bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Imagination for Waste and Water in India’s Peri-Urban Interface
Authors: Mundoli Seema , Dechamma C. S. , Auddy Madhureema , Sanfui Abhiri , Nagendra Harini
Published: December 2021

Cities are often seen as incubators for enterprise and innovation. However, in this urbanisation era, we seem to suffer from a lack of imagination on how to handle the many environmental problems associated with expanding cities. This is especially true in the case of the peri-urban interface (PUI), a geographical and conceptual landscape with which the city core often has a contentious relationship. In this chapter we look at the complex linkages between water and waste in the PUIs of two metropolitan cities: Bengaluru and Kolkata. We look at two water systems: Kannuru lake in Bengaluru and Kolkata’s wetlands. Kannuru is a freshwater lake that supported traditional livelihoods and subsistence use by local communities, while Kolkata’s peri-urban wetlands not only served as the city’s natural sewage treatment plant but also enabled agriculture and aquaculture. Urbanization has adversely impacted both these water systems. Kannuru lake is threatened by a landfill on its periphery, while sewage-based farming and fisheries in Kolkata’s wetlands have been impacted by changes in land use and composition of sewage. We unravel the complexity in the waste-water relationship, where waste is seen as a pollutant in one and as a nutrient in the other. We attempt to understand how we can re-envision waste and water linkages in the PUIs of expanding cities if India needs to move towards a sustainable future.
Changing Agriculture and Climate Variability in Peri-Urban Gurugram, India
Authors: Mishra Pratik , Vij Sumit
Published: December 2021

Farmers across India are protesting the apathy of the state towards the agricultural sector, which is facing a triple crisis – economic, ecological and existential. This chapter attempts to locate the changing dynamics of agriculture at a frontier where a geographically specific articulation of this crisis comes to the fore: in Budhera, a peri-urban village bordering Gurugram city in the Indian state of Haryana. The village is still largely agrarian but undergoing rapid changes under the influence of (peri-)urbanization. Our ethnographic research investigates the juxtaposition of these urbanization processes with the more general impacts of climate variability on peri-urban agriculture. Although climate variability plays out at a larger scale than the urbanization processes, the conditions for peri-urban agriculture derive from an intersection of both. The results show how dimensions of agrarian livelihoods such as cropping choices, irrigation cycles, sharecropping arrangements, declining common property resources and land use changes to non-agricultural uses are influenced by (peri-)urbanization processes. We conclude that changes in land and water use in Budhera reshape agricultural practices and can cascade upon climate variability impacts in making agriculture more precarious for peri-urban farmers.
Views from the Sluice Gate: Water Insecurity, Conflict and Cooperation in Peri-Urban Khulna, Bangladesh
Authors: Khan M. Shah Alam , Rahman Rezaur , Tarin Nusrat Jahan , Huda Sheikh Nazmul , Hossain A. T. M. Zakir
Published: December 2021

This chapter explores conflict and cooperation around water infrastructure in relation to contestations over water and land in peri-urban Khulna, Bangladesh. It analyses how these contestations, together with the effects of climate change and urbanization, contribute to water insecurity. These dynamics are explored by viewing the peri-urban space as a hydro-social system where physical infrastructure (a sluice gate), hydrological processes and various actors interact. Through participatory appraisal, stakeholder analysis and social power mapping, we analyse the emergence, manifestations and implications of conflicts, and how power relations influence the conflict dynamics. The chapter further presents the process and outcome of participatory actions for capacity-building of communities to facilitate their empowerment by elevating their knowledge level and negotiating capabilities toward securing water and resolving conflicts. We argue that conflicts and water insecurities of peri-urban communities largely emerge from the absence of their participation in the planning and management of water infrastructure, and their limited capacity to resist changes in the control of water and agricultural land. The chapter concludes that peri-urban communities lack the power and agency to mitigate the impacts of urbanization and climate change, while neither urban nor rural planning processes formally recognize the peri-urban and its specific water security problems and needs. This policy gap leads to increasingly complex conflicts and water insecurities. Success and sustainability of alternative livelihood choices and collective action by marginalized communities depend much on continued advocacy, cooperation among and between communities and government agencies, commitment of a trusted neutral actor, and mutual understanding and respect for each other’s positions.
Concluding Reflections: Towards Alternative Peri-Urban Futures?
Authors: Roth Dik , Narain Vishal
Published: December 2021

This final chapter summarizes the main contributions of the book and provides some ideas on carrying forward the research and action research agenda presented in this book. The peri-urban requires concerted engagement and new, transformative, policy approaches. Continued reliance on formal policy approaches is likely to have only a limited impact or even to be counterproductive. Strong partnerships across academics and civil society organizations are required in order to create a stronger scientific discourse on the peri-urban, as well as to catalyze changes within and beyond peri-urban spaces. While selective state apathy towards the peri-urban needs correction, the messy and transitory nature of peri-urban spaces will require engagements across a wide spectrum of actors beyond the state. An understanding of these approaches is necessary before prescribing “policy reforms” for the peri-urban.
Uncertainty and Complexity: Towards Model-Based Demography
Authors: Bijak Jakub
Published: December 2021

