bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Furnaces, hearths, rituals, and construction: investigating the utilisation of woody plant species at the Early Iron Age site of Ndondondwane by means of identifying archaeological charcoal
Authors: House Alisoun , Bamford Marion K. , Greenfield Haskel J. , van Schalkwyk Len O.
Published: August 2023

Ndondondwane, an Early Iron Age settlement situated on the banks of the Thukela River, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, provides a unique record of a single, short-term occupation (c. 1300 to 1200 years ago). Several areas associated with different activities had been previously excavated and analysed, yielding various scenarios for the cultural and social organisation of the settlement. Three phases of occupation or cultural horizons have been identified and this paper largely explores the charcoal assemblage from the middle cultural horizon, during the settlement’s maximum extent of occupation. Charcoal was analysed from the central part of the site, represented by a livestock byre (kraal), a meeting place, and a craft production area; as well as the peripheral areas including three domestic middens and a charcoal preparation area. Archaeological charcoal specimens were examined using reflective light microscopy to observe the characteristic anatomical features needed to determine the taxonomic group they represent and subsequently identified by direct comparison with a modern charcoal reference collection and published archaeological charcoal studies. Charcoal was identified as belonging to 15 families, 23 genera, and 29 species of trees with known fuel, construction, and medicinal uses. There was a preference for wood previously known as Acacia*, indicating that this genus was readily available and prolific in the surrounds of the site. Ndondondwane has been extensively investigated in terms of the archaeology, and this together with the anthracology data provides further insight into Early Iron Age settlement location-specific activities, cultural practices, and reasons for abandonment.
Net productivity, a new metric to evaluate the contribution to food security of livestock systems: the case of specialised dairy farms
Authors: Battheu-Noirfalise Caroline , Mertens Alexandre , Froidmont Eric , Mathot Michaël , Rouillé Benoit , Stilmant Didier
Published: August 2023

The increasing human population and demand for animal food products raise the issue of impacts of animal systems on food security caused by their use of human-edible feed and/or tillable land. The utility of replacing animal systems with potential food-crop systems needs to be assessed but is associated with many uncertainties. Some metrics analyse the contribution of current animal systems to food security, especially the dimension of food availability. These methods address feed conversion efficiency (i.e. total (‘gross’) or human-edible (‘net’)) or the efficiency of agricultural land use (i.e. total, permanent grassland, and tillable land) but never both simultaneously. The purpose of this study was to develop a new metric—‘net productivity’—to represent the performances of current animal systems more accurately by considering both the use of human-edible feed and agricultural land. Through a protein assessment, we analysed the ability of the existing and the new metrics to assess the performances of 111 dairy farms in Wallonia (Belgium). We found that net productivity was positively correlated with both metrics of feed conversion efficiency and negatively correlated with the three metrics of land use. To analyse the influence of farm characteristics, we grouped the farms into four clusters using k-means clustering based on these metrics of contribution to food security and then performed redundancy analysis to select the most influential farm characteristics aiming to highlight contrasted farm strategies. The highest net productivity was reached by an ‘intensive and net efficient’ farm strategy, which had intensive grass-based management, high milk production per cow, appropriate use of concentrates, and well-managed dairy followers (i.e. replacement heifers and calves). The newly developed metric of net productivity can be useful to quantify the contribution of dairy systems to food security by considering both the use of human-edible protein and agricultural land simultaneously.
Quantitative Control of Solutions to the Axisymmetric Navier-Stokes Equations in Terms of the Weak $$L^3$$ Norm
Authors: Ożański W. S. , Palasek S.
Published: August 2023

We are concerned with strong axisymmetric solutions to the 3D incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. We show that if the weak $$L^3$$

L
3

norm of a strong solution u on the time interval [0, T] is bounded by $$A \gg 1$$

A
≫
1

then for each $$k\ge 0 $$

k
≥
0

there exists $$C_k>1$$

C
k

>
1

such that $$\Vert D^k u (t) \Vert _{L^\infty (\mathbb {R}^3)} \le t^{-(1+k)/2}\exp \exp A^{C_k}$$

‖

D
k

u

(
t
)

‖

L
∞

(

R

3

)

≤

t

-
(
1
+
k
)
/
2

exp
exp

A

C
k

for all $$t\in (0,T]$$

t
∈
(
0
,
T
]

.
The Dutch version of the Spinal Appearance Questionnaire for adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: patient-based cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties evaluation
Authors: van de Fliert Dineke G. , Schlösser Tom P. C. , Kempen Diederik H. R. , Rutges Joost P. H. J. , Bisseling Pepijn , de Kleuver Marinus , van Hooff Miranda L.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) affects the appearance of spine and trunk. The Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (SAQ) assesses the perception of appearance in AIS patients. The aim of this study is to translate and culturally adapt the recommended short version of the SAQ into Dutch and to test its measurement properties.

