bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-dissipative electrically driven fluids
Authors: Amoretti Andrea , Brattan Daniel K. , Martinoia Luca , Matthaiakakis Ioannis
Published: May 2023

Abstract

Existing hydrodynamic models of charged fluids consider any external electric field acting on the fluid as either first order in the hydrodynamic derivative expansion and completely arbitrary or zeroth order but constrained by the fluid’s chemical potential. This is in tension with experiments on charged fluids, where the electric field is both zeroth order and completely arbitrary. In this work, we take the first step at resolving this conundrum by introducing a new class of hydrodynamic stationary states, including an arbitrary zeroth order electric field, upon which hydrodynamics can be built. We achieve this by first writing down the hydrostatic constitutive relations for a boost-agnostic charged fluid up to first order in derivatives. Then we introduce suitable energy and momentum relaxation terms to balance the influence of the electric field on the fluid. This analysis leads to a new hydrostatic constraint on the spatial fluid velocity, which can be used to define our class of states. This constraint generalizes to the realm of hydrodynamics a similar constraint on the velocity found in the Drude model of electronic transport. Our class of states exhibits non-trivial thermo-electric transport even at ideal order, since it hosts non-zero DC electric and heat currents. We derive the explicit form of the corresponding conductivities and show they depend non-linearly on the electric field.
A survey of the currently known mast cell mediators with potential relevance for therapy of mast cell-induced symptoms
Authors: Molderings Gerhard J. , Afrin Lawrence B.
Published: May 2023

Mast cells (MCs) occupy a central role in immunological as well as non-immunological processes as reflected in the variety of the mediators by which MCs influence other cells. Published lists of MC mediators have all shown only subsets—usually quite small—of the full repertoire. The full repertoire of MC mediators released by exocytosis is comprehensively compiled here for the first time. The compilation of the data is essentially based on the largely cytokine-focused database COPE®, supplemented with data on the expression of substances in human MCs published in several articles, plus extensive research in the PubMed database. Three hundred and ninety substances could be identified as mediators of human MCs which can be secreted into the extracellular space by activation of the MC. This number might still be an underestimate of the actual number of MC mediators since, in principle, all substances produced by MCs can become mediators because of the possibility of their release by diffusion into the extracellular space, mast cell extracellular traps, and intercellular exchange via nanotubules. When human MCs release mediators in inappropriate manners, this may lead to symptoms in any or all organs/tissues. Thus, such MC activation disorders may clinically present with a myriad of potential combinations of symptoms ranging from trivial to disabling or even life-threatening. The present compilation can be consulted by physicians when trying to gain clarity about MC mediators which may be involved in patients with MC disease symptoms refractory to most therapies.
Online updating of obstacle positions when intercepting a virtual target
Authors: Crowe Emily M. , Smeets Jeroen B. J. , Brenner Eli
Published: May 2023

People rely upon sensory information in the environment to guide their actions. Ongoing goal-directed arm movements are constantly adjusted to the latest estimate of both the target and hand’s positions. Does the continuous guidance of ongoing arm movements also consider the latest visual information of the position of obstacles in the surrounding? To find out, we asked participants to slide their finger across a screen to intercept a laterally moving virtual target while moving through a gap that was created by two virtual circular obstacles. At a fixed time during each trial, the target suddenly jumped slightly laterally while still continuing to move. In half the trials, the size of the gap changed at the same moment as the target jumped. As expected, participants adjusted their movements in response to the target jump. Importantly, the magnitude of this response depended on the new size of the gap. If participants were told that the circles were irrelevant, changing the gap between them had no effect on the responses. This shows that obstacles’ instantaneous positions can be considered when visually guiding goal-directed movements.
Bone and the Unfolded Protein Response: In Sickness and in Health
Authors: Iyer Srividhya , Adams Douglas J.
Published: May 2023

Differentiation and optimal function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts are contingent on synthesis and maintenance of a healthy proteome. Impaired and/or altered secretory capacity of these skeletal cells is a primary driver of most skeletal diseases. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) orchestrates the folding and maturation of membrane as well as secreted proteins at high rates within a calcium rich and oxidative organellar niche. Three ER membrane proteins monitor fidelity of protein processing in the ER and initiate an intricate signaling cascade known as the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) to remediate accumulation of misfolded proteins in its lumen, a condition referred to as ER stress. The UPR aids in fine-tuning, expanding and/or modifying  the cellular proteome, especially in specialized secretory cells, to match everchanging physiologic cues and metabolic demands. Sustained activation of the UPR due to chronic ER stress, however, is known to hasten cell death and drive pathophysiology of several diseases. A growing body of evidence suggests that ER stress and an aberrant UPR may contribute to poor skeletal health and the development of osteoporosis. Small molecule therapeutics that target distinct components of the UPR may therefore have implications for developing novel treatment modalities relevant to the skeleton. This review summarizes the complexity of UPR actions in bone cells in the context of skeletal physiology and osteoporotic bone loss, and highlights the need for future mechanistic studies to develop novel UPR therapeutics that mitigate adverse skeletal outcomes.
New PEO-IAA-Inspired Anti-Auxins: Synthesis, Biological Activity, and Possible Application in Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) Micropropagation
Authors: Žukauskaitė Asta , Saiz-Fernández Iñigo , Bieleszová Kristýna , Iškauskienė Monika , Zhang Chao , Smýkalová Iva , Dzedulionytė Karolina , Kubeš Martin F. , Sedlářová Michaela , Pařízková Barbora , Pavlović Iva , Vain Thomas , Petřík Ivan , Malinauskienė Vida , Šačkus Algirdas , Strnad Miroslav , Robert Stéphanie , Napier Richard , Novák Ondřej , Doležal Karel
Published: May 2023

