bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frequency-dependent constraints on cosmic birefringence from the LFI and HFI Planck Data Release 4
Authors: Eskilt J. R.
Published: April 2022

We present new constraints on the frequency dependence of the cosmic birefringence angle from the Planck Data Release 4 polarization maps. An axion field coupled to electromagnetism predicts a nearly frequency-independent birefringence angle, βν = β, while Faraday rotation from local magnetic fields and Lorentz violating theories predict a cosmic birefringence angle that is proportional to the frequency, ν, to the power of some integer n, βν ∝ νn. In this work, we first sampled βν individually for each polarized HFI frequency band in addition to the 70 GHz channel from the LFI. We also constrained a power law formula for the birefringence angle, βν = β0(ν/ν0)n, with ν0 = 150 GHz. For a nearly full-sky measurement, fsky = 0.93, we find β0 = 0.26° ±0.11° (68% C.L.) and n = −0.45−0.82+0.61 when we ignore the intrinsic EB correlations of the polarized foreground emission, and β0 = 0.33° ±0.12° and n = −0.37−0.64+0.49 when we use a filamentary dust model for the foreground EB. Next, we used all the polarized Planck maps, including the 30 and 44 GHz frequency bands. These bands have a negligible foreground contribution from polarized dust emission and we thus treated them separately. Without any modeling of the intrinsic EB of the foreground, we generally find that the inclusion of the 30 and 44 GHz frequency bands raises the measured values of βν and tightens n. At nearly full-sky, we measure β0 = 0.29°−0.11°+0.10° and n = −0.35−0.47+0.48. Assuming no frequency dependence, we measure β = 0.33° ±0.10°. If our measurements have effectively mitigated the EB of the foreground, our constraints are consistent with a mostly frequency-independent signal of cosmic birefringence.
Ariel stellar characterisation
Authors: Magrini L. , Danielski C. , Bossini D. , Rainer M. , Turrini D. , Benatti S. , Brucalassi A. , Tsantaki M. , Delgado Mena E. , Sanna N. , Biazzo K. , Campante T. L. , Van der Swaelmen M. , Sousa S. G. , Hełminiak K. G. , Neitzel A. W. , Adibekyan V. , Bruno G. , Casali G.
Published: April 2022

Context.In 2020 the European Space Agency selected Ariel as the next mission to join the space fleet of observatories to study planets outside our Solar System. Ariel will be devoted to the characterisation of 1000 planetary atmospheres in order to understand what exoplanets are made of, how they form, and how they evolve. To achieve the last two goals all planets need to be studied within the context of their own host stars, which in turn must be analysed with the same technique, in a uniform way.

Aims.We present the spectro-photometric method we developed to infer the atmospheric parameters of the known host stars in the Tier 1 of the Ariel Reference Sample.

Methods.Our method is based on an iterative approach that combines spectral analysis, the determination of the surface gravity fromGaiadata, and the determination of stellar masses from isochrone fitting. We validated our approach with the analysis of a control sample, composed of members of three open clusters with well-known ages and metallicities.

Results.We measured effective temperatureTeff, surface gravity logg, and the metallicity [Fe/H] of 187 F-G-K stars within the Ariel Reference Sample. We presented the general properties of the sample, including their kinematics, which allows us to classify them into thin- and thick-disc populations.

Conclusions.A homogeneous determination of the parameters of the host stars is fundamental in the study of the stars themselves and their planetary systems. Our analysis systematically improves agreement with theoretical models and decreases uncertainties in the mass estimate (from 0.21 ± 0.30 to 0.10 ± 0.02M⊙), providing useful data for the Ariel consortium and the astronomical community at large.
Recent progress of laser spectroscopy measurements of pionic helium
Authors: Hori Masaki , Aghai-Khozani Hossein , Sótér Anna , Dax Andreas , Barna Dániel
Published: April 2022

We review the results of recent laser spectroscopy experiments on metastable pionic helium atoms at the Paul Scherrer Institute’s 590 MeV cyclotron facility that was carried out by the PiHe collaboration. Some future perspectives are briefly discussed.
Summary of theK−ppbound-state observation in E15 and future prospects
Authors: Sakuma Fuminori , Ajimura Shuhei , Akaishi Takaya , Asano Hidemitsu , Bazzi Massimiliano , Beer George , Bhang Hyoungchan , Bragadireanu Mario , Buehler Paul , Busso Luigi , Cargnelli Michael , Choi Seonho , Clozza Alberto , Curceanu Catalina , Enomoto Shun , Fujioka Hiroyuki , Fujiwara Yuya , Fukuda Tomokazu , Guaraldo Carlo , Hashimoto Tadashi , Hayano Ryugo S. , Hiraiwa Toshihiko , Iio Masami , Iliescu Mihai , Inoue Kentaro , Ishiguro Yosuke , Ishikawa Takashi , Ishimoto Shigeru , Itahashi Kenta , Iwasaki Masahiko , Iwai Masaaki , Kanno Koki , Kato Kazuma , Kato Yuko , Kawasaki Shingo , Kienle Paul , Kou Hiroshi , Ma Yue , Marton Johann , Matsuda Yasuyuki , Miliucci Marco , Mizoi Yutaka , Morra Ombretta , Murayama Rie , Nagae Tomofumi , Noumi Hiroyuki , Ohnishi Hiroaki , Okada Shinji , Outa Haruhiko , Ozawa Kyoichiro , Piscicchia Kristian , Sada Yuta , Sakaguchi Atsushi , Sato Masaharu , Scordo Alessandro , Sekimoto Michiko , Shi Hexi , Shirotori Kotaro , Sirghi Diana , Sirghi Florin , Suzuki Shoji , Suzuki Takatoshi , Tanida Kiyoshi , Tatsuno Hideyuki , Tokuda Makoto , Tomono Dai , Toyoda Akihisa , Tsukada Kyo , Vázquez Doce Oton , Widmann Eberhard , Yamaga Takumi , Yamazaki Toshimitsu , Yoshida Chihiro , Zhang Qi , Zmeskal Johann
Published: April 2022

