bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation on the material properties of ZnO nanorods deposited on Ga‐doped ZnO seeded glass substrate: Effects of CBD precursor concentration
Authors: Ungula Jatani , Kiprotich Sharon , Swart Hendrick C , Dejene Birhanu F
Published: May 2022

Optimized Ga‐doped ZnO (GZO) seed layer was coated onto a glass substrate where ZnO nanorods (ZNRs) were grown via a facile chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. The concentrations ([Zn (NO3)2]/[C6H12N4]) ratio was maintained at 1, at 90°C for 90 min. Lower thermodynamic barrier was used. This was achieved by growing a GZO NPs seed layer that provided nucleation sites which in turn enhanced the optical properties and the aspect ratios hence ensuring uniform distribution of ZNRs. Investigations of CBD growth concentrations (0.005, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.1 M) effects on the material properties of ZNRs were carried out. The as‐prepared ZNRs displayed crystalline wurtzite structures. The observed structure had c‐axis preference in most of the obtained samples. An increase in size of the crystallites and 002 peak intensity was observed as the growth concentration increased. The SEM micrographs and AFM images showed a direct relation between the length, particle size of the ZNRs, and the precursor concentration. Similarly, the PL spectra showed the excitonic peak intensity increased to a maximum at a precursor concentration of 0.05 M and decayed as the concentration levels increased. Enhancement of the UV and visible light emissions intensity ratios of the ZNRs prepared at lower concentrations was also observed. This is an indication of high optical quality. A higher %T at lower growth concentration and variation of the band gap energy values (3.10–2.30 eV) as the growth concentration is increased were observed from the UV‐VIS analysis. The as‐prepared ZNRs samples deposited on GZO transparent conducting film were highly luminescent composing of well‐aligned ZNRs and perfect crystallization obtained at the 0.05 equimolar precursor concentration of [Zn (NO3)2]/[C6H12N4] solution. The as‐grown ZNRs with the observed material properties can be applied in dye‐sensitized solar cells production, serving as a photoanode.
Freestanding 2D NiFe Metal–Organic Framework Nanosheets: Facilitating Proton Transfer via Organic Ligands for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Liu Yizhe , Li Xintong , Sun Qidi , Wang Zilong , Huang Wei‐Hsiang , Guo Xuyun , Fan Zhanxi , Ye Ruquan , Zhu Ye , Chueh Chu‐Chen , Chen Chi‐Liang , Zhu Zonglong
Published: May 2022

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial to electrochemical hydrogen production. However, designing and fabricating efficient electrocatalysts still remains challenging. By confinedly coordinating organic ligands with metal species in layered double hydroxides (LDHs), an innovative LDHs‐assisted approach is developed to facilely synthesize freestanding bimetallic 2D metal–organic framework nanosheets (2D MOF NSs), preserving the metallic components and activities in OER. Furthermore, the research has demonstrated that the incorporation of carboxyl organic ligands coordinated with metal atoms as proton transfer mediators endow 2D MOF NSs with efficient proton transfer during the electrochemical OHads → Oads transition. These freestanding NiFe‐2D MOF NSs require a small overpotential of 260 mV for a current density of 10 mA cm–2. When this strategy is applied to LDH nanosheets grown on nickel foam, the overpotential can be reduced to 221 mV. This outstanding OER activity supports the capability of multimetallic organic frameworks for the rational design of water oxidation electrocatalysts. This strategy provides a universal path to the synthesis of 2D MOF NSs that can be used as electrocatalysts directly.
Crystal Phase Conversion on Cobalt Oxide: Stable Adsorption toward LiO2 for Film‐Like Discharge Products Generation in Li‐O2 Battery
Authors: Zhang Shuting , Qiu Jiachen , Zhang Yu , Lin Yuran , Liu Rong , Yuan Mengwei , Sun Genban , Nan Caiyun
Published: May 2022

Regulating the structure and morphology of discharge product is one of the key points for developing high performance Li‐O2 batteries (LOBs). In this study, the reaction mechanism of LOB is successfully controlled by the regulated fine structure of cobalt oxide through tuning the crystallization process. It is demonstrated that the cobalt oxide with lower crystallinity shows stronger affinity toward LiO2, inducing the growth of film‐like LiO2 on the electrode surface and inhibiting the further conversion to Li2O2. The batteries catalyzed by the lower crystallinity cobalt oxide hollow spheres which pyrolyzed from ZIF‐67 at 260 °C (ZIF‐67‐260), go through the generation and decomposition of amorphous film‐like LiO2, which significantly reduces the charge overpotential and improves the cycle life. By contrast, the ZIF‐67 hollow spheres pyrolyzed at 320 °C (ZIF‐67‐320) with better crystallinity are more likely to go through the solution‐mediated mechanism and induce the aggregation of discharge product, resulting in the sluggish kinetics and limited performance. The combined density functional theory data also directly support the strong relationship between the adsorption toward LiO2 by the electrocatalyst and the battery performance. This work provides an important way for tuning the intermediate and constructing the high‐performance battery system.
Synchrotron X‐Ray‐Driven Nitrogen Reduction on an AgCu Thin Film
Authors: Hui Jian , Hu Qingyun , Zhuang Genmao , Hu Wenhui , Yu Jin , Liu Yuzi , Li Tianyi , Fan Longlong , Huang Jier , Wang Xun‐Li , Zhang Xiaoyi , Ren Yang , Wang Hong
Published: May 2022