Auxins play an important role in plant physiology and are involved in numerous aspects of plant development, such as cell division, elongation and differentiation, fruit development, and phototropic response. In addition, through their antagonistic interaction with cytokinins, auxins play a key role in the regulation of root growth and apical dominance. Thanks to this capacity to determine plant architecture, natural and synthetic auxins have been successfully employed to obtain more economically advantageous plants. The crosstalk between auxins and cytokinins determines plant development and thus is of particular importance in the field of plant micropropagation, where the ratios between these two phytohormones need to be tightly controlled to achieve proper rooting and shoot generation. Previously reported anti-auxin PEO-IAA, which blocks auxin signalling through binding to TIR1 receptor and inhibiting the expression of auxin-responsive genes, has been successfully used to facilitate hemp micropropagation. Herein, we report a set of new PEO-IAA-inspired anti-auxins capable of antagonizing auxin responses in vivo. The capacity of these compounds to bind to the TIR1 receptor was confirmed in vitro by SPR analysis. Using DESI-MSI analysis, we evaluated the uptake and distribution of the compounds at the whole plant level. Finally, we characterized the effect of the compounds on the organogenesis of hemp explants, where they showed to be able to improve beneficial morphological traits, such as the balanced growth of all the produced shoots and enhanced bud proliferation.
Strong form mesh-free hp-adaptive solution of linear elasticity problem
Authors: Jančič Mitja , Kosec Gregor
Published: May 2023

We present an algorithm for hp-adaptive collocation-based mesh-free numerical analysis of partial differential equations. Our solution procedure follows a well-established iterative solve–estimate–mark–refine paradigm. The solve phase relies on the Radial Basis Function-generated Finite Differences (RBF-FD) using point clouds generated by advancing front node positioning algorithm that supports variable node density. In the estimate phase, we introduce an Implicit-Explicit (IMEX) error indicator, which assumes that the error relates to the difference between the implicitly obtained solution (from the solve phase) and a local explicit re-evaluation of the PDE at hand using a higher order approximation. Based on the IMEX error indicator, the modified Texas Three Step marking strategy is used to mark the computational nodes for h-, p- or hp-(de-)refinement. Finally, in the refine phase, nodes are repositioned and the order of the method is locally redefined using the variable order of the augmenting monomials according to the instructions from the mark phase. The performance of the introduced hp-adaptive method is first investigated on a two-dimensional Peak problem and further applied to two- and three-dimensional contact problems. We show that the proposed IMEX error indicator adequately captures the global behaviour of the error in all cases considered and that the proposed hp-adaptive solution procedure significantly outperforms the non-adaptive approach. The proposed hp-adaptive method stands for another important step towards a fully autonomous numerical method capable of solving complex problems in realistic geometries without the need for user intervention.
A case of pediatric primary osteolytic extradural and complicated hydatid cyst revealed by a skull vault swelling
Authors: Borni Mehdi , Abdelmouleh Souhir , Taallah Marouen , Blibeche Hela , Ayadi Ali , Boudawara Mohamed Zaher
Published: May 2023

Hydatidosis is a parasitic infestation whose etiological agent is the larva of the cestode Echinococcus granulosus. It is a zoonosis, and the human being behaves as an accidental intermediate host in the parasitic cycle with pediatric predominance. The most frequent clinical presentation is hepatic, followed by pulmonary, with cerebral hydatidosis being extremely rare. Imaging is characteristic, generally dealing with single cystic lesion, usually unilocular and less frequently multilocular, located mainly intraaxially. Extradural hydatid cyst, whether primary or secondary, remains very rare or even exceptional. The primary disease remains extremely rare, and its clinical picture is related to the number, size, and location of the lesions. Infection within these cerebral hydatid cysts remains an extremely rare occurrence, and only few cases were reported previously in the literature. The authors report the nosological review of the clinical, imaging, surgical, and histopathological records of a pediatric primary osteolytic extradural and complicated hydatid cyst in a 5-year-old North African male patient coming from a rural area who presented for progressive onset of a painless left parieto-occipital soft swelling without any neurological disorder with good outcomes after surgery. The authors report this case due the fact that it had not been documented before in the pediatric population and to the success of the specialized treatment.
Th2/Th17 cell associated cytokines found in seroma fluids after breast cancer surgery
Authors: Pochert Nicole , Schneider Mariella , Köpke Melitta B. , Wild Mathis , Mattmer Angelika , Sagasser Jacqueline , Golas Monika M. , Banys-Paluchowski Maggie , Metz Aline , Hinske Christian , Reiger Matthias , Jeschke Udo , Dannecker Christian , Neumann Avidan , Traidl-Hoffmann Claudia , Untch Michael , Kühn Thorsten , Ditsch Nina
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The development of a seroma after breast cancer surgery is a common postoperative complication seen after simple mastectomy and axillary surgery. We could recently demonstrate that breast cancer patients undergoing a simple mastectomy with subsequent seroma formation developed a T-helper cell increase within the aspirated fluid measured by flow cytometry. The same study revealed a Th2 and/or a Th17 immune response in peripheral blood and seroma fluid of the same patient. Based on these results and within the same study population, we now analyzed the Th2/Th17 cell associated cytokine content as well as the best known clinical important cytokine IL-6.

