bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing Temporal Changes in Initial and Recurrent Embodied Energy Using an Input-Output-based Hybrid method
Authors: Dixit M K , Pradeep Kumar P
Published: May 2023

Buildings consume over 40% of global energy annually in their initial construction and operation as embodied and operational energy, contributing to over 39% of global carbon emissions. Embodied energy (EE) is consumed directly in construction processes and indirectly using construction materials, each of which uses energy during its manufacturing. All direct and indirect embodied energies used in maintenance, repair, and replacement processes of buildings is termed recurrent embodied energy (REE). Because REE accrues over 50-100-year life cycle of buildings, it may be equal to, or more than the initial embodied energy (IEE) used during buildings’ construction. Both REE and IEE must be optimized to help effectively reduce the environmental burdens of buildings. However, calculating IEE and REE is a data-intensive process requiring temporally representative data that may not be readily available. Consequently, studies may use older data. This paper offers a temporal analysis of the IEE and REE of healthcare buildings to demonstrate how energy source-specific EE values may change over time and introduce errors in IEE and REE calculations if old data is used. Using macroeconomic modeling, the IEE and REE intensities of healthcare building sector are computed. The results indicate that using 5-year and 10-year-old data may underestimate IEE by 5% and overestimate it by 26%, respectively, whereas the REE may be overestimated by 20% and 33%, respectively. The results also show that the share of electricity in EE may be increasing over time. The findings underscore the importance of using temporally representative EE data for energy analysis.
Digitally transforming FM standards and their development process: Allowing experts to focus on what matters
Authors: Klungseth Nora Johanne , Tønsberg Conrad Wilhelm
Published: May 2023

For many years, standardization has been a driver of innovation and the acceleration of societal developments, both generally and within the built environment (BE) and facility management (FM). Recently, new acceleration factors – digitalization and digital transformation – have presented valuable opportunities for the industry of standardization (i.e. ISO, CEN, BS, IFMA, etc.) that may have a rippling effect on other industries; for example, increased standardization and digitalization are seen as key in reducing carbon footprints, and the digitalization of standards is believed to be particularly beneficial as it will improve required information flow. The purpose of this research was to identify the opportunity space for digitalization and digital transformation within standardization by investigating the nature of the life cycle of standards and the requirements for digitally transforming them. Two types of experts were interviewed: FM standardization experts who are well acquainted with standardization processes and digital experts working primarily with information and communication technologies (ICT). The interviews revealed that many see a need for digitalization and that machine-readable standards, AI-based text search tools and more are viewed as valuable possibilities. Two ways to look at digitalization opportunities in standardization were identified: the digitalisation of standardization work and standards enabling digital FM practice. The digitalization of standards offers excellent opportunities to improve the quality of standards, increase efficiency of both the use of and the development of standard, including improving the experience of subject matter experts involved in the process of standardization. Jointly, these efforts may be the catalyst for FM’s digital transformation.
Sustainable Facility Management in UN Development Goals
Authors: Lok K L , Opoku A , Smith A , Vanderpool I , Cheung K L
Published: May 2023

Facility Management (FM) is currently focusing on sustainability through the adoption of the newly recognised United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) when making business decisions. Strategic Sustainable FM has the potential towards the realisation of the 17 SDGs at all levels of organisation in the FM sector. However, the FM sector is also encountering potential barriers to the implementation of the relevant SDGs. Standardised and strategic level support is crucial for the smooth adoption of sustainable FM. This paper is aimed at discussing the role of facility management in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This viewpoint paper, whereby content is dependent on the authors’ opinion and interpretation, focuses on new emerging disciplines that will affect the operations phase of buildings and the people working therein. The SDGs can help to objectively quantify the added value of FM to the core business and the global FM industry including impact of ISO standards and stakeholders (clients, service providers and researchers).
Maintenance and Climate Impact – A Study of the Practice for Private Rented Out Housing Estates
Authors: Rasmussen H L , Jensen P A , Bøytler T , Nielsen S B
Published: May 2023

The purpose of the study was to investigate the practice of building maintenance in Facilities Management (FM) companies responsible for managing and operating private rented out housing estates and how considerations for environmental sustainability and climate impact maintenance strategies. The study started with a pre-study including a literature review and consultations with experts to define the specific scope. The main study focused on preventive maintenance and renovation and included semi-structured interviews with managers from six of the largest companies in the market in Denmark. The study showed that the companies are organised in a similar way with departments for operation and maintenance, for renovation and building projects, and for sustainability and energy. The companies all had high professional internal competencies and worked actively with 10 years maintenance plans. The most important focus for sustainability was energy. The companies were engaged in becoming more sustainable and this was also given priority by property owners but less by tenants. The currently increasing energy prices will without doubt increase the focus on reducing energy cost also among tenants. However, the climate impact of maintenance is difficult to measure and document except for the consequences of energy reductions and changes in energy supply. A main benefit of preventive maintenance and renovation is reducing the need for producing new building materials and thereby reducing the related effects on resource use and climate impact. The results can give inspiration to other FM companies in Denmark and other countries to improve the sustainability of their maintenance practice. The study identified topics for further research and development.
Is Digitalization Worth the Hassle? Two cases of Innovation Building Operation and Maintenance
Authors: Pomè A P , Tagliaro C , Celani A , Ciaramella G
Published: May 2023