Nitrogen (N2) is an essential element for life, but kinetically stable N2 in the atmosphere needs to be reduced to biologically available forms as a nutrient for organisms. Abiotic nitrogen fixation is critical to the origin of life on the early Earth, which is due to lightning or mineral‐based reduction. Here, synchrotron X‐ray‐induced silver nitrate formation on a silver copper (AgCu) thin‐film is reported. Time‐resolved X‐ray diffraction measurements show that under intense X‐ray exposure, initially formed silver oxides (AgOx) are quickly converted to silver nitrate (AgNO3). Interestingly, AgNO3 is first formed in its high‐temperature phase with a space group of R3cH, which gradually transforms to the room temperature phase with a space group of Pbca under continuous X‐ray irradiation. The result not only provides a new clue about the abiotic nitrogen reduction prior to life but also demonstrates a novel strategy of materials synthesis using synchrotron X‐rays.
Li2Mg2Si2S6 and Li2Mg2Ge2S6: Two nonlinear optical sulfides featuring a unique, polar trigonal structure incorporating ethane‐like anions
Authors: Barton Ari T. , Liang Mingli , Craig Andrew J. , Zhang Weiguo , Stoyko Stanislav S. , Radzanowski Anne N. , Fingerlow Delenn , Halasyamani P. Shiv , MacNeil Joseph H. , Aitken Jennifer A.
Published: May 2022

The new compounds Li2Mg2Si2S6 and Li2Mg2Ge2S6 have been prepared via traditional high‐temperature, solid‐state synthesis. The title compounds crystallize in the polar, noncentrosymmetric, trigonal space group P31m (No. 157) and adopt a new structure type featuring staggered, ethane‐like (T2S6)6− units, where T=Si or Ge. These (T2S6)6− units are nestled within the holes of magnesium‐sulfide “layers” that are created through the edge‐sharing of MgS6 octahedra. The holes found in the lithium‐sulfide “layers”, created by LiS6 edge‐sharing octahedra, remain vacant, containing no (T2S6)6− anionic group. Through the face sharing of the respective MgS6 and LiS6 octahedra, the magnesium‐sulfide and lithium‐sulfide “layers” are stitched together resulting in an overall three‐dimensional structure. The optical bandgaps of Li2Mg2Si2S6 and Li2Mg2Ge2S6 are 3.24 and 3.18 eV, respectively, as estimated from optical diffuse reflectance UV‐Vis‐NIR spectroscopy. The compounds exhibit second harmonic generation responses of ∼0.24×KDP and ∼2.92×α‐quartz for Li2Mg2Si2S6 and ∼0.17×KDP and ∼2.08×α‐quartz for Li2Mg2Ge2S6, using a Nd:YAG laser at 1.064 μm. Electronic structure calculations were performed using density functional theory and the linearized augmented plane‐wave approach within the WIEN2k software package. Examination of the electronic band structures shows that these compounds are indirect bandgap semiconductors.
Synthesis and Crystal Structures of Three Thioether Functionalized Formamidines and Their Corresponding Lithium Formamidinates
Authors: Fink Matthias J. U. , Heiser Christian , Wagner Christoph , Merzweiler Kurt
Published: May 2022

Three thioether functionalized formamidines RNHC(H)NR (R=2‐SMe‐C6H4, 2‐StBu‐C6H4, 2‐SPh‐C6H4) were prepared from the corresponding amines RNH2 and triethyl orthoformate. X‐ray crystal structure determinations revealed the typical E configuration about the amidine C=N bond for all three compounds. The 2‐SMe and 2‐StBu derivatives exhibit the most frequently observed anti orientation of the RNH group while the 2‐SPh derivative displays the much more rarely encountered syn arrangement. All three compounds exhibit weak intramolecular N−H⋅⋅⋅S hydrogen bridges of the
(5) type. Treatment of the amidines with n‐BuLi led to the formation of the corresponding lithium amidinates. X‐ray crystal structure determinations of the lithium amidinates revealed several molecular patterns ranging from the mononuclear complex [Li{2‐StBu‐C6H4N)2CH}2(THF)2] to the trimeric compound [Li3{(2‐SMe‐C6H4N)2CH}3].
Sustainable Safety: A Short History of a Safe System Approach in the Netherlands
Authors: Wegman Fred , Aarts Letty , van der Knaap Peter
Published: May 2022

Although it has never been a real top priority, road safety is an important issue in the Netherlands and much progress has been made. In the last 50 years, the country experienced an enormous growth in population (+30%) and in kilometers travelled (+300%), but the mortality rate dropped by 80%. Many effective interventions were taken. Over time, new insights in traffic risks and causes of crashes led to the adoption of a new road safety vision in the early 1990s: Sustainable Safety, the first attempt worldwide of a Safe System approach (1992). This vision was inspired by the UN-Brundtland report Our Common Future (1987) and applied to road safety. Its basis originated in the knowledge and experiences in the decades before.