Methods

Multiplex cytokine measurements (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-10, IL-17, and IL-22) were done on 34 seroma fluids (Sf) after fine needle aspiration of patients who developed a seroma after a simple mastectomy. Serum of the same patient (Sp) and that of healthy volunteers (Sc) were used as controls.

Results

We found the Sf to be highly cytokine rich. Almost all analyzed cytokines were significantly higher in abundance in the Sf compared to Sp and Sc, especially IL-6, which promotes Th17 differentiation as well as suppresses Th1 differentiation in favor of Th2 development.

Conclusion

Our Sf cytokine measurements reflect a local immune event. In contrast, former study results on T-helper cell populations in both Sf and Sp tend to demonstrate a systemic immune process.
Developing and validating a questionnaire to assess the symptoms of blepharitis accompanied by dry eye disease
Authors: Li Haoyu , Böhringer Daniel , Maier Philip , Reinhard Thomas , Lang Stefan J.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

To propose additional items for established
dry eye disease (DED) instruments that cover blepharitis-specific signs and symptoms and to determine the association between the clinical findings and subjective complaints.

Methods

Thirty-one patients with blepharitis and DED were prospectively included in the pretest period for selecting suitable questions. In the main phase of the study, the selected questions were then tested on 68 patients with blepharitis and DED and 20 controls without blepharitis or DED. Pearson’s coefficient of correlation was calculated between the blepharitis-specific questions, tear break-up time (TBUT), the Schirmer test score, and the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score; and the similarity between the blepharitis-specific questions, OSDI questions, and objective parameters for DED was assessed via hierarchical clustering. Furthermore, the discriminatory power of the blepharitis-specific questions was investigated with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

The additional question about heavy eyelids revealed a significant correlation with the OSDI score (r = 0.45, p < 0.001) and Schirmer score (r =  − 0.32, p = 0.006). Cluster analysis demonstrated the similarity between the question about heavy eyelids and TBUT. In addition, the OSDI questionnaire had the highest discriminatory power in ROC analysis, and the OSDI score significantly correlated with the specific questions about eyelids sticking together (r = 0.47, p < 0.0001) and watery or teary eyes (r = 0.34, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

The blepharitis-specific additional questions were closely associated with objective parameters for DED. The question about heavy eyelids might be well suited for recording the symptoms of hyposecretory and hyperevaporative dry eye with blepharitis.
Generalized gradient structures for measure-valued population dynamics and their large-population limit
Authors: Hoeksema Jasper , Tse Oliver
Published: May 2023

We consider the forward Kolmogorov equation corresponding to measure-valued processes stemming from a class of interacting particle systems in population dynamics, including variations of the Bolker–Pacala–Dieckmann-Law model. Under the assumption of detailed balance, we provide a rigorous generalized gradient structure, incorporating the fluxes arising from the birth and death of the particles. Moreover, in the large population limit, we show convergence of the forward Kolmogorov equation to a Liouville equation, which is a transport equation associated with the mean-field limit of the underlying process. In addition, we show convergence of the corresponding gradient structures in the sense of Energy-Dissipation Principles, from which we establish a propagation of chaos result for the particle system and derive a generalized gradient-flow formulation for the mean-field limit.
Exponential decay of the solutions to nonlinear Schrödinger systems
Authors: Angeles Felipe , Clapp Mónica , Saldaña Alberto
Published: May 2023

We show that the components of finite energy solutions to general nonlinear Schrödinger systems have exponential decay at infinity. Our results apply to positive or sign-changing components, and to cooperative, competitive, or mixed-interaction systems. As an application, we use the exponential decay to derive an upper bound for the least possible energy of a solution with a prescribed number of positive and nonradial sign-changing components.
A model considering the longitudinal track–bridge interaction in ballasted railway bridges subjected to high-speed trains
Authors: König Paul , Adam Christoph
Published: May 2023

