bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical Analysis of Soil-Rock Mixture Subgrade Based on High Density Resistivity Surveys
Authors: Chen Jiangong , Lou Diming
Published: November 2024

A new method to obtain the distribution of rock stone in RSM subgrade by high density resistivity surveys is proposed. Using image processing technology, the true resistivity image could be transformed to a vector format which can imported into finite element software. The finite models of RSM subgrade are established based on the vector image. The RSM subgrade bearing capacity and differential settlement under foundation’s load are analyzed. Numerical analysis result shows that the bearing capacity of RSM subgrade is bigger than the soil subgrade. The differential settlement is effected mainly by subgrade stiffness under two corners of the foundation and the location of the interface of rock and soil.
Safety Analysis of Concrete Arch Dam Considering the Shear Action of Contraction Joints
Authors: Miao Zhichao , Liu Guohua
Published: November 2024

In this paper, taking an extra-high arch dam as an example, the simulation of the stress, deformation and overload failure of arch dam is carried out to investigate the effect of the shear strength of contraction joints on the safety of the arch dam based on the nonlinear trial load method. The numerical simulation results show that the overload safety factor of the arch dam decreases significantly with the decrease in shear strength of contraction joints. The maximum tensile stress of the arch dam is reduced when the shear strength of the contraction joints is reduced by 30% compared to the strength of the dam material. The results provide a reference for the design of the mechanical properties of the contraction joints.
The Mix Proportion Optimization Design of Coal Gangue Pervious Concrete
Authors: Xia Junwu , Luo Chao , Xu Enlai
Published: November 2024

In order to improve the strength and permeability of coal gangue pervious concrete, an optimized mix design was conducted. An orthogonal experiment was employed to study the variations of compressive strength and permeability coefficient of coal gangue pervious concrete under the influence of aggregate particle size, water-cement ratio, designed porosity, and dosage of permeable admixture. After obtaining a relatively optimal mix proportion, further discussions were carried out by restricting the values of compressive strength and permeability coefficient to determine the appropriate range for the excess paste content ratio, total porosity, and effective porosity, resulting in the determination of the optimal mix design. Results indicated that the compressive strength reached its maximum at an aggregate particle size of 9.5–16 mm, with minimal impact on the permeability coefficient. As the water-cement ratio increased, the compressive strength gradually increased, while the permeability coefficient slightly decreased within the range of 0.25–0.29, and decreased by 60% within the range of 0.29–0.31. With the increase of designed porosity, the compressive strength gradually decreased, while the permeability performance gradually enhanced.
Research on Axial Tensile Mechanical Properties of Early-Strength High Ductility Cementitious Composites
Authors: Duan Wenhong , Yuan Jiaquan , Xiong Li , Jiang Weihong , Li Huimei , Mou Lin , Yang Xiaohua , Huang Xiaomin , Xu Weibing , Yang Kun
Published: November 2024

Cement concrete is widely used in pavement, bridge decks and expansion joint anchorage zones. It is prone to cracking, potholes, spalling and other diseases during use. Cement-based repair materials generally have problems such as a long curing period, low bonding strength with existing concrete, and insufficient mechanical properties. Given this, this paper proposes an early-strength high-ductility cement composite material with the goal of short curing age, excellent tensile mechanical properties and relatively low price. The tensile mechanical properties of the composite material at different ages were tested, and the tensile constitutive model of the composite material was proposed. The results show that when the fly ash content is about 50 wt.%, the PVA fiber content is about 2%, and the sand-binder ratio is 0.36–0.50, the tensile properties of the early strength high ductility cement composite material at each age are better. Under the condition of optimum mix ratio, the tensile strength of 1, 3 and 28 d of early strength high ductility cement-based composites reached 4.58 MPa, 4.67 MPa and 4.64 MPa respectively, and the strain corresponding to 0.8 times of peak stress in softening section could reach 2%.
Investigation of Dynamic Response of Concrete Slab Under Air Blast Loading
Authors: Lin Qindong , Feng Chun , Gan Yundan , Yuan Jianfei , Yang Ying
Published: November 2024

The dynamic response of concrete components under blast loading is of great military and social importance. Based on the continuum-discontinuum element method and fluid–structure coupling algorithm, the dynamic response of concrete slab is simulated and analyzed. First, a full-time numerical simulation is conducted. Then, the displacement and crack characteristics of concrete slab are analyzed quantitatively. The result indicates that the displacement is distributed in a circular pattern, and the maximum value is located at the center of concrete slab. The crack ratio increases gradually with the growth of time, while the growth rate is not a constant value. The fracture type of concrete slab includes tensile fracture and shear fracture, the interface at the center mainly undergoes shear fracture, and a small number of interface on the outside of cracked region suffers tensile fracture.
Research on Cumulative Damage of Quasi-Static Reinforced Concrete Short Columns with Low Cycle Fatigue
Authors: Zhou Hongyu , Guo Juxin , Tang Qi , Wang Haoda
Published: November 2024

