bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Birational geometry of smooth families of varieties admitting good minimal models
Authors: Taji Behrouz
Published: September 2023

We study families of projective manifolds with good minimal models. After constructing a suitable moduli functor for polarized varieties with canonical singularities, we show that, if not birationally isotrivial, the base spaces of such families support subsheaves of log-pluridifferentials with positive Kodaira dimension. Consequently we prove that, over special base schemes, families of this type can only be birationally isotrivial and, as a result, confirm a conjecture of Kebekus and Kovács.
Experimental study on deterioration of bedrock strength and P-wave velocity by pressurized seawater
Authors: Zhang Qi , Zhang Chenhao , Lin Yifeng , Li Yuanhai , Shen Yixin , Pei Yuechao
Published: September 2023

Bedrock has to be excavated before the construction of rock-socketed pile foundations for offshore wind power turbines, leading to the exposure of fresh and dry rocks to seawater. The pile-rock interface is partially separated under the long-term action of various cyclic loads during the operation stage of offshore wind turbines, and the infusion of seawater will further weaken the bedrock. To comprehensively investigate the deterioration of bedrocks by pressurized seawater, tests on point load strength and slake durability were carried out to study the long-term deterioration of mechanical properties of granite, sandstone, and tuff collected from an offshore wind power farm. The elastic P-wave velocity was measured to analyze the variation trend of P-wave velocity, the mechanism of which was revealed by means of Gassmann’s equation. The results of mechanical experiments indicate that granite is almost impervious to pressurized seawater, while the mechanical properties of sandstone and tuff are deteriorated by water, especially by the pressurized seawater. After 60 days of immersion in seawater at 0.5 MPa pressure, decreasing amplitude of point load strength and slake durability index for the sandstone specimens in seawater reaches 53.2% and 18.5%, respectively, and that for the tuff specimens is 14.6% and 1.52%, respectively. The elastic P-wave velocity of granite shows an upward trend with increasing immersion time in different environments, but there exists a different tendency between the P-wave velocity of sandstone and tuff specimens in water or seawater with normal pressure and that in seawater with 0.5 MPa pressure. The variation of P-wave velocity of different types of rocks is studied based on Gassmann’s equation that takes into account the change of saturation degree, porosity, and compressibility of the matrix material.
Promoting pre- and in-service teachers’ digital competence by using reverse mentoring
Authors: Bertram Victoria , Baier-Mosch Franziska , Dignath Charlotte , Kunter Mareike
Published: September 2023

The study investigated the effectiveness of reverse mentoring as an innovative instructional method to promote pre- and in-service teachers’ digital competence. We conducted a quasi-experimental intervention study with 90 pre-service and 57 in-service teachers who took part in two-day online-workshops. The effectiveness of the reverse mentoring-intervention, where pre- and in-service teachers worked together in pairs to jointly develop ideas for the use of digital technology in the classroom, was compared to collaborative learning formats among peers in university seminars for pre-service teachers (control group 1) and professional development workshops for in-service teachers (control group 2). Technological-pedagogical knowledge (TPK), self-efficacy and positive beliefs about teaching with digital technology were investigated as outcomes. Pre- and in-service teachers in all groups gained in self-efficacy beliefs, whereby reverse mentoring was not more effective than the control conditions. TPK and positive beliefs about teaching with digital technology did not change over the course of the interventions. The results show that pre-service teachers can effectively act as mentors for in-service teachers to support their self-efficacy beliefs regarding the use of digital technology. However, we did not find evidence that reverse mentoring is more effective than peer learning among pre-service and in-service teachers to promote digital competence.
Optimising Textile Biomaterial Selection for Sustainable Product and Circular Design: Practical Guidelines for a Greener Future
Authors: Ferreira Pedro , Apolinário Arlete , Forman Gabriela
Published: September 2023

The article endeavours to establish improved design practices in the development of textile products and explore the utilisation of sustainable materials in the future. Through a comprehensive literature review, valuable information and data were gathered to reflect upon and gain essential knowledge about textile biomaterials. The study aims to address the question of what new skills designers need to acquire in order to effectively select these materials for their projects. Subsequently, by studying and characterising various materials such as biopolymers from the polyester group, natural fibres and next-generation materials, a broader, more robust and clearer understanding of this emerging materiality was achieved. In conjunction with the principles of Design for Sustainability, the study further integrates the concepts of circular economy and bioeconomy, encompassing the extended product life cycle, material flows, dematerialization (recycling and reuse) and judicious use of raw materials. This research has identified critical linkages between material attributes that can significantly influence material selection in the design of a product development process. These insights are pivotal in guiding designers towards informed and pragmatic decision-making, facilitating sustainable and forward-thinking design practices for textile biomaterials. Overall, this article offers valuable insights and practical guidance for designers seeking to incorporate sustainable biomaterials in their projects, thus fostering a more environmentally conscious and innovative approach to textile product development.
Feticide Before Termination of Pregnancy in Singleton Pregnancy – Trends in England and Wales 2012–2020, a Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Schiff Isabelle , Shangaris Panicos , Grinsted Mary , Sankaran Srividhya
Published: September 2023