The spectrum of innovation in the Architecture-Engineering-Construction-Operation (AECO) industry is called PropTech (abbreviation for Property-Technology). PropTech uses digital technologies to improve the products and processes of the construction and real estate industry over the whole building life cycle. However, PropTech applications are not extensively adopted yet, as many established companies are still doubtful about the added value of a digital transition, which encompasses significant investments. This reluctancy might be due to a lack of evidence about the benefits of technology adoption. Therefore, the present study aims to outline the advantages of adopting digital technology in building management by analysing two case studies that can be considered good practices of an effective investment made possible by PropTech. Netix Controls developed a centralized system based on Machine Learning (ML), to collect and integrate data from different manufacturer chillers, fire alarms, and lighting systems, and applied it to two separate networks of 77 and 14 buildings, respectively, which correspond to the two cases under analysis in this paper. Through desktop data and interviews the study analyses economic costs, environmental impact, and users’ well-being of the two cases and compares them ideally to a fictional case, which does not include ML but only traditional Facility Management (FM) procedures. In conclusion, the advantages of embracing innovation in FM through digital technologies are outlined. In particular, the potential will be discussed of predictive maintenance, and the prospective implications of real-time building management expanded at district and city scale.
Establishing a new housing cooperative sustainable accounting standard as a tool for increasing the sustainable refurbishment practices
Authors: Salaj A T , Bjørberg S , Mathisen C F , Akbarinejad T
Published: May 2023

A sustainable refurbishment is an important approach toward reaching the EU’s climate goals. Some challenges of transforming housing areas are few high-quality standards, lack of funding, and low residential interest. This paper aims to present the process of establishing the Sustainable Accounting Standard (SAS) project, led by the Housing Federation of Norway (NBBL), representing 41 cooperative housing associations with 1,186,000 members. Therefore, a need to develop a standardized process for evaluating the possibilities of sustainable refurbishment is in focus. A triangulating combination of literature review, survey, and interview is chosen. The literature review forms a theoretical basis within the field. The design and experiences of SAS are reflected through interviews with project participants from cooperative housing associations and a survey of residential board members from selected pilot projects. The project presents the findings from developing the SAS tool and various stakeholders. The SAS tool forms an improved process for sustainable development in housing co-operatives, addressing all aspects of sustainability, the early involvement of stakeholders, and the importance of residents’ participation. The SAS contributes to a smoother refurbishment process by properly prioritizing improved measures.
Ghrelin and impulsivity relationship in alcohol-dependent patients and healthy individuals
Authors: Agtas-Ertan Ece , Dogan Ozlem , Ilhan Inci
Published: May 2023

Aims: Abundant research indicates that ghrelin hormone levels are associated with alcohol use and addiction. One of the mediators of this association may be impulsivity, which is one of the common traits observed in alcohol addiction and some eating disorders. This study evaluated participants with alcohol dependency and healthy volunteers to determine whether trait impulsivity and ghrelin levels are associated. Methods: This study analyzed trait impulsivity scores and fasting serum ghrelin levels of 44 males with alcohol dependency and 48 healthy male participants. The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and the UPPS Impulsive Behaviour Scale (UPPS) were used to measure trait impulsivity levels. Penn Alcohol Craving Scale and Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale for heavy drinking were used to assess craving at the baseline and after the detoxification period. Results: Alcohol-dependent patients’ fasting ghrelin levels were significantly higher than that of healthy participants. Ghrelin plasma levels were positively correlated with UPPS total impulsivity scores and sensation-seeking among healthy individuals. In alcohol-dependent participants, there was a positive correlation between UPPS urgency scores obtained at the baseline and fasting ghrelin levels before and after the detoxification period. Conclusions: Ghrelin–impulsivity relationship could be observed in certain dimensions of impulsivity in both alcohol-dependent and healthy individuals and even independent of the effect of alcohol. Although the associated impulsivity dimensions differ in different groups, the results are parallel to other studies in terms of demonstrating the relationship between ghrelin and impulsivity.
An Exploration of the Anatomy of the Forehead of Asians and Its Relationship With Forehead Lines Based on Ultrasound Imaging
Authors: Yuan Li , Zhuang Jun , Chai Hongli , Wu Yumeng , Su Xueshang , Jiang Liya , Jia Ying , Hu Jintian , Wang Yongqian
Published: May 2023

Background

A profound understanding of the various frontal tissues' morphology and their relationship with forehead lines can efficiently guide clinical treatment.

Objectives

The authors explored the relationship between frontal anatomy and frontal lines.