Columns are the main load-bearing elements in many structures, but with the advancement of service time, damage to reinforced concrete columns before reaching their design service life occurs from time to time. In this experiment, the cumulative damage of reinforced concrete short columns is investigated by using the research method of proposed static structural test. Through the low-week fatigue proposed static test of reinforced concrete short columns, the changes in the process are analyzed, and the changes in physical quantities such as cracks, strains, and deflections are recorded to study the shear damage characteristics of fatigue of reinforced concrete short columns, the damage mechanism, and the mechanical properties of the members such as the load carrying capacity after the damage.
Study on the Damage Evolution Law of Railway High Pier of New Replaceable Components Under Near-Fault Ground Motion
Authors: Zhang Xudong , Xia Xiushen , Zhang Heng
Published: November 2024

In order to improve the energy dissipation effect of the connection components of steel truss joints and optimize the arrangement of the components, a new replaceable component railway pier structure was proposed, referring to the transmission tower structure. The new pier consists of four pier columns and the steel truss connection system between the columns. Based on the OpenSees platform, a dynamic analysis model of the new railway pier was established. 56 seismic records were input, and incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) was carried out to investigate the damage evolution law of the connection components and the influence of component yielding on the stress of the rebar in the middle and bottom of the pier. The results show that the steel truss connection system yields in a row and consumes energy in a graded manner. The yielding order of the second and third rows of the steel truss connection system is always in the forefront. The second and third rows are the main energy-consuming rows, followed by the fourth, fifth, and sixth rows, and finally the seventh, eighth, and first rows, with the first and eighth rows being less likely to yield. The outer chord members in each row yield first, followed by the inner chord members, and the vertical and diagonal members are less likely to yield. The yielding of the pier columns occurs after the yielding of the chord members of the steel truss. The yielding of the outer chord members in the steel truss connection system has a certain inhibitory effect on the stress increase of the rebar in the pier columns and at the bottom of the pier, and the inhibitory effect on the bottom of the pier is better than that in the middle.
Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Permeated Crystalline Concrete
Authors: He Jingjing , Lu Haodan , Wang Haiting , Hu Wei , Wu Wenbo , Zhao Kunlong
Published: November 2024

Performance tests were conducted on concrete with different infiltration crystallization dosages. The influence of the dosage of permeable crystallization on the mechanical properties and durability of concrete is analyzed. The results show that infiltration crystallization has a significant improvement effect on the mechanical properties and durability of concrete. When the infiltration crystallization dosage is 1.2%, the increase in compressive strength, tensile strength, and compressive tensile elastic modulus of concrete reaches its maximum. When the infiltration crystallization dosage is 0.6%, the increase in the ultimate tensile strain value of concrete reaches its maximum. When the infiltration crystallization dosage increases within the range of 0–1.2%, the water seepage height and quality loss rate of concrete decrease to varying degrees, and there is a different degree of improvement compared to the dynamic modulus. The research results can provide reference for the mix design and engineering application of permeable crystalline concrete.
Disinformation on dietary supplements by German influencers on Instagram
Authors: Ricke Jan-Niklas , Seifert Roland
Published: November 2024

A significant proportion of the German population regularly consumes dietary supplements (NEM), and the market for these products is growing steadily. Dietary supplements are subject to food law and not pharmaceutical law. There are no official limits for the dosages of vitamins and minerals in Germany—only recommendations from institutions such as the Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR) or the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Dietary supplements are strongly advertised on Instagram in particular. In Germany, Instagram is the most popular social network and many influencers use the platform to promote dietary supplements. In this paper, the ingredients of 105 dietary supplements promoted by German influencers on Instagram from 2021 to 2023 were analyzed. This analysis was based on various parameters, such as dosage form, daily therapy costs, overdose warnings, presence of dosage information, exceeding the recommended maximum daily amounts and tolerable upper intake levels (UL) for vitamins and minerals and information on adverse effects, drug interactions, and contraindications. About two-thirds of the intensively advertised dietary supplements exceeded the recommended maximum daily amounts of the Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR) for vitamins and minerals without the influencers pointing out the negative effects of an overdose. Dietary supplements were frequently advertised on Instagram with discount codes, promising supplement names and promises of effectiveness and were often presented as a panacea. In contrast, information on dosing, daily costs, adverse effects, contraindications, and risks of overdosing were insufficiently addressed by influencers. Overall, influencers on Instagram disinform rather than inform consumers on dietary supplements, opening the door for intoxications. Therefore, legal action is required to prevent disinformation by influencers on social media.
Surgeons’ perspective on the use of carbon fibre plates for extremity fracture fixation
Authors: Shiers-Gelalis F. , Giannoudis V. , Rodham P. , Giannoudis P. V.
Published: November 2024

Introduction/purpose

Carbon fibre plating (CFR-PEEK) became available to orthopaedic surgeons in 1998 as a competitor to the traditional metal implants. Despite this, the use of such implants has been limited globally. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the barriers to more widespread use of CFR-PEEK, specifically by examining orthopaedic surgeons’ perceptions and opinions of its use through a cross-sectional survey.

