bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimized reagents for immunopotency assays on mesenchymal stromal cells for clinical use
Authors: Torrents Sílvia , del Moral Andrés Escudero , Codinach Margarita , Rodríguez Luciano , Querol Sergi , Vives Joaquim
Published: April 2023

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) offer new therapeutic opportunities based on their ability to modulate an imbalanced immune system. Immunomodulatory potency is typically demonstrated in vitro by measuring the presence of surrogate markers (i.e., indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, IDO; tumor necrosis factor receptor type 1, TNFR1) and/or functional assays in co-cultures (i.e., inhibition of lymphoproliferation, polarization of macrophages). However, the biological variability of reagents used in the latter type of assays leads to unreliable and difficult to reproduce data therefore making cross-comparison between batches difficult, both at the intra- and inter-laboratory levels. Herein, we describe a set of experiments aiming at the definition and validation of reliable biological reagents as a first step towards standardization of a potency assay. This approach is based on the co-culture of Wharton’s jelly (WJ)-derived MSC and cryopreserved pooled peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Altogether, we successfully defined a robust and reproducible immunopotency assay based on previously described methods incorporating substantial improvements such as cryopreservation of multiple vials of pooled peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 5 individual donors that enable a number of tests with same reagents, also reducing waste of PBMC from individual donors and therefore contributing to a more efficient and ethical method to use substances of human origin (SoHO). The new methodology was successfully validated using 11 batches of clinical grade MSC,WJ. Methods described here contribute to minimize PBMC donor variability while reducing costs, streamlining assay setup and convenience and laying the foundations for harmonization of biological reagents usage in standardized immunopotency assays for MSC.

Highlights

• The use of pools of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in potency assays contributes to robust and reproducible results, which is key in the assessment of mesenchymal stroma cells (MSC) potency for batch release.

• Cryopreservation of PBMCs does not impact negatively on their activation and proliferation abilities.

• Cryopreserved pools of PBMC constitutes convenient off-the-shelf reagents for potency assays.

• Cryopreservation of pooled PBMCs from multiple donors is a way to reduce waste of donated PBMC and its associated costs, as well as reducing the impact of individual donor variability of substances of human origin (SoHO).
Local Immigrant Councils as a Form of Participation and Governance: How Institutional Design and Agency Matter
Authors: Schiller Maria
Published: April 2023

Over the past decades, Western European municipalities increasingly reacted to the presence of immigrants with efforts to include these new residents in local policymaking. As part of this, many cities installed local immigrant councils, allowing newcomers to participate in the political sphere and to bring their needs and interests into the political process. Even though immigrant councils became strongly institutionalized in countries like Germany, their role has been described as ambiguous and their relationship with local authorities as unequal. Existing research has examined immigrant councils as a form of political participation and urban governance and investigated their institutional design and agency of involved actors. Yet, to date, we have little research that systematically links institutional structures and agency of immigrant councils with these bodies’ participation in local policymaking and their collaboration with municipal actors. Based on qualitative research on immigrant councils in two German cities, this article takes a fresh look at this form of immigrant political involvement in cities. It finetunes previous findings by showing that these bodies do not necessarily have to be tokenistic. Strengthening their political rights, countering forms of discrimination and side-lining of immigrant councils and bolstering the ownership of local officials and political leaders for these bodies are three strategies that can support these bodies’ political participation and their role in urban governance.
Organisational happiness based on ‘GNH of Business’ in a non-Buddhist environment
Authors: Bencsik Andrea
Published: April 2023

The main aim of the study is to show that a method developed in the context of Buddhist culture (GNH of Business), which measures the happiness and well-being of employees in business and the organisational conditions for this, can be applied in other cultural contexts. The research adapted the logic and computational method of the original questionnaire survey (developed in Bhutan, GNH of Business) to a Central Eastern European country. All business education faculties/institutes of higher education institutions were involved in the quantitative research. The results of 239 employee and 14 manager questionnaires show that the method is fully applicable in Christian cultural contexts. The value of the happiness index of higher education institutions in the field of economics is below the average level. The biggest deficiencies are in the area of ‘Quality of Life’, while the indicators for ‘Cultural and Ecological Diversity’ need serious improvement in terms of organisational conditions. This research is the first to apply the GNH of Business calculation method outside Bhutan, demonstrating its validity in practice in European countries.
Experimental Investigation of Liquid Interface Stability During the Filling of a Tank in Microgravity
Authors: Govindan Sesha N. C. , Dreyer Michael E.
Published: April 2023

The storage of propellants in space as well as the transfer and filling of spacecraft tanks is a prerequisite for future long-term space exploration missions. In this work, the vented filling of a partially filled tank, which is envisioned as a spacecraft tank, was investigated experimentally under compensated gravity in the Bremen Drop Tower. Experiments were performed with a partially filled tank and a test liquid HFE-7500. The drop tower provides 9 s of compensated gravity. The shape of the free liquid surface inside a right circular cylinder changes from the normal gravity configuration to a free fall configuration during the test. The filling was initiated after 3.5 s and continued until the end at 9 s. The interaction of the incoming liquid jet with the liquid interface was studied for different volumetric flow rates. A stable, but not steady liquid interface was characterized by a deformation due to the incoming liquid jet and the formation of a geyser. The growth of the geyser and the following disintegration into liquid droplets indicated an unstable liquid interface. Subcritical, critical and supercritical regimes of the volumetric flow rates were identified to classify stable and unstable liquid interfaces. The critical Weber number was found to be 1.04, which corresponds to a critical volumetric flow rate of 1.30 mL s-1. This critical Weber number was compared with the existing literature. Additionally, the behaviour of the liquid interface during the reorientation of the liquid inside the tank was observed.
Riesz Transforms on $$ax+b$$ Groups
Authors: Martini Alessio
Published: April 2023