This chapter focuses on the broad methodological and philosophical underpinnings of the Bayesian model-based approach to studying migration. Starting from reflections on the uncertainty and complexity in demography and, in particular, migration studies, the focus moves to the shifting role of formal modelling, from merely describing, to predicting and explaining population processes. Of particular importance are the gaps in understanding asylum migration flows, which are some of the least predictable while at the same time most consequential forms of human mobility. The well-recognised theoretical void of demography as a discipline does not help, especially given the lack of empirical micro-foundations in formal modelling. Here, we analyse possible solutions to theoretical shortcomings of demography and migration studies from the point of view of the philosophy of science, looking at the inductive, deductive and abductive approaches to scientific reasoning. In that spirit, the final section introduces and extends a research programme of model-based demography.
Towards More Realistic Models
Authors: Hinsch Martin , Bijak Jakub , Hilton Jason
Published: December 2021

This chapter is devoted to the presentation of a more realistic version of the model, Risk and Rumours, which extends the previous, theoretical version (Routes and Rumours) by including additional empirical and experimental information following the process described in Part II of this book. We begin by offering a reflection on the integration of the five elements of the modelling process, followed by a more detailed description of the Risk and Rumours model, and how it differs from the previous version. Subsequently, we present selected results of the uncertainty and sensitivity analysis, enabling us to make further inference on the information gaps and areas for potential data collection. We also present model calibration for an empirically grounded version of the model, Risk and Rumours with Reality. In that way, we can evaluate to what extent the iterative modelling process has enabled a reduction in the uncertainty of the migrant route formation. In the final part of the chapter, we reflect on the model-building process and its implementation.
Sampling from Complex Probability Distributions: A Monte Carlo Primer for Engineers
Authors: Aslett Louis J. M.
Published: December 2021

Models which are constructed to represent the uncertainty arising in engineered systems can often be quite complex to ensure they provide a reasonably faithful reflection of the real-world system. As a result, even computation of simple expectations, event probabilities, variances, or integration over utilities for a decision problem can be analytically intractable. Indeed, such models are often sufficiently high dimensional that even traditional numerical methods perform poorly. However, access to random samples drawn from the probability model under study typically simplifies such problems substantially. The methodologies to generate and use such samples fall under the stable of techniques usually referred to as ‘Monte Carlo methods’. This chapter provides a motivation, simple primer introduction to the basics, and sign-posts to further reading and literature on Monte Carlo methods, in a manner that should be accessible to those with an engineering mathematics background. There is deliberately informal mathematical presentation which avoids measure-theoretic formalism. The accompanying lecture can be viewed at https://www.louisaslett.com/Courses/UTOPIAE/.
Imprecise Discrete-Time Markov Chains
Authors: de Cooman Gert
Published: December 2021

I present a short and easy introduction to a number of basic definitions and important results from the theory of imprecise Markov chains in discrete time, with a finite state space. The approach is intuitive and graphical.
Erfahrungen aus der Hochschullehre
Authors: Schacht Florian , Guckelsberger Susanne
Published: December 2021