In this paper, a dynamic interaction model of the coupled system of railway bridge, foundation, subsoil, ballast, track, and high-speed train is presented, with special emphasis on the longitudinal interaction between the track and the bridge structure, taking into account the flexibility of the ballast. After a description of the model of this interaction system, the equations of motion are given separately for each subsystem. The discretization of the bedded rails is performed by two different approaches. In the first approach, the deflection of the rails is expanded into the eigenfunctions of a finitely long bedded beam representing the rails. In the second, simplified approach, the track response is represented by a superposition of the static deflection of the infinitely long bedded beam due to a concentrated load. The coupling of the bridge structure with the track is achieved by a component mode synthesis technique, which in the first approach leads to a representation of the equations of motion in state-space. A discrete substructure technique is used to couple this subsystem with the train model. The two presented strategies are verified by comparison with results of a finite element model of this interaction system. Several application examples reveal the influence of the horizontal track–bridge interaction and other modeling parameters on the dynamic bridge response.
On SOCP-based disjunctive cuts for solving a class of integer bilevel nonlinear programs
Authors: Gaar Elisabeth , Lee Jon , Ljubić Ivana , Sinnl Markus , Tanınmış Kübra
Published: May 2023

We study a class of integer bilevel programs with second-order cone constraints at the upper-level and a convex-quadratic objective function and linear constraints at the lower-level. We develop disjunctive cuts (DCs) to separate bilevel-infeasible solutions using a second-order-cone-based cut-generating procedure. We propose DC separation strategies and consider several approaches for removing redundant disjunctions and normalization. Using these DCs, we propose a branch-and-cut algorithm for the problem class we study, and a cutting-plane method for the problem variant with only binary variables. We present an extensive computational study on a diverse set of instances, including instances with binary and with integer variables, and instances with a single and with multiple linking constraints. Our computational study demonstrates that the proposed enhancements of our solution approaches are effective for improving the performance. Moreover, both of our approaches outperform a state-of-the-art generic solver for mixed-integer bilevel linear programs that is able to solve a linearized version of our binary instances.
Physics-informed neural networks applied to catastrophic creeping landslides
Authors: Moeineddin Ahmad , Seguí Carolina , Dueber Stephan , Fuentes Raúl
Published: May 2023

In this study, a new paradigm compared to traditional numerical approaches to solve the partial differential equation (PDE) that governs the thermo-poro-mechanical behavior of the shear band of deep-seated landslides is presented. In particular, this paper shows projections of the temperature inside the shear band as a proxy to estimate the catastrophic failure of deep-seated landslides. A deep neural network is trained to find the temperature, by using a loss function defined by the underlying PDE and field data of three landslides. To validate the network, we have applied this network to the following cases: Vaiont, Shuping, and Mud Creek landslides. The results show that, by creating and training the network with synthetic data, the behavior of the landslide can be reproduced and allows to forecast the basal temperature of the three case studies. Hence, providing a real-time estimation of the stability of the landslide, compared to other solutions whose stability study has to be calculated individually for each case scenario. Moreover, this study offers a novel procedure to design a neural network architecture, considering stability, accuracy, and over-fitting. This approach could be useful also to other applications beyond landslides.
A focus on sex differences in drowning deaths in Australia: the need for reporting on sex and gender in drowning research
Authors: Roberts Kym , Thom Ogilvie , Devine Susan , Leggat Peter A. , Franklin Richard C.
Published: May 2023

Aim

An evidence gap exists on sex and gender differences in drowning with previous research neglecting females. Drowning studies have largely focused on accidental drowning and submersion, excluding other classifications such as intentional, water transport-related, and undetermined drowning. This study examined all external causes of drowning deaths over a 13-year period in Australia disaggregated by sex. Drowning deaths were compared by sex with drowning classification, year, month, age, place of death, Indigenous status, socioeconomic, and visitor status.

Subject and methods

This retrospective total population study included all females and males who died from drowning in Australia from 2006 to 2019. Data was extracted from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Cause of Death Unit Record Files. Australian population data were extracted to calculate the crude death rate and relative risk for drowning.

Results

There were 4007 drowning deaths recorded, and females represented 25.2% of drowning fatalities. Females were less likely than males to drown, including by drowning classification, year, month, state, remoteness and visitor status, age, socioeconomic, and Indigenous status. The highest proportion of female drowning deaths were from intentional drowning, fall into swimming pools, and in natural water. Drowning deaths among females increased as age increased.

