bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disseminated Basidiobolomycosis Caused by Basidiobolus omanensis in a Child with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Al Yazidi Laila , Al Sinani Sharifa , Al Adawi Badriya , Al Riyami Marwa , Wali Yasser , Al Rawas Abdulhakeem , Al Musalhi Buthaina , Meis Jacques F. , Al Housni Saif , Al-Harrasi Ahmed , Al Hatmi Abdullah M. S.
Published: January 2024

Basidiobolomycosis is an uncommon fungal infection caused by the genus Basidiobolus. In immunocompetent children, it usually causes cutaneous infection and rarely affects the gastrointestinal tract, and it is extremely rare for the disease to spread. The present study reports the first case of disseminated basidiobolomycosis caused by Basidiobolus omanensis in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who died as a result of uncontrolled infection and multi-organ failure despite surgical and antifungal therapy with L-AMB and voriconazole. A review of the literature yielded 76 cases, including the current case with the majority of which were reported as invasive gastrointestinal infection. The median age was 4 years (61 male and 15 female) and the majority of these children were from the Middle East (80%), specifically Saudi Arabia (45%). Most patients were treated with systemic antifungal agents (mostly itraconazole and amphotericin B). Surgical intervention was done in 25% of these patients and the death rate was 12%.
A new method to characterize the nonlinear magneto-viscoelasticity behavior of magneto-active elastomers under large amplitude oscillatory axial (LAOA) loading
Authors: Vatandoost Hossein , Sedaghati Ramin , Rakheja Subhash
Published: January 2024

The nonlinear viscoelasticity of magneto-active elastomers (MAEs) under large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) loading has been extensively characterized. A reliable and effective methodology, however, is lacking for such characterizations under large amplitude oscillatory axial (LAOA) loading. This is partly due to complexities associated with experimental compression mode characterizations of MAEs and in-part due to their asymmetric stress–strain behavior leading to different elastic moduli during extension and compression. This study proposes a set of new nonlinear measures to characterize nonlinear and asymmetric behavior of MAEs subject to LAOA loading. These include differential large/zero strain moduli and large/zero strain-rate viscosity, which could also facilitate physical interpretations of the inter- and intra-cycle nonlinearities observed in asymmetric and hysteretic stress–strain responses. The compression mode stress–strain behavior of MAEs was experimentally characterized under different magnitudes of axial strain (0.025 to 0.20), strain rate (frequency up to 30 Hz) and magnetic flux density (0 to 750mT). The measured stress–strain responses were decomposed into elastic, viscous and viscoelastic stress components using Chebyshev polynomials and Fourier series. The stress decomposition based on Chebyshev polynomials permitted determination of equivalent nonlinear elastic and viscous stress components, upon which the proposed measures were obtained. An equivalent set of Fourier coefficients was also obtained for estimating equivalent elastic/viscous stress, thereby facilitating faster calculation of the proposed material measures. The proposed methodology is considered to serve as an effective tool for deriving constitutive models for describing nonlinear and asymmetric characteristics of MAEs.
Governing shared mobility: a comparison of the public policy goals being pursued in three cities
Authors: Castellanos Sebastian , Wright Katy , Grant-Muller Susan
Published: January 2024

Shared mobility services such as shared scooters, bikes, and ridehailing services have transformed the urban mobility landscape in recent years. In this paper we identify the goals that local governments are pursuing when regulating these private services. We also analyse the circumstances and motivations that led to the pursuit of these goals. For this, we carried out three in-depth case studies of cities where private companies had deployed shared mobility services: Bogotá, Colombia; Paris, France; and Los Angeles, USA. We found that there is a wide range of goals (34 distinct goals) that the governments of these cities are pursuing when attempting to regulate shared mobility services. However, only between three and four of these goals tend to dominate most of their actions. We also identified a mix of motivations for the pursuit of these goals: from the public interest of redressing past inequities, to circumstantial motivations such as appeasing the incumbents that have seen their businesses endangered by these new technologies. The academic literature converges on sustainability and equitable access being two of the primary goals to be pursued in transport policy, but our findings suggest that practitioners and policymakers are pursuing a range of other goals that do not fit neatly into these two theoretical categories.
Is Epistemic Status Gender-Biased? Gender As a Predictor of Testimonial Reliability Assessments in Violent Crimes
Authors: Horniczak Klaudyna , Porębski Andrzej , Skoczeń Izabela
Published: January 2024

It is rather uncontroversial that gender should have no influence on treating others as equal epistemic agents. However, is this view reflected in practice? This paper aims to test whether the gender of the testifier and the accused of assault is related to the perception of a testimony’s reliability and the guilt of the potential perpetrator. Two experiments were conducted: the subjects (n = 361, 47% females, 53% males) assessed the reliability of the testifier in four scenarios of assault accusation, in which the only difference was the gender of the people presented. During the study, we have observed dependencies of gender and ascription of reliability, but only marginal differences in guilt attribution. The results of our research may constitute an argument for the existence of different epistemic status endowed on people depending on their gender and existing gender stereotypes. Our results suggest that gender bias may be situated at a deeper level than the linguistically triggered representation.
Elastic Shakedown and Roughness Evolution in Repeated Elastic–Plastic Contact
Authors: Frérot Lucas , Pastewka Lars
Published: January 2024

