bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differentially Private Recurrent Variational Autoencoder For Text Privacy Preservation
Authors: Wang Yuyang , Meng Xianjia , Liu Ximeng
Published: June 2023

Deep learning techniques have been widely used in natural language processing (NLP) tasks and have made remarkable progress. However, training the deep learning model relies on a large amount of data which may involve sensitive information like electronic medical records. The attacker can infer sensitive information from the model, which leads to privacy leakage. To solve this problem, we propose a Differentially Private Recurrent Variational AutoEncoder (DP-RVAE) that can generate simulated data in place of the sensitive dataset to preserve privacy. To generate high utility synthetic text, a part of sensitive text data is employed as the conditional input of the model and uses a dropout and noise perturbing mechanism to preserve differential privacy. In addition, we expand the proposed DP-RVAE to a federated learning setting and design a novel training paradigm for NLP tasks. Specifically, DP-RVAE is deployed to the client-side to train and generate personalized text. These DP-RVAE models would be aggregated and updated through the Federated Optimisation (FedOPT) algorithm so that personal information can be well preserved. We evaluate our proposed DP-RVAE through a text classification task on the Tweets depression sentiment and IMDB reviews datasets. Our DP-RVAE achieves a higher average test accuracy by 5.90% and 3.94% compared to the typical centralized training and federated learning approach, respectively. We also perform the keywords inference attack experiment on the medical description dataset collected from the real world. Compared to the typical differentially private preserving approach, the DP-RVAE decreases by 15.2% in average attack accuracy. The experimental results demonstrate that DP-RVAE can be applied to the NLP models to leverage accuracy while preserving sensitive privacy.
Defining the Middle Corona
Authors: West Matthew J. , Seaton Daniel B. , Wexler David B. , Raymond John C. , Del Zanna Giulio , Rivera Yeimy J. , Kobelski Adam R. , Chen Bin , DeForest Craig , Golub Leon , Caspi Amir , Gilly Chris R. , Kooi Jason E. , Meyer Karen A. , Alterman Benjamin L. , Alzate Nathalia , Andretta Vincenzo , Auchère Frédéric , Banerjee Dipankar , Berghmans David , Chamberlin Phillip , Chitta Lakshmi Pradeep , Downs Cooper , Giordano Silvio , Harra Louise , Higginson Aleida , Howard Russell A. , Kumar Pankaj , Mason Emily , Mason James P. , Morton Richard J. , Nykyri Katariina , Patel Ritesh , Rachmeler Laurel , Reardon Kevin P. , Reeves Katharine K. , Savage Sabrina , Thompson Barbara J. , Van Kooten Samuel J. , Viall Nicholeen M. , Vourlidas Angelos , Zhukov Andrei N.
Published: June 2023

The middle corona, the region roughly spanning heliocentric distances from 1.5 to 6 solar radii, encompasses almost all of the influential physical transitions and processes that govern the behavior of coronal outflow into the heliosphere. The solar wind, eruptions, and flows pass through the region, and they are shaped by it. Importantly, the region also modulates inflow from above that can drive dynamic changes at lower heights in the inner corona. Consequently, the middle corona is essential for comprehensively connecting the corona to the heliosphere and for developing corresponding global models. Nonetheless, because it is challenging to observe, the region has been poorly studied by both major solar remote-sensing and in-situ missions and instruments, extending back to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) era. Thanks to recent advances in instrumentation, observational processing techniques, and a realization of the importance of the region, interest in the middle corona has increased. Although the region cannot be intrinsically separated from other regions of the solar atmosphere, there has emerged a need to define the region in terms of its location and extension in the solar atmosphere, its composition, the physical transitions that it covers, and the underlying physics believed to shape the region. This article aims to define the middle corona, its physical characteristics, and give an overview of the processes that occur there.
Correctness conditions for property nominalists
Authors: Båve Arvid
Published: June 2023

Nominalists need some account of correctness for sentences committed to the existence of abstract objects. This paper proposes a new statement of such conditions specifically for properties. The account builds on an earlier proposal of mine, but avoids the counter-examples against the latter pointed out by Thomas Schindler, particularly, the sentence ‘There are inexpressible properties’. I argue that the new proposal is independently motivated and more faithful to the spirit of the kind of error-theoretic nominalism that the original proposal was part of. Along the way, I also propose novel treatments of Arthur Pap’s and W.V.O. Quine’s notoriously hard-to-paraphrase sentences about abstracta.
Assessing failure of transfer of passive immunity by gamma-glutamyl-transferase activity and serum refractometry in holstein-friesian calves affected by neonatal diarrhea
Authors: Sala Giulia , Bronzo Valerio , Boccardo Antonio , Gazzonis Alessia Libera , Moretti Pierangelo , Ferrulli Vincenzo , Belloli Angelo Giovanni , Filippone Pavesi Laura , Pesenti Rossi Gaia , Pravettoni Davide
Published: June 2023

