bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of increasing riverbank vegetation density on flow dynamics across an asymmetrical channel
Authors: Valyrakis Manousos , Liu Da , Turker Umut , Yagci Oral
Published: April 2021

Over the last two decades, the role of vegetation in the environmental and ecological restoration of surface water bodies has received much attention. In this context, the momentum exchange between the flow through the main channel and the riparian zone is a key mechanism. The primary goal of this study is to investigate the role of bank vegetation density on flow dynamics across the whole channel. This experimental study presents the major findings from a series of flow measurements across a channel having a sloping bank with vegetation at varying densities. The experiments are conducted under the same, uniform flow and fixed bed conditions, for a range of six linear and rectilinear arrangements of incremental streambank vegetation densities. A set of ten velocity profiles is obtained across the test cross-section of the channel, including the riverbank, for each vegetation density. These flow measurements are analyzed to derive roughness coefficients, which are related to the bulk flow velocities through the main channel and the riverbank and discuss the redistribution of flow velocities. An approximate doubling for the estimates of time-averaged boundary shear stress at the main channel, is observed for the case of no to dense vegetation, which enable further discussing implications for the stability of bed surface material. It is found that the vegetation arrangement, in addition to vegetation density, can have a strong impact in modifying the mean flow velocity at the main channel, for low riparian densities (φ < 0.6%).

Highlights

Flow dynamics are measured across the whole channel, including the vegetated riverbank.

As stem density increases, mean flow velocity in the main channel increases while mean flow at the riverbank decreases.

The arrangement of riparian vegetation can be as important as that of the density, in modifying the mean flow field of the main channel, for low riparian densities.

Bed shear stresses at the main channel are estimated to increase with riverbank vegetation, reducing the stability of the stream’s bed surface.
Examining the Potential Mental Health Costs of Defending Victims of Bullying: a Longitudinal Analysis
Authors: Malamut Sarah T. , Trach Jessica , Garandeau Claire F. , Salmivalli Christina
Published: April 2021

It has been speculated that defending victims of bullying is stressful for youth, and may contribute to poor mental health among those who regularly intervene to defend their victimized peers. However, the extant literature is thus far primarily limited to correlational, single-informant studies. The current study examined the concurrent and prospective mental health costs (e.g., social anxiety, depressive symptoms) of peer-reported defending among 4085 youth (43.9% boys; Mage = 14.56, SD = 0.75). Moreover, we examined two potential moderators (victimization and popularity) of the association between defending and internalizing problems. Analyses revealed that there was no evidence of a direct, positive relationship between defending and internalizing symptoms. However, a positive, concurrent association was found between defending and social anxiety, but only among youth who reported that they were also victims – the association was negative among non-victimized youth. In addition, both peer-reported victimization and social status were found to moderate the longitudinal relationship between defending and later symptoms of depression. Specifically, among low-status highly victimized youth, defending was associated with an increased risk of experiencing symptoms of depression, whereas high-status youth who were rarely seen as victims reported decreased symptoms of depression at T2 if they also had a reputation for defending others. The findings suggest that defending others is likely not a risk factor for youth who are not already vulnerable and/or have the protection of high status, and may actually have a protective effect for these youth.
Sensitivity Study of Design Parameters for a Fuel Cell Powered Multirotor Drone
Authors: Apeland Jørgen , Pavlou Dimitrios G. , Hemmingsen Tor
Published: April 2021

The use of multirotor drones for industrial applications is accelerating, and fuel cell based propulsion systems are highlighted as a promising approach to improve endurance – one of the current main limitations. Due to multirotor drones’ unique requirements, careful system design is needed to maximize the performance advantage. In this work a sensitivity analysis that quantifies the impact of central system parameters for an X8 multirotor drone with a 2 kW fuel cell hybrid system is presented and discussed. Thrust stand measurements identified a 20–30% efficiency loss from the coaxial configuration, and a ‘single’ configuration can reduce power consumption by 700 W at 25 kg take-off mass. Thus, a smaller fuel cell system can be used, giving an additional 1 kg mass saving and 75–140 W power reduction. Peak endurance is found at a 0.67 energy system weight fraction, and if batteries are improved from 180 Wh/kg to 350 Wh/kg, the energy system mass threshold from where fuel cells are superior rises from 7.4 kg to 8.5 kg. At 700 bar, a 3 L hydrogen cylinder can replace a 6 L at 300 bar, provide a 72-min endurance, and is the preferred option to reach minimum system volume. This work provides guidance in early conceptual stages and insights on how fuel cell based powerplants for multirotors can be improved and optimized to increase their value proposition. Further research can expand the work to cover other system variations and do experimental testing of system performance.
Large scale multi-label learning using Gaussian processes
Authors: Panos Aristeidis , Dellaportas Petros , Titsias Michalis K.
Published: April 2021

