bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urology during Afghanistan mission: lessons learned and implications for the future
Authors: Schoch Justine , Matthies Cord , Heidenreich Holger , Diehm Jens , Schmelz Hans , Ruf Christian , Nestler Tim
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Battle-related trauma is common in modern warfare and can lead to genitourinary injuries. In Western countries, urogenital injuries are rare in the civilian environment. The main objective of this study was to assess urological workload for surgeons on deployment.

Material and methods

Data were acquired over a period of five years of deployment in a U.S. facility in Afghanistan.

Results

German urological surgeons treated on average one urologic outpatient per day and performed 314 surgical interventions overall. Surgical interventions were categorized as battle-related interventions (BRIs, n = 169, 53.8%) and nonbattle-related interventions (non-BRIs, n = 145, 46.2%). In the BRI group, interventions were mainly performed on the external genitalia (n = 67, 39.6%), while in the non-BRI group, endourological procedures predominated (n = 109). This is consistent with a higher rate of abdominal or pelvic procedures performed in the BRI group (n = 51, 30.2%).

Furthermore, the types of interventions performed on the external genitalia differed significantly. In the BRI group, 58.2% (n = 39) of interventions were scrotal explorations, but none of those procedures were performed in the non-BRI group (p < 0.001). However, 50.0% (n = 13) of scrotal explorations in the non-BRI group were due to suspected torsions of the testes followed by orchidopexy (BRI: n = 1, 1.5%, p < 0.001). Concerning outpatients, the consultation was mainly due to complaints concerning the external genitalia (32.7%, n = 252) or kidney/ureteral stones (23.5%, n = 181).

Conclusion

While the treatment of urological outpatients in a deployment setting resembles the treatment of soldiers in Germany, BRIs requires abdominal/retroperitoneal urosurgical skills and basic skills in reconstructive surgery.
Detecting linear trend changes in data sequences
Authors: Maeng Hyeyoung , Fryzlewicz Piotr
Published: June 2023

We propose TrendSegment, a methodology for detecting multiple change-points corresponding to linear trend changes in one dimensional data. A core ingredient of TrendSegment is a new Tail-Greedy Unbalanced Wavelet transform: a conditionally orthonormal, bottom-up transformation of the data through an adaptively constructed unbalanced wavelet basis, which results in a sparse representation of the data. Due to its bottom-up nature, this multiscale decomposition focuses on local features in its early stages and on global features next which enables the detection of both long and short linear trend segments at once. To reduce the computational complexity, the proposed method merges multiple regions in a single pass over the data. We show the consistency of the estimated number and locations of change-points. The practicality of our approach is demonstrated through simulations and two real data examples, involving Iceland temperature data and sea ice extent of the Arctic and the Antarctic. Our methodology is implemented in the R package , available from CRAN.
Building a FAIR image data ecosystem for microscopy communities
Authors: Kemmer Isabel , Keppler Antje , Serrano-Solano Beatriz , Rybina Arina , Özdemir Buğra , Bischof Johanna , El Ghadraoui Ayoub , Eriksson John E. , Mathur Aastha
Published: June 2023

Bioimaging has now entered the era of big data with faster-than-ever development of complex microscopy technologies leading to increasingly complex datasets. This enormous increase in data size and informational complexity within those datasets has brought with it several difficulties in terms of common and harmonized data handling, analysis, and management practices, which are currently hampering the full potential of image data being realized. Here, we outline a wide range of efforts and solutions currently being developed by the microscopy community to address these challenges on the path towards FAIR bioimaging data. We also highlight how different actors in the microscopy ecosystem are working together, creating synergies that develop new approaches, and how research infrastructures, such as Euro-BioImaging, are fostering these interactions to shape the field.
Micro-paper-based analytical device decorated with metal-organic frameworks for the assay of synthetic cannabinoids in oral fluids coupled to ion mobility spectrometry
Authors: Martínez-Pérez-Cejuela Héctor , García-Atienza Patricia , Simó-Alfonso Ernesto Francisco , Herrero-Martínez José Manuel , Armenta Sergio
Published: June 2023

A new concept of paper-based device has been developed combining the advantages of cellulose supports and the rich surface chemistry of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The composite, named as NH2-UiO-66@paper, has been developed for the isolation of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) in oral fluids, trying to mimic the interactions of those compounds with the human CB1R and CB2R receptors, mainly governed by hydrogen bonding and π-interactions with serine and histidine residues. MOF selection (UiO-66) and functionalization of the ligand (2-aminoterephthalic acid) has been done according to the following criteria: (i) water stability of the selected MOF, and (ii) promoting appropriate interactions with SCRAs due to the MOF nature. NH2-UiO-66@paper composite has been characterized in depth and the results confirmed that the material is stable at the temperature selected for thermal desorption (230 °C). Furthermore, the developed method provided appropriate precision values (RSD < 12%) and a limit of detection as low as 10 ng using ion mobility spectrometry as analytical technique. Lastly, the method has been successfully applied to the isolation of several synthetic cannabinoids from oral fluids. This method claims to be an interesting approach for expanding the combination of MOFs with sustainable support and represents a promising alternative to sophisticated and non-portable systems due to the negligible sample treatment required and the simplicity of the operation, which can be applied with screening purposes.

