bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High temperature study of dielectric and electrical conduction behaviour of La2NiO4
Authors: Katheriya Tarun , Upadhyay Shail
Published: September 2023

Materials showing negative permittivity have attracted considerable attention from researchers on account of their notable applications in electronic and electromagnetic devices. Discovering materials exhibiting negative permittivity is a challenging task. Very few single-phase oxides have been reported as negative permittivity materials. In this work, we have attempted to investigate the dielectric properties of La2NiO4 to explore the possibility of negative permittivity. To achieve the goal, powder, and ceramic of La2NiO4 have been synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction method. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction data studies has confirmed the tetragonal structure and space group I4/mmm. The Dielectric properties and AC conductivity have been studied in the frequency range of 20 Hz–2 MHz and over a wide temperature range (30 °C–600 °C). The permittivity of La2NiO4 is found to be negative at all the measured frequencies and temperatures. The Drude model fitted the experimental data very well, suggesting that negative permittivity behavior can be assigned to the plasma oscillation of conducting electrons. The trend of AC conductivity with frequency is similar to the skin effect observed in metals. The variation of DC conductivity with temperature indicated small polaron hopping conduction mechanism. Analysis of reactance (Z′′) suggested inductive electrical character in the tested frequency and temperature range. Room temperature negative permittivity behavior of La2NiO4 makes it a potential candidate for practical electronic and electromagnetic devices that work in the Radio-frequency range. Furthermore, this work will add a new member to the family of Perovskite oxides showing tunable negative permittivity.
Density-dependent relativistic mean field approach and its application to single-Λ hypernuclei in oxygen hyperisotopes*
Authors: Ding 丁 Shi-Yuan 士缘 , Yang 杨 Wei 威 , Sun 孙 Bao-Yuan 保元
Published: September 2023

The in-medium feature of nuclear force, which includes both nucleon-nucleon (

) and hyperon-nucleon (

) interactions, impacts the description of single-Λ hypernuclei. With the alternated mass number or isospin of hypernuclei, such effects may be unveiled by analyzing the systematic evolution of the bulk and single-particle properties. From a density-dependent meson-nucleon/hyperon coupling perspective, a new

effective interaction in the covariant density functional (CDF) theory, namely, DD-LZ1-

, is obtained by fitting the experimental data of Λ separation energies for several single-Λ hypernuclei. It is then used to study the structure and transition properties of single-Λ hypernuclei in oxygen hyperisotopes, in comparison with those determined using several selected CDF Lagrangians. A discrepancy is explicitly observed in the isospin evolution of

spin-orbit splitting with various effective interactions, which is attributed to the divergence of the meson-hyperon coupling strengths with increasing density. In particular, the density-dependent CDFs introduce an extra contribution to reduce the value but enhance the isospin dependence of the splitting, which originates from the rearrangement terms of Λ self-energies. In addition, the characteristics of hypernuclear radii are studied along the isotopic chain. Owing to the impurity effect of the Λ hyperon, a size shrinkage is observed in the matter radii of hypernuclei compared with the cores of normal nuclei, and its magnitude is further elucidated to correlate with the incompressibility of nuclear matter. Moreover, there is a sizable model-dependent trend in which the Λ hyperon radii evolve with neutron number, which is decided partly by the in-medium

interactions and core polarization effects.
Measurement of the effective weak mixing angle at the CEPC*
Authors: Zhao 赵 Zhenyu 振宇 , Yang 杨 Siqi 思奇 , Ruan 阮 Manqi 曼奇 , Liu 刘 Minghui 明辉 , Han 韩 Liang 良
Published: September 2023

We present a study of the measurement of the effective weak mixing angle parameter (

) at the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC). As a fundamental physics parameter,

plays a key role not only in the global test of the standard model electroweak sector, but also in constraining the potential beyond standard model new physics at the high energy frontier. CEPC proposes a two year running period around the Z boson mass pole at high instataneous luminosity, providing a large data sample with

candidates generated in total. It allows a high precision measurement of

both in the lepton and quark final states, where the uncertainty can be one order of magnitude lower than any previous measurement at the LEP, SLC, Tevatron, and LHC. It will improve the overall precision of the

experimental determination to be comparable to the preicision of the theoretical calculation with two-loop radiative corrections, and it will also provide direct comparisons between different final states. In this paper, we also study the measurement of

in the high mass region. Taking data for one month, the precision of

measured at 130 GeV from b quark final state is 0.00010, which will be an important experimental observation on the energy-running effect of

.
Studying the Equilibrium Points of the Modified Circular Restricted Three-body Problem: The Case of Sun–Haumea System
Authors: Nurul Huda I. , Dermawan B. , Saputra M. B. , Sadikin R. , Hidayat T.
Published: September 2023