In a sustainably safe road transport system, risks of crashes and serious injuries are drastically reduced or even eliminated by an infrastructure that is adapted to the limitations of human capacity by proper road design, by vehicles fitted with ways to simplify the tasks of man and constructed to protect the vulnerable human being as effectively as possible, and by road users who are adequately educated, informed, and, where necessary, controlled. If crashes still do occur, serious injuries must be excluded. The vision Sustainable Safety has been translated into a set of characteristics and into Sustainable Safety principles.

Sustainable Safety was welcomed by Dutch road safety professionals and received great political support. A massive implementation program was initiated and carried out as from 1995. Many stakeholders were engaged. An evaluation study covering the period 1998–2007 revealed a 30% reduction in the number of fatalities. Benefits of the investments were four times higher than costs. Sustainable Safety empowered and strengthened the Dutch road safety research community and heavily influenced the discourse on road safety in the country.

As from 2000, several developments (a different planning structure of road transport, less political priority for road safety – perhaps as a result of successes in the past – and decentralization of policies) caused that Sustainable Safety became less prominent and safety effects less visible. However, the vison and the principles remain a solid basis for making progress towards a casualty-free road transport system and to respond to new developments, such as a changing demography, changing transport modes and traffic patterns, and new technologies. Two more editions have been published (2005 and 2018). Results and impacts are being discussed.
Vision Zero in Sweden: Streaming Through Problems, Politics, and Policies
Authors: Belin Matts-Åke
Published: May 2022

In 1997, the Riksdag, the Swedish Parliament, adopted Vision Zero as a new goal and strategy for road safety in Sweden (Swedish Government 1997). In the more than 20 years since the Vision Zero policy was adopted, it has spread internationally as a model of a public road safety policy (OECD/ITF 2008, 2016; World Health Organization 2017). It is not only in the transport sector that Vision Zero has attracted interest; it has also spread and continues to spread to other sectors of Swedish society such as fire safety, patient safety, occupational accidents, and suicide (Kristianssen et al. 2018). Although, road safety policies and strategies can be developed and adopted by a variety of actors at different levels in the society in a democracy, parliaments have a special position, and it establishes an exclusive legitimacy in the society. According to the Swedish Constitution (Swedish Parliament 2016), all public power proceeds from the people, and the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament) is the foremost representative of the people. Therefore, this chapter focuses on the Swedish Parliament and the Swedish Government and how road safety, as a public policy, finds its way into public agenda in a competing political environment. The decision to adopt Vision Zero in Sweden was a rather radical change (Belin et al. 2011) of that time safety policy. This chapter examines the political decision-making process that preceded the decision by the Swedish Parliament to adopt the Vision Zero policy in 1997 (Swedish Parliament 1997) and the decision to re-evaluate Vision Zero in 2004 (Swedish Parliament 2004).
In Vitro Based Mass-Screening Technique for Early Selection of Banana Mutants Resistant to Fusarium Wilt
Authors: Khiabani Behnam Naserian
Published: May 2022

Banana and plantains are among the most valuable agricultural commodities in the world. Banana Fusarium wilt, caused by the soil-borne Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), is one of the most devastating diseases of banana globally. In the 1990s a new strain of Fusarium oxysporum called tropical race 4 (TR4) emerged in Southeast Asia that affected commercial Cavendish plantations. The development of resistant cultivars is an effective strategy for management of the disease. Field-based screening to identify Foc-resistant plants is time-consuming, expensive and is often challenged by variable environmental conditions. Here we present an early selection protocol enabling evaluation of the disease under in vitro conditions. This method provides a preliminary screening and allows evaluation of a large number of in vitro plantlets. Using this method, within a short time and in a small laboratory, breeders can evaluate thousands of banana plantlets, produced via irradiation. Subsequently, putative, disease-resistant mutant lines can be identified and evaluated in the field.
Lab-Based Screening Using Hydroponic System for the Rapid Detection of Fusarium Wilt TR4 Tolerance/Resistance of Banana
Authors: Noordin Norazlina , Hassan Affrida Abu , Mahadevan Anis Nadia Mohd Faisol , Ahmad Zaiton , Ariffin Sakinah
Published: May 2022

Field-based screening and evaluation of banana plant tolerance or resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) Tropical Race 4 (TR4) or also known as Fusarium wilt TR4 is ideal though not always feasible. Alternatively, screening of banana plantlets at lab-stage seems to be an effective method for early detection of Foc TR4 tolerance. We present a simple hydroponic system, that allows plant to grow in a water-based condition. The system has two layers, the upper layer is a tray that has holes for plantlets to be placed where the root system is supported using an inert medium such as rock-wool. The lower layer is a perforated container filled with a water-based nutrient solution. For this lab-based screening, ex vitro gamma irradiated banana cv. Berangan (AAA) rooted plantlets with a pseudostem height of 10–15 cm were inoculated by soaking in a Foc TR4 conidial suspension (106 spores/ml) for 2 h under room temperature. The Foc TR4 inoculated rooted plantlets were screened using the hydroponic system and disease symptoms were scored. In this chapter, protocols on acclimatization of ex vitro irradiated rooted plantlets, inoculation with a Foc TR4 conidial suspension, lab- screening using hydroponic system, observation for early detection of disease symptoms and scoring of disease severity are presented.
On the word problem for special monoids
Authors: Nyberg-Brodda Carl-Fredrik
Published: May 2022