The possible existence of deeply-bound $\bar K$-nuclear bound states, kaonic nuclei, has been widely discussed as products of the strongly attractive $\bar K$Ninteraction in I = 0 channels. Investigations of those exotic states will provide us unique information of the $\bar K$Ninteraction below the threshold, which is still not fully understood so far. Recently, we observed the simplest kaonic nuclei, $\bar K$NN, having a much deeper binding energy than normal nuclei via inflight (K−,N) reactions at the J-PARC E15 experiment. For further studies, we have proposed a series of experimental programs for the systematic investigation of light kaonic nuclei, from $\bar K$N(Λ(1405)) to $\bar K$NNNN. We will measure the $\bar K$NNN(A= 3) system at the new experiment approved as J-PARC E80, as a first step toward a comprehensive study.
Antiproton-nuclei cross sections with Woods-Saxon potential at low energies
Authors: Bianconi Andrea , Costantini Giovanni , Gosta Giulia , Leali Marco , Mascagna Valerio , Migliorati Stefano , Venturelli Luca
Published: April 2022

The present knowledge of the antinucleons elastic scattering and annihilation processes in matter at low energies is limited to a few nuclei data in a small phase-space. Optical potential models are useful tools for modelling nuclear strong interaction of antinucleons with matter providing predictions at very low energies where data are missing. New calculations of elastic and annihilation cross sections for antiproton with nuclei using an optical potential of Woods-Saxon (WS) shape are presented. Preliminary predictions at low energies for carbon and calcium show clearly-measurable nuclear effects for nuclear elastic cross sections at large angles and momenta greater than 50 MeV/c. Some discrepancies in annihilation cross section comparing predictions and data are present using the same fitting parameters.
A generalized Reynolds equation for micropolar flows past a ribbed surface with nonzero boundary conditions
Authors: Bonnivard Matthieu , Pažanin Igor , Suárez-Grau Francisco J.
Published: April 2022

Inspired by the lubrication framework, in this paper we consider a micropolar fluid flow through a rough thin domain, whose thickness is considered as the small parameter ε while the roughness at the bottom is defined by a periodical function with period of order εℓ and amplitude εδ, with δ> ℓ >1. Assuming nonzero boundary conditions on the rough bottom and by means of a version of the unfolding method, we identify a critical case δ = 3/2ℓ − 1/2 and obtain three macroscopic models coupling the effects of the rough bottom and the nonzero boundary conditions. In every case we provide the corresponding micropolar Reynolds equation. We apply these results to carry out a numerical study of a model of squeeze-film bearing lubricated with a micropolar fluid. Our simulations reveal the impact of the roughness coupled with the nonzero boundary conditions on the performance of the bearing, and suggest that the introduction of a rough geometry may contribute to enhancing the mechanical properties of the device.
Primary Intracranial Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: Report of Three Cases
Authors: Tsetsos Nikolaos , Poutoglidis Alexandros , Terzakis Dimitrios , Epitropou Ioannis , Oostra Amanda , Georgalas Christos
Published: April 2022

Objective Nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses host a variety of malignant tumors with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) being the most frequent cancer of salivary gland origin. The histological origin of such tumors virtually precludes primarily intracranial localization. The aim of this study is to report cases of primarily intracranial ACC without evidence of other primary lesions at the end of an exhaustive diagnostic workup.

Methods An electronic medical record search complemented by manual searching was conducted to identify prospective and retrospective cases of intracranial ACCs treated in Endoscopic Skull Base Centre Athens at the Hygeia Hospital, Athens from 2010 until 2021 with a mean follow-up time of at least 3 years. Patients were included if after complete diagnostic workup there was no evidence of a nasal or paranasal sinus primary lesion and extension of the ACC. All patients were treated with a combination of endoscopic surgeries performed by the senior author followed by radiotherapy (RT) and/or chemotherapy.

Results Three unique illustrative cases (ACC involving the clivus, cavernous sinus and pterygopalatine fossa, one orbital ACC with pterygopalatine fossa and cavernous sinus involvement and one involving cavernous sinus, and Meckel's cave with extension to the foramen rotundum) were identified. All patients underwent subsequently proton or carbon-ion beam radiation therapy.