Methods

We measured the thickness and shape of tissues in different regions of the forehead of 241 Asians. Then, we analyzed the relationship between the types of frontalis muscle and frontal lines, as well as the relationship between the frontal anatomical structures and the production of frontal lines.

Results

We classified the types of frontalis muscle into 3 categories comprising 10 subtypes. The skin (0.78 mm vs 0.90 mm, P < .05), superficial subcutaneous tissue (0.66 mm vs 0.75 mm, P < .05), and frontalis muscle thickness (0.29 mm vs 0.37 mm, P < .05) of people with obvious dynamic forehead lines were significantly thicker than those of people without significant dynamic forehead lines. However, no significant difference in the deep subcutaneous tissue thickness was found between people with and without static forehead lines (1.36 mm vs 1.34 mm, P < .05).

Conclusions

This study shows the relationship between the frontal structure and frontal lines. Therefore, these results can provide references for treating frontal lines, to a certain extent.

Level of Evidence: 3
Quantitative annotations of T-Cell repertoire specificity
Authors: Luo Jiaqi , Wang Xueying , Zou Yiping , Chen Lingxi , Liu Wei , Zhang Wei , Li Shuai Cheng
Published: May 2023

The specificity of a T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire determines personalized immune capacity. Existing methods have modeled the qualitative aspects of TCR specificity, while the quantitative aspects remained unaddressed. We developed a package, TCRanno, to quantify the specificity of TCR repertoires. We created deep-learning-based, epitope-aware vector embeddings to infer individual TCR specificity. Then we aggregated clonotype frequencies of TCRs to obtain a quantitative profile of repertoire specificity at epitope, antigen and organism levels. Applying TCRanno to 4195 TCR repertoires revealed quantitative changes in repertoire specificity upon infections, autoimmunity and cancers. Specifically, TCRanno found cytomegalovirus-specific TCRs in seronegative healthy individuals, supporting the possibility of abortive infections. TCRanno discovered age-accumulated fraction of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 specific TCRs in pre-pandemic samples, which may explain the aggressive symptoms and age-related severity of coronavirus disease 2019. TCRanno also identified the encounter of Hepatitis B antigens as a potential trigger of systemic lupus erythematosus. TCRanno annotations showed capability in distinguishing TCR repertoires of healthy and cancers including melanoma, lung and breast cancers. TCRanno also demonstrated usefulness to single-cell TCRseq+gene expression data analyses by isolating T-cells with the specificity of interest.
Treatment effect quantiles in stratified randomized experiments and matched observational studies
Authors: Su Yongchang , Li Xinran
Published: May 2023

Evaluating the treatment effect has become an important topic for many applications. However, most existing literature focuses mainly on average treatment effects. When the individual effects are heavy tailed or have outlier values, not only may the average effect not be appropriate for summarizing treatment effects, but also the conventional inference for it can be sensitive and possibly invalid due to poor large-sample approximations. In this paper we focus on quantiles of individual treatment effects, which can be more robust in the presence of extreme individual effects. Moreover, our inference for them is purely randomization based, avoiding any distributional assumptions on the units. We first consider inference in stratified randomized experiments, extending the recent work by Caughey et al. (2021). We show that the computation of valid p-values for testing null hypotheses on quantiles of individual effects can be transformed into instances of the multiple-choice knapsack problem, which can be efficiently solved exactly or slightly conservatively. We then extend our approach to matched observational studies and propose a sensitivity analysis to investigate to what extent our inference on quantiles of individual effects is robust to unmeasured confounding. The proposed randomization inference and sensitivity analysis are simul- taneously valid for all quantiles of individual effects, noting that the analysis for the maximum or minimum individual effect coincides with the conventional analysis assuming constant treatment effects.
BJS-01 NATIONWIDE ANALYSIS OF SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES AFTER OPEN VS. ROBOT-ASSISTED REPAIR OF VENTRAL HERNIA
Authors: Henriksen N , Helgstrand F , Jensen K
Published: May 2023

Background

The aim was to evaluate short-term outcomes after robot-assisted and open repair of primary ventral and incisional hernia.

Methods

Nationwide register-based cohort study with data from the Danish Ventral Hernia Database and the National Danish Patients Registry from January 1, 2017 to August 22, 2022. Robot-assisted ventral hernia repairs were propensity score matched 1:3 with open repairs according to the confounding variables defect size, type of hernia, Charlson comorbidity index score, and age. Logistic regression analyses were performed for factors associated with length of stay > 2 days, readmission, and reoperation within 90 days.

Results

A total of 550 and 1,655 patients underwent robot-assisted and open repair, respectively. The mean length of hospital stay in days was 0.5 vs. 1.9 for robot-assisted and open approach, respectively, (P < 0.001) and open approach was correlated with risk of length of stay > 2 days (OR 4.69, CI 6.56–7.85, P < 0.001). The incidence of readmission and reoperation within 90 days of discharge was significantly lower after robot-assisted repair compared to open approach (7.0% vs. 15.6%, P < 0.001) and (2.0% vs. 4.4%, P = 0.013), respectively. Open approach was independently associated with increased risk of readmission and reoperation (OR 2.46, CI 1.73–3.51, P = 0.005) and (OR 2.30, CI 1.21–4.38, P = 0.011), respectively.