We introduce a Gaussian process latent factor model for multi-label classification that can capture correlations among class labels by using a small set of latent Gaussian process functions. To address computational challenges, when the number of training instances is very large, we introduce several techniques based on variational sparse Gaussian process approximations and stochastic optimization. Specifically, we apply doubly stochastic variational inference that sub-samples data instances and classes which allows us to cope with Big Data. Furthermore, we show it is possible and beneficial to optimize over inducing points, using gradient-based methods, even in very high dimensional input spaces involving up to hundreds of thousands of dimensions. We demonstrate the usefulness of our approach on several real-world large-scale multi-label learning problems.
autoBOT: evolving neuro-symbolic representations for explainable low resource text classification
Authors: Škrlj Blaž , Martinc Matej , Lavrač Nada , Pollak Senja
Published: April 2021

Learning from texts has been widely adopted throughout industry and science. While state-of-the-art neural language models have shown very promising results for text classification, they are expensive to (pre-)train, require large amounts of data and tuning of hundreds of millions or more parameters. This paper explores how automatically evolved text representations can serve as a basis for explainable, low-resource branch of models with competitive performance that are subject to automated hyperparameter tuning. We present autoBOT (automatic Bags-Of-Tokens), an autoML approach suitable for low resource learning scenarios, where both the hardware and the amount of data required for training are limited. The proposed approach consists of an evolutionary algorithm that jointly optimizes various sparse representations of a given text (including word, subword, POS tag, keyword-based, knowledge graph-based and relational features) and two types of document embeddings (non-sparse representations). The key idea of autoBOT is that, instead of evolving at the learner level, evolution is conducted at the representation level. The proposed method offers competitive classification performance on fourteen real-world classification tasks when compared against a competitive autoML approach that evolves ensemble models, as well as state-of-the-art neural language models such as BERT and RoBERTa. Moreover, the approach is explainable, as the importance of the parts of the input space is part of the final solution yielded by the proposed optimization procedure, offering potential for meta-transfer learning.
Pain and the field of affordances: an enactive approach to acute and chronic pain
Authors: Coninx Sabrina , Stilwell Peter
Published: April 2021

In recent years, the societal and personal impacts of pain, and the fact that we still lack an effective method of treatment, has motivated researchers from diverse disciplines to try to think in new ways about pain and its management. In this paper, we aim to develop an enactive approach to pain and the transition to chronicity. Two aspects are central to this project. First, the paper conceptualizes differences between acute and chronic pain, as well as the dynamic process of pain chronification, in terms of changes in the field of affordances. This is, in terms of the possibilities for action perceived by subjects in pain. As such, we aim to do justice to the lived experience of patients as well as the dynamic role of behavioral learning, neural reorganization, and socio-cultural practices in the generation and maintenance of pain. Second, we aim to show in which manners such an enactive approach may contribute to a comprehensive understanding of pain that avoids conceptual and methodological issues of reductionist and fragmented approaches. It proves particularly beneficial as a heuristic in pain therapy addressing the heterogenous yet dynamically intertwined aspects that may contribute to pain and its chronification.
Interaction of Soil Microbes with Organoclays and their Impact on the Immobilization of Hg under Aerobic Conditions
Authors: Egbo Timothy E. , Johs Alexander , Sahu Rajnish , Abdelmageed Yazeed , Ogbudu Jeffrey , Robertson Boakai K.
Published: April 2021

Immobilization of mercury (Hg) leaching from bank soils of East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) is considered part of remediation strategies to mitigate the amount of Hg entering the creek. Different approaches are currently being evaluated, such as utilizing engineered sorbents to immobilize Hg species in EFPC bank soils. However, the influence of environmental microbes on the immobilization of Hg by sorbents is unknown. Organocation-modified phyllosilicate clay minerals (organoclays) are widely used as sorbents for the immobilization of contaminants. This study evaluates the interactions of Serratia marcescens and Burkholderia thailandensis with the sorbent Organoclay PM-199 and their impact on the immobilization of Hg under aerobic conditions. We evaluated the competitive binding of Hg between sorbents and selected microorganisms in a series of pure culture studies using bacterial strains identified in EFPC bank soil samples. Our results suggest that Hg sorption by Organoclay PM-199 is not significantly impacted by common soil bacteria present in EFPC, specifically Serratia marcescens and Burkholderia thailandensis, which are known to form biofilms. These findings suggest that sorbent amendments are an effective strategy for the remediation of Hg contamination in natural ecosystems.
Public cooperation statements
Authors: Koessler Ann-Kathrin , Page Lionel , Dulleck Uwe
Published: April 2021