Methods

An online questionnaire with basic information attached regarding similarities and differences between CFR-PEEK and metal implants was sent out internationally, with 106 responses gained from 26 countries. Specific questions were asked to ascertain orthopaedic surgeons’ current knowledge of advantages and disadvantages of CFR-PEEK, the barriers they perceive to its more widespread use, and own personal preferences. Free-text responses were analysed and the results discussed.

Results

A minority of orthopaedic surgeons surveyed would choose CFR-PEEK over traditional metal implants (10.38%). The most common disadvantage of CFR-PEEK reported was increased cost, with 46.23% respondents identifying this. Concerns regarding structural integrity of the implant were second most commonly perceived disadvantage, with 34% of surgeons citing one or more of ‘stiffness/breakage/durability/contourability’ as a disadvantage. A small number of surgeons (3.8%) listed unfamiliarity as a potential disadvantage to the use of carbon fibre plates. The main barrier identified to their use was poor knowledge (education) in relation to the properties and existing evidence of their performance.

Conclusions

More work is needed to make CFR-PEEK more acceptable to surgeons including examination of perceived increased cost and increasing education of these implants. Further high-level evidence confirming carbon fibre non-inferiority may increase the usage of CFR-PEEK for extremity fracture fixation in the future.
Complex landscape, instream and anthropogenic environmental features drive genetic and morphological structuring amongst brown trout (Salmo trutta) populations in a dendritic river system
Authors: Rodger Jessica R. , Honkanen Hannele M. , Bradley Caroline R. , Boylan Patrick , Prodöhl Paulo A. , Adams Colin E.
Published: November 2024

Untangling the patterns and proximate drivers of intraspecific genetic and phenotypic structuring informs our understanding of the evolutionary processes shaping diversity. This study investigated morphological and genetic structuring of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) populations across varying spatial scales in a single, complex, dendritic river catchment and examined the potential natural and anthropogenic environmental features driving this structuring. Morphometric and hierarchical genetic structuring analyses of fish from 22 sampling sites in the River Foyle catchment, Ireland (~ 4500km2) identified 19 morphologically distinct groups and 15 genetically distinct populations, separated by river distances ranging from 0.4 km to 188 km. Isolation by Distance was the main factor shaping both genetic and morphological divergence, indicating that strong philopatry is one of the major drivers of the observed population structuring in this system. However, both natural and anthropogenic environmental variables also explained pairwise genetic and morphological differences between sampling sites. Thus, the pairwise differences in the area of woodland in the upstream catchment, water phosphorus concentration, biological oxygen demand, catchment slope, urban area in upstream catchment, altitude, site specific percentage of canopy cover and dissolved oxygen concentration in the river channel were correlated with genetic divergence. The pairwise differences in the concentration of suspended solids, the extent of bankside overhang, the composition of bedrock, boulder and cobble substrates, watercourse width, catchment slope and site altitude were correlated with between-site morphological differences. We hypothesise that local differential selection pressures comprising both natural environmental variation and variation resulting from anthropogenic effects, in combination with strong philopatry and random genetic processes drive the clearly defined genetic and phenotypic patterns described here.
CACA guidelines for holistic integrative management of retinoblastoma
Authors: Fan Jiayan , Wen Xuyang , Yang Jie , Xu Xiaofang , Jia Renbing , Fan Xianqun
Published: November 2024

Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular malignant tumor that poses a serious threat to the lives of children. Treatment plans for RB vary depending on the stage of the disease, and there is an uneven distribution of medical resources across different regions. To standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of RB, experts have conducted extensive discussions and proposed guidelines for RB diagnosis and treatment. These guidelines aim to improve the clinical management of RB and serve as a reference for clinicians in their practice.
Influence of cross-girder spacing on RC T-beam bridges: a comparative theoretical and finite element approach
Authors: Subedi Ajaya , Adhikari Binaya , Poudel Ashish , Khadka Binod , Poudel Samrat , Sapkota Sanjog Chhetri
Published: November 2024