We prove the$$L^p$$Lp-boundedness for all$$p \in (1,\infty )$$p∈(1,∞)of the first-order Riesz transforms$$X_j \mathcal {L}^{-1/2}$$XjL-1/2associated with the Laplacian$$\mathcal {L}= -\sum _{j=0}^n X_j^2$$L=-∑j=0nXj2on the$$ax+b$$ax+bgroup$$G = \mathbb {R}^n \rtimes \mathbb {R}$$G=Rn⋊R; here$$X_0$$X0and$$X_1,\dots ,X_n$$X1,⋯,Xnare left-invariant vector fields onGin the directions of the factors$$\mathbb {R}$$Rand$$\mathbb {R}^n$$Rnrespectively. This settles a question left open in previous work of Hebisch and Steger (who proved the result for$$p \le 2$$p≤2) and of Gaudry and Sjögren (who only considered$$n=1=j$$n=1=j). The main novelty here is that we can treat the case$$p \in (2,\infty )$$p∈(2,∞)and include the Riesz transform in the direction of$$\mathbb {R}$$R; an operator-valued Fourier multiplier theorem on$$\mathbb {R}^n$$Rnturns out to be key to this purpose. We also establish a weak type (1, 1) endpoint for the adjoint Riesz transforms in the direction of$$\mathbb {R}^n$$Rn. By transference, our results imply the$$L^p$$Lp-boundedness for$$p \in (1,\infty )$$p∈(1,∞)of the first-order Riesz transforms associated with the Schrödinger operator$$-\partial _s^2 + \textrm{e}^{2s}$$-∂s2+e2son the real line.
The Ability of Ruppia polycarpa to Regenerate from Seed Depends on Seasonal Porewater Salinity Dynamics and Declining Winter Rainfall Could Delay Recruitment
Authors: Webster Chanelle L. , Lavery Paul S. , Strydom Simone , Billinghurst Jessica , McMahon Kathryn
Published: April 2023

For many plants, regeneration from seed is vital for population recovery. Climate change is modifying the global hydrological cycle and a primary factor controlling germination of marine plants: salinity. How altered salinity regimes, and especially altered porewater salinity regimes, will regulate early life history stages of estuarine seagrasses is poorly understood. Here, we quantified the porewater salinity dynamics in two ephemeral estuaries that are dominated by the cosmopolitan genusRuppia. Seedbank, germlings (germinated seeds) and seedlings were found in salinities ranging from 5 to 110 over an annual cycle. To understand the germination ecology of the dominant species,Ruppia polycarpa, seeds were exposed to treatments simulating current salinity regimes and those predicted under climate change. Seeds underwent a Dormancy treatment (15, 60, 150) followed by a Germination treatment (10, 20, 80). Generally, early life history stages were positively affected by hypersaline dormancy conditions if the subsequent Germination salinity was ≤ 20. Germination success was significantly higher for seeds transferred to 10 (65%) compared to 20 (49%) whilst no seeds germinated in 80 highlighting the risk of lower germination as estuaries become drier and more hypersaline with declining winter rainfall. However, germlings were found in situ in salinities ≥ 80 suggesting aspects of the salinity dynamics, not captured by our experimental conditions, may broaden tolerances. Dormant seeds were continuously present in situ and seedlings were observed throughout the whole of the growing season. These results are indicative of bet-hedging strategies. Future research should explore the capacity of these strategies to afford resilience toR. polycarpato salinity variability under climate change.
Spray Deposited Cellulose Nanofibril Films: A Recyclability Study
Authors: Nadeem Humayun , Naseri Mahdi , Dehghani Mostafa , Pazirofteh Mahdieh , Raghuwanshi Vikram , Garnier Gil , Batchelor Warren
Published: April 2023

Synthetic packaging has excellent performance, but most of them becomes a waste after their use and thus, poses serious concerns to the environment and consumer health. Considering current circumstances, the demand for sustainable packaging that is either recyclable or biodegradable if discarded has increased tremendously in last few years. Cellulose nanofibril (CNF) films are emerging as a sustainable packaging; however, their high energy consumption associated with the production of fibres and reduced properties on recycling are serious concerns. The aim of this study is to assess the recycling characteristics of spray deposited CNF films. For this purpose, the CNFs were recycled at different revolutions (75 × 103 to 999 × 103) in a laboratory disintegrator, followed by screening and their physical, barrier and environmental characteristics were evaluated. Results showed that recycled CNF films at 300 × 103 revolutions had identical barrier performance as compared with the non-recycled films. Additionally, the films after first recycling have maintained their mechanical properties without compromising their dimensional stability. However, the mechanical performance and transmittance of these films after the 2nd recycling have slightly reduced due to the agglomeration of the fibres as affirmed by the SEM images. The CNF films showed slightly higher environmental impact in terms of their embodied energies than conventional packaging; however, these impacts are expected to be lower on possibly further recycling of these films. The ease of recycling of these films without compromising the dimensional stability is an excellent route to contribute towards global sustainability.

