bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐term processes between Classic and Postclassic populations in the Mexico basin
Authors: Meza‐Peñaloza Abigail , Zertuche Federico , Bautista‐Martínez Josefina
Published: October 2023

The study of nonmetric traits is useful for establishing biological differences or affinities between populations. This study considered 12 nonmetric cranial characters. The objective is to compare five series of two different cultural horizons: three populations of the Teotihuacán Classic period and two of the Mexica Postclassic period. For the selection of nonmetric traits, those not altered by intentional cephalic modification were considered. From the sample of materials, it was assessed whether the populations of the Classic period could have biological and cultural affinity between them, making a migratory interpretation which indicates differences in nonmetric characters between them. The mean measure of divergence (MMD) was considered as bio‐distance. The distance matrix was analyzed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean and nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Frequencies were studied using the principal component analysis. Mantel test and partial Mantel test were used to compare the distance matrix obtained with the MMD with sites geographical distance matrix, type of settlements matrix, and period of the site's matrix. In none of those cases were found a correlation at the
level. Making more plausible that the results of the nonmetric traits MMD matrix agree with a migration process. All methods agree on separating Classical populations into one group and Postclassic populations into another. The archeological contexts, and the study of the material culture found, agree with the analysis of nonmetric characters.
Accumulated physical activity and the association with obesity, fitness, and cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy adults
Authors: Jackson Ronald E. , Lang Wei , Rogers Renee J. , Schelbert Erik B. , Kovacs Sara J. , Creasy Seth A. , Jakicic John M.
Published: October 2023

Objective

This study examined the prevalence of ≥150 min/wk of moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) using different criteria for bout length and to examine associations with measures of obesity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiometabolic risk factors in healthy adults with overweight or obesity.

Methods

Baseline data from healthy adults (N = 375; age [mean ± SD] = 45.2 ± 7.7 years; BMI = 32.3 ± 3.8 kg/m2) enrolled in a behavioral weight‐loss intervention were examined cross‐sectionally. Categorization was by objectively measured MVPA as follows: 1) LOW‐MVPA: <150 min/wk (n = 122, 32.5%); 2) MVPA‐NON‐BOUTED: ≥150 min/wk in bouts < 10 min (n = 72, 19.2%); 3) MVPA‐COMBINED: ≥150 min/wk with a combination of bouts < 10 and ≥10 min (n = 50, 13.3%); and 4) MVPA‐BOUTED: ≥150 min/wk with bouts ≥ 10 min (n = 131, 34.9%).

Results

Weight, BMI, and waist circumference were higher in the LOW‐MVPA category versus the other categories. Body fatness was significantly lower in the MVPA‐BOUTED category compared with the LOW‐MVPA category (p < 0.05). Differences by category for cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic risk factors were limited.

Conclusions

Some adults with overweight or obesity may be more active than they perceived themselves to be, and accumulation of ≥150 min/wk of MVPA may have favorable effects on weight and adiposity status. Findings may influence physical activity recommendations, and confirmation with prospective and randomized studies is needed.
Fiscal transfers, local government, and entrepreneurship
Authors: Danisewicz Piotr , Ongena Steven
Published: October 2023

Can local government spending spur entrepreneurial activity? To answer this question, we study a setting where, around multiple pre‐determined and non‐manipulable thresholds, municipalities with lower tax revenues receive direct and different monetary grants from the national budget. Employing a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, we find a positive impact of fiscal transfers on the number of firms, especially sole proprietorships and small firms. The impact is stronger in municipalities where the opposition is more involved in the legislative process or more parties are represented in the municipal council.
Fundamental solution in the coupled theory of thermoelastic nanoporous materials with triple porosity
Authors: Svanadze Merab
Published: October 2023

In this paper, the linear coupled theory of thermoelasticity for nanoporous materials with a triple porosity structure based on Darcy's law and the volume fraction concept is considered. The fundamental solution of the system of steady vibration equations is constructed by means of elementary functions. Finally, some basic properties of this solution are established.
A constitutive modeling approach to simulate time‐dependent phenomena in rubber‐like materials
Authors: Landgraf Ralf , Ihlemann Jörn
Published: October 2023

Industrial rubber materials and similar rubber‐like materials exhibit complex mechanical behavior including nonlinear stress‐strain behavior up to large strains, hysteresis, Mullins effect, permanent set, as well as time‐dependent effects, like relaxation and rate dependency. The modeling of all these phenomena is a challenging task. One constitutive model that is capable to capture many effects in the large strain regime is the so‐called model of rubber phenomenology (MORPH). However, it is not able to capture any of the mentioned time‐dependent phenomena. Thus, this contribution deals with the extension of this model to simulate relaxation and rate dependency of rubber‐like materials. Thereby, a basic modeling approach is proposed, where only a slight change in the original system of tensorial equations is necessary. This approach is further extended by applying not only a constant relaxation time, but also loading history‐depended relaxation properties. For numerical simulations, a time discretization has to be applied to the constitutive equations, which is briefly shown. Finally, the extended MORPH model is applied to two different materials: an industrial rubber material and a polyurethane based adhesive. In both cases, the extended MORPH model is adjusted to uniaxial tension test data by parameter identification procedures. It will be shown that basic time‐dependent phenomena of rubber‐like materials can be captured well with the proposed extensions.
Data‐driven finite element computation of microstructured materials
Authors: Weinberg Kerstin
Published: October 2023

This paper presents a model‐free data‐driven strategy for linear and non‐linear finite element computations of open‐cell foam. Employing sets of material data, the data‐driven problem is formulated as the minimization of a distance function subjected to the physical constraints from the kinematics and the balance laws of the mechanical problem.