We intend to study a modified version of the planar Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CRTBP) by incorporating several perturbing parameters. We consider the bigger primary as an oblate spheroid and emitting radiation while the small primary has an elongated body. We also consider the perturbation from a disk-like structure encompassing this three-body system. First, we develop a mathematical model of this modified CRTBP. We have found there exist five equilibrium points in this modified CRTBP model, where three of them are collinear and the other two are non-collinear. Second, we apply our modified CRTBP model to the Sun–Haumea system by considering several values of each perturbing parameter. Through our numerical investigation, we have discovered that the incorporation of perturbing parameters has resulted in a shift in the equilibrium point positions of the Sun–Haumea system compared to their positions in the classical CRTBP. The stability of equilibrium points is investigated. We have shown that the collinear equilibrium points are unstable and the stability of non-collinear equilibrium points depends on the mass parameter μ of the system. Unlike the classical case, non-collinear equilibrium points have both a maximum and minimum limit of μ for achieving stability. We remark that the stability range of μ in non-collinear equilibrium points depends on the perturbing parameters. In the context of the Sun–Haumea system, we have found that the non-collinear equilibrium points are stable.
Dark uncertainty in key comparisons in the gas analysis area
Authors: der Veen Adriaan M H van
Published: September 2023

CCQM-K118 natural gas is among the first key comparisons in the gas analysis area where a model was chosen to fit the data that considered possible overdispersion (‘dark uncertainty’) of the submitted results. As the key comparison was operated with as many travelling standards as there were participants, a Bayesian hierarchical model was developed that also took into account the (small) differences between the measurands across the suite of standards. As there was no independent reference value, such as from static gravimetry, the key comparison was evaluated using a consensus value. In this paper, we assess the performance of the model used in CCQM-K118 using the data from two previous key comparisons about the natural gas composition, CCQM-K23 and CCQM-K16. These key comparisons were operated with independent reference values and showed different levels of dispersion and agreement in the results. From the re-evaluation of the data, we conclude that the model developed for CCQM-K118 is fit for purpose and captures aptly the differences across the measurands for the different travelling standards and the overdispersion of the data. We also conclude that if there is no overdispersion of the data, this is reflected in the posterior probability distribution of the excess standard deviation. The representative value (e.g. median) of this standard deviation becomes then small if not negligible in comparison to the uncertainties stated by the participants.
Interactions between cathodic- and anodic-pulses during high-frequency stimulations with the monophasic-pulses alternating in polarity at axons—experiment and simulation studies
Authors: Hu Yifan , Feng Zhouyan , Zheng Lvpiao , Ye Xiangyu
Published: September 2023

Background. Electrical neuromodulation therapies commonly utilize high-frequency stimulations (HFS) of biphasic-pulses to treat neurological disorders. The biphasic pulse consists of a leading cathodic-phase to activate neurons and a lagging anodic-phase to balance electrical charges. Because both monophasic cathodic- and anodic-pulses can depolarize neuronal membranes, splitting biphasic-pulses into alternate cathodic- and anodic-pulses could be a feasible strategy to improve stimulation efficiency. Objective. We speculated that neurons in the volume initially activated by both polarity pulses could change to be activated only by anodic-pulses during sustained HFS of alternate monophasic-pulses. To verify the hypothesis, we investigated the interactions of the monophasic pulses during HFS and revealed possible underlying mechanisms. Approach. Different types of pulse stimulations were applied at the alvear fibers (i.e. the axons of CA1 pyramidal neurons) to antidromically activate the neuronal cell bodies in the hippocampal CA1 region of anesthetized rats in-vivo. Sequences of antidromic HFS (A-HFS) were applied with alternate monophasic-pulses or biphasic-pulses. The pulse frequency in the A-HFS sequences was 50 or 100 Hz. The A-HFS duration was 120 s. The amplitude of antidromically-evoked population spike was measured to evaluate the neuronal firing induced by each pulse. A computational model of axon was used to explore the possible mechanisms of neuronal modulations. The changes of model variables during sustained A-HFS were analyzed. Main results. In rat experiments, with a same pulse intensity, the activation volume of a cathodic-pulse was greater than that of an anodic-pulse. In paired-pulse tests, a preceding cathodic-pulse was able to prevent a following anodic-pulse from activating neurons due to refractory period. This indicated that the activation volume of a cathodic-pulse covered that of an anodic-pulse. However, during sustained A-HFS of alternate monophasic-pulses, the anodic-pulses were able to prevail over the cathodic-pulses in activating neurons in the overlapped activation volume. Model simulation results show the mechanisms of the activation failures of cathodic-pulses. They include the excessive membrane depolarization caused by an accumulation of potassium ions, the obstacle of hyperpolarization in the conduction pathway and the interactions from anodic-pulses. Significance. The study firstly showed the domination of anodic-pulses over cathodic-pulses in their competitions to activate neurons during sustained HFS. The finding provides new clues for designing HFS paradigms to improve the efficiency of neuromodulation therapies.
Optimization Design Method of Distributed Perception Network for Hydraulic Gate Hoisting Operation
Authors: Dong Yuanfa , Li Xiaocan , Chen Mo , Zhou Bin , Peng Wei
Published: September 2023