In Kapitel 3 kommen unterschiedliche Stimmen von Studierenden sowie von Kolleginnen und Kollegen zu Wort. Abschn. 3.1 dokumentiert ein Gespräch mit Studierenden, das im Anschluss an die Lehrveranstaltungen geführt wurde, vor deren Hintergrund die in Kap. 1 und 2 entwickelten Konzepte entstanden sind. In Abschn. 3.2 werden von Sümeyye Erbay praxisbezogene Erfahrungen bei der Vorbereitung und Durchführung eines Studienprojekts im Praxissemester aus der Perspektive einer (nunmehr ehemaligen) Studierenden dokumentiert. Fatma Batur und Jan Strobl berichten in Abschn. 3.3 über ihre Kooperation zwischen der Didaktik der Informatik und dem Projekt „Deutsch als Zweitsprache in allen Fächern (ProDaZ)“ an der Universität Duisburg-Essen zum Thema „Sprachbildung im Informatikunterricht“. In Abschn. 3.4 beschreiben Melanie Beese, Dennis Kirstein und Henning Krake ein Seminarkonzept zur praxisnahen Vorbereitung von Lehramtsstudierenden auf sprachsensiblen Unterricht in den Fächern Sachunterricht (Grundschule) und Chemie (HRSGe). Im Mittelpunkt stehen dabei die theoretisch fundierte Planung und praktische Erprobung von Lernsequenzen am Übergang vom naturwissenschaftlichen Sach- zum chemischen Fachunterricht. Abschn. 3.5 schließlich gibt einen Ausblick mit praktischen Anregungen zur Kooperation und Vernetzung unterschiedlicher fachlicher Domänen – auch und gerade mit Blick auf einen Transfer der hier beschriebenen Konzepte.
Chaos and pole skipping in CFT2
Authors: Ramirez David M.
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Recent work has suggested an intriguing relation between quantum chaos and energy density correlations, known as pole skipping. We investigate this relationship in two dimensional conformal field theories on a finite size spatial circle by studying the thermal energy density retarded two-point function on a torus. We find that the location ω* = iλ of pole skipping in the complex frequency plane is determined by the central charge and the stress energy one-point function 〈T〉 on the torus. In addition, we find a bound on λ in c > 1 compact, unitary CFT2s identical to the chaos bound, λ ≤ 2πT. This bound is saturated in large c CFT2s with a sparse light spectrum, as quantified by [1], for all temperatures above the dual Hawking-Page transition temperature.
Green-Schwarz and pure spinor formulations of chiral strings
Authors: Guillen Max
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Bosonic and RNS chiral strings have been defined from a singular gauge fixing of the respective Polyakov and spinning string actions, enforcing, among other things, the finite nature of their physical spectra. Except for the heterotic case, the tensionless limits of such chiral models have been shown to describe the same field theories predicted by their ambitwistor analogues. In this paper, we study the Green-Schwarz formulation for Type II and heterotic superstrings in a singular gauge. After performing a light-cone gauge analysis, their physical spectra are shown to match those of RNS chiral strings, and their respective tensionless limits are found to describe the same field theories predicted by RNS ambitwistor strings. Their pure spinor counterparts are then introduced by making use of the Oda-Tonin method. In doing so, symmetries hidden in the pure spinor ambitwistor string action become manifest, proposals motivating the sectorized pure spinor BRST charges find simple grounds, and integrated vertex operators emerge naturally.
Protease-activated receptor 2 activation induces behavioural changes associated with depression-like behaviour through microglial-independent modulation of inflammatory cytokines
Authors: Moudio Serge , Willis Ashleigh , Pytka Karolina , Abulkassim Roua , Brett Ros R. , Webster Jack F. , Wozny Christian , Barbour Mark , Jiang Hui-Rong , Watson David G. , van Kralingen Josie C. , MacKenzie Scott M. , Daniels Michael , McColl Barry W. , Sossick Sandra , Nuthall Hugh N. , Bushell Trevor J.
Published: December 2021

Rationale

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide but currently prescribed treatments do not adequately ameliorate the disorder in a significant portion of patients. Hence, a better appreciation of its aetiology may lead to the development of novel therapies.

Objectives

In the present study, we have built on our previous findings indicating a role for protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) in sickness behaviour to determine whether the PAR2 activator, AC264613, induces behavioural changes similar to those observed in depression-like behaviour.

Methods

AC264613-induced behavioural changes were examined using the open field test (OFT), sucrose preference test (SPT), elevated plus maze (EPM), and novel object recognition test (NOR). Whole-cell patch clamping was used to investigate the effects of PAR2 activation in the lateral habenula with peripheral and central cytokine levels determined using ELISA and quantitative PCR.

Results

Using a blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeable PAR2 activator, we reveal that AC-264613 (AC) injection leads to reduced locomotor activity and sucrose preference in mice but is without effect in anxiety and memory-related tasks. In addition, we show that AC injection leads to elevated blood sera IL-6 levels and altered cytokine mRNA expression within the brain. However, neither microglia nor peripheral lymphocytes are the source of these altered cytokine profiles.

Conclusions

These data reveal that PAR2 activation results in behavioural changes often associated with depression-like behaviour and an inflammatory profile that resembles that seen in patients with MDD and therefore PAR2 may be a target for novel antidepressant therapies.
Magnetic nanoparticles coated with carboxylate-terminated carbosilane dendrons as a reusable and green approach to extract/purify proteins
Authors: Prados Isabel M. , Barrios-Gumiel Andrea , de la Mata Francisco J. , Marina M. Luisa , García M. Concepción
Published: December 2021

Extraction/purification of proteins, at both analytical and industrial levels, is a limiting step that usually requires the use of organic solvents and involves tedious work and a high cost. This work proposes a more sustainable alternative based on the use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with carboxylate-terminated carbosilane dendrons. MNPs coated with first- and second-generation carbosilane dendrons and bare MNPs were employed for the extraction of proteins with different molecular weights and charges. Interaction of proteins with MNPs significantly varied with the pH, the protein, and the dendron generation (different sizes and number of charges in the periphery). Optimal dendron:protein molar ratios and suitable conditions for disrupting interactions after protein extraction were also researched. Second-generation dendron-coated MNPs showed 100% retention capability for all proteins when using acidic conditions. They were reused without losing magnetism or interaction capacity after a disruption of protein-dendron interactions with 0.2% SDS at 100 °C for 10 min. The capacity of dendron-coated MNPs was successfully applied to the recovery/purification of proteins from two food by-products, olive seeds and cheese whey.

