bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polarisability and magnetisation of electrically K-mouflaged objects: the Born-Infeld ModMax case study
Authors: Jiménez Jose Beltrán , Bettoni Dario , Brax Philippe
Published: February 2023

Abstract

We consider a family of non-linear theories of electromagnetism that interpolate between Born-Infeld at small distances and the recently introduced ModMax at large distances. These models are duality invariant and feature a K-mouflage screening in the Born-Infeld regime. We focus on computing the static perturbations around a point-like screened charge in terms of two decoupled scalar potentials describing the polar and the axial sectors respectively. Duality invariance imposes that the propagation speed of the odd perturbations goes to zero as fast as the effective screened charge of the object, potentially leading to strong coupling and an obstruction to the viability of the EFT below the screened radius. We then consider the linear response to external fields and compute the electric polarisability and the magnetic susceptibility. Imposing regularity of the perturbations at the position of the particle, we find that the polarisability for the odd multipoles vanishes whilst for the magnetisation Born-Infeld emerges as the only theory with vanishing susceptibility for even multipoles. The perturbation equations factorise in terms of ladder operators connecting different multipoles. There are two such ladder structures for the even sector: one that acts as an automorphism between the first four multipoles and another one that connects multipoles separated by four units. When requiring a similar ladder structure for the odd sector, Born-Infeld arises again as the unique theory. We use this ladder structure to relate the vanishing of the polarisability and the susceptibility to the values of conserved charges. Finally the perturbation equations correspond to a supersymmetric quantum mechanical system such that the polar sector can be described in terms of Schrödinger’s equations with four generalised hyperbolic Pösch-Teller potentials whose eigenfunctions are in correspondence with the multipoles.
Dispersive analysis of Λb → Λ(1520) local form factors
Authors: Amhis Yasmine , Bordone Marzia , Reboud Méril
Published: February 2023

Abstract

We perform an analysis of Λb → Λ(1520) local form factors. We use dispersive techniques to provide a model-independent parametrisation of the form factors that can be used in the whole kinematic region. We use lattice QCD data to constrain the free parameters in the form factors expansion, which is further constrained by endpoint relations, dispersive bounds, and SCET relations. We analyse different scenarios, where we expand the form factors up to different orders, and their viability. Finally, we use our results to obtain predictions for some observables in Λb → Λ(1520)ℓ+ℓ− decays, as the differential branching ratio, the forward-backwards lepton asymmetry and the branching ratio of Λb → Λ(1520)γ. Finally, we provide a python notebook based on the software EOS to reproduce our result.
Interoperabilität im Digital Farming – Status quo und zukünftige Herausforderungen
Authors: Doerr Joerg , Favier Marc , Moehrle Felix
Published: February 2023

In diesem Artikel werfen wir einen Blick auf die Interoperabilität in der Landwirtschaft. Interoperabilität beschreibt die Fähigkeit von Systemen und Geräten (insbesondere auch unterschiedlicher Hersteller), miteinander zu kommunizieren und Daten auszutauschen. Gerade in der Landwirtschaft sind viele Akteure beteiligt, und es gibt eine Vielzahl von Daten und digitalen Lösungen, um diese zu sammeln und zu verarbeiten. Wir beleuchten den aktuellen Stand der Interoperabilität dieser Systeme und gehen auf die größten Probleme ein, wie den Mangel an Standards und die große Zahl individueller Insellösungen. Wir diskutieren verschiedene Ansätze und Initiativen zur Verbesserung der Interoperabilität und die zu erwartenden Vorteile. Schließlich gehen wir auf die zukünftig zu bewältigenden Herausforderungen ein.
The trade-off between health system resiliency and efficiency: evidence from COVID-19 in European regions
Authors: Almeida Alvaro
Published: February 2023

The objective of this paper was to investigate the existence of a trade-off between health system resilience and the economic efficiency of the health system, using data for 173 regions in the European Union and the European Free Trade Association countries. Data Envelopment Analysis was used to measure the efficiency of regional health systems before the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, a spatial econometrics model was used to estimate whether this measure of efficiency, adjusted for several covariates, has a significant impact on regional health system resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, measured by the number of COVID-19 deaths per hundred thousand inhabitants. The results show that COVID-19 death rates were significantly higher in regions with higher population density, higher share of employment in industry, and higher share of women in the population. Results also show that regions with higher values of the health system efficiency index in 2017 had significantly higher rates of COVID-19 deaths in 2020 and 2021, suggesting the existence of a trade-off between health system efficiency and health system resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fission, Self-Interest and Commonsense Ethics
Authors: Noonan Harold
Published: February 2023

Jacob Ross argues that the fission cases discussed in the personal identity literature cannot be accommodated without rejecting basic intuitions of everyday ethical thinking. He notes that many philosophers have responded to the challenge of fission ‘by rejecting the metaphysical assumptions on which it rests’. In particular, that many have denied that in fission one ceases to exist. He contends that these denials do not meet the challenge to commonsense ethical thinking. I reject these claims. One of the metaphysical views he considers is the multiple occupancy view of Lewis and Robinson, according to which in fission there are all along two numerically distinct, initially collocated, persons. I claim that Ross has not shown that this view has counterintuitive ethical implications.
How Far Do We Self-legislate?
Authors: Baiasu Sorin
Published: February 2023