Conclusions Primary intracranial ACCs constitute an extremely rare clinical entity with atypical presentation, challenging diagnostic workup and management. The design of an international web-based database with a detailed report of these tumors would be extremely helpful.
Measuring the Outcomes of a National Rehabilitation Program: Normative Data for the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI) and the Hearing Aid User’s Questionnaire (HAUQ)
Authors: Dillon Harvey , Birtles Greg , Lovegrove Roger
Published: April 2022

Self-report outcome measures were routinely collected from 4421 adult clients around Australia. The measures used were the Hearing Aid User’s Questionnaire (HAUQ), which assessed hearing aid use, benefit, problems, and satisfaction, and the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement (COSI), which identified client needs, change in listening ability, and final listening ability in situations important to each client. Listening to television or radio and conversing with one or two others in a quiet place were the most frequently nominated needs. The benefit reported for noisy places was less than for quiet places, but very positive nonetheless. The normative data collected show a marked concentration of responses near the upper end of the scale for each of the outcome items except daily use. Consequently, correlations between the measures, although highly significant, were mostly less than 0.4. When the data were collapsed across subjects seen at each hearing center, benefit, satisfaction, usage, and problems with the hearing aids became much more strongly correlated with each other, with correlation coefficients up to 0.8. Benefit, satisfaction, usage, and the types of problems clients encountered with their hearing aids varied significantly from hearing center to hearing center. The most frequently reported problem was dissatisfaction with the quality of the subjects’ own voices (i.e., occlusion effect), followed by feedback. The problems most closely related to usage, benefit, and satisfaction, however, were the presence of feedback, comfort of the earmold or earshell, and the quality of the users’ own voices. These outcome measures appear to be most suitable for identifying needs, identifying individuals receiving markedly less than average benefit, and for finding small differences between outcomes for subgroups of the population.

Abbreviations: ANOVA = analysis of variance; APHAB = Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit; BTE = behind the ear; COSI = Client Oriented Scale of Improvement; GAS = Goal Attainment Scaling; HAUQ = Hearing Aid User’s Questionnaire; HHIE = Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly; ITE = in the ear; NAL = National Acoustic Laboratories; NAL-RP = NAL Revised Profound; SSPL = saturation sound pressure level
Nonuniformities in Self-Assessed Outcomes of Hearing Aid Use
Authors: Noble William
Published: April 2022

Measures of outcome, following hearing aid fitting, that involve self-assessment procedures addressed to uses and benefits can produce nonuniform variations in results. These may be due to measurement system problems (noise, measurement error), or they may reflect systematic factors whose influence remains to be made more explicit. Examples are drawn from literature concerning the use and nonuse of hearing aids, the influence of counselling on the extent of hearing aid use, the time course of adaptation to hearing aid, nonuse and particular uses of cochlear implants, fitting of behind the ear versus in the ear, and one versus two hearing aids. It is argued that attention to contexts of fitting may help in interpreting inconsistent or unexpected results in this literature. Finally, a comment is made concerning self-assessment procedures that are tailored to individual circumstances rather than applied uniformly across different people.

Abbreviations: BTE = behind the ear; CIC = completely in the canal; HHIE = Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly; ITE = in the ear
Synthesis of high-density olivine LiFePO4 from paleozoic siderite FeCO3 and its electrochemical performance in lithium batteries
Authors: Dose Wesley M. , Peebles Cameron , Blauwkamp James , Jansen Andrew N. , Liao Chen , Johnson Christopher S.
Published: April 2022

The lithium-ion cathode material olivine LiFePO4 (LFP) has been synthesized for the first time from natural paleozoic iron carbonate (FeCO3). The ferrous carbonate starting material consists of the mineral siderite at about 92 wt. % purity. Because FeCO3 has divalent iron, the reaction with lithium dihydrogen phosphate (LiH2PO4) provides a unique method to develop iron-(II) containing LFP in an inert atmosphere. Since siderite FeCO3 is a common mineral that can be directly mined, it may, therefore, provide an inexpensive route for the production of LFP. After carbon-coating, the LFP yields a capacity in the range of 80–110 mAh g−1LFP (in one chosen specimen sample), which is lower than commercially available LiFePO4 (150–160 mAh g−1LFP). However, the tap density of LFP derived from siderite is noticeably high at 1.65 g cm−3. The material is likely to be improved with powder purification, nanosized processing, and more complete carbon-coating coverage with increased optimization.
Anion diffusion in two-dimensional halide perovskites
Authors: Akriti  , Lin Zih-Yu , Park Jee Yung , Yang Hanjun , Savoie Brett M. , Dou Letian
Published: April 2022

Commercialization of halide perovskites in the semiconductor industry is hindered by their short-term stability. The instability of perovskites is closely interlinked with ionic diffusion. Historically, attempts to study diffusion in 2D perovskites mostly utilized electrical characterizations, but these characterizations pose a challenge in deconvoluting the impact of device architecture, interlayers, and ionic species. In this Perspective, we focus our attention on simple optical characterizations employed in the literature to investigate halide diffusion in 2D perovskites using lateral and vertical heterostructure platforms. We review the various synthesis techniques used for fabrication of halide perovskite heterostructures and discuss the qualitative and quantitative diffusion studies performed using these platforms. We discuss the numerical methods used to validate and supplement the experimental halide diffusion kinetics. Finally, we highlight the need to conduct further research on the impact of device operating conditions, lattice structure, and vacancy concentration on halide diffusion. Through this Perspective, we aim to emphasize the need of developing a comprehensive understanding of halide diffusion in perovskites for their successful deployment in optoelectronics.
A general framework for describing photofission observables of actinides at an average excitation energy below 30 MeV *
Authors: Wang Guan-Lin , Lan Hao-Yang , Shi Xiao-Ming , Zhu Zhi-Chao , Luo Wen
Published: April 2022

