bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic Self-Interest or Cultural Threat? Migrant Unemployment and Class-based Support for Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe
Authors: Cordero Guillermo , Zagórski Piotr , Rama José
Published: July 2023

Labor market competition theory has traditionally analyzed the threat perceived by lower and middle class’ natives on competition over jobs with immigrants. However, in this article we focus on the fiscal burden and competition for social benefits generated by unemployed immigrants and its impact on the vote for Populist Radical Right Parties (PRRPs). Combining individual-level data and aggregate unemployment indicators for over 60 regions from 10 EU countries, we show that, on the one hand, upper class natives seem to support PRRPs when migrant unemployment rates are higher, irrespective of migrants’ origin, which is consistent with the fiscal burden model. On the other hand, lower and middle class natives are more likely to support PRRPs only in contexts of higher unemployment rates among non-EU migrants (but not among migrants from other EU member states), pointing towards an interaction between cultural and economic explanations. These findings underscore the need to account for migrant populations’ characteristics and to consider not only labor competition, but also the fiscal burden to better understand how unemployment may impact PRRP voting.
Opioids and Chronic Pain: Impact of the NIH Pathways to Prevention Evidence-Based Workshop Program
Authors: Klabunde Carrie N. , Walton Liberty , Shropshire Keisha L. , Ganoza Luis F. , Hession Jen , Schwartz Kat , Vogt Elizabeth , Thomas David A. , Smith Wendy B. , Parker Melissa C. Green , Liggins Charlene L.
Published: July 2023

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) sponsors Pathways to Prevention (P2P), an evidence-based scientific workshop program that helps advance prevention research. Each P2P workshop is presided over by an independent expert panel and informed by a systematic evidence review, scientific presentations, and public input. Post-workshop activities include collaborating with federal agency partners to develop an action plan for addressing key research gaps. Primary outcomes of P2P workshops include developing a research agenda and creating or enhancing initiatives to implement the agenda. In 2014, ODP partnered with the NIH Pain Consortium and two NIH institutes to convene “The Role of Opioids in the Treatment of Chronic Pain.” This workshop assessed the state-of-the-science on the long-term effectiveness, safety, and harms of opioid use for managing chronic pain. In 2021, ODP initiated an assessment of the outcomes and impact of the Opioids P2P workshop. We applied an evaluation framework and a mixed methods approach encompassing web analytics, bibliometric assessment, grant portfolio analysis, policy assessment, and key informant interviews. Our data showed that the workshop attracted a broad audience, and its published reports had high impact. The workshop also helped inform over 100 new research projects through grants funded by three federal agencies, as well as national legislation and practice guidelines from influential organizations. In sum, the Opioids P2P workshop and follow-up activities have identified gaps in scientific knowledge, informed clinical practice, and catalyzed change on a national level for addressing the prescription opioid crisis.
Exploring Patients’ Feeling of Being Coerced During Psychiatric Hospital Admission: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Silva Benedetta , Bachelard Mizué , Bonsack Charles , Golay Philippe , Morandi Stéphane
Published: July 2023

Various coercive measures can be used to legally compel a person suffering from psychiatric disorder to undergo treatment. However, evidence suggests that patients’ feeling of being coerced is not determined solely by their being submitted to formal coercion. This study aimed to explore voluntary and involuntary patients’ experience of coercion during psychiatric hospitalisation and to identify which factors, from their perspective, most affected it. We chose a qualitative design inspired by a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach. Participants were purposively selected from six psychiatric hospitals in Switzerland. Maximum variation sampling was used to ensure the inclusion of patients with different levels of perceived coercion and different admission statuses. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were co-conducted by a research psychologist and a service-user researcher. The transcribed data underwent thematic analysis. All twelve interviewed patients described the hospitalisation as an experience of loss of control over their life due to either external or internal pressures. During the process, perceptions of these pressures varied and sometimes overlapped, leading some patients to describe their admission as a form of simultaneous protection and violation. The balance between these two contradictory feelings was affected by a variety of contextual and relational factors, as well as by the meaningfulness of the experience and the patient’s subsequent satisfaction with it. Increasing policy-makers’ and clinicians’ awareness about the main factors influencing patients’ experience of loss of control is of paramount importance in order to develop skills and strategies able to address them, reinforcing patients’ empowerment, reducing their feeling of coercion and improving their well-being.
Characterizing the supernorm partition statistic
Authors: Lagarias Jeffrey C.
Published: July 2023

The paper gives characterizations of the supernorm statistic $$\widehat{N} :\mathcal {P}\rightarrow \mathbb {N}^{+}$$

N
^

:
P
→

N

+

for partitions, where $$\mathcal {P}$$
P
is the set of integer partitions and $$\mathbb {N}^{+}$$

N

+

is the positive integers. The supernorm statistic map is a bijection onto $$\mathbb {N}^{+}$$

N

+

that defines a total order on partitions, the supernorm ordering, obtained by pulling back the additive total order on $$\mathbb {N}^{+}$$