In his early writings, Kant regarded the autonomy of the will as the supreme principle of morality, as well as the sole principle of all moral laws and of the duties conforming to them. Nevertheless, this impressively sounding principle gradually disappeared from the later Kant’s texts, and there is not much in the literature to explain why. Pauline Kleingeld’s purpose, in the two articles I consider here, is to address this lacuna and to show that there are good philosophical reasons for this principle’s gradual disappearance from the Kantian framework. One of my aims, in this paper, is to formulate and argue for several reservations about Kleingeld’s argument; however, even if these reservations turn out to be apposite, my claim is not that Kant did not actually abandon the Principle of Autonomy; instead, I argue that, even if Kleingeld were right and Kant had abandoned the Principle of Autonomy, he would still not have needed to.
Overcoming Conflicting Definitions of “Euthanasia,” and of “Assisted Suicide,” Through a Value-Neutral Taxonomy of “End-Of-Life Practices”
Authors: Riisfeldt Thomas D.
Published: February 2023

The term “euthanasia” is used in conflicting ways in the bioethical literature, as is the term “assisted suicide,” resulting in definitional confusion, ambiguities, and biases which are counterproductive to ethical and legal discourse. I aim to rectify this problem in two parts. Firstly, I explore a range of conflicting definitions and identify six disputed definitional factors, based on distinctions between (1) killing versus letting die, (2) fully intended versus partially intended versus merely foreseen deaths, (3) voluntary versus nonvoluntary versus involuntary decisions, (4) terminally ill versus non-terminally ill patients, (5) patients who are fully conscious versus those in permanent comas or persistent vegetative states, and (6) patients who are suffering versus those who are not. Secondly, I distil these factors into six “building blocks” and combine them to develop an unambiguous, value-neutral taxonomy of “end-of-life practices.” I hope that this taxonomy provides much-needed clarification and a solid foundation for future ethical and legal discourse.
Development and photo-properties and intracellular behavior of visible-light-responsive molecule localizing to organelles of living cell
Authors: Shioji Kosei , Ozaki Masashi , Kasai Kasumi , Iwashita Hidefumi , Nagahora Noriyoshi , Okuma Kentaro
Published: February 2023

Visible-light-responsive azobenzene derivative in which a functional group having cell membrane permeability and a fluorophore were bonded was synthesized. This compound localized to the hydrophobic part in the lipid membrane of the liposome, and when the light corresponding to the transition absorption of azobenzene was irradiated, morphological change of the liposome was observed. When this compound was loaded into living cells, this molecule localized to the lysosome and when irradiated with light of the same wavelength caused cell death. These observed changes are thought to be due to photoisomerization of azobenzene derivatives.

Graphical abstract
One is the loneliest number: Involuntary celibacy (incel), mental health, and loneliness
Authors: Sparks Brandon , Zidenberg Alexandra M. , Olver Mark E.
Published: February 2023

Incels—a ragtag collection of young males who have rallied around their shared experience of romantic rejection—have slowly emerged as an online group of interest to researchers, no doubt as a result of several high-profile attacks. Much of this work has centered around incels’ dating experiences, sexual attitudes, and online forums. However, it is possible that their moniker, short for involuntary celibate, has resulted in an overemphasis on their sexual exclusion and frustration. Recent work has identified social isolation as a key aspect of inceldom, which may help explain why incels have responded negatively to romantic rejection. The present study thus sought to examine the role of social support and loneliness in experiences of rejection in a sample of incel (n = 67) and non-incel (n = 103) men. Results indicated that incels experience more feelings of loneliness and less social supports than non-incel men. Both of these variables were associated with multiple mental and relational health issues that incels also scored more highly on. Further, incels reported using more solitary and problematic coping mechanisms. These results suggest that incels may be missing a key buffer in sheltering them from the adverse effects of romantic rejection. It also extends previous findings highlighting the importance of attachment styles in differentiating incels from non-incels, which may perpetuate feelings of isolation. Implications for how this may relate to incel discourse and clinical interventions are discussed.
Are older teens more frustrated than younger teens by the covid-19 restrictions? The role of psychological maturity, personality traits, depression and life satisfaction
Authors: Morales-Vives Fabia , Ferrando Pere J. , Dueñas Jorge-M. , Martín-Arbós Sergi , Varea M. Dolores , Castarlenas Elena
Published: February 2023

