bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DC reactive sputtering synthesis of titanium nitride coatings on titanium for biomedical applications
Authors: Nguyen Duy Cuong , Phuong Pham Thi Mai , Tran Van Dang , Duc Dang Minh , Van Thiet Duong , Pham Vuong‐Hung
Published: December 2024

In this study, the titanium nitride (TiN) films were deposited on Ti substrates using DC reactive sputtering. The structure and morphology of the TiN films were analyzed by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectrometry and Auger electron spectroscopy. In vitro biocompatibility of the TiN films was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and a confocal electron scanning microscope. The results show that TiN films have been successfully formed, hardness and in vitro biocompatibility have been improved compared to that of Ti substrates.
A facile and cost‐effective method for crystalline cellulose extraction from sugarcane bagasse applied to remove crystal violet dye from solution
Authors: Phong Le Vinh , Tien Ho Dang , Vo Khuong Quoc
Published: December 2024

In this work, crystalline cellulose (CC) was extracted from sugarcane bagasse through a facile modification method and further applied to absorb crystal violet dye (CV) in aqueous media. The proposed modification approach uses a mixture of NaOH and H2O2 only in a two‐step extraction process. This method is more straightforward than previous extraction methods, which used complex mixtures of solvents and additives. The yield obtained was 76.90%, approximately higher than several works declared before. The as‐prepared product was then determined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) to analyze the presence of the functional groups and crystallinity, respectively. Furthermore, surface morphology, specific surface area of 0.634 m2 g−1, pore diameters of 3.010 nm, and pore size distribution of the obtained CC were determined with scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) methods from the nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherm, respectively. Additionally, serial experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of pH on the CV removal process. The results showed that the extracted material had a wide operating pH range of 6.0–9.0 and exhibited the highest CV treatment ability at pH 7.0. Besides, the effect of the parameters on the CV removal abilities, such as contact time (1–90 min), adsorbent dose (0.01–0.5 g), and initial CV concentration (10–100 mg L−1), was also investigated. To evaluate the CV removal ability of extract CC in the aqueous media and propose a suitable adsorption mechanism, we used several adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetic models, such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Elovich. The obtained results showed that the adsorbent followed the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. Moreover, according to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model, the maximum CV adsorption capacity (qm) of the CC was 8.857 mg g−1. Thermodynamic parameters such as −20 < ΔG0 < 0 (kJ mol−1), ΔH0 was 29.500 kJ mol−1, and the positive ΔS0 proved that the CV adsorption process of the CC was physical adsorption, spontaneous and endothermic. Overall, this study offers a simple approach based on the acid hydrolysis method for the high‐value utilization of sugarcane bagasse to isolate CC. This obtained product could become an active adsorbent for removing CV from the aqueous solutions.
Analyzing the physical chemistry of the structural dynamics and stabilizing interactions of citrazinic acid‐ammonium formamide complex
Authors: Sunny Sneha Anna , Hrangkhawl Nathan , Jayakumar Devadath , Babu Anijith , Begum N. Fazulunnisa , Thomas Renjith
Published: December 2024

This paper studies the nature of the non‐covalent interactions in the complex formed by citrazinic acid and ammonium formamide (CA‐AF), employing the principles of density functional theory (DFT). The individual molecules of CA and AF, as well as their combined dimer CA‐AF, underwent optimization in a gas‐phase environment, utilizing the M062X/aug‐cc‐pVDZ approach. The study calculated the binding energy for the optimized dimer to evaluate its thermodynamic stability. To qualitatively dissect the nature of interactions within the CA‐AF complex, techniques such as the reduced density gradient (RDG) method and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) were applied. Charge distribution across the complex's atoms was scrutinized through Mulliken population analysis and natural population analysis. The study also explored the electronic characteristics of the complex, with a focus on charge delocalization, which was analyzed using natural bond orbital techniques. The investigation unveiled a notable hydrogen bond interaction between CA's hydrogen and AF's oxygen atoms, a finding corroborated by QTAIM analysis. This exploration enhances the understanding of non‐covalent bonding in complex molecular structures, offering valuable insights into molecular interaction dynamics.
The Controversy over Expert Consensus in Science
Authors: Jorm Anthony
Published: December 2024

This chapter defines “expert consensus in science” as a high level of agreement among scientists with relevant expertise about a specific scientific claim, methodology or science-based practice or policy. In the not-too-distant past, the topic of expert consensus in science would only have been of interest to scientists and scholars in the history, philosophy and sociology of science. However, there is now a much broader interest in the topic from both scientists and non-scientists alike. A major reason for this is that expert consensus is increasingly used to guide national policies based on scientific findings, but some of these policies may be at odds with people’s pre-existing beliefs and values, and they understand little about scientific consensus. Examples are the role of human activity in global warming, the use of genetically modified crops and the safety of vaccination of infants. The chapter surveys the range of sceptical opinion about the legitimate role of consensus in science. The book challenges the sceptical view, arguing that expert consensus plays a vital role in scientific processes. However, these processes could be improved, and the book proposes how this could be done.
Towards a “Wisdom of Scientific Crowds”
Authors: Jorm Anthony
Published: December 2024