Graphical abstract
Global analysis of land-use changes in karst areas and the implications for water resources
Authors: Zhang Jiawen , Liesch Tanja , Chen Zhao , Goldscheider Nico
Published: June 2023

Karst areas contain valuable groundwater resources and high biodiversity, but are particularly vulnerable to climate change and human impacts. Land-use change is the cause and consequence of global environmental change. The releases of the Climate Change Initiative-Land Cover (CCI-LC) and World Karst Aquifer Map (WOKAM) datasets have made it possible to explore global land-use changes in karst areas. This paper firstly analyses the global karst land-use distribution in 2020, as well as the land-use transition characteristics between 1992 and 2020. Then, two indicators, proportion of land-use change and dominant type of land-use change, are proposed to identify the spatial characteristics of land-use change in global karst areas. Finally, three examples of land-use change in karst areas are analyzed in detail. Land-use types and proportions of the global karst areas from large to small are as follows: forest (31.78%), bare area (27.58%), cropland (19.02%), grassland (10.87%), shrubland (7.21%), wetland (1.67%), ice and snow (1.16%) and urban (0.71%). The total area of global karst land-use change is 1.30 million km2, about 4.85% of global karst surface. The land-use change trend of global karst is dominated by afforestation, supplemented by scattered urbanization and agricultural reclamation. The tropical climate has a higher intensity of land-use change. Regions of agricultural reclamation are highly consistent with the population density. These results reflect the impact of human activities and climate change on land-use changes in global karst areas, and serve as a basis for further research and planning of land resource management.
Scientific workflow execution in the cloud using a dynamic runtime model
Authors: Erbel Johannes , Grabowski Jens
Published: June 2023

To explain specific phenomena, scientists perform a sequence of tasks, e.g., to gather, analyze and interpret data, forming a scientific workflow. Depending on the complexity of the workflow, scientists require access to various kinds of tools, applications and infrastructures for individual tasks. Current approaches are often limited to managing these resources at design time, requiring the scientist to preemptively set up applications essential for their workflow. Therefore, a dynamic provisioning and configuration of computing resources are required that fulfills these needs at runtime. In this paper, we present a dynamic runtime model that couples workflow tasks with their individual applications and infrastructure requirements. This runtime model is used as a knowledge base by a model-driven workflow execution engine orchestrating the sequence of tasks and their infrastructure. We exhibit that the simplicity of the runtime model supports the creation of highly tailored infrastructures, the integration of self-developed applications, as well as a human-in-the-loop allowing scientists to monitor and interact with the workflow at runtime. To tackle the heterogeneity of cloud provider interfaces, we implement the workflow runtime model by extending the Open Cloud Computing Interface cloud standard, which provides an extensible data model as well as a uniform interface to manage cloud resources. We demonstrate the applicability of our approach using three case studies and discuss the benefits of the runtime model from a user and system perspective.
Volume Optimisation of Multi-stable Origami Bellows for Deployable Space Habitats
Authors: Yang Mengzhu , Defillion Joe , Scarpa Fabrizio , Schenk Mark
Published: June 2023

Origami bellows are formed by folding flat sheets into closed cylindrical structures along predefined creases. As the bellows unfold, the volume of the origami structure will change significantly, offering potential for use as inflatable deployable structures. This paper presents a geometric study of the volume of multi-stable Miura-ori and Kresling bellows, focusing on their application as deployable space habitats. Such habitats would be compactly stowed during launch, before expanding once in orbit. The internal volume ratio between different deployed states is investigated across the geometric design space. As a case study, the SpaceX Falcon 9 payload fairing is chosen for the transportation of space habitats. The stowed volume and effective deployed volume of the origami space habitats are calculated to enable comparison with conventional habitat designs. Optimal designs for the deployment of Miura-ori and Kresling patterned tubular space habitats are obtained using particle swarm optimisation (PSO) techniques. Configurations with significant volume expansion can be found in both patterns, with the Miura-ori patterns achieving higher volume expansion due to their additional radial deployment. A multi-objective PSO (MOPSO) is adopted to identify trade-offs between volumetric deployment and radial expansion ratios for the Miura-ori pattern.
Rushes as a phytoindicator of a lake’s surrounding land use
Authors: Maślanko Weronika , Sender Joanna , Różańska-Boczula Monika
Published: June 2023