Building a highly reliable and low latency distributed perception network for dynamic operation scenarios of hydraulic gate hoists is an important foundation for achieving intelligent operation and maintenance of gate hoists. The study aims to address the issues of poor network signal coverage, high electromagnetic interference, and obstruction of mountains and concrete structures in the hydraulic gate opening and closing operation scenario. Thus, a transmission characteristic function of a single hop network in the hydraulic gate opening and closing operation scenario is constructed based on the Kriging method. A distributed perception network optimization problem model is established with network transmission reliability and deployment cost as optimization objectives, and an improved ant colony algorithm is used to solve it. A set of distributed perception network optimization design methods for hydraulic gate opening and closing operations is proposed. The prototype simulation experiment of a certain hydropower station gate hoist shows that the method proposed in this paper has good feasibility.
Research on Energy Management Strategy for GCPBS
Authors: Xie Yuguang , Li Jincheng , Wang Hu , Mao Lei
Published: September 2023

Integrating solar power into the power grid is significant for the rapid acceleration of energy transition. As a result, it is urgent to make appropriate operational strategies for grid-connected photovoltaic battery systems (GCPBS). At present, a variety of energy management strategies have been proposed, while the influence of battery degradation and energy flow distribution hasn’t been considered, which also makes a huge difference to grid-connected photovoltaic-battery system operation. Therefore, a novel energy management strategy is proposed in this paper to provide optimal energy utilization. Moreover, a case study using data from California is utilized to investigate the performance of the proposed method, where a widely used operation strategy is utilized to be compared. Results prove that the proposed method can control flexibly energy flow to achieve the minimum cost of GCPBS operation with reasonable battery charging and discharging process, and the battery is charged at tough prices and discharged at high prices, where coupling effects of all hours and price are considered and the battery is fully utilized.
Virtual power plant optimal operation considering renewable energy uncertainty
Authors: Lei Cheng , Mo Mingshan , Liang Yu , Nie Jinfeng , Lou Suhua
Published: September 2023

An optimal operation model for a virtual power plant (VPP) is developed to promote the decarbonization of electricity as well as to enable the efficient grid integration of distributed power sources and electric vehicles. The model considers the uncertainty of renewable energy and the environmental punishment of gas turbines to achieve coordinated optimization of distributed resources within the VPP. The case demonstrates the utility of the model.
IoT Terminal Architecture Model
Authors: Zhao Xianping , Mao Yuxing , Liu Siyang , Zhou Lidan , Li Jian , Wang Hongyu
Published: September 2023

The physical Information mapping relationship and function in the sense and control domain is described using entities such as gateway, sense, and control device in the existing IoT reference architecture. However, due to the lack of research on the IoT terminal architecture, there have been difficulties in the research and application of IoT terminal technologies. Starting from the trend analysis of application development of IoT systems, this article proposes an IoT terminal architecture reference model IoT TARM that integrates gateway and sense and control device functions. It analyses the architecture and functional characteristic enhancement acting on the IoT systems due to the IoT TARM. It summarizes the low-power, reconfigurable, lightweight, and platform characteristics of IoT TARM and expounds on the relationship between IoT TARM and the existing IoT architecture.
Capacity Allocation Optimization of Wind-Solar-Hydrogen-Storage Coupled Power Generation System Based on a Double-layer Model
Authors: Ni Yunli , Du Banghua , Deng Jian , Xu Lamei , Xie Changjun
Published: September 2023

Grid-integrated wind-solar and hydrogen storage coupling power generation systems face problems such as high costs of investment, construction, operation, and maintenance. After the conformity of renewable energy, the system’s dependability decreases, and the comprehensive power fluctuation influences the power grid greatly. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a two-tier model. With the system economy, reliability, and wind-solar comprehensive power fluctuation suppression as optimization objectives, the capacity distribution of the hydrogen storage devices can be optimized. Based on a practical microgrid example, the inner and outer layers adopt Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA) and Multi-objective Optimization Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm (MOPSO), respectively, to solve the established model. The optimization results are compared according to three scenarios. The results demonstrate that this model can enhance the operational reliability of the system while considering the overall economy of the system and effectively suppressing the fluctuation of solar and wind power.
An Optimal Configuration Model for Supercapacitor Capacity to Suppress Wind Power Fluctuations
Authors: Zhou Zhuomin , Liang Jian , Yu Aiqin , Liu Haotian , Qin Zhengbin , Sheng Yanchao , Guo Wei
Published: September 2023

