bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consistent and flexible thermodynamics in atmospheric models using internal energy as a thermodynamic potential. Part II: Non‐equilibrium regime
Authors: Bowen Paul , Thuburn John
Published: September 2022

In numerical models of the atmosphere, the non‐equilibrium thermodynamic processes involving moisture are not always treated consistently—possibly leading to inconsistencies and errors in the energy budget. Therefore, a more consistent formulation of (moist) thermodynamics is important, for short‐timescale weather models and long‐timescale climate models. In Part I of this work, we derived a thermodynamically consistent framework, describing condensation, evaporation, freezing, and melting of cloud droplets, in which all thermodynamic quantities of interest were derived from an internal energy potential and with the moist thermodynamics coupled to a 2D semi‐implicit semi‐Lagrangian dynamical core. While this framework was primed to express non‐equilibrium processes, it was solved for the equilibrium regime only. Here, we follow the methods in Part I, but with the expression for the non‐equilibrium processes “turned on”, for example, allowing freezing of supercooled water or evaporation into subsaturated air. To implement the proposed approach, it is necessary to translate conventional atmospheric microphysics expressions for transfer rates of matter and entropy in and around a cloud droplet into the formalism of non‐equilibrium thermodynamics. This procedure is first derived for some simple idealised cases, beginning with liquid droplet growth by vapour diffusion, and proceeding to more complex three‐phase cases. To demonstrate the approach, we then simulate some idealised cloudy thermals, comparing the equilibrium and non‐equilibrium regimes—finding a robust decrease in the vertical velocity in the non‐equilibrium regime, as expected. Thus, this work demonstrates the feasibility of building a numerical model that includes a framework for modelling the moist non‐equilibrium thermodynamics of an atmospheric system consistently and provides a step towards this type of more consistent atmospheric modelling.
Are green resource productivity and environmental technologies the face of environmental sustainability in the Nordic region?
Authors: Alola Andrew Adewale , Adebayo Tomiwa Sunday
Published: September 2022

This study examines whether the raw material productivity, export intensification, and environmental‐related technologies in the Nordic region (i.e., Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) drives the region's carbon neutrality target. By adopting both symmetric and asymmetric empirical approaches over the period 1990–2019, the study found that positive and negative shifts in environmental‐related technologies mitigates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the region with the former causing a larger impact. Furthermore, the findings reveal that a positive shift in raw material productivity mitigates GHG emissions while a negative shift in raw material productivity causes a surge in GHG emissions especially in the long‐run. Moreover, a positive (negative) shift in export intensity yields a decline (upsurge) in GHG emissions in the long‐run. In the symmetric framework, in both long‐ and short‐run, the result reveals that economic growth upsurges GHG emissions while raw material productivity for green growth and environmental‐related technologies mitigates GHG emissions. This demonstrates the efficient raw material productivity profile of the Nordic countries. Alongside the Granger causality inference, the result further informs that energy intensity is crucial to curbing GHG emissions in the region. Thus, the result from the study offers relevant policy instructions.
Effect of Bottom Tuyere Arrangement Based on Impact Cavity Morphology on Kinetic Behavior of Molten Bath in Converter
Authors: Sun Jiankun , Zhang Jiangshan , Jiang Rui , Feng Xiaoming , Liu Qing
Published: September 2022

The hydrodynamic interaction between the top blowing supersonic jet and the bottom plume significantly affects the kinetic behavior of the molten bath in the steelmaking converter. Herein, considering the influence of cavity morphology, four bottom tuyere arrangement cases are designed, and their effects on the gas–slag–metal interface characteristics, dynamic and mixing characteristics of molten bath, and abrasion characteristics of refractory lining are numerically studied. The results show that the gas–slag–metal interaction is more violent in the corner region of scattered cavities, with higher velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, and splashing. Arranging the tuyeres in the corner region of scattered cavities would exacerbate the nonuniformity of velocity and splashing, resulting in a large dead zone and high kinetic energy dissipation, which is not favorable to the efficient stirring and mixing of the molten bath. In contrast, arranging the tuyeres in the region of the extension line between the center of the molten bath and the center of scattered cavities may effectively enhance the relevant flow parameters. Furthermore, when the tuyeres are arranged in the corner region of scattered cavities, the bottom abrasion is more serious than that in other regions.
Seaweed as a Potential New Source for Starch, Produced in the Sea: A Short Review
Authors: Tagliapietra Bruna Lago , Borges Lara Aguiar , Ferreira Nadson Libio Bezerra , Clerici Maria Teresa Pedrosa Silva
Published: September 2022

