bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robustness and efficiency of iteration schemes for variably saturated flow across the range of soils, initial and boundary conditions found in practice
Authors: Maier Denis , Montenegro Héctor , Odenwald Bernhard
Published: July 2023

Water flow in partially saturated porous media is of importance in many disciplines such as hydrology, agriculture, environmental management or geotechnical engineering. A robust and accurate solution methodology applicable across the range of soils, initial and boundary conditions found in practice is difficult to identify. Three mass conservative iteration schemes for the approximation of the flow equation in partially saturated porous media are evaluated considering large contrasts in soil texture, initial moisture and boundary conditions typically found in real world application. The three schemes reviewed are the well established modified Picard algorithm (Celia-Scheme), and two promising approaches the L-Scheme and the Casulli-Scheme. A systematic variation of soil texture and initial moisture in an intense rainfall infiltration scenario is set up in order to consider the numerical challenges associated with high non-linearity. The present analysis provides insights into robustness and efficiency in solving variably saturated flow across the range of soils, initial and boundary conditions found in practice. Casulli’s scheme, in particular, provides an acceptable compromise between robustness and execution duration even under the severest conditions investigated, while the other schemes sacrifice one for the sake of the other. The authors believe that advances in the development of numerical schemes for partly saturated flow require the kind of methodology presented here in combination with relevant benchmark problems in order to enable a fair evaluation and comparison of numerical techniques across the related disciplines.
Analysis of genetic diversity and population structure in Cambodian melon landraces using molecular markers
Authors: Naznin Pervin Mst , Imoh Odirichi Nnennaya , Tanaka Katsunori , Sreynech Ouch , Shigita Gentaro , Sophea Yon , Sophany Sakhan , Makara Ouk , Tomooka Norihiko , Monden Yuki , Nishida Hidetaka , Kato Kenji
Published: July 2023

Genetic diversity of Cambodian melons was evaluated by the analysis of 12 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and 7 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers using 62 accessions of melon landraces and compared with 231 accessions from other areas for genetic characterization of Cambodian melons. Among 62 accessions, 56 accessions were morphologically classified as small-seed type with seed lengths shorter than 9 mm, as in the horticultural groups Conomon and Makuwa. Gene diversity of Cambodian melons was 0.228, which was equivalent to those of the groups Conomon and Makuwa and smaller than those of Vietnamese and Central Asian landraces. A phylogenetic tree constructed from a genetic distance matrix classified 293 accessions into three major clusters. Small-seed type accessions from East and Southeast Asia formed clusters I and II, which were distantly related with cluster III consisting of large-seed type melon from other areas. All Cambodian melons belonged to cluster I (except three accessions) along with those from Thailand, Myanmar, Yunnan (China), and Vietnam (“Dua thom” in the northwest), thus indicating genetic similarity in these areas. In addition, the Cambodian melons were not differentiated among geographical populations. Conomon and Makuwa were classified into cluster II, together with melon groups from the plains of Vietnam. The presence of two groups of melons in Southeast Asia was also indicated by population structure and principal coordinate analysis. These results indicated a close genetic relationship between Cambodia and the neighboring countries, thus suggesting that Cambodian melons are not directly related to the establishment of Conomon and Makuwa.
The Construct Validity of the Childhood Joint Attention Rating Scale (C-JARS) in School-Aged Autistic Children
Authors: Birkeneder Sandy L. , Bullen Jennifer , McIntyre Nancy , Zajic Matthew C. , Lerro Lindsay , Solomon Marjorie , Sparapani Nicole , Mundy Peter
Published: July 2023

Preliminary evidence from the Childhood Joint Attention Rating Scale (C-JARS; Mundy et al., 2017) suggests symptoms related to diminished joint attention and the spontaneous sharing of experience with others can be assessed with a parent-report measure in children and adolescents with autism. This study was designed to expand on the previous study by examining the validity of both a Social Symptom (SS) and a Prosocial (PS) scale of the C-JARS in a study of school-aged autistic children (n  = 89) with and without co-occurring intellectual disability (ID), as well as an age matched neurotypical sample (n  = 62). Results indicated that both C-JARS scales were sensitive and specific with respect to identifying the diagnostic status of the children. In addition, the PS scale was sensitive to differences in cognitive abilities (IQ) and sex differences in the autism group. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that joint attention and spontaneous sharing of experience symptoms are not only characteristic of preschool children with autism but may also constitute a developmentally continuous dimension of the social phenotype of autism that can be measured in school-aged children.
Block-based state-expanded network models for multi-activity shift scheduling
Authors: Römer Michael
Published: July 2023

