bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Riverbed deformation and its response to human intervention on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River
Authors: Wei Xu , Heqin Cheng , Shuwei Zheng , Yuehua Jiang , Quanping Zhou , Guoqiang Yang , Huaizhi Yan
Published: November 2021

The operation of the world's largest hydropower dam, the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), has significantly influenced the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (YR). However, research has not been conducted on the impact of local engineering projects on the evolution of the tidal channel of the YR. This study used historical water depth and level data to analyze the factors influencing riverbed deformation in the Nanjing reach of the tidal channel of the YR. Moreover, the effect of local engineering projects on riverbed deformation in the study area was quantitatively analyzed. Our results indicated that between 1998 and 2013, ~78.26 × 106 m3of sediment accumulated in the study area. The goose‐head bifurcated section of this reach exhibited the most significant change in riverbed deformation during this period. Between 1998 and 2013, 46.97 × 106 m3of sediment accumulated in this section, the riverbed elevation increased by 1.01 m, and the thalweg increased by 2.78 m. Quantitative analysis of the volume of sediment accumulated in the near‐bank area indicated that revetment engineering accounted for >40% of the accumulation. The results of this study provide a more accurate understanding of channel deformation in the lower reaches of the YR. Moreover, the results will improve the prediction accuracy of river channel evolution and assist in channel regulation and future local engineering construction projects.
Temperature effects on sorption of dissolved organic matter on ferrihydrite under dynamic flow and batch conditions
Authors: Daugherty Ellen E. , Lobo Gabriel P. , Young Robert B. , Pallud Céline , Borch Thomas
Published: November 2021

Accurately predicting the effect of temperature on soil C storage remains a crucial objective in the effort to understand, mitigate, and adapt to climate change. Associations between soil organic C and short‐range order minerals like the iron hydroxide ferrihydrite contribute substantially to C sequestration, but little is known about how these associations respond to changes in temperature. We investigated the effects of temperature (7, 25, and 45 °C) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) source and fraction on DOM sorption to ferrihydrite‐coated sand in continuous flow and batch systems at circumneutral pH. Our findings demonstrate a positive relationship between temperature and adsorption, especially between 25 and 45 °C. For aquatic DOM, desorption also increased appreciably with temperature, whereas desorption of peat and soil DOM was less sensitive. More aquatic DOM adsorbed compared with soil DOM at all temperatures, but flow studies revealed that aquatic DOM also desorbed at higher rates. Modeling of DOM breakthrough curves using the advection‐diffusion equation with a modified Freundlich isotherm suggested the partition coefficient increased over time. Specific ultraviolet absorbance values of initial column effluents were low, suggesting that aromatic‐rich compounds preferentially adsorbed to the mineral surface. Our results indicate that some circumstances may favor the accumulation of DOM on iron mineral surfaces as temperature increases, potentially removing organic substrates from the accessible dissolved C pool. However, the stability of new associations likely depends on the chemical characteristics of DOM and the conditions under which it adsorbed.
Chronic exposure to ammonia induces oxidative stress and enhanced glycolysis in lung of piglets
Authors: Qin Wenhao , Shen Long , Wang Qiankun , Gao Yun , She Mengqi , Li Xiaoping , Tan Zuojun
Published: November 2021

Ammonia is one of the major environmental pollutants in the pig industry that seriously affects the airway health of pigs. In this study, we aimed to investigate the metabolic profiling changes of piglets’ lung tissue after the exposure of 0 ppm (CG), 20 ppm (LG) and 50 ppm (HG) ammonia for 30 days. Compared with the control group, the obvious lung lesions were observed in HG, including interstitial thickening, inflammatory cell infiltration and focal hemorrhage. The significantly increased content of malondialdehyde in HG, combined with the significantly decreased mRNA expression of antioxidase and inflammatory‐regulators in exposure groups, implied that ammonia exposure induced oxidative stress and diminished the anti‐inflammatory response in lung tissues. Metabolomic analyses of lung tissues revealed 15 significantly altered metabolites among the three groups including multiple amino acids, carbohydrates and lipids. The accumulation of succinic acid, linoleic acid and phosphorylethanolamine and consumption of glucose, quinolinic acid and aspartic acid in ammonia exposure groups, indicated that energy supply from glucose aerobic oxidation was suppressed and the glycolysis and lipolysis were activated in lung tissues induced by chronic ammonia exposure.
Preventative pneumopexy in the management of concurrent right cranial and middle lung lobe torsion following right caudal lung lobectomy in a dog
Authors: Davidson Catherine , López Jiménez Cristóbal , Garcia Arce Marta , Liuti Tiziana , Bowlt Blacklock Kelly
Published: November 2021