The social concern with sustainable development encourages the study of new sources of starch; among these sources, the cultivation of macroalgae is a strategy for the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. This mini‐review aims to present the main aspects related to the current seaweed market, the extraction, composition, and properties of starch, as well as its prospects as a sustainable ingredient capable of generating income and health for the world's population. The green algae species Ulva has been suggested as a promising source for starch extraction; however extraction is a challenge mainly due to the difficulty in breaking down the cell walls and isolating the starch granules. The algal starch granule is small (1.7–7 µm), and another characteristic is the high amylose content, above 55%, which may indicate that it is a resistant starch or slow digestion. Seaweed starch still needs to be scaled its production, extraction, and application potential, as a main ingredient or as a co‐product of gum processing, which already have a production chain, as they have great potential as nutraceutical or functional starch for food of low calorie, or for applications as a thickener in the food, cosmetics, and other industries.
Identity across the STEM ecosystem: Perspectives of youth, informal educators, and classroom teachers
Authors: Wade‐Jaimes Katherine , Ayers Kate , Pennella Robyn A
Published: September 2022

Out of school time (OST) STEM opportunities are often presented as ways to support student achievement, understanding, and identity in STEM. Recent work has begun to explore how OST programs function within the STEM Learning Ecosystem, a holistic view of the various STEM learning opportunities available to youth in a given area. In order to increase understanding of how microcontexts impact the STEM Learning Ecosystem, this study explores the experiences and perspectives of three groups of participants in a network of after school STEM Clubs: youth participants, college student facilitators, and sponsor teachers. Based on interviews with all three groups, results of comparative case study analysis revealed two cases: Narrowed STEM and Expanded STEM. Youth in the Narrowed STEM case had traditional perspectives of STEM as hard, for smart people, and related to behavior; made only weak or no connections between STEM in different contexts; and had tentative STEM identities. Youth in the expanded STEM case had more active perspectives of STEM as exploration and problem solving, saw clear connections across contexts, and had decisive STEM identities. Critical Discourse Analysis was used to show how facilitators and club sponsors negotiated macro‐level discourses of STEM and urban education in ways that aligned with youth views and influenced interpretations of the STEM Club. We highlight a need for critical and multiscalar evaluation of STEM Learning Ecosystems, particularly in urban areas, so that learning opportunities are available to all students, particularly those from groups historically excluded from science and STEM.
Introduction
Authors: Hendricks John S. , Swinhoe Martyn T. , Favalli Andrea
Published: September 2022

This book is intended to aid nuclear safeguard scientists and engineers in more effective use of the MCNP® radiation modeling computer code. It should also be of use to both beginning and advanced users of the MCNP software in other fields and to those interested in nuclear safeguard technology and computational modeling.
Examples of Advanced Concepts
Authors: Hendricks John S. , Swinhoe Martyn T. , Favalli Andrea
Published: September 2022

Perhaps the two most abstract concepts in Monte Carlo sampling are variance reduction and next-event estimators. Variance reduction techniques enable significant enhancement of statistical convergence. They are then illustrated with safeguard examples of a lead slowing-down spectrometer and a Cf shuffler using weight windows, time splitting, and other techniques. Next-event estimators enable robust calculation of highly improbable events and challenging problems such as distributed sources in a UF6 enrichment cask model. Advanced methods are also required to model various safeguard detectors. These are illustrated with 3He pulse-height tallies, 3He coincidence tallies, and 10Be-lined detectors for 3He replacement.
Pflegekräftemangel – zusammenführende Kommentierung
Authors: Kudo Hiroko
Published: September 2022

Diese Sektion befasst sich mit den Akteuren der Altenpflege sind und erörtert die Herausforderungen, mit denen sie in Japan und Deutschland konfrontiert sind.
Freiwilliges Engagement älterer Menschen in Deutschland
Authors: Müntefering Franz
Published: September 2022

In diesem Beitrag soll es ausdrücklich um das zivilgesellschaftliche Engagement gehen. Dieses ist ein wichtiger Teil des Lebens, nicht weniger wichtig als das Berufsleben, aber anders. Es ist nicht randständig. Es ist nicht beliebiges Beiwerk. Es ist nicht schrumpfend, jedenfalls sollte es das nicht sein. Es gewinnt eher an Gewicht, wenn der Anteil des beruflichen Lebens auch infolge der wachsenden individuellen Lebenserwartung abnimmt. Es macht jedenfalls Sinn, sich die Rolle des freiwilligen Engagements in unserem Leben, in unseren Gesellschaften und in unseren Demokratien immer einmal wieder bewusst zu machen und dies nicht dem blanken Zufall zu überlassen.
Improved theory predictions and global analysis of exclusive b → sμ+μ− processes
Authors: Gubernari Nico , Reboud Méril , van Dyk Danny , Virto Javier
Published: September 2022

Abstract

We provide improved Standard Model theory predictions for the exclusive rare semimuonic processes B → K(*)μ+μ− and Bs → ϕμ+μ−. Our results are based on a novel parametrization of the non-local form factors, which manifestly respects a recently developed dispersive bound. We critically compare our predictions to those obtained in the framework of QCD factorization. Our predictions provide, for the first time, parametric estimates of the systematic uncertainties due to non-local contributions. Comparing our predictions within the Standard Model to available experimental data, we find a large tension for B → Kμ+μ−. A simple model-independent analysis of potential effects beyond the Standard Model yields results compatible with other approaches, albeit with larger uncertainties for the B → K*μ+μ− and Bs → ϕμ+μ− decays. Our approach yields systematically improvable predictions, and we look forward to its application in further analyses beyond the Standard Model.
From tree- to loop-simplicity in affine Toda theories I: Landau singularities and their subleading coefficients
Authors: Dorey Patrick , Polvara Davide
Published: September 2022