Hardly published data are available to diagnose the failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in calves affected by neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD). This study evaluated the diagnostic performance and differences among optical serum total protein (STP) concentration and gamma-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) activity for assessing FTPI in diarrheic Holstein Friesian calves. 72 diarrheic and 19 healthy Holstein Friesian calves aged 1 to 10 days were enrolled. Each calf underwent a complete clinical examination and dehydration assessment. The effect of dehydration status and age on the correlation between the two methods under study (STP and GGT) and the gold standard (Immunoglobulin G [IgG] measured with RID) was investigated with Spearman’s correlation index R for ranks. Serum total protein concentration and GGT activity were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to identify the optimal cut-off point to distinguish between diarrheic calves with or without FTPI, also considering the effects of dehydration and age. The results show that GGT activity was affected by the age of calves, while STP was influenced by dehydration. The cut-offs to distinguish calves with IgG < 10 g/L were < 52 g/L of STP in normohydrated calves, < 58 g/L of STP in dehydrated calves, and < 124 IU/L of GGT in calves with aged between 3 and 10 days. In nondehydrated diarrheic calves, the STP refractometer showed better diagnostic accuracy.

In dehydrated calves aged between 3 and 10 days, however, its accuracy drops, and it is advisable to use GGT activity.
The utility of using a top-down conduct-of-life-based approach for explaining energy consumption behaviour: evidence from Switzerland
Authors: Tomic Uros , Schubert Iljana , Burger Paul
Published: June 2023

Programmes for reducing household energy consumption have so far shown only minor effects. The literature offers many explanations for this, such as rebound effects, efficiency paradox and culturally rooted daily routines. In addition, interventions are often designed in a one-size-fits-all manner and do not account for societal differences through segmentation and tailored interventions. One of the challenges associated with the implementation of tailored interventions is the lack of agreement on how to identify societal segments, and the lack of clarity on which segment should be addressed by which type of intervention. Against this backdrop, we explore the applicability of the theory-driven Otte conduct of life segmentation with three energy consumption behaviours. Utilizing survey data from 5015 respondents, we demonstrate that there are significant conduct-of-life-specific differences in showering, endowment with information and entertainment electronics and air travel. The only two conduct of life groups who demonstrate consistent behavioural patterns across the three behaviours are the reflexives, who consistently over-consume, and conventionalists, who consistently under-consume energy. We put forward suggestions on how to apply our findings to tailor interventions.
Normothermic frozen elephant trunk without circulatory arrest
Authors: Berretta Paolo , Galeazzi Michele , Malvindi Pietro Giorgio , Bifulco Olimpia , Buratto Beatrice , Cefarelli Mariano , Alfonsi Jacopo , Capestro Filippo , Gatta Emanuele , Di Eusanio Marco
Published: June 2023

We describe our technique for total aortic arch replacement with stenting of the descending thoracic aorta allowing normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and avoiding hypothermic circulatory arrest.
Revealing the interaction mechanism of pulsed laser processing with the application of acoustic emission
Authors: Liu Weinan , Rong Youmin , Yang Ranwu , Wu Congyi , Zhang Guojun , Huang Yu
Published: June 2023

The mechanisms of interaction between pulsed laser and materials are complex and indistinct, severely influencing the stability and quality of laser processing. This paper proposes an intelligent method based on the acoustic emission (AE) technique to monitor laser processing and explore the interaction mechanisms. The validation experiment is designed to perform nanosecond laser dotting on float glass. Processing parameters are set differently to generate various outcomes: ablated pits and irregular-shaped cracks. In the signal processing stage, we divide the AE signals into two bands, main and tail bands, according to the laser processing duration, to study the laser ablation and crack behavior, respectively. Characteristic parameters extracted by a method that combines framework and frame energy calculation of AE signals can effectively reveal the mechanisms of pulsed laser processing. The main band features evaluate the degree of laser ablation from the time and intensity scales, and the tail band characteristics demonstrate that the cracks occur after laser dotting. In addition, from the analysis of the parameters of the tail band very large cracks can be efficiently distinguished. The intelligent AE monitoring method was successfully applied in exploring the interaction mechanism of nanosecond laser dotting float glass and can be used in other pulsed laser processing fields.

Graphical Abstract
Future climate conditions alter biomass of salt marsh plants in the Wadden Sea
Authors: Koop-Jakobsen Ketil , Dolch Tobias
Published: June 2023

Understanding how the salt marsh vegetation will evolve under future climate conditions is essential for predicting the role of marsh ecosystem services in a warmer climate with higher CO2-concentrations. In a mesocosm experiment in the northern Wadden Sea, the impact of increased temperature (+ 3 °C) and CO2 (800 ppm) on salt marsh vegetation was investigated, assessing biomass production in the pioneer zone and low marsh. The pioneer zone, which was dominated by Spartina anglica and exposed to natural tidal inundations, demonstrated a differentiated response between belowground and aboveground biomass. Aboveground biomass increased in response to enhanced CO2 availability, and belowground biomass increased in response to raised temperatures. Other plant species accounted for less than 18% of the aboveground biomass, and their biomass was suppressed under high CO2 availability. Increased biomass by Spartina anglica may improve resilience toward sea level rise. Hence, the pioneer zone is expected to maintain its coastal protection and blue carbon storage capacity under future climate conditions. The low marsh, which was dominated by Elymus athericus, was exposed to higher than usual tidal inundations and resembled a scenario with increased sea level. The low marsh showed no response in biomass to increased CO2 or temperature, which may be due to the increased flooding. The positive response of Spartina anglica (C4 plant) and the lack of response in Elymus athericus (C3 plant) counter the notion that C3 plants are more productive under future climate conditions and demonstrate that C4 plants can also thrive in future salt marshes.
The Middle Stone Age Sequence at Klipfonteinrand 1 (KFR1), Western Cape, South Africa
Authors: Mackay Alex , Saktura Rosaria B. K. , O’Driscoll Corey A. , Boyd Kelsey C. , Marwick Ben , Moffat Ian , Jacobs Zenobia
Published: June 2023