Conclusion

Robot-assisted ventral hernia repair is safe and feasible and associated with shorter length of stay and decreased risk of readmission and surgical reintervention compared with open ventral hernia repair.
BJS-05 DIS CLASS A MESHES PERMIT BIOMECHANICALLY STRONG RECONSTRUCTIONS WHICH ARE DURABLE AFTER A 3 YEAR FOLLOW UP
Authors: Kallinowski F , Löffler T , Rinn J , Nessel R , Görich J , Wielpütz M
Published: May 2023

Aim

Hernia meshes slip easily upon cyclic load (dynamic intermittend strain, DIS). Meshes were classified and those with the best adhesiveness were named DIS class A. How durable are reconstructions with these meshes after 3 years?

Material and methods

The adhesiveness of the meshes was analyzed with cyclic load on a bench test. The best-gripping meshes were clinically applied. All patients were followed in yearly intervals up to three years.

Results

A total of 166 patients (85 males, 85 ASA III/IV, 179 risk factors, 46 recurrent) were included. Progrip® was used in 60 cases (P), Dahlhausen® Cicat in 106 cases (C). Smaller hernias were augmented with P needing less overlap due to the higher tackiness (median minimal overlap P = 4.5, C = 6 cm). Hernia sizes treated with C were significantly larger (median P = 20, median C = 143 cm2; u-test: p < 0.001). The mesh-defect area ratio was higher with P compared with C (13.2 vs 6.3). Fixation requirements were lower with 8 points for P and 81 points for C. GRIP was twice that minimally required. Larger hernia took longer OR times (median P: 103 vs. median C: 203 min; p < 0.001). Larger hernias coincided more postoperative minor complications (5–14%, 1 re-operation for seroma). In-hospital stay was comparable with 5–6 days. Pain levels were low in both groups after 3 years (median NAS = 0). No recurrences were detected.

Conclusion

Incisional hernia can be repaired durably based on biomechanical principles.
P-052 RISK FACTORS FOR PERITONEAL TEARS DURING LAPAROSCOPIC EXTRAPERITONEAL HERNIA REPAIR
Authors: Donmez T , Karabulut M , Cayirci C E , Surek A , Calis G , Gemici E , Guzey D
Published: May 2023

Background

Peritoneal tears (PTs) are not uncommon during the course of laparoscopic total extraperitoneal (TEP) repair of groin hernias. There are several mechanisms involved in the occurence of PTs during the course of the operation. There are many studies about the causes of peritoneal tears. Detection of independent risk factors in peritoneal tear formation may identify patients who will benefit from elective inguinal hernia repair in laparoscopic extraperitoneal hernia surgery.

Methods

Between April 2018 and december 2022, 518 consecutive patients undergoing 575 TEP repair surgery were recruited by the retrospective study. They were divided into two groups as with and without peritoneal tear. Patient characteristics, operative data, and postoperative outcomes were compared between patients with and without peritoneal tear. Risk factors for peritoneal tear were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

The overall incidence of peritoenal tear was 19.7% (n=97). The median age was 45 years (18 to 83) and body mass index was 25.7 kg/m2 (15.67 to 35.20). Significant clinical factors associated with peritoneal tear included such as hernia type, previous hernia surgery, large hernial defects, presence of scrotal hernia, and the defect size of inguinal hernia. Multivariate analysis identified independent risk factors for peritoneal tear as indirect hernia type and previous hernia surgery.

Conclusion

Peritoneal tears is a major complication seen during TEP repair surgery and its incidence varies depending on many factors. Previous hernia surgery and indirect inguinal hernia the risk for peritoneal tears from during TEP repair.
Design of a new static solar concentrator with a high concentration ratio and a large acceptance angle based on bifacial solar cells
Authors: Shariah Adnan , Hasan Emad
Published: May 2023

Solar concentrators are used in solar photovoltaic systems to lower the cost of producing electricity. In this situation, fewer solar cells can be used, lowering the overall cost of the system. The purpose of this article is to design, construct, install and test a stationary (non-tracking) concentrating system in Irbid, Jordan. Bifacial solar cells are used in the design. Two concentrator designs (with the same concentration ratio) are experimentally tested. Conc-A has a parabolic shape in the lower part but flat reflecting walls, whereas Conc-B has a standard compound parabolic shape in all parts. The receiving solar cells are arranged in three distinct positions in each concentrator. The results reveal that the output power from both concentrators is affected by the placement of the receiving solar cells within the concentrator. It has also been found that concentrators with flat reflecting walls perform better than those with parabolic reflecting walls. Conc-A’s power collection is ~198% greater than that of a non-concentrating device. When Conc-B is used, the increase in power is ~181%.
Increased cardiovascular events in young patients with mental disorders: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Park Chan Soon , Choi Eue-Keun , Han Kyung-Do , Ahn Hyo-Jeong , Kwon Soonil , Lee So-Ryoung , Oh Seil , Lip Gregory Y H
Published: May 2023

Aims

It remains unclear whether young patients with mental disorders have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases than does the general population. Using a nationwide database, we investigated the prognostic association between the risks of myocardial infarction (MI), ischaemic stroke (IS), and mental disorders in young patients.