The material data sets of the foam are deduced here from representative microscopic material volumes. These volume elements capture the stochastic characteristics of the open‐cell microstructure and the properties of the polyurethane material. Their computation provides the required stress‐strain data used in the macroscopic finite element computations without postulating a specific constitutive model. The paper shows how to derive suitable material data sets for the different cases of (non‐)linear and (an‐)isotropic material behavior efficiently. The numerical example of a rubber sealing illustrates possible areas of application, and the proposed strategy's versatility.
Mechanical properties of modified aramid three‐dimensional braided composites
Authors: Li Cuiyu , Shi Mengxiao , Xing Wenjin , Song Jiajia , Shan Jingting , Zhang Lei , Feng Changhong
Published: October 2023

Three‐dimensional (3D) braided composites have good integrity and high stability, but aramid fiber (AF) has an inert surface and poor interfacial bonding with resin, which affects the mechanical properties of aramid 3D braided composites and limits their development. This paper used catechol/pyrogallol polyamine (CA/PGPA) to modify the AF. The effects of different mass fraction ratios of CA/PGPA and different reaction temperatures on the surface properties of AF and the mechanical properties of 3D braided composites were investigated. The results showed that after the CA/PGPA modification, fiber surface oxygen‐containing groups increased, the roughness became more extensive, the fiber strength increased, and the interfacial shear strength increased. When AF‐CAPG‐II‐40°C, the mechanical properties of the 3D braided composites were improved most significantly. Compared with unmodified composites, the bending modulus was increased by 70%, the compression modulus by 124%, and the shear strength by 55.7%. The epoxy resin modification was carried out based on AF‐CAPG‐II‐40°C, and when the mass fraction of aramid nanofiber/graphene nanoparticle (ANF/G) was 0.7 wt%, 3D braided composites exhibited satisfactory mechanical properties. The bending modulus, compression modulus, and shear strength were increased by 15.3%, 23.3%, and 25.7%, respectively, compared with AF‐CAPG‐II‐40°C.
Flexible electrospun PVDF/WO3 nanocomposite fibers for piezoelectric energy harvesting applications
Authors: Arul N. , Suresh M. , Satthiyaraju M. , Babu N. B. Karthik
Published: October 2023

The emerging field of energy harvesting depends on the electrically conductive materials that are highly flexible and deformable. The morphological, structural, thermal, mechanical, and piezoelectric output studies of electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and PVDF/WO3 nanorods composite nanofibers were investigated for the piezoelectric energy harvesting applications. There is a significant enhancement in the piezoelectric β phase after the addition of the WO3 nanorods into the PVDF. The elemental composition of the PVDF/WO3 nanorods composite nanofibers is confirmed by the W, O, F, and C elements. The thermal stability of the WO3 nanorods added composite nanofibers was increased up to 30°C in reference to TGA responses. Based on the mechanical test, the maximum tensile strength and modulus of elasticity were enhanced around by 220 and 246% for the WO3‐integrated PVDF nanofibers. Furthermore, the piezoelectric coefficient of 18.98 pC/N is achieved for the composite PVDF nanofibers which are mainly due to the improvement of the electroactive β phase. The piezoelectric energy harvesting responses were found an output voltage of 2.1 V based on the microstrain set‐up. Thus, these WO3 nanorods incorporated PVDF nanofibers keep the great potential for the piezoelectric energy harvesting, wearable electronics and biomedical applications.
Foam processability of polypropylene/sisal fiber composites having near‐critical fiber length for acoustic absorption properties
Authors: Bhagat Ajit Babarao , Pal Ruchi , Ghosh Anup K.
Published: October 2023

The current research aims to develop a sound‐absorbing material from polypropylene (PP) and sisal fibers (SFs). The study explores the foam processability of PP/SF composites with near‐critical fiber length, employing supercritical CO2‐assisted batch foaming technology. Optimized foam processing conditions were determined to be 145°C, 100 bar, and 15 min saturation time. These conditions resulted in foams with the lowest density, maximum volume expansion ratio and an overall microcellular structure. Notably, increasing the fiber concentration significantly enhanced the compressive properties, exhibiting a remarkable 3000% improvement with the addition of 40 wt% SFs. Dynamic mechanical analysis further revealed improved dampening properties of the composites after foaming. Moreover, the incorporation of SFs led to an increase in the noise reduction coefficient, while foaming additionally improved the sound absorption properties. This renders the material highly applicable for soundproofing purposes. Thus, produced PP/SF microcellular foams offer properties that can potentially be used to produce lightweight structural components for acoustic absorption applications.
Effect of fillers on the microphase separation in polyurethane composites: A review
Authors: Jiang Jiahao , Gao Hanyang , Wang Mengjie , Gao Liang , Hu Guoxin
Published: October 2023

