bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety of Femoropopliteal Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty : 5-Year Results of the Randomized Controlled EffPac Trial
Authors: Teichgräber Ulf , Lehmann Thomas , Ingwersen Maja , Aschenbach René , Zeller Thomas , Brechtel Klaus , Blessing Erwin , Lichtenberg Michael , von Flotow Peter , Heilmeier Britta , Sixt Sebastian , Brucks Steffen , Erbel Christian , Beschorner Ulrich , Werk Michael , Riambau Vicenç , Wienke Andreas , Klumb Christof , Thieme Markus , Scheinert Dierk
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to assess 5-year effectiveness and safety of femoropopliteal angioplasty with the Luminor® 35 drug-coated balloon (DCB).

Materials and Methods

The EffPac trial was a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial that enrolled 171 patients of Rutherford category 2 to 4 with medium length femoropopliteal lesions. Patients were allocated 1:1 to either Luminor® 35 DCB angioplasty or plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA). Assessment at 5 years included primary patency, freedom from clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR), clinical improvement, and target limb amputation. Long-term vital status was ascertained in 97.1% of the participants.

Results

Kaplan–Meier curves at 5 years demonstrate a primary patency of 61.4% after DCB angioplasty and 53.5% after POBA (log-rankp = 0.040) with a decreasing difference throughout the observation period. Freedom from TLR was 82.1% and 73.7%, respectively (log-rankp = 0.050). Incidence of primary clinical improvement was similar between groups (61% DCB vs. 64% POBA,p = 0.94). Major target limb amputation was necessary in one POBA-group participant. Freedom from all-cause death at 5 years was 88.5% after DCB and 86.0% after POBA (log-rankp = 0.34).

Conclusions

Primary patency after femoropopliteal DCB angioplasty remained superior to POBA throughout 5 years, however, with decreasing difference. Clinical improvement, freedom from TLR, and all-cause mortality were similar between groups over the long term. (Effectiveness of Paclitaxel-Coated Luminor® Balloon Catheter Versus Uncoated Balloon Catheter in the Superficial Femoral Artery [EffPac]; NCT02540018).
Relevance of dynamic variables in multicategory choice models
Authors: Hruschka Harald
Published: September 2022

We investigate the relevance of dynamic variables that reflect the purchase history of a household as independent variables in multicategory choice models. To this end, we estimate both homogeneous and finite mixture variants of the multivariate logit model. We consider two types of dynamic variables. Variables of the first type, which previous publications on multicategory choice models have ignored, are exponentially smoothed category purchases, which we simply call category loyalties. Variables of the second type are log-transformed times since the last purchase of any category. Our results clearly show that adding dynamic variables improves statistical model performance with category loyalties being more important than log-transformed times. The majority of coefficients of marketing variables (features, displays, and price reductions), pairwise category interactions, and cross-category relations differ between models either including or excluding dynamic variables. We also measure the effect of marketing variables on purchase probabilities of the same category (own effects) and on purchase probabilities of other categories (cross effects). This exercise demonstrates that the model without dynamic variables tends to overestimate own effects of marketing variables in many product categories. This positive omitted variable bias provides another explanation for the well-known problem of “overpromotion” in retailing.
On the Dynamics of a Heavy Symmetric Ball that Rolls Without Sliding on a Uniformly Rotating Surface of Revolution
Authors: Dalla Via Marco , Fassò Francesco , Sansonetto Nicola
Published: September 2022

We study the class of nonholonomic mechanical systems formed by a heavy symmetric ball that rolls without sliding on a surface of revolution, which is either at rest or rotates about its (vertical) figure axis with uniform angular velocity $$\Omega $$
Ω
. The first studies of these systems go back over a century, but a comprehensive understanding of their dynamics is still missing. The system has an $$\mathrm {SO(3)}\times \mathrm {SO(2)}$$

SO
(
3
)

×

SO
(
2
)

symmetry and reduces to four dimensions. We extend in various directions, particularly from the case $$\Omega =0$$

Ω
=
0

to the case $$\Omega \not =0$$

Ω
≠
0

, a number of previous results and give new results. In particular, we prove that the reduced system is Hamiltonizable even if $$\Omega \not =0$$

Ω
≠
0

and, exploiting the recently introduced “moving energy,” we give sufficient conditions on the profile of the surface that ensure the periodicity of the reduced dynamics and hence the quasiperiodicity of the unreduced dynamics on tori of dimension up to three. Furthermore, we determine all the equilibria of the reduced system, which are classified in three distinct families, and determine their stability properties. In addition to this, we give a new form of the equations of motion of nonholonomic systems in quasi-velocities which, at variance from the well-known Hamel equations, use any set of quasi-velocities and explicitly contain the reaction forces.
Large field Digital Image Plane Holography with a double cavity high speed laser
Authors: Lobera Julia , Arroyo Mª Pilar , Roche Eva Mª , Andrés Nieves , Sancho Irene , Vernet Antón , Pallarés Jordi , Palero Virginia
Published: September 2022

The three velocity components in a fluid plane can be measured by applying Digital Image Plane Holography. This technique is limited by the laser coherence length, which reduces its application with high speed lasers that, generally, have a very short coherence length. In addition, the use of a double cavity can also imply a small wavelength difference between the two laser beams. In this work, we present an improved Optical Path Length Enlarging Device that allows the velocity measurement, in a 2D field whose width is four times larger than the laser coherence length. The optical set-up and the procedure for measuring in a larger field (ten times the laser coherence length) were optimized, and the issues derived from the laser spatial and temporal coherence and wavelength changes were analyzed and solved. Digital Image Plane Holography with the Optical Path Length Enlarging Device and Particle Image Velocimetry were applied for measuring the whole velocity field in the central plane of a cylindrical cavity with a rotating lid, for two Reynolds numbers (800 and 2000), showing both of them a very good agreement with the numerical simulations.