This chapter proposes the need for a new area of research on the “wisdom of scientific crowds”, which investigates how groups of scientists make optimal judgements using tasks more typical of those that face scientists. It reviews seven realistic scientific judgement tasks that could be used for this purpose.
Consensus Pervades Scientific Processes
Authors: Jorm Anthony
Published: December 2024

This chapter argues that, contrary to the views of the consensus sceptics, consensus processes pervade science. Using examples from a range of scientific areas, it shows how consensus is involved in generating ideas and setting priorities, assessing funding applications and distributing access to resources, selecting methods to use in a research project, publication of scientific findings, reviewing the published literature and drawing conclusions on facts. Taking a specific example of a research project, it identifies ten points during the research where consensus processes were involved.
Methods for Determining Deliberative Consensus
Authors: Jorm Anthony
Published: December 2024

This chapter describes the range of methods that have been used for determining deliberative consensus. These are Delphi studies, the nominal group technique, surveys of experts, systematic analysis of conclusions in the peer-reviewed literature, consensus conferences and expert working groups. There are also emerging methods which are not yet in common use: scientific citation networks, prediction markets and artificial intelligence.
A dynamical Einstein-Born-Infeld-dilaton model and holographic quarkonium melting in a magnetic field
Authors: Jena Siddhi Swarupa , Barman Jyotirmoy , Toniato Bruno , Dudal David , Mahapatra Subhash
Published: December 2024

Abstract

We generalize the potential reconstruction method to set up a dynamical Einstein-Born-Infeld-dilaton model, which we then use to study holographic quarkonium melting in an external magnetic field. The non-linear nature of the model allows to couple the magnetic field to the quarkonium inner structure without having to introduce back-reacting charged flavour degrees of freedom. The magnetic field dependent melting temperature is computed from the spectral functions and suggests a switch from inverse magnetic to magnetic catalysis when the magnetic field increases. We also discuss the differences due to the anisotropy brought in by the external field.
Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of KDM4B inhibitors to attenuate inflammatory host immune response in periodontitis
Authors: Garrabrant Kathleen A. , Furbish Amelia B. , Turner Jonathan M. , Gomez Ivett Pina , Mills Catherine M. , Maddi Abhiram , Peterson Yuri K.
Published: December 2024

Periodontal disease begins with bacterial plaque buildup in the oral cavity, inciting an inflammatory response that results in subsequent tissue damage. Even after standard treatment like scaling and root planning (SRP) to remove plaque and biofilm, the host immune response can remain hyper-active, perpetuating further tissue destruction. In these cases, aggressive periodontitis is resistant to SRP and the inflammatory response may persist, even in the absence of plaque, presenting a significant clinical challenge. Previous experiments have provided a validated model of periodontal inflammation by exposing murine macrophages to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), a pathogen linked to aggressive periodontitis. Using this model, we have previously demonstrated that the periodontal disease microenvironment triggers epigenetic changes, notably heightened lysine-specific demethylase 4B (KDM4B) activity. Data indicate that the KDM4B inhibitor ML324 can reverse the macrophage-mediated pro-inflammatory response induced by Aa LPS in vitro, providing compelling evidence for KDM4B as a rational therapeutic target for periodontal disease. In the present studies, a cohort of compounds was developed as potential KDM4B inhibitors. Synthesis and characterization of derivatives led to the discovery of compound 14 with an IC50 of 170 nM against KDM4B and immunosuppressive activity in the Aa LPS challenge model. These results suggest KDM4B inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents for modulating the immune response for periodontal disease.
Characteristics of autoantibody-positive individuals without high-risk HLA-DR4-DQ8 or HLA-DR3-DQ2 haplotypes
Authors: Redondo Maria J. , Cuthbertson David , Steck Andrea K. , Herold Kevan C. , Oram Richard , Atkinson Mark , Brusko Todd M. , Parikh Hemang M. , Krischer Jeffrey P. , Onengut-Gumuscu Suna , Rich Stephen S. , Sosenko Jay M. ,   the Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet Study Group
Published: December 2024

Aims/hypothesis

Many studies of type 1 diabetes pathogenesis focus on individuals with high-risk HLA haplotypes. We tested the hypothesis that, among islet autoantibody-positive individuals, lacking HLA-DRB1*04-DQA1*03-DQB1*0302 (HLA-DR4-DQ8) and/or HLA-DRB1*0301-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 (HLA-DR3-DQ2) is associated with phenotypic differences, compared with those who have these high-risk HLA haplotypes.

Methods

We classified autoantibody-positive relatives of individuals with type 1 diabetes into four groups based on having both HLA-DR4-DQ8 and HLA-DR3-DQ2 (DR3/DR4; n=1263), HLA-DR4-DQ8 but not HLA-DR3-DQ2 (DR4/non-DR3; n=2340), HLA-DR3-DQ2 but not HLA-DR4-DQ8 (DR3/non-DR4; n=1607) and neither HLA-DR3-DQ2 nor HLA-DR4-DQ8 (DRX/DRX; n=1294). Group comparisons included demographics, metabolic markers and the prevalence of autoantibodies against GAD65 (GADA%), IA-2 (IA-2A%) or insulin (IAA%) at enrolment. A p value <0.01 was considered statistically significant.

