bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why is the sky blue? A new question for political science
Authors: Alonso-Rocafort Víctor
Published: March 2024

The future of political science in this crucial century requires that it (i) adopt the contemporary scientific paradigm, (ii) open itself to pluri-, inter- and transdisciplinarity, and (iii) redefine the main political actor, ourselves, in light of post-anthropocentric and relational turns. A theoretical revolution to a post-normal and eco-political science is needed and, through the influence of new fields such as sustainability science, is probably already in motion. In the Anthropocene, it implies paying attention to biological links that once seemed extemporaneous. And this is when we realize that the sky has become co-vulnerable. We may actually be at risk of losing blue sky through anthropogenic actions, including global warming or solar geoengineering. Politics will be crucial in determining whether or not to preserve its blue, and everything that goes with it. The article explores, through the answer to the blue question, this new super-wicked problem to illustrate the stated objectives for political science and the need to apply them. The proposals that have emerged from this also provide a new framework for Clean Air strategies for blue skies that are being developed at international and national levels.
Hardness Prediction of the Heat-Affected Zone in Multilayer Welded SUS316 Stainless Steel Based on Dislocation Density Change Behavior
Authors: Yu Lina , Nishimoto Kazutoshi , Hirata Hiroyuki , Saida Kazuyoshi
Published: March 2024

The effects of strain hardening and recovery/recrystallization on the hardness of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) in multilayer welded austenitic stainless steel SUS316 were investigated in this study. The results revealed that strain hardening due to welding strain and softening due to recovery/recrystallization were the dominant factors affecting the hardness change in the HAZ during multilayer welding process. Furthermore, the relationship between the strain and dislocation density and that between the recovery/recrystallization and dislocation density were quantitatively investigated using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Based on these results, a new hardness prediction method based on the change in dislocation density in the HAZ during multilayer welding was proposed. The hardness values in the HAZ after the multilayer welding were predicted based on the simulated strain and thermal history, and the calculated hardness values agreed well with the measured results. This indicates that the newly proposed hardness prediction method based on the dislocation density change behavior in the HAZ during multilayer welding is valuable and effective for selecting the appropriate welding conditions before actual welding.
Bacterial decontamination of process liquids and paints in E-coating lines by pulsed electric field treatment
Authors: Gusbeth Christian , Krolla Peter , Bruchmann Julia , Schwartz Thomas , Müller Georg , Frey Wolfgang
Published: March 2024

Cultivation-based and DNA-based methods for determining the bacterial load and the composition of the bacterial spectrum have been successfully established for media in electrodip painting, and used for the detailed analysis of the contamination situation in an E-coating system of an automobile plant in Germany. Dominating representatives of the genus Microbacterium spp., the orders Burkholderiales and Pseudomonadales, the family Cytophagaceae and the genera Corynebacterium spp., Sphingomonas spp., and Stenotrophomonas spp. were used for inactivation experiments. Different pulsed electric field (PEF) parameters were studied for an effective and target-directed inactivation of defined bacterial suspensions containing mixtures of Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative bacteria, but also single species suspensions in adequate liquids. PEF treatment with pulse durations longer than 1.0 µs effectively killed bacteria even in low conductivity media, regardless of whether the pulses were unipolar or bipolar, indicating that the choice of pulse shape does not limit the design of the PEF system. Model calculations showed that for efficient treatment in bypass mode, a high treatment flow rate is required rather than a high inactivation efficiency of the PEF treatment. By using specific treatment parameters, such as bipolar pulses of 50 k Vcm−1 and a treatment energy of 40 J mL−1, a significant reduction in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (> 2 log10 reduction) can be achieved while minimizing electrode corrosion and coating degradation. PEF treatment proves to be an effective alternative to the use of biocides in an E-coating system and can help maintain a bacteriostatic environment in the system by operating at different points, in transfer flow or bypass mode, ensuring biocide-free operation.
Influence of different tectonic settings on fracture formation and fluid flow around upper-crustal magmatic intrusion: insights from numerical modelling
Authors: Chang Cheng , Xiao Keyan , Luo Gang , Sun Li
Published: March 2024

Large porphyry Cu and epithermal Au deposits tend to form in distinct tectonic, porphyry and high-sulfidation epithermal deposits in compressional settings, and low-sulfidation epithermal deposits in extensional settings. Given that the analysis of the shallow metallogenic dynamic processes at the upper-crust scale is insufficient, especially the ore-bearing fracture formation and fluid-focusing mechanism around the mineralizing magmatic intrusion under different tectonic backgrounds, we aimed to study how tectonic settings influence fracture formation and fluid hydrodynamics in and around a hot intrusion. We developed a finite element model coupling thermal-hydrological-mechanical processes to simulate the fracture formation, evolution of fluid velocities, and accumulation of water-rock interactions. The model results show that tectonic compression increases the degree of fracturing, hydrothermal fluid velocities, and water-rock interaction within and laterally around the intrusion; tectonic extension enhances fracturing, hydrothermal fluid velocities, and water-rock interaction at shallow depth. These results confirm that tectonic compression may promote the formation of porphyry Cu deposits, while tectonic extension may promote the formation of shallow hydrothermal deposits. Our model explains the effects of tectonic activity on fracture formation and fluid flow around hot magmatic intrusions in upper crust and deepens our understanding of the relationship between tectonic activity and deposit formation there.
Novel indices representing heterogeneous distributions of myocardial perfusion imaging
Authors: Chimura Misato , Ohtani Tomohito , Sera Fusako , Higuchi Rie , Kajitani Kenji , Nakajima Kenichi , Sakata Yasushi
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Heterogeneous distribution in myocardial perfusion images (MPI) obtained by scintigraphy is often observed in cardiac diseases with normal myocardial perfusion. However, quantitative assessments of such heterogeneity have not been established. We hypothesized that the heterogeneity in MPI can be quantitatively evaluated through histogram analysis, calculating the standard deviation (SD), the 95% bandwidth (BW95%), and entropy.