Graphical Abstract
Testing the Weiss-Harter-Model in a prospective study design: the importance of perceived social support for youth physical activity
Authors: Fritsch Julian , Nigg Carina , Niessner Claudia , Schmidt Steffen , Woll Alexander , Jekauc Darko
Published: April 2023

To counteract low physical activity levels in children and adolescents, it is crucial to understand the relevant psychological processes that can promote physical activity in this age group. The Weiss-Harter model focuses on self-esteem as a central construct for physical activity promotion in youth, which mediates the effects of perceived competence and perceived social support on enjoyment and physical activity. However, in two cross-sectional studies, an adapted model was found to have a better model fit in which perceived social support has additional direct effects on physical activity and enjoyment. The purpose of the present study was to compare the original Weiss-Harter model and the adapted model in a prospective study design. Data were based on two assessment waves of the German Motorik-Modul-Study involving 1107 participants (603 female) with a mean age of 13.98 years (SD = 2.03). Participants filled out questionnaires on perceived competence, perceived social support, self-esteem, enjoyment, and moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the first assessment. MVPA was again assessed about five years later allowing to test whether the models could predict (1) future MVPA and (2) the difference of MVPA from the first to the second assessment. For both research questions, the original Weiss-Harter model (Model 1a: χ2 = 812.44; df = 95; p < 0.01; CFI = 0.905; RMSEA = 0.083; Model 2a: χ2 = 755.29; df = 95; p < 0.01; CFI = 0.910; RMSEA = 0.079) had a worse fit than the adapted model (Model 1b: χ2 = 512.19; df = 93; p < 0.01; CFI = 0.943; RMSEA = 0.065; Model 2b: χ2 = 513.25; df = 93; p < 0.01; CFI = 0.943; RMSEA = 0.064). The results of this study highlight the role of perceived social support for youth MVPA.
Institutional barriers to clinical trial exploration experienced by the Latinx community
Authors: Sandoval Sabrina , Leung Ringo K. , Nguyen-Grozavu France , Wang Regina M. , Sadler Georgia Robins
Published: April 2023

This
study evaluated two types of barriers that the authors deemed important to resolve during the early stage of cancer clinical trial exploration by Latinx community members. One was the accessibility of information provided on cancer centers’ websites. The other was the telephone responders’ clinical trial knowledge and their conveyance of a warm welcome to Latinx callers inquiring about the centers’ clinical trials. Simulated clinical trial inquiry calls were made to 17 National Cancer Institute-designated centers in this study. The centers were located in cities where the Latinx community accounted for at least 25% of the population, thereby justifying center-wide efforts to encourage the Latinx community to explore clinical trial participation. A rubric was developed to determine and quantify a Total Score that was partially composed of the accessibility of clinical trial information displayed on each cancer center’s website. A research assistant gathered information by posing as a person calling the cancer center to inquire about clinical trials on behalf of a family member with limited English proficiency and evaluated their response using a “mystery shopper” method of data collection. The warmth and sense of welcome conveyed by the telephone responder was also quantified and included in the rubric’s Total Score. A perfect Total Score reflected the likely existence of an environment that would encourage Latinx community members to continue exploring clinical trials, i.e., removed or diminished possible barriers. Welcoming characteristics, such as those elements included in the scoring rubric, can be monitored regularly to assure that centers are consistently conveying an optimal sense of welcome to the Latinx community, while also providing accessible clinical trial information. Among the 17 cancer centers, no correlation was found between the size of the Latinx population served and each center’s Total Score.
Development of a HPLC fluorometric method for the quantification of enfuvirtide following in vitro releasing studies on thermosensitive in situ forming gel
Authors: Li Huanhuan , Anjani Qonita Kurnia , McGuckin Mary B. , Himawan Achmad , Li Mingshan , Donnelly Ryan F.
Published: April 2023

Due to the presence of peptidase and protease in the gastrointestinal tract, peptides are subjected to digestion and inactivation when administrated orally. To avoid degradation and maintain the desired efficacy of peptide drugs, there is a demand to develop transdermal and intradermal delivery systems. This requires efficient and specific analytical methods to separate and quantify the peptide drugs from the formulation and the skin matrix in the early stages of pharmaceutical development. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system equipped with a fluorometric detector was used to quantify enfuvirtide, which is the first fusion inhibitor for HIV treatment. The HPLC method was developed and validated according to the ICH Q2(R1) guidelines. The viability of the method was demonstrated during in vitro studies, where samples were analysed following intradermal administration of a thermosensitive in situ forming gel. Compared with previously reported methods, this assay proved efficient, sensitive and accurate, with a detection limit of 0.74 μg/mL and a run time of 9 min, mitigating the use of any internal standards and detergents. The addition of an organic solvent to the samples successfully solved the problem of low recovery caused by the adsorption of the drug to the plastic consumables in the sample treatment process. The amount of enfuvirtide releasing from the in situ gel through skin after 7 hours was 16.25 ± 7.08 μg, which was significantly lower than the reconstituted FUZEON® itself (26.68 ± 10.45 μg), showing a longer release profile. The results may be beneficial as a constructive input for future enfuvirtide quantification within a preclinical setting through in vitro release studies across the skin.