A 4‐year‐old female neutered Welsh Springer Spaniel was presented with pneumothorax secondary to a migrating foreign body in the right caudal lung lobe. Within 24 hours following thoracic exploration and hilar lung lobectomy, the patient deteriorated. CT was consistent with lobar torsion. A second median sternotomy identified concurrent right cranial and middle lung lobe torsion. Hilar lobectomy of the affected lobes was performed. To prevent lobar torsion of the remaining lobe, a preventative accessory lobe pneumopexy was performed, potentially averting an additional surgical procedure and reducing total lung capacity to less than the reported minimum critical mass compatible with survival. No complications following accessory lung lobe pneumopexy were encountered in this single case. Although post‐lobectomy lung lobe torsion appears to be rare in dogs, clinicians should be aware of this potentially life‐threatening complication. This case report documents the first description of pneumopexy as a preventative procedure in a dog.
Benign focal L5 nerve root enlargement in a dog
Authors: Mella Stephanie , Jimenez Carolina Palacios , De Decker Steven
Published: November 2021

An English Springer Spaniel presented with an acute onset, progressive, left pelvic limb lameness. Magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and intraoperative findings revealed an enlarged L5 left nerve root without additional abnormalities and, therefore, no underlying cause for the nerve root enlargement could be identified. The dog made a quick recovery following hemilaminectomy and was clinically normal 45 months after surgery. Morphometric analysis was obtained by measuring sagittal intervertebral foramen (IVF) surface areas. IVF areas in the clinical case were similar to unpublished data in normal English Springer Spaniels. Although a diagnosis of primary IVF stenosis could not be confirmed morphometrically, the lack of additional anatomical abnormalities in combination with an excellent clinical outcome was supportive of this condition. Nerve root enlargement can be caused by benign or malignant conditions.
A case of secondary abdominal ectopic pregnancy in a bitch
Authors: Yenilmez Kudret , Dogan Halef
Published: November 2021

Cases of ectopic pregnancy (EP) and associated fetal mumification in bitches have been rarely reported. In this case report, it was aimed to present a case of secondary abdominal EP diagnosed in a 3‐year‐old bitch. Abdominal EP was incidentally diagnosed by radiographic examination of the bitch, which had a traffic accident, for likely possible fractures in the body. This case, which can be classified as secondary abdominal EP, was found to be compatible with the literature. The ectopic fetuses were removed from the body by surgical method, and the bitch was fully recovered.
Biological process architecture in continuous‐flow activated sludge by gravimetry: Controlling densified biomass form and function in a hybrid granule–floc process at Dijon WRRF, France
Authors: Roche Clément , Donnaz Sylvain , Murthy Sudhir , Wett Bernhard
Published: November 2021

Full‐scale demonstration of activated sludge conversion into a granule–floc hybrid process was implemented in Dijon (France) water resource recovery facility (WRRF). Biomass densification was achieved based on external gravimetric selection using hydrocyclones within continuous‐flow anaerobic‐anoxic‐oxic (A2O) biological nutrient removal (BNR) bioreactor. The goal was to optimize settleability of biological sludge by lowering and stabilizing sludge volume index (SVI) to improve process robustness and resiliency. Process proved to stabilize operation and to uncouple the total solids residence time (SRT) between floc and granule morphologies. The densified biomass initially produced stable SVI < 100 ml/g for a period of 4 months and thereafter a steady state year‐round SVI below 50 ml/g, including the winter period during which the control train SVI expansion >200 ml/g. The densified biomass successfully broke the vicious cycle of interannual bulking. Form and function interrelationship is proposed for the densified biomass (hybrid floc–granule). The concept of biological architecture is proposed as the purposeful control of granule and floc proportions, with a proposed “form factor” ratio of 1:2 granule to floc, that produce a “SRT uncoupling function factor” ratio of 4:1 granule to floc, further resulting in very stable settling and effluent functionalities.

Practitioner Points

Controlling granule–floc proportions allows for sludge volume index (SVI) operational adjustment, which further allows for increased clarified design accuracy.

One‐third aggregates dramatically improved settling characteristics: 20% and 35% of AGS ensures SVIs below 100 and 50 ml/g, respectively.

Densified biomass enables new SRT and clarifier flux rates approaches for engineering and operation practices:

Doubling typical surface loading rates from 6.0–8.5 to 15–20 kg m−2 h−1 and surface overflow rates from 0.6–0.8 to 1.5–2.4 m/h

SRT uncoupling of 1:4 is achieved between floc and granule, enabling specific niche environment for fast and slow growing organisms.
Formation of Tetraselenodiarsenate(II) Anions in Ultra‐alkaline Medium
Authors: Albrecht Ralf , Jach Franziska , Ruck Michael
Published: November 2021

SeO2 and As2O3 were reacted at 200 °C in in a potassium hydroxide hydroflux with a molar water‐base ratio n(H2O) : n(KOH)=1.8. Arsenate(III) disproportionates under these conditions into arsenate(V) and elemental arsenic. The reduction also yielded tetraselenodiarsenate(II) anions, which turned the solution yellow and precipitated at room temperature as plate‐shaped crystals of K4(As2Se4) ⋅ 2H2O. The unexpected redox reaction as well as the formation of a hygroscopic compound in an aqueous solution are attributed to a strongly reduced activity of water in ultra‐alkaline media. K4(As2Se4) ⋅ 2H2O crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Cmce with lattice parameters a=784.78(3), b=1027.76(4) and c=1750.63(7) pm at 100 K. The (As2Se4)4− anion has C2h symmetry and an As−As bond length of 245.3(1) pm. The water molecules are part of infinite zig‐zag chains
[K(H2O)2/2]+ and form hydrogen bonds to neighboring selenium atoms.
Strongly coupled QFT dynamics via TQFT coupling
Authors: Ünsal Mithat
Published: November 2021