Results

IA-2A% was lower in the DRX/DRX group (20.9%) than in the DR4/non-DR3 (38.5%, p<0.001) and DR3/DR4 (44.8%, p<0.001) groups, but similar to the DR3/non-DR4 group (20.0%). Conversely, IAA% was similar in the DRX/DRX (43.4%), DR4/non-DR3 (41.1%) and DR3/DR4 (41.0%) groups, but lower in the DR3/non-DR4 group (30.1%, p<0.001). Participants in the DRX/DRX group were older, with a lower prevalence of White participants and a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, and higher preserved C-peptide (as measured by a lower Index60) than those in the DR3/DR4 group (all comparisons, p<0.005), a lower prevalence of White or non-Hispanic participants and a lower Index60 than those in the DR4/non-DR3 group, and younger age, a higher prevalence of Hispanic participants and a lower Index60 than those in the DR3/non-DR4 group (all comparisons, p<0.005). Among the 1292 participants who progressed to clinical type 1 diabetes, those in the DR3/non-DR4 group had higher GADA%, lower IA-2A% and lower IAA% than the other groups (all comparisons, p<0.01), and those in the DR3/DR4 group had the youngest age at diagnosis (all comparisons, p<0.001).

Conclusions/interpretation

Autoantibody-positive individuals who lack both high-risk HLA haplotypes (DRX/DRX) or have HLA-DR3-DQ2 but lack HLA-DR4-DQ8 (DR3/non-DR4) have phenotypic differences compared with DR3/DR4 and DR4/non-DR3 individuals, suggesting that there is aetiological heterogeneity in type 1 diabetes.

Graphical Abstract
Coefficient of friction in the demoulding forces of the injection moulding process—a review
Authors: Rodrigues Ângela R. , Correia Mário S. , Pontes António J.
Published: December 2024

Ejection is the most critical phase in the injection moulding process and depends on several variables that can affect and difficult the demoulding process. Some phenomena in the mould, such as shrinkage, adhesion and friction, can lead to higher ejection forces. Friction, deformation and adhesion mechanisms are components of the coefficient of friction that occurs between the mould and the part surface. An increase in the coefficient of friction will result in higher ejection forces and consequently increase the energy consumption during the demoulding process. Mould and part material, mould surface roughness, coatings and ejection temperature are some of the variables that can affect the coefficient of friction in the injection moulding process. This review paper presents some considerations on the mechanisms, the process and material variables that can affect the coefficient of friction.
Optimizing control parameters for Huanglongbing disease in citrus orchards using SAIR-SI compartmental model, epidemic final size, and genetic algorithms
Authors: Anzo Hernández Andrés , Giménez Mujica Uvencio José , Hernández Gracidas Carlos Arturo , Oliveros Oliveros José Jacobo
Published: December 2024

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a bacterial disease that affects citrus trees worldwide. We present an innovative approach for identifying optimal control and risk measures for HLB in citrus orchards. Our method is based on a mathematical model that incorporates the number of roguing trees and a logistic growth model for the dynamic of the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP), the primary vector for HLB transmission. We derive an expression for: (1) the basic reproduction number

$$R_{0}$$

R
0

; (2) the final size for the number of roguing trees; and (3) the transmission risk. The above let us propose a difference map equation that assesses this final size with a low computational cost. We use this difference map in an evolutionary algorithm to identify the most effective combination of control parameter values for reducing HLB transmission, including the timing and frequency of roguing and the use of insecticides. In this sense, we propose two control strategies, which we called tree-centered and vector-centered.
Development and refinement of patient care recommendations in brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer using nominal group technique workshops
Authors: Humphrey Pauline , Dures Emma , Hoskin Peter , Johnston Jenny , Reardon Louise , Cramp Fiona
Published: December 2024

Purpose

Patient experiences of brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) are widely variable, with reports of difficult and traumatic experiences and aspects of care requiring improvement. The aim of this study was to develop patient care recommendations and consult with key stakeholders to review, refine and prioritise recommendations.

Methods

Phase 1: Patient care recommendations were developed from qualitative exploratory study data. Phase 2: Service users and providers with recent experience of brachytherapy for LACC were recruited to online nominal group technique (NGT) workshops. Four NGT stages were followed: (1) initial voting and silent generation; (2) round robin; (3) clarification; and (4) prioritisation. Voting data were summed across the workshops, deriving inter-group scores. Qualitative data were analysed through content analysis.

Results

Phase 1: Fifty-one patient care recommendations were developed. Phase 2: Thirteen participants took part in three online NGT workshops, with a combination of service users and providers. Initial recommendations were voted on; four new recommendations were added; minor changes were made and second voting was undertaken. Recommendations were positively received with 25 recommendations scoring maximum points from all participants. An importance score above 90% was given to 46 recommendations. The remaining recommendations received scores between 74 and 90%.