N

+

. The supernorm ordering refines two partial orders on partitions: the multiset inclusion order, whose image under $$\widehat{N}$$

N
^

is the divisibility lattice on $$\mathbb {N}^{+}$$

N

+

, and the Young’s lattice order. The paper shows that it is characterized by these two properties, additionally with the requirement of an order-isomorphism from the multiset inclusion order to the divisibility order. It is also characterized by these two properties, additionally with the requirement of mapping the partitions with exactly one part bijectively to the prime numbers. It presents a construction showing that the latter additional conditions are necessary for the characterization to hold.
The performance of the euro area banking system: the pandemic in perspective
Authors: Agoraki Maria-Eleni K. , Kouretas Georgios P. , De Simone Francisco Nadal
Published: July 2023

This research explores the performance of the euro area banking system between 2002:Q3 and 2021:Q1 using banks’ return on assets as a gauge. It finds that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the banking sector’s performance has not been negatively affected in a statistically significant way. In addition, it shows that while the global financial crisis and the sovereign crisis both introduced significant uncertainty in the performance of the banking system in the euro area, such uncertainty has not been replicated during the worst part of the Covid-19 pandemic. From a purely technical viewpoint, uncertainty in the banking system’s performance in the euro area highlights the relevance of using methodological approaches that control for the endogeneity of most bank-specific determinants of return on assets and that are robust to changes in unconditional variance due to regime changes, to future random shocks or both.
Life is not Fair: Get Used to It! A Personal Perspective on Contemporary Social Justice Research
Authors: Furnham Adrian
Published: July 2023

This paper offers a very personal perspective on the Social Justice research world, much of which is to be found in this journal. It is my contention that this research has become too inward looking and detached from other mainstream and important issues. I also highlight some areas that I think neglected such as the Problem of Evil and Stoicism as a coping mechanism for misfortune.
Detour test performance of cloned minipigs from three different clone populations
Authors: Paganelli Aurora , Felici Martina , Turini Luca , Baragli Paolo , Carlucci Lucia , Recchia Fabio Anastasio , Sgorbini Micaela
Published: July 2023

Genetics, the uterine environment, maternal behavior, and rearing conditions can all influence animal behavioral phenotypes. Some studies on cloned pigs have found no differences between the behavioral patterns of cloned and non-cloned animals. Other studies conducted on dogs have reported similarities in the behavior of cloned subjects. This study evaluated the performance of 12 cloned minipigs from three different clone populations (A, B, C) in a detour test around symmetric and asymmetric barriers. We measured the detour time and patterns, in order to investigate the pigs’ cognitive abilities.

The detour time and the detour entry/exit pattern were recorded. All the animals tended to keep a fixed entry/exit pattern instead of modifying it to accommodate changes in the working set. Significant differences in detour time were found among the populations, with animals belonging to population B being faster than the others, and also within each population.

Our study is one of the few to assess the cognitive abilities of cloned minipigs. The results indicate that even animals belonging to the same cloned population may develop different cognitive, hence behavioral characteristics. Whether cloning can be utilized to obtain similar behavioral phenotypes therefore remains a matter of debate.
GenKL: An Iterative Framework for Resolving Label Ambiguity and Label Non-conformity in Web Images Via a New Generalized KL Divergence
Authors: Huang Xia , Chong Kai Fong Ernest
Published: July 2023

Web image datasets curated online inherently contain ambiguous in-distribution instances and out-of-distribution instances, which we collectively callnon-conforming(NC) instances. In many recent approaches for mitigating the negative effects of NC instances, the core implicit assumption is that the NC instances can be found via entropy maximization. For “entropy” to be well-defined, we are interpreting the output prediction vector of an instance as the parameter vector of a multinomial random variable, with respect to some trained model with a softmax output layer. Hence, entropy maximization is based on the idealized assumption that NC instances have predictions that are “almost” uniformly distributed. However, in real-world web image datasets, there are numerous NC instances whose predictions are far from being uniformly distributed. To tackle the limitation of entropy maximization, we propose$$(\alpha , \beta )$$(α,β)-generalized KL divergence,$${\mathcal {D}}_{\text {KL}}^{\alpha , \beta }(p\Vert q)$$DKLα,β(p‖q), which can be used to identify significantly more NC instances. Theoretical properties of$${\mathcal {D}}_{\text {KL}}^{\alpha , \beta }(p\Vert q)$$DKLα,β(p‖q)are proven, and we also show empirically that a simple use of$${\mathcal {D}}_{\text {KL}}^{\alpha , \beta }(p\Vert q)$$DKLα,β(p‖q)outperforms all baselines on the NC instance identification task. Building upon$$(\alpha ,\beta )$$(α,β)-generalized KL divergence, we also introduce a new iterative training framework,GenKL, that identifies and relabels NC instances. When evaluated on three web image datasets, Clothing1M, Food101/Food101N, and mini WebVision 1.0, we achieved new state-of-the-art classification accuracies:$$81.34\%$$81.34%,$$85.73\%$$85.73%and$$78.99\%$$78.99%/$$92.54\%$$92.54%(top-1/top-5), respectively.
Intrinsically motivated reinforcement learning based recommendation with counterfactual data augmentation
Authors: Chen Xiaocong , Wang Siyu , Qi Lianyong , Li Yong , Yao Lina
Published: July 2023