Communication is a well-known tool to promote cooperation and pro-social behavior. In this study, we examine whether minimal communication in form of public consent with a pre-defined cooperation statement is sufficient to strengthen cooperation in groups. Within the controlled environment of a laboratory experiment, we identify ways by which non-enforceable cooperation statements are associated with higher levels of cooperation in a public good setting. At first, the statement triggers selection; socially oriented individuals are more likely to make the cooperation statement. In addition, we can show that a behavioral change takes place once the statement is made. This change can be attributed to commitment arising from the pledge and to increased coordination between the interaction partners. Depending on the institutional context, these drivers can vary in strength. Comparing compulsory and voluntary cooperation statements, we find that both are effective in motivating higher contributions to the public good.
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Different Parts of Umbilical Cord: Approach to Comparison & Characteristics
Authors: Semenova Ekaterina , Grudniak Mariusz P , Machaj Eugeniusz K , Bocian Katarzyna , Chroscinska-Krawczyk Magdalena , Trochonowicz Marzena , Stepaniec Igor M , Murzyn Magdalena , Zagorska Karolina E , Boruczkowski Dariusz , Kolanowski Tomasz J , Oldak Tomasz , Rozwadowska Natalia
Published: April 2021

Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) are a unique population of cells that play an important role in the regeneration potential of the body. MSCs exhibit a characteristic phenotype and are capable of modulating the immune response. MSCs can be isolated from various tissues such as: bone marrow, adipose tissue, placenta, umbilical cord and others. The umbilical cord as a source of MSCs, has strong advantages, such as no-risk procedure of tissue retrieval after birth and easiness of the MSCs isolation. As the umbilical cord (UC) is a complex organ and we decided to evaluate, whether the cells derived from different regions of umbilical cord show similar or distinct properties. In this study we characterized and compared MSCs from three regions of the umbilical cord: Wharton’s Jelly (WJ), the perivascular space (PRV) and the umbilical membrane (UCM). The analysis was carried out in terms of morphology, phenotype, immunomodulation potential and secretome. Based on the obtained results, we were able to conclude, that MSCs derived from distinct UC regions differ in their properties. According to our result WJ-MSCs have high and stabile proliferation potential and phenotype, when compare with other MSCs and can be treated as a preferable source of cells for medical application.

Graphical abstract
Coherence in (meta)community networks
Authors: Gregorius Hans-Rolf , Gillet Elizabeth M. , Kosman Evsey
Published: April 2021

In a general sense, a metacommunity can be considered as a network of communities, the coherence of which is based on characteristics that are shared by members of different communities, whatever forces were responsible (dispersal, migration, local adaptation, etc.). The purpose is to show that by basing the assessment of coherence on the degree of nestedness of one community within another with respect to the shared characteristics, coherence components can be identified within the network. To assess coherence, a measure of nestedness is developed, and its application to complex (variable) object differences (including multiple traits or characters) is investigated. A community network is then viewed as a graph in which the nodes represent the communities and the edges connecting nodes are weighted by the reverse of the degrees of nestedness between the corresponding communities. Given this framework, it is argued that a minimum requirement for a set of communities to be coherent is the existence of a spanning tree known from graph theory, i.e. a subgraph that connects all nodes through a cycle-free sequence of edges with positive weights. Of all spanning trees, minimum spanning trees (MST, or spanning trees with the minimum sum of edge weights) are most indicative of coherence. By expressing the degree of coherence as one minus the average weight of the edges of an MST, it is uniquely determined which communities form a coherent set at any given level of community distinctness. By this method, community networks can be broken down into coherence components that are separated at a specified distinctness level. This is illustrated in a worked example showing how to apply graph theoretical methods to distinguish coherence components at various threshold levels of object difference (resolution) and community distinctness. These results provide a basis for discussion of coherence gradients and coherence at various levels of distinctness in terms of MST-characteristics. As intuitively expected and analytically confirmed, coherence is a non-decreasing function of the object difference threshold, and the number of coherence components is a non-increasing function of both the object difference and the community distinctness thresholds.
Backbone assignments, and effect of Asn deamidation, of the N-terminal region of the partitioning protein IncC1 from the plasmid RK2
Authors: Rehman M. Fayyaz , Jeeves M. , Hyde E. I.
Published: April 2021

IncC from the low-copy number plasmid RK2, is a member of the ParA family of proteins required for partitioning DNA in many bacteria and plasmids. It is an ATPase that binds DNA and its ParB protein partner, KorB. Together, the proteins move replicated DNA to appropriate cellular positions, so that each daughter cell inherits a copy on cell division. IncC from RK2 is expressed in two forms. IncC2 is homologous to bacterial ParA proteins, while IncC1 has an N-terminal extension of 105 amino acids and is similar in length to ParA homologues in other plasmids. We have been examining the role of this extension, here called IncC NTD. We present its backbone NMR chemical shift assignments and show that it is entirely intrinsically disordered. The assignments were achieved using C-detected, CON-based spectra, complemented by HNN spectra to obtain connectivities from three adjacent amino acids. We also observed evidence of deamidation of the protein at a GNGG sequence, to give isoAsp, giving 2 sets of peaks for residues up to 5 amino acids on either side of the modification. We have assigned resonances from around the position of modification for this form of the protein.
Alteration and dysfunction of ion channels/transporters in a hypoxic microenvironment results in the development and progression of gastric cancer
Authors: Chen Junling , Zhang Minglin , Ma Zhiyuan , Yuan Dumin , Zhu Jiaxing , Tuo Biguang , Li Taolang , Liu Xuemei
Published: April 2021