Conclusion

There is a clear need for improved disaggregation of sex and gender in drowning research. Without the detailed exploration of females in drowning statistics there will be limited knowledge translation specific to females. The development of drowning prevention strategies targeted to females is required to reduce the incidence and risk of drowning.
Valuing the information hidden in true long-term data for invasion science
Authors: Haubrock Phillip J. , Soto Ismael
Published: May 2023

Invasive species pose a significant threat to global biodiversity and human well-being. Despite the widespread use of long-term biomonitoring data in many natural science fields, the analysis of long-term time series with a focus on biological invasions is uncommon. To address this gap, we used twenty macroinvertebrate time series from the highly anthropogenically altered Rhine River, collected over 32 years from 1973 to 2005. We examined the adequacy of the data in capturing non-native species trends over time and explored trends in alpha, beta, and gamma diversity of non-native species with several climatic and site-specific predictors. Our findings revealed that the data adequately captured a saturating non-native species richness over time. Additionally, we observed an increase in both alpha and gamma diversity of both native and non-native species over time, with a recent dip in trends. Beta diversity trends were more complicated, but eventually increased, contrasting trends in native species beta diversity. Our applied models indicate that in this highly altered ecosystem, climatic shifts were insignificant, while time was the primarily driving factor. Proximity to anthropogenic structures and the distance to the outlet were the only site-specific predictors facilitating non-native species diversity. These findings highlight the value and importance of long-term time series for the study of invasive species, particularly long-term invasion dynamics and once again underline that naturality of ecosystems precede the effect of climate change.
Differences in Canopy Cover Estimations from ALS Data and Their Effect on Fire Prediction
Authors: Taneja Ritu , Wallace Luke , Reinke Karin , Hilton James , Jones Simon
Published: May 2023

Canopy cover is a primary attribute used in empirical wildfire models for certain fuel types. Accurate estimation of canopy cover is a key to ensuring accurate prediction of fire spread and behaviour in these fuels. Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) is a promising active remote sensing technology for estimating canopy cover in natural ecosystems since it can penetrate and measure the vegetation canopy. Various methods have been developed to estimate canopy cover from ALS data. However, little attention has been given to the evaluation of algorithms used to calculate canopy cover and the subsequent influence these algorithms can have on wildfire behaviour models. In this study we evaluate the effect of using different algorithms to calculate canopy cover on the performance of the Australian Mallee-heath fire spread model. ALS data was used to derive five canopy cover models. Fire spread metrics including burned area, unburned area within the fire extent, and extent of fire were compared for different model run times. The results show that these metrics are strongly influenced by choice of algorithm used to calculate canopy cover. The results from this study may provide practical guidance for the optimal selection of estimation methods in canopy cover mapping.
Organizational Learning from Cybersecurity Performance: Effects on Cybersecurity Investment Decisions
Authors: Shaikh Faheem Ahmed , Siponen Mikko
Published: May 2023

IS literature has identified various economic, performance, and environmental factors affecting cybersecurity investment decisions. However, economic modeling approaches dominate, and research on cybersecurity performance as an antecedent to investments has taken a backseat. Neglecting the role of performance indicators ignores real-world concerns driving actual cybersecurity investment decision-making. We investigate two critical aspects of cybersecurity performance: breach costs and breach identification source, as antecedents to cybersecurity investment decisions. We use organizational learning to theorize how performance feedback from these two aspects of cybersecurity breaches influences subsequent investment decisions. Using firm-level data on 722 firms in the UK, we find that higher breach costs are more likely to elicit increases in cybersecurity investments. This relationship is further strengthened if a third party identifies the breach instead of the focal firm. We contribute to the literature on cybersecurity investments and incident response. The findings stress the need for firms to analyze aspects of their cybersecurity performance and use them as feedback for investment decisions, making these decisions data-driven and based on firm-specific needs.
Design of an elevated pressure electrochemical flow cell for CO2 reduction
Authors: Morrison Andrew R. T. , Girichandran Nandalal , Wols Quincy , Kortlever Ruud
Published: May 2023

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has been proposed as a sustainable way of closing the carbon cycle while synthesizing useful commodity chemicals. One of the possible routes to scale up the process is the elevated pressure CO2RR, as this increases the concentration of the poorly soluble CO2 in aqueous systems. Yet, there are not many studies that focus on this route owing to the inherent challenges with high pressure systems. In this study, a novel high pressure flow cell setup has been designed and validated. The modular design uses a clamp system, which facilitates simple stacking of multiple cell parts while being capable of handling pressures up to 50 bar. The effects of CO2 pressure on the reaction were investigated on a gold (Au) foil cathode in a 0.1 M KHCO3 electrolyte. We successfully measured gaseous products produced during high pressure operation using an inline gas chromatograph. We find that the selectivity toward CO2 reduction products is enhanced while that of H2 evolution is suppressed as the pressure is increased from 2 to 30 bar. The reported setup provides a robust means to conduct high pressure electrolysis experiments in an easy and safe manner, making this technology more accessible to the electrochemical CO2RR community.