Abstract

We consider a class of quantum field theories and quantum mechanics, which we couple to ℤN topological QFTs, in order to classify non-perturbative effects in the original theory. The ℤN TQFT structure arises naturally from turning on a classical background field for a ℤN 0- or 1-form global symmetry. In SU(N) Yang-Mills theory coupled to ℤN TQFT, the non-perturbative expansion parameter is exp[−SI/N] = exp[−8π2/g2N] both in the semi-classical weak coupling domain and strong coupling domain, corresponding to a fractional topological charge configurations. To classify the non-perturbative effects in original SU(N) theory, we must use PSU(N) bundle and lift configurations (critical points at infinity) for which there is no obstruction back to SU(N). These provide a refinement of instanton sums: integer topological charge, but crucially fractional action configurations contribute, providing a TQFT protected generalization of resurgent semi-classical expansion to strong coupling. Monopole-instantons (or fractional instantons) on T3 × $$ {S}_L^1 $$

S
L
1

can be interpreted as tunneling events in the ’t Hooft flux background in the PSU(N) bundle. The construction provides a new perspective to the strong coupling regime of QFTs and resolves a number of old standing issues, especially, fixes the conflicts between the large-N and instanton analysis. We derive the mass gap at θ = 0 and gaplessness at θ = π in $$ \mathbbm{CP} $$
CP
1 model, and mass gap for arbitrary θ in $$ \mathbbm{CP} $$
CP
N−1, N ≥ 3 on ℝ2.
Relativistic spin hydrodynamics with torsion and linear response theory for spin relaxation
Authors: Hongo Masaru , Huang Xu-Guang , Kaminski Matthias , Stephanov Mikhail , Yee Ho-Ung
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Using the second law of local thermodynamics and the first-order Palatini formalism, we formulate relativistic spin hydrodynamics for quantum field theories with Dirac fermions, such as QED and QCD, in a torsionful curved background. We work in a regime where spin density, which is assumed to relax much slower than other non-hydrodynamic modes, is treated as an independent degree of freedom in an extended hydrodynamic description. Spin hydrodynamics in our approach contains only three non-hydrodynamic modes corresponding to a spin vector, whose relaxation time is controlled by a new transport coefficient: the rotational viscosity. We study linear response theory and observe an interesting mode mixing phenomenon between the transverse shear and the spin density modes. We propose several field-theoretical ways to compute the spin relaxation time and the rotational viscosity, via the Green-Kubo formula based on retarded correlation functions.
Equilibrium of Surfaces in a Vertical Force Field
Authors: Martínez Antonio , Martínez-Triviño A. L.
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we study $$\varphi $$
φ
-minimal surfaces in $$\mathbb {R}^3$$

R

3

when the function $$\varphi $$
φ
is invariant under a two-parametric group of translations. Particularly those which are complete graphs over domains in $$\mathbb {R}^2$$

R

2

. We describe a full classification of complete flat-embedded $$\varphi $$
φ
-minimal surfaces if $$\varphi $$
φ
is strictly monotone and characterize rotational $$\varphi $$
φ
-minimal surfaces by its behavior at infinity when $$\varphi $$
φ
has a quadratic growth.
The Lagrange–Charpit Theory of the Hamilton–Jacobi Problem
Authors: Álvarez Javier Pérez
Published: November 2021

The Lagrange–Charpit theory is a geometric method of determining a complete integral by means of a constant of the motion of a vector field defined on a phase space associated to a nonlinear PDE of first order. In this article, we establish this theory on the symplectic structure of the cotangent bundle $$T^{*}Q$$

T

∗

Q

of the configuration manifold Q. In particular, we use it to calculate explicitly isotropic submanifolds associated with a Hamilton–Jacobi equation.
Using contrast-enhanced CT and non-contrast-enhanced CT to predict EGFR mutation status in NSCLC patients—a radiomics nomogram analysis
Authors: Yang Xiaoyan , Liu Min , Ren Yanhong , Chen Huang , Yu Pengxin , Wang Siyi , Zhang Rongguo , Dai Huaping , Wang Chen
Published: November 2021

Objectives

To develop and validate a general radiomics nomogram capable of identifying EGFR mutation status in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, regardless of patient with either contrast-enhanced CT (CE-CT) or non-contrast-enhanced CT (NE-CT).

Methods

A total of 412 NSCLC patients were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Patients’ radiomics features not significantly different between NE-CT and CE-CT were defined as general features, and were further used to construct the general radiomics signature. Fivefold cross-validation was used to select the best machine learning algorithm. Finally, a general radiomics nomogram was developed using general radiomics signature, and clinical and radiological characteristics. Two groups of data collected at different time periods were used as two test sets to access the discrimination and clinical usefulness. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) was applied to performance evaluation.