This paper presents new mixed-integer linear programming formulations for multi-activity shift scheduling problems (MASSP). In these formulations, the rules governing shift feasibility are encoded in block-based state-expanded networks in which nodes are associated with states and arcs represent assignments of blocks of work or break periods inducing state transitions. A key advantage of these formulations is that for the anonymous MASSP in which all employees are considered as equal only a single network with integer flow variables is needed as long as the network encodes all shift composition rules. A challenging aspect is that the networks can become very large, yielding huge models that are hard to solve for large problem instances. To address this challenge, this paper proposes two exact modeling techniques that substantially reduce the size of the model instances: First, it introduces a set of aggregate side constraints enforcing that an integer flow solution can be decomposed into paths representing feasible shifts. Second, it proposes to decouple the shift composition from the assignment of concrete activities to blocks of work periods, thereby removing a large amount of symmetry from the original model. In a computational study with two MASSP instance sets from the literature dealing with shift scheduling problems, we demonstrate the effectiveness of these techniques for reducing the both size of the model instances and the solution time: We are able to solve all instances, including more than 70 previously open instances, to optimality–the vast majority of them in less than 30 min on a notebook computer.
A Successive Linear Relaxation Method for MINLPs with Multivariate Lipschitz Continuous Nonlinearities
Authors: Grübel Julia , Krug Richard , Schmidt Martin , Wollner Winnifried
Published: July 2023

We present a novel method for mixed-integer optimization problems with multivariate and Lipschitz continuous nonlinearities. In particular, we do not assume that the nonlinear constraints are explicitly given but that we can only evaluate them and that we know their global Lipschitz constants. The algorithm is a successive linear relaxation method in which we alternate between solving a master problem, which is a mixed-integer linear relaxation of the original problem, and a subproblem, which is designed to tighten the linear relaxation of the next master problem by using the Lipschitz information about the respective functions. By doing so, we follow the ideas of Schmidt, Sirvent, and Wollner (Math Program 178(1):449–483 (2019) and Optim Lett 16(5):1355-1372 (2022)) and improve the tackling of multivariate constraints. Although multivariate nonlinearities obviously increase modeling capabilities, their incorporation also significantly increases the computational burden of the proposed algorithm. We prove the correctness of our method and also derive a worst-case iteration bound. Finally, we show the generality of the addressed problem class and the proposed method by illustrating that both bilevel optimization problems with nonconvex and quadratic lower levels as well as nonlinear and mixed-integer models of gas transport can be tackled by our method. We provide the necessary theory for both applications and briefly illustrate the outcomes of the new method when applied to these two problems.
“Balanced” or “polarized” entrepreneurial ecosystem types? Evidence from Italy
Authors: Cavallo Angelo , Colombelli Alessandra , D’Amico Elettra , Paolucci Emilio
Published: July 2023

Entrepreneurial ecosystems (EE) are particular systems of interdependent actors and relations that directly or indirectly support the creation and growth of new ventures. EE can vary a lot, based on a unique and dynamic combination of several elements whose relevance can differ across regions. Most studies acknowledged, or ex-ante assumed, that EE elements are all relevant to the same extent, yet others suggest that some EE elements are more important in creating the environmental conditions necessary to foster entrepreneurship in a specific territory. In this paper, we contend that research should provide evidence on this territory-specific matter. Specifically, more evidence is needed on the relevance of each EE element at regional level—as we lack empirical analysis that discriminates between EE types according to elements’ importance. To fill this gap, we assess and characterize the existence of EE types at the regional level in Italy. Our findings suggest that four EE types exist, and they are characterized by a balanced combination of EE elements. On the basis of our results, we generate propositions providing insights that may be useful for future research and policymaking.
Sexting Among Australian Adolescents: Risk and Protective Factors
Authors: Howard Dominika , Jarman Hannah K. , Clancy Elizabeth M. , Renner Heidi M. , Smith Rachel , Rowland Bosco , Toumbourou John W. , Fuller-Tyszkiewicz Matthew , Klettke Bianca
Published: July 2023

Although consensual sending of sexts between adolescents is considered developmentally appropriate, it may also entail a range of negative consequences. Current sexting research lacks a comprehensive theoretical framework identifying a range of risk and protective factors underpinning adolescent consensual sending of sexts across individual, interpersonal, and distal levels. Further, there is a lack of systematic evaluation of how the importance of these factors may vary across adolescent age. This study investigated the utility of the Social Development Model to predict a range of risk and protective factors across individual, family, peer, school, and community-level factors. The sample included 1302 teenagers from Victoria, Australia (Mage = 14.54, SD = 1.14, 50.8% girls). Results indicated that 146 (11.7%) participants sent a sext (76 boys and 70 girls). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the Social Development Model accounted for 45.8% of variance in sexting, with greater likelihood of sending sexts being associated with older age, prior sexual activity, school sector, physical activity, lifetime substance use, greater depressive symptoms, sensation seeking, and perceived substance availability in the community. Multigroup analyses revealed that lifetime substance use was associated with a greater likelihood of sending sexts among younger teens. Among older adolescents, adaptive coping was associated with reduced engagement in sexting, while higher parental overcontrol and family conflict increased the odds of sending sexts. Overall, sexting is associated with a range of modifiable factors potentially amenable to intervention.
Characteristics of eco-friendly perovskite solar cell with moth-eye nanostructure array
Authors: Wahba Afaf Salah , Abdel-Latif Ghada Yassin , El-Sherbiny Shamia , Areed Nihal F. F. , Hameed Mohamed Farhat O. , Obayya S. S. A.
Published: July 2023