Many studies have shown the negative impact of lockdowns on adolescents, but there is less evidence on how they are affected by other stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and, especially, whether there are any differences between early and late adolescence. The current study focuses on the frustration felt by adolescents because of the severe COVID-19 restrictions in a non-lockdown situation. We aimed to (a) assess the role of maturity and two personality traits (emotional stability and extraversion) in predicting their frustration, and (b) compare the levels of frustration, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction in older and younger adolescents. The sample of older adolescents was also compared with a paired sample of the same age collected in 2018, before the pandemic. The results suggest that maturity, extraversion and emotional stability are predictors of frustration in both older and younger adolescents, although older adolescents reported higher levels of frustration and depressive symptoms, and lower levels of life satisfaction. Older adolescents also reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than adolescents of the same age before the pandemic. These results show the negative impact of the pandemic, especially on older adolescents, and the important role of maturity and some personality traits in predicting their frustration.
On the Asymptotic Expansions of the Proper Harmonic Maps Between Balls in Bergman Metrics
Authors: Chen Ren-Yu , Li Song-Ying , Luo Jie
Published: February 2023

Let $$B_n$$

B
n

be the unit ball in "Equation missing" with the Bergman metric g and h is the Bergman metric on $$B_m$$

B
m

. Let $$u: (B_n, g)\rightarrow (B_m, h)$$

u
:

(

B
n

,
g
)

→

(

B
m

,
h
)

be any harmonic map with $$\phi _0=u|_{\partial B_n}\in C^\infty (\partial B_n, \partial B_m)$$

ϕ
0

=
u
|

∂

B
n

∈

C
∞

(
∂

B
n

,
∂

B
m

)

. In this paper, we provide an asymptotic expansion formula for the above harmonic map u for a large class of $$\phi _0\in C^\infty (\partial B_n, \partial B_m)$$

ϕ
0

∈

C
∞

(
∂

B
n

,
∂

B
m

)

.
Projections of SDEs onto submanifolds
Authors: Armstrong John , Brigo Damiano , Ferrucci Emilio
Published: February 2023

In Armstrong et al. (Proc Lond Math Soc (3) 119(1):176–213, 2019) the authors define three projections of $${\mathbb {R}}^d$$

R

d

-valued stochastic differential equations (SDEs) onto submanifolds: the Stratonovich, Itô-vector and Itô-jet projections. In this paper, after a brief survey of SDEs on manifolds, we begin by giving these projections a natural, coordinate-free description, each in terms of a specific representation of manifold-valued SDEs. We proceed by deriving formulae for the three projections in ambient $${\mathbb {R}}^d$$

R

d

-coordinates. We use these to show that the Itô-vector and Itô-jet projections satisfy respectively a weak and mean-square optimality criterion “for small t”: this is achieved by solving constrained optimisation problems. These results confirm, but do not rely on the approach taken in Armstrong et al. (Proc Lond Math Soc (3) 119(1):176–213, 2019), which is formulated in terms of weak and strong Itô–Taylor expansions. In the final section we exhibit examples showing how the three projections can differ, and explore alternative notions of optimality.
Gender and communication in children and school: aligning theory and evidence
Authors: Kilby Ben
Published: February 2023

There are many ways in which communication practices can be gendered. It is important to recognise and understand how, why, and in what contexts these can be observed. This paper focusses specifically on children and the context of formal schooling, analysing the empirical data and connecting it with theoretical analyses to provide an overall picture of gendered communication amongst children in educational contexts, especially with regard to classroom discussion. This paper demonstrates that masculine dominance in communication is present in children’s communication, and explanations for this occurrence fall on traditional gender stereotypes that still linger, to greater and lesser degrees, in all parts of our society, including education. Therefore, it is incumbent upon educators to be aware of this threat to gender equitable learning and plan accordingly.
A Nation of Petitioners
Authors: Miller Henry J.
Published: February 2023

Between 1780 and 1918, over one million petitions from across the four nations were sent to the House of Commons. A Nation of Petitioners is the first study of this nineteenth-century heyday of petitioning in the United Kingdom. It explores how ordinary men and women engaged with politics in an era of democratisation, but not democracy, and restores their voices and actions to the story of UK political culture. Drawing on more than a million petitions, as well as archives of leading politicians, institutions, and pressure groups, Henry J. Miller demonstrates the centrality of petitions and petitioning to mass campaigning, representation, collective action, and forging collective identities at the local and national level. From the early nineteenth century, the massive growth of petitions underpinned and reshaped the popular authority of the UK state, including Parliament, the monarchy, and government. Challenging accounts that have stressed disciplinary or exclusionary processes in the evolution of popular politics, A Nation of Petitioners conclusively establishes the importance of the mass participation of ordinary people through petitions.
Constructing Political Expertise in the News
Authors: Searles Kathleen , Krupnikov Yanna , Ryan John Barry , Style Hillary
Published: February 2023

Expert news sources offer context and act as translators, communicating complex policy issues to the public. Therefore, these sources have implications for who, and what is elevated and legitimized by news coverage. This element considers patterns in expert sources, focusing on a particular area of expertise: politics. As a starting point, it conducts a content analysis tracking which types of political experts are most likely to be interviewed, using this analysis to explain patterns in expert sourcing. Building on the source data, it next conducts experiments and surveys of journalists to consider demand for expert sources. Finally, shifting the analysis to the supply of expert sources, it turns to a survey of faculty to track expert experiences with journalists. Jointly, the results suggest underlying patterns in expert sourcing is a tension between journalists' preferences, the time constraints of producing news, and the preferences of the experts themselves.
An Archaeological Perspective on the History of Technology
Authors: Pollard A. Mark , Gosden Chris
Published: February 2023