Feticide is the practice of inducing fetal demise before the termination of pregnancy. In England and Wales, it is recommended for terminations of pregnancy beyond 21+6 weeks of gestation. This project analyses the trends in feticide in singleton pregnancy in England and Wales between 2012 and 2020. This project was a retrospective study that analysed data extracted from the Health and Social Act 4 (HSA4) forms submitted to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The data extracted by the DHSC included the prevalence of feticide, methods of feticide and termination, statutory grounds, gestation, service provider, maternal age, ethnicity and obstetric history. In addition, data analysis was carried out to identify trends. Between 2012 and 2020, there were 9310 feticides in England and Wales, undertaken in 0.5% of all abortions. The prevalence of feticide fluctuated; however, there was an overall decrease from 1084 cases in 2012 to 1000 cases in 2020. Intracardiac injection of potassium chloride was the most frequent method of achieving feticide (67.2%). Just over half (55.8%) of feticides took place under Ground E of the Abortion Act 1967, with the main indication being congenital malformations of the nervous system. Two-fifths (40.2%) of feticides took place at 23 weeks, 22.8% at 22 weeks and 13.5% between 20 and 21 weeks. The remainder occurred at later gestations: 17.5% at 24–29 weeks and 5.9% beyond 29 weeks. During our study period, it was more common for feticides to be carried out as part of a medical termination than a surgical termination and 60.3% occurred in NHS hospitals. Women undergoing feticide were mostly aged 30–34 years (38.3%) and of White ethnicity (78.6%). Feticide is an essential component of comprehensive abortion care for women undergoing late second and third-trimester abortions. This study provides insight into how feticide is carried out in England and Wales and demonstrates the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on reducing feticide prevalence. Future research should analyse in more detail the use of the different methods of feticide.
Black sand as a cost-effective catalyst for methylene blue photo-remediation under visible light
Authors: Aboutaleb Wael A. , Nassar Ibrahim M. , Mahmoud Ragab M. , Marey A. , El-Salamony Radwa A.
Published: September 2023

Methylene blue (MB) is commonly a persistent and perilous pollutant in industrial wastewater effluent. While MB has a massive negative effect on human and ecology safety. The neutralization of such harmful material would save a huge clean water amount. This work proposes the natural and abundant black sand as a catalyst for MB photodegradation. The sand sample was calcined at three temperatures of 300°, 400°, and 600 °C. The properties of samples were analyzed with different micro- as well as spectroscopic techniques. The experimental data revealed the sample's main composition of SiO2, Fe2O3, and Al2O3. XRD and XPS results proved the formation of mixed oxides composites due to calcination, especially at 400 °C. The UV–vis analysis conducted showed that samples can absorb light in the visible range. The photodegradation reached a maximum of 975.3%, 82.7%, and 75.7% for BS400, BS600, and BS300 respectively; by illumination for 2.5 h in the visible range. The observed distinguishable catalytic performance was discussed via the spectroscopic analysis and oxygen availability in the catalyst lattice. When AO, t-BuOH, and BQ are used as scavengers instead of just BQ during the photodegradation of MB dye over BS400 catalyst, the photodegradation rate drops significantly. The degradation % of MB dye diminished to 60%, and 70% by using AO, t-BuOH, and BQ scavengers; respectively. This proved that rather than hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals or positive hole production is the main determining step in MB photo-degradation over BS400 catalyst.
A tripartite evolutionary game analysis of providing subsidies for pick-up/drop-off strategy in carpooling problem
Authors: Yan Zeyuan , Li Li , Zhao Hui , Mualla Yazan , Yasar Ansar
Published: September 2023

Although the pick-up/drop-off (PUDO) strategy in carpooling offers the convenience of short-distance walking for passengers during boarding and disembarking, there is a noticeable hesitancy among commuters to adopt this travel method, despite its numerous benefits. Here, this paper establishes a tripartite evolutionary game theory (EGT) model to verify the evolutionary stability of choosing the PUDO strategy of drivers and passengers and offering subsidies strategy of carpooling platforms in carpooling system. The model presented in this paper serves as a valuable tool for assessing the dissemination and implementation of PUDO strategy and offering subsidies strategy in carpooling applications. Subsequently, an empirical analysis is conducted to examine and compare the sensitivity of the parameters across various scenarios. The findings suggest that: firstly, providing subsidies to passengers and drivers, along with deductions for drivers through carpooling platforms, is an effective way to promote wider adoption of the PUDO strategy. Then, the decision-making process is divided into three stages: initial stage, middle stage, and mature stage. PUDO strategy progresses from initial rejection to widespread acceptance among drivers in the middle stage and, in the mature stage, both passengers and drivers tend to adopt it under carpooling platform subsidies; the factors influencing the costs of waiting and walking times, as well as the subsidies granted to passengers, are essential determinants that require careful consideration by passengers, drivers, and carpooling platforms when choosing the PUDO strategy. Our work provides valuable insight into the PUDO strategy’s applicability and the declared results provide implications for traffic managers and carpooling platforms to offer a suitable incentive.
BAK-up: the receptor kinase BAK-TO-LIFE 2 enhances immunity when BAK1 is lacking
Authors: Fallahzadeh-Mamaghami Vahid , Weber Hannah , Kemmerling Birgit
Published: September 2023