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant cancers in the world and has only few treatment options and, concomitantly, a poor prognosis. It is generally accepted now that the tumor microenvironment, particularly that under hypoxia, plays an important role in cancer development. Hypoxia can regulate the energy metabolism and malignancy of tumor cells by inducing or altering various important factors, such as oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS), hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), autophagy and acidosis. In addition, altered expression and/or dysfunction of ion channels/transporters (ICTs) have been encountered in a variety of human tumors, including GC, and to play an important role in the processes of tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. Increasing evidence indicates that ICTs are at least partly involved in interactions between cancer cells and their hypoxic microenvironment. Here, we provide an overview of the different ICTs that regulate or are regulated by hypoxia in GC.

Conclusions and perspectives

Hypoxia is one of the major obstacles to cancer therapy. Regulating cellular responses and factors under hypoxia can inhibit GC. Similarly, altering the expression or activity of ICTs, such as the application of ion channel inhibitors, can slow down the growth and/or migration of GC cells. Since targeting the hypoxic microenvironment and/or ICTs may be a promising strategy for the treatment of GC, more attention should be paid to the interplay between ICTs and the development and progression of GC in such a microenvironment.
An insight into inhibitory performance of Commiphora Mukul on corrosion of aluminum alloy under tribological conditions
Authors: Mulky Lavanya , Murthy V. Ramachandra , Rao Padmalatha
Published: April 2021

An eco-friendly green corrosion inhibitor Commiphora Mukul was tested for its efficacy to control material loss in 6061 aluminum alloy under collective influence of mechanical erosion and electrochemical corrosion in a submerged jet impingement rig. Electrochemical techniques were utilized in the current investigation which consisted of potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The effect of temperature and flowrate of artificial seawater slurry on the inhibitory effect of Commiphora Mukul is investigated. Under the experimental conditions of 303 K temperature and 4 L min−1 flowrate, the inhibitor showed an efficiency of 54% as determined by the potentiodynamic polarization studies. With the increase in temperature and flowrate of artificial seawater slurry, the protection efficiency of the inhibitor decreased. Protection efficiency of 35% was observed. Possible reasons for this phenomenon were discussed. Electrochemical impedance studies reported that the process is both charge transfer and diffusion controlled. At 323 K, the diffusion component was prominent for all the studied flowrates of 4 L min−1, 8 L min−1, and 12 L min−1. It seems that the moving medium makes it challenging for the inhibitor molecules to adsorb on the metal surface in the presence of abrasive particles.
A two-agent one-machine multitasking scheduling problem solving by exact and metaheuristics
Authors: Wu Chin-Chia , Azzouz Ameni , Chen Jia-Yang , Xu Jianyou , Shen Wei-Lun , Lu Lingfa , Ben Said Lamjed , Lin Win-Chin
Published: April 2021

This paper studies a single-machine multitasking scheduling problem together with two-agent consideration. The objective is to look for an optimal schedule to minimize the total tardiness of one agent subject to the total completion time of another agent has an upper bound. For this problem, a branch-and-bound method equipped with several dominant properties and a lower bound is exploited to search optimal solutions for small size jobs. Three metaheuristics, cloud simulated annealing algorithm, genetic algorithm, and simulated annealing algorithm, each with three improvement ways, are proposed to find the near-optimal solutions for large size jobs. The computational studies, experiments, are provided to evaluate the capabilities for the proposed algorithms. Finally, statistical analysis methods are applied to compare the performances of these algorithms.
A genre trust model for defending shilling attacks in recommender systems
Authors: Yang Li , Niu Xinxin
Published: April 2021

Shilling attacks have been a significant vulnerability of collaborative filtering (CF) recommender systems, and trust in CF recommender algorithms has been proven to be helpful for improving the accuracy of system recommendations. As a few studies have been devoted to trust in this area, we explore the benefits of using trust to resist shilling attacks. Rather than simply using user-generated trust values, we propose the genre trust degree, which differ in terms of the genres of items and take both trust value and user credibility into consideration. This paper introduces different types of shilling attack methods in an attempt to study the impact of users’ trust values and behavior features on defending against shilling attacks. Meanwhile, it improves the approach used to calculate user similarities to form a recommendation model based on genre trust degrees. The performance of the genre trust-based recommender system is evaluated on the Ciao dataset. Experimental results demonstrated the superior and comparable genre trust degrees recommended for defending against different types of shilling attacks.
Rainfall and runoff time-series trend analysis using LSTM recurrent neural network and wavelet neural network with satellite-based meteorological data: case study of Nzoia hydrologic basin
Authors: Ouma Yashon O. , Cheruyot Rodrick , Wachera Alice N.
Published: April 2021