Surface roughness emerges naturally during mechanical removal of material, fracture, chemical deposition, plastic deformation, indentation, and other processes. Here, we use continuum simulations to show how roughness which is neither Gaussian nor self-affine emerges from repeated elastic–plastic contact of rough and rigid surfaces on a flat elastic–plastic substrate. Roughness profiles change with each contact cycle, but appear to approach a steady-state long before the substrate stops deforming plastically and has hence “shaken-down” elastically. We propose a simple dynamic collapse for the emerging power-spectral density, which shows that the multi-scale nature of the roughness is encoded in the first few indentations. In contrast to macroscopic roughness parameters, roughness at small scales and the skewness of the height distribution of the resulting roughness do not show a steady-state. However, the skewness vanishes asymptotically with contact cycle.

Graphical Abstract
Control of Static Friction by Designing Grooves on Friction Surface
Authors: Iwashita Wataru , Matsukawa Hiroshi , Otsuki Michio
Published: January 2024

This study numerically investigated the friction of viscoelastic objects with grooves. A 3D viscoelastic block with grooves on a rigid substrate is slowly pushed from the lateral side under uniform pressure on the top surface. The local friction force at the interface between the block and the substrate obeys Amontons’ law. Numerical results obtained using the finite element method reveal that the static friction coefficient decreases with increasing groove width and depth. The propagation of the precursor slip is observed before bulk sliding. Furthermore, bulk sliding occurs when the area of slow precursor slip reaches a critical value, which decreases with increasing groove size. A theoretical analysis based on a simplified model reveals that the static friction coefficient is related to the critical area of the precursor, which is determined by the instability of the precursor. A scaling law for the critical area is theoretically predicted, and it indicates that the decrease in the effective viscosity due to the formation of the grooves leads to a decrease in the static friction coefficient. The validity of the theoretical prediction is numerically confirmed.

Graphical Abstract
Genetic electro-search optimization for optimum energy consumption in edge computing-based internet of healthcare things
Authors: Köse Utku , Marmolejo-Saucedo Jose Antonio , Rodriguez-Aguilar Roman , Marmolejo-Saucedo Liliana , Rodriguez-Aguilar Miriam
Published: January 2024

Energy consumption is a vital issue when optimum usage and carbon footprint are all considered in today’s Internet of Things (IoT) environments. Considering edge computing, that becomes too critical in terms of wireless devices with limited battery power. Especially in healthcare applications, the defined IoHT approach requires sustainability while future massive solutions may result negative outputs in terms of carbon footprint. So, optimum energy consumption seems positive in terms of multiple ways. In the literature, one trendy method is using clustering for lowering the energy consumption within the Internet of Healthcare Things (IoHT) environment on edge computing. In this study, optimization of energy consumption in IoHT was done via improved Genetic Electro-Search Optimization (GESO) algorithm. According to the obtained findings in the performed applications, GESO was effective enough in finding optimum conditions of energy consumption for an active IoHT setup.
Land use characteristics affect the sub-basinal scale urban fish community identified by environmental DNA metabarcoding
Authors: Kang Yujin , Shin Wonhyeop , Kim Yonghwan , Song Youngkeun
Published: January 2024

The heterogeneity of urban landscapes has effects on the environmental characteristics and fish composition of individual urban streams, even within a single water system. It is, therefore, imperative to assess the influence of physiochemical properties on urban streams by analyzing the spatial distribution of fish communities at the local scale. However, conventional fish surveys encounter time and labor constraints when selecting and surveying dense sampling points under 2 km in stream networks. In this study, environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding was used as an innovative survey methodology to identify the effects of land use and stream order on fish composition and tolerance guild in an urban area. The eDNA sampling was conducted in 31 sites of the Anyang stream network in Korea, including part of the stream undergoing ecological restoration. The eDNA survey detected 12 of 17 species (70.6%) that appeared in the historical data, and 12 of 18 species (66.7%) identified in a conventional field survey with kick nets and casting nets. The proportions of urban area, forest and grassland were positively correlated with abundance (p < 0.05) and richness (p < 0.05) in multiple regression analyses, while the proportion of agricultural area showed a negative correlation (p < 0.05). For abundance, richness, and diversity within the fish community from first- to third-order streams, there was a significant decrease in sensitive species (p < 0.05) alongside a significant increase in tolerant species (p < 0.01) across all three indices. The results of this study highlight variations in fish composition across sites within the local scale of the urban stream network, underscoring the need for detailed monitoring to understand the ecological function of urban streams.
Research on the estimation and spatial pattern of net tourism carbon emissions in the Yellow River Basin from 2009 to 2019
Authors: Peng Ruijuan , Su Rui , Gao Wanqianrong , Zhang Xinhong
Published: January 2024