Abstract

Various features of the even order poles appearing in the S-matrices of simply-laced affine Toda field theories are analysed in some detail. In particular, the coefficients of first- and second-order singularities appearing in the Laurent expansion of the S-matrix around a general 2Nth order pole are derived in a universal way using perturbation theory at one loop. We show how to cut loop diagrams contributing to the pole into particular products of tree-level graphs that depend on the on-shell geometry of the loop; in this way, we recover the coefficients of the Laurent expansion around the pole exploiting tree-level integrability properties of the theory. The analysis is independent of the particular simply-laced theory considered, and all the results agree with those obtained in the conjectured bootstrapped S-matrices of the ADE series of theories.
The German Arthroscopy Registry DART: what has happened after 5 years?
Authors: Hinz Maximilian , Lutter Christoph , Mueller-Rath Ralf , Niemeyer Philipp , Miltner Oliver , Tischer Thomas
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The German Arthroscopy Registry (DART) has been initiated in 2017 with the aim to collect real-life data of patients undergoing knee, shoulder, hip or ankle surgery. The purpose of this study was to present an overview of the current status and the collected data thus far.

Methods

Data entered between 11/2017 and 01/2022 were analyzed. The number of cases (each case is defined as a single operation with or without concomitant procedures) entered for each joint, follow-up rates and trends between different age groups (18–29 years, 30–44 years, 45–64 years,  ≥ 65 years) and across genders, and quality of life improvement (pre- vs. 1 year postoperative EQ visual analogue scale [EQ-VAS]) for frequently performed procedures (medial meniscus repair [MMR] vs. rotator cuff repair [RCR] vs. microfracturing of the talus [MFX-T]) were investigated.

Results

Overall, 6651 cases were entered into DART, forming three distinct modules classified by joint (5370 knee, 1053 shoulder and 228 ankle cases). The most commonly entered procedures were: knee: partial medial meniscectomy (n = 2089), chondroplasty (n = 1389), anterior cruicate ligament reconstruction with hamstring autograft (n = 880); shoulder: sub acromial decompression (n = 631), bursectomy (n = 385), RCR (n = 359); ankle: partial synovectomy (n = 117), tibial osteophyte resection (n = 72), loose body removal (n = 48). In the knee and shoulder modules, middle-aged patients were the predominant age group, whereas in the ankle module, the youngest age group was the most frequent one. The two oldest age groups had the highest 1-year follow-up rates across all modules. In the knee and shoulder module, 1-year follow-up rates were higher in female patients, whereas follow-up rates were higher in male patients in the ankle module. From pre- to 1-year postoperative, MFX-T (EQ-VAS: 50.0 [25–75% interquartile range: 31.8–71.5] to 75.0 [54.3–84.3]; ∆ + 25.0) led to a comparably larger improvement in quality of life than did MMR (EQ-VAS: 70.0 [50.0–80.0] to 85.0 [70.0–94.0]; ∆ + 15.0) or RCR (EQ-VAS: 67.0 [50.0–80.0] to 85.0 [70.0–95.0]; ∆ + 18.0).

Conclusion

DART has been sufficiently established and collects high-quality patient-related data with satisfactory follow-up allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the collected data. The current focus lies on improving patient enrolment and follow-up rates as well as initiating the hip module.
Deinococcus taeanensis sp. nov., a Radiation-Resistant Bacterium Isolated from a Coastal Dune
Authors: Lee Ji Hee , Jung Jong-Hyun , Kim Min-Kyu , Lim Sangyong
Published: September 2022

A Gram-stain-negative, nonspore-forming, nonmotile, aerobic, rod-shaped, and very pale orange-colored bacterial strain, designated TS293T, was isolated from a sand sample obtained from a coastal dune after exposure to 3kGy of gamma (γ)-radiation. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the isolate was a member of the genus Deinococcus and clustered with D. deserti VCD115T. The genome of strain TS293T was 4.62 Mbp long (68.2% G + C content and 4124 predicted genes) divided into a 2.86Mb main chromosome and five plasmids. Many genes considered to be important to the γ-radiation and oxidative stress resistance of Deinococcus were conserved in TS293T, but genome features that could differentiate TS293T from D. deserti and D. radiodurans, the type species of the Deinococcus genus, were also detected. Strain TS293T showed resistance to γ-radiation with D10 values (i.e., the dose required to reduce the bacterial population by tenfold) of 3.1kGy. The predominant fatty acids of strain TS293T were summed feature 3 (C16:1ω6c and/or C16:1ω7c) and iso-C16:0. The major polar lipids were two unidentified phosphoglycolipids and one unidentified glycolipid. The main respiratory quinone was menaquinone-8. Based on the phylogenetic, genomic, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain TS293T represents a novel species, for which the name Deinococcus taeanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TS293T (= KCTC 43191T = JCM 34027T).
Lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) showed a lower risk of failure compared to medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty in the Register of Prosthetic Orthopedic Implants (RIPO)
Authors: Alesi Domenico , Bordini Barbara , Fratini Stefano , Ancarani Cristina , Agostinone Piero , Grassi Alberto , Marcheggiani Muccioli Giulio Maria , Viceconti Marco , Zaffagnini Stefano
Published: September 2022

Introduction

The present study aimed to investigate differences in survivorship between medial and lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) by analyzing the data of an Italian regional registry. The hypothesis was that, according to recent literature, lateral implants have comparable survivorship with regard to the medial implants.