A reasonable prediction of photofission observables plays a paramount role in understanding the photofission process and guiding various photofission-induced applications, such as short-lived isotope production, nuclear waste disposal, and nuclear safeguards. However, the available experimental data for photofission observables are limited, and the existing models and programs have mainly been developed for neutron-induced fission processes. In this study, a general framework is proposed for characterizing the photofission observables of actinides, including the mass yield distributions (MYD) and isobaric charge distributions (ICD) of fission fragments and the multiplicity and energy distributions of prompt neutrons (np
) and prompt γ rays (γ

p
). The framework encompasses various systematic neutron models and empirical models considering the Bohr hypothesis and does not rely on the experimental data as input. These models are then validated individually against experimental data at an average excitation energy below 30 MeV, which shows the reliability and robustness of the general framework. Finally, we employ this framework to predict the characteristics of photofission fragments and the emissions of prompt particles for typical actinides including 232Th, 235, 238U and 240Pu. It is found that the 238U(γ, f) reaction is more suitable for producing neutron-rich nuclei compared to the 232Th(γ, f) reaction. In addition, the average multiplicity number of both np
and γ

p
increases with the average excitation energy.
Towards the next generation of CERN radiation monitoring front end ASICs
Authors: Mohanan S Kundumattathil , Boukabache H. , Perrin D. , Pfeiffer U.
Published: April 2022

Radiation monitoring using ionisation chambers spans a wide spectrum of radiation fields from environmental monitors to ambient dose monitors near particle accelerators. Hence the output generated by these sensors can vary from few femtoamperes to microamperes. They require specific front-end electronics that can accurately measure the generated current across a wide dynamic range. This work presents the design of an ASIC that can measure currents from −6 fA to −20 μA without any band switching. By employing two different current measurement methodologies — direct slope measurement method and charge balancing based current to frequency converter method, an accuracy of ±6% is achieved across the entire measurement range. The ASIC was fabricated in the 8 inch fab of TSMC 130 nm technology. The designed ASIC aims to replace the front end electronics of radiation monitors at CERN.
Mean square winding angle of Brownian motion around an impenetrable cylinder
Authors: Hannay J H , Wilkinson Michael
Published: April 2022

An exact formula is derived, as an integral, for the mean square value of the winding angle ϕ (with −∞< ϕ <∞) of Brownian motion (that is, diffusion) after time t, around an infinitely long impenetrable cylinder of radius a, having started at radius R(>a) from the axis. Strikingly, for the simpler problem with a = 0, the mean square winding angle around a straight line, is long known to be instantly infinite however far away the starting point lies. The fractally small, fast, random walk steps of mathematical Brownian motion allow unbounded windings around the zero thickness of the straight line. A remedy, if it is required, is to accord the line non-zero thickness, an impenetrable cylinder, as analysed here. The problem straightaway reduces to a 2D one of winding around a disc in a plane since the axial component of the 3D Brownian motion is independent of the others. After deriving the exact mean square winding angle, the integral is evaluated in the limit of a narrow cylinder a
2 ≪ R
2, highlighting the limits of short and long diffusion times addressed by previous approximate treatments.
Combination of genotype, plant spacing, and plant density for improving growth and yield of garlic national varieties
Authors: Aswani N , Karjadi A K , Efendi A M
Published: April 2022

Indonesia has been the largest garlic importing country for decades since the productivities and qualities of national garlic varieties failed to meet domestic demand. Breeding garlic for higher yield conventionally is almost impracticable due to its flowering hinderance, meanwhile the biotechnological approach needs longer time to implement the result. Thus, the most feasible improvement might be done through agronomic aspects. This research was aimed to search for alternative ways in cultivation techniques to improve garlic production. The research was conducted from June 2020 until February 2021 on IVEGRI” s Margahayu experimental station, Lembang, West Java. A split-split plot design was laid out for the combination between genotype as the main plot, plant spacing as the subplot, and plant density (number of seed cloves planted on each planting hole) as the sub-sub plot. The results showed that among all characters observed, the significant interactions between these three factors occurred only in the number of stomata, and seed bulb diameter (4 months after harvested). Meanwhile, the significant interactions either between variety and plant spacing or variety and plant density were recorded in the percentage of the 1st week population, fresh weight per sample, weight after curing per sample, dry weight (4 months after harvested) per sample and weight loss per sample. Pseudo stem diameter was proved to be affected by the interaction only between variety and plant density significantly, meanwhile bulb diameter after curing was significantly affected either by variety or plant spacing. However, the height of dried bulb and chlorophyll content (SPAD value) showed highly significant differences only among the varieties.
Effectiveness and Compatibility of Bacillus and Trichoderma in Increasing Disease Tolerance of Garlic to Basal Rot Caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cepae
Authors: Poromarto SH , Putri H R , Widono S , Supyani  , Hadiwiyono
Published: April 2022