Rushes belong to the group of plants commonly found in water bodies, fulfilling many important functions. However, their presence depends both on features of the immediate surroundings and morphology of the lake. At the same time, rush presence can be an indicator of important features of the surrounding habitats. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of shoreline and buffer zone development on the attributes of rushes. Indications of lake features affected the rushes most strongly. We analysed 65 lakes located in the eastern part of Poland, within the boundaries of the Łęczna-Włodawa Lake District. The multidimensional analyses identified factors that most strongly determined the development of lake rushes in Polesie Lubelskie. The presence of peat bogs, scrubland communities, and wet meadows favoured the development of rushes. Among the morphometric characteristics of lakes, the depth and frequency of water mixing were significant, as well as the trophic level of the lake. Moreover, models describing scenarios for further development of rushes were developed. They predicted that the surface area of the rushes in the lake will increase (average of 0.288 ha) when the peatlands become overgrown 1 ha, and the share of dry (drained) meadows will increase (average of 0.996 ha) in the buffer zone. The increase in the density of rushes will take place if the share of buildings and scrub communities increases both in the buffer zone and shoreline area.
Rickettsia africae and other unclassified Rickettsia species of the spotted fever group in ticks of the Western Ghats, India
Authors: Babu N Naren , Jayaram Anup , Auti Amogh Milind , Bhandari Yuvraj , Shetty Ujwal , Arunkumar Govindakarnavar
Published: June 2023

The spotted fever group (SFG) of Rickettsia are zoonotic disease-causing pathogens, commonly transmitted by hard ticks to a wide range of hosts, including humans. Rickettsia conorii is the common SFG recognised in India, whereas most of the infections due to other group species go undifferentiated at the species level. Hence, this study was conducted to screen host-seeking ticks in the Western Ghats region, India, for the DNA of SFG Rickettsia. The ticks were collected from Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra states of India during a survey conducted between November 2017 and January 2018. In total, 288 tick pools were screened for Rickettsia spp. DNA using pan-Rickettsia real-time PCR, and conventional PCR targeting the gltA, OmpA and 17-kDa protein-coding genes. Nucleotide sequences were subjected to phylogenetic analysis using the NCBI BLAST tool to identify submitted sequences with higher homology. Neighbour-joining trees were constructed using the reference sequences of the GenBank database. Overall, Rickettsia spp. DNA was detected in 27.2% (62/228 pools) of host-seeking ticks across the Western Ghats region, with an estimated minimum infection rate of 0.057. Upon phylogenetic analysis, it was identified that the detected sequences were highly similar (> 99% sequence homology) to R. africae, Candidatus R. laoensis and an un-categorised Rickettsia species, and they were widely carried by Haemaphysalis ticks. The current study is the first report of R. africae and Candidatus R. laoensis in ticks in India. Although the pathogenicity of these species is not well documented, they may pose a potential threat to both animal and the human population in this geographical region.
Mining legal arguments in court decisions
Authors: Habernal Ivan , Faber Daniel , Recchia Nicola , Bretthauer Sebastian , Gurevych Iryna , Spiecker genannt Döhmann Indra , Burchard Christoph
Published: June 2023

Identifying, classifying, and analyzing arguments in legal discourse has been a prominent area of research since the inception of the argument mining field. However, there has been a major discrepancy between the way natural language processing (NLP) researchers model and annotate arguments in court decisions and the way legal experts understand and analyze legal argumentation. While computational approaches typically simplify arguments into generic premises and claims, arguments in legal research usually exhibit a rich typology that is important for gaining insights into the particular case and applications of law in general. We address this problem and make several substantial contributions to move the field forward. First, we design a new annotation scheme for legal arguments in proceedings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that is deeply rooted in the theory and practice of legal argumentation research. Second, we compile and annotate a large corpus of 373 court decisions (2.3M tokens and 15k annotated argument spans). Finally, we train an argument mining model that outperforms state-of-the-art models in the legal NLP domain and provide a thorough expert-based evaluation. All datasets and source codes are available under open lincenses athttps://github.com/trusthlt/mining-legal-arguments.
Small Extracellular Vesicles from Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells Primed by Lipopolysaccharide Regulate Macrophage M1 Polarization via miR-433-3p Targeting TLR2/TLR4/NF-κB
Authors: Cui Shuyue , Zhang Zijie , Cheng Chen , Tang Shuai , Zhai Mingrui , Li Lan , Wei Fulan , Ding Gang
Published: June 2023

Abstract—

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is regarded as the main pathogenic factor of periodontitis. Mesenchymal stem cell–derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) play a key role in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. This study investigated the effects of sEVs derived from periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) pretreated with LPS on macrophage polarization and the underlying mechanisms. PDLSCs were treated with LPS (1 µg/mL) for 24 h, and sEVs were harvested by gradient centrifugation method. Macrophages were incubated with sEVs for 24 h, followed by examination of the expression profiles of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and polarization markers. Furthermore, microarray analysis, western blot test, and microRNA inhibitor transfection experiments were used to elucidate the molecular signaling pathway responsible for the process. The results showed that sEVs derived from LPS-preconditioning PDLSCs could significantly increase the expression of M1 markers and inflammatory cytokines, whereas decreased the expression of M2 markers and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Mechanistic analysis showed that TLR2/TLR4/NF-κB p65 pathway was involved in M1 polarization of macrophages, and microRNA-433-3p played a role, at least in part, in the course. Collectively, LPS could promote the macrophages into M1 status via TLR2/TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway partly by sEV-mediated microRNA-433-3p, which could be a potential therapeutic target for periodontitis.
Jews “Holding the Keys to the Church” and the Posthumous Career of Zelman Wolfowicz of Drohobych
Authors: Wiślicz Tomasz
Published: June 2023