This volume represents an introduction to a new world-wide attempt to review the history of technology, which is one of few since the pioneering publications of the 1960s. It takes an explicit archaeological focus to the study of the history of technology and adopts a more explicit socially-embedded view of technology than has commonly been the case in mainstream histories of technology. In doing so, it attempts to introduce a more radical element to explanations of technological change, involving magic, alchemy, animism – in other words, attempting to consider technological change in terms of the 'world view' of those involved in such change rather than from an exclusively western scientific perspective.
Athletes and Artists in the Roman Empire
Authors: Fauconnier Bram
Published: February 2023

This is the first comprehensive study of the associations of athletes and artists in the Roman empire. The xystic synod of athletes and the thymelic synod of artists were the only ancient associations that operated on a pan-Mediterranean scale. They were active from southern Gaul to Syria and Egypt and were therefore styled 'ecumenical synods'. They played a key role in Greek festival culture during the imperial period: not only did they defend the professional interests of their members, they also contributed to the organisation of competitions and the maintenance of the festival network. Due to their cultural activities, their connections with the imperial court and their ramified social networks, they left a distinctive stamp on Greco-Roman elite culture during the Principate. Drawing on all available documentation, this book offers new insights into the history and workings of these remarkable associations.
An Introduction to the EU Legal Order
Authors: Muir Elise
Published: February 2023

Carefully structured and supported with a wealth of examples, Elise Muir provides a clear, concise introduction to the EU legal order. Drawing upon her years of teaching experience, Muir outlines the history of the EU, its key actors, modes of action and its daily relevance. Offering students and instructors an up-to-date textbook, Muir pays attention to the latest developments, including the impacts of Brexit and the Covid-19 crisis. Written for students from a range of disciplines and levels of study, this book explains how the EU legal order works. Muir illuminates the complex and technical areas of EU institutional law through explanatory illustrations, schemes, and textboxes. With this engaging and accessible resource, students will be well-equipped to understand the fundamentals and functioning of the EU legal order.
Metalinguistic Awareness in Second Language Reading Development
Authors: Ke Sihui Echo , Zhang Dongbo , Koda Keiko
Published: February 2023

This Element aims to address the complexity of metalinguistic awareness to achieve a thorough account of its impacts on second language (L2) reading development and promote an in-depth understanding of the factors regulating the influence of first language (L1) metalinguistic awareness on L2 reading. It is guided by four questions: 1) To what extent do L1 phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness correlate with L2 phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness in L2 readers? 2) To what extent do phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness correlate with word decoding intralingually in L2 readers? 3) To what extent do L1 phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness correlate with L2 word decoding in L2 readers? 4) To what extent do the relations in questions 1–3 vary as a function of linguistic-, learner-, measurement-, and instruction-related factors? This Element is the first to systematically investigate the roles of distinct facets of metalinguistic awareness in L2 reading.
Prescribed daily-dose–based metrics of oral antibiotic use for hospitalized children in Japan
Authors: Mimura Wataru , Shinjo Daisuke , Shoji Kensuke , Fushimi Kiyohide
Published: February 2023

Objective:

Defined daily-dose (DDD)–based metrics are frequently used to measure antibiotic consumption. However, they are unsuitable for the pediatric population because they are defined using the maintenance dose for 70-kg adults. Moreover, children have large body weight variations. We assessed the prescribed daily dose (PDD) and PDD-based metrics of oral antibiotics for children to develop an alternative to DDD-based metrics in Japan.

Design:

We performed observational study using data from the Japanese administrative claims database between April 2018 and March 2019.

Methods:

Of 453,001 patients (aged 1 month–15 years), 564,326 admissions to 1,159 hospitals were included. We showed the median PDD (mg/day and mg/kg/day) and PDD-based metrics for 8 antibiotics for each age category (1 month to <1 year old and 1–6, 7–12, and 13–15 years old). We also assessed the relationship between PDD-based metrics and days of therapy (DOT)–based metrics using a scatter plot and correlation.

Results:

In total, 86,389 patients (19.1%) were prescribed oral antibiotics; amoxicillin, macrolides, and third-generation cephalosporins were the most common. The PDD (mg/day) for each antibiotic increased with age to 7–12 years old, when an adult dose was reached. The PDD (mg/kg/day) decreased with age to 13–15 years old, due to increasing body weight. The relationship between PDD per 1,000 patient days and DOT per 1,000 patient days differed depending on the antibiotic.