Cross girders are seen as typical elements in different types of bridges. In a T-beam bridge, cross girders are essential in stiffening the longitudinal girders laterally and reducing the exterior girder’s torsion. This study aimed to understand the effects of varying cross-girder spacing in a T-beam bridge by studying the relationship between several cross-girders with key structural parameters like Shear force (SF), maximum displacement, Bending moment (BM) and torsion. For this, different models were prepared in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software, and cross girders varied from 0 to 10 in number. Here, the span and width of the bridge were taken constant, with several cross girders as the only varying parameter. The loadings were taken as per the IRC code. From analysis, it has been found when considering a combination of dead load and live load, the odd number of cross girders is seen as more effective in live load distribution. Further, it’s seen that BM and deflection decrease when cross girders are increased from 2 to 3 but then increase with further addition of no. of cross girders. Hence, an optimum number of cross girders that reduce BM and deflection is 3. Similarly, a comparison was made between the distribution factor obtained from FEA software and Courbon’s distribution factor, and variations were observed.
Nuclearization on the Iberian Peninsula: A Tale of Two Countries (c. 1947–1988)
Authors: Madureira Nuno Luis , Bartolomé Rodríguez Isabel
Published: November 2024

Because nuclear power development entails massive initial investments in power plants, along with institutional innovations in regulation, law, and basic physical infrastructure, there are strong grounds to support the pervasiveness of the central state in the industry. Furthermore, considering the scale economies in reactor installation, standardization in design, and enhanced learning by doing, little scope remains for the consideration of decentralized business interests. This article argues that competition, in the sense of rivalry between firms, can nonetheless be a driving force behind the nuclear industry. To illustrate the point, we draw a comparative, eventful history of two Iberian nations, Portugal and Spain: Portugal has failed several attempts to introduce nuclear power, while Spain has become one of the largest nuclear power nations in Europe. A fine-grained analysis of the circumstances surrounding the nuclear history of both countries is presented, highlighting the key variables of business history and the role of the central state and political actors in economic policy.
Bipolar nanochannels: the effects of an electroosmotic instability. Part 2. Time-transient response
Authors: Abu-Rjal Ramadan , Green Yoav
Published: November 2024

The most common method to characterize the electrical response of a nanofluidic system is through its steady-state current–voltage response. In Part 1, we demonstrated that this current–voltage response depends on the geometry, the layout of the surface charge and the effects of advection. We demonstrated that each configuration has a unique steady-state signature. Here, we will elucidate the behaviour of the time-transient response. Similar to the steady-state response, we will show that each configuration has its own unique time-transient signature when subjected to electroosmotic instability. We show that bipolar systems behave differently than unipolar systems. In unipolar systems, the instability appears only at one end of the system. In contrast, in bipolar systems the instability will either appear on both sides of the nanochannel or not at all. If it does appear on both sides, the instability will eventually vanish on one or both sides of the system. In Part 1, these phenomena were explained using steady-state considerations of the behaviour of the fluxes. Here, we will examine the time-transient behaviour to reveal the governing principles that are, on the one hand, not so different from unipolar systems and, on the other hand, remarkably different.
Microbial growth within porous gravity currents
Authors: Hinton Edward M.
Published: November 2024

The effect of microbial activity on buoyancy-driven flow within a porous layer is analysed. The input fluid provides an energy source for the growth of biofilms on the porous rock. At each location within the porous layer, the porosity and permeability begin to decrease once the input fluid has invaded. This leads to an evolving rock heterogeneity that depends on the passing time of the input fluid. Hence, the evolution of the flow is partly controlled by its own history. We present an axisymmetric gravity current model, accounting for this effect. In general, a reduction in permeability leads to the flow having a lesser extent in the radial direction and greater thickness (extent in the cross-flow direction), whilst a reduction in porosity has negligible effect on the thickness but leads to a much greater radial extent. The flow is fastest near the free surface where the permeability is greatest. In the case where the porosity and permeability reduce as power-law functions of fluid residence time, the evolution of the flow and the rock properties are self-similar. Consumption of the input fluid by the microbes is also incorporated in the model and it generally leads to flows with lesser radial extent but little change in the thickness. The three impacts of microbial growth (volume loss owing to consumption and the reduction in permeability and porosity) each influence the flow in substantially different ways and the interplay is analysed. A motivation of the study, the underground storage of hydrogen, is briefly discussed.
Effect of random roughness on Stokes flow
Authors: Severino Gerardo
Published: November 2024

Microscopic irregularity (roughness) of bounding surfaces affects macroscopic dynamics of fluid flows. Its effect on bulk flow is usually quantified empirically by means of a roughness coefficient. A new approach, which treats rough surfaces (e.g. parallel plates) as random fields whose statistical properties can be inferred from measurements, is presented. The mapping of a random flow domain onto its deterministic counterpart, and the subsequent stochastic averaging of the transformed Stokes equations, yield expressions for the effective viscosity and roughness coefficient in terms of the statistical characteristics of the irregular geometry of the boundaries. The analytical nature of the solutions allows one to handle surface roughness characterized by short correlation lengths, a challenging feature for numerical stochastic simulations.
Friction drag model for axial turbulent flow along the surface of a circular cylinder based on the universal characteristics of wall turbulence
Authors: Ohta Takashi , Shirahata Futaro
Published: November 2024