Methods and results

Young patients aged between 20 and 39 years old who underwent nationwide health examinations between 2009 and 2012 were screened. A total of 6 557 727 individuals were identified and subsequently classified according to mental disorders including depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, insomnia, anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorder, somatoform disorder, eating disorder, and substance use disorder. Patients were then followed up for MI and IS until December 2018. Patients with mental disorders did not show unfavourable lifestyle behaviours or worse metabolic profiles than their counterparts. During the follow-up period (median, 7.6 years; interquartile range, 6.5–8.3), 16 133 cases of MI and 10 509 cases of IS occurred. Patients with mental disorders had higher risks of MI (log-rank P = 0.033 in eating disorder and log-rank P < 0.001 in all other mental disorders). Patients with mental disorders had higher risks of IS except post-traumatic stress disorder (log-rank P = 0.119) and eating disorder (log-rank P = 0.828). After adjusting for covariates, the overall diagnosis and each mental disorder were independently associated with increased cardiovascular endpoints.

Conclusion

Mental disorders in young patients may have deleterious effects which increase the incidence of MI and IS. Prevention efforts are needed to prevent MI and IS in young patients with mental disorders.
Veterinary drug albendazole inhibits root colonization and symbiotic function of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis
Authors: Gkimprixi Eleni , Lagos Stathis , Nikolaou Christina N , Karpouzas Dimitrios G , Tsikou Daniela
Published: May 2023

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are plant symbionts that have a pivotal role in maintaining soil fertility and nutrient cycling. However, these microsymbionts may be exposed to organic pollutants like pesticides or veterinary drugs known to occur in agricultural soils. Anthelminthics are veterinary drugs that reach soils through the application of contaminated manures in agricultural settings. Their presence might threaten the function of AMF, considered as sensitive indicators of the toxicity of agrochemicals to the soil microbiota. We determined the impact of the anthelminthic compounds albendazole and ivermectin on the establishment and functionality of the symbiosis between the model-legume Lotus japonicus and the AMF Rhizophagus irregularis. Our analyses revealed negative effects of albendazole on the development and functionality of arbuscules, the symbiotic organelle of AMF, at a concentration of 0.75 μg g−1. The impairment of the symbiotic function was verified by the reduced expression of genes SbtM1, PT4 and AMT2;2 involved in arbuscules formation, P and N uptake, and the lower phosphorus shoot content detected in the albendazole-treated plants. Our results provide first evidence for the toxicity of albendazole on the colonization capacity and function of R. irregularis at concentrations that may occur in agricultural soils systematically amended with drug-containing manures.
Soil change and broadleaf tree growth 10 years after wood ash and brash co-application to a clearfelled lowland conifer site in Britain
Authors: Pitman Rona M , Vanguelova Elena I , Benham Suzanne
Published: May 2023

Wood ash use, to raise pH and replace nutrients lost through forest harvesting, is well regulated in Scandinavia and Canada, but not yet in the UK. This experiment applied granulated wood ash from mixed tree thinnings to a lowland clay mineral soil at ~2.3 t ha−1 dose rate, after clearfell of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.). With brash (~56 t ha−1 dry weight) as N resource, a 4 × 4 matrix of ash only, ash + brash, brash only and control treatments were planted with oak seedlings (Quercus robur L.). Soil survey was undertaken before ash application and followed over 10 years. By year 2, self-sown grass was dominant in the control and ash plots, and birch (Betula pendula, Roth.) was present across all treatments by year 4. In year 10, oak height was 25–29 per cent greater in brash and ash + brash plots, with DBH increased >20 per cent over the controls. Birch DBH was greater by 30 per cent in brash plots but was over 50 per cent in the ash + brash plots. Foliar concentrations of Ca, K and P significantly increased with ash addition in both oak and birch, as Al, Mn, Fe and Cr decreased. Soil pH (CaCl2) was reduced in all treatments in year 2 likely due to nitrification, during organic matter and needle breakdown, but recovered 8 years later to be significantly highest in ash and ash + brash plots. Mg, K, Ca, Na, Ba and S concentrations were higher in ash plot soils, but soil organic matter, total carbon and total nitrogen declined due to mineralization and uptake by grass and trees. Wood ash addition did not significantly increase heavy metal concentrations in either soil or foliage. In the long term, wood ash aided soil recovery and promoted tree growth in combination with the brash – it could be beneficial for tree growth after thinning/coppicing on heavy mineral soils, with the prerequisite of an existing ground cover.