The microphase separation behavior of polyurethane (PU) strongly affects its mechanical, thermal, electrical, and other functional properties. Adding fillers to change the degree of microphase separation (DPS) in PU is a convenient and efficient method. Although many scholars have tried to regulate the microphase separation of PU by adding fillers, there are still many controversies about the effect. In this review, we classify commonly used fillers into three categories according to their morphology: spherical fillers, fibrous fillers, and layered fillers, and summarize their effects on the microphase separation behavior of PU. We explore the similarities and differences in the mechanisms by which different fillers affect the microphase separation of PU, and find that the polarity, morphology, size of fillers, and preparation method have a significant impact on the degree of microphase separation in PU. The impact of microphase separation on the mechanical properties of PU has also been summarized to illustrate their close relationship. We hope that these summaries will provide some guidance for the development of new high‐strength and multifunctional PU composites.

Highlights

Summarized recent research progress on effect of common fillers on DPS of PU.

Common fillers are classified into three categories based on their morphology.

Common laws of the fillers impact on the DPS are classified and discussed.

The close relationship between DPS and mechanical properties is reviewed.

Provided information for high‐strength and multifunctional PU development.
Falling off the screening grid—Predictors for postponed utilization of psycho‐oncological support in cancer patients and its implications for distress assessment and management
Authors: Rausch Raya , Bäuerle Alexander , Rentrop Vanessa , Jansen Christoph , Nensa Felix , Palm Stefan , Tewes Mitra , Schadendorf Dirk , Skoda Eva‐Maria , Teufel Martin
Published: October 2023

Objective

Distress assessment of cancer patients is considered state‐of‐the‐art. In addition to distress scores, individual care needs are an important factor for the initiation of psycho‐oncological interventions. In a mono‐centric, observational study, we aimed for characterization of patients indicating a subjective need but declining to utilize support services immediately to facilitate implementation of adapted screenings.

Methods

This study analyzed retrospective data from routine distress screening and associated data from hospital records. Descriptive, variance and regression analyses were used to assess characteristics of postponed support utilization in patients with mixed cancer diagnoses in different treatment settings.

Results

Of the total sample (N = 1863), 13% indicated a subjective need but postponed support utilization. This subgroup presented as being as burdened by symptoms of depression (p < 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.001) and distress (p < 0.001) as subjectively distressed patients with intent to directly utilize support. Time periods since diagnosis were shorter (p = 0.007) and patients were more often inpatients (p = 0.045).

Conclusions

Despite high heterogeneity among the subgroups, this study identified distress‐related factors and time since diagnosis as possible predictors for postponed utilization of psycho‐oncological interventions. Results suggest the necessity for time‐individualized support which may improve utilization by distressed patients.
Comparison of four radar profiling algorithms in the S‐band
Authors: Yu Nan , Gaussiat Nicolas
Published: October 2023

Radar profiling algorithms are widely used for precipitation‐induced path‐attenuation correction. In this study, we investigate the impact of the four well‐known profiling algorithms on the efficacy of quantitative precipitation estimation retrievals. The first method, named the “simple PhiDP‐based method”, distributes precipitation‐induced path attenuation, or PhiDP (differential phase shift), of a rain segment to each radar gate according to radar reflectivity (Zh). The second one is a linear version of the ZPHI method derived from an approximate linear relationship between specific attenuation (Ah) and specific differential phase (KDP). The third one is a nonlinear version of the ZPHI that respects the nonlinearity of the Ah–KDP relationship. The fourth method is inspired from the self‐consistent method of Bringi. The two‐moment normalized raindrop size distribution (DSD) with two variables, scaled drop concentration and mean drop diameter , is used to represent natural variability of DSD. Two configurations are considered: a constant over a segment and a variable over a segment. The Ah, KDP, and rain intensity are estimated by the four profiling algorithms. The sensitivity of each algorithm to radar measurements uncertainty is also investigated. The evaluation of the estimates shows the following. First, for the range‐constant situation, the nonlinear ZPHI and the self‐consistent method yield the best estimates if the measurements errors are not considered. However, the nonlinear ZPHI and the self‐consistent method are significantly impacted by the Zh bias and the measurements noises respectively. Second, for the range‐variable situation, the self‐consistent method does not have a good performance even when radar measurements are accurate. The performance of the nonlinear ZPHI method is similar to the simple PhiDP‐based method, whereas the latter is immune to the Zh calibration error. These results suggest that the benefit of introducing in quantitative precipitation estimation algorithms can be significantly reduced if is not constant in reality and/or if the radar measurements are biased and noisy.
A Bayesian generalized Eyring‐Weibull accelerated life testing model
Authors: Smit Neill , Raubenheimer Lizanne , Mazzuchi Thomas , Soyer Refik
Published: October 2023