Result

The general radiomics signature yielded the highest AUC of 0.756 and 0.739 in the two test sets, respectively. When applying to same type of CT, the performance of general radiomics signature was always similar to or higher than that of models built using only NE-CT or CE-CT features. The general radiomics nomogram combining general radiomics signature, smoking history, emphysema, and ILD achieved higher performance whether applying to NE-CT or CE-CT (test set 1, AUC = 0.833 and 0.842; test set 2, AUC = 0.839 and 0.850).

Conclusions

Our work demonstrated that using general features to construct radiomics signature and nomogram could help identify EGFR mutation status of NSCLC patients and expand its scope of clinical application.

Key Points

• General features were proposed to construct general radiomics signature using different types of CT of different patients at the same time to identify EGFR mutation status of NSCLC patients.

• The general radiomics nomogram based on general radiomics signature, and clinical and radiological characteristics could identify EGFR mutation status of patients with NSCLC and outperformed the general radiomics signature.

• The general radiomics nomogram had a wider scope of clinical application; no matter which of NE-CT and CE-CT the patient has, its EGFR mutation status could be predicted.
Formation pathways of oriented magnetite micro-inclusions in plagioclase from oceanic gabbro
Authors: Bian Ge , Ageeva Olga , Rečnik Aleksander , Habler Gerlinde , Abart Rainer
Published: November 2021

Plagioclase hosted needle- and lath-shaped magnetite micro-inclusions from oceanic gabbro dredged at the mid-Atlantic ridge at 13° 01–02′ N, 44° 52′ W were investigated to constrain their formation pathway. Their genesis is discussed in the light of petrography, mineral chemistry, and new data from transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The magnetite micro-inclusions show systematic crystallographic and shape orientation relationships with the plagioclase host. Direct TEM observation and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) confirm that the systematic orientation relations are due to the alignment of important oxygen layers between the magnetite micro-inclusions and the plagioclase host, a hypothesis made earlier based on electron backscatter diffraction data. Precipitation from Fe-bearing plagioclase, which became supersaturated with respect to magnetite due to interaction with a reducing fluid, is inferred to be the most likely formation pathway. This process probably occurred without the supply of Fe from an external source but required the out-diffusion of oxygen from the plagioclase to facilitate partial reduction of the ferric iron originally contained in the plagioclase. The magnetite micro-inclusions contain oriented lamellae of ilmenite, the abundance, shape and size of which indicate high-temperature exsolution from Ti-rich magnetite constraining the precipitation of the magnetite micro-inclusions to temperatures in excess of ~ 600 °C. This is above the Curie temperature of magnetite, and the magnetic signature of the magnetite-bearing plagioclase grains must, therefore, be considered as the thermoremanent magnetization.
Experience-dependent plasticity in early stations of sensory processing in mature brains: effects of environmental enrichment on dendrite measures in trigeminal nuclei
Authors: Martin Yasmina B. , Negredo Pilar , Avendaño Carlos
Published: November 2021

Nervous systems respond with structural changes to environmental changes even in adulthood. In recent years, experience-dependent structural plasticity was shown not to be restricted to the cerebral cortex, as it also occurs at subcortical and even peripheral levels. We have previously shown that two populations of trigeminal nuclei neurons, trigeminothalamic barrelette neurons of the principal nucleus (Pr5), and intersubnuclear neurons in the caudal division of the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Sp5C) that project to Pr5 underwent morphometric and topological changes in their dendritic trees after a prolonged total or partial loss of afferent input from the vibrissae. Here we examined whether and what structural alterations could be elicited in the dendritic trees of the same cell populations in young adult rats after being exposed for 2 months to an enriched environment (EE), and how these changes evolved when animals were returned to standard housing for an additional 2 months. Neurons were retrogradely labeled with BDA delivered to, respectively, the ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus or Pr5. Fully labeled cells were digitally reconstructed with Neurolucida and analyzed with NeuroExplorer. EE gave rise to increases in dendritic length, number of trees and branching nodes, spatial expansion of the trees, and dendritic spines, which were less pronounced in Sp5C than in Pr5 and differed between sides. In Pr5, these parameters returned, but only partially, to control values after EE withdrawal. These results underscore a ubiquity of experience-dependent changes that should not be overlooked when interpreting neuroplasticity and developing plasticity-based therapeutic strategies.
Deep learning assisted cognitive diagnosis for the D-Riska application
Authors: Cuerda Cristian , Zornoza Alejandro , Gallud Jose A. , Tesoriero Ricardo , Ayuso Dulce Romero
Published: November 2021

In this article, we expose a system developed that extends the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) diagnostic application known as D-Riska with an artificial intelligence module that supports the diagnosis of ABI enabling therapists to evaluate patients in an assisted way. The application is in charge of collecting the data of the diagnostic tests of the patients, and due to a multi-class Convolutional Neural Network classifier (CNN), it is capable of making predictions that facilitate the diagnosis and the final score obtained in the test by the patient. To find out the best solution to this problem, different classifiers are used to compare the performance of the proposed model based on various classification metrics. The proposed CNN classifier makes predictions with 93 % of Accuracy, 94 % of Precision, 91 %, of Recall and 92% of F1-Score.
The societal embeddedness of records: teaching the meaning of the fourth dimension of the Records Continuum Model in different cultural contexts
Authors: Frings-Hessami Viviane
Published: November 2021