BRI1-ASSOCIATED KINASE 1 (BAK1/SERK3) and its closest homolog BAK1-LIKE 1 (BKK1/SERK4) are leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases (LRR-RKs) belonging to the SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR KINASE (SERK) family. They act as co-receptors of various other LRR-RKs and participate in multiple signaling events by complexing and transphosphorylating ligand-binding receptors. Initially identified as the brassinosteroid receptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1) co-receptor, BAK1 also functions in plant immunity by interacting with pattern recognition receptors. Mutations in BAK1 and BKK1 cause severely stunted growth and cell death, characterized as autoimmune cell death. Several factors play a role in this type of cell death, including RKs and components of effector-triggered immunity (ETI) signaling pathways, glycosylation factors, ER quality control components, nuclear trafficking components, ion channels, and Nod-like receptors (NLRs). The Shan lab has recently discovered a novel RK BAK-TO-LIFE 2 (BTL2) that interacts with BAK1 and triggers cell death in the absence of BAK1 and BKK1. This RK compensates for the loss of BAK1-mediated pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) by activating phytocytokine-mediated immune and cell death responses.
Japan-Bangladesh geo-economic cooperation: the lens of Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) for peace, stability and prosperity
Authors: Alam Md. Jahangir , Akon Md. Saifullah
Published: September 2023

The ongoing transfer of economic power from the West to the East created a shift in economic dominance and the global power balance, allowing emerging nations to enhance their positions. Several countries favor a Free and Open Indo-Pacific initiative to preserve the status quo. Because it maintains an essential seaport in the Indian Ocean, Bangladesh is recognized as a maritime nation. Bangladesh’s geographic advantage allows it to serve as a node and hub in regional and inter-regional trade and investment. This potential stems from the global movement of economic power toward the Indo-Pacific Region. This study assesses whether Japan’s FOIP can provide peace and stability to Bangladesh while grasping geopolitical sustainability. Furthermore, this paper argues FOIP’s regional economic cooperation is managed effectively, and Japanese investment might benefit Bangladesh’s economy for sustainable development. This qualitative study uses primary and secondary data to evaluate the feasibility of Japanese geopolitical projects in Bangladesh for peace, stability, and prosperity. This study provides a new paradigm in analyzing the strategic geopolitical implications of FOIP in the Bay of Bengal area, highlighting the repercussions of geopolitical transformation into a strategic focal point. This study depicts the equiangular developmental diplomacy’s balancing instrument and standards for joint stability and growth in the Bay of Bengal area.
A comprehensive review of the human body burden of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and associated health effects in an e-waste recycling area in China
Authors: Huang Wenlong , Huang Yanhong , Chen Yuequn , Tan Wei , Wu Kusheng
Published: September 2023

Guiyu has been one of the world’s largest destinations for electronic waste (e-waste) recycling for decades. The recyling process in Guiyu relied on informal and family-based activities, which have led to severe environmental pollution and associated extensive health problems. This review examines the connections between exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and health outcomes, particularly in neonates, children and pregnant women. The residents in Guiyu exhibit high levels of contamination from POPs, especially PBDEs, PAHs and PCBs. Excessive exposure to these compounds have been associated with multi-system and long-term effects in children, changes in gestational age in pregnant mothers, and adverse birth outcomes in neonates. The findings raise concerns about the impact of POPs stemming from e-waste recycling on human health, and contribute to a better understanding of the need for monitoring sources, distribution, and effects of e-waste related-POPs in other regions of China and similar sites worldwide.
Is virtual reality so user-friendly for non-designers in early design activities? Comparing skills needed to traditional sketching versus virtual reality sketching
Authors: Chaniaud Noémie , Fleury Sylvain , Poussard Benjamin , Christmann Olivier , Guitter Thibaut , Richir Simon
Published: September 2023

Virtual reality (VR) sketching has many advantages for product design and tends to be more and more used among designers and non-designers (end-users). Nevertheless, few studies have focused on the skills needed to use VR sketching for non-designers especially VR novices in VR software. This study focuses on identifying the cognitive impact of VR sketching compared to traditional sketching on VR expert and VR novice in an experimental setting. Thirty-one participants composed of VR experts (N = 15) and VR novices (N = 16) completed a mental rotation test and then performed one traditional paper and pencil sketching task and two VR sketching tasks. We also measured the participants’ movements when using the VR sketching. Results show that VR experts perform better than VR novices in VR sketching because training is an essential element for the quality of traditional and VR sketching. Nevertheless, VR novices with previous training in traditional drawing and/or high mental rotation skills will be able to produce good-quality sketches. In addition, the results show that users moving more in the immersive environment performed better quality sketches if the drawing requires more complex shapes. Our results suggest that VR sketching can be complex to use for a part of the population that may be end-users, especially for those with little experience in traditional and VR sketching and with poor visuospatial abilities. We, therefore, advise to check the non-designers’ prior skills, otherwise, it will be necessary to train these users in VR sketching.
Healthcare-associated infections and conditions in the era of digital measurement
Authors: Classen David C. , Rhee Chanu , Dantes Raymund B. , Benin Andrea L.
Published: September 2023