A monoid is calledspecialif it admits a presentation in which all defining relations are of the form$$w = 1$$w=1. Every group is special, but not every monoid is special. In this article, we describe the language-theoretic properties of the word problem, in the sense of Duncan and Gilman, for special monoids in terms of their group of units. We prove that a special monoid has context-free word problem if and only if its group of units is virtually free, giving a full generalisation of the Muller-Schupp theorem. This fully answers, for the class of special monoids, a question posed by Duncan and Gilman (Math Proc Camb Philos Soc 136:513–524, 2004). We describe the congruence classes of words in a special monoid, and prove that these have the same language-theoretic properties as the word problem. This answers a question first posed by Zhang (Math Proc Camb Philos Soc 112:495–505, 1992). As a corollary, we prove that it is decidable (in polynomial time) whether a special one-relation monoid has context-free word problem. This completely answers another question from 1992, also posed by Zhang.
In Memoriam: Jorge Cervantes Castro, MD, Honorary FACS (1938–2021)
Authors: Cervantes Trejo Arturo
Published: May 2022

Jorge Cervantes Castro, MD, FACS (Hon.2006) passed away on May 28, 2021, at the age of 83 years. He graduated from medical school at the National Autonomous Mexican University (UNAM) and did his residency in general and vascular surgery at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. After completing his surgical training, he returned to Mexico City and established his practice at the American British Cowdray Medical Center (ABC Hospital). He was a professor of surgery for hundreds of surgical residents for over 50 years, author of over 240 surgical papers and 52 book chapters, and member of the editorial board of seven medical journals. He is the author of four surgical training books, one on “Iatrogenia in surgery” and the others on vanguard techniques for laparoscopic surgery. For his Juris Doctor degree obtained from UNAM in 2016, his thesis was on the “Legal implications of the professional title of medical surgeon” in which he emphasizes the legal need to change the professional degree conferred to Mexican medical graduates. A global ambassador of surgery, he was an active member of over 30 surgical societies, including the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the International Federation of Societies of Endoscopic Surgeons (IFSES), the International Society of Surgery (ISS; Hon.2009), and president of the Mexican chapter of the Latin American Federation of Surgery (FELAC), of which he also became honorary fellow. Among other accomplishments, he was one of the founding members of the Mexican Society of General Surgery, president of the Mexican Board of Surgery, distinguished member of the Mexican Academy of Surgery, and member of the editorial board of the World Journal of Surgery (1995‐2004). He is survived by his one true and lifelong love Lucero, his wife of 57+ years, and by his children Jorge, Lucero, Arturo, Ignacio, and Pablo, 13 grandchildren, and five great‐grandchildren.
MAIT cells in liver inflammation and fibrosis
Authors: Mehta Hema , Lett Martin Joseph , Klenerman Paul , Filipowicz Sinnreich Magdalena
Published: May 2022

Mucosal-associated invariant T cells or MAIT cells are an abundant cell type in humans and especially so in the liver. MAIT cells are a subset of T lymphocytes that sit at a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity, so-called innate-like or “unconventional” T cells. The specificity of their antigen receptor (T cell receptor or TCR) is for the conserved major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-related molecule MR1, which presents a modified bacterial metabolite from the vitamin B2 biosynthesis pathway – this allows them to respond in the presence of many bacteria or yeast. MAIT cells also possess an array of cytokine receptors, which allows triggering independently of the TCR. The combination of such signals drives their functionality – this means they can respond to a range of stimuli and likely play a role not only in infection or inflammation, but also under homeostatic conditions.

In this review, we will look at the question of what MAIT cells are doing in the normal liver and how they behave in the setting of disease. These questions are of relevance because MAIT cells are such a distinctive cell type enriched in the liver under normal conditions, and their modulation could be of therapeutic benefit. The recent discovery that they appear to be involved in liver fibrosis is particularly of interest in this context.
Robotic vs. laparoscopic liver surgery: a single-center analysis of 600 consecutive patients in 6 years
Authors: Schmelzle Moritz , Feldbrügge Linda , Ortiz Galindo Santiago Andres , Moosburner Simon , Kästner Anika , Krenzien Felix , Benzing Christian , Biebl Matthias , Öllinger Robert , Malinka Thomas , Schöning Wenzel , Pratschke Johann
Published: May 2022

Background

While laparoscopic liver surgery has become a standard procedure, experience with robotic liver surgery is still limited. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate safety and feasibility of robotic liver surgery and compare outcomes with conventional laparoscopy.