Aim

To quantify the effects of wood ash and brash addition over time to soils and tree growth after conifer clearfelling on a lowland clay soil site.
Life-history traits and environment shape small pelagic fish demography and responses to fishing and climate across European Atlantic seas
Authors: Otero J , Hidalgo M
Published: May 2023

Small pelagic fish (SPF) are fundamental components of marine food webs and are subject to boom and bust periods ascribed to the interactive effects of fishing and climate, which vary depending on species’ demography and life-history traits and determine the signal that we observe in fisheries time series. However, it is poorly understood how the biology of SPFs and habitat structure shape their population demography and responses to fishing and climate. This study evaluates the influence of life-history traits and the environment on the demography and the response to exploitation and climate for 14 populations of SPFs occurring in the European Atlantic Seas. Using age-structured population matrix models we calculated elasticities to characterize the contribution of recruitment to population growth rate. We then evaluated the association between biological traits and environmental conditions (mean, seasonality, and predictability) with average recruitment elasticity and demography. Finally, we quantified the effects of biological traits and geography in shaping the temporal responses of each population’s recruitment elasticities to demography, exploitation, and climate. For all species, population growth rate correlated positively with the elasticity to the recruitment, implying that long-term persistence is driven by the contribution of recruitment. Greater elasticity was found for populations with younger spawners, earlier maturation, and higher somatic growth rate inhabiting less predictable thermal ecosystems but with more temporally similar wind conditions. Among populations, fast growers had a stronger negative relationship between demographic structure and the importance of recruitment. At high fishing pressure, populations became increasingly dependent on recruitment though this relationship was less important for fast growers which, on average, sustained higher levels of exploitation. In turn, fast-maturing populations responded more strongly to the mean, seasonality, and predictability of the environmental conditions, especially towards eastern and southern geographically extremes. The results highlight the importance of recruitment for the population growth of SPFs and illustrate how the contribution of recruitment varies among and within populations as a function of environmental conditions and life-history traits defining an ordination of SPFs along a slow-fast continuum with implications for population dynamics and the responses to endogenous and exogenous factors.
Protein–lipid Association in Lizard Chemical Signals
Authors: Mangiacotti M , Baeckens S , Fumagalli M , Martín J , Scali S , Sacchi R
Published: May 2023

Synopsis

Chemical communication in terrestrial vertebrates is often built on complex blends, where semiochemical and structural compounds may form an integrated functional unit. In lizards, many species have specialized epidermal glands whose secretions are waxy, homogeneous blends of lipids and proteins, both active in communication. The intimate co-occurrence of such compounds allows us to hypothesize that they should undergo a certain degree of covariation, considering both their semiochemical role and the support-to-lipid function hypothesized for the protein fraction. In order to assess the occurrence and level of protein–lipid covariation, we compared the composition and complexity of the two fractions in the femoral gland secretions of 36 lizard species, combining phylogenetically-informed analysis with tandem mass spectrometry. We found the composition and complexity of the two fractions to be strongly correlated. The composition of the protein fraction was mostly influenced by the relative proportion of cholestanol, provitamin D3, stigmasterol, and tocopherol, while the complexity of the protein pattern increased with that of lipids. Additionally, two identified proteins (carbonic anhydrase and protein disulfide isomerase) increased their concentration as provitamin D3 became more abundant. Although our approach does not allow us to decrypt the functional relations between the proteinaceous and lipid components, nor under the semiochemical or structural hypothesis, the finding that the proteins involved in this association were enzymes opens up to new perspectives about protein role: They may confer dynamic properties to the blend, making it able to compensate predictable variation of the environmental conditions. This may expand the view about proteins in the support-to-lipid hypothesis, from being a passive and inert component of the secretions to become an active and dynamic one, thus providing cues for future research.
The Use of Popular Songs and Cartoons in Teaching Introduction to International Relations and Comparative Politics
Authors: Asal Victor , Miller Inga , Vitek Andrew
Published: May 2023

The use of popular culture as a teaching tool is often overlooked in teaching introductory-level political science courses. In recent years, advocacy for the inclusion of popular culture in the classroom has increased due to studies that highlight the benefits of such application in combination with other teaching methods. This paper argues that the incorporation of popular music and cartoons as a combined auxiliary teaching tool is an efficient way to increase students’ understanding of theoretical concepts at multiple levels and to encourage them to think unconventionally. Relating political science paradigms and theories to popular culture makes them accessible to a broad spectrum of students and ensures that students become more engaged in the classroom. Students may also be more likely to apply theoretical concepts to real-life events. In this paper, we share our observations of using popular songs and cartoons as supplementary teaching materials and methods to explain theories of international relations and comparative politics.
CG-DAE: a noise suppression method for two-dimensional transient electromagnetic data based on deep learning
Authors: Yu Shengbao , Shen Yihan , Zhang Yang
Published: May 2023