Methods

A Dutch SAQ (14-item; appearance and expectations domains) was developed following guidelines for translation and cross-cultural adaptation. The COSMIN Study Design checklist was used for measurement properties evaluation. In this multicenter study, the Dutch SAQ, SRS-22R and NPRS (back pain) were administered to 113 AIS patients (aged 15.4 years [SD 2.2], 21.2% male). Floor and ceiling effects were evaluated for content analysis. For reliability, internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and test–retest reliability (ICC; n = 34) were evaluated. Predefined hypotheses of relationships with other questionnaires and between subgroups based on scoliosis severity (radiological and clinical) were tested for construct validity. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to investigate the validity of the underlying structure of this 14-item questionnaire.

Results

No floor and ceiling effects were found for domains and total scores. Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.84 to 0.89. ICCs varied from 0.76 to 0.77. For construct validity, 89% (8/9) of the predefined hypotheses were confirmed. Significant higher scores for the appearance domain were found for subgroups based on radiological (Cobb angle; > 25.0°) and clinical outcomes. (Angle of Trunk Rotation; > 9.0°). A two-factor structure was found (EV 5.13; 36.63% explained variance).

Conclusion

The Dutch SAQ is an adequate, valid and reliable instrument to evaluate patients’ perception of appearance in AIS.

Level of evidence

Level I—diagnostic studies.
Hydroxysafflor Yellow A Regulates Inflammation and Oxidative Stress by Suppressing the HIF-1α/JAK/STAT3 Signaling Pathway to Attenuate Osteoarthritis
Authors: Ju Shaohua , Liu Panwang , Tan Lirong , Tan Youli , Li Xiaohong , He Benxiang , Xia Yu , Wang Mingjian
Published: August 2023

Hydroxysafflor yellow A is extracted from Carthamus tinctorius L., Asteraceae, and has extensive pharmacological properties. In this study, interleukin-1 beta was used to establish the osteoarthritis model in vitro, and the impacts of hydroxysafflor yellow A on the cell model were analyzed. CCK8 was used to measure cell viability, and flow cytometry was used to evaluate apoptosis and reactive oxygen species. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to calculate the release of inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress index. Western blotting was performed to measure the expression of collagen-related proteins. The protein levels in the HIF-1α/JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway were also measured. The results showed that hydroxysafflor yellow A promoted cell viability and inhibited apoptosis and oxidative stress. In addition, quinochalcone C-glycoside upregulated the expression of collagen II and Sry-related HMG box-9, while downregulating the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-13. Interleukin-1 beta induced high levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α that were inhibited by hydroxysafflor yellow A. Meanwhile, hydroxysafflor yellow A inhibited the interleukin-1 beta–induced high levels of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde and enhanced the interleukin-1 beta–induced low levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Furthermore, hydroxysafflor yellow A downregulated the mRNA expression of HIF-1α, JAK, STAT3, and interleukin-6 as well as the protein expression of HIF-1α, p-JAK, and p-STAT3. The results suggest that hydroxysafflor yellow A inhibited the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathways by inhibiting HIF-1α. Therefore, hydroxysafflor yellow A regulates the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in vitro.

Graphical abstract
Experimental and computational approach to human brain modelling – aHEAD
Authors: Ptak Mariusz , Dymek Mateusz , Sawicki Marek , Fernandes Fábio A. O. , Wnuk Maciej , Wilhelm Johannes , Ratajczak Monika , Witkowska Daria , Kwiatkowski Artur , Poźniak Błażej , Kubicki Konrad , Tikhomirov Marta , Druszcz Adam , Chybowski Leszek
Published: August 2023

The human head is a highly complex structure, with a combination of hard and soft tissues and a variety of materials and interactions. Many researchers have used computational approaches to model the head, and several human finite element head models can be found in the literature. However, most of them are not geometrically accurate – for instance, the brain is simplified to a smooth spherical volume, which poses some concerns regarding boundary conditions and geometrical accuracy. Therefore, an advanced head model of a 28-year-old, designated as aHEAD 28 yo (aHEAD: advanced Head models for safety Enhancement And medical Development), has been developed. The model consists entirely of hexahedral elements for 3D structures of the head such as the cerebellum, skull and cerebrum, with detailed geometry of the gyri and sulci. Additionally, it is one of the first human head approaches published in the literature that includes cerebrospinal fluid simulated by Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and a detailed model of pressurized bridging veins. To support the model’s credibility, this study is focused on physical material testing. A novel comprehensive experimental-computational approach is presented, which involves the brain tissue’s response to induced vibrations. The experiment successfully aimed to validate the material models used in the numerical analysis. Additionally, the authors present a kinematical model validation based on the Hardy experimental cadaver test. The developed model, along with its verification, aims to establish a further benchmark in finite element head modelling and can potentially provide new insights into injury mechanisms.
MoScd2 is involved in appressorium formation and pathogenicity via the Pmk1 MAPK pathway in Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Sun Li-Xiao , Qian Hui , Wu Ming-Hua , Lin Fu-Cheng , Liu Xiao-Hong
Published: August 2023