Methods

We examined resting 99mTc-MIBI images in 20 healthy subjects and 29 patients with cardiac disease who had none or very-mild reduced myocardial perfusion evaluated as a low summed rest score (0 to 4, the range of the studied healthy subjects). Two nuclear medicine specialists blindly divided them into two groups: non-heterogeneity or heterogeneity group, based solely on their visual assessments of heterogeneity on splash and polar maps generated from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images. The %uptake was determined by dividing the tracer count of each pixel by the tracer count of the pixel with the highest value in the LV myocardium. SD, BW95%, and entropy from histogram patterns were analyzed from the polar map data array of each %uptake. We investigated whether heterogeneity could be assessed using SD, BW95, and entropy in two groups classified by visual assessments. Additionally, we evaluated the area under the curve (AUC) to identify heterogeneity in the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Results

Based solely on visual assessments, 11 (22%) and 38 (78%) cases were classified into the non-heterogeneity and heterogeneity groups, respectively. The non-heterogeneity group consisted of only healthy subjects, and all patients with cardiac disease were classified into the heterogeneity group. The cases in the heterogeneity group had significantly higher values of heterogeneity indices (SD, BW95%, and entropy) in %uptake than those in the non-heterogeneity group (p < 0.05 for all). The AUCs of the heterogeneity indices were sufficiently high (AUCs > 0.90 for all) in distinguishing cases with visually heterogeneous distribution or patients with cardiac disease.

Conclusions

Heterogeneity in MPI can be evaluated using SD, BW95%, and entropy through histogram analysis. These novel indices may help identify patients with subtle myocardial changes, even in images that show preserved perfusion (345/350).
Pseudo-Riemannian Geodesic Orbit Nilmanifolds of Signature $$\varvec{(n-2,2)}$$
Authors: Chen Zhiqi , Nikolayevsky Yuri , Wolf Joseph A. , Zhang Shaoxiang
Published: March 2024

The geodesic orbit property is useful and interesting in itself, and it plays a key role in Riemannian geometry. It implies homogeneity and has important classes of Riemannian manifolds as special cases. Those classes include weakly symmetric Riemannian manifolds and naturally reductive Riemannian manifolds. The corresponding results for indefinite metric manifolds are much more delicate than in Riemannian signature, but in the last few years important corresponding structural results were proved for geodesic orbit Lorentz manifolds. Here we extend Riemannian and Lorentz results to trans-Lorentz nilmanifolds. Those are the geodesic orbit pseudo Riemannian manifolds $$M = G/H$$

M
=
G
/
H

of signature $$(n-2,2)$$

(
n
-
2
,
2
)

such that a nilpotent analytic subgroup of G is transitive on M. For that we suppose that there is a reductive decomposition $${\mathfrak {g}}= {\mathfrak {h}}\oplus {\mathfrak {n}}\text { (vector space direct sum) with } [{\mathfrak {h}},{\mathfrak {n}}] \subset {\mathfrak {n}}$$

g
=
h
⊕
n

(vector space direct sum) with

[
h
,
n
]
⊂
n

and $${\mathfrak {n}}$$
n
nilpotent. When the metric is nondegenerate on $$[{\mathfrak {n}},{\mathfrak {n}}]$$

[
n
,
n
]

we show that $${\mathfrak {n}}$$
n
is abelian or 2-step nilpotent. That is the same result as for geodesic orbit Riemannian and Lorentz nilmanifolds. When the metric is degenerate on $$[{\mathfrak {n}},{\mathfrak {n}}]$$

[
n
,
n
]

we show that $${\mathfrak {n}}$$
n
is a double extension of a geodesic orbit nilmanifold of either Riemannian or Lorentz signature.
Opportunity of ferrimagnetic (CZLF)/ferroelectric (BZT) composite materials in high frequency applications
Authors: Altarawneh Aseel M. , Henaish A. M. A. , Ghazy R. , Shalaby Rizk Mostafa , Abdelhakim Nermin Ali , Hemeda O. M. , Mostafa M.
Published: March 2024

The ferrimagnetic Zn0.35Co0.65 La0.02Fe1.98O4 (CZLF) ferrite with cubic spinel structure (space group Fd3m) was made into composite by mixing with ferroelectric Ba0.5Zr0.5TiO3 (BZT) perovskite with tetragonal structure (space group P4mm) at the mass ratio. Disk-shaped composite powder was finally heated at 1100 °C to study the structure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties. The structural characterization for synthesized samples were carried out using Fourier transform infrared and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Fourier transform infrared show the successful formation of composite samples which is also observed from x-ray diffraction pattern. In compared to their ferrite counterparts before the composite, dielectric response and ferroelectric characteristics of the composite samples are noticeably altered. Compared to the ferrite samples, the composite system exhibits a higher permittivity. In composite samples, the space charge polarization, which was primarily effective at low frequencies and high measurement temperatures, is much diminished. The mechanical properties and indentation creep of these bearing alloys were studied by Vickers indentation testing at room temperature. The remnant polarization of BZT/CZLF increases with decreasing BZT content, which may be suitable for permanent memory device applications.