The main obstacle to garlic cultivation is the attack of Fusarium oxypsorum f. sp. cepae (FOCe) causes basal rot. Bacillus and Trichoderma are popular antagonist microorganisms that can act as biological control agents (BCA). This paper would like to report on the effectiveness and compatibility of Bacillus sp. and Trichoderma sp. as a biological control of basal rot of garlic based on laboratory and Greenhouse tests. The results of in vitro studies show that Bacillus and Trichoderma are potential antagonist agents through antibiosis and even Trichoderma through competition. Meanwhile, in vivo, the two biological control agents were not effective in reducing wilting intensity but effective in reducing basal rot intensity and increasing disease tolerance. Increasing disease tolerance is showed by the yield that is higher significantly than those control with no BCA. Bacillus sp. and Trichoderma sp. have been shown to be incompatible BCA based on both in vitro and in vivo tests, which are indicated by the effectiveness of the combination application being less effective than alone.
Factors Influencing the Consumer Purchase Decision Process for Packaged Rice Products in the Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia: Implementation of the Concept of Sustainable Development
Authors: Al Rosyid A H , Pratiwi L F L
Published: April 2022

Rice is a strategic commodity in the Yogyakarta Special Region because it is a staple food product. The Government of the Yogyakarta Special Region has committed to realizing food security by implementing the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) with the aim of ending hunger and increasing food access. Food security of a region is seen from availability, accessibility, security and sustainability. Purchasing decisions are influenced by external and internal factors that continue to change along with changing conditions so that safe and sustainable food supply is needed. The objective of this study is to determine the factors that influence the consumer purchasing decision process for packaged rice in the Yogyakarta Special Region. The method used to analyze the consumer purchasing decision process for packaged rice products in the Yogyakarta Special Region was likert scale assessment followed by factor analysis. The consumer purchasing decision process for packaged rice went through five stages, which were the introduction of needs, information collection, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decisions, and post-purchase. Based on the results of factor analysis, obtained four new factors which influence the decision to purchase packaged rice. The first factor is the service and accessibility factor. The second factor is the price factor and product attributes. The third factor is the internal factors of consumers and products. The fourth factor is the product promotion.
Integrating GIS and Remote Sensing for Land Suitability Evaluation for Rice in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Authors: Partoyo  , Lukito H
Published: April 2022

Land evaluation is necessary for planning the sustainable use of land resources and providing higher production for food crops. This study aims to apply geographic information system techniques and remote sensing to determine land suitability classes for sustainable rice production in Sleman, Yogyakarta. Sentinel-2 satellite imagery was processed to obtain a map of the rice field and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The suitability class was determined using rice yield predictions based on the NDVI value. Validation using field check data and rice productivity statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries of Sleman Regency. The resulting land suitability map is compared with the land suitability map based on soil series data. The results showed that the land suitability map corresponded to the land suitability map developed based on the soil series data. Integrating Sentinel2 images and GIS methods could potentially update the land suitability map quickly.
Healthy Soils for Productivity and Sustainable Development in Agriculture
Authors: Handayani I.P. , Hale C.
Published: April 2022

A healthy soil is considered a dynamic living system that is capable of providing multiple benefits to ecosystems such as sustaining plant and animal production and health, enhancing or maintaining water and air quality, controlling nutrient availability, accumulating soil carbon, supporting biodiversity, and reducing erosion. Soil health is the foundation of crop health and productivity, as well as sustainable agriculture. The knowledge of soil health connects agricultural legislation, stakeholder needs, and maintainable produce management. Today, the goals of sustainable agriculture not only focus on crop production based on nutrient management, but also overall health of humans and maintaining or enhancing environmental aspects, including climate change. However, soil health assessments are largely influenced by fertility status, despite a shift toward acknowledging the important role of a diverse soil microbiome, water and air quality, and climate change mitigation due to limited understanding of the ecological and biological processes and lack of effective techniques to measure. This review focused on soil functions and their benefits to the ecosystem by describing various indicators as a representation of physical, chemical, and biological properties. The concept of soil health and its applications in farming systems were presented using results and illustrations from various typical farm management systems. The connection between healthy soils, soil productivity, and sustainable soil management strategies provides evidence on the importance of a holistic approach for managing healthy soils through quantification of soil health indicators. In general, evaluating and monitoring soil health periodically is necessary to assess the productivity of agricultural land and to create new generations of soil health assessments that will offer better future opportunities for growers, scientists, and other stakeholders to precisely achieve the sustainable development goals.
Preparation and hydration mechanism of aluminum formate/aluminum sulfate based alkali-free composite accelerator for sprayed concrete
Authors: Wei Ying , Wang Yongan , Zheng Fupeng , Mu Wei , Huang Tianjiao
Published: April 2022

