bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Warming of shallow temperate lakes: consequences for rotifer community composition and population dynamics
Authors: Devkota Nischal , Salis Romana K. , Hansson Lars-Anders
Published: November 2024

Taxa specific responses to climate warming may shape aquatic communities, dominance patterns, biotic interactions, and related ecosystem processes and functions. As climate warming effects on smaller zooplankton are less understood than larger zooplankton, we focused on rotifers to study their response to a future climate warming scenario in outdoor mesocosms. Our year-long experiment (14 July 2020 to 13 July 2021) included present temperature conditions as controls and a treatment simulating a future warmer climate involving occasional heatwaves. Total rotifer abundance increased with warming, with Keratella spp. and Polyarthra spp. benefiting the most, while the Kellicottia spp. population collapsed. Filinia spp. were negatively affected by warming in the summer of 2020, but increased during winter and the following summer. Our findings suggest that thermophilic or eurytherm rotifers such as Keratella and Polyarthra may increase in a warmer future, while heat-sensitive Kellicottia may be negatively affected in the temperate region. Milder winters may allow some rotifer genera to proliferate while allowing others to recover from high summer temperatures, thereby considerably changing the composition and dominance patterns of rotifer assemblages.
The Moral Potential of Eco-Guilt and Eco-Shame: Emotions that Hinder or Facilitate Pro-Environmental Change?
Authors: Nielsen Rikke Sigmer , Gamborg Christian
Published: November 2024

The emotions of guilt and shame have an effect on how individuals feel and behave in relation to environmental crises, yet studies of the moral potential of these emotions remain limited. From a philosophical perspective, some scholars have defended using eco-guilt and eco-shame as morally constructive emotions due to their ability to evoke more pro-environmental behaviour. Meanwhile, others have posited that there are pitfalls to these emotions, claiming that they perpetuate a problematic individualised focus, which diverts attention from the collective and structural conditions considered necessary for pro-environmental change. This paper critically examines these two differing perspectives on eco-guilt and eco-shame, applying insights from moral and political philosophy and the sociology of emotions. Through this exploration, we try to nuance the discussion concerning the moral potential of eco-guilt and eco-shame. We argue that if individuals are able to break their introspective, consumption-based loops of eco-guilt and eco-shame alleviation, the emotions may enforce an individual ethical demand to be more sustainable and foster an ethical and political pro-environmental drive. Furthermore, experiences of eco-guilt and eco-shame have the potential to spread socially and help catalyse emotional shifts within society, sparking a greater political and social pro-environmental movement. Therefore, eco-guilt and eco-shame may indeed transcend the purported introspective and individual-level focus and have the potential to influence broader collective and structural conditions and thus foster environmental change.
Short Preventive Intervention Improves Parents’ Perceived Support and Knowledge after Divorce: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Authors: Klein Velderman Mariska , Pannebakker Fieke D. , Huizing Arjan H. J. , Reijneveld Sijmen A.
Published: November 2024

Worldwide, parental divorce and separation rates are high. These include impactful experiences to all involved, posing risks on well-being and functioning of parents and their children, and leading to increased professional care seeking. The Dutch ‘Divorce ATLAS’ training aims at informing and empowering parents after divorce or separation. The intervention offers preventive support and psychoeducation in a 2-sessions group program. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of Divorce ATLAS for parents in the Dutch setting. We performed a quasi-experimental study in which we compared parents participating in Divorce ATLAS groups (n = 187) and parents on a waiting list for online support (n = 111). Outcomes included well-being of parents and their children, parental sense of competence and social support, and children’s prosocial behavior. We performed regression analyses to assess differences in outcomes between intervention and control group. Additionally, we measured and reported parental knowledge and trigger to act after the intervention. As compared with routine family support of parents in the control group, the Divorce ATLAS group intervention led to increases in parents’ sense of parenting incompetence (Hedges’ g = 0.19), and in perceived social support (Hedges’ g = 0.23). Moreover, most parents indicated that Divorce ATLAS had increased their knowledge and had triggered them to act accordingly. Hence, the increased sense of parenting incompetence in the intervention group may be due to increased participants’ awareness of their parenting behaviors. In sum, Divorce ATLAS is promising for educating and supporting parents after divorce.
Effect of CuO nanoparticle size distribution on Cu-based patterns fabricated via femtosecond laser-pulse-induced thermochemical reduction
Authors: Mizoshiri Mizue , Yoshidomi Kyohei , Komatsu Hirokazu , Khairullina Evgeniia M. , Tumkin Ilya , Ostendorf Andreas
Published: November 2024