Graphical abstract
An algebraic characterisation of ample type I groupoids
Authors: Favre Gabriel , Raum Sven
Published: December 2021

We give algebraic characterisations of the type I and CCR properties for locally compact second countable, ample Hausdorff groupoids in terms of subquotients of its Boolean inverse semigroup of compact open local bisections. It yields in turn algebraic characterisations of both properties for inverse semigroups with meets in terms of subquotients of their Booleanisation.
Two novel cyanobacterial α-dioxygenases for the biosynthesis of fatty aldehydes
Authors: Kim In Jung , Brack Yannik , Bayer Thomas , Bornscheuer Uwe T.
Published: December 2021

α-Dioxygenases (α-DOXs) are known as plant enzymes involved in the α-oxidation of fatty acids through which fatty aldehydes, with a high commercial value as flavor and fragrance compounds, are synthesized as products. Currently, little is known about α-DOXs from non-plant organisms. The phylogenic analysis reported here identified a substantial number of α-DOX enzymes across various taxa. Here, we report the functional characterization and Escherichia coli whole-cell application of two novel α-DOXs identified from cyanobacteria: CalDOX from Calothrix parietina and LepDOX from Leptolyngbya sp. The catalytic behavior of the recombinantly expressed CalDOX and LepDOX revealed that they are heme-dependent like plant α-DOXs but exhibit activities toward medium carbon fatty acids ranging from C10 to C14 unlike plant α-DOXs. The in-depth molecular investigation of cyanobacterial α-DOXs and their application in an E. coli whole system employed in this study is useful not only for the understanding of the molecular function of α-DOXs, but also for their industrial utilization in fatty aldehyde biosynthesis.

Key points

• Two novel α-dioxygenases from Cyanobacteria are reported

• Both enzymes prefer medium-chain fatty acids

• Both enzymes are useful for fatty aldehyde biosynthesis

Graphical abstract
Challenges of single-stage pancreatoduodenectomy: how to address pancreatogastrostomies with robotic-assisted surgery
Authors: Timmermann Lea , Hillebrandt Karl Herbert , Felsenstein Matthäus , Schmelzle Moritz , Pratschke Johann , Malinka Thomas
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Establishing a sufficient pancreatico-enteric anastomosis remains one of the most important challenges in open single stage pancreatoduodenectomy as they are associated with persisting morbidity and mortality. Applicability on a robotic-assisted approach, however, even increases the requirements. With this analysis we introduce a dorsal-incision-only invagination type pancreatogastrostomy (dioPG) to the field of robotic assistance having been previously proven feasible in the field of open pancreatoduodenectomy and compare initial results to the open approach by means of morbidity and mortality.

Methods

An overall of 142 consecutive patients undergoing reconstruction via the novel dioPG, 38 of them in a robotic-assisted and 104 in an open approach, was identified and further reviewed for perioperative parameters, complications and mortality.

Results

We observed a comparable R0-resection rate (p = 0.448), overall complication rate (p = 0.52) and 30-day mortality (p = 0.71) in both groups. Rates of common complications, such as postoperative pancreatic fistula (p = 0.332), postoperative pancreatic hemorrhage (p = 0.242), insufficiency of pancreatogastrostomy (p = 0.103), insufficiency of hepaticojejunostomy (p = 0.445) and the re-operation rate (p = 0.103) were comparable. The procedure time for the open approach was significantly shorter compared to the robotic-assisted approach (p = 0.024).

Discussion

The provided anastomosis appeared applicable to a robotic-assisted setting resulting in comparable complication and mortality rates when compared to an open approach. Nevertheless, also in the field of robotic assistance establishing a predictable pancreatico-enteric anastomosis remains the most challenging aspect of modern single-stage pancreatoduodenectomy and requires expertise and experience.
Colorectal cancer in the 45-to-50 age group in the United States: a National Cancer Database (NCDB) analysis
Authors: Reif de Paula Thais , Haas Eric M. , Keller Deborah S.
Published: December 2021

Background

Amid increasing awareness of early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC), guidelines in the United States (US) recently lowered the recommended routine CRC screening age from 50 to 45 in average-risk individuals. There are little data on the number of patients in this age group diagnosed with CRC prior to these changes. Our objective was to audit the historic CRC case trends and impact of CRC in the 45-to-50-year-old category prior to new screening recommendations.

Methods

Colorectal adenocarcinoma cases in 45-to-50-year-old patients were queried from the NCDB (2004–2017). Cases were stratified by sex, race, and site. The disability-adjusted lost years (DALY) and lost earnings were estimated. The average annual percentage changes (AAPC) of CRC incidence were estimated using jointpoint analysis. The main outcome measures were DALY and lost earnings. Secondary outcome measures were the 2004–2017 AAPC and the cumulative incidence of potential CRC cases in the 45-to-50 cohort through 2030 without guideline changes.

Results

67,442 CRC patients in the 45-to-50 demographic were identified. The CRC burden resulted 899,905 DALY and $17 billion in lost earnings. The 2004–2017 AAPC was 1.6%, with an estimated 13-year increase of 25%. There were sex-, race-, and anatomic site-specific discrepancies with estimated 13-year increases of 30% for males, 110% for American Indian/ Alaska Natives/ Asian American/ Pacific Islander races, and 31% for rectal cancer by 2030.

Conclusion

CRC has been steadily increasing in the 45-to-50 age group, with tremendous disability and cost ensuing. There is great potential benefit from lowering the recommended routine CRC screening age to 45. Targeted intervention could ensure the most vulnerable segments benefit from the new guidelines, in both reducing the incidence and improving survivorship in CRC patients.