In this paper, a novel approach to a Bayesian accelerated life testing model is presented. The Weibull distribution is used as the life distribution and the generalized Eyring model as the time transformation function. This is a model that allows for the use of more than one stressor, whereas other commonly used acceleration models, such as the Arrhenius and power law models, incorporate one stressor. The use of the generalized Eyring‐Weibull model developed in this paper is demonstrated in a case study, where Markov chain Monte Carlo methods are utilized to generate samples for posterior inference.
Static field ionization of the spherically confined hydrogen atom
Authors: Micca Longo Gaia , Giordano Domenico , Longo Savino
Published: October 2023

The ionization of the hydrogen atom confined in a spherical potential well and subjected to a static electric field is studied, using the diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) method. Atomic ionization within a potential well is found to be a stationary, gradual, and reversible process. The value of the electric field at the onset of ionization is of the order of 0.1 atomic units, and depends on the symmetry of the atomic wave function and on the confinement dimension. By decreasing the confinement sphere, the difference between the bound and ionized states disappears, showing that strict confinement leads to pressure ionization of the atom. The off‐center case is studied characterizing the potential energy surface (PES), and the transition between field‐induced and pressure‐induced ionization is confirmed. Except for very weak fields, the minimum of the PES is reached when the proton is in contact with the boundary of the well.
A chance‐constrained tube‐based model predictive control for tracking linear systems using data‐driven uncertainty sets
Authors: Zhang Shulei , Jia Runda , He Dakuo , Chu Fei
Published: October 2023

This article presents a chance‐constrained tube‐based model predictive control (MPC) method for tracking linear time‐invariant systems based on data‐driven uncertainty sets. By defining the terminal admissible set to consider all the possible steady‐states and reformulating the stochastic tube‐based MPC framework, the proposed method can systematically hedge against the impact of uncertainties and ensure tracking for all reachable operating setpoints. To reduce the conservatism of control performance while enlarging the feasible region, a data‐driven polyhedral uncertainty set is constructed by using the principal component analysis technique, which can effectively capture correlations among uncertain variables. Since state constraint violations in a certain probability are allowed, a probability uncertainty set is constructed by using statistic limit and cutting plane methods to formulate a stochastic tube to ensure constraint satisfaction. The recursive feasibility and stability can be guaranteed if the uncertainties are bounded. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by numerical examples and tracking problems of a thickening process.
A full characterization of invariant embeddability of unimodular planar graphs
Authors: Timár Ádám , Tóth László Márton
Published: October 2023

When can a unimodular random planar graph be drawn in the Euclidean or the hyperbolic plane in a way that the distribution of the random drawing is isometry‐invariant? This question was answered for one‐ended unimodular graphs in Benjamini and Timar, using the fact that such graphs automatically have locally finite (simply connected) drawings into the plane. For the case of graphs with multiple ends the question was left open. We revisit Halin's graph theoretic characterization of graphs that have a locally finite embedding into the plane. Then we prove that such unimodular random graphs do have a locally finite invariant embedding into the Euclidean or the hyperbolic plane, depending on whether the graph is amenable or not.
The Rich Possibilities of Greed and Excess
Authors: Dominguez Virginia R.
Published: October 2023

“Greed” and “excess” carry negative connotations in many of the societies in which we live, even if they are not typical terms framing a great deal of anthropological work today. My approach here is to suggest that “greed” and “excess” may be most productive to thinkers and analysts if we use the terms to lead us to topics to which they seem to be potentially connected—that is, to get us to explore those questions from a reinvigorated or new angle—rather than trying to identify analytically comparable enough phenomena that we could then call cases of “greed” or “excess” and compare them to each other. Hence, here, discursive connections between “greed” and moral failing, the invocation of “greed” as an accusation, and the sense that “greed” refers (somewhat implicitly, implicitly, or more explicitly) to serious inequality, accumulation (material or symbolic), and differentiation or distinction by being a desire for both are explored. This article also worries about certain possible unintended consequences of turning “greed” and “excess” into more typical frames of anthropological discussion.
Inertial Multi‐Force Deformability Cytometry for High‐Throughput, High‐Accuracy, and High‐Applicability Tumor Cell Mechanotyping
Authors: Chen Yao , Ni Chen , Jiang Lin , Ni Zhonghua , Xiang Nan
Published: October 2023

