bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating unoccupied aerial vehicles for estimating relative abundance of muskrats
Authors: Cline Ellisif E. , Gehring Thomas M. , Etter Dwayne R.
Published: June 2022

Due to muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) population declines in North America, it is important to develop rapid, safe, and economical tools for estimating abundance over large spatial and temporal scales. During November 2020–February 2021, we assessed unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs) at Bear Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. We examined aerial red‐green‐blue (RGB) and thermal imagery for estimating the total number of muskrat houses during a snow‐free and snow‐cover period relative to ground surveys. Muskrat house counts were similar between the December snow‐cover UAV RGB image survey and February ground survey (V = 70,P = 0.559), but 132% and 136% lower for November snow‐free UAV survey compared to snow‐cover UAV (V = 203.5,P < 0.001) and ground (V = 196,P < 0.001) surveys, respectively. Unoccupied aerial vehicles can rapidly, safely, and economically estimate and track relative abundance of muskrats in wetlands that have some snow cover and should be evaluated further in more systems at different times of the year. Effective use of UAV imaging for muskrat house surveys is dependent on time of day, temperature, and weather conditions. Conducting UAV surveys in tandem with ground surveys would improve estimates of relative abundance if active muskrat houses are better defined.
Travels in a Haunted House. Rational Curiosities and Overlapping Dichotomies in Duncan McPherson MD’s Account of the ‘Chinese Expedition’ of 1840–1842
Authors: Brown Ruairidh J.
Published: June 2022

The chapter proposes to explore rational curiosity as a key category to unpack nineteenth-century British perspectives on Asia, and especially China. Duncan MacPherson’s account is interpreted from a new perspective, which highlights both imperialist rhetoric and overlapping dichotomies. A careful reading shows how even at the height of European expansion we do not find in travel literature any clear dichotomy of East vs West, but rather a Eurocentric view of material and scientific progress that praised or condemned different aspects of both Asian and European societies. Hence, Asia emerges as a complex space where the civilising mission encounters problems similar to those encountered amongst British people: traditions, irrationality and passions. This chapter therefore adds to the reflection of the volume on the use of knowledge and the impact of identity, whilst uncovering a more specific mode of curiosity rooted in post-Enlightenment thought and guiding the encounter with Asia.
Reconstructing a Spatial Knowledge in Northeast Asia: Rehe Through the Eyes of the Japanese Army in the Early 1930s
Authors: Hirayama Nagatomi
Published: June 2022

This paper examines the expansion of imperial Japan in Rehe/Jehol in the wake of the founding of Manchukuo in the early 1930s, and it presents an array of texts and strategies used by Japanese propaganda to transform perceptions of Asian spaces and solidify Japanese empire-building by redefining the human geography and history of parts of China. The production of knowledge geared towards political goals is an important aspect of ethnographic and geographic writings produced in a military context. Utilizing travel logs, operational reports, liaison records, and soldiers’ diaries of the Japanese army in Rehe as a lens, this chapter demonstrates the relevance of travel writings as sources not only for medieval and early modern history but also for the study of intra-Asian modern imperial gazes.
Towards a broader view of the metabolome: untargeted profiling of soluble and bound polyphenols in plants
Authors: Doppler Maria , Bueschl Christoph , Ertl Florian , Woischitzschlaeger Jakob , Parich Alexandra , Schuhmacher Rainer
Published: June 2022

Phenylalanine (Phe) is a central precursor for numerous secondary plant metabolites with a multitude of biological functions. Recent studies on the fungal disease Fusarium head blight in wheat showed numerous Phe-derived defence metabolites to be induced in the presence of the pathogen. These studies also suggest a partial incorporation of Phe-derived secondary metabolites into the cell wall. To broaden the view of the metabolome to bound Phe derivatives, an existing approach using 13C-labelled Phe as tracer was extended. The developed workflow consists of three successive extractions with an acidified acetonitrile-methanol-water mixture to remove the soluble plant metabolites, followed by cell wall hydrolysis with 4M aqueous NaOH, acidification with aqueous HCl, and liquid-liquid extraction of the hydrolysate with ethyl acetate. The untargeted screening of Phe-derived metabolites revealed 156 soluble compounds and 90 compounds in the hydrolysed samples including known cell wall constituents like ferulic acid, coumaric acid, and tricin. Forty-nine metabolites were found exclusively in the hydrolysate. The average cumulative extraction yield of the soluble metabolites was 99.6%, with a range of 91.8 to 100%. Repeatability coefficients of variation of the protocol ranged from 10.5 to 25.9%, with a median of 16.3%. To demonstrate the suitability of the proposed method for a typical metabolomics application, mock-treated and Fusarium graminearum-treated wheat samples were compared. The study revealed differences between the hydrolysates of the two sample types, confirming the differential incorporation of Phe-derived metabolites into the cell wall under infection conditions.
Determination of aroma compounds in grape mash under conditions of tasting by on-line near-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Gehlken Jana , Pour Nikfardjam Martin , Zörb Christian
Published: June 2022