At the end of the nineteenth century in the historiography and popular writing of the three nationalities living in what was then Habsburg Galicia—Polish, Jewish, and Ukrainian—there was an ongoing debate about the motif of the alleged leasing of Orthodox churches by Jews in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The motif of the Jews “holding the keys to the church” was intended, in its own way, to justify the anti-Jewish nature of the Khmelnytsky Uprising of 1648, as well as later rebellions in Ukraine. The problem, however, was that most testimonies of such practices came from literary rather than historical sources. Therefore, the discovery in the archival sources of the character of Zelman Wolfowicz (ca. 1680–1757) from Drohobych, a factor of the starostess Dorota Tarłowa and an informal administrator of the estate, who was sentenced to death for all kinds of economic and criminal offences against the population of the demesne, could have held the key evidence confirming the thesis of the oppression of the Ukrainian people by Jewish leaseholders under the authority of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In Zelman Wolfowicz’s case, no confirmation was found that he ever “held the keys to the church.” Nevertheless, he was associated with this practice by means of a misread and misunderstood folk song, whose hero happened to bear the same name: Zelman. The power of legend, combined with antisemitic stereotypes, has caused both historiography and ethnography to bolster this image while ignoring the source evidence.
Decision-support system for safety and security assessment and management in smart cities
Authors: González-Villa Javier , Cuesta Arturo , Spagnolo Marco , Zanotti Marisa , Summers Luke , Elms Alexander , Dhaya Anay , Jedlička Karel , Martolos Jan , Cetinkaya Deniz
Published: June 2023

Counter-terrorism measures and preparedness play a critical role in securing mass gatherings, soft targets, and critical infrastructures within urban environments. This paper introduces a comprehensive Decision Support System developed as part of the S4AllCitites project, designed to seamlessly integrate with existing legacy systems in Smart Cities. The system encompasses urban pedestrian and vehicular evacuation, incorporating predictive models to anticipate the progression of incendiary and mass shooting attacks, alongside a probabilistic model for threat assessment in the case of improvised explosive devices. A notable achievement of this research is the successful implementation and deployment of the system in operational environments through pilot studies. It empowers public and private security operators with real time decision support capabilities during both prevention and intervention stages of potential attacks. The decision support information provided encompasses various aspects, including optimal evacuation strategies, estimated egress times, pedestrian movement profiles, probability assessments, and the potential impact of different terrorist threats in terms of casualties. Additionally, the system offers real-time insights into the status of the traffic network under normal and unusual conditions, enabling efficient emergency management throughout its progression. This includes the ability to identify optimal intervention routes and assess the impact of anomalous traffic resulting from evacuations.
Multiscale matrix pencils for separable reconstruction problems
Authors: Cuyt Annie , Lee Wen-shin
Published: June 2023

The nonlinear inverse problem of exponential data fitting is separable since the fitting function is a linear combination of parameterized exponential functions, thus allowing to solve for the linear coefficients separately from the nonlinear parameters. The matrix pencil method, which reformulates the problem statement into a generalized eigenvalue problem for the nonlinear parameters and a structured linear system for the linear parameters, is generally considered as the more stable method to solve the problem computationally. In Section 2 the matrix pencil associated with the classical complex exponential fitting or sparse interpolation problem is summarized and the concepts of dilation and translation are introduced to obtain matrix pencils at different scales. Exponential analysis was earlier generalized to the use of several polynomial basis functions and some operator eigenfunctions. However, in most generalizations a computational scheme in terms of an eigenvalue problem is lacking. In the subsequent Sections 3–6 the matrix pencil formulation, including the dilation and translation paradigm, is generalized to more functions. Each of these periodic, polynomial or special function classes needs a tailored approach, where optimal use is made of the properties of the parameterized elementary or special function used in the sparse interpolation problem under consideration. With each generalization a structured linear matrix pencil is associated, immediately leading to a computational scheme for the nonlinear and linear parameters, respectively from a generalized eigenvalue problem and one or more structured linear systems. Finally, in Section 7 we illustrate the new methods.
A puzzle about first-person imagination
Authors: Weber Clas
Published: June 2023

It is easy to imagine being someone else from the first-person point of view. Such imaginings give rise to a puzzle. In this paper I explain what the puzzle is and then consider several existing attempts of solving the puzzle. I argue that these attempts are unsuccessful. I propose a Lewisian account of first-person imagination and make the case that this account solves the puzzle
Soil zinc fertilisation does not increase maize yields in 17 out of 19 sites in Sub-Saharan Africa but improves nutritional maize quality in most sites
Authors: Van Eynde Elise , Breure Mirjam S. , Chikowo Regis , Njoroge Samuel , Comans Rob N. J. , Hoffland Ellis
Published: June 2023

Aims

Fertilisating crops with zinc (Zn) is considered important to enhance agricultural productivity and combat human Zn deficiencies in sub-Saharan Africa. However, it is unclear on which soils Zn fertilisation can lead to higher yields and increased grain Zn concentrations. This study aimed to find soil properties that predict where soil Zn is limiting maize yields and grain Zn concentrations, and where these respond positively to Zn fertilisation.