As the third edition of the Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals is released with the latest recommendations for the prevention and management of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), a new approach to reporting HAIs is just beginning to unfold. This next generation of HAI reporting will be fully electronic and based largely on existing data in electronic health record (EHR) systems and other electronic data sources. It will be a significant change in how hospitals report HAIs and how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies receive this information. This paper outlines what that future electronic reporting system will look like and how it will impact HAI reporting.
Appropriating Memory in the Name of the State
Authors: Trošt Tamara P.
Published: September 2023

Jelena Subotić’s Yellow Star, Red Star: Holocaust Remembrance after Communism has already received such broad recognition and numerous awards that its invaluable contribution to memory studies likely does not need repeating. It is not only a study of Holocaust remembrance in particular, but contributes broadly to our understanding of memory appropriation by the state, through a careful and vivid analysis of its transformation over time in several Eastern and Central European countries. Subotić provides a study of how memory can serve as a strategic tool for reinforcing state interests. The central argument of the book is that the states in question – Croatia, Lithuania, and Serbia – engage in memory appropriation in order to qualify their ontological insecurities (14). The strategies include “memory inversion,” appropriating the Holocaust to emphasize crimes against them (primarily in Serbia), “memory divergence,” placing blame for the genocide on German Nazis (Croatia), or “memory conflation,” wherein Holocaust memory is combined and equated with Communist crimes (Lithuania, 15). These appropriation strategies, which overlap and are combined in the various states, allow states to paint themselves as the ultimate victims, absolving them of responsibility for their role in Holocaust crimes. The danger, of course, is that this not only set ups the false equivalence between victims of Communism and of the Holocaust, allowing for the relativization of Nazi collaboration as anti-Communist resistance, but also because it banalizes and trivializes the specific suffering of the Jewish population.
Vigilance as a Practice of Postcolonial Freedom
Authors: BOSE ANUJA
Published: September 2023

The notion that popular vigilance is central to safe-guarding democratic freedoms is a key pillar of republican political thought. Yet, this conception does not translate well to postcolonial contexts without some reconceptualization. In this article, I take up the ways in which two African statesmen and political theorists, Julius Nyerere and Thomas Sankara, reconceptualize the practice of vigilance in the postcolonial context. Both theorists demonstrate that the collective exercise of vigilance is a qualitatively different political practice in the postcolonial context because citizens must simultaneously target internal domination from elites and external domination from international institutions and former colonial powers. Furthermore, they underscore that a shared political vision in the form of a national ethic is crucial for generating and guiding mass practices of vigilance. Doing so, Nyerere and Sankara articulate a distinct tradition of postcolonial republicanism that better conceptualizes the challenges of stabilizing state–society relations in postcolonial Africa.
The British Gunpowder Industry and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Authors: Radburn Nicholas
Published: September 2023

How did Atlantic slavery stimulate British industry? This article answers that question through a study of five firms that supplied gunpowder to the slave trade. It first demonstrates that the Atlantic slavery trade certainly expanded Britain's explosives industry during the eighteenth century. British merchant capitalists established five plants in the proximity of Bristol and Liverpool to meet African demand, provincializing the gunpowder industry for the first time. The slave trade also inflated the gunpowder industry's volume, with twelve percent of all powder going to Africa before abolition. This article next reveals that supplying the slave trade was likely a lucrative pursuit for British manufacturers, with investors in the five mills earning profits that exceeded those of slaving. The boost given to the explosives industry faded considerably as abolition neared, however, and so this article concludes that Atlantic slavery's stimulus was likely of limited importance for driving the later Industrial Revolution.
Captivity's Commerce: The Theory and Methodology of Slaving and Capitalism
Authors: Hicks Mary E.
Published: September 2023

This article identifies new pathways for integrating African perspectives into debates about the historical relationship between slavery and capitalism. It focuses extensively on the work of African historian Joseph C. Miller (1939–2019), whose concept of “ethno political economics” combined ethnographic and quantitative data and offered a new perspective on Atlantic World history. Building on theorizations of early twentieth-century scholars W.E.B. Du Bois, C.L.R. James, Eric Williams, and others, Miller's analysis foregrounded the simultaneously local and global processes of credit expansion, commercialization, and labor exploitation as foundational to the consolidation of early modern capitalism.
Bringing down barriers to children’s healthy eating: a critical review of opportunities, within a complex food system
Authors: Varela Paula , De Rosso Sofia , Ferreira Moura Andreia , Galler Martina , Philippe Kaat , Pickard Abigail , Rageliene Tija , Sick Julia , van Nee Roselinde , Almli Valérie L. , Ares Gastón , Grønhøj Alice , Spinelli Sara , van Kleef Ellen
Published: September 2023