The high alkali content of alkaline accelerators has a negative influence on the late strength and durability of concrete. Further, their corrosive nature is harmful to the skin of construction personnel, posing safety concerns. Therefore, the development of alkali-free accelerators has gained interest, especially in shotcrete-based constructions. The production process of aluminum-sulfate-based alkali-free accelerators is simple and less exothermic, with no negative impact on the later strength of concrete, aspects that are widely recognized and very important in construction. However, their high sulfate content may have a significant impact on the durability of concrete; therefore, reducing the sulfate content plays an important role in enhancing the durability of concrete. In this study, an alkali-free liquid accelerator was synthesized by replacing aluminum sulfate with aluminum formate, which effectively reduced the sulfate content. Experiments were performed on concrete samples in which aluminum sulfate was replaced with aluminum formate at different levels. The results showed that the formate and 3CaO·Al2O3 (C3A) of the alkali-free liquid accelerator prepared from aluminum formate form calcium aluminate, similar to the ettringite phase. The formate promoted the dissolution of Ca3SiO5 (C3S), thus accelerating the hydration of concrete. Meanwhile, aluminum ions hydrolyzed by aluminum formate also participated in the reaction, resulting in the dual participation of cations and anions in hydration, leading to a synergistic effect with aluminum sulfate.
Minimal set of generators of ideals defining nilpotent orbit closures
Authors: Huang Hang
Published: April 2022

Over a field of characteristic

0
0

, we construct a minimal set of generators of the defining ideals of closures of nilpotent conjugacy class in the set of

n
×
n

n \times n

matrices. This modifies a conjecture of Weyman and provides a complete answer to it.
Lipschitz 𝑝-summing multilinear operators correspond to Lipschitz 𝑝-summing operators
Authors: Fernández-Unzueta Maite
Published: April 2022

We give conditions that ensure that an operator satisfying a Piestch domination in a given setting also satisfies a Piestch domination in a different setting. From this we derive that a bounded multilinear operator

T
T

is Lipschitz

p
p

-summing if and only if the mapping
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="f Subscript upper T Baseline left-parenthesis x 1 circled-times midline-horizontal-ellipsis circled-times x Subscript n Baseline right-parenthesis colon-equal upper T left-parenthesis x 1 comma ellipsis comma x Subscript n Baseline right-parenthesis">

f
T

(

x
1

⊗
⋯
⊗

x
n

)
≔
T
(

x
1

,
…
,

x
n

)

f_T(x_1\otimes \cdots \otimes x_n)≔T(x_1,\ldots , x_n)

is Lipschitz

p
p

-summing. The results are based on the projective tensor norm. An example with the Hilbert tensor norm is provided to show that the statement may not hold when a reasonable cross-norm other than the projective tensor norm is considered.
Global analytic hypoellipticity and solvability of certain operators subject to group actions
Authors: Araújo Gabriel , Ferra Igor , Ragognette Luis
Published: April 2022

On

T
×
G

T \times G

, where

T
T

is a compact real-analytic manifold and

G
G

is a compact Lie group, we consider differential operators

P
P

which are invariant by left translations on

G
G

and are elliptic in

T
T

. Under a mild technical condition, we prove that global hypoellipticity of

P
P

implies its global analytic-hypoellipticity (actually Gevrey of any order

s
≥
1

s \geq 1

). We also study the connection between the latter property and the notion of global analytic (resp. Gevrey) solvability, but in a much more general setup.
Dirichlet and Neumann problems for elliptic equations with singular drifts on Lipschitz domains
Authors: Kim Hyunseok , Kwon Hyunwoo
Published: April 2022

We consider the Dirichlet and Neumann problems for second-order linear elliptic equations:
\[

−
△
u
+
div
⁡
(
u

b

)
=
f

 and 

−
△
v
−

b

⋅
∇
v
=
g

-\triangle u +\operatorname {div}(u\mathbf {b}) =f \quad \text { and }\quad -\triangle v -\mathbf {b} \cdot \nabla v =g

\]
in a bounded Lipschitz domain

Ω
\Omega

in

R

n

\mathbb {R}^n

(
n
≥
3
)

(n\geq 3)

, where

b

:
Ω
→

R

n

\mathbf {b}:\Omega \rightarrow \mathbb {R}^n

is a given vector field. Under the assumption that

b

∈

L

n

(
Ω

)
n

\mathbf {b} \in L^{n}(\Omega )^n

, we first establish existence and uniqueness of solutions in

L

α

p

(
Ω
)

L_{\alpha }^{p}(\Omega )

for the Dirichlet and Neumann problems. Here

L

α

p

(
Ω
)

L_{\alpha }^{p}(\Omega )

denotes the Sobolev space (or Bessel potential space) with the pair

(
α
,
p
)

(\alpha ,p)

satisfying certain conditions. These results extend the classical works of Jerison-Kenig [J. Funct. Anal. 130 (1995), pp. 161–219] and Fabes-Mendez-Mitrea [J. Funct. Anal. 159 (1998), pp. 323–368] for the Poisson equation. We also prove existence and uniqueness of solutions of the Dirichlet problem with boundary data in

L

2

(
∂
Ω
)

L^{2}(\partial \Omega )

. Our results for the Dirichlet problems hold even for the case

n
=
2

n=2

.
Large-scale mapping of positional changes of hypoxia-responsive genes upon activation
Authors: Nakayama Koh , Shachar Sigal , Finn Elizabeth H. , Sato Hiroyuki , Hirakawa Akihiro , Misteli Tom
Published: April 2022