The Continuum concept of pluralisation is often misunderstood. This paper aims to explain how records are embedded in the society that created them from the time of their creation and how they can be further embedded throughout their lifespan by adding metadata to them, placing them in context, making them accessible to those who will need them in the future and potentially sharing them with the broader society according to societal rules. The author proposes to use the concept of societal embeddedness, which indicates that pluralisation is not just about sharing in the future, but also about incorporating societal expectations in records and recordkeeping systems, to help explain the concept of pluralisation. She shows how using simple examples from everyday life and discussing the societal context of the creation and use of records can help explain Records Continuum concepts, and in particular the concept of pluralisation, to students from non-English speaking backgrounds.
Risk in trustworthy digital repository audit and certification
Authors: Frank Rebecca D.
Published: November 2021

Risk is a foundational concept in digital preservation. While it has been examined from technical, economic, and organizational perspectives, I argue that it is also a social phenomenon. In this study I report on the results from 42 interviews with stakeholders in the Trustworthy Repositories Audit & Certification (TRAC) system, and analysis of documents relating to the ISO 16363 standard in order to examine how standard developers, auditors, and repository staff members understand the concept of risk for digital repositories. The results of this research demonstrate that members of these three stakeholder groups identified risk in the TRAC audit and certification process in terms of specific potential threats or sources of risk, which I have organized into five main categories: finance, legal, organizational governance, repository processes, and technical infrastructure. While standard developers, auditors, and repository staff generally shared an understanding of the major sources of potential risk that face digital repositories, they disagreed about whether and how these risks can be mitigated and how mitigation can be proven. Individuals who were more removed from the day-to-day work of the repositories undergoing an audit were more likely to accept well-documented risk identification and mitigation strategies as sufficient evidence of trustworthiness, while repository staff were skeptical that documentation was sufficient evidence of risk assessment and mitigation and thus questioned whether this would translate to actual trustworthiness for long-term digital preservation.
Swine at the chancery and locks to chests: dispersal, destruction, and accumulation of Sicily’s financial archives in the later Middle Ages
Authors: Silvestri Alessandro
Published: November 2021

In the last twenty years, anthropologists, archivists, and historians have dedicated increased attention to the study of archives as objects of research themselves. In so doing, scholars have predominantly examined the emergence and transformations of archives during the early modern age, focusing mostly on political and diplomatic depositories. They have tended to neglect financial archives, which is unfortunate, as—alongside judicial archives—they were probably the largest documentary repositories of the pre-modern world and those that first faced the problem of managing huge masses of documentation. This article discusses the formation and development of the Kingdom of Sicily’s financial archives in the later Middle Ages, arguing that this repository evolved into a collecting archive by the early fifteenth-century, when it preserved not only the records and accounts produced by the central financial administration, but also those from a number of territorial officers and magistracies. This archival turn, I suggest, originated from the fact that the Crown of Aragon’s rulers constantly needed increased incomes to fund bureaucracies and warfare and exercise patronage, and thus needed financial information organized, at hand, and under their control. After briefly discussing the emergence of the financial archive in the thirteenth-century, this essay traces the Crown’s attempts to create a stable repository for storing financial records and accounts and its continuous struggles to prevent documentation from being scattered and dispersed. Finally, it examines the successful strategy that King Alfonso V of Aragon (1416–58), called the Magnanimous, pursued to organize financial documentation and concentrate records and accounts produced by financial administration into a stable building. The essay pays particular attention to the material aspects of preserving records, e.g., the restoration of buildings, construction of chests, and preparation of secure locks that were integral to the emergence of collecting archives for financial documents in the later Middle Ages.
Dogmas of Effective Field Theory: Scheme Dependence, Fundamental Parameters, and the Many Faces of the Higgs Naturalness Principle
Authors: Rosaler Joshua
Published: November 2021

The earliest formulation of the Higgs naturalness argument has been criticized on the grounds that it relies on a particular cutoff-based regularization scheme. One response to this criticism has been to circumvent the worry by reformulating the naturalness argument in terms of a renormalized, regulator-independent parametrization. An alternative response is to deny that regulator dependence poses a problem for the naturalness argument, because nature itself furnishes a particular, physically correct regulator for any effective field theory (EFT) in the form of that EFT’s physical cutoff, together with an associated set of bare parameters that constitute the unique physically preferred “fundamental parameters” of the EFT. Here, I argue that both lines of defense against the initial worry about regulator dependence are flawed. I argue that reformulation of the naturalness argument in terms of renormalized parameters simply trades dependence on a particular regularization scheme for dependence on a particular renormalization scheme, and that one or another form of scheme dependence afflicts all formulations of the Higgs naturalness argument. Concerning the second response, I argue that the grounds for suspending the principle of regularization or renormalization scheme independence in favor of a physically preferred parametrization are thin; the assumption of a physically preferred parametrization, whether in the form of bare “fundamental parameters” or renormalized “physical parameters,” constitutes a theoretical idle wheel in generating the confirmed predictions of established EFTs, which are invariably scheme-independent. I highlight certain features of the alternative understanding of EFTs, and the EFT-based approach to understanding the foundations of QFT, that emerges when one abandons the assumption of a physically preferred parametrization. I explain how this understanding departs from several dogmas concerning the mathematical formulation and physical interpretation of EFTs in high-energy physics.
Lake browning impacts community structure and essential fatty acid content of littoral invertebrates in boreal lakes
Authors: Kesti Petri , Hiltunen Minna , Strandberg Ursula , Vesterinen Jussi , Taipale Sami , Kankaala Paula
Published: November 2021