This narrative review revises the scientific evidence of recent years on healthy eating in children and adolescents, making sense of promising avenues of action, from a food system perspective. A conceptual framework is provided to better understand how eating habits of children and adolescents are shaped to identify key multisectoral approaches that should be implemented to promote healthier diets. The following influencing factors are discussed: individual factors (physiological and psychological factors, food preferences and food literacy competencies), factors within the personal and socio-cultural food environments, external food environments, and the supply chain. In each section, the main barriers to healthy eating are briefly discussed focussing on how to overcome them. Finally, a discussion with recommendations of actions is provided, anchored in scientific knowledge, and transferable to the general public, industry, and policymakers. We highlight that multidisciplinary approaches are not enough, a systems approach, with a truly holistic view, is needed. Apart from introducing systemic changes, a variety of interventions can be implemented at different levels to foster healthier diets in children through fostering healthier and more sustainable food environments, facilitating pleasurable sensory experiences, increasing their food literacy, and enhancing their agency by empowering them to make better food related decisions. Acknowledging children as unique individuals is required, through interpersonal interactions, as well as their role in their environments. Actions should aim to enable children and adolescents as active participants within sustainable food systems, to support healthier dietary behaviours that can be sustained throughout life, impacting health at a societal level.
Nutritional practices to manage menstrual cycle related symptoms: a systematic review
Authors: Brown Natalie , Martin Daniel , Waldron Mark , Bruinvels Georgie , Farrant Lucy , Fairchild Ruth
Published: September 2023

Certain nutritional practices may reduce menstrual-related symptoms, but there is no current consensus on what foods/supplements are sufficiently evidenced to warrant promotion to reduce menstrual symptoms of naturally menstruating individuals. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Two online databases were searched for published experimental studies that investigated the effects of foods/supplements on menstrual-related symptoms in eumenorrhoeic women. Extracted data and study characteristics were tabulated and grouped on the basis of food/supplement intervention and dosage compared with UK dietary reference values (DRV) and safe upper limits. In total, twenty-eight studies and twenty-one different foods/supplement interventions were included in the review. None of the studies reported a negative effect on symptoms, twenty-three reported a positive effect and five had no effect. Eighteen different ways of measuring menstrual-related symptoms were described across the studies. The results indicate a lack of consistency in studies to confidently provide information to eumenorrheic, naturally menstruating women regarding the use of foods/supplements to reduce menstrual symptoms. Determination of menstrual-related symptoms varied along with dose and duration of food or supplements provided. These data provide some evidence for the use of vitamin D, calcium, zinc and curcumin to reduce menstrual-related symptoms of non-hormonal contraceptive users, on an individual basis; however, further investigation is required prior to implementation with a focus on robust protocols to determine and measure changes in menstrual symptoms, with interventions adhering to DRV and safe upper limits.
Dimensions of child maltreatment and longitudinal diurnal cortisol patterns: The roles of resilience and child sex
Authors: Sun Jianing , Lunkenheimer Erika , Lin Danhua
Published: September 2023

Informed by the dimensional approach to adversity, this study disaggregated child maltreatment effects to examine how abuse versus neglect influenced cortisol at the baseline assessment and longitudinal changes in diurnal cortisol among a sample of Chinese children and adolescents (N = 312; aged 9–13 years; Mage = 10.80, SD = 0.84; 67% boys). The moderating roles of resilience and sex differences in these associations were also explored. Results revealed distinct effects of abuse versus neglect on diurnal cortisol in girls, but not boys, which varied by the time scale of assessment and type of cortisol measure. Specifically, abuse was associated with girls’ longitudinal changes in awakening cortisol, cortisol awakening response, and diurnal cortisol slope over one year, whereas neglect was associated with girls’ awakening cortisol and cortisol awakening response at the baseline assessment. Further, resilience moderated the effects of abuse on girls’ baseline awakening cortisol and longitudinal changes in diurnal cortisol slope, suggesting both the potential benefits and costs of resilience. Findings support the application of the dimensional approach to research on stress physiology and deepen our understanding of individual differences in the associations between child maltreatment and diurnal cortisol.
Twinned cities: reconciliation and reconstruction in Europe after 1945 – an introduction
Authors: Laucht Christoph , Allbeson Tom
Published: September 2023

While town twinning has played a crucial role in reconciliation and reconstruction processes in Europe after World War II, urban historians have not yet paid sufficient attention to it. This special issue thus addresses this historiographical neglect through a set of case-studies that examine the role of twinned cities in post-war reconciliation and reconstruction between former enemy nations and across the ideological fault lines of the Cold War. The framework that underpins all contributions rests on the use of ‘twinned cities’ as an umbrella term to denote various forms of inter-municipal links and builds on similarly broad definitions of ‘reconciliation’ and ‘reconstruction’.
Distortion verification of helical computed tomography for image-guided radiotherapy
Authors: Harada Takayuki , Takemura Akihiro
Published: September 2023

Introduction:

In image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), the imaging conditions of computed tomography (CT) may impact the positioning uncertainty, but verification methods are currently unavailable. This study aimed to propose a validation method for the imaging conditions of helical CT for IGRT. Predicting the impact of image distortion on image guidance may reduce uncertainty in radiotherapy planning.

