sparse model relies on the iterative reweighed least squares algorithm. The effectiveness of the TFS is demonstrated by the analysis of simulated and several experimental signals. The two methods of fast spectral kurtosis and lq
sparse model are used as comparisons. The TFS is demonstrated to be more effective for extracting periodic fault features.
Searching systematics for nonfactorizable contributions to

and

hadronic decays
Authors: Kaur Maninder , Singh Supreet Pal , Verma R. C.
Published: March 2022

The two-body weak decays

/

and

are examined using isospin analysis to study nonfactorizable contributions. After determining strong interaction phases and obtaining factorizable contributions from spectator-quark diagrams for N

c
=3, we determine nonfactorizable isospin amplitudes from the experimental data for these modes. Our results support the universality of the ratio of nonfactorizable isospin reduced amplitudes for these decays within experimental errors. To demonstrate that these systematics are not coincidental, we also plot our results w. r. t. this ratio.
Structure and magnetic properties of Ni–Mn–Ga shape memory alloys
Authors: Nguyen Hai Yen , Kieu Xuan Hau , Nguyen Huy Ngoc , Pham Thi Thanh , Thanh Tran Dang , Le Quang Nhat , Nguyen Huy Dan
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we present structure, structural phase transformation, magnetic phase transition, and magnetocaloric effect of Ni50Mn50-x
Ga
x
(x = 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21) shape memory alloys. X-ray diffraction patterns display nano-crystalline phases in the alloys. The samples are soft magnetic material with very narrow magnetic hysteresis. The martensitic-austenite transformation temperature increases from 219 K (for x = 17) to 322 K (for x = 21) with increasing Ga-concentration. Ga also increases the Curie phase transition temperature and the saturation magnetisation of the alloy. The external magnetic field also clearly affects the structural phase transition of the alloy. The magnitude of the martensitic-austenitic phase transition decreases with the increase of the applied magnetic field. Both the normal and invert magnetocaloric effects coexist in the alloy. Under the magnetic field change of 10 kOe, the maximum magnetic entropy change, ∣ΔS

m
∣max, for the Ni50Mn30Ga20 ribbon is 0.95 J.kg−1.K−1 for the normal magnetocaloric effect.
Experimental investigation on multi-layered filament wound basalt/E-glass hybrid fiber composite tubes
Authors: Thirumavalavan K , Sarukasan D
Published: March 2022

In this study, the mechanical damage of Basalt/E-glass hybrid fiber-reinforced polymer composite tubes was evaluated experimentally using Micro hardness on transverse direction, uni-directional static tensile loading, and Quasi-static compressive loading. The Burn-off test method has been studied for the volumetric fraction of hybrid composite tubes. The multi-layer hybrid composite tubes composed of eight layers of plies at constant fiber tension of 20N, a constant mandrel rotation speed of 45 RPM and constant winding angle of ±55° for basalt fiber and ±90° for E-glass fiber were fabricated through a 3-axis filament winding machine with a seamless amalgamation of the stage by stage curing in the furnace. Eleven tube arrangements with fiber content proportion of {100%, 25:75%, 50:50% and 75:25%} with various stacking sequence were studied. The test results provide that these mechanical property’s behavior was moderately affected by the proportion of fiber content and most of the time affected by the variation of layer stacking sequence. Adding 50% of basalt and 50% E-glass fiber sharing of BGH7 hybrid combination of basalt laminate placed in the outer side increases the mechanical characterization compared to the 25% and 75% sharing of basalt and E-glass fiber. The fractured fibrous matrix of the tensile specimens and compressive specimens was assessed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
Arc erosion behaviour of in-situ TiB2/Cu composites with a three-dimensional network structure
Authors: Jiang Yihui , Han Le , Xu Yingqin , Cao Fei , Du Xiang , Han Fei , Cai Lei , Zhu Jialin
Published: March 2022