The production of high-quality wines requires the use of high-quality grapes. Tasting represents a widespread method for the determination of grape maturity and quality aspects such as the corresponding aroma profile. However, sensory analysis always remains subjective and it is not possible to judge only aroma compounds because the overall impression is also influenced by main components (e.g. sugars and acids). In contrast, the use of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy allows the simultaneous determination of various compounds without being affected by personal preferences. In this study, grape mash samples were examined under comparable conditions to those in the mouth. Differences between grape mashes with varying phytosanitary status of the corresponding grapes as well as for different grape varieties were detected. The quantified concentrations of the detected aroma compounds were used to develop calibration models for determination by NIR spectroscopy. Using global calibration models, the single aroma compounds could be determined by NIR spectroscopy with accuracies reaching from R2C = 0.365 to R2C = 0.976. Separate calibration models for cultivation region and grape colour improved the prediction accuracy. Instrumental analysis cannot totally replace sensory evaluation, however, NIR spectroscopy has the potential to be used as an objective, additional method for the evaluation of grape aroma quality.
Evaluation of satellite Leaf Area Index in California vineyards for improving water use estimation
Authors: Kang Yanghui , Gao Feng , Anderson Martha , Kustas William , Nieto Hector , Knipper Kyle , Yang Yun , White William , Alfieri Joseph , Torres-Rua Alfonso , Alsina Maria Mar , Karnieli Arnon
Published: June 2022

Remote sensing estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) directly quantifies plant water consumption and provides essential information for irrigation scheduling, which is a pressing need for California vineyards as extreme droughts become more frequent. Many ET models take satellite-derived Leaf Area Index (LAI) as a major input, but how uncertainties of LAI estimations propagate to ET and the partitioning between evaporation and transpiration is poorly understood. Here we assessed six satellite-based LAI estimation approaches using Landsat and Sentinel-2 images against ground measurements from four vineyards in California and evaluated ET sensitivity to LAI in the thermal-based two-source energy balance (TSEB) model. We found that radiative transfer modeling-based approaches predicted low to medium LAI well, but they significantly underestimated high LAI in highly clumped vine canopies (RMSE ~ 0.97 to 1.27). Cubist regression models trained with ground LAI measurements from all vineyards achieved high accuracy (RMSE ~ 0.3 to 0.48), but these empirical models did not generalize well between sites. Red edge bands and the related vegetation index (VI) from the Sentinel-2 satellite contain complementary information of LAI to VIs based on near-infrared and red bands. TSEB ET was more sensitive to positive LAI biases than negative ones. Positive LAI errors of 50% resulted in up to 50% changes in ET, while negative biases of 50% in LAI caused less than 10% deviations in ET. However, even when ET changes were minimal, negative LAI errors of 50% led to up to a 40% reduction in modeled transpiration, as soil evaporation and plant transpiration responded to LAI change divergently. These findings call for careful consideration of satellite LAI uncertainties for ET modeling, especially for the partitioning of water loss between vine and soil or cover crop for effective vineyard irrigation management.
Detecting and responding to hostile disinformation activities on social media using machine learning and deep neural networks
Authors: Cartwright Barry , Frank Richard , Weir George , Padda Karmvir
Published: June 2022

Disinformation attacks that make use of social media platforms, e.g., the attacks orchestrated by the Russian “Internet Research Agency” during the 2016 U.S. Presidential election campaign and the 2016 Brexit referendum in the UK, have led to increasing demands from governmental agencies for AI tools that are capable of identifying such attacks in their earliest stages, rather than responding to them in retrospect. This research undertaken on behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces and Department of National Defence. Our ultimate objective is the development of an integrated set of machine-learning algorithms which will mobilize artificial intelligence to identify hostile disinformation activities in “near-real-time.” Employing The Dark Crawler, the Posit Toolkit, TensorFlow (Deep Neural Networks), plus the Random Forest classifier and short-text classification programs known as LibShortText and LibLinear, we have analysed a wide sample of social media posts that exemplify the “fake news” that was disseminated by Russia’s Internet Research Agency, comparing them to “real news” posts in order to develop an automated means of classification.
Analysis of drought conditions and their impacts in a headwater stream in the Central European lower mountain ranges
Authors: Kaule Lisa , Frei Sven
Published: June 2022

Headwaters represent a significant fraction of the global stream length and are important for streamflow quality and quantity. Since climate change is predicted to affect runoff generation processes fundamentally, it is essential to understand potential consequences for the water availability in headwater catchments. The Lehstenbach catchment, located in the Fichtel Mountains (Germany), represents many headwater catchments in the lower mountain ranges in Central Europe. This study’s primary objective is to predict and analyze potential shifts in the catchment’s water balance, estimate periods of hydrological drought conditions, and their characteristics. For this purpose, we used an integrated process-based hydrological model to represent surface/groundwater interactions and runoff generation mechanisms for the Lehstenbach catchment until 2100, using a Regional Climate Model Ensemble. The simulations indicate decreased water availability in summer and autumn, mainly due to increased evapotranspiration rates. The Minimum Environmental Flow (MEF), a quantitative measure of aquatic species’ exposition to abnormally low streamflow conditions, implies an increase of low flow conditions towards 2100. A first estimate indicates a possible increase of hydrological drought duration and intensity in the future. These findings suggest severe impacts on ecosystem health and services, such as decreasing water availability, leading to consequences like forest and wetland degradation and declining biodiversity. These findings can be used to implement suitable mitigation strategies to reduce climate change effects on the headwater ecosystems, such as water shortage for irrigation and drinking water supply and loss of flora and fauna.
Modelling time-varying covariates effect on survival via functional data analysis: application to the MRC BO06 trial in osteosarcoma
Authors: Spreafico Marta , Ieva Francesca , Fiocco Marta
Published: June 2022