Copper-direct writing using laser reductive sintering of CuO nanoparticles has received significant interest for printing technology. We investigated the effect of the particle size distribution in CuO nanoparticle inks on patterns fabricated using femtosecond laser-pulse-induced thermochemical reduction. First, Gaussian- and bimodal-type inks were prepared using commercially available and chemically synthesized nanoparticles, respectively. Both types of inks on glass substrates with a thickness of approximately 10 µm were estimated to be absorbed 80% of the irradiated near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses, as indicated by both absorption coefficients. The bimodal-type ink increased the density of the patterns, as expected using the packing theory. However, the patterns comprised non-reduced CuO and Cu2O, as well as residual polyvinylpyrrolidone. In contrast, the patterns fabricated using the Gaussian-type ink were well-reduced to Cu and exhibited a low density and high surface area. In addition, the patterns were advantageous for electrochemical applications, which exhibited intense peaks corresponding to the reduction of CuO and Cu2O surface oxides back to metallic copper in comparison of the patterns fabricated using the bimodal-type ink, regardless of laser irradiation conditions.
How Locus of Control Predicts Subjective Well-Being and its Inequality: The Moderating Role of Social Values
Authors: Fernandez-Urbano Roger , Royuela Vicente
Published: November 2024

Previous research has established the central role of an individuals’ locus of control (LoC) in influencing subjective well-being. However, earlier studies have predominantly omitted an exploration of potential moderating factors at the country-level and have rarely delved into the influence of LoC on an important yet often-overlooked dimension of well-being—namely, subjective well-being inequality. Addressing these gaps, this study examines the association between individuals’ LoC and subjective well-being, considering both the mean and inequality aspects. Additionally, it explores the moderating influence of country’s social values, particularly the individualism-collectivism dimension. Utilizing data from the Integrated Values Survey, comprising 170,000 observations across 37 countries from 1996 to 2022, our study confirms a strong positive relationship between LoC and subjective well-being while also unveiling a strong negative relationship with subjective well-being inequality. Moreover, it demonstrates that country’s social values exert significant moderation effects on the relationship between LoC and subjective well-being, affecting both the mean level and inequality aspects, albeit in opposing directions. By employing the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition, our findings support the importance of structural effects. Understanding how increasing LoC shapes people’s wellbeing in a society holds implications for policymaking and contributes to ongoing discussions on collective choice and inequality.
The Effect of a Pre-Arraignment Legal Representation Pilot on Pretrial Release and Criminal Case Outcomes
Authors: Lacoe Johanna , Fischer Brett , Raphael Steven
Published: November 2024

Objectives

Low-income individuals facing criminal charges experience disproportionately high rates of pretrial detention and conviction. We study a pilot program in Santa Clara County, CA that aims to address this inequity by providing access to public defenders immediately following arrest.

Methods

The Santa Clara Public Defender agreed to provide pilot services one day per week, rotating the intervention day across weeks. Individuals booked on an intervention day were eligible for early legal representation, while individuals booked on control days received public defender services as usual. The study leverages the rotating treatment day to compare pretrial release and case outcomes between eligible individuals booked on treatment days and eligible individuals booked on control days.

Results

Pilot program participants were 28 percentage points more likely to secure pretrial release, and 36 percentage points more likely to see their cases dismissed, relative to comparable individuals who generally first meet with their public defender at arraignment.

Conclusions

Providing prompt access to legal representation could improve release and case outcomes for low-income individuals and the efficacy of public defense.
Detrimental effects of urbanisation on animal assemblages and a key ecological function persist across ecosystems
Authors: Mosman Jesse D. , Borland Hayden P. , Gilby Ben L. , Rummell Ashley J. , Olds Andrew D. , Henderson Christopher J.
Published: November 2024

Context

Urbanisation is pervasive across landscapes and seascapes and leads to the loss, degradation and fragmentation of many natural ecosystems and this has widespread consequences for animals and the ecological functions they support. While the impacts of urbanisation are understood for many individual coastal ecosystems in isolation, it is unclear how these impacts influence animal assemblages and ecological functions across different coastal ecosystems within the same landscape.

Objectives

We aimed to determine how urbanisation modifies fish and crustacean assemblages and the function of carrion consumption across multiple coastal ecosystems set within the same landscape in eastern Australia.

Methods

We sampled fish and crustacean assemblages in three distinct coastal ecosystems (estuaries, rocky headlands and surf zones) with baited remote underwater video systems and quantified rates of carrion consumption using scavenging assays.

Results

Urbanisation had negative effects on the richness and abundance of coastal fish and crustaceans and the ecological function of carrion consumption, and these impacts were almost always consistent across estuaries, rocky headlands and surf zones. Species richness and abundance were lowest at the most urbanised sites, whereas rates of carrion consumption were lowest at sites closest to urbanised areas, across all ecosystems.