Based on panel data and remote sensing data of cities in the Yellow River Basin in China from 2009 to 2019, and using the tourism carbon footprint and tourism carbon carrying capacity models, the tourism carbon emissions, tourism carbon carrying capacity, and net tourism carbon of 65 cities in the Yellow River Basin were calculated. The balance and dynamic changes in carbon emissions and carbon fixation of urban tourism in the past ten years were compared. The results show that (1) tourism carbon emissions in the Yellow River Basin are generally on the rise, along with a distribution characteristic of downstream > middle reaches > upstream with obvious characteristics of urban agglomeration centrality within the basin; (2) the carbon carrying capacity of tourism is higher than that of tourism. The growth of carbon emissions is relatively slow, showing a spatial distribution pattern of high in the west and low in the east, which is mainly related to the geographical environment and economic development of the city; (3) the tourism carbon emissions and tourism carbon carrying capacity in the upstream areas can basically maintain a balance, but in the middle and lower reaches of the region, they show a carbon surplus. There is a significant positive spatial correlation in urban net tourism carbon emissions, and the clusters are mainly H-H and L-L.
Understanding the differential impacts of two antidepressants on locomotion of freshwater snails (Lymnaea stagnalis)
Authors: Raman Nandini Vasantha , Dubey Asmita , van Donk Ellen , von Elert Eric , Lürling Miquel , Fernandes Tânia V. , de Senerpont Domis Lisette N.
Published: January 2024

There is growing evidence of negative impacts of antidepressants on behavior of aquatic non-target organisms. Accurate environmental risk assessment requires an understanding of whether antidepressants with similar modes of action have consistent negative impacts. Here, we tested the effect of acute exposure to two antidepressants, fluoxetine and venlafaxine (0–50 µg/L), on the behavior of non-target organism, i.e., freshwater pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. As compounds interact with chemical cues in the aquatic ecosystems, we also tested whether the effects altered in the presence of bile extract containing 5α-cyprinol sulfate (5α-CPS), a characterized kairomone of a natural predator, common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Behavior was studied using automated tracking and analysis of various locomotion parameters of L. stagnalis. Our results suggest that there are differences in the effects on locomotion upon exposure to venlafaxine and fluoxetine. We found strong evidence for a non-monotonic dose response on venlafaxine exposure, whereas fluoxetine only showed weak evidence of altered locomotion for a specific concentration. Combined exposure to compounds and 5α-CPS reduced the intensity of effects observed in the absence of 5α-CPS, possibly due to reduced bioavailability of the compounds. The results highlight the need for acknowledging different mechanisms of action among antidepressants while investigating their environmental risks. In addition, our results underline the importance of reporting non-significant effects and acknowledging individual variation in behavior for environmental risk assessment.

Graphical Abstract
Improved subcutaneous edema segmentation on abdominal CT using a generated adipose tissue density prior
Authors: Liu Jianfei , Shafaat Omid , Bhadra Sayantan , Parnell Christopher , Harris Ayden , Summers Ronald M.
Published: January 2024

Purpose

Edema, or swelling, is a common symptom of kidney, heart, and liver disease. Volumetric edema measurement is potentially clinically useful. Edema can occur in various tissues. This work focuses on segmentation and volume measurement of one common site, subcutaneous adipose tissue.

Methods

The density distributions of edema and subcutaneous adipose tissue are represented as a two-class Gaussian mixture model (GMM). In previous work, edema regions were segmented by selecting voxels with density values within the edema density distribution. This work improves upon the prior work by generating an adipose tissue mask without edema through a conditional generative adversarial network. The density distribution of the generated mask was imported into a Chan-Vese level set framework. Edema and subcutaneous adipose tissue are separated by iteratively updating their respective density distributions.

Results

Validation results on 25 patients with edema showed that the segmentation accuracy significantly improved. Compared to GMM, the average Dice Similarity Coefficient increased from 56.0 to 61.7% ($$p<0.05$$

p
<
0.05

) and the relative volume difference decreased from 36.5 to 30.2% ($$p<0.05$$

p
<
0.05

).

Conclusion

The generated adipose tissue density prior improved edema segmentation accuracy. Accurate edema volume measurement may prove clinically useful.
Auxiliary roles of nardilysin in the early diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome: a prospective cohort study, the Nardi-ACS study
Authors: Ohno Mikiko , Shiomi Hiroki , Baba Osamu , Yano Mariko , Aizawa Takanori , Nakano-Matsumura Yukiko , Yamagami Shintaro , Kato Masashi , Ohya Masanobu , Chen Po-Min , Nagao Kazuya , Ando Kenji , Yokomatsu Takafumi , Kadota Kazushige , Kouchi Ichiro , Inada Tsukasa , Valentine Cindy , Kitagawa Takahiro , Kurokawa Masato , Ohtsuru Shigeru , Morimoto Takeshi , Kimura Takeshi , Nishi Eiichiro
Published: January 2024