This study compares LSTM neural network and wavelet neural network (WNN) for spatio-temporal prediction of rainfall and runoff time-series trends in scarcely gauged hydrologic basins. Using long-term in situ observed data for 30 years (1980–2009) from ten rain gauge stations and three discharge measurement stations, the rainfall and runoff trends in the Nzoia River basin are predicted through satellite-based meteorological data comprising of: precipitation, mean temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation. The prediction modelling was carried out in three sub-basins corresponding to the three discharge stations. LSTM and WNN were implemented with the same deep learning topological structure consisting of 4 hidden layers, each with 30 neurons. In the prediction of the basin runoff with the five meteorological parameters using LSTM and WNN, both models performed well with respective R2 values of 0.8967 and 0.8820. The MAE and RMSE measures for LSTM and WNN predictions ranged between 11–13 m3/s for the mean monthly runoff prediction. With the satellite-based meteorological data, LSTM predicted the mean monthly rainfall within the basin with R2 = 0.8610 as compared to R2 = 0.7825 using WNN. The MAE for mean monthly rainfall trend prediction was between 9 and 11 mm, while the RMSE varied between 15 and 21 mm. The performance of the models improved with increase in the number of input parameters, which corresponded to the size of the sub-basin. In terms of the computational time, both models converged at the lowest RMSE at nearly the same number of epochs, with WNN taking slightly longer to attain the minimum RMSE. The study shows that in hydrologic basins with scarce meteorological and hydrological monitoring networks, the use satellite-based meteorological data in deep learning neural network models are suitable for spatial and temporal analysis of rainfall and runoff trends.
Academic integrity at doctoral level: the influence of the imposter phenomenon and cultural differences on academic writing
Authors: Cutri Jennifer , Freya Amar , Karlina Yeni , Patel Sweta Vijaykumar , Moharami Mehdi , Zeng Shaoru , Manzari Elham , Pretorius Lynette
Published: April 2021

This conceptual review seeks to reframe the view of academic integrity as something to be enforced to an academic skill that needs to be developed. The authors highlight how practices within academia create an environment where feelings of inadequacy thrive, leading to behaviours of unintentional academic misconduct. Importantly, this review includes practical suggestions to help educators and higher education institutions support doctoral students’ academic integrity skills. In particular, the authors highlight the importance of explicit academic integrity instruction, support for the development of academic literacy skills, and changes in supervisory practices that encourage student and supervisor reflexivity. Therefore, this review argues that, through the use of these practical strategies, academia can become a space where a culture of academic integrity can flourish.
An autonomous mobile manipulator to build outdoor structures consisting of heterogeneous brick patterns
Authors: Basiri Meysam , Gonçalves João , Rosa José , Vale Alberto , Lima Pedro
Published: April 2021

This paper describes the implementation of an autonomous mobile manipulator to build outdoor structures consisting of heterogeneous brick patterns, finding applications in different industrial automation, manufacturing and civil construction scenarios. This system was developed for the Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC) 2020, to demonstrate the novel real-world application of constructing structures using teams of robots, showcasing once again the role of major scientific competitions in advancing the state of the art towards exploring solutions to open problems. The paper presents in detail the hardware and software architectures of the developed mobile manipulator, integrating different research results and developments into a functional complex robot system, while proposing methods to detect, approach and manipulate differently sized/colored bricks to build a wall of predefined pattern given to the robot just before the building task starts.

Article Highlights

Full system description of an autonomous mobile manipulator for construction tasks tested in a realistic setting

Algorithms for detection, localization, picking and placement of heterogeneous building blocks to form large structures

Versatile service robot capable of smooth adaptation to other functions developed through scientific robot competitions
Threat of arsenic contamination, salinity and water pollution in agricultural practices of Sundarban Delta, India, and mitigation strategies
Authors: Nath Anirban , Samanta Sourav , Banerjee Saon , Danda Anamitra Anurag , Hazra Sugata
Published: April 2021

The paper through a critical appraisal of the agricultural practices in the Indian Sundarban deltaic region explores the tripartite problems of arsenic biomagnification, salinity of arable lands and ingress of agrochemical pollutants into the freshwater resources, which endanger the health, livelihood and food security of the rural population inhabiting the delta. The threefold problem has rendered a severe blow to the agrarian economy consequently triggering large-scale outmigration of the rural population from the region. Although recent studies have addressed these issues separately, the inter-connectivity among these elements and their possible long-term impact upon sustainability in the Sundarbans are yet to be elucidated. In the current scenario, the study emphasizes that the depleting freshwater resources is at the heart of the threefold problems affecting the Sundarbans. Owing to the heavy siltation of the local river systems, freshwater resources from the local ravines have salinized beyond the point of being used for agricultural purposes. At the same time, increasing salinity levels resulting from fluctuation of pre- and post-monsoon rainfall, frequent cyclones and capillary movement of salinized groundwater (primarily during theRabiseason) have severely hampered the agricultural practices. Salinization of above groundwater reserves has forced the farmers toward utilization of groundwater, which are lifted using STWs, especially for rice and other cultivations in theRabiseason. The Holocene aquifers of the region retain toxic levels of arsenic which are lifted during the irrigation process and are deposited on to the agricultural fields, resulting in bioaccumulation of As in the food products resourced from the area. The compound effect of consuming arsenic-contaminated food and drinking water has resulted in severe health issues recorded among the local population in the delta. Furthermore, due to the sub-optimal conditions for sustaining agriculture under saline stress, farmers often opt for the cultivation of post-green revolution high-yielding varieties, which require additional inputs of nitrogen-based fertilizers, organophosphate herbicides and pesticides that are frequently washed away by runoff from the watershed into the low-lying catchment areas of the biosphere reserve. Such practices have endangered the vulnerable conditions of local flora and fauna. In the present situation, the study proposes mitigation strategies which necessitate the smart use of locally obtainable resources like water, adaptable cultivars and sustainable agronomic practices like organic farming. The study also suggests engaging of conventional plant breeding strategies such as “Evolutionary plant breeding” for obtaining cultivars adapted to the shifting ecological conditions of the delta in the long run.
Ethics of Corporeal, Co-present Robots as Agents of Influence: a Review
Authors: Moon AJung , Rismani Shalaleh , Van der Loos H. F. Machiel
Published: April 2021