Conclusions

We highlight the negative effects of urbanisation on coastal fish and crustacean assemblages, and a vital ecological function, and the consistency of these effects on distinct coastal ecosystems located within the same landscape. Managing the pervasive impacts of urbanisation on animal assemblages and ecological functions will, therefore, require targeted approaches that address the underlying impacts of urbanisation across multiple coastal ecosystems.
Optimizing nanosilver for implant success: from marketing hype to medical reality
Authors: Sotiriou Georgios A.
Published: November 2024

Bacterial infections leading to implant failure pose a significant global health issue. Despite its antimicrobial properties, nanosilver is not commonly used in commercially available titanium implant coatings. This underutilization stems from an insufficient understanding of fundamental factors, such as particle size, coating, composition, and stability that dictate the antimicrobial performance of nanosilver coatings. A deeper understanding of these factors is crucial for designing effective nanosilver coatings to prevent biofilm formation on implants. Without this knowledge, nanosilver technology risks being merely a marketing tool rather than a functional component in medical devices. Another limiting factor is the potential cytotoxicity of nanosilver coatings, which necessitates a delicate balance between anti-biofilm activity and host tissue toxicity. Addressing these issues could involve the development of multifunctional coatings as well as the optimization of manufacturing processes with a specific focus on the durability of the coatings. Furthermore, to demonstrate the efficacy of these coatings, rigorous in vitro and in vivo assessments are required. As our understanding of the fundamental parameters of nanosilver coatings improves and we find ways to mitigate their toxicity, their utilization will be strengthened by clinicians and approved by regulatory agencies. The development of personalized implant coatings with well-defined nanosilver properties and multiple functionalities will further advance the field and address the challenge of implant failure.
Predicting intraoperative 5-ALA-induced tumor fluorescence via MRI and deep learning in gliomas with radiographic lower-grade characteristics
Authors: Suero Molina Eric , Azemi Ghasem , Özdemir Zeynep , Russo Carlo , Krähling Hermann , Valls Chavarria Alexandra , Liu Sidong , Stummer Walter , Di Ieva Antonio
Published: November 2024

Purpose

Lower-grade gliomas typically exhibit 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)-induced fluorescence in only 20–30% of cases, a rate that can be increased by doubling the administered dose of 5-ALA. Fluorescence can depict anaplastic foci, which can be precisely sampled to avoid undergrading. We aimed to analyze whether a deep learning model could predict intraoperative fluorescence based on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods

We evaluated a cohort of 163 glioma patients categorized intraoperatively as fluorescent (n = 83) or non-fluorescent (n = 80). The preoperative MR images of gliomas lacking high-grade characteristics (e.g., necrosis or irregular ring contrast-enhancement) consisted of T1, T1-post gadolinium, and FLAIR sequences. The preprocessed MRIs were fed into an encoder-decoder convolutional neural network (U-Net), pre-trained for tumor segmentation using those three MRI sequences. We used the outputs of the bottleneck layer of the U-Net in the Variational Autoencoder (VAE) as features for classification. We identified and utilized the most effective features in a Random Forest classifier using the principal component analysis (PCA) and the partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) algorithms. We evaluated the performance of the classifier using a tenfold cross-validation procedure.

Results

Our proposed approach's performance was assessed using mean balanced accuracy, mean sensitivity, and mean specificity. The optimal results were obtained by employing top-performing features selected by PCA, resulting in a mean balanced accuracy of 80% and mean sensitivity and specificity of 84% and 76%, respectively.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the potential of a U-Net model, coupled with a Random Forest classifier, for pre-operative prediction of intraoperative fluorescence. We achieved high accuracy using the features extracted by the U-Net model pre-trained for brain tumor segmentation. While the model can still be improved, it has the potential for evaluating when to administer 5-ALA to gliomas lacking typical high-grade radiographic features.

Graphical abstract
Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS)
Authors: Retherford K. D. , Becker T. M. , Gladstone G. R. , Greathouse T. K. , Davis M. W. , Velez M. A. , Freeman M. A. , Brooks S. M. , Ferrell S. , Giles R. S. , Hendrix A. R. , Hue V. , Johnson E. , Kammer J. A. , Marinan A. D. , D Mamo B. , McGrath M. A. , Molyneux P. M. , Nerney E. G. , Perez B. , Persson K. B. , Pope S. , Raut U. , Rickerson R. , Roth L. , Saur J. , W Siegmund O. H. , Spencer J. R. , Steffl A. J. , Stern S. A. , Trantham B. J. , Versteeg M. H. , Winkenstern J. ,   the Europa-UVS Team
Published: November 2024

NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is designed to provide a diversity of measurements to further our understanding of the potential habitability of this intriguing ocean world. The Europa mission’s Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS), built at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), is primarily a “plume finder” and tenuous atmosphere investigation. The science objectives of Europa-UVS are to: 1) Search for and characterize any current activity, notably plumes; and 2) Characterize the composition and sources of volatiles to identify the signatures of non-ice materials, including organic compounds, in the atmosphere and local space environment. Europa-UVS observes photons in the 55–206 nm wavelength range at moderate spectral and spatial resolution along a 7.5° slit composed of 7.3°×0.1° and 0.2°×0.2° contiguous sections. A variety of observational techniques including nadir pushbroom imaging, disk scans, stellar and solar occultations, Jupiter transit observations, and neutral cloud/plasma torus stares are employed to perform a comprehensive study of Europa’s atmosphere, plumes, surface, and local space environment. This paper describes the Europa-UVS investigation’s science plans, instrument details, concept of operations, and data formats in the context of the Europa Clipper mission’s primary habitability assessment goals.
Fear of exclusion: the dynamics of club formation
Authors: Joshi Priyanka
Published: November 2024