The rock shelter site Klipfonteinrand 1 (KFR1), located on the edge of southern Africa’s Fynbos biome, was initially excavated by John Parkington in 1969. Due to difficulties resolving the stratigraphic sequence, the lack of age estimates, and generally poor organic preservation, the Middle Stone Age (MSA) components of the site have received limited attention. In this paper we report on the re-excavation, dating, palaeoecology, and cultural sequence recovered from a trench placed adjacent to Parkington’s original excavation. The refined sequence includes three stratigraphically distinct MSA components: a Howiesons Poort component dating to ~69 ka, and two earlier MSA components dating to ~85 ka and ~156 ka. These are overlain by two younger components dated to the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Bedrock morphology at the site is complex, and the oldest component appears to be restricted to a small area of relatively deep (1.9 m) sediment accumulation towards the centre of the sheltered area. Phytoliths suggest limited change in floral communities near the site across the lowest three units—which include parts of marine isotope stages (MIS) 6, 5, and 4—reflecting the characteristic stability of the Fynbos biome. The stone artefacts in the oldest MSA component include large blades that are absent from the overlying strata, and that may be a distinct element of late MIS 6 technology in the area. Interestingly, neither the early MSA nor early Holocene components we describe here were encountered in the rear trench at the site, 3 m away, which instead produced a sequence dominated by marine isotope stage 2 occupation. KFR1 presents new insights into the archaeology of the earlier MSA in southern Africa, while also providing a cautionary note on the discontinuous and spatially variable nature of rock shelter occupation in the region.
Investigation approaching flow to bridge and prediction of bridge pier scour with floodplain vegetation in compound channels under pressurized flow conditions
Authors: Dankoo Ali , Yonesi Hojjat Allah , Torabipoudeh Hasan , Saneie Mojtaba , Rahimi Hamidreza
Published: June 2023

The local scouring around the pier, is one of major cause of the bridges failure worldwide. Compared to the flow hydraulics in single channels, the flow pattern in compound channels is completely different with flood plains covered with vegetation and this issue can affect the amount of scouring in the area of bridge piers. However, the combined effect of these factors has not been systematically investigated. Therefore, due to the complex nature of the local scouring phenomenon and the absence one of an accurate prediction model, in this research, an experimental study on the hydraulic characteristics of the flow approaching the bridge deck in compound channels with floodplain vegetation in pressurized flow conditions, has been done. It was found that increasing vegetation density on average will reduce scour depth by 15% for the same floodplain width and relative depth. In free-flow conditions, increasing the vegetation density on average will increase the scour depth. The aim is to develop an optimized model to estimate the bridge pier scour in consideration of the combined effect. The newly developed relationship shows a good correlation coefficient of more than 92% with the experimental data and yielded better results than the previous equations. The finding of this study will have potential applications for the prediction of the bridge pier scour in clear water conditions.
Multi-objective reward shaping for global and local trajectory planning of wing-in-ground crafts based on deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Hu H. , Li D. , Zhang G. , Zhang Z.
Published: June 2023

The control of a wing-in-ground craft (WIG) usually allows for many needs, like cruising, speed, survival and stealth. Various degrees of emphasis on these requirements result in different trajectories, but there has not been a way of integrating and quantifying them yet. Moreover, most previous studies on other vehicles’ multi-objective trajectory is planned globally, lacking for local planning. For the multi-objective trajectory planning of WIGs, this paper proposes a multi-objective function in a polynomial form, in which each item represents an independent requirement and is adjusted by a linear or exponential weight. It uses the magnitude of weights to demonstrate how much attention is paid relatively to the corresponding demand. Trajectories of a virtual WIG model above the wave trough terrain are planned using reward shaping based on the introduced multi-objective function and deep reinforcement learning (DRL). Two conditions are considered globally and locally: a single scheme of weights is assigned to the whole environment, and two different schemes of weights are assigned to the two parts of the environment. Effectiveness of the multi-object reward function is analysed from the local and global perspectives. The reward function provides WIGs with a universal framework for adjusting the magnitude of weights, to meet different degrees of requirements on cruising, speed, stealth and survival, and helps WIGs guide an expected trajectory in engineering.
A proof of the Erdős primitive set conjecture
Authors: Lichtman Jared Duker
Published: June 2023

A set of integers greater than 1 is primitive if no member in the set divides another. Erdős proved in 1935 that the series

$f(A) = \sum _{a\in A}1/(a \log a)$

is uniformly bounded over all choices of primitive sets A. In 1986, he asked if this bound is attained for the set of prime numbers. In this article, we answer in the affirmative.