Graphical abstract
A novel application of acrylic resin UV-Curing methodology for radioactive surface decontamination
Authors: Kaushal Simran , Oommen Sibi , Malapure Sumeet Suresh , Bhushan Shivanand
Published: May 2023

A unique UV-Curing method is provided for decontamination of radioisotopes on the surfaces which has radiation dealing facilities. In this method acrylic UV-Curing resin was poured on a contaminated simulated surface followed by UV irradiation. The resin interacted with the contaminated surface and after polymerization, the solidified resin was then stripped off, leaving behind a clean surface. The present study is the proof-of-concept of a novel application of acrylic resin UV-Curing methodology for Radioactive surface contamination removal to create a economical clean, effective and safe environment with minimal waste generation post processing ready for environment friendly incineration.
Metabentonite and metakaolin-based geopolymers/zeolites: relation between kind of clay, calcination temperature and concentration of alkaline activator
Authors: Slaný Michal , Kuzielová Eva , Žemlička Matúš , Matejdes Marián , Struhárová Alena , Palou Martin T.
Published: May 2023

In this paper, the composition and properties of two different activated calcinated clays were investigated under selected curing conditions. The tendency of metabentonite and metakaoline to form geopolymers and zeolites was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy, TGA and DSC techniques, PXRD, HT-PXRD, SEM, and BET-N2 adsorption analyses. The selection of the optimal sample compositions was done on a basis of preliminary results obtained from bentonite and kaolin clays activated at calcination temperatures (700, 750, 800 °C) with a holding time of 3 h in a combination with different NaOH concentrations (5, 10, 20 mass%). In a more detailed examination, the samples calcined at a temperature of 800 °C with different NaOH concentrations were studied. For metakaolin-based samples, dominant geopolymer formation was achieved using 5 mass% NaOH. The zeolite amount increased concomitantly with the concentration of the alkali activator, whereas zeolite A and zeolite P were determined as the predominant phases. For metabentonite-based samples, 10 mass% NaOH concentration was found to be optimal by the means of geopolymer formation. At higher alkaline activator concentrations, the presence of zeolitic phases faujasite and gobbinsite was confirmed. However, the determined degree of crystallinity was significantly lower than in the corresponding activated metakaolin samples. With a gradual increase in NaOH concentration, the specific surface area of the metabentonite-based samples increased reaching a value of 218.95 m2 g−1 promising for adsorption applications. The opposite effect was observed for the metakaolin-based samples, and this result is caused by the increased formation of zeolite phases and corresponding changes in their channel dimensions.
Remembering less, or needing less? Age-related differences in the purchase funnel
Authors: Mecredy Philip , Wright Malcolm , Feetham Pamela , Stern Philip
Published: May 2023

This study explores how age influences the stages of the brand purchase funnel (awareness, consideration, and purchase) and the mechanisms associated with any age-related differences. Aggregated analysis of survey data (n = 1862) across five markets and four age groups shows a reduction in the proportion of brands recognised that subsequently enter the consideration and purchase sets of older consumers. Subsequent individual-level GLS regression analysis using age as a continuous variable reveals an inverse-U shape for brand recognition and in some cases for brand recall and consideration. Peak cognitive performance occurs at age 56. There is a linear decline for purchase set size across age. Therefore, age-related differences in brand awareness and consideration, and the mechanisms driving these changes, do not greatly impact age-related increases in loyalty. Instead, findings suggest age-related increases in loyalty result from a combination of accumulated experience, development of purchase habits, and declining category purchase rates.
“Why Call It Equality?” Revisited: An Extended Critique of the EIGE Gender Equality Index
Authors: Schmid Caitlin B. , Elliot Mark
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we review the methodology of one of the most comprehensive indices of gender equality, the Gender Equality Index by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). Building on Permanyer’s (J Eur Soc Policy, 25(4):414–430, 2015) critical analysis, we offer an extended critique of the EIGE’s current methodology, focusing on four interrelated issues: (a) the lack of transparency around the methodological decisions and the concomitant implicit theorising, (b) the continuing over-contribution of the ‘correcting coefficient’ to the index such that it predominantly captures achievement levels rather than gender gaps, (c) problems with the verification process and use of Principal Component Analysis, (d) issues arising from the aggregation and weighting of index components. Our analysis shows that in addition to the use of the correcting coefficient, other methodological choices (such as the use of ratios and geometric means) result in an unjustified penalisation of lower-GDP countries, reinforcing biased assumptions about gender equality progress in more affluent countries vis-á-vis lower-GDP countries in the sample. We call for greater transparency around theory, method and the relationship between the two while also proposing methodological improvements. These changes would bring the EIGE index closer to fulfilling its undoubted potential to provide a nuanced understanding of gender equality levels in the European Union and effectively inform policy development toward social change.
Spicy, tall, and metalinguistic negotiations
Authors: Odrowąż-Sypniewska Joanna
Published: May 2023

In this paper I argue that metalinguistic negotiations are not as common as David Plunkett and Timothy Sundell assume. They make two related controversial claims: the claim that speakers don’t know what they say and the claim that they directly communicate metalinguistic contents. These two claims generate two challenges that the metalinguistic-negotiation view should meet. Firstly, it should clarify why speakers are oblivious to what they are saying and communicating, and secondly, it should explain the mechanism that transforms what seems like a typical object-language disagreement into a metalinguistic dispute. I argue that the way in which Plunkett and Sundell meet these challenges is unsatisfactory. Regarding their answer to the first challenge, I’ll argue that the theoretical cost of postulating massive semantic and pragmatic blindness in otherwise competent speakers is too high. Regarding what they say in relation to the second challenge, I’ll claim that metalinguistic contents can only be conveyed when speakers uttering apparently contradicting claims know that they are using terms with different meanings. If my arguments are correct, then metalinguistic negotiations are certainly not ubiquitous.
Oxidative Stress and Immunopathological Alterations of Clarias gariepinus Exposed to Monocyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (BTX)
Authors: Sayed Alaa El-Din H. , Soliman Hamdy A. M. , Idriss Shaimaa K. , Abdel-Ghaffar Sary Kh. , Hussein Asmaa A. A.
Published: May 2023