Graphical abstract
Association of prebiotic fiber intake with colorectal cancer risk: the PrebiotiCa study
Authors: Turati Federica , Concina Federica , Rossi Marta , Fiori Federica , Parpinel Maria , Taborelli Martina , Giacosa Attilio , Crispo Anna , Pagan Eleonora , Rosato Valentina , Negri Eva , La Vecchia Carlo
Published: September 2022

Purpose

To evaluate the association between the intake of specific fibers with prebiotic activity, namely inulin-type fructans (ITFs), fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) and galactooligosaccharides (GOSs), and colorectal cancer risk.

Methods

Within the PrebiotiCa study, we used data from a multicentric case–control study conducted in Italy and including 1953 incident, histologically confirmed, colorectal cancer patients and 4154 hospital controls. The amount of six prebiotic molecules [ITFs, nystose (FOS), kestose (FOS), 1F-β-fructofuranosylnystose (FOS), raffinose (GOS) and stachyose (GOS)] in a variety of foods was quantified via laboratory analyses. Subjects’ prebiotic fiber intake was estimated by multiplying food frequency questionnaire intake by the prebiotic content of each food item. The odds ratios (OR) of colorectal cancer for quintiles of intakes were derived from logistic regression models including terms for major confounders and total energy intake.

Results

GOSs intake was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk. The OR for the highest versus the lowest quintile of intake were 0.73 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.58–0.92) for raffinose and 0.64 (95% CI 0.53–0.77) for stachyose, with significant inverse trends across quintiles. No association was found with total ITFs and FOSs. The association with stachyose was stronger for colon (continuous OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.66–0.83) than rectal cancer (OR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.79–1.02).

Conclusion

Colorectal cancer risk was inversely associated with the intake of dietary GOSs, but not ITFs and FOSs.
Influence of mental health literacy on help-seeking behaviour for mental health problems in the Swiss young adult community: a cohort and longitudinal case–control study
Authors: Osman N. , Michel C. , Schimmelmann B. G. , Schilbach L. , Meisenzahl E. , Schultze-Lutter F.
Published: September 2022

Poor knowledge about mental health disorders and their treatment likely contributes to the large treatment gap reported for mental health problems. Therefore, we studied the association between mental health literacy (MHL) and active help-seeking in a community sample. Participants were recruited from an add-on questionnaire study to the ‘Bern Epidemiological At-Risk’ (BEAR) study on 16–40-year-old community subjects of the Swiss canton Bern. At baseline, data of N = 1504, and at 3-year follow-up, data of N = 535 were available. Based on an unlabelled case vignette (on depression or schizophrenia), MHL was assessed by the questionnaire of Angermeyer and colleagues. Cross-sectional and longitudinal baseline predictors of help-seeking were analysed using path analyses. Additionally, sensitivity analyses of the prospective model were computed for sex, vignette, and baseline mental health problems/disorders. Cross-sectionally, help-seeking was associated with non-endorsement of biogenetic causal explanations, presence of mental health problems/disorders, help-seeking before baseline, poorer functioning, and lower health satisfaction. The prospective model was similar; yet, help-seeking at follow-up was associated with endorsements of the causal explanation ‘biogenetics’ and, additionally, ‘childhood trauma’ but not the presence of baseline mental health problems/disorders. Sensitivity analyses revealed a significant impact on sex, vignette, and mental health problems/disorders. For example, actual functional problems were predictive in males, while health satisfaction was predictive in females. Our findings indicate that future studies on drivers of help-seeking should assess very large community samples with case vignettes on different mental disorders to examine appropriate subgroups and their likely interaction to address group-specific factors in awareness campaigns.
Bubbles in discrete-time models
Authors: Herdegen Martin , Kreher Dörte
Published: September 2022

We introduce a new definition of bubbles in discrete-time models based on the discounted stock price losing mass under an equivalent martingale measure at some finite drawdown. We provide equivalent probabilistic characterisations of this definition and give examples of discrete-time martingales that are bubbles and others that are not. In the Markovian case, we provide sufficient analytic conditions for the presence of bubbles. We also show that the existence of bubbles is directly linked to the existence of a non-trivial solution to a linear Volterra integral equation of the second kind involving the Markov kernel. Finally, we show that our definition of bubbles in discrete time is consistent with the strict local martingale definition of bubbles in continuous time in the sense that a properly discretised strict local martingale in continuous time is a bubble in discrete time.
The argument from Evel (Knievel): daredevils and the free energy principle
Authors: Carls-Diamante Sidney
Published: September 2022

Much of the literature on thefree energy principle (FEP)has focused on how organisms maintain homeostasis amidst a constantly changing environment. A fundamental feature of the FEP is that biological entities are “hard-wired” towards self-preservation.