This paper presents an optimization configuration scheme for energy storage capacity by taking into account the operational characteristics of supercapacitors. The scheme utilizes Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) to address power fluctuations during the integration of wind power into the grid. To begin with, the wind power data undergoes EMD to decompose it into different-order intrinsic mode functions. These functions are then reconstructed as low-frequency components and high-frequency components. The low-frequency components are directly connected to the grid, while the high-frequency components are employed for power smoothing through energy storage. Subsequently, the impact of various wind power grid limits on the directly connected power is compared to identify the optimal value. A model is established to configure the capacity of supercapacitors, aiming to mitigate wind power fluctuations. The model considers an objective function that minimizes the sum of energy storage investment and operational maintenance costs, along with the compensation cost associated with wind power fluctuation opportunities. Finally, the proposed model’s effectiveness and economic feasibility are validated through case studies. This ensures that the model’s efficacy in reducing power fluctuations and its viability from a financial standpoint are thoroughly examined.
Count the charging load forecast of the battery remaining life and ownership
Authors: Li Chenghao
Published: September 2023

In order to solve the accuracy of EV charging load prediction, the residual life reduction and the exact value of EV ownership caused by battery aging are taken into consideration. The charging load curve of the EV is simulated based on the Monte Carlo simulation method. Finally, based on the actual data of a certain region, the charging load of electric vehicles within a day is obtained. The case analysis shows that the proposed charging load prediction model of electric vehicles has high accuracy, which also shows that the large-scale grid connection of electric vehicles will bring new challenges to the power system. This method provides data support for the subsequent formulation of electric vehicle charging strategy and load side peak shifting and valley filling.
Load-Side Inertia Estimation Method Based on Comprehensive Statistics
Authors: Chen Xinyu , Wang Chenqi , Yu Chenyang , Wang Xin , Xu Jianing , Li Weidong
Published: September 2023

The development of modern power systems is accompanied by the problem of inertia deficit, and there is an urgent need to evaluate the system inertia level. Especially, the accurate estimation of load-side inertia level is extremely important. Based on comprehensive statistics, a load-side inertia estimation method is proposed. Starting from the inertia analysis of load-side base elements, the expressions for load-side inertia estimation under various operation modes are given based on the inertia modeling of basic load units; the uniform correction formula for load-side inertia estimation is given considering the hidden effect of behind-the-meter power supply on inertia estimation. The simulation analysis is carried out based on the IEEE9 bus standard system, and the results show that the proposed load-side inertia estimation method does not exceed 5%.
Research on Inertia Lifting of New Power System Based on VSG Double Sagging Optimization Control
Authors: Wang Mingdong , Yang Aodi , Li Hongji
Published: September 2023

With the development of new energy sources, the power grid inertia declines rapidly, which makes the frequency adjustment ability and the power system stability poor. The virtual synchronous generator (VSG) uses a control algorithm to simulate the synchronous generator, which improves the frequency stability of the grid, but the dynamic adjustment performance would likely be degraded. Moreover, the optimal values of the pivotal parameters such as virtual inertia and damping are difficult to determine. Therefore, a VSG optimization strategy of double sagging control and neural network prediction is proposed which can effectively enhance the voltage and frequency safety of the system. Simulating the characteristic equation of the generator, the small signal analysis model of VSG is built, and the initial value of J and D is completed. An artificial neural network is accomplished, and the weight is adjusted to change the J and D of VSG by analyzing and learning the power grid operation. The expected parameter value can be gained after many times of learning and the adaptive control of VSG is realized.
Hybrid Twin Simulation Technology for Training and Testing of New Generation Substation Secondary System
Authors: Mu Li , Ren Yubao , Jin Wei , Zhang Xinyi , He Xiaoyu , Wang Jing
Published: September 2023

In this paper, a hybrid twin scheme for power substations is proposed for secondary system simulation, which can be used to support operator training and equipment testing. The proposed scheme is composed of a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) based twin substation and a digital twin substation which can reflect the real operating status for both primary and secondary systems of a real substation. Based on the proposed scheme, the modeling method and system architecture are studied in the paper. According to the proposed hybrid twin substation, equipment testing and operator training can be conducted for new-generation secondary systems with fewer costs and security risks.
The Method of Household Adjustable Electricity Prediction Based on Maximum Mean Discrepancy
Authors: Liu Bin , Tan Zhukui , Zhang Junwei , Xu Yutao , Feng Qihui , Chen Zhiwei
Published: September 2023

As electricity market reforms continue and households consume more electricity, Household Electricity Response (HER) becomes an essential part of Demand Response (DR). The ability of households to adjust their electricity demand is a critical factor in evaluating the demand-side response capacity of the power systems. Therefore, a prediction method of household adjustable electricity (HAE) based on cross-domain generalization is proposed to solve the problem. In our method, the convolutional neural networks (CNNs) model with Maximum Mean Discrepancy (MMD) loss term is constructed to realize the goal, which improves the accuracy and generalization of HAE prediction in different regions and provides technical support for DR.
Computational modeling of the variation of the transmembrane potential of the endothelial cells of the blood-brain-barrier subject to an external electric field
Authors: Sehati Mahboobe , Rafii-Tabar Hashem , Sasanpour Pezhman
Published: September 2023