Time-varying covariates are of great interest in clinical research since they represent dynamic patterns which reflect disease progression. In cancer studies biomarkers values change as functions of time and chemotherapy treatment is modified by delaying a course or reducing the dose intensity, according to patient’s toxicity levels. In this work, a Functional covariate Cox Model (FunCM) to study the association between time-varying processes and a time-to-event outcome is proposed. FunCM first exploits functional data analysis techniques to represent time-varying processes in terms of functional data. Then, information related to the evolution of the functions over time is incorporated into functional regression models for survival data through functional principal component analysis. FunCM is compared to a standard time-varying covariate Cox model, commonly used despite its limiting assumptions that covariate values are constant in time and measured without errors. Data from MRC BO06/EORTC 80931 randomised controlled trial for treatment of osteosarcoma are analysed. Time-varying covariates related to alkaline phosphatase levels, white blood cell counts and chemotherapy dose during treatment are investigated. The proposed method allows to detect differences between patients with different biomarkers and treatment evolutions, and to include this information in the survival model. These aspects are seldom addressed in the literature and could provide new insights into the clinical research.
Shedding Light on Treatment Options for Coronary Vasomotor Disorders: A Systematic Review
Authors: Marchini Federico , Pompei Graziella , D’Aniello Emanuele , Marrone Andrea , Caglioni Serena , Biscaglia Simone , Campo Gianluca , Tebaldi Matteo
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Coronary vasomotor dysfunction embraces two specific clinical entities: coronary (micro)vascular spasm and microvascular dysfunction. The clinical manifestations of these entities are respectively called vasospastic angina (VSA) and microvascular angina (MVA). Over the years, these diseases have become more and more prominent and several studies aimed to investigate the best diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Patients with coronary vasomotor disorders are often undertreated due to the absence of evidence-based guidelines. The purpose of this overview is to illustrate the various therapeutic options available for the optimized management of these patients.

Methods

A Medline search of full-text articles published in English from 1980 to April 2022 was performed. The main analyzed aspects of vasomotor disorders were treatment options. We also performed research on “Clinicaltrial.gov” for ongoing trials.

Conclusion

Coronary (micro)vascular spasm and microvascular dysfunction are clinical entities characterized by high prevalence and clinical representation. Several therapeutic strategies, both innovative and established, are available to optimize treatment and improve the quality of life of these patients.
Manufacturing heat-damaged papers as model materials for evaluating conservation methods
Authors: Völkel Laura , Rusakov Dmitrii , Kontturi Eero , Beaumont Marco , Rosenau Thomas , Potthast Antje
Published: June 2022

Direct fire, indirect heat, and extinguishing water cause great damage to cultural assets upon a fire disaster in a library or archive. Conservation and restoration of heat-damaged papers are particularly challenging due to the complexity and severity of the damage. Since valuable originals obviously cannot be used for the development of treatment methods and only to a limited extent for the analysis of the damage, it is necessary to produce model paper materials that have a high degree of similarity to fire-damaged papers, which was addressed in the present study. Three different heating methods were tested to produce model papers of different heating levels. Their altered optical, structural, and chemical properties were analyzed and compared with the results of original fire-damaged samples. The study points out pathways to enable the production of comparable sample materials. Heating between hot plates or in an oven produces papers that have properties quite similar to the originals in terms of surface area, paper structure, cellulose integrity, and interactions with water. Stack heating in the oven has proven to be a particularly effective manufacturing method for larger quantities of model papers.
Aerodynamics of ancient egyptian Obelisks and their structural response to Boundary Layer wind
Authors: ElDegwy Ahmed , Elsayed Ashraf , Darwish Mohamed
Published: June 2022

Ancient Egyptian obelisks have been carved thousands of years ago and survived many earthquakes and wind storms. This study examines the aerodynamic characteristics and the response of two of the tallest and slenderest ancient Egyptian obelisks to boundary layer winds using a two-phase methodology. The firstphase involved preparing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models for the twoobelisks with different angles of projection to wind. The variations in the windpressure coefficient and the forces on the obelisks have been studied for differentprojection angles, different reference velocities and along the height of eachobelisk. Within the second phase structural analysis was performed subjecting eachobelisk to a wind load under different angles of loading. The results show that whensubject to boundary layer winds, the pressure coefficient on the surface and thestresses within the obelisks vary significantly with the angle of attack and dimensions of the obelisk.
Analysis and/or Interpretation in Neurophysiology? A Transatlantic Discussion Between F. J. J. Buytendijk and K. S. Lashley, 1929–1932
Authors: Gruevska Julia
Published: June 2022