A high-throughput imaging platform was used to perform a large-scale analysis of the spatial location of hypoxia-responsive genes. The location of some genes changed upon hypoxia; however, they did not correlate with the extent of their activation, indicating that gene positions and expression are not strictly linked in hypoxic gene activation.
Heavy Metals in Breast Implant Capsules and Breast Tissue: Findings from the Systemic Symptoms in Women–Biospecimen Analysis Study: Part 2
Authors: Wixtrom Roger , Glicksman Caroline , Kadin Marshall , Lawrence Marisa , Haws Melinda , Ferenz Sarah , Sung James , McGuire Patricia
Published: April 2022

Background

Breast Implant Illness (BII), as described in recent medical literature and by social media, describes a range of symptoms in patients with breast implants for which there are no physical findings or laboratory results that explain their symptoms.

Objectives

Part 2 of this study aims to determine whether heavy metals are present in the capsules around saline and silicone implants and if there are statistical differences in the type or level of these metals between women with or without symptoms. Demographic data was collected to investigate potential alternate sources of metals: inhaled, absorbed, or ingested.

Methods

A prospective, blinded study enrolled 150 consecutive subjects divided equally into in three cohorts: (A) women with systemic symptoms they attribute to their implants who requested implant removal, (B) women with breast implants requesting removal or exchange who do not have symptoms they attribute to their implants, and (C) women undergoing cosmetic mastopexy who have never had any implanted medical device. Capsule tissue was removed from Cohort A and B for analysis of 22 heavy metals. Additionally, breast tissue was obtained from a control group with no previous exposure to any implanted medical device.

Results

The study was performed between 2019-2021. Heavy metal content was compared between the capsule tissue from Cohort A and B. The only statistically significant differences identified in Cohort A were higher levels of arsenic and zinc, and lower levels of cobalt, manganese, silver, and tin. There were no elevated levels or statistically significant differences in the other metals tested between Cohorts A and B.

Conclusions

This study analyzes the metal content in capsules surrounding both saline and silicone breast implants. Heavy metals were also detected in the non-implant control group breast tissue, with some metals at numerically higher levels than either breast implant cohort. Smoking, gluten free diets, dietary supplements, and the presence of tattoos were all identified as statistically significant sources of arsenic and zinc in Cohort A. The risk of heavy metal toxicity should not be used as an indication for total capsulectomy if patients elect to remove their breast implants.

Level of Evidence: 3
Long-term follow-up of patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for phaeochromocytoma
Authors: O’Dwyer Patrick J , Chew Cindy , Zino Samer , Serpell Michael G
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Phaeochromocytomas are rare tumours with a recurrence after open surgery ranging between 6–23 per cent. Long-term follow-up studies after laparoscopic surgery for phaeochromocytoma are lacking. The aim of this study was to look at the long-term oncological outcome of a consecutive series of patients from a single centre undergoing laparoscopic surgery for a phaeochromocytoma.

Methods

Demographic data on all patients with an adrenal tumour or paraganglioma were prospectively kept on a database between September 1999 and December 2017. Electronic hospital records, including imaging from a national linked archiving and communication system, were reviewed for patients with a phaeochromocytoma in November 2021.

Results

During the study interval 135 patients with a phaeochromocytoma were operated on in the unit, of which 118 (87.4 per cent) were attempted laparoscopically. Five (4.2 per cent) were converted to open surgery, whereas 117 had a potentially curative operation. There was no peri- or postoperative mortality. At a median follow-up of 10 (interquartile range 6–12.9) years, only 3 (2.6 per cent) patients died from metastatic phaeochromocytoma. One further patient developed lymph node metastases, which were removed at open surgery. No patient had a local recurrence and the only significant predictor of recurrence was the presence of lymph node metastases (P < 0.001). Two patients developed a contralateral adrenal phaeochromocytoma, while one of these also had a paraganglioma. The Kaplan–Meier estimate of phaeochromocytoma-free survival was 96 per cent (95 per cent c.i. 92.2 to 98.8) at 5 years and 92 per cent (95 per cent c.i. 86.7 to 97.3) at 10 years.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that long-term oncological outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for patients with a phaeochromocytoma are at least as good as that with an open operation.
‘Covid-19 opened the pandora box’ of the creative city: creative and cultural workers against precarity in Milan
Authors: Tanghetti Jessica , Comunian Roberta , Dent Tamsyn
Published: April 2022

Creative and cultural workers (CCWs) concentrate in large cities due to the livelihood opportunities they facilitate. Synchronously, cities have experienced the highest rate of Covid-19 infections. Focusing on the case study of Milan, the paper explores the criticalities of the sector and the impact of the pandemic using qualitative interviews and digital ethnography. It highlights how C-19 has exacerbated the effects of neoliberalism on CCWs, illuminating their precarious working conditions but paradoxically providing time and focus for workers to collectively organise. This paper captures CCWs use of the city to make their precarious working conditions visible in response to the unsustainable demands of neoliberalism. It also engages with the need for re-futuring contemporary understanding of the creative city, questioning the value of agglomeration economies and creative city policies, especially if workers’ rights and livelihoods do not become central to the future local policy agenda.
GrainGenes: a data-rich repository for small grains genetics and genomics
Authors: Yao Eric , Blake Victoria C , Cooper Laurel , Wight Charlene P , Michel Steve , Cagirici H Busra , Lazo Gerard R , Birkett Clay L , Waring David J , Jannink Jean-Luc , Holmes Ian , Waters Amanda J , Eickholt David P , Sen Taner Z
Published: April 2022