Graphical Abstract
Genome-wide association mapping in elite winter wheat breeding for yield improvement
Authors: Tyrka Mirosław , Krajewski Paweł , Bednarek Piotr Tomasz , Rączka Kinga , Drzazga Tadeusz , Matysik Przemysław , Martofel Róża , Woźna-Pawlak Urszula , Jasińska Dorota , Niewińska Małgorzata , Ługowska Bogusława , Ratajczak Dominika , Sikora Teresa , Witkowski Edward , Dorczyk Ada , Tyrka Dorota
Published: April 2023

Increased grain yield (GY) is the primary breeding target of wheat breeders. We performed the genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 168 elite winter wheat lines from an ongoing breeding program to identify the main determinants of grain yield. Sequencing of Diversity Array Technology fragments (DArTseq) resulted in 19,350 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and presence-absence variation (PAV) markers. We identified 15 main genomic regions located in ten wheat chromosomes (1B, 2B, 2D, 3A, 3D, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, and 7B) that explained from 7.9 to 20.3% of the variation in grain yield and 13.3% of the yield stability. Loci identified in the reduced genepool are important for wheat improvement using marker-assisted selection. We found marker-trait associations between three genes involved in starch biosynthesis and grain yield. Two starch synthase genes (TraesCS2B03G1238800 and TraesCS2D03G1048800) and a sucrose synthase gene (TraesCS3D03G0024300) were found in regions of QGy.rut-2B.2, QGy.rut-2D.1, and QGy.rut-3D, respectively. These loci and other significantly associated SNP markers found in this study can be used for pyramiding favorable alleles in high-yielding varieties or to improve the accuracy of prediction in genomic selection.
Anticancer and antioxidant activities of ethanolic extract and semi-purified fractions from guava and mango seeds
Authors: Mahmoud Moaaz , Mohamed Esraa M. , Aboul-Enein Ahmed M. , Diab Ayman A. , Shalaby Emad A.
Published: April 2023

Mango (Mangifera indica) and guava (Psidium guajava) seeds have several pharmaceutical applications and biological activities because as they have been recognized with different bioactive molecules (phenolic compounds) such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and catechins, so they have antioxidant and anticancer activities. The aim of the present study was to assess in vitro antioxidant and anticancer activities of successive extracts and semi-purified fractions from mango seeds. In this work, mango and guava seeds were collected and extracted using two solvents (ethanol 70% and ethyl acetate) followed by phytochemical screening and determination of biological activities such as antioxidant activity using five assays (DPPH, ABTS, KMnO4, Methylene blue and H2O2) additionally the antiradical activity and hybrid reaction for ethanolic extract of mango seeds as promising extract. The total phenolic, flavonoid, and catechin compounds were determined for all successive extracts, and finally, the anticancer activity of extracts was evaluated using MTT assay against HepG2 cell line and phenolic compounds were identified by HPLC. The phytochemical screening and TLC showed the primary investigation for phenolic compounds of ethanol extracts of both kind of seeds and only ethyl acetate of guava extract as promising extracts. However, HPLC determination of these three extracts showed high amount of gallic acid, naringenin, ellagic acid, and ferulic acid as they have anticancer and antioxidant activities. The antioxidant tests showed that the ethanolic mango extract is the highest antioxidant extract against DPPH by 84.0%, but recorded 82.0% with methylene blue and ABTS assays when compared with ascorbic acid. The ethyl acetate of guava extract showed strong cytotoxic effect with IC50 75.5 μg/mL against HepG2 cell line in all tested concentrations. From the obtained results, it could be concluded that mango ethanolic extract and its fractions are the most promising as antioxidants and ethyl acetate of guava extract the most promising in the anticancer activity.
Advanced oxidation processes for pharmaceutical degradation and disinfection of wastewater: peracetic acid and graphene oxide quantum dots
Authors: Tshangana C. , Mubiayi M. P. , Kuvarega A. , Mamba B. , Muleja A.
Published: April 2023

A combination of graphene oxide quantum dots and peracetic acid (GQDs/PAA) was used to degrade sulfasalazine in municipal wastewater. The impact of reaction parameters such as initial concentrations of oxidant (peracetic acid) and drug (sulfasalazine) and different water matrices was evaluated. The degradation efficiency when using GQDs/PAA (50 mg/L: 0.10 mM) was almost 100% in synthetic water and 80% in municipal wastewater. The primary reactive radicals that caused the degradation of sulfasalazine in wastewater were identified as hydroxy (·OH) as well as the peroxy radicals (CH3C(=O)OO·, CH3C(=O)O·). 83.7% of total organic carbon were eliminated when 0.15 mM PAA was used while nearly 100% degradation of SZZ was achieved. A degradation pathway was proposed using the degradation intermediates obtained on quadrupole time-of-flight liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. The genotoxic and mutagenic potential of the degradation products formed during the degradation of sulfasalazine was assessed using the Ames test. It was demonstrated that none of the intermediates were mutagenic. GQDs/PAA was further tested as a potential disinfectant, and S. aureus was completely inactivated as verified by using LIVE/DEAD Baclight staining. In raw municipal wastewater, GQDs/PAA eliminated more than 90% of bacteria, thus confirming the synergy of GQDs/PAA as both a disinfectant and a photocatalyst.
Überschätzen die Lehrmittelautor:innen den authentischen Lebensweltbezug von MINT-Aufgaben? Eine Studie zur Lernendenperspektive
Authors: Stuppan Sebastian , Bölsterli Bardy Katrin , Schmid Andrea Maria , Wilhelm Markus
Published: April 2023