Conclusions:

PDD-based metrics stratified by age could characterize antibiotic consumption, even with body-weight variations. Therefore, PDD-based metrics, in addition to DOT-based metrics, are helpful benchmarks for antibiotic use in children.
The megathermal ant genus Gesomyrmex (Formicidae: Formicinae), palaeoindicator of wide latitudinal biome homogeneity during the PETM
Authors: Aria Cédric , Jouault Corentin , Perrichot Vincent , Nel André
Published: February 2023

The Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is one of the most important Cenozoic climatic events shaping modern biodiversity, yet reconstructions of its palaeobiomes remain controversial. Here we describe Gesomyrmex gallicus sp. nov., a new, extinct species of the ant genus Gesomyrmex Mayr, 1868, based on minor and major workers preserved in the early Eocene amber of Oise, France. Although there are only seven known extant species in the genus, all confined to warm and humid forests of SE Asia, the fossil record of Gesomyrmex indicates that the genus once radiated across Eurasia. The new species therefore provides direct evidence that this radiation likely co-occurred with the PETM. This observation constrains palaeoclimatic reconstructions of the Early Eocene by requiring the presence of an extensive, homogeneous and interconnected rainforest-like biome across palaeo-Eurasia, a scenario otherwise corroborated by pollen assemblages. The phases of regression of warm and humid forests and the widening of dry biomes probably occurred later during the Eocene, in between hyperthermals, and were probably less extensive than some computer models predicted.
Loose Cannons: War Veterans and the Erosion of Democracy in Weimar Germany
Authors: Koenig Christoph
Published: February 2023

This article shows that democracy in Weimar Germany was eroded by the political legacy of WWI. Using novel data on WWI veterans and an election panel from 1893–1933, I find that former soldiers are associated with a sizeable, persistent, and momentous shift in political preferences from left to right. I provide suggestive evidence that war participation made veterans highly receptive to nationalism and Anti-Communism. This alienated them from leftwing parties and drove the majority toward the political right. Contrary to historical accounts, veterans’ shifts in political preferences cannot be explained by exposure to violence or other polarizing post-war events.
Metabotyping: a tool for identifying subgroups for tailored nutrition advice
Authors: Hillesheim Elaine , Brennan Lorraine
Published: February 2023

Diet-related diseases are the leading cause of death globally and strategies to tailor effective nutrition advice are required. Personalised nutrition advice is increasingly recognised as more effective than population-level advice to improve dietary intake and health outcomes. A potential tool to deliver personalised nutrition advice is metabotyping which groups individuals into homogeneous subgroups (metabotypes) using metabolic profiles. In summary, metabotyping has been successfully employed in human nutrition research to identify subgroups of individuals with differential responses to dietary challenges and interventions and diet–disease associations. The suitability of metabotyping to identify clinically relevant subgroups is corroborated by other fields such as diabetes research where metabolic profiling has been intensely used to identify subgroups of patients that display patterns of disease progression and complications. However, there is a paucity of studies examining the efficacy of the approach to improve dietary intake and health parameters. While the application of metabotypes to tailor and deliver nutrition advice is very promising, further evidence from randomised controlled trials is necessary for further development and acceptance of the approach.
Philanthropic Foundations and Institutional Change under Rigid Authoritarianism: Exploring the Ford Foundation’s Historical Grantmaking in the Chinese Family Planning Field (1991–2005)
Authors: Hu Yanfei , Hilson Gavin
Published: February 2023

Philanthropic foundations are important agents of global policy transfer. While scholars have explored foundations’ policy roles in a range of contexts, we know relatively little about how they transfer policies and instigate institutional change under rigid authoritarianism – fields in which the state maintains centralized control and excludes other actors. This paper seeks to bridge this gap through analysis of a case study of the Ford Foundation’s grantmaking in the Chinese family planning field during a period of rigid authoritarian control (1991-2005). We find the Foundation stimulated the transfer of the Western “reproductive health” policy through two mechanisms: 1) incentivising elite researchers to conduct scientific research on rural women that was previously left “undone”; and 2) partnering with peripheral state actors for localised experimentations and gradually gaining access to central policymakers to encourage national policy innovation. We also discuss the contingencies and ambivalences of the Foundation’s influence under rigid authoritarianism.
Revisiting Western United States Hydroclimate During the Last Deglaciation
Authors: Fu Minmin
Published: February 2023

During the last ice age, the western United States was covered by large lakes, sustained partly by higher levels of precipitation. Increased rainfall was driven by the atmospheric circulation associated with the presence of large North American ice sheets, yet Pleistocene lakes generally reached their highstands not at glacial maximum but during deglaciation. Prior modeling studies, however, showed nearly monotonic drying since the last glacial maximum. Here I show that iTraCE, a new transient climate simulation of the last deglaciation, reproduces a robust peak in winter rainfall over the Great Basin near 16 ka. The simulated peak is driven by a transient strengthening and southward shift of the midlatitude jet. While meltwater forcing is an important driver of changes to the North Pacific Jet, changing orbital conditions and rising atmospheric CO2 also shift the jet south and contribute to wetter conditions over the western US during deglaciation.
Global Characteristics of Improved Interhemispheric Field‐Aligned Currents and of F‐Region Meridional Currents Observed by the Swarm Dual‐Spacecraft
Authors: Wang Fengjue , Lühr Hermann , Xiong Chao , Park Jaeheung , Zhou Yunliang
Published: February 2023