Graphical abstract
Efficient removal of E. coli from wastewater by novel phytofabricated nano-zinc using antibacterial potential, kinetic studies, and response surface methodology
Authors: Ezzat Safaa M. , Moustafa Mohammed T.
Published: March 2024

The present investigation explores the antibacterial potential of novel ZnO-NPs synthesized from Acacia nilotica pods extract and immobilized onto sodium alginate beads to control bacterial pollution in wastewater. Phenolics and flavonoids were major phytoconstituents acting as capping, reducing, and stabilizing agents. UV–Vis analysis showed strong absorption band at 340 nm. XRD and TEM revealed hexagonal crystalline structure for zincite of average particles diameter 33.87 and 32.74 nm, respectively. FTIR demonstrated several bands with functional groups (O–H, C-H, C = O, C = C, and C–O–C) involved in ZnO-NPs synthesis. SEM images showed NPs surface completely colonized by E.coli, while EDX spectrum showed signals for zinc (52.94%) and oxygen (26.58%) confirming NPs purity. Adhesion capacity studies revealed ZnO-NPs potential (0.5 g) to remove E.coli after 120 min. Kinetic and isotherm studies indicated that pseudo-second-order model and Freundlich isotherm were best fit describing adhesion mechanism. Electrostatic attraction between negatively charged E.coli and positively charged ZnO-NPs was followed by generation of H2O2 leading to cell apoptosis. Adhesion optimization using Box–Behnken design under response surface methodology was 99.8% at disinfectant dose 30 g/L, contact time 6 h, and E.coli concentration 150 × 107 cfu/mL. For application, real wastewater was treated with removal 98.2%, 97.2%, and 96.5% for total coliform, fecal coliform, and E.coli, respectively, after 6 h. ZnO-NPs showed sustainable efficiency during four consecutive cycles of treatment. The study concluded the efficiency, eco-friendly and cost-effectiveness of phytofabricated ZnO-NPs as disinfectants for wastewater and recommended future studies on large scale for possible wastewater reuse in safe unrestricted irrigation.
The socio-economic performance of agroecology. A review
Authors: Mouratiadou Ioanna , Wezel Alexander , Kamilia Kintan , Marchetti Angelica , Paracchini Maria Luisa , Bàrberi Paolo
Published: March 2024

Agroecology is identified as an important solution to increase the sustainability of agricultural and food systems. Despite the increasing number of publications assessing the socio-economic outcomes of agroecology, very few studies have consolidated the scattered results obtained on various case studies. This paper provides new insights by consolidating evidence on the varied socio-economic effects of agroecology across a large number of cases at a global level. To this purpose, we used a rapid review methodology, screening more than 13,000 publications to retrieve evidence on the socio-economic outcomes of the implementation of agroecological practices. The results of the review indicate that (1) agroecological practices are associated more often with positive socio-economic outcomes across the broad range of evaluated metrics (51% positive, 30% negative, 10% neutral, and 9% inconclusive outcomes); (2) the socio-economic metrics associated with financial capital represent the vast majority of evaluated metrics (83% of total) and are affected positively in a large share of cases (53%), due to favourable outcomes on income, revenues, productivity and efficiency; (3) human capital metrics (16%) are associated with a larger number of negative outcomes (46% versus 38% positive), due to higher labour requirements and costs that are however partly compensated by an overall greater number of positive outcomes on labour productivity (55%); and (4) the results vary depending on the agroecological practice assessed; e.g. for agroforestry, we identify 53% positive outcomes while for cropping system diversification 35%. These results indicate an overall favourable potential for farms to benefit from a positive socio-economic performance with the use of agroecological practices. Yet, the magnitude, temporal aspects, and success factors related to these outcomes, as well as the trade-offs between them, and the system-level effects of an agroecological transition are to be further assessed, since they can have an important influence on the performance of individual farms.
The nitrogen fertilizer conundrum: why is yield a poor determinant of crops’ nitrogen fertilizer requirements?
Authors: Thorburn Peter J. , Biggs Jody S. , Puntel Laila A. , Sawyer John E. , Everingham Yvette L. , Archontoulis Sotirios V.
Published: March 2024