Conclusions

NGT workshops facilitated collaboration between key stakeholders, discussing, refining and prioritising patient care recommendations, leading to verification of achievable and relevant recommendations. These provide a foundation for future development of guidelines and subsequent implementation into clinical practice, aiming to improve consistency of care and patient experiences of brachytherapy for LACC.
Prospective clinical study of enamel wear caused by monolithic zirconia resin-bonded inlay-retained and wing-retained fixed partial dentures over 5 years
Authors: Bömicke Wolfgang , Haas Julius , Awounvo Sinclair , Rammelsberg Peter , Rues Stefan
Published: December 2024

Objectives

To prospectively evaluate the wear of posterior zirconia resin-bonded fixed partial dentures (RBFPDs) with polished occlusal surfaces and their natural enamel antagonists compared to contralateral controls in an enamel-enamel contact over 5 years.

Materials and methods

In six patients with either an inlay- or wing-retained RBFPD made of monolithic 3 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (3Y-TZP), wear was evaluated indirectly using baseline and annual polyvinyl siloxane impressions. Resulting gypsum models were digitized and aligned by unchanged surface areas. Wear was analyzed by depth and area. For each parameter, descriptive statistics were used to express the degree of wear observed at yearly intervals for each group. A linear mixed regression analysis was performed to compare the enamel opposing 3Y-TZP group and the enamel-enamel controls at tooth level. All statistical tests were conducted at the 5% significance level.

Results

After 5 years, the mean enamel wear depth of teeth opposing 3Y-TZP was 77 μm, compared to 54 μm for control teeth. No wear was observed on the 3Y-TZP RBFPDs. Maximum enamel wear depth and wear area were 229 μm and 9 mm², respectively, for teeth opposing 3Y-TZP, and 135 μm and 5 mm² for control teeth. Significant differences in mean enamel wear depth emerged after 2 years of observation.

Conclusions

Polished 3Y-TZP caused more enamel wear than natural antagonists over 5 years, but the wear remained within the range reported for other commonly used indirect restorative materials.

Clinical relevance

The clinical use of polished 3Y-TZP restorations appears to be justified in terms of natural antagonist wear behavior.
The Use of Weakly Basic Ion Exchange Resin Amberlite IRA-68 for the Chromatographic Separation of Rare Earth Elements
Authors: Samczyński Zbigniew
Published: December 2024

The possibility of applying the system: weakly basic Amberlite IRA-68 resin-nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) solutions for the separation of rare earth elements (REE) by ion exchange chromatography was investigated. Preliminary research results revealed that the affinity of REE towards the ion exchanger is closely correlated with the stability of their negative complexes that they form with NTA. Three separate groups of lanthanides could be distinguished, i.e. light (La, Ce, Pr, Nd), medium (Y, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er) and heavy (Tm, Yb, Lu, Sc). Moreover, it seemed that within the first and third groups it was possible to individually separate elements from each other. Based on the experimentally obtained relationships, the theoretically assumed course of the ion exchange reaction of anionic REE complexes with NTA on the Amberlite IRA-68 resin was confirmed. The influence of the ion exchanger particle size, column size and composition of the mobile phase, i.e. pH, NTA and neutral salt (NaNO3) concentration, on the chromatographic separation of REE was investigated. It has been shown that the proper selection of these parameters makes it possible not only to divide REE into the three groups mentioned above, but also to individually separate some elements, i.e. La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Tm, Yb, Lu and Sc.
A Counselor Education’s Community Clinics’ Shift to Telehealth During COVID-19: a Programmatic Perspective
Authors: Mendoza Sarah , Fakhro Dania , Zeligman Melissa , Super John
Published: December 2024

COVID-19 caused a sudden shift for counselors-in-training and supervisors to transition from in-person counselling to telehealth counseling and supervision. Counselors-in-training and supervisors at large were forced to complete a rapid transition to telehealth. This article provides a detailed account of the transition made at a large Southeastern University to telehealth and takes a broader look at practical implications and recommendations that other university and/or college and community-based clinics can use for adding telehealth to their clinic. In addition, practices for the effective use of technology in professional counselors’ preparedness for in person and telehealth counseling and supervision are outlined.
Understanding the values that inform regenerative ranching in the Northern U.S. Great Plains
Authors: Pape Timothy , Meredith Gwendŵr , Sandahl David , Kabir Md Faizul , Banerjee Simanti , Allen Craig , Dennis Elliot , Stephenson Mitchell
Published: December 2024

The effects of environmental degradation and climate change are propelling a discourse shift towards regenerative agriculture, yet understanding motivations for implementing regenerative practices on private agricultural lands is still a challenge. We study that challenge within the realm of regenerative ranching, a subcategory of regenerative agriculture. By examining the frequency of values articulated by respondents, a valuation typology stemming from 24 semi-structured interviews with ranchers in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota is revealed. Instrumental valuations dominated in the studied region in connection to regenerative ranching practices, although some respondents articulated relational and intrinsic valuations tied to their practices. While this study focuses on regenerative ranching, we posit that a better understanding of the interplay between diverse valuations as they relate to private land management practices is vital to promoting more resilient and thoughtful ecosystem governance.
Low densities and little change in water clarity characterize zebra mussel invasions near the southern extent of their range
Authors: Cianci-Gaskill Jacob A. , Thorpe Anthony P. , Jones John R. , North Rebecca L.
Published: December 2024