The friction drag of the axial flow along the outer surface of a cylinder varies with the cylinder radius and flow conditions. This study included direct numerical simulations of the axial turbulent flow along a circular cylinder under different conditions for obtaining the turbulence statistics and wall friction coefficient. Then the characteristics of velocity streaks were observed from a geometrical perspective of turbulence structures around the circular cylinder, and compared with the characteristics of the turbulence structures in a boundary layer on a flat plate. The results showed that the velocity streak spacing and the distance between the velocity streak and the cylinder surface in the viscous length scale do not vary substantively with the radius of the cylinder, and are the same as those of the turbulent flow along a flat plate. Therefore, they can be considered geometrical characteristics of the turbulence structure independent of the cylinder radius. Moreover, the friction coefficient per pair of high- and low-speed velocity streaks is the same as that of flat-plate turbulent flow, independent of the cylinder radius, and can be regarded as a dynamical characteristic for a pair of velocity streaks. Two equations were derived based on the characteristics of wall turbulence. The characteristics of the turbulence predicted by the two formulae were consistent with the simulation results. Consequently, we showed that the wall friction coefficient and number of the velocity streak pairs, which are statistical and structural characteristics of wall turbulence, can be predicted appropriately by specifying the radius Reynolds number.
The turbulent cascade of inertia-gravity waves in rotating shallow water
Authors: Thomas Jim , Rajpoot Rajendra S. , Gupta Prateek
Published: November 2024

In this work we study features of inertia-gravity wave turbulence in the rotating shallow water equations. On examining the dynamics of waves with varying rotation rates, we find that the turbulent cascade of waves is strongest at low rotation rates, forming a

$k^{-2}$

energy spectrum, and a rich distribution of shocks in physical space. At high rotation rates, the forward cascade of waves weakens along with a steeper energy spectra and vanishing of shocks in physical space. The wave cascade is seen to be scale-local, resulting in a noticeable time interval for energy to get transferred from domain scale to dissipative scale. Furthermore, we find that the vortical flow has a non-negligible effect on the wave cascade, especially at high rotation rates. The vortical flow assists in the forward cascade of waves and shock formation at high rotation rates, while the waves by themselves in the absence of the vortical flow lack a forward cascade and shock formation at such high rotation rates. On investigating the physical space structures in the vortical flow and their connections to the wave cascade, we find that strain-dominant regions, that are located around the boundaries of coherent vortices, are the physical space regions that contribute majorly to the forward cascade of waves. Our results in general highlight intriguing features of dispersive inertia-gravity wave turbulence that are qualitatively similar to those seen in three-dimensional homogeneous isotropic turbulence and are beyond the predictions of asymptotic resonant wave interaction theory.
On the transition in spanwise wake instability characteristics behind oscillating foils
Authors: Verma Suyash , Hemmati Arman
Published: November 2024

Spanwise vortex instability and the growth of secondary hairpin-like vortical structures in the wake of an oscillating foil are investigated numerically at Reynolds number 8000 in a range of chord-based Strouhal number (

$0.32 \le St_c \le 0.56$

). The phase-offset (

$\phi$

) between the heaving and pitching motion is

$\phi = 90^\circ$

. The wake at the lowest

$St_c$

(0.32) is characterized by a single system of streamwise hairpin-like structures that evolve from the core vorticity outflux of the secondary leading edge vortex (LEV) over the foil boundary. The primary LEV features spanwise dislocations, but it does not reveal substantial changes advecting downstream. Increasing

$St_c$

beyond 0.32 reveals that the transition in spanwise instability characterizes the deformation of primary LEV cores, which subsequently transforms to hairpin-like secondary structures. At higher

$St_c$

, stronger trailing edge vortices (TEVs) grow in close proximity to the primary LEVs, which contributes to an enhanced localized vortex compression and tilting near dislocations. This phenomenon amplifies the undulation amplitude of primary LEVs, eventually leading to vortex tearing. The larger circulation of TEVs with increasing

$St_c$

provides an additional explanation for an accelerated vortex compression that coincides with a faster transition of spanwise LEV instability to secondary hairpin-like structures in the wake.
DUAL NAKANO POSITIVITY AND SINGULAR NAKANO POSITIVITY OF DIRECT IMAGE SHEAVES
Authors: WATANABE YUTA
Published: November 2024

Let

$f:X\to Y$

be a surjective projective map, and let L be a holomorphic line bundle on X equipped with a (singular) semi-positive Hermitian metric h. In this article, by studying the canonical metric on the direct image sheaf of the twisted relative canonical bundles