The electromechanical properties of the membrane of endothelial cells forming the blood–brain barrier play a vital role in the function of this barrier. The mechanical effect exerted by external electric fields on the membrane could change its electrical properties. In this study the effect of extremely low frequency (ELF) external electric fields on the electrical activity of these cells has been studied by considering the mechanical effect of these fields on the capacitance of the membrane. The effect of time-dependent capacitance of the membrane is incorporated in the current components of the parallel conductance model for the electrical activity of the cells. The results show that the application of ELF electric fields induces hyperpolarization, having an indirect effect on the release of nitric oxide from the endothelial cell and the polymerization of actin filaments. Accordingly, this could play an important role in the permeability of the barrier. Our finding can have possible consequences in the field of drug delivery into the central nervous system.
An all-passive Si3N4 optical row decoder circuit for addressable optical RAM memories
Authors: Simos S , Moschos T , Fotiadis K , Chatzitheocharis D , Alexoudi T , Vagionas C , Sacchetto D , Zervas M , Pleros N
Published: September 2023

In this work we experimentally demonstrate a Si
3
N
4
photonic integrated circuit which offers row decoding and RAM addressing functionalities. The passive integrated structure comprises a MRR-based wavelength filtering bank scheme in a 2 × 4 configuration, which reveals a suppression ratio in the range of 12–25 dB. The performance of the optical circuit has been evaluated in a system-level testbed, where successful addressing in one RAM row has been achieved. Error-free operation has been accomplished for all cases under study, with the whole row decoder system’s performance to offer a total power penalty of 2.5 dB.
Non-centered parametric variational Bayes’ approach for hierarchical inverse problems of partial differential equations
Authors: Sui Jiaming , Jia Junxiong
Published: September 2023

This paper proposes a non-centered parameterization based infinite-dimensional mean-field variational inference (NCP-iMFVI) approach for solving the hierarchical Bayesian inverse problems. This method can generate available estimates from the approximated posterior distribution efficiently. To avoid the mutually singular obstacle that occurred in the infinite-dimensional hierarchical approach, we propose a rigorous theory of the non-centered variational Bayesian approach. Since the non-centered parameterization weakens the connection between the parameter and the hyper-parameter, we can introduce the hyper-parameter to all terms of the eigendecomposition of the prior covariance operator. We also show the relationships between the NCP-iMFVI and infinite-dimensional hierarchical approaches with centered parameterization. The proposed algorithm is applied to three inverse problems governed by the simple smooth equation, the Helmholtz equation, and the steady-state Darcy flow equation. Numerical results confirm our theoretical findings, illustrate the efficiency of solving the iMFVI problem formulated by large-scale linear and non-linear statistical inverse problems, and verify the mesh-independent property.
A kit for linear forms in three logarithms
Authors: Mignotte Maurice , Voutier Paul
Published: September 2023

We provide a technique to obtain explicit bounds for problems that can be reduced to linear forms in three complex logarithms of algebraic numbers. This technique can produce bounds significantly better than general results on lower bounds for linear forms in logarithms. We give worked examples to demonstrate both the use of our technique and the improvements it provides. Publicly shared code is also available.
A sharp inequality for trace-free matrices with applications to hypersurfaces
Authors: Case Jeffrey , Tyrrell Aaron
Published: September 2023

We derive a sharp inequality relating the second and fourth elementary symmetric functions of the eigenvalues of a trace-free matrix and give two applications. First, we give a new proof of the classification of conformally flat hypersurfaces in spaceforms. Second, we construct a functional which characterizes rotational hypersurfaces and catenoids.
EHD2 regulates plasma membrane integrity and downstream insulin receptor signaling events
Authors: Neuhaus Mathis , Fryklund Claes , Taylor Holly , Borreguero-Muñoz Andrea , Kopietz Franziska , Ardalani Hamidreza , Rogova Oksana , Stirrat Laura , Bremner Shaun K. , Spégel Peter , Bryant Nia J. , Gould Gwyn W. , Stenkula Karin G.
Published: September 2023

Adipocyte dysfunction is a crucial driver of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. We identified EH domain-containing protein 2 (EHD2) as one of the most highly upregulated genes at the early stage of adipose-tissue expansion. EHD2 is a dynamin-related ATPase influencing several cellular processes, including membrane recycling, caveolae dynamics, and lipid metabolism. Here, we investigated the role of EHD2 in adipocyte insulin signaling and glucose transport. Using C57BL6/N EHD2 knockout mice under short-term high-fat diet conditions and 3T3-L1 adipocytes we demonstrate that EHD2 deficiency is associated with deterioration of insulin signal transduction and impaired insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. Furthermore, we show that lack of EHD2 is linked with altered plasma membrane lipid and protein composition, reduced insulin receptor expression, and diminished insulin-dependent SNARE protein complex formation. In conclusion, these data highlight the importance of EHD2 for the integrity of the plasma membrane milieu, insulin receptor stability, and downstream insulin receptor signaling events, involved in glucose uptake and ultimately underscore its role in insulin resistance and obesity.
What makes the diverse flight of birds possible? Phylogenetic comparative analysis of avian alula morphology
Authors: Tatani Masanori , Yamasaki Takeshi , Tanaka Hiroto , Nakata Toshiyuki , Chiba Satoshi
Published: September 2023