Purpose of Review

To summarize the set of roboethics issues that uniquely arise due to the corporeality and physical interaction modalities afforded by robots, irrespective of the degree of artificial intelligence present in the system.

Recent Findings

One of the recent trends in the discussion of ethics of emerging technologies has been the treatment of roboethics issues as those of “embodied AI,” a subset of AI ethics. In contrast to AI, however, robots leverage human’s natural tendency to be influenced by our physical environment. Recent work in human-robot interaction highlights the impact a robot’s presence, capacity to touch, and move in our physical environment has on people, and helping to articulate the ethical issues particular to the design of interactive robotic systems.

The corporeality of interactive robots poses unique sets of ethical challenges. These issues should be considered in the design irrespective of and in addition to the ethics of artificial intelligence implemented in them.
Philosophy and Religion in Plato's Dialogues
Authors: Nightingale Andrea
Published: April 2021

In ancient Greece, philosophers developed new and dazzling ideas about divinity, drawing on the deep well of poetry, myth, and religious practices even as they set out to construct new theological ideas. Andrea Nightingale argues that Plato shared in this culture and appropriates specific Greek religious discourses and practices to present his metaphysical philosophy. In particular, he uses the Greek conception of divine epiphany - a god appearing to humans - to claim that the Forms manifest their divinity epiphanically to the philosopher, with the result that the human soul becomes divine by contemplating these Forms and the cosmos. Nightingale also offers a detailed discussion of the Eleusinian Mysteries and the Orphic Mysteries and shows how these mystery religions influenced Plato's thinking. This book offers a robust challenge to the idea that Plato is a secular thinker.
Coming to Terms with Our Musical Past
Authors: Goehring Edmund J.
Published: April 2021

A bold, restorative vision of Mozart's works, and Western art music generally, as manifestations of an idealism rooted in the sociable nature of humans.
A transnational judicial public sphere as an idea and ideology: Critical reflections on judicial dialogue and its legitimizing potential
Authors: TRAISBACH KNUT
Published: April 2021

This article sheds a critical light on judicial dialogue when its purpose and meaning are taken beyond cross-fertilization and comparative reasoning. It cautions against a conceptualization of judicial dialogue as a means to foster commonalities between courts and to legitimize judicial governance. The argument develops from an idealized notion of a ‘transnational judicial public sphere’. In this sphere, domestic, regional and international courts ideally form common opinions through dialogue and pursue common purposes. The danger of this understanding is to construct a new paradigm that not only overlooks important differences in the interest, influence and opinion of courts, but also overstates the socio-normative significance of exchanges between courts and of judicial governance in general. The critical potential of judicial dialogues lies less in the formation of commonalities or in the legitimization of judicial authority than in bringing alternatives and a plurality of opinions to the fore.
Changes in the Ultrasonographical Appearance of Intertwin-Dividing Membrane of Monochorionic Diamniotic Twin Pregnancy
Authors: Soga Eri , Murakoshi Takeshi , Terada Shuhei , Konno Hiroko
Published: April 2021

Ultrasound determination of chorionicity in the first trimester has a high accuracy, but it is associated with some pitfalls. This report presents changes in ultrasound findings during a monochorionic pregnancy with chorionic membrane folding (CMF). The patient was a 32-year-old woman, gravida 2 para 0. Her transvaginal ultrasonography identified two gestational sacs (GSs) and two embryos at 7 weeks of gestation. At 9 weeks’ gestation, an ultrasound image showed a lambda sign at both sides and the interruption of chorionic membranes, resulting in the diagnosis of a monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancy with CMF. At 11 weeks’ gestation, an ultrasound image showed a lambda sign at one portion of the septum and a T sign at another portion. This change suggested that the folded chorionic membrane had partially flattened. At 35 weeks’ gestation, an emergency cesarean section was performed. Two healthy male neonates were delivered. Histological placental examination confirmed that the intertwin membrane was composed of two amniotic membranes without a folded chorionic membrane, confirming the diagnosis of a MCDA twin pregnancy. This case presents two important ultrasound chorionicity findings: a monochorionic pregnancy with CMF can show two GSs and a lambda sign and the CMF can flatten or change during the pregnancy.
The Influence of Prior Knowledge on Memory and Metamemory for Famous Names and Faces
Authors: Toth Jeffrey P. , Daniels Karen A.
Published: April 2021