However, contrary to this notion, there do exist organisms that appear to seek out rather than avoid conditions that pose an elevated risk of serious injury or death, thereby jeopardizing their physiological integrity. Borrowing a term used in 1990s popular culture to refer to stunt performers like Evel Knievel, these organisms that exhibit such behavioural characteristics can be referred to asdaredevils.

This paper presents the case of daredevils as a challenge to the FEP’s homeostasis- and optimization-based construal of biological systems. It also introduces three possible explanatory strategies by which the FEP can account for daredevils. The broader objective of the paper is to enhance the FEP’s ability to account for a diverse range of complex behaviour.
A Machine Learning Approach for Flagging Incomplete Bid-Rigging Cartels
Authors: Wallimann Hannes , Imhof David , Huber Martin
Published: September 2022

We propose a detection method for flagging bid-rigging cartels, particularly useful when cartels are incomplete. Our approach combines screens, i.e., statistics derived from the distribution of bids in a tender, with machine learning to predict the probability of collusion. As a methodological innovation, we calculate such screens for all possible subgroups of three or four bids within a tender and use summary statistics like the mean, median, maximum, and minimum of each screen as predictors in the machine learning algorithm. This approach tackles the issue that competitive bids in incomplete cartels distort the statistical signals produced by bid rigging and it outperforms previously suggested methods in applications to incomplete cartels based on empirical data from Switzerland.
In memoriam Gerhard Woeginger
Authors: Lenstra Jan Karel , Rendl Franz , Spieksma Frits , Uetz Marc
Published: September 2022

Gerhard Woeginger has passed away. His colleagues Jan Karel Lenstra, Franz Rendl, Frits Spieksma and Marc Uetz commemorate a great scientist and dear friend.
The transition towards a circular economy. A framework for SMEs
Authors: Gennari Francesca
Published: September 2022

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) contribute significantly to the European GDP and play a pivotal role in the ecological transition from a linear to a circular economy (CE). According to transition management theory, which emphasizes the active role of firms as accelerators of global transition processes, and based on qualitative content analysis of the literature, we found key pillars of CE (governance, relations with stakeholders and innovation) that SMEs should manage in an integrated way to increase the speed of the transition towards circularity. The result of this study is a conceptual framework that explains the development of the identified pillars in the context of the transition towards CE. This study addresses a gap in the literature concerning SMEs’ transition towards circularity, emphasizing the importance of a dynamic vision and the integrated management of a variety of key dimensions. The study also provides pragmatic advice to facilitate self-assessments by SMEs with respect to their path of transition and to maximize the effectiveness of policy-makers’ interventions to support SMEs. Finally, the study has societal implications: promoting the transition of SMEs towards CE can accelerate the global green transition due to the proximity of SMEs to the local environment and work force.
The End of Vagueness: Technological Epistemicism, Surveillance Capitalism, and Explainable Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Kerr Alison Duncan , Scharp Kevin
Published: September 2022

Artificial Intelligence (AI) pervades humanity in 2022, and it is notoriously difficult to understand how certain aspects of it work. There is a movement—ExplainableArtificial Intelligence (XAI)—to develop new methods for explaining the behaviours of AI systems. We aim to highlight one important philosophical significance of XAI—it has a role to play in the elimination of vagueness. To show this, consider that the use of AI in what has been labeledsurveillance capitalismhas resulted in humans quickly gaining the capability to identify and classify most of the occasions in which languages are used. We show that the knowability of this information is incompatible with what a certain theory of vagueness—epistemicism—says about vagueness. We argue that one way the epistemicist could respond to this threat is to claim that this process brought about the end of vagueness. However, we suggest an alternative interpretation, namely that epistemicism is false, but there is a weaker doctrine we dubtechnological epistemicism, which is the view that vagueness is due to ignorance of linguistic usage, but the ignorance can be overcome. The idea is that knowing more of the relevant data and how to process it enables us to know the semantic values of our words and sentences with higher confidence and precision. Finally, we argue that humans are probably not going to believe what future AI algorithms tell us about the sharp boundaries of our vague words unless the AI involved can be explained in terms understandable by humans. That is, if people are going to accept that AI can tell them about the sharp boundaries of the meanings of their words, then it is going to have to be XAI.
Paris’s Choice (1670) by Charles Davenant: A Seventeenth-Century Play Preserved in a University Manuscript Miscellany
Authors: Rodríguez-Loro Nora
Published: September 2022