Methods

We here report the results of a single-center, prospective, post-marketing observational study (DRKS00017229) investigating the safety and feasibility of robotic liver surgery. Baseline characteristics, surgical complexity (using the IWATE score), and postoperative outcomes were then compared to laparoscopic liver resections performed at our center between January 2015 and December 2020. A propensity score-based matching (PSM) was applied to control for selection bias.

Results

One hundred twenty nine robotic liver resections were performed using the da Vinci Xi surgical system (Intuitive) in this prospective study and were compared to 471 consecutive laparoscopic liver resections. After PSM, both groups comprised 129 cases with similar baseline characteristics and surgical complexity. There were no significant differences in intraoperative variables, such as need for red blood cell transfusion, duration of surgery, or conversion to open surgery. Postoperative complications were comparable after robotic and laparoscopic surgery (Clavien–Dindo ≥ 3a: 23% vs. 19%,p = 0.625); however, there were more bile leakages grade B–C in the robotic group (17% vs. 7%,p = 0.006). Length of stay and oncological short-term outcomes were comparable.

Conclusions

We propose robotic liver resection as a safe and feasible alternative to established laparoscopic techniques. The object of future studies must be to define interventions where robotic techniques are superior to conventional laparoscopy.
Simultaneous scheduling of replacement and repair of common components in operating systems
Authors: Obradović Gabrijela , Strömberg Ann-Brith , Lundberg Kristian
Published: May 2022

In order for a system to stay operational, its components need maintenance. We consider two stakeholders—a system operator and a maintenance workshop—and a contract governing their joint activities. Components in the operating systems that are to be maintained are sent to the maintenance workshop, which should perform all maintenance activities on time in order to satisfy the contract. The maintained components are then sent back to be used in the operating systems. Our modeling of this system-of-systems includes stocks of damaged and repaired components, the workshop scheduling, and the planning of preventive maintenance for the operating systems. Our modeling is based on a mixed-binary linear optimization (MBLP) model of a preventive maintenance scheduling problem with so-called interval costs over a finite and discretized time horizon. We generalize and extend this model with the flow of components through the workshop, including the stocks of spare components. The resulting scheduling model—a mixed-integer optimization (MILP) model—is then utilized to optimize the main contract in a bi-objective setting: maximizing the availability of repaired (or new) components and minimizing the costs of maintaining the operating systems over the time horizon. We analyze the main contract and briefly discuss a turn-around time contract. Our results concern the effect of our modeling on the levels of the stocks of components over time, in particular minimizing the risk for lack of spare components.
Fluid–Rock Interactions in Geothermal Reservoirs, Germany: Thermal Autoclave Experiments Using Sandstones and Natural Hydrothermal Brines
Authors: Schäffer Rafael , Götz Emilia , Schlatter Nils , Schubert Gabriela , Weinert Sebastian , Schmidt Stefanie , Kolb Ute , Sass Ingo
Published: May 2022

As renewable energy, geothermal can contribute substantially to the energy transition. To generate electricity or to harvest heat, high-saline fluids are tapped by wells of a few kilometres and extracted from hydrothermal reservoirs. After the heat exchanger units have been passed by, these fluids are reinjected into the reservoir. Due to the pressure and temperature differences between the subsurface and the surface, as well as the cooling of the fluids in the power plant, unwanted chemical reactions can occur within the reservoir, in the borehole, and within the power plant itself. This can reduce the permeability of the reservoir as well as the output of the geothermal power plant. This study aims to simulate real subsurface reactions using batch and leaching experiments with sandstone or sandstone powder as solid phase, and deionised water or natural brine as liquid phase. It is demonstrated that fluid composition changes after only a few days. In particular, calcite, aragonite, clay minerals, and zinc phases precipitate from the natural brine. In contrast, in particular minerals containing potassium, arsenic, barium, and silica are dissolved. Due to the experimental set-up, these mineral reactions mainly took place on the surface of the samples, which is why no substantial changes in petrophysical properties could be observed. However, it is assumed that the observed reactions on the reservoir scale have a relevant influence on parameters such as permeability.
Avoiding collider bias in Mendelian randomization when performing stratified analyses
Authors: Coscia Claudia , Gill Dipender , Benítez Raquel , Pérez Teresa , Malats Núria , Burgess Stephen
Published: May 2022