Methods

Zinc omission trials were set up at multiple farm locations in Kenya (n = 5), Zambia (n = 4) and Zimbabwe (n = 10). Grain yields and tissue Zn concentrations were analysed from plots with a full fertiliser treatment as compared to plots where Zn was omitted.

Results

A positive maize yield response to soil Zn fertilisation was found at only two out of nineteen locations, despite soil Zn levels being below suggested critical concentrations at most locations. Soil properties nor plant concentrations were able to explain maize yield response to Zn fertilisation. However, positive responses in Zn uptake and grain Zn concentrations to Zn fertilisation were found at the majority of sites, especially in soils with low pH and organic carbon contents. Labile soil Zn measurements related more with Zn uptake (R2 = 0.35) and grain Zn concentrations (R2 = 0.26) than actual available Zn measurements.

Conclusions

We conclude that soil Zn fertilisation did not increase maize yields, but can increase maize grain Zn concentrations, especially in soils with low pH and organic carbon content. Predicting a yield response to Zn fertilisation based on soil properties remains a challenge.
Comparing Virtual and In-Person Implementation of a School-Based Sexual Health Promotion Program in High Schools with Large Latino Populations
Authors: Faccio Bianca , McClay Alison , McConnell Krystle , Gates Christopher , Finocharo Jane , Tallant Julia , Martinez Valerie , Manlove Jennifer
Published: June 2023

Many sexual health programs transitioned to virtual implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its devastation, the pandemic provided an opportunity to learn about virtual compared to in-person implementation of a sexual health promotion program—El Camino. This study assessed differences in program attendance, engagement, quality, and student ratings for virtual versus in-person implementation of El Camino as part of a rigorous evaluation in high schools with high Latino populations in Maryland. Drawing on positive youth development practices, El Camino helps participants identify personal goals and learn about sexual reproductive health and healthy relationships. This mixed-methods study incorporates data from performance measures, baseline and post-intervention participant surveys, observations, monthly implementation reports, and debriefs with facilitators to describe and compare virtual and in-person program implementation. At baseline, participants were an average of 16.2 years old; between 8 and 12th grade; 61% female; 79% Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin; and 54% spoke mostly Spanish at home. Recruitment and retention of students outside of school classes were challenging for both forms of implementation. However, attendance was higher during in-person implementation and in schools where the organization implementing El Camino had a strong presence before the pandemic. Findings indicate high fidelity, excellent quality ratings, and positive student perceptions of the program and facilitators in both the virtual and in-person cohorts, which suggest that both forms of implementation were comparable and furthermore highlight the strength of the virtual adaptation of the El Camino program.
How to improve academic well-being: an analysis of the leveraging factors based on the Italian case
Authors: Tontodimamma Alice , del Gobbo Emiliano , Corbo Mariangela , Aquino Antonio
Published: June 2023

At first glance, for those who start out in it the academic environment may seem attractive, but they soon experience the difficulties inherent in this type of career. At the same time, the academic sector is crucial to the social, cultural, and economic development of any country. Given this important role, it is fundamental for the decision makers to guarantee the best return on investment made into this sector. The good health of workers has important implications for the quality of their lives since it affects their level of productivity at work, and it is especially relevant for research programmes, where most of the work is intellectual. In the present research, we have analysed the health of workers without tenure in the Italian academic environment, i.e. PhD students and short term contract researchers, in order to understand which factors have the most relevant impact on their state of health. 699 participants (398 females, 301 males) completed an online questionnaire that included both ad hoc Likert-scales and open-ended questions. Our results, elaborated through Structural Equation Modelling and Text Mining techniques, show how researchers experience high levels of anxiety both from the characteristics of the academic environment and from the career advancement system. Specifically, both job-related factors (i.e. perception of fairness, professional growth, and safety perception) and relational factors (i.e. relationships with supervisors and colleagues) predict the anxiety of non-tenured researchers. Furthermore, women researchers show a high level of anxiety compared with male researchers. Policy implications of our findings are provided.
Computer simulations and surrogative reasoning for the design of new robots
Authors: Datteri Edoardo , Schiaffonati Viola
Published: June 2023

Computer simulations are widely used for surrogative reasoning in scientific research. They also play a crucial role in engineering, more specifically in the design of new robotic systems, yet the nature of this role has been little discussed so far in the philosophy of technology literature. The main claim made in this article is that the notion of surrogative reasoning is central to understanding how computer simulations can serve the purpose of designing new robots. More specifically, it is argued that computer simulations can support two forms of surrogative reasoning, which are called model-oriented and prediction-oriented, whose inferential structure is reconstructed to some extent. And it is argued that, when computer simulations are used to design new robots, they are distinctively used in the model-oriented way. By unravelling the structure of the computer simulation-supported methods adopted in robotic design, this article may contribute to a finer-grained understanding of the epistemic processes involved in technological research.
Associations between wildlife observations, human-tick encounters and landscape features in a peri-urban tick hotspot
Authors: Taylor Casey L. , Lydecker Henry W. , Hochuli Dieter F. , Banks Peter B.
Published: June 2023