This paper explores a dynamic model of sequential club formation in which identical individuals join or leave clubs over time and their preferences depend solely on the number of members in the club. There exists a unique optimal-sized club which maximises per-period payoff of each individual. To study the implications of the dynamic setting, we use a benchmark game of a finite number of periods which mimics the static framework. Implied by the dynamic nature of the problem, we find a new source of inefficiency that is caused by so called fear of exclusion phenomenon where individuals fear being excluded from a relatively superior sustainable club, which is not necessarily optimal. An unusual behaviour may be observed in which individuals strictly prefer to form sub-optimal sized clubs. A specific class of equilibria is analysed to examine such behaviour.
Establishment of an efficient and wide-spectrum droplet-vitrification cryopreservation for raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) germplasm and assessments of genetic integrity and vegetative growth in the regenerants
Authors: Ma Xiao-Yan , Blystad Dag‑Ragnar , Wang Qiao-Chun , Tong Lu , Stensbøl Øyvor , Zhang Dong , Hamborg Zhibo
Published: November 2024

By optimizing size of shoot tips, preculture medium and exposure duration to PVS2, we established an efficient and wide-spectrum droplet-vitrification cryopreservation for shoot tips of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.). This protocol yielded 80–100% and 67–100% of survival and shoot regrowth levels in cryopreserved shoot tips across 23 raspberry genotypes. Genetic integrity was assessed in cryo-derived regenerants after 3 months of post-cryopreservation using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), and insertions and deletions (InDels). ISSR did not detect any polymorphic bands in the cryo-derived regenerants. Although the number of SNPs and InDels decreased in the cryo-derived regenerants, variation trends were similar between the cryo-derived regenerants and the control. Plant vegetative growth and root growth were assessed in the cryo-derived plants after 9 weeks of growth in greenhouse. There were no significant differences in plant vegetative growth measured by plant height, number of fully-opened leaved, leaf area, and fresh and dry weight between the cryo-derived plants and the control, although significant differences were observed in root growth measured by root total length, root average diameter and root volume between the two types of plants. The results obtained in the present study indicate that the droplet-vitrification method has great potential for cryopreservation of raspberry germplasm.
Confined Truths and Cognitive Ecologies: When the Social Pursuit of Questioning Becomes Unreliable
Authors: Werner Konrad
Published: November 2024

The capacity to distinguish reliable or rationally believable claims from a huge pool of views available within the public arena has never been as critical an issue as it is today. We live in a world full of bizarre, unwarranted beliefs and conspiracy theories, some of which may seem, at least on the face of it, quite well justified. Moreover, some of them may even turn out to be true. This poses a significant social-epistemological as well as practical problem. Here I propose to single out a group of beliefs known as confined truths. These are true beliefs belonging to a pathological question-answer system. The paper first provisionally articulates this idea and then makes the case for an ecological account of questioning and answering, thought of as social pursuits made possible by the capacity for problematization. The latter shall be characterized as part of cognitive engineering or niche construction. In the final part of the paper, various possible dysfunctionalities of the social/ecological pursuit of problematization are elicited and suitable examples thereof are briefly discussed.
Western European hedgehog’s (Erinaceus europaeus) head arteries
Authors: Ruszkowski Jakub Jędrzej , Zdun Maciej , Arciszewski Marcin Bartłomiej
Published: November 2024

The Western European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is a small, nocturnal, insectivorous mammal native to Europe. The aim of the study was to describe the arterial supply to the head of the Western European hedgehog in detail and compare it with known vascular patterns found in mammals. In the study, 30 specimens of adult Western European hedgehogs were used. Three different angiological techniques were used to obtain the full image of arterial vascularization of the head in the described species - latex preparation, corrosion cast and contrast-enhanced cone-beam computed tomography. The last of them is a method also used in veterinary practice, which makes the description useful not only to anatomists, but also veterinary clinicians. The most important features of the study are: the species has an interesting, individually specific course of the stapedial artery, in which two different variants have been found. In one of them the vessel provides blood as far as the orbit, but in the other one ends at the temporal region; the auricular region is supplied by branches from the superficial cervical artery; there is no maxillary artery; the occipital artery originates from the internal carotid artery. The results of this work may contribute to establishing new veterinary protocols for the species that is declining in number in many countries and is treated by veterinarians in wildlife rehabilitation centers. It may be also used by clinicians who work with other species of hedgehogs kept as pets.
Bifurcation Graphs for the CR3BP via Symplectic Methods
Authors: Moreno Agustin , Aydin Cengiz , van Koert Otto , Frauenfelder Urs , Koh Dayung
Published: November 2024