Studies on the evolution of avian flight have failed to clarify why wing shape is weakly correlated with flight styles and phylogenetically constrained. Birds seem to have achieved their diverse flight styles owing to changes in the shapes of localized parts of the wing, despite a highly conserved wing outline. The alula, which stems from the first digit of the wing, is a part of the wing that might have enabled various flight styles to develop. To test this hypothesis, we measured alula length and width using museum specimens of 187 species from 21 orders of birds and used a phylogenetic comparative method to investigate the relationship between alula morphology and flight style, body mass, habitat and migratory distance. We found that: (1) phylogenetic signals were weak for the alula width and aspect ratio but moderate for length; (2) alula morphology exhibited an allometric relationship with body mass; and (3) fewer flapping birds had large alulae. Alula morphology might have evolved in response to changes in body mass and flight styles. Variations in the shape of localized wing parts, such as the alula, which modifies airflow around a wing, might be key to the evolution of the diverse flight styles of birds.
Targeting interleukin (IL)-4/IL-13 in immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced bullous pemphigoid: a cautionary note on the beneficial effect of T helper 2 immunity in melanoma and immunotherapy
Authors: Guerrero-Juarez Christian F , Goyal Parul K , Amber Kyle T
Published: September 2023

The use of dupilumab has been suggested in the treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced bullous pemphigoid. In this letter, we express caution with the targeted inhibition of the Th2 pathway given current evidence suggesting the beneficial effect of the Th2 response, particularly eosinophilia, to ICI responses, particularly in melanoma.
Optimal control of a hybrid microgrid for hydrogen-based heat supply using deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Heckmann Robin
Published: September 2023

Green hydrogen is considered one of the key technologies of the energy transition, as it can be used to store surpluses from renewable energies in times of high solar radiation or wind speed for use in dark lulls. This paper examines the decarbonization potential of hydrogen for the heating industry. Worldwide, 99% of hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, because hydrogen derived from renewable energy sources remains prohibitively expensive compared with its conventional counterpart. However, due to the expansion of renewable energy sources and the current energy crisis of conventional energy sources, hydrogen from renewable energy sources is becoming more and more economical. To optimize the efficiency of green hydrogen production and make it more price-competitive, the author simulates a hydrogen production plant consisting of a photovoltaic plant, a power grid, hydrogen storage, an electrolyser, a natural gas purchase option, a district heating plant and households. Using the deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm from deep reinforcement learning, the plant is designed to optimize itself by simulating different production scenarios and deriving strategies. The connected district heating plant is used to map how hydrogen can be optimally used for heat supply. A demonstrable outcome of this paper is that the utilization of deep deterministic policy gradient, over the course of a full year, can result in a competitive production of hydrogen derived from renewable or stored energy sources for the heating industry as a natural gas substitute.
An update on absolute and relative indications for dialysis treatment modalities
Authors: Lambie Mark , Davies Simon
Published: September 2023

Background

Choosing a dialysis modality is an important decision for people to make as their kidney failure progresses. In doing so, their options should be informed by any absolute or relative indications that may favour one modality over another.

Methods

In creating this update, we reviewed literature using a framework that considered first, high-level outcomes (survival and modality transition) from large registry data and cohort studies when considering optimal patient pathways; second, factors at a dialysis provider level that might affect relative indications; and third, specific patient-level factors. Both main types of dialysis modality, peritoneal (PD) and haemodialysis (HD), and their subtypes were considered.

Results

For most people starting dialysis, survival is independent of modality, including those with diabetes. Better survival is seen in those with less comorbidity starting with PD or home HD, reflecting continued improvements over recent decades that have been greater than improvements seen for centre HD. There are provider-level differences in the perceived relative indications for home dialysis that appear to reflect variability in experience, prejudice, enthusiasm, and support for patients and carers. Absolute contraindications are uncommon and, in most cases, where modality prejudice exists, e.g. obesity, Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease, and social factors, this is not supported by reported outcomes.