Materials and methods

The Register of Orthopaedic Prosthetic Implants (RIPO) of Emilia-Romagna (Italy) database was searched for all UKAs between July 1, 2000, and December 31, 2019. For both cohorts, subject demographics and reasons for revision were presented as a percentage of the total cohort. Kaplan–Meier survivorship analysis was performed using revision of any component as the endpoint and survival times of unrevised UKAs taken as the last observation date (December 31, 2019, or date of death).

Results

Patients living outside the region and symmetrical implants (which do not allow the compartment operated to be traced) were excluded. 5571 UKAs implanted on 5172 patients (5215 medial UKAs and 356 lateral UKAs) were included in the study. The survivorship analysis revealed 13 failures out of 356 lateral UKAs (3.7%) at a mean follow-up of 6.3 years and 495 failures out of 5215 medial UKAs (9.5%) at a mean follow-up of 6.7 years. The medial UKAs had a significantly higher risk of failure, with a Hazard Ratio of 2.6 (CI 95% 1.6–4.8; p < 0.001), adjusted for age, gender, weight, and mobility of the insert. Both the groups revealed a good survival rate, with 95.2% of lateral implants and 87.5% of medial implants still in situ at 10 years of follow-up.

Conclusions

Lateral UKA is a safe procedure showing longer survivorship than medial UKAs (95.2% and 87.5% at 10 years, respectively) in the present study.

Level of evidence

Level 3, therapeutic study.
Magnesium recovery from seawater desalination brines: a technical review
Authors: Fontana Danilo , Forte Federica , Pietrantonio Massimiliana , Pucciarmati Stefano , Marcoaldi Caterina
Published: September 2022

Existing desalination technologies produce large amount of waste brines with higher salinity concentration than feed seawater, the disposal of which pose serious environmental problems. At the same time, waste brines represent a valuable source of strategic materials—such as magnesium—and therefore their valorization offers the opportunity to overtake both the environmental and the economic issues. Current needs are to identify gaps and challenges to recover secondary magnesium in order to bring recovery technologies closer to the market for potential commercial applications. In this technical review, the available methods for magnesium recovery from seawater desalination brines are described and compared in details, to provide the readers with a wide overview to better address their research efforts towards resources valorization, in accordance with the circular economy principles.

Graphical abstract
A Multi-component Intervention (NEXpro) Reduces Neck Pain-Related Work Productivity Loss: A Randomized Controlled Trial Among Swiss Office Workers
Authors: Aegerter Andrea Martina , Deforth Manja , Volken Thomas , Johnston Venerina , Luomajoki Hannu , Dressel Holger , Dratva Julia , Ernst Markus Josef , Distler Oliver , Brunner Beatrice , Sjøgaard Gisela , Melloh Markus , Elfering Achim ,   the NEXpro Collaboration Group, Aegerter Andrea Martina , Deforth Manja , Volken Thomas , Johnston Venerina , Luomajoki Hannu , Dressel Holger , Dratva Julia , Ernst Markus Josef , Distler Oliver , Brunner Beatrice , Sjøgaard Gisela , Melloh Markus , Elfering Achim
Published: September 2022

Purpose Neck pain is common among office workers and leads to work productivity loss. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a multi-component intervention on neck pain-related work productivity loss among Swiss office workers. Methods Office workers, aged 18–65 years, and without serious neck-related health problems were recruited from two organisations for our stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial. The 12-week multi-component intervention included neck exercises, health-promotion information, and workplace ergonomics. The primary outcome of neck pain-related work productivity loss was measured using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire and expressed as percentages of working time. In addition, we reported the weekly monetary value of neck pain-related work productivity loss. Data was analysed on an intention-to-treat basis using a generalized linear mixed-effects model. Results Data from 120 participants were analysed with 517 observations. At baseline, the mean age was 43.7 years (SD 9.8 years), 71.7% of participants were female (N = 86), about 80% (N = 95) reported mild to moderate neck pain, and neck pain-related work productivity loss was 12% of working time (absenteeism: 1.2%, presenteeism: 10.8%). We found an effect of our multi-component intervention on neck pain-related work productivity loss, with a marginal predicted mean reduction of 2.8 percentage points (b = −0.27; 95% CI: −0.54 to −0.001, p = 0.049). Weekly saved costs were Swiss Francs 27.40 per participant. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence for the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention to reduce neck pain-related work productivity loss with implications for employers, employees, and policy makers.

Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04169646. Registered 15 November 2019—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04169646.
Hold-up induced by demand for fairness: theory and experimental evidence
Authors: KC Raghabendra Pratap , Lauga Dominique Olié , Mak Vincent
Published: September 2022

Research in recent years suggests that fairness concerns could mitigate hold-up problems. In this study, we report theoretical analysis and experimental evidence on an opposite possibility: that fairness concerns could also induce hold-up problems. In our setup, hold-up problems will not occur with purely self-interested agents, but theoretically could be induced by demand for distributional fairness among agents without sufficiently strong counteracting factors such as intention-based reciprocity. We observe a widespread occurrence of hold-up in our experiment. Relationship-specific investments occurred less than half of the time, resulting in significant inefficiencies. Moreover, whenever a relationship-specific investment was made: (a) it was typically not reciprocated by the partner; (b) nor did the investor’s offers at the bargaining stage exhibit expectations for reciprocity. Consequently, the partner extracted all the additional expected payoff from relationship-specific investments. Further experimentation suggested that our results were driven by a fundamental lack of intention-based reciprocity in fairness concerns, rather than self-serving bias.
The Impact of the Presence of Aromatic Rings in the Substituent on the Performance of C60/C70 Fullerene-Based Acceptor Materials in Photovoltaic Cells
Authors: Mech Wojciech , Piotrowski Piotr , Zarębska Kamila , Korona Krzysztof P. , Kaminska Maria , Skompska Magdalena , Kaim Andrzej
Published: September 2022

In this work, a series of C60/C70 fullerene derivatives bearing non-aromatic and mono-, bi-, tri- and tetracyclic aryl-substituents was synthesized according to the modified Bingel method and characterized using spectral methods: ESI-MS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, UV–Vis, FT-IR and cyclic voltammetry (CV). HOMO and LUMO energy levels and the band gaps for optimized structures of reported fullerene derivatives were determined according to the DFT functionals, B3LYP 6-31G(d) and PBE/6-311G(d,p). Results obtained from CV and UV–Vis measurements, which showed very good agreement, were compared to calculated theoretical values also revealing satisfactory level of compliance of the obtained results. We have studied the impact of presence and number of aromatic rings in malonate substituent of C60/C70 fullerene derivatives employed as acceptor materials on performance of BHJ solar cells prepared using PTB7-Th as donor material. We successfully prepared solar cells based on all the synthesized compounds, and the highest performance of the obtained photovoltaic devices was observed for fullerene derivatives bearing monocyclic and bicyclic aromatic moieties. The obtained voltage was about 0.8 V and current density was above 10 mA/cm2. Optical studies showed absorption edges at 1.9 eV and 1.8 eV for C60 and C70 derivatives, respectively, with absorption coefficients comparable to C60/C70 PCBM samples. Photocurrent spectroscopy showed 20–40% quantum efficiency. Long-term ageing measurements showed T80 time between 105 days and 115 days for derivatives with phenyl and naphthalene substituents. Taking into account that synthesis of reported fullerene derivatives is very convenient, the reported compounds are very promising materials for construction of BHJ solar cells.
Assessment of the potential effects of plants with their secreted biochemicals on the biodeterioration of archaeological stones
Authors: Elgohary Yomna M. , Mansour Maisa M. A. , Salem Mohamed Z. M.
Published: September 2022

Archaeological sites and structures suffer from several factors of deterioration. The present survey focuses on the biodeterioration by plants, which is not less important than the rest of the deterioration factors; moreover, in many cases, it leads to their occurrence. Despite the importance of plants in our lives and their aesthetic appearance around stone monuments, they pose a threat to their survival. Therefore, it is necessary to have such a review to detail this topic and understand its severity by identifying the most common and harmful plant species, the co-factors for their existence, and the mechanism of damage. Physical damage through causing cracks, detachment, and loss of structural integrity and chemical damage from root secretions-biological damage by encouraging microorganisms and insects supported by examples of sites that have been damaged by plants. The results will help to apply appropriate methods of prevention and control by mentioning the advantages and disadvantages of each method.
Influence of pellet length, content of fines, and moisture content on emission behavior of wood pellets in a residential pellet stove and pellet boiler
Authors: Mack Robert , Schön Claudia , Kuptz Daniel , Hartmann Hans , Brunner Thomas , Obernberger Ingwald , Behr Hans Martin
Published: September 2022