Copper matrix composites (CMCs) with tailored heterogeneous structures at the mesoscopic scale are promising candidates for electrical contact materials. In this work, CMCs reinforced by an in situ formed three-dimensional network of TiB2 particles were synthesized from Cu, Ti and B powder mixtures by reactive hot-pressing. The arc erosion behaviour of the fabricated CMCs was investigated by an electrical contact test. The distribution state of in situ TiB2 depends on the particle size of the Cu powder. The critical size for forming a continuous network in 3 wt%TiB2/Cu composites is estimated to be 24 μm. Once the continuous network is formed in CMCs, the arc energy and duration suddenly change to ultrasmall and stable values, and the erosion area and total mass loss after 5000 cycles of the contact test remarkably decrease. The results indicate that the CMCs reinforced by in situ networks of TiB2 particles exhibit excellent arc erosion resistance.
Investigating the number of radiation fields in intensity-modulated radiotherapy plans of optic nerve sheath meningioma patients using dose gradient index
Authors: Mazloomi Fahimeh , Abedi Iraj , Shanei Ahmad , Dalvand Fatemeh , Amouheidari Alireza
Published: March 2022

Purpose: In optic nerve radiotherapy, vital organs are very close to the target volume, they are highly sensitive to radiation and have low dose tolerance. In this regard, evaluating dose fall-off steepness around the target volume is required to assess various intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans in the treatment of the optic nerve sheath meningioma (ONSM) patients. Materials and Methods: Thirteen ONSM patients were analyzed with three IMRT techniques, including three (IMRT-3F), five (IMRT-5F), and seven fields (IMRT-7F). These plans were studied using Dmean, Dmax, D2%, D98%, V100%, uniformity index (UI), homogeneity index (HI), conformity index (CI), and specifically the dose gradient indices (DGIs). Results: The values of Dmax and Dmean for IMRT-3F, IMRT-5F and IMRT-7F were (5637.42 ± 57.08, 5322.84 ± 83.86), (5670.51 ± 67.87, 5383.00 ± 58.45), and (5692.99 ± 31.65, 5405.72 ± 51.73), respectively, which were increased with increment in the number of IMRT fields from 3 to 7. The UI and HI indices were significantly different between IMRT-3F and IMRT-7F (p = 0.010 and p = 0.005, respectively), and CI was close to the ideal value (0.99 ± 0.01) in IMRT-7F. The significant findings of the dose gradient indices represented smaller values in IMRT-7F, which led to a faster dose fall-off, particularly at the 70%-85% isodose levels around the target. Conclusion: Increasing the number of radiation fields in IMRT treatment plans of ONSM patients had a considerable difference in both the dosimetric parameters of the target volume and at-risk organs, as well as the dose gradient indices. Overall, IMRT-7F could be considered as a preferred technique in the treatment of this meningioma.
Hubbard-corrected oxide formation enthalpies without adjustable parameters
Authors: Voss J
Published: March 2022

A density functional theory (DFT) approach to computing transition metal oxide heat of formation without adjustable parameters is presented. Different degrees of d-electron localization in oxides are treated within the DFT+U approach with site-dependent, first-principles Hubbard U-parameters obtained from linear response theory, and delocalized states in the metallic phases are treated without Hubbard corrections. Comparison of relative stabilities of these differently treated phases is enabled by a local d-electron density matrix-dependent model, which was found by genetic programming against experimental reference formation enthalpies. This mathematically simple model does not explicitly depend on the Hubbard-corrected ionic species and is shown to reproduce the heats of formation of the Mott insulators Ca2RuO4 and Y2Ru2O7 within ∼3% of experimental results, where the experimental training data did not contain Ru oxides. This newly developed method thus absolves from the need for element-specific corrections fitted to experiments in existing Hubbard-corrected approaches to the prediction of reaction energies of transition metal oxides and metals. The absence of fitting parameters opens up here the possibility to predict relative thermodynamic stabilities and reaction energies involving d-states of varying degree of localization at transition metal oxide interfaces and defects, where site-dependent U-parameters will be particularly important and devising a fitting scheme against experimental data with predictive power would be exceedingly difficult.
Maize response to temporary floods under ambient on-farm conditions of the West African Sahel
Authors: Daku Elidaa Kossi , Salack Seyni , Worou Omonlola Nadine , Ogunjobi Kehinde
Published: March 2022