$K_{X/Y}\otimes L\otimes \mathscr {I}(h)$

, we obtain that this metric has dual Nakano semi-positivity when h is smooth and there is no deformation by f and that this metric has locally Nakano semi-positivity in the singular sense when h is singular.
A search for 3-mm molecular absorption line transitions in the magellanic stream
Authors: Steffes Lucille , Rybarczyk Daniel R. , Stanimirović Snežana , Dawson J. R. , Putman Mary , Richter Philipp , Gallagher John , Liszt Harvey , Murray Claire , Dickey John Miller , Heiles Carl , Hernandez Audra , Lindner Robert , Liu Yangyang , McClure-Griffiths Naomi M. , Wong Tony , Savage Blair
Published: November 2024

The Magellanic Stream (MS), a tail of diffuse gas formed from tidal and ram pressure interactions between the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC and LMC) and the Halo of the Milky Way, is primarily composed of neutral atomic hydrogen (HI). The deficiency of dust and the diffuse nature of the present gas make molecular formation rare and difficult, but if present, could lead to regions potentially suitable for star formation, thereby allowing us to probe conditions of star formation similar to those at high redshifts. We search for

$\text{HCO}^{+}$

, HCN, HNC, and C

$_2$

H using the highest sensitivity observations of molecular absorption data from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) to trace these regions, comparing with HI archival data from the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array (GALFA) HI Survey and the Galactic All Sky Survey (GASS) to compare these environments in the MS to the HI column density threshold for molecular formation in the Milky Way. We also compare the line of sight locations with confirmed locations of stars, molecular hydrogen, and OI detections, though at higher sensitivities than the observations presented here.

We find no detections to a 3

$\sigma$

significance, despite four sightlines having column densities surpassing the threshold for molecular formation in the diffuse regions of the Milky Way. Here we present our calculations for the upper limits of the column densities of each of these molecular absorption lines, ranging from

$3 \times 10^{10}$

to

$1 \times 10^{13}$

cm

$^{-2}$

. The non-detection of

$\text{HCO}^{+}$

suggests that at least one of the following is true: (i)

$X_{\text{HCO}^{+}{}, \mathrm{MS}}$

is significantly lower than the Milky Way value; (ii) that the widespread diffuse molecular gas observed by Rybarczyk (2022b, ApJ, 928, 79) in the Milky Way’s diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) does not have a direct analogue in the MS; (iii) the HI-to-

$\text{H}_{2}$

transition occurs in the MS at a higher surface density in the MS than in the LMC or SMC; or (iv) molecular gas exists in the MS, but only in small, dense clumps.
Quantitative analysis of the root posture of Arabidopsis thaliana mutants with wavy roots
Authors: Yagi Hiroki , Hara-Nishimura Ikuko , Ueda Haruko
Published: November 2024

Plant postures are affected by environmental stimuli. When the gravitational direction changes, the Arabidopsis thaliana mutants myosin xif xik (xif xik) and atp-binding cassette b19 (abcb19) exhibit aberrantly enhanced organ bending. Whether their phenotypes are due to the same mechanism is unknown. We characterized the primary root postures of these mutants. Their roots exhibited enhanced gravitropic bending with the same root-tip angles. The wavy roots of vertically grown plants were quantitatively evaluated using four indices. The straightness index (root base-to-tip length to total root-length ratio) was similar for xif xik and abcb19, and it slightly decreased for xif xik abcb19. The curvature index was similar for abcb19 and xif xik abcb19, but it decreased for xif xik, suggesting the ABCB19 deficiency caused the roots to curve more sharply. Combination of these indices for quantitative analyses of root postures may distinguish between similar wavy-root phenotypes and clarify genetic relationships.
Governance by One-Lot Shares
Authors: Cao Feng , Xuan Yuhai , Yuan Rongli , Zou Hong
Published: November 2024

We use a novel experiment in China to examine the effects of having a quasi-official investor own a small number of shares on specific firm outcomes. We find that, relative to control firms, pilot firms experience an increase in dissenting votes from independent directors, a reduction in tunneling and earnings management activities, and an improvement in merger performance. Independent directors questioned by the quasi-official shareholder in activism events subsequently lose board seats in the director market. Overall, our results shed light on a new mechanism for enhancing the protection of minority shareholders.
The unexpected impact of geographic access on take-up of social benefits
Authors: Dahan Momi , Tarshish Noam
Published: November 2024

Among the factors identified to account for non-take-up of social benefits, there has been limited research on ‘process costs’, particularly regarding the impact of geographic access. Using Israeli data on field office openings from 1993 to 2021, this paper investigates the impact of geographic access on the take-up of the five largest social security programs in Israel. Based on staggered openings and closings of social security field offices, we find that geographic access has no significant impact on the take-up of either automatic enrollment programs, such as child allowances, or non-automatic programs, such as disability benefits. These findings suggest that the effect of geographic access on the take-up of social benefits may have been overstated in previous studies. We propose the following hypothesis to explain the surprising findings: If enhanced geographic access is driven by political favoritism, opening of new service points may lead to the misallocation of resources and, in effect, increase administrative burdens, thereby undermining rather than improving the take-up of social benefits.
Impact of indication changes on scoping for European Union Joint Clinical Assessment: scale of the problem and how to address it
Authors: Heikkinen Inka , Goodall Melinda , Steck Natalie , Poulakou Maria , Piso Katherine
Published: November 2024

Objectives

The European Union Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA) process aligns with the regulatory process to promote faster patient access. The PICO (population, intervention, comparator, and outcome) scoping for the JCA must occur before the regulatory process concludes. The risk of indication change during this period is one of the concerns for the success of the JCA process. We investigated the frequency and type of changes that are made to proposed indications and examined how such changes could impact the PICO scoping for JCA.