In der Scientific Literacy und der Context-Based Science Education wird dem Lebensweltbezug eine hohe Bedeutung zugeschrieben. In vielen Forschungsprojekten zum Lebensweltbezug, ein Aspekt der Aufgabenqualität, werden schriftliche Aufgabenstellungen beurteilt und ausgewertet. Eine Schwierigkeit beim Analysieren von Aufgaben ist die Tatsache, dass die Bewertung von geschulten Beurteilenden anders ausfallen kann als durch die Zielgruppe im Unterricht. Die Dokumentenanalyse bildet das objektive Potenzial der Aufgaben aus Sicht der jeweiligen Beurteiler:innen ab. Die Einbettung der Aufgaben im Unterricht, das Niveau der Lösungen sowie die Aufgabeneinschätzung der Lernenden werden weggelassen. Studien, die sich mit der Analyse der schriftlichen Aufgaben und der Aufgabenbeurteilungen durch Lernende im Unterricht auseinandersetzen, existieren derzeit kaum. Um diese Forschungslücke zu schmälern, wird in diesem Vorhaben verglichen, wie fachdidaktische Lehrmittelautor:innen ihre entwickelten Aufgaben einschätzen und Lernende dieselben Aufgaben im Unterricht nach deren Bearbeitung wahrnehmen. Hierzu beurteilten Lernende (N = 805) ausgewählte MINT-Aufgaben (N = 16) auf deren Lebensweltbezug (min. 66, max. 182 Lernende pro Aufgabe) mithilfe des Aufgaben-Analyse-Instruments. Die Lernenden-Einschätzungen werden anschließend inferenzstatistisch der fachdidaktischen Perspektive der Lehrmittelautor:innen gegenübergestellt und diskutiert. Die Befunde dieser Studie zeigen, dass die Lernenden in den untersuchten MINT-Aufgaben die Lebenswelt divers wahrnehmen und es keine geschlechtsspezifischen Unterschiede gibt. Die Gegenüberstellung der Lernenden-Einschätzungen und der Setzung der Lehrmittelautor:innen macht deutlich, dass die Autor:innen in der Regel die Aufgaben authentischer beurteilen, als die Lernenden diese wahrnehmen. Aufgrund der doch deutlichen Diskrepanz zwischen den zwei Perspektiven wird diskutiert, welchen Mehrwert der Einbezug der Praxis in einem iterativen Verfahren beim Erstellen von Lernaufgaben haben könnte, um den Lebensweltbezug aus der Perspektive der Lernenden stringenter aufnehmen zu können.
Advanced Procedures for Series Production with 3D-Printed Core Packages
Authors: Erhard Patricia , Hartmann Christoph , Li Rui , Volk Wolfram , Günther Daniel
Published: April 2023

The application of additive-manufactured cores and molds is of great interest for complex cast components. Nevertheless, several challenges still exist in utilizing binder jetting in the multi-step additive manufacturing process for foundry applications to its fullest extent. This contribution shows methods that facilitate the use of 3D-printed sand molds and cores in casting series applications. The binder jetting process itself is assessed from an overall process chain perspective to highlight the benefits of its application in series production. The challenges associated with automating mold cleaning for highly complex casting contours are depicted. In particular, employing the method of cleanable mold partitioning is shown to enhance the automation level of the overall process. Mold design tailored to 3D printing is demonstrated to contribute to overall cost and time savings in enhanced core packages. Topology-optimized, lightweight part designs involving complex freeform surfaces may require mold partitioning associated with laborious burr removal processes. A new approach in answer to the shortage of skilled workers in the harsh and hazardous foundry environment is shown. Implementing motion tracking technology is demonstrated to enable economical automated burr removal for minor quantities or high variant diversity in the future foundry. All the methods shown are of great importance for introducing printed core packages into series production.
Adjustment of initial estimates of voter transition probabilities to guarantee consistency and completeness
Authors: Pavía Jose M.
Published: April 2023

The estimation of voter shifts (stayers and switchers) between elections is an active area of research that, for decades, has attracted the interest of many scholars. The voter transitions are typically summarised in a row-standardised proportion (probability) matrix. This matrix is usually unknown, despite it being of interest to many agents, including party teams, the media and political scientists. When surveys are used to approximate this matrix, it is not uncommon for the estimated matrix to be inconsistent and even incomplete. The iterative proportional fitting algorithm solves inconsistency but cannot fix incompleteness. Hierarchical Bayesian models that combine aggregate and survey estimates can solve both problems, but are extremely complex and data-demanding. This paper details all the scenarios concerning the available information that can be reasonably considered and, within the linear programming framework, develops specific models to reach consistency and completeness. The models are, moreover, quite flexible as they allow analysts to have missing values and to introduce through weights their relative confidences in the different a priori transition proportions. The usefulness of the proposed models is illustrated with real data. Interested readers can easily use these new models with their data as they have been programmed in the function lp_apriori of the R-package lphom.
The Proteome Landscape of Human Placentas for Monochorionic Twins with Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Authors: Meng Xin-Lu , Yuan Peng-Bo , Wang Xue-Ju , Hang Jing , Shi Xiao-Ming , Zhao Yang-Yu , Wei Yuan
Published: April 2023