This study’s goal was to assess the catfish’s response to exposure to monoaromatic petroleum hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, and xylene) and its recovery after exposure using oxidative stress, histopathological, and immunological changes as biomarkers. Four groups: one as control and other three exposed to benzene (0.762 ng/L), toluene (26.614 ng/L), and xylene (89.403 ng/L), respectively, for 30 days and then recovery period for 30 days. The levels of the cortisol, lipid peroxidation, and cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6) increased significantly (p < 0.05) after exposure to benzene and xylene compared to control. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and acetylcholinstease (Ach) decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in fishes exposed to benzene only compared to control group. While glutathione-S-transferase (GST) did not show any change in different treatment groups compared to control group. The histopathological signs of liver exposed to benzene, toluene, and xylene displayed aggregation of melanomacrophages, congestion of sinusoids, vacuolar degeneration of hepatocytes, necrotic area with inflammatory cell infiltration, and thrombus of central vein. Kidney exposed to benzene, toluene, and xylene showed dilatation of Bowman’s space with atrophy of glomerular tuft, lyses of RBCs with mononuclear cell infiltration, multifocal area of hemopoietic tissue necrosis, organized thrombus with perivascular hemorrhage, focal inflammatory cellular reaction, renal tubular necrosis, and thrombus of blood vessels. Spleen exposed to benzene, toluene, and xylene showed hyperplasia of lymphoid follicles in white pulp in a mild degree. These lesions appeared to a mild degree or disappeared completely after recovery period to BTX except spleen. In conclusion, monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (BTX) are hazardous to fish and the toxicity level was as benzene > xylene > toluene even though after recovery period.
Research on smart-locks cybersecurity and vulnerabilities
Authors: Caballero-Gil Cándido , Álvarez Rafael , Hernández-Goya Candelaria , Molina-Gil Jezabel
Published: May 2023

Smart-locks have become increasingly popular for access to homes and businesses in many countries, because of their ease of use and adaptability. These locks offer a simple and secure alternative to traditional key-based entry, making them an attractive choice for both residential and commercial properties. Nevertheless, it is essential to acknowledge the potential security threats that come with any new technology. The security of smart-locks is particularly critical, as a breach could result in unauthorized entry. Since the smart-locks can connect, there are different ways to check if vulnerabilities can be found easily or on the contrary, if the security level is high. Two of the main ways of checking the security level of this kind of IoT device are the information that can be obtained from the Android application and the security level of the Bluetooth connection. Many vulnerabilities can be found in the Android smart lock management application. This application is very useful to perform all the configurations with such a lock, but if it is not properly implemented and secured, it can provide clues for malicious users to perform unauthorized access to the system. Another security factor is the Bluetooth connection. This ensures that only authorized users have access to the property. In this work, we have analyzed the security level of different parts of smart-locks. In particular, we have analyzed the security of the applications for the most important smart-locks on the market. This study reveals relevant information such as whether the application is obfuscated or not, the encryption algorithm for the Bluetooth connection, or relevant URLs that applications use to connect to the cloud. The security of the Bluetooth connection between the smartphone application and two selected smart-locks was also analyzed. It was demonstrated that if no encryption is used for the Bluetooth connection, the smart-lock is not secure, but if AES encryption is used, the security level is high.
Assessing plastic ingestion in birds of prey from British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Schutten Kerry , Chandrashekar Akshaya , Bourdages Madelaine , Bowes Victoria , Elliott John , Lee Sandi , Redford Tony , Provencher Jennifer , Jardine Claire , Wilson Laurie
Published: May 2023