Previous on‐chip technologies for characterizing the cellular mechanical properties often suffer from a low throughput and limited sensitivity. Herein, an inertial multi‐force deformability cytometry (IMFDC) is developed for high‐throughput, high‐accuracy, and high‐applicability tumor cell mechanotyping. Three different deformations, including shear deformations and stretch deformations under different forces, are integrated with the IMFDC. The 3D inertial focusing of cells enables the cells to deform by an identical fluid flow, and 10 parameters, such as cell area, perimeter, deformability, roundness, and rectangle deformability, are obtained in three deformations. The IMFDC is able to evaluate the deformability of different cells that are sensitive to different forces on a single chip, demonstrating the high applicability of the IMFDC in analyzing different cell lines. In identifying cell types, the three deformations exhibit different mechanical responses to cells with different sizes and deformability. A discrimination accuracy of ≈93% for both MDA‐MB‐231 and MCF‐10A cells and a throughput of ≈500 cells s−1 can be achieved using the multiple‐parameters‐based machine learning model. Finally, the mechanical properties of metastatic tumor cells in pleural and peritoneal effusions are characterized, enabling the practical application of the IMFDC in clinical cancer diagnosis.
Exploring the Effect of Microstructure and Surface Recombination on Hydrogen Effusion in Zn–Ni‐Coated Martensitic Steels by Advanced Computational Modeling
Authors: Ravikumar Aravinth , Höche Daniel , Feiler Christian , Lekka Maria , Salicio-Paz Asier , Rohwerder Michael , Jothi Manickam Manoj Prabhakar , Zheludkevich Mikhail
Published: October 2023

Ultrahigh‐strength steel (UHSS) structures are plated with Zn–Ni coatings because of their excellent corrosion resistance properties, but the plating process is accompanied by the production of hydrogen. The presence of hydrogen in steel results in hydrogen embrittlement. Hence, during the production of UHSS parts, dedicated outgassing steps are employed to remove the diffusible hydrogen from the steel. In a production environment, the real effect of the outgassing process and the outgassing efficiency is unknown for parts coated with Zn–Ni. Hence, a finite element model is developed to capture the evolution of the hydrogen concentration profile in coated UHSS parts during outgassing to study the influence of coating morphology and microstructural features of steel. In order to develop the geometry of the model, scanning electron microscope images are analyzed to understand the microstructure and morphology of the coating. Numerical samples are generated by combining different coating morphologies with steel substrates of varying microstructural features to attain a series of samples with varying features. The results of the outgassing simulations clearly demonstrate the major role of the coating morphology on the hydrogen flux.
The levels of immunosuppressive checkpoint protein PD‐L1 and tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes were integrated to reveal the glioma tumor microenvironment
Authors: Zhang Weizhong , Liu Li , Liu Xiaoyan , Han Cheng , Li Qun
Published: October 2023

In spite of significant strides in the realm of cancer biology and therapeutic interventions, the clinical prognosis for patients afflicted with glioblastoma (GBM) remains distressingly dismal. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), a crucial player in the progression, treatment response, and prognostic trajectory of glioma, warrants thorough exploration. Within this intricate microcosm, the immunosuppressive checkpoint protein PD‐L1 and tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) emerge as pivotal constituents, underscoring their potential role in deciphering glioma biology and informing treatment strategies. However, prognostic models based on the association between PD‐L1 expression and TIL infiltration in the tumor immune microenvironment have not been established. The aim of this study was to explore TIME genes associated with PD‐L1 expression and TIL invasion and to construct a risk score for predicting the overall survival (OS) of GBM patients based on these genes. The samples were separately classified according to the PD‐L1 expression level and TIL score and TIME‐related genes were identified using differential expression and weighted gene co‐expression network analysis. The DEGs were subjected to least absolute contraction and selection operator (LASSO) ‐Cox regression to construct TIME associated risk score (TIMErisk). A TIMErisk was developed based on STEAP3 and CXCL13 genes. The STLEAP3 was demonstrated to be involved in glioma progression. The results showed that the patients in the high TIMErisk group had poor OS compared with subjects in the low TIMErisk group. The biological phenotypes associated with TIMErisk were analyzed in terms of functional enrichment, tumor immune profile, and tumor mutation profile. The results on tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion dysfunction (TIDE) score and immune surface score (IPS) showed that GBM patients with different TIME risks had different responses to immunotherapy. Tumor purity analysis indicated that PD‐L1 and TIL scores were positively correlated with TIMErisk score and negatively correlated with tumor purity. These results show that the TIMErisk‐based prognostic model had high predictive value for the prognosis and immune characteristics of GBM patients. Immunohistochemical staining images of patients in the high and low TIMErisk groups were analyzed, showing that the degree of immune cell infiltration was higher in the high TIMErisk group relative to the low TIMErisk group. The present study provides a basis for understanding glioma tumor microenvironment and a foundation for conducting comprehensive immunogenomic analysis.
Soluble E‐cadherin participates in BLM‐induced pulmonary fibrosis by promoting EMT and lung fibroblast migration
Authors: Huang Chaowen , Liang Congmin , Tong Jinzhai , Zhong Xueying , Luo Lishan , Liang Liping , Wen Yuting , Zhong Liandi , Deng Jiongrui , Peng Ming , Wu Weiliang , Huang Weijian , Xie Anlun , Huang Yanming , Chen Jialong
Published: October 2023