In the interwar period, biologists employed a diverse set of holistic approaches that were connected to different research methodologies. Against this background, this article explores attempts in the 1920s and 1930s to negotiate quantitative and qualitative methods in the field of neurophysiology. It focuses on the work of two scientists on different sides of the Atlantic: the Dutch animal psychologist and physiologist Frederik J.J. Buytendijk and the American neuropsychologist Karl S. Lashley, specifically analyzing their critical correspondence, 1929–1932, on the problems surrounding the termintelligence.It discusses the inexplicable anomalies in neurophysiology as well as the reliability of quantitative and qualitative methods. While in his laboratory work Lashley adhered to a strictly analytic approach, Buytendijk tried to combine quantitative methods with phenomenological and hermeneutical approaches. The starting point of their discussion is Lashley’s monograph onBrain Mechanisms and Intelligence(1929) and the rat experiments discussed therein. Buytendijk questioned the viability of the maze-learning method and the use of statistics to test intelligence in animals; he reproduced Lashley’s experiments and then confronted Lashley with his critical findings. In addition to elucidating this exchange, this paper will, more generally, shed light on the nature of the disagreements and shared assumptions prevalent among interwar neurophysiologists. In turn, it contributes to historiographical debates on localization and functionalism and the discrepancy between analytic (quantitative) and interpretative (qualitative) approaches.
Nanocomposites based on hydroxyapatite/lithium oxide and graphene oxide nanosheets for medical applications
Authors: Afifi M. , El-Naggar Mehrez E. , Muhammad Shabbir , Alghamdi Noweir Ahmad , Wageh S. , Salem Salem R. , Alhashmialameer Dalal , Taleb Manal Abou
Published: June 2022

Metal-based bioceramics are developed to imitate the natural bones to be used as bone substitutes. Different nanocomposites are synthesized using hydroxyapatite (HAP), Li2O and GO to fabricate HAP, Li2O, HAP/Li2O, HAP/GO and HAP/Li2O/GO. XRD shows the change in crystal structure upon adding the three nanocomposites to each other. Besides, FTIR and XPS explain the functional groups of the compositions and analyze their surface composition. The TEM explains the morphological changes for particles dimensions of HAP/Li2O/GO showing a length of 20 nm for HAP and a size of 6 nm for Li2O sphere. In addition, SEM graphs explained the enhancement of HAP/Li2O/GO porosity showing a particle size of 0.3–0.4 µm and length of 0.8 µm. Further, roughness parameters are improved upon adding HAP and Li2O to GO, showing a roughness average value of 57.80 nm. Moreover, the cell viability of HAP/Li2O/GO is examined and shows a maximum value of 97.4 ± 1.2%. In addition, the antibacterial activity exhibited by HAP/Li2O/GO against (Escherichia coli = E. coli) and (Staphylococcus aureus = S. aureus) showed an inhibition zone of 13.4 ± 1.2 mm 12.3 ± 1.3 mm. Adding HAP presents an improvement in surface roughness as well as cell viability and antibacterial activity. Besides, the microhardness has been improved from 2.6 ± 0.1 GPa to 3.1 ± 0.2 for pure HAP and HAP/Li2O/GO, respectively. Therefore, combining HAP, GO and Li2O results in a nanocomposite of enhanced biocompatibility and can be suggested for bone biomedical applications.
Open Science Practices in Gambling Research Publications (2016–2019): A Scoping Review
Authors: Louderback Eric R. , Gainsbury Sally M. , Heirene Robert M. , Amichia Karen , Grossman Alessandra , Bernhard Bo J. , LaPlante Debi A.
Published: June 2022

The replication crisis has stimulated researchers around the world to adopt open science research practices intended to reduce publication bias and improve research quality. Open science practices include study pre-registration, open data, open access, and avoiding methods that can lead to publication bias and low replication rates. Although gambling studies uses similar research methods as behavioral research fields that have struggled with replication, we know little about the uptake of open science research practices in gambling-focused research. We conducted a scoping review of 500 recent (1/1/2016–12/1/2019) studies focused on gambling and problem gambling to examine the use of open science and transparent research practices. Our results showed that a small percentage of studies used most practices: whereas 54.6% (95% CI: [50.2, 58.9]) of studies used at least one of nine open science practices, each practice’s prevalence was: 1.6% for pre-registration (95% CI: [0.8, 3.1]), 3.2% for open data (95% CI: [2.0, 5.1]), 0% for open notebook, 35.2% for open access (95% CI: [31.1, 39.5]), 7.8% for open materials (95% CI: [5.8, 10.5]), 1.4% for open code (95% CI: [0.7, 2.9]), and 15.0% for preprint posting (95% CI: [12.1, 18.4]). In all, 6.4% (95% CI: [4.6, 8.9]) of the studies included a power analysis and 2.4% (95% CI: [1.4, 4.2]) were replication studies. Exploratory analyses showed that studies that used any open science practice, and open access in particular, had higher citation counts. We suggest several practical ways to enhance the uptake of open science principles and practices both within gambling studies and in science more generally.
Magnetothermal Properties and Magnetocaloric Effect in R3Co11B4
Authors: Abu Elnasr Raghda , Aly Samy H. , Yehia Sherif , Mohammad Fatema Z.
Published: June 2022