Methods:

Image guidance was performed on the reference images of four Duracon balls by changing the imaging conditions and the positions on the CT images by helical scanning. The predictors of image guidance error and those of the contour mismatch between the reference and cone-beam CT (CBCT) images were analysed.

Results:

The image guidance error exceeded 1 mm when the contour centre of the ball was shifted by more than 1 mm. The mismatch between the contours of the reference and CBCT images occurred with the imaging conditions wherein the first slice of the ball was distorted.

Conclusions:

Mismatch can be predicted by the coefficient of variation of the radii in the first and centre slices of the ball. Moreover, the image guidance error can be predicted by the contour centre shift of the ball.
Introducing the U.S. Partisanship and Presidential Approval Dataset: Rejoinder to Berry, Fording, and Crofoot
Authors: Enns Peter K. , Jones Rebekah , Koch Julianna , Lagodny Julius
Published: September 2023

This article concludes an exchange on developing and improving longitudinal estimates of state-level public opinion in the United States by introducing the U.S. Partisanship and Presidential Approval Dataset, which combines more than 1.1 million survey responses from 1948 to 2020 into a single harmonized “mega poll.”
Chronische Schmerzen – ein gutes Leben jetzt erst recht
Authors: Döbrich Renate , Wanger Franziska
Published: September 2023

Neue Wege für sich entdecken und das Leben selbstbestimmt und aktiv gestalten – erst recht bei chronischen Schmerzen!

Menschen mit chronischen Schmerzen finden in diesem Ratgeber viele motivierende Impulse für einen individuellen, gesundheitsfördernden Umgang mit der Krankheit. Die beiden Autorinnen verbinden fachliches Wissen mit persönlichen Erfahrungen. Sie beschreiben nachvollziehbar, wie beglückend es für Betroffene sein kann, das Leben trotz der Schmerzen wieder in seiner Vielfalt und Buntheit für sich zu entdecken und zu gestalten.

Umfassende, leicht verständliche Informationen und erklärende Illustrationen machen den Unterschied zwischen akutem und chronischem Schmerz verständlich.
Zusammenhänge zwischen körperlichen, psychischen und sozialen Faktoren werden anschaulich beschrieben.
Konkrete Anleitungen zu alltagstauglichen Selbsthilfemöglichkeiten und -techniken sollen Betroffene zu einem aktiven Umgang mit der Krankheit ermutigen.

Die Auseinandersetzung mit dem chronischen Schmerz fordert oftmals auch eine Auseinandersetzung mit sich selbst. Es könnte sein, dass sich hinter dem Schmerz ein Appell verbirgt, antrainierte und anerzogene Sackgassen zu verlassen.
Die konkreten Anregungen und Tipps im Buch machen Mut (nach eigenen Bedürfnissen) daraus zu sammeln, zu sortieren und zu priorisieren, um dann an dem einen oder anderen Punkt zu beginnen, die Lebensfreude wiederzuentdecken und bewusst für mehr Lebensqualität zu sorgen.
Die Arbeitsmaterialien zu diesem Buch können nach erfolgter Registrierung von der Hogrefe Website heruntergeladen werden.
Ratgeber Chronische körperliche Erkrankungen
Authors: Gräßer Melanie , Reuner Gitta
Published: September 2023

Zahlreiche Kinder und Jugendliche haben eine chronische körperliche Erkrankung, wie z.B. Asthma bronchiale, Obstruktive Bronchitis, Diabetes mellitus, Epilepsie, Migräne, Morbus Crohn, Mukoviszidose, Heuschnupfen, Neurodermitis, Skoliose oder Rheuma. Viele der Kinder und Jugendlichen entwickeln von selbst die Kraft, um mit den zusätzlichen Herausforderungen und Belastungen, die sich durch die Erkrankung ergeben, zu leben. Andere dagegen benötigen Hilfe. Trotz aller Unterschiede stehen Betroffene und ihre Familien vor einer Reihe ähnlicher Herausforderungen. Der Ratgeber versucht, Antworten auf die häufigsten Fragen zu geben, die Eltern, Betroffene und auch Menschen aus dem Umfeld von chronisch kranken Kindern und Jugendlichen haben.
Der Ratgeber vermittelt die wichtigsten Fakten zu chronischen körperlichen Erkrankungen und geht auf mögliche Belastungen ein, die durch die Erkrankung entstehen und die einen Einfluss auf die weitere Entwicklung der Kinder und Jugendlichen haben können. Er zeigt die Zusammenhänge zwischen chronischen körperlichen Erkrankungen und psychischen Problemen auf und schildert den Einfluss von Selbstständigkeit und Verantwortungsübernahme auf das Krankheitsmanagement. Weiterhin stellt der Ratgeber Unterstützungs- und Therapiemöglichkeiten vor, gibt Hinweise zur Selbsthilfe und enthält Anregungen und Materialien zum Umgang mit den Erkrankungen im Alltag.
Knowledge Co‐Production Reveals Nuanced Societal Dynamics and Sectoral Connections in Mapping Sustainable Human–Natural Systems
Authors: Szetey Katrina , Moallemi Enayat A. , Bryan Brett A.
Published: September 2023