With the ongoing global warming, the occurrence and amplitude of extreme weather events have increased over the West African Sahel. The increasing frequency of heavy rain events, can negatively affect the lowland crops’ growth and production. Two-season field experiments were conducted near Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) to test the effects of temporary flooding and surface water stagnation on maize (Zea mays L.) growth and productivity. The treatments were organized into a split-split plot design. Three factors were monitored, including aboveground flooding levels (i.e., 0 cm, 2–3 cm, and 7–8 cm), flooding duration (i.e., three days and six days), and growth stages (i.e., six-leaf stage (V6), tasseling stage (VT) and milky stage (R3)). Optimal crop management was practiced to Obatanpa cultivar planted during the rainy season and flooding was induced by over-irrigation. The results show that three days and six days of flooding, reduced grain yield by at least 35% when they occurred at the tasseling stage. Only 4–6 days of flooding reduced grain yield by 21% at the six-leaf stage. Further scrutiny, using the stress day index (SDI), revealed that the penalty on yield increases exponentially under flooding conditions as the value of the stress day index increases. Considering the new characteristics of the rainfall regime in the West African Sahel, dominated by a high frequency of heavy rain events and wet spells, temporary floods, and water stagnation are tremendously contributing to yield loss of on-farm maize. As the region’s climate changes, we hypothesize that excess water stress will become the next cause of food insecurity in the area.
Eliashberg theory with ab-initio Coulomb interactions: a minimal numerical scheme applied to layered superconductors
Authors: Pellegrini Camilla , Heid Rolf , Sanna Antonio
Published: March 2022

We present a minimal approach to include static Coulomb interactions in Eliashberg theory of superconductivity from first principles. The method can be easily implemented in any existing Eliashberg code (isotropic or anisotropic) to avoid the standard use of the semiempirical parameterμ∗, which adds unnecessary uncertainty toTcpredictions. We evaluate the prediction accuracy of the method by simulating the superconducting properties of a set of layered superconductors, which feature unconventional Coulomb effects: CaC6, MgB2, Li-dopedβ-ZrNCl and YNi2B2C. We find that the estimated critical temperatures are consistent with those fromab-initiodensity functional theory for superconductors, and in close agreement with the experimental values.
Characters of irreducible unitary representations of 𝑈(𝑛,𝑛+1) via double lifting from 𝑈(1)
Authors: Merino Allan
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we obtained character formulas of irreducible unitary representations of

U
(
n
,
n
+
1
)

U(n, n+1)

by using Howe’s correspondence and the Cauchy–Harish-Chandra integral. The representations of

U
(
n
,
n
+
1
)

U(n, n+1)

we are dealing with are obtained from a double lifting of a representation of

U
(
1
)

U(1)

via the dual pairs

(
U
(
1
)
,
U
(
1
,
1
)
)

(U(1), U(1, 1))

and

(
U
(
1
,
1
)
,
U
(
n
,
n
+
1
)
)

(U(1, 1), U(n, n+1))

.
Classification of noncommutative monoid structures on normal affine surfaces
Authors: Bilich Boris
Published: March 2022

In 2021, Dzhunusov and Zaitseva classified two-dimensional normal affine commutative algebraic monoids. In this work, we extend this classification to noncommutative monoid structures on normal affine surfaces. We prove that two-dimensional algebraic monoids are toric. We also show how to find all monoid structures on a normal toric surface. Every such structure is induced by a comultiplication formula involving Demazure roots. We also give descriptions of opposite monoids, quotient monoids, and boundary divisors.
Nondegeneracy of the positive solutions for critical nonlinear Hartree equation in ℝ⁶
Authors: Li Xuemei , Tang Xingdong , Xu Guixiang
Published: March 2022

We prove that any positive solution for the critical nonlinear Hartree equation
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="minus white up pointing triangle u left-parenthesis x right-parenthesis minus integral Underscript double-struck upper R Superscript 6 Baseline Endscripts StartFraction StartAbsoluteValue u left-parenthesis y right-parenthesis EndAbsoluteValue squared Over StartAbsoluteValue x minus y EndAbsoluteValue Superscript 4 Baseline EndFraction normal d y u left-parenthesis x right-parenthesis equals 0 comma x element-of double-struck upper R Superscript 6 Baseline comma">

−

△

⁡

u

(
x
)

−

∫

R

6

|

u

(
y
)

|

2

|
x
−
y
|

4

d

y

u

(
x
)