Rice blast, known as rice “cancer”, is caused by Magnaporthe oryzae and is particularly serious in Asian and African rice regions. China is also a frequently occurring region of rice blast. Rice blast not only seriously threatens the yield and quality of rice but also affects food security in China. In M. oryzae, the Mst11-Mst7-Pmk1 MAPK signaling pathway mediates pathogenicity by regulating the formation of appressorium and the development of infection hyphae. Stomatal cytokinesis defective 2 (Scd2, also called Ral3 or Bem1) is a component of the Scd complex, which has been proven to be closely related to the MAPK signaling pathway. However, its biological roles in M. oryzae remain elusive. Here, we identified MoScd2, a homologous protein of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Scd2, and preliminarily revealed its role in the development of rice blast fungus. We found that MoScd2 was involved in colony growth, sporulation, spore morphology, spore germination, appressorium formation, turgor in appressoria, mobilization of glycogen from spores to appressoria and pathogenicity. The deletion of MoScd2 resulted in a reduction in Pmk1 and Mps1 phosphorylation levels. In addition, MoScd2 was confirmed to interact with MoMst50, which is a key component of the MAPK signaling pathway in M. oryzae. In summary, MoScd2 was involved in the MAPK signaling pathway of M. oryzae via interaction with MoMst50 to participate in the influence of pathogenicity. In addition, MoScd2 also influences M. oryzae pathogenicity by participating in autophagy.
UvSnx4 is required for conidiation, pathogenicity and stress responses by regulating mitophagy and macroautophagy in Ustilaginoidea virens
Authors: Shi Huanbin , Meng Shuai , Xie Shuwei , Qiu Jiehua , Jiang Nan , Kou Yanjun
Published: August 2023

Rice false smut disease, caused by the biotrophic fungus Ustilaginoidea virens, threatens rice production and quality. SNX family proteins have a Phox domain in the structure, playing important roles in protein transport and sorting in the endocytic pathway. However, the roles and underlying mechanisms controlled by SNX proteins in development and pathogenicity are still poorly understood in U. virens. Here, we characterized the SNX family protein Snx4 in U. virens. The transcriptional levels of UvSNX4 were upregulated at the invasive growth stage. Deletion of UvSNX4 resulted in defects in mycelial growth, conidiation, pathogenicity, and stress adaptations. Microscopic observation showed that UvSnx4 partially colocalized with mitochondria. Furthermore, UvSnx4 is required for mitophagy and macroautophagy, which are critical for conidiation and pathogenicity in U. virens. Moreover, UvSnx4 interacted with the autophagy-related core proteins UvAtg11, UvAtg20, and UvAtg17. In conclusion, our studies suggested that UvSnx4 contributes to development, stress adaptation, and pathogenicity via involvement in mitophagy and autophagy in U. virens, which provides insight into the biological functions of SNX proteins in biotrophic filamentous fungi.
Regulatory roles of epigenetic modifications in plant-phytopathogen interactions
Authors: Tao Zeng , Yan Fei , Hahn Matthias , Ma Zhonghua
Published: August 2023

As a sessile organism, plants have evolved a complex and sophisticated immune system to defend against various pathogenic microbes effectively. However, microbes have also developed complicated and delicate strategies to suppress host immunity and successfully colonize the host. Dynamic plant‒pathogen interactions require rapid and fine-tuned regulation of their gene expression. Increasing evidence has revealed that epigenetic regulation plays key roles in plant defense-related transcriptional reprogramming, as well as microbe pathogenicity. In this review, we summarize and highlight the current progress in understanding the roles of epigenetic regulation and factors, including DNA/RNA modification, histone modification, chromatin remodeling and noncoding RNAs, in plant immunity, phytopathogen pathogenicity and their interactions. We also discuss that epigenetic regulation emerges as an efficient strategy for crop breeding and plant disease control.
Temporal transcriptomics provides insights into host‒pathogen interactions: a case study of Didymella pinodella and disease-resistant and disease-susceptible pea varieties
Authors: Liu Chao , Han Xingmin , Steenwyk Jacob L. , Shen Xing-Xing
Published: August 2023

Ascochyta blight is a fungal disease affecting peas, causing significant damage to the plant and reducing crop yield. Host‒pathogen interactions can inform disease prevention and control strategies but remain poorly understood. Here, we generate a near-chromosome-level assembly for Didymella pinodella HNA18, a pathogenic fungus that causes pea ascochyta blight. Comparative genomic analysis of D. pinodella HNA18 and seven publicly available Didymella genomes revealed that the genome of D. pinodella HNA18 encodes the most conserved biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) and a similar number of carbohydrate-activating enzyme (CAZyme) genes compared to other Didymella species. Furthermore, by sequencing and analyzing the transcriptomic data of D. pinodella HNA18 and disease-susceptible and disease-resistant pea varieties during the infection process, we found that the pathogenic fungus mobilized a similar set of infection genes to attack the disease-susceptible and disease-resistant pea varieties, but the timing and intensity of these infection genes were different. For pea varieties in response to the pathogenic fungus, disease-susceptible and disease-resistant pea varieties mobilized similar types of defense genes, while the disease-resistant pea used a higher number of defense genes relative to the disease-susceptible pea during the entire infection process. This study not only provides multiomic resources for the study of the pathogenic fungus D. pinodella HNA18 against its disease-susceptible and disease-resistant pea varieties but also deciphers the mode of interaction between pathogenic fungal infection and plant defense.
The Gods of the Sea
Authors: Holm Fynn
Published: August 2023