In Germany, wood pellets must fulfill high quality standards to be utilized in small-scale furnaces. According to current legislation, i.e., the 1st BImSchV, only ENplus A1–certified pellets may be used. Despite these strict requirements, physical fuel parameters can vary within the permissible range and variation usually increases due to fuel transport and storage. Fluctuations in physical fuel parameters may have a strong influence on combustion, especially in pellet stoves with a low degree of automation regarding fuel control and air supply. During this study, pellet length, moisture content, and the content of fines of spruce wood pellets were varied artificially at three levels for each parameter. All pellets were analyzed according to international standards for solid biofuels. Fuels were combusted in a 6 kW pellet stove and selected assortments in a 15 kW pellet boiler. For the pellet stove, pellet length had a significant influence on gaseous but not on total particulate matter (TPM) emissions. Both, rather short (10.3 mm) and long (17 mm) pellets caused an increase in emissions. In contrast, for the boiler, no significant effect of pellet length on gaseous and TPM emissions was observed. A low moisture content (3 w-%) led to increased CO, organic gaseous carbon (OGC), and TPM emissions in the pellet stove. This could be especially relevant for furnaces with very simple or no heat output control as it is common in most pellet stoves. High content of fines (3 to 10 w-%) led to a significant increase in gaseous emissions (CO up to fivefold, OGC up to tenfold) and TPM emissions (up to 1.4-fold) in the pellet stove most likely due to elevated particle entrainment. Overall, the state-of-the-art pellet stove showed larger sensitivity towards variable pellet qualities compared to the automatically stoked pellet boiler; thus, improvements in fuel design and stove technology are recommended. Overall, this study has provided important insights into the influence of pellet length, fines content, and moisture content on emissions from pellet stoves and pellet boilers, which can help drive future technical development in the areas of fuel flexibility and emission reduction.
Proactive learner empowerment: towards a transformative academic integrity approach for English language learners
Authors: Khoo Elaine , Kang Sohee
Published: September 2022

Socializing students to Academic Integrity (AI) in the face of great cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic diversity in the student population in higher education calls for innovative strategies that are aligned with equity, diversity and inclusion principles. Through a mixed method of quantitative analysis of learner engagement data from the Learning Management System (LMS) and analysis of anonymous evaluation survey, along with thematic analysis of students’ open-ended responses in the evaluation survey, the authors explored how students responded to AI Socialization during a 4-week non-credit, online co-curricular program called ‘Reading and Writing Excellence’ (RWE). Nine groups of undergraduate students (N=182) from 34 disciplines in different global locations during the COVID-19 pandemic were introduced to a curated set of AI online resources. Through a learner-driven, instructor-facilitated approach the AI Socialization also engaged students in language development and empowered them to communicate about their disciplinary course topics through written journal entries, receiving instructor feedback that increased their cultural and linguistic capital for further academic writing. This approach led to a high volume of written output (on average 6064 words per student written over a 4-week period). Nonparametric ANOVA was used to establish that low-proficiency students were able to produce as much written output as their more proficient peers. Survey results for various aspects important to academic integrity show students’ self-perception of readiness for academic writing: paraphrasing and summarizing (92%); organization of ideas (92%); critical thinking (93%); logic/argument (92%). Insights gained about educative engagement, language development and learner empowerment that can help students from diverse backgrounds to avoid Academic Integrity Violations (AIVs) and gain transformative access and success in higher education are incorporated into a set of recommendations that are applicable to a wide range of teaching contexts.
A Broken Record
Authors: Sultan Atiyab
Published: September 2022

This book examines economic reform in the Punjab in the period 1900-47 in an attempt to historicise theories of institutional change and community development. It advances the economic history of the region by analysing microeconomic reform in the province. A close examination of programmes of rural reconstruction in colonial Punjab reveals stark parallels with more contemporary prescriptions of development economics. Simultaneously, a study of the trajectory of legislative change sheds light on the institutional legacies of colonial rule. It engages deeply with the theoretical scholarship on development and rural uplift that emerges in this period and develops an intellectual genealogy that links colonialism to development studies. It questions the continued valorisation of the 'community' despite a lack of supportive evidence and argues that one reason for the continued popularity of ideas of community development and institutional malaise is that both absolve the status quo from blame.
Le raisonnement par analogie considéré comme un schéma d'inférence
Authors: Walliser Bernard , Zwirn Denis , Zwirn Hervé
Published: September 2022

Malgré son importance dans divers domaines, le raisonnement par analogie n'a pas encore reçu de représentation formelle unifiée. Notre contribution suggère un schéma d'inférence général compatible avec différentes logiques. Premièrement, une assertion analogique définit la similarité entre deux objets en fonction de leurs propriétés, de façon seulement relative. Deuxièmement, une inférence analogique transfère une propriété nouvelle d'un objet à un objet similaire, grâce à une méta-hypothèse d'arrière-plan qui relie deux ensembles de propriétés. Le degré de croyance dans la conclusion est directement relié au degré de croyance dans cette méta-hypothèse.
Transmission and reflection of a solitary wave in two-dimensional dusty plasma due to an interface
Authors: Zhang Wei-Ping , Duan Wen-Shan
Published: September 2022

The reflection and transmission of an incident solitary wave with an arbitrary propagation direction due to an interface are investigated in the present paper. It is found that the propagation direction of the transmitted solitary wave depends on not only the propagation direction of the incident solitary wave, but also on the system parameters such as the masses, the number densities of dust particles in two different regions. Dependence of the transmission angle on the plasma parameters and incident angle are given analytically. Moreover, the number and amplitude of transmitted solitary waves and reflected solitary waves are also given when there is only one exact incident solitary wave. Our result has potential application, for example, we can devise an appropriate experiment to measure the differences of the masses and number densities of dust particles between two different regions by using our present results. Furthermore, we can also measure the electric charge of a dust particle by devising an appropriate experiment by using our results.
A History of Andesite Production via Magma Mixing and Mingling Revealed Microscopically at Ngauruhoe Volcano
Authors: Cocker Kate , Shane Phil , Cronin Shane , Stirling Claudine , Reid Malcolm
Published: September 2022