=
0
,

x
∈

R

6

,

\begin{equation*} -\operatorname {\bigtriangleup }{u}\left (x\right ) -\int _{\mathbb {R}^6} \frac {\left |{u}\left (y\right )\right |^2 }{ \left |x-y\right |^4 }\mathrm {d}y \,{u}\left (x\right )=0,\quad \quad x\in \mathbb {R}^6, \end{equation*}

is nondegenerate. Firstly, in terms of spherical harmonics, we show that the corresponding linear operator can be decomposed into a series of one dimensional linear operators. Secondly, by making use of the Perron-Frobenius property, we show that the kernel of each one dimensional linear operator is finite. Finally, we show that the kernel of the corresponding linear operator is the direct sum of the kernel of all one dimensional linear operators.
Preprint Highlight: Pressure and curvature control of contact inhibition in epithelia growing under spherical confinement
Authors: Bisson-Filho Alexandre W.
Published: March 2022

All living systems evolved molecular mechanisms to respond to their physical surroundings, such as by tuning cell cycle progression as well as transport of different cargo across intracellular compartments. However, it is difficult to determine if such responses are genetically programmed or purely resultant of physical forces. This study deploys a new confinement device that modulates chamber stiffness, curvature, and compression over epithelial tissue. Compression specifically regulated cell cycle progression, while increasing stiffness changed cell aspect ratio. The authors propose a new independent function of previous cooperative pathways that regulate long-range tissue scales (β-catenin) and local spatial changes (YAP/TAZ). This work represents a methodological advance in creating specific physical cues while measuring cellular processes, enabling many future studies combining other chemical and genetic perturbations.
Having a say at work
Authors: Wilkinson Adrian
Published: March 2022

‘Having a say at work’ assesses employee voice, which concerns the ways and means through which employees attempt to have a say and potentially influence organizational affairs about issues that affect their work and the interests of the organization. It is also a means of correcting unfairness or mistreatment, challenging management, or indeed as a vehicle for employee self-determination. Thus, it is not surprising that there are voice gaps in the workplace. A central issue in relation to employee voice is management prerogative. While there is often a focus by managers on establishing voice systems, there also needs to be active listening and response to what these voice systems feed back to them.
Conclusion
Authors: Wilkinson Adrian
Published: March 2022

‘Conclusion’ describes how the Covid-19 pandemic raised a host of questions on certain issues of Human Resource Management (HRM). What is the workplace? How can employee well-being be managed? How is the workplace culture to be maintained? Covid-19 may accelerate the restructuring of the way work is performed, especially with the use of technologies. And while new technologies can be a beneficial part of re-humanizing work by allowing for the flexibility of home working, it can also be invasive and used for surveillance and control. HR can make work less dehumanizing (or more humanizing)—at least if done so more ethically or equitably by being pluralistic and inclusive.
Employment Law: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Cabrelli David
Published: March 2022

Employment Law: A Very Short Introduction provides an overview of the main kinds of employment rights and labour laws around the world. Work takes up a vast proportion of many people’s time. Although the phrase ‘work‒life balance’ is now commonplace, people work longer hours than ever. The workplace can also be somewhere to develop skills and build friendships. Issues such as equal pay and inclusion have come to the fore, and there is a growing appetite for knowledge of workplace rights and the law governing the employment relationship. This VSI evaluates the assumptions underpinning these and considers their economic, political, sociological, and social justifications.
1. Employment law: background, origins, and sources
Authors: Cabrelli David
Published: March 2022

‘Employment law: background, origins, and sources’ discusses the background, origins, and sources of employment law. In countries whose laws are derived from Roman law (civilian jurisdictions), employment laws tend to be set out in a Labour Code. The Labour or Civil Code comprehensively sets out the rules regulating the obligations of employers and employees, as well as their rights. Meanwhile, employment laws in common law systems consist of both judge-made rules and legislative provisions. We can also differentiate between individual employment laws and collective employment laws and compare differing accounts of the relative efficiency of employment laws. It is also worth considering the transnational and international regulation of employment law.
4. Equality law
Authors: Cabrelli David
Published: March 2022