Graphical abstract
Open set task augmentation facilitates generalization of deep neural networks trained on small data sets
Authors: Zai El Amri Wadhah , Reinhart Felix , Schenck Wolfram
Published: December 2021

Many application scenarios for image recognition require learning of deep networks from small sample sizes in the order of a few hundred samples per class. Then, avoiding overfitting is critical. Common techniques to address overfitting are transfer learning, reduction of model complexity and artificial enrichment of the available data by, e.g., data augmentation. A key idea proposed in this paper is to incorporate additional samples into the training that do not belong to the classes of the target task. This can be accomplished by formulating the original classification task as an open set classification task. While the original closed set classification task is not altered at inference time, the recast as open set classification task enables the inclusion of additional data during training. Hence, the original closed set classification task is augmented with an open set task during training. We therefore call the proposed approach open set task augmentation. In order to integrate additional task-unrelated samples into the training, we employ the entropic open set loss originally proposed for open set classification tasks and also show that similar results can be obtained with a modified sum of squared errors loss function. Learning with the proposed approach benefits from the integration of additional “unknown” samples, which are often available, e.g., from open data sets, and can then be easily integrated into the learning process. We show that this open set task augmentation can improve model performance even when these additional samples are rather few or far from the domain of the target task. The proposed approach is demonstrated on two exemplary scenarios based on subsets of the ImageNet and Food-101 data sets as well as with several network architectures and two loss functions. We further shed light on the impact of the entropic open set loss on the internal representations formed by the networks. Open set task augmentation is particularly valuable when no additional data from the target classes are available—a scenario often faced in practice.
Is sleep bruxism related to the levels of enzymes involved in the serotonin synthesis pathway?
Authors: Smardz Joanna , Martynowicz Helena , Wojakowska Anna , Wezgowiec Joanna , Olchowy Cyprian , Danel Dariusz , Mazur Grzegorz , Wieckiewicz Mieszko
Published: December 2021

Objectives

This exploratory research aimed to evaluate the levels of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) and aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (DDC), which play an important role in the serotonin synthesis pathway, in individuals with sleep bruxism (SB) diagnosed using audio–video polysomnography (vPSG) and compare them with that of individuals not presenting with SB.

Materials and methods

The study included adult patients hospitalized in the Department and Clinic of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases, Hypertension and Clinical Oncology at the Wroclaw Medical University. The participants underwent a single-night vPSG for the evaluation of the SB parameters. Peripheral blood samples were also collected from them for estimating the serum levels of TPH1 and DDC.

Results

A total of 105 patients (80 women and 25 men) were included in the study. All the patients were Caucasians and aged 18–63 years (mean age: 33.43 ± 10.8 years). Seventy-five patients (71.43%) presented with SB, of which 50 (47.62%) had severe SB, while the remaining 30 patients (28.57%) did not. No statistically significant differences in TPH1 and DDC levels were observed between the individuals with SB and without SB. A significant negative correlation was found between tonic SB episodes and DDC levels (p = 0.0012). Other correlations between the SB parameters and the levels of the studied enzymes were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05 for all comparisons).

Conclusions

The levels of the enzymes that are crucial for serotonin synthesis (TPH1 and DDC) did not seem to influence SB.

Clinical relevance

This study provides important insights for further research on the relationship between the serotonin pathway and SB, which should take into account not only the process of serotonin synthesis but also the effect of serotonin-dependent neurotransmission on SB.
Effects of elevated nest box temperature on incubation behaviour and offspring fitness-related traits in the Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis
Authors: Arct Aneta , Martyka Rafał , Drobniak Szymon M. , Oleś Wioleta , Dubiec Anna , Gustafsson Lars
Published: December 2021

Ambient temperature experienced by an animal during development or subsequently as an adult can affect many aspects of its behaviour and life-history traits. In birds, egg incubation is a vital component of reproduction and parental care. Several studies have suggested that environmental factors (such as nest microclimate) can influence the ability of incubating parents to maintain suitable conditions for embryo development. Here, we manipulated the developmental conditions of embryos through a modification of nest box thermal microclimate to investigate female incubation behaviour and its impact on offspring fitness-related traits in a wild population of the Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis). The temperature in experimental nests was increased using a heat-pack placed under the roof of a nest box, resulting in an average temperature increase of 2.5 ºC, which corresponds to projected climate change scenarios. We demonstrated that females from nests with elevated temperature spent less time in the nest box during egg incubation and had more off-bouts than females from control nests. Moreover, we found that offspring from the experimentally heated nests had larger body mass at fledging in comparison to the control ones. Our study indicates that nest microclimate during the incubation period affects female incubation behaviour and offspring quality, indicating that environmental variation in nest temperature early in ontogeny can have important and long-lasting fitness consequences.
Routine On-farm Soil Tillage Helps Control Asparagus Fly (Plioreocepta Poeciloptera)
Authors: Wichura Alexandra , Schorpp Quentin , Kühlmann Vera , Hommes Martin
Published: December 2021

Asparagus fly (Plioreocepta poeciloptera (Schrank, 1776)) is a serious pest in German asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) production. To evaluate the effects of different routine on-farm soil tillage measures on the number of flies emerging the following spring, asparagus fields in Lower Saxony, Germany, were investigated. Soil samples were taken before and after tillage in autumn 2017 and autumn 2018. Investigations were also conducted in both years on the effect that the soil depth at which asparagus fly pupae were buried had on the emergence of adult flies.