The transient electromagnetic method (TEM) is a geophysical exploration method that can efficiently acquire subsurface electrical parameters. For airborne, towed and other mobile platforms, TEM systems, large data volumes and the traditional one-dimensional denoising method with low efficiency and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of late-time are the main bottlenecks limiting its reliable application. To address this problem, this paper proposes a neural network structure suitable for two-dimensional (2D) TEM data processing. The proposed structure combines a classical convolutional neural network denoising autoencoder with a gated recurrent neural network autoencoder, called the CNN-GRU dual autoencoder (CG-DAE). This method can directly input 2D TEM response data as images into the network for processing, which greatly improves data processing efficiency compared to single-time-channel processing. The simulation experiments verified the effectiveness of CG-DAE. After using CG-DAE denoising, the SNR of late-time (0.2–1 ms) signals is improved to nearly 29 dB, the 2D anomaly layer position is clear and the relative error (RE) between the denoised data and the corresponding clean data is <1.41%, while the RE of the late-time signals can be reduced to 3.68%. The proposed method can lay the foundation for fast processing of TEM data based on mobile platforms such as those that are airborne and/or towed.
The Warnock report and partial ectogestation: retracing the past to step into the future
Authors: Adkins Victoria
Published: May 2023

Partial ectogestation continues to move towards human clinical trials. This article draws upon the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Warnock Report) to provide guidance as to what may need to be considered for the future regulation of this technology. While the Warnock Report dates back to 1984, its significance and legacy continue to influence the current regulation of reproductive practices in the UK. By drawing upon specific elements within the report, many of the decisions and recommendations within it could provide direction for the future regulation of partial ectogestation. The role of the public, the social and political context at the time of the Warnock report, the determination of the status of the embryo, and arguments pitted against in vitro fertilisation (IVF) at the time, are all examined. As a result, this article suggests that the inclusion of the general public in the development and implementation of partial ectogestation prior to another Warnock-style inquiry will increase the success of long-standing regulatory and legislative provisions.
Exploring the hidden Universe: a novel phenomenological approach for recovering arbitrary gravitational-wave millilensing configurations
Authors: Liu Anna , Wong Isaac C F , Leong Samson H W , More Anupreeta , Hannuksela Otto A , Li Tjonnie G F
Published: May 2023

Since the first detection of gravitational waves in 2015, gravitational-wave astronomy has emerged as a rapidly advancing field that holds great potential for studying the cosmos, from probing the properties of black holes to testing the limits of our current understanding of gravity. One important aspect of gravitational-wave astronomy is the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, where massive intervening objects can bend and magnify gravitational waves, providing a unique way to probe the distribution of matter in the Universe, as well as finding applications to fundamental physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. However, current models for gravitational-wave millilensing—a specific form of lensing where small-scale astrophysical objects can split a gravitational wave signal into multiple copies—are often limited to simple isolated lenses, which is not realistic for complex lensing scenarios. In this paper, we present a novel phenomenological approach to incorporate millilensing in data analysis in a model-independent fashion. Our approach enables the recovery of arbitrary lens configurations without the need for extensive computational lens modelling, making it a more accurate and computationally efficient tool for studying the distribution of matter in the Universe using gravitational-wave signals. When gravitational-wave lensing observations become possible, our method could provide a powerful tool for studying complex lens configurations in the future.
Classifying FRB spectrograms using nonlinear dimensionality reduction techniques
Authors: Yang X , Zhang S-B , Wang J-S , Wu X-F
Published: May 2023

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are mysterious astronomical phenomena, and it is still uncertain whether they consist of multiple types. In this study, we use two nonlinear dimensionality reduction algorithms – Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) and t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding (t-SNE) – to differentiate repeaters from apparently non-repeaters in FRBs. Based on the first Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) FRB catalogue, these two methods are applied to standardized parameter data and image data from a sample of 594 sub-bursts and 535 FRBs, respectively. Both methods are able to differentiate repeaters from apparently non-repeaters. The UMAP algorithm using image data produces more accurate results and is a more model-independent method. Our result shows that in general repeater clusters tend to be narrowband, which implies a difference in burst morphology between repeaters and apparently non-repeaters. We also compared our UMAP predictions with the CHIME/FRB discovery of six new repeaters, the performance was generally good except for one outlier. Finally, we highlight the need for a larger and more complete sample of FRBs.
Strong lensing constraints on primordial black holes as a dark matter candidate
Authors: Dike Veronica , Gilman Daniel , Treu Tommaso
Published: May 2023

Dark matter could comprise, at least in part, primordial black holes (PBHs). To test this hypothesis, we present an approach to constrain the PBH mass (MPBH) and mass fraction (fPBH) from the flux ratios of quadruply imaged quasars. Our approach uses an approximate Bayesian computation forward modelling technique to directly sample the posterior distribution of MPBH and fPBH, while marginalizing over the subhalo mass function amplitude, spatial distribution, and the size of the lensed source. We apply our method to 11 quadruply imaged quasars and derive a new constraint on the intermediate-mass area of PBH parameter space 104 M⊙ < MPBH < 106 M⊙. We obtain an upper limit fPBH < 0.17 (95 per cent confidence limit). This constraint is independent of all other previously published limits.
Interacting galaxies in the IllustrisTNG simulations – V. Comparing the influence of star-forming versus passive companions
Authors: Brown Westley , Patton David R , Ellison Sara L , Faria Lawrence
Published: May 2023