Zoonotic disease vectors, their wildlife hosts, and the surrounding landscape interact in complex ways that vary spatially, temporally and with anthropogenic change. Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are one of the most important vectors of human disease globally but managing the risk of tick bites in urban areas requires a detailed understanding of these complex vector-host-environment relationships at multiple spatial scales. Extensive knowledge gaps of these interactions in Australia limits options for managing ticks and exacerbates human-wildlife conflict. To address this, we used an online survey to determine the potential drivers of human-tick encounters operating at the local, yard scale and at the broader, landscape scale in a peri-urban area of Australia. We explored the relationships between reported tick encounters in yards and yard traits, host sightings (yard-scale) and broader landscape traits (landscape-scale). We found that sightings of potential hosts such as long-nosed bandicoots (Perameles nasuta) and brush-turkeys (Alectura lathami), and broader landscape traits such as distance to wet sclerophyll forest, were important predictors of reported tick encounters. Yard traits such as garden mulching and leaf litter cover showed no relationships with tick encounters. However, garden mulching and the absence of pets were predictors of frequent bandicoot sightings in yards. Mulching over 20m2, moderate to dense leaf litter cover on lawns, and living adjacent to bush were predictors of frequent brush-turkey sightings in yards. Our results suggest that residents may be able to reduce tick encounter risk by making yards less attractive to potential hosts. The observed relationships provide a critical foundation for field studies that can determine underlying mechanisms and inform appropriate tick management in urban environments.

Graphical abstract
Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry as a tool for Caenorhabditis elegans metabolomics research
Authors: Salzer Liesa , Schmitt-Kopplin Philippe , Witting Michael
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Polar metabolites in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) have predominantly been analyzed using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS). Capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (CE-MS) represents another complementary analytical platform suitable for polar and charged analytes.

Objective

We compared CE-MS and HILIC-MS for the analysis of a set of 60 reference standards relevant for C. elegans and specifically investigated the strengths of CE separation. Furthermore, we employed CE-MS as a complementary analytical approach to study polar metabolites in C. elegans samples, particularly in the context of longevity, in order to address a different part of its metabolome.

Method

We analyzed 60 reference standards as well as metabolite extracts from C. elegans daf-2 loss-of-function mutants and wild-type (WT) samples using HILIC-MS and CE-MS employing a Q-ToF-MS instrument.

Results

CE separations showed narrower peak widths and a better linearity of the estimated response function across different concentrations which is linked to less saturation of the MS signals. Additionally, CE exhibited a distinct selectivity in the separation of compounds compared to HILIC-MS, providing complementary information for the analysis of the target compounds. Analysis of C. elegans metabolites of daf-2 mutants and WT samples revealed significant alterations in shared metabolites identified through HILIC-MS, as well as the presence of distinct metabolites.

Conclusion

CE-MS was successfully applied in C. elegans metabolomics, being able to recover known as well as identify novel putative biomarkers of longevity.
Inter-laboratory comparison of plant volatile analyses in the light of intra-specific chemodiversity
Authors: Eckert Silvia , Eilers Elisabeth J. , Jakobs Ruth , Anaia Redouan Adam , Aragam Kruthika Sen , Bloss Tanja , Popp Moritz , Sasidharan Rohit , Schnitzler Jörg-Peter , Stein Florian , Steppuhn Anke , Unsicker Sybille B. , van Dam Nicole M. , Yepes Sol , Ziaja Dominik , Müller Caroline
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Assessing intraspecific variation in plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) involves pitfalls that may bias biological interpretation, particularly when several laboratories collaborate on joint projects. Comparative, inter-laboratory ring trials can inform on the reproducibility of such analyses.

Objectives

In a ring trial involving five laboratories, we investigated the reproducibility of VOC collections with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and analyses by thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). As model plant we used Tanacetum vulgare, which shows a remarkable diversity in terpenoids, forming so-called chemotypes. We performed our ring-trial with two chemotypes to examine the sources of technical variation in plant VOC measurements during pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical steps.

Methods

Monoclonal root cuttings were generated in one laboratory and distributed to five laboratories, in which plants were grown under laboratory-specific conditions. VOCs were collected on PDMS tubes from all plants before and after a jasmonic acid (JA) treatment. Thereafter, each laboratory (donors) sent a subset of tubes to four of the other laboratories (recipients), which performed TD-GC-MS with their own established procedures.

Results

Chemotype-specific differences in VOC profiles were detected but with an overall high variation both across donor and recipient laboratories. JA-induced changes in VOC profiles were not reproducible. Laboratory-specific growth conditions led to phenotypic variation that affected the resulting VOC profiles.