As further applications of the method, we make progress towards a question of Erdős, Sárközy and Szemerédi from 1968. We also refine the classical Davenport–Erdős theorem on infinite divisibility chains, and extend a result of Erdős, Sárközy and Szemerédi from 1966.
Modeling of transverse stimulated Raman scattering in KDP/DKDP in large-aperture plates suitable for polarization control
Authors: Huang Hu , Kosc Tanya Z. , Kessler Terrance J. , Demos Stavros G.
Published: June 2023

Transverse stimulated Raman scattering (TSRS) in potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) and deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (DKDP) plates for large-aperture, inertial confinement fusion (ICF)-class laser systems is a well-recognized limitation giving rise to parasitic energy conversion and laser-induced damage. The onset of TSRS is manifested in plates exposed to the ultraviolet section of the beam. TSRS amplification is a coherent process that grows exponentially and is distributed nonuniformly in the crystal and at the crystal surfaces. To understand the growth and spatial distribution of TSRS energy in various configurations, a modeling approach has been developed to simulate the operational conditions relevant to ICF-class laser systems. Specific aspects explored in this work include (i) the behavior of TSRS in large-aperture crystal plates suitable for third-harmonic generation and use as wave plates for polarization control in current-generation ICF-class laser system configurations; (ii) methods, and their limitations, of TSRS suppression and (iii) optimal geometries to guide future designs.
Pandemic Politics: Immigration, Framing, and Covid-19
Authors: Reedy Justin , Gonzalez O’Brien Benjamin , Hurst Elizabeth H.
Published: June 2023

The covid-19 pandemic has revived a longstanding, and understudied, trope in American politics: the association of immigrants with disease. There has been a great deal of scholarship on the economic, cultural, and criminal threat frames attached to immigrant groups in media coverage, but little to date has specifically examined how national and local sources have framed covid-19 in the context of immigrant communities. In this paper we analyze the prevalence of two different framings of the pandemic in national and local online news outlets over the first year of the pandemic: immigration as a public health threat to the nation, and covid-19 as a threat to immigrant communities within the nation. We find significant differences between national and local coverage, with the former more likely to frame immigration as a covid-19 threat, while local news outlets were more likely to discuss the threat the virus posed to already marginalized immigrant communities.
An outbreak of nosocomial infection of neonatal aseptic meningitis caused by echovirus 18
Authors: Xi Hongmin , Tian Yi , Shao Hui , Yin Xiangyun , Ma Lili , Yang Ping , Li Xianghong
Published: June 2023

We describe an outbreak of echovirus 18 infection involving 10 patients in our neonatal intensive care unit (an attack rate of 33%). The mean age at the onset of illness was 26.8 days. Eighty percent were preterm infants. All were discharged home without sequelae. There were no differences in gestation age, birth weight, delivery mode, use of antibiotics, and parenteral nutrition between the enterovirus (EV) group and non-EV group, but the rate of breastfeeding was significantly higher in the EV group. Separation care and reinforcement of hand-washing seemed to be effective in preventing further spread of the virus. Visiting policy, hygiene practice, and handling of expressed breastmilk should be reinforced.
The Wall between Latinas and Latinos? Gender and Immigration Enforcement Attitudes among U.S. Latina/o Voters
Authors: Corral Álvaro José
Published: June 2023

Donald Trump’s surprising level of support among U.S. Latina/o voters in 2016 and his improved performance in the 2020 election posed a puzzle for Latina/o politics scholars given his stridently anti-immigrant agenda. Although scholars have acknowledged the political gender gap between Latinas and Latino men, few studies have outlined the theoretical basis or explored the empirical existence of gender differences in Latina/o immigration enforcement attitudes. Building on the Latina politics literature documenting Latinas’ greater engagement in solidarity work with immigrants and their greater desire for cultural transmission and the maintenance of pan-ethnic identity, I test two hypotheses. The first (the Latina/o gender hypothesis) postulates that Latinas will exhibit more liberal attitudes on matters of immigration enforcement relative to Latino men. The second (the immigrant identity hypothesis) postulates that Latinas are more likely to rely on their sense of commonality with immigrants in the formation of their immigration enforcement attitudes. Bivariate and multivariate analyses of the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Postelection Survey support both hypotheses, which suggests not only that immigration attitudes among Latinas and Latino men are meaningfully distinct, but also that there are important structural differences underlying Latina/o beliefs in this policy area.
Constraints on the executive and tax revenues in the long run
Authors: Savoia Antonio , Sen Kunal , Tagem Abrams M. E.
Published: June 2023

We argue that tax revenues and political institutions placing constraints on the executive power may reinforce each other over time and so co-evolve in the long run. This may also bring a shift in the composition of revenues, from taxes levied on a narrow base to broadly levied taxes. To test these hypotheses, we use historical cross-country data covering 31 countries for 1800–2012 and panel time series methods allowing for different forms of country-specific heterogeneity and cross-section dependence. The results offer three main findings. First, executive constraints, whether they are judicial or legislative, and tax revenues are cointegrated. While in the short run they can drift apart, this will be temporary because there is a long-run relationship between the two. Second, evidence of cointegration is strongest for revenues from direct taxes, suggesting that the existence and nature of a long-run relationship may be mainly related to the emergence of broad-based taxation. Third, long-run causality runs mostly from executive constraints to taxation. This is most evident for income taxes. Our findings link Sustainable Development Goals 16 and 17, implying that the goal of promoting inclusive and accountable institutions may work in synergy with that of generating internal resources to finance development goals.
The origins of fiscal states in developing economies: history, politics and institutions
Authors: Savoia Antonio , Sen Kunal
Published: June 2023