Japan is often imagined as a nation with a long history of whaling. In this innovative new study, Fynn Holm argues that for centuries some regions in early modern Japan did not engage in whaling. In fact, they were actively opposed to it, even resorting to violence when whales were killed. Resistance against whaling was widespread especially in the Northeast among the Japanese fishermen who worshiped whales as the incarnation of Ebisu, the god of the sea. Holm argues that human interactions with whales were much more diverse than the basic hunter-prey relationship, as cetaceans played a pivotal role in proto-industrial fisheries. The advent of industrial whaling in the early twentieth century, however, destroyed this centuries-long equilibrium between humans and whales. In its place, communities in Northeast Japan invented a new whaling tradition, which has almost completely eclipsed older forms of human-whale interactions. This title is also available as Open Access.
What types of social policies does business want? Examining German employer associations’ positions toward labor-protective and labor-activating social policies
Authors: Bender Benedikt , Paster Thomas
Published: August 2023

Studies inspired by the varieties of capitalism (VoC) approach suggest that in coordinated market economies, some employer associations support public social policies to encourage the workforce to invest in company and industry-specific skills (VoC thesis). Yet the VoC thesis remains disputed. We present and assess an alternative thesis that builds on employers’ interest in the protection of labor supply (labor supply thesis). We test the labor supply thesis using a systematic content analysis of 370 press releases issued from 2002 to 2017 and find evidence of moderate employer support for more labor-activating social policies and less labor-protective social policies. Moreover, the analysis shows a decline in preference heterogeneity, with the positions of the four German employer associations converging toward the end of the period analyzed. Our findings have theoretical and methodological implications: First, they point to the relevance of labor supply as a source of employers’ social policy preferences. Second, they point to the need for a more systematic measurement of employer policy positions to be able to compare positions accurately.
The effect of marital status on life expectancy: Is cohabitation as protective as marriage?
Authors: Balter Anne G. , Bjerre Dorethe S. , Kallestrup-Lamb Malene
Published: August 2023

It is well-known that marital status is an important predictor for life expectancy. However, non-married individuals are often misclassified as singles which ignores the heterogeneity within the group. This paper shows the importance of distinguishing between types of singles, and in particular whether they are cohabiting, when predicting life expectancies. We use unique and detailed longitudinal register data to track marital status throughout the individual's lifetime. We find that all types of singles consistently benefit from living with a spouse, i.e., after divorce, becoming widower or being never married. This result holds for both men and women. For certain types of cohabiting singles we reject significant differences in life expectancy compared to married individuals. Finally, we use a case study to show that, like married individuals, all types of singles that cohabit also serve as informal caregivers and have the potential to limit the end-of-life long-term care expenditure levels.
A market consistent approach to the valuation of no-negative equity guarantees and equity release mortgages
Authors: Buckner Dean , Dowd Kevin , Hulley Hardy
Published: August 2023

This paper provides a new market consistent approach to the valuation of no negative equity guarantees and equity release mortgages. The paper provides a new approach to the estimation of volatility inputs. The proposed approach to volatility produces a volatility term structure that is dependent on the age and gender of the borrower. Illustrative valuations are provided based on the Black ’76 put pricing formula and mortality projections based on the M5 Cairns–Blake–Dowd mortality model. Results show interesting ramifications for industry practice and prudential regulation.
Buy-ins, buy-outs, longevity bonds, and the creation of value
Authors: MacMinn Richard , Lin Yijia , Shi Tianxiang
Published: August 2023

Longevity risk is the risk that people on average will live longer than expected. That potential increase in life expectancy exposes corporations and pension funds to the risk of having insufficient funds to pay a more extended stream of annuity benefits. Buy-ins, buy-outs, and longevity bonds provide pension funds with insurance and financial market instruments to hedge their longevity risk. The most straightforward instruments and the most robust markets are currently for buy-ins and buy-outs. The model developed here shows that these instruments transfer value to pension holders and, other things being equal, would not be used by firms since shareholder value is reduced. The analysis, however, also shows that these instruments can be used to solve the under-investment problem created by underfunded pension plans and so increase not only the pension fund value but also the corporate stock value.
The maximal size of a minimal generating set
Authors: Harper Scott
Published: August 2023

A generating set for a finite group G is minimal if no proper subset generates G, and

$m(G)$

denotes the maximal size of a minimal generating set for G. We prove a conjecture of Lucchini, Moscatiello and Spiga by showing that there exist

$a,b> 0$

such that any finite group G satisfies

$m(G) \leqslant a \cdot \delta (G)^b$

, for

$\delta (G) = \sum _{p \text { prime}} m(G_p)$

, where

$G_p$

is a Sylow p-subgroup of G. To do this, we first bound

$m(G)$

for all almost simple groups of Lie type (until now, no nontrivial bounds were known except for groups of rank