Conclusion

Absolute contraindications to a particular dialysis modality are rare. Relative indications for or against particular modalities should be considered but are rarely more important than patient preferences.
Partnering with patients and caregivers to enrich research and care in kidney disease: values and strategies
Authors: Cazzolli Rosanna , Sluiter Amanda , Guha Chandana , Huuskes Brooke , Wong Germaine , Craig Jonathan C , Jaure Allison , Scholes-Robertson Nicole
Published: September 2023

Patient and caregiver involvement broadens the scope of new knowledge generated from research and can enhance the relevance, quality and impact of research on clinical practice and health outcomes. Incorporating the perspectives of people with lived experience of chronic kidney disease (CKD) affords new insights into the design of interventions, study methodology, data analysis and implementation and has value for patients, healthcare professionals and researchers alike. However, patient involvement in CKD research has been limited and data on which to inform best practice is scarce. A number of frameworks have been developed for involving patients and caregivers in research in CKD and in health research more broadly. These frameworks provide an overall conceptual structure to guide the planning and implementation of research partnerships and describe values that are essential and strategies considered best practice when working with diverse stakeholder groups. This article aims to provide a summary of the strategies most widely used to support multistakeholder partnerships, the different ways patients and caregivers can be involved in research and the methods used to amalgamate diverse and at times conflicting points of view.
Shared decision making: a personal view from two kidney doctors and a patient
Authors: Hole Barnaby , Scanlon Miranda , Tomson Charlie
Published: September 2023

Shared decision making (SDM) combines the clinician's expertise in the treatment of disease with the patient's expertise in their lived experience and what is important to them. All decisions made in the care of patients with kidney disease can potentially be explored through SDM. Adoption of SDM in routine kidney care faces numerous institutional and practical barriers. Patients with chronic disease who have become accustomed to paternalistic care may need support to engage in SDM—even though most patients actively want more involvement in decisions about their care. Nephrologists often underestimate the risks and overestimate the benefits of investigations and treatments and often default to recommending burdensome treatments rather than discussing prognosis openly. Guideline bodies continue to issue recommendations written for healthcare professionals without providing patient decision aids. To mitigate health inequalities, care needs to be taken to provide SDM to all patients, not just the highly health-literate patients least likely to need additional support in decision making. Kidney doctors spend much of their time in the consulting room, and it is unjustifiable that so little attention is paid to the teaching, audit and maintenance of consultation skills. Writing letters to the patient to summarise the consultation rather than sending them a copy of a letter between health professionals sets the tone for a consultation in which the patient is an active partner. Adoption of SDM will require nephrologists to relinquish long-established paternalistic models of care and restructure care around the values and preferences of patients.
Plant physiological indicators for optimizing conservation outcomes
Authors: Schönbeck Leonie , Arteaga Marc , Mirza Humera , Coleman Mitchell , Mitchell Denise , Huang Xinyi , Ortiz Haile , Santiago Louis S
Published: September 2023

Plant species of concern often occupy narrow habitat ranges, making climate change an outsized potential threat to their conservation and restoration. Understanding the physiological status of a species during stress has the potential to elucidate current risk and provide an outlook on population maintenance. However, the physiological status of a plant can be difficult to interpret without a reference point, such as the capacity to tolerate stress before loss of function, or mortality. We address the application of plant physiology to conservation biology by distinguishing between two physiological approaches that together determine plant status in relation to environmental conditions and evaluate the capacity to avoid stress-induced loss of function. Plant physiological status indices, such as instantaneous rates of photosynthetic gas exchange, describe the level of physiological activity in the plant and are indicative of physiological health. When such measurements are combined with a reference point that reflects the maximum value or environmental limits of a parameter, such as the temperature at which photosynthesis begins to decline due to high temperature stress, we can better diagnose the proximity to potentially damaging thresholds. Here, we review a collection of useful plant status and reference point measurements related to photosynthesis, water relations and mineral nutrition, which can contribute to plant conservation physiology. We propose that these measurements can serve as important additional information to more commonly used phenological and morphological parameters, as the proposed parameters will reveal early warning signals before they are visible. We discuss their implications in the context of changing temperature, water and nutrient supply.
The Nkrumah Factor: The Strategic Alignment of Early Postcolonial Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria
Authors: Wyss Marco
Published: September 2023

In stark contrast to the Nigerian Civil War, when the Ivorian President Félix Houphouët-Boigny supported the secessionist Biafran Republic against the Federal Military Government, early postcolonial relations between Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria were close. This ‘entente cordiale’ was underpinned by the friendship of Houphouët-Boigny and the Nigerian Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, who were both anti-communist, pro-western, capitalist, and in favour of African co-operation instead of integration. Yet it was Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah who, through his criticism and alleged subversive machinations against Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, gave the two countries their common purpose. Focusing, unlike previous scholarship, on the military and strategic responses of Abidjan and Lagos to Accra, and based on multi-archival research, this article argues that the Nkrumah factor brought about a strategic alignment between Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria. It also shows, however, that despite a common threat assessment, domestic politics had a decisive and diverging impact on the foreign and security policies of the two states, and that regional and colonial legacies turned out to have a more significant impact on early postcolonial Africa than did the Cold War. The article sheds light on African agency, while simultaneously going beyond and, more significantly, offering an alternative perspective to the Cold War-driven historiography of early postcolonial Africa, and its tendency to focus on external rather than African actors.
Early puberty suppression and gender-affirming hormones do not alter final height in transgender adolescents
Authors: Ciancia Silvia , Klink Daniel , Craen Margarita , Cools Martine
Published: September 2023

Background

Early puberty suppression (ePS; Tanner stages 2 and 3) through gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHas) and gender-affirming hormones (GAHs) interferes with growth and may impact final height (FH).