This is an introduction to the special issue that presents new research on the state and its links to economic and social development. The special issue focuses on the processes of institutional transformation of the state, looking at how fiscal states arise in the developing world. The resulting set of articles presents a variety of approaches, ranging from case studies (at state and regional level), to comparative historical analysis and to macro-quantitative (country and cross-country level) perspectives. The overarching message is that historical, political and institutional factors are key to understanding the process of fiscal states formation and change around the developing world.
The Propagation of Gravity Waves in Titan's Stratosphere
Authors: Huang Jianping , Wu Zhaopeng , Cui Jun , Hao Yongqiang
Published: June 2023

Gravity waves (GWs) are ubiquitous and important dynamical processes in planetary atmospheres. But their properties and impact on the lower atmosphere remain unclear for most of planets due to the lack of data. The recent in situ observation from Huygens reveals GW activity in Titan's lower stratosphere. This paper investigates the upward propagation of GWs from Titan's lower atmosphere and their thermal effects using a full‐wave model. We reproduce the observed temperature perturbations with a superposition of three GW solutions with λx = 50 km and λz = 5.3, 8.9, and 28 km, with the longer wavelength one overlooked in previous studies. The simulation suggests that the propagation of GWs in Titan's lower atmosphere is almost nondissipative and thus has no wave‐induced thermal effect on the stratosphere, which is very different from the planetary thermosphere. The temperature minimum at the tropopause leads to a rapid local GW growth, which may be the primary reason for the significant GW signals above 60 km. We also find that the zonal wind may filter out the majority of GWs except for those traveling perpendicular to the wind direction, which can propagate upward to above 100 km, as observed by the Huygens probe.
Different Satellite Products Revealing Variable Trends in Global Gross Primary Production
Authors: Bai Yu , Liang Shunlin , Jia Aolin , Li Shenggong
Published: June 2023

Capturing the spatial and temporal dynamics of global gross primary production (GPP) and its underlying mechanisms is important for understanding the global carbon cycle and climate change. Satellite remote sensing enables continuous observation of vegetation dynamics over large regions, providing valuable opportunities for investigating spatial and temporal changes in GPP on a global scale. However, different GPP products typically exhibit significant disparities in terms of global GPP estimations and have different sensitivities to environmental factors due to model differences. Therefore, this study compared five global GPP products to identify the temporal and spatial trends of global GPP in recent years and the sensitivity to environmental factors. Results showed that although the annual mean value of terrestrial GPP exhibited an upward trend over the past three decades, their trends and growth rates on a global scale were not entirely consistent for the periods before and after 2000; they even exhibited opposing trends among different products in tropical regions. Although the spatial pattern of major environmental impact factors for different GPP products was consistent across the globe, some significant differences were observed among the different products. Clarifying the trends of GPP and its response to environmental factors under the current scenario of climate change needs to be further addressed.
Reducing Aerosol Climate-Forcing Uncertainty: A Three-Way Street
Authors: Kahn Ralph
Published: June 2023

To reduce persistent aerosol-climate-forcing uncertainty, new in situ aerosol and cloud measurement programs are needed, plus much better integration of satellite and suborbital measurements with models.
Subglacial Freshwater Drainage Increases Simulated Basal Melt of the Totten Ice Shelf
Authors: Gwyther David E. , Dow Christine F. , Jendersie Stefan , Gourmelen Noel , Galton‐Fenzi Benjamin K.
Published: June 2023

Subglacial freshwater discharge from beneath Antarctic glaciers likely has a strong impact on ice shelf basal melting. However, the difficulty in directly observing subglacial flow highlights the importance of modeling these processes. We use an ocean model of the Totten Ice Shelf cavity into which we inject subglacial discharge derived from a hydrology model applied to Aurora Subglacial Basin. Our results show (a) discharge increases melting in the vicinity of the outflow region, which correlates with features observed in surface elevation maps and satellite‐derived melt maps, with implications for ice shelf stability; (b) the change in melting is driven by the formation of a buoyant plume rather than the addition of heat; and (c) the buoyant plume originating from subglacial discharge‐driven melting is far‐reaching. Basal melting induced by subglacial hydrology is thus important for ice shelf stability, but is absent from almost all ice‐ocean models.
Long‐Term Monitoring of Coupled Vegetation and Elevation Changes in Response to Sea Level Rise in a Microtidal Salt Marsh
Authors: Yang Zhicheng , Tognin Davide , Finotello Alvise , Belluco Enrica , Puppin Alice , Silvestri Sonia , Marani Marco , D’Alpaos Andrea
Published: June 2023