Conclusion

Our ring trial shows that despite large efforts to standardise each VOC measurement step, the outcomes differed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Our results reveal sources of variation in plant VOC research and may help to avoid systematic errors in similar experiments.
Distribution analysis of ECTS credits allocated to physical training sciences and methodology (M-EDF/01) and sport sciences and methodology (M-EDF/02) in Italian master’s degree programs in exercise and sport sciences
Authors: D’Elia Francesca , D’Isanto Tiziana , Aliberti Sara , Altavilla Gaetano , Raiola Gaetano
Published: June 2023

Purpose

In Italy, the 2021 sports reform recognized the professional figure of kinesiologist, with its related specializations. Three master’s degrees in Exercise and sport sciences (ESS) are offered by Italian high institutions with different purpose and distribution of the European credit transfer system (ECTS) credits. Those allocated to ESS area can be divided in two specific academic disciplines (ADs): physical training sciences and methodology (M-EDF/01) and sport sciences and methodology (M-EDF/02). The aim was twofold: first, to provide the exact measure of the ECTS credits distribution allocated to ESS area, both aggregated that disaggregated by M-EDF/01 and M-EDF/02 ADs, in the three different master’s degrees in ESS; second, to investigate their differences, to check their consistency with the professional profiles of kinesiologist.

Methods

The sample consisted of all the Italian master’s degree in ESS in 2022. The total no. of ECTS credits allocated to ESS area, both aggregated that disaggregated by M-EDF/01 and M-EDF/02 ADs, were collected through Universitaly portal. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were performed to analyze data.

Results

A great degree of heterogeneity within the same of degree course was found. The problem was not about the differences between the no. of ECTS credits allocated to ESS area among different degree courses, but within the same degree courses. From the scatter indices, the unevenness of the distribution of ECTS credits within the same degree courses and, consequently, the unrepresentativeness of the average, emerged.

Conclusions

The heterogeneity of ECTS credits distribution allocated to ESS area (both aggregated and disaggregated by ADs), generate different undergraduate education, which varies according to the University at which one enrolls. Systemic action is needed to ensure the same education to students that choose the same master’s degree course but in different sites.
Species-specific influence of powdery mildew mycelium on the efficiency of PM accumulation by urban greenery
Authors: Przybysz Arkadiusz , Nawrocki Adam , Mirzwa-Mróz Ewa , Paduch-Cichal Elżbieta , Kimic Kinga , Popek Robert
Published: June 2023

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most important air pollutants, especially in urban areas. The efficiency of PM biofiltration by plants depends on the morphological features of the foliage. More PM is deposited on complex leaves, covered with thick wax layer, trichomes, epidermal glands, and convex venation. Very few literature reports suggest that also the presence of mycelium of nonparasitic and saprophytic fungi positively affects the accumulation of PM on the leaves. In this work, to our best knowledge, for the first time the effect of the mycelium of the parasitic powdery mildew on the efficiency of PM accumulation by urban greenery was studied. Uninfested and fungus-infested leaves of Acer negundo L., Malus domestica Borkh Quercus robur L., and Berberis vulgaris L. were harvested in July in the center of Warsaw city. The effect of powdery mildew infection on PM accumulation was species-specific. A higher amount of PM on leaves not infected with powdery mildew was found in M. domestica and Q. robur, while in A. negundo and B. vulgaris more PM was accumulated on leaves infected with fungus. All species (except A. negundo) accumulated more of the PM of 0.2–2.5-μm and 2.5–10-μm size fractions on leaves not infected with powdery mildew. One of the greatest consequences of the presence of powdery mildew mycelium on the foliage is most probably reduction of the direct involvement of waxes in PM accumulation and retention processes.
Changes in Oesophageal Transit, Macro-Reflux Events, and Gastric Emptying Correlate with Improvements in Gastro-Intestinal Symptoms and Food Tolerance Early Post Sleeve Gastrectomy
Authors: Wickremasinghe Anagi C. , Johari Yazmin , Yue Helen , Laurie Cheryl , Shaw Kalai , Playfair Julie , Beech Paul , Hebbard Geoffrey , Yap Kenneth S. , Brown Wendy , Burton Paul
Published: June 2023

Purpose

There are significant alterations in gastro-intestinal function, food tolerance, and symptoms following sleeve gastrectomy (SG). These substantially change over the first year, but it is unclear what the underlying physiological basis for these changes is. We examined changes in oesophageal transit and gastric emptying and how these correlate with changes in gastro-intestinal symptoms and food tolerance.

Material and Methods

Post-SG patients undertook protocolised nuclear scintigraphy imaging along with a clinical questionnaire at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months.

Results

Thirteen patients were studied: mean age (44.8 ± 8.5 years), 76.9% females, pre-operative BMI (46.9 ± 6.7 kg/m2). Post-operative %TWL was 11.9 ± 5.1% (6 weeks) and 32.2 ± 10.1% (12 months), p-value < 0.0001. There was a substantial increase of meal within the proximal stomach; 22.3% (IQR 12%) (6 weeks) vs. 34.2% (IQR 19.7%) (12 months), p = 0.038. Hyper-accelerated transit into the small bowel decreased from 6 weeks 49.6% (IQR 10.8%) to 42.7% (IQR 20.5%) 12 months, p = 0.022. Gastric emptying half-time increased from 6 weeks 19 (IQR 8.5) to 12 months 27 (IQR 11.5) min, p = 0.027. The incidence of deglutitive reflux of semi-solids decreased over time; 46.2% (6 weeks) vs. 18.2% (12 months), p-value < 0.0001. Reflux score of 10.6 ± 7.6 at 6 weeks vs. 3.5 ± 4.4 at 12 months, (p = 0.049) and regurgitation score of 9.9 ± 3.3 at 6 weeks vs. 6.5 ± 1.7, p = 0.021 significantly reduced.