A novel design of tin perovskite (CH3NH3SnI3) solar cell (PSC) is proposed and analyzed for energy harvesting application. The suggested PSC is lead free where moth-eye nanostructures are implemented in the active material to improve the light trapping and hence the light absorption. The suggested SC is numerically studied using finite difference time domain (FDTD) via Lumerical software package. The geometrical parameters and position of the nanostructures are studied to maximize the absorption and hence the optical efficiency. The reported PSC covered by the moth-eye nanostructures exhibits marked light trapping compared to the conventional planar structure with photocurrent density of 46.0082 (mA/cm2), an optical generation rate of 3.38 e28 (m−3. s−1) and an ultimate efficiency of 31.76%. Therefore, an enhancement of 14.496% is obtained compared to the traditional PSC due to the localized surface plasmons (LSP) modes around the moth eye nanostructures. The suggested design is an efficient replacement to lead—perovskite owing to excellent photovoltaic properties, cheap fabrication cost, suitable band gap of 1.02 eV, eco-friendly and great performance in converting sunlight to electrical energy.
Volume exclusion effects in perovskite charge transport modeling
Authors: Abdel Dilara , Courtier Nicola E. , Farrell Patricio
Published: July 2023

Due to their flexible material properties, perovskite materials are a promising candidate for many semiconductor devices such as lasers, memristors, LEDs and solar cells. For example, perovskite-based solar cells have recently become one of the fastest growing photovoltaic technologies. Unfortunately, perovskite devices are far from commercialization due to challenges such as fast degradation. Mathematical models can be used as tools to explain the behavior of such devices, for example drift-diffusion equations portray the ionic and electric motion in perovskites. In this work, we take volume exclusion effects on ion migration within a perovskite crystal lattice into account. This results in the formulation of two different ionic current densities for such a drift-diffusion model – treating either the mobility or the diffusivity as density-dependent while the other quantity remains constant. The influence of incorporating each current density description into a model for a typical perovskite solar cell configuration is investigated numerically, through simulations performed using two different open source tools.
Knowing what it is
Authors: Jago Mark
Published: July 2023

Essentialists understand modal properties in terms of the essences of things. Given this view, it is natural to think that our knowledge of modality ultimately derives from our knowledge of the essences of things. Is that view plausible? Do we genuinely have knowledge of the essences of things, in a form substantial enough to ground our modal knowledge? The more we pack into the notion of essence to allow it to underpin modal properties, the harder it is to claim genuine knowledge. I will argue that realists about essence of a certain kind can have the best of both worlds. They can co-opt a conventionalist explanation of our knowledge of essence, but against the background of a fully realist notion of essence.
Does students’ exposure to websites moderate the positive relationship between print exposure and text comprehension?
Authors: Strømsø Helge I.
Published: July 2023

In this study, I investigated the print exposure and website exposure of undergraduates in relation to their scores on a text comprehension test. Print exposure was measured with a national version of the author recognition test, whereas a new website recognition test was developed to measure students’ exposure to texts on the internet. The participants’ reading attitudes and number of years in higher education were included as control variables. Exploratory factor analysis suggested that three factors are measured by the website recognition test: (1) lifestyle topics; (2) news and culture; and (3) social activity. The results showed that only print exposure predicted text comprehension significantly and positively, but not for students with a high score on the website recognition test. Moderation analyses indicated that the pattern was clearest for the social activity factor of the website recognition measure. Hence, high activity on social media seems to diminish or remove the positive relationship between print exposure and text comprehension. The results confirm that print exposure relates positively to important aspects of students’ literacy, while further studies should be carried out to investigate the potential negative relationship between website exposure and literacy.
Advancement of electrically rechargeable multivalent metal-air batteries for future mobility
Authors: Alemu Molla Asmare , Getie Muluken Zegeye , Worku Ababay Ketema
Published: July 2023

The demand for newer, lighter, and smaller batteries with longer lifespans, higher energy densities, and generally improved overall battery performance has gone up along with the need for electric vehicles. Alternatives must be found because lithium sources are limited and the metal is expensive. Aligned with this, efforts are being carried out to enhance the battery performance of electric vehicles and have shown promise in allaying consumer concerns about range anxiety and safety. This demonstrates that the electric car market will remain very dynamic in the coming decades, with costs continuing to fall. However, developing advanced energy storage technologies from more abundant resources that are cheaper and safer than lithium-ion batteries is a viable option for future mobility and product sustainability. This paper recapitulates the current state of multivalent particularly zinc and iron metal-air battery applications for electric mobility. The cycle capability, range, costs, service life, safety, discharge, and charging rate are all investigated. Factors hampering the further development and marketing of these technologies in connection with possible solutions are also conferred.
R&D project portfolio selection using the Iterative Trichotomic Approach in order to study how subjectivity of the weights is reflected in the selected projects of the final portfolio
Authors: Mavrotas George , Makryvelios Evangelos
Published: July 2023