‘Equality law’ focuses on the relationship between equality law and employment law. Many proponents of discrimination laws argue that they are not only morally just in forging a route that is autonomy enhancing or inequality reducing, but that they are also economically beneficial. In contrast, many economists argue that discrimination laws impose unwarranted restrictions on businesses. We should also ask which groups should fall within the protective scope of labour laws? The answer can be found by exploring the immutability theory and the stigmatization theory. Who should be subject to equality laws? There are a number of key kinds of employer conduct that are unlawful: ‘direct discrimination’, ‘indirect discrimination’, ‘harassment’ (including sexual harassment), and ‘retaliation’.
7. Collective labour law 1: trade unions
Authors: Cabrelli David
Published: March 2022

‘Collective labour law 1: trade unions’ describes the introduction of collective labour laws which recognised that trade unions were of major consequence for employment law in general terms. The principal responsibility of a trade union is to safeguard the interests of its members. One way to do so is by bargaining collectively with an employer; this is referred to as its ‘worker representation’ function. It is generally agreed that collective bargaining has an appreciable impact on the wage levels of employees through the ‘trade union wage premium’. However, trade unions have many other functions and objectives. Criticisms have been made against trade unions, and the question now is, are trade unions still relevant today?
1. Violence past and present
Authors: Dwyer Philip
Published: March 2022

‘Violence past and present’ examines violence in history in the modern world since the mid-18th century, exploring how violence in the modern world differs from the pre-modern world, noting the significant of those differences. What is violence? How do its manifestations vary from different parts of the world in the past and present? Violence can be considered as culturally relative, as a violent act can be considered an intolerable transgression in one part of the world, while in another part of the world that same act may be considered entirely legitimate. Violence is what a society acknowledges as violent.
7. The changing nature of violence
Authors: Dwyer Philip
Published: March 2022

‘The changing nature of violence’ highlights social factors such as class, poverty, gender, and race that pose persistent problems and lead to both physical and emotional acts of violence. How has the scale of collective brutality increased with the rise of modern social organizations while the character of interpersonal violence remain the same? We also see a rise of gendered and interpersonal violence in some countries around the world. The state can both diminish violence and become responsible for some of the worst crimes committed in the 20th century, such as concentration camps and gulags.
The modern world has seen the emergence of new and different kinds of violence.
Elizabeth Bishop: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Post Jonathan F. S.
Published: March 2022

Elizabeth Bishop: A Very Short Introduction describes Elizabeth Bishop as one of the best-loved 20th-century poets in English. It talks about the descriptive vigour of her verse and its underlying themes of the environment, of balance, and of love and loss. It also elaborates how her poems have captivated her literary peers and generations of the public alike. This VSI places Bishop’s lyric poetry within the context of her life and aesthetic values, showing how they shaped her work. It draws on her published poems, biographical and critical material, and her correspondence with other poets, including her interest in travel and the visual arts.
3. ‘The Armadillo’, the art of description, and ‘Brazil, January 1, 1502’
Authors: Post Jonathan F. S.
Published: March 2022

‘‘The Armadillo’, the art of description, and ‘Brazil, January 1, 1502’’ invites the reader to focus in detail on a single poem, ‘The Armadillo’, a favourite of Robert Lowell’s and of many readers since it first appeared in
1957 in The New Yorker. It is valuable to see how a Bishop poem often works and the workings of her descriptive habits. The poem has underlying ecological sentiments and exhibits a rather exceptional nature as a prophetic poem subtly indebted to Revelation. Bishop deepens description through narration and history. We can juxtapose her methods against the descriptive habits of Marianne Moore. A textbook example of these practices at work can be illustrated with ‘Brazil, January 1, 1502’.
4. Poetry and painting
Authors: Post Jonathan F. S.
Published: March 2022

‘Poetry and painting’ extends Elizabeth Bishop’s powers of observation in a direction long recognized as a special feature of her poetry: its relationship to painting and the painterly quality in her poems. In 1955 Bishop wrote a letter to Randall Jarrell. The letter was a response to Jarrell’s glowing review of Bishop’s A Cold Spring from 1955 in Harper’s Magazine. Other artists worthy of mention here include Johannes Vermeer, Edouard Vuillard, Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, and Alexander Calder who give some insight into the art world in which Bishop moved. We should also consider Bishop's own paintings and analyse, as well, her connection to surrealism and her own aesthetic preferences and values. Of course this all relates to her two ekphrastic poems ‘Large Bad Picture’ and ‘Poem’.
6. The final work, 1835‒1844
Authors: Gordon Charlotte
Published: March 2022