This study revealed that the number of emerging flies was not reduced by mulching, but was significantly reduced by subsequent tillage and/or tillage and dam formation. The emergence rate of adult flies was significantly reduced the deeper the pupae had been buried the previous autumn. The effects also depended on the year. The highest mean emergence rate observed was 68% and 45% for pupae buried at a depth of 10 cm and 20 cm, respectively. In conclusion, the key mechanism causing a decrease in asparagus fly population the following spring through routine on-farm tillage could be the burial of pupae when forming dams. Routine on-farm soil tillage can be regarded as a physical measure for controlling asparagus fly and is therefore an essential tool in the integrated pest management of asparagus production.
Hannah Arendt’s Hidden Phenomenology of the Body
Authors: des Portes Charles
Published: December 2021

Amongst the Arendtian scholars, there is almost a consensus on Arendt’s supposedly reluctance to the question of the body. The Arendtian body is said to belong to the unpolitical realm of necessity, in other words, the body is a private matter that should not appear in public. It is antipolitical. However, in this paper, I want to suggest that there is a possibility to outline a phenomenology of embodied political action in what I think to be Arendt’s hidden phenomenology of the body. To make my point, I will first show that what the scholars call the Arendtian body is in fact an Arendtian Body. Secondly, in the German version of The Human Condition, Arendt surprisingly used the Heideggerian termBefindlichkeit(disposition) that, I will argue, outline the basis of a political phenomenology of the body in Arendt’s work. More precisely, I will try to show that political action is embodied, that there is ahexis, apathosand anethosof action.
A fast strategy to sequentially separate and determine 90Sr, 210Pb and 210Po in water samples using Sr resin
Authors: Martínez J. , de los Cobos M. , Peñalver A. , Aguilar C. , Borrull F.
Published: December 2021

This study presents a rapid and novel sequential separation strategy based on extraction chromatography for determining 90Sr, 210Pb and 210Po in drinking water samples. It involves the use of Sr resin for the separation and then liquid scintillation counting and alpha spectrometry for the determination. The experimental results obtained showed that the proper acidic solution to quantitatively retain the aforementioned radionuclides is 3 M HNO3. The optimum eluents were determined for obtaining quantitative recoveries (70–80%) of 90Sr, 210Pb and 210Po. The method was validated with intercomparison water samples and is satisfactory in terms of minimum detectable activities, which are 50% lower than that established in RD 314/2016.
The QALY is ableist: on the unethical implications of health states worse than dead
Authors: Schneider Paul
Published: December 2021

Introduction

A long-standing criticism of the QALY has been that it would discriminate against people in poor health: extending the lives of individuals with underlying health conditions gains fewer QALYs than extending the lives of ‘more healthy’ individuals. Proponents of the QALY counter that this only reflects the general public’s preferences and constitutes an efficient allocation of resources. A pivotal issue that has thus far been overlooked is that there can also be negative QALYs.

Methods and results

Negative QALYs are assigned to the times spent in any health state that is considered to be worse than dead. In a health economic evaluation, extending the lives of people who live in such states reduces the overall population health; it counts as a loss. The problem with this assessment is that the QALY is not based on the perspectives of individual patients—who usually consider their lives to be well worth living—but it reflects the preferences of the general public. While it may be generally legitimate to use those preferences to inform decisions about the allocation of health care resources, when it comes to states worse than dead, the implications are deeply problematic. In this paper, I discuss the (un)ethical aspects of states worse than dead and demonstrate how their use in economic evaluation leads to a systematic underestimation of the value of life-extending treatments.

Conclusion

States worse than dead should thus no longer be used, and a non-negative value should be placed on all human lives.
Noticing and weighing alternatives in the reflection of regular classroom teaching: Evidence of expertise using mobile eye-tracking
Authors: Keller Lena , Cortina Kai S. , Müller Katharina , Miller Kevin F.
Published: December 2021

Instructional videos are widely used to study teachers’ professional vision. A new technological development in video research is mobile eye-tracking (MET). It has the potential to provide fine-grained insights into teachers’ professional vision in action, but has yet been scarcely employed. We addressed this research gap by using MET video feedback to examine how expert and novice teachers differed in their noticing and weighing of alternative teaching strategies. Expert and novice teachers’ lessons were recorded with MET devices. Then, they commented on what they observe while watching their own teaching videos. Using a mixed methods approach, we found that expert and novice teachers did not differ in the number of classroom events they noticed and alternative teaching strategies they mentioned. However, novice teachers were more critical of their own teaching than expert teachers, particularly when they considered alternative teaching strategies. Practical implications for the field of teacher education are discussed.
Robust clustering of functional directional data
Authors: Álvarez-Esteban Pedro C. , García-Escudero Luis A.
Published: December 2021