$1$

or

$2$

). In particular, we prove that there exist

$a,b> 0$

such that any finite simple group G of Lie type of rank r over the field

$\mathbb {F}_{p^f}$

satisfies

$r + \omega (f) \leqslant m(G) \leqslant a(r + \omega (f))^b$

, where

$\omega (f)$

denotes the number of distinct prime divisors of f. In the process, we confirm a conjecture of Gill and Liebeck that there exist

$a,b> 0$

such that a minimal base for a faithful primitive action of an almost simple group of Lie type of rank r over

$\mathbb {F}_{p^f}$

has size at most

$ar^b + \omega (f)$

.
Biorthogonal decomposition of the disturbance flow field generated by particle impingement on a hypersonic boundary layer
Authors: A. Al Hasnine S.M. , Russo V. , Tumin A. , Brehm C.
Published: August 2023

The disturbance flow field in a hypersonic boundary layer excited by particle impingement was investigated with a focus on the first stage of the laminar-to-turbulent transition process, namely the receptivity process. A previously validated direct numerical simulation approach adopting disturbance flow tracking is used to simulate the particle-induced transition process. Particle impingement generates a highly complex disturbance flow field that can be characterised by a wide range of frequencies and wavenumbers. After providing some insight about the spectral characteristics of the disturbance flow field in the frequency and wavenumber domains, biorthogonal decomposition is employed to reveal the composition of the disturbance flow field consisting of different continuous and discrete eigenmodes that are triggered through particle impingement. The disturbance flow characteristics for different frequency and wavenumber pairs are discussed where large contributions in the disturbance flow spectrum are observed in the vicinity of the impingement location. A significant amount of the disturbance energy is diverted into the free stream leading to large coefficients of projection for the slow and fast acoustic branches while contributions to the entropy and vorticity branches are negligible. In addition to the continuous acoustic spectra, the first-, second- and other higher-order Mack modes are activated and provide large contributions to the disturbance flow field inside the boundary layer. Finally, it is demonstrated that the disturbance flow field in the vicinity of the impingement location can be reconstructed with a maximum relative error of

$2.3\,\%$

by employing a theoretical biorthogonal eigenfunction system expansion and by considering contributions from fast and slow acoustic waves and at most four discrete modes only.
Generalized Lagrangian heterogeneous multiscale modelling of complex fluids
Authors: Moreno Nicolas , Ellero Marco
Published: August 2023

We introduce a fully Lagrangian heterogeneous multiscale method (LHMM) to model complex fluids with microscopic features that can extend over large spatio/temporal scales, such as polymeric solutions and multiphasic systems. The proposed approach discretizes the fluctuating Navier–Stokes equations in a particle-based setting using smoothed dissipative particle dynamics (SDPD). This multiscale method uses microscopic information derived on-the-fly to provide the stress tensor of the momentum balance in a macroscale problem, therefore bypassing the need for approximate constitutive relations for the stress. We exploit the intrinsic multiscale features of SDPD to account for thermal fluctuations as the characteristic size of the discretizing particles decreases. We validate the LHMM using different flow configurations (reverse Poiseuille flow, flow passing a cylinder array and flow around a square cavity) and fluid (Newtonian and non-Newtonian). We show the framework's flexibility to model complex fluids at the microscale using multiphase and polymeric systems. We also show that stresses are adequately captured and passed from micro to macro scales, leading to richer fluid response at the continuum. In general, the proposed methodology provides a natural link between variations at a macroscale, whereas accounting for memory effects of microscales.
New formulations for the mean wall-normal velocity and Reynolds shear stress in a turbulent boundary layer under zero pressure gradient
Authors: Wei Tie , Li Zhaorui , Wang Yanxing
Published: August 2023

In this study, a novel analytical solution is derived rigorously for the mean wall-normal velocity in a turbulent boundary layer (TBL) under zero pressure gradient (ZPG), without relying on any a priori assumptions regarding the mean streamwise velocity. By neglecting the higher-order terms in the exact solution, an approximate formulation for the mean wall-normal velocity is obtained. The accuracy of this approximation is then validated through a comparison with data from direct numerical simulations (DNS). Drawing upon the distinct behaviours of force balance in the inner and outer regions of the ZPG TBL, simplified approximate mean momentum equations are derived by decomposing the Reynolds shear stress into inner and outer parts. The inner and outer Reynolds shear stresses are then obtained through integration of the corresponding approximate mean momentum equations. The outer Reynolds shear stress is revealed to exhibit a strong connection to the mean wall-normal velocity. Specifically, it is observed that

$R_{uv-{out}}/u^2_\tau \approx 1 - UV/(U_e V_e)$

, where

$u_\tau$

represents the friction velocity, and

$U_e$

and

$V_e$

denote the mean streamwise and wall-normal velocities at the boundary layer edge, respectively. Finally, an approximate formulation for the Reynolds shear stress across the entire TBL is developed by synthesizing the inner and outer parts. Extensive validation against both DNS and experimental data, spanning a wide range of Reynolds numbers, demonstrates the excellent agreement achieved.
Spatial evolution of the turbulent/turbulent interface geometry in a cylinder wake
Authors: Chen Jiangang , Buxton Oliver R.H.
Published: August 2023