Conclusions

These data demonstrate that there is an increase in the capacity of the proximal gastric sleeve to accommodate substrate over the first year. Gastric emptying remains rapid but reduce over time, correlating with improved food tolerance and reduced reflux symptoms. This is likely the physiological basis for the changes in symptoms and food tolerance observed early post-SG.

Graphical Abstract
The origins of Italian human capital divides: new evidence from marriage signatures, ca. 1815
Authors: Martinez Marco
Published: June 2023

This paper provides new evidence on the geography of literacy rates in pre-unitary Italy. I provide direct estimates based on a novel and balanced random sample of marriage certificates in 1815. The new figures are disaggregated by gender, area, and skill levels, and are compared to the relevant alternative estimates available. Literacy rates are generally low, and North versus South difference in 1815 literacy was as low as 13.7 percentage points, with the Southern literacy rate of about 50% that of Northern Italy. The North–South gap is much smaller for women than for men, and the average female literacy rate across Italy is a lower 9%. Literacy rates in Central Italy were almost identical to that of Southern Italy, arguably because the schooling systems of Central and Southern Italy were more elitist than the Northern Italian one. This evidence suggests that, although partially present also before 1815, the wide magnitude of North–South gaps in literacy which characterized the country on the eve of the political unification (1861) originated after the Napoleonic period. Primary school centralization reforms might have helped women to rapidly improve literacy rates, leading to a first, regionally unequal, ‘Silent Revolution’ (Cappelli and Vasta in Cliometrica 15:1–27, 2020a).
Generalized Kannan-type contraction and fixed point theorems
Authors: Han Yan , Xu Shao-yuan , Ma Chao
Published: June 2023

In this paper, the generalized Kannan-type contraction in cone metric spaces over Banach algebras is introduced. The fixed point theorems satisfying generalized contractive conditions are obtained, without appealing to completeness of X or normality of the cone. The continuity of the mapping is relaxed. Furthermore, we prove that the completeness in cone metric spaces over Banach algebras is necessary if the generalized Kannan-type contraction has a fixed point in X. These results greatly generalize several well-known comparable results in the literature.
Towards Stable Free Lead Mixed Halide Perovskite Thin Films on FTO-Coated Glass Substrate
Authors: Doumbia Youssouf , Bouich Amal , Soucase Bernabé Mari , Soro Donafologo
Published: June 2023

All-inorganic cesium (Cs) lead perovskites have better thermal and chemical stability than organic–inorganic hybrids. They therefore represent a hope for stability and increased performance of perovskites as absorber layers in photovoltaic solar cells. In the present work, we have deposited different layers on FTO-coated glass substrates using the one-step spin-coating method. The results of the lead substitution are presented and critically discussed. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show four peaks for all three samples. The main peaks of the different films are located at the 2θ angles of 26.45° and 51.50° for the Muller indices (220) and (242), respectively. These two main peaks indicate that the prepared thin films all have two preferred crystallographic orientations. Beyond these two main peaks, we have two other smaller peaks at 2θ of 33.67° and 37.70° corresponding to the Muller indices of (210) and (211), respectively. The smoother the surface of the thin films, the more light they reflect, resulting in poor light absorption by the films. It is therefore important to obtain a surface image of the prepared films, as the larger the surface image, the better the film. With this in mind, we carried out a scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, which gave us the surface images. Figure 3 shows the SEM images of thin CsPb1−xSnxI1.5Br1.5 layers (x = 0, 0.5, and 1) grown on FTO-coated glass substrate with different [Pb]/[Sn] ratios. As can be seen from the figure, the effect of the [Pb]/[Sn] ratio is visible in the surface images of the different thin films. The smallest grain size is that of the unsubstituted CsPbI1.5Br1.5, while the largest grain size corresponds to the partially Pb-substituted layer (CsPb0.5Sn0.5I1.5Br1.5). The fully Pb-substituted layer (CsSnI1.5Br1.5) has an intermediate grain size. The surface images of the films show that the surfaces are well coated with grain sizes that vary greatly depending on the layer. The best grain size is that of the thin film with partial lead substitution (CsPb0.5Sn0.5I1.5Br1.5). Regarding the UV-visible absorption of the different films, we can say that the films absorb the maximum amount of light in the wavelength range of 350–550 nm. Above 550 nm, the absorption coefficients drop significantly. The absorption coefficients of the tin-free (Sn) layer remain higher than the coefficients of the other layers throughout the UV-visible spectrum. The degradation study revealed that the Sn-free layer retains good light absorption compared to the other layers after 4 weeks of exposure to the ambient environment. The crystal structure of all the layers shows good resistance to the elements during the 4 weeks, as shown by the renewed XRD results after the 4 weeks of exposure.