Invasive species are often assumed to have measurable impacts throughout their potential range, but this is not always true. This study evaluated whether zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) were causing an increase in water clarity near the southern edge of their North American expansion using a 40+ year dataset. We looked for abrupt shifts and long-term trends in water clarity and compared these to the estimated zebra mussel invasion date for 7 reservoirs in Missouri, USA. We also looked at water clarity in 26 non-invaded reservoirs to evaluate whether zebra mussel impacts were being masked by variation in environmental factors. Collectively, our analyses provide a weight of evidence based on a lack of consistent shifts in water clarity corresponding with zebra mussel invasions. Mussel establishment did not increase water clarity, likely because densities were too low to result in a measurable impact. The highest zebra mussel density we observed was 65 mussels m−2, an order of magnitude less than in systems where they have had a sustained impact. Low densities could be due to a combination of sublethal environmental conditions such as warm water temperatures, suspended inorganic particulates, fluctuating water levels, and reduced oxygen concentrations, as well as limited hard substrata or predation by fish. While additional study is required to understand which, if any, of these factors may be limiting zebra mussel establishment in Missouri, our study shows that dreissenids are not having an impact as elsewhere throughout their range, suggesting that how an invader alters ecosystem functions is critical to determining its impact.
Making the world a better place? English higher education and global public good
Authors: Marginson Simon , Yang Lili , Brotherhood Thomas
Published: December 2024

UK higher education is highly internationalised. Two-thirds of science papers with UK authors involve international collaboration, one-quarter of higher education students are international, and their fees constitute more than a fifth of institutional income. What then are the contributions of higher education and research to the global public good? The study investigates this in relation to England within UK, drawing on interviews with 37 people who construct relational global space and carry out cross-border activities. Interviewees included leaders and faculty in three universities, policy makers/regulators, national higher education organisations, and academic experts on higher education. The findings are interpreted in terms of theorisations of global spatiality and global public good. The interviewees believed that English higher education made the world a better place, but this was clearer in research than in high-fee international education, where the imperative of revenue raising took priority with no provision for equity. Potentials for the shared global public good were limited by the often methodologically nationalist and Anglo-centric terms in which cross-border relations were understood. Many saw national good and global good as synonymous, suggesting they had not moved far from the Imperial mindset. Some referred to multiple perspectives on global public good, or mission tensions in international education, but none conceived the global public good separately from national interest.
Marginally outer trapped tubes in de Sitter spacetime
Authors: Mars Marc , Rossdeutscher Carl , Simon Walter , Steinbauer Roland
Published: December 2024

We prove two results which are relevant for constructing marginally outer trapped tubes (MOTTs) in de Sitter spacetime. The first one (Theorem 1) holds more generally, namely for spacetimes satisfying the null convergence condition and containing a timelike conformal Killing vector with a “temporal function”. We show that all marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTSs) in such a spacetime are unstable. This prevents application of standard results on the propagation of stable MOTSs to MOTTs. On the other hand, it was shown recently, Charlton et al. (minimal surfaces and alternating multiple zetas, arXiv:2407.07130), that for every sufficiently high genus, there exists a smooth, complete family of CMC surfaces embedded in the round 3-sphere $$\mathbb {S}^3$$

S

3

. This family connects a Lawson minimal surface with a doubly covered geodesic 2-sphere. We show (Theorem 2) by a simple scaling argument that this result translates to an existence proof for complete MOTTs with CMC sections in de Sitter spacetime. Moreover, the area of these sections increases strictly monotonically. We compare this result with an area law obtained before for holographic screens.
Laplace-based strategies for Bayesian optimal experimental design with nuisance uncertainty
Authors: Bartuska Arved , Espath Luis , Tempone Raúl
Published: December 2024

Finding the optimal design of experiments in the Bayesian setting typically requires estimation and optimization of the expected information gain functional. This functional consists of one outer and one inner integral, separated by the logarithm function applied to the inner integral. When the mathematical model of the experiment contains uncertainty about the parameters of interest and nuisance uncertainty, (i.e., uncertainty about parameters that affect the model but are not themselves of interest to the experimenter), two inner integrals must be estimated. Thus, the already considerable computational effort required to determine good approximations of the expected information gain is increased further. The Laplace approximation has been applied successfully in the context of experimental design in various ways, and we propose two novel estimators featuring the Laplace approximation to alleviate the computational burden of both inner integrals considerably. The first estimator applies Laplace’s method followed by a Laplace approximation, introducing a bias. The second estimator uses two Laplace approximations as importance sampling measures for Monte Carlo approximations of the inner integrals. Both estimators use Monte Carlo approximation for the remaining outer integral estimation. We provide four numerical examples demonstrating the applicability and effectiveness of our proposed estimators.
Zusammenarbeit mit Familien in der Kita-Sozialarbeit
Authors: Lochner Barbara , Gaßmann Annegret
Published: December 2024