Tight interplays between physical and biotic processes in tidal salt marshes lead to self‐organization of halophytic vegetation into recurrent zonation patterns developed across elevation gradients. Despite its importance for marsh ecomorphodynamics, however, the response of vegetation zonation to changing environmental forcings remains difficult to predict, mostly because of lacking long‐term field observations of vegetation evolution in the face of changing rates of sea level rise and marsh vertical accretion. Here we present novel data of coupled marsh elevation‐vegetation distribution collected in the microtidal Venice Lagoon (Italy) over nearly two decades. Our results suggest that: (a) despite increasing absolute marsh elevations (i.e., above a fixed datum), vertical accretion rates across most of the studied marsh were not high enough to compensate for relative sea‐level rise (RSLR), thus leading to a progressive marsh drowning; (b) accretion rates ranging 1.7–4.3 mm/year are overall lower than the measured RSLR rate (4.4 mm/year) and strongly site‐specific. Accretion rates vary largely at sites within distances of a few tens of meters, being controlled by local elevation and sediment availability from eroding marsh edges; (c) vegetation responds species‐specifically to changes in environmental forcings by modifying species‐preferential elevation ranges. For the first time, we observe the consistency of a sequential vegetation‐species zonation with increasing marsh elevations over 20 years. We suggest this is the signature of vegetation resilience to changes in external forcings. Our results highlight a strong coupling between geomorphological and ecological dynamics and call for spatially distributed marsh monitoring and spatially explicit biomorphodynamic models of marsh evolution.
Pore‐Scale Imaging of Multiphase Flow Fluctuations in Continuum‐Scale Samples
Authors: Wang Shan , Spurin Catherine , Bultreys Tom
Published: June 2023

Representative elementary volumes (REVs) are an important concept in studying subsurface multiphase flow at the continuum scale. However, fluctuations in multiphase flow are currently not represented in continuum scale models, and their impact at the REV‐scale is unknown. Previous pore‐scale imaging studies on these fluctuations were limited to small samples with mm‐scale diameters and volumes on the order of ∼0.5 cm3. Here, we image steady‐state co‐injection experiments on a one‐inch diameter core plug sample, with nearly two orders of magnitude larger volume (21 cm3), while maintaining a pore‐scale resolution with X‐ray micro‐computed tomography. This was done for three total flow rates in a series of drainage fractional flow steps. Our observations differ markedly from those reported for mm‐scale samples in two ways: the macroscopic fluid distribution was less ramified at low capillary numbers (Ca) of 10−7; and the volume fraction of intermittency initially increased with increasing Ca (similar to mm‐scale observations), but then decreased at Ca of 10−7. Our results suggest that viscous forces may play a role in the cm‐scale fluid distribution, even at such low Ca, dampening intermittent pathway flow. A representative elementary volume study of the fluid saturation showed that this may be missed in smaller‐scale samples. Pressure drop measurements suggest that the observed pore‐scale fluctuations resulted in non‐Darcy like upscaled behavior. Overall, we show the usefulness of large field‐of‐view, high‐resolution imaging to bridge the gap between pore‐ and continuum‐scale multiphase flow studies.
Trace elements concentrations in soil contaminate corn in the vicinity of a cement-manufacturing plant: potential health implications
Authors: Abatemi-Usman Sa’adatu , Akindele Olubunmi , Ayanlade Ayansina , Perez Magali , Attahiru Isma’il , Norton Gareth , Feldmann Joerg , Krupp Eva
Published: June 2023

Background

Cultivated lands in the vicinity of industry are vulnerable due to trace element releases from industrial activities. One such situation concerns the surrounding of the largest cement-manufacturing plant in sub-Saharan Africa, located in Obajana, Nigeria.

Objective

This study aimed at examining the trace element concentrations in the soil as they contaminate corn crops in the vicinity of a cement manufacturing plant. A case study of the cement-manufacturing plant located in Obajana, Nigeria is presented.

Methods

We used inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer to analyse for total arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium(Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) concentrations and microwave-induced plasma-atomic emission spectrometer to measure total iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) contents in 89 samples of corn and surface soil (0–15 cm) from five farmlands including reference farmland and evaluated health hazard of human exposure to the trace elements via the consumption of corn cultivated in the area.

Results

The results showed the average Cr concentrations in µg/g dry weight (±standard error of the mean) in corn ranged from 2.08 ± 0.17 to 3.56 ± 0.65 in all the farmlands including control, while the mean Pb levels in µg/g dry weight (± standard error of the mean) in corn extended from 0.23 ± 0.03 to 0.38 ± 0.02 in the farmlands downwind of the cement plant. The Cr values were several factors higher than the stable concentration range of 0.01 to 0.41 µg/g reported in cereal grains, while the Pb values exceeded the limit of 0.2 µg/g set by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization in grains. Lead is a trace element of environmental concern and its average levels in the farmlands downwind of the plant were found to be several orders of magnitude higher than the values in µg/g dry weight (± standard error of the mean) (0.01 ± 0.00 to 0.02 ± 0.00) observed in the farmlands upwind of the plant and were statistically significant (p < 0.0001).