Soluble E‐cadherin (sE‐cad) is an 80 kDa fragment derived from E‐cadherin that is shed from the cell surface through proteolytic cleavage and is a biomarker in various cancers that promotes invasion and migration. Alveolar epithelial destruction, aberrant lung fibroblast migration and inflammation contribute to pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we hypothesized that E‐cadherin plays an important role in lung fibrosis. In this study, we found that E‐cadherin was markedly increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum of mice with pulmonary fibrosis and that blocking sE‐cad with HECD‐1, a neutralizing antibody targeting the ectodomain of E‐cadherin, effectively inhibited myofibroblast accumulation and collagen deposition in the lungs after bleomycin (BLM) exposure. Moreover, transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β1) induced the shedding of sE‐cad from A549 cells, and treatment with HECD‐1 inhibited epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) stimulated by TGF‐β1. Fc‐E‐cadherin (Fc‐Ecad), which is an exogenous form of sE‐cad, robustly promoted lung fibroblast migration. E‐cadherin participates in bleomycin (BLM)‐induced lung fibrosis by promoting EMT in the alveolar epithelium and fibroblast activation. E‐cadherin may be a novel therapeutic target for lung fibrosis.
Mitotane treatment for recurrent adrenocortical carcinoma following adrenalectomy in a dog
Authors: Garcia Dominguez Paula , DiBella Andrea
Published: October 2023

A dog was referred for investigation into polyuria and polydipsia. Investigations showed a right adrenal mass, adrenalectomy was performed, and histopathology reported a carcinoma with local invasion. Carboplatin was selected as an adjuvant chemotherapy. Initially, did not show signs of recurrence, but 9 months later the clinical signs recurred, and staging was consistent with recurrence of the carcinoma with local hepatic invasion. The mitotane ablative protocol was chosen. Our patient developed mineralocorticoid deficiency 60 days later, but never developed clinical signs of cortisol deficiency as it was started on prednisolone. Kintzer and Peterson reported that dogs with metastatic disease experienced poorer response to mitotane and shorter survival time. However, our patient responded very well, with no side effect and remission of all clinical signs. The patient is alive at time of writing this report, 10 months after starting mitotane and 22 months after diagnosis.
Pulmonary arterial embolism due to aberrant migration of a microchip in two dogs
Authors: Azoulay Florian , Cauvin Eddy , Soares Antonio , Couturier Laurent
Published: October 2023

Microchip implantation is commonly performed in dogs, with only rare reported adverse events. We report the diagnosis and clinical implications of abnormal pulmonary arterial migration of identification microchips in two dogs. The first dog, an 8‐year‐old Siberian Husky, was presented for acute dyspnoea. Thoracic radiographs revealed the presence of a small, metallic foreign body in the right caudal lung lobe. Computed tomography confirmed that the foreign body was a microchip located in the right caudal pulmonary artery. Pulmonary hypertension was identified on echocardiography and was suspected to be secondary to the microchip erratic arterial location. The microchip was surgically removed through arteriotomy. The second dog was an 11‐year‐old crossbreed. The microchip was incidentally identified on computed tomography in the left pulmonary artery, whereas no clinical sign attributable to pulmonary or vascular abnormality were identified. We hypothesised that both microchips migrated via the right heart cavities after inadvertent intrajugular insertion.
A Moore‐Gibson‐Thompson heat conduction equation for non centrosymmetric rigid solids
Authors: Bazarra Noelia , Fernández José R. , Quintanilla Ramón
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we propose a new thermal model based on the so‐called Moore‐Gibson‐Thompson equation for heat conduction, assuming that the material is not centrosymmetric. The existence of a unique solution is proved, although only the main steps of its proof are provided for the sake of simplicity in the presentation. A sufficient condition is proposed to guarantee the stability of the solutions. Then, a fully discrete scheme is introduced by using the classical finite element scheme and the implicit Euler scheme. A discrete stability property and an a priori error analysis are shown, from which the linear convergence of the approximations is deduced. Finally, some numerical simulations in one‐dimensional examples are performed to show the behavior of the discrete energy decay.
Exploring Image Collections
Authors: Donchyts Gennadii
Published: October 2023

This chapter teaches how to explore image collections, including their spatiotemporal extent, resolution, and values stored in images and image properties. You will learn how to map and inspect image collections using maps, charts, and interactive tools and how to compute different statistics of values stored in image collections using reducers.
Interpreting Annual Time Series with LandTrendr
Authors: Kennedy Robert , Braaten Justin , Clary Peter
Published: October 2023

Time-series analysis of change can be achieved by fitting the entire spectral trajectory using simple statistical models. These allow us to both simplify the time series and to extract useful information about the changes occurring. In this chapter, you will get an introduction to the use of LandTrendr, one of these time-series approaches used to characterize time series of spectral values.
Interpreting Time Series with CCDC
Authors: Arévalo Paulo , Olofsson Pontus
Published: October 2023