The application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer both underpins high productivity of agricultural systems and contributes to multiple environmental harms. The search for ways that farmers can optimize the N fertilizer applications to their crops is of global significance. A common concept in developing recommendations for N fertilizer applications is the “mass balance paradigm” – that is, bigger crops need more N, and smaller less – despite several studies showing that the crop yield at the optimum N rate (Nopt) is poorly related to Nopt. In this study we simulated two contrasting field experiments where crops were grown for 5 and 16 consecutive years under uniform management, but in which yield at Nopt was poorly correlated to Nopt. We found that N lost to the environment relative to yields (i.e., kg N t-1) varied +/- 124 and 164 % of the mean in the simulations of the experiments. Conversely, N exported in harvested produce (kg N t-1) was +/- 11 and 48 % of the mean. Given the experiments were uniformly managed across time, the variations result from crop-to-crop climatic differences. These results provide, for the first time, a quantitative example of the importance of climatic causes of the poor correlation between yield at Nopt and Nopt. An implication of this result is that, even if yield of the coming crop could be accurately predicted it would be of little use in determining the amount of N fertilizer farmers need to apply because of the variability in environmental N losses and/or crop N uptake. These results, in addition to previous empirical evidence that yield at Nopt and Nopt are poorly correlated, may help industry and farmers move to more credible systems of N fertilizer management.
Neosanding postprocessing for improving surface roughness of extrusion-based 3D printing of PLA parts: a comparative analysis of stylus profilometer and confocal profilometry methods
Authors: Alzyod Hussein , Ficzere Peter
Published: March 2024

Extrusion-based 3D printing (E3DP) is a popular additive manufacturing technique known for its versatility in creating prototypes and functional parts. However, achieving high surface quality has posed challenges regarding accuracy and finish. To address this issue, this study aims to enhance the surface quality of E3DP components fabricated by the fused filament fabrication (FFF) method and polylactic acid (PLA) material by applying neosanding postprocessing. The research investigates the impact of key neosanding process factors on surface roughness, namely neosanding spacing, neosanding speed, and flow rate. To ensure a comprehensive evaluation, each factor is examined at four levels, covering a wide range of values relevant to the neosanding process. Surface roughness is quantified using the average roughness parameter (Ra) and measured using both stylus profilometer and confocal profilometry methods. The results highlight a substantial decrease in surface roughness achieved through the neosanding method. At default factor levels of the neosanding method, the stylus profilometer method achieves an impressive 83% reduction in surface roughness, while the confocal profilometry method achieves an 80% reduction. Among the neosanding process factors, neosanding spacing significantly influences surface roughness values. Understanding and optimizing this factor is crucial for achieving desired surface quality in FFF-produced PLA parts. This study makes a valuable contribution to the field by optimizing surface roughness in FFF-produced PLA parts through neosanding postprocessing. By exploring the influence of neosanding tool factors and comparing measurement methods, manufacturers can enhance the surface quality of FFF-manufactured parts, paving the way for broader applications across various industries.
Perceptions of veterinary extension staff regarding poultry feed and ingredients in selected districts of Uganda: a qualitative study
Authors: Kizza Daniel , Okello Samuel , Kalule Dorothy Nampanzira , Winfred Awino , Azuba Rose , Nalubwama Sylvia , Margret Nabulime , Joshua Isiko , Immaculate Nakabugo , Kayemba Vincent , Tree Jennifer M. Jabson , Odoi Agricola
Published: March 2024

Background

Feedstuffs and poultry feeds of low quality are major limitations to the growth of the poultry sector.

Methods

A qualitative study approach using key informant interviews was used to collect information. The thematic analysis method using a prescribed coding frame was used to analyze the data. Three themes emerged from the data: overview and business environment, consequences and propositions, and quality and enforcement.

Results

The study revealed that poultry feed sub sector is constituted by several players operating at varying scale of business dealing in either imported concentrates, feed stuffs or complete feed. The sector was not well regulated and there was no systematic surveillance done to evaluate the quality of products (feeds and feedstuffs) sold to the farmers. Some regions did not have any feed analytical facilities and therefore farmers mainly depended on subjective judgement using their sense of sight, smell, taste and touch to evaluate the quality of feedstuffs. Regulatory services such as certification of animal feed mills were insufficient not surprising that poultry farmers complained about feedstuff adulteration. The only requirement in place to operate feed and feedstuff business was an annual trade license. The actors/players in poultry feed business operated independently of their formal body or association.

Conclusion

This study showed that there is legislation gap in the animal feed sector. The players in the sector were at liberty not to follow standards that ensure quality feeds and feedstuffs.
Pore-scale mushy layer modelling
Authors: Amiri F. , Butler S.L.
Published: March 2024

Equations describing mushy systems, in which solid and liquid are described as a single continuum, have been extensively studied. Most studies of mushy layers have assumed them to be ‘ideal’, such that the liquid and solid were in perfect thermodynamic equilibrium. It has become possible to simulate flows of passive porous media at the pore scale, where liquid and solid are treated as separate continua. In this contribution, we study the simplest possible mushy layers at the pore scale, modelling a single straight cylindrical pore surrounded by a cylindrical annulus representing the solid matrix. Heat and solute can be exchanged at the solid–liquid boundary. We consider harmonic temperature and concentration perturbations and examine their transport rates due to advection and diffusion and the melting and solidification driven by this transport. We compare the results of this numerical model with those of a one-dimensional ideal mushy layer and with analytical solutions valid for ideal mushy layers for small temperature variations. We demonstrate that for small values of an appropriately defined Péclet number, the results of the pore-scale model agree well with ideal mushy layer theory for both transport rates and melting. As this Péclet number increases, the temperature and concentration profiles with radius within the pore differ significantly from constant, and the behaviour of the pore-scale model differs significantly from that of an ideal mushy layer. Some effects of mechanical dispersion arise naturally in our pore-scale model and are shown to be important at high Péclet number.
CHOQUET INTEGRALS, HAUSDORFF CONTENT AND FRACTIONAL OPERATORS
Authors: HATANO NAOYA , KAWASUMI RYOTA , SAITO HIROKI , TANAKA HITOSHI
Published: March 2024