A robust approach for clustering functional directional data is proposed. The proposal adapts “impartial trimming” techniques to this particular framework. Impartial trimming uses the dataset itself to tell us which appears to be the most outlying curves. A feasible algorithm is proposed for its practical implementation justified by some theoretical properties. A “warping” approach is also introduced which allows including controlled time warping in that robust clustering procedure to detect typical “templates”. The proposed methodology is illustrated in a real data analysis problem where it is applied to cluster aircraft trajectories.
Bariatric Surgery Leads to a Reduction in Antibodies to Apolipoprotein A-1: a Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Adam Safwaan , Ho Jan H. , Liu Yifen , Siahmansur Tarza , Iqbal Zohaib , Pagano Sabrina , Azmi Shazli , Dhage Shaishav S. , Donn Rachelle , Ammori Basil J. , Syed Akheel A. , Durrington Paul N. , Malik Rayaz A. , Vuilleumier Nicolas , Soran Handrean
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Autoantibodies against apolipoprotein A-1 have been associated with cardiovascular disease, poorer CV outcomes and all-cause mortality in obese individuals. The impact of bariatric surgery (BS) on the presence of circulating anti-apoA-1 IgG antibodies is unknown. This study aimed to determine the effect of bariatric surgery on auto-antibodies titres against Apolipoprotein A-1 (anti-apoA-1 IgG), looking for changes associated with lipid parameters, insulin resistance, inflammatory profile and percentage of excess body mass index loss (%EBMIL).

Materials and Methods

We assessed 55 patients (40 women) before, 6 and 12 months post-operatively. Baseline and post-operative clinical history and measurements of body mass index (BMI), serum cholesterol, triglycerides, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C), apoA-1, highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), fasting glucose (FG), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and HOMA-IR were taken at each point. Human anti-apoA-1 IgG were measured by ELISA.

Results

The mean age of participants was 50 years. BS significantly improved BMI, %EBMIL triglycerides, HDL-C, apoA-1, hsCRP, HBA1c, FG and HOMA-IR. Baseline anti-apoA-1 IgG seropositivity was 25% and was associated with lower apoA-1 and higher hsCRP levels. One year after BS, anti-apoA-1 IgG seropositivity decreased to 15% (p = 0.007) and median anti-apoA-1 IgG values decreased from 0.70 (0.56–0.84) to 0.47 (0.37–0.61) AU (p < 0.001). Post-operative anti-apoA-1 IgG levels were significantly associated with a decreased post-surgical %EBMIL at 1 year.

Conclusion

Bariatric surgery results in significant reduction in anti-apoA-1 IgG levels, which may adversely influence weight loss. The exact mechanisms underpinning these results are elusive and require further study before defining any clinical recommendations.

Graphical abstract
Bioinspired cellulose-based membranes in oily wastewater treatment
Authors: Halim Abdul , Ernawati Lusi , Ismayati Maya , Martak Fahimah , Enomae Toshiharu
Published: December 2021

It is challenging to purify oily wastewater, which affects water-energy-food production. One promising method is membrane-based separation. This paper reviews the current research trend of applying cellulose as a membrane material that mimics one of three typical biostructures: superhydrophobic, underwater superoleophobic, and Janus surfaces. Nature has provided efficient and effective structures through the evolutionary process. This has inspired many researchers to create technologies that mimic nature’s structures or the fabrication process. Lotus leaves, fish scales, and Namib beetles are three representative structures with distinct functional and surface properties: superhydrophobic, underwater superoleophobic, and Janus surfaces. The characteristics of these structures have been widely studied and applied to membrane materials to improve their performance. One attractive membrane material is cellulose, whichhas been studied from the perspective of its biodegradability and sustainability. In this review, the principles, mechanisms, fabrication processes, and membrane performances are summarized and compared. The theory of wettability is also described to build a comprehensive understanding of the concept. Finally, future outlook is discussed to challenge the gap between laboratory and industrial applications.
Exposure of cleaning workers to chemical agents and physical conditions in swimming pools and spas
Authors: Ruokolainen Joonas , Hyttinen Marko , Sorvari Jouni , Pasanen Pertti
Published: December 2021