In this article, using the symplectic methods developed by Moreno and Frauenfelder (aimed at analyzing periodic orbits, their stability and their bifurcations), we will carry out numerical studies concerning periodic orbits in the Jupiter–Europa and Saturn–Enceladus systems. We will put emphasis on planar-to-spatial bifurcations, from deformation of the families in Hill’s lunar problem studied by Aydin. We will also provide an algorithm for the numerical computation of Conley–Zehnder indices, which are instrumental in practice for determining which families of orbits connect to which. As an application, we use our tools to analyze a well-known family of Halo orbits that approaches Enceladus at an altitude of 29 km, which bears interest for future space missions that visit the water plumes.
Predicting the generalization of computer aided detection (CADe) models for colonoscopy
Authors: Shor Joel , McNeil Carson , Intrator Yotam , Ledsam Joseph R. , Yamano Hiro-o , Tsurumaru Daisuke , Kayama Hiroki , Hamabe Atsushi , Ando Koji , Ota Mitsuhiko , Ogino Haruei , Nakase Hiroshi , Kobayashi Kaho , Miyo Masaaki , Oki Eiji , Takemasa Ichiro , Rivlin Ehud , Goldenberg Roman
Published: November 2024

Generalizability of AI colonoscopy algorithms is important for wider adoption in clinical practice. However, current techniques for evaluating performance on unseen data require expensive and time-intensive labels. We show that a "Masked Siamese Network" (MSN), trained to predict masked out regions of polyp images without labels, can predict the performance of Computer Aided Detection (CADe) of polyps on colonoscopies, without labels. This holds on Japanese colonoscopies even when MSN is only trained on Israeli colonoscopies, which differ in scoping hardware, endoscope software, screening guidelines, bowel preparation, patient demographics, and the use of techniques such as narrow-band imaging (NBI) and chromoendoscopy (CE). Since our technique uses neither colonoscopy-specific information nor labels, it has the potential to apply to more medical imaging domains.
Development of the Nurse Competency Assessment Scale in Disaster Management and Psychometric Testing
Authors: Yildiz Keskin Ayşe , Alan Handan
Published: November 2024

Objective

The aim of this study was to develop the Nurse Competency Assessment Scale in Disaster Management (NCASDM) and to conduct psychometric evaluation.

Methods

It is a scale development study. Research data were collected between January and May 2023. In the sample of the study, as stated in the literature, it was aimed to reach at least 10 times the number of draft scale items (n = 600). The psychometric properties of the scale were tested with 697 nurses working in four different hospitals. A three-stage structure was used in the analysis of data: (1) creating the item pool, (2) preliminary evaluation of items, (3) refining of the scale and evaluation of psychometric properties. The content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and temporal stability of the scale were evaluated according to the scale development guidelines.

Results

The scale items were obtained from online, semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews conducted with nurses who experienced disasters or worked in disasters. The content validity index of the scale was found to be 0.95. According to the exploratory factor analysis, it was found that the scale consisted of 43 items and two subscales, and the subscales explained 79.094% of the total variance. The compliance indices obtained as a result of confirmatory factor analysis were acceptable and at good levels.

Conclusions

The NCASDM was found to be a psychometrically valid and reliable measurement tool. It can be used to evaluate the competency of nurses related to disaster management.
Decidability of the isomorphism problem between multidimensional substitutive subshifts
Authors: CABEZAS CHRISTOPHER , LEROY JULIEN
Published: November 2024

An important question in dynamical systems is the classification problem, that is, the ability to distinguish between two isomorphic systems. In this work, we study the topological factors between a family of multidimensional substitutive subshifts generated by morphisms with uniform support. We prove that it is decidable to check whether two minimal aperiodic substitutive subshifts are isomorphic. The strategy followed in this work consists of giving a complete description of the factor maps between these subshifts. Then, we deduce some interesting consequences on coalescence, automorphism groups, and the number of aperiodic symbolic factors of substitutive subshifts. We also prove other combinatorial results on these substitutions, such as the decidability of defining a subshift, the computability of the constant of recognizability, and the conjugacy between substitutions with different supports.
Extensions of tautological rings and motivic structures in the cohomology of
${\overline {\mathcal {M}}}_{g,n}$
Authors: Canning Samir , Larson Hannah , Payne Sam
Published: November 2024

We study collections of subrings of

$H^*({\overline {\mathcal {M}}}_{g,n})$

that are closed under the tautological operations that map cohomology classes on moduli spaces of smaller dimension to those on moduli spaces of larger dimension and contain the tautological subrings. Such extensions of tautological rings are well-suited for inductive arguments and flexible enough for a wide range of applications. In particular, we confirm predictions of Chenevier and Lannes for the

$\ell $

-adic Galois representations and Hodge structures that appear in

$H^k({\overline {\mathcal {M}}}_{g,n})$

for

$k = 13$

,

$14$

and

$15$

. We also show that

$H^4({\overline {\mathcal {M}}}_{g,n})$

is generated by tautological classes for all g and n, confirming a prediction of Arbarello and Cornalba from the 1990s. In order to establish the final base cases needed for the inductive proofs of our main results, we use Mukai’s construction of canonically embedded pentagonal curves of genus 7 as linear sections of an orthogonal Grassmannian and a decomposition of the diagonal to show that the pure weight cohomology of