We show that the fractional integral operator
$I_{\alpha }$
,
$0<\alpha <n$
, and the fractional maximal operator
$M_{\alpha }$
,
$0\le \alpha <n$
, are bounded on weak Choquet spaces with respect to Hausdorff content. We also investigate these operators on Choquet–Morrey spaces. The results for the fractional maximal operator
$M_\alpha $
are extensions of the work of Tang [‘Choquet integrals, weighted Hausdorff content and maximal operators’, Georgian Math. J.18(3) (2011), 587–596] and earlier work of Adams and Orobitg and Verdera. The results for the fractional integral operator
$I_{\alpha }$
are essentially new.
Diplomatic Relations between Poland and the Holy See and the Vatican's Ostpolitik from the Perspective of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, Primate of Poland 1948–1981
Authors: Kucharski Wojciech
Published: March 2024

The activity of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński as the Primate of Poland occurred in a period when Poland did not maintain diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The period between 1948 and 1981 can be divided, from the perspective of the Warsaw authorities, into three subperiods: no relations and no talks (informal and official), 1948–1965; negotiations, 1965–1974; and working contacts, 1974–1981. The years 1964–1978 were also the period of the apogee of the Vatican's Ostpolitik carried out by Msgr Agostino Casaroli, under the auspices of Pope Paul VI. Cardinal Wyszyński was directly involved four times in talks on the arrangement of Polish–Vatican relations: in 1951, 1957, 1963, and 1965. With time, however, the primate gained more and more distance from the purposefulness of establishing relations between the Holy See and communist states. It should be added that from the beginning of the 1970s, the primate was quite critical of the effects of the Vatican's so-called Ostpolitik. At the end of the pontificate of Paul VI, an open conflict arose between the Secretariat of State and the Primate of Poland, which was resolved only with the election of Karol Wojtyła as Pope.
Among All the Nations
Authors: Keith Charles
Published: March 2024

I spent much of the first decade of the 2000s writing a book about the Catholic Church in nineteenth and twentieth-century Vietnam. I came to the topic as a scholar of Vietnam, and very much not as a scholar of modern Catholicism. In the project's early stages I searched high and low for a general history to fill in the (many) gaps in my knowledge of the subject. The best I could find was Nicholas Atkin and Frank Tallett's 2003 Priests, Prelates & People: A History of European Catholicism since 1750. This book, although excellent and still worth reading, is squarely grounded in scholarship written from an older national and regional approach to the Church's modern history. It essentially ignores the fact that in the modern era more than ever before, Catholicism's historical epicenter in Europe was irreducibly tied to the rest of the world not only through the Ultramontane Church but also through the circulation of ideas and the printed word, migration, and (above all) European imperialism, and that the Church's institutional and cultural evolution since the eighteenth century is incomprehensible outside of such frameworks (Atkin and Tallett devote an astounding 5 of their 333 pages of text to the European empires in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, which made up two-thirds of the global Catholic population at the time they finished their book).
Response
Authors: McGreevy John T.
Published: March 2024

My thanks to the reviewers for their insightful comments and to the editors of Church History, most especially Jon Butler, for shepherding the reviews. Having once served as a Church History editor, I appreciate his labors even more.
Structural and physical basis for the elasticity of elastin
Authors: Depenveiller Camille , Baud Stéphanie , Belloy Nicolas , Bochicchio Brigida , Dandurand Jany , Dauchez Manuel , Pepe Antonietta , Pomès Régis , Samouillan Valérie , Debelle Laurent
Published: March 2024

Elastin function is to endow vertebrate tissues with elasticity so that they can adapt to local mechanical constraints. The hydrophobicity and insolubility of the mature elastin polymer have hampered studies of its molecular organisation and structure-elasticity relationships. Nevertheless, a growing number of studies from a broad range of disciplines have provided invaluable insights, and several structural models of elastin have been proposed. However, many questions remain regarding how the primary sequence of elastin (and the soluble precursor tropoelastin) governs the molecular structure, its organisation into a polymeric network, and the mechanical properties of the resulting material. The elasticity of elastin is known to be largely entropic in origin, a property that is understood to arise from both its disordered molecular structure and its hydrophobic character. Despite a high degree of hydrophobicity, elastin does not form compact, water-excluding domains and remains highly disordered. However, elastin contains both stable and labile secondary structure elements. Current models of elastin structure and function are drawn from data collected on tropoelastin and on elastin-like peptides (ELPs) but at the tissue level, elasticity is only achieved after polymerisation of the mature elastin. In tissues, the reticulation of tropoelastin chains in water defines the polymer elastin that bears elasticity. Similarly, ELPs require polymerisation to become elastic. There is considerable interest in elastin especially in the biomaterials and cosmetic fields where ELPs are widely used. This review aims to provide an up-to-date survey of/perspective on current knowledge about the interplay between elastin structure, solvation, and entropic elasticity.
Unknown Pleasure: interpretations of the mystery hiss in Feist's 2017 album
Authors: Coughlan-Allen Joseph
Published: March 2024