Kita-Sozialarbeit hat sich in den letzten Jahren in unterschiedlicher Weise an verschiedenen Standorten in Deutschland etabliert. Ein verbindendes Element der differenten Konzeptionen ist der Fokus der Kita-Sozialarbeit auf Bedarfe, die Eltern und Familien artikulieren bzw. die seitens der Fachkräfte in Kindertageseinrichtungen mit Blick auf Eltern und Familien wahrgenommen werden. Im Beitrag wird auf Basis einer gemeinsamen Interviewstudie mit Kita-Sozialarbeiter_innen und Leitungskräften der Frage nachgegangen, wie die Familienorientierung in der Kita-Sozialarbeit konturiert ist.
Optimizing depthwise separable convolution on DCU
Authors: Liu Zheng , Hao Meng , Zhang Weizhe , Lu Gangzhao , Tian Xueyang , Yang Siyu , Xie Mingdong , Dai Jie , Yuan Chenyu , Wang Desheng , Yang Hongwei
Published: December 2024

The integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) is significantly advancing the development of large models. However, the computational cost of large models is high, necessitating optimization for greater efficiency. One effective way to optimize the CNN is the use of depthwise separable convolution (DSC), which decouples spatial and channel convolutions to reduce the number of parameters and enhance efficiency. In this study, we focus on porting and optimizing DSC kernel functions from the GPU to the Deep Computing Unit (DCU), a computing accelerator developed in China. For depthwise convolution, we implement a row data reuse algorithm to minimize redundant data loading and memory access overhead. For pointwise convolution, we extend our dynamic tiling strategy to improve hardware utilization by balancing resource allocation among blocks and threads, and we enhance arithmetic intensity through a channel distribution algorithm. We implement depthwise and pointwise convolution kernel functions and integrate them into PyTorch as extension modules. Experiments demonstrate that our optimized kernel functions outperform the MIOpen library on the DCU, achieving up to a 3.59

$$\times$$

×

speedup in depthwise convolution and up to a 3.54

$$\times$$

×

speedup in pointwise convolution. These results highlight the effectiveness of our approach in leveraging the DCU’s architecture to accelerate deep learning operations.
Hyper-Raman spectroscopy of non-proteinogenic amino acids
Authors: Liu Tsung-Han , Okuno Masanari
Published: December 2024

We report 532-nm and 1064-nm excited hyper-Raman (HR) spectra of representative non-proteinogenic amino acids, including α-, β-, and γ-amino acids. Different from the common 20 proteinogenic amino acids, natural non-proteinogenic amino acids cannot be incorporated into proteins during translation, while they are indispensable as intermediates in many processes like biosynthesis and neurotransmitters. In 532-nm excited HR spectra, the COO─ symmetric stretching bands are commonly intense, and the NH3
+ bands are clearly observable. In addition, based on the reported IR and Raman study, we found that some HR bands are IR-active but Raman-inactive. In contrast, HR signals with the 1064-nm excitation are much weaker than the 532-nm excitation. Nevertheless, we observed the COO─ scissoring band unexpectedly, much stronger than other bands with the 1064-nm excitation. Our results suggest that the electronic resonance effect plays a role in enabling us to detect HR signals in the UV region readily. We expect that this study provides a supplementary reference for HR spectroscopy of natural amino acids.

Graphical Abstract
QuantiVA: quantitative verification of autonomous driving
Authors: Li Renjue , Qin Tianhang , Yang Pengfei , Huang Cheng-Chao , Sun Youcheng , Zhang Lijun
Published: December 2024

We present a practical verification method for safety analysis of the autonomous driving system (ADS). The main idea is to build a surrogate model that quantitatively depicts the behavior of an ADS in the specified traffic scenario. The safety properties proved in the resulting surrogate model apply to the original ADS with a probabilistic guarantee. Given the complexity of a traffic scenario in autonomous driving, our approach further partitions the parameter space of a traffic scenario for the ADS into safe sub-spaces with varying levels of guarantees and unsafe sub-spaces with confirmed counter-examples. Innovatively, the partitioning is based on a branching algorithm that features explainable AI methods. We demonstrate the utility of the proposed approach by evaluating safety properties on the state-of-the-art ADS Interfuser, with a variety of simulated traffic scenarios, and we show that our approach and existing ADS testing work complement each other. We certify five safe scenarios from the verification results and find out three sneaky behavior discrepancies in Interfuser which can hardly be detected by safety testing approaches.
Viscoelastic flow around a confined cylinder: 2-D linear stability analysis leading to asymmetric flow
Authors: Spyridakis A. , Moschopoulos P. , Varchanis S. , Dimakopoulos Y. , Tsamopoulos J.
Published: December 2024