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has shown promising results in modeling dynamic user preferences in RS in recent literature. However, training a DRL agent in the sparse RS environment poses a significant challenge. This is because the agent must balance between exploring informative user-item interaction trajectories and using existing trajectories for policy learning, a known exploration and exploitation trade-off. This trade-off greatly affects the recommendation performance when the environment is sparse. In DRL-based RS, balancing exploration and exploitation is even more challenging as the agent needs to deeply explore informative trajectories and efficiently exploit them in the context of RS. To address this issue, we propose a novel intrinsically motivated reinforcement learning (IMRL) method that enhances the agent’s capability to explore informative interaction trajectories in the sparse environment. We further enrich these trajectories via an adaptive counterfactual augmentation strategy with a customised threshold to improve their efficiency in exploitation. Our approach is evaluated on six offline datasets and three online simulation platforms, demonstrating its superiority over existing state-of-the-art methods. The extensive experiments show that our IMRL method outperforms other methods in terms of recommendation performance in the sparse RS environment.
Coupling of multilayer CAD-CAM prosthetic components: Computing the user interaction influence on the adhesion interface geometry
Authors: Graiff Lorenzo , Savio Gianpaolo , Di Fiore Adolfo , Meneghello Roberto , Uccheddu Francesca
Published: July 2023

The fracture resistance of multilayer zirconia crowns has recently been proven to be improved by using lithium millable disilicate glass–ceramic blocks (D’Addazio in Materials, 2020). Accordingly, the framework and the ceramic coating are designed and milled using a CAD-CAM technology and the two separated prosthetic components are then manually assembled by the dental technician and glued with the fusion of a glass–ceramic material. It is essential, during the CAD phase, to design a gap between the framework and the decorative veneer that will later be filled by the fused ceramic.Since the act of gluing the two parts is manually performed by the dental technician, we aim at investigating the operator influence on the final gap with respect to the designed gap. For this purpose, an original geometrical investigation method was developed to enable the 3D digital analysis of the whole fusion interface. During the CAD design stage, two technicians input a different setting for the gap between the two components. The framework and veneering structure were designed, the milled components were produced, and the zirconia framework was sintered, then the two CAD-on prosthetic components were scanned before and after their fusion/crystallization to analyze the physical internal gap. The results show that manual assembly cancels out any effect of the precision settings adopted during CAD-CAM design of the components, as well as any benefit expected from machining on a CNC milling machine, thus requiring, as a last step, manually retouching the prosthesis to correctly fit in the mouth.
Involvement of Proteasomal and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Neurodegeneration After Global Brain Ischemia
Authors: Ziakova Katarina , Kovalska Maria , Pilchova Ivana , Dibdiakova Katarina , Brodnanova Maria , Pokusa Michal , Kalenska Dagmar , Racay Peter
Published: July 2023

A brief period of transient global brain ischemia leads to selective ischemic neurodegeneration associated with death of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons days after reperfusion. The mechanism of such selective and delayed neurodegeneration is still uncertain. Our work aimed to study the involvement of proteasomal and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in ischemic neurodegeneration. We have performed laser scanning confocal microscopy analysis of brain slices from control and experimental animals that underwent global brain ischemia for 15 min and varying times of reperfusion. We have focused on ubiquitin, PUMA, a proapoptotic protein of the Bcl-2 family overexpressed in response to both proteasomal and ER stress, and p53, which controls expression of PUMA. We have also examined the expression of HRD1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that was shown to be overexpressed after ER stress. We have also examined potential crosstalk between proteasomal and ER stress using cellular models of both proteasomal and ER stress. We demonstrate that global brain ischemia is associated with an appearance of distinct immunoreactivity of ubiquitin, PUMA and p53 in pyramidal neurons of the CA1 layer of the hippocampus 72 h after ischemic insults. Such changes correlate with a delay and selectivity of ischemic neurodegeneration. Immunoreactivity of HRD1 observed in all investigated regions of rat brain was transiently absent in both CA1 and CA3 pyramidal neurones 24 h after ischemia in the hippocampus, which does not correlate with a delay and selectivity of ischemic neurodegeneration. We do not document significant crosstalk between proteasomal and ER stress. Our results favour dysfunction of the ubiquitin proteasome system and consequent p53-induced expression of PUMA as the main mechanisms responsible for selective and delayed degeneration of pyramidal neurons of the hippocampal CA1 layer in response to global brain ischemia.
Experimental demonstration of a method to actively stabilize satellite structures against random perturbations of thermal boundary conditions using a closed-loop filter and controller approach
Authors: Möller F. , Essig T. , Holzhauer S. , Förstner R.
Published: July 2023