This article examines the critical reception of Feist's 2017 album Pleasure, and interpretations by reviewers of the mysterious hiss that permeates most of the album's tracks. I firstly contextualise Pleasure in relation to the aesthetics of record production. I then examine interviews with Feist and her collaborators to identify the source of the hiss, and explain its presence on Pleasure. Lastly, I examine a corpus of 20 reviews, showcasing how critics (mis)identified and (mis)interpreted the sound, as well as the effect of this on their overall understanding of the album. To explain the relationship between the hiss and accompanying music, I assume a semiotic perspective. Following Poyatos, I regard these two kinds of sound as part of distinct yet related cosystems of signs, loosely analogous to the relationship between verbal utterances and nonverbal behaviours in face-to-face communication. Through this lens, I analyse how Pleasure's hiss was heard to modify, support, emphasise and undermine the meaning of the music by reviewers.
Preparing teachers for the future: Microteaching in the immersive VR environment
Authors: Lee Sangmin-Michelle , Wu Junjie Gavin
Published: March 2024

The present study aims to explore how pre- and in-service language teachers incorporate the cutting-edge technology of immersive virtual reality (iVR) into their teaching practice. Specifically, the study examined how their different knowledge levels and teaching experiences influenced their integration of technology by analyzing their performance-based tasks in microteaching in an iVR environment. This particular technology was selected for the study because it was expected to bring multiple pedagogical benefits to future foreign language learning classrooms, such as contextualized learning, increased learner motivation and interest, and enhanced interaction and communicative skill training. The study employed in-depth qualitative analysis. Data (lesson plans, screen recordings of microteaching episodes, and reflection papers) were collected from one preservice teacher training course and one in-service teacher training course at a Korean university. The study found a large gap between pre- and in-service teacher performance and identified the sources of the differences based on qualitative data analysis. The results showed that not only teachers’ technological knowledge but also their pedagogical knowledge of the use of technology and confidence in teaching affected technology integration. As technology integration has become more important in language education, the current study provided insight into how to better prepare teachers for future learners.
The Next-Generation Laboratory Experiments on Planetary Materials
Authors: Yu Xinting
Published: March 2024

Laboratory experiments are found to be extremely important in the field of planetary and exoplanetary science. In this proceeding, I cover three aspects of my envisioned next-generation laboratory research and the previous and current works of our group on achieving these visions. I will include three topics: 1) using material science techniques to study planetary materials, 2) collaborative laboratory research on planetary and exoplanetary haze analogs, and 3) building a robust laboratory database to better understand various atmospheric and surface processes on Titan and exoplanets. I will also elaborate on how such laboratory work could power next-generation space missions such as the Dragonfly mission to Titan and the James Webb Space Telescope.
About the atomic and molecular databases in the planetary community – A contribution in the Laboratory Astrophysics Data WG IAU 2022 GA session
Authors: Rengel M.
Published: March 2024

This paper corresponds to an invited oral contribution to the session 5A organised by the IAU inter-commission B2-B5 working group (WG) “Laboratory Astrophysics Data Compilation, Validation and Standardization: from the Laboratory to FAIR usage in the Astronomical Community” at the IAU 2022 General Assembly (GA) Rengel (2022). This WG provides a platform where to discuss the Findability, Accessibility,Interoperability, Reuse (FAIR) usage of laboratory Atomic and Molecular (A&M) data in astronomy and astrophysics.

A&M data play a key role in the understanding of the physics and chemistry of processes in several research topics, including planetary science and interdisciplinary research in particular the atmospheres of planets and planetary explorations, etc. Databases, compilation of spectroscopic parameters, and facility tools are used by computer codes to interpret spectroscopic observations and simulate them. In this talk I presented existing A&M databases of interest to the planetary community focusing on access, organisation, infrastructures, limitations and issues, etc.
Accurate new atomic data for Galactic Surveys
Authors: Belmonte Maria Teresa , Sen Sarma Pratysuh R. , Mar Santiago
Published: March 2024

For the last 20 years, Galactic Surveys have been revolutionizing our vision of the universe and broadening our understanding of the vastness of space that surrounds us. Galactic Surveys such as APOGEE, Gaia-ESO, GALAH, WEAVE and the currently-under-development 4MOST are teaching us a great deal about the chemical composition of stellar atmospheres, the formation and evolution of galaxies and how elements are synthesised in the universe. However, many questions remain unanswered and the current focus of ongoing and future surveys. Answering each of these questions requires the collection of data, normally as spectra, as most of the information we receive from the universe is electromagnetic radiation. Following the very expensive acquisition of astronomical spectra, another crucial task lies ahead: the analysis of these spectra to extract the priceless information they carry. High-quality atomic data of many neutral and ionised species is essential to conduct this analysis.
Laboratory Astrophysics Activities IAU Commission B5 2022 GA
Authors: Barklem P. S. , Barbuy B. , Dubernet M.L. , Ryu D. , Salama F. , Tan P.K. , Watanabe N.
Published: March 2024