The purpose of this article is to analyse and discuss a seventeenth-century University play, Paris’s choice by Charles Davenant, and provide bibliographical information about the only manuscript copy extant. The piece has been preserved in a miscellany of poems and songs, MS Rawlinson poetical 84, held at the Bodleian Library, Oxford University. Based on its contents, the miscellany seems to have been compiled at New College, Oxford, and it may have been originated by a member of the Paulet family. The manuscript then came into the possession of an Oxford student named Giles Frampton, who was at Balliol College at the same time as Charles Davenant. The manuscript play is preceded by a sort of title-page, featuring a cast of actors and the date 1670, which might be the date of the original performance. Whereas the MS Rawlinson poet. 84 has drawn the interest of some scholars, Paris’s choice has hitherto received minor attention. Thus, this paper contains a detailed description of the miscellany, a discussion of its compilation and ownership, the play’s context of composition and stage history and a semi-diplomatic transcription of the play-text. My study is intended to contribute to our knowledge of Charles Davenant’s literary production and will also be relevant to scholars working on the contents of the miscellany or on university amateur drama.
VIGIRISKS platform, a web-tool for single and multi-hazard risk assessment
Authors: Negulescu C. , Smai F. , Quique R. , Hohmann A. , Clain U. , Guidez R. , Tellez-Arenas A. , Quentin A. , Grandjean G.
Published: September 2022

Enabling storing, scenario design, documentation, access and execution of scientific computations for multirisks mapping is the aim of the VIGIRISKS web platform currently designed and developed by the BRGM (French Geological Survey). VIGIRISKS platform insures geohazards data management, reproducibility of risks calculations, allows information transparency and improving efficiency by easing collaborative work and sharing results and practices. The scientific scope is multirisk mapping, including cascading effects, in the domain of natural hazard (earthquake, landslide and submersion) from the phenomenon modelling to the impact evaluation on exposed elements such as buildings. VIGIRISKS web platform initially designed for BRGM experts aims to be in a long-term an open repository for national and international experts working on natural hazards management. Integration and deployment of new datasets and computational processes oriented towards risks mapping is as automatic as possible for the convenience of users.
Development of Cr and Al Pack Cementation Coatings on Co-Based γ/γ′ Superalloys
Authors: König Till , Hagen S. P. , Virtanen S. , Galetz M. C.
Published: September 2022

Co-based superalloys have been developed as candidate materials to replace Ni-based superalloys in hot sections of turbine engines, however, their oxidation resistance is limited. Therefore, in this work chromium and aluminum diffusion coatings were developedviathe pack cementation process for novelγ/γ′-strengthened superalloys of the Co–Ni–Al–W system. This alloy system also offers the opportunity to vary the cobalt-to-nickel ratio and the tungsten content systematically to investigate their influence on the coating process. The coating process was shown to successfully enrich the surfaces of such alloys either in aluminum or chromium. For Al, the result was the formation of (Co, Ni)Al on top of an interdiffusion zone, while for chromium a Cr-rich layer in solid solution with the substrate along with the formation ofσ-phase were observed. The coating formation mechanisms are discussed for both coatings in the light of activities and phase formation.
Computational Methods to Mitigate the Effect of High Penetration of Renewable Energy Sources on Power System Frequency Regulation: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: El-Bahay Mahmoud H. , Lotfy Mohammed E. , El-Hameed Mohamed A.
Published: September 2022

Depletion of fossil fuel, global warming, and their environmental pollution clarify the importance of renewable energy sources (RESs). However, high penetration of RESs decreases power systems inertia, hence, the system becomes more sensitive to disturbances. This results in problems with frequency control because it increases the rate of change of frequency and may lead to load shedding or tripping of generating units. This paper aims at introducing a comprehensive survey of the effects of the increase in RESs on power system inertia and frequency. Different models of wind-driven and photovoltaic systems used for frequency control studies have been introduced. The up-to-date effective frequency regulation methods which can be used with highly RESs penetrated power systems have been revised and compared. These methods include virtual inertia-based methods depending on energy storage devices, de-loading of renewable energy sources, various inertial response techniques and demand response at load section including under frequency load shedding and electric vehicles. Extensive comparisons among these methods have been carried to guide power system designers, operators, researchers and grid codes taskforces in proper incorporation of RESs for frequency regulation of power systems.
Management of nitrogen nutrient flow under legume practice from La Teresa basin to the Batabanó Gulf
Authors: Febles Díaz José Miguel , Febles González José Manuel , Azanza Ricardo Julia , González Calvo Thalia , Sotelo Pérez María
Published: September 2022

Nitrogen management in a karst basin is examined through the establishment of legumes Leucaena leucocephala and Phaseolus vulgaris in pasture and crop areas respectively, with the objective of enriching the nutrient flow interrupted by the construction of dams and canals built during the 1990s, which have altered the natural patterns of hydrological variation and transport to the sea. The different soil treatments show low values of overland fluxes to the sea between 0.9623 and 0.9624 kg ha−1 yr−1 for crops, discretely increasing by 0.02% in pasture and by 0.28% for crop + pasture according to the geomorphic potential of the basin. For land use conditions, a positive economic nitrogen balance was estimated in the range of 55–1560 for crops and 22–2400 USD ha−1 yr−1 for pastures, the latter showing positive balances at the lowest fixation rates, confirming that cover management with legumes maximizes gains and minimizes losses for both agricultural and marine ecosystems, providing a source of indirect fertilization downstream where agricultural areas are located.

Article highlights

In the flat karst region, geomorphological potential is the main factor in predicting the dynamics of sediment movement.