Many andesites erupted at arc volcanoes are the products of magma mixing, and this process could be important in triggering their eruption. Throughout the life of Ngauruhoe volcano (∼2.5 ka), erupted andesites lack macroscopic enclaves or lithological features of mingled magma. However, intricate microscopic features of magma mixing and mingling occur. Plagioclase phenocrysts have a wide range of textures. Their diverse 87Sr/86Sr values (0.7039–0.7060) are mostly discordant with the groundmass (∼80%), and many phenocrysts (>40%) are isotopically zoned. Resorbed calcic cores overgrown by sodic rims are common, and record a gradient of increasing 87Sr/86Sr, the result of progressive mixing with a radiogenic melt. Clinopyroxenes and orthopyroxenes have relict cores that nucleated in silicic melts (∼Mg# 30–40), and their rims record cycles of growth in mafic melts (∼Mg# 50–60). Olivine‐bearing, mafic glassy blebs (mostly <500 μm) that occur in the groundmass are the relicts of the intruding magma that disintegrated during the mixing/mingling process, and liberated crystals. Thus, some andesites that lack banding or enclaves are in fact the product of thorough mixing of contrasting magmas. This may require a regime of frequent intrusion leading to hybridization with the stagnant resident magma. Thus, frequent eruptions during Ngauruhoe's historic episode ending in 1975 CE are likely to have been a manifestation of frequent replenishment. A mixing origin for intermediate rocks at volcanic arcs is likely to be more prevalent than previously documented: further evidence for the rarity of andesite liquids in such settings.
Tropospheric Expansion Under Global Warming Reduces Tropical Lower Stratospheric Ozone
Authors: Match Aaron , Gerber Edwin P.
Published: September 2022

In response to global warming, ozone is predicted to increase aloft due to stratospheric cooling but decrease in the tropical lower stratosphere. The ozone reductions have been primarily attributed to a strengthening Brewer‐Dobson circulation, which upwells ozone‐poor air. Yet, this paper finds that strengthening upwelling only explains part of the reduction. The reduction is also driven by tropospheric expansion under global warming, which erodes the ozone layer from below, the low ozone anomalies from which are advected upwards. Strengthening upwelling and tropospheric expansion are correlated under global warming, making it challenging to disentangle their relative contributions. Therefore, chemistry‐climate model output is used to validate an idealized model of ozone photochemistry and transport with a tropopause lower boundary condition. In our idealized decomposition, strengthening upwelling and tropospheric expansion both contribute at leading order to reducing tropical ozone. Tropospheric expansion drives bottom‐heavy reductions in ozone, which decay in magnitude into the mid‐stratosphere.
Restricting movements of lower face leaves recognition of emotional vocalizations intact but introduces a valence positivity bias
Authors: Wołoszyn Kinga , Hohol Mateusz , Kuniecki Michał , Winkielman Piotr
Published: September 2022

Blocking facial mimicry can disrupt recognition of emotion stimuli. Many previous studies have focused on facial expressions, and it remains unclear whether this generalises to other types of emotional expressions. Furthermore, by emphasizing categorical recognition judgments, previous studies neglected the role of mimicry in other processing stages, including dimensional (valence and arousal) evaluations. In the study presented herein, we addressed both issues by asking participants to listen to brief non-verbal vocalizations of four emotion categories (anger, disgust, fear, happiness) and neutral sounds under two conditions. One of the conditions included blocking facial mimicry by creating constant tension on the lower face muscles, in the other condition facial muscles remained relaxed. After each stimulus presentation, participants evaluated sounds’ category, valence, and arousal. Although the blocking manipulation did not influence emotion recognition, it led to higher valence ratings in a non-category-specific manner, including neutral sounds. Our findings suggest that somatosensory and motor feedback play a role in the evaluation of affect vocalizations, perhaps introducing a directional bias. This distinction between stimulus recognition, stimulus categorization, and stimulus evaluation is important for understanding what cognitive and emotional processing stages involve somatosensory and motor processes.
A computational comparison of radiofrequency and pulsed field ablation in terms of lesion morphology in the cardiac chamber
Authors: Gómez-Barea Mario , García-Sánchez Tomás , Ivorra Antoni
Published: September 2022

Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) has been developed over the last years as a novel electrical ablation technique for treating cardiac arrhythmias. It is based on irreversible electroporation which is a non-thermal phenomenon innocuous to the extracellular matrix and, because of that, PFA is considered to be safer than the reference technique, Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA). However, possible differences in lesion morphology between both techniques have been poorly studied. Simulations including electric, thermal and fluid physics were performed in a simplified model of the cardiac chamber which, in essence, consisted of a slab of myocardium with blood in motion on the top. Monopolar and bipolar catheter configurations were studied. Different blood velocities and catheter orientations were assayed. RFA was simulated assuming a conventional temperature-controlled approach. The PFA treatment was assumed to consist in a sequence of 20 biphasic bursts (100 µs duration). Simulations indicate that, for equivalent lesion depths, PFA lesions are wider, larger and more symmetrical than RFA lesions for both catheter configurations. RFA lesions display a great dependence on blood velocity while PFA lesions dependence is negligible on it. For the monopolar configuration, catheter angle with respect to the cardiac surface impacted both ablation techniques but in opposite sense. The orientation of the catheter with respect to blood flow direction only affected RFA lesions. In this study, substantial morphological differences between RFA and PFA lesions were predicted numerically. Negligible dependence of PFA on blood flow velocity and direction is a potential important advantage of this technique over RFA.
Social contacts and loneliness affect the own age bias for emotional faces
Authors: Pizzio Adriana Patrizia Gonzalez , Yankouskaya Alla , Alessandri Guido , Loreto Sancho , Pecchinenda Anna
Published: September 2022

Individuals are better at recognizing faces of their own age group (Own Age Bias) but it is unclear whether this bias occurs also for emotional faces and to what extent is affected by loneliness. Young individuals (N = 235) completed an age categorization task on faces of young and old individuals showing neutral, happy, and angry expressions. After a filler task, they categorized as seen or novel the original set of faces intermixed with a new set. Findings showed an Own Age Bias for novel young faces but no evidence that emotion eliminates it. Recognition accuracy was better for emotional faces, but the two factors did not interact. Importantly, low loneliness was linked to an Own Age Bias for novel happy faces. These findings are discussed in the context of current theoretical accounts of the Own Age Bias and of the effects of loneliness on attention and memory.
Microwave induced thermally assisted solvent-based bonding of biodegradable thermoplastics: an eco-friendly rapid approach for fabrication of microfluidic devices and analyte detection
Authors: Hasan Md Sadique , Borhani Shayan , Ramamurthy Sai Sathish , Andar Abhay , Ge Xudong , Choa Fow-Sen , Kostov Yordan , Rao Govind
Published: September 2022

There is an increasing interest in low-cost, facile and versatile thermoplastic bonding for microfluidic applications that can be easily transitioned from laboratory prototyping to industrial manufacturing. In addition, owing to the surge in the usage of thermoplastic microfluidics and its adverse effect on the environment, it is prudent to source alternative materials that are biodegradable, providing a sustainable, green approach. To address the problems, here we introduce an environment friendly, low-cost and safe welding technology used in the fabrication of microcassettes from biodegradable cellulose acetate (CA) thermoplastics. The thermally assisted solvent based bonding of the thermoplastics was accomplished in a domestic microwave oven with the aid of a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) vise. To characterize the quality of the bonding, our in-house technique was compared with a conventional thermally assisted solvent bonding configuration using a heat press machine and tested under different conditions. Our microwave induced bonding of CA presents three times reduced bonding time with higher bonding strength, good reliability and does not necessitate the use of cumbersome instrumentation. Finally, we demonstrate an electrophoresis application and vitamin C detection accomplished using this biodegradable microcassette presenting comparable results with traditional techniques, illustrating the potential of this fabrication technique in different microfluidic applications.
Novel multi epitope-based vaccine against monkeypox virus: vaccinomic approach
Authors: Shantier Shaza W. , Mustafa Mujahed I. , Abdelmoneim Abdelrahman H. , Fadl Hiba A. , Elbager Sahar G. , Makhawi Abdelrafie M.
Published: September 2022

While mankind is still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, a case of monkeypox virus (MPXV) has been reported to the WHO on May 7, 2022. Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that has been a public health threat, particularly in Africa. However, it has recently expanded to other parts of the world, so it may soon become a global issue. Thus, the current work was planned and then designed a multi-epitope vaccine against MPXV utilizing the cell surface-binding protein as a target in order to develop a novel and safe vaccine that can evoke the desirable immunological response. The proposed MHC-I, MHC-II, and B-cell epitopes were selected to design multi-epitope vaccine constructs linked with suitable linkers in combination with different adjuvants to enhance the immune responses for the vaccine constructs. The proposed vaccine was composed of 275 amino acids and was shown to be antigenic in Vaxijen server (0.5311) and non-allergenic in AllerTop server. The 3D structure of the designed vaccine was predicted, refined and validated by various in silico tools to assess the stability of the vaccine. Moreover, the solubility of the vaccine construct was found greater than the average solubility provided by protein-Sol server which indicating the solubility of the vaccine construct. Additionally, the most promising epitopes bound to MHC I and MHC II alleles were found having good binding affinities with low energies ranging between − 7.0 and − 8.6 kcal/mol. According to the immunological simulation research, the vaccine was found to elicit a particular immune reaction against the monkeypox virus. Finally, the molecular dynamic study shows that the designed vaccine is stable with minimum RMSF against MHC I allele. We conclude from our research that the cell surface-binding protein is one of the primary proteins involved in MPXV pathogenesis. As a result, our study will aid in the development of appropriate therapeutics and prompt the development of future vaccines against MPXV.