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) includes myocardial infarction (MI) and unstable angina (UA). MI is defined by elevated necrosis markers, preferably high-sensitivity cardiac troponins (hs-cTn). However, it takes hours for cTn to become elevated after coronary occlusion; therefore, difficulties are associated with diagnosing early post-onset MI or UA. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to examine the diagnostic ability of serum nardilysin (NRDC) for the early detection of ACS. This study consisted of two sequential cohorts, the Phase I cohort, 435 patients presenting to the emergency room (ER) with chest pain, and the Phase II cohort, 486 patients with chest pain who underwent coronary angiography. The final diagnosis was ACS in 155 out of 435 patients (35.6%) in the phase I and 418 out of 486 (86.0%) in the phase II cohort. Among 680 patients who presented within 24 h of onset, 466 patients (68.5%) were diagnosed with ACS. Serum NRDC levels were significantly higher in patients with ACS than in those without ACS. The sensitivity of NRDC in patients who presented within 6 h after the onset was higher than that of hsTnI, and the AUC of NRDC within 1 h of the onset was higher than that of hsTnI (0.718 versus 0.633). Among hsTnI-negative patients (300 of 680 patients: 44.1%), 136 of whom (45.3%) were diagnosed with ACS, the sensitivity and the NPV of NRDC were 73.5 and 65.7%, respectively. When measured in combination with hsTnI, NRDC plays auxiliary roles in the early diagnosis of ACS.
Exploring Imagined Temporalities in Resettlement Workers’ Narratives: Renegotiating Temporal and Emotional Boundaries in Post-Brexit Britain
Authors: Forde Leona , McGovern Mark , Moran Lisa
Published: January 2024

This paper develops the concept of ‘imagined temporalities’ to explore multiple temporal subjectivities, time cultures, ‘myths’, and realities evident in interviews with resettlement workers who were part of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) in Merseyside, United Kingdom (UK). Conducted in 2019, the interviews took place as the triggering of Article 50 signalled the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union (EU). This period of unprecedented social, economic, and political changes formed a crucial backdrop framing our interviewees’ narratives. The views of resettlement workers have been little explored and are employed here to complement the insights provided by work undertaken by others with refugees and asylum seekers. This research provides important insights into their perceptions of the interplay of factors that affect belonging and access to supports for refugees and asylum seekers, revealing wider, largely underreported, concerns.1 These include, their own personal experiences working in support services and system changes, driven by growing socio-political pressures that impact on community-building among refugees during their resettlement. Significantly, debates about “Brexit” and the UK’s political future, as well as heated public discussions of the historical legacies of colonialism which underpin the present treatment of migrants, are reflected in these resettlement workers’ views as well. Subsequently, this paper employs the concept of ‘imagined temporalities’ to explore how support workers understand the treatment of migrants by social and political systems—and their own personal struggles and hopes,—against this wider, divisive post-Brexit backdrop. Overall, the paper underlines the highly politicised space the resettlement workers operate in, where they balance the needs of service users in the midst of constraints imposed by overly rigid time regimes.
Subjective pain and reward in a social judgment paradigm
Authors: Torzillo Judith , Topel Selin , Harrewijn Anita , van der Molen Melle J. W. , van der Veen Frederik
Published: January 2024

Affective problems such as social anxiety and depression theoretically involve negative cognitive biases that trigger and maintain symptoms during everyday experiences. This study employed a social judgment paradigm to investigate possible biases in expectation of social acceptance, and subjective feelings of pain and reward. Healthy adult participants (N = 120) were told their image had been judged by others. In 120 trials, they were shown photos of the judges and asked to anticipate whether they were liked by them or not, before being shown the judgment. Participants rated their level of pain and reward in each trial. Results indicated that social acceptance was expected less often by participants with higher levels of social anxiety. Self-reported pain was greatest after unexpected rejection. A greater likelihood of the presence of pain and higher self-reported pain were associated with higher levels of social anxiety and depression respectively. Self-reported reward was greatest after expected acceptance, and was not associated with social anxiety or depression. This study provides subjective experience information that has been missing from existing social judgment research. Moreover, these findings suggest that in social situations, those with social anxiety and depression more often expect rejection and experience rejection as more painful, respectively. These biases are potential maintaining factors and may be targets for further research and future intervention development.
Characterization of Aspergillus section Flavi associated with stored grains
Authors: El-Dawy Eman G. A. M. , Gherbawy Youssuf A. , Hussein Mohamed A.
Published: January 2024