Modern space travel requires increasingly stable support structures for optical instruments or antennas, which can hardly be realized with the traditional approaches. Therefore, an approach for active structural stabilization of thermal-induced distortions was developed, simulated, and patented within the framework of the Infrared Astronomy Satellite Swarm Interferometry (IRASSI) project. Based on this approach, the thermomechanical transfer functions between the change in heat flux and the change in displacement of the finite-element (FE) model of a structure have already been validated in their basic functionality. In an experimental setup, the FE model was extended to include a closed-loop filter and controller approach consisting of a Kalman filter processing the temperature measurements in conjunction with a Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR). It was shown that this setup can compensate for predefined sinusoidally oscillating disturbance heat flows, with an improvement of 4 dB compared to the uncontrolled case. In this paper, an experimental setup revised with respect to the positioning of the sensors and control heating elements, in conjunction with an extension of the filter and controller approach, will demonstrate that the system can respond to reproducible, random fluctuations in the disturbance heat flux, as well as stepped changes, and that performance has improved due to the revision.
A framework for assessing hazards related to pit lakes: application on European case studies
Authors: Al Heib M. , Varouchakis E. A. , Galetakis M. , Renaud V. , Burda J.
Published: July 2023

The number of abandoned mines is continuously increasing in the world. The sustainable exploitation of these abandoned mines is a top priority globally. Pit lakes created in abandoned mining sites provide benefits and present risks for the mining region. This paper presents a methodology to assess the mining and natural hazards related to pit lakes. The proposed methodology framework is based on well-established and internationally accepted risk management standards and allows the assessment of the long-term stability of pit lakes. Potential ground movements, water pollution, fire hazards are presented, and their impact evaluated based on feedback and international experience. The methodology was applied for 13 European pit lakes created in former European coal and lignite mines. A risk assessment of the Most lake was carried out, using qualitative and a weighted probabilistic approach that considers the overall and the individual effect of identified mining and natural hazards. Results showed that the main potential hazards are the ground movements, slope stability, and flooding.
Substance use disorder in young adults with stroke: clinical characteristics and outcome
Authors: Rizk Hoda Ibrahim , Magdy Rehab , Emam Khadiga , Mohammed Mona Soliman , Aboulfotooh Alshaimaa M.
Published: July 2023

Objective

Stroke incidence among young adults has risen in the last decade. This research attempts to determine the effect of substance use disorder (SUD) on the clinical characteristics of stroke, mortality, outcome after IV thrombolysis, and functional dependency after 1 month among young adults.

Methods

Through a retrospective study, data were extracted from the electronic medical records of stroke in young adults admitted to intensive care units in Kasr Al-Ainy Hospital (February 2018–January 2021). The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the Modified Rankin Scale were documented at the onset and after 1 month.

Results

The study included 225 young adults with stroke (median age of 40, IQR: 34–44). Only 93 young adults (41%) met the criteria of SUD. Anabolic steroid use disorder was significantly associated with cerebral venous thrombosis (P-value = 0.02), while heroin use disorder was significantly associated with a hemorrhagic stroke (P-value = 0.01). Patients with tramadol, cannabis, and cocaine use disorders had significantly more frequent strokes in the posterior than the anterior circulation. Patients with heroin use disorders had significantly higher mortality than those without heroin use disorders (P-value = 0.01). The risk of poor outcomes was doubled by alcohol or heroin use disorder, while it was tripled by cocaine use disorder (P-value = 0.01 for each).

Conclusion

Forty-one percent of young adults diagnosed with a stroke had SUD, with a relatively higher posterior circulation involvement. Increased mortality was associated with heroin use disorder more than other substances. Poor stroke outcome was associated with alcohol, heroin, and cocaine use disorders.
Substance Abuse Amongst Refugee Youth: A Scoping Review
Authors: Aleer Elijah , Alam Khorshed , Rashid Afzalur , Mohsin Mohd , Eacersall Douglas
Published: July 2023

Purpose of Review

Identify and map health, economic, and social consequences of substance abuse, especially because the impacts of substance abuse can adversely and disproportionally affect refugee youth. This scoping review was conducted to exhibit gaps in the literature on the prevalence, risk factors, consequences, and interventions of substance abuse among refugee youth to provide a better understanding of the social determinants of this public health crisis.

Findings

A systematic search for studies on EBSCOhost databases, MEDLINE, and Scopus retrieved 300 citations. Following a systematic screening, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings from the studies suggest the prevalence of substance abuse amongst refugee youth is exacerbated by several risk factors such as coping with pre- and post-migration experiences, accessibility and availability of substances, and socialisation with peers. Evidence shows that refugee youth suffer negative consequences because of substance abuse. However, they also show a lack of focus on interventions to mitigate the prevalence and negative consequences.