The Swarm satellite constellation provides an excellent opportunity to explore ionospheric current systems. In this study, we have reanalyzed the ionospheric currents derived by the Swarm dual‐satellite approach, to investigate the characteristic of inter‐hemispheric field‐aligned currents (IHFAC). One major improvement is that the influence of the ambient magnetic field on the IHFAC intensity has been taken into account, and the derived IHFAC densities are normalized to their ionospheric E‐region footprints. In addition, we have extended the analysis to the middle latitudes within ±60° MLat, which show IHFAC features different from those at low latitudes. For the first time the tidal features at mid‐latitudes are studied. They are dominated by longitudinal wave‐1 and wave‐2 patterns. A superposition of these tidal components reflects a confinement of the IHFAC tidal modulation to daytime in the western hemisphere. The tidal signatures at middle latitudes are better organized in universal time than in local time. The strongest IHFACs are appearing around 18–19 UT, near noon in the American sector. This is related to the overlap with the South Atlantic Anomaly. For the first time we define and analyze the F‐region meridional currents (FMC), interpreting the remaining part of the ionospheric radial current (IRC), which is not covered by IHFAC. The mean FMCs are found to be highly symmetric with respect to the magnetic equator and only amounts to one‐third or half of the IHFAC density, however, they show neither typical longitudinal, diurnal variations, or tidal signatures.
Tidal Dispersion in Short Estuaries
Authors: Garcia Adrian Mikhail P. , Geyer W. Rockwell
Published: February 2023

The salinity distribution of an estuary depends on the balance between the river outflow, which is seaward, and a dispersive salt flux, which is landward. The dispersive salt flux at a fixed cross‐section can be divided into shear dispersion, which is caused by spatial correlations of the cross‐sectionally varying velocity and salinity, and the tidal oscillatory salt flux, which results from the tidal correlation between the cross‐section averaged, tidally varying components of velocity and salinity. The theoretical moving plane analysis of Dronkers and van de Kreeke (1986) indicates that the oscillatory salt flux is exactly equal to the difference between the “local” shear dispersion at a fixed location and the shear dispersion which occurred elsewhere within a tidal excursion; therefore, they refer to the oscillatory salt flux as “nonlocal” dispersion. We apply their moving plane analysis to a numerical model of a short, tidally dominated estuary and provide the first quantitative confirmation of the theoretical result that the spatiotemporal variability of shear dispersion accounts for the oscillatory salt flux. Shear dispersion is localized in space and time due to the tidal variation of currents and the position of the along‐channel salinity distribution with respect to topographic features. We find that dispersion near the mouth contributes strongly to the salt balance, especially under strong river and tidal forcing. Additionally, while vertical shear dispersion produces the majority of dispersive salt flux during neap tide and high flow, lateral mechanisms provide the dominant mode of dispersion during spring tide and low flow.
Changes in the Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopic Signatures of Irradiated Organic‐Mineral Mixtures: Implications for Molecular Biosignature Detection on Mars
Authors: Fox A. C. , Jakubek R. S. , Eigenbrode J. L.
Published: February 2023

The search for potential molecular biosignatures on Mars is complicated by its harsh radiation environment that can alter or destroy the primary molecular features diagnostic of an organic compound's origins. In this work, mixtures of Mars‐relevant minerals and organic material representing different types and different chemical states of sedimentary organic material common in the terrestrial geologic record were irradiated with 200 MeV protons to simulate the effect of exposure to galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles over geological timescales and characterized using a deep UV Raman and fluorescence spectrometer analogous to the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover. We found that exposure to ionizing radiation generally results in the loss of molecular features diagnostic of an organic material's origins in favor of increasingly aromatic compounds or macromolecules. However, these radiolytic effects can be mitigated by the formation of macromolecular structures that are more resistant to radiolysis compared to individual compounds, and potentially through associations with specific minerals that enable increased polymerization. Based on these results, rocks observed by the SHERLOC instrument with fluorescence or Raman features associated with non‐aromatic molecular features and/or kerogen‐like structures may indicate less radiolytically damaged organic material that should be prioritized for return as it may retain some primary, diagnostic molecular features.
STAEBLE: A Surface‐Temperature‐ and Available‐Energy‐Based Lake Evaporation Model
Authors: Dias Nelson Luís , Hoeltgebaum Lucas E. B. , Santos Irani
Published: February 2023