${\mathcal {M}}_{7,n}$

is generated by algebraic cycle classes, for

$n \leq 3$

.
Curved detonation equations with analysis and its applications
Authors: Yan Hao , Shi Chongguang , Xiong Haochen , Han Xin , You Yancheng
Published: November 2024

In this paper, curved detonation equations with gradients for the pre-wave and post-wave are constructed followed by analysis, verification and applications. The study focuses on shock induced chemical reaction such as detonation, with the energy effect for the main attention. Equations consider both planar and transverse curvature to accommodate both planar and axisymmetric flow problems. Influence coefficients are derived and used to analyse the effect of energy and curvature on the post-wave gradient. Good agreement with the simulation results demonstrates that the equations presented in this paper can calculate various post-wave gradients accurately. After verification, the equations can be applied to applications, including not only solution and analysis but also in the inverse design. First, the method can be applied with polar analysis to provide a new perspective and higher order parameters for the study of detonation. Second, the equations can be used for the capture of detonation waves, where both planar and axisymmetric examples show better performance. Furthermore, the equations can be used in the inverse design of detonation waves in combination with the method of characteristics, which is one of the unique benefits of the present equations.
Adaptive crisis management at the operational level: Responses to COVID-19 in the Australian resources sector
Authors: Ajith Michael M. , Lux Andrei A. , Bentley Tim , Striepe Michelle
Published: November 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 significantly impacted Australia’s resources sector, particularly mining, oil, and gas industries, posing challenges for operational leaders. This study applied Adaptive Crisis Management Theory (ACMT) to understand how these leaders adapted during the crisis. Through interviews with 32 operational leaders, it was found that their roles evolved as crisis demands changed. Initially, they addressed immediate needs, then shifted focus to remote work facilitation and digital transformation, and finally emphasised recovery, trust, and resilience. These adaptations influenced leaders’ behaviours, highlighting the importance of flexibility in supporting employee wellbeing and organisational continuity during crises.
A randomised study and an extension study of brexpiprazole in patients with borderline personality disorder
Authors: Rothman Brian , Brewer Claudette , Chang Denise , Hobart Mary , Hefting Nanco , McQuade Robert D. , Grant Jon E.
Published: November 2024

Objective:

No drugs are currently approved for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD). These studies (a randomised study and its open-label extension) aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of brexpiprazole for the treatment of BPD.

Methods:

The Phase 2, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study enrolled adult outpatients with BPD. After a 1-week placebo run-in, patients were randomised 1:1 to brexpiprazole 2–3 mg/day (flexible dose) or placebo for 11 weeks. The primary endpoint was change in Zanarini Rating Scale for BPD total score from randomisation (Week 1) to Week 10 (timing of randomisation and endpoint blinded to investigators and patients). The Phase 2/3, multicentre, open-label extension study enrolled patients who completed the randomised study; all patients received brexpiprazole 2–3 mg/day (flexible dose) for 12 weeks. Safety assessments included treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs).

Results:

Brexpiprazole was not statistically significantly different from placebo on the primary endpoint of the randomised study (N = 324 randomised; N = 110 analysed per treatment group; least squares mean difference −1.02; 95% confidence limits −2.75, 0.70; p = 0.24). Numerical efficacy advantages for brexpiprazole were observed at other time points. The most common TEAE in the randomised study was akathisia (brexpiprazole, 14.0%; placebo, 1.2%); data from the open-label study (N = 199 analysed) suggested that TEAEs were transient.

Conclusion:

The primary endpoint of the randomised study was not met. Further research on brexpiprazole in BPD is warranted based on possible efficacy signals at other time points and its safety profile.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT04100096, NCT04186403. Funding: Otsuka, Lundbeck.
Morphological and molecular characterization of Mylonchulus laocaiensis sp. n. (Nematoda: Mylonchulidae) from Vietnam
Authors: Vu T.T.T. , Le T.M.L. , Peneva V.
Published: November 2024

Mylonchulus laocaiensis sp. n. recorded from Vietnam, is described and illustrated, and its phylogenetic relationship within the Mylonchulidae family and Mononchida order are analysed. The new species is characterized by medium body size (L = 1.0–1.5 mm); buccal cavity goblet shaped, 26–29 × 14–16.5 μm or 1.8 (1.7–1.9) times as long as wide; posterior position of dorsal tooth apex (79%–88% from the base of buccal cavity); a small subventral tooth present on subventral wall; pars refringens vaginae with faint and small (2.5 × 1.7 μm) teardrop-shaped pieces, short pars distalis vaginae; male with short spicules (54–57 μm) with rounded head. The molecular data (18S and 28S rDNA) are provided for the new species.
The potential role of the Mediterranean diet for the treatment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome: a review of the pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical evidence
Authors: Scannell Nicole , Villani Anthony , Moran Lisa , Mantzioris Evangeline
Published: November 2024