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) encompass environmental, social, and economic dimensions which are linked to the characteristics of place and have a strong local dimension. They are interconnected at local scales in complex ways which makes progress toward them difficult to predict. To understand how these interconnections play out at the local scale, we used knowledge coproduction to undertake systems mapping for the purpose of sustainability assessment framed by the SDGs. We partnered with a local community in Australia as our coproduction case study, with a multistage engagement process to understand how they interpreted sustainability and their vision for a sustainable community. We found that codeveloping a map of the local system with participants can elicit far more societal interconnections between the SDGs than might be expected without knowledge coproduction, as the participants viewed the system through a social lens. Issues from the social dimension of sustainability, in particular, were intensely local in origin and effect which suggests that attempts to represent them at national or global scales are unlikely to succeed. We teased out the interconnections between societal and nonsocietal issues with local knowledge, which enhanced the ability to identify effective actions to tackle broader sustainability problems. Our results demonstrate that knowledge coproduction can improve understanding of what sustainability is at the local scale and how it can be achieved, enabling the transformative change required to achieve the SDGs.
Controls of Variability in the Laurentian Great Lakes Terrestrial Water Budget
Authors: Minallah Samar , Steiner Allison L. , Ivanov Valeriy Y. , Wood Andrew W.
Published: September 2023

The land surface hydrology of the North American Great Lakes region regulates ecosystem water availability, lake levels, vegetation dynamics, and agricultural practices. In this study, we analyze the Great Lakes terrestrial water budget using the Noah‐MP land surface model to characterize the catchment hydrological regimes and identify the dominant quantities contributing to the variability in the land surface hydrology. We show that the Great Lakes domain is not hydrologically uniform and strong spatiotemporal differences exist in the regulators of the hydrological budget at daily, monthly, and annual timescales. Subseasonally, precipitation and soil moisture explain nearly all the terrestrial water budget variability in the southern basins, while the northern latitudes are snow‐dominated regimes. Seasonal assessments reveal greater differences among the basins. Precipitation, evaporation, and runoff are the dominant sources of variability at lower latitudes, while at higher latitudes, terrestrial water storage in the form of ground snowpack and soil moisture has the leading role. Differences in land cover categorizations, for example, croplands, forests, or urban zones, further induce spatial differences in the hydrological characteristics. This quantification of variability in the terrestrial water cycle embedded at different temporal scales is important to assess the impacts of changes in climate and land cover on catchment sensitivities across the diverse hydroclimate of the Great Lakes region.
The Influence of Lithospheric Thickness Variations Beneath Australia on Seismic Anisotropy and Mantle Flow
Authors: Eakin C. M. , Davies D. R. , Ghelichkhan S. , O’Donnell J. P. , Agrawal S.
Published: September 2023

Rapid plate motion, alongside pronounced variations in age and thickness of the Australian continental lithosphere, makes it an excellent location to assess the relationship between seismic anisotropy and lithosphere‐asthenosphere dynamics. In this study, SKS and PKS shear‐wave splitting is conducted for 176 stations covering the transition from the South Australian Craton to eastern Phanerozoic Australia. Comparisons are made with models of lithospheric thickness as well as numerical simulations of mantle flow. Splitting results show uniform ENE‐WSW aligned fast directions over the Gawler Craton and broader South Australian Craton, similar to the orientation of crustal structures generated during an episode of NW‐SE directed compression and volcanism ∼1.6 billion years ago. We propose that heat from volcanism weakened the lithosphere, aiding widespread lithospheric deformation, which has since been preserved in the form of frozen‐in anisotropy. Conversely, over eastern Phanerozoic Australia, fast directions show strong alignment with the NNE absolute plate motion. Overall, our results suggest that when the lithosphere is thin (<125 km), lithospheric contributions are minimal and contributions from asthenospheric anisotropy dominate, reflecting shear of the underlying mantle by Australia's rapid plate motion above. Further insights from geodynamical simulations of the regional mantle flow field, which incorporate Australian and adjacent upper mantle structure, predict that asthenospheric material would be drawn in from the south and east toward the fast‐moving continental keel. Such a mechanism, alongside interactions between the flow field and lithospheric structure, provides a plausible explanation for smaller‐scale anomalous splitting patterns beneath eastern Australia that do not align with plate motion.
Assessing Seasonal and Inter‐Annual Marine Sediment Climate Proxy Data
Authors: Hathorne Ed , Dolman Andrew M. , Laepple Thomas
Published: September 2023

Three recently published papers including Napier et al. (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021PA004355) utilize novel microanalytical approaches with varved marine sediments to demonstrate the potential to reconstruct seasonal and inter‐annual climate variability. Obtaining paleoclimate data at a resolution akin to the observational record is vitally important for improving our understanding of climate phenomena such as monsoons and modes of variability such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, for which appraisals of past inter‐annual variability is critical. The ability to generate seasonal and inter annual resolution sea surface temperature proxy time series spanning a thousand years or more is revolutionary and has the potential to fill gaps in our knowledge of climate variability. Although generally limited to sediments from regions with oxygen depleted bottom waters, there is great potential to integrate shorter seasonal resolution climate “snap shots” from other archives such as annually banded corals into composite time series. But as paleoceanographic data are used more by the observational and modeling fields, we make the case for conducting a thorough case‐by‐case assessment of the processes that influence the climate signal recovered from proxies, using careful replication to validate new approaches. Understanding or exploring the potential influence of processes which effectively filter the climate signal will lead to more quantitative paleoceanographic data that will better serve the broader climate science community.
Subsidence and Uplift History of the UAE and the Western Flank of the UAE‐Oman Mountain Range
Authors: Jabir M. A. , Ali M. Y. , Ismaiel M. , Watts A. B.
Published: September 2023