Aim

To investigate the impact of ePS and GAH on FH in trans boys and trans girls.

Methods

Retrospective study, including 10 trans boys and 22 trans girls at FH. Bone age (BA) was determined at the start of ePS and at the start of GAH according to Greulich and Pyle; predicted adult height (PAH) was calculated according to Bayley and Pinneau's tables; target height (TH) was calculated as adjusted mean of maternal and paternal height. Target height, PAH, and BA were determined according to sex registered at birth (SRAB) and experienced gender (EG).

Results

The age at the start of PS was 12.37 ± 0.74 years in trans boys and 13.10 ± 1.12 years in trans girls. Total height gain since the start of ePS in trans boys was 14.62 ± 4.08 cm, with 70% achieved before the start of GAH. In trans girls, it was 20.68 ± 7.66 cm, with 61% achieved before GAH. Target height for SRAB was the most accurate predictor for FH in both trans boys and girls: the difference with FH was 1.57 cm ± 3.1 (P = .168) and −0.98 cm ± 4.17 (P = .319), respectively. Also the difference between FH and PAH at the start of PS for SRAB was nonsignificant in both trans boys and girls (2.62 cm ± 3.79, P = .056 and −2.35 cm ± 5.2, P = .051, respectively).

Conclusion

Early puberty suppression and GAH do not impact FH, supporting the safety of the treatment; however, trans adolescents achieve a FH in line with SRAB, rather than EG.
Cardiac magnetic resonance biomarkers as surrogate endpoints in cardiovascular trials for myocardial diseases
Authors: Benz Dominik C , Gräni Christoph , Antiochos Panagiotis , Heydari Bobak , Gissler Mark Colin , Ge Yin , Cuddy Sarah A M , Dorbala Sharmila , Kwong Raymond Y
Published: September 2023

Cardiac magnetic resonance offers multiple facets in the diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of patients with myocardial diseases. Particularly, its feature to precisely monitor disease activity lends itself to quantify response to novel therapeutics. This review critically appraises the value of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers as surrogate endpoints for prospective clinical trials. The primary focus is to comprehensively outline the value of established cardiac magnetic resonance parameters in myocardial diseases. These include heart failure, cardiac amyloidosis, iron overload cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, cardio-oncology, and inflammatory cardiomyopathies like myocarditis and sarcoidosis.
The relationship between time spent on social media and adolescent alcohol use: a longitudinal analysis of the UK Millennium Cohort Study
Authors: Purba Amrit Kaur , Henderson Marion , Baxter Andrew , Katikireddi S Vittal , Pearce Anna
Published: September 2023

Background

To estimate the effect of social media use in 14 year olds on risk of and inequalities in alcohol use and binge drinking at 17 years.

Methods

Using the UK-representative Millennium Cohort Study, the relationship between time spent on social media (assessed using questionnaires [n = 8987] and time-use-diaries [n = 2520]) with frequency of alcohol use in the past month and binge drinking was estimated using adjusted odds ratios (AORs) or adjusted relative risk ratios (ARRRs). Associations within low and high parental education groups were compared to examine effect modification. Analyses accounted for pre-specified confounders, baseline outcome measures (to address reverse causality), sample design, attrition and item-missingness (through multiple imputation).

Results

Questionnaire-reported time spent on social media was associated with increased risk of alcohol use and binge drinking in a dose–response manner. Compared to 1-< 30 min/day social media users, 30 min-<1 h/day users were more likely to report alcohol use ≥6 times/month (ARRR 1.62 [95% confidence interval 1.20 to 2.20]) and binge drinking (AOR 1.51 [1.22 to 1.87]), as were 1–<2 h/day users (ARRR 2.61 [1.90 to 3.58]; AOR 2.06 [1.69 to 2.52]) and ≥2 h/day users (ARRR 4.80 [3.65 to 6.32]; AOR 3.07 [2.54 to 3.70]). Social media measured by time-use-diary was associated with higher risks, although not always demonstrating a dose–response relationship. The effect of social media use (vs no-use) on binge drinking was larger in the higher (vs lower) parental education groups. Analyses repeated in complete case samples, and with adjustment for baseline outcome measures revealed consistent findings.

Conclusions

Findings suggest social media use may increase risk of alcohol use and binge drinking. Regulatory action protecting adolescents from harmful alcohol-related social media content is necessary.