We present a study on the magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in R3Co11B4, where R = Pr, Nd, Tb, Dy, and Ho. The two-sublattice model is used for calculating magnetization, magnetic heat capacity, isothermal entropy change ∆Sm, and adiabatic temperature change ∆Tad, for different magnetic field changes ∆H = 1.5, 3, and 5 T and at temperatures up to 600 K. Direct and inverse MCE are shown to take place in the ferrimagnetic compounds with R = Tb, Dy, and Ho. The maximum isothermal magnetic entropy change and maximum adiabatic temperature change have been calculated for ferromagnetic Nd3Co11B4 compound to be 1.85 J/K mol and 6.5 K at Tc = 432 K, for a field change ∆H = 5 T. The relative cooling power (RCP) is in the 44–161 J/mol range for the same field change. Also, the type of phase transition is investigated in the light of Arrott plots, universal curves, and the features of the temperature and field dependences of the magnetization, heat capacity, entropy, and the magnetocaloric properties. Those features confirm that the transition at the Curie temperature of these compounds is of the second order.
Self-steepening, Raman scattering and self-phase modulation-interactions via the perturbed Chen–Lee–Liu equation with an extra dispersion. Modulation insability and spectral analysis
Authors: Abdel-Gawad H. I.
Published: June 2022

It is worth mentioning that the perturbed Chen–Lee–Liu equation (PCLLE) exhibits the effects of self-steepening (SS), Raman scattering (RS) and self-phase modulation (SPM). Our attention is focused, here, to inspect the challenge between these phenomena may lead to a dominant one among them. On the other hand, we investigate the dominant phenomena produced due to these interactions. Furthermore, the structure of the configuration of pulses propagation in optical fibers are depicted. These phenomena are illustrated, here, via studying the PCLLE with an extra dispersion. This equation is formulated and the exact solutions of this new equation are found by using the unified method (UM). The importance of the UM stems from the fact that, in the applications, we have found that the UM is of low time cost in symbolic computation. So, we think that it prevails the known methods in the literature. On the other hand, the solutions for the complex envelope field equations, found in the literature, are always considered with real wave amplitude. Here, a transformation based on using complex wave amplitude is introduced. Indeed, in this case, solutions describe the waves that result from soliton- periodic wave collision, which may reveal novel phenomena. The solutions obtained are evaluated numerically and represented in graphs. It is shown that pulses compression occurs which may be due to self-phase modulation. Also, dispersive shock wave can be produced which may be argued to the presence of the extra dispersion and self-sdteepening. It is worthy to mention that, self-steepening arises for a small value of the related coefficient. The results obtained, here, are novel. The modulation instability is analyzed and it is found that it triggers at a critical values of SS and RS coefficients. At this stage, shock wave may occur. It is observed that the spectrum shows soliton with periodic waves background.
Hypolipidemic Effects of Soy Protein and Isoflavones in the Prevention of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease- A Review
Authors: Xiao Chao-Wu , Hendry Amy
Published: June 2022

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease and affects about 25% of the population globally. Obesity and diabetes are the main causes of the disease characterized by excessive accumulation of lipids in the liver. There is currently no direct pharmacological treatments for NAFLD. Dietary intervention and lifestyle modification are the key strategies in the prevention and treatment of the disease. Soy consumption is associated with many health benefits such as decreased incidence of coronary heart disease, type-2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and obesity. The hypolipidemic functions of soy components have been shown in both animal studies and human clinical trials. Dietary soy proteins and associated isoflavones suppressed the formation and accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver and improved NAFLD-associated metabolic syndrome. The molecular mechanism(s) underlying the effects of soy components are mainly through modulation of transcription factors, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ2, and expressions of their target genes involved in lipogenesis and lipolysis as well as lipid droplet-promoting protein, fat-specific protein-27. Inclusion of appropriate amounts of soy protein and isoflavones in the diets might be a useful approach to decrease the prevalence of NAFLD and mitigate disease burden.
Catalytic conversion of glucose to methyl levulinate over metal-modified Beta zeolites
Authors: Aho Atte , Kumar Narendra , Eränen Kari , Mäki-Arvela Päivi , Salmi Tapio , Peurla Markus , Angervo Ilari , Hietala Jukka , Murzin Dmitry Yu.
Published: June 2022

Methyl levulinate was selectively formed from glucose and methanol over a copper modified Beta zeolite bifunctional catalyst at 180 °C under argon atmosphere. The selectivity to methyl levulinate substantially exceeded previously reported in the open literature results. The copper modification was done through an ion-exchange method using a solution of copper nitrate, followed by drying and calcination of the catalyst. Copper modification changed the distribution of acid sites namely, less Brønsted and more Lewis sites were observed with FTIR using pyridine adsorption. Application of the proton form H-Beta-25 gave the methyl levulinate yield of ca. 89%, which could be elevated with the addition of copper, as the apparent selectivity exceeds 99%, assuming that methyl glucosides are eventually transformed to methyl levulinate. The non-acidic Cu/SiO2 catalyst was completely inactive in methyl levulinate formation. Metal modification of Beta zeolite with Sn and Zn did not perform as well as Cu in the formation of methyl levulinate during glucose transformation.
Use of Non-selective Beta blockers in Decompensated Cirrhosis and ACLF
Authors: Gananandan Kohilan , Mookerjee Raj , Jalan Rajiv
Published: June 2022

Purpose of Review

Our understanding of beta blockers in liver cirrhosis has transformed over the last 40 years. However, questions remain over their safety in acute decompensation and acute on chronic liver failure. Since these conditions are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, a critical appraisal of recent literature is imperative to help guide clinicians.