Leguminous land use has a weak effect on alleviating pressures on the island's oligotrophic marine ecosystems.

In both crop and pasture, a positive annual economic balance of N was found in the range of 55–2400 USD ha−1 yr−1.
Assessment of arc stability features for selected gas metal arc welding conditions
Authors: Kah Paul , Edigbe Gabriel Ogheneluona , Ndiwe Benoit , Kubicek Rastislav
Published: September 2022

Stability is a key indicator of the efficiency of the gas metal arc welding operation, and it is linked to other quality indicators like spattering and weld formation. This study describes methods of assessing arc stability for selected gas metal arc welding (GMAW) conditions. It focuses on stability characterization and defines the relationship between process stability and influencing factors. Welding tests were performed using two selected transfer modes the spray and the pulse transfer modes to characterize stability and develop processes further for better overall performance. This scope of parameters was selected to simulate certain range of stability behavior, so it was possible to analyze the factors correlated to stability, their relevance in influencing stability, and consequently to define a calculation algorithm for the determination of stability. Also, stability was calculated and scored based on two scoring indices. With a higher voltage, disturbance levels were noticed to reduce as in the case of 29 V, 31.5 V, and 32.5 V with 32.5 V showing better stability to spattering, smoothness, repeatability, and regularity of the process. Actual values of positive and negative voltage peaks, voltage amplitudes, and their average values and standard deviations in selected analyzed time showed to be relevant indicators to characterize stability of the process. Variations of indicated voltage signals related to explosions showed to have complex patterns in terms of their waveforms. So, all these were analyzed step by step and consequently selected for characterization in the welding conditions that were selected in the scope of this study.
Exchange on dynamic encounter networks allows plant mitochondria to collect complete sets of mitochondrial DNA products despite their incomplete genomes
Authors: Giannakis Konstantinos , Chustecki Joanna M. , Johnston Iain G.
Published: September 2022

Mitochondria in plant cells usually contain less than a full copy of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome. Here, we asked whether mitochondrial dynamics may allow individual mitochondria to ‘collect’ a full set of mtDNA-encoded gene products over time, by facilitating exchange between individuals akin to trade on a social network. We characterise the collective dynamics of mitochondria inArabidopsishypocotyl cells using a recent approach combining single-cell time-lapse microscopy, video analysis and network science. We use a quantitative model to predict the capacity for sharing genetic information and gene products through the networks of encounters between mitochondria. We find that biological encounter networks support the emergence of gene product sets over time more readily than a range of other possible network structures. Using results from combinatorics, we identify the network statistics that determine this propensity, and discuss how features of mitochondrial dynamics observed in biology facilitate the collection of mtDNA-encoded gene products.
Buying Votes across Borders? A List Experiment on Mexican Immigrants in the United States
Authors: Song Jaehyun , Iida Takeshi , Takahashi Yuriko , Tovar Jesús
Published: September 2022

As international migration has grown worldwide, the issue of how to assure the political rights of citizens living abroad has attracted much scholarly attention. One concern has been that if vote-buying is widespread in home countries, this practice could be exported to external elections. Although there have been numerous studies focused on electoral participation in external voting, there has been no systematic test of whether vote-buying is occurring across borders. This study aims to address this question by focusing on the 2018 federal elections in Mexico. Our list experiment shows that in our sample, approximately 32 per cent of Mexican immigrants in the United States experienced vote-buying during the electoral campaign. Furthermore, a multivariate analysis shows that the people most susceptible to vote-buying were living in areas where there was a high concentration of Mexican immigrants. The study results point to the importance of cross-border networks, which have been built between countries sending and receiving immigrants, in facilitating vote-buying across borders.
Measuring heritability: Why bother?
Authors: Shuker David M. , Dickins Thomas E.
Published: September 2022

Uchiyama et al. rightly consider how cultural variation may influence estimates of heritability by contributing to environmental sources of variation. We disagree, however, with the idea that generalisable estimates of heritability are ever a plausible aim. Heritability estimates are always context-specific, and to suggest otherwise is to misunderstand what heritability can and cannot tell us.
Cultural evolution: The third component of mental illness heritability
Authors: Amato Davide
Published: September 2022

Uchiyama et al. provide a theoretical framework to explain the gap between reported gene–environment interactions and real-life epidemiological statistics. Through cultural evolution, informed behavioral approaches mitigate the impact of environmental risk on disease onset. Similarly, here we propose that fostering certain behavioral traits, transmitted culturally or through access to scientific knowledge, could confer resilience to mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.
COVID-19, climate shocks, and food security linkages: evidence and perceptions from smallholder farming communities in Tanzania
Authors: Lasdun Violet , Harou Aurélie P. , Magomba Christopher , Aku Aika
Published: September 2022