This paper gives an overview of the IAU B5 commission session on “Laboratory Astrophysics Activities” at the 2022 IAU General Assembly (GA). It provides a brief overview of the talks that were given in that session. The IAU 2022 GA B5 commission meeting was organised to present Laboratory Astrophysics activities in various parts of the world in an attempt to provide a first step towards a “Global Network of Laboratory Astrophysics Network of Activities and Data”. The program (10.5281/zenodo.7051332) and the presentations can be found in the ZENODO “cb5-labastro” community (https://zenodo.org/communities/cb5-labastro).
Laboratory Astrophysics Data Working Group IAU 2022 GA session
Authors: Dubernet M.L. , Berriman G.B. , Boersma C. , Jäger C. , Rengel M. , Rocha W. R. M. , Salama F. , Zwölf C.M.
Published: March 2024

The paper corresponds to the session organised by the IAU inter-commission B2-B5 working group “Laboratory Astrophysics Data Compilation, Validation and Standardization: from the Laboratory to FAIR usage in the Astronomical Community” at the IAU 2022 General Assembly. The session included talks about the usage and implementation of FAIR concepts in VAMDC and in the IVOA, then domain specific talks oriented towards planetology, dust and ices. The program (doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7050654) and the various talks can be found in the ZENODO “cb5-labastro” community (zenodo.org/communities/cb5-labastro).
ML‐Based Hybrid SAR and Optical Image LULC Mapping and Change Analysis With Variations in the Air Quality of the Imphal Valley, North‐East India
Authors: Gupta Priyanka , Shukla Arun Kumar , Shukla Dericks Praise
Published: March 2024

Imphal Valley, situated in Manipur, India, stands as an intermontane valley of great ecological significance, notably hosting Loktak Lake. This research delves into the Land Use Land Cover Change (LULCC) within the Imphal Valley from 2016 to 2021 and assesses their impact on air quality across distinct land cover types. We used Sentinel‐1 & 2 data, ALOS PALSAR Digital Elevation Model, and applied Random Forest (RF), a machine learning algorithm for effective land use and land cover (LULC) mapping. Additionally, Sentinel‐5P data was utilized to monitor air quality parameters (CO, HCHO, NO2, SO2, Aerosol Index) spanning 2019 to 2021. The overall accuracies for the LULC maps employing a k (k = 3) fold approach for accuracy assessment varied between 88% and 92%, with corresponding Kappa coefficient ranging from 0.85 to 0.90. Noteworthy trends emerged from our analysis, revealing an increase in settlements and horticulture farms and a decline in forested areas and phumdis (floating biomass). Our findings highlight a mean concentration of CO ranging between 0.045 mol/m2 and 0.055 mol/m2 in different land cover types during February and March (2019–2021). Furthermore, we observed maximum mean HCHO, NO2, SO2, and aerosol index concentrations in March. Pollution levels surged during forest fires and shifting agriculture seasons, while aerosol levels declined during the lockdown period. This integrated approach emphasized on the comprehensive analysis of the dynamic interplay between LULCC and air quality in the Imphal Valley. This intricate relationship between LULC changes and air quality dynamics in the Imphal Valley, contribute to our understanding of the environmental dynamics in this ecologically vital region.
Amplified Extreme Floods and Shifting Flood Mechanisms in the Delaware River Basin in Future Climates
Authors: Sun Ning , Wigmosta Mark S. , Yan Hongxiang , Eldardiry Hisham , Yang Zhaoqing , Deb Mithun , Wang Taiping , Judi David
Published: March 2024

Historical records in the Delaware River Basin reveal complex and spatially diverse flood generating mechanisms influenced by the region's mountains‐to‐plains gradients. This study focuses on predicting future flood hazards and understanding the underlying drivers of changes across the region. Using a process‐based hydrological model, we analyzed the hydrometeorological condition of each historical and future flood event. For each event, at the subbasin scale, we identified the dominant flood generating mechanism, including snowmelt, rain‐on‐snow, short‐duration rain, and long‐duration rain. The rain‐induced floods are further categorized based on the soil's Antecedent Moisture Condition (AMC) before the event, whether dry, normal, or wet. Our historical analysis suggests that rain‐on‐snow is the primary flood mechanism of the Upper Basin. Although most frequent, the magnitude of rain‐on‐snow floods is often less severe than short rain floods. In contrast, historical floods in the Lower Basin are primarily caused by short rain under normal AMC. Given the uncertainties in climate projections, we used an ensemble of future climate scenarios for flood projections. Despite variations in regional climate projections, coherent perspectives emerge: the region will shift toward a warmer, wetter climate, with a projected intensification of extreme floods. The Upper Basin is projected to experience a marked decrease in rain‐on‐snow floods, but a substantial increase in short rain floods with wet AMC. The largest increase in flood magnitude will be driven by short rains with wet AMC in the Upper Basin and by short rains with normal AMC in the Lower Basin.
Anisotropic Reversible‐Jump McMC Shear‐Velocity Tomography of the Eastern Alpine Crust
Authors: Kästle E. D. , Tilmann F. ,   AlpArray and Swath‐D Working Groups
Published: March 2024