This study aims to examine the spatial evolution of the geometrical features of the turbulent/turbulent interface (TTI) in a cylinder wake. The wake is exposed to various turbulent backgrounds in which the turbulence intensity and the integral length scale are varied independently, and comparisons to a turbulent/non-turbulent interface (TNTI) are drawn. The turbulent wake was marked with a high Schmidt number (

$Sc$

) scalar, and a planar laser induced fluorescence experiment was carried out to capture the interface between the wake and the ambient flow from

$x/d = 5$

to 40, where

$x$

is the streamwise coordinate from the centre of the cylinder, and

$d$

is the cylinder's diameter. It is found that the TTI generally spreads faster towards the ambient flow than the TNTI. A transition region of the interfaces’ spreading is found at

$x/d \approx 15$

, after which the interfaces propagate at a slower rate than previously (upstream), and the mean interface positions of both the TNTI and TTI scale with the local wake half-width. The locations of both the TNTI and TTI have non-Gaussian probability density functions (PDFs) in the near wake because of the influence of the large-scale coherent motions present within the flow. Further downstream, after the large-scale coherent motions have dissipated, the TNTI position PDF does become Gaussian. For the first time, we explore the spatial variation of the ‘roughness’ of the TTI, quantified via the fractal dimension, from near field to far field. The length scale in the background flow has a profound effect on the TTI fractal dimension in the near wake, whilst the turbulence intensity becomes important only for the fractal dimension farther downstream.
Exact solutions for submerged von Kármán point vortex streets cotravelling with a wave on a linear shear current
Authors: Keeler Jack S. , Crowdy Darren G.
Published: August 2023

New exact solutions are presented to the problem of steadily travelling water waves with vorticity wherein a submerged von Kármán point vortex street cotravels with a wave on a linear shear current. Surface tension and gravity are ignored. The work generalizes an earlier study by Crowdy & Nelson (Phys. Fluids, vol. 22, 2010, 096601) who found analytical solutions for a single point vortex row cotravelling with a water wave in a linear shear current. The main theoretical tool is the Schwarz function of the wave, and the work builds on a novel framework set out recently by Crowdy (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 954, 2022, A47). Conformal mapping theory is used to construct Schwarz functions with the requisite properties and to parametrize the waveform. A two-parameter family of solutions is found by solving a pair of nonlinear algebraic equations. This system of equations has intriguing properties: indeed, it is degenerate, which radically reduces the number of possible solutions, although the space of physically admissible equilibria is still found to be rich and diverse. For inline vortex streets, where the two vortex rows are aligned vertically, there is generally a single physically admissible solution. However, for staggered streets, where the two vortex rows are offset horizontally, certain parameter regimes produce multiple solutions. An important outcome of the work is that while only degenerate von Kármán point vortex streets can exist in an unbounded simple shear current, a broad array of such equilibria is possible in a shear current beneath a cotravelling wave on a free surface.
Instability evolution of a shock-accelerated thin heavy fluid layer in cylindrical geometry
Authors: Yuan Ming , Zhao Zhiye , Liu Luoqin , Wang Pei , Liu Nan-Sheng , Lu Xi-Yun
Published: August 2023

Instability evolutions of shock-accelerated thin cylindrical SF

$_6$

layers surrounded by air with initial perturbations imposed only at the outer interface (i.e. the ‘Outer’ case) or at the inner interface (i.e. the ‘Inner’ case) are numerically and theoretically investigated. It is found that the instability evolution of a thin cylindrical heavy fluid layer not only involves the effects of Richtmyer–Meshkov instability, Rayleigh–Taylor stability/instability and compressibility coupled with the Bell–Plesset effect, which determine the instability evolution of the single cylindrical interface, but also strongly depends on the waves reverberated inside the layer, thin-shell correction and interface coupling effect. Specifically, the rarefaction wave inside the thin fluid layer accelerates the outer interface inward and induces the decompression effect for both the Outer and Inner cases, and the compression wave inside the fluid layer accelerates the inner interface inward and causes the decompression effect for the Outer case and compression effect for the Inner case. It is noted that the compressible Bell model excluding the compression/decompression effect of waves, thin-shell correction and interface coupling effect deviates significantly from the perturbation growth. To this end, an improved compressible Bell model is proposed, including three new terms to quantify the compression/decompression effect of waves, thin-shell correction and interface coupling effect, respectively. This improved model is verified by numerical results and successfully characterizes various effects that contribute to the perturbation growth of a shock-accelerated thin heavy fluid layer.
Giving and Taking Voice: Metapragmatic Dismissals of Parents in Child Welfare Court Cases
Authors: López-Espino Jessica
Published: August 2023