Insights on the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are critical for designing and implementing policies to alleviate the food security burden it may have caused, and for bolstering rural communities against similar macroeconomic shocks in the future. Yet estimating the causal effects of the pandemic is difficult due to its ubiquitous nature and entanglement with other shocks. In this descriptive study, we combine high-resolution satellite imagery to control for plot-level rainfall with household socio-economic panel data from 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2020, to differentiate the effect of the pandemic from climatic shocks on food security in Morogoro, Tanzania. We find evidence of decreased incomes, increased prices of staple foods, and increased food insecurity in 2020 relative to previous years, and link these changes to the pandemic by asking households about their perceptions of COVID-19. Respondents overwhelmingly attribute economic hardships to the pandemic, with perceived impacts differing by asset level.
Location of Uranium‐Rich Brines Determines the Distribution and Grade of Unconformity‐Related Uranium Deposits
Authors: Xu Xu , Lin Hua , Yang Jianwen
Published: September 2022

Recent fluid inclusion analysis indicates that uranium‐bearing brines were present in both the sandstone and the basement at the time of ore genesis in the Athabasca Basin, Canada. However, the question of how the location of uranium‐rich brines controls the formation of unconformity‐related uranium deposits remains unresolved. In this study, four reactive flow modeling scenarios are designed to address this outstanding issue. Our numerical results confirm that the basement‐hosting uranium‐rich brines are capable of forming high‐grade concentrated uranium deposits in the footwall region of the fault zone below the unconformity interface. In contrast, the sandstone‐hosting uranium‐rich brines lead to the formation of low‐grade sheet‐like uranium mineral precipitates above the sandstone layer rather than in the basement. Therefore, this study reveals that unconformity‐related uranium deposits tend to be formed when the basement unit serves as the main uranium source. Taking the sandstone layer as the main uranium source, no unconformity‐related uranium deposits can be formed since the resultant uranium precipitation has no spatial relation with the unconformity interface.
Martian Ionospheric Magnetic Fluctuations Below 200 km
Authors: Esman T. M. , Espley J. , Gruesbeck J. , Fowler C. M. , Xu S. , Elrod M. , Harada Y. , Giacalone J.
Published: September 2022

We conduct a search for 5–16 Hz magnetic waves below 200 km and within the Martian ionosphere using data from multiple instruments onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission spacecraft. We present a case study and an analysis of the 54 identified events to establish trends. Nearly half the wave events occur near the cusps of strong crustal magnetic fields (CMFs). The stronger regions have fewer events and may be a result of stronger CMFs preventing draped field lines from reaching lower altitudes. A majority of the observed magnetic waves occur on the nightside, are associated with greater fluxes of electrons traveling downward along the local magnetic field compared to those traveling upward, and correspond to increases in thermal plasma density. These aspects indicate electron precipitation was present during these wave events. We conclude that the waves are observed under magnetic field conditions favorable for the penetration of electrons and waves into the lower ionosphere, but that the electron precipitation cannot solely account for the waves or plasma changes.
Experimental symmetric private information retrieval with measurement-device-independent quantum network
Authors: Wang Chao , Kon Wen Yu , Ng Hong Jie , Lim Charles C.-W.
Published: September 2022

Secure information retrieval is an essential task in today’s highly digitised society. In some applications, it may be necessary that user query’s privacy and database content’s security are enforced. For these settings, symmetric private information retrieval (SPIR) could be employed, but its implementation is known to be demanding, requiring a private key-exchange network as the base layer. Here, we report for the first time a realisation of provably-secure SPIR supported by a quantum-secure key-exchange network. The SPIR scheme looks at biometric security, offering secure retrieval of 582-byte fingerprint files from a database with 800 entries. Our experimental results clearly demonstrate the feasibility of SPIR with quantum secure communications, thereby opening up new possibilities in secure distributed data storage and cloud computing over the future Quantum Internet.
Extracting causation from millennial-scale climate fluctuations in the last 800 kyr
Authors: Baldovin Marco , Cecconi Fabio , Provenzale Antonello , Vulpiani Angelo
Published: September 2022

The detection of cause-effect relationships from the analysis of paleoclimatic records is a crucial step to disentangle the main mechanisms at work in the climate system. Here, we show that the approach based on the generalized Fluctuation–Dissipation Relation, complemented by the analysis of the Transfer Entropy, allows the causal links to be identified between temperature, CO$$_2$$

2

concentration and astronomical forcing during the glacial cycles of the last 800 kyr based on Antarctic ice core records. When considering the whole spectrum of time scales, the results of the analysis suggest that temperature drives CO$$_2$$

2

concentration, or that are both driven by the common astronomical forcing. However, considering only millennial-scale fluctuations, the results reveal the presence of more complex causal links, indicating that CO$$_2$$

2

variations contribute to driving the changes of temperature on such time scales. The results also evidence a slow temporal variability in the strength of the millennial-scale causal links between temperature and CO$$_2$$

2

concentration.
Interplay of the disorder and strain in gallium oxide
Authors: Azarov Alexander , Venkatachalapathy Vishnukanthan , Karaseov Platon , Titov Andrei , Karabeshkin Konstantin , Struchkov Andrei , Kuznetsov Andrej
Published: September 2022