Mendelian randomization (MR) uses genetic variants as instrumental variables to investigate the causal effect of a risk factor on an outcome. A collider is a variable influenced by two or more other variables. Naive calculation of MR estimates in strata of the population defined by a collider, such as a variable affected by the risk factor, can result in collider bias. We propose an approach that allows MR estimation in strata of the population while avoiding collider bias. This approach constructs a new variable, the residual collider, as the residual from regression of the collider on the genetic instrument, and then calculates causal estimates in strata defined by quantiles of the residual collider. Estimates stratified on the residual collider will typically have an equivalent interpretation to estimates stratified on the collider, but they are not subject to collider bias. We apply the approach in several simulation scenarios considering different characteristics of the collider variable and strengths of the instrument. We then apply the proposed approach to investigate the causal effect of smoking on bladder cancer in strata of the population defined by bodyweight. The new approach generated unbiased estimates in all the simulation settings. In the applied example, we observed a trend in the stratum-specific MR estimates at different bodyweight levels that suggested stronger effects of smoking on bladder cancer among individuals with lower bodyweight. The proposed approach can be used to perform MR studying heterogeneity among subgroups of the population while avoiding collider bias.
Direct and plant community mediated effects of management intensity on annual nutrient leaching risk in temperate grasslands
Authors: Apostolakis Antonios , Schöning Ingo , Klaus Valentin H. , Michalzik Beate , Bischoff Wolf-Anno , Boeddinghaus Runa S. , Bolliger Ralph , Fischer Markus , Hölzel Norbert , Kandeler Ellen , Kleinebecker Till , Manning Peter , Marhan Sven , Neyret Margot , Oelmann Yvonne , Prati Daniel , van Kleunen Mark , Schwarz Andreas , Schurig Elisabeth , Schrumpf Marion
Published: May 2022

Grassland management intensity influences nutrient cycling both directly, by changing nutrient inputs and outputs from the ecosystem, and indirectly, by altering the nutrient content, and the diversity and functional composition of plant and microbial communities. However, the relative importance of these direct and indirect processes for the leaching of multiple nutrients is poorly studied. We measured the annual leaching of nitrate, ammonium, phosphate and sulphate at a depth of 10 cm in 150 temperate managed grasslands using a resin method. Using Structural Equation Modeling, we distinguished between various direct and indirect effects of management intensity (i.e. grazing and fertilization) on nutrient leaching. We found that management intensity was positively associated with nitrate, ammonium and phosphate leaching risk both directly (i.e. via increased nutrient inputs) and indirectly, by changing the stoichiometry of soils, plants and microbes. In contrast, sulphate leaching risk was negatively associated with management intensity, presumably due to increased outputs with mowing and grazing. In addition, management intensification shifted plant communities towards an exploitative functional composition (characterized by high tissue turnover rates) and, thus, further promoted the leaching risk of inorganic nitrogen. Plant species richness was associated with lower inorganic nitrogen leaching risk, but most of its effects were mediated by stoichiometry and plant community functional traits. Maintaining and restoring diverse plant communities may therefore mitigate the increased leaching risk that management intensity imposes upon grasslands.
At the Coalface: Practitioner Perspectives on Applying Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) in High Performance Sport
Authors: Turner Martin J. , Chadha Nanaki J. , Davis Helen , Deen Muhammad S. , Gilmore Hugh , Jones Jennifer K. , Goldman Scott , Terjesen Mark
Published: May 2022

The reported usage of rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) in high performance sport is becoming more common in research literature. This research indicates that REBT is a useful and effective approach to performance psychology. However, applied professional practice reflections and insights remain sparse. The current paper brings together REBT practitioners who work predominantly in performance settings (i.e., sport) to answer three questions pertaining to their application of REBT. Practitioners were asked to respond to the following questions: (1) What do you consider to be among the main irrational beliefs that interfere with performance? (2) In your experience, which irrational beliefs impair one’s ability to recover from a significant injury or major setback? (3) Can you describe the role of cognitive restructuring/change/reappraisal/disputation in applied work as it relates to performance? In the present paper, the practitioners’ responses are collected and presented, following which common themes are drawn from the responses to form guidance for practitioners wishing to apply REBT in performance settings. It is hoped that the experiences of the included practitioners will be useful for those wishing to take an REBT approach to their performance psychology consultancy.
Suspicious conspiracy theories
Authors: Dentith M R. X.
Published: May 2022

Conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists have been accused of a great many sins, but are the conspiracy theories conspiracy theorists believe epistemically problematic? Well, according to some recent work (such as Cassam Quassim, Keith Harris, and M. Guilia Napolitano), yes, they are. Yet a number of other philosophers (myself included) like Brian L. Keeley, Charles Pigden, Kurtis Hagen, Lee Basham, and the like have argued ‘No!’ I will argue that there are features of certain conspiracy theories which license suspicion of such theories. I will also argue that these features only license a limited suspicion of these conspiracy theories, and thus we need to be careful about generalising from such suspicions to a view of the warrant of conspiracy theories more generally. To understand why, we need to get to the bottom of what exactly makes us suspicious of certain conspiracy theories, and how being suspicious of a conspiracy theory does not always tell us anything about how likely the theory in question is to be false.
Has the decline in the intensity of internal migration been accompanied by changes in reasons for migration?
Authors: Kalemba Sunganani V. , Bernard Aude , Corcoran Jonathan , Charles-Edwards Elin
Published: May 2022