Project portfolio selection is a common problem in modern organizations. The allocation of resources to projects taking into account (a) the multi-criteria evaluation of projects and (b) the policy requirements for the final portfolio, is often addressed with a combination of multi-criteria analysis for the evaluation part and integer programming for the optimization part. However, the final portfolio is sensitive to changes in the importance of criteria, due to the multi-criteria evaluation of the projects which is the driver of the optimization. In the proposed approach, we take into account the inherent subjectivity expressed in the weights of criteria using a variation of the Iterative Trichotomic Approach method (Mavrotas and Pechak in Int J Mult Criteria Decis Mak 3:79–97, 2013). Specifically, we use an iterative process that starts considering portfolios that emerge from optimizing separately each criterion and gradually converging to the original set of criteria weights. The additional information provided to the decision maker by the proposed method, is that she/he can realize if the selection or exclusion of a specific project in the final portfolio is objective or it depends on the subjective weights and to what extent, while the conventional MCDA-IP approach does not differentiate the selected projects according to the imposed degree of subjectivity. The method is illustrated with a real data application from a project portfolio selection problem in Greece with 540 R&D projects that have to follow sectoral and geographical constraints.
The Differential Effect of Oxytocin on Mindfulness in People with Different Resilience Level
Authors: Lau Way Kwok-Wai , Sanchez Vidaña Dalinda I. , Tai Alan Pui-Lun , Chan Jackie Ngai-Man , Ngan Lionel Ho-Man , Leung Mei-Kei , Lau Benson Wui-Man
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Mindfulness skills have been shown to be an important attribute for mental and general well-being. The neurohormone oxytocin and resilience are established biological and psychological factors that are associated with mindfulness. This study aimed to elucidate the interaction of resilience and oxytocin levels as independent variables to predict mindfulness facets in university students.

Method

Participants (n = 96) were university students in Hong Kong who previously participated in a resilience study with no history of mental health disorders or substance abuse. Mindfulness and resilience were measured using the Chinese versions of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, respectively. Saliva samples were collected to measure oxytocin levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. A moderator analysis was conducted to assess the associations between oxytocin levels (predictor) and the five facets of mindfulness (outcomes) under the moderation effect of resilience (moderator).

Results

The interaction between oxytocin and resilience levels predicted the nonreactivity facet of mindfulness. Specifically, oxytocin levels significantly and positively predicted nonreactivity in participants with low or moderate resilience levels, but not in those with high resilience.

Conclusion

This study showed the influence of oxytocin levels on mindfulness was significant only in participants with low or moderate resilience, suggesting that oxytocin might act on other factors instead of influencing mindfulness in individuals with high levels of resilience.

Pre-registration

This study is not pre-registered.
The activity of cuproptosis pathway calculated by AUCell algorithm was employed to construct cuproptosis landscape in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Lin Weixian , Wang Jiaren , Ge Jing , Zhou Rui , Hu Yahui , Xiao Lushan , Peng Quanzhou , Zheng Zemao
Published: July 2023

Cuproptosis is a recently described copper-dependent cell death pathway. Consequently, there are still few studies on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD)-related cuproptosis, and we aimed to deepen in this matter. In this study, data from 503 patients with lung cancer from the TCGA-LUAD cohort data collection and 11 LUAD single-cells from GSE131907 as well as from 10 genes associated with cuproptosis were analyzed. The AUCell R package was used to determine the copper-dependent cell death pathway activity for each cell subpopulation, calculate the CellChat score, and display cell communication for each cell subpopulation. The PROGENy score was calculated to show the scores of tumor-related pathways in different cell populations. GO and KEGG analyses were used to calculate pathway activity. Univariate COX and random forest analyses were used to screen prognosis-associated genes and construct models. The ssGSEA and xCell algorithms were used to calculate the immunocyte infiltration score. Based on data from the GDSC database, the drug sensitivity score was calculated using oncoPredict. Finally, in vitro experiments were performed to determine the role of TLE1, the most important gene in the prognostic model. The 11 LUAD single-cell samples were classified into 8 different cell populations, from which epithelial cells showed the highest copper-dependent cell death pathway activity. Epithelial cell subsets were significantly positively correlated with MAKP, hypoxia, and other pathways. In addition, cell subgroup communication showed highly active collagen and APP pathways. Using the Findmark algorithm, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between epithelial and other cell types were identified. Combined with the bulk data in the TCGA-LUAD database, DEGs were enriched in pathways such as EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, Hippo signaling pathway, and tight junction. Subsequently, we selected 4 genes (out of 112) with prognostic significance, ANKRD29, RHOV, TLE1, and NPAS2, and used them to construct a prognostic model. The high- and low-risk groups, distinguished by the median risk score, showed significantly different prognoses. Finally, we chose TLE1 as a biomarker based on the relative importance score in the prognostic model. In vitro experiments showed that TLE1 promotes tumor proliferation and migration and inhibits apoptosis.
The Metaverse’s Thirtieth Anniversary: From a Science-Fictional Concept to the “Connect Wallet” Prompt
Authors: Smethurst Reilly , Barbereau Tom , Nilsson Johan
Published: July 2023