‘The final work, 1835‒1844’ reviews Mary Shelley’s final novels, Lodore and Falkner, which advocate the cause of peace and the rights of women. The female protagonists, Fanny Derham and Elizabeth Raby, triumph over the impulses of the male characters to create communities based on family and egalitarian ideals. Mary Shelley’s revision of Frankenstein made the novel even more dystopian, as she weakened Elizabeth, and emphasized racialized overtones in her description of the creature. Mary Shelley also spent these years editing and annotating Percy Shelley’s collected works, leaving out the scandalous parts of his life and politics to make him more palatable to the Victorian public. Mary Shelley wrote many biographical entries for ‘The Lives of the Most Eminent Literary and Scientific Men of Italy, Spain and Portugal’, as well as ‘The Lives of the Most Eminent Literary Men of France’ in Lardner’s Cabinet Cyclopaedia.
As the only female contributor, her entries are notable for her knowledge of history and language, as well as her focus on feminist historiography and political and social reform. Her final travel memoir, Rambles in Germany and Italy, is a tribute to her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary Shelley left a troubled legacy, and many misconceptions that have clouded her reputation.
Characterising older adults’ risk of harm from blood-pressure lowering medications: a sub-analysis from the PRIME study
Authors: Hussain Ahmed , Ali Khalid , Parekh Nikesh , Stevenson Jennifer M , Davies J Graham , Bremner Stephen , Rajkumar Chakravarthi ,   PRIME study group, Ali K , Rajkumar C , Davies J G , Harchowal J , Timeyin J , Schiff R , Stevenson J M , Cammen van der T , Timeyin J , Klus L , Fatz D , Chauhan A , Hunt D , Bosquet K Le , Allen J , Henderson N , Gonzalaz-Cuevas C , Burke-Adams S , Khan N , Yip K , Breeds J , Gaylard J , Newman J , Pettifer T , Fox H , Metiu M G , Foord D , Valentine S , Dobson T , Bremner S , Nyangoma S , Banya W , Raftery J
Published: March 2022

Aim

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is common amongst frail older people. The evidence base for CVD commonly excludes older adults with multimorbidity or chronic conditions. Most cardiovascular drugs have the potential to lower blood pressure (BP) and therefore cause medication-related harm (MRH). We aimed to identify key clinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with MRH in older people taking BP-lowering drugs for whatever indication they were prescribed.

Methods

The PRIME (prospective study to develop a model to stratify the risk of MRH in hospitalised elderly patients in the UK) study investigating the incidence and cost of MRH in older people across Southern England. Adults ≥65 years were recruited from five teaching hospitals at hospital discharge and followed up for 8 weeks. Telephone interviews with study participants, review of primary care records and hospital readmissions were undertaken to identify MRH. PRIME study participants taking BP-lowering drugs (as defined by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence hypertension guidelines) were included in this analysis.

Results

One hundred and four (12%) study patients experienced a total of 153 MRH events associated with BP-lowering drugs. Patients on four BP-lowering drugs were five times more likely to experience MRH compared to those taking one medication (OR 4.96; 95%CI 1.63–15.13; P = 0.01). Most MRH events were classified ‘serious’ (80%, n = 123), requiring dose change or treatment cessation. Almost half of MRH were potentially preventable (49%, n = 75).

Conclusion

Polypharmacy from BP-lowering drugs in older people is associated with preventable harm. Decisions around cardiovascular risk reduction should be carefully considered in view of MRH arising from BP-lowering drugs.
Integrative analysis of relative abundance data and presence–absence data of the microbiome using the LDM
Authors: Zhu Zhengyi , Satten Glen A , Hu Yi-Juan
Published: March 2022

We previously developed the LDM for testing hypotheses about the microbiome that performs the test at both the community level and the individual taxon level. The LDM can be applied to relative abundance data and presence–absence data separately, which work well when associated taxa are abundant and rare, respectively. Here, we propose LDM-omni3 that combines LDM analyses at the relative abundance and presence–absence data scales, thereby offering optimal power across scenarios with different association mechanisms. The new LDM-omni3 test is available for the wide range of data types and analyses that are supported by the LDM.

Availability and implementation

The LDM-omni3 test has been added to the R package LDM, which is available on GitHub at https://github.com/yijuanhu/LDM.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.