Ion irradiation is a powerful tool to tune properties of semiconductors and, in particular, of gallium oxide (Ga2O3) which is a promising ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor exhibiting phase instability for high enough strain/disorder levels. In the present paper we observed an interesting interplay between the disorder and strain in monoclinic β-Ga2O3 single crystals by comparing atomic and cluster ion irradiations as well as atomic ions co-implants. The results obtained by a combination of the channeling technique, X-ray diffraction and theoretical calculations show that the disorder accumulation in β-Ga2O3 exhibits superlinear behavior as a function of the collision cascade density. Moreover, the level of strain in the implanted region can be engineered by changing the disorder conditions in the near surface layer. The results can be used for better understanding of the radiation effects in β-Ga2O3 and imply that disorder/strain interplay provides an additional degree of freedom to maintain desirable strain in Ga2O3, potentially applicable to modify the rate of the polymorphic transitions in this material.
Deep learning applied to analyze patterns from evaporated droplets of Viscum album extracts
Authors: Acuña Carlos , Mier y Terán Alfonso , Kokornaczyk Maria Olga , Baumgartner Stephan , Castelán Mario
Published: September 2022

This paper introduces a deep learning based methodology for analyzing the self-assembled, fractal-like structures formed in evaporated droplets. To this end, an extensive image database of such structures of the plant extract Viscum album Quercus$$10^{-3}$$

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was used, prepared by three different mixing procedures (turbulent, laminar, and diffusion based). The proposed pattern analysis approach is based on two stages: (1) automatic selection of patches that exhibit rich texture along the database; and (2) clustering of patches in accordance with prevalent texture by means of a Dense Convolutional Neural Network. The fractality of the patterns in each cluster is verified through Local Connected Fractal Dimension histograms. Experiments with Gray-Level Co-Occurrence matrices are performed to determine the benefit of the proposed approach in comparison with well established image analysis techniques. For the investigated plant extract, significant differences were found between the production modalities; whereas the patterns obtained by laminar flow showed the highest fractal structure, the patterns obtained by the application of turbulent mixture exhibited the lowest fractality. Our approach is the first to analyze, at the pure image level, the clustering properties of regions of interest within a database of evaporated droplets. This allows a greater description and differentiation of the patterns formed through different mixing procedures.
Spectrofluorimetric determination of selected genotoxic impurities in pharmaceutical raw materials and final products
Authors: Shallan Aliaa I. , Abdel-Hakim Ali , Hammad Mohamed A. , Abou El-Alamin Maha M.
Published: September 2022

A green spectrofluorimetric method was introduced for the determination of selected genotoxic impurities; 2-aminopyridine and 3-aminopyridine in different pharmaceutical raw materials and dosage forms. The method relied on the native fluorescence of these impurities in acidic medium. The experimental conditions were carefully studied and optimized, and the method was validated according to International Council on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines. The linear range for both analytes was 2.50–100 ng/mL with good determination coefficients of 0.9995 and 0.9992 and detection limits of 0.62 ng/mL and 0.74 ng/mL for 2-aminopyridine and 3-aminopyridine, respectively. The method was successfully applied for determination of 2-aminopyridine and 3-aminopyridine in four active pharmaceutical ingredients and nine dosage forms with satisfactory percentage recoveries and without interference from co-formulated excipients. Analytical performance of the proposed method was comparable to that of the reported methods; hence, the proposed method can be used as a simple and low-cost alternative in quality control laboratories.
Transcriptome analysis of five different tissues of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) fruit identifies full-length genes involved in seed oil biosynthesis
Authors: Ravichandiran Kumar , Parani Madasamy
Published: September 2022

The bitter gourd seed oil, rich in conjugated fatty acids, has therapeutic value to treat cancer, obesity, and aging. It also has an industrial application as a drying agent. Despite its significance, genomics studies are limited, and the genes for seed oil biosynthesis are not fully understood. In this study, we assembled the fruit transcriptome of bitter gourd using 254.5 million reads (Phred score > 30) from the green rind, white rind, pulp, immature seeds, and mature seeds. It consisted of 125,566 transcripts with N50 value 2,751 bp, mean length 960 bp, and 84% completeness. Transcript assembly was validated by RT-PCR and qRT-PCR analysis of a few selected transcripts. The transcripts were annotated against the NCBI non-redundant database using the BLASTX tool (E-value < 1E−05). In gene ontology terms, 99,443, 86,681, and 82,954 transcripts were classified under biological process, molecular function, and cellular component. From the fruit transcriptome, we identified 26, 3, and 10 full-length genes coding for all the enzymes required for synthesizing fatty acids, conjugated fatty acids, and triacylglycerol. The transcriptome, transcripts with tissue-specific expression patterns, and the full-length identified from this study will serve as an important genomics resource for this important medicinal plant.
Mechanism of (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) dimerization by low-temperature plasma
Authors: Park Seungil , Jeong Gyeong Han , Jee Sung Hoon , Kim Tae Hoon , Kim Seong Bong
Published: September 2022