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder amongst reproductive-aged women associated with cardiometabolic, reproductive and psychological abnormalities. Lifestyle modification, including a healthy diet, is considered first-line treatment for management of clinical symptoms. However, there is limited high-quality evidence to support one superior therapeutic dietary intervention for PCOS management that is beyond general population-based dietary guidelines. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has been shown to decrease cardiometabolic disease risk and attenuate depressive symptoms, particularly in patients with metabolic perturbations. This narrative review summarises the proposed biological mechanisms underpinning the potential therapeutic benefits of a MedDiet for the management of cardiometabolic, reproductive and psychological features related to PCOS. Observational evidence suggests an inverse relationship between MedDiet adherence and PCOS features, particularly insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia. Although the exact mechanisms are complex and multifaceted, they are likely related to the anti-inflammatory potential of the dietary pattern. These mechanisms are underpinned by anti-inflammatory bioactive constituents present in the MedDiet, including carotenoids, polyphenols and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Synthesis of the available literature suggests the MedDiet could be a promising therapeutic dietary intervention to attenuate short and long-term symptoms associated with PCOS and may aid in reducing the longer-term risks associated with cardiometabolic diseases and reproductive and psychological dysfunction. Nevertheless, current evidence remains insufficient to inform clinical practice and well-designed clinical trials are needed. As such, we provide recommendations for the design and delivery of future MedDiet interventions in women with PCOS, including exploring the acceptability, and feasibility to enhance adherence.
Values and facts and fancies
Authors: Clark Stephen R.L.
Published: November 2024

An examination of the apparent gap – familiar in many branches of philosophy – between ‘the facts’ and ‘values’, focusing especially on Sam Gamgee’s perception of ‘Earendil’s Star’ and the real nature of ‘the planet Venus’: Is it possible to trust in the awe and admiration we may feel towards ‘the heavens’ in the light of current astronomical theory about the wider world? How can humane values, including love of beauty, survive in an inhumanly indifferent world? Can obvious fictions have more than allegorical significance? Must we rely on fictions to survive as humane creatures, or may those seeming fictions, and our initial emotional response, provide true guidance to the way things are, and how we might be?
Beach and Backward Bragg Sea‐Swell Wave Reflection Across Rocky and Sandy Shores
Authors: Collins Patrick , MacMahan Jamie , Thornton Edward , Benbow Charlotte , Jessen Paul
Published: November 2024

An observational study comparing beach reflection characteristics for sea‐swell waves along six rocky and three sandy shores, spanning from Monterey to Santa Cruz, CA, shed light on the previously unknown wave reflection along rocky shores. Wave reflection is derived from directional spectra acquired via several surface GPS‐based wave buoys. Owing to the Lagrangian nature of the buoy, they were validated against Eulerian beam velocities from a bottom‐mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler, providing a spatial array for more degrees of freedom in resolving wave direction and now including adjustment for instrument tilt. Reflection varies across shoreline types: sandy shores (20%), rough, rocky shores (10%), rocky shores with cliffs (15%), and rocky platforms with cliffs (30%). Contrary to expectations, rocky shores exhibit minimal reflection. Existing reflection estimators developed for sandy shores are found inadequate for rocky shores , necessitating a new estimator considering beach slope, wave steepness, and shoreline rugosity . Beach reflection is limited by the dissipation of incident waves due to bottom friction and depth‐limited wave breaking as well as by the reduction in reflected waves caused by wave trapping. Observed reflection increased offshore on all beaches attributed to sea‐swell waves' resonant interaction with the rough rocky bottom, causing backward Bragg scattering. The Bragg scattering was less on larger‐sloped bottoms, attributed to larger slopes hindering effective wave‐bottom interactions.
Assessing Potential Groundwater Storage Capacity for Sustainable Groundwater Management in the Transitioning Post‐Subsidence Metropolitan Area
Authors: Lin Shao‐Hung , Hu Jyr‐Ching , Wang Shih‐Jung
Published: November 2024

Many major cities worldwide have inevitably experienced excessive groundwater pumping due to growing demands for freshwater in urban development. To mitigate land subsidence problems during urbanization, various regulations have been adopted to control groundwater usage. This study examines the transition in the post‐subsidence stage, especially in metropolitan areas, to adaptively adjust subsidence prevention strategies for effective groundwater management. Taking the Taipei Basin as an example, historical data reveals significant subsidence of more than 2 m during early urban development, with subsidence hazards largely mitigated over decades. However, the rising groundwater level poses a risk to the stability of engineering excavations. In this study, 29 X‐band Cosmo‐Skymed constellation (CSK) images were utilized with the Persistent Scatterer InSAR (PSInSAR/PSI) technique to monitor surface displacements during the construction of the Mass Rapid Transit system. Correlating groundwater levels helps identify the heterogeneous hydrogeological environment, and the potential groundwater capacity is assessed. PSI time‐series reveal that approximately 2 cm of recoverable land displacements correspond to groundwater fluctuations in the confined aquifer, indicative of the typically elastic behavior of the resilient aquifer system. The estimated groundwater storage variation is about 1.6 million cubic meters, suggesting this potential groundwater capacity could provide available water resources with proper management. Additionally, engineering excavation safety can be ensured with lowered groundwater levels. This study emphasizes the need to balance groundwater resource use with urban development by adjusting subsidence prevention and control strategies to achieve sustainable water management in the post‐subsidence stage.
Tourism and Distant Fires Affect Antarctica’s Black Carbon Levels
Authors: Capella Larissa
Published: November 2024