Methods

Twenty-seven recently approved oncology and 15 Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP) products were included. Observed indication changes were categorized into editorial or population changes population changes were graded based on the anticipated impact on JCA scope depending on their nature.

Results

The majority of products had only editorial changes between proposed and approved indications (67 percent). Once amended, it was common for the indicated population to be narrowed, and rare for it to be broadened. The most common change observed was the shift to a later treatment line. The greatest risk for PICO rescoping would be when new populations would have been added, or new subpopulations or subgroups would have been omitted from the initial scope.

Conclusion

The impact on JCA scope depends on the proposed indication wording and how the PICO scoping would have been conducted. Rescoping warrants a considered decision, and to mitigate the risk of delays, dialogue between the assessors and the developer is recommended for informed decision-making.
China in the UNCLOS and BBNJ negotiations, yesterday once more?
Authors: Liu Nengye , Scott Shirley V.
Published: November 2024

This article compares China’s stance during the UNCLOS negotiations – the starting point of contemporary law of the sea, with its engagement in the latest development of negotiations on the United Nations agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). It answers the question, how does China participate in these two important rules-making processes of the international law of the sea? By identifying salient positions China took in each set of lengthy negotiations and explaining the reasons behind, the article also aims to reflect what a rising China may bring to the international legal maritime order in the foreseeable future. The first part of this article, on the nature of China’s engagement in the UNCLOS negotiations, draws on archival study of official records of the UNCLOS III (1973–1982), as has been digitalized by the UN Office of Legal Affairs. The second part examines the period between the adoption of the UNCLOS (1982) and the start of the BBNJ process (2004), paying attention to China’s shifting practice towards the exploration and exploitation of the deep seabed mineral resources, and its concerns over the ratification of the UNCLOS and the 1995 FSA. Then the article focuses on China in the BBNJ negotiations – Working Groups, Preparatory Committee Meetings and Intergovernmental Conferences. Drawing upon the evolution of China’s positions over the past five decades, the article concludes with some insights on the likely future directions and implications of China’s engagement with the international law of the sea.
An MBO method for modularity optimisation based on total variation and signless total variation
Authors: Li Zijun , van Gennip Yves , John Volker
Published: November 2024

In network science, one of the significant and challenging subjects is the detection of communities. Modularity [1] is a measure of community structure that compares connectivity in the network with the expected connectivity in a graph sampled from a random null model. Its optimisation is a common approach to tackle the community detection problem. We present a new method for modularity maximisation, which is based on the observation that modularity can be expressed in terms of total variation on the graph and signless total variation on the null model. The resulting algorithm is of Merriman–Bence–Osher (MBO) type. Different from earlier methods of this type, the new method can easily accommodate different choices of the null model. Besides theoretical investigations of the method, we include in this paper numerical comparisons with other community detection methods, among which the MBO-type methods of Hu et al. [2] and Boyd et al. [3], and the Leiden algorithm [4].
Understanding the correlation risk premium
Authors: Dhaene Jan , Linders Daniël , Ling Biwen , Wang Qian
Published: November 2024

In this paper, we provide a theoretical framework justifying the existence of a correlation risk premium in a market with two traded assets. We prove that risk-neutral dependence can differ substantially from real-world dependence by characterizing the set of risk-neutral martingale measures. This implies that implied correlation can be significantly different with the realized correlation. Depending on the choice of the market regarding the pricing measure, implied correlation can be high or low. We label the difference between risk-neutral and real-world correlation the “correlation gap” and make the connection with correlation risk premium. We show how dispersion trading can be used to exploit this correlation gap and demonstrate how there can exist a negative correlation risk premium in the financial market.
The ‘Butterfly Effect’: Identifying pathways for sustainability transformation through social processes of disaster resilience
Authors: Davis Belinda Jane , Reid Alan , Rogers Briony
Published: November 2024

Non-technical summary

We reviewed published research on natural hazards and community disaster resilience to identify how relationships between people and their experiences of disaster interact to shape possibilities for positive transformative change. Research commonly analyzes processes within and across individual and collective or structural spheres of a social system, but rarely investigates interactions across all three. We present a framework focused on ‘spheres of influence’ to address this. The Framework shows how positive relationships that prioritize restoring shared, meaningful and purposeful identities can lead to expansive and incremental capacity for transformative outcomes for sustainability: a process we liken to the butterfly effect.