The efficient dimerization of (−)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is the major bioactive constituent isolated from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, was initially reported without changes in its stereochemistry using low-temperature plasma. The contribution of plasma during the dimerization of EGCG in a methanolic solution was quantified using a major factor, with the major factor demonstrated based on the contents of newly generated products, in this case the sum of oolonghomobisflavans A and B depending on the plasma treatment method. Samples were treated in three methods: plasma direct treatment, an indirect treatment using only reactive species, and an indirect treatment using effects other than those by reactive species. Ozone was identified as a major factor during the plasma treatment, and the operating ranges of the ozone concentration for regulated dimerization were evaluated. The mechanism by which EGCG synthesizes dimers A and B during the treatment process using low-temperature plasma was investigated using the derived major factor and prior literature. The ozone generated by the plasma reacted with methanol to form formaldehyde, and dimers A and B were synthesized by oligomers through a methylene-bridge by the formaldehyde. A plausible pathway of regulated dimerization was deduced based on these results, and the mechanism of EGCG dimerization by plasma is described using this pathway.
Hierarchical microtubes constructed using Fe-doped MoS2 nanosheets for biosensing applications
Authors: Shen Zhiwen , Han Suping , Xu Jingli , Yin Xue-Bo , Zhang Min
Published: September 2022

Herein, we report a novel MoO3-engaged strategy to synthesize Fe-incorporated MoS2 microtubes. Owing to the high catalytic activity of the as-prepared Fe-MoS2 microtubes, a simple, convenient, and rapid sensing platform for the detection of H2O2 and GSH has been constructed.
Brønsted acid-catalyzed cascade cyclization: an efficient strategy for divergent synthesis of cyclohepta[b]indole derivatives
Authors: Chen Shaomin , Chen Zhiyan , Zhang Tianjian , Zhao Bo , You Bo , Li Minghao , Gu Yanlong
Published: September 2022

An efficient acid-catalyzed three-component cascade strategy by employing 3,3′-bis(indolyl)methanes (BIMs) as masked 1,4-nucleophiles was established for synthesizing cyclohepta[b]indoles under mild and eco-friendly conditions.
Synthesis and pharmacological activities of azo dye derivatives incorporating heterocyclic scaffolds: a review
Authors: Mezgebe Kibrom , Mulugeta Endale
Published: September 2022

Nowadays, there is significant interest in the synthesis of heterocycle-incorporated azo dye derivatives as potential scaffolds in the pharmaceutical sector.
Supramolecular modification of a metal–organic framework increases sorption switching: insights into reversible structural deformation of ZIF-8
Authors: Tiba Al A. , Perman Jason A. , MacGillivray Leonard R. , Tivanski Alexei V.
Published: September 2022

Use of chemical modulators during the synthesis of coordination frameworks is an important strategy to affect and tune properties of porous materials.
Metallic FeCo clusters propelling the stepwise polysulfide conversion in lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Li Minhui , Wang Hui , Wang Xuyun , Ren Jianwei , Wang Rongfang
Published: September 2022

Catalytic conversion of polysulfides is considered to be an important way to improve the kinetics and inhibit the shuttle effect of lithium–sulfur batteries (LSB).
A dynamic polyurea network with exceptional creep resistance
Authors: Ma Yan , Wang Hong-Qin , Zhao Pei-Chen , Wang Fang-Zhou , Li Cheng-Hui
Published: September 2022

We have designed and synthesized a new dynamic polyurea network with highly cross-linked inner “cores” and abundant flexible outer branches which shows superior creep resistance and reprocessibility.
Microstructural engineering of hydrated vanadium pentoxide for boosted zinc ion thermoelectrochemical cells
Authors: Li Zhiwei , Xu Yinghong , Wu Langyuan , Dou Hui , Zhang Xiaogang
Published: September 2022

This study demonstrates the promising potential of cathode microstructural engineering for high value-added energy conversion and storage.
Insight into through-space conjugation in rotation-restricted thermally activated delayed fluorescence compounds
Authors: Li Kuofei , Chen Yuannan , Yao Bing , Dou Kunkun , Wang Tao , Deng Hao , Zhan Hongmei , Xie Zhiyuan , Cheng Yanxiang
Published: September 2022

Two pairs of rotation-restricted TADF compounds via through-space charge transfer are investigated. Sandwich molecules exhibit similar photophysical properties and better electroluminescent performance compared with the open sandwich counterparts.
Neutral bleiben: Objektivität
Authors: Mehrholz Jan , Berger Claudia
Published: September 2022

Objektivität ist ursprünglich ein Begriff aus der
Naturwissenschaft. Dieses Prinzip gilt auch für Hebammen bei der
Anwendung von Assessments.
„Move Your Baby“: ein öffentliches Angebot
zur Bewegungsförderung in der Schwangerschaft
Authors: Hyvärinen Mathilde , Wegrzyk Jennifer , Schläppy Franziska
Published: September 2022

Die zentrale Rolle von Hebammen im Hinblick auf das Gewichtsmanagement von Frauen
während und nach der Schwangerschaft wird noch ungenügend
herausgestellt. In diesem Artikel erläutern die Autorinnen das Potenzial
und die verschiedenen Mittel der Bewegungsförderung und zeigen auf, wie
sie je nach Profil der teilnehmenden Frauen eingesetzt werden können.
Zudem illustrieren sie die Aussagen mit dem Ergebnis einer Meinungsumfrage
bezüglich ihres Angebotes „Move Your Baby“, ein
Pilotprojekt der französischen Schweiz im Bereich Pädagogik und
Gesundheitswesen.