The eastern Alpine crust has been shaped by the continental collision of the European and Adriatic plates beginning at 35 Ma and was affected by a major reorganization after 20 Ma. To better understand how the eastern Alpine surface structures link with deep seated processes, we analyze the depth‐dependent seismic anisotropy based on Rayleigh wave propagation. Ambient noise recordings are evaluated to extract Rayleigh wave phase dispersion measurements. These are inverted in a two step approach for the azimuthally anisotropic shear velocity structure. Both steps are performed with a reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (rj‐McMC) approach that estimates data errors and propagates the modeled uncertainties from the phase velocity maps into the depth inversion. A two layer structure of azimuthal anisotropy is imaged in the Alpine crust, with an orogen‐parallel upper crust and approximately orogen‐perpendicular layer in the lower crust and the uppermost mantle. In the upper layer, the anisotropy tends to follow major fault lines and may thus be an apparent, structurally driven anisotropy. The main foliation and fold axis orientations might contribute to the anisotropy. In the lower crust, the N‐S orientation of the fast axis is mostly confined to regions north of the Periadriatic Fault and may be related to European subduction. Outside the orogen, no clearly layered structure is identified. The anisotropy pattern in the northern Alpine foreland is found to be similar compared to SKS studies which is an indication of very homogeneous fast axis directions throughout the crust and the upper mantle.
Europa Modifies Jupiter's Plasma Sheet
Authors: Szalay J. R. , Saur J. , McComas D. J. , Allegrini F. , Bagenal F. , Bolton S. J. , Ebert R. W. , Kim T. K. , Livadiotis G. , Poppe A. R. , Valek P. , Wilson R. J. , Zirnstein E. J.
Published: March 2024

Jupiter's plasma sheet has been understood to be primarily composed of Io‐genic sulfur and oxygen, along with protons at lower mass density. These ions move radially away from Jupiter, filling its magnetosphere. The material in the plasma sheet interacts with Europa, which is also a source of magnetospheric pickup ions, primarily hydrogen and oxygen. Juno's thermal plasma instrument JADE, the Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment, has provided comprehensive in situ observations of the composition of Jupiter's plasma sheet ions with its Time‐of‐Flight mass‐spectrometry capabilities. Here, we present observations of the magnetospheric composition in the Europa‐Ganymede region of Jupiter's magnetosphere. We find material from Europa is intermittently present at comparable densities to Io‐genic plasma. The intermittency of Europa‐genic signatures suggests Europa's neutral oxygen toroidal cloud is more localized to Europa's vicinity than its hydrogen cloud. These observations reveal a more complex and compositionally diverse magnetosphere than previously thought.
Spurious Trends in High Latitude Southern Hemisphere Precipitation Observations
Authors: Reid Kimberley J. , Arblaster Julie M. , Alexander Lisa V. , Siems Steven T.
Published: March 2024

The high latitude Southern Hemisphere (SH) is an important region for Earth's climate. Ocean heat content, cryosphere interactions, Antarctic bottom water development and the cloud‐albedo feedbacks need to be understood to form a complete picture of the climate system. However, the high latitude SH is one of the most under‐observed regions due to its remoteness. The advent of satellites and reanalyses have improved our monitoring of this region. Some previous studies observed an increase in precipitation over the SH high latitudes, however we argue that some of the trends in commonly used data sets may be artifacts. We use regression analysis of trends in precipitation and the Southern Annular Mode to contrast these relationships in satellite and reanalysis products, and to evaluate precipitation over the SH. We suggest that sensor changes and the lack of in situ data available for calibration may be responsible for unusual precipitation patterns especially around 65°S.
Assessing the Regional Climate Response to Different Hengduan Mountains Geometries With a High‐Resolution Regional Climate Model
Authors: Xiang Ruolan , Steger Christian R. , Li Shuping , Pellissier Loïc , Sørland Silje Lund , Willett Sean D. , Schär Christoph
Published: March 2024

The Hengduan Mountains (HM) are located on the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and feature high mountain ridges (>6,000 m MSL) separated by deep valleys. The HM region also features an exceptionally high biodiversity, believed to have emerged from the topography interacting with the climate. To investigate the role of the HM topography on regional climate, we conduct simulations with the regional climate model COSMO at high horizontal resolutions (at ∼12 km and a convection‐permitting scale of ∼4.4 km) for the period 2001–2005. We conduct one control simulation with modern topography and two idealized experiments with modified topography, inspired by past geological processes that shaped the mountain range. In the first experiment, we reduce the HM's elevation by applying a spatially non‐uniform scaling to the topography. The results show that, following the uplift of the HM, the local rainy season precipitation increases by ∼25%. Precipitation in Indochina and the Bay of Bengal (BoB) also intensifies. Additionally, the cyclonic circulation in the BoB extends eastward, indicating an intensification of the East Asian summer monsoon. In the second experiment, we remove deep valleys by applying an envelope topography to quantify the effects of terrain undulation with high amplitude and frequency on climate. On the western flanks of the HM, precipitation slightly increases, while the remaining fraction of the mountain range experiences ∼20% less precipitation. Simulations suggest an overall positive feedback between precipitation, erosion, and valley deepening for this region, which could have influenced the diversification of local organisms.