We study the two-dimensional creeping flow of a viscoelastic fluid around a cylinder confined between two plates parallel to its axis. First, we solve the governing equations under steady state with our novel stabilized finite-element formulation to obtain converged solutions even at very high Weissenberg numbers. Then, we examine the stability of this solution by perturbing all flow variables and solving the corresponding eigenvalue problem. At critical conditions, a stable asymmetric flow arises, in which more fluid passes from either the upper or the lower gap between the cylinder and the channel wall. Both shear-thinning and elasticity play a crucial role on the onset and subsequent evolution of the instability. Energy analysis shows that the terms of the constitutive equation corresponding to apparent strain-rate thinning and material extensibility are responsible for the flow destabilization. The instability is present at a wider range of flow conditions when the material is more elastic and when the solvent contribution is smaller. The instability is also promoted by increasing the confinement. Beyond the critical conditions, asymmetric flow profiles vanish when the flow is so intense that thinning effects are not important anymore. The critical Weissenberg number for instability inception and cessation depends on material properties and geometry exponentially and linearly, respectively. Furthermore, the instability arises even in a seemingly non-shear-thinning fluid, i.e. one with constant shear viscosity in simple shear, when the solvent contribution is minimal, because of the apparent thinning effect that is created by the convection of the viscoelastic stresses. Finally, models with extension-rate thinning trigger the instability at limited flow conditions, when the shear viscosity decreases with the shear rate, and the normal stresses at the wake of the cylinder are still important. These results agree with previous experiments and simulations, and give new insights on the physical mechanism that triggers this flow instability.
Data-driven active control of a thin elliptical cylinder undergoing transverse flow-induced vibrations
Authors: Lo Jonathan C.C. , Hourigan Kerry , Zhao Jisheng , Thompson Mark C.
Published: December 2024

This experimental study employs Bayesian optimisation to maximise the cross-flow (transverse) flow-induced vibration (FIV) of an elastically mounted thin elliptical cylinder by implementing axial (or angular) flapping motions. The flapping amplitude was in proportion to the vibration amplitude, with a relative phase angle imposed between the angular and transverse displacements of the cylinder. The control parameter space spanned over the ranges of proportional gain and phase difference of

$0 \leq K_p^* \leq 5$

and

$0 \leq \phi _d \leq 360^\circ$

, respectively, over a reduced velocity range of

$3.0 \leqslant {U^*} = U/({{f_{nw}}} b) \leqslant 8.5$

. The corresponding Reynolds number range was

$1250 \leqslant {{Re}} =(U b)/\nu \leqslant 3580$

. Here,

$U$

is the free stream velocity,

$b$

is the major cross-sectional diameter of the cylinder,

${{f_{nw}}}$

is the natural frequency of the system in quiescent fluid (water) and

$\nu$

is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid. It was found that the controlled body rotation extended the wake-body synchronisation across the entire

${U^*}$

range tested, with a larger amplitude response than the non-rotating case for all flow speeds. Interestingly, two new wake-body synchronisation regimes were identified, which have not been reported in previous studies. As this geometry acts as a ‘hard-oscillator’ for

${U^*} \geqslant 6.3$

, an adaptive gain (i.e. one that varies as a function of oscillation amplitude) was also implemented, allowing the body vibration, achieved for a non-rotating cylinder using increasing

${U^*}$

increments, to be excited from rest. The findings of the present study hold potential implications for the use of FIV as a means to efficiently extract energy from free-flowing water sources, a topic of increasing interest over the last decade.
Flame acceleration and detonation transition in premixed and inhomogeneous supersonic flows
Authors: Zhao Wandong , Deiterding Ralf , Cai Xiaodong , Liang Jianhan , Yang Xiong , Sun Mingbo
Published: December 2024

The reactive Navier–Stokes equations with adaptive mesh refinement and a detailed chemical reactive mechanism (11 species, 27 steps) were adopted to investigate a detonation engine considering the injection and supersonic mixing processes. Flame acceleration and deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) in a premixed/inhomogeneous supersonic hydrogen–air mixture with and without transverse jet obstacles were addressed. Results demonstrate the difficulty in undergoing DDT in the premixed/inhomogeneous supersonic mixture within a smooth chamber. By contrast, multiple transverse jets injected into the chamber aid detonation transition by introducing perturbed vortices, shock waves and a suitable blockage ratio. Increasing distance between the leading shock and the flame tip impedes detonation transition due to an insufficient blockage ratio. The extremely perturbed distributions of fuel-lean and fuel-rich mixtures lead to more complicated flame structures. Also, a larger flame thickness appears in the inhomogeneous mixture compared with the premixed mixture, resulting in a lower combustion temperature. The key findings are that the DDT, detonation quenching and reinitiation are generated in the inhomogeneous supersonic mixture, but both DDT mechanisms are ascribed to a strong Mach stem with the Zel'dovich gradient mechanism. Additionally, the obtained results demonstrate that an intensely fuel-lean mixture (equivalence ratio = 0.15) results in a partially decoupled flame front. However, detonation reinitiation and subsequent self-sustained detonation occur when a fierce shock wave propagates through a highly sensitive mixture, even within a smaller and elongated area. Moreover, the inhomogeneous mixture also augments the propagation speed and detonation cell structure instabilities and delays the sonic point resulting from the extending non-equilibrium reaction.
DISCRETE SETS DEFINABLE IN STRONG EXPANSIONS OF ORDERED ABELIAN GROUPS
Authors: DOLICH ALFRED , GOODRICK JOHN
Published: December 2024

We study the structure of infinite discrete sets D definable in expansions of ordered Abelian groups whose theories are strong and definably complete, with a particular emphasis on the set

$D'$

comprised of differences between successive elements. In particular, if the burden of the structure is at most n, then the result of applying the operation

$D \mapsto D'\ n$

times must be a finite set (Theorem 1.1). In the case when the structure is densely ordered and has burden