Abstract. Two experiments examined the effect of prior knowledge on memory and metamemory for names and faces using famous 1960s and 2000s actors as the manipulation of prior knowledge. In Experiment 1, 66 participants studied the names of famous actors, half presented with their faces, with instructions to remember only the names. In Experiment 2, 56 participants studied the faces of these actors, half presented with their names, with instructions to remember only the faces. In both experiments, participants made immediate Judgments of Learning (JOLs) for each to-be-remembered stimulus followed by a test of recognition that used a Recollect/Familiar/No-Memory judgment. We found higher JOLs, recognition memory, and JOL accuracy for 2000s actors. Adding a name to a face or a face to a name increased JOLs while paradoxically decreasing memory. Back-sorting and binning analyses converged on the conclusion that immediate JOLs predicted memories accompanied by recollection but not familiarity.
Cenozoic Dynamic Topography of Madagascar
Authors: Stephenson S. N. , White N. J. , Carter A. , Seward D. , Ball P. W. , Klöcking M.
Published: April 2021

It has been proposed that Oligo‐Miocene regional uplift of Madagascar was generated and is maintained by mantle dynamical processes. Expressions of regional uplift include flat‐lying Upper Cretaceous‐Paleogene marine limestones that crop out at elevations of hundreds of meters along the western seaboard and emergent Quaternary coral‐rich terraces that rim the coastline. Here, we explore the history of subcrustal topographic support through a combined analysis of four sets of observational constraints. First, we exploit published receiver function estimates of crustal thickness and spectral admittance between gravity and topography. An admittance value of ∼+40 ± 10 mGal km−1 at wavelengths >500 km implies that ∼1 km of topography is supported by subcrustal processes. Secondly, new apatite fission‐track and helium measurements from 18 basement samples are inverted, constraining temperature and denudation histories. Results suggest that 0.5–1.6 km of regional uplift occurred after ∼30 Ma. Thirdly, we calculate a history of regional uplift by minimizing the misfit between observed and calculated longitudinal river profiles. Results suggest that topography was generated during Neogene times. Finally, inverse modeling of rare earth element concentrations in Neogene mafic rocks indicates that melting of the asthenospheric source occurred at depths of ≤65 km with potential temperatures of 1300–1370 °C. Melting occurred at higher temperatures beneath Réunion Island and northern Madagascar and at lower temperatures beneath the Comores and southern Madagascar. These inferences are consistent with shear wave velocities obtained from tomographic models. We conclude that Madagascar is underlain by thinned lithospheric mantle and that a thermal anomaly lies within an asthenospheric layer beneath northern Madagascar.
Ion Acceleration by Foreshock Bubbles
Authors: Omidi N. , Lee S. H. , Sibeck D. G.
Published: April 2021

Foreshock bubbles (FBs) form as a result of the interaction between solar wind discontinuities and backstreaming ion beams in the foreshock. They are carried by the solar wind in the anti‐sunward direction and are associated with high energy ions. We employ electromagnetic hybrid (kinetic ions, fluid electrons) simulations and test particle calculations to investigate ion acceleration by FBs. Simulation results show that the maximum energies which the ions attain are not sensitive to the topology of the FBs, which varies from spherical to planar limits. However, the solar wind velocity does control the maximum energies reached by FB acceleration. Test particle calculations show that ion energization takes place through reflection of sunward moving ions from FBs through one or more collisions consistent with second‐order Fermi acceleration. The results also indicate that energy gain does not reach that expected for elastic reflections. Examination of ion energy spectra within different FBs shows a self‐similar pattern consisting of distribution peaked at the solar wind ram energy Esw with a distribution tail that reaches energies of ∼5.6 Esw. This behavior is consistent with second‐order Fermi acceleration and the inherent limitations on energy gain in this process. We also discuss the role of nonlinear structures called foreshock cavitons in the acceleration process.
Single‐Crystal Elasticity of MgSiO3 Bridgmanite to Mid‐Lower Mantle Pressure
Authors: Criniti Giacomo , Kurnosov Alexander , Boffa Ballaran Tiziana , Frost Daniel J.
Published: April 2021