In perinatal medicine, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is one of the greatest challenges. The etiology of IUGR is multifactorial, but most cases are thought to arise from placental insufficiency. However, identifying the placental cause of IUGR can be difficult due to numerous confounding factors. Selective IUGR (sIUGR) would be a good model to investigate how impaired placentation affects fetal development, as the growth discordance between monochorionic twins cannot be explained by confounding genetic or maternal factors. Herein, we constructed and analyzed the placental proteomic profiles of IUGR twins and normal cotwins. Specifically, we identified a total of 5481 proteins, of which 233 were differentially expressed (57 up-regulated and 176 down-regulated) in IUGR twins. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that these differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) are mainly associated with cardiovascular system development and function, organismal survival, and organismal development. Notably, 34 DEPs are significantly enriched in angiogenesis, and diminished placental angiogenesis in IUGR twins has been further elaborately confirmed. Moreover, we found decreased expression of metadherin (MTDH) in the placentas of IUGR twins and demonstrated that MTDH contributes to placental angiogenesis and fetal growth in vitro. Collectively, our findings reveal the comprehensive proteomic signatures of placentas for sIUGR twins, and the DEPs identified may provide in-depth insights into the pathogenesis of placental dysfunction and subsequent impaired fetal growth.
Unwired
Authors: Bernstein Gaia
Published: April 2023

Our society has a technology problem. Many want to disconnect from screens but can't help themselves. These days we spend more time online than ever. Some turn to self-help-measures to limit their usage, yet repeatedly fail, while parents feel particularly powerless to help their children. Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies shows us a way out. Rather than blaming users, the book shatters the illusion that we autonomously choose how to spend our time online. It shifts the moral responsibility and accountability for solutions to corporations. Drawing lessons from the tobacco and food industries, the book demonstrates why government regulation is necessary to curb technology addiction. It describes a grassroots movement already in action across courts and legislative halls. Groundbreaking and urgent, Unwired provides a blueprint to develop this movement for change, to one that will allow us to finally gain control.
Assessing the Potential of Backscattering as a Proxy for Phytoplankton Carbon Biomass
Authors: Serra‐Pompei Camila , Hickman Anna , Britten Gregory L. , Dutkiewicz Stephanie
Published: April 2023

Despite phytoplankton contributing roughly half of the photosynthesis on earth and fueling marine food‐webs, field measurements of phytoplankton biomass remain scarce. The particulate backscattering coefficient (bbp) has often been used as an optical proxy to estimate phytoplankton carbon biomass (Cphyto). However, total observed bbp is impacted by phytoplankton size, cell composition, and non‐algal particles. The lack of phytoplankton field data has prevented the quantification of uncertainties driven by these factors. Here, we first review and discuss existing bbp algorithms by applying them to bbp data from the BGC‐Argo array in surface waters (<10 m). We find a bbp threshold where estimated Cphyto differs by more than an order of magnitude. Next, we use a global ocean circulation model (the MITgcm Biogeochemical and Optical model) that simulates plankton dynamics and associated inherent optical properties to quantify and understand uncertainties from bbp‐based algorithms in surface waters. We do so by developing and calibrating an algorithm to the model. Simulated error‐estimations show that bbp‐based algorithms overestimate/underestimate Cphyto between 5% and 100% in surface waters, depending on the location and time. This is achieved in the ideal scenario where Cphyto and bbp are known precisely. This is not the case for algorithms derived from observations, where the largest source of uncertainty is the scarcity of phytoplankton biomass data and related methodological inconsistencies. If these other uncertainties are reduced, the model shows that bbp could be a relatively good proxy for phytoplankton carbon biomass, with errors close to 20% in most regions.
Decoupling of Barium and Silicon at the Congo River‐Dominated Southeast Atlantic Margin: Insights From Combined Barium and Silicon Isotopes
Authors: Zhang Zhouling , Yu Yang , Hathorne Ed C. , Vieira Lucia H. , Grasse Patricia , Siebert Christopher , Rahlf Peer , Frank Martin
Published: April 2023

The correlation between concentrations of dissolved barium (dBa) and silicon (dSi) in the modern ocean supports the use of Ba as a paleoceanographic proxy. However, the mechanisms behind their linkage and the exact processes controlling oceanic Ba cycling remain enigmatic. To discern the extent to which this association arises from biogeochemical processes versus physical mixing, we examine the behavior of Ba and Si at the Congo River‐dominated Southeast Atlantic margin where active biological processes and large boundary inputs override the large‐scale ocean circulation. Here we present the first combined measurements of dissolved stable Ba (δ138Ba) and Si (δ30Si) isotopes as well as Ba and Si fluxes estimated based on 228Ra from the Congo River mouth to the northern Angola Basin. In the surface waters, river‐borne particle desorption or dissolution and shelf inputs lead to non‐conservative additions of both dBa and dSi to the Congo‐shelf‐zone, with the Ba flux increasing more strongly than that of Si across the shelf. In the epipelagic and mesopelagic layers, Ba and Si are decoupled likely due to different depths of in situ barite precipitation and biogenic silica production. In the deep waters of the northern Angola Basin, we observe large enrichment of dBa, likely originating from high benthic inputs from the Congo deep‐sea fan sediments. Our results reveal different mechanisms controlling the biogeochemical cycling of Ba and Si and highlight a strong margin influence on marine Ba cycling. Their close association across the global ocean must therefore mainly be a consequence of the large‐scale ocean circulation.
Simulated Rupture Dynamics and Radiated Energy on Heterogeneously Damaged Faults
Authors: Lyakhovsky Vladimir , Sagy Amir , Kurzon Ittai
Published: April 2023