The metaverse is equivocal. It is a science-fictional concept from the past; it is the present’s rough implementations; and it is the Promised Cyberland, expected to manifest some time in the future. The metaverse first emerged as a techno-capitalist network in a 1992 science fiction novel by Neal Stephenson. Our article thus marks the metaverse’s thirtieth anniversary. We revisit Stephenson’s original concept plus three sophisticated antecedents from 1972 to 1984: Jean Baudrillard’s simulation, Sherry Turkle’s networked identities, and Jacques Lacan’s schema of suggestible consumers hooked up to a Matrix-like capitalist network. We gauge the relevance of these three antecedents following Meta’s recent promise to deliver a metaverse for the mainstream and the emergence of blockchain-oriented metaverse projects. We examine empirical data from 2021 and 2022, sourced from journalistic and social media (BuzzSumo, Google Trends, Reddit, and Twitter) as well as the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This latest chapter of the metaverse’s convoluted history reveals a focus not on virtual reality goggles but rather on techno-capitalist notions like digital wallets, crypto-assets, and targeted advertisements. The metaverse’s wallet-holders collect status symbols like limited-edition profile pictures, fashion items for avatars, tradable pets and companions, and real estate. Motivated by the metaverse’s sophisticated antecedents and our empirical findings, we propose a subtle conceptual re-orientation that respects the metaverse’s equivocal nature and rejects sanitised solutionism. Do not let the phantasmagorical goggles distract you too much: Big Meta is watching you, and it expects you to become a wallet-holder. Blockchain proponents want this as well.
1-absorbing and weakly 1-absorbing prime submodules of a module over a noncommutative ring
Authors: Groenewald Nico
Published: July 2023

In this study, we aim to introduce the concepts of 1-absorbing prime submodules and weakly 1-absorbing prime submodules of a unital module over a noncommutative ring with nonzero identity. This is a new class of submodules between prime submodules (weakly prime submodules) and 2-absorbing submodules (weakly 2-absorbing submodules). Let R be a noncommutative ring with a nonzero identity $$1\ne 0$$

1
≠
0

and M an R-module. A proper submdule P of M is said to be a 1-absorbing prime submodule (weakly 1-absorbing prime submodule) if for all nonunits $$x,y\in R$$

x
,
y
∈
R

and $$m\in M$$

m
∈
M

with xRyRm$$\subseteq $$
⊆
P$$(\left\{ 0\right\} \ne $$

(

0

≠

xRyRm$$\subseteq P)$$

⊆
P
)

, then $$xy\in (M:_{R}P)$$

x
y
∈
(
M

:
R

P
)

or $$m\in P$$

m
∈
P

. Various properties and characterizations of these classes of submodules are considered.
Are parents of high caries risk Dutch children motivated to brush their children’s teeth? An assessment using the health action process approach questionnaire
Authors: van Nes K. A. , Bonifácio C. C. , van Hunnik M. M. , van Loveren C. , Aartman I. H. A.
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To assess the social cognitive constructs of the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) of parents of high caries risk children to be treated under intravenous sedation (IVS) or with behavioural guidance techniques (BGT), and to assess the changes in these constructs for each treatment group after treatment.

Design

In this cohort study, 160 children aged 3–10 years were allocated by their paediatric dentist to either IVS (77.4%) or BGT. Their parents filled out a HAPA questionnaire, before (T1, n = 160), immediately (T2, n = 108) and three months (T3, n = 71) after their children's dental rehabilitation.

Results

Before treatment, all parents had high scores on all social cognitive constructs. There were no differences in mean HAPA scores between the treatment groups (p > 0.05). After treatment, mean scores changed in both groups. In the BGT group, action self-efficacy changed from 3.64 (T1) to 3.36(T2) (p = 0.027) and to 3.13 (T3) (p = 0.021) and coping self-efficacy changed from 3.63 (T1) to 3.23 (T2) (p = 0.015). In the IVS group, action planning changed from 3.25 (T1) to 3.05(T3) (p = 0.036) and action control changed from 2.58 (T1) to 2.82 (T2) (p = 0.012) and to 2.87 (T3) (p = 0.006).

Conclusions

High scores on social cognitive constructs of parents of children referred to a paediatric dentist showed that they seem to be motivated to brush their children’s teeth, irrespective of the treatment group. Small changes were observed in the HAPA constructs, however, these are not considered clinically relevant.
Urban flood risk assessment using AHP and geospatial techniques in swat Pakistan
Authors: Waseem Muhammad , Ahmad Sareer , Ahmad Izhar , Wahab Hira , Leta Megersa Kebede
Published: July 2023

The rapid urbanization and changing climate patterns in Swat, Pakistan have increased the vulnerability of urban areas to flood events. Accurate assessment of flood risk is crucial for effective urban planning and disaster management. In current research study flood hazard index was developed using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique in combination with the geographical information system (GIS) environment in Swat, Pakistan. The study integrates various data sources, including topographic maps, land use/land cover information, rainfall data, and infrastructure data, to develop a comprehensive flood risk assessment model. The weights obtained from the AHP analysis are combined with geospatial data using a geographic information system (GIS) to generate flood risk maps. The flood hazard levels were categorized into five distinct classes: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. Using the GIS-AHP approach, higher weights were assigned to rainfall, distance to river, elevation, and slope in comparison to NDVI, TWI, LULC, curvature, and soil type. The flood hazard map was then reclassified for each parameter. By overlaying these maps, it was determined that 5.6% of the total area is classified as very high flood risk, 52% as high risk, 39.3% as moderate risk, and 3.1% as low risk. The developed comprehensive flood risk assessment model in current study can identify high-risk areas, prioritize mitigation measures, and aid in effective urban planning and disaster management.
Sensory and affective aspects of the perception of respiratory resistance
Authors: Drozdovszky Orsolya , Petzke Tara , Köteles Ferenc
Published: July 2023