Applying tools of linguistic anthropology to ethnographic research conducted in a California child welfare court, this article analyzes how commentary by attorneys and judges about the language practices of parents and other communicative practices normalized the dismissal of the voices of marginalized lay actors throughout their cases. This commentary is an example of what linguistic anthropologists describe as “metapragmatic discourse,” or the use of language to foreground language itself and what language can accomplish in social exchanges. I introduce the concept of “metapragmatic dismissals” to describe how attorneys and judges in the child welfare context positioned parents’ language practices and overall personhood as suspect, often before parents even entered the courtroom. I identify practices of silencing, voicing figures of disbelief, and the use of metapragmatic labels of “lies” and “excuses” as common forms of metapragmatic dismissals that are supported by norms of court procedure, standards of evidence, and institutionalized discretion. This concept provides new insights into legal experiences in child welfare courts and, more generally, offers a valuable analytical framework for scholars who study the intersection of law, language, and power.
The Revolution of the Black Diamond Republic: Negotiating Socialism and Autonomy in the Jiu Valley, 1918-1919
Authors: Glont Anca
Published: August 2023

Scholars frequently portray the end of the Habsburg Monarchy as driven by nationalist revolutions in the provinces. The experience of the Jiu Valley, Transylvania’s largest coal basin, demonstrates that nationalism was neither the only basis for revolution nor the most popular in all parts of the province. The multiethnic working class of Jiu embraced revolution as a response to state failures to provide basic services in a worsening wartime economy, even as state demand for coal rose. The miners created the Black Diamond Republic in October 1918 as Austro-Hungarian armies collapsed in an effort to actively negotiate their status after the war. The miners embraced revolution not as a bid for independence or ethnic secession but as a means to maintain local union power and negotiate the conditions of their inclusion in either Romania or Hungary. While “Romanian” and “Hungarian” councils were formed, such identities in Jiu were also linked to occupation (worker, peasant, or intellectual) rather than clear definitions of ethnicity.
Jinn and Jins: Sensuous Piety as Queer Ethics
Authors: El Shakry Hoda
Published: August 2023

This article explores the speculative short stories of Egyptian writers Alifa Rifaat (Alīfah Rifaʿat, 1930–1996) and Mansoura Ez-Eldin (Mansūrah ʿIzz al-Dīn, b. 1976) in conversation with scholarship from the anthropology of Islam, Islamic feminism, and queer theory. Rifaat’s 1974 “ʿĀlamī al-Majhūl” (“My World of the Unknown”) and Ez-Eldin’s 2010 “Jinniyyāt al-Nīl” (“Faeries of the Nile”) both stage queer encounters between women and jinn (sentient spirit-beings within Islamic cosmology) who provide spiritual actualization as well as sexual fulfillment. I argue that their emphasis on sensuous forms of piety—largely through Sufi mystical philosophy and poetic imagery—models a queer ethics of being and knowing. Addressing the polarized critical receptions of Rifaat and Ez-Eldin among both the Arabic literary establishment and Anglophone reading publics, the article further exposes the secular sensibilities of the “world republic of letters,” in which feminist and queer modes of reading are often uncoupled from spiritual, and particularly Muslim, epistemes.
How to improve the substantive interpretation of regression results when the dependent variable is logged
Authors: Rittmann Oliver , Neunhoeffer Marcel , Gschwend Thomas
Published: August 2023

Regression models with log-transformed dependent variables are widely used by social scientists to investigate nonlinear relationships between variables. Unfortunately, this transformation complicates the substantive interpretation of estimation results and often leads to incomplete and sometimes even misleading interpretations. We focus on one valuable but underused method, the presentation of quantities of interest such as expected values or first differences on the original scale of the dependent variable. The procedure to derive these quantities differs in seemingly minor but critical aspects from the well-known procedure based on standard linear models. To improve empirical practice, we explain the underlying problem and develop guidelines that help researchers to derive meaningful interpretations from regression results of models with log-transformed dependent variables.
Survey mode and satisfaction with democracy
Authors: Ejaz Hamad , Thornton Judd R.
Published: August 2023

A growing body of evidence indicates the public is less committed to democracy than conventional wisdom long held. One possibility is that many in the public have internalized the norm that democracy is “good” but that such support is not firmly held. An implication of this reasoning is that because there is an expectation to express support for democracy, responses will be influenced by the presence of an interviewer due to social desirability effects. In this note, we examine the 2012 and 2016 American National Election Studies—in each year, a portion of respondents were interviewed via the internet while others were interviewed face-to-face. We identify a politically relevant difference between the two survey modes: those interviewed face-to-face express greater satisfaction with democracy. Indeed, the difference we identify is similar in magnitude to the difference typically observed between electoral winners and electoral losers. Our result is robust to different measurement and estimation strategies. While levels of satisfaction are influenced by the presence of an interviewer, a followup analysis indicates that the relationship between satisfaction and winner–loser status is similar across modes.
International inequality and demand for redistribution in the Global South
Authors: Becker Bastian
Published: August 2023