A mass transfer evaporation model is proposed that uses MODIS water surface temperature data and land‐based meteorological data, and employs a new approach to calibrate the transfer coefficient via closure of the long‐term energy budget of the lake. Some of the longstanding issues of developing and applying lake evaporation models are reviewed, including the adequacy of using land‐based meteorological data, the difficulty of applying transfer coefficients with fixed values calibrated elsewhere, and the need to estimate rates of change of stored enthalpy when the model involves energy budget concepts. Publicly available data from a 5‐year measurement campaign at Lake Mead allow quantification of the effect of using land‐based data, and subsequent testing of the proposed model. We show that atmospheric stability effects are very important, and that their incorporation by means of existing stability functions in the literature produces good results with a one‐parameter model that can be locally calibrated with the same input data used by the model, without the need for local measurements. The model is simple in its structure and data requirements, and can be widely applied.
Life history strategies among soil bacteria—dichotomy for few, continuum for many
Authors: Stone Bram W G , Dijkstra Paul , Finley Brianna K , Fitzpatrick Raina , Foley Megan M , Hayer Michaela , Hofmockel Kirsten S , Koch Benjamin J , Li Junhui , Liu Xiao Jun A , Martinez Ayla , Mau Rebecca L , Marks Jane , Monsaint-Queeney Victoria , Morrissey Ember M , Propster Jeffrey , Pett-Ridge Jennifer , Purcell Alicia M , Schwartz Egbert , Hungate Bruce A
Published: February 2023

Study of life history strategies may help predict the performance of microorganisms in nature by organizing the complexity of microbial communities into groups of organisms with similar strategies. Here, we tested the extent that one common application of life history theory, the copiotroph-oligotroph framework, could predict the relative population growth rate of bacterial taxa in soils from four different ecosystems. We measured the change of in situ relative growth rate to added glucose and ammonium using both 18O–H2O and 13C quantitative stable isotope probing to test whether bacterial taxa sorted into copiotrophic and oligotrophic groups. We saw considerable overlap in nutrient responses across most bacteria regardless of phyla, with many taxa growing slowly and few taxa that grew quickly. To define plausible life history boundaries based on in situ relative growth rates, we applied Gaussian mixture models to organisms’ joint 18O–13C signatures and found that across experimental replicates, few taxa could consistently be assigned as copiotrophs, despite their potential for fast growth. When life history classifications were assigned based on average relative growth rate at varying taxonomic levels, finer resolutions (e.g., genus level) were significantly more effective in capturing changes in nutrient response than broad taxonomic resolution (e.g., phylum level). Our results demonstrate the difficulty in generalizing bacterial life history strategies to broad lineages, and even to single organisms across a range of soils and experimental conditions. We conclude that there is a continued need for the direct measurement of microbial communities in soil to advance ecologically realistic frameworks.
1H DOSY analysis of high molecular weight acrylamide-based copolymer electrolytes using an inverse-geometry diffusion probe
Authors: Watanabe Kazuya , Matsushita Hiroyuki , Takamatsu Kyosuke , Ute Koichi
Published: February 2023

Copolymers of [2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (AETAC) and acrylamide (AAm) (AETAC-co-AAm) are polyelectrolytes used as flocculants in wastewater purification. Diffusion-ordered two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) experiments for AETAC-co-AAm samples with Mw ranging from 1.9 to 3.9 million and a polyacrylamide sample with Mw of 1.3 million were carried out in pure D2O and in D2O containing 0.1 or 1 M NaCl using an inverse-geometry diffusion probe system. Projections of the DOSY contour plots onto the diffusion coefficient (D) dimension gave distributions of D for the AETAC and AAm units in the samples. The D values at the maximum point of the distribution (Dp) agreed fairly well with those determined by dynamic light scattering.
Cu(In,Ga)Se2 based ultrathin solar cells the pathway from lab rigid to large scale flexible technology
Authors: Lopes T. S. , Teixeira J. P. , Curado M. A. , Ferreira B. R. , Oliveira A. J. N. , Cunha J. M. V. , Monteiro M. , Violas A. , Barbosa J. R. S. , Sousa P. C. , Çaha I. , Borme J. , Oliveira K. , Ring J. , Chen W. C. , Zhou Y. , Takei K. , Niemi E. , Deepak F. L. , Edoff M. , Brammertz G. , Fernandes P. A. , Vermang B. , Salomé P. M. P.
Published: February 2023

The incorporation of interface passivation structures in ultrathin Cu(In,Ga)Se2based solar cells is shown. The fabrication used an industry scalable lithography technique—nanoimprint lithography (NIL)—for a 15 × 15 cm2dielectric layer patterning. Devices with a NIL nanopatterned dielectric layer are benchmarked against electron-beam lithography (EBL) patterning, using rigid substrates. The NIL patterned device shows similar performance to the EBL patterned device.The impact of the lithographic processes in the rigid solar cells’ performance were evaluated via X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and through a Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator. The device on stainless-steel showed a slightly lower performance than the rigid approach, due to additional challenges of processing steel substrates, even though scanning transmission electron microscopy did not show clear evidence of impurity diffusion. Notwithstanding, time-resolved photoluminescence results strongly suggested elemental diffusion from the flexible substrate. Nevertheless, bending tests on the stainless-steel device demonstrated the mechanical stability of the CIGS-based device.
Matrix-entrapped fibers create ecological niches for gut bacterial growth
Authors: Bulut Nuseybe , Cantu-Jungles Thaisa M. , Zhang Xiaowei , Mutlu Zeynep , Cakmak Mukerrem , Hamaker Bruce R.
Published: February 2023