Rupture dynamics along a heterogeneous fault is studied in the framework of the recently developed damage‐breakage rheological model. The model utilizes a fault structure accommodating shear and wear in a heterogeneous weak fault‐core a few centimeters thick, separating two blocks with damage level gradually decreasing toward the host rock. We first demonstrate the similarity of the static stress field around a fault, represented by a three‐body tribosystem, to the one developed around a rough frictional interface. We show that both models predict heterogeneous stress field pattern. We then apply simulations of rupture on heterogeneously damaged faults. We show that increasing initial heterogeneity amplitudes is associated with smaller events with lower slip rates. The simulations further allow us to quantify the amount of accumulated damage correlative with wearing. During the propagating rupture, the strength of the fault‐core evolves, leading to higher wear generation along relatively strong zones or barriers. The total wear production in a given event is strongly dominated by the initial damage heterogeneity. Processing of synthetic seismograms shows excess energy radiation of high‐frequency seismic waves comparing to the expected radiation from planar faults. This radiation is enhanced with the increase in the variability of fault strength heterogeneity. Further calculations of the scaled energy show good fit with previous seismological and laboratory observations and demonstrate the impact of fault heterogeneity on radiated energy during dynamic rupture. Therefore, initial fault heterogeneity, manifested by fault‐core strength or by geometrical irregularity controls many aspects of earthquake rupture, including slip displacement and velocity.
A Specific Earthquake Processing Workflow for Studying Long‐Lived, Explosive Volcanic Eruptions With Application to the 2008 Okmok Volcano, Alaska, Eruption
Authors: Garza‐Girón Ricardo , Brodsky Emily E. , Spica Zack J. , Haney Matthew M. , Webley Peter W.
Published: April 2023

By providing unrivaled resolution in both time and space, volcano seismicity helps to chronicle and interpret eruptions. Standard earthquake detection methods are often insufficient as the eruption itself produces continuous seismic waves that obscure earthquake signals. We address this problem by developing an earthquake processing workflow specific to a high‐noise volcanic environment and applying it to the explosive 2008 Okmok Volcano eruption. This process includes applying single‐channel template matching combined with machine‐learning and fingerprint‐based techniques to expand the existing earthquake catalog of the eruption. We detected an order of magnitude more earthquakes, then located, relocated, determined locally calibrated magnitudes, and classified the events in the enhanced catalog. This new high‐resolution earthquake catalog increases the number of observations by about a factor of 10 and enables the detailed spatiotemporal seismic analysis during a large eruption.
Carbon Monoxide Cycling in the Eastern Indian Ocean
Authors: Xu Gao‐Bin , Xu Feng , Ji Xuan , Zhang Jing , Yan Shi‐Bo , Mao Shi‐Hai , Yang Gui‐Peng
Published: April 2023

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an indirect greenhouse gas and a crucial component of the global carbon cycle. The ocean is an important source of atmospheric CO, but the factors controlling the sources and sinks of CO in the marine environment remain uncertain. For the first time, the spatial distribution, production, and removal pathways of seawater CO (including photoproduction, dark production, microbial consumption, and sea‐to‐air exchange) were systematically investigated in the Eastern Indian Ocean. The abundance and component source of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dominated the photoproduction and dark production rates of CO, and the net CO production rate was 2.19 ± 0.71 nmol L−1 d−1 (mean ± SD). The ratio of CO photoproduction efficiencies (normalized by solar radiation) for ultraviolet B radiation (UVB): ultraviolet A radiation (UVA): photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was 854: 39: 1, while UVA was the most significant contributor to surface CO photoproduction due to the stronger radiation intensity. In the mixed layer, UVB, UVA, and PAR were estimated to contribute 12% ± 5%, 38% ± 8%, and 50% ± 8% (mean ± SD) to CO photoproduction, respectively. The total removal of CO by microbial consumption (96%) and sea‐to‐air exchange (1%) accounted for 97% of the total production. Overall, the sources and sinks of CO kept a dynamic balance in the mixed layer. Our comprehensive approach provides in‐detail insights into the understanding of CO cycling processes in the Eastern Indian Ocean, which is scientifically important for understanding the bio‐geochemical cycling and climate effects of CO in the Eastern Indian Ocean, and also provides additional data support for the CO global cycle modeling studies.
Convection Initiation During the Meiyu Environment in the Yangtze‐Huai River Basin of China
Authors: Zhang Fan , Zhang Qinghong , Sun Juanzhen , Xu Jun
Published: April 2023