Recent Findings

The latest BAVENO guidelines now recommend carvedilol in all patients with clinically significant portal hypertension to prevent decompensation. There is significant data which shows safety of beta blocker use in decompensated cirrhosis but concerns remain in refractory ascites. There is also a short-term mortality benefit demonstrated in acute on chronic liver failure.

With the latest guidelines and recent evidence, it seems beta blocker use will continue to increase. Future studies should aim to identify biomarkers that can determine who will benefit from beta blockers and help guide therapy.
A network analysis of the Internet Disorder Scale–Short Form (IDS9-SF): A large-scale cross-cultural study in Iran, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
Authors: Li Li , Mamun Mohammed A. , Al-Mamun Firoj , Ullah Irfan , Hosen Ismail , Zia Syed Ahsan , Poorebrahim Ali , Pourgholami Morteza , Lin Chung-Ying , Pontes Halley M. , Griffiths Mark D. , Pakpour Amir H.
Published: June 2022

The Internet Disorder Scale–Short Form (IDS9-SF) is a validated instrument assessing internet disorder which modified the internet gaming disorder criteria proposed in the fifth edition of theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-5). However, the relationships between the nine items in the IDS9-SF are rarely investigated. The present study used network analysis to investigate the features of the IDS9-SF among three populations in Bangladesh, Iran, and Pakistan. Data were collected (N = 1901; 957 [50.3%] females; 666 [35.0%] Pakistani, 533 [28.1%] Bangladesh, and 702 [36.9%] Iranians) using an online survey platform (e.g.,Google Forms). All the participants completed the IDS9-SF. The central-stability-coefficients of the nine IDS9-SF items were 0.71, 0.89, 0.96, 0.98, 0.98, 1.00, 0.67, 0.79, and 0.91, respectively. The node centrality was stable and interpretable in the network. The Network Comparison Test (NCT) showed that the network structure had no significant differences among Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Iranian participants (p-values = 0.172 to 0.371). Researchers may also use the IDS9-SF to estimate underlying internet addiction for their target participants and further explore and investigate the phenomenon related to internet addiction.
Transkriptomik über Artgrenzen hinweg
Authors: Westermann Alexander J.
Published: June 2022

RNA sequencing has become a key technology to study microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions and improved our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and physiological consequences. Here, focusing on our gut, I illustrate how metatranscriptomics and Dual RNA-seq approaches provide functional insights into increasingly complex cellular interactions and outline future directions in the field of “cross-species” transcriptomics.
Transkriptionskontrolle über bakterielle Membranen
Authors: Braun Volkmar
Published: June 2022

Bacteria adjust to a large variety of surroundings by regulating the expression of the appropriate genes. They respond to soluble compounds, compounds attached to surfaces, osmotic pressure, or temperature. The way they react to signals elicited from the surrounding without entering the cells is of particular interest because this involves signal recognition on the cell surface or in the periplasm followed by long range signal transmission into the cytoplasm where gene control takes place.
Signalschalter an der mitochondrialen Importmaschinerie
Authors: Meisinger Chris
Published: June 2022

The mitochondrial protein import machineries were anticipated to be constitutively active entities enabling continuous protein influx. However, recent studies revealed that the main protein entry gate at the outer membrane, the TOM complex, is targeted by several cytosolic signalling cascades and that activated protein kinases can directly modulate biogenesis, assembly and function of the import machinery. This enables a dynamic adaptation of the mitochondrial proteome to changing cellular demands.
New empirical insights into conflicting claims problems
Authors: Giménez-Gómez José-Manuel , Carmen Marco-Gil M. , Sánchez-García Juan-Francisco
Published: June 2022

The present paper aims to explore the perception of fairness in conflicting claims problems (O’Neill in Math Soc Sci 2(4):345–371, 1982). To do so, we present a questionnaire given to a large heterogeneous group of people (students, employees, retirees). Distributive justice criteria are studied through different ways of distributing scarce resources, and we analyse whether the population’s response patterns are conditioned by specific features of the economic context. We find that proportional allocation is generally considered the fairest way of distributing resources. However, the principle of proportionality is abandoned by part of the population when claims represent needs and claimants have scarce resources. Moreover, we observe that age, employment status and education levels significantly influence the perception of fairness.
A research agenda for scaling up agroecology in European countries
Authors: Gascuel-Odoux Chantal , Lescourret Françoise , Dedieu Benoit , Detang-Dessendre Cécile , Faverdin Philippe , Hazard Laurent , Litrico-Chiarelli Isabelle , Petit Sandrine , Roques Lionel , Reboud Xavier , Tixier-Boichard Michele , de Vries Hugo , Caquet Thierry
Published: June 2022