We study interacting galaxy pairs in the TNG100-1 and TNG300-1 cosmological simulations using previously generated closest companion samples. We study the specific star-formation rates (sSFRs) of massive ($10^{10} \, {\rm M}_{\odot } \lt M_* \lt 10^{12} \, {\rm M}_{\odot }$ ) galaxies at z ≤ 0.2 as a function of separation from the closest companion galaxy. We split our sample based on whether the companion galaxy is star-forming or passive. We find that galaxies with close star-forming companions have sSFRs that are enhanced (on average) by a factor of 2.9 ± 0.3 in TNG100-1 and 2.27 ± 0.06 in TNG300-1 compared to controls, with enhancements present out to separations of ∼300 kpc. Galaxies with passive companions in TNG300-1 exhibit mild sSFR suppression (∼12 per cent) at 100–300 kpc and small sSFR enhancements at separations below 50 kpc. sSFR suppression is strongest in pairs where the galaxy’s stellar mass is more than 2 times that of its passive companion. By generating a stellar mass-matched (‘twinned’) sample in TNG300-1, we show that differences in sSFR trends between companion types are not a result of intrinsic stellar mass differences in star-forming versus passive galaxies. We compare with an analogous sample of galaxy pairs from SDSS, finding consistent results between observations and simulations. Overall, we find that star-forming galaxies show enhanced sSFRs regardless of companion type, but that galaxies with close passive companions are more likely to be passive themselves.
Time variability of ultra fast BAL outflows using SALT: C iv equivalent width analysis
Authors: Aromal P , Srianand R , Petitjean P
Published: May 2023

We study the time variability (over ≤7.3 yr) of ultra fast outflows (UFOs) detected in a sample of 64 C iv broad absorption line (BAL) quasars (with 80 distinct BAL components) monitored using the Southern African Large Telescope. By comparing the properties of the quasar in our sample with those of a control sample of non-BAL quasars, we show that the distributions of black hole mass are different and the bolometric luminosities and optical photometric variations of UFO BAL quasars are slightly smaller compared to that of non-BAL quasars. The detection fraction of C iv equivalent width (W) variability (∼95 per cent), the fractional variability amplitude $\left(\frac{\Delta W}{W}\right)$ and the fraction of ‘highly variable’ BAL (i.e. $\big|$$\frac{\Delta W}{W}$$\big|$ > 0.67) components (∼33 per cent) are higher in our sample compared to the general BAL population. The scatter in $\frac{\Delta W}{W}$ and the fraction of ‘highly variable’ BALs increase with the time-scale probed. The $\frac{\Delta W}{W}$ distribution is asymmetric at large time scales. We attribute this to the BAL strengthening time-scales being shorter than the weakening time-scales. The BAL variability amplitude correlates strongly with the BAL properties compared to the quasar properties. BALs with low W, high-velocity, shallow profiles, and low-velocity width tend to show more variability. When multiple BAL components are present, a correlated variability is seen between low- and high-velocity components with the latter showing a larger amplitude variations. We find an anticorrelation between the fractional variations in the continuum flux and W. While this suggests photoionization induced variability, the scatter in continuum flux is much smaller than that of W.
From a toxin to an obesogen: a review of potential obesogenic roles of acrylamide with a mechanistic approach
Authors: Buyukdere Yucel , Akyol Asli
Published: May 2023

Obesity and obesity-related disorders such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver have become a global health problem. It is well known that the primary cause of obesity is positive energy balance. In addition, obesity is the consequence of complex gene and environment interactions that result in excess calorie intake being stored as fat. However, it has been revealed that there are other factors contributing to the worsening of obesity. The presence of nontraditional risk factors, such as environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals, has recently been associated with obesity and comorbidities caused by obesity. The aim of this review was to examine the evidence and potential mechanisms for acrylamide having endocrine-disrupting properties contributing to obesity and obesity-related comorbidities. Recent studies have suggested that exposure to environmental endocrine-disrupting obesogens may be a risk factor contributing to the current obesity epidemic, and that one of these obesogens is acrylamide, an environmental and industrial compound produced by food processing, particularly the processing of foods such as potato chips, and coffee. In addition to the known harmful effects of acrylamide in humans and experimental animals, such as neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity, acrylamide also has an obesogenic effect. It has been shown in the literature to a limited extent that acrylamide may disrupt energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, adipogenesis, adipocyte differentiation, and various signaling pathways, and may exacerbate the disturbances in metabolic and biochemical parameters observed as a result of obesity. Acrylamide exerts its main potential obesogenic effects through body weight increase, worsening of the levels of obesity-related blood biomarkers, and induction of adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis. Additional mechanisms may be discovered. Further experimental studies and prospective cohorts are needed, both to supplement existing knowledge about acrylamide and its effects, and to clarify its established relationship with obesity and its comorbidities.