Literature generally suggests that the presence of substance abuse amongst refugee youth leads to negative consequences. This finding is especially concerning given the lack of knowledge about mitigation strategies and the identification of several risk factors associated with substance abuse. Therefore, increased attention must be placed on substance abuse amongst refugee youth, especially noting the rising prevalence of global refugee migration.
Laser welding in e-mobility: process characterization and monitoring
Authors: Angeloni Caterina , Francioso Michele , Liverani Erica , Ascari Alessandro , Fortunato Alessandro , Tomesani Luca
Published: July 2023

The global automotive industry is shifting to e-mobility, where the main challenge is addressed to battery’s mass-production. To keep up with the market demand, high speed production rates and quality products must be accomplished. Since laser welding of dissimilar thins sheets has earned rising demand for battery electrodes connections, a defect-free welding process has to be performed on behalf of a closed-loop monitoring system that updates corrective and/or preventive actions in order to obtain a reliable, “zero waste, zero stop” process. However, nowadays photodiode systems do not allow real-time modification of the parameters, they only tell, at the end of the process, if any signal has gone out of threshold. The objective of this paper is to find correlations between the data collected by the monitoring system with the typical process characteristics of laser welding. Materials investigated are pure copper 300 µm and aluminum 400 µm, processed by means of different sources, length tracks, wavelengths and scanning heads. In this contribution, a Precitec system has been implemented as a possible economical and industrial-oriented solution.

The experimental data was analyzed offline and the relationships between technological and signals outputs were evaluated by means of statistical analysis with MATLAB for both Al-Cu and Cu-Al configuration. Findings plotted stable signals if high speeds were set. Results further suggested the power to be the most influent variable for the closed-loop monitoring system and the dependance on the first material irradiated and the laser source used to define the threshold value for the control of the welding process.
Estimating agricultural water productivity using remote sensing derived data
Authors: Safi Celine , Pareeth Sajid , Yalew Seleshi , van der Zaag Pieter , Mul Marloes
Published: July 2023

The 2030 Agenda aims at ending extreme poverty, inequality, injustice and climate change. Progress is evaluated through a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), targets and indicators. However, there are various challenges affecting regular and timely reporting. Remote sensing (RS) derived data has been shown to provide a valuable complementary data source in reporting SDGs. This study focuses on how RS derived data could support SDG 6 related to water, and in particular SDG indicator 6.4.1 - change in Water Use Efficiency (WUE) over time presented in USD per m3 of water withdrawn. Although water withdrawals cannot be monitored through RS, water use in agriculture, globally withdrawing the largest amount of water, can be monitored through RS based evapotranspiration.

Two approaches were modelled to compute the progress of SDG 6.4.1 in the agricultural sector. The first approach uses the standard equation of SDG 6.4.1, replacing water withdrawal with blue evapotranspiration in the irrigation sector. The second approach distributes the gross value added to the gross domestic product by irrigated agriculture according to the land productivity in irrigated agriculture as observed by RS. The results of these two approaches were compared to the standard way SDG 6.4.1 is calculated. The analyses were carried out for Lebanon, which faces critical water challenges while experiencing a difficult economic and political situation.

The results for Lebanon show that the different approaches to estimate Awp show similar trends as Awe, initially showing an increasing trend followed by a sharp decline in 2019 due to the deteriorating economic situation in the country. However, the absolute values differ substantially, largely due to discrepancies between the estimated irrigated area from RS data and the static data reported in AQUASTAT. The results illustrate the spatial variability of Awp in Lebanon, with the area that contributes significantly to the agricultural production nationally (Bekaa and Baalbek) shows lower land and water productivity compared to irrigated areas in other governorates. The contribution of agriculture to the overall SDG 6.4.1 indicator was relatively small, although agriculture is a major consumer of water.
A Three-Stage Prediction Method for Track Displacement During Shield Tunneling
Authors: Tan Lei , Cao Yuan , Wang Feng , Tang Tao , Wang Xi , Li Qiang
Published: July 2023

Track displacement is an important factor of track irregularity. Existing researches related with track displacement prediction generally ignore the influence from underground construction engineering such as shield tunneling, resulting in inaccurate estimation of track displacement. To fill this gap, we propose a three-stage framework to predict the track displacement when the shield tunnel under crosses the existing tunnel. Firstly, by considering the curved shield tunneling, a three-dimensional model is constructed to estimate the total ground displacement during the whole tunneling process. Furthermore, the soil-tunnel interaction model is established to estimate the deformation of the existing tunnel. To tackle the issue of unknown node displacements, cubic splines are used to interpolate the unknown values of tunnel displacements. On this basis, the direct stiffness method is used to estimate the track displacement and to calculate the track irregularity. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified and the prediction performance on the track irregularity is evaluated using a real engineering case and the finite element simulation. The main contributions of this article lie in the modeling of the curved scenario for the estimation of the ground loss, as well as the combination of cubic splines and direct stiffness method, which improve the accuracy of the track displacement estimation during shield tunneling.
Data-Driven Process Analysis for Iron Foundries with Automatic Sand Molding Process
Authors: Baitiang Chinnadit , Weiß Konrad , Krüger Mathias , Volk Wolfram , Lechner Philipp
Published: July 2023