A profound transformation of agricultural production methods has become unavoidable due to the increase in the world’s population, and environmental and climatic challenges. Agroecology is now recognized as a challenging model for agricultural systems, promoting their diversification and adaptation to environmental and socio-economic contexts, with consequences for the entire agri-food system and the development of rural and urban areas. Through a prospective exercise performed at a large interdisciplinary institute, INRAE, a research agenda for agroecology was built that filled a gap through its ambition and interdisciplinarity. It concerned six topics. For genetics, there is a need to study genetic aspects of complex systems (e.g., mixtures of genotypes) and to develop breeding methods for them. For landscapes, challenges lie in effects of heterogeneity at multiple scales, in multifunctionality and in the design of agroecological landscapes. Agricultural equipment and digital technologies show high potential for monitoring dynamics of agroecosystems. For modeling, challenges include approaches to complexity, consideration of spatial and temporal dimensions and representation of the cascade from cropping practices to ecosystem services. The agroecological transition of farms calls for modeling and observational approaches as well as for creating new design methods. Integration of agroecology into food systems raises the issues of product specificity, consumer behavior and organization of markets, standards and public policies. In addition, transversal priorities were identified: (i) generating sets of biological data, through research and participatory mechanisms, that are appropriate for designing agroecological systems and (ii) collecting and using coherent sets of data to enable assessment of vulnerability, resilience and risk in order to evaluate the performance of agroecological systems and to contribute to scaling up. The main lessons learned from this collective exercise can be useful for the entire scientific community engaged in research into agroecology.
HIV Prevention Research Experiences Among Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Persons of Color
Authors: Alankar Aparna , Tuten Jamir , Love Travis , Punsal Jennifer , Swaminathan Shobha , Nyaku Amesika N.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Black and Latinx MSM and transgender POC disproportionately experience new HIV diagnoses. Determining effective HIV prevention methods requires the inclusion of these communities in research and thorough post-trial experience evaluations. This study sought to evaluate the experiences of Black and Latinx MSM and transgender POC in HIV prevention research and identify facilitators and barriers to continued trials participation.

Methods

A survey was developed in partnership with the community engagement team based on emerging themes during research participant check-ins with the team. The survey was built in REDCap and distributed to participants via text message. The survey assessed experiences with the research process time commitments, study responsibilities, compensation, experiences with Truvada®, characteristics of the research study team and site, barriers to continued study participation, willingness to participate in future studies, and overall satisfaction. All statistical analysis was completed in Stata.

Results

Forty-four participants were enrolled in the study. Most participants (98%) were satisfied with their experiences in HIV prevention research. Job or school schedules were the most frequently cited barrier to study participation while Truvada® provision and adequate study visit compensation, length, number, and frequency were facilitators. Participants reported that research staff made them feel comfortable when talking about sexual behaviors, alcohol use, mental health, drug use, housing problems, violence in relationships, and legal problems.

Conclusions

Evaluating the experiences of key communities in HIV prevention research can help identify barriers and facilitators to clinical trials engagement and improve the design of future trials.
Medical technologies, time, and the good life
Authors: Bozzaro Claudia
Published: June 2022

Against the backdrop of emerging medical technologies that promise transgression of temporal limits, this paper aims to show the importance that an individual lifetime’s finitude and fugacity have for the question of the good life. The paper’s first section examines how the passing of an individual’s finite lifetime can be experienced negatively, and thus cause “suffering from the passing of time.” The second section is based on a sociological analysis within the conceptual framework of individualization and capitalism, which characterizes many modern individualized and consumerist societies and explains how the described problem of time’s passage is particularly relevant today. The paper then proceeds to show and discuss how individuals employ various, primarily medical, enhancement-technologies like social egg freezing, anti-aging-medicine and physical- and neuro-enhancement in an attempt to overcome time’s passing. Finally, the paper seeks to explain why such attempts fail and, moreover, why it is exactly the awareness of time’s passing that can constitute a prerequisite for a good life.
Responses to Thanks in Ireland, England and Canada: A Variational Pragmatic Perspective
Authors: Barron Anne
Published: June 2022