As one of the US Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service flagship databases, GrainGenes (https://wheat.pw.usda.gov) serves the data and community needs of globally distributed small grains researchers for the genetic improvement of the Triticeae family and Avena species that include wheat, barley, rye and oat. GrainGenes accomplishes its mission by continually enriching its cross-linked data content following the findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable principles, enhancing and maintaining an intuitive web interface, creating tools to enable easy data access and establishing data connections within and between GrainGenes and other biological databases to facilitate knowledge discovery. GrainGenes operates within the biological database community, collaborates with curators and genome sequencing groups and contributes to the AgBioData Consortium and the International Wheat Initiative through the Wheat Information System (WheatIS). Interactive and linked content is paramount for successful biological databases and GrainGenes now has 2917 manually curated gene records, including 289 genes and 254 alleles from the Wheat Gene Catalogue (WGC). There are >4.8 million gene models in 51 genome browser assemblies, 6273 quantitative trait loci and >1.4 million genetic loci on 4756 genetic and physical maps contained within 443 mapping sets, complete with standardized metadata. Most notably, 50 new genome browsers that include outputs from the Wheat and Barley PanGenome projects have been created. We provide an example of an expression quantitative trait loci track on the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium Chinese Spring wheat browser to demonstrate how genome browser tracks can be adapted for different data types. To help users benefit more from its data, GrainGenes created four tutorials available on YouTube. GrainGenes is executing its vision of service by continuously responding to the needs of the global small grains community by creating a centralized, long-term, interconnected data repository. Database URL:https://wheat.pw.usda.gov
Outcome of near-infrared fluorescence-navigated pulmonary metastasectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Zhenfan , Yang Feng , Zhao Xiaoyi , Mi Jiahui , Sun Lina , Kang Nan , Jiang Guanchao , Yang Fan , Li Yun , Zhou Jian
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES

Pulmonary metastasectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is suitable in highly selected patients. However, complete resection is challenging in HCC patients with multiple lung metastases. We aimed to describe the clinical utility and survival outcome of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence-navigated resection of HCC lung metastases.

METHODS

From October 2015 to March 2021, 15 HCC patients with pulmonary metastasis underwent near-infra-red (NIR) fluorescence imaging thoracoscopic surgery. ICG was administered through peripheral veins preoperatively. All suspected lesions detected by palpation, white-light thoracoscopy or NIR imaging were resected. After metastasectomy, all patients were followed up at regular intervals of 6–12 months.

RESULTS

A total of 90 metastatic HCC nodules were resected in 15 patients. All patients received sublobar resections, during which 89 lesions were removed by wedge resection and 1 lesion was managed via segmentectomy. Under NIR fluorescence imaging, 81 nodules successfully demonstrated fluorescence during the surgery, while 9 metastatic nodules were undetected. The median signal-to-background ratio of the nodules was 3.34. Five patients died and 7 patients relapsed by the end of observation. The median overall survival and disease-free survival were 47.1 and 17.3 months, respectively. The 1-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 71.1% and 57.8%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ICG fluorescence imaging technology is useful for visualization of the peripheral tumours to assist in pulmonary metastasectomy for HCC. In addition, this technology has the potential to detect the small tumour that is missed in preoperative examinations, which might be beneficial for HCC patients with multiple lung metastases.
Trade credit and agricultural commodity prices: evidence from the us dairy industry
Authors: Fiechter Chad , Ifft Jennifer
Published: April 2022

Financing provided by suppliers or trade credit is a major source of short-term finance. Using a long-term panel data set of Northeast US dairy producers, we find a negative relationship between trade credit use and milk price. Additionally, regional dairy feed manufacturers reported that, in a period of low milk prices, past due trade credit accumulated to 10 per cent of industry sales or approximately 100 million dollars. Both estimates suggest the possibility of producer default risk spreading through the dairy industry. Trade credit is often not publicly reported, hence financial regulators and policymakers may have difficulty observing this default risk.
Updating the Study of Foreign Policy Crisis: The Case of the Mavi Marmara Flotilla
Authors: Aran Amnon , Yishayahu Gad
Published: April 2022

The study of foreign policy crises (FPC) is integral to foreign policy analysis (FPA). However, since the end of the Cold War, debate on FPC has stalled. The present article seeks to update the existing FPA literature on FPCs. It uses a deductively driven approach to identify gaps in the current FPC literature and demonstrates their relevance for a real-world case of FPC, namely, the Mavi Marmara flotilla. The latter is identified as a “least likely” case study which is representative of a broader set of what we refer to as asymmetrical FPCs. Maximizing the inferential leverage entailed by this research design, we advocate for an updated FPA approach to study asymmetrical FPCs that includes actor hybridity, performativity, and social media.