This paper proposes a methodological framework to develop a data-driven process control using pure industrial production data from a cast iron foundry, despite the limitation of complete casting traceability. The aim is to help sand foundries to produce good castings. A reference foundry, which produces mainly automotive and oven parts with automatic sand molding and pouring machines, was selected. Past data, where only good castings were produced, were extracted from the database to determine parameter control limits (upper and lower control limits) with the aid of statistical approach. To identify critical process parameters associated with casting defects, process data from the zero and high scrap production batches were systematically compared. This method clearly identified unstable parameters without exact synchronization between inline and part quality data. Molding sand moisture, temperature and compactability, liquidus temperature of the melt, phosphorus content, carbon equivalent and pouring temperature were found to be the critical parameters to be stabilized. Finally, a regression model for predicting and controlling of molding sand moisture and liquidus temperature of the melt was created. The determined boundaries and the models were helpful for the foundry in assisting ongoing production control and correction of process inputs to achieve target casting quality.
Harnessing Magnetite Poly(ethylene Glycol)-Block-Poly(propylene Glycol)-Block-Poly(ethylene Glycol) (PEG-PPG-PEG) Composites for Efficient Arsenic Removal in Water Treatment
Authors: Dahlan Nuraina Anisa , Veeramachineni Anand Kumar , Paramasivam Ragul , Patti Antonio , Pushpamalar Janarthanan
Published: July 2023

Elevated arsenic levels in soil and water resources due to improper waste management by industry cause detrimental impacts on the environment and human health due to its carcinogenicity and high toxicity. This work demonstrated a facile and scalable method for the synthesis of γ-Fe2O3-PEG-PPG-PEG composites for practical arsenic adsorption. The synthesis of γ-Fe2O3-PEG-PPG-PEG composites resulted in a high percentage yield of 91.4%. Morphological analyses confirmed the microstructures and crystallinity of γ-Fe2O3-PEG-PPG-PEG composites. Besides, HR-TEM showed a homogeneous distribution of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with an average particle size of 25 nm. The peak at 452 cm−1 in FT-IR spectra corresponds to the Fe–O stretching vibration, thus confirming the presence of γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The synthesized composites showed increasing surface area (31–117 m2/g) and thermal stability with increasing γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticle compositions. The As(V) batch adsorption study revealed efficient As(V) removal up to 56.5 µg/g determined by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. Furthermore, the equilibrium adsorptions were attained between 30 and 120 min. Notably, the adsorption capacity of the γ-Fe2O3-PEG-PPG-PEG composites increased significantly as the As(V) initial concentration increases. The research findings showed that the γ-Fe2O3-PEG-PPG-PEG composites could be potential adsorbents to treat arsenic-contaminated wastewater. Besides, the synthesized composites were proven to be economical and practical for scaling up due to their high product yield.
Current and future land fire risk mapping in the southern region of Sumatra, Indonesia, using CMIP6 data and GIS analysis
Authors: Rendana Muhammad , Idris Wan Mohd Razi , Rahim Sahibin Abdul , Abdo Hazem Ghassan , Almohamad Hussein , Al Dughairi Ahmed Abdullah , Albanai Jasem A.
Published: July 2023

Land fires lead to a deterioration of environmental quality and have perilous social and economic aspects. One method for mitigating this hazard is to determine the range of fire risk areas. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the current and potential future fire risk in the Ogan Komering Ilir, southern Sumatra region of Indonesia, using CMIP6 data and geospatial technology. In order to analyze fire risk areas, the Landsat 8 satellite image from 2021 (as a baseline period) was used. Variables like the normalized difference moisture index (NDMI), the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and the land surface temperature (LST) were extracted from the satellite image. Then, the standard precipitation index (SPI) was determined using rainfall data from meteorological stations. For future period prediction (periods 2021–2040 and 2041–2060), this study used future climate data from the CMIP6. By overlaying these variables, current and future fire risk zone maps were produced. The results obtained showed that in the current period, around 726.4 km2 (4.2%) of the area was at high fire risk, then 5,621.3 km2 (32.7%) and 10,835.3 km2 (63.1%) were at moderate and low fire risk zones, respectively. Furthermore, for the future period, this study estimated there was an increase in high fire risk areas of about 14% during 2021–2040 and 30% during 2041–2060. This was recorded in the southern and northern parts of the study area. Fire risk areas were strongly associated with NDMI, NDVI, and LST. The study's findings may be useful for land fire management in fire-prone areas.
Therapeutic drug monitoring of mycophenolic acid (MPA) using volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) in pediatric renal transplant recipients: ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analytical method development, cross-validation, and clinical application
Authors: Kocur Arkadiusz , Rubik Jacek , Czarnowski Paweł , Czajkowska Agnieszka , Marszałek Dorota , Sierakowski Maciej , Górska Marta , Pawiński Tomasz
Published: July 2023

Background

Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is widely used in posttransplant pharmacotherapy for pediatric patients after renal transplantation. Volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) is a recent approach for sample collection, particularly during therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). The recommended matrix for MPA determination is plasma (PL), and conversion between capillary-blood VAMS samples and PL concentrations is required for the appropriate interpretation of the results.