The western flank of the UAE‐Oman mountain range offers a unique geodynamic setting to study the development of a cratonic rift into a mature passive margin and its subsequent flexure under orogenic load. However, the geodynamic processes driving this evolution are not fully understood. In this study, seismic and biostratigraphic data from 283 exploration wells were utilized to assess the regional subsidence and uplift history of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and neighboring areas of the western flank of the UAE‐Oman mountain range. Three major sequences have been identified: pre‐Permian, Permian‐Turonian rifted margin, and Coniacian‐Pleistocene active margin. Backstripping of biostratigraphic data reveals Early Permian (ca. 272 Ma) and Late Jurassic (ca. 160) rift phases, that have been linked to Gondwana's early and final fragmentation. A NE‐SW‐oriented basin in central UAE suggests a Jurassic intracratonic rift that has been influenced by pre‐existing structures. Compressional phases were identified during the Late Cretaceous and in the Oligocene‐Miocene, coinciding with the emplacement of the Semail ophiolite and the Arabian‐Eurasian plates collision, respectively. These events caused additional subsidence and flank uplift, forming the Aruma foreland basin in the east and the Pabdeh foreland basin in the eastern and northern UAE. Crustal thickness following the rift episodes ranges from 30 to 36 km, resulting in a sedimentary cover thickness of 11–14 km. These estimates are in accord with Moho depths derived from teleseismic receiver functions and gravity inversion. These findings can be used to better understand Gondwana fragmentation and the opening and closing of the Neo‐Tethys Ocean.
Influence of Liquid Splitting Behavior at Intersections on Infiltration Dynamics in an Unsaturated Fracture Network
Authors: Xue Song , Yang Zhibing , Zhou Zexiong , Hu Ran , Chen Yi‐Feng
Published: September 2023

Understanding the macro‐scale flow characteristics in the fractured vadose zone is of great importance for subsurface hydrological and environmental applications. Here we develop an idealized fracture network model composed of a series of linked intersections, aiming to reveal the roles of local fluid flow, storage and splitting behaviors at intersections in controlling macroscopic unsaturated flow in a fracture network. By setting different local flow rules, unsaturated flow dynamics and structure in networks are systematically investigated. Numerical simulations suggest that avalanche infiltration mode, that is, sudden release of a large amount of water from the network, emerges spontaneously, and is modulated by the local splitting behavior. In terms of water infiltration structure, we find that uneven liquid splitting at intersections inevitably leads to preferential flow in networks. The preferential paths strongly rely on the competition between gravitational and capillary forces, relating to network structure and water saturation. When flow is dominated by gravity, preferential paths extend along large‐aperture routes; conversely, when flow is dominated by capillarity, the small‐aperture paths are preferred. In terms of infiltration dynamics, we show that the power spectral density of the water saturation time series in the network follows a power law with an exponent of −2 for all simulations with different structural parameters and local flow rules, suggesting a universal self‐organized criticality behavior for unsaturated flow in fractured rocks. The improved understanding from this study may shed new light on the complex flow dynamics for unsaturated flow in fractured media.
Transcriptional profiling of dental sensory and proprioceptive trigeminal neurons using single-cell RNA sequencing
Authors: Lee Pa Reum , Kim Jihoon , Rossi Heather Lynn , Chung Sena , Han Seung Yub , Kim Junhyong , Oh Seog Bae
Published: September 2023

Dental primary afferent (DPA) neurons and proprioceptive mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN) neurons, located in the trigeminal ganglion and the brainstem, respectively, are essential for controlling masticatory functions. Despite extensive transcriptomic studies on various somatosensory neurons, there is still a lack of knowledge about the molecular identities of these populations due to technical challenges in their circuit-validated isolation. Here, we employed high-depth single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in combination with retrograde tracing in mice to identify intrinsic transcriptional features of DPA and MTN neurons. Our transcriptome analysis revealed five major types of DPA neurons with cell type-specific gene enrichment, some of which exhibit unique mechano-nociceptive properties capable of transmitting nociception in response to innocuous mechanical stimuli in the teeth. Furthermore, we discovered cellular heterogeneity within MTN neurons that potentially contribute to their responsiveness to mechanical stretch in the masseter muscle spindles. Additionally, DPA and MTN neurons represented sensory compartments with distinct molecular profiles characterized by various ion channels, receptors, neuropeptides, and mechanoreceptors. Together, our study provides new biological insights regarding the highly specialized mechanosensory functions of DPA and MTN neurons in pain and proprioception.