Many lakes in the northern hemisphere are browning due to increasing concentrations of terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The consequences of lake browning to littoral invertebrates, however, are not fully understood. We analyzed community structure and fatty acid (FA) profiles of littoral invertebrates in humic (DOC-rich) and clear-water lakes in Eastern Finland. We found higher abundance of chironomids (Diptera: Chironomidae) in humic compared to clear-water lakes, whereas stoneflies (Plecoptera) and mayflies (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) were more abundant in clear-water lakes. Taxon explained 65% of the differences in the FA composition of littoral invertebrates. However, the proportion and content of polyunsaturated FAs of several taxa were significantly higher in clear-water lakes compared to humic lakes. Our results reveal differences in both community structure and nutritional quality of littoral invertebrates for fish between humic and clear-water lakes.
Analyses of Early Sunspot Records by Jean Tarde (1615 – 1617) and Jan Smogulecki (1621 – 1625)
Authors: Carrasco V. M. S. , Gallego M. C. , Villalba Álvarez J. , Vaquero J. M. , Hayakawa H.
Published: November 2021

Jean Tarde and Jan Smogulecki carried out sunspot observations in the 1610s and 1620s at the dawn of the telescopic era. We analysed their original observational records to revise their sunspot-group numbers in the existing database. In this study, we provide a new counting as a basis for future scientific discussions. Furthermore, we compared Smogulecki’s sunspot observations with those of Scheiner and Schönberger on the same observation days. We also detected a big sunspot group on 2 – 3 February 1622 in Smogulecki’s sunspot drawings and estimated its area to be approximately 1600 millionths of the solar disc. In addition, we measured the sunspot positions in Tarde’s and Smogulecki’s sunspot drawings to construct a butterfly diagram for this early period.
Evaluating cloud interactions with costs and SLAs
Authors: Bernal Adrián , Cambronero M. Emilia , Núñez Alberto , Cañizares Pablo C. , Valero Valentín
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we investigate how to improve the profits in cloud infrastructures by using price schemes and analyzing the user interactions with the cloud provider. For this purpose, we consider two different types of client behavior, namely regular and high-priority users. Regular users do not require a continuous service, and they can wait to be attended to. In contrast, high-priority users require a continuous service, e.g., a 24/7 service, and usually need an immediate answer to any request. A complete framework has been implemented, which includes a UML profile that allows us to define specific cloud scenarios and the automatic transformations to produce the code for the cloud simulations in the Simcan2Cloud simulator. The engine of Simcan2Cloud has also been modified by adding specific SLAs and price schemes. Finally, we present a thorough experimental study to analyze the performance results obtained from the simulations, thus making it possible to draw conclusions about how to improve the cloud profit for the cloud studied by adjusting the different parameters and resource configuration.
Effects of active vitamin D on insulin resistance and islet β-cell function in non-diabetic chronic kidney disease patients: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Lu Yongxin , Wang Yi’an , Sun Yang , Li Yongyan , Wang Jingrui , Zhao Yanhong , Yang Fang , Gao Xiufang , Xu Jianqing , Tong Zongwu
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to observe the effects of active vitamin D supplementation on insulin resistance and islet β-cell function (HOMA-β) in patients with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (NDCKD).

Methods

A total of 134 patients with NDCKD who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the prospective controlled study and categorized as such: 60 patients in the non-dialysis (ND) group; 36, hemodialysis (HD) group; and 38, peritoneal dialysis (PD) group. Each group was divided into two equal-numbered subgroups for vitamin D supplementation. Those in the experimental subgroups received calcitriol 0.5 ug/day orally, and were followed-up for 6 months. A total of 117 patients were followed-up, including 57 patients in the ND group; 29, HD group; and 31, PD group. Changes in the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and HOMA-β index were calculated and compared at the time of enrollment and after 1, 3, and 6 months of intervention.

Results

(1) Mean HOMA-IR value: In the ND group, mean HOMA-IR value of the experimental group significantly decreased compared with that of the control group after 3 months of intervention (P = 0.02). In the HD and PD groups, there was no statistical difference between the experimental and control groups (P > 0.05). (2) Mean HOMA-β index: In the ND group, mean HOMA-β index of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group after 1 month of active vitamin D treatment (P = 0.03), and, with an extended intervention time, the index gradually increased (P < 0.001). In the HD group, mean HOMA-β index of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group after 3 months of active vitamin D treatment (P = 0.01). Among PD patients, mean HOMA-β index of the patients in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group after 6 months of active vitamin D treatment (P = 0.02).