The last few decades have seen the intensity of internal migration decline in Australia and other advanced economies including the United States. Recent evidence suggests that changes in the composition of the population alone do not account for this persistent downward trend. This has led migration scholars to suspect that more profound behavioural changes driven by social, economic, and technological transformations are at play and that shifts in migration behaviour are likely to be reflected in changes in reasons for migration. We use data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey to shed new light on the factors driving the decline in internal migration in Australia between 2002 and 2018. This is done by examining annual trends in self-reported reasons for intrastate and interstate migration and applying a series of pooled logistic regressions. Results reveal a decline across all reasons for migration, and not only employment-related migration contrary to explanations proposed in the extant literature. The decline in employment-related migration does not appear to be the result of a rise in alternative forms of mobility such as teleworking or substitution with inter-industry or occupation mobility. Furthermore, we also find that the negative effect of duration of residence has increased for family-related migration. Collectively, these findings suggest that behavioural change, particularly increased place attachment, may have contributed to the decline in internal migration.
Collaborative Cluster Configuration for Distributed Data-Parallel Processing: A Research Overview
Authors: Thamsen Lauritz , Scheinert Dominik , Will Jonathan , Bader Jonathan , Kao Odej
Published: May 2022

Many organizations routinely analyze large datasets using systems for distributed data-parallel processing and clusters of commodity resources. Yet, users need to configure adequate resources for their data processing jobs. This requires significant insights into expected job runtimes and scaling behavior, resource characteristics, input data distributions, and other factors. Unable to estimate performance accurately, users frequently overprovision resources for their jobs, leading to low resource utilization and high costs.

In this paper, we present major building blocks towards a collaborative approach for optimization of data processing cluster configurations based on runtime data and performance models. We believe that runtime data can be shared and used for performance models across different execution contexts, significantly reducing the reliance on the recurrence of individual processing jobs or, else, dedicated job profiling. For this, we describe how the similarity of processing jobs and cluster infrastructures can be employed to combine suitable data points from local and global job executions into accurate performance models. Furthermore, we outline approaches to performance prediction via more context-aware and reusable models. Finally, we lay out how metrics from previous executions can be combined with runtime monitoring to effectively re-configure models and clusters dynamically.
A general procedure to identify indicators for evaluation and monitoring of nature-based solution projects
Authors: Rödl Anne , Arlati Alessandro
Published: May 2022

In the last years, the idea of using natural elements or nature-based solutions (NbS) to mitigate the impacts of cities on climate, biodiversity and citizens' health became more popular in research and practice. Nevertheless, there are currently uncertainties in finding and selecting appropriate criteria and indicators for monitoring and evaluating the impact and performance of NbS and its co-creation processes. This paper proposes an easy-to-use and structured procedure for selecting appropriate criteria and indicators for monitoring and evaluating any kind of NbS project. The user is guided step by step in selecting meaningful metrics. The procedure is tested using a real case study from the Horizon 2020 research project CLEVER Cities as an example. The test shows that by following the indicated procedure, the criteria and indicator selection process is speeded up and reproducible.
Dry friction damping mechanism of flexible microporous metal rubber based on cell group energy dissipation mechanism
Authors: Shen Liangliang , Ren Zhiying , Xu Jian , Pan Lin , Lin Youxi , Bai Hongbai
Published: May 2022

Flexible microporous metal rubber (FMP-MR) is a high-damping material that dissipates energy by dry friction through internal spiral metal wires in contact with each other. However, the FMP-MR energy dissipation mechanism is not fully understood owing to its disordered grid interpenetrating structure. In this work, computer-aided preparation technology is used to accurately reconstruct the complex spiral network structure of FMP-MR multipoint random contact, and a cell group model with an energy dissipation mechanism is proposed to obtain the dynamic energy distribution of the contact friction in both space and time dimensions. By judging the effective contact point, a global displacement ablation phenomenon of hooked staggered porous materials is induced. The macro- and micro-equivalent frictions are introduced to effectively explain the characteristics of the strong energy dissipation in FMP-MR under fretting excitation. A real and effective damping hysteresis constitutive model is then constructed to dynamically capture the mapping relationship between the complex nonlinear topological structure effect of the materials and spatial random contact dry friction in real time. The results indicate that the contact behavior between turns of the FMP-MR wire follows a clear quasi-Gaussian distribution under an external load, forcing the topological results to change. The energy dissipation of the materials revealed peak energy consumption lagging behind the loading limit for a certain distance, which can be determined by the effective contact point and contact dry friction slip. The consistency between the quasi-static compression tests and constitutive curves of the model was quantitatively verified through residual analysis. The data demonstrated the differential behavior of the FMP-MR meso-structure to follow a phased growth law during loading with different action mechanisms in the guiding, main growth, and relaxation stages of the energy consumption displacement curve. In summary, these findings provide an acceptable theoretical basis for the damping energy consumption mechanism and lifetime prediction of FMP-MR.
In Silico Identification of Potential Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Through Molecular Docking-Based Drug Repurposing
Authors: Afreen Rukhsar , Iqbal Saleem , Shah Ab Rauf , Afreen Heena , Vodwal Lata , Shkir Mohd.
Published: May 2022