Continuous change detection and classification (CCDC) is a land change monitoring algorithm designed to operate on time series of satellite data, particularly Landsat data. This chapter focuses on the portion that is the change detection component (CCD); you will learn how to run the algorithm, interpret its outputs, and visualize coefficients and change information.
Advanced Vector Operations
Authors: Gandhi Ujaval
Published: October 2023

This chapter covers advanced techniques for visualizing and analyzing vector data in Earth Engine. There are many ways to visualize feature collections, and you will learn how to pick the appropriate method to create visualizations, such as a choropleth map. We will also cover geoprocessing techniques involving multiple vector layers, such as selecting features in one layer by their proximity to features in another layer and performing spatial joins.
Scaling up in Earth Engine
Authors: Deines Jillian M. , Di Tommaso Stefania , Clinton Nicholas , Gorelick Noel
Published: October 2023

Commonly, when Earth Engine users move from tutorials to developing their own processing scripts, they encounter the dreaded error messages, “computation timed out” or “user memory limit exceeded”. Computational resources are never unlimited, and the team at Earth Engine has designed a robust system with built-in checks to ensure that server capacity is available to everyone. This chapter will introduce general tips for creating efficient Earth Engine workflows that accomplish users’ ambitious research objectives within the constraints of the Earth Engine ecosystem. We use two example case studies: (1) extracting a daily climate time series for many locations across two decades and (2) generating a regional, cloud-free median composite from Sentinel-2 imagery.
Sharing Work in Earth Engine: Basic UI and Apps
Authors: Wu Qiusheng
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate how to design and publish Earth Engine Apps using both JavaScript and Python. You will be introduced to the Earth Engine User Interface JavaScript API and the geemap Python package. Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to publish an Earth Engine App with a split-panel map for visualizing land cover change.
Agricultural Environments
Authors: Wang Sherrie , Azzari George
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce how datasets and functions available in Earth Engine can be used to map agriculture at scale. We will walk through an example of mapping crop types in the US Midwest, which is one of the main breadbaskets of the world. The skills learned in this chapter will equip you to go on to map other agricultural characteristics, such as yields and management practices.
Air Pollution and Population Exposure
Authors: Venter Zander S , Chowdhury Sourangsu
Published: October 2023

After high blood pressure and smoking, air pollution is the third-largest risk factor for death globally (Murray et al. in Lancet 396:1223–1249, 2020). Air pollution can therefore be described as a global “pandemic” that should arguably be monitored and addressed with the same intensity with which the COVID-19 pandemic has been. Remote sensing and cloud computing technologies allow us to do so.
Heat Islands
Authors: Chakraborty TC
Published: October 2023

In this chapter, you will learn about urban heat islands and how they can be calculated from satellite measurements of thermal radiation from the Earth’s surface.
Humanitarian Applications
Authors: Van Den Hoek Jamon , Friedrich Hannah K.
Published: October 2023

Despite the global refugee population's continued growth and the long-term habitation of many refugee settlements, there has been little overall attention from the Earth observation community toward environmental conditions and change in these settlements and their surrounding landscapes. However, considering the persistent concerns regarding the sustainability of environmental resource usage by refugees, potential environmental conflicts with nearby communities, and the impact of environmental hazards on refugee populations, it is crucial to gain a better understanding of the diverse and evolving refugee environment contexts using the unique information provided by Earth observation. In this chapter, we aim to demonstrate the value of using satellite imagery and satellite-derived data to map a refugee settlement in Uganda, estimate its population, and assess the land cover changes within and around the settlement.
Water Balance and Drought
Authors: Poortinga Ate , Nguyen Quyen , Thwal Nyein Soe , Nicolau Andréa Puzzi
Published: October 2023

In this chapter, you will learn simple water balance calculations using remote sensing-derived products related to precipitation and evapotranspiration. You will work at the river basin scale and perform time-series analysis, while comparing the data series with remote sensing vegetation and drought indices using the Earth Engine platform. You will also overlay the various indices with a land cover map to estimate potential drought impacts throughout the region.
Defining Seasonality: First Date of No Snow
Authors: Armstrong Amanda , Tassone Morgan , Braaten Justin
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate how to produce annual maps representing the first day within a year on which a given pixel reaches 0% snow cover. It also provides suggestions for summarizing and visualizing the results over time and space.
Active Fire Monitoring
Authors: Crowley Morgan A. , Liu Tianjia
Published: October 2023

Fire monitoring across the world benefits from raw satellite imagery and processed fire mapping datasets. Google Earth Engine supports fire monitoring throughout fire seasons with satellite data from sources like Landsat 8, Sentinel-2, and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and by hosting multiple fire datasets from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS). In this chapter, you will access, process, and explore three fire monitoring datasets available in the data catalog. By the end of this chapter, you will learn how to use the Code Editor and user apps to summarize and compare the characteristics of fires, fire seasons, and fire monitoring datasets.
Forest Degradation and Deforestation
Authors: Souza Carlos , Tenneson Karis , Dilger John , Wespestad Crystal , Bullock Eric
Published: October 2023