Conclusions

Active vitamin D supplementation improved insulin resistance and HOMA-β after 6 months in ND patients, but only improved HOMA-β in the dialysis patients, with no significant effect on insulin resistance.
Elucidating the effect and mechanism of the brown coal-based amendment on plant availability of zinc, lead and cadmium in a Haplic Luvisols
Authors: Maciejewska Alina , Kwiatkowska-Malina Jolanta
Published: November 2021

Plants are a key link in the trophic chain and therefore may determine the global circulation of pollutants, including heavy metals (HMs). In the context of sustaining soil functions associated with food safety, the bioavailability of HMs should be reduced to a minimum needed for adequate plant nutrition. The objective of the study was to analyse the bioavailability of zinc, lead and cadmium in phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.) under conditions of varied soil pH and doses of brown coal-based organo-mineral amendment so-called the Rekulter. The experiment was carried out on Haplic Luvisols in field stone pots that sank into the ground, with the following HM content (in mg kg−1 of soil): 90.0 (Zn), 60.4 (Pb) and 0.80 (Cd). The Rekulter was applied to the soil in the amounts of 180, 360 and 720 g per pot. The bio-accumulation index (BI) was calculated as a ratio of a HM content in a plant to its total content in a soil sample, and it was used to evaluate bioavailability. The application of the Rekulter reduced the bioavailability of the studied heavy metals: the lowest BI values were found in the case of Pb. The uptake of HMs by phacelia was the smallest for the highest applied Rekulter dose at a soil pH of approximately 6.0. The bioavailability of Zn, Pb and Cd was influenced by soil pH and organic matter content, reducing their mobility and possible environmental risks. The Rekulter reduced HM bioavailability: the lowest bio-accumulation index (BI) values were found in the case of Pb. The application of the Rekulter into soil improved the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil, including the reduction of contaminant bioavailability.
Solidarität mit Geflüchteten und Fallstricke des Helfens
Authors: van Dyk Silke , Boemke Laura , Haubner Tine
Published: November 2021

Der Beitrag untersucht am Beispiel des Engagements für Geflüchtete Stärken, Herausforderungen und Probleme freiwilligen Engagements und arbeitet zugleich die Spezifika dieser Form der Hilfe und Solidarität heraus. Die Analyse rekurriert auf eine qualitative Erhebung, die problemzentrierte Interviews mit Engagierten und Leitfadeninterviews mit Expert*innen sowie eine Dokumentenanalyse von politischen, medialen, zivilgesellschaftlichen und wissenschaftlichen Quellen für den Zeitraum von 2011 bis 2018 umfasst. Im Zentrum der Analyse stehen (1) der mediale und gesellschaftliche Außenblick auf die ehrenamtliche Flüchtlingshilfe, (2) multiple Grenzziehungen, -überschreitungen und -erfahrungen im Engagement sowie (3) die Bewältigung von Problemen und Herausforderungen seitens der Engagierten – durch den Ausstieg aus dem Engagement, die Kritik an Engagementbedingungen, die Verheimlichung des Engagements oder die Politisierung der Rolle freiwilliger Hilfe im Strukturwandel des Wohlfahrtsstaats.
Characterization of the Corrosion Resistance of Composite Peened Aluminum
Authors: Flachmann Malte L. , Seitz Michael , Liebig Wilfried V. , Weidenmann Kay A.
Published: November 2021

Composite peening offers the opportunity to introduce ceramic blasting particles into metallic base material. By embedding Al2O3 particles, mechanical properties of aluminum can be improved. However, those surface modifications might negatively impact corrosion resistance and thus shorten the lifetime of components. This study analyzes corrosion properties of peened aluminum in chloride solution via immersion, scanning electron microscopy and polarization. The data of observed microstructures indicate that peening accelerates corrosion and that intergranular corrosion is the main force of degradation in contrast with pitting corrosion of monolithic aluminum.
Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) Exhibit Wide Variation in Spawning Behavior: An Investigation of Substrate Type, Diel Timing, and Participants
Authors: Tsai Yi-Jiun Jean , Chase Samantha Noel , Carson Evan W. , Zweig Leanna , Hung Tien-Chieh
Published: November 2021

Studies of cultured populations can be invaluable to the conservation of imperiled species for which little is known and whose very low abundance in the wild can preclude studies with robust sample sizes. For example, in endangered delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), conservation measures developed to mitigate population decline are hindered by a lack of knowledge regarding spawning behavior. However, the availability of a cultured population allows important questions about spawning to be addressed experimentally. We examined the effect of substrate type on spawning behavior and egg fertilization success in cultured H. transpacificus under laboratory conditions. We also examined the diel frequency of spawning and the sex and number of spawning participants. We found that the frequency of spawns and resulting egg fertilization success did not differ between sand, gravel, and control (acrylic) substrates. We also demonstrated that spawning was predominantly nocturnal, though rare diurnal spawns were observed. Of the five mature males and five ripe females available within a given trial, spawns included up to seven participants, but most frequently occurred between a single female and one or two males. Our results highlight the wide behavioral variation exhibited by H. transpacificus during spawning, particularly in terms of substrate use, diel timing, and participants. These findings provide the most detailed and experimentally robust data regarding H. transpacificus spawning behavior to date and thereby provide ongoing conservation efforts with much-needed information.
Polymyxin B1 within the E. coli cell envelope: insights from molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Weerakoon Dhanushka , Petrov Kamen , Pedebos Conrado , Khalid Syma
Published: November 2021