Increased frequencies of Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxins in cereal grains have been seen in recent years due to changes in climate circumstances, such as high temperatures and drought. To assess the microbiological risks of contamination, it is critical to have a reliable and accurate means of identifying the fungi. The main goal of this study was to characterize Aspergillus species from section Flavi obtained from twenty-three samples of barley and maize grains, gathered from different markets in Qena, Egypt, using morphological and molecular techniques. Twenty-three isolates were chosen, one isolate from each sample; they were identified as A. aflatoxiformans (4 isolates), A. flavus (18), and A. parasiticus (1). The existence of four aflatoxin biosynthesis genes was also investigated in relation to the strains’ ability to produce total aflatoxins and aflatoxin B1, focusing on the regulatory gene aflR and the structural genes aflD and aflM. All strains producing aflatoxins were linked to the presence of aflR1 and/or aflR2, except two isolates that exhibited aflatoxins but from which aflR1 or aflR2 were not detected, which may be due to one or more missing or unstudied additional genes involved in aflatoxin production. AflD and aflM genes were amplified by 10 and 9 isolates, respectively. Five samples of barley and maize were contaminated by aflatoxins. Fifteen isolates were positive for producing total aflatoxins in the range of 0.1–240 ppm. Antagonistic activity of Trichoderma viride against A. flavus (F5) was assessed at 31.3%. Trichoderma reduced total aflatoxins in all treated seeds, particularly those subjected to Trichoderma formulation.
Mitigating the Environmental Impact by Synthesis of Adsorbents from Aluminium-Containing Waste
Authors: Yunusov M. P. , Gulomov S. , Nasullayev K. A. , Turdiyeva D. P. K. , Isayeva N. F. , Abdurakhmanova I. S. K. , Mustafayev B. D. , Murzin D. Yu.
Published: January 2024

Purpose

To develop effective adsorbents and carriers for removing harmful impurities from waste, due to the shortage of natural bauxite for alumina production.

Methods

To determine the influence of various impurities present in the waste—spent alumina adsorbent (SAA) on the characteristics of adsorbents for chlorine-containing compounds, samples with a different content of V, Ti and Na have been synthesized. Properties of adsorbents based on a commercial alumina and extensively treated SAA, both types undergoing impregnation with sodium hydroxide and sodium vanadate, have been compared. Alumina adsorbents and alumina-kaolin-borate catalyst carriers with the Ti content of ca. 0.2% were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of TiCl4 on the ready granules, while introduction of large quantities of titania have been performed by addition of ground alumina-titania carrier waste into the extrusion paste. Adsorption of steam, tetrachloroethylene and hydrochloric acid has been investigated.

Results and Conclusions

It was found that the adsorption capacity for water vapor reached 43.6 g H2O/100 g SA and 38.9 g H2O/100 g AN-2, while after ALD modification it decreased by ca. 1 and 35%, respectively and with the introduction of SA-Ti(15.0) with the same amount of titanium by ca. 35%. Modification of AN-2 with sodium vanadate at about 0.3% Na and 0.4% V had no effect on water adsorption; while as the concentration of sodium introduced by impregnation with NaOH increased, the adsorption ability deteriorated. Modification of AN-2 and SA using ALD technology sharply diminished efficiency of adsorption of water vapors, tetrachlorethylene and hydrochloric acid. By adsorption of a mixture simulating reforming exhaust gases, formation of chlorinated oligomers on AKB, AN-2 and SA was established. NaOH modification effectively suppressed oligomerization; thus SAA-based adsorbents containing more than 5% Na can be used for drying and purification of reforming exhaust gases, as the most effective, cheapest and resource-saving option.

Graphical Abstract
Storage stability of lysostaphin solution and its pulmonary delivery
Authors: Zeng Ping , Zhang Pengfei , Chan Ho Wan , Chow Shing Fung , Lam Jenny Ka Wing , Ip Margaret , Leung Sharon Shui Yee
Published: January 2024

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a leading causative pathogen of nosocomial pneumonia with an alarming in-hospital mortality rate of 30%. Last resort antibiotic, vancomycin, has been increasingly used to treat MRSA infections, but the rapid emergence of vancomycin-resistant strains urges the development of alternative treatment strategies against MRSA-associated pneumonia. The bacteriolytic enzyme, lysostaphin, targeting the cell wall peptidoglycan of S. aureus, has been considered as a promising alternative for MRSA infections. Its proteinaceous nature is likely benefit from direct delivery to the lungs, but the challenges for successful pulmonary delivery of lysostaphin lying on a suitable inhalation device and a formulation with sufficient storage stability. In this study, the applicability of a vibrating mesh nebulizer (Aerogen Solo®) and a soft mist inhaler (Respimat®) was investigated. Both devices were capable of aerosolizing lysostaphin solution into inhalable droplets and caused minimum antibacterial activity loss. In addition, lysostaphin stabilized with phosphate-buffered saline and 0.1% Tween 80 was proved to have acceptable stability for at least 12 months when stored at 4 °C. These promising data encourage further clinical development of lysostaphin for management of MRSA-associated lung infections.

Graphical abstract

Lysostaphin had insignificant activity loss after aerosol generation by a vibrating mesh nebulizer and a soft mist inhaler.

Most of the lysostaphin aerosols generated by the vibrating mesh nebulizer and soft mist inhaler are inhalable.