Tropical forests are being disturbed by deforestation and forest degradation at an unprecedented pace (Hansen et al. in Science 342:850–853, 2013; Bullock et al. in Glob Change Biol 26:2956–2969, 2020). Deforestation completely removes the original forest cover and replaces it with another land cover type, such as pasture or agriculture fields. Generally speaking, forest degradation is a temporary or permanent disturbance, often caused by predatory logging, fires, or forest fragmentation, where the tree loss does not entirely change the land cover type. Forest degradation leads to a more complex environment with a mixture of vegetation, soil, tree trunks and branches, and fire ash. Defining a boundary between deforestation and forest degradation is not straightforward; at the time this chapter was written, there was no universally accepted definition for forest degradation (Aryal et al. in Remote Sens 13:2666, 2021). Furthermore, the signal of forest degradation often disappears within one to two years, making degraded forests spectrally similar to undisturbed forests. Due to these factors, detecting and mapping forest degradation with remotely sensed optical data is more challenging than mapping deforestation.
Deforestation Viewed from Multiple Sensors
Authors: Tang Xiaojing
Published: October 2023

Combining data from multiple sensors is the best way to increase data density and hence detect change faster. The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate a simple method of combining Landsat, Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-1 data for monitoring tropical forest disturbance. You will learn how to import, preprocess, and fuse optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing data. You will also learn how to monitor change using time-series models.
Interpreting an Image: Regression
Authors: Dyson Karen , Nicolau Andréa Puzzi , Saah David , Clinton Nicholas
Published: October 2023

This chapter introduces the use of regression to interpret imagery. Regression is one of the fundamental tools you can use to move from viewing imagery to analyzing it. In the present context, regression means predicting a numeric variable for a pixel instead of a categorical variable, such as a class label.
Grocery Retailers’ Approaches to Discussion on the Food Waste Issue on Social Media
Authors: Sutinen Ulla-Maija , Närvänen Elina
Published: October 2023

Positioned at the interface between production and consumption, grocery retailers play a pivotal role in shaping the future of food waste. In addition to generating food waste in their everyday business operations, retailers’ actions also have an indirect impact on other actors, especially consumers. Utilising the issue arena as a theoretical lens, this chapter scrutinises the public discussion on food waste and how it may steer understandings and changes connected to the issue. Holding considerable power within both the food system and society, grocery retailers’ voices in the issue arena may have a significant impact. The purpose of the chapter is to examine how grocery retailers construct the food waste issue through discussing it on social media. Drawing on data gathered from social media, three discussion approaches to the issue are identified and discussed: reporting on reducing food waste, assisting households in reducing food waste, and initiating discussion for reducing food waste. The study also identifies themes that remain unmentioned by retailers despite being highly relevant from the food waste perspective. In order to have a stronger impact on the future of food waste, retailers are encouraged to adopt a more transformational role, both in their public communications and in their everyday actions.
Sustainable Consumption in Taiwan and China: Drivers and Impediments
Authors: Shih Tommy
Published: October 2023

To achieve global change in order to battle climate change, it is important that consumers all over the world actively engage in more sustainable consumption. This is particularly important in Asia where 90 percent of the global consumption growth will occur during the next decade. This chapter looks at two countries in Asia, Taiwan, and China, which share a similar culture and language, but differ in terms of size of population, economic development, and political system. The cases illustrate some of the similarities and differences seen in sustainable consumption, including drivers and impediments. Consumers from both countries are generally more concerned about their personal wellbeing than the impact of their consumption choices on the environment. Another driver seen is that the responsible consumption push in many areas seems to be primarily driven by government policy rather than consumer groups per se, both in China and in Taiwan. However, there are differences between China and Taiwan. Consumers in Taiwan generally have a higher level of understanding of sustainability, both through education and living in a more economically advanced society. China is still economically undergoing a transitional stage whereby some consumer groups have only recently become aware of their environmental impact.
Digitalization: A Potential Tool for Sustainable Consumption?
Authors: Lehner Matthias , Richter Jessika Luth , Mont Oksana
Published: October 2023

Given the outsized impact that digitalization has had on consumption over the last two decades, the lack of academic interest in sustainable consumption is noteworthy. In this book chapter, we set the scene for the fundamentally important discussion about how digitalization affects consumption. We ask whether digitalization is a positive or a negative force for shaping consumption levels and patterns in a sustainable direction. We organize our discussion around three waves of digitalization that impact consumption and we discuss the implications of these for sustainability. During the first wave, e-commerce became mainstream and led to a dramatic reduction in transaction costs. The second wave led to consumers becoming more empowered, enabling users to connect and actively create content, and to repair, make, or share goods and services. During the most recent wave, giant Internet companies are increasingly providing, and controlling digital consumption experiences rather than selling physical goods, potentially leading to a significantly lower environmental impact per dollar spent. We conclude that digitalization has many inherent traits that make it a strong tool for sustainable consumption, but also that—being devoid of policy guidance—it can equally act as an accelerator of consumption.