Tourism and biomass burning in the Southern Hemisphere are boosting black carbon levels and accelerating ice melt in Antarctica.
Equatorial Source of Oblique Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves: Peculiarities in the Ion Distribution Function
Authors: Tonoian David S. , Zhang Xiao‐Jia , Artemyev Anton , An Xin
Published: November 2024

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves are important for Earth's inner magnetosphere as they can effectively drive relativistic electron losses to the atmosphere and energetic (ring current) ion scattering and isotropization. EMIC waves are generated by transversely anisotropic ion populations around the equatorial source region, and for typical magnetospheric conditions this almost always produces field‐aligned waves. For many specific occasions, however, oblique EMIC waves are observed, and such obliquity has been commonly attributed to the wave off‐equatorial propagation in curved dipole magnetic fields. In this study, we report that very oblique EMIC waves can be directly generated at the equatorial source region. Using THEMIS spacecraft observations at the dawn flank, we show that such oblique wave generation is possible in the presence of a field‐aligned thermal ion population, likely of ionospheric origin, which can reduce Landau damping of oblique EMIC waves and cyclotron generation of field‐aligned waves. This generation mechanism underlines the importance of magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling processes in controlling wave characteristics in the inner magnetosphere.
Modeling the Emission of Energetic Neutral Atoms in Titan's Dynamic Magnetospheric Environment
Authors: Tippens Tyler , Simon Sven , Roussos Elias
Published: November 2024

To provide context for Cassini observations of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) generated by charge exchange between Titan's atmosphere and energetic magnetospheric ions, we compute synthetic ENA images for a variety of uniform and draped electromagnetic field configurations, flyby scenarios, and viewing geometries. Starting with the idealized case of the magnetospheric field near Titan pointing southward, we calculate the observable ENA emission morphology for a large set of detector locations, each mimicking the properties of Cassini's Ion and Neutral Camera. Regardless of whether the electromagnetic fields near Titan are treated as uniform or draped, ENA production occurs within a thin shell of radial thickness 85 km, located directly above the moon's exobase. The observable ENA morphology is largely controlled by the angle between the detector's boresight vector and Saturn's magnetospheric field. Both the radius and the sense of energetic ion gyration carve distinct gaps in the ENA emission pattern. Field line draping around Titan leaves a discernible imprint in the ENA emissions only for a narrow range of viewing geometries. We also apply the model to study the ENA images taken during the T20 and T24 flybys. During both encounters, the ambient magnetospheric field displayed frequent transitions between Saturn's northern and southern magnetodisk lobes. We show that the notion of a steady‐state interaction between Titan and an averaged magnetospheric background field is not suitable to explain the observed ENA morphology. Instead, ambient field variations measured more than 1 hr before ENA image acquisition still leave an imprint in the emission pattern.
Central obesity may account for most of the colorectal cancer risk linked to obesity: evidence from the UK Biobank prospective cohort
Authors: Safizadeh Fatemeh , Mandic Marko , Schöttker Ben , Hoffmeister Michael , Brenner Hermann
Published: November 2024

Background

General obesity commonly represented by body mass index (BMI) is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, it is unclear to what extent this association is accounted for by central obesity. We aimed to evaluate the associations between BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist circumference (WC) with CRC risk and to investigate if and to what extent these associations are independent from each other.

Methods

Data from more than 500,000 male and female participants aged 40–69, recruited in the UK Biobank study between 2006 and 2010, were analyzed. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were fitted and hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.

Results

During a median follow-up of 12.5 years, of 460,784 participants, 5,977 developed CRC. Multivariable adjusted HRs (95% CIs) per standard deviation increase of BMI, WHR, and WC were 1.10 (1.07–1.13), 1.18 (1.14–1.22), and 1.14 (1.11–1.18), respectively. After mutual adjustment, the association with CRC was substantially attenuated for BMI (1.04 (1.01–1.07)), and remained substantially stronger for WHR (1.15 (1.11–1.20)). Furthermore, WHR showed strong, statistically significant associations with CRC risk within all BMI categories, whereas associations of BMI with CRC risk were weak and not statistically significant within WHR categories. BMI was also not associated with CRC risk in women and with rectal cancer after mutual adjustment. Conversely, WHR was strongly associated with CRC risk in both sexes and with both colon and rectal cancer risk before and after adjustment for BMI. BMI and WC could not be mutually adjusted for due to their high correlation.

Conclusion

Central obesity is a much stronger predictor of CRC and may account for most of the CRC risk linked to obesity. Our findings also emphasize the need for incorporating measures such as WHR alongside BMI in clinical practice to improve obesity prevention and management.