Perception of airway resistance has a sensory and an affective aspect, i.e., perceived resistance and unpleasantness, respectively. The current study aimed to shed more light on the relationship of these aspects, as well as their malleability to trait-like aspects of body awareness. In a laboratory study, 71 young participants completed two respiratory resistive load discrimination tasks relying on sensory and affective evaluation, respectively, and filled out questionnaires assessing somatosensory amplification, anxiety sensitivity, somatic symptoms distress, and breath awareness. Frequentist and Bayesian statistical analysis revealed no differences in discrimination accuracy with respect to the sensory and affective aspect of perceived resistance. Psychological traits were not associated with accuracy scores. In conclusion, affective evaluation of respiratory load is as accurate as sensory evaluation. Neither sensory not affective accuracy is influenced by various aspects of body awareness.
Hydrodynamics and Sediment Transport of Downslope Turbidity Current Through Rigid Vegetation
Authors: Han Dongrui , He Zhiguo , Lin Ying‐Tien , Wang Yuhang , Guo Yakun , Yuan Yeping
Published: July 2023

Systematical downslope‐turbidity‐current experiments were performed to clarify the relationship between sediment‐transport modes and current propagation patterns caused by rigid vegetation, as well as adjustments in turbulence characteristics of current. The equations for predicting the front velocities of downslope turbidity currents with emergent vegetation were proposed and validated via experimental data. Experimental results reveal that sediment deposition causes the lower turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) peaks of turbidity currents to decrease or even disappear without affecting their upper TKE peaks, while the rigid vegetation has the opposite effect. Vegetation stems destroy the longitudinal low‐high speed streaks associated with the quasi‐streamwise eddies in the near‐bed region and increase the proportions of the outward and inward interactions. In addition, sediment deposition severely suppresses the turbulent bursting events within turbidity currents but does not influence the relative proportions of the four bursting types. Rigid vegetation and sediment deposition both degrade the absolute values of the third‐order moments of velocity fluctuations without changing their signs to reduce the generation frequency of sweep events. Emergent rigid vegetation accelerates the formation of the reflected bore to provide energy for the deposited sediment to move downstream continuously. On the other hand, the dense submerged vegetation makes turbidity currents easily form the two‐head propagating mode, which allows part of the sediments carried by the upper current head to be transported downstream rather than deposited within or upstream of the vegetation region. Furthermore, the sloping boundary provides favorable conditions to initiate these specific modes for sediment transport adjusted by rigid vegetation.
Future increased risk from extratropical windstorms in northern Europe
Authors: Little Alexander S. , Priestley Matthew D. K. , Catto Jennifer L.
Published: July 2023

European windstorms cause socioeconomic losses due to wind damage. Projections of future losses from such storms are subject to uncertainties from the frequency and tracks of the storms, their intensities and definitions thereof, and socio-economic scenarios. We use two storm severity indices applied to objectively identified extratropical cyclone footprints from a multi-model ensemble of state-of-the-art climate models under different future socio-economic scenarios. Here we show storm frequency increases across northern and central Europe, where the meteorological storm severity index more than doubles. The population-weighted storm severity index more than triples, due to projected population increases. Adapting to the increasing wind speeds using future damage thresholds, the population weighted storm severity index increases are only partially offset, despite a reduction in the meteorological storm severity through adaptation. Through following lower emissions scenarios, the future increase in risk is reduced, with the population-weighted storm severity index increase more than halved.
Facilitating two-electron oxygen reduction with pyrrolic nitrogen sites for electrochemical hydrogen peroxide production
Authors: Peng Wei , Liu Jiaxin , Liu Xiaoqing , Wang Liqun , Yin Lichang , Tan Haotian , Hou Feng , Liang Ji
Published: July 2023