Abstract

Polymyxins are used as last-resort antibiotics, where other treatments have been ineffectual due to antibiotic resistance. However, resistance to polymyxins has also been now reported, therefore it is instructive to characterise at the molecular level, the mechanisms of action of polymyxins. Here we review insights into these mechanisms from molecular dynamics simulations and discuss the utility of simulations as a complementary technique to  experimental methodologies.
Focal adhesion kinase inhibitors, a heavy punch to cancer
Authors: Wu Yueling , Li Ning , Ye Chengfeng , Jiang Xingmei , Luo Hui , Zhang Baoyuan , Zhang Ying , Zhang Qingyu
Published: November 2021

Kinases are the ideal druggable targets for diseases and especially were highlighted on cancer therapy. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase and its aberrant signaling extensively implicates in the progression of most cancer types, involving in cancer cell growth, adhesion, migration, and tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling. FAK is commonly overexpressed and activated in a variety of cancers and plays as a targetable kinase in cancer therapy. FAK inhibitors already exhibited promising performance in preclinical and early-stage clinical trials. Moreover, substantial evidence has implied that targeting FAK is more effective in combination strategy, thereby reversing the failure of chemotherapies or targeted therapies in solid tumors. In the current review, we summarized the drug development progress, chemotherapy strategy, and perspective view for FAK inhibitors.
Seasonal adjustment of the Spanish sales daily data
Authors: Cuevas Ángel , Ledo Ramiro , Quilis Enrique M.
Published: November 2021

We present a procedure to perform seasonal adjustment over daily sales data. The model adjusts daily information from the Immediate Supply of Information System for Value Added Tax declaration forms compiled by the Spanish Tax Agency. The procedure performs signal extraction and forecasting at the daily frequency, by means of an unobserved components model. The daily information allows a permanently updated monitoring of the short-term economic conditions of the Spanish economy.
A fuzzy ontology: on the relevance of ecocentrism in marine environmental ethics
Authors: von Negenborn Colin
Published: November 2021

Governing human interaction in the maritime space implicitly rests on the ascription of value to this space. Environmental ethics helps to disentangle the many concepts of value that may come in conflict. As a particularly contested concept, ecocentrism assigns value not just at the atomistic level, but also at the holistic one. It has, however, been subject to criticism, thus challenging the validity of recent approaches to ocean management implicitly resting on ecocentric grounds. This paper provides a new justification for ecocentrism in the marine realm. Instead of relying on notions of community or teleonomy in nature, this paper builds on its ontology. It considers “the Area” beyond national jurisdiction and its declaration as “common heritage.” While a shared understanding of this concept is necessary to put it to practice in the intergovernmental sphere, the paper argues that any characterization of its ontology is subject to fuzziness. In the light of disagreement, fluctuation, and uncertainty on the atomistic level, a holistic perspective on the Area is necessary. Ecocentrism thus allows to overcome the conceptual hindrances and facilitates the implementation of a genuinely common heritage.
The red-beard evolutionary explanation of human sociality
Authors: Koliofotis Vaios
Published: November 2021

Recent evolutionary studies on cooperation devote specific attention to non-verbal expressions of emotions. In this paper, I examine Robert Frank’s popular attempt to explain emotions, non-verbal markers and social behaviours. Following this line of work, I focus on the green-beard explanation of social behaviours. In response to the criticisms raised against this controversial ultimate explanation, based on resources found in Frank’s work, I propose an alternative red-beard explanation of human sociality. The red-beard explanation explains the emergence and evolution of emotions, a proximate cause, rather than patterns of behaviour. In contrast to simple evolutionary models that invoke a green-beard mechanism, I demonstrate that the red-beard explanation can be evolutionary stable. Social emotions are a common cause of a social behaviour and a phenotypic marker and therefore cooperative behaviour cannot be suppressed without also changing the marker.
The hatching of consciousness
Authors: Birch Jonathan
Published: November 2021

Peter Godfrey-Smith’sMetazoaand Joseph LeDoux’sThe Deep History of Ourselvespresent radically different big pictures regarding the nature, evolution and distribution of consciousness in animals. In this essay review, I discuss the motivations behind these big pictures and try to steer a course between them.
Higher-dimensional Calabi–Yau varieties with dense sets of rational points
Authors: Suzuki Fumiaki
Published: November 2021

We construct higher-dimensional Calabi–Yau varieties defined over a given number field with Zariski dense sets of rational points. We give two elementary constructions in arbitrary dimensions as well as another construction in dimension three which involves certain Calabi–Yau threefolds containing an Enriques surface. The constructions also show that potential density holds for (sufficiently) general members of the families.