The vibrating mesh nebulizer and soft mist inhaler are suitable device for pulmonary delivery of lysostaphin.
Antimicrobial activity of spiculisporic acid isolated from endophytic fungus Aspergillus cejpii of Hedera helix against MRSA
Authors: Osama Sarah , El Sherei Moshera , Al-Mahdy Dalia A. , Bishr Mokhtar , Salama Osama , Raafat Marwa M.
Published: January 2024

The surge in multidrug-resistant pathogens worldwide has jeopardized the clinical efficiency of many current antibiotics. This problem steered many researchers in their quest to discover new effective antimicrobial agents from natural origins including plants or their residing endophytes. In this work, we aimed to identify the endophytic fungi derived from Hedera helix L. and investigate their potential antimicrobial activity. Bioguided fractionation approach was conducted to isolate the pure compounds from the most active fungal fraction. Out of a total of six different isolated endophytic fungal strains, only Aspergillus cejpii showed the highest activity against all tested microbial strains. The most active fraction was the dichloromethane/methanol fraction (DCM:MeOH), where it showed significant activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens, Acinetobacter baumannii, Salmonella typhi, and three drug-resistant clinical isolate strains including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, H1), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PS 16), and Acinetobacter baumannii (ACT 322) using tetracyline and kanamycin as the control antibiotics. Bioguided fractionation of the active fraction led to the isolation of the γ-butenolide, spiculisporic acid. Structure elucidation was carried out using 1H and 13C-NMR spectroscopic analysis. The compound showed good antimicrobial activities with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 3.9 to 31.25 μg/mL against all tested strains. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling was also carried out to identify the metabolites in the microbial crude extract. In conclusion, endophytic fungi, Aspergillus cejpii, isolated from Hedera helix L. roots showed promising antimicrobial activity which merits further in-depth investigations for potential utilization as a source of new antibiotics in the future. It can also be considered as a novel source for spiculisporic acid.
On the connection between uniqueness from samples and stability in Gabor phase retrieval
Authors: Alaifari Rima , Bartolucci Francesca , Steinerberger Stefan , Wellershoff Matthias
Published: January 2024

Gabor phase retrieval is the problem of reconstructing a signal from only the magnitudes of its Gabor transform. Previous findings suggest a possible link between unique solvability of the discrete problem (recovery from measurements on a lattice) and stability of the continuous problem (recovery from measurements on an open subset of $$\mathbb {R}^2$$

R

2

). In this paper, we close this gap by proving that such a link cannot be made. More precisely, we establish the existence of functions which break uniqueness from samples without affecting stability of the continuous problem. Furthermore, we prove the novel result that counterexamples to unique recovery from samples are dense in $$L^2(\mathbb {R})$$

L
2

(
R
)

. Finally, we develop an intuitive argument on the connection between directions of instability in phase retrieval and certain Laplacian eigenfunctions associated to small eigenvalues.
“Reading”, “listening” and sound, light environment
Authors: Wu Shuoxian , Qiu Jianzhen
Published: January 2024

Sound is always an important medium for passing on knowledge and skills as well as for communicating information. Reading accompanies the use of the brain in the silent reading of words, an act that transforms textual information into verbal information. People can “listen” and “read” in a dark or low light environment. Learning and thinking in a quiet, dark environment is not only conducive to the formation of innovative thinking, but also the inheritance of ancient ideas of health and wisdom. Modern disciplines follow the human perception mechanism and advocate concepts of “Quiet Area” (in soundscape discipline) and “Dark Night Sky” (in lightscape discipline). It is in accordance with the ancients preference of thinking and learning in a “quiet, dark environment”, which is consistent with the law of the matter and the origin of things. This also reflects the integration of human life wisdom and modern science.
Use of smartphones for social networking-men vs women:case study of Bangladesh
Authors: Shabur Md. Abdus , Jahan Jafrin
Published: January 2024

This research looked on the gender gap in smartphone app usage and the impact of gender on smartphone-based social networks and social support in Bangladesh, a south Asian country. The sample of smartphone-owning 250 college/university students was surveyed online. Results showed that women were more likely to utilize a smartphone's camera than men were, but men were more inclined to make phone calls and use apps developed expressly for smartphones. Moreover, the findings revealed unique behaviors associated with the use of smartphones in the upkeep of interpersonal connections. Women were more likely to think bonding ties enhanced while using smartphones for text communications, whereas men were more inclined to believe more bridge links expanded. According to these findings, women tend to be more likely to use their cellphones to improve already-strong connections, whilst men appear to be more prone to use them to boost already-weak social relationships.
Intercultural Communication and Identity
Authors: Darvin Ron , Sun Tongle
Published: January 2024

This Element asserts how identity as a construct enables a critical awareness of how speakers position themselves and are positioned by others in intercultural encounters. It discusses how identity vis-à-vis culture has been theorized through social psychological, poststructuralist, and critical lenses, and how identity is discursively constructed and mediated. Rejecting essentialist notions of language and culture, this Element demonstrates how inscriptions of identity such as race, ethnicity, nationality, and class can be used to critically examine the dynamics of situated intercultural encounters and to understand how such interactions can index competing and colluding ideologies. By examining identity research from different parts of the world, it casts a light on how identities are performed in diverse intercultural contexts and discusses research methodologies that have been employed to examine identity in intercultural communication.
A comparison of rate and methods of probable suicide for 2 years pre and post the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Mannix D. , Holleran L. , Cevikel P. , McMorrow C. , Nerney D. , Phelan S. , McDonald C. , Hallahan B.
Published: January 2024

Objectives:

To examine and compare rates and methods of probable suicide in a Western region of Ireland during a 24 month period since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with a similar period immediately prior to the pandemic onset.