Electrocatalytic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production via the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction is a promising alternative to the energy-intensive and high-pollution anthraquinone oxidation process. However, developing advanced electrocatalysts with high H2O2 yield, selectivity, and durability is still challenging, because of the limited quantity and easy passivation of active sites on typical metal-containing catalysts, especially for the state-of-the-art single-atom ones. To address this, we report a graphene/mesoporous carbon composite for high-rate and high-efficiency 2e− oxygen reduction catalysis. The coordination of pyrrolic-N sites -modulates the adsorption configuration of the *OOH species to provide a kinetically favorable pathway for H2O2 production. Consequently, the H2O2 yield approaches 30 mol g−1 h−1 with a Faradaic efficiency of 80% and excellent durability, yielding a high H2O2 concentration of 7.2 g L−1. This strategy of manipulating the adsorption configuration of reactants with multiple non-metal active sites provides a strategy to design efficient and durable metal-free electrocatalyst for 2e− oxygen reduction.
LILRB2/PirB mediates macrophage recruitment in fibrogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Li Dan-Pei , Huang Li , Kan Ran-Ran , Meng Xiao-Yu , Wang Shu-Yun , Zou Hua-Jie , Guo Ya-Ming , Luo Pei-Qiong , Pan Li-Meng , Xiang Yu-Xi , Mao Bei-Bei , Xie Yu-Yu , Wang Zhi-Han , Yang Min , He Rui , Yang Yan , Liu Zhe-Long , Xie Jun-Hui , Ma De-Lin , Zhang Ben-Ping , Shao Shi-Ying , Chen Xi , Xu Si-Miao , He Wen-Tao , Li Wen-Jun , Chen Yong , Yu Xue-Feng
Published: July 2023

Inhibition of immunocyte infiltration and activation has been suggested to effectively ameliorate nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B (PirB) and its human ortholog receptor, leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B (LILRB2), are immune-inhibitory receptors. However, their role in NASH pathogenesis is still unclear. Here, we demonstrate that PirB/LILRB2 regulates the migration of macrophages during NASH by binding with its ligand angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8). Hepatocyte-specific ANGPTL8 knockout reduces MDM infiltration and resolves lipid accumulation and fibrosis progression in the livers of NASH mice. In addition, PirB−/− bone marrow (BM) chimeras abrogate ANGPTL8-induced MDM migration to the liver. And yet, PirB ectodomain protein could ameliorate NASH by sequestering ANGPTL8. Furthermore, LILRB2-ANGPTL8 binding-promoted MDM migration and inflammatory activation are also observed in human peripheral blood monocytes. Taken together, our findings reveal the role of PirB/LILRB2 in NASH pathogenesis and identify PirB/LILRB2-ANGPTL8 signaling as a potential target for the management or treatment of NASH.
Molecular basis for selective uptake and elimination of organic anions in the kidney by OAT1
Authors: Parker Joanne L. , Kato Takafumi , Kuteyi Gabriel , Sitsel Oleg , Newstead Simon
Published: July 2023

In mammals, the kidney plays an essential role in maintaining blood homeostasis through the selective uptake, retention or elimination of toxins, drugs and metabolites. Organic anion transporters (OATs) are responsible for the recognition of metabolites and toxins in the nephron and their eventual urinary excretion. Inhibition of OATs is used therapeutically to improve drug efficacy and reduce nephrotoxicity. The founding member of the renal organic anion transporter family, OAT1 (also known as SLC22A6), uses the export of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG), a key intermediate in the Krebs cycle, to drive selective transport and is allosterically regulated by intracellular chloride. However, the mechanisms linking metabolite cycling, drug transport and intracellular chloride remain obscure. Here, we present cryogenic-electron microscopy structures of OAT1 bound to α-KG, the antiviral tenofovir and clinical inhibitor probenecid, used in the treatment of Gout. Complementary in vivo cellular assays explain the molecular basis for α-KG driven drug elimination and the allosteric regulation of organic anion transport in the kidney by chloride.
Adjunctive intravenous then oral vitamin C for moderate and severe community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized adults: feasibility of randomized controlled trial
Authors: Chambers Stephen T. , Storer Malina , Scott-Thomas Amy , Slow Sandy , Williman Jonathan , Epton Michael , Murdoch David R. , Metcalf Sarah , Carr Anitra , Isenman Heather , Maze Michael
Published: July 2023

Patients hospitalised with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) have low peripheral blood vitamin C concentrations and limited antioxidant capacity. The feasibility of a trial of vitamin C supplementation to improve patient outcomes was assessed. Participants with moderate and severe CAP (CURB-65 ≥ 2) on intravenous antimicrobial treatment were randomised to either intravenous vitamin C (2.5 g 8 hourly) or placebo before switching to oral intervention (1 g tds) for 7 days when they were prescribed oral antimicrobial therapy. Of 344 patients screened 75 (22%) were randomised and analysed. The median age was 76 years, and 43 (57%) were male. In each group, one serious adverse event that was potentially intervention related occurred, and one subject discontinued treatment. Vitamin C concentrations were 226 µmol/L in the vitamin C group and 19 µmol/L in the placebo group (p < 0.001) after 3 intravneous doses. There were no signficant differences between the vitamin C and placebo groups for death within 28 days (0 vs. 2;p = 0.49), median length of stay (69 vs. 121 h;p = 0.07), time to clinical stability (22 vs. 49 h;p = 0.08), or readmission within 30 days (1 vs. 4;p = 0.22). The vitamin C doses given were safe, well tolerated and saturating. A randomised controlled trial to assess the efficacy of vitamin C in patients with CAP would require 932 participants (CURB-65 ≥ 2) to observe a difference in mortality and 200 participants to observe a difference with a composite endpoint such as mortality plus discharge after 7 days in hospital. These studies are feasible in a multicentre setting.
Meta-analysis and moderator analysis of the seroprevalence of hepatitis E in South-Eastern Asia
Authors: Raji Yakubu Egigogo , Toung Ooi Peck , Taib Niazlin Mohd , Sekawi Zamberi Bin
Published: July 2023