Methods

This study aimed to validate and develop a UHPLC-MS/MS method for MPA quantification in whole blood (WB), PL, and VAMS samples, with cross and clinical validation based on regression calculations. Methods were validated in the 0.10–15 µg/mL range for trough MPA concentration measurement according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) guidelines. Fifty pediatric patients treated with MPA after renal transplantation were included in this study. PL and WB samples were obtained via venipuncture, whereas VAMS samples were collected after the fingerstick. The conversion from VAMSMPA to PLMPA concentration was performed using formulas based on hematocrit values and a regression model.

Results

LC–MS/MS methods were successfully developed and validated according to EMA guidelines. The cross-correlation between the methods was evaluated using Passing-Bablok regression, Bland–Altman bias plots, and predictive performance calculations. Clinical validation of the developed method was successfully performed, and the formula based on regression was successfully validated for VAMSMPA to PLMPA concentration and confirmed on an independent group of samples.

Conclusions

This study is the first development of a triple matrix-based LC–MS/MS method for MPA determination in the pediatric population after renal transplantation. For the first time, the developed methods were cross-validated with routinely used HPLC–DAD protocol.

Graphical Abstract
Hierarchical Manta Ray Foraging Optimization with Weighted Fitness-Distance Balance Selection
Authors: Tang Zhentao , Wang Kaiyu , Tao Sichen , Todo Yuki , Wang Rong-Long , Gao Shangce
Published: July 2023

Manta ray foraging optimization (MRFO) tends to get trapped in local optima as it relies on the direction provided by the previous individual and the best individual as guidance to search for the optimal solution. As enriching population diversity can effectively solve this problem, in this paper, we introduce a hierarchical structure and weighted fitness-distance balance selection to improve the population diversity of the algorithm. The hierarchical structure allows individuals in different groups of the population to search for optimal solutions in different places, expanding the diversity of solutions. In MRFO, greedy selection based solely on fitness can lead to local solutions. We innovatively incorporate a distance metric into the selection strategy to increase selection diversity and find better solutions. A hierarchical manta ray foraging optimization with weighted fitness-distance balance selection (HMRFO) is proposed. Experimental results on IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation 2017 (CEC2017) functions show the effectiveness of the proposed method compared to seven competitive algorithms, and the proposed method has little effect on the algorithm complexity of MRFO. The application of HMRFO to optimize real-world problems with large dimensions has also obtained good results, and the computational time is very short, making it a powerful alternative for very high-dimensional problems. Finally, the effectiveness of this method is further verified by analyzing the population diversity of HMRFO.
Cholera spike following monsoon floods in Pakistan: Challenges, efforts and recommendations (short communication)
Authors: Malikzai Abdullah , Qamar Khulud , Shaeen Sean Kaisser , Malik Umer Usman , Rafique Faryal
Published: July 2023

Cholera has globally affected the world since the 19th century, resulting in numerous cases and deaths throughout time. In Pakistan, while Cholera had always been a threat to the country’s public health, the recent monsoon floods have exacerbated the situation. With high incidence of the disease, health care facilities are overburdened and inaccessible. Due to destruction of infrastructure and houses in the country, Pakistan’s health care services and WASH services are inadequate. This further leads to increased disease prevalence and transmission of Cholera. Despite global funding being carried out to alleviate economic struggles, Pakistan also requires disease surveillance, rapid treatment provision and widespread awareness to manage Cholera.
Three‐Dimensional Basin Depth Map of the Northern Los Angeles Basins From Gravity and Seismic Measurements
Authors: Villa Valeria , Li Yida , Clayton Robert W. , Persaud Patricia
Published: July 2023

The San Gabriel, Chino, and San Bernardino sedimentary basins in Southern California amplify earthquake ground motions and prolong the duration of shaking due to the basins' shape and low seismic velocities. In the event of a major earthquake rupture along the southern segment of the San Andreas fault, their connection and physical proximity to Los Angeles (LA) can produce a waveguide effect and amplify strong ground motions. Improved estimates of the shape and depth of the sediment‐basement interface are needed for more accurate ground‐shaking models. We obtain a three‐dimensional basement map of the basins by integrating gravity and seismic measurements. The travel time of the sediment‐basement P‐to‐S conversion, and the Bouguer gravity along 10 seismic lines, are combined to produce a linear relationship that is used to extend the 2D profiles to a 3D basin map. Basement depth is calculated using the predicted travel time constrained by gravity with an S‐wave velocity model of the area. The model is further constrained by the basement depths from 17 boreholes. The basement map shows the south‐central part of the San Gabriel basin is the deepest part and a significant gravity signature is associated with our interpretation of the Raymond fault. The Chino basin deepens toward the south and shallows northeastward. The San Bernardino basin deepens eastward along the edge of the San Jacinto Fault Zone. In addition, we demonstrate the benefit of using gravity data to aid in the interpretation of the sediment‐basement interface in receiver functions.
Viking Marsquakes 1976—Seismic Archaeology
Authors: Lazarewicz Andrew R.
Published: July 2023