Methods:

Post-mortem reports between March 1st 2018 and February 29th 2020 were reviewed and compared with data from March 1st 2020 to February 28th 2022. Relevant demographic data, rates and methods of probable suicide and lifetime engagement with mental health services were compared across the two time points.

Results:

Identical rates of probable suicide (85 individuals at both time points) were demonstrated with no difference evident in the utilisation of violent compared to non-violent methods.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that despite previous reports of increased rates of self-harm and some evidence of increased mental distress since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, no change in rates of or methods employed by individuals who died by probable suicide were evident in this geographical region.
Airfoil response to periodic vertical and longitudinal gusts
Authors: Wang Tong , Feng Li-Hao , Cao Yu-Tian , Wang Jin-Jun
Published: January 2024

Gust response has consistently been a concern in engineering. Critical theories have been proposed in the past to predict the unsteady lift response of an airfoil experiencing vertical gusts by Atassi, and longitudinal gusts by Greenberg. However, their applicability for an airfoil with non-zero angles of attack still needs clarification. Thus, force measurements are conducted to examine these theories’ validity and quasi-steady corrections are applied to compensate potential disparities between the idealised and real flow conditions. Velocity measurements are performed to scrutinise the effect of gusts on the flow around the airfoil, and subsequently to reveal the underlying mechanism governing the airfoil's response to gust-induced perturbations. In the study, two pitching vanes are arranged upstream to generate periodic vertical and longitudinal gusts, whereas a downstream airfoil with angles of attack of 0–12° is subjected to two gust types. It is found that Greenberg's theory demonstrates superior predictive capability in pre-stall regimes, with the potential for its effectiveness to be expanded to post-stall regimes through theoretical refinements. In contrast, Atassi's theory exhibits significant deviations from experimental outcomes across the measured angles of attack. Nevertheless, a modified version of the theory aligns better with experimental results at small angles of attack, whereas substantial discrepancies persist as the angle of attack increases. In the pre-stall regime, the aerodynamic response of the airfoil to vertical gusts displays a linear correlation with the flow angle near the leading edge. In the post-stall regime, the vertical gust induces dynamic stall of the airfoil. The flow angle has an essential effect on the lift coefficient but it alone is inadequate to dictate the trend of the lift coefficient. The vorticity statistics show that negative vortex circulation strongly correlates with the lift coefficient. Thus, further correction of the theory or a new vortex model can be expected to predict the lift variation.
Viscous tubular-body theory for plane interfaces
Authors: Koens L. , Walker B.J.
Published: January 2024

Filaments are ubiquitous within the microscopic world, occurring in biological and industrial environments and displaying a varied dynamics. Their wide range of applications has spurred the development of a branch of asymptotics focused on the behaviour of filaments, called slender-body theory (SBT). Slender-body theories are computationally efficient and focus on the mechanics of an isolated fibre that is slender and not too curved. However, SBTs that work beyond these limits are needed to explore complex systems. Recently, we developed tubular-body theory (TBT), an approach like SBT that allows the hydrodynamic traction on any isolated fibre in a viscous fluid to be determined exactly. This paper extends TBT to model fibres near plane interfaces by performing a similar expansion on the single-layer boundary integrals (BIs) for bodies by a plane interface. This provides a well-behaved SBT inspired approach for fibres by interfaces with a similar versatility to the BIs but without the singular kernels. The derivation of the new theory, called tubular-body theory for interfaces (TBTi), also establishes a criterion for the convergence of the TBTi series representation. The TBTi equations are solved numerically using a approach similar to boundary element methods (BEMs), called TBTi-BEM, to investigate the properties of TBTi empirically. The TBTi-BEM is found to compare favourably with an existing BEM and the lubrication singularity on a sphere, suggesting TBTi is valid for all separations. Finally, we simulate the hydrodynamics of helices beneath a free interface and a plane wall to demonstrate the applicability of the technique.
A note on right-nil and strong-nil skew braces
Authors: Ballester-Bolinches A , Ferrara M , Pérez-Calabuig V , Trombetti M
Published: January 2024

Nilpotency concepts for skew braces are among the main tools with which we are nowadays classifying certain special solutions of the Yang–Baxter equation, a consistency equation that plays a relevant role in quantum statistical mechanics and in many areas of mathematics. In this context, two relevant questions have been raised in F. Cedó, A. Smoktunowicz and L. Vendramin (Skew left braces of nilpotent type. Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 118 (2019), 1367–1392) (see questions 2.34 and 2.35) concerning right- and central nilpotency. The aim of this short note is to give a negative answer to both questions: thus, we show that a finite strong-nil brace B need not be right-nilpotent. On a positive note, we show that there is one (and only one, by our examples) special case of the previous questions that actually holds. In fact, we show that if B is a skew brace of nilpotent type and