Insoluble plant cell walls are a main source of dietary fiber. Both chemical and physical fiber structures create distinct niches for gut bacterial utilization. Here, we have taken key fermentable solubilized polysaccharides of plant cell walls and fabricated them back into cell wall-like film forms to understand how fiber physical structure directs gut bacterial fermentation outcomes. Solubilized corn bran arabinoxylan (Cax), extracted to retain some ferulate residues, was covalently linked using laccase to form an insoluble cell wall-like film (Cax-F) that was further embedded with pectin (CaxP-F). In vitro fecal fermentation using gut microbiota from three donors was performed on the films and soluble fibers. Depending on the donor, CaxP-F led to higher relative abundance of recognized beneficial bacteria and/or butyrate producers—Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium halii, unassigned Lachnospiraceae, Blautia, and Anaerostipes—than free pectin and Cax, and Cax-F. Thus, physical form and location of fibers within cell walls form niches for some health-related gut bacteria. This work brings a new understanding of the importance of insoluble cell wall-associated fibers and shows that targeted fiber materials can be fabricated to support important gut microbiota taxa and metabolites of health significance.
Association of combustible cigarettes and heated tobacco products use with SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 in Japan: a JASTIS 2022 cross-sectional study
Authors: Nishimura Misako , Asai Kazuhisa , Tabuchi Takahiro , Toyokura Erika , Kawai Takahiro , Miyamoto Atsushi , Watanabe Tetsuya , Kawaguchi Tomoya
Published: February 2023

Insufficient evidence has been accumulated regarding associations of heated tobacco products (HTPs) use with coronavirus infection and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an ongoing pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from an internet questionnaire administered in February 2022 to 30,130 individuals from the general Japanese population (age range, 16–81 years). Single users of HTPs and dual users of combustible cigarettes and HTPs comprised 5.2% and 7.3% of respondents, and 6.7% and 38.0% of those infected (n = 1117). Approximately 70% of infected dual users experienced severe disease. Single users of HTPs and dual users were more likely to be infected with coronavirus than never-users (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.65/4.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26–2.15/3.89–5.58). Regarding severity, former and current tobacco users (former/combustible cigarettes/HTPs: aOR = 1.88/3.17/1.90; 95%CI 1.11–3.19/1.77–5.67/1.01–3.59) were more likely to be administered oxygen than never-users, and dual users required oxygen administration the most (aOR = 4.15, 95%CI 2.70–6.36). Use of HTPs may increase risks of coronavirus infection and severe COVID-19. Our results provide an opportunity to consider the safety of tobacco products use, including HTPs, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Molecular evolutionary insight of structural zinc atom in yeast xylitol dehydrogenases and its application in bioethanol production by lignocellulosic biomass
Authors: Yoshiwara Kentaroh , Watanabe Seiya , Watanabe Yasunori
Published: February 2023

Xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) catalyzes the NAD+-dependent oxidization of xylitol into d-xylulose, and belongs to a zinc-dependent medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family. This protein family consists of enzymes with one or two zinc atoms per subunit, among which catalytic zinc is necessary for the activity. Among many XDHs from yeast and fungi, XDH from Pichia stipitis is one of the key enzymes for bioethanol production by lignocellulosic biomass, and possesses only a catalytic zinc atom. Despite its importance in bioindustry, a structural data of XDH has not yet been available, and little insight into the role of a second zinc atom in this protein family is known. We herein report the crystal structure of XDH from P. stipitis using a thermostabilized mutant. In the refined structure, a second zinc atom clearly coordinated with four artificially introduced cysteine ligands. Homologous mutations in XDH from Saccharomyces cerevisiae also stabilized and enhanced activity. The substitution of each of the four cysteine ligands with an aspartate in XDH from Schizosaccharomyces pombe contributed to the significantly better maintenance of activity and thermostability than their substitution with a serine, providing a novel hypothesis for how this zinc atom was eliminated.
Model-independent embedding of directed networks into Euclidean and hyperbolic spaces
Authors: Kovács Bianka , Palla Gergely
Published: February 2023

The arrangement of network nodes in hyperbolic spaces has become a widely studied problem, motivated by numerous results suggesting the existence of hidden metric spaces behind the structure of complex networks. Although several methods have already been developed for the hyperbolic embedding of undirected networks, approaches able to deal with directed networks are still in their infancy. Here, we present a framework based on the dimension reduction of proximity matrices reflecting the network topology, coupled with a general conversion method transforming Euclidean node coordinates into hyperbolic ones even for directed networks. While proposing a measure of proximity based on the shortest path length, we also incorporate an earlier Euclidean embedding method in our pipeline, demonstrating the widespread applicability of our Euclidean-hyperbolic conversion. Besides, we introduce a dimension reduction technique that maps the nodes directly into the hyperbolic space of any number of dimensions with the aim of reproducing a distance matrix measured on the given (un)directed network. According to various commonly used quality scores, our methods are capable of producing high-quality embeddings for several real networks.