$2$

, we show that any definable unary discrete set must be definable in some elementary extension of the structure

$\langle \mathbb{R}; <, +, \mathbb{Z} \rangle $

(Theorem 1.3).
SCOTT SENTENCE COMPLEXITIES OF LINEAR ORDERINGS
Authors: GONZALEZ DAVID , ROSSEGGER DINO
Published: December 2024

We study possible Scott sentence complexities of linear orderings using two approaches. First, we investigate the effect of the Friedman–Stanley embedding on Scott sentence complexity and show that it only preserves

$\Pi ^{\mathrm {in}}_{\alpha }$

complexities. We then take a more direct approach and exhibit linear orderings of all Scott sentence complexities except

$\Sigma ^{\mathrm {in}}_{3}$

and

$\Sigma ^{\mathrm {in}}_{\lambda +1}$

for

$\lambda $

a limit ordinal. We show that the former cannot be the Scott sentence complexity of a linear ordering. In the process we develop new techniques which appear to be helpful to calculate the Scott sentence complexities of structures.
Focal inferential infusion coupled with tractable density discrimination for implicit hate detection
Authors: Masud Sarah , Bajpai Ashutosh , Chakraborty Tanmoy
Published: December 2024

Although pretrained large language models (PLMs) have achieved state of the art on many natural language processing tasks, they lack an understanding of subtle expressions of implicit hate speech. Various attempts have been made to enhance the detection of implicit hate by augmenting external context or enforcing label separation via distance-based metrics. Combining these two approaches, we introduce FiADD, a novel focused inferential adaptive density discrimination framework. FiADD enhances the PLM finetuning pipeline by bringing the surface form/meaning of an implicit hate speech closer to its implied form while increasing the intercluster distance among various labels. We test FiADD on three implicit hate datasets and observe significant improvement in the two-way and three-way hate classification tasks. We further experiment on the generalizability of FiADD on three other tasks, detecting sarcasm, irony, and stance, in which surface and implied forms differ, and observe similar performance improvements. Consequently, we analyze the generated latent space to understand its evolution under FiADD, which corroborates the advantage of employing FiADD for implicit hate speech detection.
Atmospheres of influence: the role of journal editors in shaping early climate change narratives
Authors: Naylor Robert , Shaw Eleanor
Published: December 2024

The role of editorial staff in shaping early climate change narratives has been underexplored and deserves more attention. During the 1970s, the epistemological underpinnings of the production of knowledge on climate change were contested between scientists who favoured computer-based atmospheric simulations and those who were more interested in investigating the long-term history of climatic changes. Although the former group later became predominant in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change during the 1980s, the latter had a sizable influence over climate discourse during the 1970s. Of these, one of the key popularizers of climate discourse during the 1970s was the British climatologist Hubert Lamb (1913–97). The correspondence between Lamb and journal editors who gatekept and curated different audiences helped craft resonant messages about climate change and its potential effects, and we explore Lamb's interactions with editors of Nature, the UNESCO Courier, The Ecologist and Development Forum in the 1973–4 period. Through understanding how climate change discussion was influenced by editors, we gain an insight into how such narratives had to be adjusted to fit into pre-existing discourses before their importance was more widely established, and how these adjustments helped shape conceptualizations of climate change as a global, human-caused phenomenon and a source of universal threat.
Nutrient digestion efficiency: a comparison between broiler chickens and growing pigs fed maize, barley and oats-based diets with an emphasis on starch
Authors: Bassi Lucas S. , Hejdysz Marcin , Pruszyńska-Oszmałek Ewa , Kołodziejski Paweł A. , Cowieson Aaron J. , Kaczmarek Sebastian A. , Svihus Birger
Published: December 2024

We investigated the hypotheses that broilers and pigs have distinct starch digestion capacities and that different cereals could trigger diet–species interactions. Ten replicates of two broilers (14 d old) or one pig (50 d old) each were distributed into a 3 × 2 randomised factorial design with three pelleted diets (maize, barley or oat-based) and the two species. Nutritional composition was equal for both species. Diets were fed for 10 d, and then the pancreas and organs from the stomach region and small intestine were collected with contents. It was observed that both species were similarly efficient at digesting starch but differed in some digestive aspects. Broilers had higher ileal digestibility coefficients (P < 0·001) of DM (0·69) and crude protein (0·75) than pigs (0·66 and 0·67), presented a higher volume of particles < 0·1 mm in duodenal digesta (P < 0·001) and had a lower gizzard pH (3·68) than pig stomach (4·48; P < 0·05). Conversely, pigs had lower ileal viscosity (1·44 v. 2·77 cP; P < 0·05) and higher pancreatic lipase activity (27 v. 5·9 U/g of pancreas; P < 0·05) compared with broilers. In the jejunum, oat led to higher starch digestibility (0·96; P < 0·05) than maize and barley regardless of species. In the ileum, starch digestibility was higher for broilers fed oats (0·99) than broilers fed barley (0·94; P < 0·05), establishing that oats provided, in general, a superior starch availability. The results imply that starch utilisation capacity is more related to its dietary source than to the species to which it is fed.