$b\ \ast \ b=0$

for all

$b\in B$

, then B is centrally nilpotent.
WHO IS AN IDIOT IN ANCIENT CRITICISM?
Authors: Viidebaum Laura
Published: January 2024

This article discusses the concept of ἰδιώτης, often translated as ‘layman’, in Dionysius of Halicarnassus’ critical essays, where he places particular emphasis on validating the judgement of the ἰδιώτης in aesthetic evaluation. Dionysius’ focus on the impact and reception of art enables him to lay the groundwork for shifting the semantic meaning of ἰδιώτης from being in strict opposition to the artist/critic to a more fluid category, ranging from ‘unskilled’ listener and layman to a relatively experienced ‘amateur’. By conceiving the change from ἰδιώτης to τεχνίτης in criticism as a more gradual process (rather than one of irreconcilable division), Dionysius shows the discipline of rhetoric and literary criticism to be a particularly relevant form of learning that speaks to the sensibilities of Imperial Rome.
Prospects for a high-field, compact break-even axisymmetric mirror (BEAM) and applications
Authors: Forest C.B. , Anderson J.K. , Endrizzi D. , Egedal J. , Frank S. , Furlong K. , Ialovega M. , Kirch J. , Harvey R.W. , Lindley B. , Petrov Yu.V. , Pizzo J. , Qian T. , Sanwalka K. , Schmitz O. , Wallace J. , Yakovlev D. , Yu M.
Published: January 2024

This paper explores the feasibility of a break-even-class mirror referred to as BEAM (break-even axisymmetric mirror): a neutral-beam-heated simple mirror capable of thermonuclear-grade parameters and

$Q\sim 1$

conditions. Compared with earlier mirror experiments in the 1980s, BEAM would have: higher-energy neutral beams, a larger and denser plasma at higher magnetic field, both an edge and a core and capabilities to address both magnetohydrodynamic and kinetic stability of the simple mirror in higher-temperature plasmas. Axisymmetry and high-field magnets make this possible at a modest scale enabling a short development time and lower capital cost. Such a

$Q\sim 1$

configuration will be useful as a fusion technology development platform, in which tritium handling, materials and blankets can be tested in a real fusion environment, and as a base for development of higher-

$Q$

mirrors.
Optimal configurations of Minimally Intelligent additive manufacturing machines for Makerspace production environments
Authors: Gopsill James , Goudswaard Mark , Snider Chris , Giunta Lorenzo , Hicks Ben
Published: January 2024

Additive manufacturing (AM) has transformed job shop production and catalysed the growth of Makerspaces, FabLabs, Hackspaces, and Repair Cafés. AM has enabled the handling and manufacturing of a wide variety of components, and its accessibility has enabled more individuals to make. While smaller than their production-scale counterparts, the objectives of minimizing technician overhead, capital expenditure, and job response time remain the same. The typical First-Come First-Serve (FCFS) operating model, while functional, is not necessarily the most efficient and makes responding to a-typical or urgent demand profiles difficult. This article reports a study that investigated how AM machines configured with Minimally Intelligent agents can support production in these environments. An agent-based model that simulated 5, 10, 15, and 20 AM machines operating a 9 am−5 pm pattern and experiencing a diverse non-repeating demand profile was developed. Machines were configured with minimal intelligence – FCFS, First-Response First-Serve (FRFS), Longest Print Time (LPT), Shortest Print Time (SPT), and Random Selection logics – that governed the selection of jobs from the job pool. A full factorial simulation totaling 15,629 configurations was run until convergence to a ranked list of production performance – min Job Time-in-System. Performance changed as much as 200%. Performant configurations featured a variety of logics, while the least performant were dominated by FCFS and LPT. All FCFS (a proxy for today’s operations) was one of the least performant configurations. The results provide an optimal set of logics and performance bands that can be used to justify capital expenditure and AM operations in Makerspaces.
Beyond formal and informal: mid-twentieth-century residential architecture in Barcelona’s El Carmel neighbourhood
Authors: Golda-Pongratz Kathrin , Urban Florian
Published: January 2024

This article discusses houses on the periphery of Barcelona and in particular in the El Carmel neighbourhood, which were built by poor country-to-city migrants from southern Spain in the post-World War II period. They were constructed following two typologies: barracas (sheds), one-storey huts on an irregular street plan, and coreas (‘Korea houses’), more formally looking one- to three-storey structures lined up on orderly laid-out streets. Based on archival documents, contemporaneous publications and interviews with former autoconstructores (self-builders), the article analyses both social conditions and physical structures. While these buildings were often unauthorized and constructed by informal means, they were just as often built with the landowner’s consent, involving architects and building professionals, and retroactively legalized. The article concludes that in this respect Barcelona’s ‘informal neighbourhoods’ in fact straddled the realms of the formal and the informal, to the extent that the habitual distinction between formal and informal architecture has to be considered inadequate.