By 2030, the World Health Organization wants to decrease viral hepatitis incidence and mortality by 90% and 65%, respectively. One of the agents responsible for the increased burden of viral hepatitis is the hepatitis E virus (HEV). This emerging pathogen is prevalent worldwide causing both acute and chronic infection. The rising risk profile of HEV has become a source of increased global public health concern. Despite this challenge, South-Eastern Asia (SEA), where many at-risk people are found, lacks uniform HEV prevalence data. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to assess the overall prevalence of hepatitis E in SEA. Using R statistical software, a random effect model was used to estimate the logit-transformed prevalence. Moderator analyses were used to investigate the potential sources of variation. Thirty-two studies comprising 29,944 with 6806 anti-HEV antibody-positive individuals were evaluated. The overall HEV seroprevalence in SEA was 21% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 17–27) with high heterogeneity. At the country level, Laos has the highest prevalence estimate of 39% (CI: 16–69). Also, the studied population, year of publication, duration of sampling, and diagnostic method are significant HEV prevalence predictors accounting for 22.61% of the observed heterogeneity. The high HEV prevalence found in this study necessitates coordinated national and regional efforts to combat this emerging disease.
Enzyme stabilization and thermotolerance function of the intrinsically disordered LEA2 proteins from date palm
Authors: Aziz Mughair Abdul , Sabeem Miloofer , Kutty M. Sangeeta , Rahman Shafeeq , Alneyadi Maitha Khalfan , Alkaabi Alia Binghushoom , Almeqbali Eiman Saeed , Brini Faical , Vijayan Ranjit , Masmoudi Khaled
Published: July 2023

In date palm, the LEA2 genes are of abundance with sixty-two members that are nearly all ubiquitous. However, their functions and interactions with potential target molecules are largely unexplored. In this study, five date palm LEA2 genes, PdLEA2.2, PdLEA2.3, PdLEA2.4, PdLEA2.6, and PdLEA2.7 were cloned, sequenced, and three of them, PdLEA2.2, PdLEA2.3, and PdLEA2.4 were functionally characterized for their effects on the thermostability of two distinct enzymes, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and β-glucosidase (bglG) in vitro. Overall, PdLEA2.3 and PdLEA2.4 were moderately hydrophilic, PdLEA2.7 was slightly hydrophobic, and PdLEA2.2 and PdLEA2.6 were neither. Sequence and structure prediction indicated the presence of a stretch of hydrophobic residues near the N-terminus that could potentially form a transmembrane helix in PdLEA2.2, PdLEA2.4, PdLEA2.6 and PdLEA2.7. In addition to the transmembrane helix, secondary and tertiary structures prediction showed the presence of a disordered region followed by a stacked β-sheet region in all the PdLEA2 proteins. Moreover, three purified recombinant PdLEA2 proteins were produced in vitro, and their presence in the LDH enzymatic reaction enhanced the activity and reduced the aggregate formation of LDH under the heat stress. In the bglG enzymatic assays, PdLEA2 proteins further displayed their capacity to preserve and stabilize the bglG enzymatic activity.
Topic modeling in density functional theory on citations of condensed matter electronic structure packages
Authors: Dumaz Marie , Romero-Bohórquez Camila , Adjeroh Donald , Romero Aldo H.
Published: July 2023

With an increasing number of new scientific papers being released, it becomes harder for researchers to be aware of recent articles in their field of study. Accurately classifying papers is a first step in the direction of personalized catering and easy access to research of interest. The field of Density Functional Theory (DFT) in particular is a good example of a methodology used in very different studies, and interconnected disciplines, which has a very strong community publishing many research articles. We devise a new unsupervised method for classifying publications, based on topic modeling, and use a DFT-related selection of documents as a use case. We first create topics from word analysis and clustering of the abstracts from the publications, then attribute each publication/paper to a topic based on word similarity. We then make interesting observations by analyzing connections between the topics and publishers, journals, country or year of publication. The proposed approach is general, and can be applied to analyze publication and citation trends in other areas of study, beyond the field of Density Function Theory.
Lexicon for classifying ear-canal shapes
Authors: Martinez J. C. , Hwee Goh Zhi , Yap Luis , De Chua Kenneth Wei , Kamath Savitha , Chung Conrad Kang Rui , Teo Wendy Yu Bing , Tan Charmaine Kai Ling , Dritsas Stylianos , Simpson Robert E.
Published: July 2023

The ear canal is usually described as an S-shaped funnel. In attempting to classify ear-canal shapes obtained from point clouds digitized from molds of 300 ears, the problem of designing criteria for distinguishing and organizing the canal shapes arose. In this work, we extracted features inspired by the S-shape characteristic (critical point, maximum, minimum, twist, writhe, translation, rotation) and, through them, introduced 14 types of ear-canal shapes. This classification allowed comparison of ears within a type and of ears between different types. It expanded our range of descriptors of canal shapes and unlocked perspectives for applications.