Impact statement

Our findings provide the first health hazard assessment from the consumption of corn cultivated in the vicinity of the largest cement-manufacturing plant in Nigeria as far as we know.
Evidence for the utility of quantum computing before fault tolerance
Authors: Kim Youngseok , Eddins Andrew , Anand Sajant , Wei Ken Xuan , van den Berg Ewout , Rosenblatt Sami , Nayfeh Hasan , Wu Yantao , Zaletel Michael , Temme Kristan , Kandala Abhinav
Published: June 2023

Quantum computing promises to offer substantial speed-ups over its classical counterpart for certain problems. However, the greatest impediment to realizing its full potential is noise that is inherent to these systems. The widely accepted solution to this challenge is the implementation of fault-tolerant quantum circuits, which is out of reach for current processors. Here we report experiments on a noisy 127-qubit processor and demonstrate the measurement of accurate expectation values for circuit volumes at a scale beyond brute-force classical computation. We argue that this represents evidence for the utility of quantum computing in a pre-fault-tolerant era. These experimental results are enabled by advances in the coherence and calibration of a superconducting processor at this scale and the ability to characterize1 and controllably manipulate noise across such a large device. We establish the accuracy of the measured expectation values by comparing them with the output of exactly verifiable circuits. In the regime of strong entanglement, the quantum computer provides correct results for which leading classical approximations such as pure-state-based 1D (matrix product states, MPS) and 2D (isometric tensor network states, isoTNS) tensor network methods2,3 break down. These experiments demonstrate a foundational tool for the realization of near-term quantum applications4,5.
A pangenome reference of 36 Chinese populations
Authors: Gao Yang , Yang Xiaofei , Chen Hao , Tan Xinjiang , Yang Zhaoqing , Deng Lian , Wang Baonan , Kong Shuang , Li Songyang , Cui Yuhang , Lei Chang , Wang Yimin , Pan Yuwen , Ma Sen , Sun Hao , Zhao Xiaohan , Shi Yingbing , Yang Ziyi , Wu Dongdong , Wu Shaoyuan , Zhao Xingming , Shi Binyin , Jin Li , Hu Zhibin ,   Chinese Pangenome Consortium (CPC), Mao Chuangxue , Fan Shaohua , Gao Qiang , Dai Juncheng , Bu Fengxiao , He Guanglin , Wu Yang , Yuan Huijun , Li Jinchen , Chen Chao , Yang Jian , Wei Chaochun , Jin Xin , Shen Xia , Lu Yan , Chu Jiayou , Ye Kai , Xu Shuhua
Published: June 2023

Human genomics is witnessing an ongoing paradigm shift from a single reference sequence to a pangenome form, but populations of Asian ancestry are underrepresented. Here we present data from the first phase of the Chinese Pangenome Consortium, including a collection of 116 high-quality and haplotype-phased de novo assemblies based on 58 core samples representing 36 minority Chinese ethnic groups. With an average 30.65× high-fidelity long-read sequence coverage, an average contiguity N50 of more than 35.63 megabases and an average total size of 3.01 gigabases, the CPC core assemblies add 189 million base pairs of euchromatic polymorphic sequences and 1,367 protein-coding gene duplications to GRCh38. We identified 15.9 million small variants and 78,072 structural variants, of which 5.9 million small variants and 34,223 structural variants were not reported in a recently released pangenome reference1. The Chinese Pangenome Consortium data demonstrate a remarkable increase in the discovery of novel and missing sequences when individuals are included from underrepresented minority ethnic groups. The missing reference sequences were enriched with archaic-derived alleles and genes that confer essential functions related to keratinization, response to ultraviolet radiation, DNA repair, immunological responses and lifespan, implying great potential for shedding new light on human evolution and recovering missing heritability in complex disease mapping.
CD4+ T cell-induced inflammatory cell death controls immune-evasive tumours
Authors: Kruse Bastian , Buzzai Anthony C. , Shridhar Naveen , Braun Andreas D. , Gellert Susan , Knauth Kristin , Pozniak Joanna , Peters Johannes , Dittmann Paulina , Mengoni Miriam , van der Sluis Tetje Cornelia , Höhn Simon , Antoranz Asier , Krone Anna , Fu Yan , Yu Di , Essand Magnus , Geffers Robert , Mougiakakos Dimitrios , Kahlfuß Sascha , Kashkar Hamid , Gaffal Evelyn , Bosisio Francesca M. , Bechter Oliver , Rambow Florian , Marine Jean-Christophe , Kastenmüller Wolfgang , Müller Andreas J. , Tüting Thomas
Published: June 2023