To date, three Mars landers carried seismometers: Viking 1 and 2 in 1976 (Viking 1 seismometer failed) and InSight in 2018. In 574 Sols (one Sol is one solar day on Mars), Viking detected one possible marsquake on Sol 80 and one discounted marsquake on Sol 53. Both events were recorded in Event Mode, a two‐channel (amplitude and frequency at 1 Hz) compression technique. In contrast, in 1440 Sols, InSight confirmed 1319 full waveform marsquakes. InSight's technology and capability were significantly better than Viking's, with wind and lander noise being significant for both missions. This project developed three evaluation tools: (a) Comparison and re‐evaluation of Viking Sol 80 and 53 with Viking wind data, (b) a recovered Viking tool to convert InSight waveforms to the Viking compressed Event Mode format, and (c) a new analysis tool to convert Viking compressed Event Mode approximate “reconstruction” to time series similar to InSight format. Evaluation using these tools allows answering the question “What would the Viking Seismology Team has concluded given the new information from InSight and the evaluation tools developed for this project?” Findings from these analyses confirm that both Viking Sol 80 and Sol 53 were marsquakes. The plausible conclusion that Sol 80 was a marsquake also provides potential information for estimating the crustal thickness in Utopia Planitia. Combining data and analysis from only two Mars landers containing working seismometers, landing 42 years apart, is planetary seismic archaeology.
A 1952 Landslide Hints at Early Permafrost Thaw in the Arctic
Authors: Chapman Andrew
Published: July 2023

Scientists took a deeper look at a 70-year-old slide and found that climate change likely set the stage for the disaster.
Mental Illness Can Be Deadly During Heat Waves
Authors: Sidik Saima
Published: July 2023

Schizophrenia topped the list of conditions associated with death during the 2021 extreme heat event in British Columbia.
Refugees Are Replanting Trees in Northern Uganda
Authors: Fl�rez Santiago
Published: July 2023

In the Palorinya Refugee Settlement, efforts to reduce deforestation and increase tree coverage help the ecosystem and improve refugees’ quality of life.
Supercharged El Ni�o Could Speed Up Southern Ocean Warming
Authors: Martin-Jones Erin
Published: July 2023

Projected changes to El Ni�o will likely accelerate warming of the deep oceans around the Antarctic, supplying heat that could drive ice loss and sea level rise.
Welcome to a New Era in Geosciences Data Management
Authors: Sidik Saima
Published: July 2023

In the waning days of August 2017, Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 30 trillion gallons of water on Texas’s Gulf Coast. At least 68 people died.
Introducing the New Editor in Chief of JGR: Atmospheres
Authors: Cheng Yafang
Published: July 2023

Find out about the person taking the helm of JGR: Atmospheres and her plans for taking the journal forward in the coming years.
Investigating the Occurrence of Kelvin‐Helmholtz Instabilities at Jupiter's Dawn Magnetopause
Authors: Montgomery J. , Ebert R. W. , Allegrini F. , Bagenal F. , Bolton S. J. , DiBraccio G. A. , Fuselier S. A. , Wilson R. J. , Masters Adam
Published: July 2023

We use the Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability (KHI) condition with particle and magnetic field observations from Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment and MAG on Juno along the dawn flank of Jupiter's magnetosphere. We identify the occurrence of magnetopause crossings that show evidence of being KH (Kelvin‐Helmholtz) unstable. When estimating the k vector to be parallel to the velocity shear, we find that 25 of 62 (40%) magnetopause crossings satisfy the KHI condition. When considering the k vector of the maximum growth rate through a solid angle approach, we find that 60 of 62 (97%) events are KH unstable. This study shows evidence of KH waves at Jupiter's dawn flank, including primary drivers such as high velocity shears and changes in plasma pressure. Signatures of magnetic reconnection were also observed in ∼25% of the KH unstable crossings. We discuss these results and their implication for the prevalence of KHI at Juno's dawn magnetopause as measured by Juno.
Statistical Characteristics of the Occurrence of ERI and FRI in the Equatorial Ionosphere With Observations of JULIA Radar
Authors: Li Zhipeng , Yuan Zhigang , Xue Zuxiang
Published: July 2023

Based on observations of the Jicamarca Unattended Long‐term investigations of the Ionosphere and Atmosphere (JULIA) radar, we perform statistical analysis on the occurrence of 3‐m‐scale E‐region irregularities and F‐region irregularities (FRI) in Jicamarca region of South America. The results show that there is a negative correlation between the occurrence rates of equatorial irregularities in E‐ and F‐region. When the equatorial spread F appears, the occurrence rate of irregularities in E‐layer decreases. By analyzing the ion zonal drift velocity detected by JULIA radar, it is proposed that the vertically polarized electric field in the bottom F‐layer could extend downward to E‐layer when FRI appears, leading to the weakening or even reversal of E‐layer electric field. As a result, the electron vertical drift velocity in the E‐layer decreases so as to suppress the growth rate of two‐stream instability, which cause a weakening or even disappearance of equatorial irregularities in E‐region.