Convection is the main contributor to heavy rainfall over China's Yangtze‐Huai River Basin (YHRB) during Meiyu season; however, the mechanisms of convection initiation (CI) associated with the Meiyu front are still not well understood. In this study, a large set of 86,099 CI events, identified from composite reflectivity data in YHRB over six Meiyu seasons, were used to investigate the characteristics of the spatiotemporal distribution of CI in YHRB. The result showed that the overwhelming majority of CI events (∼90%) occurred in the region of existing stratiform clouds. Meanwhile, CI tended to concentrate in mountainous areas and exhibited two triggering modes. By relating the CI events with an objective analysis of ERA5 reanalysis data, it was also revealed that the characteristics of CI occurrence varied with patterns of Meiyu circulation and their interactions with local topography, and the warm air advection pattern dominated the Meiyu CI. We further illustrated that CI on the plains occurred with a morning peak corresponding to environments of high 0–3 km shear (SHR3) and low most unstable convective available potential energy (MUCAPE), while the CI near or over mountains had an afternoon peak corresponding to low SHR3 and high MUCAPE environments.
Ambient Conditions of Winter Thunderstorms in Japan to Reproduce Observed Gamma‐Ray Glow Energy Spectra
Authors: Diniz G. S. , Wada Y. , Ohira Y. , Nakazawa K. , Tsurumi M. , Enoto T.
Published: April 2023

Electric field of thunderclouds modifies components and energy spectra of the cosmic‐ray air shower. In particular, thunderstorms accelerate charged particles, resulting in an enhancement of gamma‐ray fluxes on the ground, known as a gamma‐ray glow. This phenomenon has been observed in recent years by the Gamma‐Ray Observation of Winter THunderclouds collaboration from winter thunderstorms in the Hokuriku area of Japan. The present work examines the ambient conditions required to produce spectral features of the previously detected gamma‐ray glows, by using Monte Carlo simulations of particle interactions in the atmosphere. We focus on three parameters, the strength and length of the electric field, and the length of a null‐field attenuation region below the electrified region. The average spectrum of observed gamma‐ray glows in winter thunderstorms of Japan requires an electric field intensity close to 0.31 MV/m, slightly exceeding the Relativistic Runaway Electron Avalanche threshold of 0.284 MV/m. The vertical size of the electric field region should be comparable to 1 km. The estimated attenuation region size is 300–500 m, necessary to reduce the low‐energy photon flux of the average gamma‐ray glows. There is still a wide range of acceptable parameter sets with degeneracy to make a similar spectrum.
Unsupervised Clustering and Supervised Machine Learning for Lightning Classification: Application to Identifying EIPs for Ground‐Based TGF Detection
Authors: Pu Yunjiao , Cummer Steven A. , Lyu Fanchao , Zheng Yu , Briggs Michael S. , Lesage Stephen , Mailyan Bagrat , Roberts Oliver J.
Published: April 2023

We developed a framework merging unsupervised and supervised machine learning to classify lightning radio signals, and applied it to the possible detection of terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs). Recent studies have established a tight connection between energetic in‐cloud pulses (EIPs, >150 kA) and a subset of TGFs, enabling continuous and large‐scale ground‐based TGF detection. However, even with a high peak current threshold, it is time‐consuming to manually search for EIPs in a background of many non‐EIP events, and it becomes even more difficult when a lower peak current threshold is used. Machine learning classifiers are an effective tool. Beginning with unsupervised learning, spectral clustering is performed on the low‐dimensional features extracted by an autoencoder from raw radio waveforms, showing that +EIPs naturally constitute a distinct class of waveform and 6%–7% of the total population. The clustering results are used to form a labeled data set (∼10,000 events) to further train supervised convolutional neural network (CNN) that targets for +EIPs. Our CNN models identify on average 95.2% of true +EIPs with accuracy up to 98.7%, representing a powerful tool for +EIP classification. The pretrained CNN classifier is further applied to identify lower peak current EIPs (LEIPs, >50 kA) from a larger data set (∼30,000 events). Among 10 LEIPs coincident with Fermi TGF observations, 2 previously reported TGFs and 2 unreported but suspected TGFs are found, while the majority are not associated with detectable TGFs. In addition, unsupervised clustering is found to reflect characteristics of the ionosphere reflection height and its effect on radio wave propagation.
A Spectral Study of the Caloris Basin on Mercury and the Origin of Associated Volcanic Smooth Plains
Authors: Caminiti E. , Doressoundiram A. , Besse S. , Wright J.
Published: April 2023

Results from the NASA/MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission showed that 27% of Mercury's surface is covered by smooth plains mostly produced by extensive effusive volcanism. The Caloris impact basin is associated with two, mostly volcanic, smooth plains, one in its interior and one surrounding the basin. Previous studies have shown that it is difficult to estimate the relative ages of the interior and exterior plains and to explain their spectral and compositional differences. We perform an exhaustive spectral analysis of the basin based on data obtained by the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer spectrometer onboard MESSENGER between 300 and 1,450 nm with a 5 nm resolution. Unlike previous results based on crater counts, we found that the exterior plains were emplaced before the interior plains although both postdate the formation of the basin. We propose a decrease in the partial melting degree and/or partial melting depth over time to explain the spectral and compositional differences. The study highlights spectrally heterogeneous exterior plains associated with a compositional heterogeneity and the presence of low reflectance material (LRM) deposits. This heterogeneity in the exterior plains could be related to the formation of the basin and asymmetry of the ejecta deposits or to a heterogeneous distribution of LRM present at depths before the formation of the basin.