Most clinically applied cancer immunotherapies rely on the ability of CD8+ cytolytic T cells to directly recognize and kill tumour cells1–3. These strategies are limited by the emergence of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-deficient tumour cells and the formation of an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment4–6. The ability of CD4+ effector cells to contribute to antitumour immunity independently of CD8+ T cells is increasingly recognized, but strategies to unleash their full potential remain to be identified7–10. Here, we describe a mechanism whereby a small number of CD4+ T cells is sufficient to eradicate MHC-deficient tumours that escape direct CD8+ T cell targeting. The CD4+ effector T cells preferentially cluster at tumour invasive margins where they interact with MHC-II+CD11c+ antigen-presenting cells. We show that T helper type 1 cell-directed CD4+ T cells and innate immune stimulation reprogramme the tumour-associated myeloid cell network towards interferon-activated antigen-presenting and iNOS-expressing tumouricidal effector phenotypes. Together, CD4+ T cells and tumouricidal myeloid cells orchestrate the induction of remote inflammatory cell death that indirectly eradicates interferon-unresponsive and MHC-deficient tumours. These results warrant the clinical exploitation of this ability of CD4+ T cells and innate immune stimulators in a strategy to complement the direct cytolytic activity of CD8+ T cells and natural killer cells and advance cancer immunotherapies.
Children’s dental panoramic radiographs dataset for caries segmentation and dental disease detection
Authors: Zhang Yifan , Ye Fan , Chen Lingxiao , Xu Feng , Chen Xiaodiao , Wu Hongkun , Cao Mingguo , Li Yunxiang , Wang Yaqi , Huang Xingru
Published: June 2023

When dentists see pediatric patients with more complex tooth development than adults during tooth replacement, they need to manually determine the patient’s disease with the help of preoperative dental panoramic radiographs. To the best of our knowledge, there is no international public dataset for children’s teeth and only a few datasets for adults’ teeth, which limits the development of deep learning algorithms for segmenting teeth and automatically analyzing diseases. Therefore, we collected dental panoramic radiographs and cases from 106 pediatric patients aged 2 to 13 years old, and with the help of the efficient and intelligent interactive segmentation annotation software EISeg (Efficient Interactive Segmentation) and the image annotation software LabelMe. We propose the world’s first dataset of children’s dental panoramic radiographs for caries segmentation and dental disease detection by segmenting and detecting annotations. In addition, another 93 dental panoramic radiographs of pediatric patients, together with our three internationally published adult dental datasets with a total of 2,692 images, were collected and made into a segmentation dataset suitable for deep learning.
Nesting biology and phylogenetic relationships of the parasitoid-hunting wasp Lindenius pygmaeus armatus (Vander Linden, 1829) (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)
Authors: Olszewski Piotr , Budrys Eduardas , Orlovskytė Svetlana , Wiśniowski Bogdan , Ljubomirov Toshko
Published: June 2023

Nests ofLindenius pygmaeus armatuswere examined in northern Poland in Kowalewo Pomorskie and Sierakowo. Adults were encountered from late May to late July. The nests were built in sandy areas and wasteland. Seven nests were observed, of which two were dug up and their structure was examined. The channel was approximately 2.5 mm in diameter and 8–10 cm in the length. The material removed during digging was placed near the nest entrance. The main burrow led to 3–5 cells. The cocoons were approximately 5–7 mm long and 2.5–3.5 mm wide. Females ofL. p. armatusprovided their nest cells with chalcid wasps averaging 14 prey items per cell. ParasitoidsMyrmosa atraand kleptoparasitesSenotainia conicawere observed entering the burrows. Both females and males ofL. p. armatuswere detected on the flowers ofAchillea millefolium,Peucedanum oreoselinum,Daucus carota, andTanacetum vulgare. The article also includes phylogenetic relationships of Western PalearcticLindeniusspecies.
Compositional modeling of gas-condensate viscosity using ensemble approach
Authors: Rezaei Farzaneh , Akbari Mohammad , Rafiei Yousef , Hemmati-Sarapardeh Abdolhossein
Published: June 2023

In gas-condensate reservoirs, liquid dropout occurs by reducing the pressure below the dew point pressure in the area near the wellbore. Estimation of production rate in these reservoirs is important. This goal is possible if the amount of viscosity of the liquids released below the dew point is available. In this study, the most comprehensive database related to the viscosity of gas condensate, including 1370 laboratory data was used. Several intelligent techniques, including Ensemble methods, support vector regression (SVR), K-nearest neighbors (KNN), Radial basis function (RBF), and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) optimized by Bayesian Regularization and Levenberg–Marquardt were applied for modeling. In models presented in the literature, one of the input parameters for the development of the models is solution gas oil ratio (Rs). Measuring Rs in wellhead requires special equipment and is somewhat difficult. Also, measuring this parameter in the laboratory requires spending time and money. According to the mentioned cases, in this research, unlike the research done in the literature, Rs parameter was not used to develop the models. The input parameters for the development of the models presented in this research were temperature, pressure and condensate composition. The data used includes a wide range of temperature and pressure, and the models presented in this research are the most accurate models to date for predicting the condensate viscosity. Using the mentioned intelligent approaches, precise compositional models were presented to predict the viscosity of gas/condensate at different temperatures and pressures for different gas components. Ensemble method with an average absolute percent relative error (AAPRE) of 4.83% was obtained as the most accurate model. Moreover, the AAPRE values for SVR, KNN, MLP-BR, MLP-LM, and RBF models developed in this study are 4.95%, 5.45%, 6.56%, 7.89%, and 10.9%, respectively. Then, the effect of input parameters on the viscosity of the condensate was determined by the relevancy factor using the results of the Ensemble methods. The most negative and positive effects of parameters on the gas condensate viscosity were related to the reservoir temperature and the mole fraction of C11, respectively. Finally, suspicious laboratory data were determined and reported using the leverage technique.