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, and its effects on people worldwide continue to grow. Protein-targeted therapeutics are currently unavailable for this virus. As with other coronaviruses, the nucleocapsid (N) protein is the most conserved RNA-binding structural protein of SARS-CoV-2. The N protein is an appealing target because of its functional role in viral transcription and replication. Therefore, molecular docking method for structure-based drug design was used to investigate the binding energy and binding modes of various anti-N inhibitors in depth. The inhibitors selected were originally developed to target stress granules and other molecules involved in RNA biology, and were either FDA-approved or in the process of clinical trials for COVID-19. We aimed at targeting the N-terminal RNA binding domain (NTD) for molecular docking-based screening, on the basis of the first resolved crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 N protein (PDB ID: 6M3M) and C-terminal domain (CTD) dimerization of the nucleocapsid phosphoprotein of SARS-COV-2 (PDB ID: 6WJI). Silmitasertib, nintedanib, ternatin, luteolin, and fedratinib were found to interact with RNA binding sites and to form a predicted protein interface with high binding energy. Similarly, silmitasertib, sirolimus-rapamycin, dovitinib, nintedanib, and fedratinib were found to interact with the SARS-CoV-2 N protein at its CTD dimerization sites, according to previous studies. In addition, we investigated an information gap regarding the relationships among the energetic landscape and stability and drug binding of the SARS-CoV-2 N NTD and CTD. Our in silico results clearly indicated that several tested drugs as potent putative inhibitors for COVID-19 therapeutics, thus indicating that they should be further validated as treatments to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Transatlantic Socialist Feminisms in the Cold War World
Authors: Donert Celia
Published: May 2022

This review essay engages with Dorothy Sue Cobble's For The Many: American Feminists and the Global Fight for Democratic Equality from the perspective of European histories of socialist feminism during the Cold War. The essay suggests three themes that might lead to further discussion. These concern first of all the role of left-Catholic as well as Social Democratic women within the networks that Cobble describes in For the Many; second, the influence of nationalist or other exclusionary discourses on debates about the rights of immigrant workers, and third, the role of social democratic actors in shaping debates about working women's rights in other international organizations - particularly regional organizations such as the EEC/EU. The essay concludes that For the Many is a major contribution to our understanding of transatlantic socialist feminisms in the Cold War world.
Multiscale magnetic field structures in an expanding elongated plasma cloud with hot electrons subject to an external magnetic field
Authors: Garasev M.A. , Nechaev A.A. , Stepanov A.N. , Kocharovsky V.V. , Kocharovsky Vl.V.
Published: May 2022

We carry out three-dimensional and two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of the expansion of a magnetized plasma that initially uniformly fills a half-space and contains a semicylindrical region of heated electrons elongated along the surface of the plasma boundary. This geometry is related, for instance, to ablation of a plane target by a femtosecond laser beam under quasi-cylindrical focusing. We find that a decay of the inhomogeneous plasma–vacuum discontinuity is strongly affected by an external magnetic field parallel to its boundary. We observe various transient phenomena, including an anisotropic scattering of electrons and an accompanying Weibel instability, and reveal various spatial structures of the arising magnetic field and current, including multiple flying-apart filaments of a Z-pinch type and slowly evolving current sheets with different orientations. The magnitude of the self-generated magnetic field can be of the order of, or significantly exceed that of, the external one. Such phenomena are expected in the laser and cosmic plasmas, including the explosive processes in the planetary magnetospheres and stellar coronal arches.
Beyond skills and knowledge: the role of self-efficacy and peer networks in building capacity for species conservation planning
Authors: Bruyere Brett L. , Copsey Jamieson , Walker Sarah E.
Published: May 2022

Biodiversity loss is one of the greatest global challenges and requires substantial investment in building the capacity of conservation professionals to design and implement robust conservation plans. In this study, we surveyed 155 past participants of training in facilitating species conservation planning processes given by the Conservation Planning Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. Based on a recently developed theory of change for the training, we examined how and to what extent the training contributed to the desired outcome of increasing trainees’ capacity for leading the design and facilitation of species conservation planning processes. Our results indicate that recall of training content, self-efficacy (an individual's belief they can complete a specific task or behaviour successfully) and peer network participation had significant impacts on the outcome of applying training content in the workplace. Furthermore, our results suggest that self-efficacy played a highly influential role in trainees' participation in species conservation planning post-training. The implications of this research point to designing conservation training that considers not only the skills and knowledge to be gained by learners but also the strategies that enhance trainees' self-efficacy in applying new skills and knowledge and in establishing peer networks to support trainees in turning training objectives into realities.
Effect of design parameters on strong and immobilizing grasps with an underactuated robotic hand
Authors: Hota Roshan Kumar , Kumar Cheruvu Siva
Published: May 2022

This paper presents a study on the effect of design parameters of an underactuated hand on its grasp performance. Three kinds of grasp performance characteristics are considered: grasp range, grasp strength, and immobilizing grasp range. Grasp strength is defined as the stiffness of the grasp. Immobilizing grasps are those in which the object cannot be moved for a force up to a certain threshold. In general, underactuated hands cannot produce immobilizing grasps. However, we show that immobilizing grasps can be created by including joint limits in the hand design. We consider the effect of two design parameters on the grasp performance: torque ratio and finger-base distance. Results show that an optimal finger-base distance and torque ratio exists that maximizes the grasp range and grasp strength. Also, the immobilizing grasp range is increased by decreasing the finger-base distance and increasing the torque ratio and joint limits.