The combination of seismic observations and mineral physics data represents a unique tool to understand the structure and evolution of the deep Earth's interior. However, to date, elasticity data on both compressional (vP) and shear (vS) wave velocities of MgSiO3 bridgmanite are limited to shallow mantle conditions, hampering the resolution of mineral physics models. Here, we report the first single‐crystal measurements of vP and vS of MgSiO3 bridgmanite up to ∼79 GPa using high‐pressure Brillouin scattering and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell. At shallow lower mantle pressures, the elastic anisotropy of MgSiO3 bridgmanite was found to be similar, albeit smaller than that of Fe,Al‐bearing bridgmanite of Kurnosov et al. (2017) but differed significantly from that proposed in the recent study of Fu et al. (2019). Using the elastic stiffness coefficients of bridgmanite obtained in this study at different pressures, we calculate the pressure dependence of the adiabatic bulk modulus, KS0 = 257.1(6) GPa, K'S0 = 3.71(4), and of the shear modulus, G0 = 175.6(2) GPa, G'0 = 1.86(1). These elastic parameters are included in a self‐consistent thermodynamic model to calculate seismic wave velocities along a lower mantle adiabat for a primitive upper mantle bulk composition in the FeO‐CaO‐MgO‐SiO2 system, which is currently the most complex system for which sufficient data exist. This preliminary model provides a good match to the vS and vP of 1D seismic models, implying that the composition of the lower mantle may be closer to pyrolite, rather than being more bridgmanite rich.
Nature of the Mantle Plume Under the Emeishan Large Igneous Province: Constraints From Olivine‐Hosted Melt Inclusions of the Lijiang Picrites
Authors: Zhang Lei , Ren Zhong‐Yuan , Zhang Le , Wu Ya‐Dong , Qian Sheng‐Ping , Xia Xiao‐Ping , Xu Yi‐Gang
Published: April 2021

Olivine‐hosted melt inclusions have the potential to provide direct evidence about the nature of the mantle sources of magmas. In this study, we report the major and trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotope compositions of the Lijiang picrites from the Emeishan large igneous province, as well as major and trace element and Pb isotopic compositions of olivine‐hosted melt inclusions in the picrites. Using these data, we infer the nature of the mantle sources for the Lijiang high‐Ti picrites (Ti/Y = 645–654), and compare them with the Dali low‐Ti picrites (Ti/Y = 351–408). Lijiang melt inclusions have highly heterogeneous Pb isotope compositions (208Pb/206Pb = 2.015–2.201, 207Pb/206Pb = 0.812–0.882, 260 Ma age‐corrected) that overlap the majority of the fields from FOZO to enriched mantle 1 (EM1). The primitive mantle‐normalized trace element patterns of these melt inclusions reveal an enriched composition with depletions in Ba, Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf. We suggest that an old recycled GLOSS II‐like sediment was probably the main component that imparted the EM1 signature into the sources of the Lijiang picrites. Furthermore, we reverse calculated the mantle potential temperature (Tp) beneath Lijiang and Dali using the Al‐in‐ol temperature. The estimated mantle Tp beneath Lijiang is lower than Dali. We infer that the Lijiang picrites might have originated from the mantle plume with lower thermal energy, corresponding to the waning stage of the axis of the Emeishan mantle plume. Our study suggest that high‐Ti magmas of the Emeishan large igneous province were derived from those parts or stages of the mantle plume with lower thermal energy.
Reconciling Between Optical and Biological Determinants of the Euphotic Zone Depth
Authors: Wu Jinghui , Lee Zhongping , Xie Yuyuan , Goes Joaquim , Shang Shaoling , Marra John F. , Lin Gong , Yang Lei , Huang Bangqin
Published: April 2021

The conventional use of optically determined 1% of surface photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) depth (Z1%PAR, λ = 400–700 nm) as a metric for the euphotic zone depth (Zeu) has been a matter of debate for several decades because of frequent inconsistencies with the base of euphotic zone determined biologically, that is, the compensation depth (Zc). In this study, we attempt to reconcile between optical and biological determinants of the euphotic zone through the use of a large data set of coincidental profiles of downwelling irradiance and primary production. These measurements cover open ocean waters in the tropics, subtropics, temperate regions, and from two time‐series stations, the Hawaii Ocean Time‐series (HOT) and the Bermuda Atlantic Time‐series Study (BATS). We report that, at least for these measurements, Z1%PAR is too shallow (by 14.1%) compared to Zc, while Z0.1%PAR is too deep (by 32.7%). Further, the irradiance at Zc (i.e., the compensation irradiance, Ic) varies by a factor of more than five, but its ratio to surface irradiance is relatively stable. In general, Ic corresponds to 0.48 ± 0.23% of surface PAR, or 0.87 ± 0.40% of surface usable solar radiation (USR, for λ = 400–560 nm), or 1.50 ± 0.67% of surface downwelling irradiance at 490 nm. These results suggest that Z0.5%PAR, or Z0.9%USR, or Z1.5%490 could be promising alternatives to bridge the optical and biological determinants of the euphotic zone depths for waters in the open ocean at low to middle latitudes.
Turf’s Dirty Little Secret
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: April 2021

Greenhouse gas emissions from sports fields may be scoring points for climate change.