Technical Summary

Sustainability and disaster resilience frameworks commonly neglect the role of agentive social processes in influencing wider structural transformation for sustainability. We applied relational agency and social practice theory to conceptualize transformative pathways for enhanced sustainability through a review of peer-reviewed literature relating to natural hazards and community disaster resilience. We sought to answer two questions: 1. What are the social practices that influence transformative change for disaster resilience in the context of individual, collective and structural spheres of influence? 2. What are the social influencing processes involved, identified through relational agency? We found that empirical studies tend to focus on individual and collective or structural spheres but rarely offer a relational analysis across all three. Our findings highlight that positive relationships that prioritize restoring shared, meaningful and purposeful identities can act as a resource, which can lead to expansive and incremental transformative outcomes for sustainability: a process we liken to the butterfly effect. We present a Sphere of Influence Framework that highlights socialized practices influenced by relationality, which can be applied as a strategic planning tool to increase capacity for resilience. Future research should explore how socio-political practices (the structural sphere) influence distributed power within collective and individual spheres.

Social media summary

Disasters can generate extraordinary social dynamics. So, how can we optimize these dynamics for enhanced sustainability?
Gewalt bei Paaren
Authors: Bodenmann Guy , Bodenmann-Kehl Corinne
Published: November 2024

Leichtere Formen von körperlicher Gewalt und insbesondere psychische Gewalt kommen in strittigen Paarbeziehungen häufig vor und sind daher in Paartherapien oft ein Thema. Der Band bietet Informationen zur Definition von Gewalt, zu deren Prävalenz bei Paaren sowie zu individuellen, partnerschaftlichen, sozialen und gesellschaftlichen Risikofaktoren für das Auftreten von Gewalt in einer Partnerschaft. Verschiedene theoretische Erklärungsmodelle werden vorstellt und im Hinblick auf ihren Nutzen für die paartherapeutische Arbeit überprüft. Auf der Basis einer Typologie von Gewalt bei Paaren wird verdeutlicht, dass je nach Typ von Gewalt unterschiedliche therapeutische Vorgehensweisen gewählt werden sollten. Dies setzt eine gründliche Diagnose mittels funktionaler Bedingungsanalyse und Fragebögen voraus, auf deren Grundlage die Intervention geplant werden kann.
Paartherapeutinnen und Paartherapeuten finden in diesem Band ein breites Repertoire an Methoden, welches sie zur Behandlung von Gewalt bei Paaren einsetzen können, wenn es sich um Gewalt in Form eines sich gegenseitig aufschaukelnden Prozesses handelt. Es wird auf Interventionen zur Erhöhung der Alltagspositivität sowie zur Förderung der emotionalen Selbstöffnung und des wechselseitigen Verständnisses eingegangen. Weiterhin werden Interventionen vorgestellt, die es ermöglichen, Gewalt bei ihrem Auftreten zu durchbrechen, und die zur Gewaltprophylaxe eingesetzt werden können. Weitere Themen sind Repair-Gespräche, der Einsatz von Anti-Gewalt-Verträgen und Versöhnungsrituale. Abschließend werden Ergebnisse zur Wirksamkeit von Paartherapie zusammengefasst.
Seasonal Variation in Flow and Metabolic Activity Drive Nitrate and Carbon Supply and Demand in a Temperate Agricultural Stream
Authors: Hallberg Lukas , Bernal Susana , Bieroza Magdalena
Published: November 2024

In‐stream biogeochemical processing, typically associated with base flow conditions, has recently been assessed at higher discharges, aided by high frequency monitoring. However, the potential for nutrient and carbon processing is still largely unknown in streams impacted by agriculture, representing major pathways for eutrophication and diffuse pollution. In this study, we measured solute concentrations and gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) to infer nitrate (NO3−) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) supply and demand across contrasting hydrological conditions. As expected, solute supply greatly surpassed in‐stream biological demand for both NO3− and DOC for intermediate to large discharges. However, during four consecutive weeks in summer, lowered NO3− supply and high metabolic activity led to a 60% and 31% reduction in stream NO3− and DOC export. We also compared metabolism‐discharge versus solute concentration‐discharge patterns during storm events to better understand biogeochemical responses to high flows. Metabolic rates showed a contrasting response to storm events: ER increased while GPP decreased following declines in NO3− concentrations. The positive correlation between GPP and NO3− concentrations suggests that GPP suppression can be partially attributed to decreased NO3− availability during storm events. This study supports the idea that agricultural streams have a limited capacity to biologically process DOC and NO3−. However, it also emphasizes that the balance between supply and demand can vary from severe saturation to limitation, depending on seasonal fluctuations in discharge and metabolic activity, highlighting the crucial role of mitigating pollution at its source during hydrologically active periods to improve water quality.