Since first being introduced for public use in the 1960s, plastic has become one of the most pervasive and ubiquitous forms of pollution globally. The potential fate and effects of plastic pollution on birds is a rapidly growing area of research, but knowledge of terrestrial and freshwater species is limited. Birds of prey have been particularly understudied, with no published data on plastic ingestion in raptors in Canada to date, and very few studies globally. To assess the ingestion of plastic in raptors, we analysed the contents of the upper gastrointestinal tracts from a total of 234 individuals across 15 raptor species, collected between 2013 and 2021. Upper gastrointestinal tracts were assessed for plastics and anthropogenic particles > 2 mm in size. Of the 234 specimens examined, only five individuals across two species had evidence of retained anthropogenic particles in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Two of 33 bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, 6.1%) had retained plastics in the gizzard, while three of 108 barred owls (Strix varia, 2.8%) had retained plastic and non-plastic anthropogenic litter. The remaining 13 species were negative for particles > 2 mm in size (N = 1–25). These results suggest that most hunting raptor species do not appear to ingest and retain larger anthropogenic particles, though foraging guild and habitat may influence risk. We recommend that future research investigate microplastic accumulation in raptors, in order to gain a more holistic understanding of plastic ingestion in these species. Future work should also focus on increasing sample sizes across all species to improve the ability to assess landscape- and species-level factors that influence vulnerability and susceptibility of plastic pollution ingestion.
The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase SCF Cyclin F Promotes Sequestosome-1/p62 Insolubility and Foci Formation and is Dysregulated in ALS and FTD Pathogenesis
Authors: Davidson Jennilee M. , Wu Sharlynn S. L. , Rayner Stephanie L. , Cheng Flora , Duncan Kimberley , Russo Carlo , Newbery Michelle , Ding Kunjie , Scherer Natalie M. , Balez Rachelle , García-Redondo Alberto , Rábano Alberto , Rosa-Fernandes Livia , Ooi Lezanne , Williams Kelly L. , Morsch Marco , Blair Ian P. , Di Ieva Antonio , Yang Shu , Chung Roger S. , Lee Albert
Published: May 2023

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)- and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)-linked mutations in CCNF have been shown to cause dysregulation to protein homeostasis. CCNF encodes for cyclin F, which is part of the cyclin F-E3 ligase complex SCFcyclinF known to ubiquitylate substrates for proteasomal degradation. In this study, we identified a function of cyclin F to regulate substrate solubility and show how cyclin F mechanistically underlies ALS and FTD disease pathogenesis. We demonstrated that ALS and FTD-associated protein sequestosome-1/p62 (p62) was a canonical substrate of cyclin F which was ubiquitylated by the SCFcyclinF complex. We found that SCFcyclin F ubiquitylated p62 at lysine(K)281, and that K281 regulated the propensity of p62 to aggregate. Further, cyclin F expression promoted the aggregation of p62 into the insoluble fraction, which corresponded to an increased number of p62 foci. Notably, ALS and FTD-linked mutant cyclin F p.S621G aberrantly ubiquitylated p62, dysregulated p62 solubility in neuronal-like cells, patient-derived fibroblasts and induced pluripotent stem cells and dysregulated p62 foci formation. Consistently, motor neurons from patient spinal cord tissue exhibited increased p62 ubiquitylation. We suggest that the p.S621G mutation impairs the functions of cyclin F to promote p62 foci formation and shift p62 into the insoluble fraction, which may be associated to aberrant mutant cyclin F-mediated ubiquitylation of p62. Given that p62 dysregulation is common across the ALS and FTD spectrum, our study provides insights into p62 regulation and demonstrates that ALS and FTD-linked cyclin F mutant p.S621G can drive p62 pathogenesis associated with ALS and FTD.
Time-orientations of older adults in group conversations and their association with memory functioning
Authors: Sekiguchi Takuya , Sugimoto Hikaru , Tokunaga Seiki , Otake-Matsuura Mihoko
Published: May 2023

This study investigated the time orientation of older adults in group conversations and its association with their memory functioning. We hypothesized that those with a greater ability to memorize recently accessed information would talk about more recent topics in natural conversations. To test this hypothesis, we used dictation data from older adults’ group conversations and categorized their utterances in terms of the time to which the utterances refer. While inheriting the conventional coding categories for the temporal focus of the utterances, Past, Present, and Future, this study assigned a new category, Recent, to an utterance that referred to an event within the past month to distinguish between recent and remote memories. We further classified utterances concerning whether they were experience-based or knowledge-based, based on the distinction between two types of declarative memories: episodic and semantic memories. We found that the frequency of knowledge-based utterances had significant positive associations with memory functioning if they were Recent-tagged. However, the frequency of experience-based utterances had no significant association with memory functions, irrespective of whether the sentence was Past- or Recent-tagged. Based on the results, we discussed what type of intervention program would be effective in preserving or improving memory function in older adults.
Explainable artificial intelligence in information systems: A review of the status quo and future research directions
Authors: Brasse Julia , Broder Hanna Rebecca , Förster Maximilian , Klier Mathias , Sigler Irina
Published: May 2023

The quest to open black box artificial intelligence (AI) systems evolved into an emerging phenomenon of global interest for academia, business, and society and brought about the rise of the research field of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI). With its pluralistic view, information systems (IS) research is predestined to contribute to this emerging field; thus, it is not surprising that the number of publications on XAI has been rising significantly in IS research. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of XAI research in IS in general and electronic markets in particular using a structured literature review. Based on a literature search resulting in 180 research papers, this work provides an overview of the most receptive outlets, the development of the academic discussion, and the most relevant underlying concepts and methodologies. Furthermore, eight research areas with varying maturity in electronic markets are carved out. Finally, directions for a research agenda of XAI in IS are presented.