Swimming pools and spas require a high hygiene level, and therefore constant cleaning. In this study, cleaning workers’ exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), trichloramine (TCA), and particulate matter (PM) in the swimming pools and spas were evaluated. Also, statistical methods were employed to determine what activities affect the exposure to disinfection byproducts (DBPs). The study was conducted in 32 swimming pools and spas. The measurement locations were pool areas, bathrooms, and locker rooms, both during cleaning and opening hours. During the cleaning, the total volatile organic compound (TVOC) concentrations were low, on average 96, 251, and 91 µg/m3 for locker rooms, bathrooms, and pool areas, respectively. Similarly, during the opening hours, the TVOC concentrations were on average 78, 125, and 83 µg/m3, for locker rooms, bathrooms, and pool areas, respectively. This is in line with previous studies investigating cleaning work in other environments. The most prevalent compounds during the cleaning were 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol (DEGBE), 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethanol (DEGEE), 2-butyl-1-octanol, trichloromethane (chloroform), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), and carbon tetrachloride. The most prevalent compounds during the opening hours were D5, D-limonene, carbon tetrachloride (bathrooms and pool areas), and trichloromethane (bathrooms and pool areas). The TCA concentrations during the cleaning in the bathrooms and pool areas were on average 60 and 67 µg/m3, respectively, and during the opening hours, 28 and 122 µg/m3, respectively. The use of disinfectants was found to increase the TCA concentration in the bathrooms, while the other cleaning products did not. Even though the TCA concentrations were below the WHO’s guideline and the Finnish occupational exposure limit value of 500 µg/m3, the measured TCA levels were occasionally high enough to pose a risk of irritative symptoms. The PM concentrations were low, both in the real-time monitoring (aerodynamic diameter, Dae ≤ 15 µm) and inhalable dust samples (Dae ≤ 100 µm). Highest measured inhalable dust concentration was 350 µg/m3, well below the Finnish occupational limit value of 5,000 µg/m3 for organic inhalable dust.
“In Our Own Little World”: Invisibility of the Social and Ethical Dimension of Engineering Among Undergraduate Students
Authors: Lim Jae Hoon , Hunt Brittany D. , Findlater Nickcoy , Tkacik Peter T. , Dahlberg Jerry L.
Published: December 2021

This paper explores how undergraduate students understood the social relevance of their engineering course content knowledge and drew (or failed to draw) broader social and ethical implications from that knowledge. Based on a three-year qualitative study in a junior-level engineering class, we found that students had difficulty in acknowledging the social and ethical aspects of engineering as relevant topics in their coursework. Many students considered the immediate technical usability or improved efficiency of technical innovations as the noteworthy social and ethical implications of engineering. Findings suggest that highly-structured engineering programs leave little room for undergraduate students to explore the ethical dimension of engineering content knowledge and interact with other students/programs on campus to expand their “technically-minded” perspective. We discussed the issues of the “culture of disengagement” (Cech, Sci Technol Human Values 39(1):42–72, 2014) fueled by disciplinary elitism, spatial distance, and insulated curriculum prevalent in the current structure of engineering programs. We called for more conscious effort by engineering educators to offer meaningful interdisciplinary engagement opportunities and in-class conversations on ethics that support engineering students' holistic intellectual growth and well-rounded professional ethics.
Voices as Cues to Children’s Needs for Caregiving
Authors: Hernández Blasi Carlos , Bjorklund David F. , Agut Sonia , Lozano Nomdedeu Francisco , Martínez Miguel Ángel
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study was to explore the role of voices as cues to adults of children’s needs for potential caregiving during early childhood. To this purpose, 74 college students listened to pairs of 5-year-old versus 10-year-old children verbalizing neutral-content sentences and indicated which voice was better associated with each of 14 traits, potentially meaningful in interactions between young children and adults. Results indicated that children with immature voices were perceived more positively and as being more helpless than children with mature voices. Children’s voices, regardless of the content of speech, seem to be a powerful source of information about children’s need for caregiving for parents and others during the first six years of life.
Product Space Singular Integrals with Mild Kernel Regularity
Authors: Airta Emil , Martikainen Henri , Vuorinen Emil
Published: December 2021

We develop product space theory of singular integrals with mild kernel regularity. We study these kernel regularity questions specifically in situations that are very tied to the T1 type arguments and the corresponding structural theory. In addition, our results are multilinear.
Three-Phase Heterojunction NiMo-Based Nano-Needle for Water Splitting at Industrial Alkaline Condition
Authors: Qian Guangfu , Chen Jinli , Yu Tianqi , Liu Jiacheng , Luo Lin , Yin Shibin
Published: December 2021

Constructing heterojunction is an effective strategy to develop high-performance non-precious-metal-based catalysts for electrochemical water splitting (WS). Herein, we design and prepare an N-doped-carbon-encapsulated Ni/MoO2 nano-needle with three-phase heterojunction (Ni/MoO2@CN) for accelerating the WS under industrial alkaline condition. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the electrons are redistributed at the three-phase heterojunction interface, which optimizes the adsorption energy of H- and O-containing intermediates to obtain the best ΔGH* for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and decrease the ΔG value of rate-determining step for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), thus enhancing the HER/OER catalytic activity. Electrochemical results confirm that Ni/MoO2@CN exhibits good activity for HER (ƞ-10 = 33 mV, ƞ-1000 = 267 mV) and OER (ƞ10 = 250 mV, ƞ1000 = 420 mV). It shows a low potential of 1.86 V at 1000 mA cm−2 for WS in 6.0 M KOH solution at 60 °C and can steadily operate for 330 h. This good HER/OER performance can be attributed to the three-phase heterojunction with high intrinsic activity and the self-supporting nano-needle with more active sites, faster mass diffusion, and bubbles release. This work provides a unique idea for designing high efficiency catalytic materials for WS.