The present study investigates responses to thanks across the varieties of Irish English, English English and Canadian English. Data are taken from the Lueneburg Direction-Giving (LuDiG) corpus, a specialised corpus of spoken direction-giving exchanges across pluricentric varieties constructed using Labovian-style methods. The analysis centres on the cross-varietal pragmatic choices made in responding to thanks on the level of tokens, types and strategies. Findings point to the broad universality of realisations of responses to thanks across the pluricentric varieties at hand. Variety-preferential choices are, however, also recorded on a national level, particularly in type and strategy preferences. While all varieties use a ‘minimising the favour’ strategy extensively, this strategy is employed to a comparatively higher degree in the Irish English and English English data. In contrast, the speakers of Canadian English use an ‘expressing appreciation of the addressee’ strategy to a comparatively larger extent. Speakers of Canadian English are suggested to orient more strongly to positive face needs, and speakers of Irish English and English English more strongly towards negative face needs. The paper also discusses the methodological challenges of contrasting spoken interactional data for cross-varietal pragmatic speech act analyses and shows some strengths of specialised corpora in this regard.
Selenium Mitigates Cd-Induced Oxidative Stress and Photosynthesis Inhibition in Two Cherry Tomato Cultivars
Authors: Su Lihong , Xie Yongdong , He Zhongqun , Zhou Xiaoting , Liu Yuhang , Zhang Ruijie , Li Chunyan
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this study is to explore the physiological mechanisms underlying the attenuation of Cd toxicity using Se in two cherry tomato cultivars ‘Hanluzhe’ (HLZ) and ‘Lvfeicui’ (LFC), with low and high Cd accumulation rates, respectively. Hydroponic experiments were conducted and 2.5 μmol L−1 Se was applied to hydroponic solution with 50 μmol L−1 Cd. The photosynthetic parameter, antioxidant enzyme activities, non-enzymatic antioxidants, mineral elements, phytochelatins, and Cd contents of two cherry tomatoes were detected. Exogenous Se reduced Cd assimilation and altered its chemical form and subcellular distribution in both cultivars. Exogenous Se mitigated Cd-induced oxidative stress by enhancing the activity of superoxide dismutase (37.0% in HLZ and 48.9% in LFC), peroxidase (50.6% in HLZ and 30.4% in LFC), catalase (18.5% in HLZ and 28.6% in LFC), ascorbate peroxidase (26.6% in HLZ and 47.4% in LFC), and glutathione peroxidase (28.3% in HLZ and 30.4% in LFC). Although Se significantly increased the photosynthetic rate (Pn) of HLZ, it exhibited no significant effect on the Pn of LFC under Cd stress. Se improved the phytochelatin (15.1% in HLZ and 42.4% in LFC) content, which accelerated Cd chelation in both cultivars. Further, Se alleviated nutrient (Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, and Cu) assimilation or transportation in both cultivars to varying degrees. The efficiency of Cd toxicity alleviation using Se was higher in the high Cd-accumulating cultivar LFC than in the low Cd-accumulating cultivar HLZ. Screening low Cd-accumulating cultivars with exogenous Se is a promising method to manage Cd accumulation in cherry tomatoes.
The Superstition that Dismembers the African Child: An Exploration of the Scale and Features of Juju-Driven Paedicide in Ghana
Authors: Owusu Emmanuel Sarpong
Published: June 2022

Juju-related child homicide or ritual paedicide (i.e. killing children for ritual or occult purposes) has been the subject of many media reports in Africa. The present study explores the evolution, magnitude, motivations and primary features of ritual paedicide, and identifies the socio-cultural, religious and economic contexts of this crime in contemporary Ghana. An in-depth analysis of ritual homicide cases/reports publicized in three local Ghanaian media outlets between 2013 and 2020 was carried out to realize this aim. Semi-structured interviews involving 20 participants were then conducted to gain additional insights into key aspects of the results of the media content analysis. The data demonstrate that juju-involved murders are widespread in Ghana, and the worst victims are children of low socio-economic backgrounds in rural communities. Poor parental supervision is a significant risk factor for ritual paedicide. Perpetrators and prime suspects are predominantly young adult males, aged between 20 and 39 years, unemployed or on a low income. Most perpetrators are motivated by financial gain. The study highlights the need for economic improvement and promoting formal and public education. It also stresses the need to bring juju practitioners under closer scrutiny and criminalize some of their activities.
Experiences of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: 2020–2021
Authors: Alshareef Abdullah Ghaleb
Published: June 2022

In Saudi Arabia and around the world, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a significant public health problem. This paper explores the strategies that Saudi Arabia took to control COVID-19 from March 2020 to July 2021 and highlights some considerations regarding the ongoing COVID-19 response. The high testing capacity adopted by the Saudi Government and the country’s strong adherence to public health guidelines may have created conditions that stemmed the spread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.

In this position paper, 3 government tools of governance that were utilized to address the problem of COVID-19 are identified: social regulation, interorganizational collaboration, and public information. The governance tools detailed in this research are frequently used to alleviate public health concerns, which is important as the use of governance tools to implement policy is the trend of the future. Public–private partnerships and strategic alliances are also viable options to confront national issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Potential of Ecclesial Metaphors in Systematic Ecclesiology
Authors: Raby Elyse J.
Published: June 2022

In recent decades, the use of metaphor in ecclesiology has been broadly critiqued on the ground that metaphors are too abstract and idealized to advance our understanding of the concrete church in history; consequently, ecclesiology has embraced an “empirical turn,” incorporating fields like ethnography and social sciences. In this article, the author argues for a positive function of metaphor in ecclesiology drawing from the work of Janet Martin Soskice. Metaphors link various associative networks of meaning and in doing so open up new imaginative horizons. This theory allows ecclesial metaphors to be examined for their adequacy in light of other empirical or nontheological fields of knowledge. In turn, this invites the theologian to explore other associative networks of meaning such that a metaphor leads to new insights into the nature and mission of the church. The metaphor of the church as the body of Christ serves as a test case.