Despite considerable progress, inequality between countries remains at staggering levels. However, we know surprisingly little about demand for international redistribution in the Global South. This is unfortunate as it hinders our understanding of the pressures governments experience to cooperate internationally. Therefore, this paper studies perceptions of international inequality and attitudes toward international aid, an important instrument for redistribution, in Kenya, a major recipient of aid. It features an SMS-based survey experiment, in which respondents are treated with information about international income differences. It is found that most respondents underestimate these differences and that providing accurate information lowers inequality acceptance. However, this does not translate into demand for aid. The findings question often-made assumptions about the popularity of aid and call for further investigation of other internationally redistributive policies.
GROUPS WITH FEW NONPOWER SUBGROUPS
Authors: ZHENG JIWEI , ZHOU WEI , TAYLOR D. E.
Published: August 2023

For a group G and
$m\ge 1$
, let
$G^m$
denote the subgroup generated by the elements
$g^m$
, where g runs through G. The subgroups not of the form
$G^m$
are the nonpower subgroups of G. We classify the groups with at most nine nonpower subgroups.
A COUNTEREXAMPLE TO A RESULT OF JABERI AND MAHMOODI
Authors: SAHAMI A. , SHARIATI S. F.
Published: August 2023

We show that
$\ell ^1(\mathbb {N}_\wedge )$
is
$\varphi $
-amenable for each multiplicative linear functional
$\varphi :\ell ^1(\mathbb {N}_\wedge )\rightarrow \mathbb {C}.$
This is a counterexample to the final corollary of Jaberi and Mahmoodi [‘On
$\varphi $
-amenability of dual Banach algebras’, Bull. Aust. Math. Soc.105 (2022), 303–313] and shows that the final theorem in that paper is not valid.
Untangling the relationship between BMI and academic achievement in the elementary years
Authors: Yu Baeksan , Kelly Sean
Published: August 2023

Although the negative relationship between BMI and academic achievement (AA) is well documented, no prior studies have investigated the potential bi-directional relationship between BMI and AA in childhood. We investigated the longitudinal relationships between child BMI and AA across different school subjects (reading, math and science) and sexes. To do so, we employed the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study kindergarten cohort (2011), which is a nationally representative sample of American children who entered kindergarten in 2010–2011. We utilised the kindergarten–fifth grade longitudinal sample (n 17 480) and applied cross-lagged panel models with fixed effects to address unobserved heterogeneity. Our results showed significant but small reciprocal relationships between BMI and math/science achievement for girls (n 8540) (year-to-year effect sizes ranged from –0·01 to –0·04), but not for reading. In contrast, we did not find any evidence of reciprocal relationships between BMI and AA for boys (n 8940). Our results reveal that early weight status and academic performance may be jointly responsible for a vicious cycle of poor AA and unhealthy weight. Breaking the cycle from AA may complement existing obesity prevention strategies, particularly for girls in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field.
Influence of ion and variable dust charge on electron-dust bremsstrahlung emission spectrum in complex plasmas
Authors: Lee Myoung-Jae , Ashikawa Naoko , Jung Young-Dae
Published: August 2023

The bremsstrahlung process is studied in complex plasmas including the influence of ions and variable dust charge. The electron-dust particle bremsstrahlung radiation cross-section (e-D-BRCS) is obtained with the analytic expression for the effective dust charge in terms of the Debye length and the temperature ratio. The e-D-BRCS is found to be reduced with either the decrease of ion temperature or increase of electron temperature. The ion density effect is found to be more important in the small electron temperature domain. Interestingly, the influence of ion temperature and density is found to be independent of the bremsstrahlung emission energy. The effective dust charge is also found to decrease with an increase of the ratio of the electron temperature to the ion temperature. In addition, it is found that the effective dust charge increases with an increase of the ratio of the electron density to the ion density. Moreover, the e-D-BRCS is found to be increased with the decrease of ion density.
Effects of a preventive parenting intervention for bereaved families on the intergenerational transmission of parenting attitudes: Mediating processes
Authors: Rhodes C. Aubrey , Wolchik Sharlene A. , Uhlman Rana N. , O’Hara Karey L. , Sandler Irwin N. , Tein Jenn-Yun , Porter Michele M.
Published: August 2023

This study evaluated whether the Family Bereavement Program (FBP), a prevention program for parentally bereaved families, improved parenting attitudes toward parental warmth and physical punishment in young adult offspring 15 years after participation and identified mediational cascade pathways. One hundred fifty-six parents and their 244 offspring participated. Data were collected at pretest (ages 8–16), posttest, and six- and 15-year follow-ups. Ethnicity of offspring was: 67% non-Hispanic Caucasian, 16% Hispanic, 7% African American, 3% Native American, 1% Asian or Pacific Islander, and 6% other; 54% were males. There was a direct effect of the FBP on attitudes toward physical punishment; offspring in the FBP had less favorable attitudes toward physical punishment. There were also indirect effects of the FBP on parenting attitudes. The results supported a cascade effects model in which intervention-induced improvements in parental warmth led to fewer externalizing problems in adolescence/emerging adulthood, which in turn led to less favorable attitudes toward physical punishment. In addition, intervention-induced improvements in parental warmth led to improvements in anxious romantic attachment in mid-to-late adolescence/emerging adulthood, which led to more favorable attitudes toward parental warmth in emerging/young adulthood. These findings suggest that the effects of relatively brief prevention programs may persist into subsequent generations.